Classic Rock News

Jon Bon Jovi is going down memory lane as he looks back at his life as a rock and roll legend fronting one of the most successful bands of all time, Bon Jovi, with a career that spanned four decades, in a new Hulu docuseries, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.

Ahead of its debut, Jon sat down with Good Morning America anchor Michael Strahan for an ABC special, Michael Strahan x Jon Bon Jovi: Halfway There, to discuss his life and legacy.

GMA aired a sneak peek of the interview on Wednesday, April 23, in which the singer opened up about his career’s effect on his relationship. 

Jon has been married to his high school sweetheart Dorothea Hurley for over 30 years. When Strahan mentioned that his success must have been “tough on a relationship,” Jon replied, “That’s nonsense.”

“I got away with murder. I say it again on camera,” he added. “I’m a rock and roll star. I’m not a saint. You know, I’m not saying that, that there weren’t a hundred girls in my life. I’m Jon Bon Jovi. It was pretty good.”

Despite all the attention he received from being in the spotlight, Jon said they weren’t worth being entertained.

“If you think I was ever gonna jeopardize anything for believing the narcissist in me was real? What a stupid thing to do,” he said. “What kind of excess does a man need that’s gonna fuel that fire. It is just not worth it. Not worth it.”

For a full interview, tune in to Michael Strahan x Jon Bon Jovi: Halfway There, which airs Sunday, April 28, at 10 pm E.T. on ABC.

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On This Day, April 24, 1989…

Tom Petty released his first solo album, Full Moon Fever.

Although it wasn’t billed as a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers record, most of the Heartbreakers were on the album, as were Petty’s Traveling Wilburys bandmates Jeff Lynne, George Harrison and Roy Orbison, who passed away before the album’s release.

Petty’s label MCA Records and leader Irving Azoff originally refused to release the Full Moon Fever, believing there were no hit songs on it, but when management at the label changed, that decision changed as well.

The album wound up landing a trio of hit songs, including “Free Fallin’,” which peaked at #7, “I Won’t Back Down” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”

Full Moon Fever went on to be a huge success for Petty, peaking at #3 on the Billboard album chart. It was also certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA, and in 2019, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Tom Petty’s music will be celebrated with a new tribute album, Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, dropping June 21.

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Veteran rockers Deep Purple are back with new music. The band will release their new album, =1, on July 19, with the first single set to drop on April 30.

According to the press release, the title, =1, “symbolizes the idea that in a world growing ever more complex, everything eventually simplifies down to a single, unified essence. Everything equals one.” The release adds, “Its full meaning will be revealed in the coming weeks, with the artwork also playing its part.”

=1, Deep Purple’s first album of new material since 2020’s Whoosh!, will be released in a variety of formats, including CD, CD+DVD, two-LP black vinyl and two limited edition colored vinyl variants: purple and crystal clear. There’s also a limited edition box set, which, among other things, features the bonus of live recordings from Deep Purple’s 2022 tour, a collector’s T-shirt, two exclusive guitar picks, an art print and more, plus the chance to win a Golden Ticket to all the shows on Deep Purple’s =1 More Time tour.

All formats are available for preorder now 

Deep Purple, currently made up of frontman Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Simon McBride, has already announced dates for the =1 More Time tour, which kicks off August 14 in Hollywood, Florida, and wraps September 8 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. A complete list of dates can be found at deeppurple.com.

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Jimi Hendrix’s music will be celebrated with a new tour launching this fall.

The Experience Hendrix Tour is set to return for the first time in five years, featuring an all-star lineup of guitarists that includes Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zakk Wylde, Taj Mahal, Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. It will also feature singer Henri Brown and promises the addition of more special guests.

This year’s tour will kick off September 19 in Seattle, hitting 24 cities — including Las Vegas, Houston, Anaheim, San Diego and Nashville — before wrapping October 19 in St. Augustine, Florida.

The live celebration of Hendrix’s music started out as one-off shows in San Diego in 2001 and 2022, before becoming a full tour in 2004. While there was another one-off show in Austin, Texas, in 2022, the last full Experience Hendrix Tour happened in 2019.

The lineup for each Experience Hendrix show varies depending on the city. A complete schedule, with lineups and ticket information, can be found at experiencehendrixtour.com.

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Def Leppard is paying tribute to their late guitarist Steve Clark on what would have been the rocker’s 64th birthday. 

The band shared on Instagram a montage of pictures and videos of Clark performing, captioning the post, “Remembering Steve Clark today. Happy birthday, you are missed dearly.” 

Clark, born April 23, 1960, joined Def Leppard in 1978 and appeared on their 1980 debut album, On Through The Night. His last album with the band was 1987’s Hysteria, which went to #1 and featured the #1 hit “Love Bites,” along with classic tunes “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Animal,” “Armageddon It” and more.

Clark died January 8, 1991. At the time of his death he was on a leave from the band due to his alcohol issues. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Def Leppard in 2019.

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Michael Anthony was back playing Van Halen music over the weekend, but with a totally different band.

The rocker was the surprise guest at the Saturday, April 20, club show put on by The Coverups, the covers side project of Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt.

Fan-shot footage from the concert at Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, California, shows Anthony joining the group for the Van Halen classic “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” as well as a cover of KISS’ “Rock and Roll All Nite,” which also featured Green Day drummer Tre Cool. According to setlist.fm, Anthony also joined them for Van Halen’s “Dance the Night Away.” 

Other covers performed that night include Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated,” Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69,” David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” and “Suffragette City,” and Cheap Trick’s “Surrender.”

Anthony will be back playing Van Halen classics this summer when he hits the road with Sammy Hagar on The Best of All Worlds tour. It kicks off July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at redrocker.com.

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Jon Bon Jovi is set to sit down with Good Morning America’s Michael Strahan for an in depth interview, and we are getting our first preview.

A new trailer has just been released for Michael Strahan & Jon Bon Jovi: Halfway There, set to premiere Sunday, April 28, at 10 p.m. on ABC.

“I feel a bunch of emotions,” Jon is heard saying in the opening of clip. “The road is not always rainbows and unicorns. I think it goes back to truth — that’s the only way to tell this story, is to tell the honest to goodness truth.”

The clip also sees him talking about the problems with his vocal cords, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora’s departure and more. 

The interview coincides with the release of the band’s Hulu docuseries, Thank You Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, which premieres Friday, April 26. The band is also set to release the new album, Forever, on June 7.

In other Bon Jovi news…Classic Rock magazine asked Jon what tune he’d pick if he had to choose one final song to perform in front of an audience, and the answer may surprise you. He didn’t pick classics like “Livin’ On A Prayer” or “You Give Love A Bad Name” but instead went with a tune from the ‘90s.

“The first one that came to mind would be ‘These Days,’ which I guess nobody would ever think,” he says, referring to the title track from their 1995 album. He then quotes the lyrics, noting, “I think that sort of encapsulates where I am at this moment in time.”

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Eddie Vedder‘s Ohana Festival has announced its 2024 lineup.

Pearl Jam will headline the opening and closing night, September 27 and September 29, and Neil Young & Crazy Horse will lead the middle date, September 28.

The bill also features Garbage, Alanis Morissette, The Breeders, Crowded House, Kim Gordon, Dogstar and Black Pumas, among others.

Tickets are available now to members of Pearl Jam’s Ten Club. A general presale begins Thursday, April 25, at 10 a.m. PT. Any remaining tickets will then go on sale to the general public.

For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit OhanaFest.com.

Vedder founded Ohana in 2016. It takes place in Dana Point, California.

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Asia is ready to hit the road again. The band, led by keyboardist and original member Geoff Downes, just announced dates for The Heat of the Moment tour. 

Downes says the idea for the tour came after performing at August’s tribute concert to Asia’s late lead singer John Wetton, who passed away in 2017. There, Downes performed Asia hits with John Mitchell, who previously performed with the John Wetton Band, Icon and newcomer Harry Whitley. 

“And so it was that the John Wetton tribute last August really reminded me how much Asia’s music belongs on the stage,” he says. “The response to it all was literally…spine-tingling.” 

Mitchell and Whitley will join Downes for the new tour, along with Virgil Donati on drums. The 21-city trek, with special guests Focus, Martin Turner of Wishbone Ash and Curved Air, kicks off July 3 in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and wraps July 31 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“I am convinced that John (Wetton’s) spirit is with us as we set out on this new adventure,” Downes shares. “After all, it is the Year of the Dragon – just as it was in 1982, when we released our first Asia album. It’s as though it was meant to be. Looking forward to seeing you there, my friends – bring it on!”

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