Showing 26 - 50 of 99
Artist: Klaus Der Geiger
Music has provided an outlet for expressing the political vision of violinist and composer Klaus der Geiger (born Klaus von Wrochem). Performing as a street musician since 1970, Der Geiger has spoken out against housing shortages and the limiting of tenant and human rights. In addition to performing many concerts for the homeless, he has... [+] Read More
Artist: Bizzy Bone
Best known as a member of the Cleveland crew Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, rapper Bizzy Bone began a prolific, risk-taking, and sometimes baffling solo career in 1998. Combining rapid raps and laid-back singing, his soul-searching debut, Heaven'z Movie, didn't sound entirely unlike a Bone Thugs album, but it was obvious that on his own, Bizzy felt free... [+] Read More
Artist: Simple Kid
Simple Kid (real name: Ciaran McFeely) was born in Cork, Ireland, where he grew up with an appreciation for British rock giants like Zeppelin and the Who. He aimed to make it himself in the music business, and to that end joined a sort of glammy metal outfit at the young age of 18. The band faltered, however, and suddenly the Simple Kid was... [+] Read More
Artist: Willie "Long Time" Smith
Active in the vital recording years following the second World War, this pianist and vocalist is one of a small team of blues and jazz performers named Willie Smith. Nicknames apparently did a great deal of good in making sure the right one would show up for a job. The most obscure of the batch who manage to have recording credits, this... [+] Read More
Artist: The Hip Hop Project
From Executive Producers Bruce Willis and Queen Latifah, THE HIP HOP PROJECT is the compelling story of Kazi, a formerly homeless teenager who inspired a group of New York City teens to transform their life stories into powerful works of art, using hip hop as a vehicle for self-development and personal discovery.Kazi challenges these young... [+] Read More
Artist: Fifteen
Formed in 1988 after the demise of the Bay Area punk band Crimpshine, from day one Fifteen forged punk-pop songs with strong social messages. Singer/guitarist Jeff Ott's lyrics focus on social justice and issues such as homelessness, drug abuse, environmental destruction, and government strong-arm tactics. Many of the themes that his songs deal... [+] Read More
Artist: The Frank and Walters
The quirky pop-punk unit the Frank and Walters formed in their native Cork, Ireland in 1990. Comprised of vocalist/bassist Paul Linehan, his guitarist brother Niall and drummer Ashley Keating, the group -- named in honor of a pair of local homeless men -- signed to the Setanta label in 1991, soon debuting with EP.1; the lead track "Fashion... [+] Read More
Artist: Captain T
According to unconfirmed and unreliable sources, like Hollywood Gazza T. Jabbar, Minister of Propaganda, Captain T is either an ex-CIA trained assassin/operative who decided to lyrically expose the government's legacy of covert activity, including knowledge of extraterrestrials, or he's a master of propaganda entertainment with a wicked sense of... [+] Read More
Artist: Don McLean
Famed for -- and ultimately defined by -- his perennial "American Pie," singer/songwriter Don McLean was born October 2, 1945, in New Rochelle, NY. After getting his start in the folk clubs of New York City during the mid-'60s, McLean struggled for a number of years, building a small following through his work with Pete Seeger on the Clearwater,... [+] Read More
Artist: Natalie Merchant
First rising to fame at the helm of the popular folk-rock band 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant subsequently enjoyed even greater success as a solo performer as her plaintive vocals and literate, socially conscious songs established her among the preeminent female performers in contemporary pop. Born October 26, 1963 in Jamestown, NY, Merchant... [+] Read More
Artist: Gif
Writer, rapper, poet, revolutionary; Gif, is an extremely versatile artist capable of taking on many monikers. Born in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn, Gif has endured many hardships in his life including homelessness, troubles with the law, and other pitfalls of ghetto life. Beginning his rap career at the age of 13 at a Junior High school talent show, after... [+] Read More
Artist: Old Skull
Hardcore punk's answer to the Shaggs (or maybe Jordy), Old Skull were a novelty coup in their original incarnation: a trio of nine-year-old boys who played their own instruments (more or less), and screamed out profanities and social protests with bratty aplomb. If their musicianship wasn't exactly precocious, some of their lyrical topics were,... [+] Read More
Artist: Danny Kirwan
Guitarist/singer Danny Kirwan was a member of Fleetwood Mac, helping to bridge their early blues-rock phase to their eventual conventional pop/rock approach, from the late '60s through the early '70s (just prior to the arrival of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham). Born Daniel David Kirwan in South London on May 13, 1950, Kirwan was spotted by... [+] Read More
Artist: Whoopi Goldberg
She doesn't mince words. She crosses race, gender, and demographic boundaries as if they didn't even exist; seems to do and say whatever is on her mind; and looks like she's having fun while doing it. Winner of Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe, People's Choice, Nickelodeon, and NAACP Awards -- and even a few lighthearted Razzies -- this comic... [+] Read More
Artist: Happy Campers
Las Vegas musicians have often been stereotyped as Wayne Newton disciples, but in fact, the city's music scene also offers everything from jazz to alternative rock, hip-hop, and urban contemporary. And Vegas is the home of the Happy Campers, an emo/punk-pop/alternative pop/rock trio along the lines of Green Day. The group was formed in 1996 by... [+] Read More
Artist: Kharma Kazi
Chris "Kazi" Rolle was born in Nassau, Bahamas and abandoned by his mother as a young child. He grew up in foster care and orphanages before coming to New York at the age of fourteen to reconnect with his biological mother. A turbulent reunion led to Kazi living homeless on the streets of Brooklyn. He began hustling at night to survive but... [+] Read More
Artist: Ben Tankard
He's been called "the Quincy Jones of Gospel," and besides being one of the best-selling instrumentalists in Christian music, keyboard player Ben Tankard has justified his tag, producing many stellar gospel projects as well as serving as an executive vice-president at Tribute Records, for which he has recorded extensively. Born in Florida to a... [+] Read More
Artist: John Hoban
John Hoban is best known for his skill on a variety of instruments, most especially the mando-cello, the banjo, and the fiddle. He is also a master storyteller as well as an accomplished songwriter and singer.
His self-titled debut is a collection of his own highly personal compositions. He penned "The Long Forgotten Saint" on the occasion of... [+] Read More
Artist: Lil Eddie
His quest to become the "first Latin soul sensation" and "a serious artist with the platinum touch" began when Lil Eddie thumbed through his parents' hip R&B collection as a child. Born in Brooklyn as Edwin Serrano, life was filled with his parents' Puerto Rican culture and things were generally happy until he turned seven. A fire rendered his... [+] Read More
Artist: Sara Hickman
Sara Hickman was born on March 1, 1963, in Jacksonville, NC, but was raised in Houston, TX. She launched her professional career at age 14 at a Houston Oilers party with just her guitar and voice. Through the remainder of her teenage years, Hickman performed at bank openings, weddings, and even psychiatric units. Following her graduation from... [+] Read More
Artist: East River Pipe
East River Pipe is the guise of singer/songwriter F.M. Cornog, who began recording his melancholy one-man pop on a Tascam 388 mini-studio in his apartment in Astoria, NY. Born in Suffolk, VA, and raised in Summit, NJ, Cornog followed a difficult childhood with a series of jobs in a carpet warehouse, a greenhouse, and a light bulb factory. After... [+] Read More
Artist: Bollweevils
Led by the sneering vocals of lead singer Daryl (just Daryl), the Bollweevils were direct inheritors of a Chicago hardcore tradition handed down from acts such as Naked Raygun. During the '90s, the group created a stir on the Chicago scene and was a staple opening act for such headlining punk visitors as Rancid and the Queers. The group released... [+] Read More
Artist: Miracle Mass Choir
Tim "Bishop" Brown formed the Miracle Mass Choir after suffering a serious accident that left him unable to talk, walk or breathe without assistance. Despite his tragedy, Brown had not lost faith in God and he decided in the early '90s. to form the Miracle Mass Choir as a tribute to his Lord. He recruited a number of saved and born-again young... [+] Read More
Artist: Jesse Camp
Jesse Camp became an overnight star when in 1998 he won MTV's first "Wanna Be a VJ" contest, parlaying his popularity with the music video network's viewers into a record deal. Born November 4, 1979 in Granby, Connecticut, after graduating high school he relocated to Manhattan, playing drums in an East Village band named Easy Action; less than... [+] Read More
Artist: Captain Rapp
Although Captain Rapp was never an international superstar, he was one of the pioneers of rap on the West Coast and enjoyed a small cult following in that part of the United States. The Los Angeles resident first made his mark in the early '80s, recording a 1981 single, "Gigolo Rapp," as half of the duo Disco Daddy & Captain Rapp. At the time,... [+] Read More
