...For the past year, John Cannivet said he has had to bite his tongue as he's read distorted versions of an altercation he witnessed between the lead guitarist for Rush and Collier sheriff's deputies on Dec. 31, 2003. As an employee of The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, where the fracas occurred, he hadn't been allowed to comment, even though he saw first-hand what happened in the stairwell of the hotel.
But now that he no longer works for the hotel, he has this to say: Collier County sheriff's deputies went way too far.
"It was extreme police brutality," said Cannivet, who was the assistant manager of stewarding until leaving that job in January. "The whole time all this was going down, I'm thinking, 'God, what did these people do? It must have been something really bad.' It just bothered me."
He believes he is a neutral source, not tied to the Sheriff's Office or hotel security. When he worked at the Ritz, his office was near the stairwell. He heard a fight going on, so he went to take a look.
His description of what unfolded is very different from that given by deputies.
Deputies in their arrest reports argue that they had no choice but to use force to subdue an unruly and intoxicated Alex Zivojinovich, known as Alex Lifeson in the internationally known rock group RUSH.
A deputy acknowledged that he punched Alex Zivojinovich in the nose as Alex was charging up the stairwell toward another deputy. Alex was zapped repeatedly with a stun gun, known as a Taser, before being arrested.
Deputies in their reports also defended their use of a stun gun on Alex's son, Justin Zivojinovich, who is accused of getting the ball rolling when he got onto the house band stage at the hotel during a New Year's Eve celebration and started talking into the microphone.
A hotel security official asked deputies to escort Justin from the property.
Cannivet said the fracas in the stairwell that occurred while Justin was being escorted from the hotel could have been avoided.
"They (deputies) didn't have to use that force," he said. "When they shot Justin (with a stun gun), Justin wasn't violent at all. He was walking with the police. All he did was quit walking."
He said Justin and a deputy had words, and he saw Justin quit walking, and then the deputy pulled his Taser out. He said Justin backed away into a corner, seemingly scared.
"He kind of put his hands up. He kind of froze, and then they shot him (with the Taser)," Cannivet said. "If I were to describe what it looked like after he got shot, it looked like a severe seizure.
"He was just out of it because he was electrocuted for a long time. If you could have seen how bad he was twitching on the ground, and screaming and crying, because it hurt so bad."
As Alex Zivojinovich saw this unfold, he charged up the stairs to help his son, Cannivet said.
"And that is when the female officer threw him (Alex) down the stairs," he said.
One of the two felony battery-on-a-law-enforcement charges that Alex Zivojinovich is facing, which could carry a five-year prison sentence, accuses him of throwing Collier sheriff's Cpl. Amy Stanford down the stairs, causing her injury.
Cannivet said that just isn't so.
"I watched the female cop (Stanford) throw him (Alex) down there. She was three stairs above him, and so she had leverage. She grabbed him by the throat and he went falling backward," Cannivet said.
According to her personnel file, Stanford was a former Naples High School athletic standout, who, as a Collier sheriff's corporal, seems to "charge head-long into situations requiring two or more officers."
...Former GUNS N' ROSES members Duff McKagan (bass) and Slash (guitar), now in VELVET REVOLVER, have spoken out about the dilution of rock music.
Asked if rock'n'roll has lost it's edge, bassist McKagan told Kerrang: "There was a time when the industry was entirely privately held companies. But all these companies were bought out... with shareholders who wanted to see a bottom line, so along came the boyband... it sold so shareholders were happy, everybody else was happy, and rock'n'roll subsequently lost it's edge."
Guitarist Slash added: "Rock'n'roll is about risk. And when people stop taking chances you just get a very diluted music scene that is very safe and predictable."
...According to PRWeb.com, Backstage Auctions, a leading online auction company specializing in classic rock memorabilia, has announced its first auction for 2005 featuring vintage memorabilia from the legendary career of TED NUGENT. The Ted Nugent Gonzo Auction will be held online starting May 15 and run through May 22.
Among the items being auctioned off are original gold and platinum album awards, stage outfits from the '70's (including the loin cloth, coyote tail and Indian headdress), hunting gear and attire, a collection of stage and studio used guitars, rare photos, posters and tour documentation and Ted?s personally owned limited edition 1994 ZR-1 Corvette. "This is by far the most outrageous and diverse auction we?ve held," explains Backstage Auctions founder Jacques van Gool. "The items span Ted?s incredible career and showcase his colorful persona on and off stage."
Nugent has just wrapped up a U.S. tour with TOBY KEITH and is preparing to go back out this summer. He personally selected every item to be auctioned off and explains, "My insane life of over the top rock-n-roll wild ground adventure has produced way too much cool stuff. The Uncle Ted American Dream Cup runneth over and I?m willing to share with my civilian public. First come, first served, but bring your spirit and attitude!"
...When you call a headlining world tour Red, White & Crue: Better Live Than Dead, you're asking for trouble, but so far things have gone smoothly for Motley Crue on the band's first headlining tour in six years with its classic original line-up-Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, **** Mars and Tommy Lee.
All that changed after the Winnipeg show as the band attempted to cross the Canadian-U.S. border for today's show in Grand Forks, ND, at the Alerus Center. Mighty Mike, the band's resident "little person," emcee and fire-breather was detained by authorities. The band was forced to enter the U.S. without Mike, who was being transported to Edmonton, where he was expected to remain for up to seven days before being allowed to return to the tour
...Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1957" Party Doll" - Buddy Knox
1960 "Stuck On You", Elvis Presley
1960 "Night", Jackie Wilson
1964 "Do You Want To Know A Secret", Beatles
1964 "Bits & Pieces", Dave Clark Five
1964 "My Guy", Mary Wells
1965 "King of the Road" - Roger Miller
1970 "Vehicle", Ides Of March
1973 "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" - Vicki Lawrence
1973 "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" - Gladys Knight & The Pips
1981 "Bette Davis Eyes", Kim Carnes
1981 "Watching The Wheels", John Lennon
1981 "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" - David Frizzell & Shelly West
1981 "Sukiyaki", Taste Of Honey
1987 "Heat Of The Night", Bryan Adams
1987 "Right On Track", Breakfast Club
1987 "Big Love", Fleetwood Mac
1987 "I Know What I Like", Lewis, Huey & The News
1987 "Talk Dirty To Me", Poison
1989 "Like a Prayer" - Madonna
1989 "The Look" - Roxette
1989 "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" - Keith Whitley
1992 "Jump", Kris Kross
...Todays Birthdays: Chris Difford (Squeeze) 51, Rock Legend Little Richard is now 73, Neville Staples (Specials) 49, Richie Sambora 46, Lisa Stansfield 39.
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