Last weekend I saw Stevie Wonder perform live at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. I obviously knew Stevie’s hits but I had no idea that he put on such a great show. The man is sixty years old and blind since just after birth, and at a festival with over 100 acts he was the best thing about it. Aside from playing all his hits, he brought the audience in for sing-alongs including “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”, gave us a singing lesson, and (here’s the most important part, and the reason why I think he deserves a mention on Rockabye) throughout the entire set he reiterated the importance of peace, love and harmony. Wonder proved himself to be the most upbeat, exuberant performer, leading an ecstatic crowd of 70,000 people in dance moves.

Stevie has won more Grammys than any other male solo artist (22), and he has recorded over 30 top-ten hits, but I think most people will remember him for the positivity and joy his music brings to everyday life. His music is upbeat and danceable and his message of love is a great lesson to pass on to your kids.

Stevie Wonder “Superstition” at Bonnaroo 2010

Stevie Wonder – Uptight (Everything’s Alright) Live (1965)

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Elvis Presley

Due Date: August 10th 2010

Have a new baby’s tantrums turned a happy home into heartbreak hotel? Are you woe-some tonight because your little hound dog is crying all the time? That’s all right, Mama. Don’t cry, Daddy. If your teddy bear is all shook up, try these tender renditions of the King’s legendary hits. There will be peace in the nursery someday.

Love Me Tender (full length track):

Tracklist:

1. Jailhouse Rock
2. Burning Love
3. Suspicious Minds
4. All Shook Up
5. Heartbreak Hotel
6. Hound Dog
7. In the Ghetto
8. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
9. Blue Suede Shoes
10. Don’t Be Cruel
11. That’s All Right
12. Love Me Tender
13. Can’t Help Falling in Love

This year Lollapalooza will invade Grant Park in Chicago on Friday August 6^th and last until Sunday night. The thing that makes Lollapalooza different from every other music festival happening this summer is Kidzapalooza. There are many stages offering varying acts during Lollapalooza (including Lady Gaga and Green Day this year) but one stage and area is devoted solely to kids. The acts on the Kidzapalooza stage this year include Ed Kowalczyk (you probably remember him from heading up the band Live), The Verve Pipe (remember that song “The Freshmen”?), The Candy Band, Recess Monkey and of course the festival founder himself, Perry Farrell. Aside from a great three day line-up for kids, Kidzapalooza also offers various activities including Rock Star Video Karaoke, Drum Zone, Hairdooz, Tattooz, and Breakdancing, plus Hip Hop and Skateboarding workshops.

There is a ton happening at Kidzapalooza, and that’s just a small part of the Lollapalooza festival. So get your tickets for Lollapalooza to see some great bands (Soundgarden is getting back together on the third night) and at the same time take your kids to Kidzapalooza for a full rock experience.

Heads up: the website also claims to be launching a Kidzapalooza in Los Angeles although no information is available on where or when yet.

Chris Ballew is a name that most wouldn’t be able to identify immediately, unless you saw this video. Yes, it’s the singer/bassist from the Presidents of the United States of America, and yes that song will be in your head all day now. For some time now, Ballew has been recording and performing kids music under the moniker Caspar Babypants. His third album in 24 months, This Is Fun!, will be released this November and will feature vocals by Ballew’s son and a plethora of other guests, including Charlie Hope and Elizabeth Mitchell. Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic also joined the group for one track on the album, a cover of the classic grunge track “Sliver.”

To hear a new track title “Happy Heart” and for more information on shows and older material, check out www.babypantsmusic.com.

Check out this video of his song “$9.99″:

Last time in Part One of this series when I listed the top rock screams that I play for my for kids, I stuck to the classics: The Beatles, Springsteen, and The Who. While Roger Daltrey’s yell on “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is and always will be the greatest vocal-shredding rock scream ever recorded in a studio, it’s time to take a look at some other top-notch screamers. Here are three more guys who can belt it out with the best of them.

Robert Plant – Led Zeppelin

Arguably the greatest rock and roll lead singer ever. While Daltrey might hold the honor for greatest single rock scream on an album, Plant is the guy who consistently delivered the shrieks over and over again. It’s like his voice was made for rock and roll. Check out Led Zeppelin’s debut album and you won’t be disappointed in Plant’s screams, which are so good they simply sound like he’s singing (see “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”). Try “Communication Breakdown” at the 1:55 mark into this clip. You should probably just sit your kids down and say “Listen up, this is rock and roll,” and then hit play.

Steven Tyler – Aerosmith

There’s been a lot said and written about Aerosmith lately. Some say the band is too old and should quit rockin’ and many have speculated on the relationships within the band. But when these guys from Boston get up to play their 1973 classic “Dream On,” you can expect Tyler’s wail to show up. He just gives it his all at the end of the song and you have to wonder how many times over the course of his career his doctor has told him he needs to stop doing that to his vocal chords.

Axl Rose – Guns N’ Roses

Yes, Guns N’ Roses is really just Axl Rose’s backing band by now, but check these guys out back in the nineties. They brought rock back to its glory days and they did it with a great band and front man whose voice sounded like he was a human chainsaw. Check out this Axl scream compilation (particularly his performance on “Live and Let Die”).

In 1975 Yoko Ono gave birth to Sean Lennon, whose father was one of the most creative musicians of our time. John took on the role of doting parent and would draw with and for his son. The collected works became Real Love: The Drawings for Sean, a 48-page collection of water-color drawings and simple, charming puns.

Drawing was a form of communication between father and son, which is true for anyone who ever sat down to color with their kids. While the book will definitely appeal to Beatles’ fans, it will no doubt appeal to the kids of those fans even more.

Thursday, July 22nd kicks off the greatest weekend for geeks. It’s called Comic-Con and it happens once a year in San Diego. Over 100,000 people descend on the convention to discuss, attend panels, and dress up as their favorite characters. The convention has expanded to be about so much more than just comics and now includes TV, film and just about everything having to do with science fiction, cartoons, and more.

So why would this be interesting for kids? This year they are devoting one day (Sunday, July 25) to mostly children’s interests. Check out the website and look for events marked with a big K (for kids) on the Sunday schedule. The line-up includes Nickelodeon Presents: SpongeBob, Fairly OddParents, Fanboy, and The Troop (where you can catch screenings of new episodes), Children’s Film Festival, BOOM Kids! Muppets Spotlight (creating the Muppet Show comic book), How to Draw Star Wars for Kids, LEGO Universe Building Creativity Show & Tell, Nickelodeon’s The Troop: A Monster a Day Is All We Ask (an inside look), How to Draw Monsters, Sneak Peek into the LEGO Group’s New Constraction Property: Hero Factory!, Yo Gabba Gabba!— First Look and Live Show Ticket Giveaway, and Scooby-Doo Screening and Q&A.

If you’re into science fiction or just like dressing up as Chewbacca it’s worth checking out the convention in San Diego. You can also watch G4 over the weekend as they’ll be airing updates from the convention floor.

Born Frank Anthony Iommi in Aston, Birmingham, England in 1948, he would become one of the most influential hard rock guitarists of all time. But Tony Iommi almost never became a part of rock and roll history. Iommi started playing guitar when he was a teenager, but at the age of seventeen he suffered an accident while working at a sheet metal factory. He lost the tips of his middle and ring fingers on his right hand and was about to give up music. Iommi then strung his guitar with extra light strings and wore plastic covers that he built himself over his damaged fingers.

In August 1968 Iommi’s band Mythology broke up at the same time that another band named Rare Breed broke up. Rare Breed’s singer was a young lad named John “Ozzy” Osbourne. The pair, along with Terry Butler and Bill Ward formed a new band called…Polka Tulk (I know you were expecting Black Sabbath, but stick around for a second.) They then named their band Earth but there was another band named Earth so to avoid confusion they called themselves Black Sabbath in August, 1969.

Due to his factory accident Iommi used to detune his guitar from E to C# to avoid causing more pain in his fingers. Because of this, Black Sabbath were one of the first bands to detune and launch a new sound in heavy metal music. One accident at a young age could have derailed what eventually became a lengthy career in rock and roll but instead it ushered in a new sound that made Black Sabbath pioneers of hard rock.

Black Sabbath is for babies! No, really. Check out Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath, out now. Want to hear an exclusive full-length sneak peek of “Iron Man”? Click here! Need a free Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath coloring page? Yup, we’ve got that too.

Ex-Black Sabbath frontman and prominent foul-mouthed madman Ozzy Osbourne recently decided to dedicate his body to science when he dies because, in his words, “It’s amazing I’m still alive.” Before the dark prince bit the heads off doves, bats, and whatever else he could get his hands on, the man was known as John Michael Osbourne.

Ozzy received his nickname in primary school and refused to go by John for the rest of his days. He suffered some learning problems early on, which he claimed were based on dyslexia, and often said that he was molested by older classmates. He attended Prince Albert Road Junior School and Birchfield Road Secondary Modern School during this time period. He would meet Tony Iommi at Birchfield, and would many years later go on to put together Black Sabbath with the future guitarist.

Ozzy always loved music, however, and starred in many school plays. At 14, he became obsessed with the Beatles, which would lead him to leave school at 15 to break out on his own. He was quoted as saying, “”When I left school I wanted to become a plumber. When I heard the Beatles I wanted to become a Beatle.”

He’d take on many odd jobs, such as construction site laborer, apprentice toolmaker, car factory worker trainee plumber, and slaughterhouse worker. He also spent six weeks in jail after not being able to pay a fine for a burglary charge at a local clothing store. Later he would be back again for punching a cop in the face. It was in Winson Green Prison where he tattooed the now famous letters O-Z-Z-Y across his left knuckles, which he did with a sewing needle and graphite.

Soon, after playing in various bands that would go nowhere, Ozzy found success with Iommi by forming Black Sabbath. The rest, as they say, is history.

Black Sabbath is for babies! No, really. Check out Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath, out now. Want to hear an exclusive full-length sneak peek of “Iron Man”? Click here! Need a free Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath coloring page? Yup, we’ve got that too.

Black Sabbath is for babies! No, really. Check out Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath, out now. Want to hear an exclusive full-length sneak peek of “Iron Man”? Click here! Need a free Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath coloring page? Yup, we’ve got that too.