Apr 30 2009
Like (Nearly) A Rolling Stone (and more)
He was the founder (and leader) of The Rollin’ Stones.
Now, I know you’re thinkin’ I misspelled it — but that’s the way guitarist Brian Jones had it when he first started the band years ago.
In fact, among the first ones he asked to be in the band was Mick Jagger, right?
Wrong!
Actually, Brian’s first choice was a young singer from Jones’ hometown of Cheltenham — a soulful Paul Jones (no relation, btw). But since Paul didn’t see a great future for the band Brian was planning, he went on to become lead singer for a different one: a band led by South African keyboardist Manfred Mann.
Though Mann’s group did extremely well with songs like Do-Wah-Diddy-Diddy, Sha-La-La, Come Tomorrow, etc., they didn’t do nearly as well as the new “Rollin’ Stones” band that Brian came up with. By adding Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (later Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman), a “g” to the first part of the band’s name, and a lot of promotion and negotiating with venue owners, Brian formed one of the most famous and durable bands of all time!
Paul went on to record on his own after splitting with the band, having a couple of decent hits in the UK. Today, he’s touring on occasion with The Manfreds (the same lineup as the original band, but without Mann) and also recording gospel albums, as he and wife Fiona Hendley are converted Christians. He’s also president of the National Harmonica League.
On top of all that, the 67-year-old’s completed his first solo album in thirty years. Called Starting All Over Again, it’s a solid mix of blues, rock and soul. And he’s had some pretty decent help on some of the thirteen tracks, too: Eric Clapton plays guitar on two of them, while soul veteran Percy Sledge sings a duet with Jones on another.
But … whatever happened to the band that he turned down? The “Rollin’ Stones”?
I’ll leave that for you to answer …
See ya on the flip side!
Ahhhh, how we loved Mama Partridge.
And if you’re going down Getwell Road in Memphis from Mississippi to Rte. 240, you’re now gonna be traveling the Jerry Lee Lewis Highway. The Tennessee state legislature — which is footing the $350 bill for the road signs at both sides of the stretch — passed the bill (to rename it) unanimously.
Chuck Berry.
On April 30, 1960, The Everly Brothers gave Warner Brothers (the latter, their record label) their first #1 song as they hit the top of the UK singles charts with Cathy’s Clown. Years later, that song would be covered on a single by country artist Reba McIntyre.
On April 30, 1964, The Beatles receive $140,000 dollars for the rights to having their pictures … included in packages of bubble gum in the USA.
Aerosmith is one band that never seems to run outta steam — and, if they gaffe somewhere, they (as they’ve had to do before) can “take it on the chin” and still keep going, lessons learned.
Okay … lemme see a show of hands here: Who hasn’t been hit by this economic crunch in one way or another? (ummm … if ya haven’t, just forward a twenty, in unmarked bills to the address at the bottom of the screen)
For example, Sir Elton John (sorry, girls, he’s already married …) lost 26% of his net worth, which (snif!) leaves him with a paltry $258 million (poor man … long John paltry, at best …)
First of all, the most energetic rock/balladeer of the past forty-plus years has to be the charismatic Tom Jones. Although the powerful voice from Pontypridd, Wales, will be 69 years old this year, the man who emits that voice is still as active — if not more so — as he was when he hit first gold with It’s Not Unusual in 1965!
And the latest poll by the UK’s Clothes Show Fashion event has determined the best-dressed icons of ’40s - ’90s … including the rock genre!
In the back-pages of rock and roll, we’ve seen acts that, for whatever reason, “fell between the cracks” a bit — just to have one or two of the members “climb out” of that crack and go on to become superstars in their own right. 
Another band, which apparently was a bit more influential than I’d originally thought, spawned one of the greatest songwriters of the twentieth cen — no, of the whole of history!
Piano Man Billy Joel is set to put his “John Hancock” on a $60,000 baby grand piano! The purpose: It’s gonna be auctioned off to raise money for Mount Carmel-Holy Rosary School’s music program (the school’s in East Harlem, New York). The auction will end on May 6.
In the last post, you met two of the greatest songwriters, performers and gentlemen in the business today. But, for just a minute, I wanna remind you of two other superstars who beat some tremendous odds to inspire a generation or two … or three …
The other is … well, no other word can describe Peter Dintino than: MIRACLE! This native New Yorker is not only a devoted student of Sixties rock and a witty, intelligent and amicable drummer/songwriter, but he also fought back from death and beat leukemia!
Gerry Marsden of Gerry & the Pacemakers received the Freedom of Liverpool award yesterday (Monday) — fittingly, aboard a Mersey Ferry (his biggest hit was Ferry Across The Mersey) — for services to both charity and his home town.
And singer Marianne Faithfull’s manager was arrested Friday when the couple were stopped at London’s Gatwick Airport. After first being told they had too much luggage, Francois Ravard became angry and the airline decided he was too drunk to fly. Said the airline, “He became physically and verbally abusive. Police were called and he was arrested.” Marianne was allowed to fly (alone) to Italy for a Saturday concert. (Incidentally, charges against Ravard will not be filed.)
Y’know, if there’s anything this balding bird really digs about music (I mean, outside the actual sounds), it’s gettin’ to know the hard-working, goal-oriented and sincere movers and shakers behind the instruments.
Without a doubt, the hardest-working of rock’s “new breed” is the front man for the wildly-popular UK band, 
Seems that, no matter how popular they are now, the stars had some pretty norml places in the workforce way-back-when:
Meanwhile (and speakin’ of “rock” and “Le Roq”), the hilarious Chris Rock started off his gainful employment by clearing dishes off the tables at Red Lobster (uh-huh … we call ‘em busboys. Usedta be one myself many, many moons ago …)!
ANOTHER ONE FOR THE ROAD??