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!

Another Sip of the Lovin’ Spoonful with Steve Boone

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Bob Ruggiero

It was the evening of August 26, 1966.  In the bowels of New York’s Shea Stadium – though only they knew it – the Beatles were preparing for what would likely be one of their final concerts in front of … Continue reading →

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Gary Lewis is the Real King of the Playboys

Posted on June 26, 2019 by Bob Ruggiero

It’s fairly unusual for a band to hit #1 on the charts with their very first single – and especially considering they had never even gone on a tour before. But that’s exactly what happened in February 1965 when the … Continue reading →

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Led Zep’s Fearsome Manager Gets a Book of His Own

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Bob Ruggiero

Bring It On Home: Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin, and Beyond – The Story of Rock’s Greatest Manager By Mark Blake 304 pp., $27, Da Capo Press As any Led Zeppelin fan who has thumbed through Hammer of the Gods, seen … Continue reading →

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Eric Clapton’s Life, Loves, & Lean Guitar Strings

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Bob Ruggiero

BOOK REVIEW Slowhand: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton by Philip Norman 448 pp., $30, Little, Brown & Co. Among music book scribes, Philip Norman stands near the top in terms of influence and skill. His 1981 Beatles tome Shout! set … Continue reading →

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Judy Collins on Stills, Songs, and the Summer of Freedom

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Bob Ruggiero

As musician couplings go, the romantic tenure of singer/songwriters Stephen Stills and Judy Collins was fairly brief – less than two years in the late ‘60s, as both of their careers were in sharp ascension. She as a folksinger and … Continue reading →

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CCR’s Doug Clifford Keeps on Chooglin’

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Bob Ruggiero

While it’s easy to assume that the Year in Rock 1969 was wholly dominated by English acts like the Beatles (Abbey Road), the Rolling Stones (Let it Bleed), the Who (Tommy), and Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin II), there was heady … Continue reading →

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Ace of Cups Runneth Over…50 Years Later!

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Bob Ruggiero

Here’s a quick challenge: Discounting the mostly-singing girl groups of the ‘60s, name an all-female rock band. Go! Most people will cite the Bangles or Go-Go’s. Or maybe the Runaways. Music nerds might even pull out Fanny or the Shaggs. … Continue reading →

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The South Rises Again with The Dixie Dregs Reunion

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Bob Ruggiero

This year’s tour by the Dixie Dregs – titled “Dawn of the Dregs” –  marks the first time that the classic mid-‘70s lineup which released the band’s first two albums The Great Spectacular (1976) and Free Fall (1977) have played … Continue reading →

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Dennis Tufano: From the Buckinghams to Bobby Darin

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Bob Ruggiero

One would think that a band whose members were barely out of high school – but had the #1 song in the entire country – would be able to celebrate without restriction. That achievement happened for the Buckinghams in February … Continue reading →

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Journey’s Jonathan Cain: The Great Believer

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Bob Ruggiero

    That’s when we last saw New Jersey “sanitation engineer” Tony Soprano at Holsten’s Diner waiting for his family. He punches in Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” on the booth jukebox. Wife Carmela arrives (perhaps the 1981 number had special … Continue reading →

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