When I first heard about this event, I thought to myself," it's about time." After all, the Sunset Strip is the biggest thing in the musical universe. More rock music legends have come out of that location than any other place on earth, so why not have a festival to celebrate it's greatness?

My strongest inclination was to experience the first day event at House of Blues hosted by one of my favorite LA Music Awards alumni Mark McGrath. Upon arrival at the event I saw Mario Maglieri hanging out with his entire family downstairs near the stage. Within minutes, in walks Slash and some of the staff from the Whisky. They sat down in the V.I.P. area along with Lou Adler and Michelle Phillips and their families. Then, in comes Elmer Valentine rolling in a wheel chair. It was a sad sight to behold, that's for sure. He is in his mid 80's now, and appears to be in very poor health.

Once the ceremony got under way, the room came alive. Mark McGrath proved to be a quite capable host, garnering laughs from the crowd with every introduction. First came Cheech Marin with Tommy Chong. It was the first time these two had been together on stage like this in nearly a decade. Hilarious is the only way to describe their diatribe. Slash was next and came up to the podium, cigarette in hand and told his story of being booted out of the Rainbow by Mario many years ago and how he had to dress like woman to gain secret entry back in to the place. Then came Michelle Phillips, who it appeared may have had one too many cocktails before the show. After that, all of the Godfather's received special awards from the mayor of West Hollywood. Ironically, each of the awards fell apart once they were in the hands of the recipients. Still, it was a memorable spectacle to see all three of these visionaries sharing the stage at this venue. I will always treasure this memory.

Two days later, it was time for the Round Table discussion with Larry King over at the London West Hotel, formerly know as the Belage. I was aware that there would be a Q&A session at this event, so I was ready to give Bill Gazzarri his due. Up to this point, not even a mention had been made of him, so as the legitimate Godson of Rock ' Roll, I felt it was my divine duty to make sure that his legacy was recognized as well. Once Larry King walked in, the crowd broke in to applause after a stellar introduction by Tommy Nast, the festival's main organizer. On the panel to start were Lou Adler and Mario. Clearly, Mario brought his comic side with him, getting laughs from the crowd with almost every remark. He told many stories of Sunset Strip lore as did Lou Adler. It was one of the most entertaining events I have ever been to and and quite informative as well. After about thirty minutes Larry introduced the "next generation" of the Sunset Strip as he called them. They were Mikael Maglieri, Nick Adler, owner of the and Harry Morton, new owner of the Viper Room. I have to say that I was not too impressed with the so called "next generation" of Sunset Strip icons. Except for Mario's son, the others seemed arrogant and out of touch. Clearly, they lacked the humility of their predecessors and did not instill much faith in me that they would be able to continue to carry the torch that was lit by their fathers. Call me "old school" if you like, but I just cannot bear to think that the future of our beloved Sunset Strip is in the hands of what I feel to be less than capable individuals. I have a valid explanation of this legitimate concern, but this is not the proper forum for that discussion.

Near the end of the discussion, I managed to get a big round of applause for the legacy of Bill Gazzarri, albeit to the chagrin of Mario and Lou. For what ever reasons, they clearly did not want Bill mentioned at this event. Doug Weston did not receive any mentions either, although he certainly would have to be considered as a Godfather of the Sunset Strip himself. How soon we forget those who have paved the way for so many.

Over all, the inaugural Sunset Strip Music Festival was a resounding success. I am excited that I will get to be a part of it in the future. I made some great new friends and hooked up with some old one's as well. Kudos to Tommy Nast and Karmen Beck for doing a magnificent job on this event. It was well worth attending.

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GSS Productions is proud and pleased to announce a thrilling and informative new documentary chronicling the politics, history and the evolution of the Sunset Strip. The Godfathers of the Sunset Strip is set to be released in the summer of 2008 and will be an in depth and comprehensive look at the famed strip dating all the way back to the 1900's. Historic people and places that will be highlighted during the documentary include the Chateau Marmont, the Roxy, Dean Martin, Clark Cable, Donald Sterling, the Whiskey Bar, David Geffen and the House of Blues amongst a host of other numerous influential characters and events that have contributed to making the strip the place of affluence and influence it is now.

The Sunset Strip, amongst it's [sic] glitzy and glamorous backdrop have long played a vital and instrumental role in the history of Hollywood's elite. Many of it's hotels, nightclubs and lounges have jump started the careers of many of this generation's greatest icons such as Elton John at the renowened [sic] Triudure [sic] and Donna Summer, under the legendary Casablanca Records. The world famous Sunset Strip has also played host to some of America's most affecting and provocative acts and events. History will reveal that the Sunset Strip wasn't always a part of West Hollywood. Bands such as Guns N Roses, The Doors, The Byrds, The Seeds, Frank Zappa and many others have revoutionalized [sic] or introduced their careers at clubs like the aforementioned Whisky a Go Go, the Roxy, Pandora's Box and the London Fog in a manner fitting of the world's most famous mile and a half stretch of land.

Gangsters such as Benjamin Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Harries "Mickey" Cohen have long since made the strip their stomping ground. The history of the strip is without a doubt prolific, groundbreaking and revolutionary and it is for this reason, that we are pleased to introduce this trendsetting documentary that will no doubt affect the way America views documentaries.

As a matter of fact; riots, communism, bloodshed and mobsters have all been a part of the strip's past and we intend to unveil it all without compromising the integrity of a place steeped in prestige and charisma. Our intent is to educate as much as it is to enlighten. It is our objective for the world to walk away from this documentary with a renewed sense of respect and admiration for a place that has long been called one of the most important hubs in the entertainment industry and in pop culture America.

It is our intention to announce the film at the Sundance Film Festival in a matter of months. We are projecting a worldwide promotional campaign.

GSS Productions in an effort to assist with the cost of the documentary, will sell 220 investment units at $10,000 each to raise the necessary funds. All proceeds will be used for the development, production and delivery of the project. Each investor will then be entitled to a share in any profits earned.

Our production company is extremely qualified and have extensive experience in the creative and business area of film production. In addition, the production team consists of individuals with entrepreneurial business backgrounds, as well as legal and financial experience. All names will be introduced at months end when all contracts are sealed and finalized.

GSS Prodcutions [sic] will have a tie in with a major studio to aid with worldwide distribution as well as a major television studio to assist with syndication and national broadcasting. We intend to premiere a commercially successful documentary.

The documentary is intended to be large scale with many opportunities for cross dimensional advancement. GSS Productions has developed a 6 month production plan encompassing a 4 week shooting schedule. And we are in talks with various iconic composers and musicians regarding musical composition. More specifically, icons such as Rod Stewart, Neil Young, Mick Jagger, Led Zepplin [sic], Bruce Springstein [sic], Liza Minnelli, David Bowie, and The Doors have all had their big breaks on the strip and we are expecting their participation.

A premature marketing plan for this documentary include a follow up series on either the Discovery channel or the History Channel (that will be determined at a later date) as well as premiere parties and events commemorating the premiere of the documentary. We also expect sponsorships and partnerships across all platforms. Many of the above are in transition as we speak.

The documentary will be directed by a well known Director (to be announced at a later date) and will have the names of Hollywood's most revered icons as narrarators [sic] and/or subjects.

We intend to have this piece be a combination of entertainment, value and educational meaning.

As you know the history of the Sunset Strip is quite broad and has much meaning to those in the entertainment industry, it is this reason why we will make it our priority to maintain and uphold the dignity of the strip while divulging a past as stimulating as it's present.

We are all excited and have received much support from our community as well as our peers.

I look forward to answering any questions or comments you may have.

Sincerely, Renae Francis, Executive Director, GSS Productions, 11136 Chandler Blvd., Suite 492, North Hollywood, CA 91601,