news Bits
OBITUARY
Ronnie Montrose
dies at 64
Montrose, who was best known
for his work with Sammy Hagar
in the group Montrose, also
recorded classic tracks with Van
Morrison, Edgar Winter, and
Gamma. He succumbed to a
lengthy battle with prostate
cancer on March 3, 2012.
Bugs henderson
dies at 69
Henderson was a well-known
guitarist in the Texas blues
scene and shared the stage with
the likes of B.B. King, Eric
Clapton, and Ted Nugent. He
was diagnosed with cancer last
year and died of complications
on March 8, 2012.
INNOVATION
Purdue
Students
create the
ghost Pedal
The new pedal
technology uses
sensors attached
to the player’s
foot to control a
wah-style effect
wirelessly. The
technology can
be activated
or deactivated
onstage at any
time by tapping the sensor
and is patent-pending. The
Ghost Pedal was
created as a senior project in
Purdue’s School of Mechanical
Engineering, and the creators
hope to license the technology
to pedal makers.
engineering.purdue.edu/ME
Purdue alumnus Robbie Hoye, from left, and Purdue graduate student Will Black present the technology that powers the Ghost Pedal.
Photo courtesy Purdue Research Foundation
can be watched in full on the
BBC website.
bbc.com
CLINICS
national guitar
Workshop Master
Artist Series
Announced
Robben Ford, Pat Metheny,
Chick Corea, and John Scofield
will each hold Master Artist
Series workshops during the
month of August. Daily activities will include master classes,
rhythm rehearsals, jam sessions,
and performances.
guitarworkshop.com
HONORED
Rock and Roll hall
of Fame Inducts
2012 class
The Rock Hall will welcome
Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili
Peppers, The Faces/Small
Faces, and Donovan, as well
as honoring Freddie King with
an Early Influence award in an
April 14, 2012 ceremony.
rockhall.com
DOCUMENTARY
BBc Profiles Vox
history
Vox Pop: How Dartford Powered
the British Beat Boom is a
30-minute documentary produced by the BBC documenting the rise and influence of
Vox Amplifiers. The documentary includes interviews with
Vox players as well as factory
workers from the 1960s and
RELEASED
Jimmy Page Releases
Experimental Work
from ’70s
The avant garde project Lucifer
Rising and Other Sound Tracks
was released for public consumption on March 20, 2012
after having been kept under
wraps for four decades. In a
statement, Page called the work,
“a musical diary of avant-garde
compositions and experiments.”
jimmypage.com
WEIRD
Marshall Unveils the
Mini Fridge
Hot on the heels of success
with their licensed headphones,
Marshall unveiled a slightly
stranger entry into the consumer goods market in March with
the Marshall Fridge. The mini
fridge is styled like a mini stack
and includes 4. 4 cubic feet of
space, a high-efficiency freezer,
and knobs that go to 11. The
fridge will sell for $300 and be
available in October.
marshallfridge.com
