1915 Pops Staples*
1949 Albert
Ammons+
1962 Mercy
Dee Walton+
1965 Bob
Malone*
1968 Guy
Forsyth*
1986 Tal
Wilkenfeld*
1994 Ina Forsman*
2004 Kevin Coyne+
2008 Odetta
Holmes+
Happy Birthday
Bob Malone *02.12.1965
Bob Malone (born Robert Maurice Meloon on December 2, 1965) is a Los Angeles-based keyboardist, singer-songwriter, composer and arranger. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has lived in New York City, New Orleans and Boston. Bob got a degree in piano performance at Berklee College of Music in 1987 and has made his living as a musician since the age of 18.
Bob has toured extensively as a solo artist since the early 90s, playing an average of 100 shows a year in the US, Europe, Australia and Asia. He has recorded seven CDs since his 1995 debut disc “The Darkest Part Of The Night. His latest release, “Ain’t What You Know,” was produced by Bob Demarco and features Leland Sklar, Mike Baird, Lee Thornburg, Chris Trujillo and Marty Rifkin. Malone’s CDs have earned Top-20 spots on the Living Blues, Roots Music Report and Earshot radio charts, and are played on stations worldwide, including Sirius XM Radio, B.B. King's Bluesville, and NPR favorites Car Talk, Acoustic Café, and WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour. His catalogue is distributed by Burnside Distribution Corporation.
Bob’s music is heard regularly on Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight and The Rachel Ray Show, and he has been a twice featured performer on The Price Is Right.
Bob has also toured and recorded as keyboardist with John Fogerty since 2011. He is the keyboardist on the 2013 John Fogerty album Wrote a Song for Everyone – playing on “Mystic Highway,” a revamped “Lodi,” and John’s duets with Bob Seger, Miranda Lambert, and Keith Urban. Bob’s TV appearances with John Fogerty include The Late Show With David Letterman and The View.
Bob Malone is endorsed by Hammond Organ USA and Fishman Acoustic Transducers.
Bob Malone is married to musician Karen Nash.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Malone
OB MALONE has toured the world as a solo artist for two decades and has played keyboards with rock legend John Fogerty since 2011. Classically trained, with a degree in jazz and a lifetime playing rock & roll clubs, theatres, and arenas, Bob’s sound is a one-of-a-kind hybrid of rock, blues, and New Orleans R&B, delivered with high-energy piano virtuosity and a voice all his own.
Born and raised in New Jersey, he has lived in New York City, New Orleans and Boston, and is currently based in Los Angeles. As a solo artist, Bob plays around 100 shows a year in the US, UK, Europe and Australia – including sets at Glastonbury Music Festival (UK), Colne Blues Festival (UK), Long Beach Bayou Fest (US), Falcon Ridge Folk Fest (US), Blue Mountains Music Fest (AU), and Narooma Blues Fest (AU). He has been featured twice at WWOZ Piano Night in New Orleans, and has opened for Boz Scaggs, Subdudes, The Neville Brothers, Rev. Al Green, BoDeans, Dr. John, Marcia Ball and many others. As a member of John Fogerty’s band, he has played with Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, and Alan Toussaint.
Malone’s 2015 album, Mojo Deluxe, has received a long list of rave reviews, spent months on the Living Blues, Relix/Jambands.com, Roots Music Report and Americana Music Association (AMA) radio charts in the US, and reached #1 on the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association (IBBA) chart in the UK. Videos from Bob’s upcoming Mojo Live DVD have recently been premiered by Relix Magazine and Alternative Root Magazine.
Bob’s music is heard regularly on Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight and The Rachel Ray Show, and he has appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman and The View with John Fogerty.
Kurzweil Music Systems chose Bob to make the demo videos for their new Forte digital piano, and he is endorsed by QSC Audio, Hammond Organ and Fishman Acoustic Transducers.
“Pulsating, roaring keyboard work that grabs you and shakes you until you cry for mercy.” Keyboard Magazine
“With Malone’s latest offering, he has found his mojo delivering a superbly produced blues rock album packed with funk and oozing with soul.” National Rock Review
“If he could find a way to throw that Steinway grand over his shoulder the way a hot dog guitar player does, I think he would.” NOLA Defender
“[Malone] showed that while he is a fantastically technically accomplished player, he fully knows the meaning of showmanship as well. A true virtuoso and crowd-pleaser.” Shetland News
“A keyboard wizard.”- The New Yorker
Born and raised in New Jersey, he has lived in New York City, New Orleans and Boston, and is currently based in Los Angeles. As a solo artist, Bob plays around 100 shows a year in the US, UK, Europe and Australia – including sets at Glastonbury Music Festival (UK), Colne Blues Festival (UK), Long Beach Bayou Fest (US), Falcon Ridge Folk Fest (US), Blue Mountains Music Fest (AU), and Narooma Blues Fest (AU). He has been featured twice at WWOZ Piano Night in New Orleans, and has opened for Boz Scaggs, Subdudes, The Neville Brothers, Rev. Al Green, BoDeans, Dr. John, Marcia Ball and many others. As a member of John Fogerty’s band, he has played with Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, and Alan Toussaint.
Malone’s 2015 album, Mojo Deluxe, has received a long list of rave reviews, spent months on the Living Blues, Relix/Jambands.com, Roots Music Report and Americana Music Association (AMA) radio charts in the US, and reached #1 on the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association (IBBA) chart in the UK. Videos from Bob’s upcoming Mojo Live DVD have recently been premiered by Relix Magazine and Alternative Root Magazine.
Bob’s music is heard regularly on Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight and The Rachel Ray Show, and he has appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman and The View with John Fogerty.
Kurzweil Music Systems chose Bob to make the demo videos for their new Forte digital piano, and he is endorsed by QSC Audio, Hammond Organ and Fishman Acoustic Transducers.
“Pulsating, roaring keyboard work that grabs you and shakes you until you cry for mercy.” Keyboard Magazine
“With Malone’s latest offering, he has found his mojo delivering a superbly produced blues rock album packed with funk and oozing with soul.” National Rock Review
“If he could find a way to throw that Steinway grand over his shoulder the way a hot dog guitar player does, I think he would.” NOLA Defender
“[Malone] showed that while he is a fantastically technically accomplished player, he fully knows the meaning of showmanship as well. A true virtuoso and crowd-pleaser.” Shetland News
“A keyboard wizard.”- The New Yorker
Pops Staples *02.12.1915
Pops Staples (eigentlich Roebuck Staples; * 2. Dezember 1915 in Winona, Mississippi; † 19. Dezember 2000 in Chicago, Illinois) war ein US-amerikanischer Gospel- und R&B-Musiker. Er war Gründer, Leiter und Mitglied der Gesangsgruppe The Staple Singers, der auch sein Sohn Pervis und seine Töchter Mavis, Yvonne und Cleotha angehörten. Er spielte Gitarre, sang und komponierte.
Staples, geboren im US-Bundesstaat Mississippi, war ein enger Freund von Charley Patton. Er musizierte u. a. mit Bluesgrößen wie Robert Johnson, Son House und Robert Lockwood Jr. Der versierte Blues-Gitarrist wandte sich in den 1930er Jahren verstärkt der kirchlichen Musik zu und wurde 1937 Mitglied der Gospelgruppe The Golden Trumpets.
1941 zog Staples nach Chicago, wo er sich den Trumpet Jubilees anschloss. Mit seinen Töchtern Mavis und Cleotha sowie seinem Sohn Pervis trat er regelmäßig bei Gottesdiensten auf. Schließlich gaben sie unter dem Namen The Staple Singers auch Bühnenkonzerte.
Ursprünglich eine Gospelgruppe, hatten die Staple Singers Ende der 1960er ihre ersten kommerziellen Erfolge mit Soul-Stücken. Anfang der 1970er hatten sie mit dem Funk-Titel I'll Take You There einen Hit. Ihre vielleicht bekannteste Nummer war Let's Do It Again.
1992 veröffentlichte Staples das Soloalbum Peace to the Neighborhood, mit dem er zu seinen Blues- und Gospelwurzeln zurückkehrte. Mit dem Album Father Father von 1994 gewann er einen Grammy für das beste zeitgenössische Bluesalbum. Staples spielte auch in einigen Filmen mit, darunter 1998 in Wag the Dog.
Pops Staples starb im Dezember 2000 im Alter von 85 Jahren. Die Aufnahmen zu einem Abschiedsalbum der Staple Singers, das aufgrund seines Todes zunächst nicht fertiggestellt werden konnte, wurden 2014 auf Initiative seiner jüngsten Tochter Mavis mithilfe des Produzenten Jeff Tweedy vollendet und erschienen unter dem Titel Don't Lose This auf CD und LP.
Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000) was an American gospel and R&B musician.
A "pivotal figure in gospel in the 1960s and 70s,"[1] he was an accomplished songwriter, guitarist and singer. He was the patriarch and member of singing group The Staple Singers, which included his son Pervis and daughters Mavis, Yvonne, and Cleotha.
Life and career
Roebuck Staples was born on a cotton plantation near Winona, Mississippi, the youngest of 14 children. When growing up he heard, and began to play with, local blues guitarists such as Charlie Patton (who lived on the nearby Dockery Plantation), Robert Johnson, and Son House.[1][2] He dropped out of school after the eighth grade, then sang with a gospel group before marrying and moving to Chicago in 1935.[3]
There he sang with the Trumpet Jubilees while working in the stockyards, in construction work, and later in a steel mill. In 1948 Roebuck and his wife Oceola Staples formed The Staple Singers to sing as a gospel group in local churches, with their children. The Staple Singers first recorded in the early 1950s for United and then the larger Vee-Jay Records, with songs including 1955's "This May Be the Last Time" (later covered by The Rolling Stones as "The Last Time") and "Uncloudy Day".[1]
In the 1960s the Staple Singers moved to Riverside Records and later Stax Records, and began recording protest, inspirational and contemporary music, reflecting the civil rights and anti-war movements of the time. They gained a large new audience with "Respect Yourself" (which featured Pops, nearly 57 at the time, on lead on the long version for more than two minutes), the 1972 US # 1 hit "I'll Take You There", "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)", and other hits. "Let's Do It Again" topped the Hot 100 on 27 December 1975, the day before his 61st birthday. Pops Staples also recorded a blues album, Jammed Together, with fellow guitarists Albert King and Steve Cropper.[1]
In 1976, Staples also appeared in the movie documenting The Band's final concert, The Last Waltz (released in 1978). Pops Staples shared vocals with his daughters and with Levon Helm and Rick Danko on "The Weight." The group appeared in the concert on stage, but their later performance shot on a soundstage was used in the final film. It is considered by some fans as the definitive version of the song.
After Mavis left for a solo career in the 1980s, Pops Staples began a solo career, appearing at international "blues" festivals (though steadfastly refusing to sing the blues),[1] and tried his hand at acting. His 1992 album Peace to the Neighborhood won a Grammy nomination, and in 1995 he won a Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy for Father, Father.
In 1986, Roebuck played the role of Mr. Tucker, a voodoo witch doctor, in the Talking Heads film True Stories, during which he performed "Papa Legba". He appeared as himself in the 1997 Barry Levinson film Wag the Dog, singing "Good Old Shoe" with Willie Nelson.[4]
In 1998 he received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 1999 the Staple Singers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He died after suffering a concussion in a fall at his home, just nine days short of his 86th birthday. After his death, his daughters Yvonne and Mavis gave one of his guitars to country and gospel musician Marty Stuart.[5]
Influence
Musicians as diverse as Cannonball Adderley, with his live album Why Am I Treated So Bad! (1967), Ry Cooder, Sandy Bull, and Bonnie Raitt[1] have expressed their respect for Staples.
A "pivotal figure in gospel in the 1960s and 70s,"[1] he was an accomplished songwriter, guitarist and singer. He was the patriarch and member of singing group The Staple Singers, which included his son Pervis and daughters Mavis, Yvonne, and Cleotha.
Life and career
Roebuck Staples was born on a cotton plantation near Winona, Mississippi, the youngest of 14 children. When growing up he heard, and began to play with, local blues guitarists such as Charlie Patton (who lived on the nearby Dockery Plantation), Robert Johnson, and Son House.[1][2] He dropped out of school after the eighth grade, then sang with a gospel group before marrying and moving to Chicago in 1935.[3]
There he sang with the Trumpet Jubilees while working in the stockyards, in construction work, and later in a steel mill. In 1948 Roebuck and his wife Oceola Staples formed The Staple Singers to sing as a gospel group in local churches, with their children. The Staple Singers first recorded in the early 1950s for United and then the larger Vee-Jay Records, with songs including 1955's "This May Be the Last Time" (later covered by The Rolling Stones as "The Last Time") and "Uncloudy Day".[1]
In the 1960s the Staple Singers moved to Riverside Records and later Stax Records, and began recording protest, inspirational and contemporary music, reflecting the civil rights and anti-war movements of the time. They gained a large new audience with "Respect Yourself" (which featured Pops, nearly 57 at the time, on lead on the long version for more than two minutes), the 1972 US # 1 hit "I'll Take You There", "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)", and other hits. "Let's Do It Again" topped the Hot 100 on 27 December 1975, the day before his 61st birthday. Pops Staples also recorded a blues album, Jammed Together, with fellow guitarists Albert King and Steve Cropper.[1]
In 1976, Staples also appeared in the movie documenting The Band's final concert, The Last Waltz (released in 1978). Pops Staples shared vocals with his daughters and with Levon Helm and Rick Danko on "The Weight." The group appeared in the concert on stage, but their later performance shot on a soundstage was used in the final film. It is considered by some fans as the definitive version of the song.
After Mavis left for a solo career in the 1980s, Pops Staples began a solo career, appearing at international "blues" festivals (though steadfastly refusing to sing the blues),[1] and tried his hand at acting. His 1992 album Peace to the Neighborhood won a Grammy nomination, and in 1995 he won a Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy for Father, Father.
In 1986, Roebuck played the role of Mr. Tucker, a voodoo witch doctor, in the Talking Heads film True Stories, during which he performed "Papa Legba". He appeared as himself in the 1997 Barry Levinson film Wag the Dog, singing "Good Old Shoe" with Willie Nelson.[4]
In 1998 he received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 1999 the Staple Singers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He died after suffering a concussion in a fall at his home, just nine days short of his 86th birthday. After his death, his daughters Yvonne and Mavis gave one of his guitars to country and gospel musician Marty Stuart.[5]
Influence
Musicians as diverse as Cannonball Adderley, with his live album Why Am I Treated So Bad! (1967), Ry Cooder, Sandy Bull, and Bonnie Raitt[1] have expressed their respect for Staples.
Pops Staples - Glory Glory
Ina Forsman *02.12.1994
https://www.facebook.com/InaForsman
http://www.inaforsman.com/index.html
Sie ist jung mit ihren 19 Jahren und hat eine atemberaubende Stimme: Die Finnin Ina Forsman kommt mit ihrer Band am Samstag, 7. März, um 19 Uhr in das Kreiskulturzentrum in Rommerskirchen-Sinsteden. Das Konzert ist Teil der Veranstaltungsreihe "Women of the Blues".
Ina Forsman begeisterte im Finale der finnischen TV Musiktalent-Show "Idols” vor drei Jahren mit einer sehr guten Interpretation von Etta James's "All I could do is cry". Seitdem erobert die junge Finnin die europäische Bluesszene. So erreichte sie nach einem Sieg beim Finnish Blues Challenge 2013 ein Jahr später einen beachtlichen vierten Platz beim European Blues Challenge in Riga/Lettland. Im Rahmen ihrer Europatour 2015 macht Ina Forsman nun in Rommerskirchen-Sinsteden Station. Begleitet wird sie von ihrer Band mit Steven Troch (Bluesharp), René Stock (Bass), Erik ‘King Berik’ Heirman (Schlagzeug) sowie Richard van Bergen (E-Gitarre).
Ina Forsman begeisterte im Finale der finnischen TV Musiktalent-Show "Idols” vor drei Jahren mit einer sehr guten Interpretation von Etta James's "All I could do is cry". Seitdem erobert die junge Finnin die europäische Bluesszene. So erreichte sie nach einem Sieg beim Finnish Blues Challenge 2013 ein Jahr später einen beachtlichen vierten Platz beim European Blues Challenge in Riga/Lettland. Im Rahmen ihrer Europatour 2015 macht Ina Forsman nun in Rommerskirchen-Sinsteden Station. Begleitet wird sie von ihrer Band mit Steven Troch (Bluesharp), René Stock (Bass), Erik ‘King Berik’ Heirman (Schlagzeug) sowie Richard van Bergen (E-Gitarre).
Only 19 years old blues singer Ina Forsman is the rising star of the Finnish blues scene. When Ina was only 6 years old, she decided that she wants to become a singer. With determination & hard work she already toured at the age of 17. And after a mindblowing interpretation of Etta James`s song `All I could do is cry’ during the final of the TV show “Idols” at age 17. On that day everyone realized that a new blues star was born. After that, Finnish Blues harmonica legend Helge Tallqvist took her on the road for an education in the blues. Her blues journey was begun …
In 2014 Ina Forsman represented Finland at the European Blues Challenge in Riga this year. Her exceptional voice & her energetic stage performance touched the soul of Guy Verlinde. So both musicians decided to collaborate to tour the European mainland.
http://www.guyverlinde.com/ina-forsman.htmlIn 2014 Ina Forsman represented Finland at the European Blues Challenge in Riga this year. Her exceptional voice & her energetic stage performance touched the soul of Guy Verlinde. So both musicians decided to collaborate to tour the European mainland.
The Same Thing - Guy Verlinde & Ina Forsman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRZSN4ctFxk
R.I.P.
Albert Ammons +02.12.1949
Albert Ammons (* 23. September 1907 in Chicago, Illinois; † 2. Dezember 1949 ebenda) war ein US-amerikanischer Pianist, der hauptsächlich durch seine Boogie-Woogie-Interpretationen und Kompositionen bekannt wurde.
Leben und Wirken
Ammons, der Sohn eines Pianistenehepaars, lernte bereits mit zehn Jahren Klavier. Sein Interesse für Blues wurde durch Aufnahmen von Hersal Thomas und Jimmy Yancey geweckt. Ursprünglich Taxifahrer, gründete Ammons nach ersten musikalischen Erfahrungen 1929 bei François Moseley, Anfang der 1930er Jahre in Chicagoer Clubs. 1934 hatte er seine eigene Band, die Rhythm Kings, mit denen er 1936 erste Aufnahmen für das Label Decca vorlegte, an denen der Trompeter Guy Kelly und der Bassist Israel Crosby mitwirkten. Ihre Coverversion des Swanee River Boogie verkaufte sich über eine Million Mal. Aufnahmen entstanden für Decca auch mit dem Sänger Sam Theard als Oscar's Chicago Swingers.
Trotz dieses Erfolges verließ er Chicago und ging nach New York. 1938 trat er zusammen mit den Pianisten Meade Lux Lewis (mit dem er seit seiner Taxifahrerzeit eng befreundet war) und Pete Johnson in der New Yorker Carnegie Hall bei John Hammonds berühmtem Spirituals to Swing-Konzert auf. Regelmäßige Auftritte hatte er im New Yorker Cafe Society. Ammons war am damaligen Boogie-Woogie-Fieber beteiligt, das die drei (Ammons, Johnson, Lewis) zu den bekanntesten Pianisten ihrer Zeit machte.
In den 1940er Jahren lebte er zeitweise in New York, wo er unter anderem mit Benny Goodman und Harry James auftrat, 1949 nahm Ammons mit der Band von Lionel Hampton auf und spielte bei der Amtseinführung von Präsident Harry S. Truman. Mit Israel Crosby entstanden noch letzte Aufnahmen für Mercury Records.
Zusammen mit Meade „Lux“ Lewis gebührt ihm das Verdienst, Musiker der ersten, 1939 entstandenen Schallplatten des jungen Jazzlabels Blue Note Records zu sein. Viele Boogie-Pianisten bezeichnen ihn als ihren größten Einfluss (z. B. Dave Alexander, Dr. John, Hadda Brooks, Johnnie Johnson, Ray Bryant, Erroll Garner, Frank Muschalle, Katie Webster, Axel Zwingenberger). Der deutsche Boogiepianist Jörg Hegemann veröffentlichte 2007, anlässlich des 100. Geburtstags von Ammons das Album A Tribute To Albert Ammons.
Albert Ammons ist der Vater des Tenorsaxophonisten Gene Ammons und Großvater der Sängerin Lila Ammons.
Albert Ammons (September 23, 1907 – December 2, 1949)[1] was an American pianist and player of boogie-woogie, a bluesy jazz style popular from the late 1930s into the mid-1940s.
Life and career
Born Albert C. Ammons in Chicago, Illinois, his parents were pianists, and he had learned to play by the age of ten. His interest in boogie-woogie is attributed to his close friendship with Meade Lux Lewis and also his father's interest in the style. Both Albert and Meade would practice together on the piano in the Ammons household. From the age of ten, Ammons learned about chords by marking the depressed keys on the family pianola (player piano) with a pencil and repeated the process until he had mastered it. [2] He also played percussion in the drum and bugle corps as a teenager and was soon performing with bands on the Chicago club scene. After World War I he became interested in the blues, learning by listening to Chicago pianists Hersal Thomas and the brothers Alonzo and Jimmy Yancey.[3]
In the early to mid-1920s Ammons worked as a cab driver for the Silver Taxicab Company. In 1924 he met back up with boyhood friend and fellow taxi driver Meade Lux Lewis. Soon the two players began working as a team, performing at club parties. Ammons started his own band at the Club DeLisa in 1934 and remained at the club for the next two years.[4] During that time he played with a five piece unit that included Guy Kelly, Dalbert Bright, Jimmy Hoskins, and Israel Crosby. Ammons also recorded as Albert Ammons's Rhythm Kings for Decca Records in 1936. The Rhythm Kings' version of "Swanee River Boogie" sold a million copies.
Ammons moved from Chicago to New York, where he teamed up with another pianist, Pete Johnson.[4] The two performed regularly at the Café Society,[4] occasionally joined by Lewis, and performed with other jazz musicians such as Benny Goodman and Harry James.
In 1938 Ammons appeared at Carnegie Hall with Johnson and Lewis at From Spirituals to Swing, an event that helped launch the boogie-woogie craze.[4] Two weeks later, record producer Alfred Lion, who had attended John H. Hammond's From Spirituals to Swing concert on December 23, 1938, which had introduced Ammons and Lewis, started Blue Note Records, recording nine Ammons solos including "The Blues" and "Boogie Woogie Stomp", eight by Lewis and a pair of duets in a one-day session in a rented studio.[5]
In 1941, Ammons' boogie music was accompanied by drawn-on-film animation in the short film Boogie-Doodle by Norman McLaren.[6] Ammons played himself in the movie Boogie-Woogie Dream (1944), with Lena Horne and Johnson.[7] As a sideman with Sippie Wallace in the 1940s Ammons recorded a session with his son, the tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons.[4] Although the boogie-woogie fad began to die down in 1945, Ammons had no difficulty securing work. He continued to tour as a solo artist, and between 1946 and 1949 recorded his last sides for Mercury Records, with bassist Israel Crosby, and took on the position of staff pianist with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. In 1949 he played at President Harry S. Truman's inauguration.[8] During the last few years of his life Ammons played mainly in Chicago's Beehive Club and the Tailspin Club, and just four days before he died he had been at the Yancey apartment listening to Don Ewell and Jimmy Yancey play. Albert himself could only play one song, having just regained the use of his hands after a temporary paralysis. [9][10] Albert Ammons died on December 2, 1949, in Chicago[1] and was interred at the Lincoln Cemetery, at Kedzie Avenue in Blue Island, Worth Township, Cook County, Illinois.
Legacy
Ammons has had wide influence on countless pianists, such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Alexander, Dr. John, Hadda Brooks, Johnnie Johnson, Ray Bryant, Erroll Garner, Katie Webster, Axel Zwingenberger, Henri Herbert, and the German pianist Joerg Hegemann. The last honoured Ammons, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Ammons's birth in 2007, with his album A Tribute To Albert Ammons.
Odetta Holmes +02.12.2008
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Odetta Holmes (* 31. Dezember 1930 in Birmingham, Alabama; † 2. Dezember 2008 in New York City), besser bekannt unter ihrem Vornamen Odetta, war eine US-amerikanische Sängerin. Ihr Repertoire umfasste vor allem Folk, Blues und Spirituals. Odettas Lieder wurden von der US-amerikanischen Civil rights movement (Bürgerrechtsbewegung) sehr geschätzt.
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Odetta Holmes ist die Tochter von Reuben Holmes, der noch während ihrer Kindheit starb, und von Flora Sanders, mit der sie 1937 nach Los Angeles zog. Sie studierte klassische Musik am City College in Los Angeles und sammelte mit dem Musical Finian’s Rainbow erste Berufserfahrung bei einem Tourneetheater. Künstlerisch inspiriert wurde sie von den Bluessängern Mahalia Jackson und Leadbelly. Ihre Karriere als Folk-Sängerin begann in San Francisco, 1953 trat sie in einem Nachtclub in New York auf. Das erste Album nahm sie 1954 auf.Harry Belafonte lud sie 1959 in eine Fernsehshow ein. Mit dem humorvollen Lied There's a Hole in the Bucket platzierte sich das Duo Odetta und Belafonte im Jahre 1961 bis auf Platz 32 der britischen Hitparade. Ihr Album Odetta Sings Folk Songs war eines der bestverkauften des Jahres 1963. Beim Marsch auf Washington für Arbeit und Freiheit am 28. August 1963 trat sie mit ihrem Lied „I’m on My Way“ und dem Sklavenarbeiterlied „Oh Freedom“ auf.
In Deutschland sang sie erstmals 1968 beim Waldeck-Festival im Hunsrück. Sie beeinflusste etliche Folk/Rock-Künstler, darunter Bob Dylan, Joan Baez und Janis Joplin. Dylan bekannte sich in einem Interview im Jahr 1978, dass es Odetta war, die ihn zum Folkgesang führte.[1] Die Bürgerrechtlerin Rosa Parks nannte Odettas Lieder als die wichtigsten Songs, die sie kannte.[1]
In mehreren Filmen wie in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman oder Geständnis einer Sünderin wirkte auch Odetta als Schauspielerin mit.
Odetta sollte bei der Vereidigung des neu gewählten amerikanischen Präsidenten Barack Obama am 20. Januar 2009 auftreten.[2]
Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a civil and human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement".[4] Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals. An important figure in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, she was influential to many of the key figures of the folk-revival of that time, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Mavis Staples, and Janis Joplin. Time included her song "Take This Hammer" on its list of the All-Time 100 Songs, stating that "Rosa Parks was her No. 1 fan, and Martin Luther King Jr. called her the queen of American folk music."[5]
Biography
Early life and career
Odetta was born in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in Los Angeles, California, attended Belmont High School, and studied music at Los Angeles City College while employed as a domestic worker. She had operatic training from the age of 13. Her mother hoped she would follow Marian Anderson, but Odetta doubted a large black girl would ever perform at the Metropolitan Opera.[6] Her first professional experience was in musical theater in 1944, as an ensemble member for four years with the Hollywood Turnabout Puppet Theatre, working alongside Elsa Lanchester; she later joined the national touring company of the musical Finian's Rainbow in 1949.
While on tour with Finian's Rainbow, Odetta "fell in with an enthusiastic group of young balladeers in San Francisco", and after 1950 concentrated on folksinging.[7]
She made her name by playing around the United States: at the Blue Angel nightclub (New York City), the hungry i (San Francisco), and Tin Angel (San Francisco), where she and Larry Mohr recorded Odetta and Larry in 1954, for Fantasy Records.
A solo career followed, with Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues (1956) and At the Gate of Horn (1957). Odetta Sings Folk Songs was one of 1963's best-selling folk albums.
In 1959 she appeared on Tonight With Belafonte, a nationally televised special. Odetta sang Water Boy and a duet with Belafonte, There's a Hole in My Bucket. [8]
In 1961, Martin Luther King, Jr. anointed her "The Queen of American folk music".[9] Also in 1961 the duo Harry Belafonte and Odetta made #32 in the UK Singles Chart with the song There's a Hole in the Bucket.[10] Many Americans remember her performance at the 1963 civil rights movement's March on Washington where she sang "O Freedom."[11] She considered her involvement in the Civil Rights movement as being "one of the privates in a very big army."[12]
Broadening her musical scope, Odetta used band arrangements on several albums rather than playing alone, and released music of a more "jazz" style music on albums like Odetta and the Blues (1962) and Odetta (1967). She gave a remarkable performance in 1968 at the Woody Guthrie memorial concert.
Odetta also acted in several films during this period, including Cinerama Holiday (1955), the film of William Faulkner's Sanctuary (1961) and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974).
Her marriages to Dan Gordon and Gary Shead ended in divorce. Singer-guitarist Louisiana Red was a former companion.[6]
Later career
In May 1975 she appeared on public television's Say Brother program, performing "Give Me Your Hand" in the studio, in addition to speaking about her spirituality, the music tradition from which she drew, and her involvement in civil rights struggles.[13]
In 1976, Odetta performed in the U.S. Bicentennial opera Be Glad Then, America by John La Montaine, as the Muse for America; with Donald Gramm, Richard Lewis and the Penn State University Choir and the Pittsburgh Symphony. The production was directed by Sarah Caldwell who was the director of the Opera Company of Boston at the time.
Odetta released two albums in the 20-year period from 1977 to 1997: Movin' It On, in 1987 and a new version of Christmas Spirituals, produced by Rachel Faro, in 1988.
Beginning in 1998, she began recording and touring. The new CD To Ella (recorded live and dedicated to her friend Ella Fitzgerald upon hearing of her death before walking on stage)[citation needed], was released in 1998 on Silverwolf Records, followed by three releases on M.C. Records in partnership with pianist/arranger/producer Seth Farber and record producer Mark Carpentieri. These included Blues Everywhere I Go, a 2000 Grammy-nominated blues/jazz band tribute album to the great lady blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s; Looking for a Home, a 2002 W.C. Handy Award-nominated band tribute to Lead Belly; and the 2007 Grammy-nominated Gonna Let It Shine, a live album of gospel and spiritual songs supported by Seth Farber and The Holmes Brothers. These recordings and active touring led to guest appearance on fourteen new albums by other artists between 1999 and 2006 and the re-release of 45 old Odetta albums and compilation appearances.
On September 29, 1999, President Bill Clinton presented Odetta with the National Endowment for the Arts' National Medal of Arts. In 2004, Odetta was honored at the Kennedy Center with the "Visionary Award" along with a tribute performance by Tracy Chapman. In 2005, the Library of Congress honored her with its "Living Legend Award".
In mid-September 2001, Odetta performed with the Boys' Choir of Harlem on the Late Show with David Letterman, appearing on the first show after Letterman resumed broadcasting, having been off the air for several nights following the events of September 11th; they performed "This Little Light of Mine".
The 2005 documentary film No Direction Home, directed by Martin Scorsese, highlights her musical influence on Bob Dylan, the subject of the documentary. The film contains an archive clip of Odetta performing "Waterboy" on TV in 1959, and we also hear Odetta's songs "Mule Skinner Blues" and "No More Auction Block for Me".
In 2006, Odetta opened shows for jazz vocalist Madeleine Peyroux, and in 2006 she toured the US, Canada, and Europe accompanied by her pianist, which included being presented by the US Embassy in Latvia as the keynote speaker at a Human Rights conference, and also in a concert in Riga's historic 1,000 year old Maza Guild Hall. In December 2006, the Winnipeg Folk Festival honored Odetta with their "Lifetime Achievement Award". In February 2007, the International Folk Alliance awarded Odetta as "Traditional Folk Artist of the Year".
On March 24, 2007, a tribute concert to Odetta was presented at the Rachel Schlesinger Theatre by the World Folk Music Association with live performance and video tributes by Pete Seeger, Madeleine Peyroux, Harry Belafonte, Janis Ian, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Josh White, Jr., (Josh White) Peter, Paul and Mary, Oscar Brand, Tom Rush, Jesse Winchester, Eric Andersen, Wavy Gravy, David Amram, Roger McGuinn, Robert Sims, Carolyn Hester, Donal Leace, Marie Knight, Side by Side, and Laura McGhee (from Scotland).[14]
In 2007, Odetta's album Gonna Let It Shine was nominated for a Grammy, and she completed a major Fall Concert Tour in the "Songs of Spirit" show, which included artists from all over the world. She toured around North America in late 2006 and early 2007 to support this CD.[15]
Final tour
On January 21, 2008, Odetta was the keynote speaker at San Diego's Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration, followed by concert performances in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, and Mill Valley, in addition to being the sole guest for the evening on PBS-TV's The Tavis Smiley Show.
Odetta was honored on May 8, 2008 at a historic tribute night,[16] hosted by Wavy Gravy, held at Banjo Jim's in the East Village.
In summer 2008, at the age of 77, she launched a North American tour, where she sang from a wheelchair.[17][18] Her set in recent years included "This Little Light of Mine (I'm Gonna Let It Shine)",[19] Lead Belly's "The Bourgeois Blues",[19][20][21] "(Something Inside) So Strong", "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" and "House of the Rising Sun".[18]
She made an appearance on June 30, 2008, at The Bitter End on Bleecker Street, New York City for a Liam Clancy tribute concert. Her last big concert, before thousands of people, was in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on October 4, 2008, for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.[22] She last performed at Hugh's Room in Toronto on October 25.[22]
Death
In November 2008, Odetta's health began to decline and she began receiving treatment at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. She had hoped to perform at Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009.[22][23]
On December 2, 2008, Odetta died from heart disease in New York City.[22][24][25]
At her memorial service in February 2009 at Riverside Church in New York City, participants included Maya Angelou, Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, Geoffrey Holder, Steve Earle, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Peter Yarrow, Maria Muldaur,[26] Tom Chapin, Josh White, Jr. (son of Josh White), Emory Joseph, Rattlesnake Annie, the Brooklyn Technical High School Chamber Chorus, and videotaped tributes from Tavis Smiley and Joan Baez.[27]
Influence
Odetta influenced Harry Belafonte, who "cited her as a key influence" on his musical career;[22] Bob Dylan, who said, "The first thing that turned me on to folk singing was Odetta. I heard a record of hers Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues in a record store, back when you could listen to records right there in the store. Right then and there, I went out and traded my electric guitar and amplifier for an acoustical guitar, a flat-top Gibson. ... [That album was] just something vital and personal. I learned all the songs on that record.";[28] Joan Baez who said "Odetta was a goddess. Her passion moved me. I learned everything she sang.";[29] Janis Joplin, who "spent much of her adolescence listening to Odetta, who was also the first person Janis imitated when she started singing";[30] poet Maya Angelou who once said "If only one could be sure that every 50 years a voice and a soul like Odetta's would come along, the centuries would pass so quickly and painlessly we would hardly recognize time.";[31] John Waters, whose original screenplay for Hairspray mentions her as an influence on beatniks.[32] and Carly Simon, who cited Odetta as a major influence, and talked about "going weak in the knees" when she had the opportunity to meet her in Greenwich Village.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pejC6hFJcVM
Mercy Dee Walton - Bird Brain Baby
Kevin Coyne +02.12.2004
Kevin Coyne (* 27. Januar 1944 in Derby, England; † 2. Dezember 2004 in Nürnberg) war ein britischer Rockmusiker, Maler und Autor.
Leben
Kevin Coyne besuchte von 1957 bis 1961 die Joseph Wright School of Art und studierte anschließend von 1961 bis 1965 am Derby College of Art Grafik und Malerei.
Anschließend war er einige Jahre als Sozialarbeiter tätig. Die Beschäftigung mit Drogensüchtigen und Geisteskranken beeinflusste ihn auch musikalisch nachhaltig. Lieder wie Asylum und Mad Boy oder auch Mona, Where’s My Trousers geben davon Zeugnis. 1969 nahm er zusammen mit seiner Band Siren für John Peels Dandelion Records seine ersten Platten auf. Nach dem Ende von Dandelion wechselte er zu Virgin Records. Bei dieser Plattenfirma entstanden in den nächsten Jahren einige seiner besten und bekanntesten Platten, darunter Beautiful Extremes und Millionaires and Teddy Bears.
In den 1970er Jahren spielten in seiner Band unter anderen Zoot Money und Andy Summers, ein Umstand, über den er sich in späteren Jahren des Öfteren lustig machte. Er selbst hatte 1971, nach dem Tod von Jim Morrison, das Angebot abgelehnt, der neue Sänger der Doors zu werden, angeblich, weil ihm die Lederhosen nicht gefielen,[1] man darf aber annehmen, dass ihn eine Karriere als Popstar nicht interessierte.
In Deutschland, wo ihn ein Auftritt im Rockpalast einem breiteren Publikum bekannt machte, hatte er eine kleine, aber treue Fangemeinde. Es kam daher nicht überraschend, als er nach einem Nervenzusammenbruch 1981, verursacht durch Alkoholismus und Überarbeitung, Deutschland als neuen Lebensmittelpunkt wählte.
Coyne lebte seit 1985 in Franken. 1992 erhielt er den „Preis der Stadt Nürnberg für Kunst und Wissenschaft“. Zahlreiche Kunstausstellungen und musikalische Auftritte mit seiner Kevin-Coyne-Band machten ihn nicht nur in England, sondern auch in Deutschland, Österreich und Frankreich bekannt.
1986 trat er unentgeltlich beim Anti-WAAhnsinns-Festival gegen die geplante Wiederaufarbeitungsanlage Wackersdorf auf die Bühne.
Coyne litt schon seit längerem an Lungenfibrose, sein Tod am 2. Dezember 2004 kam dennoch völlig überraschend. Am 10. Dezember 2004 wollte Kevin Coyne seine neue CD vorstellen. Sein Grab befindet sich auf dem Nürnberger Johannisfriedhof.
Leben
Kevin Coyne besuchte von 1957 bis 1961 die Joseph Wright School of Art und studierte anschließend von 1961 bis 1965 am Derby College of Art Grafik und Malerei.
Anschließend war er einige Jahre als Sozialarbeiter tätig. Die Beschäftigung mit Drogensüchtigen und Geisteskranken beeinflusste ihn auch musikalisch nachhaltig. Lieder wie Asylum und Mad Boy oder auch Mona, Where’s My Trousers geben davon Zeugnis. 1969 nahm er zusammen mit seiner Band Siren für John Peels Dandelion Records seine ersten Platten auf. Nach dem Ende von Dandelion wechselte er zu Virgin Records. Bei dieser Plattenfirma entstanden in den nächsten Jahren einige seiner besten und bekanntesten Platten, darunter Beautiful Extremes und Millionaires and Teddy Bears.
In den 1970er Jahren spielten in seiner Band unter anderen Zoot Money und Andy Summers, ein Umstand, über den er sich in späteren Jahren des Öfteren lustig machte. Er selbst hatte 1971, nach dem Tod von Jim Morrison, das Angebot abgelehnt, der neue Sänger der Doors zu werden, angeblich, weil ihm die Lederhosen nicht gefielen,[1] man darf aber annehmen, dass ihn eine Karriere als Popstar nicht interessierte.
In Deutschland, wo ihn ein Auftritt im Rockpalast einem breiteren Publikum bekannt machte, hatte er eine kleine, aber treue Fangemeinde. Es kam daher nicht überraschend, als er nach einem Nervenzusammenbruch 1981, verursacht durch Alkoholismus und Überarbeitung, Deutschland als neuen Lebensmittelpunkt wählte.
Coyne lebte seit 1985 in Franken. 1992 erhielt er den „Preis der Stadt Nürnberg für Kunst und Wissenschaft“. Zahlreiche Kunstausstellungen und musikalische Auftritte mit seiner Kevin-Coyne-Band machten ihn nicht nur in England, sondern auch in Deutschland, Österreich und Frankreich bekannt.
1986 trat er unentgeltlich beim Anti-WAAhnsinns-Festival gegen die geplante Wiederaufarbeitungsanlage Wackersdorf auf die Bühne.
Coyne litt schon seit längerem an Lungenfibrose, sein Tod am 2. Dezember 2004 kam dennoch völlig überraschend. Am 10. Dezember 2004 wollte Kevin Coyne seine neue CD vorstellen. Sein Grab befindet sich auf dem Nürnberger Johannisfriedhof.
Kevin Coyne (27 January 1944 – 2 December 2004) was an English musician, singer, composer, film-maker, and a writer of lyrics, stories and poems. The former "anti-star"[1] was born on 27 January 1944 in Derby, England and died in his adopted home of Nuremberg, Germany, on 2 December 2004.
Coyne is notable for his unorthodox style of blues-influenced guitar composition, the intense quality of his vocal delivery, and his bold treatment of injustice to the mentally ill in his lyrics. Many influential musicians have described themselves as Coyne fans, among them Sting and John Lydon. In the mid-1970s, prior to the formation of The Police, Coyne's band included guitarist Andy Summers. Prominent BBC disc jockey and world music authority Andy Kershaw has described Coyne as "a national treasure who keeps getting better" and as one of the great British blues voices.
Over many years Coyne produced the distinctive art work for many of his own album covers but his move to Germany, in the 1980s, saw his work on full-size paintings blossom in its own right.[2]
Early days
As a teenager and young adult Coyne studied at the Joseph Wright School of Art from 1957 to 1961 and then studied graphics and painting at Derby School of Art from 1961 to 1965. There he met Nick Cudworth (piano, acoustic guitar).[3] His love of American bluesmen developed, as did his song-craft and his guitar and vocal talents.
At the conclusion of his arts training, Coyne began the work that would change him forever – he spent the three years, from 1965 to 1968, working as a social therapist and psychiatric nurse at Whittingham Hospital near Preston in Lancashire and then for "The Soho Project" in London as a drugs counsellor. During this period of working with the mentally ill he performed regularly. Subsequently, his musical aspirations took precedence and he signed a record deal in 1969.[3]
Joined by Dave Clague (bass, acoustic guitar, ex-Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band), Coyne's band got an early break as a result of a demo heard by John Peel, who in 1969 signed them to his Dandelion Records label. At first billed as Coyne-Clague (an early Dandelion release erroneously named them just "Clague"), the band soon altered its name to Siren.[3]
An established artist
In 1973 he appeared on the BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test, performing "I Want My Crown" and "House on the Hill" with guitarist Gordon Smith and percussionist Chilli Charles.
Late 1975 and 1976 Coyne completed the musical England, England, written with playwright Snoo Wilson, and described as "an evocation of the Kray Twins". The musical, directed by Dusty Hughes, was performed on stage in August 1977 at the Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre, in Holborn, London. It was one of the first theatre pieces to reference the fascist associations of a kind of British nationalism that later became more prevalent with the rise of the National Front and the election of Margaret Thatcher. From 18 August to 24 September 1977 it played at the Bush Theatre in Shepherds Bush.[4]
In 1978 Coyne collaborated with fellow Derby Art School graduate Ian Breakwell to produce the film The Institution based on Breakwell's Artist Placement Group work at Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire.
Early in his career, Coyne turned down a meeting with founder of Elektra Records Jac Holzman (Coyne's band Siren were on Elektra in America) to discuss replacing Jim Morrison in The Doors. "I didn't like the leather trousers!" was Coynes' alleged reason.[5]
The uncompromising stance continued even when he was one of the first artists signed to Virgin Records and it was this attitude that endeared him to label-mates such as John Lydon, who played "Eastbourne Ladies" on a Desert Island Discs–type show, and The Mekons, who recorded his "Having a Party", a scathing attack on Richard Branson.
Coyne's first solo album Case History (1972), primarily with just his own voice and guitar, was powerful and direct, was recorded for Peel's Dandelion label. When Dandelion ceased to exist, the album largely sank into obscurity. But not before it had come to the attention of Virgin Records, who were sufficiently impressed to sign Coyne and release his 1973 album Marjory Razorblade.
Described as being musically "... a mixture of blues and music hall comedy, with a punk edge", the 1973 album contained many notable songs, such as the bitter and irreverent "Eastbourne Ladies" and the plaintive "House on the Hill" about life in a psychiatric institution. It was the record that was to be largely responsible for putting Coyne on the map of mainstream rock.
Another Virgin album release, Babble, by Coyne and singer Dagmar Krause, courted controversy when Kevin suggested, in the theatre presentation of the piece, that the destructive relationship between the two lovers could have been based on The Moors Murderers. Two performances at the Theatre Royal in Stratford, London were cancelled at short notice by Newham Council following negative press reports in The Sun and The Evening Standard. The show was eventually staged, for four nights, at the Oval House in Kennington. Reviewing the show for the NME, Paul Du Noyer wrote:
`Babble' is a particularly thorough, painstaking exploration of the reality of one relationship, stripped of romance and artifice. The format employed is correspondingly stark. Against a stage-set of light-bulb, table and chairs Coyne and his partner Dagmar Krause stand at either side; the only accompaniment comes from Bob Ward and Brian Godding, playing electric and acoustic guitar in the gloom behind.[6]
American singer/songwriter Will Oldham claimed that the Babble album had "changed my life" and he recorded two of the songs himself. Oldham also went on to form a side project called The Babblers – who strictly played covers of songs from Babble.
The album Politicz, featuring Peter Kirtley on guitar and Steve Bull on keyboards, was released in 1982. AllMusic's reviewer Dean McFarlane described the album as "One of the British singer/songwriter's more outwardly experimental records, this album contains some of his most intimate work, deeply personal songs and techniques which were taking him further and further away from tradition... strictly a post-punk album with a humorous political agenda".[7] The same year Coyne appeared in concert with his band (Kirtley and Bull augmented by Steve Lamb on bass and Dave Wilson on drums), in Berlin. The concert was later issued on DVD as The Last Wall (Dockland Productions, 2007, Meyer Records).
Nuremberg
Following a nervous breakdown and increasing difficulties with drink, Coyne left the UK in 1985. He settled in Nuremberg, Germany and having given up alcohol, never stopped recording and touring, as well as writing books and exhibiting his paintings. A selection of Coyne's writings, including many of his poems, can be viewed on the internet.[8]
Coyne's move to Germany saw his writing and painting career truly blossom. He published four books, two of which, Showbusiness and Party Dress, were published by Serpent's Tail in London.[9] There were numerous exhibition of his visual work throughout Europe and the response was reassuringly strong. Those in Berlin, Amsterdam and Zürich being particularly well reviewed and attended.[10] The paintings gained some notoriety[11] and still attract commercial attention today.[12]
In the late 1980s Coyne acted on stage, playing the small part of a rock star in Linie Eins (Line One), a German musical, at the Nuremberg Opera House, but appearing only at the very end of the play.[3] His 1995 album, The Adventures of Crazy Frank, was based on a stage musical about English comedian Frank Randle – with Coyne in the title role. It also starred the singer Julia Kempken who was erroneously listed in the Guardian obituary as Kevin's wife.[1] Kempken later wrote fondly of this mistake, suggesting that her performance on stage as Randle's wife had been so strong as to transform her, in the eyes of the press, into Kevin's actual wife. In reality Kevin married only twice, first to Lesley and second to Helmi, having another relationship between the two which saw the birth of his son Nico.
In Germany his sons from his first marriage, Eugene and Robert, appeared on recordings such as Tough And Sweet (1993) and Sugar Candy Taxi (1999), with guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Robert joining his band. His later German recordings, including Knocking on Your Brain (1997) often featured the "Paradise Band". In later years he also collaborated with Brendan Croker on Life Is Almost Wonderful, with Jon Langford of The Mekons (on One Day in Chicago) and with Gary Lucas once of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band (on Knocking on Your Brain). A reunion with original Siren members Dave Clague and Nick Cudworth happened for a John Peel's Dandelion Records DVD, alongside solo performances by Coyne. Siren performed all material for the film without any prior rehearsals.
Death
Diagnosed with lung fibrosis in 2002, Coyne died peacefully at his home. He is survived by his wife Helmi and his sons Eugene, Robert and Nico.
His wife Helmi intends to continue releasing recordings Kevin made in his last years on Kevin's own Turpentine Records label. The first was Underground (2006).
2007 tributes
In 2007, The Nightingales recorded a version of "Good Boy" for their album Out of True, Jackie Leven recorded a song about Coyne on his album Oh What A Blow The Phantom Dealt Me!, and "Here Come The Urban Ravens" featured on the album, Whispers From The Offing – A Tribute to Kevin Coyne, put together by Kevin's friend Frank Bangay.
Coyne is notable for his unorthodox style of blues-influenced guitar composition, the intense quality of his vocal delivery, and his bold treatment of injustice to the mentally ill in his lyrics. Many influential musicians have described themselves as Coyne fans, among them Sting and John Lydon. In the mid-1970s, prior to the formation of The Police, Coyne's band included guitarist Andy Summers. Prominent BBC disc jockey and world music authority Andy Kershaw has described Coyne as "a national treasure who keeps getting better" and as one of the great British blues voices.
Over many years Coyne produced the distinctive art work for many of his own album covers but his move to Germany, in the 1980s, saw his work on full-size paintings blossom in its own right.[2]
Early days
As a teenager and young adult Coyne studied at the Joseph Wright School of Art from 1957 to 1961 and then studied graphics and painting at Derby School of Art from 1961 to 1965. There he met Nick Cudworth (piano, acoustic guitar).[3] His love of American bluesmen developed, as did his song-craft and his guitar and vocal talents.
At the conclusion of his arts training, Coyne began the work that would change him forever – he spent the three years, from 1965 to 1968, working as a social therapist and psychiatric nurse at Whittingham Hospital near Preston in Lancashire and then for "The Soho Project" in London as a drugs counsellor. During this period of working with the mentally ill he performed regularly. Subsequently, his musical aspirations took precedence and he signed a record deal in 1969.[3]
Joined by Dave Clague (bass, acoustic guitar, ex-Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band), Coyne's band got an early break as a result of a demo heard by John Peel, who in 1969 signed them to his Dandelion Records label. At first billed as Coyne-Clague (an early Dandelion release erroneously named them just "Clague"), the band soon altered its name to Siren.[3]
An established artist
In 1973 he appeared on the BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test, performing "I Want My Crown" and "House on the Hill" with guitarist Gordon Smith and percussionist Chilli Charles.
Late 1975 and 1976 Coyne completed the musical England, England, written with playwright Snoo Wilson, and described as "an evocation of the Kray Twins". The musical, directed by Dusty Hughes, was performed on stage in August 1977 at the Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre, in Holborn, London. It was one of the first theatre pieces to reference the fascist associations of a kind of British nationalism that later became more prevalent with the rise of the National Front and the election of Margaret Thatcher. From 18 August to 24 September 1977 it played at the Bush Theatre in Shepherds Bush.[4]
In 1978 Coyne collaborated with fellow Derby Art School graduate Ian Breakwell to produce the film The Institution based on Breakwell's Artist Placement Group work at Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire.
Early in his career, Coyne turned down a meeting with founder of Elektra Records Jac Holzman (Coyne's band Siren were on Elektra in America) to discuss replacing Jim Morrison in The Doors. "I didn't like the leather trousers!" was Coynes' alleged reason.[5]
The uncompromising stance continued even when he was one of the first artists signed to Virgin Records and it was this attitude that endeared him to label-mates such as John Lydon, who played "Eastbourne Ladies" on a Desert Island Discs–type show, and The Mekons, who recorded his "Having a Party", a scathing attack on Richard Branson.
Coyne's first solo album Case History (1972), primarily with just his own voice and guitar, was powerful and direct, was recorded for Peel's Dandelion label. When Dandelion ceased to exist, the album largely sank into obscurity. But not before it had come to the attention of Virgin Records, who were sufficiently impressed to sign Coyne and release his 1973 album Marjory Razorblade.
Described as being musically "... a mixture of blues and music hall comedy, with a punk edge", the 1973 album contained many notable songs, such as the bitter and irreverent "Eastbourne Ladies" and the plaintive "House on the Hill" about life in a psychiatric institution. It was the record that was to be largely responsible for putting Coyne on the map of mainstream rock.
Another Virgin album release, Babble, by Coyne and singer Dagmar Krause, courted controversy when Kevin suggested, in the theatre presentation of the piece, that the destructive relationship between the two lovers could have been based on The Moors Murderers. Two performances at the Theatre Royal in Stratford, London were cancelled at short notice by Newham Council following negative press reports in The Sun and The Evening Standard. The show was eventually staged, for four nights, at the Oval House in Kennington. Reviewing the show for the NME, Paul Du Noyer wrote:
`Babble' is a particularly thorough, painstaking exploration of the reality of one relationship, stripped of romance and artifice. The format employed is correspondingly stark. Against a stage-set of light-bulb, table and chairs Coyne and his partner Dagmar Krause stand at either side; the only accompaniment comes from Bob Ward and Brian Godding, playing electric and acoustic guitar in the gloom behind.[6]
American singer/songwriter Will Oldham claimed that the Babble album had "changed my life" and he recorded two of the songs himself. Oldham also went on to form a side project called The Babblers – who strictly played covers of songs from Babble.
The album Politicz, featuring Peter Kirtley on guitar and Steve Bull on keyboards, was released in 1982. AllMusic's reviewer Dean McFarlane described the album as "One of the British singer/songwriter's more outwardly experimental records, this album contains some of his most intimate work, deeply personal songs and techniques which were taking him further and further away from tradition... strictly a post-punk album with a humorous political agenda".[7] The same year Coyne appeared in concert with his band (Kirtley and Bull augmented by Steve Lamb on bass and Dave Wilson on drums), in Berlin. The concert was later issued on DVD as The Last Wall (Dockland Productions, 2007, Meyer Records).
Nuremberg
Following a nervous breakdown and increasing difficulties with drink, Coyne left the UK in 1985. He settled in Nuremberg, Germany and having given up alcohol, never stopped recording and touring, as well as writing books and exhibiting his paintings. A selection of Coyne's writings, including many of his poems, can be viewed on the internet.[8]
Coyne's move to Germany saw his writing and painting career truly blossom. He published four books, two of which, Showbusiness and Party Dress, were published by Serpent's Tail in London.[9] There were numerous exhibition of his visual work throughout Europe and the response was reassuringly strong. Those in Berlin, Amsterdam and Zürich being particularly well reviewed and attended.[10] The paintings gained some notoriety[11] and still attract commercial attention today.[12]
In the late 1980s Coyne acted on stage, playing the small part of a rock star in Linie Eins (Line One), a German musical, at the Nuremberg Opera House, but appearing only at the very end of the play.[3] His 1995 album, The Adventures of Crazy Frank, was based on a stage musical about English comedian Frank Randle – with Coyne in the title role. It also starred the singer Julia Kempken who was erroneously listed in the Guardian obituary as Kevin's wife.[1] Kempken later wrote fondly of this mistake, suggesting that her performance on stage as Randle's wife had been so strong as to transform her, in the eyes of the press, into Kevin's actual wife. In reality Kevin married only twice, first to Lesley and second to Helmi, having another relationship between the two which saw the birth of his son Nico.
In Germany his sons from his first marriage, Eugene and Robert, appeared on recordings such as Tough And Sweet (1993) and Sugar Candy Taxi (1999), with guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Robert joining his band. His later German recordings, including Knocking on Your Brain (1997) often featured the "Paradise Band". In later years he also collaborated with Brendan Croker on Life Is Almost Wonderful, with Jon Langford of The Mekons (on One Day in Chicago) and with Gary Lucas once of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band (on Knocking on Your Brain). A reunion with original Siren members Dave Clague and Nick Cudworth happened for a John Peel's Dandelion Records DVD, alongside solo performances by Coyne. Siren performed all material for the film without any prior rehearsals.
Death
Diagnosed with lung fibrosis in 2002, Coyne died peacefully at his home. He is survived by his wife Helmi and his sons Eugene, Robert and Nico.
His wife Helmi intends to continue releasing recordings Kevin made in his last years on Kevin's own Turpentine Records label. The first was Underground (2006).
2007 tributes
In 2007, The Nightingales recorded a version of "Good Boy" for their album Out of True, Jackie Leven recorded a song about Coyne on his album Oh What A Blow The Phantom Dealt Me!, and "Here Come The Urban Ravens" featured on the album, Whispers From The Offing – A Tribute to Kevin Coyne, put together by Kevin's friend Frank Bangay.
Kevin is a multi-talent:
musician, writer, artist.
His uncompromising attitude towards showbiz fame and fortune has inevitably left him in a position of "outsider". It's a position Coyne relishes. It makes life more pleasurable. The freedom to express himself without the chains of commercial considerations (although he wouldn't be adverse to a Number One album) helps keep his creativity alive.
Kevin Coyne was born in Derby, January 1944 and was educated at Joseph Wright School of Art (1957-1961) then Derby College of Art (1961-1965) where he studied graphics and painting, obtaining the N.D.D. in 1965. Early musical influences were Little Richard, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and later (at art school), Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed.
Coyne's first job was a social therapist at Whittingham Hospital, Lancashire (1965-1968). In late 1968 he moved to London, starting work for the Soho project as a counsellor for drug addicts in 1969. This work was a source for many of his early songs and remains a major influence today.
In 1973 a youthful and idealistic Coyne signed as a solo artist for Virgin (after a five album spell with Siren on Dandelion Records) proceeding to make eleven L. P. 's over the next eight years. During this period he recorded with the likes of Andy Summers, Zoot Money, Carla Bley (for her album "Silence") and Dagmar Krause. It was a productive time in his career, with tours of Australia, Europe, Canada, the U.S.A. and work in the theatre (the self-composed musicals "Babble" and "England, England"). Life was hectic. Something had to give.
A complete nervous breakdown came in 1981, the main causes being alcoholism and overwork. Virgin records departed to be replaced by Cherry Red, and succession of dark, brooding albums.
1985 was a big year of change. Coyne left London and resettled in Nuremberg, Germany. The move was a good one, resulting in formation of a German group (The Paradise Band), a fresh recording career and a drastic change in life-style. He quit drinking for good in 1987. Ten albums have been recorded in Germany. The musical future continues to look bright and positive.
Kevin Coyne's writing, painting career has truly blossomed in Germany. Four books have been published and one in the print. ( Two, "Showbussiness" and "Party Dress", by Serpent's Tail in London) and numerous exhibition of his visual work have been mounted throughout Europe. The response has been reassuringly strong. Exhibitions in Berlin, Amsterdam, Zurich be particularly well reviewed and attended.
Since the mid eigthies the irrepressible Coyne has instigated and been involved in numerous special projects. "Burning Head" (1992) for instance, is a limited edition of one thousand C.D's, sold with an exclusive Coyne original picture for each record. "The Adventures of Crazy Frank" (1995) which evolved from a record into an improvised stage musical about the life of English comic Frank Randle featuring Coyne as Randle and Nuremberg dancer, singer Julia Kempken as his wife was performed in Germany and Austria.
"Tough and Sweet" (1993) is a free wheeling collection of over twenty rock and blues influenced songs that just happens to be the first ever Coyne album to use the talents of his musical sons, Robert and Eugene, and so it goes on....
"Knocking on your brain" is a double album, recorded in Duisburg late 1996 and utilising the writing and musical talents of top German musicians Ali Neander (Rodgau Montones, Xavier Naidoo...), Tom Liwa (Flowerpornos), Ralf Gustke (Gianna Nannini) and Willy Wagner (ex Rio Reiser). Special guest on the C.D. is Gary Lucas, former Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, Joan Osborne (he was nominated for a grammy for his writing on her record), Nick Cave, Lou Reed, Leonard Bernstein collaborator, guitarist and sideman. His slide playing and writing on the opening track "Wonderland" is adelight, as is Kevin's vocalising, lyric writing and general improvising (twenty songs recorded in three days !) throughout.
1998 and 99 have seen Coyne recording and touring constantly. The most recent C.D. (Sugar Candy Taxi) includes the playing and songwriting talents of his sons Robert and Eugene. There is now a new touring group (no longer called the Paradise Band) featuring Robert Coyne on guitar and Keyboards and Steve Smith on drums. The 1999 touring schedule included the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, Holland etc. Reception was excellent throughout. The change of record label in 1999 from Rockport to Ruf Records was a very positive move. With Sugar Candy Taxi (his first release for Ruf) Coyne immediately reached a larger international audience.
A new C.D. is planned for April/May 2000 release. Exhibitions continue to keep the artist active (Mannheim, Amsterdam etc in 1999). More are planned for 2000. A new book in German (Elvis, ich und die anderen) comes out February 2000. The publisher is Ars Vivendi from Cadolzburg, Germany.
July 2002:
The last two years have seen the continuation of a busy artistic musical schedule. Three albums, one of them yet to be released have surfaced The first, "Room full of fools", featured once again the writing and instrumental talents of Robert Coyne plus the fiercly committed drumming of the late and talented Steve Smith. Much of the record was made in New Jersey, USA and received enthusiastic reviews whereever it saw the light of day.
Another record "Life is almost wonderful", a duo project with songwriter, guitarist Brendan Croker, emerged as a limited edition in 2002. Once again, reaction was positive and excellent reviews in the English Independent newspaper and Record collector magazine lifted the spirits. Coyne's latest CD, now probably called "Rolling and Tumbling", is due for release in October 2002 on Ruf Records. It's his third record for this company and was recorded in London and Nürnberg.
Numerous exhibitions have taken place in Germany in recent years, the most successful being in Bremen and Erlangen. The artist's enthusiasm for writing and picture making hasn't diminished, a new book of lyrics and drawings is planned for the near future. The last two years have seen Coyne contributing regular review drawings to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", a novel idea that has caught the public attention. Where else are records reviewed visually? It's a small triumph. The story has no end as yet. Kevin Coyne is a sort of guy who'll only stop when he drops, expect to see or hear from him in your area soon.
P.S. For extra details of the new year activities contact the newsletter >>.
And finally: Was Kevin Coyne really offered the Jim Morrison job in the Doors?
The answer is a very firm "yes". And why , you might ask, did he turn it down?
Well, the rumour is that he didn't fancy wearing the leather trousers.
All very simple really...
musician, writer, artist.
His uncompromising attitude towards showbiz fame and fortune has inevitably left him in a position of "outsider". It's a position Coyne relishes. It makes life more pleasurable. The freedom to express himself without the chains of commercial considerations (although he wouldn't be adverse to a Number One album) helps keep his creativity alive.
Kevin Coyne was born in Derby, January 1944 and was educated at Joseph Wright School of Art (1957-1961) then Derby College of Art (1961-1965) where he studied graphics and painting, obtaining the N.D.D. in 1965. Early musical influences were Little Richard, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and later (at art school), Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed.
Coyne's first job was a social therapist at Whittingham Hospital, Lancashire (1965-1968). In late 1968 he moved to London, starting work for the Soho project as a counsellor for drug addicts in 1969. This work was a source for many of his early songs and remains a major influence today.
In 1973 a youthful and idealistic Coyne signed as a solo artist for Virgin (after a five album spell with Siren on Dandelion Records) proceeding to make eleven L. P. 's over the next eight years. During this period he recorded with the likes of Andy Summers, Zoot Money, Carla Bley (for her album "Silence") and Dagmar Krause. It was a productive time in his career, with tours of Australia, Europe, Canada, the U.S.A. and work in the theatre (the self-composed musicals "Babble" and "England, England"). Life was hectic. Something had to give.
A complete nervous breakdown came in 1981, the main causes being alcoholism and overwork. Virgin records departed to be replaced by Cherry Red, and succession of dark, brooding albums.
1985 was a big year of change. Coyne left London and resettled in Nuremberg, Germany. The move was a good one, resulting in formation of a German group (The Paradise Band), a fresh recording career and a drastic change in life-style. He quit drinking for good in 1987. Ten albums have been recorded in Germany. The musical future continues to look bright and positive.
Kevin Coyne's writing, painting career has truly blossomed in Germany. Four books have been published and one in the print. ( Two, "Showbussiness" and "Party Dress", by Serpent's Tail in London) and numerous exhibition of his visual work have been mounted throughout Europe. The response has been reassuringly strong. Exhibitions in Berlin, Amsterdam, Zurich be particularly well reviewed and attended.
Since the mid eigthies the irrepressible Coyne has instigated and been involved in numerous special projects. "Burning Head" (1992) for instance, is a limited edition of one thousand C.D's, sold with an exclusive Coyne original picture for each record. "The Adventures of Crazy Frank" (1995) which evolved from a record into an improvised stage musical about the life of English comic Frank Randle featuring Coyne as Randle and Nuremberg dancer, singer Julia Kempken as his wife was performed in Germany and Austria.
"Tough and Sweet" (1993) is a free wheeling collection of over twenty rock and blues influenced songs that just happens to be the first ever Coyne album to use the talents of his musical sons, Robert and Eugene, and so it goes on....
"Knocking on your brain" is a double album, recorded in Duisburg late 1996 and utilising the writing and musical talents of top German musicians Ali Neander (Rodgau Montones, Xavier Naidoo...), Tom Liwa (Flowerpornos), Ralf Gustke (Gianna Nannini) and Willy Wagner (ex Rio Reiser). Special guest on the C.D. is Gary Lucas, former Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, Joan Osborne (he was nominated for a grammy for his writing on her record), Nick Cave, Lou Reed, Leonard Bernstein collaborator, guitarist and sideman. His slide playing and writing on the opening track "Wonderland" is adelight, as is Kevin's vocalising, lyric writing and general improvising (twenty songs recorded in three days !) throughout.
1998 and 99 have seen Coyne recording and touring constantly. The most recent C.D. (Sugar Candy Taxi) includes the playing and songwriting talents of his sons Robert and Eugene. There is now a new touring group (no longer called the Paradise Band) featuring Robert Coyne on guitar and Keyboards and Steve Smith on drums. The 1999 touring schedule included the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, Holland etc. Reception was excellent throughout. The change of record label in 1999 from Rockport to Ruf Records was a very positive move. With Sugar Candy Taxi (his first release for Ruf) Coyne immediately reached a larger international audience.
A new C.D. is planned for April/May 2000 release. Exhibitions continue to keep the artist active (Mannheim, Amsterdam etc in 1999). More are planned for 2000. A new book in German (Elvis, ich und die anderen) comes out February 2000. The publisher is Ars Vivendi from Cadolzburg, Germany.
July 2002:
The last two years have seen the continuation of a busy artistic musical schedule. Three albums, one of them yet to be released have surfaced The first, "Room full of fools", featured once again the writing and instrumental talents of Robert Coyne plus the fiercly committed drumming of the late and talented Steve Smith. Much of the record was made in New Jersey, USA and received enthusiastic reviews whereever it saw the light of day.
Another record "Life is almost wonderful", a duo project with songwriter, guitarist Brendan Croker, emerged as a limited edition in 2002. Once again, reaction was positive and excellent reviews in the English Independent newspaper and Record collector magazine lifted the spirits. Coyne's latest CD, now probably called "Rolling and Tumbling", is due for release in October 2002 on Ruf Records. It's his third record for this company and was recorded in London and Nürnberg.
Numerous exhibitions have taken place in Germany in recent years, the most successful being in Bremen and Erlangen. The artist's enthusiasm for writing and picture making hasn't diminished, a new book of lyrics and drawings is planned for the near future. The last two years have seen Coyne contributing regular review drawings to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", a novel idea that has caught the public attention. Where else are records reviewed visually? It's a small triumph. The story has no end as yet. Kevin Coyne is a sort of guy who'll only stop when he drops, expect to see or hear from him in your area soon.
P.S. For extra details of the new year activities contact the newsletter >>.
And finally: Was Kevin Coyne really offered the Jim Morrison job in the Doors?
The answer is a very firm "yes". And why , you might ask, did he turn it down?
Well, the rumour is that he didn't fancy wearing the leather trousers.
All very simple really...
KEVIN COYNE "HOUSE ON THE HILL" " MY MOTHERS EYES" " SINGING THE BLUES"
Blues stay away from me - Brendan Croker & Kevin Coyne
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