Dick Clark

When Zombies Attack: The Colin Blunstone Interview, Part 2

Much of the Zombies' music, even early on, was original material mostly written by Rod Argent and Chris White. It's something that Blunstone still marvels at today. "Our first album was going to be all covers," he recalls. But it was our producer, Ken James, who said we could actually write somethi ... More >>

The Pope Quits? Popes Don't Quit!

The world was rocked and shocked with the news that George Ratzinger, 85, was quitting his day job. Sure, 85 seems a reasonable age to retire, but the thing is that Ratzinger also goes by the name Pope Benedict XVI, and popes, to put it simply, don't quit. Borgias have tried to get them to quit an ... More >>

Those Are People Who Died, Died: Musical Passings of 2012

Rocks Off put it off as long as we could, because December has been a pretty rough month. It always is for music. (Hollywood, too.) But it's time to call the roll of people who played or sang their last note in 2012, plus a few who were just as instrumental offstage. Precious few corners of the mus ... More >>

The End of the Road: Digital Mourning in 2012

At the Houston Press office, I am usually the first person who finds out when a celebrity or musician dies, usually from a wire or, these days, the fine folks at TMZ. Hell, sometimes even when I am away from my desk I have to be the bearer of bad tidings, like when Adam Yauch passed on a few weeks a ... More >>

Happy 80th Birthday, Casey Kasem: At Least We Still Have You

Last week the world mourned the loss of famed television producer, idol maker and eternal teenager Dick Clark, who suffered a massive heart attack and died at the age of 82. Today, one of his contemporaries, Casey Kasem, turns 80 years old. The Lebanese vegan has logged more than 50 years of broad ... More >>

The American Bandstand (Extended) Hot 100

Somehow it's hard to believe that Dick Clark was only 82 years old when he died after suffering a "massive heart attack" Wednesday morning in Santa Monica, Calif. (Since I managed to survive one myself, I've noticed that anytime someone dies of a heart attack, it's always "massive."). Despite his yo ... More >>

Dick Clark, Rock & Roll Benefactor, Dead At 82

Television producer, idol maker, and eternal teenager Dick Clark has died today at the age of 82 from a massive heart attack, TMZ is reporting. Clark's show American Bandstand helped foster rock and roll's development through its early years, and later he branched out into other television franchis ... More >>

Who Is Dick Clark?: The Twitter World Wants To Know...

Famed television host and "world's oldest teenager" Dick Clark has passed away at age 82, due to a massive heart attack. The longtime host of American Bandstand and ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve lived a storied life, introducing millions of kids to pop music, while also hosting various game shows on ... More >>

Turn It On, Leave It On: MTV's 10 Best Music Series

"Henry Rollins asks Kevin Shields how much he can bench on the next 120 Minutes..."​This week marks the 30th anniversary of the beginning of MTV, that loud, hyper-colored behemoth that changed pop culture and the music industry forever, endlessly providing viewers with visual and mental stimul ... More >>

Is The Westheimer Block Party Done For?

Bun B For Lafayette - ATLiens Freestyle from Decatur Dan on Vimeo. • Dave Bry at the witty pop-culture blog The Awl writes about rap music's eternal embrace of consumerism, using Bun B's most recent release, a rap written in honor of Japanese clothing company Lafayette, as an example. It's a great ... More >>

G.I. Blues: A Soldiers' Playlist

​Today is the anniversary of one of the truly momentous occasions in popular music: On March 23, 1958, Elvis Presley reported for induction into the U.S. Army, thus opening up a thousand alternate timelines for musical historians to formulate "What if he hadn't?" scenarios. For the next few years, ... More >>

This Week In TV: The Return of 24 and American Idol, Fox's Advertising Revenue

It's the middle of winter, we're about to get new shows, and this is the year I make contact. This was the week in TV Land. • So, New Year's happened. This was my first year not to ring it in with a regular party of friends who get dangerously drunk and watch the ball drop on Telemundo. But my ... More >>

New Year's Pigs' Trotters

​This weekend, Da Marco will be serving zampone, the stuffed pig's foot that's traditionally eaten on New Year's in Italy. Da Marco is serving the zampone with lentils and the mustard-marinated fruit called mostarda. December 31 is called La Festa di San Silvestro in Italy. You eat lentils, ... More >>

This Week In TV: Joss Whedon Is A Free Man

It's been nice knowing you, Dollhouse. Now how about that Serenity sequel, Whedon?​It's way too cold outside, I can't believe I'm back at work, and I've already braved one after-Christmas sale. This was the week in TV Land: • I watched the finale of The Sing-Off. That's how little there was ... More >>

Get Lit: Storms: My Life With Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac by Carol Ann Harris

Barely out of her teens, Carol Ann Harris met Lindsey Buckingham in 1977 while working at the studio where the singer/guitarist was putting the finishing touches on what would be the band's huge international hit album, Rumours. As his live-in girlfriend for the next seven years, she'd accompany him ... More >>

Ex-13th Floor Elevator Tommy Hall Is Still Psychedelic

A Long, Strange Trip

The Wayback Machine: 15, Ten and Five Years Ago in Houston Music

Ronny Elliott, Ramsay Midwood, Dan Colehour

Thursday, September 14, at McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk, 713-528-5999

Mr. Renfrow Risin'

A fresh coffeehouse and some familiar radio voices shine new light on the Houston scene

Duff's Enough

Playbill

Playbill

Night of the Living Dead

The Zombies erupt out of the psychedelia graveyard

Mind Games

Clooney toys with the twisted delusions of Chuck Barris

Top Ten of 2001

The top-ranked -- and stanked -- Chronicle stories of the year!

Free Birds and Drop Kick Chihuhahas

New Year's Eve Houston at Bayou Place

Amplified

SideCar Band Jam

Fresh Focus

Having tried the major label route, Wakeland is now happy to go its own way

Original Rockabilly

Bo Knows

The Burial and Resurrection (maybe) of Doug Sanders

For 14 years, Doug Sanders ran Houston's most celebrity-filled golf tournament. Then he was accused of sticking his hand in the till. Now he wants to come back.