Don Cornelius (September 27, 1936 – February 1, 2012)

The cultural impact that Don Cornelius' Soul Train had on people was enormous. It gave them a peek into the lives of R&B musicians and their art-form which was broadly categorized as soul.

Don's vision was nothing less than extraordinary. Soul Train allowed CHIC to have access to the American national TV audience, allowing us into anybody's home, in any neighborhood, and on any street in the country.

At first it was no secret that he wasn't a huge fan of our music because we'd been labeled as disco, but over time we gained his respect. We appeared on Soul Train quite a bit and in the end Don said we were Part of the Soul Train Family.

CHIC - 'Le Freak' by gralu1
At first it was no secret that he wasn't a huge fan of our music, but in the end we were Part of the Soul Train Family

 

The Jackson 5 on Soul Train

David Bowie on Soul Train

Parliament Funkadelic on Soul Train

Ike & Tina Turner on Soul Train

Al Green on Soul Train

Barry White on Soul Train

The Fresh Prince, Will Smith on Soul Train

Montreux Jazz tribute to Ahmet Ertegün :: (Ben E. King, Ahmet Ertegün, Me, Robert Plant, Sylver Logan Sharp, Paolo Nutini, Stevie Nicks and friends)

Two days ago I was told about a video that I'd never seen before. It was from the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival. It was a tribute to Ahmet Ertegün, founder and legendary chairman of Atlantic Records.

This was the label that first signed my group CHIC. Many super acts were signed to Atlantic, and one night in Switzerland many of us came together to support the label's founder.

Stevie Nicks, Robert Plant, Ben E. King, Steve Winwood, Solomon Burke, Paolo Nutini, CHIC and a few others rocked for two days. Me and George Duke were co-music directors.

Shortly after this show Ahmet had an accidental fall that he never recovered from. Though I didn't know it at the time, this would be one of my Life's Most Important Nights.

One of my Life's Most Important Nights

 

Stevie Nicks

Robert Plant

Ben E. King

Steve Winwood

Solomon Burke

Paolo Nutini

CHIC

George Duke, my co-musical director for this tribute to Ahmet Ertegün - one of my Life's Most Important Nights

Today and tomorrow the local temperature will start to climb almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal

Today and tomorrow the local temperature will start to climb almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Since the end of fall, where ever I've been, the average temperature has been well above normal.

Last year at this time it was a Winter Wonderland in my area, but most of this year's winter I can drive with the top down. Maybe the warmest summer of my life will be The Winter of 2012?

This is what it was like in Bremen, Germany near the start of Winter - it looks like summer outside

Last year at this time, in Central Park, it was a Winter Wonderland

Last year at this time, this was my backyard at Le Crib

Last year at this time, this was Compo Beach in Westport, CT

Most of this year's winter, I can drive with the top down

This is what it was like on a day of record warmth a couple months ago

NO FAIR! 2 weeks ago, this is what it was like - but I was in Turks and Caicos, and it's supposed to be warm

Maybe the warmest summer of my life will be The Winter of 2012?

Me and Katie Couric at a charity gig

I have a few guitars that I love but sometimes fly a little under the radar because they are not on many records. I do play them a lot on live gigs. I've played charity concerts for many years and that's usually where I get to play a lot of 12 String Guitars.

A Rickenbacker 12 String Signed by Sting, Lenny Kravitz and more after I played it on a Beatles tribute

I've played this Fender Electric XII on a number of live gigs

On many live gigs I've played this Gibson Songwriter Deluxe 12 String Acoustic

I played this Rickenbacker 620 -12 string guitar at Katie Couric's charity

I played this Rickenbacker 330 - 12 with Mickey Dolenz at a charity

January 29, 2012
Many people wrote me that yesterday's post had a lot of content. I'm not sure that everybody could get through all of it in one day. For the folks who did I've added a few new items, for those who didn't you can still do so today. A little More We Are Family Style. ~NR

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan giving up We Are Family Style

Life is a series of ups and downs. A little over a year ago I had a very low point when I was attacked by aggressive prostate cancer.

In 1990, I worked on a project that, like life, was filled with many ups and downs. It was called Family Style by the Vaughan Brothers. It was the only studio album by Stevie Ray and his brother Jimmie.

Most of the album was a series of highs - but the low was the lowest of all possible lows, the death of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

This project not only brought the two brothers closer, our entire crew had a unique kinship and a certain We Are Family Style.

The Vaughan Brothers in the studio right before Stevie's death. He's playing my factory Gold Plated Strat at the end of the clip.
Uploaded by SRVMusicVideo

 

The Vaughan Bros during Family Style at Ardent Studio in Memphis' control room

Stevie taking a pool break during the recording of Family Style

Al Berry, Jimmie and me listening back to Al's bass track

Rich Hilton and Michael Vasquez in a fun moment

Jimmie and me in an artist producer moment

Stevie, me and Jimmie having an artists producer moment

Vaughan Brothers "Family Style"

NEW PICS ADDED JANUARY 29, 2012

Jimmie, legendary bluesman Booker T. Laury (who didn't believe I was the producer until I gave him a handful a new 100 dollar bills) and Stevie

A We Are Family Style Photo with blues legend Booker T. Laury

Stevie Ray, who was always the jokester, and bassist Al Berry

As I was saying - Stevie the jokester

When I left for work I knew to expect the unexpected

When I left for work I knew to expect the unexpected. I don't often talk about my record label and my distribution company because it's very specific and generally, lay people wouldn't find it interesting.

Today is a little different because in Electronic Gaming Monthly, I have half of the 12 Most Anticipated Games for 2012's soundtracks. This Is Cool.

Electronic Gaming Monthly 12 for 2012 issue

I have Darksiders 2

I have Hitman Absolution

I Have Borderlands 2

I have Halo 4

I don't think that lay people would be interested in Red Faction in Red Vinyl

I don't think lay people would be interested in Halo Combat Evolved on Vinyl

As with everything in my life, I'm taking this to the next level because This is Cool

Sheila, me, and Gold Epiphone 295 in Le Crib

Last night after spending the day filming with French super-star Sheila, I went to the Grammy Nominee's party. I saw lots of great artists and lots of friends both old and new.

Just before I was leaving my studio to go to the party, I found a treasure trove of pictures from Stevie Ray Vaughan's last project Family Style. It was his one and only album with his brother Jimmie Vaughan.

It's an album that I produced and will never get over the sorrow of losing Stevie during this project. I can't tell you how much I love these two great musicians and people.

Over the next few months I'll share the pictures and many stories about Family Style - but for now Let's Just Take a Look.

Sheila & Me in the kitchen at Le Crib

Sheila & Me at Le Crib filming on a sunny day

Me at Grammy Nominees party

Me & New York Chapter Vice President Nicki Richards

Me & Jimmy Jam

Stevie Ray Vaughan - The breakfast of champions

The core band of the Vaughan Brothers Family Style project

Part of the Vaughan Brothers guitar arsenal

More parts of the Vaughan Brothers' guitar arsenal

Jimmie Vaughan playing guitar on Family Style

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Jimmie Vaughan playing on Family Style

Renee & Stevie gaming

Today I'll be participating in a film about French superstar Sheila

Today I will be participating in a film about the French super star Sheila. She will be at Le Crib Studio filming most of the day.

I've owned this little place for about thirty years and many interesting people have come here. Diana Ross has been here, as well as Blondie's Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. Irene Cara, Gene Simmons, Simon Le Bon, Mark, Samantha, and Charlotte Ronson, Madonna Ciccone, Paolo Nutini, Ashford and Simpson, Luther Vandross and many others.

When the CHIC Organization wrote music for the Sheila album "King Of The World," much of it was composed in this studio. Now, after thirty-two years, Sheila Is Here!

Chic - London Forum, Nov 2011, Spacer by tricketts

 

Sheila and B. Devotion "King of the World" (HOVER OVER THE DOTS!)

 

(HOVER OVER THE DOTS!)

One of the many Dragons in My Life on a vase in front of a Mapplethorpe of me

Yesterday was the beginning of the Chinese New Year. This year is the Year of the Dragon. I was born in a Dragon year. Symbolically, the Dragon is considered the luckiest year in the Chinese zodiac.

When I was younger, I studied many types of Kung Fu systems. One of my temples participated in the annual Dragon Dance as part of the Chinese New Year celebration.

There are many Dragons in my life. I have never consciously thought about it, somehow I've just have been drawn to them. Here are some of the many Dragons in My Life.

One of the Many Dragons in My Life on a lampshade in my living room

One of the many Dragons in My Life on a Chinese console in my living room

One of the Many Dragons in My Life in the office of the president of Drexel University

Doing morning Kung Fu exercise in Turks and Caicos a few days ago

Dragon Dance in New York

A tight shot of me doing my morning exercise yesterday - I was doing what I remember of the Dragon Dance

One of Many Dragons in My Life Wood and Metal Carving in my dining room

Here I'm performing live with my 1959/60 Stratocaster nicknamed The Hitmaker

"The Hitmaker" is the nickname of my 1959/60 Fender Stratocaster guitar. It's the workhorse of my stable. I've calculated that it's performed on more than two billion dollars worth of music.

However, there is another guitar hero in my herd. It's my plexiglass Guitarman and it usually stands-in for The Hitmaker in videos and TV appearances. It doesn't get the credit it deserves because it's a great sounding instrument, but its main role is to play The Hitmaker's Body Double.

My current stable of guitars

My plexiglass Guitarman Strat

Hover over the image and click on the dots

Performing LIVE where the Guitarman is the Body Double