I heard the news about Robin Gibb yesterday without even reading his name or that of the Bee Gees. On holiday in Bali, I borrowed a friend’s iPhone and checked my Facebook for the first time in a couple of days and saw I had dozens of notitifications of condolences. The first one I read said…
Donna Summer Dead At 63 – Her Finest Forgotten Song
Yet another music great has died and died too soon with Donna Summer succumbing just a few hours ago to cancer at the age of 63. In a refreshingly un-rock star finale, her life ended as a happily married grandmother with a devout Christian faith. But make no mistake, Summer was a rock-star, with a…
‘The GC’ – Feeling Sorry For The Cast
I watched the second half of New Zealand’s answer to Jersey Shore, The GC last night, knowing I need to be up with the play on all things pop-culture in my line of work but also not wanting to lose too much IQ in the process. If you’re not a Kiwi, The GC has become…
Lionel Richie – ‘Tuskegee Volume Two’ Track-list
Lionel Richie is riding high in the charts with his first US number one album since 1986’s Dancing On The Ceiling, Tuskegee. Richie’s album of countrified duets of 13 of his most famous songs is described as a return to his country roots, though any true fan knows those roots have always been pretty close…
‘The GC’ – Shame On You NZ On Air!
Shame, shame, shame on you New Zealand On Air. Like everyone with half a brain in this country, I find it appalling that New Zealand On Air used tax-payer money to fund a show as disastrously vacuous at The GC. A misplaced point mentioned by some on my Newstalk ZB talkback show was, “if you…
Death Of Levon Helm – 3 Stunning Songs
Just as Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees clings on to life, we recently learned that Levon Helm from The Band has lost his battle with cancer at the age of 71. For a group filled with such Americana, Helm was the only member who was actually from the States, with the rest Canadians….
Needlessly Comparing Lionel Richie & Bruce Springsteen – Featured Songs From Their New Albums
Two of my biggest music heroes have returned with new albums in the last couple of weeks and while it might seem unlikely to put these guys side-by-side, there are a few things beyond longevity and massive success that align them. For starters, there are still Bruce Springsteen fans smarting from Lionel Richie taking out the Album of…
Elton John’s 65th Birthday – His Top 5 Songs
Elton John celebrated birthday number 65 yesterday so I thought I’d put up a list of my top five Elton songs ever, which considering the depth of that back catalogue could be tough. But then off the top of my head, I realised my absolute favourites have been pretty much set in stone for the last…
Brother Number One – Rob Hamill’s Search To Find Truth & Justice For His Brother
Rob Hamill is a champion Kiwi rower and well known in New Zealand for his world-record-breaking feats, including crossing the Atlantic in just 41 days (alongside the late Phil Stubbs). He has also represented his country at World Championship events and even the Olympic games back in 1996. But what is less well known about Hamill is…
Bee Gees Offspring Spencer Gibb On Why Whitney Houston’s Detractors Are Sad, Cynical & Plain Wrong
Whitney Houston. The following entry I just found on Facebook and is written by Spencer Gibb*, son of Bee Gee Robin Gibb. He provides an insight and perspective into the life of Whitney Houston, her statistical links to the Bee Gees and why heartless comments regarding drug addiction are based on ignorance. I do not…
Whitney Houston’s Death – Why Are We So Quick To Judge? 2 Of Her Most Poignant Songs
Last night on Newstalk ZB we did a three hour tribute show to Whitney Houston who died yesterday, possibly drowning in her Beverly Hills hotel bath, aged just 48. On the programme we had comments from the likes of Simon Cowell, Tony Bennett, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson and Lionel Richie, who said he would speak to…
Beyonce’s Best Ever Song Never Even Made The Top 10
I’m well aware this song has been out for some time, so as a proviso, I’m stating that fact first so as to prove I’m not behind the eight-ball. Merely, I’ve just been biding my time. That said, who really cares. This song is the best thing Beyonce has ever released, even if it hasn’t…
