Rudy Sarzo Writes Book
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: QR, Whitesnake, Ozzy & Dio writes a book about his days with Ozzy & Randy Rhoads.
Topic: Misc.
Rudy Sarzo's name has long been familiar to fans of '80s-era hard rock and heavy metal. After all, he was a member of Quiet Riot and Whitesnake and currently holds the bass position in Dio. But it was his stint with Ozzy Osbourne from 1981 through 1982 that fans ask him about most, because the late guitarist Randy Rhoads was his band mate.

Wanting to set the record straight about this time period, Sarzo has wriiten a book, "Off the Rails -- My Adventures in the Land of Ozz," which will be released in September via Cherry Lane.

"I kept a diary, like a journal," Sarzo tells Billboard.com, "And I have the details of all those [tour] dates, mainly because my accountant at the time requested that I did. I would keep records of my travels for tax purposes. There's so much misinformation about that period on the Internet. I think somebody probably grabbed an old itinerary, and just went by that as 'These are the dates.' At the time, there were a lot of cancellations and rescheduling, especially after the accident."

That accident remains one of the most tragic in rock history. On March 19th, 1982, Rhoads, then only 25 years old and being heralded as rock's next guitar hero, boarded a small plane piloted by the band's bus driver (while the rest of the band slept on the bus), in Leesburg, Fla. In flight, the plane clipped the bus and crashed into a nearby house, killing Rhoads and two others.

"The spookiest thing looking back at it, I got a chill when I got to March 19th [in the journal and] it's missing," explains Sarzo. "It was like, 'Wow.' Having to go back in my head and walk down those corridors, because a lot of this stuff, it still is hard to talk about it, because people ask me about [it]. Every time I tell the account of what happened that day, I have to relive it. And it's so hard. That's one of the reasons why I wrote it, so I don't have to talk about it anymore, you know what I mean? If you really want to know what happened, just read that chapter, if anything."

But the book does not focus solely on the tragedy, as Sarzo was on the road with Osbourne and Rhoads for a year beforehand. "There was so much joy -- as a matter of fact, it was basically a very joyful journey up until the crash," he says. "Randy meant so much [and] still means so much to everybody, that it changed all our lives. And this book is not only written for Randy but it's also written for the fans. This book is for every single fan that has ever come up to me and asked, 'What was Randy Rhoads really like?' or 'What was it like playing with Ozzy?' I just cannot put it into a couple of sentences. I had to put it into many, many chapters."

The book will also include many candid, previously unseen photos of the band. And while Rhoads only played on a pair of Osbourne studio albums (1980's "Blizzard of Oz" and 1981's "Diary of a Madman"), fans have long wondered if there are any unreleased Rhoads-era gems or demos gathering dust in a vault somewhere.

Sarzo sets the record straight: "No, nothing. Nowadays, everybody carries some kind of recording equipment with them on tour. In those days, we were limited to those little micro-cassettes. Walkmans did not record then, at least the ones that we had -- we're talking 1981/early '82."

source: Greg Prato of Billboard.com

VH & DLR?
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Could Van Halen possibly tour with David Lee Roth in 2007?
Topic: Hair Metal
MelodicRock.com is reporting that Van Halen will likely tour in 2007 with David Lee Roth as frontman.

Citing "information from a highly placed source," the site states that negotiations are currently underway to reunite Van Halen with their original frontman for a tour in 2007 that will take place in America and possibly other territories.

It is not presently clear if Van Halen's upcoming touring plans will include bassist Michael Anthony, who has apparently had a falling out with guitarist Eddie Van Halen.

In a recent appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," Eddie hinted that the bassist slot would be filled by his son Wolfgang, although this has not yet been officially confirmed.

Van Halen last toured in 2004 with Sammy Hagar, but the tour ended on a sour note and Hagar has not talked to Eddie Van Halen since.

$15 mil For Hendrix Sobgs
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: A private bidder has bought the rights for some big Hendrix songs, but the Hendrix family says they own the rights.
Topic: Classic Rock
A private bidder has paid $15 million for the rights to hit songs by U.S. rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix at an auction on Thursday, but a company owned by the musician's family said it will sue to prove it owns the songs.

The rights, title, and interest to songs including "Hey Joe," "Purple Haze," "Voodoo Child," and "Foxy Lady," were sold over the telephone in New York by the estate of Michael Frank Jeffrey, Hendrix's one-time manager.

Hendrix, who was born in Seattle, died in 1970 at the age of 27 in London, after choking on his own vomit. About 600,000 of his albums are still sold annually.

Jeffrey died in a plane crash three years later. Fourteen charities based in the United Kingdom, including the Asthma Research Council, the British Heart Foundation and the Kings College Hospital are the beneficiaries of Jeffrey's estate.

"Whoever bought this bought themselves the right to be a litigant," Bob Merlis, a spokesman for Experience Hendrix told Reuters. The Seattle-based company is owned by members of Hendrix's family. "It will be contested instantly," he added.

Experience Hendrix says it owns all rights to the music, and recordings of the guitarist.

The auctioneer, the auctions division of Chicago-based merchant bank Ocean Tomo, declined to comment on the ownership of rights to the songs.


source: Timothy Gardner of Reuters

Not To Worry Says GN'R Promoter
Mood:  not sure
Now Playing: GN'R gig dates are recieving poor ticket sales, but thats not what is causing the cancellations.
Topic: Hair Metal
Charles Runnells of News-Press.com reports that Guns N' Roses was supposed to begin the Southern leg of its "Chinese Democracy" tour on Oct. 20th in Jacksonville, but that show was rescheduled for Oct. 31st. Then, its Nashville show Sunday was canceled.

But, those changes weren't because of poor ticket sales or singer Axl Rose's mood, said John Stoll, president of West Palm Beach promoter Fantasma Productions Inc.
The head Gunner just got hung up in the recording studio.

"He was putting the finishing touches on the new album," Stoll said. 'But now Axl's in town (in Miami), and he has been rehearsing for two days.'

Guns N' Roses were set to start the Southern tour in Sunrise on Tuesday night.
Because of the Nashville cancellation, the group added another stop in Puerto Rico, Stoll said.

Ticket sales have been strong throughout Florida — the Sunrise show was almost sold out Tuesday morning — but the Estero show has lots of good seats left, said Jeff Hickox, regional marketing manager for Beasley Broadcast Group.

The concert is the centerpiece of K-Rock's 20th-annual Birthday Bash. The radio station is part of the Beasley Group.

Germain Arena is about 60 percent sold out for the show, Hickox said, but the radio station had hoped for more. The arena can hold 8,300 people for concerts.

"Ticket sales aren't what we thought they'd be," Hickox said. Still, Hickox said that isn't unusual. Many big shows don’t sell out until the last minute, and there are always a lot of walk-up sales at the box office the day of the event.

Sebastian Bach Interview
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Sebastian Bach: "You know that episode where I quit drinking? I lied."
Topic: Misc.
The U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine spoke with former Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach. A couple of excerpts from the interview follow:

Metal Hammer: So about that "AIDS Kills Fags Dead" t-shirt you wore in 1989…

Sebastian: "I never usually talk about this but I read so much misinformation about it that I'm gonna set the record straight. I never wore no fucking anti-gay t-shirt to an MTV press conference. It's not true. I wore that shirt once in my life. I came off stage in Irvine Meadows in California after Pantera had opened up for us. When we finished, I was totally hot and sweaty. The guys from L.A. Guns were all backstage, so I said, 'Gimme a fucking shirt to put on.' Gerri Miller from Metal Edge magazine is there asking for a picture of all of us, so I just pick up this hideous fuckin' shirt that some fan had thrown up onto stage and put it on. We all knew it was the worst shirt of all time. It wasn't some campaign that I went on."

Metal Hammer: How did the media react?

Sebastian: "Kurt Loder from MTV, who's gay (and I don't think I'm outing him) got hold of the picture and put in on MTV as a news piece with all the other guys cut out: 'In the land of homophobia, if Axl Rose owns the restaurant and PUBLIC ENEMY are the diners, we have a new bus boy.' It was like I was the anti-Christ. Then Revolver magazine in the States said, 'The most appaling moments in rock: even though Axl Rose got more press, generally Sebastian Bach behaved worse.' Then they said I wore this shirt at a press conference on TV. That's way different to being backstage with L.A. Guns all drunk and shit and sticking this hideous shirt on. It's complete bullshit."

Metal Hammer: Why did Skid Row fire you?

Sebastian: "When it came to the mid-'90s, rock was totally at the bottom of the barrel and Snake [Skid Row guitarist] wanted to change Skid Row's image. He wanted us to cut our fucking hair and shit. [After 'Subhuman Race' in 1996] I spent all this time on the phone calling them, saying, 'Let's fucking do something.' I was fucking bored with the two- or three-year gaps between records. They didn't want me to be a songwriter anymore, so they sent me a demo they'd written and it sucked balls. I called them and said, 'I'm not singing this,' and they said, 'Well, that's a drag, because you're gonna have to quit the band.' So I said, 'I'll never quit this fuckin' band. Let's just go into the basement and write a good album.' So he screams at me and I just put the phone down. Then KISS asked us to open for them in New Jersey on their reunion tour. Rachel [Bolan, bassist] had a side-project with the road crew — the pyrotechs and stuff — called Prunella Scales, and he said he couldn't do the KISS show because he had a gig with his side-project. I lost my fuckin' mind. I rang him up and said, 'Let's fight' and 'I'm gonna kick your ass.' Then I did the same thing to Snake. I just wanted to play with fucking KISS, dude, excuse me!"

Metal Hammer: You made some new friends on the set of VH1 reality show "SuperGroup" — notably giving up drinking under Ted Nugent's wing. Would you ever do another series?

Sebastian: "You know that episode where I said I'd stopped drinking? Well, I lied. Ted is so militant in his views. I lived with him for 12 days and it's hard to imagine ever doing anything that would truly look good in his eyes. Also he said some stuff online about Dimebag which I thought was really not cool. I'm not going to repeat it but you can check it out online. But Scott [Ian, Anthrax guitarist] and Evan [Seinfeld, Biohazard bassist/vocalist] are awesome dudes. I don't know if there'll be another series. I think Scott would be into it and I know I'm well up for it."

JBJ Named Ambassador For Habitat For Humanity
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Misc.
AMERICUS, Ga., Oct. 24 - Rock icon and philanthropist Jon Bon Jovi has been named the first Founding Ambassador of the Habitat for Humanity Ambassador program as part of the international-nonprofit organization's new advocacy outreach initiative.

"From their relief efforts in the wake of the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, to the thousands of houses they construct around the world, Habitat for Humanity builds homes, lives, and dreams," says Jon Bon Jovi. "I've worked with Habitat in partnerships with my football team, The Philadelphia Soul and with my band over the past year. Handing over the keys to the families who have worked to earn them has afforded me some of the proudest, most uplifting moments of my life. As a Habitat for Humanity Ambassador, I now have the opportunity to help this work continue and I encourage others to become involved and share in the rebuilding of their communities as well."

Bon Jovi has been raising awareness with Habitat for Humanity since 2005 when he provided the funds to build six homes in Philadelphia and built the homes alongside the homeowner families, as well as with members of his Philadelphia Soul Arena Football Team. The construction site also served as the video shoot location for his band's chart-topping single, "Who Says You Can't Go Home." In 2006, Bon Jovi made a $1 million donation to build 28 Habitat homes in Louisiana in partnership with low-income families on the hurricane-stricken coast. Earlier this month, Bon Jovi announced a project that will rehabilitate a block of 15 homes in north Philadelphia. Bon Jovi spearheaded the groundbreaking partnership that will join Habitat for Humanity, Project H.O.M.E., Saturn and The Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation.

"We couldn't be more pleased that Jon Bon Jovi has agreed to become the first Habitat for Humanity Ambassador," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "Jon's shining example of advocating on behalf of people around the world who lack decent housing will help call others to action in this effort to eliminate substandard housing. Jon exemplifies qualities that we all aspire to emulate ... he is a leader ... compassionate, articulate and credible. His commitment to our mission is both appreciated and inspiring. As a result of Jon's kindness and generosity, numerous families now have a warm and safe place to call home."

The newly created Habitat for Humanity Ambassadors Program is an advocacy initiative that is a joint effort between Habitat for Humanity International and the entertainment-industry-support organization, Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity. Its goal is to engage celebrities and entertainment industry leaders that can bring heightened awareness to the worldwide-housing crisis and to Habitat's effort in providing safe, decent and affordable shelter.

Ambassadors are chosen to recognize the work that they are already doing on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, and because of their active interest in poverty housing issues and their willingness to serve as influential advocates for affordable and decent housing. Ambassador work may include building with local Habitat affiliates in the United States or in one of the more than 90 countries where Habitat for Humanity builds worldwide. Duties also may include participating in targeted public service announcements and campaigns, using their high visibility and profile to raise funds and awareness for the organization and mobilizing volunteers globally.

Founding Habitat for Humanity Ambassadors will be involved in the Jimmy Carter Work Project 2007 in Los Angeles by participating in building and awareness-raising activities. Habitat's Jimmy Carter Work Project 2007 will kick off with a gala luncheon in March in Los Angeles honoring President Carter for his lifelong Humanitarian efforts.

About Jon Bon Jovi

Musician, singer, songwriter and actor, Jon Bon Jovi is most recognizable as the voice for the band Bon Jovi. Since the group's formation in the early 1980s, Bon Jovi has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and at more than 2,700 shows in 47 countries more than 32 million fans have seen Bon Jovi in concert.

The band's latest album, Have a Nice Day, includes the smash hit "Who Says You Can't Go Home," which made history as Bon Jovi became the first rock band ever to have a No. 1 hit on the country chart. The tour that followed was one of the top grossing tours of 2005-2006, playing to more than 2 million concert-goers worldwide.

As the co-owner of the AFL's Philadelphia Soul, Jon Bon Jovi introduced a new model of sports ownership. From the inception of the franchise, the mission was to use the team to give back to the local community. Heading into their fourth season, the Philadelphia Soul organization has given away $2 million to local causes.

Bon Jovi's charitable works focus on the issue of homelessness and include the creation of the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation; the launch of a limited edition outerwear collection with Kenneth Cole New York (with proceeds benefiting HELP USA); partnering with Project H.O.M.E. in Philadelphia; and a sustained partnership with Habitat for Humanity that has thus far provided 49 families with a place to call home. For more information visit http://www.bonjovi.com and http://www.philadelphiasoul.com.

Courtesy of www.prnewswire.com

Supernova Seeks New Bassist
Mood:  blue
Now Playing: Tommy Lee's Supernova seeks to replace an injured Jason Newstead by the start of thier tour.
Topic: Modern
VANCOUVER -- Tommy Lee's supergroup Rock Star Supernova is back on the hunt for a star performer.

Bassist Jason Newsted has been sidelined by injuries to his left shoulder, right bicep and right rotator cuff, the band said Wednesday in a release posted on its website. The former Metallica member, who was injured trying to catch a 40-kilogram piece of equipment that had fallen from atop of his amp, is scheduled for immediate surgery and a rehab schedule that could last up to nine months.

That has the band - also made up of ex-Guns N' Roses member Gilby Clarke and Canadian front man Lukas Rossi - scouring for a new bassist in time for their inaugural tour beginning New Year's Eve in Las Vegas, says Lee.

"We've got a few monster guys in mind, any one of which can hit the ground running. Stay tuned," Lee says on the website.

The blow comes a little over a month after the band selected Toronto's Rossi to helm the so-called supergroup.

Rossi beat out 25,000 other entrants in the summer TV reality show "Rock Star: Supernova".

He and Clarke will make their first Canadian appearance together as the featured musical guests at the Gemini Awards on Nov. 4.

The 60-minute televised show will also feature presenters including "Lost" star Evangeline Lilly, "Corner Gas" funny man Brent Butt, former "Da Vinci's Inquest" star Nicholas Campbell, and "X-Men" star Shawn Ashmore.

Next year, the band Rock Star: Supernova will visit 27 cities including Montreal on Jan. 23, Toronto on Jan. 24 and Vancouver on Feb. 19. Their debut album is scheduled to be released Nov. 21.

Courtesy of www.ctv.ca

Can Someone Say
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: Black Sabbath troubles.
Topic: Hard Rock

 On October 25, reuters.com released this statement about a so-called Black Sabbath reuinion:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ozzy Osbourne's bandmates in heavy metal group Black Sabbath have reunited without the singer for a planned tour early near year, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The threesome have joined forces with vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who sang in the band during two stints in the 1980s and 1990s after Osbourne was ousted for his prodigious drug abuse, but will bill themselves as "Heaven and Hell."

Lest anyone think that Osbourne has been ostracized again, representatives for the so-called "Prince of Darkness" issued a separate statement, announcing "there is only one Black Sabbath," and that he would join forces with his old Birmingham buddies for a tour and new album late next year.

Original Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and Dio "are working on a project together which has nothing to do with Black Sabbath," the statement said. "However, Ozzy wishes Tony and Ronnie much success in their project together."

The members of Heaven and Hell -- Dio, Iommi, bass player Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward -- were not available for comment. The group's spokeswoman said Dio and Iommi were in England writing songs together.

The combo takes its name from the first album Dio recorded with Black Sabbath in 1980. This lineup recorded another studio album in 1981 and a live album in 1982, after which Dio quit. He reportedly complained there were not enough photos of him in the live album artwork, while Iommi reportedly referred to the diminutive head-banger as a "little Hitler."

After a stint at the helm of a successful 1980s metal band bearing his last name, Dio briefly rejoined Black Sabbath a decade later, by which time Iommi was the only original member left and the group had lost most of its fans.

The founding foursome, famed for such jarring metal anthems as "Paranoid" and "War Pigs," buried their various hatchets in the mid-1990s for a successful series of tours, although plans for a new album never came to fruition. After years of being snubbed, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Osbourne concurrently found mainstream notoriety as a reality TV star, thanks to his role as the perpetually confused paterfamilias in MTV's "The Osbournes."

Courtesy of www.reuters.com

And to combat with the statement, Ozzy released this on his Ozzfest website:

Europe Announces Tour Dates
Now Playing: Europe's 2007 European tour announced.
16 January 2007 SPAIN, Granada, Plaza de Toros de Atarfe
17 January 2007 SPA, Madrid, La Riviera
19 January 2007 SPA, Barcelona, Razzmatazz
20 January 2007 SPA, Bilbao, Rock Star
22 January 2007 SWI, Zurich, Volkshaus
23 January 2007 ITA, Milan, Alcatraz
24 January 2007 ITA, Rome, Tendastrice
26 January 2007 ITA, Modena, Vox
27 January 2007 AUSTRIA, Innsbruck, Hafen
29 January 2007 AUSTRIA, Graz, Orpheum
30 January 2007 AUSTRIA, Vienna, Arena
2 February 2007 GER, Stuttgart, Longhorn KLA
3 February 2007 GER, Munich, Backstage Werk
4 February 2007 GER, Nuremberg, Hirsch
6 February 2007 GER, Hamburg, Fabrik
7 February 2007 GER, Bochum, Matrix
10 February 2007 UK, Newcastle, Academy
11 February 2007 UK, Glasgow, Academy
13 February 2007 UK, Bristol, Academy
14 February 2007 UK, London, Shepherds Bush Empire
15 February 2007 UK, Birmingham, Academy

Finally on-line through the bands own shop, on their own site you can now buy the first single "Always the pretenders" in two different versions directly from the band!

The bands site has now been officially KlickTracked which is a system which accounts directly to the band without any middle men and provides consumer friendly MP3s without any obstacles.

Courtesy of www.europetheband.com

Ex-Runaways Drummer Dies After Battle With Cancer
Mood:  don't ask
Now Playing: RUNAWAYS' DRUMMER SANDY WEST PASSES AWAY
Topic: Classic Rock

October 22, 2006

Sandy West, drummer for the influential 70s band The Runaways, died today after a long battle with lung cancer.

She left an indelible mark on rock music as a founding member of The Runaways, which featured fellow rockers Joan Jett, Lita Ford and Cherie Currie, and as a leading inspiration for a number of notable musicians, both male and female. Many young musicians can trace their inspiration directly to the first time they heard "Cherry Bomb."

The Runaways toured the world several times, often headlining with opening acts like Tom Petty and Cheap Trick. Their discography includes over 60 albums, singles, bootlegs and compilations. Their music has been included in dozens of rock and punk collections, has appeared in several feature films including Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway and Detroit Rock City, and has been covered by numerous bands, from The Street Walkin' Cheetahs to Guns 'N' Roses. They were nominated for the Hollywood Rock Walk, and bootlegs of Runaways performances are still highly prized amongst rock and roll collectors around the world.

After the band broke up, Ms. West continued to perform as a drummer, guitarist and vocalist with The Sandy West Band. As a solo artist she recorded a highly collectible EP CD and numerous videos, and continued to enjoy the adoration of a dedicated cult following.

She will be remembered by more than one generation of fans as a strong part of their musical landscape, but her impact was felt far outside of the music industry as a loyal friend, loving confidante and strong defender of those she loved most. Her strength as a player, passion as a person, and dedication as a friend will be remembered always by friends, fans and fellow musicians alike.

Runaways vocalist and life-long friend, Cherie Currie had this to say, "Sandy West was by far, the greatest female drummer in the history of rock and roll. No one could compete or even come close to her, but the most important was her heart. Sandy West loved her fans, her friends and family almost to a fault. She would do absolutely anything for the people she loved. It will never be the same for me again to step on a stage, because Sandy West was the best and I will miss her forever."

Courtesy of www.therunaways.com

From www.sleazeroxx.com