Classic Rock News

Rod Stewart was the proud pop when his son Liam married fiancée Nicole Artukovich.

“I’m immensely proud to have witness the beautiful wedding ceremony of my son Liam to his bride Nicole,” Rod wrote on Instagram, alongside a family photo from the wedding. “What a wonderful union of The Stewart’s and The Artukovich’s. May they continue to find joy, love and laughter for as long as they may live and produce many more baby’s to join their little 1 year old boy, Louie.”

And it certainly looks like the wedding included quite a bash, with Liam sharing video on his Insta Story of the guests partying it up, with many of the men celebrating shirtless.

According to People, the wedding took place Friday, May 31, at the St. Ignatius Church in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The whole Stewart clan attended the celebration, including all seven of Liam’s siblings. Rod and wife Penny Lancaster wore lavender to the affair, while Liam’s mother, model Rachel Hunter, wore a blue dress.

Liam and Nicole got engaged in July 2023. They welcomed their first child, Louis, that May.

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Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band recently played several dates in Las Vegas, and while in Sin City the rocker and his band paid a visit to the Cirque du Soleil show The Beatles LOVE.

Video posted to Ringo’s Instagram shows him and his bandmates posing for photos with the performers, as they all hold up peace signs.

“Wow, what a great night Ringo and the all starrs at the love show in Vegas,” read the post, noting they “all had a good time.” It also reminded fans that LOVE is set to close on July 6, adding, “Get your tickets now peace and love.”

The Beatles LOVE is closing after an 18-year run at The Mirage, ahead of the hotel’s transformation into the new Hard Rock Las Vegas. The show opened in 2006, featuring a soundtrack produced and mixed by The Beatles’ original producer, George Martin, and his son Giles Martin.

More than 11.5 million people have taken in the show, which combined the band’s music with aerial artistry, colorful visuals and high-energy choreography. More info about tickets can be found at cirquedusoleil.com/beatles-love.

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Steve Miller is giving props to Eminem after the rapper interpolated the Steve Miller Band classic “Abracadabra” in his new single, “Houdini.”

“There is a long chain of stories, poetry, lyrics, and musical roots that have crossed cultures and generations inspiring the whole world for hundreds of years and in all those lines of thought, music, and rhythm there are special artists who take it all in and create new original ideas from their own feelings and experiences,” Miller shared in a note on Instagram addressed “Hey EM.” “You are one of those timeless originators building something new on a long musical legacy of original artists.”

Miller then mentioned the artists who inspired him, including Les Paul, The Beatles and Chuck Berry, noting, “I have always tried to credit, honor, and respect the major influencers in my life and to always credit, honor royalties and share knowledge of their work through my own work,” adding that he felt he “had to respect the art that came before me and fight for it too among all the crooks, thieves, and imposters.”

“There aren’t many artists who take the time or make the effort to stand up for themselves and credit and respect their influencers at the same time. Marshall Mathers you are an exception and on my short list of people who respect the art,” Miller concludes. “To be included in your process feels good while I’m still singing and playing the music I love. I’m Honored.”

Released in May 1982, “Abracadabra” was a #1 hit for Steve Miller Band. It was their third, and last, chart-topper.

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Never mind the bollocks, here’s 75 percent of the Sex Pistols.

Three of the legendary punk band’s members — guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock — are reuniting for a pair of benefit concerts taking place Aug. 13-14 at the London venue Bush Hall. English punk musician Frank Carter will provide lead vocals in place of John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten, who is not taking part in the reunion.

For each show, which will raise money for Bush Hall, the foursome will play the Sex Pistols’ one-and-only album, 1977’s Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, in full.

“Will be an honor to smash our way through one of the most influential records of all time together,” Carter says.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 5, at 9 a.m. local time. For all ticket info, visit BushHallMusic.co.uk.

Sex Pistols last played together live in 2008.

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The Police have offered up their first preview of the upcoming 40th anniversary box set of their classic album Synchronicity.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just released a previously unreleased demo of the single “King of Pain,” which was a top five hit for the band.

The 40th anniversary edition of Synchronicity will be released July 26 in a variety of formats, including a six-CD super deluxe box set featuring 55 previously unreleased tracks — alternate takes, instrumentals, demos and live recordings — along with new liner notes, interviews and previously unseen photographs. 

Released in 1983, Synchronicity was The Police’s final album. It was also their best-selling album, spending 17 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, thanks to such hits as “Every Breath You Take,” which spent eight weeks at #1, “King of Pain” and “Wrapped Around your Finger.” It was also certified eight-times Platinum.

Synchronicity was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2023 it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

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On This Day, June 3, 2002 …

Queen, Paul McCartney and Phil Collins were among the artists who performed at Party at the Palace, a concert held at London’s Buckingham Palace Garden to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Billed as the greatest concert in Britain since Live Aid, about 2 million people applied for the lottery to get tickets, with 12,000 people attending the concert.

Other artists who performed at the event included Eurythmics‘ Annie Lennox, Bryan Adams, The Beach Boys‘ Brian Wilson, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Joe Cocker, The Kinks‘ Ray Davies, Rod Stewart, and Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi, with Elton John prerecording his performance from inside the music room at Buckingham Palace.

The concert kicked off with Queen’s Brian May performing “God Save The Queen” from the roof of Buckingham Palace, while McCartney closed the show with several The Beatles classics, including all-star performances of “All You Need is Love” and “Hey Jude.”

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Lynyrd Skynyrd has a bunch of tour dates scheduled for this summer, including a performance at CMA Fest in Nashville June 6. However, after the March 2023 passing of founding member and original guitarist Gary Rossington, there are currently no members of the original band performing in the group.

Artimus Pyle, who’s now the only living Lynyrd Skynyrd member inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band, has some strong opinions about the current lineup using the Skynyrd name and tells ABC Audio he doesn’t believe Rossington would have supported the band continuing on after his death.

“Gary was a realist, and Gary had said [that] after his passing he would like to retire the name,” Pyle says.

While Artimus continues to play Lynyrd Skynyrd songs in concert with his Artimus Pyle Band, and even released the guest-filled album Anthems – Honoring The Music Of Lynyrd Skynyrd in February, he says he doesn’t try to pass himself off as Skynyrd.

“I would never call my band Lynyrd Skynyrd, because without Ronnie Van Zandt … there is no Lynyrd Skynyrd,” he says, referring to the band’s original frontman, who died in the 1977 plane crash that also killed Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines and others, and injured Pyle. “It would be an embarrassment, because without Ronnie, there is not a Lynyrd Skynyrd.” 

“It’s like when a basketball player retires and they retire the jersey. I felt like the names should have been retired, but you know, they want to keep the music alive,” he says. “When people come to that show and they don’t see anybody from Lynyrd Skynyrd, to me it’s kind of silly.” 

Artimus Pyle is currently on tour and plays Cedar Park, Texas, on June 7. A complete list of dates can be found at artimuspyle.com.

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On May 31, 2019, Rocketman, the biopic based on Elton John‘s life, opened in the U.S. Five years later, Elton is looking back on that day with an Instagram post.

Next to a clip from the movie of Taron Egerton as Elton performing “Crocodile Rock,” Elton wrote, “5 years since this movie hit the screens and it still amazes me to see fans around the world connect with my story and have it resonate with people.”

“Rocketman was more than just a movie for me – it was a journey through my life’s ups and downs, a life so crazy that only by creating a musical fantasy could we truly bring it to life!” he continued. “Thanks to the filmmakers and everyone who made it a hit and to all of you for the incredible support. Your love means everything.”

The clip notes that the movie has an 89% “Fresh” rating on RottenTomatoes.com and was given five-star reviews by a number of publications. It also won multiple awards, including the Golden Globe Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Egerton, and an Oscar for Elton and Bernie Taupin for the original song they wrote for it: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.”

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Ahead of Dead & Company‘s show Thursday at Sphere in Las Vegas, drummer Mickey Hart posted on Instagram, “Tonight we pulse, we vibrate, we dance, for Bill. The BIGGEST deadhead in the world!” Indeed, the band did offer a fitting tribute to the late NBA legend Bill Walton, who died Monday at age 71. He was not only a fanatical Dead fan, but also a personal friend of the group’s members.

Fan-shot footage of the performance shows that the band took the stage with instruments decorated with Walton’s number, 32, which he wore while playing for UCLA, the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Diego Clippers.

During the “Drums” part of the show, the Sphere’s LED screen displayed footage of the time when Walton, who was Hart’s best friend, joined them onstage at a 2016 show for that segment. And when Hart sang “Fire on the Mountain,” the screen displayed images of Walton with the members of the Grateful Dead and Dead & Company over the years.

Walton’s first Dead show was in 1967, and he saw over 1,000 in his lifetime.

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Joan Jett and Alanis Morissette, plus singer Morgan Wade, will kick off their Triple Moon tour in June. But ahead of the tour launch, Jett and Morissette have released a mash-up of two of their biggest hits.

The track is called “Hate Myself for Loving You Oughta Know,” and brings together Joan and The Blackhearts‘ 1988 hit “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and Alanis’ signature 1995 tune “You Oughta Know.” The song incorporates vocals and music for both songs, and the video includes snippets from both original videos, as well as live footage and vocals from Joan’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” song and video.

Jett’s signature “Ow!” is also scattered throughout the mash-up, created by DJ Cummerbund.

“We wanted to celebrate [the tour] with this mashup,” Alanis wrote on YouTube. “Elated to see you very soon.”

The Triple Moon tour launches June 9 in Phoenix, Arizona. Will Jett and Morissette perform the mash-up onstage? There’s only one way to find out.

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