Classic Rock 93.9

While The Osbournes Podcast is up and running again, don’t hold your breath for a reboot of The Osbournes reality TV show.

During the latest episode of said podcast, Ozzy Osbourne dismissed the idea of an Osbournes reboot.

“It won’t happen again,” Ozzy declares. “Never in a million years.”

The Osbournes originally aired on MTV from 2002 to 2005 and focused on Ozzy’s home life with wife Sharon and kids Jack and Kelly. In reflecting on the show, Ozzy says that he feels The Osbournes was a good diary of the family’s life at the time, though he found the experience to be “intrusive.”

Though The Osbournes may never be coming back, it was announced in 2022 that Ozzy and Sharon would be starring in an upcoming BBC reality series called Home to Roost.

Meanwhile, The Osbournes Podcast returned in September after a five-year hiatus.

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Ringo Starr is on the cover of the December issue of AARP magazine, where he opens up about his relationship with his Beatles bandmates.

“Paul loves me as much as I love him,” he says of Paul McCartney. “He’s the brother I never had.” It sounds like Ringo was equally close to George Harrison and John Lennon, as he notes, “As an only child, suddenly I got three brothers. We looked out for each other.” 

When the interviewer suggests that Ringo, who never feuded with any of his bandmates, was the person who helped keep the peace within the band, Ringo agrees.

“No, I was the glue,” he jokes. “That’ll be in big letters: I WAS THE GLUE, SAYS RINGO.” 

In an accompanying video, Ringo credits McCartney for encouraging the band to constantly record, which resulted in the release of so much music during their career.

“Paul loved to work more than all of us. John and I would be, like, hanging out in the garden and the phone would ring and we knew it was him,” Ringo says, adding, “I’ve always thanked him for being that guy because otherwise we’d have put, like, three albums out and vanished.”

Speaking of The Beatles output, Ringo also discusses the band’s recently released new song, “Now and Then,” which is being billed as the last new Beatles tune. He notes, “It’s a beautiful song and a nice way to finally close that door.”

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KISS is gearing up to say goodbye to the road with two shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 1 and 2, and the momentous occasion will be felt throughout the Big Apple.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just announced a five-day New York City takeover with a variety of activations, including a merch pop up, Metro Cards and a Rangers game night. 

“We’re thrilled to be performing our final shows at MSG since the band originated in New York City over 50 years ago,” KISS shares. “We are thankful for our long legacy of fans, the KISS Army, and excited to be celebrating through these activations.” 

The KISS takeover kicks off November 29 with New York Rangers “KISS” Game night at MSG, where fans can enjoy KISS-themed activities and limited-edition KISS x Rangers merchandise. There will also be a KISStore pop-up on West 37th Street, which will be open from November 30 to December 3.

Other activations include: KISS Metro Cards, sold at Penn Station and Herald Square Station; a commemorative edition of The New York Post; a KISS taxi fleet; taxies with KISS digital ads and TV content; complimentary KISS flash tattoos at Inked NYC on December 1 and 2; and KISS-themed pizza and pizza boxes from Prince Street Pizza. 

KISS will also help fans get in shape for their final two shows. On November 30, they’ll be part of Peloton’s Artist Series, with their music incorporated into Bike, Tread, Row and App classes.

KISS’ End of the Road tour hits Kanata, Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday, November 21. A complete list of the remaining dates can be found at kissonline.com.

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On This Day, November 21, 1991…

Aerosmith made their debut on The Simpsons, becoming the first rock band to appear on the Fox animated series. 

The episode, Flaming Moe’s, revolves around Homer creating a new drink, the Flaming Homer, which Bar owner Moe then steals and renames the Flaming Moe. The drink is so popular that Moe’s Tavern becomes a hotspot, and a hangout for Aerosmith.

While Aerosmith was the first band to appear on The Simpsons, they weren’t the last. Other bands to turn up on the show include U2, R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, and White Stripes.

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The wait is over for fans of The Rolling Stones. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just announced they’ll be hitting the road next year.

The Stones Tour ’24 Hackney Diamonds will see the band playing stadiums in 16 cities, kicking off Sunday, April 28, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, followed by a May 2 appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The tour — sponsored by AARP, the organization for the over-50 crowd — will hit cities including Las Vegas, Seattle, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles before wrapping Wednesday, July 17, at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Tickets go on sale Friday, December 1, at 10 a.m. local time. A complete list of dates can be found at therollingstones.com.

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Those who didn’t make it to the theaters to see Billy Idol’s concert film, Billy Idol: State Line, now have another shot to check it out. The film, which captures the rocker’s April concerts at the Hoover Dam, will stream on Veeps starting Saturday, November 25, at 12 p.m. PT.  

Idol and his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens will host a livestream debut chat at veeps.com. The stream will feature bonus, never-before-seen footage of Hoover Dam performances of “Rebel Yell” and “Bitter Taste.”

Billy Idol: State Line, which had a limited theater run earlier this month, features performances from both of Idol’s shows at the iconic site on the Nevada/Arizona state line. One was a full band show, which took place at sunset and featured guest appearances by Sex Pistol’s Steve Jones, No Doubt’s Tony Kanal and Alison Mosshart of The Dead Weather. The second was an acoustic performance with just Stevens on the roof of the Hoover Dam.

Veep All Access subscribers will be able to stream the film for free, while individual tickets are available at a cost of $19.99. Tickets are available at veeps.com.

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Former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle has shared a new preview of his upcoming tribute album, Anthems – Honoring The Music Of Lynyrd Skynyrd, dropping February 2.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just released his take on the Skynyrd classic “Simple Man,” featuring special guest Sammy Hagar.

You can listen to “Simple Man” now via streaming services and on YouTube. 

Hagar is one of several guest stars joining Pyle on the album. Others include Dolly Parton and Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes, along with country stars Ronnie Dunn, Chris Janson, Billy Ray Cyrus and others.

In addition to “Simple Man,” the 13-track album features performances of such Skynyrd classics as “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Gimme Three Steps,” “What’s Your Name” and “Free Bird.” 

Anthems – Honoring The Music Of Lynyrd Skynyrd is available for preorder now.

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Rockers Gene Simmons and Neil Young have both announced they are leaving X, formerly known as Twitter. The move comes as several companies have pulled ads from the social media site after owner Elon Musk seemed to endorse a post that included comments that have been deemed antisemitic. 

Simmons, who is Jewish and was born in Israel, simply posted, “Friends, I’ve decided to end my X/Twitter posting.” He shared links to his Instagram, TikTok and Threads accounts.

Young announced his decision to leave on his Archives website, sharing a photo of Musk with the caption, “Teslas should fly flags of love – not hate.” 

“We are stopping all use of X that we can control,” the site reads. “For reasons that should be obvious to the richest man on Earth, we are taking action against his company.”

It continued with a message to both Palestinian and Jewish friends, noting, “We do need to start over in the present and release our terrible connections to the past. As bad as they are, they need to be forgotten so we can be free to move on in life together, all humanity, focused on saving our planet for future generations of all people.”

Musk has since come out and denied he is antisemitic, writing on X, “This past week, there were hundreds of bogus media stories claiming that I am antisemitic. Nothing could be further from the truth. I wish only the best for humanity and a prosperous and exciting future for all.”

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Blondie guitarist Chris Stein hasn’t played with the band in over a year, after telling fans in April 2022 that he had to sit out of shows due to an irregular heartbeat. He’s also living with prostate cancer, and all of that has led him to realize he isn’t likely to tour again.

“I miss it a little [playing live], but it’s a lot of work, and I did it for 50 years, I kind of got it out of my system,” he shares in a new interview with The Sunday Times. “It’s doubtful I’m gonna do more shows at this point.”

Stein says the rock star lifestyle has left him feeling “a little fatigued,” and he seems to regret some of the decisions he made over the years.

“All this stuff caught up with me in my old age,” he explains. “Don’t do drugs, kids, is all I can say. All that sh** I did over the years didn’t help.”

Fans will soon be able to read all about Stein’s rock star life. He recently announced that his memoir, Under A Rock, will be released June 11. It is available for preorder now.

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AC/DC fans have decided on what song they want to make #1 for Christmas.

Earlier this month, in honor of the band’s 50th anniversary, the Facebook fan group AC/DC We Salute You launched a campaign to get an AC/DC single on top of the U.K. chart for the holidays. After a vote, fans have decided to concentrate their efforts into the 1990 song “Thunderstruck.”

The campaign follows the one the band launched in 2013 for their 40th anniversary. They set out to get the classic AC/DC single “Highway To Hell” to the top of the U.K. chart but ultimately got it to #4. 

“It is fitting in a way. Last time out, we championed a Bon Scott song. This time, we’re championing a Brian Johnson song,” the group shares. They advise that fans download “Thunderstruck” between December 15 and December 21 to have the best chance at that coveted Christmas #1.

In other AC/DC news, drummer Phil Rudd tells New Zealand’s Stuff that he’s auctioning off some of his personal items to help raise money for a cancer charity in honor of his best friend Toni Wilson, who is dying from breast cancer. Items that will go up for auction include AC/DC gear, drum sticks played while performing, memorabilia and even a sports car. Proceeds will go to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.

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