Showing posts with label #rock and roll hall of fame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #rock and roll hall of fame. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

D I O N RELEASES 'STOMPING GROUND'WITH ALL-STAR CAST OF LEGENDARY MUSIC ARTISTS:EXCLUSIVE ZOOM TV INTERVIEW WITH RAY SHASHO ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

 



 D  I  O  N


RELEASES NEW ALBUM 

entitled 'STOMPING GROUND'

with guest artists

 Boz Scaggs … Mark Knopfler … Eric Clapton

 Peter Frampton … Patti Scialfa

 Bruce Springsteen … Billy F Gibbons

 Keb’ Mo’ … Sonny Landreth

Joe Bonamassa and many more!


EXCLUSIVE ZOOM TV INTERVIEW

WITH

THE LEGENDARY

D I O N

CLICK BELOW

 TO WATCH IN ITS ENTIRETY


DION and his music have long represented a special time and place, reflective of a moment when a song could mean so much. When a singer could sum up what it means to be young, in love and on top of the world. R & B, blues, doo-wop and that first wave of rock all influenced Dion’s approach to music. “I Wonder Why” was Dion’s first hit with The Belmonts and over the next two years the group earned a reputation not only for topping the charts, but for creating some of the most vital and exciting doo wop music on the American scene.

With songs such as “I Wonder Why,” “A Teenager In Love” and “Where or When,” Dion & The Belmonts earned their place in music history. The great music kept coming as Dion ventured out as a solo artist in 1960, racking up a string of #1 hits. Over an incredible four-year run he cut one classic after another from the rollicking “Runaround Sue” to the driving “Lovers Who Wander” to “The Wanderer.” He quickly rose to the top ranks of recording artists. In 1968 Dion shot to the top of the charts once again with “Abraham, Martin and John,” a song that was as much an anthem for that era as his early hits had been for theirs. What followed in the ‘70s and ‘80s was a string of acclaimed LPs, many of which reflected his early interest in roots music.

DION turned increasingly to folk blues and gospel, again earning a reputation as an innovator. In 1989 Dion entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. One of the Hall’s earliest honorees, he was inducted just one year after the Beatles and Bob Dylan and at the same time as the Rolling Stones, Otis Redding and the Soul Stirrers. In over six decades he has never stopped writing, recording and performing new music. His voice is unmistakable. His music is original and entirely his own. His story is more relevant than ever.

Purchase


DION


STOMPING

GROUND

 Pioneering rock n' roll singer/songwriter Dion delivers yet another powerful collection of timeless blues with Stomping Ground. It's the follow-up to his universally acclaimed Keeping The Blues Alive Records debut, Blues With Friends, from 2020. Dion has yet again enlisted the music world's most iconic and talented stars to bring his blues to life.

Available NOW at amazon.com


ALSO

D I O N’ S

BOOK

DION 

THE WANDERER

 TALKS

 TRUTH

(Stories, Humor & Music)

by Dion Dimucci (Author),

 Mike Aquilina

Dion came up out of the Bronx in the 50s and tore through the music charts in a ferocious display of talent. He continued to make great music while slowly returning to his Catholic roots. His hard-won wisdom filters through his stories whether he's recalling how he went shopping with John Lennon and ended up on the cover of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band or what it was like to travel in the Jim Crow South with Sam Cooke.

available NOW at amazon.com


For more information

 about

D I O N

Visit

www.diondimucci.com

official website

www.facebook.com/OfficialDion

facebook

https://twitter.com/thewandererdion

twitter

www.instagram.com/diondimucciofficial

Instagram

  

Discography

DION and the Belmonts

Year  Album       

1959  Presenting Dion and the Belmonts     

1960  Wish Upon a Star with Dion and the Belmonts      

1967  Together Again

1973  Live at Madison Square Garden 1972

DION

Year  Album        

1961  Runaround Sue    

Alone with Dion  

1962  Lovers Who Wander      

1963  Dion Sings to Sandy      

Ruby Baby 

Donna the Prima Donna 

Love Came to Me 

1968  Dion 

1969  Wonder Where I'm Bound       

1970  Sit Down Old Friend      

1971  You're Not Alone 

Sanctuary   

1972  Suite for Late Summer   

1975  Born to Be with You      

1976  Streetheart 

1978  Return of the Wanderer

1979  Fire in the Night

1980  Inside Job   

1981  Only Jesus 

1983  I Put Away My Idols     

1984  Seasons      

1985  Kingdom in the Streets

1986  Velvet & Steel     

1989  Yo Frankie 

1992  Dream on Fire

1993  Rock N' Roll Christmas 

2000  Déjà Nu      –       

2003  New Masters       

2006  Bronx in Blue      

2007  Son of Skip James

2008  Heroes: Giants of Early Guitar Rock 

2011  Tank Full of Blues

2016  New York Is My Home

2020  Blues with Friends

2021  Stomping Ground

 







D I O N

on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

with RAY SHASHO

STREAMING at

THE CLASSIC ROCK MUSIC REPORTER

(classicrockmusicwriter.com)

Classic Rock Here And Now

Music Tried And True

Facebook LIVE

YouTube




RAY’S BEST-SELLING BOOK

ENTITLED

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE

BY RAY SHASHO



 …Order yours today on (Collector edition) Hardcover  or E-book  at bookbaby.com and amazon.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST



THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

 

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS


The Rock Star Chroniclesby Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show. 

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan. 

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives. 

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   Gold Award Winner



MORE BOOKS BY RAY SHASHO



Sunday, September 12, 2021

ROD ARGENT TALKS ABOUT 'THE ZOMBIES LIVE WORLDWIDE STREAMING EVENT' ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS WITH RAY SHASHO -EXCLUSIVE ZOOM TV INTERVIEW!

 

 


R O D

A R G E N T

The Zombies:

 Live From Studio Two

Worldwide Streaming Event

 from 

Abbey Road Studios

September 18th at 3:00 PM EDT

EXCLUSIVE 

ROD ARGENT ZOOM TV INTERVIEW

CLICK BELOW 

TO WATCH IN ITS ENTIRETY

In the ever-changing world of pop and rock, it’s an achievement to write and perform even one song that stays in the public consciousness. To do it again and again, and for those songs to keep on renewing themselves decade after decade while you continue to create new ones and perform all over the world, is rare indeed. But then singer, songwriter, master of the keyboards and recording artist Rod Argent is a rare talent. Three of the classic songs that Rod wrote and helped to make hits as a member of the Zombies in the 1960s now have total airplay in America alone of over 14 million.

The US performing rights body BMI says that “Time Of The Season” stands at over seven million, “She’s Not There” at over 4.5m and “Tell Her No” is over 3 million. If you spun them 14 million times back-to-back, that would represent about 80 years’ worth of continuous music. 
Those and other gems in Argent’s songbook have accrued millions more plays around the world, and his work is always in incredible demand for use in commercials and films everywhere. But as much as he still loves to play those and other landmark compositions, as he and Colin Blunstone tour to global acclaim with the revitalized Zombies, Rod Argent is no history man. For some seven years, his focus was on a new band that seized the spirit of rock experimentation and became one of the most significant British groups of the first half of the 1970s. Argent made their first demos in 1968 and coalesced the following year with the band leader joined by Rodford, Bob Henrit and a formidable new writing partner, frontman and foil for Rod’s nimble keyboards, Russ Ballard. 
They made their album debut with a self-titled release in 1970, and early recognition came in the form of a cover, when Three Dog Night took Liar from that first album into the American top ten. But by 1972 Argent were ready for full-on singles chart stardom of their own. The brilliant Hold Your Head Up, from their third album All Together Now, became a top five hit on both sides of the Atlantic. The following year’s equally anthemic God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll To You made the UK top 20, as the band built a catalogue of seven studio albums before disbanding in 1975.

 
The Zombies second coming has seen them performing with all the energy of the numerous stars of later generations who have named them as influences, from young bands like the Vaccines to such as Paul Weller, Dave Grohl and Tom Petty, who said simply: “The Zombies were and are cool.” Rod Argent’s back catalogue is one of the most distinguished on record. Or on stage, for that matter. The most exciting thing of all is that he’s still adding to it. The Zombies 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction marked a major triumph in their 5-decade career, but you can be sure they will not rest on their laurels. 
 The Zombies story continues on….!

Live From Studio Two

(Worldwide Streaming Event from Abbey Road Studios)

Sept 18th · 3:00 PM EDT

REWATCH UNTIL OCT 3, 2021 · 2:59AM EDT

2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The Zombies will present their first and only worldwide streaming event with a live concert from the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London on September 18, 2021 at 12pm PST/3pm EST/8pm GMT.

Get your tickets now at 

www.thezombiesmusic.com/live

www.veeps.com 

The iconic British pop pioneers will perform a career-spanning concert in Abbey Road’s Studio Two, returning 5 decades later to the hallowed halls where they recorded their seminal album Odessey & Oracle in 1967.  Fittingly, this event coincides with the start of Abbey Road’s 90th Anniversary celebrations.

The concert will be followed by an online Q&A Session from Abbey Road with founding members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone.  The band will also field questions from a virtual audience of surprise celebrity guests. Buy your ticket in advance and you can send in a question for consideration to TheZombies2011@gmail.com 

Livestream Ticket

$20.00

What's Included:

- Access to the livestream event "The Zombies: Live From Studio Two"

**Ticket price will increase on the day of show (September 18)**

$35.00

 

ROD ARGENT

Discography

Band albums

The Zombies – Begin Here (1965)

The Zombies – Odessey and Oracle (1968)

The Zombies – R.I.P. (1969)

Argent – Argent (1970)

Argent – Ring of Hands (1971)

Argent – All Together Now (1972)

Argent – In Deep (1973)

Argent – Nexus (1974)

Argent – Encore: Live in Concert (1974)

Argent – Circus (1975)

Argent – Counterpoints (1975)

Shadowshow – Shadowshow (1985)

Argent – In Concert (1995)

Argent – The Complete BBC Sessions (1997)

Argent-Blunstone – Out of the Shadows (2001) – Redhouse REDHCD

The Zombies – Live at the BBC (2003) (Expanded and re-released as 'The BBC Radio Sessions' (2016)

The Zombies – As Far as I Can See… (2004)

The Zombies – Live at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London (2005)

The Zombies – On The BBC Radio (2007)

The Zombies – Odessey and Oracle: 40th Anniversary Live Concert (2008)

Argent – High Voltage Festival (2010)

The Zombies – Breathe Out, Breathe In (2011)

The Zombies – Live In Concert At Metropolis Studios (2012)

The Zombies – Live in the UK (2013)

The Zombies – Still Got That Hunger (2015)

 

Solo albums

Moving Home (1978)

Ghosts (1981) (with Barbara Thompson)

Metro (1983) (with John Dankworth)

A New Age (1984) (with Robert Howes)

Second Sight (1984) (with Robert Howes)

Network Heroes (1987) (with Robert Howes)

The Advance of Man (1988) (with Robert Howes)

Red House (1988)

Rescue (1989) (with Robert Howes)

Classically Speaking (1998)

 






ROD ARGENT

APPEARS WEEK OF

SEPTEMBER 7TH  2021

on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
with RAY SHASHO
STREAMING at  


RAY’S BEST-SELLING BOOK

ENTITLED

THE 

ROCK

 STAR 

CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE

 


…Order yours today on (Collector edition) Hardcover

 or E-book

 at bookbaby.com and amazon.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

 

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show. 

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan. 

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives. 

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   Gold Award Winner


More books by Ray Shasho

Thursday, August 27, 2020

ARTIMUS PYLE: LYNYRD SKYNYRD LEGEND TALKS ABOUT 'STREET SURVIVORS' MOVIE AND CONFEDERATE FLAG CONTROVERSY-EXCLUSIVE!

A R T I M U S
P Y L E
LEGENDARY DRUMMER &
ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME MEMBER
with L Y N Y R D  S K Y N Y R D
and THE ARTIMUS PYLE BAND
(Honoring the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd)
E X C L U S I  V E

ARTIMUS PYLE INTERVIEW
CLICK ABOVE TO LISTEN
THE ARTIMUS PYLE BAND
Long considered the "wild man" of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Artimus Pyle's powerful and distinctive double bass drumming helped define the legendary Skynyrd sound.

Artimus got his first real break at the Charlie Daniels band's Volunteer Jam. His first recording lists -- Artimus Pyle, percussion. Then with other work for the Marshall Tucker Band, Artimus became known as a powerful session drummer.
Using his connections with Charlie Daniels and Marshall Tucker, both acts that toured often with Skynyrd, Artimus met with Ronnie VanZant and Ed King at Studio One in Doraville, Georgia. The results of that meeting -- Saturday Night Special -- greatly impressed Ronnie. Artimus' live debut with the band took place in Jacksonville's Sgt Pepper's Club in October 1974. The gig, a show to raise money and awareness for Jacksonville's food bank, was hot Everyone remembers the band walking through the front door and into a crush of people that doubled the legal occupancy of the club. Playing under the hot lights in an over-packed club with an underpowered air conditioner made for a memorable night When Bob Burns left the band permanently following Skynyrd's first European tour in December 1974, Artimus quickly got the nod as Skynyrd's new drummer.

The years Artimus played with Skynyrd were the years that solidified the legend behind the band. Quickly developing into one of the nation's top touring draws with a grueling schedule of 300 shows a year, the constant work and touring paid off. By October 20, 1977, Skynyrds songs had become radio staples.
More than just a "tribute" to Lynyrd Skynyrd a tribute to the man that defined it. Artimus Pyle has said " If it wasn't for Ronnie, no one would know my name." Since his departure from Skynyrd in 1991 , Artimus Pyle's career has led him down an amazing path of solo records and projects culminating into one the finest tributes to southern rock royalty.
The Artimus Pyle Band is a high energy, true to the music, and true to the era rock group. One of the few that is on the road today. Artimus Pyle, Brad Durden, Jerry Lyda, Dave Fowler, and Scott Raines are not only a group of friends and contemporaries but a group with some of the most seasoned musician in the southeast.

APB delivers hit after hit after hit, night after night after night. From Freebird to Sweet Home Alabama, APB gives fans the best of Skynyrd with one of men who made it!



Street Survivor: 
Keeping the Beat
 in Lynyrd Skynyrd 
Hardcover – October 15, 2019
The book:
 by Artimus Pyle (Author)
And Dean Goodman  (Author)

Available at amazon.com

ARTIMUS PYLE was born in Kentucky and raised in Tennessee and Ohio. He joined the US Marines in 1968 and Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1974. He played drums on four albums, including Street Survivors, released three days before the plane crash that killed his friends Ronnie Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, and Dean Kilpatrick. He has five children, and lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina. DEAN GOODMAN (Los Angeles) is a veteran journalist, lives in Los Angeles. He is the author of Strange Days: The Adventures of a Grumpy Rock n Roll Journalist in Los Angeles.
ORDER
S t r e e t   S u r v i v o r s:
The True Story of The Lynyrd Skynyrd
Plane Crash
Format: DVD -Available at amazon.com

In 1977, a plane carrying Southern rock legends LYNYRD SKYNYRD mysteriously runs out of gas mid-air en route to a concert, crashing into a dangerous Mississippi swamp while killing several of the band members, crew and both pilots. STREET SURVIVORS: The True Story of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash tells the story thru one of the survivors, drummer Artimus Pyle, who not only survived the fatal crash (that claimed the life of the band's founder and front man Ronnie Van Zant amongst others), but who also bravely pulled the remaining survivors out of the plane wreckage before staggering towards the nearest farmhouse in rural Mississippi to seek help.
                                            
                                         Discography
LYNYRD SKYNYRD
Lynyrd Skynyrd Nuthin' Fancy (1975)
Gimme Back My Bullets (1976)
One More from the Road (1976)
Street Survivors (1977)
Legend (1987)
Southern by the Grace of God (1988)
Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (1991)
Artimus Pyle Band
A.P.B. (1981)
Nightcaller (1983)
Live from Planet Earth (2000)
Artimus Venomus (2007)





MY NEW BOOK IS FINALLY OUT!
ENTITLED
THE
 ROCK STAR
 CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS 
THAT SET US FREE



…Order yours today on Hardcover or E-book
 at bookbaby.com


Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.
CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... 
PETE BEST


THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW
-By Literary Titan (5) STARS
The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.
I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.


Author Interview - Ray Shasho
By Literary Titan
The Rock Star Chronicles uses your interviews with rock legends to humanize them and preserve their contribution to the genre. Why was this an important book for you to write?

I was fortunate to have lived through two of the greatest decades for music. It was a time when radio played incredible music and rock concerts were a bargain and a happening thing to do. Rock groups featured incredibly talented musicians with guitarists and lead singers in the spotlight. There has never been a generation to match that period of music expertise and staying power. I wanted the reader to understand and realize how great a talent they really were and still are. Especially to wannabe musicians and the young. Many of the artists I have interviewed have passed on and others nearing retirement. It was important to me to tell their stories at a vulnerable period in their lives and be recognized as the greatest music legends the world will ever know.

What is one interview in this book that stands out as the most exciting one you had?

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull has always been a rock hero to me. He has written and performed complex music and always had an incredible stage presence. Going to a Tull concert back in the day was a huge event. I will admit the first time I interviewed Ian Anderson I was quite nervous. I remember when the phone rang for the interview, I thought, that’s Jethro Tull calling me! During the second interview I got him to chat about politics, religion, ancestry, and world events. I tried not to ask the same mundane music questions that have been asked of him many hundreds of times. He was intellectual and I was on my best game that day.

What do you think is one thing modern musicians have to learn from the icons of the rock and roll genre?

Bands must perform live. All the legends started performing at school dances, bars, clubs, and anywhere they could be seen by an audience big or small. If they are talented eventually someone will give them a break, but it will not be easy. Having a You Tube video with a lot of page views is a start, but it will never have the impact of playing in front of live audiences.

What do you find is a common misconception people have about music?

People that pay big money to watch an artist lip sync on stage and still call it a great show. Music lovers who go see a legendary rock band and there are no original members in the band. Ringo Starr would never bill himself as The Beatles, instead he created an All-Starr band. All generations need to do a little homework before purchasing expensive tickets to concerts nowadays. My book will certainly help identify who the real legends are.

Music is a universal language that we all sh