Classic Rock 93.9

The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan is set to star in an upcoming unscripted series debuting on The CW later in 2024.

The currently untitled show will follow Corgan in his role as the president of the NWA wrestling company. Additionally, it will focus on his life, family and, a press release puts it, his “day job,” which we can only assume refers to the Pumpkins.

“It offers an unprecedented vignette into every dimension of [Corgan’s] world with unparalleled candor,” the release reads.

The series is part of a larger deal between Corgan and The CW to exclusively stream NWA programming.

“The CW has made a big commitment to sports, and they have an incredible top-tier streaming platform,” Corgan says. “The network’s audience represents a very wide swath of American culture — which wrestling has always been a key part of. This partnership gives us the opportunity to reach that audience more readily. We’re excited to get the chance to show there are other voices in professional wrestling.”

“With NWA, there’s honesty, integrity, and a different level of swagger, because it’s coming from the underground,” he continues. “It’s similar to rock ‘n’ roll in this respect. With The CW behind us, we’re pulling NWA into the light where fans can appreciate its authenticity.”

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Foreigner is one of the nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, and producer Mark Ronson has recruited some celebrity friends to make the case for why they deserve to be inducted.

Ronson, who’s the stepson of Foreigner’s Mick Jones, has shared a for-your-consideration video on Instagram, featuring Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, all sharing their love of the ’70s rock band.

“Everything that made me want to be a record producer came from being in the studio watching Foreigner make records,” Ronson writes. “It’s also kind of crazy that this is the first time they’ve ever been on the ballot for the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame – after 20 years of eligibility.”

He adds, “Yes, Mick is my stepdad and I love him more than anything. But I’m also a MEGA fan just like Dave, Jack, Slash, Chad and Josh… Enjoy this video and VOTE BABY VOTE!”

“I’ve loved Foreigner since I got their debut record,” Grohl shares in the clip. “There’s one drum riff that I have used in more than a few songs.”

Referring to Foreigner’s #1 song, Homme adds, “You want to know what love is? Love is putting Foreigner in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.” 

The clip ends with Black singing a portion of “Feels Like the First Time” and joking, “Hey, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, open the door! Foreigner’s waiting outside. Let ’em in.”

Fan voting is open until April 26, with inductees to be announced later that month. The ceremony, happening this fall in Cleveland, will stream live on Disney+, followed by a highlights special airing later on ABC.

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It’s Pearl Jam, on ice! Well, sort of.

In a social media post, the grunge rockers have announced the 2024 Pearl Jam Night with the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team. The festivities will take place March 14 and will feature the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs taking on the Flyers at their home arena, the Wells Fargo Center.

Attendees will get a T-shirt featuring the Flyers’ much-memed mascot, Gritty, jumping in front of the Pearl Jam logo, and access to a pregame performance by the PJ tribute band The Ledbetters. They’ll also get to take pictures with the arena’s Pearl Jam banner, which commemorates their many sellouts at the Wells Fargo Center, one of which featured a surprise performance of Ten in its entirety.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Pearl Jam’s charity organization, the Vitalogy Foundation.

Pearl Jam will play two nights at the Wells Fargo Center in September as part of their upcoming world tour. The trek will support PJ’s upcoming album Dark Matter, due out April 19.

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John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Dion Dimucci and Mavis Staples will be honored at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music’s second annual American Music Honors. 

The awards are handed out to artists “who have demonstrated artistic excellence, creative integrity, and a longstanding commitment to the value of music in our national consciousness.” 

“The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music is proud to honor these musically, culturally, and politically important artists,” Robert Santelli, founding executive director of the Springsteen Archives, shares. “All four artists—John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Mavis Staples, and Dion—have contributed mightily to the American music canon and have demonstrated how the power of song can act as an agent for positive change in our country.”

The event will take place April 24 at the Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, the home of the Bruce Springsteen Archives.

Steven Van Zandt and his band Disciples of Soul will act as house band for the night, with Springsteen, his manager Jon Landau and Darlene Love serving as presenters.

The American Music Honors launched in 2023, with Van Zandt and Love both honored, along with Sam & Dave‘s Sam Moore and Steve Earle.

The event is open to the public, with tickets going on sale March 26.

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On This Day, February 21, 1990 …

At the 32nd annual Grammy Awards, Bonnie Raitt took home four awards, including Album of the Year for Nick of Time. 

She also won for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female for the album’s title track, as well as Best Traditional Blues Recording for her Johnny Lee Hooker collaboration “I’m in the Mood.”

Raitt won her most recent Grammys in 2023, taking home three trophies: the coveted Song of the Year award for “Just Like That,” which also won Best American Roots Song, and for Best Americana Performance for “Made Up Mind.”

In total, Raitt has won 13 Grammy Awards from 30 nominations. She was also honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

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Foreigner has been on their Farewell tour since 2023, and while guitarist Mick Jones is the only original member still associated with the band, he hasn’t been part of the tour. He’s now revealed that Parkinson’s disease is what’s been keeping him from performing.

“Fans will have become very aware that for some time now, I have not been performing onstage with the band,” Jones shared in a statement. “Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I want everyone to know that I am doing alright. However, I’ve always liked to be at my best when performing onstage, and sadly, at present, I find that a bit difficult.”

Jones notes that while he hasn’t been performing, he’s still very much a part of Foreigner, working behind the scenes with the group.

“Parkinson’s is a daily struggle; several of my friends are also dealing with the disease,” he continues. “The important thing is to persevere with the loving support of my family, and remind myself of the wonderful career I’ve had in music.”

He went on to thank Foreigner fans for their support, noting “it always means so very much to me, especially so at this point in my life.” 

Foreigner released their self-titled debut album in 1977 and went on to sell over 80 million records worldwide. They have nine top 10 hits, one #1 album, 4, and one #1 single, “I Want To Know What Love Is.”

Earlier this month Foreigner was nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Inductees will be announced in late April, with the ceremony set to take place this fall in Cleveland.

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Now that it’s been announced that Sam Mendes will direct four separate movies about The Beatles — one for each band member — the speculation about who’ll play Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr has begun.

Variety has offered up some of suggestions, including Daisy Jones & The Six’s Sam Claflin as Lennon. Its other Lennon suggestions include Heartstopper’s Kit Connor; Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who played Lennon in 2009’s Nowhere Boy; and Love & Mercy’s Paul Dano.

Jacob Elordi, who played Elvis Presley in Priscilla, is one of its picks for McCartney. Other suggestions include Billy Elliott‘s Jamie Bell, although the publication notes that at 37 he could be too old; and Tom Holland, although it points out his Spider-Man schedule could get in the way.

For Harrison, it offers up Timothée Chalamet — although with him already playing Bob Dylan in an upcoming movie, Variety says that could be “one too many trips through the counterculture” for the actor. Other picks for Harrison include Sex Education’s Asa Butterfield and even Harrison’s son, 45-year-old Dhani Harrison, although it questions his age and whether he can act.

Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan and Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe are suggested for Starr, although it also mentions Daniel Day-Lewis to play the drummer, even though it notes he’s too old and already retired from acting.

Of course, it isn’t just Variety offering up suggestions. Vulture has a couple, as well, including Harry Styles as McCartney and Masters of the Air actor Callum Turner as Lennon.

Mendes’ planned films mark the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted a studio the rights to the life stories of band members and their legendary catalog of music. The films are due out in 2027.

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The Rolling Stones’ signature Crossfire Hurricane rum may be hitting your local liquor stores soon. The band has just signed a deal with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits to distribute the rum across the U.S. starting in late February.

The Stones launched Crossfire Hurricane, a proprietary blend of Caribbean rums from Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic, back in November, not long after they released Hackney Diamonds, their first album of new music in 18 years.

The rum was initially available online only and did record-setting sales, prompting the expansion. With the new deal Crossfire Hurricane rum will be on store shelves in Florida and California toward the end of February, with a nationwide rollout to follow.

And fans will soon be able to enjoy that rum before they head out to see The Stones live. The band kicks off their Hackney Diamonds tour on April 28 in Houston, Texas. A complete list of dates can be found at rollingstones.com.

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Being a drummer can certainly be hard on your hands, and Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee sure can attest to that. 

The rocker just revealed on Instagram that he underwent hand surgery three weeks ago, noting he had to address “2 debilitating issues for me as a drummer, keyboard player and pretty much everything to do with my right hand.”

And the surgery was a success, with Lee sharing, “I have my life back and my money makers. And for you drummers and musicians out there i can say it’s possible to fix!”

Lee shared explicit photos from the surgery, along with video of him being able to twirl his drumstick again, noting, “i haven’t been able to do that in a few years because of the Dupytrens Contracture and carpal tunnel issues that are now gone!”

Lee’s announcement is certainly good news for Mötley Crüe, considering they have several shows booked for 2024. Their next dates are happening May 3 and 4 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. A complete list of dates can be found at motley.com.

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Rod Stewart has hinted that he and his former Faces bandmate, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, may be releasing new music at some point.

During an interview with Vulture to promote his new album Swing Fever with Jools Holland, which drops February 23, Stewart talked about songs that he’s written but not released and suggested they may wind up being Faces recordings.

“There are a lot of songs I’ve written that I haven’t put out and nobody knows about them,” he says. “My songs are like my children. I gave birth to them and then I put them out there in the world and see how they do.” 

He then shared that he’s sent some of those songs to Wood, explaining, “I told him, ‘This is stuff we’ve recorded with my band, maybe the Faces would like to do it instead?’” He added, “We’re still struggling to make this album. We’ll see. Some of them might see the light of day.” 

In the meantime, Faces is set to drop a special release for Record Store Day on April 20. The BBC Session Recordings is the second set of highlights from the band’s appearances on the BBC over the years. They previously released Had Me A Real Good Time… With Faces Live In Session At The BBC 1971-1973 for Record Store Day Black Friday in November.

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