It was 20 years ago, on August 27th, 1990, when we lost Stevie Ray Vaughan in a fatal helicopter crash. SRV had just performed at a sold out concert at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre with Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray and brother Jimmie Vaughan.
His funeral in Oak Cliff, Dallas was attended by over 1500 family and friends, including brother Jimmie, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Dr. John, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Stevie Wonder.
Ten years later Stevie Ray Vaughan was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Today his legacy and music endures the test of time, with ...
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I’d like to acknowledge a birthday for singer, songwriter and guitarist John Hiatt, born August 20, 1952. Hiatt is one of the most interesting songwriters around today, he’s been nominated for eleven Grammy Awards.
In 2008 he was awarded Songwriter/Artist of the Year at the Nashville Music Awards; Hiatt also received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting from the Americana Music Association.
His 18 studio and 2 live albums range from this year’s The Open Road, to Hangin’ Around the Observatory in 1974.
Hiatt’s songs have reached into many different genres of music, and been covered by a diversity of artists including ...
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Vocalist Robert Plant, born August 20th, 1948, just celebrated his 62nd birthday.
I’ve always been a Led Zeppelin fan, not only for Plant’s outrageous vocals, but also because I admire John Bonham’s uncanny sense of timing as a drummer.
One of my favorite Robert Plant solo projects is the short-lived Honeydrippers group, formed in 1984 with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. I love their cover of Roy Brown’s “Rockin’ At Midnight!”
I really like the Raising Sand album Plant did with Alison Krauss, so did a lot of people because it won a Grammy in 2009.
Robert Plant online robertplant.com
Ginger Baker, born August 19th, 1939, just celebrated his 71st birthday. I love his drumming style in all his groups, from Cream and Blind Faith, to Ginger Baker’s Air Force, Atomic Rooster and BBM.
Baker is one of many drummers who were first influenced by jazz, made their fortunes in rock, and went back to playing in a jazz trio in their later years.
Video from the Royal Albert Hall Cream reunion in May 2005; Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker performing “Toad.” This is probably his most famous drum solo.
Ginger Baker on drummerworld.com/
Ginger Baker online ginger-baker.com
Jimi Hendrix was inducted into the Fender Hall of Fame last Friday August 13th, in the fourth annual ceremony by the legendary guitar company.
Producer Eddie Kramer presented the award to Janie Hendrix, who is CEO of ExperienceHendrix LLC and head of the Hendrix estate. After giving tribute to the legendary musician, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Chris Layton performed Hendrix classics “Voodoo Child” and “I Don’t Live Today.”
George Fullerton was also honored during the ceremony, as a close friend of Leo Fender and one of the company’s original employees who was instrumental in creating several of Fender’s most ...
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Songwriter, singer and guitarist David Crosby, born August 14th, 1941, just celebrated his 69th birthday.
He’s a founding member of two very important classic rock groups, The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. There’s a cerebral quality in his music that I really connect with, like on a spiritual journey. Like on any of the songs on his 1971 solo debut album, If I Could Only Remember My Name.
Here’s David Crosby & Graham Nash performing the lovely “Guinnevere.”
Crosby’s lived an amazing life of highs and lows, documented in his autobiography Long Time Gone.
There’s more news & info on ...
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Drummer and one of the founding members of Little Feat, Richie Hayward has passed away on August 12th from liver cancer.
Hayward was also a session drummer for a number of great artists including Warren Zevon, of whom I had the priviledge of seeing in concert at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas many years ago.
drummerworld.com has a great archive of photos and mp3 files.
Here’s a video of Little Feat performing “Skin It Back” in 1977 at the Grugahalle in Essen on German TV series Rockpalast.
Little Feat Online littlefeat.net
Remember the song “Sunny?”
It was written and performed by Bobby Hebb and became a hit single in 1966, after which Hebb toured with The Beatles that same year. Born and raised in Nashville, Hebb became one of the first black musicians to perform on the Grand Ole Opry show in the 1950′s.
“Sunny” was certified a gold single after selling over one million copies, and is one of the most covered popular songs in the BMI catalog, who rates the song #25 in their Top 100 songs of the century.
The song has been covered ...
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Now that it’s August and the daily temperatures are soaring over 100, I’m thinking about the best songs of summer. Some are written about summer, and others just have that summertime feeling.
Do any of these tunes remind you of a cool summer memory?
”Summertime Blues” was written in the late 1950′s by the late great Eddie Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart, and peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 29, 1958.
The song’s been covered by the Beach Boys, The Who, Blue Cheer, Olivia Newton-John, T. Rex, Brian Setzer, Alan Jackson and by Cheech Marin ...
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This is gonna make you feel so good you’ll want to get up and dance. You can’t listen to this kind of music without moving with the beat.
It’s Mike Farris and The Roseland Rhythm Revue performing “Sit Down Servant,” live from Antone’s in Austin, Texas. I just love that sweet southern soul and gospel sound!!
That’s Mike Farris out front, featuring The McCrary Sisters on background vocals. Video courtesy of Glen Brown on Sin City Social Club’s YouTube Channel.
The latest albums from Mike Farris & the Roseland Rhythm Revue are ‘Salvation In Lights’ and ...
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