Classic Rock News

On This Day, June 27, 2002 …

One day before the start of The Who’s U.S. tour, bassist John “The Ox” Entwistle died of a cocaine-induced heart attack. He was found dead in his room at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas by the groupie and stripper he had spent the night with.

He was 57.

“The Ox has left the building—we’ve lost another great friend,” The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend shared in a tribute after Entwistle’s death. “Thanks for your support and love. Pete and Roger.”

The Who decided to go on with their tour and resumed their shows on July 1 with bassist Pino Palladino taking Entwistle’s place.

In addition to his time with The Who, Entwistle released several solo albums, which were the subject of a new box set, The Ox Box Set, released in May. A compilation of rarities, Rarities Oxhumed – Volume Two, is due out in August.

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Eddie Vedder has released a cover of The English Beat‘s song “Save It for Later,” recorded for the newly released third season of The Bear.

The FX on Hulu series, which is set in Chicago, has long featured music by Pearl Jam and Vedder. While Pearl Jam was formed in Seattle, Vedder has a close connection with the Windy City, having been born in nearby Evanston, Illinois. He’s famously a big Chicago Cubs fan, which is explored in the 2017 Pearl Jam concert film Let’s Play Two.

You can listen to the “Save It for Later” cover now via digital outlets.

The Bear season 3 premiered Wednesday night. Its first episode was scored by Nine Inch Nails‘ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

Disney is the parent company of Hulu and ABC News.

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Elton John has found yet another way to raise money for his AIDS Foundation: He’s selling stuff on eBay.

Specifically, Elton is selling pieces from his famous wardrobe as part of a 10-day shopping event called Rocket Man Resale. It features hundreds of items from his recently sold Atlanta apartment, including shirts, hats, pants and shoes by Gucci, Versace, and Prada, plus more affordable lots, like concert t-shirts and baseball caps. The auction is live now, and 100% of the proceeds go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. 

“Giving new life to the cherished items from my wardrobe has always been special to me. For decades
I’ve donated my closet’s treasures to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation,” Elton says in a statement. “This Pride Month, I’m excited to share my Atlanta treasure trove on eBay, hoping these items will inspire you to express your unique spirit and bring you as much joy as they’ve brought me.”

“Whether you’re after high-end luxury or something more laid-back, there’s a perfect find for everyone,” he adds. “Even better, every dollar goes to supporting the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s work to end LGBTQ+ stigma.”

At 1:10 p.m. ET on the eBay app, Elton’s pal Stephen Sanchez and entrepreneur Emma Rogue will host a livestream shopping event featuring Elton and his husband David Furnish.

The shopping event will also feature items from Donatella Versace, Andy Cohen, Robin Roberts, Brandi Carlile and more. If you’re in New York City, there’s a pop-up featuring some of the items at 51 8th Avenue from 2 to 6 p.m. ET on Thursday.

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Neil Young and Crazy Horse have canceled the remaining dates on their Love Earth tour, due to illness. 

In a post on his Neil Young Archives site, Young describes the tour as “a great experience for us so far,” with “GREAT AUDIENCES AND MUSIC.”

He then reveals, “When a couple of us got sick after Detroit’s Pine Knob, we had to stop,” noting, “We are still not fully recovered so sadly our great tour will have a big unplanned break.”

While Young didn’t specifically say how long that break would be, Ticketmaster lists his remaining dates in the U.S. and Canada as canceled, while the Bourbon & Beyond festival, which Young was to headline, reposted the statement from his website, and Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival now lists TBA in the Saturday headlining spot Young was originally scheduled for.

“We will try to play some of the dates we miss as time passes when we are ready to rock again,” the statement continues. “Thank you for your understanding and patience. Health is #1.”

Young and Crazy Horse kicked off the Love Earth tour on April 24 in San Diego, California.

Young was one of the last artists to return to touring following the COVID pandemic. He headlined a short West Coast tour in summer 2023, which was his first trek since 2019.

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Sammy Hagar is the subject of a new A&E Biography special debuting June 30, and he’s giving fans a sneak peek of what to expect.

The former Van Halen frontman shared a preview of the episode on Instagram, and in the clip he discusses where the idea came from to write his hit song “I Can’t Drive 55.” 

“Before I wrote the song I Can’t Drive 55, I had 34 speeding tickets and my license taken away three times and was paying $135,000 a year for insurance – and that was in 1984!” Hagar writes in the caption of the post. “Since I wrote that song and made that video I have gotten only two speeding tickets! It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”

In the preview, Hagar talks about being stopped at 2 a.m. on a deserted highway for driving 62 in a 55 mph zone. After being pulled over by the cop, he told his wife, “Man, I can’t drive 55, you know?”

“I swear it was like God struck me with lightning,” he shares. “I wrote the whole song like that night. And it was the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

“I Can’t Drive 55” was the lead single off Hagar’s album VOA and was a top-40 hit for the rocker. 

Sammy Hagar’s A&E Biography special will air Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.

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The late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott will be celebrated in New York City in July on what would have been his 78th birthday. 

The Bon Scott Estate has announced a tribute concert happening on the big day, July 9, at Arlene’s Grocery on the Lower East Side. Although no artists have been announced for the concert, it is expected to feature 16 singers performing classic AC/DC tracks with a backing band. 

Tickets are on sale now.

And that’s not the only way Bon’s 78th birthday is being marked. There will also be some new and unique merchandise fans can get their hands on, including two new and registered Bon Scott tartans that will be used for signature flannel shirts from Dixxon Flannel Company and made-to-order kilts, vests, pants and more from Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers.

Plus there will soon be new Bon Scott figurines from Knucklebonz and Super7, based on Bon’s look during AC/DC’s 1979 Highway to Hell tour.

More info on the Bon Scott birthday celebration can be found at bonscottofficial.com.

Scott was AC/DC’s frontman from 1974 until his death in 1980, appearing on the band’s first seven albums. He was replaced by Brian Johnson, who remains their frontman to this day.

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Van Morrison is delving into his archives for another new album. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced he’ll release New Arrangements and Duets on Sept. 27.

“This album represents a small percentage of the huge amount of unreleased material we are hoping to roll out in the near future, rather than letting it gather dust in some archive,” Morrison shared on Instagram.

Morrison didn’t share many details about the songs on the record, although the description says big band tracks were recorded in 2014. It also includes songs with Willie Nelson, Joss Stone, Curtis Stigers and Kurt Elling, all recorded between 2018 and 2019.

And Morrison is giving fans their first preview of the record with the release of the song “Choppin Wood.” 

New Arrangements and Duets is available for preorder now in a variety of formats, including CD, vinyl and limited-edition orange vinyl. 

And that’s not the only new album coming from Morrison. He’s already set to release Be Just and Fear Not: Live at Orangefield on July 12. The live album was recorded during a series of concerts in August 2014 at his old high school in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Morrison has only a handful of shows booked for 2024, the next being July 4 in Dublin. His only U.S. shows are happening Oct. 19 and Oct. 20 in Los Angeles. A complete list of dates can be found at vanmorrison.com.

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The Who’s Tommy is ready to say goodbye to Broadway.

The musical, based on the Pete Townshend-penned rock opera, is set to play its final show at the Nederlander Theatre on July 21.

The production was a reimagining of the 1993 original staging of Tommy. It opened on March 28, and is closing after 132 performances and 20 previews. 

But there will still be chances for fans to catch the latest iteration of The Who’s Tommy. It’s set to launch a national tour at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, in the fall of 2025.

Based on The Who’s 1969 album and 1975 film, the original production of Tommy opened at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, on July 1, 1992. It opened on Broadway on April 22, 1993, and closed on June 17, 1995. It won five Tony Awards, including Best Direction for Des McAnuff and Best Original Score for Townshend.

The latest production was nominated for a Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.

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The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White is expected to play Bruce Springsteen in the upcoming movie Deliver Me From Nowhere, and it sounds like fans may find out if he has any of his own singing chops.

When asked by Variety if he plans to do his own singing in the film, White shared, “We’re gonna try. We’re gonna try our best.”

White seemed to suggest that him playing Springsteen isn’t a done deal, and until then he doesn’t seem ready to meet The Boss.

“We’ve communicated a little bit through some other people, but I hope this still all comes together,” White said. “We’ve still got a few things, we’ve got some timing stuff to work out, and I’m trying to have a bit of my own process with it before meeting the man, too.” 

He adds, “I wanna try to have an understanding, so when I meet him, I’ll have a bit of confidence somewhere in me to stand there.”

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

Released on Sept. 30, 1982, Nebraska featured 10 acoustic songs Springsteen originally recorded as demos on a four-track recorder. Springsteen had planned to rerecord the songs with The E Street Band but instead opted to release it as a solo acoustic record. It featured such songs as “Atlantic City,” “Johnny 99” and “State Trooper.”

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The Eagles have decided to spend a little more time in Vegas.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just added four more shows to their Eagles Live In Concert At Sphere residency. The new dates will keep the Eagles in Sin City through December, with shows Dec. 6, Dec. 7, Dec. 13 and Dec. 14.

A presale for tickets begins July 9 at 10 a.m., with tickets going on sale to the general public starting July 12.

Eagles Live In Concert At Sphere will kick off Sept. 20. A complete list of dates can be found at eagles.com.

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