Melody Maker

File:MM logo.jpg
Monthly
First issue	July 1926
Final issue	December 2000
Company	IPCC
Country	United Kingdom
Based in	London, England
Language	English

Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper.^[1] It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival"^[1] (and IPC Media sister publication) New Musical Express.

1950s–1960s[link]

Originally the Melody Maker (MM) concentrated on jazz, and had Max Jones, one of the leading British proselytizers for that music, on its staff for many years. It was slow to cover rock and roll and lost ground to the New Musical Express (NME), which had begun in 1952. MM began its Melody Maker LP charts in November 1958, two years after the Record Mirror published the first UK Albums Chart.^[2]

On 6 March 1965, MM called for The Beatles to be honoured by the British state, which happened on 12 June that year when all four were made MBEs.

By the late 1960s, MM had recovered momentum, targeting an older market than the teen-oriented NME. MM had larger and more specialised advertising; soon-to-be well-known groups would advertise for musicians. It ran pages devoted to "minority" interests like folk and jazz, as well as detailed reviews of musical instruments.

A 1968 Melody Maker poll named John Peel best radio DJ, attention which John Walters revealed may have helped Peel keep his job despite concerns at BBC Radio 1 about Peel's style and record selection.^[3]

1970s[link]

Critics such as Richard Williams, Michael Watts, Chris Welch and Steve Lake were among the first British journalists to write seriously about popular music, shedding an intellectual light on such artists as Steely Dan, Cat Stevens, Led Zeppelin and Henry Cow.

Melody Maker supported glam rock and progressive rock in the 1970s.

In 1978, Richard Williams returned again as editor attempting to take MM in a new direction influenced by what Paul Morley and Ian Penman were doing at NME and with Jon Savage, Chris Bohn and Mary Harron providing arty coverage of post-punk and New Wave while Vivien Goldman who was previously at NME and Sounds, gave the paper much improved coverage of reggae and soul music, an area in which it had fallen short of its competitors.

Internal tension came to light, principally between Williams and Ray Coleman, by this time editor-in-chief, who wanted the paper to stick to the more "conservative rock" music it had continued to support during the punk era. Coleman had been insistent that the paper should "look like The Daily Telegraph" (renowned for its old-fashioned design), but Williams wanted the paper to look more contemporary. He commissioned an updated design, but this was rejected by Coleman.

It was during this period that Melody Maker was described as "the musos' journal," and that Michael "Mick" Watts emerged as a prominent writer for the paper.^[4] In January 1972, in a defining moment for rock journalism, Watts interviewed David Bowie on the German film set of Just A Gigolo for Melody Maker.^[5] It was during this interview that Bowie claimed, "I'm gay, and always have been, even when I was David Jones."^[6] "OH YOU PRETTY THING" ran the headline, and swiftly became part of pop mythology. Bowie later attributed his success to this interview, stating that, "Yeah, it was Melody Maker that made me. It was that piece by Mick Watts."^[7] During his tenure at the paper, Watts also toured with and interviewed artists including Syd Barrett, Waylon Jennings, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.

1980s[link]

In 1980, after a strike which had taken the paper (along with NME) out of publication for a period, Williams left MM. Coleman promoted Michael Oldfield from the design staff to day-to-day editor, and, for a while, took it back where it had been, with news of a line-up change in Jethro Tull replacing features about Andy Warhol, Gang of Four and Factory Records on the cover. Several journalists, such as Chris Bohn and Vivien Goldman, moved to NME, while Jon Savage joined the new magazine The Face. Coleman left in 1981, the paper's design was updated, but sales and prestige were at a low ebb through the early 1980s, with NME dominant.

By 1983, the magazine had become more populist and pop-orientated, exemplified by its modish "MM" masthead, regular covers for the likes of Duran Duran and its choice of Eurythmics' Touch as the best album of the year. Things were to change, however. In February 1984, Allan Jones, a staff writer on the paper since 1974, was appointed editor: defying instructions to put Kajagoogoo on the cover, he led the magazine with an article on up-and-coming band The Smiths.

In 1986, MM was invigorated by the arrival of a group of journalists, including Simon Reynolds and David Stubbs, who had run a music fanzine called Monitor from the University of Oxford, and Chris Roberts, from Sounds, who established MM as more individualistic and intellectual. This was especially true after the hip-hop wars at NME, a schism between enthusiasts of progressive black music such as Public Enemy and Mantronix and fans of traditional white rock - ended in a victory for the latter, the departure of writers such as Mark Sinker and Biba Kopf, and the rise of Andrew Collins and Stuart Maconie, who pushed NME in a more populist direction.

1990s[link]

While MM continued to devote most space to rock and indie music (notably Everett True's coverage of the emerging grunge scene in Seattle), it covered dance music, hip hop and post rock and electronica. Two of the paper's writers, Push and Ben Turner, went on to launch IPC Media's monthly dance music magazine Muzik. Even in the mid-1990s, when Britpop brought a new generation of readers to the music press, it remained less populist than its rivals, with younger writers such as Simon Price, Taylor Parkes and Neil Kulkarni continuing the 1980s tradition of iconoclasm and opinionated criticism. The paper printed harsh criticism of Ocean Colour Scene and Kula Shaker, and allowed dissenting views on Oasis and Blur at a time when they were praised by the rest of the press.

The magazine retained its large classified ads section, and remained the first call for musicians wanting to form a band. Suede formed through ads placed in the paper. MM also continued to publish reviews of musical equipment and readers' demo tapes - though these often had little in common stylistically with the rest of the paper - ensuring sales to jobbing musicians who would otherwise have little interest in the music press.

In early 1997, Allan Jones left to edit Uncut. He was replaced, somewhat controversially,^{[citation needed]} by Mark Sutherland, formerly of NME and Smash Hits, who "fulfilled his boyhood dream"^[8] by editing the magazine for three years. Many long-standing writers left, often moving to Uncut, with at least one writer, Simon Price, departing because he objected to an edict that coverage of Oasis should be positive. Its sales, which had been substantially lower than those of the NME, entered a serious decline.

In 1999, MM relaunched as a glossy magazine, but the new design did not help. The magazine closed the next year and merged with IPC Media's other music magazine, NME, which took on some of its journalists and music reviewers.

Bands using MM adverts[link]

Advertisements in Melody Maker helped assemble the lineups of a number of major bands, including:

• Jet Black met Hugh Cornwell (then of the band Johnny Sox) after reading an advertisement in Melody Maker magazine. Cornwell joined Black in The Stranglers in 1974.
• Bill Bruford placed an ad in 1968 that was answered by Jon Anderson and Chris Squire to form the founding lineup of Yes.^[9]
• Rick Davies, backed financially by Dutch millionaire Stanley August Miesegaes, formed Supertramp, the "band of his dreams" in 1969.^[10]
• Deep Purple found the then-unknown David Coverdale in 1973.^[11]
• Depeche Mode placed an ad in 1981 and found Alan Wilder.^[12]
• Vince Clarke of Erasure found Andy Bell in 1985.^[13]
• The original members of Suede recruited guitarist Bernard Butler in 1989.^[14]
• Steve Hackett of Genesis put an ad in MM that was answered by the band frontman Peter Gabriel in 1970.^[15]
• Wang Chung got its start when Jack Hues met Nick Feldman after answering Feldman's ad for a musician in 1977.^[16]
• Noel Redding, the bassist of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, auditioned for The Animals after responding to an ad. Eventually the bassist of The Animals, Chas Chandler, introduced him to Jimi Hendrix.^[17]
• Limahl teamed up with band 'Art Nouveau' and formed Kajagoogoo from an advert he placed in MM.^[18]

References[link]

Coordinates: 50°20′42″N 4°11′28″W / 50.3451°N 4.1911°W / 50.3451; -4.1911

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Maker Church and War Memorial

Maker (Cornish: Magor) is a village between Cawsand and Rame Head, situated on the Rame Peninsula, in Cornwall, United Kingdom.

The name means a ruin in Cornish, but another Celtic name is Egloshayle, (not to be confused with Egloshayle on the River Camel) which means, the church on the estuary, a very apt description of the church's location.

The village and its neighbour Rame are in the civil parish of Maker with Rame and the parliamentray consituency of South East Cornwall.

History[link]

In their western advance across England, the Anglo-Saxons halted at the Tamar, but in 705, King Geraint of Cornwall gave the promontory on the Cornish side of the mouth of the Tamar to Sherborne Abbey, to keep control of the Tamar mouth in Saxon hands. This was royal land, and remained in Devon until 1844.The Normans installed the Valletorts as tenants of most of the land controlling the Tamar. From them, Maker passed by marriage to the Durnford family and then to the Edgcumbe family.

Parish church[link]

The church of St Julian is a typical 15th century Cornish church. It was a time of rebuilding throughout the country and churches were designed for preaching the word rather than stressing the liturgy. The aisles are the same length as the nave, and there is a massive western tower. The font is Norman, but was originally at St Merryn.^[1] The Edgcumbe chapel was added in 1874.

Notable residents[link]

• William Hughes (writer), barrister and writer, was born here

References[link]

External links[link]

Media related to Maker at Wikimedia Commons

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This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since January 2011. Its introduction may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines. Tagged since January 2011.

Gibson Guitar Corporation

Type	Private
Industry	Musical instruments
Founded	1902[1], Kalamazoo, Michigan
Founder(s)	Orville Gibson
Headquarters	Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Area served	Global
Key people	Orville Gibson, Ted McCarty, Les Paul, Seth Lover
Subsidiaries	Aeolian, Baldwin, Chickering, Electar, Epiphone, Garrison, Gibson Amphitheatre, Hamilton, Kramer, Maestro, MaGIC, Slingerland, Steinberger, Tobias, Valley Arts Guitar, Wurlitzer
Website	Gibson.com

The Gibson Guitar Corporation is a Nashville, Tennessee-based guitar and instrument manufacturer. It was founded in 1902 in Kalamazoo, Michigan by Orville Gibson as "The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co., Ltd." and was a maker of mandolin instruments^[1]. Gibson invented archtop guitars by using the same type of carved, arched tops found on violins. By the 1930s, the company was also making flattop acoustic guitars, as well as one of the first commercially available hollow-body electric guitars, used and popularized by Charlie Christian. It was bought by Chicago Musical Instruments in 1944, which was then acquired by the E.C.L. conglomerate that changed its name to Norlin Inc. This was seen as the beginning of an era of mismanagement.

Gibson sells guitars under a variety of brand names^[2] and built one of the world's most iconic guitars, the Gibson Les Paul. Many Gibson instruments are among the most collectible guitars. Gibson was at the forefront of innovation in acoustic guitars, especially in the big band era of the 1930s; the Gibson Super 400 was widely imitated. In the early 1950s, Gibson introduced its first solid-body electric guitar and in 1952 began producing its most popular guitar to date—the Les Paul, designed by Ted McCarty and Les Paul. After being purchased by the Norlin corporation in the late 1960s Gibson's quality and fortunes took a steep decline until early 1986, when the company was acquired by its present owners. Gibson Guitar is a privately held corporation owned by its chief executive officer Henry Juszkiewicz and its president David H. Berryman.

Gibson has pursued legal action against manufacturers selling similar guitars and been active in environmental issues. In the late 2000s the company came under scrutiny for potential violations of the Lacey law. Authorities say wood was mislabeled to hide illegal ebony wood exports from India and that emails show an intent to illegally import rosewood and ebony wood from Madagascar. Gibson claims authorities are bullying him without filing charges. The issues has raised concerns among guitar owners on whether they could be punished for unknowingly owning guitars with illegally obtained wood, which led to some initiatives to protect individual consumers from the Lacey law.

History[link]

Gibson mandolin orchestra:

• 1920 F-4     • 1917 H-2
• 1924 K-4 mando-cello

• 1929 mando-bass

Orville Gibson
(pre 1910)

L-5

ES-150

ES-175D

Super 400 CES

Orville Gibson (born 1856, Chateaugay, New York) started making mandolins in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The mandolins were distinctive in that they featured a carved, arched solid wood top and back and bent wood sides. Prior to this, mandolins had a flat solid wood top and a bowl-like back similar to a lute. These bowl-back mandolins were very fragile and unstable. Disdainful of the shape, Orville Gibson characterized them as "potato bugs". Gibson's innovation made a distinctive, darker-sounding mandolin that was easier to manufacture in large numbers. Orville Gibson's mandolin design, with its single-pieced carved sides and a single-pieced neck, was patented in 1898; it would be the only innovation he patented. Orville Gibson died in 1918 of endocarditis (inflammation of the inside lining of the heart chambers and valves).^[3]

Orville Gibson began to sell his unique instruments in 1894 out of a one-room workshop in Kalamazoo Michigan. In 1902 Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co, Ltd. was incorporated to market the instruments. Initially, the company produced only Orville Gibson's original designs. Aware of changing trends, the company hired designer Lloyd Loar in 1919 to create newer instruments.^[4]

During the 1920s Gibson was responsible for many innovations in banjo, guitar and mandolin design. In 1922, the Gibson F5 mandolin model was introduced. That particular model later became known as the ultimate bluegrass mandolin. Gibson soon became the leading manufacturer of archtop guitars, particularly the L-5 model, also a Loar design. Loar left the company in 1924.^[5]

In the 1930s, Gibson began exploring the concept of an electric guitar. In 1936 they introduced their first "Electric Spanish" model, the ES-150. Other companies were producing electric guitars but the Gibson is generally recognized as the first commercially successful electric guitar. Other instruments were also "electrified"; such as steel guitars, banjos and mandolins.

During World War II, instrument manufacturing basically stopped at Gibson due to shortages of wood and metal. Only a few instruments were made with whatever parts were at hand. Gibson did war production instead, making wood parts for various military needs. Such shortages continued for a few years after the war and the only notable change occurred in 1946 when the Gibson name on the instrument headstock changed from a cursive script to the block style used to this day. This is seen at the head of the information block at top.

In 1944 Gibson was purchased by Chicago Musical Instruments, which took over marketing and sales of Gibson products while allowing the Kalamazoo factory to operate largely independently.

The ES-175 was introduced in 1949. The model has seen some variations over the years but it is still in production.

1953 Les Paul
Goldtop

Les Paul Custom

Les Paul Standard

Les Paul Junior

Gibson and Ted McCarty[link]

In 1948, Gibson hired music industry veteran Ted McCarty, who was promoted to company president in 1950. During his tenure (1950–1966), Gibson greatly expanded and diversified its line of instruments. The first notable addition was the "Les Paul" guitar. McCarty was well aware of the strong sales of the Fender Telecaster. In 1950, Gibson decided to make a solid-body guitar of its own according to its own design philosophy despite the fact many other guitar manufacturers were contemptuous of the concept of a solid-body guitar. Designed by the guitarist Les Paul, it was released as his signature model in 1952. The "Les Paul" was offered in several models, including the Custom, the Standard, the Special, and the Junior.^[6]

L-5 CES

Byrdland

ES-350T

ES-335T

In the mid-50s, the Thinline series was produced. Many guitarists did not like the bulk of a full-size archtop and wanted a thinner guitar. TheByrdland was the first produced. The first Byrdlands were slim, custom built, L-5 models for guitarists Billy Byrd and Hank Garland. Later, a shorter neck was added. Other guitarists who tried Gibson samples liked the idea and the model went into production. Other models such as the ES-350T and the ES-225T were introduced as less costly alternatives.^[7]

In 1958, Gibson introduced the ES-335T model. Similar in size to the hollow-body Thinlines, the ES-335 family had a solid center, giving the string tone a longer sustain.

Explorer

Flying V

non-reverse (left) & reverse Firebird

Gibson SG

In the late 50s, McCarty was aware that Gibson was perceived as a "conservative" company, generally making traditionally shaped instruments. He decided to change that. In 1958, Gibson produced two new designs: the eccentrically shaped Explorer and Flying V. These "modernistic" guitars did not sell initially. It was only in the late 1960s and early 70s when the two guitars were reintroduced to the market that they sold very well. The Firebird, in the early 60s, was a reprise of the modernistic idea, though less extreme. In the 1950s, Gibson also produced the Tune-o-matic bridge system and its version of the humbucking pickup, the PAF ("Patent Applied For"), first released in 1957 and still sought after for its sound.^{[citation needed]}

In 1961 the body design of the Les Paul was changed due to the demand for a double-cutaway body design.^[8] Les Paul did not care for the new body style and let his endorsement lapse. The new body design then became known as the SG (for "solid guitar"). The Les Paul returned to the Gibson catalog in 1968 due to the influence of players such as Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Peter Green. Both the Les Paul and the SG became very popular with rock and roll and blues guitar players.

The 70s to today[link]

On December 22nd 1969 Gibson parent company, Chicago Musical Instruments, was taken over by a South American brewing conglomerate, E.C.L. Gibson, Inc. remained under the control of CMI until 1974, when it became a subsidiary of Norlin Musical Instruments (a member of Norlin Industries - named for ECL president Norton Stevens and CMI president Maurice Berlin). This began an era widely perceived as being characterized by corporate mismanagement and decreasing product quality similar to Fender's period under CBS ownership.

Gibson left Kalamazoo in 1984, then previous factory became Heritage Guitars

Gibson Showcase at Nashville

Gibson Factory at Memphis

Between 1974 and 1984 production of Gibson guitars was shifted from Kalamazoo to Nashville, Tennessee. Early Nashville-built guitars suffered from both inexperienced workers and climate-control problems in the humid South.^{[citation needed]} The Kalamazoo plant was kept going for a few years as a custom-instrument shop, but was closed in 1984; several Gibson employees led by plant manager Jim Duerloo established Heritage Guitars in the old factory, building versions of classic Gibson designs. The company was within three months of going out of business before it was bought by Henry E. Juszkiewicz, David H. Berryman, and Gary A. Zebrowski in January 1986.^[9] The survival and success of Gibson today is largely attributed^{[by whom?]} to this change in ownership.^{[citation needed]} Currently, Juszkiewicz is CEO and Berryman is president. More recently new production plants have been opened, such as Memphis, Tennessee, as well as Bozeman, Montana. The Memphis facility is used for semi-hollow and custom shop instruments, while the Bozeman facility is dedicated to acoustic instruments.

In mid 2009 Gibson reduced its work force to adjust for a decline in guitar industry sales in the United States.^[10]

In 2011, Gibson acquired the Stanton Group, including Cerwin Vega!, KRK Systems and Stanton DJ. Gibson then formed a new division, Gibson Pro Audio, which will deliver professional grade audio items, including headphones, loudspeakers and DJ equipment.^[11]

Gibson announced a partnership with the Japanese-based Onkyo Corporation in 2012. Onkyo, known for audio equipment and home theater systems, became part of the Gibson Pro Audio division.^[12]

Instruments[link]

Brand names[link]

Gibson also owns and makes instruments under such brands as Baldwin,^[2] Epiphone,^[13] Kalamazoo,^{[citation needed]} Kramer,^[14] Maestro,^[15] Slingerland,^[2] Steinberger,^[16] Tobias,^[17] Valley Arts^{[citation needed]} and Wurlitzer.^[2]

Gibson purchased Garrison Guitars in 2007.^[18]

Gibson serial numbers[link]

Gibson models may not be easily identified by serial number alone,^[19][20] and as of 1999 the company has used six distinct serial numbering systems.^[19] By 2006, that number had risen to seven.^[20]

In 1977, Gibson introduced the serial numbering system in use until 2006.^[20] An eight digit number on the back shows the date on which the instrument was produced, where it was produced and its order of production that day (e.g. first instrument stamped that day, second, etc.).^[19]

An exception is the year 1994, Gibson's centennial year; many 1994 serial numbers start with "94", followed by a 6-digit production number^{[citation needed]}.

The Gibson website provides a book to help with serial number deciphering.^[19]

After 2006[link]

In 2006 Gibson introduced a 9 digit serial number system.^[20] The system is largely the same as the 8 digit system used since 1977,^[19] but the 6th digit now represents a batch number.^[20]

Recent innovation[link]

MaGIC[link]

In 2003,^[21] Gibson debuted its ethernet-based^[22] communications protocol, MaGIC, which it had developed in partnership with 3COM, Advanced Micro Devices and Xilinx.^[21] Replacing traditional analog hook-ups with a digital connection that would, "satisfy the unique requirements of live audio performances" may have been the goal of this project.^[22]

This system may require a special pickup,^[21] but cabling is provided by standard Cat-5 ethernet cord.^[21][22]

Self-tuning guitar[link]

The Gibson "self-tuning guitar", also known as a "robot model", an option on some newer Les Paul, SG, Flying V and Explorer instruments,^{[citation needed]} will tune itself in little more than two seconds using robotics technology developed by Tronical GmbH.^[23]

Corporate social responsibility[link]

Gibson's corporate social responsibility efforts include a participation in Music Rising, which facilitated the replacement of tens of thousands of privately owned, hurricane-damaged instruments.^[2]

Unauthorized copies[link]

Gibson has sought legal action against those that make and sell guitars too-similar to their own.

In 1977 Gibson sued Hoshino/Elger for copying the Gibson Les Paul.^{[citation needed]}

In 2000, Gibson sued Fernandes Guitars in a Tokyo court for allegedly copying Gibson designs. Gibson did not prevail.^[24]

Gibson also sued PRS Guitars in 2005, to stop them from making their Singlecut model. The lawsuit against PRS was initially successful.^[25] However, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed the lower court decision and ordered the dismissal of Gibson's suit against PRS.^[26]

Authorized Gibson designs[link]

Gibson makes authorized copies of its most successful guitar designs. They are less expensive than those bearing the Gibson name. A former competitor, Epiphone was purchased by Gibson and now makes competitively priced Gibson models, such as the Les Paul, sold under the Epiphone brand,^[27] while continuing to make Epiphone-specific models like the Sheraton and Casino. In Japan, Orville by Gibson once made Gibson designs sold in that country.^[28]

Recent criticism and controversy[link]

Gibson has come under scrutiny for allegedly importing illegal rare wood in potential violations of the Lacey Act.^[29] Though no charges have been filed, two police raids of Gibson factories found ebony wood from India with misleading labels authorities say were used to hide violations of Indian export law.^[29] Gibson claims the labeling was a mistake and that the transaction was approved by Indian authorities.^[29]

On November 17, 2009 federal authorities seized six guitars and several pallets of alleged endangered and illegal, rare ebony wood that Gibson had purchased and stored at their factory.^[30][31] Until the investigation has been concluded, Henry E. Juszkiewicz, CEO and Chairman of Gibson Guitar Corporation, has taken a leave of absence as a board member of the Rainforest Alliance.^[32]

On June 2011, the United States Department of Justice filed a civil case against Gibson. Authorities said Gibson sourced unfinished ebony wood, in the form of blanks, from Nagel, Germany, which obtained it exclusively from a supplier in Madagascar. Gibson acquired the ebony to manufacture fingerboards. Madagascar prohibits the logging of ebony wood and export of unfinished ebony. The filing also made mentioned internal e-mails from 2008 and 2009 that discussed plans to harvest ebony wood and rosewood in Madagascar.^[33][34] The case against Gibson Guitar was the first under the amended Lacey Act, which requires importing companies to purchase legally harvested wood and follow the environmental laws of the producing countries.^[34]

In January 2011, Gibson Guitar filed a motion to recover the materials seized in the raid and to overturn the charges made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.^[35][36] The court denied the motion. According to reports that quote a special agent on the case, the prosecution expects to use the material as evidence.^[36]

Gibson Guitar's offices and factories in Nashville and Memphis were raided again by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife on August 24, 2011. Details were not released about the nature of the raid or what was found due to the ongoing legal proceedings.^[30] According to a statement issued by Gibson Guitar the following day, these raids focused on rare wood imported from India.^[37][38] In the release, Gibson said authorities were "bullying Gibson without filing charges" and stating further: "Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of any wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence." He also criticized the government's use of the Lacey Act because it interprets and enforces the laws of other nations.^[37][39]

If the prosecution is successful, Gibson would face felony charges that could result in large fines or jail terms for executives involved.^[40] Gibson Guitar is considered a progressive company for its promotion of sustainability and forest certification.^[40] Although the Rainforest Alliance certified the wood used by Gibson Guitar,^[34] its FSC certificates only applied to specific product lines. If wood was sourced from Madagascar, the wood could not have been used in products labeled or sold as FSC-certified.^[40]

The case has also raised concerns for musicians who lack documentation of vintage instruments made of traditional, non-sustainable materials.^[29][41] However, senior officials from the Justice Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have stated that musicians who unknowingly possess instruments made from illegal wood would not be treated as criminals. Instead, they insisted that the government's aim is to target individuals and businesses that profit from the trafficking of these protected species. Despite these assurances, lobbying efforts by Juszkiewicz resulted in a proposed bill that would protect musicians who unknowingly possess materials that violate the Lacey Act, while also exempting wood supplies purchased by companies before May 22, 2008 and requiring the government publish a database of illegal wood sources for the public.^[42]

See also[link]

• David Harvey (luthier)
• Jim Triggs (luthier)
• List of Gibson players

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gibson guitars

• Official website, Gibson Guitar Company

Lee Oskar
Lee Oskar (standing 3rd from right) with War in 1976
Background information
Birth name	Oskar Levetin Hansen
Born	(1948-03-24) 24 March 1948 (age 64)
Origin	Copenhagen, Denmark
Genres	Rock, Funk, Blues, Jazz
Occupations	Musician, Songwriter, CEO
Instruments	Harmonica
Years active	1966–present
Associated acts	War, S.O.B. (Same Old Band), Lowrider Band
Website	http://www.leeoskar.com/

Lee Oskar (born March 24, 1948, Copenhagen, Denmark)^[1] is a Danish harmonica player,^[2] notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which he formed with Eric Burdon,^[3] his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer.^[4] He currently plays with Lowriderband, with Harold Brown, Howard Scott and B.B.Dickerson

Early life and career[link]

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1948, Oskar was six years old when a family friend gave him his first harmonica.^[5] "I came from an area where every kid on the block had a harmonica," he remembers.^[6] He grew up listening to Danish radio, enjoying all types of music and cites Ray Charles as the biggest influence from that period.^[7] When he was 17, Oskar decided that the United States was where a harmonica player should make his career,^[6] so he moved to New York at the age of 18 with little more than a harmonica in his pocket.^[5] With no money, Oskar played harmonica in the streets of New York.^[6] Eventually arriving in Los Angeles, California, via Toronto and San Francisco, Oskar soon met and joined forces with Eric Burdon who had recently disbanded The Animals and was searching for new collaborators.^[8] Together, the harp-playing Dane (born Oskar Levetin Hansen^[9]) and the British blues-rock singer made the rounds of the L.A. clubs, eventually hooking up with the soon-to-be members of War.^[10] Burdon agreed to the novel idea of pairing up Oskar's harmonica with Charles Miller's saxophone to form a horn section. This team-up set War apart from the start, giving Oskar room to display the full spectrum of his improvisational prowess. Oskar's harmonica magic was always a vital element in War's music and performances. Oskar continued with War for 24 years non-stop. At the end of 1992 he made the decision to end his association with that group in order to have the time to pursue his solo career.^[10]

War[link]

Lee Oskar who has been described as "a virtuoso,"^[11] "the harmonica whiz"^[12] "a war hero,"^[13] "legendary,"^[5] "musical wizardry,"^[14] and as "generally regarded to be among the best rock-blues-soul harmonica players."^[15] His role as a founding member and former lead harmonica player of the pioneer funk-jazz group War won him international renown for over two and a half decades (1969–1993). Oskar's signature solos helped to define the War sound from the band's beginning in 1969, adding dashes of color to its R&B, jazz, rock, and Latin influences.^[14] Oskar's position with War was a prominent one from its early days with singer Eric Burdon onward.^[16] "My playing has become more aggressive over the years," he says. "In the beginning, my role was playing horn lines. Today, it's evolved to the point where I'm playing a lead instrument. If I'm not doing a solo, I'm playing counterlines—I try to paint within certain spaces in the music to help create the overall picture."

Solo career[link]

The eclectic, multicultural nature of War's music is also evident in Oskar's solo projects.^[17] Three well regarded albums released between 1976 and 1981 (and recently rereleased on CD) brought critical and popular acclaim^[18] including being voted No. 1 Instrumental Artist of the Year for 1976 in not one, but three major industry mags: Billboard, Cashbox and Record World.^[19] The albums, like Oskar's live performances, show the diverse influences of his musicality. A composer, his compositions have been featured on movie sound tracks and television commercials. He has been the recipient of many Gold and Platinum recordings and honored with special ASCAP Writing Awards.

Lee Oskar harmonica[link]

In 1983 Oskar formed a company to manufacture high-quality harmonicas. His company, Lee Oskar Harmonica, sells harmonicas suited to many different styles of music, including blues, folk, rock, R&B and country. The harmonicas themselves are manufactured by Tombo.^[1] Oskar's harmonica company celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2008 at the NAMM Show (Oskar playing one of his harmonicas at the 2008 NAMM Show).

Influences[link]

Several modern musicians, such as Mike Tetrault, cited Oskar as an important influence. When Junior Wells died, he was buried with a tray of Lee Oskar harmonicas.^[20]

References[link]

External links[link]

• http://www.leeoskar.com Lee Oskar Harmonica Company official website
• http://www.leeoskarproductions.com/ Lee Oskar Production Company official website
• Lee Oskar at the Internet Movie Database

Ziggy Marley
Ziggy Marley performing in 2007.
Background information
Birth name	David Nesta Marley
Also known as	Ziggy Marley
Born	(1968-10-17) 17 October 1968 (age 43) Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Reggae
Occupations	Musician, Singer-songwriter, Guitarist, voice actor
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, Piano, percussion
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Tuff Gong Worldwide
Associated acts	Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers
Website	www.ziggymarley.com

David "Ziggy" Marley (born 17 October 1968, Trenchtown, Jamaica) is a Jamaican musician and leader of the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. He is the oldest son of famed reggae musician Bob Marley. His father gave him the nickname "Ziggy"; he has stated that it means "a small joint".

Musical career[link]

In 1979, Ziggy and his siblings, Cedella, Stephen and Sharon made their recording debut with their father, "Children Playing in the Streets". The Melody Makers, as the group came to be known, played occasionally for several years, including at their father's funeral in 1981. Their debut LP was Play the Game Right, which was a very pop-oriented album, earning Ziggy some derision from critics. The band's label, EMI, wanted to market Ziggy as a solo act, and so the Melody Makers moved to Virgin Records, where they recorded Conscious Party (1988, produced by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth). The album was critically and popularly successful, as was One Bright Day (1989) and Jahmekya (1991).

Ziggy Marley singing at Guilfest 2011

As the 1990s continued, the Melody Makers' sales slowly declined, beginning with Joy and Blues (1993) and continuing with Free Like We Want 2 B (1995).

Ziggy became politically active, working with the United Nations and creating a record label called Ghetto Youths Crew. A solo album, Dragonfly was released on 15 April 2003. On 2 July 2006, his second solo album, Love Is My Religion, was released on his independent record company Tuff Gong Worldwide. This album won a Grammy for best Reggae album and this was Ziggy's 4th Grammy win. On 5 May 2009, his third solo children's album Family Time, was released on his independent record company Tuff Gong Worldwide. Family Time features Family and Friends, Rita Marley, Cedella Marley, Judah Marley, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Jack Johnson, Toots Hibbert, Laurie Berkner, Elizabeth Mitchell and more. This album won a Grammy for "Best Musical Album for Children".

Some of his most popular singles include "True To Myself", "Drive", "People Get Ready", and his hit single "Tomorrow People", which reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In April 2011, Marley announced his fourth album, entitled Wild and Free would be released on 14 June. The title track, featuring Woody Harrelson, is available for free with the pre-order of Ziggy's first comic book, "Marijuanaman."

Personal life[link]

Ziggy Marley is the oldest son of Bob Marley. He is married to Orly Marley, who is a former vice-president of William Morris Agency. He also has 6 children, Daniel Marley, Justice Marley, Zuri Marley, Judah Victoria, Gideon Robert Nesta, and Abraham Selassie Robert Nesta. Most of the family resides in Miami.

Philanthropy[link]

• Ziggy Marley founded Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (URGE), which works to help children (especially in Jamaica and Ethiopia).

• In 2007, Marley signed on as an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and free lessons to children in public schools throughout the United States. He has visited with children in the program and sits on the organization's board of directors as an honorary member.

Other work[link]

In 1991, Marley and the Melody Makers contributed the song "Give A Little Love" to the Disney album, For Our Children. The album is a collection of kid-friendly songs by popular artists (e.g. Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John), with proceeds given to the Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Marley made guest appearances as himself on an episode of the sitcom Family Matters in 1995, and on the television series Charmed in season 6 (episode 14, "The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell"), performing "Rainbow in the Sky".

He and his Melody Makers made a guest appearance on the popular kids television show Sesame Street in the 1991-92 season, and sang a Sesame Street version of "Small People" from their 1991 album Jahmekya

In 1996, Marley and the Melody Makers recorded the reggae-style theme song for the children's television series Arthur called "Believe in Yourself".

He voiced Ernie, one of Sykes' (Martin Scorsese) Rasta jellyfish henchmen in the 2004 film Shark Tale. In the film when Oscar (Will Smith) tries to sing the Bob Marley song "Three Little Birds", Marley's character zaps Oscar on the head and says "That's not the way you sing that song, mon." The title song for the film was a cover version of "Three Little Birds" performed by Marley and Sean Paul.

Further voice acting includes "Crockadle" on an episode of My Gym Partner's a Monkey, the Cheshire Cat in a 2010 episode of Wonder Pets, and Reflux the Knaaren, in the Ubisoft video game Rayman 3.

Marley covered "Drive" by The Cars for the Adam Sandler movie 50 First Dates, and his father's song "Three Little Birds" for the Dora The Explorer soundtrack.

Ziggy is listed as the featured artist on Donna Summer's song, "Crayons," the title track from her 2008 album. He has also performed duets with Angelique Kidjo, Sting, Dora The Explorer, Taj Mahal, The Chieftains, Sean Paul and others.

Marley and his daughter Judah made an appearance in the 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Ziggy Marley released a pro-marijuana song in support of California's Proposition 19 ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. Voters rejected the ballot but backers said they would mount another legalization campaign in 2012.

In popular culture[link]

On an episode of Celebrity Deathmatch, Ziggy was mentioned while his father, Bob Marley (who was brought back to life via time machine), had his hands full with Shaggy. Shaggy first implies that Ziggy was merely a Bob impersonator ("Me? What about Ziggy? He sings all your songs - he even looks like you!"), while Bob answers that Ziggy is his son. Shaggy taunts Bob on how Ziggy might have got his name, on which Bob fight backs with comments on Scooby-Doo, where Shaggy got his nickname.

His song "Love Power" was played during the end credits of Muppet Treasure Island (1996), and "True To Myself" was featured on the TV show Scrubs (Season 8 Episode 14 - "My Soul On Fire", Pt. 1).

In the episode of South Park entitled Medicinal Fried Chicken, Randy Marsh wants to get a prescription for medicinal marijuana before the Ziggy Marley concert in Denver.

He is mentioned in holding a concert in Nevada in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Discography[link]

• Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers albums

Solo albums[link]

• 2003: Dragonfly
• 2006: Love Is My Religion
• 2008: Love Is My Religion Live
• 2009: Ziggy Live From Soho
• 2009: Family Time
• 2011: Wild and Free

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official Site of the Marley Brothers
• Official Melody Makers website
• Ziggy Marley at the Internet Movie Database