Rock Supergroup Maine Monster Come Together During Lockdown to Raise Money for Charity
Band assembled by fitness guru Eric the Trainer features members of Nickelback, Hall & Oates, Journey and Air Supply–all proceeds from first single go to Feeding America
Nate Jackson | August 13, 2020 @ 11:03 AM
Last Updated: August 13, 2020 @ 12:07 PM
Eric the Trainer, Wolves and Mike Kroeger recording songs for Maine Monster
Hollywood fitness personality Eric the Trainer made a career out of using his muscles to life weight. But in the wake of the pandemic putting a clamp on the gym industry, he had time to start a side gig–using his music to raise money for charity.
This week he released his debut single “I’m Yours” with his band Maine Monster, an extra-strength supergroup of current and former musicians from Nickelback, Hall & Oates, Journey and Air Supply with all proceeds benefitting national charity Feeding America. The upbeat rock tune was written and recorded during his break from training famous clients like Patrick Schwarzenegger, Jason Dohring, Vincent Rodriguez III, Martin Kove, Chris Noth and A.J. Buckley.
“When the lockdown occurred I found myself back home teaching some fitness classes online but I had a lot of time during the day with not a lot of commitments,” Eric told TheWrap. “So I picked up the acoustic guitar and started writing songs.”
The trainer born Eric Fleishman started Maine Monster (a reference to a nickname given to him in his home state of Maine) by writing the track “I’m Yours” inspired by his fiancée who he recently married during the pandemic. The two drove to Vegas for a drive-thru chapel wedding which he says is very symbolic of their no-frills relationship.
“She loves me for who I am, and whether I’m on TV or in a magazine, no matter what happens., he said. “So I wrote the song “I’m Yours” about an unimpressed girlfriend.”
After writing that song and several others, Eric started to assemble a squad of musicians to play on the record, the first on his list was his friend and fitness client Mike Kroeger, the bassist from Nickelback. Last year, Kroeger also played with Eric on another musical collaboration–the Need to Feed Mother’s Day Sing-a-long presented by Quest Nutrition–raising over $27,000 for Feeding America which was used to provide over 270,000 meals for needy families across the nation.
“Whenever Eric calls, I’m always happy to jump on board and assist in anyway I can,” Kroeger said. After listening to the tune, he was definitely on board. “I’ve been in a lot of sessions and recorded a lot and this song is for real. It’s definitely a rock tune and very straight ahead but the writing is very focused.”
The result of their efforts, produced by Amit Ofir (aka Wolves), is nothing short of a thrown gauntlet of guitar riffs and power vocals making it a catchy, alt-rock ear worm.
Considering that all touring has pretty much come to a halt, Eric continued to call some of his rockstar friends and clients to join the band. The lineup for Maine Monster includes Aviv Cohen (Air Supply) on drums, Michael Kroeger (Nickelback) on bass, Joerg Kohring (Lifehouse) on guitar – as well as vocals by Eric and his son Henry Fleishman. Future Maine Monster recordings will feature John Oates (Hall & Oates), guitarist Phil Collen and Arnel Pineda (Journey).
Aside from living the dream of playing with musicians from his favorite rock bands, Eric says the biggest reward of Maine Monster has been using his passion for music to offer help to people struggling to survive right now in the U.S.
“In times of darkness like we find ourselves in there’s a certain responsibility from the artists to rise up and motivate and inspire the general public to get through this difficult time,” he said. “This is another example of artists coming together to put a beautiful piece of art into the world and use that to help our neighbors.”
“I’m Yours” by Maine Monster is currently available on all music streaming platforms.
Celebrities Who Have Died From the Coronavirus (Photos)
The world continues to be upended by the coronavirus pandemic, with more people contracting COVID-19 as the days pass. While many have recovered, some have died from complications of the illness. These are the names of some notable figures from Hollywood and the media that we have lost.
Terrence McNally, a four-time Tony Award-winning playwright, died on March 24 at the age of 81 of complications from the coronavirus. His works included "Master Class," "Love! Valour! Compassion!" and "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune," which later became a film with Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino.
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Italian actress Lucia Bosè, who starred in such films as Michelangelo Antonioni’s "Story of a Love Affair" (1950) and Juan Antonio Bardem’s "Death of a Cyclist" (1955), died on March 23 of pneumonia after contracting COVID-19, according to the Guardian. She was 89.
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Chef Floyd Cardoz, winner of "Top Chef Masters" Season 3, died at the age of 59 of coronavirus complications on March 25.
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Mark Blum, who starred in "Desperately Seeking Susan," "Crocodile Dundee" and the Lifetime/Netflix series "You," died on March 26 of coronavirus complications. The veteran character actor and regular on New York City stages was 69.
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Maria Mercader, a CBS News veteran who worked for over 30 years as a reporter and talent director, died March 29 after testing positive for coronavirus. She was 54.
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Grammy-winning country music singer Joe Diffie died March 29 due to complications from the coronavirus. He announced his diagnosis just two days prior.
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American rock musician Alan Merrill, best known for co-writing and recording the original version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," died March 29 of complications from the coronavirus. He was 69.
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Popular Japanese comedian Ken Shimura, whose career spanned decades, died March 29 due to complications from the coronavirus. He was 70.
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Andrew Jack, a dialect coach who most recently was hired to work with Robert Pattinson on the new Batman movie, died March 31 of complications from coronavirus, TMZ reports. He also appeared in "Star Wars: Episode VII" as a member of Leia's resistance. Jack was 76.
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Adam Schlesinger, Fountains of Wayne singer and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" contribute, died at the age of 52 from coronavirus complications on April 1.
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Ellis Marsalis Jr., New Orleans jazz legend and father of Wynton and Branford Marsalis, died at 85 from COVID-19 complications, Branford said. "Ellis Marsalis was a legend. He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz... He was a teacher, a father, and an icon — and words aren’t sufficient to describe the art, the joy and the wonder he showed the world," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said also.
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Eddie Large, one-half of the comedy duo Little and Large, died April 2 after contracting coronavirus while hospitalized for heart failure. He was 78.
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Sergio Rossi, the Italian shoe designer, died at age 84 after being hospitalized with the virus, the brand confirmed in an Instagram post Friday.
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Patricia Bosworth, a stage and screen actress turned journalist who penned celebrity biographies, died April 2 from complications of the coronavirus. She was 86.
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Tom Dempsey, New Orleans Saints legendary kicker who was born without toes on his right foot and wore a flat shoe that he kicked with, died on April 4 from complications of COVID-19.
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John Prine, one of the most influential and revered folk and country songwriters of the last 50 years, died on April 6 at the age of 73 after being infected with the COVID-19 virus.
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Allen Garfield, who appeared in such films as “The Conversation,” “Nashville” and “Irreconcilable Differences,” died April 7 due to coronavirus complications, according to his sister. He was 80.
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Charles Gregory, an Emmy-nominated hairstylist who frequently collaborated with Tyler Perry on his films and TV shows, died of complications from COVID-19 on April 8.
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Hilary Heath, an actress and producer who starred opposite Vincent Price in horror movies in the late 1960s and early '70s, died in April of COVID-19 complications. She was 74.
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Rick May, a voice actor best known to gamers as the husky-throated Soldier in Team Fortress 2, died in Swedish nursing home on April 13 after contracting COVID-19. He was 79.
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Allen Daviau, a 5-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer, died April 15 at age 77. He frequently collaborated with Steven Spielberg, and worked on such films as "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and "The Color Purple"
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Henry Grimes, celebrated jazz bassist, died on April 15 at age 84, according to WGBO. He worked with such legends as Thelonius Monk, Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins.
"Knight Rider" and "Magnum P.I." producer Joel Rogosin died of coronavirus at the MPTF nursing home. He became the fifth person to die from COVID-19 complications at the facility.
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Rapper Fred the Godson died after contracting coronavirus, a representative confirmed to Complex. He wrote on social media of his diagnosis on April 6, but he did not recover.
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Art director Matteo De Cosmo, who worked on films including "Emergence," "The Punisher" and "Luke Cage," died of coronavirus complications. He was 52.
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Roy Horn, best known as half of the legendary Siegfried & Roy magic and animal act in Las Vegas, died on May 8 from complications due to coronavirus.
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Legendary Auburn football coach Pat Dye died on June 1 after combating COVID-19 and other medical conditions. He was 80.
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Chris Trousdale, a member of the boy band Dream Street, died of coronavirus complications on June 2. He was 34.
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Broadway star Nick Cordero passed away on July 5 due to complications from coronavirus. He was 41.
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Herman Cain, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza who sought the Republican nomination for president in 2012, died July 30 from complications of the coronavirus. He was 74. He was hospitalized in Atlanta just days after attending a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was seen without a mask.
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Trini Lopez, the singer of "If I Had a Hammer" and an actor in "The Dirty Dozen," died on Aug. 11 from COVID-19. He was 83.
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Tom Seaver, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher, died on Aug. 31 in his sleep of complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19.
Harold Budd, ambient musician and composer for several Hollywood films, died from complications of the coronavirus, his manager said Dec. 8. The Brian Eno and Cocteau Twins collaborator was 84 years old.
Carol Sutton, actress who has starred on HBO’s “Lovecraft County” and OWN’s “Queen Sugar" and appeared in such films as "Monster's Ball," "Ray" and "The Help," died of complications of COVID-19 on Dec. 10. She was 76.
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Charley Pride, one of the first Black performers to break through in the country music scene, died of complications from COVID-19 on Dec. 12, just weeks after his final performance at the CMA Awards show back in November. He was 86.
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Grammy-winning country singer K.T. Oslin, died Dec. 21. Although her cause of death was not immediately known, a friend told the Associated Press that she had been diagnosed with COVID-19. She was 78.
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While many celebrities who contracted COVID-19 have recovered, some have died from complications of the illness
The world continues to be upended by the coronavirus pandemic, with more people contracting COVID-19 as the days pass. While many have recovered, some have died from complications of the illness. These are the names of some notable figures from Hollywood and the media that we have lost.