Comedians Slideshow

Jay Leno on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert

by admin

Jay Leno’s down-to-earth persona and topical humor have helped make him one of the most successful and recognizable personalities in the show business. Jay Leno began his entertainment career in the 1970’s touring the country as a stand-up comedians and sometimes booking as many as 300 gigs annually. One of these gigs was Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert.

On September 28th, 1976, Jay Leno appeared live on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. That night a very young Jay Leno, who was wearing a brown leather vest with a very hip Panama hat performed one of his early stand-up performances and told jokes about American life, TV news, car commercials and college life in Boston. Rather than watching from backstage, Don Kirshner was in the public that night with family and friends. During Jay Leno’s performance the cameras caught candid shots of Kirshner enjoying Leno’s act.

Jay Leno’s Rock Concert performance helped boost his growing popularity. After appearing on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, Leno’s career continued its meteoric ascent.

His frequent gigs on popular nightclubs and TV shows soon led to multiple appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. By the 1980s, he had become Carson’s regular guest host and Leno had become a household name. When Carson retired in 1992, NBC passed hosting duties for The Tonight Show to Jay Leno. This promotion caught his competitor David Letterman by surprise, who had also been a co-host for The Tonight Show and had his eye on the job.

For the next 17 years, Jay Leno hosted the The Tonight Show without a problem until 2009, when Leno unwillingly agreed to step down from his host position, allowing his chosen successor, Conan O’Brien, to take over. Leno then got offered a nightly prime-time program, The Jay Leno Show. When it debuted in 2009, the show did not receive the ratings NBC had expected.  At the same time, Conan’s ratings were also struggling. NBC offered to rearrange both the prime time and late-night schedules to include everyone involved; however, Conan O’Brien was not very happy with such arrangement and refused to alter the schedule. Eventually, Leno took back The Tonight Show, and Conan O’Brien left NBC.

Despite the conflict and subsequent media attacks, Jay Leno continues to reign as the king of late night. With his political and current events humor, he hosts the top-rated Tonight Show nightly, which is seen in over 45 countries worldwide. Off-screen, Jay Leno spends his limited free time quietly with his wife and his collection of classic cars and motorcycles.

Bands

Bob Welch and Fleetwood Mac on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert

by admin

Last Thursday we received the sad news that Bob Welch, former Fleetwood Mac member had passed away at 65 years of age.

Welch was a guitarist and vocalist for Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974 during the group’s pre Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham era.  In 1974, the original Fleetwood Mac line-up (except for Peter Green), Mick Fleetwood, John & Christine McVie and Bob Welch appeared live on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert.

Don Kirshner presented the band by saying “Tonight, we re-introduce a group that’s a standard in the rock n’ roll field. That group is Fleetwood Mac in their first live performance in over a year. Here they are Fleetwood Mac.”

That night, they took over the Rock Concert stage with enthusiasm and passion. They performed some of their early hits including “Bermuda Triangle,” “Spare Me a Little of Your Love,” and “Black Magic Woman,” a hit that in 1970 became more closely associated with Santana.

During Bob Welch’s time with the band, Fleetwood Mac enjoyed modest success.  However, it was not until the mid-70’s, following Welch’s departure and Nicks & Buckingham addition to the band, that Fleetwood Mac truly took off and experienced massive success. Among their biggest accomplishments is their 1977 album “Rumors,” which to date has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it the eighth highest selling album of all time.

Fleetwood Mac did not perform live for a second time on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, however the band’s new line-up was featured on Rock Concert twice in subsequent years — in 1978, when the show aired a film promo for their hit song “You Can Go Your Own Way” and then again in 1981 with another promo for their album “Tusk.”

Despite not being included in some of Fleetwood Mac’s major accomplishments, such as their induction into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, Bob Welch certainly contributed to Fleetwood Mac’s success.  After he left the band he went on to pursue a solo career, formed the British rock group Paris in 1976, and had hits including “Sentimental Lady” in 1977 and “Ebony Eyes” in 1978. Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham did backing vocals on “Sentimental Lady,” which reached No. 8 on the Billboard chart.

Fleetwood Mac’s appearances on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert prove that nearly every big act of the 1970’s appeared on the show.  To this day, Fleetwood Mac continues to be unquestionably among the best rock groups of all time. RIP Bob Welch.

Bands

Donna Summer on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert

by admin

We are truly saddened by the passing of the beautiful and multi-talented disco pioneer Donna Summer.  Summer lost her battle to cancer at only 63 years old.

Summer was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines in Boston, Massachusetts. Before she became the “Queen of Disco,” she first rose to superstardom in the early seventies not in the U.S. but in Germany, Austria and the rest of Europe where she starred in several musicals such as Hair and Godspell and joined the Viennese Folk Opera.  Just a few years later, she would conquer American audiences and ultimately the rest of the world with iconic hits like “Last Dance,” “Hot Stuff” and “Bad Girls.”

In 1976, Donna Summer performed live on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. Accompanied by a full orchestra, Summer performed “Come With Me,” “Could It Be Magic (a hit by Barry Manilow),” “The Man I Love,” “I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good,” & “Some Of These Days.” Don Kirshner talked shortly about Summer’s career background before her act stating, “Donna Summer’s story was different from other artists, because she had first become a star in Europe and not in America. When Neil Bogart from Casablanca Records released her song ‘Love to Love You Baby’ she captivated the American audience and she is now firmly in the galaxy of recording stars.  Here is the Queen of Disco!”

Wearing a blue, flower design leotard with a white fabric wrapped around her hips, she took the Rock Concert stage with her powerful mezzo-soprano voice and her sensual style of singing.  Even by performing her less well-known songs, Summer clearly demonstrated why she was known as the “Queen of Disco.”

Donna Summer defined the dance music era of the 1970’s and influenced acts like Duran Duran and David Bowie to enter the disco genre. Her groundbreaking use of synthesized backing tracks marked the path for the dance music we are all so familiar with today.

Among her many career highlights are included five Grammys, six American Music Awards, three multi-platinum albums and an original song Oscar for her smash hit “Last Dance” in the film “Thank God It’s Friday,” in which she also acted.

It was an honor to have Donna Summer perform on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert’s stage.  She will be truly missed; however we are left with nothing but fond memories of the disco star and an incredible music legacy.

Rest in Peace Donna Summer.

Bands

Bob Marley & The Wailers on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert

by admin

There are very few artists who even after their death continue to influence and captivate millions of people with their music. Bob Marley is one of those artists.  Today, May 11th, marks the 31st anniversary of the passing of the Jamaican reggae superstar Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley, who sadly lost his battle to cancer and died at only 36 years of age.

Despite having died so young, Marley left behind an enduring legacy that extends across all musical genres, ages and cultures around the world. Not only did his music make an impact that will last forever, but his philosophies, beliefs and way of being, transcended class, race and art around the globe.

On November 20th 1977, like almost every other big act of the 1970’s, Bob Marley & the Wailers (including Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer) appeared on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. Before their performance, Don Kirshner gave a long introduction stating the following: “Marley is the most important arrival in rock since Bruce Springsteen. Marley is a provocative songwriter, a highly convincing vocalist and a stunning performer. Bob Marley transcends reggae music and makes him a vital part of the pop-rock mainstream.”

Bob Marley and The Wailers began their performance performing “No Woman, No Cry.”  Marley started off singing an intro of just vocals while running around the stage with his trademark energy and passion.  As soon as they started performing, Marley, the Wailers and everyone on the stage were all moving to the catchy reggae beat.  Later that night, the band performed some of their other hits including, “Jammin’,” “Exodus,” “Crazy Baldhead” and “Running Away.”

Kirshner was right by saying that Marley was a stunning performer. He truly was, and he passed on his great energy to the rest of his band, which help make all of their performances lively, captivating and engaging.

What made Bob Marley an outlier from most music icons from the 20th century is that he was an everyman with whom many identified.  He was kind and humble, yet revolutionary. He managed to convey political and social messages across through his music with songs like “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Get Up Stand Up.”  Both songs still resonate with audiences and provide calls to action.

Marley’s songs of faith, devotion, and revolution created a legacy that has remained strong over the years. Through the music of his extended family, as well as the music of many artists from different music genres, who for generations have incorporated Bob Marley’s influence in their music and lifestyles.