To celebrate more than 60 years of Mathis magic, Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings released The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection, a 68-CD box set containing all of Johnny Mathis’ Columbia albums and much more.
Photo by: Igor Vidyashev/ATLASICONS
Joel Hoekstra is an immensely talented guitarist that has accomplished a great deal in a short period of time. In addition to being the lead guitarist for Whitesnake, Cher, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, he’s the former lead guitarist for Night Ranger and the Broadway musical Rock of Ages. I recently spoke with Joel about his impressive career and exciting projects he’s working on, including a summer tour featuring Whitesnake, Foreigner, and Jason Bonham.
With rumors rumbling about a new Masters of the Universe movie finally seeing the light of day, now is a great time to reconnect with the original pop culture phenomenon known as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. The best way to do so – aside from watching the 1980s TV series – is by picking up the five fabulous books published by Dark Horse. From the TV shows (including She-Ra) to the minicomics and everything in between, these books cover anything and everything He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. As with all of Dark Horse’s books, these publications are filled with insightful information, compelling visuals, and behind-the-scenes information you won’t find anywhere else – and it’s all lovingly compiled in these beautiful tomes that no Masters of the Universe fan should be without. Below is a rundown of all of the books and their official synopses so you know what to expect from each one.
Bobby Rock, the current drummer for Lita Ford, has a new book out: The Boy Is Gonna Rock. This exciting new memoir is about Bobby’s early years as a musician, with a focus on his time as the drummer of Vinnie Vincent Invasion. The book is receiving fantastic reviews from fans, and I look forward to reading it myself. Bobby was kind enough to speak with me about this new project.
I read approximately 50 books a year and my reading list is even longer. Below are a few of the books I’m reading or have already read this spring, along with their official synopses.
Photo by Ash Newell.
For more than 35 years, Night Ranger has been one of the preeminent rock bands, selling millions of albums, topping the charts with hit songs, and performing for its legion of fans across the world. Kelly Keagy, Night Ranger’s drummer and one of its lead vocalists, has played a key role in the band’s rich history and immense success. Kelly was kind enough to take the time to speak with me about a variety of topics, including Night Ranger’s excellent new album, Don’t Let Up. If you don’t already own this album, go buy it. While you’re at it, buy tickets to see Night Ranger live. Other than KISS and Journey, they are my favorite rock band. Once you see them live, you’ll feel the same way.
Last Saturday, after HoagieNation, my wife and I had the opportunity to meet the legendary Daryl Hall. We were the only people that met him after the show, aside from his family, so I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity, and he was a pleasure to speak with. I shook Daryl’s hand, introduced him to Stephanie, reminded him of the cover story on Hall & Oates by me that was just published the other week in The Aquarian Weekly, and asked him to autograph it for me. Daryl said, “That was a really good piece you wrote” and gladly signed the cover for me.
Johnny Mathis is the longest-running recording artist on Columbia records. In addition to releaseing 79 studio albums and six original Christmas albums, he has 50 hit songs to his name on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts. Mathis also has five Grammy nominations and three Grammy Hall of Fame inductions. Simply stated, he’s a once-in-a-lifetime artist whose productivity and influence knows no bounds. Since taking the musical world by storm 62 years ago, Johnny Mathis has become the indisputable voice of romance. If you’ve yet to see this vocalist extraordinaire or you simply want to see him again, Johnny Mathis is performing at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City on June 2. Mathis was kind enough to take the time to speak with me about his remarkable career. I hope you enjoy our discussion, and don’t forget to buy tickets to his June 2 show in Atlantic City while you still can.
William Shatner, even at 87-years-old, seems to have boundless amounts of energy. He’s always working on something new and exciting. Right now he’s on a tour where he’s visiting cities and, following a screening of the classic film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Shatner is participating in a live-on-stage Q&A with audiences. My father and I attended the Philadelphia screening at The Academy of Music, and it was an excellent event.
David Uosikkinen, best known as the drummer for The Hooters, is bringing amazing musicians together through his In The Pocket project. They will be performing on Friday, May 25 at The Fillmore Philadelphia, as part of the HoagieNation “Exclusive Pre-Party and Culinary Celebration.” David was kind enough to take the time to speak with me about his impressive career, what to expect at the HoagieNation pre-party and more.
