Tommy Solo's famous friends

Honey Moon Suite started gaining momentum globally in the early 1980s & they've barely looked back since then.  They've released over a dozen albums over the years & have just released the fruits of their labour over two years in a global pandemic. Teaming with American producer Mike Krompass, known for his work with Steven Tyler, Smash Mouth etc. Honey Moon Suite have once again broken the mold with "Alive". I spoke with lead guitarist & principle songwriter for HMS, Derry Grehan about this new album & the importance of writing & producing songs for the people who have followed them loyally for decades... among other things. This is a good one. https://musicinmotionent.com/category/honeymoon-suite/https://frontiers.shop/products/honeymoon-suite-alive-cd#:~:text='Alive'%20has%20been%20produced%20by,Dead%20Man%20and%20Smash%20Mouth.https://www.facebook.com/HMSLiveI would be most grateful if you would be so kind as to join my support community at the following link:https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support

Formed from the ashes of the Hillbilly Headhunters & Moon MD in 1998, the Hillbilly Moon Explosion have since released several successful albums culminating with their latest album "Back in time" featuring the singles "Sometimes at night" & "Knocked down" .  In this episode I discussed with Oliver Baroni how his Hillbilly Headhunters merged with Emanuela Hutter's Moon MD so many years ago, & how they've managed to keep recording & touring internationally, even advancing their craft in spite of a global pandemic. You can keep up with the Hillbilly Moon Explosion on their FB page https://www.facebook.com/hillbillymoonexplosionHelp us to keep making these shows at this link (copy & paste into your browser)  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

Singer/songwriter Rik Emmett was known as the virtuostic guitarist & singer with iconic Canadian band Triumph, and he has been an independant solo artist since the 1990s. In this episode we discuss his new memoire "Lay it on the line" which is as he describes it "A backstage pass to rockstar adventure, conflict & triumph" . But that's not all we talked about.This is a fun one! https://www.rikemmett.com/ If you enjoy this episode & would like to help me to continue making more like it, why not go to my "buy me a coffee" link & donate to the show? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

Legendary Canadian rocker Myles Goodwyn left this mortal coil on December 3rd 2023 after a lenghty battle with various illnesses.On December 18th 2023, I was fortunate to share memories from the life & times of Myles Goodwyn with his three surviving original co founding members of April Wine.David, Ritchie & Jim Henman gave their individual & personal thoughts in memory their fallen brother in this episode. This is a heartfelt tribute to the late great Myles Goodwyn from those who knew him best when April Wine first took the stage way back then.Join us as we celebrate the life & legacy of an iconic Canadian musical treasure.Rest in peace Myles Goodwyn June 23 1948-December 3 2023You can help me to keep producing shows like this one by going to the following link. Just copy & paste it into your web browser. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

You may know Terry Draper from his tenure with the classic Canadian band Klaatu. Did you know he has just released his 20th solo record? His new release "In the beginning" is a quirky prog pop collection featuring solid songwriting & solid performances throughout. And this time Terry harkens back to the glory days of album packaging as inspired by the classic albums from the Beatles, Pink Floyd etc.. I reached him at his winter home in Florida to talk about In the beginning.While we certainly do discuss his new album, Terry spent the better part of our chat praising the artists he's worked with both on this & previous projects.All aboard for this inspired conversation! Get In the beginning at this site: https://www.terrydraper.com/ And maybe buy me a coffee if you like my show? Here's where you can support Tommy Solo's Famous Friends : https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

This is part two of my 2020 conversation with seminal singer/guitarist/songwriter Frank Soda.In this part of our chat Frank talks about how he survived the music business by widening his horizons & not being afraid to diversify his act. As this episode was originally recorded during the big Covid lockdown, he also reflected on expanding his musical horizons further & his plans to return to Ontario with his classic rock show.Frank is still going strong over three years after we recorded this, & this interview was pivotal for me as a podcaster.If you enjoy my show & would like to help us to keep it going, why not go to my "buy me a coffee" link & toss a few bucks into the kitty? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

In part one of my classic interview with Seminal Canadian rocker Frank Soda we discuss his early years starting out in the Canadian bar circuit in the 1970s. From his time with Buddy Knox to muscle rocker Thor & beyond, Frank shares his experiences leading up to Frank Soda & the Imps signing with Quality records. I met Frank Soda while he & the Imps were backing up Thor at the St. Regis hotel in North Bay Ontario (my hometown) circa 1977. Having the opportunity to jam with the Imps during the Saturday afternoon matinee, I was inspired by Frank to pursue my own dream of being a rock & roll guitar slinger one day. We recorded this interview in the early days of the pandemic in 2020 & it's definetely worth hearing again.If you enjoy this show & would like to help me to keep it going, why not go to my "Buy me a coffee" page & donate a few bucks to the podcast? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq Stream Frank Soda music here:https://open.spotify.com/artist/0vgUmbptgr6MohJ3xSsHFQBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

On November 10th 2023 Burton Cummings & Randy Bachman launched a false advertising law suit against former bandmates Jim Cale & Garry Peterson. In this episode I spoke with one of the leading experts on all things "The Guess Who", Robert Lawson about this news.Robert's book "Wheatfield Empire" details pretty much everyone you could ask about the history of one of Canada's most successful bands. He spoke with members of Burton Cummings team days before we recorded this interview & has an inside scoop as to the motivations of all involved.This is another good one folks, so grab a beverage , put on your headphones & have a listen to our chat.Copy & paste the following link to Robert's Facebook profile into your web browser for more info about his books & his inside knowledge. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007850040446And if you enjoy my show & would like to help us keep it going why not follow this link to buy me a coffee? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

When I interviewed Ronnie Hawkins in 2021 he was already 86 years old, but he proved that he was still the king of one liners & had me laughing throughout our conversation. Growing up in Arkansas he was influenced by the music he was raised on & when he brought his brand of Rockabilly music to Canada, he quickly became a seminal figure in the musical landscape here.The list of musicians, actors etc. whose careers he helped launch is too long to list here, but we did talk about a lot of those artists in our chat.I believe I was perhaps the last person to interview him as I spoke with him again shortly after the release of his last single, a cover of Me & Bobby McGee with Kris Kristofferson, Gordon Lightfoot & Wille Nelson later that year & he would pass away not long after.If You're a fan of the Hawk, sit back & enjoy this walk down memory lane with me & Ronnie.And if you enjoy this show & would like to help us keep it going, why not go to the "buy me a coffee" link & show your love? (copy & paste the link into your browser) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

John McGale was one of my hometown guitar heroes. He was a couple of years older than me & my neighbourhood pals & was playing in a working band around the time I learned to ride a bicycle. He was very popular both in the neighbourhood & at our highschool where he was elected to the student's council as social convenor. He would often entertain us at school assemblies playing guitar, flute & singing.It was while he acted as social convenor at Widdifield Secondary Highschool that he connected with various booking agents while he booked bands like A foot in Cold Water, Edward Bear, Copperpenny etc. to play our dances.It wasn't long after he graduated that John hit the road as a pro guitarist/singer & before long he was in the Quebec Juggernaut known as Offenbach. This band was already established as an iconic Francophone band before he joined but they had their biggest success with John on Guitar & Saxophone. He learned to speak French in no time & became a successful songwriter with Offenbach as well.Long after the original lead singer Gerry Boulet passed away, John carried the Offenbach banner & was the president of all things business related for the band until the day he died in a car crash on his way home from a Halloween gig on his 66th birthday on October 30th 2022. He was not only a major infuence on me as a musician, he was a good friend.In this memorial edition, I spoke with three of John's closest musical friends about his legacy.Rest in peace John McGaleBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

In part two of my chat with Alex Machin, we pick it up from where he was a staff songwriter with United artists in LA.While he would inevitably reunite with A Foot in cold water, there was a lot more to his story in the in between years.Did you know that Alex was the lead singer with Moxy for a few years? We discuss all that & more as we continue our conversation here. And hey...if you like my show & would like to help us keep it going, why not copy & paste the "buy me a coffee" link here into your web browser? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq And here's where you can check out Alex's new music & more (again...copy & paste the link into your browser) https://www.alexmachin.ca/videos/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

Alex Machin is the voice behind one of Canada's most iconic classic radio hits, "Make me do anything you want." When he & guitarist extraorinaire Paul Naumann joined forces with the remaining members of Nucleus; Bob Horne, Danny Taylor & Hughie Leggat, musical magic happened.A foot in cold water was signed to Daffodil records & they were off & running with Make me do anything you want charting in the top 40 on radio not once, but twice a few years apart. In fact, A foot in cold water was inducted into the Canadian songwriters hall of fame in 2021 for this song. We discussed this & a lot more in this episode. https://www.alexmachin.ca/ And hey, if you enjoy my show & would like to help us keep it going without paying for a monthly subscription, why not click on the "buy me a coffee" link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

Jaimie Vernon has been a music business insider for decades serving as a musician, record company president & author among other things. He has been described as a walking pop music encyclopedia & in fact, is the author of the "Canadian pop music encyclopedia".The following is how this episode was described when it was originally published in 2021:Jaimie Vernon makes a return visit to Tommy Solo's Famous Friends , this time to play rock & roll trivia with me. Jaimie is the president of Bullseye records & an authority on Canadian pop music history. He is currently writing a weekly blog, an extension of his former publication....Great White Noise. In this episode, we discuss a random mix of Canadian bands & solo recording artists as I quiz Jaimie (who is also the author of the Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia) with random names. He shares his knowledge of acts like Klaatu, Lee Aaron, April Wine, Frank Soda & a lot more including some more obscure yet awesome acts. And then there was 1980, the summer of riots at rock shows in Toronto..... This is a fun one!And if you enjoy my podcast, why not help us keep it going & click on this "buy me a coffee" link? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

This is a reissue of my interview with Canada's Country Gentleman, Tommy Hunter.When I reached out to him in the summer of 2020, he was more than accomodating with me & we had an awesome discussion about his early beginnings & his 30 plus years on both CBC TV & on the Nashville network.This was one of my most applauded interviews & I'm proud to feature the legendary Tommy Hunter as my first "classic" episode.If you enjoy this episode & would like to help me to continue producing shows like this one, why not click on the "buy me a coffee" link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

In part two of my conversation with Danny Taylor, we discuss how the iconic Canadian band "A foot in cold water" was formed, the creation of their biggest hit & more. Danny started in the music business as a teenager still in highschool & he has a lot of interesting stories to share. And Danny along with original lead singer Alex Machin have new A foot in cold water music to share with the world. We talked about this as well. If you enjoy this podcast & would like to help us continue producing more episodes without a paid subscription, why not click on the "buy me a coffee" link here? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG1SLj08qa8&ab_channel=AlexMachinBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

Danny Taylor has been a part of Canadian music history since he was a teenager in highschool during the 1960s, finding success was as drummer with "the Lords of London", once considered to be Canada's answer to the Monkees. After having some commercial success with a few radio hits, the Lords of London disbanded & morphed into a more progressive jazzier/psychedelic sounding "Nucleus". Both bands were signed to record deals & had moderate commercial success. After some frustration & internal turmoil within Nucleus, eventually "A foot in cold water" was born.We discuss all this & more, including how a young pre Rush Neil Peart was influenced by Danny as a drummer, in part one of my two part conversation with Danny Taylor. If you enjoy this show & would like to help us keep it going without a monthly subscription, why not help by clicking on the "buy me a coffee" link here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqhttp://www.afootincoldwater.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

This is the first in my new series "in performance with" & we're getting things rolling with Sandy Gillis aka comedian Jimmy the janitor. Sandy started in radio way back in 1968 & some 30 years later developed the Jimmy the janitor character as part of a radio show. It didn't take long before Sandy took Jimmy the janitor on the road & made several appearances doing stand up comedy live on stage & on TV all over North America.In this episode, we discuss how all of this happened & we share a live Jimmy the janitor performance.And hey, if you get a kick out of my show & would like to help us continue producing it, why not click on the "buy me a coffee" link here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqAnd to check out Comedian Jimmy the janitor show dates etc. click here:https://www.jimmythejanitor.com/index.htmlBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

Ray Rabbit Harrison joined Del Shannon's touring band in 1962 at a mere 16 years old & he hasn't looked back since.He's been the keyboardist over the years in the Greaseball boogie band, Shooter, Crowbar & more top shelf acts. Currently he is still tickling the ivories with his long time band, the Cameo Blues band.in this episode we discuss playing keyboards & a lot more.Ray has a lifetime of music business insider tales to tell. If you enjoy my show & would like to help us keep it going, why not click on the "buy me a coffee" link here? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqhttps://www.facebook.com/CameoBluesBandBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

Walter Zwol started fronting the band Brutus in the late 1960s & he hasn't looked back as a pro singer since.He was the first Canadian artist to be signed with EMI records in the USA & had chart success with several singles. While he has worked in the business side of the music business, his passion has always been as a singer.We talk singing, vocal technique and a lot more in this segment of "the singers" series. If you enjoy this episode & would like to help keep us going, why not click on the "buy me a coffee" link here & make a small donation? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq And here's where you can find some of Walter's best music online. https://bullseyecanada.bandcamp.com/album/for-the-peopleBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.

Greg Godovitz went from thinking that the Beatles with their odd haircuts looked wierd on their debut album cover to being heavily influenced by them as a budding singer as a kid in the 1960s. By the early 1970s, he would travel as far away as England with his first top shelf band, Fludd. After that his own band, Goddo featuring him as not only the bass player, but also lead singer & frontman would make a huge splash in the rock world.Greg has made his living as a singer/songwriter now for decades & in this episode we discuss all the work that goes into live performances with no such thing as sick days, catching sleep on tour whenever you can & a lot more. While this eipisode is mostly about singing, Greg can't just talk about one thing for long.This is a good one. Greg has me laughing throughout & I'm sure you'll have a few chuckles listening to this episode too! And hey, if you enjoy my show & would like to help us keep it going without paying for a monthly subscription....why not click on the "Buy me a coffee link" here? And bye the way, Greg is having an online garage sale of sorts & the link for that is below the 1st one I mentioned .https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandqhttps://www.shopgreggodovitz.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support.