Classic Rock News

On This Day, Dec. 17, 1949…

Singer Paul Rodgers was born in Middlesbrough, England.

Rodgers would go on to form the rock band Free in 1968 with drummer Simon Kirke, guitarist Paul Kossoff and bassist Andy Fraser. The band landed a #1 hit with ”All Right Now,” which Rodgers co-wrote with Fraser.

After their breakup, Rodgers and Kirke formed the supergroup Bad Company with Mott The Hoople’s Mick Ralphs and the King Crimson’s Boz Burrell.

Bad Company’s self-titled debut album was released in 1974 and hit #1 thanks to such classic songs as “Can’t Get Enough” and the title track. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.

After leaving Bad Company in 1982, Rodgers launched a successful solo career and fronted the band The Law, featuring former Faces drummer Kenney Jones. He also toured and recorded an album with Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor under the name Queen + Paul Rodgers.

In 2023, Rodgers released Midnight Rose, his first solo album in almost 25 years, and revealed to the world he had suffered a series of strokes starting in 2016 that nearly took away his ability to sing. 

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Van Morrison, E Street Band guitarist Stevie Van Zandt, George Thorogood and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers‘ Mike Campbell are among the artists set to perform at an upcoming benefit concert celebrating the career of blues musician Taj Mahal.

The concert, taking place Feb. 21 at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco, is the annual benefit for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

Other artists set to celebrate Mahal include Patty Griffin, Jim Lauderdale and Joe Henry. Mahal will also perform, with additional artists to be announced.

“Thrilled to be honored by Sweet Relief and to celebrate with good feeling music,” Taj Mahal says. “Thank you Sweet Relief for all that you do and for bringing us together.”

Tickets for the concert go on sale Friday.

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides services and financial assistance for musicians and music industry professionals. In 2025 it held a similar concert in celebration of Joan Baez, which featured performances by Bonnie Raitt, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Emmylou Harris, Henry and Lucinda Williams.

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Former Mötley Crüe singer John Corabi has announced his debut solo album.

The record is called New Day and is due out April 24. The title track is out now, and you can watch its accompanying video on YouTube.

“I’m very excited for everybody to hear this new collection of songs!” Corabi says in a statement. “I wanted to put together an album of eclectic, organic songs that are reminiscent of the music I grew up listening to, and I truly believe the mission was accomplished! This is a [’60s-’70s] sounding classic rock and roll record…Turn it up, and enjoy!!!”

Corabi joined Mötley Crüe in 1992 following the departure of founding vocalist Vince Neil. They released one album together, 1996’s grungy self-titled effort. He left Mötley that year, and the band reunited with Neil.

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Bruce Springsteen has paid tribute to Americana singer Joe Ely, who passed away Monday at the age of 78 from complications of Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease and pneumonia.

“Over here, we’re deeply saddened by the loss of Joe Ely, a singular American singer, great musician and great artist,” Springsteen wrote on Instagram. “I was lucky enough to count Joe as a true friend and I will miss that voice and his companionship. Our hearts go out to his wonderful wife Sharon and the family. We’ve lost an American classic.”

Springsteen and Ely collaborated with each other numerous times over the years. Bruce appeared on songs on Ely’s 1995 album, Letter To Laredo, including the tune “All Just to Get to You.” He also appeared on “Odds of the Blues,” a track on Ely’s 2024 album, Driven to Drive. They also performed together several times over the years.

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Billy Idol has a chance to nab an Oscar nomination.

The rocker’s song “Dying to Live,” from his documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead, has earned a spot on the Oscars short list for best original song.

The tune, written by Idol, J. Ralph, Steve Stevens, Tommy English and Joe Janiak, is one of 15 tracks to make the short list, with the category to be narrowed down to five songs.

Another track making the short list is the Diane Warren song “Dear Me,” from her documentary Diane Warren: Restless. Warren has been nominated 16 times before, but has never won, although she did receive an honorary Oscar in 2022.

Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 22.

Billy Idol Should Be Dead had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival in June. The film, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, is expected to be released in theaters and on streaming services in early 2026.

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The first-ever video for George Harrison’s classic tune “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” has just been released, directed by Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard.

It took a team of 20 stop-motion artisans to create the stop-motion clip, which is set in the gardens of Friar Park, the Victorian mansion Harrison purchased in 1970. The video is described as “an homage to his love of gardening.”

“To work with the Harrison family and bring this video to life with a team of incredible young Canadian artists has been a great honor,” says Wolfhard. “It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for this opportunity. George Harrison has and will continue to be a huge inspiration to me, and his work will live on forever.”

Harrison’s son, Dhani Harrison, who was an executive producer on the clip, notes, “Finn is one of the sweetest and most talented people I know of his generation, and he is the perfect person to direct a video for my dad.” He adds, “My dad would have loved this, and I hope his wonderful, creative, heartfelt ideas help this song reach another generation.”

“Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” was the opening track and lead single off Harrison’s 1973 album, Living in the Material World, which went to #1. The song topped the chart as well, becoming Harrison’s second #1 after “My Sweet Lord.”

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If you didn’t get to see Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere in theaters, you’ll now have a new chance to see the film.

The movie about Bruce Springsteen’s efforts making his 1982 solo album, Nebraska, is set to hit digital platforms, including Amazon, Prime Video and Apple TV, on Dec. 23. It will also be released on 4K Blu-ray on Jan. 20, with the release including the four-act documentary Making Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.

The documentary’s four parts cover the process of adapting Warren Zanes’ 2023 book, Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, for the big screen; a look at the album Nebraska; a deep dive into actor Jeremy Allen White’s process of becoming Springsteen for the film; and what it took to capture Springsteen’s New Jersey during the era of the movie.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, directed by Scott Cooper, opened in theaters in October.

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Queens of the Stone Age‘s Josh Homme and KISS‘ Gene Simmons are among the artists playing a tribute show to late AC/DC singer Bon Scott.

The concert will take place Feb. 3 at the Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles. It doubles as a 60th birthday celebration for comedian Dean Delray, who will be hosting the night and also handling lead vocals.

Other performers include Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, Primus guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde, Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez, former Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman and former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee.

For ticket info, visit DeanDelray.com.

Scott died in 1980 at age 33. AC/DC then recruited vocalist Brian Johnson for their next album, 1980’s Back in Black. Johnson remains AC/DC’s singer today.

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Foreigner has announced some new 2026 tour dates with original frontman Lou Gramm.

The band is set to reunite with Gramm for a string of Florida shows that kick off April 17 in St. Augustine, wrapping April 23 in Key West.

Foreigner played several dates with Gramm in December. According to setlist.fm, Gramm joined the band for five songs, including “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Hot Blooded” and “Urgent.”

Foreigner also has several 2026 dates planned without Gramm. They launch a string of unplugged shows on Feb. 25 in Beaver Creek, Colorado, and then hit Las Vegas for an orchestral residency at The Venetian Theatre on March 6.

They are also touring this summer with Lynyrd Skynyrd on the Double Trouble Double Vision Tour, which starts July 23 in Atlanta.

A complete list of Foreigner dates can be found at ForeignerOnline.com.

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Billy Joel is going to be the focus of New York City entrepreneur Michael Dorf’s annual Music Of concert series, and the lineup of artists celebrating Joel has just been announced.

This year’s concert is March 12 at Carnegie Hall, with a lineup that includes Joel’s daughter Alexa Ray Joel, Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas, Train’s Pat Monahan, Gavin DeGraw, OAR’s Marc Roberge, Matt Nathanson, country star Tanya Tucker, Americana artists The War and Treaty and Mary Chapin Carpenter and singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright, with more artists to be announced.

Joel’s eight-piece touring band will also be on hand for the celebration, serving as the evening’s house band.

For the first time ever, the show completely sold out before the lineup of artists was announced. Tickets remain for a live rehearsal show at City Winery on March 11.

The Joel concert will be the 21st Music Of tribute put on by Dorf. Since the series launched in 2004, the concerts have raised over $2 million for charity.

This year’s honoree was Patti Smith, with previous concerts celebrating the music of Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, The Rolling Stones, Prince, R.E.M., Crosby, Stills & Nash and more.

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