Mailbag

From: Cliff Chenfeld
Subject: RE: Why Music Sucks

Taylor Swift's status as our most popular, influential music star today is as if Olivia Newton John was the dominant musical and cultural force of the 70s
rather than the likes of Stevie Wonder and Led Zeppelin.

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From: Heather Pierson
Subject: Re: An Artist...


Artists are people driven by the tension between the desire to communicate and the desire to hide.
-D.W. Winnicott

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From: Santoso Surya
Subject: Re: Coldplay At The Super Bowl

Jay Z bought Beyonce 10,000 roses before the show and Chris Martin couldn't stop crouching down while singing. Was he subconsciously hiding from the camera? I was told to believe in love by a bunch of individuals who will do anything for money. Go fuck yourselves.

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From: Bob Ezrin
Subject: Re: Why Music Sucks


Dear Bob,

I agree with most of what you write here, and I applaud you for being that voice in the wilderness that screams it like it is. And I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who thinks this Star Wars and all the musical Star Wars are full of candy but no meat.

But, while I appreciate the shout out in the last paragraph, I have to take issue with it. Neither I nor anyone else is responsible for Gene Simmons' success. Only he is. He is a force of nature. He's talented, hugely intelligent and charismatic and he has more drive than anyone I've ever met in any field. He would have succeeded regardless of who he ended up working with. And, while I'd love to take credit for as seminal a work as The Wall or Peter's first album, I was just a producer. My job was to help the true artists responsible for these towering works to define and realize their vision, and to be their musical and artistic coach.

In a piece that yearns for the days when Artists led our culture, it does a few of them a disservice to discount their singular brilliance by giving too much credit to me.

But please keep ranting. We need you!

B

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Subject: Re: Why Music Sucks

You have a point however, might be good for you to check the credits in regards to Gene Simmons and KISS …I believe I did approx. 7 KISS albums all of which sold in the millions and rocked out!!

Ezrin I believe only did 1 album and was not received well by the fans at all as it was a concept album and strayed far from their core audience!! Maybe next time Bob you will give credit where credit is due.

Eddie Kramer

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From: Steve Gorman
Subject: Re: Music Moguls

The Black Crowes met Pete Angelus in December 1989, two months before Shake Your Money Maker was released.

He presented a vision and a plan to a band that had neither, and we hired him.

We followed his lead.

The band focused on the music, and Pete focused on everything else. I can't imagine a better scenario for a band that wanted to be one of the all time greats.

And make no mistake, that's what the band wanted.

Two years later, to the day, we had sold 5,000,000 albums and were finishing our follow up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.

When released in May 1992, as grunge exploded, TSHMC debuted at Number 1 on Billboard's album chart, ultimately selling three million domestically and outselling SYMM internationally.

We finished that touring cycle in 1993 headlining European festivals.

Not a bad four year run.

Then, for reasons that as time passes become more and more simplistic, embarrassing, and sad, the band stopped listening.

Pete's advice, vision, counsel, etc, was pushed aside in favor of....I am still not quite sure what it was, exactly.

The validity and value of the music itself is of course a subjective conversation, and I will always love and respect the music we made.

But there were two very different experiences with The Black Crowes in terms of who was calling the shots, and the results speak for themselves.

And for what it's worth, I feel compelled to add that although the band pushed Pete's creative ideas and knowledge aside after he had proven his true and incalculable value to us, he never stopped fighting for the band.

He never stopped protecting us individually and collectively.

He fought to keep us alive for another 21 years, which was no easy task.

He was creative, relentless, protective, honest, focused, and driven. Always.

SG

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From: John Hartmann
Subject: Re: The Kardashian Paradigm

Stars create evolution in music. The next big thing always comes when nothing's happening. Like now. Music was jet-fuel to the children of the greatest generation. Today it's just grease!

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From: Colin Hay
Subject: Re: Annapurna

Hey,
That's big stuff, the story of Om. Real and gritty and maddening, the story of so many. Long live immigrants, who are not only the backbone of so many places near and far, but also the connective tissue.
We just drove for 14 hours from New Orleans to Clearwater, Florida. It was challenging even without snowfalls. Your instinctive caution will serve you well. That's a long way to drive through unpredictable weather. On the upside, if you do drive, and as you well know, it will be spectacularly beautiful, but the rental car with Sirius, now that is crucial. Twelve hours in a rental vehicle without Howard, well now you're asking for trouble.
Colin

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Subject: Re: Annapurna

I was on Mount Everest the day of the earthquake that killed over 8,500 people in Nepal. It triggered an avalanche that killed 19 of my fellow climbers at base camp. What started out as just another day on Everest became the most deadly day in Everest history. After the injured were treated and flown to hospitals Kathmandu, I hopped on a helicopter to fly off the mountain and eventually home. I flew over villages that were gone; villages that we had all trekked through many times and knew so well. You are right, very little of the millions donated made it to the people in Kathmandu and almost none of it made it to the people in the small, remote villages. But climbers and trekkers from around the world did pitch in. Money was sent directly to the villages and the rebuilding is well under way. The Nepali people are resilient and they will recover from this disaster.
But they depend on tourism. If anyone wants to see a country on the rebound, now is the time to visit Nepal. It has never been more beautiful.

Kent Stewart

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Subject: Re: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Dear Bob:

I had a similar trip going from Oregon to the bay area many years ago........we drove the Coast thinking that would save us and it was a snowstorm white-out at Crescent City - the radio said it was their first snow in ten years.... I think we were the last car to make it thru before the police closed the road. We were following tire tracks when we ended up taking the exit (not by choice, we were following those tracks) and almost went over the cliff.......looked down, we could see headlights down there. I got out and called out and a young girl's voice said she was okay. We said, "Come up, we can't leave you here." And she didn't want to come without her dog so we put a blanket on the seat and took the girl & her dog to the nearest town, and checked in to the Skunk Train Motel in Willitts.

The next day her dad came and asked, "What exit did you leave my Porch at?" Oh, God, we never looked at the exit # where the car went over the cliff!!!!! Never saw or heard from them again, but I have often wondered, what happened to that 19-year-old girl? We literally saved her life that night - I'm sure she would have frozen down there and I think, maybe she'll invent the cure to cancer or something....we'll never know. I remember closing my eyes in that motel and seeing white things coming at my eyes. The most terrifying night of my life. I hope you hunkered down in Vail.

Katie Bradford
Portland, OR.

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From: mosseross
Subject: Re: Why Are SO Many Millennials SO Uncool?

I moved to NY about thirteen years ago and taught junior high in Coney Island. I joined a rock band during that time and after five years of teaching, I quit to devote my time to being a "starving artist." Since then, I've had twenty different jobs (last time I counted) working as a server, cocktail waitress, dog walker, house painter, cater waiter, and pig sitter. Now I'm a bartender in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the neighborhood that is the model for hyper-gentrification, and has allowed developers (or as I like to call them, "destroyers") to turn gentrification into an art form. The bars where I work attract a local, working class/artist clientele, and I find that I hear the same laments about the corporate takeover of art twenty times throughout the course of a week, which inspires me to write about it. In fact, it was one of my customers who is a professor of literature at Pace University who asked me to write the post I sent you. He comes in and drowns his sorrows in red wine,
while expressing shock, horror, and sadness about how tame his students are. They look at college as a means to an end, not a means to a beginning. He wonders why there's no counterculture, and that's what got me thinking about how much music has played a part in inciting rebellion of the status quo (in the past, at least). Where I grew up in Florida, there was a radio station that played a mix of everything. I heard Madonna on the same station where I heard The Clash, Wu Tang Clan, and Metallica. Yes there was always pop, but there were other forms of music you could hear, too!!!

I've witnessed Williamsburg, which was touted as a "hip artist's community" have one art gallery and music venue after another shut down. My favorite place to play, The Trash Bar, closed its doors after a decade because the rent went from $3000 p/mo. to $20,000 p/mo. Beautiful graffiti has been whitewashed and corporate advertising murals painted in its place.

It irks me to no end to see the younger people who have moved to New York with a laptop and mommy and daddy's money, sit comfortably in luxury condos, and after a day of being "creative" at their advertising and branding jobs, come home and make some sort of predictable nonsense out of three notes. Then to make it worse, add pre-packaged, programmed drum beats with a touch of auto-tuned hipster fairy vocals over it and call it "art." I've worked my ass off (literally. I used to have a great ass...now it's gone) to avoid being a musical hobbyist, while these wankers have the monetary means to do what equates to payola. Except instead of radio, they pay PR companies and magazines to get exposure.

My band self-released our first vinyl last year, have been written up in Classic Rock Magazine twice, and has a pretty solid online presence. But we've never been approached by a label or distribution company to tour or get our music out there. Not that I can say I would want to sign with a label. It would just treat music-making as if it happens on an assembly line. Demanding that new albums be created every two years, obviously having no idea that creativity doesn't work that way. This being another factor that's responsible for such poor music being thrown at us. People have forgotten, or maybe never even realized, that music is an art form. Not a means to sell sodas and electronics, and not something that can be used to meet quotas. I may record a stellar album this year, and not be inspired to make another one for twenty more years. And as a musician, that's my goddamn business, not a label's. The only problem is, if you don't sign something, how do you get through the
corporate funded crap?

Some of the responses I've gotten to this post have been overwhelmingly supportive. Other people can be told that corporations are subliminally molding their values, tastes, and interests; turning them into carbon copies of each other, and they're completely fine with that. But tell them you don't think Arcade Fire is cool and they get PISSED!!!!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it even sliiiiightly as much as I enjoy reading your letters. All the best...

Jules
www.lordclassic.com
www.thenewjewelmovement.com

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From: peter
Subject: Re: Bernie

Hello from Canada your socialist friends to the North. We just ran the same campaign up here. On one side the Right wing machine, blowvating about the Muslim threat and the need for more tax cuts. Guess what? It's over up here. The people woke up to see 30 years of the wrong decisions, the corporate media still supporting the old guard right up until Election Day. But the people chose to listen and support a candidate spouting the truth and hope. Trudeau never once wavered from the message of hope and a very broad spectrum of voters put in power in a record setting win. The revolution is real and America is beginning to feel the Bern. Hillary is toast. She has the backing of the establishment, but not the people of the party. Sanders on the other hand is wooing republicans in the Deep South and getting numbers there Hillary can't get in NYC. The people, millennials Xers and Hippies all are hungry for REAL change. Hillary unfortunately does not represent ANY change. Bernie just needs
to stay positive and people will flock to the only candidate representing the American PEOPLE. Sit back relax and watch the death throes of the GOP, it's history and we are part of it. Once the corporate media can no longer ignore Sanders, you will see the real numbers and his broad appeal. The GOP have lost the propaganda war and America is waking from the narcotizing effects of fox news and starting to ask real question. The only answers they want are the ones only Bernie is providing. Fundamental change. Reagan is still running America through his Supreme Court nominees. That is sad and needs to change. Feel the Bern. Pete from Toronto.

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From: Steve Schalchlin
Subject: Re: More Life Lessons

20 years ago I was on my deathbed. AIDS.

Everything you are saying here is what I've been thinking and how I've
been living since coming back (after winning a lottery for a drug).

I call it Living in the Bonus Round because the game is over, the
clock is ticking, and now you're just reaching and grabbing to snap up
every last valuable bit of life you can. It's all free. It's all
available. And you finally know what's important and what isn't.

And it's everything you said below.

At the age of 62, I decided to learn guitar after a lifetime on the
piano, and I can't put it down. If I had a billion dollars, I would
still only want to sit in my room by myself and run exercises. This
week I fulfilled a lifelong, unexpressed fantasy: I learned to play
"Blackbird." After hundreds of hours of drilling, though I can barely
play basic beginner chords, and my fingertips hurt like hell, I opened
a YouTube lesson and now I can play "Blackbird."

No amount of money in the world can buy the thrill of this
accomplishment for me. And nobody else can have lived it. Simplicity.

That's life.
Steve Schalchlin

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Subject: Re: Lemmy

It makes me so mad that people are suddenly glorifying Lemmy. Nobody cared much except a few when he was alive. Even me, a decent fan, didn't know he lived in LA. The night Motorhead played at the Old Waldorf I was in labor with my son, and the band signed me a poster. How many bands would ever do that? I miss that he's not here. I miss that so many people are increasingly not here,

best,
queenie taylor

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From: Fraser T Smith
Subject: Re: More Bowie

Bob, I had the privilege of working with Rick Wakeman - touring and recording with him before getting into writing and producing.

I turned up to the rehearsals for a theatre tour and Rick announced to me that we would be performing 'Life on Mars' and 'Space Oddity', and that I'd be singing. Rick was surrounded by his usual Mellotrons / Pianos etc.. and the sound that came out was incredible. I also got to immerse myself in Bowie's sublime lyrics and melodies. It was a massive privilege.

All the best,

Fraser.

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From: Jude Gold
Subject: Playing with Paul Kantner

Hi, Bob.

My bandleader and friend Paul Kantner died last week at age 74 of a heart attack the night before we were to leave for a three-show run in the Midwest.

We (Jefferson Starship) played the shows anyway, without him.

We brought the rock, just as he would have wanted us to. Tears flowed, but the sets were great. And those audiences will remember those shows forever. Emotional shows!

Interestingly, as you likely have read, Jefferson Airplane's original singer, Signe Anderson (the one before Grace Slick), died on the same day as Paul (a week ago Thursday).

She was 74, too. Trippy.

My favorite thing about Paul Kantner is he always wanted his band to push the music and the show into the outer limits. In this regard, you could almost say he was, in a sense, psychedelic rock's Miles Davis. Big solos. Big improvisations. Big moments. Big journeys. Loud moments. Poetic moments. Cowbell-killing moments, courtesy of lead singer Cathy Richardson. Roll-around-on-the-stage moments. Free moments.

Moments more in-tune than perhaps they were in the '60s.

("You haven't experienced anything," said Airplane co-founder Jack Casady at Paul's burial last Monday, "until you've tried tuning a 12-string on acid.")

Paul had a joke on the subject: "The electric guitar tuner killed the San Francisco sound," he would say.

While Jefferson Starship primarily did "evening with" shows, we sometimes played double-bills with great classic rock acts such as the Doobie Brothers, Huey Lewis, Little River Band, the Romantics, Lou Gramm, and Blue Oyster Cult, and while those bands are all amazing, I always felt the audiences appreciated the contrast between them and us.

The crowd would get tighter, more polished hits performed by those bands—likely with clearer mixes, due to many of them having quiet stages (due to the growing use of in-ear monitoring systems)—which is great.

Then, the yin to the yang, they would get a little more raw-ness and spontaneity and stage volume and sonic adventure and Janis Joplin-esque vocals (from Cathy) and broken strings and guitar feedback from us.

The '60s thread is still there in Jefferson Starship ....

That explorative, psychedelic, sci-fi, mojo came from Paul, and also David Freiberg—the two modern Jefferson Starship members who go all the way back to the Airplane (and David all the way back to Quicksilver Messenger Service).

"We were folk musicians who discovered Fender Twins and LSD in practically the same week," Paul would always say of the days just before the Airplane's formation.

That explains a lot.

It was announced that Paul (and the Airplane) are being awarded Grammys this year for Lifetime Achievement.

Paul knew about his award weeks ahead of the announcement, but never said a word about it to us beforehand—never even blacked out the ceremony date from our touring schedule. Paul would have rather been playing a show in Anytown, USA, than at Grammy's ... but I am glad he knew about the award before he passed. I suspect that somewhere deep down, he was appreciated the recognition.

Speaking of awards, at a concert in Washington D.C. in November, Paul accepted a nice certificate from the Dept. of Defense honoring Jefferson Starship's recent work doing concerts benefitting hospitalized veterans, primarily Vietnam vets.

An award to lifelong protest rocker Paul Kantner from the Dept. of Defense. The irony was palpable.

Speaking of protest rock, I was thinking about how I could offer tribute to Paul, and I thought I'd tell you about my favorite Paul Kantner song.

It's an early-'80s Jefferson Starship album track called "Stairway to Cleveland." You probably know it.

Paul's song title for this tune is a sardonic poke at one of FM radio rock's biggest songs—Led Zeppelin's most epic track—with the word "Heaven" being replaced by the name of one of America's perhaps not-so heavenly cities (although I must say, I've had a blast in Cleveland every time I've played there).

An energetic jam powered by a classic I-IV-bVII chord progression, "Stairway to Cleveland" really captures Paul's irreverent, politically charged, high-energy, high-volume, 12-string-strummin' punk rock spirit.

How can you not have a soft spot for a Kantner song that ends with, "Fuck you, we do what we want!"?

Those words embody the defiant nature of Paul Kantner—you particularly know this to be true if you ever had the misfortune of having to tell him to put out his cigarette.

The song totally rocks, but in some places, the '80s-era lyrics have become a tad dated (i.e., "Walter Cronkite!").

That's okay, because the words were always updated in concert: Towards the end of the tune, where the voices overlap chaotically, Paul used to recite random stuff from the day's newspaper (he read the New York Times nearly every day of his adult life), tearing news items away as he was done reading them, throwing the crumpled pages behind him on stage ....

Naturally, I like all the lyrics in the song, except, "Can't stand your guitar player," haha.

On the original recording of "Stairway to Cleveland" (click the YouTube link below), Paul played the intro riff using two identical synthesizers at once, set to the same patch, with one hand on each keyboard.

The stacked three-part vocals on "Stairway" are classic Kantner/Airplane, and go all the way back to Paul's biggest hero, Pete Seeger (who, incidentally, passed away on the same date as Paul two years earlier to the day) and Pete's famous folk group, the Weavers.

Paul and Jefferson Airplane were often credited for being "the first rock band with a female frontperson," and that's cool. But really, he just modeled his band after his folk music heroes—Pete Seeger and the Weavers—who had a similar lineup.

(As they say, good artists borrow, great artists steal.)

I played 20+ countries with Paul over the past 42 months, and will miss him greatly. Words cannot convey the magic and adventure he showed me and the rest of his bandmates.

Paul rocked hard to the very end. We all loved him very much.

Doctors told him to stop smoking, and some close advisors even tried to convince him to stop touring, but I respect him for not even considering for a millisecond such notions.

I know I probably would have gotten to play many more shows and have many more great meals in great cities with Paul if he didn't smoke four packs of Camel straights a day, but I respect him for "doing what he wanted"—for backing up his "fuck you" proclamation to the final curtain.

I respect him for hopping on planes until the very end—and for dying with, so to speak, "a guitar pick in his hand."

"Stairway to Cleveland"— https://youtu.be/PpNnfpCV1wI

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Subject: RE: Dan Hicks

Bob,

You're so right that the artists that have recently passed are just wearing out through old age. Even Lemmy, who I've worked with for the last 15 years, wasn't indestructible. And there will be a lot more names like them in the near future. But one of the great things about Spotify ( and other streaming services ) is that their music lives on and can now easily be accessed. So an article like yours can remind people about music they've forgotten, or maybe never even knew. When I sold my old vinyl collection recently, I didn't lose the music because it was old and worn out, I can still find my Jefferson Airplane albums when I want to. My memories are all there, and I can dip into them whenever I want to. Keep your words coming.

Mike Donovan
MD Tour Accounting Limited
27 Walpole Street
Weymouth

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From: Barry Lyons
Subject: Re: Dan Hicks

Bob -

Thank you for making certain Dan's passing was not missed. As you noted, he had no hits, he headlined no stadiums. but from 65 - 75, when rock blossomed and bloomed in so many directions: Dan Hick & The Hot Licks were indispensable. Nowadays, you're either a hit, or you're a miss. You matter, or you don't. But back then, sure, EVERYBODY had the Beatles, The Stones, The Who; Elton, CSN (with or without Y), The Doors, et al. But it the ones who were different, the ones who were distinctive, that made things interesting; and that helped give all of us who grew up on that our own identity. Most everybody loved A Led Zep or a Rolling Stones; but it was being a fan of a Captain Beefheart or a Quicksilver Messenger Service or a Blues Project or a Cat Mother or, may he rest in peace, a Dan Hicks that made you a little distinctive, a little unique. But alas, Bob, your playlist is missing one crucial component, one song that for most Hicks fans always ranked as one of his finest: "How Can I
Miss You When You Won't Go Away".

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Subject: Re: Dan Hicks

Dan Hicks.

The old cliche 'words can't say' is seemingly all I got but that would disappoint Dan as I was never at a loss for words or more importantly, ears around him. So on I'll go...now is no time to let him down.

Yeah, he was all you wrote and indeed irascible beyond compare but polar opposite to the garden variety Kantner style. Dan's huffs were his mightiest performances, always showcasing his sharper than any whip wit and lightyears deeper than any momentary problem.
He was beyond eloquent in how he voiced he wasn't thrilled with something, usually someone. It was cutting, no doubt cruel to most, but I always took it as a sign of something essential. It was Dan at his best when he'd casually roll out his one-of-a-kind, spectacular wordplay, disguised to be an insult, which I came to understand was an inside job. He was entertaining himself. I got the sense the person on the receiving end really didn't matter, he was playing his own room. Honestly, to not see him put on that show would have been much more cutting, enough so that I would be alarmed that something was actually wrong. Luckily, I never had that happen - I'd find something to do or say if he wasn't giving up any of those brilliant performances. Knowing I was a huge fan of it, he couldn't help but get a proud, well earned smirk on his face when he got me good. Brilliant!

12 years ago I was in the car and heard a report that Dan Hicks died. At least I knew I heard 'Hicks' and c'mon, how many are there? In shock, my only impulse was to call Dan. It was too eerie just hearing the phone ring and I got choked up hearing his voice on the long outgoing message. When the beep came, I was completely clueless as to what to say. Who was gonna hear it anyway?
I stumbled on my words and let him know, wherever he was, I loved him, regretted waiting so long to say it and that this was not exactly the way I'd planned to.
My phone rang as soon as it hung up, Dan was on the line asking what was with my ridiculous message. I told him I thought I heard and he cut me off right there with; "Bill Hicks died, B-I-L-L, Bill. Now, I am not at all surprised you would think Bill sounds like Dan, you see, I've heard your records..."
Dan was very much alive.

Every Memorial Day he'd gather his pals and march down Mill Valley's main drag with his Jug Band. Whenever he called, I'd fish out my antique marching drum that he loved so much and get in line right behind him so I wouldn't miss his sudden, impromptu 'Dan dances' that were part spaz/part Astaire. We clocked 25 years of that, Memorial Day will be on a very different level next year.

7 weeks ago, I received his annual hand drawn cartoon Christmas card which I mistakenly took as a sign he was doing OK. Being the consummate showman, he always made it look easy.

Soon after he was diagnosed with brain cancer a couple years ago, he showed up and played a benefit I was doing. I made him play drums on a couple tunes which allowed me not only the pleasure of his fine drumming but afforded me the opportunity to hear his exquisite and endless complaints about it. Golden.

He and his amazing wife, Clare, spearheaded a campaign for me to win a rather small but soulful award last year, while he was bed ridden from undergoing brutal chemo. He wrote his letter, had a list of others to join in, all of which he insisted I call, because; "You need to grovel in this business young man and now you're finally going to learn how..."
I made sure a seat at my table had his name on it, knowing full well his condition would not allow him to don one of his fine suits (aways the epitome of dapper) and go out on the town. He showed. Sat next to me for a long night, offering endless put downs and reasons why I was going to forget my speech...full Dan form.
Mort Sahl (more hilarious than ever) had the room roaring but Dan had my ear and his sweet nothings had me crying.
When he had any energy during these treatments, he stayed busy writing set lists and calling his band members about upcoming shows he'd booked which were to happen immediately after the treatments.
Those shows went on in grand style but sadly, the house is dark tonight.

I sure will miss him but he won't go away...

Scott Mathews

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Subject: Re: Dan Hicks

It was 2004 when I got to meet Dan. He came down from the Bay area to play at the memorial service for Bill Ward... the Bill Ward who brought country music radio to Los Angeles. His son Cameron Ward, one of the nicest fellows I've ever met, hired Dan and his band to come and perform at this event. I was just there to make sure everything went smoothly and they had what they needed.

I may have known who Dan Hicks was, but had no idea that just meeting him and watching him perform would change the way I view musical artists. Well, some of them any way.

Dan was definitely a no-bullshit kind of guy, but very real. You know how some people are just impossible to resonate with... Dan was the opposite. I got him when he spoke. He was quite kind and genuine. He didn't treat me like some old friend, but rather like just a person. He was remarkably sincere. And very likeable.

What amazed me though was the humility and sincerity he displayed. He and his band played very quietly. They played as background music, so as not to distract anyone there, but to enhance the experience for those who were there to remember Bill Ward. Dan and his band played in the most egoless manner imaginable. Like they weren't there to be noticed, but rather to pay the utmost respect to his old friend Mr. Ward. When I mentioned it to him, he kindly said "Today isn't about me. It's about Bill Ward. That's why I'm here. I wouldn't have missed this opportunity."

Those words touched me. I felt like I had quite possibly just met the most sincere artist in music history. Most folks my age would not have ever even heard of Dan Hicks. But I had, and to meet him truly was an honor which I'll never forget.

Dan Hicks may indeed have been the only truly hip person there ever was. I saw it that day. Whatever it was, he got it. He understood. All of it. And for a brief moment, he showed me what it all meant, too.

Marc Nelson
Tulsa, OK

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Re: Glenn Frey

In 1972 our band, America, found ourselves back in the USA in the Los Angeles offices of Lookout Management with our new managers, David Geffen and Elliot Roberts... after starting our band in London in 1970. We were 20 years old with a #1 album and single...and we were excited!

The hit records were cool, but we were just as excited to be around the people we looked up to who inspired our own music at the time...CSNY & Joni Mitchell in particular. We had seen Jackson Browne open for Joni at the Royal Festival Hall (and Laura Nyro as well) but were only just learning about this band called Eagles, along with other artists in the office like J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt, David Blue, Judy Sill and more soon to come with Irving Azoff bringing in Joe Walsh and Dan Fogelberg. But the Eagles (along with Jackson & J.D.) seemed to have this unique energy at that moment that grew in those offices from the time we arrived.

Glenn was always upbeat when we crossed paths and buzzing about the latest project or song or tour in the planning. We were all busy with our bands in those days, but when I would see him he always had that twinkle in his eye and a humorous remark to ease tensions...always cordial...at the same time he was focused and serious when necessary.

We never shared the stage with the Eagles proper, but Glenn & Joe got up with us to encore at the Hollywood Bowl one year, and we opened for them (Glenn Frey-Joe Walsh Band) later on. I'll always remember Glenn inviting me out to the Palamino to see the band he was producing, Jack Mack & The Heart Attack, and him saying, "I wantcha all to meet my friend, Dewey!"...made me feel good and still does! I figured we might spend more time hanging out when the smoke cleared...but it never really did. I miss him now and it goes without saying that I love his music and am proud to have come up with him and that gang from the old days that seem to have gone so quickly.

Dewey Bunnell

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Re: Glenn Frey

It was 1973 when I first met Glenn. I was a lowly promo man at EMI UK( the company had the Asylum license at the time)and Glenn was in town for the Eagles UK debut at The Royal Festival Hall on 16th March. The band had had no UK success and the hall was full of Young Americans. I could'nt get arrested at radio with 'Take it Easy' or 'Witchy Women'. '74's 'On the Border' was the group's first UK chart success.

We did some interviews to promote the eponymous debut LP and Glenn was the main spokesperson. Undoubtedly 'the glue' of the band has Henley so aptly put it. We hung out in London and became friends. His hair was the same length as mine. In November that same year the Eagles returned as support to Neil Young on his Tonight's the Night tour and we spent more time together.

I moved to MCA in '76 and on my first trip to California in '77 we met up again and did some clubbing together. When Irving took over at MCA in '83 Glenn must have mentioned that we were friends, as Susan let me in the door straight away and there were few interuptions! He later broke The Fixx for me. I worked with Glenn on The Heat is On and all his MCA solo albums and Cindy, my wife Annabelle and I shared a table at London's Town and Country club on the Stange Weather tour. While promoting that tour we did some advance promotion together and , whilst in Stockholm on September 14th '92, we ordered an expensive claret. 'Excellent' said Glen as we drained the last drop. He ordered a second bottle. Seeing the corporate panic on my face he insisted on picking up the tab. A true gentleman sorely missed.

You did him proud. All the best, Bob.
Stuart Watson
Phuket Thailand.

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Re: Glenn Frey

I have had the honor, privilege and pleasure of working with Glenn for the better part of 12 years. Listening to my older brother sing "Peaceful Easy Feeling" on our front lawn, to a group of girls gazing adoringly at him with tears streaming down their faces, was the catalyst for me picking up the guitar as a teenager. At that moment I realized the "power of song" - if a song and a voice could move people that much, I wanted in! My years with Glenn were some of the most memorable times of my musical career. With so many great artists dying too soon, I'm reminded of something Glenn used to say on stage – "We're all going to hell in a Honda, drink the good wine now!"

Peace,

Jonathan Clark


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