Elwood Francis has been part of the ZZ Top crew since the early 90s, working as their guitar tech. He had previously worked with names like Black Crowes, Guns N' Roses and Aerosmith, but it was in 2021 that he was really presented to the main audience. ZZ Top had the same line-up 51 years, being formed by the drummer Frank Beard, the guitarist and singer Billy Gibbons and the bassist and singer Dusty Hill. When Hill got sick in 2021 and had to step out of the band for a while, they asked Elwood to be his replacement temporarily but sadly Dusty passed away sometime later at the age of 72. So the band decided to continue making Elwood his permanent replacement. In an interview with Guitar World, the bassist and guitar tech said that is still weird to be in the band and he says he will never feel like he is part of the band. ZZ Top's bassist says still feels weird to be in the band "When I first started doing it, Dusty was just sick and going home for a few weeks. It was entirely different; I was just helping out." "I didn't have to worry about the weight of the crown because I was just helping. They pulled me aside and said, 'Can you honestly say you can't play his parts?' I said, 'I can do it, but I don't think people would enjoy me doing it.' They said, 'You can cover him for a few weeks.'" He continued: "We'd done some gigs when Dusty passed, and by that time, I wouldn't say I was comfortable because I'm still not fucking comfortable. But I had a piece of paper on the riser for the first two shows if I got in trouble, and by the third show, I got rid of that, and just did the show." "It's just weird. Dusty is their bass player. I'm not the bass player. I'm not in the band. I'll never be in the band. I shouldn't be in the band. It's Dusty's thing. Sure, I'll still play with them, but it's a weird thing, man," Elwood Francis said. One of the most famous power trios in Rock and Roll, ZZ Top was formed in the last days of 1969 in Houston, Texas by Billy Gibbons (Guitar and vocals), Dusty Hill (Bass and vocals) and Frank Beard (Drums). The group released many acclaimed albums in the 70s but really gained a huge exposure with their 1983 album “Eliminator”. That record had tracks like “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs”. The music videos made for those songs were played constantly on MTV and really became part of pop culture, helping to define their image since at the time Dusty and Gibbons already had long beards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJHSv8OfffU&pp=ygULenogdG9wIDIwMjQ%3D The post ZZ Top’s bassist says still feels weird to be in the band appeared first on Rock And Roll Garage.

Sammy Hagar will start in July the "Best of All Worlds" tour that will be focused on the Van Halen catalog but also feature songs from his solo career. His band will be formed by Joe Satriani (Guitar), Michael Anthony (Bass), Jason Bonham (Drums) and Rai Thistlethwayte (Guitar, keyboards and backing vocals). In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, the musician said that he and Anthony tried to talk with Alex before they announced the tour, letting him know that they would do this and inviting him to be part of at least one show. However, as Hagar said, they had no response even though they tried to contact him in every possible way. The musician who doesn't talk to the press and lives away from the spotlight since Van Halen's final tour recently announced that he is selling all his gear. Sammy Hagar says Alex Van Halen didn't return his calls "Mike and I reached out to Alex before we did this. We reached out to him a dozen times before this tour, in every way. E-mail, text message, phone call, message on the machine, okay? No response. No response. I mean, we made every offer to get together or to just talk or to have breakfast, lunch or dinner." "Go to the studio and play. Come to my house or I'll come to your house. Go ride horses, go sit on the beach. What do you want to do? Let's just do something. Let's get together. And nothing. When the tour came, the first person we called and left all of the messages, sent all of emails, it was Alex Van Halen. Mike and I said, 'We're wanting to do this thing.' Alex's famous line to me (decades ago) [was], 'Sammy, we ain't getting any younger.'" He continued: "Mike and I said, 'Alex, we ain't getting any younger. We're going out and playing for the people. We're going to go honor the Van Halen catalog. Let's just get together and let's talk about it. Mike and I, we're going out, we're going to do this, Alex. Please join us. Let’s be friends, let's bury the hatchet, whatever.’ There was no response." "I was saying, 'He'll come to a show, he's got to in L.A. or something. I'm sure he'll come.' But no, no, he sold all of his equipment. That was his statement. That was like, 'Nah, I ain't coming nowhere,'" Sammy Hagar said. After Eddie Van Halen's passing back in 2020 at the age of 65 there was a lot of speculation about a possible reunion of the band to play a tribute show in his honor. However, that show never happened and according to Eddie's son Wolfgang there was someone who was making things difficult, who would be David Lee Roth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugdr6godJr4&pp=ygUVc2FtbXkgaGFnYXIgcmVoZWFyc2FsThe post Sammy Hagar says Alex Van Halen didn’t return his calls appeared first on Rock And Roll Garage.

The guitarist and singer Ted Nugent is certainly one of the most influential musicians of his generation and he was part of the new Cactus tribute album "Temple of Blues: Influences & Friends". In an interview with Indiepower TV (Transcribed by Ultimate Guitar) to promote the new record the musician praised the band and revealed which is the best guitarist in the world, in his opinion. The best guitarist in the world according to Ted Nugent "(...) I think obviously, if you and I are here to talk about Carmine Appice and the incredible Cactus music, Jim McCarty, my dear friend and my musical hero, the greatest guitar player in the world... Somebody write that down! And Rusty Day, the singer of The Amboy Dukes (who also sang for Cactus). So, the excitement level was just immeasurable," Ted Nugent said. McCarty appears on the new Cactus album which has many special guests. Some of them are Joe Bonamassa, Billy Sheehan, Bob Daisley, Dee Snider, Warren Haynes, Steve Stevens, Rudy Sarzo, Doug Aldrich and more. Born in Detroit, Michigan back in 1945, the guitarist Jim McCarty was a member of Cactus for a few short periods over the decades but was the one who played on their three first classic albums released in the early 70s and on the 2006 record "Cactus V". Besides being a member of Cactus, McCarty also played with Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, Buddy Miles Express, The Rockets and The Detroit Blues Band. "Temple of Blues: Influences & Friends" tracklist Parchman Farm feat. Joe Bonamassa & Billy Sheehan Bro. Bill feat. Randy Jackson, Randy Pratt & Bob Daisley Guiltless Glider feat. Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal & Phil Soussan Evil feat. Dee Snider & Dug Pinnick One Way...Or Another feat. Dug Pinnick & Ted Nugent Alaska feat. Johnny A. & Tony Franklin No Need To Worry feat. Warren Haynes & Jorgen Carlsson Oleo feat. Steve Stevens & Billy Sheehan Big Mama Boogie feat. Pat Travers & James Caputo You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover| Rock N' Roll Children feat. Britt Lightning, Vernon Reid & Rudy Sarzo Let Me Swim feat. Doug Aldrich & Marco Mendoza Restrictions feat. Ty Tabor & Phil Soussan Long Tall Sally feat. Mark Stein & Fernando Perdomo Bonus Track 15. Guiltless Glider feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCpT16QSEJ0The post The best guitarist in the world according to Ted Nugent appeared first on Rock And Roll Garage.

Born in Washington, D.C. back in 1962, the guitarist Marty Friedman joined Megadeth in 1990 and being part of their most succcessful albums like "Rust In Piece" (1990) and "Countdown To Extinction" (1992). Before leaving the band in 2000 he still recorded the albums "Youthanasia" (1994), "Cryptic Writings" (1997) and "Risk" (1999). But his career could have been quite different since in the same week he auditioned for Megadeth he also would audition to be the guitarist of the Popstar Madonna. He recalled that in an interview with Gustavo Maiato (Transcribed by Ultimate Guitar). Marty Friedman recalls he could have been Madonna's guitarist "I was very homeless, actually. I was homeless, and I was living with two girls that I didn't even know who they were really. They just let me live with them. I had no money and no food, and I was trying to find work, and I heard about an audition for Madonna." "It was an open call, which means they set up a day, and you book a time to show up at the audition, and maybe 20-30 other guys go at the same time. I had learned a bunch of Madonna songs and planned to do the audition, but the very same week, I got an audition for the band Megadeth." He continued: "The Megadeth audition was on a Tuesday, Madonna was on a Friday, and so I did Megadeth first, and things worked out very well right then, so I didn't have to go to the actual Madonna audition." "It was just lucky, because I think I enjoyed Megadeth much more than Madonna, to be honest with you," Marty Friedman said. Friedman released his first solo album on the Japanese label Avex Trax in 2006 and since then had released 12 records with them. He lives in Japan and achieved fame as a solo artist there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUGIocJK9Tc&pp=ygUJaGFuZ2FyIDE4The post Marty Friedman recalls he could have been Madonna’s guitarist appeared first on Rock And Roll Garage.

This man doesn't want to admit that there has been a massive problem....

Hahahhahahahhahahahhahahahhahaha just goes to show how friggin OUT OF TOUCH these celebrity fuckers are!!! He's 80 though and good on him for still doing concerts!!! After all the drugs he's done just how is this old bastard still alive?

“Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds shared a fascinating take on anxiety and parenting in an interview he did with Hugh Jackman for PEOPLE. He believes that instead of making it harder to be a parent, it’s made him more compassionate and present in the lives of his children.Reynolds and actor Blake Lively have 4 children: James, 9, Inez, 7, and Betty, 4. They welcomed a fourth child in 2023, whose name and gender haven’t been revealed. Back in 2022, he told CBS News he had struggled with anxiety “my whole life.” “Oh mate, you’ve been pretty open with your anxiety struggles, which I really applaud you for,” Jackman told Reynolds in the PEOPLE interview. “Do you find being a dad makes it better or worse?”Reynolds said it makes him a better parent because he can relate to their anxious moments and respond compassionately.“Now I love that I have anxiety, I love that I’ve had anxiety,” Reynolds said. “Because when I see my kids experiencing some of that—which is probably genetic—I know how to address it in a way that is compassionate, that actually allows them to feel seen in that anxiety. I know that I can’t just fix it. And I can communicate all that stuff to them and with them. So, I’m always kinda grateful for it.” Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman Interview Each Other | PEOPLE youtu.be He also said that parents need to share not just their wins but also their losses in life.“I think Sean Levy actually told me something that stuck with me forever; its that people only talk about their wins, but I think it's really important for your kids in particular to know that you lose,” he shared. “You don’t get what you want all the time; something you worked on really hard didn’t work; you said something embarrassing today; you did something that didn’t sit right with you. It’s so important that they see that and they don’t just hear about ‘Oh dad nailed it,’ because you lose so much more than you win.”For Reynolds, parenting is all about teaching through example."Part of it is that I have three daughters at home and part of my job as a parent is to model behaviors and model what it's like to be sad and model what it's like to be anxious or angry. That there's space for all these things," he told PEOPLE in 2021. "The home that I grew in, that wasn't modeled for me really. And that's not to say that my parents were neglectful, but they come from a different generation."Back in 2023, Reynolds talked publicly about his struggles with anxiety, saying that now and then, he feels like he’s spinning “out of control.” He added that he uses meditation to “take time” for himself. Reynolds’ story shows that even though he has anxiety, he's turned it into a positive by using his struggles to enrich the lives of others. The pain of anxiety has taught him a valuable lesson in compassion that he can pass on to his children.