Roots of Rock

This is the farewell episode of Roots of Rock! Massive thanks to all our listeners, thanks for checking us out. It has been a ton o’ fun. On this episode, we dig deep, really deep, into a heavy hitter in rock and roll. A lady by the name of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. She was an amazing innovator, child guitar prodigy, had a spectacular stage presence and was one of the original rock and rollers. She had a pronounced influence on artists that many consider some of the greatest in rock and roll....

The Roots of Rock Jam Session for Aug 2018. On this show, Poncho Parker will kick things off by bringing us up to date with all things happening in the world of rock and roll today. After that, your host, Shawn Tompkins, chats with Pete Goodall. Pete is the curator and co-collaborator of an exhibition based on Percy Phillps, a revered sound engineer and record producer who is credited with producing and recording one of the first recordings of an early incarnation of the Beatles, a group...

A quick update from Roots of Rock host, Shawn Tompkins.

The Roots of Rock Jam Session for June 2018. On this show, Poncho Parker will kick things off by bringing us up to date with all things happening in the world of rock and roll today. Then, as a great supplement to the last Roots of Rock podcast, which featured and in-depth look at the […]

On this episode, your host, Shawn Tompkins, takes you deep into the history and influences of Canadian rock and roll legends, the Guess Who. Ever wondered how the band got their name? How made it big and who the bands were that they listened to when they were up and coming musicians? Get all that […]

The Roots of Rock Jam Session for May, 2018! On this show, Poncho Parker brings us up to date with all things happening in the world of rock and roll today. Then, your host, Shawn Tompkins talks to Roots of Rock listeners about getting lyrics wrong…and how dumb it can make you feel! We heard from all sorts of people and there are some doozies. Ian Sharek had the chance to interview the band Bad Wolves. You’ve probably heard their cover of the Cranberries’ hit, Zombies. Check out Ian’s in...

On this episode we're going deep into the history of Van Halen. These guys were as big as it gets for a rock band. But it wasn’t always that way. In fact, Eddie Van Halen’s first instrument wasn’t even guitar! Tune in to find out some cool stories from their early days, trivia about the band and who set them on their path to musical, guitar-tapping greatness. Roots of rock gets you deeper into the music that you love.

The Roots of Rock Jam Session for April, 2018! On this show, Poncho Parker brings us up to date with all things happening in the world of rock and roll today. Then, your host, Shawn Tompkins sits down with the Vince of Rock for an in-depth discussion on Pearl Jam's debut album, Ten. Incredible to think that Ten is already considered a classic, but it is, and probably has been for a while, if we're honest with ourselves. Shawn and Vince have a great time delving deep into one of their...

Roots of Rock traces the influences of the bands you love, featuring interviews, deep cuts and trivia along the way. This month's episode is a special edition. We are joined by Shane Volk, lead singer of One Bad Son! Shane joins your host, Shawn Tompkins for a full-length interview for an insider's perspective on how influences work in the artist's mind. If you're a OBS fan, you don't want to miss this! If you aren't yet a fan of One Bad Son, you will be by the end. Rock and roll!

On this month’s edition of the Roots of Rock Jam Session, your host, Shawn Tompkins talks to radio legend, Donna Halper, the one who is credited with having discovered Rush. We play the full conversation so be sure it check it out. Dr. Donna has some amazing stories from her radio glory days. Rock and roll kids invade the studio and take over the show. We’re checking into whether or not we’ve broken any child labour laws. And as always, Poncho Parker catches you up on what’s happening in...

Roots of Rock traces the influences of the bands you love, featuring interviews, deep cuts and trivia along the way. Come along on a musical journey with Shawn Tompkins as he gets deep into the music that you love! Join Shawn Tompkins on this month’s feature episode as he traces the influences of Canadian greats, Rush! We dive deep into the the band's history and then turn our focus to the music that inspired them to create their art. We end this month's journey back in the early days of...

On this episode of Roots of Rock, we trace the influences of the Queen of Rock and Roll, the Godmother of Punk, Joan Jett! Joan Jett was, and still is, a trailblazer and a bad-ass rock and roller. Follow her path to fame and greatness and find out who influenced her. We make stops at the Queen of Glam and the Queen of Rockabilly. Rock and roll!

The Roots of Rock January Jam Session is a collaboration of different contributors from within the Rogers Rock Radio world as well as some exciting guests! On this month's episode, your host, Shawn Tompkins, chats with Sean Braswell, host of the Thread podcast. Sasha Spencer also joins us to talk about all things Queen related. She's a super fan and is an encyclopedia of knowledge on the band. Have a listen and enjoy!

The Roots of Rock December Jam Session is a collaboration of a different contributors within the Rogers Rock Radio world. Your host, Shawn Tompkins, gives us the lowdown on what sort of cool stuff he is consuming related to rock and roll. This month, he talks about a couple of cool podcasts, one about John Lennon that you'll love and the other about the Stones, and a book about AC/DC. Poncho Parker stops in to give us the Rock Flash; his update on all the news of today in the world of rock...

It's the annual Roots of Rock Christmas episode; in podcast form! Join us as we go deep into a rock and roll Christmas. You'll find out about Christmas songs done by artists you never thought would do a Christmas song, the origins of one of the most well-known Christmas songs (you'll never guess what the origins are) and an interview with Howard Mandshein on AC/DC, plus much more. Merry rock and roll Christmas!

A Roots of Rock bonus podcast episode! Roots of Rock bonus episodes will bring you interviews, deep dives into artists and music, discussions with authors, musicians, etc.. On this episode, we talk to legendary Canadian radio rock and roller, Howard Mandshein. Howard gives us his perspective on Malcolm Young's death and what it means to the world of rock and roll.

Malcolm Young, one of the most influential rhythm guitarists to ever grace the stage, died on November 18, 2017. We broadcast this edition of Roots of Rock in November of 2015. We're re-issuing it in podcast form today as a tribute to Malcolm in honor of his legacy. For those about to rock, we salute you!!

This episode aired back in September of 2016. Check out the Roots of Rock in-depth history of the Tragically Hip. Hear great stories about the band and from and about the bands that influenced the Hip. Bonus trivia; find out how the inventor of White Out had a hand in the band's cool name. This one's for Gord.

**This episode of Roots of Rock aired in October of 2017, shortly after Tom Petty had passed away** On this episode we're going deep into the history of Tom Petty. We lost a rock and roll legend recently so we’re going to do what we do best on Roots of Rock…we’re going to find out who inspired Tom Petty and what made him tick as an artist. We’re going to learn something along the way, and we’re going to rock out while we do it! We are going to celebrate the life of a legend.

The inaugural Roots of Rock podcast episode. This week's episode is the latest to go to air; the Fats Domino edition. The rock world has lost a lot of icons and legends lately but Fats Domino's death flew under the radar. Check out this episode of Roots of Rock to find out how far and wide ranging his influence was.