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Jay Jay French
Jay Jay French (born John French Segall, July 20, 1952) is an American guitarist, manager, record producer and founding member of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He is a columnist, author and motivational speaker who oversees licensing and intellectual property rights for the Twisted Sister brand. Early life and education French was born in New York City as the younger of two sons to father Lou Segall, a jewelry salesman, and mother Evaline French Segall, a political consultant for the Democratic Party in New York who worked for the John F. Kennedy presidential campaign. His mother also ran the successful election campaign of Constance Baker Motley, the first African American woman elected to the New York State Senate. He and his brother Jeff Segall grew up in Manhattan. The seeds for French's musical life were planted in 1963 when he attended his first concert, the folk group The Weavers at Carnegie Hall. He was an anti-Vietnam war and civil rights activist. In the sum ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heavy Metal Music
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a thick, monumental sound characterized by distortion (music), distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, emphatic Beat (music), beats and loudness. In 1968, three of the genre's most famous pioneers – Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple – were founded. Though they came to attract wide audiences, they were often derided by critics. Several American bands modified heavy metal into more accessible forms during the 1970s: the raw, sleazy sound and shock rock of Alice Cooper and Kiss (band), Kiss; the blues-rooted rock of Aerosmith; and the flashy guitar leads and party rock of Van Halen. During the mid-1970s, Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence,Walser (1993), p. 6 while Motörhea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wicked Lester
Wicked Lester was a rock band based in New York City. Two notable members were bassist Gene Klein and rhythm guitarist Stanley Eisen. Originally formed in 1970 as Rainbow, the band changed its name to Wicked Lester in 1971 to avoid confusion with another local band named "Rainbow". Although it secured a record deal with Epic Records and recorded an album, the deal fell through and the band fell apart during 1972. Klein and Eisen, feeling that the band's failure was a result of its lack of vision and direction, decided to found a new band from its remnants. They changed their names to the respective Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, auditioned a new drummer and lead guitarist, and formed the band Kiss by the end of January 1973. Although Kiss achieved massive success, Wicked Lester's album recorded for Epic has never been officially released in its entirety. The sessions have been released in bootleg form as '' The Original Wicked Lester Sessions''. Kiss officially released three t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kramer Guitars
Kramer Guitars is an American manufacturer of electric guitars and basses. Kramer produced aluminum-necked electric guitars and basses in the 1970s and wooden-necked guitars catering to hard rock and heavy metal musicians in the 1980s; Kramer is currently a division of Gibson Guitar Corporation. Formation There is some dispute over the company's early history but it begins with Travis Bean, a California luthier who was building guitars with aluminum necks. Bean and Gary Kramer started the Travis Bean guitar company in 1974, in Sun Valley, and while their guitars did well, Bean lost interest and left most of the business aspects to Kramer and so the two parted ways. Kramer then founded the company that still bears his name, improving on the Bean design—Bean's necks were heavy and the material felt cold to the touch. Kramer's improvement consisted of two wooden inserts in the back of the neck. By 1975 he had hooked up with a friend from New York, Dennis Berardi and the two f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the music industry worldwide. It was originally called the Gramophone Awards, as the trophy depicts a gilded gramophone. The Grammys are the first of the Big Three networks' major music awards held annually, and is considered one of the four major annual American entertainment awards, alongside the Academy Awards (for films), the Emmy Awards (for television), and the Tony Awards (for theater). The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959, to honor the musical accomplishments of performers for the year 1958. After the 2011 ceremony, the Recording Academy overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012. History The Grammys had their origin in the Hollywood Walk of Fame project in the 1950s. As ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ean Evans
Donald "Ean" Wayne Evans (September 16, 1960– May 6, 2009) was the bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd from 2001 until his death. He joined the band following the death of Leon Wilkeson. Life and career Evans was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He moved to Columbus, Mississippi, after marrying his wife, Eva. He started in music at the age of five, playing trumpet and having an orchestral background until his teen years. Picking up the guitar at 15, he was soon playing the southeastern rock circuit with various cover groups. A few years later, he switched to bass so as to bring a fellow guitarist into the band. In the 1980s, he played bass for rock band Five Miles High, along with Mike Reynolds (drummer), Reuban Lace (guitarist), Carl Brown (keyboardist) and Del Stockstill (guitar). The group played venues from Georgia to Kentucky and all over the southeast. It was rated in the top 10 rock bands of the 1980s in a Mississippi radio station contest. Around 1983, FMH disbanded, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Blackwell
Richard Blackwell (August 29, 1922 – October 19, 2008) was an American fashion critic, journalist, television and radio personality, artist, former child actor and former fashion designer, sometimes known just as Mr. Blackwell. He was the creator of the "Ten Worst Dressed Women List", an annual awards presentation he unveiled in January of each year. He published the "Fabulous Fashion Independents" list and an annual Academy Awards fashion review, both of which receive somewhat less media attention. His partner of sixty years, Beverly Hills hairdresser Robert L. Spencer, was also his manager. He wrote two books, ''Mr. Blackwell: 30 Years of Fashion Fiascos'' and an autobiography, ''From Rags to Bitches''. Early life Blackwell was born Richard Sylvan Selzer in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn''From Rags to Bitches: An Autobiography''; Stoddart to Henry Selzer, a working-class printer, and Eva Selzer, who were the American-born children of Jewish immigrants from the Russian E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, reptiles, baby dolls, and dueling swords, Cooper is considered by many music journalists and peers to be "The Godfather of Shock Rock". He has drawn equally from horror films, vaudeville, and garage rock to pioneer a macabre and theatrical brand of rock designed to shock audiences. Originating in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1964, "Alice Cooper" was originally a band with roots extending back to a band called the Earwigs, consisting of Furnier on vocals and harmonica, Glen Buxton on lead guitar, and Dennis Dunaway on bass guitar and backing vocals. By 1966, Michael Bruce on rhythm guitar joined the three and Neal Smith was added on drums in 1967. The five named the band "Alice Cooper", and Furnier eventual ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Slade
Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles & Albums'' names them the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles. They were the first act to have three singles enter the charts at number one; all six of the band's chart-toppers were penned by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea. As of 2006, total UK sales stand at 6,520,171, and their best-selling single, " Merry Xmas Everybody", has sold in excess of one million copies. According to the 1999 BBC documentary ''It's Slade'', the band have sold over 50 million records worldwide. Following an unsuccessful move to the U.S. in 1975, Slade's popularity in the UK waned, but was unexpectedly revived in 1980 when they were last-minute replacements for Ozzy Osbourne at the Reading Rock Festival. The band later acknowledged ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are cited as one of the progenitors of hard rock and heavy metal, although their style drew from a variety of influences, including blues and folk music. Led Zeppelin have been credited as significantly impacting the nature of the music industry, particularly in the development of album-oriented rock (AOR) and stadium rock. Originally named the New Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin signed a deal with Atlantic Records that gave them considerable artistic freedom. Initially unpopular with critics, they achieved significant commercial success with eight studio albums over ten years. Their 1969 debut, '' Led Zeppelin'', was a top-ten album in several countries and featured such tracks as "Good Times Bad Times", " Dazed and Confused" and "Communication ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AJ Pero
Anthony Jude Pero (October 14, 1959 – March 20, 2015) was an American drummer, in American heavy metal bands Twisted Sister and Adrenaline Mob. Biography Pero went to St. Peter's Boys High School in Staten Island but left because the faculty made him cut his hair. He then went to New Dorp High School and graduated in 1977. He was initially a jazz drummer, later gravitating to heavier music akin to Rush and Led Zeppelin. Pero worked as a taxi driver for a time, and joined Cities, a local New York City band. He joined Twisted Sister in April 1982, after seeing them play at a club and being told they were in need of a drummer. Upon his departure from Twisted Sister in July 1986, he re-joined Cities. He participated in the band's 1997 reunion and continued to perform with Twisted Sister until his death. He was also a member of the Ozzy Osbourne cover band, No More Tears, which was well known around Staten Island, New York. In 2007, Pero formed Circle Of Thorns with former Citie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Mendoza
Mark "The Animal" Mendoza (born Mark Glickman, July 13, 1956) is an American rock bassist and a member of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He joined the band in 1978 after leaving the Dictators. He briefly played in Blackfoot in the early 1990s. Mendoza is also currently a member of Joe Rock and the All Stars, a Long Island band featuring frontman Joe Rock of WBAB radio, contributing bass and vocals. He is also a co-founder of Area 22 Productions. Mendoza played the bass guitar on all of Twisted Sister's major label releases. He remixed ''Under the Blade'' when it was reissued by Atlantic Records, and produced and mixed '' Still Hungry'' and ''A Twisted Christmas ''A Twisted Christmas'' is the sixth and final studio album by American heavy metal group Twisted Sister, with the band releasing it on October 17, 2006. The album features classic Christmas songs performed in metal versions, often featuring ly ...''. Growing up in West Hempstead, New York, Mark 'Mendoz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dee Snider
Daniel "Dee" Snider (born March 15, 1955)Tayler, LettaTwisted Sister's Dee Snider remembers his challenging Long Island upbringing "Newsday", March 15, 2016Archived here/ref> is an American singer, songwriter, radio personality, and actor. He was the lead singer and songwriter of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He was ranked 83 in the '' Hit Parader'''s Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time. Early life Born in Astoria, Queens, New York City, Snider was raised in nearby Freeport, New York and Baldwin, New York, both on Long Island. His father, Bob, is a retired New York State Trooper and Nassau County court clerk, and his mother, Marguerite, is a retired art teacher. His father is Jewish, whereas his mother is from a Catholic family of Swiss descent. He is also of Ukrainian descent from his grandfather. Snider and his siblings were raised as Episcopalians after his mother joined the church. As a child, he sang in a church choir, several school choruses, and concert choir in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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