 August 11 - 20, 2006These are the scripts Joe Benson used on the air at 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles. They all received final editing by Jan Benson, without whom the task would have been far too daunting. Remember to give credit where credit is due, and enjoy! August 11, 2006
Original Guess Who bassist Jim Kale is 63. 
On this day in 1967, Pink Floyd recorded "Apples and Oranges" at Abbey Road Studios. The song became their third single and was truly as lame as the title would lead you to believe. On this day in 1973, Joe Walsh released the song "Rocky Mountain Way" as The Edgar Winter Group released "Free Ride." On this day in 1984, "Cover Me" by Bruce Springsteen entered the singles chart.  This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Fleetwood Mac as well as conversation with Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie. 
A Big Covers CompThis is one for the must-have collection! "Between the Covers," a 14-song compilation of cover tunes benefitting the T.J. Martell Foundation's AIDS research programs, will hit stores on September 12th. Among the featured tracks are Mick Jagger and David Bowie's rendition of Martha & the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street," U2's "Everlasting Love," Tori Amos' "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the Dixie Chicks' "Landslide" and Lenny Kravitz's "American Woman." A half-hour TV special on the project will air on VH1 and VH1 Classic the same day that the album is released. Update On Elty's "Captain""The Captain and the Kid," the long-awaited sequel to Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin's classic 1975 "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" album, will be released on September 19th. To tease the release, a sneak preview downloadable version of the song "The Bridge" will be available for purchase starting on August 22nd from Apple's iTunes Music Store. Then on September 6th in New York, Sir Elty will unveil more songs from "The Captain..." at a benefit for his AIDS foundation. Doobie Bike BenefitA customized Doobie Brothers-themed motorcycle is being auctioned to benefit the National Veterans Foundation. The Doobies will be stopping by the shop that built the bike — San Diego IronHorse — on August 28th to autograph the gas tank and help promote the auction. Log onto http://www.doobiebros.com to check it out. Wacky Dylan Film Draws Big StarsReal life couple, and "Brokeback Mountain" co-stars, Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams have joined the cast of the upcoming "officially sanctioned" Bob Dylan biopic, "I'm Not There." The offbeat film in which actors of different sex and race portray Dylan throughout the movie, will also star Richard Gere, Julianne Moore, Colin Farrell, Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett. The film's producer says that, "Nobody is actually playing Bob Dylan. These actors are all playing various incarnations of him. The thing about Dylan that's so fascinating is that he has completely and utterly changed his identity time and time again, and this movie is a play on that. I think it's kind of the only way to look at him." Named after one of Dylan's legendary unreleased 1967 "Basement Tapes" tracks, the project is currently filming in Montreal and expected to wrap around October 1st. Though it isn't due out until next year, Bob "officially" doesn't have time to appear in the film — he's too busy touring in support of his new album, "Modern Times," which will be out on August 29th. Bono Rides The Bus (Sort Of)No, Bono won't be riding the Pittsburg/Bay Point bus line soon, but part of U2's GRAMMY Award-winning song "It's a Beautiful Day" is being used in radio and TV spots urging San Francisco Bay area residents to cut polluting activities on smoggy days. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District decided that the lines "It's a beautiful day. Don't let it get away" fit their message that personal choices can help air quality. So they contacted the band's agents and the socially conscious Irish group agreed to a deal for rights to the song during the smog season. Perhaps if Los Angeles city officials weren't so busy trying to expand their power base to build an empire, they could... yeah, right. Zombies Everywhere (Sort Of)Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone got their wish. Their band The Zombies will headline a 20-date tour organized by E Street Band guitarist/Sopranos star Steven Van Zandt. Little Steven's Underground Garage Festival trek will kick off on September 5th in Solana Beach, hit the Avalon in Hollywood on September 6th and continue through an October 1st date in Fort Lauderdale. Way to go Steven!  Unc & Cynthia On TV — Not!So much for KCET's scheduling prowess. J.B. and KLOS' Cynthia Fox's much heralded pledge drive breaks during the broadcast of the two-hour "Great Performances: Bruce Springsteen – The Seeger Sessions" was bumped off the schedule last night! The PBS station now says the Unc/Cynthia/Bruce show will run next Thursday August 17th at 7:30pm (repeating at 12:30am on August 18th). Here's what it looked like the last time these two got in front of a camera! Quote Of The WeekIt was the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus who said: "We should look for someone to eat and drink with before we look for something to eat and drink." More Mid-Summer FactoidsMore females than males have been depicted in the nude by painters and sculptors in every society except that of ancient Greece. Every cat on Chatham Island in the Pacific — and there are thousands — is black. The rule of thumb to calculate the weight of a blue whale is a ton and a half per foot. August 12, 2006
Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler is 57.
On this day in 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. The world's first bootleg and royalty lawsuits were just around the corner. On this day in 1960, Pete Best became the drummer of the Silver Beetles. With Ringo Starr around the corner, Pete didn't last much longer than that band name. On this day in 1967, Fleetwood Mac made their live debut at London's National Jazz & Blues Festival. The festival's headliners were two British artists who were neither blues nor jazz: Donovan and Pink Floyd. Oh, the Sixties! On this day in 1969, Eric Clapton's supergroup Blind Faith made their live U.S. debut at Madison Square Garden. Too much too soon: they were doomed before they played their first note. On this day in 1972, "Honky Cat" by Elton John entered the singles chart. August 13, 2006
On this day in 1952, Blues maven Big Mama Thornton recorded the first version of "Hound Dog," which became a #1 R&B hit. Little did the world know, Elvis Presley was waiting in the wings. On this day in 1964, The Kinks entered the U.K. charts for the first time with "You Really Got Me." On this day in 1965, the Jefferson Airplane made their live debut at San Francisco's Matrix Club. Marty Balin, the group's vocalist and guitarist, owned the club, thus making the audition process go a lot smoother. On this day in 1966, The Beatles best album to date, "Revolver," hit #1 on the British charts, while anti-Beatlemania raged Stateside following John Lennon's remark that the group was "more popular than Jesus." On this day in 1973, Jethro Tull's "A Passion Play" album hit #1. On this day in 1975, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band began their legendary five-night, two shows per evening stand at New York's Bottom Line club, setting the stage for the breakthrough success of "Born To Run" two weeks later. On this day in 1977, "Cold As Ice" by Foreigner entered the charts. On this day in 1977, Bachman Turner Overdrive announced they were splitting up, sending all of Canada into mourning. On this day in 1981, The Rolling Stones released "Start Me Up" from their "Tattoo You" album. August 14, 2006
Singer/guitarist David Crosby, of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Byrds fame, is 65 and still living large!
On this day in 1962, Ringo Starr was nearing the end of a three-month engagement with Rory Storm & the Hurricanes when he was approached by The Beatles manager Brian Epstein about replacing drummer Pete Best. Much to Pete's chagrin, Ringo started four days later. On this day in 1965, The Beatles released the song "Help," Bob Dylan released "Like A Rolling Stone" and The Animals released "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place." What a day! On this date in 1965, The Beatles taped an appearance for CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show." Recording at Studio 50 in New York City, they performed "I Feel Fine," "I'm Down," "Act Naturally," "Ticket to Ride," "Yesterday" and "Help!" The program was broadcast on September 12th, for the season-opener of "The Ed Sullivan Show." On this day in 1971, Rod Stewart's classic "Maggie May" entered the singles chart. On this day in 1976, Steve Miller's "Rock 'N Me" entered the singles chart as Peter Frampton's album "Frampton Comes Alive" hit #1. On this day in 1982, "Keep The Fire Burnin'" by REO Speedwagon peaked at #7 on the charts. On this day in 1985, Michael Jackson snookered Paul McCartney by bidding $47.5 million for the ATV music publishing catalog and the Northern Songs Catalogue of The Beatles' copyrights, which included 251 songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
New/Old CarsWhy now? Maybe someone finally signed the contract. "The Cars Unlocked: The Live Performances," a deluxe two-disc set offering video footage and audio recordings of the band in concert, is set for an October 17th release. The package will contain a DVD with over 20 previously unseen performances by the group, as well as interviews, behind-the-scenes clips, slide shows and more. The package will also include a 14-track CD containing four previously unreleased tunes. It's about time, we'd say! All Access Beatles Feature"Access Hollywood" will be offering an hour-long behind the scenes look at the new Beatles-based Cirque du Soleil show "Love." The special will include interviews with former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as well as Beatle widows Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono, and footage of legendary Beatles producer George Martin and his son, Giles, as they developed the unique soundtrack for the show. Cities where NBC carries "Access Hollywood" will get the first broadcasts on August 19th or 20th. Communities in which "Access Hollywood" airs on a different network will run the Beatles special on September 2nd and 3rd. At Least He's Not Sitting AroundEven discounting his motormouth, Ted Nugent is a busy guy. As the Nuge uniquely says (in a style David Lee Roth has always emulated), "I've got so much cool sh*t on. It's about the cool meter; like a T.S.A. wand-er, I run my cool wand over everything, and only stuff that pegs the meter do I do. Even as good as the Damn Yankees are ... We got killer offers to record but, Jesus, when do you do that?" Sure he was the highlight of VH1's "Supergroup" reality show this Summer, but he says the coolest thing on his meter now is his own music, a set of songs that includes "Girl Scout Cookies," "Raisin' Hell" and "Bridge Over Troubled Daughters." Tedly, bassist Barry Sparks and drummer Mick Brown are currently on the North American leg of his Unleash the Beast tour, which hits the Southland this weekend and wraps up on September 4th. After that, the original Motor City Madman (sans rhythm section) will spend the Fall and early Winter leading hunting expeditions in his native Michigan and other locales where hyperactive gunmen are allowed to practice their skills. Assuming he survives, you can plan on the new album being unleashed next Spring. An Enlarged Zoo TVOriginally released on VHS in 1994, U2's "Zoo TV — Live From Sydney," will make its DVD debut on September 19th as both a single-disc DVD and a double-disc package with a host of extras. The concert itself features 23 songs performed in the middle of a visual spectacle captured by 28 cameras and huge walls of video screens around and behind the stage. The bonus disc features the previously unreleased versions of four songs as well as three behind-the-scenes documentaries and (for some mind-boggling reason) a karaoke version of The Edge's song "Numb." A New Knopfler GuitarFormer Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has once again teamed up with the Martin Guitar company for a signature instrument. The limited-edition 000-40S Mark Knopfler "Ragpicker's Dream" Signature Edition, which actually has his signature in mother-of-pearl on the neck as well as on an interior label, must be ordered through an authorized Martin dealer by September 15th. The list price is just $6,999 — why do you ask? Quote Of The WeekIt was Coach John Wooden who said: "Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are." You Talking About Me?According to research from the University of Pennsylvania, if you sleep 4 to 6 hours a night for 2 consecutive weeks, your brain will function about as well as it would if you had stayed up for 3 nights in a row. On top of that, men have more trouble coping with lack of sleep than women do. Yeah, I am really grouchy, so what's it to you?!? August 15, 2006
Doobie Brothers guitarist/singer Tom Johnston is 58.
On this day in 1964, "I Should Have Known Better" by The Beatles peaked at #53. On this day in 1965, The Beatles performed in front of 56,000 people at Shea Stadium in New York. It set a record for concert attendance at that time, however most of those there heard nothing but screaming as fans drowned out the pathetic P.A. system. On this day in 1969, three days of "Peace, Love and Music" known as the legendary Woodstock Music & Arts Fair began on Max Yasgur's farm in upstate New York. For the next three days, almost half a million people braved rainstorms and traffic jams to see Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Joe Cocker, among others. On this day in 1970, Sugarloaf released the song "Green Eyed Lady" as Free's "All Right Now" entered the singles chart and The Who's version of "Summertime Blues" peaked at #27. On this day in 1978, Boston's "Don't Look Back" album was released a year before group leader Tom Scholz wanted it to be. Soon, there would be hell to pay. On this day in 1981, "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins peaked at #19 on the charts.
Mick (Temporarily) SilencedRolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger has laryngitis, forcing the band to cancel last night's show in Valladolid, Spain. "I always love playing in Spain, but unfortunately I have no other choice and I apologize to everyone who bought tickets," Jagger said in a statement. If you are one of the over 37,000 people who bought those tickets, refunds are being issued at point of purchase. Dennis & Roger Surface In CanadaFormer Styx singer/keyboardist Dennis De Young and former Supertramp singer/guitarist Roger Hodgson both appeared on the Canadian Idol show last week. As you'd expect, they helped coach the contestants and also performed on the show. We know that Dennis has been doing occasional gigs Stateside over the last few months, but does this mean Roger might be stopping by his old haunts in the Southland soon? Were They Really Surprised?They say that Billy Joel "surprised" an audience of about 300 last Friday night in Huntington, New York when he joined pianist Richard Joo halfway through a showcase of Joel's classical compositions. Surprised by a piano duet featuring the piano man? A real surprise would have been if Billy picked up the tab for the after-party! Mountain/Ozzy/Dylan/Oh My!Who would have guessed this one? Mountain has been working on their new "tribute to Bob Dylan" album. Singer/guitarist Leslie West and drummer Corky Laing have recorded a number of Dylan songs, including "Subterranean Homesick Blues," "Gotta Serve Somebody" and "Blowing In The Wind." They've also enlisted some all-star help, including Allman Brothers Band/Gov't Mule singer/guitarist Warren Haynes and the Prince Of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. The Ozz-man has known West and Laing for over 35 years — Black Sabbath's first U.S. tour was as the opening act for Mountain. And in all that time, none of them has ever been known to perform a Dylan song — so this could be interesting! Unfortunately, we'll probably have to wait until next year to hear the album. Chris & Kate: No MasBlack Crowes frontman Chris Robinson and his wife, film star Kate Hudson, are separated. The couple, who were married on New Year's Eve in 2000, have a 2-year-old son, Ryder. Robinson and his band just wrapped up one U.S. tour leg and will launch another on September 7th. Currently, Hudson is appearing in the comedy "You, Me and Dupree." Rampant IgnoranceMore Americans can name the Three Stooges than can list the three branches of the U.S. government. A Zogby poll commissioned by the makers of a new game show called "Gold Rush" revealed that 74% of those polled could identify Larry, Curly and Moe of The Stooges, while only 42% could name Congress, the Supreme Court and the Executive branch as comprising the Federal government. Three-quarters could identify two of Snow White's seven dwarfs, but only 25% could name two Supreme Court justices. Six in ten know that Superman is from the fictional planet Krypton, but only 40% know that Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. More than 1,200 Americans were surveyed for the poll, which has a margin of error of two percentage points — although it's doubtful many could handle that kind of math. August 16, 2006
INXS guitarist Tim Farris is 49.
On this day in 1938, Blues legend Robert Johnson (from whose music most Rock & Roll evolved) died at the age of 27 after being poisoned by a jealous husband (or so the story goes). On this day in 1962, The Beatles replaced drummer Pete Best with Ringo Starr. Twenty years later, in 1982, Best released an album of early Decca Record auditions on which he was featured with the legendary group, and his backbeat was still all over the place. On this day in 1977, Rock & Roll legend Elvis Presley died at the age of 42. Heart attack or heavy drug abuse, it doesn't really matter — he's not living in Kalamazoo, he's dead.
Mick's Off AgainJust what the hell did he do at his 63rd birthday party last weekend? Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger's "laryngitis" has forced the band to cancel their second show in Spain. He and the rest of The Stones are expect to be ready for their next scheduled appearance, Sunday in London. A Who PremiereEven though The Who will be touring North America this Fall, they'll return to London just to debut their new 11-song mini-opera on October 29th. The legendary band is slated to play the concept piece — titled either "The Glass Household" or "Wire & Glass" depending on guitarist Pete Townshend's whim of the moment — at the inaugural BBC Electric Proms festival. Whether or not the mini-opera goes over in London, you know the boys will play the piece when they resume their Stateside run at the Hollywood Bowl on November 4th. Plant/Purple/BenefitFormer Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant will perform at the Sunflower Jam London benefit concert on September 14th. The event will raise money for cancer-therapy services provided by the University College London Hospital. In an interesting twist, Plant will be performing with Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, former Purple keyboardist Jon Lord, founding Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden and a bevy of other musicians including Paul McCartney's longtime keyboardist, Paul "Wix" Wickens as well as guitarist Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music and David Gilmour's solo band. The event will also feature a sports and music memorabilia auction. Refi Your House/Buy Neil's DrumsRush drummer Neil Peart will be honored this Fall with a limited-edition signature drum kit. Drum Workshop (DW) will produce a replica of the kit Neil used on the band's 2004 R30 30th anniversary world tour. Only 30 of the drum sets will be made, and they'll carry a retail list price of $30,000 (kinda poetic, isn't it?). Making them even easier to find, the special DW kits will only be sold through Guitar Center. Meanwhile, all three Rush members will reconvene next month to continue working on their new studio album. Joan Be Dropping InJoan Jett & The Blackhearts are going to stay out on the road through this Fall. The group spent the Summer on the Vans Warped Tour and has now booked gigs through mid-November. You'll have a chance to see for yourself on November 7th at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. Cornell/LillywhiteWith Audioslave's third album, "Revelations," coming out on September 5th, singer Chris Cornell has hired occasional U2 producer Steve Lillywhite to oversee his second solo album, due out next year. One of the great voices in Rock & Roll, the former Soundgarden singer is also responsible for "You Know My Name," the theme song for the new James Bond film "Casino Royale." His description of that song is quite interesting: "a little more aggressive than any other Bond theme has been, maybe since Paul McCartney ['Live and Let Die']. It has an orchestra, but it also has some angry sounding guitar, and it's got feedback." Hmm... "angry sounding guitar... feedback" kinda sounds like Audioslave and Soundgarden, doesn't it? August 17, 2006
Former Boston drummer Sib Hashian is 57.
On this day in 1962, The Beatles played their first gig at the Cavern Club in Liverpool with their new drummer, Ringo Starr. Some of original drummer Pete Best's fans began a fight as the Fab Four entered the club, and George Harrison finished the night with a black eye. On this day in 1971, Led Zeppelin began their seventh North American tour in just three years. The band was at the height of their creative success, having just completed the "Led Zeppelin IV" album. The music and partying were legendary.
Eric's SurpriseEric Clapton made a surprise on-stage appearance with guitarist Jimmie Vaughan last Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. Vaughan is one of the opening acts on Bob Dylan's tour of minor league baseball stadiums this Summer, and during Jimmie's set at Cooper Stadium he told the crowd he had a surprise for them. That's when Eric stepped out, sang a song and then stepped back to play guitar behind Stevie Ray Vaughan's older brother for two or three more numbers. Although it's not known if he was invited, Slowhand didn't return to the stage during Dylan's set. You have to figure that with Clapton's own North American tour beginning next month, he was probably just vacationing in Columbus with his wife Melia's family and didn't want to cause a fuss for Bob. Edge Opens For SummersU2's The Edge has written the foreword to former Police guitarist Andy Summers' memoirs, "One Train Later." Included in Andy's stories in the book is his description of his first encounters with guitar gods Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Likewise, in the foreword, The Edge details his own experience the first time he met Summers when U2 supported The Police at an outdoor show in Gateshead in 1982. He also recalls when, four years later, the two groups teamed up on the Conspiracy of Hope Tour for Amnesty International that ended at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. "I certainly will never forget the moment when Andy handed me his guitar in front of the 65,000 capacity crowd at the end of The Police's final set, for U2 to play out the last song of the event. There was more than a little symbolism in that handing over of instruments." That was also the show where Sting took off his bass, hugged U2's Adam Clayton and then handed over his bass. Andy's book will be out on October 3rd. Macca Divorce Update #6,327Divorce proceedings between Paul McCartney and Heather Mills certainly aren't becoming any nicer. Reports from London say that the soon-to-be ex-Mrs. McCartney filed a counter claim in British court on Monday in which she calls the former Beatle a "controlling husband" and contends he, "always put his own interests above hers." Mills, reportedly, "also had to put up with the fact that he would change his plans at a whim and expect her to drop everything to be with him. He did not care that she also had work to do." Heather's counter claim is in response to McCartney's recent filing for divorce in which he said Mills was "argumentative" and "rude to staff." But in all fairness it should be noted that not once did he use the term "gold digger." Steely BabblingTrue, Steely Dan got themselves a ton of press with their recent goofy letter directed at actor Owen Wilson claiming that the plot of his recent comedy "You, Me and Dupree" was ripped off from their song "Cousin Dupree." But the jokesters' latest meandering missive to director Wes Anderson is a bit more bewildering. In the new note, Steely Dan (Walter Becker and Donald Fagan) suggest that Anderson's "career is suffering from a malaise" and offer to "intervene" by composing a pair of new songs that the filmmaker can use as title tracks to future movies. The fact they used 43,000 words to make that point kind of dulls the humor, but — if you have the time — you can read the whole thing at http://steelydan.com. Foster's Friends Help OutDavid Foster, the famed musician/producer, can rely on more than just his reputation to raise funds for good causes — he's got big-time friends! Eagles singer/guitarist Glenn Frey and the multi-talented Sting are among the artists who have signed a grand piano that will be auctioned to benefit the David Foster Foundation, which helps fund organ transplants for children. The auction will take place at a September 10th event in Richmond, Canada (David's old stomping grounds). Frampton On (Reality) TVPeter Frampton has agreed to be one of the professional musicians who will perform with wannabe singers from the showbiz world on the forthcoming Fox series "Celebrity Duets." The program, which is of course executive-produced by American Idol's Simon Cowell, will premiere on August 29th. Beck ReturnsJeff Beck is returning to the U.S. stage with a vocalist for the first time in nearly 20 years. In the middle of his month-long tour of mainly small venues, the guitar god will hit The Grove of Anaheim on September 25th and our Greek Theater on September 28th. Beck's backing band will include bassist Randy Hope-Taylor, keyboardist Jason Rebello, famed drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and singer Beth Hart. Sounds like a killer show!  Unc & Cynthia On TV Tonight!Tonight at 8pm! Tonight at 8pm! KCET's schedule has finally been reset. J.B. and KLOS' Cynthia Fox's much heralded pledge drive breaks during the broadcast of the two-hour "Great Performances: Bruce Springsteen – The Seeger Sessions" was bumped off the schedule last week. Now, the PBS station will run the Unc/Cynthia/Bruce show this Thursday at 8pm. Here's what it looked like the last time these two got in front of a camera! August 18, 2006
Former Foreigner drummer Dennis Elliott is 56.
On this day in 1973, The Doobie Brothers released "China Grove." On this day in 1973, "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" by Chicago peaked at #10 on the singles chart. On this day in 1977, The Police played their first gig as a three-piece after the departure of guitarist Henri Padovani. On this day in 1978, The Who released the "Who Are You" album. On this day in 1981, The Rolling Stones released their "Tattoo You" album. On this day in 1984, Van Halen's "Panama" peaked at #13 on the singles chart. On this day in 1986, Bon Jovi released their third album, "Slippery When Wet." It eventually sold over six million copies. This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Jimi Hendrix as well as conversation with Jimi, his sister Janie and producer Eddie Kramer, Pete Townshend of The Who and Mick Jones of Foreigner.
On StageTed Nugent will be rocking the House Of Blues on Sunset Saturday night. Skynyrd Do Right By Their FansLynyrd Skynyrd has jumped in to make sure their fans don't lose money because their July 4th show was cancelled. The Hall Of Fame band was supposed to rock Arthur W. Purdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland on the 4th, but severe weather forced the cancelation of the show. Earlier this week, when the band found out that the promoter had stopped giving ticket refunds after July 31st, the group joined with the minor league Delmarva Shorebirds baseball team to make sure everyone got their money back. Lead singer Johnny Van Zant said, "Our fans are what keep us going. When we heard about this, we were all shocked! We have very loyal fans and are also loyal to them." On top of the refunds, the group also hopes to play a make-up show in the area. David's Second Life/Second BioYou might recall that David Crosby's first memoir, "Long Time Gone," was brutal in its description of the effect of his addictions had on those around him. His second biography, which he again co-wrote with "Jaws" screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, is appropriately called "Since Then: How I Survived Everything and Lived to Tell About It." It covers topics like Crosby's reunion with his adult son that he never knew he had while waiting in the hospital for a life-saving liver transplant, and his generous sperm donation to Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher. Due out on November 7th, it sounds like a great read! Knopfler's KnominationGuitar god Mark Knopfler is up for the Song of the Year trophy at the 17th Annual International Bluegrass Music Association Awards on September 28th in Nashville. The former Dire Straits frontman received the nomination for his song "Marbletown," the title track of blues grass superstars Blue Highway's 2005 album. [You may recall that the tune originally appeared on Knopfler's 2002 CD, "The Ragpicker's Dream."] After that ceremony, Mark will be honored on October 19th in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England at a tribute lunch that will benefit the United Kingdom's Variety Club children's charity. Because there's a lunch involved, that event will receive tons of press coverage! Peter's FingerprintsPeter Frampton describes his upcoming solo album, "Fingerprints," as "the one I've been wanting to make all my life." The collection of instrumentals boasts a number of noted guest performers. The Allman Brothers/Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes adds slide guitar to a great tune called "Blooze," while Pearl Jam's Mike McCready and Matt Cameron rock on Peter's cover of "Black Hole Sun" — a song originally done by drummer Matt's former band, Soundgarden. "Fingerprints" will arrive in stores on September 12th and Peter will play the Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts on November 4th. Fulfilling Food Factoids* Five percent of people who frequent restaurants claim they eat out because they do not know how to cook. * Lemon Pledge contains more lemons than Country Time Lemonade. * Chef Boy-ar-dee was a real chef (Hector Boiardi) who created the first take-home, ready to fix pasta meals. His sauce became so popular among U.S. troops during World War II that demand after the war made him a superstar. * Betty Crocker was a fictional spokesperson created by General Mills in the early 1920s to answer letters from consumers. Alas, Jim Ladd still has a crush on her. August 19, 2006
Cream drummer Ginger Baker is 67.
On this day in 1959, 61-year-old blues guitar legend Blind Willie McTell died in Milledgeville, Georgia from a brain hemorrhage. Just the same, The Allman Brothers Band (unlike a big English band or two) still gave him writing credits when they covered his material 10 years later. On this day in 1967, The Beatles hit #1 with "All You Need Is Love." On this day in 1978, Boston released the song "Don't Look Back." On this day in 1991, Bob Seger released his album "The Fire Inside." On this day in 1997, Fleetwood Mac released "The Dance," the soundtrack to a TV special featuring the recently reunited/most famous line-up of the classic band. August 20, 2006
Trombonist James Pankow of Chicago is 59.
On this day in 1966, the title song of The Beatles' film "Yellow Submarine" entered the charts. On this day in 1969, The Beatles were together in the studio for the last time as they finished recording "I Want You (She's So Heavy)." On this day in 1977, The Marshall Tucker Band released the song "Can't You See." On this day in 1981, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band played at the L.A. Sports Arena in one of the first high profile benefits for Vietnam veterans. |
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