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 June 19, 2011 former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr makes peace with Liverpool on his homecoming concert at Liverpool Empire - Kevin Roach
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 By Alexandria Bourgo
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From oldies to modern; rock and roll to jazz. We all have our favorite band group and follow them, wither it’s through the news, twitter, facebook, myspace or something else. But once they’re out favorite group and we all the names of the band members, where they’re from but once the group breaks up and years go by, where do those stars we oh-so loved go off too? For an example I have picked three of the most well known band’s of three very different styles and eras; Aerosmith (formed in 1969), the Beatles (1960), and Nirvana (1987).
Leading front man and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, was actually born as Steven Victor Tallarico in Yonkers, New York. Some don’t realize in the band he also played harmonica and occasional piano / percussion. Most admired him for his brightly colored wardrobes and his trademark scarves that hangs from his microphone during Tyler’s high-energy performances. Most of Aerosmith’s fans and more then likely most of America was aware of Tyler doing drugs, and how he became a very heavy drug addict, as well as a heavy alcoholic in late 1970’s and early 1980’s. The band and him agreed to send him to drug rehabilitation in 1986 after realizing how bad Tyler’s addiction had gotten. After getting out he was able to maintain sobriety for twelve years, but had a relapse with painkiller medication prescribed in the early 2000’s. Thus he was sent back to rehabilitation and finalized succession in treatment in 2009. Since then he has resurfaced in the media world recently, ending up on an episode of Oprah with her quoting, “I can’t believe you are still alive.” I can’t argue with that quote, I am quite shocked myself. So forty two years after forming, unbelievably Aerosmith is still touring and recording music with sixty-three year old Tyler. “Steven Tyler is an inspirational figure to many. Apart from his position on American Idol, his stunning vocals and sensational piano abilities have touched the lives of millions.” says Jimmy Lackey of Sheboygan South High School.
From across the pond in Liverpool, England forms the ever popular band the Beatles. Multiple drummers say the Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr is their biggest influence, those including Dave Ghrol of Nirvana, Eric Carr of Kiss, Phil Rudd of AC/DC, and many many more. Drummer Steve Smith said, “Starr composed unique, stylistic drum part for the Beatles songs.” After the Beatles’ break-up in 1970 and the death of John Lennon in 1980 George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr continued on with their lives; Ringo followed on with music. Starr founded his own recording label in 1975 named Ring O’records; four albums released between 1975 and 1978. In 1981 he joined McCartney and Harrison for an honorary song for Lennon’s death; Somewhere in England. After that he didn’t work with music until late May of 2009 with Bob Dylan and McCartney. Until then he did things from narrating children television shows (example: Thomas the Train & friends) to being inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame. Even from being an “honorary Santa tracker” to having an article about his happiness in life. On October 20, 2008 he stated he will not being signing anything no matter if handed or mailed too him. Working with music once again after 2009, he remains the only Beatle not to top the UK charts as a solo artist even though he did come through with two number one singles in the US. Lucky for him on January 12, 2010 he released his fifteenth studio album. Starr appeared on a benefit show for Haiti once it had gotten hit working as a Celebrity phone operator. The two surviving band mates met up for a quiet dinner at an Italian resturant in London on December 29, 2011. He’s recently been working on a new album, Ringo 2012 to be released on January 30th 2012. Starr has said that as time goes on there is more and more his personality in his music, “I always followed my heart and I never missed a beat.”
“Nirvana will always be one of the cutting-edge American rock bands in history.” say Billboard. With the voice of Kurt Cobain, drums of Dave Ghrol, and bass skills of Krist Novoselic, Nirvana was one of thee most popular bands of the late 80’s to early 90’s. Ending in 1994 with the death of Kurt Cobain, saddened hundreds of fans. Ghrol and Novoselic agreed to never form another band together because they thought fans would think it was an incarnation of Nirvana. Ghrol went onto forming the Foo Fighters which still perform and record to this day. Novoselic took a couple of months to get up on his feet because Cobain had been his best friend; late 1995 though he formed his band Sweet 75. From music he went to directing a film in 1998; The beauty process. Going under the radar until 2002 he performed on an album for Ghrol’s band Foo Fighters a year later announcing he was quitting the music business. In 2007 to 2010 he had written for a blog for the Seattle Weekly site. Novoselic is currently working as a forty-six year old politician in Deep River, Washington. He also attends Lower Columbia College and is studying for a law degree, kinda ironic for a kid growing up in the 1980’s. “Besides McCartney, and others, Krist has got to be one of thee best bassist out there still and ever.” quotes Justin Doss.
From different styles and different eras of time, no matter what kind of band or people in the group, there is always a member that is influential to someone ranging any age from 15 to 50. Goes to show, no matter what you do, someone will always be looking up to you, sometimes even documenting to see where you might just end up one day.
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