Paul Zollo

A Conversation about `Conversations with Tom Petty'  American Songwriter

Listen now to this previously unsung classic by George Harrison A mere six weeks after the April 1970 announcement that the dream was suddenly over and the unthinkable was true – The Beatles broke up – George Harrison had already picked up all the unbroken pieces of his artistic spirit to begin his…

From the new collection Angel Dream, the reimagined album of Tom’s songs for the movie She’s The One July 2, 2021 “What do you want? Perfection?What do you want? Perfection?”–Tom Petty When he was making Wildflowers, as his devoted fans know well, Tom Petty was on fire, creatively. It’s a fire that…

Recorded live in Japan, 1994, it also features John Kruth’s great epic poem liner notes, which we are happy to share with you today It is the ideal moment for this album to arrive. It’s springtime again, and there is the joy of liberation in America and beyond as the long season of lockdown gloom […

Dylan is 80, Part 3: The great songwriter/producer on the terrifying ecstatic, abandoned-in-a-dark-quarry impact of Dylan on his life Long Ago & Far AwayBy JOE HENRY His songs were not the first to which I was devoted; but it was Bob Dylan’s who made me believe I would spend my life writing my own.…

Eurythmics are two: Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox. They wrote all Eurythmic songs together, and Dave produced every one. As the world knows well, they created an expansive songbook of great songs, many of which became major hits, such as “Would I Lie To You,” “Here Comes The Rain Again,” “Missionary…

Video showcases new Elements Mix, which highlights John’s vocals with two previously unused vocal tracks and muting of drums and bass. To offer some needed peace and calm in these turbulent times, the Lennon estate brings this new, intimate mix and beautifully-animated video for John’s timeless song…

For the second year in a row, the Grammy for Song of the Year went to a song recorded in a bedroom. Following “Bad Guy,” the 2020 Song of the Year by Billie Eilish and Finneas, recorded in his bedroom, the Song of the Year, 2021 is “I Can’t Breathe,” by H.E.R. She wrote it […] More

He’s best known as one-third of Peter, Paul & Mary, the legendary folk trio who merged the songs of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie with the new songs of Bob Dylan, Laura Nyro, John Denver and others, and had Top 40 hits with them. They recorded the brilliant new songs emerging, such as Dylan”s “Blowi…

His wife and son confirm that singing great songs has proved to be the most effective medicine of all That Tony Bennett has made a significant impact on music is undeniable. Now it is clear music has returned the favor in kind. Since 2016, the Bennett Family has kept silent about Tony’s official di…

It was twenty years ago today, December 15, 2000, that Linkin Park released this beautiful ode to December. Now in mid-December, the last month of 2020, its somber tones have grown even darker and more poignant. Written by guitarist-singer Mike Shinoda while the band was on tour, it was recorded in…

Today is Tom Waits’ 71st birthday On this day, December 7 of 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing 2300 Americans, sinking twelve ships and wrecking more than 300 airplanes. President Franklin Roosevelt retaliated by attacking Japan, thus joining World War II, a war which would rage t…

In honor of the late great Dave Brubeck, who was born a century ago on this day December 6, 1920, here’s “Take Five.” Although Brubeck didn’t compose it, he did enable and encourage its creation. And he recorded it with his quartet. It made him one of the first “pop stars of jazz,” as he […] More

This is the first part of a two-part series. Read Part Two Here. His first job was as a sport parachutist in air circuses. “It was a very brief period of my life,” he said, “but it has that nice corny ring to it. There I was, high over Albuquerque on the wing of a […] More

People ask me, people ask me all the time How you doing that? How, how you doing that? People ask me, people ask me all the time How you doin’ that Busta rhyme? From “Busta Rhymes” By Qveen Herby, Nick Noonan and Steve Tirogene The Qveen contains multitudes. Of music – rap, hip-hop, soul, rock […] M…

Startling in its simplicity, both reverent and anthemic with gospel fever, “Stay With Me,” written by Sam Smith with Will Phillips and Jimmy Napier, was Smith’s first hit. From his debut album in 2014, In the Lonely Hour, it’s the song that brought him to the world. The song, he said, came all at on…

Bob Dylan writes the liner notes for ‘Blues With Friends’ A legend among legends, Dion has a lot of friends among rock and roll royalty, and has called on many of them to join him on his new album, Blues With Friends. Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Patti Scialfa, Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbo…

Cynthia Brando might already be familiar to American Songwriter readers, as she’s received honorable mentions in our 2017 Lyric Contest, and also in the 2019 Bob Dylan cover song contest. If you’re in Los Angeles, you might know her already as an acclaimed singer-songwriter here, and also the founde…