
Director of Jazz Studies at Kansas State University, with a PhD in Music from Florida State University, Wayne Everett Goins is an accomplished Blues guitarist and author of five books on jazz, three of which were published by The Edwin Mellen Press: Emotional Response To Music: Pat Metheny’s Secret Story, The Jazz Band Director’s Handbook: A Guide To Success, and Charlie Christian, Jazz Guitar’s King of Swing. He has also written and writes for magazines Pure Guitar, Jazz Ambassador, Jazz Improv, Living Blues, Jazz Guitar Today, and Positive Feedback, among others,and wrote the 2014 biography Blues All Day Long: The Jimmy Rogers Story, which was awarded the “Blues Biography of the Year” by Living Blues Magazine.

George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh was an unqualified success, and the first-ever pop concert for charity.

Apple Records’ prodigal sons Badfinger were poised to inherit the Beatles’ mantle—complete with George Harrison’s guiding hand—yet behind the scenes, turmoil, label neglect, and internal fractures began unraveling their golden opportunity.

George Harrison championed them, Paul McCartney produced their debut hit, and Apple Records signed them—yet the Iveys (soon to be Badfinger) nearly vanished before they began, victims of internal rifts and corporate reshuffling.

Joe Cocker’s career nearly derailed in 1970 until Leon Russell hastily assembled the raucous “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” tour—transforming a PR crisis into a legendary, if chaotic, rock caravan that launched Russell to solo stardom.

Mike Vosse helped spark one of rock’s greatest musical intersections: Elton John’s rise in America, Leon Russell’s breakout, and the moment they collided at the Troubadour—fueling a creative surge that would echo for decades.

George Harrison’s enthusiasm for Delaney & Bonnie’s Accept No Substitute nearly landed the duo on Apple Records—until label politics and Delaney’s double-dealing derailed the deal, sparking industry drama and setting off a ripple through rock history.

Joe Cocker’s breakthrough came in 1968 with a soulful, waltz-time cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends,” crafted alongside Chris Stainton and studio ace Jimmy Page—launching a transatlantic ascent capped by Woodstock.

Booker T. & the M.G.’s timeless grooves from ’62–’74 shine anew on Real Gone Music’s vibrant red and blue vinyl collections, delivering cherished hits and rare singles in pristine sound, a perfect gift for soul lovers and collectors alike.

Discovering Booker T. & the M.G.’s McLemore Avenue as a Beatles-ignorant 12-year-old, Wayne E. Goins recalls how the soul-streaked tribute became a personal classic—long before he realized it echoed Abbey Road note for note.