Classic Rock 93.9

Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain has revealed that he’s been trying to come back from a scary health issue.

In a message on social media, Nicko writes that he had a minor stroke in January that left him paralyzed on his right side from his shoulder down. “Of course I was very worried that my career was over,” McBrain writes, but thanks to the support of his doctors, family and the Maiden camp, he’s been able to “bounce back to somewhere near 70% recovered.”

The drummer also posted a short video showing him looking happy and healthy while acknowledging that he hasn’t been able to give fans “100% of my performance” on the band’s Future Past Tour, which started in May.

“I feel it’s important to let you know about this now instead of earlier, as I was mainly concerned with doing my job and concentrating on getting back to 100% fitness,” Nicko explains in his statement. “I’m not there yet but by the grace of God I’m getting better and stronger as the weeks go by.”

In a separate statement, Nicko’s manager, Rod Smallwood, says the Maiden camp is “very proud” of “what Nicko has been able to achieve since his stroke.”

“We honestly did not know if he would be able to play a whole show until band rehearsals started in May,” Smallwood notes. “And there was just so much support for him from the band and then genuine relief for all when we saw he was going to be able to do it!” “

Regarding the band’s upcoming shows in Canada and their appearance at the Power Trip festival aka Metalchella in October, Smallwood writes, “We can’t wait! This tour is that good!”

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Foreigner is currently on their Farewell tour, which gives frontman Kelly Hansen lots of opportunity to sing the band’s range of big hits. And with so many great songs to choose from, it’s no surprise he has a hard time picking a favorite.

“I’ve never looked at things as a best or better than, I appreciate these songs for what they are,” Hansen tells ABC Audio, noting that which song he prefers could change based on his mood, the venue, etc.

“And when we play those songs onstage, even though we might do a similar set of songs every night, all the variables will change how that song is going to feel, which will also color how you perform that song,” he says.

“I like to say that I’m lucky enough to have this beautiful cornucopia of ripe songs to pick from every night,” he adds. “It’s like every song is a song that everybody knows.”

And Hansen certainly knows how fortunate he is to get to perform these tunes each night. He shares, “As a singer, you couldn’t possibly buy that opportunity. To be able to have a whole set of songs that everybody knows, what a gift for me that is.” 

Next up, Foreigner’s Farewell tour hits Gilford, New Hampshire, on August 4, with dates confirmed through November 18 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A complete list of dates can be found at foreigneronline.com.

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In 1972, The Rolling Stones were the biggest band in the world; their U.S. tour that year became the stuff of legend. Now, it’s become the stuff of a podcast.

The podcast, Stones Touring Party, is based on the book S.T.P.: A Journey Through America with the Rolling Stones by Rolling Stone magazine’s Robert Greenfield, who did more than 60 hours of interviews with the band on that tour. He and another entourage member, Gary Stromberg, are sharing those tapes on the podcast.

Stones Touring Party is described as “an all-access pass to the sights, sounds, riots, bombings, drug busts, death threats and other assorted mayhem” of the 1972 tour. But the first episode details what happened before that tour: the Stones’ ill-fated 1969 Altamont concert, during which 18-year-old fan Meredith Hunter was stabbed to death by members of Hell’s Angels, who had been hired as “security.”

“I think it affected all of us very profoundly. The only thing we were very upset about was being accused and held responsible for what happened,” then-Stones guitarist Mick Taylor says on the tapes. “And you can’t really blame anybody in that kind of mass hysteria.”

The episode sets the stage for the Stones’ return to America in 1972 and their concern that every time they stepped onstage, they might be a target for more violence.

“Either I stopped touring or I didn’t. It was as simple as that. A few people said don’t go — friends of mine … I said, ‘Well, it’s more or less what I do, so I gotta do it,’” Mick Jagger says on the tapes. “There was a few places that it did get scary and there was a lot of guns confiscated and stuff like that … I was scared s***less.”

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If you want to get a head start on convincing your young kids — or grandkids — that Bruce Springsteen is cool, then Random House books has your back.

September 5 will see the release of Bruce Springsteen: A Little Golden Book Biography. Written for kids ages 4 to 8, it’s described as “an inspiring read-aloud for young children, as well as their parents and grandparents who are fans of The Boss.” A similar book on The Beatles is coming November 7.

American Songwriter has an excerpt of the book, written by author Laurel Snyder: “When he wasn’t performing, Bruce wrote songs about the people and places he knew. He wrote about his family and his town, about the hard work people did, and also about the things they dreamed of doing. Bruce wrote about faraway places he’d never been to, and the highways he hoped would take him there.”

The book is just one in a series of Little Golden Book Biographies about music stars like Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift, politicians like Joe Biden and Barack Obama, actors like Dwyane Johnson and Betty White, and even historical figures like Harriet Tubman and Abraham Lincoln.

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Despite the fact that all those involved have said that some kind of all-star tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen isn’t going to happen, the question keeps coming up. However, Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen, the Grammy-nominated leader of his own band Mammoth WVH, says it’s his own existence that’s the ultimate tribute.

Speaking to The Messenger, Wolfgang says, “I view me just being alive and being in the music business as a tribute to my father every day.” But, he understands why people keep bringing it up.

“It’s out of love and how many people my father’s writing and playing touched around the world. But life isn’t written to have a happy ending — some things just suck,” he says bluntly. “And if I have to figure out how to have a life without my father in it, I think people can figure out how to live without Van Halen.”

“Dad’s not here, Van Halen doesn’t exist anymore as far as I’m concerned,” he adds. “The music and the legacy are there, and I’ll be here to push that forth, through things like dad’s guitar and amp company, and help in every single way.”

The fact that Van Halen “doesn’t exist anymore” is just fine with Wolfgang, who says he never understood the “animosity” in that band. As he puts it, “Maybe it’s just ’80s bands — there’s something about ’80s bands where it was the cool thing to be d***s.”

Still, Wolfgang notes that people constantly asking him about his dad is “very jarring, and it wears you out.”

“I can’t go online or do anything without somebody reminding me ‘Hey, knock, knock, your dad’s dead. Do you miss him?'” he says. “I feel like unless you’re in this position, nobody really understands it.”

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Robert Plant isn’t from Liverpool, but he’s received a special honor from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). The school was founded by Paul McCartney in 1995 in the same building as the ex-Beatle‘s former childhood school.

Plant visited LIPA in November for a session with the students, the BBC reports, and now, the legendary Led Zeppelin frontman has been made a companion of the school. The honor is given for “outstanding achievement” and “practical contribution to students’ learning.”

The BBC reports that at the graduation ceremony attended by about 330 students, Plant accepted the award — presented to him by McCartney — via video. He was one of nine notable people in arts and entertainment to receive the award this year.

Plant wrapped up his Raising the Roof tour with Alison Krauss in July. Starting August 24, in Slovenia, he’ll perform shows with his new group, Saving Grace, for which he provides vocals and harmonica. They toured the U.S. earlier this year.

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Paul McCartney has just announced dates for a new leg of his Got Back tour, which will hit Australia, marking the first time he’s toured there since 2017. In a new interview with Australian TV show 7.30 to promote the tour, Sir Paul reveals that his late Beatles bandmate John Lennon continues to be on his mind when he writes songs.

“John’s input was very important” when the two were writing songs together, McCartney remembers. Then, he admits, “These days, even when I’m writing [a] song, I will kind of check with him just mentally, y’know? ‘Does this suck, like I think it does? Right, let’s get rid of it, start again.’ …so I really miss that, and I know he missed [having songwriting] contact with me, too.”

Previewing the moment in his live show when he sings a “virtual duet” with Lennon on “I’ve Got a Feeling,” Paul says, “The first time I ever did it was very emotional. And it keeps being emotional. Because, you know, I’m singing with my old buddy again.”

McCartney also discussed Peter Jackson‘s 2021 Get Back documentary, which he says made him feel better about himself.

“It was really good for me, because I’d kind of worried, in the studio with the Beatles, I might’ve been too bossy,” he admits. “I had kind of ended up buying into this idea that, you know, poor old other three, and I’m just bossing them around.”

He adds, “But when I saw the film, I’m thinking ‘No, I’m not. It’s O.K. It’s just us in the studio, and I’m not bossing them, everyone’s kind of happy to work…’ so, it was a big relief for me. It just made me feel really good about that whole period.”

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Metallica is getting into the podcast business.

The metal legends have announced an official weekly audio show titled The Metallica Report. It’ll be hosted by Steffan Chirazi, the editor of ‘Tallica’s online So What! magazine, and Renée Richardson, director of philanthropy for the band’s All Within My Hands charity foundation.

“With each episode, Steffan and Renée will keep you informed with the latest news from Metallica HQ and dispatches from the road as the M72 tour continues to make its way around the world,” Metallica says. “You’ll also enjoy exclusive, behind-the-scenes updates and interviews with the likes of the touring crew, poster and t-shirt artists, and fans through our mini-features. And we plan to make a few appearances ourselves!”

Episodes will air each Wednesday. The first episode, which features an introduction from drummer Lars Ulrich and a recap of the European leg of the M72 tour, is out now.

The Metallica Report premieres just as Metallica’s set to launch the U.S. leg of M72, which kicks off Friday, August 4, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The M72 tour supports Metallica’s latest album, 72 Seasons, which dropped in April.

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Rob Halford guests on a new cover of Judas Priest‘s “Living After Midnight,” recorded by the Metal Queen herself, Germany’s Doro.

“Judas Priest and Rob Halford have always been one of my biggest inspirations and continue to be my heroes,” Doro says. “It was so great working with Rob. ‘Living After Midnight’ has always been one of my favorite songs and I’m so proud of our duet!”

You can listen to the collaboration now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying lyric video streaming now on YouTube.

Doro recorded “Living After Midnight” for her upcoming album Conqueress — Forever Strong and Proud, due out October 27. Halford also guests on the record’s closing track, “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” presumably a cover of the Bonnie Tyler hit.

You can also hear Halford on Dolly Parton‘s new song “Bygones,” a track off her upcoming Rockstar album.

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A 21-year-old Robert Allen Zimmerman legally changed his name to Bob Dylan.  

In his book Chronicles, Dylan explained that he was inspired to change his name after he saw an article about jazz performer David Allyn and later some poems by Dylan Thomas. He considered the names Robert Allyn and Robert Dylan, before finally deciding on Bob Dylan.

Of course, Dylan went on to have massive success and is considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982, and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1997 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. He was also awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016.

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