Tag Archives: rock

Ronnie James Dio Remembered By Bandmates Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore, Others

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Former bandmates in Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Dio remember singer, who died Sunday. By MTV News staff Photo: Steve Thorne/ Getty Images In the hours after legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio’s death on Sunday, the Blabbermouth website http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/ has been filled with comments from musicians paying tribute to the vocalist, who fronted Rainbow, Black Sabbath and of course Dio during his long and influential career. Among the many noteworthy comments were ones from his former bandmates. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore , who left Deep Purple in 1975 to form Rainbow with Dio, was characteristically terse in his statement: “Ronnie had a unique and wonderful voice. He will be sadly missed in the rock and roll world.” Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi — who worked with Dio three separate times over the years, twice in Black Sabbath and most recently with Heaven and Hell — said: “Yesterday, 16th May, my dear, dear friend Ronnie James Dio passed away at 7.45 a.m. L.A. time. I’ve been in total shock; I just can’t believe he’s gone. “Ronnie was one of the nicest people you could ever meet. We had some fantastic times together. Ronnie loved what he did, making music and performing onstage. He loved his fans so much. He was a kind man and would put himself out to help others. “I can honestly say it’s truly been an honor to play at his side for all these years. His music will live on forever. “Our thoughts are with [Dio’s wife/manager] Wendy Dio, who stood by Ronnie until the end. He loved her very much. The man with the magic voice is a star amongst stars, a true professional. “I’ll miss you so much, my dear friend.” Heaven and Hell was scheduled to tour Europe this summer but cancelled earlier this year owing to Dio’s condition. Former Dio guitarist Rowan Robertson said, “I am privileged to have been a part of Ronnie James Dio’s life and music. His closest ones are in my thoughts.” And former Dio keyboardist Jens Johansson wrote a long post remembering the singer. “I hesitated a bit to write something about this. In a way it feels weird to use this sad day to attract attention to myself. Then I realized I also feel a bit strange to not even comment in public. “I joined Dio-the-band for about a year in the early ’90s, that’s how I got to know Ronnie. Him, and let’s not forget Wendy [Ronnie’s wife/manager], who is still very much alive. They were a team. … “My time in Dio was simply one of the best times in my life. Ronnie was one of the best people I ever met, very different from the usual musicians and other suspects in this wretched industry. I think this is something you will hear over and over — you have heard it before he was gone, and you will also keep hearing it after he is gone. Quite simply, because it’s the truth. And especially towards fans. “If you didn’t realize it by now, you can ask anyone who met him. Ronnie was the guy signing autographs in the cold rain after the point where any mere mortal would have crawled back into bed. It was insane. His dedication to the fans was not from this world. He is the guy that finally made it dawn on me who it is who actually pays the bills — it is the fans. … “His voice was like a tank… I never heard him have a bad day. I have honestly never met anyone else like this in my whole life. Even if he stayed up all night drinking and talking, he would still deliver 150 percent the next day. “From his performing, you’d think he was 22 years old, his whole life… but if you look at how much he accomplished, you’d think he lived to the age of 120. “My best memories of the time with him are either him laughing at something I or someone else said, or me laughing at something he said, or any of the many running gags that he created. … “He was very intelligent. He was, without a question, NOT some sort of devil worshipper or Satanist. He grew up in a small town and was what I would call just a ‘very decent person.’ He had higher morals than most people I have met, and definitely he had higher morals than I have. He just didn’t particularly believe in God of the Christian bible, I think. But he was really spiritual and thought about deep issues, a lot. “I realize this may sound like I’m trying to paint too soft a picture. I am really racking my brains here and I couldn’t think of anything bad to say about him even if I tried. The only thing I can think of is that his character definitely had a surprising bite when something pissed him off; he didn’t suffer fools lightly. If you were a fool in his path, and all options of patience, understanding and politeness had been exhausted, then he didn’t hold back verbally… beware, fool, you might have two a–holes all of a sudden, or your head might be rolling on the floor! I, of course, found this extremely amusing (unless it was me who was the unwitting fool, which I think happened, like, once). “I don’t exaggerate when I say I feel him being gone is a loss for humanity, but I still try to look at the glass as half full. Imagine if he would have died at 27 like so many other geniuses. As a listener I’m thankful for that grace, and as a person I’m thankful I got to know him. … “The music he made will remain after me, or anyone reading this, will be gone. So unless you did already, put some of it on. If it puts an evil smile on your face, then your day is better. That’s all any musician can ask from you.” Share your memories of Ronnie James Dio and his musical legacy in the comments below. Related Videos Ronnie James Dio Videos Related Artists Ronnie James Dio Black Sabbath Ritchie Blackmore Tony Iommi

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Bay City, Again, Requesting Madonna, To Give Her A Key To The City

Posted on May 15, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The quest to reach out to Bay City’s most famous offspring has begun. Mayor Charles M. Brunner has drafted a letter inviting Madonna to come home to Bay City and finally accept a key to the city. City Commissioner Christopher J. Shannon, frontman for a local rock band, is planning a Madonna tribute album in which he hopes to recruit local musicians to cover hits such as “Like a Virgin,” “Express Yourself” and “Vogue.” Guy Greve, president of the Bay Arts Council, wants to go as far as commissioning an artist to sculpt a statue of Bay City’s Material Girl. “The local arts council would like to pay homage for her artistic contributions,” he said. “I could see a sculpture of her in Bay City. One of Madonna’s famous poses could be made into a sculpture.” Brunner said he has e-mailed a letter to Madonna’s father, Silvio “Tony” Ciccone, who owns a vineyard in Suttons Bay. “I sent it to the winery initially, because that was the only e-mail address I had,” Brunner said. “And I did get an e-mail back,” he said. “They gave me, I believe, his personal e-mail address, so I sent him an e-mail and a copy of the letter inviting her to Bay City – so hopefully maybe something happens through her father.” Brunner is hopeful his words will atone for the actions of past city officials who have rejected Madonna on multiple occasions – much to the dismay of Madonna’s family still living here, including her 96-year-old grandmother. Source: Ryan J. Stanton, The Bay City Times , Telegraph Madonna, who was born in Bay City in 1958 and spent a considerable portion of her childhood visiting family here, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past month. That prompted city leaders to reconsider bestowing upon her the infamous key to the city that Mayor Timothy G. Sullivan refused to give her in 1985, when Madonna was considered, by some, too risque for such an honor. City officials in the late 1980s also refused to accept a professional sculpture of Madonna from an Italian artist, citing a belief that her popularity would fade out in time. Nearly three decades since her rise to fame, that notion has failed to come true – Madonna remains a worldwide cultural icon. Just this week, she knocked Elvis Presley from the history books, charting her 37th Top 10 hit with her new single “4 Minutes,” a duet with Justin Timberlake. Presley officially was nudged from his standing as the artist with the most Top 10 hits in rock history, according to Billboard.com. “Far and wide, she wields significant influence in the arts and entertainment world,” said Shannon, Bay City’s 1st Ward Commissioner. “For Bay City to turn its back on that, it would be a shame.” Perhaps best known locally for calling Bay City a “smelly little town” on national television two decades ago – a reference to a former oil refinery that once polluted the city – Madonna graces the cover of Vanity Fair this month, holding the world in her hands for the magazine’s third-annual “Green” issue – her 10th cover for the magazine. Local leaders say she’s a living example to anyone growing up in Bay City with dreams of making it big in the arts world. Since moving to New York City on a whim in 1978, Madonna has gone on to sell more than 200 million albums worldwide, as well as author children’s books and star in and direct films. Today, she lives with her husband, British film director Guy Ritchie, and three children in London. Brunner notes that he met Madonna’s father in January at the Great Lakes Environmental Film Festival. Tony Ciccone catered the wine for the inaugural event at the State Theatre in Bay City. Brunner, a former rock band drummer, is hoping he’ll make a lasting connection with Madonna and her family, though he was unsuccessful in reaching out to her longtime friend and publicist Lis Rosenberg, who did not return e-mails from Brunner or The Times. “I’ll do what I can,” Brunner said. “I’ve got a one-page letter. I hope she gets an opportunity to read it. We’ll just keep working on it.” Read a .pdf of Brunner’s letter to Madonna. Martin Ciccone, Madonna’s older brother in Beverly Hills, told The Times that Bay City should invite Madonna to town and give her the key for her 50th birthday on Aug. 16. “I’d say go for it,” he said. “I cannot tell you what she would do. I want to say, yeah.” Shannon said that would be great, but as a founding member of Bay City’s Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival, he’s partial to having the singer slip into town, oh say, in mid-October. “We could even play one of her films,” he said Source ONTD

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Crystal Bowersox’s Friend Calls ‘American Idol’ Success ‘Surreal’

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Nathan Woodward, who has gone to L.A. for an ‘Idol’ live show, works at a bar where Bowersox used to play. By Gil Kaufman Crystal Bowersox Photo: Jesse Grant/ WireImage MAUMEE, Ohio — This time last year, Nathan Woodward could step out of the kitchen at the Village Idiot bar/ pizza restaurant and walk right up to the front of the stage to watch Crystal Bowersox perform. Now, even when he flies out to Los Angeles to see her rock the stage on “American Idol,” he can’t get nearly as close as he could back in the good old pre-fame days of 2009. Woodward, 36, met Bowersox two years ago at the Idiot, where he bartends and makes pizzas on the weekend and where, on a recent Tuesday night, he was sitting in on organ with the house band after a crowd gathered to cheer Bowersox on during the Frank Sinatra-themed performance night. “I was working in the back making pizzas, and I heard this awesome voice, and I went out and I actually said to the bartender working there, ‘Who is this?’ ” recalled Woodward, who stood behind the bar next to Frankie May, Bowersox’s old friend and bass player, to watch that night’s performances. “I had to come out from the back of the kitchen because, when I heard her sing, I got goose bumps,” he said. “We have a lot of good bands come through here, and when somebody stands out like that, you have to go say to the other employees, ‘This is awesome. We’ve really got something here. It’s spectacular.’ ” From that point on, Woodward and Bowersox became good friends, and he did his best to encourage other people to come out and listen to her sing. “Toledo is a weird town. … We have really good bands in here, and a lot of times nobody shows up,” he said of the Idiot, which has music every night of the week, alternating between local bands and national acts who take to the low stage in front of a tall window that faces the picturesque downtown streets of the Toledo suburb. “So when she played here [and] there was nobody in the bar — there’d be eight, 10 people — we would call people and say, ‘You have gotta come in here and see her play. She’s amazing.’ ” Even with those calls, though, Woodward said the crowds never even approached the 50 to 60 people who showed up on Tuesday night to cheer Bowersox on. Though they’ve stayed in touch over the years, and he took her to see Phish when she lived in Chicago — as well as going out to L.A. to see her on “Idol” in April — Woodward said seeing his friend on the biggest show on TV is still a mind-bender. “[It’s] the most incredible thing you can imagine,” he said. “It’s like, it doesn’t … it’s surreal. It’s not that I see somebody I know being a superstar; it’s seeing somebody I know doing something really, really great and the way that she fights back with the judges, it’s totally her, it’s her personality. She’s like, ‘Take me or leave me.’ It’s really cool.” What you see of Bowersox on TV is what you get, and that’s exactly the same person Woodward got to know. He described Crystal as a sweet, nice person who will not hesitate to tell you exactly what she thinks, which is why he relishes her back-and-forth with the judges every week. “I think that’s what makes her so great, and I think that’s one of the reasons why she’s doing well on the show,” he said of her feisty personality. “I think the reason the audience is reacting the way they are is because they see somebody who is just a genuine person going out there with a great voice and singing great songs and doing the best thing that she can.” Even after backing her up for much of last year — including numerous Village Idiot shows — and doing some studio sessions with her, bass player Frankie May is also a bit stunned at how far his friend has come. “I never doubted that she had the talent to do it,” said May, 28, a quiet, intense musician with a bald head, chin piercing and intense eyes whose father, Bob May, is one of Bowersox’s musical mentors. “But everyone was saying that she’s not that bold … and she’s kinda breaking it, and it’s a wonderful thing.” May said he texts with Bowersox and talks to her on the phone pretty regularly, and while they don’t talk much about “Idol,” he can tell that despite missing her toddler son and her denials of reported cold feet about staying on the show, she’s aware of what a great opportunity the show is for a young single mother. “She’s sticking with it. … She’s strong,” he said. Are you rooting for Crystal on “Idol”? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos Crystal Bowersox’s ‘American Idol’ Experience

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Bret Michaels Has "Sheer Will to Live," Will Fully Recover, Doctor Says

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Based on Rock of Love , we already knew that Bret Michaels possessed a sheer will to get with groupies on his tour bus. But now we know there’s one thing this rock star cares about even more: living. As his condition continues to improve , Michaels’ neurosurgeon at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix is marveling at Bret’s recovery and attitude. “There is no doubt that Mr. Michaels’ condition is serious,” Dr. Zabramski said this week, following the singer’s subarachnoid hemorrhage on April 22. “Bret’s sheer will to live and fully recover is undeniable. He has an unbelievable fight in him and told me what kept him alive at the moment of the hemorrhage was that he did not want his family to wake up and see him lying unconscious in the middle of the floor.” Michaels has two daughters, Raine and Jorja, ages nine and four. He’s also a diabetic who has suffered through numerous “roadblocks,” Zabramski said, including “hyponatremia, severe cranial and back pain suffered from blood drainage.” His patient in stable condition, the doctor added: “It was a combination of Bret’s fight to stay conscious during the hemorrhage and get to the emergency room, and the immediate medical attention provided by our staff at Barrow that enabled us to stabilize his condition.” The team at Barrow will hold press conference on Tuesday, in which surgeons will update Michaels’ progress even more.

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Spirit of the Festival: Tribeca Audiences Crown Their Favorite

Posted on May 2, 2010 by | Leave a comment

What do a kufi hat-wearing James Cromwell, Jeffrey Wells and thousands of Heineken bottles have in common? They were all present at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival Awards Wrap Party last night. And while the name of the event was a bit misleading — the main Tribeca awards were announced Thursday — there was one piece of hardware handed out: the Heineken sponsored audience award, which went to the rock documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage . Because if there’s one thing everyone knows about New Yorkers, it’s their fierce love of prog rock. After the jump, the top-ten audiences choices — congrats to all the winners.

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Crystal Bowersox Scoring Hometown Radio Play With ‘Holy Toledo’

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Local radio station began playing ‘American Idol’ frontrunner’s song last week By Gil Kaufman Crystal Bowersox Photo: FOX There’s still a month left to go on “American Idol,” but frontrunner Crystal Bowersox is already reaping the benefits of a winner. As of last week, Bowersox could be heard twice a day on the radio on Toledo, Ohio’s 101.5-FM , which is located near her hometown of Elliston, Ohio, crooning the original acoustic folk ballad “Holy Toledo.” Crystal Bowersox’s ‘American Idol’ Experience “We have Crystal pride around here,” said Tom Cook, the station’s program director. “It’s not just a radio thing, it’s a cool thing for the people around here to see someone with that kind of talent on a national platform.” While assembling a Bowersox video page copy of Crystal’s performances from the show, someone at the rock station noticed the homage to the singer’s hometown and brought it to Cook’s attention. “I thought, ‘It’s not just a great song, but it mentions our city!’,” he said about the contemplative tune. After dubbing the song from a YouTube video, Cook put it into rotation on May 20 and it’s been getting around 15 spins a week since then. So far, he said the station has gotten a number of curious calls about the tune, but no contact from any of the half dozen or more Bowersox family members who live in the area. “I hope they feel good about it,” said Cook. “From her perspective I would think it would be cool to have a radio station in your hometown playing your song.” Though no other stations have picked up the song as far as he knows, “Holy Toledo” has gotten enough spins to make to it to #90 on the “American Idol” airplay chart, according to USA Today , making MamaSox the only one of this year’s contestants to crash the chart. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos Crystal Bowersox’s ‘American Idol’ Experience ‘American Idol’ Season Nine Performances

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Coachella 2010 Features Blistering Sets By Jay-Z, Muse, Thom Yorke

Posted on April 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Faith No More, Gorillaz, Pavement and other age-defying acts heat up the desert fest. By Corey Moss Jay-Z performs at Coachella 2010 Photo: Lee Barth INDIO, California — Leave it to the least likely star to grace the Coachella headlining stage to best sum up 2010’s festival. “I wanna be forever young,” Beyonc

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Alice In Chains Say ‘There Are Thoughts’ Of A New Album

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t [happen],’ Jerry Cantrell says of heading back into the studio. By Brian Jacks Alice in Chains’ William DuVall and Jerry Cantrell Photo: MTV News The death of Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley in 2002 should have, by any reasonable expectation, ended the career of the platinum-selling rock act. But after an eight-year grieving period and the addition of a new singer, the group is back stronger than ever, with two consecutive singles landing at #1 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart. And nobody’s more pleasantly surprised than guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell. “I took my clothes off and ran down the street screaming at the top of my lungs,” the songsmith joked to MTV News. “It’s cool that we have something to say and there’s somebody out there listening.” For newcomer William DuVall, replacing the enigmatic Staley has been a challenging journey as he’s worked to gain acceptance from a skeptical fanbase. But if three years of sold-out shows are any indication, Duvall has surmounted any audience hesitation, and the singer is now experiencing life in the circle of a chart-topping group. “We toured for two years before we even went into the studio, so that was interesting in itself,” DuVall said. “But now this thing has become more real to us and everybody else, and it’s just another important step in the journey. So yeah, I feel a lot of acceptance and it’s ever-evolving.” The band is currently touring in support of Black Gives Way to Blue, their first new album with DuVall. The record, which spawned no less than two hits, has been certified gold, but the group isn’t resting on their laurels. In fact, all indications are that fans of Alice in Chains may be picking up a second effort in the foreseeable future. “There are thoughts,” Cantrell said of heading back into the studio. “We’ll see how far we get. Staying in the moment is a good way to live and we certainly hope that that happens. I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t [happen].” Alice in Chains’ U.S. tour continues through June, before the group heads overseas this summer. But the rock act isn’t the only band from the ’90s hitting the road — this year brings news that fellow Seattle mainstays Soundgarden are also reuniting. With Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam also on tour and the Foo Fighters back in the studio, is alternative rock coming back? “I don’t think it ever left,” Cantrell said. “Yeah, there’s a lot of activity from bands that were slugging it out in the ’90s, us being one of them. But I think the thing that gets forgotten is all those guys were doing music all along. … It’s not like anyone quit doing stuff and we just thought, ‘Hey, it’s a good time to start doing it again.’ We just continued to make music. But it’s kind of nice because I love all those bands.” Cantrell doesn’t have any specific advice for Chris Cornell and company, but he did have one statement to make on the Soundgarden reunion. “I’ll buy a ticket. I want to see that.” Are you looking forward to seeing Alice in Chains on tour? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists Alice in Chains

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What’s the Agreed Height of Mt. Everest?

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Benny Hollywood

There has been a long-running disagreement between China and Nepal regarding the height of Mount Everest. The highest mountain is transversely located between the border of China and Nepal. The two countries have finally agreed on a solution that the world’s highest mountain should be recognized as being 8,848m tall. Previously, China argued it should be measured by its rock height, but Nepal said it should be measured by its snow height which will be four meters higher. Both counties recognized each claims. This means that it could either be 8,844m (measuring its rock height) or 8,848m (measuring its snow height.) The first measurement was made in 1856. The widely-accepted height of 8,848m was first recorded in 1955 by an Indian survey. Instead of measuring the rock beneath it, it measured the mountain’s snow cap. Some geologists claim that the estimates made by both countries over the height of Mount Everest could be wrong, because the mountain is said to be continuously growing. An evidence of this claim is the shifting continental plates that gradually push India beneath China and Nepal What’s the Agreed Height of Mt. Everest? is a post from: Daily World Buzz Continue reading →

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For Swedish House Mafia And Tiesto, Twitter Is ‘All About Bromancing’

Posted on April 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘Twitter is about positive energy,’ Sebastian Ingrosso warns the haters. By Akshay Bhansali Swedish House Mafia Photo: MTV News Before Ti

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