BluePower.Com

Thelonius James Rides Again!

2010-04-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here at BluePower, we are always on the lookout for what we feel is inspired product. We receive so many CDs that just don't go that extra step to make the music different and unique. This CD is the best of both of those worlds.

Thelonius James Presents The Sunland Chronicles is a piece of work which contains all the elements necessary to make it an outstanding contribution to the world of American music. It has great playing and a sense of humor which can only be attributed to the artist involved.

There is something exciting going on with this record. A spontaneity which transcends most releases today. Trying to explain this is difficult. It's something one has to hear. All we know is that when we listened to the material....we enjoyed it thoroughly.

The Sunland Chronicles runs the gamut musically, stretching from the blues to near jazz. Fine playing and vocals with nothing too heavy or intense. Just a real good feel. Overall....this CD is a lot of fun and a guaranteed party pleaser.

It made me smile.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Popcorn Paws"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
2)...."Step On The Gas"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
3)...."The Blues Is Like A Baseball Game"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
4)...."More Than A Fool"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
5)...."With You"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
6)...."You Give Me Hope"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
7)...."Chicken Pie"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records

Produced by....Phil Bloch and Andrew Bush

Click to play....BP CD Review....Thelonius James Presents The Sunland Chronicles!

Click here to go to Thelonius James' new web site!

Click to purchase....Thelonius James....The Sunland Chronicles!

BluePower Presents....Southern Guitar Masters!

2010-04-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Southern Guitar Masters

Mississippi Fred McDowell
Charley Patton
Robert Johnson
Skip James
Bukka White
Rose Hemphill
Sunnyland Slim

From southern England:
Cream

The blues is about many things. About how your woman done you wrong. The Boss Man being mean to you. Things humorous. Things sad. Death. Dying and all manner of worldly matters concern the blues.

The blues was created long before the turn of the 19th century. The blues was built on slavery and the fact that a man was taken from his family and homeland against his will. Slavery happened for centuries. However; it wasn't until those slaves were brought to the shores of the United States that the blues, as we know the art form today, was born.

The blues reside in almost every country in the world. Even countries that don't call English it's first language.

Everyone in the world can relate to the blues. And today, with all the problems in the world, more and more people have an absolute right to sing the blues.

Today's show presents the blues from the early part of the 20th century. These are but a handful of the original blues men who traveled the dusty roads of the south; did time in many of the prisons and rode the rods, as the trains were called back then, into the annals of musical history. Just imagine that time.

This is one show I really enjoyed putting together. I hope you enjoy listening to Southern Guitar Masters.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."I'm Goin' Home"....Ervin Webb & Prisoners....Alan Lomax Collection
2)...."61 Highway Blues"....Fred McDowell....Alan Lomax Collection
3)...."Fred McDowell's Blues"....Fred McDowell....Alan Lomax Collection 4)...."Stone Pony Blues....Charley Patton....VMK
5)...."Crossroads"....Robert Johnson....Columbia
6)...."Fixin' To Die Blues"....Bukka White....Columbia Legacy Series
7)...."Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues"....Skip James....VMK
8)...."Rolled And Tumbled"....Rose Hemphill....Alan Lomax Collection
9)...."Roll And Tumble Blues"....Sunnyland Slim, Johnny Shines and Big Joe Williams....Blue Sun
10)..."Rollin' And Tumblin' "....Cream....Reaction

Some dialog taken from the All Music Guide to the Blues.

Click here to listen to....Southern Guitar Masters!

Why the NAB Is Losing Radio’s Royalty Exemption!

2010-04-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

By Jerry Del Colliano
Inside Music Media

The radio lobby (National Association of Broadcasters) and the record industry lobby (MusicFIRST Coalition) are being childish.

The record label interests try to make it appear that the radio industry is trying to hurt starving artists by opposing the proposed repeal of the performance royalty exemption.

It’s not like the radio industry doesn’t already pay ASCAP, BMI and SESAC licensing fees.

You’ve got a polarization developing (does this surprise you in today’s political climate?) that you’re either for artists or against them.

The radio lobby is just as bad.

As NAB Spokesperson Dennis Wharton puts it “We’re disappointed the Commerce Department would embrace legislation that would kill jobs in the U.S. and send hundreds of millions of dollars to foreign record labels that have historically exploited artists whose
careers were nurtured by American radio stations.”

Of course, a Commerce Department attorney in a letter to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) says there is “strong support” for eliminating the performance exemption -- like in President Obama.

If you’re a radio owner, you have to be worried when the commerce department says, it’s “a matter of fundamental fairness to performers” that would “provide a level playing field for all broadcasters” -- meaning whether they’re on-air, online or satellite.

You can see what’s slipping away here -- the higher ground.

The NAB insists it still has the edge in Congressional support to defeat the labels' initiative to repeal but it’s close and will get closer sooner than expected.

This isn’t exactly health care.

This is radio station care where the public option has become throwing radio into the same pool with satellite and online competitors who have already held their noses and settled.

How’s that "playing to the fear that foreign labels will takeover U.S. markets and jobs will be lost" thing working out?

Not well, apparently, because when you live in a glass house you shouldn’t throw stones.

The radio industry doesn’t need foreign labels to take it over -- Wall Street hedge funds and investment banks have already done that.

And the NAB’s argument about killing off U.S. jobs is simply not credible.

No one kills more radio jobs off than U.S. “patriots” like Lew “Tricky” Dickey, "Fagreed" Suleman" and John “Slogan” Hogan of Cumulus, Citadel and Clear Channel respectively (if not respectfully).

I mean, what kind of defense is that?

So with head placed firmly up their legal briefs, the NAB is getting closer to handing its constituents a loss on performance royalties that it need not take.

I say this because they are offering the wrong arguments.

Making it seem like radio stations do not want to help starving artists when in fact it is the radio stations that have always helped starving artists -- always have and probably always will.

Without compensation.

You make ‘em, we play ‘em and you keep all the profits -- so, the labels are the ones hurting their own artists (as if we in the industry didn’t already know that).

The NAB can spearhead their own bill and put something patriotic in the title -- like “Freedom of Local Radio Act" and they are still going to lose.

Local radio is dying by the minute -- we never run out of examples. Locals even know this in many smaller markets after a snow storm or weather emergency when their so-called local stations have failed to adequately serve their communities.

So, what is the problem?

Radio should be exempt from the performance royalty exemption because it is a tax.

I know, I know -- the labels say no. But it really is a burden. A percentage levied on stations (above and beyond their present royalty commitments) to squeeze more dollars out of the very people who help the labels sell music.

Therefore, the counter argument should not be about losing jobs -- that’s simply not true.

It should not be about foreigners coming here to one up us -- that’s ridiculous as well.

It won’t help to cry poor mouth either because about half of Congress supports taxing radio and the other half remains steadfastly in radio’s corner. Not enough of a margin.

The real argument is this.

If you repeal the performance royalty exemption from radio, you will be hurting artists and musicians because radio stations will not be able to afford to pay what will amount to an ever increasing additional fee.

And the argument to our lawmakers should be:

"Hey Congress, if you don’t believe us (the NAB), just look what’s happening right now as radio stations are beginning to augment their music playlists with 10% local artists who offer their music to them royalty-free. And if you repeal the performance exemption, it will force some stations to run even more -- or maybe all --- unlicensed music. That wouldn’t be good for the existing record labels at all".

The NAB can’t argue this because they are spending more time playing beltway politics with the livelihood of local radio stations instead of encouraging station owners to give the music industry, their lobby and lawmakers a glimpse of what will happen if they repeal radio's royalty exemption.

The NAB should be encouraging members to add unlicensed artists to their playlists and that means you, Clear Channel -- in big markets. Unlicensed music is not garbage. There’s a lot of good unlicensed music and plenty of starving artists to help if that's what the labels really want.

Record labels aren’t the tastemakers anymore if you’ve been watching the file sharing revolution.

Consumers are.

So I encourage you -- add one or two unlicensed songs each week and send a message to Congress and the labels that they had better be careful what they wish for.

Oh, and you’ll be sending a message to weary radio listeners who are tired of the same “corporate” playlists. You'll be giving them a taste of music discovery -- something they had to turn radio off to find elsewhere.

In the end, you’re going to lose the royalty exemption.

But be smart and win the war -- ensure that if the labels win, they lose. The way it's going right now, if the labels win -- they and radio stations are both the losers -- not to mention listeners.

If the radio industry lets the labels get away with this, they can come back and search my website someday for all the better alternatives they could have taken.

Send Congress a message.

Replace two licensed songs on your radio station playlist with two unlicensed songs each week and if you don’t know what to add -- call in a young person or two and they’ll give you a long list of better alternatives.

Re-printed from Mr. Del Colliano's blog by permission.

In The Beginning....Skip James!

2010-04-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

After several months of deliberation, BluePower has come to the conclusion that it would be beneficial to develop a series which exposed the many fine artists who added so much to the rich heritage of the American folk tradition called The Blues.

In order to accomplish our goals in this regard, we needed the product necessary to assemble these pieces of business. Coming to our aid in the form of early Blues product was Mr. Alec Palao and his great company, Ace Records of London, England whom we gratefully thank for their generosity and kindness.

Our first show highlights one of the strangest and most unique Blues artists of all time....Nehemiah Curtis James who came to be known as Skip James.

Born in 1902 in Bentonia, Mississippi in 1902, Mr. James struggled all his life to find a place in the world of the Blues. It took him til nearly the end of his life before he was discovered by three, up and coming, young musicians who talked him into taking a giant step to become known.

Listen as BluePower tells a brief history of Mr. Skip James and plays some of his amazing music.

Stay Tuned....
John Rhys

Here's the music:

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records
2)...."Hard Time Killing Floor Blues....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
3)...."Careless Love"....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
4)...."Devil Got My Woman"....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
5)...."Crow Jane"....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
6)...."I'm So Glad"....Skip James....Blues From The Delta....Ace Records
7)...."I'm So Glad"....Cream....Fresh Cream....Atlantic Records
8)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records

Click here to listen to....In The Beginning....The Birth Of The Blues....Skip James!

Click here to go to Ace Records!

A Master Hitmaker And Pure Gentleman....Eddie Schwartz (Pt.2)!

2010-03-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

We pick up Part Two with Eddie saying how thrilled he was at having three songs recorded by Joe Cocker for his Unchain My Heart recording.

Also in Part Two, Eddie speaks of his difficulties producing the Doobie Brothers; his venture into the country music realm producing Brenn Hill and his regard for Paul Carrack, who sang Eddie's song "Don't Shed A Tear" to the number one spot on the charts.

The last few songs on the show are performed by Eddie himself from his CD, Tour de Schwartz and....as I mentioned, is my wife's favorite record. I think you'll enjoy these particularly insightful songs.

Eddie also tells the story of his mother who always wanted Eddie to be a lawyer and gave him a briefcase every time she had the opportunity. Eddie wound up with a closet "full" of briefcases.

Eddie Schwartz is now a highly regarded musician, writer and businessman. A man who likes to "give back" a little of what he was given to musical newcomers; Eddie is now a member of SOCANN, the Canadian organization which deals with music copyrights pertaining to Canadian writers and publishers. SOCANN came about as the merger of BMI and ASCAP and is now the only performing rights society in Canada.

Eddie has walked one long, hard road to get to this point in life. He deserves all credits due.

This is one very interesting interview and the music is superb. Here's the list:

1)...."Hit Me With Your Best Shot"....Pat Benatar
2)...."Don't Shed A Tear"....Paul Carrack
3)...."Dance Like The Fire"....Brenn Hill
4)...."The Doctor"....The Doobie Brothers
5)...."Special Girl"....Eddie Schwartz
6)...."A Young Man's Eyes"....Eddie Schwartz
7)...."Bourbon Street"....Eddie Schwartz

Listen to....Master Hitmaker And Pure Gentleman....Eddie Schwartz (Pt.2)!

A Master Hitmaker And Pure Gentleman....Eddie Schwartz!

2010-03-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

I met Eddie Schwartz the first time in Hollywood in 1978. He had been signed by ATV Music who, at that time, was a major client of mine at Hollywood Central Recorders. ATV had flown Eddie into Hollywood to record a series of demos of songs he had written.

For some odd reason Eddie had one song that the powers that be at ATV absolutely "did not" want Eddie to record. That song was "Hit Me With Your Best Shot".

This interview tells the long road traveled by that tremendous hit and the results of Eddie's life from that point on.

The lesson is....If you believe in yourself, never give up.

An absolute "must' for any songwriter to hear.

John Rhys-Eddins/BluePower.com

The Music on Part One:

1)...."Hand Clappin' (Theme).... Red Prysock
2)...."Hit Me With Your Best Shot"....Eddie Schwartz (HCR-1978)
3)...."I Stand In Wonder"....Joe Cocker
4)...."The Good Catches Up"....Lawrence Gowan
5)...."All Our Tomorrows"....Eddie Schwartz
6)...."Hand Clappin'" (Theme)....Red Prysock

Listen to....A Master Hitmaker And Pure Gentleman....Eddie Schwartz!

Good Morning Blues........'Crazy 'Bout An Automobile'!

2010-03-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

By 1953 and 1954, I was 12 and 13 respectively. Like so many kids in the United States, I waited impatiently for September to roll around; thus releasing all the new model cars at once into my impatient life. I read all the magazines, scrutinized all the ads and dreamt of owning most of the cars.

And then there were the songs.

The number of songs written for the illustrious automobile is far too long to elucidate here. There were songwriters whipping out cartunes from the very beginning of the production line, in every language and for every make. The Chevy Show with Dinah Shore was a huge success and I'm sure, sold millions of Chevy's. The Big Three manufacturers here in the States all hosted radio and television shows weekly during that time, blaring their theme songs to millions. "See the USA in your Chevrolet". Go little 409!

So, as usual....I picked a bunch of my favorite car songs. I hope you enjoy the show.

BTW....Find the line The Beatles used in one of their biggest hits among these songs below. It's a direct steal and an homage. Be the tenth person to write in with the correct answer and win a swell music DVD. No kidding!

John Rhys/BluePower

Playlist:

1)..."Rocket 88"........Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88's........Blind Pig
2)..."Crazy 'Bout An Automobile"........Billy Emerson........VeeJay
3)..."Cadillac Blues"........Blue By Nature V/Karen Lawrence........Shattered
4)..."No Money Down"........Chuck Berry........Chess
5)..."Seein' What I Ain't Got"........Steppin' Lazer........unreleased
6)..."Mercury Blues"........David Lindley........Rhino
7)..."Slow Down"........Larry Williams........Specialty
8)..."Hi Ballin' "........The Hula Monsters........Mega Truth
9)..."You Can't Catch Me"........Chuck Berry........Chess
10)..."Rocket 88"........Jackie Brenston And His Delta Cats........Chess
11)..."Maybelline"........Chuck Berry........Chess
12)..."Greenbacks"........Ray Charles........Atlantic
13)..."V8 Ford Blues"........Mose Allison........Atlantic
14)..."SUV"........Mem Shannon........Shanachi
15)..."Big V8"........Mark Sallings And The Famous Unknowns........Vent
16)..."Big Ass Green Van"........Bill Perry........Blind Pig
17)..."Peddle To The Metal"........Sonny Landreth........Sugar Hill

We could sure use a few more subscribers. It's totally free except for a minute of your time. All of us would "Thank You!"........ Don't worry....we rarely ever send out a newsletter.

Listen to: Crazy Bout An Automobile!

Ike Turner Tells It Like It Was....A BluePower Re-Run!

2010-03-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

This time IKE pulls no punches. He speaks about the record companies of the fifties and sixties and their ways of doing business. He talks about JERRY WEXLER and AHMET ERTEGUN at ATLANTIC. PHIL and LEONARD CHESS of CHESS RECORDS. The BIHARI BROTHERS at MODERN and SID NATHAN from KING RECORDS. (Ike's first contract at King Records paid him 1/4 of a cent per record sold. Outrageous by today's standards.) On the other side of the coin however; Ike reminds us that these companies were the standard bearers of Black music and were responsible for the giant steps that brought Blues and Rhythm and Blues to the forefront of American popular music and that without these independent record companies and the men that ran them, these genres may have died out completely. Ike speaks out about RAP and the negative values of the genre regarding African Americans. Parts 3 and 4 of a four part series.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Listen to Part 3 | Listen to Part 4

BluePower Re-Run....Ike Turner....The Bad Boy Of The Blues!

2010-02-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

BluePower is proud to present Part One and Two of an exclusive interview with the inimitable IKE TURNER. Hailed as the FATHER OF ROCK AND ROLL, Turner talks of the early days on the road, his influences and of the racial parameters Black musicians had to mind in the South. In this first hour of a four hour series, John and Jeanie attempt to uncover Ike's feelings regarding many topics. We think you will be surprised to find this man is "not" the ogre of which he has been made by the media. You will find that Ike Turner was one of the most gifted popular American musicians and contributed more to the world of popular music than even the experts realize.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Listen To Part One!

Listen To Part Two!

BluePower Presents....An Evening With Teresa Russell!

2010-02-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

A raging Southern California guitar phenomenon .....

Described as "the most awesome Female rock guitarist...ever!" this is simply an understatement - Teresa Russell is one of the best guitarists out there: male or female.

Teresa, is the only female to ever qualify" in the top eight" for the national finals in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's lead guitar competition, Guitarmageddon. Competing with over 2000 guitarists across the country, she accomplished this by winning the West regional in Los Angeles where she received "out-of-seat-thumbs-up" kudos from such Grammy award, celebrity judges/guitarists as Steve Lukather (Toto) and Steve Stevens (Billy Idol).

Teresa started guitar lessons at age 7. She was playing teen halls, high schools and navy bases by age 9. At age 12, she was playing on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. With guitar influences such as Hendrix and Clapton, she rocked regularly at Gazzari's and the Whiskey A-Go-Go. Numerous TV appearances followed as well as writing songs for a movie called The Young Graduates. At age 14, Teresa and her band were contracted to do a six-month engagement in Mexico City, performing at the El Camino Real and El Senior Real Hotels and night clubs.
After attending Northridge University on a guitar scholarship, she hit the road to continue seasoning her rock chops in countless roadhouse bars throughout the western U.S. She later formed an all-female rock band and performed for several years on the Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe circuits.

After touring all over the world with Helen Reddy throughout the late 80's, playing live TV and major concert venues, Teresa decided to pursue projects of her own. She focused on her Blues-rock roots with an aggressive style establishing a wide-spread fan base throughout southern California.

On the recent release of her 3rd CD with Cocobilli, "Show You What Love Can Do", Teresa delivers an electrifying performance that features raging guitar solos. Her vocal style has been compared to such divas as Janis Joplin, Melissa Etheridge, and Bonnie Raitt, combining a rock-hard edge with a supple warmth that quickly distinguishes her voice as uniquely that of Teresa Russell. Joined in her virtuosity by bassist Billi Breland and drummer Coco Roussel, this popular trio can be seen performing regularly throughout Southern California.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

For more information, go to Teresa Russell

Listen now to Teresa Russell!

BluePower Re-Run....An Evening With Barry McCabe!

2010-01-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

The strength of the Blues can be determined by the sheer amount of ground the music has covered in the last 80 years. In that time, this purely American art-form has managed to blossom in nearly every country in the world. The Blues has been transformed into nearly every language and is understood by every man and woman ever born. No one can honestly say they "have not" had the Blues at one time or another.

In this presentation, BluePower honors a man for his contributions to the Blues and Rock from the beautiful country of Ireland. Barry McCabe was born in Virginia, Co. Cavan, Ireland and has managed to travel the world bringing his music to hundreds of thousands of people. Barry's music can best be described as Rock and Blues with a Celtic twist.

This show features music from many of Barry's CDs but primarily from his new release, Beyond The Tears.

Tune in to this masterful player, writer and performer as he guides us through many stories of life and the pursuit of happiness. A true storyteller in every sense of the word, Barry McCabe gives his all to his art; to our benefit.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

The songs are:

1)...."Sunrise"....Barry McCabe/Davey Spillane
2)...."In The Dead Of Night"....Barry McCabe
3)...."Oh Well"....Barry McCabe written by Peter Green
4)...."Sheilagh"....Barry McCabe
5)...."Rollin'"....Barry McCabe
6)...."Trouble"....Barry McCabe
7)...."The Emigrant"....Barry McCabe/Davey Spillane
8)...."Talkin' Woman Blues"....Barry McCabe
9)...."Full Moon On Main Street"....Barry McCabe
10)..."Arthur"....Barry McCabe
11)..."Tempted"....Barry McCabe
Listen to....BluePower Presents....An Evening With Barry McCabe!

To Find more on Barry McCabe....Click here!

In The Beginning....The Vaudeville Years!

2010-01-20T12:19:00.001-08:00

Vaudeville entertainment for black audiences began in 1909 with an organization called TOBA. Those four letters stood for Theater Owners Bookers Association. Often called by the black entertainers who worked the TOBA circuit: Tough On Black Artists. For many of the artists, trying times to be sure. However, it was an important cog in the machine which brought black entertainment to the rural areas and large cities in the early part of the century. TOBA had more than 100 theaters operating by the end of the 1920s.

Blues and Jazz were an important part of black entertainment in those early years and surely both idioms grew because of the fine caliber of the performers of that era and their ability to reach large audiences throughout most of the country.

Actual recordings started being made in 1914 by Victor, Columbia and Edison though the Edison company finally bowed out of the business. In 1918, the Paramount Record Company (a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Chair Company of Port Washington) came into being primarily to make recordings for folks to play on their newly purchased record players which were made by the Chair Company. Paramount is famous today for two things....they were first to record Blind Lemon Jefferson and Ma Rainey and....they made terrible quality pressings of cheap shellac. Were it not for Paramount however, many great artists would never have been heard. Business is business.

The Vaudeville Years highlights some of the dynamic female vocalists of that time, women who set the mark for all other female blues shouters to follow.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records
2)...."St. Louis Blues"....Bessie Smith....Columbia Records
3)...."Bo Weavil Blues"....Ma Rainey....Paramount Records
4)...."I'm A Mighty Tight Woman"....Sippie Wallace....Okeh (Columbia) Records
5)...."T.B. Blues"....Victoria Spivey....Victor Records
6)...."Coffin Blues"....Ida Cox....Paramount Records
7)...."Texas Moaner Blues"....Alberta Hunter....Paramount Records
8)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records

Click here to listen to....In The Beginning....The Vaudeville Years!

Click here to go to....Red Hot Jazz.com
_________________________________________________________________

Martin Luther King....A Biography!

2010-01-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. His grandfather began the family's long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor. Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated. After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955. In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family.

In 1954, Martin Luther King accepted the pastorale of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race, King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organization of its kind in the nation. He was ready, then, early in December, 1955, to accept the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate. The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank.

In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream", he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.

At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.

A Laid Back Christmas Eve....2009!

2009-12-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? Another year has passed quickly away. Where did the time go? I'll have to check my diary.
I know we lost a lot of good folks somewhere along the way this year and I surely hope they have passed this mortal coil in a positive direction.

Myself....Well I consider it lucky now if I just wake up every day and feel pretty good. I am not unique in that regard.

I did want to put a little something together for Christmas just in case a few folks would like to hear a few tunes which are not ordinarily played off the normal channels.

Please join me on this beautiful California, laid back, Christmas Eve.

Thanks for listening....John Rhys-Eddins

Here are the players and performers for this show....:)

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury
2)...."Christmas Celebration"....BB King....HOB
3)...."Santa Clause Wants Some Lovin' "....Albert King....HOB
4)...."Sonny Boy's Christmas Blues"....Sonny Boy Williamson....HOB
5)...."Boogie Woogie Santa Clause"....Mabel Scott....HOB
6)...."Santa Claus, Santa Claus"....Louis Jordan....HOB
7)...."Winter Wonderland"....The Ronnie Cole Trio....Paula Records
8)...."Please Come Home For Christmas"....Charles Brown....Paula Records
9)...."Lonesome Christmas" (Pt. 1)....Lowell Fulsom....Paula Records 10)..."Lonesome Christmas" (Pt. 2)....Lowell Fulsom....Paula Records
11)..."All I Want For Christjmas Is You"....Vince Vance....Waldoxy
12)..."Merry Christmas Baby"....Charles Brown....Paula Records
13)..."Let's Make Christmas Merry Baby"....Amos Milburn....HOB
14)..."Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"....The Saint John's Choir....Savannah, Georgia
15)..."Santa"....Lightnin' Hopkins....HOB
16)..."Santa's Messin' With The Kid"....Eddie C. Campbell....HOB
17)..."White Christmas"....Sugar Boy Crawford...Paula Records
18)..."What Child Is This/Greensleeves"....The Saint John's Choir (organist unknown)

Listen to....A Laid Back Christmas Eve, 2009!

Hit Producer, Engineer And Friend, Larry Cox Passes Away!

2009-12-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

Pictured from left to right: John Rhys, Suzanne Ellis and Larry Cox

The call came this morning. Larry Cox had finally succumbed to cancer. He fought the disease bravely throughout the last several years. He had mentioned that his wish was to go and that he thought he wasn't going to win the battle. His friend, Marilyn Parker, called with the news.

Larry will be remembered always for his contributions to American popular music. He had several number one records, a feat not easily achieved. He produced and engineered "Precious And Few" for Sonny Geraci and Climax and produced "Miracles" for the Jefferson Starship. Both went to number one in the charts.

Larry was a gentleman and a real human being and is already greatly missed.

Funeral arrangements are being prepared in Littlefield, Texas. Flowers and condolences may be sent to:

Marilyn Parker
311 E. 22nd. Street
Littlefield, Texas
79339

BluePower is preparing a show with a number of Larry's great productions. Stay tuned!

John Rhys
BluePower.com

BluePower CD Review....8 Ball Aitken....Rebel With A Cause!

2009-12-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

For months now, we at BluePower have been searching for product we could enthusiastically endorse. Though receiving plenty of product, nothing stood out as being new and exciting; that is until we heard 8 Ball Aitken's CD. After listening to it a dozen or so times, I knew I had found the product for which I had been looking.

I remembered back to when I was a young record promo man in the Deep South, hauling boxes of new product into radio stations hoping to get some airplay. In those days, good songs always received significant airplay. The CD we're playing today is what I would then call my "Ace in the hole" because it is an album of great songs. Nothing intense or heavy, just fine writing of some good-time, heart-felt music.

Hailing from "way down under", 8 Ball Aitken has copped some of Australia's finest music awards. (Check out his website to see all.) His playing, though straight-forward, is pure and goes to the heart of the music. 8 Ball has done his homework, the man rocks without going over the top. Something which has not been prevalent on the American music scene for some time.

Congratulations to all those involved with this product. It's a mighty fine piece of work!

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records
2)...."Cyclone Country"....8 Ball Aitken....Phoenix Movement Records
3)...."Hands On Top Of The Wheel"....8 Ball Aitken....Phoenix Movement Records
4)...."Black Swamp Creek"....8 Ball Aitken....Phoenix Movement Records
5)...."Yellow Moon"....8 Ball Aitken....Phoenix Movement Records
6)...."The Party"....8 Ball Aitken....Phoenix Movement Records
7)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records

Click here to play....8 Ball Aitken....Rebel With A Cause!

Click here to see...."Heart In Heaven And Hands On Top Of The Wheel"

Click here to go to 8 Ball Aitken's website!

BluePower Presents....The Blues From Catalonia!

2009-11-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

Since we have been involved with BluePower, we have been sent the Blues from some strange places. The country of origin for tonight's music is certainly not a place known for the Blues. Until now, that is. The music and artists for tonight's show come from the relatively little known country of Catalonia. To be quite honest, I have been to Barcelona, Spain before and never knew it was the capitol of Catalonia. I always thought Barcelona was part of Spain. Well....that's a long story and one you should possibly dig into a bit. Catalonia's history is worth studying.

Catalonia is a Mediterranean country located on the northwestern triangle of the Iberian Peninsular. Historically, it's location has turned it into a land of peace, where various peoples and cultures have come together.

The CD we're presenting tonight is titled Blues Cat and features artists who all hail from Catalonia, Spain.

The CD was sent to us from our friend, Vicente Zumel of Barcelona. Vicente has been producing and hosting a Blues radio show in Barcelona for 25 years called La Hora Del Blues. The man has a remarkable set of archives and does a wonderfully impromptu show. Please give a listen when you have time.

BluePower sends it's congratulations to all the talented artists of Catalan and apologizes for the fact that we could not get to all the great players on Blues Cat this time around. We hope you'll forgive us.

Thanks for tuning in.
John Rhys/BluePower.com

Tonight's artists are:

1)....Theme...."Koz's Walk"....Koz Kosinski
2)...."Woatinee"....Amadeu Casas
3)...."Blues Through My Veins"....Alex A. & TNT
4)...."Sugar Sweet"....Joan Pau Cumellas-Miguel Talavera
5)...."Drowning In The Blues"....Loti Lewis
6)...."Waiting At The Train Station"....Joan Vinyals-Cece Giannotti
7)...."Trist Gris"....Errol Woiski
8)...."Cara De Foc"....Big Mama & Joan Pau Cumellas
9)...."Cansat"....Blues De Picolat
10)..."Jungle's Groove"....Lluis Coloma

Click here to play....BluePower Presents....The Blues From Catalonia!

Click here to go to....La Hora Del Blues!

BluePower Presents....Banned In Boston!

2009-11-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

This is a re-run from February 25th, 2007

During the late 1940s and the 1950s, there were a lot of records made that were a bit past the "blue"side....in fact, these records were downright "gray". So much so, that these records were banned in Boston.

Now banned in Boston is just a term borrowed from the late twenties when there was an organization (which was housed in Boston) that literally banned books from entering public libraries and stopped these books from being sold in America.

In the instance of these recordings however, it was white owned radio during these years which banned what they called "Race" music. Race music in the late forties was merely black music. That title did not change until a young editor from Billboard Magazine came up with a catchy phrase....the rhythm and blues. That man was Jerry Wexler and he would go on to produce some of the greatest rhythm and blues music of all time.

This music spawned some of the greatest labels America has ever known. Atlantic, Atco, Chess, Checker, Argo, King (from which label many of the cuts heard tonight hail), Federal, and on and on. These records needed to be heard. Black radio stepped in to fill the gap and a whole new business was created.

One of the terms of many of these records is "rock and roll" and everyone thinks that Alan Freed coined the phrase. I personally believe that Mr. Freed loved this wild music as much as any of us did at the time and simply borrowed the term. It stuck....and American music would never be the same again.

Tune in as I play many of my favorite "dirty" songs. The songs my step-father did his best to stop me from listening. As you can hear....he failed.

Here's tonight's music:

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records
2)...."My Big Ten Inch"....Moose Jackson....King Records
3)...."I Didn't Want To Do It"....The Spiders....Imperial Records
4)...."My Babe"....Little Walter....Checker Records
5)...."Herpes Blues"....Matt Lucas....BJCD Records
6)...."Sixty Minute Man"....The Dominoes....Federal Records
7)...."Lovin' Machine"....Wynonie Harris....King Records
8)...."Work With Me Annie"....The Midnighters....Federal Records
9)...."I'm Your Hoochie-Coochie Man"....Muddy Waters....Chess Records
10)..."It Ain't The Meat, It's The Motion"....The Swallows....King Records
11)..."Yield Not To Temptation"....Bobby "Blue" Bland....Duke Records
12)..."Turn On Your Lovelight"....Bobby "Blue" Bland....Duke Records
13)...."Good Mornin' Little School Girl"....Junior Wells....Chess Records
14)..."All She Wants To Do Is Rock"....Wynonie Harris....King Records
15)..."Sexy Ways"....The Midnighters....Federal Records
16)..."My Ding-A-Ling"....Dave Bartholomew....King Records
17)..."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records

I made a serious mistake in this show. Be the first to point it out to me and I will send you a great new live concert DVD.

Thanks for listening!
John Rhys-Eddins/BluePower.com

Click here to listen to....BluePower Presents....Banned In Boston!

Half Dead In Hollywood....Bobby "Boris" Pickett!

2009-10-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

This time in 2006 was the last time I saw Bobby Pickett alive.

When he came to the BluePower studio he told us he wasn't well and jokingly said, "We'd better make this a good show as it may be my last."

I don't think it was quite Bobby's last show but very close. On the 25th of April, 2007, the world lost a wonderful human being and a gifted entertainer.

I can't think of a better show for Halloween than this show featuring our dear departed friend....Bobby Pickett.
_____________________________________________

Ever since I've known Bob, I have marveled at his elegance of manner, his ultra-quick wit and his well focused insight to character. We have recorded dozens of commercials and a whole lot of bits together. (He as talent and I as engineer) Through hours of being on the other side of the glass, I gained a great deal of respect for this talented man's work.

Forty-five years ago, a tiny record lable called GARPAX released a single (45 rpm record) to the world. The A side, written by Bob and Lenny Capeci is titled "Monster Mash" and has become synonymous with the holiday, Halloween. There are very few people in the world whom haven't heard, "They did the mash....they did the Monster Mash. It was a graveyard smash!"

And smash it was. This one song has kept Bobby "Boris" Pickett in groceries for forty-five years. and....as Bob mentions, "It's more than paid the rent."

Bob will be appearing at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey on the 27th, 28th and 29th of October at the 16th Annual Chiller Theatre Expo along with Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman), the enchanting Elvira, plus Adam West and Burt Ward of Batman fame.

His book, Monster Mash, Half Dead In Hollywood is a tremendous read and tells Mr. Pickett's history from the time he was born through today. Bob tells the truth about Hollywood and the denizens that dwell there.

As Mr. Pickett says...."They drag me out for one night a year. It's my time to howl."

It's good to hear you howl again my friend.

Tonight's music is....

1)...."It's Alive"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett
2)...."Dead Man's Party"....Oingo-Boingo
3)...."Monster Mash"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett
4)...."Gallow's Pole"....Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
5)...."Werewolves Of London"....Warren Zevon
6)...."Sinister Stomp"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett
7)...."Got My Mojo Workin' "....Muddy Waters
8)...."Blood Bank Blues"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett

Incidental music composed by: Dave Roberts.

The picture of Bobby Pickett at the top of the page was taken by Jimmy Wachtel during the recording of Pickett's version of Warren Zevon's, "Werewolves Of London".

Listen to....Half Dead In Hollywood....With Guest....Bobby "Boris" Pickett!

Go to the superb website of Bobby "Boris" Pickett!

Have a safe and sane HALLOWEEN!

Just Imagine....The Life Of John Lennon In Story And Song!

2009-10-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

Just Imagine....Seeing John Lennon alive one more time.
Just Imagine....Hearing Lennon's music performed by John Lennon himself.
Just Imagine....Taking a trip through a time that was both wonderful and horrifying.
Just Imagine....Hearing the "behind the scenes" stories of John Lennon's songs told by Lennon himself.

These experiences were all beheld by a packed house this afternoon at the NoHo Arts Center Theater.

This writer was both touched and amazed by the beauty of the concept and the performance of one amazing actor named Tim Piper. Half way through the production, I was convinced that Tim Piper was John Lennon. Lennon's speech patterns, mannerisms and off-handed approach to entertaining are all there.

Piper/Lennon tells Beatles' inside stories and gives the audience a close up and personal history of his music as it related to his life.

Just Imagine is different due to the fact that the two hour show is basically a musical centered around a superb actor. Piper sings and plays beautifully and after the intermission, literally walks out alone with a guitar and asks the audience for Beatles' songs....any Beatles' songs, which he then performs solo with the entire audience singing along.

Backing Piper is one magnificent band consisting of Musical Director, Greg Piper (Bass), Don Butler (Lead Guitar), Morley Bartnoff (Keyboards) and Don Poncher (Drums).

Artfully directed by Steve Altman, Just Imagine had the audience on it's feet for at least fifteen minutes after closing and that says it all.

Just Imagine is a "must see" in this writer's book. The performance made my day and brought back a time I thought I had forgotten. Not to mention a tear and a giggle.

Showtimes are....October 30th thru November 22nd. Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. For information and tickets call 866-811-4111.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

America's Ambassador Of Music....Mr. B.B. King! (Parts One & Two)

2009-10-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I run behind with new shows and for that, I apologize. However; there are always a plethera of shows looming in BluePower's background which I can substitute while I work on something new.

This week, I am posting the BB King show I did several years ago. The reason being that it is a good show and quite informative. It speaks of BB's influences, which are significant for young guitarists. They were for me.

Part One deals with the set up at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas where Mr. King was to perform. You get a definite idea as to what instruments BB uses in his ensemble; the set up etc. Good stuff to know.

Then John interviews BB King....truly, one of the nicest men on the planet.

Part Two deals with BB's musical influences as a young musician growing up. His influences may astonish you.

Many thanks to my dear friend, Jim Cantale of ESI Event Services for his efforts on BluePower's behalf.

I do hope you enjoy BB King Parts One and Two.

Thank You,
John Rhys-Eddins
BluePower.com

Listen To BB King, Part One!
Listen To BB King, Part Two!

Go to BB King's Web Site!

Hats Off To America's Firefighters!

2009-09-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

I have had an up-close and personal meeting with fire. Our house burned down when I was thirteen. I never forgot those brave Firefighters (volunteers I might add) who came just a bit too late to save our little house. Without them, the loss would have been total.

Here in California, we all know the true worth of the Firefighter. We have watched year after year as our forests and hills rage with fire only to be beaten back by these courageous men and women who take their motto seriously and lay their lives on the line day after day.

Even now, the largest wildfire in California's history is burning acres by the handful and is requiring nearly 5 thousand men and women to bring it under control. The Firefighters lost two good men during the fight when overwhelmed by smoke, their truck slid off a narrow dirt road and rolled down a steep, thickly forested hill which was covered in flame.

The victims were fire Capt. Tedmund Hall, 47, of San Bernardino County, and firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones, 35, of Palmdale. Hall was a 26-year veteran, and Quinones had been a county firefighter for eight years. I wish to personally apologize for mis-pronouncing Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones name during the program. I should have double checked the spelling.

Not only are Firefighters there when fires break out but they are also a second line of defense for America at home. This is something I did not know. I'm hoping to learn more about the Firefighter's role in national defense.

As for myself....I wish to thank all the fire crews battling to save lives and property as I write. I have relatives whom are Firefighters and have heard the harrowing tales told of unsung heros and friends who are no longer with us.

Thank you Brothers and Sisters of the American firefighting brigades.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."The Burn"....Real George....unreleased
2)...."We Didn't Start The Fire"....Billy Joe l....Columbia Records 3)...."Matchbox"....Matt Lucas....Smash Records
4)...."I'm On Fire"....Etta James....Chess Records
5)...."Next To Your Fire"....The Pack....Capitol Records
6)...."Light My Fire"....The Doors....Elektra Records
7)...."Serpentine Fire"....Earth, Wind and Fire....Columbia Records
8)...."We'll See Sunshine Again"....Bobby Barth and Blackfoot....unreleased
9)...."The Burn"....Real George....unreleased

Click here to listen to....Hats Off To The Firefighters!

Join The Firefighters!

Latest From Heart Of Gold Entertainment!

2009-08-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hi John,

Hard to believe that two years have passed since we met in Hollywood for our young artist showcase. Fredrik Strand Halland is trying to make some in-roads in the United States. He attended SXSW in Austin, Texas and continues to make progress with singing in English. It is hard to watch great talent struggle while some with little talent get packaged and find success. Grant Austin Taylor finally got his Gibson endorsement and is leading a younger band called Holly Road while still performing with adults as the Grant Austin Taylor Band. A few other young ones to watch are Tyler Dow Bryant not a kid but not yet 21) and Levi Platero.

Rather than curse the darkness that is the music industry these days, I am lighting a candle. I was fortunate to meet an amazing young man who had his own internet radio show that featured young artists from all over the world. Brent Albert led a tragic life but he was relentlessly positive in his attitude and always encouraged others that came across his path. Brent's lost his twin brother to leukemia and lived with his dad apart from his drug addicted mom. Music was his refuge and inspiration. In April of 2008 he went to a doctor for the chronic headaches he was having and after some tests, was diagnosed with a PNET brain tumor. Rather than retreat into his own world, Brent saw teens and kids in the pediatric oncology department at Hershey Medical Center who were scared, isolated and in constant pain. He knew that music could help them as it had helped him throughout his life. Brent would call me, often late at night when he couldn't sleep and we would talk about how to bring music into the lives of these kids. We read up on music therapy and discovered that this was an area of concentration at some of the better music schools like Berklee College of Music. It is so much more than just having musicians come in and play for patients. Our next task was to find an existing nonprofit that would "sponsor" our idea of bringing music therapy and a library of music to hospitals and infusion centers everywhere. We found Rock Against Cancer (www.rockagainstcancer.org) and I wrote a proposal. Lisa White and her Board welcomed us and Brent was overjoyed. I remember sending Brent 10 iPod nanos packaged in Apple Computer bags with stuffed animals. Brent was so excited in handing them out at his hospital with his dad. He let us know that he wasn't going to see this project all the way through and it was harder for us to accept this than it was for him. He had a strong spiritual (not religious) connection through his partial native heritage. In January he seemed to be rallying from an emergency surgery so I went to NAMM as he demanded I do. On my way home to the Bay Area, around 8 p.m. after a magnificent sunset just two hours earlier, I felt a warm and peaceful feeling come over me. About two hours later I arrived home and checked my computer. There was an email from Brent's younger brother Shane telling me that Brent had passed away around 11 pm eastern time, just an hour before his 16th birthday on January 19th.

So now Heart of Gold Entertainment is focused on making the Soulshine Project (named after the song written by Warren Haynes and performed by the Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule) a fitting legacy for Brent and a new resource for young people in treatment for cancer and other life altering conditions. We began our fund raising in May with the first of many small benefits hosted by young artists. We are documenting their efforts and will approach larger donors soon. We are in a position where all funds raised by the young artists will be double matched. We are pushing to raise $12,500 by year end. This will be matched by a wealthy private donor and then this total will be matched by Hot Topic. If all goes according to plan, we will have $50,000 which is what we need to start a comprehensive music therapy program at Hershey Medical Center (Penn. State University) where Brent was treated. If you have any suggestions or can give Soulshine Project a mention, let me know. We also have a compilation CD in the works that has a strong line up of donated tracks from young artists worldwide.

Warmly,

Bill Boyrer

(650) 444-1277

bill@heartofgoldent.com

Memphis Musician Jim Dickinson Dies At 67!

2009-08-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

By Bob Mehr (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal

The North Mississippi Allstars have lost their father, Bob Dylan has lost a “brother,” rock and roll has lost one of its great cult heroes and Memphis has lost a musical icon with the death of Jim Dickinson.

The 67-year-old Dickinson passed away early Saturday morning in his sleep. The Memphis native and longtime Mississippi resident had been in failing health for the past few months and was recuperating from heart surgery at Methodist Extended Care Hospital.

Ebet Roberts

Iconic Memphis musician and producer Jim Dickinson has died at age 67.

Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal

Musician and producer Jim Dickinson listens in May 2006 to the new 5.1 surround sound mixing console at Young Avenue Sound recording studio with engineer Jennifer Lee.

Ardent Studios

Jim Dickinson in 1965. Dickinson, a musician and producer who helped shape the Memphis sound in an influential career that spanned more than four decades, was 67.

_________________________________________________________________

“He went peacefully,” said his wife, Mary Lindsay Dickinson, adding that her husband remained in good spirits until the end. “He had a great life. He loved his family and music. And he loved Memphis music, specifically.”

During the course of his colorful half-century career, Dickinson built a worldwide reputation as a session player for the likes of Dylan and The Rolling Stones, a producer for influential groups including Big Star and The Replacements, a sometime solo artist and the patriarch of a small musical dynasty through his sons, Cody and Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars.

Just last weekend, a tribute concert headlined by singer-songwriter John Hiatt and featuring a host of Memphis musicians was held at The Peabody Skyway to help defray Dickinson’s medical costs.

Dickinson’s earthy musical approach resonated with his peers: Bob Dylan, who was a longtime friend and collaborator, acknowledged him as a “brother” while accepting a Grammy award for 1997’s Time Out of Mind; The Rolling Stones, ever wary of outsiders, brought Dickinson in to add his soulful piano touch to their classic Sticky Fingers ballad “Wild Horses.”

As a producer, Dickinson was a studio alchemist in the tradition of such great Memphians as Sam Phillips and Chips Moman, for whom he worked. Dickinson was willing take on any role, acting as a protector, parent or prankster for his artists — thus helping him forge creatively rewarding relationships with difficult talents including Alex Chilton, Paul Westerberg and Ry Cooder.

Dickinson’s reach and impact on Memphis music over the last four decades is significant; perhaps more than anyone, he was uniquely connected to the city’s historic past and its present.

In addition to being one of the key forces behind the rise of Memphis’ Ardent Studios, Dickinson’s deconstructionist roots-rock band Mud Boy & the Neutrons proved a seminal influence on several generations of local acts.

Dickinson remained busy during his final years, continuing to produce local artists, including the breakthrough CD for Memphis roots chanteuse Amy LaVere, as well as several projects for his sons. He’d also been writing and performing with a crew of musicians half his age in the garage bands Snake Eyes and Trashed Romeos in recent months.

Born in Little Rock on Nov. 15, 1941, and briefly raised in Chicago before settling in Memphis, the young James Luther Dickinson came up in a musical hothouse, influenced by his piano-teacher mother and mesmerized by the sounds permeating from the radio.

“There was something about the voice coming out of the box that got me. That’s where it all started,” Dickinson recalled in his final interview, given to The Commercial Appeal in May.

As a student at White Station High School, Dickinson formed his first band, The Regents; he later had the distinction of singing on The Jesters’ 1966 garage-rock nugget “Cadillac Man,” the last great release on Sun Records.

After a stint in college in Texas, Dickinson returned to the Bluff City, where he began a career as a session player, eventually forming The Dixie Flyers, a group that became house band for Atlantic Records, and backing artists such as soul queen Aretha Franklin and R&B belter Little Richard.

In 1972, Dickinson released his first solo record, the cult classic Dixie Fried. The LP would prove the apotheosis of a kaleidoscopic musical vision he dubbed “world boogie.”

Significantly, starting in the mid-’70s, Dickinson made an almost seamless transition from working with mainstream major label acts to punk and indie artists. Beginning with his work on the seminal Big Star album Third/Sister Lovers, Dickinson’s “anything goes” aesthetic made him a favorite choice to produce numerous alternative acts in the ’80s and ’90s.

Bobby Hart....The Sweet Sound Of Success!

2009-07-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

In the 50s and 60s, there was a thriving music business on both coasts. Major and independent record labels were constantly searching for new artists and new songwriters. It was during this, the most exciting time for the music industry that Bobby Hart came to Hollywood with dreams of being in the music business.

His dreams, timing and his remarkable talent led to his being nominated for a Grammy, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. Along with his writing partner, Tommy Boyce, the duo produced over 100 million units sold around the world. The two writers vast list of hits includes songs for The Monkees, Little Anthony, Jay and The Americans, Freddie Cannon, Dean Martin and Paul Revere and The Raiders. They also wrote the "Days Of Our Lives" theme which has been running daily for over forty years.

Tune in as John and Bobby discuss Bobby's career which turned out to be a wild ride and a virtual tour through the heyday of the American Record Industry.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Theme From Days Of Our Lives"
2)...."Come A Little Bit Closer"....Jay and The Americans
3)...."Last Train To Clarksville"....The Monkees
4)...."I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight"....Boyce and Hart
5)...."Pretty Little Angel Eyes"....Curtis Lee
6)...."Theme From The Monkees"....The Monkees
7)...."Theme From Where The Action Is"....Freddy Cannon
8)...."Hurt So Bad"....Little Anthony

Click here to listen to interview with music.

Click here to see video of interview sans music.

Quicktime player required to view video.
___________________________________________________________________
If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.