Classic Rock News

Musician Duane Betts has taken to social media to thank fans for their support following the April 18 death of his father, Allman Brothers Band co-founder Dickey Betts, at the age of 80.

“Wow. I’m so grateful for you all. The outpouring of support has been incredible and helped me and my family so much,” he wrote on Instagram. “I’m flooded with pride to see dad getting the credit he deserves. So again, I thank each and everyone of you from the bottom of my heart.”

Duane also shares that he’s canceling some shows as he deals with his grief, noting, “I need a little more time to get my head together so I will not be in Oklahoma and Texas this week but I will resume as scheduled In New Orleans at @jazzfest.”

He adds, “Look forward to playing with so many friends there and of course, seeing your smiling faces. I think dad would want me to get back out there with my guitar.” A complete list of Duane Betts dates can be found at duanebetts.com.

Over the weekend, Duane shared a tribute to his dad. “Oh dad, I miss you so much. You are the brightest light. I have looked up to you for the 46 + years we have shared on this planet together,” he wrote, adding, “I am filled with gratitude to the deepest depths of my soul for what you taught me and the values you instilled in me.” 

He shared, “At his core he was just an extremely sweet and sensitive soul. He left us an amazing body of work to enjoy, laugh, cry and dance to that will never die. I am so proud of what he accomplished in his lifetime.”

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Neil Young has added more dates to his upcoming Love Earth tour.

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has added five new shows to the trek: July 25 in Bend, Oregon, July 26 in Gorge, Washington, July 28 in Boise, Idaho, July 29 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and July 31 in Denver, Colorado.

A presale for the new shows begins Tuesday, April 23, at 10 a.m. local time, with tickets available to general public starting Friday, April 26, at 10 a.m. local time. 

Young’s Love Earth tour, with his band Crazy Horse, is set to kick off with a two-night stand in San Diego, April 24 and 25. A complete list of dates can be found at NeilYoungArchives.com.

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Sammy Hagar is the latest rocker being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The former Van Halen frontman will receive his star in the Recording category on Tuesday, April 30. The star, the 2,779th on the Walk of Fame, will be located at 6212 Hollywood Boulevard adjacent to Amoeba Music. 

Food Network star Guy Fieri will serve as emcee for the ceremony, with John Mayer and Hagar’s manager Tom Consolo on board as guest speakers.

“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to honor rock legend Sammy Hagar for his contributions to the world of Rock & Roll music, ” Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, shares. “From his humble beginnings in Fontana, California to strolling the Hollywood Walk of Fame as a young boy, he has truly come a long way!”

Sammy is also getting ready to celebrate the opening of Sammy’s Island, a tropical poolside restaurant and bar at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The grand opening is set for Friday, May 17, with Hagar and his band The Circle hosting. Tickets are on sale now.

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Noah Weiland has released a new song called “Time Will Tell” featuring guest vocals from his late father, Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland, amid a threat from an alleged leaker.

In an Instagram post, Noah writes, “Can’t believe I’m saying this right now but basically [I’ve] been getting blackmailed by a random number that somehow has a very old version of a song I have with my father.”

“Because of that I am basically forced to release a song I had no intentions of releasing until way further into my career cause this coward [really] thinks I’m about to send them $2k to not leak it,” he continues. “Sooo, I beat em to the punch.”

Noah also includes screenshots of the alleged extortion attempt in the post.

“Funny enough, I saw ‘TIME WILL TELL’ written on a bathroom wall the day I got that [text],” Noah adds. “Maybe my dad thought it was time?”

You can listen to “Time Will Tell” streaming now on YouTube.

Scott Weiland died in 2015 at age 48.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.) 

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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.

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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].”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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