Ellas McDaniel, known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, George Thorogood, and The Clash.
New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial success and their original line-up fell apart quickly, the band's first two albums—New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974)—became among the most popular cult records in rock. The line-up at this time consisted of, vocalist David Johansen, guitarist Johnny Thunders, bassist Arthur Kane, guitarist and pianist Sylvain Sylvain, and drummer Jerry Nolan; the latter two had replaced Rick Rivets and Billy Murcia, respectively, in 1972. On stage, they donned an androgynous wardrobe, wearing high heels, eccentric hats, satin, makeup, spandex, and dresses. Nolan described the group in 1974 as "the Dead End Kids of today".
Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler, Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has also incorporated elements of pop rock, heavy metal, glam metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. They are sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". The primary songwriting team of Tyler and Perry is often known as the "Toxic Twins".
Wayne Woodrow Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University (1946–1948), Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (1949–1950), and Ohio State University (1951–1978), compiling a career college football record of 238 wins, 72 losses, and 10 ties. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1983.
The Heartbreakers, sometimes referred to as Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers, were an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1975. The band spearheaded the first wave of punk rock.
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8. Only Nick Saban, Joe Paterno and Tom Osborne have recorded 200 victories in fewer games as a coach in major college football. In his 21 seasons as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, Schembechler's teams amassed a record of 194–48–5 and won or shared 13 Big Ten Conference titles. Though his Michigan teams never won a national championship, in all but one season they finished ranked, and 16 times they placed in the final top ten of both major polls.
Million Dead were an English post-hardcore band from London, active between 2000 and 2005.
Frankie LaRocka, born Frank LaRocca, was an American rock musician and producer. He was a member of Scandal, playing drums on their debut EP, and, at various stages, played the drums with Bon Jovi, David Johansen, Bryan Adams, and John Waite. In the 1990s, he became an A&R man and producer with his most notable work being with the Spin Doctors on their breakthrough album Pocket Full of Kryptonite.
BoDeans is an American rock band formed in Waukesha, Wisconsin. BoDeans came to prominence in the 1980s. The band's sound encompasses multiple rock genres, including roots rock, heartland rock, and alternative rock. The band's biggest hit to date is "Closer to Free", which was used as the theme song to the hit TV series Party of Five. The band has been described as "one of the most successful, and best known, bands to come out of the Milwaukee area". BoDeans is included in a permanent installation at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm, better known by his stage name Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star side projects, such as Demolition 23 and Jerusalem Slim.
House of Heroes is an American alternative rock band from Columbus, Ohio. They have released six albums: What You Want Is Now (2003), House of Heroes (2005), The End Is Not the End (2008), Suburba (2010), Cold Hard Want (2012), and Colors (2016). The band also released the album Ten Months (2001) under their original name, No Tagbacks, which had more of a punk sound than their releases as House of Heroes. They also re-released their self-titled record under the name of Say No More (2006). The band was last composed of Tim Skipper, Colin Rigsby, A.J. Babcock, Jared Rigsby, and Eric Newcomer.
The Black Swans are an American indie rock band. Jerry DeCicca and Noel Sayre form the core of the band. Their debut, Who Will Walk in the Darkness with You? features Milan Karcic, Matt Surgeson, Joe Peppercorn (piano), and Jovan Karcic (drums). The Sex Brain EP features Canaan Faulkner (bass), Chris Forbes, Keith Hanlon, Sarah Jurcyk, and Horace Roscoe. Amy Alwood and Cassie Lewis are also listed as group members. The Black Swans have toured America with such notable indie artists as Okkervil River, Magnolia Electric Company and Early Day Miners. Their 2nd full-length album, Change!, was released on November 6, 2007 by La Société Expéditionnaire on CD and LP. It features the same core band of DeCicca, Sayre, Faulkner, Forbes and Hanlon that appeared on Sex Brain, as well as appearances by Peppercorn on piano and Amy Alwood on backing vocals. It was recorded in Forbes' living room by Hanlon and mixed by Hanlon and DeCicca at Gidget Sound in Columbus, Ohio.
Thomas Vincent Darden is a former American football safety and punt returner who played for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). In nine NFL seasons, he was a three-time All-Pro free safety. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 1978. He holds most Cleveland Browns franchise interception records. He was an All-American defensive back for the Michigan Wolverines football team and made one of the more memorable interceptions in college football history. After retiring from football, Darden pursued careers as a sports agent, security provider and business consultant.
Colin Gawel, is co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the American rock band Watershed who he formed with Joe Oestreich and Herb Schupp (drums) while they were still in middle school. The band is active to this day. Colin also performs and releases music as a solo artist and with his side project, The League Bowlers. He also is a member of the Dead Schembechlers and Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Since 2006 he has been the owner/operator at Colin's Coffee. In 2018 it was named business of the year in Upper Arlington, Ohio. This is also the spot where he founded the website Pencilstorm.com and where he does most of his writing.
The Tree Bar is a music venue and bar in Columbus, Ohio founded in 1999. It has become known for its underground music scene, and is also known for the silver maple that grew out of the roof of its main performance area before the bar's renovation in 2011. It offers an eclectic mix of local and national acts with genres ranging from DIY, indie rock and heavy metal to pop music and electronic music. For a number of years, the bar has been named one of "The Best Bars in America" by Esquire Magazine.
Lou Brutus is an American radio personality, program director, voice-over talent, musician, and photographer. He is best known as the host of the nationally syndicated rock radio programs hardDrive with Lou Brutus and hardDrive XL with Lou Brutus, as well as his work at Sirius XM Radio.
The Whiles is an American indie rock band, formed in Columbus, Ohio.
Jeremy Porter is a guitar player, singer and songwriter from Marquette, Michigan, currently living in Plymouth, Michigan. He is the founder of the Detroit-based band Jeremy Porter & The Tucos and co-founder of The Regulars, considered one of the first punk bands in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Erica Blinn is an American Rock artist based out of Nashville, TN. She is originally from Worthington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, OH. She learned everything about guitar and harmonica from her dad, Jerry. She started playing the harmonica when she was only 14 and started playing the bars then too. The harmonica turned into a guitar, and soon enough she was singing to the sound of her guitar. Erica Blinn played in numerous bands in high school, and in college too.
