VOICES and ROCKFOREVER Featured in Rolling Stone

The Voices of Classic Rock are prominently featured in the current issue of Rolling Stone Magazine. The story, entitled "Rock's Million-Dollar Bash," explores the explosion in popularity of major rock acts playing at corporate events, or as the magazine succinctly describes it "top artists... playing corporate gigs."

"...artists are now making corporate gigs an integral part of the business plan," notes writer Fred Goodman, "And one has even gone further: The Voices of Classic Rock... was assembled two years ago... it will play fifty to sixty corporate shows this year."

In fact, the writer notes, the artists are "using the corporate gigs to launch the group as a recording act. The band raised venture capital and started its own digital record label, Rockforever.com."

In addition to interviewing Rockforever Managing Director Charlie Schmitt regarding The Voices and the Rockforever.com venture, Rolling Stone also interviewed Artist-Owner John Cafferty, of John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, regarding this corporate gig trend. As the magazine described shows played by groups as diverse as Billy Joel, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, and Rod Stewart, Cafferty characterized a very unique Artist perspective. "I always thought that these gigs would somehow be different. But, I look out, and it's the same people who came to hears us in the bars in the Seventies and in concert halls in the Eighties. These are company outing, but it's still a chance to get out, and the audience is just like it always was: They're out there dancing."

To use a music analogy, Rolling Stone, used The Voices of Classic Rock as their "closer" for the extensive piece. Even if the Voices of Classic Rock never get on the charts, writes Goodman, playing gigs at luxury resorts is a hit with the members. "We were playing golf at this beautiful course overlooking the ocean in Hawaii," says Cafferty, "and I said to Mickey Thomas, 'You know, when we had songs in the top Ten, I don'' remember it being any better than this.''

For more on the Rolling Stone story, please see issue 856/857, with a December 21 cover date.