Classic Rock 93.9

Drummer Zak Starkey took the stage at New York’s Gramercy Theatre Friday for a one-man show which led fans through an off-the-cuff, chaotic journey through his career of nearly three decades as The Who’s drummer, plus stints with his dad Ringo Starr, Oasis, Johnny Marr and more.

After screening a film that combined scenes of Starkey’s childhood with footage from his decades as a musician, the drummer got behind an onstage kit and played along with the last part of the film. He then asked the audience what they wanted him to do next, and began answering random questions.

Starkey clarified that despite having Ringo Starr as a dad and Keith Moon as a close family friend, his actual drum teacher was ex-Who drummer Kenney Jones. Moon, he said, only taught him about “girls, surfing, The Beach Boys, beer and being a mod.”

When the question about his departure from The Who in 2025 was raised, Starkey didn’t give details, only sharing that the band was “nuts,” “insane” and had an “addiction to friction.”

Later, in a sit down Q&A with The Ramones’ Marky Ramone, Starkey revealed that Abbey Road is his favorite Beatles LP, especially the song “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).”

The remainder of the show featured Starkey playing drums live as video of past performances were screened behind him, including to John Entwistle’s isolated bass line from The Kids Are Alright version of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

The evening ended with The Rolling Stones’ Steve Jordan playing bass while Starkey drummed to The Who’s “Join Together.” Starkey complained that he hadn’t gotten to play any Oasis or Beatles songs, but said the venue insisted he end the show — “You’ll just have to come to another one,” he said.

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Former RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy has given fans a preview of what he’s been working on.

The rocker has shared a brief clip of a new song, “Drive,” which will appear on his next solo album, expected to be released later this year. A press release notes that the song, written by Pearcy, will feature a yet-to-be-revealed special guest on guitar, one of many guests expected on the album.

As fans wait for more news on Pearcy’s solo album, he’s getting ready to hit the stage with his former RATT bandmate, guitarist Warren DeMartini. They’ll play a show on Thursday in Highland, California. Pearcy also has solo shows and other Pearcy/DeMartini dates on his schedule for 2026, with more dates expected to be added.

A complete list of shows can be found at OfficialStephenPearcy.com.

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Shōgun star Anna Sawai is set to play Yoko Ono in Sam Mendes’ Beatles films, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event. She tells Variety she hopes fans will come away with a better understanding of Ono, who married John Lennon in 1969 and has often been accused of breaking up The Beatles.

“It was my dream to tell her story and I didn’t think it would come this quick,” Sawai told the magazine. “There’s a version of her I feel people still don’t understand. And in this film, I think we’re going to be able to tell that side of the story.”

The actress notes that she’s been doing a lot of research for the role, including “so much reading.”

“So many books, so many videos, so many articles,” she explained. “She has so much artwork that also shows her personality.”

Sawai also offered up some insider info on how her co-stars Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan are handling performing as The Beatles for the film.

“They’re not even looking at the sheet music anymore,” she says. “They can just play it off and sing it, and it really sounds like the Beatles to me. It feels surreal.”

The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event will consist of four films, each told from the perspective of one of the band members. It is set expected to open in theaters in April 2028.

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Heart’s debut album, Dreamboat Annie, is getting an audio upgrade.

The album, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025, is set to be released as part of UMe’s Vinylphyle audiophile series.

The release, mastered from the album’s original 1975 Can-Base Studios tapes, has an initial pressing of just 3,000 copies and will come with liner notes from veteran music writer Rick Florino.

The Dreamboat Annie Vinyphyle release is available now.

Released in September 1975, Dreamboat Annie was a top-10 hit for Heart, peaking at #7 on the Billboard 200. It features two songs that would go on to become Heart classics: “Magic Man,” which was their first top-10 single, and “Crazy on You,” a top-40 hit.

In early February, the album was chosen for induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

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A new documentary about legendary Allman Brothers Band frontman Gregg Allman is headed to theaters later this year.

The U.S. independent film production and distribution company Subtext has acquired the doc Gregg Allman: Music of My Soul, with plans to release it in theaters this summer.

“Gregg Allman’s music is woven into the fabric of American culture, and this film captures both the artistry and the humanity behind the legend,” said Brian Levy of Subtext. “We’re proud to bring the film to American audiences, offering devoted fans rare insight and archival material while introducing Gregg’s legacy to a new generation.”

The film, directed by Grammy and Golden Globe award-winning filmmaker James Keach, will feature never-before-seen interviews and rare archival performances, including what’s described as “rarely seen concert footage that captures the Allman Brothers at their creative peak.”

According to the description, the film will trace the rocker’s journey “through profound personal tragedy and hard-won redemption, revealing how his raw honesty and blues-soaked power permanently reshaped American music.”

“I personally connected to Gregg Allman in his close relationship to his brother and his battles with addiction,” says Keach. “For me, Gregg’s incredible voice resonates not just in his music but in his humanity, in overcoming the murder of his father, the early death of his brother Duane, and his personal demons.”

He adds, “His soulful voice and brilliant songs reflect a life of redemption and hopefully will inspire all who witness his journey.”

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Lou Gramm has shared another preview of his upcoming solo album, Released.

The former Foreigner frontman has dropped the new track “Long Hard Look,” the second single from the record following “Young Love.”

The song, written by Gramm and his former Black Sheep bandmate Bruce Turgon, is described in a press release as a “brooding, mid-tempo rock anthem” that’s “both defiant and reflective.”

“Long Hard Look” is available now via digital outlets.

Released, available for preorder now, is Gramm’s third solo album and his first since his 1989 release, also titled Long Hard Look. It is made up of unreleased songs the rocker recorded in the 1980s for his previous solo albums but didn’t make the cut.

Gramm is due to hit the road in support of the album this summer, with dates to be announced.

He is set to reunite with Foreigner, hosting the opening weekend, March 6 and 7, of their Foreigner: The Hits Orchestral – Celebrating 50 Years Live in Vegas residency at The Venetian Theatre inside The Venetian Resort. He will also join them for a string of Florida shows that kick off April 17 in St. Augustine, wrapping April 23 in Key West.

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Dave Grohl has shared his perspective on Foo Fighters’ decision to part ways with drummer Josh Freese in 2025.

Freese joined the Foos in 2023 following the 2022 death of Taylor Hawkins. In an interview Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Grohl calls Freese a “consummate professional” and says the band had “such a blast” touring with him. 

After finishing their last tour with Freese in 2024, Grohl says he and the rest of the Foos took a few months away from the band. During that time, he says he and his bandmates made the decision to bring in a different drummer.

“This didn’t happen overnight, it was six or seven months,” Grohl says. “In those six or seven months, we, as a band, talked about what to do next and new direction. We thought, ‘OK, let’s call Josh and let him know that we’re gonna move on with a different drummer.'”

“All of us called, it wasn’t just me,” the “Everlong” rocker continues. “We called Josh, and we were like, ‘Hey man, that was awesome, that was such a blast, thank you so much, but we’re gonna move on and find another drummer.'”

Grohl doesn’t give an exact reason as to why he and the Foos felt it necessary to move on from Freese, but refers to a comment Freese made in an interview with The New York Times.

“I think Josh said it best when he was, like, he didn’t feel like our music really resonated with him,” Grohl says. “And that’s really important.”

He adds, “We found that now with [new Foo Fighters drummer] Ilan [Rubin], and it’s like, we feel like a band again.”

Foo Fighters will release a new album called Your Favorite Toy, their first with Rubin, on April 24.

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Former Journey frontman Steve Perry is putting to rest rumors that he was thinking about joining Journey on their upcoming Final Frontier tour, which has already been announced as their farewell tour.

“I’ve been hearing these recent rumors, and I wanted to speak to you all directly,” Perry writes on social media. “While I’m always grateful for the love people still have for Journey, the rumors about me rejoining the band are simply not true, and I want to gently put them to rest.”

“I completely understand why people would hope for that,” he adds. “The music we created together means a great deal to me too. But I’m continuing to explore new creative work and really enjoy working on new music that reflects where I am today.”

Finally, he offers, “Thank you for your continued support throughout the years. Your loyalty has never gone unnoticed, and I am forever humbly grateful.”

Perry joined Journey in 1977 and left the group in 1987. While he reunited with his former bandmates for their 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, he did not perform with them. Instead they performed with current frontman Arnel Pineda.

Journey is set to launch the Final Frontier on Feb. 28 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. A complete list of dates can be found at Journeymusic.com.

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Drummer Zak Starkey is set to take the stage at New York’s Gramercy Theatre Friday for a one-man show, Zak Starkey … Who?: An Evening of Drums and Conversation. He’ll take fans through his life and career, which will likely include his almost 30 years playing drums for The Who.

Starkey tells ABC Audio that even though his dad is Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, it was seeing The Who that made him want to learn to play the drums. And it turns out his dad wasn’t much help with that.

“I asked my dad for a drum lesson, and he gave me one lesson,” Starkey says. “Then the next day he said, ‘Now try this.’ I said, ‘I can do that.’ He said, ‘Well, you’re on your own.’ And that was it.”

Starkey began playing with The Who in 1996, and he says it felt “amazing” when he got the gig after being such a fan.

And while he and The Who parted ways in 2025 following an onstage disagreement between Starkey and Roger Daltrey, Starkey says he still has a good relationship with both Daltrey and Pete Townshend. In fact, he recently talked to Daltrey, who wished him luck with the show and gave him some advice.

“He told me to be myself, everything would be fine,” says Starkey. He notes of the issues that led to his split with the band, “It’s just some crazy s*** got out of hand … but we were still friends all the time through it.”

The Who wound up going on a farewell tour of North America in 2025 without Starkey behind the drum kit. As for whether he thinks it really was The Who’s final tour, Starkey wouldn’t speculate.

“If you think you know what those two guys are going to do, they’ll do something different.” 

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Joni Mitchell is getting the Lifetime Achievement Award at Canada’s 2026 Juno Awards, and the artists who will help celebrate her have just been announced.

Fellow Canadian singers Sarah McLachlan and Allison Russell will pay tribute to Mitchell with a performance at the award show, taking place March 29 at TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

The 82-year-old Mitchell is being celebrated for her “outstanding artistic contributions and enduring impact on global music culture,” according to a press release.

Mitchell is already a four-time Juno Award winner. The Junos, handed out by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, are the Canadian equivalent to the Grammys.

The Lifetime Achievement Award adds to the many honors Mitchell has already received over the course of her career. In her native Canada, she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1981 and received Canada’s highest honor, the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for lifetime artistic achievement, in 1991. She was also named Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2002 and was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.

In the U.S., Mitchell was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. She also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2021 and the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2023.

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