Joel “Taz” DiGregorio, longtime keyboard player and vocalist for The Charlie Daniels Band, was killed in a car accident on Wednesday night in Cheatham County, according to a release from Daniels.
DiGregorio died as a result of injuries he sustained in the single-car accident on Interstate 40 west of Nashville while driving to meet the CDB. The band had been scheduled to depart for the Cumming Country Fair and Festival today in Cumming, Ga.
“I am in shock now, Taz was one of my best friends,” said Charlie Daniels in a release. “The CDB family has lost a great friend and musician. We traveled many miles together and shared so many nights on the road. We’re going to miss you buddy. You were one of a kind and will never be forgotten. We send our deepest condolences to the family.”
The Charlie Daniels Band has canceled their concerts for tonight in Cumming, Ga., and Saturday in Waterbury, Conn.
From Southbridge, Mass., Taz was an original member of the CDB for over 40 years and a co-writer on many CDB songs, including “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.”
WKRN Nashville reports about the new location of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. The Nashville Municipal Auditorium will be the new home to the museum that was displaced by the Music City Center project. The new name of the Arena will be The Musicians Hall of Fame at Nashville Municipal Auditorium.
Marshall Grant pictured in front of his Fender Tele Bass at The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
Marshall Grant, bassist of Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Two passed away Saturday night August 6, 2011. Along with lead guitarist Luther Perkins, Marshall co-founded what later became known as Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Two. Marshall and Luther were mechanics in Memphis at a local Plymouth dealership. They were self-taught musicians who would practice in the locker room at work whenever business was slow and that is exactly where they met John R. Cash. Marshall and Roy Cash worked side by side and it was Roy who asked Marshall if his brother could jam with them when he moved to town. And the rest is history.
In 2007, Marshall, and Luther were in the first class of musicians inducted into The Musicians Hall of Fame.
After more than a year of negotiations, the owner of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum has come to an agreement with Metro Nashville to move the tourist destination into the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.
The museum will move into the exhibit space on the first floor of the auditorium on 4th Avenue North.
The name of the nearly 50-year-old arena will change to Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum at Nashville Municipal Auditorium.
“The south end of downtown has a lot going on, and we hope to bring some activity to this end of the downtown area,” explained John Landers, chair of the Municipal Auditorium Board.
“We want Joe to do well, so the Municipal can do well. And that’s what we’re hopeful for; that’s what we’re banking on, and we think that will happen with Joe as a tenant,” said Landers.
Landers said Chambers has committed to refurbishing the outside of the auditorium with a new paint scheme and signage.
There is no definite opening date set. It could be sometime at the start of 2012, if not a little sooner.
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Steve Popovich passed away Wednesday at his home in Murfreesboro, TN at the age of 68. Steve started in promotions during the 60’s and 70’s for CBS Records working with artist like Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago, Santana, Gary Puckett, The Jackson Five, Boston, Cheap Trick, Janis Joplin, Simon and Garfunkel, Johnny Cash, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Bob Dylan, Boston, The Byrds, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and many more. The legendary Clive Davis promoted Steve to VP of Promotions for CBS Records, the youngest VP ever at CBS. In the mid Seventies Steve founded Cleveland International Records and signed Meat Loaf and had one of the largest selling albums in history with ” Bat Out Of Hell”. On a personal note, I am blessed to have known Steve Popovich and to have him as a friend of mine since I first came to Nashville in 1975. He was all about the music but more importantly was a great human being. He will be missed.
Bob Babbitt performing with James Durbin on American Idol 2011
Musicians Hall Of Fame 2007 Inductee Bob Babbitt was chosen to represent Motown studio musicians the “Funk Brothers” on this years American Idol Motown show. Bob was center stage playing bass backing American Idol finalist James Durbin who sang Stevie Wonder’s “Livin For The City”. Bob also played bass on the classic Stevie Wonder record ” Signed, Sealed, Delivered”.
After more than a year of negotiations, the owner of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum has come to an agreement with Metro Nashville to move the tourist destination into the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.
The museum will move into the exhibit space on the first floor of the auditorium on 4th Avenue North.
The name of the nearly 50-year-old arena will change to Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum at Nashville Municipal Auditorium.
“The south end of downtown has a lot going on, and we hope to bring some activity to this end of the downtown area,” explained John Landers, chair of the Municipal Auditorium Board.
“We want Joe to do well, so the Municipal can do well. And that’s what we’re hopeful for; that’s what we’re banking on, and we think that will happen with Joe as a tenant,” said Landers.
Landers said Chambers has committed to refurbishing the outside of the auditorium with a new paint scheme and signage.
There is no definite opening date set. It could be sometime at the start of 2012, if not a little sooner.
Jim Williamson, Nashville recording engineer, passed away on January 20th, 2011. Williamson worked for legendary producers Owen Bradley, Billy Sherrill, Don Law and Ken Nelson engineering iconic sessions with artists such as Bob Dylan, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Lynn Anderson, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson to name a few.
Southern rock pioneer, Tom Crain, from Franklin, Tennessee, passed away on January 13, 2011. Tom is best known for his two decades of work with the Charlie Daniels Band. He performed on over 20 CDB albums, co-wrote over 60 songs and won a Grammy for “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.” Donations can be made to the Nashville Local Chapter of MUSICANS ON CALL, 1313 21st Avenue, Oxford House, Suite 1002, Nashville, TN 37232.
The Musicians Hall of Fame Exhibit is back in Nashville from Massachusetts. The Musicians Hall of Fame traveling artifacts were viewed by over 200,000 visitors while on exhibit at The Big Eastern States Exposition located in West Springfield, Massachusetts. John Juliano, Special Events Director for The Big E, said The Musicians Hall of Fame exhibit was a huge success.
The MHOF exhibit garnered numerous print and television news stories throughout the New England States which helped peak the already record breaking crowds. Even Massachusetts Governor Patrick visited The Musicians Hall of Fame exhibit and personally held the 1967 Fender Stratocaster once owned by guitar great Jimi Hendrix.
While on exhibition in Massachusetts, The Musicians Hall of Fame received numerous offers to showcase our artifacts at other venues though out the country in the near future if time will allow.
The Museum is currently in talks with the city of Nashville about possible relocation in the downtown area in 2011.
