Classic Rock News

KISS recently received the Kennedy Center Honors at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., but it was without founding guitarist Ace Frehley, who passed away in October.

Frehley knew the band had been chosen for the honor, and his bandmate Peter Criss aka Catman tells Billboard that Frehley was “so excited” about it.

Criss said it was “really hard” for him to be at the ceremony without Frehley, sharing that in a conversation they had before his passing, Frehley expressed his thrill at getting the honor.

“He was like, ‘Wow Cat, I can’t believe we’re getting this award!’” Criss said. “I haven’t heard him that excited for a while. He was getting ready to tour again, working on his new album[.] … He was really up.”

Criss said that when the band was at the White House, “I got to sit next to Ace’s empty chair, where his medal was.” He noted, “I’m still mourning over him. I can’t believe he’s gone. We were extremely close. It’s been very hard.”

As for how Criss felt about being recognized by the Kennedy Center, he told the mag, “It was great. It was an honor.”

And while there has been controversy surrounding President Donald Trump and the changes he made to the Kennedy Center, Criss said he’s “not a political guy” and that he was just proud to be at the White House.

He added, “I’m proud to be an American, and only in America can four guys like us, from the streets, be in the White House getting such a great award.'”

The Kennedy Center Honors ceremony will air Dec. 23 on CBS.

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A new box set dedicated to the early years of Ritchie Blackmore’s band Rainbow is due out in March.

The Temple of the King 1975-1976, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band’s formation, is a nine-CD set that includes their debut album, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, and 1976’s Rising, as well as live recordings of concerts that took place in Germany in 1976.

The set also includes two discs of rare recordings, made up of band rehearsals, single edits and rough mixes. Many of these bonus tracks have never been released on CD before. There’s also a 24-page booklet that features rare photographs, memorabilia and liner notes.

The Temple of the King 1975-1976 will be released March 6 and is available for preorder now.

Blackmore formed Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple in 1975. The band also included Ronnie James Dio, who remained with the group until 1979, when he left to join Black Sabbath.

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A new short film about the making of The Beatles’ 1994 single “Free as a Bird” has just been released to YouTube.

Free As A Bird: A Song Reborn explores the making of the song that reunited Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr after 24 years. The trio used an unfinished John Lennon demo to create the tune.

The short film features never-before-seen footage from the studio sessions for the track, and sees the trio work on it with producer Jeff Lynne. They also talk about Lennon, and how they approached the song in his absence.

The making of “Free as a Bird” is also featured in the recently rereleased The Beatles Anthology, a restored and remastered version of ABC’s 1995 documentary that’s currently streaming on Disney+. The original series was made up of eight parts, but the new version has been expanded to include a ninth installment, which features more from the “Free as a Bird” sessions.

“Free as a Bird” went on to become a top-10 hit for The Beatles, their 34th in the U.S. The track also earned them a Grammy for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal.

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Two of Yes singer Jon Anderson’s solo albums are set to be reissued.

The artist’s label will rerelease Anderson’s 1997 album Earth Mother Earth and 2011’s Survival & Other Stories digitally and on CD and vinyl on March 27. Earth Mother Earth will be released on green vinyl and Survival & Other Stories on gold marble vinyl.

To coincide with the announcement, Anderson has released a new visualizer video for the Earth Mother Earth song “Time Has Come.”

The vinyl editions of both Earth Mother Earth and Survival & Other Stories are now available for preorder as part of the Record Store Day Essentials Program.

Anderson is set to hit the road in 2026 with The Band Geeks on the 10-show Yes Epics, Classics and More tour. The trek kicks off April 17 in Ridgefield, Connecticut, with stops in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It wraps on May 7 in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Anderson and The Band Geeks released their first album together, True, in August 2024; songs from the album will be included in the set, along with tracks from the Yes catalog.

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Paul McCartney released the solo album McCartney III, the third installment in a trio of solo albums on which he played most of the instruments himself.

The Beatle recorded the album at his Sussex studio while in lockdown due to COVID-19. 

McCartney III would go on to debut at #1 in the U.K. and #2 in the U.S. and earn Grammy nominations for best rock album and best rock song for “Find My Way.”

In 2021, McCartney released McCartney III Imagined, a remixed version of the album featuring reinterpretations, remixes and covers of songs from the original record. Collaborators included Beck, Dominic Fike, St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, Damon Albarn and Josh Homme, among others.

McCartney, the Beatle’s debut solo record, was released in 1970. It was recorded during a period of estrangement with The Beatles following John Lennon‘s private departure from the group. McCartney II arrived in 1980.

In August 2022, McCartney released a box set titled McCartney I II III comprising all three albums from the series.

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The first-ever video for George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” was just released, directed by Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard. And it turns out he may not have gotten the gig if it wasn’t for some of his Hollywood friends.

Wolfhard explains how he got the job in a new interview with Vulture, revealing he was first introduced to George Harrison’s son, Dhani Harrison, through his Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire co-star Paul Rudd. He was then invited to visit George Harrison’s widow, Olivia Harrison, at her home, Friar Park. A year later he was talking music with Fred Armisen at a Hollywood party, which led Armisen to think of him for the job.

“I got a random text from Fred after a few days and he was like, ‘Hey, the George Harrison estate is trying to figure out a director for “Give Me Love,” but they haven’t found anyone yet. I threw your name in the hat.’ I was shocked,” Wolfhard says. “It was flattering enough that he even mentioned me. Then it was a coincidence that I already knew Dhani.”

Wolfhard says he’s been a George Harrison fan since he was introduced to his music by his mom when he was 6, noting he “wouldn’t have pursued performing at a young age in the same way” if it wasn’t for the rock legend. Wolfhard says the fact that The Beatles dabbled in more than just music “was a huge inspiration to me.”

“You don’t have to just be one thing,” he says. “George is a perfect example of that, who accomplished so much as a solo artist and as a person after the Beatles.”

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With Christmas just days away, Paul McCartney is giving fans some insight into his holiday classic “Wonderful Christmastime.”

The Beatles legend has released a Vevo Footnotes version of the song’s video, revealing the stories behind the track.

“I’m thinking about Liverpool Christmas parties, that’s really all I’m doing with that song,” McCartney shares in one of the notes in the video. “‘The mood is right, let’s raise a glass, the spirits up’ – you know, all the stuff you do at Christmas.”

After the clip notes there’s a theory the song is about people practicing witchcraft getting caught and trying to cover it up, McCartney jokingly confesses the “truth.”

“Thank goodness they found me out,” he says. “This is completely true and actual fact, I am the head wizard of a Liverpool coven.” He adds, “Either that … or it’s complete nonsense. And you know it’s the latter.”

“Wonderful Christmastime” was released as a single in November 1979 and appeared on his 1980 album, McCartney II. It was McCartney’s first solo single in more than eight years.

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A new video has just been released of John Lennon and Yoko Ono performing at a benefit concert for the families of those killed in New York’s Attica prison in 1971.

The concert took place 24 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1971, at the Apollo Theater in New York. Video shows John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band performing what was then a new song, “Attica State.”

The clip opens with an explanation of what happened on Sept. 13, 1971, at Attica Correctional Facility, noting that 39 people were killed and hundreds more injured.

The emcee of the evening explains to the crowd while introducing John and Yoko that the pair “saw fit to put down in music and lyrics, so that it will never be forgotten in our country by anyone, the tragedy of Attica State.”

The performance is one of 92 bonus tracks that appear on the John and Yoko box set Power to the People (Super Deluxe Edition), which came out in October. The set focused on John and Yoko’s political activism and life in New York City.

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Cheap Trick is responding to criticism for performing at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, which took place in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7.

The band appeared at the ceremony, which was hosted by President Donald Trump, to honor KISS. They performed the band’s classic “Rock & Roll All Nite.”

“We were asked to perform at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors ceremony to pay tribute to our lifelong brothers in KISS, and to support artists and the arts,” the band wrote on Instagram. “We agreed to do it for those reasons, and no others.”

But even that post didn’t satisfy all their fans, with one commenter writing, “Bad call. I just lost a lot of respect.” Another added, “Should have politely declined.”

They did receive plenty of messages of support, as well, with one commenter noting, “Why are you apologizing for supporting your friends? No need to.”

The Kennedy Center Honors ceremony will air Dec. 23 on CBS.

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The life and career of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh will once again be celebrated with a series of concerts at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.

Phil’s son Grahame Lesh has announced dates for Unbroken Chain: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Phil Lesh. The shows will take place March 12-15, on what would have been Phil’s 86th birthday weekend.

Phil celebrated several birthdays onstage at the Capitol Theatre, including his 84th birthday in March 2024. He passed away that October. Grahame held the first Unbroken Chain shows in March 2025.

“We had a beautiful, emotional celebration at the Cap last March, which established such a beautiful new tradition at a place that has become like a 2nd home for my dad and my family in the past 13 years or so,” Grahame wrote on Instagram. “I’m so grateful to all of these beautiful musicians on these lineups – my dad’s friends (& Friends!), bandmates, collaborators, and this year some wonderful musicians who never got to play with my dad but are an integral part of keeping this music moving forward.”

This year’s lineup includes Dead & Company’s Oteil Burbridge, North Mississippi Allstars‘ Luther Dickinson, guitarist Daniel Donato and Goose’s Rick Mitarotonda.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

Proceeds from the shows will benefit the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Last year’s concerts raised over $250,000 for charity.

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