Born February 7, 1962, Garth Brooks has achieved the distinction of being one of the best-selling artists of the past 20 years. This is true not only in the realm of country, which he clearly dominated, but in the pop world overall. Indeed, while country music provides the predominant thread that…
More than 30 years after his untimely passing, Bob Marley’s influence remains as indelible as ever. The first major and still most important ambassador of reggae music to the world, he combined a poet’s flair, an activist’s vision, and a charismatic imprint with the swaying, hypnotic rhythms of his native…
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman offers his insights, opinions, and observations about the local scene. This week: He may have lost his sight, but one local musician refuses to be deterred from achieving his dreams. It may be hard to imagine while you’re going through it, but sometimes,…
It seems there was a certain inevitability that doomed James Ambrose Johnson Jr., AKA Rick James, from the start. Despite his phenomenal success in the late ’70s and early ’80s, including no fewer than four number-one hits on the R&B charts (among them, “Super Freak,” “Mary Jane,” and “You and…
Born John Joseph Lydon on January 31, 1956, the man later known as Johnny Rotten became the ultimate punk protagonist. An unlikely icon, he helped revitalize rock ‘n’ roll by discarding its mores and stripping it down to the basics. Both he and his first band the Sex Pistols were famously…
With a career that boasted a slow ascent and then followed with a perilously rapid descent, Phil Collins became an example of an artist who displayed both the best and worst of what fame and fortune could bring. Born January 30, 1951, he rose to the helm of Genesis, one of…
Tom Rush Amaturo Theater, Broward Center for the Performing Arts January 28, 2012 Better than: Practically every other performer armed only with two guitars, great songs, and a stunning wit. For those who had never seen Tom Rush in concert before last Saturday night, there were two things they learned right at outset…
If Emmylou Harris is the undisputed queen of modern country, then Lucinda Williams is the heir apparent. Born January 26, 1953, Williams is feisty, uncompromising, and the closest thing to an Americana insurgent the roots-rock genre has to offer, at least from a female perspective. In addition, she’s managed to meld rock,…
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman offers his insights, opinions, and observations about the local scene. This week: Salivating over the Saw Doctors… One of the disadvantages of living in a place as far removed as South Florida is the fact that we’re well off the beaten path as…
Suffice it to say, the world lost one of its great voices when Etta James died last week, only a few days prior to her 74th birthday. Born Etta Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938, she became one of the most influential female performers of all time, a daring diva…
Tom Rush’s career has followed many tributaries. He’s a premier singer/songwriter who became one of the seminal figures of the early ’60s folk music scene. For another, he helped introduce the world to emerging talents like James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Jackson Browne when they were all but unknowns, courtesy…
Neil Diamond, born January 24, 1941, has always had a polarizing effect as far as music fans are concerned. One thing that’s fact is that he’s one of the most successful songwriters of the past 50 years. Diamond has sold more than 115 million records, scored eight number-one hits, had…
He began life as Stanley Harvey Eisen but became famous under the alias Paul Stanley as a founding member of Kiss, easily one of the most successful if somewhat eccentric bands of all time. Certainly, no group has ever mixed comic-book fantasy with hard-rock intent as competently and completely. Born…
Call her what you will — a showbiz chanteuse, a down-home diva, or simply the epitome of American superstardom. Dolly Parton is an absolutely brilliant entertainer, as suited to the stage as any icon of the modern era. She turns 66 today, January 18, but she still was able to…
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman offers his insights, opinions and observations about the local scene. This week: Two very different backstage scenarios… Considering the fact that this column is called Backstage in South Florida, I found it interesting to note the differences in a pair of backstage…
Born January 18, 1982, Joanna Newsom has made her mark in modern music circles as one of the chief proponents of what’s been dubbed the psych-folk, freak folk or nü-folk movement, depending on the pundit. It’s a curious hybrid, a combination of surreal arrangements and back-porch sensibilities. Imagine Joni Mitchell…
There were those who branded themselves as outlaws way before — Waylon, Willie, Johnny Cash, and David Allan Coe among them. But Steve Earle has lived that legend to the fullest. Born January 17, 1955, Earle’s notoriety has often threatened to overshadow his prodigious musical career, one that’s made him…
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman shares observations, insights and updates relating to South Florida’s musical environs. This week, cool conversation, part two. In our last Backstage in South Florida column, I reflected on some of the more notable interviews I conducted over the past 12 months. As…
Click here to view a full slideshow of photos from the Bob Seger concert at BankAtlantic Center. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band BankAtlantic Center, Fort Lauderdale Thursday,December 12, 2012 Better than: The majority of rockers who are only a fraction of his age.White-haired, slightly expanded around the middle and boasting wire-rim…
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman shares observations, insights and updates relating to South Florida’s musical environs. This week, cool conversations… The start of a new year always seems to inspire a look back at the past 12 months, and while it may be self-indulgent to share certain…
Chances are, if you came of age in the ’80s, you heard the songs of Patricia Mae Andrzejewski on the radio. Only you came to know her by her professional name, Pat Benatar. Born January 10, 1953, she dominated the airwaves throughout much of that decade, scoring a pair of…
Despite his penchant for easy, engaging acoustic melodies and a cheery blend of pop, folk, soul and a jam band aesthetic, things haven’t always been so sublime for Dave Matthews, His albums have sold millions of copies and made him a populist hero of sorts, but his personal life has…
