In December 2005, my boss asked me to write a story on the upcoming 25th anniversary of John Lennon’s death. I protested, as I always did when given an assignment, arguing that it was not news, that every day is a rock ‘n’ roll anniversary, and everything that can be said about Lennon has already been said a million different times.
Read more
Rosie was a Tasmanian mountain woman who had started turning up at gigs — Clinton Walker, Highway to Hell.
She ain’t exactly pretty, ain’t exactly small.
Read more
Bob Dylan helped solve a daring bank heist in 1973. Is there anything this man can’t do?
Dylan’s hitherto unheralded feat occurred in Hawaii, although he didn’t need to set foot in the Aloha State.
Read more
Tuxedo time at the Beverly Hilton in 2006, hanging out by the pool knocking back as many free Jack & cokes as possible before heading into the ballroom to acknowledge the writers and publishers of ASCAP’s most-played songs of the year.
Read more
I went to a bunch of Storytellers tapings during my career. Tom Petty, Kanye West and the Doors spring to mind. But perhaps the most fun was the Foo Fighters one (hey, that rhymes!)
Read more
(NOTE: I’m resurrecting posts from old MySpace account)
I’ve now had encounters with three out of four Beatles, thanks to Paul McCartney’s surprise visit to the press room at the Grammys on Sunday [February 8, 2009].
Read more
[NOTE: I’m resurrecting old posts from my MySpace account. Remember when both MySpace and Kimmel were cool?]
Tonight, Jimmy Kimmel. Next week, Oprah? Almost eligible for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Slayer made their broadcast network TV debut Friday [January 19, 2007] in the windswept parking lot behind the Hollywood Boulevard studio that houses Kimmel’s show.
Read more
Like a lot of people, I once assumed that John Fogerty really was “born on the bayou” somewhere in the Deep South. After all, that’s what he sang, and it also explained his gritty vocals.
“After reading through my tale, do not judge me too harshly. Remember the plain, old authoress, wrinkled and withered with the years.” — Susan McKearney
New Zealand grandmother Susan McKearney makes her literary debut with the stunning memoir Just Me: The Life Story of a Nobody.
Read more