Peter's music has been heard on hundreds of radio stations and has been on SiriusXM rotation for over a decade. As a multi-award winning artist, Peter's music has also topped Billboard's Classical and Crossover charts.
For Captain Beefheart, a maverick-artist-musician, who was not just a complicated man but highly demanding and by most accounts very difficult to deal with. It was appropriate that Beefheart's Magic Band was to prominently feature a bassist as accomplished, bold and adventurous as Mark Boston, a.k.a Rockette Morton.
Born on July 14, 1949, Mark began life in the small town of Salem, Illinois before his family moved out to Lancaster, California when he was 13. With a bassist and steel player for a father, Mark gained a great appreciation for country and bluegrass along with the R&B and rock’n’roll that was on the rise. Within a year of the Boston clan moving out to Lancaster, Mark befriended a young guitarist by the name of Bill Harkleroad.
At a time when the bass guitar was seen as the dummy’s instrument, Mark left quite an impression on Bill with his talent and equipment, leading to the two joining forces to form BC And The Cavemen. With Mark’s mother sewing some outfits for them, the band developed a decent reputation, and the two would also play in a band with Jeff Cotton and John French known as Blues In A Bottle. And then a local hero came calling. Or perhaps screaming and howling!
In that same Lancaster scene, Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band were making a big splash as a top flight blues rock outfit, with 'Safe As Milk' having made a strong impression and 'Strictly Personal' being a strong record as well. But even with a sound that was speaking to people, one that perhaps would have been a more pragmatic one as far as a career goes, Don Van Vliet just wasn’t meant for conventional norms.
The Captain had all these ideas, ideas far too out for many, including early members. He needed new musicians, younger and more impressionable ones that wouldn’t object to his ideas. Already having John and Jeff in the band, now 'Drumbo' and Antennae Jimmy Semens, he then recruited Bill, dubbed Zoot Horn Rollo. And on bass, he found Mark Boston, who took the name Rockette Morton due to his love of outer space. And the classic Magic Band was born.
Trout Mask Replica (TMR) wasn’t an easy album to make. Yet even with all the bizarre ideas and the difficulty in preparing those ideas into music, Mark was a total champ through it all. The Beefheart sound is one of great dichotomy, and Mark can capture all of it. He’s so tight and precise, and yet there’s this raw grit and dirt. He’s highly intelligent and sophisticated in his playing, and yet there remains this childlike sense of wonder and curiosity.
He takes after all the great traditional American music, yet out into a whole other realm of time and space. The bass traditionally serves the role of grounding the harmony while locking in with the drums to provide a foundation, yet Mark’s playing often serves as another melody line in the music. In a lot of ways, he’s like a third guitarist that just happens to be playing bass.
The TMR on its own is a legacy few can compete with, and yet Mark contributed to more classic records like "Lick My Decals Off, Baby", "The Spotlight Kid", and "Clear Spot". There on Decals, you get the equivalent of Godfather II. With Mother Art Tripp on marimba and drums rather Jeff on guitar, you get an album that captures a great deal of TMR's brilliance while being brilliant in its own unique way.
Then you get to 'The Spotlight Kid', with bass godliness on cuts like “When It Blows Its Stack”, resulting in a bass solo that often opened shows, yet Mark proves himself just as talented on traditional in-the-pocket styles as demonstrated on cuts like “I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby”. And that thing about bassists being failed guitarists? In the 'Clear Spot', with Mark taking guitar and the rhythm section now being a mini Mothers reunion of Art and Roy Estrada, yet nobody missed a beat. Throughout the record, Bill and Mark’s kinship really shines, their weaving right there with what Bill and Jeff had done, or what was done with Alex St Clair early on.
Of course, dealing with Don was quite a task of its own, so it’s inevitable that Mark and the others would all end up departing by 1974. He and Bill soon formed a group of their own called Mallard. For two albums, the first with Art and having some writing help from John French 'Drumbo', Mallard showed itself a pretty decent blues rock outfit. And giving that it was Mark who finally had a chance to create something that was truly his own rather than helping some achieve their vision, it’s understandably the work that he takes pride in. And over time, he’d end up making a solo record and create some cool artwork of his own, as well as performing with 'Drumbo' in the reformed Magic Band, allowing the music to live and breathe on stage again.
If you’re a Beefheart fan, how can you not love Rockette Morton? Not only a uniquely talented bass player but such a great stage presence full of joy, along with a lovably quirky personality and such a sweet guy. Easily one of my favorites from Magic Band members, you can’t help but smile when thinking about Mark. He’s been through some rough weather, including his health scares, and yet he’s still the same Mark we’ve known and loved all the years.
Happy birthday Mark! Thank you for all you have given us and look forward to more.
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Patrick Moore is a freehand drawing artist and freelance music writer.
Manushi Chhillar wins Miss World 2017 as India becomes top winner of global beauty pageants
News East West Haryana girl Manushi Chhillar, 20, won the Miss World 2017 crown at the Sanya City Arena on China's Hainan Island on Saturday by beating contestants from 118 countries. She is the sixth Indian beauty queen to win the world's biggest beauty pageant, making India – alongside Venezuela – the top winning nation of the Miss World titles. Manushi, who is 5 feet 8 inches tall, got the right to represent India in the Miss World pageant after winning the Miss India World title in June. She is also Miss Haryana 2017. [caption id="attachment_73670" align="alignnone" width="800"]
Manushi Chhillar being crowned Miss World by the outgoing Miss World 2016 Stephanie Del Valle of Puerto Rico.[/caption]
In the question-and-answer session after she made to the top 5 along with contestants from France, Kenya, England and Mexico, Manushi was asked what profession deserved the highest salary and why. Manushi replied that a mother was worthy of the highest respect and salary doesn't matter.
"I think a mother is of highest respect. I don't think it's just about cash but love and respect she gives to someone. She is the biggest inspiration in my life. Mother should get highest respect."
Manushi Chhillar beat contestants from 118 countries to carry home the Miss World 2017 title. Miss England Stephanie Hill was the first runner-up and Miss Mexico Andrea Meza the second runner-up.
[caption id="attachment_73685" align="alignnone" width="800"]
Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar waves after winning the crown.[/caption]
Actress Priyanka Chopra was the last Indian woman to win the Miss World title in 2000. Thus, Manushi Chhillar has brought the blue crown back to India after 17 long years.
``My aim has always been to win the Miss World title. I want to give it my 200 percent and bring the blue crown back home,’’ she had said after winning the Miss India title in June.
Manushi Chhillar is a beauty with brains. She is pursuing her MBBS degree at Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women in Sonepat in Haryana and wants to become a cardiac surgeon. She was also CBSE All India topper in English in 12th grade.
[caption id="attachment_73674" align="alignnone" width="800"]
Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar (centre) with two runners-up.[/caption]
Like her predecessor Priyanka Chopra, the Miss World 2017 also comes from a family of doctors. While her father Dr Mitra Basu Chhillar is a scientist with India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), her mother Dr Neelam Chhillar is head of neurochemistry at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Research in New Delhi.
Manushi Chhillar - who was born on May 14, 1997, in Rohtak - says her parents have always been very supportive. ``They encouraged me throughout the pageant and have always believed in me.’’
Just as she said at the Miss World final, her mother has been the biggest influence in her life. ``Her infinite love, passion, courage, and determination to achieve her goals always keeps me going. Her gentle heart yet bold personality inspires me to be compassionate and ambitious,'' the beauty queen has said of her mother Neelam Chhillar.
Manushi's father Dr Mitra Basu Chhillar comes from Bamnoli village in Jhajjar district of Haryana.
Tweeting her picture with her parents after winning the Miss World title, she said they are her pillars of strength.
https://twitter.com/ManushiChhillar/status/931904838052470784
https://twitter.com/feminamissindia/status/931902900791533568
Since she grew on the DRDO campus, she says former Indian president and DRDO head Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is her idol. During her felicitation by DRDO on winning the Miss India title, she had said, ``I am a DRDO girl and the best part is that the love and admiration that my dad's colleagues, his seniors and juniors, had for me as a kid is still there, so it's amazing to be with them. I got a memento of our late president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. He was from DRDO and I have always looked up to him.’’
India’s first Miss World winner Reita Faria is Manushi Chhillar’s role model. ``My idol has always been Reita Faria. I have always admired her as a kid. She was the first Indian and Asian ever to win the title.
"The best part was that the moment she completed her reign as Miss World, she immediately went back to what she was passionate about - being a doctor - even though she had many opportunities in the glamour world. I feel she was a genuine person," Manushi said of her role model after winning the Miss India title.
[caption id="attachment_73627" align="alignnone" width="640"]
Miss World Manushi Chhillar.[/caption]
Asked whether she too, like Aishwarya, Priyanka and others, would join Bollywood, Manushi has said, ``I disagree with the notion. I feel that Miss India is a stepping stone for anything you want to do, not just Bollywood.’’
But if she enters Bollywood, she says she would love to debut with Aamir Khan. ``I love the movies of Aamir Khan and the social message they convey. If given a chance, I would love to do a movie with him.” Aamir's Dangal is her favourite film.
However, her favorite actors are Hugh Jackman and Leonardo DiCaprio and she finds actor Hrithik Roshan as the sexiest man alive.
The new Miss World also runs a pet project called Project Shakri. “I want to increase social awareness on menstruation among women.It aims on educating women on menstruation cycle.”
[caption id="attachment_73649" align="alignnone" width="800"]
Manushi Chhillar with Indian flag.[/caption]
Interestingly, this Haryana beauty queen is also a trained Kuchipudi dancer and has trained with Raja, Radha and Kaushalya Reddy. She has also attended a course at the National School of Drama in New Delhi.
Manushi Chhillar joins five Indian women who have won the Miss World beauty pageant before her. These are her role model Reita Faria (1965), Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000).
Started in 1951, the Miss World is the oldest beauty pageant in the world. India and Venezuela each have won the title six times.
Twitter was exploding with messages for the new Miss World.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is proud of Manushi's achievement.
https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/931941419480072193
Priyanka Chopra called Manushi Chhillar her `successor'.
https://twitter.com/priyankachopra/status/931922437050191874
Thanking Priyanka Chopra, Manushi tweeted that she always looked up to her.
https://twitter.com/ManushiChhillar/status/931925700461846529
Congratulating her, cricketer Virender Sehwag said Haryana girls are rocking on the world stage.
https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/931947601766649856
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar congratulated Manushi Chhillar by calling her Haryana's daughter.
https://twitter.com/mlkhattar/status/931899203696992256
The outgoing Miss World 2016 Stephanie Del Valle of Puerto Rico also tweeted to congratulate her.
https://twitter.com/MissWorldLtd/status/931917856874172416
Since her crowning as Miss World 2017, Manushi Chhillar's twitter following has been jumping by thousands every minute.
READ NEXT: Why Manushi was the right choice for Miss World
