Month: March 2021

In a new interview with Puraphy, SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian was asked if he has ever had any personal encounters with reality stars Kourtney, Kim, Khloé and Rob Kardashian, who are all also of Armenian descent. He responded: “Oh, I know the Kardashians quite well. I used to be very good friends with Kanye [West, Kim Kardashian’s ex]. Though this was a few years ago now, I’ve been to their house a lot. They’re just like you’d imagine they’d be: very cool, personable people. In fact, when SYSTEM OF A DOWN was asked to play in Armenia in 2015, come to find out that Kanye had just played the same venue a week before we did. Yeah, I like the Kardashians a lot.”

Odadjian is not the only member of SYSTEM OF A DOWN to publicly praise the Kardashians. While speaking to Consequence Of Sound last October, SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian said that he has a lot of respect and love for Kim Kardashian for using her platform to shed light on the 1915 Armenian genocide.

“I’ll tell you something about Kim — I have a lot of respect for her,” he said. “When it comes to issues of justice, she’s been really great. When it comes to spreading awareness about the need for recognition of the Armenian genocide, about what’s going on in Artsakh right now, the revolution that happened in Armenia that no one in the U.S. knew about, she’s been really amazing. I’ve met her a few times.”

Asked whether Kardashian is a fan of SYSTEM OF A DOWN, Tankian responded: “I haven’t asked. [Laughs] Honestly, the only time that we spoke was about Armenia, and it was great.”

Last November, Kim Kardashian shared a message from SYSTEM OF A DOWN about “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz”, the band’s first new songs in 15 years. The tracks were motivated by the recently erupted conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, the latter aided by Turkey and accountable for the greatest violence the region has endured in 26 years. Produced by guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian, who also wrote the music and lyrics, both songs are streaming now on all DSPs and are available for purchase on Bandcamp with band royalties earmarked for the Armenia Fund.

❤️?? https://t.co/vrjH57VkH9
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 12, 2020

Thank you @KimKardashian In solidarity. https://t.co/rK1Yf3LiTn
— Serj Tankian (@serjtankian) November 12, 2020

Read more »

Brant Bjork has revealed that he tried to reach out to Josh Homme about a possible reunion of KYUSS’s classic lineup.

The former KYUSS drummer said that he attempted to repair his relationship with the group’s leader after Homme said in an interview last summer that he would be open to playing with his former bandmates again in order to rewrite KYUSS’s final chapter. At the time, it had been eight years since a nasty legal dispute ensued when Bjork, singer John Garcia and bassist Nick Oliveri reunited in 2011 as KYUSS LIVES! While Homme initially supported his ex-bandmates’ decision to tour under that moniker, he and bassist Scott Reeder sued Garcia and Bjork in early 2012 for “trademark infringement and consumer fraud” when Garcia and Bjork allegedly attempted to trademark the KYUSS name. A judge ruled later that year that Garcia and Bjork were not permitted to release any recordings under the name KYUSS LIVES! and warned them that future concerts under the KYUSS LIVES! mark “might continue to subject them to liability for trademark infringement.”

Speaking to TotalRock’s “Hobo On The Radio” podcast, Bjork addressed Homme’s remark that he would like to see KYUSS end on a high note. “It’s an interesting comment, and I can totally relate to his feeling, because I was really bummed the way that KYUSS broke up in ’95; I didn’t want it to end that way,” Brant said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “So what we should have done is never broke up. Had we known as young dudes — which, let’s face it, we were young, and it’s hard to do — had we known how to keep a band together, we could have just had that band moving all along and taking breaks from time to time to pursue other things. But, yeah, it has this kind of stop and rebirth and reinvention, and, yeah, I share his frustration. But there’s always a way to do it, and it just takes communication. I’ve always said if you communicate, you can relate, and if you can relate, you can create. That’s how it works. And if you’re not communicating, then there’s gonna be absolutely no creating. And that’s where the problem is — is that we’re unable to communicate. And over the years, I think Josh and I kind of being the ones who, in a lot of ways, oversaw this band existing, in certain terms, we just have a hard time communicating. Which is interesting, because when we were kids, we were great at communicating. We were great at communicating and relating and creating, and that was what made us have the partnership that we had within the band. And then the communication broke down and we were never able to put it back together.”

He continued: “I heard his comment. And interestingly, I thought it was really fitting that it was Nick who actually called me and said, ‘Hey, you should check this out.’ I was, like, ‘Oh, yeah. For sure, man. That’s pretty trippy.’ And so I listened to it. And to be honest, it was really kind of relieving to hear him speak the way he was. I don’t talk to him, I don’t have a relationship with him anymore, so I don’t know who he is and where he is and what he does anymore. But in terms of what we have and did with KYUSS, I thought it was some healthy words and a healthy perspective on things. And it even went to the extent that a friend of mine was, like, ‘Hey, you know what? Maybe it’s a good time to reach out to him.’ And I thought, ‘Yeah, it’s not a bad idea, man.’ I think we’re at an age, and after all that we’ve done and experienced individually, and even collectively when we were younger, I think, there’s no reason for us to just kind of say, ‘Hey, man…’ Not unlike what I’m doing right now with Nick in STONER — a kind of way to say, ‘Hey, why don’t we just go back and kind of try and plug into that time before we were accomplished professional musicians.’ ‘Cause there’s a starting point to everything. Maybe there’s the ability where we can go back before all this stuff happened and try and communicate from that place. I don’t know. Maybe that’s a fantasy. I don’t know. But it was an idea. And I reached out to him. And he actually was, like, ‘Yeah, let’s talk. And I’ll get back to you.’ And I was, like, ‘All right. Cool, man.’ And then it never happened. So I don’t know what to say about that.

“As far as a KYUSS reunion happening, that was my attempt at not necessarily getting the band back together but at the very least developing some communication with Josh,” Brant added. “And it seemed at first that it might be time and [we] actually [might] be able to connect. But it didn’t happen. That was months and months and months ago, so it’s clear that it’s not gonna move forward. And who knows? Maybe he puts KYUSS together and puts his own version together or whatever. I don’t know what he’s gonna do. We’ll have to just see.”

Josh discussed a possible KYUSS reunion while being interviewed by Kyuss World Radio about the 25th anniversary of the band’s final album, “…And The Circus Leaves Town”. The Californian four-piece split three months following the LP’s release, resulting in it being less critically and commercially successful when compared to the two KYUSS albums which helped birth the stoner rock movement — 1992’s “Blues For The Red Sun” and 1994’s “Welcome To Sky Valley”.

“My philosophy has always been, never do a reunion, never do a sequel. It’s not what it was; it’s what it is. And that’s kind of how I’ve felt,” Homme said.

He added that he’s generally not in favor of reunions.

“A legacy that involves having been at the epicenter of a scene that got created, it’s so fragile,” he said. “It’s like an ice sculpture. And I don’t wanna be a blow dryer on that thing.”

But he didn’t completely rule out the possibility. “That being said, I was in full support of KYUSS LIVES! and I would go to the shows and I told them as much, until what Brant and, unfortunately, what John tried to do. And that was terrible.

“There have been times I thought it cannot end that way, and the only real way to end it correctly now would be to play,” Homme continued. “And because they sort of perverted the punctuation and they knocked the wing off this beautiful dragon that’s an ice sculpture, and the only way to put the motherfucking wing back on would be to [play again].”

“I have thought about this, especially in the last few years, to do something special, and even to make up for that mistake of Brant and, unfortunately, John, to make up for it. [I thought we should] play and give all the money away. Like, play for the fans — cover your costs and make it five bucks. Figure out a way to be, like, this is how the punctuation will end the sentence of this band. Because it was never about money — it never was about money. It never was about fame, and when it felt like that was the move they were making, I was so sad.”

After KYUSS split in 1995, Homme went on to form QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE.

In a May 2012 interview with RolllingStone.com, Bjork stated about Homme and Reeder’s lawsuit, “They don’t want to mention that they trademarked the name KYUSS after I left the band, assuring that I had no rights in KYUSS’s future. They’re both accusing John and I of doing something that they actually did themselves. Their inner conflict is this: both Josh and Scott want control and money from KYUSS LIVES!, but they don’t want to participate and they ultimately don’t want us to exist. The double standard is unbelievable.”

He added, “Josh and I were the creative force within the band and after the completion of our second record, ‘Blues For The Red Sun’, we developed an opposing view on how the band should exist and operate. In 1992, Josh discovered publishing, which is the financial revenue stream for songwriting. After that, he wanted to write all the songs. As a drummer, I couldn’t make him play my songs. I wasn’t going to compromise my heart and soul and play drums for Josh to make money in a band I started. So I left the band. I was a confused, angry and sad 19-year-old idealist who sacrificed my love of my band for what I believed in. Two and a half years later, Josh would break up the band after John confronted him about the same thing; his need to control the band for personal gain.”

Bjork and Oliveri recently formed a new band called STONER. They are joined in the trio by Ryan Güt.

Read more »

PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix spoke to spoke to Matt Pinfield of KLOS’s “New & Approved” series about the band’s upcoming follow-up to 2019’s “Who Do You Trust?” album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’ve gotta say this music is very inspired. Taking the opportunity while we were in lockdown and jumping into the studio and making music, it gave me some… I was feeling trapped, and to be creative and focus all this dark, negative energy and bring it to the music… The band, everybody, was so inspired when we were creating, and so there’s elements that are super heavy and in your face and just loud, brutal moments. And then there’s funky, just out-of-the-box, wacky, weird music. It’s kind of all over the place, to be honest. It’s a little musical A.D.D., but I think that that’s who we are, essentially. I can’t just fit myself in one box creatively and just do the same thing over and over.

“This will be our 11th release as a rock band,” he continued. “We signed a brand new record deal, and so we’re moving on and trying something new. And I think that when we’re standing on the edge and ready to jump off this cliff into new, uncharted territory, it’s, like, ‘All right. Fuck it. We’re gonna build our wings on the way down, and we’re gonna fly.’ And sitting on the edge of that is a really exciting space to be in when you’re creative and in a creative space. And I think the P-ROACH fans are gonna be floored.

“I feel like we did our best job at trying to push rock and roll into the future and trying to take rock and roll to a new creative space that is progressive,” Jacoby added. “And I think we’re not stagnating at all — I will say that — and I think we’re gonna blow some people’s minds with this new record.”

Last July, Shaddix told Rock Sound TV that PAPA ROACH’s next album will be released through band’s own record company. “We are in partnership with Warner/ADA, and so it’s like an artist services group,” he explained. “And we’re gonna do that for an album and see how it works out. We’ve been super focused in the creative marketing behind what we do and the imaging and the videos and the messaging and everything, we were, like, let’s take it in our hands and see where we can go with it and try it for an album.”

In January, a snippet of a brand new PAPA ROACH song called “Stand Up” was included in commercial for Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) partnership with ESPN.

PAPA ROACH’s second greatest-hits collection, “Greatest Hits Vol. 2: The Better Noise Years”, was released on March 19 on Better Noise Music.

“Greatest Hits Vol. 2 – The Better Noise Years” includes 12 of the band’s top 10 hits released between 2010 to 2019 as well as three previously unreleased remixes and two unreleased acoustic recordings recorded live at the YouTube Studios in New York City.

“Who Do You Trust?” was released in January 2019. The disc was produced by Nick “RAS” Furlong and Colin Cunningham except for the song “Top Of The World”, which is helmed by Jason Evigan.

In December, PAPA ROACH released a five-song EP, “20/20”, featuring “new takes on old jams,” including “Last Resort” and “Scars”.

Read more »

Recently uploaded fan photos of the graves of legendary PANTERA guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and his brother, PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott can be found below.

Last year, a protective fence was erected around the Abbott brothers’ graves at the Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Texas, presumably to guard them from vandalism.

Vinnie Paul’s grave marker at Moore Memorial Gardens was officially installed in May 2019. That same day, two pictures of the gravesite were released via PANTERA’s social media, along with the message: “We ask that you please be respectful when visiting the brothers’ graves.”

A message engraved on Vinnie Paul’s grave marker reads: “Don’t ever think it’s not a good time, if you do think it’s not a good time. A good time is a good time, a bad time is a bad time, and a wonderful time is irreplaceable. Hellyeah!”

After it was reported back in 2010 that Dimebag’s grave was vandalized, Vinnie Paul was asked by Artisan News if the person responsible for causing the damage had ever been apprehended. “Nah, nah,” he replied. “But it’s just a real disrespectful thing. I don’t understand why somebody would wanna scratch their name in somebody’s tombstone or anything. But fans are rabid, man; they do unheard-of things. I just wish they would respect him and let him rest in peace and just leave it at that.”

The PANTERA and HELLYEAH drummer was buried on June 30, 2018 next to Dimebag and their mother, Carolyn. He was laid to rest in a custom “Kiss Kasket” provided by KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. The casket was offered as a gift at Vinnie’s family’s request. Vinnie was also buried in some of his trademark clothes, including his hat, shoes and flannel.

Speakers at the service included former GRIM REAPER guitarist Nick Bowcott and SiriusXM DJ Jose Mangin. Also appearing at the event were original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, DISTURBED’s David Draiman, NICKELBACK’s Chad Kroeger, ANTHRAX’s Charlie Benante, FOZZY’s Chris Jericho and ROUGH CUTT’s Paul Shortino.

Vinnie’s brother was buried in the original Kiss Kasket prototype in 2004 after his untimely death. The coffin featured the faces of the four founding members of KISS, the KISS logo and the words “Kiss Forever.” Both Abbotts were huge fans, especially Darrell, who was shot dead by a gunman in December 2004.

A public memorial for Vinnie Paul was held on July 1, 2018 at Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn’t pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Not long before his death, Vinnie laid down the drum tracks for HELLYEAH’s sixth album, “Welcome Home”, which was released in September 2019.

Dimebag and Vinnie Paul formed PANTERA in the early eighties in Texas. The band recorded four independent albums before their 1990 major label debut, “Cowboys From Hell”, introduced a heavier sound and made them a favorite with metal fans. 1994’s “Far Beyond Driven” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 without benefit of a commercial hit single.

The group splintered in 2002 following the departure of volatile lead singer Philip Anselmo. Dime and Vinnie, as they were known to their fans, regrouped with DAMAGEPLAN, releasing the band’s debut album, “New Found Power”, in February of 2004. The group was touring in support of the record at the time of Dimebag’s murder.

Dimebag’s death was a devastating blow to the close-knit hard rock and metal community. He was known to his fellow musicians for his hospitality, friendship and partying spirit, and was a legend among fans and peers for his powerful, innovative and unmistakable playing style.

Posted by Riley Couzzourt on Thursday, March 18, 2021

Posted by Riley Couzzourt on Thursday, March 18, 2021

Posted by Riley Couzzourt on Thursday, March 18, 2021

Posted by Riley Couzzourt on Thursday, March 18, 2021

Posted by Harrison Linder on Monday, March 8, 2021

Posted by Harrison Linder on Monday, March 8, 2021

Posted by Markbag – The Last of the lastes Warriors on Monday, March 1, 2021

Posted by Claire Gault on Saturday, February 27, 2021

Posted by Michael Duncan on Wednesday, February 10, 2021

In in Arlington Texas. My bro brought me to see Dimebag and Vinnie Paul’s grave I can’t describe the feelings I have…

Posted by Gilbert Cuevas on Friday, February 5, 2021

Read more »

SKID ROW guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo spoke to Andertons Music Co about how he has been using the coronavirus downtime to stay creative. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Rachel [Bolan, SKID ROW bassist] and I work best when we’re in a room together. It’s all we’ve ever done; we’ve always done it in a room together. So we’ve done a couple of things over Zoom, and a couple of good things have come out of it. But it’s just so foreign — it’s foreign to everybody. You just make the most with what you have. And so we’ll continue to do more, just to be creative and productive.

“I’ve gotta tell you, man — we played our last show last March, and it’s heartbreaking; it’s really, really heartbreaking. Not just from the musician side of me, but from the fan side of me. I miss going down the street to see a show. I miss the communal aspect of it. I miss seeing other people thrive in their environment.

“This is a terrible thing that’s going,” he continued. “And I know that we’re getting to a place where we’re getting safer and safer. But it’s gonna be a while — it’s gonna be a while before people have the trust. Not in all areas, because there’s people out there now that are just going buck wild. And I don’t know how much that is helping things. I wish people would just wear a mask and let’s get done with this thing already. I’m not a political person; I don’t understand the politics of that whatsoever. For me, I wear a mask wherever I go. The last thing I want is to spread anything or infect my children or my family in any way.

“The one interesting thing is, the challenge of all this, for me, has been maintaining motivation on a daily basis. And some days, you’re just shredding for hours and hours and hours and hours. Other days, you’re, like, whatever I do sucks. That’s the mental thing that goes on.

“But the good thing, for me, is that, at least from my viewpoint, I do see light at the end of the tunnel,” Sabo added. “I think people realize, maybe more so now than ever, how much of a role music plays in our everyday lives. It was becoming background noise for a little while, it felt like. And I don’t think that’s the case anymore. I think music’s being consumed on such a larger level now.”

This past weekend, SKID ROW regrouped in Nashville, Tennessee to begin pre-production on some of its new material. The band is working with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON, RUSH) after previously collaborating several times with Michael Wagener, who also helmed the group’s 1989 self-titled debut and 1991’s “Slave To The Grind”.

SKID ROW’s new LP will mark its first release with South African-born, British-based vocalist ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I), who joined the band in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER).

Unlike 2014’s “Rise Of The Damnation Army – United World Rebellion: Chapter Two” and 2013’s “United World Rebellion: Chapter One”, SKID ROW’s forthcoming release will be a full-length record.

SKID ROW previously collaborated with several outside songwriters on its new material, including Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR) and Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of HALESTORM, a group that covered the title track of “Slave To The Grind” on its “ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP” in 2011. SKID ROW also worked with songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow.

SKID ROW’s 2020 “The Big Rock Summer Tour”, also featuring RATT, CINDERELLA’s Tom Keifer and SLAUGHTER, was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe.

Read more »

Geoff Tate was asked in a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio how crucial QUEENSRŸCHE was in pioneering the progressive metal genre. He responded: “Well, I’ll put it this way: there wasn’t a progressive metal genre before us. How about that? [Laughs] Actually, I’m kind of against genres. I’ve never been a fan of genrefication or putting artists’ music into little boxes. It really has only one purpose, and that’s to sell it, you know? The danger of putting a band or an artist in a box like that is that fans get expectations based upon that little box. And oftentimes, if you step outside that box or put your toe outside that box, you get massively criticized, and it’s not accepted, because ‘that’s not progressive metal’ or ‘that’s not metal’ or ‘that’s not hip-hop.’ Everybody puts their limitations on what the art can be, and that’s a dangerous precedent that gets set. It’s a dangerous attitude when you start limiting the thinking, or trying to limit the thinking, of people, and that’s where you get into fascism and, ultimately, monarchies and that kind of thing.”

Asked what his favorite albums with QUEENSRŸCHE were, Tate said: “Well, I’m very proud of all the music that QUEENSRŸCHE made in my time with the band. That’s how we really pushed a lot of boundaries with our music and were very progressive in our presentations. I have very special moments, that I feel are special moments, from my point of view of actually making the records. The ‘Promised Land’ album that we made in ’94 — in ’93; it came out in ’94 — was very special to me, ’cause of the way we did it, living on a remote island and building our own studio. That was an incredible experience, I thought. Working on the ‘Warning’ album in London and living there for a year, making the record and working all the high-end studios in the city and being involved with the music scene at that time was incredibly exciting. And the last album I made with QUEENSRŸCHE, ‘Dedicated To Chaos’, was one of my favorite-sounding records and a record I feel really proud of, ’cause everybody in the band was contributing to that record. It was really a band effort — one of the first band efforts; well, first and only band effort we ever had. So, I felt really great about that, too. But, yeah, there’s high moments, I feel, special moments, I feel, for almost all the records, really. ‘Cause, I think as a writer, as a musician, each record is a success, because you started with nothing and you made something at the end of the day, and that’s a wonderful feeling.”

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Original QUEENSRŸCHE members Michael Wilton (guitar), Scott Rockenfield (drums) and Eddie Jackson (bass) responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform the albums “Operation: Mindcrime” and “Operation: Mindcrime II” in their entirety live.

QUEENSRŸCHE has released three albums thus far with Tate’s replacement, ex-CRIMSON GLORY frontman Todd La Torre — 2013’s “Queensrÿche”, 2015’s “Condition Hüman” and 2019’s “The Verdict”.

Read more »

This coming May Southern gods of death Father Befouled will face off against the recently formed death metal powerhouse Exaugurate on a 7” battlefield. Hear both bands’ tracks in all their punishing and morbid glory right now.
The post Premiere: Father Befouled & Exaugurate – Purging Holiness split 7″ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Read more »

In a new interview with Germany’s Rolling Stone, KISS frontman Paul Stanley was asked what he thinks about the fact that rock and roll music — a genre rooted in black traditions, and many of whose earliest stars were black — has come to be understood as the natural province of whites while soul music is regarded chiefly as a black musical genre. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, I think that it’s narrow, and it’s a generality. Arguably the greatest rock guitar player was Jimi Hendrix. And there’s loads of terrific white — for lack of a better word — ‘soul’ singers.

“I think it’s a very broad statement,” he reiterated. “And I think that generalities don’t do justice to the exceptions of the generality. In a different era, Dusty Springfield was an amazing R&B singer and super well regarded by everybody, for example, at Motown. So there’s always going to be people who, I think, pull it off beautifully.

“So black, white… I don’t think music has a color,” Stanley added. “I think it comes down to, do you understand the intent? Do you understand what’s behind it? And if you do, you can do it truthfully.”

Stanley will release the debut album from his SOUL STATION project on March 19 (postponed from previously announced March 5) via Universal Music Enterprises. A collection of nine classic soul covers and five original tracks, “Now And Then” features the band’s acclaimed version of THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS’ “O-o-h Child” as well as SOUL STATION’s take on THE SPINNERS’ “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”.

Stanley’s bandmembers include Rafael “Hoffa” Moreira (guitar and backing vocals), Sean Hurley (bass), Alex Alessandroni (musical director, keyboards), Ely Rise (keyboards), Eric Singer (drums and backing vocals), RayYslas (percussion), Gavyn Rhone (backing vocals), Crystal Starr (backing vocals) and Laurhan Beato (backing vocals) and Jon Pappenbrook (lead trumpet).

Read more »

In the nearly 50 years since founding heavy metal institution TWISTED SISTER, John “Jay Jay” French has sold over 20 million records, collected 37 gold and platinum albums, headlined many of the world’s largest music festivals in 38 countries, and now is now adding podcasting to his resume with “The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond The Music”.

“What makes my podcast stand out is the close personal relationships that I have with most of my guests,” French says. “This allows them a kind of safety zone where they will tell me stories and experiences that you just won’t hear anywhere else.”

On “The Jay Jay French Connection”, French brings an enormous wealth of knowledge that stretches beyond music business. His natural curiosity results in wide-ranging conversations with a variety of well-known musicians, authors, actors, wrestler/musicians, managers, celebrity chefs, TV and movie directors and writers.

New episodes of “The Jay Jay French Connection” are available every Tuesday on Spotify, Apple Music and PodcastOne. Upcoming guests include guitarist Steve Vai, DJ Eddie Trunk, actor Michael Imperioli, guitarist Eddie Ojeda, legendary manager Doc McGhee, music industry veteran Dorothy Carvello, radio/podcast personality Jordan Harbinger, guitarist Joe Bonamassa, producer Eddie Kramer and talent manager Shep Gordon.

Highlights of previous episodes have included:

* Drummer Mike Portnoy discussing replacing AJ Pero in TWISTED SISTER and his never-ending list of projects.
* Vocalist Rob Halford revealing information on his new autobiography and what scared him the most about coming out.
* Singer/radio personality Dee Snider on everything TWISTED SISTER.
* Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt telling the story of the story of how EXTREME got their name and how his playing has evolved.
* Guitarist Joel Hoekstra about future plans for WHITESNAKE, the effect of the pandemic and his own solo projects.
* Guitarist Elliot Easton talking about the death of Ric Ocasek, the history of THE CARS and his new band THE EMPTY HEARTS.
* BEATLES book author Andy Babiuk on the challenge of bringing new stories and never-seen photos of THE BEATLES’ recording and performing gear to the millions of BEATLES fanatics worldwide.
* Filmmaker Frank Marshall discussing his incredible producer/director history in Hollywood and his new hot BEE GEES documentary, “How Do You Mend A Broken Heart”.
* Celebrity chef, music fanatic, guitar player, current managing partner and executive chef at NYC’s number one Steakhouse Porterhouse Michael Lomonaco recalling how a last-minute decision to get his eyeglasses fixed saved him from perishing at his restaurant, Windows On The World, on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center on 9/11, and his thoughts on the devastating effect of COVID-19 on the New York restaurant industry.
* Professional wrestler and vocalist Chris Jericho hyping on his movie which tells the true story of a local metal band, retired for four decades, who returns to perform at a German metal festival.
* Television writer Brian Koppelman discussing his latest hit show, the Showtime series “Billions”, how he discovered Tracy Chapman in college and transitioned from record executive to screen writer/producer/director.
* Singer/songwriter Don McLean dishing on the little-known secrets of his massive hit song “American Pie”.
* Singer Johnny Lee talking about getting a new record deal at the age of 74, 40 years after his biggest hit, “Lookin’ For Love In All The Wrong Places”, and how modern country radio feels about its legends.
* Music industry exec Gary Spivack revealing information on his “Long Live Rock” documentary, a love letter to the contemporary live rock scene, and his belief that it is thriving.
* Hit songwriter Nate Cyphert (Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y.”, among many others) on what it takes to write Grammy-winning, multi-platinum hit songs in today’s pop market.
* Author Jenny Boyd on her new book “Jennifer Juniper”, being the muse for Donovan’s hit song “Jennifer Juniper”, living with THE BEATLES in Rishikesh, India, living in London in the “Swinging Sixties,” being married to Mick Fleetwood of FLEETWOOD MAC and having sister Pattie married to both George Harrison and Eric Clapton.
* Best-selling British “chick lit” author Jane Green telling the story of how her professional life and career evolved. All aspiring writers need to hear this one!

French’s two biggest hits with TWISTED SISTER, the rock anthems “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock”, have become two of the most licensed songs in the history of heavy metal, appearing in hundreds of TV, radio and internet commercials, movies and TV shows. French currently oversees all music licensing and all business regarding TWISTED SISTER.

In addition to his career as a musician, manager, producer and executive producer, French is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, as well contributing writer for business magazine Inc.com, pens a BEATLES column for Goldmine called “Now, We’re Sixty Four” and writes a an audio column for Copper, an online music and high end audio magazine published through PS Audio.

Read more »