Cast for Sam Mendes’ Beatles films confirmed; movies coming in April 2028

April 1, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

After months of rumors and speculation, Sony has finally confirmed the four actors who’ll play The Beatles in Sam Mendes’ four separate films about the legendary group.

As the rumors had previously suggested, Harris Dickinson has been cast to play John Lennon, with Paul Mescal playing Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.

While each Beatle will be getting their own film, it doesn’t sound like moviegoers will have to wait too long to see each one. The studio revealed all four pictures will be released in April 2028, describing the project as a “four film cinematic event.”

Mendes’ Beatles project was first announced back in February 2024. “I’m honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies,” Mendes, best known for such films as American Beauty and Skyfall, said at the time.

The Sony films will mark the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted a studio the rights to the life stories of band members and their legendary catalog of music.

While this is the first time The Beatles have supported a movie about the band, it isn’t the first time they have been depicted on screen. The 1994 film Backbeat chronicled the early days of The Beatles, and in 2009, Aaron Taylor-Johnson played Lennon in the film Nowhere Boy, which focused on the singer’s teenage years.

The Beatles were also subject of the 2019 comedy Yesterday, about a struggling musician who wakes up after an accident and discovers he’s the only one in the world who remembers The Beatles.

Martin Guitar reveals 30th anniversary limited-edition Eric Clapton guitars

April 1, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Martin Guitar just debuted two new limited-edition Eric Clapton guitars to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their first collaboration together.

The collaboration began in 1995 with the 000-42E guitar after Clapton’s iconic 1992 MTV Unplugged episode sparked renewed interest in acoustic guitars. Now for the 30th anniversary, the company is once again taking inspiration from Clapton for new acoustic models.

The 000-42EC 30th Anniversary guitar is inspired by the 1939 Martin Clapton played during the Unplugged performance. Only 300 of the new guitars are being made available, and each comes with a paper label hand-signed by Clapton. They don’t come cheap, though, with a price tag of almost $11,000.

The second guitar is the 000-EC 30th Anniversary and is said to be for “players seeking a more understated nod to Eric’s sound.” It will be available only through 2026 and comes with a paper label with Clapton’s pre-printed signature. It sells for almost $5,000.

Clapton has long been a fan of Martin guitars and has collaborated with the company on a variety of axes over the years, including a trio of guitars in 2023 that benefited his Crossroads Centre rehab facility.

He previously noted, “If I could choose what to come back as, it would be a Martin OM-45.”

More info can be found at martinguitar.com.

Lynyrd Skynyrd expands summer tour to include Las Vegas & more

March 31, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Lynyrd Skynyrd has added a trio of dates to their 2025 tour.

The latest additions to the Southern rock band’s schedule include an Aug. 2 show at The Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. That will be followed by an Aug. 9 show at the Yaamava’ Resort and Casino in Highland, California, and an Aug. 29 concert at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Presales for all shows kick off Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is part of the upcoming Rock the Country festival, with their first show Saturday in Livingston, Louisiana. They also have several upcoming U.S. headlining dates, as well as a Canadian tour planned for 2025. A complete list of dates can be found at lynyrdskynyrd.com.

Yoko Ono art exhibit to open in Chicago this fall

March 31, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

An exhibit dedicated to Yoko Ono’s art is set to hit Chicago this fall.

Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, which initially ran at the Tate Modern in London, is set to open at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago on Oct. 18 and run through Feb. 22.

According to the description, the collection “celebrates key moments of Ono’s career, showcasing art driven by ideas and expressed in poetic, humorous, and profound ways.”

The exhibit will feature over 200 works by Ono, wife of The Beatles‘ John Lennon, made over seven decades and across three continents. It will include performance footage, photography, installations, and music and sound recordings. It will also feature interactive, instruction-based artworks.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago will be the only museum to exhibit Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind. More info can be found a macchicago.org.

Lenny Kravitz teases video for ‘Blue Electric Light’ track ‘Let It Ride’

March 31, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Lenny Kravitz is getting ready to release a new music video for the track “Let It Ride,” and he’s shared a tease of the clip on Instagram.

The rocker posted a short snippet of the video, which has him sitting in a chair — shirtless, of course — bathed in red light. The caption reveals that the video will be released on Friday.

“Let It Ride” is the latest single Kravitz is releasing from his album Blue Electric Light, which came out last May. Other singles from the album include “TK421,” “Human,” “Paralyzed” and “Honey.”

Lenny is currently on a European tour that hits Bologna, Italy, on Monday. He’s set to play several festival dates in the U.S. this year, starting with the Beachlife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on May 2. A complete list of dates can be found at LennyKravitz.com.

Billy Corgan announces The Machines of God solo tour

March 31, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Billy Corgan has announced a new solo tour billed as The Machines of God.

The outing, which runs from June 7 in Baltimore to June 29 in Minneapolis, will celebrate the respective 30th and 25th anniversaries of the Smashing Pumpkins‘ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and Machina/The Machines of God & Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music.

Corgan will also be playing songs off the latest Pumpkins album, 2024’s Aghori Mhori Mei.

Presales begin Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time, and tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

In related news, the Pumpkins have announced a remastered and remixed reissue of Machina/The Machines of God & Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music as an 80-song box set, available exclusively at Corgan’s Madame Zuzu’s tea shop in Highland Park, Illinois.

Kurt Cobain’s ’Unplugged’ guitar going on display in London

March 31, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

The guitar Kurt Cobain played on Nirvana‘s famed MTV Unplugged performance is going on display.

The 1959 Martin D-18E will be part of an exhibit at London’s Royal College of Music Museum from June 3 to Nov. 18. It will be accompanied by the green cardigan Cobain wore during the Unplugged set, marking the first time both it and the guitar will be displayed together.

For more info, visit RCM.ac.uk.

Cobain’s Unplugged guitar was auctioned off for $6 million in 2020, making it the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction. The winning bidder was Peter Freedman, founder of the Australian company Rode Microphones.

Freedman told ABC Audio in 2020 that he hoped to bring the guitar to music education spaces.

Kevin Cronin responds to reports he snubbed REO Speedwagon reunion

March 31, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Former REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin wants fans to know he isn’t deliberately skipping out on a planned REO Speedwagon reunion.

The event in question, Honoring the Legacy of REO Speedwagon – A Concert Event – Back Where it All Began, is happening June 14 in the band’s hometown of Champaign, Illinois, and includes REO’s Bruce Hall and Neal Doughty, as well as original drummer Alan Gratzer, guitarist Steve Scorfina, rhythm guitarist Mike Murphy and original frontman Terry Luttrell.

When a fan noted on Facebook he thought it “would be nice” for Cronin to attend the concert, Cronin set the record straight about why he wasn’t going to be there.

“The organizers of the Champaign event could have picked a date when all of the former members of REO were available to participate,” he commented. “Instead they chose June 14, 2025, a date where it was public knowledge that I was previously committed to perform with Styx and Kevin Cronin Band in Bend, Oregon.”

“Bottom line, I am being asked to participate in an event on a date when I can’t possibly be there in-person. And then being falsely accused of turning down the invitation,” he added. “I am deeply disturbed and hurt by all of this.”

Finally, Cronin noted, “After all I have done to help build the legacy of REO Speedwagon, I feel I have earned and deserve to be included in any event honoring that legacy. Instead, I have been knowingly excluded.”

Hall then responded to Cronin’s comments insisting everyone in REO was invited to participate, and while Kevin says he was “falsely accused” of snubbing the event, Hall notes, “I’ve seen no where it’s been said he turned it down and I know he’s been asked to participate virtually. I truly hope he does.”

John Fogerty to celebrate 80th birthday on stage in New York

March 31, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

John Fogerty is turning 80 this year and he’ll celebrate the milestone on stage.

The Creedence Clearwater Revival rocker has announced he’ll headline a May 28 birthday show at New York’s Beacon Theatre. The show will have Fogerty backed by his sons Shane and Tyler Fogerty, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will treat fans to a set filled with his classic hits.

Local presales for tickets kick off Wednesday at 10 a.m. with tickets going on sale to the general public starting Friday at 10 a.m.

Fogerty’s birthday show is one of many concerts he has on the schedule this year. He’s set to play New Orleans Jazz Fest on April 24, and will launch a European tour on June 20 in Spain. He’s also confirmed for the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival, taking place June 25-29. It will be his first time performing at Glastonbury in nearly 20 years.

A complete list of Fogerty dates can be found at JohnFogerty.com.

Carlos Santana talks new career-spanning album, ‘Sentient’

March 31, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Carlos Santana’s new career-spanning album, Sentient, is out now. It features 11 tracks, including three previously unreleased songs.

The album features collaborations with artists like Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Miles Davis, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Cindy Blackman Santana and more, and Santana tells ABC Audio it wasn’t any one thing, or person, that inspired him to make the album.

“Someone orchestrates all of these things to happen for me and with me,” he says. “All I have to do is listen to that inner voice and be true to it.”

Carlos says the title of the album came from the idea of a sentient being, someone who he says has “graduated from the animal kingdom” and now “thinks more, like, angelic.”

“’Sentient’ to me is a very, very powerful word. I believe that we all have it,” he says. “We have to learn how to manifest it daily.”

The album features new versions of the Jackson songs “Whatever Happens” and “Stranger in Moscow.” While Santana wasn’t in the studio with Michael, there was no way he was turning down the opportunity to be on a Jackson song.

“Like I’m going to say, ‘No, of course not,’” he says. “I’m an absolute thousand percent, million percent Michael Jackson fan. So I’m very honored that Michael would, his spirit would, invite me to partake with his incredible song.”

And Carlos is hoping that with their inclusion on Sentient, “Whatever Happens” and the Smokey tune “Don’t Take Your Love Away” will now reach a wider audience.

“I became the recipient of something that didn’t get the fullest of attention,” he says. “It is now on my album and we’re creating a lot of traction for Michael Jackson and Smokey. And I get to be part of this incredible offering.

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