Thirty-eight years ago today Elvis Presley died at Graceland at the tragically young age of 42 on 16 August 1971. Today I think its worth taking a moment and remembering one of America’s greatest ever talents. And probably one of the first victims of the relentless scrutiny that news media subject the modern celebrity.

Presley’s was discovered in 1954 from a demo disk of “That’s All Right (Mama)” A few months later at his first live performance with his band The Blue Moon Boys he performed his trade-mark leg shake and the rest as they say – was history.

In 1955 Tom Parker became Elvis’s manager and the same year he signed with RCA for a record $40,000. 1956 saw the release of “Heartbreak Hotel” and the same you he made his Hollywood debut with “Love Me Tender”.

Hit after hit doesn’t explain the impact Elvis Presley had on a generation and on the time of deeply conservative 1950’s USA. The FBI considered him to be a “definite danger to the security of the USA”. Most parents just considered him a morale outrage. A judge in Florida threatened to have him arrested if he “shook his body” while performing in Jacksonville.

One of the most extraordinary things I think of Elvis Presley’s career is how he put it on hold for 2-years to fulfil his duty to the army – can’t quite imagine a modern pop star doing that, and successfully relaunched afterwards either.

Whatever Elvis Presley’s failings were – and he definitly did not cope wit the pressures that fame brought him in the 1960s – he was still the greatest rock and rollers of all time.

Well, does anyone want a spot of Tea And Sympathy? On september 1st, music producer or sing and songwriter Billie Myers will hope the answer is a resounding “yes.” While he has no real incentive to work anymore, he still enjoys music and decided to release a new album to usher in the labor day weekend in the United States (though that may not be intentional). It’ll feature 10 songs though a few may be downloadable on Itunes.

What’s very interesting about Billie Myers is that she first came onto the scene as a female singer and songwriter (who sung her own songs) which was a trend or fad in the 1990’s. Towards the end of that decade, demand for music from such people dwindled, and Billie Myers had to find ways to get her music out. Many record companies and labels turned her down but luckily for her, there was the internet.

Tea And Sympathy will no doubt sell very well simply because Billie Myers promoted the hell out of her songs and album, before it even officially releases in a few weeks. On facebook and myspace, popular people and music hangouts for people, she gave out free pieces of her music from the album to loyal and devoted fans, who clearly want more of her music. This is an important fact that many aspiring singers and bands miss, that the best music alone doesn’t get you heard, but you also need to know how to market, connect with people, and give out music when appropriate. If Billie Myers is popular enough, she can stage live performances and concerts, which most certainly will generate big bucks for the musician.

While there are no estimates to how many albums Tea And Sympathy will sell, with the loyal fan base that Billie Myers has garnered, she will no doubt have a successful selling, perhaps one of her best ever in her entire music career. It’s interesting to note that she did all the promotion independent of the music labels, where if you tried to be in this industry, you’ll quickly learn that the big record labels usually rip you off and take most of your profits.

There might be a movie about Tea And Sympathy, or an actual cafe named Tea And Sympathy, but they are not really related to Billie Myers’s album. Oddly enough there doesn’t seem a copyright problem with this, but then again it will confuse users and customers for all of these establishments. Or perhaps they are all owned or controlled by Billie Myers herself? If so, that would be brilliant marketing and diversification on her part, she certainly isn’t the many starving artists out there that I’ve come to known, like the one I saw on the R line train a couple of years ago. He had a great voice and played the guitar very well but was homeless, but that musician is a story for another day.

Aerosmith Tour Cancelled

What happens when you are really old, have pushed your body to the limit, and go on tour? You get hurt.

Think about it for a minute…we are seeing the aging founding fathers of rock start to get old and fall apart…

How old do you think these guys are anyway? When we heard that Aerosmith cancels tour, we were all bummed because this was supposed to be the make up for the last Aerosmith tour cancellation from the last tour.

Anyway, here is the lowdown on the fact that Aerosmith cancels tour. Read the full story

Woodstock. It was my era. An era of of nations at war. It was era of a hippies. An era when the infamous two finger “Peace” symbol was born and an era where the slogan “Make Peace Not War” was emblazoned around the globe. It was also an era or Rock music and The Rollong Stones, an era where drugs and free sex was openly preached.

For those who were borned in the 60’s Woodstock will not mean much to them. They might remember Woodstock of later years, but the one and only Woodstock for me was the mother of all Woodstocks, the first one that was The Woodstock Festival held at Max Yasgur’s 600 acre dairy farm in the rural town of Bethel, New York from August 15 to August 18, 1969. Then, I was only 12.

On the verge of breaking into adolescence, starting to form opinions of my own rather than listening to those of my parents, Woodstock to me then was something that fitted perfectly. I tie dyed all my white T-shirts that I was suppose to wear for my schools sports activities. I drew a big peace sign on the bathroom door, much to the displeasure of my parents. I had pictures and portraits of Santana, of Jimi Hendrix, of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, of Blood, Sweat & Tears and almost all who performed at the Woodstock Festival pasted to the roof of my small and cramped room. I did not want my hair cropped, but was forced to due to strict school regulations. Given any chance, I will scream sing,
“Someone told me long ago, There’s a calm before the storm..I knoWWWWWWWW!!!………”. That’s the song, “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, in case you are wondering.

My parent’s faces wore a worried look, thinking their number one son had truly turned mad.

But I kept my sanity, even though I never really grew over Woodstock till today. When I dropped out of school and walked into the reality of the harsh cruel world, I dreamed of the day when I will just pack my clothes into a backpack and hike my way to the next Woodstock. It was a dream that was never realized even after 40 years. Nevertheless, I did get the chance to keep my hair flowing down my shoulders and did save enough to buy a coarse steel necklace with a big Peace symbol locket to wear around my neck. That was the closest I could get to my dream.

Today, that locket still hangs in my room, along side my wedding picture and pictures of my daughters wearing their mortar caps. Whenever I look at it, it brings back fond memories of years gone by. It gives me an uncontrollable urge to want to scream sing, “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” again. But I am wiser now. And very much older. If I do that, my wife and daughters will come rushing in, thinking their old man must have seen a ghost. Instead, I just turn my eye back to the computer screen, pondering about the next article to write, humming softly to myself.. “got a black magic woman…got a black magic woman…”

Happy 40th Anniversary, Woodstock my friend.

Make Peace, Not War.

Teen sensation Taylor Swift, who’s number one Billboard hit “Love Story” has been downloaded over three million times has kicked off her Fearless tour which ends in late October 2009.

Only 19 years old, the lovely Ms. Swift has been cranking out hit after hit and knocking them dead on the country music charts. Her recent single “You Belong to Me” was in the top 5 on the Hot 100 list and was dominating the country song charts at the same time.

“Love Story”, “You Belong to Me” along with “Fifteen” and “You’re Not Sorry” brings to mind those wonderful years when love was as simple as a glance across the classroom and a passed note with “meet me after school” on it.

Being 19, Taylor can still remember those whistful times and brings her impressive talents to bear in her music to take us back on a wave of nostalgia to those wonderful times in our lives as well.

Scheduled for twenty-seven shows, the Fearless tour has sold out some seventeen shows already and tickets are still going fast.

The wonderful thing about Taylor Swifts music is that her universal themes appeal to both teeny-boppers and grandmothers alike. Her voice pulls at our heart strings and reminds us about what it was like to love in that special way that only a teen can love. It is a rare and special talent to be found in one so young.

Taylors show comes to the Target Center in Minneapolis in October. She will be supported by American Idol’s Kelli Pickler and country newcoming Gloriana

Other dates and locations include:

August 22 Chelmsford, UK V- Fest (Hylands Park) SOLD OUT
August 23 Chelmsford, UK V- Fest (Hylands Park) SOLD OUT
August 27 New York, NY Madison Square Garden SOLD OUT
August 28 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun SOLD OUT
August 29 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center SOLD OUT
August 30 Louisville, KY Kentucky State Fair
September 3 Atlanta, GA Arena at Gwinnett Center SOLD OUT
September 4 Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Arena SOLD OUT
September 5 Charlotte, NC TWC Arena SOLD OUT
September 9 Lafayette, LA Cajun Dome SOLD OUT
September 10 Bossier City, LA Century Tel Center
September 11 Birmingham, AL BJCC SOLD OUT
September 12 Nashville, TN Sommet Center SOLD OUT
September 25 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center SOLD OUT
September 26 Little Rock, AR Alltel Arena
September 27 Tulsa, OK BOK Center SOLD OUT
October 1 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon SOLD OUT
October 2 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena SOLD OUT
October 3 Cleveland, OH Quickens Arena SOLD OUT
October 8 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse
October 9 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
October 10 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
October 11 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
November 23 London, UK Wembley Arena

As you can see, most of the dates are already sold out so if you want to see this amazing young talent, you’d better hop to it!

The 25th Anniversary Thriller Album Cover was just released. 25 years after Michael Jackson released the original Thriller, the multi-award winning album with it’s controversial Thriller Album Cover, looks like it’s going to be a mega-hit all over again.

The new release will contain all the original songs plus some extra’s like the famous videos originally aired on MTV. Here is a look at the list:

TRACK LISTING:
1 – “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”
2 – “Baby Be Mine”
3 – “The Girl Is Mine” (with Paul McCartney)
4 – “Thriller”
5 – “Beat It”
6 – “Billie Jean”
7 – “Human Nature”
8 – “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)”
9 – “The Lady In My Life”

BONUS MATERIALS:
10 – “Voice-Over Session from “Thriller” Vincent Price (Temperton) – 2:53
11 – “The Girl Is Mine 2008″ with will.i.am (Jackson/will.i.am/Harris) – 3:11
12 – “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008″ with will.i.am (Jackson/will.i.am/Harris) – 4:21
13 – “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ 2008″ with Akon (Jackson/Akon/Tuinfort) – 4:14
14 – “Beat It 2008″ with Fergie (Jackson) – 4:12
15 – “Billie Jean 2008″ Kanye West Remix” (Jackson) – 4:37
16 – “For All Time” (Sherwood/Porcaro) – 4:03
17 – “Got the Hots” (Jackson/Jones) – 4:27 (Released only in Japan)

In addition, there is a DVD with some additional bonuses that include:
1 – “Thriller”
2 – “Beat It”
3 – “Billie Jean”
4 – “Billie Jean” live, Motown 25)[13]

The original Thriller Album Cover simply had a picture of Michael in repose but the new Thriller Album Cover will have Michael surrounded by the various ghouls and goblins which performed in the hit music video, included on the DVD.

The original Thriller, released in 1982, is quite simply the worlds best selling album of all time and the Jackson family expects this new release to surpass the original in sales and popularity.

In anticipation of the demand for information about this new release, the Jackson family has re-created the Michael Jackson website and set up accounts on Twitter and Facebook.

Upon his recent death, many questions arose about Michael Jackson and the various controversies and scandals that plagued him later in life, but the one thing that all his fans and detractors alike agreed about was the quality of his music.

The Thriller Album Cover released for the 25th Anniversary of this important mega-hit is sure to be a collectors item very soon.

Although Michael Jackson is gone, his music will live forever.

Another great musician died today, from pneumonia complications.

The electric guitar world community has lot one of his pioneers. Les Paul died this Thursday in a New York hospital.

The well know guitarist, had risen to fame in the 50’s, with a series of songs that he performed with his wife, Mary Ford. Two of the most notable songs were “Vaya Con Dios” and “How High The Moon”

He was the one who revolutionized the world of music with the use of electric guitars. The first so called “solid body” guitar was manufactured by Gibson and bore Les Paul’s name. A classic for this type of instrument, which is one of Django Reinhardt’s, (guitarist for Guns’n Roses), favorite.

Les Paul was also a contributor to the invention of the eight track tape, which allowed instruments to be recorded separately, this gave birth later to what we know today as multi-tracking. His work on this invention contributed to the rich sounds he was able to produce.

Recipient of two Grammys at the age of 90, a great artist, a philantropist, Les Paul deceased at 94.