Mike Mangini is more than just a drummer—he’s a living legend behind the kit:
We dive into Mike’s wild ride through fame, failure, faith, and ferocity behind the drums. Check out his new band "MONOLITH" here: https://www.youtube.com/@realmonolithband
and view notes and the full video episode here:
https://www.accesskevin.com/mike-mangini-joins-all-access-live-with-kevin-rankin/
TOQUE is a world-class Rock act, comprised of 4 incredible Rock musicians:
This summer TOQUE is playing across Canada starting in July of 2025 at festivals alongside Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Bret Michaels, Foreigner, Streetheart & more. In addition to the exciting live shows, TOQUE will be touring in support of their new single “FIGHTERS” which will be released JULY 9th via DECM Group.
Previous singles include, “BROKEN” which debuted last fall, with the song’s energetic LIVE video. “Broken” was co-written by Honeymoon Suite’s - Derry Grehan. The band’s LIVE show staple, & Fan Favorite “Never Enough” is Featured in the # 1 Netflix film - AFTERMATH in 2025.
In June, TRIUMPH’s reunion show in Edmonton during Game 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final was backed by TOQUE’s Brent Fitz and Todd Kerns, along with our friend, Phil X of Bon Jovi. Since their inception in 2012, TOQUE’s live set includes classic hits by legendary Canadian Rock acts like April Wine, Loverboy, and Rush. Many of their shows also include Special Surprise Guest appearances including: Dallas Smith, Jeff Neill, Corb Lund, Jason McCoy, Darby Mills, Paul Dean, John Donnely.
When not on tour, writing, & producing with other Major acts, TOQUE’s members can be found in many eclectic projects. Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz call Las Vegas home, & appear regularly on Rock’s daily authoritarian program “The Eddie Trunk Show on Sirius XM. Brent Fitz is featured in the film “DEANER 89” playing the part of Dokken’s Jeff Pilson, and is currently touring with The Dead Daisies. Shane Gaalaas and Cory Churko, based in LA are the masters of all the band’s music videos. Cory also produces the band's material.
Ginger Lynn Allen went to California in 1982 to visit her ill grandfather. She decided to stay and found employment as a manager at a Musicland record store in Redlands. She had lived in a trailer in one of the worst parts of the city for almost a year when she answered an ad for figure models. This led to employment the same day and a layout in Penthouse magazine. Work in the adult-film industry soon followed. She worked in the industry from December 1983 through February 1986, making a total of 69 films (plus countless re-issues and compilations).
She retired, partially because the work was no longer fun and she had very little time off. That same year, she was approached by the FBI to testify on behalf of Traci Lords, who had just been exposed as having been underage during her years in the adult-film industry. She refused and was eventually arrested for tax evasion. Following her years in adult movies, she appeared in many “legit” films throughout the late 1980s and 1990s– most notably the “Vice Academy” films. She also starred in Metallica‘s music video “Turn the Page.” She has a son, who she gave birth to on March 24, 1996. She tours gentlemen’s clubs around the country, and signed a comeback deal with VCA Pictures in 1999.
Ginger is available for booking personal messages at Cameo.
One of the great jazz guitarists of his generation, Mike Stern has the unique ability to play with the finesse and lyricism of Jim Hall, the driving swing of Wes Montgomery and the turbulent, overdriven attack of Jimi Hendrix. Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, Stern revered all three of those guitar immortals, along with such potent blues guitarists as Albert and B.B. King. Aspects of those seminal influences can be heard in his playing on the 18 recordings he has released as a leader or in his acclaimed sideman work for Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, the Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorius, Steps Ahead, David Sanborn, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Joe Henderson and the all-star Four Generations of Miles band.
“When the idea was floated for this project, I asked a bunch of cats who worked with Jeff, like Randy Brecker, Dave Weckl and Bob Franceschini, and they all said, ‘He’s cool, he throws down, he can really get it going.’ And they’re right,” said Stern. “Jeff’s got a strong rhythmic groove and he comps really well on the Fender Rhodes, which is kind of his signature sound. And I feel like his music really comes more from soul music than smooth jazz. That Philly soul thing is definitely in some of his tunes on this record.”
One of the top guitarists in jazz since his breakthrough days with Miles Davis' celebrated comeback band of the early 1980s, Stern has earned the respect of colleagues and critics alike while also exerting a towering influence on a generation of aspiring players. A guitarist of formidable technique, he continues to awe and inspire six-string aficionados with his seamless blend of bebop facility, scorching rock intensity and uncommon lyricism. As Jon Chappell of Guitar magazine noted, “Stern is not only a magician of the fretboard but a heartfelt and mature composer of great depth.” By combining the legato approach of jazz saxophone greats like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson with a few touches from the rock camp (i.e., distortion and delay pedals along with some urgent string bending, courtesy of his boyhood blues heroes B.B. King and Buddy Guy), Stern has successfully fashioned a singular voice that comfortably occupies both rock and jazz worlds.
2009 saw the release of his Grammy-nominated Big Neighborhood, which found Stern with guitar heroes Eric Johnson and Steve Vai, trumpeter Randy Brecker and jamband godfathers Medeski, Martin & Wood on a few tracks.
Stern was presented with Guitar Player magazine’s Certified Legend Award on January 21, 2012. In June of that year, he released All Over the Place, which featured a delegation of high-caliber electric and acoustic bass players, including Esperanza Spalding, Richard Bona, Victor Wooten, Anthony Jackson, Dave Holland, Tom Kennedy, Will Lee and Victor Bailey. On 2014’s Eclectic, Stern went toe-to-toe with Texas guitar slinger Eric Johnson, cutting a wide stylistic swath on eleven originals while showcasing their mutual love of Jimi Hendrix on a cover of his slow blues classic, “Red House.” Recorded in three days at Johnson’s studio in Austin, Electric was hailed as “a dazzling outing from two formidable, well-matched guitar heroes” by Jazz Times magazine.
2024 found Mike on tour showcasing a brand new album "<a href="https://lnk.to/stuffhappensar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Echoes and Other Songs</a>", having just completed a run of shows in Asia, and is preparing a European tour. We were lucky enough to catch the dynamo on a short break to chat guitar heroes!
This was a rip-roaring good time! Mother and daughter had some spitfire, let me tell ya… As Paul McCartney’s stepmother and stepsister, we got all sorts of behind the scenes stories about early life with the Beatles, the McCartney household, and what things are like with that legacy these days. This will be one of the most entertaining hours you’ll enjoy online today!
Known around the world as Sir Paul McCartney’s step-mum, ‘Angie’ is a star in her own right and has all the correct ingredients: the name, the class, and the brass. She’s polite, flamboyant, has a sweet disposition and a potty mouth.
Ruth McCartney, originally a British musician, and the stepsister of Paul McCartney, is now an internet, digital and new media entrepreneur holding the title of CEO of McCartneyMultimedia.com, a creative digital agency with her husband Martin Nethercutt and mother Angie McCartney, in 1995.
Sure, many folks know Bob from Fast Times at Ridgemont High as Mike Damone, but lucky music fans might also catch Bob gigging with his band “Poppa’s Kitchen”. This man has quite a lengthy list of film and TV credits, and we rapped about what was going on his life in the days of the COVID pandemic.
Mickey Thomas is the owner of the soaring voice that propelled Starship through the decade of the 80’s. With his soulful and compelling vocals, Mickey has established himself as one of rock music’s most recognizable stars.
Mickey made his mark in 1976 as lead vocalist on the mega-hit “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” with The Elvin Bishop Band. In 1979, Mickey joined Jefferson Starship as the lead vocalist, after the departure of Grace Slick and Marty Balin, and recorded a string of hits including “Jane”, “No Way Out”, “Find Your Way Back”, “Stranger”, and “Layin It On The Line”.
Rod’s professional music career began as a founding member of the groundbreaking group the Dixie Dregs when, as a student at the University of Miami in Florida, he met Steve Morse, Andy West and Allen Sloan. The university was a hotbed of musical activity during this period, playing host to brilliant future talents like Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Danny Gottlieb, T Lavitz and Bruce Hornsby. Playing under the official Studio Music and Jazz curriculum title of Rock Ensemble II, the Dregs honed their fusionesque chops. It was here that the band recorded its classic Great Spectacular album now available on CD.
His unique, dynamic and musical drumming style has led to Rod’s winning the Best Progressive Rock Drummer award in Modern Drummer Magazine’s Reader’s Poll 5 years in a row (1986-1990) and Best All-Around Drummer (1999), earning him a permanent position in the magazine’s prestigious Honor Roll.
When the group temporarily disbanded in 1983, Rod joined forces with Steve Morse who, along with bassist Jerry Peek, formed the Steve Morse Band. Rod remembers, “One of our biggest breaks came when we had the opportunity to tour for 3 months with Rush on their 1985-1986 Power Windows tour. I felt a surge of popularity, both as a band and as a drummer, as a result of performing night after night in sold out arenas packed with appreciative progressive-rock fans. And it was more than obvious that many of them were drummers.”
The Steve Morse Band recorded two albums, at which point Rod found himself at a crossroad in his career, as Steve Morse joined the reforming group Kansas. “I was ready for a musical change and to try something both new and challenging.”
Within a year of moving to New York City in 1986 after living in and around Atlanta, Georgia, for the previous 11 years, Rod met Kip Winger and Reb Beach, namesake and lead guitarist of the as-of-then-non-existent band Winger.
The rest is history! Their self-titled debut album in 1988 sold over two million copies worldwide, earning the band a platinum album in the U.S. and gold albums in Japan and Canada. It also led to an American Music Award nomination for Best New Heavy Metal Band. This album was followed by In the Heart of the Young and, once again, platinum and gold awards were in the offing, coupled with non-stop international touring.
The band ceased activities in 1993 after touring for the highly acclaimed Pull recording, as dramatic changes were taking place in the music scene. Alternative music had replaced metal as the accepted music of the day.
In 2002, WInger reunited for a summer tour with Poison, CInderella and Faster Pussycat in support of ‘The Very Best of Winger’, a greatest hits collection. And in 2006, the band released the critically acclaimed, ‘Winger IV’, followed by tours in Europe, US, Japan and Australia.
In addition to his recording and touring credits, Rod is very active in drum education. He is currently a Professor of Percussion at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. Also, his highly recognized instructional materials include videos, audio cassettes and books. His most recent offering is Drum Set Warm-Ups, touted as the definitive text for developing and improving all aspects of drum set playing. Additionally, Rod has been a columnist for Modern Drummer Magazine (U.S.), Rhythm Magazine (UK), Sticks Magazine (Germany) and is an international clinician and involved with product development for Sabian Cymbals (Signature Tri-Top Ride), and Vic Firth Sticks (Signature Sticks and Isolation Headphones), with whom he has been an endorser for many, many years.
All Access Live with Kevin Rankin is BACK — and this time, we’re turning up the volume with an iconic guest straight out of the ’80s!
Join us LIVE for an unforgettable conversation with Dale Bozzio, the fearless, fabulous frontwoman of Missing Persons — the voice behind hits like “Words,” “Destination Unknown,” and “Walking in L.A.”
Expect stories from the golden age of MTV, behind-the-scenes tales of the L.A. music scene, fashion that broke boundaries, and a whole lotta glam!
Whether you’re a diehard Missing Persons fan or just love a wild ride through music history, you won’t want to miss this one.
All Access Live was honored to share the air with the legendary right-hand man to guitar god Eddie Van Halen, Mr. Tom Weber. Geoff Metts will co-host this event, and will be discussing the forthcoming in-store appearance by Mr. Weber.
Tom’s reflection upon Eddie’s passing: “Above all else, he was a force that changed the world. He brought us inspiration to be better today than we were yesterday, to strive for perfection and a sense of pride & accomplishment in ourselves as players and as people.”
Tom has seen the glory and hardships of what this industry can bring. Aside from sharing stories and anecdotes about those experiences, he champions Eddie’s mantra to “just play.” We play, we teach, we pick up the torch and light the spark, no matter how brightly our fire can shine.
While Kip Winger has arrived at the highest level of achievement possible for an orchestral composer, his professional journey has been utterly unpredictable and remarkable for its diverse musical path.
Early in his career, Kip toured as a bass player with rock legend Alice Cooper, moving on to perform and record with Alan Parsons (as the lead singer for Alan Parsons’ Live Project), Roger Daltrey, Bob Dylan, and Twisted Sister. In 2012, London’s Classic Rock Magazine called Kip Winger “one of the most gifted composers and arrangers in the rock genre” and praised his “compulsion to experiment”.
After establishing his hugely successful, eponymous band — which sold millions of albums and charted six Top‐40 radio singles — Kip started writing and producing music without limits. “It was incredibly freeing to connect to music without any preconceived ideas about what it needed to be or what niche it needed to fill”. It is in Kip’s solo work (This Conversation seems like a Dream, Songs from the Ocean Floor, From the Moon to the Sun) that he has been able to exercise the breadth of his talents as a composer.
Kip always knew he had to turn his attention back to his first loves: classical music and ballet. He studied composition with Richard Danielpour, Michael Kurek and Richard Hermann. Since then, his works have been commissioned and performed by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Sun River Music Festival in Oregon, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra in Greece. Teacher Michael Kurek has publicly praised Kip for “his great ear and innate musical sensitivity… beautifully crafted phrases and nuance”.
Kip Winger’s score for the ballet Ghosts, written for string orchestra, piano and harp, is one of the most celebrated contemporary ballet scores in performance today. Championed by the world‐renowned and Tony‐award‐winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, Ghosts was part of the San Francisco Ballet’s repertoire from 2010 to 2014, with performances at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, London’s Sadler’s Wells, and the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. In 2010, Ghosts was nominated for the Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music/Sound/Text. Ballet Austin and the Austin Symphony Orchestra included ‘Ghosts’ as part of their Valentine’s Day weekend performance in 2020, alongside Stravinsky’s Rubies by Balanchine.
In 2016, Kip recorded Winger: Conversations with Nijinsky with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. The album, which included music from Ghosts, reached #1 on Billboard’s Traditional Classical Chart and was nominated for a Grammy in 2017 for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Tamara Nijinsky said at the opening performance of Conversations with Nijinsky, “Kip Winger has captured my father’s heart and soul… and reminds us of my father’s genius with his own work”.
His band, Winger, continues to record and tour and their 2014 album Better Days Comin’ entered at #4 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums Chart and at #85 on Billboard’s Top 200. Winger’s 7th album Seven, released on May 5, 2023, entered at #21 on Billboard’s Top Current Album Sales. To support the new album, Winger has been touring the US, Japan and Europe.
Kip Winger also made his theatrical composing debut with Get Jack, A Musical Thriller, which is currently on development stage and was presented in concert in New York in October 2019. The album entered at #7 on Billboard’s Cast Albums.
Kip has forged an ongoing relationship with the Nashville Symphony, his hometown orchestra since settling in Music City in 2002. The ensemble’s music director Giancarlo Guerrero persuaded Winger to write his first symphony, Atonement, which the Nashville Symphony premiered in March 2022. His newly commissioned violin concerto will premiere in May 2025 and shortly after, the Nashville Symphony will release a CD of these two pieces on Naxos.
