Classic Rock News

Rod Stewart‘s ever-expanding family is definitely keeping him “Forever Young.”

As documented on Instagram, Rod and his wife Penny Lancaster got to meet their brand-new grandbaby Elsie, daughter of Rod’s son Liam, who was born March 2.  “So proud to meet little Elsie, what an angel,” Penny captioned a photo of herself, Rod and the baby. Rod reposted the pic on his Instagram Story and wrote, “Another Stewart joins the clan.”

But the clan is about to get even bigger: Rod’s daughter Kimberly has announced that she’s expecting a baby boy “soon.” Kimberly was the first to make Rod a grandfather, when she welcomed daughter Delilah with her then-boyfriend Benicio Del Toro in 2011.

When Kimberly’s son arrives, Rod will have five grandchildren: Elsie and her big brother Louie, Delilah and the new baby, and his daughter Ruby‘s son Otis.

Rod is the father of eight children: four sons and four daughters, ranging in age from 61 to 14.

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The Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown is coming to streaming. The film starring Timothée Chalamet will debut on Hulu March 27.

A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold, opened in theaters Christmas Day and has since brought in over $130 million at the box office worldwide.

The film follows a 19-year-old Dylan as he arrives in New York from Minnesota. It tracks his rise as a folk singer during the ’60s to the top of the charts, ending with his electric rock ‘n’ roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Chalamet does all his own singing and guitar playing in the film.

A Complete Unknown earned eight Oscar nominations this year, including best picture; best actor for Chalamet; best supporting actor for Ed Norton for his portrayal of Pete Seeger; best supporting actress for Monica Barbaro, who played Joan Baez; and best director for Mangold. 

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Queen has been named Laureate for the 2025 Polar Music Prize. The band will be honored, along with jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and soprano/conductor Barbara Hannigan, at a ceremony held May 27 in Stockholm, with the Swedish royal family in attendance.

“It is our immense privilege to honor and award these three Laureates at the 2025 Polar Music Prize,” Marie Ledin, managing director of the Polar Music Prize, shares. “Queen, a band synonymous with the very fabric of pop culture, have made an impact on music that spans decades, generations and genres. They are a most deserving recipient, beloved the world over.”

“We are highly and deeply honored to be given the Polar Music Prize this year,” Queen said in a statement. “It’s incredible, thank you so much.”

The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by ABBA’s late manager, Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson. Each Laureate receives a prize equivalent to about $94,000.

Previous Polar Music Prize winners include Paul McCartney, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin,  Bob Dylan, Metallica, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Chic’s Nile Rodgers, Iggy Pop and more.

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Having the support of Paul McCartney seems to go a long way. At least that was the case for PETA’s latest campaign to get Peet’s Coffee to stop charging extra for plant-based milk options.

McCartney, a longtime vegetarian, recently wrote a letter to Peet’s Coffee President and CEO Eric Lauterbach to try to get him to change the company’s policy of charging 80 cents extra for vegan milks. At the same time,  PETA launched a campaign urging the change, which included billboards with McCartney’s image.

It seems the pressure worked: Peet’s gave in just days after the campaign launched and will no longer add the upcharge to drinks.

“I am really happy to hear this!” McCartney said upon hearing the news.

“With a little help from our friend Sir Paul McCartney, PETA notched a swift win for animals, the planet, and kind consumers, who shouldn’t be punished for making the ethical and healthy choice to ditch dairy,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is celebrating Peet’s quick decision to get on board with the new industry standard and is urging the few remaining holdouts, including Caribou Coffee and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, to follow suit.”

Peet’s now joins several other coffee chains, including Starbucks, Dunkin’ and Dutch Bros, that no longer charge customers for dairy-free milk options.

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Jesse Colin Young, the voice heard on the Youngbloods‘ iconic hit “Get Together,” died Sunday at his home in Aiken, South Carolina. He was 83.

“Get Together,” written by future Quicksilver Messenger Service member Dino Valenti, was recorded by the Youngbloods after Young saw a folk singer perform it in a New York City club. It appeared on the band’s 1967 debut album, but only became a hit in 1969 after it was featured in a PSA by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. 

The song, which peaked at #5, became an anthem for the Woodstock generation. Its chorus — “Come on people now/ smile on your brother/ everybody get together/ try to love one another right now” — has become part of pop culture, appearing in multiple movies and TV shows. Nirvana even sarcastically quoted those lyrics in their Nevermind track “Territorial Pissings.”

Young wrote many of the Youngbloods’ other songs, including “Darkness, Darkness,” covered by Robert Plant in a Grammy-nominated 2002 version, as well as by Eric Burdon, Richie Havens, Ann Wilson and Mott the Hoople.

The Youngbloods disbanded in 1972, but briefly reunited for a tour in 1984 and then disbanded again. Meanwhile, Jesse Colin Young resumed a solo career he’d initially started in 1964, releasing more than a dozen albums over the years. His most recent release was 2019’s Dreamers. He also founded his own record label, hosted a podcast and was involved in both social and environmental activism.

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The Beach Boys’ Al Jardine is planning to head out on the road this year backed by his former bandmate Brian Wilson’s longtime backing band, Rolling Stone reports.

“I’ve been gathering up the troops, Brian’s excellent band,” Jardine tells the mag. “We’re all just dying to get back to work, and I thought I’d take the reins.”

Wilson’s band will be billed as the Pet Sounds Band, after The Beach Boys’ 1960 studio album. The exact lineup of artists has yet to be announced.

“There’s a lot of material to draw from that people haven’t heard before. And we’re going to have some fun,” Jardine says of the planned set list, which will include Beach Boys classics along with deep cuts. Jardine says the tour will also include archival Beach Boys footage.

Dates for the tour have yet to be announced, but the shows are expected to run from June to August.

Wilson headed out on his last tour in 2022. In 2024 it was revealed that he has dementia; in May of that year he was put under a conservatorship following the death of his wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, who up until then had been dealing with his affairs.

Jardine performed at the California wildfires benefit concert Lets Get L.Aid in Los Angeles Sunday. According to setlist.fm, he performed Beach Boys tunes “California Girls,” “Help Me Rhonda” and “Surfin’ U.S.A.”

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James Taylor’s music could soon be at the center of a new stage musical.

A new musical is in early development that will be based around the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s catalog. It will be titled Fire & Rain, after his 1970 classic, which was a top-five hit for Taylor.

Tony Award-winning playwright Tracy Letts, best known for his play August: Osage Country, is handling the story. Director David Cromer, who’s currently directing George Clooney on Broadway in Good Night, and Good Luck, is helming the project.

Specific details on the musical, including the story and what songs will be used, have not been released.

Taylor’s catalog includes such classic songs as “You’ve Got A Friend,” written by Carole King, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” “Carolina In My Mind,” “Shower the People” and “Sweet Baby James.”

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When Dua Lipa sang that she can take you for a ride in her hit “Levitating,” perhaps she was referring to a ride on the “Highway to Hell.”

The pop star put her spin on the AC/DC staple during her show in Melbourne on Monday. The cover paid tribute to the classic rockers’ home country of Australia.

The original “Highway to Hell” is the title track off AC/DC’s 1979 album, which was their last to feature late frontman Bon Scott.

Dua is currently touring Australia in support of her 2024 album, Radical Optimism, which was recorded with another notable Australia musician: Tame Impala‘s Kevin Parker.

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Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant is heading out on another tour with his acoustic band, Saving Grace, featuring Suzi Dian.

Dubbed the Spring Fever tour, the trek consists of 20 dates in Europe. It kicks off May 1 in Brussels, Belgium, and hits cities in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Italy, France and more, before wrapping July 30 in Barcelona, Spain.

Plant formed Saving Grace in 2019; they went on their first tour in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic. Their set lists are filled with covers, including some Led Zeppelin tunes.

A complete list of dates and ticket information can be found at RobertPlant.com.

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Def Leppard is hitting the road on a new tour this summer.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will headline select amphitheaters across the country, joined by special guests The Struts, Poison‘s Bret Michaels and Extreme on select dates.

The new tour kicks off June 23 in Rogers, Arkansas. It hits cities in Alabama, Maine, New York and New Mexico before wrapping Aug. 31 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Various presales begin Tuesday, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday.

Def Leppard’s next show is May 15 in Puerto Rico. They’ll also play several festivals this summer, including a trio in Canada: Rockin’ Thunder in Edmonton, Country Thunder Craven 2025 in Saskatchewan and Ottawa Bluesfest in Ottawa. 

A complete list of tour dates can be found at DefLeppard.com.

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