The Slacker Morning Show

Gov’t Mule have announced the release of their anticipated 10th studio album Revolution Come… Revolution Go out June 9th on Fantasy Records. Steeped in the roots and mystique of rock, blues, soul, jazz and country, Revolution Come.. Revolution Go enriches Gov’t Mule’s distinguished legacy with cleverly-crafted songs, intelligent and timely lyrical commentary, and downright incendiary playing, while the depth and breadth of the band’s stunning songwriting is displayed with full force.

Pre-sales for the new record are now available – including instant downloads of the first two singles “Sarah, Surrender” and “Stone Cold Rage” Warren Haynes sits down with Slacker!

#Gov'tMule

#WarrenHaynes

#SlackerMorningShow101theFox

Philip Kenneth Collen was a late starter by all standards, especially when you consider his current iconic rock star status as lead guitarist for a world famous multi-platinum selling rock-n-roll band. Born in Hackney, East London, England on December 8th, 1957, Phil was influenced by everything from the Rolling Stones to the Motown sound to glam rock, hard rock, punk, or anything with a flair. He got his first guitar at the age of 16 after pestering his parents for two years. Ken, a cross country truck driver and Connie, a devoted housewife were persuaded that it was the right thing to do. This came about after Collen was taken to his first rock concert to see Deep Purple at age 14 by his cousin. “The experience changed my life,” said Phil.

Collen left school at sixteen to work in a factory and as a dispatch rider. Influenced by guitar players such as Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix, and Mick Ronson, he soon developed a flashy, aggressive style of playing rock guitar. Phil quit his day job he went on tour as a guitarist with the London-based post-punk glam rock band ‘Girl’. Collen joined Def Leppard in 1982 during the Pyromania album recording sessions, playing guitar solos on the hits ‘Photograph’, ‘Foolin’’, and ‘Rock Of Ages’ among others. Pyromania was Def Leppard’s breakthrough album and turned Def Leppard into rock super-stars almost over night. They spent the summer of 1983 at number 2 on the Billboard charts, behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the biggest selling album of all time. Pyromania sold in excess of 10 times platinum and received a Diamond award in the US and Canada.

After the Pyromania tour ended, tragedy struck the band. During the recording of the Hysteria album drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a car accident on New Year’s Eve 1984. The band chose not to replace Rick. He re-learned how to play the drums using his left foot to replicate left arm percussion. His dedication to the band paid off and upon the release of Hysteria Def Leppard had their best selling album to date, releasing seven singles from the album including the smash hits ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and ‘Love Bites’. The band received their second diamond album, selling over twelve million copies in the U.S alone, putting them in an exclusive group of only six bands ever to achieve two diamond albums in America. Def Leppard was now among rock-n-roll’s elite which included The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, and Van Halen.

Fortune and fame, however, often have a price to be paid, and tragedy was to strike the band again. While creating songs for the Adrenalize album Steve Clark was found dead in his London home due to a mixture of painkillers and alcohol. Clark had been Phil’s best friend and guitar partner in the band. The pair had been dubbed ‘The Terror Twins’ due to their “on tour shinnanigans”. Soon the name became synonymous with more than pranks and their classic harmonious guitar playing became known as the ‘Def Leppard sound’. Adrenalize was released with Phil Collen recording the guitar parts for both players and was the number one album in the U.S during the 1992 L.A. riots.

The nineties also saw the release of the Slang album and the ever popular Vault, Def Leppard’s greatest hits album which has achieved quadruple platinum status in the U.S.A.

Expanding their reach Def Leppard collaborated with two country superstars. Tim McGraw was featured on their Sparkle Lounge single ‘Nine Lives’ while Taylor Swift teamed up with the band swapping hits on CMT’s Crossroads which also has been released as a DVD and garnered the band two CMT nominations.

Phil and his bandmates from Manraze are currently creating music for a second album. As lead vocalist and lead guitarist he performs a modern day mix of punk, rock, and reggae with bassist Simon Laffy formerly of Girl and legendary Sex Pistols’ drummer Paul Cook. The band’s debut album Surreal has been released in the US and the UK to rave critical reviews comparing the band to the Police, the Foo Fighters, and the Clash. Phil Collen was the only artist to play twice at 2009’s Download Festival with both bands, Manraze and Def Leppard.

These days there is intense interest in Phil Collen’s health regimen and diet as there is in his music and artistic expression. Phil trains as a practicing Muay Thai kickboxer and utilizes weight work-outs culminating in three workouts a day, seven days a week under the watchful eye of his trainer Muay Thai kickboxing champion Jean Carrillo to get to and maintain his current fitness level.

Phil Collen has been a vegetarian for 27 years and alcohol-free for 22 years, busting the myth of the classic ‘rockstar’ stereotype wide open.

#Def Leppard

#SlackerMorningShow101theFox

In time for the Centennial of America's entry into "The Great War." Based on one young man's experiences in France and Germany - his fantasies and fears. I set down with Pat O'Neil to chat about his new book!

#WW1

#TheGreatWar

#SlackerMorningShow101theFox

Mike and the Mechanics will release their first album since 2011’s The Road this spring. Let Me Fly, out now, is the eighth studio effort from Genesis co-founder Mike Rutherford’s other hit-making band.

“In 1985, we were having the best time in Genesis,” Rutherford says in a press release announcing the album. “But after 28 years, myself [and fellow Genesis members] Phil [Collins] and Tony [Banks] wanted variety, so we ran our band and our solo careers side by side happily for many years. To be honest, it saved Genesis. The fact I’m still doing it with the Mechanics just makes me smile.”

Let Me Fly is the second record to feature the current Mike and the Mechanics lineup, which coalesced around singers Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar in 2010. Keyboardist Luke Juby, drummer Gary Wallis and guitarist Anthony Drennan round out the band. Vocalist Paul Young (who sang the hit singles “All I Need Is a Miracle” and “Taken In”) died in 2000; Paul Carrack (“Silent Running,” “The Living Years”) left in 2004, around the time the band took a break. They returned with a 2014 update of “Living Years,” which went to No. 1 25 years earlier.

An advance single from Let Me Fly, “Don’t Know What Came Over Me,” is expected on Feb. 28. Look for a complete track listing for the album below. Mike and the Mechanics will tour the U.K. and Europe into March; after that, things are up in the air, Rutherford admitted. “I’ve never had a long-term plan, even with Genesis,” he said. “I’ll put Let Me Fly out and I’ll see where it goes. What happens this year will tell me what to do next. I like that!”

Mike and the Mechanics ‘Let Me Fly’ Track Listing

“Let Me Fly”

“Are You Ready”

“Wonder”

“The Best Is Yet to Come”

“Save the World”

“High Life”

“Don’t Know What Came Over Me”

“The Letter”

“Not Out of Love”

“Love Left Over”

“I’ll Be There for You”

“Save My Soul”

#Mike+theMechanics

#SlackerMorningShow101theFox

#Genesis

Robin Trower has been heralded as one of the most influential Guitar players to come out of the British Blues Rock scene. Though other names may come to mind, none have the "signature sound and style" of the man who was tagged by the press with the nickname of "The White Hendrix" back in the 70's. Robin was in the audience during a performance by Jimi Hendrix those many years back, and he readily admits that the Experience changed his approach to the guitar. It is obvious to anyone who ever listened to Robin's music that he has taken the ethereal sound that Jimi first introduced to the world, and created his own unique way of expressing himself through the guitar. The result is a unique style of music all his own - NOT an imitation of Jimi at all, and a career of considerable merit.

Robin is known for his incredible talent as a guitar player and his inspirational style of soloing, coaxing sounds from his Strat that seem to emanate from beyond this world. To be among those who have experienced Robin performing live is to be forever changed by this masterful Artist as he takes you along with him on one musical masterpiece after another.

#RobinTrower

#SlackerMorningShow101theFox

#BluesGuitar

From his Dove Award winning gospel albums to his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and his CMA Award-winning country hits, few artists have left a more indelible mark on America’s musical landscape than Charlie Daniels. An outspoken patriot, beloved mentor to young artists and still a road warrior at age 79, Charlie has parlayed his passion for music into a multi-platinum career and a platform to support the military, underprivileged children and others in need.

Raised among the longleaf pines of North Carolina, Charlie began his career playing bluegrass music with the Misty Mountain Boys. After moving to Nashville in 1967, he began making a name for himself as a songwriter, session musician and producer. Elvis Presley recorded a tune Charlie co-wrote titled “It Hurts Me,” which was released on the flip side of “Kissin’ Cousins.” He played on such landmark albums as Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline and tried his hand at producing on the Youngbloods’ Elephant Mountain and Ride the Wind.

His own unique voice as an artist emerged as Charlie recorded his self-titled solo album in 1970 for Capitol Records. Two years later he formed the Charlie Daniels Band and the group scored its first hit with the top ten “Uneasy Rider.” Since then the CDB has populated radio with such memorable hits as “Long Haired Country Boy,” “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “In America,” “The Legend of Wooley Swamp” and of course, his signature song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1979 as well as single of the year at the Country Music Association Awards.

The CDB will perform 100 concert dates this year including performances on the Grand Ole Opry. The band's latest release, "Off the Grid - Doin' It Dylan," features 10 Bob Dylan songs by the CDB, and is their first CDB studio release since 2007.

“I love what I do,” says Charlie of his 50-plus years in the music business. “I look forward to entertaining people. When show time gets here, I’m ready to go, ready to go play for them. It’s a labor of love. I just thank God I make a living at what I enjoy doing.”-2-

Whether performing in the hit 80s movie Urban Cowboy, singing on Easter Sunday at his local church or leading an all-star cast at one of his famed Volunteer Jams, Charlie just exudes joy whenever he steps on stage and he’s always been quick to provide a platform for other artists to shine. In 1974 he invited some friends to join him at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium for an all-star concert he dubbed The Volunteer Jam. The event continued for years and was broadcast in the U.S. and internationally. Over the years, the Jam featured a diverse line up that included Willie Nelson, Ted Nugent, Roy Acuff, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Crystal Gayle, James Brown, Emmylou Harris, Amy Grant, George Thorogood, Kris Kristofferson, Little Richard, Tammy Wynette, Alabama, Oak Ridge Boys, B. B. King and the Allman Brothers.

As diverse as his live shows have always been, his discography has also reflected Charlie’s love of multiple genres. In 1994 he released his first Christian album, The Door, on Sparrow Records. The album won the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award for Best Country Album and “Two Out of Three” was named video of the year by the Christian Country Music Association. In 1997, Sony Wonder released Charlie’s first children’s album, “By The Light of The Moon: Campfire Songs and Cowboy Tunes’.

An astute businessman as well as talented musician, Charlie launched Blue Hat Records in 1997 with his longtime personal manager David Corlew. Over the past 15 years, the label has released such memorable albums as Blues Hat, Tailgate Party, Road Dogs, Fiddle Fire: 25 Years of the Charlie Daniels Band and his first bluegrass album 2005’s Songs From the Longleaf Pines and 2007’s album Deuces, featuring duets with Brad Paisley, Gretchen Wilson, Bonnie Bramlett, Travis Tritt, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Brenda Lee and Darius Rucker.

Over the course of his career, Charlie has received numerous accolades, including induction into the Grand Ole Opry and Musicians Hall of Fame. He’s been presented the Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music and was honored as a BMI Icon in recognition of his songwriting. He’s received a star on the Music City Walk of Fame.

Any conversation with the legendary artist, however, rarely includes any of his accomplishments. He’d rather shine the spotlight on the many causes that are close to his heart. He’s always been a staunch supporter of the military, and for the past several years has headlined a special concert at David Lipscomb University benefiting the Yellow Ribbon Program which provides scholarships for veterans. Each year there are surprise guests in addition to the announced line up. Among those who have supported Charlie Daniels for an evening of great music include Luke Bryan, Kellie Pickler, Clint Black, Jason Aldean, Chris Young, Rascal Flatts, Lee Greenwood, Darryl Worley, the Grascals, and actor Gary Sinise.

Charlie also lends his time and talent to numerous other charitable organizations, including the Jason Foundation Golf Classic, an organization that targets teen suicide prevention, and the Galilean Children’s Home in Liberty, KY, which provides a home for abused and neglected children. “I’ve been affiliated with them for a long, long time and it’s just a great place,” Charlie says of the home founded by Jerry and Sandy Tucker. “They take in babies whose mothers are going to prison. They give kids a good stable Christian home and love them. It’s just a wonderful place.”

Charlie has been the host for The Charlie Daniels Celebrity Golf Classic & Angelus Concert in Hudson, FL, a benefit for The Angelus, a full-time residential facility and day school program for the severely handicapped. He has been a member of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Professional Advisory Board and has been a longtime supporter of the T. J. Martell Foundation and its numerous events aiding cancer research. He has also been the headliner many years for the Christmas 4 Kids concert at the Ryman Auditorium, a fundraiser to provide a happy holiday for needy children.

In 2014, Charlie Daniels with David Corlew and Joe & Mercedez Longever founded The Journey Home Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit co-founded by Daniels and manager, David Corlew, to help Veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

The Charlie Daniels 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam concert took place on Aug., 12, 2015, before a sold out crowd, raising over $300,000 for The Journey Home Project. “It was good to see an old Tennessee Tradition come back to life, all for this great cause,” Daniels said.

In August 2016, Charlie Daniels new album, Night Hawk, will be released. Daniels has never fit into any certain label, purposely creating a sound and blend of music all his own. The new album stays true to that tradition with a unique spin on cowboy songs both well known and uncovered from through the years.

The album comes in the midst of one of the most important years of Charlie Daniels’ career. In early 2016 it was announced that he would become the newest inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with Randy Travis and Fred Foster. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum announced that an exhibit in his honor, called Million Mile Reflections, would be set to open September 23. Adding to Daniels’ exciting year, Kid Rock, Chris Stapleton, Travis Tritt, Larry the Cable Guy and more will join Charlie in celebration at his 80th Birthday Volunteer Jam on November 30 at Bridgestone Arena. A portion of the proceeds from this year’s Volunteer Jam will go to the The Journey Home Project.

Charlie says of using his celebrity status to aid worthy causes, “I have a very unique opportunity because of being in the music community, you try to give back to some extent. I do feel like people should. We should all do as much as we can.”

#CharlieDanielsBand

#SlackerMorningShow101theFox

The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970, by songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of Beatlesque pop, classical arrangements, and futuristic iconography.[5] After Wood's departure in 1972, Lynne became the band's leader, arranging and producing every album while writing virtually all of their original material.

The band was formed to accommodate Lynne's and Wood's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones, deriving as an offshoot of Wood's previous band the Move, of which Lynne and Bevan were also members. ELO were most active during the 1970s and 1980s, recording a string of studio albums that include the conceptual works Eldorado (1974) and Time (1981). For their initial tenure, Lynne, Bevan, and keyboard player Richard Tandy were the group's only consistent members.

#ELO

#SlackerMorningShow101theFox

#BevBevan

Known as the king of the rant, LEWIS BLACK uses his trademark style of comedic yelling and animated finger-pointing to skewer anything and anyone that gets under his skin. His comedic brilliance lies in his ability to make people laugh at the absurdities of life, with topics that include current events, social media, politics and anything else that exposes the hypocrisy and madness he sees in the world.

Receiving critical acclaim as a stand-up, actor and author, Black has performed for audiences throughout Europe, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. In 2012, he performed eight sell-out shows at Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway.

Born in Washington D.C. on Aug. 30, 1948, Black was raised in Silver Spring, Md. Colicky as a baby, he was destined to be angry and easily irritated. His mother, a teacher, and his father, a mechanical engineer, instilled the importance of education and the necessity to question authority—lessons that influenced Black throughout his life. He fell in love with the theatre at age 12, after seeing his first play, which led to pursuing a career in drama. Degrees followed from the University of North Carolina and Yale Drama School, with a stint in Colorado owning a theatre with a group of friends in the interim. During his tenure at UNC, Black ventured into stand-up, performing at Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill. Stand-up was a steady presence as he pursued his career in theatre.

Black eventually settled in New York City and became the playwright-in-residence at the West Bank Café’s Downstairs Theatre Bar. He oversaw the development of more than 1,000 plays, including works by “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, “American Beauty” writer Alan Ball, as well as his own original works. In addition to overseeing the works on stage, Black emceed every show. As the West Bank grew, so did Black’s stand-up skills. He left the West Bank in the late 1980s to pursue stand-up full time.

In 1996, his friend Lizz Winstead tapped him to create a weekly segment for Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” The segment, a three-minute rant about whatever was bothering him at the moment, evolved into Back in Black, becoming one of the most popular and longest-running segments on the show for both the Jon Stewart era, and now The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Black has also taped four specials for the “Comedy Central Presents” series, co-created “Last Laugh with Lewis Black” and presided over “Lewis Black’s The Root of All Evil.” His popular appearances on Comedy Central helped to win him Best Male Stand-Up at the American Comedy Awards in 2001.

Increased exposure from “The Daily Show” generated a record deal with Stand Up! Records. His first CD, “The White Album,” was released in 2000 to critical acclaim. Black followed with eight more—six under the Comedy Central Records label. He has received five Grammy® nominations and two wins for his work. The first nomination came in 2006 for “Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center Blues,” the second in 2009 for “Anticipation.” In 2007 he won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album for “The Carnegie Hall Performance,” and again in 2011 for “Stark Raving Black.” His 2012 release, “In God We Rust” (Comedy Central Records) was also nominated for a Grammy.

Black has filmed two specials for HBO, including “Black On Broadway” and “Red, White and Screwed.” The latter was nominated for an Emmy® in 2007. He had a regular feature for two seasons on “Inside the NFL” (for which he earned a Sports Emmy) and in 2006, he was asked to participate in “Comic Relief.”

In 2009 Lewis filmed his first feature length concert film, “Stark Raving Black,” at the Fillmore Theatre in Detroit. The film had a limited run in theaters across the U.S. and Canada in the summer of 2010. At the end of the theater run, premium movie channel EpixHD picked up the film for its channel, along with the accompanying documentary, “Basic Black.” Both are aired regularly and can be found in the EpixHD on-demand queue. In 2011, he produced his second full-length concert, “In God We Rust,” which also airs on EpixHD. In August 2013, Black recorded his ninth stand-up special “Old Yeller: Live At The Borgata.”

In 2015, Black joined the cast of Madoff (ABC mini series). Black portrays Ezra Merkin, who, after investing with Madoff and receiving great returns, brought many famous and well-to-do Jewish clients, including Elie Weisel and The Hadassah Organization, to Bernie’s fold.

Black has appeared on “Larry King Live,” “Piers Morgan Tonight,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Late Night with Conan O’ Brian” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” Black has also had numerous appearances on CNN and MSNBC and has occasionally done the weather with Al Roker.

In the midst of a rigorous touring schedule, regular TV appearances and movie roles, Black has written three best-selling books: “Nothing’s Sacred” (Simon and Schuster, 2005), “Me of Little Faith” (Riverhead Books, 2008) and “I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas” (Riverhead Books, 2010). All garnered critical praise as well commercial success and spent numerous weeks on the New York Times best sellers list.

Black has penned more than 40 plays, many of which have been produced around the country. “The Deal,” a dark comedy about business, was made into a short film in 1998 and picked up by the Sundance Channel. In 2011, his play “One Slight Hitch” was produced at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and then again in 2012 at both the ACT Theatre in Seattle and The George Street Theatre in New Brunswick.

In 2006, Black had a break-out year as an actor, co-starring with Robin Williams in Barry Levinson’s “Man of the Year” (Universal Pictures). He also appeared as “the fake dean of a fake college” in Steve Pink’s “Accepted” (Universal Pictures) and as the harried airport manager in Paul Feig’s “Unaccompanied Minors” (Warner Bros.). He lent his voice to Jimmy in Bob Sagat’s parody “Farce of the Penguins” (Thinkfilm).

In 2015, Black notably voiced the character “Anger” in the Academy Award winning film from Pixar, “Inside Out.” The film is about an 11-year-old-girl, Riley, who is dealing with a move across the country, and wrestling with the emotions inside her head: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and, Lewis Black. Early film pitches actually named the comedian to illustrate how an iconic voice like Black’s could bring a character like Anger to life. Black, who’s a fan of all things Pixar, calls the opportunity a career-defining role. “I knew from the very beginning that this was going to be special,” he says. “I’ll be remembered as this little red guy who yells and his head goes on fire.”

As a long time mentor with the 52nd Street Project, Black was roasted in Charred Black 2007, which drew the largest fundraising numbers in the Project’s history. He’s a member of their advisory board, is co-chair of their capital campaign, and in 2000, the Ron Black Memorial Scholarship Fund was created in memory of his late brother. Black is also committed to raising funds for the Rusty Magee Clinic for Families and Health. He’s a strong supporter of both the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Autism Speaks and was honored by The Brady Center for his commitment to ending gun violence. In 2012, he was honored by the ACLU of Georgia with their National Civil Liberties Award. At the Williamstown Theatre Festival, he established the William Foeller Fellowship, having taught and performed at the festival for more than a decade. Black also supports our military personnel and has performed in three tours with the USO, visiting several Middle Eastern and European military bases with Robin Williams, Lance Armstrong, Kid Rock, Miss America Rachel Smith and Kellie Pickler.

Black resides in both Manhattan and Chapel Hill, N.C. Still loyal to his alma mater, he’s worked with UNC students to create the Carolina Comedy Festival, a yearly festival on the UNC campus that highlights performances and provides workshops and lectures for budding comics, writers and performers. With his involvement at UNC, Black continues a life-long commitment to education and the arts. He continues to tour heavily, playing countless dates each year and providing a cathartic release of anger and disillusionment for his audience. In his leisure time, Black likes to play golf, even though golf hates him.

@JillianThomas22

#SportingKC

#Soccer

#SlackerMorningShow101theFox

Prior to Santana, Rolie played with a group called William Penn and his Pals while attending Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, circa 1965. A year after graduating from high school in 1965, Rolie joined Carlos Santana and others to form the Santana Blues Band, which was later shortened simply to Santana. As a founding member of Santana, Rolie was part of the band’s first wave of success, including an appearance at the Woodstock Music and Art Festival in 1969 and central roles in several hit albums. He is perhaps best known for being their original lead vocalist, with his voice driving such classic Santana hits as Black Magic Woman (US #4), Oye Como Va, No One To Depend On and Evil Ways. He also became well known for his unique sound and groundbreaking work on the Hammond B3 organ, with classic solos on many of the aforementioned hits. However, persistent differences with Carlos Santana regarding the musical direction of the band led Rolie to leave the band at the end of 1971.

In 1973 Rolie joined a new band with ex-Santana guitarist Neal Schon; this became Journey. Starring in a lineup that featured Schon, Aynsley Dunbar, George Tickner, and Ross Valory, he was keyboardist for the band’s first six albums. On Journey and Look into the Future, he was lead vocalist, and on Next he shared those duties with guitarist Neal Schon. After Steve Perry joined the band in 1977, Rolie sang co-lead vocals on several songs on the albums Infinity, Evolution, and Departure.

After leaving Journey in 1980, Gregg released several solo albums, including the eponymous Gregg Rolie in 1985. This album featured the song “I Wanna Go Back,” which later became a hit for Eddie Money, and included contributions from Carlos Santana, Peter Wolf, Neal Schon, and Craig Chaquico. A second solo effort, Gringo, was released in 1987.

Rolie formed The Storm in 1991 with Steve Smith (replaced by Ron Wikso after the recording of the first album) and Ross Valory of Journey. The band also included Josh Ramos (whose guitar style resembles that of Neal Schon) and Kevin Chalfant (whose voice resembles that of Steve Perry). Similar to his work with Journey and Steve Perry, Rolie played keyboards and was a co-lead vocalist on several tracks of the band’s first, eponymous, album, which hit #3 on the Billboard albums chart and spawned the Top Ten single “I’ve Got A Lot To Learn About Love.” Despite this success, their second album, recorded in 1993, was shelved, due to the industry’s shifting focus to favor rap and alternative music audiences. It finally saw limited release in 1996, and in 1998, Rolie and other former members of Santana, including Neal Schon, briefly reunited as Abraxas Pool, releasing one eponymous album.

When Schon left to lead a re-formed Journey later that year, Rolie and Ron Wikso began work in 1999, on a Gregg Rolie solo CD, titled “Roots”, which eventually led to the forming of the Gregg Rolie Band. Besides Rolie and Wikso, “Roots” featured appearances by Neal Schon, Alphonso Johnson, Dave Amato, Adrian Areas, Michael Carabello. The Gregg Rolie Band saw Kurt Griffey taking over guitar duties and the addition of Wally Minko as a second keyboardist. They recorded a live CD at Sturgis called “Rain Dance”, which was released in 2009.

#Santana

#Journey