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LEGENDARY M O T O W N  STUDIO MUSICIAN

With THE FUNK BROTHERS

COMPOSER OF "SCORPIO" NUMBER 6 HIT

ON BILLBOARD'S HOT 100  

Dennis Coffey is an American original. Only in America (and specifically, only in Detroit) could one man play guitar with a group of legends as diverse as Del Shannon, The Temptations, and George Clinton and Funkadelic. However, the list of iconic artists, producers and writers Dennis has worked with the world over only scratches the surface of what the man has done and the contributions he’s made to the canon of popular music.

Dennis Coffey first began to make his mark as a member of The Royaltones, a group which had hits in the late 50’s and early 60’s and who performed sessions with other artists, including Del Shannon. From there, Dennis moved on to a distinguished run as a session guitarist for various labels operating at the peak of Detroit’s influence as a hub of musical innovation and commercial success. He’s perhaps best known for his work as a member of the legendary Funk Brothers, backing a veritable trunk load of hits for Motown, specifically The Temptations’ classics “Cloud Nine,” “Ball Of Confusion,” and “Just My Imagination.” It is in those works that his introduction of the wah-wah guitar sound to Motown (and soul / R&B in general) first reared its head, and the resulting influence on all kinds of popular music continues to reverberate to this day. His work with The Temptations is just the tip of the iceberg, though… he’s on stuff like “War” by Edwin Starr… “Band Of Gold” by Freda Payne…on and on the list goes.

In the early 70’s, Dennis struck out on his own as an artist, film scorer and producer. He scored the cult classic film Black Belt Jones. He recorded “Scorpio” in 1971 as part of his second solo record and first for Sussex (“Evolution”). “Scorpio” was a million selling single and was a key foundational track in the history and development of hip-hop, totally apart from its status as a funk classic. Dennis has recorded several other solo records, and he has co-produced a million seller in Gallery’s Nice To Be With You as well as cult record Cold Fact by Rodriguez, a release that has gained increasing notoriety over the decades since it initially appeared, and which is now regarded as a rediscovered gem. He also continued session guitar work through the 1970’s, appearing on such disco classics as “Boogie Fever” by the Sylvers.

Dennis is also featured in the 2002 film Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, further cementing his legacy as a key contributor to the development of some of the most cherished and important popular music of the 20th Century.

So, yeah… the man’s important. This isn’t just a history lesson, though. Dennis has continued to write and perform music. He’s a lifer. Now, it’s time for a new chapter. An opportunity to both remind music fans of what he’s done and show them what’s to come.

Dennis is a cast member in the Sony film Searching for Sugarman. He is also co-producer and co-arranger along with Mike Theodore for some of the songs on the soundtrack. He also plays guitar and bass in some of those songs.

For more information about Dennis Coffey visit … https://denniscoffeysite.com

Sharón Lynn Wyeth is an internationally recognized name expert. She can determine one's strengths, challenges and the purpose of one's life by deciphering a person's name. Sharón created Neimology® Science, the study of the placement of the letters in a name, after 15 years of research with 3 years of testing her theories, in over 70 countries, including Russia, India and China.  She continued to develop how to interpret names the next seventeen years, which is why Neimology® Science is so accurate today.  Today Sharón assists HR business departments to narrow down candidates to be interviewed, she assists lawyers in how to present cases to judges and helps couples and families to communicate better. Sharón also creates names for new business, new products and when people wish to change their name. Her bestselling book, “Know the Name; Know the Person” received an excellence in writing award. Sharón is a frequent guest on radio and television.

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CELEBRATED JAZZ DRUMMER WHO PERFORMED WITH THE LEGENDS

FROM 1982 THRU 1990 TOURED WITH JOSE FELICIANO

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!

Born in Sioux City Iowa, Russell grew up in a family of musicians and started playing drums on his father's knee at age 5. Both grandfathers were professional musicians. His mother's father was a "boogie-woogie" piano player and his father's father was a jazz trumpet player and big band orchestra leader. His father was a jazz drummer who played with the "Ink Spots". His two brothers were a trumpet player and a sax player, and both played drums as well. His love for drums drove him to pursue this calling. At 12 he started playing gigs at his grandfather's nightclub and by the time he was 19 he played with Chick Berry. The following year he played with Muddy Waters. He moved to New York City and studied with Roy Haynes as well as attended jazz workshops in Harlem. From 1974 to 1976 he toured and recorded with rock legend, Tommy Bolin. In 1977 he studied East Indian rhythms with Colin Walcott at Naropa Institute, Boulder Colorado. From 1979-1981 he played with jazz legend, Freddy Hubbard and in 1981 played with Bo Diddly. 1982-1990 he toured with Jose Feliciano. He recorded for the Laverne & Shirley Show, under Bennett Salvey, the Merv Griffin Show under Mort Lindsey, musical director between 1983 and 1985 during down time from touring. Later he also recorded for the Northern Exposure TV series. The Independent film, "Stanley's Gig" also featured his talents on the sound track. He played with French pop icon, Michel Jonasz from 1997 to 1998. Studied with International jazz drummer, Billy Higgins in 1998. Between tours he spent his time recording and performing in the LA area.

He has worked and recorded with a large variety of artists including Jimmy Smith, Billy Preston, Robben Ford, Tommy Bolin, Jeff Berlin, and many-many more. Has 3 solo albums to his credit: Tommy Bolin Tribute, Dream Street, and Fortaleza.

For more information about Russell Bizzett

https://myspace.com/russellebizzett

https://www.reverbnation.com/russellbizzett

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LEGENDARY FRONTMAN FOR

'S U R V I V O R'

THE VOICE OF ROCKY III SONG "EYE OF THE TIGER" 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

The voice on one of the most instantly recognizable and celebrated rock anthems of all-time is back with his first-ever solo album - with the arrival of former Survivor singer Dave Bickler’s ‘Darklight.’ 

Released on March 15, 2019 via Deko Music, the ten-track album recalls the singer’s classic rock roots with a modern sound - and features contributions by the likes of Ryan Hoyle (Collective Soul) on drums, Brad Smith (Blind Melon) on bass, Grammy nominated producer Steve DeAcutis (Vanilla Fudge, Corey Glover, Vinnie Moore, Overkill, etc.), and Grammy Award winning mastering engineer Alan Douches (Fleetwood Mac, Yes, Mastodon, Monster Magnet, etc.).

The album’s lead-off single is the track “Hope,” which was released digitally on March 8^th

Starting his musical career as lead singer of the 1970s rock group Jamestown Massacre (best known for the Billboard Top 100 Song, “Summer Sun”) and doing commercial jingle work in Chicago, Dave was the lead singer of Survivor from 1978-1984 and 1993-1999, and co-lead singer 2013-2014. 

And his crowning career achievement was singing on the track “Eye of the Tiger” - the theme song for the hit film ‘Rocky III,’ which topped the Billboard charts for six weeks and won a Grammy Award for 'Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.' From 1999-2009, Dave served as the singing voice behind the most award-winning radio campaign in advertising history ('Real Men of Genius'), for Bud Light beer.

‘Darklight’ is issued on both CD and vinyl, with the vinyl version being available in both standard (black) and limited (gray swirl) editions. Dave will be launching a European solo tour in March, with further Euro/US dates and festival shows throughout the year. 

Purchase the latest release by Dave Bickler entitled ‘DARKLIGHT’ at amazon