Elton John says prior to fatherhood, his life had “no purpose”

October 11, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Elton John‘s decision to launch a Farewell Tour came about because he says he found a new purpose in life when he became a father.

Speaking to Attitude magazine, Elton says he kept on touring for decades because he felt he didn’t have anything else in his life. As he puts it, he and his husband, David Furnish, were “two affluent gay people going around the world with a nice philanthropic side to us, but there was no other purpose other than that.”

But he says after they had their first child, Zachary, in 2010, and their second, Elijah, in 2013, they finally had something to focus on.

“Having the children changed everything for the better because now it’s all about them,” he says. “It’s all about their welfare and their future … it’s the children that just really inspire us and it’s the most wonderful time of my life at the moment, and that’s pretty amazing.”

Having wrapped up his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour last year, Elton says, “I understand why Adele wants to stop because there’s more to life. I’ve done nearly over 5,000 shows in my life and I’ve done all there is to do, and so I just knew that my boys and David needed me, and I need them.”

Attitude magazine gave Elton its Legacy Award Wednesday, which had been given out just one time prior — posthumously, in 2017, to Elton’s close friend Princess Diana. In his speech, he noted that he’s “very lucky” to live in a country where, as a gay man, he can be married and have kids.

“But there are still people who don’t have those rights,” he said. “And I intend to fight for those rights until the day I die.”

Foghat pays tribute to original lead singer Lonesome Dave Peverett with new song

October 11, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Foghat has just released a new single dedicated to their original lead singer and guitarist, Lonesome Dave Peverett, who passed away in 2000.

The tune, “On Tonsils & Sneakers,” is inspired by Peverett’s stage introduction, “… on Tonsils and Sneakers, I’m Lonesome Dave,” and celebrates the silver and gold sneakers the rocker would wear during shows.

“When Lonesome Dave sang and played with this band, he gave nothing less than 100%,” drummer and founding member Roger Earl shares. “I loved playing with Dave. All I had to do was have fun playing drums.”

“Every once in a while you meet someone who changes the whole trajectory of your life,” guitarist Bryan Bassett adds. “Lonesome Dave Peverett was that person for me. From the day we met in the late ‘80s our friendship blossomed, I became his touring partner, I met my future wife and became a part of the Foghat family.”

“On Tonsils & Sneakers” is out now via digital outlets and will be released on 7-inch red translucent vinyl on Nov. 29 for Record Store Black Friday. The B-side will feature “Black Days & Blue Nights,” a song from Foghat’s 2023 album, Sonic Mojo, which was a tribute to the band’s original slide guitarist, Rod Price, who passed away in 2005.

On This Day, Oct. 11, 1997: Elton John hit #1 with tribute to Princess Diana

October 11, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, Oct. 11, 1997 …

Elton John landed at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Candle in the Wind ’97,” a tribute to his close friend, the late Princess Diana.

Elton first performed the song, a reworking of his 1974 single, at Diana’s funeral that September. He then recorded the track, with proceeds going to the Diana, Princess of Wales Fund. The song was released as a double A-side single with “Something About the Way You Look Tonight,” from Elton’s album The Big Picture.

The track spent 14 weeks at #1 in the U.S. and topped the charts in 20 different countries, including the U.K., Japan and Australia. It went on to become the first single to earn Diamond certification by the RIAA for sales of 10 million copies.

“Candle in the Wind ’97” is also the second highest-selling physical single of all time, behind Bing Crosby‘s 1942 classic “White Christmas,” according to the Guinness Book of World Records, and has sold more than 33 million copies worldwide.

The track also earned Elton a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Stevie Nicks sings in new ‘Saturday Night Live’ promo

October 11, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Although she tried to resist, Stevie Nicks sings in the new promo for this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live, where she’ll serve as musical guest

Two clips were released featuring Stevie, host Ariana Grande and cast member Bowen Yang, and it’s in the second one where Stevie gives in and sings.

In the clip, Bowen comments about it being Ariana’s second time hosting the show, to which Ari replies, “You know what they say, lightning strikes, maybe once,” with Bowen adding, “Maybe twice,” which is a lyric to Stevie’s hit “Gypsy.” Stevie then warns them, “You can’t trick me into singing.”

But they don’t give up. Bowen then asks Ariana how her weekend was, and she responds, “It was good, you know, I climbed a mountain and I turned around,” with Bowen adding, “That’s so funny cause I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills,” both lyrics to the Fleetwood Mac tune “Landslide.”

That’s when Stevie finally gives in, singing “And the landslide brought me down,” prompting both Bowen and Ari to exclaim “Yes!”

This will be Nicks’ second time performing on SNL. The last time she was on the show was in December 1983, when she performed “Stand Back” and “Nightbird” from her sophomore solo album, The Wild Heart.

Stevie recently released the new single “The Lighthouse,” a song about women’s rights, which she says she started writing a few months after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

From Piano Man to The Entertainer: Billy Joel’s ‘Streetlife Serenade’ turns 50

October 11, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Friday marks the 50th anniversary of Billy Joel’s third studio album, Streetlife Serenade, which was a top 40 hit for the future Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.

Released Oct. 11, 1974, the album is best known for the song “The Entertainer,” which had Billy clapping back after his classic track “Piano Man” was cut for radio. In it he sings, “If you’re gonna have a hit, you gotta make it fit, so they cut it down to 3:05.”

While “The Entertainer” went on to become a fan favorite and a staple at Joel’s live shows, he says the song is often misunderstood. It features lyrics that appear to have Joel complaining about being a music superstar, although they’re actually meant to be sarcastic, something Joel says fans, and DJs, didn’t often get.

“The disc jockey saying, ‘OK, first he’s a piano man. He’s b******* about playing in a piano bar. He’s moaning about his life,’” Billy said in a video about the album made for his website. “’Now he’s got a successful record. Now he’s b******* about being successful.’”

Streetlife Serenade was the follow-up to his 1972 breakthrough Piano Man, and even Billy admits he wasn’t at his best. He says the quality suffered because he was too busy opening for other acts on the road, sharing he “didn’t really have a lot of time to write new material.”

“But there was a lot of pressure to put out another album after Piano Man and I just didn’t have a lot of stuff,” he said. “There’s even two instrumentals and when’s the last time, you know, a singer-songwriter put out an instrumental?”

Streetlife Serenade went on to sell over 1 million copies and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Pearl Jam premieres “Waiting for Stevie” live video

October 10, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Pearl Jam has premiered a new live video for “Waiting for Stevie,” a track off their new album, Dark Matter.

The recording was filmed during PJ’s hometown show in Seattle on May 30 and features some psychedelic lighting to augment the performance. You can watch it streaming now on YouTube.

That same live version of “Waiting for Stevie” will be released on a 12-inch single for Record Store Day Black Friday, taking place Nov. 29. The single, which recognizes “Waiting for Stevie” as the 2024 RSD Song of the Year, also includes a live recording of the Dark Matter song “Wreckage.”

Dark Matter, the 12th Pearl Jam record, was released in April. The band wrapped their U.S. tour in September, and will head to Australia and New Zealand in November.

Trailer for ’Midas Man’, biopic on Beatles manager Brian Epstein, released

October 10, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

The first trailer for Midas Man, the upcoming biopic on the late Beatles manager Brian Epstein, has just been released, giving fans their first look at The Queen’s Gambit star Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as Epstein.

The clip also features glimpses of The Beatles: Jonah Lees as John Lennon, Blake Richardson as Paul McCartney, Leo Harvey-Elledge as George Harrison and Adam Lawrence as original drummer Pete Best.

“What I saw on that stage, I shall never forget it,” Epstein says in the clip after his first experience seeing The Beatles. He is later heard telling a group of men, “Those boys will be bigger than Elvis,” which elicits laughs.

The clip also features footage of The Beatles in the studio and touches on Epstein’s private life. It also gives us a look at Jay Leno playing Ed Sullivan as he introduces the band on his show.

The cast for Midas Man also includes Emily Watson, Eddie Marsan and Eddie Izzard.

Midas Man debuts in the U.K. in October. So far a U.S. release date hasn’t been announced.

James Hetfield doesn’t want Metallica to be a “legacy band”

October 10, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

James Hetfield doesn’t want Metallica to be a “legacy band.”

Speaking on the latest episode of The Metallica Report podcast, Hetfield shares that he feels “confidence” going into the 2025 leg of ‘Tallica’s M72 tour after songs off their latest album, 2023’s 72 Seasons, got such a positive response live during the 2023 and 2024 legs.

“We’re not afraid of it,” Hetfield says of including new songs in the set. “But we’re not overindulging in it, as well.”

“We know people wanna hear the ‘best-of,’ and you gotta challenge them to listen to some of the new stuff, as well,” he continues. “We certainly don’t wanna be a legacy band that just plays their greatest hits and then that’s it. It’s all a part of it.”

Metallica wrapped their 2024 tour in September in Mexico City. They’ll close out the year with their Los Angeles Helping Hands benefit concert in December before launching their 2025 tour in April.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts get political with “If You’re Blue” video

October 10, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts are showing their support for the Democratic party. The rockers shared a new video using their 2023 song “If You’re Blue” to encourage folks to “Vote Blue” at the polls this November.

“We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the world” blasts across the screen at the opening of the clip. “It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done.”

Then a quote from Vice President Kamala Harris appears, reading, “We must be worthy of this moment.”

The video cuts to images of America, with words like freedom, opportunity, compassion and dignity flashing across the screen, along with phrases like “turn the page,” “our fight our future,” “the American dream belongs to all of us” and “when we fight, we win,” the latter being a slogan used by Harris.

“If You’re Blue” appeared on Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ 2023 EP, Mindsets. It was the band’s first new music release since their acoustic album Changeup, which dropped in March 2022.

Grandpa is a Rolling Stone: Mick Jagger’s daughter Georgia gives birth to first child

October 10, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Rolling Stone frontman Mick Jagger is a grandfather again.

The rocker’s daughter Georgia May Jagger announced on Instagram that she and her boyfriend, skateboarder Cambryan Sedlick, welcomed son Dean Lee Jagger Sedlick on Sept. 30.

Georgia shared a collage of pictures of the family, including one with mom Jerry Hall.

“We are so in Love and happy and can’t stop staring at him,” she writes. “Thanks @cambryans for being so incredible through everything and taking such good care of us.”

Georgia is one of Mick’s four children with Hall. He has a total of eight kids with five different women. His youngest, son Deveraux, with current girlfriend Melanie Hamrick, is 8. His daughter Karis, who he had with former girlfriend Marsha Hunt, is already a mom, as is daughter Jade, whose mother is Jagger’s former wife, Bianca.

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