Bios and stories about the artists we feature
The day FTV: Name That Tune came out in the Ontonagon Herald (March 13, 2024), my phone rang. On the other end of the line was one of Ontonagon’s favorite singers, Jim Brogan. He said, “You know that little quiz in the paper? I can’t believe you couldn’t identify Under the Boardwalk!” For those of […]
Being one of The Beatles was not the be all/end all for George Harrison. Saying the name of the Fab Four usually sends people down Lennon and McCartney Lane, memory-wise. Even Ringo managed to garner more attention than poor George. Paul was always ‘the cute one’, John the ‘serious one’, and Ringo, the ‘fun […]
Everybody knows Eddie Van Halen invented a two hand guitar technique widely known as ‘tapping’. All one has to do is call up a video of Eddie shredding the neck of one of his iconic guitars and it is likely he will employ tapping in a solo. What is tapping exactly? According to Gunnar […]
From time to time, I am asked to reveal a secret; where do ideas for these FTV articles come from? There is no simple answer but let me give it a shot: anywhere and everywhere. It isn’t much different than what songwriters say happens when they hear a phrase or musical riff that sticks […]
The title of this FTV started as a mental exercise of me trying to make a ‘Top Ten’ list of bands I liked to listen to back when I was first learning to be a rock and roll drummer. I thought, “Maybe it would be fun to follow up on some of them and […]
Who is Bill? You know, Bill Szymczyk. Who? Bill Szymczyk (pronounced ‘/simzik/’ if you are wondering). Never heard of him? Maybe not by name, but if you have listened to recorded work by B.B. King, The James Gang, Joe Walsh, Eagles, The J.Geils Band, JoJo Gunne, Jay Ferguson, The Winter brothers (Edgar and Johnny), […]
Here is a rock ‘n’ roll chemistry problem for you. Mix two members of the popular Canadian band Streetheart with a singer from another well known Canuck band, Moxey, stir in an up and coming producer named Bruce Fairbairn and what do you get? One of the most successful AOR (Album Oriented Rock) bands of […]
When I first joined a band called Cloudy and Cool, the other three guys in the band were all in the Air Force and stationed at K.I. Sawyer AFB just outside of Marquette. The lead guitarist / vocalist, Ray, was a Sargent and through his connections at the base, C&C were the house band […]
When was the first time you became aware of KISS? Did you hear them on the radio? Perhaps their (kind of) ghoulish make-up staring off the cover of their first album (released February 18, 1974) caught your attention. Maybe you were one of those in the MTV generation who heard and saw them on […]
Remember Rodney Dangerfield’s most famous catch phrase? Rodney built entire routines around the phrase, “I don’t get no respect.” Catching up with guitarist Brad Whitford on the eve of Aerosmith’s ‘Peace Out’ world tour, the phrase kept popping into my head. I am not saying Whitford is disrespected by his bandmates. No, the negative […]