Born on this day ...

[James Otto Sweet Heart]

Happy 47th birthday to Brad Paisley today!

God bless you and him always!!!

Holly (a day one fan of Brad)

[CRAZY-HORSE]

DENNY LAINE 

AGED 74

Resume: 

Lead vocals with the original Moody Blues, singing vocals on one of my favourite tracks from the 1960s in Go Now.
left the band after number of chart failures.

eventually found his was to Ginger Baker's Air Force as  a guitarist in 1970 but left a year later.

Laine then joined Paul McCartney's newly formed Wings and was the only continual member (other than Paul and Linda) until the band disbanded in 1980 and its been written
on numerous occasions, even in an authorised Macca biography that Laine had had enough of Paul and Linda's drug busts, Paul's incarceration in Japan was the last straw.
although he didn't co-write Mull Of Kintyre, McCartney gave him a writing credit as several investments had sent him broke, that single became the first 'two million seller' in
UK chart history, he was set for life after that one.
that said, it didn't help when Macca was only paying him 'session-man' rates during his tenure.


he then released a few solo albums in the 1980s and 90s but sales tanked.
had the odd gig playing guitar on several of McCartney's solo albums over the years.

my Favourite, Go Now, heres the live version from the 75-76 Wings World Tour:

[Ruby]

Peter Himmelman was born on this day in 1959, in Minnesota, USA. He is a very busy boy – a singer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, he has been involved in the biz from around 16 years of age, releasing 13 solo albums during the course of his career and around 5 with his erstwhile bands. In addition, he has made a few children’s albums as well as writing and producing songs for Spinoza Bear, a therapeutic soft toy used to help reduce the stress and anxiety of children who’d been hospitalized for any number of reasons. He provided the Bear’s voice too. 

He is a consummate live performer and is noted generally for his inventiveness and imagination – in addition to ongoing performances and recording and composing (which he’s done for film and television), he also runs a company called Big Muse which uses music as a vehicle to help with team building and increasing innovative thinking in organizations. All this despite being Bob Dylan’s son-in-law which has apparently had absolutely no bearing on the way he chooses to live his life. 

Himmelman was raised in a non-observant Jewish home and one of the reasons he’s perhaps not better known is that he converted to Judaism in early adulthood, right at the start of his career, and among other things, refused to become a slave to the system or to compromise his newfound beliefs; no performing on the Sabbath, for example, and other personal rules and standards he’s consistently and uncompromisingly upheld. 

I stumbled over him when he had formed an outfit name Minnesota and released their one and only album, Are You There. Today, I listened to Synesthesia - I have also previously heard his Love Thinketh no Evil. 

“Time Just Flew” from the latter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9WftyXPUY4

From Minnesota’s one and only – “Ash and Chickenwire” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncIUJG2Qu4k

Three from Synesthesia because it’s still fresh in my ears – “245 Days” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9yWqqA77WA

“Speaking Mouth” …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmIoeuZomv0

“Dirty Reasons” - some fab guitar on these ... 

[Ruby]

Edgar Meyer was born on this day in 1960, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. He is a double bassist who is active in the fields of Bluegrass, Progressive Bluegrass, Classical, Jazz and World Music. I know of him through his associations with Yo-Yo Ma and Chris Thile who are worlds apart, one might reasonably be expected to think, except when it comes to Bluegrass for which Ma certainly appears to have a fascination and penchant. Meyer has contributed to several of  Béla Fleck’s albums, which speaks for itself (one in particular titled Music for Two, is a splendid banjo and double bass outing), and he has been awarded three Grammy Awards as a member of various ensembles – this piece which I love/love is from one of them – The Goat Rodeo Sessions from 2011 with Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan and Chris Thile … seriously, just listen to these guys – amazing IMHO … (instrumental) … 

“Less is Moi” …

[CRAZY-HORSE]

PAUL STANLEY
aged 68.
rhythm guitar/lead vocals/principal writer for glam rock band KISS.
his mother fled Nazi Germany and made her way to America.
Stanley was born with Microtia, an ear deformation than makes it difficult to hear direction of sound.
one of the most flamboyant and enigmatic leaders in rock history, in fact i'd put him in the same league as Freddie Mercury.
has a five octave vocal range (or did have in his prime) and played the lead in the Canadian stage production of Phantom Of The Opera
back in the 1980s.
KISS are currently on their "end of the road" world tour that started in January of 2019 and will conclude in July 2021 in NYC.

his Wiki:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Stanley

[Ruby]

Born on this day in 1932, in Floral Park, New York, composer, conductor and pianist John Towner Williams. 

I think it's safe to say that he's best known for his many film scores, the list of which is exhaustive and goes right back to 1958. Numbered among them are Jaws, Star Wars (none of which I've ever watched - possibly the only person on earth not to have, lol!), Goodbye Mr Chips, Superman, Indiana Jones, JFK, Memoirs of Geisha and my personal favourites, Seven Years in Tibet and Schindler's List. A hard worker, Mr Williams - no sitting around on his many laurels! 

From Wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Williams "Williams has won 25 Grammy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. With 52 Academy Award nominations, he is the second most-nominated individual, after Walt Disney. In 2005 the American Film Institute selected Williams's score to 1977's Star Wars as the greatest American film score of all time. The Library of Congress also entered the Star Wars soundtrack into the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"" 

The gorgeousness that is the cello of Yo-Yo Ma ... 

[Ruby]

Happy Birthday to guitarist Jim Cregan who was born on this day in 1946, in Yeovil, Somerset, England. He has had a long and illustrious career as a songwriter, performer and producer for many musos. He had a significant hand in Rod Stewart’s successes co-writing some of his best known and loved hits, and he is still going strong - nowadays with Cregan & Co. 

From their website - https://www.creganandco.com/ 
"Best known for his work with Rod Stewart, Jim co-produced, co-wrote and was Rod's musical director for nearly 2 decades.
His songs have also been recorded by Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, Kid Rock, Russel Watson amongst many others, and he has played on stage with guitarists Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa, Pete Townsend and Chuck Berry. Oh yes and Tina Turner, Elton John, Cat Stevens and Katie Melua to name a few!. 
He has received over 40 gold & platinum records to date, and his guitar solo on Cockney Rebel's "Come Up And See Me (Make Me Smile)" still sounds alright!"
 
With Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – (how Harley chews gum and still sings is beyond me, but anyway … he does!) -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptFegqTOYYc
 
This one because he’s not only played with Mike Batt but with Family and Roger Chapman too, and because I like it … "Run Like the Wind" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65AOrcZn4Ik
 
Katie’s “On the Road Again” … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U51YqVE77Q8
 
And here with Rod …

[Ruby]

Jan Schelhaas was born on this day in 1948, in Liverpool, England. He is a pianist / keyboardist / composer / singer.

He recorded and toured with Caravan (a band I’ve never really got into for some reason) and then was asked to tour with Camel for Breathless after which he contributed to Nude and I Can See Your House From Here with writing and playing credits on both - “Captured” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNv7xnwFoq8 and “Hymn to Her” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j61SKoubqXc - from each of the aforementioned, respectively. He later returned to Caravan and has been with them on and off – I think he’s on at the moment – he’s on when Dave Sinclair is off, lol! He has also recorded three solo albums, none of which I have heard .... yet ... have to be brief - load shedding is about to start ...    

His keys on my favourite track from Nude – “Drafted” …  

[Ruby]

Danny Kortchmar was born on this day in in 1946, in New York City. No idea how I have overlooked him in this thread – he appears on many time-honoured classic albums of a certain era, several of which are personal favourites; Carole King’s Tapestry, Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty, CSN’s Daylight Again, Graham Nash’s Earth and Sky, he’s played with Don Henley, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Mark Cohn, Stephen Stills, he’s had his songs recorded by Harry Nilsson, the Eagles and more – he’s a writer, arranger, producer (Neil Young, Jon Bon Jovi, Stevie Nicks, Billy Joel, Tracy Chapman to name a few), session muso, singer and guitarist and is sometimes credited as Kootch. He’s also released two less than memorable solo albums, I’m sorry to say - if the one I sampled is anything to go by! In this instance the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. 

He is most recently one of a group called The Immediate Family which aside from himself comprises, Waddy Wachtel, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Steve Postell – they play covers of songs they’ve written, lol! And there’s a good chance that between the lot of them, there are very few artists in the singer/songwriter category with whom they haven’t had an association over the past almost 60 years. They look positively wizardly, and they are!  

Here they are doing one that was written for James Taylor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moszhkapae4 – there is a dearth of decent clips.

And this one was written by Danny Kortchmar and includes his harmony vocals, after which I’ll be listening to the whole album (he, Lindley and Mr Browne are the guitarists throughout) … 

[James Otto Sweet Heart]

I pray that country legend Hal Ketchum is having himself a safe and awesome 67th birthday.

God bless you and him always!!!

Holly (a fan of him since the release of "Small Town Saturday Night")