Have you ever wondered what your favorite childhood actors have been up to? Well, this is a story for you if you're a fan of Talladega Nights. If you've ever heard yourself saying, "Chip, I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey!" Then you've quoted a line from Grayson Russell, who played Texas Ranger in the iconic film. Russell scored the role of Texas Ranger when his mother saw a newspaper ad for an open casting while his father was out of town preparing for a fishing competition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAJ7UKsSHF4 Later, going on to act as Fregley in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. While he's well known for these roles, Russell candidly says acting fell into his lap. A career in the music industry has always been what the Alabama native hoped to pursue. https://www.instagram.com/p/DCenPWFvezR/ Russell has had music pulsing through his veins from a young age. At two, he used to tell folks that he was George Strait, and at three, his family formed a traveling band that performed at local churches. "I started touring doing gospel music with my folks when I was five. So I've done music my whole life; I started singing myself when I was three." Russell caught the music bug even more when he was introduced to the Bee Gees at age six, prompting him to form a band with his fellow second-grade classmates. Hilariously, during this time, Russell was on set for Talladega Nights, and his co-stars would make up stories about being related to the Bee Gees while also getting him to perform on set. "I made them come over to the house and have rehearsals on the karaoke machine... All the guys from 'Talladega Nights' would get me to sing Bee Gees songs on set. They would be like, 'Hey, I'm the long lost brother; here's a Bee Gees song you've never heard before.' And they would make up something, you know just pull it out of their ass. Then, they would proceed to sing me a Bee Gees song." Russell told Whiskey Riff. A full-circle moment, fourteen years later, Russell was playing a show at Johnny Cash's farm when a man who mixed four records for the Bee Gees walked up to him and said he was a big fan of what Russell was doing. Once the two fostered a friendship, he sat in this man's basement and played two unreleased Bee Gees records, work tapes, demos, and more for Russell. His childhood dreams were coming true, and this moment Russell recalled was the inception of his forthcoming record. Thus kickstarting the writing and recording of his upcoming album Living And Women Vol. 1. "It was really important for me to write the whole record. Everything but the covers. The reason for that being, I didn't want people to just assume that I quit acting, had nothing else to do, and was sitting on a wad and decided to cut a record like everyone else. When, in fact, I've been traveling and loading up PA systems since I was a five-year-old." Russell has released two singles from the project, "Corn and Kerosene," followed by his latest release, "Beneath The Bow."  The Southern rock-inspired melodies, which Russell describes as something between Lynyrd Skynyrd and U2, pair with Russell's raw, booming voice as he sings lyrics from his life experiences and hardships. "I haven't figured out how to write something that isn't something I haven't truly lived in the middle of... 'Corn and Kerosene,' for me, are just comparing what extent you will go, what will you sell, what will you connive to make your freaking dreams happen. No different than my folks selling drugs or liquor or whatever they had to do...because there's not a lyric in that song that isn't true. It's not fun, it's not glamorous... because I've had a whole slew of mistakes, and half of this album is cautionary tales." Russell opened up, saying that wearing his heart on this sleeve and leaning into his songwriting has been one of the most nerve-racking things compared to being on set with Tom Hanks. However, Russell found inspiration in sharing the dark and raw experiences after hearing Morgan Wade perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Just as Wade convinces her audiences that every lyric in her songs is something she's lived through (which she has lived through many of them), Russell hopes he can portray the same vulnerability through songwriting and music. Russell has that feeling down pat. His music authentically highlights his life experiences, and he's paired the heavy emotions in his lyrics with a catchy melody, making for a stellar listening experience. Russell does not yet have a release date for his debut album, but based on the two singles he's released thus far, he is cooking up something good. "This is everything I've intended to do my whole life. I am me when I do this from what I write and what I choose to write. This is me." Fire up his singles while you're here. You'll dig this if you like what we cover here at Whiskey Riff. "Corn and Kerosene"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4I1-aN6Oag "Beneath the Bow" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alRrVSagE5s

The King paying tribute to The Don? On the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump became well known for his minimalist dance moves while jamming to "YMCA" at his rallies. https://twitter.com/triffic_stuff_/status/1853201866630266996 And since the Republican nominee's win over Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, the “Trump dance” celebration has become a certified cultural phenomenon. The dance has caught fire among Trump supporters, who were posting their own videos of themselves doing the Trump dance all over social media after his win over Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this month. And it's also taken over sports, with NFL and college football players across the league hitting the dance after scoring a touchdown. But it's not just football: UFC champ Jon Jones did the Trump dance – in front of the President himself, no less – after his win at UFC 309 before presenting his championship belt to Trump. https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1858267401533714552 Even Victor Willis, the lead singer of the Village People who has admitted that he supported Harris during the election, has embraced Trump's use of their song in his famous dance, recently saying during an interview that he appreciated the attention Trump and his dance have brought to their song and saying that he was open to performing the song at Trump's inauguration next month: “Because the President-Elect has done so much for YMCA, and brought so much joy to so many people – the song has actually gone back to #1 and it’s still #1 today – so if he were to ask Village People to perform the song live for him, we’d have to seriously consider it.” But now it might be making its way to country music too. The legendary George Strait has always been quiet about his politics, though it's generally assumed that the cowboy from Texas leans to the right. And after the assassination attempt on Trump this past summer, Strait praised law enforcement while introducing his song "The Weight of the Badge," which is a tribute to law enforcement who risk their lives for us every day: “This song we’re gonna do is especially for all you men and women out there who wear the badge. Wanna say how much we appreciate you. Thank you for coming when we need you, when we call you. We appreciate that very much, especially after today.” That's pretty much as political as Strait has been publicly though - although he he may have dropped another hint last night. During his show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Strait was thanking the crowd before leaving the stage and appeared to do a little shimmy that many believe was the King hitting the Trump dance: https://twitter.com/dyoakam42/status/1865655285773410442 Trump's campaign account even shared the video: "The King of Country himself George Strait brought out the Trump Dance last night in Vegas..." https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1865863753235149227 Of course Strait may have just been reacting to somebody in the crowd, and just because he did the dance doesn't necessarily mean he's a Trump supporter. But if I had to guess, I'd say I could probably figure out who The King voted for...

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After more than four decades the Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain decided to leave the band. He first joined the group in 1982 after Clive Burr was fired, and since then was part of all the band's releases. In the beginning of 2023 he suffered a minor stroke that left the right side of his body paralyzed and he had the chance to recover more than 70% of the movements, but as he said in interviews during this year, there were some songs he couldn't play the same way anymore. Last saturday he announced that Maiden's final 2024 show, which happened in São Paulo, Brazil, would be his final one with the band. His final song with the group live was the classic "Wasted Years". To replaced him, the group picked Simon Dawson, who is for 12 years already, a member of Steve Harris' side project British Lion. He is also known as a session drummer and also played with the British Pop/New Wave band The Outfield. See the videos and setlist of Nicko McBrain's final show with Iron Maiden Caught Somewhere in Time Stranger in a Strange Land The Writing on the Wall Days of Future Past The Time Machine The Prisoner Death of the Celts Can I Play With Madness Heaven Can Wait Alexander the Great Fear of the Dark Iron Maiden Hell on Earth The Trooper Wasted Years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VxufJ8pqR0&pp=ygUbaXJvbiBtYWlkZW4gc8OjbyBwYXVsbyAyMDI0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhN3gWoBWiY&pp=ygUhaXJvbiBtYWlkZW4gc8OjbyBwYXVsbyBkZWNlbWJlciA3 50th anniversary tour dates (2025) May 27 Budapest, HUNGARY – Budapest Aréna 31 Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC – Letnany Airport June 1 – Bratislava, SLOVAKIA – TIPOS Arena 5 – Trondheim, NORWAY – Trondheim Rocks (Festival) 7 – Stavanger, NORWAY – SR-Bank Arena 9 – Copenhagen, DENMARK – Royal Arena 12 – Stockholm, SWEDEN – 3Arena 13 – Stockholm, SWEDEN – 3Arena 16 – Helsinki, FINLAND – Olympic Stadium 21 – Birmingham, ENGLAND – Utilita Arena 22 – Manchester, ENGLAND – Co-op Live 25 – Dublin, IRELAND – Malahide Castle 28 – London, ENGLAND – London Stadium 30 – Glasgow, SCOTLAND – OVO Hydro July 3 – Belfort, FRANCE – Eurockéennes Festival 5 – Madrid, SPAIN – Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano 6 – Lisbon, PORTUGAL – MEO Arena 9 – Zurich, SWITZERLAND – Hallenstadion 11 – Gelsenkirchen, GERMANY – Veltins-Arena 13 – Padova, ITALY – Stadio Euganeo 15 – Bremen, GERMANY – Bürgerweide 17 – Vienna, AUSTRIA – Ernst Happel Stadium 19 – Paris, FRANCE – Paris La Défense Arena 23 – Arnhem, NETHERLANDS – GelreDome 25 – Frankfurt, GERMANY – Deutsche Bank Park 26 – Stuttgart, GERMANY – Cannstatter Wasen 29 – Berlin, GERMANY – Waldbühne August 2 – Warsaw – POLAND – PGE Narodowy 2025)  The post Videos and setlist of Nicko McBrain’s final show with Iron Maiden appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.

The drummer Nicko McBrain joined Iron Maiden back in 1982 after Clive Burr was fired and since then was part of all the band's releases. In the beginning of 2023 he suffered a minor stroke that left the right side of his body paralyzed but he was able to recover about 70% of the movements and improve more to be able to tour again with the Heavy Metal band. But during this past year the musician revealed there were some songs he couldn't play anymore the way he used to. Now, one day after the band's final 2024 show, Nicko announced that he decided to leave the band. Maiden announced that Simon Dawson, who has been the drummer of British Lion, Steve Harris' side-project, for the last 12 years, will be their new drummer. He is known for being a praised session drummer and already was a touring member of the British Pop Rock/New Wave group The Outfield. Read the Iron Maiden announcement of the new drummer Simon Dawson "As The Future Past Tour concludes after 81 shows to over 1.4 million fans, from Ljubljana to the Coachella Valley and from Western Australia to Sao Paulo, Iron Maiden are delighted to announce that stepping in behind the kit for 2025 is a name familiar to many of our fans – Simon Dawson, a former session drummer and Steve’s rhythm section partner of the past 12 years with British Lion." "A native of Suffolk, England, Simon first teamed up with Steve Harris back in 2012. He debuted on three tracks on the first British Lion album and all of the second critically acclaimed ‘The Burning’, plus the many subsequent tours in the US, UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand &, most recently, both Mexico and South America. Iron Maiden celebrate their 50th Anniversary next year with The Run For Your Lives Tour starting in Budapest on May 27th," Iron Maiden said. About leaving the band, Nicko McBrain said: "After much consideration, it is with both sorrow and joy, I announce my decision to take a step back from the grind of the extensive touring lifestyle. Today, Sat, Dec 7th, Sao Paulo will be my final gig with Iron Maiden. I wish the band much success moving forward. I will, however, remain firmly part of the Iron Maiden family working on a variety of projects, my long time managers, Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor, have in mind for me. I’ll also be working on a variety of different personal projects and focusing on my existing businesses and ventures, including The British Drum Company, Nicko McBrain’s Drum One, Titanium Tart, and of course, Rock-N-Roll Ribs! What can I say? Touring with Maiden the last 42 years has been an incredible journey! To my devoted fan base, you made it all worthwhile and I love you! To my devoted wife, Rebecca, you made it infinitely easier and I love you! To my kids, Justin and Nicholas, thank you for understanding the absences and I love you! To my friends that are always there for me, I love you! To my bandmates, you made it a dream come true and I love you! I look into the future with much excitement and great hope! I’ll be seeing you soon, may God bless you all, and, of course, “Up the Irons!” Nicko McBrain said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrm5KavmvyUThe post Iron Maiden reveals the drummer who will replace Nicko McBrain appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.

After living in Indonesia and Netherlands, the Van Halen family moved to the United States in 1962 and since Alex and Eddie Van Halen were kids their parents encouraged them to become musicians. Their father, Jan van Halen, was a Dutch jazz pianist, clarinettist and saxophonist player but was not a famous musician. He not only had the chance to see the success of his two sons with the band that had their surname, he also played in one song the group recorded. The Van Halen song that Eddie and Alex’s father played in This full circle moment happened in 1982 on Van Halen's fifth studio album "Diver Down". He played clarinet in the cover of "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now", a song from 1924, written by Milton Ager, with lyrics by Jack Yellen. Alex Van Halen, who is now promoting the book "Brothers", telling their story and the story of the band, recalled in an interview with Rolling Stone that moment with his father. "He was so nervous, man. The beauty of it was that we were all just equals in the studio playing." What Eddie said about the session with his father Jan Van Halen passed away almost the same age as his son Eddie would die a few decades later. Jan died in 1986 at the age of 66 and Eddie Van Halen sadly passed away in 2020 at the age of 65. As Van Halen News Desk reported, the legendary guitar player once recalled what it was like to play with his father in the studio. “It’s so funny, because I couldn’t play the song for you right now. I had to read because there were so many chords, I just couldn’t remember it. So here’s my father to the left of me, sitting on a chair with a music stand in front of him, and I’m sitting next to him with sheet music in a stand. Mike was there, too, playing like an acoustic guitar bass." "The kind they have in Mexican restaurants where they come up, play in front of your face, and aggravate you. We had a great time. It looked like an old ’30s or ’40s session. I used some thick Gibson hollowbody with f-holes. My father hadn’t played in a long time because he had lost his left-hand middle finger about ten years ago." "He was nervous, and we told him, ‘Jan, just have a good time. We make mistakes! That’s what makes it real.’ I love what he did, but he was thinking back ten years ago when he was smokin’, playing jazz and stuff. He played exactly what we wanted,” Eddie Van Halen said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkxqcWhym9U&pp=ygUWYmlnIGJhZCBiaWxsIHZhbiBoYWxlbg%3D%3DThe post The Van Halen song that Alex and Eddie’s father played on appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.