Classic Rock 93.9

Alice Cooper’s controversial comments about the trans community have now cost him a makeup deal.

Vampyre Cosmetics recently announced a new collaboration with Cooper, The Alice Cooper Collection, set to drop around Halloween, but after Cooper’s comments in Stereogum, they have canceled their plans.

“In light of recent statements by Alice Cooper we will no Longer be doing a makeup collaboration,” read a post on the company’s Instagram account. “We stand with all members of the LGBTQIA+ community and believe everyone should have access to healthcare. All pre-order sales will be refunded.” 

In the interview, Cooper said he was concerned that being transgender was “a fad” and took issue with “the whole woke thing,” noting it’s become “laughable.”

Cooper also suggested people should be worried about transgender folks in public bathrooms. He said, “Somebody’s going to get raped, and the guy’s going to say, ‘Well, I felt like a girl that day, and then I felt like a guy.’ Where do you draw this line?”

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Carlos Santana has apologized after video surfaced of him making seemingly anti-trans comments at a recent concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  

“I am sorry for my insensitive comments. They don’t reflect that I want to honor and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs,” he wrote in a since-deleted post on Facebook. “I realize that what I said hurt people and that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to the transgender community and everyone I offended.”

In the video, Santana is heard telling the audience, “a woman is a woman and a man is a man. That’s it,” adding, “Whatever you wanna do in the closet, that’s your business. I’m okay with that.”

“Here is my personal goal that I strive to achieve every day. I want to honor and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs whether they are LGBTQ or not,” he writes in his apology. “This is the planet of free will and we have all been given this gift. I will now pursue this goal to be happy and have fun, and for everyone to believe what they want and follow in your hearts without fear.”

He concludes, “It takes courage to grow and glow in the light that you are and to be true, genuine, and authentic. We grow and learn to shine our light with Love and compliments. Have a glorious existence. Peace.”

There’s no word on why the post was removed, but Santana did replace it with another one that seems to be related to the subject. “the energy of consciousness generates its own kind,” he writes. “hate begets hate love begets love.”

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On This Day, August 25, 1975…

Bruce Springsteen released his third studio album, Born To Run.

The album peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 and helped Springsteen garner mainstream success. It went on to be a massive hit for the New Jersey rocker and has been certified seven-times Platinum by the RIAA.

Born to Run featured such future Springsteen classics as the title track, “Thunder Road” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” as well as fan favorites like “Jungleland,” “Backstreets” and “She’s The One,” all of which are regular staples at The Boss’ live shows.

Born To Run has consistently earned spots on lists of the greatest albums of all time. In 2015, it was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

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Queen‘s special relationship with their fans is the subject of the latest episode of their weekly YouTube series, Queen the Greatest Live.

When it comes to their concerts, Queen makes it a point to connect with their fans regardless of how big the spectacle is onstage. 

“I think we have a very personal relationship with the audience,” Brian May shares. “We don’t get lost in being gods with the costumes and lights. We’re still human and we like the interaction. I think that’s something which is a little different.” 

Roger Taylor adds that it’s important for them to “involve the audience” in their shows and not be like bands who feel they’re “too cool” for their crowd. He notes, “I mean, I remember some bands, the guitar player might even face the back. It’s just f****** rude, you know?”

Queen makes sure the audience has extra fun with their call-and-response songs like “We Will Rock You,” and it’s so important that if the band doesn’t get a reaction to a tune, it may change the set list.  

May explains, “The audience are fashioning what we play, and I think they know that. Of course, you go for the things which produce a reaction, whether it’s happy or sad – but some kind of reaction.”

In the past, if the band wasn’t getting the reaction they wanted, they could always count on frontman Freddie Mercury to change that. Taylor notes, “He was incredible. He could just shout, ‘Come on!’, and then everybody would get up…”

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With the Super Bowl happening at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas next year, some fans may be expecting added glitz to the halftime show. But if Nevada’s governor had his way, there’d be more pyro than sparkle. 

The NFL and Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee press conference was held August 23, and according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Gov. Joe Lombardo had one band in mind as the halftime show headliner.

“AC/DC!” he declared. “I was going to yell it out … But yeah, I’m serious. Bring ‘em back.”

So far there’s been no definitive news about which artist will headline the Super Bowl LVIII halftime, but AC/DC hasn’t been mentioned in the speculation. The last time a rock act headlined the halftime show was in 2010, when The Who performed. 

Super Bowl LVIII will take place February 11, and the halftime performer is expected to be announced this fall.

As for AC/DC, if Lombardo really wants to see them all he has to do is head to California in October. They are due to headline PowerTrip in Indio, California, with Brian Johnson returning to his frontman duties after sitting out of their last tour due to hearing issues.

PowerTrip will be held October 6-8, with the lineup also featuring Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Tool, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

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The official trailer for the upcoming Carlos Santana documentary, Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere, has just been released.

The clip kicks off with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer asking, “Do you believe in magic?” It features archival footage from throughout his career and ends with Carlos saying, “Magic is when you command the elements to capture people’s hearts.” 

The film is getting a special three-day premiere event in September. Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere will be in theaters on Saturday, September 23; Sunday, September 24; and Wednesday, September 27. In addition to the doc, the event will feature exclusive introductory content from both Santana and the film’s director, Rudy Valdez. It will then get a wider theatrical release on September 29.

Tickets for Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere are on sale now at carlosglobalpremiere.com.

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The Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has teamed with Universal Music for a new songwriters award named after the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.  

The Bob Dylan Center Songwriter Fellowship will “mentor and develop aspiring songwriters in association with the tremendous educational resources of the Bob Dylan Center.” 

The fellowship will be handed out to two songwriters annually, and it comes with a $40,000 stipend. The recipients will be flown to Tulsa to spend time at the center where they’ll have access to the Bob Dylan Archive in order “to study Dylan’s creative process.” They’ll also get a chance to record at Leon Russell’s The Church Studio in Tulsa.

Those interested can submit their applications at bobdylancenter.com from now until October 18, with the fellowship running from May 2024 to April 2025.

This year’s winners will be chosen by a panel of international artists that includes John Mellencamp, Patty Griffin, Nas, French singer/songwriter Juliette Armanet and Mexican singer/songwriter Carla Morrison.

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The Rolling Stones have paid tribute to their late drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away two years ago on August 24, 2021.

The band posted some dashing photos of Watts through the years on their official Instagram account, writing, “Today, with much love, we remember our dear Charlie. We miss you everyday.”

Charlie’s bandmates shared their own tributes as well.  

Mick Jagger posted some photos and video of Charlie on his Instagram Story, while Keith Richards shared a black-and-white picture of them together.

“Charlie Watts was my bed,” Keith wrote. “I could lay on there, and I know that not only would I have a good sleep, but I’d wake up and it’d still be rocking,” adding, “Miss you, Charlie.”

Ronnie Wood also posted a photo of him and Charlie along with two

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Eric Clapton is paying tribute to The Band‘s Robbie Robertson, who passed away August 9 at the age of 80.

“The Band to me was amazing because they were all giants,” Clapton shared during an interview with The Real Music Observer. “Every one of them was a giant on his own, and [Robbie] was the visionary. I have no doubt that he wrote all those songs.” 

Clapton has said in the past that he wished he could have been in The Band, although he now says he knows it would never have worked, noting, “I was already like, this kind of, celebrity [at the time] and none of them personally, individually, were celebrities.”

“That was their thing – even the name was anonymity,” he explains. “That was also what was magnetic for me because I always wanted anonymity…And if that had been possible to sneak in, even where I’m disguised, and played rhythm guitar then we could have done it. But it was never gonna happen.”

Clapton says he plans to pay tribute to The Band at his upcoming solo shows as well as his two-day Crossroads festival, which featured Robertson on the bill. He says he knows it won’t be easy. 

“I know him well enough to know that he was really precise about what he did,” Clapton shares. “It’s so difficult to recreate that kind of on the edge of expression and not making a mistake, not blowing it. It’s really, really difficult.”

Clapton kicks off his new tour in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 8. His two-day Crossroads Guitar Festival is happening September 23 and 24 in Los Angeles. A complete list of dates can be found at ericclapton.com.

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In between releasing a new Mammoth WVH album and going on tour, Wolfgang Van Halen is getting married. In an interview with Heavy Consequence, the son of Eddie Van Halen shares why he and his fiancée, Andraia Allsop, chose Peter Gabriel‘s “In Your Eyes” as their wedding dong.

“Peter Gabriel is one of our favorite artists,” Wolf says. “There’s a concert before our wedding that we’re going to see that’s Peter Gabriel, because he’s on tour right now and he’s just one of our favorite artists. So is one of my favorite albums of all time, and it was one of my dad’s favorite albums of all time.”

“I’ve just had a connection with Peter Gabriel and his music forever, and simultaneously, my fiancée [is a fan], as well,” he continues. “So, we couldn’t think of a better song.”

Wolf and Andraia got engaged in July 2022.

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