Music Monday ~ George Thorogood, Sammy Kershaw, Paul Jones.

Three singer/musicians with birthdays on Wednesday, 24 February, three artists who had reasonable levels of success in the past, though never reached the level of celebrity that some of their contemporaries achieved. In the words of one of them, George Thorogood (here) :

“In any field, especially the arts, there are always two things—‘genius’ and ‘very clever.’ There’s no in-between. You’re either a genius or very clever. I’m going to throw out two names at you. John Lennon--genius, right? And Mick Jagger? Very clever. See what I’m saying? I’ll give you another example. Einstein--genius. And George Thorogood--very clever.”
Yet what about the people who think Thorogood is a genius in his own way? “OK, I’m a genius at being very clever,’’ he says with a hearty laugh. Thorogood loves quips almost as much as he loves the blues, so here’s another: “Let’s put it this way. Dylan has a Rolls-Royce dealership. I have a used Chevy dealership. But I’m in the business. You got it? That’s all I wanted from this thing. A gig, man. And I got a gig."

Thorogood and his band, The Destroyers play blues-rock, described as "simple and direct".

(No times of birth are available for any of the three, so 12 noon charts are shown. Ascendants and exact position of Moon will not be accurate).

Although George's natal Sun is in Watery Pisces, he's a very Airy guy - three planets in Aquarius and two in Libra, with a possible Moon in Gemini too, if he was born after noon. No wonder he describes himself as "clever" - the three Air signs are the naturally clever ones of the zodiac, mentally oriented, whether the native happens to be highly educated or not, there's innate intelligence.









Sammy Kershaw arrived in the music spotlight on the country music bandwagon of the early 1990s. He had a lot of competition, but his lovely, traditional sounding country voice, not unlike that of the legendary George Jones, gave him an advantage. He had started singing on stage decades earlier, in roadhouses and bars, aged 11 after his father died. His early plunge into such a lifestyle led to longterm drug and alcohol abuse, which he eventually overcame in 1988 by going "cold turkey" for the sake of his family. He says at his website

“It’s not a period of my life I’m proud of but I do talk about it to encourage kids not to follow in my footsteps.” Kershaw recently noted. Helping others is a subject close to the heart that beats within what might often appear to be a tough, macho exterior. Sammy Kershaw is, in fact, a softie when the subject turns to kids. If proof were needed it stands in his hometown of Kaplan, Louisiana. There, Sammy has established the Sammy Kershaw Foundation. Its outreach has extended through donations so far of more than 2 million dollars in aid to children and child related charities. With projects that extend from granting wishes through Make A Wish Foundation to establishing camps for crippled children, the foundation exists to fulfill Sammy’s simple goal of improving the lives of children.

Sammy's Pisces/Sun Mercury Aquarius conjunction reflects the humanitarian compassion represented by the two signs, manifesting in his charity work. Jupiter and Neptune (traditional and modern rulers of Pisces) are conjoined, and in a very sensitive spot: on the Moon's north node, in intense Scorpio. Jupiter's reputation for excess and Neptune's reputed relation to addictive traits might well be significant with regard to Sammy's early problems.







Paul Jones, born on the other side of the Atlantic, was, in the early 1960s resident singer with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated (alongside Long John Baldry and Michael 'Mick' Jagger). Jones then went on to be the vocalist and harmonica player of Manfred Mann, later going solo, but with less success. He has remained in the public eye in the UK as a radio and TV presenter, as well as appearing in movies and TV drama. A former atheist, Jones has converted to Christianity

Paul and Fiona's testimony is humorous, but compassionate. Paul came to faith from a background of intellectual arrogance; in 1968 he argued against Billy Graham with Cliff Richard on television, and he was convinced he had won the argument. Yet all his immense success in show business could not remedy the failure within himself. Fiona sought God from an early age, thinking that she was a Christian, but was surrounded by deception (including spiritualists and mediums); she too hoped that success in show business would bring her happiness. Their testimony tells how each of them found true happiness and real faith. As they bring their testimony, they sing songs from their album, and the Gospel message is clearly explained. (Link)

Paul has a Pisces/Aquarius combination from his Sun, Mercury, Venus; he also has Moon and Jupiter in Airy Gemini (whatever his time of birth), and a stellium (cluster of 3 planets) in Earthy Taurus, grounding and balancing his Airy mentality with a good dose of practicality. This is likely what has led him to diversify his career from music into other avenues. Without time of birth it's not possible to calculate the ascendant and exact Moon position, but I'd not be surprised to find a Moon/Jupiter conjunction in a strong position - close to one of the angles (ascendant, midheaven or their opposite points). Moon represents the inner self, Jupiter represents religion (among other things)- this now appears to play a prominent part in his life.


Paul Jones & Manfred Mann with The Mighty Quinn (1967)




Sammy Kershaw Better Than I Used to Be- seems autobiographical !




George Thorogood & The Destroyers with Bad To The Bone (Bad in a good way!)