One of Jeff Beck’s early band mates Ronnie Wood, once told a story about he and Jeff having a guitar talk. Beck, forever coming up with new ideas for the electric guitar, showed Woody a couple new finger-flinging lick combinations. “Hey, I just figured this out. Do you ever do this?” Wood, laughing out loud … Continue reading Jeff Beck: Innovator Guitar God →

Jerry Lee Lewis stared at the audience somewhat dazed and yelled, “Well, fuck you too!!” Then he picked up his piano bench and threw it right into the crowd. Almost earning his moniker “The Killer” with a new take on those words as the bench closely whizzed past some dude’s head on the way to … Continue reading The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis: Unlikely Rock & Roll Performance of a Lifetime →

Two all-time greats passed away last week. Jerry Lee Lewis and Steven Clean. The first you know of. If you’re not from Boston or Los Angeles you’ve probably never heard of the latter, otherwise known as “The Obscene” Steven Clean. I have great stories regarding both. The media coverage for Lewis’s passing has been omnipresent … Continue reading Two Legends Pass Away: “The Killer” Jerry Lee Lewis and “The Obscene” Steven Clean →

Willie Nelson once told me, “Paul, fame is funny thing. Some people really want it, but when it comes, they can’t handle it.” Echoing Willie, in an interview talking about Brian Jones, Mick Jagger said, “Fame doesn’t sit comfortably on anyone’s shoulders. But some people’s shoulders don’t seem to fit it on at all.” The … Continue reading The Downside of Fame for Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, and More →

I usually don’t write many opinion pieces and definitely try to shy away from being a critic. Someone once said, “Critics are the people who come down from the mountain after the war is over and shoot the wounded.” That pretty much sums it up for me. Not that there aren’t some critics of the … Continue reading Are We Modern Day Blues Players Losing the Plot? →

As soon as I hear Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are going on tour, I begin to feel exhilarated. And all you Springsteen fans out there know why. Simply, in the world of rock music, there’s hardly anything more exciting or more uplifting than a Bruce Springsteen concert (save possibly for U2, who … Continue reading Bruce Springsteen & the Business of the Unexpected →

I was reading our own Classics Du Jour the other day when I spied, under “Latest Headlines,” that The Rolling Stones were going to release recordings from two small shows they did in Toronto at the El Macombo club in 1977. These shows have been bootlegged for over 40 the years, and I am one … Continue reading It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But I Like It! →

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee list for 2022 was just recently released. I guess due to fan pressure, about five years ago the Hall set up an online system for fans to participate in the vote. The way it works is that the top 5 fan vote-getters are put on a single … Continue reading Rock Hall, More Questions, and Live Television with Eurythmics! →

After recently reading about David Bowie’s estate selling his song catalog to Warner Chappell Music for approximately $250 million, I thought it was high time I cover the subject of why so many classic rock artists are rushing to sell their publishing. The music world, and the world in general, was shocked not too long … Continue reading Iconic Artists Are Selling Their Catalogs, and It’s a Slippery Slope →

Recently one of the greatest managers of all-time passed away, Walter “Herbie” Herbert.  He was a valued colleague and friend to a lot of us.  Herbie is best known for creating the band Journey and shepherding the band members through many trials and tribulations to become one of the most beloved and best-selling bands of … Continue reading Herbie Herbert and the Incredible Story of Journey →

CDJ is classic rock centric, but every now and then I write about another genre of music if I am moved to do so.  I am sure a lot of you watched the recent Anderson Cooper 60 Minutes interview with Tony Bennett, titled Tony Bennett – The Final Act.  And I’m sure if you watched … Continue reading Tony Bennett – The Extraordinary Man Who Set Me Straight →

I thoroughly enjoyed Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President.  I learned a lot from watching it, and I highly recommend the film which you can view on Amazon. This documentary brought back memories of more innocent times and gave a fresh look at the Carter presidency which I think is needed.  So much of what … Continue reading Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President – Plus Personal Insights on Gregg Allman & Bob Dylan →