Alex Van Halen attends the 2015 MOCA Gala presented by Louis Vuitton on May 30, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)/David Lee Roth performs at BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on September 06, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
There’s going to be a mini Van Halen reunion at the upcoming TEDxFargo conference in Fargo, North Dakota.
Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen was previously announced for a virtual talk with artist Alex Vargas, happening on Thursday. Now it’s been announced that original Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth will be joining the conversation, as well.
The Instagram post announcing Roth’s addition bills it as “Three icons. One stage. One conversation you won’t want to miss.”
Vargas noted in the comments of the post that the trio’s conversation will be conducted remotely, but live “with the three of us in the same room.”
And folks who are not participating in the TedxFargo event will eventually get a chance to hear what the former bandmates have to say. According to the post, the conversation will be posted to YouTube “in a few weeks for the public to view for all time.”
Vargas is known for painting a 17-foot-tall mural of Eddie Van Halen on a wall of the Guitar Center in Hollywood, California.
Roth’s addition to the talk comes just days after he canceled all but one of the remaining dates on his summer tour. He is still scheduled to perform at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, on Aug. 7.
Over his more than five decades of writing songs with Elton John, Bernie Taupin has only occasionally stepped into the spotlight. But he’s about to do it again with his new solo album, The Sea Has No Mercy.
Due Oct. 23, the album is the first Taupin has written entirely on his own. He describes it as a “late-life manifesto,” inspired by his 2023 autobiography, Scattershot, and an upcoming documentary about his life.
“I couldn’t have made this album as a younger man. I couldn’t have written any of these songs. They’re all completely indicative of Bernie Taupin at 76-years-old,” he says in a statement. “They need the life behind them.”
“Everything on this record is hugely personal,” he adds. “Every single line, every word, means something to me, whether from a past, present or storytelling perspective.”
Among the guests on the album are country star Lee Ann Womack, Brandi Carlile — who worked with Taupin on her and Elton’s joint album Who Believes In Angels? — and Taupin’s younger daughter, Georgey Devon Taupin.
The title track is out now. Taupin says, “The sea is the most intimidating, frightening element on earth. … But it fascinates me. … In the song, I use the sea as a metaphor for too many past experiences that weren’t particularly positive.”
As for his day job, Taupin tells Rolling Stone that Elton has “got a record coming out, I think, at the beginning of next year that I contributed to.” He explained that because Elton could no longer read Taupin’s lyrics at the piano because of his vision problems, he wrote the instrumental tracks first and then asked Taupin to write lyrics for them, reversing their usual creative process.
“It’s a whole different ballgame for him,” notes Taupin.
Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones perform during ‘Stones Tour ’24 Hackney Diamonds’ at MetLife Stadium on May 26, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
While The Rolling Stones may not have plans to tour anytime soon, Ronnie Wood continues to expand his solo tour.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has just extended his 2026 Fearless tour, announcing a three-show South American tour with special guest Imelda May. The tour kicks off Nov. 1 in São Paulo, Brazil, followed by a show Nov. 6 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Nov. 10 in Santiago, Chile.
Wood kicked off a European tour in July and will next play a show in London on Aug. 21. He also has upcoming shows in Switzerland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal.
A complete list of dates and ticket information can be found at RonnieWood.com.
Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins attends the Songwriters Hall of Fame 55th Annual Induction and Awards Gala at Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 11, 2026 in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Lollapalooza isn’t the only palooza coming to Chicago.
The Smashing Pumpkins have announced “Pumpkinpalooza” in celebration of the band’s upcoming headlining set at their hometown festival. It’ll mark the first time the Pumpkins, which formed in Chicago, have headlined Lolla since it moved to the Windy City’s Grant Park in 2005.
“Pumpkinpalooza” will kick off with a sold-out underplay show Wednesday at Chicago’s Rivera Theatre. From Wednesday through Friday, fans can visit a Pumpkins pop-up shop offering exclusive merchandise, located at 900 S. Wabash Ave.
Lolla attendees can stop by Madame Zuzu’s Celestial Lounge, described as an expansion of frontman Billy Corgan’s Madame Zuzu’s teashop, which he runs in Highland Park, Illinois, with his wife, Chloé Mendel Corgan.
For even more Pumpkins festivities, you can visit the Chicago bar The Aviary to try its limited-edition specialty cocktail, Infinite Mellons, named after the band’s classic 1995 album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
“As a Chicagoan, born and raised, I take great pride in contributing to our city’s immense and colorful cultural fabric,” Corgan says in a statement. “And so this year’s already historic Lollapalooza is that chance to make new memories, new friends, and have a bit of Midwest fun, too as only we might.”
Lollapalooza 2026 takes place Thursday through Sunday; the Pumpkins take the stage on Friday. The bill also includes Lorde, The xx, Turnstile, sombr, Empire of the Sun, Wet Leg, Yungblud, The Neighbourhood and beabadoobee.
The life and legacy of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Janis Joplin will be the subject of a new graphic novel coming in October.
Janis Joplin: Pearl, a 128-page hardcover book, is described as “a raw, intimate portrait of an artist who gave every piece of herself to the music.”
“Joplin lived loud, loved hard, burned fast, and left behind a voice that still sounds like freedom, heartbreak, rebellion, and truth all at once,” the description adds.
The book was written by Eric Gladstone, illustrated by Marika Cresta, colored by Fares Maese and lettered by Micah Myers. According to a press release, it follows Joplin “at the height of her power, as she claws her way from a San Francisco breakout star to full-blown cultural icon.”
Janis Joplin: Pearl is available for preorder now and will ship Oct. 28. In addition to the standard book, it will be released as a set with a digital access card and Pearl poster, and as a limited-edition set that comes with the card and poster, as well as a T-shirt, enamel pin, tote bag and Polaroid with a handwritten Janis quote.
Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath performs at Ozzfest 2016 at San Manuel Amphitheater on September 24, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for ABA)
No, you’re not being “Paranoid”: Tony Iommi is indeed up to something.
The Black Sabbath guitarist has shared a video on his Facebook featuring closeup footage of him playing a riff. The clip is accompanied by Wednesday’s date, July 29.
It would appear that the video is teasing news related to Iommi’s solo project. In a message posted on New Year’s Eve 2025, Iommi said that he’d be releasing a new solo album in 2026.
Stay tuned Wednesday to find out.
Iommi reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates — Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — for the final time at the massive Back to the Beginning concert in July 2025. Ozzy died just over two weeks later.
‘Queen Budapest’ concert (Sony Music Vision/Trafalgar Releasing)
Queen performed a historic concert in Budapest in 1986, making them the first Western rock artists to perform behind the Iron Curtain. Now, in celebration of the milestone’s 40th anniversary, the concert is coming to the big screen.
Queen Budapest, a recording of the July 27, 1986, concert at Budapest’s Népstadion, is set open in cinemas and IMAX worldwide on Oct. 7. The film has been restored in 4K by Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production in New Zealand and will feature newly remixed audio.
“For years, fans behind the Iron Curtain had been able to listen to Queen music only on illegal cassettes. It was a forbidden thing to listen to rock bands like us, so to see them play in a live show would have been unthinkable,” says Queen’s Brian May. “This concert, when they could finally come and see us live in person and interact with us, was a huge emotional moment for them and also for us.” He added, “There will never be an event quite like that again.”
The concert was a stop on the band’s The Magic Tour and was the final filmed Queen live performance with frontman Freddie Mercury. It features performances of Queen classics like “We Will Rock You,” “We are the Champions,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Radio Ga Ga” and more.
Prior to the Oct. 7 opening, the restored Queen Budapest will have its world premiere at the Budapest Classics Film Marathon on Sept. 15. There will also be a U.K. premiere in London on Sept. 30.
The soundtrack to Queen Budapest will be released on Oct. 30 digitally and as a three-LP or two-CD set, as well as on Blu-ray and DVD.
More info on the Oct. 7 screenings can be found at QueenBudapest.com.
Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi perform onstage during 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year Honoring Jon Bon Jovi at Los Angeles Convention Center on Feb. 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Bon Jovi hit the stage Sunday night for night nine of their nine-show stand at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and they brought out Bruce Springsteen to help them close the show.
As seen in fan shot footage posted to YouTube, Jon Bon Jovi introduced The Boss after finishing up “Bad Medicine,” the second song in their encore.
“I’m gonna bring up somebody very special … that’s showed us that hope is more than a bumper sticker, it is something we can actually hang on to,” Jon told the crowd. “His songs have entertained us, they have educated us. For 50 years he has been a beacon of light and of truth. Will you please welcome my friend, my brother and the poet laureate of our series of rock and roll. Ladies and gentleman the one and only Bruce Springsteen.”
As Springsteen took the stage, Jon then called him the “king of the great state of New Jersey.” The rockers then launched into the Bon Jovi hit “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” before teaming up for the Springsteen’s “The Promised Land.”
And Springsteen wasn’t the only guest of the night. Earlier in the evening the band brought out The War and Treaty to perform “The People’s House.”
While technically this was the final night of the MSG stint of the Forever Tour, there’s still no word about what the band plans to do about rescheduling their July 23 show, which was cut short because Jon was suffering from a sinus infection. At the time he told fans to hold on to their tickets and that they were going to try and reschedule.
The Forever Tour next hits Edinburgh, Scotland, on Aug. 28. A complete list of dates can be found at BonJovi.com.
Carly Simon performs during the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Opening Gala premiere of ‘Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives’ on April 19, 2017 in New York City. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
Carly Simon has revealed that she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Simon, 81, shared the diagnosis in a statement to ABC News on Monday, explaining that she has spent time learning to live with the progressive neurological disorder and deciding whether to discuss it publicly.
“So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing. The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease,” Simon said.
“It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly,” she continued. “Parkinson’s is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself.”
The “You’re So Vain” singer said her health problems began with arthritis in both knees and one hip. She eventually underwent three joint replacement surgeries and initially believed her difficulty walking was part of the recovery process.
“But my mobility continued to worsen. I had trouble standing up from low chairs and deep couches without someone offering me an arm,” Simon said.
Simon said there were eventually periods when she could not walk without “considerable help.”
“My family and I knew that something more was going on. After an extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” she said.
Simon said she began treatment, including medication to help with stiffness and other symptoms.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects movement. An estimated 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson’s, and nearly 90,000 people are diagnosed each year, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Common movement symptoms include tremors, stiffness, slowed movement and balance problems, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Parkinson’s can also cause non-movement symptoms, including depression, anxiety, apathy, sleep problems and cognitive changes.
Simon said apathy has been particularly difficult for her to explain.
“It is not simply sadness or laziness. It is as though the part of the brain that sends out invitations to participate in life has temporarily misplaced the guest list,” she said.
There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s, but treatments can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Simon also revealed she was treated for basal cell carcinoma on her face during the same period. She said the cancer was removed, but the surgery affected her appearance and made her more self-conscious about being seen publicly.
“Between my mobility issues, the Parkinson’s diagnosis, the surgery, and the emotional effects of it all, withdrawing from public view was the most palatable reaction,” Simon said.
Despite those health challenges, Simon said she has continued working, including recording a new album, Comes in Waves, which is scheduled for release Aug. 14.
“Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape. It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room. It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life,” she said.
Simon, whose career spans more than five decades, has won two Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for “Let the River Run,” from the 1988 film Working Girl.
“I do not consider Parkinson’s a gift or a blessing. It is neither. It is difficult, frustrating, and sometimes frightening,” Simon said. “I am still learning how to live with it and how to accept it without feeling that I have surrendered something essential.”
Simon concluded her statement by thanking her children, family, friends, caregivers and medical professionals for their support.
“These days I move more slowly, I lean on others more than I once did, and I have learned to accept that every day will look a little different. But I am still very much here,” she said.
Michael Stipe attends Apple TV’s “Shrinking” special FYC event at Quality Italian on May 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images)
Michael Stipe fans have been patiently waiting for his long-in-the works solo album, and it appears as though he’s giving them a preview of what’s to come.
The R.E.M. frontman has just debuted a new song, “Hum Desiderata,” on the sound exhibition platform Joyfully Waiting.
According to the description, the song “combines Stipe’s recitation of the poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann from his installation at ICA Milan” with an instrumental track by Stipe and Andy LeMaster. It also features additional vocals from artist Elizabeth Hatmaker.
Stipe talked about his solo album during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in April, sharing that it is finally set to be released at the end of 2026. He also debuted a song from the record, “The Rest of Ever,” backed by the Colbert house band, Louis Cato and The Great Big Joy Machine.
Stipe also released the song “I Played the Fool,” which he recorded with producer Andrew Watt, in March. It’s the theme to the HBO series Rooster.
