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.
Carmine Appice, the most influential drummer in rock and roll history, recently released his autobiography: Stick It! My Life of Sex, Drums, and Rock ‘N’ Roll. I met Carmine at his book signing here in Philadelphia and shortly afterward I interviewed him. We touched on everything from how Sharon Osbourne fired him from Ozzy’s band to the revelation that there are a handful of tracks from Paul Stanley’s 1978 solo album featuring Carmine’s drumming that’ve yet to see the light of day. Check out the interview below and pick up a copy of Carmine’s autobiography, which is available now.
“Space Ace” Frehley is back, but this time he’s not singing about being inside the vortex, a space invader or the Milky Way, like he did on his impressive 2014 studio album. Origins Vol. 1 is a collection of 12 cover songs by the former KISS lead guitarist where he’s paying homage to his roots. And for KISS fans, such as myself, there are three redone KISS cuts and a Free song – “Fire and Water” – with Paul Stanley on lead vocals.
Read on for my track-by-track review of Origins Vol. 1, which hits stores on April 15. Continue reading
I just interviewed John Thayer, my favorite new indie pop artist. His first EP, Laurel Street, is an excellent collection of music that everyone should check out, and the follow-up, Take It Back, is coming out in February. If the last name Thayer sounds familiar, it’s probably because John’s brother, Tommy, is the lead guitarist of KISS, my all-time favorite rock band.
This past Friday night, John Waite, an iconic rocker known for his work with The Babys, Bad English and as a solo artist, brought 40 years worth of brilliant music to Wilkes-Barre, PA. From start to finish, he had the crowd in the palm of his hand with charismatic stage presence and jaw-dropping vocals. But what he did onstage was made more meaningful by what he did backstage before the show.
Below is part two of my interview with rock legend John Waite, whose new album Best is now available to buy on iTunes and his official website. And make sure to read part one and part three of my interview with John.
