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Richie Furay is an American music luminary, an inductee into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He is celebrated for pioneering Country-Rock as a founding member of the legendary and quintessential groups Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and the Souther-Hillman-Furay band.
In this episode of Talk and Rock Radio, host Rick Kern discusses the illustrious career of Richie along with some of the landmark events that happened along the way.
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Quoted by Mary McCoy:
At the age of 3, I knew I wanted to sing. When neighbors came to visit my mom and dad, I would get my little rocking chair and put it in the middle of the room and yodel throughout their visit. When I was 6 and 7 years old, mom and dad belonged to the Odd Fellows and Rebeccah Lodge and I would sing for them. Age age 11, I won my first talent contest. At 12, KMCO came on the air in 1951 and I started with it on a talent show. That day I was asked to record a 15-minute program in which I played my guitar and sang, after which, I followed up with my own record show. In 1955, I appeared on the Louisiana Hayride sharing the stage with Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, The Browns and others. My dreams were to sing, have my own DJ show and make records. In 1960, I did make my first record “Deep Elem Blues” and followed with others on the Jin label. I signed a contract in 1967 with Gabe Tucker and recorded many singles and duets with Jimmy Copeland. My dreams were finally fulfilled with the recording of my new gospel CD, “Through the Storm”. God has blessed me and made my dreams come true.
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Steve Davis, history professor, is one of the founding faculty members at Lone Star College-Kingwood, having started in the fall of 1984. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Houston. He also worked on his doctoral degree in American history from the same institution. Aside from the standard survey courses in U.S. and Texas history, Davis teaches specialized courses in the Beatles and the British Invasion and the History of Rock and Roll. He has won teaching excellence awards both at the University of Houston and at LSC-Kingwood.
Davis is the main author of the instructor's manual to accompany the 8th edition of America: A Narrative History by Tindall and Shi, which is one of the most adopted college history textbooks in the country. His current project is the co-authorship of a documents reader in U.S. history to be published in 2013 by W.W. Norton.
In his limited spare time, Davis is an avid distance runner who has completed eight marathons and who makes appearances a couple of times per year as rhythm guitarist in a local garage band.
In this episode of TalkandRockRadio, Rick Kern and Steve Davis discuss the evolution of the Beatles, the impact and influences they had on the ’60’s music scene and the artists that influenced them.
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James Messina (born December 5, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, singer, guitarist, recording engineer, and record producer. He was a member of the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield, a founding member of the pioneering country rock band Poco, and half of the soft rock duo Loggins and Messina with Kenny Loggins.
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Steve Postell is a singer/songwriter/guitarist/composer and producer.
Trained at The Mannes College Of Music in New York City, Steve Postell has had a successful, prolific career which spans his days playing with Pure Prairie League, performing on Broadway in shows such as “Evita” and “The Man Of LaMancha,” co-writing the score for the off-Broadway rock musical "Fallen Angel" (starring Living Colour vocalist Corey Glover), touring with Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Princess Lea in "Aladdin") as her musical director, and fronting the popular New York City bands, “Chain o' Fools” and “Little Blue”. Steve has written scores for film and television including ESPN’s Sportsweek featuring Greg Gumble, and producer Lawrence Kasdan’s "Jumpin' At The Boneyard," a 20th century Fox production starring Tim Roth and Samuel Jackson. Steve wrote and produced Jingles for Right Sound Music in New York City for clients including Pontiac, AT&T, Dupont and many others. He has performed live on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show with Katie Couric, The Regis and Kelly and The Regis and Kathie Lee shows.
Steve was the composer for the documentary “Dying to Know,” about Timothy Leary and Ram Dass, narrated by Robert Redford. Steve contributed guitar to David Crosby’s album, Sky Trails, and has co-written a song for his last released record, “For Free”. Steve’s new CD, “Walking Through These Blues”, was recently released on VIVID SOUND. This CD features a host of guests, including David Crosby, Iain Matthews, Tony Furtado, Bekka Bramlett, Jeff Pevar, Greg Leisz and many others. In addition to David Crosby, Steve has worked with John Oates, Jennifer Warnes, Kenny Loggins, Eric Andersen, Iain Matthews, Pure Prairie League, Dan Navarro and many others. He recently contributed engineering and mixing duties to the James Taylor/Carole King live concert film, “The Troubadour Reunion Tour”.
Steve performed on and co-produced a CD for renowned producer/guitarist and songwriter Danny (Kootch) Kortchmar. The CD features a star studded cast including guest appearances by James Taylor, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, and Michael McDonald. This CD led to the formation of a new band, The Immediate Family, which in addition to Steve includes legendary session men Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Waddy Wachtel & Russ Kunkel. The band has released numerous videos, a live record, 3 EP’s and a full length LP of new material on Quarto Valley Records. Their first single, Cruel Twist, reached top 10 on the blues charts. The Immediate Family is featured in an award winning documentary released by Magnolia Films, and directed by “Wrecking Crew” director Denny Tedesco. The Immediate Family recently released “Skin In The Game”, a new full length album of original material.
In the past year Steve has performed on stage in benefits for The Lobero Theater, ONE805 Foundation, and Light Up The Blues Charity with many artists including Shawn Colvin, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Joe Walsh, John Fogerty, Alan Parsons, and Maroon 5. Steve was in rehearsal to go on tour with David Crosby before David’s unexpected passing, and will cherish the time spent putting the show together.
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The latest offering from Stephanie Urbina Jones & The Honky Tonk Mariachi, Manuel’s Destiny, goes far beyond the limits of the typical album: it’s a saga, a joyride, an impassioned reclamation of her cultural heritage, and—above all—a riveting tribute to the power of a dream to travel over 100 years and three generations. From her great-grandfather crossing the border, to an artist living and telling a transcendent story, and ultimately living Manuel’s Destiny.
Over the course of 11 wildly dazzling songs, the Texas-bred, Nashville/Mexico-based singer/songwriter sets her storytelling to a one-of-a-kind sound she’s created and calls “Honky Tonk Mariachi”—a gorgeously orchestrated fusion of her Mexican roots and San Antonio, TX Hill Country upbringing, centered in the stunning vocal prowess she’s shown in touring across the globe, sharing the stage with legends like Willie Nelson, and making history as the first artist ever to perform with mariachi at the Grand Ole Opry. The result is the most revelatory work yet from a truly visionary artist, one that leaves the listener newly emboldened to fearlessly follow their hearts and live a dreamer’s tale.
For Urbina Jones, the making of such an ambitious and all-encompassing album took decades of soul-searching and careful excavation of her family’s history. Originally from San Antonio, she spent much of her early childhood at backyard barbecues at the home of her paternal grandmother, where she first heard the traditional Mexican music, she now describes as “a transmission of pure joy and love.” When her parents divorced, Jones moved to a small town in Texas, and as a young girl, frequented local honky-tonks, two-stepping to songs by all the country greats and listening to poets like Jerry Jeff Walker, Guy Clark, and Townes Van Zant carve out songs by the potbelly stove in Luckenbach, TX. (“Margie the bartender was my babysitter. I got to put the sawdust on the floors,” she recalls). But despite her many happy memories, that period of Urbina Jones’ life also carried a heavy burden of pain. “After I was pulled away from my father, I was told to hide the fact that I was Mexican, which haunted me for a very long time,” she says. At age 18, however, Urbina Jones made her first trip to Mexico (accompanied by her father) and immediately felt a profound sense of revelation. “I fell madly in love with my culture—the people, the music, the food,” she says. “I finally realized, ‘This is who I am.’ From this moment on, the direction of my life changed. I became passionate about telling a new story celebrating my roots. My pain turned into my passion and purpose.”
As she unraveled her family’s history, Urbina Jones learned of her great-grandfather, Manuel Anaya Urbina: a Mapimí, Hidalgo, Mexico native who went to the Vatican to study for the priesthood in the late 1800s. After two years in Rome, he rejected his childhood religion. “He returned to Mexico and crossed into El Paso in 1907— left his country, left his family, left his faith, left everything to embark on a new life for his own personal freedom,” she says. “He ended up becoming the first Mexican Baptist minister in San Antonio and spread the gospel all over the Southwest. Once I discovered his story, I became passionate about the idea of this dreamer crossing the border to follow his heart. I feel as if his dream has lived on through me, and now I want to share it as a source of inspiration for anyone seeking their own divine truth.”
The follow-up to 2018’s Tularosa (a powerhouse album stacked with mariachi-infused covers of country classics like “Ring of Fire” and “Jolene”), Manuel’s Destiny finds Urbina Jones moving forward with her mission of introducing audiences everywhere to the unbridled passion and heart of Mexico. “As a little girl growing up listening to mariachi, the joyful sound of their voices singing together always felt like an instrument in itself, and I knew from the start that I wanted that to be woven into every song on this album,” she says. Produced by Urbina Jones and Preston Sullivan, and recorded live at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas—not far from where her great-grandfather crossed into El Paso—Manuel’s Destiny achieves its lush and fiery sound thanks to contributions from over a dozen musicians, including guitarrón player Mike Hernandez (also the album’s mariachi session leader), Urbina Jones’ bandleader/longtime guitarist Patterson Barrett, and a lineup of esteemed mariachi players from all over Texas, Nashville, Los Angeles, and Mexico. With its resplendent selection of heart-on-sleeve ballads, hip-swinging Texican Americana anthems, and pedal steel-laced country- rock songs, Manuel’s Destiny ultimately radiates an electrifying energy, adding even greater impact to the countless pieces of wisdom woven into her lyrics.
In many ways a document of Urbina Jones’ own whirlwind adventures in fulfilling her life’s purpose, Manuel’s Destiny opens on “Gypsy Dreams”—a fierce yet euphoric refusal to tame her free-spirited nature. “It took me a long time to honor who I was born to be — an artist, a dreamer and author of my own life. I’m gratefully reclaiming and sharing my joy with the world,” says Urbina Jones.
Ever since she was a little girl, she’s always been this way.
You can be part of her world, but you can never make her change. (“Gypsy Dreams”)On the album’s cinematic title track, meanwhile, Urbina Jones opens by recounting her great-grandfather’s pilgrimage to the States in search of his truth and divinity, then looks back on her own leap of faith in leaving home to follow her heart and one day live the spellbinding epic, which is “Manuel’s Destiny:”
I got in my car with my Spanish guitar bound for Tennessee,
As I drove through my fear, I felt his spirit near guiding me,
I was strong, I was able, I waited on tables, said yes sir, no m’am, cause I knew I’d get the chance for my dreams to dance and do what I was born to do.Wendy Moten, a multi-talented Memphis-born singer, and another dreamer whose voice and career path are like no other, joins in for a triumphant update of Glen Campbell’s iconic “Rhinestone Cowboy” (with a blessing from songwriter Larry Weiss on the cover’s gender flip). Built on a near-symphonic arrangement of soaring violins, exultant trumpets, vihuela, and heavenly harp, “Rhinestone Cowgirl” emerges as a powerful account of overcoming the odds on the way to unfettered glory. “Both Wendy and I have been relentless in becoming who we were destined to be,” says Urbina Jones. “The fact that a Latina and a Black woman are stepping into this moment and singing this classic song together is incredibly meaningful to me—we’re representing all dreamers of all ages, from all backgrounds, and hopefully encouraging them to bravely answer the calling of their own hearts.”
On songs like “Falling Fearlessly,” Manuel’s Destiny slips into a “Blue Bayou” romantic mood and spotlights the subtler nuances of Urbina Jones’ beguiling voice. Co-written with Peggy Lynn (daughter of Loretta Lynn), the lilting and luminous track finds music legend Vince Gill pairing up with Urbina Jones to capture the rarefied magic of surrendering to love. “We wrote the song on the beach under a full moon in Mexico,” Urbina Jones remembers. “It’s my homage to Linda Ronstadt, who’s one of the few Latinas I had to look up to in country rock music.” And on “The Queen of the Angels (La Reyna De Los Angeles)/Cielito Lindo” Urbina Jones delivers a cumbia country, dance-ready, infectious serenade to another influential woman in her life: her paternal grandmother, who guided her toward a daring new direction with her music. “When my abuelita was dying, she called me to her side and told me I was going to be a messenger who shared the beauty of our culture with the world by making what she called ‘country music with chili peppers,’” says Urbina Jones. “At the time, I didn’t believe I could do it, but after she died, I went to San Miguel de Allende and began recovering that connection to my roots. It was the revolucíon en mi corazón.”
The album also features a song with the Bellamy Brothers. A mash-up of “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” and “Let Your Love Flow,” these two hit songs reflect a coming of age during Urbina Jones’ early years. “I was lucky to grow up in Luckenbach and the honky tonks of Texas during the Outlaw movement. My favorite song to sing along to was “Let Your Love Flow,” comments Urbina Jones. “I had the honor of touring in Europe with the Bellamys and was thrilled they agreed to re-record their song with my Honky Tonk Mariachi,” she adds.
Since first dreaming up the culture-blending, genre-bending, sublimely exuberant sound that now imbues her music, Urbina Jones has established herself as a two-time Amazon bestselling author and teacher who leads spiritual pilgrimages all over the world. A former student of Don Miguel Ruiz (a teacher in the Toltec tradition and author of the seminal Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom), she made her debut as a lead author with Shaman Heart: Turning Pain into Passion and Purpose, a 2022 title in which she details her experience in undoing her childhood pain and pursuing her true calling as an artist. In May 2023, Urbina Jones released her second bestselling book, Shaman Heart – Sacred Rebel. As she reveals that transformation was not without its daunting moments. “There was a reason to quit at every step along the way,” says Urbina Jones. “But every breakdown turned out to be a breakthrough, and the road kept miraculously rising up and meeting me every step of the way.”
For the closing track to Manuel’s Destiny, Urbina Jones chose a solo self-penned song called “Until We Meet Again”— a soul-stirring number that’s equal parts full-hearted farewell, and loving acknowledgment of the way dreams endure from generation to generation. In a poignant symbol of that very phenomenon, Jones arrived at Sonic Ranch carrying the same Bible from 1876 that her great-grandfather had held upon crossing into the U.S. more than a century ago. “It’s amazing to me that over a hundred years later, Manuel’s great-granddaughter could come back to the same border with the same Bible, a seed of the dream he planted from so long ago,” she says. “It tells me that our dreams are by divine design. I hope that in sharing this album I’m able to bring a little joy, big magic, and some dancing to the world, as well as inspire someone to ask the big questions—to be brave, believe in themselves, and in their dreams. Within our hearts lies the map to our destiny.”
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Johnny Madara was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1936. His family lived in public housing known as "projects" located in south Philadelphia. He was the only one of six children interested in music. He took vocal lessons and began his career as a musical artist. His first recording was released in 1957 and became a hit record single "Be My Girl"
Later in 1957 he wrote a song called "Do the Bop" with Dave White. The "Bop" was a popular dance on the TV show, American Bandstand. Dave White was a member of a local group 'The Juvenaires' and they recorded the song with Madara on lead vocal.Local DJ Artie Singer got a co-writers' credit for the song. He took the record to Dick Clark,the host of "America Bandstand". Clark suggested some changes. The lyrics and title were changed to "At the Hop", The Juvenaires became Danny and the Juniors. They recorded the song, this time with Danny Rapp on lead vocal.It became a US number 1 and international hit. He later co-wrote other hits including "1-2-3" for Len Barry, and "You Don't Own Me" for Lesley Gore.
In 1965, he and White co-wrote and performed, as the Spokesmen, the song "Dawn of Correction", an answer song to Barry McGuire's hit "Eve of Destruction". The song reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. The pair also formed their own publishing company which was later sold to Michael Jackson. Madara also worked as a record producer, and discovered both Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble (Gamble and Huff), later a successful songwriter and producer attributed to pioneering the style of music known as Philly Soul, and the recording artist Hall and Oates.
Medora spent two years in Las Vegas working with one of the most successful performers of all time, Wayne Newton. He produced two of his albums and further produced and wrote songs for a Christmas television special for Wayne Newton on CBS. In the mid 1970s he moved to Los Angeles, and produced music for movies including Cinderella Liberty and Hey Good Lookin', as well as for television.
His songs have appeared on some of the biggest grossing soundtrack albums of all time, including American Graffiti and Woodstock ("At The Hop"), Grease ("Rock and Roll is Here to Stay"), Hairspray ("The Fly" and "You Don't Own Me"), Mr. Holland's Opus ("1-2-3"), and Dirty Dancing and The First Wives Club ("You Don't Own Me"). It was the 1996 hit film, The First Wives Club, that not only featured "You Don't Own Me", but it was used as the theme of the movie. On November 27, 2016, the song was announced to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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Johnny Madara was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1936. His family lived in public housing known as "projects" located in south Philadelphia. He was the only one of six children interested in music. He took vocal lessons and began his career as a musical artist. His first recording was released in 1957 and became a hit record single "Be My Girl".
Later in 1957 he wrote a song called "Do the Bop" with Dave White. The "Bop" was a popular dance on the TV show, American Bandstand. Dave White was a member of a local group 'The Juvenaires' and they recorded the song with Madara on lead vocal.Local DJ Artie Singer got a co-writers' credit for the song. He took the record to Dick Clark,the host of "America Bandstand". Clark suggested some changes. The lyrics and title were changed to "At the Hop", The Juvenaires became Danny and the Juniors. They recorded the song, this time with Danny Rapp on lead vocal.It became a US number 1 and international hit. He later co-wrote other hits including "1-2-3" for Len Barry, and "You Don't Own Me" for Lesley Gore.
In 1965, he and White co-wrote and performed, as the Spokesmen, the song "Dawn of Correction", an answer song to Barry McGuire's hit "Eve of Destruction". The song reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. The pair also formed their own publishing company which was later sold to Michael Jackson. Madara also worked as a record producer, and discovered both Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble (Gamble and Huff), later a successful songwriter and producer attributed to pioneering the style of music known as Philly Soul, and the recording artist Hall and Oates.
Medora spent two years in Las Vegas working with one of the most successful performers of all time, Wayne Newton. He produced two of his albums and further produced and wrote songs for a Christmas television special for Wayne Newton on CBS. In the mid 1970s he moved to Los Angeles, and produced music for movies including Cinderella Liberty and Hey Good Lookin', as well as for television.
His songs have appeared on some of the biggest grossing soundtrack albums of all time, including American Graffiti and Woodstock ("At The Hop"), Grease ("Rock and Roll is Here to Stay"), Hairspray ("The Fly" and "You Don't Own Me"), Mr. Holland's Opus ("1-2-3"), and Dirty Dancing and The First Wives Club ("You Don't Own Me"). It was the 1996 hit film, The First Wives Club, that not only featured "You Don't Own Me", but it was used as the theme of the movie. On November 27, 2016, the song was announced to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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The Mascot Theory has been kicking around Wisconsin weekend-warrior style for the past decade, but like many musicians, the great pandemic-induced entertainment halt of 2020 forced the band to reflect and refocus musical efforts. With the core foundation of singer/songwriter Erik Kjelland and the rhythm section of Nick Fry on bass guitar and Paul Metz on drums, The Mascot Theory used this time off to slightly shift their sound away from their acoustic-driven folk-rock music and into a more classic rock inspired Rock and Roll groove, especially thanks to the addition of lead guitarist Cory who brings a strong musical swagger and reverence to the guitar gods of the past. In April 2022, the band worked with famed producer Terry Manning (Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Shakira, Lenny Kravitz, Stax Record) at Sonic Ranch Studios near El Paso, TX and recorded 13 new songs as well as 2 updated versions of classic live show staple songs to record songs for the upcoming "Every Sign Of Life" album.
Along with a WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) win for Best Male Vocalist (Erik Kjelland) and a nomination for Best Americana/folk artist, The Mascot Theory has won over 20 MAMA (Madison Area Music Association) awards including back-to-back 2016 and 2017 Artist of the Year awards. They have played major festivals throughout Wisconsin including Summerfest, Freak Fest, and Mile of Music Festival, and have shared the stage with BoDeans, America, Don McLean, The Jayhawks, Vance Joy, Frank Turner, Chase Rice, Kaleo, The Wild Feathers, Guster, Blitzen Trapper, Cory Chisel, Andy Frasco and the UN, Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts, American Aquarium, American Scarecrows, and Lillie Mae.
The new music travels into its classic rock influences; harmonies that bring to mind the Eagles or Poco, a bit of that Rolling Stones guitar swagger, a little ZZ Top blues rock, a dash of the Pink Floyd mood, but never straying far from the core of the Tom Petty/Beatle-esque importance of solid melody and lyrics. Songs like "When I Drift Away", "Lavender Blues" and "Fast Car Getaway" showcase the new album's infectious energy and beautiful harmonies within an eclectic landscape of well-crafted and memorable songs.
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Celebrating their 50th Anniversary, The Manhattan Transfer continues to set the standard as one of the world’s greatest and most innovative vocal bands. Winners of eleven Grammy Awards, with millions of records sold worldwide, this amazing quartet is building upon the extraordinary legacy created by founder Tim Hauser who organized the four-part harmony group along with Janis Siegel (alto), Alan Paul (tenor), and Laurel Masse (soprano) on October 1, 1972. Cheryl Bentyne (soprano) replaced Masse in 1979, and Trist Curless (bass) replaced Tim Hauser following his passing on October 16, 2014.
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In 2009, Rick Kern and Rod Crosby produced the very first Border Legends of El Paso Concert at the Lancers Club East. There were 8 groups performing with approximately 250 in attendance. The show was a complete success and they were encouraged to continue doing another one the following year. The second concert took place at the Isaron Hall on the west side of El Paso. The third year had the show returning to the Lancers East with approximately 300 in attendance. That year the complete complex was used including the oitside courtyard. In 2012, the show went to a much larger venue - the El Maida Shrine Auditorium. This became the final and most useful venue for the annual show. There was a green room, private bar area and a much larger stage and performance hall accomodating 1,000 people. The final year of the Border Legends Of El Paso Concert resulted in the largest attendance with attendees coming in to El Paso from over 25 states. The event was best described as being El Paso's Best High School reunion ever - it brought all of the schools together in one place. Hearing the local bands once again that we grew up with was the best take away from the annual concerts. In 2016, Rod and Rick decided to put the show to rest. In the early part of 2022, Rick and Rod was discussing the possibility of resurrecting the annual show. Unfortunately, the plan was met with the unexpected loss of Rod on April 4, 2022. Rod Crosby and the Border Legends of El Paso Concert series will never be forgotten.
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Michael James Peterson (born August 7, 1959) is an American country music artist. He made his debut on the country music scene in 1997 with his second self-titled album (following his 1986 release featuring contemporary Christian songs), which produced five Top 40 hits on Billboards Hot Country Singles & Tracks, including the Number One hit "From Here to Eternity". Peterson's second album, 1999's Being Human, produced two more chart singles, and a third album, 2004's Modern Man, was issued only in Europe. Peterson also made a cameo appearance on an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.
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Richie Gajate Garcia, a Puerto Rican born in New York City, was raised on the island of Puerto Rico from the age of seven. Richie grew up with musical influences of his percussionist step father Doel Garcia and family friends like Tito Puente, Monchito Munoz and Armando Peraza.
Richie started his formal education at Springfield College and then went on to the Conservatory of Music in Chicago where he received his bachelor’s degree in music education. Since then, Richie has taught at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood and the Los Angeles Music Academy known as LAMA in Pasadena, California. He is one of the top clinicians worldwide and has become an ambassador to the world teaching and demonstrating the art of drums and percussion with over 700 clinics to his credit. Richie has performed, recorded and toured the world as a drummer/percussionist for several major artists including Phil Collins, Sting, Diana Ross, Hiroshima, John Denver, Tito Puente and the Boston Pops. His experiences transcend musical genres from classical to pop, jazz, salsa, country and hip hop.
Richie has authored instructional books which include play along cds. He pioneered instructional drum/percussion videos long before dvds existed and currently has instructional dvds on the market. Countless musicians have credit Richie with their musical successes including his son, Roland Gajate Garcia who was nominated percussionist of the year by the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine.
Richie himself has held that title and many more distinctions in the music community including performances on grammy winning and nominated projects. He has been an advocate for music in public schools and spoke on an educational panel for Bill Clinton during his presidency. Richie has invented the gajate bracket distributed by Latin Percussion Inc. which has impacted the genre of multi percussion and taken indepence to a new level. Richie’s nickname is “el pulpo” which means “the octopus”.
Richie lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife of 30 years Mary. His two adult sons are thriving in the music industry playing regularly on tv and touring with legends. Richie is a trendsetter who continues to passionately perform while he educate and mentors worldwide.
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Steven Lee Cropper, sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas and Johnnie Taylor. He also acted as the producer of many of these records. He was later a member of the Blues Brothers band. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 36th on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, while he has won two Grammy Awards from his seven nominations.
Terry Manning is an American photographer, composer, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, audio engineer, and visual artist. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he has worked with Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Bryan Adams, ZZ Top, the Tragically Hip, Zeno, Jay Boy Adams, Booker T. & the MG's, Shakira, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Rhino Bucket, Johnny Winter, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Big Star, Johnny Taylor, Jason and the Scorchers, the Staple Singers, Molly Hatchet, George Thorogood, Al Green, Widespread Panic, Shania Twain, Joe Cocker, Joe Walsh, and Lenny Kravitz, among others.
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During the early '70s, Warren and his brother Bill formed The Ham Brothers Band and included Ira Wilkes on bass, Red Young on piano and organ and Dahrell Norris on drums. The group recorded for Texas producer Huey P. Meaux. Despite critical acclaim for the work, the album never made it in the marketplace. It was soon taken out of print. In 1978 The Ham Brothers band had replaced Wilkes and Young with Bob Parr and Ken Rarrick, both from the acclaimed jazz education program at the University of North Texas. Later that same year, David Gates, of Bread fame, hired the Ham Brothers to tour as part of Bread. The act was then billed as David Gates and Bread. A year later pop diva Cher secured the services of the same band. When Cher recorded the project album Black Rose, Warren joined the band for the recording and the subsequent supporting tour.
In his early years, Ham was a vocalist and played the reeds for the Fort Worth, Texas based Bloodrock (1972–74). Ham appeared on the last two Bloodrock albums: Passage and Whirlwind Tongues.
Warren Ham has also toured with Kansas in the John Elefante era (in 1982, played additional keyboards, flute, alto and soprano saxophones, harmonica and backing vocals), Toto (1986-1988, and since 2017), and Donna Summer (1983). He toured with Olivia Newton-John in 2006 as an instrumentalist and vocalist performing John Travolta's part with Newton-John on her No. 1 Grease hit, "You're The One That I Want", as well as backing vocals.
When Kerry Livgren left Kansas to form his own Christian rock band AD, Ham went with him as the new band's lead singer. Ham appeared on the first, second and fourth of AD's four albums: 1) Timeline 2) Art of the State and 3) Prime Mover.
Ham was a featured vocalist and instrumentalist for the Maranatha! Promise Band - the worship band for the Promise Keepers men's movement put together by Maranatha! Music from Promise Keepers' incarnation in 1993 to 1996. He appeared on their 1993 album, Face to Face with the song "This Is What I Believe", and on their 1996 album, Break Down the Walls, on the song "Send Me" along with Steven Jackson and Leonard Tucker. He was also a part of the live touring version of the Promise Band for the 1995 Promise Keepers conference season where he played harmonica, saxophone, trumpet, flute, and other wind instruments along with backup vocals. This was documented in the VHS video and CD "Live Worship With The Maranatha! Promise Band" where he most famously played an intro to "Man Of The Spirit, Man Of The Word".
Since the demise of AD, he has released solo recordings in the contemporary Christian music genre "Come on Children" and is the author of Beginning Blues/Rock Harmonica (ISBN 0-8256-1154-7). From 1996 to 2000, Ham toured as part of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
Warren Ham also appeared as an integral member of Donna Summer's live band on her 2008 tour (having first appeared as part of her 1983 touring group) supporting her 2008 release Crayons. Warren Ham toured with Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. In the mid-eighties and from 2017 on, he tours with Toto.
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John Madara was born on May 28, 1936 and grew up in Philadelphia, at a time when the city was teeming with groups and artists such as The Spaniels, The Clovers, Harvey and The Moonglows, Billy Ward and The Dominos and the great Jackie Wilson. Rock and roll was starting to take root and John Madara was destined to make rock and roll history.
In 1957, John launched his solo career, with his first record, "Be My Girl," reaching the National charts. That same year, John co-wrote with Dave White a song called "Do The Bop." On the advice of Dick Clark, whose local show, American Bandstand, had just gone National, the title and lyrics were changed to "At The Hop." Danny and The Juniors recorded it, and by
Christmas of 1957 it had reached the top of the pop and R&B charts worldwide. "At The Hop" remained #1 for an astounding 7 weeks, the first record ever to reach that success, and
it has remained a rock and roll classic to this day.
Barry) and “You Don’t Own Me” (Lesley Gore). He also produced for Danny and The Juniors, “Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay."
In the Mid ‘60s, John, Dave and local D.J. Ray Gilmore formed a group called “The Spokesmen” and released “The Dawn of Correction," an answer song to the enormous hit “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire. At the same time, John was producing for other artists when he discovered a young man, Leon Huff, who later teamed up with Kenny Gamble and became one of the most prolific songwriting teams in the history of rock and roll, defining an entire category of Black popular music known as "The Sound of Philadelphia." He also discovered one of the most prolific duos of all time, Daryl Hall and John Oates. With them he produced two albums.
In 1965, John and Dave started their own publishing company, discovering and signing new songwriters. The company was very successful, and in 1984, it was sold to Michael Jackson.
In 1967, John, Dave and Local D.J. Ray Gilmore wrote the song, "Sadie The Cleaning Lady," which became a huge hit in Australia with singer, Johnny Farnham.
John moved to L.A. in the ‘70s, where he found success writing and producing for movies and television. He produced the soundtrack for the James Caan/Marsha Mason movie, “Cinderella Liberty," and also produced the title song for the Cliff Robertson movie “Ace Eli and Roger of the Sky.” In the mid ‘70s, he was music supervisor for the hugely successful “Sid and Marty Kroft Comedy Hour." This was in conjunction with an ABC Comedy Hour and network special which launched the new ABC season. During that time, John wrote and produced the music for the show, and was hands on with the mixing and editing. In the late ‘70s, he also wrote the theme song for ABC Sports, which ran for two years.
Las Vegas was also becoming a happening place for singers and performers. So it would seem appropriate that John would spend two years of his life working with one of the most successful performers of all time, Wayne Newton. He produced two of Wayne’s albums and also produced and wrote songs for a Christmas television special for Wayne on CBS.
In the mid ‘80s, John teamed up with one of the great film animators of all time, Ralph Bakshi. Ralph, known for the controversial film “Fritz The Cat," and also the highly regarded films “American Pop” and “Lord Of The Rings," needed songs for his upcoming animated film “Hey Good Lookin." John collaborated with the extremely talented writer/singer Ric Sandler, and they wrote and arranged all 18 songs in the film, which John produced. Ric also performed all of the songs. Time Magazine and Playboy raved about the film and later called it a cult classic.
Through the years, John has produced albums and singles for companies such as CBS, Warner Bros., Polydor, Atlantic, Paramount, 20th Century, MGM and ABC Records.
Madara & White songs have reached millions of people through radio, films and television. Worldwide sales of their songs and productions have reached over 2 hundred million records. Their songs have appeared on some of the biggest grossing soundtrack albums of all time, including “American Graffiti” and “Woodstock” (At The Hop), “Grease” (Rock and Roll is Here to Stay), “Hairspray” (The Fly and You Don’t Own Me), “Mr. Holland’s Opus” (1-2-3), and “Dirty Dancing” and “The First Wives Club” (You Don’t Own Me). It was the 1996 hit film, “The First Wives Club," that paid the contemporary power of their talent the ultimate compliment by not only featuring “You Don’t Own Me” but by making it the theme of the movie.
Contemporary, in fact, has proven to be one of the mainstays of John Madara’s contributions through the years. He has consistently offered the world of music songs that speak clearly of given eras, but have equal impact on all eras.
John has continued to write and produce music, working with young, up-and-coming artists. He has always been a futurist, excited about working with new technology and incorporating it into his music and productions. His hands-on approach to every project he is involved in, whether it be as a writer, producer, music supervisor, editor, engineer or mixer, has enabled John to maintain the sound that is uniquely his own.
In March of 2001, “At The Hop” was voted by the Recording Industry Association of America as one of the top 100 songs of the century. The soundtrack album, “Grease," was voted one of the top albums of the century. “Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay” is featured on that album.
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Taj Farrant was just hanging out at home in the backyard around the fire when a live version of “Comfortably Numb” started playing.
He declared he wanted to learn to play that guitar solo.
He’d only just gotten his first guitar for his birthday, but he set about mastering the solo.
And he did.
He was 7 years old.
His father, Brandin Farrant, wanted to share it with his family, so he put a YouTube video of it up on Facebook.
The image of a 7-year-old, with a smile that revealed a gap where he’d lost a baby tooth, wielding a guitar like a pint-size David Gilmour was irresistible. It went viral.
What followed was an appearance on “Ellen” and a gig with Michael Jackson’s guitarist and fellow Australian Orianthi. Through her, he met Carlos Santana, who as her mentor. And as he’d done for a teenaged Orianthi, the guitar legend invited Taj on stage to perform with him.
Taj Farrant on stage with Rob Thomas in 2019. (Photo provided)
Now 13, Taj, and his family, split their time between Australia and the United States.
On Saturday, March 11, Taj will perform at Howard’s Club H. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show at 7 p.m. Admission is $35. Click for tickets.
This North American swing, the Nothing But the Blues tour, will move on from Ohio through Missouri and into the heartland of the blues with shows in Arkansas ending up at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) convention in California.
Taj will be performing with the Missouri blues band Nathan Bryce and Loaded Dice.
Brandin Farrant said early on in Australia they tried to put together bands of other musical prodigies, but they couldn’t find youngsters who could keep pace with Taj.
On this tour, Taj will be joined for a half-dozen songs by his 12-year-old sister Jazel on drums. “She can keep up with him because they live together and play together all the time,” their father said, so she’s in synch with his virtuosity.
Taj Farrant plays chess with his 12-year-old sister Jazel . She’ll play drums on several numbers during the show at Howard’s.
Taj’s musical journey started on his father’s shoulders. They were at an AC/DC concert, and Taj was perched on his father, so he got a good look at frontman Angus Young emerging from the ground.
That right there made an impression on him, Taj said. Then Young started playing guitar.
“It must be pretty hard to play like that and I just wanted to try to learn,” Taj said. “I want to do this for the rest of my life.”
For his next birthday his parents and grandparents pitched in to get him a good quality Ibanez Prestige. He now has upgraded his instrument, but that guitar still goes on tour with him. He has all the stars he plays sign it. Other artists including Santana have also contributed to his growing guitar collection. The proceeds from this tour will go to buying a Gibson Custom 355 – the same model as B.B. King’s “Lucille.”
At first , Taj took a few lessons, but his father then assumed the role of instructor. Brandin Farrant is a drummer, but he started learning guitar so he could teach his son. What he learned in the afternoon, he’d pass on to his son when he got home from school.
Now Taj picks up tips from some of the greats.
His father has made videos of his playing all along as part of Taj’s instruction. This way he could listen back and analyze what he needed to improve on.
Those videos though became the conduit for sharing Taj’s talents with the world.
While COVID put a crimp into live performances, Taj said it was good for him.
He holed up at home in Australia and practiced and started to hone his singing chops.
He continued to post a weekly video.
He’s now working on the demos for his first album at their family’s home studio.
He’s back on the road. After this American swing, there’s a European tour planned.
Brandin Farrant said they hope to get buy their own tour bus soon for traveling around the United States.
His parents are both highly regarded tattoo artists who can schedule their work around Taj’s touring schedule.
Brandin Farrant has as high praise for his wife’s artistry as for his son’s. Opening his shirt, he displays the photographic tattoo she made for him of Taj in full swing on stage.
Taj said he doesn’t suffer from stage fright. He admitted the one time he had a touch of nerves was when he joined Rob Thomas on stage in front of an audience of 40,000. But that’s the size crowd he wants to attract. “Moving on from here,” he said. “I want to be able to play to as many people as I can. The goal is just to make people happy with what I do.”
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Robby Robinson is originally from Litchfield, Illinois. He studied piano from age 7, saxophone from age 8, and started playing in rock bands at age 14. He majored in music at Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville. From high school through college, Robinson played in a variety of bands in the Southern Illinois-St. Louis area, after college he toured the US with Phil Driscoll and "Patch & Didi" (with his brother Rex Robinson, Lynn Hamman, and Didi Carr). The Robinson brothers moved to Los Angeles in 1976.
From 1976 to 1978 Robinson played, arranged, and produced with a broad range of musicians such as Liza Minnelli,Tom Jones, Alphonse Mouzon, Buddy Greco, and Les DeMerle. In 1978, at the recommendation of long-time friend Richie Gajate Garcia, Robinson joined Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, he has been the group's music director, conductor and keyboardist for over 45 years.
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Hi everybody, this is Rick Kern - producer & host of TalkandRockRadio. When I think of great guitar pickers - many names come to mind: Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Glen Campbell, Tommy Tedesco, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Tommy Emanuelle. There are so many! The gentleman you are about to see, at age 11 was asked by Chet Atkins to come up on stage and play with him at Her Majesty’s Theater in London. Forty one years later he’s carved his place as one of the very best in the industry. Welcome, live from the Star City Studios in El Paso, Texas! Our dear friend - Richard Smith!
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Rick Kern and Tom Meros (music historian) talk about the Golden Era of Rock 'n Roll. Tom, an attorney and degreed historian, has been doing oral recollections from A list performers all over the U.S. and UK. since 2010. His passion for doing the many YouTube episodes (in person) not on zoom or other digital platforms, really impressed Rick. The two of them have decided to do some collaborating on some upcoming episodes that will include Tom's future podcast partner, John Medora, who penned the hit song 'At The Hop'.
In this episode of TalkandRockRadio, Tom and Rick talk about the importance of keeping the music legacies of the great artists alive. Tom shares some of his personal stories that involve songstress, Petula Clark. They also discuss the impact of the music during a time of political turbulance - the Vietnam War, assasination of John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King.
Music has played such an important part of bringing the world together during times of happiness and sadness. The main take-away of this episode is we have to keep the history and memories alive for future generations. It's too important and if it's lost......it might never be rediscovered.
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