Re-Eddie Money

I happened to be playing my 3rd of 4 shows last night at Pine Knob here in my hometown of Clarkston, MI last night. We had never played any of his songs before last night, but man, his stuff is right in my wheelhouse! it's fun, easy to rock/dance too, makes ya feel good and our gravel an gruff in our vocals seems to line up just a bit! (We rehearsed it twice in soundcheck and I had a cheat sheet of lyrics on the stage) - but it reminded me of playing all those bars and clubs for all those years where you just learned shit on the fly and let it rock! What a great talent he was. Sorry about your friend. I am up early this am and did a quick youtube search and of course a fan already posted it! Hope you enjoy our tribute to your friend, I am sure you know his history at Pine Knob.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00cE-nmj4PY

Robert Ritchie / Kid Rock

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Long time reader; first time responder.

This was a really beautiful column. Yours almost always are, especially under these circumstances. Eddie was an industry Rodney Dangerfield. I don't know whether he cared. I didn't know him, but he seemed to have a sense of place. He owned for pretty much ever, Pine Knob's (suburban Detroit venue, now DTE), start of summer concert slot. What sentient person doesn't want to crank Shakin' to car radio distortion levels and open the windows/sunroof? And you are money for singling out Trinidad. No non-Trumpian can listen to that track without smiling and having the all-telling shoulder to ear ratio fall to healthy chillin' levels. Again, didn't know him, but based on every interview I ever read, including yours, I think he was was ok with this.

Dan Bober

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I met Eddie at a CBS Records event in 1977, right after his debut album came out and "Baby Hold On" was moving up the charts. He was introduced to me by my friend Bruce Botnick, one of the really superior recording engineers, who had worked with me in the 60s on a Rick Nelson project. He had also engineered the Doors. Bruce produced Eddie's album and is really responsible for how great it sounded on the radio.

Eddie and I had lots in common - both Irish-Americans from New York. We got along immediately and spent an hour or so drinking and swapping stories. He was blown away by how fast the CBS team had broken his record, and immensely grateful to Bruce and everyone at Columbia. I'll remember him as a down-to-earth guy, a straight-ahead, no-frills artist who gave every song his all. When I heard he died, I logged on to Spotify and played one of my favorites of his songs:

I wanna go back and do it all over
But I can't go back, I know...

I'll miss him.

Best,
John Boylan

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Eddie Money......."There Will Never Be Another You" and I hope we all "Save a Little Room in Your Heart" for Eddie Money today. Both great tracks by a class act. Thanks for the great tribute been listening to his music all day and reminiscing about my youth. Rest In Peace Eddie $ and be well Bob.

Lee Zeidman

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I love those early Eddie Money hits so much.

Ambrosia Healy

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That whole album totally rocks. Time and time again I think I need to get it on CD, and rip to MP3, or hook up my Sony turntable to my Realistic (radio shack house brand) STA-528 receiver. Neither has seen daylight in a long time

Sad to hear of his passing, but as you say his music lives one. Saw him once live way back when, it was good show.

70 really is not that old. I am going on 58 and when I look at how fast 12 years can blow by...I need more time! I got stuff I want to do. I still dream of 'makin' it'
with music.

Cheers

Mitch Nixon

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Sorry about the loss of your friend. He is a highlight on the soundtrack of my life.

Paul Babb

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Beautiful! Thank you!

A major loss. I grew up on Eddie Money's music and he lived in my hometown of Lafayette, CA - we all felt close to him during high school. RIP neighbor. :(

Thanks, Bob
Cheers!

Caroline Rustigian Bruderer

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Great piece bob I think people forget about what a great song baby hold on to me was. Great tribute you could tell he had an awesome sense of humor being able to joke about himself in the public eye.

Thanks, Tom

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Great tribute Bob...the money man is smiling!

Michael Abramson

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I still listen to the radio. When "Two Tickets to Paradise" comes on (and it often does), I am always in awe of the production and musicianship. The percussion is especially special. They don't write 'em like that anymore.

-Juan T.

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What a beautiful tribute to a truly great singer. Melodic rock? Blue-eyed soul? Pop? That voice could deliver it all with FEELING.

Carlos Ramirez

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Big smile. Thank you.

Nancy Sullivan

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I met Eddie on his way to open for the Stones in 1978. We did a warm up show at the club I booked -Dooley's. He was magic, one of those nights where you knew you were in the room with the NBT. And he was.
A quick 40 years mixed with intermittent sleep later, he is 70 and silenced by cancer.
I was almost extinguished too, but escaped the death grip. Still here today fortunately.
We got to revisit 1978 together at the ride for Ronnie Dio event we have in May every year, in LA. He gave his time freely and was a pro and a friend.
I am sad to see him go. The world needs more Eddie Mahoney's. He will be missed.
God bless Eddie. There's some good rockin' under the full moon tonight.

Danny Zelisko

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Hi Bob,

Bruce Allen put me on onto you and have seldom been disappointed by your views. I want to thank you for sharing your relationship with Eddie Money, one of musics under rated artists.
Rest comfortably Eddie you will be missed.

EJ
Vancouver

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thanks, worked with eddie

Martin Katon

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Too many makers of the music of our memories are leaving us. I'm almost Eddie's age, and I'm watching my heroes drop, both younger and older. I have the longevity gene, and I'm selfishly wondering who's gonna be left to provide the soundtrack for the rest of my life.

Dave Wood

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This one landed hard. I live in as straight a world as you can find. It's my own doing. But when I play Eddie Money, the possibilities just open wide, and I remember to take myself a lot less seriously.

Cheers,
Steve Hayden

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Esophagal Cancer sucks. I've lost close to 85 lbs.
Dr's say I'm curable and its not spreading, thank god.
I met Eddie at the Bottom Line, back in the late 70's. We did blow in the bathroom. Great guy.

Stu Cohen

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Thank you for your mindful and kind words about our friend Eddie.
I worked with him starting almost 40 years ago during my years at Winterland Productions.
I know he is up there smiling at you ….

Talking 'bout my T-shirts
And how they used to fit me
When I'm laughing with the boys
Their spirits seem to lift me

Oh, my friends, my friends
We never got together again
but I love my friends, my friends

My friends, my friends
We never got together again
but I really do miss my friends

"My Friends, My Friends"

Cheers,
Louis Roth

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Eddie was a Loving Husband & Father. Eddie was a Rockstar! Eddie was a Pro! Eddie was so Funny! Eddie Loved Golf & The Dodgers. Eddie was a Genuine - one of a kind Friend.
"I've Got 2 Tickets To Paradise and I'm taking You all with Me" #TheMoneyMan
Many Blessings to his One and Only Queen Laurie and their awesome Family. "Love ya Ed...say Hello to Subby"
TA

Terry Anzaldo
TA Entertainmen

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Wanted to share an insight into Eddie's essence. He made demo after demo for Columbia. They passed. Bill was his manager, and they still passed. More demos. More passes. But he just kept coming until he got it right.

David Rubinson

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heavy shit right there, thanks for sharing it.

Michael Halloran

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Lefsetz, your columns are "Money!" His music will live on forever.

Gary Kaltbaum

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Bob - thank you for this. I needed it.

Geoff

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Thank you, Bob.
Sad, sad to see "us" pass — our turn, I know, but hard to handle.
Kevin Ritchie

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Thank you for this tribute, Bob. "Two Tickets" and "Baby Hold On" were monolithic in the lives of my 9th grade friends and me...as much as any of our Aerosmith and Rush and Van Halen records. And when we put our first garage band together and struggled to find songs that were simple enough that we could play halfway decently, "Two Tickets" was the one the girls in our neighborhood loved the most.

I'm including a photo from 1991, just before recording the debut Brother Cane album, when Eddie came to Birmingham, AL for a sporting event and a promoter asked us to back him up for a few songs. To have Eddie lean into me and hold the mic so that we could harmonize together on the chorus of "Baby Hold On" was something I'll never forget. He was so special.

Damon Johnson

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Out of the 1000+ rock star interviews I've done, Eddie couldn't have been more of a delight. Honest. Funny. Real.

I don't think people gave him credit for some incredibly thought-filled songs. And I don't think he was the deepest thinker, and the great thing was he didn't pretend to be. Yet he did deliver vital lyrics for our lives. "Hope" as you stated.

Your line at the end is truth; "...inspire you to grab hold of this rock life, chuck off the straight world, stop being a policeman and cut loose."

How many people can't take off their uniform and live the life? Most. I still have a tough time. If Eddie can do it. And you can do it. Why not me?

This life is Life For The Taking. And Eddie and I talked about it...

"People say
Look at the money they save
But I don't believe that life's that way
An old man once looked at me in the eye
He seemed to sigh
He seemed to sigh, don't let life pass you by..."

I appreciate the work you do.

-Frank Jenks
Listen In

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Love the Eddie tribute. What a great time making No Control with him. I'm just starting out as a studio guitarist and there is Tom Dowd, Andy Johns and Eddie. R&R royalty. They have all passed now but did they ever leave their mark. Eddie was just such a genuine guy. Rare in the music biz. His music resonated that. It spoke to the masses. Marty Walsh

Marty Walsh

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Nice tribute… I must say.. You really nailed it about Eddie.. brought a tear to my eye. I did his travel. He was always courteous and kind. Thanks for saying it for me.

Carol Dunn

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Thanks for this, Bob
I wish the world had more Eddie's in it.
We'd all be better and happier...

Greg Malecki

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Hi Bob.
Glad you mentioned 'Trinidad' and give it it's due.
Back in the early eighties I lived in a town outside of Windsor Ontario.
WRIF in Detroit was the only station I ever heard that played Trinidad and I loved it.
Still do to this day.
Loved his other stuff as well but that one has always got me.
Blue skies.
Andrew Parr

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great column Bob...loved Eddie Money from the time I heard him and always thought of him as a survivor in a tough business...even liked his show on AXS where he seemed to have no problem making fun of himself and showing off his family. Life is just too short sometimes. thanks.

Dr. Robert Dranoff

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Eddie was booked at a local festival in the cornfields outside of Chicago back in 2000. The radio station I was working at sponsored it. Eddie was paid 19 grand. He arrived on his tour bus, pulling an equipment trailer with just a couple of hours to spare. 'Turns out they had driven from Buffalo. They set up, and rocked. Eddie was spectacular but the show wasn't over...Afterward, Eddie announced he'd be signing autographs at our radio station van. A merch table was set up and Eddie was given a fist full of Sharpies. In the heat, humidity & mosquitos, Eddie made another 7 grand selling and signing T-shirts and CDs. Talking to everybody, taking pictures. A really nice guy. People were elated.

Eddie Money was talented, no doubt about it. But Eddie was also a hard worker. He knew that his wasn't the kind of talent you could ride like a rocket. He was going to need to get out and push...and he did, always. And that's why we loved him.

Ken Misch

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nice note Bob....I saw Eddie Money at this great show in '79 (https://www.last.fm/festival/941319+SunFest+79) with The Cars and the Beach Boys (bigger names) and the crowd was into it especially "Two Tickets to Paradise"; they didn't care how heavy he was.

Boy was that a super hot day; my buddy wore long jeans and he was dying of heat. They actually turned the fire hoses on the crowd to help cool down. But the bands were great, a super day.

Chris Wraight

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Hi Bob. Nice tribute to Eddie and so sorry that you lost a friend. Completely agree about Trinidad. Definitely my favorite EM song. May he rest in peace.
Gary Sender

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While on spring break 1989 I saw him in Daytona beach with Ronnie spector and it was fun and great. Sad. He was money.

Jac Berman

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Touching tribute.

He played several end of season shows at the Harry Chapin Theatre in Eisenhower Park in Nassau County. The shows were free so casual and non-fans often predominated but one never could tell. I take joy when I attend a show where you can tell the performer(s) give their all clearly are not mailing it in. His daughter performed with him including the Ronnie Spector part and that just added to the many special moments.

I had read he has the reoccurrence but was shocked when I received the (NY Daily) News alert I shared with you of his passing.

Just a good guy.

Corey Bearak

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Great tribute. RIP Eddie Money.

Hope your health is well, Bob.

Tom Calococci

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Bob,

Thanks for that! Eddie Money was always kinda background music for me, but thanks for plugging me (no pun intended) into the Unplugged album. I had no idea?!?! And thanks for putting a human face and story to this guy. You've done what only the best, truest friend could do for someone - elevate them in the eyes of others. I'll always have a new-found love & respect for Eddie...

Cheers,

Roy Liu
Boston & MRG

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Great piece. Eddie was a customer of ours and nothing but a kind, generous man. The entire family is that way. He was a master at his craft and an even better man. We are better for knowing him.

Mike Newman
CMO
BubbleUp

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Eddie Money didn't get near enough credit for his recorded catalogue...
Especially the song-for-song depth of those early albums.

Let me leave it here with a few lines from a song on the first album:

Save a little room in your heart for me
Save my pictures with your memory
And I'll be there...
Eternally.

Marty Bender

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Your description of Eddie is spot on to me. I met him at Leopolds Records in Berkeley in the very early 70s. His then girlfriend worked for us. He was friendly and open, a good person. He hadn't put out a record yet so for us he was then Eddie No Money, but he loved the music like all of us. RIP.

Robert Heiblim

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Just GREAT, Thank you.

Kevin Benson

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We think we know an artist because we know the music... Or what we see of them in the media. You helped me understand him a little bet better today, and I thank you.

His music will live on. He had a gift and shared it. We're all better because of it. Thanks for letting us see a little bit more.

RIP Eddie $

John Cayne

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Eddie's finally made it to Paradise.

- Tony Koch

ANTHONY RHODES

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Bob,
We lost a good one.
Larry Green

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"I've got three tickets to paradise
I gave two away in my song."

RIP Eddie Money

I always raise two fingers to anyone whose around during the chorus.

Peter Duray-Bito

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Thanks for a beautiful tribute. Went to youtube, played the songs you mentioned, then felt like I knew Eddie $ too. MPT

Mark Telloyan

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I did production for Eddie multiple times over the years , from the late 80's on. I never heard Eddie utter a negative word or be unkind. Funny, self deprecating, and a great hang.

Early 2000s I worked an after hockey game EM concert at a B Level arena in a C Level town, and the hockey team was more concerned about the zamboni than the band....and Eddie took it all in stride. He knew the feature that evening was supposed to be the team and that he was the wrap up for the walk out afterward....he came out, killed it....he worked the crowd like the pro he was, and was upbeat and positive....The crowd stayed, sang along to every word, and Eddie left to thunderous applause.

Screw the critics....Eddie was a talented guy who sang positive songs people could relate to. I know he was loved and I know he will be missed.

RIP Eddie $

Trent Keeling

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Bob, Wonderful send off for Eddie Money. He was such a colorful character. He could be such a pain sometimes, but you couldn't help but love the guy. Got some great memories of him too. You described him so perfectly that I shed a few tears.

Alan Oreman

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Very well written Bob. His songs 'Gimme Some Water', 'Trinidad', 'Save A Little Room In Your Heart', 'Runnin' Away' and 'Peace In Our Time' have all held a permanent spot in my life's playlist. Today 'Save A Little Room In Your Heart' seems appropriate.

Godspeed Eddie, thanks for the memories.

Dave Livingston

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Eddie and the LA favorites from decades ago (RIP Alan), the Buddaheads:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=eBcanj6et2U

John Cayne

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Good ears Bob!!
Everyone can't be Journey, thank god for that.

Best,
Chris Florio

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Several years ago at the Sunset Sessions in San Diego, CA the entire Money family was in attendance and I got to spend time with them for a few days. I really enjoyed hanging out with and talking to his kids, even felt a little connection. And now Eddie is gone and all I can think about is the family and their loss, Eddie was one of a kind! Yesterday I listened to a lot of Eddie Money and it was nice to hear Mest cover "Two Tickets To Paradise" at the show I attended last night...

Tim Pyles

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I was fortunate to get to work with Eddie for many years. He was the true definition of showman. Always knew how to pump up a crowd, sang his tunes with bright eyes a big smile. And boy could he play that sax...

Before he'd go on stage he would regale us with stories from his time spent on the road. Then he'd tell some corny jokes and comment "I'm planning on opening for myself tonight."

A light went out in the world when Eddie left us. And a few silly jokes will be left untold...

Craig Newman

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I kept telling my friends, wait for Bob to weigh in on Eddie Money. He will make you cry. And you did. Lost my father to cancer and it's just like you say, you can never know how hard it will affect you. Thanks for the kind words about Eddie.

Kevin Andrusia
Orlando, FL

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Bob
My favorite Eddie Money track has always been "I Wanna Go Back" It resonated with me as different parts of life passed by. The ups and downs. The hello and goodbyes.

I'm in my 40s now and watching the generation of parents and family who raised me slowly pass on. Grandparents, Uncles, older relatives and recently my Father In-law. All hold various memories for me and each time I have found myself saying "I Wanna Go Back" and do it all over. Appreciate those moments a helluva lot more than I did growing up. But just like Eddie said "..but I can't go back I know..."

Lou Verile, Jr.

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Beautiful tribute Bob.Like many people, I dismissed his music. But here in Detroit, Eddie had a special prominence as he opened up the Pine Knob music season. Yes,
a haimishy dude.

Rob Title

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I'm sure every fan is thinking of Eddie today, and I think all of us cancer survivors are grieving this loss in a special way, because we know the insidious nature of cancer and how it keeps you looking over your shoulder.

RIP, Eddie$

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As young engineers at Columbia my friend and I cut Eddie's original demo. It was a very interesting evening featuring Troggs Tape type conversations that, just like the Troggs Tape, we recorded. We liked him and it was clear that Eddie had that something you need to hit.

Phil Brown

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Eddie Money r.i.p.

As I've said before , being a stage tech of a certain age in the Bay Area means a lot of artists are on the "I knew them when" list.

Eddie is on that list for me especially considering how much he played in the clubs. He was just as likely to be at The Stone as he was The Kabuki or Old Waldorf.

Also, I worked with a band* he produced a record for in 1985.

Being close to BGP Artists also brought me in proximity to him and his partner, Jimmy Lyons, whom I would later hire as an overdub session player @ Music Annex Studios in Menlo Park.

Then there was that time....

Six Degrees of Separation, indeed.

My deepest condolences to all his family and friends.

Allen ( Alien) Craft

* Eddie and The Tide was a Santa Cruz / SF bay Area club band that was starting to pop a bit, and their manager, Bobby Corona (The Keystone Family) got Eddie to produce their 2nd self-released LP. His Pop/Rock arranging skills were evident and the record was a decent product, imo. They never got real traction although they played regularly for many years.

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I'm sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing his notes, seeing how he described his condition and also asked you how you are, it showed he genuinely cared. His humor was intact, I couldn't help remembering "self-pity is the thing that I avoid now, 'cause you see it makes, makes everybody, everybody cry" (from "Bring On The Rain" which he co-wrote). I've been streaming his music since I heard the news… 70, gone too soon. Be well.

All the best,
Olga Cardona

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Bob, as I read your piece from yesterday after a long 2 days at work Take A Little Bit from "No Control" (my personal fav of his) was playing on my Spotify. Synchronicity indeed. Wouldn't normally write but this was a pleasant coincidence. Incidentally my father passed a month ago and I appreciate your insight and experience as usual.

Peace,
Gregg Prince
Longtime reader from Buffalo, NY

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The man absolutely new how to write and perform a perfect pop song. Few of the critically acclaimed can say that. Few of anyone can say that.

I remember discovering this in middle school - Wherehouse records was going out of business and my best friend bought a best of Eddie Money for a couple bucks as a goof. Joke was on us. We fell in love.

RIP Eddie Money!

Justin Richmond

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You're right 70 is way too young. It's hard enough anticipating the time approaching when so many well known and so loved will pass, affecting so many. With each, will go a little bit of all of us. But, as you say, the music lives on and, until my last day, just the sound of Eddie's voice will take me to such a distinct place and time in my life. It's magical.

Thank you, Eddie $ (and thank you Bob for reminding me to listen).

George Wood

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makin' this old dude cry on the keyboard.
My wife of 31 (holy crap- time!) years, slowing getting ill over the past year. CT scan discloses large tumour on frontal lobe. Successful surgery.
Waiting for biopsy ... result: rare, aggressive Metastatic cancer.
Every day is gift and every moment precious.
Life can sure turn on the proverbial dime.
On with the fight.
People like you give us hope...you've been fighting yours for a few years now.
even with the losses of Eddie Money, we must persevere ... listening to 'Unplug It' ... thank you
Be your truth Bob !
Ken Hunter
in Vancouver

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Great take Bob. Eddie made everybody he met in this business feel like a million bucks and that is why he was the "Money Man". My wife Luanne and I played his music last night and toasted to him. You mentioned Trinidad from one of the most under-rated albums "Playing For Keeps" and if I can share two more gems from that album in The Wish and When You took My Heart they sounded fresh as ever. Not gonna lie, we shed some tears as Eddie was a fixture at the Canyon venues where she works here in SOCAL and we had so much fun when he opened the Santa Clarita venue almost two years ago. Had a blast with Eddie and Laurie that night and just to set a little back story...the liquor license and kitchen did not get cleared in time, so you had a venue open with no food or booze. No problem, you had Eddie Money. He nailed one of the most energetic sets, had everyone in stiches and his kids were on fire playing that night as well. He made the crowd realize his music was all it took..."Everybody Rock & Rolled the place, to say the least.

There is not a rock radio guy that came up in the 70's and 80's that hasn't shared a Facebook story...the love they are showing is amazing and so well deserved. Will miss Eddie and happy he touched so many people.

Best,
Tommy Nast

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On my Facebook page, the first link I put up was another album cut "Everybody Rock And Roll The Place"...THAT to me was the spirit of one of the best yet still underrated rockers of all time.

For a man who had so much success, I was curious why he did so many county fairs and smaller towns...I guess , to him, it was a way to get close to even more fans...You don't meet everyone working at the Greek, but you do at State Fairs where other performers wouldn't be caught dead.

I saw him twice...The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano late 1988
..The Celebrity Theatre in Anaheim New Years Eve 1989...Wonderful shows by a guy who obviously loved his fans.

Mike Johnson

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Loved him loved his music. Don't remember which wife but he lived in my hometown in the bay area for awhile.
You could go into the local greasy spoon and he would always be there for breakfast. Everyone in town loved him.
Also remember his show in Fresno with Bryan Adams opening, Eddie in the middle and Journey the headliner. We all started counting how many times the mic stand went off the stage. 8 times in his set....
Adams killed and of course Journey owned the place. Think he knew he was in a tough gig....
Gonna miss the guy

Tom Hedtke

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Unplug It In...you nailed it...played it all the time...still play it a lot....the energy of that recording grabs you by the throat...

This may sound dumb but to this day when somebody says Houston...I think of....I think you know what I mean...

Tom Clark

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Bob… Eddie Money did our show, WMMR's Morning Zoo, in the early 90s and was such a guy's guy, down to earth, charming interview subject, albeit a little rough around the edges. He regaled us with tales from the road and took great delight in shocking us with his Rock-N-Roll debauchery. The night before, after his show, he told us he got in a bit of trouble and woke up without his watch, but wouldn't tell us how. He hinted someone may have rolled him or he traded it for "something". He kept us guessing with that crooked smile of his and said, "I'd better be careful what I say, my wife may be listening."

I would always have a guitar and piano handy and our lead guy, John DeBella, coaxed a cigarette raspy, hungover, missing his watch Eddie Money into singing at 7 am and It took a lot of begging on our part, but he finally caved in. During the break, Eddie, asked if I would play the acoustic guitar on "Two Tickets To Paradise" and he would play piano. We were rehearsing during the break and Eddie didn't realize we had come back on the air and says to me, "Hey, kid, when you get to the chorus, really hit that FUCKING guitar and don't leave me hanging here with my DICK in my hands." (I put fuck and dick in caps because he shouted both expletives for emphasis) We never worked with a dump button or 7 second delay and DeBella, aghast for a beat or two, says, "We're here on the show today with Eddie Money as part of our Christian programming requirement." Eddie, big goofy twisted smile, never acknowledged his cursing and then launched in to a blistering version of his iconic hit, and I didn't leave him fucking hanging with his dick in his hands.

The next day, our General Manager, Mike Craven, got us that 7 second delay device and we called it, "The Eddie Money Button". R.I.P., Eddie Money

Part Godwin

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Eddie Money is the only recording artist I know, who was loved by everyone. He had the biggest and warmest personality and made you feel like a best friend immediately upon meeting him.

I remember the first time we met, it was right before his debut album was released on Wolfgang/Columbia Records. It was 1977 and we were in Bill Graham's San Francisco office. Aside from being a legendary promoter, Bill was going to manage Eddie and put him on his subsidiary Wolfgang label that he had with Columbia. I was Columbia's western region album rock promotion man at the time, had heard the album, told him I thought it was really good and that we had a chance of establishing him as a serious new rock artist.

Eddie, big, tall, and kind of goofy, looked down at me with his unkempt mop top floppy hairdo, wearing a huge oversized magenta scarf, and said, "Mamma Mia, I hope it goes!" Right then I knew he was a really down to earth kind of guy.

I knew the album had a good chance for success but I wasn't ready for how quick it was accepted by radio and how fast we were able to establish, not one, but two hits off a debut record - "Two Tickets To Paradise" and "Baby Hold On."

Eddie was a natural frontman and his original guitar player Jimmy Lyon played a role like Ronnie Wood did for Rod Stewart in the Faces - together they killed it onstage. Eddie was a very funny guy with quick wit and often the dumbest jokes.

In the beginning, he was a wild man like many rockers. On his first radio promotional tour he was going to be traveling with Warren Williams, a legendary Columbia rep for the western region. Eddie asked Warren to stop at a local liquor store, "Hey Warren, I just want to run in and get a pack of cigarettes." About twenty minutes later Eddie emerged with a giant case full of Whiskey, Vodka, Tequila, and Gin - "OK, I'm ready now."

In later years he toured as a classic rock act with his daughter and other family members in his band. He used to joke--"It's like the Partridge Family, only with marijuana!"

Eddie was born in Brooklyn, grew up on Long Island, and was a member of the New York Police Department which he left after a couple of years to pursue his music career. He never lost sight of his blue-collar upbringing and even at the height of his career with all the celebrity, millions of albums sold, and large sum of money he made, was one of the few artists who never changed. His ego was always in check, he remained a regular guy--someone you'd really have fun hanging out with. And he treated anyone he met, in any walk of life, exactly the same, with big respect.

Once he was traveling with a local rep in New York--they were late for a radio interview and speeding on the Long Island Expressway. They were pulled over by the cops and it turns out one of the policemen was a guy who was a classmate of Eddie's when they went through the Police Academy together. "Hey Eddie, you knucklehead, what are you doin'?!! Come on, I'll give you guys a police escort!" That kind of fun luck used to happen a lot for Eddie.

As industry insiders know, we often staged events for artists to hang out with radio personnel so they could bond and a meaningful relationship could be established beyond just delivering a record to a radio station. For Eddie we chose paintball - invited all the radio station peeps in southern California to the Malibu hills, chose up teams, and ran around shooting each other with balls of paint while we played Capture The Flag. No one had more fun than Eddie who was the captain of his team. The exercise was so grueling running up and down gullies and constantly diving into the brush or climbing behind big rocks for cover that both Eddie and I, who fancied ourselves as macho dudes, had a big laugh that it took us three days and a lot of Advil to recover.

Eddie will be sorely missed, not only by his family, but for all of us who had the pleasure of working with him. Whenever you told any radio personnel that Eddie was coming by, their eyes lit up because they knew they were in for a good time and a lot of laughs.

It's never easy when someone passes that you had a connection with. This one is especially hard -I feel like the world has lost one of its biggest smiles.

Paul Rappaport

______________________________________

Bob -
When I was a kid in the late '70s I bartended for a winter and a summer, in a tough little Vermont town - Vergennes. Far from winter wonderland, before cable TV and Fedex brought the outside world. The world revolved around The Galley, the one bar in this little burg. Everything was there - business, breakups, toasts, fights, exchanges of many items, not all legal.

Backwoods small town, pretty reticent. Nobody said too much. The jukebox was the chorus playing the songs they talked to each other through - songs sang what couldn't be said but all felt. Many of these kids (and adults) had tried each other out in high school. Few secrets. Most of those encounters hadn't worked out as hoped, and yet some went back to the same well hoping for different, to satisfy that thirst... . Every weekend we'd see a pair-up after numerous rum and cokes that you knew next weekend the guy would be with somebody else and the girl would be watching across the room. He'd play the knucklehead hymn "Takin Care of Business". All the buds would sing along.. She'd play Bonnie Tyler's "It's a Heartache". Or Patti Smith "Because the Night", not to be hip - the rack jobber had just stuck it in the machine and somebody played it and it worked. Played it a few times myself. Had my own shadow romance in play, another story for another day.

It wasn't all dark. The guys worked hard, the BTO tune wasn't apropos for nothing. And the girls weren't fragile flowers. They held their own. And don't tell me that town had no heart. But the lines were drawn by the songs they chose.

The one song everybody agreed on was "Baker Street". Mournful but redemptive. Familiar vibe, fit the scene like a Carhartt work glove. "He's got this dream about buying some land"...

The other one a lot of the guys played - the boys back in town after foraying out on their own - usually only for a couple months, some having picked up a Southern accent without venturing any closer to the Mason-Dixon than Albany...and also played by the serious country kids, the ones with common sense, a little depth, a little fire in their eyes?

"Two Tickets To Paradise". It worked for them. Same here.

RIP Eddie Money. That song spoke. Simple but honest and true. Of all the songs played endlessly on that jukebox - that one blazed, that was the one I sang along with. That got a lot of us through that winter. It sounded like the world we knew was out there. It sounded great. It worked.

Jamie Howarth

______________________________________

Excellent. Thanks for this. Eddie Money was one of my favorites. A double bill of Eddie and Pat Benatar was one of my first concerts in '80 or '81 in Dayton, OH.

I received a number of texts yesterday from old friends, as I was THE Eddie Money fan in High School.

I followed him through his career and even when times were tough in the early 90s when I saw him at a small club in Cincinnati. After the show, a friend and I were shooting pool in the club and out from a back room came Eddie. Stumbling and slurring, "Eight ball in the corner pocket. Buy the new album guys!" he yelled. Still one of my favorite moments even though Eddie was clearly struggling.

I've enjoyed watching his resurgence with the AXS show and the news of his death particularly stings.

On a flight back from a business trip yesterday, I shuffled a little Money Medley. He really had some great songs, and not just the well known ones.

Like you, Trinidad was my favorite and posted it on my social media feeds yesterday in honor of Eddie.

I really enjoy your messages and podcasts, but this one inspired me to respond.

Thanks for listening (reading).

Steve Edwards

______________________________________

As co-chair of the Recording Academy's Grammy-in-the-Schools program for about ten years, it was my pleasure to have Eddie as a panelist for a couple years. He was a hit with the students since he honestly answered their questions and was funny and down-to-earth. He announced at a Board of Governor's meeting that he had arranged to be available to again spend the day at USC as part of that year's upcoming program. At the end of the meeting, the chapter's executive director came up to me and said, "We've got a problem. We did not plan to invite Eddie this year since we want to give others an opportunity to participate." Since she was paid staff, she did want to get into a potential political problem with a 'star. Since I was part of the volunteer leadership, I wasn't worried about getting fired and volunteered to take care of the situation. I went over to Eddie and told him that I was in a jam and needed his help. While I appreciated him graciously volunteering his services again, I mentioned that I was getting blowback from others who thought we should make room for new blood on the panels and that I felt their concerns were valid. I then asked if he wouldn't mind skipping the event and he replied, "that's totally fair and I am sorry for putting you in a tough spot." Eddie was a gentleman and the real deal. Bob Paris

______________________________________

Hey Bob- see below from Laurie Money. I forwarded your article.

dina
c/o LaPolt Law, P.C.

From: LAURIE MONEY
Date: September 14, 2019 at 9:22:46 AM MST
Subject: Re: Eddie Money
I heard about this. I wish I could tell everyone that the cancer didn't kill Eddie, complications following the heart valve procedure is what took him. Nice of Bob. Eddie would love this. Eddie was so hurt when he thought that Bob didn't like him. I'm glad they turned that around into a friendship. So typical of Eddie.

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Eddie Money At The Grammy Museum

https://spoti.fi/2lOYg1a

1

It's hard to write a hit. But from the moment he had one, the critics savaged Eddie Money.

It started with "Baby Hold On." The lyrics were not intellectual enough for the cognoscenti. But the music was undeniable, you heard it once and got it whereas so much vaunted stuff, then and now, you listen to over and over again and still don't get.

Then came "Two Tickets To Paradise."

Now that was a smash right out of the box. Great title, great track, great, emphatic chorus:

"I've got two tickets to paradise
Won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight"

This was 1978. When airline travel was still expensive. When you didn't hop on a plane to go to a show or a game, you were stuck at home, dreaming, of what could possibly be, and Eddie Money was opening the top of your brain and filling you with hope, and isn't that what we all need to get by?

But then people started commenting on his weight. Said he ate too many cheeseburgers. Sure, the cover of Money's debut was stylized, but it fit right in with the era, which might be one reason disco killed rock and then the whole business imploded until MTV resuscitated it.

And that wiped a lot of acts out.

But not Eddie Money. He made the transition. First came "Think I'm In Love" and "Shakin." And there's not a soul alive who was conscious in the eighties who does not know "Shakin'," the video was all over MTV. Even bigger was "Take Me Home Tonight," featuring Ronnie Spector, this guy brings back an original and he's the butt of jokes...why?

Now I bought the debut. Got a promo for two bucks the week it was released, and played it into the ground. It made me feel good.

But not as much as "Unplug It In."

It was 1992, "Unplugged" was flourishing on the now totally dominant MTV. Not that Eddie Money was cool enough to be featured, but he released his own acoustic live album, that positively ROCKED!

You see in '92, labels sometimes sent cassettes. At this point vinyl was almost done, in promoland anyway, and I got one of those little Philips creations and pushed it into the Alpine and immediately got into the groove, from the very first note of "Gimme Some Water," the opening cut. This was an album track from Money's mostly hitless second LP "Life For The Taking." Oh, "Maybe I'm A Fool" made it to number 22 on the singles chart, but at this point no one was listening to Top Forty, AOR ruled, and you didn't need a pop hit to go platinum, as "Life For The Taking" did.

Now the studio take of "Gimme Some Water" was a studio concoction, slick, kinda like Bon Jovi's "Blaze Of Glory." You were watching the movie, but in this '92 acoustic take you were LIVING IT! You felt like you were at the gig, it was immediate, engrossing, it made me feel alive, just after my father died.

That's a weird thing, a parent passing. My father had terminal cancer, but when he left this mortal coil I still was not prepared. Little music sounded good, but "Unplug It In" did, because it exuded the feeing of being alive, embracing the excitement of the moment, the power of rock and roll.

And track 2, "She Takes My Breath Away," continued the energy. Originally from Money's 1991 LP "Right Here," featuring writers like Mutt Lange and Diane Warren in search of an impact, it did not make one. The end of this live recording amped up the power. The original was the same song, but it was studio intimate. The live version, once again, was for everybody, you know the feel of a singalong.

But the piece-de-resistance was "Trinidad." A redo of the opening cut of Money's third LP "Playing for Keeps," from 1980, the live iteration has a distinct groove that gives the illusion you're all in a small club together:

"She calls my name
To come on back to hold me
Trinidad
Trinidad, Trinidad, Trinidad
Trinidad"

The only person I ever knew from Trinidad was Roger Ames. Who went to college in Canada. But we're all eager to be called back to the good times of yore, those memories call to us, they're what we think about when we put our head on the pillow.

And I'd have it down. Push the button to flip the cassette. Know how much to hold the fast-forward and reverse buttons to hear these three songs over and over. I distinctly remember listening to them on my ride back from that April day at Mt. Waterman, skiing locally, taking time off, grieving, and now after expending energy on the hill I had the sunroof open and the music blasting and...

I was smiling.

That's what Eddie Money's music did, make you smile.

2

And then we became friends. He had an AXS show. I asked him to do a podcast. He invited me to his interview and show at the Grammy Museum. He told me what I thought was an anti-Semitic joke, about his wife shopping, and then when I cried foul it turned out he had a Jewish mother, which is something I never expected, but now it made sense, Eddie Money was haimish, you met him and you were immediately his best friend. He whispered in my ear, he'd e-mail me, like we knew each other from way back when. But maybe we did, we both grew up praying to the god of rock and roll. And Eddie was over the hump, the drugs were in the rearview mirror, and then the cancer caught up with him.

First he told me it was gone.

But then it came back.

But he was checking up on me, on my pemphigus. The subject line of his e-mail was "How you feeling?" He was the kind of guy who cared. Oh, he could self-promote, although he had a sense of humor about himself, but I genuinely felt he did care, and to tell you the truth, very few people do, especially rock stars, they tend to be narcissistic and socially awkward, they let the music do their talking.

But not Eddie.

This is what he wrote:

"Thanks Bob 
Could be better
Esophagus Cancer  stage 4 
Leaked into my liver n lymph nodes
No pain n hopeing for the best 
Glad you like the new material
I'm excited about a second season of "Real Money" AXS tv show ) and releasing the new cd 
Kids are good and I'm still doing shows 
How is your health 
Good , I hope 
At the usc Cancer Treatment Center right now ....in God's hands 
Lost 40 pounds 
People say I look great 
Go figure. .huh Bob 
I know you must know how famous your column is ....the power of the pen .... i have people excited we're communicating 
I just hope your in good health 
Eddie $"

And then, nine days later, on March 13th of this year, Eddie wrote:

"Hush on my illness 
Please.  Feeling pretty good
Doing a pod cast with Louie Anderson 
Will announce it like Alex Trubeck 
Short , sensitive with a positive vibe 
Although   ALEX is in worse shape than me 
E$"

And then he went dark.

I thought about Eddie, figured he was doing well, figured I'd hear from him if it was otherwise, but then Peter Paterno told me the curtain was falling.

And today he passed.

Which is strange, because he was so alive, he was a funny dude, a good hang.

And the music lives on.

And when I first saw the news this AM, it didn't shock me completely, I knew he was sick. But as the day wore on and the e-mail came in, all I could hear in my mind was "Trinidad," it kept playing in my head.

God took Eddie Money home tonight. They took him back to Trinidad. The music lives on, but 70 is too damn young.

The Big C knows no bounds. If it can get Steve Jobs, it can get you. Sometimes you beat it, sometimes you don't. But I know if Eddie were here now, he'd tell you to spin his records and do your best to have fun, that was his goal, to inspire you to grab hold of this rock life, chuck off the straight world, stop being a policeman and cut loose.

Eddie certainly did!


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The Debate

It was boring.

The whole world tuned in...

And then the whole world tuned out.

This is why Roger Ailes succeeded, he knew it was all about showbiz, and the only person on stage who seemed to know this was Julian Castro. Yes, he was the big winner of the night, even though he called out Biden and was half-wrong. You see Castro came to win. A back of the pack softie, Castro demonstrated his fighting spirit, he stood up to Biden, laughed and rolled his eyes when somebody said something he thought was stupid or irrelevant. Now we know who Castro is. He certainly replaced Kamala Harris on the leaderboard.

Never pay heed to the analysts. By attacking Trump and nobody on stage, Harris took herself right out of the picture. She seemed like she really didn't want to be there, like a prosecutor on Friday who wants to wrap up and get out of court. She's toast.

As are the rest of the seven dwarves, other than the aforementioned Castro.

Beto O'Rourke, he even said some good stuff, but who cares? He was last year's flavor, now he's just another young guy trying to make a name for himself.

Klobuchar? A strict mother who was pissed with the shenanigans who kept telling us she knew better and to trust her, that she could bring the whole country together...huh? Forget plans, just meet me in the middle.

Cory Booker? Okay, you've been there and done that, but what have you done for us lately? You didn't solve the problems in Newark and now you want us to give you the keys to the Oval Office because..? I can't figure out a reason why.

And Andrew Yang, who triumphed by speaking English as opposed to political-speak, blew his whole candidacy by turning it into a game show. Yup, he was gonna give a grand to ten families every month...and then let's see what happens? Everybody else laughed. And when he said he knew about doctors because he was Asian, implying that the profession was filled with Asians, he demonstrated that he's living in a bubble, that he doesn't know the rules, that there are certain things you can't say, but he did! Over.

Mayor Pete? He said some good things, he appeared wise, he regained some luster, but not enough to recover from the police problems in his hometown.

Which leaves us with the three real candidates...Joe, Bernie and Elizabeth.

Warren avoided the question. Which was especially bad since Bernie answered it. Will Medicare For All make taxes go up? Of course it will, own it and move on. But she waffled to her detriment. And by time she found her voice again, even spoke, deep into the debate, when she was hitting them over the fence with no problem, nobody was watching.

Bernie killed, but his voice was shot, you couldn't stop thinking he'd yelled so much that he'd worn himself out. One thing you can say for Bernie, and Elizabeth too, is that they're passionate. Actually, they were the only two on stage who were. They were convinced what they were saying was true, they uttered it with emphasis, this stuff was important to them. The others? You wondered why they were on stage, because they certainly have no chance.

Other than Joe.

I'll tell you, he's from another era, with those teeth. As fake as can be. Bernie's are yellow, Elizabeth's imperfect, yet Joe's look like Jim Carrey's in "The Mask." And he's constantly fake smiling. Hell, that was the playbook in the last century, today we're looking for authenticity and credibility, and the way Joe acts you just don't buy it.

And he was creaky. He always seemed on the verge of forgetting something, a name, what he was talking about, it was uncomfortable watching him, you were willing him to get it right.

And he also came from the "trust me" school. Been there, done that, I'm the man. But Castro killed him by pointing out his selective embracement of Obama, saying he was with Barack when it suited him, and distancing himself when it didn't. You can't have it both ways. And the truth is Obama's been out of office nearly three years, and the time has changed. Hell, we all like Obama, except for those who believe he was born in Kenya, but that doesn't make him a great President. Hell, no one's been a better ex-President than Jimmy Carter, he's been on the right side of everything, advocating, unafraid of standing up to those who are wrong, but his term in office? Not so great.

Let's see, Obama lost both houses of Congress and many governorships and state houses, to the point where he couldn't get his agenda through. And as soon as he was gone, Trump and the Republicans eradicated/overturned almost all of his policies, clean water just today. But this is the guy we're advocating and adoring? I don't think so. Obama's closer to a boy band. Hell, late twenty and thirtysomethings are going to see the Backstreet Boys, but today's chart is dominated by Drake and Post Malone. We ain't going backwards folks.

And after the candidates argued over health care, they became so lovey-dovey, team-like, that the debate was impossible to watch. Once again, the pundits had said not to have a circular firing squad and everybody agreed. The end result? The audience tuned out.

And there were few specifics, other than trumpeting their CVs. That's why Bernie and Elizabeth stood out, there were some hooks in what they said. I mean when you talk broadly and say you're gonna throw fifty mil at this or that...no one believes it, it's too general, it doesn't affect me if it even happens.

But Warren owned public schools. And someone else, either Yang or Castro, said that charter schools are not better than public ones. And Warren essentially came out against vouchers. Like I said, there was some substance there. But most of it was uttered after the audience had tuned out.

So what it came down to, assuming you watched, was emotion and image. Who was the most likeable, who was the most sincere, who had the best delivery.

Trump pushes the envelope every damn day and tonight everybody but Sanders bunts. Got to give Bernie credit, he stays true to his ethos, he's always the same guy, it's appealing, but tonight with his gruff voice he wasn't.

As for moving the needle?

Not amongst the headliners, the big three, Bernie, Biden and Warren.

Like I said, Kamala is history, she killed her chances tonight, put a stake right through her own heart. Can Castro make hay from his appearance, be the new Harris? Possible, but doubtful.

So what we want is the three leaders on stage, sans kumbaya, a no holds barred cage match that reveals the true identity of these people, who they really are.

Biden will be overwhelmed and fold. He's not good with direct attacks, he's too busy going through his mental Rolodex, trying to figure out how to come back.

Sanders will fight hard. But we've seen this act before, back in 2016, it's hard for him to generate heat today, even though so many of his positions are right and he's got the aforementioned passion.

Which leaves us with Elizabeth Warren. She's the candidate by default.

We want to be led forward, which Biden certainly won't do, he's too much of an insider inured to the past.

Bernie's Metallica. All rough-edged, delivering his message with emphasis, hammering it home.

But Elizabeth Warren is closer to Ariana Grande. Someone who has a backbone who is the flavor of the moment. Warren's not Taylor Swift, she's not that devious and manipulative, she's playing for her positions, not herself, and that's appealing.

But this show was not. Makes you want to give up on politics.

One thing's for sure, Trump was speaking English, he made the debates his own, he owned the stage, he defined the game.

And that appealed to people.

Very little appealed to people tonight.


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Ken Kragen-This Week's Podcast

From the Limeliters to the Smothers Brothers, Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, Travis Tritt, Trisha Yearwood and even Gallagher, Ken Kragen is a legendary manager and one of the main drivers behind "We Are The World." Listen to hear his history, as well as the tale of that legendary charity project.

Now there was a point in this podcast where my heart started beating faster, where I got excited, when I remembered what once was, when Ken started talking about the seventies and eighties, the glory days, when music drove the culture and a performer was as rich as anybody in America, it's gone, but it was thrilling.

And Ken started telling his story, about promoting shows at his high school in the fifties, and I was stunned how I didn't know one of the singers' names. That's what seems to happen, you're famous in your era and then you're forgotten. The landscape is littered with superstars the younger generations do not know. Hell, once the boomers die, certainly the Gen-X'ers, will anybody remember Johnny Carson? It was kind of like growing up and hearing my mother lionize Sid Caesar, who eventually came back a bit, his old writer Mel Brooks featured him in "Silent Movie," but you're here today and gone tomorrow.

Kinda like the business titans too. You're on top of the world and then a footnote. Ken's not gone yet, but hearing about his lengthy career it reinforced a recent feeling...that it won't be long before I'm on the scrapheap too.

P.S. If you're only interested in "We Are The World," it's the last fifteen minutes or so.

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ken-kragen/id1316200737?i=1000449501258

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3B8yqHYafgIE7Xh2B33uLq

https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=63854842


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Pre-Debate Update

Warren is gonna win the nomination and beat Trump. End of story.

Driving this afternoon I was listening to Danny Wilde on direct connection via my iLX-W650. For newcomers, that's the Alpine head unit I installed in my car, a 2005 Saab that is really a Subaru. But the installer ran a cable into my glove box so I could plug my iPhone in directly and get CarPlay and superior sound. CarPlay is sort of cool, a direct connection is mind-blowing, you lose something with Bluetooth. Driving on the 10 last night, I heard Karla Bonoff's "Isn't It Always Love," and other stuff I hadn't heard in a long time. You see music through earbuds just doesn't cut it. But in the old days, we purchased bigger and better rigs to get closer to the sound, and I was reminded of that yesterday, especially when shuffle revealed the Doobie Brothers' "Natural Thing." The band was there, but the producer and engineer tweaked the sound just a bit, to make a great record.

And there are so many great records that never got their due, like Danny Wilde's "The Boyfriend." Sure, "Isn't It Enough" got some MTV love, but he was on Island which at that time just wasn't powerful enough, then he switched to Geffen and didn't deliver and then he got back together with his old buddy Phil Solem and became the Rembrandts and they delivered delicious stuff, but then they recorded the "Friends" theme and the act's image changed, but at least they can still tour on that hit.

But listening to "Isn't It Enough" I took notice of how long ago that was. 1986, thirty four years ago. So much has changed, people don't even make records like this anymore.

And our country surely isn't stuck in the eighties either.

But on the way to a hike tonight, I was touching the screen and changing tracks and I realized I was about to get in a wreck, multiple times, so on the way back home I turned up the news, Howard was repeating what I'd already heard. And what I got was Brian Williams pompously interviewing the usual suspects with their suspect analysis.

You see the Democrats and the media think it's still 2016. They're fighting the last war. And these are the people who called it wrong to begin with! They said Trump had no chance. The ball has moved, times have changed, you couldn't run Danny Wilde up the charts today, that straight ahead rock sound isn't in style. But somehow Joe Biden is?

So these outlets have to fill space. I don't understand the people who have TV news on all day long, especially because if you watch it all they do is quote the newspapers and discuss and argue over it, why not read the newspapers to begin with? These channels are cheering squads. Aligned with one party or another. And the people who watch want to feel good, but they're not the ones who need convincing, it's those not paying attention who do.

So what we've got is the political caste, the insiders, handicapping the election. This is like asking Doug Morris about Napster back in the year 2000. Or paying attention to the idiots who still think physical is gonna come back, that streaming is for losers because you can't own it. Are these same people angry that they can't own the shows they stream on Netflix? You've got to ignore these people, if you want to know where it's all going.

So, Trump decided to play by his own rules back in 2016. At first, everybody said he was wrong, both the Republican candidates and the RNC. But then, when it became clear Trump would be the candidate, they all got on board. But somehow, the Democratic nominee for 2020 must play by the rules. Huh? Isn't this how we got into this mess? Looking at history, viewing today through the past? This is how Apple defeated Microsoft to become the most valuable company on the planet. You skate to where the puck is going, not where it's been.

So for the last month or so, Trump has gone positively insane, completely off his rocker, do you think people haven't recognized this? Of course his base is gonna continue to vote for him. It'd be like classic rock fans suddenly embracing hip-hop, not gonna happen.

So Trump tapped into the frustrations of voters back in 2016, but the media and the DNC say the Democratic candidate can't tap into the frustrations of voters today. Story is more people hate Trump, they'll vote for anybody else but him. It's just a matter of appealing to them and getting out the vote.

But how do the usual suspects appeal to the voters, motivate them to get out? By endorsing Joe Biden whom no one can get excited about. I mean you might as well stay home. We're not returning to Danny Wilde's eighties and there's no way we're returning to the Obama era. The coordinates have changed, you've got to change your course.

But all the experts say no, that you've got to stay the course because the risk of Trump winning is just too big. That's like saying not to put out a new album because it might flop and this will negatively impact sales of catalog. But the truth is if you do nothing, if you stay out of the marketplace completely, catalog sales will tank all by their lonesome. Nothing is forever. You want to see the new "Star Wars," not the old one.

So the Democrats are all about infighting. Now they're even attacking Warren for taking big money in the past. She changed her mind, she saw the cash Bernie was raising, she decided to forgo the money of the man in favor of the proletariat. You can't change your mind anymore? You can't be impacted by what's going on?

And the truth is anybody with money is afraid of Warren, not only on the right, but the left. One, they used to control the process, and now they're losing control. Two, rich people don't want to sacrifice, they're afraid of losing, they've anointed themselves as an inviolate elite that can't be challenged. But the last time I checked, there are very few rich people, the middle class, or what's left of it, and the lower class, far outnumber the wealthy, and it's one person, one vote.

Which brings us back to the Electoral College. Yes, it comes down to four or five states. But Hillary, coasting in anticipation of her coronation, didn't do the hard work there, furthermore, she was advised by the same wankers who think they're still in charge today.

You should listen. The DNC and the talking head class are so afraid of Trump and the Republicans it's scary. If polls show five candidates beating Trump, it's too early to trust. You can't talk about any controversial subject. Yup, they're all saying to avoid certain topics tonight. It's like the Republicans are the parents and the Democrats are their children. Time to grow a pair and stand up for what you believe in. But no, you've got to chafe at your parents'/the Republicans' game, you can't define your own.

So we have a Democratic party in disarray, those making money off of it, the consultants, pollsters, the infrastructure, not wanting to play for what's right, but what others say is safe, all the while getting paid. It's positively ridiculous.

It wasn't industry insiders who moved the music business forward. It was Shawn Fanning. A COLLEGE STUDENT! And then music distribution was overhauled by a Swedish guy no one had ever heard of, Daniel Ek. But somehow in politics we should listen to the establishment? Give credit to music, it keeps moving forward, we blow out the old acts and the old execs, but not in politics, even when confronted with a sea change, i.e. the election of Trump.

Warren is Guns N' Roses. Or at least Pat Benatar. Meanwhile, Biden is Air Supply, which a few might tolerate but no one believes in. It's always the envelope-pushing that's the biggest, but we must play it safe in politics? Look at the movie studios, only making sequels. Now they're starting to fail in the marketplace, people have seen the trick, they want something new. And most want a whole new paradigm, i.e. streaming TV. So what does the movie industry do? Raise prices to keep their margins. Once again, it's like no one ever read Clayton Christensen's "Innovator's Dilemma." You superserve the usual suspects at your peril. The new is always denigrated, it's not mainstream, people don't need it, and then it puts the old out of business overnight. Remember when Tower Records folded?

So if you want to know what's going on, don't watch TV news, read the newspaper, and read editorial and opinion with a grain of salt. You want to know the facts and then come up with your own analysis.

The facts are out there, it's just the analysis that sucks. It's like no one is living in present day reality. People hate Trump, their wages are stagnant, graduates owe a ton of money, they can't afford houses, but because the stock market is gangbusters they're all gonna vote for Trump? OF COURSE NOT! They don't have skin in that game. So, Warren appeals to their souls and their pocketbooks, she makes sense, they think she can provide a way out of this mess, that she's on their team. Neera Tanden is smart, but she's got it totally wrong. Now it's about the people, not the fat cats or insiders. That's how Trump won, and now you're gonna throw out that playbook?

You learn from the past, and then inject it into the present.

People are disenfranchised. They want to get behind a leader, they want someone to believe in.

And that's why Warren will win.


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Re-Heart Correction

Hey Bob,
Yup, The Archies for the RnR HOF! Love that idea. Sugar Sugar was the #1 song for all of 1969, then Wilson Pickett did an outstanding version in 1970 and it went back on the charts...

My all time hero, Bob Marley, did a version as well..

The Archie's for the Rock Hall of Fame. Count me in!

Best,
Jon Goldwater
CEO
Archie Comic Publications
Executive Producer:
Riverdale
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

_____________________________________________

Herman's Hermits absolutely, and the Monkees. Not the Archies or the beloved Fugs, but I get your point. I constantly lobby for the NY Dolls, Al Kooper and Mickie Most. The accusation that the Monkees or Herman's Hermits didn't play on their own records (though they did on many) or write their own songs doesn't hold water, what about Gladys Knight, for instance, or the many other artists, especially vocal groups, who didn't write or play?

Toby Mamis

_____________________________________________

Joan Jett... Yep. I'm always hot and cold on her. But this quote from my girlfriend kind of summed it up after the show. "After watching Heart you realize how juvenile Joan Jett's stuff is."

Phil Johnson

_____________________________________________

One thing you didn't mention about Joan Jett....her voice is shot. Listen to the new tracks they threw onto the film soundtrack LP. Just painful. Or watch live shots of her guesting with the Foo Fighters and others. Again painful. Now I liked Joan back in the day. Picked great overlooked songs and made them her own but her shelf life was always going to be a limited one as it was with Suzi Quatro who rocked harder. Neither stood for anything but good times.

Larry LeBlanc

_____________________________________________

I thought I was the only one who questioned why Joan Jett was in the R&R Hall Of Fame. She's not a great songwriter, an average rhythm guitarist, (not a lead player at all) and I guess she sings ok. But R&R Hall Of Fame? She shouldn't be by a long shot.

Patrick Whitaker

_____________________________________________

Well said:)

Elliot Groffman

_____________________________________________

At least you admit to it. That's worth something.

Richard Young

_____________________________________________

Back off Heart and Joan Jett, Bob. Your blog isn't the "all-knowing' of Rock and Roll.

Paula Kay Hornick

_____________________________________________

do you think ted nugent should be in r&rhof ?

ken deslippe

_____________________________________________

Good name for a song.
I Hate Being Wrong.
Fertile ground for a lyricist.
Dave Herlihy

_____________________________________________

Regarding being WRONG about Heart being in the RRHOF : Too bad you don't include graphics in your newsletter... you could have corrected your mistake somehow with a Sharpie.

Steve Levesque

_____________________________________________

You may be wrong, but I loved your write up of the Heart show. Your writing is palpable. You corrected the fact but the good feeling remains.

TJ

_____________________________________________

At least you didn't cross their name out with a Sharpie and claim you were correct!
So Heart is in, but where are Jethro Tull and The Doobie Brothers??

Rich Madow

_____________________________________________

Herman's Hermits ? Come on Bob. How about The 1910 Fruitgum Company? Put them in too.
Owen

_____________________________________________

T-Rex?

Michael Rosenblatt

_____________________________________________

Re: "But that just shows what a worthless institution it is, I couldn't remember this."

Really? wow

Larry Bole

_____________________________________________

Yeah.....the Fugs. Let's get Ed Sanders and Tuli Kupferberg in there with a recording of River of Shit.

Bob Bisnett

_____________________________________________

Remove foot slowly from mouth

Relax buddy we've all made a few in our lifetime

Kevin Sutter

_____________________________________________

We love you Bob. And your podcasts are fantastic! :)

Patrick Whitaker

_____________________________________________

You screwed up so you're going to take it out on Joan Jett?
That's pathetic Bob.

ANTHONY RHODES

_____________________________________________

Please explain how Herman's Hermits had a bigger impact than Joan Jett? Please. Who's next on your list...Gerry & the Pacemakers? I find it odd that the Zombies are in there.

Don't be a sore loser bob. You're better than that.

Matt Erhartic

_____________________________________________

Three words describe just how piss poor, worthless and devoid of any credibility this 'institution' is

Where's Todd Rundgren

Steve

_____________________________________________

Justified rant Bob, particularly when you consider that Bernie Taupin isnt!

Keep up the ranting

Pete Buckland

_____________________________________________

The Rock Hall is in Cleveland. Nothing more need be said.

Richard Franklin

_____________________________________________

It's ok to be wrong, Bob. I've written you with wrong info in the past and you corrected me. Thanks for the letter...

Rodney Rowland

_____________________________________________

I hate being wrong too. Failure is the pathway to humility...

Fritz Doddy

_____________________________________________

We forgive you and excellent point about Peter Noone and boys. A great band.

My personal pique involves Poco but the list of faves not in astounds and it bothers that some may not be alive to enjoy an honors.

As to the Fugs, when the City screwed up my touch football field across the street from the (Glen Oaks) Garden apartment where I live in my early teens — I think it was 1970 — by building one of those playground pools (still there), we got friendly with the lifeguard and he lent me the Fugs LP. I had barely heard of the band. It was interesting experience. Maybe the only good thing about the pool getting built.

Corey Bearak

_____________________________________________

Bob... at least you acknowledge an error.. unlike POTUS.

Sari Leon

_____________________________________________

The Runaways were the 4th biggest selling foreign band in Japan (the world's second biggest market) for most of the 70's following ABBA, Kiss and Led Zeppelin.

Sebastian Mair

_____________________________________________

I love you.
I'm sorry you haven't discovered The Mavericks.
Best touring band in America.
Correction.
The world.
Rich Binell

_____________________________________________

Good one!

John Dittmar

_____________________________________________

Couldn't agree more...TONs of acts more worthy than Joan Jett.

Will McBride

_____________________________________________

Where is little feat? End of discussion

Tom Broadhurst

_____________________________________________

What about the spice girls. I love them.

William Duke

_____________________________________________

Bob, it isn't often you're wrong, and the thing that makes you stand out is that you OWN UP to your mistakes, admit them, correct them and move on.

That's a pretty big deal in the current "factually challenged" time we find ourselves.

Best,

Thor Legvold

_____________________________________________

When they inducted Joan Jett they spelled Pat Benatar wrong

Eric Chaikin

_____________________________________________

Rundgren!

Ed Wolfman

_____________________________________________

Well Bob,
We all fuck up every now & then.
I do love black leather though & Nancy Wilson.

Michael Des Barres.

_____________________________________________

And Cleveland? Huh?

Brian Mitchell

_____________________________________________

But Bob, Charlie Larkey of the Fugs was married to Carole King ... that weird set up alone deserves to get them in the hollowed (sic) HOF ...

Alan Miller

_____________________________________________

The band that launched my music career was my sister Gail's band, which had two female lead singers in the late 70's.
Think they played any Heart?
Armand Sadlier

_____________________________________________

The Fugs would get my vote but not before Todd Rundgren.

Mike Marrone

_____________________________________________

I'm embarrassed to have that thing in my city. I don't know a fucking soul who takes it seriously.

William Nelson

_____________________________________________

Its a good thing to be wrong occasionally.
Like when you go see your fave act, and they play everything perfectly but then they lapse concentration, they fuck up a start, or some part and whooops... Humanity is revealed.
We mere mortals get to see/hear something honest and unrehearsed, and that has a lot more value, endearing us more to that artist.
The imperfections are the pearls in the oyster.
Kylie Cowling
Aussie Muso

_____________________________________________

The RRHOF is a joke. Eddie Trunk calls it the RRHOShame. The inequities are too numerous to mention. COMPLETELY agree with you about Heart – the Wilson sisters still have it (glad their personal differences have seemingly resolved). And it still took too long for them to get in. While I don't dislike Joan Jett as much as you, I was glad Heart got there first. That said, the RRHOF is getting better at inducting acts they had been too "cool" to induct. And it is NOT about Rock & Roll, it should be renamed the Music Hall of Fame. Don't get me started.

It takes a great man to admit he is wrong; given how lame the HOF is, I had to double check to make sure Heart really was in! Keep writing, I enjoy your passion.

Best, -Lynette Pearson

_____________________________________________

You are also wrong that Joan Jett doesn't belong. You are displaying a pretty shitty patriarch view.

Dave Parsons

_____________________________________________

So many great acts not in the Rock Hall, what a shame really

Bob Carey

_____________________________________________

We all hate being wrong, Bob, but at least you didn't resort to a Sharpie! -t

Tony D'Amelio

_____________________________________________

What do you have against Joan Jett? Cherry Bomb and I Love Rock and Roll are both legitimately great songs.

Bartholomew M. Motes

_____________________________________________

Don't let it get you down, Bob. You might have gotten a fact wrong, but what you wrote was 100% right in the ways that matter.

Eric Priest

_____________________________________________

If only other people admitted such a simple wrong....

Jamie Kaminski

_____________________________________________

Now you got ME going on the bullshit RRHOF. Joan Jett and ABBA are in, but THESE people are NOT? They all broke new ground or had a significant influence on what came later.

Free
Procol Harum
Wynonie Harris
The Meters
The Chambers Brothers
Vanilla Fudge
Todd Rundgren
Delaney Bramlett
Three Dog Night
Mountain
The Move
Ike Turner as solo
Joe Tex

What a bullshit organization…

Kevin Kiley

_____________________________________________

You hate being wrong, because you so rarely are...it is therefore an uncomfortable place for you to be. That said....the damn Fugs are way too good for the RRHO Bullshit. And Tuli Kupferberg would have said so, too, I'm sure. But thanks for brightening my day by mentioning them!

Nancy Barnum

_____________________________________________

You are wrong on every point in your last post, and I don't even like Heart.

Bob Sarles/Ravin' Films, Inc.

_____________________________________________

oh so agreed on Peter Noone and Mickie most . best from bogota, o

Andrew Loog Oldham

_____________________________________________

Bob, I love your e-mails and I do look forward to them... but as far as this "Correction" goes, all I can say is "Really???!!!"

As we now know, Heart (I'm not a fan) was inducted to the R&RHoF in 2013 - but you didn't remember it. So what? That doesn't show what a "worthless institution" the R&RHoF is - it just shows your memory lapsed, or it's a factoid you never knew.

It's OK to be wrong, and it's much more gracious to just admit it and accept it.

Take a breath -
// Greg Gunther

_____________________________________________

The Archies were also better than Lou Reed and Patti Smith.

- Bruce Gow

_____________________________________________

And then there's Lowell George and Little Feat.

Will Buckley

_____________________________________________

Induct Warren Zevon into the R&R HOF anyway....Can't go wrong there, Bob!

DOUG COLLETTE

_____________________________________________

The Fugs should quite obviously be in it, what's your point?

Nick Faulks, London

_____________________________________________

Oh, stop - nobody really gives a shit about the RRHOF except industry types and the few folks who's faves haven't made it and probably don't deserve to.

Rob Wolfson

_____________________________________________

" the wankers in the back of the room who think they know better but never went on a date."

Hahahahaha - I love it!

Rant on, mufka!

At least we grew up when we did. I'm 63 and grateful for the music that got me through.

Merciful Lee Dickens

_____________________________________________

Rock Hall Actually Did Get Some Things Right

Take Heart For Instance

Morley Bartnoff

_____________________________________________

"i hate being wrong!" haha
that made me laugh
bryan adams

_____________________________________________

In general I don't disagree about RnRHoF. Link Wray? I will take some issue re Joan Jett. She has had huge impact. Musically, she has done nothing new, but she plays rock with 10x more conviction than Johnny Rotten ever did. Her impact on the male dominated rock world was to shut men the fuck up when she took stage. And if you've ever been to one of her concerts...you see what she did for the last couple of generations of females-and I'm not talking sexual preference here. Joan is a keeper of the flame.

Pat Carraher

_____________________________________________

It's understandable not knowing who's in the rrhf...they've ruined it with too many lightweights.

Michael Leon

_____________________________________________

Pat Benatar isn't in the Hall. I think she should've made it before Joan Jett.

Eliot Goldstein

_____________________________________________

get over being wrong

you are right on a lot of political and social issues- -not bad for a record person

however the rock and roll hall of fame has as much significance culturally as the peoples choice awards or the golden globes did before they decided to go after the motion Picture academy and became relevant.

good excuses for a tv special

in the deconstruction of media awards take on more meaning as promotion exercises and tv specials

ever look at the film festivals on the laurels and where they are from. most festivals are exercises for tourism

when asked why Cannes started bout a 40 the mayor said it was after the war and it rains a lot in may as anyone who has went will attest and they needed a promotion event

Seth Willenson

_____________________________________________

Thank you Bob.
"Dead paradigm", 100% agreed!
Love this:
"it's run by the tight pants/black leather jacket crew, you know, the wankers in the back of the room who think they know better but never went on a date. But today, those people have no purchase".
One of the best, direct, sharp and concise rants ever by you.
Dead spot on!

Ken Kweder

_____________________________________________

Get yourself a sharpie and double down

George Drakoulias

_____________________________________________

Rock is different things to different people, but you not being able to get over Joan Jett's inclusion in the Hall of Fame makes you sound like a wanker in the back of the room who thinks they know better but never went on a date.

Get over it, her version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is iconic.

Michael Hughes

_____________________________________________

Bob...
I dog you, sometimes, for your politics. But, please. We're all wrong, sometimes. And you fixed your error in a straight-on way. The mark of a man isn't made by being error-free. It's made by manning up when we make our inevitable errors. Way to go!
Now: about your unhinged politics...
LOL
Walk good!
jimed

_____________________________________________

You're right, deserving artists are mixed in with ones that are WTF is going on.

There should be another hall called The Real Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

jdcapshew

_____________________________________________

R&RHOF was a fucking pantload from the start. Elitist assholes who don't know shit. Steve Miller was being nice about it. Paul Lanning

_____________________________________________

at least you admit that you are

I'm not big on Joan Jett either, though I think you're over doing it

herm181

_____________________________________________

Yeh, and being a Canadian, I'm pissed that the Guess Who and BTO are not in the hall. Well, that's what happens when print gets in charge of audio. Geo Johns

_____________________________________________

merits of Born to be Wild alone. They had many other great hits, (Rock me Baby, Magic Carpet Ride, Sookie Sookie, were a true protest band, vis a vis Monster, Draft Resister, Pusher, and Ostrich. Ostrich today talks about the pleasant days of 69. Its lyrics could easily be mistaken for the pleasant days of 2019.

Richard Scullin

_____________________________________________

My mother, Carol Peters, managed Heart for about 2 decades until her passing in 2017. She fought and politicked aggressively (along with Rob Light and others) for their inclusion at the Rock Hall. It was a real point of pride due to the amount of years that they were overlooked. But also a massive validation and byproduct from many years of hard work together re-building their touring career and prestige after years of dormancy. Made me smile to read this, and think about her place in all of this and her hard work. Thanks for giving me that chance to reflect fondly. I'm glad they're just as great as always. Ann is a force. Def does Zeppelin better than Zeppelin. Cheers.

Evan Peters

_____________________________________________

The thing you miss is that it means something to the artist to be inducted
Weather you rate it or not

Sean Pickwell

_____________________________________________

I think Joan Jett deserves it. She was big when I was in Jr High in 79 80 81.
Heart was my first big concert, with John mellancamp opening in 1980. Saw them both in Concord CA and then a few months later in Biloxi MS on the same tour!

Alex Walsh

_____________________________________________

What about Todd Rundgren!!!! A Travesty!!!!!

Luke Joerger

_____________________________________________

And they were inducted in LA. One of the few times it happens there.

Ed Bailey

_____________________________________________

Your not wrong. Anyone who has any real influence in today's music biz knows the rock hall is a joke. Radiohead, one of the most influential bands of the last 25 years didn't even fully attend when inducted. In fact, only two of the five members attended. Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood, the two most influential members of the band didn't show and it completely represents the lack of importance of the rock hall. So I agree with you, I'm just wondering why your slamming Joan Jett? Personally, I thought Madonna was the nail in the coffin when it comes to nutty choices. She woulda been a much easier target for the point you were trying to make but thats just my opinion. Overall and per usual, you are right.

Leo Gilbert

_____________________________________________

Bob

A "Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame" is antithetical to what rock n roll is.

Groucho Marx said it best: "I don't want to be a member of any club that would have me as a member."

Hunter Murtaugh

_____________________________________________

Well done correction.

Loren Parkins

_____________________________________________

How is Jethro Tull not in?

re: Jethro Tull
Stand Up
Benefit
Aqualung
Thick As A Brick
Living In The Past
A Passion Play
War Child
Minstrel In The Gallery
Too Old To Rock & Roll Too Young To Die

Headlined Shea Stadium in 1976

I think that's enough of a resume to certainly qualify. Such a crime they are not in as they were original, creative and impressive and definitely towards the most beloved bands for their time.

Scott Greene

_____________________________________________

It's cool Bob...it's like you were rounding 3rd and ran thru a stop sign from the 3rd base coach and were thrown out at home...you've earned a few of these!

Tom Clark

_____________________________________________

Warren Zevon isn't. Such a shame.

Jenny Israel

_____________________________________________

Very Trump. Get over yourself, we get enough of this shit from the President. Just say, "I made a mistake", and move on, please. Tom Murphy

_____________________________________________

I was more disappointed that you mixed up "melisma" with "miasma"!

Darrin Keene

_____________________________________________

Don't worry, Bob. I really enjoyed reading your previous letter about Heart. They were one of my faves back in the day. Thick tones and grooves. Sick riffs, and Ann's voice. I saw her play a small show in NYC a year ago and was blown away with how her voice sounded. I had always wanted to hear them live and hear first hand, without the studio buffer, how Ann achieved that vocal tone. So amazing. You did the band justice writing about their artistry.

Paul Logus

_____________________________________________

Wow... I was suddenly transported back to the 70s when rock journalists were patronizing, sexist white men who wouldn't know what to do with a guitar if their life depended on it. "With Nancy picking, demonstrating chops equivalent to the boys... " I almost puked. PLEASE! That a woman can play guitar as well as a man is STILL a reve-fucking-lation to you in 2019? You can put down Joan Jett all you want, but there is an ARMY of women who play guitar and are in bands and have written songs because of her. HEART? Not so much. Their music is stellar and they still rock hard, but you get into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Hame because you are a trailblazer... like Joan Jett. Please step into the modern world, Bob.

Suzanne Nuttall
Toronto, Canada

_____________________________________________

The RRHOF has always frustrated me because while they honor radio programmers they will not acknowledge Russ Solomon/Tower Records which did alot to promote the artist that are in the museum. However it's all we have to memorialize the music of my generation.

Stan Goman

_____________________________________________

I'm beginning to find the excluded list is more fun!
I always like the shelves idea but people would argue. My top shelf would be little, chuck,fats and Elvis
Which would leave the next shelf (preferably lower) to Beatles stones led z and then we could all disagree and say Beatles should be on top shelf and not fats domino
You know as well as I do that the problem is making music into a competition.
No one on my top two shelves competed because they were all totally unique
I don't think anyone would have made it if it was a competition. Look at all the voice contestants and get them a shelf somewhere.
See my ideas are really good,

Sent from Peter Noone

_____________________________________________

monkees

Peter Paterno

_____________________________________________

"great no longer surfaces all by itself, and too much which is great is never acknowledged."
I think I'm gonna get this tattooed on me.

You don't need the ego boost, but you're great BECAUSE of the correction. That's why we keep reading.

Thanks dude.

Brian Martin

_____________________________________________

Still love the Sex Pistols...

Members of the British punk rock band The Sex Pistols, inducted in 2006, refused to attend the ceremony, calling the museum "a piss stain" and "urine in wine."
Alan Pell

_____________________________________________

'think they know better but never went on a date' - i love you, bob, you just shrivelled a whole heap of useless dicks

Fachtna O'Ceallaigh

_____________________________________________

I agree but the building architecture is amazing :)

Thomas B

_____________________________________________

Keep on Being you Bob. Ed Sleigh (Ex Live Nation, Universal, EMI)

_____________________________________________

I gave up when it took so long for Lynyrd Skynyrd to get in. Would've been nice if Chris Squire and Jon Lord could have gotten inducted before they passed away.

Marc Ellis

_____________________________________________

the RR Hall of Fame is just one more part of the algorithm that led to the abysmal state music is in today...
it's just an extension of the "celebrity is more desirable than talent" meme

stoned

_____________________________________________

So instead of taking responsibility for your lack of fact-checking you are blaming your mistake on the institution you criticized for ignoring the greatness of Heart in the first place? You know who does that trick better than you?
Trump.
Wow Bob.
You, who are always wailing about authenticity and credibility and you can't even just admit a mistake?

SMDH

Ellyn Solis

PS: Joan's sexuality is none of your GD business. Sheesh.

_____________________________________________

Hello Bob,
I hope this message finds you well. I read your articles and enjoy your candid remarks. Quite enlightening. I have a question for you. Considering artists whose impact defined a genre, what do you think of the a cappella group, The Persuasions being candidates for induction into the R&RHOF?
I was fortunate to join the group in 2003 and have watched as member after member pass away without much mention. I would really appreciate hearing your perspective on them and the genre in general for that organization to recognize.
Thank you,
Dave Revels

_____________________________________________

It such a meaningless POS "nstitution," as made clear by the absence of so many. For example, where is Warren Zevon?

Paul Slansky

_____________________________________________

Bob,

Really, Heart's in the RRHoF? Now that's wrong.

G.Robey
Chesapeake Bch. MD

_____________________________________________

LOL ... excellent!

Scott Palazzo

_____________________________________________

At least you admit it...

Thank you sir!

Steven Anderko

_____________________________________________

Wow, Bob, this is like a Trumptweet

RBP

_____________________________________________

It's the Jann Wenner Hall of Critical Approval. As you said...wankers. I'm sure Joan Jett is a lovely person, but come on. As for "We're An American Band," yes, Todd Rundgren, obviously. But what about Grand Funk? How many hits did THEY have? How many years did they sit in the upper echelon of album and ticket sales? Hugely popular in their time. Influential? Ask Iggy Pop about that sometime.

Thanks Bob
Jeff C.

_____________________________________________

Ya know...if you ever played in a band with women, you'd understand why Joan Jett is important. Just sayin'...

John Dlugosz

_____________________________________________

Why do we need a rock and roll hall of fame, anyway? Who cares!

Mitchell Shapiro

_____________________________________________

Everyone makes mistakes and hates being wrong. You should have owned up without any other negative comments about the Rock Hall or its supporters. Moving on...

Robert Paris

_____________________________________________

RRHOF is another excuse to get together and party for the in crowd. It has no credibilty but neither does my former favorite magazine Rolling Stone. I feel Jann Wenner's time has been long gone .

Ralph Spillenger

_____________________________________________

News Flash: No one gives a shit about the RRHOF.

Charlie Gaylord

_____________________________________________

Hello Bob, I hate it when your wrong, too. Your words may not be gospel to some, but close.

The only thing I want from the RRHOF is a postcard from my friend who is going to visit Cleveland soon. I hope it has a nice stamp.

rwhake

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"And the list of those excluded is too long to list." I mean, Carole King is not in as a performer. Tapestry didn't have an impact?

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How many girls picked up a guitar because of The Runaways and Joan Jett? A ton!

Considering the institutional sexism women face, Joan had to bust ass twice as hard as most (white) men during the same time period...men that had life and work environments handed to them on a silver platter.

Love the Letter, but I think you are being too hard on an artist that beat the odds and created some iconic hits! She's definitely Hall of Fame worthy...

In the immortal words of Ringo: Peace and love, peace *and* love,

Marc Fort

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Joan Jett---you'll get both sides on this but I agree. I had to google her songs when she was inducted....i'm a rock fan, but she's not a songwriter, not a singer, maybe.....a performer. NOT HOF worthy.

J. Holdren

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Mind reader. I started paying less and less attention to the hall and then wrote it off completely when Joan Jett got in. Are you fucking kidding me??? At that point it's more credible to be left out of such a club.

It like Apple tarnishing the brand by putting out successive iPhones that aren't worth the time and money. They've got to feed the machine and will ultimately be hoisted on their own petard.

John Brodey

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Bob-

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will continue to spiral into irrelevance so long as so many obvious artists are excluded, while popular derivative acts are inducted. Former Rock Hall CEO Terry Stewart once explained the criteria to a Duran Duran fan who had complained about that band's lack of recognition. Stewart wrote:

"...here's how the process works. Nomination and induction into the Hall of Fame is not about popularity, records sales, which label the group is on, or anything other than the process below. Unlike baseball, football, basketball or hockey, statistics are not relevant. To be eligible for induction as an artist (as a performer, composer, or musician) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the artist must have released a record, in the generally accepted sense of that phrase, at least 25 years prior to the year of induction; and have demonstrated unquestionable musical excellence. We shall consider factors such as an artist's musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique, but musical excellence shall be the essential qualification for induction."

So, beyond the 25 year requirement, it's all entirely subjective. This alone isn't unusual - look at the Academy Awards and other institutions for examples of groups that maintain relevance, even in the face of occasional misses. But the RRHOF continues to make so many stunningly poor decisions that it's a laughing stock within its very industry. Iron Maiden remains on the outside while BON JOVI IS IN. Let's tick off all of the important bands who list Maiden as a seminal influence and let's run that list up against all of the game-changing artists today who cite Bon Jovi as their musical inspiration.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, so I'll leave it to Mojo Nixon to sum up the Rock Hall as only he can:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd9cw1wquyw

Peace,

Joe Daly
Freelance Contributor
Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Men's Health, Bass Guitar et al.
http://joedaly.net

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Bob

I like your critiquing. I have been reading for a few years now. I have tried to make sure my tone is clearly directed in this email — I want to make sure this isn't interpreted as being directed at you — it isn't.

You often mention young people and talk about their perspective and buying habits. I do not consider myself young anymore (born 1987), but I relate to archetypes you describe when speaking on the youth. I wonder how many my age subscribe to you or reply, which gives me the idea to respond with a take:

It has always interested me that generations before me have ever given stock to institutions like R&RHOF. Why does it even exist? I attended Berklee 5 week summer program in high school, and all the professors would always harp and say, "You kids killed guitar solos. No one your age appreciates guitar solos". I love recounting this story to musicians in my peerage because most people laugh. We just don't get it. The guys who lived in the dorms on the same floor as me — we all bonded over Coheed and Cambria, who is prolific in guitar soloing. We even took a bus one weekend to go see them play in Central Park while attending the program. My contemporaries know people aren't rushing out to hear someone play guitar for 15 minutes. It has nothing to do with not appreciating the form. Our motive has everything to do with creating resonant commercial music. Everyone has different taste. Being able to capture an audience's attention with six strings is surely a gift, but I have been wondering if the true depth of this paradigm shift is still yet to be realized. (I know I am touching on the larger concept of commercial music as a whole at the same time as relating guitar solos specifically. I have not even brought into the discussion the stellar marketshare that rap and electronic music has accomplished in the last 10+ years and how this plays).

Nowadays, no one in my age group talks about stuff like this. I don't believe we ever will. Who cares? I recall a story about the Sex Pistols being cocks about their induction, like it was requisite for the punk rock points. No one gives a fuck. The punk bands we listen to will never be in the discussion and are probably not even on the radar as it is. Storm about, accept it or reject it, but no one is paying attention either way.

Sincerely,

Brandon Watson
The IKB Label
theikblabel.com

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IN DEFENSE OF JOAN JETT—I love you Lefsetz, I truly do. So I'll just say in this case, with all due respect, I think you got it wrong.

Not about the Rock Hall, you are spot on. I believe Rock itself is rebellious by definition, that it defies being placed in a cage with four walls and given a one-size-fits-all moniker, and that the genre itself is so much larger than just this little clicky club. I'd like to believe that if Ahmet were alive today he would have not let the Rock Hall deteriorate into such a poor joke.

But if there is going to be such a thing as a CREDIBLE Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, then in my book everyone who's made a credible dent in rock should be in—it should be inclusive not exclusive. And most certainly Joan Jett belongs in it. One of the criteriato get in is that the artist or band has to be unique and have moved the genre forward in some way--has become an influence for other artists. Joan Jett was and is a pioneer for women in rock. Her work with the Runaways and as a solo artist has not only helped define the genre but other artists, both men and women cite her as a major influence. You should check out her documentary Bad Reputation—it's really great and you will learn a lot. For my money the song "Bad Reputation" is a rock anthem.

Joan Jett may not be as prolific as some others, and she may not have sold equal amounts of records, but I submit that Joan belongs in the Rock Hall in the same way Lemmy Kilmister SHOULD BELONG in the Rock Hall, because like Lemmy, Joan Jett is no poser, she IS Rock and Roll.

PS. As far as Kenny Laguna being onstage - he is sadly underrated for his contributions as a songwriter and producer. After all, it's ONLY rock and roll man, so why shouldn't he be allowed to have some fun.

PPS. I lobbied hard to get Heart into the Rock Hal - you saw what everyone else sees at a Heart show - A REAL ROCK SHOW, one that moves you to explode inside like rock should when delivered in genuine fashion.

Paul Rappaport

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Please print all the sanctimonious responses who will crucify you for your minor error.
Joan Jett was a bit of a trailblazer.

D. Mark MacGillvray

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Amen.

Barr Plexico

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