Read Obit from Rolling Stone Magazine
John Prine
was an American country folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a composer, recording artist, and live performer since the early 1970s, and is known for an often humorous style of country music that has elements of protest and social commentary. His legacy is being noted in every corner of the globe. Evidenced by the hundreds of recording on Facebook and Youtube by musicians covering his songs almost daily since his passing from Covid-19 in April 2020.
Check out long time lead guitarist Jason Wilber
Check out John’s son, Tommy Prine, carrying on the legacy.
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Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones occupies a unique space in the American musical landscape, serving as a bridge between the gritty bohemianism of the late 1970s and the sophisticated, genre-bending artistry of the modern era. Often hailed as the “Duchess of Coolsville,” Jones burst into the public consciousness in 1979 with a sound that felt entirely new. Her eponymous debut album arrived with a mixture of street-smart poetry and jazz-inflected phrasing. The massive success of the single “Chuck E.’s in Love” turned her into an overnight sensation, making her the face of a new kind of singer-songwriter—one comfortable with both beatnik aesthetics and pop sensibilities.Her nomadic childhood laid the foundation for this restless spirit. Born in Chicago and raised across several states, Jones developed a worldview as a permanent outsider. This sense of displacement became a central theme in her songwriting, fueling the cinematic narratives of her albums. By the time she reached Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, she was a fixture of the Troubadour scene. While her relationship with Tom Waits during this period became legendary, it was her own musical identity—characterized by complex arrangements and a refusal to stick to a single tempo—that defined her legacy.Following her debut, Jones defied the “sophomore slump” with Pirates (1981). To many, this remains her masterpiece. It was an ambitious, darker record featuring sprawling tracks like “The Last Chance Texaco.” Pirates showcased her ability to weave intricate stories of the American road into a tapestry of jazz, rock, and R&B. During this time, her reputation for being uncompromising was solidified; she followed her muse rather than industry trends.As the years progressed, Jones continued to surprise audiences with stylistic shifts. She delved into the Great American Songbook with albums like Girl at Her Volcano and Pop Pop, proving herself one of the finest interpretive singers of her generation. Her ability to deconstruct a standard allowed her to stand alongside jazz greats. Yet, she never stayed in one place; in 1997, she released Ghostyhead, an experimental trip-hop album that proved her songwriting could thrive even in electronic contexts.The turn of the millennium saw Jones leaning into her role as a chronicler of the human condition. Albums like Balm in Gilead showcased an artist grappling with spirituality and aging. Her voice gained a weathered, soulful quality that added weight to her lyrics. In 2021, she released her memoir, Last Chance Texaco, providing a raw look at her life from her traumatic youth to her enduring commitment to her craft.Recently, Jones found a new home in New Orleans, which influenced her 2023 album Pieces of Treasure. This return to jazz roots earned her an eighth Grammy nomination and feels like a full-circle moment for an artist who has retained her edge. Rickie Lee Jones remains a singular figure, a troubadour finding beauty in the margins and poetry in the everyday. -
Deanna Bogart
Deanna Bogart
When it comes to Deanna Bogart, everyone wants to claim her as their own — her hometown, her fans, her fellow musicians and even her instruments. She’s that good–and that good-natured.
Born in Detroit, Deanna spent her early years in Phoenix and New York City, climbing on any available piano bench to plunk and play with preternatural panache. Around the age of six, she was “gently removed” from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music for playing piano by ear instead of learning to read music. While in middle school, Deanna yearned to play the saxophone. Typical of those times though, she was told, “Girls play the clarinet, not the sax.” Thankfully for us all, that tide has changed.
Today, Deanna Bogart is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist and multifaceted musician whose fans value the diversity of her genre-free zone. As a bandleader/singer/songwriter/producer/pianist/sax player, Deanna combines the best of boogie-woogie, contemporary blues, country and jazz into a splendid blend she calls “blusion.”
Deanna’s fusion of blusion — spontaneous, sophisticated, fearless and fun — has garnered her three consecutive Blues Music Awards’ Horn Instrumentalist of the Year for 2008, 2009 and 2010 and an endorsement contract with Rico Reeds. She has won, at last count, more than 20 Wammies, the music awards for the hotly contested Washington, D.C. region.
Recognized for her dazzling keyboards, soulful saxophone, smoky vocals and cut-above songwriting, Deanna easily wins the hearts of fans on land and at sea on chartered cruises. She is a featured player in the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue, jamming with Tommy Castro, Magic Dick (founding member of the J. Geils Band), as well as prominent guitar slingers. Deanna remembers well her early years as a budding musician and is an avid educator and mentor, sharing her insight and wisdom with students of all ages.
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Playing for Change
Playing for Change Foundation
Playing For Change is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music. The idea for this project came from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people.
Playing For Change was born in 2002 as a shared vision between co-founders, Mark Johnson and Whitney Kroenke, to hit the streets of America with a mobile recording studio and cameras in search of inspiration and the heartbeat of the people. This musical journey resulted in the award-winning documentary, “A Cinematic Discovery of Street Musicians.”
In 2005, Mark Johnson was walking in Santa Monica, California, when he heard the voice of Roger Ridley singing “Stand By Me.” Roger had so much soul and conviction in his voice, and Mark approached him about performing “Stand By Me” as a Song Around the World. Roger agreed, and when Mark returned with recording equipment and cameras he asked Roger, “With a voice like yours, why are you singing on the streets?” Roger replied, “Man I’m in the Joy business, I come out to be with the people.” Ever since that day the Playing For Change crew has traveled the world recording and filming musicians, creating Songs Around the World, and building a global family.
Creating Songs Around the World inspired us to unite many of the greatest musicians we met throughout our journey and form the Playing For Change Band. These musicians come from many different countries and cultures, but through music they speak the same language.Songs Around The World The PFC Band is now touring the world and spreading the message of love and hope to audiences everywhere.
The true measure of any movement is what it gives back to the people. We therefore created the Playing For Change Foundation,a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to building music and art schools for children around the world, and creating hope and inspiration for the future of our planet.
No matter who you are or where you come from, we are all united through music.
Watch the embeded video -R.I.P – Robbie Robertson
Support this movement by becoming a Member , and together we will make the world a better place.
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