MY BROTHER MARVIN AT THE FISHER THEATER

SHOW/TICKET INFORMATION

The musical genius of Marvin Gaye is undisputedly documented in the annals of music history with his continual string of number one and top ten hits, unforgettable duets and larger than life persona. No doubt, from his auspicious introduction to music at an early age until his premature and untimely death at the age of 45, one fact remained undeniably true—Marvin was the voice of his generation. But, what about the man?

What about the influences and people who shaped Marvin, those forces which destroyed Marvin, those who loved Marvin and the family who now carries on the legacy of Marvin? What about that story, the real story, the true story of the marvelous Marvin Gaye! The world knows his music, but they don't know the man behind the music.

In this shocking and spellbinding new version of 'My Brother Marvin', audiences will experience the most candid and revealing story of life with this musical icon that has NEVER been told. Based on the first-hand accounts of Marvin's sister Zeola Gaye, 'My Brother Marvin' pushes the envelope by revealing Marvin's internal battles, greatest fears and most salacious family secrets.

Action-packed and inspirational, 'My Brother Marvin' brilliantly unfolds on stage as it highlights not the music, but the MIND of Marvin Gaye; even revealing the heart of his mother, the only person who actually witnessed his untimely death. It was believed that she took her secrets to her grave, until the recent discovery of her hidden journals, in which she writes candidly about her husband, her family and of course her superstar son.

Starring Emmy Award winning actress Lynn Whitfield; Image Award winning actor Clifton Powell; R&B sensation Keith Washington; vocal powerhouse Tony Grant and platinum selling R&B Group Az Yet, 'My Brother Marvin' will grip your soul as it takes you on a riveting ride through the life and times of one of the most intriguing and mysterious musical legends the world has ever known.

THE TORPEDOS: NO REFILLS.....I LOVE THIS!!!

 Interview Excerpt from Ricky (Rat) Philips

Guitarist Robert Gillespie kicks back and pours another vodka, playing the charming host in his sprawling Pleasant Ridge home. It’s a spacious rock ’n’ roll mansion of sorts — guitars, books and records are scattered amid leopard-print rugs and throw pillows. The basement is jammed with musical gear, ready for impromptu drunken jams.

Gillespie has a casual star quality. He plays in the super-group Power Train as well as with Mitch Ryder (since 1983).

Today, however, he’s talking about his “favorite band.” They were called the Torpedos, they were full-on Motown rock ’n’ roll punks, and they debuted in October 1978 at the infamous Bookies 870 club in Detroit.

“Nobody liked us at first,” says Gillespie as he pops in a 1981 video of a Torpedos performance at Harpo’s. He apologizes in advance, saying the tape had no sound. But once it begins playing, it’s obvious that the sound has been mysteriously restored.

Perhaps it’s the work of the spirit of vocalist Johnny Angelos, who is front and center on the video. Angelos, the gangster R&B punk, doesn’t just look out from the screen, he jumps and screams out at you. He sounds cocky and cool and he looks fantastic.

He would be dead in three years.

Even though the Torpedos released just one single and an EP, both on Brian Williams’ Four Winds Records, which both sold more than 1,000 copies, they left an indelible mark. Thanks to Mike Leshkevich and his homegrown Motor City Music label, the Torpedos can be experienced fresh and new with the release of the band’s first-ever CD, No Refills.


Gillespie and Angelos formed the Torpedos in October 1978, fusing their love of classic Motown soul and blues with elements of Heartbreakers and Sex Pistols punk. Gillespie says the Torpedos stood out from an emerging pack of new bands because “we had killer songs and a excellent front man in Johnny, who was like Rod Stewart, but more deviant.”


He recalls meeting Angelos “in 1969 down on Plum Street at the Red Roach coffee house when I was 14 years old.”

Read more here

SHARI LEWIS AND LAMBCHOP...

Entertainer. Ventriloquist and Puppeteer, Shari Lewis was born Phyllis Hurwitz in New York City. Through the encouragement of both of her parents, Shari began performing at the age of thirteen. She had lessons in acrobatics, juggling, piano, violin and ventriloquism. She attended New York's High School of Music and Art and the American School of Ballet. She attended Columbia University for one year, then left to become a performer.

As a result of a short marriage to Stan Lewis she took her stage name. In 1952, Lewis won first prize on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. In 1956 she and Lamb Chop appeared on Captain Kangaroo. In 1960 she had her own television program Fact 'n' Fun.

Then came The Shari Lewis Show, which introduced Hush Puppy and Charlie Horse. Lewis also authored over 30 books for children. Sherry Louis used to joke that at five feet tall she was barely the size of an 11-year-old, not much bigger than most of the kids she entertained.

 
She and her second husband, Jeremy Tarcher, wrote an episode of Star Trek titled "The Lights of Zetar". When the Public Broadcasting System approached her about a television show, after being off the air for two decades, she created Lamp Chop's Play-Along. Among her awards are twelve Emmy Awards, seven Parent's Choice Awards, a Peabody Award (1960), the Silver Circle Award of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (1996), the Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence (1996), the New York Film and Video Festival Silver Award (1995) and the Kennedy Center annual award for excellence (1983).

 my Lambchop puppet....

Shari was married to Jeremy Tarcher from 1958 to the time of her death in 1998 of pneumonia while being treated at Cedars-Sinai Hospital for uterine cancer. (bio by: Paul G. Healy)

KAREN ANN HUNTER'S TRICKED UP CLOTHING!

Tonight we have a HUGE treat!! Karen Ann Hunter has sent us a story on her work with Rock clothing! How cool for Steve Hunter to have married such a multi talented woman!!! She blogs, writes, sings, sews, makes videos, photographs and more........you go girl!!!

FROM KAREN HUNTER....

It seems my artistic streak is getting stretched more and more each year. This year I am adding fabric and beads to suits and hats for Steve and also plan to make part of my blog 'Thoughts From Huntersville' into a hard cover book called 'Diary Of A Tour & More'.

My latest sewing venture started with a black beaded Kofi style hat I made for Steve when he toured Germany with Mitch Ryder back in 2005. I have now made and beaded three hats for him and I am just about to start a blue one for our good friend Jason Becker.

When Steve was told he could not wear anything black on a 3D video shoot with the original Alice Cooper Group in 2010 we knew we would all have to get creative.

Rock musicians always wear black right? Well not this time, it seems black does not show up on 3D images.

Steve had a red suit he had purchased years ago, a zoot suit with wide pants and a flowing easy style so we decided it would be perfect for the filming and what fun it would be to ‘trick it up’….. says Steve.
 
I admit I was reluctant to attempt the appliqué effect on the jacket of the suit but Steve was convinced it would work so eventually I had a go and was very happy with the result.

I had some old bits of fabric in my workroom, well that is an under statement really, I have many plastic bins full of fabric. Like a squirrel collects nuts I collect fabric and findings.

Steve was photographed by Ross Halfin in the red suit suit during the 3D filming and we used that shot as the basis of his new website. www.stevehunter.com

Fast forward to this year and we are gearing up for the release of Steve’s new album ‘The Manhattan Blues Project’. This is definitely the bluesiest album he has ever done, his love of the blues shines through on every track but in his unique way. He is very proud of his 'rock' work over the last 40 years but has always regarded himself as a blues guitarist and hopes his fans will be happy with this change of emphasis.

With that in mind he wants a cool, Django Reinhardt crossed with Stevie Ray Vaughan look for this record so we found some more suits and away I went with beads, fabric and even crystals!

I love it that each project is so different, each suit is a new canvas and will spark a new idea for ‘tricking up’, a combination of its color and it’s style. Also, each suit or hat is a fairly short lived exercise, usually a couple of weeks at most which is perfect for my poor attention span.

 
I now have a template for the most commonly used jacket collars but if that does not work I simply unroll a bit more black felt, lay that on the collar and cut out a pattern till I think it will work.

Each template is at least ¾ of an inch bigger than the collar or the pocket so that I can fold it under as I hand sew the fabric to the jacket. The hand sewing is my favorite bit, I find that and beading very relaxing and therapeutic. Doing these things makes me sit in one place for a while so that is always a good thing.

I have gathered quite an array of beads and findings now but like some women with shoes, I can never have enough.

 
Steve wore two of the newly ‘tricked up’ suits to the NAMM convention in Anaheim last week and he got more complements than he can remember getting for anything he has ever worn.

Hence ‘Tricked Up Clothing’ is born; I will work on a suit jacket or a hat for anyone who is looking for something completely unique. I will listen for what they like in colors and how flamboyant they would like to be. But my motivation has to be whatever sparks my own imagination. Of course the more work the higher the price tag. But being individual is a rare and precious thing these days.

A 'tricked up' hat would start at around $300 and a jacket at $800 depending on the amount work, fabric, beads or crystals involved. As a guide, the beading and work on the Khaki colored suit Steve has would be about $1000. This does not include the jacket itself, that will belong to the person who wants to change it up a gear and make it something very special indeed.

BROKEN DAY MACHINE OPENS FOR BILLY THE KID MARCH 22

Billy the Kid will be making her first ever stop in Michigan and we are thrilled to be a part of the show! Broken Day Machine will be performing Crossroads in it's entirety as well as a couple new tunes all acoustic!

BILLY JOEL SURPRISES BAND IN DANIA BEACH FLORIDA

Billy Joel

Imagine attending an outdoor event in your town, looking up, and noticing the guy playing keyboards in the band that's entertaining the crowd is Billy Joel. Well, that's exactly what happened over the weekend in Dania Beach, Florida, during a vintage motorcycle show in the city.

Billy Joel

According to the Miami Herald, Joel, a massive motorcycle fan and collector, turned up at the show on Saturday. Clare Frost, the event organizer, tells the paper, "He walked through the crowd without people really knowing who he was and looked at the over 230 vintage bikes on display and talked to a few of our vendors." Then, says the organizer, he walked up to the band, and asked the lead singer if he could jam with them.

A fan captured Joel on his Iphone...

"Only about 25 [fans] were around them at first but I guess with Facebook, about 100 more showed up," continued Frost, adding, "When he got off the stage after about three songs, he signed autographs and had pictures taken. He then got about halfway across the field, got lost in the crowd, got on [his] bike...and left."

As for why the Piano Man was in Dania Beach to begin with, it's about half an hour away from Miami, where he owns a home.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

JOE WALSH JOINS BOB SEGER ON 2013 TOUR

Bob Seger

 

Bob Seger has announced that he and his Silver Bullet Band will be joined a very special guest at several of their forthcoming North American tour dates. Joe Walsh will open the last four concerts on the Michigan rockers' current itinerary.

The Eagles guitarist will be on hand for shows on March 27 in Vancouver, Canada; March 29 in Tacoma, Washington; March 30 in Portland, Oregon; and April 2 in Denver. In addition, Seger and company recently added a second performance in Toledo, Ohio, that will take place on March 1. The trek kicks off in the same city on February 27.

 Joe Walsh

As previously reported, Seger and the Silver Bullet Band will co-headline a pair of concerts with Kid Rock and his group, Twisted Brown Trucker Band, during the upcoming tour. The shows are scheduled for March 15 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and March 16 in Fargo, North Dakota.