Rock and Roll

Formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964, this US boogie/hard rock band took their (slightly corrupted) name from their Physical Education teacher, Leonard Skinner, whom had given some of the guys a hard time in school because of their long hair. The group initially comprised of Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Larry Jungstrom and Bob Burns, the quintet meeting through minor league baseball connections. They played together under various names, including "Noble Five", "Wildcats", "Sons Of Satan" and "My Backyard", releasing one single, 'Need All My Friends', in 1968, before changing their name to "Lynyrd Skynyrd". After playing the Southern states during the late 60s, they released a second single, 'I've Been Your Fool', in 1971, after recording demos in Sheffield, Alabama.

The group were discovered in Atlanta by Blood, Sweat and Tears founder Al Kooper in 1972 while he was scouting for new talent for his Sounds Of The South label. Signed for $9000, the group's ranks were swollen by the addition of Leon Wilkeson, who replaced Jungstrom on bass. Kooper produced the group's debut album, "Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd", which also featured former Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King (originally standing in on bass for Wilkeson, who dropped out of the band for six months) and Billy Powell on keyboards. Their three-guitar line-up attracted a great deal of attention, much of it generated through support slots with the Who, and the combination of blues, honky tonk and boogie proved invigorating. Their momentous anthem, 'Free Bird' (a tribute to Duane Allman ), included a superb guitar finale, while its gravity and durability were indicated by frequent reappearances in the charts years later.

In 1974, the group enjoyed their biggest U.S. hit with 'Sweet Home Alabama', an amusing and heartfelt response to Neil Young who had criticized the south in his compositions "Southern Man" and "Alabama". After the release of the album "Second Helping", drummer Bob Burns was replaced by Artimus Pyle. The group were by now renowned as much for their hard living as their music, and Ed King became the first victim of excess when he retired from the band in May, 1975. Van Zant's name was also regularly found in the newspapers, through reports of bar brawls and confrontations with the law. The LP, "Gimme Back My Bullets" arrived in March of the following year, with production expertise from Tom Dowd.

In September 1976, Gary Rossington was injured in a car crash, while Steve Gaines became King's replacement. With their tally of gold discs increasing each year and a series of sell-out tours, the band suffered an irrevocable setback in late 1977. On October 20, Van Zant, Gaines, his sister Cassie (one of three backing singers) and personal manager Dean Kilpatrick were killed in a plane crash en route from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Rossington, Collins, Powell and Wilkeson were seriously injured, but all recovered. That same month, the group's new album, "Street Survivors", was withdrawn as the sleeve featured an unintentionally macabre design of the band surrounded by flames.

The survivors, some of whom were temporarily crippled - physically as well as emotionally - reunited in January 1979 for a special appearance at Charlie Daniel's Volunteer Jam V where they performed an instrumental version of "Free Bird" as a eulogy for their lost comrades. Although Lynyrd Skynyrd was no longer performing as a band, its members continued to work together. First, guitarist and co-founder Gary Rossington, along with guitarist Allen Collins, bassist Leon Wilkeson and pianist Billy Powell formed the Rossington-Collins band which released two albums in the early 1980's and toured extensively. When Rossington-Collins broke up, Rossington and his wife, singer Dale Krantz, moved to Wyoming and recorded and performed as a duo while Collins started the Allen Collins Band. Collins' band included Wilkeson and Powell. "There might not have been a Lynyrd Skynyrd, but some of us never stopped working together," says Wilkeson. "I guess the 'reunion' was inevitable." Sure enough, 1987 the tenth anniversary of the crash, brought up the thought of a tribute concert. Once the decision to do it was made, the survivors invited Ronnie's younger brother Johnny, an accomplished recording artist in his own right, to provide lead vocals.

"Originally, we were just going to do one show," Johnny explains, "but then that became a week's worth of dates, then a full-fledged tour and then, thanks to the overwhelming support of old and new fans, the next thing I know, I'm in the band full time." It's been an emotional experience for the talented singer whose resemblance both vocally and visually to his older brother is obvious. "In the beginning I was scared," Johnny admits, "but over the years I've come to peace with it, and I think Ronnie's proud of what we're doing today." On "Twenty", his tribute to his lost brother, is a duet of "Travelin' Man", featuring the original master of Ronnie's lead vocal and Johnny's new studio vocal alternating verses, with the new line-up providing new studio music of the song.

When putting the band back together, Rossington, Van Zant, Wilkeson, Powell and Hale turned to some of the American rock's finest guitarists - former Blackfoot founder/guitarist Rickey Medlocke, and Hughie Thomasson from The Outlaws. In the summer of 1996, this new line-up broke records in amphitheatres across the country as they toured together for the first time.

"The fan base is amazing," admits Rossington. "The people who came to see it were parents our age with their kids. Some of their kids had kids old enough to be married. It was like there were three generations in the audience." Adds Thomasson, "It proves to me that good rock and roll is timeless - that because this band has always stayed so true to themselves musically, their importance and influence will be endless." That is what is evident on their album called "Twenty" - that this is a Lynyrd Skynyrd album.

They stayed true to their southern blues roots. Skynyrd continued to appeal to an ever-expanding audience of 90's kids much in the same way they did to their parents back in the 70s.

This appeal, claims Medlocke "...is because Lynyrd Skynyrd's music has always touched people. The passion that we all feel for making our music and for making it fun carries over into the audience. That always has been always will be Skynyrd's legacy. Good time rock and roll for always and for all."

Sadly, bass player Leon Wilkeson died in his sleep on July 28th, 2001, in a Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida hotel room, where he was taking a break from the group's tour; he was forty-nine. The cause of death was not disclosed, but the band's management considered Wilkeson to have been in good health.

Wilkeson's death proved a tough blow for a band that had already endured considerable loss. But Van Zant said Skynyrd again toughened its resolve and poured their energy into 2003's "Vicious Cycle", a popular studio album that yielded the radio hit "Red, White and Blue".

In the Fall of 2004, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band teamed up for a successful US tour, which continued into 2005.

The Montreux Jazz Festival, Royal Albert Hall, Melbourne Entertainment Centre, a Blizzard somewhere in the Alps, Tokyo, Rio, Moscow’s Olympic Hall, Cape Town, Bangalore, La Paz, Toronto and Kansas City.

What do they have in common? They are just a few of the places where you could have seen a Deep Purple show over the last couple of years. Simply reading the itineraries gives you an idea of how this band operates on a truly international level.

Deep Purple is not a conformist group. There never was, nor ever will be, any fawning to trends. What you do get from them are cutting edge performances based on a sound philosophy: ‘the music comes first’. That music comes from within the core spirit of the band, nowhere else. They won’t be bagged. Why?

In the sixties and early seventies they were described (by others) as ‘Progressive’ or ‘Underground’, when they made a conscious decision to depart from the ‘Hush’ era in order to record the seminal album ‘Deep Purple in Rock’. ‘Fireball’, ‘Machine Head’, ‘Made in Japan’ and ‘Who Do We Think We Are’ quickly followed, and they were then tagged (along with Zeppelin and Sabbath) as leaders of the ‘Hard Rock’ explosion. At this point began the gradual disintegration of the famous MK 2 line-up, (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice) and some long overdue individual R & R.

The eighties re-union as ‘Perfect Strangers’ shook the world (again) with a fresh look at the music but with a bold detachment that stated ‘this is Deep Purple’. The era was to end in disharmony, however (again), with first Gillan leaving, then Blackmore and then Gillan returning; confusing? Not really.

After the divorce, and seeing this as a genuine opportunity to get back to the music, the guys invited Joe Satriani to join as locum, and he spent the best part of a year on the road with the newly revitalized band before returning to his own commitments. The scene was set for the most important line-up change since ’69.

Steve Morse was the only name on the list, and the question he asked, (after a couple of out of town gigs had confirmed the chemistry) ‘Is there a dress code?’ paved the way for a return to the humorous disdain the band have for what they used to call ‘poseurs’.

They never set out to be ‘Rock Stars’. Call them ‘Classic’ and they will laugh and patiently explain that nostalgia is not a creative word. Sure they’ve been through the mill a few times. However each time they’ve emerged stronger, and now you see a band that is hard and professional; displaying texture, dynamics and a humanity that can only come from those rare artists who are masters of their craft.

Deep Purple’s music has evolved organically into an expressive maturity, and the sell-out shows at the cities mentioned above are testament enough to the massive fan commitment. There’s a lot of affection out there for what many say is the greatest of them all.

Stats: 130m albums.

The following is what they say about themselves:

Ian Gillan: singer and writer. Various bands ’62-’69, Deep Purple, JC Superstar (as JC on the original recording), various Gillan Bands and solo stuff, Black Sabbath then DP again.

Roger Glover: bassist , writer and producer. Various bands ’61-’69. Deep Purple, Rainbow, then DP again.

Production credits include: Nazareht, Elf, David Coverdale, Judas Priest, Status Quo, Rory Gallagher, Rainbow, Pretty Maids.

Solo albums: The Butterfly Ball (1974), Elements (1978), Mask (1984), Accidentally On Purpose (with Ian Gillan – 1987), Night And Day (2001).

Steve Morse: guitarist and writer. Founded and wrote music for 6 time Grammy nominated Dixie Dregs, was a member of Kansas in the late 80’s. Steve was named Best Overall Guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine 5 times. He continues to record solo albums and some touring with the Steve Morse Band.

Ian Paice: drummer and writer. Early stuff, Deep Purple founder member, Whitesnake, Gary Moore then DP again. Paul MacCartney album and tour.

Don Airey: keyboards. Stints with Cozy Powell, Colosseum II, Sabbath, Rainbow, Ozzy, Tull, Whitesnake, Gary Moore, ELO, & DP. Credits as player, arranger or producer on c.200 albums including one solo venture, “K2

Following the demise of Wicked Lester, Kiss were formed in 1972 by Paul Stanley (b. Paul Eisen, 20 January 1950, Queens, New York, USA; rhythm guitar, vocals) and Gene Simmons (b. Chaim Witz, 25 August 1949, Haifa, Israel; bass, vocals), who went on to recruit Peter Criss (b. Peter Crisscoula, 27 December 1947, Brooklyn, New York, USA; drums, vocals) and Ace Frehley (b. Paul Frehley, 22 April 1951, Bronx, New York, USA; lead guitar, vocals). At their second show at the Hotel Diplomat, Manhattan, in 1973, Flipside producer Bill Aucoin offered the band a management contract, and within two weeks they were signed to Neil Bogart's recently established Casablanca Records. In just over a year, Kiss had released their first three albums with a modicum of success.

In the summer of 1975 their fortunes changed with the release of Alive! , which spawned their first US hit single, with the reissued live version of 'Rock And Roll All Nite' climbing to number 12 in November. The appeal of Kiss has always been based on their live shows: the garish greasepaint make-up, outrageous costumes and pyrotechnic stage effects, along with their hard-rocking anthems, combined to create what was billed as 'The Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Show On Earth'. Their live reputation engendered a dramatic upsurge in record sales, and Alive became their first certified platinum album in the USA. Destroyer proved just as successful, and also gave them their first US Top 10 single, earning Peter Criss a major songwriting award for the uncharacteristic ballad, 'Beth'.

Subsequent releases, Rock And Roll Over , Love Gun and Alive II , each certified platinum, confirmed the arrival of Kiss as major recording artists. By 1977 Kiss had topped the prestigious Gallup poll as the most popular act in the USA. They had become a marketing dream: Kiss merchandise included make-up kits, masks, board games, and pinball machines. Marvel Comics produced two super-hero cartoon books, and a full-length science-fiction film, Kiss Meet The Phantom Of The Park, was even produced. The ranks of their fan club, the Kiss Army, had swollen to a six-figure number.

In September 1978 all four group members released solo albums on the same day, a feat never before envisaged, let alone matched. At the time, this represented the biggest shipment of albums from one 'unit' to record stores in the history of recorded music. The albums enjoyed varying degrees of success; Ace Frehley's record came out on top and included the US Top 20 hit single, 'New York Groove'. Gene Simmons, whose album featured an impressive line-up of guests including Cher , Donna Summer , Bob Seger and Janis Ian , had a hit single in the UK with 'Radioactive', which reached number 41 in 1978. After the release of Dynasty in 1979, which featured the worldwide hit single, 'I Was Made For Lovin' You', cracks appeared in the ranks.

Peter Criss left to be replaced by session player Anton Fig, who had previously appeared on Frehley's solo album. Fig played drums on the 1980 release Unmasked until a permanent replacement was found in the form of New Yorker Eric Carr (b. 12 July 1950, d. 24 November 1991), who made his first appearance during the world tour of 1980. A fuller introduction came on Music From The Elder , an album that represented a radical departure from traditional Kiss music and included several ballads, an orchestra and a choir. It was a brave attempt to break new ground but failed to capture the imagination of the record-buying public. Frehley, increasingly disenchanted with the musical direction of the band, finally left in December 1982. The two albums prior to his departure had featured outside musicians.

Bruce Kulick, who had contributed to the studio side of Alive II and played on Stanley's solo album, supplied the lead work to the four previously unreleased tracks on the Killers compilation of 1982, and Vincent Cusano (later to become Vinnie Vincent ) was responsible for lead guitar on the 1982 release, Creatures Of The Night . By 1983 the popularity of the band was waning and drastic measures were called for. The legendary make-up that had concealed their true identities for almost 10 years was removed on MTV in the USA. Vinnie Vincent made his first official appearance on Lick It Up , an album that provided Kiss with their first Top 10 hit in the UK. The resurgence of the band continued with Animalize .

Vincent had been replaced by Mark St. John (b. Mark Norton), a seasoned session player and guitar tutor. His association with the band was short-lived, however, as he was struck down by Reiters Syndrome. Bruce Kulick was enlisted as a temporary replacement on the 1984 European Tour, and subsequently became a permanent member when it became apparent that St. John would not be able to continue as a band member. Further commercial success was achieved with Asylum and Crazy Nights , the latter featuring their biggestUK hit single, 'Crazy Crazy Nights', which peaked at number 4 in October 1987 and was soon followed by another Top 40 hit single, 'Reason To Live'.

Hot In The Shade succeeded their third compilation album, Smashes, Thrashes And Hits , and included another US hit single, 'Forever', which reached number 8 in February 1990. Work on a new Kiss album with producer Bob Ezrin was delayed following Eric Carr's illness due to complications from cancer. He died on 24 November 1991, in New York, at the age of 41. Despite this setback, Kiss contributed a hit cover version of Argent 's classic 'God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II' (UK number 4, January 1992) to the soundtrack of the film Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey, and brought in replacement drummer Eric Singer (ex- Black Sabbath ; Badlands ). The album Revenge also provided them with their highest charting US album (number 4), and their first Top 10 release since Dynasty reached number 9 in 1979.

The Kiss My Ass tribute album was released in 1994, with contributions from Lenny Kravitz , Stevie Wonder , Garth Brooks , Lemonheads , Faith No More , Dinosaur Jr, Rage Against The Machine and others. The interest in Kiss My Ass led to a historic reunion for MTV Unplugged . A stable unit with Bruce Kulick (guitar) and Eric Singer (drums), together with Simmons and Stanley, appeared to be on the cards, but Frehley and Criss returned for a reunion tour. So successful was the tour that Kulick and Singer were naturally somewhat annoyed and both quit. Their irritation was further exacerbated by the fact that a new studio album, Carnival Of Souls , featured both of them. In 1997 Vincent sued the band, alleging that they owed him royalties.

A year later Psycho Circus marked the return of the original line-up to the studio, and became the group's highest charting US album when it debuted at number 3 in October. With a history spanning three decades, Kiss' impact on the consciousness of a generation of music fans, particularly in the USA, remains enormous.

WOW.....My early years in life 19-25 were spent around the Boyzz, We would see them sometimes as many as 4 times a week, In this time we became good friends which just added to the magic their show would bring,Dirt who was not only a show stopper But a true musician Gil and Mike matching their guitar prowess was amazing, then Dave on the "Wild Bass" and anatole and Kent on keys and drums.. What an awesome experience!!One that has carried memories thru the last 30 years !!!!!

Not to be confused with the British punk band Boys, the American clod rock of the Boyzz brought biker imagery, a bit of Godz blasphemy, and the heavy boogie of Black Oak Arkansas to the late-'70s commercial party. The Boyzz were vocalist "Dirty" Dan Buck, keyboardist Anatole Halinkovich (now Tony Hall), guitarists Gil Pini and Mike Tafoya, bassist Dave Angel, plus drummer Kent Cooper. The ruckus of their first and only slab, Too Wild to Tame, caused tremors throughout the heartland and is now something of a lost metal curio. But lack of intellectualism and record sales caught up to the band, with Halinkovich, Tafoya, and Angel clearing out and cleaning up to become the ace pop act B'zz. Around the turn of the century, Tafoya, Buck, and Angel re-formed the Boyzz.Who later have transformed in to bands Like , The B'ZZ, Deluxery and Dirts Raiders, Now My old friend Dirty Dan Buck is still out there rockin the Chicago music scene like no on has since 1976, These were the days of 4 nites a week of the Boyzz and travelling to Wisconsin, Indiana and Beyond for many years and many weekend, Better memories could not have been bought !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those of you who know me Understand this Video......Enjoy !!!

1978

2008



And still rockin........ Go Dirt
ALSO...Seeking video from Hooker Lake Inn July 1979 ..Dirt and Chicago Mike on stage for Birthday..Have it????? leave me a note here please