Mike Zito
He may be one of the most lauded artists in the contemporary blues arena today, and rightfully so, but for Mike Zito, the thing that counts the most is maintaining his honesty, authenticity and integrity. Those are the qualities that have steered Zito’s career since the beginning and continue to define every effort he’s offered since.
“I have nothing to hide; it seems my honesty is what people relate to most,” he once told Vintage Guitar magazine. “Anders (Osborne) told me early on, ‘If you don’t believe what you’re singing, you’ll never be a good singer.’ I try not to write fluff; I try to make every word count.”
That point became convincingly clear with his last record 2018’s First Class Life, a collection of songs that detailed his journey from addiction to sobriety and the subsequent success he achieved through his award-winning body of work. A multiple award winner and nominee, Zito has built his career on an ability to tap into tradition while maintaining contemporary credence all at the same time.
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Peter Wolf
A Cure for Loneliness manifests the same vibrant passion for music that’s motivated Peter Wolf for most of his life. Growing up in an artistic, politically engaged family in the Bronx, he became an early rock ‘n’ roll convert after attending an Alan Freed rock ‘n’ roll revue that included performances by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Frankie Lymon. His thirst for new and old sounds drove him to exploring blues, soul, country, folk and jazz, inspiring weekly visits to Harlem’s Apollo Theatre and leading to acquaintances with many of the music’s surviving originators.
Wolf’s talent as a painter won him a grant to study at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts. While a student there, he experienced a life-changing epiphany after jumping on stage to sing with a blues band at a loft party. He soon talked himself into membership in that band, The Hallucinations.
“I didn’t join a band to meet girls,” Wolf recalls. “I joined my first band to meet musicians. Painting was a fascination for me, but I was a music fanatic, and sitting in with that band was a born-again type of experience for me. I was transfixed, and myself and some of the guys in the band would check out performances by the musicians we admired so much, like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker and John Coltrane and Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers. Those roots stayed with me.”
Wolf’s natural loquaciousness won him a job as an all-night DJ on the fledgling FM rock station WBCN. Adopting the persona of “the Woofa Goofa,” he spun raw rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm ‘n’ blues, channeling the spirit of the flashy, fast-talking DJs he’d grown up listening to.
Wolf’s encyclopedic musical knowledge came in handy when he and some like-minded Boston players formed the J. Geils Band, much of whose early repertoire was drawn from Wolf’s vast record collection. The band soon became a local favorite injecting a much-needed jolt of raw, uninhibited rock ‘n’ roll into the ’70s scene and was soon signed by Jerry Wexler for Atlantic Records. Between 1970 and 1983, the J. Geils Band released 13 influential albums, topped the pop single charts with 1981’s “Freeze Frame,” “Love Stinks,” “Centerfold,” and earned a reputation as one of rock’s most exciting live acts, thanks in large part to Wolf’s flamboyant, hyperactive stage presence.
After going solo with 1984’s Lights Out, Wolf continued to stake out new musical territory with the subsequent releases Lights Out, Come As You Are, Up to No Good, Long Line, Fool’s Parade, Sleepless and Midnight Souvenirs, and A Cure For Loneliness. His solo work has seen him collaborate with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Merle Haggard, John Lee Hooker, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Little Milton, Wilson Pickett, Shelby Lynne and Neko Case. Wolf temporarily reunited with his J. Geils Band cohorts for live shows on several occasions between 1999 and 2015, but his solo career has remained his creative focus, as A Cure for Loneliness makes clear.
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Alice Peacock
Alice Peacock
Alice Peacock is an American folk singer and has recorded five independent albums and an album released by Aware/Columbia Records. Wikipedia
Much has changed for singer-songwriter Alice Peacock since her last solo studio album, 2009’s Love Remains. She’s had three kids, moved to Cincinnati and…gotten 10 years older. “Feel the weight of the world on my shoulders / Am I wiser or am I just older?” she sings on “Dry Spell,” from her new collection, Minnesota. The record suggests that despite her “wondering what all is yet to be,” she has indeed attained a measure of wisdom.
I have embedded a classic video with a special guest backing her up.
Current videos available on her web site and You Tube.
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Why Classic Rock Bands Will Never Go Away
In the early years of classic rock, the fears rotated around whether it will last into mortality. Would people get tired of listening to Zeppelin, the Stones, Skynyrd, and Aerosmith? But over the years, it hasn’t happened. In fact, the music continues to be very strong. As any researcher on the radio about how classic rock will continue to score in perceptual studies. To this day, it’s still popular. Roaming the Arts helps you find classic rock bands all across the US.
Classic Rock Bands
Classic rock still goes on through being in movies, TV, and soundtracks. The overexposure caused worry in the media, if it would detract from the music appeal. In fact, the iconic songs are now all over popular films and television shows for new generations to enjoy. The selection of anthems in TV has helped make brands what they are today. For example, Cadillac resuscitated themselves with Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” as their background music.
The legendary bands have continued to tour among the new music leaders every year for box revenue. Markets big and small throughout the US, classic rock continues to tour, and delighting millions of fans, original and many news ones.
What happens then when classic rock fans mourn the passing of icons like David Bowie, Prince, and Glenn Frey? And down the road, when key members of great bands pass on?
Surprisingly, nothing.
Through the passing and mourning of band members, the music continues to go on a successful tour with different members of drums or bassists.
Journey has survived the loss of it’s singer, Steve Perry, and with several other replacements. Music doesn’t just die with the musician, it keeps going. In this case, Journey has kept going and done fine without him.
So when Glenn Frey passed away, dark thoughts about the end of the Eagles came to fruition about who would replace him during the summer festival? The revival would be saved by Vince Gill, the country legend who performed for an Eagles tribute album.
It’s also safe to assume that the long-time Eagles manager Irving Azoff will find ways to keep the band in the forefront, having negotiated and navigated crises over the decades. This also keeps the classic rock alive in one of the classic bands.
Classic Rock Will Won’t Die
Roaming the Art is a comprehensive index of books and authors, bands and musicians, and a selection of visual art. We help you find your favorite classic rock bands in the US. We also have rock to folk, americana to blues, and artists both new and storied careers.
Each new post is a gateway to follow your favorite artists, some you have heard of, some you have not, or some known but forgotten. We have constant videos, links, and websites to create a true Arts browser.
We are constantly evolving with features of new music and connections and discoveries focused on Indie, Roots, Americana, Blues, and Alternative music. Check out our website to find artists and classic rock bands.
