Classic Rock News

The Rolling Stones‘ Keith Richards and Guns N’ Roses‘ Slash are featured in a new Chuck Berry documentary special that premieres on PBS tonight at 8 p.m. ET as part of the network’s In Their Own Words series.

The show looks at the life and music of the complex and multifaceted rock ‘n’ roll pioneer through archival interviews with Berry himself, as well as new conversations with his widow, son and grandson, and his musical associates and admirers.

Besides Richards and Slash, the program features interviews with Robert Cray, Hootie & the Blowfish‘s Darius Rucker, drummer/producer Steve Jordan and filmmaker Taylor Hackford. Hackford directed Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, the 1987 documentary focusing on Berry’s star-studded 60th birthday concerts held in St. Louis in 1986, for which Richards served as musical director.

In a preview clip of the episode that’s been posted on PBS.org, Richards recalls the hard time Berry, whom he famously considers his hero, gave him while they rehearsed for the birthday shows, noting that he felt he was up to the the task.

“‘I was made to do this job,’ [I thought.] That was one of my dreams, to be second guitar behind Chuck Berry,” Keith declares. “This movie gave me the possibility to do that. In the meantime, I’d been working with the biggest prima donna in the g**damn world. Any trick Chuck could pull, Mick [Jagger] has already done it.”

In another preview clip, Slash says of Berry, “He’ll always be considered the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

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The full lineup and more details have been unveiled for the star-studded concert that will take place in New York City at Central Park’s Great Lawn on August 21 that Big Apple Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed late last month.

The event, which will celebrate the city’s “rebirth” amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has been dubbed “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert.” Among the stars joining the previously announced Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson on the bill are Journey, Carlos Santana, Patti Smith, Elvis Costello, Matchbox Twenty‘s Rob Thomas and many others.

With Santana and Thomas both performing, it could set the scene for a performance of their collaborative hit, “Smooth.”

Most of the tickets for the concert will be available for free, while Citi card members will be able to purchase presale VIP tickets beginning this Thursday, July 29, at 10 a.m. ET. In addition, Citi will give away 1,000 general admission tickets to card holders on a first-come, first-served basis starting Monday, August 2, at 10 a.m. ET.

Additional free tickets, as well as VIP tickets for purchase, will be released to the general public in batches daily from Monday, August 2, through Saturday, August 7, via NYC.gov/HomecomingWeek. Attendees must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

Other celebs on the lineup include Earth, Wind & Fire, The Killers, Barry Manilow, LL Cool J, Jimmy Fallon, and Wyclef Jean.

The concert will begin at 5 p.m. ET and air live on CNN. The event was produced by New York City, music mogul Clive Davis and Live Nation.

“This is a celebration of our city, of every working family who faced incredible challenges last year and overcame,” says Mayor de Blasio. “This is a celebration for you.”

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Bella Donna, Stevie Nicks‘ first solo album, was released July 27, 1981, and was an immediate success. To mark the 40th anniversary of the start of Stevie’s solo career, here are Five Fascinating Facts about Bella Donna.

5. Stevie began working on Bella Donna in between sessions for Fleetwood Mac‘s 1979 album, Tusk. She started recording it in 1980, after the Tusk tour ended.

4. The only song on the album Stevie didn’t write was “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” which was penned by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers frontman Tom Petty and guitarist Mike Campbell. Producer Jimmy Iovine, who worked with both acts, had the idea of having Stevie record it as a duet with Petty. The song’s video was the 25th video ever shown on MTV.

3. Nicks wrote Bella Donna‘s other duet, “Leather & Lace,” for an album by country star Waylon Jennings and his wife, Jessi Colter. When it didn’t make that album, Stevie recorded it with her ex-boyfriend, The Eagles‘ Don Henley.

2. Bella Donna includes Stevie’s signature song, “Edge of Seventeen,” which was inspired by Petty and his wife, as well as the deaths of both Stevie’s uncle and John Lennon. It was sampled by Destiny’s Child for their number-one hit “Bootylicious,” and interpolated by Miley Cyrus on her 2020 single “Midnight Sky.” Stevie appeared in the “Bootylicious” video, and allowed Miley to do an “Edge of Midnight” remix with a sample of her original song.

1. Bella Donna hit number one on the Billboard chart, spun off four top-40 singles, and has been certified for sales of 4 million copies. Its huge success has allowed Stevie to run a solo career parallel to her work with Fleetwood Mac for decades. Having previously been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Fleetwood Mac in 1998, Stevie went in again in 2019 as a solo artist, making her the first woman ever to be inducted twice.

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Founding Styx singer/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung hasn’t played with the group since 1999, and although longtime members Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young continue to insist they have no interest in reuniting with him, DeYoung says he’d like to tour with his ex-band mates one more time.

“I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but there should be one last Styx tour,” the 74-year-old musician tells ABC Audio. “You know, with Moe, Larry and Curly on the same stage, to wave goodbye to the fans…and tell them, ‘Hey, you made us wealthy people and you gave us incredible lives. Thanks. Bye.'”

Acknowledging that Shaw and Young don’t want to work with him again, DeYoung declares, “I don’t want to be in Styx anymore…Styx is Tommy and JY. [Founding bassist] Chuck [Panozzo] plays once in a while, but it’s Tommy that makes the decisions. It’s his band.”

Having said that, Dennis maintains that most Styx fans would love to see a reunion trek.

“Even if you’ve bought into Tommy’s new Styx with JY, and you love ’em and you think I’m a poop face, based on lies told about me, if you see the Styx reunion [is happening,] you’re coming,” DeYoung says.

Dennis says his feeling is based on Styx fans’ social media posts and the continuing popularity of the band’s music.

“[I]t does mean a great deal to them,” he declares, then quips, “And to see it one more time would be grand…and it would not be an illusion.”

Dennis also points out that next year marks the 50th anniversary of Styx’s debut album.

In June, DeYoung released what he says will be his final solo album, 26 East, Vol. 2, a collection of tunes that features multiple nods to Styx songs.

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David Bowie‘s estate has partnered with the LA Pop Art apparel company to launch a new collection of Bowie-themed shirts and other items featuring interesting hand-drawn “word art” designs.

The collection offers two different designs featured on long-sleeved and short-sleeved T-shirts, tank tops and sweatshirts for men, women and kids, as well as tote bags.

One design is Bowie’s classic lightning-bolt logo created by using titles of many of his best-known songs. The second design is based on the photo of David featured on his 1973 album Aladdin Sane, but with the image made up of the name Bowie written over and over again.

“There are Rock Stars, and there are Rock Gods — David Bowie is one of the few artists in history that’s both,” says LA Pop Art founder Joseph Leibovic. “We are so honored to put this collection out for his ever-growing fan base. The words that create our designs are used to add another layer of an emotional connection for the fans.”

The Bowie collection is available at LAPopArt.com, Macys.com, Amazon.com and other select retailers.

The LA Pop Art company previously has released apparel items with designs celebrating such other music artists as AC/DC and KISS.

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Foo Fighters have premiered the video for their cover of the Andy Gibb hit “Shadow Dancing.”

Much like the previously released clip for their version of the Bee Gees tune “You Should Be Dancing,” the “Shadow Dancing” visual finds Dave Grohl and company — here referred to as the Dee Gees — delivering a suitably funky version of the tune while surrounded by disco-era neon lights, as drummer Taylor Hawkins handles lead vocals.

You can watch the “Shadow Dancing” video streaming now on YouTube.

Both “Shadow Dancing” and “You Should Be Dancing” appear on the Foos’ new Dee Gees compilation Hail Satin, which was released on vinyl for this month’s Record Store Day. It’s also available via digital outlets.

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Mick Jagger turned 78 Monday and a couple of the Rolling Stones frontman’s band mates took to social media to share some birthday wishes with him.

Keith Richards wrote in a Twitter message, “[Wishing] you a Happy Birthday. See you very soon!!! One love, Keith,” along with a photo of him and Mick smiling and with their arms around each other.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Wood tweeted his own note to Jagger that reads, “Happy birthday Mick! Have an amazing day, love Ronnie x.” Wood also posted photos of two portraits that he painted of the legendary singer.

In other news, the release of Wood’s recently announced concert album, Mr. Luck — A Tribute to Jimmy Reed: Live at the Royal Albert Hall, has been pushed back from September 3 to September 17.

As previously reported, the album is the second in a trilogy of live albums Ronnie plans to issue saluting artists who have made a major impact on his own music, following 2019’s Mad Lad: A Live Tribute to Chuck Berry.

Mr. Luck documents a special 2013 concert Wood played at London’s Royal Albert Hall that paid homage to electric blues pioneer Jimmy Reed. The show, which was recorded in November 2013 during London’s BluesFest, features Ronnie performing with a backing group that included ex-Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, plus appearances from guest singers Bobby Womack, Simply Red‘s Mick Hucknall and ex-Jam frontman Paul Weller.

The 18-track collection, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available on CD, digitally and on vinyl.

The Rolling Stones kick off their 2021 No Filter Tour in St. Louis on September 26.

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Welcome to Gibson Records — they’ve got fun, games, and Slash.

According to Billboard, the famed guitar company is launching its own record label. The first Gibson Records release will be a new album from the Guns N’ Roses shredder and his solo band, Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, due out in 2022.

Slash, of course, has long worked with Gibson on various signature guitars, and in 2017, he was named the company’s first Global Brand Ambassador.

“It’s an honor to be the first release on the new, Gibson Records,” Slash says in a statement. “It’s a zenith in our partnership for sure and having worked so closely with Gibson for so long, I know they will be a label that genuinely supports their artists creatively. Not just me, but all the artists they choose to work with. It’s perfect.”

The new Conspirators record will follow the group’s last effort, 2018’s Living the Dream.

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Metallica is going to Hollywood…Florida, that is.

The metal legends have announced a headlining concert taking place November 4 at the Sunshine State’s Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, July 30, at 10 a.m. ET. If you’re part of Metallica’s Fifth Member fan club, you’ll have access to an exclusive pre-sale beginning Wednesday, July 28.

For all ticket info, visit Metallica.com.

Earlier this month, Metallica announced a pair of hometown concerts taking place in December at San Francisco’s Chase Center in honor of the band’s 40th anniversary. Those shows are exclusive to Fifth Members.

Meanwhile, Metallica will be headlining the Louder than Life, Aftershock and Welcome to Rockville festivals this fall. They’re also playing the Global Citizen Live concert special in September, and Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium as part of the ATLive festival in November.

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Guitarist John “Hutch” Hutchinson, who collaborated frequently with David Bowie during the late rock legend’s early music career, died Saturday, according to a post on Bowie’s official website.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of John Hutchinson who passed in hospital yesterday after a long illness,” reads the message, which was posted Sunday.

Hutchinson was played in three of Bowie’s bands, starting in 1966 when David hired him to play guitar his backing group, The Buzz. Then, in 1968, Hutch and Bowie teamed up with David’s then-girlfriend, vocalist Hermione Fatheringale, in the short-lived acoustic trio Feathers.

In 1968 and early ’69, Bowie recorded a series of demos with Hutchinson that included the first version of David’s classic song “Space Oddity.” These recordings were officially released in 2019 as part of a series of special box sets.

In 1973, Hutchinson served as a touring member of Bowie’s backing band The Spiders from Mars during what turned out to be that group’s farewell trek.

According to Hutchinson’s official website, he continued to play music in various projects after Bowie broke of The Spiders, but “spent much of his time since 1980 ‘working for a living’ in the oil industry.”

In 2014, Hutchinson published a memoir focusing on his experiences with Bowie called Bowie & Hutch.

A 2019 video interview with Hutchinson in which he reminisces about recording “Space Oddity” with Bowie and shares other recollections about collaborating with him has been posted on David’s official YouTube channel.

Ours thoughts are with the family and friends of John Hutchinson who passed in hospital yesterday after a long illness. John was described as “a semi-retired and little-known jazz guitarist and a veteran of three important David Bowie bands for seven years between 1966 and 1973.“ pic.twitter.com/hTwgPSidcv

— David Bowie Official (@DavidBowieReal) July 25, 2021

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