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John Elefante
John Elefante (born March 18, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and record producer. From 1981-1984, he was lead vocalist of the rock group Kansas and is currently touring with several groups that have featured members from classic rock bands. His credits include writing and singing lead vocals on three multi-platinum albums. He produced albums that have earned numerous GMA Dove Awards, four Grammy Awards (most recently in 2000), and ten Grammy nominations. He has maintained a close working relationship with his brother, Dino, co-writer of several Kansas songs. Early life He was born in Levittown, New York, and his family soon moved to Long Beach, California. He sang and played drums for his family band, The Brotherhood. 1981–1984: Kansas In late 1981, Elefante auditioned for his second band position, as the new lead singer and keyboardist for Kansas, after the departure of its co-founder Steve Walsh. The previous year, Kansas was one of the top-grossi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Levittown, New York
Levittown is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York. It is located halfway between the villages of Hempstead and Farmingdale. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 51,881, making it the most populous CDP in Nassau County and the second most populous CDP on Long Island, behind only Brentwood. Levittown gets its name from its builder, the firm of Levitt & Sons, Inc. founded by Abraham Levitt on August 2, 1929, which built the district as a planned community for returning World War II veterans between 1947 and 1951. Sons William and Alfred served as the company's president and chief architect and planner, respectively. Levittown was the first truly mass-produced suburb and is widely regarded as the archetype for postwar suburbs throughout the country. William Levitt, who assumed control of Levitt & Sons in 1954, is considered the father of modern suburbia in the United States. There h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vinyl Confessions
''Vinyl Confessions'' is the eighth studio album by American rock band Kansas, released in 1982 (see 1982 in music). It includes " Play the Game Tonight", which broke the Top 20 and is Kansas's third highest-charting single, surpassed only by "Carry on Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". The album was reissued in remastered format on CD in 1996 on Legacy/ Epic and again in 2011. Background ''Vinyl Confessions'' was a major turning point for the band. After the conversion of both guitarist/keyboard player Kerry Livgren and bass player Dave Hope to Christianity, and the focus that Livgren placed on his religion in the band's lyrics, lead singer Steve Walsh did not agree with the new direction of the band and left to form his own band, Streets. Walsh had also contributed much as a songwriter, so the band was forced to find a new lead singer who not only had a vocal style that fit the band's music, but also could contribute material for the upcoming album. After a long audition p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bobby Kimball
Robert Troy Kimball (born March 29, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter best known as the original and longtime frontman of the rock band Toto from 1977 to 1984 and again from 1998 to 2008. Kimball has also performed as a solo artist and session singer. History Early life Kimball was born in Orange, Texas but raised in nearby Vinton, Louisiana. (Vinton did not have a hospital.) He started singing as a child, dabbling on vocals and playing piano and acoustic guitar in a musical household throughout his youth - mostly covering and performing 1950s and 1960s R&B hits, 1800s Traditional Olde Tyme music; as well as rare local Swamp pop and Cajun folk songs, typical of Louisiana. His parents were extremely supportive of his hobby of performing music and his musical talents; and devoted much interest in his opportunity to become a professional musician as full-time career by adulthood. He is of English, Cajun French, Welsh and Jewish ancestry. He graduated from McNeese S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and every Monday (for songs sales) to subscribers, which include record companies, publishing firms, music retailers, independent promoters, film and TV companies, and artist managers. It is the source of sales information for the ''Billboard'' music charts. It is owned by PMRC, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries (publisher of ''Billboard'') and Penske Media Corporation. The company operates the analytics platform Music Connect, Broadcast Data Systems (which tracks airplay of music), and Music 360. History Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for Nielsen on March 1, 1991. The May 25 issue of ''Billboard'' published ''Billboard'' 200 and Country Album charts based on SoundScan "piece count data," and the first Hot 100 chart ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a British-based multinational chain of theme restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2007, Hard Rock Cafe International (USA), Inc. was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida and was headquartered in Orlando, Florida, until April 2018, when the corporate offices were relocated to Davie, Florida. As of July 2018, Hard Rock International has venues in 74 countries, including 172 cafes, 37 hotels, and 4 casinos. On June 10, 2021, Hard Rock announced Lionel Messi as its Hard Rock brand ambassador as the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. History Restaurants The first Hard Rock Cafe opened on June 14, 1971, at 150 Old Park Lane, Hyde Park, Mayfair, London, under the ownership of two Americans, Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton. Hard Rock initially had an e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gospel Music Hall Of Fame
The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, created in 1972 by the Gospel Music Association, is a Hall of Fame dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions by individuals and groups in all forms of gospel music. Inductees This is an incomplete list of those inducted into the GMA's Gospel Music Hall of Fame, listed alphabetically with the year of induction. Many of these were honored posthumously for their contribution in gospel music. Individuals * Lee Roy Abernathy (1973) * Bentley D. Ackley (1991) * Yolanda Adams (2017) * Doris Akers (2001) * Charles M. Alexander (1991) * Bill "Hoss" Allen (2010) * Brown Bannister (2014) * Cliff Barrows (1988) * E.M. Bartlett, Sr. (1973) * Clarice Baxter (1981) * J. R. Baxter (1973) * Les Beasley (1989) * Samuel W. Beazley (1992) * George Bennard (1976) * John T. Benson, Jr. (1981) * John T. Benson, Sr. (1982) * John T. Benson III (2006) * Robert "Bob" Benson, Sr. (1991) * James Blackwood, Sr. (1974) * P. P. Bliss (1989) * Pat Boon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
CCM Magazine
''CCM Magazine'' is a twice-monthly online magazine focusing on contemporary Christian music, published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. History ''CCM'' was first published in July 1978, as a printed magazine. It has been owned by Salem since 1999. On January 16, 2008, Salem announced that the April 2008 issue would be the final printed issue of the magazine, which would continue in an online-only format. When the magazine was first published, it was called ''Contemporary Christian Music'' and covered that music genre. The name was later shortened to ''CCM'', which was still an acronym for "Contemporary Christian Music". For a short time, the magazine changed its name to ''Contemporary Christian Magazine'' (keeping the "CCM" but broadening the scope) but then ultimately went back to ''Contemporary Christian Music'' (''CCM''). Then in May 2007, the name's meaning was changed to "Christ. Community. Music." The editor explained that the term "contemporary ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Best Of Kansas
''The Best of Kansas'' is the first compilation album from the American progressive rock band Kansas. It was originally released in 1984, and featured one new track, "Perfect Lover," written by then-lead vocalist John Elefante and his brother Dino Elefante. The compilation was re-released in 1999 in a version supervised by the original band members. "Perfect Lover" was dropped in favor of three additional tracks from the original lineup. Added were "The Pinnacle" from ''Masque,'' "The Devil Game" from '' Song for America,'' and a live track deleted because of space limitations from the CD version of '' Two for the Show'' called "Closet Chronicles," originally from ''Point of Know Return.'' The album has sold over 4 million copies in the United States and was certified quadruple platinum in 2001. The versions of "Carry On Wayward Son" and "The Wall" on the 1984 release of ''The Best of Kansas'' are special versions remixed by Kerry Livgren and unique to the first version of this c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Back To The Street
''Back to the Street'' is the eighth studio album of the Christian rock band, Petra. It was released in 1986 and is the first album to be produced by John and Dino Elefante. The album is also the first to feature new lead singer John Schlitt, former lead singer of Head East, and the last to feature a guitar-shaped space ship on its cover. While the sound of the album is rather transitional and unlike anything that would be heard by the group for another seven years, it did mark a movement toward the style that would become Petra's most identifiable sound: prominent keyboards backing up hard-edged guitar tones and raspy, near-screaming vocals. Track listing All songs written by Bob Hartman, except where noted. # "Back to the Street" – 4:14 # "You Are I Am" – 3:08 # "Shakin the House" (words by Hartman and John Lawry) – 4:28 # "King's Ransom" – 4:18 # "Whole World" – 4:50 # "Another Crossroad" – 3:50 # "Run for Cover" – 3:15 # "Fool's Gold" – 4:48 # "Altar Ego" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Petra (band)
Petra is an American music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres and was, for many years, regarded as the "world's most popular Christian rock band". Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock". Though it disbanded formally in 2006, incarnations have played reunion shows in the years since and released two albums in November 2010, and in November 2017. In 2013, it reformed with a new drummer, Cristian Borneo, and recorded a new song titled "Holy is Your Name", before going back on tour. With a style initially similar to The Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd, Petra's sound evolved into a more energetic, driving rock sound in the early 1980s akin to Foreigner, Styx and Journey. Throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, Petra was one of the world's most popular Christian rock bands, with each of its albums during that period selling hundreds of thousands of copies while the band sold-out arenas and regular ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sweet Comfort Band
Sweet Comfort Band was an American Christian rock band that first performed in 1973 in Riverside, California, and were active until 1984. The band was initially composed of keyboardist/lead vocalist, Bryan Duncan, and brothers Kevin (bass guitar) and Rick (drums/vocals) Thomson. The band was the brainchild of the Thomson brothers. Randy Thomas, guitarist/vocalist joined the group around 1976. After their second album, Sweet Comfort Band also became well known for their highly detailed, airbrushed album cover art by Kerne Erickson, a trend that had previously been considered too costly for Christian groups who did not produce the high-volume album sales of mainstream bands such as Kansas. The Sweet Comfort Band logo was created by Rick Griffin. Sweet Comfort Band was a late entry into Jesus music with their 1977 self-titled release on Maranatha! Records. When they started, they had a funky, jazzy, R&B and 70's rock sound. This set them apart from many of the bands in the nascent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
