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As soon as Ryan Seacrest said, “Joshua Ledet will be up next singing a song by James Brown, the title just popped into my head.  I was right about the song … but I underestimated how incredible that performance would be!

Here’s the thing — Joshua didn’t just SING my favorite song by James Brown, he took possession of it.  He became it!

I had to ask Joshua about that during our interview Saturday morning.

[button href="http://107jamz.com/where-does-joshua-ledets-family-fit-into-american-idol-and-are-there-any-other-singers-video" title="Also watch:  Josh talks about his family's support" align="center"]

Joshua Ledet and his family. (Scott Lewis)

After an incredible day of interviews, parades, catching up with family and just generally being hounded by “American Idol’s” camera crews on Saturday, Joshua Ledet made his stunning entrance into Burton Coliseum for his homecoming concert.  Neither his entrance  nor singing disappointed.  It was a fitting end to an amazing day.

The doors opened at 4 p.m., and the crowd was treated to opening performances by Josh’s Zydeco-slinging cousins — first Brandon Ledet and then Terrance Simien.  And while the crowd was having a good time, they started getting restless at about 7 p.m.  It wasn’t that they weren’t enjoying Simien, but by that time they wanted some Josh.

Simien kept getting the crowd to chant, “JOSH, JOSH, JOSH,” which led the crowd to believe that the headliner was indeed about to hit the stage.  But apparently, Josh (or the “Idol” crew) wasn’t ready, and so Simien would have to launch into another song.  By the third time this had happened, the crowd began to boo.

“When he gets here, he’ll get up on stage,” said Simien, trying to win over the crowd.

But it wasn’t much longer before Josh entered.  And when he did, it was all worth it.  The producers had rigged up a Mardi Gras float for Josh and his family to ride, and so the drove into Burton like Fat Tuesday royalty.

Joshua Ledet and La. Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne (Scott Lewis)

Once he stepped down off the float (more delays there, too), he rocked the house with five songs from his ‘Idol’ playlist, starting with “When a Man Loves a Woman,” and winding down to his rendition of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.”

He was also welcomed by Louisiana’s Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne and named as an official ambassador for the State of Louisiana.

It was an incredible experience for the Lake Area, and it cemented in everyone’s minds just why Joshua Ledet will be the next American Idol.

Check out Josh’s majestic entrance and his performance of The Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody.”

[button href="http://gator995.com/how-much-control-does-josh-ledet-have-over-his-song-choice-on-american-idol/" title="WATCH:  See excerpts from our live 30 minute interview with Josh" align="center"]

Scott Lewis

Out here in the audience, we might imagine that most reality show contestants are all at each other’s throats, seeing as they’re all competing for such big prizes.  But on “American Idol,” where a group of young people are going through the process of becoming overnight sensations together, there seems to be a real sense of friendship.  So which friend does Josh Ledet most want to perform with?

It’s Erica Van Pelt, who went home March 22 after hitting the Top 10. “She has a lot of soul, and I don’t think it got recognized a lot on the show, but that girl can sing,” said Ledet.

Also in this clip, Joshua tells Gary Shannon and Gina Cook about the amazing way he picked up the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” on the fly, all at the request of Little Steven.

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RYNO Motors has designed a self-balancing, one-wheel, electric scooter that looks like it crawled right off the cutting room floor of the a Blade Runner movie. This twisted little spectacle is one part transportation genius, and another part circus sideshow. Watch this video and you’ll see the only thing missing is a dancing bear. Harrison Ford is also missing, which is surprising, because he’ll star in just about anything these day.

Scheduled to begin production in January 2013, RYNO Motors believes that this one-wheeled beast is poised to create real fundamental change once it hits the streets. However, at this time we are still uncertain. It definitely looks dangerous but it doesn’t appear to have enough “die with your boots on” appeal to risk both life and limb on a single wheel.

That said, the monkeys at the circus are going to look pretty badass revving around on these micro-cycles.

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Source: GuySpeed.com

YouTube

Coleman Shannon was born without a right hand and forearm, due to a medical condition called Amelia, but that hasn’t slowed him down from chasing his baseball dreams. In fact, the 14-year-old left-handed pitcher recently threw a no-hitter in a Johnsonville, SC little league game.

Don’t believe us? Watch the footage for yourself.

“The other night, when he pitched the no-hitter, that was a tearful moment,” Kyle Daniel, one of Shannon’s proud coaches, said. “When you think about what he’s been through and how much it’s taken him just to get to this point, when he went out and threw the no-hitter, it was just a cheerful time for everyone.”

Shannon does way more than pitch and field — he’s an accomplished hitter who went 2-for-2 and delivered the game-winning hit in another little league matchup last week.

Oh, and did we mention he also knows how to play the guitar and hunt? When he was 2, he rejected his prosthetic arm and has since proved he never needed it to begin with.

[via The Huffington Post]

Source: TheFW.com

WBTV

In these days of Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian, it’s nice to know that there are still role models out there! Her name is Dawn Loggins.

I was browsing the internet looking for stories that show people who inspire; people whose stories are life affirming.  I found just such a story on the website of  WBTV 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Dawn Loggins had nothing going in her favor. She was abandoned by her family, she was bullied at school, when she did live with her parents, they were into drugs and were frequently living with no utilities. Here is her story..

 

 

And that my friends is inspiring! Abraham Lincoln once used the phrase, “The better angels in us all”. I may be naive , but I truly believe that despite all the Lindays, Kims and Bobby Browns out there, the majority of us want to tap into that “better angel”.

If you know of someone who has tapped into that human spirit, let me know about them.

garyshannon@townsquaremedia.com

Again, many thanks to WBTV 3 in Charlotte, N.C. and to Dedrick Russell for producing such a great story!

 

Scott Lewis

It’s just another day at the Townsquare Media radio studios, when you can walk down the hall and find musicians like “American’s Got Talent’s” Ryan Andreas just hanging out in our coffee room.  What a great job this is.

Of course, Ryan is kicking off tonight’s Contraband Days music lineup on the Malibu Rum Outdoor Stage at 7:00 p.m.  If he does more music like he does in this video, it’ll be an incredible show for sure.  Here’s Ryan bringing some serious soul to Bruce Springsteen’s “Devils and Dust.”

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Phenomenal

Watch Randy Jackson fumble for words to describe the performance

Watch J-Lo compare him to major artist of the last 50 years

Watch Joshua reinvent an already great song!

newmedialiteraces

We’ve never seen a performer on American Idol who deserves the win as much as Westlake’s own Joshua Ledet. As Randy Jackson frequently points out, Ledet has everything a contestant needs to win and to carry all that over into a great career!
Last night’s “Idol” featured the music of Queen. Queen’s music is not easy to perform, but Josh Turner made “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” into a Josh Turner song!

Please…for your own sanity…Disregard the comments. Most of them are made by morons who are not allowed to express themselves at home.  Some comments are offensive. For best results, start using You Tube in Google Chrome. You can block the cretinous comments.

Fantasy Films/The Cannon Group/Warner Bros.

The 1978 ‘Superman’ film made a bold move. During the closing credits, four words appear on screen “NEXT YEAR: SUPERMAN II.” Over the next three decades, this gimmick was used time and time again. More often than not, when a movie boasts a sequel, it never happens.

Here are 10 examples of sequels we were promised, but never got to see. 

10. ‘The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension’ (1984)

Right before the film’s famous closing credits sequence (which was copied by Wes Anderson for ‘The Life Aquatic’) there’s an announcement for the next installment: ‘Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League.’ Sadly, this sequel was never made.  But acclaimed geek author Ernie Cline (who wrote the movie ‘Fanboys‘ and the novel ‘Ready Player One’) started his career by writing a script. More recently, Moonstone Books published a series of Buckaroo comic books written by creator Earl Mac Rauch. So there’s still hope we’ll see Buckaroo, New Jersey, Rawhide and the rest on the big screen again.

9. ‘Making the Grade’ (1984)

This Prince-and-the-Pauper movie follows a prep school snob (Palmer Woodrow the III) trading places with a street kid (Eddie, played by Judd Nelson). Hilarity ensues with plenty of belching, breakdancing and a standout performance by then-unknown Andrew “Dice” Clay. During the closing credits, viewers are informed that Palmer and Eddie will be back in ‘Tourista.’  But the poor box office killed the sequel and the closest we’ve come to ‘Tourista’ is the 2008 backpacker horror film ‘Turistas.’

8. ‘Doctor Detroit’ (1983)

Another fish-out-of-water comedy was 1983’s ‘Doctor Detroit,’ in which Dan Aykroyd plays a nerdy college professor who assumes the role of a freaky urban pimp with a metal hand. At the film’s end, after Dr. Detroit defeats his rival pimp (an older woman named “Mom”) the closing credits warn us that there’s to be a sequel titled ‘Doctor Detroit II: The Wrath of Mom.’  (A play upon the Star Trek sequel ‘The Wrath of Khan.’) While this was probably a gag, we’re still waiting for the return of Howard Hesseman’s “Smooth Walker.”

7. ‘Airplane II: The Sequel’ (1982)

After the credits roll, an advertisement appears for ‘Airplane III’ and William Shatner (who had a cameo in ‘Airplane II: The Sequel’) says, “that’s exactly what they’ll be expecting us to do.”  For all the gags in ‘Airplane II: The Sequel,’ one thing was serious– Paramount wanted to make a third film, to be directed by David Zucker, who co-wrote and co-directed the first movie. But lead actor Robert Hays turned down the project, because he didn’t want to be typecast. Instead, Hays went on to play the title character in ABC’s sci-fi drama ‘Starman’ (based on the Jeff Bridges movie of the same name).

6. ‘History of the World: Part I’ (1981)

Okay, Mel Brooks was probably kidding about making a follow-up to ‘History of the World,’ but we’d still love to see more of “Jews in Space.”

5. ‘Lord of the Rings’ (1978)

The original title of Ralph Bakshi’s animated epic was ‘The Lord of the Rings: Part One.’  The ‘Fritz the Cat’ director had negotiated to produce all three of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books into two films. But the studio believed no one would pay to see half of a movie (unless that movie was ‘Harry Potter 7′). Consequently, the film ends without a satisfying resolution and there was no sequel. Years later, Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass (makers of the 1977 ‘Hobbit’ movie) delivered a made-for-TV version of ‘Return of the King.’ Despite its eventual live-action adaption, ‘The Two Towers’ just couldn’t catch a break in animation.

4. ‘Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins’ (1985)

When MGM adapted the ‘Destroyer’ book series, they must’ve been confident that the 140+ books would create the next James Bond. In fact, they were so confident they titled their film ‘Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.’ But a lukewarm performance at the box office ended the movie series. Surprisingly the adventure continued on television. In 1988, ABC aired the pilot for a ‘Remo Williams’ TV series, featuring an unrecognizable Roddy McDowell as Korean martial arts guru Chiun. (Watch a clip above.)

3. ‘Masters of the Universe’ (1987)

Spoiler Alert: The live-action ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie ends with Dolph Lundgren’s He-Man defeating the evil Skeletor (Frank Langella) by throwing him into a pit of doom. The credits roll and all’s right with the world. But then, Skeletor pops his ugly skull out of the boiling waters and he tells viewers “I’ll be back!” (Watch him say it in German above. You can watch the actual scene here.) There was never another feature film, so presumably bone-brain was referring to the 1990 cartoon ‘The New Adventures of He-Man.’

2. ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’ (2002)

‘Bubba Ho-Tep’ is a horror-comedy that pits an elderly Elvis Presley against a soul-sucking Mummy in a West Texas nursing home. Director Don Coscarelli added a gag at the end of the film, claiming that there’d be a prequel: “Elvis returns in ‘Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires.’” Fans took it seriously, including actor Paul Giamatti who volunteered to play Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Giamatti continues to champion the film, and has since teamed-up with director Coscarelli in the upcoming ’John Dies in the End.’ (Watch Giamatti discuss the potential sequel in the video above.)

1. ‘Mac & Me’ (1988)

At the end of the ‘E.T.’ rip-off, er, homage ‘Mac & Me ,’ a family of Coke-lovin’ space-aliens drive along the highway in a pink convertible while young Mac blows a bubble which reads, “We’ll be back.” Once again, there was no sequel. You’d think that after the failure of ‘Mac & Me,’ Ronald McDonald (who appeared in the film as himself) would keep his distance from comedic/heart-warming alien-adventures. But you’d be wrong.  In 1999, Ronald and friends starred in ‘The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: Visitors from Outer Space.’

Source: TheFW.com

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I’m not just saying this because Joshua is from this area. For my money, he is the best performer that has ever graced the stage on “American Idol”.

A couple of weeks ago I told several people here at 92-9 The Lake that I wished Joshua would perform “A Change is Gonna Come”, one of the best songs Sam Cooke ever recorded. I just felt that Joshua could do it justice. I was wrong.

Joshua Ledet didn’t just do “the song justice” he owned it! Now, I know that comparing anyone to Cooke is blasphemy, but I’m here to tell you that young Joshua Ledet is indeed the heir apparent to Cooke. You be the judge!

I do try to post these  videos with no stupid comments from the  morons who make their post while mommy and daddy are out of the room, but I haven’t found a way to do it. I have, however, discovered that, if you open Youtube using Google Chrome, you can turn off the “comments.”

flickr/boywiththeblues

Levon Helm ( second from left) . His name is not exactly a household word. Even in the glory days of the late 60′s and early 70′s his group “The Band” only had two hits. The best known song around here is, of course, “Up on Cripple Creek”.  How surprised was everyone around here when they heard the line :
“To Lake Charles Louisiana
Little Bessie, girl that I once knew
She told me just to come on by
If there’s anything that she could do”

Right away you wonder if they actually knew someone from Lake Charles or did the three syllable name just fit the song? By the way, Robbie Robertson of  The Band actually wrote the song. Levon sang lead with that twangy, plaintive voice. There has been much speculation that Helm had a hand in writing that number since Levon Helm worked the oil rigs off the coast of Louisiana when he was replace by Mickey Jones on drums back when the Band were the Hawks and backing Bob Dylan. It doesn’t matter! Back in 1969 when “Up on Cripple Creek” came out it was oddly exciting to hear someone even mention Lake Charles.

The Band was never a rock band. They , sort of like the Grateful Dead, didn’t really fit into any of “Record Label World’s” categories. They were kind of a folk-country-jug band-bluegrass-blues band. That lack of a definitive classification has spelled a lack of hits for many bands over the years. The Band, again like the Dead, had no shortage of fans.  Helms drumming and voice were front and center in their popularity.

Sadly, Levon Helm is in the final stages of his fight with cancer. On April 17, his wife and daughter released an open letter to Levon’s fans:

“Dear Friends,

Levon is in the final stages of his battle with cancer. Please send your prayers and love to him as he makes his way through this part of his journey.

Thank you fans and music lovers who have made his life so filled with joy and celebration… he has loved nothing more than to play, to fill the room up with music, lay down the back beat, and make the people dance! He did it every time he took the stage…

We appreciate all the love and support and concern.

From his daughter Amy, and wife Sandy”

Helm’s list of credits is amazing to say the least.  Wikipedia has an excellent, up to date article about the man. Here is a link to that article:

Levon on Wikipedia

We’ll keep you posted on his condition so check back for updates. In the meantime, all our prayers go out to Levon Helm and his family.

This is the link to Levon Helm’s Facebook page. LHFB

From “The Last Waltz”- Here’s Levon Helm performing “Up on Cripple Creek”

Joshua Ledet (Getty images)

Josh may be from Westlake Louisiana,but now it looks like he belongs to the whole country. This amazing young performer has been wowing the studio audience, the viewers and the judges during this year’s competition and we need to really get behind him in the voting! How do we do that?

Kaylen Fletcher, public relations manager from the Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau sent us this on all the ways you can vote for Joshua Ledet.

Support Westlake’s American Idol, Joshua Ledet this week by voting Wednesday night beginning at 9:01 p.m. Joshua is currently in the Top 7. If he makes it to the Final 3, American Idol will come to Southwest Louisiana to film Joshua’s return to his hometown as he meets his supportive fan base.

There are three easy ways for you to vote: Toll-free Voting, AT&T Text Voting and Online Voting at www.AmericanIdol.com

1.       Toll-free Voting:  Joshua Ledet will be assigned his own toll-free number during the performance show each Wednesday. To vote, simply watch American Idol on FOX, from 7-9 p.m. and dial Josh’s assigned telephone number starting at 9:01 p.m. until 11 p.m. Votes are unlimited when calling or texting.

2.       AT&T Text Voting: Joshua Ledet will be assigned his own SMS/text message short code number each Wednesday. AT&T wireless customers only may text the word ‘VOTE’ to Joshua’s 4 digit short code numbers.

3.       Online Voting: If you have a Facebook account, you can also vote online at www.AmericanIdol.com. After you vote online, post on your facebook page so that your friends will see that you voted for Joshua Ledet and want to vote as well.

Voting will open at the end of each performance show on Wednesday night at 9:01 p.m. You will have at least two hours to cast your votes.  Online voting is limited to 50 votes per account. The results will be broadcast on FOX every Thursday at 7 p.m. So, make sure you don’t miss the results show if you want to see how your vote affected the results!

Become a fan and follow Joshua Ledet on Twitter @JLedetAI11. If you tweet, use the hash tag #teamjosh to start a voting trend for Joshua Ledet.

Here is Joshua performing on American Idol singing Percy Sledge’s legendary hit “When a Man Loves A Women”.

So make sure to watch the show and vote for Joshua Ledet. The Show Airs every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on FOX.  Voting begins at the end of the show or at 9:01 p.m.

How cool would it be to say we have an American Idol winner from right here in our own backyard! So VOTE AND VOTE OFTEN!

Joshua Ledet (Getty images)

Have you been watching Amercian Idol?  If so, then you know that one of our own from right here in Southwest Louisiana is a finalist on the show.

Joshua Ledet, who is from right over the I-10 bridge in Westlake, Louisiana, has been rocking the stage on American Idol.  He is one of only seven contestants left for the title. Joshua is awesome and one of the best on the show in my opinion.  He really is talented!

Last week, he found himself in the bottom three people.  We want to make sure that doesn’t happen again so here are all the ways you can vote for Joshua Ledet.

Joshua also has connections to Cajun & Zydeco music.  His cousin, Brandon Ledet, is a Zydeco artist who you may have seen perform last weekend at the crawfish festival.  Joshua’s brother is married to Keith Frank’s sister who plays in Keith Frank’s band.

Kaylen Fletcher, public relations manager from the Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau sent us this on all the ways you can vote for Joshua Ledet.

Support Westlake’s American Idol, Joshua Ledet this week by voting Wednesday night beginning at 9:01 p.m. Joshua is currently in the Top 7. If he makes it to the Final 3, American Idol will come to Southwest Louisiana to film Joshua’s return to his hometown as he meets his supportive fan base.

There are three easy ways for you to vote: Toll-free Voting, AT&T Text Voting and Online Voting at www.AmericanIdol.com

1.       Toll-free Voting:  Joshua Ledet will be assigned his own toll-free number during the performance show each Wednesday. To vote, simply watch American Idol on FOX, from 7-9 p.m. and dial Josh’s assigned telephone number starting at 9:01 p.m. until 11 p.m. Votes are unlimited when calling or texting.

2.       AT&T Text Voting: Joshua Ledet will be assigned his own SMS/text message short code number each Wednesday. AT&T wireless customers only may text the word ‘VOTE’ to Joshua’s 4 digit short code numbers.

3.       Online Voting: If you have a Facebook account, you can also vote online at www.AmericanIdol.com. After you vote online, post on your facebook page so that your friends will see that you voted for Joshua Ledet and want to vote as well.

Voting will open at the end of each performance show on Wednesday night at 9:01 p.m. You will have at least two hours to cast your votes.  Online voting is limited to 50 votes per account. The results will be broadcast on FOX every Thursday at 7 p.m. So, make sure you don’t miss the results show if you want to see how your vote affected the results!

Become a fan and follow Joshua Ledet on Twitter @JLedetAI11. If you tweet, use the hash tag #teamjosh to start a voting trend for Joshua Ledet.

Here is Joshua performing on American Idol singing Percy Sledge’s legendary hit “When a Man Loves A Women”.

So make sure to watch the show and vote for Joshua Ledet. The Show Airs every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on FOX.  Voting begins at the end of the show or at 9:01 p.m.

How cool would it be to say we have an American Idol winner from right here in our own backyard! So VOTE AND VOTE OFTEN!

Hulton Archive / Getty Images

We’ve got just over a month until Paul McCartney treats us to the expanded deluxe reissue of ‘Ram,’ but while you’re counting down the days until your copy of the box set arrives on your doorstep, you can watch a new promotional video in which Sir Paul reflects on the recording of the album.

“I was in the middle of this horrendous Beatles break-up. It was like being in quicksand,” recalls McCartney in the clip, looking back on the chaos surrounding the end of the world’s biggest band. Nursing his wounds, McCartney at first felt pressure to record something that could stand up to the the Beatles‘ biggest hits — and then he decided to take a different approach.

“The lightbulb went off one day and we realized that we could run off and go to Scotland where we loved,” he remembers. “Just to keep myself amused, I’d just make up stuff on the guitar. Instead of thinking ‘after the Beatles this has got to be important,’ I thought ‘maybe this is the way to go, just have fun with it.’”

Clearly McCartney took the right approach, given that we’re still here talking about ‘Ram’ more than 40 years later. Have a look at the video, embedded below — and if you want to see more, make sure you pony up for what the uploader calls the “super-dooper-deluxe edition” of the reissue, because that’s the version that includes ‘Ramming,’ the full-length documentary it is drawn from.

Watch Paul McCartney’s ‘Ram’ Preview Trailer

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

YouTube

Canada has been making some interesting changes to its currency from ditching its penny to pushing pretty, plastic pesos. The latest may become one of the coolest forms of cash on the continent.

The Royal Canadian Mint announced the development of “MintChip,” a possible alternative to traditional, tangible money that’s totally digital.

The new currency basically works as an electronic transfer of virtual funds from portable devices such as smartphones, tablets and even USB drives or laptop and desktop computers over the Internet. The new currency works through a secure microchip that transfers small amounts of money for smaller purchases and transactions, such as books, songs and news articles. It also doesn’t transfer personal information through these transfers and purchases to reduce the risk of identity theft.

So far, it’s only in the development stages and far from bringing us into the high-tech age that we’ve only seen in science-fiction movies and ‘Jetsons’ reruns. In fact, the project is holding a contest to find a software developer who can create an equally impressive application to manage MintChip’s monies. The winner gets $50,000 in gold. All 500 available candidate spots for the contest have already been filled.

[Gawker]

popcrush

Joshua Ledet does it again. Another GREAT performance..another standing ovation. Send the other contestants home!

Such a great job on “Runaway Baby”

Robert Knight Archive / Geoff Dann, Getty Images

Jim Marshall, the founder of Marshall Amplification, has died at the age of 88. Marshall, a drummer and drum shop owner, established his British company in 1962 and since then has been known as the creator of the most recognized line of amplifiers in the rock world.

According to the Washington Post, Marshall died this morning (April 5) after suffering several severe strokes and battling cancer. Marshall was known as the ‘Father Of Loud’ and will be remembered as one of the forefathers responsible for creating the tools that allowed rock guitar to be born. Marshall was also known as an incredibly humble and generous man, donating many millions of pounds to worthy causes.

In the mid-‘60s, the Who’s Pete Townshend and John Entwistle were early disciples and helped spread the gospel of Marshall Amps. The story goes that Entwistle started using Marshalls so that he could hear himself over Keith Moon’s drums and in turn, Townshend had to use them to hear himself over Entwistle.

In a perpetual search for more volume and distortion, in the mid-‘70s Marshall introduced the “master volume” (MV) series. This progression helped guitarists achieve both the sound and the volume they desired. This was followed by the dual volume control, which allowed a new breed of guitarists, such as Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde and Slash, to pursue and perfect a more cutting and edgy tone.

The very first 100 watt Marshall Amps were created for the Who and the Small Faces, doubling the size and power of the previous equipment. However, the bands soon discovered the horizontally-aligned doubles were too heavy and awkward to transport.

So Marshall modified the design by instead stacking the cabinets on top of each other. This new vertical look soon became the norm and was adopted by many rock stars including Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Led Zeppelin. The classic Marshall stack is now an image that is symbolic with loud music; see T-Rex‘s ‘Electric Warrior’ album cover for one fine example.

Our deepest sympathies goes out to the entire Marshall family as we remember a man who’s contributed so much to the music that we love. An online condolences site is in progress and will be up shortly for fans who wish to post their messages.

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One Minute of Feedback in Tribute to Jim Marshall

Source: UltimateClassicRock.com

Mark Wilson/Ralph Orlowski/Ralph Orlowski/Handout, Getty Images

As far as holidays go, Easter might not be as popular as Christmas or Halloween, but it still has traditions and treats that can raise anyone’s spirit, mood or blood sugar level.

The most interesting part of this annual celebration of Spring and rebirth is the supposed difference in the ways they are celebrated.

Most Christian-based religions observe Easter to honor the resurrection of their Lord while secular celebrations focus on a giant rabbit that hides brightly colored eggs in backyards. Believe it or not, these two seemingly opposite traditions are steeped in more religious roots than you might think. These are just some of the Easter staples that you thought you knew all about.

1. The name Easter comes from an Old English fertility god

William Vanderson, Getty

The religious celebration of Easter might have deep roots to ancient Christian traditions, but the name itself comes from pagans. According to the book ‘Rabbits: The Animal Answer Guide,’ the Olde English worshipped a fertility god named Ostara and the Celtics worshipped a similar god called Eostre. Both “Ostara” and “Eostre” gave us modern English words such as estrogen, estrus and Easter. Speaking of which…

2. The celebration of Eostre gave us the Easter Bunny

Ralph Orlowski, Getty

These early pagan customs also established the iconic myth of the Easter Bunny. These early people worshipped rabbits as god-like creatures because of their ability to mate and reproduce in astounding abundance. The Celtic Eostre, however, came with a legend that their god would turn into a giant rabbit at the rise of each full moon. (Spooky!) Both of these views made this deity the fertility symbol of their respective faiths.

3. The Egyptians gave us the Easter Egg

Ralph Orlowski, Getty

The myth of the Easter Bunny giving out colored eggs actually goes back much farther on the timeline. According to the book ‘Stories Behind the Traditions and Songs of Easter,’ the Egyptians were the first to pick up this colorful Easter tradition. Much like the rabbit in Olde English and Celtic customs, the Egyptians saw the egg as a symbol of birth and life. They believed the Earth was hatched from an egg and even buried their noblemen with eggs in their tombs.

This solemn egg-worship spread across the globe to other cultures who would hold new Spring festivals and holidays consisting of egg hunts and coloring the eggs. Certain parts of Europe would color eggs with dye because only the white kind existed in the wild. Some orthodox Christian groups would even color eggs red to help teach children the story of the resurrection. By the Middle Ages, dyed eggs would have more elaborate designs and paintings on them to celebrate the season.

4. ‘Paas’ gets its name from the Dutch word for Easter

This drug store staple which usually pops up just after Christmas and all the way through Easter has a much longer history than just your childhood. According to newspaper archives, the Easter Egg dye kit company dates back to the 1880s when drug store chemist William M. Townley of Newark found that he could sell food-coloring powders around Easter time to neighborhood mothers looking to make Easter eggs for their little ones.

Townley first named his powders “Townley’s Easter Egg Dye” but changed it to Paas after the Dutch word “Paasen,” the name for their Easter holiday, to appeal more to his Pennsylvania Dutch customer base. The company became a multi-million dollar business for Townley’s family before being sold to a corporation in the 1950s. Paas continues to sell to this day, making it the oldest American product brand.

5. Congress once outlawed Easter egg rolling

Chip Somodevilla, Getty

One of the most well-known Easter traditions in America is the annual Easter Egg Roll that dates all the way back to President Andrew Johnson. However, there was a point in our nation’s history when holding an Easter egg roll on the Capitol grounds was a violation of federal law.

By 1876, the annual egg roll had ripped up the Capitol’s landscaping and they didn’t have enough money in the budget to fix it. So the following year, instead of appropriating more funding for the ground’s gardeners, U.S. Rep. William Steele Holman of Indiana introduced the Turf Protection Act “to prevent any portion of the Capitol grounds and terraces from being used as play-grounds.” Congress passed the Act, putting the kibosh on Easter Egg Rolls for a time. Thankfully, Pres. Rutherford B. Hayes renewed the tradition in 1878 by holding an Easter egg celebration at the White House where it’s been held ever since.

6. The UK celebrates Easter with fruitcake

BBC.co.uk

Fruitcake isn’t just for Christmas for the Brits– it’s also enjoyed at Easter time. The Easter Simnel is a fruitcake style dessert filled with apricot jam and topped with marzipan balls. Many presume that the marzipan is meant to symbolize Jesus and his 12 apostles, but food historians have dismissed that as a myth. In fact, there are at least three myths associated with this traditional British dessert, alleging that the name came from the Latin word for flour and even a 15th century man who impersonated the Earl of Warwick and became the King of Dublin, only to be pardoned and made to work in the royal kitchen.

7. Canada has the world’s largest Easter egg

America may have a lot of big stuff (the biggest ball of twine, the biggest thermometer, the biggest squirting clam), but Canada has us beat on the biggest Easter egg. Located in Vegreville, Canada, the Pysanka was constructed in 1978 as a monument to the area’s early Ukrainian settlements. The bronze, silver and gold colors are meant to symbolize prosperity.

8. It used to take 30 hours just to make one Marshmallow Peep

William Thomas Cain, Getty

These days, we take Peeps for granted. We nuke them in microwaves, set them on fire and even shove lit firecrackers into them just for our own twisted amusement. During its heyday, however, they were much rarer and harder to make.

The little yellow beauties were mass produced after a series of candy company buyouts by Sam Born, the founder of the “Just Born” chocolate company of New York. The candies actually date back to the 1920s, but they didn’t become popular until Born’s company started selling them to the masses. They were also very difficult to make by hand, requiring approximately 30 hours to complete just one. Thankfully, automation sped the process down to around 6 minutes. These days, over 70 million of the tasty chicks are sold at Easter every year.

9. Chocolate Easter bunnies are hollow for your safety

Joe Raedle, Getty

Kids might be disappointed to learn that the giant chocolate Easter bunny waiting for them in their Easter basket isn’t filled with delicious peanut butter, caramel or (even better) more chocolate, but it’s better than finding out they have to go to the dentist to replace a missing tooth. The hollow center of the traditional chocolate bunny helps make it easier to eat, instead of having to bite through a 2-inch thick block of chocolate. It’s also more economically viable for the candy confectioner.

10. The Cadbury Creme Eggs have shrunk over the years

Candy fans from all across the country have suspected that the delicious Cadbury Creme Eggs that usually only stock up store shelves from January through April were getting smaller, and the company’s cryptic response to the question just raised more doubts. Meanwhile, news reports confirmed that the company shrank the egg sold in the US by 5 grams. ‘The Office’ star B.J. Novak, a noted lover of the Easter candy favorite, did some research of his own and confirmed that the company has been reducing its size from year to year.

Source: TheFW.com