Classic Rock News

Billy Joel has always been a huge supporter of the arts, as well as a huge supporter of his home base of Long Island, New York. Now, he’s shown once again why these two things are near and dear to his heart.

Long Island’s Newsday reports that Billy and his charitable foundation have pledged $1.5 million to the Long Island High School for the Arts, which provides programs in music and theater, as well as game design, audio and video production and digital film making.

“We are incredibly proud of LIHSA’s momentum and positive impact on the next generation of artists from Long Island,” Billy and his wife, Alexis, said in a statement.

When the school, founded in 1973, was on the verge of closing six years ago, Billy’s foundation kicked in a million dollars to save it.  In 2017, the building that houses the music and theater programs was renamed in honor of Billy’s mother, Rosalind Joel.

Graduates of the school, which is located in the town of Syosset, have gone on to careers on Broadway, nationally recognized arts organizations and more.

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Rod Stewart spent the weekend celebrating two things: the engagement of his daughter, Kimberly Stewart, and the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II‘s ascension to the throne.

Kimberly, Rod’s daughter with his first wife, Alana Stewart, got engaged over the weekend to producer Jesse Shapira, People confirms.  Kimberly has a 10-year-old daughter, Delilah, with her ex, Benicio del Toro.

On Sunday, Alana posted photos of herself and Rod having a celebratory dinner in LA with Kimberly and Jesse, as well as Kimberly’s brother, Sean, and Renee Stewart, Rod’s daughter with his second wife, Rachel Hunter. Rod has eight children by five different women, and maintains good relationships with all his kids, and most of their mothers.

Meanwhile, Sunday marked the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II‘s ascension to the throne, and the official start of her Platinum Jubilee year.  Rod posted a few photos of himself greeting and chatting with Her Majesty over the years, and wrote, “She’s been a wonderful example of how to conduct yourself with integrity and grace for 70 years now (just like me!) and we should all look forward to acknowledging her magnificent service.”

“I remember quite vividly when I was invited to sing a few songs for Her Majesty at St James’s Palace for a charity event. It was without doubt the most nervous I’ve ever been,” Rod confessed. “Her Majesty looked somewhat terrified as well, I think she thought I was going to play a loud version of ‘Hot Legs’ or something(!) but I didn’t, choosing instead ‘What a Wonderful World’ from my American Song Book collection.”

Rod concluded, “Her Majesty smiled and looked extremely relieved. What a Lady…so cool!”

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Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan celebrates his 60th birthday today.

Born David Rashbaum, Bryan is a co-founding member of Bon Jovi and also has co-written several of the New Jersey band’s songs, including “In My Arms,” a top-30 hit in 1993.

David was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the band in 2018.

Outside of Bon Jovi, Bryan has forged a successful career as a composer for musical theater productions. Most notably, he wrote the music for Memphis, a Broadway musical that won four Tony Awards for the 2010 season, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.

Bryan also co-wrote the music for the new Broadway production Diana the Musical, based on the life of the late Princess Diana. Unfortunately, the filmed version of the musical, which debuted on Netflix in October 2021, just earned the dubious distinction of receiving the most nominations for the 2022 Razzie Awards, “honoring” the worst in cinema.

Among the film’s nine nods is Worst Screenplay, with Bryan listed as a nominee alongside the film’s script writer and co-composer, Joe DiPietro, who also was David’s Memphis collaborator.

Back to David’s birthday, his longtime band mate Jon Bon Jovi tweeted a message to him in honor of the milestone, which reads, “Sweet 16 or sweet 60? We’re still doing it my friend!” The post also features a vintage photo that includes Jon and David that was taken when they were teenagers, and a pic of the current Bon Jovi lineup.

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Billie Joe Armstrong is looking for any help in recovering a car that was stolen from him.

In an Instagram post, the Green Day frontman put out a notice asking for any information on the whereabouts of the vehicle, a 1962 Chevy II.

“This car is near and dear to all our hearts and has been in the [Green Day] family for over 30 years,” Armstrong wrote in the caption.

To report any sightings or tips, Armstrong asks that you call California’s Costa Mesa Police Department at 714-754-5280.

“Please re-post, let’s all help find this car!” Armstrong wrote.

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The estates of late Alice in Chains members Layne Staley and Mike Starr have sold their music rights to the music publishing company, Primary Wave.

According to a press release, Primary Wave now owns “a stake in [Staley and Starr’s] music publishing catalog, as well as master royalty income stream.” The deal includes royalties to AiC classics including “Man in a Box,” “Would?” and “Rooster.”

In a statement, Primary Wave Publishing Partner David Weitzman says, “Primary Wave is pleased to partner with the estates of Layne Staley and Mike Starr to honor their musical legacies as part of the classic era lineup of Alice in Chains, who created the amazing songs and records that comprise the albums Dirt and Facelift, and the acoustic EPs, Jar of Flies and Sap.”

“These projects represent the greatest works from one of the best artists of the iconic ’90s Seattle-based grunge era,” Weitzman adds.

Both Staley and Starr were original members of Alice in Chains. Frontman Stayley died in 2002, while bassist Starr, who left AiC in 1993, passed in 2011.

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Ringo Starr has unveiled updated plans for his 2022 North American tour with his All Starr Band that include a newly confirmed kickoff date and a lineup change.

The latest All Starr Band trek, which has been postponed twice since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, will get underway with a just announced May 27-28 engagement at Casino Rama in Rama, Canada.

This will mark the fifth time that Ringo and the All Starrs will begin a tour at the Canadian venue, after 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2014.

The group’s 2022 itinerary also features a new concert in Canandaigua, New York, on May 30 and a second show in Atlanta on June 21, which joins a previously announced June 22 Atlanta gig. In addition, previously confirmed concerts on May 31 in Asbury Park, New Jersey; June 3 in Worcester, Massachusetts; and June 21 in Richmond, Virginia, are no longer on the All Starr Band’s schedule.

As for the lineup change, veteran rocker Edgar Winter will be rejoining the group in place of founding Santana and Journey singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie, who had played with the All Starrs since 2012. Winter previously was a member of the All Starr Band from 2006 to 2011.

The rest of Ringo’s All Starr Band remains the same — Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, Men at Work frontman Colin Hay and former Average White Band guitarist/bassist Hamish Stuart, as well as sax player/percussionist Warren Ham and drummer Gregg Bissonette.

“I can’t wait to get back out on the road and play,” says Ringo. “This is the longest I’ve been off the road in years — up until 2020 I was touring every year with the All Starrs — and I’ve really missed it.”

Visit RingoStarr.com for more info about the trek.

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Last year, Elton John‘s Oscar viewing party went virtual, but this year, it’s returning in-person.

The event on March 27 in West Hollywood Park will be the 30th annual installment of the event, which over the years has raised $515 million for Elton’s AIDS Foundation and the global fight against HIV/AIDS. 

Last year, Elton John‘s Oscar viewing party went virtual, but this year, it’s returning in person.

The event on March 27 in West Hollywood Park will be the 30th annual installment of the event, which over the years has raised $515 million for Elton’s AIDS Foundation and the global fight against HIV/AIDS. 

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, a good friend of Elton’s who appears on his Lockdown Sessions album, will perform at the bash.  Other performers are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

In a statement, Elton says, “[My husband and manager] David [Furnish] and I are so grateful to celebrate 30 years of the Foundation and especially grateful to Brandi Carlile and the many fabulous guests supporting us for another magnificent night in West Hollywood Park.”

He continues, “Our success reflects the passion, commitment, and generosity of our supporters. Together, we are making a difference and bringing light and hope to people living with HIV around the world.”

Brandi adds, “Getting to perform for such a significant milestone of one of the most legendary Oscar Parties is an absolute honor.”

Elton currently has a concert scheduled for March 27 in Lincoln, Nebraska, so ABC News has confirmed that unfortunately, he won’t be able to attend the party himself.

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If an album of 17 new Red Hot Chili Peppers songs isn’t enough to satiate your needs, then we have good news.

Speaking to NME, frontman Anthony Kiedis teases “another wheelbarrow of songs” to follow the band’s just-announced new record, Unlimited Love.

“We’re gonna put out music by the handful — literally,” Kiedis says.

“Don’t be surprised if another wheelbarrow of songs comes your way in the near future,” he shares. “We have a lot of s*** to turn people onto.”

Returning guitarist John Frusciante adds that the Peppers already have a “loose plan” for an Unlimited Love follow-up. 

“We definitely have enough material that we love,” Frusciante says, revealing that the leftover tunes have a “relaxed energy that’s distinct from the intensity” of Unlimited Love.

Before we get to hear those songs, we’ve got a two-month wait for Unlimited Love, which drops April 1. Lead single and opening track “Black Summer” is out now.

Red Hot Chili Peppers will embark on a world tour in support of Unlimited Love this summer. The U.S. leg launches in July.

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Nikki Sixx kickstarted his weekend by dissing Pearl Jam as “one of the most boring bands in history.”

The Mötley Crüe bassist was responding to an interview Eddie Vedder recently gave to The New York Times Magazine, in which the PJ frontman said he “despised” Sixx’s band.

“I hated it,” Vedder said of the “Girls, Girls, Girls” outfit. “I hated how it made the fellas look. I hated how it made the women look. It felt so vacuous. Guns N’ Roses came out and, thank God, at least had some teeth.”

In a tweet this past Saturday, Sixx fired back with, “Made me laugh today reading how much the singer in Pearl Jam hated @MotleyCrue.”

He added, “Now considering that [Pearl Jam is] one of the most boring bands in history it’s kind of a compliment isn’t it?”

Vedder, who’s currently on tour in support of his forthcoming solo album Earthling, has not yet publicly responded to Sixx’s comments.

Mötley Crüe, meanwhile, is preparing for the band’s long-in-the-works reunion tour, which is set to kick off this June, which has been delayed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Last year, Roger Daltrey said that The Who would return to the stage in April of 2022, and he wasn’t lying.  The band has announced The Who Hits Back! Tour for North America, kicking off April 22 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

The spring leg of the tour wraps May 28 in Bethel, NY and the fall leg gets underway October in Toronto. Those dates are scheduled through two shows in Las Vegas on November 4 and 5. In May, for the first time in 43 years, the band will perform in Cincinnati, the site of the 1979 incident in which 11 people were killed when fans rushed the doors of the Riverfront Coliseum ahead of the Who’s show there.

The dates will feature the Who’s full live band — including Zak Starkey on drums, Jon Button on bass and Simon Townshend on guitar and vocals — as well as local orchestras.

In a statement, Daltrey says, “Pete and I said we’d be back, but we didn’t think we’d have to wait for two years for the privilege. This is making the chance to perform feel even more special this time around. So many livelihoods have been impacted due to Covid, so we are thrilled to get everyone back together — the band, the crew and the fans”.

We’re gearing up for a great show that hits back in the only way The Who know how: by giving it everything we’ve got,” Daltrey adds.

Tickets go on sale February 11 at 10 a.m. local time via LiveNation.com.  The Who Fan Club pre-sale starts Tuesday, February 8th at 10:00 a.m. local time and runs through Thursday, February 10th at 10:00 p.m. local time.

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