The recent passing of Charlie Watts shines a spotlight on the inevitable closing of the lives of the world's original rock and roll generation. It's a sad reality that a relatively small group of people created a collection of music that still thrives more than a half century later. And within the next 20 years, most of them will be dead. Before we catch up, let's look back. Just after Woodstock in June 1969, young music heroes Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, and other members of Jefferson Airplane appeared on The Dick Cavett Show. Young stars fueled by idealism. So cute. It's now 52 years later. Let's check in on some of these same performers to see
Tag: james taylor
Demo versions of classic rock songs
Make me wanna holler with joy
As boomers weep over a few rock star heroes dying, it's a good time to appreciate the ones who are still above ground. I wasn't perceptive enough to know that Marvin Gaye's dad was going to shoot him before I got a chance to tell him that "What's Going On" redirected my life. Once I heard the title track, well, mercy mercy me...inner city blues made me wanna holler, too. This incredible album took me away from my white boy working class neighborhood to places that I hadn't considered. My musical tastes and capacity for empathy grew exponentially. But Marvin was gone long before I had a radio show that could have allowed me to thank him. It's