Classic Rock News

On This Day, June 20, 1942 … 

Brian Wilson was born in Inglewood, California.

In 1961, he co-founded The Beach Boys and changed the face of popular music with his gift for musical harmonies and vocal arrangements. The band had a string of top 40 hits, including “I Get Around,” “Help Me Rhonda” and “Good Vibrations,” which all went to number one.

After a nervous breakdown in 1964, Wilson stopped touring with the band, but did go on to record what he considered “probably the best album I ever did”: 1966’s Pet Sounds.

Wilson is a two-time Grammy winner and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Beach Boys in 1988. In 2000 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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James Taylor has been forced to postpone a trio of shows after coming down with a case of laryngitis.

“I really hate to have to postpone these shows and it’s not something I take lightly,” Taylor shares on Instagram. “I thought I could push through but I’m at the point now if I don’t take these days off I risk doing permanent damage.”

The affected shows were due to take place in Huntsville, Alabama, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Mt. Pleasant, Michigan; they’ve been moved to August 22, 24 and 26, respectively.

“So very sorry to everyone who has tickets this week, I hope you’re able to hold onto your tickets for the new dates,” Taylor adds. “I look forward to picking the tour back up in Milwaukee on Saturday.”

Those unable to attend the rescheduled dates will be able to get refunds for their tickets. 

Taylor’s tour is set to run until September, wrapping with a three-night stand in Vienna, Virginia, September 7, 8 and 10. A complete list of dates can be found at jamestaylor.com.

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Elton John is winding down his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which he promises will be his last tour ever. But fans shouldn’t worry, it won’t be the last we’ll be hearing from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. In fact, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Elton reveals he’s already thinking about making more music.

“I’ll be recording a new album very soon,” he shares, “and I can’t wait because I haven’t really recorded a proper record for a long time, so I’m looking forward to doing that.” 

Elton has earned a lot of accolades over the course of his career and is just an Emmy away from getting his EGOT. That could happen this year, with his Disney+ special Farewell From Dodger Stadium getting a big Emmy push. But Elton insists earning an EGOT “has never been a goal.”

“If it gets nominated for an Emmy, that’d be wonderful,” he says. “I’m so pleased about the quality of this thing. The sound and what they did is incredible, and I’m so proud of it. I couldn’t find anything wrong with it, and I’m usually so critical.” He adds, “So if it is nominated for an Emmy, we’ll just celebrate that.”

Elton’s next tour stop is Paris, France, where he’ll play June 21, 27 and 28. In the middle of that he’ll play the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, June 25. The tour is set to end July 8 in Stockholm, Sweden. A complete list of Elton dates can be found at EltonJohn.com.

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Blondie‘s Debbie Harry infamously revealed in her 2019 autobiography, Face It, that during a 1977 tour, after she offered David Bowie and Iggy Pop some cocaine, Bowie thanked her by dropping his pants and flashing her. While some people may be offended by that, she scoffs at the idea that it was something she was upset about. 

“I think you should rethink that. Most women would really die to be in that room,” she tells The U.K. Times, agreeing that it could be true about some men, too. She notes, “You have to consider the context — I was a consenting adult, shall we say. I believe that that is really the borderline.”

In the book, Harry wrote of the experience, “David’s size was notorious, of course, and he loved to pull it out with both men and women. It was so adorable, funny and sexy.”

Harry was talking to the paper ahead of the band’s appearance at the Glastonbury Festival on June 25. The show is part of the band’s current U.K. tour, which runs through July 1. A complete list of dates can be found at blondie.net.

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Paul McCartney’s recently released photography book, 1964: Eyes of the Storm, features pictures from the early days of Beatlemania, and putting it together was a great walk down memory lane for the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.

“Well, I mainly see it as a ‘behind the scenes’ publication. After all these years, it was lovely for me to be taken backstage again,” he reveals in a Q&A on his website. “I love just looking at old pictures of the guys.”

One such picture is of John Lennon with his glasses. McCartney writes, “… obviously it’s hugely sad, because I miss him so much. But this just reminds me of growing up with him and all the pleasant memories.”

He adds, “Whenever I see John with these sorts of glasses, it reminds me of the way he would take him off when there were girls around. For some reason people think they look better without their glasses! And now, whenever other people do that it always reminds me of John.”

He says the book “just brings back all those little memories which make up a life.”

As for whether he’s still taking pictures, McCartney shares, “I am a keen photographer, and now of course it’s all iPhone. It’s just too easy!” 

He says, “The iPhone quality is really pretty good, but having a daughter, Mary, who is a professional photographer, she tells me she always takes the precaution of taking a nice picture on a what she calls her ‘real’ camera, just because, you can do pretty much anything with that.”

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While not many wives get along with their hubby’s exes, Tommy Lee‘s current wife, Brittany Furlan, doesn’t seem to have an issue with at least one of his former loves. In fact, Brittany tells People she and Heather Locklear are actually good friends.

“Heather and I are very close. She’s awesome, I love her,” Furlan says of Locklear, who was married to  the Mötley Crüe drummer from 1986 to 1993. “I think she’s the most kind, down-to-earth person. We met through Tommy, obviously, and became close. She’s just very cool, very nice, just supportive and just a cool chick all around.”’ 

Furlan says she’s grateful for the relationship she has with Locklear, and says that while “everyone glorifies his relationship with Pam,” referring to Pamela Anderson, she says Lee calls Locklear “the one that got away.”

“She was the love of his life. I see it, because she’s just a fun, sweet, caring, awesome person,” she says. “Tommy even says he messed up in that relationship. He cheated on her. To this day, that’s why they’re still really good friends.”

And Furlan can’t believe Lee actually let Locklear get away in the first place. “I yell at my husband, I’m like, ‘I can’t believe you cheated on her. She’s so cool,'” she shares. “That was a different time. He was 25 years old, 26 years old. Not to make excuses, but he’s a very different man now from all those years ago. You live and you learn.”

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Elton John has added a new member to the family. The singer’s husband, David Furnish, revealed on social media that the family has just gotten a new puppy. 

“This Father’s Day, we are happy to announce the newest arrival to the Furnish-John family. Please meet Jacob,” he writes on Instagram next to a picture of an adorable black pup. He notes the couple’s sons, Zachary and Elijah, “are co-fathering little Jacob and have proudly declared that Elton and I are……erm…..grandparents……!” 

While Jacob is a sweetie, Elton won’t be at home helping out with his “grandson.” He’s still on the road with his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. His next stop is Paris, France, where he’ll play three nights, June 21, 27 and 28. In the middle of that he’ll play the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, June 25. A complete list of Elton dates can be found at EltonJohn.com.

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The feud between Metallica and Megadeth‘s Dave Mustaine has long been declared over, but we may now be entering something of a cold war period between the two.

You may recall when Mustaine wondered what Metallica was “afraid of” in apparently refusing to play shows with Megadeth in a February Guitar World interview. Speaking with Guitar World again in a new interview posted Monday, June 19, Mustaine gave what might be considered a backhanded compliment to ‘Tallica guitarist Kirk Hammett.

Mustaine, of course, was Metallica’s original lead guitarist before he was fired and replaced by Hammett. In the new Guitar World interview, Mustaine comments on Hammett’s take on solos he played with Metallica before his departure.

“The truth is Kirk did me an honor by trying to play my solos on those early songs the way he did,” Mustaine says.

“I think that some people would have just started over again,” Mustaine continues. “So, I thought it was honorable that Kirk took my solos and did his best to play them as I did. That couldn’t have been easy.”

As “honorable” as Hammett playing his solos might be, one might interpret Mustaine’s comments as implying that Hammett didn’t play them as well as him.

Either way, Mustaine says Hammett’s “always been really good.”

“He’s been steady the entire time he’s been in Metallica,” Mustaine says. “But does that mean Kirk Hammett is Dave Mustaine? No. And is Dave Mustaine Kirk Hammett? Also, no.”

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If you’ve ever wanted to live like Mick Jagger, now’s your chance.

The Rolling Stones frontman and girlfriend Melanie Hamrick have put their Florida home on the market, and while it comes with a hefty price tag, you do get a lot for you money.

According to the listing on realtor.com, the more than 5,700-square-foot home is in the gated community of The Lake Club. It features four en suite bedrooms, all with walk-in closets; five and a half bathrooms; a media room; and a newly screened-in lanai with a fireplace. There’s also a heated pool, outdoor grill and kitchen, a bell tower to watch the sunsets and whole lot more.

Playing into Jagger’s career, the listing notes, “You can’t always get what you want….but this house is definitely what you need.”

Of course, getting what you need costs a pretty penny. The house is currently on the market for over $3.4 million.

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On This Day, June 19, 1950 …

Heart rocker Ann Wilson was born in San Diego, California.

Founded in the 1970s with sister Nancy Wilson, Heart has sold over 35 million records worldwide, with seven top 10 albums, including their 1985 self-titled release, which went to #1. They also had 29 singles reach the Billboard Hot 100, including “Magic Man,” “Barracuda” and “What About Love,” as well as two number one hits, 1986’s “These Dreams” and 1987’s “Alone.”

Ann also released three solo albums, and she and Nancy teamed up as an acoustic group under the name The Lovemongers.

She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 as a member of Heart.

Wilson will kick off a summer tour on July 7 in Toronto. She’s also featured on Dolly Parton’s upcoming album, Rockstar, joining the country legend on a version of Heart’s “Magic Man.”

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