Category Archives: Music

“That incident ruined my reputation for 10 years. Get one Beatle drunk and look what happens!” — Harry Nilsson

My introduction, as shallow as this may seem, was through Reservoir Dogs. “You put the lime in the coconut”, etc. My brother said to me, “It’s a stupid song, and you think it’s just a gimmick or a novelty song, … Continue reading →

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“I’m not very popular here with those inside the system, as you might guess. I never wanted to be.” — Waylon Jennings

It’s his birthday today. Like a lot of artists whose music I own (I still like to own music: will never give it up), Waylon Jennings is on almost constant rotation. He’s always there. In playlists, first of all, but … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday, Chips Moman

Elvis Presley and producer Chips Moman, American Sound Studio, Memphis, 1969 Great music producer, songwriter, and American Sound studio owner Chips Moman was an essential part of the thrilling warp-and-weft of the Memphis music scene from the 1960s on. His … Continue reading →

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“I couldn’t do no yodelin’, so I turned to howlin’ and it’s done me just fine.”– Howlin’ Wolf

Chester Burnett, who would eventually become the legendary Howlin’ Wolf, was born on this day in 1901. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the “early influences” category. He is in the Memphis Music Hall of … Continue reading →

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Mike Doughty, if you’re out there …

It’s singer-songwriter Mike Doughty’s birthday today. My brother Brendan introduced me to Doughty’s music back in the day – specifically the album Skittish, which I still own – because I still believe in owning my music, not renting it from … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday to “Mr. Excitement”, Jackie Wilson

Jackie Wilson’s voice is otherworldly. He had a four-octave range. You listen and there are times where you can’t even believe what you’re hearing. Wilson started out in Detroit talent contests, where he had a tendency to win. Big fish … Continue reading →

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“Art is about building a new foundation, not just laying something on top of what’s already there.” — Prince

It’s his birthday today. It still doesn’t seem real. I still have moments where I think, “…. wait a second … he’s dead?” In April of 2016, I attended Ebertfest. Directly following that, I flew to Albuquerque to attend the … Continue reading →

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“I dread to think about life without singing.” — Tom Jones

I’ve written about him before, mostly here. He’s still out there. His voice is not only intact but as powerful as it ever was. He is recently a widow after 59 years of marriage. He is beloved by his fan … Continue reading →

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“I want them to think ‘He was a nice guy. He did pretty good and we loved him’.” — Dean Martin

From Dino: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams, by Nick Tosches. Getting to the heart of it all. His schoolmates had never really known him. Even his loving family could not tell for sure what lay within this … Continue reading →

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“Rock n’ roll! It’s the music of puberty.” — Suzi Quatro

Suzy Quatro was born on this day. In July of 2020 , I reviewed the documentary Suzi Q, about Suzi Quatro. Because it was July 2020, the tour she had planned, alongside the doc, had to be canceled. Or, at … Continue reading →

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