Author Archives: Bob Ruggiero

About Bob Ruggiero

I am a passionate fan of classic rock (and related music) with nearly 30 years experience writing about it for daily/weekly newspapers and magazines. I am also the author of "Slippin' Out of Darkness: The Story of WAR." Available on Amazon!

Simon Kirke’s Good Music with Bad Company

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Bob Ruggiero

It was the middle of 1973, and drummer Simon Kirke’s band was in complete and utter disarray. Though Free had only scored one hit in the U.S. (“All Right Now”) they were a popular concert attraction. But the group had … Continue reading →

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Authors Offer a Texas Flood on the Life and Music of Stevie Ray Vaughan

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Bob Ruggiero

It’s October 3rd, 2019 when Alan Paul and Andy Aledort – co-authors of the new bio Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan – are on the phone. The date is appropriate because it would have been the … Continue reading →

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And From Stephan Pastis in “Pearls Before Swine…”

Posted on April 5, 2020 by Bob Ruggiero
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The Continuing Voyage of Pablo Cruise

Posted on March 26, 2020 by Bob Ruggiero

One of the more interesting aspects of pop culture is when a musician or band whose songs have not graced the charts in years (sometimes decades), suddenly has an unexpected resurgence. It could be from a song well-placed on a … Continue reading →

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Bloomfield’s Big Book O’Blues

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Bob Ruggiero

BOOK REVIEW Guitar King: Michael Bloomfield’s Life in the Blues By David Dann, 736 pp. , $39.95, University of Texas Press At one point in the mid/late ‘60s, Michael Bloomfield was considered by many as the country’s premiere blues-rock guitarist, … Continue reading →

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Peter Noone is Hardly a Hermit These Days

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Bob Ruggiero

Peter Noone has heard it for years: “You should write a book!” After all, the lead singer of British Invasion band Herman’s Hermits certainly has a lot of stories he could tell. About hanging out with members of the Beatles … Continue reading →

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Michael McDonald and the Sound of His Voice

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Bob Ruggiero

Note: This interview was conducted some months prior to the recent announcements of the Doobie Brothers being inducted into the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and their upcoming 50th anniversary tour and reunion with Michael McDonald. On “Hail … Continue reading →

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Tom Johnston & His Brothers Doobie Revisit Their Classics

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Bob Ruggiero

Note: This interview was conducted some months prior to the recent announcements of the Doobies making the ballot for the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and their upcooming 50th anniversary tour and reunion with Michael McDonald. When most … Continue reading →

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Nils Lofgren Talks Solo Record and Time with Lou, Bruce, and Neil

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Bob Ruggiero

Even in terms of rock and roll pairings, they seemed like a truly odd couple of musical collaborators. But more than 40 years ago, singer/guitarists Lou Reed and Nils Lofgren worked on a baker’s dozen of tunes, and nearly half … Continue reading →

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Boz Scaggs’s Got the Blues…But That’s Good!

Posted on November 8, 2019 by Bob Ruggiero

On the surface, actor Matthew McConaughey, writer Stephen Harrigan, photographer Mark Seliger, actress Jennifer Holliday, and musician Boz Scaggs may not have a lot in common. But as of this year, they’ve all got the same thing to display in … Continue reading →

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