Classic Rock News

Ringo Starr celebrated his 85th birthday Monday with his annual Peace & Love celebration in Los Angeles.

Ringo was joined by a whole host of stars, including his brother-in-law and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, members of his All-Starr Band, Jackson Browne, T Bone Burnett, Linda Perry, former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum, Diane Warren and Richard Marx.

In addition to performances by Browne, Lucius and others, the event included Ringo’s annual 12 p.m. PT wish of peace and love, with the message beamed from mission control in Houston to the International Space Station.

Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian also declared July 7, 2025, Ringo Starr Day in Beverly Hills.

“Ringo today we celebrate you, your music, your spirit and your message of peace and love that echoes far beyond the stage, and today, quite literally into space,” she said. “In a world that feels so divided, how beautiful that we can come together right now to celebrate peace, love and Ringo Starr.”

In accepting the honor, the Beatles legend said, “You know I lived in Admiral Grove in Liverpool, you couldn’t dream of ending up here. … I did end up in a good band, though.”

“I love it here. I love the people. I love the attitude and the peace and love that’s shown in this state is incredible,” he noted. 

And speaking of Ringo’s birthday, Paul McCartney took to social media with a birthday message for his Beatles bandmate.

“A very happy birthday to my dear friend, Ringo (or should I say, Sir Richard),” he wrote next to a throwback photo of them together. “I hope you have a wonderful day full of love.”

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The David Bowie Centre, which will be the new home of the David Bowie Archive, is set to open at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London in September, and the museum has just revealed more info on what visitors can expect.

Located at the new V&A East Storehouse, in the new cultural quarter in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the David Bowie Centre will feature nine rotating displays. One display has been curated by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Nile Rodgers, who produced Bowie’s 1983 album Let’s Dance and 1993’s Black Tie White Noise.

Items chosen by Rodgers include a bespoke Peter Hall suit Bowie wore on the Serious Moonlight tour; personal correspondence between Bowie and Rodgers; photos of Bowie and guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, taken during the recording of Let’s Dance; and photos taken by Peter Gabriel during the recording sessions for Black Tie White Noise.

“My creative life with David Bowie provided the greatest success of his incredible career, but our friendship was just as rewarding,” Rodgers shares. “Our bond was built on a love of the music that had both made and saved our lives.”

There will also be an exhibit curated by British band The Last Dinner Party that features items from the 1970s that represent how Bowie continues to inspire new generations of artists. Another display focuses on Bowie projects that never came to fruition, including plans to adapt Young Americans and Diamond Dogs into films. Other displays will highlight his iconic personas, like Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane, and Bowie’s 1986 Glass Spider tour and show at the Berlin Wall.

The David Bowie Centre is set to open Sept. 13. Tickets, which will be free, will be released later at vam.ac.uk.

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Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman has been forced to postpone his upcoming U.S. tour due to some health issues.

“It is with great regret that Rick Wakeman has to postpone his Strictly Wakeman tour of the U.S. with Hayley Sanderson in July, as his doctors have recommended that he undergo surgery this month to correct an ongoing health issue,” read a statement from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s publicist.

Those with tickets are encouraged to keep them for yet-to-be-announced rescheduled dates.

“When further information about the shows are available, ticket holders will be informed,” the statement continued. “His U.K. tour with the English Rock Ensemble in October and other ongoing commitments are not affected.”

Wakeman’s tour was supposed to kick off July 18 in Richmond, Virginia, with dates confirmed through July 31 in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

Sanderson, one of the lead vocalists on Strictly Come Dancing, the U.K.’s version of Dancing with the Stars, previously performed shows with Wakeman in the U.K. and South America. She also appeared on Wakeman’s 2023 Live at the London Palladium box set and on his 2023 studio album, A Gallery of the Imagination.

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We are getting our first look at the upcoming musical biopic about German rock band Scorpions.

A trailer for the film, Wind of Change, has just been released, giving fans a taste of what to expect from the film, which is currently in production in London.

According to the description, the film “tells the story of a band united by their passion for music, who sought to inspire change in the world through their powerful sound and meaningful lyrics.”

Directed by Alex Ranarivelo, the movie stars The Last Kingdom’s Alexander Dreymon as guitarist and founder Rudolf Schenker; Generation War’s Ludwig Trepte as frontman Klaus Meine; You’s Ed Speleers as lead guitarist Matthias Jabs; and Interview with the Vampire’s Luke Brandon Field as drummer Herman Rarebell.

Also featured in the film is The Crown’s Dominic West, who plays the band’s manager, Doc McGhee, and The Reader’s David Kross, who plays Andrej, a friend of the band who’s imprisoned on the other side of the Berlin wall.

Wind of Change is expected in theaters in 2025.

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Duran Duran made a surprise appearance onstage in London on Sunday.

Fan-shot footage posted to YouTube shows the band’s frontman, Simon Le Bon, and bassist John Taylor joining Sabrina Carpenter for her second BST Hyde Park show, where they collaborated on a performance of the band’s classic track “Hungry Like the Wolf.”

Duran Duran didn’t have far to go to stop by Sabrina’s show. They played Chelmsford, England, on Saturday. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have more shows left of their Summer European tour: They play Marbella, Spain, on Wednesday, followed by a show in Pula, Italy, on July 12.

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If you were among those who watched Saturday’s Back to the Beginning concert via its online stream, it may have seemed like Ozzy Osbourne‘s Black Sabbath bandmates abandoned him onstage at the end of the show. However, bassist Geezer Butler says that wasn’t the case.

As the stream ended, Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward waved to the crowd and left the stage, seemingly leaving Ozzy, who performed seated from a throne due to his health, all by himself. As Butler writes in an Instagram post, he actually only briefly went backstage to retrieve a surprise treat for Ozzy.

“I keep hearing that people watching the stream thought that our set ended abruptly…with us just walking off,” Butler writes. “Sorry if it seemed that way. I went off to get this cake for Ozzy.”

The post includes a photo of Butler presenting the cake to Ozzy. “Cheers to the fan that captured the proper ending,” he writes.

Saturday’s concert marked the final performance by the original Black Sabbath lineup — Ozzy, Butler, Iommi and Ward — as well as Ozzy’s last live performance ever. The bill also included Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Mastodon, Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler and The Smashing Pumpkins‘ Billy Corgan, among many others.

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In shocking news from the Pearl Jam camp, drummer Matt Cameron has announced that he’s left the band.

“After 27 fantastic years, I have taken my final steps down the drum riser for the mighty Pearl Jam,” Cameron writes in a statement posted to Facebook. “Much love and respect to Jeff [Ament], Ed [Vedder], Mike [McCready] and Stone [Gossard] for inviting me into the band in 1998 and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, filled with friendships, artistry, challenges and laughter.”

“I am forever grateful to the crew, staff and fans the world over,” Cameron continues. “It’s been an incredible journey. More to follow. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”

Cameron, who was known for playing drums in Soundgarden, marked the fifth drummer in Pearl Jam history, following Dave Krusen, Matt Chamberlain, Dave Abbruzzese and Jack Irons. He officially joined PJ following Soundgarden’s breakup in 1997 and remained on with the band even as he got back together with Soundgarden upon their reunion in 2010.

In their own statement, Pearl Jam writes, “From being one of our first musical heroes in the bands Skinyard and the mighty Soundgarden, to playing on our first demos in 1990, Matt Cameron has been a singular and true powerhouse of a musician and drummer.”

“He has propelled the last 27 years of Pearl Jam live shows and studio recordings,” the band continues. “It was a deeply important chapter for our group and we wish him well always. He will be deeply missed and is forever our friend in art and music. We love you Matt.”

Cameron was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Pearl Jam in 2017. He’ll be inducted for a second time with Soundgarden as part of the 2025 class.

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Graham Nash is recovering from a fall.

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, who is known to share pictures and video on Instagram of his walks around New York City, let his followers know why he hasn’t gone on a walk in a while.

“Well…. about six weeks ago I fell and broke my patella. Oops,” he shared alongside video of him walking with a cane and his leg in a brace. “I’ve been laying low, taking things slowly but surely and am well on the healing path!”

“Most importantly, I feel great, my spirits are up, I’m not in pain, and I’m doing everything I should be to get stronger each day,” the 83-year-old adds.

But Nash isn’t going to let his injury stop him from performing.  He’s about to head out on the road, sharing, “if it’s okay with all of you, I might just have a seat for our shows this time around and sing you some songs like that.”

“Hope you won’t mind. I’ve still got the best band playing with me and we are ready to make you smile,” he writes. “Your good energy will be part of what will boost me up each day. So, here I come! One small but steady step at a time.”

Nash kicks off a new leg of his More Evenings of Songs and Stories tour on Tuesday in Red Bank, New Jersey. A complete list of dates can be found at GrahamNash.com.

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The Band‘s Richard Manuel is the subject of a new biography, Richard Manuel: His Life and Music, from the Hawks and Bob Dylan to The Band.

One of The Band’s three main vocalists, as well as pianist, occasional drummer and sometime songwriter, Manuel died by suicide in 1986. The book by Stephen T. Lewis has new interviews with friends, family and colleagues, like Eric Clapton and Van Morrison, plus detailed commentary on Manuel’s entire musical output. 

Lewis tells ABC Audio he decided to focus on Manuel after watching the 2019 documentary Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band.

“I think I was hoping for more out of [the film],” Lewis says. “And while the idea had been spinning around, all that kind of gave me the inspiration to say, ‘Hey, let’s dive a little deeper into this guy’s life.'”

Lewis details Manuel’s background, his musical roots and his self-destructive tendencies.

“I think once fame took over, it was hard for him to stay creative,” Lewis notes, describing Manuel as a perfectionist who couldn’t take the pressure. “The record label was like, ‘We need 12 songs.’ Robbie [Robertson], a different kind of guy, is like, ‘Twelve songs. Let’s go!’ Richard’s like, ‘Twelve songs?!’ … That was his undoing in a lot of ways.”

The Band was hugely influential, inspiring the likes of Clapton, The Beatles and Elton John, but they’re not often mentioned with other top bands of that era. Lewis feels his book might help correct that.

“Their music was so honest and so real that it wasn’t popular,” he says. “But over the years, I feel like it’s getting the respect that’s due. And that’s kind of the reason I wrote about Richard, is if you have a band that moves rock music in an entire direction, he’s got such a critical part in that.” 

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The original members of Black Sabbath — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — reunited for one final performance Saturday in their hometown of Birmingham, England. The epic concert, dubbed Back to the Beginning, spanned about 10 hours, and also marked the last live show ever of Ozzy’s career.

Ozzy, who has been kept from playing a full concert for nearly seven years due to a variety of health issues, took the stage while seated in a throne for a five-song solo set, performing “I Don’t Know,” “Mr. Crowley,” “Suicide Solution,” “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “Crazy Train.” 

The Prince of Darkness was then joined by Iommi, Butler and Ward to close the night with a four-song Sabbath set, including “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.,” “Iron Man” and “Paranoid.”

Leading up to Sabbath and Ozzy’s farewell, a stacked bill of big-name metal and hard rock bands helped send them off, including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Anthrax, Rival Sons and Mastodon, who performed a mix of their own songs and covers.

The lineup, which was put together by musical director Tom Morello, also included a number of all-star jams, featuring Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler, blink-182‘s Travis Barker, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Tool’s Adam Jones and Danny Carey, Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, Disturbed‘s David Draiman, Sammy Hagar, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, Ghost‘s Papa V Perpetua and Yungblud.

Actor Jason Momoa hosted the day. AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson and Angus Young, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Elton John, Marilyn Manson, Jack Black, Limp Bizkit‘s Fred Durst and Korn‘s Jonathan Davis were among those who sent in video messages.

You can find the complete set list at setlist.fm.

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