Classic Rock 93.9

Ringo Starr made a surprise appearance at Paul McCartney’s concert at London’s O2 Arena in December, where they played “Helter Skelter” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise).” And while it was a surprise for the audience, the reunion wasn’t exactly a spur of the moment thing.

“It was so surprising he asked me a month ago,” Ringo joked during his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday, before noting, “It’s always still great to play with him.”

“And you know what’s also great, the audience love it,” Ringo added. “They just love to see the two of us together. They still love it.”

Kimmel also asked Ringo to clear up some of the stories that have circulated about him over the years, and some of the answers were surprising.

The rocker confirmed that he’s never eaten pizza or curry, noting, “I’m allergic to several items, and pizza, you don’t know what they’re putting in it half the time or the curry.” 

Ringo also shared that he learned how to knit when he was in the hospital at age 13, but added that during that time a lady came in one day and gave him a drum, explaining, “from that, I only ever wanted to be a drummer.”

As for the other rumors, Ringo wouldn’t confirm he owns and operates a yellow submarine, admitted he was once in a gang and confirmed that the first time he ever smoked weed was with Bob Dylan, sharing that he “loved” the experience.

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Photos of Debbie Harry, David Bowie and Grace Jones are currently up for auction, with the money raised going to help musicians affected by the California wildfires.

The portraits, all shot by photographer Greg Gorman, are part of an auction put on by Giorgio’s Discotheque in Los Angeles, with proceeds from the sale benefiting MusiCares’ fire relief efforts.

The Harry photo is a framed black-and-white portrait of the Blondie frontwoman in sunglasses from 1994. The starting price for the photo is $3,500, although the listing says it has a retail value of $12,500.

The Bowie shot, from 1984, features the rocker with a guitar and has a retail value of $22,500, while Jones is also wearing sunglasses in her photo, which is from 1987. It has a retail value of $12,500.

The auction is set to run until Friday at 1 a.m. PT. More info can be found at givebutter.com.

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Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong is playing a Los Angeles fire relief concert with his side project The Coverups.

The show takes place Friday at LA’s Troubadour venue. Tickets go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. PT.

Proceeds will benefit the Altadena Girls and Altadena Boys organizations.

The day before the Troubadour concert, Armstrong is performing with Green Day at the giant FireAid benefit, taking place Thursday across two venues: the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum. That lineup also includes Red Hot Chili Peppers, No Doubt, Dave Matthews and The Black Crowes.

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The members of Black Sabbath are being honored by their home city of Birmingham.

The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved a recommendation that Sabbath founding members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward be given the Freedom of Birmingham honor.

The City Freeman title is being given to the band “in deep appreciation and recognition of their unique and distinguished contribution to the field of music and their service to the city.”

“I’m honored and, at the same time, shocked that I would have ever been considered for this very special commendation,” Ozzy shared when it was first announced they were in consideration for the honor. “I started with nothing but a dream, which I shared with Tony, Geezer and Bill. We never gave up on that dream … Birmingham Forever!”

“I’m over the moon! What a great honor to be a City Freeman,” Iommi added. “I’m aware that very few are given out. It ties us to the rich history of our hometown Birmingham, and that’s fantastic. I’m deeply grateful for the recognition.”

Butler shared that it’s a “great honor to be awarded a City Freeman by my hometown, the great City of Birmingham,” while Ward added, “Thank you, Lord Mayor and Birmingham City Council. For our legendary fans, a solemn bow. Long live Black Sabbath.”

There’s no word on when Black Sabbath will receive their commendation, but it is expected to happen within the next 12 months.

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Def Leppard is giving fans a backstage look at their recent concert at Feria Estatal De León in León, Mexico.

The band shared their first behind-the-tour video of 2025, highlighting the Jan. 18 concert, which they played without guitarist Vivian Campbell, who’s recovering from a bone marrow transplant to treat his cancer.

“Vivian is recuperating from cancer surgery,” frontman Joe Elliott says in the clip. “He’s doing very well but he’s in a bubble. He’s not allowed to travel.”

Phil Collen‘s guitar tech John Zocco filled in for Viv, with Elliott calling him a “phenomenal player.” He adds, “We have every confidence that it will go swimmingly until our boy Vivian is back on the stage with us.”

Rick Savage adds, “Viv we miss you, we love you and we wish you could be with us.”

In footage from the concert, Elliott tells the audience that they’re celebrating the 45th anniversary of their debut album, On Through The Night. The band follows that by performing one of the singles from the album, “Wasted.”

Elliott later shares that the León concert actually took place 45 years to the day that Def Leppard kicked off their On Through The Night tour, which was their first-ever headlining tour.

Def Leppard has several more dates on the books for 2025, with shows confirmed through August. Their next show is happening May 15 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A complete list of dates can be found at defleppard.com.

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The upcoming MusiCares Charity Relief Auction is set to feature a whole host of items from this year’s MusiCares Person of the Year, the Grateful Dead.

Among the Dead-related items available are Jerry Garcia’s ivory two-piece suit, worn on the cover of The Dead’s 1980 album Go To Heaven; a Bobby Weir-owned, -played and -autographed D’Angelico Deluxe Bobby Weir 3 semi-hollowbody electric guitar; signed Mickey Hart art on various canvases, including drumheads and symbols; and Bill Kreutzmann’s owned and used Yamaha Alex Acuña 10-inch timbale.

Plus there will be rare test pressings of several reissued Dead albums, each signed by Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux.

The MusiCares Charity Relief Auction, put on by Julien’s Auctions, is happening Sunday live at the Recording Academy in Santa Monica, California, and online at juliansauctions.com.

Proceeds will benefit The MusiCares Foundation, which, according to a press release, “raises essential funds that help music professionals recover from crises, including the unprecedented challenges posed by the recent wildfires in Greater Los Angeles.”

The members of the Grateful Dead will be honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year on Friday. The gala, taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will feature performances by such artists as Mick Fleetwood, Stewart Copeland, Sammy Hagar and Dave Matthews, as well as Dead & Company, which includes Weir, Hart and Kreutzmann along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti.

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The Eric Burdon years of War are being highlighted in a new CD box set.

Eric Burdon & War – The Complete CD Collection, dropping March 7, is a four-CD set made up of War albums released between 1970 and 1976. Those albums include 1970’s Eric Burdon Declares War and Black Man’s Burdon, and 1976’s Love Is All Around.

War previously released this box set as a Record Store Day exclusive on vinyl.

This is the second release War is putting out this year, which also happens to be their 55th anniversary.

On Feb. 7 they’ll drop Live in Japan 1974, which is their first live album to feature all seven original members. It features a collection of recently discovered live recordings from concerts in Shizuoka, Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe, and will be released on vinyl and CD for the very first time.

Both releases are available for preorder now.

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Bob Dylan has paid tribute to The Band‘s Garth Hudson, who passed away Jan. 21 at the age of 87.

“Sorry to hear the news about Garth Hudson,” Dylan shared on social media. “He was a beautiful guy and the real driving force behind The Band. Just listen to the original recording of The Weight and you’ll see.”

Before striking out on their own, The Band, made up of keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Hudson, guitarist/songwriter Robbie Robertson, keyboardist/vocalist Richard Manuel, bassist/vocalist Rick Danko and drummer/vocalist Levon Helm, gained fame as Dylan’s backing group in the ‘60s, although they were known as The Hawks at that time.

Hudson was the last surviving member of The Band, who were inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. 

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On This Day, Jan 28, 1985…

An all-star lineup of musicians came together in a studio in Los Angeles to record the charity single “We Are the World.”

The tune, written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, featured artists like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Steve Perry and more.

Released in March 1985, “We Are the World” raised more than $63 million for a newly formed organization called United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa) to help with the famine crisis in the region.

The song, produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian, went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for a month. It went on to become the first single to be certified multi-Platinum, earning a four-time Platinum certification by the RIAA.

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Paul McCartney’s band Wings is celebrating the 50th anniversary of their fourth studio album, Venus and Mars.

The milestone will be marked with a new half-speed master reissue of the album, dropping March 21. The remaster was created by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios using the original master recordings from 1975 and will feature a reproduction of the original U.K. pressing, and a recreation of the original artwork by Hipgnosis.

The album will also get its first-ever Dolby Atmos release, with Giles Martin and Steve Orchard behind the new mix.

The follow-up to the hit album Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, released May 30, 1975, hit #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. It featured the #1 single “Listen to What the Man Said.”

Venus and Mars (50th Anniversary) is available for preorder now.

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