Classic Rock 93.9

Foreigner is one of the many acts nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, and the band’s original lead singer, Lou Gramm, is certainly looking forward to the possibly of them getting in.

Gramm tells ABC Audio being inducted with his musical peers “would mean the world to me,” sharing, “To be in a very tight fraternity like that with people who you respect and admire is the epitome of what this career is all about.” 

Foreigner had been eligible to get into the hall since 2002, but this is their first nomination, something that’s been shocking to many fans and even fellow rock stars. In fact, Mark Ronson, the stepson of Foreigner’s Mick Jones, released a video in February featuring artists like Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and even Paul McCartney making a case for them to get in.

Gramm says he’s been surprised and shocked by all the support they’ve received. “The Paul McCartney one was particularly cool because he was shocked that we weren’t in already,” he says.

This year’s inductees will be announced in late April, and should Foreigner make the cut, Gramm says he and the band will likely play two songs at the ceremony. He thinks one will be  their #1 hit, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” although he says “the other one had better rock.” And that wouldn’t exactly be difficult with hits like “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded” and “Jukebox Hero” to choose from.

And if the performance happens, it would be Gramm’s first time onstage with Jones in many years, which should be a treat for fans. As Gramm notes, “If we’re able to get together onstage for this glorious event, it’ll be fantastic.”

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While it may not be another Beatles tune, music fans are now being treated to another McCartney/Lennon musical collaboration.

James McCartney, son of Paul McCartney, just released a new song, “Primrose Hill,” which he co-wrote with his “good friend” Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

“With the release of this song it feels like we’re really getting the ball rolling and I am so excited to continue to share music with you,” James shared on Instagram.

James is holding a contest in connection with the song, asking couples to share videos capturing “the essence of love and romance” in their favorite romantic location. The videos, which are due by April 19, must use the song in the background. Winners will have the opportunity to be featured in the video for the track.

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If, after 10 years, you still have never gotten the chance to see Billy Joel play his Madison Square Garden concert residency, you can do so for free on Sunday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

Billy Joel: The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden was filmed March 28 as Billy did his 100th consecutive residency performance since he launched it back in January 2014. In addition to playing iconic hits like “You May Be Right,” “New York State of Mind,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “Uptown Girl” and “My Life,” Billy welcomed his pal Sting to the stage. Together, they sang The Police hit “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and Billy’s “Big Man on Mulberry Street.” Also on the set list was Billy’s new hit, “Turn the Lights Back On.”

Billy and Sting will play several concerts together this year, including on Saturday, April 13, in San Diego.

In addition to Sting, you’ll see another special guest — Billy’s fellow Long Island celebrity Jerry Seinfeld — take the stage to help raise a banner to the rafters of MSG commemorating Billy’s achievement.

Surprisingly, this is the first concert in Billy’s 50-year career to air on a broadcast network. You’ll also be able to stream it live and watch it on demand on Paramount+.

Billy has sold out more shows at the Garden than any other artist. In fact, every show he’s done at the legendary venue has sold out, dating all the way back to his first one in December 1978. On May 9, he’ll celebrate his 75th birthday onstage there, and he’ll wrap up his residency in July with what will be his 150th career show at the venue.

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Dead & Company will kick off their Dead Forever Las Vegas residency at the Sphere in May, and now they are giving fans a chance to win tickets to the show. 

The band just launched a new sweepstakes through Prizeo where a winner and a guest will get a VIP getaway, including tickets to three Dead Forever shows, July 11, 12 and 13. The package also includes flights and a four-night stay at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, as well as priority entry into the Sphere, commemorative keepsakes, access to The Sphere Experience and more.

Entries start at $10, with proceeds going to the voter registration nonprofit HeadCount and the environmental charity REVERB. The sweepstakes end June 23. More info can be found at prizeo.com. 

Dead & Company – Dead Forever – Live at Sphere kicks off May 16 and runs through July 13, with the band playing Thursday, Friday and Saturday of each weekend. A complete list of dates can be found at deadandcompany.com.

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The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson is one of the many artists featured on the upcoming reimagining of the late Glen Campbell’s farewell album, Ghosts on the Canvas, and his contribution to the record has just been released.

Wilson is featured on the song “Strong,” written by Campbell and the album’s producer, Julian Raymond. The original track has Campbell singing about facing his life with Alzheimer’s disease, which he had been diagnosed with in 2011.

“Glen was a great singer and a great guy,” Brian shares. “Our intention in doing ‘Strong’ was to echo back to ‘Guess I’m Dumb’ and the times that Glen and I worked together. It’s kinda got that vibe to it and I dig the sound of it.”

“Guess I’m Dumb” is song written by Wilson and Russ Titelman, which Campbell released as a single in 1965.

Co-writer Raymond adds, “Hearing Brian and his team record one of Glen’s wife Kim’s favorite songs was very emotional for sure. Everything that Brian has been through himself shows up in this performance of ‘Strong.’”

You can listen to “Strong” via digital outlets and on YouTube.

Glen Campbell Duets – Ghost on the Canvas Sessions recreates all the songs on Campbell’s 2011 farewell album as duets, using Campbell’s original vocals. Guest artists on the record include Elton John, Eric Clapton, Sting, Carole King and Dolly Parton.   

Glen Campbell Duets – Ghost on the Canvas Sessions will be released April 19 and is available for preorder now.

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An early Fleetwood Mac tune has been reimagined by Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash for his upcoming blues album, Orgy of the Damned.

The rocker has covered the Peter Green-penned track “Oh Well,” featuring vocals by country star Chris Stapleton.

“[Stapleton’s] singing cadence and that drawl that he has for this particular song, in my mind’s eye, it sounded perfect,” Slash tells Rolling Stone. “I had to get his number and cold call him. And he was really gracious about it and really bent over backwards to help me get it done.”

You can listen to the Slash-leton version of “Oh Well” via digital outlets.

Orgy of the Damned is due out May 17 and includes guest spots from AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson, Iggy Pop, ZZ Top‘s Billy F Gibbons, The Black Crowes‘ Chris Robinson and pop star Demi Lovato. 

“Oh Well,” originally released in September 1969, appeared on the Fleetwood Mac album Then Play On. The tune peaked at #55 in the U.S., making it the first Fleetwood Mac single to hit the Hot 100. It did better in the U.K., where it spent two weeks at #2.

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Ringo Starr has shared a new song, “February Sky,” the first single off his upcoming EP, Crooked Boy.

Crooked Boy features four original tracks, written and produced by Linda Perry. Perry previously worked with Ringo on two of his earlier EPs, writing “Coming Undone” for Change the World and “Everyone and Everything” for EP3.

“Linda made me a great EP – she produced it in her studio and then sent me the tracks and I added the drumming and my vocals,” Ringo shares. “’February Sky’ is great – very moody – but since Linda wrote these specifically for me – it of course has to have a positive peace & love element.”

You can listen to “February Sky” now via digital outlets and on YouTube.

Crooked Boy is being released on limited-edition marble vinyl for Record Store Day on April 20. That will be followed by a digital release on April 26, with the black vinyl and CD versions dropping May 31.

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Iron Maiden‘s Bruce Dickinson is launching an international tour in support of his new solo album, The Mandrake Project. The outing, which includes dates in Mexico, Brazil and Europe, will bring Dickinson’s famed vocals into more intimate theater-type venues, as opposed to the arenas he normally plays with Maiden.

“The main part of the show is the music and the musicians, ’cause it’s real,” Dickinson tells ABC Audio of the theater experience. “It’s real human beings, flesh and blush. You can touch them. Not only can you touch them, you can smell them!”

Before the tour begins in earnest, Dickinson will play one-off warmup shows in Los Angeles and Santa Ana, California, on April 12 and April 15, respectively. As for a full U.S. tour, Dickinson’s certainly down for that.

“Obviously a certain amount of it depends on how well the album is received, how well it goes down, whether people go, ‘Oh my God, we gotta go and see this,'” Dickinson says. “If they do, which I hope they do, then I’ll be more than happy to bring it to the U.S. and Canada and all of the above.”

If and when a U.S. tour happens, it won’t be until at least 2025, as Dickinson’s schedule is full for 2024. After the solo shows wrap up in July, Maiden will launch a tour of Australia, New Zealand and Japan in September, followed by a U.S. run kicking off in October.

“I know what Maiden are doing [in 2025], which is all sort of top secret at the moment,” Dickinson says. “But what Maiden are doing gives me a lot of space to go and plan something.” 

The Mandrake Project is out now.

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On This Day, April 12, 1976… 

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band released the album ‘Live’ Bullet, recorded at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan. 

Now considered one of the greatest live albums of all time, it helped Seger break through to a national audience, while the live version of “Turn the Page” became a rock radio staple. In addition to “Turn the Page,” several songs from the record actually became hit singles, including “Nutbush City Limits” and “Lookin’ Back.” 

The album was certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA, and in 2012 it ranked at 10 on Rolling Stone’s poll of the all-time favorite live albums.

Seger went on to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012.

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Paul McCartney and the Eagles were among the many artists who celebrated the late Jimmy Buffett at Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett in Los Angeles on Thursday, with fan-shot footage on YouTube showing McCartney sharing tales of his friendship with the singer. 

“I had the great pleasure of knowing Jimmy,” McCartney told the audience at the Hollywood Bowl. “And like everyone else on the bill tonight has said, this is one great man. He was generous, he was funny, he’d done just about everything in his life.”

McCartney talked of the time Buffett got a custom left-handed guitar made for him, and also reminisced about singing with him the week before he died. He then performed one of the songs they’d played, The Beatles classic “Let It Be,” backed by the Eagles.

According to a post to Buffett’s Instagram Story,  the night also included Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl on drums with Zac Brown Band and Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band for a cover of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.” ZBB also debuted a new song appropriate for the occasion, “Pirates and Parrots.” The Eagles performed “Take it to the Limit” and “In The City,” while Don Henley performed his tune “Boys of Summer.” Sheryl Crow performed Buffett’s ”Fins.”

The Coral Reefer Band also performed several of Buffett’s classics, including “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Why Don’t We Get Drunk” and “Volcano” with Eagles’ Timothy B. Schmit.

The night ended with an encore featuring all of the night’s performers – including Jackson Browne, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney and Eric Church – returning to the stage for Buffett’s signature tune, “Margaritaville.”

Buffett passed away September 1 after a four-year battle with a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer. He was 76.

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