Kenny Rogers, R.I.P.

Country music star Kenny Rogers  has died  at age 81.   It’s a shame ill health forced cancellation of the last shows of his 2018 farewell tour.   He was a guy who began with absolutely nothing but a voice and steely determination.   That earned him not only hit records,  but also Grammy and CMA Awards and worldwide recognition.   He developed his hit song “The Gambler” into a series of television movies.   And who can forget his duet with Dolly Parton, “Islands in the Stream”,  which he didn’t especially like until  Parton came into the studio.   She gave an  emotional tribute  upon hearing the news.

I always liked his voice,  which was soft and easy with an underlying layer of gravel —  you hear the latter on “the chorus of Ruby”.   There was no “Texas twang”  but there was  just a gentle touch of the South.   He was also quite  an accomplished  photographer.  Rogers was a multi-talented man who worked hard doing what he was good at,  had a rather messy personal life —  five wives and five children,  I believe —   and probably achieved more than he had ever dreamed possible.

 

 

Ginger Baker, R.I.P.

Unless you’re a fan of British musicians,  and drummers in particular,  you’ve never  heard of  Ginger Baker, but you have heard of nearly all the groups and individual musicians he partnered with over a very long career.   He had the hot temper often associated with redheads,  and was notoriously difficult to get along with,  but he could wring emotion as well as temp and beat out of a drum set,  and do so within most genres. He was,  indeed  the ultimate  rock wildman.

Gibson comeback…

Gibson Guitars is  set to emerge  from bankruptcy,  and I wish the company well.  Its stellar instruments have been  played by practically every rock star in the world.  I own a very old one myself and it is still a pleasure to play it.

Competency of management still matters in the corporate world,   doesn’t it…

 

 

10 most overrated…

You’ll realize I am not a huge music aficionado when I confess I have never even heard of a few of  these songs.   Unfortunately a couple of them I heard so often on the radio that their lyrics are bouncing round in my brain as I write this.  Do you agree with Chris Queen’s assessments?  I think he’s right on some of them, but other tunes  may have had good lyrics and terrible music, or vice versa.  Now I have to go listen to something to clear my head…

 

 

Ed King, R.I.P.

You didn’t have to be a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan to like  “Sweet Home Alabama”.   You didn’t even need to be a rock ‘n roll fan, strictly speaking,  to be grabbed by the chorus and rough edges.   The co-writer of that hit tune  was Ed  King,  who was with other well-known bands before joining the group in 1972.

 

 

Aretha Franklin, R.I.P.

Like so many of the Motown artists,  she led a rather chaotic life and made a host of very bad choices,  but the woman  was a  fantastic performer.

 

 

Alexa house party…

A German man’s Alexa device created  its own  party,  blasting music so loudly that neighbors called the cops,  who broke down the door only to find no one home.

Ain’t modern technology wonderful?