Search Results for: rock and roll hall of fame

Forget running. Apparently, Bruce Frederick Springsteen was born to sell. Fans looking to get some truly rare Boss records now can, thanks to a New York auction house that has put up for bid confidential medical documents detailing the Hall of Fame rocker’s birth. Lelands.com, an online auctioneer specializing in Americana and sports memorabilia, has put up for sale nine “historically important” records chronicling Springsteen’s pre-glory diaper days dating back to his September 23, 1949 birth at Monmouth Memorial Hospital in Long Branch, New Jersey. As revealed by a sample of images posted on Lelands’ Website, the records kept by… Read more »

Sam Phillips, the man who discovered Elvis Presley and helped kickstart the rock and roll era, died of respiratory failure at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday (July 30). He was 80. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, Phillips founded the Sun Records label in Memphis in 1952 and recorded the debut single from Elvis Presley (“That’s All Right, Mama” b/w “Blue Moon of Kentucky”) in 1954. Elvis’ first recording helped secure both his and Phillips’ places in rock history and set the stage for Phillips’ work with some of the giants of… Read more »

In true punk spirit, rowdy music fans pelted the Sex Pistols with beer on Saturday as the one-time scourge of the British establishment played its first U.S. concert in six years outside Los Angeles. The hailstorm may have been meant as an homage to the band’s own anti-establishment roots, but drenched singer John Lydon was having none of it, labeling one thrower a “turd” and a “wuss,” to the delight of the 50,000-strong crowd. The Sex Pistols, who briefly ruled the music world in the late 1970s with such incendiary anthems as “God Save The Queen” and “Anarchy in the… Read more »

Trey Anastasio spent 17 years ripping genres apart and sticking them back together at odd angles with the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink uber-jam band Phish. So maybe it’s no surprise he’s whipped up another unusual concoction: a jam/swing hybrid dotted with sugary-sweet love songs and chamber music. The self-titled release has the elements you’d expect from Anastasio, from the drawn-out, frenetic jams to the catchy guitar riffs. But it’s also a departure: It’s got horns, it’s got soul, it’s got more horns. It’s clearly not a Phish album hiding under a different name. “I’ve been listening to a lot of big band music,”… Read more »

Chart-topping modern rock act Nickelback and jazz pianist/vocalist Diana Krall snared three trophies each at Canada’s Juno Awards last night (April 14) in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Nickelback grabbed Junos for best group, best single for “How You Remind Me” and best rock album for “Silver Side Up” (Roadrunner). Krall picked up Junos for best album and best vocal jazz album for “The Look of Love” (Verve), and the best artist honor. The event was broadcast on the nationwide CTV network. In winning the best artist trophy, Krall beat out Leonard Cohen, Nelly Furtado, Amanda Marshall, and Garou, a one-time busker… Read more »

Billy Joel and Elton John are back together in the new year for the continuation of the pair’s magical “Face To Face” performances kicking off on Sunday, January 13th in Washington, DC at the MCI Center. Billy and Elton first toured the successful “Face To Face” tour in the United States in 1995 and again in 1996. The tour was extended to Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Europe in 1998. The 31-date “Face To Face” 2001 tour grossed $59 million. Early sales for the Billy Joel/Elton John “Face To Face” 2002 tour of the American northeast immediately set box office… Read more »

From his humble beginnings as an Oakland A’s batboy to his phenomenal success with the 1990 cross-over hit, “U Can’t Touch This,” MC Hammer rose to the top faster than any rap act in music history. But less than five years later, he had completely lost his more than $30 million dollar fortune. The music-filled dramatic biography “Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story” stars Romany Malco in the title role of this true story about the ’90s rap- music phenomenon who soared to the top – and then lost it all. Tangi Miller also stars in the VH1 Original Movie,… Read more »

They are the most successful trio in rock and roll history. I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You, Lonely Days and Jive Talkin’. They have sold more than 110 million records worldwide. Nights On Broadway, Stayin’ Alive and Night Fever. They rank on the all-time, top-sellers list with The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. More Than A Woman, Emotion and Too Much Heaven. They have had 19 #1 singles over a career that has spanned 5 decades. Tragedy, Guilty and Heartbreaker. Their songs have been recorded by artists from Elvis Presley to Janis Joplin to Barbra Streisand and Diana… Read more »

After performing in five acclaimed bands, Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard is savoring his independence with a solo project, the first time a member of the famed Seattle rock combo has struck out on his own. Gossard remains an integral member of Pearl Jam, which is on hiatus for most of 2001, but his new album “Bayleaf” (Epic Records) finds him relishing life in the driver’s seat, where he can write a song one day and record it the next. “… As opposed to write some songs and know that we’re going to get together in six months, and maybe… Read more »

Influential guitarist Chet Atkins, who helped modernize country music in the 1960s, paving the way for the massive commercial force that it is today, died in Nashville Saturday. He was 77. In 1973 and in 1997, Atkins had fought both colon cancer and brain cancer, surviving a number of surgeries. Atkins, enjoyed a multi-faceted career: as a sought-after session musician for the likes of Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers; as a prolific recording artist in his own right; and as a veteran Nashville talent scout. His discoveries included Charley Pride and Waylon Jennings. Atkins was one of the most… Read more »