Who is John Kinney?

catinthedark · #1 11-13-2006, 10:56 PM

well, i know WHO he is, of course. but having just seen the big "update" on the nicksfix today.. (come oooon

) it got me to wondering: why is this guy in charge of the official fan site? is he even a fan? it seems to me like there are far more dedicated, devoted fans around here - who really want to get the news and, more importantly, share the news. is he connected to stevie in some way? does he get paid by her for maintaining that site (read: keeping the really interesting stuff off the site until way after everyone here knows about it). the site just seems so five minutes ago to me. the "ask stevie" questions are more boring than watching paint dry. ditto, and even worse, the ask jana ones (for god's sake, send her a different question every so often). if you want the news, you come here. if you want tour dates first, if you want to hear a new demo, even if you want to see the latest reviews and articles (i mean, i get google alerts everyday for stevie and fleetwood mac - and he doesn't put a fraction of the stevie articles up) you come here. i don't think i've ever, ever learned something new from the nicksfix.

is it just me?

paleshadow · #2 11-13-2006, 11:08 PM

Well, I don't know that much about him, but I do remember years ago before it was the official site. Back then you could tell that he definately was a fan. I think once it became official he had to follow the structure that Stevie's people wanted and that had a definate impact on the sites content. I would imagine he is compensated somehow. I'm sure that all the expenses related to operating the site no longer come out of his pocket either.

sparky · #3 11-13-2006, 11:24 PM

Before John's site became "official" it was much more up to the minute and really was more of a fan site. I do believe everything he posts needs to be run through Stevie's people first, and that is why it takes him longer than people might like to post things. I don't think Stevie's people are all that focused on the website, so he is is probably at their mercy. We all know what she has said about the internet, so no surpirse there. That being said, John is a very nice man. I have met him a number of times, and over the years he has been very helpful and kind to me. He's a shy type of guy. You won't see him getting nuts and hooting and hollering like many of us do. That doesn't mean he isn't as dedicated as anyone. That just isn't his style. His site gets a lot of slag lately. It's not deserved. He's a good egg.

catinthedark · #4 11-14-2006, 12:07 AM

^^ i appreciate that post. it's good to know he is a fan and a good guy. does he go to shows? does he post here? i'm not sure why i want to know all this - i guess i just feel like if he isn't so into it anymore... maybe he should pass the torch?

sparky · #5 11-14-2006, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catinthedark

^^ i appreciate that post. it's good to know he is a fan and a good guy. does he go to shows? does he post here? i'm not sure why i want to know all this - i guess i just feel like if he isn't so into it anymore... maybe he should pass the torch?

I have met him at shows. How into it is he ? I can't say.

GarboSpeaks! · #6 11-14-2006, 03:16 AM

I've met him a few times. I am not gonna knock him. I don't particularly care for him, but I don't dislike him either. At a show I am into getting together w/ people and yaking, and chit-chat is not his deal. Or else he is a snob. It's a hard call, but really, I DON'T THINK HE IS...I am just saying that he is very quiet, reserved, and polite, but not chatty and seemingly "IN" to being where he is at. I do belive about what was said earlier that he needs all info to go thru the proper SN channels, i.e Chris (

) and that is/must be time consuming. BUT.....back in the day his site was something spectacular to a newbie on the net. ALL sorts of pics, demo's etc. No one can say he is not a fan. I dunno about now-a-days (but I think he really is...see description above) but if he's not so much a fan anymore, once upon a time, he was a fan to contend with. Amazing pics, a history of early days shows, etc. Aww heck, all in all he's a cool guy. As much as I'd love to be the one in charge of an "official" SN site, I wouldn't last one day w/ the Nicks camps rules etc. The responsibility is frankly something I am shocked he's kept up w/ this long! Super kudo's for that

strandinthewind · #7 11-14-2006, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparky

Before John's site became "official" it was much more up to the minute and really was more of a fan site. I do believe everything he posts needs to be run through Stevie's people first, and that is why it takes him longer than people might like to post things. I don't think Stevie's people are all that focused on the website, so he is is probably at their mercy. We all know what she has said about the internet, so no surpirse there. That being said, John is a very nice man. I have met him a number of times, and over the years he has been very helpful and kind to me. He's a shy type of guy. You won't see him getting nuts and hooting and hollering like many of us do. That doesn't mean he isn't as dedicated as anyone. That just isn't his style. His site gets a lot of slag lately. It's not deserved. He's a good egg.

Ditto --------

markolas · #8 11-14-2006, 09:09 AM

I hardly ever visit that site anymore. I did notice they have a link to Jana Anderson's website where you can hear song clips from her "new album." It's really awful.

BlackWidow · #9 11-14-2006, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparky

Before John's site became "official" it was much more up to the minute and really was more of a fan site. I do believe everything he posts needs to be run through Stevie's people first, and that is why it takes him longer than people might like to post things. I don't think Stevie's people are all that focused on the website, so he is is probably at their mercy. We all know what she has said about the internet, so no surpirse there. That being said, John is a very nice man. I have met him a number of times, and over the years he has been very helpful and kind to me. He's a shy type of guy. You won't see him getting nuts and hooting and hollering like many of us do. That doesn't mean he isn't as dedicated as anyone. That just isn't his style. His site gets a lot of slag lately. It's not deserved. He's a good egg.

I would agree with this too.

JazmenFlowers · #10 11-14-2006, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GarboSpeaks!

As much as I'd love to be the one in charge of an "official" SN site, I wouldn't last one day w/ the Nicks camps rules etc. The responsibility is frankly something I am shocked he's kept up w/ this long! Super kudo's for that

amen. I've often wondered if he feels like his site has gone to **** since becoming official. can he take it back and no longer be the official site or do they now own it?

he for sure was a groundbreaker in terms of Stevie and the net and I hate to see the site ridiculed, but it is what it is. it's really sad to see it become so...so...****, I can't think of the word...

SuzeQuze · #11 11-14-2006, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackWidow

I would agree with this too.

Me too. In '95 his was pretty much the only Stevie site out there. I was so excited to find it and learn all about NOTS, demos, and other things I'd been unaware of! I met him in Vegas in '98 and he was very nice.

estranged4life · #12 11-14-2006, 10:57 AM

I talked to him a few times at the Dallas shows, Seemed like an alright guy to me (Though the first time I met him he gave me a 'go to hell' look, I'm the wrong person to be doing that to, so I itched my nose back him with my middle finger extended) I still have a "Stevie Nicks Rocks" bumper sticker hanging in our bedroom that John gave me.

ELIUD · #13 11-14-2006, 11:21 AM

I don't know anything about him, just that he lives in the suburbs of Dallas. But one thing he can control that he doesn't seem to spend anytime on is the DESIGN of the website. Nothing personal but it sucks hard. There's been no real attempt at revamping it one iota in the years he's been running it as the official site. I know there are many great designers posting here everyday who could contribute to the look of The Nicks Fix and probably not charge him anything. But oh well. I guess Stevie herself isn't all that interested in dressing it up, so nothing will be done about it.

SuzeQuze · #14 11-14-2006, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ELIUD

I don't know anything about him, just that he lives in the suburbs of Dallas. But one thing he can control that he doesn't seem to spend anytime on is the DESIGN of the website. Nothing personal but it sucks hard. There's been no real attempt at revamping it one iota in the years he's been running it as the official site. I know there are many great designers posting here everyday who could contribute to the look of The Nicks Fix and probably not charge him anything. But oh well. I guess Stevie herself isn't all that interested in dressing it up, so nothing will be done about it.

Agreed. I would love to at least see the frames disappear. They make direct links difficult.

goldie · #15 11-14-2006, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Me too. In '95 his was pretty much the only Stevie site out there. I was so excited to find it and learn all about NOTS, demos, and other things I'd been unaware of! I met him in Vegas in '98 and he was very nice.

yup! I remember those days. JK and I e-mailed back and forth a few times back in the early days. And I think I met him at a show once, but I can't remember. I rarely if ever go to the site anymore at all.