Wolfgang Van Halen and Eddie Van Halen in 2015; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Solters
Today would have been the late Eddie Van Halen‘s 67th birthday, and to mark the occasion, his son, Wolfgang, has posted a touching tribute on his Instagram page.
The homage features a photo of Eddie with his son when Wolf was a young child and shows the two sitting next to each other on some steps, with both looking back over their shoulders at the camera.
The photo is accompanied by a note from Wolf that reads, “Happy Birthday, Pop. I love and miss you more than you could ever know.”
Eddie died of lung cancer at age 65 on October 6, 2020.
Wolfgang, who is now 30, played bass with his dad in Van Halen from 2006 until Eddie death. He also fronts his own solo group, Mammoth WVH, which released its self-titled debut last June. The band is teaming up with Dirty Honey for a trek dubbed the Young Guns Tour, whose kickoff date recently was moved from January 18 to February 20.
Steven Tyler has unveiled details of the 2022 edition of his annual Janie’s Fund Grammy Awards Viewing Party, set for April 3 at the Hollywood Palladium, which will feature a special headlining performance by Miley Cyrus.
In a press release, the Aerosmith frontman officially announced Miley as the entertainer for the fourth annual installment of gala, which benefits his Janie’s Fund charity. Tyler chose Cyrus because of her support for Janie’s Fund, which aims to help female victims of abuse and neglect.
“The support that this GRAMMY Awards Viewing Party has received is incredibly moving, and we can’t wait to continue the tradition this year,” Steven says in a statement. “Miley joined me in this important work when we launched Janie’s Fund in 2015 and is a powerful voice and advocate for women. I can’t think of another artist that better aligns with our mission…It’s going to be an incredible night.”
Aside from a special performance, the festivities will include an auction, a red carpet, a cocktail hour and more. Among those serving as event chairs are Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Jim Carrey, Sharon Stone, John Stamos, Kelsey Grammer and Terry Crews. Elton John, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli, Tiffany Haddish and Bill Maher are among the honorary chairs for the event.
Tyler’s first viewing party was held in 2018 and, since then, the event has raised more than $7.6 million for Janie’s Fund.
Joan Jett has teamed up with Epiphone to introduce the Joan Jett Olympic Special, based on her favorite stage guitar.
In a video promoting the new instrument, Joan says, “What attracted me to guitar was just being able to make that kind of noise and have control over it. So when we were talking about releasing my new Epiphone signature guitar, it had to have my sound.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer notes that she wanted the guitar to be made in white, so it would be a “clean slate.”
“You’re able to make it your own, paint on it, write on it, beat it up or polish it daily…the point is to make it your vision and voice,” she explains. “Being true to the music is really all about owning who you are. My guitars have become an extension of who I am. I want girls and guys everywhere to be fearless about picking up a guitar.”
The Olympic special has a reproduction of Joan’s autograph on the rear of the headstock, and comes with a specially requested detail: a “kill switch” toggle that mutes and un-mutes. Each guitar comes with a set of Joan Jett stickers and a Custom Premium Gig Bag.
The Irish rockers’ “Songs That Saved Our lives” playlist appropriately kicks off with “Your Song Saved My Life,” followed by 10 tunes each picked by frontman Bono, guitarist The Edge, drummer Larry Mullin Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton.
Among Bono’s choices are Joy Division‘s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Bob Dylan‘s “Most of the Time,” Johnny Cash‘s cover of Nine Inch Nails‘ “Hurt,” the JAY-Z and Alicia Keys duet “Empire State of Mind,” The Verve‘s “Bittersweet Symphony” and David Bowie‘s “Life on Mars?” The singer also included Kendrick Lamar‘s “XXX,” featuring a guest appearance by U2.
The Edge also chose “Life on Mars?,” as well as a classic tune by his own band, “One.” The guitarist’s other picks included The Beatles‘ “Strawberry Fields Forever,” Stevie Wonder‘s “Superstition,” Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue,” Lou Reed‘s “Walk on the Wild Side” and The Clash‘s “London Calling.”
Standout choices by Mullin include Sweet‘s “Ballroom Blitz,” Diana Ross‘ “Upside Down,” Led Zeppelin‘s “Black Dog,” Van Morrison‘s “Moondance,” Bruce Springsteen‘s “Nebraska” and, believe it or not, Britney Spears‘ “…Baby One More Time.”
The list winds down with Clayton’s picks, which include Marvin Gaye‘s “What’s Goin’ On,” Sam Cooke‘s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” The Righteous Brothers‘ “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” Simon & Garfunkel‘s “The Sound of Silence,” James Brown‘s “Super Bad – Parts 1 & 2,” The Clash’s “The Magnificent Seven and two Bob Marley & the Wailers songs.
Bono’s list:
Kris Kristofferson, “Help Me Make It Through the Night”
Joy Division, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
Sinead O’Connor, “You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart”
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “Into My Arms”
Kendrick Lamar featuring U2, “XXX”
Bob Dylan, “Most of the Time”
Johnny Cash, “Hurt”
JAY-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
The Verve, “Bittersweet Symphony”
David Bowie, “Life on Mars?”
The Edge’s list:
The Beatles, “Strawberry Fields Forever”
David Bowie, “Life on Mars?”
U2, “One”
Stevie Wonder, “Superstition”
Bob Dylan, “Tangled Up in Blue”
Aretha Franklin, “Say a Little Prayer”
Lou Reed, “Walk on the Wild Side”
Elvis Costello & the Attractions, “Shipbuilding”
New Radicals, “You Get What You Give”
The Clash, “London Calling”
Larry Mullin Jr.’s list:
Sweet, “Ballroom Blitz”
Sandy Nelson, “Let There Be Dreams”
Diana Ross, “Upside Down”
Led Zeppelin, “Black Dog”
Van Morrison, “Moondance”
Magazine, “The Light Pours In”
Black Uhuru, “Sponji Reggae”
Bruce Springsteen, “Nebraska”
Stiff Little Fingers, “Suspect Device”
Britney Spears, “…Baby One More Time”
Adam Clayton’s list:
Marvin Gaye, “What’s Goin’ On”
Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Exodus”
Sam Cooke, “A Change Is Gonna Come”
The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”
Simon & Garfunkel, “The Sound of Silence”
James Brown, “Super Bad – Parts 1 & 2”
Sly & the Family Stone, “I Want to Take You Higher”
The Stranglers, “Nice ‘n’ Sleazy”
The Clash, “The Magnificent Seven”
Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Waiting in Vain”
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Ronnie Scotts
Van Morrison has received a lot of media attention lately for his outspoken views protesting the U.K.’s COVID-19 safety policies, which he considers overly restrictive and believes are unfairly causing great harm musicians’ livelihoods. That being said, Morrison has just postponed the four upcoming Florida concerts he had lined up in February due to COVID-related issues, and he also revealed that his three-show Las Vegas residency that’s slated to take place next month also may be rescheduled.
“With the surge in Covid cases as a result of the omicron variant in the US, we have made the very difficult decision to reschedule our upcoming dates originally planned for February to later in the year,” a message on Morrison’s Facebook page reads. “Our primary concern is the safety of our much valued audience.”
The Florida shows now are scheduled for April 20-21 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, and April 23-24 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood.
In addition, the message states, “[W]e are also working hard to reschedule Vegas shows.” The concerts, which will take place at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, currently still appear to be confirmed for their original dates — February 18, 19 and 20.
The Facebook note adds, “All tickets will be valid for the rescheduled dates…We greatly appreciate your continued support and apologize profusely for any inconvenience this has caused. We understand it’s important you have plenty of time to change long-standing plans.”
To check out Van’s full touring itinerary, visit VanMorrison.com.
Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and U2’s Bono in 2005; KMazur/WireImage
Earlier this month, plans for an art exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art inspired by music from dozens of acts, including U2 and Nine Inch Nails, was announced. Now you’ll be able to buy your own version of those artworks — for a hefty price.
The exhibit, “Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined,” marks the 30th anniversary of Interscope Records and features over 50 original works by visual artists relating to a particular album or song from the Interscope catalog.
As previously reported, the U2-themed art was based on the band’s 2000 hit “Beautiful Day,” and was created by John Currin, while Two NIN albums, Broken and The Downward Spiral, served as inspiration for two separate pieces of art that will be featured in the exhibit, created by Emily Mae Smith and Richard Prince, respectively.
Starting January 27, you’ll be able to buy limited-edition vinyl albums featuring the artwork from the exhibit. There will be 100 copies of each album available, and each will come with a numbered archival quality print of the artwork on the cover. On top of that, each album will be delivered in a custom Gucci box. The price? $2,500 each.
The albums will be released in groups, with the first group being available to purchase from January 27 through January 31, exclusively via the app for the livestream shopping platform NTWRK. All profits will go to a charity foundation which is building a school in L.A.
The “Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined” exhibit will be on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from January 30 to February 13. For more info, visit LACMA.org.
John Lennon‘s older son Julian is auctioning off a series of one-of-a-kind NFTs focusing on Beatles-related items from Julian’s personal collection and memorabilia that his late dad gave him.
The “Lennon Connection: The NFT Collection” auction will take place on Monday, February 7, and is being presented by the NFT marketplace YellowHeart in partnership with Julien’s Auctions. The sale will be held live at Julien’s Auction’s Beverly Hills location and online at JuliensAuctions.com.
The NFTs being auctioned, which will be offered as audio/visual collectibles, include images of an Afghan coat that John Lennon wore during the filming of the Magical Mystery Tour special, a black cape that John wore in the Beatles film Help!, three different electric guitars that Julian received as gifts from his father, and a sheet of notes for the recording of “Hey Jude” handwritten by Paul McCartney and featuring some doodles and drawings by Paul.
“As an artist, I have great respect for all that my father accomplished in his career. As a son, I hold dear the good memories I have of my time with him,” Julian says in a statement. “I feel incredibly lucky to live in a day and age where innovation allows me to share such personal pieces of my Lennon family history. Through this NFT collection, I’m able to grant exclusive access to special items that I cherish and carry on the legacy of my father in a new way.”
Some proceeds from the sale will benefit Julian’s White Feather Foundation, and will be used to support the charity’s efforts to help reduce global carbon emissions.
Online bidding on the NFTs began Monday. The auction will end with a live-bidding session that starts at 10 a.m. PT on February 7. Visit JuliensLive.com for more information.
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will release a 30th anniversary edition of his second solo album, 1992’s Main Offender, on March 18.
The reissue, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available in multiple formats and configurations, including a limited-edition super-deluxe box set featuring remastered CD and vinyl versions of the album and a bonus live album on CD and two LPs.
A follow-up to Richards’ 1988 solo debut, Talk Is Cheap, Main Offender was released in October 1992. It features 10 songs that Keith co-wrote with acclaimed drummer/producer Steve Jordan — who became The Stones’ touring drummer in 2021. Guitarist Waddy Wachtel, bassist/keyboardist Charley Drayton and backing singer Sarah Dash also contributed to the songwriting.
Jordan, Wachtel, Drayton and Dash, along with keyboardist Ivan Neville, all were members of Richards’ side group X-Pensive Winos.
While the album didn’t make much of a chart impact, the songs “Wicked as It Seems” and “Eileen” reached #3 and #17, respectively, on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Tracks tally.
The live album featured in the box set, titled Winos Live in London ’92, features Keith and his band playing select songs from both Talk Is Cheap and Main Offender, as well as renditions of The Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” “Before They Make Me Run” and “Happy.”
The super-deluxe collection also features an LP version Main Offender pressed on smoke-colored vinyl; an 88-page, leather-bound book offering rare photos and Keith’s handwritten lyrics; and collectibles including a guitar pick, a bumper sticker and posters.
A video for one of the deluxe set’s live tracks, a rendition of the Talk Is Cheap cut “How I Wish,” has been posted at Richard’s YouTube channel. The track is available as a digital single now.
Here’s the Main Offender track list:
“999”
“Wicked as It Seems”
“Eileen”
“Words of Wonder”
“Yap Yap”
“Bodytalks”
“Hate It When You Leave”
“Runnin’ Too Deep”
“Will but You Won’t”
“Demon”
And here’s the Winos Live in London ’92 track list:
“Take It So Hard”
“999”
“Wicked as It Seems”
“How I Wish”
“Gimme Shelter”
“Hate It When You Leave”
“Before They Make Me Run”
“Eileen”
“Will But You Won’t”
“Bodytalks”
“Happy”
“Whip It Up”
Bryan Adams has released yet another song and video from his forthcoming album So Happy It Hurts, which is due out March 11.
The new track is called “Never Gonna Rain,” and Bryan explains what it’s about in a statement. “The ultimate optimist is someone who keeps on expecting the best, even in the face of the worst,” he notes. “Living in the moment, instead of in fear. Turning the negatives into positives. Taking the rain and turning it into a gift.”
The simple black-and-white video shows Bryan playing bass with his band as they stand outside what looks like a loading dock.
“Never Gonna Rain” is the fourth track Bryan’s released from So Happy It Hurts, following the title track, “On the Road” and “Kick A**.” A limited-edition box set, which features CD, vinyl, a signed photo and a hardbound book, is available to pre-order at Bryan’s online store.
Bryan’s got some European dates lined up that begin this weekend; no word on when he’ll return to North America.
After finally re-launching his long-delayed Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour last week, Elton John has now been forced to postpone two concerts — because he’s tested positive for COVID.
Elton’s two shows in Dallas, TX tonight and Wednesday night are being rescheduled, and tickets for the original shows will be honored. A statement notes, “Fortunately, Elton is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is experiencing only mild symptoms…Elton and the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour look forward to returning to the stage shortly.”
On his Instagram Stories, Elton wrote, “It’s always a massive disappointment to have to move shows and I’m sorry to anyone who’s been inconvenienced by this but I want to keep myself and my team safe.” Elton adds that he’s “fully expecting to make the Arkansas shows this weekend.”
Ahead of the tour’s launch, Elton’s longtime guitarist and musical director Davey Johnstone told ABC Audio that all COVID-19 precautions were being taken.
“There’s no backstage, there’s no guests. There are no backstage passes. There are no wives or girlfriends or anything,” said Johnstone, adding, “Everybody’s super masked up and getting tested every two days to make sure everybody on the tour stays safe.”
