Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, February 1, 2009 …

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band headlined the halftime show at Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. 

The Boss performed four songs — “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Born to Run,” “Working on a Dream” and “Glory Days” — which were each edited to fit into the allotted 12-minute performance.

According to a video put out by the NFL, they had been trying to get Bruce to play the halftime show for years, but he was never interested. It was only after Tom Petty headlined Super Bowl XLII that Springsteen’s people called up and said “we think it’s maybe time to talk about this.”

Bringing the normal Bruce energy, the halftime show got the crowd on its feet. In fact, he brought so much energy to the performance that at one point, Bruce did a knee slide across the stage and smashed into a camera.

As for the game, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23.

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Renowned music photographer Henry Diltz is giving music fans a chance to get their hands on prints of some of his most iconic photographs.

The photographer has teamed up with lifestyle brand 12on12 to launch a limited-edition print collection, featuring five never-before-seen photos of The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, The Beatles’ Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash and America, with each photo co-signed by Diltz and the artist.

The prints, plus limited-edition co-signed T-shirts, will be unveiled Thursday at Fred Segal Sunset in Los Angeles, where they’ll be on display until February 15. A portion of the proceeds from the sales will be donated to MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s charity arm, which provides health and human services to the music community. 

“For the first time in my life, I’m so pleased to be releasing this co-signed collection with some of my dearest friends,” Diltz shares. “I’ve known these musicians for many decades and I love that these moments captured in time can support such a great cause like MusiCares.” 

He adds, “I believe in the ‘divine plan,’ and how lucky are we that it led me here, able to share these moments and memories with everyone!”

Diltz is well known for his iconic photos from the 1960s and 1970s. He was the official photographer at Woodstock and shot 250 album covers, as well as publicity shots for such artists as Eagles, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, Crosby, Stills & Nash and more. In 2023 he was honored with the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Award and also received the Icon Award at the Abbey Road Studios Music Photography Awards.

More information on the collection can be found at 12on12.com.

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The Elton John AIDs Foundation has been recognized with an Anthem Award for its “Let Your Inner Elton Out” media campaign. 

The Anthem Awards, an offshoot of The Webby Awards, honor the people, organizations and brands that work to inspire others to take action to create change themselves. They’re presented in several categories, and the Elton John Aids Foundation won Best Campaign – Non-Profit in the Human & Civil Rights category.

The “Let Your Inner Elton Out” campaign asked fans to take to social media and dress like him to show their support of the organization’s The Rocket Fund initiative, which aims to raise $125 million toward the goal of ending HIV/AIDS by 2030. The campaign was so successful it helped raise $90.4 million.

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The Beach Boys‘ Brian Wilson is mourning the loss of his wife, Melinda, who passed away Tuesday, January 30, at the age of 77.

“My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning,” he wrote on social media. “Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost.”

“Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career,” he continued. “She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her.” 

Wilson also shared his wife’s obituary in the post, in which she was described as “a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by.” It added, “[S]he was a woman empowered by her spirit with a mission to better everyone she touched.”

Wilson married Melinda Kae Ledbetter, a Cadillac salesperson, in February 1995, although they had previously dated from 1986 to 1989. She went on to become his manager, and the couple adopted five children together. She was credited with helping separate Wilson from his former psychologist, Eugene Landy, and was portrayed by Elizabeth Banks in the 2014 film Love and Mercy.

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U2 frontman Bono has been nominated for an Audie Award.

The rocker is nominated in the Audio Book of the Year category for his memoir, Surrender, which he released in November 2022 and narrated himself.  

Other big names nominated for Audies include Michelle Williams, Michelle Obama, Dolly Parton, Ethan Hawke, Lake Bell, Patrick Stewart, Alfrie Woodard and Meryl Streep.

Surrender followed Bono, born Paul Hewson, from his childhood in Dublin to the formation of U2 and its journey to superstardom. The printed copies featured 40 original drawings by the rocker.

Audie Award winners will be announced March 4 during a ceremony in Los Angeles.

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Bon Jovi is opening up their archives to fans.

As part of the ongoing celebration of their 40th anniversary, the New Jersey rockers just launched what they’re calling Backstage with Bon Jovi, an online archive of the band’s history.

“This is a labor of love, meticulously curated to bring you the very best of Bon Jovi’s history,” reads a post on the band’s Instagram. “More than just a collection of memories. It’s a place for us to connect and celebrate together.” 

Jon Bon Jovi says in a video that the band has been working on the online archive for the past two years. “We have archived every notebook, every cassette, every video, guitars, clothes, press clippings, things we didn’t know we had and it’s all there for you,” he shares. “Enjoy it”

Jon is set to be honored this weekend as the Recording Academy’s 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year. The band will perform at the gala, which takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, February 2, two nights before the Grammy Awards. Artists set to celebrate Jon are Bruce Springsteen, Melissa Etheridge, Goo Goo Dolls and more.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers are headlining the inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club Festival, held July 19-20 in St. Paul.

The bill also includes The Offspring, The Black Crowes, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, The Head and the Heart, Gary Clark Jr., Wilderado and Soul Asylum, among others. Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morissette will headline as well.

If you’re wondering where the “Yacht Club” part comes in, attendees over 21 can sign up for the Riverboat VIP experience, which includes a 60-minute cruise on the Mississippi River.

Tickets will go on presale beginning Friday, February 2, at 10 a.m. CT. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit MinnesotaYachtClubFestival.com.

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Joni Mitchell has announced yet another live performance.

The 80-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will headline a special Joni Jam at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on October 19, marking her first live show in California since 2000.

Brandi Carlile will once again be joining Joni onstage. Previous Joni Jams at the Newport Folk Festival and in Gorge, Washington, featured special guest appearances by such artists as Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan, Marcus Mumford and more. 

A Joni presale begins Wednesday, January 31, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday, February 2. 

News of the Hollywood Bowl show comes days after Joni was confirmed as a performer on the 66th Grammy Awards, taking place Sunday, February 4. It will mark her first-ever Grammy performance. She is also nominated this year in the Best Folk Album category for Joni Mitchell at Newport (Live).

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James Taylor continues to add shows to his 2024 schedule.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just added three dates at the Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, September 12, 14 and 15. 

An artist presale kicks off Tuesday, February 13, at 10 a.m. at jamestaylor.com; tickets go on sale to the general public starting February 16 at 10 a.m.

This is the second year in a row Taylor has played the Wolf Trap. He headlined a trio of shows at the venue last September as well, and previously played there in 2008. 

The Vienna dates are just a handful of U.S. shows Taylor has on his 2024 schedule. He’s also playing Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii, in May, and then will return to Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, for two shows on July 3 and 4. A complete list of dates can be found at jamestaylor.com.

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The music of prog rockers Emerson, Lake & Powell is being celebrated with a new CD set. 

Emerson, Lake & Powell: The Complete Collection, dropping April 12, is a three-CD set featuring a remastered edition of the trio’s self-titled album, which was their only studio release, along with three bonus tracks. There’s also a live album and a previously released bootleg of rehearsal recordings called The Sprocket Sessions.

After the success of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the prog super group took a break in 1979, and Keith Emerson and Greg Lake explored solo careers before deciding to work together again. They teamed with drummer Cozy Powell in 1984 to take the place of Carl Palmer, who was busy with the band Asia. 

Emerson, Lake & Powell: The Complete Collection is available for preorder now.

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