Friends Remember Cub

Rudy Szlavi

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Dave Marsh

Check out Cub Koda & The Points "Noise Monkeys" on TNA Records. 

Cub Koda & The Points are back after a 20 year hiatus with their second album, NOISE MONKEYS on TNA Records. Recorded the weekend the group reformed to play for the first time in two decades, the album features new original material, old stage favorites, and live recordings from that reunion show.

Cub's second book "Blues For Dummies" (IDG Books) co-authored with Lonnie Brooks & Wayne Baker Brooks is in book stores now. Cub is certainly a broad-spectrumed artist! The expectations for this work is extremely high at IDG Books.

Cub Koda was one of the artists featured on VH1's "Where Are They Now?" This episode will be re-run occasionally.

"A Tribute To Howlin' Wolf" (Telarc) has been nominated for a Grammy (Traditional Blues).  Cub performs the song "Riding In The Moonlight" on this album (1999). 

Real Blues Magazine (Victoria, BC, Canada) awarded Blues For Dummies best blues reference guide (introduction to blues music).

Cub Koda was a man with a rock 'n' roll heart... A multi-faceted performer. His legendary live shows were power-packed with original material and American roots music smarts, infused with Cub's electric stage personality.  Internationally known for the two and a half million seller "Smokin' In The Boy's Room" (one of two gold records Cub has received during his career). The year 1986 saw yet another award for his collection, with Motley Crue presenting Cub with a double platinum album.  Their version of Cub's song helped generate worldwide sales and established
the tune "Smokin' In The Boy's Room" as a rock'n'roll classic.

Detroit born and raised, Cub grew up with the street tough sounds of the Motor City in his head, hands and heart... His early musical idols included Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, both leaving such an incredible imprint on his style that he has recorded tribute albums of both artists' music in their honor. Within due time Little Richard, Howlin' Wolf and Jerry Lee Lewis would become major components as well. Artists as diverse as Hound Dog Taylor, Al Jolson, Merle Travis, Link Wray, The Trashmen and Benny Goodman have all found their "voice" in Cub's music. Whether it's original material, or an obscure classic, Cub combined the technology of recent years with the spirited feel of the legendary rockers who inspired him.

What emerged was Cub Koda's music... Great American Rock 'n' Roll... So much so that author Stephen King in his Bachman Book collection mentions Cub in the dedications, labeling him as "America's greatest houserocker."

To experience Cub Koda is to encounter him seriously committed to his art at several levels; he exudes a fierce determination when he straped on a guitar and went out to entertain... His commitment was to produce and record music reflecting the high energy of his live shows... His humor and insight when writing for music publications like Discoveries (where his "Vinyl Junkie" column was in its 22nd year of publication) led him over the years to both compiling and doing liner notes for over 60 CD collections for Rhino Records, Time-Life, MCA and Motown, as well as editing and contributing to a 1200 page reference book, The All-Music Guide and later editing the well received The All-Music Guide To The Blues. This was followed in 1998 with Cub's book, "Blues For Dummies," published by IDG Books. Cub continued to write for the web as a contributing editor to the All Music Guide's half million page website. He did a crazed, legendary disc jockey stint (on a 50,000 watt Boston area station) with his Cub Koda Crazy Show. His experiences from radio prompted most radio stations in touring cities to not only interview Cub, but to ask that he DJ right there on the spot... His recent television appearances (especially on VH-1's "Where Are They Now?") were equally well received. 1999 saw him making his screen debut in the movie, "Wayne County Rambling," directed and produced by independent film maker Dan Rose. He produced other artists with the same rockin' excitement that he brought to his own recordings. This was Cub Koda!!

SINGER - SONGWRITER - GUITARIST - JOURNALIST - TELEVISION & RADIO PERSONALITY - CUB KODA WAS AMERICAN MUSIC!!!

• How You Can Own Cub's CDs and Where To Find Them.

• FREE MUSIC - Own A New, Unreleased Song by Cub (MP3).

• Cub's Compilations & Liner Notes - A list of CDs Cub has written liner notes for and/or compiled.

• Songwriter's Monthly Interview Jan.'98 issue

• Reviews

• Links