Author: Thomas Newman

The glam metal group known as Dokken first teamed up in 1978 when founder Don Dokken had to change his original band name, Airborn because a group known as Airborne had already signed a record…

Together with Merle Haggard, Buck Owens pioneered the Bakersfield sound (or, as he preferred to call it “American Music”), an electrified, rock-influenced style of honky tonk that came to dominate the charts in the ’60s….

Run DMC was an American rap group from Hollis Queens, New York City. It was founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Thanks to its first album, “Run DMC,” in 1984,…

Jimi Hendrix described Lolly Vegas as the best guitarist he had ever heard. In fact, he suggested that the two brothers, Lolly Vegas and Pat, should create a band. Jimi Hendrix’s suggestion resulted in the…

The Black Crowes may have been a band born out of time, but it was always their refusal to acknowledge that the 1970s had ended that made them so uniquely compelling. When they burst onto…

“Play” was the first song to draw the attention of music critics, which didn’t do well on the billboards until the 2000s. It ended up being a “blessing in disguise,” though not every Moby fan…

Before Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell formed Run DMC in 1983, rap had been sidelined, pushed underground, and had zero commercial appeal. Along with the Beastie Boys, Run DMC changed that for good….

Crystal Gayle first started drawing attention in the 1960s as a backup singer for her big sister, Loretta Lynn. In 1970, she landed her own record deal, and over the next few years, began gradually…

They might never have made it as big as some of their ’80s contemporaries, but what glam metal band Dokken lacked in chart-topping singles, they made up for in great songs, killer riffs, and stellar…