The last remaining founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd has just passed away …
Gary Rossington had been battling health issues for the last several years … and while no official cause of death was given, his family released this statement:
It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today.
Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does. Please keep Dale, Mary, Annie and the entire Rossington family in your prayers and respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time.
Rossington has been part of every Skynyrd band
line-up, dating all the way back to 1964 when they were all still in junior
high school (and named the band after their gym teacher, Leonard Skinner!). They led the pack when it came to Southern
Rock in the late ‘70’s, getting their biggest break (and exposure) when they
were invited to open for The Who on their 1974 tour. After the tragic plane crash in 1977 that
took the lives of fellow band members Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines (along
with Steve’s sister, Cassie), Gary formed The Rossington-Collins Band with
Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins in 1980, which lasted two years and
yielded one hit single, “Don’t Misunderstand Me” (#55, 1980). (Skynyrd members Billy Powell and Leon
Wilkeson were also members.) Rossington
survived the plane crash but had to have steel rods inserted after breaking
both legs, both arms, both wrists and his pelvis. (Rossington also survived a heart attack in
2015.)
In 1987, the band reformed (with Johnny Van Zan, Ronnie’s younger brother) on lead vocals in what was billed as “The Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour.” Various previous members and a revolving door of new members have come and gone ever since.
The Lynyrd Skynyrd hit list is a relatively short one … but some of their album tracks are timeless … and they scored very well on our TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK TRACKS OF ALL TIME List a few years back. See their rankings below, showing their Top 3333 position as well as their peak chart position. (kk)
|
4 |
Sweet Home Alabama (CHART PEAK = #7) NOTE: This was a #1 Record here in Chicago |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
|
18 |
Free Bird (CHART PEAK = #19 studio / #31 live) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
|
464 |
What's Your Name (CHART PEAK = #7) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
|
616 |
That Smell (DID NOT CHART) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
|
976 |
Gimme Three Steps (DID NOT CHART) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
|
1264 |
Saturday Night Special (CHART PEAK = #27) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
|
1403 |
Call Me The Breeze (DID NOT CHART) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
|
2064 |
You Got That Right (CHART PEAK = #68) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
|
2631 |
Don't Ask Me No Questions (DID NOT CHART) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
|
2854 |
Simple Man (DID NOT CHART) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
|
3164 |
Gimme Back My Bullets (DID NOT CHART) |
Lynyrd Skynyrd |
Skynyrd songs that charted but did NOT make our TOP 3333 List:
Double Trouble (#80) and Down South Jukin’ (#103)
David Lindley of Kaleidoscope (who you likely know passed away Friday) is also known for his work with Jackson Browne, whose albums he also played on.
David plays on my fave JB song from the little thought of "Late For The Sky" album.
In 1974 when the LP came out, I was working part time at a warehouse job and just starting college. There was a coworker that was maybe five years older than me and a very mellow pothead that told me about this LP. I knew "Doctor My Eyes," but also knew the new LP had nothing I had yet heard on radio -- maybe a failure for him, I thought? My friend said to listen to this LP. I did. I bought it and just couldn't get enough of "The Late Show" song. It is still a huge fave today -- so well-crafted and just the type of song I love that creates a picture in the mind. I try to do that with my radio shows.
IF you haven't heard it, here it is: https://www.discogs.com/master/22491-Jackson-Browne-Late-For-The-Sky
Clark Besch
While I don’t consider myself much of a Jackson Browne fan (and can’t say that I’m familiar with very many of his “deep cuts”), I do know the hits … and like a few of them.
WAY back in 1972 when Jackson was just starting out, I had the chance to see him at a Chicago club called The Quiet Knight. It was like a Tuesday Night Special where they would showcase new and up-and-coming talent … and for $5 and a two drink minimum, you got a seat in this very small and intimate club.
Browne came out and did his entire set alone, unaccompanied by anyone else. I don’t remember much about the music that night, other than him playing “Doctor My Eyes,” which by then I had already heard on the radio a couple of times. I can only describe the experience as unmemorable.
After Jackson finished his set, the next act came on … again, a “new discovery” … and this guy COMPLETELY blew me away. I was all in … and couldn’t wait to go out and pick up HIS first LP in order to be able to relive the experience.
His name was Jim Croce … and it was just Jim and Maury Muehleisen … and they completely captivated the crowd.
I would hear “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” on the radio for the first time a couple of weeks later … Big Jim was on his way.
I was fortunate enough to see him about six times, the last time with a 4th row pavilion seat at Ravinia … and he never failed to create that same magic every time I saw him perform on stage. He just knew how to capture the crowd.
A lasting memory … and to date, still one of my favorite performers of all time. (kk)
I thoroughly enjoyed your “Remembering Andy Gibb” blog today, and I’ve recommended it to several people already. There’s so much I didn’t know about Andy — just from your blog. I’m going to have to get the book now.
Have a good week.
Rick
I enjoyed your piece on Andy Gibb this weekend. I hadn’t received an email from you in quite some time and wasn’t sure you were still posting – but I see now that I have missed a considerable amount of information! Are you not send out email blasts anymore?
Jim
Unless it’s some special event that we want to draw attention to, we very rarely send out email notices anymore … at this point, we just trust our readers to check the site on a regular basis.
While we’re not always posting every day these days, we DO post new material at least 3-4 times a week … so please make it a habit to check in whenever you can. (We’ve always said “Make Forgotten Hits part of your daily routine” … because even if we haven’t posted something new that particular day, odds are you’ve got hundreds (if not thousands) of old postings to catch up on that you may have missed along the way … which I’m guessing was YOUR case when you went to view the site on Sunday! (lol)
Thanks, Jim. (kk)
Several months ago, we let you know that ‘60’s sex kitten Ann-Margret was recording a new album … and even shared a track with you.
Well, the album is now finished … and she’s got a Who’s Who of artists onboard to support her with this new effort.
This track was leaked last week …
It features Pete Townshend and country artist T.G. Sheppard.
Townshend released this statement:
“Being offered an opportunity to work with Ann-Margret, especially on an Everly Brothers song, was just too romantic to pass.
Ann-Margret’s work on the “Tommy” movie back in 1974
(when she was most certainly not old enough to pretend to be Roger Daltrey’s mother)
was a joy from beginning to end. Her sonorous voice, her Scandinavian beauty,
her sense of humor, her stamina and her strength all shone through.”
To which Ann-Margret replied:
"I am very honored and proud to have had this opportunity to record Born to Be Wild for Brian Perera’s Cleopatra Records. What fun I had – and then to find all of the great artists that lent their support for this project!
Reading the
quote from my dear friend Pete Townshend brought back such great memories.
Thank you all.”
Due out April 14th, the album also features Pat Boone, Steve
Cropper, Mickey Gilley, Linda Gail Lewis, The Oak Ridge Boys, Joe Perry of
Aerosmith, Cliff Richard, Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats, Paul
Shaffer, T.G. Sheppard, Pete Townshend and Rick Wakeman.
(A complete track listing is shown below) kk
Ann-Margret, 'Born to Be Wild' Track Listing
1. “Rock Around the Clock” (feat. Joe Perry & Jim McCarty)
2. “Bye Bye Love” (feat. Pete Townshend & T.G Sheppard)
3. “Son of a Preacher Man” (feat. Steve Cropper & Brian Auger)
4. “Earth Angel” (feat. The Oak Ridge Boys & Harvey Mandel)
5. “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” (feat. Robben Ford & Chip Z'Nuff)
6. “The Great Pretender” (feat. Paul Shaffer, Danny B. Harvey & Adam
Hamilton)
7. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” (feat. Cliff Richard & Rick Braun)
8. “Born to be Wild” (feat. the Fuzztones)
9. “Splish Splash” (feat. Mickey Gilley, Linda Gail Lewis & The Rockats)
10. “Somebody’s In My Orchard” (feat. Don Randi)
11. “Teach Me Tonight” (feat Pat Boone, Rick Wakeman & Damiano Della Torre)
12. “Volare” (feat. Lee Rocker & Slim Jim Phantom)
13. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (feat. Sonny Landreth)
Speaking of new releases, we saw this posted by Joe Marchese in The Second Disc about the collected works of Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello …
>>>Just saw this 44 minute clip of The Dick Cavett Show that ran the day after Woodstock with many of those stars on the show! Crazy cool. Some incredibly cool performances and chat. (Clark Besch)
>>>I'd never seen this, Kent. Thanks for passing on the link. What a fabulous snapshot in time. (David Lewis)
>>>Cavett was considered to be “the hip dude” at the time … but this was still quite an accomplishment! (I’m surprised that many were able to dig themselves out of the mudslides!!!) Over the years, Cavett had people like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix as his guests, just enjoying, as they used to say, “the art of conversation,” showing them to be just regular people under the surface. (You wouldn’t catch these folks talking to Johnny Carson or Joey Bishop! Lol) kk
I just watched it again …
Pretty heavy on The Jefferson Airplane when it comes to performances (which is ESPECIALLY cool since, due to label conflicts, they weren’t featured in the film or the original soundtrack album at the time … so VERY cool to see them performing live on The Dick Cavett Show.) Joni Mitchell also did a couple of songs but, in my opinion, it was Stephen Stills’ solo performance of “4 + 20” that topped off the night.
(Upon review, I see that I was right about a couple of other things in my off-the-cuff comments, too … Stills showed up with mud still on his jeans from the Woodstock performance and mud slides … and Cavett name-dropped both Janis Joplin AND Jimi Hendrix during the course of his program!)
If you missed it, here’s the link one more time …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzq8LZKdilQ
Timmy C sent us this article about AM Radios being removed from the electric cars of the future: https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/guest-commentaries/who-benefits-by-removing-am-from-cars
Kent,
Enjoyed the posting of Oreo cookies. Offhand, there was just one recording group and song that came to my mind. However, I would like to say this ... "DON'T SAY NOTHING BAD" about those cookies.
Larry
Wait … I just remembered something else.
I don't know if you are familiar with the group and song but in 1959 there was a group called Cookie and the Cupcakes who had a record called MATILDA which made it to #1 here in OKC.
When Barry Manilow was first starting out, he had three female background singers … two black and one white … and when they performed behind him, the white girl always stood in the middle.
At one point, he started referring to them as The Oreos … which I thought was pretty funny … but the girls evidently objected and settled on the name The Flashy Ladies instead … which then morphed into Lady Flash. (Reparata Mazzola, Monica Pege and Debra Byrd.) Reparata (formerly of Reparata and the Delrons) still sings with Barry from time to time … and Debra Byrd was a vocal coach and musical director/arranger for American Idol for ages, before moving over to “The Voice.” Monica Pege was the very first female vocal champion on “Star Search” back in 1984!
I remember buying one of their 45’s, “Street Singin’,” which actually made The Top 40 in Billboard, peaking at #27. (Now how do you like THEM cookies??!!?) kk
Hey, Kent!
Being the Buckinghams fan that you are, I think you'll enjoy this interview with Dennis Tufano that a listener alerted me to since he talks a lot about Bobby Darin. The host was more than competent so I might check out those links to other Oldies acts as well.
Take Care,
Sam Tallerico
Original Solid Gold Weekend - Radio Kingston, | Radio Kingston | Radio Kingston
https://radiokingston.org/en/broadcast/original-solid-gold-weekend
Dennis Tufano performed his Tribute to Bobby Darin for almost 20 years ... and he still slips in a Bobby tune (or three) into most of his live performances today.
He's still got a great voice ... and was backed by a small orchestra combo the few times we saw him do it. (He even had a stand-up comic open his show so it would feel more like a Las Vegas nightclub.)
It actually took him a little while to put some Buckinghams hits into his repertoire … as I think he genuinely wanted the Darin Tribute to be his next show biz move. (kk)
Now here’s a double bill that definitely sounds worth seeing …
Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind and Fire!!!
They’re calling it SING A SONG ALL NIGHT LONG … and announced the new tour on Monday …
And here are the 20 dates booked so far:
Friday, August 4th – St Paul, MN – Xcel
Energy Center
Saturday, Aug 5th – Chicago, IL – United Center
Tuesday, August 8 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Wednesday, August 9th – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Friday, August 11th – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Saturday, August 12th – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Tuesday, August 15th – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Friday, August 18th – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Saturday, August 19th – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
Tuesday, August 22nd – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Friday, August 25th – Fort Lauderdale, FL – FLA Live Arena
Saturday, August 26th – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Tuesday, August 29th – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Friday, September 1st – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Saturday, September 2nd – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Tuesday, September 5th – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Friday, September 8th – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Monday, September 11th – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Tuesday, September 12th – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Friday, September 15th – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
A couple of clips from Chuck Buell that’ll make you smile …
“How Low Can You Go???” …
… and “This Is Why Rock And Roll Will Never Die”
As A Former Sock Hop Dance MC, I have got to say that The Youth of America seems to be getting into the Great Forgotten Hits you and I grew up with much as you've often said! And I think you're right about that!
In this attached Sixty-second Clipped Clip ( sorry about that! ), I still think we can see why Rock ‘n’ Roll will never die!
And back in our much, much younger days, if we were in a Dance-off competition with this young lady, she would have out danced us handily!
So, Good Golly! It’s Miss Molly!
CB ( which stands for No-“Competition Boy!” )
Funnily enough, I literally JUST finished watching an episode of The Ed Sullivan Show where Chubby Checker closed the show by singing (AND LIMBOING TO) “Limbo Rock,” his #1 Hit from 1962. AND … Chubby will be appearing at The Des Plaines Theater on Sunday, April 2nd, for a 3 pm Dance Party. (Ron Onesti has removed some of the seats to create a dance floor right up front … and there are still plenty of great seats available.) I saw Chubby a couple of years ago and he’s still got it. (kk)
Ticket information can be found below: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/6987315/chubby-checker-dance-party-des-plaines-des-plaines-theatre?_ga=2.197922735.1889652766.1678158412-565059049.1678158412
