The father of Blue Grass music!
William Smith “Bill” Monroe was born September 13, 1911, near Rosine, Kentucky, the youngest of eight children in a musical farm family. His father, James Buchanan “Buck” Monroe, was a farmer, timber operator, and coal miner who also loved dancing, while his mother, Malissa, sang and played several instruments. Monroe’s most important early musical influence was his mother’s brother, Pendleton “Uncle Pen” Vandiver, a gifted fiddler who taught him about traditional
This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite Keyboard players.
So far I’ve chosen, Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Eumir Deodato, Gershon Kingsley, Jon Lord, Elton John, Billy Joel, Nicky Hopkins, John Paul Jones, Richard Wright, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Billy Preston. Let me chose some more to consider.
The group initially performed under several names before settling on “The Yardbirds,” reportedly inspired by the writings of author Jack Kerouac, who used the slang term “yardbird” to describe a drifter or someone living on the margins of society.
The Yardbirds emerged from the vibrant rhythm and blues scene that flourished in London during the early 1960s, becoming one of the most influential British bands of the decade. Although they would later gain worldwide recognition for helping launch the careers of three legendary guitarists—Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page—
He sang in his church choir, learned to play harmonica, piano, and drums without formal instruction, and quickly demonstrated an uncanny ability to master nearly any instrument placed before him.
Stevie Wonder, born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan, is one of the most extraordinary musical talents in popular music history. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Detroit, where he was raised by his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, after his parents separated. Wonder was born six weeks premature, and the high concentration of oxygen used in
Four more losses to reflect on here, summer of 2026…
These guys were the long time drummer for the rock band ZZ Top; an actor, often cast as a mafioso, best known for his role in The Sopranos; an actor/politician best known as Cooter in the Dukes of Hazzard; and a soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s “The Pink Panther Theme”.
My version of this “Stand Out Single” was the 1970, Goldies 45 (D1433), which had “Magic Carpet Ride” as the B-side.
“Born to Be Wild” is one of the defining rock singles of the late 1960s and remains the signature song of Steppenwolf. Released in June 1968 as the lead single from the band’s self-titled debut album, the song quickly became an international hit and transformed the relatively new group into one of the biggest names in hard rock. Although often associated exclusively with Steppenwolf,
The Beau Brummels performed their big breakout hit, “Laugh, Laugh,” on The Flintstones as The Beau Brummelstones in the 1965, season six episode titled, ”Shinrock A Go-Go”.
The Beau Brummels were one of the most influential yet underappreciated American rock bands of the 1960s. Formed in San Francisco in 1964, the group’s classic lineup consisted of lead singer Sal Valentino, guitarist and songwriter Ron Elliott, bassist Ron Meagher, guitarist and harmonica player Declan Mulligan, and drummer John Petersen.
Four more losses to reflect on here in 2026…
These individuals were a woodwind musician and a founding member of Chicago; an American economist who served as the 13th chair of the Federal Reserve; a visual effects artist known for his work in films such as Star Trek, Ghostbusters, Star Wars, etc.; and an actress, television writer, best known for being Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
Four more losses to reflect on here in the early summer of 2026…
These guys were a British-Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the American band Blood, Sweat & Tears; record executive, A&R exec, record producer and lawyer; an actor and stand-up comedian, known for opening for Sinatra; and a video game composer and sound designer on games like Doom and Duke Nukem.
The Ventures were unusual because they achieved mass popularity without a vocalist.
The Ventures were among the most influential and commercially successful instrumental groups in popular music history, a band whose crisp guitar lines, relentless rhythm playing, and adventurous studio techniques helped define the sound of early rock guitar long before hard rock, psychedelic music,
