Bob Mosolgo

Possessing a distinctive gravelly drawl, Lucinda Williams is one of the most easily recognized voices in Americana music today. Although she began her career in New Orleans in the 1970s, it was not until the mid 1990s that Williams was recognized nationally. Her Passionate Kisses was a top country hit for Mary Chapin Carpenter, and earned Williams a Grammy as songwriter.

Albums from Lucinda Williams were often spaced widely apart, due to her perfectionist streak leading to delays. In 1998 Williams released Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, a critical and commercial success. It was her first gold record, and won her a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Lucinda Williams would win another Grammy in 2001 for Best Female Rock Vocal, and began releasing albums at a faster pace and with some major contributors, including Matthew Sweet and Elvis Costello.

About 2 years ago Williams suffered a stroke which led to a weeks stay in intensive care and several months of therapy. Despite all of this, Williams is back on tour and receiving positive reviews. The incident took a toll on her mobility, balance and vision.  She must be helped on and off stage and is not yet able to play guitar, but the distinctive voice has remained strong and capable of delivering her powerful songs.

Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley met in a philosophy class at the University of Colorado in Denver. While Patrick had plans to become a lawyer, that all changed during a sailing expedition after college. The pair purchased a sailboat and spent eight months sailing the eastern seaboard. Their first songs chronicled the trip, and to this day the pair writes mostly while on their sailboat.

The pair released their first single in 2010 and was soon touring, adding drummer James Barone to the group. Barone remained for the first two records. Cape Dory was the first and chronicled the post graduation sailing adventure. For the groups second and third records, Patrick Kerney of the Black Keys came on board to produce. NPR described the third record as “On Ritual in Repeat, it’s like Moore and Riley discover just how much ancient Latin, or in this case extinct pop styles, is their natural language”

Seemingly destined to expand their popularity in the mid 2010s, Tennis found themselves not having the same level of success as bands they considered their contemporaries. On reflection, Moore describes it this way: “When we first started, there was an explosion of interest and then it plateaued really quickly compared to other bands who came up around the same time,” says Moore, pointing specifically to acts like Best Coast or Washed Out. “I felt that they were getting bigger and bigger and outpacing us, but I also thought things were moving too fast for us.” As a result, Moore admits she “threw away” some opportunities that could have propelled their fortunes. “I tried to pump the breaks whenever I could, like turning down tours or touring less. They may or may not have been the best choices, but I had a lot of talks with Pat in those early days that I wanted the band to grow steadily or slowly over time, so that one day if we got big I’d be prepared for it.”

Tennis will release their sixth album next month and launch a tour in March.

Starting in Brooklyn, Neil Diamond grew to be an international success spanning decades of changes in musical tastes. His career has featured major hits in the 60s through the 80s and a resurgence in the 21st century, thanks in part to the embrace of one of his earlier hits by the Boston Red Sox as well as other major sports teams.

Diamond’s Sweet Caroline reached the top 5 in 1969 and was certified gold, selling more than one million copies. In 1997 the Red Sox employee responsible for in-stadium music played the song during a game as a tribute to a friend who had just had a baby girl named Caroline. The song caught on and has been played in the middle of the eighth inning ever since.  More recently, the song reappeared in the UK charts 50 years after its original release, owing to its use by England supporters during the Euro 2020 tournament.

Neil Diamond got interested in music after seeing Pete Seeger at a summer camp. He won a scholarship for fencing to New York University and studied pre-med. At the same time he pursued music, signing his first recording contract in 1961. The duo of Neil & Jack was not successful, but Diamond kept working.  On his 22nd birthday he released his first solo single. While it took a few years for his own recordings to succeed, he did have success in songwriting, signing on with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stollers publishing company.

In 1966 he reached the charts for the first time with Solitary Man. Over the decades, Diamond has recorded 10 number 1 singles and placed 38 songs in the top 10. His acting career highlights include The Jazz Singer which in 1980 spawned two hit singles. The Hall of Fame member no longer tours, owing to a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, but he did appear as a surprise guest at a Red Sox game last summer to sing Sweet Caroline.

Walter “Wolfman” Washington picked up his nickname from his signature howl that punctuated many of his songs. Washington and his band, the Roadmasters, mixed blues, R&B, funk and soul. In director Michael Murphy’s 2005 New Orleans music documentary “Make It Funky!,” he and his band performed and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards bows down to Washington in tribute to his guitar style and tone.

Washington started his career backing New Orleans musical legends Irma Thomas, Lee Dorsey and Johnny Adams, who ultimately became a mentor and close friend. He played with Adams for 16 years including legendary Saturday night gigs for eight years at Dorothy’s Medallion Lounge where the music started at 3AM and ran till dawn.

Washington was in his late 30s before he released his first record in 1981 after more than two decades playing New Orleans clubs and touring – including a European tour in the 70s.

A New Orleans bar staple, Washington and the Roadmasters had regular weekly gigs that went well into the early hours of Sunday mornings. He was one of the first musicians to play in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina via generator-powered shows.

After more than 10 years without a new album, Washington made a late-career comeback with 2018’s. Produced by Galactic saxophonist Ben Ellman and released nationally, it featured an all-star backing band consisting of drummer Stanton Moore of Galactic and jazz bassist James Singleton and keyboardist David Torkanowsky.

Washington’s manager Adam Shipley is working to release his last record, recorded shortly before his death. “For the last six or seven years, Walter got the recognition he deserved,” Shipley said. “He put out some great music, and had a great life.”

Three high school friends came together in 2010 with the intent to form a band based on their shared interest in 70s rock and a desire to meld that with Americana. The three had played in various Minneapolis bands and chose a different path for developing the new band’s sound.

Rather than focus the new Night Moves on playing live constantly, they chose to practice and write in private. After months of practice, Night Moves released their first record online for free. It was a success, given that soon after the release they signed a record deal and their new label released a slightly reworked version of the record in traditional formats.

Expanded to a five piece group, Night Moves toured extensively in support of their first record before releasing a second in 2016 and a third in 2019. As with most musicians, the COVID pandemic forced a period of inactivity which Night Moves used to record an EP, now released. One big change for the band was the addition of outside influences on their creative process. For their first record it was all in house, with their record label taking the finished product and modifying to their taste for wider release.

On later releases, the label was involved from the start. John Paleant from the band says that it is “always a little messed up. But I mean it wasn’t like they were telling me what to write and stuff it was just like, “keep writing” and so it just kind of pushed me to explore these other areas of my kind of head space, my creative head space that I probably wouldn’t otherwise have done, you know? “

Dolly Parton has had a remarkable career including music, acting, and entrepreneurship. She is one of only a few performers to receive nomination in all four major entertainment awards – the Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, and Tony. In 2004 the US Library of Congress gave her the distinguished Living Legend Award.

Dolly came from humble beginnings, one of twelve children born in East Tennessee in the Smoky Mountains. Her father was a sharecropper, tobacco farmer, and laborer. Her mother cared for the family, parenting the twelve children by the age of 35. The family was very poor – her father paid for Dolly’s birth with a sack of cornmeal.

She began performing as a  child on radio in Knoxville and as soon as she graduated from high school she moved to Nashville. Initially the label that signed her wanted a bubblegum pop singer, but when she performed uncredited on a Bill Phillips country song and it hit the top 10, they relented and let her record country music. Her first single reached the top 25.

Parton began a long and successful musical partnership with Porter Wagoner in 1967 and for almost six years every single they released rose to number one. Even more successful was her solo career – especially the 1973 song Jolene, which placed her on the pop charts for the first time. In the mid 70s she transitioned to pop music, with some uneven results.

The 80s saw her return to country music in a big way and from there she added in bluegrass recordings. Over the decades she has established herself in movies and television, especially with the award winning movie 9 to 5. Her business ventures are focused primarily on ventures around her home region, the Smoky Mountains. Most notable is Dollyworld, a theme park in Pigeon Forge.

Dolly Parton is one of the most awarded country musicians of all time. Twenty-six singles reached number 1 and she has released 42 top 10 country albums. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.

Photo Credit: Motown Archives

One of the finest singers in the Motown family, David Ruffin provided lead vocals for the greatest hit making period of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968. Ruffin delivered lead vocals on eleven hits from the group over those years. At 6’ 3” Ruffin was a commanding presence on stage bringing passion and a flair for the dramatic to the Temptations.

Ruffin also possessed a powerful ego, and that led to his dismissal from the group. When Motown changed the name of the Supremes to Diana Ross and the Supremes, Ruffin felt he deserved the same top billing. His demand for an accounting of the group’s money added to the friction with Berry Gordy and after missing a concert in order to attend a performance by his current girlfriend he was dismissed. Despite his dismissal, he would show up unannounced at the group’s shows and when it came to one of his hits, he would appear on stage to sing.

Lawsuits followed and finally Ruffin returned to Motown as a solo artist, leading to more frustration for the band.

David Ruffin released his first single in 1970 and in the early years appeared to have a promising future as a solo artist. The highlight came in 1975 with the Van McCoy produced Walk Away from Love. The song reached the Billboard Pop Top 10 and also the top 10 in the UK.

A cocaine addiction limited his solo career and a later reunion with the Temptations. Ruffin and his replacement in the group, Eddie Kendricks joined the band again in 1982 for an album and a reunion tour. It was short lived – both artists were fired. Ruffin had further issues with his addiction and Kendrick suffered from a weakened voice due to heavy smoking.

The duo of Ruffin and Kendrick went on to play together and had a minor hit in conjunction with longtime fans Hall and Oates.

Ruffin died in 1991 from a cocaine overdose. His life was marred by numerous drug related incidents, and domestic abuse issues raised during his two marriages. His death was controversial, with suspicion of foul play due to the large amount of money he reportedly held. His girlfriend dismissed it, saying that when David had plenty of money he “he would be able to do things that he wanted to do,”.

Mick Taylor, onetime guitarist for John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and the Rolling Stones turns 74 today. He grew up in Hetfordshire, UK and started playing as a nine year old. As a teen he was recruited for a new group called the Gods which also featured Ken Hensley who would go on to fame in Uriah Heep. The group opened for Cream in 1966 when Taylor was only 17.

Taylor attended a John Mayall show in 1965 and the band’s current guitarist, Eric Clapton, was a no show that evening. After seeing that Clapton hadn’t appeared, but that his guitar had already been set up on the stage, he approached Mayall during the breakto ask if he could play with them. Taylor mentioned that he was familiar with the band’s repertoire, and after a moment of deliberation, Mayall agreed.

After playing the second set, and garnering Mayall’s respect in the process, Taylor left the stage, joined his friends, and exited the venue before Mayall had the chance to speak with him. When Mayall needed someone to fill Peter Green’s vacancy the following year, when Green quit to form Fleetwood Mac, Mayall placed an ad in the weekly Melody Maker music paper, and much to his relief immediately got a response from Taylor, whom he readily invited to join.

Mick Taylor moved on to the Rolling Stones when Brian Jones left in 1969. His onstage debut as a Rolling Stone at the age of 20 was the free concert in Hyde Park, London on July 5, 1969. An estimated quarter of a million people attended for a show that turned into a tribute to Brian Jones, who had died two days before the concert. Taylor stayed with the Stones through 1974 and then abruptly left, leaving without explanation.

Taylor had worked side projects during his time with the Stones, and those continued with his own solo career. He appeared with Brian Oldfield in a live performance of Tubular Bells and he was a special guest performing with Little Feat in their 1977 London concert.

Over the decades he has performed and recorded with Bob Dylan on the Infidels and two following records, Mark Knopfler and Joan Jett to name just a few. His solo career produced two studio and five live albums. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Stones, music critic Robert Palmer wrote that “Taylor is the most accomplished technician who ever served as a Stone. A blues guitarist with a jazzman’s flair for melodic invention, Taylor was never a rock and roller and never a showman.”