Linda Lovelace (1949-2002), seen here in the poster for her movie Linda Lovelace for President, inspired the John Lees song "Polk Street Rag". Linda Susan Boreman grew up in a strict Catholic household, the daughter of a New York police officer. After "starring" in Deep Throat and other porn films she was busted for possession before finding the God she had lost. She spent the rest of her life campaigning against the porn industry.
Johnny Cash promised to stay true to his first wife in "I Walk The Line," but when the song became a hit he found himself on the road, having an affair with June Carter, who became his second wife.
Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Keith Moon and John Paul Jones recorded "Beck's Bolero" and almost formed a band. They couldn't find a lead singer, so Page and Jones formed Led Zeppelin.
"Virginia" in "Only The Good Die Young" is named after a real girl Billy Joel was trying to impress.
Bobby Freeman's '50s hit "Do You Want To Dance" was also a Hot 100 hit for Del Shannon, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, Bette Midler and the Ramones.
References to David Bowie, Tom Waits and Allan Ginsburg are peppered into the Bush song "Everything Zen."
Sheriff had been disbanded for years when "When I'm With You" hit #1 in America thanks to rediscovery by radio stations. The group never re-formed and never made a video for the song.
Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.
Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.
The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.
The evolution of the symbol that was Prince's name from 1993-2000.
A founding member of the band War, Harold gives a first-person account of one of the most important periods in music history.
Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.