Classic Rock 93.9

Midas Man, the long-in-the-works biopic about late Beatles manager Brian Epstein, is set to open the 2024 Toronto Jewish Film Festival.

The film will premiere Thursday at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. For more info, visit TJFF.com.

Midas Man stars The Queen’s Gambit‘s Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as Epstein, who became The Beatles’ manager in 1962 after discovering them in their hometown of Liverpool. He continued to work with the Fab Four until his death in 1967 and is often referred to as the “fifth Beatle.”

An Epstein biopic was first announced way back in 2020 and went through multiple directors before finally landing in the hands of British filmmaker Joe Stephenson.

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

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On This Day, May 30, 1987 …

Rocker David Bowie kicked off his Glass Spider tour in support of his album Never Let Me Down.

The tour was known for its elaborate set design, which included what looked like a giant spider with light-up legs. It was described at the time as “the largest touring set ever.” It took 43 trucks to move and weighed an estimated 360 tons.

Bowie was joined by his old schoolmate Peter Frampton on guitar, as well as dancers that Bowie co-choreographed with Toni Basil.

In addition to songs from Never Let Me Down, the set list included such Bowie classics as “China Girl,” “Fashion,” “Heroes,” “Let’s Dance,” “Fame” and “Modern Love.”

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European fans of Heart are out of luck: The band has canceled their European tour, which was set to kick off in June, run through July and include festival appearances, in addition to headlining dates.

The band announced on Instagram that the shows are being scrapped because Ann Wilson has to undergo what’s described as “a time-sensitive but routine medical procedure for which the minimum recovery time is six weeks.” 

Ann added, “I’m okay! Please don’t worry. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. It’s certainly an inconvenience for me. Love & respect always, Ann.”

The band’s upcoming tour of the U.S., which will feature them performing with Cheap Trick, is still on for the time being. Heart is scheduled to perform on a bill with Journey and Def Leppard on July 30, August 2 and August 5.

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We’re less than two weeks away from the release of the new Bon Jovi album, FOREVER, and the first single, “Legendary,” is a hit. Jon Bon Jovi tells ABC Audio why he felt that “Legendary” was the right song to be the album’s first single.

“You know, I think that it just sums up the bumper sticker for where I’m at in my life today,” he says. “‘I’ve got what I want because I got what I need/ A fistful of friends that’ll stand up for me/ And right where I am is where I want to be.’ And I think that pretty much sums it up.”

The song proves that, 40 years later, Bon Jovi can still come up with a hit. But Jon says the music business is quite a different animal than it was when he and the band first started out.

“You know, the rules are changing. And it’s not any better or worse. It’s just different for [a] different generation of people that are coming up now,” notes Jon.

“They have to worry about likes, you know, things like that that are so much different than when I started,” he continues. “It was all really solely about a song. And then, could you perform? That was the criteria.” 

FOREVER is Bon Jovi’s first album since October 2020. Due to Jon’s ongoing vocal issues, the band hasn’t announced any touring plans, but while we’re waiting to see if that happens, you can watch their Hulu documentary, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, streaming now.

Disney is the parent company of Hulu and ABC News.

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A run of iconic concert films will screen on AXS TV as part of the cable channel’s summer programming.

Among those being shown are Queen‘s Live at Wembley, Tom Petty‘s Live from Gatorville and Robert Plant‘s Live from the Artists Den, which will air June 29, June 22 and June 1, respectively.

Live at Wembly was recorded during Queen’s record-breaking 1986 performance at the famed London stadium. Live from Gatorville captured Petty’s return to his hometown of Gainesville, Florida, alongside The Heartbreakers in 2006, while Live from the Artists Den was filmed during Plant’s performance alongside his solo Band of Joy group during a 2011 episode of the long-running concert series.

The lineup also includes concert films by Metallica, Aerosmith, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Fleetwood Mac, ZZ Top, The Doobie Brothers, Elvis Costello, Bon Jovi, Journey, Foreigner and Heart.

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Eddie Vedder took a moment during Pearl Jam‘s concert Tuesday in Seattle to honor late basketball legend Bill Walton, who passed away Monday from cancer.

Speaking to the crowd, Vedder called Walton a “big man with a huge heart” who “cut a wide path of peace and love behind him.”

“Godd***** Bill, we miss you already,” Vedder continued. “I just wanna state our love for you in public … Thanks for all the good energy.”

During Vedder’s remarks, the venue’s screen showed a photo of Walton attending a Pearl Jam show in San Diego.

You can watch footage of Vedder’s tribute on Pearl Jam’s Instagram.

In addition to being a Pearl Jam fan, Walton was famous for being a Deadhead, and several Grateful Dead members shared their love following his passing.

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Looks like someone didn’t need any “Help!” spending their money on a unique collectible from The Beatles. 

On the first day of its Music Icons sale at the Hard Rock Cafe New York, Julien’s Auctions sold a 12-string guitar used by John Lennon to record several Beatles classics for a whopping $2.9 million. That makes it the most expensive Beatles guitar ever to sell at auction. The person who bought it purchased it via a telephone bid, the auction house says.

As previously reported, the Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar was used by both John and George Harrison to record songs like “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away,” “Girl,” “It’s Only Love,” “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” “Help!” and “Norwegian Wood.” It can also be seen in the movie Help!

Presumed lost for 50 years, the guitar was recently discovered in the attic of a 90-year-old man who once worked as the road manager for the ’60s duo Peter and Gordon. The duo’s Gordon Waller had gotten it from Lennon in 1965 and then passed it along to the road manager.

Other Beatles items sold during the auction’s first day include the band’s RIAA Gold single award for “Hey Jude,” previously owned by Julian Lennon, which went for nearly $32,000, and a copy of the band’s Please Please Me album signed by all four Beatles, which went for $39,000. A guitar played by early Beatles collaborator Tony Sheridan, who worked with them during the very early ’60s, sold for more than $76,200.

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The Police‘s final album, Synchronicity, is being reissued in honor of its 40th anniversary.

The release will be available in a variety of different formats, including six-CD and four-LP sets, on July 26. The most expansive edition boasts 55 previously unreleased tracks, including alternate takes, instrumentals, demos and live recordings.

You’ll also find new liner notes, interviews and previously unseen photographs.

You can preorder your copy now.

Synchronicity was released in 1983 and became The Police’s bestselling album. It’s certified eight-times Platinum by the RIAA and spawned hits including “Every Breath You Take,” “King of Pain” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger.”

The Police went on hiatus in 1984 before breaking up in 1986, making Synchronicity their final album.

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In a story that starts off infuriating but ends up heartwarming, the Osbourne family has taken in a new dog.

The infuriating part is that the pup, a bulldog, had been set on fire and abandoned. The heartwarming part is that he was found and nursed back to health by the organization Underdog Heroes Rescue. The Osbournes then adopted him after Sharon saw him while scrolling through TikTok.

“Everything they do is to rescue dogs that have been harmed, and they find the best homes,” Sharon says of Underdog Heroes during the latest episode of The Osbournes podcast.

“That’s so commendable,” Ozzy adds. “I’m glad he’s in our house now.”

The Osbournes are also asking fans for help naming their new addition. The names in contention include Pork Chop, Walter and Baby.

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Jon Bon Jovi is opening up about son Jake Bongiovi‘s wedding to Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown.

The rock legend confirmed the two recently tied the knot and shared a few details from the young newlyweds’ special day.

“They’re great. They’re absolutely fantastic,” Bon Jovi shared on BBC’s The One Show on Thursday. “It was a very small family wedding, and the bride looked gorgeous and Jake is happy as can be.”

Brown, 20, and Bongiovi, 22, who have been linked since 2021, announced their engagement in April 2023 on Instagram.

The Enola Holmes actress told Good Morning America in September 2023 that wedding planning was a “really, really exciting” process.

“It’s such an amazing part of my life so far, and just being able to do it with someone makes it even better,” she added.

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