The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will kick-off the new year with a set of educational evening programs offered free of charge this month surrounding the Rock Hall’s latest exhibit, Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power. The month will begin with a special film screening of PBS presents Women Who Rock, followed by a Rock and Roll Night School course devoted to women in punk, and culminate with a live performance and tribute to Janis Martin by rockabilly artist Rosie Flores. The Museum’s award-winning education department will lead the events, which are geared towards adults interested in gaining more knowledge about rock and roll history, and take place in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater.
Rosie Flores: A Tribute to Janis Martin
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 7 p.m.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will welcome contemporary rockabilly artist Rosie Flores for a live performance in the Foster Theater. The evening’s performance will pay tribute to Janis Martin, one of the early pioneers of rock and roll. Because of her enthusiasm, brilliant stage presence and rocking vocal style, Martin was also known as “the Female Elvis” and had a hit with “Will You, Will Yum”/”Drugstore Rock and Roll” in 1956. In 2007, near the end of Janis’s life, she and Flores worked together with Bobby Trimble to produce 11 new songs. Sadly, cancer cut Martin’s life short, and she never got to tour behind the long awaited CD, which will be released later this year. Rosie will be taking this opportunity to share Janis’s great legacy of songs and stories at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Flores and Marti Brom will tell Martin’s fascinating life story through songs, discussion, photographs, and video. Backing Rosie and Marti will be a stellar band from Austin, Texas featuring T Jarrod Bonta on keys, Bobby Trimble on drums, Kevin Smith on bass and Tjarko Jeen on guitars.
Rosie Flores whips rock and roll, honky tonk, early rockabilly, blues and jazz with the traditional sounds of her roots in San Antonio, TX. She took flight in Southern California, and has been a figure in the Los Angeles, Austin, TX and Nashville music scenes – as well as Europe and Japan.
Rosie’s reputation as a high-octane rockabilly and country star is well established, and recent accolades have only made her musical bouquet fuller. Her 1995 album Rockabilly Filly garnered her most attention, reintroducing rockabilly pioneers Wanda Jackson and Janis Martin to audiences worldwide through their duets with Flores and a successful tour with Jackson.
More recently, Bloodshot Records, together with Jon Langford (Mekons, Waco Brothers) at the wheel as producer brings her latest release, Girl of the Century, which was recorded with ace Chicago based band, the Pine Valley Cosmonauts.
This event is FREE with a ticket reservation online at http://tickets.rockhall.com, in-person at the Rock Hall Box Office or calling (216) 515-8426. Tickets will become available to Members on Thursday, January 12 at 10 a.m. EST and will become available to the general public on Friday, January 13 at 10 a.m. EST. – rockhall.com