Alexis Davis vs Jessica Eye added to UFC 170

The UFC announced last night that Alexis Davis will face Jessica Eye on UFC 170 Feb. 22 in Las Vegas. This will be headlined by Ronda Rousey defending the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship against Sara McMann. Chances are pretty good that the winner of this fight could be in line for a title shot after Cat Zingano gets her title shot when she returns in the spring. Alexis is from Port Colborne, ON which is between St. Catherines and Niagara Falls. But she now trains at Cesar Gracie in California. She is on a four fight winning streak and has won her first two UFC fights. Alexis can be very strong on the ground but she is also error prone. Though she won her first UFC fight over Rosi Sexton, she almost beat herself in the first round by trying too hard and too long to hook a triangle choke from bottom position. That's a rookie mistake and she should know better. I thought she performed a lot better in her last win over Liz Carmouche. Alexis needs to avoid mistakes to win. Jessica trains at Strong Style in Cleveland. She won her UFC debut by split decision over Sarah Kaufman. I actually scored it a draw. She needs to avoid the third round fade that we saw in that fight. She acknowledged it so I am sure she is working on it. Jessica is mainly a striker and I don't think we have ever seen her grappling tested. That's something Alexis should exploit. But a couple of years ago in Strikeforce, Alexis chose to trade strikes with Sarah Kaufman and didn't take Sarah down until the third round. Alexis lost the first two rounds. She can't make that same mistake in this fight. She needs to play to her own strengths and not trade punches with a striker. That could be the key to this fight.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Terri Clark

Artist:Terri Clark
Song:Girls Lie Too
Album:Greatest Hits 1994-2004





Terri Clark is frequently compared to fellow Canadian Shania Twain. But Terri is more typical of The Nashville Sound and takes fewer risks. She had success in the 90s and Girls Don't Lie was her second number one country hit in 2004. She was born Terri Lynn Sauson Aug. 5, 1968 in Montreal and grew up in Medicine Hat, AB. Her grandparents Ray and Betty Gauthier were country music artists and would frequently open for touring big name acts. Terri's mother was a folksinger. When mom remarried, Terri took her stepfather's surname Clark. Terri moved to Nashville after graduating high school and played local clubs for several years. When veteran music exec Keith Stegall moved to Mercury Records in 1994, he signed Terri to a record deal. Her producer was Chris Waters, brother of country singer Holly Dunn. He wrote and produced her first single Better Things To Do and it reached #3 on the Country Singles chart. She had other top ten hits including her cover of the Warren Zevon classic Poor Poor Pitiful Me. She finally had her first number one country hit with You're Easy On The Eyes in 1998. For her 2000 album Fearless, Terri switched producers to session guitarist Steuart Smith. He is currently a member of Eagles. She didn't have a hit single from that album. So for her 2003 CD Pain To Kill, she switched to producer Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw) and scored two top ten singles. Girls Lie Too was a bonus track on Greatest Hits 1994-2004. It was Terri's second number one country hit. It was written by Connie Harrington, Kelley Lovelace and Tim Nichols. Lovelace works a lot with Brad Paisley. Harrington co-wrote the Lee Brice hit She Drives My Truck and Nichols has worked with Tim McGraw. Greatest Hits is available as a budget CD. Terri left Mercury for BNA/Sony in 2006. She released a couple of singles but her album was never released. She left to start her own label BareTracks distributed by EMI. Terri's latest CD Classic where she records covers and some duets was released in Canada Nov. 2012. It was not released in the US. She is currently working on a new CD for 2014 release. I don't expect Terri Clark to return to the top of the country charts again. But she's still a decent tour draw especially in Canada. Here's the video for Girls Lie Too by Terri Clark. The girl in the video is singer LaTresa Smith. And that is not Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow. It is the video director Shaun Silva. And watch for a surprise cameo at the end of the video.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Randy Travis

Artist:Randy Travis
Song:I Told You So
Album:I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits Of Randy Travis




In the 80s, country music was in an Urban Cowboy hangover until neo-traditionalist Randy Travis became the biggest country music star of the 80s. He had several number one hits including I Told You so in 1988. Travis faded in the 90s after Garth Brooks became a big star and turned to acting. He is currently recovering from health problems. He was born Randy Traywick May 4, 1959 in Marshville, NC. His dad was a big country music fan and Randy and his brother Ricky performed in local clubs as The Traywick Brothers. Both were juvenile delinquents. Ricky went to jail and Randy almost went to jail for burglary. He won a local talent contest and the club owner Lib Hatcher became his manager. They would marry in 1991 and divorce in 2010. She was married when they first met. He recorded as Randy Traywick for Paula Records in 1978. That went nowhere so Lib left her husband and she and Travis moved to Nashville in 1982. She managed The Nashville Palace and Travis worked as a cook. His demos were not received well. Record companies thought he was too country. As Randy Ray, he released a live album Live At The Nashville Palace and that got him a deal with Warner Bros. exec Keith Stegall and producer Kyle Lehning. Warners suggested the name change to Randy Travis. Travis' 1986 debut album Storms Of Life got off to a slow start but the number one country hits On The Other Hands and Diggin' Up Bones led to the album being certified 3XPlatinum. His second album Always and Forever did even better. Forever and Ever Amen, I Won't Need You Anymore, Too Gone Too Long and I Told You So all topped the country charts. Though Forever and Ever Amen is probably Travis' signature song. I Told You So is right up there. Travis wrote the song and performed it in his act before he signed with Warners. Fan demand convinced him to record it. I Told You so got a big boost when American Idol winner Carrie Underwood covered it on her 2007 album Carnival Ride. Carrie said it is her favourite Randy Travis song. She then recorded a duet of the song with Travis and they performed it on a 2009 episode of American Idol. After 15 number one hits, Travis faded in the early 90s and turned to acting. He did a lot of guest shots on TV shows. He appeared several times on Touched By An Angel. Travis left Warners for DreamWorks in 1998. After two albums there, he signed with the gospel label Word Records and had his final number one hit with Three Wooden Crosses in 2003. Travis returned to Warners when they bought Word and his latest CD Influence Vol. 1: The Man I Am was released Oct. 2013. This 2CD budget comp has all of Travis' hits. Travis was arrested for DUI in Aug. 2012 and in July 2013, he was taken to hospital and suffered a stroke. After brain surgery, Travis is in recovery. It isn't known if he will be able to return to singing. He did appear in the recent Lifetime movie Christmas in the Bayou. Here's the video of I Told You So by Randy Travis.

Ronda Rousey successfully defends UFC Bantamweight Championship over Miesha Tate

As is the custom here on the Big Bad Blog, I have the video of last night's UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship match between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. Before the fight, Miesha kept talking about knocking Ronda out. But Miesha has never knocked anyone out. It just seemed delusional to me. She's not that good a striker. My old buddy Zack Arnold of Fight Opinion suggested that Miesha could get on The Condit Bicycle that Carlos Condit used to beat Nick Diaz. And I think Miesha keeping away from Ronda and the theory is to tire her out in the late rounds was their strategy. Some people think that because all of Ronda's fights had ended in round one that she isn't prepared to go five rounds. Ronda proved them all wrong. They were also thinking that if Miesha got top position on the ground, Miesha could control Ronda and wear her out. That didn't work either. And playing head games with Ronda was never going to work either. I don't know why they thought that would work. So when trying to outpunch Ronda in round one didn't work, it inevitably went to the ground. Ronda wasn't able to find Miesha's arm but she pounded her and bloodied her nose. And when Miesha got top position, Ronda was active from her guard and peppered Miesha with elbows. Did you see that recent video of Ronda training with the Gracie brothers? They worked on working from the bottom position. Ronda wins round one 10-9. Between rounds, Bryan Caraway tells Miesha their strategy is working and Ronda is tired. Boy, did they get a rude awakening. Ronda seemed fresher in round two and Miesha seemed to tire by the end of the round. She was constantly on the defensive and her efforts to get out of predicaments were taking their toll. Ronda almost hooked an armbar but Miesha turned at the last second to avoid it. Ronda wins round two 10-9. But Miesha was softened up enough that it didn't take long in round three for Ronda to take Miesha down and use some of her little tricks to get Miesha in the armbar. It's all over. Miesha put on a good show but was clearly outclassed. They won Fight Of The Night and Ronda won Submission Of The Night. Miesha offered a handshake but not surprisingly, Ronda refused. She thinks Miesha is fake and insincere. Why would Ronda think Miesha was sincere now? And of course there is her loyalty to her trainer Edmond Tarverdyan. I thought the booing after that was very funny. When I hear that, I see big money. Ronda doesn't care if the fans boo. Afterwards, UFC president Dana White announced that Ronda will defend the title against Sara McMann at UFC 170 Feb. 22 in Las Vegas. It's an easy match to sell because Sara is an Olympic medalist in wrestling. But she needs to be more aggressive to have any hope of beating Ronda. And we saw in this fight that Ronda's striking has improved, she knows how to work from the bottom and she doesn't get tired after one round. That doesn't seem like a good omen for future opponents. Cat Zingano will still get a title shot when she returns in the spring. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lou Rawls

Artist:Lou Rawls
Song:You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine
Album:The Very Best Of Lou Rawls: You'll Never Find Another



Frank Sinatra once said that Lou Rawls has "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game". That says it all. Rawls started out in gospel and after some success in the 60s, he had his biggest hit with You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine in 1976. He was born Dec. 1, 1933 in Chicago. He was raised by his grandmother and grew up singing in church. in 1951, Rawls replaced Sam Cooke in the Highway QCs when Cooke left to join The Soul Stirrers. Then Rawls moved to Los Angeles to join The Pilgrim Travelers. After a three year stint in the US Army, Rawls rejoined The Pilgrim Travelers in 1958. After a serious car crash, Rawls was in a coma for five days. But he did recover and signed with Capitol Records in 1962. He recorded jazz at first. In 1966, he recorded the album Soulin' and Love Is A Hurtin' Thing was his first number one R & B hit. He left Capitol for MGM in 1971 and hit the pop top twenty in 1971 with Natural Man. Rawls also recorded for Bell and Polydor before signing with producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and their label Philadelphia International. Their magic touch gave him his biggest hit You'll Never Find Another Love Like mine which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's Rawls biggest hit and you can get all of his hits on this comp. Rawls recorded for Gamble and Huff until he left for Blue Note in 1989. Those were more jazz oriented and served to complement his live performances. Rawls was the long time spokesman for the annual United Negro College Fund telethon. And with that deep voice, he did a lot of voice over work. And he was the host of BET's Jazz Central. Lou Rawls died of cancer on Jan. 6, 2006 at age 72. Here's Lou Rawls performing You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine on The Midnight Special 1976.

Mika Nagano, Yasuko Mogi announce retirements from MMA

Yasuko Mogi, Mika Nagano, Shigeru Saeki

DEEP JEWELS fighter Mika Nagano celebrates her 30th birthday tomorrow. Today she announced her retirement plans. Nagano was a celebrated high school and college wrestler. But her MMA career never panned out. It seemed like every time she gained momentum and put together a string of wins, she would lose and have to climb the ladder all over again. And there was also the thinking that she was too pretty to be a fighter. Those who said that didn't understand that she had been a wrestler since she was a child. After Mika's recent loss to Emi Tomimatsu as part of the DEEP JEWELS Lightweight Championship tournament, she decided to quit on her 30th birthday. Daily Sports reports that Mika will also retire from pro wrestling at STARDOM. She only worked there once this year but she was still on their roster. She will have an exhibition match against an opponent TBA on the Feb. 16 DEEP JEWELS show. Mika says she will continue to teach wrestling to children at CORE. She just says that now is the time to go. Remember some fighters don't know when to quit. Yasuko Mogi announced she is retiring as an active fighter which is no big deal because she was a terrible fighter. But she also announced that she is leaving her position as DEEP JEWELS matchmaker. That means fighters have no choice but to deal with Shigeru Saeki if they want to work for DEEP JEWELS. Don't be surprised if Mogi resurfaces with PANCRASE or VTJ and raids the DEEP JEWELS roster. DEEP JEWELS also added two more fights to the Feb. 16 show. In the Open Weight division, Shizuka Sugiyama will face Mizuho Sato. Sugiyama last fight was a draw against Ji Yun Kim on the Nov. 24 DEEP show. At the press conference, Sugiyama admitted her performance was terrible. She normally fights at 135lb. Sato usually fights at 145lb. She's been inactive for a couple of years. Sato now trains at Top Jiu Jitsu. Her record is 6-5-1. She was a regular at Valkyrie. But her only fight since they closed was a draw against Kyoko Kimura on the Jan. 28, 2012 PANCRASE show. Sugiyama should be the favourite but what if she stinks out the joint again. In a fight contracted for 53kg, Sachiko Fujimori will face the debuting Shiori Hori. Hori trains at K-style. Fujimori trains at Brightness Monma. She is 2-0 and won a split decision over Megumi Sugimoto on the Nov. 4 DEEP JEWELS show. That's the fight where the judges were yelling at each other after the decision. Stay tuned as more fights are added to this show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Debra Monk

Artist:Debra Monk
Song:Everybody's Girl
Album:Broadway Scene Stealers: The Women




When Debra Monk appears on TV or in films, she tends to fade into the background like a lot of character actors. But her first love is the Broadway stage and she is a Tony winner and she was nominated for her performance in the 1997 show Steel Pier. Everybody's Girl is a show stopper. She is also an Emmy nominee. She was born Feb. 27, 1949 in Middletown, OH. She went to high school in Silver Springs, MD and graduated from Frostburg State University in Maryland. Then she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. After moving to New York, she worked as a secretary while attending auditions. She started writing with her co-worker Cass Morgan and the end result was the 1982 hit Broadway show Pump Boys and Dinettes. Though the show was a hit, it was an ensemble piece. It didn't make Debra a star and she returned to off-Broadway shows. She returned to Broadway in the 1990 show Prelude To A Kiss and made her film debut in the 1992 film of the play. Then she won a Tony for the 1993 play Redwood Curtain and also appeared in the 1995 TV movie of the play. The 1997 show Steel Pier was written by the legendary team of John Kander and Fred Ebb who have written Cabaret among other shows. It was supposed to be a tribute to the Warner Bros. movie musicals of the 30s. The show only ran for two months and was critically panned. But performances by Karen Ziemba and Debra Monk were praised and both received Tony nominations. There was an original cast CD but it is out of print. But you can get Debra's performance of Everybody's Girl on this various artists budget CD compiled by Playbill and released by Sony Classical. Debra was nominated for an Emmy in 1999 for playing the recurring role of Katie Sipowicz in NYPD Blue. And she has had a recurring role on Grey's Anatomy. And she was a regular on the A&E series A Nero Wolfe Mystery. Debra got another Tony nomination for the 2007 show Curtains. Her latest role is as Big Mama in the 2013 Broadway revival of Cat On A Hot In Roof starring Scarlett Johansson. She will celebrate her 65th birthday on Feb. 24, 2014 with a special show to benefit Broadway Cares. Victor Garber and Andrea Martin are among those appearing on this show. This just shows that some great performers are underneath the radar. Maybe Debra Monk prefers that. Here's Debra Monk performing Everyobody's Girl on the 1999 PBS special My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Laurie Johnson

Artist:Laurie Johnson
Song:Theme From The Avengers
Album:Cult TV Themes By Laurie Johnson





British film music composer Laurie Johnson is best known for the theme from the 60s TV series The Avengers. He has written other TV themes and film scores. He was born Feb. 7, 1927 in Hampstead, England. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London and started out as an arranger for Ted Heath and other bands. Johnson was an arranger and producer for Pye Records in the 50s and he started composing film scores for director J. Lee Thompson like the 1957 film Tiger Bay. He also was Bernard Herrmann's assistant on several Ray Harryhausen films including Jason & The Argonauts. Johnson replaced Herrmann and wrote the score for the 1964 film The First Men in the Moon. He also wrote the score for the Stanley Kubrick classic Dr. Strangelove. And he composed music for TV shows like Top Secret. The Avengers TV series had already been around for three seasons starring Canadian actor Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman. Blackman was replaced by Diana Rigg in 1965 and ITV sold the show to ABC. Johnson was asked to write a new theme for The Avengers and like a lot of TV themes, it has a cult following. You can get several of Johnson's TV themes on this CD. When Diana Rigg was replaced by Canadian actress Linda Thorson in 1969, Johnson wrote a slightly abridged theme. And he also composed the theme and was a producer on the series The New Avengers. Johnson wrote the music for the 1977 TV series The Professionals. When The Avengers was turned into a 1998 film, Johnson was music consultant. Laurie Johnson formed The London Big Band in 1997 and continues to tour England today. Here's a video for Theme From The Avengers by Laurie Johnson.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Juliette Greco

Artist:Juliette Greco
Song:Je Suis Comme Je Suis
Album:Je Suis Comme Je Suis





Though she is unknown here in North America, Juliette Greco is a chanson legend in France and also a successful actress. Je Suis Comme Je Suis is one of her earlier hits from the 50s. She became a big star and moved to Hollywood and was an even bigger star in France when she moved back in the 60s. She was born Feb. 7 ,1927 in Montpelier, France. Her parents divorced and she was raised by her maternal grandparents. She moved to Paris at age 15 and befriended several artists and adopted a bohemian lifestyle. One of those friends was legendary existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre. She was an aspiring singer so Sartre sent her to Hungarian born composer Joseph Kosma. Kosma was mainly a composer of film music. But he also wrote songs with lyricist Jacques Prevert and worked with a few singers including Yves Montand. Juliette made her recording debut in 1949. At the same time, she fell in love with Miles Davis who was living in Paris at the time. He wanted to get married but she didn't want to leave France. He moved back to New York. Juliette recorded Je Suis Comme Je Suis in 1951 and it has become one of her signature songs. Juliette was also acting in films and was cast in the 1957 20th Century Fox film The Sun Also Rises. She remained in Hollywood after meeting and falling in love with 20th Century Fox head Darryl Zanuck. She made a few films and returned to Paris after her relationship with Zanuck ended in 1961. In the 60s, she was one of the most popular performers in France both on records and in films. In the 70s, her music career was stalled by record company problems. She left Philips for Barclay. That didn't work out and after she got her release from Barclay, she moved to RCA. This 2CD Universal comp covers Juliette's entire career. Juliette Greco still performs and records. Her latest CD Juliette Greco Sings Brel was released Oct. 2013. Her most recent film appearance was in the 2009 British film An Education. Here's Juliette Greco performing Je Suis Comme Je Suis on the 1965 TV special Greco 65. This video is not on Youtube.
Juliette Gréco: Je suis comme je suis (Live 1965) by sylvainsyl

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steve Allen

Artist:Steve Allen
Song:This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
Album:Steve Allen's 75th Birthday Celebration




Steve Allen is probably best known as the man who invented the late night talk show as the first host of The Tonight Show. But he was also an accomplished jazz pianist and composer and a big advocate for jazz musicians. He wrote This Could Be The Start Of Something Big and it became his theme song. He was born Dec. 26, 1921 and was raised in Chicago by his vaudeville performer mother. Allen moved to Los Angeles after WWII and hosted his own radio show. Then he got into TV on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and then What's My Line?. Allen signed with Brunswick Records in 1953 but was too busy to record most of the time. Allen wrote This Could Be The Start Of Something Big for the 1954 TV show The Bachelor. He first hosted The Steve Allen Show in New York in 1954. NBC took it national as Tonight Starring Steve Allen in 1956. He made This Could Be The Start Of Something Big the opening theme and it became Allen's theme song. Lots of folks have recorded it, most famously Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme. Allen did record a jazz version of the song. That's not available. But you can get it on this CD of a 1998 PBS TV special celebrating his 75th birthday. Vibraphonist Terry Gibbs and Allen's wife Jayne Meadows appear on the CD. Allen left The Tonight Show for the prime time The Steve Allen Show in 1957. But he always had that musical side though he was mainly known as a TV star. Steve Allen died on Oct. 30, 2000 at age 78. Here's Steve Allen with Ann Southern, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme, Dinah Shore and Frank Sinatra performing This Could Be The Start Of Something Big on a 1958 episode of The Steve Allen Show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bobby Pinson

Artist:Bobby Pinson
Song:Don't Ask Me How I Know
Album:Man Like Me





All Nashville songwriters want to be country music stars. Some achieve that and some don't. Bobby Pinson had a top 20 country hit with his 2005 debut single Don't Ask Me How I Know. But he faded quickly and has gone back to songwriting. Pinson was born in Tulsa, OK but he grew up in Texas. His big influence growing up was legendary songwriter Shel Silverstein. But he as also acknowledged Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle as influences. He played high school football. His father was coach. After graduation, he was in the US Army for three years and started playing in bands in California where he was stationed. He met songwriter Larry Boone who suggested Pinson move to Nashvile which he did in 1996. In 1999 he got a publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music. Among those who have charted recording Pinson's songs are McHayes, Marty Stuart and Trent Wilmon. Pinson was spotted at a showcase by producer Joe Scaife and that got him a record deal with RCA Records. Man Like Me was his 2005 debut CD. Don't Ask Me How I Know reached #16 on the Country Singles chart. Pinson wrote the song with Bart Butler and Brett Jones. Pinson wrote most of the songs on the album. When subsequent singles didn't do as well, RCA dropped him. Pinson recorded a CD in 2007. But mostly, he has returned to songwriting. He has written frequently with Sugarland and Toby Keith. and he has written songs for Tracy Lawrence, Trent Tomlinson and more recently for Emerson Drive and Aaron Lewis. He was 2009 BMI Songwriter of the Year. Pinson still performs in Nashville. But he is probably better off sticking to songwriting. It's very lucrative and less aggravating. Here's the video for Don't Ask Me How I Know by Bobby Pinson.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Leroy Van Dyke

Artist:Leroy Van Dyke
Song:Walk On By
Album:Pure Country Classics: The #1 Hits





Walk On By was a number one country hit and a top five pop hit for Leroy Van Dyke in 1961. This is not to be confused with the Burt Bacharach & Hal David song Walk On By that was a hit for Dionne Warwick. He had a couple of other big hits and he is also known for his auctioneering skills. He was born Oct. 4, 1929 in Mora, MO. Van Dyke wanted to be a farmer and graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in agriculture journalism. His cousin Ray Sims is a hall of fame auctioneer and he taught that skill to Van Dyke. And Van Dyke also worked as a newspaper reporter. After a stint in the Korean War, Van Dyke wrote The Auctioneer about his cousin and displayed his own auctioneering skills. The single was released by Dot Records and reached #9 on the Country Singles chart in 1956. Then he went back to farming and auctioneering. Van Dyke moved to Nashville in 1961 and signed with Mercury Records producer Shelby Singleton. Aspiring singer songwriter Kendall Hayes was trying to sell Walk On By. When he pitched it to music publisher Gary Walker, Walker added the line "Wait on the corner" to the chorus and declared that it would be a hit. Both Singleton and Van Dyke loved the song. It topped the Billboard Country Singles chart for 19 weeks, a long standing record that was just recently broken by Florida Georgia Line. And it also reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Van Dyke's biggest hit and though Kendall Hayes performed at the Grand Ole Opry for years, I guess he made a good living from Walk On By royalties. Donna Fargo (1980) and Asleep At The Wheel (1988) charted with covers of Walk On By. Van Dyke's other big country hit was If A Woman Answers (Hang Up The Phone) in 1962. You can get Walk on By from this Universal various artists budget comp. Van Dyke left Mercury in 1964 and also recorded for Warner Bros., MGM and Kapp. He hasn't recorded regularly since 1977. In the 70s, Van Dyke was one of the first country artists to offer a complete performance package to Las Vegas hotels. He was a big draw there. And when Branson, MO opened up, he opened one of the first theaters. He owns a farm in Sedalia, MO and kept up his auctioneering skills too. His website hasn't been updated since 2007 so I guess Van Dyke retired. Here's Leroy Van Dyke performing Walk On By on National Life Presents Grand Ole Opry Aug. 1965.

WSOF signs Emi Fujino, Ashlee Evans-Smith. Good luck finding qualified opponents

Emi Fujino in white

MMA Junkie reported today that World Series Of Fighting has signed Ashlee Evans-Smith and Emi Fujino. But it doesn't change that unless the WSOF signs several decent fighters in multiple weight classes, they will be a dead end destination for female fighters. Recently they announced that recent signee Jessica Aguilar will face Alida Gray on their Jan. 18 show in Hollywood, FL. They are trying to sell it as a championship match. But fans are not stupid and no one with any sense would think that Alida Gray should be in any kind of championship match. She's 36 years old. Her record is 4-0 but she has never fought on a national level. That's not the resume of a fighter who should be a championship challenger. Emi Fujino is a different story. Her record is 13-7. She started out her career with eight straight wins. Then she lost four in a row. Emi has never beaten anyone ranked above her. So she's a good but not great fighter. The reason WSOF signed her is the deal with PANCRASE and plans to run a show in Japan in May. They need to have Japanese fighters for that show. Instead of trying to sell Jessica vs Alida as a championship match, that could have been saved for Jessica vs Emi in Japan. When a promotion tries to sell a fight as a title fight when the fight is clearly not worthy of a title, it makes the promotion look stupid. Fans have asked me why Emi isn't in Invicta. Their deal is with DEEP JEWELS and she is not exclusive to DEEP JEWELS. And I think she's overrated by some. Ashlee Evans-Smith did us all a big favour by beating Fallon Fox in the CFA 145lb tournament. She plans to fight at 135lb. She's 2-0 so she's not experienced. In my opinion, she would be better off gaining experience against better competition in Invicta. But money talks and no doubt WSOF offered her more money than she could get elsewhere considering her experience. And Invicta may have wanted her to fight at 145lb. With a lot of 135lb fighters fighting elsewhere, I think it will be tough to find her decent opponents. WSOF will be looked at as a dead end unless they sign several fighters in each weight division.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keith

Artist:Keith
Song:98.6
Album:'60s Gold





Here's a 1967 top ten hit that I am sure most folks have heard. It is perceived as a one hit wonder but Keith did chart a couple more times and then faded into obscurity. Keith was born Barry James Keefer May 17, 1949 in Philadelphia. I think Keith was a nickname. He played in bands around Philly and was spotted by legendary DJ Kal Rudman. Rudman sent him to producer Jerry Ross who was working for Columbia Records at the time. Ross produced Bobby Hebb, Spanky and our Gang and has had a long career in the music business. When Ross moved to Mercury Records, he took Keith with him. Keith's first single Ain't Gonna Lie reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100. 98.6 was the second single and it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by George Fischoff and Tony Powers. Fischoff wrote other songs for Ross including Lazy Day for Spanky and our Gang. He went on to write Broadway musicals. Keith had two other songs chart and he recorded two albums for Mercury and one for RCA. There is a Keith comp available. But I think most fans will only want 98.6 and you can get it on this 2CD Universal various artists comp. Keith moved to Los Angeles in the 70s and worked with Frank Zappa. In the 80s, he started his own record company and changed his name to Bazza Keefer in 1988. He continues to perform and has worked in the technical end of the TV business since the 90s. here's a video for 98.6 by Keith.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Jay McShann Orchestra f/Priscilla Bowman

Artist:The Jay McShann Orchestra f/Priscilla Bowman
Song:Hands Off
Album:The Very Best of Vee Jay Blues Volume 2



Kansas City jazz legend Jay McShann is best known for leading his orchestra since the 30s. A lot of great musicians went through his band. But he took a sharp turn to the top of the R & B charts with the 1955 hit Hands Off featuring singer Priscilla Bowman. Before he was drafted into the US Army during WWII, McShann had a very successful big band featuring Charlie Parker. After WWII, McShann realized that big bands were dead so he led a series of smaller bands. He usually had a singer. Jimmy Witherspoon was with the McShann band in 1949 when he recorded his signature song Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do. Priscilla Bowman joined the McShann band in the early 50s. She was from Kansas City and was known as The Original Rock 'N' Roll Mama. McShann signed with Vee Jay Records in 1955. Hands Off was the first single and it topped the R & B charts for three weeks. Musicians on the record were Orville Minor on trumpet, Oscar Dennis on sax, Eugene Griddline on guitar, Oscar Wesley on bass and Al Duncan on drums. After a couple more singles with McShann, Priscilla went out on her own and recorded for the Vee Jay subsidiary Falcon and then Abner Records. The singles on Falcon were with Al Smith's orchestra. On the single A Rockin' Good Way, she was backed up by the popular doo wop group The Spaniels. That song would later be a hit for Brook Benton and Dinah Washington. You can get Hands Off on this Vee Jay various artists comp. Priscilla Bowman didn't record again until 1986. But she continued to tour with McShann. She died in 1988 at age 60. Jay McShann continued to tour for many years until his 2006 death at age 90. I'm sure a lot of jazz fans don't even know about Hands Off. Here's a video for Hands Off featuring Priscilla Bowman.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Eddie Murphy

Artist:Eddie Murphy
Song:Cadillac Car
Album:Dreamgirls: Music From The Motion Picture




Of course most folks are familiar with Eddie Murphy through his hit films of the 80s like 48 Hrs and Beverly Hills Cop. But he has also dabbled in music and Party All The Time was a top five hit in 1985. His performance as James "Thunder" Early in the 2006 film Dreamgirls earned him an Oscar nomination. He was born Apr. 3, 1961 in Brooklyn, NY. He started out as a stand up comic. But I think a lot of folks first heard of him when he was a Saturday Night Live regular in the early 80s. This led to his film debut in the 1982 film 48 Hrs. It was a hit and this led to several hits including Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America. Murphy had recorded comedy albums on Columbia. But he recorded his first music album in 1985. Party All The Time was written and produced by Rick James and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Today it is considered to be one of the worst songs of all time. Murphy recorded unsuccessful albums in 1989 and 1993. His film career continued but by the mid-90s he seemed to be doing a lot of vanity projects where he would write, produce, star and sometimes direct. By the mid-90s, things weren't going so well. Murphy revived his career by starring in the 1996 film The Nutty Professor followed by Dr. Doolittle and Shrek. But his films intended for adult audiences did not perform well. DreamWorks decided to turn the 80s Broadway musical Dreamgirls into a film after Chicago was a big hit. Chicago director Bill Condon was hired to direct. Murphy was hired to play singing star turned villain James "Thunder" Early. The producers knew that both Murphy and Jamie Foxx could do their own singing. Cadillac Car is early in the film and is the song that establishes Early as a star. The Dreamgirls soundtrack is available in a single CD edited version or a 2CD unedited version. Murphy won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for the first time. Unfortunately Murphy's success in Dreamgirls was overshadowed by Jennifer Hudson's Oscar win. I think his performance is overlooked. Since then, Murphy's films have been terrible. The 2007 film Norbit bombed and Murphy has been a regular nominee for Golden Raspberry Worst Actor. His most recent film A Thousand Words was produced in 2008 but sat around and was released in 2012. That's usually a bad sign. In this case, it was due to the Paramount Pictures DreamWorks split. Now Murphy is planning to star in Beverly Hills Cop 4 directed by Brett Ratner. Seems a little desperate to me. And he's back making music. Murphy's single Red Light was released in Sept. 2013 and there are plans for a new album. It's a reggae song featuring rapper Snoop Lion. I doubt that Eddie Murphy can regain his 80s stardom. But you never know. Here is Eddie Murphy performing Cadillac Car in the 2006 film Dreamgirls.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Larry Williams

Artist:Larry Williams
Song:Slow Down
Album:Legends of Specialty: Larry Williams: Bad Boy




Though Larry Williams had some hits in the late 50s like Bony Maronie and Slow Down, most fans are probably more familiar with cover versions of his songs. For example, The Beatles recorded Slow Down in 1964. John Lennon was a huge Williams fan. So Williams was very influential. He was born May 10, 1935 in New Orleans and learned to play piano as a child. When his family moved to Oakland, CA, Williams was in the R & B group The Lemon Drops. He moved back to New Orleans in 1954 and worked as Lloyd Price's valet and played piano in his band. He also played with Roy Brown and Percy Mayfield. Then he met Little Richard who was recording in New Orleans for Specialty Records. Producer Robert "Bumps" Blackwell signed Williams to Specialty. When Little Richard quit secular music for the ministry in 1957, Specialty tried to groom Williams for stardom. Though he had some success with songs like Bony Maronie, Short Fat Fannie and Slow Down, sales were disappointing. Slow Down was on the B-side of Dizzy Miss Lizzy but DJs flipped it over. Williams recorded some jazz sessions in 1959. And then he thrown in jail for three years in 1960 for drug dealing. One would think Williams' career was over. But bands like The Beatles started recording his songs. As I said, John Lennon was a big fan. You can get all his Specialty recordings on this budget comp. In the mid-60s, Williams was Little Richard's musical director. And he also recorded with Johnny "Guitar" Watson on OKeh Records. Williams unsuccessfully tried disco in the 70s and he was still dealing drugs. In 1977, he threatened to kill long time friend Little Richard over a drug debt. Richard quit cocaine and heroin but Williams did not and he died from an apparent suicide on Jan. 7, 1980 at age 44. Here's a video for Slow Down by Larry Williams.

RENA, MIO to appear on SHOOT BOXING's Oikawa retirement show

RENA, Li Jiwaen

On Dec. 23, SHOOT BOXING veteran Tomohiro Oikawa will have his retirement show at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. He is also the trainer of RENA and MIO so I expected both of them to appear on the show. SHOOT BOXING announced today that RENA will face Korean kickboxer Li Jiwaen. Li is the current J-Girls Korea 50kg champ. Her record is 16-1. Her problem is the same as any foreign kickboxer trying SHOOT BOXING. She doesn't know the rules. And RENA is very experienced and really good at SHOOT BOXING. And she's a good enough kickboxer to counter anything Li tries to do. I just don't see her being any more successful than other foreigners. SHOOT BOXING is too weird. And MIO, who SHOOT BOXING tries to sell as RENA's sister (she's not), will face Kira Chihiro. Kira was the 2013 J-Girls Atomweight New Heroine Champion. Apparently her sister lost to MIO in last summer's JKS48 tournament so she's looking for revenge. SHOOT BOXING also announced that the 2014 Girls S-Cup will be June 21 at Korakuen Hall.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ayumi Kurihara retirement ceremony

Here is the video of Ayumi Kurihara's retirement ceremony from Aug. 4 at Korakuen Hall. Normally I would also post Ayumi's retirement match. But it's not very good. The match is way too long at almost a half hour and it really drags through the middle part of the match. The match is Ayumi teaming with Miki Iida and AKINO vs Aja Kong, GAMI and Tomoka Nakagawa. There are a couple of good comedy spots especially every joshi wrestler at the show splashing Ayumi in the corner. It's just way too long. Maybe it needed more clipping. On the other hand, I wish Ayumi's retirement ceremony had run unedited. I still enjoyed it. The retirement ceremony is the one thing the Japanese fight business still does well. It looks like every current joshi wrestler was there. The STARDOM, JWP and Ice Ribbon all came in groups. The biggest deal was the appearance of Michiko Ohmukai and her daughter. This was followed by Ayumi's best friend Tomoka Nakagawa and Ayumi's doppelganger Miki Iida. The cherry on top of the sundae was AKINO giving Ayumi an M's Style championship belt. As i'm sure fans are aware, Ayumi was trained at M's Style by AKINO. The belt around Ayumi's waist was pretty cool. Of course Ayumi's parents were there and mom seemed pleased about the whole thing. Then we had the ten bell salute with a different wrestler ringing the bell each time. Then the streamers and Ayumi was carried out on everyone's shoulders. We all miss Ayumi but I enjoyed the retirement ceremony and you will too.
Ayumi Kurihara Retirement Ceremony by cmrankin

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Andre Previn, Kathleen Battle and Wynton Marsalis

Artist:Andre Previn, Kathleen Battle and Wynton Marsalis
Song:The Christmas Song
Album:A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert




If you're looking for a Christmas CD with jazz and classical elements, this one might fit the bill. A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert aired on PBS Great Performances in 1991. The orchestra is led by pianist Andre Previn. Previn has done so many things in his career that I wouldn't be able to cover it in one post. He was born in Germany but but moved to Los Angeles as a child. He started out as a jazz pianist in the 50s but soon started arranging and conducting for TV and film and he has also conducted classical music. For this concert, he brought in trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his band to add a jazz element. He also brought in opera singers Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade. Kathleen is very versatile and has worked with jazz musicians in the past. Kathleen is from Ohio. Frederica is from New Jersey and has been performing since the 70s. Actress Nancy Allen does some spoken word and the show features the Orchestra of St. Lukes and the American BoyChoir. Kathleen does a stellar job on the Mel Torme classic A Christmas Song. The show aired on PBS in 1991 and an edited version of the show was released on CD. It is available as a budget CD. PBS has not aired this show in recent years. But it is available on DVD. It might go well with some egg nog and your significant other. Here's Kathleen Battle with Andre Previn and Wynton Marsalis performing A Christmas Song and Frederica von Stade performing Have Yourself A Merry Christmas from the 1991 PBS show A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert. This video is not on Youtube.

The Christmas Song, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Wynton Marsalis with Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade from Wynton Marsalis on Vimeo.

Julie Kedzie as Invicta matchmaker is a conflict of interest

When it was announced yesterday that recently retired fighter Julie Kedzie will add matchmaking to her Invicta broadcasting duties, my first question was will she still work as Greg Jackson's assistant at Jackson's MMA. Because if she continues to work for Jackson, that's a conflict of interest. Julie knows that. She doesn't comment on Jackson fighters when she is broadcasting Invicta shows. Does Invicta owner Shannon Knapp know this is a conflict of interest? Probably but she must figure that fans love Julie and the MMA media is notorious for not questioning things like this. The popularity of Julie Kedzie is not relevant to her abilities as a matchmaker. Nobody knows if she'll be good at it. Invicta's press release didn't even mention Jackson's MMA. We all know Julie works there in an administrative capacity. After a few hours of silence, Stephanie Daniels of Bloody Elbow asked Julie if she was still working at Jackson's. But when she said yes, Stephanie didn't ask the appropriate follow up question about conflict of interest. Oh, well. I guess someone has to mention it. It doesn't look like anyone else will. Maybe Julie's job at Jackson's will never be a problem at Invicta. But a conflict of interest is a potential problem that most fight companies would try to avoid. Why ask for trouble?

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Al Jarreau

Artist:Al Jarreau
Song:Theme From Moonlighting
Album:The Very Best Of: An Excellent Adventure




Jazz singer Al Jarreau had some mainstream success in the 80s. One of his more successful songs was the 1987 theme from the TV series Moonlighting. He never had a top ten pop hit but he came close a couple of times. Jarreau was born Mar. 12, 1940 in Milwaukee. His father was a minister and his mother played piano in church. He earned a master's degree in vocational rehabilitation at the University of Iowa. While working as a rehabilitation counselor in San Francisco, Jarreau moonlighted in a jazz trio with pianist George Duke. Then he had a duo with guitarist Julio Martinez and the two moved to Los Angeles in 1969. While playing clubs, Jarreau recorded a few demos until he signed with Warner Bros. in 1975. He appeared on Saturday Night Live and his debut album We Got By was released. He had success on the jazz charts. But then he had mainstream success with the 1981 album Breakin' Away produced by legendary session guitarist Jay Graydon. The album topped the jazz and R & B charts and reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 200. The single We're In This Love Together reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's probably Jarreau's signature song. He also reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a 1982 duet with Randy Crawford Your Precious Love from the various artists live album Casino Lights. By 1987, Jarreau is starting to fade a bit. So Warner Bros. had him record a new theme for the third season of the successful TV series Moonlighting starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Sheppard. Jarreau wrote the song with veteran film composer Lee Holdridge. It reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart. The song was not on one of Jarreau's albums but on a Moonlighting soundtrack album released by MCA Records. The album has some oldies and a couple of songs performed by Shepherd. She's actually recorded some jazz vocal albums. You can get the song on this 2009 Rhino comp. Jarreau left Warner Bros. in 1992 and didn't record again until 2000 for GRP and then Concord. But he always toured and still tours. He is off to Japan and England in 2014. His latest CD Al Jarreau and the Metropole Orkest Live was released by Concord in 2012. Here's the video for Theme from Moonlighting by Al Jarreau.

Review of WWE Total Divas episode 14

Here's the video for the season one finale of WWE Total Divas. I'm not sure why E! did this but this episode is ten minutes longer than the others. And with a WWE PPV last night, I'm sure a lot of fans PVRd this show. And if you did, you're missing the last ten minutes. Never fear. I have the entire episode for your enjoyment. The episode begins with RAW in New Orleans. Nikki Bella tells her sister Brie her period is late and she decides to take a pregnancy test. These two argue about how to use it for five minutes. She's not pregnant. This segment should have been left on the cutting room floor. AJ Wilson is trying to wake up wife Nattie Neidhart at the hotel. Apparently she went on quite a bender last night. They even call it Brie Mode which is pretty funny. It seems Nattie doesn't remember several voice mails to Stephanie McMahon and now Stephanie wants to see her. Nattie thinks she might be fired and decides to avoid Stephanie. This is one of these storylines that I am pretty sure is 100% nonsense. It just makes Nattie look stupid. In Tampa, Nikki invites her college girlfriends to see the house. Of course the subject of marriage and motherhood comes up and John Cena told Nikki on their first date that he won't get married and doesn't want kids. The girls grill Cena and he explains it. But now it's bothering Nikki. Of course she wants to be a mom. Eva Marie and fiancee Jonathan are going to see her family to get their approval of her marriage. It didn't go well. They think she's rushing into it. At first they decide to elope. Then Eva Marie changes her mind and tells Jonathan to wait six months as she really wants her family to approve of them. He's OK with it but how long will he be OK with it? Bryan Danielson takes girlfriend Brie Bella on a Big Sur camping trip. The setting is beautiful and Bryan decides to propose marriage. Brie accepts. Then both families emerge and that was a big surprise. The families had never met before. It was a great segment and great planning by Bryan Danielson. A highlight of the season. RAW is at the Rosemont Horizon near Chicago. Nattie is fretting about her meeting with Stephanie. Stephanie doesn't fire her or yell at her. She does play the voice mails. And she says she might play them for Vince. The voice mails were mostly Nattie complaining that she isn't champ. BTW, they show Nikki getting clearance to return to the ring. So now she talks to Cena about motherhood. He repeats his position and he isn't changing it. Is it a deal breaker for Nikki? That's your cliffhanger for season two which will begin in March. But I think we already know Nikki didn't leave or it would have been reported already. Enjoy the video!
WWE - Total Divas - Season 01 - Episode 14... by wwetotaldivas

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dishwalla

Artist:Dishwalla
Song:Counting Blue Cars
Album:Pet Your Friends





The alt rock classic Counting Blue Cars was the only chart hit for Dishwalla in 1995. It shows that if you write a song with a good hook you had better write more songs with good hooks or you won't last. Dishwalla was formed in Santa Barbara, CA in 1993. J.R. Richards was lead singer and main songwriter. Other members were Rodney Browning Cravens on guitar, Scot Alexander on bass and George Pendergast on drums. Dishwalla is a Hindi cable TV term that Browning says was found in Wired Magazine. Dishwalla signed with A & M Records and appeared on the 1994 Carpenters tribute CD IF I Were A Carpenter. Their self produced debut CD Pet Your Friends was released in 1995. I think the album cover was memorable. It was from the Aug. 23, 1948 cover of Life Magazine. Counting Blue Cars was the first single and it reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also appeared in the film Empire Records. Today the song is considered an alt rock classic and Pet Your Friends is available as a budget CD. Despite A & M's attempts to promote Dishwalla, they never charted on the Billboard Hot 100 again. They recorded two albums for A & M and then J.R. Richards left to go solo. He returned and after the 2002 CD Opaline, he was permanently replaced by Justin Fox. Dishwalla still tours today. Here's the video for Counting Blue Cars by Dishwalla.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Belle and Sebastian

Artist:Belle and Sebastian f/Monica Queen
Song:Lazy Line Painter Jane
Album:Push Barman To Open Old Wounds





The Scottish group Belle and Sebastian started out as an indie music favourite and critic's darling in the mid-90s. Personnel changes and a label change in the early 00s led to sellout accusations that I see frequently when indie darlings attempt to become more mainstream. They seem to have regained some respect in recent years. This 2CD comp covers some of their early EPs. Belle and Sebastian is named after a 1965 children's book that was turned into a movie and was very popular when it aired on the BBC. There is no one in the band named Belle or Sebastian. The band was formed in Glasgow in 1996 by lead singer and guitarist Stuart Murdoch and bassist Stuart David. They recorded an album produced by Stow College professor Alan Rankine. Rankine was a member of the 70s punk band Associates. The album created enough interest that Murdoch and David expanded Belle and Sebastian by adding Stevie Jackson on guitar, Isobel Campbell on cello, Chris Geddes on keyboards and Richard Colburn on drums. They signed with Jeepster Records and released the 1996 CD If You're Feeling Sinister. It made them a critic's darling. Violinist Sarah Martin was added to the band. Then they released a series of EPs. Lazy Line Painter Jane was one of those EPs. The song features guest vocalist Monica Queen from the 90s band Thrum. it was their first British top 40 single. This 2CD comp repackages the EPs that were released at the time. Their next full length CD The Boy with the Arab Strap in 1998. During the recording of the album, session trumpeter Mick Cooke was added to the band. Belle and Sebastian won the 1999 BRIT Award for Best Newcomer. Stuart David left Belle and Sebastian in 2000 to concentrate on Looper, the band he started with his wife as a side project. He was replaced by Bobby Kildea. While working on the soundtrack for the 2002 Todd Solondz film Storytelling, Belle and Sebastian left Jeepster for Rough Trade and signed a US deal with Matador Records. Isobel Campbell left to go solo in 2002. Their 2003 CD Dear Catastrophe Waitress was produced by Trevor Horn (Yes, The Buggles, Seal) and was a clear attempt to be more commercial. I'm A Cuckoo reached #14 in the UK and was their biggest hit to date. But some fans of their earlier music accused Belle and Sebastian of selling out. They moved to Los Angeles to record the 2006 CD The Life Pursuit and it did well in the UK and the US. Belle and Sebastian continue this success. But I doubt they will ever be mainstream. Their latest CD Belle and Sebastian Write About Love was released in 2010 featuring guest vocalist Norah Jones. They have been raising money for a film and are currently on a European tour. Here's the video for Lazy Line Painter Jane by Belle and Sebastian featuring Monica Queen.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Allan Coe

Artist:David Allan Coe
Song:Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile
Album:17 Greatest Hits





Country singer David Allan Coe had his biggest hit with Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile in 1984. He also wrote the Johnny Paycheck hit Take This Job and Shove It. He was born Sept. 5, 1939 in Akron, OH. he was in reform school at age nine and spent most of the next twenty years in prison for various crimes. BB King and Screamin' Jay Hawkins were among those who put Coe on the straight and narrow. Coe moved to Nashville in 1967 and lived in a hearse parked outside Ryman Auditorium. He signed with Shelby Singleton's Plantation Records and released his debut album Penitentiary Blues in 1968. Early in his career, Coe had success writing songs like the Tanya Tucker hit Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone). And this led to a record deal with Columbia Records and legendary producer Billy Sherrill. In 1975, Coe had his first top ten country hit with the Steve Goodman song you Never Even Called Me By My Name. Coe also wrote Johnny Paycheck's 1977 number one hit Take This Job and Shove It. This is probably Coe's best known song. Coe continued to record for Columbia in the 80s. But he didn't reach the top ten again until The Ride reached #4 on the Country Singles chart in 1983 and then Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile reached #2 in 1984. The song was written by Scottish musician Johnny Cunningham. He never broke the top ten again and left Columbia in 1989. You can get all his hits on this budget comp. Since then, Coe continues to record and tour. In 1999, he became friends with Dimebag Darrell of Pantera and the country metal CD Rebel Meets Rebel was released in 2006. Coe also toured with Kid Rock and wrote a song for him. David Allan Coe's latest CD was released in 2010. Here's David Allan Coe performing Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile on Nashville Now 1984.

Three matches added to Feb. 16 DEEP JEWELS show

DEEP JEWELS announced three matches have been added to the Feb. 16 show at Shinjuku FACE. Of course the already announced main event will be MIZUKI vs Emi Tomimatsu in the final of the DEEP JEWELS Lightweight Championship tournament. This match will be three five minute rounds. The other matches will be two five minute rounds. In a match contracted for 48kg, Sugi Rock will face SARAMI. Sugi Rock trains at WK Akza. Her record is 9-3. She stopped a three fight losing streak with a win over Masako Yoshida on the Nov. 4 DEEP JEWELS show. SARAMI is the new ring name for Satomi Takano. She trains at Club Barbarian in Toyama. Her record is 3-2 and her last fight was a win over Miyoko on the Nov. 17 DEEP show in Toyama. Her losses were to Masako Yoshida and Yasuko Tamada so Sugi Rock should be favoured. In a match contracted for 48kg, Masako Yoshida will face Miyoko. Yoshida trains at Fight Chix. Her record is 17-19 and her last fight was a loss to Sugi Rock on the Nov. 4 DEEP JEWELS show. She's been around since 2003. Miyoko trains at Grabaka. Her record is 4-7-1 and her last fight was a loss to SARAMI on the Nov. 17 DEEP show in Toyama. In a fight contracted for 50kg, Amiba will face Mamiko Mizoguchi. Amiba used to train at DEEP but she has switched to Impact. Her record is 6-3 and her last fight was a win over Yasuko Mogi on the Aug. 31 DEEP JEWELS show. Mizoguchi is returning to MMA after a two year break. she now trains at Grabaka. her record is 2-5-2 and her last fight was a draw against Miyoko on the Oct. 15, 2011 Grabaka Live show. I think this was an exhibition match. It was only one round. IIRC, there was some debate about whether this fight should be recorded. It was a curtain jerker that seemed more like an exhibition than a real match. It was also announced that Shizuka Sugiyama and Mika Nagano will appear on this show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jaybird Coleman

Artist:Jaybird Coleman
Song:Mistreatin' Mama
Album:Jaybird Coleman & The Birmingham Jug Band 1927-1930




Burl "Jaybird" Coleman played blues harmonica and sang in the late 1920s. His recording career was very brief and that's why he is very obscure. He also worked with legendary blues singer Big Joe Williams in The Birmingham Jug Band. He was born May 20, 1896 in Gainesville, AL. He learned to play harmonica as a child and was an entertainer when he served in the US Army in WWI. The nickname Jaybird was given to him by army officers who found him not mindful of army rules. After the war, Coleman moved to Bessemer, AL and was very popular in local clubs. Apparently he was not a member of the early 20s version of The Birmingham Jug Band. Coleman first recorded for the local label Gennett which was owned by the Starr Piano Company in 1926. His best known recording is probably Man Trouble Blues. Coleman wasn't paid for those recordings but he did tour and according to his brother he was managed by the local Ku Klux Klan. I know that seems weird but I guess business is business. Mistreatin' Mama was Coleman's first recording for Black Patti Records owned by pioneer black record producer J. Mayo Williams. It was released in 1927 under the pseudonym Rabbits Foot Williams. Sometimes record companies would use phony names on recordings to avoid paying royalties. Supposedly Coleman also recorded as Frank Palmes. The Birmingham Jug Band reformed and recorded for Okeh in 1930. Though Coleman did perform with them, it is questionable that he appeared on these recordings. Big Joe Williams said he did but his memory was not good. Some experts don't believe Coleman is playing harmonica. You can get all these recordings on this Document Records CD. Coleman's final recording was Coffee Grinder Blues for Columbia in 1930. It seems he disagreed with the label over recording fees and that was the end of that. Jaybird Coleman continued to perform in Alabama. But he never recorded again and died of cancer on Jan. 28, 1950 at age 53. Here's a video for Mistreatin' Mama by Jaybird Coleman.

UFC acquires 11 Invicta 115lb fighters for TUF 20

Last month UFC President Dana White announced plans for a 115lb women's division. So it was not surprising that he announced last night that the UFC has bought the contracts of 11 fighters from Invicta. I guess he had to wait until after Saturday's show. They are Carla Esparza, Claudia Gadelha, Joanne Calderwood, Tecia Torres, Rose Namajunas, Bec Hyatt, Felice Herrig, Alex Chambers, Emily Kagan, Juliana Lima and Paige Van Zant. That cleans out Invicta's Strawweight division. I don't know how much Zuffa paid for those contracts. But it makes me wonder why they just didn't buy Invicta. During the conference call, he spouted some nonsense about Invicta being an up and coming company. If that's true, shouldn't they have a TV deal after two years and not have to resort to iPPV? He'll buy them eventually. All these fighters will be in The Ultimate Fighter 20 which will begin shooting in May. Normally, fighters are competing in TUF for a UFC contract. But this is different because all 11 fighters are under UFC contract and they are competing for the UFC Strawweight Championship. Five more fighters will be added through tryouts. And the 11 fighters will be paid while waiting. It was announced on last night's Fox Sports Live that Carla will be paid $40K and the others will be paid $32K before TUF starts filming. That's a big pay bump over Invicta. Keep in mind that the Invicta contracts are not exclusive so Zuffa didn't even have to deal with Invicta. But they paid them as a courtesy. It's funny that Invicta owner Shannon Knapp responded to UFC poaching their 115lb fighters the other day by stating that the fighters are under contract knowing this deal was already done. This didn't just happen yesterday. Knapp put tried to put on a positive spin in an interview with Chuck Mindenhall of MMA Fighting. But other than Zuffa paying Invicta enough money to keep them in business for a while, there's nothing positive about this for Invicta. A potential TV partner will want to know if the UFC will poach Invicta again. That question can't be answered satisfactorily. It will happen again. So as I have said for a while, the solution is for Zuffa to buy Invicta and put them on Fox Sports 2. Through all Knapp's denials, the perception is that Invicta is a UFC feeder. And perception is reality. White didn't say anything about coaches but I still think Megumi Fujii should be one of the coaches. And the other coach should be Jessica Aguilar. I know what you're thinking. Didn't Jessica sign with World Series of Fighting? There is suspicion that WSOF is simply a placeholder for the UFC. So don't be surprised if Jessica is in the UFC by the end of 2014 and gets the first title shot. Almost forgot. I was asked about MIZUKI. She isn't under Invicta contract. DEEP JEWELS loans her to them. And I was asked about Ayaka Hamasaki. She has been forced to retire due to a bad knee.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Klymaxx

Artist:Klymaxx
Song:I Miss You
Album:20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Klymaxx




The all girl R & B group Klymaxx had their biggest success with the 1985 top five pop hit I Miss You. They had most of their success on the R & B charts in the late 80s. I want to emphasize that Klymaxx was not just a girl group. They were a full band and they wrote and produced their own songs. Klymaxx were from Los Angeles and were led by drummer Bernadette Cooper. She formed the band in college and came up with the name Klymaxx. Other members were singer Lorena Porter, guitarist Cheryl Cooley, keyboard players Lynn Malsby and Karen Grider and bassist Joyce Irby. They signed with Dick Griffey's Solar Records in 1981. They struggled with their first three albums. But then Griffey moved them to Solar's sister label Constellation and signed a distribution deal with MCA Records. Their first album on Constellation was Meeting In The Ladies Room in 1984. It was a huge success and was certified Platinum. And I Miss You reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985. The song was written and produced by Lynn Malsby with lead vocals by Lorena porter and Joyce Irby. Klymaxx had other chart hits including Man Size Love from the film Running Scared and they are all on this budget comp. Dick Griffey sold Constellation to MCA and Klymaxx took a four year break before releasing The Maxx Is Back in 1990. By that time, Joyce Irby and Bernadette Cooper left Klymaxx to go solo. Irby signed with Motown and released a CD in 1989. These days she is mostly a record producer. She discovered veteran producer Dallas Austin. Cooper released a solo album on MCA in 1990. She has also been involved in music production and is currently launching a solo tour. Klymaxx reunited for a performance at The Roxy in Los Angeles and appeared on the VH1 show Bands Reunited in 2003. Cheryl Cooley also leads an unauthorized version of Klymaxx. Here's the video for I Miss you by Klymaxx.

Miriam Nakamoto out with a torn ACL

On Saturday's Invicta show, Lauren Murphy took Miriam Nakamoto down and Miriam injured her knee. She was unable to continue and Lauren won the Invicta Bantamweight Championship. The big question now is how bad is the injury. Miriam had an MRI today and posted on Twitter that she has a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). That's the worst possible news she could get as an MCL or a meniscus injury isn't nearly as bad. This certainly puts her future in the fight game in jeopardy. Now she will have surgery and I guess it depends what the doctor finds during surgery. Generally, it takes about a year to recover from an ACL injury. And as we saw recently with Ayaka Hamasaki, it's also possible her doctors will tell her she can't fight anymore. In addition, at 37 years of age, time is not in Miriam's favour. Unfortunately, the chances of Miriam returning to fighting are not good and I think she is aware of that. It's sad to see any fighter forced into retirement. But that's one of the risks of entering the cage. Can she beat the odds? Anything is possible. But I've been around long enough to know that it doesn't look good. Let's keep Miriam in our prayers and wish her good luck.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Outlaws

Artist:Outlaws
Song:Green Grass and High Tides
Album:Best of the Outlaws: Green Grass and High Tides




Outlaws was a very successful Southern Rock band in the mid-70s. Though they had a couple of chart hits, Green Grass and High Tides was one of their most popular songs. They usually closed their shows with an extended jam of the song. But it was never released as a single. The leader of Outlaws was singer and guitarist Hughie Thomasson. When he first formed the band in 1967 in Tampa, they were called The Rogues and then The Four Letter Words. Guitarist Frank Guidry brought the name Outlaws from his previous band. Their manager tried to record them but so many guys were bouncing in and out of the band they couldn't find any consistency. Outlaws split up in 1970 and Thomasson moved to New York. Singer and guitarist Henry Paul formed Sienna in 1971 with drummer Monte Yoho and bassist Frank O'Keefe. Both guys were former Outlaws members. When Thomasson returned to Tampa, he joined the band and Outlaws was reborn. Then guitarist Billy Jones joined and Outlaws became known for having three guitarists. Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant got Outlaws a new manager and took them on tour. Clive Davis was starting Arista Records and Outlaws was his first signing in 1974. Their 1975 debut album Outlaws reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 200 and the single There Goes Another Love Song reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100. Green Grass and High Tides was never released as a single because it was almost ten minutes long. They usually perform a twenty minute version to close their shows. One rumour that might have helped the song was that it was about marijuana. Thomasson says he wrote it as a tribute to dead rock legends like Jimi Hendrix. Outlaws also charted with Ghost Riders in The Sky in 1980 and you can get all their hits on this budget comp. But by the mid-80s, Thomasson was the only original member left. Henry Paul had success with Henry Paul Band and later the country group BlackHawk. Thomasson attempted to continue Outlaws but disbanded them in 1994. Billy Jones and Frank O'Keefe died in 1995. Thomasson, Paul and Yoho reformed Outlaws in 2005 with members of BlackHawk. Thomasson died in 2007 but Outlaws continues to tour and they released a new CD last year. Here's Outlaws performing Green Grass and High Tide at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia 1982.