Alan K. Stout
Encyclopedia
Alan K. Stout is a rock music journalist based out of Northeastern Pennsylvania
who has written extensively for the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader
and The Weekender, a popular arts and entertainment paper also published in Wilkes-Barre. He was voted Northeastern Pennsylvania's "Favorite Newspaper Columnist" in 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008 and 2009. In 1998, he was awarded a "Keystone Press Award for Excellence in Journalism" for his music coverage.
Stout began covering music for The Times Leader in 1992 and his weekly column, "Music On The Menu," appeared in The Times Leader from 1994-2005. In 2000, he was named music editor at The Times Leader. In 2005, "Music On The Menu" moved to The Weekender, where he served as editor until 2007. The column continues to appear in The Weekender each week.
Stout's focus in the Northeast Pennsylvania region has often been on the local music scene, which has produced national recording artists such as The Badlees
(1995) and Breaking Benjamin
(2002). He was among the first writers to profile these bands and continues to write about local talent in the NEPA region. In 2004, Stout launched his own weekly radio show, "Music On The Menu Live" on 102.3-FM, The Mountain. The program, like his column, showcases local talent. He is also the host of the monthly "Weekender/Mountaingrown Original Music Series," a live radio broadcast which allows local musicians to showcase their songs to a wide audience.
Stout is also known for his concert coverage and reviews. He frequently reviews shows at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, The F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre and the Montage Mountain Amphitheater in Scranton. He also sometimes covers major concert tours that visit Philadelphia and has reviewed shows by the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney
, U2
, Bruce Springsteen
, Madonna
, Plant/Page, Sting, Eric Clapton
, The Who
, Dave Matthews Band
and Billy Joel
. In addition to appearing in the Wilkes-Barre newspapers, Stout's reviews have also appeared on the national entertainment newspaper wires, in papers from coast-to-coast, and - if favorable - on the Websites of the artists he covers.
Stout's interviews include conversations with Billy Joel, Ray Charles
, Steven Tyler
, David Bowie
, Eddie Van Halen
, Don Henley
, Gene Simmons
, Jon Bon Jovi
, Rob Thomas
, B.B. King, to name a few. Many of these interviews have also appeared on national newspaper wires and have appeared in various newspapers across the United States.
In 1999, Stout worked with the band Mötley Crüe
when the group released digitally re-mastered versions of its entire CD catalog. Titled "Crucial Crue," the series featured all new liner-notes for each album, written by Stout with the band. He is credited on each album.
Also in 1999, Stout helped found "Concert For Karen/Concert For A Cause," an annual charity event held in NEPA that united the region's entire musical and media community. The annual event, held each April, featured dozens of regional bands, plus full sponsorship from the local print, television and radio media. A rock auction featured autographed items from Elton John, KISS, John Mellencamp, Mötley Crüe, Dave Matthews and Bob Weir. Since 2002, the event also included a limited edition companion CD for which Stout often contributed a track. His recordings for the "Concert For A Cause" albums included covers of The Beatles' "Blackbird," Bruce Springsteen's "Happy," John Lennon's "Watching The Wheels," KISS' "Sure Know Something," John Mellencamp's "What If I Came Knocking," U2's "Walk On" and Elvis Presley's "His Latest Flame." In 2008, 2009 and 2011, the "Concert For a Cause" CD hit No. 1. on the NEPA album chart. In total, from 1999-2011, "Concert For Karen/Concert For A Cause" raised more than $204,000 for regional charities.
In 2003, one of Stout's original songs, "Summer Days," received critical acclaim from others in the NEPA media and the Billboard Magazine Songwriting Panel. Featuring members of The Badlees, as do all of his recordings, it hit the Top-5 on the NEPA singles chart and also appeared on the "Concert For A Cause II" album.
Stout's stories have appeared in the Boston Globe, San Jose Mercury News, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Daily News, San Diego Tribune, Dallas Morning News and Miami Herald. He now serves as the Newspapers In Education Manager at The Times Leader and continues to offer music coverage to readers in Northeastern Pennsylvania with his weekly column in The Weekender, his radio show and his concert reviews.
----
Alan K. Stout on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/alankstoutmusic
Concert For A Cause: http://www.concertforacausenepa.com
The Weekender: http://www.theweekender.com
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
who has written extensively for the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader
The Times Leader
The Times Leader is a privately owned newspaper in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.Founded in 1879, it was locally owned until being purchased by Capital Cities in 1978...
and The Weekender, a popular arts and entertainment paper also published in Wilkes-Barre. He was voted Northeastern Pennsylvania's "Favorite Newspaper Columnist" in 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008 and 2009. In 1998, he was awarded a "Keystone Press Award for Excellence in Journalism" for his music coverage.
Stout began covering music for The Times Leader in 1992 and his weekly column, "Music On The Menu," appeared in The Times Leader from 1994-2005. In 2000, he was named music editor at The Times Leader. In 2005, "Music On The Menu" moved to The Weekender, where he served as editor until 2007. The column continues to appear in The Weekender each week.
Stout's focus in the Northeast Pennsylvania region has often been on the local music scene, which has produced national recording artists such as The Badlees
The Badlees
The Badlees are a Roots rock band from central Pennsylvania formed in 1990. They released several independent albums and achieved national success with their 1995 album River Songs...
(1995) and Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
(2002). He was among the first writers to profile these bands and continues to write about local talent in the NEPA region. In 2004, Stout launched his own weekly radio show, "Music On The Menu Live" on 102.3-FM, The Mountain. The program, like his column, showcases local talent. He is also the host of the monthly "Weekender/Mountaingrown Original Music Series," a live radio broadcast which allows local musicians to showcase their songs to a wide audience.
Stout is also known for his concert coverage and reviews. He frequently reviews shows at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, The F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre and the Montage Mountain Amphitheater in Scranton. He also sometimes covers major concert tours that visit Philadelphia and has reviewed shows by the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Plant/Page, Sting, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
and Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
. In addition to appearing in the Wilkes-Barre newspapers, Stout's reviews have also appeared on the national entertainment newspaper wires, in papers from coast-to-coast, and - if favorable - on the Websites of the artists he covers.
Stout's interviews include conversations with Billy Joel, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
, Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
, Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
, Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
, Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas (musician)
Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas is an American rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist...
, B.B. King, to name a few. Many of these interviews have also appeared on national newspaper wires and have appeared in various newspapers across the United States.
In 1999, Stout worked with the band Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
when the group released digitally re-mastered versions of its entire CD catalog. Titled "Crucial Crue," the series featured all new liner-notes for each album, written by Stout with the band. He is credited on each album.
Also in 1999, Stout helped found "Concert For Karen/Concert For A Cause," an annual charity event held in NEPA that united the region's entire musical and media community. The annual event, held each April, featured dozens of regional bands, plus full sponsorship from the local print, television and radio media. A rock auction featured autographed items from Elton John, KISS, John Mellencamp, Mötley Crüe, Dave Matthews and Bob Weir. Since 2002, the event also included a limited edition companion CD for which Stout often contributed a track. His recordings for the "Concert For A Cause" albums included covers of The Beatles' "Blackbird," Bruce Springsteen's "Happy," John Lennon's "Watching The Wheels," KISS' "Sure Know Something," John Mellencamp's "What If I Came Knocking," U2's "Walk On" and Elvis Presley's "His Latest Flame." In 2008, 2009 and 2011, the "Concert For a Cause" CD hit No. 1. on the NEPA album chart. In total, from 1999-2011, "Concert For Karen/Concert For A Cause" raised more than $204,000 for regional charities.
In 2003, one of Stout's original songs, "Summer Days," received critical acclaim from others in the NEPA media and the Billboard Magazine Songwriting Panel. Featuring members of The Badlees, as do all of his recordings, it hit the Top-5 on the NEPA singles chart and also appeared on the "Concert For A Cause II" album.
Stout's stories have appeared in the Boston Globe, San Jose Mercury News, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Daily News, San Diego Tribune, Dallas Morning News and Miami Herald. He now serves as the Newspapers In Education Manager at The Times Leader and continues to offer music coverage to readers in Northeastern Pennsylvania with his weekly column in The Weekender, his radio show and his concert reviews.
----
Alan K. Stout on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/alankstoutmusic
Concert For A Cause: http://www.concertforacausenepa.com
The Weekender: http://www.theweekender.com