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!

WAR Receives Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Bob Ruggiero

Just a brief post today. I was so happy and excited that a band very close to my heart—WAR—received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. The 2,814 star to be exact. And yes, I know that stars … Continue reading →

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Orleans Wants You to Know They’re “Still the One”

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Bob Ruggiero

According to their website, there have been a whopping 19 different lineups of the band Orleans since their 1972 start, and they’ve been an active unit in all but three of those years since then. “I’ve tried to honor everybody, … Continue reading →

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A Brick of a Book Continues Macca’s Post-Beatles Story

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Bob Ruggiero

For nearly 50 years, biographer Robert Caro has been working on his massive, sprawling, set of books on the life of former U.S. President Lyndon Johnson. Now 89 years old, Caro is reportedly wrapping up the fifth and final volume … Continue reading →

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Judas Priest’s Rob Halford Carries Heavy Metal’s Invincible Shield 

Posted on February 3, 2025 by Bob Ruggiero

It’s understandable why the general public’s perception of what music writers do is based on Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical 2000 film Almost Famous. Hanging out with the band for a week! Backstage and hotel parties! Drugs! Groupies! But the reality of … Continue reading →

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Jesse Ed Davis: Classic Rock’s Super Sideman

Posted on January 28, 2025 by Bob Ruggiero

Unless you’re a Classic Rock music nerd/liner note reader, the name Jesse Ed Davis is probably unfamiliar to your eyes. But you’ve definitely heard his guitar stylings. That’s him ripping the searing electric solo on Jackson Browne’s “Doctor My Eyes.” … Continue reading →

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The Raw, Raucous, and Short-Lived Life of the MC5

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Bob Ruggiero

“Kick out the jams, motherfuckers!” The exhortation is one of the best-known in rock and roll history, even if it appeared at the beginning of the debut album by a group which never rose about cult status in their lifetime. … Continue reading →

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For Deep Purple’s Roger Glover, Everything Equals 1

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Bob Ruggiero

In the pursuance of music journalism, it’s not often that the subject of a scheduled interview tells you right off the bat to bugger off. But that’s what happens when Roger Glover, bassist for Classic Rock royalty Deep Purple, appears … Continue reading →

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Is the Marshall Tucker Band’s Doug Gray the Last Southern Rocker Standing?

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Bob Ruggiero

If you think metaphorically about Southern Rock, its barstool has three primary legs serving as its base: the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band. The Allmans quietly dissolved in 2014, and now drummer Jaimoe is the … Continue reading →

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Patrick Simmons Keeps the Ultimate Doobie Party Going While Eyeing New Material

Posted on December 26, 2024 by Bob Ruggiero

In 2020, the Doobie Brothers were all set to launch a massive tour celebrating 50 years since their founding. And it would be marked in a special way with a lineup featuring both co-founding singer/guitarist Tom Johnston with his replacement, … Continue reading →

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Gary Puckett and the Union Gap Make a Southern Stand

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Bob Ruggiero

When they burst onto the national music scene in 1967, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap had a signature sound, anchored by the very distinctive voice of its lead singer. They also had a visual trademark in their Civil War-era … Continue reading →

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