Jimi Jamison, Former Lead Singer for the Band Survivor Has Passed Away at 63 from a Heart Attack

We have lost another from the 80′s music world …

Jimi Jamison, the former lead singer of 80′s band Survivor has passed away at the age of 63 at his home in Memphis, Tennessee from a heart attack. Although Jamison was not the lead singer at the time of Survivor’s biggest hit, Eye of the Tiger, he was in 1983 and after when Survivor released such hits as ‘I Can’t Hold Back,’ ‘The Search is Over,’ ‘High on You,’  ”Burning Heart’ from ‘Rocky IV’ and ‘The Moment of Truth” from ‘The Karate Kid.’Jamison  also co-wrote and sang “I’m Always Here,” the theme song from the TV series “Baywatch.”

Jimi Jamison, the former lead singer for the rock bands Cobra and Survivor, died Sunday, his booking agent Sally Irwin confirmed to the Los Angeles Times.

Jamison died of a heart attack at his home in Memphis, Tenn., Irwin said. He was 63.

Jamison was the lead singer for Survivor from the mid-to-late 1980s, creating such hits as “Burning Heart” from “Rocky IV” and “The Moment of Truth” from “The Karate Kid.”

Jamison joined the group at the height of its popularity — the band having just released “Eye of the Tiger” from “Rocky III” — after former lead singer David Bickler left the group because of voice issues.

FACEBOOK – Survivor: The entire Survivor family is very shocked and saddened by the passing of our brother Jimi Jamison. Our thoughts, love and prayers go out to his family and friends.

Survivor – I Can’t Hold Back, Doesn’t this make you miss the 80′s.

Jimi Jamison – Wiki:

Born in rural Mississippi, Jamison moved with his mother to Memphis, Tennessee, the day after his birth, and he considered himself a Memphis native. In addition to honing his vocal abilities in his teens, Jamison taught himself how to play guitar and piano. By middle school, he was playing in a band.[2]

By the late 1970s, he was fronting the local Memphis band, Target, and he went on to become the lead singer of the more well-known band, Cobra in the early 1980s. He would later provide background vocals for successful bands including ZZ Top, Joe Walsh and many others. After the demise of Cobra in 1983/84, he was invited to join Survivor, whose success had been on the wane since their number-one hit, “Eye of the Tiger.” Although he was initially not adamant about fronting what he considered more of a “pop rock” band, which would contrast significantly with the heavy metal stylings of Cobra to which he had become accustomed, Jamison ultimately joined and became Survivor’s new frontman.[3]

Jamison provided an instant spark for Survivor, as his first album with the band, Vital Signs included several massively successful singles, catapulting them back to superstardom. His second album with the band, When Seconds Count, contained a Top 10 hit, “Is This Love?” This album also found Jamison making more songwriting contributions to the band’s output, as he co-wrote four of the record’s songs, including another memorable single, “Man Against the World.” One of the biggest adjustments he had to make performing with Survivor was giving up the right to perform hits by other artists. “Sometimes we’ll start to do an encore and somebody will say, ‘Let’s do a Led Zeppelin song!’” he told Nine-O-One Network Magazine in 1987. “You wanna say ‘Yeah. Yeah!’ And then right at the very last minute you say, ‘Nah, we better do this.’”[4]

Barack Obama Flubs the Spelling of “Rspect”, Oops “Respect” While Praising Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul … Obama Got Swag, Really?

Teleprompter reading mishap alert … Anurag Kashyap has nothing to fear from President Barack Obama.

Hmm, the president who does not know how many states there are in the United States, also appears to have no clue how to spell the word respect. Barack Obama misspelled the word “respect” while giving praise to Aretha Franklin at a tribute to the Queen of Soul. Obama managed to spell it “R-S-P-E-C-T.” Are you kidding me, Really? This brought to us by the most intelligent, smartest president ever with an IQ off the chart, or so they say.  Who find else finds it telling that Obama can’t spell the word respect?

Mr. Obama paid tribute to Franklin for turning her signature song “Respect” into “a rallying cry for African-Americans, women and then everyone who felt marginalized.”

The pumped-up audience gave a hearty laugh but was more than willing to forgive the president for spelling it “R-S-P-E-C-T.”

In addressing the crowd, Mr. Obama said, “When Aretha first told us what R-S-P-E-C-T meant to her…”

The media and late night comedy shows HERE and HERE crucified John Travolta for botching the name of Idina Menzel at the Oscars, but where are they with Obama’s screw up? Oh that dreaded “E”. But of course there is no media bias.  Just ask former VP Dan Quayle how the media dealt with him with his extra added “E”.

No wonder he has never released his college transcripts.

UPDATE I: Imagine that Maureen Dowd and I actually agree on something … “IF you can’t spell it, you can’t get it.”

I had asked above, “Who find else finds it telling that Obama can’t spell the word respect?” It would appear one person who did was of all people was the NY Times Maureen Dowd. Barack Obama most certainly does have a “Swag” and “respect” problem. However, Patti LaBelle seems to think BO’s got Swag. YIKES, let’s hope that Patti does not mean the urban dictionary version. I thing she meant “SWAGG”. In any event, it would seem that Obama does not know how to spell respect, and LaBelle does not know what the definition of Swagg is.

President Obama pulled a Quayle Thursday night at a White House performance by the women of soul and muffed the title of Aretha Franklin’s anthem. “R-S-P-E-C-T,” he said, looking a bit confused and eliciting laughter.

When Patti LaBelle took the stage, she told Obama, “Baby, you’ve got swag.”

Swag and respect are exactly what the president needs. He’s got a swag gap with Russia. His administration, after belatedly figuring out what was going on in Ukraine, is improvising as the uber-swaggering Vladimir Putin once more rolls in with tanks anywhere he likes.

ABBA Admit Outrageous Outfits Were Worn To Avoid Taxes, Not Just Because of Pop Glamour Culture of the Late 70′s and Early 80′s

Who knew, wearing outrageous clothing was a tax loophole?

As reported in The Guardian, a new book, ‘The Official Photo Book,’ published to mark 40 years since ABBA won Eurovision with Waterloo, the band’s style may have been influenced by Swedish tax laws that allowed the cost of outfits to be a tax deduction, just as much as the pop culture fashion style of the late 1970′s and early 1980′s. The Swedish tax law stated that the cost of outfits could be deducted, so long as the costumes were so outrageous they could not possibly be worn on the street. Hmm, I don’t know, their outfits would have to be really over the line as people wore some pretty outrageous clothing in the 70′s. Although, I believe if anyone was caught wearing these outfits that ABBA is wearing in this rendition of Waterloo (VIDEO) in the street, they have have been strapped in a white coat.

No matter what the reason, ABBA is legendary and I hope that they can make their 40 year reunion happen.

ABBA – Waterloo Eurovision 1974

The glittering hotpants, sequined jumpsuits and platform heels that Abba wore at the peak of their fame were designed not just for the four band members to stand out – but also for tax efficiency, according to claims over the weekend.

Reflecting on the group’s sartorial record in a new book, Björn Ulvaeus said: “In my honest opinion we looked like nuts in those years. Nobody can have been as badly dressed on stage as we were.”

And the reason for their bold fashion choices lay not just in the pop glamour of the late 70s and early 80s, but also in the Swedish tax code.

What, you mean no one was wearing clothes like this in the late 70′s?

The Daily Mail: Abba admit they only wore those ridiculous outfits to avoid tax!

He said: ‘Nobody can have been as badly dressed on stage as we were. In my honest opinion we looked like nuts in those years.

But we figured people would remember us even if we finished ninth.’

Colleague Benny Andersson added: ‘I’ve never regretted any  picture?.?.?. just grin and bear it.’

Phil Everly, One Half of the Famed Everly Brothers, Dies at Age 74

Phil Everly, Dead at the age of 74 … Rest in Peace.

Phil Everly, the legendary singer, who along with his brother Don, made up the iconic singing duo, The Everly Brother died Friday at the Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California  from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease brought on after a lifetime of cigarette smoking. He was 74. The music icons, the Everly Bothers, were highly influential with other such recording acts as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Byrds and countless other rock, folk and country singers.  Phil Everly also wrote Linda Ronstadt’s biggest hits of her career in 1975 with her recording of “When Will I Be Loved.” Rolling Stone named the Everly Brothers are the most important vocal duo in rock. The  The Everly Brothers were among the first 10 performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Phil Everly will truly be missed and so will the fantastic sound of the Everly Brothers. They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Thank you so much for the music.

Singer Phil Everly Dies but his Music will live on Forever … Rest in Peace

VIDEO – CNN

Legendary pop singer Phil Everly, who together with his brother, Don, formed one of the 1960s most popular pop duos, died Friday, his wife, Patti Everly, told the Los Angeles Times. He was 74.

“We are absolutely heartbroken,” she told the newspaper, adding that Everly’s death from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was brought on after a lifetime of cigarette smoking. “He fought long and hard.”

The Everly Brothers charted nearly three dozen hits in their heyday from the late ’50s through the early ’60s. Some of their most notable songs – “Cathy’s Clown,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” “Bye Bye Love,” “When Will I Be Loved” and “All I Have to Do is Dream” – have become pop staples and influenced major acts such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Byrds, the Times reported.

In all, their career spanned five decades, although they performed separately from 1973 to 1983. In their heyday between 1957 and 1962, they had 19 top 40 hits.

The two broke up amid quarrelling in 1973 after 16 years of hits, then reunited in 1983, “sealing it with a hug,” Phil Everly said.

And the song that launched their career … The Everly Brothers: Live – Bye Bye Love, 1957

Dick Clark presenting his top 10 from July 1960 … One of my favorites, “Cathy’s Clown”

The Everly Brothers Reunion Concert Live at the Royal Albert Hall in London, 1983

Country Singer’s New Restaurant in Virginia, ‘Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill’ Sparks Second Amendment Controversy … “No Guns Permitted”

 Second Amendment controversy erupts as  ’Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill’ does not permit guns in establishment. 

Once again we are presented with a situation that puts Americans on both side of the fence of the gun question. The country singer restaurant named after himself,  ‘Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill’ in Woodbridge, VA has plunged into said gun carry controversy.  The restaurant’s statement says, “It is our desire to provide a safe, enjoyable and entertaining experience for our patrons and staff.”  Obviously, that is not a true statement because those who have carry permits and want to frequent this bar and grill do not feel safe or entertained.  How does one provide a safe environment when only the bad guys would bring guns into the establishment, because as we all know, bad guys, thieves, robbers, thugs and punks don’t follow abide by the law or signs that say, “No guns permitted”.

A new restaurant that recently opened in Woodbridge is sparking a Second Amendment controversy, especially online.

The restaurant named for country music star Toby Keith has posted a “No guns permitted” sign on its front door and gun rights supporters are blasting the restrictions on the chain’s Facebook page. Some comments accuse Keith, who doesn’t own the restaurant, of being anti-gun.

Virginia is a right to carry state, which means residents can openly carry a firearm without a license.

The Facebook page of Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill in Woodbridge posted on Saturday:

“While we understand and respect every person’s right to own and bear arms, we at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill, with guidance from the State of Virginia and based on insurance regulations, have adopted a no weapons policy. It is our desire to provided a safe, enjoyable and entertaining experience for our patrons and staff.”

In the The United States, “We the People” have a US Constitution and a Second Amendment Right to bear Arms, shall not be infringed; however, private business owners also have a right to make certain guidelines for their places of business. Or do they? To read most of the comments from the anti-gun crowd show their ignorance and uninformed opinion of what is taking place. Virginia law specifically states that that an individual can carry a gun on to a premises that sells alcohol as long as the permit colder does not consume alcohol.  If they do, any person granted a concealed handgun permit who is under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while carrying such weapon in a public place shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Let’s see what happens when the bad guys bring guns into this establishment and rob the place knowing that it is a soft target and a gun free zone.

Some thing to think about … Isn’t it interesting that a business can discriminate against law abiding, gun carrying, Second Amendment, state law protected Americans and tell them to leave or not serve them, yet if that same establishment discriminated against the patron based on their skin color, religion or sexual orientation, they would be fined, closed down and possibly arrested for violating their civil rights?

Of course in the end, you have the right to protest this place of business with you wallet and go all “Duck Dynasty” on them. Eventually places of business will learn to understand who their customer really is and not be consistently fall in line with liberal, knee-jerk political correctness.