Rush drummer Neil Peart, one of the most legendary rock players of all time, turns 60 today. As is only fitting, he’s celebrating on the road – the band is off tonight, but their tour in support of their latest album, Clockwork Angels, picks up again tomorrow in Indianapolis, Indiana. Find tickets for a show near you!
Today 29th August our beloved Senior Manager/Utilifest Manager Ali Blackdiamond celebrates her birthday, and our Staff wants to wish her a marvellous day! Some of our Staff-members have a personal message for you, Ali…
Tarja Virmakari, Founder, President and CEO: Ali, my friend, I’m so honored to have you in our team! You are a natural talent and full of energy and inspiration, our real sunshine! Go for it Girl, and have a huge big slice of Bday cake also for me . Enjoy your day, you deserve it! Have a Happy Birthday! Cheers! xx
Mohsen Fayyazi, Editor-In-Chief: Talented indeed, Blackdiamond is one our best staff and I’m proud of knowing her. Long live Ali Blackdiamond!
Dylan Raine, MSF Review Manager: Ali, your fighting force and commitment is an inspiration to us all. Happy Birthday.
Diane Parkes: Happy Birthday Ali…..my dear Mum was SO right about you and how special you would become in my life….because you are a very special person smile xx … believe me guys Ali WILL know what that means lol
David Pearce: Happy Birthday Ali, you are an inspiration to me & everyone you meet. You are so caring and such lovely person i hope you have the greatest birthday ever today.
DAVID COVERDALE celebrates his 60th birthday TODAY on September 22nd “I’ve retired more times than Frank Sinatra – but it never lasted for very long…”
Legendary Whitesnake singer David Coverdale will celebrate his 60th birthday on September 22, 2011. His latest studio record Forevermore released on March 25th shows experience, musical maturity and personality that is far from jaded after an almost 40 year career. Evidence shows that the career of the founder/singer/songwriter of Whitesnake is far from finished even if Coverdale has evoked the end quite a few times in the last years. “I’ve retired more times than Frank Sinatra but luckily I didn’t tell many people,” he laughs. “I am utterly blessed to be able to do what I do, but the music business can also be exhausting and destructive on a person. It’s important at times to step back and take stock of your situation and circumstances,” Coverdale confessed.
Today David Coverdale is happy that he never totally stepped away. He recently wrote a song called “Best Years” that he says perfectly describes his life with his upcoming birthday. He explains, “It’s great that I’m able to still work as a musician with continued consistency in my career while also experiencing a supportive and fulfilling private life. I really am experiencing the best times of my life these days, and believe me I’ve experienced a lot”
Forevermore is Whitesnake’s eleventh album, released on Frontiers Records. The band is still recognized as one of the most successful acts of all times with several platinum awards. Through his eloquent, always cultivated and charming British personality, David Coverdale is not only known as one of the “true” rock stars, but also as a highly regarded gentlemen within the rock business. Not a lot of musicians deal with love and passion as successfully in their lyrics as David does, and even fewer are able to highlight those lyrics so perfectly within thrilling blues and soul anthems.
Before Coverdale (who’s originally from Saltburn-by-Sea area) founded Whitesnake, he was the lead vocalist for Deep Purple. When Coverdale celebrates his 60th birthday on September 22nd he’s able to look back at a musical career that is almost 40 years long. “I’m going to celebrate my birthday with my private family and my musical family,” he reveals. “I plan on celebrating several times on several different continents actually! Even if it sounds a little un-rock and roll, I will use the actual day to reflect and be thankful for what I’ve achieved in my life so far. I’m incredibly grateful to still be experiencing professional success, and to be so physically active in what I do after all these years.”
SLIPKNOT members Shawn “Clown” Crahan (percussion) and Joey Jordison (drums) have released separate statements commemorating what would have been the 39th birthday of the band’s late bassist, Paul Gray.
Shaw “Clown” Crahan: “Hey everybody, it’s Clown, I wanted to say that today is a very special and beautiful day.
“I wanted everyone to know that I am the type of person that would not commemorate a day that someone close to me passed away, but I am the type of person that celebrates the day that they were born.
“Today is the day that Paul Dedrick Gray was born which makes it a very, very, very special day for me and all of us who miss and love him and think about him every day.
“Paul, I love you and I miss you.
“Your friend and brother forever, Clown.”
Joey Jordison: “Today is a day that will have a special place in my heart forever. It’s a special day for all, for not only me and the guys in our band and families, but for everyone to put smiles across their faces and to celebrate the emotion and beauty of one of the greatest souls to ever grace music and humanity.
“I spent all of last night watching our videos since our days as little kids who had a dream, and fuck, Paul, we did make that dream come true. I fell asleep last night only to wake up minutes ago with a smile on my face as my slumbers were filled with memories I’d long forgot.
“Even as I write this, my eyes are getting a little watery. He loves all of you who embraced his music.
“God bless to Brenna, October and all his friends and family as well.
“I wish that all of you that couldn’t share time with Paul will by playing his records ’til your ceilings crack and your ears bleed and by celebrating his memory in the glory that it is.
“I love you, Paul, and I’ll see you again soon, but not yet… not yet.
“Hail Paul, hail SLIPKNOT.
“Your friend, Joey.”
Paul Gray was found dead in a hotel room in a Des Moines, Iowa suburb last May at the age of 38 from an overdose of morphine.
For SLIPKNOT‘s upcoming shows in 2011, the band has asked Donnie Steele to fill in for Gray on bass.
Donnie was the original guitar player in SLIPKNOT and had actually reconnected with Paul in recent years.
Commented the band: “Donnie was in the band at the very beginning, and rather than get an outsider, we thought it would be a fitting tribute to Paul to play with someone from within the family. Donnie was great friends with Paul and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate his memory than with someone who was there with us at the very beginning. The eight of us are looking forward to being onstage again and honoring Paul‘s legacy with our families in Europe and Brazil this summer.”