Classic Rock News

On a recent episode of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr., Sammy Hagar learned that DNA testing proved his biological last name was actually Belcher and not Hagar, and he wants his fans to know that he’s not thrown by the revelation.

“Hey, everybody. Red rocker Sammy Hagar here. Also known as Mr. Belcher lately. Don’t freak out about this. This is no big deal,” Hagar shares in a post on Instagram. “This is actually pretty cool, cause at least I know a little bit about my past.” 

He adds, “There’s nothing in a name. You know. You are who you are. And, maybe what you call yourself is even more important than what you’re really named.”

Noting that a lot of people, like Sting and Madonna, have chosen to change their names, he insists he’s “all cool” with the new discovery. 

“Anyways, real cool show. I was honored to be on there and I learned a lot of things I didn’t know,” he continues. “I didn’t know anything about my ancestry. So now I do.” He notes, “If there’s any Belchers out there that are really relatives. Well. Hey. Welcome. Hi. See you on tour.”

The tour Sammy mentions is his Best of All Worlds Tour, which kicks off July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at redrocker.com.

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Bruce Springsteen is set to celebrate fellow New Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who’ll be honored as the Recording Academy’s 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year. 

The Boss, who was the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year, is just one of the artists confirmed to perform at the upcoming gala. The lineup also includes Melissa Etheridge, Goo Goo Dolls, Måneskin’s Damiano David, Brandy Clark, Jelly Roll, Marcus King, The War and Treaty and Lainey Wilson. Gayle King and Kylie Minogue are also on board as presenters.

“I’m looking forward to seeing these talented musicians take the stage for the MusiCares gala,” Jon shares. “I’m honored they are able to be with us for such a wonderful night.”

Bon Jovi is also confirmed to perform; there’s still no official confirmation of reports that the band’s former guitarist Richie Sambora will be part of the lineup.

The 33rd annual MusiCares Person of the Year gala, hosted by Jim Gaffigan, will take place February 2, two days before the Grammy Awards.

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Florida, a special place to Jimmy Buffett, who often sang about it in his music, is moving forward with plans to honor the late singer in a big way.

On Thursday, January 25, known as “Jimmy Buffett Day” in the Sunshine State, legislators introduced a measure to rename highway A1A — the scenic route from Georgia to Key West — after the “Margaritaville” singer.

“I am deeply honored to be sponsoring an effort to rename Florida’s coastal State Road A1A the ‘Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway’ in honor of the late legendary Floridian,” Senator Lauren Book posted on social media. “Jimmy’s mark on music, culture, and our precious environment will live on for generations – and our state is better because of his work.”

But that’s not all. Legislation was also introduced to create a special Jimmy Buffett-inspired license plate, which will help raise money for hurricane victims.

“Somebody said that my dad didn’t live to be 100; he just did it in three-quarter time,” the singer’s daughter Savannah Buffett shared, according to USA Today. “This is such a wonderful tribute.”

Both measures were passed in committee, and now, it’s left up to a floor vote to see if they will become a reality.

Buffett died September 1 from Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer. He was 76.

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January 26 is the late Eddie Van Halen‘s birthday, and his son, Wolfgang Van Halen, is paying tribute to him by unveiling his new signature guitar: the EVH SA-126.

On X, formerly Twitter, Wolf writes, “It’s an honor to finally and officially introduce (on the perfect day, no less) the EVH SA-126. I am so proud of this instrument and the incredible team that has been working on it for years. It will be available in 4 colors and you can get your hands on it this May.“

The instrument comes from the EVH Brand, which Eddie Van Halen created in 2005 in partnership with Fender. The semi-hollow bodied guitar was road tested over the past two years while Wolfgang was touring with Mammoth WVH. 

Wolf says in a statement, “I wanted to do my own thing and that’s how I gravitated towards semi-hollow bodies and how it became my core sound … the goal was to put together a guitar that didn’t exist yet.”

There are two different models of the EVH SA-126: One costs $1800; the other costs $1900.

Wolf also posted a birthday tribute to his late father, writing, “I wish you were here so I could give you a big hug, go to dinner, celebrate it with you and make a dumb joke about it being your 69th birthday …I miss hearing you laugh. I miss laughing with you. It’s the little things.”

He added, “I’ll do my best to keep a smile on my face and think of you today. But then again, that’s not very different than any other day so far without you. I love and miss you more than you could ever possibly know. Happy Birthday, Pop.”

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On This Day, January 26, 1974…

Ringo Starr landed his second #1 single with “You’re Sixteen.” The song was written by the Sherman Brothers and originally recorded by Johnny Burnette in 1969.

Ringo’s version was on his third studio album, Ringo, and featured his former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney as well as Harry Nilsson on backing vocals.

The song also went to #1 in New Zealand and was a top 10 hit in the U.K., Australia and Canada.

“Your Sixteen” wound up being Ringo’s final #1 as a solo artist. He had his first, “Photograph,” in November 1973. Of course, he had 20 chart-toppers as a member of The Beatles.

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Elton John, Eric Clapton and Sting are among the artists lending their voices to a reimagining of the late Glen Campbell’s farewell album, Ghosts on the Canvas.

Glen Campbell Duets – Ghost on the Canvas Sessions recreates the songs on the album as duets, using Campbell’s original vocals. Other artists singing with Glen include Carole King, Brian Wilson, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hall, punk band X, Linda Perry, Eric Church, Brian Setzer and Hope Sandoval.

But the talent isn’t limited to the singers. The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Foo Fighters drummer Josh Freese, Eurythmics‘ Dave Stewart, Cheap Trick’s Rick Neilsen, Chris Chaney, The Dandy Warhols, Prince and the Revolution’s Wendy Melvoin, Chris Isaak and more contributed to the project.

Fans are getting the first taste of the record with the just-released Clapton-assisted single, “Nothing But the Whole Wide World.”

“I’ve always admired Glen Campbell’s guitar playing and loved his singing,” Clapton shares. “When I was asked to sing and play with Glen on the song Jakob Dylan wrote, it all just felt right, and I am happy to be part of it.”

You can listen to “Nothing But the Whole Wide World” now via digital outlets and watch the lyric video on YouTube. 

Campbell released Ghosts on the Canvas in 2011 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He announced his condition to the public ahead of the launch of his Goodbye Tour and passed away from the disease in 2017.  He was 81.

Glen Campbell Duets – Ghost on the Canvas Sessions will be released April 19 and is available for preorder now. 

Here is the track list for Glen Campbell Duets – Ghost on the Canvas Sessions:
“There’s No Me… Without You” (with Carole King)
“Ghost On The Canvas” (with Sting)
“Hold On Hope” (with Eric Church)
“The Long Walk Home” (with Hope Sandoval)
“Nothing But The Whole Wide World” (with Eric Clapton)
“In My Arms” (with Brian Setzer)
“A Better Place” (with Dolly Parton)
“Strong” (with Brian Wilson)
“A Thousand Lifetimes” (with Linda Perry)
“It’s Your Amazing Grace” (with Daryl Hall & Dave Stewart)
“Any Trouble” (with X)
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” (with Elton John)

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Saturday, January 27, will mark 10 years since Billy Joel launched his unprecedented residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The residency had Joel packing the house for one show a month, with only some random illnesses and the COVID-19 pandemic keeping him from his scheduled appointment with the Big Apple crowd.  

Joel took the monthly gig as a chance to have some fun onstage, mixing his set with classics like “Piano Man,” “Only The Good Die Young,” “You May Be Right” and “Big Shot,” with deeper cuts like “Los Angelinos,” “Zanzibar,” “Summer of Highland Falls” and “Everybody Loves You Now.” 

The show also attracted a whole host of special guests, including Bruce Springsteen, who helped Billy celebrate his 100th show at the Garden in July 2018. Other guests stopping by the residency included Elvis Costello, ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, Steve Miller, Paul Simon and Miley Cyrus, John Mellencamp, Sting, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, John Fogerty and even Olivia Rodrigo.  

And there’s no doubt the residency has been a huge success. In March 2023 it crossed the $200 million mark. It also broke records at the venue, with Joel now holding the record for the most shows at MSG by a single artist.

But alas, all good things must come to an end. When Joel first announced the gigs he said it would continue “as long as the demand continues,” but in June he finally settled on an end date. He announced he would wrap the residency in July 2024, which will be the 150th MSG show of his career. The final concert is set to happen July 25.

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Rush’s Alex Lifeson is launching a new guitar. The rocker’s company Lerxst, a partnership with Mojotone, has just debuted the new Limelight guitar, created in partnership with Godin Guitars.

The new axe is inspired by Lifeson’s mid-’80s guitar, the Hentor Sportscaster, which he started using before recording Rush’s 1981 album Moving Pictures. It soon became synonymous with the rocker’s ’80s sound and guitar style. 

According to a press release, the new model “captures the essence of the original Sportscaster in a thoroughly refined form.”

The guitar comes in two different models: the Vega Trem-equipped and the Original Floyd Rose-equipped, with both designed in cream with a high gloss finish, 12-inch radius ebony fretboard, maple neck and medium stainless steel frets. 

“The original Hentor brought together a mix of tone and playability that empowered me to explore sounds and styles of playing that I had never attempted before,” Lifeson shares. “Ultimately these things became signature parts of my style.”

He adds, “When the idea came to reimagine this guitar it made sense to partner with innovators like Godin who I knew I could trust to utilize the advances in technology and manufacturing skill to create something that could power a new generation of players looking to push their own boundaries.”

More information on the Lexrst Limelight can be found at lerxstamps.com.

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The fifth annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party, a benefit for Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler‘s Janie’s Fund, will be happening Sunday, February 4, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

The star-studded event will feature a special live performance by The Black Crowes, with actress Zooey Deschanel serving as host.

Guests expected to attend the bash include Sammy Hagar, Sharon Stone, Matt Sorum, Bernie Taupin, Ava DuVernay, John Stamos, Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross. Elton John, Miley Cyrus, Scarlett Johansson, Alice Cooper and Mick Fleetwood are among the honorary chairs for the event.

Proceeds from the viewing party benefit Janie’s Fund, which, through the LifeSet program, supports young girls who have experienced abuse and neglect and age out of foster care. Since its launch in 2018, the party has raised more than $12.2 million for the organization. 

More information on Janie’s Fund can be found at janiesfund.org.

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Former Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars has released the video for his latest solo single, “Undone.” It will appear on his debut solo album, The Other Side of Mars, which drops February 23.

The black-and-white clip features images of Mars in a mine shaft, cut with footage of him playing guitar. 

Mars gave fans their first taste of The Other Side of Mars back in October with the track “Loyal to The Lie,” which was later followed by the single “Right Side of Wrong.”

The album features contributions from former Alice Cooper keyboardist Paul Taylor, who co-wrote many of the tracks, as well as Korn drummer Ray Luzier and bassist Chris Collier. Jacob Bunton provides vocals on eight tracks and Brion Gamboa on two.

The Other Side of Mars is available for preorder now.

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