Classic Rock News

Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde celebrates her 70th birthday today.

Born in Akron, Ohio, Hynde moved to London in 1973 and eventually immersed herself in the city’s punk scene.

She formed The Pretenders in 1978 with drummer Martin Chambers, guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon. The band’s first single, a 1979 cover of The Kinks‘ “Stop Your Sobbing,” reached #34 on the U.K. charts.

The Pretenders’ 1979 self-titled debut album reached #9 on the Billboard 200. It featured the band’s first stateside hit, “Brass in Pocket,” which peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Pretenders also featured several other enduring songs, including “Precious,” “Kid” and “Mystery Achievement.”

The band’s 1981 sophomore album, The Pretenders II, reached #10 on the Billboard 200 and included the popular tunes “Talk of the Town” and “Message of Love.”

Tragedy struck the band in June 1982 when Honeyman-Scott, 25, died of a drug overdose, two days after Farndon was fired because of his own drug problems. In April 1983, Farndon drowned in his bathtub after overdosing on heroin. He was 30.

Hynde and Chambers soon re-formed The Pretenders, and the band scored its biggest hit in 1982 with “Back on the Chain Gang,” which reached #5 on the Hot 100. Other hits followed, including “Middle of the Road,” “Show Me,” “Don’t Get Me Wrong” and “I’ll Stand by You.”

Hynde also scored a big hit when she teamed up with U.K. reggae band UB40 for a 1985 cover of Sonny & Cher’s classic duet “I Got You Babe.”

Outside of music, Chrissie has had children with two other famous singers. Her daughter Natalie, whose father is Kinks frontman Ray Davies, was born in 1983. From 1984 to 1990, Hynde was married to Simple Minds single Jim Kerr, and the couple’s daughter, Yasmin, was born in ’85.

Chrissie was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with The Pretenders in 2005.

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Foo Fighters are among the nominees for Group of the Year at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.

The prize is among the just-announced VMA “social categories,” which will be chosen through MTV’s social media channels. Bracket-style voting is set to begin this Saturday, September 4, via MTV’s Instagram Story.

Other nominees include Twenty One Pilots, BTS, Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5, Silk Sonic, BLACKPINK and CNCO.

Foo Fighters are already up for three other VMAs this year: Best Rock, Best Choreography and Best Cinematography, all for the “Shame Shame” video. They’ll also be honored with the Global Icon Award.

Foo Fighters are also performing during the VMA ceremony, which premieres September 12.

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Late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury was born 75 years ago this Sunday, September 5.

Mercury, who died from AIDS in November 1991 at age 45, is widely regarded as one of the all-time great rock singers. His powerful vocals, flamboyant persona and dynamic performing style helped Queen become one of the most popular and successful bands on the planet.

Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on the African island of Zanzibar in 1946, and his family lived there until 1964, when they moved to the U.K. In 1970, Mercury teamed up with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor in a band called Smile, and after the addition of bassist John Deacon, the group changed its name to Queen.

Queen blended a variety of genres including rock ‘n’ roll, hard rock, prog-rock, classical, pop, funk and rockabilly for a unique sound that captivated a wide variety of music fans. Mercury was responsible for writing many of the band’s biggest hits, including  “Killer Queen,” “Somebody to Love,” “We Are the Champions,” “Bicycle Race,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Play the Game” and, of course, the enduring rock anthem “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Freddie also co-wrote Queen’s classic 1981 collaboration with David Bowie, “Under Pressure.” Mercury’s performance with Queen at London’s Wembley Stadium at the 1985 Live Aid festival is widely considered one of the highlights of that historic event.

Mercury also released a pair of solo albums during the 1980s, one of which, 1988’s Barcelona, was a duets project with Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballé.

Mercury and Queen’s other members were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.

In commemoration of Freddie’s 75th birthday, three special T-shirts are on sale now at Queen’s online store.

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David Crosby has had a much-publicized ongoing rift with former band mates Neil Young and Graham Nash, and in a new interview with U.K. newspaper The Guardian, Crosby says he doesn’t expect to reconcile with either of them.

“[T]he petty-a**ed bulls*** that goes on between us as people,” the 80-year-old folk-rock legend says of his relationship with Young and Nash.

Crosby then notes, “Neil has got a genuine beef,” because in a 2015 interview, David insulted Young’s then-girlfriend, actress Daryl Hannah, who’s now married to Neil.

“I said I thought she was a predator,” he points out. “OK, he can be mad at me.”

Having said that, Crosby proceeds to hurl some insults at Young after maintaining that Neil wasn’t committed to liberal politics the way David, Graham and Stephen Stills were.

“Neil doesn’t really do politics. He does Neil,” Crosby says, adding, “[H]e’s probably the most self-centred, self-obsessed, selfish person I know. He only thinks about Neil, period.”

As for Nash, David says, “Graham just changed from the guy I thought was my best friend to being a guy that is definitely my enemy, so I don’t see any future there at all.”

After the interviewer expresses regret over David’s rift with Graham and notes that Nash had looked after Crosby during the years that David’s struggled with drug addiction, Crosby responds, “No! He gave the impression of looking after me, but apparently that was all just trying to keep the money coming.”

Asked whether he’s been in touch with Nash lately, Crosby says, “No, we haven’t talked for a couple of years. And I’m not going to talk to him…I’m not happy with him at all.”

Crosby’s latest solo album, For Free, was released in July.

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Elton John‘s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is back on and, as of now, it’ll officially end in Australia in 2023.  But the Rocket Man has just announced a new date, which will mark his final show ever in London, England, the city where he first got his start as a musician and songwriter.

Elton will headline next year’s BST Hyde Park, the annual series of summer concerts that take place in London’s Hyde Park.  The show will take place June 24, 2022.  Tickets go on sale Friday, September 10, but if you pre-order Elton’s new album, The Lockdown Sessions, via his official store, you’ll get guaranteed access to a pre-sale ticket.

“This will be my final tour date in London, and I can’t wait to perform in one of my favorite cities in the world,” Elton wrote on Instagram.

Elton’s Farewell tour will resume May 27, 2022, in Europe before heading to North America on July 15, 2022.  His final shows in the U.S. will be at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 19 and 20, 2022.

 

 

 

 

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Alice Cooper has been chosen as one of the grand marshals for this year’s Fiesta Bowl Parade, which takes place on Saturday, December 18, in the shock rocker’s hometown of Phoenix, Arizona.

Cooper will be joined as grand marshal by the nine founders of the NCAA’s Fiesta Bowl football game, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Fiesta Bowl executive director Mike Nealy tells the Arizona Republic that Alice is the first rock legend ever chosen for the honor.  Grand marshals picked for the event traditionally are individuals or groups whose actions and activities the Fiesta Bowl organization’s commitment to promoting economic growth, aiding charities and delivering innovative experiences.

Cooper, of course, is famous for his hard-rocking music and theatrical concerts, but he’s also the founder of Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock, a faith-based organization that provides a supportive creative sanctuary for Phoenix-area teenagers.

“It will be an honor to serve as Grand Marshal for this year’s Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Parade…Riding on a float doesn’t sound like a hard job and I can’t wait to do so in my hometown,” says Cooper. “I appreciate the generosity of Fiesta Bowl Charities in helping Phoenix-area teenagers. It’s great when I see other organizations supporting similar organizations like our Solid Rock Teen Center to get the job done for members of our community.”

The Fiesta Bowl Parade marches through downtown Phoenix and features floats, giant balloons, marching bands, antique cars, local celebrities and more. Admission is free to the public, although tickets for premium and reserved seats are on sale now for $30 at FiestaBowl.org/parade.

The parade will be broadcast live on Arizona’s Family 3TV channel, and also will be viewable online and via the AZFamily app.

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Jackson Browne is among the artists who will be featured on the upcoming 47th season of PBS’ popular live performance series Austin City Limits.  The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s episode will premiere on November 13.

Browne’s ACL performance will be the lauded singer/songwriter’s first on the program in almost 20 years. He’ll be featured playing songs from his recently released studio album, Downhill from Everywhere, as well as select tunes from his extensive back catalog.

Austin City Limits‘ new season premieres on October 2 with a show featuring country star Miranda Lambert and country songwriters Jack Ingram and Jon Randall, who will play tunes from their 2021 collaborative album The Marfa Tapes. Other artists slated to appear on upcoming ACL episodes include Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard, Jon Batiste, Grammy-winning Americana artist Sarah Jarosz and young R&B singer Leon Bridges.

This season of Austin City Limits was recorded at the show’s Austin, Texas, studio this year in front of limited live audience.

“The world is still fighting its way out of this pandemic, but Austin City Limits is back — without missing a beat,” says the show’s executive producer Terry Lickona. “As always, we love to mix things up with some remarkable new talent as well as fan favorites, along with a few surprises. ACL celebrates the return of live music!”

Browne currently is playing a series of headlining concerts that run through a September 18 show in Phoenix, Arizona. On October 16 in New Orleans, Jackson kicks off his second leg of joint dates with James Taylor, which is mapped out through a December 13 performance in Buffalo, New York. Check out Browne’s full schedule at JacksonBrowne.com.

Here’s the list of newly confirmed Austin City Limits episodes and guests; more will be announced soon:

10/2 — Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram & Jon Randall: The Marfa Tapes
10/9 — Jade Bird, Dayglow
10/16 — Jon Batiste
10/23 — Sarah Jarosz, Billy Strings
10/30 — Brandy Clark, Charley Crockett
11/6  — Leon Bridges, Khruangbin
11/13 — Jackson Browne
11/20 — Brittany Howard

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Patti Smith has joined the lineup of the 2021 Riot Fest event, which is scheduled to take place September 16-19 at Chicago’s Douglass Park.

The godmother of punk and her band will be performing on the festival’s first day, which has been dubbed the “Preview Party.”

Ex-Smiths frontman Morrissey will headline the festival that day, and the “Preview Party” also will feature free carnival rides, sideshow performers, special Thursday-only merchandise, an onstage singing competition and more.

In addition, because of the recent changes to Riot Fest’s lineup on Sunday September 19, with Slipknot and Flaming Lips replacing Nine Inch Nails and The Pixies, fans with tickets to Sunday’s show will be able to attend the Thursday event for free.

Among the many other artists on the 2021 Riot Fest bill are DEVO, The Smashing Pumpkins, Sublime with Rome, Living Colour, Fishbone, Faith No More, Dropkick Murphys, Rancid and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

Meanwhile, Smith has a bunch of other U.S. shows on her 2021 schedule, starting with a series of California concerts in the coming week that will feature her performing with accompaniment from her son Jackson Smith on guitar and her longtime bassist Tony Shanahan.

Patti also will playing with her full band on September 18 at the See.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey; on September 19 in New York City’s Central Park; on October 21 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium; and on October 22 at Atlanta’s Roxy Theatre.

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Motörhead will release a new best-of compilation titled Everything Louder Forever on October 29.

The career-spanning set, described as the “definitive collection of [Motörhead’s] loudest ever songs,” boasts a total of 42 tracks spread across a four-LP and two-CD package.

“This collection is the definitive assembly of Motörhead songs which have created this cultural phenomenon, and represents the first time all eras of the band’s recorded history have been represented in one place,” a press release reads.

You can celebrate the Everything Louder Forever announcement by watching a newly released video for the 2000 song “We Are Motörhead,” which is streaming now on YouTube.

Motörhead released 22 studio albums over their 40-year career, which came to an end when frontman Lemmy Kilmister died in December 2015.

Here’s the Everything Louder Forever track list:

“Overkill”
“We Are Motörhead”
“Snaggletooth”
“Rock It”
“Orgasmatron”
“Brotherhood of Man”
“In the Name of Tragedy”
“Bomber”
“Sacrifice”
“The Thousand Names of God”
“Love for Sale”
“Killed by Death”
“I’m So Bad (Baby I Don’t Care)”
“Smiling Like a Killer”
“Sharpshooter”
“Queen of the Damned”
“Keys to the Kingdom”
“Cradle to the Grave”
“Lost Johnny”
“The Game”
“Ace of Spades”
“Burner”
“Stone Dead Forever”
“Bad Woman”
“Just Cos’ You Got the Power”
“Stay Out of Jail”
“No Class”
“I Am the Sword”
“The Chase Is Better than the Catch”
“God Save the Queen”
“R.A.M.O.N.E.S.”
“Iron Fist”
“Rock Out”
“Dirty Love”
“Shine”
“Overnight Sensation”
“On Your Feet or on Your Knees”
“I Ain’t No Nice Guy”
“Sucker”
“1916”
“Choking on Your Screams”
“Motörhead”

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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Thanks to his collaboration with U.K. pop star Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart,” any barriers keeping Elton John from returning to the pop charts have melted away.

As Billboard notes, the mash-up of three past Elton songs created by Australian dance duo Pnau has entered Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart at #39. This is the first time Elton’s appeared on that chart since January of 1998, with his song “Something About the Way You Look Tonight.”

In addition, 74-year-old Elton has now set a record for having the longest span of songs on the Pop Airplay chart. He appeared on the very first one, back in October of 1992, so now his span is a month shy of 29 years.

As previously reported, “Cold Heart” will be part of The Lockdown Sessions, an upcoming album by Elton featuring collaborations he recorded during the pandemic. It features him working with everyone from Stevie Nicks and Stevie Wonder to Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder and rapper Nicki Minaj.

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