Classic Rock News

Bad Company and Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs has passed away at the age of 81.

“Our Mick has passed, my heart just hit the ground. He has left us with exceptional songs and memories,” Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers shared in a statement. “He was my friend, my songwriting partner, an amazing and versatile guitarist who had the greatest sense of humor.”

Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke added, “He was a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist. We will miss him deeply.”

Ralphs was a founding member of the band Mott the Hoople, with the band releasing their self-titled debut album in 1969. After leaving the group in 1973, he formed Bad Company with Rodgers and Kirke, both former members of Free, and former King Crimson bassist/vocalist Boz Burrell.

Bad Company released their self-titled debut in 1974, which was a huge success thanks to such classic songs as “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love,” the title track, “Movin’ On” and “Rock Steady.” It went on to be certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA. Other Bad Company hits include “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Shooting Star” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy.”

Although a cause of death was not given, Ralphs suffered a stroke in 2016, which left him confined to his bed until his death. The stroke happened just days after his final performance with Bad Company, in October 2016 at London’s O2 Arena.

His death comes just a couple months after Bad Company was chosen for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. When the news was announced, Ralphs said he was “elated” by the decision; Kirke expressed gratitude that his bandmate was here to see it happen.

“To be honest, every year we were not nominated it was another blow, not necessarily for me but we wanted Mick to be able to see this,” Kirke said. “So that’s been rectified, and we’ll give him a shout from the podium in November.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction will take place Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

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While there’s no doubt that Bruce Springsteen is famous, he is very happy that he’s not enjoying the type of fame he had in the ’80s, when he released the hugely successful album Born in the U.S.A.

“Well, I was 35. I had previous experience [of fame] at 25, so I was capable of handling the moment,” he tells the U.K.’s The Times. “Ninety percent I enjoyed the ride, 10 percent of it was stressful, and my take on it now is that it was a cool thing to be at the height of the cultural conversation in the pop world for a while. I just didn’t have any particular interest in staying there. That’s a fool’s game.”

Springsteen says he was “lucky” to have stars like The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Elvis as examples of what to do or not do when it comes to success.

“From there I learnt how important it was not to lose focus on who I am or the work I’m doing,” he says. “It’s more important than the money, although it’s great to get paid well. It’s more important than the fame, although that can be fun too, and a nuisance on occasion.”

He tells The Times, “I simply wanted to write great songs, play great shows and have a conversation with a great audience. It is what I’ve dedicated my life to doing.”

Springsteen will release the new box set Tracks II: The Lost Albums on Friday. His European tour with The E Street Band hits San Sebastian, Spain, on Tuesday. A complete list of dates can be found at BruceSpringsteen.net.

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The late Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson was celebrated in Huntington Beach, California, Saturday with a paddle-out featuring over 100 surfers.

According to an Instagram post by the city of Huntington Beach, the paddle-out was part of International Surfing Day and featured an appearance by Jan & Dean singer Dean Torrence. Wilson co-wrote one of the duo’s biggest hits, “Surf City.”

According to the L.A Times, at least 400 people also gathered on land to remember Wilson, who passed away June 11 at the age of 82.

“The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson had a huge part in establishing what we would call the Southern California beach culture,” surfer Peter “PT” Townend, who emceed the event, said, according to the paper.

The surfers who took part paddled out into the water with flowers in their hand and formed a circle in honor of Wilson, before surfing back to shore.

The event took place one day after what would have been Wilson’s 83rd birthday.

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He may be the guitarist in one of Ireland’s biggest rock groups, but believe it or not, U2‘s The Edge just became an Irish citizen.

The Irish Times reports that the 63-year-old rocker, who was born to Welsh parents in Essex, England, officially became an Irish citizen during a ceremony Monday in County Kerry, Ireland.

“I have always felt Irish, Ireland will always be home to me and I’m so grateful for that,” he said. He noted that his application for citizenship was “long overdue.”

“I’m a little tardy with the paper work. I’ve been living in Ireland now since I was one. But the time is right,” The Edge told reporters. “It couldn’t come at a better moment for me, so I am just so happy to be at this point to be in even deeper connection with my homeland.”

He added, “Honestly, there were many moments in the past when I could have done it with just the form to be filled out but I’m happy it’s now. It feels more significant.” He said it’s “more meaningful” at this moment because of “what is going on in the world right now, what Ireland stands for – it’s very powerful.”

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Eric Clapton has added a new show to his upcoming U.S. tour.

The three-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is set to play Mershon Auditorium at Ohio State University on Sept. 5.

All proceeds from the concert will benefit the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. The substance abuse rehabilitation center was founded by Clapton in 1998.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

Clapton is set to launch a short U.S. tour starting Sept. 8 in Nashville. In addition to the Ohio State show, the tour will hit Cleveland, Philadelphia, Boston and New York before wrapping Sept. 20 in Uncasville, Connecticut. A complete list of dates can be found at EricClapton.com.

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On This Day, June 23, 1980 … 

The Rolling Stones released their 15th studio album, Emotional Rescue.

The album was recorded in Nassau, Bahamas, and Paris, with additional work completed in New York City.

Emotional Rescue hit #1 on the Billboard 200, as well as in several other countries, including the U.K., Canada and Sweden.

The album’s title track was a top-10 hit in the U.S., peaking at #9. A second single, “She’s So Cold,” was a top-40 hit.

The album was certified double Platinum in the U.S.

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AC/DC is bringing their Power Up tour home.

The Aussie Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have announced a five-date Australian leg of the tour, kicking off Nov. 12 in Melbourne. The tour will hit Sydney, Adelaide and Perth before wrapping Dec. 14 in Brisbane.

Amyl and the Sniffers, who are also from Australia, are set to open on all dates.

Tickets for all shows go on sale Thursday. A complete list of dates and more info on tickets can be found at acdc.com.

AC/DC launched their Power Up tour in May 2024. The tour was their first trek since 2016, and the first since releasing their 2020 album, Power Up. They brought the tour to the U.S. in April, with the North American trek wrapping May 28 in Cleveland. The tour returns to Europe on Thursday in Prague.

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Dave Grohl made a surprise appearance during The Breeders frontwoman and ex-Pixies bassist Kim Deal‘s solo show in London Friday.

The Foo Fighters frontman joined Deal for a rendition of the Pixies track “Gigantic.” In fan-shot video, Grohl declares “I’ll sing whatever you ask me to sing” before launching into the song.

The Deal show is one of several live appearances Grohl has made since his 2024 infidelity scandal, along with a pair of Nirvana performances at January’s FireAid and February’s SNL50: The Homecoming Concert. He also showed up at Coachella in April.

Foo Fighters are set to return to the live stage for a run of Asia dates in October.

Deal, meanwhile, has been touring in support of her debut solo album, 2024’s Nobody Loves You More.

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Some lucky Bruce Springsteen fans in New Jersey are going to get a chance to hear The Boss’ upcoming Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set before it’s officially released.

The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University in Monmouth, New Jersey, is holding a Tracks II advance listening party on Thursday, one day before the box set comes out.

The event will give attendees a chance to hear selections from Tracks II, which is made up of seven previously unheard Springsteen records: LA Garage Sessions ’83, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions, Faithless, Somewhere North of Nashville, Inyo, Twilight Hours and Perfect World. It features 83 songs, all of which were originally recorded between 1983 and 2018.

The listening party is free, although those interested do need to register in advance. One attendee will win two tickets to a Sept. 5 Archives Center event with longtime Springsteen collaborator and director Thom Zimny, taking place at Monmouth’s Pollak Theatre.

Tracks II: The Lost Albums will be released digitally, and as limited-edition nine-LP and seven-CD sets. The physical copies come with packaging for each previously unreleased record, along with a 100-page hardcover book with rare archival photos, liner notes, a personal introduction from Springsteen and more.

In addition, Springsteen will release Lost and Found: Selections from the Lost Albums, featuring 20 songs from the collection, as a single CD and two-LP set.

Tracks II: The Lost Albums is available for preorder now.

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REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin is feeling nostalgic about Live Aid, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in July.

Cronin reveals in a Facebook post that he was just interviewed about the concerts for the anniversary. He writes, “It was an incredible, monumental, and unifying day – a global effort from Philadelphia and London to fight famine in Africa through music.”

And the interview prompted Cronin to take a step to continue that fight.

“To honor that powerful legacy, the Kevin Cronin Band is proud to say that we will be donating a portion of the proceeds from our show closest to the anniversary – July 12th at Jiffy Lube Live in VA – towards ongoing efforts to address food insecurity,” he says. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if many of the other Live Aid performers would join in and consider a similar gesture? Every little bit helps, as the need is still there.”

He then tagged several other artists who performed at Live Aid, including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Simple Minds, Neil Young, Bryan Adams and Carlos Santana.

Live Aid, organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, took place July 13, 1985, at London’s Wembley Stadium and Philly’s John F. Kennedy Stadium. The benefit concerts, which raised more than $150 million for Ethiopian famine relief, were watched by about 2 billion people in more than 100 countries.

Cronin and his band are currently on tour with Styx. They next play Kansas City, Missouri, on July 2. A complete list of dates can be found at KevinCronin.com.

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