Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi subject of new Gibson docuseries

January 8, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is the subject of a new docuseries from Gibson TV.

Volume 1 of Tony Iommi: The Godfather of Heavy Metal is now streaming on YouTube. The series is described as “a deep dive into the life, legacy, and groundbreaking sound of Black Sabbath’s legendary guitarist.” It features new interviews with Iommi, as well as contributions from rockers like Queen’s Brian May, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Yungblud, Zakk Wylde and more.

“I’m very grateful to Gibson for this new documentary series and for honoring my role in the story of heavy metal,” says Iommi. “Hearing the kind words from so many incredible artists is really humbling.Thank you all for telling the story with such heart—and to the fans who’ve kept it alive. Long may it continue!”

The first episode covers Iommi’s early life growing up in Birmingham, England, including an industrial accident that almost ended his career. It also delves into the origins of Black Sabbath, including Iommi meeting bandmates Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler.

(Video includes uncensored profanity.)

Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs to open for Chris Stapleton

January 8, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and his band The Dirty Knobs have booked an opening spot on Chris Stapleton’s upcoming All-American Road Show tour.

The tour kicks off May 25 in Nashville, with Campbell and The Dirty Knobs set to open the Oct. 2 show in Bristow, Virginia.

A ticket presale for all shows on the tour begins Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. local time.

This isn’t the first time Campbell and The Dirty Knobs have toured with Stapleton. They previously opened shows on his 2025 tour.

The artists have also collaborated together several times in the past. Stapleton appears on the song “Don’t Wait Up” on The Dirty Knobs’ 2024 album, Vagabonds, Virgins and Misfits. He also appeared on the song “Pistol’ Packin’ Mama” on their 2020 release, Wreckless Abandon, and he co-wrote another song on the album.

Campbell also appeared on Stapleton’s 2020 album, Starting Over, and co-wrote two songs on the album.

David Bowie’s wife and daughter pay tribute to him on 79th birthday

January 8, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

David Bowie’s wife and daughter are remembering the rock legend on what would have been his 79th birthday.

Bowie’s wife Iman, whom he married in 1992, shared a black-and-white photo of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer on Facebook, writing, “A million feeling(s) A thousand thoughts A hundred memories…. YOU! Happy Heavenly Birthday.” In a separate Instagram post she wrote, “Happy Heavenly Birthday Your light burns so bright in all our hearts! We love and miss you.”

His 25-year-old daughter, Lexi Jones, shared a childhood photo of her and her dad on Instagram. In it she’s holding a cake with “happy birthday dad” written in frosting. She captioned the shot, “Da big 79 today. Happy birthday pops, miss ya.”

Bowie’s longtime producer Tony Visconti also remembered the rocker, noting in a Facebook post that Bowie shared a birthday with his father.

“I’m glad I was able to introduce them to each other,” he wrote. “I loved them both and I miss them like nobody’s business.”

Bowie passed away Jan. 10, 2016, two days after his 69th birthday and two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar, which he recorded while he was secretly battling liver cancer.

David Byrne covers Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘drivers license’

January 8, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

David Byrne has recorded a cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s #1 hit “drivers license.”

The release is in conjunction with Rodrigo’s celebration of the fifth anniversary of the song’s release, with the Talking Heads frontman switching the lyrics from “blonde girl” to “blond boy.” According to Rodrigo, Byrne’s song is just one of several “reimagined” cover versions that will celebrate the forthcoming fifth anniversary of her debut album, SOUR, which was released May 21, 2021.

Byrne’s cover is out now via digital outlets, and 7-inch single, pressed on translucent ruby vinyl, will ship April 3 and can be preordered on Olivia’s website. David and Olivia previously collaborated at the 2025 Governors Ball in New York, where they performed the classic Talking Heads hit “Burning Down the House.” That live recording appears on the flip side of the vinyl single.

Byrne, who released the new solo album Who Is the Sky? in September, is set to kick off a tour of Australia and New Zealand on Jan. 14 in Auckland, followed by a tour of Europe and the U.K. He’ll then return to North America for shows starting March 26 in Knoxville, Tennessee, with the tour including appearances at Coachella April 11 and April 18. A complete list of dates can be found at DavidByrne.com.

Jimi Hendrix improvisational recordings part of new Third Man Records Vault release

January 8, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

The legendary Jimi Hendrix is the latest artist to be featured as part of Third Man Records’ archival audio series, The Vault.

The label, founded by The White Stripes’ Jack White, is set to release Jimi Hendrix’s Valley of Jams 1969-1970, featuring previously released improvisational recordings. The set is made up of three colored vinyl LPs, and comes with a bonus 7-inch standard vinyl, a patch and a bumper sticker.

Recordings on the set, mixed by Hendrix’s longtime engineer Eddie Kramer, come from multiple sessions in both New York and London. It also includes a 28-minute jam, “Keep On Groovin’.”

Jimi Hendrix’s Valley of Jams 1969-1970, the 67th release in The Vault series, will be available to current Vault subscribers and for those who subscribe by Jan. 31 at midnight CT. More info can be found at thirdmanrecords.com/vault.

Ozzy Osbourne hometown exhibit extended until September

January 8, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

A museum exhibit in Ozzy Osbourne’s hometown of Birmingham, U.K., has been extended for a second time due to public demand.

Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero opened on June 25 at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. It was originally supposed to close in September 2025 but was extended until January. Now, the museum has announced the exhibit has been extended again and will remain open until Sept. 27, 2006.

The exhibit was launched to coincide with Black Sabbath’s homecoming show at Villa Park on July 5, which also turned out to be Ozzy’s last concert. It highlights Ozzy’s solo achievements and many prestigious awards, and includes photos and videos charting his rise to fame, as well as Platinum and Gold discs.

On Dec. 3, which would have been Ozzy’s 77th birthday, the museum added a tribute wall to the exhibit featuring messages from fans following his July 22 death. The wall highlighted 77 notes chosen from over 50,000 that were left.

More than 425,000 visitors have checked out the exhibit since it opened.

“The demand to see the exhibition has been phenomenal, and we are very grateful that Sharon (Osbourne) and her family have allowed us to extend the exhibition until September 2026, which will give Ozzy’s fans from the UK and around the world an opportunity to celebrate his extraordinary life and achievements,“ Zak Mensah and Sara Wajid, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, said in a statement.

More info on the exhibit be found at birminghammuseums.org.uk.

Elton John launches non-alcoholic sparkling wine, Elton John Zero

January 8, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Elton John is getting into the non-alcoholic booze biz.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and his husband, David Furnish, have launched Elton John Zero, described on social media as a “meticulously crafted 0% alcohol and 100% delightful Blanc de Blancs.”

“Elton John Zero was born from a simple yet exquisite idea – to create a world where every moment of celebration can be shared by all,” Elton shares on his website. “Our 0% alcohol Blanc de Blancs captures the elegance, effervescence, and joy of a traditional Blanc de Blancs, without compromise.”

He adds, “Crafted with care and intention, it embodies the art of inclusion – inviting everyone to raise a glass, savor the sparkle, and share in the timeless celebration of togetherness.”

In an interview with the U.K. outlet The Standard, Elton, who’s been sober since 1990, says their motivation for developing the wine was so they’d have something to drink at their parties.

“David and I spend a lot of our time entertaining people and it’s boring just drinking water,” he says. “Especially if someone’s here at the house and it’s a special occasion. You want to raise a toast to someone and toasting with water just doesn’t do it.”

He adds, “We were just a bit selfish in that we wanted something to fill a need in our life,” noting, “It’s been a long time since we could entertain and partake, but we will serve wine to people who drink. So it’s nice to be able to ‘join in.’”

Elton John Zero Blanc de Blancs are available at EltonJohnZero.com.

Freddie Mercury’s 80th birthday celebration announced

January 8, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Queen frontman Freddie Mercury would have turned 80 in 2026, and the milestone won’t be overlooked.

As in previous years, the rocker’s birthday will be celebrated at the Official Freddie Mercury Birthday Party. The 2026 edition will be held Sept. 5, Mercury’s actual birthday, at the Casino Barrière in Montreux, Switzerland.

According to the announcement on Queen’s Instagram, this year’s theme will be “The Great Pretender’s Gala,” a reference to the song “The Great Pretender,” which was recorded by Mercury in 1987.

The dress code for this year’s event will be “fancy and formal,” with the announcement noting, “[W]e are leaning into Freddie’s smarter, sharper dress sense, so think tuxedos, dresses, waistcoats, cravats, scarves and maybe even a monocle or face mask.”

More information about the party, along with ticket info, will be announced at a later date.

Proceeds from the Official Freddie Mercury Birthday Party will go to The Mercury Phoenix Trust, which raises funds for the fight against HIV/AIDs. It was founded by Queen band members Roger Taylor and Brian May and their manager Jim Beach in memory of Freddie, who died from the disease in 1991.

Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ approaching new ‘Billboard’ 200 milestone

January 7, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Pink Floyd is close to reaching a huge milestone on the Billboard 200 chart.

The band’s iconic album The Dark Side of the Moon recently landed its 996th nonconsecutive week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, meaning it’s only four weeks off landing 1,000 weeks on all-genre chart. It currently ranks at #167.

The Dark Side of the Moon, which was released in 1973, is already the current record holder for the most weeks ever on the Billboard 200, an honor it earned in October 1983 with its 491st week on the chart.

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 in March 1973 and hit #1 on April 28 of that year. It rarely dropped off the chart from its debut until Oct. 8, 1988, spending 741 out of 813 weeks on it. The album then returned to the Billboard 200 on Dec. 12, 2009, after Billboard 200 rules changed, allowing catalog albums to return to the chart.

Pink Floyd celebrated the 50th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon in 2023, releasing a box set that featured a remastered version of the album, along with a 1974 live concert.

Yes releases remastered single edit of ‘The Ancient’ from Tales from ‘Topographic Oceans’

January 7, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Yes is giving fans another preview of their upcoming super-deluxe reissue of 1973’s Tales from Topographic Oceans.

The band has just released the 2026 remastered single edit of “The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun),” described in a press release as being “inspired by Purāna, the mythic texts and sacred lore of humanity’s distant past.”

Tales from Topographic Oceans (Super Deluxe Edition) will be released Feb. 6 as a package of 12 CDs, two LPs and a Blu-ray. It includes a newly remastered version of the album, along with several new mixes by producer Steven Wilson, including a Dolby Atmos mix. It will also include rarities, and previously unreleased studio and live recordings.

Tales from Topographic Oceans, Yes’ sixth studio album, was the first to feature drummer Alan White, who had replaced Bill Bruford. Frontman Jon Anderson came up with the idea for the album after reading a footnote in Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda.

The album, which went to #1 in the U.K. and was a top-10 hit in the U.S., featured four songs, all of which were at least 18 minutes in length, taking fans on a “four-part musical journey through ancient Hindu scriptures.”

Tales from Topographic Oceans (Super Deluxe Edition) is available for preorder now.

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