Stewart Francke

Stewart Francke is one of those artists that somehow stays under the “big musical picture” radar with his great “blue-eyed soul” sound that in his words “sounds something like if Jackson and James Brown(e) were brothers.”

I was fortunate enough to spend a couple hours with Stewart last week during one of his rare visits to Southern California from Michigan. I will be “re-cutting” the interview into an hour special to air somewhere down the line on my “Rock 50” show, but wanted to give you a taste of this wonderful artist.

I’ve pulled sections from the interview that spotlight four of MY favorite Stewart Francke tunes to give you a feel for what you’ve been missing. Listen - then check out his full story and buy his music at StewartFrancke.com.

http://www.rock50.com/Rock50digest37.mp3

Rock 50 Digest #35: Danny Vera with co-host Che Zuro

"Rock 50" welcomed from the Netherlands, Danny Vera for an in studio live acoustic performance. Co-hosting with me for this hour was Che Zuro, a "singer-songwriter & fit model", who has performed on Tee-M's UNsigned Music Show a couple of time over the history of the show. Che brought us Danny and tracked a couple of her favorite indie artists as part of her co-hosting duties. The hour was full of great conversation and lots of great music.

Click Here to listen to the podcast of this very special hour.

Boss Radio 93 KHJ

KHJ's Robert W. Morgan and The Real Don Steele, both members of the Radio Hall of Fame, were two of those LA radio voices that sent me towards a career in radio. During the years that followed the start of "Boss Radio" in 1965, if you went to any crowded beach on a summer day in Southern California, you'd hear the majority of radios tuned into to the station that played "more music", had "20-20 news" and, most importantly, played the music that was the soundtrack to our high school lives.

Click HERE to listen to an hour of memories with two of the "Boss Jocks" taken directly from master tapes recorded in the studios of KHJ and remixed and edited for this presentation.

Pure Rock KNAC-FM On Air Reunion Podcast (Part 3)

Click here to hear part three of the July 28 Pure Rock KNAC-FM On Air Reunion.

Part 3 includes: Thrasher, Brian Schock, Stew, Ron "Pops" Russ, Gonzo Greg, Long Paul, Razor, Craig Williams, Eveready Ed, "The Insane Darrell Wayne" (KROQ), along with, yet more, clips from the loudest station in the nations 9 year history.

Pure Rock KNAC-FM On Air Reunion Podcast (Part 2)

Click here to hear part two of the July 28 Pure Rock KNAC-FM On Air Reunion.

Part 2 includes: Thrasher, Bryan Schock, Stew, Ron "Pops" Russ, Remy "The Max" Maxwell, "The Animal" Analee, Craig Williams and Mike "Jack the Ripper" Davis, along with more clips from the loudest station in the nations 9 year history.

Pure Rock KNAC-FM On Air Reunion Podcast (Part 1)

Click here to hear part one of the July 28 Pure Rock KNAC-FM On Air Reunion.

Thrasher, Brian Schock, Gary Price, Stew, Jack Trash, Philthy Phil, Gregg Steele and Ron "Pops" Russ, along with clips from the loudest station in the nation's 9 year history.

Rosie "Angel Baby" Hamilin of Rosie & the Originals visits WPMD.org

On his July 7th WPMD.org "45's Show", Steve Propes was visited by Rosie Hamlin of Rosie & the Originals.

Steve talked with her about the origin of the group Rosie & the Originals and the song "Angel Baby". She discussed the recording of the song in an airplane hanger and how the final version that became the big hit is flawed. Here "the" record (the original vinyl recording), the follow up record and a newly recorded "tribute" to Rosie by the Storytellers.

"Angel Baby" reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960 and remained in the charts for twelve weeks. John Lennon recorded a version of the song in 1973, eventually released on the Lennon box set.

Hear an edited version of the interview at: http://rock50.com/Rock50digest30.mp3 (approx. 30 minutes)

The entire 2 hour show will air until July 21st, daily, at 9am, 5pm and 1am on the "alternative stream" at WPMD.org.

Don't forget to tune in for, Black Sabbath drummer, Bill Ward's monthly visit to WPMD.org on July 21st (11am to 1pm pacific time) and the Pure Rock KNAC-FM reunion on July 28th (9am to 1pm) on my "Rock 50" show.

Tawn Mastrey Benefit and KNAC-FM "On Air" Reunion scheduled for July 28th

Tawn Mastrey is fighting to stay alive. Tawn worked at KNAC/fm from 1986-89 and then was part of Scott Shannon’s Pirate Radio, KQLZ. “She suffers from Hepatitis C. and is in need of a liver. She recently quit her job at Sirius radio due to her health," according to Tawn’s sister, Cara Mastrey. She is spearheading a fund raiser for Tawn, who has no insurance.

“Back in October of 1989 when I started my time at KNAC/fm, Tawn Mastrey followed my first shift as Pure Rock Talkback host. I wanted to let her off the hook in having to do a lengthy ‘crossover’ with the ‘new guy’ between shifts, but she wouldn't have it,” emailed Mike Stark. “She wanted to know all about this new ‘family’ member and wanted the audience to know as well. She made me feel welcome and part of a culture that I was just getting to know.”

Tawn was known as "the Leather Nun" who became a legendary figure in the metal scene. “She ‘represented’ the metal culture in the 1988 Penelope Spheeris film, Decline of Western Civilization 2, while, from 105.5 KNAC, played, promoted and partied with some of the biggest names in metal music. Tawn and a small handful of others at KNAC/fm were ‘heavy metal.’ The rest of us just worked there.”

"I have taken upon myself to do a major fundraising charity concert for Tawn's operation and hospital bills. She has no health insurance,” wrote Tawn’s sister. “Benefit concerts are being planned and further info will soon be available at TawnMastreyBenefit.com [as of this writing that site is not up yet].”

Besides KNAC and Pirate Radio, Tawn also worked at Classic Rock KLSX, KMEL-San Francisco, KSJO-San Jose, KUFO- Portland, and KXXR (93X), Minneapolis

Rock & Rap Confidential, Editor, Lee Ballinger says of Tawn: "I know firsthand that Tawn Mastrey was a key promoter of the metal scene at a time when it was under vicious attack from Democratic and Republican politicians alike. Please help if you can."

A on air reunion of KNAC-FM personalities that worked with Tawn will take place on July 28th, on WPMD.org between 11am and 1pm (pacific time) (times may expand as this event grows). So far scheduled to appear are: Thrasher (the longest surviving morning man at KNAC-FM), Stew (now production genius at KLOS-FM in LA), Gregg Steele (now Senior Director of Music Programming for Sirius Satellite Radio), Mike Stark (now with the Tom Joyner Morning Show), Razor (now at Big 105.9 in Florida) and Remy "The Max" Maxwell (now at remymaxwell.com). This list will grow as refugees from the great Pure Rock 105.5 KNAC can be located. A benefit show for Tawn will also be held that same night at the Martini Blues in Huntington Beach. More info to follow on that event as well.