This week’s Hippo – Denny Laine comes to Concord, Tom Dixon leaves for Music City

Denny Laine

Denny Laine sang lead on the Moody Blues first hit, back when they were a Brummy R&B band. In my Hippo story, he talks about finding “Go Now” in a suitcase full of 45s brought to the Moodies by an American DJ, being Paul McCartney’s BFF during his Beatle days – a prelude to joining Wings, Sir Paul’s first post-Beatles band. Laine hung out at Abbey Road while the Fab Four made Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band; while in the studio, he and Paul listened to the EMI audition of … Pink Floyd. Ah, rock history.

Tom Dixon hopes to make some history of his own, uprooting his very successful operation in Manchester to take a stab at Nashville. The Tom Dixon Band will play a slew of shows before he packs up and heads out at the end of February. My Hippo story has the schedule and a profile of Dixon.

This week’s Hippo – Kool Keith and Comedy

Kool Keith

Kool Keith is a complicated character, but there’s no denying he’s a seminal figure in hip-hop, one who has a legitimate claim to the history books. Read my story here. 

Also, a story on Steven Bjork, a very funny guy.