Classic Rock News

Three sons of The Beatles have teamed up for a new song.

Drummer Zak Starkey, son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, has shared a new song from his band Mantra of the Cosmos on Instagram, which features John Lennon’s son Sean Ono Lennon and Paul McCartney’s son James McCartney on vocals, along with Happy Monday’s Shaun Ryder, who is a member of Mantra of the Cosmos.

Starkey said in an interview with The Telegraph that the track is called “Rip Off,” although he is adamant that the song is nothing like The Beatles.

“It’s like Mantra of the Cosmos with them in it … it’s still my band,” he said.

When it was suggested he needed to get George Harrison’s son, Dhani Harrison, for the track, he responded, “No I don’t. Why do I?”

This isn’t the first time Beatles offspring have gotten together. Back in April 2024, James McCartney released the song “Primrose Hill,” which he co-wrote with Sean Ono Lennon.

Starkey has been in the news a lot lately after being let go by Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey from his job as The Who‘s drummer ahead of their upcoming U.S. tour. But it sounds like he believes there’s still hope he’ll be back with the band.

“I spoke to Roger last week and he said, ‘Don’t take your drums out of [The Who’s] warehouse yet in case we need you,'” Starkey told The Telegraph. “I said, ‘Best let me know.'”

Meanwhile, in an interview with Rolling Stone Zak revealed how his dad, Ringo, has supported him through the whole controversy with The Who.

“I’m very proud of him standing up for me,” he told the mag. When the journalist then asked asking how he did so, Zak replied, “He said, ‘I’ve never liked the way that little man runs that band,'” referring to Daltrey.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Gov’t Mule has announced dates for a new tour.

As part of their continued 30th anniversary celebration, the band will head out on the Back in the Saddle tour, which will hit the East Coast and Midwest. The tour kicks off Aug. 27 in Milwaukee and will wrap Oct. 28 in Reading, Pennsylvania.

“How has it been 30 years since Gov’t Mule’s first album came out? It’s kinda crazy to believe – time really does fly when you’re doing what you love!” shares frontman Warren Haynes. “It’s also hard to believe that it’s been over a year since the last Mule tour.” He notes that he and the band “are chomping at the bit to be back out there celebrating this monumental anniversary with our amazing fans.”

A Gov’t Mule fan club presale begins Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time, with other presales beginning Thursday at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets will then go on sale to the general public Friday, also at 10 a.m. local time. 

Gov’t Mule’s next performance is July 24 at FloydFest 25 – Aurora in Floyd County, Virginia. A complete list of dates can be found at Mule.net.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Stevie Nicks has extended her solo tour.

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has added eight shows to her schedule, starting with an Aug. 8 concert in Brooklyn, New York.

She’s also added dates in Hollywood, Florida; Detroit, Michigan; Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Charlotte, North Carolina. The tour will now end Oct. 25 in Hartford, Connecticut.

A presale for tickets begins Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

The new dates likely fill in some gaps in Stevie’s schedule after the cancellation of Billy Joel’s tour following his diagnosis of a brain disorder. They were scheduled to play four stadium shows together in New Jersey, California and Michigan.

A complete list of Stevie dates can be found at StevieNicksOfficial.com.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Billy Joel recently had to cancel all his scheduled tour dates while he deals with his diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus, which causes problems with vision, balance and hearing. But in her Father’s Day message, Billy’s wife predicted that the Piano Man will be back to pounding the keys in 2026.

Posting a carousel of photos of Billy and the couple’s daughters, Della and Remy, Alexis Roderick Joel wrote, “This Father’s Day is extra special. We are always grateful and thankful but this year really reminded us how lucky we are to have you. We are so blessed to have such a strong, determined man in our lives.”

“You are a wonderful support for us and we only hope we can be the same for you,” she continued. “We love you and know you will be rocking out next year.”

Billy’s oldest daughter, Alexa Ray Joel, whose mother is Billy’s ex-wife Christie Brinkley, posted a photo of Billy holding her when she was a toddler; he’s smiling and she has chocolate smeared all over her face.

“Happy Father’s Day, Pop. The King Of New York. Thanks for giving me all the love, wisdom, melodies, heart, and soul I could ever ask for. Hey, I’m even lucky enough to have a timeless lullaby and a beautiful boat named after me!” she captioned the post.

“I remain forever touched and grateful that you have given me so much. Thank you for your generous spirit, endlessly deep intellect, and sweeping musical legacy,” she continued. “Every moment with you is an instant classic.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On This Day, June 16, 2007…

Rocker Rod Stewart married his third wife, model and TV personality Penny Lancaster, at La Cervara, a former abbey near Portofino, Italy.

Stewart had previously been married to actress/model Alana Stewart from 1979-1984, and supermodel Rachel Hunter, from 1990-2006, although they separated in 1999.

Stewart and Lancaster began dating in 1999, and had their first child together, son Alistair, in 2005. The couple welcomed their second child, son Aiden, in 2011. The two boys brought Stewart’s total children to eight.

Stewart and Lancaster are still married to this day. She recently announced that she’ll be releasing her autobiography, Someone Like Me, on Sept. 25. Stewart is set to perform at the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival on June 29.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Heart’s Nancy Wilson is not happy that the band’s classic track “Barracuda” was played during Saturday’s military parade in Washington, D.C.

“Earlier today, during a parade held in support of our nation’s military and organized by President Donald Trump, the song ‘Barracuda’ by Heart was played without permission or authorization from us,” she shared on social media. “‘Barracuda,’ written and performed by Ann and I, is a powerful piece of music that was never intended for political use.”

She added, “As daughters of a U.S. Marine Corps major, we hold a deep and abiding respect for the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. On a day meant to honor that service, it’s important that music used in such settings reflects not only the tone of the event but also the wishes of the artists who created it.”

Accompanying the post was a photo of Nancy wearing a “No Kings But Us” hat, seemingly referencing the “No Kings” protests that took place across the country on Saturday in response to Trump’s military parade.

Released in 1977, “Barracuda” was the lead single off Heart’s third studio album, Little Queen. The track peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Eddie Vedder documentary Matter of Time had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival Thursday, and while it features portions of a 2023 Seattle concert by Vedder, it’s much more than a concert film.

The film shines a light on EB Research Partnership, which was started by Eddie and his wife, Jill Vedder, to find a cure for the rare skin disease epidermolysis bullosa. The doc also focuses on researchers searching for a cure and families affected by it.

And while it may seem like a challenge to balance all three in one film, director Matt Finlin says that wasn’t the case.

“It wasn’t hard because we all led … with the EB community first,” he tells ABC Audio. “Ed’s performance kind of provided the rhythm of everything and … the EB community and the researchers and these families provided the heartbeat.”

Finlin calls Vedder “a very humble collaborator” and said he made it easy to pick songs for the film.

“All of the performances really tied into the storytelling,” he shares. “The songs really organically … just kind of tied into what was happening over those two days in Seattle.”

The Vedders  got involved in the community over 10 years ago. Since then three EB treatments have been approved by the FDA, and they’re still hoping for a cure.

“It’s definitely really incredible to see how much has happened just in the past couple years where it really does feel like, oh yeah, we got this,” Jill says.

As for how folks can do their part, Michael Hund, CEO of EB Research Partnership, thinks a good start is simply watching the film.

“The greatest gift that Matt Finlin has given us is to tell these stories,” he says. “It’s a gift to the community to be able to have someone that can tell the story in a way that is an entry point for so many people.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Roger Daltrey has been knighted by King Charles.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has been recognized as a Knight Bachelor as part of the King’s Birthday Honours. The now Sir Roger Daltrey is being honored for his contributions to music and his charity work, including raising funds for causes like Teenage Cancer Trust.

“It is a wonderful honour for me and especially for Teenage Cancer Trust,” Sir Roger shared in a statement, shared on The Who’s Instagram account. “I accept this award not only for myself but on behalf of all the unsung heroes who have given their energy towards making the Teenage Cancer Trust the success it has become.”

He adds, “The likes of The Who and their fans, Angie Jenkison, Lindsay Hughes, Des Murphy, Rob Ballantine and the late Chris York are some of many who have done so much to elevate the charity, to the point where it now has 28 specialist units in NHS hospitals across the U.K.”

This isn’t the first time the 81-year-old Daltrey has been honored by the royal family. In 2004 he was recognized with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to music, entertainment and charity.

Teenage Cancer Trust is a nonprofit dedicated to providing specialized treatment and support for young people with cancer. Daltrey is a patron of the organization. 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

An animated film based on Paul McCartney’s children’s book High in the Clouds is in the works, and while we knew McCartney was going to voice a character in it, exactly which character has now been revealed.

According to Screen Daily, in a video message shown at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, McCartney revealed he’ll be voicing a character that shouldn’t be too big of a stretch for him. He’ll play a walrus named Paul McKenzie, who’s a left-handed bassist in a band called The Sweets.

McCartney shared that the character was based on his Beatles bandmate John Lennon, noting, “If you asked him something, he could always have a quick, snappy answer.”

One of the film’s other characters, Sugartail, is inspired by another important person in McCartney’s life, his late wife Linda.

“I first thought of the idea after my kids’ mum Linda died, and I knew everyone was missing her so much that I thought if we could bring her back in the film, it would be very nice for them,” he said. “Sugartail is like Linda – she’s strong and resourceful.”

High in the Clouds, which McCartney wrote with Philip Ardagh in 2005, follows a teenage squirrel named Wirral in his quest to overthrow an owl named Gretsch who banned music in their city of Gretschville in an attempt to be the town’s only singer.

Yesterday’s Hamish Patel will voice Wirral, while Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham will voice Gretch. McCartney’s fellow Beatle Ringo Starr is also voicing a character similar to himself, The Sweets’ drummer, an ostrich.

Other members of the voice cast include Celine Dion, Idris Elba, Lionel Richie and Jimmy Fallon.

High in the Clouds, which will feature original tunes written by McCartney, is expected out in 2027.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

This year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival — the world’s largest performing arts festival — will feature a play inspired by an unusual subject: a legal battle between Elton John and a British tabloid that printed a scandalous fake story about him.

The play by Henry Naylor is called Monstering the Rocketman and tells the story of how Elton won Britain’s biggest-ever libel settlement. In 1987, The Sun Editor Kevin MacKenzie had the paper run a story about Elton having a sexual relationship with a male prostitute. The story wasn’t true, and Elton had proof of the lie.

However, MacKenzie refused to back down and began what Naylor calls a “massive campaign of media harassment” against Elton with multiple false stories, including one that accused the singer of mistreating his dogs.

The play’s description says that in the process of Elton filing libel suits against the paper, he “faces punch-ups, gangsters, bugged phone calls, a 10-million pound divorce suit and a pair of Devil Dogs. Will he remain still standing? Or will The Sun go down on him?”

Elton eventually won 1 million pounds in an out-of-court settlement — the equivalent of 3.4 million pounds in today’s money — as well as a front-page apology from The Sun. In an article for Must-See Theatre, Naylor writes, “I believe the battle was a defining moment in British history, for not only did it result in the country’s largest libel settlement but it also changed the British press forever.”

Monstering the Rocketman runs from July 30 to Aug. 24.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.