Showing posts with label #BBS Radio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #BBS Radio. Show all posts

Friday, January 8, 2021

GEORGE LYNCH LEGENDARY GUITARIST WITH DOKKEN AND LYNCH MOB RELEASING TWO NEW SENSATIONAL PROJECTS:EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW MARCH 2ND 2021 7PM PT/10PM ET ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS-BBS RADIO ONE

 

G E O R G E  

L Y N C H

LEGENDARY GUITARIST and SONGWRITER

with

D O K K E N

and

L Y N C H  M O B

SPECIAL GUEST

ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS 

with RAY SHASHO

 

Guitar-shredding virtuoso George Lynch has reteamed with former Dokken bandmate Jeff Pilson for a set of new studio recordings that turn pop music classics into powerful metal anthems! The two have previously made metal magic together as a duo on the 2003 album Wicked Underground, which was recently reissued on vinyl, as well as with other projects such as T&N and The End Machine. But this new batch of recordings, entitled appropriately enough Heavy Hitters, stands apart not only for its outstanding roster of players and vocalists including head Bulletboy Marq Torien, Fishbone’s Angelo Moore, Kansas native Wil Martin (Earshot) and drummer Brian Tichy (Whitesnake/Ozzy) but for the jaw-dropping song selection. If you’ve ever wondered what an amped-up, full-throttle version of Carole King’s “I Feel The Earth Move” or Prince’s “Kiss” or Oasis’ “Champagne Supernova” or Madonna’s “Music,” then this is the album for you! 

As a special treat, the band has released the first single from the album – a powerful rendition of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” – featuring Martin on vocals, offering just a small taste of what’s in store.

When George Lynch joined Dokken in the early 1980’s, success came very quickly. As history proves, much of the band’s album sales and credibility is the result of George Lynch’s guitar abilities and songwriting. With Dokken, Lynch recorded five albums from 1983 to 1988, all of which did remarkably well in the United States, Europe and Asia.

This worldwide success made George Lynch one of the most influential rock guitarists in modern music, even earning the band a Grammy nomination in 1989 for Best Rock Instrumental. 1989 was also the year the George parted ways with Dokken and began the new decade with a different approach…enter the Lynch Mob. 


By the early 1990s George had become a marquee guitar hero throughout the world. 

 

Two Giants Of Metal

GEORGE LYNCH 

and

 JEFF 

PILSON

Reteam For A Killer Covers Album

Heavy Hitters

The new album from Guitar-shredding virtuoso George Lynch and former Dokken bandmate Jeff Pilson for a set of new studio recordings that turn pop music classics into powerful metal anthems! Available on both CD in a deluxe digipak and on limited edition colored courtesy of Deadline Music, a subsidiary of Cleopatra Records, Inc.!

Purchase the album now at amazon.com

 


THE

BANISHMENT

Debut Album!

New project

 featuring Lynch / Devix / Haze

The Banishment is a three-piece passion project and collaboration between guitarist GEORGE LYNCH, programmer & multi-instrumentalist JOE HAZE

& LA based artist DEVIX. 

Original recording sessions began in 2015 when Haze & Lynch set out to challenge themselves and charter new territories after living through two separate and already prolific careers.  

Stepping out from behind the curtain Joe Haze has co-written and produced this new single with his first functioning band in over 10 years.  Meanwhile, Lynch has been met with opposition pushing his creativity into darker, more subliminal and chaotic territories since the 90s, finally together they’ve found a solid work-flow and composed dozens of plausible album cuts.

After 5+ years of failed attempts auditioning various vocalists with names to street corner crooners The Banishment was close to being shelved or released as an instrumental project.  

Enter "DEVIX AKA" (Devix Szell).  Grinding teeth against metal in the Los Angeles underground with bands like THE NARCOSIS DESIGN & SYMBOLISM (feat. original members of CHRISTIAN DEATH & SAMHAIN), Devix has been contributing to the self-proclaimed #DREAMPUNK genre.

Through a series of chance meetings and name droppings at the 2019 Cold Waves Music Festival, Devix was introduced to Joe Haze, vetted and finally introduced to guitar legend George Lynch.  

Upon hearing the words “DREAM PUNK”. The project was creatively green lit by Lynch and the three have been collectively working around the unpredictable Covid 19 Lockdown restrictions.

Now with lyrics by Devix and full collaboration with Lynch & Haze... LOST HORIZON is the first of many traxxx to come.  With your help, THE BANISHMENT will complete what is sure to be a memorable and important connection to the planet's survival mechanisms and leave a mark in each artists' respective catalogs.

Donate to the project

at

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-banishment-debut-album--3#/

 

For more information about

 G E O R G E

L Y N C H

visit

www.georgelynch.com

Official website

https://www.facebook.com/georgelynchfanpage/

Facebook

https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/

Instagram

https://twitter.com/lynchrocks

Twitter

Discography

Dokken

Breaking the Chains (1983)

Tooth and Nail (1984)

Under Lock and Key (1985)

Back for the Attack (1987)

Beast from the East (1988)

Dysfunctional (1995)

One Live Night (1996)

Shadowlife (1997)

From Conception: Live 1981 (2007)

Return to the East Live (2016)

Lynch Mob

Wicked Sensation (1990)

Lynch Mob (1992)

Syzygy (1998)

Smoke This (1999)

Evil: Live (2003)

REvolution (2003)

REvolution: Live! (2006)

Smoke and Mirrors (2009)

Sound Mountain Sessions (2012)

Unplugged: Live from Sugarhill Studios (2013)

Sun Red Sun (2014)

Rebel (2015)

The Brotherhood (2017)

Solo

Sacred Groove (1993)

Will Play for Food (2000)

Stone House (2001)

The Lynch That Stole Riffness! (2002)

Furious George (2004)

The Lost Anthology (2005)

Guitar Slinger (2007)

Scorpion Tales (2008)

Orchestral Mayhem (2010)

Kill All Control (2011)

Legacy EP (2012)

Shadow Train (2015)  

Lynch/Pilson

Wicked Underground (2003) Heavy Hitters (2020) 




G E O R G E 
L Y N C H
APPEARS 
MARCH 2ND 2021
7PM PACIFIC/10PM EASTERN
on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
with RAY SHASHO
BBS RADIO ONE
www.bbsradio.com


MY NEW BOOK IS FINALLY OUT!

ENTITLED

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE


CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE



 …Order yours today on 

Hardcover or E-book

 at bookbaby.com and amazon.com


Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of

the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST


THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

 

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show. 

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan. 

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives. 

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time. 

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   Gold Award Winner


Tuesday, September 1, 2020

ARPI ALTO ARMENIAN INTERNET SINGING SENSATION (JULIA ROBERTS LOOK-ALIKE) NOVEMBER 10TH ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS BBS RADIO ONE


A  R  P  I

A  L  T  O
ARMENIAN INTERNET
 SINGING SENSATION 
MISTAKENLY IDENTIFIED AS
 JULIA ROBERTS OLDEST DAUGHTER
FOR HER UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE 
TO PRETTY WOMAN
E X C L U S I V E
HER VERY FIRST INTERVIEW 
IN THE UNITED STATES

Arpine Mikaeli Ter-Petrosyan (born on September 30, 1990), known professionally as Arpi Alto, is a singer, songwriter, musician, performer and record producer from Armenia. She was born in the Armenian capital Yerevan on September 30, 1990, into a family of artists and musicians. Her mother, Anahit Ter Petrosyan, is a musician, jazz artist, music teacher and composer.

Her father, Mikayel Ter Petrosyan, is a sculptor, painter, visual artist, and expert in hand-made carpets. The roots of Arpi’s artistic inclinations lie with her family, and especially her maternal grandmother. Arpi credits her maternal grandmother for creating a colorful and magical fantasy world for Arpi to help cope with war, death, deprivation, and economic hardship in Armenia. Arpi was exposed from a young age to a varied and eclectic mix of musical influences, ranging from traditional Armenian folk songs and classical music to jazz and pop.
Arpi’s formal musical education began in 2000, when she started attending music school. In 2010, at the age of 20, she joined the Armenian State Pedagogical University in Yerevan to study music and received her formal education as a pianist. She graduated with a master’s degree in 2016.

It was during the years of her musical education that Arpi’s unique voice began to draw attention. Arpi’s voice is described as contralto, which is the lowest female voice and lends itself very well to musical categories like classical and jazz.
Arpi’s professional career began in 2011, when she joined the Geghard Vocal Ensemble under the direction of Mher Navoyan and with Anahit Papoyan as conductor. The ensemble has traveled extensively for concerts in Germany, Austria, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Belarus, Poland, Italy, Belgium, Lebanon, Russia, and Sweden. The ensemble has also released three albums:” Armenian Music” (2002), “Armenian Altar” (2005), and “Mystery Deep” (2013). Apri Alto performed with the Geghard Ensemble until 2017. 2013-present: Armenian National Academic State Opera and Ballet Theater In 2013 Apri joined the Armenian National Academic State Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Alexander Spendaryan under the artistic direction and conductorship of Constantine Orbelian.

In the winter of 2019/2020 Arpi began experimenting with solo work outside the framework of musical ensembles, especially jazz and bossa nova classics and Armenian traditional folk songs. In early 2020 Arpi released covers of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, Lana del Rey’s “Doin’ Time”, “What a Difference a Day Makes”, and “The Way You Look Tonight”.
The coronavirus outbreak in the Spring of 2020 gave Arpi the opportunity to expand her solo efforts with more jazz standards and covers of popular classics. The breakthrough came when Arpi’s cover of the Brazilian bossa nova classic “The Girl From Ipanema” (Garota de Ipanema) went viral and boosted Arpi’s fast-growing worldwide audience. After the success of “The Girl From Ipanema”, Arpi launched an indie record company Ginosi Music with cousin Areg Ginosian and his partner Amoor David Avakian.
The Girl From Ipanema” was followed by renditions of “Happy Happy Birthday Baby”, “Moon River”, and “Over the Rainbow”. Personal Life Arpi lives in the Armenian capital Yerevan with her husband and son.



Arpi has become an internet sensation especially on You Tube. She has an uncanny resemblance to a young Julia Roberts, especially in the Pretty Woman movie and has been mistakenly identified as Julia Roberts older daughter.





For more information
about
ARPI ALTO
 visit
Arpi Alto official website
Arpi Alto on Facebook
Arpi Alto on Twitter
Arpi Alto on Instagram
A R P I 
A L T O
APPEARS
NOVEMBER 10TH 2020
7 PM PACIFIC/10 PM EASTERN
on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
with RAY SHASHO
on BBS RADIO ONE
www.bbsradio.com



MY NEW BOOK IS FINALLY OUT!
ENTITLED
THE
 ROCK STAR 
CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE



 …Order yours today on Hardcover or E-book  
at bookbaby.com
Featuring over 45 intimate conversations 
with some of the greatest rock legends 
the world will ever know.
CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW
-By Literary Titan (5) STARS
The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.
I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.


Monday, August 24, 2020

MARK FARNER LEGENDARY ALL-AMERICAN ROCKER:GRAND FUNK RAILROAD/MARK FARNER'S AMERICAN BAND/NOV 3RD 2020 ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS-BBS RADIO ONE


M   A   R   K
F   A   R   N   E   R

LEGENDARY GUITARIST-SINGER-SONGWRITER
WITH
G R A N D   F U N K  R A I L R O A D
AND
M A R  F A R N E R '
A M E R I C A N   B A N D

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Legendary all-American frontman and guitarist, Mark Farner, was the engine that pulled the original Grand Funk Railroad repeatedly to the top of the charts, and today he’s a platinum recording artist 30 times over. At age 71, Farner commands the stage with the same intensity and outpouring of love as he did during the summer of ’69 and his fans are still flocking to see “the Captain.” The rock patriot’s synergy and open heart still come through in epic hits that defined a generation including— “I’m Your Captain” (Closer to Home)”  “We’re An American Band” “Heartbreaker” “Bad Time To Be In Love” and recut covers of  “The Loco-Motion” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.”  Being viewed as a “Rockstar” is only one facet of the legacy of this Michigan-born son.
  Mark is as real as they get: he’s a husband, a father, and grandfather, and in his fourth decade of marriage to wife Lesia. He’s a true family man.
“I think our fans originally connected to our songs because we were sincere” Farner said. “My lyrics were about Mother Earth, stopping the war, and all about love. They still have a point of reference with me in their heart.”
After the 1969 Atlantic Pop Festival put Grand Funk Railroad on the fast track, the band topped the Billboard Chart twice with both the anthem “We’re an American Band” (1973) and 1974’s “The Loco-Motion.” The Flint, Michigan trio reached the top 10 again with “Some Kind of Wonderful” (No. 3) and “Bad Time” (No. 4) before GFR disbanded for the first time in 1976. Farner briefly rejoined Grand Funk during the 1980s and 1990s and he has collaborated with many other artists over the years.  However, his focus has been to forge an enduring solo career based upon bringing his message of love to his fans in all corners of the world.

“Love is unconditional,” he explains. “Just like when you hold a baby, the love transfers. I feel that love from the audience when I’m on stage.”
The son of a World War II veteran, four-time bronze star recipient and career fireman, Farner also knows the importance of brotherhood and commitment. On his mother’s side, he champions his Cherokee heritage and the fact that his mother was the first woman welder in the United States to weld on a tank during World War 2. It just so happened to be the same type of Sherman tanks his father drove. Farner’s work on and off the stage is focused on honoring service personnel and veterans and offering support to American farmers, individuals with disabilities, and downtrodden populations.
Farner, the rock patriot that he is, works tirelessly to honor our nation’s service personnel and Veterans wherever they are stationed. He wants everyone to remember the huge sacrifices our men and women in the armed services freely give; all to protect our amazing country and freedoms. 



Over 50 years later something magical still happens when Farner takes the stage.  His voice is still strong and on key, his guitar playing still slick and lighting quick, and his trademark prancing still commands the stage and mesmerizes his audiences around the world.


“I love playing live where I can connect with people of all backgrounds,” he said. “It’s all about the fans…and all about love.”


For more information about
MARK FARNER
visit
Mark Farner Official Website

Mark Farner's American Band on Facebook

Twitter:  @REALMARKFARNER
YouTube: Mark Farner
Instagram: markfarners_americanband

Mark Farner's Mid-Michigan Flood Relief
Gofundme Page
Mark Farner Launches Mid-Michigan Flood Relief GoFundMe (Petoskey, Mich.) Legendary rock and roll guitarist and front man, Mark Farner, is helping those closer to home. This weekend he launched a GoFundMe campaign for his Michigan neighbors called the Mid-Michigan Flood Relief. The goal is to raise $25,000 to donate to the American Red Cross’ efforts to the areas affected by the Midland County flooding. Farner and his wife, Lesia, were the first to donate with $2,000.
 Link to the Mark Farner Mid-Michigan Flood Relief GoFundMe here… gf.me/u/x4b4v6

moxie publicity official website

MARK FARNER
DISCOGRAPHY
Studio albums
Mark Farner, 1977
No Frills, 1978
Just Another Injustice, 1988
Wake Up..., 1989
Some Kind of Wonderful, 1991
For the People, 2006
With Grand Funk Railroad
On Time (1969)
Grand Funk (1969)
Closer to Home (1970)
Live Album (1970)
Survival (1971)
E Pluribus Funk (1971)
Phoenix (1972)
We're an American Band (1973)
Shinin' On (1974)
All the Girls in the World Beware!!! (1974)
Born to Die (1976)
Good Singin', Good Playin' (1976)
Grand Funk Lives (1981)
What's Funk? (1983)
Bosnia (1996)
Other albums
Closer to Home, 1992 (best-of)
Heirlooms: The Complete Atlantic Sessions, 2000 (re-release of Farner's two first studio albums)
Red White and Blue Forever, 2002 (mini-album)
Live!! N'rG, 2003
Mark Farner the Rock Patriot, March 9, 2003 Live Extended Versions


M A R K   F A R N E R 
APPEARS
NOVEMBER 3RD 2020
7 PM PACIFIC/10 PM EASTERN
on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS 
with RAY SHASHO
BBS RADIO ONE
www.bbsradio.com



MY NEW BOOK IS FINALLY OUT!
ENTITLED
THE 
ROCK STAR 
CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS 
THAT SET US FREE

…Order yours today on 
Hardcover or E-book
 at bookbaby.com



Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of
the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.
CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY...
 PETE BEST

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
BOOK TRAILER


BOOK REVIEW
-By Literary Titan (5) STARS
The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.
I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.


Author Interview
 - Ray Shasho
By Literary Titan

The Rock Star Chronicles uses your interviews with rock legends to humanize them and preserve their contribution to the genre. Why was this an important book for you to write?

I was fortunate to have lived through two of the greatest decades for music. It was a time when radio played incredible music and rock concerts were a bargain and a happening thing to do. Rock groups featured incredibly talented musicians with guitarists and lead singers in the spotlight. There has never been a generation to match that period of music expertise and staying power. I wanted the reader to understand and realize how great a talent they really were and still are. Especially to wannabe musicians and the young. Many of the artists I have interviewed have passed on and others nearing retirement. It was important to me to tell their stories at a vulnerable period in their lives and be recognized as the greatest music legends the world will ever know.

What is one interview in this book that stands out as the most exciting one you had?

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull has always been a rock hero to me. He has written and performed complex music and always had an incredible stage presence. Going to a Tull concert back in the day was a huge event. I will admit the first time I interviewed Ian Anderson I was quite nervous. I remember when the phone rang for the interview, I thought, that’s Jethro Tull calling me! During the second interview I got him to chat about politics, religion, ancestry, and world events. I tried not to ask the same mundane music questions that have been asked of him many hundreds of times. He was intellectual and I was on my best game that day.

What do you think is one thing modern musicians have to learn from the icons of the rock and roll genre?

Bands must perform live. All the legends started performing at school dances, bars, clubs, and anywhere they could be seen by an audience big or small. If they are talented eventually someone will give them a break, but it will not be easy. Having a You Tube video with a lot of page views is a start, but it will never have the impact of playing in front of live audiences.

What do you find is a common misconception people have about music?

People that pay big money to watch an artist lip sync on stage and still call it a great show. Music lovers who go see a legendary rock band and there are no original members in the band. Ringo Starr would never bill himself as The Beatles, instead he created an All-Starr band. All generations need to do a little homework before purchasing expensive tickets to concerts nowadays. My book will certainly help identify who the real legends are.
Music is a universal language that we all share and cherish.