concert :: Blog
Blind Boys of Alabama Live!
It seems as if the Blind Boys of Alabama have always existed. Of course, given my tender age and the fact the Blind Boys began performing in 1939 when they met at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind, my observation is right on the money.
Growing up, I was fascinated by the Blind Boys of Alabama, especially given our origins in the same state, my hometown being Mobile. Being the member of an all-white Methodist church that never sang more than two songs on any Sunday and never got more rousing than "Onward, Christian Soldiers," I was taken back when I first heard the stirring screams, hoops, hollers and calls coming from this amazing singing group. It was unlike anything I had ever heard before. The Blind Boys' music was mesmerizing then, and it still is today. Songs such as 1948's "I Can See Everybody's Mother But Mine" continue to resonate among gospel, R&B and rock and roll artists.
More than 70 years after they first formed, the Blind Boys of Alabama are still at it, having recently released Take The High Road, which pulls together a talented group of players that once again highlights the ...
American Music Masters Moments: Les Paul
American Music Masters Moments: Les Paul is the first installment in a series that shares stories from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's American Music Masters® events through the years. Beginning in 1996 with a tribute to Woody Guthrie, the American Music Masters series has honored artists who've been instrumental in the development of rock and roll with a range of events celebrating their careers. Each AMM brings together musicians from around the world, setting the stage for special, once-in-a-lifetime moments. These are those stories.
From their inception in 1996, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s American Music Masters programs have been sensational, but the one that I have the fondest memories of is the 2008 tribute to Les Paul. One of the great highlights of my job is the fact that I was lucky enough to get to know Les. In 2004, I worked with Les to put together and exhibit The New Sound: Les Paul and the Electric Guitar. When the exhibit opened, Les and his trio came to Cleveland and performed on the main stage in the museum’s lobby. That exhibit is still up on the second floor of ...
Boardroom Blitz
On October 2, the 2011 FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands competition came to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum for the finals showdown. For the past six months, regional competitions were held in Dallas, San Francisco and Chicago, where corporate bands vied for one of eight finalist slots. Bands from across the country – and one from Venezuela – were awarded coveted spots on the finals stage in Cleveland, representing Mattel, Ernst & Young, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Progressive Insurance, ConAgra Foods, Starbucks, Resource Interactive, and Procter and Gamble.
The Battle of the Corporate Bands is held each year to salute the best amateur, company-sponsored bands, and is presented by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), FORTUNE magazine and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The goal of the national competition is to promote the benefits of making music, which have been shown to increase employee morale and improve productivity in the workplace. “Competing in the Corporate Battle of the Bands ranks right up there as one of the best experiences of my life," says Ernst & Young/American PI's Carolyn Powers. "Working with 11 virtual strangers, we created something as a whole infinitely better ...
The Stars Pay Tribute to Buddy Holly
Seventy-four years after Buddy Holly's birth, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee received a Hollywood birthday bash befitting his status as one of the entertainment world's brightest stars. On what would’ve been his 75th birthday, Buddy Holly was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located directly in front of the Capitol Records building on Vine Street, situated next to John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr (Paul McCartney’s star space is reserved but not yet realized). Holly never recorded for Capitol, but he and The Crickets were a direct influence on the Beatles – the literal root and inspiration for their insect namesake and sound – which makes the location poignantly appropriate.
Fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and rock pioneer Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, Peter Asher of Peter and Gordon and actor Gary Busey, who portrayed Holly in the biographical film, The Buddy Holly Story, paid homage to their friend and inspiration, each giving moving speeches at the unveiling of Holly’s Hollywood star. Just before the star was revealed, Holly’s widow Maria Elena Holly gave a touching speech speaking directly to his fans ...
Elton John's World of Rock
Tonight, Elton John's 2011 World Tour stops in Cleveland, Ohio, at Blossom Music Center, one of more than 100 dates that will take the charismatic, chart-topping musician to North and South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. It's a suitably international schedule for one of the most successful musical artists of the modern era, one whose popularity ranks with – and longevity surpasses – Elvis Presley among rock and rollers. In 1992, he broke Presley’s record for the most consecutive years of Top 40 hits on Billboard’s singles chart, having been a continual presence in every year since “Your Song” debuted in December 1970.
Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947, Elton John and longtime lyricist and partner Bernie Taupin came to identify and shape the mood of the '70s from its inception. During 1971 alone, four new Elton John albums made their appearance on Billboard’s album chart: the western-themed Tumbleweed Connection; the soundtrack to an obscure film, Friends; the live album 11-17-70, recorded on that date at a New York radio station’s studio; and Madman Across the Water, which contained the favorites “Tiny Dancer,” “Levon” and the brooding title track. Honky Chateau, which appeared in ...
Get to Know: Murder by Death
Murder by Death formed in Bloomington, Indiana in 2000 under the name “Little Joe Gould.” The group released their first EP of the same name in 2001 but shortly thereafter changed their name to Murder by Death, which the band felt was a better representation of their unique sound. Murder by Death has since released four more EPs and five studio albums. Their latest album, Good Morning, Magpie, was released in April 2010 and charted on the Billboard Top 200. Murder by Death’s music has spanned across many genres over the years, including rock and alternative country, while also incorporating dark rock and roll sounds. The band currently includes Adam Turla (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Matt Armstrong (bass guitar), Sarah Balliet (cello, keyboards), Dagan Thorgerson (drums, percussion), and Scott Brackett (keyboards, accordion, coronet), and performing live at the Rock Hall for the first time as part of the Museum's free Summer in the City concert series.We caught up with Turla for some background on the band and thoughts on performing at the Museum for the first time.
How did Murder by Death form?
We formed by people coming to parties at my house when I was 19. We ...
