Happy Birthday to Les Paul!
The inventor of the solid body electric guitar is still alive and well, and probably has more working brain cells at the age of 94 than you and I ever did.
I was lucky enough to meet Les Paul in 2004 when he was in Madison to get a lifetime achievement award from the Wisconsin School Music Association. It was quite a big shindig. Mike and I sat at a table right near the front, with other dignitaries including the Superintendent of Public Instruction right next to us. Both Ben Sidran and Steve Miller spoke at the dinner.
Miller's speech was great..he's known Les Paul his whole life because he spent his early years in Milwaukee, and Les Paul and Mary Ford stood up for his parents when they got married! Wouldn't it be cool to be able to say that Les Paul taught you your first chords on the guitar? Well Steve Miller says that and means it! Others who were in the crowd included Ben Sidran and members of Garbage. (Side note: I was too nervous to introduce myself to Butch Vig, but went right up to Steve Miller and shook his hand!)
My boyfriend Mike (who's a guitar player) had Les autograph an old Les Paul Mary Ford album, as well as a copy of Guitar Player Magazine from the 1970's with Les's picture on the front. He wrote "Keep on pickin'!"
One of the highlights of that evening had to be when Les Paul got up on stage and played a song with Steve Miller, and members of Madison's very own Gomers. Les Paul's son was his handler for the night..he was probably in his 70s and walked with a cane. Les Paul walked unassisted and got right up on stage, probably the same way he'd been doing it since he was called "Rhubarb Red" back in the old days.
He still plays live once a week at a jazz club in New York City. Check him out in this clip from a fantastic documentary called "Chasing Sound."
The Broadway musical Wicked has flown back into town, thrilling fans at the Overture Center now through June 9th.
I got a chance to see the production for the 2nd time last night, and once again was blown away. Even though I saw Wicked in 2010, I had...
Today we traveled back to 1975 for a Rendezvous with The Hudson Brothers. This song didn't make it to high on the charts, but Kitty enjoyed it. Her favorite brother was Brett. She also loved their television show. We've included a skit from...
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The Olms is a collaboration between Pete Yorn and...
Today's song was written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. It was inspired by the 1957 novel Doctor Zhivago. No one was inspired by the song this morning. It was rejected by almost all the listeners.
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I'm pretty sure I was a Goth for at least for little while, for two reasons.
1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
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Madison's summer music festival season kicks off this weekend with Brat Fest at Willow Island, where there are more bands than you can shake a bratwurst at! Check out the Brat Fest website to plan your itinerary.
Next up is the Marquette...
The Broadway musical Wicked has flown back into town, thrilling fans at the Overture Center now through June 9th.
I got a chance to see the production for the 2nd time last night, and once again was blown away. Even though I saw Wicked in 2010, I had...
Today we traveled back to 1975 for a Rendezvous with The Hudson Brothers. This song didn't make it to high on the charts, but Kitty enjoyed it. Her favorite brother was Brett. She also loved their television show. We've included a skit from...
I'm not sure why Pete Yorn decided to name his new music project after a European cave dwelling aquatic salamander, but if he stops by to play us some songs in Studio M, we'll have to ask him.
The Olms is a collaboration between Pete Yorn and...
Today's song was written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. It was inspired by the 1957 novel Doctor Zhivago. No one was inspired by the song this morning. It was rejected by almost all the listeners.
Today is World Goth Day, a day to celebrate the post-punk, anti-establishment, dark clothes-wearing subculture.
I'm pretty sure I was a Goth for at least for little while, for two reasons.
1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
Hello to all from Nfusion. Another round of challenges has moved beyond us all. Congrats to those of us lucky enough to have survived to this point. Sad to see the others eliminated as they were all very creative and talented. Good Bye to our new friends...
This morning it seemed like just about everyone was in the mood for some Funky Cold Medina...except Kitty. This ridiculous song made it all the way to number 3 in 1989. Jonathan says any song that references advertising dogs from the 80's has got...
Madison's summer music festival season kicks off this weekend with Brat Fest at Willow Island, where there are more bands than you can shake a bratwurst at! Check out the Brat Fest website to plan your itinerary.
Next up is the Marquette...
Happy Birthday to Les Paul!
The inventor of the solid body electric guitar is still alive and well, and probably has more working brain cells at the age of 94 than you and I ever did.
I was lucky enough to meet Les Paul in 2004 when he was in Madison to get a lifetime achievement award from the Wisconsin School Music Association. It was quite a big shindig. Mike and I sat at a table right near the front, with other dignitaries including the Superintendent of Public Instruction right next to us. Both Ben Sidran and Steve Miller spoke at the dinner.
Miller's speech was great..he's known Les Paul his whole life because he spent his early years in Milwaukee, and Les Paul and Mary Ford stood up for his parents when they got married! Wouldn't it be cool to be able to say that Les Paul taught you your first chords on the guitar? Well Steve Miller says that and means it! Others who were in the crowd included Ben Sidran and members of Garbage. (Side note: I was too nervous to introduce myself to Butch Vig, but went right up to Steve Miller and shook his hand!)
My boyfriend Mike (who's a guitar player) had Les autograph an old Les Paul Mary Ford album, as well as a copy of Guitar Player Magazine from the 1970's with Les's picture on the front. He wrote "Keep on pickin'!"
One of the highlights of that evening had to be when Les Paul got up on stage and played a song with Steve Miller, and members of Madison's very own Gomers. Les Paul's son was his handler for the night..he was probably in his 70s and walked with a cane. Les Paul walked unassisted and got right up on stage, probably the same way he'd been doing it since he was called "Rhubarb Red" back in the old days.
He still plays live once a week at a jazz club in New York City. Check him out in this clip from a fantastic documentary called "Chasing Sound."
