Rhoads Rock Report on 969theeagle.com

Eddie Sues Nike
Eddie Van Halen has filed a lawsuit against Nike for copyright infringement over his trademark striped color scheme of his "Frankenstein" guitars. Eddie's company ELVH claims that the design of some Dunk Low sneakers matches that of Van Halen's famous guitars.

Nike says, "Based on the information provided to us, we have not infringed on any rights held by Mr. Van Halen. Nike's Dunk shoe design is not substantially similar to any of the Van Halen designs, and Nike has not referenced the 'Van Halen' name or image as part of any marketing campaign or promotional material associated with the shoe." Eddie and his company is asking for the destruction and impoundment of all the shoes in question plus all profits from the sale of the shoes in question.

Eddie recently release his own shoes with his trademark striped colors manufactured by Vans.

Was Jimi really murdered?

Jimi Hendrix's former roadie James '"Tappy" Wright has stated that Jimi was murdered by his manager, Michael Jeffrey. In Wrights new book "Rock Roadies", he claims that Jeffrey told him he supplied Hendrix with alcohol and pills in order to kill him and then make a claim on the guitarist's life insurance.

Jimi's body was found in a room at London's Samarkand Hotel which was booked by Monika Dannemann. Hendrix had only known Monika for a matter of days before he died in September 1970. Jeffrey allegedly made this confession to Wright in 1971. "I was in London the night of Jimi's death and together with some old friends, we went 'round to Monika's hotel room, got a handful of pills and stuffed them into his mouth then poured a few bottles of red wine deep into his windpipe". Jeffrey is quoted by Wright in the book.

The manager was supposedly worried that Hendrix was about to fire him. He had recently taken out a life insurance policy worth $2 million, with Jeffrey as beneficiary. "I had to do it. Jimi was worth much more to me dead than alive, if I lost him, I'd lose everything."

At the time of Hendrix's death, a coroner reported that the cause was "barbiturate intoxication and inhalation of vomit."

New George Harrison collection, "Let It Roll," out Tuesday, June 16, 2009
"It's a collection that spans his career, and we put them together in a way we thought they would just kind of flow, you know, musically, into one another," said Harrison's widow of "Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison," out Tuesday. "But, it's all George, you know."

The 19-cut CD includes songs from "All Things Must Pass" through "Brainwashed," his final album.

Three Beatles tunes are included with live Harrison songs from "The Concert for Bangladesh". "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun" from his 1971 show at Madison Square Garden.

"I think that there is an underlying thread that he always expressed, always a bit of humor, always a bit of longing," said Olivia Harrison. "You know, I don't like to overuse the word spirituality, but, you know, he was interested in things not of this world."

Also included is his tongue-in-cheek "When We Was Fab," from his 1987 release "Cloud Nine," showing Harrison looking back without anger.