Jonathan Frid, a Canadian born actor, served in the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII. He graduated from McMaster University in 1948 and was accepted at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. Frid was a stage & theater actor for most of his life, but he is most famous for playing the original, Barnabus Collins, on the TV show, “Dark Shadows”. Over the years, Frid continued to attend “Dark Shadows”, fan convention events.
Jonathan Frid, died of natural causes, he was 87 years old.
Kev
Greg Ham, was an Australian musician, actor and songwriter, who is known to playing multiple instruments in the 1980’s band, Men at Work. He played saxophone, flute, piano, organ, and the synthesiser. Men at work are most famous for songs such as, “Down Under”, and, “Who Can It Be Now”.
Greg Ham was found dead in his home in Melbourne, he was 58.
Kev
Levon Helm, was born in Marvell, Arkansas. He grew up in Turkey Scratch, a hamlet West of Helena, Arkansas. His parents were cotton farmers, and they were also music lovers, which is how Levon got turned on to music. Levon began playing the guitar at the age of 8 and started to play the drums later on. When he saw, Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, that’s when he decided that he wanted to become a full time musician. Over the years, Helm was a big fan of blues, southern country music, and rockabilly. Helm began playing around bars and clubs in his hometown of Helena, at the age of 17.
After Helm graduated high school, he was asked to join Ronnie Hawkins band, the Hawks, which they would later tour as Bob Dylan’s backing band. The legendary classic rock band, The Band, formed later on as a few members were from the Hawks. They got their name, the Band, ’cause what Bob Dylan referred them to. Helm was going to name themselves either, The Honkies, or the Crackers but the label didn’t agree with those names.
The Band, is most famous for their anthem, “The Weight”, which you still hear on the radio and through Hollywood movies (most notably, “Easy Rider”) to this day. The Band, reformed in 1983 for a tour.
Over the years, Levon continued to perform live and make music as a solo act for the Midnight Ramble sessions. Which is a series of live performances in his studio in Woodstock, New York. These were fundraiser concerts to help raise money for his medical bills after he was diagnosed with cancer.
Levon Helm, passed away today, he was 71 years old.
Kev
I love how Ted attacks Obama in the media and I love his views on politics. If Ted ran for President this year, he could easily win. Ted is just not afraid to tell the truth about Obama. He’s just doing whatever it takes to make Obama lose voters, even if it meant being investigated by the Secret Service.
Ted Nugent is the f’ing man. Always liked him. Plus, I love his music as well.
Kev
So the new invention of the Hologram in the music industry is becoming a huge hit. Everyone is talking about what dead musicians they should bring back to the stage. I’m sure a lot of them will bring them back on either their birthdays or anniversary deaths.
Here’s a list of top ten dead musicians that I think that should be brought back from the grave:
Feel free to add to the list if you want. Enjoy.
Kev
A lot of bands & musicians mistakenly believe that good music is pop music. Short songs that will get the crowd dancing, all night at your gig. No. To me, that is not what makes a good song. Honestly, I’m not such a big fan of pop music, anyway. Unless, there’s a pop music artist that can write songs with heart and passion, I’ll probably end up being a fan of that artist.
The kind of songs I want to hear. I want to hear music that is played with heart. Music with more passion. Music that will immediately draw me to your songs. Something powerful. An artist must feel the song. Give the song your best. Doesn’t matter how well you play your instrument or sing, it’s about the song itself. You know how when you listen to your favorite song, and it gives you goosebumps? Well, that’s how I always want to hear music!
That’s what I hope to achieve with my songwriting. I try my best to write songs with heart every time. I’m never worried about writing pop songs where the crowd can dance to at shows. I’m all about the art.
This is why I admire my favorite artists such as Led Zep and Neil Young. They wrote songs with so much heart and so much passion. They never cared about writing radio hit singles. They never saw their songs as hit singles. That’s how I never saw my music, and I would never write songs that way.
So how do you write this really amazing and incredible song, that you want to blow everyone away? Well, if you write a song and it makes you smile, that is probably your best one that you would want to release for everyone to hear. Just release the best music that you’re proud of. If you write a song that you’re proud of, chances are everyone else will probably like it too.
It’s hard to write a really good song, but you’ll get there. When you get so many positive feedback on the song, that’s when you’ll know you’re successful at your goal.
It doesn’t always have to be fast rock n’ roll or upbeat music. They can even be slow ballads and they can still knock people out. Just listen to your favorite artists and see how they do it. I don’t know if you can tell, but most of my music is Led Zeppelin inspired ’cause I listen to them too much and still do. I look at them for inspiration more than any other artist.
“Mr. Tough Guy”, an original song, I wrote years back, that tune was kind of like Led Zep’s, “Rock and Roll”. “Evil Fred” was kind of like, “Stairway” or “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You”. Each one of my songs will have a Led Zep influence.
It doesn’t matter what genre of music you play, and doesn’t matter your level of talent. A good song is a good song. Just play whatever sounds good to you and that’s all that matters.
Kev
Dick Clark was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York. His career in show business began in 1945, when he worked for the mail room for WRUN, a radio station owned by his uncle and managed by his father in Utica, New York. After graduating high school, Clark started off working in the office at WRUN, but then he was asked to fill in for the vacationing weatherman. Then he moved on to doing television and was a radio DJ for a radiostation shortly after.
Clark is most famous for hosting “American Bandstand”, hosting the New Year’s Eve special on ABC (which he has been doing since 1972), and was the longtime host for gameshow, “$100,000 Pyramid”.
Clark was also respected for his passion in music, as he was a big music lover like all of us. Dick Clark, died of a major heart attack today at the age of 82. For now, Dick Clark, so long. *military salute*
Kev
In social networking sites or blogs, musicians will post things that could spark some controversy. Then when they start to get negative replies from their followers, the musician will start complaining about the negative responses and drama around it.
I know this from experience myself. Well think about it, if you didn’t want the drama, then don’t you think that you’re the one being the big drama queen yourself? Of course, you won’t think so. Musicians will always think they’re doing nothing wrong. While it’s okay for musicians to speak their mind on things whether it will be in facebook or blogs, they must do that responsibly and carefully. I’ve been learning these mistakes myself and I’m trying my very best to not be a drama queen as you can clearly see.
If you’re going to post a controversial topic that could end up getting a lot of replies, you gotta be able to handle the heat. I can take criticism just fine. No matter what you musicians post, people can read and WILL respond however they want to. So not all responses are going to be nice and kind.
It’s not the internet’s fault, it’s how you post on it. Like I said, I’m learning from these mistakes myself. Musicians will never see it, and they will never take this advice ’cause their self centered “ego” will always make them think they’re in the “right”, no matter what anyone says.
You know that old saying, “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen”? If you’re not liking the responses you get, then you shouldn’t have posted it. Musicians make these mistakes all the time. Gotta be able to handle criticism from everyone.
Kev
The lawyer for Joe Shuster, and Jerry Siegel, Marc Toberoff, got a huge slap in the face in court during this long nasty battle on, “Superman” copyrights, against Warner Bros. The First Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit, ordered Toberoff to turn over stolen documents that were taken in 2008. The papers were stolen by David Michaels and delivered anonymously to Warner Bros.
Read more on the story, here.
I don’t think, this means that Warner Bros. has full control of Superman now, but it’s in the right direction to get there. They’re getting closer, I think. I don’t know a whole lot about this legal bullshit, but I want Warner Bros. to get the full rights.
This Marc Toberoff, sounds like a sleazy lawyer, anyway. While I’m sure some are siding with the Siegel’s, I’m siding with Warner Bros. on this one. Warner Bros. worked hard on Superman for years, so they don’t deserve to have the Superman rights taken away from them.
I love the Superman character and the stories. Big fan. It would be sad if the rights gets taken away after years and years of entertaining Superman fans.
I understand that the rights should go to it’s original creators, the Siegel’s, but they already agreed to sell the rights to WB’s years back. That’s what WB’s trying to prove, I think.
Kev
These days, I’m taking guitar playing more seriously than ever. I thought, if I’ve been playing for 15 years or a little over, I really need to sound like I’ve been playing for a long time! So I aim to expand my chops, get better, and improve. Hopefully get to the advanced level of guitar playing.
Get good at both rhythm and lead. I’m planning to learn more challenging guitar techniques like two handed fret tapping, sweep picking, arpeggios, etc. Improve ear training and learn music theory.
Again, I’m not aiming to become a shredder or a virtuoso. I feel that if I want to get a band going or join someone else’s band, I need to improve myself. Get prepared. I feel that I need to learn more stuff if I want to play serious rock guitar in a band or something.
I want to have sick and tight jams. That’s the kind of music I like. That’s the stuff I want to play. I do want to become more professional. I didn’t get that good years ago ’cause I’m not rushing myself. You want to take your slow time in learning the guitar. I’m trying the best I can.
Kev
K'Brocking 
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