Had such a great 30 minute interview with Mark Farner last night! Mark was the songwriter, guitar player and singer of Grand Funk Railroad hailing from Flint Michigan! We talked about the sold out SHEA STADIUM show in 1971. The band sold 10 Million albums in 2 years in the early 70s and had 8 Top 40 hits including 2 #1s!

Mark and I talked about the bands great legacy and of course his brand new album out NOW called "Closer To My Home"! Collaborations with my friends Mark Slaughter and Joshua Seth Eagan and also Jim Peterik of Survivor are on this album.

Interview with be featured in Music Life Magazine www.musiclifemagazine.net, also parts of it airing in a couple weeks on #rockinrewind on Classic 1220 AM Radio and the Industry 45 Podcast Show- From The Drum Throne as well.

Thanks as always to the amazing Jody Glisman Best out of LA

6

Ken Tizzard and Music For Goats In St.John’s in 1982 I cut my teeth playing bass with local skate/punk bands who wholeheartedly embraced the DIY model of the punk rock culture. SNFU were the first band I had ever seen who had taken this model to a national level and upon seeing the energy and intensity of the performance I knew - this was what I wanted to do with my life.

At 18 I relocated to Toronto and landed a job at Music Express Magazine which let to the position of photo editor where I got to work with legendary photographers Floria Sigusmondi, Herb Ritts and Annie Leibovitz shooting bands like David Bowie, REM and U2 as well as hundreds of touring band around the world. This introduction to the music business, record companies, PR agencies and band management helped me to understand the relationship of band and audience from the viewpoint of the ‘machine.’

As well, sharing office space with Management Trust (Jake Gold) led me to an audition with The Watchmen. In turn this changed my life direction for over a decade as I toured the world and grew as a songwriter and artist. In 1999 I began working a lot with Big Wreck singer Ian Thornley who at the time was married to my sister Christine. Big Wreck and The Watchmen were in between albums and both bands were feeling the weight of years of touring and the change in the record companies as we moved into the digital age. Ian and I decided to form a new band which led to the creation of Thornley with whom I toured relentlessly for many years. Towards the end of Thornley, Ian had decided to recreate the magic that was Big Wreck and again I toured with the band under that name as I began parting ways with the lifestyle and direction of the band.

Upon leaving Thornley, there was a period of return to DIY with independent records which captured my solid endeavours - from six string bass singer songwriter (Quest Storey house) through several incarnations of bands including Bad Intent, The Variety Show Players and in 2017 the unlikely local crew which has grown to become Music For Goats.

As well, the development of The Whiskey Wednesday Show created a need for a production studio which we also created in our home. The Show has grown into a seven camera, 24 channel audio, weekly livestream hosting guests from Rick Mercer, William Prince and Joey ‘Shithead” Keithley (D.O.A.) to Matt Mays and Bob Izumi. Songs and stories every week with your host Ken Tizzard and Music For Goats.

It is now January 2024 and I am once again looking to release another album of original music with the current line-up of Music For Goats; Neil Lucy (guitar) Ken Grant (bass) and Dave Lawrence (drums) and Steve Dagg (RIP - drums). This album titled “THE DAGG SESSIONS” celebrates the songs created before drummer Steve Dagg was diagnosed with Cancer. After a year long battle of treatments Steve passed away in the winter of 2023. We had recorded the drums for the entire record in September before Steve’s illness was terminal.

The Dagg Sessions is available on all platforms on April 30, 2024 The Dagg Sessions will be available on vinyl thanks to contributors who purchased sections of the back album cover in order to help out with up front costs. Yes, we are sell outs… As for style of this record, I have to say it fits in with the Americana genre pretty well as if combines folk, country, rock and pop into a collection of songs that once again document a time and place in my own personal history.

Ken Tizzard www.kentizzard.com ktizzard@kentizzard.com

For Immediate Release

Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks “TRUE” Released Today

“Counties and Countries” Video Premieres Today

After months of anticipation, the debut album from Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks, “TRUE”, is released today. The nine-song album, produced by Jon and Richie Castellano, is the album YES fans worldwide have been waiting for since Jon’s departure from the band in 2008. The album’s centerpieces are two epic tracks, the 16 and a half minute “Once Upon a Dream” and the nearly 10 minute “Counties and Countries”. To celebrate today’s release, a video for “Counties and Countries” premieres today. See it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yNutgZWo5g