Artist Profile

  • Dirty Honey

    Dirty Honey was the first unsigned band to ever top the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart as “When I’m Gone” went to #1. When I’m Gone Four years earlier, Dirty Honey formed in L.A. when guitarist John Notto and vocalist Marc LaBelle left Ground Zero, a band that played covers and some LaBelle originals. Known…

  • Van Halen

    Van Halen formed when the Dutch born Van Halen brothers (guitarist Eddie and drummer Alex) recruited bassist Michael Anthony. David Lee Roth was added when the group figured it was cheaper and easier to hire singer Diamond Dave rather than constantly pay him for the use of his PA system. After a round of unsuccessful…

  • Badfinger

    Instead of Badfinger, they should have called themselves Bad Luck because that’s what they had. Badfinger was signed by The Beatles’ Apple Records. Paul McCartney wrote their first worldwide hit “Some And Get It” for Ringo Starr’s film (with Peter Sellers), “The Magic Christian.” The Beatle connection haunted the band. If you didn’t look too…

  • The Pretenders

    Chrissie Hynde, originally from Akron, OH moved to London in ’73 and found work with the New Musical Express (NME), a weekly music newspaper, and at trendy clothing shops. Those very visible jobs led to her involvement with many emerging acts including the Sex Pistols and The Clash. But after being in and out of…

  • John 5

    John 5 Though John 5 (John William Lowery) has released over a dozen solo albums he is best known for playing guitar for others… David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie… and most recently Mötley Crüe. After kicking around L.A., John 5 submitted a demo tape to David Lee Roth’s management. That did the trick….

  • Rush

    Bob and Doug McKenzie (Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas) were two characters on the “Great White North,” a featured segment on the early ’80s weekly late-night comedy SCTV. The “typical Canadians” guzzled beer, feasted on back bacon and argued. The ultimate put down line was “Take off.” The lads wanted to make an album and…

  • Poison

    If you’re gonna be a big hair & make-up band it might be a good idea to have a licensed cosmetologist in the group. That was the previous calling of Poison’s bassist Bobby Dall (a.k.a. Robert Kuy Kendall). Look What The Cat Dragged In Vocalist Bret Michaels (a.k.a. Bret Michael Sychak) and Dall shot out…

  • Elvis Costello

    What if Buddy Holly hadn’t died in a plane crash? What if he had taken the bus instead? Then, in the mid-60s, with an urge to try something new, teamed up with a post-electric Bob Dylan. What would that have sounded like? The answer: Elvis Costello. Liverpool born Declan Patrick McManus started writing songs and…

  • Rolling Stones

    The Rolling Stones were billed as the “World’s Greatest Rock N’ Roll Band.” It took a while to get there, and when they did, they made their mark. For the record their reign spanned from “Beggar’s Banquet” (‘68) to “Exile On Main Street” (‘72), which also includes the albums “Let It Bleed.” “Sticky Fingers” and…

  • Bruce Springsteen

    As a New Jersey teen, Bruce Springsteen got his first guitar and started learning Rock and Blues songs. His sister’s boyfriend was in a group and that gave Springsteen the “in” he needed. From there he traveled through a series of bands before signing what turned out to be a horribly unfair management contract. But…