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Monday October 7, 2002
Corporate 'suits' live the rock dream
Gibson Custom, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Fortune magazine hosted the second annual Battle of the Corporate Bands on Saturday, October 5, at the Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH. The event brought together ten bands for a daylong contest and party with each group competing for best band of the corporate world honors. The bands included a corporate CEO, vice-president and a chief financial officer playing hard and having fun for the sheer love of the music. Not bad for a bunch of suits.
Kirk Chan from PeopleSoft holds the Gibson Les Paul Custom trophy
that remains on display at the Hall of Fame.The "Best Band" winner was the Raving Daves from PeopleSoft. Their guitarist, Kirk Chan, played a 1978 Les Paul. Ira Stanley, Vice President and CFO of MCSI and Gibson Custom Direct member, won "Best Guitarist."
Bands included The Briggs Bluesbreakers (Briggs & Stratton), Soul City Survivors (Daum Commercial Real Estate), DC-Nine (Deloitte Consulting), Parts Rock and Accessories Roll (Harley Davidson), Proxy (HealthSouth featuring guitarist/CEO and Gibson board member Richard Scrushy), The Invacare Band (Invacare), The Marsh Bluesbrokers (Marsh Inc.), The MCSI Band (MCSI), The Rolling Bones (Off Wall Street Jam), and The Raving Daves (PeopleSoft). The party also showcased The Prowlers lead by Fortune's managing editor/lead guitarist Rick Kirkland, and the 2001 winners, The Difference, from Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
The judges were Seymour Stein, chairman of London-Sire Records and president of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, vocal legend Sam Moore of Sam and Dave (inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992) and drummer Jim Fox (the James Gang). Fortune's editor-at-large, Andy Serwer was emcee for the evening's show.
Fortune editors Rick Kirkland and Andy Serwer pose
with Hall of Fame president Terry Stewart,
and the judges Jim Fox, Sam Moore, and Seymour Stein.Lee Roy Parnell gave a slide guitar clinic in the theater at the Hall of Fame. He was joined at the end by Gibson Custom Signature artist Zakk Wylde.
Here's an exclusive photo gallery of the day.
The Gibson Custom trailer looks natural in front of the Rock Hall.
The lobby of the Hall provided a unique venue.
Gibson president Dave Berryman, Lee Roy Parnell, Gibson Custom GM
Rick Gembar, Rock Hall president Terry Stewart, and Zakk Wylde.
Ira Stanley of The MCSI Band takes a solo on a Les Paul.
Proxy from Healthsouth is an all Les Paul band.
Richard Scrushy, founder of Healthsouth, jamming on a '58 Reissue.
The Raving Daves from PeopleSoft combined vocal harmonies with strong guitar playing.
Dave Berryman, Rick Kirkland, Terry Stewart and Rick Gembar
Rick Kirkland fronting Fortune's band The Prowlers.
Lee Roy Parnell fields questions during his slide guitar clinic.
Lee Roy playing a new Gibson Advanced Jumbo
Zakk Wylde joins Lee Roy on a Custom Shop
replica of Duane Allman's Les Paul.
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