Gibson Custom debuts new Mick Ronson-inspired guitar

February 24, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Gibson Custom is honoring legendary David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson with the release of a new guitar inspired by one of his iconic instruments.

The Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom Collector’s Edition, limited to just 100 guitars, is a replica of the rocker’s stripped finish 1968 Les Paul Custom. Gibson used aging techniques to give the replica the same wear, feel and sound as the original instrument. It even has mismatched volume and tone knobs like the original.

Available worldwide at Gibson.com, the guitar has a mahogany body, with an ebony fretboard with mother-of-pearl block inlays. It comes with a custom case, and features a reproduction of Ronson’s signature.

Ronson, who passed away in 1993, was best known for his work with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. In addition to being a guitarist, he was a producer, arranger, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and worked with such artists as Lou Reed, Roger McQuinn, John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan. He also released five solo albums.

Songs by The Cars, Sting featured in part 2 of ‘Bridgerton’ season 4

February 24, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Covers of songs by The Cars and Sting are set to make an appearance in Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton.

The final four episodes of season 4 premiere Thursday, with episode six featuring instrumental versions of The Cars’ ”Just What I Needed,” performed by Altum Quartet, and Sting’s “Fields of Gold,” performed by Music Lab Collective.

Part 1 of season 4 featured instrumentals of songs by Coldplay, Third Eye Blind, Paramore and Taylor Swift, while part 2 also features songs by Charli XCX, Billie Eilish and Teddy Swims.

Part 1 of the soundtrack is currently available for streaming, with part 2 going live on Thursday at 12 a.m. PT.

Released in 1978, “Just What I Needed” was the first single off The Cars’ self-titled debut album and reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Fields of Gold” appeared on Sting’s fourth solo album, Ten Summoner’s Tales. It went to #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at #23 on the Hot 100.

Bruce Springsteen’s tour to include special appearance by Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello

February 24, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will have a special guest on their upcoming Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour.

Springsteen just announced on social media that Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello will be joining the tour for “selected songs for every date” of the tour.

“Grammy-winning, Harvard-educated, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted artist, songwriter and activist Tom Morello is living proof of the transformative power of rock ‘n’ roll,” reads the post.

The announcement comes just weeks after Springsteen was the surprise guest at Morello’s charity concert in Minneapolis, where Springsteen performed his new protest song “Streets of Minneapolis,” and was joined by Morello for “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”

“After Bruce joined me last month in Minneapolis for our Defend Minnesota charity concert, I was reminded how important our platform is, and how crucial the resistance work is that our music can do together at this dangerous historical juncture,” Morello says. “Together, Bruce, the E Street Band, and I are going to turn a spotlight on the current threats to democracy and human rights happening all around us on the Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour in the spirit of freedom, justice and rock n roll.”

Morello previously toured with Springsteen and The E Street Band for several years in the mid-2010s, filling in for Stevie Van Zandt who was off filming the TV show Lilyhammer. Morello also appeared on two Springsteen albums, 2012’s Wrecking Ball and 2014’s High Hopes.

The Land of Hope and Dreams tour kicks off March 31 in Minneapolis, and wraps May 27 in Washington, D.C. A complete list of dates and ticket information can be found at BruceSpringsteen.net.

On This Day, Feb. 24, 2019: Queen + Adam Lambert perform at the Academy Awards

February 24, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, Feb. 24, 2019…

Queen + Adam Lambert performed at the 91st annual Academy Awards held in Los Angeles, treating the Hollywood audience to “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions.”

The band attended the ceremony to support Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic about the band’s original frontman Freddie Mercury. The film won four out of the five awards it was nominated for, the most of any other film that evening.

Bohemian Rhapsody earned star Rami Malek the Oscar for best actor and also won best film editing, best sound editing and best sound mixing. The only trophy it lost was best picture — to Green Book.

Iron Maiden documentary ‘Burning Ambition’ to premiere in theaters in May

February 24, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

The story of Iron Maiden is officially coming to the big screen.

A new documentary about the metal legends, titled Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition, will premiere in theaters on May 7.

The film features interviews with the band members as well as Maiden fans including Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, rapper Chuck D and actor Javier Bardem.

“With unprecedented access to official band archives, IRON MAIDEN: BURNING AMBITION charts five decades of one of the most iconic journeys in music history,” the doc’s synopsis reads.

It continues, “This electrifying film offers an intimate look at their uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their global army of fans.”

Tickets go on sale March 18. For more info, visit IronMaidenFilm.com.

U2 releases documentary short film for ‘Days of Ash’ track ‘Yours Eternally’

February 24, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

U2 has released a documentary short for their new song “Yours Eternally,” which appears on their just-released EP, Days of Ash. The song features Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian musician-turned-soldier Taras Topolia.

The four-and-a-half-minute clip was directed by Ukrainian cinematographer and filmmaker Ilya Mikhaylus and was released to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mikhaylus and his crew shot the video this past December, when they were embedded alongside the soldiers of Khartiya Corps. The clip is part of a full-scale documentary that will be released at the end of the year.

“For four years, Ukraine has been resisting Russia’s full-scale invasion, and the soldiers of the Khartiya Corps are among the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians defending their homeland,” says Mikhaylus. “In this short film, and in the upcoming full-length documentary, we attempt to show the beating human heart of those incredible men and women, the struggles and sacrifices they are making everyday for the most sacred thing on this planet – freedom.”

U2 released the six-track EP Days of Ash on Feb. 18, featuring five songs and one poem. It was described as “an immediate response to current events and inspired by the many extraordinary and courageous people fighting on the frontlines of freedom.”

Rush talks ‘fun’ experience working with new drummer Anika Nilles

February 24, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

The members of Rush are giving fans an update on how things are going with new drummer Anika Nilles as they get ready to launch their Fifty Something tour. It will be their first tour since the 2020 death of drummer Neil Peart.

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson talked to the U.K.’s Planet Rock about the tour, revealing that Nilles already knows about 25 Rush songs. Lee noted it’s been “really fun to watch” her get to know the material.

“It’s one thing to play it for the first time and to work out what are the parts that have to be essentially Neil Peart’s parts and what parts she can make her own,” Lee said. “And that has been wonderful to watch and really exciting for Al and I because now she doesn’t have to think about it.”

Lee explained that Nilles didn’t know much of their music coming into the gig.

“She knew, of course, a couple of the big songs, and of course every drummer on earth knew Neil and his reputation, he was very respected,” Lee said. He noted that Nilles did know their hit “Tom Sawyer,” but she “was kind of nervous” to play it because it’s such an important song.

Lee and Lifeson also discussed their plans to pay tribute to Peart during the show.

“We’re gonna do two sets,” said Lee. “In each of those sets, we’ll take a song and, you know, do a bit of our own way of tributing to Neil, and of course, his presence will be throughout the evening.”

The North American leg of the tour kicks off on June 7 in Los Angeles. The tour will also hit South America, Europe and the U.K. Tour dates can be found at Rush.com.

Sammy Hagar takes fans inside the making of his Las Vegas residency set list

February 23, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Sammy Hagar is giving fans a little insight into how he comes up with his set list.

The rocker is due to return to Las Vegas in March for more dates of his The Best of All Worlds residency. He posted a video on Instagram of him working out what songs he’s gonna play this time around.

“We’re trying to do a different show every night without sacrificing,” reads the caption of the clip. “The best of that most people are coming to hear.”

Sammy notes in the video, “This is what I have to do. This is work to me, it isn’t like being onstage,” revealing that he has a master set list of 36 songs or more that keeps changing.

“And every night we’re gonna try and open with a different song, not try, we’re gonna open with a different song,” he says. “We’re probably gonna end with a different song. We’ll put three or four songs minimum in the middle.”

He then pointed out to fans that he was writing in a new song to the list this time around, “Crack in The World,” from his third solo album, Musical Chairs. “That song is going in the set, 1977.”

Sammy Hagar’s The Best of All Worlds residency returns to Dolby Live at Park MGM from March 11 to 21 and again from Sept. 18 to 26. A complete list of Sammy dates can be found at RedRocker.com.

Jimi Hendrix street naming postponed due to New York blizzard

February 23, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

New York is going to have to wait a little longer to have a street named after the late rocker Jimi Hendrix.

Earlier in February, it was announced that West 8th Street in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, where Hendrix’s legendary Electric Lady Studios is located, was due to be co-named Jimi Hendrix Way. That renaming was supposed to take place Tuesday, but it was just announced that the weather has caused plans to be changed.

“Due to extensive snowfall in New York City; the JIMI HENDRIX WAY street naming ceremony for Tuesday morning has been postponed,” read a post on the late rocker’s X account. “The new date will be announced as soon as possible. Stay safe. Stay experienced!”

The naming ceremony was to coincide with the launch of a new education partnership with E Street Band guitarist Stevie Van Zandt’s TeachRock, which uses music and pop culture to expand learning in schools. The partnership will result in the addition of a Hendrix curriculum for middle and high school students.

Experience Hendrix LLC President and CEO Janie Hendrix, Van Zandt and NYC District 2 council member Harvey Epstein were scheduled to attend the Tuesday ceremony, along with group of local TeachRock teachers and students.

On This Day, Feb. 23, 2000: Santana’s ‘Supernatural’ sweeps at the Grammy Awards

February 23, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, Feb. 23, 2000 …

Santana’s album Supernatural won nine trophies at the 42nd annual Grammy Awards, breaking the record held by Michael Jackson’s Thriller for most Grammys won by a single album in one night.

Supernatural was named album of the year, making Carlos Santana the first Hispanic artist to win that award.

The album’s hit track “Smooth” featuring Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas took home song of the year and record of the year as well as best pop collaboration with vocals. Santana and Thomas teamed for a performance of the song during the telecast.

Another track from the album, “Maria Maria” featuring Product G&B, won best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.

Released in June 1999, Supernatural had Santana collaborating with a variety of artists, including Thomas, Lauryn Hill and Eric Clapton, among others. It reached #1 in 11 countries and spent 12 weeks on top the Billboard 200 Albums chart.

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