Day 27 - Six Strings Down

Alpine Valley August 27th 1990 is it really 21 years since that sad day when all us music fans particularly those who appreciate the Blues and the great guitarists associated with it lost the best ever.

o I make no apologies to start todays post with a tribute song to Stevie Ray Vaughan and the many other Blues artists that heaven as called home. It was wrote and performed by Stevies brother Jimmie with a little help from a few stars such as Eric clapton, BB King, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Dr John, Bonnie Rait, etc.




Suppose better mention the weight loss and its good news with another pound gone this morning. Don't know how the weekend will go with it been bank holiday weekend, off to Paulas this afternoon and wont be back until sometime Monday. So next weigh in will be tuesday.

The story so far :-
Weight 1st August - 220lb
Weight 4th August - 218lb
Weight 6th August - 220lb (different scales so not sure about this reading)
Weight 8th August - 217lb
Weight 10th August - 216lb
Weight 11th August - 215lb
Weight 18th August - 214lb
Weight 19th August - 213lb
Weight 22nd August - 214lb
Weight 24th August - 213lb
Weight 25th August - 212lb
Weight 27th August - 211lb

Of course not going to finish todays post without some SRV music so here is another tribute video but with Stevie playing the classic "Tin Pan Alley", enjoy some great music and pictures.

Weigh in Wednesday - Another week another pound

Got to say I'm quite pleased that I've lost another pound this week, ok not a lot but I actually didn't expect a positive result. Sure my eating as been ok but I ad two pool matches at the Pub Sunday and Monday, had a few beers more than a normal week but looks like I got away with it.
Maybe I've now got my eating about right, one pound a week is what I'm after, just got to maintain it.

Here is the facts :-

Start Weight (9th Nov) - 238lb
Weight last week - 232lb
Weight Today - 231lb
Gain/Loss this week - -1lb
Gain/Loss from start - -7lb
Todays Target - 234lb
+/- Target - -3lb

Also can't let todays date go by without mentioning John Lennon, its 30 years ago to the date he was assasinated by Mark Chapman outside his New York department and his talents were lost forever.
So this is for John -



And of course we can't forget this weeks sporting moments, Fifa and their incredable voting system which will see the World Cups go to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. Both decisions are a joke and it certainly looks like a few blank envelopes have found their way into the pockets of the delegates. Everyone knows Russia is corrupt and run by the Mafia and as for Qatar I can't see how a country with a population of less than one million can run it and thats not even considering their June tempretures reach 50c which is far too hot for footie.
Ok I'm biased but Englands bid for 2018 was far superior to Russia and in my opinion I would have said Austrailia had the best bid for 2022.

Whilst talking of the Aussies and the fac a few of my friends on here are from that side of the world it would be totally unfair not to mention the cricket. Yes its the Ashes series, two tests gone and its one nil to our boys, in fact reckon we are giving Rick Ponting and his merry men a bit of a lesson so far.
So Ricky this is for you :-

The Sky is Crying

20 years ago today the guitarist I believe was the best to ever walk this earth was sadly killed in a helicopter crash following a concert at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin.
The man I'm talking about is Stevie Ray Vaughan and today the Sky is crying to his memory.



SRV is respected by many of the worlds top guitarists alive today, here are a few of them including Eric Clapton, BB King, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Rait, Robert Cray, Jimmy Vaughan, etc playing a tribute "SRV Shuffle"




Clapton, Guy, Cray and his brother Jimmy were the last to play with him on that fateful night 20 years ago. My favorite Stevie song is probably "Change It".

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of visiting the SRV statue that as ben erected in his honour in Austin Texas.

How about a bit of Accoustic here is Stevie playing a 12 string accoustic guitar

Of course one thing I regret was seeing Stevie in concert but here is the next best thing (in two parts).



Stevie Ray Vaughan RIP

Best Accoustic Guitar Solo Ever ?

And on a 12 string guitar :-

Music Legends - Eva Cassidy

Eva Marie Cassidy a true Songbird was born to a musical family in Washington in February 1963 the third of four children. She displayed musical talent at a very young age. She formed a band "Stonehenge while still at school.

She went through her musical career largely unknown on the world wide stage, only really known in her home City & State. In 1983 aged 20 she played six nights a week at "Wild World" in Maryland along with her brother Dan.

She was once had her voice describe by British Newspaper "The Guardian" as having the greatest voice of her generation. Her music was not limited to one particular style, her repertoire included anything from Pop, Folk, Jazz, Blues & Gospel.

Here she is doing the Blues classic "Stormy Monday" :-

Throughout the 1980s, Cassidy worked with a number of other bands, including the soul and Motown-oriented band The Honeybees, and the techno-pop band Characters Without Names, later called Method Actor.

During this period, Cassidy also worked as a propagator at a plant nursery and as a furniture painter in Maryland.

In 1990 Cassidy hired the so-called "Eva Cassidy Band", composed of Chris Biondo, Lenny Williams, Keith Grimes and Raice McLeod, and she began to perform frequently in the Washington area.

In 1992 Biondo played a tape of Cassidy's voice for Chuck Brown Best known as the "Godfather of Go-go", Brown is also a jazz and blues vocalist. This led to the first commercial recording of Cassidy, the duet album with Chuck Brown "The Other Side" which featured performances of classic songs such as "Fever", Billy Hollidays "God Bless the Child" and Cassidy's signature tune "Over the Rainbow".

In 1993 Eva Cassidy was first honored by the Washington area music community when she was awarded two "Wammie Awards" for "Female Vocalist Roots/Traditional R&B" and "Vocalist Jazz/Traditional." The next year she was chosen to perform for the awards ceremony.

In January 1996, Cassidy recorded the album "Live at Blues Alley", about which "The Washington Post" later commented that "she could sing anything and make it sound like the only music that mattered". Cassidy herself was reportably unhappy with her voice on the recording because she was suffering fom a cold at the time.

It was during the recording of this album that she noticed a pain in her hips, cancer was diagnosed which then spread extreamly quickly.

Eva Cassidy died on November 2, 1996, at the age of 33. She was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Washington Area Music Corporation.
According to her wishes, Cassidy’s body was cremated. Her ashes were sprinkled on the shores of St. Mary's Lake, a nature preserve near California, MD

In 1998 a compilation of tracks from Cassidy's three released recordings was assembled into the CD "Songbird", this CD lingered in obscurity for a few years until being given airplay on BBC Radio by presenter Terry Wogan. In 2001 the album reached number 1 in the UK charts after the BBC television show "Top of the Pops 2" aired a video of Eva performing. It became the most requested video ever shown of Top Of The Pops 2 despite the fact it was just a homemade video made by somebody watching Eva perform. The Songbird CD also achieved significant chart success throughout Europe and has achieved Gold status in the United States.
Since then, several other CDs have been released.

In 2001 a book entitled Songbird was released in the UK on the life and work of Cassidy, based on interviews with close family and associates. The hardcover edition has since sold in excess of 100,000 copies. A U.S. edition was released in late 2003 and included additional chapters.

Sting, the songwriter for "Fields of Gold", was reportedly moved to tears when he heard Cassidy's version of his song.

In March 2001, ABC's Nightline in the United States broadcast a well-received short documentary about Eva Cassidy, written and narrated by Dave Marash.

In 2003, American Tune became Eva's third consecutive #1 album in the UK. No other recording artist in popular music history has been able to match this posthumous success, including Elvis Presley or Jimi Hendrix.

In 2006, on the THE X Factor Leona Lewis sang Eva's version of "Over the Rainbow". Simon Cowell commented saying, "That was the single best performance I have ever witnessed".

RIP EVA a true voice of an Angel.

Music Legends - Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan is considered by many one of the greatest guitarists the world has seen. Rolling Stone Magazine actually place him at No7, Classic Rock have him at No3 but maybe he should be even higher the man was unbelievable. He was born in Dallas Texas in October 1954 younger brother of another guitarist Jimmie Vaughan.



In his early days he actually wanted to be a drummer but due to his brothers influence settled on the guitar. When he reached his late teens he moved to Austin to pursue his musical career where he evetually joined a group called Paul Ray & the Cobras playing the bars & Clubs around the City. Its a City known for its music and Stevie is responsible for a big part in its nickname "The Music Capitol of the World".

Here he is putting his own style to the Jimmy Hendrix blues classic "Little Wing" :-

By 1975 he moved on joining Vocalist Lou Ann Barton, Bassist Jackie Newholme, Drummer Chris Layton & Sax player Johnny Reno to form a group called Triple Treat. Barton left to pusue a solo career & later Reno left the group. In 1979 the three remaining members including Stevie then changed the name to "Double Trouble" inspired by the Otis Rush song of the same name. Stevie did a lot of work with other musicians including playing guitar for David Bowie on his "Lets Dance" Album.

Double Trouble released their first album "Texas Flood" in 1982 with the blues classic "Pride & Joy" wrote by Stevie released as a single selling 500,000 copy's to go gold. Heres an superb live version :-

The Album "Texas Flood" was nominated for a Grammy and a track on it "Rude Mood" was voted best Rock Instrumetal.

Vaughan himself won three awards (only the 2nd man to do it following Jeff Beck) from the "Guitar Readers Poll" - Best New Talent, Best Blues player, Best Blues Electric Guitar (a award he won every year until 1991).

Here he is playing the classic "Superstition" :-

In 1986 Vaughan was addicted on Drugs and Alcohol reportably he mixed cocaine with Crown Royal Whisky and it took its toll. He was taken ill on tour in germany and doctors found the drugs were eating away his stomach lining. He was admitted to hospital in London where seen by Dr Victor Bloom who had previosly helped Eric Clapton & Pete Townsend with their own drug problems. Eventually he moved to Atlanta and into a rehab clinic where he got sober and became a teetotaler. In Jan 1990 he gave a speech at a Alcoholic Anonymous meeting to help others with their addictions.

In March 1990 he fullfilled one of his ambitions and produced a studio album with his brother Jimmie, the album is called "Family Style" by the Vaughan Brothers (one I must get for my collection).

By this time Stevie was suffering from a condition he called "Hamburger Throat" which meant it was painfull for him to sing, to counteract this before performing he would have cortisone injections in hs neck but this made his face swell.

On August 26th 1990 Stevie & Double Trouble played at the "Alpine Valley Music Theatre" in Wisconsin the highlight been a 20 minute Jam session with Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Jimmie Vaughan & Robert Cray. They played the Classic Robert Johnson blues Song "Sweet Home Chicago".

Following the concert Stevie had a long chat with Eric Clapton, they were reportably planing a Jimi Hendrix tribute concert in London. Following their meeting Stevie decided to hitch a ride in a helicopter with Claptons Roadies rather than take the long drive back to his Chicago Hotel. Shortly after take off they crashed into a Ski Slope killing all 5 on board. Stevies body was the only one found outside the helicopter suggesting he jumped just before the crash, it is assumed he initially survived but died sometime in the 6 hours before they were found. The following day his brother and Eric Clapton were called to ID the body.

It doesn't end with the death of this true legend he recieved many posthumas awards, the governer of Texas even made October 3rd his birthday the Stevie Ray Vaghan Day and there is a annual motorcyle parade followed by a concert to celebrate his life. In Austin one of the biggest tourist attractions is a statue of the man they errected in 1994 at Little Bird Lake.Many modern musicians name Stevie as one of their inspirations, John Mayer even as a SRV tatoo.So Stevie Ray Vaughan here is another tribute, RIP.

Music Legends - Cass Elliott

Cass Elliott or Mama Cass of the Mama's & Papa's as she was better known was born as Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore in 1941 but her family moved to Virginia where she grew up.
It was here in her school days that she was given the nickname "Cass" named after the actress Peggy Cass.

She initially played with Denny Doherty in a group called "The Mugwumps" before joining John & Michelle Phillips in another group "New Journeymen". Both these groups failed to make the big time and the foursome decamped to the Virgin Isles.
While in the Virgin Isles they were done to their last $20 and had no way to get back to America and as a last ditch effort decided to try gambling. It was Michelle who had never played Craps before who threw an unbelievable eighteen "7's" in a row to win their air fare to New York.

One of the groups songs "Creque Alley" tells the story of the groups early struggles.

They renamed as the "Mama's & Papa's" getting the idea from a TV program about Hells Angels. They relocated to California coming part of the Folk Scene of the time, one of their biggest hits was of course the classic California Dreaming :-


In 1967 following at a star studded Gala Cass was talking with Mick Jagger when John came up and made insulted her about her weight and Cass stormed out wanting to quit the group. However she was contracted for the next album so it was made with them all, its called "The Papa's & Mama's". The following year she moved did leave the group and onto a fine solo career releasing nine albums plus great singles such as "Dream a little dream of me" and "Its getting better". Here she is singing a medlay with Julie Andrews :-


In July 1974 following two sell out performances Cass retired to her flat in Londons Mayfair where she died of an heart attack in her sleep. Urban legend states that she choked on a Ham Sandwich but this was due to police who were called to the scene finding a half eaten Sandwich and announcing it to the press. Later a autopsy disproved this theory.
And one for coincidence her accomodation that night was Flat 12, at 9 Curzon Place the exact same place as another person I've featured The Who legendary drummer Keith Moon died four years later. One final tribute to Mama Cass Elliott to be remembered as the lady that smiles RIP :-

Music Legends - Brian Connelly

For todays post I thought I'd pay tribute to a Glam Rock Legend Brian Connolly of "The Sweet" one of the most underated groups in English Rock Music history.
He was born in Glasgow in 1945 to a teenage waitress Francis Connolly (Father unknown) and was fostered by Jim and Helen McManus and grew up known as Brian Francis McManus. One popular story is that he was step brother to the late star of Taggert fame Mark McManus. Actually this is inaccurate he was actually a step cousin as Jim was Marks fatehers brother (hope that makes sense).

Anyway when he started to perform around the local Pub scene he reverted to his mothers name Connolly. In 1965 he joined a group called "Wainwrights People" whose drummer was Mick Tucker, Connolly actually replaced Ian Gillan who later became well known for his roles with Deep Purple & Black Sabbath.

In 1968 Connolly & Tucker (who was a brilliant Drummer) formed a group called "The Sweetshop" later to be shortened to "The Sweet". Sadly neither Connolly or Tucker are with us today so is a short video tribute to both :-

One or two mucisians were tried before The Sweet got their well known line up of Connolly, Tucker, Steve Priest & Andy Scott and success was found.

The group only had one Number one single the superb "Blockbuster" in 1973 but had a unbelievable five songs reach the number 2 spot. They had many other great hits in the glam glory years between 71 & 76.

The group had World wide success and had a string of chart its including many Number ones in many countries around the World including USA, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Australia, etc.

Ask most Glam fans what is the best Glam song of all time, I reckon the majority would go for the classic "Ballroom Blitz" it just doesn't get any better than this :-

Back to Connolly he left The Sweet in 1979 to pursue a solo career but didn't have the same success, in 1981 he suffered multiple heart attacks which left suffering health wise.

Connolly eventually passed away in 1997 at the age of 51 due to liver failure, years of alcohol abuse in his earlier life had taken its revenge. He is survived by three Children, two daughters Nicole & Michelle plus a son Brian James.

Finally just got to play one more Sweet classic so here it is "Little Willy" :-

RIP Brian a true Glam King