Classic Rock News

Reggae legend Bob Marley would have turned 81 on Friday, and in celebration of his father, Grammy-winning singer Ziggy Marley has dropped the new song “Many Mourn For Bob.” 

The track is the first song Ziggy has ever written specifically dedicated to his father, who passed away in 1986 at age 45, when Ziggy was 12. An accompanying video features photos of Bob from Ziggy’s childhood.

According to a press release, Ziggy was inspired to write the song while producing the 2024 Marley biopic Marley: One Love.

“‘Many Mourn For Bob’ is a reflection on my father from the deepest parts of my heart and subconscious mind born from rediscovering him with new eyes,” says Ziggy.

“Many Mourn For Bob” is now available via digital outlets.

The song will appear on Ziggy’s upcoming ninth studio album, Brightside, which is being released April 18 for Record Store Day and digitally on May 1.

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Late Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir was remembered in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat who represents the Marin County area of California where Weir lived, delivered remarks on the House floor paying tribute to Weir, and did so barefoot in honor of the rock legend.

“I rise to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of my constituent and the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Bob Weir,” Huffman said. “Bob was more than a musical icon, he was a neighbor, a friend and a beloved part of our North Bay community. For decades, Bob made his home in Marin, raised his family there. Opened his doors to other artists and helped build the vibrant local music vibe that so many of us cherish.”

“Bob’s music, his generosity, unmistakable creative spirit helped define the identity of the North Coast,” he added. “His legacy will endure every time a kid picks up a guitar,” noting, “We are grateful that he made our community part of his life. And we send our love to his family, his friends and all my fellow Deadheads across the world.”

Finally, Huffman offered, “And Mr. Speaker, let the record reflect I delivered these remarks barefoot in honor of Bobby Weir. I think he would appreciate that.”

The last comment prompted a rebuke from the speaker pro tempore, who noted, “Members are reminded to observe proper decorum on the floor.”

Bob Weir died Jan. 10 at the age of 78.

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The Beach Boys’ Al Jardine has announced a very special show in Los Angeles to coincide with the upcoming release of the new Beach Boys box set, We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, backed by the Pet Sounds Band aka Brian Wilson’s longtime backing band, will headline the United Theater on Broadway in Los Angeles on Feb. 27. They’ll perform the 1977 album The Beach Boys Love You in its entirety for the very first time.

According to the announcement, the show will feature “other surprises” from the upcoming box set.

Tickets for the show are on sale now.

We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years, dropping Feb. 13, is a three-CD, three-LP box set highlighting Beach Boys music recorded between 1976 and 1977.

It includes a newly remastered version of The Beach Boys Love You and a whole host of bonus material, including the shelved album Adult/Child, which was recorded in 1977, and previously only available through collector’s tapes and bootlegs.

We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years is available for preorder now.

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John Mellencamp is set to appear on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday.

The night’s other guests include former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

This isn’t the first time Mellencamp has chatted with Maher. In August 2023, the rocker was a guest on Maher’s Club Random podcast.

In other Mellencamp news, his daughter — reality TV star Teddi Mellencamp — was voted off Fox’s The Masked Singer on Wednesday following a tribute performance that honored her rock star father.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, who competed as Calla Lily, performed her dad’s #1 hit “Jack and Diane.” She later shared a clip on her Instagram Story of her watching the show with Mellencamp.

“Dad you excited?” she asks her dad, to which he replies, “yeah … I flew all the way here for it.” In another video, Teddi gets him to sing a line from the song.

John Mellencamp recently announced dates for Dancing Words Tour — The Greatest Hits, which kicks off July 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and wraps Aug. 12 in Mountain View, California.

He’s promised fans he’ll play a set filled with hits including “Jack and Diane,” “Hurts So Good,” “Small Town” and “Pink Houses,” along with breakout tracks he hasn’t performed live in nearly a decade, including “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute To 60’s Rock),” “I Need a Lover,” “Wild Night” and “Ain’t Even Done With the Night.”

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

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If you ever wanted to be the singer in Skid Row, now’s your chance.

The “18 and Life” rockers have announced a worldwide audition in partnership with the music instrument company Sweetwater to become the band’s next vocalist. 

“This is not a contest or a gimmick,” Skid Row says in a statement. “It’s a genuine search for the right voice, presence, and authenticity to carry Skid Row forward.”

To enter, you’ll need to record yourself singing “18 and Life” and fellow Skid Row song “Monkey Business,” and then upload your submission. For more info, visit Sweetwater.com.

Skid Row’s classic lineup featured Sebastian Bach on lead vocals. After Bach left the band in 1996, Skid Row went through several different singers; the most recent vocalist was Erik Grönwall.

After Grönwall announced his departure in 2024 due to health reasons, Skid Row played a run of shows with Halestorm‘s Lzzy Hale on lead vocals. Hale later said she was “overflowing with gratitude” for the experience, but added, “This particular time in my life prevents me from committing to a permanent role in Skid Row.”

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On This Day, Feb. 5, 2018…

Paul Simon announced his retirement from touring after more than 60 years in music.

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said time away from his family and the death of his longtime guitarist Vincent Nguini played a role in his decision.

Simon didn’t give up the road without one more run. In May of the same year, he launched Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour, a four-month trek that took him to North America and Europe, and wrapped in his home borough of Queens, New York.

While the show marked the end of Simon’s final tour, he said he wasn’t quitting the stage and suggested he could perform live again. He did just that in August 2019, when he headlined San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival.

Simon’s retirement didn’t last long. In April 2025, he launched the A Quiet Celebration Tour, in which he performed his 2023 album, Seven Psalms, as well newly arranged versions of tracks from his vast catalog of hits. He just announced a new North American leg of the tour, kicking off June 4 in Palo Alto, California.

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Mötley Crüe will be celebrating America’s birthday up north in Canada.

The “Home Sweet Home” rockers will headline Winnipeg’s Rockin’ Thunder concert series on July 4. The bill will also include Three Days Grace, Halestorm and Canadian musician JJ Wilde.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. CT. For all ticket info, visit Motley.com.

Mötley will return to the U.S. later in July to launch the Return of Carnival of Sins tour celebrating the band’s 45th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of their 2005-06 Carnival of Sins tour.

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R.E.M. fans will once again be able to get their hands on the band’s 2018 live album box set R.E.M. at the BBC.

The band announced on Instagram that the box set is “Back by demand” and will be available again starting March 6.

The eight-CD/one-DVD set features rare live and in-studio recordings taken from the BBC archives, with all the performances recorded between 1984 and 2008.

The compilation includes a 60-minute Later … with Jools Holland performance, plus performances from Radio 1’s Live Lounge and John Peel Studio Sessions. There are also recordings of several live U.K. broadcasts, including R.E.M.’s 1999 set at the Glastonbury Festival, a 2004 show at St. James’s Church in London and a 1995 broadcast from Milton Keynes.

The set features performances of such R.E.M. classics as “Losing My Religion,” “Man on the Moon,” “Radio Free Europe,” “Drive,” “Everybody Hurts” and “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).”

The set also includes a DVD with the short film Accelerating Backwards and the Later … with Jools Holland performance, plus three bonus videos: “I’ve Been High,” “Nightswimming” and “Bad Day.”

R.E.M. at the BBC is available for preorder now.

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Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy has announced the first set of dates for his 2026 tour.

Dubbed The Undercover Tour, the trek will feature some performances with his former RATT bandmate, guitarist Warren DeMartini.

The tour will kick off with a Percy/DeMartini show on Feb. 26 in Highland, California, and then resume May 9 in Tulare, California, with a solo show. Pearcy will also play solo shows in Iowa, Louisiana and Wisconsin, followed by two more Pearcy/DeMartini shows: Aug. 21 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Aug. 23 in Orlando, Florida. More dates are expected to be added.

A full list of shows and ticket information can be found at OfficialStephenPearcy.com.

Pearcy and DeMartini reunited for the first time back in May 2025 at the annual M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland. It was the first time they had performed together in eight years. They went on to play several other shows together in 2025.

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Bruce Hornsby has shared details about his upcoming album, Indigo Park, which will be released April 3.

The album will be made up of 10 songs, with Hornsby backed by his band The Noisemakers, along with guitarist Blake Mills, bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Chris Dave. The record will feature guest appearances by the late Bob Weir, Bonnie Raitt and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig. It also contains two songs co-written by the late Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter.

According to a press release, with Indigo Park, Hornsby is looking back on “formative moments from his past, sometimes trying to resolve them, and other times looking for clues about his current-day outlook.”

“It’s just an old bastard, looking back,” says Hornsby. “To be honest, I’ve found a way, a path to grow old gracefully, with help from some newborn friends of mine.”

As a preview, Hornsby has released the album’s title track to digital outlets.

Hornsby and The Noisemakers are set to hit the road in support of Indigo Park. The tour kicks off April 9 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and wraps July 25 in Patchogue, New York. A complete list of dates can be found at BruceHornsby.com.

Here is the track list for Indigo Park:
“Indigo Park”
“Memory Palace” (feat. Ezra Koenig)
“Entropy Here (Rust In Peace)”
“Silhouette Shadows”
“Ecstatic” (feat. Bonnie Raitt)
“Alabama”
“North Dakota Slate Roof”
“Sliver of Time”
“Might As Well Be Me, Florinda” (with Bob Weir & feat. Blake Mills)
“Take a Light Strain”

(Video includes uncensored profanity.)

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