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Despite what you may have heard, ska music is no joke. It’s a vital, multifaceted genre with a global impact and thriving community. The Consequence Podcast Network is proud to stake our two-toned flag on that belief by welcoming the latest addition to our roster, In Defense of Ska. Check out the trailer above, and follow the series wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted by renowned music journalist and author Aaron Carnes and veteran ska musician Adam Davis, In Defense of Ska is based on Carnes’ best-selling, soon-to-be-expanded book of the same name.

The weekly series dives deep into ska music’s rich history and unique culture to challenge mainstream misperceptions and celebrate the genre’s enduring legacy. Featuring insightful conversations with ska legends, emerging artists, comedians, and other culture figures who share Carnes and Davis’ deep appreciation for ska,...

Fishbone are ringing in their belated 40th anniversary with a new self-titled EP, out May 26th, and the ska legends accompanied the announcement with a new single and collab with Nofx titled “Estranged Fruit.”

The track offers the best of both bands, with Fishbone joined by Nofx’s El Hefe on trumpet in the horn-laden backbone of the arrangement, and Fat Mike backing Angelo Moore’s lead vocals. There’s even some fast-paced pop punk in the track, most noticeably during the race-to-the-finish ending. Fat Mike also handled the production of the song and EP.

“‘Estranged Fruit’ is a timeless composition merging the past and present embodied by the irony of us repeating what should be in the rear view mirror of a so called evolved society that still has far to go,” commented Fishbone’s Chris Dowd, who returned to the band in 2018 after stepping away in 1994 (one of...

Ska-funk-rock-punk-metal masters Fishbone have shared the new song “All We Have Is Now,” which is included on the Bottle Music for Broken People label comp via Fat Mike’s Bottles to the Ground imprint.

The track is signature Fishbone with its joyous horns and funky rhythms. Its positive lyrical message also serves as a poignant reminder to live in the present: “All we have is now.”

“Philosophically, it’s far from a new concept,” notes Fishbone’s Norwood Fisher in a press release. “Eckard Tolle, Allan Watts, Joseph Campbell and many others have contemplated and pontificated on this topic. The pursuit of self inquest, in the hopes of experiencing an extended, extraordinary sense of Being, the song, wrapped in a fully blown Fishbone party, reminds me to take advantage of the gift of the ever present now. Feel free to interpret it however it speaks to you.”

The song was...

The Minutemen’s Mike Watt, the Runaways’ Cherie Currie, Eddie Spaghetti, Josie Cotton and more punk luminaries have teamed for a new Covid-19 benefit song, “Flatten the Curve.” Proceeds from the track will benefit the Jubilee Consortium and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

“Flatten the Curve” was organized and produced by manager and musician Bruce Duff, while his Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs bandmate Frank Meyer wrote the tune. In all, 31 musicians contributed to the four-minute ripper, which grapples with the strangeness of social-distancing while still hammering home its necessity: “Hey, you gotta spread the word,...

The third season of Black Folk Don’t, the satirical documentary web series challenging common stereotypes of African Americans, ends with this final episode, which considers the relationship between black folk and the NRA. This season, the series headed to California, with engaging interviews of celebrities like John Norwood Fisher of the punk band Fishbone, director Ava DuVernay, actress Lisa Gay Hamilton and renowned feminist Sikivu Hutchinson, as well as everyday black folk. The series, a project of TuckerGurl LLC, is funded by National Black Programming Consortium (Nbpc) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and ran weekly on Mondays for six weeks through January...

The third season of Black Folk Don’t, the satirical documentary web series challenging common stereotypes of African Americans, is underway. This season, the series heads to California, with engaging interviews of celebrities like John Norwood Fisher of the punk band Fishbone, director Ava DuVernay, actress Lisa Gay Hamilton and renowned feminist Sikivu Hutchinson, as well as everyday black folk. The series, a project of TuckerGurl LLC, is funded by National Black Programming Consortium (Nbpc) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and will run weekly on Mondays for six weeks through January 6. Nbpc serves as executive producer.The brainchild of...

The third season of Black Folk Don’t, the satirical documentary web series challenging common stereotypes of African Americans, is underway. This season, the series heads to California, with engaging interviews of celebrities like John Norwood Fisher of the punk band Fishbone, director Ava DuVernay, actress Lisa Gay Hamilton and renowned feminist Sikivu Hutchinson, as well as everyday black folk. The series, a project of TuckerGurl LLC, is funded by National Black Programming Consortium (Nbpc) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and will run weekly on Mondays for six weeks through January 6. Nbpc serves as executive producer.The brainchild of...

The third season of Black Folk Don’t, the satirical documentary web series challenging common stereotypes of African Americans, is underway. This season, the series heads to California, with engaging interviews of celebrities like John Norwood Fisher of the punk band Fishbone, director Ava DuVernay, actress Lisa Gay Hamilton and renowned feminist Sikivu Hutchinson, as well as everyday black folk. The series, a project of TuckerGurl LLC, is funded by National Black Programming Consortium (Nbpc) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and will run weekly on Mondays for six weeks through January 6. Nbpc serves as executive producer.The brainchild of...

This week premiered Season 3 of Black Folk Don't, director-producer Angela Tucker's satirical documentary web series exploring common stereotypes about African Americans. This season, the series heads to California for interviews with celebrities including Fishbone's John Norwood Fisher, filmmaker Ava DuVernay, actress LisaGay Hamilton, and feminist Sikivu Hutchinson, as well as everyday black people tackling topics like whether black folk go green, do feminism, or join the NRA. I recently had a chance to screen Season 3 and talk with Tucker about making the series. Jai Tiggett: Tell me about what inspired you to make Black Folk Don't.Angela Tucker: A few years ago Black Public...

The third season of Black Folk Don’t, the satirical documentary web series challenging common stereotypes of African Americans, premieres today, Monday, December 2. This season, the series heads to California, with engaging interviews of celebrities like John Norwood Fisher of the punk band Fishbone, director Ava DuVernay, actress Lisa Gay Hamilton and renowned feminist Sikivu Hutchinson, as well as everyday black folk. The series, a project of TuckerGurl LLC, is funded by National Black Programming Consortium (Nbpc) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and will run weekly on Mondays for six weeks through January 6. Nbpc serves as executive...

I'm glad to see this edutaining series return! The details via press release...The third season of Black Folk Don’t, the satirical documentary web series challenging common stereotypes of African Americans, premieres on Monday, December 2. Alternately provocative, irreverent, comical and profound, the series heads to California for its third season, with engaging interviews of celebrities like John Norwood Fisher of the punk band Fishbone, director Ava DuVernay, actress Lisa Gay Hamilton and renowned feminist Sikivu Hutchinson, as well as everyday black folk. The series, a project of TuckerGurl LLC, is funded by National Black Programming Consortium (Nbpc) and the...

I'm glad to see this edutaining series return! The details via press release...The third season of Black Folk Don’t, the satirical documentary web series challenging common stereotypes of African Americans, premieres on Monday, December 2. Alternately provocative, irreverent, comical and profound, the series heads to California for its third season, with engaging interviews of celebrities like John Norwood Fisher of the punk band Fishbone, director Ava DuVernay, actress Lisa Gay Hamilton and renowned feminist Sikivu Hutchinson, as well as everyday black folk. The series, a project of TuckerGurl LLC, is funded by National Black Programming Consortium (Nbpc) and the...

The Bunny Game Trailer. Adam Rehmeier‘s The Bunny Game (2010) movie trailer stars Rodleen Getsic, Norwood Fisher, Gregg Gilmore, Paul Ill, and Loki. The Bunny Game‘s plot synopsis: “A prostitute looking for her next meal hitches a ride with a trucker that leaves her praying for her next breath.” This movie looks insane. Very few movies are [...]

Continue reading: The Bunny Game (2010) Movie Trailer: Adam Rehmeier, Rodleen Getsic...

AudioPlayer.setup("http://www.nerve.com/files/players/audio/player.swf", { width: 350 }); The Nerve Mixtape With Fishbone Black Flag and Bootsy Collins come together on Fishbone's seduction mix. by Alex Heigl Fishbone’s blend of punk, funk, and ska influenced dozens of bands throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, and people like Les Claypool and Flea are still singing their praises. Though they never got much mainstream recognition, a new documentary about the band, Everyday Sunshine, is shedding some much-needed light on the group’s story. Bassist and founding member Norwood Fisher sat down to give us this mixtape that also doubles as a wild ride through the band’s eclectic influences. 1. The Buzzcocks, "Orgasm Addict" This song is pretty self-explanatory. It's kind of like a warning shot — just let 'em know, "Hey, this is what you're getting into, buddy." AudioPlayer.[...]...

Laurie Strode. Ellen Ripley. Nancy Thompson.

Many of the great horror movies are great precisely for the heroines whom audiences can identify with and root for. And it’s almost always better to have a heroine rise up to defeat pure evil much more so than a male hero. Even more, it’s the rare horror movie that successfully subverts the heroine’s role, such as Marion Crane being killed just when we realize we are even watching a horror movie at all.

The nameless prostitute (Rodleen Getsic) at the center of Adam Rehmeier‘s The Bunny Game subverts the heroine’s role in entirely different ways. First of all, she’s a prostitute, not the typical chaste leading lady we are to expect. When we first see her, she is being debased and dominated by an overly aggressive client in graphic detail, in a way not unlike one might...

Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone originally screened at SXSW in 2011, and the filmmakers and the band were back in town last October to support Austin Film Society with a special screening and Q&A, as well as a sold-out show at Emo's Austin. I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling and dynamic tale of punk rock pioneers Fishbone and their rise, fall and subsequent revival -- read my review. The documentary was released on DVD this week, and is available for purchase on the Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone website. Bonus features include deleted scenes, band commentary, interview outtakes, and rare concert footage sure to please any Fishbone fan. 

During their October movie-and-music tour, I spoke with band members and frontmen Norwood Fisher and Angelo Moore -- listen to the podcast interview -- as well as filmmakers Chris Metzler and Lev Anderson. Find out how Metzler and Anderson used a...

Filmmakers Chris Metzler and Lev Anderson were in town recently to bring the culture that shaped the personal stories of the black genre-breaking band Fishbone in the compelling film, Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone -- read my review here. Narrated by Laurence Fishburne, viewers are taken through a musical and intimate journey of Fishbone as they face the challenges of a band democracy, fiercely independent artists, and the music industry machine.

Personal interviews include musical artists and actors Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Gwen Stefani (No Doubt), Ice-t, and many others, including the dynamic and determined frontmen Angelo Moore and Norwood Fisher. I joined the pair on their tour bus for an interview while they were in town last month for a special Austin Film Society screening and show at Emo's Austin.

Hear what Angelo Moore had to say about the impact of digital technology and his ode to Wall Street,...

Titling this particular documentary Everyday Sunshine serves multiple purposes. First, of course, is that “Everyday Sunshine” is the name of one of Fishbone’s most well-known songs. However, the title is also at once both an ironic counterpoint on the punk fusion band’s tragic career, as well as a commentary on the band’s core members’ undying struggle to see the silver lining that’s continually just out of their sight.

Yes, filmmakers Chris Metzler and Lev Anderson are forced to follow the same trajectory as other music documentaries: An upstart young band quickly become superstars only to be derailed from a promising career thanks to an uncaring music industry and turmoil from within its own ranks. The band then hits its lowest point, only to begin its long, difficult struggle to get back on top.

That storyline is impossible to avoid because that’s exactly what happened to Fishbone.

Yes, we're in the midst of Austin Film Festival. But there are other film things going on if you're not attending Aff. On Monday night, Austin Cinematheque is showing a (free!) screening of Werner Herzog's The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser at the Texas Union Theater, 

The next Essential Cinema screening in the "Goin' for Baroque" series is Peter Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover on Tuesday at Alamo South Lamar. Starring Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon and Richard Bohringer about a bored wife considering an affair, this is the only movie I ever stopped watching after a few minutes back in the days when VHS was king, so I need to give it one more try.

Love music and documentaries? Directors Lev Anderson, Chris Meztler are bringing thier doc Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone to town on Wednesday and will be in attendance along with...

The 10th annual Lausanne Underground Film Festival is a truly epic film event with an immense lineup of the strangest, sexiest, most grotesque, oddball and downright freakish movies from all over the world — from modern underground treats to classic cult movies of yesteryear.

The fest officially begins on Oct. 15 with a special live performance by the legendary Diamanda Galas. But the film festivities run from Oct. 17-23, starting with the grand opening of an exhibition and retrospective of the films by Ericka Beckman.

The full film lineup, which is presented below, is a massive mix of underground greatness, but here are some of the highlights:

Gross-Out Flicks:

Chop, dir. Trent Haaga.

The Taint, dir. Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson.

Calibre 9, dir. Jean-Christian Tassy.

The Bunny Game, dir. Adam Rehmeier

Trippy Movies:

Profane, dir. Usama Alshaibi

The Oregonian, dir. Calvin Lee Reeder

Hellacious Acres: The Case of John Glass, dir.

The 14th annual Antimatter Film Festival in Vancouver, BC, Canada is an epic 9-day event of expanded cinema performances, feature-length documentaries an a ton of experimental short films and festivals.

There are seven feature documentaries screening including Marie Losier‘s hit The Ballad of Genesis & Lady Jaye, a profile of the pandrogenous entity, Breyer P-Orridge; and Chris Metzler & Lev Kalman’s popular Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, about the legendary ska punk band. Plus, there’s Adele Horne’s And Again and more.

On the expanded cinema front, Antimatter welcomes retrospectives of Kerry Laitala, who will be presenting a selection of her 3D light and motion experiments; and Roger Beebe will screen a series of multi-projector performances.

As for the short films, the real highlight of the fest is a screening of Jaimz Asmundson‘s trippy and powerful The Magus, a fictional/documentary hybrid of his father’s Satanic painting process.

“Everyday Sunshine: The Story Of Fishbone”

A documentary by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler

Opens in NY at ReRun Theater in Brooklyn on October 7

Opens in La at Laemmle Sunset 5 on October 21

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Fishbone; their new CD is being released on October 11

Pale Griot Films are proud to present the Us Theatrical release of Everyday Sunshine: The Story Of Fishbone, a documentary directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler. The film had its World Premiere at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival, and went on to screen at Mill Valley and SXSW film festivals, among many others. Everyday Sunshine will open on October 7, 2011 at the ReRun Theater in Brooklyn, NY, and on October 21, 2011 at the Laemmle Sunset 5 in Los Angeles, CA. Many other cities (including Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, DC) will follow. Celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, the band will also release their much-anticipated...

The 11th annual Nevada City Film Festival, running Aug. 18-21, is four nights crammed full with short films, several feature-length documentaries, one dramatic feature, stand-up comedy performances and more surprises, all nestled within the rolling hills of Northern California.

The fest opens with the feature documentary Someplace With a Mountain, directed by Steve Goodall and narrated by Chevy Chase. The film tells the story of the embattled people of the Puluwat atoll who are besieged by the Pacific Ocean itself. Rising waters due to global warming are making their land slowly disappear beneath the waves.

Other feature docs include music-based films We Are Wizards, directed by Josh Koury, about the oddball phenomenon of rock bands that only craft songs about the world of Harry Potter; and Everyday Sunshine, directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler, which profiles the legendary ska punk band Fishbone that continues to bring their enthusiastic music to the masses.

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek

(from the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival

Directed/Written by: Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler

Featuring: Kendall Jones, Norwood Fisher, Chris Dowd, Phillip Fisher, “Dirty” Walt Kibby II, Angelo Moore, Ice-t, Flea, Tim Robbins, Branford Marsalis, Perry Farrell and Gwen Stefani; narrated by: Laurence Fishburne

The ska/punk/funk-fuelled documentary by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler begins at a frantic pace, exuding the energy of a band that mixed dozens of types of music within a single song, and employs interviews with one industry giant after another to cast an everlasting impression of the band’s influence. Of course, time always passes, and the band Fishbone itself, with some members still singing, some slinging and some seemingly miles away, is in various states of a funk, playing to small Eastern European audiences and left wondering whether they’d do it the same if they had the opportunity.

Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek

(from the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival

Directed/Written by: Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler

Featuring: Kendall Jones, Norwood Fisher, Chris Dowd, Phillip Fisher, “Dirty” Walt Kibby II, Angelo Moore, Ice-t, Flea, Tim Robbins, Branford Marsalis, Perry Farrell and Gwen Stefani; narrated by: Laurence Fishburne

The ska/punk/funk-fuelled documentary by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler begins at a frantic pace, exuding the energy of a band that mixed dozens of types of music within a single song, and employs interviews with one industry giant after another to cast an everlasting impression of the band’s influence. Of course, time always passes, and the band Fishbone itself, with some members still singing, some slinging and some seemingly miles away, is in various states of a funk, playing to small Eastern European audiences and left wondering whether they’d do it the same if they had the opportunity.

Still on the festival circuit, Everyday Sushine: The Story of Fishbone makes a pit stop at the Atlanta Film Festival this month.

The documentary, directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler, covers the rise and fall of the popular musical group Fishbone, an 80′s underground group known for their ska-punk-funk sound.

The film delves into many issues including why they never received mainstream success as their white counterparts did and their never-ending dilemma of being “too white” for black audiences and “too black” for white audiences.

Synopsis:

Everyday Sunshine is a documentary about Fishbone, musical pioneers rocking on the margins of pop culture for the past 25 years. From the streets of South Central-Los Angeles and the competitive Hollywood music scene of the 1980′s, the band rose to prominence, only to fall apart when on the verge of “making it.”

Suave but serious, Laurence Fishburne narrates Everyday Sunshine, an entertaining cinematic...

The 8th annual Calgary Underground Film Festival is set to run on April 11-17 at The Plaza Theater with 18 feature films and documentaries, several live performances, a classic cartoon extravaganza and Cuff’s legendary 48-hour Movie Making Challenge.

Sentient car tires. Wrongly accused hillbillies. Post-apocalyptic vampire hunters. Rage-filled neighbors. Real-life superheroes. Angry Star Wars fans. Those are just a few of the oddball characters you’ll find in the Cuff lineup below that includes festival hits such as Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil, The Woman, Superheroes, A Horrible Way to Die, Shut Up Little Man!, Rubber and more.

Some of the special events include: Not only a screening of Chris Metzler and Lev Anderson’s documentary Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, but a live concert by the band after the screening. Plus, there will be a wild live burlesque show being held as a fundraiser for the upcoming film...

Directors: Lev Anderson, Chris Metzler Writers: Lev Anderson, Chris Metzler Starring: Laurence Fishburne (narrator), Norwood Fisher, Angelo Moore, Chris Dowd, Dirty Walt Kibby II, David Kahne, Ice T, Larren Jones, Kendall Jones, Flea, Gwen Stefani, George Clinton, Mike Watt, Vernon Reid, Questlove, Dazireen Moore Let’s start at the very beginning...and the Black history of Los Angeles leads effortlessly right into the meeting of the original core members of Fishbone at a predominantly Caucasian high school. From there John Norwood Fisher (bass, vocals), Phillip "Fish" Fisher (drums), Angelo Moore (vocals, saxophone), Kendall Jones (guitar), "Dirty" Walter A. Kibby II (vocals, trumpet) and Christopher Dowd (keyboards, trombone, vocals) plunged right into the white La punk scene of the early 1980s. As a band, they were a pure democracy; everyone with their own personality and input, creating a sound that is still to this very day an unclassifiable hodgepodge of musical styles.

Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea will be part of a celebrity concert – “All For Angels” – for Haiti Relief, tonight at Central in Santa Monica.

Proceeds from the benefit—which takes place on the one year anniversary of the 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti—will be donated directly to the children and residents of Haiti who are still in desperate need of medical care, shelter, clothing and education.

The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti was hit by a hurricane and a cholera epidemic after experiencing last year’s earthquake. In response, non-profit organization Americans Care and Share pledged to focus its Angelcare program on helping the poverty-stricken country and provide relief to Haitians. Tonight’s benefit will feature performances by Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Trulio Disgracias (featuring Norwood Fisher, John Bigham, Bronx Style Bob, Fernando Pullum), Opm, Meet Me At The Pub, and more. There will also be live art,...

Coming to the legendary Cmj Music Marathon and Film Festival, which opens today October 19th, is an event you really don't want to miss out on.  One of the greatest performance bands of all time, the Los Angeles born legends Fishbone, led by the cool brothers Angelo Moore and Norwood Fisher, will be at (Le) Poisson Rouge this Friday night, October 22nd for a special performance following the screening of the new documentary by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler, Everyday Sunshine:  The Story of Fishbone.  The screening will be at The Norwood Private Club at 4:00Pm with the...

Coming to The 6th Annual Tucson Film and Music Festival tonight is an event unlike any you will see on a normal Tucson night.  One of the greatest performance bands of all time, the Los Angeles born legends Fishbone, led by the cool brothers Angelo Moore and Norwood Fisher, will be at The Rialto Theatre tonight for a special performance following the screening of the new documentary by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler, Everyday Sunshine:  The Story of Fishbone.  Starting with the screening at 9:00Pm and followed by the Fishbone show, this is going to be an energetic,...

Put on your boogie shoes and get your funk on at Frida’s this Friday night for Fishbone’s first live appearance in Wichita, with the Key Elements and Rudy Love Jr & The Getdown!

Tickets are on sale now. ($15 in advance, $20 at the door) and there’ll be some exciting announcements about the 2010 Tallgrass Film Festival.

Fishbone is an American band that plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk metal and more. The band was formed in 1979 in Los Angeles by John Norwood Fisher (bass, vocals) at 2010 Chariton where he and Phillip “Fish” Fisher (drums) his brother lived; also, Angelo Moore, who sometimes uses the stage name “Dr. Madd Vibe” (vocals, saxophones ranging from sopranino to bass, and theremin), Kendall Jones (guitar), “Dirty” Walter A. Kibby III (vocals, trumpet) and Christopher Dowd (keyboards, trombone, vocals). The group came from the same Los Angeles scene that spawned Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction.

Wichita, Kan., April 26, 2010 — The Tallgrass Film Association announces the line-up for Cinema Alfresco season. The series will take place Thursdays from May 27 through July 29. The Cinema Alfresco series will show under the stars at 8 p.m., at The Brickyard, 129 N. Rock Island. The event is free and open to the public and because the Brickyard has a covered outdoor area, the movies will show rain or shine.

This season’s theme “Films on the Fringe” will focus Cinema Alfresco on flapper-era dramas. They include the musical “Chicago” (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere), the Oscar winning “Splendor In The Grass” (Warren Beatty, Natalie Wood), the original 1932 version of “Scarface” (Paul Muni) and Julie Andrews as a young lady from Salina in 1967’s “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” Please see schedule attached.

Each film will be preceded by a Tallgrass Film Festival short film and there will be drawing for a pair of Tallgrass Film Festival VIP Tallpasses,...

Director: Jonathan Furmanski Clarence Harry Reid, along with his songwriting partner Willie Clarke, wrote almost 1,000 R&B songs in the 1960s and 1970s for the Miami-based Tk Records including Betty Wright’s “Clean Up Woman,” Gwen McCrae’s “Rockin Chair,” Kc and the Sunshine Band’s “Sound Your Funky Horn.” Reid is also known as Blowfly, the original dirty rapper. He is the oft-proclaimed inventor of rap music (he recorded his first Blowfly album in 1971); to hear it from Blowfly, Sugarhill Gang’s “mammies were wearing diapers when I was doing rap.” The Weird World of Blowfly starts in 2008. Donning a sparkly sequins superhero suit, Blowfly (at age 69) is on a comeback tour. (In 2003, Reid sold the rights to his entire catalog of songs to pay off debt, so he now sees no royalty income from his body of work.) Almost all of his audience is white (a mix of...

Sept. 6: Comedian JoAnne Worley is 72. Country singer David Allan Coe is 70. Country singer Mel McDaniel is 67. Singer-bassist Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) is 66. Actress Swoosie Kurtz is 65. Comedian-actress Jane Curtin is 62. Country singer Buddy Miller is 57. Country drummer Joe Smyth of Sawyer Brown is 52. Actor-comedian Jeff Foxworthy is 51. Actor-comedian Michael Winslow ("Police Academy") is 51. Guitarist Pal Waaktaar of A-ha is 48. Country singer Mark Chesnutt is 46. Actress Rosie Perez is 45. Singer Macy Gray is 42. Singer CeCe Peniston is 40. Singer Darryl Anthony (Az Yet) is 40. Singer Dolores O'Riordan (The Cranberries) is 38. Actor Dylan Bruno ("Numb3ers") is 37. Actress Anika Noni Rose ("Dreamgirls") is 37. Actor Justin Whalin ("Lois and Clark") is 35. Singer Nina Persson (The Cardigans) is 35. Actress Naomie Harris ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest") is 33. Rapper Noreaga is 32. Rapper Foxy Brown is 31.Sept. 7: Jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins is 79. Singer...