Billy Idol receives AMA Lifetime Achievement Award: ‘Find out who you are and be it!’

May 25, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Billy Idol had the honor of closing Monday night’s American Music Awards, as he accepted the AMA Lifetime Achievement Award and then took the stage to perform two of his classic hits.

Idol was presented the award by Grammy-winning R&B star Leon Thomas, who said he became a fan of the newly minted Rock & Roll Hall of Famer via his late stepdad, musician Jon Kevin Jones. Accepting his award, Idol, rocking a purple shirt and black leather blazer, thanked the fans, saying, “I’ve been able to live my dream. It’s really because of all of you.”

Idol, who started his career 50 years ago as part of the U.K.’s burgeoning punk rock scene, said, “We believed in what we were doing. And we thought that if we just dreamed into this life and gave it everything we had, it would give it back to us in spades. And that’s exactly what happened.”

He concluded by offering a message to “any kid out there” who is interested in music and is “inspired to create that feeling of freedom and pursue a life of art.”

“All I can say is, pick up an instrument, find out who you are, and be it!” he advised. He then took the stage with his longtime musical partner, guitarist Steve Stevens, to perform “Eyes Without a Face” and “Dancing with Myself.”

Idol and Stevens will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame together November 14 in LA; the ceremony will air in December on ABC and Disney+.

Why Rush’s Geddy Lee calls location of Fifty Something tour launch a ‘supremely stupid idea’

May 22, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Rush has a lot of emotional baggage associated with the Forum in Los Angeles. The band wrapped their R40 Live tour at the venue in 2015, which marked their final show with drummer Neil Peart before his death in 2020. Then in 2022, bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson reunited at the Forum to play a tribute concert to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Now, Rush is preparing to return to the Forum again to launch their highly anticipated Fifty Something tour, which will mark their first since Peart’s passing. Speaking with Classic Rock magazine, Lee calls beginning the tour at the Forum a “supremely stupid idea.”

“It’s a massively stupid idea, because we’re going to be so emotional already, that first show without Neil, and then to be in that building,” Lee says. “What the f*** was I thinking?”

As emotional as that first night back might be, Lee and Lifeson are looking forward to the tour, which will feature Anika Nilles on drums.

“Well there’s only one thing you look forward to, and that’s playing,” Lifeson says. “I’m looking forward to that feeling of being on stage and playing and getting lost in the song and hitting every note correctly.”

“I’ve got one goal, and that’s to be better than I was ten years ago,” Lee adds. “Which is tough. It’s a real challenge.”

“But that’s the goal,” Lifeson continues. “And honestly, that’s what is driving me in this whole thing. We’re at this stage now where I’ve committed to it. And all I want at the end of the day is for us to be Rush and to be amazing.”

The Rush Fifty Something tour kicks off June 7 with the first of four shows at the Forum and is currently scheduled into 2027.

David Gilmour pays tribute to late Pink Floyd saxophonist Dick Parry

May 22, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

You may not know saxophonist Dick Parry’s name, but if you’re a Pink Floyd fan, you’ve heard his work on some of the band’s best-known tracks. Guitarist David Gilmour has paid tribute to Parry, who he says passed away on May 22 at 83 years old.

“My dear friend Dick Parry died this morning. Since I was seventeen, I have played in bands with Dick on saxophone, including Pink Floyd,” Gilmour wrote on Instagram. “His feel and tone make his saxophone playing unmistakable, a signature of enormous beauty that is known to millions and is such a big part of songs such as Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Wish You Were Here, Us and Them and Money.”

Gilmour continued, “He played in the last band I had that included Rick Wright for the On An Island Tour and at Live 8 with Pink Floyd.”

Gilmour also shared several photos of him playing with Parry throughout the years, including one of a performance in Cambridge, England in 1963, years before they’d experienced any success.

In addition to the songs that Gilmour named, Parry also played on the 1994 Pink Floyd album, The Division Bell, and joined the band for every live performance from 1973 to 1977, and again in 1994.

Floyd wasn’t the only legendary band Parry played with: He toured as part of The Who’s brass section in 1979 and 1980, and played on Who bassist John Entwistle’s 1975 solo album, Mad Dog.

Watch Paul (Mescal) meet Paul (McCartney) in upcoming Amazon Music series

May 22, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Paul Mescal is portraying Paul McCartney in the upcoming quartet of Beatles films being made by Sam Mendes, so Amazon Music has tapped Mescal to interview McCartney about his new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane.

The Boys of Dungeon Lane: In Conversation with Paul McCartney & Paul Mescal premieres Monday on Amazon Music and Amazon Live, and there’s a sneak peek of it on Instagram. In it, McCartney and Mescal sit in the “Dungeon Lane Cafe,” have tea and chat.

“There’s this actor, Peter Ustinov,” McCartney says. “And he said he liked doing interviews, because it allowed him to know what he was thinking.”

“About a project?” Mescal replies. “About anything,” McCartney answers.

“How do you feel about being interviewed?” Mescal asks McCartney. “You know what? It depends if I like the person,” smiles McCartney.

“OK, bro,” laughs Mescal, as McCartney continues, jokingly, “Which is where we’re running into a problem.”

And yes, Mescal really called Sir Paul McCartney “bro.”

The Boys of Dungeon Lane is out May 29.

Tommy Lee releases new ‘Stupid World’ song alongside ‘Tommyland Rides Again’ album

May 22, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Tommy Lee has released a new song called “Stupid World.”

The track is included on Tommyland Rides Again, a reimagined version of the Mötley Crüe drummer’s 2005 solo album, Tommyland: The Ride.

Lee recorded “Stupid World” alongside musician and former pro skateboarder Chad Tepper. They’re both featured in the song’s accompanying video, as is Mötley guitarist John 5.

Tommyland Rides Again boasts a new mix of the original Tommyland: The Ride album, which “brings new depth and energy to every track, delivering a sonic experience that simply wasn’t possible back in 2005,” a press release says.

The album includes collaborations with Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, Something Corporate’s Andrew McMahon and Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter, as well as the single “Good Times,” which was the theme song to the 2005 reality series Tommy Lee Goes to College.

Tommyland Rides Again is out now on digital platforms and will be released on physical formats Sept. 18.

Mötley Crüe will launch their Return of the Carnival of Sins tour in July.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

Elton John named first-ever president of UK’s Ivors Academy

May 22, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Elton John got an honor that nobody has ever received before Thursday in London.

He was named the first-ever president of The Ivors Academy, a U.K. not-for-profit that works to support, empower and celebrate songwriters and composers. The Academy also hands out the Ivor Novello Awards aka the Ivors, which honor Britain and Ireland’s best songwriters.

Elton got the honor because he’s “reached the pinnacle” of his profession and is “committed to giving back by supporting the community and advancing the Academy’s mission to protect the future of music.” It’s an ambassadorial role, which will see Elton advocate for rights and recognition for music creators worldwide.

In addition to being named president, Elton was given an Ivors Academy Honour, a special award that recognizes his work in championing new and emerging talent, which he does each week through his Apple Music show, the Rocket Hour.

Accepting his awards, Elton said, “To be able to write a song, it is such a personal, wonderful thing. … We’re an amazing country that produces great songwriting. … The new music that I hear inspires me, and I can’t thank them enough for keeping me young.”

At the event on Thursday, Harry Styles was on hand to pay tribute to his musical hero, Thom Yorke of Radiohead. The late George Michael was also honored.

Why Phil Collins would ‘rather not’ perform at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony

May 22, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Phil Collins will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for a second time on Nov. 14, but as of now, he doesn’t plan on taking the stage to sing any of his countless hits.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Collins says that even though he is “healthier now than I have been for quite awhile,” he still doesn’t think he’s in good enough shape for the event. “They asked me if I would perform, and I said ‘no,’ y’know, ’cause you’ve got to be match fit to do something like that,” he explains.

“Match fit” is a term usually applied to athletes: It means being in good enough shape to play a game or, as they say in the U.K., a match.

“You can’t just go onstage and — you’re gonna have to rehearse,” he continues. “And then by that point, if you’ve not been singing, your voice is gonna be shot and then that’s not gonna be good. So, I’d rather not do it.”

That doesn’t mean that Collins has given up on the idea of making music or playing live.

“But whether I would go out again, I would contemplate — yeah,” he says. “I mean, I’m constantly saying to myself, ‘I’ve gotta go back down into my studio at home.'”

“I’ve got lots of lyrical ideas that I write down. And there are things that are half-formed and a couple of things that are finished,” he adds. “So, y’know, there’s things that I can get my teeth into to start working on.”

Despite his health struggles, Collins notes, “When I look back, I’ve lived a charmed life. I’ve really enjoyed most of it — 99% of it.”

Collins is already in the Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis.

Neil Young releases standalone reissues of ‘Harvest Moon,’ ’Unplugged,’ ‘Sleeps with Angels’ & ’Mirror Ball’

May 22, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Neil Young has released reissues of his ’90s albums Harvest Moon, Unplugged, Sleeps with Angels and Mirror Ball.

All four titles were previously collected into vinyl and CD box sets in 2025 as part of Young’s Official Release Series reissue campaign, but are now available as standalone releases.

Harvest Moon was released in 1992 and served as a sort of spiritual successor to Young’s classic 1972 album, Harvest. It was followed in 1993 by Unplugged, which Young recorded as part of MTV’s Unplugged performance series.

1994’s Sleeps with Angels found Young back together with his frequent backing band, Crazy Horse, while 1995’s Mirror Ball was recorded with members of Pearl Jam.

Young’s most recent album is 2025’s Talkin to the Trees, which he recorded with his band the Chrome Hearts. A live album with the Chrome Hearts called As Time Explodes is due out May 29.

Hello, Goodbye: Paul McCartney turns off the lights on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ‘

May 22, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Back in 1964, Paul McCartney played The Ed Sullivan Show with The Beatles. And on Thursday night, he returned to the same venue to turn out the lights on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Sir Paul returned to Ed Sullivan Theater, as it was renamed in 1967, to sit for an interview with Colbert on the host’s final broadcast, and then performed The Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye,” with Colbert singing backup, along with Elvis Costello, former bandleader Jon Batiste and the show’s staff.

During the interview, Colbert asked McCartney if the theater still brings back memories. “When you close your eyes, do you hear the girls screaming?” “Yeah,” McCartney replied as the women in the audience screamed wildly.

“How often does that happen to you at this point?” Colbert asked when the screams died down. “Often,” said McCartney.

McCartney also reminisced about how, when The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, they got makeup put on them for the cameras and “it was, like, bright orange.” “That’s very popular in certain circles these days,” joked Colbert. “Now we know where it started. Thanks a lot, Paul McCartney!”

Sir Paul also talked about the romantic vision The Beatles had of America as “the land of the free, the greatest democracy,” adding, “That was what it was. It still is, hopefully.”

Prior to “Hello Goodbye,” Colbert, Costello and Batiste performed an obscure Costello song, “Jump Up.” Then, as “Hello Goodbye” faded out, Colbert went to turn out the lights, and beckoned McCartney to join him. He threw the switch, the building went dark, and it was then sucked into a wormhole and spit out into a snow globe, being sniffed at by a dog. We then heard Colbert’s voice saying, “C’mon Benny, let’s go,” and the show ended.

Dylan un-covered: Hit songs written by Bob Dylan

May 22, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Legendary singer/songwriter Bob Dylan turns 85 on Sunday.

While Dylan has been called one of the greatest American songwriters, not many people are as effusive about his singing voice. But the love of his songwriting has led many artists to cover Dylan’s songs, sometimes landing bigger hits than Dylan himself.

Here’s a look at some of the more iconic Dylan covers:

“All Along the Watchtower” – Dylan’s version came out in 1967, but the song is probably most recognized for Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 rendition, which appeared on the Jimi Hendrix Experience album Electric Ladyland. The song has subsequently been covered artists like Pearl Jam, U2 and Dave Matthews Band.

“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” – Dylan’s 1973 version peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It saw renewed popularity thanks to Guns N’ Roses’ 1987 cover, which was recorded for the Tom Cruise movie Days of Thunder and appeared on Guns’ album Use Your Illusion II.

“Make You Feel My Love” – Lots of artists have covered Dylan’s 1997 love song, including Billy Joel for his 1997 Greatest Hits Volume III compilation, although he called it “To Make You Feel My Love.” Other notable covers include Adele’s take, which appeared on her debut album, 19, and Garth Brooks’ version, using Joel’s title, which was featured in the 1998 movie Hope Floats.

“Mr. Tambourine Man” – Dylan’s version was released in March 1965, but it became a huge success when the Byrds released their take a month later as their debut single, which went to #1. Both versions have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

“Blowin’ in the Wind” – Just one month after Dylan’s 1963 release of the song, Peter, Paul & Mary released their cover, which spent five weeks at #1 and won two Grammys. Both versions have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

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