“You can run, you can run, tell my friend boy Willie Brown” With those words, rock’s grandfather and 27s archetype Robert Johnson immortalized bluesman Willie Brown in his prophetic “Cross Road Blues.” Cream (Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce), of course, brought the song into the rock canon with their version of the song. While Willie [...]

National Public Radio dubbed Janis Joplin “the Queen of Rock” on a segment that aired this morning. Instead of the typical “best of” (read: “most famous”) track selections, the producers included a live version of “Women Is Losers” from a 1966 performance at San Francisco’s Avalon Ballroom. “Ball and Chain” from Monterey Pop followed and [...]

A couple of years ago Tin Alley drummer Peter Hofbauer hit a kangaroo (yea, they’re an Australian band) while riding his motorcycle. He nearly died the same way Echo & the Bunnymen’s Pete de Freitas did, but three weeks in intensive care put him back on track to recovery. Hofbauer was 27 years old at [...]

Ronald “Pigpen” McKernan Born: September 8, 1945 in San Bruno, California Died: March 8, 1973 in Corte Madera, California Bands: Grateful Dead, The Warlocks, Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions Pigpen was the only showman of the Grateful Dead, a hard drinkin’ bluesman whose improvised blues raps equaled Jerry Garcia’s electric hillbilly guitar licks. Pig was an integral part [...]

Janis Joplin (”Pearl”) Born: January 19, 1943, in Port Arthur, Texas Died: October 4, 1970, in a Los Angeles hotel room Bands: Big Brother and The Holding Company, The Kozmic Blues Band, The Full Tilt Boogie Band Cry Baby – Janis Joplin After a miserable childhood as Port Arthur’s “freak,” “creep,” and “pig” she went to found a [...]