2023 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

This year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees are another impressive selection of musicians: British pop-art visionary, Kate Bush, country-rock singer/songwriter, Sheryl Crow, groundbreaking hip-hop artist, Missy Elliott, the late pop superstar, George Michael, country music legend, Willie Nelson, alt-rockers, Rage Against the Machine, and classic r&b group, the Spinners. And while many of these artists may not fall under what some might consider traditional rock, this year the Hall's mission statement has been altered to define rock and roll more generally as a spirit that is inclusive and ever-changing that celebrates the sound of youth culture.

The legendary soul vocalist, Chaka Khan; songwriter and musician behind organizing the rock band, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Al Kooper, and the songwriter best known for his work with Elton John, Bernie Taupin will be acknowledged with the Musical Excellence Award for their "dramatic impact on music". And Don Cornelius, the creator behind the innovative television program that put a spotlight on African American musical artists with "Soul Train", will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

The thirty-eighth annual induction ceremony was held this year on November 3rd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. For the first time, the event was streamed live on Disney+ and now available to view on Disney+ on-demand. An edited version of the ceremony will also air on ABC this New Year's Day.

KATE BUSH

With the staggering recent success of the re-release of her 1985 hit, "Running Up That Hill" (thanks to its use on the Netflix series, "Stranger Things"), this resurgence helped put the British singer/songwriter, Kate Bush back on the radar of the Rock & Roll Hall and finally getting her inducted. Bush had taught herself how to play the piano as a young child before eventually writing her own music and lyrics. At sixteen, she began recording demos of her material and sent them out to several record labels, but none were interested. However, David Gilmour of the rock band, Pink Floyd got his hands on her work, helped get more polished demos made and sending them to EMI Records who would sign her. Moody, dark and eclectic, Bush crafted songs over nine albums that have an unusually distinctive sound that remains unlike what any other artist could possibly imagine. And while she has largely stepped away from public life and her professional career, Bush still inspires and influences listeners with her visionary music.



SHERYL CROW

Born and raised in Kennett, MO, Sheryl Crow began her career in music as an elementary school music teacher. But after hours, she was performing with several local bands and singing on advertising jingles. Crow's first big break came in 1987 when she was hired as a backing vocalist for Michael Jackson's Bad Tour, staying on the road with him for three years. This led to more work for Crow, performing background singing for several established artists but Crow was still determined to make her own music. After getting signed to A&M Records, Crow recorded an album and was on the verge of releasing it when she and the label mutually decided the record just didn't best represent her as an artist. Crow set out again to record her debut, working with a loose group of musicians who called themselves, "Tuesday Music Club" that helped her put together the album. "Tuesday Night Music Club" was released in 1993 and the single, "All I Wanna Do" would break out as a big hit with "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Strong Enough" following. This led Crow to become a major player with the album selling more than seven million copies and winning her three Grammys including Record of the Year. Crow has continued to make memorable music over the years, with her twelfth studio album, "Evolution" due out early next year.



MISSY ELLIOTT

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott has become the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall and it goes without saying that this honor is long overdue. Enduring a tough and traumatic childhood in Virginia, Elliott managed to remain good natured, outgoing and loved to perform. Her first opportunity in music came when she was a part of an all-female r&b act called Sista in 1991. She recruited her neighborhood friend, Timothy Mosley (who would later be known as "Timbaland") to serve as the group's producer. Sista's debut, "4 All the Sistas Around da World" failed to make an impression and Elliott would move behind the scenes, writing and producing with Timbaland for other artists like Jodeci, SWV, 702, and the late, Aaliyah. Elliott soon began making featured appearances rapping on several tracks for various artists and signed a deal in 1996 to create her own imprint music label, The Goldmind Inc. With Timbaland on board, Elliott released her debut album, "Super Dupa Fly" with the lead single, "The Rain" becoming a major hit, enhanced by her playful, groundbreaking Afro-futuristic music video directed by "Hype" Williams. And while Elliott was enjoying wild success as a performer, she continued to write and produce for other top musicians, creating hits for Whitney Houston, Monica, Keyshia Cole, Jazmine Sullivan, Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson.



GEORGE MICHAEL

He was first a part of the wildly popular British boy-band duo, Wham! but after going solo, George Michael became even more famous yet also gained further respect as an artist of introspective pop music. Michael's 1987 debut album, "Faith" had five top-ten singles and would go on to sell well over twenty-five million copies worldwide and win the Grammy Award for Album of The Year. Yet all of this success took a toll on Michael, causing him to want to retreat from the intense pressure of the business and simply just wanted to make music. With his 1990 follow-up album, "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1", he refused to do interviews, live performances, music videos or even have his image on the cover. The album sold well but not nearly as well as "Faith" which created friction between Michael and his record label, Sony. A lawsuit followed in 1992 with Michael wanting to end his contract. And although he lost, Sony sold his contract to Virgin Records and Michael went on to create more mature works Like "Older", the 1999 covers album, "Songs from the Last Century" and "Patience". After an unfortunate incident in a public men's restroom in 1998, Michael was forced out of the closet yet proudly embraced his queer identity. Sadly, Michael passed away from heart disease on Christmas Day in 2016.



WILLIE NELSON

At the incredible age of ninety, Willie Nelson is still on the road bringing country music to audiences across the globe. The Texas native was first a DJ for several radio stations and an aspiring singer/songwriter before heading to Nashville to try his luck breaking into the music business. Nelson would sign a publishing contract, writing several songs made popular by other artists (most famously, "Crazy" by Patsy Cline), and joined Ray Price's band as a bass guitar player before recording his debut album, " ...And Then I Wrote" in 1962. He had a few more successful albums but grew tired of the controlling Nashville establishment and headed back to Texas ten years later. While living in Austin, this was when Nelson moved towards what became known as "outlaw country", a more progressive form of country music, which brought him even greater fame. By the 1980's, Nelson found pop crossover success with the songs, "On the Road Again" and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" and began to experiment with other genres of music like jazz, blues and reggae. He ventured into acting, appearing in films and television, and has long been a vocal advocate for the legalization of marijuana in the US.



RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

Formed in 1991, Rage Against the Machine is a rock band of extreme contrasts; thrashing together sounds of punk, heavy metal and rap while crafting songs that are politically motivated on activism and socialist views. The LA based band, consisting of vocalist, Zack de la Rocha, bassist, Tim Commerford, guitarist, Tom Morello, and drummer, Brad Wilk, released their self-titled debut in 1992 which received critical and commercial success. There was tension and conflicts during the recording of their follow-up (with rumors of the band breaking up) and "Evil Empire" was finally released four years later. The album entered the Billboard Hot 200 chart at number one and went on to sell over three million copies, taking RATM to the next level. Two more albums were released before de la Rocha left the band over the relentless internal battles and Rage Against the Machine would come to an end in 2000. But RATM would reunite at Coachella seven years later, begin a tour that lasted for a couple of years before disbanding again and reuniting nine years later, wouldn't actually hit the stage together until 2022 due to the pandemic and had to postpone a world tour over de la Rocha's leg injury.



THE SPINNERS

The Spinners were a r&b vocal group formed in Ferndale, MI., a suburb outside of Detroit, in 1954. With original members, Billy Henderson, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson, C. P. Spencer and Bobby Smith, the group had their first charting single, "That's What Girls Are Made For" in 1961. The Spinners joined Motown Records two years later but initially only found modest success there. It would not be until 1970 when the Spinners had their first major hit with "It's a Shame", co-written and produced by Stevie Wonder. Aretha Franklin encouraged the group to join her label, Atlantic Records when their contract was up and that's when their fortunes shifted considerably. The Spinners would enjoy a string of very popular singles which included "I'll Be Around", "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love", "One of a Kind (Love Affair)", "They Just Can't Stop It (Games People Play)", "The Rubberband Man" and "Then Came You" a duet with Dionne Warwick which reached the top of the pop charts. Egos and conflicts grew between members of the group by 1977, causing singers to leave and new vocalists to take their place. They still managed to have a couple of more hits in 1980 with "Working My Way Back to You" and "Cupid". The Spinners still continue to tour to this day, remaining a popular draw on the nostalgia concert circuit.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

On the verge of beginning her highly anticipated Celebration Tour which celebrates forty-plus years of making music, Madonna has been busy teaming up with several contemporary musicians for some new music that has all just been released. First, the Queen of Pop appears on "Popular", a song by Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye and also features Playboi Carti for the soundtrack of the buzzy new HBO series, "The Idol" which stars Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp. Madonna lends her voice for three songs on the new album by Christine and the Queens, "Paranoïa, Angels, True Love". And finally, there is "Vulgar" which Madonna collaborates with Sam Smith on a boldly unapologetic yet disappointingly routine dance track that proudly  proclaims the merits of being fearlessly outspoken.







June is Pride month and what better soundtrack for this celebration than getting your hands on "NOW! That's What I Call Proud!", the latest installment in the compilation album series, "NOW! That's What I Call Music!". What makes this edition stand out is that all the artists involved are out and proud: We have the legendary trailblazers (Elton John, k.d. Lang, Melissa Ethridge, George Michael) and the next generation who were able to begin their careers openly because of these pioneers (Sam Smith, Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko, Lil Nas X). Here are a few of the classic songs on this collection:

Best known for the recording of "The Girl From Ipanema", the Brazilian singer, Astrud Gilberto has passed away at eighty-three on June 5th. This song would become an international hit, helping to popularize bossa nova, reaching the top five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and winning the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1965. Astrud Weinert married musician, João Gilberto, who would later be known as the "Father of Bossa Nova", in 1959. João teamed up with American jazz musician, Stan Getz and released the album, "Getz/Gilberto" in 1963. "The Girl From Ipanema" was first recorded for the album as a duet between Gilberto, singing in Portuguese, and his wife performing in English. An edited version of the song with just Astrud was released, becoming very popular and went on to sell over a million copies. Infidelity would bring an end to the marriage of the Gilbertos by 1964 but Astrud continued her career, releasing a self-titled debut album the following year. Gilberto went on to record fifteen studio albums with songs in various languages which impressively included Spanish, German, Italian, French and Japanese. And although she never officially retired, Gilberto said she was taking some time off after the release of her 2002 album. "Jungle" which would become her final recording.

And Cynthia Weil, one half of the songwriting team with her husband, Barry Mann based at the famous Brill Building who together helped shaped the sound of rock & roll throughout the 1960's with many popular songs, died at the age of eighty-two on June 1st. Born in New York City, Weil had studied to be an actor and dancer but not long after marrying Mann in 1961, she discovered her skill at writing pop songs. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration", "On Broadway", "Walking in The Rain", "Just a Little Lovin' (Early in the Morning)" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" are just a few of the early hits that were written by this songwriting duo. The couple would write as individuals, with other partners as well as team up together with other songwriters. Other popular songs Weil would later be involved in creating included "Just Once", "Never Gonna Let You Go"," He's So Shy", "Here You Come Again", "All I Need To Know" and "Somewhere Out There" for the animated film, "An American Tail" which won the team (along with co-writer, James Horner) the 1986 Song of The Year Grammy Award. With her husband, Weil was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

After her New Year's Eve performance fiasco, Mariah Carey seems eager to put that out of people's minds with some new music. Clearly inspired by her recent break-up with former fiance, billionaire James Packer, "I Don't" is a bitter "her" side of the story backed up with an old-school r&b beat with YG adding a rap for a modern touch. I'm really digging the song but the cartoon sexuality in the music video is just too much. The forty-six year old mother of two directed this clip and it simply features endless shots of herself in ridiculously revealing outfits gyrating and flipping her hair seductively. I know the over-the-top, sexy diva image has always been her thing but it's getting a little sad now. "I Don't" is the first of several singles that will be released throughout the year with an album that will likely happen depending on how well these songs do.



And here is a far more classier Carey paying loving tribute to the recently departed George Michael with an incredible live version of his ballad, "One More Try":



Here is a collection of some dynamic music videos of recent songs I've been digging:

GEORGE MICHAEL (1963 - 2016)

The Christmas holiday took a very sad turn when it was announced that we lost another iconic artist. George Michael, the music superstar who first found fame as part of the pop act, Wham! in the '80's before finding even greater success after going solo, passed away suddenly on December 25th. Few details have been given to date but he was found at his home in Goring in Oxfordshire, England and had died of heart failure.

Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in East Finchley, London, he dreamed of being a singer since he was a child. While a teen, he worked as a DJ for school parties and clubs before meeting classmate, Andrew Ridgeley and together they were going to conquer the music world.

They put together an act called Wham! and recorded their first single, "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" in 1982. The song introduced a little bit of rap which was still a very American sound and relatively unfamiliar in pop music at the time. It didn't have much impact initially although it would find chart success later after Wham!'s follow-up single, "Young Guns (Go for It)" became a top-five hit on the UK pop chart. With the release of the debut album, "Fantastic" in 1983, the now-named, George Michael and Ridgely became one of the hottest pop acts in Britain. Then with their second album, "Make It Big" and the singles, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Careless Whisper", Wham! would become international superstars.

The duo would ride the massive wave of success with several hit singles, being part of Band-Aid to help with African famine with the charity single, "Do They Know It's Christmas", performing at the concert Live Aid and becoming the first Western pop act to tour China in 1985. Not long after, Michael was ready to leave behind his teen idol image and pursue a more mature musical sound and announced the end of Wham! in 1986.

Michael's first album as a solo artist was "Faith" and released the following year. This became a major hit thanks to the title track, the controversial, "I Want Your Sex", "Father Figure", "Monkey", "Kissing a Fool" and "One More Try" in addition to a single, "I Knew You Were Waiting", a duet with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The record would go on to sell twenty-five million copies worldwide and win the Grammy Award for Album of The Year.

But this overwhelming popularity and fame put a lot of pressure on Michael. He tried to regain some control by not doing live performances nor having his image on album covers or music videos for his next album, "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" in 1990. While the album sold well, it didn't do nearly as well as "Faith" which created friction between Michael and his label, Sony. Each accused the other with failing to properly promote the record and a lawsuit followed.

After eventually settling the dispute, Michael returned to creating music and released the deeply personal, "Older" in 1994. The first single, "Jesus To a Child" was a loving tribute to Anselmo Feleppa who had recently passed away. That he had been his lover or that Michael was even gay was not publicly known at this time but the singer would come out in a big way a few years later after he was arrested for lewd behavior in a public restroom in Beverly Hills, CA.

Other legal problems would plaque Michael later as he had several issues regarding drugs and alcohol abuse. He also had health issues with him nearly dying in 2011 from a viral infection and suffering from a serious head injury after falling out of a moving car in 2013.

Michael only released five studio solo albums over his career but he went on to sell over one hundred million records. His last album released was "Symphonica" in 2014 which featured live performances from his extensive European tour that featured a full orchestra.

An amazing talent and generous spirit, George Michael will be greatly missed. Here a just a few of my favorite song from this unforgettable artist:

THE 28 BEST MUSIC VIDEOS BY DAVID FINCHER

David Fincher is the man of the moment due to his critically acclaimed, box-office hit, "Gone Girl". What people may not realize (or remember) is that Mr. Fincher began his career directing commericals and most notably, music videos. To date, he's made over fifty clips with his most recent being Justin Timberlake's "Suit & Tie" which won Fincher a Grammy Award last year for Best Music Video.

New York Magazine has complied a list ranking the Oscar-nominated director's best work in music videos. Click below to read:

28 David Fincher Music Videos, Ranked

Here are a few of my personal favorites from the director:

NEW SOUNDS

GEORGE MICHAEL

In 2011, George Michael embarked on a tour that traveled throughout Europe with an symphonic orchestra. Those performances were captured on his newest CD, "Symphonica" which is his first live recording and only the sixth solo album released over his thirty years in music. Co-produced by the late Phil Ramone, the songs are mostly from his last two studio albums, "Songs From the Last Century" and "Patience" and they are given a lush makeover with Mr Michael sounding better than ever.

Here is one of the new songs written by George Michael for the tour:

"Through" - George Michael (2014)


KYLIE MINOGUE

Kylie Minogue has never gotten much love here in the U.S. during her twenty-five year music career but the rest of the world is still crazy for Kylie. Now under new management with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, Kylie is trying once again to win America over with her twelfth musical offering, "Kiss Me Once". She's opening up her more funky side and received some help from current hit-makers, Sia and Pharrell Williams. If you already dig the pop styling of Ms Minogue, then you will most certainly be in heaven as the record offers plenty of the great dance beats she is known for however it may not be enough to convert over any new fans. Be on the lookout for Kylie's world tour beginning later this year.

Listen to the first official single, "Into The Blue" which has managed to reach the top of the U.S. dance chart:

"Into The Blue" - Kylie Minogue (2014)

Take a look at the video for another tune from the album, "Sexercise" (co-written by Sia) and it should be no surprise, considering the title, that it is overtly sexual:



The latest song from Lady Gaga, "G.U.Y." is nothing special but it does have a music video that's a wild, over-the-top extravaganza that only she can pull off:



"I Luh Ya Papi" is another mediocore song from Jennifer Lopez but it's enhanced greatly by a hot video. This very sexy clip puts a female spin on those 90's hip-hop music videos that featured cars, boats and flowing champagne but instead of ladies in tiny bikinis we now have scantily-clad gentlemen:

NEW SOUNDS FROM GEORGE MICHAEL

He ruled the airwaves in the '80's, first with his pop group, "WHAM!", before going solo to even greater success and now after several years of struggling with substance abuse,George Michael is back with new music.

 "White Light"  is to mark his thirty years of making music with the song appearing to be about his near-death experience last year and on how grateful he is to have survived. The music video for this upbeat dance tune features super-model, Kate Moss and I'm very happy to see that George looks healthy and really good. Let's hope this is just the beginning of his return and more music will quickly follow.



And as a bonus, enjoy this classic song from his 1987 smash album, "Faith":

"I Want Your Sex" - George Michael (1987)

THE FIRST TIME: PART TWO

Here is another post of the first time I heard the music of artists that I love and admire:

PAT BENATAR - "IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT" - (1979)
Pat Benatar was trained in musical theater and opera but her heart belonged to rock & roll. She was a regular performer at the Catch a Rising Star club in New York before she was discovered by record executives and signed to a recording contract.

She has released eleven CDs, won four consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Female Rock performance from 1980 to 1983 and has been married to her band leader and lead guitarist, Neil Giraldo since 1982 and they have two children.

Although this was the third single off of "In The Heat Of The Night", it was the first song that brought her to the attention of the masses:

Heartbreaker.mp3

CULTURE CLUB - "KISSING TO BE CLEVER" - (1982)
Culture Club was a British rock group that combined new wave, soul and reggae to create their sound. The group was led by the flamboyant and androgynous lead singer, George O'Dowd or better known to the world as Boy George with Mikey Craig on bass, Roy Hay on guitar and keyboards and Jon Moss on drums.

The band became a world wide sensation, amassing many top ten hits during the early eighties and winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1984 before the group broke-up in 1986 due to George's increasing drug problem and his turbulent secret relationship with drummer, Moss.

This is the group's first hit single off of  "Kissing To Be Clever":

Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?.mp3

GEORGE MICHAEL - "FAITH" - (1987)
He had been one half of the hit British pop group, Wham! but in 1987, George Michael went solo and released his first album which became a monster hit. It had five #1 U.S. singles, sold twenty million copies world wide, and would go on to win the Grammy Award for Album of The Year.

He has completed only five solo albums in his career, partially due to personal issues and a contract dispute with his record label but he has still managed to sell over 100 million of them around the world.

This controversial song was the first hit off of "Faith":

I Want Your Sex.mp3

This is the sexy music video of the song: