Singer Eddie Money passed away at the age of 70 after a battle with cancer.
Throughout his career, Money had 11 Top 40 songs, including two Top 10 hits, “Take Me Home Tonight,” with Ronnie Spector, which peaked at #2 in 1986, and “Walk on Water,” which went to #9 in 1988.
Other classic Money songs include “Baby Hold On,” “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Think I’m in Love” and “Shakin’.”
Money’s health began to decline in July of 2019; he developed pneumonia after undergoing a heart valve replacement. In August of that year, he revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer, and died a month later at Keck Hospital of USC in Los Angeles.
The story of the Seattle grunge scene of the ’90s has been told in many mediums, but Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready is hoping to bring it to the theater stage.
In an interview with Guitar World, McCready shares how the late Chris Cornell helped inspire the endeavor.
“I look at him as one of the greatest singers and songwriters of all time, aside from being a friend,” McCready says of the Soundgarden frontman. “I love Chris and I’m working on a little project about the Seattle scene and a musical kind of rock opera thing. It’s just from my experience in the Seattle music scene, and he’s part of it.”
McCready previously previewed a song called “Crying Moon” from the opera, which he wrote about Cornell, during a recent live show with his side project, The Rockfords.
“I’m working on a script and I’ve got about 18 songs that I’m working on, and I’m singing on it,” McCready says of the opera. “It’s been a long journey.”
There was previously a grunge musical in development back in 2017, which was set to feature the music of bands including Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, but it’s yet to materialize.
Meanwhile, McCready has also been working on new music with his main gig. He says that the next Pearl Jam album, the follow-up to 2020’s Gigaton, is “just about finished.”
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Elton John‘s musical version of The Devil Wears Prada, which was savaged by critics when it ran last year in Chicago, is opening on London’s West End next year.
According toPlaybill, this production of the musical will have a new director and a “totally new creative team.” The music is still written by Elton, with lyrics by Shaina Taub, but the West End Theatre website reports that this show will be a “brand-new reimagined production” that has been “substantially reworked.”
The show is, of course, based on the 2003 book by Lauren Weisberger, which spawned the hit 2006 movie of the same name starring Meryl Streep as the imperious fashion editor Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as her hapless assistant Andy.
The show will get a preview in Plymouth, England, in July of 2024 before it opens at the West End’s Dominion Theatre in October of 2024.
Varietydinged the Chicago production for its “sincere and fairly dull songs” and “overly respectful and frankly miscalculated approach to its source materials.”
It’s common for superstar artists to raise money for charity by auctioning off prizes like a VIP trip to see them in concert. But Rod Stewart is going above and beyond that: He’s giving fans a chance to win the opportunity to sing with him live onstage in Las Vegas during his residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Rod has teamed up with the website Prizeo to offer the amazing prize. He writes, “Not only will I cover your flights and accommodation in a stunning hotel in Las Vegas, but I’ll also give you premium tickets to enjoy my show from some of the best seats in the house. But wait, there’s more!”
“I’m also giving you the chance of a lifetime to join me on stage and sing along to one of my iconic hits!” he continues. “Imagine basking in the spotlight, surrounded by fellow fans, and sharing the electrifying energy that defines my concerts.”
So how do you get in on this deal? By donating money to The Prince’s Trust, which helps disadvantaged young people develop essential life skills and access job opportunities. A donation of $10 gets you 100 entries; $25 gets you 250 entries, and so on. Higher levels of donation also come with merch like T-shirts.
You can also enter without donating, but you’ll have more chances if you pony up the cash.
Of course, before you enter, check your calendar and make sure you’re free on November 11, because that’s when the tickets are for.
Eric Clapton will be hosting the seventh installment of his Crossroads Guitar Festival on September 23 and 24 in Los Angeles, and fans who can’t make it to California for the show will now be able to enjoy the music from the comfort of their own home.
The festival has teamed with Joe Hand Productions to bring the concerts to pay-per-view across cable and streaming outlets. Each show will be available for purchase starting at 7 p.m. ET each day, at a cost of $24.99 per day, or $39.99 for both days.
Clapton is set to headline both nights of the festival, with the lineup made up of artists like ZZ Top, Santana, Stephen Stills, Gary Clark, Jr., John Mayer Trio, Sheryl Crow, Robert Randolph, Roger McGuinn, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa and Jakob Dylan.
Proceeds from the shows, as well as an online auction, benefit The Crossroads Centre at Antigua, a rehab facility founded by Clapton. More information on the festival, including the complete lineup, can be found at crossroadsguitarfestival.com.
Guitarist Joe Satrianiis reuniting the original G3 lineup.
The original G3 tour launched in 1996, featuring three iconic guitarists: Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson. Now the trio is coming together again for a tour that will launch next year.
“Reuniting the original G3 line up is a dream come true for me,” Satriani shares. “I can’t wait to take the stage with Eric and Steve again!”
Johnson adds, “It’s going to be an honor to reunite with Joe and Steve and do the G3 tour together again. I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Vai noted, “It’s always an honor to contribute to a G3 tour, and to be with Joe and Eric again playing on stage is like living life to its fullest!”
The tour kicks off January 23 in Tucson, Arizona, hitting such cities as Las Vegas, Seattle and Oakland before wrapping with a two-night stand February 9 and 10 in Los Angeles.
As with previous G3 tours, each artist will perform a solo set, followed by a jam session with all three.
Ticket presales begin Thursday, September 14, at 10 a.m., with the general sale set for Friday, September 15, at 10 a.m. A complete list of dates can be found at g3tour.com.
Any music fan who’s been to a Grateful Dead, or Dead-related, concert has no doubt noticed the smell of marijuana wafting through the air. Well, now The Dead is providing fans with a new way to enjoy their cannabis.
In what some may be surprised to find out is a first, the band will be launching a line of advanced vapes and infusers this fall, thanks to a new partnership with brand Grenco Science.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to finally bring this dream collaboration to fruition with the Grateful Dead,” ChrisFolkerts, the CEO of Grenco Science, shares. “For over 10 years, we’ve been working towards this moment and it’s a true honor to create products for their devoted fans.”
Folkerts, a Dead fan himself, adds, “We were beyond excited to create innovative products that stay true to the essence of the Grateful Dead and their incredible legacy.”
The Dead line of G Pen vaporizers and Stündenglass Gravity Infusers will feature the band’s iconic imagery. More information will be available at gpen.com/GratefulDead and stundenglass.com/GratefulDead.
Extreme has announced a 2024 U.S. tour in continued support of their new album, Six.
The outing, which marks the second leg of the “More Than Words” outfit’s Thicker Than Blood tour, runs from January 24 in Englewood, New Jersey, to February 29 in Las Vegas. Living Colour will also be on the bill.
“We have been absolutely blown away by all of the love and support during the first leg of the Thicker Than Blood tour,” says guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. “You all have shown up and brought it every night and we could not be more grateful. So with that, we are excited to announce the second US leg of the Thicker Than Blood tour with special guests Living Colour. Can’t wait to see you out there!”
Tickets go on sale Friday, September 15, at 10 a.m. local time, with various presales throughout the week. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Extreme-Band.com.
Six, the first Extreme album in 15 years, was released in June.
U2 bassist AdamClayton is showing off his artistic talents on an elephant to raise money and awareness for mental health issues.
The rocker has decorated and signed a 4-foot-tall elephant statue titled “All At Sea.” The piece, which he created with Irish artist Debbie Chapman, represents “what concerns him in the world issues like people displacement, refugees, climate change, world poverty.”
The elephant is being auctioned off for the mental health campaign Elephant in the Room, which hopes to “start the conversation on mental health from the school room to the boardroom.”
Clayton shares, “For me personally, art – in all its forms – brings both comfort and joy. I can think of no better way to raise awareness for the vital conversation around mental health and well-being.”
Adam’s elephant is one of many being auctioned off to raise money for Samaritans, a U.K. charity which provides support for those in emotional distress or at risk of suicide. The auction is open until Friday, October 6, at 8 p.m.
U2 is getting ready to head to Las Vegas. They open their U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere residencyat The Venetian on September 29. A complete list of dates can be found at U2.com.
Pearl Jam‘s Mike McCready has announced a new signature guitar with Fender.
The Mike McCready Stratocaster is inspired by his own beloved ’60s Strat and recreates the worn, chipped-paint of the original guitar.
“Fender has remained a staple throughout my musical career, most notably when Fender’s Custom Shop recreated my first ever Stratocaster two years ago,” says McCready. “They did such an incredible
job replicating the sound and feel of the custom shop, even I get confused which one is the original!”
McCready adds, “Now, with the release of my artist signature, I’m deeply honored to not only further solidify my partnership with the brand, but to deliver a more approachable guitar to the hands of the next generation of guitar players featuring the state-of-the-art craftsmanship Fender is known for and a distinct tone that hold a special place in my heart.”
The Mike McCready Stratocaster goes for $1,899.99. For more info, visit Fender.com.
In related news, McCready talks about the upcoming new Pearl Jam album in an interview with Spin.
“The record’s gonna have some great examples of Matt Cameron‘s drumming that just blew my mind,” McCready says. “He took it up about 10 notches for this new record, and it really is because of [producer] Andrew [Watt‘s] enthusiasm, and … him jumping up and down and saying, ‘Try it again!’ and then saying ‘Oh, we got it!’ and on to the next thing.”
“[Watt] pushed us to play as best as we could,” he adds. “It’s hard for us to listen to other people because we have so many ideas ourselves.”
Pearl Jam’s most recent album is 2020’s Gigaton.
