Reports|

Firstly, a big Thank You goes out to COMBO Board Member Annette Cannon for putting together and hosting this program. Very well done, Annette!

The speakers including Alejandro Parra (Venezuela); Navarat Varin (Thailand); Merete Solvedt (Norway); Ricardo Vallejos (Chile/Dubai); Ashesh Dangol (Nepal); Nate Hamon (Australia); Duncan Webb (Scotland); and Kareem Husem (Egypt).

Videos of each of their talks will be posted on the COMBO website soon. But each week, for the next several weeks, we will post short bios of each of the speakers for your reference. It was so great to be able to meet like-minded people and wonderful musicians – a language that ALL people speak.

Alejandro Parra is from Maracaibo, Venezuela. He attended the University of Zulia to study law. Currently he works at Apple and worked at Guitar Center as a manager in the past. He speaks English and Spanish jointly. His “about” page on Facebook says it all: “ . . . music is a part of my life, I can’t live without it… love rock and roll music til the day I die.”

Find his music at http://www.reverbnation.com/alejandroguitar

Alejandro spoke as to the music scene in Venezuela. Pretty much the same as here in the U.S. – hard to get good-paying gigs. Alejandro also played and sang in Spanish one of his original songs, a favorite Venezuelan cover, and the Venezuelan national anthem for the enjoyment of the attendees at the meeting at the Breckenridge Brewery.

* * * * *

20 Artists Missing From the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock and Roll is the “People’s Music,” so in honor of this week’s induction ceremony, I thought it would be nice to ask a handful of “people” which acts they believe should be elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Besides, my doctor and I enjoy talking about these matters. He says it helps with my treatment.

I asked a variety of people, but mostly rock writers wrote back. (As if making a list requires anyone to write!) I didn’t solicit comments, since I didn’t want this blog to read like the “Deluxe and Expanded Re-Mastered Version of War and Peace.” For my own list, I grabbed some names that didn’t make the others. I wrote up the 20 entries that caught my eye. But don’t take that to mean that the other suggestions are any less deserving.

Participating in this poll does not imply that you care about what happens with the Hall of Fame. This is for amusement purposes only. Thanks to all who participated. Obviously, I think quite a bit of your opinion.

20) Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
19) Captain Beefheart
18) The Cure
17) Kraftwerk
16) Journey: OK, OK, I’ve been less than kind to them in the past. But I’m not everyone. And Yahoo Music’s own Lyndsey Parker certainly knows what the men don’t understand. I’m more partial to letting in her beloved faves Duran Duran, since they were an important part of early MTV. But just as your favorite musical acts made an indelible impression on you when you were a small person, so did Journey on young Lyndsey. Miss L remains a hardcore music junkie. That’s more than you can say for most people. She cares!
15) Moby Grape
14) Big Star
13) Buzzcocks
12) Brian Eno
11) Love
10) The Monkees
9) The Dead Boys
8) Graham Parker
7) The Modern Lovers
6) Public Image Ltd.
5) New York Dolls
4) MC5
3) Tim Buckley
2) The Smiths
1) Joy Division: Seriously! They’ve now had enough books, films, and reissues to qualify. Does someone else in the band have to commit suicide to get more attention?

https://www.yahoo.com/music/20-artists-missing-from-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-105378688156.html

[Article contains links to the above artists’ songs for you to listen to… Long list for Journey – I’m with Miss L on this one!]

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