Today's birthday goes to Jon Farriss, the drummer for the Australian band INXS. The members have been together over 30 years, ever since they were a new wave/ska band called the Farriss Brothers (Jon's brothers, Andrew and Tim, play keyboards and lead guitar, respectively.) A former manager, who almost convinced them to become a Christian band, gave them the INXS name.
Instead, they developed their own rock sound (and their confidence to follow the beat of their own drummer, so to speak) and became one of the biggest music acts of the 80's. In their first 20 years, five of their albums went platinum, and they charted singles in the US 22 times (including "Disappear", which Jon co-wrote with lead singer Michael Hutchence.)
After the death of lead singer Hutchence in 1997, the rest of the band struggled to determine their next step. Over the next few years, the band would perform one-off shows with guest vocalists, then almost found a new singer - who left before they could record an album. Finally in 2004, they took the audacious step of making a worldwide search for their next lead singer, and making it part of a reality TV show. Though met with criticism, the show did produce what they were looking for: their next singer, J D Fortune, a guy as rebellious as the band is. He got the job and toured with the band for the next few years.
What happened after the tour is still under debate. Either JD got sent home after the tour, or he got 'sent home'. [As of 2010, the band and JD have confirmed that he is definitely the lead singer of INXS.] Either way, the next INXS album isn't with JD Fortune; it's a tribute album to Michael Hutchence, with guest singers performing covers from the first 20 years of the band's history. Among the names confirmed are the Killers' Brandon Flowers, Rob Thomas, Nikki Costa, and Ben Harper.
Here's a Ben Harper concert performance, with birthday boy Jon sitting in, of "Never Tear Us Apart":
Showing posts with label game show. Show all posts
Showing posts with label game show. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
June 2
Happy Birthday to the perennially underestimated Wayne Brady. Dude has more skills than he knows what to do with. That's probably why he first got the world's attention on "Whose Line is it Anyway?" It could change from episode to episode whether Ryan Styles or Colin Mochrie was funnier, but nobody could keep up with Wayne Brady on on sheer talent.
Since the show ended, he's been everywhere, seeing what sticks. The powers that be tried to give him his own show, which started as a variety show (like all those 70's celebrity specials) then became a Regis-style talk show. He kept winning Emmys, but the show got cancelled, anyway.
He's started and stopped enough projects for a dozen stars. He's had his share of TV pilots, TV movies, and guest appearances in practically every genre on TV. He's recorded several albums, plus a weekly Vegas show. He's on his third (or fourth, I've lost count) game show hosting gig, doing the relaunch of "Let's Make a Deal."
One I didn't know was him: he wrote and song the theme to one of the better cartoons of the last few years, "the Weekenders."
So why isn't Wayne Brady taking over the world? Is it because everybody's expecting him to sing, dance, and be funny every time they see him? Or is he so cool to everybody that it's not cool to like him? Does he just seem too, well, nice?
Maybe he's holding back...
Since the show ended, he's been everywhere, seeing what sticks. The powers that be tried to give him his own show, which started as a variety show (like all those 70's celebrity specials) then became a Regis-style talk show. He kept winning Emmys, but the show got cancelled, anyway.
He's started and stopped enough projects for a dozen stars. He's had his share of TV pilots, TV movies, and guest appearances in practically every genre on TV. He's recorded several albums, plus a weekly Vegas show. He's on his third (or fourth, I've lost count) game show hosting gig, doing the relaunch of "Let's Make a Deal."
One I didn't know was him: he wrote and song the theme to one of the better cartoons of the last few years, "the Weekenders."
So why isn't Wayne Brady taking over the world? Is it because everybody's expecting him to sing, dance, and be funny every time they see him? Or is he so cool to everybody that it's not cool to like him? Does he just seem too, well, nice?
Maybe he's holding back...
Sunday, May 9, 2010
May 9
Happy Birthday to Sean Altman, co-composer of one of the most relentless TV theme songs of all time. Altman co-founded the vocal group Rockapella alive, which tried to pick up where doo-wop groups like the Inkspots and the Persuasions left off. They got their big break in 1988 performing at a house party for Kathy Lee Gifford; she was so impressed, she invited them on Regis and Kathy Lee. Their performance impressed Spike Lee, and he invited them on a TV special about vocal groups; here's a clip:
He's the one that with the dreadlocked mullet (and when is that style ever coming back?)
All this TV exposure led to a recording career and critical accolades. But Rockapella were still shy of household names, until TV stepped in once again, and they were commissioned as the house band for a children's game show. They also wrote the show's theme:
Altman stayed with the group until 1997, then began concentrating on his solo career in earnest. Besides his solo albums, he performs with other ex-Rockapellans (as the GrooveBarbers) and comedy songs under the name JEWMONGOUS (songs like "Be My Little Shabbos Goy" and "A Little Off the Top".
Let's wrap this up with a goodbye song; the GrooveBarbers, singing "Goodnight Sweetheart" onstage. Sean's the one in the middle:
He's the one that with the dreadlocked mullet (and when is that style ever coming back?)
All this TV exposure led to a recording career and critical accolades. But Rockapella were still shy of household names, until TV stepped in once again, and they were commissioned as the house band for a children's game show. They also wrote the show's theme:
Altman stayed with the group until 1997, then began concentrating on his solo career in earnest. Besides his solo albums, he performs with other ex-Rockapellans (as the GrooveBarbers) and comedy songs under the name JEWMONGOUS (songs like "Be My Little Shabbos Goy" and "A Little Off the Top".
Let's wrap this up with a goodbye song; the GrooveBarbers, singing "Goodnight Sweetheart" onstage. Sean's the one in the middle:
Thursday, August 27, 2009
August 27
It’s my first week, and I’m getting the hang of this, banging this out between feedings. I can’t write about everybody, so I try to keep a variety of up-and-comings, used-to-bes, and Big-in-Japans. But I don’t want to write for an audience of one. So, who would YOU like me to write about?
My lady would want me to write about Alexa Vega. She’s an actress that’s already top-lined plenty of tween movies; if she was in the Disney fold, you’d probably had already heard too much of her. But for those of you old enough to vote, you might recognize her one for two things: the Spy Kids franchise, or “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” which is the real reason I’m posting about this girl. Any excuse to spotlight “Repo!”…
This is the best copy of “Zydrate Anatomy” I could find, featuring the play’s writer, Vega, and Paris Hilton. Please don’t let that dissuade you; it’s a wonderfully gory operetta for anybody who adored “Buffy” or “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
In case my mom’s reading this, I guess I should write about Ogie Alcasid, who’s apparently an entertainment powerhouse in the Philippines. In twenty years, he’s gone double platinum three times, been in 30 movies, and hosted too many game shows, including Filipino versions of Family Feud, Hole in the Wall, and Pinoy Idol (I think he filled the Randy Jackson role.) He even has a chain of hot dog stands called “Oggie Doggie”.
I can’t bring myself to post his music here; sounds like the late-70’s muzak that Sears piped in when Mom would make me shop for school clothes. But I just have to share this clip of Ogie co-hosting the Philippines' version of "Hole in the Wall"; he’s the one in the pigtails, I think…
If my Facebook-addicted co-worker’s reading this, I have to send birthday wishes to Tony Kanal of No Doubt. Gotta admit, the man’s got brass ones for dating and dumping Gwen Stefani, and then sticking around to record an album of songs about the breakup, watching the album go 16 times platinum, and let her sing those songs to you every night.
In honor of his skills and inspirations, it seemed like “Ex-Girlfriend” would be the perfect music video to play. Wouldn’t you know, all YouTube copies are blocked for posting. And then I found this AMV, cutting a scene from the Anime “Kite”, which should be very familiar to anybody who’s seen the No Doubt video. In fact, let’s call this the “Possibly Not Safe for Work” version…
In the end, I’m writing this for me, trying to share a glimpse at the weird and wonderful things this world has to offer, encouraging others to appreciate the under-appreciated while we have a chance.
So, Happy Birthday, Pee-Wee Herman.
Tommorrow: Why I don’t write about bigger stars
My lady would want me to write about Alexa Vega. She’s an actress that’s already top-lined plenty of tween movies; if she was in the Disney fold, you’d probably had already heard too much of her. But for those of you old enough to vote, you might recognize her one for two things: the Spy Kids franchise, or “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” which is the real reason I’m posting about this girl. Any excuse to spotlight “Repo!”…
This is the best copy of “Zydrate Anatomy” I could find, featuring the play’s writer, Vega, and Paris Hilton. Please don’t let that dissuade you; it’s a wonderfully gory operetta for anybody who adored “Buffy” or “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
In case my mom’s reading this, I guess I should write about Ogie Alcasid, who’s apparently an entertainment powerhouse in the Philippines. In twenty years, he’s gone double platinum three times, been in 30 movies, and hosted too many game shows, including Filipino versions of Family Feud, Hole in the Wall, and Pinoy Idol (I think he filled the Randy Jackson role.) He even has a chain of hot dog stands called “Oggie Doggie”.
I can’t bring myself to post his music here; sounds like the late-70’s muzak that Sears piped in when Mom would make me shop for school clothes. But I just have to share this clip of Ogie co-hosting the Philippines' version of "Hole in the Wall"; he’s the one in the pigtails, I think…
If my Facebook-addicted co-worker’s reading this, I have to send birthday wishes to Tony Kanal of No Doubt. Gotta admit, the man’s got brass ones for dating and dumping Gwen Stefani, and then sticking around to record an album of songs about the breakup, watching the album go 16 times platinum, and let her sing those songs to you every night.
In honor of his skills and inspirations, it seemed like “Ex-Girlfriend” would be the perfect music video to play. Wouldn’t you know, all YouTube copies are blocked for posting. And then I found this AMV, cutting a scene from the Anime “Kite”, which should be very familiar to anybody who’s seen the No Doubt video. In fact, let’s call this the “Possibly Not Safe for Work” version…
In the end, I’m writing this for me, trying to share a glimpse at the weird and wonderful things this world has to offer, encouraging others to appreciate the under-appreciated while we have a chance.
So, Happy Birthday, Pee-Wee Herman.
Tommorrow: Why I don’t write about bigger stars
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