2020 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

The musical artists inducted in to this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G., and T. Rex. In order to be considered, at least twenty-five years must have passed since the musician’s first recordings were released in order to ensure that their contribution to music has stood the test of time. Jon Landau, a producer/manager and manager, Irving Azoff will be receiving the Hall’s Ahmet Ertegun Award, which honors industry professionals who have made a significant influence in the world of music.

The induction dinner and ceremony was going to be held live for the very first time back in May but COVID-19 put an end to that idea. So the socially-distanced event will be broadcast on HBO on November 7th.

DEPECHE MODE 

There is really only one band who changed our ideas on the possibilities of electronic music while making the sound commercially viable and that is Depeche Mode. This British band began in 1977 with schoolmates, Vince Clarke and Andy Fletcher who played together in a rock band. Martin Gore later joined them in a band called Composition of Sound and they moved towards electronic music, which was beginning to emerge in 1980, and learned to play synthesizers. Clarke invited Dave Gahan to join as their lead vocalist and they changed the name of the band to Depeche Mode. Not long after the release of their debut album, "Speak & Spell" in 1981, Clarke became disillusioned with the direction of Depeche Mode and left (where he would later form the bands, Yazoo and Erasure). Alan Wilder would replace Clarke in the band and Gore would step in as the lead songwriter. He would begin to incorporate themes involving sex, religion and politics in to their music. And this would help expand their fanbase and Depeche Mode went on to sell over 100 million records across the globe. Wilder would leave the band in 1995 and Depeche Mode has remained a trio with their last album to date was "Spirit" in 2016.

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

The Doobie Brothers are a rock band from San Jose, CA. that blended folk, country and r&b to create their unique sound. They began with Tom Johnston (on guitar and lead vocals), Patrick Simmons (on guitar), Dave Shogren (on bass) and John Hartman (on drums) in 1970 and the band's name was only supposed to be temporary until they came up with something better (which never happened). After playing all over Northern California, they were signed to Warner Bros. Records and released their self-titled debut the following year. But their breakthrough came with their next album, "Toulouse Street" which featured the hits, "Listen To The Music" and "Jesus Is Just Alright".  More hits followed with "Long Train Runnin'", "China Grove", "Black Water", and a cover of "Take Me In Your Arms" until health issues forced Johnston out of the band in 1975. Michael McDonald would replace him and took the band in to a different direction with more of a soft rock and blue-eyed soul sound. This helped the Doobie Brothers find a new audience and become even more popular with the songs, "Takin' It To The Streets", "It Keeps You Runnin'" and "What a Fool Believes" which went to number one on the US pop chart in 1978. After a brief break-up in 1982, the Doobies reunited (including Johnston) five years later and have been playing together ever since. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the band and they had planned on going on tour to celebrate but will have to postpone until hopefully next year.



WHITNEY HOUSTON

It was not really surprising that Whitney Houston would become a singer with her cousin being Dionne Warwick and her mother was Cissy Houston, a revered vocalist and part of the group, Sweet Inspirations. But no one could have imagined to what heights she would reach as a performer. With the guidance of music executive, Clive Davis, Houston would find major international success immediately with the release of her self-titled debut in 1985 and would continue to grow until she became a true pop superstar. Houston would make her acting debut in "The Bodyguard" and not only would that movie become a monster hit but the soundtrack was even bigger, selling over 45 million copies worldwide and winning the 1992 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. But the pressures of fame took it's toll and the gifted vocalist fell deep in to drug addiction for a number of years. Houston seemed to recover by 2009 and released an album, "I Look To You" which brought her back to the charts. Yet sadly, Houston had difficulty maintaining sobriety and died in 2012 from an accidental drowning in a bathtub. Whitney Houston is considered to be one of the greatest voices in popular music and what she could do with a song was absolutely breathtaking.

THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G

The Brooklyn rapper, Christopher Wallace, who was known to the world as the Notorious B.I.G., was a central figure in the East Coast rap scene and is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wallace (who went by "Biggie Smalls" early in his career but changed it due to someone else using that name) signed to Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records in 1993. He began to attract attention after he make brief appearances on other artist's records before his debut album, "Ready To Die" dropped in 1994. With the singles, "Juicy" and "Big Poppa", Biggie became an instant sensation. Wallace was a skillful storyteller with his raps being playful and funny yet also displaying emotional honesty. He used some of his experiences of childhood hardships and involvement in crime to express himself musically. At the height of his fame in 1997, Biggie was in a car in Los Angeles following an appearance at the Soul Train Music Awards when it was fired upon by an unidentified assailant. Wallace would tragically die later of his injuries at the age of only twenty-four. The Notorious B.I.G. managed to have made a deep impact on hip-hop and rap during his brief time and remains an influential artist in the genre.

NINE INCH NAILS

The industrial alt-rock band, Nine Inch Nails has always been essentially multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer and songwriter, Trent Reznor. While he would utilize a variety of different musicians over the years to help back him up on tours, Reznor was the only creative force during all recordings. But musician, Atticus Ross, a frequent collaborator with Reznor on several film scores (including "The Social Network" which won the team Oscars in 2010), became an official member of Nine Inch Nails in 2016. Reznor began playing with several synth-pop bands in his youth but eventually decided to work alone as he had difficulty finding other musicians to help create what he wanted. With the debut Nine Inch Nails album, "Pretty Hate Machine" in 1989, Reznor played all the instruments (except the drums) and the record was met with rapturous praise and created a rabid fanbase. However, Reznor became unhappy with his label, TVT Records who were pressuring him for a follow-up and trying to take creative control. After refusing to record for them, TVT sold his contract to Interscope Records, who wisely left him alone do his work. Nine Inch Nails would go on to release the critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums, "The Downward Spiral" and "The Fragile" which went on to further create a bigger audience for industrial metal. Reznor has has sold over 20 million records and has been nominated for thirteen Grammy Awards, winning two for the songs, "Wish" in 1992 and "Happiness in Slavery" in 1996.

T. REX

T.Rex was a British band formed by singer, songwriter and guitarist, Marc Bolan. The band began under the full name of Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four notable albums of psychedelic folk beginning in 1967. But by 1969, Bolan shortened the band's name and embraced what would be called glam rock. Despite a number of musicians who came and went, T. Rex found great success and popularity with such songs as "Ride a White Swan", "Hot Love", "20th Century Boy" and "Bang a Gong (Get It On)". In 1977, shortly before the release of the band's twelfth studio album, "Dandy in the Underworld", Bolan died in a car crash which sadly brought an end to T. Rex. But the band has remained highly influential and their music would help spark indie pop and the punk movement.

NEW SOUNDS

KELLY ROWLAND

Kelly Rowland is really on fire right now after releasing another smoking hot single. The former Destiny's Child member and expectant mother has dropped the song, "Crazy", a dance-floor banger about someone who is insanely in love with their significant other.  And while there are moments that brings to mind the musical delivery of Rowland's ex-bandmate, this disco-flavored track is solid and will continue to help take Miss Kelly to the next level. After this and the sensual "Coffee" from earlier this year, I can't wait to hear more.



H.E.R.

Gabriella Wilson or as she is best known professionally as H.E.R. has returned with new music. The Vallejo, CA. born and raised singer has helped make classic r&b popular again with her own style of contemporary soul. The music of H.E.R. has been critically acclaimed, winning the singer Grammy Awards in 2019 for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album, and found chart success with the singles, "Focus", "Best Part" (with Daniel Caesar) and "Slow Down" (with Skip Marley). Her latest single is "Damage" (that is driven by a distinctive sample from Herb Alpert's 1987 song, "Making Love In The Rain"),  a soulful ballad on the harm that can happen when your lover takes you for granted. No word on when there will be a new record but with several compilations and EPs since 2016, H.E.R. has not officially released a debut album.



LITTLE MIX

Little Mix is one of the best-selling girl groups of all time and while this British quartet has managed to conquer much of the world, they still haven't been able to reach the US. But they might change with their latest single, "Sweet Melody" which is getting some attention here in the States. The song is the third release from their upcoming sixth album, "Confetti" which is due out in November. I don't think "Sweet Melody" is necessarily a major standout from this pop group but you never know what could potentially help Little Mix crossover to this side of the world.

ROISIN MACHINE

With the recent release of her fifth solo album, "Róisín Machine", I am surprised I had not previously put a spotlight on Róisín Murphy, the Irish-born, British-based vocalist. She is a dance floor vet, having been around since the mid-1990's, first as a part of the trip-hop act, Moloko with her former partner, Mark Brydon. They were best known for a dance remix of "Sing It Back" that became an international smash back in 1999. After her romance with Brydon ended in 2003, so did the band but Murphy went on to continue creating music on her own.

Since her debut album, "Ruby Blue" in 2005, Murphy has further experimented with sounds, incorporating avant-pop, bossa nova, jazz and soul styles and samples of odd noises to her dance music. With "Róisín Machine", the forty-seven year old singer has brought dramatic theatricality to her new music, clashing together nu-disco, alt-r&b, electro-pop to create beautifully strange, club-ready tracks. Murphy has always been a true innovator who has never settled, always looking to push the boundaries of what is possible in dance. Here are a few of my favorite songs from the album:

IN MEMORIAM

This continues to be a very sad year as we have lost two more gifted musicians; rock guitarist, Eddie van Halen of the heavy-metal band, Van Halen and pop singer, Johnny Nash. 

Van Halen, who passed away on October 6th at the age of sixty-five after battling throat cancer for the last few years, was considered one of the greatest guitarists in rock, popularizing a technique called tapping which he used both hands on the guitar neck. It is his dynamic guitar solo you hear on Michael Jackson's smash 1982 rock-driven hit, "Beat It" and helped it become one of best-selling singles of all time. Van Halen is most associated with the Frankenstrat, a custom guitar he built from parts and even received patents on ideas related to his guitar inventions.

He was born on January 26, 1955 in Amsterdam, Netherlands to an Indonesian mother and Dutch father who was a jazz musician. The family moved to the US in 1962 and settled in Pasadena, CA. Van Halen, along with his older brother, Alex, were taught to play the piano when they were very young with the hope they would become classical pianists. However, Eddie and Alex gravitated toward rock & roll. Alex went with the drums while Eddie settled on the electric guitar. The boys, who had formed several bands since they were elementary school, decided to become professional musicians during college. 

The van Halen boys met bass guitarist, Michael Anthony and the wildly flamboyant front man, David Lee Roth and they first formed a hard band called, Mammoth. But after another band claimed that name, they agreed to become "Van Halen". They played all along the Sunset strip for a few years before Van Halen was signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1977. The following year, their self-titled debut was released and brought them attention, scoring hits with "Runnin' With The Devil" and their version of the Kinks, "You Really Got Me".  The band would enjoy even greater success and popularity with their subsequent albums until Roth abruptly left Van Halen during the height of their fame in 1985 due to creative differences with Eddie van Halen. But he was replaced with Sammy Hagar and Van Halen would continue to enjoy success, ultimately selling over eighty million albums worldwide.

He met actress Valerie Bertinelli, a star of the popular sitcom, "One Day at a Time", at a Van Halen concert in 1980, married a year later and had a son, Wolfgang, who later followed in his father's footsteps as a musician, even joining Van Halen to replace bass guitarist, Anthony in 2006. The couple separated in 2001 before divorcing in 2007. Van Halen would marry actress, Janie Liszewski in 2009.

Best known for the 1972 pop hit, "I Can See Clearly Now", Johnny Nash passed away on October 6th at the age of eighty. The Houston, TX born and raised performer died in his hometown after a period of failing health. He was born on August 19, 1940 and sang in the choir of his Baptist church as a child. Nash began performing professionally in 1953 on a local TV variety show and then later on Arthur Godfrey's radio and television programs. 

Nash was signed to ABC Records and was groomed to rival pop idol, Johnny Mathis. His first charting success was a cover of "A Very Special Love" (a song that Doris Day originally made popular) in 1958. He would achieve some popularity, appearing in films and charting in the top-five of the r&b chart with the ballad, "Let's Move and Groove Together" in 1965. Later that year, Nash moved to Jamaica, embracing the island country and the music. After meeting Bob Marley and members of his band, the Wailing Wailers, Nash decided to try to bring the rocksteady sound to America. He succeeded with the singles, "Hold Me Tight" and a cover of Marley's "Stir It Up" charting in the US and the UK. 

Nash's biggest hit song, "I Can See Clearly Now", which he wrote, featured a reggae-influenced beat. This single reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, sold over a million copies and has been covered countless times by a variety of artists. Following this success, Nash would continue to perform over the years with his biggest follow-up hit was the single, "Tears On My Pillow" (not a cover of the Little Anthony and the Imperials hit 1958 song) reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart in 1975.

MAC DAVIS (1942 - 2020)

It was a little surprising that the country-pop musician, Mac Davis passed away on the same day as Helen Reddy, who both enjoyed popularity throughout the 1970's, and at the exact same age of seventy-eight. The other connections these two singers had was the very first record Reddy released was a version of Davis' "I Believe In Music" and both had an eponymous variety show on television during the height of their fame. Davis died due to complications from heart surgery on September 29th.

He was born Morris Mac Davis on January 21, 1942 in Lubbock, TX and grew up with his sister and father who was divorced from their mother. Davis described him as "very strict and very religious". After he finished high school, Davis moved to Atlanta where his mother lived, largely to get out of Lubbock. It was here that he began to pursue music and formed a rock band called the Zots. They recorded a couple of singles that didn't get much attention.

Davis then got a job as a regional manager at Vee Jay Records, home to soul, jazz and blues artists. He later went to Liberty Records where he would begin songwriting and became a session player, most notably for Nancy Sinatra. Some of the songs Davis wrote were recorded by several artists and include "Memories", "Don't Cry Daddy", "Watching Scotty Grow", "Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife" and two that became big hits for Elvis Presley, "A Little Less Conversation" and "In the Ghetto".

He soon decided to pursue a country music career as a performer and record his own material. After signing with Columbia Records in 1970, Davis released two albums before the title track of his third, "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" became a breakthrough and crossover hit in 1972, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Davis would enjoy further success in music, with several charting songs and winning the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year award in 1974, In addition to his variety show, Davis appeared on several television specials and series. He made his film debut in the football comedy-drama, "North Dallas Forty" with Nick Nolte in 1979 and also appeared in "Cheaper To Keep Her" and "The Sting II", an ill-advised sequel to the popular film.

Davis was married three times; He first married Fran Cook when he was twenty-one in 1963. They had a son, Joel a year later and the couple separated in 1968. Davis met Sarah Barg when she was sixteen and they waited two years before getting married in 1971. She left Davis for fellow musician, Glen Campbell in 1976 but left him shortly before giving birth to his child. Davis married twenty-four year old nurse, Lise Gerard in 1982 and they had two children, Noah and Cody.

HELEN REDDY (1941 - 2020)

Helen Reddy, who is best known for her pop anthem of female empowerment, "I Am Woman", has passed away on September 29th at the age of seventy-eight. The Australian singer (who retired from performing in 2002 but briefly reappeared in 2012) had been struggling with dementia over the last few years.

Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Reddy, at the age of four, was a part of a show-business family. She would sing on radio and television which lead to her winning a talent contest on a television program in 1966. The prize was a ticket to New York City and a chance to audition for a recording contract. Unfortunately, Reddy did not win over the label executives at the time but decided to stay in the States to pursue her dream of becoming a professional singer.

With the lack of a work permit and trying to care for her three-year old daughter, Traci from her brief marriage to musician, Kenneth Weate, Reddy struggled to get singing gigs. But she met and fell for Jeff Wald and they married three days later which solved her ability to perform legally. After the family moved to Los Angeles, Wald would become manager of several musical acts but neglected the career of his own wife, who still couldn't get signed to a label. Reddy gave him an ultimatum to help her or the marriage was over.

Wald went to work and eventually got Capitol Records to give her a one record opportunity in 1971. Reddy recorded two songs; "I Believe in Music" (written by Mac Davis) which was the A-side of the record and a cover of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from the popular Broadway musical, "Jesus Christ Superstar" on the back. The single wasn't getting much attention until a DJ in Canada flipped over the record and played it on air. This would become Reddy's first hit song, reaching number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She quickly put together her debut album (also called "I Don't Know How to Love Him") and the follow-up single would make her a pop music sensation. 

"I Am Woman" (which Reddy co-wrote with fellow Australian musician, Ray Burton) originally appeared on Reddy's debut album but after it was used in the closing credits for the 1972 film, "Stand Up and Be Counted", it generated some attention. A new version was recorded and released as a single later that year. It took some time but "I Am Woman" eventually reached the top of the US pop chart and would help Reddy win a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (becoming the first Australian to win the prize). The timing of this song couldn't be more perfect as the Equal Rights Amendment was gaining traction in this country and "I Am Woman" would be embraced as a rallying cry for the movement.

More hits followed for Reddy including "Peaceful", "Angie Baby", "Delta Dawn", "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady", "Keep on Singing" and "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)". She would go on to sell over eighty million records worldwide over her career. 

Reddy also made many appearances on talk shows, television series and variety programs; became the semi-regular host of the late night music variety show, "The Midnight Special" from 1973 until 1975 and even had her own summer replacement series, "The Helen Reddy Show" in 1973. She also appeared in several films (including the 1977 Disney feature, "Pete's Dragon" and the disaster flick, "Airport '75") and theatrical productions ("Anything Goes", "Call Me Madam", "Blood Brothers" and "The Mystery of Edwin Drood") in the 1980's and 1990's.

Reddy wrote her memoir, "The Woman I Am" in 2006 and her life story was given the bio-pic treatment with a 2019 feature film, "I Am Woman" from filmmaker, Unjoo Moon. Reddy is survived by her daughter, Traci and son, Jordan from her marriage to Wald. She was married to Wald from 1968 until 1983 and then married Milton Ruth, a drummer in her band, that year before the couple divorced in 1995.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

The latest single from Lady Gaga's "Chromatica" is "911". The song deals with mental health issues and the medication, olanzapine to help them cope which the singer has to taken. The music video for the track (directed by filmmaker, Tarsem Singh) perfectly merges her love of offbeat imagery and elaborate, quirky costumes with acting performance which she has put on display successfully in the movie remake of "A Star Is Born".



It's hard to believe but the Welsh soul singer, Tom Jones turned eighty a few months ago in June. Since his breakout hit, "It's Not Unusual" in 1965, Jones has enjoyed worldwide success and acclaim with many popular songs like "What's New Pussycat", "Delilah" and "She's a Lady". And he's still quite active, serving as a coach on the British version of "The Voice" and making concert appearances. To celebrate this legendary singer, here is a very unusual live appearance I found of Jones performing his hit tune, "It's Not Unusual" amongst dancers in a cheesy, wild animal setting:

Marianne Faithfull, the British vocalist, has been in the news recently due to the disclosure that she has recovered from COVID-19. This is the latest of many health issues the seventy-three year old performer has suffered throughout her life. But one thing is certain; Faithfull is tough and a survivor. She began singing professionally in 1964 as a folk music performer in coffeehouses in London. Her first opportunity came when she met Andrew Loog Oldham, the manager of the Rolling Stones at a party for the band. He produced Faithfull's first hit record, "As Tears Go By" that he co-wrote with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Even though she was married and had a baby, she would leave her husband for Jagger. Faithfull would enjoy a successful music career, make a few films and experimented with drugs.

By the time her relationship with Jagger ended in 1970, she was a heroin addict and lost custody of her son. Faithfull lived on the streets for a couple of years before friends helped get her in to rehab. She would return to music but her voice, once sweet and melodic, was now weathered and raspy. She released "Broken English" in 1979, a collection of punk and new-wave songs, that became a welcome comeback and now considered a classic recording. Listen to the title track and watch Faithfull in action:

 And to close this out, I will give you the quarantine version of the Go-Go's performing their classic hit, "We Got The Beat" live on the "Today" show on September 15th. These ladies still got it, rocking out together while isolated at home, and it's pure magic. Also be sure to check out their documentary, "The Go-Go's" on Showtime from filmmaker, Alison Ellwood which gives a balanced account of their wild and crazy times as the most successful all-female rock band of all time: