GE Smith, the old SNL guitar player is the band leader for the GOP convention.

[Lint Head]

I recognized him right off the bat. Is he just making a dollar or is he now a right winger? He has played with Dylan, Stephen Stills etc.

http://gesmithmusic.wordpress.com/about/

Here he is rehearsing at the convention.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/condoleezza-rice-protest_n_1837053.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012#slide=1430221

[swayne]

1. So Shemp Howards is the band leader for the GOP....

Hmmmmm.....

[Curtland1015]

2. Ho. Lee. Shit.

I've seen that guy on SNL for YEARS and never noticed that resemblance before!

[spanone]

14. bwahahahahahahaaaa

[Johonny]

3. He's currently playing in Roger Waters The Wall band

So unless he's on break and has radically different politics than Waters, I'd be a little shocked.

[SomethingFishy]

12. The Wall tour is over...

GE built up massive amounts of Karma on that tour. Anyone who has seen it can tell you it was a fucking sledgehammer dropping on conservatism, capitalism and the right wing. If GE needs to grab some cash from the GOP let him. He'll still have Karma to spare.

[Johonny]

13. love to be fly on the wall hearing him and waters

talk politics

[IcyPeas]

4. He and Gilda Radner were married for a time

[PCIntern]

10. He always looked like the sleaze who got the great girls...

historically true...he even looks like the guy from my HS class who dated the loveliest gal...years later, I ran into her and she had almost no memory of her 2 years with him, but asked ME why I never asked her out...I told her point-blank that I didn't want to get the shit beaten out of me by him or his buddies on a routine basis. Yes, that is what used to happen in the old days with no recourse...at least where I lived.

[lame54]

5. Here is what The Vandals think of G.E. Smith...

The city council met last night the vote was one to six
Denying access to our town by TV's "G.E. Smith"
The Mayor cited nightmares had by his daughter Eileen
She dreamed that ugly fucker's face popped out the friggin' screen

They said no, they said no way.
Not in my Back yard he can not stay
That eyesore is a stain upon our nation
If you think he's livin' by me there's no way

G.E. felt the set back but refusing to surrender
He bought a house disguised as the guitarist of the Pretenders
But at the party we like to throw for new homeowners
we caught him when he couldn't play the lead from "Tattooed Love Boys"

They said no, they said no way.
Not in my Back yard he can not stay
That eyesore is a stain upon our nation
If you think he's livin' by me there's no way

A man has got the right to homestead anywhere he can
but that just begs the question, What exactly is a man?
Blond Frankenstein with Dutchboy hair would hardly qualify
So we must live free of this Hall & Oats reject or die

They said no, they said no way.
Not in my Back yard he can not stay
That eyesore is a stain upon our nation
If you think he's livin' by me there's no way

[Lint Head]

6. Excellent!

[TlalocW]

7. Must... concentrate harder... skull... ready... to... pop out!

I watched SNL pretty religiously in the mid 80s through mid 90s, and the worst part of the show was having to see that jackass mugging for the camera everytime the band was shown. I swear, his facial expression alternated between looking like he was having an orgasm to looking like he was having a difficult bowel movement with EVERY, SINGLE NOTE he played.

TlalocW

[Gidney N Cloyd]

8. +1

Seriously. You're not giving birth to the music, GE, you're just running your fingers over some strings.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

9. I used to...uh...casually date him --

Way back in the day, when I was young and stupid, in 1989. He told me at the time he was a GOPer -- I (not being able to believe my ears, creative types are rarely GOP) -- asked why: he was very honest and said GOPers were better for his wallet. That simple. I don't believe he is a social conservative.

[derby378]

11. Interesting perspective - thanks for sharing!

And a bit sad, too, if he really thinks his quality of life will improve with the GOP in the driver's seat.

[Lint Head]

18. Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[spanone]

15. i live in nashville...there are wingnut musicians and songwriters....

some rabid

[A HERETIC I AM]

16. Ummmm....so what?

He's a musician. It's a gig.

Who gives a fuck?

Is he any good? Is he Ted Nugent? (meaning does he publicly make it obvious he's a douchebag dumbass?)

Then so what?

Let him play, let him take his check and deposit it and let him move on.

I always thought he played a mean guitar. If he wants to vote Republican, I won't hold it against him.

[Lint Head]

17. True. Some folks don't care. One of the things I did when I first got into the music business

was to stiff George Wallace on a show when he was running as a racist Dixiecrat back in the late 60's. To this day I felt good about my decision. Sheriff Stoner was in his entourage.

[Cleita]

19. He is a terrific musician.

I hope it's just for a buck.

[undeterred]

20. So why does the GOP convention need a band?

[Cleita]

21. Don't the strippers need some music?n.t.

[Erose999]

22. Not in my backyard, G.E.

lol