K'Brocking Entertainment

I may talk a lot about music in this site and a lot of you should know by now that I am also a guitar player. Some of you may ask what are my biggest influences or inspirations in music. Who are the ones that made me want to pick up the guitar and become a musician myself.

I will name 5 of them:

• Led Zeppelin - They would have to be my no. 1. Most guitar players get inspired by the blues and other rock music, but Led Zep would be my no. 1 influence. It was Led Zeppelin IV that made me want to pick up the guitar. After hearing that album, I wanted to be like Jimmy Page. I started guitar playing at a late age at the age of 18.
• Neil Young - He was the one that made me want to start writing my own music. I wanted to write songs and sing like him. Neil is a hero of mine, always.
• David Bowie - Yeah, I talk a lot about David Bowie in this site, that’s because I’m a huge fan and admirer.
• Jimi Hendrix - You’re not a true guitar player if you have not been inspired by Hendrix. He’s been a major influence in me, in some way. I listened to a lot of Hendrix over the years, and he makes me want to get better at guitar solos and improvisation.
• Johnny Cash - I’m not into country music that much, but Johnny’s music meant something to me over the years. I’m planning on covering some of his stuff for my youtube channel as well.

I’m inspired by most music, but those 5 above are my main heroes. Enjoy!

Kev

Musician Birthdays: James Blunt (UK singer/songwriter, famous for the hit, “You’re Beautiful”, born in 1974)

- In 1967: Pink Floyd continued working on their debut album The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn at Abbey Road Studios, London. The Beatles were also working at Abbey Road, recording the giant piano chord for the end of ‘A Day In The Life’ for their Sgt. Pepper’s album.

- In 1974: Former David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson played the first of two nights at The Rainbow in London, England.

- In 1980: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, featuring Roger Glover, Graham Bonnet and Cozy Powell appeared at The Royal Highland Exhibition Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland.

- In 1986: MTV dedicated a full 22 hours broadcast to The Monkees, showing all 45 episodes of the original Monkees TV series.

- In 1987: Andy Warhol, pop artist and producer died after a gall bladder operation. The founder of the Pop Art movement, produced and managed The Velvet Underground, designed the 1967 Velvet Underground And Nico ‘peeled banana’ album cover and The Rolling Stones ‘Sticky Fingers’ album cover.

- In 1988: Stevie Wonder was awarded the 1998 MusiCares Person Of The Year at a concert in Los Angeles.

- In 1989: A category for Heavy Metal was included at the Grammy Awards for the first time. Metallica performed on stage, but the award went to Jethro Tull. Many audience members booed. Meanwhile, Bobby McFerrin won Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’, Tracy Chapman is named Best New Artist and Tina Turner won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for ‘Tina Live in Europe’.

- In 1997: No Doubt went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Don’t Speak.’ The third single from the band’s second album Tragic Kingdom was written by Eric Stefani and his sister Gwen Stefani.

- In 2004: Norah Jones started a six week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Feels Like Home’, the singers second US No.1. Usher feat Lil Jon and Ludacris were at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Yeah.’

- In 2004: The Sex Pistols’ ‘Anarchy in the UK’ was named the most influential record of the 1970s in poll compiled by Q magazine. Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was voted into second place and Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ was third, T Rex’s ‘Get It On’ was fourth and Special AKA’s ‘Gangsters’ came fifth.

Musician Birthdays: David Geffen (Record label owner, responsible for signing the Eagles, CSNY, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, etc., born in 1943)

- In 1961: The Beatles played three gigs in one day. The first was a lunchtime show at the Cavern Club, then at night they appeared at the Cassanova Club, Liverpool and at Litherland Town Hall, Liverpool.

- In 1964: New York band The Echoes recruited a new young unknown piano player, named Billy Joel.

- In 1967: Pink Floyd started their first sessions at the EMI Studios, St. John’s Wood, London on their debut album The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, working on the song ‘Matilda Mother’. While Pink Floyd were recording their album with former Beatles engineer Norman Smith, The Beatles themselves were working in the studio next door, recording ‘Fixing A Hole’ for their Sgt. Pepper’s album.

- In 1970: Simon and Garfunkel went to No.1 on the UK chart with ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. The album went on to stay on the chart for over 300 weeks, returning to the top of the charts on eight separate occasions and spending a total of 41 weeks at No.1.

- In 1972: Led Zeppelin released ‘Rock And Roll / Four Sticks’ as a 7 inch single in the US, peaking at No.47 on the chart. The song was written as a spontaneous jam session, whilst the band were trying to finish ‘Four Sticks’. Drummer John Bonham played the introduction to Little Richard’s ‘You Keep A-Knockin’ and Page added a guitar riff; with the tapes rolling the basic song was finished fifteen minutes later.

- In 1977: Fleetwood Mac released ‘Rumours’. The album went on to sell more than 15 million copies world-wide and spent 31 weeks at No.1 on the US chart.

- In 1981: Dolly Parton started a two week run at No.1 on the US charts with ’9 to 5′, the singers first No.1, a No.47 hit in the UK.

- In 1987: Ben E King was at No.1 in the UK singles chart with ‘Stand By Me.’ The track was first released in 1961 and became a hit in 1987 after being featured in the film ‘Stand By Me.’

- In 1998: Celine Dion went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘My Heart Will Go On’. The song was the theme from the movie Titanic. The world’s best selling single of 1998.

- In 2002: Elton John accused the music industry of exploiting young singers and dumping talented artists for manufactured group’s. He said ‘There are too many average and mediocre acts; it damages real talent getting airplay. It’s just fodder.’

- In 2004: Simon Cowell was set to appear in a new episode of The Simpsons. The TV Pop Idol judge would play a nursery boss who gets punched by Homer Simpson.

- In 2008: Britney Spears failed in a court bid to regain visitation rights to her two children. Spears was banned from monitored visits in January of this year after refusing to hand the children back, resulting in a stand-off with police at her house. The singer’s ex-husband Kevin Federline was awarded primary custody of two-year-old Sean Preston and Jayden James, aged one, in October.

- In 2009: Rihanna issued a statement thanking fans for their support after an alleged assault by her R&B singer boyfriend Chris Brown, but the singer declined to comment on a leaked photograph which appeared to show her with facial injuries. The Los Angeles Police Department had launched an internal investigation and asked for the public’s help in finding the person who leaked the photograph.

Musician Birthdays: J. Geils (singer, guitarist for the J. Geils Band, famous for the hit, “Centerfold”, born in 1946), Kurt Cobain (singer, guitarist for Nirvana, famous for hits, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Come As You Are”, “Heart Shaped Box”, “All Apologies”, and more, born in 1967), Rihanna (R&B soul, pop singer, famous for hit “Umbrella”, born in 1988)

- In 1958: Billed as ‘The Big Gold Record Stars’ Bill Haley and his Comets, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmie Rodgers all appeared on the first date of a six day tour of Florida.

- In 1960: Jimi Hendrix made his stage debut when he played a show at a High School in Seattle.

- In 1963: The Beatles drove through the night from Liverpool to London to appear on the live lunchtime BBC radio program “Parade of the Pops.” Performing ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘Please Please Me’, the appearance lasted just over 4 minutes. They then drove another 180 mile trip back north for their performance that night at the Swimming Baths, Doncaster, Yorkshire.

- In 1967: Gary Lewis and the Playboys started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘This Diamond Ring.’ Lewis is the son of actor Jerry Lewis.

- In 1971: The soundtrack to ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ went to No.1 on the US album chart. The album peaked at No.6 on the UK chart.

- In 1972: During a tour of Australia Led Zeppelin appeared at the Kooyong Tennis Courts, Melbourne in Australia.

- In 1976: All four members of Kiss had their footprints implanted on the pavement outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

- In 1977: Winners at this years Grammy Awards included Stevie Wonder for Best album with ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’, and Best Vocal performance for ‘I Wish.’ Best album went to Chicago for ‘Chicago X’ and Best new artist went to the Starland Vocal Band.

- In 1980: Bon Scott, singer from AC/DC was pronounced dead on arrival at a London hospital after a heavy night’s drinking. Scott was found in the passenger seat of a friend’s parked car. The official coroner’s report stated that he had “drunk himself to death”, after suffocating on his own vomit.

- In 1991: Bob Dylan was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the 33rd annual Grammy’ Awards.

- In 2003: 100 people died after pyrotechnics ignited a club during a gig by Great White in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Great White singer Ty Longley was also killed in the accident. Two brothers who owned the club were charged, along with the former tour manager with involuntary manslaughter. Foam soundproofing material at the edge of the stage set alight and the blaze spread quickly in the one-storey wooden building as fans all tried to escape through the same exit. Great White began a tour in July 2003 to raise money for the survivors and families of victims.

Enough talk about drugs & death, lets talk about positive things about the iconic pop star.

What will the music industry have in store us in the future? I’m sure Whitney has plenty of unreleased songs and rarities that were thrown out over the years and I’m pretty sure the industry are going to release some of them. Maybe Whitney even recorded a new album before her passing, who knows?

We all know that she just completed a new film before her passing called, “Sparkle”, which I’m sure the movie industry will release that as soon as possible.

It’ll be interesting to see what the music industry will do. She maybe gone, but her music lives on, love her or hate her. I picked up her double “Greatest Hits” album just so I won’t own her regular albums. I’m sure the industry will release another “Greatest Hits” album sometime this year.

The industry will still keep her legacy alive. There’s probably going to be a big tribute concert for her too with all sorts of famous artists covering her songs.

Kev

Musician Birthdays: Smokey Robinson (US singer, songwriter, producer, famous for hits, “Tears of a Clown”, “Being With You”, more, born in 1940), Tony Iommi (guitarist for Black Sabbath, responsible for starting the genre of heavy metal, born in 1948)

- In 1956: Elvis Presley performed three shows at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida, (2 matinee and 1 evening). A full scale riot broke out after the show when Elvis announced to the 14,000 strong crowd, “Girls, I’ll see you backstage.” Fans chased Elvis into the dressing room tearing off his clothes and shoes.

- In 1965: Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles recorded a new John Lennon song ‘You’re Going To Lose That Girl’ in two takes. The track was released on the Help! album.

- In 1972: Led Zeppelin appeared at the Memorial Drive, Adelaide in Australia. A local paper who reviewed the show printed: Singer Robin Plant (sic) overcame an ‘Australian bug’ in his throat and broke into his own in ‘Black Dog’ and ‘Stairway To The Stars’ (sic).

- In 1977: Manfred Mann’s Earth Band scored a No.1 single in the US with their version of the Bruce Springsteen song ‘Blinded By The Light.’ The track was the first single from Bruce Springsteen’s 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. The Earth Band’s version features several changed lyrics. The most prominent change is in the chorus, where Springsteen’s “cut loose like a deuce” is replaced with “revved up like a deuce.” Springsteen himself has said that it was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a “feminine hygiene product” that it became popular.

- In 1982: Ozzy Osbourne was arrested in San Antonio, Texas for urinating on the Alamo. Osbourne was wearing a dress at the time of his arrest, (due to his wife Sharon hiding all his clothes so he couldn’t go outside). Osbourne who apparently thought he was relieving himself on a pile of rubble was banned from ever playing in San Antonio, Texas again, (a ban which was lifted in 1992).

- In 1995: Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee married Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson on a Cancun beach, Mexico, the bride wore a white bikini. Anderson and Lee who married only four days after meeting had videotaped their sexual activities while on vacation which was later stolen and released on the Internet. After suing the video company who released the tape, the Lees entered into a confidential settlement agreement. The couple divorced in 1998.

- In 1996: Bjork was shown on UK breakfast TV attacking a news reporter as she arrived at Thailand Airport. The footage showed the singer pulling the female reporter to the floor and banging her head on the ground. Bjork later apologised for the attack.

- In 2004: Johnny Cash’s family blocked an attempt by advertisers to use his hit song ‘Ring of Fire’ to promote haemorrhoid-relief products. The idea is said to have been backed by Merle Kilgore, who co-wrote the song with Cash’s wife, June Carter Cash. Cash’s daughter Rosanne said the family “would never allow the song to be demeaned like that.”

I hate to be the one to say this but I have a bad feeling that Tony could be the next one to go this year. Lymphoma is a hard cancer to fight. All we can do now is give him all the love and support that he needs. I feel sorry for the guys in Black Sabbath. I’ve always LOVED Black Sabbath no matter who was in the band. I love everything Tony Iommi did ’cause he is one of my favorite guitarists who I followed pretty religiously. The guy is a riff master at the guitar and he’s a phenomenal lead guitarist too.

Black Sabbath announced the other day that the band canceled their tour, and instead it will be an Ozzy solo tour. I’m sure Ozzy will have Tony and the guys play with him on some dates on his tour, that’s why he called it, “Ozzy & Friends”, I believe.

I feel bad for Tony. Sabbath just got back together, Bill Ward started all this drama with them and now Tony has cancer. Fuck.

It seems like it happens with Sabbath all the time. Whenever they get together, something bad happens. I’m sure they’re used to it by now, ’cause all bands have ups & downs in their careers. All bands deal with setbacks. Just because bands are big legends, doesn’t mean they get good stuff all the time, ya know? Shit happens.

I hope they’ll be recording their Download Performance and videotaping it so they can release it on CD/DVD/Blu Ray for all of us Sabbath fans. Download Fest could be their final and last performance.

It would be cool if they can resolve things with Bill so he can play on the Download too ’cause I agree, it’s not a Sabbath reunion without him.

Kev

…still you shouldn’t blame crack that killed her. Not fair. I watched an older Oprah interview where she admitted to doing it. Maybe she did it in her past, but don’t immediately think that crack got her.

She may had personal problems, but don’t always blame it on the drugs. I wasn’t much of a fan of hers, so I don’t know too much about her life and didn’t follow her career much, but I respected her legacy and talent as I said before.

That’s the whole point of me doing this. Trying to give people a reality check that they shouldn’t blame all deaths on drugs. Wait until the toxicology reports.

Kev

What’s pissing me off about all of this is, people quickly putting the blame that crack killed Whitney. Of course, people almost ALWAYS get blamed of dying of drugs just because they die young. All of this talk of people calling her a crack head and getting killed because of it, is just an opinion. It’s not factual. It’s not factual until the Autopsy & Toxicology reports proves it. Whitney’s Autopsy report is all done but they are not releasing anything until her Toxicology is done, which the Toxicology could take months or even a few years.

Don’t always blame it on the drugs, people. Maybe she died pretty clean and her death was accidental? Who knows. People like to talk like this as if they are facts but they are not. It’s just opinion and speculation.

Wait until the truth comes out, and if the autopsy/toxicology reports proves that she OD’d herself and died, then you can talk all kinds of shit about it. If she died clean and healthy, then most of you are wrong.

People online can be ridiculously stupid and not smart as they think they are.

On a lighter note, about Whitney’s funeral, I did watch it. I watched it on TV on CNN. It was pretty interesting. What I liked best about it is Kevin Costner’s eulogy, his speech was very powerful and moving. I also loved Stevie Wonder’s performance, as he is great like always. It got even more sad when Whitney’s casket was being carried out of the Church and Whitney’s “I Will Always Love You” was playing.

People might be sick of her, but when a famous legend dies, the industry will be all over it. It’s been this way for years. Remember, music artists and other celebrities dying do “matter”. When Elvis Presley died the media was all over it. It was the same way with John Lennon, Hendrix, Joplin, Buddy Holly, etc. I’m sure people were sick of hearing about them back in those days, but that’s the way the media goes. Everyone deserves to know these things.

Okay, this will be my last post about Whitney for the day, as I’ll get back to posting about other things later tonight. I’m about to watch a movie on DVD right now.

Kev

I am disgusted and pretty offended at all the hate and negativity toward Whitney Houston online, lately. People post a lot of hateful comments about her drug & alcohol addiction in her past. When that Chris Cornell “I Will Always Love You” tribute surfaced online, people were saying a lot of shit that Chris shouldn’t have done it because she was a drug addict. I mean, really? Do people have to be this hateful?

If I remember correctly, when Ike Turner died, I’ll never forget that everyone actually sent their condolences online about him and respected him. He died of a cocaine overdose, yet everyone still saw him as the music god he was.

Now, what’s wrong with this picture?

No matter what you all think of Whitney Houston, despite her personal problems, she was and “STILL IS”, a music legend. Period.

I’m watching her funeral on CNN as I type this, and it’s pretty heartbreaking.

Don’t always blame it on drugs, people. It’s just wrong and totally unfair. You wouldn’t be saying this stuff, if you had a family member that had a drug addiction problem. She was a music icon and a genius in the pop music world.

Grow up and respect the woman.

Kev