Category Archives: Music

“I was a pretty good imitator of Roy Acuff, but then I found out they already had a Roy Acuff, so I started singin’ like myself.” — Hank Williams

It’s his birthday today. He came to Nashville and he just set this whole world on fire. He was the first one to go to Las Vegas as a country singer, he was the first one in a major hotel … Continue reading

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“I’m trying to get people to see that we are our brother’s keeper. Red, white, black, brown or yellow, rich or poor, we all have the blues.” — B.B. King

WHAT a performance. And WHAT an audience. The mood – the back and forth – the communication going on – not just from up on the stage, but coming back at him from the crowd – is what live performance … Continue reading

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“In a world full of Barbies, every girl needs a Joan Jett” — Dave Grohl

At this point, my “relationship” with Dave Grohl (born on this day), is decades-long. I was there when Nirvana hit. I was swept away by Nirvana – and all their ilk – and cried when Kurt Cobain died. My sadness … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday, Otis Redding

Seen on Beale Street: Watch Otis Redding’s live 1967 performance of “Try a Little Tenderness.” In this performance, what always strikes me is where it starts … and then where it GOES. And the journey he takes in between. That … Continue reading

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“If anyone asks you what kind of music you play, tell him ‘pop.’ Don’t tell him ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ or they won’t even let you in the hotel.” — Buddy Holly

Waylon Jennings, Buddy Holly, Grand Central Station, 1959 It’s Buddy Holly’s birthday today. Buddy Holly on Arthur Murray Dance Party, December 29, 1957 Buddy Holly’s career was cut tragically short. Signed to Decca in 1956, he was killed in a … Continue reading

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“The reason we’re successful, darling? My overall charisma, of course.” — Freddie Mercury

It’s his birthday today. It’s hard for me to talk about my feelings for Freddie Mercury. When Freddie Mercury moved, he cracked open the atmosphere. He’s almost frightening. When he walked across a stage, or threw his body into a … Continue reading

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R.I.P. Jimmy Buffett

I met Jimmy Buffett in 2017 in the theatre lobby after a performance of Escape to Margaritaville, the Broadway musical centered around Jimmy Buffett songs, then in preview. (The script was written by Greg Garcia and my cousin Mike O’Malley!) … Continue reading

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Bing and Billie and Frank and Ella and Judy and Barbra: an interview with author Dan Callahan

I’ve interviewed Dan about almost every one of his books! It’s almost a ritual now. His latest is, so far, his most ambitious: a book about, of course, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, and Barbra … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday, drummer Honey Lantree

Even now, a “girl drummer” in an all-boy band is a rare thing. Back in the 1960s, it was unheard of. Which is why Honey Lantree, drummer for the Joe Meek-produced The Honeycombs, stands out. Still. When she joined the … Continue reading

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The fan-kissing E’s

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