Sharpshooter Hello, My Name Is Suzi
Freddie Mercury • Photo Michael G. Bush
Suzi Quatro
Chicago is home to dozens of fantastic rock photographers, but 40 years is quite a milestone to be in this
rough and tumble business. IE contributor and veteran lensman Michael G. Bush is celebrating four
decades in the photo pits, behind the soundboards and in the darkroom with a retrospective exhibition enti-
tled "61 At 61" at the Zhou B Art Center in Bridgeport from March 15 through April 5.
Bush's subjects include a who's who of Rock N Roll Hall of Famer's including The Rolling Stones, Elton
John, Queen, The Who, The Bee Gees, Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Santana,
James Brown, Paul McCartney, and David Bowie. But what fascinated Bush the most are the pioneers of
rock he captured over the years, including the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Bo Diddley, Ray
Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and an extensive collection of photos of Chuck Berry and The Beach
Boys. A self-starter with no formal photography training, Bush admitted “[I] thrust myself into the Rock &
Roll world in the 1970s, and learned by trial and error. I witnessed firsthand the ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock &
Roll’ lifestyle, and managed somehow to stay in the background and just take my pictures.” Bush also
developed an excellent working repose with Chicago rockers from the '60s including Jimmy Sohns
(Shadows of Knight), Jim Peterik (Ides of March, Survivor) and Ronnie Rice of New Colony Six.
The Zhou B Art Center is located at 1029 W. 35th St. in Chicago. Visit [email protected] or call
773-523-0200 for information.
03•2019
Rocking Wine
Lincoln Yards
Though Virgin launched their wine company in 2000, they’ve rebranded the wine club with a classic
rock music connection for 2019. “Virgin Wines mission is to track down authentic, handcrafted bottles
with a focus on exciting flavors and genuine value, avoiding big brands and fancy châteaux at every turn,"
according to the company. "With this new club, members will also enjoy limited-edition, music-inspired
wines with the coolest labels ever.” Virgin’s introductory 12-bottle offer includes The Rolling Stones 50th
Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon, KISS's Malbec, and a special red blend inspired by The Police, alongside
outstanding wines from California, Washington, Italy, Spain, and Argentina. This 'Greatest Hits' collection
is just $79.99 (plus applicable tax) including shipping – a savings of $100. To add to the multi-sensory expe-
rience, members can listen to customized playlists for all wines on Spotify or at virginwines.com/music.
Though it could be branded as a wine club with training wheels, Richard Branson’s crew are appealing to
the entry-level wine buyer by ”putting a fresh and fun spin on wine clubs drawing on Virgin's rich musi-
cal heritage and dedication to providing special experiences," said Duncan Hurley, Creative Director of
Direct Wines. "It promises to be an action-packed journey of discovery for wine and music fans alike – fan-
tastic bottles from the world's most exciting wine regions, exclusive rock 'n' roll labels, and every wine
paired with the perfect soundtrack. What's not to love?" Visit virginwines.com for more information.
6 illinoisentertainer.com march 2019
V
eteran glam rocker Suzi Quatro was clearing away the dinner dishes
from her London dinner table with a clinkety-clack as we skimmed
over surfacey introductions before discussing her rough and tumble
comeback disc No Control, which hits shelves later this month. But suddenly,
the conversation turned unusually deep. Before she moved to Britain in 1971
under the tutelage of Starmaker Mickie Most, she hailed from Detroit, the
same salt-of-the-Earth stomping grounds as the Illinois Entertainer’s reader-
ship, she notes, before adding, “But my mother is from Indiana.” Weird. This
writer — momentarily caught off guard — can’t help but counter that his mom
hails from the Hoosier state, too. And everything squeals to a halt. “Isn’t that
strange? My first words to you are about my mother being from Indiana,
never knowing you’re from there, too,” she gasped, startled. “But I’m
very…what’s the word? Psychic. I used to do things like this all the time — I
stopped questioning them a long time ago.”
Finally — frustrated over the amount of spooky input she was receiving —
the singer (best known in America as Pinky Tuscadero’s kid sister Leather
Tuscadero on Happy Days and perhaps as Joan Jett’s shag-haired, jumpsuit-
sporting, bass-slinging 1970s role model of swaggering female stage authori-
ty) visited a hypnotist for a past life regression. As she was going under, she
tried to force herself not to transport to ancient Egypt for some reason. “But
then Bang! There I was in Egypt, a poor person who worked for this pharaoh's
family, and he told me, ‘We will meet again, someday when we are on equal
billing.’” Pause for dramatic effect. “And my husband I’ve been with for the
last 25 years now took me to Egypt for the first time, and we were both on
Fab Gear Shows
Spring means the return of area guitar and instrument shows and there are two
of the larger ones coming up in the next month.
R&B Productions and Bakes Guitars are back with their Annual Vintage
Guitar Expo on Sunday, March 3, from 10 AM - 4 PM at the Best Western in
Hillside (4400 Frontage Rd.). Dealers from all over the Midwest (including some
great local stores) will be buying, selling, and trading new and used guitars,
amplifiers, parts, and accessories. Like last year's show, you'll find some cool
memorabilia too, including signed photos, posters, vinyl and more. Admission
is $10. Need more details? Call 847-931- 0707 or email [email protected] to
set up a last minute dealer table.
Alchemy Audio is back with its Third Annual Gear Swap and owner/curator
Johnny Balmer told IE, “It’s now a two-day event April 6 and 7 (10 AM - 4 PM
on Saturday, 10 AM - 3 PM on Sunday). Once again, we'll take over the 7200
square foot "hangar" space at Fort Knox Studios (4255 N Knox Ave, Chicago) for
a weekend of buying, selling and trading gear - as well as food trucks, bever-
ages, live music, giveaways and more! Dozens of vendors from around the
region will participate. Attendees are also encouraged to bring along instru-
ments/gear to sell or trade." Local stores include Rock N’ Roll Vintage, Midwest
Buy N Sell and dozens of boutique dealers selling cool gear and accessories. Visit
www.alchemy-audio.com for details.