Classic Rock News

Among the many accolades Jon Bon Jovi has received throughout his career, one of the more out of the ordinary ones is having a rest stop in New Jersey named after him — and he’s totally OK with that.

“You know, like George Washington slept everywhere. This is going to sound a little disgusting: I’ve peed everywhere,” he tells The Wall Street Journal. “From the man who’s overly hydrated, when they said, ‘We’re going to name the rest stop after you,’ I laughed. I said, ‘I think that’s a great idea.’ I think it’s hysterical.”

Jon isn’t the first New Jersey native to have a rest stop named after him, which makes him even more OK with the honor.

“But actually, when you’re in the company of Frank Sinatra and Vince Lombardi and Alexander Hamilton …It’s actually a very New Jersey thing,” he says. “We’re often surrounded by backhanded compliments. That’s what New Jersey is—we are a shadow of New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. We had to work very hard, and we carry that with us where we go.”

Bon Jovi is about to give fans some insight into his career and his band with the new four-part docuseries Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, which debuts Friday, April 26, on Hulu.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

British comedian Ted Robbins is related to The Beatles‘ Paul McCartney, and in a recent interview he suggested that the rocker’s success may have taken a toll on some members of the family. 

Robbins’ late mother was McCartney’s first cousin, and he reveals on the Chatabix podcast that while the rocker is close to his relatives, having such a huge star in the family hasn’t been easy for everyone.

“Paul and my mum are first cousins. You know, when people do that ‘who’s the most famous person on your phone?’ Well, that’s Mr. McCartney,” he says.

“In some ways it’s a great thing, and for some members of our family, I won’t name names, it’s kind of screwed their lives up a bit,” he says. “Because you’s be compared, you know what I mean? Paul McCartney and all that. You become a dentist, great, you know.”

Robbins thinks that’s particularly true for McCartney’s younger brother Mike, who is a musician himself, and goes by the name Mike McGear.

“I think Mike, his brother, who’s the loveliest of men and talented, but his fear is on his gravestone, ‘Here lies Paul McCartney’s brother,’” he says.

Robbins also claims the song “Teddy Boy” from McCartney’s 1970 solo album was written about him.

“You know he wrote a song called ‘Teddy Boy,’ which is on his first (solo) album, called McCartney,” he says. “And, you know, it goes, ‘This is the story of a boy named Ted’ and it was sort of inspired [by me].”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

It looks like at least one member of Journey wants to see the band play Las Vegas’ new state-of-the-art venue, Sphere.

Co-founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon posted photos from Phish’s recent residency to Facebook, commenting that playing the venue is something he could see Journey doing.

Regarding Phish’s stint, Schon writes, “I called this a long ago after evaluating the Sphere. The whole thing is built for a jam band.”

He added that he could see Journey playing there, noting “all that early material would be explosive with the hits.” 

So far there’s no word on whether Journey has any definite plans to play the Sphere. The next band set to take over the venue is Dead & Company, who’ll be playing Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from May 16 to July 13.

Journey is currently on tour and will play North Charleston, South Carolina, on Tuesday. They kick off a summer stadium tour with Def Leppard July 6 in St. Louis, Missouri. A complete list of dates can be found at journeymusic.com.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and punk poet Patti Smith is name-checked in the title track to Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, and Smith has shared her gratitude for the recognition.

Taylor sings in the track, “I laughed in your face and said ‘You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith/ This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’rе modern idiots.'” 

Thomas, a Welsh poet, died at New York’s Chelsea Hotel in 1953. Smith lived in the same hotel in 1969.

The mention prompted Smith to post a photo of herself reading Thomas’ Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog. She wrote, “This is saying I was moved to be mentioned in the company of the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Thank you Taylor.”

Patti’s latest book, A Book of Days, recently came out in paperback. It features 365 photos covering a single year of her life.

Smith is also due to hit the road this summer on a tour of Europe and the U.K. The trek kicks off June 25 in Brighton, England. A complete list of dates can be found at pattismith.net.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ozzy Osbourne has shared his reaction to being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, telling Billboard that being enshrined for a second time “feels big.”

“I’m more than honored,” the Prince of Darkness shares.

Ozzy was previously inducted into the Rock Hall as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006. Being recognized now for his solo career “feels different,” he says.

“Because my solo career, it’s been a much larger part of my overall music career as a whole,” he shares.

The solo induction comes as Ozzy’s been sidelined from performing over the last several years due to a variety of health issues — he hasn’t played a full live set since New Year’s Eve 2018. Speaking on the prospect of performing during the Rock Hall induction ceremony in the fall, Ozzy offers, “You never know.”

He does add, though, that his induction night getup “will most certainly be black.”

The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place October 19 in Cleveland and will stream live on Disney+. An ABC special will air at a later date.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class was announced Sunday, April 21, on American Idol, with Peter Frampton among the rockers getting the nod this year.

The guitar great took to social media to share his gratitude, noting, “This is something I never expected.”

“I am overwhelmed that I will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, especially alongside so many incredible artists who have gone before me,” he wrote. “I can’t thank everyone enough for voting for me. You are the best. Somebody pinch me please!!”

Foreigner is also getting in this year, with Mick Jones telling Billboard, “I think it means more to me now than perhaps 20 years ago.”

“I’ve had a great career, and this is like the whipped cream and cherry on top,” he shares. “It’s something I will savor over the years. It’s a great honor to be included amongst all these great artists that have been inducted over the years.”

As for whether Jones, who revealed in February he has Parkinson’s Disease, will perform, he says, “I do plan to attend. As to whether I get up on stage and perform hasn’t really been decided as yet.” 

Frampton and Foreigner will be inducted alongside Cher, Kool & The Gang, Dave Matthews Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Mary J. Blige and A Tribe Called Quest. In addition, Jimmy Buffett, Dionne Warwick and MC5 will be inducted in the Musical Excellence category.

The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction will take place October 19 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The ceremony will stream live on Disney+, followed by a special airing on ABC at a later date.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On This Day, April 22, 1993 …

The Who’s Tommy opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre in New York.

The musical was an adaptation of the band’s 1969 rock opera. It was directed by Des McAnuff, with the book, music and lyrics by The Who’s Pete Townshend.

The musical follows a young boy named Tommy, who, after witnessing his father murder his mother’s lover, becomes deaf, dumb and blind. Despite this, he becomes an unlikely celebrity due to his pinball-playing skills and eventually inspires a cult following.

The show, which closed on June 17, 1995, won five Tony Awards, including Best Direction for McAnuff and Best Original Score for Townshend.

After a successful run in Chicago, a new reimagining of The Who’s Tommy opened at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre in March 2024, again directed by McAnuff. Tickets are on sale now.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Dave Grohl and Anthrax members Scott Ian and Charlie Benante have premiered the video for their collaborative cover of the Bad Brains song “The Regulator.”

The trio, dubbed G.B.I. for Grohl, Benante and Ian, recorded the track for a Record Store Day single. The release supports Bad Brains member H.R. and his medical needs.

“We ripped ‘Regulator’ live in two takes,” Ian says. “It was so much fun to get to play with Dave on drums and to hear his voice with my guitar.”

You can watch the video — which shows Grohl on vocals and drums, Ian on guitar and Benante moving from behind the kit to play bass — streaming on YouTube.

Record Store Day took place Saturday, April 20.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Before the winner of this season of American Idol is crowned, they’ll be getting advice from a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.

Jon Bon Jovi will serve as a guest mentor for the contestants during the show’s “grand finale” on May 19 on ABC. He’ll be the second Rock & Roll Hall of Famer to be a guest mentor on the show this season: KISS‘ Gene Simmons appeared on the show on Sunday, April 21.

The news comes as Bon Jovi is getting ready to give fans some insight into their story with the new four-part docuseries Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, which debuts April 26 on Hulu.

They are also releasing a new album, Forever, on June 7. The record, the band’s first release since their album 2020, is available for preorder now.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner, Peter Frampton and Dave Matthews Band are among the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, which were announced Sunday, April 21, on American Idol.

Also being enshrined are A Tribe Called Quest, Cher, Kool & the Gang and Mary J. Blige.

“Rock & Roll is an ever-evolving amalgam of sounds that impacts culture and moves generations,” says John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “This diverse group of inductees each broke down musical barriers and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”

Osbourne will be entering the Rock Hall for the second time, having already been inducted with Black Sabbath in 2006.

The Rock Hall will also induct the late Jimmy Buffett and influential proto-punk outfit MC5 with the Musical Excellence Award. Buffett passed away in September 2023; founding MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer died in February 2024.

The other Musical Excellence honorees are Dionne Warwick, and late Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield. Additionally, late blues icon Big Mama Thornton, and British blues musicians John Mayall and the late Alexis Korner are being inducted with the Musical Influencer Award, while music, film and TV executive Suzanne de Passe will receive the industry Ahmet Ertegun Award.

The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place October 19 in Cleveland and will stream live on Disney+. It’ll air during an ABC special at later date and will be available to watch the next day on Hulu.

The 2024 nominees who were not chosen for induction include Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, Sinéad O’Connor, Jane’s Addiction, Mariah Carey, Eric B. & Rakim and Sade.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.