Ben Harper

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Biography:

In a career that now spans four decades, vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Paul Rodgers and his various groups have sold in excess of 125 million records around the world. Best known for his expressive vocals on songs that have become rock & roll staples, like "All Right Now," "Feel Like Makin’ Love," "Can’t Get Enough," and "Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy," Rodgers has been cited by dozens of 1970s and ’80s rock groups and musicians as a major influence. U.S. groups like the Black Crowes and Guns N’ Roses have cited Rodgers and his various groups — Free, Bad Company, the Firm, the Law — as an influence on their styles. As a vocalist and songwriter, Rodgers had great admiration and respect for the classic African-American blues and R&B vocalists. Rodgers credits his father for buying him a guitar in his youth, but he later taught himself bass and piano as well. He began writing songs when he was in his early teens, before he had mastered any instrument.
Rodgers began playing out in clubs around Middlesborough, in northern England, when he was 13, taking singers like Rod Stewart as his role models. Right after he left school, he set out for London in a van with a band called the Roadrunners. The van broke down en route, and while the other members hitchhiked back north, Rodgers went south to London. After a short time he returned home to his parents, who were supportive of his musical endeavors. But having seen the club scene in London, he became determined to go back and make his mark there.
Returning to London, he formed the blues band Brown Sugar, deciding to see how far he could go as a vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. In the mid- and late ’60s, London was in the midst of a huge blues revival, and Rodgers had the opportunity to see Muddy Waters and dozens of other American blues musicians perform at London’s Marquee Club and other blues and R&B venues. Seeing Waters live had a lasting effect on Rodgers, and his early experiments, Brown Sugar and Free, started out as blues bands.
Rodgers was working with Brown Sugar when guitarist Paul Kossoff heard him sing. Kossoff was so impressed with Rodgers’ voice that the two decided to create a new band, joined by Simon Kirke on drums and bassist Andy Fraser. After seeing them at the Nags Head Pub in Battersea, Britain’s godfather of blues, Alexis Korner, suggested they call themselves Free. A song Rodgers co-wrote with Fraser, "All Right Now," hit number one in 20 territories around the world in 1970. The song remains a rock staple, having been entered into ASCAP’s "One Million" airplay singles club. By the early ’70s, Free was one of the biggest-selling British blues-rock groups; by the time the band dissolved in 1973, they had achieved an uncanny level of superstar success: they had sold more than 20 million albums around the world and had played more than 700 arena and festival concerts.
In 1973, Rodgers formed Bad Company, then a prototype "supergroup," with King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell, Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs, and Free drummer Simon Kirke. But this time, Rodgers learned from the mistakes he’d made with Free; he was determined to have bandmates who shared his musical vision — the overnight success that Free experienced put undue pressures on the personalities in the band. Rodgers contacted Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin‘s notorious manager, who was fortuitously starting Swan Song Records, the group’s vanity label. By the close of the 1970s, Bad Company had recorded six multi-platinum albums, which spurred classic blues-rock and rock staples like "Can’t Get Enough," "Feel Like Makin’ Love," "Shooting Star," and "Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy." By the time Bad Company called it quits, they had played to over ten million people around the world and sold 30 million albums.
Other highlights of Rodgers’ career include a showstopping version of Otis Redding‘s "Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay" at Atlantic Records’ 40th anniversary party at Madison Square Garden in 1988, and his formation of a new group with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, the Firm, in the mid-’80s. Following that band’s two albums, Rodgers formed the Law with former Small Faces/Who drummer Kenny Jones.
Since the early ’80s, Rodgers has also released a number of solo albums. They include Cut Loose (1983) and The Morning After the Night Before/Northwind (1984), both for Atlantic Records. His 1990s output includes Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters (1993, Victory Records) and The Hendrix Set, a mini-CD released that same year. Muddy Water Blues was nominated for a Grammy and features guest performances by Slash, Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, Jeff Beck, Steve Miller, Buddy Guy, and Pink Floyd‘s David Gilmour. Rodgers then put together a backing band featuring guitarist Geoff Whitehorn, bassist Jaz Lochrie, and drummer Jim Copley, recording Paul Rodgers Live (1996) and Paul Rodgers Now (1997) for the New York-based Velvel Records.
After a Bad Company reunion in 1999, Rodgers switched over to CMC International, issuing the album Electric in 2000. Taking a break from his solo career in the middle of the decade, Rodgers joined Brian May and Roger Taylor in a version of Queen for some live shows, one of which was documented on 2005′s Return of the Champions, a double disc on the Hollywood label. In 2007 Eagle Rock Entertainment released a new solo album, Live in Glasgow, taken from a October 13, 2006, concert at Clyde Auditorium in Scotland. Released on both CD and DVD, it highlighted both Bad Company and Free material, some of which Rodgers hadn’t performed in 35 years. ~ Richard Skelly, All Music Guide

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Paul Rodgers "Muddy Water Blues"

 Wikipedia.org – These  are the accounts of the last hours of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

To complete the summer portion of the "In Step" tour, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played two shows on August 25 & 26 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, WI, while on tour with Eric Clapton.

For travel to the next venue, the tour manager reserved four helicopters to circumvent congested highway traffic. In very dense fog, the helicopters were clear for lift off at 12:40 A.M. Just past the lift-off zone was a 300-foot hill. Vaughan’s helicopter pilot was unfamiliar with the flight pattern for exiting the area, and did not climb to sufficient altitude immediately after take-off. Vaughan’s helicopter veered off to one side and crashed into the hill.

According to the findings as reported by the National Transportation Safety Board, the cause of the accident was determined to be inadequate planning by the pilot, and failure to attain sufficient altitude to clear an obstacle. Fog and haze, as well as the rising terrain were listed as contributing factors. All occupants including Vaughan, the pilot and three members of Eric Clapton’s travel group were killed on impact.

On August 31, 1990, funeral services were held for Vaughan in his hometown of Oak Cliff. Brother Jimmie, mother Martha, and girlfriend Janna were in attendance. Among the mourners were all three members of ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, and Jackson Browne.^{[citation needed]} Vaughan was interred at Laurel Land Memorial Park in the Oak Cliff suburb of Dallas, Texas.
Source: Wikipedia.org

Stevie Ray Vaughan – Tin Pan Alley (Montreux) part 1

Stevie Ray Vaughan – Tin Pan Alley (Montreux) part 2

Source: Wikipedia

Cray started playing guitar in his early teens. At Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia, his love of blues and soul music flourished as he started collecting records. Originally, he wanted to become an architect, but around the same time he began to study architectural design, he formed a local band "Steakface", described as "the best band from Lakewood you never heard of". Cray’s guitar and vocals contributed greatly to Steakface’s set list of songs by Jimi Hendrix, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Fleetwood Mac, The Grease Band, Blodwyn Pig, Jethro Tull, Spirit and The Faces.

By the age of twenty, Cray had seen his heroes Albert Collins, Freddie King and Muddy Waters in concert and decided to form his own band; they began playing college towns on the West Coast. Cray and his long-time bassist Richard Cousins had met in 1974.^[1] They soon joined up with Collins as his backing unit, before branching out on their own.^[3] In the 1978 film, National Lampoon’s Animal House, Cray was the uncredited bassist in the house party band, Otis Day and the Knights.^[4] With keyboardist Peter Boes and drummer David Olson, they launched the Robert Cray Band in 1980 with Who’s Been Talkin’.^[1] It was recorded during constant touring in the U.S. in 1978.^[4] The record was initially shelved for two years, being eventually issued by the short-lived Tomato label (whose licence was picked up by Atlantic (U.S.) and Charly in the UK.^[4]

After several years of regional success, Cray was signed to Mercury in 1982. It was the connection with the producing and songwriting team of Bruce Bromberg and Dennis Walker at Hightone that helped to create the mould breaking music of Bad Influence (1983) and False Accusations (1985).^[5] In 1984, The Robert Cray Band completed their first European tour to critical acclaim.^[4] Cray’s participation with Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland on Showdown! (1985, Alligator) and his own 1986 album release, Strong Persuader, again produced by Walker, both received a Grammy Awards,^[2] while the crossover single "Smoking Gun" gave him wider appeal and name recognition.^[5] During 1986 Cray played 170 concerts, including his seventh European tour since 1984, building on his increasing reputation in the UK.^[4]

Cray then appeared in the Chuck Berry bio-pic, Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, in 1986.^[1] One month later Cray won six W.C. Handy Awards at America‘s seventh National Blues ceremony.^[4] April 1987 saw Strong Persuader reach #13 in the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first blues album to reach the U.S. Top 20 since 1972.^[4] The album went on to sell over one million copies.^[4] By now, Cray was an opening act for such major stars as Eric Clapton (who remains a friend to this day), and sold out larger venues as a solo artist.^[5] Cray appeared alongside John Lee Hooker on his album Boom Boom, playing the guitar solo in the song "Same Old Blues Again". He was also featured on the 1989 Hooker album, The Healer; he played a guitar solo on the song "Baby Lee".

Sales ticked over for Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1988), Midnight Stroll (1990), I Was Warned (1992) and Shame + A Sin (1993), dwindling only with 1995′s Some Rainy Morning.^[1] Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark was recorded in Los Angeles, California, and featured David Sanborn on guest saxophone.^[4] The title song from the album won Cray his third Grammy,^[2] and he guested on Clapton’s Journeyman, whilst also being on the bill at Clapton’s eighteen show marathon at the Royal Albert Hall in London.^[4] In 1991 Cray was slected to present Howlin’ Wolf‘s induction trophy to Wolf’s widow, Lilly Burnett, at the sixth annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Awards.^[4] Later that year Cray took part in the Newport Jazz Festival with B. B. King and John Lee Hooker.^[4]

Cray was invited to play at the ‘Guitar Legends’ concerts in Seville, Spain at the 1992 Expo, where he played a signature track, "Phone Booth". Albert Collins was also on the bill on the evening of these ‘Legends’ gigs. Cray later joined Boz Scaggs, Johnny Rivers and The Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Memphis Horns in Memphis, Tennessee.^[4]

Cray signalled a new direction in 1997, with his soul album, Sweet Potato Pie.^[5] After switching to Rykodisc in the late 1990s Cray released Take Your Shoes Off in 1999, and Shoulda Been Home in 2001.^[3] Take Your Shoes Off was another Grammy winner as Best Contemporary Blues Album.^[2] A Grammy was also awarded in 1997 to Cray for the Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "SRV Shuffle".

Cray continues to record and tour. He appeared at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, and supported ‘Slowhand’ on his 2006-2007 world tour. In Fargo, North Dakota, he joined Clapton for the Robert Johnson song that Cream once recorded, "Crossroads". At Expo 2008 Cray appeared along with Bob Dylan in Zaragoza, Spain.
Source: Wikipedia

Robert Cray: The One In The Middle

Eric Clapton background source: Wikipedia

Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945) is an English blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Yardbirds, of Cream, and as a solo performer, being the only person to be inducted three times. Often viewed by critics and fans alike as one of the greatest guitarists of all time,^[2] Clapton was ranked fourth in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time“^[3] and #53 on their list of the Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.^[4]

Although Clapton has varied his musical style throughout his career, it has always remained grounded in the blues. Yet, in spite of this focus, he is credited as an innovator in a wide variety of genres. These include blues-rock (with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and the Yardbirds) and psychedelic rock (with Cream). Additionally, Clapton’s chart success was not limited to the blues, with chart-toppers in Delta Blues (Me and Mr. Johnson), pop (“Change the World“) and reggae (Bob Marley‘s “I Shot the Sheriff“). One of his most successful recordings was the hit love song “Layla,” which he played with the band Derek and the Dominos, and Robert Johnson‘s “Crossroads“, which has been his staple song since his days with Cream.
Eric Clapton background source: Wikipedia