Teena Marie’s loyalty, devotion, and success in R&B and soul music won her the label “Ivory Queen of Soul.” Marie’s distinctive voice and passionate soprano that featured funk, soul, and rock styles boosted her spirits and encouraged her creativity. She deserves to be recognized for the talent and creativity she has demonstrated throughout her three-decade…
Macy Gray first began performing and writing songs during her time at university. In 1999, her career went stratospheric with the release of her debut album, On How Life Is. The album went multi-platinum, picked up a slew of awards, and, with its phenomenally successful single, I Try, launched Gray into the international arena. Since…
The American punk rock band known as Bad Religion was first formed out of Los Angeles, California in 1980. High school students, Greg Graffin, Jay Bentley, Jay Ziskrout, and Brett Gurewitz had their first public performance when they opened for another punk rock group, Social Distortion at a warehouse opening. The first show Bad Religion…
In the early 1990s, Toby Keith rolled into Nashville armed with a pocketful of songs and an overflowing cup of ambition. It took him a couple of albums to get there, but by the early 2000s, he was riding high in the charts as one of the biggest names in modern country. He might not…
Blackberry Smoke is a rock band that was formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2000. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Charlie Starr, vocalist and bassist Richard Turner, drummer Brit Turner, keyboardist Brandon Still, and Pall Jackson on guitar and backing vocals. Although this is the main lineup when recording music, there are additional…
In 1999 the American country music band known as Rascal Flatts started out at the Fiddle and Steel Guitar Bar in Nashville, Tennessee. Founders Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, James Otto, and Michael English each came from their own musical backgrounds that include contemporary gospel and country. At the time DeMarcus was with another band, Chely…
Tesla is a rock band formed in Sacramento, CA, in late 1981. The original version of Tesla included singer Jeff Keith, guitarist Frank Hannon, drummer Troy Luccketta, bassist Brian Wheat, and guitarist Tommy Skeoch. This line-up has remained intact since its formation, save for Tommy Skeoch, who left the group in 2006 and would be…
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 musicianship. Since forming in 1978, they’ve broken up, reunited, said goodbye to some members and hello to others, and, in…
He rarely has much to say and that could probably be explained by the tattoo on his forehead reading, “Death Before Dishonour” or the dagger tattoo between his eyebrows which is a tribute to his young brother who was killed in a drug deal gone wrong. Sheyaa Bin Abraham Joseph, better known as 21 Savage…