Music

Country music legend Charlie Daniels dies at 83

Country Music legend Charlie Daniels, best known for his monster 1979 hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” died Monday of a hemorrhagic stroke. He was 83. According to a press release from his representatives, the acclaimed Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member died at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tenn., where doctors determined his cause of death. Daniels accumulated a slew of accolades and awards during his long career in music, including his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame and becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He also won a Dove Award for gospel albums and a coveted Grammy Award for best country vocal performance by a duo or group. While The Charlie Daniels Band had numerous hits and remained a staple in Country music radio, his most enduring hit was a tale of a young man named Johnny who challenged the devil to a fiddle-playing contest and came away with a violin made of gold. “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” was No. 1 on the country charts in 1979 and No. 3 on the pop charts. It was voted single of the year by the Country Music Association. “Few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels. An outspoken patriot, beloved mentor, and a true road warrior, Daniels parlayed his passion for music into a multi-platinum career and a platform to support the military, underprivileged children, and others in need,” a statement from Daniels’ representatives reads. In addition to his music, Daniels was a major advocate for several causes that were close to his heart including supporting the U.S. military with The Journey Home Project, which he founded in 2014 with his manager, David Corlew, to help veterans. “My manager, myself and some other people started this Journey Home Project to help — we’ve come to find out there is a great need for assistance by veterans who are returning from their service. Most of the people that we deal with haven’t gotten that,” Daniels told Fox News in 2019. “We all know the agencies that are tasked with helping our military people are bureaucracies that, by nature, grind slow,” Daniels added at the time. “So there are immediate needs and slow bureaucracies, and we kind of step in and try to help out.” Daniels also worked closely with the Jason Foundation, a Nashville-based nonprofit started by a father who lost his teen son to suicide. Daniels previously said that after looking at the data, he knew he could help veterans and needed to educate people on just how close to tragedy we might be at any given moment. According to The Tennessean, Daniels is survived by his wife, Hazel, and son, Charlie Daniels, Jr. Daniels, a singer, guitarist and fiddler, started out as a session musician, even playing on Bob Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline” sessions. Beginning in the early 1970s, his five-piece band toured endlessly, sometimes doing 250 shows a year. “I can ask people where they are from, and if they say `Waukegan,′ I can say I’ve played there. If they say `Baton Rouge,′ I can say I’ve played there. There’s not a city we haven’t played in,” Daniels said in 1998. Daniels performed at White House, at the Super Bowl, throughout Europe and often for troops in the Middle East. He played himself in the 1980 John Travolta movie “Urban Cowboy” and was closely identified with the rise of country music generated by that film. Daniels, a native of Wilmington, N.C., played on several Bob Dylan albums as a Nashville recording session guitarist in the late 1960s, including “New Morning” and “Self-Portrait.”

I was stunned to hear of Charlie’s passing.  Saw him in the ’80s in St. Louis at one of the infamous “Summer Jams” at the original Busch Stadium, and leaned on the stage when he played.  He was quite the entertainer and a man of great character; something one doesn’t say often about those in the entertainment business.  Thanks for the tunes and your inspiration, Charlie.  R.I.P.

Mike Huckabee: Farewell, Charlie Daniels — you lived a life done well

A message hit my inbox on Monday morning that shook my world. It was an email from Charlie Daniels’ publicist who told me Charlie had passed away unexpectedly from a stroke. I was numb for a few minutes trying to process it. Charlie had been a guest on my weekend TBN show just a couple of weeks ago. He talked passionately about his projects for veterans. No one loved them more than the legendary singer, songwriter and musician Charlie Daniels. His career spanned almost 70 years and touched virtually every genre of music from pop, southern rock, country and blues. He was an unmatched musician, capable of playing every instrument on the stage and doing it better than anyone else on that stage. His shows and appearances were epic because of the sheer level of energy Charlie put into every performance. He performed every set as if it was his last. His book “Never Look At the Empty Seats” revealed his commitment to his fans that whether a venue was packed or not, he would give his all every time he appeared. He never thought about those who didn’t come — he took the stage and emptied himself to the last ounce of energy he had so as to leave everything on the stage for those who WERE there. No one left disappointed at a Charlie Daniels show. Off stage, Charlie Daniels was the consummate gentleman. For a man of his stature in the entertainment industry, he was humble, thoughtful and selfless. His band and crew adored him. He was loyal to them and treated them like family. He took care of them as if they were family. He freely gave advice, encouragement and assistance to young performers and genuinely sought to help them to stardom. He never had to feel threatened because (to borrow a line from one of his great hit songs), he was “the best that’s ever been.” He never said that about himself, but everyone who was ever around him sure did! Charlie Daniels was a man of sincere, authentic and demonstrable faith. His personal faith was not pious or put-on, but powerful and persuasive. When he spoke of God, he talked about someone he personally knew, not just a conceptual God “out there somewhere,” and he spoke with clarity and conviction and never with reluctance or timidity. As a true American patriot, he spoke and sang for the working men and women of America. He had fans from all walks of life, but Charlie stayed close to his working-class roots. His song, “Simple Man” was in many ways a personal reflection of who he was. He loved America deeply and devotedly. He spent blocks of his personal time giving to those he treasured most — veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Whether playing free concerts, raising money to help veterans get medical aid or a new home or just shaking their hands and thanking them, Charlie Daniels believed in those who fought for his freedom. And they — and all of us –believed in him. Rest in Peace, my friend. We will catch you on the other side. Keep a seat for us.

Thanks Mike for the moving eulogy.  Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R) is the author of that piece.  Many folks don’t know that Mike plays bass guitar.

‘I’m not locking down anymore,’ says former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar

Rock singer Sammy Hagar on Friday declared himself done with restrictions meant to slow the spread of COVID-19, the contagious and potentially deadly respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The 72-year-old former Van Halen frontman spoke his mind about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic during an interview conducted by KSHE-95, a classic rock radio station based out of St. Louis, Missouri. “I don’t say the word ‘hate’ very much, but I hate this frigging coronavirus crap,” said Mr. Hagar. “I’m not afraid of it, and I’m not locking down anymore. I’ll go around to anyone. If you don’t wanna be around me, fine. Keep your distance — I’m all cool with that. It’s not like I’m against that. But I’m sorry — I have no fear at my age about it.” Mr. Hagar said elsewhere during the interview that he was nervous at first about potentially contracting COVID-19 since individuals his age are at a high risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from it. “I was still worried about this possibly killing me. And you know what I thought of? I thought, you know what? I’ve had the best life of any human being on this planet. If the damn thing wants to come and get me and kill me, let it be,” said the singer. “Life isn’t gonna be any better from this day on for the rest of my life than it has been. And I swear to you — I came to grips with it.” Mr. Hagar fronted the rock group Montrose before launching a career a successful career as a solo-artist that earned him a hit in 1984 with the anti-speed limit anthem “I Can’t Drive 55.” He joined Van Halen the following year and sang lead vocals on the group’s next four albums, including 1991’s Grammy Award-winning record “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge,” before leaving the band later that decade. Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine in a separate interview published earlier in the week, Mr. Hagar referred to COVID-19 as “the flu” and harshly criticized the economic shutdown it sparked. “I’d rather personally get sick and even personally die, if that’s what it takes. We have to save the world and this country from this economic thing that’s going to kill more people in the long run,” he told Rolling Stone. “This shutdown of the economy is going to make that escalate 10 times and then we’re all going to be sick and you can’t walk down the street. I would rather see everyone go back to work. If some of us have to sacrifice on that, OK. I will die for my children and my grandchildren to have a life anywhere close to the life that I had in this wonderful country and freedom. That’s just the way that I feel about it,” said the singer.

God bless Sammy..  There are few in the entertainment industry who get it.  And, we love the shout out to “the Rock of St. Louis,” KSHE 95; the greatest rock radio station in the nation, bar none.  Here’s the link, if ya want to check out that interview:  https://www.kshe95.com/real-rock-news/favazz-interviews-sammy-hagar-amidst-covid-19-pandemic/             Thanks Sammy!!   🙂

Roger Waters Sings Terrorists’ Anti-Israel Anthem: ‘We’ll Take Back the Land, from the River to the Sea’

Former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters sang that Palestinians will “take back the land, from the Jordan river to the sea,” a battle cry routinely used by terrorists that ultimately calls for the elimination of Israel. Together with anti-Israel far-left British filmmaker Ken Loach, Waters appeared at the UK Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s (PSC) Nakba Day 2020 event, where he claimed that “the Israel lobby and the Israeli government and the Israeli special whatever they are called… [are] trying so hard to destroy the voices of support [for Palestinians],” the UK’s Jewish Chronicle reported. The Palestinian “Nakba” commemorates the “catastrophe” of the establishment of the State of Israel. Playing an acoustic guitar and wearing a Palestinian kaffiyyeh, Waters performed a song he had written for the event which included the lyrics, “We’ll walk hand in hand and we’ll take back the land, from the Jordan river to the sea” – a take on the war cry, “From the river to sea, Palestine will be free!” The slogan, often chanted by pro-Palestinian supporters at anti-Israel protests as well as the Hamas terror group, essentially calls for a Palestinian state to take over the Jewish state which currently exists on the land between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean sea. Speaking at the event, Loach, a member of Britain’s Labour Party, claimed the party’s controversial former leader Jeremy Corbyn was “brought down” in the same campaign targeting him and Waters and other pro-Palestinian activists who are “vilified” and facing “accusations of racism and antisemitism.” ”We must not be put off – we have to tell the story. The abuse we get here is nothing compared to what the Palestinians get in their daily lives,” Loach said. BDS founder Omar Barghouti closed the event with the claim “Israeli technology” is to blame for a range of refugee crises in South Sudan, Rwanda and Latin America. Speaking to Breitbart News, international human rights lawyer and social activist Arsen Ostrovsky called Waters an “unhinged racist and antisemite.” “Let there be no ifs, buts or maybes, Roger Waters is an unhinged racist and Antisemite,” Ostrovsky said. “It is perhaps rather fitting that for someone who so fervently promotes the BDS Movement, is now boycotted himself from his very own band, for whom even he has become an embarrassment, with his hyper politics and vile hate.” The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted, “Leave it to anti-Semite @rogerwaters to put Palestinian terrorists’ genocidal credo to music. Proud Jews have three-word response: Am Yisrael Chai! The People of Israel lives!”

Roger Waters has a long history of promoting his Communist, “workers party,” anti-Semitism and other extremely socialist/liberal, politically correct nonsense in his concerts.  I’ve seen him interviewed recently on Fox News, of all places, and he’s still crazy as ever.  Shame on him for taking the side of Hamas and other Islamo-wackos over the FREE state of Israel.  What a tool..

Roger Waters blasts ex bandmate David Gilmour for banning him from Pink Floyd’s website

Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters has called out David Gilmour for banning him from the rock group’s official website and social media platforms. On Monday, Waters posted a lengthy video to his Twitter account in which he puts Gilmour on blast for assuming control of the rockers’ webpage and essentially banning him from having any part of it. “Nothing from me is on the website,” the band’s original bass guitarist said in a video filmed from inside of his home. “I am banned by David Gilmour from the website.” Waters said he feels it would be “fair and correct” for all of the band members to post updates about their projects on the site, no matter if they’ve since left the group. “David thinks he owns it. I think he thinks that because I left the band in 1985 that he owns Pink Floyd, that he is Pink Floyd, that I’m irrelevant and I should just keep my mouth shut,” Waters adds later in the clip. He recently released his social distancing rendition of the band’s hit “Mother,” which he admitted made him feel nostalgic about jamming out with his former bandmates. “It did make me think, one and a half million of you have viewed our new version of ‘Mother.’ It really warms my heart but it doesn’t bring up the question of why is this video not available on a website that calls itself The Pink Floyd website,” Waters argued. The musician also took aim at Gilmour for not promoting Waters’ 2019 film about the band titled “Us and Them.” “We’re not allowed to even mention such a fact on the official Pink Floyd website. This is wrong,” Waters continued, adding, “We should rise up and, oh, I’ll just change the name of the band to Spinal Tap and then everything will be hunky-dory.” Waters said he also brought up this issue with the band’s “surviving members” last year. He stressed in his tweet along with the video that, in addition to the band’s website, Gilmour has also blocked him from accessing the group’s “Facebook page and all the rest.” The musician then vowed not to “get all weird and sarcastic” and concluded with some thoughts about the coronavirus. “We live in dark, dark desperate times and we need to find ways to communicate with one another so we can act cooperatively to stop the man destroying this fragile planet that we call home,” Waters said. Waters left the band in 1985 and pursued legal action against the group for continuing to use the band name. He failed in court. In 2013, Waters admitted in an interview that he regretted taking legal action against his former band members.

So, even though Roger admits he quit the band 35 YEARS ago, and then SUED the band….he thinks he should be able to have access to their site?  Seriously??  We’ve already established that Roger is a little crazy.  But, c’mon..   It’s unfortunate when things like this happen.  But, they do.  Recently Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon of Journey fired legendary drummer Steve Smith, arguably one of the greatest drummers in rock history, and founding bassist Ross Valory over business/money issues.  Minus Steve Perry, that ended the classic Escape-Frontiers-Trial By Fire era that produced all the great Journey hits.  Awful..  But, I digress..  If Roger wants to try and mend the fence with Dave and Nick, he should do it behind the scenes; not out on social media.  It makes him look like a whiny 16 year old girl.  Dude..  You’re 76 years old.  Get over it.  If you want to see the official Pink Floyd web site in question, click on the text above.

Bad Company vocalist Brian Anthony Howe dead at 66

Bad Company vocalist Brian Anthony Howe has passed away at age 66. Howe passed away after suffering from cardiac arrest at his home in Florida on Tuesday, his friend and manager, Paul Easton, said. “It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the untimely passing of a loving father, friend and musical icon, Brian Howe,” Easton said. “Though EMTs were able to have a short conversation with him, he slipped away, and they were unable to revive him,” the statement continued. Howe’s sister Sandie also reacted to the news in a statement via his manager. “Finding the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts over losing my brother has been difficult,” Sandie said. “Our family would like to thank you for your compassion and the outpouring of love we are receiving.” The singer-songwriter had previously suffered from a heart attack in 2017. A longtime friend of Howe’s told Fox News on Thursday that he recently was involved in a scooter accident that left him with “broken ribs and a punctured lung.” The friend shared that Howe will be remembered as a “great man with a big heart.” He was also a “huge” animal lover and his loved ones are currently trying to find new homes for his many pets, including five dogs. Just six days ago, the former frontman confirmed he was in pain on his official Facebook account. “Horrible,” Howe responded to a Facebook friend who asked how he was feeling. “Broken ribs are NO fun.” Howe was born in Portsmouth, England. His musical career took off when he was signed to become the lead singer for Ted Nugent’s “Penetrator” album. The album reached No. 56 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart with “Tied Up In Love.” Howe joined Bad Company in the 1980s, replacing original member Paul Rodgers on lead vocals. In October 1986, Howe and original members Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke released “Fame and Fortune.” While original bassist Boz Burrell appears credited as part of the album’s lineup, session player Steve Price played on the album, according to Howe’s official website. Howe formerly spoke out in an interview with News-Press about his eagerness to “toughen things up a little bit” after the 1986 album’s release. After what he says was “tremendous resistance” from bandmates, he got his wish. With Howe as vocalist, the group went on to release the albums “Dangerous Age,” “Here Comes Trouble” and “Holy Water.” The latter album resulted in chart-topping success with the singles “If You Needed Somebody,” “Holy Water,” and “Walk Through Fire.” Howe left the group in 1994 to embark on a solo career. The frontman had been living in Florida at the time of his death but had relayed to the outlet last year his desire in moving to Nashville, Tenn. to possibly kickstart a new musical career. “That would wake me up, I think, musically, and take me down roads that I’m not used to being on,” Howe told News-Press of his interest in embarking on a new musical career in Music City. “And I think that’s healthy for you, too, if you’re an artist. I think you have to have different inputs and listen to other people’s influences and see what happens.”

We’re very sorry to hear of Brian’s passing.   As was mentioned, he took up the mic after original legendary singer Paul Rodgers left Bad Company to go solo.  Paul, of course, is back with Bad Company now and has been for several years now.  But, Brian left an indelible stamp on the band during his time.  Thanks for the tunes, Brian.  R.I.P.

For more on Brian, click on the text above.  And here is a link to the video for Holy Water.   FYI, it’s just girls and fast cars; not the band:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57IpQQ7oDiA

 

Elton John to host ‘FOX Presents the iHeart Living Room Concert for America’ to benefit coronavirus charities

Fox Corporation and iHeartMedia have teamed up to provide entertainment and support for Americans during the coronavirus pandemic with a special event on Sunday night hosted by music legend Elton John. “FOX Presents the IHeart Living Room Concert for America” will air on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on all FOX platforms and iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide. The special concert event will pay tribute to front-line medical professionals working to treat coronavirus patients, first responders, and local heroes while soliciting donations from viewers and listeners. The commercial-free event will feature performances by Alicia Keys, Backstreet Boys, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mariah Carey, Tim McGraw and others, all playing from their homes on their personal cell phones, cameras and audio equipment, to ensure the health and safety of all involved as Americans adapt to social distancing. The special event will support Americans who have been resilient as the nation attempts to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Viewers will be encouraged to support two of the many charitable organizations helping victims and first responders during the pandemic: Feeding America and First Responders Children’s Foundation. The benefit special will air in the timeslot originally scheduled for “iHeartRadio Music Awards,” which was postponed as a result of the growing pandemic. FOX will offer the event across all of its linear and digital platforms. Last week, Fox Corporation announced it would provide everyone in America unlimited free access to Fox News Channel and FOX Television Stations during the coronavirus pandemic.

Very cool!   Thanks to Fox Corp for putting this together.  Excellent!!    🙂

Kenny Rogers, country music icon, dies at 81

Kenny Rogers, a longtime star of country music, died Friday night, according to a statement posted by his family. He was 81. Known for such hits as “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Islands in the Stream,” and “Lucille,” Rogers died peacefully at home in Sandy Springs, Ga., of natural causes at 10:25 p.m., the statement said. In all, Rogers had 24 No. 1 hits and was the winner of six CMA Awards and three Grammys, the family’s statement said. Born in Houston, Texas, Rogers was raised in public housing along with seven siblings. He had his first gold single at age 20 with a song called “That Crazy Feeling” under the name Kenneth Rogers. He then joined a jazz group, the Bobby Doyle Trio, as a standup bass player. His breakthrough came in 1966, when he was asked to join a folk group called the New Christy Minstrels. The band reformed as First Edition and scored a pop hit with the psychedelic song, “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).” After the group disbanded in 1974, Rogers pursued a solo career and his 1977 hit “Lucille” crossed over to the pop charts and earned the crooner his first Grammy. “The Gambler,” written by Don Schlitz came out in 1978, which became Rogers’ signature song he later developed into a series of television movies that he starred in. One of his biggest hits was “Lady,” written by Lionel Richie, a chart topper for six weeks straight in 1980. Other hits included “You Decorated My Life,” “Every Time Two Fools Collide” with Dottie West, “Don’t Fall In Love with a Dreamer” with Kim Carnes, and “Coward of the County.” Over the years, Rogers collaborated with several female duet partners, most notably, Dolly Parton. The two were paired at the suggestion of the Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb, who wrote “Islands in the Stream.” “Barry was producing an album on me and he gave me this song,” Rogers told the Associated Press in 2017. “And I went and learned it and went into the studio and sang it for four days. And I finally looked at him and said, ‘Barry, I don’t even like this song anymore.’ And he said, ‘You know what we need? We need Dolly Parton.’ I thought, ‘Man, that guy is a visionary.’ “From the moment she marched into that room, that song never sounded the same,” Rogers added. “It took on a whole new spirit.” Rogers and Parton toured together, leading to an HBO concert special. The two later recorded “You Can’t Make Old Friends” in 2013. That same year, Rogers was a winner of the CMA’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He received a total of 10 awards from the Academy of Country Music. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Rogers sold more than 47 million records in the United States alone. He was a superstar for six decades before retiring from touring in 2017 at the age of 79. Despite his crossover success, Rogers always preferred to be thought of as a country singer. “You either do what everyone else is doing and you do it better, or you do what no one else is doing and you don’t invite comparison,” Rogers told The Associated Press in 2015. “And I chose that way because I could never be better than Johnny Cash or Willie or Waylon at what they did. So I found something that I could do that didn’t invite comparison to them. And I think people thought it was my desire to change country music. But that was never my issue.” Last May, Rogers was admitted to a Georgia hospital for dehydration, amid rumors that his overall health was failing. In 2018, health problems prompted Rogers to call off shows during what was billed as his farewell concert tour. “Kenny Rogers has been working through a series of health challenges and has been advised to cancel all performances through the end of the year to focus on recuperation,” a statement from the singer’s management said at the time. “I didn’t want to take forever to retire,” Rogers was quoted as saying. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to say farewell to the fans over the course of the past two years on ‘The Gambler’s Last Deal’ tour.” In addition to his musical craft, Rogers had a chain of restaurants called Kenny Rogers Roasters and was a partner behind a riverboat in Branson, Mo. He was involved in a number of charitable causes, including the Red Cross and MusiCares. Rogers is survived by his wife, Wanda, and his sons Justin, Jordan, Chris and Kenny Jr., as well as two brothers, a sister and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, his representative said. The family is planning a private service “out of concern for the national COVID-19 emergency,” a statement posted early Saturday read. A public memorial will be held at a later date.

We’re very sorry to hear of Kenny’s passing.  The last couple of years his health was in decline.  So, this wasn’t a big surprise.  “The Gambler” was definitely a class act.  Thanks for the tunes, Kenny.  R.I.P.

Led Zeppelin wins ‘Stairway to Heaven’ copyright infringement case

Led Zeppelin scored a major win on Monday in the copyright battle over “Stairway to Heaven,” as the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a jury verdict finding the song did not infringe on the 1968 song “Taurus.” The ruling is also a significant win for the music industry, which has felt itself fighting a losing battle against frivolous copyright suits since the “Blurred Lines” trial in 2015. The court overturned the so-called “inverse ratio rule,” a precedent that has governed copyright cases in the 9th Circuit for the last 43 years. To prove copyright infringement, a plaintiff must show that the alleged infringer had access to the plaintiff’s work, and that the two works are “substantially similar.” The inverse ratio rule — which had not been adopted in other circuits — held that the more access was shown, the less similarity was required to establish infringement. The rule has been a thorn in the side of defendants — including record labels and major artists — for decades. In overturning the rule, the appeals court noted that the idea of “access” has become diluted in the digital age, as millions of works are readily available on Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify. The court also held that the rule has the effect of establishing a lower burden of proof for infringement of popular works. “It was a terrible rule,” said Ed McPherson, an attorney who filed an amicus brief in support of Led Zeppelin, on behalf of songwriters, producers and musicians. “If you have a lot of access, that shouldn’t mean there should be a lesser standard to prove copyright infringement. It’s never made sense to me.” The court also pushed back on the claims of similarity in the Led Zeppelin case, in an opinion that should hearten critics of the “Blurred Lines” decision. “We have never extended copyright protection to just a few notes,” the court held. “Instead we have held that ‘a four-note sequence common in the music field’ is not the copyrightable expression in a song.” The Zeppelin case began in 2014, when journalist Michael Skidmore filed suit on behalf of the estate of Randy Wolfe, the late frontman of the band “Spirit.” The lawsuit alleged that the iconic opening instrumental riff in “Stairway to Heaven” was lifted from Spirit’s 1968 song “Taurus.” A jury ruled against the plaintiffs in 2016, but a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals revived the case in September 2018. The panel held that Judge Gary Klausner had given the wrong jury instructions, and ordered a new trial. Led Zeppelin’s attorneys appealed to the full circuit, which heard the case last September. McPherson said he was not sure whether the court would take the opportunity to overturn the inverse ratio rule, as the subject hardly came up at oral argument. “I’m thrilled they did do it,” he said. “It’s a terrific decision. I have renewed faith in the 9th Circuit.”

Journey members Steven Smith, Ross Valory fired, bandmates embroiled in lawsuit over trademark

Two members of Journey have been kicked out of the band amid the filing of a lawsuit over its trademark. The legendary band’s bassist, Ross Valory, and drummer, Steven Smith, were kicked out of the group after guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jon Cain filed a lawsuit against the two, accusing them of attempting a “coup” to gain control of the band’s trademark, according to a complaint. Schon and Cain accuse their former bandmates of declaratory judgment and breach of fiduciary duty and are seeking damages in excess of $10 million. According to the complaint, Schon and Cain accuse Valory and Smith of attempting to take control of the trademark last month by “improperly” holding meetings with shareholders and the board of directors of one of the band’s corporate entities named Nightmare Productions. In these meetings, Smith was voted to replace Cain as board president and Valory was voted to replace Schon as secretary, the outlet said. Schon and Cain claim their former bandmates incorrectly assumed they had rights to the Journey name. “Smith and Valory erroneously contend that Nightmare Productions controls the Journey name. They hope to use Nightmare Productions to hold the Journey name hostage and force Cain, Schon and Nightmare Productions to provide them with wind-fall payments for their retirement,” the complaint states. It continues: “Smith and Valory are wrong that Nightmare Productions controls the Journey name. Cain and Schon, through an entity named Elmo Partners, hold all rights to the Journey name.” The plaintiffs cite two trademark registration numbers and cite a trademark license agreement from 1985 to prove their ownership of the band name. The two band members further claim Valory and Smith want Nightmare Productions to “pay them a share of Journey touring revenue in perpetuity under the guise of a licensing fee while they perform absolutely no work for the band.” Schon and Cain accuse their former pals of concocting a “malicious” and “very ill-conceived” scheme in order to “set themselves up for retirement.” Journey formed in 1973 and quickly became known as one of the world’s most successful rock bands, with 10 platinum albums, 18 Top 40 singles and over 75 million albums sold worldwide, a press release from the law firm representing Schon and Cain states. Schon and Cain officially removed Smith and Valory from Journey in a letter dated March 3, the release explains. Skip Miller, attorney for Schon and Cain, provided a statement on their behalf in a news release this week. “This is not an action that Neal and Jon wanted to bring against two men that they once considered their brothers, but the devious and truculent behavior of Steve and Ross left them reluctantly with no choice but to act decisively. Journey will continue on with great success by ridding the band of disruptive members and replacing them with top musicians; and most importantly, by keeping its essential members—Schon, Cain and Pineda—fully intact.”

Just when I was having a great day, I read this…  And, I have tix for their concert this coming June in Denver, for crying out loud!  What a buzzkill…    Think I’ll get a refund if I can..  This is reminiscent of when Jon and Neal fired Ross and Steve back in the mid ’80s for a while, and then when the band had their reunion for their “Trial by Fire” cd, Smith and Valory returned.   Steve Smith is one of the greatest drummers in rock history.  Even the late great Neil Peart of Rush asked him once how he got to be so good.  Yeah.. He’s THAT good.  And, of course, Ross is a founding member of Journey, and his bass sound is signature to the Journey sound.  At any rate, there is apparently a lot more to this story.  When they had the vote, former lead singer Steve Perry was present and sided with Smith and Valory.  So, I’m guessing this story is FAR from over.  Someone just needs to put these four guys in a room and smack ’em upside the head and tell them to work it out and get back to playing together.  For more, click on the text above.