Classic Rock 93.9

A variety of noteworthy musicians from the rock and pop world, including Ringo Starr, Billy Joel and KISS‘ Paul Stanley, have paid homage to Procol Harum lead singer and pianist Gary Brooker, who died Saturday at age 76 after a battle with cancer.

Brooker, who was most famous for singing and co-writing the classic Procol Harum song “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” led the group for its entire 50-plus-year history, and he also was a member of Ringo’s All Starr Band from 1997 to 1999. The former Beatles drummer posted a tribute note on his Twitter page that reads, “God bless Gary Brooker peace and love to the family,” along with a photo of him and Gary together.

Joel also took to Twitter, where he wrote, “Sorry to hear about the passing of Gary Brooker. Rest in Peace.”

Stanley meanwhile, saluted Brooker with a tweet that reads, “RIP Gary Brooker. You could identify that voice as soon as you heard him sing. Procol Harum…Who can forget ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’? The man sang with a captivating, grand authority and soul.”

Here are more tributes to Brooker from various other well-known music artists:

Queen‘s Brian May: “SAD NEWS: Procol Harem singer Gary Brooker dies at 76 – RIP.”

Faces and ex-Who drummer Kenney Jones: Very sad to hear the news that Gary Brooker has passed away. My thoughts are with Gary’s wife Franky at this sad time. He was a wonderful man who will be sorely missed. Rest in peace.”

Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens: “Safe travels to Gary Brooker of Procol Harum. A truly incredible talent that redefined what rock and roll could be. Big influence on me.”

Former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden: “So sorry to hear of the passing of Gary Brooker. One of the highlights of my career is playing ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ with him. I was very proud to know him. My condolences to his family and fans.”

E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt: “RIP Gary Brooker. I’m too p***ed off to speak right now.”

Bonnie Tyler: “So sad to hear about Gary Brooker. He was a lovely guy and made incredible music that will live on forever.”

The Alan Parsons Project: “RIP Gary Brooker, who sang lead vocal on the APP track ‘Limelight.'”

Beatles reissue producer (and son of George Martin) Giles Martin: “Rest in peace #GaryBrooker — incredible singer, writer and musician — more than that he was a lovely, lovely man. He and his wife…looked after me and my sis when my parents were away. They gave so much love and warmth to us as kids, I wish I’d thanked him before he passed.”

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Aldo Nova has released a new single called “Burn Like the Sun” that will appear on his recently announced forthcoming EP, The Life and Times of Eddie Gage, which is due out April 1.

The veteran Canadian rocker also has debuted a performance video for the song, which you can check out at his official YouTube channel.

As previously reported, the 10-track EP will serve as the first chapter of a planned 25-song rock opera, also titled The Life and Times of Eddie Gage, which tells the fictional story of a talented young rocker who is tempted and exploited by various characters as he tries to break into the music business. He initially succumbs to drugs, alcohol and other excesses before finding redemption when he delves into spirituality.

“The song describes Eddie’s life’s ups and downs and rebirth,” Nova explains of the new tune. “In the opera, ‘Burn Like the Sun’ is the last song that Eddie sings and it sums up his life perfectly with everything coming full circle because it was the only song he had ever written that wasn’t owned by any publishing company or record company, so it’s fitting that the beginning becomes the same song that makes him reborn.”

“Burn Like the Sun” is the second advance track released from The Life and Times of Eddie Gage, following “Free Your Mind.”

After the EP arrives, Nova will release a three-disc set titled Aldo Nova 2.0 Reloaded on April 19 that features updated versions of nine tunes from Nova’s back catalog on the first disc, and those same tracks mixed without vocals and without guitar, respectively, on the second and third discs.

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After it was postponed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Black Crowes hit the road last year on a major tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker.  The veteran rockers have now announced a new 2022 North American leg of the trek.

The outing, dubbed The Black Crowes Present: Shake Your Money Maker, features more than 30 dates. It kicks off June 9 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and runs though an August 27 concert in Miami, Oklahoma.

Tickets for most dates go on sale to the general public this Friday, February 25, at 10 a.m. local time, while a pre-sale offer from the band begins Wednesday, February 23, at 10 a.m. local time. For more details, visit TheBlackCrowes.com.

For each ticket purchased via Ticketmaster in North America, the buyer will receive an exclusive free collectible NFT of the tour poster. This marks the first time that Ticketmaster has teamed up with an artists to offer these unique digital tokens.

The Shake Your Money Maker trek features The Black Crowes playing their 1990 debut album in its entirety, as well as hits and select other songs from their catalog. The group’s current lineup features co-founding siblings Chris and Rich Robinson on lead vocals and lead guitar, respectively, plus longtime bassist Sven Pippien and three other newer members.

The Black Crowes also have some previously announced festival appearances on their 2022 itinerary, including May 1 at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio California; May 6 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; May 28 at the BottleRock Napa fest in Napa, California; and June 3 at The Peach Music Festival in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Mark Lanegan, frontman for Screaming Trees and various other projects, has died. He was 57.

A statement posted to Lanegan’s Twitter reads, “Our beloved friend Mark Lanegan passed away this morning at his home in Killarney, Ireland.”

“A beloved singer, songwriter, author and musician he was 57 and is survived by his wife Shelley,” the post continues. “No other information is available at this time. We ask please respect the family privacy.”

Lanegan co-founded Screaming Trees in the mid-’80s in Washington State, and helped pioneer the coming grunge explosion of the ’90s. The band released seven albums and earned hit rock radio singles with “Nearly Lost You” and “All I Know” before breaking up in 2000.

In between Screaming Trees activity, Lanegan began a solo career, and in the 2000s, he began collaborating with Queens of the Stone Age, guesting on their albums Rated R, Songs for the Deaf and Lullabies to Paralyze. Lanegan also frequently worked with Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs, and in 2008, they released Saturnalia, their first and only album as The Gutter Twins.

Lanegan released a total of 12 solo albums, the most recent of which being 2020’s Straight Songs of Sorrow. He also released three records with Scottish singer-songwriter Isobel Campbell.

Late last year, Lanegan released a memoir called Devil in a Coma, which detailed his “terrifying” battle with COVID-19.

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Mammoth WVH brought some grunge to the Young Guns tour with a cover of Alice in Chains.

During the outing’s stop in Salt Lake City on Monday, Wolfgang Van Halen and company brought out a rendition of the Dirt opener “Them Bones.” Mammoth’s version stayed pretty close to the original, with Wolf and guitarist Jon Jourdan recreating the Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell harmonies.

You can watch fan-shot footage of the cover streaming now on YouTube.

The Young Guns tour, which also features Dirty Honey, launched over the weekend in Denver. In addition to the Alice cover, Mammoth’s also debuted a new song called “I Don’t Know It All” at the trek’s first shows.

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Gary Brooker, the lead singer, pianist and main songwriter for the veteran British band Procol Harum, died Saturday, February 19, at the age of 76.

A post on Procol Harum’s website reports that Brooker had been receiving treatment for cancer and passed away at his home. The tribute describes Gary as “a brightly-shining, irreplaceable light in the music industry.”

Brooker co-wrote the vast majority of Procol Harum’s songs, mainly with lyricist Keith Reid, including the band’s signature tune, “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”

Released in 1967, “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was considered one of the anthems of the Summer of Love, peaking at #1 on the U.K. chart and reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The tune has become one of the most successful singles in history, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.

Procol Harum’s only other major U.S. hit was a 1972 live rendition of the band’s 1967 tune “Conquistador” that was recorded with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and reached #16 on the Hot 100.

Procol Harum was active from 1967 to 1977, and then from 1991 to the present, with Brooker being the band’s only consistent member.

Outside of Procol Harum, Gary also played in Eric Clapton‘s touring band, with Bill Wyman‘s Rhythm Kings and in Ringo Starr‘s All-Starr Band.  He also released a number of solo albums and contributed to various other artists records, including George Harrison‘s All Things Must Pass, Somewhere in England and Gone Troppo, and Clapton’s Another Ticket.

In 2003, Brooker was recognized as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his charitable services.

Procol Harum’s final album, Novum, was released in 2017.

Gary is survived by his wife of 53 years, Franky. Donations in his name can be made to Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care.

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After a false start two years ago, The Smashing Pumpkins are bringing back the Rock Invasion 2 tour.

The outing will kick off May 2 in San Antonio, Texas, and will wrap up May 28 in Columbus, Ohio. Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 25, at 10 a.m. local time.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit SmashingPumpkins.com.

The Pumpkins originally announced the Rock Invasion 2 tour, conceived as a sequel to the band’s 1993-94 Rock Invasion tour, for the spring of 2020. The outing was eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, Billy Corgan and company released a new, double album, 2020’s Cyr.

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Eddie Vedder‘s all-star solo band got even more firepower when Duff McKagan joined the Pearl Jam frontman onstage during his show in Seattle on Monday.

The Guns N’ Roses bassist joined Vedder and his Earthlings for a rocking cover of The Pretenders‘ “Precious.” Fan-shot footage of the performance is streaming now on YouTube.

The Earthlings, named after Vedder’s new solo album, include Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-RHCP guitarist and current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer, Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, and guitarist and producer Andrew Watt.

In related news, McKagan’s daughter Grace has released a new song called “Baby That’s Rock N Roll.” It follows her 2021 single, “One You Love.”

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The Rolling Stones haven’t announced any official plans for 2022, but in a new post on his social media pages, Mick Jagger hinted that the band might be getting back to work soon, we assume either touring or recording new music.

Jagger posted a series of photos of him vacationing in Jamaica, along with a note that reads, “A little downtime before things get busy!” The pics show Mick holding an acoustic guitar with the ocean behind him, looking at some fresh produce at an outdoor market, standing in front of a wall painting, and playfully knocking on the door of the Roof Night Club in Port Antonio, Jamaica.

The Rolling Stones wrapped up a U.S. leg of their No Filter Tour in November of last year, and the band is widely expected to continue touring this year at some point. The Stones also have been working on songs for a new studio album over the last couple of years, although no official release details for the project have been announced.

In other Stones news, guitarist Keith Richards has posted a video of him “unboxing” the upcoming deluxe 30th anniversary reissue of his 1992 sophomore solo album, Main Offender, on his social media pages.

The minute-long clip shows Richards flipping through the pages of the booklet included in the box set, which he calls “incredible.”

“What am I seeing? I’m seeing some of the greatest friends I’ve ever had, you know,” Keith comments as he checks out photos of his collaborators on the album. “Waddy Wachtel, Steve Jordan, Ivan Neville, Charley Drayton, Sarah Dash, Babi Floyd…Bobby Keys…It don’t get no better than that.”

He adds, “I love to work with these guys. Always have. It’s all love.”

The Main Offender reissue is due out March 18.

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The Who will play a special acoustic show on March 25 at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall as part of the 2022 edition of the annual series of benefit concert for the Teenage Cancer Trust that singer Roger Daltrey helps organize.

The event will mark the band’s first concert since February 2020, and will take place a month before the recently announced The Who Hits Back! tour of North America kicks off.

The acoustic show will feature Daltrey and Who guitarist Pete Townshend accompanied by two members of The Who’s touring band — guitarist/backup singer Simon Townshend and backing vocalist Billy Nicholls — as well as by bassist Phil Spalding, percussionist Jodie Linscott, keyboardist Geraint Watkins, violinist Charlie Hart and accordion player Andy Cutting.

The concert will feature a mix of Who classics, rarities and fan favorites. The show’s opening act will be The Wild Things, a British rock group whose upcoming album is being produced by Pete Townshend.

The 2022 Teenage Cancer Trust Concerts will run from March 21 through March 27. This year’s other headlining acts include Yungblud on March 23, Madness on March 24, Liam Gallagher on March 26 and Ed Sheeran on March 27. The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My wonderful team and I have pulled out all the stops to make this 20th series of shows for Teenage Cancer Trust the best ever,” Daltrey says. “The Who will be back on stage this year at the Hall alongside some wonderful talent. After the last two unbelievably difficult years, young people with cancer deserve everything we can do for them.”

Tickets for the shows go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 25, at 9 a.m. local time at RoyalAlbertHall.com.

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