Classic Rock News

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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Foo Fighters‘ headlining set at Bonnaroo on Sunday, June 18, featured a surprise appearance by Hayley Williams.

The Paramore frontwoman joined Dave Grohl and company for a rendition of the Foos classic “My Hero.” Footage of the performance was posted to Twitter by the @Paramore_tour fan account.

Paramore, which was also on this year’s Bonnaroo lineup, previously covered “My Hero” for the 2006 compilation Sound of Superman, a companion soundtrack to the Superman Returns movie.

Foo Fighters are currently touring in support of their new album, But Here We Are, their first since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in March 2022. Their new drummer is Josh Freese, who, incidentally, previously toured with Paramore in 2010 and 2011.

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Rock band INXS will be the subject of a new book being released this fall by Petrol Records, UMe and uDiscover Music, along with This Day In Music Books.

Calling All Nations – A Fan History Of INXS, dropping October 3, aims to recount the history of the Aussie rockers through the stories and memories of their dedicated fanbase. The group’s surviving members —  brothers Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss and Tim Farriss, Kirk Pengilly and Garry Gary Beers — have also contributed to the project.

“We are thrilled to have our fans come together to tell the story of INXS in their own words,” Pengilly shares. “Their support and passion have been instrumental in our success, and we are honored to have their contributions be a part of this book.” He adds it’s “a testament to the enduring legacy of INXS, and we hope it will continue to inspire and connect fans for generations to come.” 

Calling All Nations will be released in three different editions: a limited hardcover edition; Special Edition box set, with items from the band’s history; and a Super Deluxe box set autographed by band members.

Calling All Nations is available for preorder now.

INXS gained international stardom in the ’80s and ’90s thanks to hits like “What You Need,” “Need You Tonight,” “Never Tear Us Apart” and “New Sensation.” A lot of that fame was thanks to their charismatic lead singer, Michael Hutchence, who took his own life in November 1997. The band did go on following Hutchence’s death, first with lead singer JD Fortune, who they found on the reality show Rock Star: INXS, and then later with Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Gribbin. They gave their last performance in November 2012.

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Brad, the band featuring Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, has released a new song called “Hey Now What’s the Problem?”

The track will appear on the upcoming album In the Moment That You’re Born, which features vocals recorded by late singer Shawn Smith prior to his death in 2019.

You can listen to “Hey Now What’s the Problem?” now via digital outlets.

In the Moment That You’re Born will mark the final Brad album. It arrives July 28. That same day, Brad will also release a 30th anniversary reissue of their 1993 debut, Shame.

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Pat Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo have appeared to respond after Sen. Ted Cruz invoked Benatar’s name in a rant against Democrats and President Joe Biden.

It happened during an appearance on Joe Pagliarulo’s conservative talk show, after the host asked Cruz whether there was any chance of seeing a Biden impeachment and conviction.  

“I don’t think Senate Democrats, if you had video of Joe Biden murdering children dressed as the devil under a full moon while singing Pat Benatar, they still wouldn’t vote to convict,” Cruz responded, baffling many who couldn’t understand why he chose to single out Benatar’s music as being a symbol of evil.

As for Benatar and Giraldo’s response, they took to Facebook and simply posted, “Nice Try.” And while they didn’t specifically say they were replying to Cruz, it’s clear by all the comments people believe that was the reason for the post. Variety notes that Benatar’s publicist said she wouldn’t comment further on the subject.

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Bob Dylan has plenty of his own songs he can play in concert, but at his show at Plaza de Toros Alicante in Spain Thursday, June 15, he broke out a surprise cover of someone else’s classic. Fan-shot footage posted to YouTube shows Dylan performing Van Morrison’s 1970 track “Into The Mystic.”

While this is the first time Dylan has performed the tune, it’s not the first time he’s covered one of Morrison’s songs, with Rolling Stone noting he’s covered tunes like “Crazy Love,” “Carrying A Torch” and more in the past.

Morrison has also been covering Dylan tracks for years, including “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” which appeared on his 1966 album, Them Again, as well as “Just Like A Woman” and “I Shall Be Released.” In 1998 the pair even toured together. 

Dylan is currently on the European leg of his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. He plays a second night at the Plaza de Toros Alicante on Saturday, June 17. A complete list of dates can be found at bobdylan.com.

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Neil Young has added more shows to his Coastal Tour. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has added two more dates to the trek.

After his July 13 concert at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles sold out, Young added a second date at the same venue, this time on July 10. He’s also added a new city to the tour, with a July 24 show at Outdoor Arena at Harveys in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

The Coastal Tour, featuring special guest Chris Pierce, is set to kick off with a four-night stand at Los Angeles’ John Anson Ford Theatre on July 1, 2, 4 and 5. Young has said the tour will focus on songs he hasn’t played live before. 

The tour will be Young’s first since before the pandemic. A complete list of dates and ticket information can be found at neilyoungarchives.com.

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