Page 28 - 200704 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - April 2007

28 Rock Legend Mike Pinera 28 Rock Legend Mike Pinera shoot video for his new venture. He calls it the to invite Elvis over,' and feeling totally Classic Rock Network, which will showcase his embarrassed I'm going, 'Dad, you can't do that, library of over 30,000 hours of celebrity-driven Elvis is a star!'' 'But sure enough, after the first Classic Rock performances and behind-the- show, right at this gate, we see Elvis coming scenes film. offstage and out of the building, and he's wiping He now has a library that includes the off the sweat. And my dad goes, 'Elvis, me, my Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix, wife and my boy live across the street here. Santana, the Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, the How about you come over to eat?' And Elvis, Doors, Jefferson Airplane and many others. with the most genuine smile, says, 'Thank you Last year, Pinera created and kicked off very much sir. But I have to get back inside for a Web site (www.realrock.com) that features the next show in a few minutes. But I really some of the vintage video. If all goes according appreciate the invitation sir.' "I will never forget to his plans, CRN will find a home as an online what a polite, sincere, gentleman Elvis was." broadcast cable TV network. Pinera, 52, filmed Pinera's parents managed to give him a most of the footage himself with his video special Christmas present soon after he saw production company and bought and collected Elvis. They bought him a Sears "Airline the rest. Guitar," with a case that opened up and served He accumulated most of this stuff while as the amplifier. "I was in heaven," he says. living out a rock dream playing, jamming and Pinera made rapid progress, aided by instruction THE CAPTAIN RIDES living with many of the icons in rock music. He from one of his father's co-workers. THE CAPTAIN RIDES was founder and front man for his Tampa band He listened to AM rock radio, trying to AGAIN Blues Image. He was later recruited by the copy the riffs and learn the lyrics to the hits of AGAIN Butterfly and shared in the on-going creation of the late '50s and early '60s. At 13, he formed a the group's sound and monster hit In a Gadda band he named the Impalas and, in his first bold Legendary Rock & Roll Da Vida. He appeared and jammed with such move, talked the guy who booked bands for the Legendary Rock & Roll North Boulevard recreation center into hiring groups as Led Zepplin, Yes, Emerson Lake and Legend Palmer, Eric Clapton and the Cream, The Who, his brand new group. "Our keyboard player's Legend Mike Pinera Mike Pinera Santana, Jimi Hendrix and many more. He did a dad was a laundry man, so he let us use his Helps To Raise Money To tour of duty with Alice Cooper recording two Royal Laundry truck as our band van," Pinera Helps To Raise Money To recalls. albums and several world tours. Many of the Plant Trees in the Amazon and Cooper shows he opened as the Mike Pinera The band soon was pulling in $50 a gig. Plant Trees in the Amazon and Fight Global Warming with Band and then would return later in the show to Pinera says he kept some for burgers after the Fight Global Warming with show but always gave the bulk of his pay to his play with Alice. Years passed and the road “Save The Amazon Forest” nearly destroyed everything he worked for as he parents. His father recognized his son's passion “Save The Amazon Forest” which will be broadcast live which will be broadcast live slipped deep into an addiction to cocaine. and surprised him at 14 with a real guitar, a Pinera eventually regained control of his April 23 - April 27 April 23 - April 27 life 16 years ago, aided by a 12-step program cherry red Gibson. Pinera began writing his own songs, motivated by the success of another on that helped him break free from cocaine and local group, the Impacs. on The ‘X’ Zone Radio and TV booze. Now a resident of Marina Del Rey, "They had a record on the radio - a local The ‘X’ Zone Radio and TV Show! California, he passes on an anti-drug and group - called I'm Gonna Make You Cry, and I Show! thought that was the coolest thing," he says. "I alcohol message to youngsters at concerts with the Classic Rock All-Stars. The group is made wanted to do that, too." up of stalwarts from Sugarloaf, Cannibal and The Impacs played a teen-dance concert "God works fast if we just do our best the Headhunters, Rare Earth and other veteran called the Clearwater Stars Spectacular. Pinera, and then move out of His way!" acts, who perform about 100 shows across the never one to be shy, was soon lobbying the country each year (see www.classroc.com). promoter to book the Impalas. He had an angle: Article written by Dave Schweiber. He also began filming his old stomping The Impalas could learn the songs of the Edited by Mike Pinera. grounds in Tampa as part of his Real Rock Road visiting performers, artists like Gene Pitney and Stories series for CRN. That led him one Jerry Butler, and serve as the house band, thus The morning sun is scorching the morning to the place where this wild ride saving the stars and the promoter the cost of parking lot of Fort Homer Hesterly Armory as a started, the armory. flying in a backup group. The promoter gave silver Mitsubishi convertible cruises through Pinera a shot with Pitney, and despite a tense the front entrance. "This is just so cool," says Pinera, surveying the moment when the star stopped mid song to The driver's hair is slicked back in a concrete structure. "I saw music history being correct the drummer, the gig went well and stylish L.A. 'do, and his shirt screams out from made, just by looking through those gates." continued into the summer. the far recesses of the '60s: a splash of blue, orange and yellow forming a spiderweb pattern Pinera points across the armory parking lot to (Continued on Page 29) that would make any old hippie proud. Gray Street and a small, off-white house with a Mike Pinera - the man who brought the tiny front porch. world the classic rock hit Ride, Captain, Ride - is on a new ride back to his Tampa roots. His family moved from Ybor City into the The former member of Blues Image and house in 1955. From that porch, he could see the Iron Butterfly bounds from his car and aims a big stars of the day as they arrived at the armory Sony digital Handycam at the venue that once - then a primo Tampa Bay concert venue - and hosted legendary rock 'n' roll acts, from Elvis disappeared inside the stage entrance. Presley to James Brown. He saw Ray Charles, James Brown, Roy Decades ago, at this National Guard Orbison, Elvis Presley, and many others base sandwiched between Howard and Armenia including world-class wrestlers. In 1956, when avenues, a young Pinera peered dreamily Presley came to town, Pinera was a wide-eyed through the chain- link fence, watching rock 8-year-old, pressed against the chain- link fence history parade past him. just 10 yards or so from the stage door. His The musical heroes Pinera saw as a kid inspired father, a telephone company employee, stood by him to forge his own path in popular music. his side. Now, on a recent weekday, he has returned to "My dad was saying, 'Son, we're going