Bob Marley’s 77th birthday celebrated with series of special events this week

February 2, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

This Sunday, February 6, marks what would’ve been Bob Marley‘s 77th birthday, and to commemorate the milestone the late reggae legend’s family is curating a series of special in-person, virtual and charitable events that will take place in the coming days.

Marley’s 77th Earthstrong ROOTS festivities include a newly curated exhibit at the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, Jamaica, dubbed The 7 Roots of Bob Marley’s Livity, which will feature artwork by young, up-and-coming artists. Submissions will be accepted until Friday, February 4.

Also on February 4, The Marley Brothers, a group featuring Bob’s sons Ziggy, Stephen, Damian, Julian and Ky-Mani Marley, will release a new cover of their dad’s song “Cornerstone,” a day before the siblings perform a headlining set at the CaliVibes Festival in Long Beach, California.

The 77th Earthstrong ROOTS festivities will wrap up on Bob’s birthday this Sunday with a limited-capacity concert celebration at Tuff Gong International studio in Kingston, Jamaica that will be streamed live on Marley’s official YouTube channel and the Tuff Gong Television YouTube channel. Also that day, a performance by Stephen Marley from his Lion’s Den Studio in Miami will premiere at Bob’s YouTube channel.

For more information about Bob’s 77th birthday festivities, visit Tuff Gong International’s official Facebook page.

Find out what “truly happened” with ‘Pam & Tommy’ on new Hulu limited series

February 2, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Kickstart your Wednesday with Pam & Tommy.

The new Hulu limited series, which tells the story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee‘s infamous sex tape, premieres today. The Baywatch superstar is played by Baby Driver and Yesterday actor Lily James, while The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Sebastian Stan trades his vibranium arm for a pair of drumsticks to portray the Mötley Crüe rocker.

Speaking with ABC Audio, Stan shares that he feels Pam & Tommy will tell the truth of such a highly sensationalized story.

“You hear things about it, or you’ve heard something about it, but you don’t really know what happened, you don’t really know the true story,” Stan says. “I think it was a nice opportunity for us to be able to tell that story, finally, as it pertains to how it affected [Anderson and Lee], but also really, truly what happened.”

In playing Lee, Stan says that was “always conscious” of the real person.

“I think any time you’re playing a real person, it’s inevitable that you’re gonna be thinking about them, just purely from a sense of respect,” Stan says. “You wanna learn about that person as much as you can, and you wanna be able to go out there and take your best shot.”

“You’re not these people, you’re never gonna be these people,” he adds. “You can give it your best shot and your best guess. But, absolutely, you’re always conscious of them.”

The Pam & Tommy cast also includes Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman and Taylor Schilling.

Ronnie Wood selling signed prints of new Picasso-inspired Rolling Stones painting

February 2, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has celebrated his famous band with a new painting, a Pablo Picasso-inspired piece title “Abstract Performance” that offers a surreal depiction of the legendary rock group playing live.

Wood was on hand to debut the painting on Tuesday during a surprise visit to Wood Lane in London outside the popular Westfield shopping center. A billboard teasing the painting appeared at the same location earlier this week. You can check out photos of Ronnie’s visit to Wood Lane, including a pic of him with his wife, at his Twitter page.

Limited-edition prints of “Abstract Performance” are available for purchase now through February 15 at the Art Store section of RonnieWood.com, priced at $2,000. Each print will be hand-signed and hand-numbered by Wood and feature a personal dedication from him.

“Abstract Performance,” which Wood completed in 2020, is among a recent series of abstract, Picasso-inspired paintings of The Rolling Stones that Wood has created.

“Picasso did his own take on a lot of artists, but I bet he never thought no one would ever do a take on him,” Wood says. “I hope and think he’d be flattered, but also a bit shocked and pleasantly surprised at my take on his work.”

Meanwhile, a new post on Wood’s Instagram page reports that “[e]xciting new works [are] coming soon from Ronnie’s art studio.” The message is accompanied by a photo of a variety of paintings on which he apparently is currently working, including another abstract of The Stones and a portrait of Buddy Holly.

Metallica pays tribute to Jon Zazula: “Heavy music lost one of its great champions”

February 2, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Metallica has shared a tribute to Megaforce Records co-founder Jon Zazula, who died Tuesday at age 69.

In an Instagram post, the metal legends write, “Heavy music lost one of its great champions.”

Zazula launched Megaforce alongside his wife, Marsha Zazula, in 1982, and soon signed a then-unknown Metallica to their first-ever record deal. Megaforce would later become the home of artists including Anthrax and Testament.

“In 1982, when no one wanted to take a chance on four kids from California playing a crazy brand of metal, Jonny and Marsha did, and the rest, as they say, is history,” Metallica’s post reads. “He was a mentor, a manager, a label head and a father figure to us all…Metallica would not be who we are or where we are today without Jon Zazula and his wife, Marsha.”

Jon’s death comes just over a year after Marsha passed in January 2021.

“Our love and sympathy go out to Jonny’s children and his grandchildren, whom he cherished and brought to our shows from the time they were in diapers,” Metallica writes. “We hope they will be able to take some comfort in knowing that he is reunited with Marsha, and that he helped bring so much incredible music to so many. Hopefully there’s a great show goin’ on up there tonight to welcome you!”

Pat Benatar, Judas Priest and Devo among 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees

February 2, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Pat Benatar, Judas Priest and Devo are among the 17 artists who have been nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

The other nominees are Beck, Kate Bush, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, Dolly Parton, Rage Against the Machine, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, A Tribe Called Quest and Dionne Warwick.

To be eligible for induction, an artist must have released their first commercial recording 25 years before the year of their nomination.

Benatar previously was nominated in 2020, while Judas Priest and Devo both received nods twice before.

Speaking with ABC Audio, Rock Hall VP of Education & Visitor Engagement Jason Hanley notes, “I think it’s a great year for someone like Pat Benatar. Between her and [her husband and guitarist] Neil Giraldo…they wrote some of the great classic songs of the 1980s.”

He adds that songs like “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” “were…delivered with this great rock edge, classic kind of clean but distorted ’80s guitar, and Pat’s just amazing voice.”

As for Judas Priest, the band’s induction might help soothe the critics who think the Rock Hall has an anti-metal bias.

“[Judas Priest is] the band that takes the early days of heavy metal from bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, and they turn it into what we know as metal,” Hanley says.

Hanley also feels Devo definitely deserves to be in the Rock Hall, praising the group for their “humorously disguised political songs,” and for being “innovators of sound and technology and music video.”

CSN, CSNY and Hollies legend Graham Nash celebrates his 80th birthday today

February 2, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Graham Nash, the British singer/songwriter who has made his mark on the music world with The Hollies, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, as well as a solo artist, turns the big 8-0 today.

Nash co-founded The Hollies with his childhood friend Allan Clarke in 1962. Graham mainly handled high harmonies with the group, while Allan sang lead. Among the British Invasion group’s hits co-written by Graham were “Stop Stop Stop,” “On a Carousel” and “Carrie Anne.”

In 1968, Graham left The Hollies to form Crosby, Stills & Nash with former Byrds member David Crosby and ex-Buffalo Springfield singer/guitarist Stephen Stills. The folk-rock trio’s self-titled 1969 debut reached #6 on the Billboard 200 and included the Nash-penned hit “Marrakesh Express.”

Shortly after the Crosby, Stills & Nash album’s release, Stills’ Buffalo Springfield band mate Neil Young joined the group. The quartet’s 1970 debut, Déjà Vu, topped the Billboard 200, and featured two enduring Nash compositions, “Our House” and “Teach Your Children.”

Other notable Nash-penned tunes include the 1971 protest anthem “Chicago,” from Graham’s first solo album, Songs for Beginners, and “Just a Song Before I Go,” a top-10 hit for CSN in 1977.

For decades, Nash continued to record and tour with CSN and CSNY, while also working solo and as a duo with Crosby.

Nash was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice — with CSN in 1997 and with The Hollies in 2010.

Graham has focused on his solo career recently after a rift with Crosby led to CSN going on indefinite hiatus in 2015.

Reflecting on reaching 80, Nash recently told ABC Audio, “I can’t believe how young I feel inside,” adding, “I’ve got so much to do, so much to accomplish, and I intend to do as much as I can before I pass.”

Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators announce album release streaming concert

February 1, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Slash and his solo band Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators have announced a streaming concert to celebrate the release of their upcoming new album, 4.

The virtual event, which will feature a live performance of 4 in its entirety, will premiere Friday, February 11, at 2 p.m. ET, via Slash’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. YouTube Premium subscribers can also tune in for a live Q&A session after the show.

4, the aptly titled fourth studio effort from the Conspirators, will also be released February 11. The record includes the lead single “The River Is Rising.”

Meanwhile, Slash is set to appear on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! this Wednesday, February 2, for an interview and performance with the Conspirators. The band will hit the road on a U.S. headlining tour February 8 in Portland.

Megaforce Records co-founder Jon Zazula dead at 69

February 1, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Jon “Johnny Z” Zazula, co-founder of the influential label Megaforce Records, has died at age 69.

According to Variety, Zazula passed Tuesday while surrounded by family and friends in Florida. A statement posted to the Megaforce Instagram reads, “The world of rock and metal would not be what it is today without Jon Zazula. Jon’s love of music and musicians was unwavering. A giant was lost today. Rest In Peace Jon.”

Zazula launched Megaforce alongside his wife, Marsha Zazula, in 1982, and soon signed a then-unknown Metallica to their first-ever record deal. Megaforce would eventually become the home of artists including Anthrax and Testament.

Marsha Zazula passed away in January 2021.

The story of Megaforce Records — and of the Zazulas’ relationship — is detailed in Jon’s 2019 book Heavy Tales: The Metal. The Music. The Madness.

John Lodge releases blue-vinyl version of ‘The Royal Affair and After’; debuts “Isn’t Life Strange” video

February 1, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

CD and digital versions of Moody Blues singer/bassist John Lodge‘s new live album, The Royal Affair and After, were released in mid-January, and now a limited 180-gram vinyl edition of the record pressed on blue vinyl has arrived.

As previously reported, the 10-track album features performances by Lodge and his solo group, The 10,000 Light Years Band, from a Las Vegas concert they played during their stint on the Yes-headlined 2019 Royal Affair Tour and from their subsequent U.S. headlining trek.

Coinciding with the arrival of the blue-vinyl LP, Lodge has debuted a video for his rendition of the classic 1971 Moody Blues ballad “Isn’t Life Strange” on his official YouTube channel.

The Royal Affair and After includes renditions of several well-known Moody Blues songs, including “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Ride My See-Saw” and “Nights in White Satin,” the latter two of which features guest vocals by current Yes frontman Jon Davison.

Also on the album, is a version of the Days of Future Passed interlude “Late Lament” written by late Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge that features a recording of Graeme reciting the spoken-word piece made especially for Lodge’s tour.

“I’m absolutely delighted by the incredible reaction to the album,” says Lodge says. “[I]t truly is ‘the soundtrack of my life’…It also makes me so very happy that Graeme did his special performance of ‘Late Lament’ for the album, he will be deeply missed, but always stay with us in our hearts and on this album.”

Lodge will launch a new U.S. solo tour on March 8 in Norfolk, Connecticut. Visit JohnLodge.com to check out his full schedule.

Meanwhile, a black 180-gram vinyl version The Royal Affair and After will be released on February 11.

Here’s the LP’s track list:

Side One
“Steppin’ in a Slide Zone”
“Saved by the Music”
“Legend of a Mind”
“Late Lament” (with Graeme Edge)
“Nights in White Satin” (with Jon Davison)

Side Two
“Sunset”
“Gemini Dream”
“Isn’t Life Strange”
“I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)”
“Ride My See-Saw” (with Jon Davison)

Graham Nash joins Neil Young, Joni Mitchell in removing his music from Spotify

February 1, 2022 by Classic Rock 93.9

Graham Nash has joined Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and others in asking that his music be removed from Spotify because the streaming service has been hosting Joe Rogan‘s popular podcast, which many medical and scientific professionals have charged with spreading potentially harmful misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccines.

Nash has issued a statement explaining his decision to have his solo recordings pulled from Spotify, which also appears to reference comments Rogan made in an Instagram video posted Monday in which the host addressed some of the accusations regarding his podcast.

“There is a difference between being open to varying viewpoints on a matter and knowingly spreading false information which some 270 medical professionals have derided as not only false but dangerous,” Graham writes. “Likewise, there is a difference between misinformation, in which one is unaware that what is being said is false, versus disinformation which is knowingly false and intended to mislead and sway public opinion. The opinions publicized by Rogan are so dishonest and unsupported by solid facts that Spotify becomes an enabler in a way that costs people their lives.”

In Rogan’s video, he denies “trying to promote misinformation,” adding, “I’m not trying to be controversial. I’ve never tried to do anything with this podcast other than just talk to people and have interesting conversations.”

After Young and Mitchell announced they were removing their music from Spotify, the company announced that it will be adding content advisories before podcasts that discuss COVID-19.

“Personally, there are plenty of individuals and views on Spotify that I disagree with strongly,” wrote Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek. “It is important to me that we don’t take on the position of being content censor while also making sure that there are rules in place and consequences for those who violate them.”

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