Finding Common Ground

My brother at 16.

My brother Scott and I did not get along well as kids. We butted heads often, especially when I was in high school, and he was in middle school. He is four years younger than I am, and when he was 14 or so, he was almost in a different universe than I was. I guess I was the intolerant older brother, and we just clashed. 

The ‘Top’ Man

He was the first lead guitar player in one of the great guitar bands of all time. As a founding member, he helped to shape the early direction of the band, as they quickly became one of the premier acts in the busy London blues scene of 1963. By 1964 though, he had left the band, to be replaced in succession by three of the most popular lead guitarists in rock history.

Don Everly & Charlie Watts Were Exceptionally Talented Guys

I’ve been a baseball fan since about 1960, and a music fan for just as long. My Mom used to sing along with the Everly Brothers on the radio. I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, and not long after that, heard the Rolling Stones for the first time. Those things inspired me to become a guitar player. Don Everly died on August 21, 2021, and Charlie Watts, drummer for the Stones, died three days later. Don was 84, Charlie 80 - not unexpected for guys their age. But damn, it strikes me as profoundly sad. Those guys had a lot to do with my start as a musician.

It's with much sadness that we let you all know that Donald Everly has passed away.
Thoughts and prayers go to Mrs Margaret Everly, Don's wife Adela and her sister, Don's son and daughters, Patti and her and Phil's sons and other family members, his friends and you the fans. pic.twitter.com/gGQAyl8sev

— Everly Brothers Int. (@EverlyBrosInt) August 22, 2021

The One-Dollar Gig

As a guitar player, I've played a lot of gigs over the years - but the best was an unplanned gig with my brother David. We didn’t even have our own equipment with us, but it worked well.

Duane and his Magical Slide

One of my guitar and musical influences was the great Duane Allman. When I was first learning to play, I started paying attention to Duane and his music. He had already died, but the music he left us with captivated me. Duane's melodic slide guitar playing was mesmerizing, and I wanted to learn to play like him. 

There were other slide players around whose music I was familiar with: Bonnie Raitt, Mick Taylor, George Harrison, and a few others. I had not paid much attention to slide before I heard Duane and the Allman Brothers Band. Obviously, there were quite a few excellent slide artists, but Duane's playing stood out for me as superior.

Ric Ocasek: Rock Star, Memory Maker

Ric Ocasek singer, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his band The Cars, died September 15, 2019. He was a multi-talented guy, and many of the songs he wrote were big hits. More importantly, they were great songs - then and still relevant decades later. I didn't know him personally, but I ran into him once - literally. He also unwittingly helped me have a successful gig.

The Swamp Rocker

John Fogerty is one of the most unique talents in rock history, with a distinctive, recognizable voice and guitar style. For decades, he was the face, the voice, and the driving force behind one of rock’s biggest bands – Creedence Clearwater Revival. He also owns the distinction of probably being the only musician in history to be sued for plagiarizing himself – a result of an unscrupulous record company owner and a contract that amounted to legal theft.

The End of An Era, the Power of Music

Glenn Frey's death in January 2016 marked the end of an era. Here was a guy who fronted one of my favorite bands, a man who wrote and performed some of the greatest songs of the time that coincided with my own coming of age. The Eagles song Take It Easy held a strong personal connection for me, as mentioned in my book The Toughest Hundred Dollars & Other Rock & Roll Stories in the chapter Eleven Exceptional Albums.

Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton – A Legendary Album

My copy of the album

If you know electric blues, then you are surely familiar with the classic album Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton. It is one of the great blues rock albums in history, a record that helped to set a precedent for blues rock guitar. There were no hit songs from the record, and chart placement was not especially memorable, but none of those things mattered to those who loved the record.

Last Call Bassist

Author's Note: If the reader wants to know what Kaye is really like, I present to you her response to my article. The caps and punctuation are hers. (See below.) 

Carol Kaye is one of the most renowned musicians in pop music history, as a guitarist and bassist. She played on thousands of hit records during a long career as a session musician – a sort of anonymous profession. Studio musicians like her were well paid, but rarely received credit, so it is a good thing that Kaye, for one, is becoming better known and is getting recognition for decades of brilliant work.