Bob Ruggiero

Even the most diehard of his fans will probably admit that the music and voice of Leonard Cohen is an acquired taste. And it left a bad one in the ears of Rick Estrin, the always sharply dressed blues singer and harmonicist. That is, until Tom Petty changed his mind...

Growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s in the West Yorkshire region of northern England, a young Biff Byford had to create his own childhood entertainment, often outside. So, he turned to his country’s past as a source of inspiration. “I was always into history. When I was 10 or...

It's been a couple of weeks since Dickey Betts died. And if there were a Mount Rushmore for Southern Rock Guitarists, the Allman Brothers Band co-founder's lean face, narrow eyes, and droopy handlebar moustache would surely be chiseled on that stone.

Owen Elliot-Kugell was only seven years old when her mother died unexpectedly. And though her mom's birth certificate read “Ellen Naomi Cohen,” fans around the world knew the woman with the powerhouse voice and buoyant stage presence by another name: Cass Elliot.

By now, there have been more gallons of ink spilled in chronicling, analyzing and Monday Morning Quarterbacking the Civil War than blood spilled on all of its battlefields. Yet the period remains catnip to scholars and amateur historians for its deep-set meanings and motivations that still resonate today. But noted...

The term “serial killer” hadn’t even entered the popular lexicon in 1973 when the gruesome discoveries were made. So, they were dubbed “The Houston Mass Murders”—even though they did not technically fit that term. But what was very clear was this: That between 1970 and 1973, Dean Corll tortured, raped,...

It will come to the surprise of no one who haunts record store aisles or lurks around any band’s social media accounts that diehard fans of Classic Rock music—just like those who obsess over sports, model trains or Star Wars—love to argue. To pontificate, to judge, to analyze, to put...

In most parts of the country, the thought of a “picnic” brings to mind a family or pair of lovers spread out on a blanket in a bucolic setting calmly enjoying a beautiful day. Dogs, flowers or frisbees may also be involved.

Onstage and in the studio, their fraternal harmonies blended with a clarity and cohesiveness in song that stands apart from any other vocal duo. Their slew of late ‘50s/early ‘60s hits ranged from jaunty early rock ‘n’ roll (“Bye Bye Love,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” “Bird Dog,” “(‘Til) I Kissed...

He possesses one of the most recognizable voices in Classic Rock. A voice that stretches from a rich, buttery and slightly grizzly baritone to a piercing howl of a tenor. And he’s a pretty damn good songwriter and keyboardist as well. So, whether he’s singing backup for Steely Dan, fronting...