Classic Rock 93.9

David Byrne is the latest artist to be added to next month’s Oscars telecast. Byrne will be joined by music trio Son Lux and Oscar-nominated actress Stephanie Hsu for a performance of the Best Original Song nominee “This Is A Life” from the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The artists join previously announced Oscar performers Rihanna, who’ll be on hand to perform her nominated track “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Diane Warren and Sofia Carson, who’ll perform “Applause” from the movie Tell It like a Woman.

Other songs nominated in the category include “Hold My Hand,” written by Lady Gaga for Top Gun: Maverick, and “Naatu Naatu” from the Indian film RRR. 

Byrne was previously nominated and won a Best Original Score Oscar in 1987 for his collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su on Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor.

The 95th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, air March 12 on ABC.

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Roger Waters‘ concert schedule just got a little lighter. The Jerusalem Post reports the Pink Floyd member’s May 28 show in Frankfurt, Germany, has been canceled by the local city council.

The city council’s reason for canceling the show mentions Waters allegedly being “one of the world’s most well-known antisemites,” pointing out his use of an inflatable pig with a Star of David on it at one of his shows. They also noted his support for boycotting Israel. 

In making their announcement, the city council noted that the venue where the show was to be held, the “Festhalle” complex, was also a place where 2,000 Jewish men were held in November 1938 before being beaten and sent to concentration camps. The municipality owns 60 percent of the venue, so they had the power to cancel the show. 

Waters has not addressed the cancelation directly, although he did comment on a Twitter post by Ramzy Baroud that argued Waters was not an antisemite, noting, “Thanks Ramzy! You tell’ em my brother.”

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Sir Rod Stewart surprised patients waiting for their MRI scans at a British hospital by taking care of the bill. The money not only helped pay for their visit, it also allowed the hospital to provide faster service.

The Guardian reports Stewart donated funds that covered a full day of scans at Princess Alexandra hospital in Essex, England.

As previously reported, the singer was inspired to cover patients’ scans last month. He told Sky News it was ridiculous people had to wait in long lines for the procedure.

“I had just come from my scan in a private clinic near Harley Street,” he said. “I walked in and said, ‘I’m terribly sorry, I’m half an hour late.’ They said, ‘Don’t worry, there’s hardly anybody in here today.'”

“There were eight people with hardly anything to do. Then I thought this is a terrible injustice, so here we are,” he added.

A hospital representative said the singer’s donation reduced the waiting list by about 10 percent.

When making good on his word, Stewart joked he wanted to “prove I’m not all mouth and trousers.” 

Stewart now wants to help pay for MRI scans at other hospitals and hopes to inspire more people with the means to help others. “If this is a big success, which I think it will be, I’d like to do it in Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, and just keep it going and hope some other people follow me,” he said.

The singer also rallied for nurses to be paid more.

“There must be enough money in the coffers to pay up for these nurses – only two years ago we were clapping and now … Bless them, they work so hard, salt of the earth,” Stewart said.

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A new documentary is coming out that focuses on John Lennon’s 18-month relationship with his personal assistant during a brief split from Yoko Ono in the early ’70s. 

The Lost Weekend: A Love Story is May Pang’s account of that relationship. Pang, now 72, was just 19 when she got a job working at Apple Records, which eventually led to her becoming Lennon and Ono’s personal assistant.

In a new trailer for the film, archival footage shows Pang explaining how it was Ono who suggested the relationship with Lennon in the first place.

“Yoko walked into my office and said, ‘John and I are not getting along. I want you to go out with him,'” she says. “‘Well are you kidding? I can’t do that, he’s my employer, he’s my boss. He’s your husband.'” Eventually, Pang moved in with Lennon in New York, noting she “was 23 and my first boyfriend was John Lennon.”

Their relationship lasted 18 months and was referred to as Lennon’s “lost weekend.” It ended in February 1975, when Ono decided to return to Lennon.

“[Ono] did not realize it was going to turn into such a big love affair,” Pang says. “She thought it would be two weeks, gone, goodbye. She told me, ‘I’m thinking of taking John back.’ And I said, ‘What?’ And she said, ‘I think it’s time.'” 

The Lost Weekend: A Love Story hits theaters April 13.

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Neil Young hasn’t played in front of a crowd since before the COVID-19 pandemic, but that all changed this weekend.

Rolling Stone reports the rocker made a surprise appearance at Saturday’s United For Old Growth march and rally in Victoria, British Columbia, treating the assembled crowd to a performance of “Comes a Time” and “Heart of Gold.”

“I’m only here for those trees up there,” Young said at the rally, which aimed to protect old trees. “It’s a precious, sacred thing, these old trees. They show us the power of nature when we are being threatened. They show us the past. They show us our future. That’s something that I hope our Canadian government and business section will recognize.” 

He noted, “This has to do with Canada. It has to do with the ages, if we’re lucky enough to have ages. These trees have lasted so long. They deserve Canada’s respect.” 

The performance was Young’s first since Farm Aid in September 2019, but he appears to be ready to get back out there again. His next scheduled performance is at Stephen Stills’ Light Up the Blues charity show, taking place April 22 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

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Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott didn’t let a little altitude sickness get in the way of him rocking out in Bogota, Colombia, this weekend.

Blabbermouth.net reports that local news outlets in Bogota reported Elliott was taken to a local hospital Saturday ahead of their show with Mötley Crüe, which prompted the rocker to take to social media to set the record straight about his health.

“[It’s now] 5:20 p.m. We’re on at 8. So I am alive and well,” Elliott shared in the video posted to Instagram. “Little woozy, I’ll be honest. Moderate-to-severe altitude sickness. I would hate to know what ‘severe’ altitude sickness [is]; I wouldn’t wanna wish it on my worst enemy.” 

He added, “But here I am … Apparently the internet lit up, so I’m here to put everybody that cares about it minds at rest. I’m here, and we’re going on at 8 p.m.”

Elliott and his band did go on as planned, rocking through a 16-song set that included such Def Leppard classics as “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Rock of Ages,” “Armageddon It” and “Photograph.”

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On this Day, February 27, 1954…

Future Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Neal Schon was born at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.

At just age 17, Schon joined the band Santana performing on albums Santana III and Caravanserai. In 1973, he and Gregg Rolie, who was also in Santana, formed Golden Gate Rhythm Section, which eventually became Journey, a band Schon has now been in for 50 years. 

Journey’s biggest success came between 1978 and 1987, when Steve Perry was their lead vocalist. They released hit albums like Escape and Frontiers, featuring such classic tunes as “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Faithfully,” “Open Arms” and more. 

Schon and Journey were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

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U2’s Bono and The Edge showed their solidarity with Ukranians Sunday night by appearing onstage with the Ukrainian band Antytila. 

Just days after the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the rockers made a guest appearance at the band’s show at London’s Electric Brixton, where they performed The Joshua Tree track “Mothers of the Disappeared.”

“The people of Ukraine, don’t want to be at war. They want peace, but not without freedom,” U2 writes on Instagram. “Never pick a fight with someone who’s ready to lose everything. This war is much more than territory. More than sovereignty. It’s about dignity and decency confronting domination and darkness.”

Finally, they note, “This song is for the mothers of Ukraine, and so many, who have lost so much. Don’t give up, don’t give up.”

And Antytila took to social media to thank the rockers for their appearance. “Great honor to stand on the stage with you again, guys. More pleasure – not in the underground :),” they share. “Bono and the Edge took part in our gig in London. Thank you for all!”

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Megadeth reunited with former guitarist Marty Friedman during their show at Tokyo’s famed Budokan venue Monday.

The concert, which streamed live online, marked the first time Friedman has played with Dave Mustaine and company since leaving Megadeth in 2000. According to Setlist.fm, Friedman took the stage for a trio of ’90s Megadeth classics: “Symphony of Destruction,” the Countdown to Extinction title track and the Rust in Peace cut “Tornado of Souls.”

For those who missed the livestream, which began very early in the morning for the Western Hemisphere, you can watch replays of the concert Monday at 2 p.m., 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET.

Friedman joined Megadeth in 1990, and played on albums including Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction. Following his departure from the group, he moved to Japan, where he’s lived since 2003.

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The Doobie Brothers are extending their anniversary celebration. The band, including Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons and John McFee, just announced more dates for their 50th anniversary tour.

The additions include 35 new shows, kicking off June 9 in Sparks, Nevada, and wrapping October 8 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“We are thrilled to be back on the road in 2023 playing some cities we haven’t gotten to yet on this tour,” said Johnston.

Tickets for most of the new dates go on sale March 3 at 10 a.m. local time, with the remaining shows going on sale March 10 at 10 a.m. local time.

Next up The Doobie Brothers’ 50th anniversary tour hits Australia, Japan and Singapore in April, before returning to the U.S. May 2 in Kahului, Hawaii. A complete list of tour dates and ticket information can be found at thedoobiebrothers.com.

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