Search
Home > Interviews (Page 5)

Category: Interviews

Hill’s Songwriter’s Award A Reflection Of Lifelong Achievements

Keith Sharp
Hill’s Songwriter’s Award A Reflection Of Lifelong Achievements
By Keith Sharp When you think of Dan Hill, you inevitably think of his global hit record, “Sometimes When We Touch”, not only a hit for him but for a whole slew of other star performers including Rod Stewart. Barry Manilow, Demi Roussos, Tammy Wynette (with Mark Gray), Tina Turner and Engelbert Humperdinck, initially released in 1977 on his third... Read More

Up Close And Uncomfortable With Greg Godovitz

Keith Sharp
Up Close And Uncomfortable With Greg Godovitz
By Keith Sharp It was 14 years in the making but Goddo lead vocalist, bassist Greg Godovitz has finally released his latest book, “Up Close And Uncomfortable” a sequel to his highly successful literary debut, “Travels With My Amp” But unlike the autobiographically slanted original, “Up Close And Uncomfortable” contains a potpourri of irreverent anecdotes and escapades focusing on Godovitz’s... Read More

VIP ME Initiative, Ed Sousa’s Latest Fund-Raising Initiative

Keith Sharp
VIP ME Initiative, Ed Sousa’s Latest Fund-Raising Initiative
By Keith Sharp As the COVID-19 continues to hamper Ed Sousa’s attempts to raise funds for his Ronald McDonald House charity, he is still creatively engineering different ideas to generate much-needed capital. Titled VIP ME, Sousa is initiating an opportunity where members of the general public can receive personal videos from a select group of musicians offering anything from personal... Read More

PETRIC’s Prairie Flashbacks

Roman Mitz
PETRIC’s Prairie Flashbacks
With over 14 million online streams and eight charting singles, including three Top ’20s, PETRIC has made quite the statement since forming back in 2014. The Winnipeg country trio, comprised of brothers Tom and Jason Petric, along with long-time friend Jordan Day, have just released their first full-length album “Flashbacks”.  The new record is really a mix of flashbacks and flash-forwards, as... Read More

Billy Newton-Davis Re-introduces Himself

Keith Sharp
Billy Newton-Davis Re-introduces Himself
Billy Newton-Davis – by Xander By Keith Sharp Before there was Drake, before there was The Weeknd, Toronto enjoyed a thriving R&B/soul music scene. If you hung out at venues like Club Blue Note, The Bamboo Club, Grossman’s Tavern or the Montreal Bistro in the mid-1980’s you would recognize names like George Olliver, Liberty Silver, Jackie Richardson, Molly Johnson, Micah... Read More

Toque Band Wears Many Hats

Keith Sharp
Toque Band Wears Many Hats
By Keith Sharp Toque: A close-fitting knitted or crocheted cap having no brim or a brim that is folded up to create an extra layer of fabric for warmth. A rock band consisting of four Canadian musicians destined to celebrate the best in Canadian music. Two of those Toque band members; lead vocalist/guitarist Todd Kerns and bassist/multi-instrumentalist Brent Fitz are... Read More

Classic Rocker Leslie West Dies From Heart Attack

by Best Classic Bands Staff
Classic Rocker Leslie West Dies From Heart Attack
Mountain (L to R): Felix Pappalardi, Leslie West, Corky Laing By Jeff Tamarkin Leslie West, best known as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist of hard-rock progenitors Mountain, died today (Dec. 23, 2020) due to cardiac arrest. West, who was in Palm Coast, Fla., at the time of his passing, was 75. On Monday night, Dec. 21, West’s brother, Larry West... Read More

Christmas Special Caps Spoons Innovative Schedule

Keith Sharp
Christmas Special Caps Spoons Innovative Schedule
By Keith Sharp While other bands and artists have spent this year-long pandemic sitting on their hands, Burlington Ontario’s The Spoons have executed a number of performances playing to restricted audiences, mainly for charity events. Their latest creation is simply called The Spoons Holiday Special and is a pre-taped performance of the band playing Christmas favourites from home with a... Read More

Loverboy Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of their Debut Album

Keith Sharp
Loverboy Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of their Debut Album
Mike Reno of Loverboy – Photo by Ted Van Boort By Keith Sharp Former co-manager, the late Lou Blair called it the half-million-dollar review! A glowing review of Loverboy’s U.S debut single, “Turn Me Loose” in the U.S. tip sheet `Friday Morning Quarterback’ announcing that the lone surviving new single from the 1980 Christmas period is “Turn Me Loose” by... Read More

Molly Johnson’s Cool Yule Record

Roman Mitz
Molly Johnson’s Cool Yule Record
Molly Johnson – Photo by Chris Nicholls Photography It seems fitting that our chat with Molly Johnson takes place the day after the legendary Canadian songstress’s annual Christmas cookie baking session. Her new EP “This Holiday Season” evokes festive images that are as pleasant as the smell of gingerbread and macaroon treats wafting from the oven. “The cookies turned out... Read More

Hook Set To Participate In Unison Live Stream Broadcast

Keith Sharp
Hook Set To Participate In Unison Live Stream Broadcast
By Keith Sharp As a highly regarded singer/songwriter, multi-musician recording artist, Shawn Hook is fully aware of the ravages that the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted on Canada’s music industry. As a board member of the Unison Benevolent Fund, he is in a position to do something positive to raise much-needed funds to aid this ailing industry. This Thursday he will... Read More

A Is For Arrows Shoots Straight From The Heart

Keith Sharp
A Is For Arrows Shoots Straight From The Heart
By Keith Sharp Alessia Balasbas is aware that one of the first questions asked of her as she debuts her six-track EP titled ‘Roses” is to explain her performance name ‘A Is For Arrows‘. “It came from a quote awhile back that an arrow can only be shot by pulling the bow backwards,” noted Balasbas from her Toronto residence in... Read More

Lee Aaron Serves Up Eclectic Christmas Album Grab Bag Of Tracks

Keith Sharp
Lee Aaron Serves Up Eclectic Christmas Album Grab Bag Of Tracks
By Keith Sharp Hot news flash! Lee Aaron covers Slade! This writer’s bucket list is now complete. The above statement may be more than a little facetious but to have Lee Aaron cover Slade’s proverbial annual Christmas chestnut, ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ on her band’s latest 10 track `Almost Christmas’ album serves as a special treat for this writer who is... Read More

Live Stream Events, Plan B For Belleville’s Empire Theatre

Keith Sharp
Live Stream Events, Plan B For Belleville’s Empire Theatre
By Keith Sharp Mark Rashotte knows what musicians are going through. As a former guitarist with Capitol recording band, Photograph, as well as current guitarist and manager for Jake Clemons (of E Street Band fame) has empathy for the many artists whose live performance opportunities came to a shuddering halt during this 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. As the owner of Belleville, Ontario’s... Read More

Glass Tiger Releases Holiday Album With A Pop Twist – All Original Material Features All-Star Cast

Keith Sharp
Glass Tiger Releases Holiday Album With A Pop Twist – All Original Material Features All-Star Cast
By Keith Sharp Not being a religious person, Glass Tiger lead vocalist, Alan Frew was less than enthusiastic about recording a Christmas album, even though his record label, Warner Music Canada had been relentlessly pushing the band for such a seasonal offering. The idea of reworking a batch of the usual Christmas standards held no appeal for the self-proclaimed atheist... Read More

Social Media Awareness Fuels Johnny Orlando’s Success

Keith Sharp
Social Media Awareness Fuels Johnny Orlando’s Success
By Keith Sharp When you think of Johnny Orlando, you also think of Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Alessia Cara and Scott Hillman, all former Canadian teenage pop stars who have broken through to mainstream acceptance. But in the case of Mississauga Ontario born Orlando, you have an individual who has developed his social media presence to a whole new level.... Read More

MacKenzie Porter – A 90 Proof Collection

Roman Mitz
MacKenzie Porter – A 90 Proof Collection
Singer-songwriter MacKenzie Porter sure has come a long way from the ranch where she was raised in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Since moving to Nashville in 2014, she’s developed a unique style that may best be described as a traditional country with a contemporary edge. Her hook-laden songs have sparked a list of accolades including multiple Canadian Country Music Award nominations... Read More

MONOWHALES Combat Pandemic with El Mocambo Live stream gigs

Keith Sharp
MONOWHALES Combat Pandemic with El Mocambo Live stream gigs
By Keith Sharp One of Canada’s hottest new musical outfits, Toronto’s MONOWHALES will attempt to defeat the current COVID-19 lockdown by performing two live stream concerts on November 26 & 27 at the legendary El Mocambo in support of a new single “All Or Nothing”. On the phone from the band’s rehearsal space, band lead vocalist Sally Shaar takes time out... Read More

Live Streaming Is The Key To El Mocambo’s Future

Keith Sharp
Live Streaming Is The Key To El Mocambo’s Future
When Michael Wekerle made a last-minute decision to secure the legendary El Mocambo in November 2014 for a reported $3.8 million dollars he allegedly cracked that he might need to invest an additional couple of million bucks to fix the place up to his specifications…Thirty-Five Million Dollars Later! This is the reported amount, the 54-year old merchant trader, who made a... Read More