The Toughest Hundred Dollars & Other Rock & Roll Stories

I was nearly electrocuted when a torrent of water flooded the stage right in the middle of playing Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll. How we survived grisly death that night is a mystery. One night, we battled through a snowstorm to get to a gig, only to find a hostile crowd that hated every song we did. We were drowned out by a jukebox, choked by noxious clouds of cigarette smoke, dodged flying chairs and bottles at least once, and heckled by bar patrons. We slogged through heavy snow, sleet, mud, and rain to get to gigs where we made less than we paid for the gas money to get there.

And we loved every single second of it.

Larry's latest book, 'The Toughest Hundred Dollars & Other Rock & Roll Stories', available on Amazon.com.

Is It Rock & Roll Or Country?

I never liked country music until I discovered it had a rock & roll side.

The thing is, many country tunes are the old fashioned stuff that is about as far from rock and roll as you can get (like George Jones or Tammy Wynette). All due respect to them, but I don't much like that kind of music, and for many years, I ignored anything associated with 'country' music.

However, a lot of so-called country music is really rock & roll and rockabilly in disguise – just great rock & roll that is labeled 'country'.

Our friend, veteran and talented video producer Bigg, recently posted in the Vanderbilly.com Video Vault, an excellent video lesson of a country song, the Brooks and Dunn tune 'Brand New Man'. In the comments, another prolific and highly respected video guy, Tugwell, said:

The Madman of Rock and Roll

He was known as 'The Madman of Rock and Roll', with a unique personality and stage presence that captivated audiences for more than fifty years. He was a one of a kind performer and he wasn't even the front man of one of America's best rock and roll bands. He and his band recorded memorable songs and although members changed over the decades, Paul Revere was the man that held it together and kept the music going until failing health in his 70's prevented him from doing what he loved most – playing rock and roll for appreciative audiences, young and old.

A Singer, A Guitar, and A Memorable Song

Most of the recorded music we listen to features band arrangements of the songs - lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, bass, drums, etc. These arrangements usually showcase the music well. Sometimes though, the power of a song is best displayed when it is pared down to the minimum: a singer and a guitar.

Conversation with Astros President Reid Ryan

Click the link to read my Twitter conversation with Houston Astros President Reid Ryan on the controversial subject of Astros game blackouts.

'Conversation With Astros President Reid Ryan' on Season Tickets.

#1 With A Bullet

Thanks to interested readers, 'A Sports Junkie' reached #1 in several categories in several countries for sports books during the free promotion on March 15-16. 

Readers in the US, UK, Italy, and Germany downloaded their free copy, sending the book to #1 in those countries in the sports history and sports essay categories.

The book is now back to regular price.

Free Promo

My latest book, 'A Sports Junkie', is free Saturday & Sunday, March 15-16. Click the link to download and enjoy the book free. Free readers are available for virtually every computer, smart phone, and tablet. 

Download and enjoy this book!

A Lasting Impression

If you are a Buddy Holly fan, you know the songs. They were written and recorded more than 55 years ago, by a man who was only 22 when he died in 1959. Although Holly's career spanned barely a year and a half, he left a lasting impression on generations of musicians who still listen to and play his songs.

Holly was a pioneer in the recording industry, becoming one of the first performers to gain creative control over production of his records. More than that, Holly and the members of the Crickets played their own parts on recordings - another rarity, as most records of the time were recorded using studio musicians.

Holly's songs were plain and simply great rock and roll, then and now. Over the years, many artists have covered Buddy's songs; these videos are some of the best of those covers.

A Sports Junkie

Ah, the life of a sports junkie.

At the crack of the bat, I immediately motioned for the base runner at second to round third and head for the plate. I could see the determination on his face, and I caught his eye briefly just before he touched third base and, arms pumping, feet kicking up dirt, he motored on. I could read it on his face that at that moment he had one goal in life: to reach the plate before the ball did. Every kid on the field was in motion; every kid in both dugouts was shouting excitedly, the crowd behind me was roaring - the atmosphere was electric. I waved my arm for the next runner to turn for home, and I saw the batter heading for second base and a double. I grinned from ear to ear and said out loud, 'damn this is fun!'

The life of this sports junkie is full of participation, history, speculation, opinion, and some rants. Although I often complain bitterly in my writing about what I perceive as injustice, foolishness, or just plain stupidity in the sports world, the underlying theme is easy to follow:

I love sports, and I love to write about sports.

Who Would Have Thought?

It shouldn't surprise us when someone who is, for example, a major league baseball player or an actor, turns out to be a very good singer and guitarist. Someone we know as a major figure from television, film, or sports that we also discover probably could have been a star in the music business. Then again, who would have thought Les Stroud or Kevin Costner would be bandleaders?

RIP Phil Everly

Like most people who have been around for a few decades, I was thoroughly familiar with the Every Brothers' music, but it's been a few years since I've listened to any of those great songs. The recent death of Phil Everly made me go back and listen again, as often happens when a musician dies. I'm not sure why it takes a death to remind us of the exceptional talent of someone like Phil and Don, but hearing those songs again reminds me how spectacular the brothers were when they sang together.

Between the Fuzzy Parts

Looking back, it seems that much of life is a blur, or at least that's how it seems now. It turns out that life is a jumble of 'stuff', occasionally interrupted by moments of clarity. It is probably a good thing that most of us don't remember every single thing that ever happened in our lives. Most of it would likely be decidedly boring. We tend to remember the significant moments and events, good or bad – the stuff that happened 'Between the Fuzzy Parts'.