Kim Fowley, the legendary Hollywood huckster, eccentric music producer, singer-songwriter, Svengali music biz mastermind, and author of the autobiography “Lord of Garbage,” has died at the age of 75 years old. Kim…
Category: Richard Berry
The Soft Jews (KFJC version #374) – LOUIE of the Week
By special request, I’m sharing a very special, ultra-rare performance of the song from the LOUIE archives. It’s a recording by a band known as The Soft Jews, and as far as…
RIP: Nina Broadwater-Johnson, daughter-in-law of Richard Berry
I am saddened, shocked and speechless by the sudden death of Nina Broadwater-Johnson, who was once a daughter-in-law of Richard Berry (author of LOUIE LOUIE). My heart goes to out to Richard…
Barry Rillera, Bobby Kennedy, Demi Moore + Five Degrees of LOUIE – LOUIE of Week
Last week, I was alerted to an excellent article in the Huntington Beach Independent on Barry Rillera of the Rillera Brothers. The Rillera Brothers had a band in the 1950s called the…
RIP: Joe Bihari, co-founder of Modern Records
Joe Bihari, the last surviving member of the Bihari brothers, recently passed away on November 28th at the age of 88 years old. Richard Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, BB King, Etta James, John…
Parallel Paths of Another Uncredited Songwriter (all about MONEY)
Consider the story of a relatively unknown rhythm & blues singer-songwriter that released a song in the 1950s that became very famous, yet he languished in obscurity, barely receiving any credit for…
Thirty Years Ago Today…
Thirty years ago today, Richard Berry, author of the song “LOUIE LOUIE” met Jack Ely, the original vocalist for the Kingsmen, at KFJC Radio, Los Altos Hills, California. The date was August…
Hail Hail Arthur Lee Maye!
My friend Gene Maye, just launched a website dedicated to his brother Arthur Lee Maye. Arthur Lee Maye (1934-2002) was a singer of great Doo-Wop melodies, a major league baseball player, and…
Hail Hail Kim Fowley! (LOUIE of the Week)
Last week, I had an opportunity to meet and shoot an interview with Kim Fowley for the long-awaited documentary on the song LOUIE LOUIE. Kim worked with Richard Berry in early 1960’s…
RIP: Bobby “Blue” Bland, blues singer extraordinaire
We lost another great singer this week. Legendary blues singer Bobby “Blue” Bland has left the land of the living. I’ve read and heard some excellent tributes for Bobby, with various people…