The Grateful Dead was one of the most unique groups in the history of rock. The band was first formed in 1965 as The Warlocks. Most of the original members were part of a jug band known as Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions prior to that.
They were forced to change their name because another group had already claimed the name of The Warlocks. It was Jerry Garcia who came up with the name when he found the name in Funk and Wagnalls Folklore dictionary.
The very prolific career of John Lodge came to a sudden and unexpected end on October 10, 2025. For more than fifty years he was the bass player, singer and songwriter for The Moody Blues.
John almost never became a member of the band that would eventually be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When he was first asked to join the band, he turned the offer down. Why? Because he wanted to finish college and get his degree in Engineering.
Eighteen months after initially being invited to join, Lodge had his degree in hand and took up the offer to join. Fortunately for all parties, the offer was still open. During one of my interviews with John, I inquired whether he had ever utilized his degree. In his answer he said yes, but not directly.
Sylvester Stewart may have acquired his stage name due to friends misspelling his given name, but his ascent in the music industry was far from accidental. He seemed to be destined to stardom at a very early age.
Before most musicians even started to learn their instruments, Sly had already mastered several instruments and was performing. At first, he performed Gospel music in church, but it wasn’t long before he reinvented the soul music of the day.
So much has been already written about the man behind the huge success of The Beach Boys. He was a musical genius and like many with an innate talent, suffered for it.
After hearing the early works of The Beach Boys, one could pass off what they were doing as silly surf songs directed at the youth of that time. Soon after, Brian Wilson showed that what he had in his mind was far more complicated ideas.
Rick Derringer was able to do something that very few rockers were able to do. He went from having a number one hit record while still a teen and then went on to have a long prolific career.
When Rick was playing with the Edgar Winter Group, I had the pleasure of having a long conversation backstage. He was very approachable and open about his career.
Garth Hudson, original, co-founding member and the last man standing for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group simply called The Band, died at 87. At the time of his death, he was living in an assisted home.
The name Garth Hudson was never the first name that was mentioned when anyone wrote or talked about The Band. He was, however, in many ways the backbone of the group that went from a backup band to becoming a major factor in the history of music.
It was a star-studded night at the Hilton Hotel on City Avenue in Philadelphia on November 22, 2024. They were there for the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame induction dinner. The ballroom was filled with a wealth of talented media people who were there to honor their peers who were selected for the great honor of being added to the list the very best in the history of Philadelphia.
The man who wrote so many hit songs for other artists has died in peace. While so many others may have been angry or envious of the frame and fortune that many of his peers attained, John David Souther was happy with his station in the music world.
JD was very instrumental in creating the so-called country rock and the so called “Southern California sound” sound that exploded in the 70’s. Glenn Frey, one of the co-founders The Eagles, credited J D with introducing him Country music and in turn, The Eagles to a new approach in music.
One of the co-founders of The Allman Brothers, Dickey Betts has died at age 80. His manager made the following statement:
"The legendary performer, songwriter, bandleader and family patriarch was at his home in Osprey, Florida, surrounded by his family,” he said in the statement. “Dickey was larger than life, and his loss will be felt worldwide. At this difficult time, the family asks for prayers and respect for their privacy in the coming days. More information will be forthcoming at the appropriate time."
One of the “Beautiful” people of the 60’s & 70’s died unexpectedly died on January 23rd. No cause was given.
The announcement was made by her three children Leilah, Jeordie and Beau Jarred. They posted the following message:
We are heartbroken, but want to thank each and every one of you for the affection you have for our Mother, and to tell you that she loved all of you so much! She was one of the most talented, strong and passionate women of the era and every word she wrote, every note she sang reflected that. Our world is much dimmer, the colors of a dreary, rainy Tennessee pale with her absence today, but we know that she is still here, smiling down on all of us, on all of you, from the stars.
On Friday November 17 the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia honored outstanding members of the broadcast industry by inducting them into their Hall of Fame. It was a night of smiles and memories that all who attended will cherish for years to come.
Those who were inducted included those with a wide range of broadcasting skills. Each making a huge contribution with their abilities and hard work
Terry Belford started his 50 years in television while he was just in his second year of high school in Texas. After working at a couple of TV stations in Texas where he was trained in camera lighting, audio and productions he got further experience through his tour of duty in the Army in a special video unit.
Tina Turner was the Acid Queen”. That role was just made for her. It would almost seem that Pete Townshend had her in mind when he created the character for the rock opera “Tommy”.
The queen left her mark before giving up her throne. Tina put the “sexy” in Rock and Roll. Her stage performance was explosive. Her legendary moves and dancing during the Ike & Tina concerts drove the audience wild.
On May 11 John DeBella made the announcement that “this big dumb show” was coming to a screeching halt on June 30, 2023. That day Philadelphia will lose one of the true legends of the airwaves. John DeBella made the retirement announcement on his daily show and wrote an open letter to the many listeners to WMGK.
