A to Z Blogging Challenge: L is for Lynyrd Skynyrd

A to Z Blogging Challenge:

L is for Lynyrd Skynyrd

by

Lily Strange

Lynyrd Skynyrd is one of the best-known Southern rock bands of all time. I'm not going to go into arguments about whether Skynyrd is still really Skynyrd. I never got to see the original Lynyrd Skynyrd in concert. I've seen more current incarnations, and they do put on a good show.

Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, and Gary Rossington began the band as "The Noble Five" in 1964. Bob Burns and Larry Junstrom joined in 1965. They changed their name to "My Backyard." In 1970, they became "The One Percent." 

Later that year they changed the band name to "Leonard Skinner" in honor of their high school gym teacher, who had a habit of sending them home for violating school policy against boys having long hair. They altered the spelling when they released their first album. 

Skinner actually had a sense of humor about the band using his name. He allowed them to use his photograph and a photograph of a sign from his business, Leonard Skinner realty. The band members developed a friendship with Skinner.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is a band plagued by incidences of tragedy. On October 20, 1970, their plane crashed in a wood near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray were killed on impact. The other band members and road crew sustained serious injuries.

Following the death of his wife Kathy in 1980 due to a massive hemorrhage (likely caused by a placental abruption) during her pregnancy with the couple's third child, guitarist Allen Collins' life spiraled out of control. Collins was involved in a serious auto accident in 1986, which killed his girlfriend and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Allen died January 23, 1990 from pneumonia.

In 1987, the band reformed with Johnny Van Zant as frontman. The band included several of the original members. Most of them have died or left the band since then. 

Artimus Pyle left the band in 1991. Michael Cortellone is the current drummer.

Leon Wilkeson died from emphysema and chronic liver disease on July 27, 2001. He was replaced by Ean Evans. Ean died from cancer on May 6, 2009. Lynyrd Skynyrd's current bassist is Johnny Colt.

Keyboardist Billy Powell died from heart failure on January 28, 2009. Skynyrd's current keyboardist is, fittingly, Peter Keys.

Guitarist Ed King left the band in 1996 for what he assumed would be a temporary hiatus. In the meantime, he was replaced by Hughie Thomasson of the Outlaws. Hughie ended up becoming a permanent replacement, until he died from heart problems on September 9, 2007. 

Skynyrd's current guitarists are Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke, and Mark Matejka.

Gary Rossington is the only remaining original band member.

Enjoy the short movie about the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd, if you care to.

~Lily~

A to Z Blogging Challenge: K is for Kiss

A to Z Blogging Challenge:

K is for Kiss

by

Tempest Nightingale LeTrope

Kiss may be a bit Kampy, but Kiss are always Kool.

Kiss formed in New York in 1973. They drew attention for their ourtlandish stage makeup and pyrotechnics, but without the musical chops, they would not have lasted.

Kiss members take on four characters: the Cat on drums, Demon on bass, and Spaceman and Starchild on guitar.

The four original band members were drummer Peter Criss, bassist Gene Simmons, and guitarists Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley. Simmons and Stanley have remained constant members of the band. Frehley and Criss departed due to disagreements.

The current lineup consists of drummer Eric Singer, bassist Gene Simmons, and guitarists Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer.

I'm not going to go into stories about the band's problems. This post has one purpose: to let you Get Kool with Kiss! 

~Tempest~

A to Z Blogging Challenge: J is for James Brown

A to Z Blogging Challenge:

J is for James Brown

by

Wanda Psycho

James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, was born May 3, 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina. His parents were Joseph Gardner Brown and Susie Behlings Brown. 

James' early life was troubled. The family lived in extreme poverty. His mother abandoned the family for another man. For a time, young James lived with an aunt who ran a brothel.

James dropped out of school after the seventh grade. He earned money doing odd jobs and singing in talent contests. He formed a vocal group, the Cremonia Trio, when he was just twelve years old. 

James was convicted of armed robbery at the age of sixteen. While in prison, he formed a quartet. R&B legend Bobby Byrd heard James perform. He was impressed by the young man's talent, and worked to secure him an early release from prison. 

Upon release from prison, James became active in boxing and semi-professional baseball. After sustaining a serious leg injury, he turned back to music.

James recorded an album with The Ever Ready Gospel Singers. Bobby Byrd asked James to join his band, the Avons. The Avons later changed their name to The Toccoa Band, and later to The Flames, and finally to The Famous Flames. 

James passed away on December 23, 2006 due to pneumonia and congestive heart failure, which had resulted from the pneumonia going untreated for a fair period of time.

Although he sometimes had trouble in his personal life, James' contributions to music cannot be denied. He had one of the most powerful voices in music. He truly deserved his title, The Godfather of Soul.

~Wanda~

A to Z Blogging Challenge: I is for Icehouse

 

A to Z Blogging Challenge:

I is for Icehouse

by

Adam Everhard

My cousin got me and my sister into Icehouse. They had a couple of hits here in the U.S. before their albums started ending up in the dollar bins. They're quite popular in Australia, their homeland, and deservedly so.
I was actually never as keen on their big hits such as "Crazy" and "Electric Blue" as I was on their deeper cuts. I love the above song, for instance.
On a personal note, it was one of those songs I cried in my beer to when I finally grew a pair and broke up with my emotionally abusive boyfriend of 8 years in 2005. Changed the lyric to "hey little boy" when I blubbered along. My family and friends were proud of me for kicking him to the curb, and I was proud of myself. I was okay during the day, but when the night fell, there I was sobbing my heart out to sad tunes.



This is one of my songs with my new guy, who my sister and brother in law introduced me to at a Halloween party in 2010. Kay, stop tearing up, you silly old queen. I've always been a bit of a wet blanket. I love my man. Never thought I'd be with anyone else, but now I've got someone to spend the rest of my life with.

Boys and girls, if you're Icehouse fans, I've got a treat for you!

On a side note, I saw my ex last summer when I was out with a couple of friends. He didn't see me and I didn't make any effort to alert him to my presence. He was still the same. Wavy highlighted hair, tight pants, obsessively toned body, real pretty.
Did I feel any nostalgia? No, I felt relief that he was out of my life. Being a party boy and picking up dick wherever you can find it is not a good look when you're in your mid forties. The pretty is all he has. I'm pretty sure he also still has a love for nose candy. It's actually kind of sad.

Icehouse is one of those bands that writes songs for life's soundtrack. Yeah, that sounds cheesy. But that's how I feel. They're a great, underrated band.

~Adam~

 



A to Z Blogging Challenge: H is for History

A to Z Blogging Challenge:

H is for History

by

Gunnar Raven

 

History, you may say. What does that have to do with music? Do you mean music history?

We've strayed a bit from our original goal here--or at least I have. I'm always a troublemaker.

This blog is a mixed bag, and history is one of the things that many of us KHEL 666 VJ's enjoy. So I'm going to share a little history with you, in case you're a history geek too.

At any rate, we have a lot more music than MTV does--and they've got music in their name!

 

~Gunnar~

 

Enjoy the Discovery Channel Ultimate Battles series, featuring Alexander the Great in the Battle of Gaugamela.



G is for Ghost

A to Z Blogging Challenge

G is for Ghost

by

Spectra Ghostseeker

Ghost is a Swedish doom metal band. The identities of the band members are unknown. The Nameless Ghouls wear robes which hide their faces. Vocalist Papa Emeritus wears a skull mask.

The band utilizes tongue in cheek Satanic imagery in their stage act.

We would like to mention that this is the twenty-second anniversary of the death of another iconic Swedish metal musician, Per Yngve Ohlin, aka Dead of Morbid and Mayhem. He would have been 44 years old this year. We hope he has found peace on the Other Side.

~Spectra~

Six Word Saturday: Hope and Destruction

Hope and Destruction: Yin and Yang

(I confess, it made a really good excuse to share this cool little band, The William Blakes.)

~Adam~