Ever have one of those days where you get up in the morning and just feel like calling in sick? Today is one of those days.
Unfortunately, I don’t get “sick days” at my job. Any time off used must be taken in vacation days so a spur of the moment “I don’t feel like going in” day just isn’t worth it.
Why can’t sick days be like they were when I was in school?
When I got “sick” on a school day (which, strangely seemed to always happen the day of a big test) my grandmother (Nan) was always there to nurse me back to “health”.
The kitchen would be filled with the smell of chicken soup (her cure for what ails ya) and I would always plead with her to give me a dose of St. Joseph’s Cough Medicine. My “illnesses” almost always came with a cough and luckily the medicine had a grape flavor.
But of the dozen or so sick days I took over the course of my school career there are two things I remember most from spending those days with her.
1. The Cash Line: A local AM radio station that played oldies music ran this promotion for years in the early 1980’s. They would start with $100 and at the top of every hour during the work day would randomly look up someone in the phone book from the local area and call them.
When someone answered the phone they would ask that person if they knew the amount of money in the “Cash Line”. If the person got the amount correctly he or she would win that amount. If they didn’t know the answer, the station would add increments to it and continue the contest until someone won. Then they’d start it all over again.
Nan religiously followed this contest for several years. She kept a little notepad near the radio and methodically keep track of every dollar amount. She was SURE they were going to call her one day and she’d win $150 or some other small amount of money.
So, while I got to listen to Dean Martin and old Motown hits all day long I’d watch Nan come running over every time she heard the little promo that they were about to call someone. “Get off the phone!” she’d yell to anyone who dared make a phone call at the top of the hour. “The Cash Line is on!”
The other thing that was always big in my house on sick days for me was watching “The Price is Right” with her from 11 am – noon. There’s something to be said for lying on the couch under a blanket while Bob Barker had people “Come On Down!” And if by some chance they had a $20,000 sports car and a double showcase winner it was the greatest thing ever.
I almost had Nan give me a high-five the one time someone won them both but thought better of it. Surely the jig would be up and she’d send me back to the confines of Easton Area High School.
Eventually though, usually by the end of the school day, I’d recover from the mysterious malady that had afflicted me and be well enough to go back to school. And while I sat in the classroom the next day I’d often wonder if Nan had won the Cash Line (she never did) and if she’d tell me someone had won both showcases when I got home.
You know the old saying, “You don’t know what you’ve got until its gone?” This is one of those moments. I miss them.
Sure I could stay home and still watch the Price is Right (albeit without Bob Barker). And I could make myself some chicken soup. But there’s no Cash Line anymore and sadly, my Grandmother has also gone on to better things.
<Sigh!> Looking up at the clock and it’s time to hit the road. Another day of work lies ahead.
The break of dawn arrives in the tiny town of Easton, Pennsylvania just as it does every morning. You can hear the sound of birds singing from deep within the pine trees welcoming the sun back from its slumber.
The glistening shine of dew covers lawns in every neighborhood and somewhere in Palmer Township a new day has begun.
I’m an early riser. A morning person. I know my numbers are diminishing and it seems as though I may be the last of a dying breed. Most people can’t believe that if it’s 7 am (even on weekends) and I am still in bed I feel like I am missing out on something.
But ironically, like clockwork I am usually up before then. I have some kind of internal thing going on inside that alerts me when it is time to rise. It’s not strong enough kung-fu to where I can say in my head “5:15 am”, close my eyes and the next time I open them it is that exact time. But the fact of the matter is that on days that I work the alarm will rarely ever have a need to rouse me. I’m THAT good.
You see mornings are something I long for. A time most others take for granted and would like to skip altogether if possible in favor of slumber. But not me. Nothing can compare to that quiet time in the early hours of the day. It awakens the senses. Seeing the morning light of a new day, listening to the birds singing outside an open window, feeling the air as it passes through, the smell of fresh coffee brewing, the taste of bacon. From my point of view, it’s hard to imagine someone NOT wanting this same thing.
Critics will claim that you can have all of these things when ever you wake up but I beg to differ. It’s not just the act of drinking the coffee or hearing the birds as much as it is the “experience”. To know that through some divine miracle you’ve been given a new morning and you have the entire day ahead of you. What will you do with it?
It’s a time when you can relax and reflect on the events of the day (whether they be school, work or even nothing at all) without rush or worry. Plenty of time to read the newspaper or Internet blogs for those 21st Century types.
Here’s another reason to like mornings: It’s the only me time you may get before your children (who, ironically as they age tend to become non-morning persons) come barreling down the stairs demanding breakfast.
Sadly though, there is one con to this malady my friends claim I am “suffering” from. The trade-off for getting up early means obviously going to bed early also. Unless I am out somewhere already I rarely stay up past 10 pm. I am more than tired by then. But just one look at programming on television at that time of the night is enough to send anyone running for the sheets so it’s not like I am missing anything.
Unfortunately, this is where family and friends usually find reason to ridicule me because of my “school night” sleep pattern.
Call me an old man if you must but I’m not ashamed. I prefer to look at it this way: The sooner I fall asleep the closer I am to morning.
It was one of those afternoons where I had to make a quick run to the store for a few items. Nothing major at all and quite frankly it probably could’ve waited until a bigger shopping excursion was needed. But I was never one to go too long without my green tea so off I went.
I quickly grabbed the keys and proceeded to the garage to take the car on a trek of two miles to the local grocery. Driving everywhere has simply become routine for me, whether it be a bread and milk run or to a neighbor’s house several blocks away.
On the short drive there, and as is usually the case, my peripheral vision took over and my mind began to wander. Funny, I didn’t think about what else I may need at the store or if I should stop and get gas while I’m out. No, I actually started thinking about all the places I used to WALK to growing up.
You see, those were the days when my Mom and Dad almost always said “No” to taking me on short little runs to play video games at the Palmer Park Mall or obtain comic books at Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt. It quickly got to the point to where I didn’t even bother asking them anymore. I’d just gather up my posse of friends and we’d put our boots on the ground (or Chuck Taylor’s with rainbow colored shoe-laces. After all we’re talking about the 1980′s here).
I remember how we used to walk downtown to go to Mr. Monster’s on Fridays in the summer when the new shipment of books arrived. We never even second guessed if we should be doing it. We just did it. The walk was insignificant compared to what awaited us. The new adventures of Spider-man or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles always came before the thought of possibly developing a charlie horse in the leg.
Perhaps it was also because we had nothing else to do but that didn’t really matter. We had no problem walking long distances through green pastures and city streets. Feeling the heat of the sun and the warm summer breezes. It was the camaraderie of teenage boys without responsibility taking a long walk. Talking about life, sports and music. Oh yeah, and girls too of course. They seemed to become less and less icky with each passing summer.
One of the longest walks we used to make was from South Side Easton, Pennsylvania to Phillipsburg, New Jersey to go to a hobby store. An interstate trek of about 4 1/2 miles. It was on this journey that we would take a “short-cut” and use the train trestle bridge that spanned 40 feet above the Lehigh River to cross over state lines.
We’d climb up huge hills and over rocks, scuffing up knees and twisting our ankles just to make it onto that railroad track. And while walking over the bridge our only concerns were one: to never look down and two: hope that we had timed it just right and there would be no train coming.
Far along the other side of the track, on the New Jersey side, stood an old rusty-metal train signal that always glowed a solid red light. And we, with our teenage engineering degrees, took that as meaning there was no train approaching.
On one occasion as we were about halfway across the bridge I noticed that the light had suddenly changed color from red to green and my heart skipped a beat. Even though we couldn’t see or hear any locomotive approaching I don’t think I was ever more afraid in my entire life.
The gaggle of us took off as fast as we could making it to the other side in seconds flat. I remember having to console one friend who was really having a hard time with the situation in mid sprint. “Wood?”, he said. “I’m scared”. I responded the way any caring friend would. “Shaddap! Don’t be scared… RUN!”.
As we sat on the side of the tracks, now well off of the bridge and gasping for air we all looked at each other and began laughing. No train ever came but looking back now and thinking about how we could have easily been taken out by one it certainly was one of the most stupidest things we ever did.
I was quickly transported back to present day as I realized that I had pulled into the parking lot at the grocery store. I could actually feel my heart racing a bit from thinking about that mad dash on the trestle 25 years ago. I quickly stocked up on my green tea and made a hasty return home.
Arriving back in my garage I thought again about those walks. Not so much about my near death experience but the idea of walking when possible. The thought of green pastures, city streets and summer breezes sounds very appealing so I’m hoping that for my next green tea run I’ll be able to lace up the Chuck Taylor’s and two-step it to the store.
After all, it’s not that far… and there’s no train trestle to cross.
It was the June 16th, 1984 and my brother and I had braved the Summer heat to drive to the Allentown Fairgrounds and see the Scorpions. They were out supporting their hugely successful album, “Love at First Sting” and we couldn’t wait to see them.
The only thing that stood between two teenaged metal heads and nirvana was having to listen to the opening act: some new band with a bunch of guys out of New Jersey who called themselves “Bon Jovi“.
As luck would have it, I had actually heard of these guys before and had even bought their debut album. They were mostly known for their song “Runaway”, which at the time was getting quite a bit of airplay. But that wasn’t the song that really appealed to me.
As a 15 year-old boy there was only one song on that record that I could immediately relate to. It was the third song: “She Don’t Know Me”. I can’t even begin to tell you the countless times those lyrics came into my head during my adolescence. In certain situations, where the female persuasion was involved I always found myself thinking: “If only she would look my way”…. but “She Don’t Know Me”…
To this day, whenever I think of Bon Jovi the very first thing I think about is the summer night when I first heard “She Don’t Know Me” performed live. The song still gives me chills when I listen to it today.
“She Don’t Know Me” is a song written by Mark Avsec that appears on Bon Jovi’s debut record and to this day is the only song from any Bon Jovi record that doesn’t have at least a co-write by a member of the band. But the story of how the song appeared on that first record is no where near as interesting as the songwriter is himself. For Mark Avsec’s story goes a lot deeper than just a Bon Jovi song.
Mark’s life as a musician, songwriter and producer includes stints with the bands Breathless and Wild Cherry (“Play That Funky Music”). The latter of which gave him the opportunity to perform on stage at the Grammy Awards.
He’s also had a long relationship with Donnie Iris as a member of the Cruisers where the two of them together would write the hit song “Ah! Leah!” and subsequently lose everything gained from the song’s success by defending themselves in a frivolous lawsuit. The outcome of which led Mark himself to become an attorney to make sure that what he went through never happens to himself or anyone else again.
In this interview with Mark we’ll talk about how he came up with what I believe is one of the best and most underrated Bon Jovi songs ever. We’ll also discuss the Ah! Leah! lawsuit and his reason for becoming an attorney as well as what the future holds for himself and his long time friend Donnie Iris.
goJimmygo (gJg): What is the origin of the song “She Don’t Know Me“? How did you come up with the idea for it and what’s it premise?
Mark Avsec (MA): I was on the road with Donnie during our tour for the first album and I was supposed to go back into the studio with La Flavour (who later became the band Fair Warning) for an album. I was going to write the songs for and produce the album.
So I wrote this on the road in a hotel room.
I generally write music first, and that’s what I did for this song. I don’t know if the lyric is anything to write home about, but it’s a basic story of when you really have fallen for someone and that person does not know you exist. I felt that in my life. I think probably everyone has
gJg: How did the song wind up on the first Bon Jovi album?
MA: “Luck” is a factor in all of our lives and in any business. But I think “luck” plays a bigger role in the music industry or in the arts in general. How many super-talented people are out there that we have never heard of? A lot! Somewhere there is someone who could be as impactful as Bruce Springsteen but the stars have not aligned for that person.
However, I also believe that you have to put yourself in a position to get lucky. That requires dedication, study, hard work. I wasted a lot of hours in recording studios working on “spec” on albums and songs that never saw the light of day. That certainly seemed to be the case for this Fair Warning album that “She Don’t Know Me” was on. It came out on an MCA label and immediately died.
What happened though, was that record executive Lennie Petze heard the song and loved it and got the song to Jon’s brother, Tony Bongiovi – with a strong suggestion that Bon Jovi should record the song for the first album. This is what was told to me – I have never independently validated this story but it makes sense.
Ironically, Bon Jovi “opened” for Donnie Iris and the Cruisers for several dates – so we got to know the guys in the band a bit. I’m a little introverted until I get to know people so I was not out there trying to meet Jon (Donnie got more friendly with Tico).
“She Don’t Know Me” was released as a second single after “Runaway” – it did respectable. A lot of people know the song.
I’m not sure how crazy the band was about the song – It’s never shown up on any compilations or anything.
gJg: What was it like when you met Bon Jovi? Did you picture what they would turn into today?
MA: When Bon Jovi opened for us (Donnie Iris and the Cruisers) it was clear something was happening. Jon had all of the rock star moves and he was a great looking guy – the chicks loved him from the start.
gJg:The song was originally recorded by Fair Warning (Also covered by Grass Roots and Sonny Gervaci). Were you concerned at all about overkill of the song?
MA: No. Very few people knew the song until Bon Jovi recorded it.
gJg: Your song is the only one that appears on any Bon Jovi album that does not have a Bon Jovi co-write connection. Do you think this may be the reason why it’s not performed live any longer?
MA: Yes, maybe. Like I said, I’m not sure what Bon Jovi’s perspective on the song is – it really does not show up on any of the “Greatest Hits” compilations or anything, at least not yet.
Writing “Ah! Leah” and Studying Law
gJg: I read where you decided to become a lawyer because you were sued frivolously for the song “Ah! Leah!” What was that whole lawsuit about?
MA: Some fellow from the Detroit area – he did music on the side – thought we stole a song he wrote called “Here I Go Again” or “Here We Go Again” or something like that.
Well, I never heard the song. I knew how I wrote Ah! Leah! – I knew where I was when I wrote it. And I certainly never heard the guy’s song.
I blame the contingency-fee lawyers who took the case, trying to take a shot.
Except the onus fell on me and Donnie – two lower-middle class guys who were simply trying to support their families with music.
The plaintiff, we learned during the trial, apparently went out to LA pitching the song to some MCA promo guy who promptly discarded the tape after a meeting. So the lawyers concocted this story where somehow the tape made the way to us to copy. We eventually heard the song during the trial I think – the songs were nothing the same and there were many, many titles registered with ASCAP/BMI called “Here We Go Again” or whatever.
It was suggested I pay the guy settlement money. I would not give him a nickel. The trial went to a jury trial – the whole nine yards. And we won. But Donnie and I lost everything the song made and more because we had to pay our lawyers.
I can now say – and it has taken me a long time to get there – that the lawsuit was the best thing that happened to me. Because I love copyright law – and I love my life now, being an intellectual property attorney, teaching at law schools and speaking – and also still writing music and playing.
gJg: So the outcome of the case made you decide to put the rock and roll dream on hold in favor of studying law?
MA: I became very interested in copyright law. That lawsuit made me think – “Geez, I did nothing wrong and I can be sued like that? Without any basis? I better learn how to defend myself.” And I began to think about the legal system and if there were mechanisms that could be put in place to dissuade meritless, frivolous lawsuits.
Since that lawsuit was decided, we had the Supreme Court in the United States decide the Fogerty lawsuit – ruling that defendants who prevailed in copyright infringement lawsuits – should be entitled to attorneys’ fees recompense from the losing party. The copyright statute already provided that the prevailing party could recover attorneys’ fees from the losing party. But before Fogerty, the statute was not applied in an even-handed manner to prevailing defendants and prevailing plaintiffs. So the Fogerty case was a step in the right direction.
The corporate receipt doctrine is also disfavored now – so that amateur songwriters who send tapes to record companies that nobody wants to hear will have a harder time arguing that so-and-so-big-star stole my song because I sent it in to Universal Records and, you know, this big star now is signed to the label and has a big hit song with the word “love” in it and an A minor chord.
But I still think some lawyers who bring these cases (the so-called substantial similarity cases) – bring them too easily hoping for quick settlement.
gJg: How has that lawsuit and eventual outcome influenced the way you litigate cases?
MA: I don’t have a stomach for baseless cases. No lawyer should. I don’t bring them. And if I’m defending – I will work as hard as I can for my client to get the right result. I have had many successes and I cannot discuss them.
Music
gJg: In 2010, “Angel Love (Come For Me),” a song you co-wrote was included on Carlos Santana’s Supernatural (Legacy Edition) album. How did this come about?
MA: We’re back to “luck” again, aren’t we? And putting yourself in a position to get lucky. When I wrote that song I had a recording studio in my house. And I worked hard and spent hours writing and recording. And in retrospect – from an economic perspective – I wasted a lot of time because the lion’s share of that stuff never saw the light of day.
But I had a friend, Alan Greene, who I played with in Breathless – and Alan was a great, great blues guitarist – still is. And a wonderful guy. And so we were writing some blues-based songs for possibly an Alan Greene solo project. And Alan and I wrote the first iteration of “Angel Love” – but it was not called Angel Love. I think it was called “Too Much About Love” or something like that. And it had way more of an Allman Brothers vibe to it. The music was the same as what became the music for Angel Love, but it was even more bluesy and jam-based. I liked the music a lot.
Well, I have another dear friend – Mason Ruffner. And I had pre-produced Mason’s Gypsy Blood album in my basement studio. Mason used to come over and we’d work on it. And then Dave Edmunds, the eventual producer of Gypsy Blood, even came to the United States and visited my studio. And my studio was one of the first purely virtual, MIDI studios. And so it was decided that I would bring the entire setup over to London – where we made Gypsy Blood for real.
I thought that record was very good – and Mason had a lot of promotion behind him from the record label, but the record did not achieve the success everyone had hoped for.
So, Mason was now thinking about another record – though he had not found his mojo for what he wanted to say yet. We remained close friends (still are) and he came back to my studio to screw around. He heard the song I did with Alan and asked if he could write his own lyrics to it. Alan did not care – and so I said “sure.”
And so the song became “Angel Love” and we recorded it with Mason but nobody heard it. Yet somehow it got to Carlos Santana.
A lot of guitarists – Jimmy Page and Carlos Santana among them – had respect for Mason. Bob Dylan even devotes two pages in his Chronicles book to Mason (Mason had played on “Oh Mercy” for Dylan and Daniel Lanois). I think it is because Mason comes from a very real “roots” tradition, growing up in Oklahoma and Texas – spending so much time on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and in Memphis honing his craft. He is very picky about his lyrics – he is very well-read and is a serious artist I think.
So somehow Carlos heard the song – I think it was on Mason’s album which was not widely released.
Soon after that Carlos began playing the song live – there is a clip on YouTube where Carlos is playing the song in Warsaw, Poland at a huge outdoor festival. This was the early nineties.
Well, we talk about “luck” again. Because Carlos was going to record the song – or did record the song (I am not sure which) for his Supernatural record. Now, if “Angel Love” had been on the original release that sold 25 million copies or so – those pennies really add up and Mason, Alan and I would have done very well.
Unfortunately, the song did not make the cut for the first release.
However, 10 years later – Carlos wanted to put it on the “Legacy” anniversary edition of Supernatural. And “Angel Love” was the first single.
Of course, the “Legacy” edition sold nowhere near the copies the first Supernatural album did. Still, it is a thrill for a legend like Carlos Santana to record your song.
Ironically, I toured with Carlos in Wild Cherry (when I was in the band that had the hit “Play That Funky Music”). Again, I never got to know him well. But his band was smoking – and we used to hang with them a bit and go see jazz groups after-hours with them.
gJg: What was it like to perform at the Grammy awards?
MA: It was surreal. I have a tape of the show. I don’t know if you remember the television show, Laugh-In? Because, though the show was state of the art at the time, the graphics and the production seem so amateurish now. But there I was – sitting behind Ringo and standing next to Barbra Streisand backstage.
We stayed at the Beverly Wilshire hotel and I was waiting for my limo to take me to the show – Andy Warhol was standing there waiting for his limo and so was George Benson, who finally achieved commercial success after years of paying his dues in small jazz bars. We also toured with George Benson a lot during those days.
As for the Grammy show, we played on the show. We were a one-hit wonder but it was a BIG hit and still is. I really had nothing to do with the success of that song. That was all Robert Parisi. I just showed up in the recording studio. I learned how to make records during that period of time. My relatives thought I was probably rolling in the dough but that was not true either.
gJg: What are the plans for shows in 2012 with Donnie Iris and The Cruisers?
MA: My friendship with Donnie is one of the joys of my life. In fact my friendships with all of the Cruisers are very meaningful to me.
We have a very respectful band. There is no back-biting. We have always been very positive with each other. I may take the lead as the prime mover – but we have some super-talented people. Donnie, of course. And he has really become a legend in Pittsburgh. Marty – one of the most talented and creative guitarists. Kevin Valentine – awesome drummer and a very talented engineer and producer. Paul Goll – who was not the original bass player – but has been with us so long. The perfect guy for us now. He sings well and plays very nice bass – and is a great person. Our great band extends to our longtime crew – and in particular, Jimmy Markovich, our longtime sound guy.
I spent so much time on Ah! Leluiah! – our Christmas album. I put my heart and soul into that. Honestly, I wept when it was done. I saw it as a legacy for Donnie and for me – and I hoped people would listen to that once a year after we pass. I know, morbid but that’s the way I approached it. I also thought Donnie really shined brightly on that album. That was an emotional record for us.
I am now writing some new songs. We want to go in the studio to record an album for a landmark event – a landmark birthday for Donnie.
I cannot talk about the album yet, except to say it is beginning to take form.
For more information on Donnie Iris and the Cruisers Click Here
It was a bright sunny day in August. I remember it well because I was in my upstairs bathroom shaking like a leaf. It was around 3 pm and I was getting ready to head over to South Bethlehem for sound check.
It was the summer of 2004 and my band was going to be the opening act for Clay Aiken at Musikfest. On the biggest stage of them all. The fastest sellout in the festival’s history – 6,500 people. We had the greatest female singer ever in our arsenal that got us there. But I was a nervous wreck.
I had dreamed about this forever. Since the first day I picked up my grandmother’s hand held potato slicer and pretended it was a guitar (true story). The callused fingers, the long walks downtown to Ken Brader and Son’s music store for lessons on brutal summer days. The countless number of hours spent practicing after school.
While other kids went out and played sports or hung with friends I was trying to figure out how Eddie Van Halen got his kung-fu. I even used to write journal entries in high school of what my life was going to be like after I “made it”.
And now here I was, sitting in my bathroom next to the bowl for fear of losing my lunch. I’m still not sure how I held it together.
But somehow my “Rock Star Moment” was here. And I wasn’t about to let it slip away.
Ironically, it was being part of a country band that gave me this opportunity. The last thing you’d probably ever expect from a guy who grew up playing Survivor, Bon Jovi, Ozzy and AC/DC .And yet it was because our singer had won a regional vocal competition that we were invited to be the opening act.
So, a METAL head in a COUNTRY band gets to open for POP star. Musical irony.
Imagine the day in the life of your favorite chart topping artist as they arrive at a venue to perform. That was me that day.
Megan Massacre
All the crew members doing whatever it takes to make you comfortable so you could ready yourself for a night of great music. Ushering you off away from the adoring public. Ok, so this “public” was there to see Clay Aiken but this was my “moment” so I could think what ever I wanted.
Clay had just placed second in season two of American Idol but was almost on the same level as Justin Bieber is today. People were going bonkers for him.
Surreal.
This was the story that I told Megan Massacre as she tattooed me. This was the reason for getting my very first tattoo: to commemorate the day my dream came true.
Although my segment with her never actually aired there is a brief glimpse of Megan tattooing me during a transition between scenes as you can see in the one photo.
Frankly, I’m still wondering if this picture justifies me having my own IMDB listing… I can see it now:
Actor: James Wood: Appeared in: “NY INK Season 2″… In the role of: “Arm being tattooed by Megan Massacre“.
I honestly can’t say enough good things about my experience at Wooster Street or the tattoo that Megan did. What’s even better is that I now have a story within a story to tell when people ask me about it.
And I couldn’t ask for anything cooler than that. What do you think?
Is there anyone who cares at all about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anymore? A shrine that supposedly celebrates music but over the years has turned into one huge joke.
Late last year a lot of brouhaha was made when it was announced that Guns N Roses was going to be one of the acts to be enshrined.
Anyone whose had a pulse in the music industry over the last twenty years already knows that the classic line-up of this band has literally HATED each other for years. In fact, I believe that since it was formed in 1985 the band has gone through almost two dozen different members.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the classic GnR line-up. But let’s be real here folks: if the Hall’s whole intention was to try to have these guys reunite on stage, play again and suddenly come to their senses and get back together, they’re sadly mistaken.
And that poses the question:
Why even have a music award ceremony recognizing a half-dozen acts and none of the inductees even wants to play together?
Yesterday guitarist Slash, a staple of the band in its early inception and one of the first to leave at the height of its success due to drama, told a reporter that the band will NOT reunite and play at the induction ceremony. In fact, he’s not even sure if his “old buddy” Axl Rose was even going to attend. He only “assumed” that he would. What does that tell you?
But the thing that really gets me was when Slash nonchalantly told the reporter that he hates “formal” ceremonies and the honor of being inducted with the likes of Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton hasn’t even sunk in.
He’s on par with LEGENDS and he feels NOTHING?…It just goes to show you how much of a farce the whole thing has become. It’s meaningless.
The Hall inducts bands like Guns N Roses but ignores way more deserving artists. Consider just a few of these bands that are NOT in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:
KISS, RUSH, JOURNEY, FOREIGNER, REO SPEEDWAGON, SURVIVOR, THE DOOBIE BROTHERS, STYX, IRON MAIDEN, CHEAP TRICK.
Whether you personally like any of these bands or not you have to admit that the successes they’ve achieved over the years equally match what Guns n Roses did. And in every case these bands are far more deserving because they’ve been doing it longer.
And my guess is, if you inducted any of them and asked them to perform with the most classic line-up they probably would without question. I think they’d probably be honored to. Go figure.
It will be interesting to see if the classic Guns N Roses can put aside their differences and take us where the green grass and pretty girls are one more time. But even if they did do the impossible there’s one thing I know for sure:
She’s a model. She’s a DJ. She plays bass guitar. But most of all – Megan Massacre is one really amazing tattoo artist.
I first met Megan one hot summer day last August. I made the pilgrimage to New York with my daughter to visit The Wooster Street Social Club, the tattoo studio where she works. The studio is also the place where the TLC reality based show NY Ink is filmed. You can read about our adventure here. Today’s visit was different though.
Today, Megan was going to give me my very first tattoo and the entire segment was going to be filmed for the second season of NY Ink.
I really loved Megan’s work from the first season. She has such a unique style that was different from most of the other artists I had seen. I mean, tatting a dog dressed as a Victorian Lady or a dude getting hit by a bus is definitely not something you see every day.
Since this was going to be my very first tattoo I wanted it to be special and more than just a “picture” if that makes any sense. So when I gave her the ideas I had for the guitar I wanted I knew she would nail it. And the time was now drawing near.
I was sitting downstairs in a room adjacent to Ami James’ office. Producers and other production type folks all sat nearby with headset communication listening to what was going on upstairs. Finally, I heard one of them say into the microphone “Ok, I’ll send him up”.
And away I went.
Ami and Billy were already in the early stages of their tattoos and I slowly made my way past them to what’s been commonly referred to as “the big comfy couch”.
My View From The Couch
I sat down and peered over to see RoBear helping Megan set up her station. Several members of the film crew were in discussion with each other while others busily adjusted their equipment.
Megan was already well aware that this was going to be my first tattoo and was of significant size but that didn’t stop her from teasing me a bit.
As she was preparing her station with paper towels and ink she’d often look over at me and do her best impression of a nefarious villain by rubbing her hands together and laughing. Sort of saying “There’s no turning back now son… You’re mine!”. And in some odd way, it was almost comforting.
Finally, it was time and she called me over to her station.
The first thing Megan did after applying the stencil was to make a small line to assess what my tolerance for the needle would be. It felt like a bit of a scratch, no pain. Off we go.
For the next two and a half hours Megan tattooed me as cameras rolled. Until the production crew was ready, telling her my actual “story” was the only thing we couldn’t talk about. Anything else was fine. So it was here where we shared our backgrounds and I got some back stories about her own tattoos. I also found out that much like me, she also grew up in Pennsylvania and has a fascination for not only art but musical performance as well.
Eventually, the production crew came over and began filming me telling Megan my story and reason for getting the tattoo. I think this was where I was most nervous. Its hard to try and tell a story and use coherent sentences when people are holding monstrous camera equipment and lights three feet away from you.
At times I have to admit that the tattoo process itself did hurt a little bit but there was no way I was going to cry in front of Megan. Ok, it didn’t hurt THAT much but it did make me wonder how people deal with the pain of getting tattooed in more sensitive areas.
At one point Ami, Billy and Jessica all came over off-camera to take a peek at the tattoo Megan was doing on me. Seeing these other great artists taking an interest in my piece was very cool and during the actual “reveal” only one word came to everyone’s lips: BAD-ASS. Exactly what I wanted it to be.
People have asked me over and over what Megan is really like in person and the one word that immediately comes to mind is “sweetheart”. She is lady-like and bad ass all rolled into one. A person dedicated to her craft.
In fact, in all the time it took her to do my tattoo she didn’t take one break. Well, unless of course you count the time she went over to check out the tattoo Billy was having a problem with. (Side note: It was episode three of season two. When you see Megan come up to see how Billy is doing on his “first” big tattoo, she was actually tattooing me at the time but my segment never aired).
Also, when you see her talking about her affection for RoBear that’s also genuine. RoBear was like her guardian. He helped set up her station and brought her over snacks and drinks while she was tattooing me. I suspect that if I would have gotten out of line with Meg I would have been on the receiving end of the big guy’s boot.
She likes to text
The whole experience from start to finish was surreal. Although I was a bit disheartened my segment didn’t air I can’t say enough good things about it.
I mean, how may people can say they got their first tattoo by Megan Massacre with a film crew watching and being interviewed about it?
So by now you may be wondering what my story was and even more importantly, want to see the tattoo that Megan did. All will be revealed in the finale which is next.
If there’s one thing you can say about me it’s that I’m passionate about my music.
I grew up listening to a wide variety of music. From dare I say Barry Manilow, ABBA and The Carpenters to Survivor, Led Zeppelin, REO Speedwagon, Journey, The Cars, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi and those other zany hair bands.
So when I was finishing my basement a few years ago I decided I wanted to have a music room/office area. One that would contain my guitars, keyboards and other musical paraphernalia.
At one point I came across a bunch of old record albums I had lying around in a box and had an idea. Rather than throw all of them out since the turntable had gone the way of the 8-track, I decided to decorate my “Rock Room” by hanging them in frames on the walls. Record albums I could look at and think about all the good times gone by.
Then it dawned on me. Putting records on the wall was kind of lame. It would look too “TGI Fridays”….No, the only REAL way to put these things up would be if I could somehow get them SIGNED by members of the band from the time the record was made. No small task indeed.
And to make it even more challenging, I made a single rule for myself. I would NOT buy one of those back-stage pass deals to get it signed. It HAD to be at a show. And it had to be FREE. Not something I purchased where the artist was obligated to sign.
Ok, I made one exception to the rule and that was for the first Beatles record. Obviously, that thing will never get signed. 50% of the band is dead, 25% of the remaining members you’d need to be the Queen to get a signature from and the last 25% has said bluntly that he’ll never sign anything ever again. But I put it on the wall anyway. I mean, c’mon, it’s the Beatles.
Some of the others though I’ve had more success with.
Survivor’s Vital Signs album, my Holy Grail of records. The one with “Can’t Hold Back”, “High on You” and The Search is Over” on it. I was able to get it signed at Hershey Park of all places. The guys came out and signed for everyone shortly after the show a few summers ago.
Another shining moment came during an REO Speedwagon concert at the State Theatre in 2009. I was able to get up to the front of the stage for the encore and had a bunch of the band sign my “Wheels Are Turnin'” record. Wow, this was easier than I thought….or so I thought.
But this note is entitled “Denied” so by now I think you might have an idea as to where this may be going.
I found myself in the 5th row of the Bryan Adams concert at the State Theatre one Sunday night last year. It was on his “Bare Bones Tour” where it was just him, his guitar and a piano player. There was a glimmer in my eye as I held my copy of his “Reckless” album. You know the one. With “Summer of 69”, “Heaven” and “Run To You” on it. The record that was another staple of my life back in high school.
This was going to be cool. Because unlike my other efforts to obtain signatures, this one was for a solo artist. The problem with getting autographs on my other records is that sometimes members of the current bands lineup doesn’t include all of the same players that performed on the album. If I was lucky, maybe there were three of the five still in the band. So some of my treasures can still be labeled as incomplete.
But this one wouldn’t be. Yes sir ree. One signature was all I needed. A signature from Bryan Adams shining in blue Sharpie in the upper left hand corner real big. Can you tell I had this pretty well planned out?. It would happen. It HAD to happen.
One of the best shows I’ve ever seen at the State Theatre, Bryan went through much of his catalog of hits from back in “the day”. My heart got giddy as the end approached. I had done my research (you really have to if you want to do this thing right)…He would leave the stage and come back for a final encore of two or three songs.
Prior to the last songs Bryan persuaded people to come up to the front to which I did with Reckless and Sharpie in tow. As I got to the front of the stage euphoria set in. I could “SEE” him signing my record. I looked around and noticed that I was the only dude in a gaggle of women. Women with NOTHING to be signed. I fondly recalled the line Flounder gave in Animal House when he said “Oh boy, is THIS GREAT!!”
I could hear one of the girls next to me telling her friend that he would do “Summer of 69” one more time as the encore. I snidely looked over at her and corrected her by saying he’d do “Straight From the Heart”. And when he started singing “I could start dreaming but it never ends…”…a smile came across my face as there was no longer any doubt as to who the REAL fan was…
I noticed Bryan look over in my direction several times during the last song and I even had shown him the Reckless album and he kind of smiled. A good sign. Then after the song was over he just said good night and left. And the equation had been solved:
Me + Reckless Album + Gaggle of Women with Nothing To Be Signed = Bryan signs nothing…
I ask you: Can there be anything sadder than a man standing alone with his un-signed album at the foot of the stage when the house lights come on?
I never know when, if ever, I’ll get a chance to have the Reckless record signed again. But I had a great run of success getting signatures which will continue. This was my first setback. It was great re-living all those songs again in concert and all the great memories they brought back.
I think I’m going to put this album on the wall anyway.
Butterflies began to fill my stomach as I ascended the elevator to the eleventh floor of the make shift studio for NY Ink. The genesis of my excitement had been building since my arrival in New York and subsequent trip downtown via the subway line, but now the reality of the whole event was starting to take shape. It was only a matter of hours now before I’d be getting tattooed in front of the camera by Megan Massacre.
As the elevator floor indicator lights reached higher and higher numbers I imagined the door opening and me being greeted by flashing cameras and paparazzi. Perhaps the catering service asking me what my lunch requirements would be or maybe some early autograph seekers.
I could picture myself wearing Ray Bans and giving half-hearted smiles to my adoring public. “Are you THE James Wood?”, one beautiful blonde female would say. “The one telling his rock and roll story and getting a killer tattoo on NY Ink?”. I’d slowly remove the Ray Bans revealing my deep blue eyes and reply, “Why YES…that’s ME!”
Reality struck fast and my celebrity euphoria got sucked out of the room like a vacuum when the elevator door opened to reveal nothing but an empty vestibule. Only a few chirping crickets would have made the moment more complete.
A simple table with a telephone sat in between two leather chairs against the wall and I chuckled a bit thinking that there would be no h’orderves or goody bag containing high-end skin-care products for me. Sadly, the only thing that rested upon the table was a single clip board containing a sign-in sheet along with a note informing clients for “NY Ink” to dial an extension upon arrival to alert the associate producer.
After signing the sheet and leaving a message with the operator as to my arrival I settled down on the nice comfy chair and noticed that a few more clients were already starting to arrive. More people to tell their story and get tattoos.
During the next few hours I met two really cool people, each with multiple tattoos already and having their own stories to tell as to why they had chosen a particular piece for the show.
Now me, being a virgin of skin-art, eagerly listened to their tales of family, hard luck, and the needle and ink process. The butterflies that I had originally felt quickly subsided as I now found myself more concerned what the threshold of pain would be like for me when needle met skin.
“It feels like an annoying scrape”, one would say. “Nah, it’s more like a stab”, said the other. Looking back, it was hard to tell if they were being honest or just trying to scare me.
Me and Jessica Gahring
It wasn’t long before the associate producer sat us all down and explained the details of what was going to happen during the course of the day.
She would escort us over to the Wooster Street Social Club and upon our arrival we would each do a pre-interview.
Afterwards, crews would begin the process of filming us getting tattooed and telling our stories. The entire process was going to be an all day affair and there would include a lot of waiting.
Bring it on.
“Is everyone ready?” she asked and the three of us all quickly rose in unison. “Onward to Wooster Street”.
As we made our way down the elevator and out onto 6th Avenue the excitement of memorializing everything music has meant to me really started to build. Deep inside though I couldn’t stop thinking about the needle.
If anything, there definitely was no turning back now.
It’s been thirty years since E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial changed the way Americans looked at Reese’s Pieces. In 1982 you couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing the little guy with the lit-up finger munching on those chocolate and peanut butter candies.
E.T. was everywhere. From Pizza Hut glasses to Atari video games and even lunch boxes. His stickers adorned everyone’s beloved Trapper Keeper (mine included) and I still recall all of the kids in 7th grade talking about him for months.
But even thirty years after its release the one thing I remember most about the movie, aside from wanting one of those cool flying bicycles, is the scene where Henry Thomas’ character Elliott saves the frogs in his science class from certain death and kisses his female classmate.
Quite fittingly, she was credited as the “Pretty Girl” in the movie and it was one of those moments during my own adolescence where I would have given anything to be able to change places with some other guy. That other guy being Henry Thomas.
E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial introduced the movie world to Erika Eleniak. Since then, she’s been a Playboy Playmate, a Baywatch babe and a Beverly Hillbilly just to name a few of her accomplishments.
She’s fought off terrorists in “Under Siege” and even hunted vampires in “Dracula 3000: Infinite Darkness”. Most recently, she’s appeared in episodes of “Desperate Housewives” and “CSI: Miami”.
In this interview, Erika talks about her time working on “E.T. :The Extra-Terrestrial“, “Baywatch” and “Under Siege“. She also discusses her newest movie, “Meant To Be” which deals with a very controversial subject.
goJimmygo (gJg): When did you first start acting and how did your role in E.T. come about?
Erika Eleniak (EE): I first started acting when I was ten-years old. My earliest appearances included a play, some commercials and on a TV show.
Although E.T. was not my first acting role it was my first film role. I was twelve-years old and in the 7th Grade performing in an audition showcase when I was spotted by a talent scout for Steven Spielberg, who was seated in the audience.
I later went to meet with Mr. Spielberg and he asked me if I wanted to be in his movie.
I said, “Yes.” <laughs>
gJg: What was the experience like working with Steven Spielberg?
EE: Working with Steven was wonderful. He was very playful with all of the kids and caring as well.
I remember when it was time for our on-screen kiss. He cleared the set and had private conversations with both Henry Thomas (Elliott) and myself to reassure us that it would be handled with care.
gJg: Did you ever expect the movie to become the phenomenon that it did?
EE: When I was cast for E.T. great care was taken with everyone to make sure that “E.T.” stayed a secret until it was time for its release. This was done to avoid the possibility of the film being ripped off before it’s release.
I was told that the name of the film was “A Boys Life” and that it was going to be about a boy and an alien. That’s all. I had no idea what to expect.
I still remember sitting with my Mom, Grandma and Sister in the Hollywood Dome Theater for the premiere and just being wide-eyed the whole time!
gJg: Are there any funny stories from being on the set that you’d like to share?
EE: I think the funniest memory I have is that Henry had told everyone that he was in a “Girl Hater’s Club”.
The other thing was that he was 10 years old and I was 12 so we were both pretty freaked out about having to do that kiss!
gJg: Did being part of such a big movie bring lots of offers for future films?
EE: I was very fortunate in that my Mom was the complete opposite of what a typical “stage mother” is. She made sure that I had a normal childhood and stayed in school. I had worked a couple of jobs a year on average but as far as getting roles based on E.T: there were none that I am aware of.
gJg: A few years later you were cast as Shauni McClain on “Baywatch”.
EE: Yes, I was cast in Baywatch right out of high school. I was 18 or 19 years old and one of the original cast members of the show when it was first aired on NBC.
This was the most conservative network at the time by the way.
gJg: I loved your role as Jordan Tate in “Under Siege”. Was there a reason why you didn’t appear in the sequel?
EE: “Under Siege” was a great film and a fantastic project to be a part of. The role of Jordan Tate was pure FUN to play. I am often asked why I was not cast in the sequel.
From what I understand, they wanted to make a completely different theme and therefore a new cast.
gJg: What was it like working with Tommy Lee Jones in that movie?
EE: Working with Tommy Lee Jones was an honor for me. He is one of my favorite actors of all time. Watching him work with Gary Busey was also inspiring. They wrote, re-wrote, created, improvised. It was amazing to watch.
gJg: Have you made any lasting relationships with any of the cast from those movies?
EE: I have run into various actors I’ve worked with over the years and that is always cool but it’s very difficult to maintain relationships with us gypsies sometimes! We move around from town to town, working and traveling.
I’m kidding though, we are not gypsies. We all just have our own very different and busy lives.
Erika on CSI:Miami
gJg: What is the biggest question fans ask you the most?
EE: Most fans ask me what it was like working on Baywatch or what it was like to work with certain actors.
That is the biggest question really: “What was it like working with…..”
gJg: And I’ve asked a few of those too…. <laughs>
gJg: Out of all of the people you’ve worked with over the course of your career thus far, who would you say is the one person you’ve enjoyed working with the most and why?
EE: I have been fortunate in my career to meet and work with many fascinating and interesting people but, if I have to choose a favorite, it would have to be Cloris Leachman. She is a wild, wonderful woman! So full of Joy-for-Life and her spirit is as contagious as her laughter. (Ms. Leachman co-starred with Erika in The Beverly Hillbillies)
gJg: Finally, what can you tell me about your new film “Meant To Be”?
EE: My new film, “Meant To Be” looks at the very controversial topic of abortion and what happens to those involved in the process. It is a very interesting point of view of a “possibility” of what the consequences of having one “may be”.
I play a woman who previously had an abortion and later on goes on to have a child. After her child goes off to college she finds herself “mentoring” a young girl in the very same situation that she was faced with many years ago.
There’s also a young man in this story in search of his birth mother as well which takes on a veryinteresting twist.
For more information on Erika check out the links below:
Ever have one of those days where you get up in the morning and just feel like calling in sick? Today is one of those days.
go.Jimmy.go 