Classic Rock News

The Doobie Brothers released their album Walk This Road in June, their first collection of original material with Michael McDonald since 1980. The group — including McDonald, and founding members Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons — are launching their tour in the U.K. before heading to the U.S. in August. Johnston says he can’t wait to see their fans.

“The people. They’re what make it all just amazing for me,” he tells ABC Audio. “They make it magical because they show up and they’re so enthusiastic. They sing, they dance. … It makes us feel like we’re about 16 again.”

“The other part of it is they’re happy,” Johnston adds. “To me, one of our big jobs is to elevate people’s mood. And when they’re are happy, we’re happy. And right now, that’s at a premium.”

And McDonald, who rejoined the band in 2021 for touring and is now back in the fold creatively as a songwriter, says they’re all getting along.

“You know, we all have a lot more in common than we do in differences, even musical styles, and so that keeps us together,” he tells ABC Audio. “But we all have something different to offer, which is great. And we don’t always agree, but friendship first, and we work it out.” 

The Doobies’ first gig is July 11 in Glasgow, Scotland; they’ll be in the U.K. and Ireland through July 21. When they start up the U.S. leg of their tour Aug. 4 in Clarkson, Mississippi, their opening act will be the Coral Reefer Band, which backed the late Jimmy Buffett for many years.

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Forty years ago Sunday — July 13, 1985 — Live Aid, the massive all-star charity concerts, took place in London and Philadelphia. Organized by Bob Geldof to raise money for African famine relief, the shows featured anyone who was anyone in music at that time, from legends like Bob Dylan, Elton John, Queen, Tina Turner and David Bowie to younger acts like Madonna, U2, Bryan Adams and Duran Duran. Sting performed at the London show, both solo and with Dire Straits and Phil Collins.

“I can’t believe it’s 40 years. It just seems like yesterday, but it was an important moment,” Sting tells ABC Audio. “It really was almost a spontaneous moment, but really because of Bob Geldof. … Without Bob, it simply wouldn’t have happened. And he stuck with the idea, all this 40 years, and what we achieved on that day has propagated up till now.”

Bryan Adams performed in Philadelphia, between Judas Priest and The Beach Boys.

“I do remember Jack Nicholson introducing me,” Adams recalls. “It was definitely something special. There was no question about it. I didn’t get to hang around unfortunately because I had a gig that night. So we did that and then we just got back in the bus and left for the next town.”

Nile Rodgers of Chic performed with Madonna and The Thompson Twins that day. “Oh my God, it was one of the greatest days of my life because Joan Baez knew who I was,” Rodgers laughs. “I couldn’t believe it.”

But Rodgers, who produced Madonna’s Like a Virgin album, says she pulled a diva move at the end.

“What happened was, Madonna wasn’t invited to sing on the record ‘We Are the World,'” he recalls. “So when it came to do the finale, she split.”

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Grateful Dead has announced details of the next release in their Dave’s Picks bootleg series.

Dave’s Picks Vol. 55 will feature the complete and unreleased show from Oct. 28, 1990, at Le Zénith in Paris, France.

The concert had the band playing with two new keyboardists, Vince Welnick and Bruce Hornsby, who were filling the spot left by Brent Mydland, who died in July 1990. 

The Paris concert, the second of a two-night stand at the venue, features performances of such classic Dead tracks as “Touch of Grey,” “Uncle John’s Band” and “Sugar Magnolia,” as well as covers of two Bob Dylan classics, “Maggie’s Farm” and “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.”

Only 25,000 numbered copies of Dave’s Picks Vol. 55 are up for grabs and are available for preorder now, with shipping starting on July 25.

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The Pretenders made a surprise appearance during Bill Burr’s comedy show in London on Wednesday.

Frontwoman Chrissie Hynde shared the news on her Facebook page, writing that Burr had asked them to join him for a few tunes at his show at the Hammersmith Odeon, which is now known as the Eventim Apollo. She noted that one of the songs they played was Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades,” because she had seen the heavy metal band play at the same venue 40 years ago.

Pretenders also covered “How Do You Get Your Money, Honey?” by AC/DC and Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law.” According to setlist.fm, they ended the night with the Pretenders classic “Don’t Get Me Wrong.”

Burr even got behind the drum kit for the performance. Chrissie wrote of the moment, “I was thinking… He can tell jokes but can jokes play drums? The answer is – yes they can! Bill nailed it.”

Hynde added Burr’s performance got her thinking about other artists who may have missed their calling.

“John McEnroe missed his as a guitar player and opted out for tennis,” she writes. “Bill missed his as a drummer and opted out for stand-up. Kate Moss missed hers as a singer… (and I’m still trying to figure out what she opted out for).”

Finally, Hynde notes, “I guess we all have our chosen destinies. Keep on rocking in the free world!”

The performance was the Pretenders’ first gig since May, when they played C6 Fest in São Paulo, Brazil. They currently have no other shows on the schedule for 2025.

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Toni Cornell, daughter of the late Chris Cornell, has released a cover of the Beach Boys song “God Only Knows.”

The rendition is dedicated to late Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson, who died in June.

“Thank you for writing one of the most beautiful songs ever,” Toni says. You can listen to the cover now via Toni’s Instagram.

Toni previously covered the Leonard Cohen song “Hallelujah” in 2017 in honor of her father and late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, who died within months of each other that year. She’s also performed her rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” made famous by Sinéad O’Connor, on late night TV.

In 2024, Toni put out an original song called “Sunset of Your Love.” She released a follow-up track, called “Little B****,” in May.

Chris Cornell will be posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with Soundgarden in November.

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Bob Dylan is headed overseas this fall.

The 84-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has announced a new leg of his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, with dates in Europe, the U.K. and Ireland.

The tour will kick off Oct. 16 in Helsinki, Finland, with stops in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam. Dylan then heads to the U.K. on Nov. 7 for shows in Brighton, Swansea, Coventry, Leeds and Glasgow.

Dylan will end his tour in Ireland, with two nights each in Belfast and Killarney before wrapping Nov. 25 in Dublin.

Dylan launched his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour in November 2021. He’s currently part of Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival, which hits Alpharetta, Georgia, on July 25. The tour is set to run through Sept. 19 in Troy, Wisconsin.

A complete list of Dylan dates can be found at BobDylan.com.

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Yusuf/Cat Stevens is set to release his memoir, Cat on the Road to Findout, in October, and ahead of the release he’ll be looking back on his 60 years of music with a new greatest hits compilation.

The artist is set to drop On the Road to Findout: Greatest Hits on Sept. 5, a 24-track career-spanning release covering songs from his debut album, 1967’s Matthew & Son, to his most recent release, 2023’s King of a Land. Songs on the album include classics like “Peace Train,” “Wild World,” “Where Do the Children Play?” and “Father and Son.”

“I’m pleased that, at last, a collection of recordings includes some important songs I wrote after my evolvement, ‘Take The World Apart’ and ‘Heaven / Where True Love Goes’ for instance, reflecting the peace and happiness which has since changed my life,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer says. “Thank you one and all. It’s really humbling to think about how many souls have been traversing this journey with me.”

On the Road to Findout: Greatest Hits will be released in a variety of formats and is available for preorder now.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ memoir, Cat on the Road to Findout, comes out Oct. 7. He’ll embark on a multicity book tour beginning Oct. 2 in Philadelphia.

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For a man who just retired from the live stage, Ozzy Osbourne sure has a lot going on.

The Prince of Darkness, who played his final gig July 5 during Black Sabbath‘s Back to the Beginning farewell concert, has announced a new memoir called Last Rites.

In the book, due out Oct. 7 via Grand Central Publishing, Ozzy details his recent health struggles.

“People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything?” Ozzy says. “I’m like, ‘F*** no.’ If I’d been clean and sober, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. If I’d done normal, sensible things, I wouldn’t be Ozzy.”

“Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can’t complain,” the metal icon continues. “I’ve been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I’ve done good … and I’ve done bad. But right now, I’m not ready to go anywhere.”

Last Rites also includes reflections on Ozzy’s relationship with his wife, Sharon Osbourne; his encounters with fellow rockers Slash, Bon Scott, John Bonham and Keith Moon; and “the harrowing final moments he spent with Motörhead‘s Lemmy Kilmister.”

As if putting out a book weren’t enough, Ozzy’s also announced a collaboration with the chimpanzee sanctuary Save the Chimps. As part of the project, Ozzy painted five pieces that were completed with brushstrokes from chimps saved from laboratories. 

“I paint because it gives me peace of mind, but I don’t sell my paintings,” Ozzy says. “I’ve made an exception with these collaborations as it raises money for Save the Chimps, a sanctuary for hundreds of apes rescued from labs, roadside zoos and wildlife traffickers.”

The paintings are up for auction through July 17 via the platform Omega Auctions.

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On This Day, July 10, 2010…

Roger Waters joined his Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour at a benefit concert for the Hoping Foundation in Oxfordshire, England.

The performance was the first time the two had performed together since 2005’s Live 8 concert, which was the first time in 24 years that Waters performed with the members of Pink Floyd.

Waters and Gilmour performed four songs at the benefit, including Pink Floyd classics “Wish You Were Here,” “Comfortably Numb” and “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2.”

Gilmour would go on to return the favor in May 2011 performing “Comfortably Numb” with Waters at his performance at The Wall in London. Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason also made an appearance, playing tambourine on “Outside the Wall,” with Gilmour on mandolin.

It would be the last time Waters and Gilmour performed together.

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Paul McCartney is returning to America.

After teasing fans on social media with the possibility of new tour dates, the Beatles legend has announced a new North American leg of his Got Back tour.

McCartney is set to play 19 shows, hitting both the U.S. and Canada. The tour kicks off Sept. 29 in Palm Desert, California, and hits Las Vegas, Denver, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Nashville and more, before wrapping with a two-night stand in Chicago, Nov. 24 and 25.

The new dates mark McCartney’s first North American tour since 2022.

A ticket presale kicks off Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time, and fans need to register for access. Tickets go on sale to the general public starting July 18 at 10 a.m. local time.

After launching the Got Back tour in Spokane, Washington, in 2022, McCartney brought the tour to Europe, Australia, Latin America and more. The last leg had him touring Europe for a second time, wrapping the trek in December 2024 with two nights at the O2 in London, which included a reunion with his Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr.

A complete list of dates can be found at PaulMcCartney.com.

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