Rock Hard Times: SuperVesey

Today In Rock History

April 25th . . . 1918 - Legendary jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald is born in Newport News, VA . . . 1923 - Blues guitarist Albert King is born . . . 1933 - Jerry Leiber is born in Baltimore. With Mike Stoller, he’s written witty rock hits like “Yakety Yak” and “Jailhouse Rock” . . . 1945 - Bjorn Ulvaeus of Abba is born in Gothenburg, Sweden . . . 1945 - Stu Cook (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is born this day . . . 1950 - Steve Ferrone, drummer with the Average White Band and Eric Clapton, is born in Brighton, England . . . 1956 - Elvis Presley reaches top of US chart with Heartbreak Hotel, his first No. 1 . . . 1961 - Elvis Presley makes his last stage appearance for nearly eight years at Bloch Arena in Hawaii . . . 1964 - The Beatles have an amazing 14 singles on the American chart . . . 1967 - The Beatles perform “All You Need Is Love” during a global satellite broadcast . . . 1974 - Jim Morrison’s widow, Pam, dies in Hollywood at the age of 27. Police suspect heroin use may have played a part in her death . . . 1977 - Elvis Presley makes his last-known recordings during a live concert at the Saginaw (Mich.) Civic Center . . . 1981 - Wings break up after Denny Laine leaves the band. Paul McCartney says he will carry on as a solo artist . . . 1987 - Crowded House had their biggest U.S. hit when “Don’t Dream It’s Over” peaked at #2; U2 replace Beastie Boys at top of US LP chart with The Joshua Tree . . . 1990 - The Fender Stratocaster on which Jimi Hendrix played “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock sells at a London auction for $295,000 . . . 1994 - The Eagles played the first of two shows where they recorded their ‘Hell Freezes Over’ album . . . 1994 - A judge sentences Beastie Boy Adam Horowitz to 200 hours’ community service after he beats up a TV cameraman during River Phoenix’s funeral . . . 1994 - A judge determines that Michael Bolton’s “Love Is a Wonderful Thing” sounds a little too similar to the Isley Brothers’ “Love Is a Wonderful Thing.” Ya think? . . . 1997 - Warren Haynes and Allen Woody quit the Allman Brothers Band to tend to their careers as Gov’t Mule . . . 1999 - Funk star Roger Troutman, 47, dies in a hospital in Dayton, Ohio, after being shot several times . . . 2000 - Eric Clapton is reunited on a TV stage in London with his former Derek & the Dominos keyboard player Bobby Whitlock, for their first performance together in 29 years . . . 2002 - Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, the effervescent, sometimes volatile rapping member of the Grammy-winning R&B trio TLC, is killed in a car crash in Honduras . . . 2003 - The late jazz great Nina Simone is laid to rest in Carry-Le-Rouet, France . . . 2004 - Piano man Billy Joel drives his car into a house in Long Island. Nobody is seriously injured. It’s his third car crash in two years . . . 2007 - American singer Bobby “Boris” Pickett died of leukemia at the age of 69. He scored the Halloween anthem ‘The Monster Mash’ in 1962 . . .

Friday, May 30, 2008

SuperVesey - A RHT Interview

This is the first of several interviews with our esteemed Rock Hard Times Contributors, or in this case just leave out the "esteemed" in the interest of accuracy. Anyway, let's get to know SuperVesey, he of the right-wing leanings and oddball tendencies (see photo).

RHT: Where did you grow up? Small town? Big city? Underground bunker?
SV: Hailing from the outskirts of Rainsboro, Ohio - I grew up on the mean streets of the Rocky Fork Lake Estates.

RHT: What's the first record you ever bought? Listened to?
SV: The first record I ever listened to (and knew there was definitely something different going on) - was AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" - even the cover of that album was scary. Remember the horns coming out of his head?? Plus it had the word "hell" in the title! Welcome to Rock and Roll. It was my older brother's and I had to sneak to play the record. First album purchase - Twisted Sister - "Stay Hungry". I'm pretty sure my parents thought I was somewhat retarded from that point on. (Editor's Note: They were correct.)

RHT: What record, early in your life, had the biggest impact?
SV: While I wouldn't consider it an album so much as an experience - the 1980's R.E.M. catalog opened my mind to great diversity in music. See Shoe influence.

RHT: Thank ya kindly. Moving on, where did you go to high school? College?
SV: Edward Lee McClain High School - Class of 1994, Ohio University/Wilmington College, Troy State, University of Dayton - anyone want to trade me student loans?

RHT: What do you do for fun aside from listening to music?
SV: Rock with Filo Beddoe, and sadistically torture myself going to Bengals games. (Editor's Note, Pt. II: SuperVesey plays the keys for Highland County supergroup Filo Beddoe.)

RHT: What do you do for a living? Held any weird jobs in your past?
SV: I educate the youth of America at Lynchburg-Clay Middle School, I also once worked as a campaign manager for a Congressional candidate (who also won thanks to my guidance).

RHT: Any life-changing moments growing up?
SV: Her name was Heather Thomas and she was on a show called The Fall Guy. I can still see her in that hot tub.

RHT: What was the most interesting trip you have ever taken?
SV: I try to steer clear of drugs.

RHT: Anything else we need to know?
SV: I have touched the Titanic, played music on the radio, rode "The Dragon", and restored a grand piano.

RHT: Anything else you'd like to add before we let you go?
SV: If I was any more conservative, I'd be Carl Rove.

Stay tuned for out next interview with a RHT contributor. I promise we cover the entire political spectrum here at RHT Headquarters. It's all a part of life's rich pageant ya know.