Post by Trees on Jan 5, 2007 23:05:08 GMT -5
The comings and going of artists in 2006
Local Scene column by Tom Lounges
BY TOM LOUNGES
Times Correspondent
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, January 5, 2007 12:11 AM CST
As artists head into bright and shiny 2007 with hopes and dreams this will be the year for them, it is important to look back at the events of 2006 that impacted local music.
* The Jan. 16 edition of "Pollstar Magazine" declared Chicago's House of Blues "Night Club of the Year" and Merrillville's Star Plaza Theatre as one of the "Top 100 Theater Venues" in the world.
* Longtime Chicago rock singer, Marty Casey of The Lovehammers, after failing to take top honors on "Rock Star: INXS," landed a recording deal with Epic Records for himself and the band.
* Crown Point teenagers, Asteria, parlayed their Calumet Region fame and fan base into a national record contract. Look for Asteria's national debut to be released in stores this month.
* Oak Lawn's modern metal heroes, Disturbed, landed their third consecutive platinum album when the group's seventh consecutive No. 1 hit single, "Stricken," drove up sales of their latest album, "Ten Thousand Fists."
* In March, Alice Cooper's syndicated "Nights with Alice Cooper!" started being heard five evenings a week (7 p.m. to midnight) on Northwest Indiana's WXRD/X-ROCK 103.9.
* St. John native Nicole Jamrose went the distance as the last woman standing and one of the Final Four on the 2006 Season of USA Network's "Nashville Star." Jamrose wrapped up the year as part of the "Nashville Star National Tour.
* South Side jam band Stellar Road won the opening slot on the Chicago stop of Bon Jovi's "Have A Nice Day World Tour," where they performed to a sold-out audience at Soldier Field.
* The Steepwater Band won the opportunity to perform on the "Gimme Three Days" sea cruise, hosted by rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Here are some of those talented local folks we said goodbye to during 2006 ...
* Lou Rawls died of cancer on Jan. 6 at age 72. Rawls was born and raised on Chicago's South Side and never forgot his region roots, often raising funds for local organizations that helped educate and keep kids off the streets.
* The curtain came down on Bernard "Bill" Blum, 86, on April 1. The father of Star Plaza Theatre talent buyer Charlie Blum, Bill Blum was a retired stage performer and patron of the arts that supported live local theater.
* Johnny Porter Jackson, 54, was stabbed to death on March 1 at 2626 Connecticut Ave. in Gary. Jackson played drums behind The Jackson Five from 1967 to 1975 and more recently played drums for the region bands, Triple Dose and White Dove.
* Doc Simpson, 44, the longtime stage manager at Chicago's House of Blues died of a massive heart attack on June 16.
* Neal Barnhart, 61, co-founder/co-owner of Music Lab in Lansing, lost his battle against cancer on June 17, Neal handled the live audio portion of the company's business and worked closely with many of the region's local musicians over the last three decades.
* July 16 marked the passing of steel guitar player Butch "Double B" Bennett, 55, of region country band Ruff House and former WLJE country DJ with encyclopedic knowledge of gospel, rock and country.
* Northwest Indiana guitarist Danny Patton, 40, was taken in an automobile accident in Alabama while on his way back from a late-night gig to his Nashville, Tenn., home. Before becoming a regular on the Grand Ole Opry, Patton had played locally in Hazzard County, Virgil Kane and The Stoney Creek Band.
* South Side jazz and blues trumpeter, Malachi Thompson, 56, passed away in August from cancer.
* Guitarist Kevin Aumiller, 47, died of heart failure at his Crown Point home on Aug. 6. Aumiller was the former string-bender of the regional 1980s band, The Flying Muskovites.
* Richard "Bongo Dick" Schultz, 71, died of bone cancer on Aug. 23. The harmonica-blowing and bongo-beating Schultz had been a fixture at blues jam nights all over Chicagoland for decades.
* Mike Neff, age 54, who drummed for Chicago recording acts Off Broadway, The Hounds and Pearl Handle Band in the late 1970s and early 1980s, died at his Des Plaines, Ill., home on Aug. 24.
* Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jason Alan Whitmore, 35, of Kouts died on Halloween morning in Nashville, Tenn. Whitmore rocked the region during the 1980s with the hair band BRAT! before turning country and touring with Catawompus and The Dixiewrecks.
The opinions expressed solely are those of the writer. He can be reached at beatboss@aol.com.
Local Scene column by Tom Lounges
BY TOM LOUNGES
Times Correspondent
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, January 5, 2007 12:11 AM CST
As artists head into bright and shiny 2007 with hopes and dreams this will be the year for them, it is important to look back at the events of 2006 that impacted local music.
* The Jan. 16 edition of "Pollstar Magazine" declared Chicago's House of Blues "Night Club of the Year" and Merrillville's Star Plaza Theatre as one of the "Top 100 Theater Venues" in the world.
* Longtime Chicago rock singer, Marty Casey of The Lovehammers, after failing to take top honors on "Rock Star: INXS," landed a recording deal with Epic Records for himself and the band.
* Crown Point teenagers, Asteria, parlayed their Calumet Region fame and fan base into a national record contract. Look for Asteria's national debut to be released in stores this month.
* Oak Lawn's modern metal heroes, Disturbed, landed their third consecutive platinum album when the group's seventh consecutive No. 1 hit single, "Stricken," drove up sales of their latest album, "Ten Thousand Fists."
* In March, Alice Cooper's syndicated "Nights with Alice Cooper!" started being heard five evenings a week (7 p.m. to midnight) on Northwest Indiana's WXRD/X-ROCK 103.9.
* St. John native Nicole Jamrose went the distance as the last woman standing and one of the Final Four on the 2006 Season of USA Network's "Nashville Star." Jamrose wrapped up the year as part of the "Nashville Star National Tour.
* South Side jam band Stellar Road won the opening slot on the Chicago stop of Bon Jovi's "Have A Nice Day World Tour," where they performed to a sold-out audience at Soldier Field.
* The Steepwater Band won the opportunity to perform on the "Gimme Three Days" sea cruise, hosted by rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Here are some of those talented local folks we said goodbye to during 2006 ...
* Lou Rawls died of cancer on Jan. 6 at age 72. Rawls was born and raised on Chicago's South Side and never forgot his region roots, often raising funds for local organizations that helped educate and keep kids off the streets.
* The curtain came down on Bernard "Bill" Blum, 86, on April 1. The father of Star Plaza Theatre talent buyer Charlie Blum, Bill Blum was a retired stage performer and patron of the arts that supported live local theater.
* Johnny Porter Jackson, 54, was stabbed to death on March 1 at 2626 Connecticut Ave. in Gary. Jackson played drums behind The Jackson Five from 1967 to 1975 and more recently played drums for the region bands, Triple Dose and White Dove.
* Doc Simpson, 44, the longtime stage manager at Chicago's House of Blues died of a massive heart attack on June 16.
* Neal Barnhart, 61, co-founder/co-owner of Music Lab in Lansing, lost his battle against cancer on June 17, Neal handled the live audio portion of the company's business and worked closely with many of the region's local musicians over the last three decades.
* July 16 marked the passing of steel guitar player Butch "Double B" Bennett, 55, of region country band Ruff House and former WLJE country DJ with encyclopedic knowledge of gospel, rock and country.
* Northwest Indiana guitarist Danny Patton, 40, was taken in an automobile accident in Alabama while on his way back from a late-night gig to his Nashville, Tenn., home. Before becoming a regular on the Grand Ole Opry, Patton had played locally in Hazzard County, Virgil Kane and The Stoney Creek Band.
* South Side jazz and blues trumpeter, Malachi Thompson, 56, passed away in August from cancer.
* Guitarist Kevin Aumiller, 47, died of heart failure at his Crown Point home on Aug. 6. Aumiller was the former string-bender of the regional 1980s band, The Flying Muskovites.
* Richard "Bongo Dick" Schultz, 71, died of bone cancer on Aug. 23. The harmonica-blowing and bongo-beating Schultz had been a fixture at blues jam nights all over Chicagoland for decades.
* Mike Neff, age 54, who drummed for Chicago recording acts Off Broadway, The Hounds and Pearl Handle Band in the late 1970s and early 1980s, died at his Des Plaines, Ill., home on Aug. 24.
* Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jason Alan Whitmore, 35, of Kouts died on Halloween morning in Nashville, Tenn. Whitmore rocked the region during the 1980s with the hair band BRAT! before turning country and touring with Catawompus and The Dixiewrecks.
The opinions expressed solely are those of the writer. He can be reached at beatboss@aol.com.