Category Archives: Books

Kim Simmonds and the Story of Savoy Brown

Posted on June 1, 2026 by Bob Ruggiero

While the blues was a decidedly American musical genre, by the early 1960s a lot of America had forgotten about it. And especially its original core audience of Blacks, whose younger generation was gravitating toward the sounds of Motown, Stax, … Continue reading →

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New Book Celebrates Paul McCartney’s “Other” Band

Posted on January 21, 2026 by Bob Ruggiero

Paul McCartney was 27 years old when the Beatles broke up. Think about that. Twenty-seven. By that time, he’d already done A Hard Day’s Night, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road. All in the … Continue reading →

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Cat Stevens Regales a Life of Musics and Mystics

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Bob Ruggiero

He didn’t start out wanting to become a singer-songwriter. As a boy and teen, he was more interested in becoming a visual artist, or “serious” composer of classical and musical scores. But he was also savvy about media. And his … Continue reading →

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Peter Wolf’s Close Encounters

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Bob Ruggiero

As the motor-mouthed, elastic-bodied frontman of the J. Geils Band (and later solo career), Peter Wolf was a ball of energy. And as a former DJ, the “Woofa with the Goofa” often told stories to audiences over the airwaves, at … Continue reading →

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All the Manic Mondays (and Other Days of the Week) Recounted in Bangles Book

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Bob Ruggiero

July 15, 1989. While tens thousands of Houstonian Gen Xers won’t necessarily recall what they were doing on that date, mention “The Bangles Beltway 8” concert and they’ll instantly recall the bizarre gig when the hitmakers behind “Manic Monday,” “Walk … 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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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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A Mother and a “Mama”—Cass Elliot Remembered by Her Daughter

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Bob Ruggiero

Owen Elliot-Kugell was only seven years old when her mother died unexpectedly. And though her mom’s birth certificate read “Ellen Naomi Cohen,” fans around the world knew the woman with the powerhouse voice and buoyant stage presence by another name: … Continue reading →

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Southern Rockers The Atlanta Rhythm Section Pick a Peachy Biography

Posted on June 28, 2024 by Bob Ruggiero

They are never mentioned in the same breath as “Southern Rock” contemporaries like the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band, or Molly Hatchet. They did not have an extroverted lead singer, and many casual fans would be … Continue reading →

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