Show Notes
This week our wild and willing wordsmiths Mick and Joel look at the short but stunning life of Randy Rhoads. A one-time guitarist with LA also-rans Quiet Riot, he became more famous as Ozzy Osbourne's right-hand man following his departure from Black Sabbath. Along with Sharon Arden (later Mrs Osbourne), Randy was absolutely fundamental in resurrecting Ozzy's moribund career. He also proved hugely influential to a brand new generation of guitarists. But all was not to last long. Within just two years upon the world's stage Randy was tragically killed when a senseless prank went wrong. But what a talent, and what a small but perfectly formed legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Dead Rock Stars
In this episode of Getcha Rocks Off, Mick Wall and his guest co-host, author and journalist Jon Hotten, as they jump into a DeLorean and venture back in time to the spandex and AquaNet hairspray-adorned Sunset Strip of West Hollywood in the '80s. They unpack many tales from their travels, and explore: the iconic Rainbow Bar & Grill the origins of glam, hair metal Franki Banali and Quiet Riot Ozzy and Sharon the rise of Motley Crue Mud wrestling at the Tropicana Tommy Lee squaring off with David Lee Roth The feud between Axl Rose and Vince Neil Guns 'n Roses Gin fizzes Twisted Sister hunting Krokus at Covent Garden Joe Perry scoring from the enigmatic Izzy Stradlin the curious case behind Bruce Dickinson not getting any songwriting credits on Iron Maiden's Somewhere in Time album ...and a whole bunch more sex, drugs n rock 'n roll!
In the final episode of the first series of our Rock Godcast, Dead Rock Stars, we present a contractual obligation fulfilling Greatest Hits. Just thank Dio we didn't opt for a live album. Or our very own Metal Machine Music. Talking of which, you'll find a heated discussion about that very album within, plus banter about Bon Scott's nickname of Road-test Ronnie, Rick Parfitt's big night in, Elvis and the Memphis Mafia, Lemmy's love of poetry and fax machines and the harrowing account of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash (where some of the band exploded off the scene). Plus eye opening insights into David Bowie, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Phil Lynott, Freddie Mercury, Metallica, Ronnie James Dio and Marc Bolan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this latest thrilling episode, Mick and Joel pick over the life, loves and legacy of the greatest rock star of them all. The Big Cheese, the full enchilada, the deep-fried cheese burger. Or simply, The King. Elvis Aaron Presley is the pioneer of rock 'n roll. the man who created a road-map for rock stars before rock stars even existed. From a dirt-poor childhood, via a spell as a truck driver and briefly the world's most famous GI, he became the planet's biggest superstar and then its most mysterious recluse. Today, Elvis has taken on such a mythic quality that it's now hard to believe he was actually even a man (and a relatively young one when he died, aged just 42). This is an amazing, but tragic tale; a tale of fierce youth, facile films, fancy jumpsuits, and folly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, seasoned rock writers Mick Wall and Joel McIver shine the spotlight on Marc Bolan; with a Gibson set to stun and corkscrew hair, he wasn't no square. Bolan was a true original, moving from late Sixties acoustic hippy whimsy to hard rocking, glamtastic boogie by the turn of the decade, and in doing so influencing a slew of artists, his friend and rival David Bowie included. Whilst enjoying an amazing run of hit singles, often compared to that of the Beatles, by the mid-70s Marc's solid-gold lustre was beginning to fade. However, by the arrival of punk, which "exploded onto the scene" around 1976, Bolan himself was cited as an influence, and he had in turn welcomed their short, sharp shocks. Any budding comeback was ended when Bolan was killed in a car crash in September 1977, but as we discover, Marc's was a brief but brilliant career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In another thrilling episode of the podcast, Mick and Joel take a deep dive into the fast life and times of the finest female rock singer of them all - Janis Joplin. From being a troubled Texan teenager to the hit sensation at the 1967 Monterey pop festival, and a peer of Jimi Hendrix, Grace Slick and Jim Morrison, Janis always seemed destined to burn out rather than fade away. And when drugs, alcohol and self-esteem issues were added to an already volatile mix, sadly this proved all too true. And so, in October 1970, whilst recording her classic Pearl album in LA, Joplin would meet her maker after overdosing in a hotel room, and in doing so became part of the infamous 27 Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.