Rollingstone.com is reporting that two former Yardbirds are set to share the stage: Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck have announced they’ll play two shows together at Saitama, Japan’s Super Arena, on February 21st and 22nd. The duo have performed together at album sessions, benefits and festivals in years past, but these concerts mark the first time the pair have ever shared the bill for major arena shows. Tickets for these concerts go on sale January 17th.
Both guitarists have roots in the Yardbirds, that blues-tinged British band that also lists Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page among its famous alumni. After the Yardbirds’ hit “For Your Love,” Clapton exited the band in 1965 out of protest of the group’s move from the blues to a new pop sound. Clapton’s replacement, ironically enough, was Jeff Beck, who was fired from the band in 1968 before they ultimately disbanded. Jimmy Page formed a band in late 1968 called the new Yardbirds, but you more than likely know them by the name Led Zeppelin.
Of course, Clapton and Beck went on to have pretty huge post-Yardbirds careers as well: Clapton as a member of Cream, Blind Faith, Derek & The Dominoes and a successful solo career, while Beck fronted the Jeff Beck Band and also enjoyed a noteworthy solo run. And now, more than 40 years after the original Yardbirds disbanded, the two will finally be together on a stage in Japan.
Blasting out Texas blues/rock for over seventeen years, Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat announce the February 17, 2009, release of the bands new CD, 'Tijuana Bible', which will be released in the U.S. on Underworld Records, distributed nationally by Burnside Distribution. Produced by Jim Suhler and Tom Hambridge, 'Tijuana Bible' is powered by thirteen original songs, plus unique takes on Elvin Bishop's "Drunken Hearted Boy" (with Bishop as a special guest on slide guitar), Rory Gallagher's "I Could've Had Religion" and AC/DC's "Up To My Neck in You". Additional special guests include Joe Bonamassa on lead guitar ("Deep Water Lullaby") and Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie) on backing vocals (Po' Lightnin').
Tijuana Bible' was recorded at Ocean Way Studios and 1808 Studios in Nasville, as well as Audio Dallas in Garland , Texas. The album takes its title from the notorious "Tijuana Bible", an old time pornographic comic book, typically "starring" famous politicians, film stars and sports heroes of the day. "No one is really sure where they originated, but Tijuana, with it's creative approach to all things entertaining, is certainly a good place to guess", says Jim Suhler.
Along with Suhler on guitar and lead vocals, the band includes bassist Carton Powell, keyboardist Shawn Phares and drummer Jimmy Morgan. Together, they've ben terrorizing clubs, theaters and festivals alike with their flamethrower brand of blues/rock. with a major side order of the Texas border mythology added to keep it spicy.
The same take-no-prisoners attitude has prevailed in Jim Suhler's playing as a guitarist with George Thorogood and the Destroyers, with whom he's recorded, toured and written songs for over nine years. Suhler has often been included in many of the "Top Ten Guitarists" lists featured in several music publications.
Several of the songs on 'Tijuana Bible' are also featured on the 2008 DVD release 'Real Time: Live In Texas,' recorded at Dallas' Granada Theater, which also includes bonus tracks filmed at the Kwadendamme Blues Festival in the Netherlands and in the historic Deep Ellum section of Dallas.
Drummer Lars Ulrich is looking to take a break from Metallica to tour with members of UK rock legends Deep Purple.
Ulrich has offered to join David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes and Jon Lord if the trio reteams for a world tour, as they've intimated in the media.
The former members of Deep Purple have suggested that drummer Ian Paice would not be a part of the reunion, and that they'd be looking for a new percussionist.
And that's where Ulrich, a huge fan of the rock legends, whose first concert was Deep Purple in 1973, would come in.
He tells website Blabbermouth.net, "They just need a drummer. I'll volunteer myself for that... David Coverdale has my number."
Ulrich has already performed Purple classic Smoke On The Water with the most famous Deep Purple frontman, Ian Gillan, when he drummed for the British rock star at a San Francisco, California solo show in 2006.
It's hard to believe, but it's been 23 years now to the day (January 4th, 1986 to be exact) that the rock & roll world lost one of the most talented and charismatic frontmen/bassists, vocalists and songwriters when Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott tragically passed away at the way too young age of 36.
On the night of December 25th 1985, he was rushed to hospital suffering from a kidney and liver infection, later dying of heart failure and pneumonia on January 4th.
But instead of the sordid details of his earthly demise, let's remember him this way, as in this video from 1978, in Australia, live and dangerous, onstage and rockin' on "The Cowboy Song/The Boys Are Back In Town"
Audio Fidelity will release the classic 1972 album by the original Alice Cooper band, 'School's Out' in a numbered, limited edition 24KT gold CD form, remastered from the original master tapes February 10, 2009.
The title track"School's Out" became Alice Cooper's first major hit single, and propelled the album to #2 on the Billboard 200, selling over a million copies. The song reached #1 on the UK singles chart for three weeks in August 1972, and is listed as one of Rolling Stone Magazine's '500 Greatest Songs Of All Time'. Audio Fidelity remasters are high quality gold editions which are highly sought after by collectors.
You can preorder the release in the U.S. here. Those in the UK can preorder the release here.
It looks like it's a Planet Rock day here at NHOR, as word has filtered in that "New King Of The Blues," Joe Bonamassa has been voted by the listeners of Planet Rock Radio as 'Guitar Hero 2008'. Bonamassa beat out such legends as ex Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, Slash, Gary Moore and Jeff Beck for the coveted honor. So, congratulations to you Mr. Bonamassa, you certainly deserve it!
From Planet Rock's web site :
"Joe’s prodigious talents shone in 2008 when his star began to rise significantly in the UK. With a fantastic live album and some excellent live shows during the year, Joe then signed up to present a regular show on Planet Rock and has already announced, and sold out, a show at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2009.
Joe managed to beat competition from some true guitar icons to take this category, and he did it reasonably comfortably. 30% of your votes confirmed Joe as a new guitar legend, and your Guitar Hero Of 2008".
Here’s the rest of the top five
2. David Gilmour 3. Slash 4. Gary Moore 5. Jeff Beck
Bonamassa's upcoming studio album, the Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, The Black Crowes) produced 'The Ballad Of John Henry' is tentatively scheduled for release February 24 via J&R Adventures world wide. Look for a review of the album shortly on this site.
The U.K's Sun is reporting that Robert Plant beat legends Mick Jagger and David Bowie to top a poll of the greatest voices in rock. The Zeppelin front man led a host of Brit talents in the vote by digital radio station Planet Rock.
And the Rolling Stones lead singer came an amazing ninth with Bowie coming in at 11.
Queen's Freddie Mercury and Paul Rodgers of Free came second and third and Who frontman Roger Daltrey came fifth.
“It’s great to see Britain has produced the top three greatest rock vocalists of all time,” said Planet Rock Programming Director Trevor White.
The Top 40 Greatest Voices In Rock:
1. Robert Plant (LED ZEPPELIN) 2. Freddie Mercury (QUEEN) 3. Paul Rodgers (FREE/BAD COMPANY) 4. Ian Gillan (DEEP PURPLE) 5. Roger Daltrey (THE WHO) 6. David Coverdale (WHITESNAKE) 7. Axl Rose (GUNS N' ROSES) 8. Bruce Dickinson (IRON MAIDEN) 9. Mick Jagger (ROLLING STONES) 10. Bon Scott (AC/DC)
UK Music chain HMV has released its top ten compilation list of "unknowns" tipped to break through this year.
In the past, the store has predicted the success of Franz Ferdinand, The Arctic Monkeys and Duffy.
HMV music buyer Rob Watson said: "There's perhaps not one stand out name that's on everyone's lips, as we saw with Duffy last year, but that's more than made up for by the sheer number and quality of the new acts in the frame.
"There's a bumper crop of fresh faces out there, and 2009 promises to be a vintage year for new music."
Blues/rock band The Answer, from County Down who have been supporting AC/DC and signed with Albert Productions is top of the list, Filthy Dukes who have already played stages at Glastonbury and Bestival are second and Florence and the Machine, a 22-year-old quirky singer-songwriter from Camberwell, south London, is also one to look out for.
If you haven't done so yet, click here to read our exclusive interview with vocalist Cormac Neeson of The Answer. Also be sure to pick up their debut American EP, 'Never Too Late' which also comes with a 50 minute plus bonus DVD featuring promo videos, live performances, interviews and much more.
First off, I'd like to wish all the visitors to this site world wide a very healthy, prosperous, Happy New Year! Thanks for making 2008 such a great rockin' year, and stay tuned for even more great interviews, reviews and rock and blues news in 2009!
Also, with a new year comes the exciting news of a new alliance for Nightwatcher's House Of Rock, as we are partnering up with This Is Rock print magazine, a premier classic rock themed print magazine in Spain. The magazine will be featuring selected interviews from this site, and I'm excited for this fantastic new opportunity to spread the word on the many fine artists featured here. And if in Spain, be sure to buy the magazine!
Ever since coming to massive fame and fortune at the tender age of 20 as leader of one of the biggest bands of the 70's, former Grand Funk Railroad guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Mark Farner has been gifted with a rock & roll soul. Born September 29, 1948 in Flint, Michigan, he first played in a succession of high school bands around the area. In 1966 he joined Terry Knight and the Pack, where he would first encounter the mercurical Knight, who later would be instrumental as Grand Funk's manager, orchestrating their meteoric rise to fame. Also notable was the band's drummer, Don Brewer, who along with ex ? and the Mysterians bassist Mel Schacher would join forces with Farner, forming the power trio in 1968.
Upon hearing Grand Funk Railroad, Terry Knight became their manager and started drumming up gigs for the band, most of which they performed for free. Knight persuaded the promoters of the Atlanta International Pop Festival to let them play, unpaid. And play, they did - in front of over 180,000 people, in 110 degree heat, as the only unsigned act of the festival, (which featured the likes of Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter and Led Zeppelin), Mark, Don & Mel went down a storm. More like a hurricane actually, their gale force performance impressive enough so that after their thunderous appearance they were signed to Capitol Records.
In 1971, in an ample demonstration of their mega popularity, the band set the attendance record at New York City's Shea Stadium for a concert, as amazingly they sold out the 57,000 plus tickets to the show in an astounding 72 hours, faster than The Beatles in 1966 - a record which stood until the stadium was demolished in late 2008. Not bad for three boys from Flint. Michigan!
As the band were setting attendance records live and selling millions of albums world wide, they were simultaneously ripped apart by the "enlightened" rock critics of the day. Notably, Rolling Stone Magazine called them "the world's worst rock band," while the working class rock fan embraced them as "The American Band". A critical snubbing which must be noted continues today. Despite many grassroots efforts by fans to get them inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, that honor still eludes them, even as their influence can be heard in not only modern day Detroit bands such as The Muggs and The Universal Temple Of Divine Power, but also a slew of Swedish stoner rock bands. A trend which continues to grow day by day.
Over the first half of the 70's, the band was one of the biggest bands not only in the U.S., but all over the world. With 12 gold and 10 platinum records, 19 charted singles, 8 Top 40 hits including two at Number One both selling more than one million each, total sales in excess of 25 million copies sold world wide, the fans knew what was up. Despite the critical drubbing and the bitter split with manager Knight in '72, these three (four with the addition of Craig Frost on keyboards in 1972) were very much the epitome of a "people's band". Persevering without initially much airplay, at least in the beginning, they truly were a band of the people, for the people - a creed Farner still lives by today.
By 1977, the initial ride was over, with the band going their separate ways shortly after finishing the overdub sessions for the 1976 Frank Zappa produced 'Good Singin' Good Playin''. And for a time, it seemed that was it, with Farner embarking on a solo career and releasing two albums - 'Mark Farner' in 1977 and 'No Frills' in 1978 - while Brewer, Schacher and Frost formed the band Flint, putting out an album of their own on Columbia Records.
None of these offerings matched the success of the original band, and in 1980, minus Schacher and keyboardist Frost, and including bassist Dennis Bellinger, the band reunited for two albums, 1980's 'Grand Funk Lives!' and '83's 'What's Funk'. Although the first reunion disc managed to reach #149 Billboard Album Charts, with new wave and a flood of skinny tie wearing bands like The Knack being the trend of the day, the band found its gritty, no frills hard rock out of favor and the second album failed to chart. Once again they disbanded, but not before Mark, Don and Dennis Bellinger toured throughout 1981-1982, selling out shows in Japan and South America, where the band's no nonsense approach never went out of style. Brewer and Frost joined Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band, while Farner set out on a new career as a Christian Contemporary artist, releasing several albums hugely popular in the Christian music marketplace. He scored hits with the 1988 CCM #2 single "Isn't It Amazing," and a remake of "Some Kind Of Wonderful," which also hit the top 10.
Leaping headlong back into the rock & roll mainstream, from 1994 to 1995, Farner toured with ex Beatle Ringo Starr's Allstars, which also featured BTO's Randy Bachman, The Who's John Entwistle, The Rascals' Felix Cavalaire, Billy Preston, and Ringo's son, Zak Starkey. A tour which saw Ringo introducing him night after night as "Mr. Grand Funk, Mark Farner!".
Soon afterwards, in 1996, the pull of the locomotive lured him back onto the tracks for yet another reunion of the original band. May to July 1996 saw them perform before 260,000 people at 14 sold out shows, with the double live album 'Bosnia' following in January 1997. After another year of touring, during which they played 65 shows throughout 1998 and ranked among the top 10 tours of the year, he left the band once again to resume his solo career, an undertaking which continues to the present day.
Now Farner is back with a new album on Boinkmore Records, 'For The People,' an all original collection which showcases his abilities as a vocalist, guitarist and songwriter quite admirably. Not straying too far from the classic sound of Grand Funk, it clearly reaffirms that four decades on, he remains a musical and vocal force to be reckoned with, and is an offering highly recommended to fans of the mid 70's work of his former band.
Recently I had the fantastic opportunity to catch up with Mark at his home in Michigan, where the topics discussed included the new album "For The People,' the days in Grand Funk, the state of the United States today, the possibilities of a reunion of the original band and much, much more. Read on as we have a revelatory conversation with one of rock's true legends, Mark Farner....Click here to read the exclusive interview
Mark, Don & Mel, "Inside Looking Out"...why are these guys NOT in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame?!
The UK's Daily Telegraph has reported that the BBC has pulled an interview with Sir Paul McCartney in which the former Beatle did a "trans-racial impression" of Michael Jackson, it has been claimed.
Sir Paul is said to have talked in a high-pitched Jackson-style voice when asked about the singer, which BBC managers decided could prove offensive.
A Corporation source told the Daily Mail: "McCartney started to reply in this high-pitched Jacko voice, and apparently it was very funny. But the BBC - deeply nervous, perhaps because of the Jonathan Ross-Russell Brand affair - has declined to broadcast the interview."
Explaining the reasoning as to why the impression could possibly be deemed offensive or unsuitable for broadcast, the source continued: "They say it's a 'trans-racial impression' - that's what they say in a memo - and even by Macca that is beyond the pale."
Sir Paul and Jackson used to be friends, but fell out when Jackson outbid the Liverpudlian for the rights to most of the Beatles' back catalog. Jackson bought the rights for £33 million ($48m).
The purchase soured their friendship.
Sir Paul later said: "You know what doesn't feel very good, is going on tour and paying to sing all my songs. Every time I sing Hey Jude, I've got to pay someone."
It would be nice if someone would pull Michael Jackson for doing a "trans-racial impression" of a human being.
Billboard.biz is reporting that Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant is the latest rocker to be honored by the Queen in her traditional New Year Honors List. Plant, currently enjoying success with his "Raising Sand" collaboration with Alison Krauss, is made a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for services to music.
Jazz musician Courtney Pine also picks up a CBE for services to jazz music, while singer-songwriter John Martyn is made an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for services to music. The Queen hands out the accolades to individuals each year to reward excellence across the various sectors of British industry and culture.
Classical musicians honored include orchestral conductor Owain Arwel Hughes (CBE), concert pianist/conductor Howard Shelley (OBE) and opera singer Michael Chance (CBE). Jenny Abramsky, the former director of BBC audio and music, is made a Dame -- the female equivalent of a knighthood -- while Andy Heath, chairman of music industry lobbying group UK Music and a director of Beggars Group, is made an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to the music publishing industry.
'Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who' - the definitive, four decade-spanning film of rock legends The Who - has garnered a Grammy nomination in the “Best Long Form Music Video” category (the Grammy telecast is Sunday, February 8th).
Roger Daltrey is quoted: “Although I have thus far chosen not to see The Amazing Journey - because it is about our lives - it has become apparent to me by the nature of the feedback from the people that have, that the film makers seem to have captured those special relationships that exist between artists in a pressurised environment in an insightful and penetrating way. I would like to congratulate them on their Grammy nomination and wish them the best of luck. Who knows!! I might even have to give it a look.”
Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who - released November 2007; produced by Spitfire Pictures’ Nigel Sinclair and Trinifold‘s Robert Rosenberg, with executive producer Bill Curbishley and directed by Murray Lerner and Paul Crowder--relives their epic journey from humble beginnings to their meteoric rise to rock legend status.
With full participation from band members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend as well as music icons Sting, The Edge of U2, Eddie Vedder and more, the story also features electrifying rare and unreleased concert footage in digitally remixed 5.1 surround sound. Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who is available now on iTunes and DVD [Universal].
Also, in further recognition of their achievement in music and a lifetime contribution to American culture through the performing arts, The Who, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are honored at the 31st annual Kennedy Center Honors on a broadcast to be aired Tuesday, December 30th on CBS at 9 PM (ET/PT).
Earlier this year, Spitfire Pictures and Trinfold also produced the critically acclaimed live concert film The Who at Kilburn: 1977 which was released via Image Entertainment.
Delaney Bramlett, a friend and fellow musician with greats such as Eric Clapton and George Harrison, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 69.
Bramlett died Saturday shortly before 5 a.m. at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles as a result of complications from gall-bladder surgery, his wife Susan Lanier-Bramlett said.
Born in Mississippi, Bramlett enjoyed a career in the music business that spanned 50 years. As a songwriter, he co-wrote the classic ‘Superstar’ with Leon Russell. Russell, as well as Joe Cocker and The Carpenters recorded the song as did Usher more recently.
He also co-wrote ‘Let It Rain’ with Eric Clapton. That song went on to become a Clapton standard.
Delaney produced Clapton’s first solo album. Clapton then joined him on tour with his wife Bonnie Bramlett for the Delaney, Bonnie and Friends tour. The concert was captured and released by Atlantic Records in the early 70s. Clapton has stated that Delaney Bramlett "taught me everything I know about singing". Delaney has also been cited as the person who taught George Harrison how to play slide guitar.
With Bonnie, Delaney had the hit song ‘Never Ending Song of Love’ and daughter Bekka, who at one stage was in Fleetwood Mac.
"Never Ending Song Of Love" was recorded by more than 100 artists including Ray Charles, George Jones, Tammy Wynette and Dwight Yoakam.
The career of Delaney Bramlett teamed him over the years with rock’s greatest. He has performed, co-wrote or recorded with John Lennon, Janis Joplin, Steve Cropper, Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman and Joe Cocker. He also produced artists including Etta James and Elvin Bishop.
Delaney’s most recent album ‘A New Kind of Blues' on independent label Magnolia Gold Records was released earlier this year.
He is survived by his wife, three daughters: Michele Bramlett, Suzanne Bramlett and Bekka Bramlett-Britt, a son Dylan Thomas, and a brother John Bramlett. Services are pending.
British finance client Aviva (which recently changed its name from Norwich Union) has started airing its new tv commercial, which features cameo appearances from Alice Cooper, Ringo Starr and Bruce Willis among others. It can be seen below.
Billed as one of the most expensive ads ever made, the commercial reportedly cost $13.4 million, or £9 million. The theme linking the cameos is name-changing. All of the stars in the ad changed their original names before they became famous (Alice Cooper was born Vincent Furnier, and Ringo Starr was born Richard Starkey for instance).
What? You say that Christmas has come and passed, and you didn't get that ONE CD that you were hoping for? Well, here's your second chance. If you were hoping to get the stunning brand new live album from guitar legend Jeff Beck, 'Jeff Beck : Performing This Week Live at Ronnie Scott's' that is.
Courtesy of Nightwatcher's House Of Rock and with the kind generosity of Universal Music/Eagle Rock Records, we've got 3 copies to give away! Yes that's right folks, you too can be a winner.
All you have to do is answer this simple question to be entered :
"Which legendary British rock band, through whose ranks also went through Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, was Jeff Beck a member of in the early to mid 1960's?"
If you think you know the answer, send it off in an e mail to :
nhorgiveaways@gmail.com
Jeff Beck is a true rock legend. His unique guitar style and constant desire to explore new musical areas and sounds has won him the admiration of his peers and the adoration of legions of fans. In 2007 Jeff Beck performed a series of concerts at the renowned Ronnie Scott's club in London. They became the must have ticket of the year with a packed audience every night of the famous and the fans. This CD features performances recorded across the different nights and presents the best version of each track.
Widely considered one of the best guitarists ever, Beck was ranked 14th on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Winner of 4 Grammy Awards for "Best Rock Instrumental", he has been nominated for 2009 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
Good luck!!!
Contest ends 12:00 A.M. EST January 16th, 2009, with the lucky winners chosen at random from all correct entries received. Winners will then be notified via e mail. In case a winner does not respond within 48 hours of e mail being sent requesting name and mailing address, another winner will be chosen from the remaining correct entries.
Here's a video for one of the tracks from the album, 'Goodbye Pork Pie Hat/Brush With The Blues", live at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, 2007. Eagle eyed viewers can spot Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant digging Beck's masterful guitar work sitting in the back row :
Imagine, John Lennon makes a television commercial for charity -- 28 years after his death.
With the approval of widow Yoko Ono, and through the use of digital technology, the former Beatle urges people across the United States to support a campaign by "One Laptop per Child" to deliver tough, solar-powered XO laptop computers to the world's poorest children.
"Imagine every child no matter where in the world they were could access a universe of knowledge. They would have a chance to learn, to dream, to achieve anything they want," a voice and video image of Lennon has been created to say.
"I tried to do it through my music, but now you can do it in a very different way. You can give a child a laptop and more than imagine, you can change the world," says the musician in a play on one his best known songs -- 1971's "Imagine."
Lennon was shot and killed as he and his wife, Yoko Ono, arrived at their Manhattan apartment building on December 8, 1980.
Ono approved the "One Laptop per Child" commercial, which was launched on Thursday and will be shown on donated broadcast and cable time. It can also be seen at www.youtube.com/olpc.
The "One Laptop per Child" Foundation, created in 2005, is a spinoff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and started producing the XO laptop late last year at a manufacturing cost per machine of less than $200.
Singer and actress Eartha Kitt has died at the age 81 of colon cancer.
Andrew Freedman, a close friend, confirmed the star, most famous for playing Catwoman in the '60s, passed away earlier today (December 25) in New York, reports AP.
She had recently be treated at the city's Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.
Musically, Kitt, who was born on January 17, 1927 in North, South Carolina was renowned for her sultry, 'kitten purr' of a voice, especially on the 1963 Christmas song 'Santa Baby'.
The star also got a whole new following in the '80s after scoring a UK Top 40 hit in 1984 with the disco-flavored 'Where Is My Man' and then later worked with Bronski Beat on 1989's 'Cha-Cha Heels', another UK hit. In her later life, she was a stalwart of the Manhattan cabaret scene.
The versatile Kitt was one of the few artists to be nominated in the Tony, Grammy and Emmy award categories (she won two of the latter).
In her early movie career, Kitt worked under the greats like Orson Welles (in 1950's 'Dr Faustus').
The legend was rumored to have had an affair with her and called her "the most exciting woman in the world". But Kitt was most renowned for playing Catwoman in the '60s version of the 'Batman' TV series.
The star was also infamously blacklisted in the US in the same decade at the height of her fame, in 1968, for speaking out against the war in Vietnam at a White House function. As a result, she switched to performing more overseas.
In an ironic twist of fate, besides the singer passing away on Christmas Day, Kitt's most renowned song "Santa Baby" was just certified "Gold" status (over 500,000 sold) by the R.I.A.A. last week.
We'd like at Nightwatcher's House Of Rock to wish everyone who celebrates the holiday a very Merry Christmas! And for your listening pleasure, please enjoy the late great Jimi Hendrix's version of "Silent Night/Little Drummer Boy/Auld Lang Syne". And if you don't celebrate, just dig the music :
Gigwise is reporting that former Marillion singer Fish has retired from music for at least six months following a cancer scare.
The 50-year-old Scottish rocker – real name Derek William Dick – recently underwent a biopsy which resulted in doctors finding an “irregular cell growth” in his throat.
The singer explains on his Myspace blog: "I had an examination. As soon as I heard the phrase 'irregular cell growth' my mind went cold. I knew what it meant.
"In all honesty, I am 50 years old, I smoke, drink, have a 'colourful' history, have sung at nearly 1,700 gigs over 27 years and have conducted three times as many interviews. It's like standing on the M1 and expecting not to be hit by a car."
“I am taking at least 6 months off from singing. I'd like to think that I can play some festivals in the summer of 2009 but there will be no arranged tours until 2010.
“I don't plan to even contemplate a new album until the end of next year.
"It all depends on what happens in the coming weeks. There are no set plans for any musical activity at the moment or in the near future.”
Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has finally ruled out the band getting back together for a concert tour. Plant, 60, said he has moved on to other things and was getting too old for two-hour rock shows in giant arenas across the world.
But he said he was regularly in touch with guitarist Jimmy Page and they were still great friends.
Plant has been nominated for five Grammy awards for his 'Raising Sand' album with American bluegrass singer Alison Krauss.
He said: "I'm doing very well with Alison and I'm enjoying that.
"I still see Jimmy quite a lot and he's very complimentary and supportive of what I'm doing. "But we are in different places now and you have to go on to do different things."
Plant was on stage yesterday being interviewed on BBC Radio Wales by actress Ruth Jones who plays Nessa in TV's Gavin and Stacey.
The live show came from Barry, South Wales, where part of the cult comedy is set.
Plant agreed to do a rare live interview because he is such a huge fan of the show.
But when Ruth asked him about a Led Zep reunion Plant said: "Do you know how long it took me to climb up onto the stage here - and it's only four steps!"
Plant delighted the crowd by praising Ruth Jones for her Nessa character.
He said: "I'd just like to say thanks for giving me so many laughs over the last couple of years."
One of the most exciting new acts to come along this decade, Downpatrick, Northern Ireland hard rockers The Answer caught the attention of the classic rock scene in a big way with the release of their debut EP via Albert Productions, 'Keep Believin' in 2005. Formed in 2000, the quartet, consisting of vocalist Cormac Neeson, guitarist Paul Mahon, bassist Micky Waters and drummer James Heatley came together with disparate influences, as is the case with many bands, but their common ground was down and dirty, balls to the wall 70's inspired, blues based hard rock.
Plying a style recalling 70's heavy rock titans such as Led Zeppelin, Free and Humble Pie, they soon began receiving high praise in first the English press, then worldwide as the band was the recipient of Classic Rock Magazine's 'Best New Band 2005' Award. At the star studded inaugural awards ceremony that year, none other than Jimmy Page himself raved about the band, subsequently turning up at several of their gigs in London to watch the lads from the side of the stage. June 2006 saw the release of the critically acclaimed debut album 'Rise' which had Classic Rock Magazine proclaiming it,"The best British rock debut of the decade." with similar sentiments being bestowed by both rock scribes and fans world wide. So far the album has sold over 100,000 copies globally, with many more sure to be purchased after seeing their incendiary live performances.
Further legendary endorsements followed, such as Free/Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers joining the band onstage at the Planet Rock Radio Christmas Party in December 2007, the lads having previously opened for the legendary vocalist during his appearance at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall in October 2006. Def Leppard's Joe Elliott is a huge fan, even going as far in an interview with AOL Music to state that the band's hard hitting approach will be possibly influencing their music on the next studio offering by the Sheffield rockers. Also in 2007, the band had the fantastic opportunity to open two huge open- air shows in front of 80,000 each for The Rolling Stones, first in Belgrade, Serbia, and later on in Dusseldorf, Germany, both of which would be the pinnacle for any band, but these boys weren't finished yet by any means.
The year 2008 has been yet another year dreams are made of for the band. Appearing during the summer at the Isle Of Wight Festival, later on in the year they were scheduled to begin a co- headlining tour with fellow rising stars Black Stone Cherry when word came that they had been tabbed for the highly coveted support slot on AC/DC's massive 'Black Ice' tour of North America. A spot which has seen them receive standing ovations following their all too brief 30 minute set - a feat a
