Eagles and Dead & Company among nominees for 2026 ‘Pollstar’ Awards

January 7, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Eagles and Dead & Company are among the nominees for the 2026 Pollstar Awards.

Both bands are in the running for residency of the year, with each recognized for stints at Sphere Las Vegas. Eagles played 28 shows at the Sphere in 2025, while Dead & Company played 18.

The category, which also includes Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Kenny Chesney and New Kids on the Block, recognizes “the most commercially and artistically successful run of seven or more shows at a single venue.”

Also earning nominations this year are AC/DC, up for rock tour of the year for their Power Up tour, and Metallica, also up for rock tour of the year for their M72 world tour.

This year’s other nominees include Oasis, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga.

The 37th annual Pollstar Awards will take place April 15 in Los Angeles.

Sting honored with ‘Bass Magazine’s’ Lifetime Achievement Award

January 7, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Sting has been honored with Bass Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

While the magazine’s 2026 awards ceremony will take place Jan. 22 in Santa Ana, California, the mag presented Sting with his award earlier in New York, sharing the moment in a video on Instagram.

In the clip, Sting jokes that while it’s a lifetime achievement honor, he’s “only halfway through” his lifetime. He then gets serious and says, “Thank you so much, I’m deeply, deeply honored, profoundly honored.”

The rocker then reads from a letter he wrote in 2001 about the Fender bass guitar, which he says was addressed to the “archeologist of the future.”

“There are few artifacts of the 20th century as consistently recognized and recognizable as the Fender bass. Those elegant functional lines have etched themselves into our consciousness for over half a century,” he says. “A Fender bass can shake a room with its thunder or moan softly like a sleeping giant. The bass is the ground of all harmony, the root, the foundation of all musical structure.”

He adds, “A Fender bass has been my constant companion for most of my life, a brother to me, sister. The loom on which I have woven dreams and stories, and my oldest friend.”

Next up for Sting, he’ll star in a production of his musical The Last Ship, which is set to open in Amsterdam on Jan. 13. He’ll also appear in a run at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House from June 9 to 14.

Foo Fighters’ Pat Smear to miss shows following ‘bizarre gardening accident’

January 7, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Foo Fighters will be without guitarist Pat Smear for several upcoming shows.

“In the classic tradition of rockstars having bizarre gardening accidents, Pat Smear has apparently rung in the new year by smashing the s*** out of his left foot,” the Foos write in an Instagram post.

Of course, a “bizarre gardening accident” was the cause of death for one of the many ill-fated Spinal Tap drummers.

Fortunately, said accident only injured Smear, though he will “be missing a few shows while the multiple broken bones in his foot heal.”

“We’ll miss our beloved Pat as much as you will, but we want him fully healed and back on his feet as soon as possible,” the Foos write.

The post doesn’t mention exactly how many dates Smear will miss. Foos are playing a show in Mexico on Saturday, followed by a benefit concert in Los Angeles on Dave Grohl‘s birthday, Jan. 14, and then a trip to Tasmania on Jan. 24. After that, their schedule is clear until May.

For the shows without Smear, the Foos will be joined by guitarist Jason Falkner, who’s played with Beck and St. Vincent.

Children’s book inspired by David Bowie’s career coming in September

January 7, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

A new children’s book inspired by the life and career of rocker David Bowie is set for release this fall.

Starman: The Cosmic Voyage of David Bowie, by author Matthew Cordell, imagines Bowie as a real spaceman. It is described as “the galactic journey of Bowie’s life, with stops for each phase of his ever-transforming career.”

People revealed the cover of the book, which features Bowie inside a star. Each point illustrates a different iconic Bowie look, including the face of Ziggy Stardust.

“I wanted to share with young readers Bowie’s journey in a similar sense of how he lived it — traveling with eyes wide open, constantly seeking and observing, all with an intergalactic flair,” Cordell tells the mag. “I love the way Bowie’s endless curiosity led him to discover, be inspired by and implement new sounds into his own artistic output, throughout his artistic life.”

Starman: The Cosmic Voyage of David Bowie will be released Sept. 1.

Judas Priest’s Rob Halford celebrates 40 years of sobriety

January 6, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has shared a special message with fans as he celebrates 40 years of sobriety.

In a new video posted on Instagram, captioned “one day at a time,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer opened up about his decision to get clean and expressed his gratitude to those who have supported him.

“Four decades ago, I made a decision to change the entire course of my life, stepping out of darkness into the light, toward the future I couldn’t see. As I’ve said before, it wasn’t easy and still isn’t,” he said in the post. “Recovery asks for complete honesty, humility and a willingness to grow one day at a time. With the love and support from my higher power, my family, friends and fans helping me, guiding the way, I kept moving forward.”

“Over these years, I’ve learned that sobriety isn’t just about staying clean, it’s the presence of clarity, purpose and connectivity, a gift of showing up for my life each day for the people I love,” he continued. “I’m grateful for the person I became and every challenge I’ve faced that made me stronger.”

Halford then addressed anyone who was thinking about getting sober.

“I hope that my own journey proves that recovery is possible,” he said. “Hope is real, and each day at a time is a chance to begin again,” signing off with, “I love you.”

Halford and Judas Priest are set to launch a European tour this summer. The trek kicks off July 25 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. A complete list of dates can be found at JudasPriest.com.

ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons confirms band was offered $1 million each to shave their beards

January 6, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons has confirmed a story that the band members were once offered $1 million to shave off their iconic beards.

In an interview with Jay Mohr’s Mohr Stories podcast, Gibbons said it’s true that they were offered the money to shave their beards for a Super Bowl commercial. When asked if it was razor company Gillette, Gibbons confirmed that it was, but noted, “They deny it.”

“It was a million dollars per man,” Gibbons said, before revealing why they turned down the money. He explained that they went to their publicist Bob Merlis with the offer, and he was the one who gave them a reason to reconsider.

“He said, ‘The money’s good, you might as well consider doing it, but I’m not so sure you guys — any of you guys — know what’s under there,’” Gibbons said. “So we passed. We passed, and our fans loved it. Word got out.”

Gibbons and ZZ Top have a busy 2026 ahead of them. Gibbons kicks off a tour with the BFG Band on Jan. 20 in Napa, California. Then ZZ Top will hit the road on the Big One! tour starting March 21 in Abilene, Texas. They are also headlining the Dos Amigos tour with Dwight Yoakam, which consists of 15 shows starting March 26 in Brookings, South Dakota.

ZZ Top is also bringing their the Big One! tour to Europe, which will be their first European tour in two years. The trek starts June 13 in Estonia.

A complete list of ZZ Top dates can be found at ZZTop.com.

Cover band singer thinks Billy Joel’s guest appearance might lead to stage return

January 6, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Billy Joel shocked fans on Jan. 2 when he took the stage — for the first time since his brain condition diagnosis — to perform with a Billy Joel cover band in Wellington, Florida. The singer in that cover band is now speculating that the Rock & Roll of Famer is working toward a return to the stage.

Tony Monaco, lead singer of the tribute band Turnstiles, tells Spin.com that he had no idea Billy was coming to their gig until he, his wife and his daughters showed up backstage and Billy said “maybe” he’d be interested in sitting in with the band.

According to Tony, Billy suggested they do “New York State of Mind” together, despite the fact that, as he told Tony, “I haven’t sang in months and I don’t play piano much lately.” When the time came for the song, Billy was nowhere to be found. Soon afterward, Tony says, he saw Billy making his way to the stage.

“I was excited, but now I didn’t know what we’d play,” Tony said. Billy suggested “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” followed by “Big Shot,” which thrilled the audience.

“He’s not 100%, but his voice was strong, and I do think he’s going to come back,” Tony concluded.

“He may not do it on such a grand scale or get up from the piano too much, but I know he wants to play again and hasn’t shut the door on doing so. I’m not so sure that this wasn’t a little testing of those waters.”

Billy, 76, announced in May that he’d been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, which causes hearing, vision and balance problems. He canceled all his concerts.

Peter Frampton celebrates 50th anniversary of ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’

January 6, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Peter Frampton took to Instagram Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of his iconic live album, Frampton Comes Alive!

“I can’t believe today’s the day. It’s now been 50 years since Frampton Comes Alive! was released. Wow, 50 years,” he said. “Thank you all for helping it become such a huge phenomenal success,” he added, before joking, “probably time to buy a new one anyway.”

Frampton Comes Alive! helped launch the now-Rock & Roll Hall of Famer to stardom, with the album becoming one of the bestselling live albums of all time. It features live performances of now-iconic Frampton tunes like “Show Me the Way,” “Baby, I Love Your Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do,” which all became top-15 hits.

Frampton Comes Alive! was the first live album to really make an impact, and in an interview with ABC Audio, Frampton said he was very proud of what the album did for both him and “music in general.”

“They say that it changed everything because of the massive sales for not a studio album. The biggest-selling album at that time for a couple of years there, and not even biggest-selling live album, biggest-selling album,” Frampton said. “We surpassed Tapestry, Carole King‘s wonderful album.”

Frampton Comes Alive! would go on to become Frampton’s only #1 record, spending 10 nonconsecutive weeks in the top spot. In 2020 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Elton John announces Academy Awards viewing party, reveals co-hosts

January 6, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Elton John has announced some details of his annual Elton John Aids Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party.

The party will be held Oscar night, March 15, at West Hollywood Park, hosted by Elton and his husband, David Furnish, as well as actor Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, David Burtka.

“EJAFOscars has always been about more than films, it’s about coming together to change lives,” reads a post on Elton’s Instagram. “We’re excited to return this March to bring heart and purpose to Hollywood’s biggest night.”

Elton has not revealed the evening’s entertainment, although he is asking for input from fans. The post asks, “Who would you like to see join our hosts on stage? Let us know in the comments!”

Last year’s party featured a performance by Chappell Roan, with money raised going to both Elton’s foundation and L.A. wildfire relief.

Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman on their fight to get back The Guess Who name

January 6, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Guess Who’s Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman are opening up about the lawsuit that helped them get back the rights to the band’s name.

In October 2023, they filed a suit that accused former bandmates Jim Kale and Garry Peterson of tricking fans into thinking Cummings and Bachman were still performing with The Guess Who, when they were actually getting a “cover band.”

In a new interview with the Q with Tom Power podcast, Cummings says they filed the suit because they were “very upset with what the fake band had done.”

“At first, it didn’t bother me so much, but it went on and on … it was just enough already,” he said.

The pair said it wasn’t just that other people were playing their music under The Guess Who name. They said those musicians would say they wrote the band’s classic tunes like “These Eyes” and “American Woman,” would use Guess Who records to promote their shows and would even sign their names on the band’s albums.

Cummings noted, “They got to the point where they believed it was their stuff.”

“We decided to finally go to mediation in LA and not leave the room until it was decided,” Bachman said, with Cummings noting that during the mediation the two sides “were arguing and fighting that whole time.”

They settled the case in September 2023, and the first thing Cummings wanted to do was put a band together with Bachman. “He and I knew we could put together a tremendous show,” he said. “I knew right away, I said, ‘This is gonna be fun.'”

Cummings and Bachman are now set to return to the stage as The Guess Who, with their first show on Jan. 31 Niagara Falls, Ontario. They will also kick off a Canadian tour on May 26 in Moncton.

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