In 1984, a heavy metal group from Virginia called Firehouse began to make waves. The band comprised drummer Michael Foster, guitarist Bill Leverty, vocalist/keyboardist C.J. Snare, and bassist Perry Richardson. They were signed to Epic Records in 1989 and won the “Favorite New Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist” at the American Music Awards in 1992. They…
Slayer is one of the heavy metal genre’s ‘Big Four.’ Along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax, Slayer helped shape the future of music with its brutal and fast thrash metal sound. Over the last forty-one years, the sounds of Slayer have influenced countless bands and entire generations of heavy metal music lovers. Despite the band’s…
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…
A band in name but in practice a vehicle for Mark Bolan to bring his brand of glam to the world, T. Rex was formed in 1967 and disbanded a decade later following Bolan’s tragic death. In the brief time they were with us, they took glam to the mainstream, directly influenced David Bowie’s conversion…
Jerry Reed Hubbard was a well-known American country music composer, songwriter, guitarist, singer, and actor who was featured in numerous films. Born on 20 March 1937, some of his greatest singles included US Male, Alabama Wild Man, Guitar Man, and When You’re Hot, You’re Hot, which won a Grammy Award for the Best Male Country…
In 2004, Joss Stone hit the charts with her debut album, The Soul Session, a multi-platinum selling phenomenon and Mercury Prize nominee that firmly established her as one of the hottest new talents around. Its follow-up, Mind, Body & Soul, was equally huge, topping the UK charts and certifying platinum. Her third album, Introducing Joss…
The popularity of Country music has exploded exponentially over the last decade, making it one of the fastest growing genres in the industry. Whereas Country stars like Shania Twain and Taylor Swift once cultivated crossovers into Pop, now Pop stars are crossing over into Country. Recent examples include Beyoncé and Post Malone. Indeed, Country music…
Since becoming one of the first-ever bands to come to prominence via the internet in the 2000s, the Arctic Monkeys have become one of the most successful British exports of the last 20 years, selling over 20 million records worldwide, earning critical acclaim wherever they go, and winning more awards than anyone’s got time to…
Asia was formed in 1981 when a bunch of prog-rockers who’d already enjoyed success with their former bands (namely, John Wetton of King Crimson, guitarist Steve Howe of Yes, keyboardist Geoff Downes of Yes, and drummer Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer) decided they had the makings of a supergroup. Their debut album was…