Jeff hooked up with Southside Johnny in 1998, and has been with him since, he became the band leader after Bobby Bandeira left, Bobby previously held the position, but took a break to tour with Bon Jovi in 2003 and decided to stay. Jeff’s contributions to the band include writing and producing for The Asbury Jukes’, such as the albums Soultime, Pills and Ammo and Songs From The Barn. Kazee is also a part of the Southside Johnny offshoot, Southside Johnny & The Poor Fools, exploring Americana.
Kazee toured with Bon Jovi in 2003 during This Left Feels Right Live and the Have a Nice Day Tours from 2005 until 2006. Kazee also filled in for David Bryan on keyboards and vocals for night five of Bon Jovi’s 2010 London O2 Arena residency as Bryan was attending The Tony Awards in NYC.
In 2009, Jeff joined Fab Faux drummer Rich Pagano and Asbury Juke bassist John Conte in an ongoing side project performing music selected from Elton John‘s Trio Years (’70-’72), entitled Early Elton Trio.
Steve Brown, a guitarist from New Jersey, had his career picked out ever since he heard Kiss and Van Halen. He immediately picked up playing guitar at nine years old, and had his first band at the age of 12, named Trixter. From the get go, Steve modeled his band after Van Halen. The band’s popularity increased through the 80’s playing with acts like, Kix and Skid Row. The band was signed to Mechanic/MCA Records in1989 and released their debut album, Trixter, which featured the hits: “One in a Million” and “Give it to Me Good.” The band toured, opening for Stryper and Don Dokken, then Poison, and the Scorpions. In1991, they formed the Blood, Sweat & Beers tour with Warrant and FireHouse.
During the recording of their second album, Hear!, in 1991, Steve met Eddie Van Halen and began a friendship that lasted until Eddie’s passing in 2020. In 1994, the band decided to call it a day after their third album, Undercovers. Trixter regrouped in 2007, and made two more albums in 2012 and 2015.
Def Leppard and Tokyo Motor Fist
Steve has been involved with many bands and solo artists over the years, including Joe Lynn Turner, Dennis DeYoung, Wizards of Winter, and more. In 2013, Def Leppard invited him to play guitar while guitarist Vivian Campbell took a break; and In May of 2018, the band asked him to fill in for guitarist Phil Collen. Frontiers Music asked Steve to put a band together in 2017 and immediately asked Chuck Burgi, Ted Poly, and Greg Smith to join the band to became known as Tokyo Motor Fist. They released their self-titled album with great praise. Tokyo Motor Fist released their follow up – Lions, in 2020. Steve has produced and is the guitarist for both albums, stating that Lions is his greatest work yet.
In Part One, we talked to Greg Smith about his influences; such as, his first break with Wendy O. Williams, when Gene Simmons asked him to join the touring band in support of her first solo album in 1984, and when Greg joined Alice Cooper in 1991. In 1994, Greg was invited to audition for the new Rainbow band that Ritchie Blackmore was putting together. He talks about his homemade beer he offered to Ritchie and Ritchie’s pranks on the band members. We also chatted about the show at the Hammersmith Odeon, when two kids stole Ritchie’s guitar right off the stage.
Joe Lynn Turner, Billy Joel, and Ted Nugent
In Part Two of our two-part interview with Ted Nugent bassist, Greg Smith, we talk about recording and playing with Joe Lynn Turner, and performing in Billy Joel’s Broadway play, Movin’ Out.” We also spoke about his current gig with Ted Nugent. As of December 2020, he now is the longest playing member in Ted’s band, next to Derek St. Holmes.
Video interview with Greg Smith (Part Two)
Tokyo Motor Fist “Youngblood”
Here are links to other things related to Greg Smith
Glen Burtnik said to me during our interview, “I didn’t go to college, I went to Beatlemania.” I have to say that is a pretty cool line, as not everyone can say that for sure. Before Beatlemania, Glen grew up in the North Brunswick area of New Jersey and has since been a member of the Asbury Park music scene.
Beatlemania, Solo Career, and Styx
In 1978, Glen auditioned for the musical, Beatlemania. He auditioned for the Paul McCartney role and won.
Glen was signed to A&M Records in 1986, and released his first album, Talking In Code, and his follow up in 1987 with, Heroes and Zeros, which featured the single, Follow You. It was during that time, that he began working with Bob Burger.
After Glen left A&M Records, Dennis DeYoung asked him to audition for his band, Styx after Tommy Shaw left to form Damn Yankees. Glen jumped at the chance, and no sooner he was then in the band, and was hired as the second guitarist and songwriter.
Styx, with Glen, released their new record, Edge of the Century, which was released in 1990, and a tour through 1991. Even though the album went Gold, the band was dropped and Glen went back to New Jersey. Glen eventually returned to Styx in 1999, playing bass, when original bassist Chuck Panozzo could not. He went on to record Cyclorama with Styx in 2003.
Song Writing and The Weeklings
With Glen’s successful songwriting with Styx, he carried on writing for other artists most notably, his collaboration with Patty Smyth of Scandal. They wrote Sometime Love Just Ain’t Enough, and Patty ended up doing the duet with Don Henley, that went to the top of the charts, reaching number one.
Glen has been involved in many projects throughout his career, at many times Beatles related. In 2015, Glen and Bob Burger formed The Weeklings, and the band has released three albums with critical praise. The band performs Beatles’ songs (and songs the Beatles wrote but did not record themselves) and their own originals.
Stone Temple Pilots
December 3, 2020, was the fifth anniversary of the passing of Scott Weiland. Scott was best known as the vocalist for Stone Temple Pilots (aka STP) and the super group, Velvet Revolver. Scott was born in San Jose, California, in 1967, and spent most of his teen years in Huntington Beach. Per Scott’s memoir, he was brought up listening to The Doors and Merle Haggard, the same as me. I was also privileged to see Scott in STP three times and attend the first Velvet Revolver tour.
Scott participated in all the high school sports, and sang in the church choir. This is where Scott realized he could sing in different voices. He studied John Lennon and David Bowie’s voices, and used them as a reference when singing.
Stone Temple Pilots
Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo first met when Robert jumped up on the stage to play with Weiland’s band, Swing. After some time, Scott went looking for Robert, and asked him to join his band, but Robert only agreed if he got rid of the guitar player. The new band included drummer Eric Kretz. Then, Robert approached his brother, Dean DeLeo, who played guitar. Dean was hesitant at first because he had a thriving business and had given up trying to be a successful guitarist. He eventually caved, and they called themselves Mighty Joe Young.
Some of the first songs they had in Might Joe Young were eventually hits off the first album were: Plush, Creep, and Wicked Garden. The band had started to quickly draw crowds in the San Diego area and began opening up for Soul Asylum, Henry Rollins Band, and Electric Love Hogs, whose guitarist Dave Kushner would later be a part of Velvet Revolver.
As Mighty Joe Young’s popularity grew, they were spotted by Tom Carolan of Atlantic Records, at the Shamrock Bar in Los Angeles. Tom was so impressed with the band, he asked if they wanted to make a record. The only flaw signing them was that they had to change their name, since it was already taken by another band. The group loved the logo on the oil can, “STP,” but needed a name to go with the initials, so they came up with “Stone Temple Pilots.”
In 1992, they released their debut album, Core (the word that summed up what they were trying to do with their music), and it took a little while, but eventually climbed the charts, reaching number three in June, 1993. It was a smash hit and has since sold more than 40 million worldwide.
Riding on the success of their debut album, they released their sophomore effort, Purple in 1994. It debuted at number one, and stayed in the top ten for five months and sold over six million copies in the US alone. The album spawned the hits: Big Empty, Vasoline, and Interstate Love Song.
The band released their third album, Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop in 1996. It was another success with hits: Big Bang Baby,Lady Picture Show, and Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart, but it was the beginning of Scott’s substance abuse problems and internal issues within the band.
12 Bar Blues and STP Breakup
With Scott going to rehab, and the band at odds with Scott, they decided to work on other projects. Before Scott went to rehab, the band issued a public statement that Scott was a junkie and sued him for the money lost in support of the tour of their last album. When Scott was discharged from rehab, he decided to release a solo record in 1998, called, 12 Bar Blues (a chord progression called twelve-bar blues), which was a totally different sound than that of STP. Scott received positive reviews on the album and did a small tour, but then found himself back in rehab.
After Scott got out of rehab, the band reconciled somewhat and went back to the studio in 1999 to work on their next album, aptly titled, No. 4 , but shortly after it was released, Scott was back in rehab and jail. After Scott got out, STP began promoting the album and co-headlining a tour with Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band released their fifth album, Shangri-La Dee Da in 2001, and headlined the Family Values Tour with Linkin Park, Staind (which I saw first hand, and it was a great show). The album was not as successful as the other albums, and at the end of the 2002 tour, Scott and Dean almost came to blows backstage, and the band was over.
Velvet Revolver
After the breakup of STP, Scott was asked to audition for the band that former Guns N’ Roses members – guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Matt Sorum, and guitarist Dave Kushner were putting together. The new supergroup called themselves Velvet Revolver and released their debut album Contraband in 2004 with critical appraise. The album topped the charts at number one upon its release and has sold over three million copies worldwide. The album contained the hits, Slither and Fall to Pieces. The band was an an immediate concert draw. They released their second album, Libertad, in 2007, and was another success, but the band couldn’t survive the tour. Scott began using again, which built up tension with the group. Scott’s last show with Velvet Revolver was April 8, 2008, in Amsterdam.
IReturn and Exit of Stone Temple Pilots
While Scott was with Velvet Revolver, the STP guys had reconciled in 2007, and agreed to a reunion tour in 2008. Prior to the band officially getting together, Scott released his second solo album, Happy in Galoshes.
The band’s first appearance was on the Late Show with David Letterman, performing their new single Between the Lines,the band’s self-titled sixth album. They got along and toured through 2012, until tensions came up again when the band wanted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Core, but felt that Scott no longer had the vocal range to perform some of the album’s songs. Scott was frustrated and decided to perform the songs they did not want to play, on a separate solo tour. This caused more angst with the band and eventually broke up again, Scott’s last show with STP was September 23, 2012 in Sacramento, California.
The Wildabouts and the End of a Legend
After Velvet Revolver announced that Scott was fired, Scott and the band sued each other which put a nail in the end of the band with Scott. Scott put another band together called Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts. The new album, Blaster, was released March 31, 2015, with a tour that followed. Unfortunately, Scott was found dead on the band’s tour bus on December 3, 2015, marking the end of a legend.Check out his last interview the night before he died and Velvet Revolver’s performance of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, indeed we do.
“Doogie” White is a Scottish rock vocalist. His first band, La Paz, in 1984, was with guitarist Chic McSherry. The band played throughout Scotland, and released two albums during 1988. Doogie joined the band, Midnight Blue in 1988, and they released one album in 1994. Doogie auditioned for Iron Maiden in 1993 after vocalist Bruce Dickinson left for a solo career. He was a close contender, but lost out to Blaze Bayley. Not too long after the Iron Maiden audition, Doogie received a call from Ritchie Blackmore, as he was looking for singers. Ritchie had heard Doogie’s demo tape given to his management a few years earlier and called him to audition for the new Rainbow he was putting together. Doogie’s audition was a success and went on to record the new Rainbow album, Stranger in Us All.
Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Schenker, and more
After the end of the Rainbow in 1997, Doogie worked with former Midnight Blue guitarist Alex Dickson, and the band Cornerstone. In late 2000, Doogie joined Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, and stayed through 2007. In 2008, he joined the band, Tank, as well as the Michael Schenker Group (MSG) and continues to play with Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock. Doogie also has many other projects over the years, including his solo album in 2011.
Angus Clark is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. He has toured with Grammy-winning, New Age artist Kitaro, and has recently toured with Cher. He was the guitarist for the Broadway musical, Rock of Ages. Angus has been a touring guitarist with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra since 2001..
Trans- Siberian Orchestra
Angus’ history with TSO goes back when he was part of a guitar workshop that Marty Friedman of Megadeth attended in 1994. Years later, while at a Kitaro show in LA, Marty attended a backstage party (Kitaro had previously helped to produce one of Marty’s solo albums) and reconnected. Sometime later, Al Pitrelli of TSO and who was in Megadeth at the time, told Marty that he was looking for another guitarist for TSO. Marty recommended Angus and was soon touring with TSO.
Producer, Teacher, & More
Angus has written and/or produced album projects with Anna Phoebe (Jethro Tull), Peter Shaw (Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Jill Janus (Huntress), and many others. In addition, Angus has written and recorded music for television (A&E’s “Parking Wars”), video games (“Top Gun 2” for iPad/iPhone), and more.
Angus has been teaching guitar throughout his career. He teaches guitar at the National Guitar Workshop, a music school; as well as private lessons. He holds a Master’s Degree in Music from NYU and a Bachelor’s from USC’s Studio/Jazz Guitar Program.
Chuck Burgi’s musical career is simply amazing! He started out in Montclair, New Jersey, and he went to the same school as Joe Walsh, who has been a family friend to this day. Currently, Chuck is the drummer for Billy Joel, and has been for the last 12 years.
Allman Brothers Band, Al Anderson & Brand X
After high school, Chuck went to Berklee in Boston, with his friend, Al Anderson. They got a chance to meet The Allman Brothers Band when they came to town, and even jammed with them. Jamming with The Allman Brothers Band was the turning point for both he and Al. Chuck went on to a successful career, and Al eventually became the lead guitarist for Bob Marley. Chuck’s career has never been dull or status quo. He has played and recorded with many artists, including Brand X, Hall & Oates, Glen Burtnik, Rainbow, Meat Loaf and many more
Billy Joel & Tokyo Motor Fist
In 2002, Chuck debuted on Broadway drumming for the smash musical, Movin’ Out, which featured the music of Billy Joel. Movin’ Out lasted three and a half years before closing in 2005. While playing the final shows of Movin’ Out, Chuck was approached by Billy Joel to join his band.
He also appears with former Rainbow bandmate and bassist, Greg Smith, Danger Danger vocalist, Ted Poley, and Trixter guitarist, Steve Brown, on the hard rock-styled Tokyo Motor Fist. Their sophomore album, Lions, was released in 2020.
Darion is a solo artist and the lead singer for the Pat Benatar Tribute Band- Fire & Ice, the only Pat Benatar tribute band from the Northeast that is endorsed by Pat.
Darion was born, raised, and lives in the New York City area. She began singing before she was able to walk, but didn’t pursue her career in music until 1990, when friends and family encouraged her to sing professionally. Darion released her first album in 2001, “See it Believe It.” Her second album was an EP titled, “House of Love,” released in 2003. One of her original songs, “Fly Away,” has become a song of hope, and adopted by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, an organization near and dear to her heart.
Meeting Pat Benatar
Darion performs some of her own music along with Pat Benatar’s in concert. She first met Pat and Neil Giraldo after one of Pat’s concerts, where Darion was surprised that they both knew of her and were impressed. Pat and Darion bonded immediately, and because of their common bond with Darion’s son, Joshua, and a friend of Pat’s having Cystic Fibrosis, they are still close friends to this day.
