Tag Archives: Rock-n-Roll

How Def Leppard Managed to not “Fade Away”

Posted on by

Def Leppard’s hit “Rock of Ages” from 1983’s breakout album Pyromania started out with these lyrics: Alright, I got something to say Yeah, its better to burn out, Yeah, than fade away Of course, Def Leppard was only referencing the Neil Young song “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) which also said, “It’s better to burn out/Than to fade away.” The cry of burnout out before fading away became a bit of a slogan for rockers, including Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, who quoted that in his suicide note. However, Def Leppard managed to stay hot all these years, … Continue reading →

Rock ‘n’ Roll Pioneer Bo Diddley Dead at the Age of 79

Posted on by

Guitarist pioneer Bo Diddley, known for songs lilke “Who Do You Love?” and “Bo Diddley” has died at the age of 79 due to heart failure. He had suffered from diabetes for many years, but even so, he continued to tour through 2006. Diddley is known for his signature beat, which is often known as the “Bo Diddley Beat.” It is an African-based 5/4 rhythm pattern which was picked up by many other rock ‘n’ roll greats such as Buddy Holly, Johnny Otis, the Strangeloves, U2, and even George Michael. Many, many artists have done covers of Bo’s songs over … Continue reading →

O.J.’s in Jail…Again and Holly’s Widow Tries to Block Book

Well, this is hardly news, but former NFL great O.J. Simpson is back in jail. Out on bail for the alleged armed robbery that occurred earlier this year in Las Vegas, the Juice had his bail revoked and now he will have to sit in the jail until the court hearing on Wednesday. Why was his bail revoked? There are documents that say O.J. violated the agreement of his bail by trying to contact a co-defendant in his case. Specifically, it is said he tried to contact Clarence Stewart and persuade him not to testify or cooperate with the law … Continue reading →

Celebrity Updates—Cashing in on Rock ‘n’ Roll Memorabilia

Celebrity auctions intrigue me. Not so much because of the items that are up for sale (though it is interesting to see what celebs consider “safe” to part with), but what I find so astounding is how much some die-hard fans are willing to fork over for an item previously owned by someone they likely have never met. In a previous blog I previewed an auction Christie’s was running featuring rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia from some of the hottest bands of the 1960s and ’70s. Most of the items were non descript and unpretentious, such as used T-shirts, sweaters and … Continue reading →

Celebrity Tragedy: Alan Freed

In case you have not noticed, Michele and I are the yin yang of the pop culture blog. She usually concentrates on cheery stories about weddings and babies while I tend to focus a bit on the darker side of fame. I mean, after all, you have to admit that Hollywood has its share of tragedies. But, all areas of fame have their dark side, their tragic stories of the good gone bad. Such is the case of 50’s super disc jockey Alan Freed. I had briefly mentioned Alan Freed when I was talking about Jesse Blevin, a singer who … Continue reading →

Forever 27: The Others

So we know that Robert Johnson, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain all died tragically at the age of 27. But there are more members of the infamous club who never reached the superstardom of the ones I have already mentioned. Here is a list of the other musicians who died at the age of 27: Louis Chauvin Chauvin was a ragtime musician who died in 1908 of syphilis. Jesse Belvin Belvin was an R&B singer/songwriter who died in a car accident in 1960. His biggest hit was “Goodnight My Love,” which reached #7 on … Continue reading →

That Thing You Do (1996)

Set in Pennsylvania in the 1960’s, “That Thing You Do” is the story of four friends who dream of making it big in the music industry. Our main character is Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) a young man who works in his father’s appliance store by day and plays drums at night, listening to jazz great Del Paxton for inspiration. His friends Jimmy and Lenny are in a band and their drummer has broken his arm, and they’re short a drummer for their appearance at a talent show. They ask Guy to fill in, and he agrees, but kicks up … Continue reading →

The Big Bopper – What Really Killed Him?

As you know from my last Anna Nicole blog, I am a pretty firm believer in the fact that once you have been buried, you should remain in the ground. However, the son of 50’s singer J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson felt differently. Jay Richardson hired famed forensic anthologist Dr. Bill Bass (more about him in another blog) to exhume his father recently to determine exactly what killed him. In case you don’t know (or don’t remember), the Big Bopper was in the plane with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens that went down in Iowa in 1959. Holly was already … Continue reading →

What’s New With Van Halen

When I was in high school, Van Halen was the hot new band, destined to save us all from disco. The young good-looking guitarist, Eddie Van Halen, shared the spotlight with lead singer David Lee Roth. In the next 20 years, Van Halen would release 11 studio albums, all of which broke into the Top 20 of the Billboard charts. Overall, they have sold more than 75 million albums. The Guinness Book of World Records lists them as the band with the most number one hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock List. Despite all their success, things have not always … Continue reading →

Catching up with Aerosmith

I remember Aerosmith when they first released “Toys in the Attic.” Of course, I was still playing with toys, but even back in 1975, I could tell they were a great band. However, they loved the rock-n-roll lifestyle a little too much and descended into heavy drug use in the early 80s. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry became known as the “Toxic Twins” at one point because of their heavy drug use. With help from manager Tim Collins, the band was finally able to get clean and made some of the best music of their careers. After both Tyler and … Continue reading →