RICK WILLS LEGENDARY BASSIST WITH FOREIGNER-FRAMPTON-SMALL FACES-DAVID GILMOUR-BAD COMPANY ...ETC...ETC...EXCLUSIVE!

R  I  C  K

W  I  L  L  S

LEGENDARY & REVERED BASSIST

with

DAVID GILMOUR ...PETER FRAMPTON... FOREIGNER...THE SMALL FACES...

BAD COMPANY...ROXY MUSIC ...

and many more

Rick co-wrote the songs 'Do You Feel Like We Do' and 'Doobie Wah' during his time with Peter Frampton. To date Rick Wills has played bass guitar on 113 published albums and singles.
RICK WILLS INTERVIEW
CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN IN

Rick Wills and Lou Gramm in their (Foreigner) days

"Rick" Wills is a British bass guitarist. He is best known for his work with the rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces, Peter Frampton, and Bad Company.

Rick w/Willie Wilson on David Gilmour's first solo album

Wills joined the rock band Joker's Wild in 1966, (with David Gilmour on guitars and vocals), replacing Tony Sainty, until they broke up in 1968. He played bass on Peter Frampton's first three albums before parting from Frampton in 1975. He became the bassist with Roxy Music in 1976, before leaving them and joining the Small Faces in 1977, during their reunion period. He left the Small Faces and appeared on David Gilmour's critically acclaimed solo album in 1978, with William Wilson on drums. The next year, Wills became a member of rock band Foreigner and remained with them for 14 years.

After leaving Foreigner in 1992, he joined Bad Company and stayed with them until Boz Burrell rejoined the band in 1998. In July 1999 he filled in for Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Leon Wilkeson for live shows when Wilkeson briefly took ill. He appeared at The Steve Marriott Memorial Concert on 24 April 2001, as part of a backing band with Bobby Tench, Zak Starkey and Rabbit Bundrick.

Wills was reunited with Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones in the Jones Gang during 2006 and appeared with The RD Crusaders for The Teenage Cancer Trust at The London International Music Show on 15 June 2008. Wills left The Jones Gang in the summer of 2015 and was replaced by Pat Davey.

Rick co-wrote the songs 'Do You Feel Like We Do' and 'Doobie Wah' during his time with Peter Frampton. To date Rick Wills has played bass guitar on 113 published albums and singles.

with Foreigner 40th Anniversary

THE COMPLETE ATLANTIC STUDIO ALBUMS
1977-1991

F O R E I G N E R

Rhino celebrates the band's prolific tenure with Atlantic Records, with a seven-disc collection that brings together Foreigner's first seven studio albums, as well as a number of bonus tracks.

available at amazon.com






Rick Wills Discography

With Cochise

Cochise (1970)

Swallow Tales (1971)

So Far (1972)

Past Loves (A History) (1992) - Compilation

Velvet Mountain: An Anthology 1970-1972 (2013) - Compilation Double Album

With Peter Frampton

Wind of Change - A&M (1972)

Frampton's Camel – A&M (1973)

Somethin's Happening – A&M (1974)

With Roxy Music

Viva! – Atco (1976)

With Kevin Ayers 1976

Yes we have no Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today)

With The Small Faces

Playmates – Atlantic (1977)

78 in the Shade – Atlantic (1978)

With David Gilmour

David Gilmour – Harvest (1978)

With Foreigner

Head Games – Atlantic (1979)

4 – Atlantic (1981)

Agent Provocateur – Atlantic (1984)

Inside Information – Atlantic (1987)

Unusual Heat – Atlantic (1991)

With Bad Company

What You Hear Is What You Get: The Best of Bad Company – Atco (1993)

Company of Strangers – Elektra(1995)

Stories Told & Untold – Elektra (1997)

With The Jones Gang

Any Day Now - AAO Music (2005)

For more information about Rick Wills

visit

Rick Wills Fan Page

www.facebook.com/groups/1316047885185282/

www.bbsradio.com

MY NEW BOOK IS FINALLY OUT!

ENTITLED

THE 

ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE

…Order yours today on Hardcover 

or E-book

 at bookbaby.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY...

 PETE BEST

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   Gold Award Winner

RICK WAKEMAN CHATS ABOUT 'THE RED PLANET' AND THE SCOOP ABOUT HIS 'YES' BANDMATES ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS W/RAY SHASHO BBS RADIO

LEGENDARY KEYBOARDIST

R   I   C   K

W   A   K   E   M   A   N

(DAVID BOWIE-THE STRAWBS

Y E S -ARW)

NEW RELEASE
THE
'RED PLANET'
A return to Prog
Featuring
The English Rock Ensemble

RICK WAKEMAN INTERVIEW
CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN

Rick Wakeman's work on the classic albums of the progressive rock band Yes, his hugely successful solo albums, as well as his contributions to classic David Bowie songs, has earned him a reputation as one of rock's greatest ever keyboardists.. Classically trained on the piano, he later attended the Royal College of Music. He first made his name as a session musician at Trident Studios. Among his notable early work was playing Mellotron on David Bowie's breakthrough single "Space Oddity".

Bowie subsequently asked Wakeman to play on his "Hunky Dory" album, which has become one of his most acclaimed works and produced the songs "Life on Mars", "Changes" and "Oh! You Pretty Things", which all featured Wakeman on piano. In the early 1970s, Wakeman was one of the most sought-after keyboardists in Britain. He played on albums by The Strawbs and was receiving offers to join the progressive rock band Yes and David Bowie's band The Spiders from Mars at the same time. He chose to join Yes and during his time with the band they recorded several of the most famous albums of the progressive rock genre, including "Fragile", "Close to the Edge" and "Tales from Topographic Oceans". Wakeman also recorded some hugely successful solo albums during the 1970s, principally "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" and "The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table".

Keyboard Legend Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble recently released “The Red Planet.” The album features 8 newly composed pieces, especially for this project, and harks back to Wakeman’s critically acclaimed debut album “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” where there were 6 heavy keyboard pieces based around a central subject matter. 

RICK WAKEMAN
THE
'RED PLANET'
Purchase

Keyboard Legend Rick Wakeman

& The English Rock Ensemble

Return To Prog

On New Album

"The Red Planet"

Order today at

 www.musicglue.com/rick-wakeman-emporium

or

at amazon.com

Limited CD + DVD edition in deluxe "pop-up" packaging. The Red Planet is Rick Wakeman's 2020 studio album. The album harks back to Wakeman's critically acclaimed 1973 solo debut album The Six Wives of Henry VIII and No Earthly Connection. These releases showcased heavy keyboards and focused on a central theme. Rick recorded The Red Planet with a collective of musicians dubbed The English Rock Ensemble, featuring guitarist Dave Colquhoun, bassist Lee Pomeroy and drummer Ash Soan. Pomeroy has also been a touring member of Yes Featuring Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman and Jeff Lynne's ELO, while Soan has played drums with Squeeze, Del Amitri and many other artists.

BOOKS
BY
RICK WAKEMAN

SAY YES!

An Autobiography

Publication Date:4 May 1995

Synopsis've been in and out of Yes more times than Barbera Cartland has put pen to paper. The band still has a massive following around the world with an annual Yes convention and more fanzines than I can keep up with. Yet our highs and lows have never been documented, especially by someone from the inside.'

With the Strawbs, Yes and through his solo career, Rick Wakeman is known to millions for his keyboard wizardry and brilliant compositions. From his earliest days as a concert pianist, Say Yes! is a humourous celebration of 25 years devoted to the best in music. After many classic albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge and Listzomania, he now plays with Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe.

Yet Rick Wakeman's life has not been laughter all the way and Say Yes! reveals the darker side of three marriages, a heart attack at twenty-five and a long struggle with stardom. Through it all runs the thread of his belief in God, an outrageous sense of humour and a passion for golf. Here is a candid and highly entertaining journey to the centre of rock.

Available at amazon.com

Grumpy Old Rock Star and other Wondrous Stories

Publication Date: 21st August 2008

Buy on Amazon UK

Buy on Amazon USA

Book Description
Grumpy Old Rockstar is a collection of never-before-told stories from Rick Wakeman's amazing life, from ordering a curry on-stage to how he ended up with the earth from around Che Guevara's body in his shed.

Synopsis
Around about September 1948, Mr and Mrs Cyril Wakeman had an early night and some time later, at Perivale in Middlesex, Mrs Wakeman produced a bonny baby son. They named him Richard, but he quickly became known as Rick. Rick was a likable little fellow who had a talent for the piano and for making trouble, and music became Rick's life. Later he joined a popular music group called YES and became a legend. Much later he became a Grumpy Old Man who appears on Countdown, hosts a hugely popular radio show on Planet Rock and performs a one-man show telling stories about his rather extraordinary life. Which is where this book you are holding comes in. Mr Wakeman is simply one of the great storytellers of our age - let's face it, he has some fabulous material. It seemed a shame that some of the funniest yarns should not be more widely known. So he accepted some cash and here we are. Curl up by the fire with a Grumpy Old Rockstar and your nearest and dearest. We defy you not to want to read it aloud and laugh.

Further Adventures of a Grumpy Old Rock Star

Publication Date: 17th September 2009

Buy on Amazon UK

Buy on Amazon USA

Synopsis
What do Postman Pat, Tommy Cooper, Norman Wisdom and George Best have in common with being abandoned in a Costa Rican jungle after a severe bout of flatulence? Indeed how are they connected to trying to buy an Australian brewery just to get a beer, owning twenty-two cars, an American soccer team and Swiss mail-order pornography? I suppose we have to come clean and volunteer the name of a certain keyboard genius called Mr Richard Wakeman (Rick to his thousands of chums). That said, you'll then not be surprised that this second volume of wondrous stories elaborates on violinists falling out of trees, being mauled on live TV by a German Shepherd, playing golf with kangaroos, amputations sound-tracked by prog rock classics, a concert played to a solitary canine and signing autographs on the toilet...And don't forget severe leg injuries on the set of Mastermind, extreme profanity live on radio at Wimbledon and berating Pike from "Dad's Army"..." The Further Adventures of a Grumpy Old Rock Star" takes you, the privileged reader, on a trip of absurd excess, a cultural car crash of side-splitting hilarity and an unforgettable glimpse (again) into the life of one of Britain's most legendary showmen, rock stars and all-time great raconteurs.

available at amazon.com

For more information about

RICK WAKEMAN

Visit

http://www.rwcc.com

https://www.facebook.com/RickWakemanMusic

https://twitter.com/GrumpyOldRick

MY NEW BOOK IS FINALLY OUT!

ENTITLED

THE 

ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE

…Order yours today on Hardcover or 
E-book

 at bookbaby.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations 

with some of the greatest rock legends 

the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... 

PETE BEST

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   Gold Award Winner

ARTIMUS PYLE: LYNYRD SKYNYRD LEGENDARY DRUMMER TALKS ABOUT 'STREET SURVIVORS' MOVIE AND CONFEDERATE FLAG CONTROVERSY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!

A R T I M U S

P Y L E

LEGENDARY DRUMMER &

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME MEMBER

with L Y N Y R D  S K Y N Y R D

and THE ARTIMUS PYLE BAND

(Honoring the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd)

E X C L U S I  V E

ARTIMUS PYLE INTERVIEW
CLICK ABOVE TO LISTEN

THE ARTIMUS PYLE BAND

Long considered the "wild man" of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Artimus Pyle's powerful and distinctive double bass drumming helped define the legendary Skynyrd sound.

Artimus got his first real break at the Charlie Daniels band's Volunteer Jam. His first recording lists -- Artimus Pyle, percussion. Then with other work for the Marshall Tucker Band, Artimus became known as a powerful session drummer.

Using his connections with Charlie Daniels and Marshall Tucker, both acts that toured often with Skynyrd, Artimus met with Ronnie VanZant and Ed King at Studio One in Doraville, Georgia. The results of that meeting -- Saturday Night Special -- greatly impressed Ronnie. Artimus' live debut with the band took place in Jacksonville's Sgt Pepper's Club in October 1974. The gig, a show to raise money and awareness for Jacksonville's food bank, was hot Everyone remembers the band walking through the front door and into a crush of people that doubled the legal occupancy of the club. Playing under the hot lights in an over-packed club with an underpowered air conditioner made for a memorable night When Bob Burns left the band permanently following Skynyrd's first European tour in December 1974, Artimus quickly got the nod as Skynyrd's new drummer.

The years Artimus played with Skynyrd were the years that solidified the legend behind the band. Quickly developing into one of the nation's top touring draws with a grueling schedule of 300 shows a year, the constant work and touring paid off. By October 20, 1977, Skynyrds songs had become radio staples.

More than just a "tribute" to Lynyrd Skynyrd a tribute to the man that defined it. Artimus Pyle has said " If it wasn't for Ronnie, no one would know my name." Since his departure from Skynyrd in 1991 , Artimus Pyle's career has led him down an amazing path of solo records and projects culminating into one the finest tributes to southern rock royalty.

The Artimus Pyle Band is a high energy, true to the music, and true to the era rock group. One of the few that is on the road today. Artimus Pyle, Brad Durden, Jerry Lyda, Dave Fowler, and Scott Raines are not only a group of friends and contemporaries but a group with some of the most seasoned musician in the southeast.

APB delivers hit after hit after hit, night after night after night. From Freebird to Sweet Home Alabama, APB gives fans the best of Skynyrd with one of men who made it!

Street Survivor: 

Keeping the Beat

 in Lynyrd Skynyrd 

Hardcover – October 15, 2019

The book:

 by Artimus Pyle (Author)

And Dean Goodman  (Author)

Available at amazon.com

ARTIMUS PYLE was born in Kentucky and raised in Tennessee and Ohio. He joined the US Marines in 1968 and Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1974. He played drums on four albums, including Street Survivors, released three days before the plane crash that killed his friends Ronnie Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, and Dean Kilpatrick. He has five children, and lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina. DEAN GOODMAN (Los Angeles) is a veteran journalist, lives in Los Angeles. He is the author of Strange Days: The Adventures of a Grumpy Rock n Roll Journalist in Los Angeles.

ORDER

S t r e e t   S u r v i v o r s:

The True Story of The Lynyrd Skynyrd

Plane Crash

Format: DVD -Available at amazon.com

In 1977, a plane carrying Southern rock legends LYNYRD SKYNYRD mysteriously runs out of gas mid-air en route to a concert, crashing into a dangerous Mississippi swamp while killing several of the band members, crew and both pilots. STREET SURVIVORS: The True Story of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash tells the story thru one of the survivors, drummer Artimus Pyle, who not only survived the fatal crash (that claimed the life of the band's founder and front man Ronnie Van Zant amongst others), but who also bravely pulled the remaining survivors out of the plane wreckage before staggering towards the nearest farmhouse in rural Mississippi to seek help.

DISCOGRAPHY
LYNYRD SKYNYRD

Lynyrd Skynyrd Nuthin' Fancy (1975)

Gimme Back My Bullets (1976)

One More from the Road (1976)

Street Survivors (1977)

Legend (1987)

Southern by the Grace of God (1988)

Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (1991)

Artimus Pyle Band

A.P.B. (1981)

Nightcaller (1983)

Live from Planet Earth (2000)

Artimus Venomus (2007)

MY NEW BOOK IS FINALLY OUT!

ENTITLED

THE
 ROCK STAR
 CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS 
THAT SET US FREE

…Order yours today on Hardcover or E-book

 at bookbaby.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends 
the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... 
PETE BEST

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   Gold Award Winner

Author Interview - Ray Shasho

By Literary Titan

The Rock Star Chronicles uses your interviews with rock legends to humanize them and preserve their contribution to the genre. Why was this an important book for you to write?

I was fortunate to have lived through two of the greatest decades for music. It was a time when radio played incredible music and rock concerts were a bargain and a happening thing to do. Rock groups featured incredibly talented musicians with guitarists and lead singers in the spotlight. There has never been a generation to match that period of music expertise and staying power. I wanted the reader to understand and realize how great a talent they really were and still are. Especially to wannabe musicians and the young. Many of the artists I have interviewed have passed on and others nearing retirement. It was important to me to tell their stories at a vulnerable period in their lives and be recognized as the greatest music legends the world will ever know.

What is one interview in this book that stands out as the most exciting one you had?

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull has always been a rock hero to me. He has written and performed complex music and always had an incredible stage presence. Going to a Tull concert back in the day was a huge event. I will admit the first time I interviewed Ian Anderson I was quite nervous. I remember when the phone rang for the interview, I thought, that’s Jethro Tull calling me! During the second interview I got him to chat about politics, religion, ancestry, and world events. I tried not to ask the same mundane music questions that have been asked of him many hundreds of times. He was intellectual and I was on my best game that day.

What do you think is one thing modern musicians have to learn from the icons of the rock and roll genre?

Bands must perform live. All the legends started performing at school dances, bars, clubs, and anywhere they could be seen by an audience big or small. If they are talented eventually someone will give them a break, but it will not be easy. Having a You Tube video with a lot of page views is a start, but it will never have the impact of playing in front of live audiences.

What do you find is a common misconception people have about music?

People that pay big money to watch an artist lip sync on stage and still call it a great show. Music lovers who go see a legendary rock band and there are no original members in the band. Ringo Starr would never bill himself as The Beatles, instead he created an All-Starr band. All generations need to do a little homework before purchasing expensive tickets to concerts nowadays. My book will certainly help identify who the real legends are.

Music is a universal language that we all sh