Classic Rock 93.9

A new Judas Priest documentary has been announced.

The film is called The Ballad of Judas Priest and will be co-directed by Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello, marking his directorial debut. 

“While some may know Judas Priest for their huge hits that have shaped the heavy metal genre, there is so much more to their story,” Morello says alongside co-director Sam Dunn. 

“Tracing their incredible 50-year journey, this film will capture how Judas Priest both defined the sound and look of metal, but also made it a more inclusive place along the way,” the pair say. “We are grateful to the band for allowing us such intimate, unfiltered access to their lives and look forward to bringing this film to the metal masses around the world.”

Judas Priest adds, “We have lived and breathed metal for over five decades, and finally in this documentary we are summoning our congregation to officially witness our lives uncensored, in a never-before-seen way…the cassock comes off, revealing Priest in all its metal glory!”

A release date for The Ballad of Judas Priest has yet to be announced. 

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Fittingly for the first rock artist ever to perform at Yankee Stadium, Billy Joel will be immortalized as a bobblehead at an upcoming Yankees game.

On Tuesday, Major League Baseball posted a photo of the bobblehead to social platform X, announcing that the figures will be given away to the first 18,000 fans who attend the Yankees vs. Cubs game on July 11. The figure shows Billy — who was born in the Bronx, where Yankee Stadium is located — sitting at a Yankees-logo’d piano wearing Yankees pinstripes and a Yankees ball cap.

The giveaway will take place a week before Billy once again plays Yankee Stadium, in a co-headlining show with Rod Stewart. That show is July 18.

Billy’s two 1990 shows at Yankee Stadium were actually at the old Yankee Stadium, which closed in 2008 and was demolished two years later. The current Yankee Stadium opened in 2009.

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On NBC’s The Voice Tuesday night, the voice of Foreigner announced he was quitting the band.

Kelly Hansen, who’s been singing with Foreigner since 2005, is stepping down. He’ll be replaced by the band’s current guitarist, Luis Maldonado. “After 20 magical years fronting this band, this will be my last year with Foreigner,” Hansen said after singing “Feels Like the First Time.”

“At the end of this summer, a new, great voice will sing these songs for you: my friend Luis Maldonado,” he continued. Maldonado then took the mic to perform “Jukebox Hero.” 

The band’s current tour will feature both Hansen and Maldonado. Foreigner has a string of shows lined up for March 2026 at The Venetian Theater in Las Vegas; presumably it’ll be Maldonado fronting the band for those performances.

“Being the voice of Foreigner has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Hansen said in a statement. “But it’s time to pass the mic. Luis has the voice, the energy, and the soul to carry these songs into the future. I couldn’t be prouder to hand this off to him.”

Maldonado, who is a former member of Train, added, “This music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’m ready to honor Foreigner’s legacy and bring my heart to every performance.”

Foreigner founder Mick Jonas said in a statement, “Kelly Hansen is one of the best front men in our business and over the last twenty years he has breathed new life into our songs. His boundless energy and flawless talent has helped us climb the mountain and set up the opportunity for Foreigner vocalist and guitarist, Luis Maldonado, to bring us home.”

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Tony Iommi has collaborated with U.K. pop star Robbie Williams.

The Black Sabbath guitarist provides the riffs on Williams’ new song, “Rocket.” The track will appear on Williams’ upcoming album, Britpop.

“I set out to create the album that I wanted to write and release after I left [pop group] Take That in 1995,” Williams says. “It was the peak of Britpop and a golden age for British Music. I’ve worked with some of my heroes on this album; it’s raw, there are more guitars and it’s an album that’s even more upbeat and anthemic than usual.”

We’ll see if Liam Gallagher has anything to say about that.

You can listen to “Rocket” now via digital outlets. Britpop is due out in the fall.

Iommi, meanwhile, is prepping for the Black Sabbath reunion/farewell show in July, which will see him performing alongside fellow original members Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the final time. The stacked bill also includes an Ozzy solo performance, plus Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool and Slayer.

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Bruce Springsteen made headlines when he used the opening night of his European tour to criticize the Trump administration, sparking an angry response from President Donald Trump. Now, Springsteen has released a live EP documenting those moments.

Available now on all streaming services, the Land of Hope & Dreams EP was recorded live in Manchester, England, on May 14. It features four songs, as well as two introductions: In the first, which came before a performance of the song “Land of Hope & Dreams,” he said that America was “in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration” and asked fans to “raise your voices against the authoritarianism, and let freedom ring.”

In the second introduction, which came before the song “My City of Ruins,” Bruce said, among other things, “In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.”

He added, “A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government.”

In addition to “My City of Ruins” and “Land of Hope & Dreams,” the EP also includes performances of the songs “Long Walk Home” and Springsteen’s cover of Bob Dylan‘s “Chimes of Freedom.”

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In the wake of Donald Trump‘s attacks on Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift on Truth Social, and his subsequent call for a “major investigation” into Springsteen, Bono, Oprah and Beyonce‘s endorsements of Kamala Harris, Neil Young has criticized the president for worrying about celebrities instead of the country.

Writing on his website on Tuesday, Young, who became a U.S. citizen in 2020, addressed the president. “What are you worryin’ about man? Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America. You worry about that instead of the dyin’ kids in Gaza. That’s your problem.”

“I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us. You shut down FEMA when we needed it most. That’s your problem Trump.”

“STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT ROCKERS ARE SAYING,” Young continued. “Think about saving America from the mess you made. Taylor Swift is right. So is Bruce. You know how I feel. You are more worried about yourself than AMERICA. Wake up Trump!! Remember what the White House is?”

“86/47??? That’s what you think about?” Young continued, referring to an online meme that allegedly means “get rid of Trump”; the White House recently threatened to investigate former FBI Director James Comey for posting it.

Young concluded, “You are forgetting your real job. You work for us. Wake up Republicans! This guy is out of control. We need a real president!” He signed the post, “neil young and many others.”

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Janet Jackson will receive the ICON Award at the American Music Awards on May 26, but she won’t be the only legend being honored for their incredible career. Rod Stewart has been named the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony.

Rod is receiving the award for his “body of work, and unparalleled contributions to music for nearly six decades,” as well as his “lasting legacy and continued influence on generations of artists and fans.” Since the show is airing live from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, and Rod will conveniently be in town for his residency at Caesars, he’ll also perform on the telecast, for the first time since 2004.

Jennifer Lopez hosts the 51st AMAs on May 26, airing live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and on Paramount+.  She will also perform, as will Janet, Benson Boone, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Gloria Estefan and more. The leading nominee is Kendrick Lamar, followed by Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Shaboozey.

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Despite Pete Townshend‘s status as one of the most revered rock guitarists on the planet, not many of his fellow legends took to social media on Monday to wish The Who rocker a happy 80th birthday. But one who did is an artist who’s even older than Pete and arguably even more iconic: Bob Dylan.

Dylan, 83, cheekily wrote on social platform X, “Happy birthday Pete. Who’s the new boss? Is he like the old boss? Have you met him yet? Say hello to Roger.”

The message refers to The Who’s classic song “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” written by Townshend, in which Roger Daltrey sings, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”

Townshend and Dylan aren’t particularly known for being friends, but Townshend did name-check Bob during The Who’s recent press conference. While discussing the fact that he’s not able to do what he used to do, Townshend said, “But when we look at artists like the Stones, like Bruce Springsteen and other, much older artists like Bob Dylan, one is inspired, in a sense, to think what could we do that would be new and different?”

Meanwhile, Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood did acknowledge Pete’s milestone, as did Billy Idol and, more generically, Eric Clapton.

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After revealing that his memoir, Cat on the Road to Findout, will arrive Oct. 7, Yusuf/Cat Stevens has announced a book tour of North America.

Cat on the Road to Findout: An Evening Of Tales, Tunes, And Other Mysteries will begin Oct. 2 in Philadelphia and travel to Chicago, Boston, Toronto, New York City, San Francisco and LA. Each event will feature the artist speaking in-depth about his memoir and performing unplugged versions of his biggest hits. The events will also incorporate Stevens’ personal art, illustrations, photos and film.

Tickets for the tour will be available via a presale May 21 at 10 a.m. local time; you can register at Stevens’ website. Additional presales run through the week. The general sale begins May 23 at 10 a.m. local time via LiveNation.com.

The book will recount Stevens’ rise to fame thanks to songs like “Wild World,” “Father and Son,” “Peace Train” and “Morning Has Broken.” It will also cover his conversion to Islam, his humanitarian work and his subsequent return to music.

Stevens says in a statement, “Having passed through the exhaustingly complex maze of everyday material life, ascending the dizzying heights of wealth, recognition, and artistic achievements, I think I’ve got a few things to share. … Now I have written a book which explains what I’ve learned and the stories along the way.”

“That doesn’t make me a teacher, but more of a potential specimen for those who are searching and pursuing happiness on all sides of the divide. Believe me, folks, it’s out there!”

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Ahead of their Run for Your Lives tour, Iron Maiden is asking you to put your phones away.

The metal icons have posted a statement asking fans “not to excessively film the concerts on their phones or tablets” during the tour.

“We really want fans to enjoy the shows first hand, rather than on their small screens,” says Maiden manager Rod Smallwood. “The amount of phone use nowadays diminishes enjoyment, particularly for the band who are on stage looking out at rows of phones, but also for other concertgoers.”

“We feel that the passion and involvement of our fans at shows really makes them special, but the phone obsession has now got so out of hand that it has become unnecessarily distracting especially to the band,” the statement continues. “I hope fans understand this and will be sensible in severely limiting the use of their phone cameras out of respect for the band and their fellow fans.”

Smallwood adds that Maiden encourages attendees to “be ‘in the moment’ instead and be fully actively involved to enjoy each and every one of these classic songs in the spirit and manner they were first played.”

“So please respect the band, respect the other fans and have the time of your lives as you join your Maiden family by singing your heart out, rather than getting your phone out!!” Smallwood says. “It’s really not a lot to ask is it?”

The statement doesn’t make mention of phone-locking pouches, which have been used by artists including Jack White, Bob Dylan and Ghost, so it seems Maiden’s request is just that, instead of a requirement.

The Run for Your Lives tour, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Maiden’s founding, launches in Europe on May 27. Openers include Halestorm and Avatar, depending on the date.

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