According to this, he’s been married twice, and two of those children are adopted (stepchildren). The first inkling I heard that he was NOT gay was when I read about the car accident that nearly killed Robert Plant, probably about 10 years after it happened, and that Page’s daughter was in the car, although she was not seriously injured.
ETA: Oops, almost forgot to post a link.
Dennis DeYoung still has an impressive set of pipes, but I’ve always heard that he also has an ego to match and that’s why he was fired from Styx. I realize this is stretching the whole 60s things a bit, but Styx did release their first album in 1972, and he performed professionally before that.
Before Buddy Rich and James Brown led their own bands, Benny Goodman was famous for the “death ray,” a stinkeye aimed at musicians after they played crummy solos.
Perfectionist bandleaders are always called assholes by their sidemen, but we should probably appreciate their ability to herd “cats.”
No, they’re dicks. Now, mind you, I don’t mind short-tempered people who push you to do your best. I react fine to that sort of treatment. But the people I know who are like that are assholes in general, and it’s not necessary to have this kind of approach to bring the best out of people. So, I just think they’re all assholes. Plus I don’t much like Buddy Rich’s music, so it’s easier for me to pile on him. (I’ve never once cared to hear a song Rich played on, but if you told me Morello was on the skins, I’m all ears.) James Brown is a bit more difficult. He was a bit more “important” in my eyes in musical history than Rich was. Goodman, I don’t know enough about.
Listen to Buddy on the trio recordings with Lester Young and Nat King Cole. In a small combo he doesn’t show off his chops so much. IMO, he was one of the top dozen drummers in jazz history.
Also, try on some more Benny Goodman. He wasn’t called the King of Swing because he preferred them to the slide and the monkey bars.
Eh, that one is probably unfair. I mean Jagger probably IS a bit of a jackhole - he is at the very least a compulsive and serial philanderer, which is apparently what killed his marriages. I believe one of his ex’s once commented that he was a pretty good dad, but a shitty husband.
But Brian Jones’ ouster was rather more complex than some dictatorial whim of Jagger’s. Basically he alienated everybody.
He moved on when she was a relatively ancient 16, actually ;). And then just to the next groupie in line, Bebe Buell. That she was a beard seems very, VERY unlikely. There are safer ones than a 14 year old kid and more helpfully visible ones than a 14 year-old you’re keeping under tight lock and key for fear you’ll get charged with statutory rape.
I really didn’t see much of that in the book. Some of the allegations were just bullshit or the product of the (apparently) lifelong spat between him and Garfunkle. Some of the Graceland stuff was also overblown, as he had permission to use the material and was later accused by a member of Ladysmith who felt he should have gotten more money. Simon didn’t always treat people very well, but he really has socialization issues.
Rich was mainly a smash and crash drummer with incredible speed and almost no subtlety. I’d take Louis Bellson over Rich any day of the week. Here’s his live solo on Skin Deep.
A few months ago I stumbled across “Beware of Mr. Baker” on Netflix. I had heard stories about Ginger Baker before but holy crap, that documentary makes him look like half lunatic and half raging asshole. It’s no wonder Cream didn’t last very long. (Of course, Jack Bruce was no slouch either when it came to being an asshole.)
This 2013 interview is an instant classic :p. In person he must be just about the most insufferably difficult person in the world, especially if you are a journalist. But at a distance his “it-goes-to-11” curmudgeonliness is hilarious.
