Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, April 20, 1992…

Queen hosted the star-studded Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness at Wembley Stadium in London.

Also known as A Concert for Life, the event was a posthumous celebration honoring the band’s frontman Freddie Mercury, who passed away Nov. 24, 1991, from AIDS-related causes.

The lineup featured Def Leppard, Metallica, Bob Geldof, Guns N’ Roses, Extreme and more, as well as a pre-recorded performance by U2.

The surviving members of Queen — Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon — closed the show, joined by a star-studded lineup of guest singers including Elton John, The Who’s Roger Daltrey, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, George Michael, Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose, Paul Young, Robert Plant, Metallica’s James Hetfield and Liza Minnelli.

Proceeds from the concert helped launch the band’s charity, the Mercury Phoenix Trust, which helped in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

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Original Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm is currently joining the new Foreigner lineup on a series of shows in Florida, and he tells ABC Audio he’s been enjoying getting to play with the new members of the band.

“It’s been great because they’re great guys,” he says. “They accepted me into the band and they’re happy to have me and they all treat me very good.”

Gramm calls the current Foreigner lineup “exceptional musicians,” noting “they follow the arrangements pretty closely to the originals.”

“And the response from the audience is very good,” he adds. “I think the audience has missed Foreigner being in their lives.”

Besides Gramm’s occasional appearances with the band, there are currently no original members in Foreigner. Back in February, Gramm’s bandmate Al Greenwood told New York Magazine he hopes Foreigner “goes on forever,” noting, “I wouldn’t like to not be able to see that music being played.”

Gramm agrees with that sentiment.

“It’s exactly my feeling. I think the music is too good to fade away,” he says, noting that it feels great that fans still want to hear Foreigner tunes. He adds, “it feels timeless.”

Gramm’s next show with Foreigner is happening Tuesday in Orlando, Florida.

In addition to the Foreigner shows, Gramm is set to head out on his own tour in support of his recently released solo album, Released. The tour kicks off May 28 in Stamford, Connecticut. A complete list of dates can be found at LouGrammOfficial.com.

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Now that Iron Maiden is finally getting into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, wouldn’t it be a shame if the studio where they recorded one of their best-known albums was demolished?

An online petition has been started by the studio’s owners to stop the destruction of London’s Battery Studios, which is currently facing redevelopment into an apartment building. The studio is where Iron Maiden recorded their 1982 album, The Number of the Beast, their first to feature singer Bruce Dickinson and top the U.K. charts. The album features the classic title track and the hit “Run to the Hills.”

Other albums recorded at the studio in northwest London included Def Leppard’s 1981 album High ‘n’ Dry and the 1983 smash Pyromania, Black Sabbath’s 1975 release Sabotage, and albums by Whitesnake, Krokus, The Cars, The Stone Roses, Paul McCartney and more.

“We are calling on the music industry, artists, and the public to stand together to protect this irreplaceable cultural landmark,” the petition reads, adding, “The music created within its walls has shaped global culture and helped define the UK as a world leader in music.”

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The Zombies have just released the mono remaster of their debut album, 1965’s Begin Here, and to mark the occasion, they’ve announced details of their third annual Begin Here Festival.

Taking place over Halloween weekend, Oct. 30-Nov 1, in the band’s hometown of St. Albans, U.K., this year’s festival will include a candlelit acoustic performance from Zombies lead singer Colin Blunstone, taking place within the nearly 1,000-year-old St. Albans Cathedral.

The Begin Here festival, which launched in November 2023, will feature a whole host of other Zombies-related events, including record signings, dance parties, fan meet-ups and appearances by original band members.

A presale for tickets begins Wednesday to fan club members and anyone who purchases Begin Here (Mono Edition) from the band’s website. Tickets go on sale to the general public starting April 24.

More details can be found at TheZombiesMusic.com.

The mono remaster of Begin Here is the second of four planned reissues, following 2025’s reissue of their iconic sophomore album, Odessey and Oracle. It features all 17 tracks from the U.K. and U.S. versions of the album, with new liner notes by rock journalist David Fricke.

To coincide with the release, The Zombies have released “She’s Not There (Mono Edition)” to digital outlets,  accompanied by a new lyric video.

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It seems Paul McCartney got a little help from his friend Ringo Starr for his upcoming solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane.

Billboard reports that McCartney had a listening party for a group of about 30 fans at producer Andrew Watt’s Diamond Dust studios in Los Angeles Thursday, and in taking them through the record revealed that his Beatles bandmate appears on one of the tracks.

According to the mag, Starr plays drums and trades vocals with McCartney on the song “Home to Us,” described by Billboard as the “most Beatle-esque” Dungeon Lane track.

The tune, which also features vocals from Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde and Texas’ Sharleen Spiteri, has lyrics about growing up in Liverpool. McCartney explained, “Even though where we lived was a little rough, it was home to us.”

McCartney joked that Starr’s contribution to the track is somewhat of a first for him, noting, “Ringo’s never done a duet with one of the Beatles.”

The Boys of Dungeon Lane will be released May 29. It is McCartney’s first solo album since 2020’s McCartney III.

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Foreigner has dropped a new live performance of their classic hit “Feels Like the First Time.”

The song is the first single from their forthcoming album, In the Eye of the Storm, the soundtrack to their 50th anniversary concert film, which was shot in New York on Ellis Island and at Brooklyn’s DUMBO House.

A video for the performance opens with an introduction by current Foreigner frontman Luis Maldonado, which includes a shoutout to Foreigner founding member Mick Jones.

“Fifty years ago, Mick Jones had a song and a vision and, along with original singer and founding member Lou Gramm, Kelly Hansen and I have had the privilege of performing this song many years all over the world,” he says. “And together, we’re very proud to present a live performance of ‘Feels Like The First Time’ from Ellis Island as a celebration of Mick’s dream.”

The video features footage of the Ellis Island performance, as well as archival clips of Foreigner over the years, with Hansen, Maldonado and Gramm all singing the tune.

The In the Eye of the Storm soundtrack will be released July 17, with the concert film expected to hit theaters sometime this summer.

The song’s release coincides with the opening of Feels Like The First Time – The Foreigner Musical at the Little Theater on Long Island University’s Post campus. The show runs April 17-26, and tickets are on sale now.

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Iron Maiden was chosen for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, but it seems they are going to be too busy to attend the Nov. 14 induction ceremony.

The heavy metal icons are already scheduled to be on tour in Australia when the induction is set to take place in Los Angeles, and their manager Rod Smallwood says the tour is going on as planned.

“As the most observant have already noticed, the band will be on tour in Australia around the November date of the Induction ceremony for the R&R HoF in Los Angeles,” Smallwood says in a statement obtained by ABC Audio. “In accepting, Iron Maiden made it very clear to the R&R HoF that the fans always come first and that the shows will of course go on.”

The Australian leg of Iron Maiden’s Run For Your Lives World Tour kicks off Nov. 11 in Adelaide and runs through Nov. 19 in Brisbane. They are also scheduled to play New Zealand and Japan in November.

“We would like to assure all our fans in Australasia that the Australian and New Zealand dates will remain unaffected,” he adds, “and we look forward to bringing the Run For Your Lives Tour to them on the penultimate stop of our 50th anniversary celebrations.”

Iron Maiden’s Run For Your Lives Tour hits North America Sept. 3 in Montreal, Canada, and runs through Sept. 29 in San Antonio, Texas. A complete list of dates can be found at IronMaiden.com.

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Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Johnny Van Zant and Rickey Medlocke appear on a new song that pays tribute to original Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington.

The song, “Prince Charming,” is from the Southern rock band Brother Cane, with the description noting it “reflects on legacy, loss, and the enduring impact of those who shape both music and life.”

“Gary Rossington was a hero for me that later became a friend and a mentor,” says Brother Cane’s Damon Johnson. “Something magical happened the day after his funeral in March of 2023 when this song arrived to me fully formed and literally perfect.”

“Prince Charming,” which appears on Brother Cane’s new album, Magnolia Medicine, is available now via digital outlets.

Gary Rossington passed away March 5, 2023, at the age of 71. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 2006.

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Don Henley’s hit solo album The End of the Innocence is getting a new vinyl and digital release.

The album, Henley’s third full-length studio album, has been remastered from the original analog tapes and will be reissued on June 5 digitally, and on two-LP 180 gram vinyl for the very first time.

Originally released in June 1989, The End of the Innocence is Henley’s bestselling solo work, having been certified six-times Platinum by the RIAA. It debuted in the top 10 on the Billboard 200, peaking at #8.

The album produced three top-40 singles, including the album’s title track, which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Heart of the Matter” and “The Last Worthless Evening,” which both made it to #21. 

The End of the Innocence reissue is available for preorder now.

Henley is currently busy with the Eagles. They are set to play New Orleans Jazz Fest on May 2 and have booked four shows on their The Long Goodbye Act III tour, including stops in Atlanta; Nashville; Arlington, Texas; and Hollywood, Florida.

A complete list of dates can be found at Eagles.com.

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Saturday is Record Store Day, and your local independent record store is bound to be packed with folks trying to get their hands on the latest exclusive releases.

There will be over 350 releases available this year; here’s a heads-up on some of the music you may want to be on the lookout for:

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band’s triumphant 2024 return to Asbury Park, New Jersey, at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival will be released as Live From Asbury Park 2024. The five-LP set features more than three hours of music. 

Peter Gabriel is releasing a 12-inch zoetrope picture disc of his 1986 hit single “Sledgehammer.”

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have contributed July 16, 1978 – Paradise Theater, Boston, MA, a previously bootlegged concert. It getting its first official release on pink and green translucent splatter color vinyl.

The debut solo albums of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash are being released as a four-LP box set, The Solo Albums, which also includes an LP or rarities from demos and studio sessions.

The Who is releasing the 1966 album A Quick One on two-LP colored vinyl. It will include the original album along with an LP of B-sides, alternate versions and instrumentals.

Brian Wilson will be represented with On Tour 1999–2007, a newly curated live collection featuring performances from Carnegie Hall, UCLA Royce Hall and more.

Pink Floyd’s often bootlegged Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 is being released as a four-LP or two-CD set, the first official release of the concert. It features 16 live recordings, restored and remastered by producer Steve Wilson.

A full list of Record Store Day releases can be found at RecordStoreDay.com.

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