|
Michael Thompson (guitarist)
Michael Thompson (born Michael Wood Thompson, February 11, 1954 in Port Washington, New York) is an American guitarist and songwriter. Thompson is known for his work as a session guitarist during the last 4 decades. He founded the rock group TRW in 2007. Early years Michael Thompson grew up in Port Washington, New York and attended Berklee College of Music for two years, studying with Pat Metheny before leaving to tour and record with a local R&B/funk group called The Ellis Hall Group. After four years with the group, Thompson moved to Los Angeles in the hopes of starting a career as a studio musician, almost immediately getting a touring gig with Joe Cocker. Money was tight and to support himself and his wife Gloria, Thompson supplemented gigs playing on songwriters' publishing demos and sporadic session work with a job as a cab driver until landing a year-long world tour with Cher. Following the tour, Thompson played guitar for the TV series '' Fame'', a gig he would hold ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Port Washington, New York
Port Washington is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the Cow Neck Peninsula in the North Hempstead, New York, Town of North Hempstead, in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, in New York (state), New York. The hamlet is the anchor community of the Greater Port Washington area. The population was 15,846 at the 2010 census. History Much of the Port Washington area was initially settled by colonists in 1644, after they purchased land from the people of the Matinecock Nation. In the 1870s, Port Washington became an important Sand mining, sand-mining town; it had the largest sandbank east of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and easy barge access to Manhattan. Some 140 million cubic yards of local sand were used for concrete for New York skyscrapers (including the Empire State Building, Empire State and Chrysler Building, Chrysler buildings), in addition to New York City Subway, the New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Free (band)
Free were an English rock band formed in London in 1968, best known for their hit songs "All Right Now" and "Wishing Well". Although renowned for their live shows and non-stop touring, their studio albums did not sell very well until their third, '' Fire and Water'' (1970), featured the massive hit "All Right Now". The song helped secure them a place at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970, where they played to an audience of 600,000 people. In the early 1970s they became one of the biggest-selling British blues rock groups; by the time they disbanded, they had sold more than 20 million records worldwide and had played more than 700 arena and festival concerts. "All Right Now" remains a R&B staple, and has been entered in ASCAP's "One Million" airplay singles club. The band disbanded in 1973; lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become the frontman of the more successful rock supergroup Bad Company, which also featured his Free bandmate Simon Kirke on drums. Guitarist Paul Kossoff ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pat Torpey
Patrick Allan Torpey (December 13, 1953 – February 7, 2018) was an American drummer and singer, best known as the drummer and backing vocalist for the rock band Mr. Big. As well as playing for other various singers and artists such as; John Parr, Belinda Carlisle, Robert Plant, Montrose, Richie Kotzen and The Knack. Torpey had also recorded with Impellitteri and Ted Nugent. Torpey died at age 64 on February 7, 2018, due to complications from Parkinson's disease. Early years Torpey was born in Painesville, Ohio, on December 13, 1953. He first became interested in drumming as a child after seeing a drummer in a polka band performing at a local picnic. In high school, Torpey immersed himself in all available music programs, concert, orchestra, marching and stage bands. About his teenage years, he said: "I wanted to play everything percussion, and I convinced my mother to buy me a used drum kit for my thirteenth birthday." His family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he began t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Missing Persons (band)
Missing Persons is an American rock band founded in 1980 in Los Angeles by guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, vocalist Dale Bozzio, and drummer Terry Bozzio. They later added bassist Patrick O'Hearn and keyboardist Chuck Wild. Dale's quirky voice and heavy makeup made the band a favorite on MTV in the early 1980s. Dale and Terry Bozzio met while working with Frank Zappa, and they married in 1979. Cuccurullo encountered the pair while contributing to the Zappa album '' Joe's Garage'' (1979). O'Hearn was also a former member of Zappa's touring band, and Wild had played with a variety of bands before joining. Early history Early years and ''Spring Session M'' (1980–1983) In 1980 the band was a trio consisting of Bozzio, Bozzio and Cuccurullo. Augmented by session musicians, the group made its first record, a 4-song EP entitled ''Missing Persons'', in Zappa's brand-new Utility Muffin Research Kitchen studios; the recording was financed by Cuccurullo's father. The band toured, p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, Virtuoso, musical virtuosity and satire of American culture. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestral and ''musique concrète'' works, and produced almost all of the 60-plus albums that he released with his band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. Zappa also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. He is considered one of the most innovative and stylistically diverse musicians of his generation. As a self-taught composer and performer, Zappa had diverse musical influences that led him to create music that was sometimes difficult to categorize. While in his teens, he acquired a taste for 20th-century classica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terry Bozzio
Terry John Bozzio (born December 27, 1950) is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa. He has been featured on nine solo or collaborative albums, 26 albums with Zappa and seven albums with Missing Persons. Bozzio has been a prolific sideman, playing on numerous releases by other artists since the mid-1970s. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1997. His son and stepdaughter are also drummers with the latter, Marina, being a member of the band Aldious. Biography Terry Bozzio was born on December 27, 1950, in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw the Beatles' premiere performance on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and begged his father for drum lessons. In 1968, Bozzio graduated from Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, California, where he received a music scholarship award, and later went on to the College of Marin. During this time he studied concu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Keane Brothers
The Keane Brothers was an American pop music duo from 1976–82, composed of pre-teens, Tom Keane on piano and John Keane on drums. The duo released four albums and briefly hosted a television variety show on CBS. The brothers subsequently went on to solo careers as songwriters and music producers. History Tom and John Keane of Los Angeles, California, were the sons of Bob Keane, the founder of Del-Fi Records. After the elder Keane closed his record label, he promoted the boys as a bubblegum pop band. The Keane Brothers’ first single, “Sherry” (#84), was released in 1976, followed closely by a self-titled debut album in 1977. During the summer of 1977, John who was 12 years and Tom who was 13 years, reportedly became the youngest people ever to host a prime-time variety television program. ''The Keane Brothers Show'' aired on CBS for four weeks in 1977 as a summer replacement for ''Wonder Woman''. Between the years of 1977 and 1982, the brothers released four albums. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Kansas (band)
Kansas is an American rock band that became popular during the 1970s initially on album-oriented rock charts and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". The band has produced nine gold albums, three multi-platinum albums (''Leftoverture'' 4×, ''Point of Know Return'' 4×, and ''The Best of Kansas'' 4×), one other platinum studio album (''Monolith''), one platinum live double album ('' Two for the Show''), and a million-selling single, "Dust in the Wind". Kansas appeared on the US ''Billboard'' charts for over 200 weeks throughout the 1970s and 1980s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan. "Carry On Wayward Son" was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No. 1 in 1997. History 1970–1973: Early years In 1969, Don Montre and Kerry Livgren (guitars, keyboards, synthesizers) were performing in a band called the Reasons Why in their hometown of Topeka, Kansas. After lea ... [...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] |
Toto (band)
Toto (stylized as TOTO) is an American rock band formed in 1977 in Los Angeles. The band's current lineup consists of Steve Lukather (guitars and vocals), David Paich (keyboards and vocals), and Joseph Williams (vocals), as well as touring musicians John Pierce (bass), Robert "Sput" Searight (drums), Dominique "Xavier" Taplin (keyboards and vocals), Steve Maggiora (keyboards and vocals), and Warren Ham (horns, percussions, and vocals). Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard rock, R&B, blues, and jazz. Having released 14 studio albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide, the group has received several Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. David Paich and Jeff Porcaro had played together as session musicians on several albums and decided to form a band; David Hungate, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, and Bobby Kimball were recruited before the release of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in March 1981 as Rock Albums & Top Tracks, after which the name changed first to Top Rock Tracks, then to Album Rock Tracks, and finally to its current Mainstream Rock in 1996. History The Rock Albums & Top Tracks charts were introduced in the March 21, 1981, issue of ''Billboard''.Joel Whitburn. ''Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981–2008.'' Hal Leonard Corporation, 2008p. 6. The 50- and 60-position charts ranked airplay on album rock radio stations in the United States. Because album-oriented rock stations focused on playing tracks from albums rather than specifically released singles, these charts were designed to measure the airplay of any and all tracks from an album. Rock Albums was a survey of the top albums on American rock radio, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
