When Brandon Coleman of the Red Clay Strays opens his mouth, it’s like Johnny Cash wandered into a gospel-tinged Southern rock revival — and stayed for the harmonies. But make no mistake: this isn’t a one-man show. With Drew Nix shaking things up, Sevans Henderson trading keys for electricity with Zach Rishel, and John Hall’s thunderous restraint on drums, every song — from “Ramblin’” to “Wanna Be Loved” — is a front-row seat to magic in motion.
Lynyrd Skynyrd to Rock OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino for 50th Anniversary Celebration
– Feel the excitement as a legendary band of rock and roll – Lynyrd Skynyrd is set to celebrate a golden milestone of 50 years at the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino on September 19, 2025. Known for the venerable southern rock swagger only Lynyrd Skynyrd can deliver – fans are in for an incredible evening of music. Tickets for Lynyrd Skynyrd go on sale Friday, January 24 at 10:00am through ticketmaster.ca.
“Lynyrd Skynyrd is a band like no other with a legacy that has had a lasting impact,” says Cathy Price, Vice President of Marketing and Resort Operations at Niagara Casinos. “We can’t wait to welcome you to the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino for a night of incredible music.”
As Lynyrd Skynyrd celebrates the 50th anniversary of the band’s critically acclaimed debut album Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd’ in 2023, they resonate as deeply with their multi-generational fan base today as when they first emerged out of Jacksonville, Florida in 1973. Today, Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks on with a current line-up featuring Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle. With a catalogue of over 60 albums, billions of streams, and tens of millions of records sold, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remain a cultural icon that appeal to all generations. Hit songs include “Free Bird”, “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Simple Man”, “That Smell”, “What’s Your Name”,“Saturday Night Special” plus many more
Show date & performance
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Celebrating 50 Years
Date: Friday, September 19, 2025
Showtime: 8:00pm
Venue: OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino
Patterson Hood Unveils “The Pool House” From Forthcoming Album ‘Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams’
Drive-By Truckers co-founder Patterson Hood has shared the second song, “The Pool House,” from his landmark new solo album, Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams, arriving via ATO Records on Friday, February 21, 2025. Pre-orders are available now.
“The Pool House” was originally inspired by a night I spent at a creepy rental,” says Hood. “A literal pool house for an apartment complex that I rented cheap for the night during a solo tour. It was off-season and the pool was dark green and filled with algae. The whole thing was creepy and as I’d had a couple of drinks, my mind was definitely wandering, conjuring up some macabre shit.
“I wrote most of it during lockdown and demoed it then on my home rig.
“I later recorded it with Nate Query (The Decemberists) playing upright bass and Dan Hunt (Neko Case) on drums. I played piano, guitar, vocals, and a trashcan as percussion on the bridge. Then I had Kyleen King do her magic adding viola and layers of strings (from her own arrangement) to it and the great Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) played flute, which he knocked out of the park. He had come by the studio to put some sax parts on some songs and I mentioned wanting a flute for this song. He asked me what kind of flute part I was thinking of and I said, “something like what Christ Wood would play in Traffic.” He just smiled and said he’d see what he could do.
“It’s one of the weirdest and most twisted tracks I have ever recorded and I’m really thrilled with how it all turned out.
“Frances Thrasher (Heaven4TheYoung), who painted the album cover, also does incredible and creepy stop-motion animation and has made me a super cool video for the release using a vintage dollhouse and her own amazing skills and talents.”
Produced by Chris Funk (The Decemberists, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks) at various studios in Hood’s current hometown of Portland, OR, Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams marks the singer-songwriter-guitarist’s most expansive and ambitious extracurricular effort to date, supported by a stellar cast of friends and fellow musicians including Waxahatchee, Brad and Phil Cook (Megafaun), Kevin Morby, Wednesday, Brad Morgan and Jay Gonzalez (Drive-By Truckers), Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, The Blasters), David Barbe (Sugar, Mercyland), Nate Query (The Decemberists), Steve Drizos (Jerry Joseph and The Jackmormons), Daniel Hunt (Neko Case, M Ward), and Stuart Bogie (The Hold Steady, Goose).
The 10-track was heralded late in 2024 with the first single, “A Werewolf and a Girl,” featuring additional vocals from Lydia Loveless. A lyric video directed by Jason Shevchuk is streaming now on YouTube.
Hood’s fourth solo album and first in over 12 years, Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams sees the veteran singer, guitarist, and songwriter exploring his youth and young manhood in a collection unlike anything in his ever-evolving catalogue. It is inspired in part by his own short story, “The Exploding Trees,” in which Hood tells the tale of a natural disaster that occurred in his North Alabama hometown just as he turned 30 and relocated to Athens, GA where Drive-By Truckers were co-founded in 1996.
The album gathers songs that have amassed over the remarkably prolific songwriter’s career, many of which provided him with distraction and creative sustenance during lockdown, others which have resided among his notebooks for years, including the string-driven “Airplane Screams,” written over four decades ago but never successfully recorded until now.
The album was further driven by his friendship with producer/musician Funk, a “profound chemistry” forged upon Hood’s 2013 move to Portland, OR. Having long discussed a collaboration, in 2023 the stars finally aligned, and they set to work on recording this new album which Hood intended to be “a bigger departure” from Drive-By Truckers and his previous solo efforts than ever before.
Working together at a number of Portland studios, Hood accomplished his goal, in part by writing much of the album on piano in a vigorous attempt to expand his parameters in new, heretofore uncharted, directions. While he planned to bring in a professional pianist for the recording sessions, Funk, eager to push his friend from his comfort zone, encouraged Hood to play the parts himself. Hood further took the opportunity to explore sounds outside the boundaries and obligations of his day job, deviating from his traditionally guitar-driven palette to create richly textured arrangements marked by the inclusion of strings, woodwinds, and vintage analog synthesizers.
The result is an ingeniously baroque Americana song cycle, fueled by Hood’s finely drawn character studies and gift for clear-eyed self-examination. Songs like “Pinocchio” and “Miss Coldiron’s Oldsmobile” are nakedly autobiographical and remarkably unflinching, steeped in the past but very much informed by who Hood is in the here and now. With its powerful textural clarity and Hood’s literary strengths at the fore, Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams coalesces as a staggering investigation into how time can shed light on the recesses of memory, revealing an exceptionally gifted songwriter’s resolute inclination to look back through the golden haze in order to grapple with the darkness and secret truths that perhaps weren’t understood or reckoned with at the time.
“You remember it one way, but when you really dip into it, when you really look back, the world was a different place,” Patterson Hood says. “Things were accepted that wouldn’t be accepted now and things you didn’t understand then make sense now.
“This record has all these kind of unintended themes. I don’t know if that was anything I set out to do as much as it just kind of worked out that way. You know, there are a lot a lot of happy accidents in this record.”
The cover art for Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams is by Frances Thrasher, an artist from Athens, GA. “She recently put up a show called Heaven4TheYoung that really blew me away,” says Hood. “I was especially moved by one painting in the series, and she was kind enough to let me use it for the cover. I honestly didn’t have a second choice.”
“I’m putting together a kind of stripped-down band so we can go do this record right,” Hood says. “Now the challenge to see if I can pull off a few of the songs on piano live. There’s nothing but good to come from it. I think good has come from each of my solo records, they each made me better at what I do in various different ways.”
Kinky Friedman’s Final Album ‘Poet of Motel 6’ Set for March 2025 Release
The storied Echo Hill Ranch, where Kinky Friedman lived for over 40 years, is now the birthplace of his final masterpiece, Poet of Motel 6. This posthumous album, set for release March 21, 2025 on Hardcharger/Blue Élan Records, showcases the wit, heart, and unflinching humanity that defined Kinky Friedman as one of America’s most iconic storytellers. A pre-order is available now.
The album’s poignant first single, “See You Down the Highway,” serves as a heartfelt farewell, weaving together themes of departure, gratitude, and resilience. As the opening preview of Poet of Motel 6, the track encapsulates the deeply personal and reflective tone of Kinky’s final work. Producer David Mansfield recalls how the song, like the rest of the album, was crafted with meticulous care and emotional authenticity, offering listeners a glimpse into Kinky’s creative and spiritual journey.
Poet of Motel 6 was written at Echo Hill Ranch, a 400-acre property that Kinky called home. Surrounded by the tranquility of Texas Hill Country, the ranch served as both inspiration and sanctuary. This album is not merely a collection of songs; it is Kinky’s heartfelt goodbye, a reflection of his singular life and enduring legacy.
Produced by Mansfield, a longtime collaborator dating back to Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue, the album captures Kinky at his most intimate. Tracked in the spring of 2023, the recording process was an emotional journey. Mansfield recalls the sessions as deeply personal, with Kinky’s voice embodying both vulnerability and resilience.
The album features ten original tracks, penned and performed by Friedman. The title track, ‘Poet of Motel 6,’ stands out as a poignant elegy, inspired by the passing of his friend Billy Joe Shaver.
“Kinky was very upset when Billy Joe Shaver died,” explains Hardcharger head honcho Jesse Dayton. “Kinky idolized Billy Joe. I hear that sense of loss.” Mansfield experienced it firsthand. “Those songs he wrote about people he cared about that had passed on, they were quite elegiac,” says the producer. “He sang beautifully, and at the end he was in tears. He was very emotionally connected when he was doing these vocals.”
Other notable contributions to the album include musical luminaries like Rodney Crowell, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Rick Trevino, and Amy Nelson, the record resonates as a heartfelt tribute to Kinky’s unique perspective on life, loss, and love.
Poet of Motel 6 concludes a remarkable creative resurgence for Friedman. Beginning with The Loneliest Man I Ever Met in 2015, Kinky returned to music after decades dedicated to writing and activism.
Subsequent albums, including Circus of Life and Resurrection, reaffirmed his status as a cultural icon. With Poet of Motel 6, Kinky achieves an artistic zenith, leaving behind an album hailed by Dayton as “his most heartstring-pulling record.”
Echo Hill Ranch is more than just the backdrop for this album—it is an enduring part of Kinky’s story. From its rolling hills to its timeless tranquility, the ranch is a reflection of the man himself: storied, larger-than-life, and filled with a quiet strength. Kinky’s younger sister, Marcie Friedman, fondly recalls their time together at the ranch and the profound symbolism embedded in his songs.
“This record is as good as Kinky’s [1973 debut album] Sold American,” she says. “Every song is about saying goodbye in a way only Kinky could.”
From the intimate, stripped-down recording sessions to the final harmony-filled gathering of friends and collaborators, Poet of Motel 6 is a testament to the enduring spirit of Kinky Friedman.
Poet of Motel 6 marks the final chapter in Kinky Friedman’s extraordinary musical journey. Fans and newcomers alike will discover an album that is as unforgettable as the man who created it.
“The hills are alive with the sound of Kinky Friedman.”
Sunny War Announces New Album ‘Armageddon in a Summer Dress’ Featuring Valerie June, Steve Ignorant, Tré Burt & More
Sunny War returns with Armageddon in a Summer Dress on February 21, 2025, via New West Records. The 11-song set was produced by Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff) and features guest appearances by Valerie June, John Doe of X, Steve Ignorant of Crass, Tré Burt, Jack Lawrence of the Raconteurs, Kyshona Armstrong, John James Tourville of the Deslondes, and more. Armageddon in a Summer Dress follows 2023’s Anarchist Gospel, which appeared on numerous “Best of the Year” lists including Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Uncut, Paste Magazine, No Depression, Flood Magazine, Magnet Magazine, The Bitter Southerner, and more. NPR Music called Anarchist Gospel “thrilling,” Mojo called it “exceptional” and a “significant breakthrough,” while Bandcamp called it a “stellar work of art.” Pitchfork called it “emotionally resonant and curiously hopeful,” while Rolling Stone said, “It all amounts to a powerful statement from a singer-songwriter poised to become one of the year’s most vital voices in roots music.” Anarchist Gospel’s success also took Sunny War on the road appearing alongside Mitski, Iron & Wine, John Doe & Exene Cervenka of X, Bonnie Raitt, and more.
Today, Paste Magazine premiered the new single “Cry Baby” which features Valerie June. She says, “I’ve opened for Valerie June quite a bit and years ago I asked her if I could try and write a song for her. Somewhere in Portland, OR, I wrote ‘Cry Baby’ with Valerie in mind. I always listen to her when I want to be calmed down or hugged. I’m stoked that she was down to sing on this song inspired by her.”
Sunny War previously shared the video for the album’s first single, “Walking Contradiction,” a duet with the legendary Steve Ignorant of Crass. Recruiting Steve to sing on the anarcho-punk anthem was a full-circle moment for Sunny, who counts Crass among her all-time favorite bands. She wrote the song especially for him: with its snaking blues melody, ominous organ chords, and her guitar tagging the walls of city hall, the song is a smart, scowling depiction of late-capitalist America, where even the best of us are compromised by a fundamentally evil system. Their voices suggest a wild chemistry between them, possibly because Sunny’s been singing along with Steve for decades. She says, “He’s my hero for life. When I started listening to Crass, it changed everything about how I thought about everything.” Steve Ignorant says, “It’s always an honour to collaborate with someone you respect and Sunny War is no exception. She is the younger voice, taking up the torch of hope in this dark world. The minute I heard the song I knew it would work and recording it was an incredibly emotional experience. The lyrics are now in my head for good – which is not a bad thing, and who knows – maybe one day we’ll get the chance to perform it together live.” She also previously shared the album highlight “Scornful Heart,” featuring Tré Burt.
Following the release of her breakthrough Anarchist Gospel, Sunny moved into her late father’s house in Chattanooga. She thought the place was haunted. “I spent the winter seeing things and hearing things,” she says. “The house is 100 years old, and I was in there by myself. I could hear people walking around and talking, but when I jumped out of bed with my machete, there was nobody there. I assumed it was my dad, and I started writing about the ghosts that I was living with.” Sunny’s house wasn’t haunted, at least not the way she initially suspected. “Something broke and I had to fix it, so I called the gas company even though I didn’t have the money. The guy discovered major gas leaks all over the house. I thought I was losing my mind, but I was just hallucinating from the gas. After I got that fixed, I never saw or heard another ghost.” That’s not to say they weren’t there, just that she could no longer detect them. Armageddon is rooted in the disorientation of those hallucinations. In songs that are deeply incisive and keenly imaginative, Sunny ponders the act of crossing boundaries—between worlds, between musical genres, summoning the ghosts of the people she lost, the people she once was, and the people she was not allowed to be.
Off the road and back at her not-haunted house, Sunny did her best to stay busy, lest she lapse back into the alcohol and drug abuse that almost killed her years ago. “If I’m not touring, I’m either going to play music all day or I’m going to get drunk. It’s really one or the other. I’m just obsessively trying to work on something so that I’m making healthier decisions that day.” She spent long days recording elaborate demos, chasing ideas and assembling whole songs from the ground up. The intense demo process allowed her to experiment with new textures, and she found herself gravitating away from her trusty acoustic guitar for an electric. “Touring behind Anarchist Gospel made me want to make a bigger-sounding record and have a whole band rather than just playing solo acoustic or with a three piece. I wanted to try stuff out of my comfort zone and try and have more fun playing. I definitely wanted to make this album for a badass five-piece band.”
Armageddon in a Summer Dress reveals an artist further refining her vibrant mix of punk and roots. “To me it’s the same kind of music. If you’re into punk for the lyrics and the message, there’s definitely a lot of old-time music that has that spirit. Folk used to be very anti-establishment. Pete Seeger, union songs, Woody Guthrie—that’s punk rock shit. It’s all about being an outsider.” What kind of person would Sunny be had she never heard Crass? Or Robert Johnson? Or any of her heroes? Those mirror-universe Sunnys are just some of the ghosts that haunts Armageddon in a Summer Dress: all of those different selves would have led different lives. These songs tally up everything that’s lost as you grow up and grow old, all of those small occurrences that turn out to be pivotal. As dire as some of these songs may be, they’re also righteous and therefore joyous in their exhortations to live on your own terms, to fight injustice wherever you see it, and to always reach for new ways to express yourself.”
Sunny War’s Armageddon in a Summer Dress will be available across digital platforms, compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited Clear Pink color vinyl edition as well as a limited compact disc edition autographed by Sunny War will be available at Independent Retailers. A limited Green & Black Swirl color vinyl edition of 200 will be available via Rough Trade. A limited signed compact disc edition as well as a limited “Cry Baby Blue” color vinyl edition of 500 will be available directly via NEW WEST RECORDS.
Armageddon in a Summer Dress Track Listing:
1. One Way Train
2. Bad Times
3. Rise
4. Ghosts
5. Walking Contradiction (feat. Steve Ignorant)
6. Cry Baby (feat. Valerie June)
7. No One Calls Me Baby
8. Scornful Heart (feat. Tré Burt)
9. Gone Again (feat. John Doe)
10. Lay Your Body
11. Debbie Downer
Chick Corea Trio Returns With Final Tour Recordings on “Trilogy 3”
Candid Records and Chick Corea Productions announce Trilogy 3, a new double live album. In 2020, Chick Corea-27-time GRAMMY winner, National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, and one of the most iconic figures in jazz-hit the road with his powerhouse trio of Christian McBride and Brian Blade, embarking on what would be Corea’s final tour. The recordings from those shows are now being released as Trilogy 3, the third installment from this extraordinary group. The announcement comes with the first single “Windows,” an iconic Corea composition making its first appearance on a trio recording of Chick’s since his landmark album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs nearly six decades ago.
The album is now available for pre-order. It will be released on all streaming services on February 28th with physical formats arriving on May 30th. The vinyl release is a double-disc LP in a gatefold jacket. Produced and recorded by Bernie Kirsh, and mastered by Bernie Grundman, both the LP and CD feature personal liner notes from Christian McBride and Brian Blade.
With years of collaboration to draw from, nine-time GRAMMY-winning bassist Christian McBride and four-time GRAMMY-winning drummer Brian Blade bring a profound musical connection to their work with Corea. Their long standing partnership fuels a dynamic, ever-evolving soundscape that elevates the art of the jazz trio to new heights.
Following the critically acclaimed Trilogy (2013) and Trilogy 2 (2018) albums, which each earned two GRAMMY Awards including Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Trilogy 3 marks yet another milestone for this celebrated ensemble. The release brings together live performances from their February-March 2020 tour, cut short by the onset of the pandemic, capturing the trio’s extraordinary interplay and artistic brilliance. The album features fresh interpretations of jazz standards by Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, alongside Chick Corea compositions, and a vibrant take on Domenico Scarlatti’s “Sonata In D Minor.”
Widely regarded as one of Chick’s most acclaimed ensembles, this trio has consistently pushed the boundaries of jazz with technical brilliance, playful camaraderie, and deep emotional resonance. Trilogy 3 invites listeners to join these masters on a journey through music that is both timeless and groundbreaking.
Tracklisting:
1. Humpty Dumpty
2. Windows
3. Ask Me Now
4. You’d Be So Easy To Love
5. Trinkle Tinkle
6. Scarlatti: Sonata in D Minor K9, L413 Allegro
7. Spanish Song
8. Tempus Fugit
5 Surprising Facts About Styx’s ‘Paradise Theatre by Styx That Make It Even More Epic
Some albums tell a story. Paradise Theatre built one, set the stage, lit the spotlights, and gave us the show of a lifetime. Released on January 16, 1981, Styx’s tenth studio album didn’t just top the charts—it beamed with ambition, drama, and heart. A concept album with lasers on the vinyl and love in the lyrics? Yes, please. You’ve heard the hits, but here are five lesser-known facts that deserve a standing ovation.
1. It’s a Concept Album Inspired by a Real Theatre—Used as a Metaphor for America
Dennis DeYoung imagined Paradise Theatre as a grand narrative: a once-beautiful Chicago venue opening in 1928, fading by 1956, and symbolizing America’s own shifting hopes. The stage? Just a starting point. The real performance? A portrait of a country in change.
2. The Title Spelled Itself Three Different Ways on the Same Album
Look closely: the front cover says Paradise Theatre. The back cover and label? Paradise Theater. The spine? Just Paradise. One album. Three spellings. A typographic enigma worthy of its own rock opera.
3. The Vinyl Has Laser-Etched Art on Side 2
Some first pressings featured the band’s name etched directly into the vinyl using laser technology. It didn’t just sound cool—it looked cool spinning under the needle. A side of music, a side of museum-worthy flair.
4. “Too Much Time on My Hands” Was Inspired by a Bar in Niles, Michigan
Tommy Shaw turned everyday observation into a top 10 hit. Inspired by time spent in a bar where stories flowed and dreams paused, he wrote a song that danced between despair and swagger—and gave Styx one of their most memorable riffs.
5. “The Best of Times” Appears Three Times on the Album—Sort Of
Dennis DeYoung wrote it as the emotional core of the record, and the melody lives in three places: the opening track “A.D. 1928,” the full single version, and again in “A.D. 1958” as a gentle curtain close. It’s not just a song—it’s the heart of the show.
10 of the Best Albums of 1980 That Still Blow Our Minds
1980 arrived with a guitar in one hand and a synthesizer in the other. Music reached across genres, fused new sounds, and turned up the volume on imagination. From shimmering post-punk to swaggering hard rock, from experimental rhythms to timeless choruses, these albums lit the fuse on a brand-new decade. Here are 10 of the most unforgettable albums from that electric year, listed in alphabetical order, each one still turning heads and winning hearts.
Ace of Spades – Motörhead
Pure speed, pure volume, pure adrenaline. Lemmy and the gang delivered a thunderous blast of metal that continues to roar. The title track plays like an anthem for every loud and loyal soul.
Back in Black – AC/DC
Rock stepped into the ’80s in a black suit and shades. With riffs for days and hooks that hit like lightning, this album powers up stadiums and speakers to this day.
Boy – U2
The beginning of a band that aimed skyward. With youthful urgency and soaring guitars, Boy introduced the world to U2’s signature sound—full of yearning, energy, and promise.
Closer – Joy Division
Atmospheric, emotional, and full of hypnotic beauty. Every beat and lyric carries a sense of gravity and grace, as post-punk took a step into new artistic territory.
Crocodiles – Echo & The Bunnymen
Echoes swirled, shadows shimmered, and a new kind of rock emerged. Crocodiles brought post-punk cool with psychedelic heat, and every track still sounds sharp, strange, and spectacular.
Pretenders – The Pretenders
A debut that arrived fully formed and endlessly cool. Chrissie Hynde’s voice and vision drove this mix of toughness and tenderness, sounding as bold and brilliant as ever.
Remain in Light – Talking Heads
A rhythm revolution. Talking Heads pulled from funk, Afrobeat, and experimental grooves to build a sonic mosaic. Every listen brings new discoveries and deep grooves.
Sandinista! – The Clash
Three records of fearless creativity. Punk embraced reggae, hip-hop, gospel, and global sounds, stretching the idea of what an album could do—and where it could go.
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) – David Bowie
A new decade, a new transformation. Bowie mixed art rock, post-punk, and futuristic textures to deliver a high-fashion howl of creativity and character.
The River – Bruce Springsteen
Stories poured out like open highways and Saturday nights. This double LP captured moments of joy, struggle, hope, and longing—all wrapped in Bruce’s signature rock and roll soul.
Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch Makes Literary Debut With “Nobody’s Empire”
One of the great lyricists of our time, the lead singer and songwriter for the iconic Glasgow-based band Belle and Sebastian, pens a sensitive and intimate account—his debut novel based on his own youthful experiences—of dark days leading to light and a coming of age through music.
It’s the early 1990s in Glasgow, Scotland, and Stephen has emerged from a lengthy hospital stay. Diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, a little-understood disease which has robbed him of any prospects of work, friends, or independent living, he moves slowly toward new goals and meets others like him, including Richard, a friend from school, and Carrie, a young woman bedridden for five years. Feeling isolated and alone, they form their own support group, and try to get by with as little money and pain as possible. Since he’s been ill, Stephen never feels warm, inspiring Carrie to affectionately call him “The World’s Coldest Boy.” As the world seems to care less for them, the trio start to care less about fitting in with the world.
Stephen soon discovers he has a talent for writing songs. He awakens to the possibility of a spiritual life that transcends the everyday, and feels a calling for a place that might as well be on the other end of the universe let alone the world. Buoyed by tentative hope, he and Richard leave Glasgow in search of a cure in the mythic warmth and sun of California. As they float between hostels, sofas, and park benches, they discover the trip is life-changing in ways neither expected, and Stephen embraces a new-world reinvention that will change his life forever.
Melodic and captivating, filled with graceful notes, melancholic chords, and witty, thoughtful riffs on life’s infinite possibilities and curiosities, Nobody’s Empire is a warm and wonderful coming-of-age novel, imbued with Stuart Murdoch’s magical lyricism.
99 Surprising Facts About Mel Brooks For His 99th Birthday
Mel Brooks once said that comedy is just tragedy plus time. Well, 99 years later, the world is still laughing. From the Borscht Belt to Broadway, Hollywood to Hulu, Mel Brooks has shaped the way we laugh, spoof, and sing about it all. In honor of the legend turning 99 today, here are 99 true and delightful facts about the one and only Melvin James Kaminsky—better known to the world as Mel Brooks.
- Mel Brooks was born Melvin James Kaminsky on June 28, 1926, in Brooklyn.
- His father died when Mel was just two years old.
- He grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in a tenement.
- His mother’s family was from Kyiv; his father’s side hailed from Danzig.
- He had three older brothers: Irving, Lenny, and Bernie.
- He once said much of his comedy came from anger, wrapped in humor.
- He saw Anything Goes at age nine and decided to pursue showbiz.
- He got his first job in entertainment at age 14 at a Borscht Belt hotel.
- At that job, he met an 18-year-old Sid Caesar.
- He once jumped into a pool wearing a derby and rocks in his suitcases as part of a comedy act.
- He learned to play drums from the great Buddy Rich.
- He earned money as a drummer in his teens.
- His first time doing stand-up was at age 16, filling in for a sick MC.
- He changed his last name from Kaminsky to Brooks, inspired by his mother’s maiden name.
- He graduated from Eastern District High School in January 1944.
- He intended to study psychology at Brooklyn College.
- He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944 at age 18.
- He trained at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as a radio operator.
- He participated in the Battle of the Bulge as a combat engineer.
- His job included clearing land mines in Nazi Germany.
- He countered German propaganda by singing Al Jolson songs into a bullhorn.
- He spent time in the stockade after hitting a heckler with his mess kit.
- He built bridges over the Roer and Rhine rivers during the war.
- He ended the war entertaining troops in the Special Services.
- He was discharged in June 1946 as a corporal.
- After the war, he worked in Catskill resorts as a musician and comic.
- Sid Caesar hired him to write for The Admiral Broadway Revue in 1949.
- He earned $50 a week writing off-the-books gags.
- In 1950, he joined Your Show of Shows as a writer.
- His colleagues on the show included Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, and Mel Tolkin.
- Carl Reiner later based Buddy Sorell on Brooks for The Dick Van Dyke Show.
- Neil Simon’s play Laughter on the 23rd Floor was also inspired by Brooks.
- Mel Brooks inspired the character Ira Stone in Simon’s play.
- He continued writing for Caesar’s Hour from 1954 to 1957.
- He cited Dead Souls by Gogol as a life-changing gift.
- He performed the “2000 Year Old Man” act with Carl Reiner.
- Their first comedy album sold over a million copies in 1961.
- The duo revived the act multiple times through the 1990s.
- Brooks created the 2500-Year-Old Brewmaster for Ballantine Beer.
- He co-wrote the Broadway musical All American in 1962.
- He conceived and voiced The Critic, which won an Oscar in 1963.
- He co-created Get Smart with Buck Henry in 1965.
- The show won seven Emmys and ran until 1970.
- He won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for The Producers (1968).
- Peter Sellers personally promoted The Producers in full-page ads.
- He later turned The Producers into a Tony-winning Broadway musical.
- He directed The Twelve Chairs in 1970.
- He co-wrote Blazing Saddles, released in 1974.
- The film became the second-highest-grossing movie of 1974.
- Brooks described Blazing Saddles as “a Jewish western with a Black hero.”
- He co-wrote Young Frankenstein with Gene Wilder.
- He provided three voice cameos in Young Frankenstein.
- Young Frankenstein was the third-highest-grossing U.S. film of 1974.
- Pauline Kael praised Brooks’s direction in Young Frankenstein.
- He directed Silent Movie in 1976—the first feature-length silent film in decades.
- Marcel Marceau says the film’s only spoken word: “Non!”
- He made High Anxiety in 1977, parodying Hitchcock films.
- Brooks produced The Elephant Man in 1980 under Brooksfilms.
- He used the Brooksfilms name so audiences wouldn’t expect a comedy.
- Brooksfilms also produced The Fly and 84 Charing Cross Road.
- He starred in and produced To Be or Not To Be in 1983.
- He spoofed sci-fi with Spaceballs in 1987.
- He directed Life Stinks in 1991, his only non-parody.
- He returned to Robin Hood parody with Men in Tights in 1993.
- He spoofed vampire films with Dracula: Dead and Loving It in 1995.
- He created the Broadway version of The Producers in 2001.
- The musical won a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards.
- He wrote a musical version of Young Frankenstein in 2007.
- He voiced Bigweld in the animated film Robots (2005).
- He voiced Vlad in Hotel Transylvania 2 and 3.
- He created Spaceballs: The Animated Series in 2008.
- In 2021, he released his memoir All About Me!
- He produced History of the World, Part II for Hulu in 2023.
- He received a 2023 Emmy nomination for voiceover work.
- In June 2025, he announced Spaceballs 2 is on the way.
- He is executive producing Very Young Frankenstein for FX.
- He is one of 21 entertainers to achieve EGOT status.
- He won his Oscar in 1968.
- He won his first Emmy in 1967.
- He won three Emmys for Mad About You in the late 1990s.
- He won a Grammy in 1999 for The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000.
- He won three Tonys for The Producers in 2001.
- He won Hugo and Nebula Awards for Young Frankenstein.
- He was voted #50 on Channel 4’s Comedian’s Comedian list.
- AFI ranked Blazing Saddles #6 on their comedy list.
- The Producers ranks #11, and Young Frankenstein #13.
- He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009.
- He got a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2010.
- PBS aired a American Masters biography about him in 2013.
- He received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2013.
- He left a six-fingered handprint at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
- He received a British Film Institute Fellowship in 2015.
- He received the National Medal of Arts in 2016.
- He was married to Anne Bancroft for 41 years.
- They met during a rehearsal for The Perry Como Variety Show.
- Their son, Max Brooks, wrote World War Z.
- Brooks credits Bancroft for encouraging him to do Broadway.
- He reads Russian literature every year, especially Gogol’s Dead Souls.
- In 2024, Mel Brooks received an Honorary Academy Award, celebrating his lifetime of achievements in comedy and film.