Rock N Roll tried to heat up a cold January in Cleveland, and it did!  My first show of the year was Rusted Root.  I didn't plan on going to this show, but my friend is a photographer and he got an extra ticket to the show and asked me if I wanted to go.  Can't pass up a free show!  They were great and the entire crowd was dancing in their seats.  Especially when they played their biggest hit "Send me on my way".  The band still has 3 original members and Liz Berlin and the new drummer met…

The Super Bowl is only days away. There are two stories we’re hearing so much about. There’s “deflate gate.” For those that don’t know, it’s the New England Patriots being caught cheating yet again, by deflating the footballs slightly, so they were easier to throw, catch, and hold on to.

There’s also the story of Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. He’s always…

There are two questions I have been asked more than any other in my 30 years of collecting:

The first is, "what do you plan on doing with your collection" and the second is, "why do you need so many signatures from the same artists"?  I'll explore this second question as to how it relates to my collection with respect to "racking" or "hoarding" or whatever name its given when a collector obtains or builds a mountain of multiple signatures from a…

The best story about “signatures” you will ever see, will conclude this story.

Now, I’ve interviewed many rock stars over the years. Near the end of the interviews, I’d always ask a few autograph questions. One question that could’ve been fun, wasn’t. That’s only because it was always the same answer. I would ask them “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever been asked to autograph?”

About 75% of the musicians told me “breasts.”

Ice Cube got a devious smile, before he…

Often times when people talk about a certain Seinfeld episode, I’m lost. I’ve probably only seen half the episodes of that show. I liked it, just didn’t watch it religiously. Last night I saw one that had comedian Kathy Griffin. This got my mind thinking about a number of autograph stories.

First was the time about 15 years ago (approximately), that I was in Los…

I picked this up the other day at the shop I work in, and I thought it may be of interest to some of our Baseball collectors.

The Ball is marked 1981 Baltimore Orioles, but half the signatures just did not fit. It took a bit of digging and searching but it all made perfect sense when I found a couple of youtube videos about the Exhibition Game the O's held every year pitting the Major League Franchise against its AAA club.…

A few autograph/memorabilia type stories from the last few weeks that I thought would be of interest.

A gold pocket watch Babe Ruth owned sold for $650,108 at an auction. Now, I totally understand when an engraved humidor from comedian Milton Berle to John F. Kennedy went for $500,000. Those are two big names, and it was engraved and owned by a President.

That…

Why I will never again support or pay a penny to see Three Dog Night in concert.

About 4 years ago I had obtained Chuck Negron’s signature on an 8X10 B&W photograph from a celebrity autograph convention he attended. Thee Chuck Negron being the original 3^rd member so many years ago that was at the time, all three of Three Dog Night.…

To go along with my new obsession of meeting Rock Stars, I also continued my football autograph collection.  My year started in out in January when a friend and I traveled down to Columbus to the Midwest Sports Spectacular show.  I added a few Buckeyes to my All-American helmet: John Hicks, Ryan Shazier and Tom Skladney.  Maurice Clarett who almost won the '02 Championship game by himself, was also there so I couldn't pass us an opportunity to get him on a SI and ESPN cover.…

Myself and a couple of friends decided to go down to try to meet Billy Joel who was performing in Orlando last night on New Years eve and all of us had very low expectations that it would ever happen because of who he is and the venue seats 20,000 and is very large but decided to give it a try anyway so we were all going to meet at the venue at 6 and we figured since he didn't go on until 10 we would just wait outside and maybe he would stop and be kind enough to sign a few on his way in.…

My autograph adventure of 2014 began in February when I decided to see Peter Buck and Alejandro Escavado at the last minute. I have been a fan of REM for a long time and I got to see them a couple of times over the years. My chance to see a hall of famer up close in a small venue for $20 was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.  I wasn't really prepared for autographs, as I didn't get any vinyl and only brought 1 REM cd cover and my RnR HOF poster.  I had no idea if they would sign or not and…

I have a genuine, mint condition, 3rd ed. AA Big Book signed by Chris Farley just months before his death in Dec. '97. I met him, became friends with him, roomed with him....I've cherished this piece for many reasons but now thinking of parting with it in an attempt to help fund another person's rehab. I believe Chris would approve. Let me know if you might be interested.

The Runaways, the first all girl rock band that played their own instruments featured two members that also had break-out solo careers.  Joan Jett was the first to gain recognition with her 2nd solo album "I love Rock N Roll" as well as various other hits and cover songs through out her career.  I always liked Joan and her big eyes and punk attitude.  I got the opportunity to see her open up for the Kinks back in 1987 and she put on a great show.  I never got to meet her, but I hope to this…

Well, Joe Cocker is up where he belongs – at that big rock stage in the sky. I have to admit, I’m only lukewarm on him as a performer, but as a rock star he was always a class act with the fans.

When I was in my early 20’s working at my first radio station, I brought some contest winners backstage to meet him. It was my first time being backstage at a concert, and…

Are these Mick Jagger  handwritten to Aftermath song real?V

With Stephen Colbert doing his last “Colbert Report” (what a funny show), everyone is making a big deal about the cameo appearances by everyone as he sang his goodbye song (with Randy Newman on piano, who by the way…is great with autograph requests).

For those that don’t know, he’s replacing David Letterman, and dropping the fake Republican character he played on this…

The Who is a band I’ve always loved. As a kid, I first heard them on the classic rock radio stations. All the hits everybody knows. When I’d save my allowance to buy an album, I was always pleasantly surprised by the other tracks on the record. Always the sign of a good band, when you can like the “b sides” (a term that the young folks won’t understand).

I was about 11 when The Who was releasing the “Face Dances” album. It would be the first without drummer Keith Moon,…

Another good week for music and autographs in the Cleveland Area.  Last Saturday, two original

members of Jefferson Airplane- Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, also known as Hot Tuna hit the Music Box for an acoustic set of blues based rock.  Although I didn't have a ticket to the show, I decided to go up and see if I could get a couple of autographs from these legendary Hall of Famers.  The Music Box is a great venue that has two levels and two stages.  The first floor seats…

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I bought this autograph in an online auction with a COA from Los Angeles Rocks.  Is it real?

Kirby in Arkansaw