Friday, April 29, 2016

Jamie Lissow

Jamie is a former New Yorker, now living in Alaska. Jamie is currently starring in “Real Rob” on Netflix, a television show he wrote and produced with SNL alum Rob Schneider. Jamie has been seen on Gotham Live, The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show, Last Comic Standing, Premium Blend, Late Friday, Star Search and in his own 1/2 hour special on Comedy Central. ? ? Jamie has been heard on has been heard on The Opie and Anthony Show (now Opie and Jimmy), Bennington, Bob and Tom, Sirius XM, and Pandora. He has been featured at The Montreal Comedy Festival, The Great American Comedy Festival and has appeared on Fox News Redeye over 50 times while still managing to have no political opinions. Jamie is currently touring the country headlining comedy clubs on weekends and working Season 2 of Real Rob. - 18+ Show - Live Comedy : Genre: Rated PG-18

Cam On FOX

Country newcomer Cam was just announced as a performer on the upcoming American Country Countdown Awards airing live from The Forum in LA on May 1, 8-10 pm ET/PT on FOX. Cam is also nominated for “Female” and “Breakthrough Female” for the ACCAs. Already Top 40 on country airplay charts, her new single, “Mayday,” is attracting media praise, with All Access cheering, “Cam just might be the voice of a generation. ‘Mayday’ is the song that every millennial needs to hear,” while MusicRow declares the song “a hit if I’ve ever heard one.” “Mayday is the follow-up to her Platinum-certified #1 smash, “Burning House.” At the 51st Annual ACM Awards on CBS on April 3, Cam, the most-nominated female at the award show, made her prime time network debut performing “Burning House,” which Billboard ranked the #1 performance moment of the evening! With SIX nominations, the Arista Nashville/RCA Records singer-songwriter received nods for New Female Vocalist of the Year, as well as Video of the Year and Single Record of the Year (a double nomination as artist and executive producer) and Song of the Year (as artist and writer), all for “Burning House”! In February, Cam was a presenter on the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards®, where she was also a first-time nominee, up for Best Country Solo Performance for “Burning House.” Recently featured on the cover of touring publication Pollstar, Cam recently performed her final opening slot during Brad Paisley’s Crushin’ It World Tour, 1/21 – 2/27, and beginning May 12, she’ll hit the road as a special guest on Dierks Bentley’s Somewhere on a Beach Tour. Released December 11, Cam’s full-length major-label debut album, Untamed, exploded onto Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart at #2 and earned 2015’s best first-week album sales by a debut country artist! Since July 6, 2015, the official radio impact date of “Burning House,” not only has Cam become the only country female to achieve more than 1 million downloads the past year, but, additionally, both her breakthrough hit and debut disc made multiple “best of 2015” critics’ lists, including Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, Associated Press, Nashville Scene, among others. Among her growing list of media appearances, Cam has been featured on CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Today, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Talk. Multiple GRAMMY-honoree and current Producer of the Year, Non-Classical GRAMMY winner Jeff Bhasker (Bruno Mars, BeyoncĂ©, FUN., The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift) and two-time Album of the Year GRAMMY nominee Tyler Johnson (Ed Sheeran, OneRepublic, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Mikky Ekko) produced Cam’s Untamed, which includes 11 songs, all co-written by Cam. Her favorite color is yellow, and she uses it in her wardrobe often. She has a great explanation why. Online at www.camcountry.com, www.facebook.com/camcountry, and on Twitter @HYPERLINK "https://twitter.com/camcountry"camcountry. The 2016 AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS will air live from the Forum in Los Angeles, CA, Sunday, May 1 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The two-hour event is the first country music awards show to air live from Los Angeles in more than 10 years. Tickets for the AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS at the Forum are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Dave Krusen from Candlebox

Candlebox Disappearing In Airports– Release date: April 22 Kevin Martin - vocals Dave Krusen – drums Mike Leslie – lead/rhythm guitar Brian Quinn – lead/rhythm guitar Adam Kury – bass In a storied rock ‘n’ roll career of multi-platinum albums and timeless, ubiquitous radio smashes, Candlebox’s sixth studio album, Disappearing In Airports, finds the renowned lineup infused with a new energy and openness. “I want to take Candlebox into a new world, and this record is very different, very diverse for us,” says band founder and frontman Kevin Martin. “It’s about growth and pushing the band in the direction for a new audience.” With songs ranging from the pissed and urgent “God’s Gift” to the edgy unease of “I’ve Got a Gun” to the amorous romp of “Supernova,” Disappearing In Airports is a bold musical statement from a revitalized band. The amicable departure of original members Scott Mercado and Peter Klett allowed Candlebox the opportunity to shake things up, and that newfound energy and impetus is evident in the dozen tracks on Disappearing In Airports. Guitarists Mike Leslie and Brian Quinn bring freshness to the band’s mega hits like “Far Behind” and “You,” as well as different angles to the new material. “They have a ‘Wow, I’m playing this song that I grew up on and I love this tune!’ kind of puppy dog love to it,” laughs Martin. “Mike’s got so much B.B. King in his style, of blues it’s insane, and spontaneity to his playing and songwriting that’s enriching to me.” While Brian has a metal and classic rock side, he also boasts a big blues influence “and is an incredible slide player. Mike and Brian play entirely differently but it fits so well.” The band formed in 1991, went quadruple platinum with their 1993 self-titled debut on Madonna’s Maverick Records, and released two more acclaimed and top-selling albums (1995’s Lucy and 1998’s Happy Pills) before going on a hiatus in 2000. Candlebox regrouped with a 2006 tour, then put out Into the Sun in 2008, followed by 2012’s Love Stories & Other Musings. For Disappearing in Airports, the band worked with producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Everclear, Rivers of Nihl), cutting the record at Think Loud Studios in York, Pennsylvania. Post-Love Stories, Martin worked up about seven songs, but a split with their record label postponed recording. So with a new deal with Pavement Entertainment in place and renewed creativity, Candlebox completed and finished four songs in a day, wrote a couple more in the studio, then revisited and reworked previously unfinished songs that fit into the direction Disappearing in Airports was heading. “The great thing is that they all really became songs when we were a band in the studio, because it’s a very collaborative record, which I’m very happy about,” Martin says. “It was very together and creative, and again that’s what Mike and Brian were able to bring to the record--that spontaneity and that young, excited energy.” For Martin, the songs flowed easily: “I don’t labor at all, it’s not in me; not that there aren’t great bands that work intensively over brilliant songs, but I find for me that initially what pops out is what I’m looking for. If it’s not opening itself up to me and allowing it to be seen by me, I just won’t bother to beat it up.” Songs like the first track to radio, the left-of-center “Vexatious” (a Martin-created word) hooks you in immediate with the drums and irresistible chorus. It isMartin at his editorial best – poignant, lyrical driving the message of the perils of a digitally-connected yet emotionally disconnected world in a powerful rock song. “Vexatious” is about this emotionally destitute, social networking-obsessed society we live in. People come off as insecure, yet still so entitled with unlimited bragging rights,” says Martin. “Whether it’s a pop star feuding senselessly with another pop star, or the girls and boys who can’t help but to take 50 different selfies in under a minute and miss everything that’s happening around them, we can’t escape it. It’s everywhere and it’s destroying us. Dating apps, bitching apps, secret sharing apps, apps apps apps—they all operate outside of any real or authentic human connection. No one cares what anyone else thinks or feels. It’s all me, me, me and, if you ask me, it’s fucking sad.” Speaking celebrity feuding, there is one song where Martin takes a public figure to task. “God’s Gift” was inspired by Kanye West. “It’s a total slap at him. When does someone say ‘You actually aren’t that good?’ Somehow the world just seems to keep blowing smoke up his ass.” Another controversial subject is “I’ve Got A Gun,” “inspired by the constant small mindedness of people who think you’re trying to take their guns away from them. If you know anything about me as a person, you know that I’m highly political; you know that I’m a firm believer in people’s rights 100% and I don’t believe that anyone should take your guns from you. I’m saying is gun control is an issue and these mass shootings need to stop and that’s the approach of the song.” Musically, Disappearing in Airports is as heady as it is lyrically. And visually: the album cover is by an artist-friend of Martin’s, Scott Fisher, who passed away during the album process. “I had asked him paint the artwork for the album, and the painting he did for us is titled “Disappearing In Airports,” hence the album title. The painting represented the songs that he’d hear from our album, so it’s really about what his emotions were how the songs had affected him, so that’s how it represents the record.” “Supernova” is a love (sex!) song for Martin’s wife and it’s contrasted with “Alive at Last,” which “is about that last breath, about the people who are struggling, whether it’s with terminal cancer or something that’s destroying them. It’s a little bit existential.” Martin found the creative process very therapeutic this go-round; without two original members, he says, “there was more freedom for me to express myself.” That said, it wasn’t always easy, but that’s what gives Disappearing in Airports so much of its power. “I’m saying a lot of things that I’ve never said before, and that’s little bit of a challenge for me. I remember telling Carson that I wasn’t comfortable singing some things, but he said, ‘That’s good, be uncomfortable.’” Ultimately, while Disappearing In Airports is clearly Candlebox, Martin observes that the record, compared to its predecessor is “banked right turn; I don’t think it’s 90 degrees but we are taking chances. You’ve got to push yourself outside of that comfort zone. You have to do that as a musician, or in any creative element of your life,” Martin believes. “That’s what we did with this record, and I knew these guys would go with me and would take me where I wanted to go musically. We can reach as far as we want.”

Dara Torres

Dara Torres broke onto the swimming scene as a 17-year-old, making the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles and winning a gold medal as part of the freestyle relay team. She has since competed and won medals in five Olympic Games, one of only a handful of Olympians ever to do so. As someone who has experienced the Games from all angles, Dara knows the first few steps are the toughest, and has encouraged these athletes to realize their potential through unwavering support and a push to find their inner strength and motivation.

Marilu Henner and Michael Brown

The New York Times bestselling author and beloved actor from the sitcom Taxi, Marilu Henner delivers an intimate account of how she and her husband stood together and triumphed. After they’d been dating only a short while, and as they were falling madly in love, Marilu Henner and Michael Brown were hit with the ultimate bad news: Michael was diagnosed with cancer. Refusing traditional care, they pieced together a personal and holistic view on battling his cancer, all while forging an unbreakable bond. In this moving and informative book, Marilu pulls back the curtain on how they dealt with the blow. She relates her holistic perspective on health—including the superfoods, exercises, and immunotherapy they used to fight back—and why a diagnosis doesn’t have to be the end of romance or of a happy and fulfilling life. Takeaways, tips, and practical advice make this a useful guide for anyone working to sustain a relationship through the adversity of disease. Written with an engaging voice, a sense of humor, and life-changing wisdom, Changing Normal is a personal and touching look at how Marilu and Michael faced down a cancer diagnosis and came out the other side happier, healthier, and more in love than ever. MARILU HENNER BIO (FROM BIOGRAPHY.COM) Actress and author Marilu Henner was born Mary Lucy Pudlowski on April 6, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois. The third of six children, she attended the University of Chicago for three years, before deciding to wholeheartedly pursue an acting career. Billed as Marilu Henner, she originated the supporting role of Marty in the musical Grease at the University of Chicago's Community Theatre. Henner dropped out of school in 1972, in order to travel with the national company of Grease, at which time she carried on a highly publicized romance with co-star John Travolta. In 1976, she moved to New York, landing her first Broadway role in Over Here! Following a handful of forgettable stage performances, Henner made her cinematic debut as a stripper in the 1977 sleeper Between the Lines. In 1978, Henner landed the breakthrough role of her career on a new sitcom called Taxi. As single mother Elaine O'Connor-Nardo, she sought to gain entry to the exclusive professional and social circles of the fine arts world, while holding down a job as a cab driver and fending off the advances of her dispatcher, played by Danny DeVito. The popular show, which also starred Judd Hirsch and Tony Danza, aired for five seasons. A handful of film roles followed, including parts in Blake Edward's farce The Man Who Loved Women (1983), which starred Burt Reynolds, Kim Basinger and Julie Andrews, and the gangster spoof Johnny Dangerously (1984), with Michael Keaton. Over the next few years, Henner's body of work ranged from disappointing films like 1985's Perfect (which paired her with former beau John Travolta) to well-received comedies like L.A. Story (1991), starring Steve Martin and Patrick Stewart. In 1990, Henner found renewed TV success on the sitcom Evening Shade. She enjoyed a four-year run in her role as Ava Evans Newton, the wife of a high school athletics coach played by Burt Reynolds. In 1994, Henner hosted her own short-lived daily talk show, Marilu. Later that year, she published a revealing autobiography, By All Means Keep on Moving, in which she candidly discussed her sexual exploits with many of her Taxi co-stars, including Tony Danza and Judd Hirsch. In 1999, Henner played herself in the critically acclaimed film Man on the Moon, which documented the life of former Taxi cast member and famed comedian Andy Kaufman. She returned to the stage in 2000, headlining a national tour of the revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Henner has also ventured out into the realm of reality television. She served as host of the PBS series America's Ballroom Challenge (2006-09) and she competed in the first celebrity edition of Donald Trump's The Apprentice, aptly named Celebrity Apprentice, in 2008. She made it to Week 8 of the competition before getting fired, losing the chance to win the total prize for her charity, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. She returned in 2013 for All-Star Celebrity Apprentice, competing against the likes of Lil Jon, Trace Adkins and Dennis Rodman, among others. Although she lost yet again, she was able to last through Week 10 of the competition. During her second appearance on the show, Henner competed for The Alzheimer's Association. Henner has written and co-authored several books, including one on child rearing titled I Refuse to Raise a Brat: Straightforward Advice on Parenting in an Age of Overindulgence (1999). In addition, she has published two best-selling guides on health and beauty—The 30 Day Total Health Makeover (1999) and Healthy Life in the Kitchen (2000). Henner has also published several other books about health and fitness, including 2002's Healthy Holidays and 2012's Total Health Makeover, and has offered online classes to support her total health makeover program. Outside of her bestselling books, she has taken her stance on leading a healthy lifestyle to both the government and the classroom. Henner presented Congress with a dietary plan for children as part of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 2010. She has also spoken at various schools and organizations, encouraging others to speak out to the government against unhealthy living and eating habits. After the release of Total Health Makeover, Henner went on a book tour and appeared on several talk shows, including The View and Good Morning America, to further promote her healthy lifestyle lessons. In December 2010, Henner revealed that she had highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM) during a segment on 60 Minutes. The condition, also known as Hyperthymesia, allows her to recall very specific moments in her life. She went on to talk about HSAM on several programs, showing off her hidden talent. "You say April 3, 1992, and all of a sudden the whole week starts presenting itself to me," she told CBS. "That was a Friday and I was in New York, actually. Early that week I had won $1,760 at a winner-take-all Academy Awards pool. It was a clean sweep of the Oscars, Silence Of The Lambs, Jodie Foster." Neurobiologist James McGaugh began studying Henner's case of HSAM, along with others who have the same unusual memory patterns, in November 2009. The results were used in the television series Unforgettable for the character of Carrie Wells, a character inspired by Henner and played by Poppy Montgomery. In 1980, Henner wed Frederic Forrest; the couple divorced in 1982. She has two sons, Nicholas and Joseph, with her second husband, director/producer Robert Lieberman. The couple filed for divorce in June 2001. In December 2006, Henner wed Michael Brown, whom she had known in college.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart And Bill Kreutzmann

Dead & Company is Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir; singer/guitarist John Mayer; Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge; and “Fare Thee Well” and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. In October of 2015 the band took to the stage for their inaugural nationwide tour, kicking off with three sold-out concerts at the legendary Madison Square Garden (including Halloween) and ending the year with two sold-out performances at the “Fabulous” Forum (the final was New Year’s Eve). Drawing on the tremendous success of the band’s 2015 tour, Dead & Company are launching their highly-anticipated new tour on Friday, June 10, 2016 (a full listing of tour dates can be found below). 2016’s tour finds the celebrated group playing (among many other shows) two nights at Citi Field in New York; a two show independence day weekend celebration at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado; two nights at the famous Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin; and two shows at Boston’s iconic Fenway Park on Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16. Dead & Company will play two sets at Bonnaroo on June 12. At each show, Dead & Company will perform two sets of music drawn largely from the Dead’s historic catalog of songs. Tickets are on sale now for the 2016 summer tour. Check www.deadandcompany.com for complete ticketing information. IN ADDITION TO THE GENERAL DEAD & CO KNOWLEDGE, PLEASE MAKE SURE STATIONS MENTION: On Wednesday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m. local time, “Grateful Dead Meet-Up at the Movies 2016,” comes back to the big screen for the 6th annual event. This special cinema event features the previously unreleased Grateful Dead Dead (Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Brent Mydland and Bob Weir) concert from Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on July 2, 1989. This event also features live concert footage of Dead & Co. from their 2015 tour. The Dead reunited in the summer of 2015 for the Fare Thee Well tour that included five shows in Chicago and Santa Clara, California, celebrating their 50th anniversary. Dead & Company 2016 Tour Dates: Fri Jun 10 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion Thu Jun 16 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center Fri Jun 17 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center Mon Jun 20 Camden, NJ BB&T Pavilion Tue Jun 21 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center Thu Jun 23 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live Sat Jun 25 Flushing, NY Citi Field** Sun Jun 26 Flushing, NY Citi Field** Tue Jun 28 Hartford, CT Xfinity Theatre Sat Jul 02 Boulder, CO Folsom Field** Sun Jul 03 Boulder, CO Folsom Field** Thu Jul 07 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre Sat Jul 09 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre Sun Jul 10 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre Wed Jul 13 Pittsburgh, PA First Niagara Pavilion Fri Jul 15 Boston, MA Fenway Park** Sat Jul 16 Boston, MA Fenway Park** Fri Jul 22 Portland, OR Moda Center Sat Jul 23 George, WA Gorge Amphitheatre Tue Jul 26 Irvine, CA Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre Wed Jul 27 Chula Vista, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre Fri Jul 29 Wheatland, CA Toyota Amphitheatre Sat Jul 30 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, unless otherwise noted. **Tickets are not available through Ticketmaster for these concerts: Citi Field concert tickets available HERE. Folsom Field tickets available HERE. Fenway Park tickets available HERE.

Sixx AM

Ask any artist to reveal their most important ingredients for success, and you are guaranteed to find creative freedom near the top of the list. Thus it has proved for Sixx:A.M, a band comprised of Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba and James Michael have formed a creative collective characterized by a free-spirited, artistically pure approach and genuinely diverse musical influences. That wide-winged philosophy resulted in the band’s third album, the alluringly titled Modern Vintage, which offers both billion-dollar choruses, and nods to great bands from the 70s like Queen, Bowie, T. Rex and Sweet. It is a record that represents the culmination of seven years of collaboration between three friends who, in the beginning, didn’t even really want to start a band… “This all just formed incredibly organically,” says producer and vocalist James Michael of Sixx: A.M’s initial formation. “I had been working with Nikki on some songs and we got talking about the idea of doing a soundtrack for a film version of what would end up becoming The Heroin Diaries. A couple of years later he called me up and said ‘We’re actually going to publish The Heroin Diaries as a book. How would you feel about doing the soundtrack for a book?!’” Sixx and Ashba had already been working on material for what would become The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack and were considering having guest singers across the various tracks. “James was suggested and to be honest, I didn’t even know him as anything other than a producer at that point,” says Ashba, “but as soon as we heard James sing, we didn’t want anyone else.’” “When my management eventually heard those songs they were like ‘You need to have a name and be a band,’” adds Sixx. “Until that point, we hadn’t even really thought about it in those terms!” What followed was unprecedented success. The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack sold over 370,000 copies in the US and spawned a Rock Chart topper in the shape of “Life Is Beautful.” More than that, it was a uniquely compelling companion to a New York Times Best Seller and arguably the first ever rock soundtrack an autobiography has ever known. Inspired by an overwhelming public response, the band returned to the studio to pen second album This Is Gonna Hurt, a record which, similarly to their first, runs in parallel with Sixx’s book of the same name. Again they tackled the dark personal topics and again they triumphed, scoring a Billboard top 10 and another Rock Chart number 1. Of course, these impressive achievements all stem directly from Sixx: A.M’s constant willingness to challenge themselves and push at the edges of their inventive and technical capacities. “I feel like the three of us are able to set goals – sometimes goals which seem unachievable – and figure out how to not only reach, but surpass, those targets,” says Sixx. “When it came time to makeModern Vintage, we sat down and said, ‘We have to dare to make something that could leave us looking very silly’,” confesses James Michael. “We needed to take risks and accept that it might fail.” The result of that risk is an album which sees the band going back through the history of the music they love, constantly developing and expanding their sonic palette while continuing to explore lyrical territory which is personal, spiritual, philosophical and intensly poetic. “My favorite writers are Ginsberg, Burroughs and Kerouac,” smiles Sixx. “What we do lyrically with Sixx:A.M is not one dimensional; we try and go as deep as possible. We want people to feel something and connect with what we are saying.” The upshot is that Modern Vintage is record of beauty and genuine substance, that will move both your head and your heart and that will attract the casual listener and the avid music fan alike – the sound of three masters producing something which confounds both expectation and categorization. It’s this profound message – as well as their unorthodox means of disseminating material – which has cultivated the powerful bond the band share with their fans. These are not just songs to be idly enjoyed and cast aside, there are plenty for whom Sixx:A.M has been a catalyst for real and long-lasting life change. “There are messages of self-improvement and striving on all our records,” says James Michael “and I am glad that people are able to relate to those aspects of it.” “Sixx:A.M really is a labor of love for us,” continues Ashba. “We don’t follow any of the guidelines. It’s a space where we can truly be artists, truly be free and truly create exactly what we want to create. The canvas is totally opened up for us.” “We want to go where the bands that we loved were prepared to go,” adds Sixx; “where Queen were not scared to go, where The Beatles were not scared to go. It’s total freedom.” In that spirit of fearlessness, the band the approached composing their forthcoming full length offering. Take the inimitable “Stars”, whose heavy yet grooving instrumental belies a deeply introspective message of almost spiritual quality – a perfect marriage of guts-out power and craft the likes of which will have listeners slack-jawed in admiration. Then there’s the Jack White meets Lenny Kravitz shuffle of “Miracle” – a track which, believe it or not, began life as a Bee Gees-esque disco tune. Elsewhere, the fizzing emotion of first single “Gotta Get It Right” has a cinematic charm; its stomping beats injected with an epic sensibility and wind-in-your-hair joy. It was, Michael admits “The last song we wrote for the record, but I couldn’t imagine the album without it now. To me, it represents everything about Modern Vintage, sonically, melodically and lyrically – it’s the song we’ve been trying to write for ten years.” Moreover, the very phrase ‘Modern Vintage’ alludes to the band’s desire to take the esoteric, old-school styles with which they have all individually fallen in love, and render them in glistening modern technicolor. “With the songs on this album, some of them sound like they were written in the sixties but recorded today,” says James Michael. “And some of them sound like they were written in the future but recorded back in the sixties or seventies. So there is this beautiful balance going on between genres and eras, heritage and modernity. I feel like it’s a real celebration of the music that has inspired and informed our love for what we do.” For fans, Modern Vintage also heralds a new era for the band, in which Sixx:A.M’s live performance looks set to take center stage in a way that has previously not been possible. Astonishing as it seems and despite all their overwhelming success, the band has only played 30 gigs since its inception – something that looks set to change in the very near future. “Not only are we are excited for people to hear this record but we are also excited to get out and play it live on tour,” enthuses James Michael. “It’s going to be as fun to create a Sixx:A.M live experience as it has been to create the music” adds Sixx. “And when Motley winds up, all my time and all my love is going into Sixx:A.M.” “So far, everything in this band has worked out exactly as it has needed to for us to recognize the love we have for each other and for what we do musically,” finishes James Michael. “We know that Sixx:A.M is a unique situation, but it is also a beautiful situation: to have these friends to be able to do this with, and to have this outlet for our art, is a truly special thing – and we are going to make the absolute most of it we can.”

James Kingsland

Prominent GUARDIAN science editor JAMES KINGSLAND discusses the groundbreaking exploration of the “science of enlightenment” in "SIDDHARTHA’S BRAIN: Unlocking the Ancient Science of Enlightenment" coming out on April 26th, 2016. In a lush grove on the banks of the Neranjara in northern India, 400 years before the birth of Christ, a homeless man in his late 30s sat beneath a fig tree. His name was Siddhartha Gautama, though he is better known now as the Buddha, and he was in the process of unlocking the secrets of mental wellness and spiritual “enlightenment” through mindful meditation. Framed by the historical journey and teachings of the Buddha, SIDDHARTHA’S BRAIN shows how meditative and Buddhist practice anticipated the findings of cutting-edge science by two millennia. Far from a New Age fad, the principles of meditation have deep scientific support for their efficacy, and have been proven to be effective in combating many of the psychiatric disorders associated with our technology-driven world. Moving from the evolutionary history of the brain to the disorders and neuroses associated with modern life, Kingsland explores why the ancient practice of mindfulness has been so beneficial and so important for human beings across time. Siddhartha posited that “Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think,” and as we are increasingly driven to distraction by the various demands of the modern world, our ability to focus and control our own thought patterns has never been more challenged, nor more vital. About the author: James Kingsland is a science and medical journalist with twenty-five years of experience working for publications such as New Scientist, Nature, and most recently the Guardian (UK), where he was a commissioning editor and a contributor for its Notes & Theories blog. On his own blog, Plastic Brain, he writes about neuroscience and Buddhist psychology.

Neal Schon

JOURNEY and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS will launch the "SAN FRANCISCO FEST 2016" tour on Thursday, May 12, 2016, again bringing together two of the iconic groups that helped define the "San Francisco Sound." The tour launches at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, California - with concerts scheduled through August 30, 2016, and includes special guest DAVE MASON. A limited number of VIP Packages will be available and include premium tickets, pre-show party, exclusive merchandise and more. "SAN FRANCISCO FEST 2016" FEATURING JOURNEY & THE DOOBIE BROTHERS With Special Guest Dave Mason Thursday, May 12, 2016 Irvine, CA Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre Saturday, May 14, 2016 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavilion Sunday, May 15, 2016 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Austin, TX Austin360 Amphitheater Friday, May 20, 2016 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion Saturday, May 21, 2016 Woodlands, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman Monday, May 23, 2016 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena Wednesday, May 25, 2016 Memphis, TN FedEx Forum Friday, May 27, 2016 Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday, May 28, 2016 Kansas City, KS Sprint Center Tuesday, May 31, 2016 Rogers, AR Walmart AMP Thursday, June 02, 2016 Birmingham, AL Oak Mountain Amphitheatre Saturday, June 04, 2016 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion Sunday, June 05, 2016 Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Amphitheatre Wednesday, June 08, 2016 Atlanta, GA Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood Friday, June 10, 2016 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amp. Saturday, June 11, 2016 W. Palm Beach, FL Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre Wednesday, June 22, 2016 Bangor, ME Darling's Waterfront Pavilion Friday, June 24, 2016 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Saturday, June 25, 2016 Holmdel, NJ PNC Banks Art Center Monday, June 27, 2016 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Wednesday, June 29, 2016 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center Friday, July 01, 2016 Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach Saturday, July 02, 2016 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live Tuesday, July 05, 2016 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center Thursday, July 07, 2016 Toronto Molson Canadian Amphitheatre Saturday, July 09, 2016 Darien, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center Sunday, July 10, 2016 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center Wednesday, July 13, 2016 Syracuse, NY Lakeview Amphitheater Friday, July 15, 2016 Camden, NJ BB&T Pavilion Saturday, July 16, 2016 Burgettstown, PA First Niagara Pavilion Wednesday, July 27, 2016 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater Friday, July 29, 2016 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center Saturday, July 30, 2016 Maryland Heights, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Tuesday, August 02, 2016 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena Thursday, August 04, 2016 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre Thursday, August 06, 2015 Omaha, NE CenturyLink Center Sunday, August 07, 2016 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena Tuesday, August 09, 2016 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center Thursday, August 11, 2016 Sioux Falls, SD Denny Sanford PREMIER Center Saturday, August 13, 2016 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Tuesday, August 16, 2016 Oklahoma City, OK Chesapeake Energy Arena Wednesday, August 17, 2016 Little Rock, AR Verizon Arena Saturday, August 20, 2016 Denver, CO Pepsi Center Sunday, August 21, 2016 West Valley City, UT USANA Amphitheatre Tuesday, August 23, 2016 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre Thursday, August 25, 2016 Ridgefield, WA Sunlight Supply Amphitheater Saturday, August 27, 2016 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center Sunday, August 28, 2016 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center Tuesday, August 30, 2016 Chula Vista, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre Visit the Tour Section for a full list of dates and ticket links.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Bobby Rydell

From his vivid childhood on the fabled mid-20th-century streets of South Philadelphia, to his reign as the Justin Bieber of the “Camelot” era, his battles with alcoholism, and his lifesaving double-transplant surgery, multi-talented entertainer Bobby Rydell has one hell of a story to tell. On May 4, Bobby will share his incredible tale as he releases his candid and compelling autobiography, TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS: A Tale of Second Chances (Doctor Licks Publishing, 249 pp., $16.95). Co-written with award-winning musician-author-filmmaker Allan Slutsky (Standing in the Shadows of Motown), TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS not only tells the story of Bobby Rydell, but that of American pop culture through the past six decades. In its pages, Bobby writes of his encounters with such giants of 20th century show business as Frank Sinatra, Ann-Margret, The Beatles, Red Skelton, Jack Benny and Dick Clark, whose Philly-based American Bandstand helped make Rydell the world’s biggest teen idol in the years between Elvis Presley’s army induction and the advent of Beatlemania. A time when Frank Sinatra called Bobby his “favorite” pop singer. But TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS also is a very personal — and often-painful – story. Bobby delves into the darker and more dramatic aspects of his life, including the death of his beloved first wife, Camille, his decades of alcohol abuse, and the last-ditch transplant surgery that saved his life. Among other topics covered in the book: • The circumstances of how Bobby lost his virginity in a Hollywood hotel suite at the age of 17. • How a Philadelphia mob boss helped him take a movie acting job. • His becoming, at age 19, the youngest-ever headliner at New York’s legendary Copacabana nightclub. • How The Beatles paid homage to Bobby in one of their biggest hits — and how the Fab Four’s emergence as a global phenomenon all but killed his career. Humorous, tragic, fascinating, inspiring and always entertaining, TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS stands as one of the most important non-fiction books of 2016. TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS (Doctor Licks Publishing) will be available May 4, 2016 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and book stores throughout America. Official website: www.bobbyrydell.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/OfficialBobbyRydell YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/BobbayRydell

Justin Kutcher from FOX Sports

Justin Kutcher is a play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports, calling a variety of sports for the network including college football, college basketball, Major League Baseball, NFL and soccer. He partnered with former U.S. Women’s National team player and two-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Wagner to call games at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Canada during the summer of 2015. Before joining FOX Sports in August 2012 for the network’s coverage of college football and MLB, he spent four years at ESPN, working as a play-by-play announcer for several sports including football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, hockey and soccer. He also worked as an ESPN studio anchor and host for several different events. During his time at the network, Kutcher called everything from high school football and basketball to the BIG EAST Basketball Tournament and NBA regular-season games. He also was one of the primary voices for ESPN’s college baseball coverage, broadcasting the Regionals and Super Regionals, as well as the softball Super Regionals for three years. In addition, he was the voice of the Under Armour High School All-America Football Game for three years and called the NCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championships. Kutcher previously worked for Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network (formerly CBS College Sports) and NCAA Productions as both a play-by-play announcer and studio host. Additionally, he was a regular contributor on MLB.com, where he hosted “Daily Rewind,” a nightly highlight show. At the same time, he served as the primary anchor for MLB.com’s “Post Season Live” program during the 2008 Postseason. In August 2008, Kutcher hosted a nightly nationally syndicated Olympic recap show for Westwood One Radio. The versatile broadcaster spent three years broadcasting minor league baseball at the Double-A and Triple-A levels before he was hired on-air at CSTV in 2006. He also called the World Softball Championships (an Olympic qualifying event) in 2006 from Beijing, China, for the International Softball Federation. From 2000 to 2006, he freelanced as a statistician for FOX Sports, working the playoffs and World Series as a special assistant to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, and spent time broadcasting Minor League Soccer for the Portland Timbers. He held an internship for MSG Network in New York during the summer of 2000.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Carmine Appice Stick It

Over the course of a career spanning more than five decades and multiple bands, the party has almost never stopped for musician Carmine Appice. The son of a cop-turned-mechanic father and a doting mother, he graduated from the teenage gangs of Brooklyn to become an internationally renowned drummer who invented heavy rock drumming while recording not only with his own groups and supergroups but also the likes of Pink Floyd, Ozzy Osbourne and Ted Nugent—all amid a dizzying, near-perpetual cloud of orgiastic revelry. Stick It!: My Life of Sex, Drums, and Rock ’N’ Roll (Chicago Review Press; May 1, 2016), written by Appice with Ian Gittins, with a foreword by Rod Stewart, at once clears and thickens the fog of debauchery surrounding the hard-partying rock star’s life. Starting with his childhood in a family of six living in a New York apartment built for two, Appice traces his ascension to stardom with bands such as Vanilla Fudge and Cactus while detailing his myriad famous (and infamous) contributions to music history. Among other moments of incredible happenstance, he partied with Hendrix in a prostitute’s apartment, helped John Bonham secure his first heavyweight drum kit, was present for Led Zeppelin’s notorious mud shark incident and happened into a house-sharing situation with Prince. And, along the way, he pioneered new techniques in drumming while earning unexpected megastardom in Japan, forming all-blond hair band King Kobra, getting married five times and bedding at least 4,500 groupies. Unflinchingly, sometimes outrageously forthcoming about the drummer’s highs and lows, Appice’s Stick It! offers a raw look at his globe-trotting, rock-and-roll lifestyle and serves up a seemingly endless series of surprising cameos by various celebrities, including Kojak, John McEnroe and Steven Seagal. By turns intimately revelatory, shockingly graphic, and sweeping in its account of rock’s notable eras from the 1960s to today, the memoir will leave readers’ jaws on the floor. ABOUT CARMINE APPICE Carmine Appice has played drums as a member of Vanilla Fudge; Cactus; and Beck, Bogert & Appice, and he has also lent his talents to Rod Stewart, Ted Nugent, Ozzy Osbourne and Pink Floyd, among others. His innovative percussion has earned him considerable renown among fans and critics alike. He currently lives in New York and Los Angeles.

Lucy Buffett

Grand Central Life & Style is proud to present the bestselling, self-published cookbook by Lucy Buffett, “Crazy Sista Cooking,” updated and repackaged for 2016 in LULU’S KITCHEN: A Taste of the Gulf Coast Good Life (April 26.) In this vibrant and fun cookbook, chef sister of Jimmy Buffett includes amazing recipes from LuLu’s, her destination restaurant in Gulf Shores, Alabama, which also has a location in Destin, FL. Like her brother, Lucy Buffett celebrates freedom, relaxation, and seaside decadence in her own art—cooking. Packed with more than 120 signature recipes from Lucy's famous Gulf Coast restaurant, LULU’S KITCHEN is the next best thing to being there. Tucked inside are humorous stories and plenty of wit and wisdom from Lucy’s own kitchen. The book features party menus, Buffett Family favorites, and lots of telling it like it is. Recipes include soul-satisfying Southern delights, from cocktails to entrees, such as: Cocktail Hour - Bama Breeze In the Beginning - Heavenly Fried Crab Claws Gumbo Love and Other Deep South Soups - Summer Seafood Gumbo Sassy Salads - Creola Blackened Grouper Salad Sandwiches and Such - Mama’s Favorite Oyster Loaf Perfect Sauces and Salad Dressings - Bad Girl Buffalo Sauce (Spicy!) Sweet Things - Chocolate Pound Cake with Mocha Glaze Child’s Play - Little Chickens’ Tasty Pot Pie Life is Good Grits - Garlic Cheese Grits Party Favors - Southern Summer Dinner Party Menu This revised edition has been updated with a new introduction and headnotes, but still has all of the great recipes from “Crazy Sista Cooking.” LULU’S KITCHEN can be used by cooks of all experience levels and for many different occasions, from dinner with family to parties with friends. Have a “Taste of the Gulf Coast Good Life” no matter where you live. ABOUT LUCY BUFFETT Lucy Buffett is a restaurateur of the award winning, fun-loving LuLu’s which serves more than one million guests a year at two locations, one in Gulf Shores, Alabama and the other in Destin, Florida. Lucy has also been recognized for her tireless work on behalf of sustainability and the environment. However, the greatest passion of this self-proclaimed gypsy rebel and reluctant entrepreneur is cooking good food for the people she loves. LULU’S KITCHEN: A Taste of the Gulf Coast Good Life (formerly “Crazy Sista Cooking”) is her first cookbook and is full of recipes and stories that made her restaurant the famous destination it is today. You can find more information on Lucy at www.LucyBuffett.com. Learn More About Lucy Buffett facebook.com/Lucy-Buffett @LucyBuffett on Twitter @LucyBuffett on Instagram

Brigadier General Troy D Kok

Brigadier General Troy D. Kok assumed duties as the Deputy Commanding General for Support on May 18, 2015. Prior to this assignment, BG Kok commanded the 11th Aviation Command from November 2012 through May 17, 2015. BG Troy D. Kok began his military career when he enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1982. He received his commission as a Second Lieutenant through the Reserve Officers Training Corps at Central Missouri State University as a Quartermaster officer in 1984. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Maintenance Technology and received his Masters of Science in Aviation Safety.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Don Cheadle

Actor Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. was born on November 29, 1964, in Kansas City, Missouri, as the middle child in a family of three children. Cheadle was involved in acting at an early age. While attending elementary school in Denver, Colorado, he played Templeton the Rat in a stage adaptation of E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. "I remember carrying my script around and studying it like I do now," he told the Los Angeles Times. "I don't know why but I was serious about acting even then." Cheadle entered the California Institute for the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia, California, in 1982. At CalArts, Cheadle received a rigorous education in classic theater, and by the time he graduated he quickly found work in television. He appeared in small parts on shows such as Fame (1982-87), L.A. Law (1986-94) and Hill Street Blues (1981-97), while also taking the time to do stage performances. Cheadle began his first recurring role alongside Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty in the short-lived spin-off of the popular cult classic The Golden Girls (1985-92), titled The Golden Palace (1992-93). His next recurring role as District Attorney John Littleton in the television series Picket Fences (1992-96) was more successful. Cheadle earned an Emmy nomination for his lead role in the HBO film A Lesson Before Dying (1993), but it was his riveting portrayal of trigger-happy Mouse Alexander in the film Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) that brought him greater notice in Hollywood. Based on the novel by Walter Mosely, and also starring Denzel Washington, the film explored the heart of the Los Angeles black community in the 1940s. Cheadle won awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics, and was nominated for Screen Actors Guild and NAACP Image Awards. Following his memorable appearance in Boogie Nights (1997), Cheadle won his first Golden Globe Award for his work in the TV film The Rat Pack (1998) as Sammy Davis Jr. He later earned another Emmy nomination for the Showtime movie Things Behind the Sun (2001). Cheadle's roles on film and on television became more varied as his exposure grew. In 2000, he enjoyed a prominent role in the criminal drama Traffic, which was released shortly after he appeared in the comedy The Family Man. He made appearances on several episodes of the hospital drama ER (1994-2009), but his biggest dramatic roles were yet to come. In 2005, Cheadle was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (2004), a film about the Rwandan genocide of 1994. He also starred in and co-produced the movie Crash (2004), which won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Picture. His performance drew BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor. With two high-profile, Oscar-nominated films under his belt, Cheadle was able to try his hand at blockbuster films and edgier shows. Having played a minor role in the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, Cheadle reprised his character with more screen time in the sequels Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007). He also starred in the popular summer blockbusters Iron Man 2 (2010) and Iron Man 3 (2013), taking on the role that Terrence Howard had played in the first film. In 2012, Cheadle also returned to TV in the comedy House of Lies. For his role as a successful yet arrogant management consultant, Cheadle was awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy in 2012. He was nominated again for the series in 2013 and 2014. His work on House of Lies also earned him multiple Emmy nominations for Lead Actor in a Comedy. In 2015, Cheadle returned to the superhero genre with his appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He also made his directorial debut with Miles Ahead, a biopic in which he starred as iconic jazz composer and trumpeter Miles Davis. Cheadle currently resides in Santa Monica, California, with actress Bridgid Coulter and their two daughters. ABOUT THE MOVIE MILES AHEAD MILES AHEAD, inspired by events in his life, is a wildly entertaining, impressionistic, no-holds barred portrait of one of 20th century music’s creative geniuses, Miles Davis, featuring a career defining performance by Oscar nominee Don Cheadle in the title role. The film also stars Emayatzy Corinealdi, who plays Davis’ wife Frances, and Ewan McGregor as the wily music reporter Dave Braden, who forces his way into Davis’ house and, over the next couple of days, embarks with Miles on a wild and sometimes harrowing adventure.

Leeza Gibbons Fierce Optimism

How did an easygoing, sweet-tempered small town Southern girl keep her edge on success for more than thirty years in Hollywood? How did TV’s most likeable host, with a Daytime Emmy Award and an unofficial master’s degree in drama avoidance to her credit, compete on Celebrity Apprentice without screaming, yelling, or playing dirty; beat cutthroat contenders including Geraldo Rivera; impress the notoriously tough Donald Trump; and take home the title of winner? Leeza Gibbons, the ultimate anti-diva, shares her powerful strategies and the philosophy behind them in FIERCE OPTIMISM: Seven Secrets for Playing Nice and Winning Big (Dey Street Books; On Sale: April 12, 2016; $26.99; Hardcover; ISBN: 9780062432520). In a world marked by bullying, corruption, and all sorts of nastiness, where fear and negativity dominate, Leeza stands out as a beacon of hope for . . . hope itself, backed by accountability, determination, and hard work. “Optimism is undergoing a makeover, and it’s on the way to a new, powerful persona,” Leeza attests. “I didn’t create this movement. I’m not the Pied Piper of Positivity. But I heard it when Donald Trump said, ‘Leeza, you led with kindness…I don’t meet people like you.’ I figured it was time for me to take on the mantle of optimism.” In FIERCE OPTIMISM, Leeza Gibbons lets readers in on guiding principles and consistent practices that have kept her on a steady path to success, without compromising her belief in treating others with dignity and courtesy. Building on the old-fashioned values instilled by her parents and mentors, her fresh brand of optimism leverages the strength that comes from living with integrity, taking responsibility for your own choices and screw-ups, and having a zero-tolerance policy for mean and spiteful behavior. Filled with lessons Leeza has learned from her own life, loves, losses, parenting experiences, career, and true confessions (yes, as Leeza admits, she has had her not-so-nice moments), chapters affirm the power of seven core qualities possessed by fiercely optimistic people and show how to put them into action. They include: • Self-Worth. A new take on self-confidence without hubris; fallibility is human. Developing self-worth includes giving yourself permission fail gracefully and shame-free, and then move on. “The ones who have the audacity to believe they can change are the ones who do,” states Leeza. “No magic, just habits.” • Focus. “There will always be someone richer, prettier, and skinnier, with better hair. Comparing degrades and diminishes your own journey,” Leeza stresses. To succeed, she advocates focusing on your own strengths, striving to work harder than everyone else, and not worrying about the C-R-A-P: Criticism, Resistance, Assholes, and Pressure. • Resilience. From the crushing disappointment of John & Leeza to failed marriages, Leeza has been thrust into perfecting the art of the pivot. Her secret to bouncing back? “An optimistic person behaves in a way that expects good outcomes,” she observes. “Especially when you’re going through challenging or disappointing times, assume that your circumstances are about to turn around.” • Plus, Empathy (the new golden rule), Loyalty (crucial for anyone playing the long game) Forgiveness (the key to living without regrets), and Optimism (with a commitment to not just seeing the glass as half full, but taking ownership for continually refilling that glass). Packed with illuminating anecdotes featuring notables from Madonna and Lady Gaga to Ted Kopple and, of course, the Donald, as well as lesser-known remarkable people, FIERCE OPTIMISM is a book for strong, ambitious women and anyone seeking to enjoy success without sacrificing their humanity. ABOUT LEEZA GIBBONS Leeza Gibbons is an Emmy Award-winning television personality, successful businesswoman, social entrepreneur, and author. From hosting Entertainment Tonight, the daytime talk show Leeza, the PBS news show My Generation, and the TV newsmagazine America Now, she is one of the best known and best loved hosts on the air. Through her New York Times bestseller Take 2: Your Guide to Creating Happy Endings and New Beginnings she made the case for playing by your own rules and she used that philosophy to win NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, becoming the second woman ever to earn the title. In 2002, she founded the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation, which offers free services for family caregivers thought its signature program, Leeza’s Care Connection. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles and has three children, a dog, and a cat.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

The Story Of Prince By Prince

I collect sound. Not because sound is addictive. But because one day the sound I collect will help heal the fans of the music makers that shaped our lives. This is The Story of Prince Told By Prince...

Britne Oldford

A Secret Government Unit Hunts Down Alien Terrorists in Syfy's Thrilling New Series, Hunters Britne Oldford (American Horror Story, The Flash) Helps Lead the Charge as Exo-Terrorism Operative Allison Regan Inspired by Whitley Strieber’s best-selling novel, Alien Hunter, Syfy's Hunters is part gritty crime drama and part sci-fi thriller from executive producers Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead, The Terminator trilogy) and Natalie Chaidez (12 Monkeys, Heroes). When a decorated FBI agent's wife suddenly disappears, his search leads him to a secret government unit charged to hunt down ruthless terrorists called "Hunters" who are not from this world. Britne Oldford plays Allison Regan, one of the most valuable operatives of the Exo-Terrorism Unit. Britne first starred on MTV’s popular series Skins before memorably playing the role of ‘Alma’ on the second season of the award-winning American Horror Story. She's also had recurring roles on ABC Family’s Ravenswood, Richard Lagravanese’s WE tv series The Divide and CW’s The Flash. On April 21, Britne can let listeners know what to expect from the new series and her role as a badass alien terrorist hunter!

Damien Lemon

America's Top Rising Comedians Battle for Comedy Supremacy in truTV's Comedy Knockout Comedian Damien Lemon (Guy Code) Hosts the New Weekly Comedy Competition truTV's Comedy Knockout pits comedians against each other in a series of fast-paced challenges, with the audience ultimately deciding who is the funniest person in the room. In each episode, host Damien Lemon sends three comics into a battle of high stakes comedic gameplay. With points awarded based on the audience’s applause, competitors attempt to land massive comedy blows and whip the rowdy crowd into a frenzy of laughter. The whole time, comedians throw roast-like jabs and rapid-fire punch lines to knock their opponents off balance. Every show ends with one comedian crowned champion, one eliminated and one forced to face the crowd and apologize for going down in shameful defeat. Guest comedians will include Jim Norton, Sherrod Small, Kevin Barnett, Jamie Lee and many more. With a standup act that can be best described as an all-inclusive bug-out session, Damien Lemon has worked at all of the top comedy clubs across New York City as well as many of the top clubs across the country. He was chosen a “New Face” of 2013’s Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival as well as a featured performer on Whitney Cumming’s Gala show on HBO. Damien has performed stand-up on Russell Simmons: The Ruckus on Comedy Central. He is a series regular on MTV’s Guy Code, helping the show become the most popular series in MTV2 history. He is also the creator and star of the hit web series D. Lemon in the Morning.

Christopher Andersen

GAME OF CROWNS by #1 New York Times bestselling author Christopher Andersen (Gallery Books; on sale April 19, 2016; Hardcover $28.00) is a compulsively readable look into the relationships and rivalries of Queen Elizabeth, Camilla Parker Bowles, and Kate Middleton. A wily stateswoman and an enduring symbol of a fading institution; the great-granddaughter of a king’s mistress and a celebrated homewrecker; and a commoner, wife and mother to two future kings. Master biographer Christopher Andersen takes readers behind palace walls to examine the surprising similarities and stark differences among three remarkable women—Queen Elizabeth; Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; and Princess Kate. Andersen reveals what transpires within the royal family away from the public's prying eyes; how the women actually feel about each other; how they differ as lovers, wives, and mothers; and how they are reshaping the landscape of the monarchy. This addictive read that will shock even those who are spellbound by the royal palace with revelations including: • As Queen Elizabeth nears 90 years old, she is considering abdication—a first in royal history. • Tension between Charles, William, and the “Men in Gray,” who wield power behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace, as polls indicate people would prefer to have William and Kate as their next King and Queen instead of Charles and Camilla. • Differences between Carole Middleton and Camilla over the raising of the royal grandchildren. • What happens when the Queen dies—details of the secret plans for transition known as “London Bridge.” • Charles’ intentions to break the promise he made to the British people and will marry Camilla and make her his queen. • How the Ghost of Princess Diana continues to guide the actions of the royals and reshape the monarchy. Christopher Andersen is the critically acclaimed author of seventeen New York Times bestsellers. A former contributing editor of Time magazine and longtime senior editor of People magazine, Andersen has also written hundreds of articles for a wide range of publications, including the New York Times, Life, and Vanity Fair. Andersen has appeared frequently on such programs as the Today Show, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Entertainment Tonight, Dateline, CBS This Morning, Extra, Access Hollywood, The O’Reilly Factor, Fox & Friends, Hardball, Larry King Live, E!, Inside Edition, and more.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Roger Glover from Deep Purple

Purple Prose Deep Purple has surrendered to the ‘Rapture’; now it’s your turn By Jeff Miers The first time I heard Deep Purple – or perhaps felt Deep Purple is a better way to describe the experience – it was the mid-70s. I was 8, and Ritchie Blackmore’s sinewy, sinister riffing on the “Made In Japan” version of “Child In Time,” coupled with Ian Gillan’s dramatic, gorgeous howling, Jon Lord’s ominous neo-classical Hammond organ, and the dynamic interplay of the Roger Glover-Ian Paice rhythm section, tore the top of my head off. It was unlike anything else I’d ever heard. And it quite literally changed my life. 30 years later, I’m still hearing Deep Purple for the first time. “Rapture of the Deep” is the spot-on moniker for the disc you hold in your hands, and I’ll stand on any classic rock radio programmer’s desk in my cowboy boots and scream it loud, proud and Gillan-esque; “This is the best Deep Purple album there is, dammit! Forget ‘Machine Head’ – that was then; this is most decidedly now!” This is the fourth record created by the revamped and rejuvenated Purple following the umpteenth departure of the mercurial Mr. Blackmore. The guitarist – one of the most significant in British rock history – had ceased to be a contributing force and was in fact draining Purple of its collective spirit when his ship finally set sail for good, a bit over a decade back. Blackmore’s exit is, in a sense, where our story begins, for the surviving band members left to pick up the pieces in his violent wake – Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice – agreed unanimously on only one six-stringer, the soon to be knighted Steve Morse. Hardly scraping the dregs from the bottom of the barrel with that choice, boys.- Morse accepted, writing commenced for what would become “Purpendicular,” on-stage work-outs were seized upon with relish, and the band breathed the heady air of rebirth. When “Purpendicular” was delivered, it astonished. Rather than going softly into the long goodnight of “classic rock” middle-age, Deep Purple had reinvented itself. It took no more than a cursory listen to the likes of “Ted the Mechanic,” “Loosen My Strings” and “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming” to drive this point straight into the skull. Morse brought a funkiness, a depth as guitarist and writer, an unparalleled fluidity as a soloist, a startling aptitude as foil to Lord, and an arsenal of influences – country, folk, jazz, what they’ve sadly labeled “fusion,” and an inherent understanding of blues-based riffs – that meshed effortlessly with the immaculate Glover-Paice sense of swing and Gillan’s seeming capacity to go anywhere at any time, full-throated and eyes ablaze. ”Purpendicular” was a celebration of both remembrance and reinvention. It at once acknowledged Purple’s estimable history and tradition, and a musical wanderlust not content to repeat the past. As such, it laid the template for a new Purple. And it all, it seems, was paving the way for the mighty metamorphosis that is “Rapture of the Deep.” With Morse, Purple toured the world to accolades from the cognoscente. “Abandon” cemented the band’s on-stage prowess on record, and reminded us that Purple was, yes indeed, the heaviest of heavy rock bands. “Bananas,” the first record following Lord’s retirement from touring and his replacement by exquisite ivory-tinkler Don Airey, brought elements of pop to the table, grafted on some of “Purpendicular’s” ambition, and encapsulated the ensemble-riff power of “Abandon.” Tours behind both of these albums revealed this still-young band’s continued growth as a performing unit. By the end of the “Bananas” marathon, Airey had marked his apotheosis, from “replacement” to fully-integrated band-member. ”Rapture of the Deep” marks yet another new beginning, however. And it, more than any other record this side of “Perfect Strangers” and “Purpendicular,” offers a snapshot of the band transitioning into bold, uncharted territory. It’s as if all the pieces fit, not for the first time, of course, but in a manner that reveals a more pure portrait of just what this band is capable of. The whole transcends the sum of its parts, which is fitting for a record that seems to be, in a very real sense, about transcendence. ”As we all know, it’s hard to breathe/When something spiritual has taken place/We don’t know how, we don’t know why/We’ve been transported to a state of grace,” sings Gillan during the album’s title track, and this verse can be seen as indicative of the over-arching ethos behind “Rapture of the Deep.” Lyrically, it speaks of a spirit not content with the status quo in terms of interpersonal, social and political relationships, and this irreverent yearning is matched by the searching nature of the music itself, which also refuses to be ordinary. The album opens with “Money Talks,” a hook-heavy rocker with several twists in its tale, most notably Gillan’s harmony vocals during the chorus, his uber-hip sing-speak during the verses – recalling both “Fireball’s” “No One Came” and his own “No Laughing In Heaven” – and the manner in which the tune flirts with an Eastern modality before erupting into a searing Morse solo. “Wrong Man” slaps the listener in the face straight out of the gate with a strutting riff that can’t miss, as Glover and Paice exploit the pocket for all it’s worth, and Gillan kicks against the pricks in the voice of a character whose greatest crime seems to be having been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both of these – like their siblings on “Rapture,” elegant and refined rockers steeped in blues and chomping at the bit, with names like “Back To Back,” “Girls Like That” and the hit single in waiting “Don’t Let Go” – are brilliant Purple tunes, estuaries from a river that never seems to run too dry. Ah, but the surprises… they’re many and varied here, and they elevate “Rapture” toward the rapturous upper echelons of the Purple canon. “Before Time Began” takes the form of a threatening march, an abscess dying to burst. Paice offers a dark subterranean shuffle, as the band lays down a series of melancholic chords, and Gillan, in a voice drenched in pathos, bemoans a world in which “Every day of my life I discover/Someone murdering my sisters and brothers/In the name of some god or another.” No mere political polemic, this, however; Gillan’s touch is too light, and he’s a master of “leaving things out,” so that his lyric is suggestive, rather than mere vitriol. “All of those bad ideas became the law/And we’ve forgotten what we’re looking for.” Indeed. And again, the Purple engine room is in full overdrive mode here, as an expansive call-and-response between Morse and Airey – who has made replacing Lord look easy, when we all know it is in fact far from it; Airey has made his mark on Purple, to be sure, by respecting what came before him and having the fortitude and chops to take it all somewhere new and exciting – leaves one feeling breathless and vulnerable. This is “progressive rock” in the most positive sense of that much-maligned term. The centerpiece of “Rapture” also happens to be one of the finest tunes in the band’s history – no small claim, that. “Clearly Quite Absurd” is clearly quite sublime; a piece with a melody that simply hurts to listen to, in the way that first love is painful because it’s ephemeral and fleeting. Thankfully, your disc player has a “repeat” button, so this is a love that will never abandon you. Gillan sings of escaping the snares of the mundane and commonplace, the accepted reality which deadens us to the potential one above and beyond it. Again, harmony vocals – Beatle-esque ones, in this instance – help set the mood, and an ascending chord progression led by Morse spreads its arms heavenward, eventually settling into a circular pattern that becomes one of the more moving codas not just in Purple history, but, yep, in the history of heavy rock itself. This is Deep Purple, 2005 version. Intense, fearless, full of fire, and wit, and passion. Marked by serious virtuosity, but never a slave to it. Still finding new meaning in a medium they all but single-handedly created. Grab ahold of this, and don’t let go

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

William Geroux

In THE MATHEWS MEN, Geroux tells the story of the extraordinary Hodges family (which sent seven sons to the Merchant Marines) and their neighbors and friends in Mathews. When America entered the war, hundreds of Mathews men were walking the decks of cargo ships, where they were prey for U-boats in the Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean and the frigid Barents Sea. From disastrous run-ins with U-Boat “wolf packs” in American waters, to the D-Day invasion, to the delivery of the Enola Gay crew to Tinian, Mathews men were at the heart of the action. U.S. Merchant Mariners, caricatured unfairly as drunks and draft dodgers during the war, waded through dangerous conditions to fuel the great Allied amphibious invasions that liberated Europe from the Nazis, only to be forgotten afterward by their nation. THE MATHEWS MEN is a rich, fascinating account of their behind-the-scenes sea battles that in many ways determined the outcome of the war. It chronicles the still-unrecognized sacrifices made by thousands of men and women at sea and on the home front. While covering a town forum in 1991, reporter William Geroux was astonished to hear people’s memories of merchant boats being torpedoed right off shore in Virginia during World War II, when German U-Boats would lie in wait just off the U.S. coast for these unarmed ships that were responsible for the transport of virtually all the fuel, food and munitions that sustained the Allies in Europe. Nearly a decade later, Geroux came across the story of Mathews County, Virginia, a rural strip of land along the Chesapeake that sent one of the largest concentrations of sea captains and merchant mariners of any community in America to fight in World War II, and he knew he had a story. Inspired and informed by interviews conducted with many Mathews County WWII merchant mariners and their relatives, THE MATHEWS MEN: Seven Brothers and the War Against Hitler’s U-boats finally brings to light the heroic but unacknowledged role of the mariners from Mathews, VA, and of the U.S. Merchant Marine.

Kerry Earnhardt

Lancaster’s BBQ Presents the Jr Southern Rodeo at Rockin K Ranch DATE: FRIDAY, MAY 20, and SATURDAY, MAY 21 TIME: 8:00 PM each night * Kerry Earnhardt-Former NASCAR driver in all elite divisions. (Refer to bio) Currently -Jr SRA Vice President where his daughter, Kayla, has competed for 5 years -Along with his wife Rene’ has carried their passion for the outdoors into award winning custom home designs and furnishings. Together, they co-founded the Earnhardt Collection, a family home lifestyle brand inspired by the beauty and strength of nature. -Radio host for Earnhardt Outdoors. A podcast on his brother, Dale Jr’s, Dirty Mo Radio channel *Jr SRA History- (Refer to sheet for event details) -One of the largest youth rodeo associations in the United States -Oldest Jr Rodeo Association East of Mississippi -Over 140 members -Promoter of 13 rodeo competitions a season in 3 different states VA, SC and NC -501 (c) (3) organization -Volunteers comprised of parents, grandparents, friends and competitors -Compared to a standard youth sport, each rodeo production takes months of preparation and hours of hauling livestock, bucking chutes, holding pens, etc. There’s not just one athlete in the sport of rodeo, we have bulls, horses, goats, calves, steers, sheep and then comes the rider that all need to stay healthy and ready for the show. *Presenting sponsor- Lancasters BBQ 2 locations- Mooresville, NC and Huntersville, NC (2 min from arena) *Rockin K Ranch -Established in 1959 by the Kidd family -Built for the family’s active rodeo lifestyle -Had first open public rodeo in 1961 -Professional Rodeo personalities such as JB Mauney and Jerome Davis have competed here. -Filmed a shoot for “Young Guns” with NASCAR celebrities Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte -TV and Radio personality, Fred Kirby’s famous horse “Calico” called Rockin K Ranch home for many years

Tyler James Williams

Tyler can be seen this Spring starring in the new CBS spinoff series CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS, as Monty, a computer whiz who works with a division of the FBI that helps American citizens who find themselves in trouble abroad. In early 2015, Tyler guest-starred as Noah in AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD (TV’s number one show - continuously beat out Sunday Night Football in ratings). He recently shot a comedy sketch on KEY & PEELE where he played Steve Urkel. This sketch received rave reviews and was named the number 1 sketch of 2014 by NEW YORK MAGAZINE. On the big screen, Tyler starred as Lionel Higgins in the Sundance breakout film DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, a satire about being a black face in a very white place. He received critical acclaim at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival for the film, directed by Justin Simien (VARIETY’s “10 Directors to Watch”) and winner of a Special Jury Prize. The film also received two Gotham Award nominations. The year prior, Tyler was also co-starred in the Tyler Perry comedy PEEPLES (Lionsgate) with Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson. You can also see Tyler in the Emmy Award-winning series “Everybody Hates Chris” where he won a 2007 NAACP image award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance. In 2012, Williams starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie LET IT SHINE as ‘Cyrus DeBarge,’ a gifted rapper full of self-doubt, and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for his performance. He began acting at the age of four on "Sesame Street" and later co-starred in the animated series "Little Bill." Additional television credits include "Law & Order: SVU" and numerous appearances in sketches on "Saturday Night Live." Other film credits include the feature film UNACCOMPANIED MINORS. Also an accomplished musician, Tyler recently released a mixtape with his brother Tyrel Jackson Williams titled Me, My Brother & A Mic. Tyler and Tyrel released this tape in just two weeks, after requests from fans. ABOUT REPLAY If you could repeat the most important day of your life until you perfected every moment, would you? If your answer is yes, then you are going to love New Form Digital's latest series titled RePlay that launches on April 20 on go90. The leads in the series are Lyndsy Fonseca who plays aspiring DJ Allison Lee and Tyler James Williams who plays her best friend Nate. Tyler is best known for his role in "The Walking Dead," "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders" and “Everybody Hates Chris.” The lovely Lyndsy who was in Marvel’s hit new drama, "Agent Carter" and previously starred for four seasons on the popular CW series, "Nikita." Her character Allison gets more than she asked for during her birthday wish, when she's stuck repeating an epic 25th birthday bash that just went down in flames.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Laura Dash

Small towns are under attack. A terrible menace is stalking the streets. Believe it or not, packs of chihuahuas, are wreaking havoc in cities including Phoenix and Los Angeles. But one couple is committed to giving these tiny terrors a second chance. We follow Laura Dash and Jim Peterson as they run Dolittle's Ranch in Studio City, California, where they have rescued more than 2,000 chihuahuas over the past 10 years. You'll gain a new appreciation for these petite pooches as you see them taken off the streets, rehabilitated, and adopted into loving homes. Chihuahuas are America's second most euthanized dog, but Laura and Jim are doing their best to give as many as possible a second chance.

Barry Svrluga

What’s it like to live through the longest season in sports, the 162-game Major League Baseball schedule? Washington Post staff writer Barry Svrluga’s THE GRIND, now out in paperback, captures the frustration, impermanence, and glory felt by the players, the staff, and their families from the start of spring training to the final game of the year – and into the offseason, when the preparations start again. So much about baseball is known: the distance between the bases (90 feet), the batting average of a good hitter (.300), the velocity of a hard fastball (95 mph). THE GRIND shows us what we don’t know. No sport is as unrelenting as Major League Baseball; enduring the 162 games squeezed into 185 days (plus spring training and postseason) is shared, in different ways, by every facet of a franchise. Join Barry Svrluga on Thursday, April 14th, as he zooms in on the 2014 Washington Nationals: not just the star players, but also on the typically invisible supporting cast who each have their own sacrifices to make and schedules to keep, including: • The Wife, who acts as a full-time mom, part-time real estate agent, occasional father, and all-hours dog walker • The 26th Man, a minor leaguer on the cusp of job security who gets called up to the majors only to be sent back down the very next week • The Reliever, one of the most mentally taxing, precarious, and terribly exposed positions on any pro squad • Many more players, scouts, equipment managers, and even travel schedulers that create the fabric of Svrluga’s intimate and unusual book. Barry Svrluga offers an unforgettably raw, inside look at the wear and tear, the glory and impermanence, of America’s pastime. About the Author Barry Svrluga has worked at the Washington Post since 2003 and is currently the national baseball writer. He previously reported on and blogged about the Washington Nationals and is the author of National Pastime, which details the franchise's relocation from Montreal and its first season in the nation's capital. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and daughter.

Ian Halperin Kardashian Dynasty

An extensive undercover investigation exposes intimate secrets and explosive disclosures in KARDASHIAN DYNASTY by Ian Halperin (Gallery Books; on sale April 26, 2016; Hard Cover $26.00). America’s most polarizing family made their reality show debut in 2007 with E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians and almost a decade later, they show no sign of slowing down. Salacious tabloid headlines, media appearances, branding deals, reality show spin offs, and unfettered access to their daily lives on social media, the infamous family continues to steal the celebrity spotlight. And yet, amidst their mega, exploitive success, there are many unearthed secrets that plague the Kardashian brand. Investigative journalist Ian Halperin goes undercover and infiltrates their world to expose the truth about all things Kardashian including: • The Kardashian family’s intimate involvement in the O.J. Simpson trial . • Going undercover to infiltrate the porn industry, Halperin gets to the likely truth about Kim Kardashian's infamous career-launching sex tape. • Paris Hilton’s hand in the creation of Kim Kardashian and the family brand. • The “reality” behind Keeping Up with the Kardashians. • The strategic marriage and partnership between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. • Allegations that Kris Jenner attempted to dissuade Bruce Jenner from coming out as trans by advocating a form of religious conversion therapy. • The inside story behind the story of Bruce Jenner's transformation to Caitlyn as Halperin poses undercover as trans. Based on extensive research, Ian Halperin delivers the sensational details behind the Kardashians’ rise to fame. With revelations exposing the family’s foundation as shaky at best and scandalous at worst, Halperin scrutinizes their self-made multi-million dollar brand. Beginning with their involvement in the O.J. Simpson trial that rocked the nation in 1995 and ending with Caitlyn Jenner’s transition in 2015, Halperin provides an unparalleled glimpse into the events and scandals that have propelled the Kardashians to worldwide celebrity, for better or worse. ABOUT IAN HALPERIN IAN HALPERIN is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, Love & Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain, and Whitney & Bobbi Kristina, among many other biographies. He is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning filmmaker, having directed and produced several films, including the documentaries Gone Too Soon, Chasing Gaga, and The Cobain Case. Halperin regularly appears on television and radio to share his perspective on celebrity culture.

Wayne Pacelle

Indeed there is a fascinating and deeply important new story developing. In his forthcoming book THE HUMANE ECONOMY: How Innovators and Enlightened Consumers Are Transforming the Lives of Animals (On sale: April 19, 2016 | William Morrow | $26.99), which Humane Society of the United States President and CEO and New York Times bestselling author Wayne Pacelle (The Bond) offers the first full accounting of a revolution sweeping global business, and changing forever how we value animals. As told from the frontlines, this is the surprising narrative of how entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 CEOs, world-class scientists, and a new class of political leaders, both inspired and pressured by conscious consumers and voters, are collectively remaking our relationship with other species and the natural world, leaving behind the remnants of the old economic order that features puppy mills and factory farms, trophy hunting safaris and circuses with wild animal acts, and laboratories confining chimpanzees and cosmetic testing facilities poisoning rabbits. This is the story of the burgeoning, unstoppable growth of the humane economy. Technologies and expanding markets of the twentieth century enabled a new scale and intensity of animal exploitation: the mass confinement of farm animals, the global trafficking in wildlife, industrial whaling, and other practices more ruthless than rational. The story of the twenty-first century is shaping up very differently. Now technology is becoming a force for good in the treatment of animals, replacing the machinery of cruelty and removing any plausible reason to resist change and reform. THE HUMANE ECONOMY introduces the pioneers leading this revolution: the two college buddies who founded a startup food company producing a plant-based egg substitute that has attracted the backing of 12 billionaires in their quest to “take the animal out of the equation;” the writers and directors of Planet of the Apes and Noah who realized that the future of film-making involves making animal-themed movies by using CGI technology in place of live animals; and the small group of committed advocates who joined forces with one of America’s wealthiest activist investors to convince 100 of the biggest brand names in food retail to upend their supply chains to improve the lives of pigs and hens. The book features corporations like Petco and PetSmart, having turned the conventional pet store model on its head by forswearing puppy mill suppliers in favor of shelter dogs; major food retailers like Whole Foods and Chipotle that are now embracing animal welfare policies aimed at reforming animal agriculture; and major cosmetics makers, such as Lush and The Body Shop now investing in non-animal testing methods. THE HUMANE ECONOMY explores how our everyday economic decisions impact the survival and wellbeing of animals, and how we can make choices that better support them. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: As president and CEO of the nation’s largest animal protection organization, Wayne Pacelle is at the helm of a massive mission to drive animal welfare changes across different sectors of the economy – inside boardrooms, newsroom studios, courtrooms and the halls of Congress and state legislatures across the country. The author of The New York Times best-seller, The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them, Pacelle appears frequently as a guest on national news shows and as a speaker at conferences and universities, and is the author of a powerful treatise published this year in Foreign Affairs called “The Long Road to Animal Welfare.” He lives and works in Washington, D.C.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Robert Lamm from Chicago

Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago was voted Best of Fest among audiences at the 22nd Annual Sedona International Film Festival. Honorees were announced Sunday morning. The no-holds barred Peter Pardini-directed look at the iconic rock band that will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on April 8 had its world premiere at the 2016 Festival. The band opened the Festival with back-to-back sold-out performances. This year is full of special events for the band, beginning with Chicago performing at Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles. The star-studded crowd gave the band a standing ovation. Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire will embark on their North American co-headlining Spring 2016 tour, Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire - Heart And Soul Tour. As they have done before, both bands open and close the show together, featuring all 21 musicians on stage, joining forces for the show’s incredible finale. The 2016 dates will hit cities that weren’t on last year’s tour. “One of the most exciting things about the show is when both bands perform at the end of the concert,” Lee Loughnane of Chicago said. “Having these very talented musicians playing our greatest hits together puts the excitement level at a fever pitch! From the Heart of Chicago and the Soul of Earth, Wind & Fire, it is an unforgettable experience.” Chicago is also set for the 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular with three performances on July 2, 3 and 4, 2016, with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. The band has played with Orchestras around the country in recent years, but this is sure to be one of the most special. As the band heads towards their 50th anniversary, such a milestone would make anyone take it a bit more slowly.

Eugene Mirman

Brooklyn resident Eugene Mirman escaped the clutches of Russian communism at the age of four when his family immigrated from Moscow to Lexington, MA (where, along with Paul Revere and John Adams, he kicked off the American Revolution). He attended Hampshire College and designed his own major of comedy – doing a one-hour stand-up act as his thesis (for which he was made fun of, don’t worry). In addition to BOB’S BURGERS, Mirman plays comedian/mobster “Yvgeny Mirminsky” on the cable comedy “Delocated”; on “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” he’s “Dr. Eugene Mirman”; on “Home Movies,” he was “Eugene,” the Russian foreign exchange student; and he continues to be recognized as “Eugene,” the landlord, from “Flight of the Conchords.” His hour-long cable special, “Eugene Mirman: An Evening of Comedy in a Fake Underground Laboratory,” premiered in December 2012. Mirman was named “Best New York City Comedian” by the Village Voice and one of the “10 Best Comedians of the Last Decade” by Paste magazine. He has released three comedy albums (the last two on Sub Pop records) and an incredibly funny parody-ish self-help book, “The Will to Whatevs.” Named by Rolling Stone as a “Hot Twitterer,” Mirman also keeps his more than 210,000 followers entertained daily. A pioneer of the comedy variety show since the days of Rififi, Mirman produces what began as a joke and has become the hugely popular annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival along with Julie Smith and Caroline Creaghead. He also produces The EMCF, which takes place every fall in Brooklyn and also had a run in Seattle in the spring of 2012.

Sklar Brothers Inside the iHeart Radio Studio

I love team work. I love creating conversation with people who know the importance of team work. Now toss in comedy. Then let your imagination run free. Sklar Brothers are a brilliant piece of modern American history. If you aren't booking them or trying to score a conversation with them. You're missing out on a chunk of the best time you'll ever have. From the iHeart Radio Studio I'm Unplugged and Totally Uncut with the Sklar Brothers...

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Gregg Rolie

LAS VEGAS, March 21, 2016: On stage together for the first time since 1973, the Original Santana Band featuring: Carlos Santana (guitar, vocals), Gregg Rolie (keyboards, lead vocals), Neal Schon (guitar, vocals), Michael Carabello (percussion), and Michael Shrieve (drums), will reunite tonight on March 21 in Las Vegas at the House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for a very special live performance that will be filmed for television and DVD release. SANTANA IV Records has partnered with Front and Center Entertainment for AXS, APT (American Public Television), and Eagle Rock Entertainment for DVD and worldwide release, it was announced today by Michael Vrionis, COO, Cristalino, Santana’s Management Company. The show will feature an incredible lineup which will highlight the amazing guitar interplay of Carlos Santana and Journey’s Neal Schon, mixed with Gregg Rolie’s (Ringo Starr) distinctive soulful voice and Hammond B3, complimented by the percussive ferocity of Michael Shrieve(Spellbinder) and Michael Carabello. The special is being produced by Don Maggi, President/ Executive Producer Front and Center Entertainment LLC. Front and Center. Front and Center was conceived to provide the artist with a consistent platform through which to share their music. “Through our live music series, our Interview Series “Speakeasy” and our “CMA Songwriter Series” the artist is allowed to experience and perform, not just another concert or interview, but to have a highly intimate exchange with his/her fans that showcases their true passion and artistry,” Don Maggi said. “I have been a Santana fan ever since I can remember. The thought that I would one day be a part of the band’s reunion, after so many years, is truly unimaginable and quite the honor for us. We’ve produced six seasons worth of Front and Center shows, but this could be one of the most historically significant musical productions that we’ve done – we’re looking forward to capturing and combining the feel of the early days with the band’s new “Santana IV” sound.” SANTANA IV and Front and Center Entertainment are partnering on this project with Eagle Rock, AXS, and APT to release this one of a kind Santana performance. The show will be Directed by Brad Fuss who has been Directing concerts for over twenty years and has most recently filmed the sixth season of Front and Center featuring Steven Tyler, Joe Jackson, George Ezra, among others. "The release of the highly anticipated album, Santana IV is due out in April of this year,” says Michael Vrionis, President of Santana IV, LLC and co-Executive Producer of the television special. “This historic release marks the reunion of the original Santana Band members Carlos Santana, Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, Michael Carabello & Michael Shrieve. The first single, Anywhere You Want to Go, has topped the Classic Rock charts since its release. This 2016 version of the original Santana Band will bring you great memories and is sure to make you dance at the same time. We hope you enjoy the ride. " With the same heralded lineup that exploded onto the scene at Woodstock, with Neal Schon added soon afterward, Santana IV radiates the same unparalleled energy and superlative musicianship that made Santana a pioneering force in world music and a household name across the globe. In April of 2016, they will release their first studio album together since 1971’s Santana III. Appropriately named Santana IV, the album picks up where they left off with 16 all-new tracks written and produced by the band, explosive guitar work, incredible percussion, and a collection of songs that easily stands side-by-side with the group’s treasured early work. Joining the core Santana IV band in the studio are current Santana members Karl Perazzo (percussion) and Benny Rietveld (bass), with the legendary vocalist Ronald Isley guesting on two cuts on the CD and on tonight’s show. SANTANA IV Records would like to thank Las Vegas’ Alissa Kelly, Maryanne Bilham Knight, Robert Knight, Show Creators Studios, Natalie Davison, The Foundation Room and Steve Hart, Lola Rose, Gary Harmon for their individual and collective contributions to the production. And, thanks to Paul Davis, Ron Bension and the entire staff and crew at House of Blues and Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. And, additional special thanks to Daniel Kinghorn, David Yan and Dan D'Agostino for Casa Noble Tequila and Constellation Brands, Inc.

Eric Spitznagel

For musicphiles coming of age in in the 70s and 80s, vinyl records were essential. Journalist Eric Spitznagel recalls fighting with his brother over a shared copy of the KISS Alive II album. How his first girlfriend Heather G. scrawled her phone number across the jacket of Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet. And, he was certain that even twenty years later, his copy of The Replacements’ Let It Be would still smell like weed. Now approaching middle age, Spitznagel, a husband and recent father, found himself seeking a reconnection with his youth. After an embarrassing admission to musician Questlove that he no longer owned his record collection, he experienced major seller’s regret and set out to find the original vinyl artifacts from his past. Not just copies. The exact same records. Spitznagel’s hero’s journey takes him to record fairs across the Midwest, rain soaked music festivals, and into the basements of curmudgeonly record store proprietors, as he reminisces about the actual records, the music, and the people he listened to them with—old girlfriends, high school pals, and, most poignantly, his father and young son. He explores the magic of music and memory as he interweaves his adventures in record culture with questions about our connection to our past: Can we ever recapture it? And, would we even want to? The current vinyl renaissance has album sales resurging into the millions and climbing each year—and OLD RECORDS NEVER DIE: One Man’s Quest for his Vinyl and His Past is a love letter to the medium that both millennial analog hipsters and Gen X fans can appreciate. About the Author Eric Spitznagel writes for magazines like Playboy, Esquire, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Men’s Health, Maxim, Billboard, Details, The Believer, and the New York Times Magazine, among many others. He’s the author of six books, including Ron Jeremy’s bestselling autobiography The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz. He’s also edited several humor anthologies, most recently, Care to Make Love in That Gross Little Space Between Cars?

Michael Raymond James

Michael Raymond-James stars as Gil Harris on NBC’s new gripping drama “Game of Silence.” Originally from Michigan, Raymond-James received his training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York City, where he studied with esteemed acting coach George Loros. He recently finished filming “Carter & June” opposite Samaire Armstrong. He will next be seen starring in “The Finest Hours,” opposite Chris Pine, Casey Affleck and Eric Bana. Additionally, he appeared in director Christopher McQuarrie’s “Jack Reacher,” with Tom Cruise, and “Road to Paloma,” opposite Jason Momoa. Raymond-James made his feature film debut in ”Black Snake Moan.” His television credits include a regular spot on “Once Upon a Time.” Previous to this, he led the cast of “Terriers,” opposite Donal Logue. Other credits include a series regular role on “True Blood,” as well as guest-starring roles for such shows as “The Walking Dead,” ”Law & Order,” ”ER,” “Boston Legal” and “CSI.” Currently he is filming the miniseries “Sons of Liberty.” He currently resides in Los Angeles. ABOUT GAME OF SILENCE, PREMIERING ON NBC TUESDAY APRIL 12th AT 10pm/9 central Five best friends have a dark secret they thought was buried 25 years ago, but they soon discover that you can't hide your past forever. From the executive producers of "CSI" and "Friday Night Lights" comes a gripping new drama about friendship, love, revenge and the moral dilemma of how far one will go in the pursuit of justice. Jackson Brooks (David Lyons, "Revolution") is a successful attorney who seems to have it all. He's engaged to his boss, Marina (Claire van der Boom, "Hawaii Five-O"), and he's on the fast track to becoming partner at his firm, but his world is turned upside down when his long-lost childhood friends unexpectedly reappear after 25 years. Jackson, Gil Harris (Michael Raymond-James, "True Blood"), Shawn Polk (Larenz Tate, "Rush") and Boots (Derek Phillips, "Friday Night Lights") always stuck together, like brothers. They spent their boyhood summers in the small town of Dalton, Texas, swimming in the quarry, shooting bottle rockets and doing everything they could to mine the fun out of small-town life. But their idyllic world turned chaotic one fateful summer afternoon when a well-intentioned and heroic attempt to save their friend Jessie (Bre Blair, "Last Vegas") from her alcoholic mother ultimately cost the 13-year-old boys nine months at Quitman Youth Detention Facility, where their lives were changed forever. Now 25 years later, the nightmare of the worst nine months of their lives has resurfaced, uprooting a mystery even deeper than their buried past. The brotherhood must now band together to right the wrongs of their shared past - a journey that will push the limits of their loyalty and ignite in them an unquenchable thirst for revenge. The cast also includes Conor O'Farrell ("The Lincoln Lawyer"), Deidrie Henry ("Justified") and Demetrius Grosse ("Saving Mr. Banks"). "Game of Silence" is executive produced by Carol Mendelsohn, David Hudgins, Julie Weitz, Tariq Jalil, Timur Savci, Deran Sarafian and Niels Arden Oplev (Pilot). The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Universal Television.