Entertainment News
Feel The Love – A Taylor Family Christmas
Published
1 year agoon
By
Dave Parsons
By Dave Parsons
For the last 20+ years, December brought a Christmas concert tour through Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. The shows would sell out immediately and became a beloved tradition for folks to attend every year. The artist, B. E. Taylor, produced three Christmas CD’s with his own Taylorized arrangements of Christmas hymns and classics. He also included a few original songs, one of which was Feel The Love Of Christmas.
So, it was no surprise that the four dates for the 2024 tour, 2 shows near Pittsburgh and 2 shows in West Virginia sold very well. Staging the same band over the last 20 years, comprised of the best musicians in the region, adding in some new surprises, and the tradition continued for many people.
Except that B. E. Taylor passed away on Aug. 7, 2016, at the age of 65.
Wait…..what?
How does 3 CD’s of Christmas music, the first released 30 years ago, still command large audiences to hear them live, 8 years after the artist passed away?
Let me introduce you to William Edward Taylor…
He formed B.E. Taylor and The Establishment group, a band playing covers on the bar circuit while still in high school. He later formed the B.E. Taylor Group, teaming with local guitar legend Rick Witkowski. Signed in 1982 to MCA Records, the Witkowski-penned hit Vitamin L peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.
In 1991, it was a “Taylorized” version of Silent Night for a Pittsburgh TV station’s compilation CD that started the wheels turning. In 1994, he recorded B.E. Taylor Christmas, and a one-time concert playing was scheduled. The response was so tremendous that the full tour started the next year. More than 40,000 fans would attend his Christmas tour each year. His CD’s were offered on QVC, and his tour branched out to other states for a few years.
Despite all that talent on the stage every year, it was Taylor’s personality, combined with that incredible voice that people related to. If you stayed after the show, he was in the lobby for hours greeting everyone. Taylor did Valentine’s shows, and other appearances throughout the year. He also lent himself to numerous local charities to help raise funds.
But maybe the best quality was if you ran into him at the grocery store, or at the post office, there was an aura about him and he pulled you into it. He literally made you feel like you were the only person in the world when he talked to you.
I know because I ran into B. E. Taylor at the local post office in the late 1990’s. We talked about my wanting to record music and he encouraged me. I was a complete stranger at the time. Every time I ran into him after that he asked me how the music was coming. How did he remember that?
We lost our home to a flood in September, 2004. I get a phone call in December from Taylor’s wife Veronica, that B. E. would like my family to be his guest for the Christmas show. After the show, I thanked him, and he said, See you at the post office with a smile. I still don’t know how he knew about what we went through. He was the first person we asked to sing at our St. Baldricks event for childhood cancer research in 2006 and he came. Over the next decade, he did nearly every St Baldricks event we put on, and although we heard the rumors, he never told us he was battling an inoperable brain tumor the entire time.
In 2010, right before singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow at the event, he said I would be singing backup. My instant thought was…….are you serious, sing with you? The next two events, we ended up singing something together. He knew how to encourage and bring the best out in people. In 2011, my daughter’s school choir was to sing on the local tour date with him, and the show was sold out. We managed to win tickets, but it was the look of relief and the I am SO glad you got to come after the show that resonated with me. It’s safe to disclose now that we had devised a scheme of sneaking in the back door with the kids, if I hadn’t won tickets. I was just touched he remembered I was trying so hard.
When he passed, there were thousands of posts on Facebook. It seemed like everyone has a picture with him, and that is probably true. I was so grateful he took the time to do the things he did with me over the years. To know he did that with everyone, is the stuff legacies are made of.
His band, led by his son B. C., (who had played drums behind his dad on a lot of those tours) originally got together for two concerts the year after he passed, and then proclaimed 2019 to be the last shows. Covid would have wiped the shows out in 2020 anyhow, but in that interim the posts became more frequent. The fans wanted to hear the songs live again. It was part of their Christmas they wanted to relive one more time.
And so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise, that the crowds still come to hear the versions of Christmas songs that he “Taylorized”. Walking into the auditorium at Moon Township High School was like walking into a family reunion. Everyone going into the show seemed to know each other, even if it was the thread of the music.
Starting off with two of those versions of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and O Little Town of Bethlehem, it was as if all the Christmas preparations were now underway. Taylor’s niece, Bailey Taylor, a Nashville based recording artist in her own right did several songs off her debut Christmas effort, Christmas Love. I had a chance to do an interview with Bailey before the shows and you can watch it here:
B. C. Taylor provided most of what would have been his dad’s vocals. B. E.’s brother Dan, who if you close your eyes and listen, sounds a good bit like B.E. jumped in on several songs. As in the original tour, each member of the band took their solo turns to do a song. In a band comprised of this much talent, the show can not help but be entertaining, even if the reason they are all up there was not there in physical form.
After a reggae infused arrangement of Mary’s Boy Child, the band left the stage to a standing ovation. After a minute or so, one mic stand was brought to center stage, and a flood of stage lights surrounded the spot. The recording of B.E. Taylor singing his version of O Holy Night filled the theater among the sniffles in the crowd. You could feel the power in his voice, as he took the stage with this group once again, and was a part of the show he created.
After a few more encores from the band, the crowd filed into the hallway, smiling and content it seemed to once more experience this show. The Taylor family, along with bandmates who are like part of their family, indeed had the audience Feel the Love of Christmas.
Somewhere over the rainbow, I have a feeling B. E. Taylor had the biggest smile on his face.
You can check out the all of B. E. Taylor’s CD’s here: https://www.betaylor.com/
Feel The Love: A Taylor Family Christmas Setlist:
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
- O Little Town of Bethlehem
- We Three Kings
- One Wish
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- Light Of the Stable
- What Child is This?
- Wish You a Merry Christmas/Jingle Bells/Winter Wonderland
- Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
- Little Drummer Boy
- Feel the Love of Christmas
- Please Come Home for Christmas
- Home for the Holidays/Hark! the Herald Angels Sing/Go Tell It on the Mountain
- Back to the Magic
- Joy to the World
- Mary’s Boy Child
- O Holy Night
- I Saw 3 Ships
- Away in a Manger/Do You Hear What I Hear?
- Happy Christmas (War is Over)
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MLW announces Paul London enters Battle RIOT VIII on Jan 29
Published
5 days agoon
December 17, 2025
Major League Wrestling (MLW) today announced Paul London as a participant in MLW Battle RIOT VIII on Thursday, January 29 at the Osceola Heritage Park Events Center in Kissimmee, FL.
🎟 Buy tickets starting at $10 as part of MLW’s fan Appreciation Night at http://www.MLWLive.com and Ticketmaster.
The Battle RIOT begins with two competitors, with a new combatant entering every 60 seconds. Eliminations occur by pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope with both feet hitting the floor. There are no disqualifications, meaning weapons, chaos, and surprise attacks are all part of the fight. The last competitor standing earns a guaranteed future shot at the MLW World Championship.
For London, the RIOT represents more than just survival — it’s an opportunity to make a career in one night. With timing, awareness, and a deep understanding of controlled chaos, London could outmaneuver bigger, stronger opponents and turn the madness to his advantage.
On January 29, when the countdown clock hits zero and the ring fills with bodies, one thing is certain: Paul London will not play by anyone else’s rules.
Battle RIOT VIII participants:
•Alex Hammerstone
•“Machine Gun” Karl Anderson
•Killer Kross
•Doc Gallows
•KUSHIDA
•Matthew Justice
•Paul London
Matches and more appearances will be announced soon at MLW.com.
PLUS: Pre-Order your Special Meet & Greets from 6-6:30pm at www.MLWVIP.com.
Grab your seats at MLWLive.com and Ticketmaster! Don’t miss MLW’s return to the Orlando metro area for the first time in six years!
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TNA Wrestling announce 2026 TV deal with AMC Networks
Published
3 weeks agoon
December 3, 2025
In major pro wrestling news TNA Wrestling has announced they’ve signed a new tv deal with AMC Networks starting in January 2026. The multi year deal will bring TNA’s flagship weekly television show, Thursday Night iMPACT!, to AMC – TNA’s new television home in the U.S. The TNA-AMC partnership kicks off LIVE from the Curtis Culwell Center in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
AMC will feature “Thursday Night iMPACT!” as a two-hour block of action-packed TNA Wrestling exclusively on television every Thursday from 9-11 p.m. ET. The new TNA-AMC agreement also includes extending the weekly telecast to viewers on AMC+.
“We are super excited to bring the in-ring excitement, energy and drama of TNA Wrestling to AMC,” said TNA Wrestling President Carlos Silva. “TNA Wrestling heads into 2026 the hottest it has ever been – with intense rivalries and a fan base that loves the TNA stars. We cannot wait to expand the TNA audience with our new partner, AMC Networks, which has such a long and storied history of serving passionate and engaged fans across so many shows and franchises, through this new media rights deal.”
“TNA’s impressive growth and success is driven by the stories, characters and non-stop action fans love,” said Dan McDermott, Chief Content Officer, AMC Networks and President of AMC Studios. “We put fans at the center of everything we do, and TNA has built its brand and its programming around that same dedication and focus. What a great opportunity to come together and make Thursday Night iMPACT! a dynamic and entertaining weekly event on AMC and AMC+ starting next month.”
Tickets for the first-ever Thursday Night iMPACT! to air on AMC on January 15, 2026, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas will go on-sale on Thursday, December 11, starting at 10 a.m. ET at tnawrestling.com. The Ticket pre-sale starts Tuesday, December 9, at 10 a.m. ET. To register for the pre-sale, go to tnawrestling.com.
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Entertainment News
Mariachi El Bronx drop killer new song ‘Forgive Or Forget’
Published
1 month agoon
November 22, 2025
Mariachi El Bronx continue to be one of the genres best things and it shows with their latest song. The band, featuring members of punk act The Bronx, show their diversity on the their newest song ‘Forgive Or Forget’ which comes from the bands upcoming album ‘Mariachi El Bronx IV. This is the bands first album after an almost 10 year hiatus.
Pre-order Mariachi El Bronx IV here.
The songwriting “started as a battle between love and death but became a way to process all the chaos of the world,” says lead vocalist Matt Caughthran.
Known for their electrifying performances and signature charro suits, Mariachi El Bronx are bringing their powerful eight-piece sound back on the road. After a sold-out show earlier this month at LA’s infamous La Cita, the band next play shows in Santa Ana and San Diego (both are sold-out), before celebrating the album release in Tijuana, Mexico on February 14 (low ticket warning). Each show, presented by Liquid Death, is $4 in celebration of Mariachi El Bronx 4. They share, “These four shows represent a sacred right of passage for every Southern Californian. And Tijuana is raw, beautiful, dangerous, and inspiring. I couldn’t think of a more perfect place to celebrate the new album.” Tickets are on sale now here and all dates are listed below.
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Ozzy to release second autobiography ‘Last Rites’ tomorrow
Published
3 months agoon
October 6, 2025
Tomorrow will mark the release date of Ozzys second autobiography ‘Last Rites’. Completed just days before he passed away earlier this summer the book will chronicle the last seven or so years of the late legends life.
Read a moving Q&A with OZZY’s son Jack Osbourne below. Purchase the book HERE.
At the age of sixty-nine, OZZY OSBOURNE was on a triumphant farewell tour, playing to sold-out arenas and rave reviews all around the world. Then disaster. In a matter of just a few weeks, he went from being hospitalized with a finger infection to having to abandon his tour—and all public life— as he faced near-total paralysis from the neck down.
JACK OSBOURNE
TALKS ABOUT
LAST RITES
Q: How did the idea for doing LAST RITES come about?
JACK OSBOURNE (JACK): My father had been working on Last Rites for a very long time—chipping away at it over the last three or four years. He always felt he needed to do a follow-up to I Am Ozzy, because so much had happened in the 20 years since that book was released. From life after the TV show, to the Sabbath reunion, to releasing his last two albums, and finally his health issues. It was important to him to capture all of that.
Q: Do you or other family members have favorites passages/anecdotes from the book?
JACK: If I’m being honest, not many of the family members have read the book yet—it’s been difficult time for everyone. For me, the last chapter is what I’ve reflected on the most. He finished it just a few days before he passed.
Q: Throughout LAST RITES Ozzy reflects on his early life with the insight gained as we grow older. Were there things that changed about him and the way he experienced the world towards the end of his life?
JACK: There’s a lot to reflect on with that question. My father was always considered the “wild man of rock,” the “Prince of Darkness,” and so on, but the last seven years were the complete opposite. Because of his injuries and declining health, he slowed down. And sometimes with a curse comes a blessing. Slowing down gave him the space to really reflect on his journey—his successes, his failures, his joys, his sadness and ultimately, what mattered most to him. This book captures some of that.
Q: Do you recall any moments or conversations with Ozzy as he was working on the book—funny, touching, surprising—about the material he wanted to include or stories about working with a writer on the project?
JACK: He was very private about the process and didn’t share much about what he was including. I’d try to ask, but he’d often brush it off. I’ve often said this about my father, he was the most humble egomaniac you could ever meet. He honestly didn’t think anyone would care about what he was writing in LAST RITES. So when I asked him, he always downplayed it.
Q: It’s so clear from reading LAST RITES that Ozzy loved his fans. Is there anything that didn’t make it into the book that you’d like for them to know?
JACK: Here’s the truth—my father fought a very hard fight to get on that stage in Birmingham on July 5. He was determined to say goodbye to his fans, and that’s exactly what he did. He loved them deeply because they gave him the life he had. He always said he would have been nothing without their love and support. That last show was his way of giving back one final time.
Q: What do you think Ozzy would like readers to take away from the book?
JACK: My father would want people to smile, laugh, and feel love when they read it. He absolutely hated when people felt sorry for him. I know some fans will get emotional—it’s hard not to—but he couldn’t stand when people cried in front of him or got sad around him. So enjoy his words. Feel his energy. Remember who he will always be. And never stop loving him.
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Entertainment
Kansas and Jefferson Starship Light Up Wheeling
Published
4 months agoon
August 24, 2025By
Dave Parsons
by Dave Parsons
There’s something beautiful about watching two bands that helped define American progressive rock perform in a restored 1928 theater. But that’s exactly what happened on August 22, 2025, as Kansas and Jefferson Starship rolled into Wheeling’s Capitol Theater. They brought nearly a century’s worth of collective rock history and enough musical firepower to light up the entire Ohio Valley.
The Capitol itself stood ready, a relic of a building that holds the ghosts of vaudeville comics in its wings, and the weight of Jamboree country singers, Broadway casts, and orchestras. On this night, they bore something else coming full circle. Two bands that have seen it all, survived it all, and come back to play these boards again, decades after they did the first time.
The night wasn’t about nostalgia, though. Nostalgia is a costume you wear to remind yourself of what’s gone.
The lights dimmed, and Jefferson Starship strode onstage at 7:30 PM. At stage right was David Freiberg, who was born August 24, 1938, just two days away from 87 years old. He was almost as old as the theater itself! His presence alone was worth the price of admission.
From the opening chords of Find Your Way Back, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be a nostalgia cash-grab from the AARP crowd. The current touring Jefferson Starship lineup includes founding member David Freiberg on guitar and vocals. At 85 years old, Freiberg remains the band’s spiritual anchor, standing for the entire concert, singing, playing guitar, and never sitting. An incredible testament to both his stamina and his unwavering commitment to the music that has defined his life.
What struck me most about Jefferson Starship’s set was how effortlessly they bridged their various eras, from their Jefferson Airplane roots through their commercial Starship peak. The setlist was like reading a chapter of American rock history. Starting with Find Your Way Back, Stranger, followed by Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now, Miracles, and White Rabbit, it was pure vintage rock with edges of modern rock grit.
Cathy Richardson, who joined the band in 2008, has grown into the role of lead vocalist with remarkable confidence. Her voice carries both the clarity needed for Grace Slick’s melodies and the rock-solid power required for the band’s heavier material. The inclusion of We Built This City proved surprisingly effective in this setting. With all of the attitudes around that song over the decades, it now plays as a celebration of time and place.
Somebody to Love was pure bliss for a show closer, with the chorus and lyrics remaining in the minds and on the lips of the audience as they made the mad dash to the restrooms or the concession stand while the bands swapped out instruments. Intermission at a show like this at the Capitol is never just about stretching legs. It’s about stories. It’s about the couples who support the arts in the city and are at every event.
There was the dad with his son, holding court and telling the story about being their age and seeing Kansas’ first show on that same stage. Like the band, there have been thousands of weather-beaten miles in between for the fans, too. Yet, their eyes still lit up when they talked about that night. This wasn’t just about music. This is about making memories you never forget.
While Jefferson Starship had primed the crowd and unlocked the door, Kansas kicked the door open, taking the stage by storm shortly after 8:45 PM. Kansas opened with Point of Know Return, followed by Down the Road and Child of Innocence. The last two demonstrate their commitment to showcasing material from across their catalog, not just radio favorites. These deeper cuts revealed Kansas at their most adventurous, with intricate interplay between the band members.
What’s on My Mind showcased the band’s wide catalog, but it was the transition into Dust in the Wind that created the evening’s first unforgettable moment. The Capitol Theater fell into cathedral silence as the opening fingerpicked guitar pattern emerged, and the delivery of those immortal lines about dust and wind felt incredibly intimate and reverent in the hallowed halls of the Capitol Theater.
Song for America, one of Kansas’s most ambitious early songs, came mid-set. In the context of a city like Wheeling, the song took on additional relevance. A 9-minute version of The Wall was the evening’s centerpiece, showing off every member of the band. Lonely Wind provided a brief rest before the evening headed for the final surge. The energy came back up with Fight Fire with Fire. The song set up what everyone knew was coming, and when the opening piano chords of Carry on Wayward Son rang out, the Capitol Theater erupted in recognition. Kansas’s signature song, having lived 2 or 3 popular lifetimes thanks to usage in films and television, stepped up one step higher, being delivered with the passion and perfection that only the band that gave birth to it can offer.
What made this evening special wasn’t just the quality of the performances, but the sense of continuity it represented. Here were two bands from different eras, united by their commitment to rock music. When you throw in the years of history of the venue, the Capitol Theater played the 3rd man on offense for the show.
In an era when so many “classic rock” tours feel like museum pieces, Jefferson Starship and Kansas proved that there’s still life in these old songs. The audience was a mix of original fans who remember these songs from their first releases and younger listeners discovering them anew. One great note on this show is that there were no standing ovations after every song, and few obvious sing-alongs. This was a show about watching the musicians who obviously still care deeply about their craft.
As the last notes of Kansas’s last song faded into the West Virginia night, the audience filed out onto Main Street carrying with them the rare satisfaction that comes from witnessing artistry that refuses to fade away or be compromised. That son, with his dad, now has a glimpse of what his dad meant. He just saw the same band, in the same venue, and sometime down the road, a decade or two, the story will grow to two generations, but everything original and authentic in every way. In a world that often seems determined to reduce everything to its lowest common (tribute!) denominator, Jefferson Starship and Kansas continue to insist that quality never goes out of style, and they proved it.
SETLISTS
Jefferson Starship
- Find Your Way Back
- Stranger
- Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now
- Miracles
- White Rabbit
- We Built This City
- Winds of Change
- Fooled Around and Fell in Love
- Somebody to Love
Kansas
- Point of Know Return
- Down the Road
- Child of Innocence
- What’s on My Mind
- Dust in the Wind
- Play the Game Tonight
- Song for America
- The Wall
- Lonely Wind
- Fight Fire with Fire
- Carry On Wayward Son
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Entertainment News
Brent Hinds, Ex-Mastodon Singer-Guitarist, Killed in Motorcycle Accident
Published
4 months agoon
August 21, 2025By
Dave Parsons
Former Mastodon singer-guitarist Brent Hinds has died in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta.
According to the police report, a male riding a Harley Davidson was killed in a collision after a driver of a BMW SUV failed to yield while making a turn at an intersection. The Fulton County medical examiner’s office has since confirmed Hinds as the driver of the motorcycle.
He was 51 years old.
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