The Queen co-founder and guitarist Brian May is certainly one of the most influential musicians of all time not only for his songwriting contribution to music but also for unique guitar tone and playing. He simply built his own guitar, the "Red Special", with his late father when he was a young kid and plays the instrument using a coin instead of a pick. Those characteristics combined with his talent makes May a unique guitarist. Over the decades he talked about many of his peers and even said who was, in his opinion, a guitarist who is incomparable. The guitarist that Brian May said is incomparable Brian May was elected back in 2020 by the readers of Total Guitar magazine the best guitarist of all time. Although he was happy about that, the Queen member talked about many other guitarists who in his opinion should be above him in the poll. One of them was his late friend, the legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen. In his opinion, the Dutch guitarist was incomparable. "Eddie is incomparable. He stands there as one of the pillars of the development of electric guitar technique. He’s a wonderful guy. And you know, it’s funny, during lockdown, you start to look at your life again. One of my regrets is that certain people, I think, I’ve let slip away." “I haven’t talked to Eddie for a long time and I really regret that. I’d like to change that because he’s a fantastic guy, not just a great performer but an incredible spirit. The spirit, it’s blinding, and again, you could never get fed up of listening to that." He continued: “Eddie can pick up any guitar and I remember this from the Star Fleet Project sessions. It doesn’t matter what guitar it is, he will make it sound like him! I watched him pick up a bass when we were doing a demo and he made that sound like Eddie Van Halen. It’s just astounding what he can do with those fingers,” Brian May said. As mentioned by May, the "Star Fleet Project" was a solo EP released by him with many special guests, including Eddie, back in 1983. It had only three songs and besides May and Eddie, also played on the EP Phil Chen, Alan Gratzer, Fred Mandel and Roger Taylor. May was shocked when he first heard Eddie Van Halen playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lC54X5Gc1Q&pp=ygUZZWRkaWUgdmFuIGhhbGVuIGJyaWFuIG1heQ%3D%3D Eddie Van Halen passed away in 2020 at the age of 65 and shortly after that Brian May talked in an interview with BBC Radio 1 about him. He said he was shocked the first time he saw the Dutch guitarist playing and that there was nothing so shocking since Hendrix. “There hadn’t been anything so shocking since Jimi Hendrix. I saw Van Halen support Black Sabbath. Tony Iommi was a very good friend, even by that time and the pair of us watched Eddie Van Halen do his stuff. We shook our heads and kind of went, ‘Whoa!’ [Chuckles]” “It was just glorious, almost too glorious to take in. To see this guy romping around a guitar like a kitten, you know. Just running and taking it to places undreamed of. I love his playing – I always will.” Brian May also lamented Eddie's passing, saying: “(I am) Completely gutted to hear the sad news. This wonderful man was way too young to be taken. What a talent, what a legacy. Probably the most original and dazzling rock guitarist in History." “I think of him as a boy, an innocent prodigy. Always full of joy, always modest and those truly magical fingers opened a door to a new kind of playing. I treasure the moments we shared. His passing leaves a giant hole in my heart. RIP Ed Van Halen,” Brian May said.The post The guitarist that Brian May said is incomparable appeared first on Rock And Roll Garage.

A new study shows something that we already knew: that Covid deaths were over-reported during the pandemic and that the Covid vaccine did not have any apparent benefit in slowing or stopping the pandemic. The authors studied 125 countries and their vaccination programs and and found "no systematic or statistically significant trends showing that vaccination campaigns in 2020 and 2021 reduced all-cause mortality."

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Have you seen anyone with a semicolon tattoo like the one above?If not, you may not be looking close enough. They're popping up......everywhere.That's right: the semicolon. It's a tattoo that has gained popularity in recent years, but unlike other random or mystifying trends, this one has a serious meaning behind it. (And no, it's not just the mark of a really committed grammar nerd.)The semicolon tattoo represents mental health struggles and the importance of suicide prevention.Project Semicolon was born from a social media movement in 2013.They describe themselves as a "movement dedicated to presenting hope and love to those who are struggling with depression, suicide, addiction, and self-injury. Project Semicolon exists to encourage, love, and inspire."But why a semicolon?"A semicolon is used when an author could've chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life."Originally created as a day where people were encouraged to draw a semicolon on their bodies and photograph it, it quickly grew into something greater and more permanent. Today, people all over the world are tattooing the mark as a reminder of their struggle, victory, and survival.I spoke with Jenn Brown and Jeremy Jaramillo of The Semicolon Tattoo Project, an organization inspired by the semicolon movement. Along with some friends, Jenn and Jeremy saw an opportunity to both help the community and reduce the stigma around mental illness.In 2012, over 43 million Americans dealt with a mental illness. Mental illness is not uncommon, yet there is a stigma around it that prevents a lot of people from talking about it — and that's a barrier to getting help.More conversations that lead to less stigma? Yes please."[The tattoo] is a conversation starter," explains Jenn. "People ask what it is and we get to tell them the purpose.""I think if you see someone's tattoo that you're interested in, that's fair game to start a conversation with someone you don't know," adds Jeremy. "It provides a great opportunity to talk. Tattoos are interesting — marks we put on our bodies that are important to us."In 2014, The Semicolon Tattoo Project held an event at several tattoo shops where people could get a semicolon tattoo for a flat rate. "That money was a fundraiser for our crisis center," said Jenn. In total, over 400 people received semicolon tattoos in one day. Even better, what began as a local event has spread far and wide, and people all over the world are getting semicolon tattoos.And it's not just about the conversation — it's about providing tangible support and help too.Jenn and Jeremy work with the Agora Crisis Center. Founded in 1970, it's one of the oldest crisis centers in the country. Through The Semicolon Tattoo Project, they've been able to connect even more people with the help they need during times of crisis. (If you need someone to talk to, scroll to the end of the article for the center's contact information.)So next time you see this small punctuation tattoo, remember the words of Upworthy writer Parker Molloy:"I recently decided to get a semicolon tattoo. Not because it's trendy (though, it certainly seems to be at the moment), but because it's a reminder of the things I've overcome in my life. I've dealt with anxiety, depression, and gender dysphoria for the better part of my life, and at times, that led me down a path that included self-harm and suicide attempts.But here I am, years later, finally fitting the pieces of my life together in a way I never thought they could before. The semicolon (and the message that goes along with it) is a reminder that I've faced dark times, but I'm still here."No matter how we get there, the end result is so important: help and support for more people to also be able to say " I'm still here."If you want to see more incredible semicolon tattoos, check out nine photos and stories that our readers shared with us!This article was written by Laura Willard and originally appeared on 7.7.15

Stressed? Of course you are. Luckily for you, and the entire U.S. population, scientists believe they may have identified the most relaxing song in the world.Music has forever been associated with bringing about relaxation, happiness, and serenity — whether it's a Gregorian chant or some Enya accompanied by a glass of merlot.Neuroscientists in the United Kingdom think they have found the one song that relieves stress and soothes our souls more than any other.Mindlab International, a market research firm, conducted a study a few years ago in which participants completed difficult (and possibly stressful) puzzles while their brain activity was monitored. To study its effect, music was played while they completed the puzzles.One song stood out above the rest. "Weightless" by Marconi Union (listen below), an English ambient music band, induced a 65% reduction in stress among participants, according to Inc. And DailyMail.com reported that the song was 11% more effective than most other songs — by such musicians as Adele and Coldplay — in reducing blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing speed.The 2011 song was created by the band, along with the British Academy of Sound Therapy, to do just that — relax listeners.If you prefer something with lyrics, try Enya's "Watermark" or "Pure Shores" by All Saints, which were also proven to be relaxing,Music therapy is considered to be a natural therapy important in alleviating stress. Because stress is an important cause of other deadly illness, fighting it is key to maintaining good health. Numerous studies have shown how damaging stress can be to our bodies and our brain. So don't let it get out of control. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the music.This article originally appeared on 11.03.16

There's a distinct accent that American actors and broadcasters used in the early days of radio and in pre-World War II movies. It's most obvious in old newsreel footage where the announcer speaks in a high-pitched tone, omits his "Rs" at the end of words, and sounds like a New Yorker who just returned from a summer holiday with the British royal family.This speaking style is also heard in the speeches of Franklin D. Roosevelt and just about any performance by Orson Welles. But today, this accent is all but nonexistent, prompting the question: Did Americans speak differently before the advent of television?The video below, "Why Do People in Old Movies Talk Weird?," reveals the secret of this distinct inflection known as the Mid-Atlantic accent and why it was so prominent in early 20th-century American media.This article originally appeared on 09.06.17

There were many rumors about the man who played the infamous Eddie Haskell.

Red Hot Chili Peppers were among the artists who performed during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in a musical handover to the 2028 Games in L.A (LA28). The performances in L.A., a mix of pre-taped and live performances, had each artist representing a different facet of the city’s cultural heritage. RHCP played “Can’t Stop” from their eighth studio set, “By The Way” (2002). The song became the band’s eighth #1 on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart. Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg also appeared.  ### The post Red Hot Chili Peppers Help Close Out Olympics appeared first on RockinTown.