Matt Sorum Comments On Jim Marshall's Passing: 'I Will Miss Him Dearly'

Drummer Matt Sorum (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N' ROSES, THE CULT) has commented on the passing of legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall, who died on Tuesday night (March 23) in his New York City hotel room at age 74. Marshall was due to appear at a gallery opening on Wednesday night for his new book "Match Point" with celebrity photographer Timothy White.

Marshall is often credited as being among the earliest "guerrilla" rock photographers to redefine how musicians were shot both onstage and off.

Infamous for his brash exterior and pistol packing ways, Marshall's photos of Jimi Hendrix at Monterey and Janis Joplin are among the most iconic shots in rock — as are his pictures of Johnny Cash "flipping the bird" at San Quentin in 1969, THE GRATEFUL DEAD In Haight Ashbury in 1966, and THE BEATLES at their final concert that year at San Francisco's Candlestick Park.

Commented Sorum: "The world has lost a great cultural icon. Jim Marshall passed away [Tuesday] night in NYC at the age of 74. I was proud to call him my friend for the last 22 years. I met him on tour when i was playing with THE CULT. Our singer, Ian Astbury, asked Jim to join us on tour. He traveled with us on many adventures across America as we opened for METALLICA on the '...And Justice For All' tour.

"Being a huge fan of rock and roll and the people Jim photographed, I picked Jim's brain for stories of his glory days behind the scenes of the greats he shot like THE DOORS, Hendrix, Bob Dylan, THE WHO, STONES, THE BEATLES, Janis Joplin and many more.

"His jazz photography was unparalleled. He shot jazz greats John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Monk, among others. He captured the essense of the personality behind the musician by capturing them in their natural state. He wasn't a fan of posed sessions and always carried three German film cameras around his neck to capture the perfect moment.

"The stories that went with the photographs were mesmerizing. The famous photo of Johnny Cash flipping the bird was actually at Jim himself. Jim was the only photographer allowed at THE BEATLES' last concert. The STONES invited Jim into the 'Exile on Main St.' sessions as he captured classic moments.

"I have many of his pieces and have always told those stories he told me with pride as I share them with visitors at my house.

"He once sent me his entire collection of drummers he had shot, Ringo to Max Roach. I was overwhelmed with his kindness and felt honored that I knew him.

"He lived in the same house in San Francisco that was a museum for the music lover. I spent time there drinking scotch, which he loved, scouring through his file cabinets of stuff he forgot he had shot. He just sent me a photo of Miles Davis that was unreleased because he learned I named my French bulldog after the jazz legend.

"He was a sweet gentle man who had a rough exterior from years of hard living. I will miss him dearly, but am grateful that I met him and was able to call him my friend.

"Say hello to all your old friends for me, Jimi, Janis, Coltrane, Lennon and Miles.

"I love you, Jim."

Boston's Tom Scholz Suing Local Newspaper For Defamation

Karina Brown of Courthousenews.com reports that Tom Scholz, a founder of the rock band Boston, says the Boston Herald defamed him in an article blaming him for the 2007 suicide of the band's lead singer, Brad Delp. And Scholz claims Herald reporters fabricated quotes from Delp's wife to do so.

A week after Delp committed suicide, in March 2007, the Herald published an article under the headline "Pal's Snub Made Delp Do It," according to Scholz's complaint in Suffolk County Court, Boston.

He claims Herald columnists Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa - who also are named as defendants - used fabricated quotes from Delp's widow in the article in the Herald's "Inside Track" section.

The widow, Micki Delp, denied making two of the statements that were "quoted" in the article, Scholz says.

The column reported that Delp said her ex-husband "was driven to despair" by "a dysfunctional professional life that ultimately led to the sensitive frontman's suicide."

The 21-page complaint cites this passage from the March 16, 2007 article: "According to Micki Delp, Brad was upset over the lingering bad feelings from the ugly breakup of the band Boston over 20 years ago. Delp continued to work with Scholz and Boston but also gigged with Barry Goudreau, Fran Sheehan and Sib Hashian, former members of the band who had a fierce falling out with Scholz in the early '80s.

"As a result, he was constantly caught in the middle of the warring factions. The situation was complicated by the fact that Delp's ex-wife, Micki, is the sister of Goudreau's wife."

Scholz says the Herald writers fabricated the quotes, and that Micki Delp "in fact, made no such statements".

In 2008, Scholz sued Micki Delp and her sister, Connie Goudreau, for defamation; that lawsuit is still pending.

According to Delp's testimony in the 2008 lawsuit, Micki Delp told Fee that she did not know why Brad Delp had committed suicide.

When the story was published, Micki Delp demanded that Fee retract the statements, but Fee refused, according to the complaint.

Scholz says Fee and Raposa also invented quotes from an anonymous "insider" in order "to sensationalize a story about Mr. Delp's suicide in an effort to sell newspapers and to portray Mr. Scholz as an insensitive, heartless and oppressive person."

Scholz seeks damages for defamation and emotional distress. He is represented by Howard Cooper and Seth Robbins with Todd & Weld of Boston.

Symphony X enter the studio!

Things are moving right along with the new CD! The music is all finished and Jason arrived in New Jersey this week, drums start tracking today. Mike has promised to get photos of the recording sessions so stay tuned for those!

Tristania: Tour announced

The band Tristania Finns announced his new tour, visit the band's website for details.

Ratt's Guitarist Carlos Cavazo on Landing The Gig

a recent interview with SleazeRoxx.com, former Quiet Riot/ current Ratt guitarist Carlos Cavazo talks about auditioning for the band, coming up alongside them in the 80s, and writing the new record Infestation.

Says Cavazo, "I did go through an audition process. I think the guys just wanted to check me out... I hadn't seen them in about ten years and I could have been 500 pounds for all they knew."

As for how he got called to audition in the first place, Cavazo explains, "Warren [DeMartini] was actually the guy that called me about the vacancy. He got my number from Vinnie Appice at some club in L.A. that they hung out at."

Discussing the resulting album from his union with Ratt, Cavazo says, "When we were writing for the album we talked, and the goal was to come up with stuff that was true to the classic Ratt sound and come up with great new songs that weren't '80s sounding but could also fit in with what is current today, and I think we did a pretty good job in that regard... It kind of fell into place because we are from the same era, everything just fell into place. Warren and I love the same guitarists, we like the same stuff, there's chemistry there and I think you can hear it on the album as well as live."