By The Beachwood Rock Local Affairs Desk
A loose collection of whatnot.
1. Longtime Marshall Tucker Band member Stuart Swanlund died in his sleep of natural causes at his Chicago home on Saturday. The band’s statement:
Swanlund joined The Marshall Tucker Band in 1985 where his slide guitar work added a new dimension to the band – on newer material as well as standards like “Searchin’ For A Rainbow,” “Can’t You See,” and “Fire On The Mountain.”
“Stuart, or ‘Stubie’ as we called him, was the longest standing member of The Marshall Tucker Band from 1985, onward,” says Marshall Tucker Band founding member Doug Gray. “He recently took a hiatus from the road due to health problems and even with those issues, Stuart’s enthusiasm onstage never wavered. Our thoughts and prayers are with Stuart’s family and those who knew him. We have lost a great friend.”
Stuart Craig Swanlund was born in Puerto Rico on April 3, 1958. Swanlund was reared in Spartanburg, SC, where he would sit on his grandmother’s porch and listen to his neighbor, Doug Gray, rehearse with a rock and roll band across the street. He was only five years old, and had no way of knowing he’d one day play alongside Gray and The Marshall Tucker Band.
When not touring with The Marshall Tucker Band, Swanlund performed in Chicago with local band, the Tone Generators.
According to Doug Gray, one of the highlights of Swanlund’s time on the road with The Marshall Tucker Band was last winter when he performed on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium.
Swanlund is survived by his son, William “Billy” Swanlund, his lifelong partner Stacey Schmaren, three grandchildren and sister, Suzanne Spencer. He was 54 years old.
Funeral services for Swanlund will be held this Saturday, August 11 at 11:00 AM at the Good Shepherd Memorial Park in Boiling Springs, SC.
You can hear some Tone Generators tracks here on their MySpace page.
2. “As a founding member of the multiplatinum selling band Chicago, drummer Danny Seraphine, whose inspirations include Buddy Rich, Max Roach and Tony Williams, has become one of music’s most highly respected jazz/rock fusion drummers and percussionists,” Rob Nagy writes for the Journal Register News Service.
“As the rhythmic backbone for Chicago from 1967 to 1990, Seraphine was an integral part of the band’s astonishing success. The drummer appeared on 18 gold and 13 platinum albums containing 50 top 40 hits, 5 of which made it to No. 1.
“Although Chicago positioned itself as one of the world’s most successful rock bands, the pressures of fame, fortune and personal demons ultimately took a toll on Seraphine and the band. Amidst a wave of controversy and conflicting stories, Seraphine was pressured out of Chicago.”
Seraphine has since started his own label, formed the California Transit Authority, and written an autobiography, which was released in 2010.
“He tells of touring with performers Dennis and Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen and gives insight into the many rumors about Chicago. Alleged Mafia ties, accounting and payola scandals and major drug tales are included as well.”
3. “The Rolling Stones pay homage to their blues roots alongside one of their heroes on the newly unearthed live DVD Muddy Waters and the Rolling Stones: Live at the Checkerboard Lounge Chicago 1981.”
4. Brian Westfall of the Chicago Music Exchange demo’s the Fulltone ’69 Fuzz Pedal.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on August 8, 2012