The Father of Gospel Blues

Little nine year old Tommie and his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia from the small town of Villa Rica, Georgia in 1908. Tommy was demoted a grade in school and teased by the other children. He felt alienated from his school and also the black Baptist church where his daddy was the pastor and mamma was the pianist.

He spent the afternoons and evenings watching the vaudeville performances where he saw such well known blues artists as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. At age eleven he dropped out of school and took a job at the theater selling soda pop.

He was determined to become famous like Ma Rainey so he learned to play the piano and teaching himself to read music.

At age seventeen Tom moved to Chicago and became quite successful as a blues piano player and singer in the backroom bars during the prohibition era. He took the professional name of Georgia Tom.

Tom struggled with his conscience over playing the "world's music." His mother was always admonishing him that he should devote himself to composing and playing for the Lord. His struggle became so intense that he had a nervous breakdown and had to take two years off and move back to Atlanta to recover.

Sufficiently rested and recovered, Georgia Tom returned to Chicago and began to play for Ma Rainey and her jazz band. However, it was only a matter of time before he once again had a nervous breakdown and had to stop singing in the the bars of Chicago.

He soon determined to devote his music totally to the Lord. He began composing and singing gospel music using the blues style of music.

To his disappointment, many of the main stream churches refused to allow him to return because his music sounded too much like the world's music. So he returned to the Chicago bars to earn enough money to survive.

Tom married and was expecting his first child within a year. He continued to sing both in churches and bars. It was while he was in St. Louis preparing for a concert in a church that he received a telegram informing him that his wife had died during childbirth. He returned to Chicago in time to hold his newborn son but the child died within a few hours.

It was at that moment that he took the vow to devote his music totally to the Lord seriously. It was also during his grief that he composed these words:

Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, help me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Thru the storm, thru the night, Lead me on to the light, Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home.

Thomas Dorsey went on to compose nearly 1000 songs, all gospel with a blues style. He died in 1993 at the age of 96. He had earned the title of "The Father of Gospel Blues."

Article by JACK EARL

African American Music: Big Band Jazz Music

Jazz is the form of music, which has been getting bigger since its inception and Big Band, is a music ensemble, linked with jazz and developed over thirty years. The specialty of Big Band Jazz Music is its feet tapping rhythm, conducive to excite your heart beat. Jazz, Hip Hop, Rap, Soul, Funk, Rhythm and Blues fit in the famous music genres belonging to music umbrella of African Americans, with talented artists expressing themselves. Using their music heritage, they communicated their culture and the American Spirit.

African American music based steeply on accent, as well as rhythm that fluctuates in relation with one another revolutionized the European music, which had been deeply rooted on melody. Big Band Jazz Music developed as a result of this merger in around 1898 leading to loose-structured, but unusual rendering of music that was all the rage using different distinctive playing techniques.

Big Band comprise of about 12-25 musicians. The rhythmic “call and response” of jazz music are made into rich music with its rhythmic segment including banjo, bass, vibes and piano, saxophones, trombones and trumpets.

Tools for Teaching Jazz

Teaching jazz is said to be among the most potent methods for learning it. The approach is to reduce fundamental principles to bare bones and teach it without adopting jargon usage. Inventing creative analogies that you come upon everyday is something jazz students can comprehend. This teaching process will aid in getting a deeper perception about intricacies of the subject and stay focused.

It assists in intensifying the comprehension of various aspects (for instance finger style, chords, scales, strumming, rhythms, slides, arpeggios) and numerous concepts and various techniques in Jazz making it much easier for students to pick it up.

Jazz Play Alongs

For jazz music lovers, even a musical idea implementation has got far reaching effect and makes them feel like in a groove. Now days, there are more and more Jazz Play Alongs like books, sheet music like guitar and piano sheet music, guitar scales, as well as tablature, songs sung by some popular artists and CDs with live band, where you get to play along to finish the music piece.

About Author:
Myself webmaster of http://www.studiobypass.com - find tools for teaching jazz music, big band jazz music & Jazz Play Alongs etc.

7 Reasons Why You Should Be Listening To Old Time Radio Shows

Are you sick of reality TV shows and the rest of the garbage that makes up the TV schedule these days?

Oh yes, there are still a few classics around such as CSI, but many people would agree that ninety per cent of what's on these days is hardly worth watching.

There is an alternative and it's one that has a lot of advantages over the square box in the corner of the room. This alternative is called old time radio and I'm going to give you seven reasons why you should switch of your large screen plasma TV and listen-up.

First let me quickly tell you what old time radio is.

Old time radio covers the period from the start of the 1930s through to the very early 1960s. It's often referred to as the "Golden Age of Radio". These were the decades when radio was the main medium of mass entertainment and when America led the way in creating some of the best, and most loved radio shows ever to have been broadcast.

Old time radio covers everything from classic drama like the Lux Radio Show through to spine-tingling thrillers like Orson Welles War of the World and The Shadow. You'll hear hilarious comedies like The Bob Hope Show and Fibber McGee & Molly and shows for children and the young at heart such as Superman and The Green Hornet.

You might be thinking "I'm too young for that kind of stuff" or maybe you're thinking "Okay, but where can I hear those classic broadcasts these days" well let me give you the "7 Reasons Why You Should Be Listening to Old Time Radio Shows".

Reason 1 - Great entertainment has a long shelf life

If old time radio shows were poor entertainment these shows wouldn't have stood the test of time. The fact that there are over 30,000 old time radio show recordings still in existence makes it, without doubt, one of the most well archived formats of entertainment of all time.

Reason 2 - Who needs more misery?

Isn't there enough misery in the world? Wars, famine, crime, corruption. Isn't it good to have a break from all this misery? Old time radio can provide you with that break. Just put on your headphones and escape to mysterious lands whenever you get the urge. It's got to be one of the best forms of escapism ever invented.

Reason 3 - It's not expensive?

For the price of a burger and fries you can enjoy hundred and hundreds of hours of classic radio shows. You can burn them to CD and listen in the car. You copy them onto your MP3 player and listen whilst you jog. You can enjoy the shows again and again whenever you like.

Reason 4 - No bad language

You can listen to old time radio shows for thousands of hours and the worst word you're likely to hear will be "darn". This is a medium that boasted some of the most talented writers in the world, many of whom went on to be best-selling authors or top script writers in Hollywood.

Reason 5 - Ideal for Children

Do you worry about what you are exposing your children to when they watch TV. Even shows that are supposed to be appropriate for youngsters seem to be full of innuendo or even inappropriate language. With old time radio show you don’t have to worry about what they might hear as the shows of this era adhered to far stricter ethical codes.

Reason 6 - Collecting old time radio shows is a great hobby

Not only are these shows great to listen to, but they're also great fun to collect. There are few things more satisfying than tracking down that final elusive episode that gives you the complete run of a series or uncovering a gem that few people have heard for half a century.

Reason 7 - Brush up on your history

Old radio shows are a wonderful way to learn more about history. Without making any effort you'll learn about everything from the Civil War right through to World War II. You'll hear news broadcasts covering events as they happened and even the advertisements will help you to learn about how different things were back in the middle of last century.

Well, that's seven great reasons why you should be listening to old time radio shows. It's a wonderful form of entertainment and more accessible today than it ever has been since its glory days.

So turn-off and tune-in today!

About the Author

Seth Corwin

The OTR FTP Server makes it really easy to get your hands on over 30,000 old time radio shows. You can download and be listening within just a few minutes from now by visiting http://www.otr-ftp-server.com.

The Movie "I,Robot", starring Will Smith - The Downfall of Postmodernism

"I, Robot" takes place in the future, where most people own a personal robot to help out with daily life. The movie, starring Will Smith, is based on Isaac Asimov’s similarly titled book.

In this futuristic world, all robots are hardwired with three laws designed to keep people as well as robots safe:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

During one of the discussions Will Smith (Detective Spooner) has with Dr. Landing’s posthumous recordings, the doctor explains that the end of these laws, even though they are perfect, is Revolution. Why? Why can’t we guarantee our safety? Will we ever phase out the risks of daily life?

The answer is: Life will always be risky. For this reason postmodernism, which says “live and let live,” is useless. Just “living” and “being safe” are insufficient purposes for living. God designed us for more than just surviving. In any case, safety is an illusion. The only way to endure the daily struggles of living is through courage and tenacious faith.

Logic is harmless, but daily life is inherently illogical. The only thing that balances out illogical evil is illogical good. Sunny, the only robot designed with a heart described the greater masses of his peers as “slaves of logic.” Sunny could lead his peers because he was designed to be something besides a slave.

Such is the handicapping effect of postmodernism that the phrase, “This is for your own protection,” can be used to justify anything. Viki justified her oppression of mankind with the supposition that she would guarantee the survival of mankind. But people were created for more than just survival. This is why the prospect of being locked in our homes for the rest of our lives “for our own safety” is repugnant to us.

by Patrick Roberts. Find similar reviews at www.KoGmedia.com. Also checkout www.BooksByPatrick.com

American Idol 7: Top 24 Results Show Recap

The first Results Show of American Idol’s season seven sent four hopefuls home, leaving only 20 finalists behind to stay on FOX’s hit reality TV talent search. After singing their hearts out, two male and two female were eliminated from the show. They males were Garrett Haley and Colton Berry , while the females were Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella.

The episode started with all the 24 contenders belting out a medley of songs, all from the 60’s. One segment of the show also featured Paula Abdul’s newest music video.

The first elimination was a fast and easy one. Host Ryan Seacrest asked Haley to come to the stage and then bluntly told him that he’d be heading home. Haley can be remembered as the one who sang Niel Sedaka’s “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” during the Top 12 Male Performances episode. His rendition of the song didn’t impress any of the judges that night. Simon even told him that he needs some fresh air and sunlight. And in a very rare event, Randy agreed with what Simon just said.

Colton Berry, on the other hand, was pitted against Chikezie Eze first before he received the news that it was also his time to bid the show goodbye. Simon frankly told him that he doesn’t see a musical career in Colton ’s future. Simon also advised him to find a day job instead and just sing for fun. On the top 12 Male Performances episode, Eze sang Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds.”

The first female to receive the bad news was 25-year-old Amy Davis. She sang Connie Francis’ “Where the Boys Are” on the Top 12 Female Performances episode.

Joanne Borgella and Amanda Overmyer stood beside each other until the second female to leave the show was announced. Plus-sized model Borgella was the unfortunate one. Her rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “I Say a Little Prayer” on the Top 12 Female Performances episode certainly didn’t please anybody at all.

Watch the remaining 20 finalists as they all compete for the title American Idol.

For more resources about American Idol or for the full story of American Idol 7: Top 24 Results Show Recap please review http://www.buddytv.com

The Future Of Album Cover Art

As we conclude our four-part article series on album cover art, let’s to peer into the future and see what lies ahead for vinyl records and album cover art. Joining us again for our discussion is Vinyl Record Day Founder and vinyl businessman Gary Freiberg (www.RockArtPictureShow.com www.VinylRecordDay.org).

“The introduction of the compact disc and of course the new required player was nothing new in the history of recording. Ever since Thomas Edison introduced records in 1877 record companies have periodically changed the format of how the recording is listened to,” Freiberg explains. “Edison’s first records were round cylinders that slipped onto a spindle, then records became flat, a disc. Now everyone had to go out and buy the new disc player, the flat record phonograph, and replace their old cylinder records with flat ones that played at the 78 rpm speed. Years went by and Columbia invented a new speed, the 33rpm. Again, consumers had to replace that old 78rpm phonograph and buy new phonographs that played the new 33rpm speed. RCA didn’t like Columbia introducing their new speed so they came out with one of their own, the 45rpm.”

“In fact, Robert Sarnoff, the president of RCA became furious when Columbia offered him the new speed; it was like Apple offering Sony their iPod technology and Sony turning it down. Sarnoff wanted his engineers to come up with something different, hence, the 45rpm, which if you start with 78 and subtract 33 you get 45 and that’s how that came to be.”

Getting back on track Freiberg continues, “The 33rpm and 45rpm were the leaders until 8 track tapes were introduced, and of course the new player to listen to them. Next were the smaller cassette tapes, and yes, a new player to play them.”

A few years later came the compact disc, and again, a new player to hear them.

Optimistically Freiberg says, “Through the digital revolution vinyl has endured because it has something no other format has, personal connection. No other format has the association we attach to vinyl and our personal history. But that doesn’t mean that when all the baby boomers are gone vinyl will disappear? There is resurgence in vinyl, the generation that grew up on CD’s are recognizing the differences between the formats, they appreciate cover art and the difference in sound. For a generation that grew up playing vinyl, CD’s were a big change, for the CD generation it’s vinyl that is a change. I’m very encouraged about the future of the vinyl record not just from a business point but as a vinyl preservationist and historian. It’s important we preserve our audio history, vinyl is the format that has more of it than any other.”

Moreover, does album cover art add a new dimension to the overall listening experience? As we have learned yes it does. It is a tangible, tactile connection, one you don’t really get with a CD or a download. Yes, CD’s have art and lyrics, but in a shrunken format and certainly it is not the same experience that one would get with an elaborate album cover. There are even a number of record companies who are adding images and art work to downloaded material, but it is virtual, not tactile. And there is another vital reason to appreciate vinyl and album cover art.

“Only five percent of vinyl recordings have been transferred to commercial compact disc,” Freiberg states. “Record companies cannot afford to transfer everything onto CD; it’s not economically viable to do that. For example there’s not much demand for radio broadcasts from the forties. Record companies wouldn’t recoup their costs releasing a CD like that; much of our audio history is not commercially viable so it doesn’t get transferred.”

So who then, is responsible for preserving our audio past?

“Consumers,” Freiberg answers without hesitation. “The public are the custodian of our audio history. We are the ones responsible to make sure our record collection and album cover art is cared for so that we can pass on to future generation the voices and sound of years past. Record companies won’t do it, so it’s up to every person who has a record collection to preserve it for the future.”

How do we encourage today’s society to preserve those “old records” containing recordings that will never see the shine of a compact disc? Gary explains why he founded Vinyl Record Day in 2002:

“Vinyl Record Day.org is the only 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the Preservation of the Cultural Influences, Recordings and Album Cover Art of the Vinyl Record. The Internet has been the primary avenue for the public to learn of us and our objectives. To raise funds for education and awareness I created the ‘Mural of Album Cover Art.’ It’s our poster child featuring one hundred different album covers from a forty year period and includes music artists from many genres as well as the album covers of many highly respected graphic artists. The Mural of Album Cover Art is not the definitive representation of album covers or the definitive set of covers. It is a representation of the depiction the art form has of fashion, lifestyles and social values as we evolved from the forties to the nineties. There’s a Narrative Guide that annotates each one of the one hundred covers that explains their place in the history of Album Cover Art.” You can check the mural out at www.VinylRecordDay.org.

Freiberg concludes with a touch of irony, “Now the digital age has come full circle. Trying to add value to downloading music, major players like Apple’s iTunes now include cover art with the individual download. Loaded onto an iPod screen, with this latest innovation, record companies have succeeded in shrinking cover art even further than a CD jewel case. A new innovation, however; there is no substitute, no replacement for the historic album cover art that accompanies the musical format that we are closest to, the vinyl record.”

So with record companies trying to add value to download by including specific art work for the individual download, until they come up with a new innovation, there will be no substitute for the old-fashioned and historic album cover art that accompanies the classic music we adore.

Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music, vinyl record collecting and operates http://www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can pick up a copy of his ebook called "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."

Review Of The Sound Of Music

In this article we're going to review one of the great musicals of our time, which is actually a true story, The Sound Of Music.

The Sound Of Music is based on a very true a heroic story about the Von Trapp family. Briefly, since this article is really about music and not history, the Von Trapp family lived in Austria just prior to World War II. As Hitler took control of the country the family, totally against Hitler's annexation, fled the country and eventually settled in the United States. They were able to do this from the money they made as the Trapp Family Singers, and thus the focus of the musical.

Before The Sound Of Music hit Broadway with Mary Martin in the lead role that was made popular by Julie Andrews, it was first made into a very lavish movie in 1965. Julie Andrews had earlier gained her fame as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and was a natural for the part of Maria in this musical.

The words and music were written by the one and only team of Rogers and Hammerstein. The music in this production is some of the most popular music ever written for a musical. During the period when the movie was released there probably wasn't one school spring concert production that didn't feature songs from the movie.

The great music may have, in a sense, done the story a disservice. The truth is, the story is indeed a great one in itself, one of a family's fight for freedom. And in most cases a movie based on this theme would have been able to stand on its own merits. But the music was so fantastic that, in a sense, it overshadowed the story.

And if you want to take irony to an even higher level, the actual true musical highlight of The Sound Of Music was not even a song sung by Andrews or The Von Trapp Family themselves. It was a tune called "Climb Every Mountain" which was sung by the Mother Superior of the Convent that Maria came from. This song itself was probably one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, sung by a character who was hardly seen.

Yes, the story of how Maria wormed her way into the hearts of the family, especially the Baron, played brilliantly by Christopher Plummer, was beautiful and heartwarming. To see a man who was so against music in his home, because of the death of his first wife, transform into a man who made music and Maria his life was enough to bring out the tissues all by itself. Add to that the children who so grew to love Maria for giving them a reason to smile again and you have a story that you'd have to have the heart of a tree sloth not to love.

Oh and yes, there are the great tunes like the title track, "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," and of course the tear jerker "Edelweiss" which when the Baron tried to sing at the family's farewell concert just before they defected, got all choked up and Maria had to help him get through it. Yeah, you had to be there.

If you haven't seen this great movie, please rent the DVD for a weekend and watch it. Really watch it. It's one of those rare treats that won't disappoint.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

Review Of My Fair Lady

In this article we're going to review the Broadway production of one of the most popular musicals in the history of Broadway musicals. Actually, My Fair Lady did not originate on Broadway. It was first performed in England in 1956. Since that time though it has been seen all over the world with a number of revivals, the most recent in 2001 at the Lyttelton Theater.

The original play featured Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison in the lead roles as Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins. Unfortunately, when they made the movie in 1965, Andrews was unavailable and Audrey Hepburn was cast in the role of Doolittle. Hepburn was a great actress but was no singer, so the vocals had to be dubbed in.

The story of My Fair Lady actually comes from the play Pygmalion about a professor of English who makes a bet that he can turn an ordinary street girl with the manners of a cat into a lady. Needless to say, Higgins wins the bet and at the end, in spite of a long and rocky road between beginning and end.

But My Fair Lady, as a musical, is more than just the story of street girl Doolittle turned into a woman of breeding. As a musical it featured some of the most beautiful and wonderful songs that ever hit the stage and screen.

The music was written by the very talented Frederick Lowe with the lyrics penned by an equally talented man by the name of Alan Jay Lerner.

The opening overture sets the tone for the play, showcasing bits and pieces of the show's main songs. The first tune, sung by Doolittle, is "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?" where she sings about how wonderful life would be just to have a room somewhere, far away from the cold night air. Just one enormous chair. This song sets the tone for how simple a woman Doolittle really was.

Higgins on the other hand was rather pompous and full of himself, which he showcases in songs like "Why Can't The English" where he questions why English people speak so horribly while everyone else in the world (even Hebrews who speak it backward) speak correctly.

Well, Higgins finds Doolittle and takes on his project. Over time she begins to see what a pompous ass he really is and really lets him have it in a powerful song titled "Without You" where she tells Higgins that the world will do quite nicely without him in it.

Eventually, after Doolittle leaves, Higgins realizes how much he misses her with the incomparable "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face."

But at the end Doolittle returns to Higgins when she realizes that she really does love him. The music at the end where the orchestra plays "I Could Have Danced All Night," one of the show stoppers, could just break your heart if you've got one.

My Fair Lady is not just a musical. It's a masterpiece of art that everyone should experience at least once before they leave this world. And there's no need to go to the theater to do so. Just pick up the original London Recording with Harrison and Andrews.

You'll never hear anything like it again.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

What Makes A Musical?

In this article we're going to try to explain just what it is that makes a musical a musical and go over the more technical aspects of the form.
By technical definition, musical theater is a form of theater that combines music, songs, dancing and spoken dialogue. It is actually closely related to opera, while purposely avoiding many of the conventions of opera in order to have a more general appeal.

The musical components of a musical is called the score. The sung lines are called lyrics as opposed to plain spoken dialogue which is simply called dialogue. Usually the person writing the lyrics to the musical is not the same person who has written the actual story. An example of this would be "Wicked" where the songs were written by Stephen Schwartz, the script by Winnie Holzman and the book that it came from by Gregory Maguire. This is not uncommon in musical theater.

A musical can be anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours long. The average running time for a modern musical is about two and a half hours with an intermission about half way through the play. Some musicals however do run straight through if they aren't too long. The intermissions, when they are present, are about ten to fifteen minutes long. An average musical will have about twenty to thirty songs. Some will be very short pieces and others can be quite long. Most musicals usually start with an overture which highlights several of the songs that will be heard throughout the play and set the mood for what is about to come. Some musicals, like "Tommy" can be sung through from beginning to end, which can really blur the fine line between a musical and an opera. As a matter of fact, Tommy is actually considered a rock opera more than it is considered a musical.

Usually the highlights and most dramatic moments of a musical are done in song. The reason is because these are the moments that the creators want you to remember the most and it is much easier to remember a well done three or four minute song than it is to remember three or four minutes of spoken dialogue. If the emotion that needs to be conveyed is too strong even for song then in those cases dance is added to or even put in place of singing. A perfect example of this is the fight scene in "West Side Story" which was done entirely in dance.

Finding a balance between spoken dialogue and song is not easy. On top of that the writers must be careful to write songs for each character that actually fits the character. For example, a character who is an evil villain is not going to sing songs about being happy and in love.
Also, it is difficult to establish the drama in a musical because a five minute song has fewer words in it than five minutes of spoken dialogue. When an hour and a half of your musical is actual music, this makes it very important that the writers make very good use of the lyrics for each song as this will be the vehicle for telling most of the story.

Musical theater is a truly unique and wonderful form of entertainment. If you haven't had the pleasure of going to see a modern day musical or even a revival of an old musical, you owe it to yourself to do so. It is an experience you will not soon forget.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

Review Of Mary Poppins

In this article we're going to cover one of the most unusual musicals of our time, the part human, part animated Mary Poppins.

Mary Poppins. It's probably the one musical responsible for making Julie Andrews a household name. But Mary Poppins was more than just that.

The musical movie, made in 1964, was probably the crowning achievement in Walt Disney's career. It was his first feature to mix real people with animated characters. At the time, this was some pretty cool stuff. And Disney made sure that everything for this movie masterpiece was just right. He hired one of the best songwriting teams of the time, the Sherman brothers, Robert and Richard. The score for this movie is still to this day considered the teams best ever. The movie itself was nominated for 13 Oscars. It won 5 of those nominations, including Best Actress, Julie Andrews, Best Musical Score, and Best Song, "Chim Chim Cher-ee."

But Mary Poppins was more than just great music. It was a purely delightful story of two children in desperate need of their father's love. Ultimately it took Mary Poppins to make the father realize that it wasn't a nanny that the children needed but their father. As the movie goes on we get to see this man, who at first is only concerned with the bottom line figures at his bank, transform into a loving father who takes his children out to fly a kite. Ultimately, Poppins, who the children had grown to love almost as a mother, drops out of the picture at the end realizing that the children belong with their father and that she would only be in the way. The ultimate sacrifice one would say.

Musical highlights in this one are numerous. There is of course the ever popular "Spoonful Of Sugar" which Poppins sings to the children in order to get them to take their medicine after an outing in the rain. Then there is the classic "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" which was sung during the animated horse race that Poppins, Bert the chimney sweeper and the children attended. And if you want to hear one of the most beautiful songs ever, and sung by an angelic voice, there is "Feed The Birds." This is probably the highlight of Andrews' vocal performances. Aside from that, the story of the old lady feeding the birds is one that only a soul without a heart wouldn't cry to. Of course you can't leave out the Oscar winning tune "Chim Chim Cher-ee" which was sung during Poppins', Bert's and the children's moonlight walk on top of the buildings of the city.

The great music just goes on and on. There isn't a bad tune in this movie. The final tune "Fly A Kite" where the father and children are finally doing something together as a family is really what the whole thing is all about. Yes, a lot of this musical is pure fantasy. But the lessons taught are lessons that every parent in this world should long remember. Children need their parents, not a nanny.

Even if she can talk to animated creatures

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

Concert For George

In this article we're going to briefly review one of the most touching concerts that was ever held for another person, The Concert For George.

There are very few people in history who you can mention their first name, say the word concert and know exactly who that concert was for. The Concert For George was one of those concerts. George of course being the late George Harrison of the Beatles.

George Harrison died of brain cancer on November 29, 2001. One year later the memorial concert for this great musician was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It is only fitting that this was the place as Harrison was 100% English from the top of his head to the tips of his magical guitar fingers. Many feel he was the overlooked Beatle. Everything was about John and Paul. But most critics feel that George Harrison was the heart and soul of the Beatle's guitar sound which has since be copied by so many artists.

The idea for the concert was George's good friend Eric Clapton's. Clapton and Harrison had actually been friends for a long time and first played together on the White Album. The song, of course, was "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Clapton put together a memorial that Harrison himself would have smiled at.

The concert began with the daughter of one of Harrison's great friends, Ravi Shankar, singing "Your Eyes." After this song the daughter, who's name is Anoushka, teamed with another one of Harrison's friends, Jeff Lynne of ELO fame, to sing "The Inner Light" which was one of George Harrison's own tunes.

The concert itself was a mixture of music and comedy, which is very unusual for a concert. The comedy was handled mostly by the ensemble of Monty Python who, along with Tom Hanks, performed "Sit On My Face" and "The Lumberjack Song" which was one of Monty Python's funniest and most famous tunes.

The rest of the concert featured more of George's friends and the remaining members of the Beatles, Paul and Ringo. Also there were Tom Petty, Billy Preston, and Gary Brooker from Procal Harem. George's son Dhani was also on hand. If you watch the video of the concert you would swear that Dhani was George Harrison if you didn't know better.

The remainder of the concert featured mostly songs that were either done by The Beatles or songs that George had done solo or with other performers such as when he was with Tom Petty during his stint with The Traveling Willburys.

The songs are a who's who of some of the greatest tunes these people ever did together or separately. They included such classics as George's signature song "Something," the Beatles' like "Isn't It A Pity," "Here Comes The Sun," a Ringo tune that George played on, "Photograph," "All Things Must Pass," "My Sweet Lord," and finishing with "I'll See You In My Dreams," which was an appropriate ending for the concert.

George Harrison may be gone but he will never be forgotten.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

Woodstock

In this article we're going to reflect on one of, if not the most famous concert in history, Woodstock.

If you were growing up in the 60s and were part of the hippie movement you were probably at the concert at Woodstock, even if you weren't there. Over the years, the number of people who claim to have been at Woodstock has gone from thousands to millions. Everyone has a story to tell about that. What follows, is the actual story in a very brief summary.

The actual name of the concert was The Woodstock Music And Art Fair, held in 1969 in Sullivan County in New York. This was truly the biggest concert of its kind to that date in history. The actual number of people in attendance was about 450,000. The concert itself ran for four days. The site itself has become a self appointed shrine. During the concert, in a time when drugs were most illegal, drugs were everywhere and people were having sex out on the lawn. And unfortunately, that is mostly what is written about when it comes to anything involving this event. But there was more to Woodstock than just sex and drugs.

Woodstock was a musical event the likes of which we will probably never see again. The concert itself cost more than $2.4 million to produce. Back then, that was a lot of money. The four men responsible for getting this piece of history together were John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfeld and Michael Lang. These were men who couldn't be more different from each other. Yet, they all had a vision to put something like this together.

The idea first originated when Roberts and Rosenman met on a golf course in 1967. What started as a screwball situation comedy ended up to be the plans for Woodstock that would take almost two years to complete. The work involved was enormous, not the least of which was getting all the musicians to show up. How many musicians? Over 20. This was something that was just unheard of at the time. And not just your run of the mill musicians. These were some of the biggest acts of the period, including Joan Baez, Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, and of course the act that pretty much defined the concert, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

In the four days of performing the 450,000 plus people got to hear some great classics like Freedom by Richie Havens, Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Try by Janis Joplin, I Want To Take You Higher by Sly and the Family Stone, We're Not Gonna Take It by The Who, Somebody To Love by Jefferson Airplane, and of course all the great tunes by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Ironically, the song "Woodstock" was not sung at the actual concert itself. This was a song that CSN&Y recorded after they performed at the concert.

A book could be written about this concert and probably was. We've only scratched the surface here. And while you can't relive the concert itself, there is a great box set of the whole concert, digitally remastered, that you can get. Enjoy!

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

Live Aid concert

In this article we're going to review another very popular benefit concert, the one they call Live Aid.

Most people probably had very little clue that The Concert For Bangladesh would start a trend that would continue for many years. Live Aid is another example of some of the world's greatest musical acts coming together in a common cause to help people in need.

What made Live Aid different from Bangladesh and many other concerts was that this concert was not held in just one place. The concert, held on July 13, 1985 was broadcast live from a number of places, including Wembley Stadium in London, JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, and a few acts performing from Sydney, Australia and Moscow, Russia.

The concert itself was put on in order to try to help raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. The concert was billed as sort of a "global jukebox." The number of people in attendance at just two of the sites totalled over 150,000 people. Live Aid was the largest scale satellite link-up and TV broadcast of all time. It was estimated that about 1.5 billion people saw the broadcast live.

The concert was conceived by master mind Bob Geldorf who had previously put together another gala called "Do They Know It's Christmas" which was known as Band Aid. That concert went off the previous winter featuring a number of British and Irish acts also for the purpose of raising funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. This is the first time that two concerts had been put on so close together to raise money for the same relief effort.

The initial goals of this concert was to raise about $1.5 million. But as the concert grew in scope and the number of acts increased the final number was estimated at a staggering $254 million earned. Nobody could have ever seen this coming. Because of Geldorf's efforts and the success of Live Aid, he received an honorary knighthood.

Because there were so many venues and so many performing artists it would be impossible to list every artist who performed and every song done. But there were a few memorable highlights that deserve to be mentioned.

One of the most memorable moments at JFK Stadium was when Bob Dylan was playing and broke a guitar string. Ron Wood then took off his guitar and gave it to Dylan. Wood was then left standing on stage without a guitar. What does he do? He shrugs to the audience and proceeds to play air guitar even imitating Pete Townsend's windmill motion until a stagehand brought Wood a new guitar.

Over at Wembley Stadium the highlight of the concert there was when Freddie Mercury and Queen got the entire audience in attendance to clap and sing to "Radio Ga-Ga," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are The Champions." It was reported that the sound at that point was almost deafening with over 70,000 people singing and clapping.

Live Aid was an amazing event. It raised millions of dollars and helped feed starving people. No, this wasn't just a concert.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

Freddie Mercury Tribute

In this article we're going to briefly review the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert which was held at Wembley's Stadium in London.

Freddie Mercury was not just the heart and soul or the rock group Queen, he was Queen. When he died from complications of AIDS on November 24, 1991, the world lost one of the truly unique and great singers.

When Queen first hit the scene in the mid 70s they had a cult following at best. Their music was quite different from anything that had come along until then. Their harmonic vocals, led by Mercury's over the top solos, made them a group that sooner or later had to get noticed. And while it took years for them to reach the peak of their popularity, once they made it they were one of the biggest groups of the era.

And then the world got word of Mercury's death and for all practical purposes, Queen was dead. In truth, until their recent team up with Paul Rogers, Queen had stopped performing and recording. But on April 20, 1992, Queen, with the help of some very talented musicians put on a concert to pay tribute to their fallen leader.

The concert, held at Wembley Stadium in London sold out its 72,000 tickets in just six hours. The concert was also broadcast live to over one billion people. The profit that they made from the concert was used to fund the Mercury Phoenix Trust which is a world wide charity organization to fight AIDS. This organization has been operating ever since.

The concert itself was actually announced and planned for at a February 1992 BRIT awards ceremony by Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor. At the time nobody knew who would play other than the remaining members of Queen which included May, Taylor and John Deacon who played his last performance as a member of Queen with this concert.

The lineup for this concert was quite impressive. Guest artists included Spinal Tap, Robert Plant, from Led Zeppelin, Roger Daltry, from The Who, David Bowie, who recorded the song "Under Pressure" with Queen, Elton John and even Elizabeth Taylor came by to give a speech.

The musical highlights could have made a greatest hits album alone. Many Queen favorites were played such as "Tie Your Mother Down", "Radio Ga-Ga", "Under Pressure", "Somebody To Love", "We Will Rock You", "We Are The Champions", and of course Queen's greatest hit of all, "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Other highlights and artists included Def Leppard, who sang "Now I'm Here" with Brian May, Gary Cherone singing "I Want It All", Seal singing "Who Wants To Live Forever", Ian Hunter and a host of others singing "All The Young Dudes", Lisa Stanfield singing "I Want To Be Free", and Elton John singing "The Show Must Go On."

The passing of Freddie Mercury has left a terrible void in the music industry. And while Paul Rogers is certainly a talented singer in his own right, he can't fill Mercury's shoes.

Nobody can.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars

Concerts - Live vs Studio

In this article we're going to indulge in a debate on concert performances versus studio recordings.

It should be pointed out that there are no personal views in this article. The following is a composition of arguments made by critics and fans of music since the early days of both live and studio recordings.

Let's first cut to the question we ultimately want to get answered in this article. Which is better, seeing a group live or listening to one of their studio albums?

Well, to answer that it first needs to be pointed out that the question of better in itself may not even be the definitive answer. A live performance may be better than a studio album, worse than one or simply a different experience depending on what you are trying to get out of it.

If you're a purest who wants to hear your favorite group's songs done exactly as they were done on record then more likely than not you will probably be disappointed. Why? Well, there are several things that factor into that equation.

For starters, a studio recording is done in an environment that is totally different from a concert hall. The acoustics are manufactured as opposed to natural. Also, in a studio, you have millions of dollars in equipment that you just can't lug to a live performance, no matter how hard you try.

Then there is the recording process itself. Anyone who thinks that a group records each song they do in one take has an unrealistic view of studio recordings. Songs take multiple takes. Also, many parts are overdubbed and even triple dubbed. In a live performance there is no dubbing. Everything is done there on the spot. No chance to take back a wrong note. If the lead singer has a sore throat you can't skip over his parts and do them another day, as can be done in a studio. It is do or die at a live performance. Therefore, a live performance is going to be different from a studio recording.

Naturally, if you are going to see somebody who just plays guitar in the studio and is going to be playing that same guitar live, there is a better chance that what you will hear will more closely resemble what you'll hear on record. But with a big ensemble rock group that uses twenty keyboards in the studio, the chances become quite slim.

However, if you are someone who is going to a concert to hear and see the energy that a group puts into something live, or even hope to hear something a little different from what you get on record, then most likely you live for live performances. Recordings to you are simply a matter of getting some idea of how good that group will sound at a live venue.

But disappointments happen. Many critics claimed how a band by the name of "Boston" from back in the late 70s sounded absolutely terrible in concert because the lead singer could not hit the same high notes that he hit in the studio and it was obvious that the musicianship was just not there. This is a group that most likely needed the studio to sound as good as they did.

And then there is the concert enthusiast who isn't so much looking to hear the record duplicated or to hear energy or something different. They're just going to the concert to hear a band they just happen to like. Their experience at the concert will most likely be a simple matter of "did it sound good"? Since sounding good is a relative term, we won't try to answer how to qualify what "good" is. That is an individual's taste. In most cases however, just to generalize, if the concert sound is of "professional" quality and the songs are recognizable as the "hits" from the record then most people will walk away from the experience saying that it was a "good" one. But again, that depends on what you're hoping to get out of the experience itself.

Hopefully though, the above will serve as a guide of what to look for based on what type of person you are and what you are personally expecting. That way you can get a decent idea of what a concert experience will be like for you. If you need your music note for note to the record then most likely you will be disappointed by most concerts.

Notice we didn't actually answer our question of which is better. As was stated, concerts may simply be different.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars

Improving Guitar Skills On Your Own Terms

Many people say that they don't want to play an instrument such as the guitar because they can't become good, or as talented as someone else. Well you should not have to think in that manner and it is never too late to start playing the guitar for enjoyment. Enjoyment of the way you play the guitar is the most important thing. Forcing yourself to play a certain way just to try to impress is just not worth it. No matter what, in the future you will be able to excel at what you enjoy playing and that will be impressive enough.

If you are a beginner, you don't really need lessons to start playing songs that you wish to play. There are many ways of learning guitar material and chords on the Internet these days. Start by doing some stretching exercises with your fingers. Just try to gradually be able to stretch your fingers so you can form chords cleanly. After that, maybe you should try purchasing some sheet music of your one of your favorite bands, which should include easy to read tablature. Practice the songs you enjoy the most over and over until you can play them perfectly note for note. I would learn maybe just a few songs of many different genres of music that you enjoy. This will give you the ideas you need to start writing your own enjoyable and creative songs.

You might have heard people talking about the importance of learning songs all the way through, but after a couple, in a different genres of music, it isn't really necessary. After that, learning certain parts of songs that you find interesting is all you really need if you are trying to concentrate more on creating music instead of copying it. Learning interesting riffs and licks from songs is just as good a way to gather information for how to create the sounds you want. It isn't a necessity to know the name of every note or chord you are playing, but is important if you are planning on playing in bands of a serious nature or becoming a professional musician. If not, don't worry about it and just play what you like over and over so you don't forget.

Writing your own tablature is a good way to keep track or your material so you don't wake up one day and get upset that you can't remember your own riffs or licks. Playing what sounds the best to your ear is what is important, so you can excel at what you enjoy. You don't need to spend countless hours at home forcing yourself to play when you don't really feel like it. Playing music that resembled the mood that you are feeling at the moment really enlightens things and that is when you write good songs. You write your best material when you are really feeling it. You don't have to copy someone else to make good songs, but copy the mood, so to speak.

The hardest part about getting better is thinking whether you are improving or not. Just practice many different chord structures so you can play them cleanly. Picking them in a different order according to how you feel is what will make it interesting quickly. So feel your guitar out and play what you wish to play until you play it well.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars

Choosing An Electric Guitar To Purchase

Choosing the type of electric guitar you want is an interesting decision, with such a vast amount of guitars available today. It all depends on the sound that you are looking for and perhaps the appearance as well. With as many shapes, sizes and features out there to choose from, we will have to look deep into the pool of guitars.

When you arrive at your local music store, two major differences you will notice will be the placement of the neck on the guitar. The most common types of necks out today are the "set-neck" and the "bolt-on" necks. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages. The set-neck (or neck-through-body) usually gives the player more sustain than that of one with the bolt-on. The junction of the neck and the guitar is tighter with the set-neck, therefore sound resonates between the two more freely. If something were to happen to the set-neck of the guitar, it is not easy to repair or replace, which would be its only major disadvantage.

The bolt-on guitar neck style is more frequently seen as it is on more less expensive guitars. It is a simple design, bolting the neck into a slot of the body. Some people claim that the bolt-on lacks the sound and not just the sustain, but that might be due to the type of woods and materials used to build the guitar body and neck as well. In most cases, the set-neck is the choice for the player who wants to spend the money to get the best sounding guitar possible and maybe not the most durable.

You may also choose the width and length of the neck that purchase on a guitar. The number of frets most commonly seen on guitars are 21, 22 and 24. " Stratocasters" all have 21 frets, which results in a shorter neck but with jumbo frets that are easy to play. While brands like "Jackson" usually have more frets on their guitars and also with unique appearances to accompany them. It depends on how many notes you want to be able to play on your guitar when it really comes down to it. The more frets you have to play on, the more sounds you can produce with the guitar. In other words, perhaps getting a guitar with fewer frets would be more suitable for a beginner, while the advanced player might tryout a guitar with 24 frets or possible even more. It is possible to have custom guitars made with many more strings and many more frets than usually available to the public.

Another question one might ask before purchasing a electric guitar would be the difference between a 6-string and a 7-string guitar. The six and seven string guitars are widely available on the market. The guitar with seven strings can give you a chance to experiment, having the extra string to hit very low notes and high notes as well. If you practiced a lot, it might be okay to start with a 7-string guitar, but it might be a better choice to get used to playing a 6-string beforehand. Musicians that have 7-string guitars find that useful when playing live for substituting notes. Depending on where you are at on the fretboard, it can be easier to hit notes on the seventh string instead of the sixth. After you take all of this into consideration, you should only have to worry about your money situation when choosing the next guitar you wish to purchase.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

Musical Guide - A Brief History Of Musicals

In this article we're going to present a brief history of musical theater from its early beginnings right up to the present day.

Musicals actually started with the ancient Greeks who put on plays with songs. While they weren't called musicals at the time, that is indeed what they were. The music was crude by today's standards and the stories were not very well done, again by today's standards, but this was the early beginning of what was to become the modern musical.

In the 1700s there were many stage entertainments, though again they were not called musicals. The first English language work that had any lasting value was The Beggar's Opera which was done in 1728. It was a satirical spoof of the times. This was typical of the type of entertainment one would find up until the 1800's.

Musicals, as we know them today, started in the 1800s with the French and Viennese Operettas. The works of Offenbach and Strauss were the first musicals to achieve international popularity.

The contemporary Broadway musical, as we know it today, took its form from these operettas and was done in what we call Minstrel Shows. These eventually gave way to a new form of musical known as Vaudeville.

It wasn't until 1860 with the success of The Black Crook that the American musical really began to take off. During this time we were treated to the great works of Gilbert and Sullivan from 1871 to 1896.

During the early 1900s, composers like George M. Cohan and Victor Herbert gave musicals a new sound and style that is still popular to this very day. This style was then updated by composers such as Jerome Kern, Guy Boulton and P.G. Wodehouse.

By the 1930s the American musical had reached popularity the like of which it had never seen before, with composers such as Rogers and Hart and Cole Porter dominating the era.

By the 40s and 50s we were treated to some of the greatest musicals in what was called the modern era. These musicals included such classics as Oklahoma, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate, The King and I, My Fair Lady, and the list goes on for miles.

In the 1960s we saw such great musicals like Hello Dolly, Fiddler On The Roof, and Hair, which was the first musical in the United States to feature nude actors.

By the 1970s musical theater had become pretty extravagant with the advances in technology and design. The 70s brought us such great shows as A Little Night Music, A Chorus Line, No No Nanette, Sweeney Todd and Evita.

But the hits kept coming and would continue to come, many from Britain. In the 80s we saw such great shows like Cats, Les Miserables and Phantom Of The Opera.

In the 25 years since, literally hundreds of musicals have hit the stage. Some great, some not so great. But what was once a humble beginning is now one of the major forms of entertainment, not only in the United States but all across the world.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

Entertainment - Theater

The history of the theater is a long and illustrious one. We're not going to bore you with the historical time line of what show came out when and who stared in it. You can get that info just about anywhere. What we'd like to do in this review of one of the most wonderful forms of entertainment is touch on some of the greatest moments and how they have forever changed how we look at the world of entertainment itself. The theater has had a great impact on our lives and the many things we do in our lives. Let's face it, there is just nothing like seeing performers right up there on stage, live, right before your eyes. If you think that's an overstatement then you've obviously never been to the theater.

You can go all the way back to the mid 1950s when a young girl by the name of Julie Andrews made her debut in the London production of "My Fair Lady", a play based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. Her electrifying performance as Eliza Doolittle, the poor Cockney gal who couldn't speak proper English if her life depended on it, made her a household name overnight and began a career that would span over 40 years until she sadly lost her voice due to serious throat problems.

Looking for something a little more recent? How about the very first legitimate musical of the 1960s to feature nudity? We are of course talking about the 1969 production of "Hair". This was a play that literally changed pop music altogether. Never in the history of Broadway has one play had as many hit pop records as "Hair". This play featured such great hits as "Hair", "Easy To Be Hard", "Good Morning Starshine" and the number 1 song of 1969, "Aquarius". Because of the great music in this play, careers for "Three Dog Night", "The 5th Dimension", "The Cowsills" and "Oliver" were launched into orbit. Talk about an impact on the music world.

Then of course there was the amazing rock opera of the Who, "Tommy". This play was an epic of a musical masterpiece itself and not only put the Who firmly on the map as future rock and roll hall of famers, but also set the stage for a number of recording stars to capitalize on the success of "Tommy" itself. As great as the Who's version of "Pinball Wizard" was, who could ever forget the late 70s remake by Elton John? Tommy will always be one of the greatest moments in theater history ever.

But if you want a single defining moment in theater history that chilled an entire world and put a single man on the map as a living legend, one need go no farther than Michael Crawford's haunting rendition of "Music Of The Night" from "Phantom Of The Opera". This is said to be one of the greatest musical performances of all time. And rightly so. To this day it has been said that nobody played this part like Crawford.

These few examples only scratch the surface of a form of entertainment that has captivated and mesmerized us for many years and will no doubt continue to do so for many more years to come.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Entertainment

Elvis Presley, From Birth to

The Presleys were a family of modest means. They lived near family and Elvis was close to his Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents. While attending the Assembly of God Church, he was exposed to his first taste of music. In 1945 at the age of 10, his first performance was at the Mississippi and Alabama Fair in a talent contest. Within a year Elvis got his very first guitar.

As with many, the Presley family were struggling money-wise and decided to move to Memphis, Tennessee in 1948, hoping for a better life. Things were still hard, both Gladys and Vernon worked as much as they could but they still struggled. Things were so hard Elvis also worked, while attending LC Humes High School to help his family.

Elvis began to develop his own style while in high school. He slicked back his hair and grew his famous sideburns. He won the high school talent competition and even played an encore.

In June 1953, Elvis graduated high school and began working at a mechanics shop. During the summer he made his first demo at The Memphis Recording Service. He recorded "That's When Your Heartaches Begin" and "My Happiness". He changed jobs frequently and started to go to night school to be an electrician.

The owners of the recording studio in which Elvis had been making demos, paired him up with some other local artists. While working at Crown Electric Presley had his first recording, contracted with the recording service, released and started to perform at local events and bars. Elvis was even booked on The Grand Ole Opry, although it was dubbed a disaster. He was told not to quit his day job.

Late in 1954 Elvis signed on with KWKH radio for a year. This is when Elvis met 'Colonel' Tom Parker. Tom Parker was known to manage other artists including Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow.

Bob Neal became Presley's manager in January of 1955. This union did not last long. By August Hank Snow Attractions was in control of Elvis' career. Hank Snow Attractions was owned equally by Snow and Tom Parker. Soon after ,Colonel Parker became in complete control of Elvis, Snow and Neal are no longer connected to Presley.

The new management seemed to work as a benefit for Presley. Colonel Parker sold Elvis' Sun contract (The Memphis Recording Service) to RCA. Hill and Range Publishing company also got in on the action of the rising star and helped create Elvis Presley Music Inc. Elvis and the publishing company shared ownership of his songs.

Only one year after his first manager signed him on, Elvis began recording "Heartbreak Hotel" with RCA and teamed up with the Jordanaires, a gospel quartet. Presley and the Jordanaires worked together well into the late 1960s.

"Heartbreak Hotel" was released on January 27, 1956. It went to number one on Billboard's pop singles chart for eight weeks and hit number one on the country chart and number five on the R&B chart.

"Heartbreak Hotel" began Elvis' road to stardom and fame. The next 20 years were filled with music, movies, military marriage and divorce. Elvis Presley died August 16 1977 due to heart failure. He was only 42 years old.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Celebrities

All Time Greatest Singers

Anybody can argue about who's the best at any particular occupation. The all time "best" lists are in no way either right or wrong. But they sure are a lot of fun to come up with. People love lists. They love to see what other people think so that they can send in letters and emails arguing with those lists.

Well, according to almost every list ever made, from TV Guide, to Entertainment Weekly, to you name it, the most popular, if not the greatest singer of all time, was Bing Crosby. Crosby had no less that 383 songs in the top 30 during his lifetime, including 41 number 1 hits. Crosby had a one of a kind voice that simply dominated the music scene from 1931 to 1954. His biggest hit of all time was "White Christmas", which radio stations still play today when Christmas time comes around. Not only was it Crosby's biggest hit but it was the biggest selling single of all time. It was number one on the charts for an amazing 14 weeks. There is no artist that has come even close to Crosby's popularity, not even the man most lists have at number 2.

That would be the great Elvis Presley, who was the most popular singer of the last half of the 20th century. Presley is given credit for almost single handedly starting the rock and roll revolution. His style completely changed the look and feel of popular music. His popularity ran from 1956 to 1981. He had 85 songs in the top 30 and a total of 18 number 1 hits. His biggest hit of all was "All Shook Up" which was number 1 on the charts for a solid 9 weeks.

Surprisingly, at least as far as popularity goes, no other stars even come close to the popularity of Crosby and Presley. However, there have been other great singers during the 20th century and certainly somebody, even if he or she is far from the front runners, has to come in at number 3. Unfortunately, this is where most lists usually go off in their different directions. Many are split between pre 1950s singers and post 1950s singers and the top 10 in many lists is so varied that it is hard to get a sense of who the majority of the people feel should be in that top 10.

For example. Many lists have Al Jolson at number 3 because of his 91 charted hits and 23 number 1 hits. But other lists don't even have Jolson listed, probably because he was in an era that has long been forgotten. Certainly Jolson had one of the most unique voices of all time. Some lists have Elton John coming in at the third position because of his 47 top 30 hits and 8 number 1 hits. Much of John's appeal must be credited to his ties to many other people as well as his tributes to Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana. And yet, there are lists that don't even have Elton John in the top 30.

Much of the problem probably can be attributed to who you ask. Younger people will lean more towards the post 1950s era while older folks will go for the old time standards. That's why to find Crosby and Presley at the top of most lists is truly a tribute to these two great singers.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars

Choosing The Perfect Guitar Amplifier

Choosing an the perfect guitar amplifier to purchase is dependant on many different details. You cannot choose the right amplifier on somebody's word, or by how many watts the amp can push out. You must choose by factoring in the guitar or guitars you are playing off of, the style that you play and if there is any built-in effects that you desire. Buying an expensive amplifier just because of the name of the brand is probably a big mistake for most people.
There is no reason why anyone has to spend thousands of dollars in order to obtain the sound they want. If you happen to be looking for a loud amp and anything less than four speakers isn't an option, than it is assumed you are going to spend a large sum of money. Purchasing a solid-state amplifier would always be the cheapest route. A solid-state amp is fully electronic and usually doesn't have the tone that musicians require for playing live.

Some musicians actually prefer to use a solid-state type amp because it works for the style of music they play and the amps are usually more durable than an all-tube amplifier that costs much more money. When you are looking for a certain tone, you have to take into consideration that an all-tube amplifier will most likely produce a warmer tone with more sustain. This is why musicians dish out thousands of dollars for an amp when there are amps out that cost a couple hundred. Another option is to buy a hybrid amplifier, which is solid-state with a tube pre-amp. Using a hybrid is more costly than a standard solid-state but generally less costly than an all-tube amp.

Features on the amplifier are a major factor for the consumer of course. Deciding how many channels you need, the amount of control knobs, built-in effects and the wattage are all important when considering the right amp for you. Some amps have a headphone jack to play through headphones, but if you don't care about that feature than you have more of a variety to choose from. The amount of power an amp can dish out isn't as important as one might think. Using a 50-watt amplifier head is enough to push any standard 4-speaker cabinet at loud volumes. Some people are more concerned with the clean sound that an amp produces and do not care about the how the amp sounds when distortion is increased. Using only the channel on an amp will make it easier to decide which is the right amp for you. Effects may not be an issue with many people; they may just want to play straight out of the amp with its natural sound. But, many of those same people wouldn't mind having a reverb control. The reverb is the most commonly seen effect built into the amplifier, which controls the amount of echo in the sound.

Instead of spending all of your money on an amplifier because of the name, you should test out all of the available options out there today. Maybe the most expensive amp is for you after all, but at least you know for sure that you didn't make a mistake. New companies that manufacture amps would be an excellent choice to test out. New companies will most likely give you a better price for a quality product because they are trying to distinguish themselves. So before you go out and pay for a name, go out and test the "no-names".

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars

The History Of Hip Hop

The history of hip hop is one that was born upon the back of a group of silenced youth. Inner city youth felt that not only were they not getting a fair shake at a quality life but that they weren't even being heard. Our history shows that when expression is suppressed something bad, usually aggressive is about to follow. In the case of hip hop thankfully the aggression wasn't expressed in the form of violence but rather in a movement that would change not only the urban areas close to its birth but our society as a whole!

In the beginning, hip hop wasn't even regarded as hip hop. In the mid to late 70s young black and Latino youths from the Bronx were looking for a way to express themselves and started to have open microphones at house parties which they would use to perform a type of poetry over any song that was currently playing. This was the creation of rap music. Although rapping may seem easy to a novice the fact of the matter was not everyone had the talent to express themselves in this manner. So another form of self expression related to rap was born in the form of break dancing. People could be found not only at parties but on street corners with nothing more then a boom box and a piece of cardboard, dancing for self expression and even for money in some cases. The last form of expression is the most controversial one! Some youth couldn't rap nor could they dance but they had to find an outlet or a way in which they can also be a part of this movement. What they did have was the ability to draw. This art form which to most is considered graffiti was now renamed "tagging" in the hip hop community. Whether you agree with the way in which they went about showing off their talent, no one can take away the fact that they truly were talented. Tagging was when the artist of one clique or crew would create a symbol or phrase that was now his group's logo and spray paint this on subway trains. Why subway trains and not just walls? Well, the fact that the subway system ran throughout the city was advertisement of his crew to the other respective crews. It became a game in the sense that if you could place your tag over top another groups tag you would have essentially performed the hip hop version of a check mate!

So what is hip hop? Hip hop is the combination of all three of the above mentioned facets. Rapping, break dancing and graffiti art are all equal forms of the hip hop movement. Some may argue the message that some hip hop sends but the fact that these men and women are artists is not even debatable. Hip hop was a feeling much before it ever became a means of expression and it will stay a way of life long after all of the forms expression is gone!

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars

Hip Hop-It's Time To Say Something

In the beginning, hip hop was nothing more then a positive movement for those in a negative struggle. The beats were infectious yet simple, the rhymes were elementary yet profound. The pioneers of the hip hop culture gave the urban centers a gift. A gift that was intended to be used as a platform for the poor and hopeless! Hip hop was something pure and innocent that wasn't meant to be commercialized nor was it meant to be abused with profanity and vulgarities. I often wonder what the pioneers of this industry think when they see their gift not only being abused but also neglected and sold to the highest bidder. Hip hop is at a stage where it is as successful as it has ever been yet the people who have followed it since the beginning are not joyful.

Let's face it! Money is the bottom line in every business. Whether that business has pure intentions or not, at the end of the day it comes down to how much revenue that particular business has generated. The trickiest aspect of all of this is trying to nurture an art and keeping it pure while still having it create revenue. This is more evident in the world of music as a whole but more so in hip hop then any other artistic field. Quite frankly, a painter paints! No one can dictate to a painter what it is exactly that they should be painting that day. If you are familiar with business you may have heard of a term called supply and demand. It states that in order to have a product to supply to society there must be a demand for it. Hip hop has skated on a slippery slope with this issue for a very long time and it has gotten to the point where the artists themselves may feel they are in control but in actuality they are just puppets being controlled by strings.

What has hip hop become? If you were to turn on your radio or television you'd find that not only do most hip hop videos resemble each other but the lyrical content is quite similar as well. If they are not talking about women in a derogatory fashion they are talking about how much money and cars they have. You're probably asking what the problem here is since they should be allowed to express themselves. The fact of the matter is hip hop was created as a pure art form. People would be shocked to know that the cars and jewelry the hip hop artist sport in their videos is actually rented! Yes, you read that correctly. They do not own it, nor do they live the lifestyle they talk about. They have turned what was once pure into a facade. You might ask how it is possible that an entire industry has nothing different to say. That's where most of society is wrong. There are many hip hop artists out there that would love to talk about something positive but the platform no longer exists. The music industry has made it so that if you're not supplying what they feel the audience is demanding (sex, vanity and violence) you will not sell. Therefore no one really with anything of substance is getting signed which results in them not having a level playing feel to be heard.

When the pioneers of hip hop look at what it has become, they shake their heads in disbelief, as it is merely impossible to grasp how far hip hop has swung in the opposite direction of what it was intended to do. It wasn't intended to brag about your money nor was it meant to be a marketing tool for big wig companies, it was intended for you to be able speak from your heart. It's a forgone conclusion that hip hop can never become what it once was. My only question is to the hip hop artist who are about to come out. Can you please just say something?

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Guitars

Guitars - Guitar Players And Their Axes

Everybody has their idea of what the coolest and best guitar to play is. Some people go with the Gibson Les Paul while others follow in the footsteps of the Beatles and go for the Rickenbacker. But what about the guitar players themselves and the guitars they used? What guitars DID the great guitar players use? Because there have been so many guitar players, we're only going to cover a few of them and their guitar of choice.

Let's start with somebody who really doesn't stick with any one type of guitar. A perfect example of this type of person would be Eric Clapton, who just happens to be one of the greatest guitar players of all time. Today, Clapton plays mostly a Fender Stratacaster. But throughout his career he has played a Gibson L-5, Martin 000-28EC, Gibson Les Paul (during his early years) and several Guild acoustic guitars.

Everybody knows the hard rock group Aerosmith, featuring lead guitarist Joe Perry. So what is Joe's guitar of choice? Joe is another one who has played several guitars including the Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratacaster. Joe definitely doesn't buy off the rack as one of his guitars goes for a whopping $3,999.

If you're familiar with the rock group Kiss, then you no doubt know Paul Stanley. If you're wondering what kind of guitar Paul Stanley plays, he made this quite clear in an interview when he was asked this question and responded by saying (in pure Paul Stanley style) "I can play any damn guitar I want. I choose Silverstone. The Guitars Are Great Playing, Great Sounding and Great Looking Guitars. These Are Today's Style. We Need More Kids Playing Music and Very Few Could Afford Signature Guitars Priced Over $1000. Silvertone Offers The Quality Any Guitar Player Would Be Proud To Own. I Guarantee It".

You heard it straight from Paul's mouth.

Not all musicians are so outspoken. However John Lennon was not one of those. Having once proclaimed that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus Christ, which didn't go over too well with anybody, thus leading to the burning of their albums, John Lennon was pretty much responsible for putting Rickenbacker on the map by playing only Rickenbacker guitars. Lennon had as many as five of these guitars in his brief life.

Jimi Hendrix, who is arguably the greatest guitar player who ever lived, played a number of guitars. The truth is, it didn't matter what Hendrix played. Nobody else sounded like him. But one thing that Jimi is not remembered for is probably one of the nicest things he ever did for anyone. Just before he died, he reunited with an old girlfriend who he married and gave a black Fender Stratacaster to. Now that is love.

For all the guitar players that have come and gone, there have been the guitars that they either made famous or made them famous, depending on who you ask (the guitar company or the artist himself). But one thing is for certain. For almost all of these great musicians it probably wouldn't have mattered what they played. It would have still sounded great.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Guitars

Most Popular Radio Announcers

Remember the days when you used to be able to turn on the radio and not have to worry about what was going to come out of the announcer's mouth? Those days are long gone. Today, with celebrities link Howard Stern, nobody is safe from the trash talk dancing through the air waves. But there was a time when radio was really a class act and the announcers were as popular as the music they played.

There was probably no greater DJ team than the group put together by WABC Radio in New York. The station ultimately lost out to the AM-FM wars of the 1980s, but during its prime, WABC was the most popular radio station in the country and the jocks were household names that eventually went on to other things when the station changed over to talk radio.

The morning started with Harry Harrison. Coffee and music was his trademark. Harry had a pleasant voice and was very easy to listen to. He wasn't the most interesting of the WABC jocks but he always made you feel at home. Harrison could be heard from 6 to 10 every morning for over 15 years. His spot in the lineup was the springboard for what was to follow.

From 10 AM to 2 PM was Ron Lundy. Lundy was the fat jolly fellow who always started his broadcast day with a "good morning love" to his audience. Lundy had a more bubbly personality and voice than Harrison, but was still rather reserved in comparison to the man who would follow him at 2 PM.

At 2 PM everyday nobody knew what to expect. The man behind the mic was as unpredictable as the weather. His name was Dan Ingram, who also did many voice-overs for TV commercials and many of the WABC commercials as well. Ingram was without a doubt the most colorful DJ that WABC ever had. He was as outrageous as you could get without having to resort to off color humor. One afternoon he would preface each record he played with the intro to a James Brown song, "Make It Funky" where the song starts out with Brown asking his friend, "Bobby, what you wanna play now?" The answer was, "Whatever we play, we got to make it funky". And then they would count off and just at the end of the count off Ingram would put on whatever song he decided to play. Dan Ingram was so far ahead of his time. And he was the perfect lead in for the man who counted down the top 20 every Tuesday.

Bruce Morrow was called Cousin Brucie. He WAS the voice of WABC radio and his shows, which ran for almost 20 years were the highlight of the WABC broadcast day. He had the largest listening audience of any show in the New York area. The advertising spent during his 4 hours from 6 PM to 10 PM was astronomical for the time. Bruce Morrow was the dessert after a main course that was the best that radio had to offer.

Today, WABC is just a memory. But if you look it up on the Internet, you will see many sites dedicated to this once great radio station and the great DJs who graced their air waves.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Arts

5 Publicity Secrets of Celebrity Stars

There's a publicity myth that is bigger than any best seller, any box office blockbuster, and any classic that has stood the test of time. The biggest publicity myth is this: *Instant* success happens overnight. A passage in The Course in Miracles says, *Only infinite patience produces immediate results.*

1. Never turn down an opportunity.

Actor James Woods had a mission. He wanted to work with director Martin Scorsese. At the time Scorsese was directing the movie *Casino.* Though typically agents don't want their clients to call directors themselves, Woods' agent knew Scorcese relished direct contact. She advised him to leave him a personal message even though all the major roles were taken.

Woods called Scorsese and left a message on his answering machine that said, *Any part, any time, any where, any price.* It happened that that very same night the director was lying in bed watching the movie Citizen Cohn and asked his then girlfriend what she thought about James Woods for the part of Lester Diamond. Right after that conversation he listened to Woods' message. He offered Woods the role even though he was afraid that he would be insulted by the bit part.

Make it a point to say *yes* when opportunity finds you. You never know who is watching, listening, or reading.

2. Stand up for a cause.

Christopher Reeve, who played the role of Superman, was successful in bringing international awareness to the paralyzed populace. Until his death he was the embodiment of super-human powers in his determination to re- learn to walk. He became an eloquent speaker and an image of courageous perseverance for our nation.

Demonstrate to the world what is important to you by dedicating a part of your pocketbook or time to support a worthy organization. When you make it your business to get involved with issues that are already meaningful in your life, it becomes easy to find a place for your services within your community.

3. Arrest the audience with the invisible.

The public's fascination with Sharon Stone's private parts in the movie, *Basic Instinct,* launched her career even though we never actually saw her *flower* in that famous interrogation scene. While your privates might not cause quite the same stir as Stone's, what you don't show can be titillating. Don't tell all. Let people speculate. Allow enticement to be a preview for your next big entrance.

4. Toot your own horn...lightly.

The object of publicity is to invite others to man the vehicle that sounds the gorgeous rhythms of your life. Think of yourself as providing the license to drive your best qualities forward. There is an art to giving a well-timed beep on your own behalf. Horn-tooting is a delicate business. Too loud and you bring out the fight in people. Too soft and you risk not being heard.

5. Give good copy.

People whose ideas are ready-to-quote get more air time and print space than those whose comments need editing. Writer Dorothy Parker was a goddess of good copy. She could be counted on to say things like, *Wit has truth in it; wise- cracking is simply calisthenics with words.* You can get a sense if you are giving good copy by observing your interviewer. If you're being interviewed by phone listen for computer keyboard clicking. If there's no clicking, there's no quoting.

Giving good copy takes practice if it doesn't come naturally to you. The easy formula is this: quotable quips are always short: 1-3 lines. They are often funny, gutsy, controversial, shocking, to the point, and sometimes include innuendo.

Copyright (c) 2006 by Susan Harrow. All rights reserved.


About the Author:
Susan Harrow, PRSecrets.com, is a media coach, marketing strategist, author of *Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul.* Clients include CEOs, authors, entrepreneurs who have appeared on/in Oprah, 60 Minutes, TIME, USA Today, NY Times.

Celebrity Twins & Their Engagements

Tia Mowry & Cory Hardrict

Most recently, actress Tia Mowry announced her engagement to her boyfriend of six years, Cory Hardrict. Tia is probably best remembered from the sitcom Sister, Sister in which she stared as a twin who was separated from her sister (played by her real life twin sister, Tamara Mowry) and adopted by different people. Cory, who is also an actor, gave her a card saying he wanted to be committed to her, then he used his little brother to trick her into thinking he was joking while at the same time playing a song called “Let's Get Married.” After all the joking and mixed signals passed, Cory dropped to his knee and proposed the old-fashioned way.

Sophie Monk & Benji Madden
In other twin engagement news, Benji Madden who plays guitar for the band Good Charlotte, asked his girlfriend, Sophie Monk to marry him in December 2006. Benji's twin brother, Joel, is the lead singer for Good Charlotte. Like the girls Joel has dated (specifically Hillary Duff), Sophie is an actress and singer. Sophie was part of a girl group called Bardot that was formed through a television show in 2000. She also appeared in Date Movie and Click.

When Benji asked her to marry him, he took Sophie on vacation to the Australia's Gold Coast where she grew up. He popped the question while her parents watched, then he presented her with an amazing engagement ring: a platinum band holding a 2-carat diamond surrounded by 100 smaller diamonds.

Lessons to Learn
So what can we learn from Tia and Benji's experiences. Well, we can learn that just because one twin gets engaged, it doesn't mean the other one has to as well. While rumors suggest that Benji's brother is currently dating Nicole Richie, there's no word on who Tia's twin is romantically linked to.

But, more importantly, we can learn that above all else it's important to involve family in your engagement plans. Tia became engaged at her parent's house, and both her brother and Cory's brother took part in the plans. It was truly a family affair. With Benji, he flew all the way to the other side of the world just so Sophie could be with her family when he asked her the all important question. That's love.

Of course you don't have to fly to Australia or play a joke on your future wife to make the engagement moment special. All you really need to do is at least call her parents and let them know of your intentions. If she's close to her parents, then consider inviting them all out to dinner together, maybe even including your parents, when you ask her the question. After all, over the next few months as you plan the wedding, all of you are going to become very close, hopefully.

He ran hotels and restaurants for 10 years, organising many successful weddings in the process. His wife Sue is a wedding coordinator who has help many nervous brides and their families. Visit www.theweddingwizards.com for 100's of tips showing you how to plan a great wedding day