Take Five with Bob Holz

James Brown was an iconic American musician who is recognized as one of the most influential figures in rhythm and blues, soul, funk and protest civil rights music. Born and raised in Augusta, Georgia on May 3rd 1933, James Brown spent most of his early life singing gospel music in the local baptist church choir. As a teenager, he began to explore rhythm and blues artists such as Little Richard and Fats Domino. He took their styles of music and began to create his own unique sound by combining elements from both genres.

Jimi Hendrix crossed paths with many famous people throughout his life, from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones. At one point, he was even in a band with Tommy Chong of the famous duo 'Cheech and Chong.'

Throughout his 60-year career, genre-defying composer Leon Russell made songs that became standards. As a musician, he often lived in the shadows of his success – other artists basking in the spotlight of his original works – but as a songwriter for others, he shone among the stars.

Tom Verlaine, who redefined rock guitar in the punk era of the 1970s with his band Television, died Saturday in Manhattan. He was 73. Verlaine’s death was confirmed to the New York Times by Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of Verlaine’s peer and former partner Patti Smith. She shared that the musician had died “after a brief illness.” Staking out Hilly Kristal’s funky club CBGB on New York’s Bowery as its laboratory, Television advanced an expansive, ecstatic style that counterpoised Verlaine’s askew, chiming playing against fellow guitarist Richard Lloyd’s more conventionally bluesy yet equally lyrical work. Critic Robert Palmer noted in “Rock & Roll:...

Jimi Hendrix was a musical contemporary of artists like Bob Dylan, The Who, and The Beatles. During his life, he expressed his thoughts about his peers.

The band was known for classics like "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" and "Takin' Care of Business" Robbie Bachman, drummer for Bachman–Turner Overdrive, has died at the age of 69. Robbie's brother and the band's lead vocalist and guitarist Randy Bachman shared the news on Twitter Friday morning. "Another sad departure," Randy wrote. "The pounding beat behind BTO, my little brother Robbie has joined Mum, Dad & brother Gary on the other side. Maybe Jeff Beck needs a drummer! He was an integral cog in our rock 'n'...

It’s one of the most famous folk songs in American history. It’s penned by the legendary artist Bob Dylan and has been covered a number of times. It’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and the meaning behind the song is below. The Meaning. The...

Blues music is a genre that has its roots in African American communities in the southern United States, specifically in the Mississippi Delta region. The origins of the blues can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its earliest forms appearing in the form of work songs, spirituals, and field hollers.

The unfortunate death of musician David Crosby has left an immeasurable void in the industry as a whole. Through his work in both The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, & Nash, David solidified himself as one of the great music icons of the 20th century, and he has a slew of awards and accolades to back it up.

Barrett Strong, who scored a hit with 1959’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” and went on to pen many more Motown classics for other artists, has reportedly died at the age of 81. "I am saddened to hear of the passing of Barrett Strong, one of...