From his childhood in 1950s Glasgow, when he was affectionately known to his older brothers as ‘the wee bastard’, to his wildnerness years as an accountant when he longed to achieve his dream and join the BBC, Tracks of My Years tells the story of Ken Bruce's remarkable career. Starting work for Radio Scotland in 1977, he was soon interviewing legends like Sean Connery, Billy Connolly and Peter Ustinov, and in the eighties was lured to Radio 2 to take over Terry Wogan’s spot. He has been with the station ever since. Ken writes with insight into the world of radio and delivers lots of brilliant anecdotes from his interviews with celebrities as diverse as Rod Stewart, Keane and Burt Bacharach, who came out with the immortal line (edited out of the final version) “Phil Spector never put a foot wrong,” before adding thoughtfully, “until he shot that girl, of course.” He also writes about bringing up his autistic son and – unusually – the happiness it brings him and his wife and the many positives of what is so often portrayed as a heartbreaking situation.
“We are not worth more, they are not worth less.” This is the mantra of S. Brian Willson and the theme that runs throughout his compelling psycho-historical memoir. Willson’s story begins in small-town, rural America, where he grew up as a “Commie-hating, baseball-loving Baptist,” moves through life-changing experiences in Viet Nam, Nicaragua and elsewhere, and culminates with his commitment to a localized, sustainable lifestyle. In telling his story, Willson provides numerous examples of the types of personal, risk-taking, nonviolent actions he and others have taken in attempts to educate and effect political change: tax refusal—which requires simplification of one’s lifestyle; fasting—done publicly in strategic political and/or therapeutic spiritual contexts; and obstruction tactics—strategically placing one’s body in the way of “business as usual.” It was such actions that thrust Brian Willson into the public eye in the mid-’80s, first as a participant in a high-profile, water-only “Veterans Fast for Life” against the Contra war being waged by his government in Nicaragua. Then, on a fateful day in September 1987, the world watched in horror as Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks and arrested. Losing his legs only strengthened Willson’s identity with millions of unnamed victims of U.S. policy around the world. He provides details of his travels to countries in Latin America and the Middle East and bears witness to the harm done to poor people as well as to the environment by the steamroller of U.S. imperialism. These heart-rending accounts are offered side by side with inspirational stories of nonviolent struggle and the survival of resilient communities Willson’s expanding consciousness also uncovers injustices within his own country, including insights gained through his study and service within the U.S. criminal justice system and personal experiences addressing racial injustices. He discusses coming to terms with his identity as a Viet Nam veteran and the subsequent service he provides to others as director of a veterans outreach center in New England. He draws much inspiration from friends he encounters along the way as he finds himself continually drawn to the path leading to a simpler life that seeks to “do no harm.&rdquo Throughout his personal journey Willson struggles with the question, “Why was it so easy for me, a ’good’ man, to follow orders to travel 9,000 miles from home to participate in killing people who clearly were not a threat to me or any of my fellow citizens?” He eventually comes to the realization that the “American Way of Life” is AWOL from humanity, and that the only way to recover our humanity is by changing our consciousness, one individual at a time, while striving for collective cultural changes toward “less and local.” Thus, Willson offers up his personal story as a metaphorical map for anyone who feels the need to be liberated from the American Way of Life—a guidebook for anyone called by conscience to question continued obedience to vertical power structures while longing to reconnect with the human archetypes of cooperation, equity, mutual respect and empathy.
A lively and lyrical picture book jaunt from actor and author John Lithgow! Oh, children! Remember! Whatever you may do, Never play music right next to the zoo. They’ll burst from their cages, each beast and each bird, Desperate to play all the music they’ve heard. A concert gets out of hand when the animals at the neighboring zoo storm the stage and play the instruments themselves in this hilarious picture book based on one of John Lithgow’s best-loved tunes.
Do you stop for PopMaster? Get ready to take on the ultimate PopMaster challenge from the minds behind BBC Radio 2's iconic quiz. Every weekday morning over eight million people across the nation stop what they're doing, fix themselves a cuppa and settle in to listen to the PopMaster quiz on The Ken Bruce Show. Now it's your turn to join the throng and pit your musical knowledge against expert question setters Phil Swern and Neil Myners. Ultimate PopMaster is an endlessly entertaining collection of brainteasers, featuring a foreword from the Pop Master himself, Ken Bruce, and 1,500 brand new questions that get progressively harder as you work your way through the book. Discover a surprise twist when you reach the final quiz, in which you'll get the chance to become ultimate PopMaster champion. Covering music from 1958 to 2020, this official quiz companion has something for everyone. So, whether you're a pop anorak or incidental music fan, get stuck in on your own or with friends and family, and watch the hours fly by. Who had a top 10 hit in 1997 with 'The James Bond Theme' as featured in the movie Tomorrow Never Dies? Which legendary soul singer was the subject of the 2015 number one hit by Charlie Puth featuring Meghan Trainor? Which group of comedians had a Top 10 hit in 1975 with Black Pudding Bertha (The Queen Of Northern Soul)?
Births, deaths and marriages, No1 singles, drug busts and arrests, famous gigs and awards... all these and much more appear in this fascinating 50 year almanac.Using a page for every day of the calendar year, the author records a variety of rock and pop events that took place on a given day of the month across the years.This Day in Music is fully illustrated with hundreds of pictures, cuttings and album covers, making this the must-have book for any pop music fan.
