Pete Fornatale, a Pioneer of FM Rock, 1945 - 2012 ...

Pete Fornatale, a disc jockey who helped usher in a musical alternative to Top 40 AM radio in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s, presenting progressive rock and long album tracks that AM stations wouldn’t touch and helping to give WNEW a major presence on the still-young FM dial, died on Thursday in Manhattan. He was 66. 

The cause was complications of a stroke, his son Mark said. FM radio had been around for a while but did not come of age until the 1960s, when, amid the whirlwind of a growing counterculture, the federal government mandated that FM stations carry different programming from that of their sister AM bands. Enterprising D.J.’s grasped the chance to play longer, fresher, rarer music and give voice to the roiling political and social issues of the day. 

2012 Spring GuitarCon Guitar Convention Recap ...

Local Music Gear
Written By: Dan O'Donnell

The fifth GuitarCon guitar convention, held at Montclair State University April 14, allowed guitarists from pre-schoolers to professional heavyweights to browse among top-ranked, independent suppliers of guitars, amps and basses. Almost all of the fifty-three exhibitors were from the northeast U.S., which made it one of the largest exhibitions of local luthiers and their work in the area.

Tanya Kays, producer of the show, said it was a resounding success, something that was echoed by many attendees and exhibitors.

“We had a really great attendance and everybody seemed to be very happy,” Tanya said. “We had a lot of great instruments and the amount of attendees were great.”

Axl Rose Apologizes to Cleveland for Hall of Fame Snub 'I hope you'll forgive me,' says Guns N' Roses leader. 'Cleveland does in fact Rock!!' ...

Axl Rose has written another letter to fans explaining his decision to not attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and apologizing to the city of Cleveland for the snub. Last week, Axl wrote a long letter in which he said he declined his induction into the Hall of Fame. The group performed with Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy, and the Cleveland crowd booed every time Axl's name was mentioned during the ceremony. 

This new letter ends with a request for the media to run the letter in full, so we'll do just that:

To: Cleveland, Ohio, Guns N' Roses Fans and everyone who's shown support for my decision regarding the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Axl Rose Will Not Attend Guns N' Roses' Rock and Roll Hall Induction Ceremony , Singer: 'I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia' ...

It's official: Axl Rose will be not be attending this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. "I respectfully decline my induction as a member of Guns N' Roses to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," Rose wrote in a long letter obtained by the L.A. Times. "I strongly request that I not be inducted in absentia and please know that no one is authorized nor may anyone be permitted to accept any induction for me or speak on my behalf. Neither former members, label representatives nor the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should imply whether directly, indirectly or by omission that I am included in any purported induction of 'Guns N' Roses.'" 

The announcement follows months of speculation regarding what, exactly, would happen at the April 14th ceremony in Cleveland. Axl Rose and Slash haven't shared a stage since 1993 and bad blood between the former bandmates has persisted for years. "He hates my guts," Slash told Rolling Stone earlier this month. "It's over a lot of different stuff; I don't even know. There's just no communication between us."

The Beatles, The Next Generation ...

Beatles fans spent the 1970s hoping the band might get back together, before John Lennon's death put the kibosh on that. But a few dreamers held out and spent the '80s floating the idea that the Beatles could still always reunite and tour with Julian Lennon, who was a huge MTV star at the time, subbing for his dad. Naïveté is stronger than death, right?

Bluegrass Legend & Banjo Pioneer Earl Scruggs 1924 - 2012 ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Bluegrass legend and banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs, who helped profoundly change country music with Bill Monroe in the 1940s and later with guitarist Lester Flatt, has died. He was 88.

Scruggs' son Gary said his father died of natural causes Wednesday morning at a Nashville, Tenn., hospital.

Earl Scruggs was an innovator who pioneered the modern banjo sound. His use of three fingers rather than the clawhammer style elevated the banjo from a part of the rhythm section — or a comedian's prop — to a lead instrument.

The Music Industry Is Finally Turning Around ...

The Recording Industry Association of America just released its 2011 sales figures yesterday (PDF here), and there was a surprising bit of good news in them.Total U.S. music sales actually grew for the first time since 2004. They were up 0.2%, just topping $7 billion. The reason: digital sales were up 9.2% during the year, and physical sales (mostly CDs) dropped only 7.7%, which is smaller than in recent years.Digital made up more than half of revenues for the first time ever.

Bruce Springsteen Delivers South By Southwest Keynote ...

Right before Bruce Springsteen took the stage at 12:30 p.m. CDT Thursday for his keynote speech at South By Southwest, a half-hour later than expected, conference co-founder Roland Swanson joked, "That's why they call him the boss."

As Springsteen himself later said, when referencing a Danny & The Juniors hit, "Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay," "They had no idea how terrifyingly fucking right they were."

Doobie Brothers' Michael Hossack Dead at 65 ...

Doobie Brothers drummer Michael Hossack died at his home in Dubois, Wyoming yesterday at the age of 65. He had been battling cancer for some time and succumbed to complications of the disease with his family at his side.

Hossack was a member of the Doobie Brothers between 1971 and 1973, playing on several of the band's best-known hits, including "Jesus Is Just Alright," "Listen to the Music" and "China Grove." Hossack returned to the band when they reunited in 1987 and was a mainstay of the group through the next two decades, performing on most of the group's tours until he took a health leave in 2010.

Maker of Fender guitars files for $200M IPO ...

NEW YORK (AP) - An instrumental piece of rock and roll history is going public. Fender Musical Instruments Corp., the maker of legendary guitars strummed by the likes of Buddy Holly, Jimmy Hendrix and Eric Clapton, filed papers Thursday for a $200 million initial public offering.

Founded in 1946 by Leo Fender, the company created the Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars in the 1950s. The "Strat," played by Hendrix, went on sale in 1954. It had a sturdy, all-wood body that could stand up to repeated abuse, making it popular in the rock and roll world. "The Fender brand in particular is closely associated with the birth of rock 'n roll and has a strong legacy in music and in popular culture," the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Music & Arts Supports New Music Education Advocacy Partner, AMP ...

FREDERICK, MD--(Marketwire -03/07/12)- Music & Arts, the largest band and orchestra instrument retailer and music lesson provider in the country, announces a new partnership with AMP - The Association of Music Parents. Continuing its tradition of advocating for music education in schools, Music & Arts will support the parents of aspiring musicians as they ensure that music remains an integral part of the American education system. 

Robert B. Sherman, a Songwriter for Disney and Others, Dies at 86 ...

LONDON (AP) - Robert B. Sherman, one half of the prolific, award-winning pair of brothers who penned instantly memorable songs for "Mary Poppins," ''The Jungle Book" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" - as well as the most-played tune on Earth, "It's a Small World (After All)" - has died. He was 86.

Sherman's agent, Stella Richards, said Tuesday that Sherman died peacefully in London on Monday.

James "Red" Holloway 1927 - 2010

One of the most versatile veterans of bebop and beyond, saxophonist Red Holloway died Saturday in San Luis Obispo, CA, at age 84. The cause was kidney failure, complicated by several strokes. Holloway had performed as recently as September 2011, touring with the Lionel Hampton All-Stars.