Paul McCartney and George Harrison’s kids meet up at London concert

October 23, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Two of Paul McCartney‘s kids showed up to support fellow Beatles legend George Harrison‘s son, Dhani Harrison, at his concert in London Monday.

James McCartney and Stella McCartney took a moment to snap a photo with Dhani Harrison at his London gig on Tuesday, which James McCartney later shared on Instagram.

“Great gig last night in London watching @dhaniharrison! Please support his music,” he wrote in the caption, which showed him posing alongside his sister and Dhani Harrison in what appeared to be a backstage area.

Dhani Harrison is a musician in his own right and has released several albums over the years both in his work as a solo artist and with the bands Thenewno2 and Fistful of Mercy. In addition to his Oct. 21 show in London, he performed several recent shows in Berlin and Paris.

James McCartney is also a musician and has released several studio albums through the years, including the recent Beautiful Nothing.

Stella McCartney is a successful fashion designer.

The Beatles’ children have made a habit of supporting each other through the years in their respective careers, even collaborating with one another on occasion. In April, James McCartney released a song titled “Primrose Hill,” which he co-wrote with his “good friend” Sean Ono Lennon, son of Beatles legend John Lennon and his wife, artist and activist Yoko Ono.

“With the release of this song it feels like we’re really getting the ball rolling and I am so excited to continue to share music with you,” James McCartney wrote in an Instagram post at the time.

Paul McCartney shared Stella and James McCartney with his late wife Linda McCartney, who died in 1998. Dhani Harrison is George Harrison’s only child, whom he shared with wife Olivia Harrison.

Rob Halford shares love of Chappell, Gaga, Taylor

October 23, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

It’s not just the pop fans who love Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. Turns out their music also appeals to Rob Halford as well..

In an interview with The Houston Chronicle, the Judas Priest frontman was asked what he’s been listening to lately. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer replied, “Chappell [Roan] is amazing. I turned on to Gaga instantly. Her talent is just extraordinary. And she says she’s a huge fan of Chappell. The way that the torch is passed from performer to performer, artist to artist, it’s a beautiful thing to do.”

Halford, whose nickname is The Metal God, added, “What’s remarkable about people like Gaga or Taylor Swift is their longevity … pop songs can be gigantic, and then you’ll never hear them again. But then you’ll get a Madonna or a Cher or a Gaga, or hopefully Chappell or a Taylor Swift. The way they craft their music, it becomes immortal. I’ll still be banging my head to ‘Paparazzi’ on my deathbed.”

“I don’t know whether it’s because I’m a gay man and I just have this joy and love of all things creative and arts, I absorb it. I don’t believe in barriers,” Halford noted.

He concluded, “I think that all music is a feast. All of it touches me in various ways. And I translate all of that into my own work.”

Halford’s willingness to embrace other music genres was clear a few years ago at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, when he duetted with Dolly Parton.

Grateful Dead to be honored as the 2025 MusiCares Person of the Year

October 23, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Grateful Dead has been chosen as the 2025 MusiCares Person of the Year, with the honor coming as they celebrate their 60th anniversary.

Surviving original members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bobby Weir will be recognized for “their immense contributions to music, their tireless philanthropic efforts and their pioneering role in fostering communities through their concerts and activism.” The night will also feature a special posthumous tribute to the band’s late founder, Jerry Garcia.

“We are deeply honored to be recognized as MusiCares Persons of the Year,” Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh and Weir said in a statement. “This honor is truly a testament to the legacy of the music, which has always been bigger than us—it’s about the connection between us, the crew, and all those who’ve been on this long strange trip.”

They add, “It’s not just about what we create, but about making sure the people behind it, behind us every night, the ones who quietly make it all happen, get the support they need to keep going, no matter what life throws at them. We’re grateful to stand with MusiCares and hope everyone continues to support this vital mission to ensure music thrives in perpetuity.”

Launched in 1991, previous MusiCares Person of the Year recipients include Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell and Tom Petty. Grateful Dead is only the third band to receive the honor; Fleetwood Mac got it in 2018 and Aerosmith got it in 2020.

The 2025 MusiCares Person of the Year gala will take place Jan. 31 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, two nights before the 67th annual GRAMMY Awards.

Pete Townshend on the future of The Who: ‘We will definitely do something next year’

October 23, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Well, here’s some good news for fans of The Who.

While Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have been trading comments over the past year about the future of the band, Townshend has now given fans hope for a possible tour in the near future.

“I met with Roger for lunch a couple of weeks ago. We’re in good form. We love each other,” he tells The Standard. “We’re both getting a bit creaky, but we will definitely do something next year.”

Townshend suggests that a new album’s unlikely but not out of the question, sharing, “The album side of it … Roger’s not keen. But I would love to do another album and I may try to bully him on that.”

And if they do go back to touring, it seems Pete’s ready to get back to basics.

“The last big tours that we’ve done have been with a full orchestra, which was glorious,” he says, “but we’re now eager to make a noise and make a mess and make mistakes.”

Meanwhile, Townshend had some thoughts on another big tour that’s happening next year, the Oasis reunion tour.

“Well, I’m disappointed,” he told the paper, but when asked if it was because he couldn’t get a ticket, Pete replied, “No, because I really like their solo albums.”

Graham Nash doesn’t think he’ll play with Neil Young and Stephen Stills again

October 23, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

We will never be able to see Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young again now that David Crosby has passed, but Graham Nash says it’s doubtful he’ll ever play with his other bandmates, Stephen Stills and Neil Young, again either.

While talking to Rolling Stone about the new CSNY live album, Live At The Fillmore East, 1969, Graham noted that they dedicated the record to Crosby because “he really was the heartbeat of this band, and his passing brought a halt to us all making music together.”

“I don’t think that me and Stephen and Neil will ever play together again,” he added.

As for why he doesn’t think it’ll happen, Nash explains, “There’s no heart there. David was the center of it all, as crazy as he was. And my God, he was crazy. But he was the heart of this band,” adding, “And that’s why I think that if Stephen and Neil and I ever played together, people would be missing Crosby. We would be missing Crosby. It just would be a much colder scene.”

“I really miss him. I miss him more every day because life is choices, and I only choose to remember the good times that David and I had, the good music that we made together,” Nash says. “When I try and think about the bad things that happened, I don’t want to do that. I made the choice to only remember the good stuff.”

David Crosby died Jan. 18, 2023.

Live At The Fillmore East, 1969 is due out Friday. It’s available for preorder now.

On This Day, Oct. 23, 2010: Members of Buffalo Springfield reunited at Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit

October 23, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, Oct. 23, 2010 …

Members of Buffalo Springfield — Stephen Stills, Neil Young and Richie Furay — reunited for Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, California. It was the band’s first performance together in more than 18 years.

The band’s set included such classics as “For What It’s Worth,” “Bluebird” and “Mr. Soul.”

The Bridge School Benefit was two days of mostly acoustic concerts raising money for the Bridge School, which assists children with severe physical impairments and complex communication needs.

Other artists on the bill included Pearl Jam, Elvis Costello, Kris Kristofferson, Billy Idol, Jackson Browne, T-Bone Burnett’s Speaking Clock Revue featuring Elton John, Leon Russell and Costello, and others.

Iron Maiden honors Paul Di’Anno during Minnesota show

October 23, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Iron Maiden took a moment during their show in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Tuesday to honor their former singer Paul Di’Anno, whose death was announced on Monday.

Di’Anno, who was 66, sang on the first two Maiden records, 1980’s self-titled debut and 1981’s Killers. He was then replaced by current Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson.

Speaking to the crowd during Tuesday’s concert, Dickinson called Di’Anno’s contribution to Maiden “instrumental” and “groundbreaking.”

“An amazing voice, devoted to rock ‘n’ roll right up till the last minute of his life,” Dickinson said in fan-shot footage.

Indeed, Di’Anno’s label Conquest Music wrote, “Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023.”

Dickinson also asked Maiden fans for a moment of silence before delivering a signature “scream for me” in honor of Di’Anno.

Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin to be honored by Hollywood Music In Media Awards

October 23, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

About a year ago, Elton John‘s collaborator Bernie Taupin was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And in November he’ll be receiving another prestigious award.

At the 15th annual Hollywood Music In Media Awards on Nov. 20, Bernie will be presented with the Outstanding Career Achievement Award. The awards honor composers and songwriters for their contributions to film, TV, video games and more.

Of course, the Elton songs that Bernie co-wrote have been featured in many movies over the years. Elton and Bernie also won the Best Original Song Oscar and Golden Globe for writing “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” for Elton’s Rocketman biopic, for example. Bernie also won a Golden Globe without Elton, for co-writing a song for the movie Brokeback Mountain.

Bernie and Elton just wrote a new song for Elton’s upcoming Disney+ documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late. The song, also called “Never Too Late,” was co-written with Elton’s close pal Brandi Carlile and Andrew Watt, who produced most of Elton’s album The Lockdown Sessions. The song is performed by Elton and Brandi.

Elton announced last year that he and Bernie had completed an entire album. In May, Bernie said it was coming out “soon,” but so far there’s been no information. A documentary about Bernie is also in the works.

Past winners of the HMMA Outstanding Career Achievement Award include Kenny Loggins, Diane Warren and Earth Wind & Fire.

The David Bowie Center to open in May at Victoria & Albert Museum’s new V&A Storehouse

October 23, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London is set to open the David Bowie Center next year, which will be the new home of the David Bowie Archive.

The center, which was first announced in February, will open Sept. 13 at the new V&A Storehouse at East Bank, in the new cultural quarter in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Storehouse is opening May 31.

The Bowie opening will mark the first time fans will have access to the over 90,000 items in the Bowie Archive, with the items tracing the rocker’s “creative processes as a musical innovator, cultural icon, and advocate for self-expression and reinvention.”

It will include costumes from the Ziggy Stardust era, lyrics to songs like “Fame” and “Heroes,” and a whole lot more. The center will be split into three different zones, with curated displays and audio visual installations, as well as areas where visitors can explore the archives on their own.

But the Bowie Center is only one part of the new V&A Storehouse. It will also include over 500,000 creative works, including the Glastonbury Festival Archives and Elton John’s costumes.

Bruce Springsteen’s manager on Jeremy Allen White as The Boss: “He’s just perfect”

October 22, 2024 by Classic Rock 93.9

Bruce Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau sounds excited about the casting of Jeremy Allen White to play The Boss in the upcoming movie Deliver Me From Nowhere.

“Oh my god, he’s just perfect. The casting is great,” Landau tells The Hollywood Reporter, noting that director Scott Cooper told him, “We get the right cast, and we’ll tell this story right.” Landau added that “he got the right cast.”

As for how he feels about Succession star Jeremy Strong playing him on the big screen, Landau says, “I died and went to heaven.”

Landau calls Strong “a great guy,” sharing, “We’ve had the chance to know each other, and I’m just dying to see what he does and what I learn from it.”

As for the whole project, Landau says he and Springsteen aren’t directly involved, but adds that they’re “very pleased at the way they’re going about it, it’s going to be beautiful.”

Deliver Me From Nowhere follows Springsteen’s efforts to make his 1982 solo album Nebraska. The film is based on Warren Zanes‘ book Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska.

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