I first met Walter Yetnikoff when he was the head of CBS’s music International Division from 1971 to 1975, and I wound up working with him when he was president and CEO of CBS Records from 1975 to 1990. Walter was an amazing man. He was an attorney by trade, which helped him negotiate major … Continue reading Remembering Walter Yetnikoff →

Excited to see concert dates being booked again starting this summer, I happened upon some Loverboy dates.  I had the pleasure of playing a major role in their career and seeing their name sparked a lot of memories. It occurred to me that many of you who appreciate my writings (PS. Thank you very much), … Continue reading The Loverboy Story →

For some reason, Mick Jagger’s new solo offering with Dave Grohl, “Easy Sleazy,” is getting a bit of critical blow back, from well, critics.  Perhaps it’s because when you get so big, part of that celebrity status includes people who want to take pot shots at you to bring you down a notch.  Who knows. … Continue reading Me and Mick Jagger – It’s Only Rock and Roll but I Like It →

Watching the “In Memoriam” segment of this year’s Grammy Awards show really shook me.  Not only because we’ve lost so many great artists in the last year, but also because of how many of those artists had touched my life.  Somehow, I was lucky enough to meet and/or work with many of the people listed.  … Continue reading In Memoriam: Personal Stories with Five Greats Who Passed This Year →

Have you watched the Frank Zappa documentary? It’s one of the very best and most moving films you’ll ever see.  I spent $6.99 to watch it and would have spent $100.00.  It’s that good, that compelling, and that important. Unless you’re an avid fan, you probably don’t know that much about Frank Zappa.  I know … Continue reading A Day in the Life with Frank Zappa →

To our generation the music meant everything.  We didn’t have computers, smartphones, and tons of cable TV shows to entertain us.  The music took center stage and the messages from that music helped shape our lives.  It is a generation of music lovers who not only knew the hits but who were also familiar with … Continue reading Remembering Leslie West →

2020 has been a rough year, to say the least. Lots of us have friends or family that have had to battle the COVID virus. Some didn’t make it. A few of my colleagues from the music industry have been amongst that count. My 95-year-old mother somehow contracted the virus in her independent living quarters. But she beat … Continue reading Finding the Silver Linings in 2020 →

In his recent documentary, Somebody Up There Likes Me, Ronnie Wood says he’s like Yogi Berra who once said, “If there’s a fork in the road, take it!”  That’s the Ron Wood I know.  All in, all the time.  Go-for-it full speed ahead and with a devil-may-care attitude.  Indeed, in the film he admits, “That’s … Continue reading Where the Ronnie Wood Doc Missed the Mark, and Why It’s Still Worth the Watch →

I didn’t know Eddie Van Halen personally.  Only to say hello backstage when our Columbia Records’ band Alice In Chains opened for Van Halen on one of their big tours.  So, unlike my usual fare, I have no personal stories to tell.  Yet, I find it hard to sit back and not write about this … Continue reading Like Picasso or Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen Was a True Original →

This October 9th Blue Öyster Cult will make rock history by releasing one of their best albums ever!  Not many rock artists can make that statement during the later stages of their careers.  I have heard the advance release, and if you like rock, and the way it’s supposed to sound and feel, you are … Continue reading Blue Öyster Cult Release Incredible New Music →

When Peter Green passed away, we lost one of the greatest blues/rock electric guitarists of all-time.  Yet despite his major contributions to music and blues styling on the guitar, Peter Green is not a name that many immediately recognize.  In 1967, Peter Green founded the legendary band Fleetwood Mac. But he only led it until … Continue reading Remembering Peter Green →

I recently watched the new docu-series Laurel Canyon.  If you enjoyed Echo in The Canyon (which I thought was extraordinary), Laurel Canyon is a great follow-up.  It’s a two-part television documentary and gives a much broader view of that legendary Laurel Canyon music scene. It includes many more artists than Echo and I learned a … Continue reading Laurel Canyon, The Byrds, Elvis Costello and My Rickenbacker Guitar →