 November 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! November 11, 2006
Yardbirds guitarist Chris Dreja is 60. 
On this day in 1972, The Allman Brothers 24-year-old bass player, Berry Oakley, was killed when he plowed his motorcycle into a bus in Macon, Georgia. Ironically, the accident happened just three blocks from the spot where Allman Brothers' guitarist Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident 13 months earlier. On this day in 1978, The Rolling Stones' "Beast Of Burden" peaked at #8 on the singles chart. On this day in 1983, the album "90125" by Yes was released. On this day in 1986, Pink Floyd issued a statement saying that although Roger Waters was no longer with the band they would continue using the name. Of course, that made Roger even more angry.  This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of The Who as well as more of Joe's conversation with guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and singer Roger Daltrey. 
On Stage TonightAerosmith and Motley Crue will be rocking the Hyundai Pavilion as Johnny Winter hits the Canyon Club. Touring AwardsThe Rolling Stones' "Bigger Bang" tour was a big winner at the Billboard Touring Awards, which were given out Thursday night at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. The Stones' tour was recognized as the Top Tour, based on gross dollars, and Top Draw, based on ticket sales (that's $230 million and nearly 2 million tickets all over the world). Sir Elton John was honored as Billboard's 2006 Legend of Live. Music Rising, the instrument replacement fund for Gulf Coast musicians founded by Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, producer Bob Ezrin and U2's the Edge, received Billboard's Humanitarian Award. Another Big Buck AuctionPaul McCartney's handwritten lyrics to The Beatles song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is among the items up for sale in a December 4th Christie's auction in New York. The lyrics are expected to fetch at least $200,000. Memorabilia associated with The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Elton John and Bob Dylan, among others, also will be up for bid. One Rich Aussie DutchmanAC/DC guitarist Angus Young has been identified as among the richest people in the Netherlands. Technically, Young was born in Scotland and raised in Australia, but he has lived in the Netherlands since the Eighties. Strangely enough, this is the first year he made the Quote magazine Quote 500 annual list of the richest people in the Netherlands with a personal worth of approximately $93 million. Now that's some power chording! New Pretenders?When The Pretenders were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, group leader Chrissie Hynde was talking about retirement. But a little further down the road, she's reconsidering, saying: "Recently, I thought maybe I'd had enough, but I think you go through that periodically... I feel that I need to sort of tie some loose ends together and to go out with a good record and everything, so I'm thinking of making a record next year." To that end, she and her band will begin opening a few shows for The Who tonight in Las Vegas. Rock on, Chrissie! The Mickster Will ProduceWord is that Mick Jagger will produce a remake of the 1939 movie "The Woman" with Meg Ryan in the starring role. Meg would play a contemporary Martha Stewart-style TV personality who, as in the original, discovers her husband is cheating on her. The Rolling Stones frontman's company, Jagged Films, has set a budget in the $18 million range. Production is slated to begin in March in New York and Connecticut for release late next year. Happy B-day Abbey RoadAbbey Road Studios celebrated its 75th anniversary yesterday. The famous London studio complex where The Beatles, Pink Floyd and U2 have recorded was set to have a huge star-studded party last night.  Veterans DayVeterans Day is the national holiday set aside to honor the men and women who served the United States in wars during the past century. Initially known as "Armistice Day," it was established in 1926 to recognize the end of fighting in World War I at 11am, November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). It was renamed "Veterans Day" after World War II, and has always centered on special memorials at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. At some point today, take a moment to remember those who fought to protect our freedom, especially those who paid the ultimate price, from the fields in France to the deserts of Iraq. November 12, 2006
Keyboard great Booker T. Jones of Booker T. & the MG's is 62.
On this day in 1966, the Hollywood Sunset Strip Riot took place, providing the lyrical inspiration for Stephen Stills to write Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth." On this day in 1970, The Doors performed live for the last time with Jim Morrison. Drummer John Densmore later said that Morrison seemed to lose "all his energy" when the show ended. On this day in 1973, Queen began their first tour of Britain at Leeds Town Hall in Yorkshire, opening for Mott the Hoople. On this day in 1980, Bruce Springsteen hit the top of the charts with his double album "The River." On this day in 1983, David Bowie's "Modern Love" peaked at #14 on the charts. November 13, 2006
On this day in 1965, The Who's "My Generation" entered the British charts. The music world would never be the same. On this day in 1968, The Beatles' animated feature "Yellow Submarine" premiered in the U.S. The movie was the fourth film to be made by or about The Fab Four, although the other three were live-action and not animated. On this day in 1976, Rod Stewart hit #1 with "Tonight's the Night" as "Do You Feel Like We Do" by Peter Frampton peaked at #10 on the charts. On this day in 1982, Tom Petty released his "You Got Lucky" single.
R.I.P. Mick's DadJoe Jagger, the 93-year-old father of Rolling Stones singer Sir Mick Jagger, died of pneumonia last Saturday night. Sir Mick, who was in the U.S. for The Stones' "A Bigger Bang" world tour, flew into Britain on Friday to spend time with his father, then flew back to Las Vegas to perform with the group. A spokesman said the Jagger family would not make any further comment, saying only that Joe Jagger's funeral would be private. Joe Jagger was a physical education instructor who was a key figure in promoting basketball in Britain. He's also credited for influencing his rock legend son's athleticism. Nicks/Preston/SuccessStevie Nicks hosted a star-studded event this past Thursday at the new Morrison Hotel Gallery at 7517 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Nicks was joined by the likes of Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Cameron Crowe, Anthony Keidis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Diamond and Keith Emerson as well as KLOS' Cynthia Fox and Joe Benson in support of their friend, legendary rock photographer Neal Preston. All of the $25,000 proceeds from the event were donated to The Stevie Nicks Soldier's Angel Foundation, which aids the healing process for wounded U.S. servicemen and women returning from overseas duty through the gift of music. Check out the Morrison Hotel Gallery at: http://morrisonhotelgallery.com/ Macca's Signing In NYCPaul McCartney will be doing a rare in-store appearance at New York's Virgin Megastore Times Square this afternoon, during which he'll autograph copies of his new classical CD whose Latin title translates to "Behold My Heart." But wait — there's more! Macca will also be signing his DVD, "Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us," which features never before released performance footage from his 2005 U.S. tour as well as testimonials from celebrities and other musicians. Sir Paulie's also expected to be on hand for the American concert premiere of "Behold My Heart" tomorrow at New York's Carnegie Hall — and he just might be signing things there as well! Procol Sues Harum (Sort Of)It's time for another wacky Brit soap opera! A court case involving the songwriting credits for the 40-year-old Procol Harum hit "A Whiter Shade of Pale" began today in London. The band's former organist, Matthew Fisher, is now claiming that he deserves a share of the recording's royalties because of the significant contributions he made to the song's melody. The dispute is complicated because all sides agree that Johann Sebastian Bach originally inspired the song's mournful melody. Procol Harum's lead singer, Gary Brooker, first wrote the song as a straight R&B tune, based on Bach's "Air from the Orchestral Suite No 3 in D" (or "Air on a G String"), which he had heard in a cigar advertisement, and Bach's "Cantata No. 140," also known as "Sleepers Awake." Fisher claims that he transformed the melody into something far superior to the chord structure that Brooker borrowed from Bach. Brooker's reaction: "A Whiter Shade Of Pale was written by lyricist Keith Reid and me before Matthew even joined the band. I am shocked and dismayed that after Matthew had worked with us quite happily over the course of 40 years without him once alleging that his role on "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was anything other than as a musician, it is only now that he claims he recalls writing part of the song. People can draw their own conclusions from this." KISS Be SellingThe "KISSOLOGY" DVD box set has become the top selling music DVD, moving over 50,000 copies during its first week of release. Now are you really surprised that there will be a second volume of the DVD set coming out next year? Warning: Naked LoveJust in case you haven't already seen more of her than you wanted to, Courtney Love is going full-out naked in the new issue of the British magazine Pop. According to Courtney, her nudity was a response to not liking the clothes she was set to wear during the shoot. Seems reasonable, doesn't it? By the way, Courtney's new book "Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love" is in stores now. Quote Of The WeekIt was Steven Wright who said: "There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot." Blowing The Resume
A recent survey by The Creative Group found that one-third of advertising and marketing executives said typos and grammatical errors are the most common mistakes professionals make on their resume. The second most prevalent error was providing too much information. The Top 6 biggest mistakes: November 14, 2006
Styx guitarist James "J.Y." Young is 57.
On this day in 1969, Led Zeppelin began recording their third album at Olympic Studios with a run-through of "Since I've Been Loving You," live to tape. That recording turned out so well, they included it on the album. Robert Plant later described it as "the closest thing ever to a Led Zeppelin live concert." On this day in 1970, "Cry Me A River" by Joe Cocker peaked at #11 as Van Morrison's "Domino" entered the singles chart and Santana released "Black Magic Woman." On this day in 1973, Billy Joel released his breakthrough "Piano Man" album as Bruce Springsteen released his classic "The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle" album. On this day in 1975, Queen released the "A Night At The Opera" album, which contained their signature song, "Bohemian Rhapsody." On this day in 1978, Led Zeppelin began recording their "In Through the Out Door" album in Abba's Polar Studios.
On Stage TonightPaul Stanley of KISS will be rocking a sold-out show at the House Of Blues on Sunset tonight. Time's Top 100"Time" magazine has put together a unique list of the 100 best albums. The "Times" list is broken up by decade and based on historical significance and critical acclaim. The eclectic, All-TIME 100 features four albums from The Beatles, three from Bob Dylan, and both R.E.M. and U2 with two albums each. Other artists include AC/DC, James Brown, Johnny Cash, The Clash, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, The Who and more. For the full list, head to http://www.time.com/time/2006/100albums/. U.K. Hall TonightLed Zeppelin, Rod Stewart, former Beach Boy Brian Wilson, James Brown, Dusty Springfield and Bon Jovi are the newest additions to the U.K. Music Hall of Fame. The U.K. Hall was established in 2004 to recognize artists of any nationality who have made contributions to British music. Wilson, Brown, and Bon Jovi are among the honorees expected to be on hand for the induction ceremony. Patti LaBelle is slated to participate in a tribute performance honoring the late Springfield, while the Australian rock trio Wolfmother has been tapped to salute Zeppelin. Along with the inductions, famed Beatles producer George Martin will also receive special acknowledgment during the event. The induction ceremony is set for London's Alexandra Palace tonight. VH1 will present highlights on November 25th. Bob vs. Bruce (Sort Of)Bob Dylan is in the running for two 2006 Billboard Music Awards. The icon's "Modern Times" is up for trophies in the Rock Album and Internet Album categories. Bruce Springsteen also is a contender for the latter prize with his "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" album. The extravaganza will air on December 4th on Fox. Brian Smacks & WinsAC/DC frontman Brian Johnson, who has raced semi-professionally for years, was involved in a racing incident Sunday in Northamptonshire, England, while competing in the finale of the U.K. reality TV series "The Race." During the finale Grand Prix event, Johnson's open wheeled race car clipped the rear of the car driven by R&B singer Ms. Dynamite, who promptly lost control and crashed into a wall. Dynamite was airlifted to a local hospital and was released the next day after observation. Although Johnson, who was of course uninjured, went on to win the race, he is not planning on quitting the band to run in NASCAR — yet. Mrs. Tedly's Grand AdventureTed Nugent's wife is starring in an offshoot of Tedly's Outdoor Channel show "Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild." Her program, "Shemane Nugent's Queen Of The Forest," focuses on teaching women what they need to know to survive in the wilderness. Of course that means shooting varmints, and Shemane says, "we had all the women learn how to shoot guns from an expert, and that was my husband, Ted." For the pilot episode, the contenders were vying for a $5,000 cash prize. Do you suppose they'll be vying for a shot at Ted in the real show? Guess we'll have to wait to find out until it debuts on January 1st. November 15, 2006
On this day in 1992 at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, Ozzy Osbourne swore he was playing his last concert ever. Then he was joined in an emotional reunion onstage by Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. No matter if it was clever marketing or happenstance, the Ozz-man has toured continuously ever since.
Mick's Dad/Stones UpdateDespite the death of Mick Jagger's dad, a spokesman for the group says that The Rolling Stones will play the remaining North American dates on the "A Bigger Bang" tour as planned. They were in Boise last night, and are slated to play a make-good show for an earlier missed date in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday. The band is also scheduled to hit Dodger Stadium next Wednesday (November 22nd) before wrapping up this leg of the tour in Vancouver on November 25th. Official word is that a private funeral for Joe Jagger is in the works for "a later date." More Who For YouThe Who officially added three new dates to their North American tour: February 23rd in Reno, February 25th in Fresno and March 1st in San Diego. Do you think they'll squeeze in another one or two for us? Another Honor For The TopZZ Top was saluted by the Texas chapter of the Recording Academy on Monday. Drummer Frank Beard, singer/bassist Dusty Hill and singer/guitarist Billy F. Gibbons were at the Austin Convention Center Ballroom to pick up their Recording Academy Honors. Dusty says that two things have kept the band going for over 35 years: "The thing is, we enjoy playing together, working together on stage. That's the bottom line. There's probably a lot of other reasons, but that's gotta be the main one — the music. And I think, basically, Billy and I just dig hanging out with Frank." The Top has been working on a new album for some time, but there's no word on when it might be released. A Real Floyd-Signed ProgramA program from last Summer's Live 8 show in London that was signed by all four members of Pink Floyd is now up for auction. About 30 minutes before David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright took the stage for their reunion in Hyde Park, they signed nine of the booklets, and one of them is now available on Ebay in an auction that is scheduled to last until Sunday. All proceeds from the sale will go to Oxfam GB, which is dedicated to fighting poverty around the world. To make a bid, search Ebay for "Pink Floyd Signed Programme." Of the remaining eight signed programs, seven are being held for future charitable endeavors, and one was given to British Airways for their children's charity program. Shaw/Blades ComingStyx singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw and former Night Ranger bassist/singer Jack Blades have scheduled their new Shaw Blades "Influence" album for a February 20th release. The collection of cover songs from the Sixties and Seventies includes Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," Steely Dan's "Dirty Work," The Mamas And The Papas' "California Dreamin'" as well as Simon & Garfunkel's "I Am A Rock" and "Sounds of Silence." Word is that a tour to support the album is also in the works. This Sunday at Circuit City!This Sunday, 3pm - 5pm: Unc will be hanging with the KLOS Cool Patrol booth at the Circuit City at 200 East Broadway in Glendale. He'll have Clipper's basketball tickets and KLOS stuff to give away — and you know he'll be checking out those flat screens!  Uncle Joe/KLOS Bumper Stickers!Go to any participating Yamaha Motorcycle and ATV dealer to pick-up your very own FREE, LIMITED edition, KLOS Uncle Joe Benson bumper sticker! Fill out the entry on the back of the sticker and you might win a brand new 42 inch PANASONIC PLASMA HIGH DEFINITION TV! Supplies are limited, so get on your bike and ride!! November 16, 2006
On this day in 1978, in their usual flamboyant style, Queen spiced up their Madison Square Garden concert with a group of mostly naked women riding bicycles onto the stage during the performance of "Fat Bottomed Girls." Oh, the glory! On this day in 1978, the film version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" opened, starring Peter Frampton, the Bee Gees, Earth Wind & Fire, Alice Cooper, Steve Martin and a lot of other people at the lowest point in their careers. On this day in 1979, Pink Floyd released their single "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" in the U.K., where it went directly to #1. On this day in 1985, Stevie Nicks' "Talk To Me" entered the singles chart. This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of The Doors as well as Joe's brand new conversations with drummer John Densmore, guitarist Robby Krieger and keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
An Inducted Pagey PromisesAt Tuesday's U.K. Music Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, former Led Zeppelin guitarist/rock god Jimmy Page announced that he is going to record a new disc next year. He specifically said, "It's an album that I need to get out of my system... there's a good album in there and it's ready to come out." Without identifying the remastered "Song Remains The Same" movie/soundtrack by name, he also confirmed that "there will be some Led Zeppelin things on the horizon." As for the Hall Of Fame ceremony, the Zeppelin was inducted alongside Rod Stewart, Bon Jovi, Dusty Springfield, Brian Wilson, James Brown, Prince and Beatles producer Sir George Martin. VH1 will air the ceremony next Saturday. U2 Wins Their Clothes BackU2 has won their lawsuit against their former stylist. The Irish lads filed the suit against Lola Cashman after she tried to sell some of their clothes and photos at a London auction house in 2002. She further angered the band with her 2004 book, "Inside the Zoo With U2: My Life With the World's Biggest Rock Band." Last month, Lola told Dublin's High Court that Bono gave her — among other things — an iconic Stetson hat, a pair of metal hooped earrings, a green sweatshirt and a pair of black trousers as gifts during the hugely successful Joshua Tree tour in 1987. But after a protracted legal dispute that saw Bono take the witness stand to deny her claims, the judge ruled against Lola. No word if she stole her way out of the courtroom following the judgment. Fogerty/Football/FootballJohn Fogerty will be taking to the field(s) on Thanksgiving Day. The former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman will perform during halftime of the Detroit Lions/Miami Dolphins game in Detroit, then he and his hearty band will hop a plane to Kansas City to rock the intermission of the Chiefs/Denver Broncos game. Wonder which venue will serve the best ribs? Gilmour/Bowie/SydFormer Pink Floyd singer/guitarist David Gilmour has a special Christmas gift for his fans. David will release three live recordings next month, dedicated to the late Floyd founder Syd Barrett. One is an acoustic cover of the song "Dark Globe," from Barrett's debut solo album "The Madcap Laughs," while the others are new versions of Pink Floyd's first single, "Arnold Layne." Both versions of "Arnold Layne" were recorded during Gilmour's run of dates at the Royal Albert Hall in London — one featuring Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright on vocals, the other featuring surprise guest performer David Bowie. The tracks will be available to download on Christmas Day, while a limited run of vinyl singles will be released on December 26th. November 17, 2006
Gordon Lightfoot is 68 and glad to be alive.
On this day in 1967, The Beatles completed the recording sessions for their "The Magical Mystery Tour" soundtrack album. On this day in 1969, The Rolling Stones released their classic "Let It Bleed" album. On this day in 1970, Elton John recorded his "11-17-70" album live in a New York studio in front of an invited audience of 100 people. On this day in 1978, Led Zeppelin recorded their song "All My Love" in just two takes. On this day in 1979, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Don't Do Me Like That" entered the singles chart. On this day in 1979, Jethro Tull bassist John Glascock died of a heart attack at the age of 28. On this day in 1987, during a concert in the Los Angeles Sports Arena, U2's Bono pulled a fan from the audience up on stage to sing along to "People Get Ready." Once he got into the spotlight, the aspiring star handed Bono a demo tape. No, he never got signed.
Queen Top Brit SalesQueen's first "Greatest Hits" album has topped the U.K'.s Top 100 best sellers list compiled by the Official Charts company for VH1. The album, first released in 1981, has sold 5,407,587 copies in the U.K. — 600,000 more than its nearest rival, The Beatles' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Dire Straits' "Brothers In Arms" was 4th with 3,946,931 sold, Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of The Moon" was 6th (3,759,958) and Queen's "Greatest Hits II" was 7th with a 3,631,321 tally. The Rolling Stones, Sting, the Sex Pistols and Bob Dylan are among those without a single entry to their names. Sure, the sales numbers are much smaller than what we're used to, but Britain is a much smaller place than we're used to, isn't it? Bob's BookingStill no Southland dates, but Bob Seger continues to add gigs to his "Face the Promise" tour. He and The Silver Bullet Band will close out 2006 with a four-show stint in Auburn Hills, Michigan, then get back to it on January 13th in Tampa. Hey Bob — how does April sound for a couple of shows out here? See Sammy At SeaA documentary on Sammy Hagar & The Wabos' July 22nd St. Louis concert will premiere December 3rd on HDNet. That gig also featured The Other Half — Sammy performing a set with former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony — which was a massive crowd pleaser. The show should be released on DVD in February. In other news, Hagar's second annual cruise has been scheduled for March 11th - 18th. Anchors away! Coop Sells A BookAlice Cooper has sold his memoirs to Crown Books for a reported $500,000. "Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: My 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict" will chronicle his entire career as well as his battle with alcoholism. Knowing Alice's sense of humor, his explanation of how the game of golf helped him overcome his addiction and stay sober should be very interesting. The hardcover edition of "Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: My 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict" is due to arrive in stores on May 15th. November 18, 2006
Mickey Mouse, occasional banjo player and fulltime icon, is 78.
On this day in 1968, The Rolling Stones classic album "Beggars Banquet" was released. On this day in 1972, Steely Dan released the song "Do It Again," and no one could figure out who this Dan guy was. On this day in 1978, "Double Vision" by Foreigner peaked at #2 as "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" by Styx topped out at #21 on the charts. On this day in 1987, U2, while performing a second night in the L.A. Coliseum, decided to support themselves as a fictional country group called the Dalton Brothers. Good thing it was supposed to be a joke, because they really, really sucked. On this day in 1988, Pink Floyd released the "Delicate Sound Of Thunder" album. November 19, 2006
On this day in 1954, Sammy Davis, Jr. was involved in a serious auto accident in San Bernardino. Three days later, he lost sight in his left eye, which was then replaced with a glass eye. And now you know. On this day in 1965, Kellogg's Pop Tarts were created. Many historians mark that day as the very moment modern civilization began to implode. On this day in 1973, Led Zeppelin began sessions for their sixth album by recording a demo called "Driving to Kashmir." The song title would later be shortened to just plain "Kashmir." On this day in 1977, Steely Dan released the song "Peg." On this day in 1983, "Suddenly Last Summer" by The Motels peaked at #9 as Journey's "Send Her My Love" topped out at #23 on the charts. On this day in 1983, Badfinger bassist Tom Evans took his own life just as Badfinger singer Pete Ham had done eight years earlier. Evans was only 36. On this day in 1984, Don Henley released his classic "Building The Perfect Beast" album. November 20, 2006
Blues legend Leadbelly would have been 118.
On this day in 1961, Bob Dylan recorded his first album. One of the best known songs on the album was his cover of "House of the Rising Sun," which the Animals turned into a huge hit three years later. On this day in 1965, Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence" was released in a much different mix than they'd recorded it. Surprise! On this day in 1970, "Lola" became The Kinks' first Top 10 single in the U.S. in five years. On this day in 1973, drummer Keith Moon collapsed twice during the first date of The Who's U.S. tour in San Francisco after someone spiked his drink with horse tranquilizer. After guitarist Pete Townshend solicited a volunteer from the crowd, 19-year-old Scott Halpin got up on stage and drummed like a maniac for the last three songs of the set. Despite that shining moment in the limelight, Scott has never been heard from again. On this day in 1976, Manfred Mann's Earth Band released their cover of the Bruce Springsteen song "Blinded By The Light." On this day in 1994, David Crosby got the liver transplant that saved his life.
Top Books A Big OneThey may be temporarily without a recording contract, but ZZ Top will headline the biggest gig in their hometown of Houston, the final night of the 2007 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The multi-event extravaganza kicks off on February 27th and finishes with the Top on stage on March 18th. Without a hint of a ZZ Top tour next year, you better book your room asap! U2/Pearl Jam Do Australia"Politicians all have to do what you tell them to do: scream it from the mountains," U2's Bono called out just as he and the Edge joined Pearl Jam onstage for a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" at Friday's Make Poverty History concert in Melbourne, Australia. About 14,000 people attended the event, timed to coincide with this past weekend's G-20 summit meeting in the city. Gorby Hails Peter (Sort Of)Peter Gabriel was honored with the annual Man Of Peace prize by the Gorbachev Foundation, headed by former Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev. Friday's ceremony in Rome marked the opening of the yearly meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, although Gorbachev was absent for health reasons (never a good thing for former Russian presidents). Past recipients of the Man Of Peace prize include singers Yusef Islam (the former Cat Stevens) and occasional Boomtown Rat Bob Geldof, as well as Italian actor/director Roberto Benigni (which seems a little weird to me). Boston Played For FlutieThe city of Boston honored famed quarterback Doug Flutie with the Red, White and Blue award at a big ceremony last Monday. Among other charitable acts, Doug has raised more than $8 million for The Autism Foundation over the course of his career. When he was asked who he wanted to perform at the ceremony, he immediately said, "Boston!" So guitarist Tom Scholz assembled his core 5-piece band for their only 2006 gig, and blew away everybody at the event. Several members of the Boston Pops joined in on a couple of songs, and then Flutie himself played drums on "Smokin'" — the first time anyone has sat in with Boston in many, many years. As for us Southlanders, we can plan on Mr. Scholz bringing his band to town next Summer. Quote Of The DayIt was Mario Andretti who said, "Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal."    Jimmie Wins!It's official! Jimmie Johnson of El Cajon is the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion! The 31-year-old became the 28th driver to win the championship of NASCAR's premier series, doing it in just his fifth full season of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition — although he has finished in the Top 5 in points in all five of his full-time seasons. Johnson won five races in 2006, including the season-opening Daytona 500 and the prestigious Brickyard 400. With six races left in the Championship playoffs, Johnson was 165 points behind the leader. But he and his team fought back to beat former Champion Matt Kenseth by 56 points. Jimmie has ranked in the Top 10 in point standings for 105 races, the sixth-longest streak in the Top 10 since the point system was instituted in 1975. Having known him since he was racing Superlite off road buggies at the age of 15, I can say that Jimmie is not only a great champion, but one of the brightest, finest young men you'll ever meet. Congrats to him and his family! |
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