LRRC EP846: Special Needs Rockers, Judas Priest Live? April Wine's Brian Greenway, Norm's Rare Guitars

A Salute to Special Needs Rockers: 

1. Stevie Wonder

Condition: Blind (congenital) Bio: Born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in 1950, Stevie Wonder was blind shortly after birth due to a condition called retinopathy of prematurity. He signed with Motown at age 11 and became a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Known For:

• "Superstition"
• "Isn't She Lovely"
• "Sir Duke"
• "I Just Called to Say I Love You"

2. Ray Charles

Condition: Blind (developed in early childhood) Bio: Ray Charles Robinson lost his sight at age 7 due to glaucoma. He pioneered the soul genre by combining blues, gospel, and jazz. Known For:

• "Georgia on My Mind"
• "Hit the Road Jack"
• "I Got a Woman"

3. Ludwig van Beethoven

Condition: Deaf (progressive hearing loss) Bio: One of the greatest classical composers, Beethoven began to lose his hearing in his late 20s and was completely deaf by the time he composed some of his most renowned works. Known For:

• Symphony No. 9 ("Ode to Joy")
• Symphony No. 5
• Moonlight Sonata

4. Rick Allen

Condition: Amputee (left arm) Bio: The drummer for Def Leppard, Allen lost his left arm in a car crash in 1984. He continued to drum using a custom kit and adapted techniques. Known For (with Def Leppard):

• "Pour Some Sugar On Me"
• "Photograph"
• "Hysteria"

5. Tony Iommi

Condition: Partial amputee (fingertips) Bio: The Black Sabbath guitarist lost the tips of two fingers on his right hand in an industrial accident. He made custom thimbles and detuned his guitar to play. Known For (with Black Sabbath):

• "Iron Man"
• "Paranoid"
• "War Pigs"

6. Evelyn Glennie

Condition: Deaf Bio: A Scottish percussionist who became profoundly deaf at age 12, Glennie plays barefoot to feel the vibrations. She is a world-renowned solo percussionist. Known For:

• Avant-garde percussion pieces, collaborations with orchestras and composers
• "The Sugar Factory"
• "Touch the Sound" (documentary soundtrack)

7. Mel Tillis

Condition: Stutter Bio: A country music legend who had a speech impediment (stutter) that disappeared when he sang. He embraced it as part of his personality. Known For:

• "Coca-Cola Cowboy"
• "I Ain’t Never"
• "Good Woman Blues"

8. Jason Becker

Condition: ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Bio: A virtuoso guitarist, Becker was diagnosed with ALS at age 20. Though he lost the ability to play or speak, he continues to compose music using eye movement technology. Known For:

• "Perpetual Burn" (solo album)
• Work with David Lee Roth ("A Little Ain’t Enough")

9. Hikari Ōe

Condition: Autism and developmental disabilities Bio: A Japanese composer born with a brain hernia and severe developmental challenges. Encouraged by his Nobel Prize-winning father Kenzaburō Ōe, Hikari became a successful classical composer. Known For:

• Music of Hikari Ōe (album)
• Piano and chamber works performed globally

10. Ian Dury

Condition: Polio survivor (mobility impairment) Bio: British singer-songwriter and frontman of Ian Dury and the Blockheads. He contracted polio as a child, resulting in a withered leg and partial paralysis. Known For:

• "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick"
• "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll"

11. Wyclef Jean

Condition: Dyslexia Bio: Haitian-American rapper and producer, formerly of the Fugees. Jean has been open about his dyslexia, which made traditional schooling difficult. Known For:

• "Gone Till November"
• "911" (feat. Mary J. Blige)
• Fugees: "Killing Me Softly", "Ready or Not"

 

Judas Priest’s New Video(Metal Pilgrim), Ozzy’s Vocals at BTTB