Lyricist Robert Hunter, best known for his work with the Grateful Dead, died at his home in San Rafael, California, at the age of 78.
Hunter began working with the Grateful Dead early in their career and contributed songs to several of their albums, starting with 1969’s Aoxomoxoa. Many of the band’s signature tunes were either written or co-written by Hunter, including “Ripple,” “Terrapin Station,” “Sugar Magnolia,” “Box of Rain,” “Dark Star” and “Truckin’.”
Following the death of The Dead co-founder Jerry Garcia and the disbanding of the band, Hunter continued his songwriting, working with artists like Bruce Hornsby, Elvis Costello and others.
Hunter was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 with the Grateful Dead, and he andGarcia were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.
Cover of 1973’s ‘Buckingham Nicks’/(Rhino Records)
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham recently reissued their debut album, Buckingham Nicks, and it’s got Stevie in a nostalgic mood.
The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer shared on Instagram a handwritten letter she wrote to her family while working on the album, revealing in the caption, “My mom saved it and it’s been in a drawer for over 50 years.”
“I am getting very tired of sitting around listening to 12 hours of music per day,” she writes in the note. “Oh well, I know it will pay off in the end, and when I am sitting in my small but luxurious Beverly Hills home overlooking my small but tasteful pool that is totally secluded, where I can sun in the nude and tan my entire fat body while waiting for my plastic surgery leg lift — it will all be worth it.”
She then reflects on her upcoming 25th birthday.
“I have decided that we should set aside the entire month of May to celebrate the fact that I am now 1 quarter of a century old,” she writes. “A new landmark like this should not simply be passed over as yet another birthday, but should include a gala celebration.”
She ends by telling her family that she wishes they could hear the music she and Lindsey are working on. Referencing the song “Don’t Let Me Down Again,” she writes that Lindsey “may go down in history as one of the ‘greats’ in guitar playing. It really is quite amazing.”
Finally Stevie asks them to “hold good thoughts about this thing.”
Released in 1973, Buckingham Nicks was the only album the artists released a duo. It eventually led to them being invited to join Fleetwood Mac.
Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart attend the “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” Global Premiere in Leicester Square on May 15, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Ackerman/FilmMagic)
Rod Stewart is the father six children, two with current wife Penny Lancaster, and in a new interview Lancaster reveals that kids were a bit of deal-breaker in their relationship.
She tells the British magazineSagathat early in their relationship Stewart indicated that he didn’t want more children, which is something she wasn’t OK with. In fact, she says she would have left the rocker if he hadn’t changed his mind.
“And that would have been very hard,” she says. “But we just went with the flow.”
Stewart did eventually agree to having more kids and they welcomed two sons, Allastair Stewart in 2005, and Aiden Stewart in 2011.
“Now Rod always says, ‘I wish I’d said yes [to babies] earlier, because then we could have had more children,'” she shares. “Even five years ago we were talking about adopting, but it ended up not happening. We thought there might be too much of an age gap.”
Plus, it sounds like Lancaster already has enough to deal with, joking that her husband is like a kid himself.
“Actually, I have three because there’s another big baby who needs my attention in a different way,” she says. “I think all women would say that about their husbands.”
Penny is out promoting her new memoir, Someone Like Me, which drops Thursday. Stewart shared his ringing endorsement of the book in an Instagram video: “Wow, this is incredible, Penny, absolutely blood curdling information here,” he says, before pointing to a specific page. “You shouldn’t have put that in the book, Penny.”
He ends the video by getting serious, saying, “It’s just the best. I’m so proud of her.”
Metallica on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ (ABC/Randy Holmes)
Metallica is once again off to Funko Pop! land.
The metal legends have announced another collaboration with the toy company to produce a new line of ‘Tallica-inspired editions of its popular big-headed vinyl figures.
The latest Metallica Funkos are specifically themed around the band’s latest album, 2023’s 72 Seasons, and include recreations of all four members: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo.
You can preorder your set now via Metallica’s web store.
Metallica has collaborated with Funko four times previously.
Rick Wakeman performs at City Winery on October 25, 2021 in New York, New York. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman is being honored with a new stamp collection.
Isle of Man Stamps and Coins has announced that the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s work is being celebrated in a new set of six stamps. The collection features illustrations by artist Roger Dean,best known for his work designing album covers for musicians in the ’60s and ’70s. His first album cover for Yes was 1971’s Fragile, which was the first to feature Wakeman.
Dean says he’s “always enjoyed working” with Wakeman, who he met when he was working on Fragile. He notes, “Designing this new set of Isle of Man stamps has been a joy and a tribute to that long collaboration.”
According to the description, the stamp collection highlights “key moments from Wakeman’s remarkable career,” including his solo albums Journey to the Centre of the Earth and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
“I am honored to have my career featured on these stamps having spent many years as a resident of the Isle of Man,” says Wakeman, who moved to the island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland, in 1987. “Roger Dean’s artwork has always felt like a natural extension of the music I’ve created, and to see our worlds brought together on stamps is both surreal and wonderful.”
The stamps are available to order now at iomstamps.com.
Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. (ABC/Andrea McCallin )
The Foo Fighters pop-up tour continues.
After playing last-minute shows in Washington, D.C., and San Luis Obispo and Santa Ana, California, Dave Grohl and company have announced another surprise concert, this time in New Haven, Connecticut.
The show will take place Monday at the club Toad’s Place, which holds about 1,000 people. Tickets will only be sold in person at the venue’s box office starting at 4 p.m. ET.
Check out the Foo Fighters Facebook for more info.
The Foo Fighters pop-up gigs have marked their first shows with new drummer Ilan Rubin, formerly of Nine Inch Nails. Rubin replaces Josh Freese, who joined the Foos in 2023 following the death of Taylor Hawkins in 2022. Freese was let go from the band in May.
Sammy Hagar and Chad Kroeger attend Keep Memory Alive Hosts Star-Studded Lineup At 26th Annual Power Of Love Gala at MGM Grand Garden Arena on February 18, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive)
Are you ready for Hagar-Back?
Nickelback‘s Chad Kroeger has apparently teamed up with former Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar for a collaborative song. That’s according to Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, who says he played on the track.
Benante has shared an Instagram photo of him standing alongside Kroeger and Hagar in a recording studio, writing in the caption, “When you get a call to come over and play drums on a song that these 2 are doing… you drop whatever it is and go.”
“What a spontaneous thing and so much fun,” Benante adds.
Meanwhile, Hagar’s posted a video on his own Instagram of him, Kroeger and another drummer, Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe.
“You say, ‘What are those three guys doing?'” Hagar teases in the clip. “Well, it’s hard to say.”
Hagar’s most recent song is April’s “Encore, Thank You, Goodnight,” which he wrote after having a dream about the late Eddie Van Halen. He recently announced 2026 dates for his Best of All Worlds Las Vegas residency.
Nancy Wilson of Heart performs onstage at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course on April 28, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Heart’s Nancy Wilson was a special guest at Chappell Roan’s Sunday night concert in Forest Hills, New York.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer came out to join Chappell for a performance of the Heart classic “Barracuda.” Video of the performance can be seen in fan-shot video posted to YouTube.
The clips show Wilson coming out from the side of the stage, dressed in a black jacket with purple boots and playing a matching purple guitar.
This isn’t the first time Chappell has covered “Barracuda” in concert. She first performed it back in 2024, and it’s been in her set list for much of 2025.
Chappell is currently on her Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things tour, and has shows in Forest Hills on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Heart’s next shows will be a Las Vegas residency at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, which starts Nov. 12. A complete list of dates can be found at Heart-Music.com.
Lenny Kravitz on Jimmy Kimmel Live!/(ABC/Randy Holmes)
Lenny Kravitz was a special guest at Dua Lipa’s Sunday night concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
“When I go back to thinking about New York artists, and artists and music that shaped my life, I think about this one song in particular that really helped me fall in love with music,” Dua told the crowd during her introduction of Kravitz.
“New York’s just got such an unbelievably cool energy. But the artist that sings this song, I’m afraid to say, might be a little cooler,” she added. “And he’s here tonight. For a treat for our last night in New York City — don’t say I don’t do anything nice for you guys — New York, give it up for New York’s very own Lenny Kravitz!”
Kravitz joined Dua for a performance of his track “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over,” from his second studio album, 1991’s Mama Said.
And Lenny wasn’t the only special guest Dua brought out during her shows in New York. On Saturday she was joined by legendary guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers of the band CHIC for a run-through of that group’s signature song, “Le Freak.”
Dua shared video of her performances with Lenny and Nile on her Instagram Story but you can find footage of both on YouTube, as well.
Kravitz’s next show will be at the Oceans Calling Festival in Ocean City, Maryland, on Friday. A complete list of dates can be found at LennyKravitz.com.
(L-R) Jake Bongiovi, Millie Bobby Brown, Dorothea Hurley and Jon Bon Jovi attend the Netflix’s “Damsel” New York Premiere at Paris Theater on March 01, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/WireImage)
Jon Bon Jovi is opening up about being a grandfather.
The singer’s son Jake Bongiovi and his wife, Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown, announced in August they adopted a baby girl over the summer. During an interview with Bunnie XO for her Dumb Blonde podcast,the rocker shared that being a first-time granddad is “crazy, but great. Wonderful.”
“They adopted a girl, and we met the baby obviously and immediately that becomes your grandchild, you know what I mean? Your baby,” he said in a clip of the interview shared on TikTok. “It’s beautiful. I want to see pictures, like, every other day. I’m that pain in the butt guy already.”
Jake and Millie wed in May 2024, when he was 22 and she was 20.
“We blessed it because we get it, you know?” Jon said, regarding them getting married at such a young age. “They’re sorta mature beyond their years. She comes from a family where her parents are still together and they married very young.”
“Her and Jake fell in love and we just thought, ‘OK, you know, we’ll support this.’ And it’s working out,” he added.
And there are more grandbabies on the way. Jon revealed that his son Jesse Bongiovi and his wife are expecting a baby, as well.
Bunnie XO is the wife of singer Jelly Roll. Bon Jovi and Jelly Roll just released the collaboration “Living Proof,” from the band’s upcoming album, Forever (Legendary Edition). The album has the band teaming up with other big-name artists to reimagine songs on their 2024 album, Forever. It will drop Oct. 24.
