Classic Rock 93.9

Founding Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington, the last surviving original member of the legendary Southern rock band, celebrates his 70th birthday this Saturday, December 4.

The band that became Lynyrd Skynyrd formed in 1964, when Rossington teamed up with singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Allen Collins, drummer Bob Burns and bassist Larry Junstrom.

After undergoing a few name changes, in 1969 the band settled on Lynyrd Skynyrd, partly a mocking tribute to their high school gym teacher Leonard Skinner.

A number of lineup changes and additions followed, and in 1973 Lynyrd Skynyrd released its debut album, (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), the first of five successful and memorable albums.

During Lynyrd Skynyrd’s heyday, Rossington co-wrote several of the band’s most popular songs, including “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Simple Man,” “Gimme Back My Bullets” and “What’s Your Name.”

Tragedy struck Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1977, when a plane crash claimed the lives of Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines — who’d joined Skynyrd in 1976 — and Steve’s sister, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines.

Following the accident, Gary and Allen went on to form the short-lived Rossington Collins Band. The group’s lead singer, Dale Krantz, went on to marry Rossington in 1982, and later became a Skynyrd backing singer.

Gary and Dale also led The Rossington Band during the late 1980s.

In 1987, Lynyrd Sknyrd reunited, with Ronnie’s younger brother Johnny Van Zant taking over as frontman. Since then, the group has undergone many lineup changes, with Rossington and Van Zant remaining the two constants. 2018 saw Skynyrd launch a planned farewell tour that has been extended multiple times, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rossington has experienced serious health issues in recent years, and in July of 2021 he underwent emergency heart surgery that forced him to sit out most of the band’s recent tour dates.

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Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, Queen and AC/DC are among the top 10 rock artists of 2021, according to Billboard.

The publication has unveiled the 2021 edition of its annual year-end charts, which determine the biggest acts in a variety of different genres using combination of factors including airplay, sales and streaming data for songs and albums, as well as touring revenue and social media activity.

Fleetwood Mac is #4 on Billboard‘s Top Rock Artists chart, followed by the Fab Four at #6, Queen at #7 and AC/DC at #10. Other veteran rock artists ranked high on the tally include Creedence Clearwater Revival at #11, the Eagles at #12, Elton John at #13, Foo Fighters at #15, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at #16, Nirvana at #17, Journey at #18, Guns N’ Roses at #19, and Metallica at #20.

Contemporary rock act Glass Animals is #1 on the chart.

Meanwhile, the Top Rock Albums chart, which is based on sales data, is dominated by best-of compilations and classic studio albums by veteran artists.

The list is topped Queen’s Greatest Hits, and also features Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours at #3, Elton’s Diamonds at #4, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Chronicle at #5, Journey’s Greatest Hits at #6, AC/DC’s Back in Black at #7, Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Greatest Hits at #8, and The Beatles’ 1 at #10.

No album released in 2021 made the chart’s top 10.

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Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin were joined by a special guest for night five of The Hanukkah Sessions.

Violet Grohl, daughter of the Foo Fighters frontman, handles lead vocals for the series’ latest cover: Amy Winehouse‘s “Take the Box.”

“Despite this song’s mention of a ‘Moschino bra you bought me last Christmas,’ it’s common knowledge that the amazing woman behind the song was actually Jewish,” Dave says.

You can watch the “Take the Box” cover streaming now on YouTube.

Grohl and Kurstin launched The Hanukkah Sessions in 2020 with covers of eight different Jewish artists for each night of the holiday. This year’s series has so far included Lisa Loeb‘s “Stay (I Missed You),” the Ramones‘ “Blitzkrieg Bop,” Barry Manilow‘s “Copacabana” and Van Halen‘s “Jump.”

(Video contains uncensored profanity.) 

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Peace may sell, but what about Megadeth-branded cryptocurrency?

Dave Mustaine‘s certainly hoping it will with the launch of $MEGA, described as the “official cryptocurrency of Megadeth and our community.”

“By buying, holding, and transacting with $MEGA, fans will gain access to exclusives and premium benefits,” reads a statement. Members of the Cyber Army fan club will also be able to “unlock additional exclusives, access, and offers.”

For more info, visit Megadeth.com.

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A streaming event focusing on a recent concert by Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde showcasing her 2021 Bob Dylan covers album Standing in the Doorway will premiere December 26 on the Veeps.com platform.

The show, Chrissie Hynde & Co. Sing Bob Dylan (and Other Songs), was recorded during a three-night engagement Hynde played this past July at London’s Royal Opera House. The concert featured renditions of all nine Dylan songs Chrissie recorded for Standing in the Doorway, as well as a couple of classic Kinks tunes, selections from The Pretenders’ 2020 album Hate for Sale, and more.

Hynde was accompanied at the shows by Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne — her main Standing in the Doorway collaborator — along with Carwyn Ellis on keyboards and Danny Williams on upright bass.

Tickets are available now at Veeps.com for $22.

The show debuts at 3 p.m. ET on December 26. Anyone purchasing tickets will be able to re-watch the concert until January 3, 2022, at 2:59 a.m. ET.

Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan was released in May, coinciding with the folk-rock legend’s 80th birthday. The album came together over the course of 15 weeks in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and includes renditions of nine Dylan songs that Hynde recorded remotely with Walbourne.

We’re pleased to announce the ‘Chrissie Hynde & Co. Sing Bob Dylan (and Other Songs) Streaming Event’ taking place Dec. 26th

Filmed at Royal Opera House, Chrissie Hynde and Co. perform Bob Dylan covers, classic Kinks, Pretenders & more.

Tickets: https://t.co/Qi1zmDBtIx @Veeps pic.twitter.com/P6cxMW5TeS

— Chrissie Hynde (@ChrissieHynde) December 1, 2021

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ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons is a sharp-dressed Santa in a new animated video for his recently released holiday tune “Jingle Bell Blues,” which premiered today on his official YouTube channel.

The clip features a cartoon Gibbons donning a Santa Claus outfit as he embarks on a snowy adventure to deliver presents in a hot rod that’s been converted into a flying sleigh. Along the way he rocks out on his new Christmas tune with help from a harmonica-playing snowman.

“The animators put me in a hot rod that looks suspiciously like our very own ’34 Ford-based ‘Whiskey Runner’ though they’ve made some few seasonal adjustments,” Billy explains of the video. “There’s considerable snowfall so the wheels are replaced midway by a set of skis and now there’s a pickup bed in the back so gifts can rain down from it. They have me doing a header into a chimney but it’s not clear if I get to to enjoy any cookies and milk for my efforts.”

As previously reported, “Jingle Bell Blues” is 12-bar-blues-infused version of the Christmas classic “Jingle Bells” that’s available now as a digital download and via streaming services. A limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single pressed on red-translucent vinyl will be released on December 10.

The disc, which you can pre-order now at Gibbons’ official online store, comes with an old-school vinyl center hole adapter with “Billy F Gibbons” written on it. The single’s flip side features an etching of a whitewall tire.

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Carlos Santana has canceled all the December shows of his Las Vegas show at the House of Blues, because he’s recovering from what’s described as an “unscheduled heart procedure.”

The 74-year-old guitar legend tweeted a video in which he explains that last Saturday, he asked his wife to take him to the hospital because “I had this thing happening in my chest.” 

“We found out that I need to take care of it, so I am,” Carlos goes on. “So I’m gonna be taking time out for a little bit to make sure that I replenish and I rest….so that when I play for you, I will play the way I’m used to and give you 150%. I wouldn’t show up unless I could do that.”

Santana will resume his shows in January of 2022.  A statement from his manager further explains that Santana’s “procedure” “impacted his performance,” but adds that Carlos is “doing fantastic and is anxious to be back on stage soon.”

Santana has canceled all December 2021 at the House of Blues Las Vegas as he recovers from an unscheduled heart procedure. We look forward to returning to perform at the House Of Blues in January 2022. pic.twitter.com/8cHcVDjFhv

— Carlos Santana (@SantanaCarlos) December 2, 2021

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In September, The Scorpions announced that their long-awaited new studio album, Rock Believer, was due out on February 11, 2022, but the release date recently was pushed back to February 25.

This week, Scorpions frontman Klaus Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker shared some details about the album during a Zoom interview with Chile’s Radio Futuro.

Asked what fans can expect when they hear the new material, Meine said, “Well, you can expect an album that is dedicated to all the rock believers in the world…The goal was to make a rock album — to make an album with lots of attitude, power and focus on the good old times and really enjoy the music and have some fun with the music.”

Talking about the meaning of the album’s title, Schenker said, “Look, we [have been] around the world since 50 years or more. And [if] somebody can say he’s a rock believer, then this is us. And of course, we meet our rock believers in front of us, our audience.”

The Scorpions gave fans their first taste of Rock Believer last month when they released the lead single, “Peacemaker,” along with a companion music video for the hard-driving tune.

Meine told Radio Futuro that “Peacemaker” exemplified a lot of the tunes on the new record, noting, “It is an uptempo rock song, and this album really rocks…There are many uptempo songs and, believe it or not, there are even faster songs than ‘Peacemaker.'”

In addition, the singer revealed, “There’s also a very beautiful ballad on the album, and I’m sure there are fans out there [who] especially love the Scorpions ballads, and they will enjoy this record as well very much.”

Rock Believer can be pre-ordered now.

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Eddie Vedder has announced a 2022 U.S. tour with his solo band, Earthlings.

The outing will begin February 3-4 with a two-night stand in New York City, and will wrap up with a pair of dates in Pearl Jam‘s hometown of Seattle February 21-22.

Tickets will only be available through the Pearl Jam Ten Club and the Ticketmaster Verified Fan program. Registration for either sale is open now through December 5 at 5 p.m. PT.

For the full list of dates, visit PearlJam.com.

Along with Vedder, Earthlings includes 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 and Once star Glen Hansard, and guitarist/producer Andrew Watt. The group made their debut at Vedder’s Ohana Festival in September.

Earthlings take their name from Vedder’s upcoming solo album Earthling, due out February 11, 2022. The record includes the previously released singles “Long Way” and “The Haves.”

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Last month, The Black Crowes played a special two-night Las Vegas engagement at the House of Blues, and now the veteran rockers have announced plans to return to the venue in February 2022 for a pair of new concerts.

The band’s residency, dubbed The Black Crowes: Twice as Hard, will take place on February 11 and February 12, and will feature the group — led by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson — playing their biggest hits, as well favorites from the band’s 1990 debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. The concerts will be held just before Super Bowl LVI, which is scheduled for Sunday, February 13, at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles.

Tickets for the new Vegas shows go on sale to the general public this Friday, December 3, at 10 a.m. PT. Black Crowes band, Live Nation and MGM pre-sale offers are all available now. Visit the group’s official website and social media pages and Ticketmaster.com for more details.

Besides the Las Vegas gigs, Chris and Rich Robinson are scheduled to perform as their Brothers of a Feather duo incarnation on January 15 at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. The Black Crowes also are part of the 2022 Stagecoach Festival lineup and are slated to play that event on May 1 in Indio, California.

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