There are some singers who possess a special charisma. Then there are those who are theatrically engaging. There’s no shortage of vocalists who created their own signature style and imbued it with their special presence. But no one has had it all like Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.Even now, more than…

One of the most honored solo female artists of all time, a member of hit female vocal group Destiny’s Child, an actress, the wife of a music mogul, and a new mom… What’s left for Beyonce to achieve? It seems there’s no end to the various pinnacles this diva has…

See also:Bee Gee Barry Gibb’s First U.S. Solo Appearance at Home in South FloridaThis was bound to be a somewhat bittersweet birthday for Barry Gibb, the only surviving brother in a family that bred one of the most successful sibling singing groups of all time. Born September 1 1946, he…

John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, better-known as John Peel, was one of the preeminent English disc jockeys of the past half century. Born August 30, 1939, Peel was an important tastemaker in the history of music. Peel’s distinctive musical voice was formed by his eclectic musical predilections and willingness to nurture…

Forget about the scandals, the accusations of child molestation, the dangling baby, the skin bleaching, the increasingly bizarre appearance, drug abuse, the pet monkey, all the tabloid trash talk, even the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. Elvis had his own reputation for misbehavior. The Stones were busted on more than one occasion…

See also: Kiss Superfan and String Strangler Juan Montoya Got His Nose Broken Defending the BandKiss and Motley Crue at Cruzan Amphitheatre SlideshowA Birthday Kiss to Ace FrehleyYou can’t miss Kiss. There are Kiss comics, Kiss coffins, Kiss movies, Kiss condoms, Kiss trading cards, Kiss radios, Kiss record players… Well, just…

Born August 16, 1958, Madonna Louise Ciccone has come a long way since she first burst on the scene as pop music’s “It Girl” of the early 1980s. Known by various names — Madge, Esther, the Material Girl, and some unfit for a family news source — Madonna is easily…

There’s no other way to describe it. Whitney Houston’s sudden passing in a bathtub at the Beverly Hills Hotel this past February was a horrible waste of talent and a tragic loss for the world.Houston’s battle with drugs and the horrors of an abusive marriage aren’t uncommon in the world…

When experiencing something as phenomenal and unusual as Todd Rundgren’s Musical Revival Camp, you learn a few things.  After spending a spectacular late-July week at the Full Moon Resort in New York’s lush Catskill Mountains, I also gained some perspective on life. The camp is all about fellowship, fun, and,…

One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Andy Warhol (born Andrej Varchola, Jr. on August 6, 1928) was singularly responsible for an entirely new visual idiom, one known simply as “pop art.” A combination of everyday observation (his iconic painting of a Campbell soup best reflected his…

It’s hard to believe that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Rolling Stones. Once the most outrageous and insurgent bands of their generation — the Who and the Pretty Things notwithstanding — they transitioned from rebellious youth to senior citizens with such respectability, it actually…

Of all the national acts South Florida has exported to the rest of the world, Sam Beam may well have been the most unlikely.His hushed, introverted stance is a far cry from the effusive approach taken by most reared in these environs, whether they were birthed in the disco boom…

George Clinton, born July 22, 1941, is many things: a singer, songwriter, producer and musical visionary. The one thing he’s not is predictable. At 71, he’s as outrageous as ever, a vision of pure theatrical eccentricity, garbed in outlandish costumes, multicolored dreadlocks, oversized sunglasses, and the occasional elaborate headdress. With…

Do you need another good reason to support the DREAM Act? How about Carlos Santana? One of the world’s great guitarists, he was born in Autlan de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico, on July 20, 1947, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1965 after joining his parents in San Francisco as…

Ian Curtis, born July 15, 1956, is one of the more tragic figures in rock. As lead singer of the British band Joy Division, he seemed to ride the crest of the postpunk curve, thanks to a pair of albums now deemed classics, Unknown Pleasures and Closer. Sadly, though, beneath…

See also:Our interview with Arlo GuthrieReview of Arlo Guthrie at Parker Playhouse.Woody Guthrie had his own version of a copyright warning. It read: “This song is copyrighted in U.S. under Seal of Copyright #154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin’ it without our permission, will be…