29 MAR 2024 · Honey Moon Suite started gaining momentum globally in the early 1980s & they've barely looked back since then.  They've released over a dozen albums over the years & have just released the fruits of their labour over two years in a global pandemic. Teaming with American producer Mike Krompass, known for his work with Steven Tyler, Smash Mouth etc. Honey Moon Suite have once again broken the mold with "Alive".  I spoke with lead guitarist & principle songwriter for HMS, Derry Grehan about this new album & the importance of writing & producing songs for the people who have followed them loyally for decades... among other things.  This is a good one.  https://musicinmotionent.com/category/honeymoon-suite/ https://frontiers.shop/products/honeymoon-suite-alive-cd#:~:text='Alive'%20has%20been%20produced%20by,Dead%20Man%20and%20Smash%20Mouth. https://www.facebook.com/HMSLive I would be most grateful if you would be so kind as to join my support community at the following link: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tommy-solo-s-famous-friends--4318572/support

20 MAR 2024 · Formed from the ashes of the Hillbilly Headhunters & Moon MD in 1998, the Hillbilly Moon Explosion have since released several successful albums culminating with their latest album "Back in time" featuring the singles "Sometimes at night" & "Knocked down" .  In this episode I discussed with Oliver Baroni how his Hillbilly Headhunters merged with Emanuela Hutter's Moon MD so many years ago, & how they've managed to keep recording & touring internationally, even advancing their craft in spite of a global pandemic.  You can keep up with the Hillbilly Moon Explosion on their FB page  https://www.facebook.com/hillbillymoonexplosion Help us to keep making these shows at this link (copy & paste into your browser)   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq  

25 FEB 2024 · Singer/songwriter Rik Emmett was known as the virtuostic guitarist & singer with iconic Canadian band Triumph, and he has been an independant solo artist since the 1990s. In this episode we discuss his new memoire "Lay it on the line" which is as he describes it "A backstage pass to rockstar adventure, conflict & triumph" . But that's not all we talked about. This is a fun one! https://www.rikemmett.com/ If you enjoy this episode & would like to help me to continue making more like it, why not go to my "buy me a coffee" link & donate to the show? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq

20 JAN 2024 · Legendary Canadian rocker Myles Goodwyn left this mortal coil on December 3rd 2023 after a lenghty battle with various illnesses. On December 18th 2023, I was fortunate to share memories from the life & times of Myles Goodwyn with his three surviving original co founding members of April Wine. David, Ritchie & Jim Henman gave their individual & personal thoughts in memory their fallen brother in this episode. This is a heartfelt tribute to the late great Myles Goodwyn from those who knew him best when April Wine first took the stage way back then. Join us as we celebrate the life & legacy of an iconic Canadian musical treasure. Rest in peace Myles Goodwyn June 23 1948-December 3 2023 You can help me to keep producing shows like this one by going to the following link. Just copy & paste it into your web browser. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq

7 JAN 2024 · You may know Terry Draper from his tenure with the classic Canadian band Klaatu. Did you know he has just released his 20th solo record? His new release "In the beginning" is a quirky prog pop collection featuring solid songwriting & solid performances throughout. And this time Terry harkens back to the glory days of album packaging as inspired by the classic albums from the Beatles, Pink Floyd etc.. I reached him at his winter home in Florida to talk about In the beginning. While we certainly do discuss his new album, Terry spent the better part of our chat praising the artists he's worked with both on this & previous projects. All aboard for this inspired conversation! Get In the beginning at this site: https://www.terrydraper.com/ And maybe buy me a coffee if you like my show? Here's where you can support Tommy Solo's Famous Friends : https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq

18 DEC 2023 · This is part two of my 2020 conversation with seminal singer/guitarist/songwriter Frank Soda. In this part of our chat Frank talks about how he survived the music business by widening his horizons & not being afraid to diversify his act. As this episode was originally recorded during the big Covid lockdown, he also reflected on expanding his musical horizons further & his plans to return to Ontario with his classic rock show. Frank is still going strong over three years after we recorded this, & this interview was pivotal for me as a podcaster. If you enjoy my show & would like to help us to keep it going, why not go to my "buy me a coffee" link & toss a few bucks into the kitty? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq

11 DEC 2023 · In part one of my classic interview with Seminal Canadian rocker Frank Soda we discuss his early years starting out in the Canadian bar circuit in the 1970s. From his time with Buddy Knox to muscle rocker Thor & beyond, Frank shares his experiences leading up to Frank Soda & the Imps signing with Quality records. I met Frank Soda while he & the Imps were backing up Thor at the St. Regis hotel in North Bay Ontario (my hometown) circa 1977. Having the opportunity to jam with the Imps during the Saturday afternoon matinee, I was inspired by Frank to pursue my own dream of being a rock & roll guitar slinger one day. We recorded this interview in the early days of the pandemic in 2020 & it's definetely worth hearing again. If you enjoy this show & would like to help me to keep it going, why not go to my "Buy me a coffee" page & donate a few bucks to the podcast? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq Stream Frank Soda music here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0vgUmbptgr6MohJ3xSsHFQ

18 NOV 2023 · On November 10th 2023 Burton Cummings & Randy Bachman launched a false advertising law suit against former bandmates Jim Cale & Garry Peterson. In this episode I spoke with one of the leading experts on all things "The Guess Who", Robert Lawson about this news. Robert's book "Wheatfield Empire" details pretty much everyone you could ask about the history of one of Canada's most successful bands. He spoke with members of Burton Cummings team days before we recorded this interview & has an inside scoop as to the motivations of all involved. This is another good one folks, so grab a beverage , put on your headphones & have a listen to our chat. Copy & paste the following link to Robert's Facebook profile into your web browser for more info about his books & his inside knowledge. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007850040446 And if you enjoy my show & would like to help us keep it going why not follow this link to buy me a coffee? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq

10 NOV 2023 · When I interviewed Ronnie Hawkins in 2021 he was already 86 years old, but he proved that he was still the king of one liners & had me laughing throughout our conversation. Growing up in Arkansas he was influenced by the music he was raised on & when he brought his brand of Rockabilly music to Canada, he quickly became a seminal figure in the musical landscape here. The list of musicians, actors etc. whose careers he helped launch is too long to list here, but we did talk about a lot of those artists in our chat. I believe I was perhaps the last person to interview him as I spoke with him again shortly after the release of his last single, a cover of Me & Bobby McGee with Kris Kristofferson, Gordon Lightfoot & Wille Nelson later that year & he would pass away not long after. If You're a fan of the Hawk, sit back & enjoy this walk down memory lane with me & Ronnie. And if you enjoy this show & would like to help us keep it going, why not go to the "buy me a coffee" link & show your love? (copy & paste the link into your browser) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tsolobandq

31 OCT 2023 · John McGale was one of my hometown guitar heroes. He was a couple of years older than me & my neighbourhood pals & was playing in a working band around the time I learned to ride a bicycle. He was very popular both in the neighbourhood & at our highschool where he was elected to the student's council as social convenor. He would often entertain us at school assemblies playing guitar, flute & singing. It was while he acted as social convenor at Widdifield Secondary Highschool that he connected with various booking agents while he booked bands like A foot in Cold Water, Edward Bear, Copperpenny etc. to play our dances. It wasn't long after he graduated that John hit the road as a pro guitarist/singer & before long he was in the Quebec Juggernaut known as Offenbach. This band was already established as an iconic Francophone band before he joined but they had their biggest success with John on Guitar & Saxophone. He learned to speak French in no time & became a successful songwriter with Offenbach as well. Long after the original lead singer Gerry Boulet passed away, John carried the Offenbach banner & was the president of all things business related for the band until the day he died in a car crash on his way home from a Halloween gig on his 66th birthday on October 30th 2022. He was not only a major infuence on me as a musician, he was a good friend. In this memorial edition, I spoke with three of John's closest musical friends about his legacy. Rest in peace John McGale