Author Archives: Bob Ruggiero

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About Bob Ruggiero

I am a passionate fan of classic rock (and related music) with 35 years experience writing about it for daily/weekly newspapers and magazines. I am also the author of the interview anthology "The Classic Rock Bob Reader" and "Slippin' Out of Darkness: The Story of WAR." Both available on Amazon!

George Thorogood Throws Full Beantown Party – Nearly 40 Years Later!

Posted on September 27, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

The year 1982 was turning out pretty good for George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Nearly a decade into their existence, the blues ‘n boogie band had opened a string of European dates for the Rolling Stones (as they had done … Continue reading →

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John Kay: A Wolf Goes Solo…and Acoustic!

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

Note: This article references a livestream/taped concert from last year. John Kay’s voice is one of classic rock’s most distinctive. As the lead singer/rhythm guitarist for Steppenwolf, his gravelly, powerful tone drives their best known songs like “Magic Carpet Ride,” … Continue reading →

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Firefall Drop First New Record in Two Decades

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

It was, according to guitarist/singer Jock Bartley, not only one of the highlights of his musical career, but of his life. And it happened onstage at Liberty Hall in Houston late in the evening of February 24, 1973. Bartley was … Continue reading →

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Rob Halford of Judas Priest Confesses Everything. EVERYTHING.

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

Confess: The Autobiography by Rob Halford 368 pp., $30, Hachette Books For much of the 1970’s and ‘80s, even as he was fronting Judas Priest, one of the most popular, loved, and revered heavy metal bands of all time, lead … Continue reading →

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Chris Hillman Looks Toward the Byrds, the Burritos, and Beyond

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

Throughout his nearly 60-year career in music, he’s flown high as a Byrd and a Burrito Brother. He’s served as a Squirrel Barker and a Golden State Boy. He left the train depot in Manassas on his way out west … Continue reading →

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Jimi Hendrix: Where the Wild Thing Was

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

Wild Thing: The Short, Spellbinding Life of Jimi Hendrix By Philip Norman 400 pp., $28.95, Liverlight Publications When veteran music journalist Philip Norman turns his attention to a musician, the word “definitive” is not an understatement. For while many of … Continue reading →

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Vanilla Fudge Goes Sweet on Led Zeppelin

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

One of Quentin Tarantino’s gifts as a filmmaker is to take a popular song of the ‘60s or ‘70s and use it really amplify a sequence. Think of the offbeat choice of Stealer’s Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle with You” … Continue reading →

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America’s Book of History

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

If you’re a fan of the band America – the trio behind the classic rock warhorses as, well, “A Horse with No Name” along with “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” “Sandman,” “I Need You,” and “You … Continue reading →

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Chris Frantz Remembers Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, and – of course – Tina!

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

Chris Frantz remembers very vividly the first time he ever laid eyes upon one Martina Weymouth. It was September of 1971, and was lounging on a grassy park with a fellow student at the Rhode Island School of Design. When … Continue reading →

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The Raw Rock of Michael Des Barres

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Bob Ruggiero

With 50 years in the music business, singer Michael Des Barres certainly counts as rock royalty. But he’s also actual royalty, as in the 26th Marquis Des Barres of France—though his childhood was anything but a soft ride on a … Continue reading →

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