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Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Iconic Southern Rock recording studio is revived

Atlanta, Georgia, USA (December 4, 2019) WHR — The Georgia music studio that fused blues, country and other sounds into Southern rock is being reborn. Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon helped propel the Allman Brothers Band and other groups to stardom in the 1970s.

Capricorn’s historic Studio A is reopening this week, after years of work by Mercer University and other supporters to restore and equip it with state-of-the-art technology.

“It’s a place that spawned a decade of remarkable creative activity,” Mercer President William Underwood said in an interview.


It also helped make Macon one of the nation’s music capitals. Underwood hopes the renovated studio will help preserve Macon’s place among cities that forged the music history of the United States — places like Nashville and Memphis in Tennessee, Muscle Shoals in Alabama and Detroit, Chicago and New Orleans.

Macon’s civic leaders view Southern rock through a far different lens these days than in the 1970s.

Southern rockers and Southern Baptists traveled in different orbits back then. The Capricorn music scene — part of the drug-infused counterculture movement of the time — was not always welcome in conservative Middle Georgia.


Now, Capricorn and Southern rock are officially sanctioned by today’s leaders, many of whom were fans in their younger days. Underwood, for instance, grew up listening to Southern rock and considers The Allman Brothers Band “the greatest jam band ever.”

In planning the new music complex, Underwood and others visited music hubs including Nashville, where Elvis Presley and others recorded their hits in RCA’s Studio B.

“There are people all over the world who travel to see these restored studios,” said Larry Brumley, a senior vice president at Mercer.

Macon-area officials hope the restoration — funded with help from two charitable foundations and other private donors — will help spur downtown redevelopment.


The restored Macon studio is part of Mercer Music at Capricorn, a 20,000-square-foot (1,860-square-meter) complex that will include a museum. Among its goals: To train and inspire new musicians. To that end, the Capricorn Music Incubator will provide 12 rehearsal rooms for musicians to hone their craft.

The idea is “to be a place to bring talented, creative people together and have them interact and engage with one another,” Underwood said.

“One day hopefully the next Otis Redding will come out of that incubator,” he said.

Redding’s voice became emblematic of Macon music six decades ago, after Mercer University student Phil Walden discovered his vocal talents while booking local bands for fraternity parties.

In 1969, Capricorn Records was formed by Walden and others, including Frank Fenton and producer Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records.

“My father loved the South, he loved Georgia and he especially loved Macon,” Phil Walden’s daughter, Amantha, said at Tuesday’s dedication ceremony. “He loved Southern music deep inside his soul.”

“My father’s life mission was to show the world what the South was capable of, and today we are here to celebrate a chapter of that mission,” she added.

Walden, his brother Alan Walden and their business partners discovered new artists who went on to create what became Southern rock.

The Charlie Daniels Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, Elvin Bishop, Wet Willie and others recorded songs inside the studio that was built for the Capricorn record label.

The Allman Brothers Band became so popular that they helped a former Georgia governor named Jimmy Carter win the 1976 presidential election by performing at campaign events, Carter has said. Carter told Mercer graduates at their 2016 commencement that he might not have been elected if the band hadn’t “adopted” him.

“Gregg Allman was better known than I was at that time,” Carter said in 2017. “The band got the campaign political attention and raised much needed funds.” When Underwood became Mercer’s president, the vacant offices that once housed Capricorn were a shambles, with one exception.

“The studio itself — that magical place where this great music was made — was still intact,” Underwood recalled. “It was kind of a miracle.”

A second venue, Studio B, will be used for larger-scale recordings and to host concerts and other special events. Film scores could be recorded there, tying into Georgia’s booming movie industry, Underwood said.

The studio will also feature a custom-built, 40-channel analog sound board that was created by the Maryland-based company API, he said.

Wes Griffith, who now manages the newly restored studio, recalls the first time he stepped inside.

“I was in awe, standing there where all these great things happened, all this great music was made,” Griffith said. “It’s just a dream come true for me to be the steward of that place and share that history and start a new beginning.”

Iconic biker photographer "Pulsating Paula" passes

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey on October 17 in 1954, Paula Rearden moved to New Brunswick when she was just 8 years old . Known in the Biker world as Pulsating Paula, her photographs of New Jersey bikers in the 1980's and 1990's seeped with authenticity and fun. Paula once said, “Got married to my first lay in 1973. 10 years later he bought me a camera, a Canon AE1. I still have it."


She started taking photos of biker parties and tattoo events and she sent them into ‘Biker Lifestyle’ magazine who later Paisano publications took over. They came out with ‘Tattoo’ magazine first of it’s kind ever.

Between the Biker and Tattoo magazines she had thousands of photos published. The 10 minute set up of her photography studio consisted of 2 flood lights that burnt the shit out of any poor person in front of them, and a 6×9 foot black cloth she got from Kmart that was tacked onto a wall. She never considered herself professional, ever. She just loved doing it with every fiber in her body.

She knew the wonderful people she met by name and places she has been in her journey will live on forever in her photographs. many of us are so glad that we were there with you.

Pulsating Paula was on the East Coast documenting bikers from her point of view. What is so compelling about her photography is that her photos bleed honesty, passion and a high level of respect for her subjects.

I’m not sure if she knew she was capturing history, but she did. Thank you Paula for all you have done, Rest In Peace.

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Marcus King Band shake up Iowa City

Badlands of Indiana (November 25, 2019) WHR — Iowa City got a visit from arguably one of the most talented modern guitarists in rock ’n’ roll touring today, Marcus King, front man to the Marcus King Band, on November 21 at the Englert Theater.

Before the show, the Englert had hummed with anticipation. A full theater of music lovers had turned out on a chilly November night to see the Nashville music group.

The Marcus King Band performs at the Englert Theatre on Thursday, November 21, 2019. 
Photo: Katina Zentz

The King Band is a Southern rock, blues, and soul fusion band made up of six members. Singer and guitarist Aaron Lee Tasjan took the stage to warm up the crowd before the band came out. The artist’s music was described as “indie folk grit” by Broadwayworld’s in “Aaron Lee Tasjan to Play at the Rockwood Music Hall Stage, 7/6.”

After Tasjan and his band finished their 48-minute set, the swaggering guitar riffs came to an end. The crowd had already given a standing ovation before the headline act walked on stage, something rarely seen for openers.

Yet even more energy burst from the crowd once the King band walked on the purple- and blue-lit stage.

King stepped into the spotlight and began to sing Son House’s iconic song “Grinnin’ in Your Face.” The famous blues song features a sole singer paired with rhythmic clapping. Even with the bare instrumentals, the audience rose and began to scream in excitement.

The band’s sound is a mix of 1970s soul melded with Southern rock from the same era, with a blues twist. In the grorup’s performance, viewers could visualize silhouettes of past artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Aretha Franklin as the band played.


Though the group draws from past musicians for inspiration, the King Band achieves great nuance in both its musicality and attitude.

The way the band connected with the energy of the Englert was an example of how its sound is so complementary and adaptive, flowing in specific ways depending on the crowd.

The energy in the venue was both electric and bold. The crowd members shot to their feet, swaying and dancing as the frontman sang. “We’re one week away from Turkey Day,” King said early to the cheering crowd. “But I want to say how thankful I am for you guys tonight.”

The band plays a sound from the past for today’s audiences, but with the nuance that only comes with time and a deep love for what came before. Its most recent album, Carolina Confessions, was featured often in the Iowa City set list. The band also featured some earlier songs from albums such as Due North.

The most striking aspect of the stellar rock concert was the way King constructed free-flowing solos for his songs. The way the notes rang out from his guitar almost seemed as though he was having a conversation only he could understand.

After a concert filled with cheering, shredding guitar solos, and an insanely funky horn section, the King Band left the stage, leaving the ringing of songs from both the past and present for everyone in attendance.

STORY: Austin J. Yerington
SOURCE: The Daily Iowan

Chris Stapleton sets 2020 tour dates

Badlands of Indiana (November 25, 2019) WHR — Chris Stapleton has unveiled his 2020 spring tour dates. The shows will feature support from Willie Nelson & Family, The Marcus King Band, Yola, Jamey Johnson and Sheryl Crow.


Stapleton’s spring tour will begin on Mar. 11 in Corpus Christi, Texas at the American Bank Center with special guests Jamey Johnson and Yola. The dates continue in Texas with a show in Austin on Mar. 12, followed by a Mar. 14 date in Arlington, Texas at Globe Life Field. The Arlington show – with support from Willie Nelson & Family in addition to Johnson and Yola – will mark the first ever concert at the venue, which is also the Texas Rangers’ brand new stadium.


Stapleton will then venture out of Texas, with stops in Biloxi, Miss., Birmingham Ala., and Columbus, Ohio. These three shows will feature The Marcus King Band and Yola. Finally, Stapleton will head to Lexington, Ky. to headline the previously-announced A Concert For Kentucky benefit. Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola will join him at this final show.


Tickets to Corpus Christi, Biloxi, and Birmingham go on sale Dec 6, while Austin & Columbus on sale Dec 13. For more information, visit chrisstapleton.com, and check out a complete list of upcoming tour dates below!

Chris Stapleton Spring 2020

Mar. 11 – Corpus Christi, Texas – American Bank Center*
Mar. 12 – Austin, Texas – Frank Erwin Center*
Mar. 14 – Arlington, Texas – Globe Life Field^
Mar. 20 – Biloxi, Miss. – Mississippi Coast Coliseum+
Mar. 21 – Birmingham, Ala. – Legacy Arena at the BJCC+
Apr. 23 – Columbus, Ohio – Schottenstein Center+
Apr. 25 – Lexington, Ky. – Kroger Field#

*w/ Jamey Johnson and Yola
^w/ Willie Nelson & Family, Jamey Johnson and Yola
+w/ The Marcus King Band and Yola
#w/ Willie Nelson & Family, Sheryl Crow and Yola


Thursday, November 14, 2019

TRIUMPH's 'Classics' To Be Re-Released As Double LP

Badlands of Indiana (November 14, 2019) WHR — On December 13th, 2019, TRIUMPH’s 13-track Classics will once again hit the racks (via Round Hill/Triumph Catalog), and all of the expected gems are included - “Lay It on the Line”, “Magic Power”, “A World of Fantasy”, “Fight the Good Fight” and “Hold On”.


Also featured are two special live recordings that close the set - “Never Surrender” (live at the US Festival) and “Blinding Light Show"/"Moon Child" (live at Sweden Rock).

The album will also be available for preorder via the link here: smarturl.it/TriumphClassics

“We are excited to showcase our career on the Classics reissue,” says the band. “It’s a beautiful package and sounds awesome!”

Comprised of drummer/vocalist Gil Moore, bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine, and guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett, TRIUMPH formed in 1975 (hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada).

With their unique blend of progressive rock, heavy metal and soaring melodies, the band enjoyed a string of rock radio and MTV hits, in the process scoring a string of gold and platinum-certified albums and selling out arenas, thrilling fans with their award-winning live shows.


And in December, rock fans will be reminded once again about the power that TRIUMPH possessed - deep in the grooves of Classics.

TRIUMPH: CLASSICS TRACK LISTING:

"Tears In The Rain"
"Lay It On The Line"
"I Live For The Weekend"
"Magic Power"
"Somebody’s Out There"
"Spellbound"
"A World of Fantasy"
"Follow Your Heart"
"Fight The Good Fight"
"Rock & Roll Machine"
"Hold On"
"Never Surrender" (Live at the US Festival)
"Blinding Light Show"/"Moon Child" (Live at Sweden Rock)

SOURCE: Triumph Music

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Kurt Sutter fired from Mayans MC show

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A (October 17, 2019) WHR — The Mayans M.C. show runner has been fired following what sources describe as "multiple complaints" over his behavior on the drama series. Sutter detailed his dismissal by FX CEO John Landgraf and Disney TV Studios and ABC Entertainment chairman Dana Walden in a letter sent to the cast and crew of the Sons of Anarchy spinoff, describing himself as an "abrasive dick."


In spite of Sutter's departure, the writer and exec producer's (who also delivered Bastard Executioner to the network in 2015) overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV has not been affected. Sutter renewed that pact in January 2018 and was the first producer to re-sign with 20th TV amid its impending sale to Disney. Sources note that the decision was made Wednesday and Sutter's memo was sent early Thursday.

Representatives for FX and 20th Century Fox TV declined comment. Representatives for Sutter did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Sutter has been outspoken about his management style. In a September 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sutter shared that he has in his office a framed copy of a letter he received detailing his "unprofessional behavior" on Sons of Anarchy and with executives at Fox 21. (The letter detailed an incident where he told an exec that he'd "crawl the fuck out of my ass" during a discussion about keeping the biker drama on budget.)

"The reason why that letter was hung up in the first place and the reason why it's still there is not about like, 'Fuck you, I'm a bad ass.' It's about, 'I'm a fuckin' idiot and that behavior creates fucking lawsuits,'"

At the time of the interview, Sutter was on the cusp of becoming a Disney employee. When asked about conversations with Landgraf and Walden, his reputation and how he might fit under the more cuddly Disney umbrella, the showrunner made it clear that he was aware of the impending culture shift.

"It was just a conversation about, 'This is the current climate. We don't suspect that you're going to sabotage anything, but we need to do the due diligence," he said at the time. "And at first it was disconcerting because I'm like, 'What does that mean? Does it mean there's a new watchdog on my shoulder?' And it didn't mean any of that. It was basically, 'We know who you are, we know what you can do, we have to make sure that when new entities come in that we can vouch for [you]. And at the very least we can say we have had this conversation.' Then there was, in a very politically delicate way, a 'Are there any skeletons in your closet that are gonna come back and bite us in the ass?' And I was like, 'Well, as far as I know, I didn't Weinstein anybody. I may have upset people, I may have said inappropriate things, but there was not [any of that].' But again, they needed to do the due diligence. And as Landgraf says, 'It's a different climate and you have to acknowledge it and be aware of it and move in step with it.'"


Mayans, currently in the midst of airing its second season, was created by Sutter and Elgin James. A decision on a third season has not yet been determined, but Sutter had already announced that he would be ceding day-to-day showrunner duties to James in the event of its return.

Here's Sutter's letter to cast:

Dear Team Mayans,

Apparently, Disney HR and Business Affairs has conducted an investigation into the unacceptable conditions that have been created on the set of Mayans in season 2. As you know, I’ve removed myself quite a bit this season, allowing others to take a bigger role in producing the show. It appears that philosophy has backfired. It’s been reported by writers, producers, cast and crew that my absence and subsequent behavior when there, has only created confusion, chaos, hostility and is perceived as abandonment. Or at least that’s how Disney has interpreted it. I’m sure it’s true.

This morning I was fired by Dana Walden and John Landgraf for all the complaints levied against me. Not the way I wanted to end my 18 year relationship with FX. At least being fired for being an abrasive dick is on brand.

I deeply apologize if I’ve made people feel less than or unsupported. My intention was literally the opposite. But clearly I’ve not been paying attention. My arrogance and chronic distraction has created wreckage. Just know, I adore this cast and crew.

I’m not sure what the fate of Mayans MC holds. But if it continues, you’ll still be in good hands. As I said at the premier, Elgin is ready to take on the challenge of running the show. I’m sure FX will get him the support he needs to find and follow his vision.

For those of you who wanted me gone, you win! For those of you who didn’t, you win too. Although I will no longer be involved, I have no doubt the new team will move things forward with the same quality fans have come to expect.

Thank you for the honor of working with all of you.

I don’t need, nor want, replies or condolences. I know where the love is. And for those of you who have it, I’m sure our paths will cross again.

Best, ks

SOURCE: TMZ

Monday, September 2, 2019

Steve Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd celebrates birthday

Miami, Florida, U.S.A (September 2, 2019) WHR —A birthday bash to celebrate Steve Gaines’ 70th birthday will take place Saturday, September 7th, in downtown Miami as part of the annual Designs of Autumn FestiFall.

Steve and Cassie Gaines, brother and sister, were Miamians who gained international fame as members of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and were tragically killed on Oct. 20, 1977, when the passenger aircraft the band had chartered ran out of fuel and crashed in a wooded area in Mississippi.


The Birthday Bash is a way to honor and celebrate Steve and Cassie’s lives.

“I am just ecstatic about this. We have been trying for years to get Steve and Cassie recognized and for it to come to fruition is just amazing,” said Debbie East, one of the founding members of the Ottawa County Musicians’ Tribute Committee. “We formed the committee together and we all have equal roles — Bob Poole, Sammie Ketcher, myself and Jordan Boyd.”

The Miami High School band will kick off the music celebrating Steve Gaines’ birthday at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, followed at 3 p.m. with entertainment by “Oklahoma Alibi,” a Lynyrd Skynyrd and Steve and Cassie Gaines tribute band out of the Tulsa area.


Following that there will be a Lynyrd Skynyrd documentary shown at the Coleman Theatre and the possible introduction of some of the plane crash survivors from Mississippi and Florida.

The main event will be a band called the “I Knew You When” band at approximately 5 p.m. that is made up of former members of bands that played with Steve Gaines, including John Moss, Johnny Rose, Sam Ketcher, John Seeburg, Miles Jacobs, Annie Walser, Rusty Knight and special guests.

The emcee for the night will be Hank Rotten Jr., of Joplin, who was the headmaster of ceremonies at the famous Sturgis Festival in Sturgis, South Dakota, recently.

And, finally, there will be a celebratory birthday cake presentation and everyone at the Coleman will get a piece (while it lasts).

“I was in bands with Steve; I didn’t play music; I ran the light shows, but we all feel like it’s great that the City of Miami is going to honor Steve on his 70th birthday. We are glad it’s going to be happening,” Poole said.

“People around Miami have been asking for a few years why we hadn’t been honoring Steve. So finally we have been able to do that. We got the street named for him last year, and we got him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Oklahoma last year, and this year we are doing the 70th birthday celebration and having a big birthday cake for him on stage. We are just glad it’s happening. His time has come.”

While all of the events are free and open to the public, donations are welcomed and will benefit the new Steve and Cassie Gaines Memorial Scholarship, which will be awarded to deserving music students at NEO in the future.

SOURCE: The Miami News Record

Friday, August 16, 2019

Peter Fonda Dead of Lung Cancer at 79

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A (August 16, 2019) WHR — Peter Fonda, who broke out from under the legendary Fonda family name with Easy Rider, has died. He was 79.

Fonda, the son of acting legend Henry Fonda, the younger brother of Jane Fonda and the father of Bridget Fonda, died Friday morning at his home in Los Angeles, according to his rep. The cause of death was respiratory failure due to lung cancer.


"In one of the saddest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy," said his family rep on Friday afternoon. "And, while we mourn the loss of this sweet and gracious man, we also wish for all to celebrate his indomitable spirit and love of life."

The family statement concluded: "In honor of Peter, please raise a glass to freedom."

Fonda received an Academy Award nomination as a screenwriter for Easy Rider, which he shared with Dennis Hopper and Terry Southern.

Fonda and Hopper dreamed up the idea of two motorcyclists who hit it big with a drug deal and take off across the country, ostensibly to attend Mardi Gras. Their trek was "in search of America," emblematic of the '60s zeitgeist of rebellion and drug experimentation. Featuring Jack Nicholson as their alcoholic, back rider/lawyer, the film was a low-budget, colossal hit.

Fonda produced Easy Rider for about $384,00, with Columbia Pictures picking up distribution rights. "I made Easy Rider for the same amount of money Roger Corman made Wild Angels, and [I knew] it would knock the audience's socks off," Fonda told The Hollywood Reporter in July for a feature on the 50th anniversary of the classic.


Shot in roughly seven weeks between L.A. and New Orleans, it introduced the studios to the bright, educated youth market, and Fonda paved the way for independent filmmakers. For the cataclysmic year of 1969, Easy Rider was a road movie that accomplished cinematically what Jack Kerouac's On the Road did for literature. It won a standing ovation at Cannes and the festival's best director award.

To a generation of young people, Fonda was "Captain America" and a poster-boy for the age. With his cool shades, leather jacket with the flag stitched on back, he sat perched atop a chrome-laden, high-handle-bar cycle, and the poster for the film was ubiquitous in college dorms in 1969 and the early '70s.

As a symbol for rebellious youth, Fonda, along with Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, Muhammad Ali and John Lennon, were among the most revered of countercultural poster boys.

Nearly 30 years after Easy Rider, Fonda's performance in Ulee's Gold (1997) as a beekeeper and sullen Vietnam War veteran whose family had nearly fallen apart earned him a best actor Oscar nom.

Fonda followed up Easy Rider by starring and directing The Hired Hand (1971), a feminist Western that his Pando Company made for Universal. He then helmed Idaho Transfer (1973), a message film about the environment.


He directed and starred opposite Brooke Shields in Wanda Nevada (1979), which featured a cameo by his father.

For a period after Easy Rider, Fonda lived on an 82-foot sailboat, essentially having dropped out. "I was writing during that period, and I got about as much writing done as a child in a sandbox," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1984.

In the early '80s, Fonda appeared in a humdrum batch of projects: He played as charismatic cult leader in Split Image (1982), a freewheeling adventurer in Dance of the Dwarfs (1983) and a suicidal father in the 1985 NBC movie A Reason to Live.

His other acting stints were uneven, from the lowbrow The Cannonball Run (1981) to a German impressionistic film, Peppermint Freiden (1983).

He also starred in Thomas McGuane's 92 in the Shade (1975), where he met Portia Rebecca Crockett; then the wife of the writer-director, she divorced him that year and quickly married Fonda. McGuane went on to marry actress Margot Kidder, who also was in the movie.

Rebecca convinced Fonda to move to Livingston, Mont., where they settled into a community at times populated by Jeff Bridges, Sam Peckinpah and other artistic off-roaders.

In the years before Ulee's Gold, he had become a cinematic recluse, living in Livingston, where he had two ranches and 300 acres and rejoiced in the solitude. "Most people can't hang in with me," he said in a 1997 interview. "I have a tendency to go tangential."

Peter Fonda was born in New York City on Feb. 23, 1939. As a child, he attended a number of boarding schools in the Northeast. When at home, he and Jane spent most of their time with their maternal grandmother.

In 1950, his mother, Frances, committed suicide on her 42nd birthday; Jane and Peter were told she died of a heart attack.

Throughout his adult life, he openly referred to an uneasy relationship with his dad, who died in August 1982.

His father remarried Susan Blanchard, the stepdaughter of Oscar Hammerstein II, but she left him after five years of marriage. Subsequently, Peter was sent to live with relatives in Nebraska. He enrolled at the University of Omaha but quit school during his third year and became an apprentice at the Cecilwood Theatre in Fishkill, New York.

After a year in New York, Fonda made his Broadway debut, playing an Army private in Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole. It was an auspicious turn: He received the Daniel Blum and the New York Drama Critics Award as the most promising young actor of 1961.

He was signed to a personal contract with producer Ross Hunter to produce and to act. It gave him the chance to leave Manhattan, which he loathed. "New Yorkers don't know what the people who live in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado know: the reality of this world, what it is made of, the reality of days, nights, weather, season, dirt, air, food, love."

Groomed to be the next Dean Jones, Fonda made his film debut opposite Sandra Dee in Tammy and the Doctor (1963). He followed up with The Victors (1963) and Lilith (1964), in which he played a suicidal mental patient. He then latched on with Roger Corman's low-budget enterprise and starred as biker Heavenly Blues in The Wild Angels (1966).

He followed that with another Corman opus, The Trip (1967), a paean to LSD that was written by Nicholson and featured Hopper playing a freaked-out character. The film was widely popular among college-age students and meshed with the counter-cultural mindset of the day.

Not content with cranking out cheapo motorcycle vehicles for Corman, the threesome decided to do "their own thing," in the parlance of the times, and that turned out to be Easy Rider.

Fonda also starred in such features as Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974) and Race With the Devil (1975) — where he starred with Warren Oates as two family men who take on a band of devil worshippers in Texas — and the Canadian horror film Spasms (1983).

In addition to his daughter Bridget, Fonda had a son Justin, by his first wife, Susan Brewer. With his second wife, Betty Crockett McGuane, the pair had a combined family, including her son Thomas McGuane.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Music Submissions

Badlands of Indiana (July 17, 2019) WHR — Wild Hog Radio is on the hunt and we are looking for some local kick ass tunes. Hook us up with them and we will take a listen, if our DJ's like what they hear then maybe they will hear themselves on our radio station.

We hand pick the artists and we’re always listening to new music. At Wild Hog Radio, we endeavor to support the music of Indie artists of the Midwest – those artists who write, record, and promote their own music independently of major record labels.


We consider it a real honor to provide an online radio stream where the music and the life stories of Indie Artists can be heard locally and globally. To help us further that goal, we invite Indie artists to submit their music for possible play on our station. There are some criteria, and ultimately we will decide if your music fits our format and criteria closely enough to make it on the air.

Please understand, though, that we do not judge your music and if you are not selected for airplay on Wild Hog Radio, it doesn’t mean we don’t like your music – we love all music! But we do have requirements we closely follow. We will bend and work with you as best we can to get you on the air if at all possible.

Here are the guidelines….


The most important requirement is that all submissions be formatted correctly..

+ MP3’s only! < No! ~ WMA, MP2, WAV, OGG, M4A, ACC>

+ Absolutely no hip-hop or rap. This is a Rock n' Roll Station with a mix of County and Oldies.

+ Please name each audio file submitted as: “Artist Name – Song Title”.mp3

+ Each song submitted is encoded in mp3 format at 128-kbps. Our station streams at a steady 128-kbps and does not require higher bitrates. Higher bitrates use valuable disk space.

+ The song is a clean version, if possible. If the song contains vulgar language by FCC standards, then make sure to mark the song as “dirty” or “unedited.” Such songs may qualify for late-night programming.

+ Fill out the ID3 tag on the mp3 (where you put the song name, artist name, album name, year, genre, album cover art, etc.). If you don’t know how to do this, please include the band name, album name, and track-listing for the songs. Also, include a high resolution .jpg or .png of the album cover artwork.

+ Please include a short bio

*Please include a band bio and link to your website(s). By submitting music for consideration to Wild Hog Radio, and in exchange for publicity and promotion, you grant Wild Hog Radio royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual right and license throughout the world to broadcast and transmit your music on all Wild Hog Radio properties; including, but not limited to Wild Hog Radio and the WildHogRadio.com internet radio station.*

**We are not obligated to place your music on our station. We are not obligated to return any correspondence. We reserve the right to reject any music not meeting our submission/editorial standards. If you feel that our submission guidelines are too stringent, you agree to not submit music to our station. You agree that you are a legally authorized representative of the band/artist’s music that you are submitting and that you have permission to submit music on behalf of the band/artist.**

Sunday, July 14, 2019

Looking Back: Sweet F.A.

Badlands of Indiana (July 14, 2019) WHR — The year was 1988 and in Indianapolis, Indiana, the musicians Steven David De Leong (vocals), Jon Huffman (guitar), James Thunder (guitar), Jim Quick (bass) and Tricky Lane (drums) joined forces to form the American hard rock band SWEET F.A. These Midwestern boys played their first gig on November 21, 1988, and had a major label deal a mere eleven months later.


In late 1990 Sweet F.A. left MCA Records to immediately sign their second recording contract with Virgin Records subsidiary label, Charisma Records and released their second worldwide release, Temptation which was not successful.


After a several years on hiatus, the band with all original members released their third CD on Upward Records entitled, The Lost Tapes. A very straight forward and energetic bluesy hard rock record. This release is an actual compilation of songs recorded intended for release but never were back in the early days.


The group holed up with producer Howard Benson in Atlanta, Georgia to record the debut album Stick To Your Guns. It would prove to be an excellent release, with singles such as "Prince Of The City" and "Rhythm Of Action", but would stall at #161 on the Billboard charts. Disappointed with sales, MCA released the band from their roster in late 1990, as the band themselves released Quiggins.


With a new label, the band set to record the follow-up album with session bassist Frank Coglitore. Released in 1991, Temptation was a more mature album, but failed to do much business in recession-hit America. The band hit the road with new bassist Mark Matthews, but with the musical tides changing in the early nineties, the end had arrived for Sweet F.A.

Monday, July 8, 2019

Remembering the Allman Brothers Band

Badlands of Indiana (July 8, 2019) WHR — The Allman Brothers Band revolutionized the music industry. Although the band was actually formed in Jacksonville, Florida, their ties to Macon made the city a recording hot spot in the years that followed and cemented the city’s place in music history. It’s a step back in time for visitors at 2321 Vineville Avenue in Macon.

“The old house has a unique aroma about it. It smells like an old home that had a lot of love in it and a lot of caring," said Richard Brent, director of The Big House Museum.


The house was for rent in 1969. By 1970, it became a place where band members, friends and family would stay for the next few years. The home’s location even influenced some of the band's lyrics.

"Rolling down Highway 41 and the song Ramblin' Man—to look out the window there and you see Highway 41. The song Blue Sky, 'good ole’ Sunday morning bells are ringing everywhere' and there’s church bells right behind you," said Brent.


Brent said The Big House is now the ultimate Allman Brothers Band experience. Memorabilia and artifacts line the walls from each decade the band performed. It’s an attraction that draws people to middle Georgia from all over the world—including fans who’ve followed the band since the beginning.

“They were the best band in the Unites States at that time. There’s no question about that. They played every single night somewhere, said James Devine, a fan of the band who was visiting from Daytona Beach.

“Seen them as individual players. We’ve seen them with Gregg Allman by himself," said Moira O'Leary, who was visiting with friends from New Jersey.


The band’s distinct style and sound changed the course of music forever. Southern Rock became a household name and the band consistently had success on the charts. But they did have their fair share of challenges. Band members Duane Allman and Berry Oakley both died in motorcycle crashes a year apart. The band also experienced personnel changes over the years, and even broke up and got back together more than once.

"They were just so super talented, genius musicians. That’s the only way I can describe their music," said Devine.

Nowadays, The Big House continues to thrive—about 20,000 visitors a year—double the number from just two years ago, according to Brent. The artifacts and the experience still excites fans to this day.

“It’s just been a thrill. This is like one of these where I’ve got to pinch myself that actually I’m here and seeing all of this memorabilia. It’s just been so wonderful," said O'Leary.

Duane Allman, Berry Oakley and Gregg Allman are all buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, which is about two miles from The Big House. March 26th was the actual 50th anniversary of the band.

SOURCE: Fox24

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Duane Roland: The Last Interview

Badlands of Indiana (June 22, 2019) WHR — When Indiana native Duane Roland died at the age of 53 on June 19th, 2006, he was right in the middle of a major comeback as a member of Gator Country, reuniting him with other founding and former members of Molly Hatchet in a band that was truly on the verge of greatness. They had recorded an excellent cover of "Oh Atlanta" and were working on a full length album.


As a founding member of Molly Hatchet, Duane Roland brought a massive amount of talent to the three guitar lineup that became Hatchet's signature sound. Several years ago, when Dave Hlubek left the Southern Rock Allstars, Roland stepped up to the plate to knock it out of the park. Then last year, he suffered one of the hardest blows anyone can suffer, when his wife passed away.


Roland picked himself up, dusted himself off, and did what he did best- played guitar with Gator Country. We started this interview the first week in June, and never had a chance to complete it. We are printing what we have, as a tribute and insight to a true Southern Rock guitar giant.

Tell us a little about where you were born and raised.

I was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana, near Louisville, Kentucky. We moved to Florida when I was seven years old.

Was there a lot of music in your family?

Oh yes, definitely. My mother was a concert pianist. My dad played guitar some.

Who was your biggest musical inspiration early on?

There are a lot of guitar players that inspired me, but my favorite was, and is, Eric Clapton.

How did you initially hook up with the guys in Molly Hatchet?

I was working on putting a band together with Banner and Bruce, but that didn't work out. They joined Dave and Steve, and then Danny. At this point, I was in another band called The Ball Brothers Band. Dave didn't show up for one of Hatchet’s gigs and Banner called me to fill in so they could get paid for the night. They and their management were thinking about going to three guitar players, so one they came down from Macon to hear me play and after that I was asked to join.

How did you come to leave the band?

We were only planning to take a year off. But that changed. There was a lot of corporate b.s. going on that's best left unsaid.

What is your favorite Hatchet album?

I really loved the second album. It’s usually pretty easy to come up with a debut album because everybody in the band has been writing for years. The sophomore effort is usually the one that tells the tale, and I think we proved ourselves.

What was it like to be a member of The Southern Rock Allstars?

I had forgotten how much fun it was playing music with really great musicians. It woke up an old rock beast in me. I loved playing guitar with Jay. Charles is a fantastic bass player and Jakson- damn- Jakson. What a powerhouse. I miss that man every day. And it was great to once again stand behind the greatest singer I've ever played with, Jimmy Farrar.

Which brings us up to Gator Country. Once again you are playing with Jimmy, and many of the original Molly Hatchet members. How does that feel?

I tell ya, Michael, it’s great. You heard the single right?

Yeah, you sent it to me. A great cover of the old Little Feat song “Oh Atlanta.” It’s awesome.

Thanks man. We are not really trying to sound like the old Molly hatchet, although we certainly tip our hat to that music in a big way. But we have all matured a lot since those days, and we have a lot of music in us we want to let out. We are just getting started.

I was sad to hear of the death of your wife last year. Are you doing okay with that?

The best I can man. It was one of the hardest punches I’ve ever had. All of the deaths lately have been really hard, but to lose your soul mate is the worst of all. I just take it a day at a time, you know. But there will always be a part of me missing.

I fully understand. I want to talk a little about the current Molly Hatchet band with Bobby Ingram, and get your thoughts on that.

Oh, sure. No problem. Michael, can we finish up the interview next week. I have to run. Would that be okay?

Sure it will Duane. I’ll call you back. Thanks bro.

Less than a week later, Duane Roland was dead from natural causes. I was honored to be the last journalist to interview him, even if we never finished our conversation. Godspeed Duane. To the rest of Gator Country and Molly Hatchet, all our best wishes. Keep the music alive fellas. I’m sure Duane would want that.

By Michael Buffalo Smith, July 2006
SOURCE: Swampland

Monday, June 10, 2019

Drummer joins Indiana police force

Badlands of Indiana (June 10, 2019) WHR — Founding Five Finger Death Punch drummer Jeremy Spencer left the band in 2018 and was replaced recently by Charlie Engen. According to a report from Blabbermouth, Spencer was recently named a Reserve Police Officer of the Rockport, Indiana Police Department by Mayor Gay Ann Harney.


Chief of Police, Jason Overfield, said Spencer passed the Pre-Basic course of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and welcomed him to the department. Rockport is the county seat of Spencer County in southwest Indiana and Spencer grew up in neighboring Warrick County, where he was a graduate of Boonville High School ('91).

Spencer, a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, said: "It's an honor to be able to come back to this area when I can and serve the community as a reserve police officer and help out my brothers."


Spencer sat out the band's 2018 tour prior to his departure due to needing another back surgery. At the time, he said "the rigorous physical wear and tear has got me to the point where I feel I can no longer deliver a performance that brings me satisfaction and joy."

Five Finger Death Punch are currently in the studio.

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Radio DJ Opportunity

Badlands of Indiana (June 8, 2019) WHR — If you ever wanted to DJ on a radio station and dreamed of having your own radio show, then this may be for you. Wild Hog Radio is now offering the opportunity to a select few to have your own radio program on our network. This is a non paying gig, but is a great opportunity to get your name out there.


We will give you the opportunity to DJ in front of 3000 (unique) listeners per day, to chat with these people and to have a good time on air. If you always wanted to DJ for more people than just your friends or even yourself, then we are the right address and radio station for you. You may even broadcast from local events in your area. 

Here you can be creative, you can do what you want to do, can get experiences in broadcasting and see how internet radio works. Our station is geared toward Southern Rock, Country with a huge emphasis on the Indie bands and musicians.

As a DJ, you would also be eligible for  a verified profile on our main website at WildHogRadio.com where most of our listeners come to chat and listen to music. Your profile page would have it's own shareable link and more. 

Feel free to play your favorite music, to have guests (for example friends) in your shows or to make little competitions on air. We give you no guidelines, as long as everything is appropriate. All radio software provided free of charge. We have high standards for conduct, content and professionalism. Several shifts are available.

If you are interested, please email us a sample of your broadcasting or DJ background and the genre you are considering for your show. You must have broadband internet, sound mixer, headphones and a decent voice microphone. You should also have a good understanding of SHOUTcast DSP, Winamp, SAM broadcaster and CloudDJ software.

Friday, May 31, 2019

Blacktop Mojo announce 2019 Tour Dates

Badlands of Indiana (May 31, 2019) WHR — After spending the first 3 months of 2019 in the studio, Texas Based Rock Band Blacktop Mojo has announced a summer headlining tour in support of the debut single and video, “Can’t Sleep,” off of their highly anticipated, upcoming 3rd album, Under the Sun.


The video is scheduled to premiere on June 21, at which time the track will be available for download and streaming, with the album slated for a mid-September release.

The Can’t Sleep 2019 Tour launches July 13th in Kansas City, MO and runs through August 24th, finishing in Quapaw, OK.


Catch Blacktop Mojo Live on their 2019 Can't Sleep Tour w/Special Guests Lullwater

07/13 @ Aftershock – Kansas City, MO
07/14@ Apollo Theatre – Rockford, IL
07/16@ Spicolis – Waterloo, IA
07/18@ Durty Nellies – Palatine, IL
07/19@ Rock USA – Oshkosh, WI
07/20@ Bike Rally – Sturgis, KY
07/21@ Exit/In – Nashville, TN
07/23 @ Winchester – Cleveland, OH
07/25@ Hard Times Four Mile Fork @ Fredericksburg, VA 
07/26 @ Muddy Creek Saloon – Heath, OH
07/27 @ Cotter Pin – La Crosse, WI
07/28@ Q and Z – Ringle, Wi
07/31@ Token Lounge – Detroit, MI
08/01@ Manchester Music Hall – Lexington, KY
08/02@ Madam Caroll Boat – Monticello, IN
08/03@ Moefest – Monticello, IN
08/04@ Madison Live – Covington, KY
08/06@ Hard Rock Café – Pittsburgh, PA
08/07@ The Chance – Poughkeepsie, NY
08/08@ Wally’s – Manchester,, NH
08/09@ Alchemy – Providence, RI
08/10@ TBA
08/11@ TBA
08/14@ Eclectic Room – Angola, IN
0815@ Illinois State Fair – Springfield, IL
08/16@ Rose Music Hall – Columbia, MO
08/17@ ABATE Summerfest – Bristol, IN
08/18@ The Warehouse – Clarksville, TN
08/20@ Sidetracks – Huntsville, AL
08/21@ TBA
08/22@ Commandry – Ft. Smith, AR
08/23@ City Limits – Oklahoma City, OK
08/24@ Downstream Casino – Quapaw, OK

SOURCE:

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Texas Hippie Coalition Release New Video

Badlands of Indiana (May 30, 2019) WHR — Texas Hippie Coalition has released a new music video today for their current single “Moonshine” exclusively via Revolver Magazine. Directed by veteran director Justin Reich, this is the first music video we’ve seen from the group from their latest LP High In The Saddle due out tomorrow.

“I’ve always wanted to make a Quentin Tarantino type video, flashing forward & back,” says frontman Big Dad Ritch. “Grainy and sexy like an old B movie. Grindhouse style. That’s the direction we took with the video.” As heard on SiriusXM’s Octane “Test Drive”, “Moonshine” was the third most added at the BDS Mainstream Rock Indicator Chart last week. “Moonshine” oozes everything THC stands for and smells like.


A true THC manifesto, if ever there was one: swampy grooves, Crüe type partying, and a Man in Black style saga. Big Dad Ritch adds, “Some men refer to their lady as the light of their life, their sweet sunshine. Me being a man of the darkness, a lord of the night, I do all my dirty deeds under the moonlight. I call my sweet thang, my MOONSHINE.”

Texas Hippie Coalition is out on the road right now on the aptly named “Haulin’ Moonshine Tour” with roughly two weeks to go. Tickets are on sale now.


THC will release High In The Saddle, tomorrow, May 31, 2019, via Entertainment One (eOne). High in the Saddle is a record full of unashamed, full-throttle ass kicking. It’s the band’s second pairing with producer Bob Marlette (Black Stone Cherry, Rob Zombie) and sixth album overall, on the heels of their #2 Billboard Heatseekers slab, Dark Side of Black. Pre-orders are available now.

Backyard barbeques, barroom brawls, tent revivals, and big rock festivals alike are suitable environments for the Red Dirt Metal of THC, a band with a sound so devilishly electrifying that they had to come up with a new genre to describe it.

BIG DAD RITCH captains this pirate ship of bikers, outlaws, troubadours, and hellraisers, welcoming all comers to the THC party with gregarious charisma and Southern charm. Across a half dozen albums, countless club gigs, and show-stealing performances at Rockstar Mayhem, THC has spread the good word of big riffs, big hooks, and wild times.


Ritch puts the band’s evolution in Old West terms. “In the beginning, you’re an outlaw looking for direction. You gotta get the best guys for the job behind you,” he explains. “Now we know how to rob banks, how to rob stagecoaches, and how to rob trains.”


“I’m just out to have fun, man,” Ritch says with genuine modesty. “I never look at this as something I have to do. It’s something I /get/ to do. I just thank the Lord above that He has given me this talent that has allowed me to garner these wonderful things in life.”

Texas Hippie Coalition continues to ride or die for truth-telling, unashamed, Red Dirt Metal badassery, winning over new acolytes every damn day. As Blabbermouth once asked: “How many more reasons do you need to try a little THC? Everybody’s doing it.”

TICKET INFO: THC Tour
SOURCE: Side Stage Magazine


Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Call Me The Breeze by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Badlands of Indiana (May 28, 2019) WHR — The song "Call Me The Breeze" was written and originally recorded by the Oklahoma guitarist J.J. Cale. The song is about a guy who can go where the weather takes him, unburdened by the weight of the world. It was a fitting statement for Cale, who went out of his way to keep things simple and stay out of the spotlight (his photo didn't appear on his first seven albums). The concept of savoring simplicity and going where the wind takes you is also a theme of many Skynyrd songs.

"Call Me The Breeze" appeared on Cale's first solo album, a 1971 release called Naturally. He got his record deal after Eric Clapton recorded "After Midnight," a song Cale wrote and recorded with his band the Leathercoated Minds in 1966. Naturally did well, placing three songs in the Hot 100 and garnering Cale offers from bigger labels (he was signed to Shelter Records). Cale kept it low-key, however, and worked at his own pace.


When Lynyrd Skynyrd covered this song, it once again financed Cale's lifestyle, allowing him to release albums in a leisurely fashion and without concern for hit potential. Clapton remained a key supporter of Cale, later recording his songs "Cocaine" and "Travellin' Light." Cale died in 2013 at age 74.

The original J.J. Cale version of this song is stripped-down, with the vocals far lower in the mix. Skynyrd decided to cover the song when guitarist Gary Rossington came up with a riff that distinguished it from the original.

This was one of the few cover songs Skynyrd recorded, and the only one on the album a band member didn't write. They recorded another J.J. Cale song, "Same Old Blues," on their 1976 album Gimme Back My Bullets, and had plans to work with Cale that were derailed by the 1977 plane crash that killed three members of the band.


Despite being one of the most popular Lynyrd Skynyrd songs, this was not released as a single. Albums were a much bigger deal in 1974, so just two singles were issued from Second Helping: "Don't Ask Me No Questions" and "Sweet Home Alabama."

Since it never got overplayed when the album was out, "Call Me The Breeze" found a spot on most classic rock playlists for many years.

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Phil McCormack Dies at Age 58

Badlands of Indiana (April 27, 2019) WHR — Phil McCormack, the lead singer for Jacksonville-based Southern rock band Molly Hatchet, has died. He was 58.

McCormack’s death comes some 18 months after the September 2017 death of Dave Hlubek, a founding member of the band. Earlier that year, Banner Thomas, the band’s former bassist, also died.


McCormack’s death was confirmed in a social media posts by The Roadducks, the Virginia-based rock band that McCormack frequently performed with.

“Phil was a fabulous, singer, band mate, brother, and human being,” the Roadducks said in a statement. “Collectively we spent thousands of hours that turned into thousands of days together, creating an unbreakable bond few people are fortunate enough to ever experience.”

Later Saturday, McCormack’s death was announced by Molly Hatchet.

“It is with great sorrow to announce the passing of our friend and band member, Phil McCormack. Our condolences and prayers go out to his family during this time of loss. Phil’s contributions to Molly Hatchet were heard around the world. He will be missed but never forgotten.”


McCormack, who performed with Jacksonville’s Molly Hatchet in the early 1990s, joined the band full time in 1995, taking over for Danny Joe Brown, who left the band due to health problems.

No cause of death was given.

Hlubek founded the band in Jacksonville in 1971, the same year he graduated from Forrest High School. The band is named after a legendary killer prostitute.

SOURCE: The Epoch Times

Friday, March 22, 2019

The Dirt: Mötley Crüe Movie

Badlands of Indiana (March 22, 2019) WHR — Even in the sex and drugs-crazed world of rock and roll, the stories about Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee were legendary. There were girls, girls, girls, alcohol-fueled riots, fist fights, car crashes, cocaine, heroin, mud wrestling and stadiums filled with screaming fans who wanted more of everything. In 2001, the band proved the rumors true in their X-rated, jaw-droppingly lascivious oral history The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band.

Working with writer Neil Strauss, the band told all — the good, the bad, the shocking, the outrageous and even the likely criminal — about themselves and one another. After releasing nine albums, Mötley Crüe had a new chart-topping hit, this time in the form of a New York Times bestseller.


Now, under the direction of Jeff Tremaine, The Dirt has come to Netflix in all its sick, slick and shiny glory. The new film features rapper Machine Gun Kelly as Tommy Lee, Douglas Booth as Sixx, Iwan Rheon as Mars, Daniel Webber as Neil and Saturday Night Live‘s Pete Davidson as the Crüe’s record executive. The Dirt largely stays true to the stories the band tells in the book — though some of them are even more scandalous than the movie depicts.


Here’s a breakdown of the facts that fuel The Dirt:


Did the band’s first show really end in a fist fight? 
According to Sixx, this is true. Back in 2014, he told TIME, “The very first show, Vince and I ended up in the crowd in a fist fight! That kind of set a precedent for who we are and what we do.” The incident became a part of Crüe lore as a story of the band’s tough-as-nails, anything-goes attitude.

Did the band’s manager really punch them? 
According to Doc McGhee, the band’s longtime manager, delivering the occasional knuckle sandwich was part of the job. “Sometimes punching people is the only answer. I call it full-contact management,” McGhee wrote in an article for The Guardian on his rules of band management. “I’ve had to use it on most of my bands as a last resort. But with Mötley Crüe, full-contact management happened every couple of months. It was more about survival. You’re talking about a band who would physically bite you if they liked you. You’re talking about a band who would regularly attack their own security guard — and he was head of a Hell’s Angels chapter and a black belt in karate.”

Was the band really that girl crazy? 
Definitely. In an interview with TIME, Neil explained, “That’s the only reason guys get into music — because you get girls and free beer. It wasn’t about fame or anything. You want to get laid and you want to get drunk.”

Did Nikki Sixx really sleep with his record label rep’s girlfriend?
Mötley Crüe’s A&R man, Tom Zutaut, told The Guardian that he took his girlfriend backstage to meet the band before a gig and “within three minutes” Sixx had disappeared with the girl. When asked by the Guardian reporter to confirm whether the nefarious deed happened, Sixx shrugged. “I’m sure it did,” he said. “But I can’t remember.”

When was Mick Mars diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis?
While the band’s wild antics were well-known to fans, one of the biggest bombshells when the band’s book was published was Mars’ admission that he had been coping with a chronic, degenerative, painful disease throughout his years with Mötley Crüe. Mars was reportedly diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that primarily effects the spine and makes it difficult to move, when he was 19. While the disease frequently stops its painful, debilitating progression, Mars wasn’t so lucky. “I have a rare form of the disease that hasn’t stopped, so it’s all the way up my whole back and into my brain stem,” Mars told MusicRadar in 2008. “It’s literally squeezing my rib cage together, so I’ve lost some height. And now that it’s up in my brain stem it’s hard for me to move my head in any direction.”
The chronic pain led to drug abuse and a hip replacement. But Mars maintains a surprisingly positive outlook about the chronic illness. “There are some things about this thing that I’ve got that are not so cool,” he told Classic Rock Revisited. “But there is one thing that is cool — I ended up bent. I can always see my guitar. If I’d been straight then I would not be able to see myself play.”

What was the cause of death of Vince Neil’s daughter?
One of the film’s most tragic moments is the death of Neil’s 4-year-old daughter, Skylar. According to a 1995 story in People, she was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor, a kidney cancer that affects children. She underwent six operations, plus extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but passed away four months after her diagnosis. “This ordeal is something no parent should have to go through,” Neil told People. “More than that, I wish no child ever had to go through it.”

Did Ozzy Osbourne really snort a line of ants? 
Motley Crüe supported Osborne on his Bark at the Moon tour in 1984, at the height of Osbourne’s fame and depravity. In The Dirt, while the band is at a hotel during the tour, a dress-clad Osbourne (played by Tony Cavalero) kneels down on the ground and snorts a line of ants up his nose with a straw, much to the shock of the band. Sixx swears this is true. In an interview with Page Six, he said that while Motley Crüe was a “wild young band” who thought they could compete with Osborne, “you can’t with Ozzy. He won.”

Did Nikki Sixx really die temporarily from a heroin overdose? 
Yes. “For two minutes in 1987 I was pronounced clinically dead from an overdose,” he wrote in a powerful op-ed in the Los Angeles Times last year. While it took him several more years to finally get sober, Sixx has become outspoken about ways to combat opioid addiction.

Who was Razzle from Hanoi Rocks?
Another tragic moment in the band’s history came when Neil, while driving under the influence, got into an accident that killed his friend, Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley, and critically injured two other people. Dingley was the English drummer of the Finnish glam rock band Hanoi Rocks. Dingley and Neil had been at a party to celebrate the band’s first U.S. tour when they decided to take a drive and Neil lost control of the car. Dingley was just 24 and reportedly had a wife who was seven months pregnant at the time of his death.
Neil was sentenced to 30 days in jail but released early for good behavior. He was ordered to pay a fine, which even Neil admits was not enough of a punishment. “I wrote a $2.5 million check for vehicular manslaughter when Razzle died,” he reportedly told Blender. “I should have gone to prison. I definitely deserved to go to prison. But I did 30 days in jail and got laid and drank beer, because that’s the power of cash. That’s f-cked up.”

Did Vince Neil really quit the band?
In the film, as the band was working on a follow-up to their 1989 album Dr. Feelgood, Neil stops coming to rehearsal, eventually storming out and announcing that he quits just as Sixx tells him he’s fired. In real life, the band released a statement saying that Neil left because his longtime hobby, car racing, had “become a priority” in his life. But this explanation, which is not depicted in the film, may not have been the truth, either. In a 1992 appearance on Dennis Miller’s talk show, Neil had a very different take on the situation, saying that being kicked out of the band was a complete shock to him. “Two days after my birthday — like, ‘Happy birthday, Vince‘ … Everybody had 25 percent input, so 75 percent voted me out. They’re great guys; they just had to do what they felt they had to do.”

Did Motley Crüe break up? 
They did. In 2014, the band very publicly signed a legally binding Cessation of Touring Agreement in front of reporters that prohibits future, unauthorized performances and prevents any of the four members from touring under the band name. As Sixx told TIME, “We just wanted to have pride in the band when the band is done forever. If you put on a Crüe t-shirt and walk down the street we want someone to say, ‘The Crüe, man, those guys came in and went out on their own terms.’”
Whether or not that break-up sticks, though, is still to be determined. The band did reunite to record four new tracks for the movie. Since then, rumors have been circulating that Mötley Crüe will go on tour after The Dirt arrives on Netflix. While Sixx said there would be no one-off shows, he recently told Rolling Stone: “Sometimes I look out at my friends, like the guys in Aerosmith and Metallica, and I’m like, ‘God damn it, did we retire too soon?“ He then added, “Maybe we’ll just get together and jam in Mick Mars’ front room.”

Does the band have any regrets about their behavior? 
While the film features some of the band’s wild, reckless, depraved behavior, it barely scratches the surface of the dark, twisted and even criminal behavior documented in the book. When asked about a particular story involving Lee and Sixx and a possible sexual assault, Sixx admitted that they went too far, even though he doesn’t recall the specific incident and admits he may have made it up or embellished it. “There is a lot of horrible behavior in the book,” he told Rolling Stone. “What I can tell you is that we all lived to regret a lot and learned from it. We own up to all our behavior that hurt our selves, our families, friends and any innocents around us.”

STORY: Melissa Locker
SOURCE: Time

Barber shop spins scissors and rock music

Marshall, Virginia (March 21, 2019) WHR — It’s tough to say when it began, perhaps in the 1970s. Its progression grew quietly. Then, one day the American male arose from his hirsute slumber and realized most traditional barber shops had morphed into hair salons. Guys had lost another battle to the increasing influence of the gentler persuasion. But still. There is something nostalgic about guys chatting away among themselves as their locks are shorn.

To their benefit, there is a shop reviving the old-time haircut, but with a modern twist. “I started cutting hair at a salon near Akron, Ohio back in 2001. I don’t know why, but I picked up a really strong male following. I enjoy cutting men’s hair. I don’t like coloring, permanents and all that,” said Kristy Haase, owner of Rock-N-Barbers in the Marshall Center in Marshall. “I always thought it would be neat to combine the best of a hairstylist and a barber.” But the idea had to incubate for a few years. In the interim, Haase moved to D.C. and cut hair at a high-end male-only hair salon. “They offered a full spa with massages and adult beverages.


It was very much what I wanted to do and I spent several years researching the idea without success,” she said. But there is more than one way to trim a head. Haase took a modified approach to her barbershop dream when she moved to Front Royal seven years ago. Realizing a full-blown shop (pun intended) would take considerable financial investment, Haase elected to start where everything does: at the beginning. “I said, ‘You know, I’m just gonna start small. I don’t have all this money to get a huge, fancy place with fancy chairs so I’m just going to start somewhere.’ I knew had the experience and talent and there was no one that could do what I could do.” Confidence is what someone is looking for when they make a decision to place their hair in scissor-powered hands. It’s also why Haase’s shop has been a success from the first hairs that hit the floor.

What she has created is a traditional barbershop, catering to men but also serving women. “About 90 percent of my customers are guys. But the men will tell their wives what we do. When the women come in, they don’t see old barbers in overalls cutting hair,” she said laughing. What they do see is a shop staffed with experienced women hair stylists who know hair from the roots up. At any given time, you’ll see Haase and one or two of her staff of four cutting or shaving while chatting away with their clients.

Rock music plays in the background and friendly banter echoes around the shop. “I wanted a shop that was modern, but with a relaxed atmosphere. That’s why I went with a rock music theme. I’m originally from Cleveland, which is the home of rock and roll and I just thought it was a cool idea,” to create a shop called Rock-N’-Barbers.

In addition to custom haircuts, the guys get to choose their favorite rock genre if they like. Amazon’s Alexa stands at the ready to play classic rock or whatever generation of rock is desired. “There might be Pink Floyd or Guns N Roses playing, but a customer can ask Alexa what they want to hear,” said Haase. Clients and services So, are the loyal customers who drop by for a trim the edgy clientele she served at the high-end D.C. shop? Not quite. Haase explains her customers range across all age groups from the very young to seniors. “I’ve had customers where it was their first haircut and, unfortunately, where it was their last one,” she said.

There are a lot of businessmen and farmers who frequent the shop along with high schoolers, reflecting the demographics of a rural location. And the dream of serving adult refreshments has been put on hold for now. Instead, there is a Keurig machine at the ready, serving coffee, tea or hot chocolate. For a full description of the shop’s services and personal profiles of Haase and her four stylists visit www.rock-n-barbers.com

SOURCE: Fauquier Times

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Dick Dale dies at 81

Badlands of Indiana (March 17, 2019) WHR — Nearly 60 years ago, surfers flocked to the waves along Newport Beach to try mastering the new craze. When the sun set, they needed someplace to dance and Dick Dale delivered it at Rendezvous Ballroom on the Balboa Peninsula. Nearly every week for two years, Dale and his band packed over 3,000 people into the ballroom. “The energy between the Del-Tones and all those surfers stomping on the hardwood floor in their sandals was extremely intense. The tone of Dale’s guitar was bigger than any I had ever heard,” recalled Del-Tones bandmate Paul Johnson.


Dale, whose death was confirmed Sunday, manifested a quintessentially Southern California story, forged in surf, sand and rock ’n’ roll. They called him the Pied Piper of Balboa Beach, but his musical instrument of choice was defiantly not a flute. Rather, the electric-guitar playing son of a Lebanese father melded elements of the music of his ancestral homeland with roaring instrumental rock sounds emerging in the late-1950s, and helped pioneer an iconic American genre known as surf music. “When I got that feeling from surfing,’” he told the writer Barney Hoskyns, “‘the whitewater coming over my head was the high notes going dikidikidiki, and then the dungundungun on the bottom was the waves, and I started double-picking faster and faster, like a locomotive, to feel the power of the waves.” Those rushing guitar lines energized generations across the Southland and reverberated around the world.

Dale, who was 81, died Saturday after a long bout with rectal cancer, longtime friend and former bassist Steve Soest said Sunday. That guitar tone arrived via a blindingly fast picking technique, one of the centerpiece elements of his breakthrough hits “Let’s Go Trippin’” in 1961 and “Misirlou” the following year, that caused guitar picks to melt in his hand. A few decades later, director Quentin Tarantino tapped “Misirlou” to serve as the theme to "Pulp Fiction." The sound featured a liberal use of electronic reverb with his signature Fender Stratocaster guitar, cranked to wall-rattling volume through juiced up Fender amplifiers. Other rock instrumentalists charted wordless hits before Dale came to the fore in the early days of the electric guitar, among them Link Wray’s “Rumble” and Duane Eddy’s “Rebel Rouser,” but Dale helped push surf music into the mainstream through those high-energy performances, supplying a sound that paired perfectly with that growing surf craze.


It began as a regional phenomenon in Southern California and soon spread around the world influencing the likes of the Beatles and Rolling Stones in England, and a high-school aged Canadian named Neil Young long before he found fame. According to Hoskyns’ “Waiting for the Sun,” a young Jimi Hendrix was said to have seen Dale and his band play. Echoes of Dale’s fiery guitar runs and showmanship can be heard in Hendrix’s style. Dale was born Richard Anthony Monsour May 4, 1937, in Boston to a father who had emigrated from Lebanon and a mother who was Polish Belarusian. Growing up in a Lebanese neighborhood in Quincy, Mass., outside of Boston, exposed him to the sounds of Arabic music, which became a signature of his musical amalgam. His musical training started with his childhood interest in piano. Early on, he studied trumpet and also acquired a ukulele before eventually picking up a guitar and trying his best to emulate one of his heroes, country music titan Hank Williams.

A friend suggested he call himself “Dick Dale,” rather than Richard Monsour, because it sounded more fitting for a would-be country singer. The Monsour family moved to Southern California in 1954, when his father landed a job at Hughes Aircraft Co. in El Segundo, near the beach. Dale became a regular at the weekly live country music television show "Town Hall Party." "I wanted to be a cowboy singer, so I went on 'Town Hall Party' and entered their talent contest every week," he told the Glendale News-Press in 2015. "And I did, every week." The confluence of Dale’s ethnic heritage and newfound geographic proximity to the beach and to the flourishing factory in Fullerton, Calif., where electric guitar innovator Leo Fender worked, all blended into the music Dale would soon bring to listeners. “Misirlou” represented a cross-cultural blend, coupling minor key motifs and Middle Eastern musical scale with pounding drums and throbbing bass, all fueling Dale’s stinging “wet” electric guitar pyrotechnics.

A section of the song featuring trumpet also brought in an element of the mariachi music that was prevalent around Southern California. In interviews he would often overstate his role in the development of Fender products, but he was an important early adopter of instruments and amplifiers that would change the sound and content of popular music beginning in the 1950s. Dale liked to consider himself one of Fender’s favorite guinea pigs, and he did push guitars and amplifiers to the limits in his live performances. "Playing guitar was only a window in my life," he said in 2015. "I never practiced the guitar and when I'm done playing I just put it down. Music is like building a house. It's like going out deep into the desert to see what nature is doing. It's like painting, like Salvador Dali. I try to do that with my music, make it like a Salvador Dali painting." A freak accident, when hot oil exploded while he was cooking popcorn in 1983 left second-degree burns over much of his body, put him out of commission as a musician for months. “With every problem comes a gift in hand,” he told The Times in 1985. “For instance, when I do shows to raise money for burn victims, now I can talk to them and know what they are going through. And I can tell their family and friends that when the doctor says the recovery has begun, that's really the time they need your concern and love.”


As a celebrity, he capitalized on quirky passions. At one point he kept live tigers at his Balboa Peninsula mansion, which had previously belonged to Gillette shaving company magnate King Gillette, and titled an early-‘80s live album “The Tigers Loose.” That was his first album in 18 years after surf music fell out of favor in the mid-1960s with the rise of the Beatles, the British Invasion, psychedelic music and other genres. A decade ago Dale battled back from cancer, even playing a show in south Orange County shortly after being released from a nine-day stay at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for treatment of an infection. “I thought, ‘I cannot cause this [club owner] to lose thousands of dollars,’” he said at the time.

That’s when he started trying to promote a new moniker to substitute for the “King of the Surf Guitar” label often applied to him: he wanted to be referred to as “Dick Dale-Cancer Warrior.” With characteristic bravado, he told The Times, he would soon return to the hospital because “everything is messed up, and if it continues that way, I will die. But I’m not ready to leave my son, not ready to leave [his wife] Lana, I’m not ready to leave all the Dick Dale music lovers. They’ve been my medicine.” Although he has not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he was elected to the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville a decade ago. He experienced recurring brushes with widespread popularity, notably in 1994 when Tarantino used “Misirlou” in “Pulp Fiction.” In 2010, a career retrospective album “Guitar Legend: The Very Best of Dick Dale” also helped introduce his music to a new generation.

Through his life Dale practiced martial arts and explored eastern philosophy, which he often quoted in interviews. "There are four sentences [taken from Eastern philosophy] in my life that I go by: 'To experience is to know. To know is to understand. To understand is to tolerate. To tolerate is to have peace',” he told The Times in 1985. “It took me 17 years and [training with] masters of the martial arts to make me understand what that means. But I understand it and that's how I can put up with all the stuff that goes on. "That's one of the reasons I like working with tigers and lions. If you can understand animals like that, then you can really put up with the reasons why people are the way they are and love them." Dale’s survivors include his wife, Lana, and his musician son, Jimmy. Information on services was not immediately available.

SOURCE: LA TIMES