Thornley talks about three rock icons
The 2019 Vinyl Sessions will continue over the next three months with enthusiast John Thornley who will give talks on Icons of Rock, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan.
John’s first talk, on Cash, will be on August 9 on the ground floor of the City Library from 2pm-3pm.
Aretha Franklin will be on September 13, and Bob Dylan on October 11, with Powerpoint presentations at each session.
John started collecting vinyl in his teenage years in the 1950s and over the years he has held illustrated talks and workshops.
Church venues were filled in Manawatu¯ for his “Cash comes to Church”, and a talk at Te Papa on Bob Marley drew on John’s years living in the Caribbean in the late 60s.
Dancers took to the stage at the Massey University Humanities Auditorium when he gave an earlier talk on Aretha Franklin.
A “Happy Birthday Bob” show, honouring Dylan’s 50th birthday, saw a packed Globe Theatre, with 50 people turned away at the door.
John says extensive reading and listening go into the spoken commentary that links the songs to the life and times of each artist.
“I love two streams of music: the singer/songwriter line, from Woody Guthrie to Bruce Springsteen; the African-American line from spirituals to hip-hop.
“As other critics have stated, there is a superior sound to vinyl, which is maybe why sales of master vinyl from the past is a ‘sign of the times’. “The shows are free,” says John. “As with all three artists, I don’t confine myself to classics, but make a personal selection.
Cash, who died in 2003, is represented in his 1950s Sun studio tracks through to the late 1990s Rick Rubin American Recordings.
In 2003, Bob Dylan was asked by Rolling Stone to give a statement on
Johnny’s passing. “I thought about writing a piece instead called “Cash Is King,” because that is the way I really feel.
“In plain terms, Johnny was and is the North Star; you could guide your ship by him — the greatest of the greats then and now.
“I first met him in ’62 or ’63 and saw him a lot in those years. Not so much recently, but in some kind of way he was with me more than people I see every day.”
John invites you to warm up in the library for these one-hour stories in song by three pop artists.