Classic Rock 93.9

Bruce Springsteen is featured in Rolling Stone’s latest Musicians on Musicians issue, where he chats with country star Zach Bryan.

The interview went down in April, right before Bruce recorded his part of “Sandpaper,” their collaboration that appeared on Zach’s album The Great American Bar Scene. During the conversation they discuss their careers, songwriting, mutual appreciation for each other’s music, the importance of moms and even a little bit of politics.

Springsteen also shares his thoughts about the upcoming movie Deliver Me From Nowhere, about the making of his 1982 album Nebraska.

“I’ve seen the scripts and I’ve talked to the director,” The Boss shares. “They’re just putting it all together, so I don’t have an awful lot to say about it, but I’m excited about it happening. It’ll be an interesting story.” 

Asked if he’s shocked that he’d be the subject of a movie, Bruce replied, “Yeah, it’s an interesting story, and the script is really good. I feel good about the whole project.” 

Also in the interview, Bruce reveals that the Born In The U.S.A. hit “I’m On Fire” didn’t take him very long to write.

“That was literally a song I wrote in two minutes. Didn’t even think about it. Didn’t think it was ever going to be on a record,” he says. “And if you go to iTunes now, it’s the number one favorite song out of every song I’ve written.”

The pair don’t talk too much about politics, but Springsteen, who has publicly endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, does offer up one prediction.

“I will sit here and I will predict again, Donald Trump will not be the next president of the United States,” he says. “Of course, I went all across Europe saying that the last time, and I was wrong.”

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Peter Frampton will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, and while he’s been eligible since 1997, he’s still surprised by the recognition. 

“You know, I never expect anything … in my life,” he tells ABC Audio. “I’ve just put my head down and worked. And those accolades that have come my way are always unexpected and very welcome, obviously.”

Frampton was particularly amazed by all the response he’s gotten to his induction, noting, “I didn’t quite realize how many people out there wanted me, almost more than I did, to be in the Hall of Fame. … That’s what blew me away.”

Frampton credits Sheryl Crow inviting him to join her onstage during her induction in 2023 for his induction, suggesting it reminded folks about him.

“I think that possibly people even on the board didn’t realize I wasn’t in already … which is wild,” he said.

He also believes he benefited from changes behind the scenes at the Rock Hall, but regardless, he notes, “I’m just honored that they thought of me this time.” 

Foreigner is also getting inducted this year, and Frampton says that’s particularly special for him, because “we share members”: Foreigner’s Mick Jones played on his first solo record and Rick Wills was part of his 1973 album, Frampton’s Camel.

“We’re just really excited to see each other and slap each other on the back,” he says. “If things hadn’t changed … neither Foreigner or I would be in this year.” 

The 2024 induction ceremony, taking place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, will stream live on Disney+ at 7 p.m. ET. On Jan. 1, ABC will air the special 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring performance highlights. 

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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Bryan Adams is returning to Las Vegas.

The rocker is set to play six dates at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas in March as part of his Roll With The Punches 2025 tour.

An artist presale kicks off Wednesday at 10 a.m. PT, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. PT.

The last time Adams played the Encore Theater was back in February 2023 during his So Happy It Hurts tour.

Adams is currently on tour overseas and will play Limassol, Cyprus, on Wednesday. So far the Vegas dates are the only U.S. shows on his schedule. A complete list of dates can be found at bryanadams.com.

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Looks like Ringo Starr may be getting ready to finally release his long-talked-about country album. 

The Beatles drummer just shared a new picture on Instagram that shows him wearing a cowboy hat, with many fans in the comments speculating that it’s a tease for the country album. 

Ringo initially revealed that he was working on a country record back in May. He later shared that he was working with T. Bone Burnett on the project, telling USA Today in an interview that it wouldn’t be released “until October, at least.”

The country album will be a follow-up to Ringo’s latest EP, Crooked Boy, which was released in April. That album was produced by Linda Perry, who previously worked with Ringo on two of his earlier EPs, writing “Coming Undone” for Change the World and “Everyone and Everything” for EP3.

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Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee is recovering in a Las Vegas hospital after being shot “multiple times” during a street shooting in the city, according to a statement by his management.

“Lee is fully conscious and doing well in an intensive care unit at a Las Vegas hospital,” reads the statement. “He is expected to fully recover.” 

The shooting occurred while Lee was out walking his dog. Police believe it was “completely random.”

Police are currently investigating the incident, with the statement noting “no further comments will be forthcoming.”

It adds, “Lee and his family appreciate respecting their privacy at this time.”

Lee backed Ozzy on guitar from 1982 and 1987, and appeared on the 1983 album Bark at the Moon, which sold over 3 million records. He also appeared on 1986’s The Ultimate Sin and toured with Ozzy behind the record before being fired by Ozzy’s wife, Sharon Osbourne.

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The eighth annual Allman Betts Family Revival is set to kick off in November, and some new artists have been added to the trek, including Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash.

The 20-date tour begins Nov. 30 in St. Charles, Illinois, and features performances by The Allman Betts Band, made up of Gregg Allman’s son Devon Allman and Dickey Betts‘ son Duane Betts, playing the music of The Allman Brothers.

Slash is set to appear at the Dec. 16 show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

Other new additions to the tour include Greg Koch, Donavan Frankenreiter, Maggie Rose and John Moreland in select cities.

The tour also features Robert Randolph, Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson, Jimmy Hall, Anders Osborne and Sierra Green, as well as G. Love, Jake Shimabukuro, Grace Bowers and more.

The shows are set to feature two sets, one focused on the 1970s Duane Allman era of the band, and the other devoted to the 1990s Allman Brothers comeback era.

The tour will once again feature visuals from The Brotherhood of Light, known for their previous work with the Allman Brothers.

The Allman Betts Family Revival wraps up Dec. 21 in San Francisco. A complete list of dates and lineups for each show can be found at allmanbettsfamilyrevival.com.

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n 2022, Chris Cornell‘s solo band member Pete Thorn revealed that the late Soundgarden frontman was set to collaborate with Eddie Van Halen on a song that never came to be. Now, the late Van Halen shredder’s brother and bandmate, Alex Van Halen, tells Rolling Stone that the two jammed together with Cornell.

The three-man session later became just Cornell and Alex after Eddie stepped away, the drummer recalls.

“Chris was in a very fragile part of his life, so to speak,” Alex says. “I got behind the drums, and he started playing bass. We played for 45 minutes. This motherf***** got so into it he started bleeding.”

“I said, ‘This is the man you want,'” Alex continues. “And then he died.”

Alex says he doesn’t remember exactly when the jam took place. Cornell died in May 2017.

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Foo Fighters are among the finalists for the 2024 Anthem Awards.

The annual ceremony, now in its fourth year, is described as the “most comprehensive social impact award,” and honors the “purpose and mission-driven work of the individuals, companies, and organizations making a difference worldwide.”

Dave Grohl and company are recognized in the Health – Awareness (Nonprofit) category for their March performance at the Power to the Patients benefit concert in Washington, D.C., which called for transparency in health care pricing.

“The Anthem Awards shine a spotlight on those who are not just dreaming of a better world, but actively creating it,” says Patricia McLoughlin, general manager of the Anthem Awards. “The inspiring work of Anthem Finalists serves as a beacon of hope and positivity amid challenging times and I encourage everyone to support their remarkable work through Anthem Community Voice, reinforcing our collective mission to uplift those who are making a difference.”

The winners of the 2024 Anthem Awards will be announced Nov. 19. For more info, visit AnthemAwards.com.

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Sting‘s on the road with his latest musical project, Sting 3.0: a “power trio” with himself on bass, Dominic Miller on guitar and Chris Maas on drums. If that lineup sounds familiar, it should: Sting’s former band The Police was also a bass/guitar/drums combo. Sting says touring with a trio now is all part of his ongoing effort to keep things interesting.

“I’m playing songs that I may have written 40 years ago … so I have to keep my curiosity about them intact. And I do that by putting myself out of my comfort zone,” he explains. “I think it’s a very creative place to be. It’s a little scary.”

He notes wryly, “I’ve had some experience with a three-piece band before, quite successfully, so it’s not entirely unknown territory. What’s very heartening is that the songs are sturdy enough to withstand a lot of stripping away … you just have the bare bones of the structure of the song, and it still gets over.”

Sting also stays on his toes by letting his guitarist choose a song in the middle of the performance.

“Dominic, who has a fantastic memory, will challenge me with with a song that I only half know,” he chuckles. “And I have my heart in my mouth, I’m wondering, ‘Is he going to ask for something that I don’t really know?’ But so far, it’s proved okay.”

In between the trio’s theater shows, they’re also co-headlining stadiums with Billy Joel, which will continue into 2025, along with a European tour. And Sting says he has no intention of slowing down.

“No, I don’t really want to stop. I mean, I walk out in front of 15, 20,000 people most nights and they’re pleased to see me,” he says. “You don’t want to give that up!” 

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Alex Van Halen‘s given his first interview since the death of his brother Eddie Van Halen, talking to Rolling Stone ahead of the Oct. 22 release of his memoir, Brothers.

In the interview, Alex talks about his reaction to his brother’s 2020 death, telling the mag it led to a diagnosis of PTSD.

“I shut down,” he says. “I was yelling and screaming. I was beside myself.”

Alex also dishes a little dirt, blaming David Lee Roth for the collapse of a planned Van Halen tour following Eddie’s death. 

“The thing that broke the camel’s back, and I can be honest about this now,” Alex says, “was I said, ‘Dave, at some point, we have to have a very overt — not a bowing — but an acknowledgment of Ed in the gig.’ …  And the moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave f*****’ popped a fuse. … The vitriol that came out was unbelievable.”

Roth did not comment on the accusation, although the mag notes Alex and David are still in touch.

Alex says looking at it now he can’t imagine touring without Eddie. As for former frontman Sammy Hagar playing Van Halen songs on tour with guitarist Joe Satriani, the mag says Alex wouldn’t even say Sammy’s name.

“The heart and the soul and the creativity and the magic was Dave, Ed, Mike (Anthony), and me,” he says. Rolling Stone notes the only mention of the Van Hagar years in the book was Alex writing, “We had a lot of other singers over the years.”

Also in the article, Alex tells Rolling Stone that in 2001 they almost got Ozzy Osbourne to front the band, but it didn’t happen because he was in negotiations for the MTV reality show The Osbournes. 

Finally, talking about Eddie, Alex says, “I just miss him. I miss the arguments. I live with it every day. And I can’t bring him back. I can’t make things right.” 

But he says he feels his brother’s presence.

“He was there this morning,” he says. “He’s fine. Wherever he is — he’s fine.”

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