After 50 years of performing, Steppenwolf played its final show in October 2018 and John Kay returned to his early musical days to perform solo. His first exposure to American music was through the Armed Forces Radio Network in Germany. After moving to North America, he studied the Library of Congress field recordings of John & Alan Lomax and later attended the 1964 & 1965 Newport Folk Festivals, where the topical songs of singer/songwriters had a profound influence on him. Over the years, as leader and singer of Steppenwolf (Born To Be Wild, Magic Carpet Ride, The Pusher, Monster, etc.), John recorded a number of solo albums, rooted in Folk Music, Blues and the Singer/Songwriter tradition. His highly-anticipated solo performances feature select songs from those albums as well as newly written material; showcasing the more private side of his music and songwriting. After five decades as a well-known player in the global music arena, John Kay has opened an additional chapter in 2019 to bring his more personal songs and stories to audiences; those familiar with Steppenwolf and John Kay and those who will encounter John Kay and his music for the first time.

Tom’s photography career was launched at the iconic Monterey International Pop Festival. From there he immersed himself in the intense music scene that exploded in the sixties. He found himself in great demand by several high profile rock and roll stars. He applied both his photographic and graphic design skills in the creation of over 72+ album covers, including the acclaimed Déjà Vu cover used by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Other notable groups were the Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, Joni Mitchell, Poco, Crazy Horse, the Mamas and the Papas, B.B. King, and The Three Tenors. He developed relationships with entertainers that created opportunities for many years to follow. Two of Tom’s shots are part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Today Tom travels worldwide shooting for accounts such as Rolex, The Council, The Pebble Beach Company and giving keynote presentations. Toms photographs and presentations reflect his unbridled approach to life. "Whether a still life or of people, each photograph, represents a burst of excitement," he says. Just like Tom at work. When Tom O’Neal tells his stories about working with some of the greatest music artists, he shares refreshing and surprising perspectives regarding such work that is perfect for any audience. It is more than just taking pictures or designing record album covers. It is about owning, taking charge, connectivity in social settings, and creating your own circumstances. When failures become postponed success, preparation is key, as is looking for alternatives and recognizing that being on the brink of an opportunity, acting on it.

On February 5, 2003, “The Woody Guthrie 90th Year Celebration” took place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The concert was the culmination of a month-long series of events celebrating Woody's life and music. Among the artists that performed were Arlo Guthrie, Marty Stuart, Jimmy LaFave, Hans-Eckardt Wenzel (Germany), Ellis Paul, Blackfire, Janis Ian, Alison Brown, Guy Clark, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Nancy Griffith, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Corey Harris, Slaid Cleaves, Eliza Gilkyson, Peter Rowan, Tim O'Brien, James Talley, Rob Wasserman and others. This concert was a benefit for the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives, located at the time in New York, and was produced in association with Woody's daughter Nora Guthrie and manager/impresario Harold Leventhal, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Folk Alliance in 2002. Nora Guthrie about Wenzel: “At my invitation, Berlin songwriter Hans Eckardt Wenzel recorded the first ever German language CD of Woody songs. TICKY TOCK (released & recorded in both English and German in 2003), contains 10 new lyrics from the Archives as well as new arrangements of some older ones. New titles include: Ticky Tock, Every Hundred Years, Blue Eyes, I Like To Stay Home with Daddy, Jinga Linga, Been Out On An Ocean Trip, He and She and If I Were Everything on Earth. I had the opportunity to be in the studio with Wenzel in Berlin and we even appeared on nationwide television together. And, before you find out from someone else, I’ll tell you myself: He made me sing on 2 tracks -in German.”

Folk troubadour who already performed on stage with Pete Seeger, Rambling Jack Elliot, Bruce Springsteen, Utah Phillips und Jimmy Driftwood. Rik is a multi-talented singer, storyteller and songwriter. He plays various instruments, such as banjo, 12-string guitar and very exotic ones, such as the Polish bagpipe and an Ozark mouth bow. With his music, he crossed America several times, played in more than 1,000 schools and performed at numerous festivals from New York to Alaska. Rik is also the host & producer of “The Song Writer’s Notebook “, a TV show, archived in the American Folk Life Center in the new “Rik Palieri Collection”, at The American Folk Life Center Archives in Washington D.C. and has recorded eight albums. In 2003, Rik published the book "The Road is My Mistress - Tales of a Roustabout Songster" telling his life story in music.

Since forming in 1988, Tempest has delivered a globally-renowned hybrid of high-energy Folk Rock, fusing Irish reels, Scottish ballads, Norwegian influences and other world music elements. The last 30 plus years have seen the San Francisco Bay Area based act release eighteen critically acclaimed CDs and play more than 2,500 gigs. It's also enjoyed an evolving line-up that's enabled musicianship and creativity to progress in delightful ways with each new member. In 2022, the band released their new album "Going Home" and celebrated more than 30 years of Celtic Rock.

http://www.tempestmusic.com