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JD & The Straight Shot

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JD & The Straight Shot
OriginNew York, United States
GenresRoots rock
Years active2005–present
LabelsIndie
MembersJames Dolan – Vocals/Guitar, Marc Copely – Vocals/Guitar, Byron House – Bass
Websitewww.jdandthestraightshot.com

JD & The Straight Shot (also promoted as JD and the Straight Shot) is the country blues and roots rock vanity project[1][2] of its frontman and guitarist, Cablevision Systems Corporation CEO and Madison Square Garden Company Executive Chairman James L. Dolan.

Because of his corporate status and his friendship and business relationship with entertainment executive Irving Azoff,[3] Dolan has been able to leverage JD & The Straight Shot onto shows by The Eagles, The Allman Brothers Band, ZZ Top, Jewel, Keith Urban, The Chicks, Joe Walsh and Robert Randolph.[4][5][6] Attendance by Madison Square Garden staff employees "is expected and noted" when the group plays at New York clubs.[7] The group's song "Can't Make Tears" was on the soundtrack for the TV show Hell on Wheels on the cable channel AMC, which is controlled by Dolan and his family.[6] The group's music has also been featured in films including Hurricane Season, August: Osage County, and Butter, all of which were produced by The Weinstein Company, a corporate business partner of Dolan's Madison Square Garden Company.[6] The group's fifth album Ballyhoo! sold only 113 copies in the first four months after its January 2016 release.[6] The group's sixth album, Good Luck and Good Night, was released on September 15, 2017.

The New York Times music critic Jon Pareles described the band as a group of "well-known sidemen backing a karaoke grade singer", and said Dolan's "musical talents are unlikely to endanger his day job".[8] After the group's performance opening for ZZ Top, one reviewer wrote that Dolan's "enthusiasm for playing mediocre American rock did little to make their forgettable performance entertaining."[1] After a 2017 show in New York City, another reviewer observed that Dolan "sings like he's trying not to cough, and it's possible he can't play the guitar. Worse, his songs belie his status as a cosplaying bluesman; most of his lyrics simply summarize current events or books that he's read as if he were presenting a 10th grade English class project."[9]

In January 2024, Kellye Croft, a former massage therapist who was employed as a massage therapist for The Eagles during the band's 2013 tour, alleged Dolan sexually assaulted her when JD & The Straight Shot was touring with The Eagles during this time.[10][11]

Discography

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Studio albums
  • Nothing to Hide (2005)
  • Right On Time (2008)
  • Can't Make Tears (2011)
  • Where I've Been (2014)
  • Ballyhoo! (2016)
  • Good Luck and Good Night (2017)
  • The Great Divide (2019)

References

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  1. ^ a b Armstrong, Denis (Nov 8, 2012). "ZZ Top shows Ottawa what it means to rock for decades". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  2. ^ Johnston, Maura (Mar 16, 2016). "No Armor". Indy Week. p. 32. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  3. ^ Waddell, Ray (September 6, 2013). "The $300 Million Comeback: Irving Azoff Teams With MSG's James Dolan to Create Intriguing Music Company". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  4. ^ Milano, Brett (May 4, 2013). "Jazz Fest Recap, Saturday, May 4, 2013: Fleetwood Mac, Little Willies, Stanley Clarke & More!". OffBeat. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  5. ^ Waddell, Ray (September 12, 2014). "MSG's James Dolan Opens for Eagles, Pens Songs About Eliot Spitzer & Trayvon Martin". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  6. ^ a b c d McKenna, Dave (May 5, 2016). "James Dolan Wants You To Love His Band". Deadspin. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  7. ^ Price, S.L. (February 12, 2007). "Lord Jim". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  8. ^ Pareles, Jon (July 28, 2011). "A Fount of Soul, Full Throttle and Unbound". New York Times. p. C2. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  9. ^ Tien-Dana, Jack (July 2017). "James Dolan, Billionaire Owner of the New York Knicks is Singing the Blues, Literally". Men's Journal. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  10. ^ Dazio, Stefanie; Mahoney, Brian (2024-01-16). "Federal lawsuit accuses NY Knicks owner James Dolan, media mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault". AP News. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  11. ^ Ushe, Naledi (2024-01-16). "Harvey Weinstein, MSG exec James Dolan sued for sexual assault by former massage therapist". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
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