45 Years Ago, Ike & Tina Turner Call It Quits

After spending a chunk of her life being in an abusive relationship with Ike Turner, Miss Tina Turner calls it quits and kicks him to the curb to pursue her own solo career, which has since then grown beautifully

It was Tina herself who made the decision to leave a marriage that was only going to end one way-her death. This decision came to her while on tour with her husband in Dallas in 1976. Their relationship had been, to say one word, abusive. Physically, emotionally, financially. She filed for divorce on July 27, 1976. The reason: "Irreconcilable differences". In a 1981 People interview, Turner recalls "Maybe I was brainwashed. I was afraid of him, and I cared what happened to him. And I knew that if I left, there was no one to sing."

Ike and Tina met in St. Louis in the 1950s, when Tina had showed up at one of his concerts. After hearing her amazing vocals, he had her join the band and be the singer-at age 17. He renamed the band the Ike & Tina Turner Review to highlight her and soon they were married. They married in 1962. In her 2018 memoir My Love Story, she recalls "He threw hot coffee in my face, giving me third degree burns. He used my nose as a punching bag so many times that I could taste blood running down my throat when I sang. He broke my jaw. And I couldn't remember what it was like not to have a black eye." Tina also admits to contemplating suicide, since suicide is the number one risk of intimate partner violence.

She also mentioned that Ike's "stooges" were sent to intimidate her during the divorce proceedings. She was on food stamps, living with their four sons because Ike controlled the finances. All publishing rights were in his name, leaving Tina with no money. The family had no choice but to live in her assistant's house for a short time while the divorce proceedings were occurring. Tina would recall men working for Ike coming to destroy the property to continue the intimidation, going as far as to shoot out the car windows in the driveway and even shoot into the house.

The whole relationship and aftermath left Tina with PTSD. In her memoir, she wrote "My relationship with Ike was doomed the day he figured out I was going to be his moneymaker. He needed to control me, economically and psychologically, so I could never leave him." She then proceeded to reclaim her own identity in the divorce proceedings. She gave Ike half the rights to all music they recorded as a couple, all money they made together, the studio they built and all property they owned in exchange for her name and freedom. Money issues didn't stop there. When their music relationship dissolved, numerous promoters who lost money on the cancelled shows they were supposed to perform sued for their losses. Tina was forced to pay for her share of those losses

After a while, Tina was free. She convinced Capitol Records to sign her as an artist in 1979. By the time 1984 had rolled around, the Queen of Rock had one of the biggest albums, Private Dancer, to her name and one of the biggest successes of the decade

Possible 2020 R&R HOF Inductions

It's not even 2020 yet and already predictions are being made as to who will be inducted into these "hallowed" halls. I only use the air quotes because the people who make the decision as to who gets in and who does not must not know music. Sometimes I do not understand their thinking process

Each year, the nomination committee goes through an extensive list of people that deserve to be in there in addition to musicians who have been around long enough to warrant interest. Sometimes, though, good musicians slip by unnoticed. To be eligible for this honor, a musician must be around for at least 25 years after their first album was released. But there are questions that have people scratching their heads each time. "Is commercial success worth more than one's influence on other artists? Does a band's longevity play a role in HOF credentials?"

Here is what Ultimate Classic Rock is predicting for the 2020 inductions. They have been broken down into Newly Eligible and Eligible

Newly Eligible

Oasis

-1994 saw their debut album Definitely Maybe skyrocket on to the charts. Then along comes 1995's (What's the Story) Morning Glory and it completely obliterates the charts. Fans of theirs in England described the hype surrounding them as being a bit like Beatlemania, a band who Oasis is said to have respect for and an obsession with. Unfortunately, there was infighting inside the band. Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher fought incessantly and because of that, their last show was in 2009, when the band called it quits. Even then, the brothers Gallagher were still fighting. Perhaps their induction will force a truce?

Sleater-Kinney

-This very unheard of by some band is being considered for induction. Formed in 1994 in Olympia, Washington, this all female band is definitely among one of the many all girl bands. Their music was strongly influenced by punk and lyrics surrounding the topic of feminist issues, with energetic live shows. They took a nine year hiatus and returned with 2015's No Cities to Love

Weezer

-This is a alternative band through and through. The reason behind their longevity is that they write consistently good songs and they are successful. Their debut album was one that was eagerly anticipated throughout the 1990s. Since their 1994 formation, the band has 23 songs on the Top Alt-Rock Charts. Of course, unlike some bands, these guys have a near punishing tour schedule. They are pretty high up on the newly eligible chart, up near #1 probably.

Korn

-These guys might not be everyone's cup of tea, but they are successful none the less. They might be metal, but when singer Jonathan Davis does a slow song and it gives you chills, that's when you know and realize just how good a singer he is. Any singer can go from screaming to ballads, but it takes real talent to go from near screamo metal to singing a low voice to a slow ballad like he does. Despite the fact that nu-metal is the black sheep of the metal family, the source of jokes among metal fans, calling it "not metal" and other like-minded insults and its success going down in years past, the genre had an upturn around the peak of the new millennium. These guys took all that metal stood for-screaming guitars, heavy drums and aggressive singing-and turned it up to 20, giving them their own sound. They are also one of the many bands who can successfully combine genres together to be even more successful. They have managed to combine hip-hop and rock, with people like DMX, Ice Cube, Method Man.

Notorious B.I.G.

-Normally, a lot of people don't think rap should be here. But, for someone like him, the reason is probably he was one of the bigger innovators of rap music, who knows. When Tupac Shakur was inducted in 2017, despite his passing, they also felt it was their duty to nominate him. Shakur and Biggie were inseparable. They got caught up in the ironically coined "Coastal Rap Wars", coined to a time when there was an explosion of rap music from both the East and West coasts. Despite only releasing two albums- 1994's Ready to Die and 1997's Life After Death, both went platinum. Tragically, Shakur and Biggie were killed only months apart. It seems ironic that the two albums Biggie did make almost seem to foreshadow his passing with their names. Something not everyone knows is that the Notorious B.I.G. (birth name Christopher Wallace) had brought rap/hip-hop culture to the forefront. Although what would make his honorary induction even more special is if the induction ceremony took place in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York instead of Cleveland, Ohio

Eligible

Foreigner (Eligible since 2002)

-OH PLEASE LET THEM GET IN! THEY'RE ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS!!

-This band has seen more lineup changes than any other band. There are theories about why they don't get inducted. One common one among fans is that the music hall looks down on arena-rock bands that became famous in the 1970s and 1980s. While bands like Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Journey have been inducted, Foreigner continues to sit outside like bad kids waiting for a lecture from the principal. They have been eligible since 2002, with a success that almost no one can match. They are one of the Top 50 Best Selling Artists of All Time. Their music is constantly reaching new generations of fans who were not even around when they became popular. Will 2020 be their year?

Iron Maiden (Eligible since 2004)

-OH PLEASE, OH PLEASE LET THEM GET IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FINGERS CROSSED!!!!!!!!!!!!

-These guys have been around since 1975. Their live shows put other bands to shame. Despite the fact their music NEVER gets played on the radio, fans still gush about how much they love the men of Maiden. These guys have set records no other band has been able to accomplish or beat. Maiden has done concerts in some of the most far-reaching corners of the world. They have been eligible since 2004, but what might be holding them back from the hallowed halls is a snub made by vocalist Bruce Dickinson, whose words included "an utter and complete load of bollocks. It's run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn't know rock 'n' roll if it hit them in the face." His overall disinterest in the hall of fame has people worried. He has even claimed that "if you put [music] in a museum, then it's dead." Despite their singer's strong opinions, fans are still rallying for the famous East Enders to make it in there. And if they do, fans and even the band's famed mascot Eddie will be celebrating!

Doobie Brothers (Eligible since 1996)

-This is a long time to be eligible and still not make it in. WTF? These guys are considered to be one of the most successful bands to combine easy rock and harmonies. It doesn't matter what age you are, anyone can quickly become a fan of these easy-listening guys. With so many great songs out there getting radio airplay, it's shocking to think these guys are not in there already. Hopefully 2020 sees this band getting in!

Motorhead (Eligible since 2002)

-I'm not even a fan of Motorhead and I'm rallying for these guys to get it!

-This band is like no other. They live like gypsies, moving around so much from place to place on tour. Their energetic stage shows, gravelly-voiced vocalist/bassist singing about promiscuous sex, gambling and addictions have fans rallying for the men of Motorhead to enter these halls. These guys have successfully blended punk with metal, a feat no one thought was possible or should be possible! The albums that took them to the tops of the metal charts included Ace of Spades, Overkill, Bomber. Over the years, they have released 22 chart-topping albums and with each day that passes, new generations of fans are discovering these breakneck guitar-shredding legends. These guys have a lot going for them. For one thing, former Nirvana drummer but current Foo Fighters guitarist/frontman Dave Grohl is on the nomination committee in addition to Metallica guitarist/frontman James Hetfield. Both are strongly lobbying for Motorhead to enter. With the death of bassist/frontman Ian Fraser Kilmister aka "Lemmy" Kilmister in 2015, this only shined the spotlight on this band and why they were not here. With both Hetfield and Grohl on the nomination committee, it's a strong and certain fact that these guys should be getting in!!

Judas Priest (Eligible since 1999)

-OH PLEASE! OH PLEASE LET THEM GET IN! FINGERS CROSSED!!!

-Most artists nowadays have an "I don't care" attitude towards the rock and roll hall of fame. Judas Priest has made no secret of their desire to get in, especially front man Rob Halford. "Personally, I would love it. I think we deserve it. We put 10,000 hours in and more - and beyond that, we just feel that heavy metal deserves more space in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." He said this after learning of the band's rejection in 2017. The writing is on the wall - with over 50 million albums sold worldwide, hugely successful world tours and the mind-blowing amounts of bands who are inspired by them, it's no small feat to accomplish. Not only that, but the Judas Priest fanbase is probably the biggest one out there lobbying for the leather-clad legends to get in!

Nine Inch Nails (Eligible since 2014)

-I honestly thought these guys were already in

-These guys are said to be the innovators of industrial rock. 2014 was the year they officially became eligible. They've sold millions of albums, done countless world tours and have a rabid fan base, it's no wonder these guys are being considered. Their 1989 album Pretty Hate Machine and 1994's The Downward Spiral are considered to be their most influential albums to this day. Trent Reznor has, to this day, been considered an inspiration by people such as David Bowie, Alice Cooper and Peter Gabriel. Unfortunately, like the case of Iron Maiden, where front man Bruce Dickinson snubbed the hall, NIN front man Trent Reznor repeated the same issue in 2018. He stated he couldn't "honestly give a shit" about the hall of fame

King Crimson (Eligible since 1994)

-These guys are one of the more well-known progressive rock bands. One of their greatest and most well known albums is In the Court of the Crimson King. These guys are virtual unknowns in the US because you'll never hear their songs on the radio. They've never had an album reach platinum status. They've never headlined any major festivals. For them, R&R HOF induction is more about musical impact and less about commercial success. These guys have had some major inspiration on bands that have come to be known as their contemporaries-Rush, Genesis and Yes. And even recent bands such as Tool, Mastodon and The Flaming Lips will even mention these guys played heavily into creating their own sounds. If the hall of fame wants innovative musicians, look no further than King Crimson!

Todd Rundgren (Eligible since 1995)

-This guy is certainly unusual in his music. His music can't just be put in one box. His music is a combination of various genres. Over the course of his career, he has released 25 under his own name, 9 with a band called Utopia and 3 connected to a 60's-era band called Nazz. And in addition to being a great musician, he's also helped produce albums for some of music's biggest names, such as The Band, Grand Funk Railroad, Hall and Oates, Cheap Trick, XTC. His induction would be one of the more interesting ones.

Warren Zevon (Eligible since 1994)

-Is it strange and/or I'm the only person that thought he was black because of his singing voice?

-His best known hit is the 1978 song "Werewolves of London". He released twelve studio albums, starting with 1976's self-titled debut. He's had a dozen or more musicians guest on his albums, including Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Glenn Frey and Don Henley. So IDK about you, but I do believe this man deserves an induction, don't you think?

"Weird Al" Yankovich (Eligible since 2004)

-This guy certainly lives up to his name. He's not known for doing regular songs. No, he's known for parodying songs. And it's sometimes hilarious to the point of crying from laughter. A lot will say that his success has come from parodying other songs, but he does have some original work laying around. I certainly think he deserves a shot at induction.

It looks like Gene Simmons isn't the only one declaring "rock is dead"

Former KISS drummer Peter Criss is sharing that same opinion!

Both he and current KISS bassist Gene Simmons both are of the sound mind and opinion that rock is officially dead. When Simmons first mentioned this, there was an utter firestorm of controversy stemming from musicians all over. Now, the former KISS drummer is starting to suspect his former bandmate was right. During a recent interview with Hi Fi Way, Criss basically restated Simmons' opinion, stating that "rock ‘n’ roll is over." Despite saying that he is a "21st century guy", he can't help but feel disappointed in today's music. Hearing the music of today has pushed him farther toward the decision to retire from music completely

"I’ve been around since the day that the Beatles were onstage, I’ve been around when music was Motown … I’ve been around! What’s going on today ain’t my cup of tea. The ’60s and ’70s were the times to be around. I saw Jimi Hendrix, I saw the real Who, the real Zeppelin, the Beatles and seen the Stones many times now that I know them and we’re friends. Over the years a lot has happened to me and I got to see all these great acts, and what I see today doesn’t rock my cradle and doesn’t do anything for me and I don’t care for a lot of the music". When he and the rest of KISS first started out, they had to fight tooth and nail just to make a name for themselves, which wasn't easy, because at the time the band formed, many labels wanted punk, glam rock or even disco

"We were early pioneers and no one was doing that when we started out. Now everyone does it, so it isn’t big news anymore. It’s time for me to get off the train as it’s not a great ride anymore. I don’t go out to concerts much anymore because I don’t enjoy myself because I get constantly harassed, people with phones wanting to take pictures, I can’t really sit and enjoy the concert or have a good time so I’m more of a homebody these days. The world has changed, my friend".

Day 16-A song that makes you cry

This shouldn't be hard

Let It Be
-The Beatles

Stand by Me
-Ben E. King

Unchained Melody
-The Righteous Brothers

Glenn Hughes: From Deep Purple to Black Country Communion

I recently read this book and I have to say, it was awesome. It wasn't like most rockstar autobiographies; most of those talk about how awesome they became in music, etc.



IDK why, but for his age, he's handsome. Especially when he wears those purple aviator glasses!!

This one about Glenn Hughes tells it like it is. He tells the truth about his various relapses into substance abuse. How he had a heart attack and didn't know what it was. He talked about his relationships, his first marriage to a woman named Karen and how it all fell apart due to his substance abuse issues. He pulls no punches and doesn't deny anything that happened. He also adds little funny random thoughts in here, making it funny in some parts. Like one time after getting his knee operated on, he said he was obliterated out of his mind on painkillers and he was hanging off the second floor balcony of his hotel room in his underwear holding a crutch. He tells that cocaine and speed and whatever other substances he took ruled his life. That when he came down off the drugs, he had an insatiable craving for chocolate. He says that when you come down off drugs, you want something with sugar or fat in it. Because of that, he went into a newsagent one day to get chocolate only to be busted by someone who was supposed to be looking out for him. Not to mention he'll say that when he was high he'd grab a guitar and start singing and playing and writing music. He also adds that the drugs worsened his already hyper personality

He talks about how he ballooned up to 220 lbs and how felt he was unattractive because of his weight. Not to mention, he seems to have a thing for Swedish girls, because two of his relationships were with girls from Sweden. He talks about his love of reading and his interest in spirituality, about finding God and thinking he's saving his life. He credits his sobriety to hard work and God. Which I find incredibly amazing. I've always liked Glenn Hughes; he does amazing covers of songs. I love when he was talking about doing a Christmas album called A Soulful Christmas. He wanted to do it with a soul, R&B, jazz voice and not to do it, to quote him "do it like the rockstars who butchered the Christmas songs". I've listened to that album; pretty good. I'm going to have to go back and listen to more of his stuff now that I read the book.

Throughout the book, you'll see people quoting on him and talking about him. Like his mother Sheila Hughes and father William "Bill" Hughes, Tony Perry, the manager for Trapeze, his first major band, Tony Iommi, when he worked with Glenn on Sabbath's Seventh Star album, various women he was connected with, like Cherrie Curie, who said that when she reconnected with Glenn twenty years after she first met him, she saw him performing on stage and didn't even recognize him because he was overweight when she met him. She described him as a beautiful man with a beautiful voice and was shocked to find out that gorgeous man with a voice like an angel was the man she once knew.

He also says that he describes his drug craze as Jekyll and Hyde. His "Jekyll" side is the kind, sweet, loving Glenn Hughes that everyone loves while the "Hyde" side is the dark demon of his drug abuse, the side that makes him extremely paranoid thanks to the cocaine psychosis and makes him unable to love anyone. Not to mention, one time during one of his drug binges, he managed to set himself on fire, burning his hands and feet. While he was recovering, he went to the funeral of his then wife Karen's father. He says he feels bad about it, that it seemed like it was all about him. He talks about making amends to those he mistreated and that some have long since forgiven him and regained trust in him, which makes him feel good. He also talks about a girlfriend named Christine who berated his parents one day for his behavior. He talks about how his parents mean more to him than precious life itself. Awww. That's so sweet!! Not to mention, his mother and friends all say that he would have been an extremely good, loving father had he not been so far into substance abuse.

In general, he talks about the type of stuff you would find in almost any biography/autobiography. Where he grew up, when he was born, how he got into music, etc. It's a very good book especially if you are a Deep Purple/Glenn Hughes/Trapeze fan!

For Fans of "The British Bad Boys"

Here are the Rolling Stones Top 10 Cover Songs

10
Going to a Go-Go
-Still Life: 1981
-Cover of: The Miracles
-Loooooooooooooooove this song!

9
Harlem Shuffle
-Dirty Work: 1986
-Cover of: Bob & Earl

8
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
-It's Only Rock and Roll: 1974
-Cover of: The Temptations
-Is it weird to say I like both the Temptations version and the Stones' version?

7
Come On
-Single: 1963
-Cover of: Chuck Berry

6
I Wanna Be Your Man
-Single: 1963
-Cover of: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, at least written by these guys

5
Little Red Rooster
-Single: 1964
-Cover of: Howlin' Wolf

4
Not Fade Away
-The Rolling Stones: 1964
-Cover of: The Crickets

3
Love in Vain
-Let It Bleed: 1969
-Cover of: Robert Johnson

2
Time Is On My Side
-12 X 5: 1964
-Cover of: Irma Thomas

1
It's All Over Now
-12 X 5: 1964
-Cover of: Bobby Womack & the Valentinos

Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys

Birth Name: Alicia Augello Cook
DOB: January 25, 1981, age 30
Where: New York City, New York, USA
Genres: Soul, R&B, pop, hip hop, jazz, neo soul
Occcupations: singer/songwriter, record producer, actress
Instruments: Vocals, piano, keyboards, cello, synthesizer, vocoder, guitar, bass guitar

Years Active: 1997-present
Website: http://www.aliciakeys.com

-Raised by a single mom in Hell's Kitchen, New York
-Became the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album reach #1 since Nirvana in 1994

Life and Career
-Only child of Terese Augello, a paralegal and part time actress and Craig Cook, a flight attendant. Her mother is of Italian, Scottish, Irish descent while her father is African American.
-She has expressed her comfort with her biracial heritage
-In 1985, she appeared on The Cosby Show at age 4 where she and a group of girls played the parts of Rudy Huxtable's sleepover guests in the episode Slumber Party.

-In 2002, she won 5 awards at the 2002 Grammy Awards. She won Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song for "Fallin'", Best new Artist, Best R&B Album.
-She mad eher film debut in Smokin' Aces, playing an assassin named Georgia Sykes. Another movie she starred in was The Nanny Diaries, and most recently, The Secret Life of Bees, along with Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson. Her role in the movie earned her a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards in 2008

-She collaborated with record producer Swizz Beats to write and make Million dollar Bill for Whitney Houston's 7th ablum I Look to You.
-In May 2009, her and singer Ben Jones were romantically involved and during the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, they took part in a union and had the unborn child blessed in a Zulu ceremony in Illovo suburb of South Africa. She ended up marrying Swizz Beats in France on the island of Corsica on July 31, 2010. She gave birth to son Egypt Daoud Ibarr Dean in NYC.

Music Style
-Her musical inspirations include Barbra Streisand, Prince, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Quincy Jones, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder
-Her music is deepluy rooted in gospel, vintage soul, and she heavily incorporates classical piano with R&B, soul, and jazz.

Philanthropist
-She is the co-founder and Global Ambassador to Keep a Child Alive, which is a non profit organization to help provide medicine to families with HIV and AIDS in Africa.

Discography

Sons of Anarchy

Sons of Anarchy

-American TV drama series about a close knit outlaw motorcycle club in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California
-Created by Kurt Sutter
-Centers on Jackson 'Jax' Teller (Charlie Cunningham), the VP who begins questioning the club and himself.
-Premiered on Sept. 3, 2008
-It is currently FX's highest rated series, surpassing others like Nip/Tuck, The Shield and Rescue Me.

Cast and Characters

Clarence 'Clay' Morrow
-Ron Perlman
-Current president of the Sons of Anarchy mother chapter SAMCRO(Sons of Anarchy Motorcyle Club, Redwood Original)
-Married to Gemma since the death of her first husband John Teller in 1993.
-On the show, Clay is shown to struggle with age and developing arthritis, having Jax handle club affairs.
-In the first version of the pilot, Scott Glenn played Clay
-Clay also has done time

Jackson "Jax" Teller
-Charlie Hunnam
-SAMCRO's Vice President
-Born in 1978 to John and Gemma Teller
-His day job: mechanic at Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair.
-Has an infant son named Abel who has changed Jax's whole outlook on life, inspired him to look at the "big picture".
-Him and stepdad Clay often get into it on different things

Bobby Munson
-Mark Boone Junior
-SAMCRO's secretary/treasurer
-Does Elvis impersonations in Lake Tahoe.
-Is Jewish and a demolitions expert
-Incarcerated for the murder of Brenan Hefner after a woman who lived in the building witnessed the killing and went to the police

Tig Trager
-Kim Coates
-SAMCRO's seargeant at arms
-Particularly close to Clay and one of the club's more violent, hotheaded members
-Has mentioned parts of his past, which included, jokingly, enjoying necrophilia
-Mistakenly killed a woman named Donna, who was married to a fellow SOA member named Opie.

Chibs Telford
-Tommy Flanagan
-Member of SAMCRO and is loyal to Jax
-Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, but grew up in Belfast, northern Ireland
-Served as medic with the British Army, but was expelled after a court marshal
-The word 'chib' is Scottish slang for blade, a slash or cut
-Was seriously injured by a car bomb at the club's garage.

Opie Winston
-Ryan Hurst
-Son of SAMCRO co-founder Piney
-Opie was paroled after a 5 year stay in prison following a botched arson conviction
-His wife, Donna, was killed by Tig, a fellow SOA
-In season 4, when he finds out that Clay killed his father Piney, he shoots Clay twice in the stomach and one in the chest to avenge his dad
-He goes to a porn studio where a dancer he has been seeing, Lyla works and finds that she has been taking birth control and morning after pills denying him a child.

Juice Ortiz
-Theo Rossi
-Club's hacker and intel officer
-In charge of the club surveillance and manages the club's communication and intel.
-Seen as unreliable by Clay and is given tasks like driving the transport truck.
-Sports a short mohawk and has Tribal designs tattooed on both sides of his head
-Attempted to hang himself with a chain in episode 7 of season 4 after receiving a "Men of Mayhem" patch, but the branch broke, leaving him with a bruise which Tig and Chibs immediately notice. Chibs later confronts him to comfort him as he cries about an FBI agent named Agent Stahl releasing his file to the SOA, stating he is not Hispanic, but black.

Happy
-David LaBrava
-Member of the Redwood Original charter of the club.
-In the episode "Better Half", stated he had a sick mom in Bakersfield that he wanted to go "nomad"(a nomad is a member of a motorcycle club with no fixed address and no charter affiliation) so he could take care of her.
-Ruthless killer and sports a happy face tattoo for each kill. Like Tig, he is looked to for the jobs in which no one else has the guts for
-Noted for his use of 9mm Glocks.

Otto Delaney
-Kurt Sutter
-Currently imprisoned in Stockton state prison on charges of 2nd degree murder and vehicle theft.
-Seems to be a powerful man on the inside, and is leader of the "Big House Crew", a gang inside of imprisoned SOA members. His "old lady" is Luann(now dead), he has her named tattooed on his left arm
-In season 2, Otto is ambushed by inmates affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood, at Ethan Zobelle's command and after being beaten up, the Aryan in charge of the attack, Squirrel(David J. Wright), goes one step further by gouging out Otto's good eye with a broken mop handle.

Piermont "Piney" Winston
-William Lucking
-Co-founder of SAMCRO and father of Opie Winston
-Vietnam Vet and has to carry an oxygen tank with him at all times due to emphysema
-Clay goes to the cabin where Piney stays, threatening him about some letters from John Teller(Jax's dad) telling him everything about how Gemma and Clay killed Jax's dad. And Clay kills Piney with a shotgun blast to the chest and writes on the wall LS- making it look like the hit from a gang called Lobos Sonora.

SAMCRO Women

Gemma Teller Morrow
-Katey Sagal
-Queen of Charming
-A schemer and physical manipulator
-Wife of Clay and mother of Jax
-Does anything she can to make things go in good favor of Clay
-Very protective of her son Jax and grandson Abel

Tara Knowles
-Maggie Siff
-Jax's main love
-She is the mother of his son Thomas and is acting mother of other son Abel
-Gemma is training her to be the next "Queen"
-Is trying to convince Jax and her family to leave Charming

Wendy Case
-Drea De Matteo
-Jax Teller's ex-wife and biological mom to Abel
-She intentionally becomes pregnant in hopes to keep Jax with her.
-Drug addict who used meth during her pregnancy, which nearly killed Abel. He was born with serious defects and health problems. And when Wendy tries to get custody of Abel, Gemma threatens to reveal her past drug addiction as a way to keep her from getting in contact with Abel
-Causes Tara to smash her arm up even worse than it already was when she sees Tara in the hospital saying she has the right to know the son she gave up.

Lyla Winston
-Winter Ave Zoli
-Porn star employed by LuAnn Delaney and is introduced in season 2.
-She and Opie begin to grow close and like Opie, is a single parent and she helps with his kids.

Real IRA

Rival MC Members

Gang Members

Misc

Episodes

Concept
-Outlaw motorcyle club
-Club members wear vests known as cuts or kuttes(jacket with the sleeves cut off).
-The SOA patch is of a Grim Reaper holding a crystal ball with the anarachy "A" and wielding the Reaper's traditional scythe, the handle of which has been replaced with an M16 rifle the club owners held in Vietnam.

-Also, Jax wears a baseball hat that says 'Reaper Crew' on it
-At least 3 of the women(Gemma, Lyla and Wendy) have crow tattoos on them, signaling they are affiliated with the club
-The Sons ride customized motorcycles of various types. And they have day jobs in other careers, most of them working at the Teller-Morrow Garage. They make their main money through importing weapons, modifying/selling them to various garages, along with protection runs and protecting various truck shipments from hijacking
-They operate out of a club on the premises, which has a living area where some of the members can crash for the night,  a bar, pool table, kitchen, workout room and the "chapel", a room with an elaborate conference table made of redwood that has a reaper logo carved in to it, which is coincidentally the logo for the SOA.
-They keep meth traffickers out of Charming, which has put them at odds with the meth distributing white supremacist Nords, headed by Ernest Darby.
-Season 2 opens with a new threat: white supremacists called the League of American Nationalists(LOAN)

Music
-Notable songs include Bobby's Elvis covers, Katey Sagal singing a cover of the Dusty Springfield hit Son of a Preacher Man, Gimme Shelter.

Musicians and their Real Names

Charlie Watts- Rolling Stones drummer: Charles Robert Watts

Ronnie Wood- Rolling Stones guitarist: Ronald David Wood

Mick Jagger- Rolling Stones front man: Michael Philip Jagger

Pat Benatar- rock singer: Patricia Andrejewski

Jon Bon Jovi- front man for rock band Bon Jovi: John Francis BonGiovi

Sonny Bono- Sonny and Cher: Salvatore Bono

Bono- U2 front man: Paul David Hewson

David Bowie- glam rocker of the 70s: David Jones

50 Cent: Curtis Jackson

Alice Cooper- Goth rocker of the 70s: Vincent Damon Furnier

Cher- with Sonny and Cher: Cherilyn LaPierre

Eric Carr- KISS drummer: Paul Charles Carravello

LL Cool J- rapper: James Todd Smith

Julian Lennon- musician: John Charles Julian Lennon

Gene Simmons- KISS singer: Chaim Witz

Paul Stanley- KISS guitarist: Stanley Howard Eisen

Ringo Starr- Beatles drummer: Richard Starkey

Steven Tyler- Aerosmith front man: Steven Victor Tallarico

Slash- British American guitarist: Saul Hudson

Sting- lead singer of The Police: Gordon Matthew Sumner

Paul McCartney- Beatles guitarist: James Paul McCartney

Freddie Mercury- Queen front man: Farrokh Bulsara

Lady Gaga- pop singer: Stephanie Germanotta

Prince- pop singer of the 80s: Prince Rogers Nelson

Shakira- Latin pop singer: Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoli

David Johansen- lead singer of the New York Dolls: David Roger Johansen or Buster Poindexter

Adele- British soul singer: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins

Apl. De. Ap- Black Eyed Peas: Allan Pineda Lindo

Marc Anthony- Latin singer: Marco Antonio Muniz

Geri Halliwell- Ginger Spice(Spice Girls): Geraldine Estelle Halliwell

Stevie Van Zandt- E-Street guitarist: Steven Lento

Vinnie Vincent- KISS guitarist: Vincent Cusano

Mama Cass- Mamas and the Papas: Elaine Naomi Cohen