Classic Rock News

Bono stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday to promote his Apple TV+ documentary, Bono: Stories of Surrender, and revealed where he stands in the war of words between Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump.

When Jimmy Kimmel asked Bono whose side he was on, the rocker replied with a grin, “I think there’s only one Boss in America.”

Bono was recently included in a Trump Truth Social post blasting him, Springsteen, Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey, claiming they were paid to support Kamala Harris during the election, something Bono denied.

“Two points I’ll make. One, to be in the company of Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Oprah, I’ll play tambourine in that band,” Bono said. “And two, U2 and I have never (been) paid or played a show to support any candidate from any party. That has never happened.”

He added, “It’s called Truth Social, it seems to be pretty antisocial and it’s not very true a lot of the time.”

Bono also gave Kimmel an update on U2’s next album, confirming they’ve been in the studio.

“I think you sometimes got to deal with the past to get to the present in order to make, you know, the sound of the future, which is what we want to do,” he said. “It’s the sound of, I would say, four men who feel like their lives depend on it. And I remind them they do.”

“Nobody needs a U2 album unless it’s an extraordinary one, and I’m feeling very strong about its songs,” he added, noting they’re “for every part of your life.”

Bono: Stories of Surrender premieres May 30 on Apple TV+.

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Rod Stewart will be joined by an old friend for his set at the Glastonbury Festival in England in June.

During an appearance on the That Peter Crouch Podcast, Stewart confirmed that his Faces bandmate, The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, will be performing with him.

While discussing his current relationship with Wood, Stewart noted that he talks to his former bandmate, “a lot,” adding, “Just recently, ’cause we’re gonna do Glastonbury together.”

Although this is not a full Faces reunion, that may be coming in the future. The duo’s other bandmate Kenney Jones, recently hinted that the trio had been working together on new music, telling The Telegraph they had recorded “about 11 tracks” for a possible album.

“Not all of them are going to be right,” he said. “But most of them are good.”

Glastonbury Festival is happening June 25-29 at Worthy Farm. Stewart is set to headline the Pyramid stage on June 29. A complete lineup can be found at GlastonburyFestivals.co.uk.

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U2’s The Edge surprised an Irish artist by purchasing his painting at a charity auction.

According to The Irish News, artist Stephen Whalley took part in a charity event at the Titanic Museum in Belfast on May 24. He gave a live painting performance, with the final product being a painting of the museum against an evening sky.

The event was part of an effort to raise over $1 million for the Cancer Fund for Children. When Whalley’s artwork went on the auction block, the U2 guitarist snagged it.

“After I finished the painting, I gave a short speech about myself and the painting and then they started the bidding and The Edge was at the table right in front of me and he looked up, smiled and then all of a sudden, his paddle went up and he started bidding himself,” Whalley said.

Whalley added, “Once he started I don’t think anybody else wanted to bid because they knew how big and how important it was that he got it.”

Although Whalley says he “hadn’t a clue” The Edge was going to buy his painting, he notes the rocker did show some interest in it during the event.

“The Edge came past while I was working and he looked at the painting and gave me a thumbs up and a wee wink and off he went,” he said. “So he saw what I was at and the work I was doing and given that he’s a creative himself, I think he maybe understood and appreciated that.”

Exactly how much The Edge shelled out for the painting wasn’t revealed, but the price tag was said to be in the four figures.

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Musician, producer and songwriter Rick Derringer, who had a hit at 17 with “Hang on Sloopy” as a member of The McCoys, has died.

The rocker’s death was announced on Facebook by his caretaker Tony Wilson, who revealed that Derringer passed away Monday at the age of 77.

In addition to “Hang on Sloopy,” which went to #26 on the Hot 100 chart, Derringer penned the track “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo,” which was first recorded by Johnny Winter. Derringer’s own solo version was released in 1973 and became a top-40 hit.

Derringer also worked with Johnny Winter’s brother Edgar Winter, playing lead guitar on such songs as “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride.” He also worked with such artists as Alice Cooper, Steely Dan, KISS, Cyndi Lauper and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Derringer also co-produced the 1985 release The Wrestling Album for the World Wrestling Federation, which featured a compilation of wrestler entrance songs, including Hulk Hogan‘s “Real American.”

“Derringer’s legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent,” reads the post announcing his death. “His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones.”

Derringer won a Grammy for producing Weird Al’s “Eat it,” a parody of Michael Jackson‘s “Beat It,” and Yankovic has paid tribute to Derringer on social media.

“I’m very sad to say that my friend, rock guitar legend Rick Derringer, has passed,” he shared. “Rick produced my first 6 albums and played guitar on my earliest recordings, including the solo on ‘Eat It.’ He had an enormous impact on my life, and will be missed greatly. RIP.”

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Sting and Shaggy are bringing their One Fine Day festival back for another year.

The festival, which launched in September 2024, will once again take place at Philadelphia’s The Mann in Fairmont Park, this time on Sept. 6, with performances taking place on two stages.

Other artists on the bill include O.A.R. and The Original Wailers featuring Al Anderson.

Tickets for the festival go on sale Friday.

When One Fine Day was launched in 2024, it was billed as Sting and Shaggy performing “a joint-set of combined greatest hits.” It appears fans can expect something similar this year, with a poster noting they’ll perform songs “from ‘Roxanne’ to ‘It Wasn’t Me’ to ‘Every Breath You Take’ to ‘Angel.'”

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Despite Billy Joel‘s recent medical diagnosis, he has no plans to put his piano in storage.

Sources tell People that Billy, who announced on May 23 that he’d been diagnosed with normal pressure  hydrocephalus, is “not ready to retire.” A source adds, “He is happiest while performing. Music is, has been and will always be his life. He’s not ready to retire.”

Another source tells People that Billy, 76, is “not retiring and hopes to be able to resume performing as his recovery progresses.” The Piano Man has canceled all his scheduled performances through 2026, including co-headlining shows with Sting, Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, NPH is a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance. It’s considered to be a treatable condition.

Billy’s wife, Alexis Roderick Joel, wrote on Instagram Sunday, “Thank you for the outpouring of love and support. We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received. Bill is beloved by so many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the center of our world. We are hopeful for his recovery. We look forward to seeing you all in the future.”

Billy and Alexis share two young daughters, Della and Remy. His adult daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, wrote on Saturday, “We love you and we got you, Pop! I just wanted to thank you all for the beautiful outpouring of love and support amid the recent news of My Father’s health diagnosis.”

“My Dad is the strongest and most resilient man I’ve ever known… and he’s entirely committed to making a full recovery with ongoing physical-therapy treatments,” she added. “The genuine care, empathy, and concern from everyone means so much to him.”

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Joe Walsh has announced the date and location for the 2025 edition of his annual VetsAid charity concert.

The Eagles guitarist will bring the show to his hometown of Wichita, Kansas, on Nov. 15. He posted on Instagram, “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like …”

Information about this year’s lineup and tickets has not yet been announced.

The 2024 edition of VetsAid was supposed to take place at UBS Arena in New York, but was canceled due to “circumstances beyond organizers’ control.” It was supposed to feature performances by Walsh, Post Malone, Toto, country star Eric Church and Kool and the Gang.

Previous VetsAid lineups have included Stephen Stills, Jeff Lynne‘s ELO, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, Nine Inch Nails and The Breeders.

Walsh launched the VetsAid concert in 2017, with the shows raising money for charities that help veterans.

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Bruce Springsteen has paid tribute to one of his early managers, who recently passed away.

The New Jersey rocker shared a post about Carl Virgil “Tinker” West, who was the manager of Springsteen’s late ’60s/early ’70s band Steel Mill, which also included E Streeters Stevie Van Zandt and Danny Federici.

In his post, Springsteen calls Tinker “one of the most important people of my young life.”

“In 1970 when I had nothing, nowhere to live, was broke with nowhere to go, he recognized my talent and took me in,” Springsteen writes. “We lived together in one tiny room of his Wanamassa, New Jersey Challenger Eastern Surfboard Factory. His mattress was on one side of the room and mine was six feet away on the other.”

Springsteen calls Tinker a “natural born misanthrope” and recalls their times driving across the country together, noting, “He also insisted I, without skills or license, drive my share. That’s how Tinker taught you something. He just made you do it.”

Springsteen writes that after he found fame, “Tinker asked me for exactly nothing.”

“He was forever alone, working, off the grid and independent,” he shares, “I was always satisfied when I would be the recipient of Tink’s highest compliment. ‘Springsteen, you don’t f*** around.'”

“No, I didn’t and neither did Carl Virgil West,” Springsteen adds, recalling the last time they saw each other, in the hospital as Tinker was dying from throat cancer. “I hung out for a while, he pulled me close and his voice raspy and nearly gone whispered ‘We sure had some adventures didn’t we?’ I answered ‘we sure did.'”

“When I was about to leave, I saw something I never thought I’d see in this life or the next,” Springsteen concludes the post. “He cried. I loved him.”

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Former The Who drummer Zak Starkey is setting the record straight about where he stands with the band.

After being fired from The Who in April following their March Royal Albert Hall shows, and subsequently rehired, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey announced on May 18 that Starkey, son of The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr, had once again been let go. But in a new post on Instagram, Starkey is now suggesting that he wasn’t actually fired.

He started off the post by writing, “NOISE&CONFUSION!!!!” and then tried to clarify what happened between him and the band.

“I had a great phone chat with Roger at the end of last week which truly confused both of us!!!” he writes. “Rog said I hadn’t been ‘fired’…I had been ‘retired; to work n my own projects.”

Starkey says he then told Roger that his projects were done and that he “was completely available for the foreseeable future.” He noted, “Rog said ‘Oh!’ and we kind of left it there- On good terms and great friends as we have always been.”

Finally, he shares, “Gotta love these guys. As my mum used to say ‘The mind boggles!!!’ XXX”

The Who revealed that Scott Devours, drummer of Daltrey’s solo band, would be taking over behind the drum kit for their upcoming The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour, which kicks off Aug. 16 in Sunrise, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at TheWho.com.

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On This Day, May 27, 2017…

Gregg Allman, frontman and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, died at his home in Richmond Hill, Georgia, after a battle with liver cancer. He was 69.

Allman Brothers Band was founded in 1969 with Gregg and his brother Duane, as well as Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe. They released their self-titled debut that year.

They went on to be considered one of the pioneering Southern rock bands and were particularly known for their touring career, which included long shows filled with extended jams.

Gregg, who was married seven times, including a four-year marriage to Cher, was responsible for penning many of the band’s most popular songs, including “Whipping Post,” “Melissa” and “Midnight Rider.”

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