THE

ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

TRUTHS,CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM

FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE

​

WHERE HAVE ALL THE ROCK STARS GONE?
Rock and Roll, the Blues, and Jazz are America's contribution to the arts, so why are we not fighting to preserve our own musical legacy and culture?
Rooted from the early blues pioneers, the longevity of rock and roll is second to none. But strangely enough those legendary rock heroes that we were so accustomed to hearing every time we turned on our radios had mysteriously vanished from the mainstream. The music of the 1960's, 70's and even the 80's was an important juncture in all of our lives. So many of us timeline life's precious moments with the music we remember, when the music was so great, when the music mattered. The baby-boomer generation is financially imperative yet many of its entertainment standards have been renounced.
One day, the plug was pulled on those legendary music artists. Hackers began stealing music across the internet. Online music stores popularized cheap digital singles and neglected to promote full-length albums. Radio stations changed formats to accommodate talk show radio jocks while rappers and electronic dance music menaced the airwaves. Notorious record companies began folding in droves. Record companies and radio stations that were once owned and operated by visionaries were now run by accountants and lawyers and the music world began promoting untalented wannabes. The economy plummeted, and radio stations became more concerned about how many consecutive commercials they could run instead of providing quality radio programming and entertainment value. Radio stations became corporate machines leaving no room for innovation. Throughout the 2000s, recording studios and live performances began using an audio processor called "Auto-Tune" to disguise off-key inaccuracies in vocal tracks. The device allowed virtually anyone without music skills to become a singer and new waves of mainstream radio stars were instantly fabricated. The business of music became stronger and more important than the art of music.
For more than a decade, I've been on a rock and roll pilgrimage to help promote and save the greatest music the world has ever known. Before the internet and Napster, virtuoso musicians traditionally introduced their music by way of mainstream radio stations while anxious music enthusiasts hurried to their favorite record stores and purchased a copy of the artist's latest release. Talk radio wasn't popular because there was way too much great music to play over the airwaves. Advertisers didn't rule the airwaves, the music did. Rock legends toured the world to promote their latest albums and prices of concert tickets were extremely affordable. Proficient musicians, singers, and songwriters are what made the music so great.

 

Some of the notable 'Music Artists' Ray has interviewed and helped to promote include...

(Many of these artists will be featured in

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES series).

Joe Lala (Blues Image.. Stephen Stills and Manassas.. The Bee Gees.. Firefall)

Jim McCarty (The Yardbirds.. Renaissance)

Eric Burdon (The Animals.. War)

Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere and the Raiders)

Mark Volman (The Turtles.. Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention)

Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow.. Deep Purple)

Gregg Rolie (Santana.. Journey)

Mark Farner(Grand Funk Railroad)

Dave Mason (Traffic)

Jon Anderson (YES)

Ronnie Montrose (Montrose.. Gamma)

Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel.. Levin Torn White.. King Crimson)

Billy Sherwood (YES.. Circa)

Tommy James (Shondells)

Stanley Sheldon (Tommy Bolin.. Peter Frampton)

Kim Wilson (The Fabulous Thunderbirds)

Todd Rundgren (Nazz.. Utopia)

Pat Simmons ( The Doobie Brothers)

Janet Robbins ( Ambient music artist/Daughter of Marty Robbins)

Barry Winslow (The Royal Guardsmen)

Norman Greenbaum (Spirit in the Sky)

Kim Simmonds (Savoy Brown)

Roger McGuinn (The Byrds)

Al Atkins (Judas Priest)

Paul May (Atkins/May Project)

Roger Fisher (Heart)

Greg Lake (King Crimson, Emerson,Lake and Palmer)

Nils Lofgren (Grin, Bruce Springsteen and the E street Band)

Tommy Roe ("Sheila," "Sweet Pea," "Dizzy")

Chris Stein (Blondie)

Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull)- Part 1

Henry McCullough (Joe Cocker & The Grease Band, Paul McCartney & Wings)

Merrell Fankhauser (The Impacts, MU, Merrell And The Exiles, Fapardokly)

Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash)

Frank Marino (Mahogany Rush)

Chris Squire (YES)

Gary Puckett (The Union Gap)

Micky Dolenz (The Monkees)

Michael Des Barres (Silverhead.. Detective)

Eric Johnson ("Cliffs of Dover")

Colin Blunstone (The Zombies)

Suzi Quatro ('Queen of Rock')

Steve Hillage (Gong)

Lou Gramm (Foreigner)

Annie Haslam (Renaissance)

Johnny Winter

Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane.. Jefferson Starship)

Peter Rivera (Original lead singer and drummer of Rare Earth)

Jason Sawford (Australian Pink Floyd)

Maria Muldaur

Candice Night (Blackmore's Night)

Tom Rush

Gino Vannelli

Jim "Dandy" Mangrum (Black Oak Arkansas)

Phil Ehart (Kansas)
Pete Best (The Beatles)
Dr. John
Billy J. Kramer (The Dakotas)
John Kay (Steppenwolf)  
Tom Johnston (The Doobie Brothers)
Lita Ford (The Runaways)
Robin Trower
Roger Hodgson (Supertramp)
Joey Molland (Badfinger)
Marky Ramone (Dust.. Ramones)
Mick Box (Uriah Heep)
Jeff Berlin (Virtuoso bassist)
Ian Gillan (Deep Purple)
Gary Lewis (The Playboys)
Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night)
Dave Davies (The Kinks)
Mike Love (The Beach Boys)
Billy Cobham (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
Burton Cummings (The Guess Who)
Gary Wright (Spooky Tooth,"Dream Weaver")
Melanie
Roy Rogers (Virtuoso slide guitarist)
Ted Nugent  
Corky Laing (Mountain.. West,Bruce & Laing.. 'Playing God')
Cherie Currie (The Runaways)
Roger Earl (Savoy Brown.. Foghat)
John Mayall (The Bluesbreakers)
Julian Lennon  
Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
Steve Hackett (Genesis.. GTR)
Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge.. Cactus.. Beck,Bogert & Appice.. Rod Stewart)
Tony Joe White ("Polk Salad Annie," "Rainy Night in Georgia")
Geoff Downes (The Buggles.. Asia.. YES)
Petula Clark ("Downtown," "A Sign of the Times," "Don't Sleep in the Subway")
Michael Pinder (The Moody Blues)
Joe Bonsall (The Oak Ridge Boys) Part 1 & 2
Wayne Swinny (Saliva)
Judy Collins
Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) -Part 2
Jack Bruce (Cream.. West Bruce & Laing.. Robin Trower.. Big Blues Band)
Chris Thompson (Manfred Mann's Earth Band- "Blinded by the Light")
Jann Klose (Pop singer & songwriter)
Andy Summers (The Police.. Circa Zero)
Dan McCafferty (Nazareth)
Arthur Brown (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown)
Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles)
Jesse Colin Young (The Youngbloods)
Darryl Way (Curved Air)  
Don Wilson (The Ventures)
Patrick Moraz (YES.. The Moody Blues)
Jonathan Edwards ("Sunshine")
Al Kooper (The Blues Project.. Blood,Sweat & Tears.. Bob Dylan.. Mike Bloomfield)
Mary Sarah (Country music's newest shining star)
Edgar Winter ("Frankenstein," "Free Ride")
Keith Emerson (The Nice.. Emerson,Lake & Palmer)

Jean-Luc Ponty (Frank Zappa.. Mahavishnu Orchestra.. Jon Anderson)

Randy Bachman  (The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive)

Robin Trower-2014

Trini Lopez ( "If I Had A Hammer," "Lemon Tree")

Barry Hay (Golden Earring)

Ray Thomas (The Moody Blues)

Nikki Lunden & Lora G.(Lunden Rein)-New Group!

Engelbert Humperdinck ("Release Me,"After The Lovin'," "The Last Waltz")

David Clayton-Thomas (Blood,Sweat and Tears)

Dave Edmunds ( "I Hear You Knocking") Rockpile

Bruce Kulick (KISS,Grand Funk Railroad)

 

RADIO INTERVIEWS

Kevin Godley (10 cc)

John Payne (ASIA)

Martin Barre (Jethro Tull)

Geoff Tate (Queensryche)

Vinnie Moore (UFO)

Beth Hart (World-renowned singer and songwriter)

Magic Dick (J.Geils Band) & Shun Ng (International Music Star)

Gary Lucas(Captain Beefheart) & Jann Klose (Prodigious Singer and Songwriter)

Marky Ramone (Dust, Ramones)

Kenny Aaronson (Dust, Stories, Bob Dylan, Rick Derringer, Joan Jett, New York Dolls,Yardbirds)

Jon Anderson (YES, AndersonPonty Band)

Jamie Glaser (AndersonPonty Band)

Ewan Currie (The Sheepdogs)

Miles Copeland III (Legendary Music Mogul)

Ginger Gilmour (David Gilmour’s Ex Wife)

Albert Castiglia (Blues guitarist)

Fee Waybill (The Tubes)

Roger Earl (Legendary drummer for Foghat)

Lucie Arnaz (Singer,dancer,actress,daughter of Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz)

Wally Palmar (Lead singer,songwriter,guitarist for THE ROMANTICS)

Janet Robbins (Ambient Multi-instrumentalist artist and daughter of country music icon Marty Robbins)

Dennis Locorriere (Lead singer,guitarist,songwriter for DR HOOK)

Wally Stocker (Lead guitarist for THE BABYS)

Tony Palmer (Legendary British filmmaker & director)

Doug Aldrich (Guitarist & songwriter DIO,Whitesnake,The Dead Daisies)

Laura & Nikki Lunden(Lunden Reign)

Jesse Colin Young (The Youngbloods)

Ed King (The Strawberry Alarm Clock/Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Rick Roberts (The Flying Burrito Brothers/Firefall)

Rich Little (Legendary impressionist & comedian)

Laura & Nikki Lunden (Lunden Reign)

John Hall (Guitarist,songwriter,singer (Orleans)

Carl Palmer (Legendary drummer for ELP & ASIA)

Bobby Kimball (Singer/songwriter/musicians for TOTO)

Ken Hensley (Multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/singer for Uriah Heep)

Henry Paul (Singer/guitarist/songwriter for The Outlaws)

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. (The 5th Dimension)

Binky Womack (Singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer & nephew of

R&B legend Bobby Womack)

Alan White  (Legendary drummer with 'Y E S')

John Sebastian (Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist w/The Lovin'Spoonful)

Jim Messina (Singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer w/The Buffalo Springfield/Poco/

Loggins & Messina

Frank Marino (Monster guitarist/singer/songwriter w/Mahogany Rush)

Billy Cobham (Legendary drummer/Pioneer of Jazz-Fusion)

Suzi Quatro (Rock and Roll Heroine)

Bobby Caldwell (Legendary drummer and songwriter 'Captain Beyond')

Ray Walker (Legendary bass singer with The Jordanaires)

Peter Asher (Peter & Gordon/Legendary Music Producer)

Todd Rundgren (NAZZ/Utopia/Legendary music artist & producer)

Candice Night (Blackmore's Night)

Roger & Mike Fisher ('HEART')

Ian McDonald (King Crimson/Foreigner)

Malik Shakur (Tupac Shakur's cousin/Talk show host)

Cindy Blackman Santana (Lenny Kravitz/Santana)

Kim Simmons (Savoy Brown)

Nona Hendryx (LABELLE)

Derek Shulman (GENTLE GIANT)

Steve Hunter (Lou Reed/Alice Cooper)

Steve Fossen & Michael Derosier (HEART)

Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky-I Love Lucy/David & The Giants)

Mason Williams ("Classical Gas"/ TV comedy writer)

Chuck Negron (The voice of Three Dog Night)

Alannah Myles ("Black Velvet" queen)

Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge)

Mick Box (Uriah Heep)

Kevin Martin (Candlebox)

Joe Deninzon (Stratospheerius)

Lee Kerslake (Uriah Heep/Ozzy Osbourne)

Melanie Safka (The voice of a generation)

Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals)

Michael Des Barres (Silverhead/Detective/Murdoc from McGyver)

Ivan Browne (The Lemon Pipers "Green Tambourine")

Corey Glover (Living Colour)

Tommy Bolin Tribute w/Joe Vitale & Kenny Passarelli (Joe Walsh/Barnstorm)

Mark Andes (Spirit/Jo Jo Gunne/Heart/Firefall)

Jock Bartley (Firefall)

Rupert Holmes ("Escape -The Pina Colada Song")

Eddie "Devil Boy" Turner (Blues Guitarist)

Prairie Prince (The Tubes/Todd Rundgren)

John McNally (The Searchers)

Stephen Bishop ("On and On", "It Might Be You", "Save It for a Rainy Day")

Bobby Goldsboro (He had a string of pop and country hits in the 1960s and 1970s, including his signature No. 1 hit "Honey")

Elias Soriano (Frontman for Nonpoint)

David Huff (David & The Giants)

Greg X. Volz (PETRA)

John Lodge (The Moody Blues)

Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief)

Sonja Kristina (Curved Air)

Annie Haslam (Renaissance)

Richard Lloyd (Television)

Bob Kulick (KISS session guitarist/producer)

Neal Smith (Alice Cooper legendary drummer)

Doane Perry (Jethro Tull)

Loretta Swit (Actress M*A*S*H)

Paul Nelson (Johnny Winter)

Robert Berry (Keith Emerson/Greg Kihn Band)

Leo Lyons (Ten Years After)

Pat Vegas (Redbone)

Rick Lambert (Empty Trail)

Dr. Neil Ratner MD (Michael Jackson's Physician)

John Mayall (The Bluesbreakers)

Tom Dreesen (Legendary Stand-up Comedian)

Graham Russell (Air Supply)

David Cousins (STRAWBS)

Don Brewer (Grand Funk Railroad)

Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge/Rod Stewart)

Dennis Coffey (The Funk Brothers)

Dave Bickler (Survivor "Eye of the Tiger")

Russell Bizzett (Jose Feliciano)

Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash)

Connie Francis (Legendary Singer)

William King (The Commodores)

Bill Nelson (Be-Bop Deluxe)

Phil Lanzon (URIAH HEEP)

"Jim Dandy" Mangrum (Black Oak Arkansas)

Danny Goldberg (Nirvana's Manager)

Southside Johnny (Asbury Jukes)

Rosalie Cunningham (Prog Rock Singer/Songwriter/Multi-instrumentalist)

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Steely Dan/Doobie Brothers)

Gary Pihl (Sammy Hagar/Alliance/Boston)

Mitch Ryder (The Detroit Wheels)

Bernard Fowler (The Rolling Stones)

Derek "Mo" Moore (NEKTAR)

John Ford Coley (England Dan & John Ford Coley)

Greg Kihn (The Greg Kihn Band)

Peter Beckett (Player)

Dionne Warwick (International Superstar)

Robert "Kool" Bell (Kool & the Gang)

Tony Brock (Rod Stewart & The Babys)

Myles Goodwyn (April Wine)

Dennis Diken (The Smithereens)

Martha Davis (The Motels)

Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot)

David Marks (The Beach Boys)

Jack Russell (Great White)

Don Felder (Eagles)

Dave Pegg (Jethro Tull/Fairport Convention)

Bruce Sudano (Legendary Songwriter/Brooklyn Dreams/Donna Summer)

Bob Catley (Frontman for MAGNUM)

Kenny Kramer (The Real Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld)

Dennis Mackay (Legendary Engineer/Producer)

Steve "Lips"Kudlow (ANVIL)

David Clayton-Thomas (The legendary voice of Blood, Sweat & Tears)

Tom Rush (Master Storyteller)

Mike Finnigan (Legendary studio musician /Jimi Hendrix electric ladyland

Reggie McBride (Stevie Wonder/Rare Earth/Elton John/Tommy Bolin)

Johnnie Bolin (Black Oak Arkansas/Guitar Legend Tommy Bolin Brother)

Bobby Berge (Tommy Bolin/Buddy Miles)

Greg Errico (Original drummer w/Sly & The Family Stone)

Jan Hammer (Mahavishnu Orchestra/Miami Vice Theme)

Andy Tillison (The Tangent)

Mike Pinera (Blues Image/Iron Butterfly/Classic Rock All-Stars)

Chris James (The Burrito Brothers)

Tom Chapin (Singer/Songwriter/Storyteller)

Don Dannemann (The Cyrkle)

Joe Puerta (AMBROSIA)

Lee Oskar (W A R /The LowRider Band)

Kelly Nickels (L.A.Guns)

Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath/DIO/Heaven & Hell/Last in Line

Jimmy Hall (WET WILLIE)

Jonell Mosser(Revered Songstress)

Frank Van Bogaert (Frontman for prog rock group Fish on Friday)

Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane/HOT TUNA

Jerome Mazza (Pinnacle Point)

Neal Smith (Alice Cooper)

Shirley King (Daughter of Blues Legend B.B.King)

Joe Louis Walker (Legendary Electric Blues Guitarist)

Larry McCray (Blues Singer & Guitarist)

Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd legendary drummer)

Rick Wakeman (Legendary keyboardist and composer with 'Y E S ')

Rick Wills (Peter Frampton/Foreigner/David Gilmour/Small Faces/Bad Company

Andy Timmons (Danger Danger)

Rik Emmett (Triumph)

John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orchestra)

John Oates (Hall & Oates)

Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna)

Brian Bromberg (Jazz bassist/Stan Getz)

James Williamson (Iggy & the Stooges)

Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad)

Arpi Alto (Armenian Singing Sensation/Julia Roberts Look-alike)

Marc Urselli (Legendary Producer & Engineer)

Joey Molland (Badfinger)

Albert Bouchard(Blue Oyster Cult)

Rudi Protrudi (The Fuzztones)

Deborah Bonham (Blues/Rock singer/Sister of Zeppelin Legend John Bonham)

Martin Barre (Jethro Tull Guitar Legend)

Arthur Brown (The God of Hellfire)

Matthew Nelson (Nelson)

Kenny Laguna (Producer/Songwriter/Longtime Music Partner w/Joan Jett)

Michael Franklin ( Grammy Award Nominated Producer/Songwriter/Performer)

Jeff Pilson (Dokken/Dio/Foreigner)

Chris Holmes (Metal Guitarist with /W.A.S.P./Mean Man)

Brian Wheat (TESLA)

David Muse (Firefall)

David Ellefson (Megadeth)

George Lynch (Dokken/Lynch Mob)

Danny Zelisko (Legendary concert promoter)

Mike Reno (Loverboy)

Ric Lee (Ten Years After)

Don McLean (Singer/Composer/"American Pie")

Joe Macre (Crack the Sky)

Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers Band/Rolling Stones)

Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad) Special Zoom Interview!

Dar. ra (Indie Rock sensation) Special Zoom Interview

Maria Muldaur ("Midnight at the Oasis")  

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​