Classic Rock News

On This Day, Oct. 10, 2013 …

Paul McCartney surprised fans in New York City with an impromptu free concert in Times Square, announcing the show on social media about one hour before it occurred.

The rocker was promoting his 16th studio album, New, and treated fans to four songs off the record: “Save Us,” “Everybody Out There,” “Queenie Eye” and the title track.

Fans who could not make it to the Big Apple were able to enjoy the concert at home thanks to a Times Square webcam.

New, which at the time was McCartney’s first album of new material in six years, was released one day later on Oct. 11.

McCartney once again surprised New York back in February, announcing three last-minute club shows at the 575-person-capacity Bowery Ballroom in New York City. Fans had to line up at the venue that day to get tickets, as they were only sold at the box office.

The former Beatle is currently on the latest North American leg of his Got Back tour, which hits Denver on Saturday.

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Rock & Roll Hall of Famer John Lodge, bassist and vocalist of the progressive rock band Moody Blues, has passed away at the age of 82.

His death was announced on the Moody Blues’ Facebook page, which posted a statement from his family. They revealed that he died “suddenly and unexpectedly,” noting he “peacefully slipped away surrounded by his loved-ones and the sounds of The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly.”

“He was never happier than being on stage – he was ‘Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band,'” the statement read, referencing the Moody Blues’ 1973 hit, which Lodge wrote.

Born John Charles Lodge on July 20, 1943, Lodge joined Moody Blues in 1966 after original bassist Clint Warwick left the band. In addition to singing and playing bass, Lodge wrote many of their songs, including “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Sitting at the Wheel” and “Talking Out of Turn.”

In addition to his work with Moody Blues, Lodge released the album Blue Jays with his Moody Blues bandmate Justin Hayward in 1975, which was a top-five hit in the U.K. He also released two solo albums, with his most recent release, the EP Love Conquers All, dropping in February.

Lodge and the Moody Blues launched their last tour in 2017, but Lodge continued to tour on his own celebrating the music of Moody Blues. His most recent shows were dedicated to the band’s sophomore album, Days of Future Passed, which is considered by some to be the first real example of the progressive rock genre. It contained the classic hit “Nights in White Satin,” which was initially released in 1967 but peaked at #2 in the U.S. when it was reissued in 1972.

Moody Blues were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

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Pat Benatar and her husband and musical partner Neil Giraldo have written their first children’s book, My Grandma and Grandpa Rock!, which Pat tells ABC Audio was inspired by their eldest granddaughter Stevie Williams‘ questions about their unusual jobs.

“She was asking us, like, ‘Do you think so-and-so’s grandma sings on stage, and what does she sing?’ … and then she said, ‘Does so-and-so’s grandpa play guitar or drums or something?'” Pat recalls.

“She’s asking all about, do they have tattoos [like us] and what kind do they have? And I said, ‘No … this is just what Papa and I do for a living, but grandparents have lots of other jobs’ … so we started this whole discussion.”

The book depicts diverse grandparents of all nationalities, from all walks of life, and also features illustrations of Pat, Neil and their three grandchildren, Stevie, Lola and Cash Williams. Neil says that led to some complaints about equal time.

“Before it was done, Lola would say, ‘How come Stevie’s in more pictures than me?'” he laughs, calling the complaints “really cute and really funny.” So, he explains, “We had to make sure that Stevie was in seven pages and Lolita was in seven pages, and Cashish, who can’t talk yet, he had to be in seven pages as well.”

And when the book was done, Pat says, “[Stevie] read it to us because she’s just a terrific reader … She really liked it.”

Neil says he and Pat wrote the “good feeling” book the same way they write songs, adding, “It was fun and it was easy.” And, he notes, people tell him they really enjoy “the inclusiveness of it.”

The experience was “so much fun,” says Pat, that they’re writing three more children’s books.

“As soon as they … read the last line, which is, ‘Their most important job is loving you,’ literally everyone goes, ‘Awww,'” says Pat. “I mean, those are the kinds of things that egg you on to do more.” 

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Former Eagles guitarist Bernie Leadon is out with Too Late To Be Cool, his first solo album in 20 years, and he tells ABC Audio making it was almost like creating a debut record.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer says when artists are starting out they “have their whole life to write that first album,” noting the sophomore albums are harder because musicians are often too busy touring to write new material.

“But you had your whole life to write your first album,” he says. “So this feels a little bit like that because I’ve had another half a lifetime to create this body of songs.”

Leadon worked on the album with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame producer Glyn Johns, who he previously worked with during his time with the Eagles. He says they decided to record the album live to analog tape with live musicians playing together in the studio because that’s “how we all learned” to make records.

Leadon says making the album “was just the joy of a lifetime” and he’s proud of the final product.

“I don’t think I can write any better. I don’t think I could sing any better. I don’t think we could play any better,” he says. “We can’t do this any better than we did. So I’m happy.”

And Leadon hopes fans will be happy as well, and that the album will inspire them to go out there and do what they love.

“Do not stop enjoying the thing that you chose for your life’s work because you loved it,” he says when asked what he wants fans to take away from the album. “Don’t forget why you loved it in the beginning, and keep looking for freshness and ways to make it fresh again for yourself.” 

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Neil Young says he’s ready to pull his music off Amazon.

The rocker blasted Jeff Bezos’ company in a post on his Neil Young Archives site, writing, “Bezos supports this government,” then, after posting the Amazon logo, he added “it does not support you or me.”

“The time is here. FORGET AMAZON,” he added, “Soon my music will not be there.”

Young then encouraged his fans to buy local and support their local community.

“Don’t go back to the big corporation who have sold out America,” he wrote. “We all have to give up something to save America from the Corporate Control Age it is entering. They need you to buy from them. Don’t.”

“They shut down our government your income your safety your family’s health security,” he continued. “Take America Back together, stop buying from the big corporations support local business. Do the right thing. Show who you are.”

This isn’t the first time Young has pulled his music from a streaming service. Young demanded his music be pulled from Spotify back in January 2022, accusing the service of “spreading fake information” about the COVID-19 vaccine on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. He returned his music to the service in March 2024

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One day after reports claimed Sam Mendes cast Saoirse Ronan to play Paul McCartney’s wife Linda McCartney in his upcoming Beatles films, a new report claims the director has also found the actress to play Ringo Starr’s wife.

According to Variety, British actress Mia McKenna-Bruce has been cast to play Ringo’s first wife, Maureen Starkey (Ringo’s birth name is Richard Starkey), in The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event. Ringo will be played by Saltburn star Barry Keoghan.

The 28-year-old McKenna-Bruce starred in the 2023 film How to Have Sex, which earned her a BAFTA Rising Star Award, as well as a British Independent Film Award. She also appeared in the Peacock series Vampire Academy.

Mendes’ four Beatles films are scheduled to hit theaters in April 2028, with each one told from the point of view of a different band member. In addition to Keoghan, they will star Paul Mescal as McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.

Ringo married Maureen, a hairdresser who he met when she was 16, in 1965. The couple had three children — Zak Starkey, Jason Starkey and Lee Starkey — before divorcing in 1975. Maureen passed away from cancer in December 1994 at age 48.

Ringo went on to marry actress Barbara Bach in 1981, after meeting on the set of the 1980 movie Caveman.  

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When Rush announced dates for their Fifty Something tour on Monday, surviving band members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson revealed that drummer Anika Nilles would be joining them behind the drum kit, filling the space left empty by the 2020 death of their bandmate Neil Peart.

Now that the news is out, Nilles has addressed her fans and the many Rush fans who have started following her on social media.

In a post on Instagram, Nilles describes the days since the announcement as “quite overwhelming,” and goes on to thank Geddy and Alex “for their trust and for welcoming me on this incredible new journey with @rush.”

“I also don’t want to miss the chance to warmly welcome all the new faces here and to thank you for your kind and open-minded words – they truly mean a lot,” she writes. “At the same time, I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has followed and supported my journey over the years.”

“We’re all in this together now, and I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead,” she adds.

Rush’s Fifty Something tour will hit seven cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with the band playing two sets each night, promising new sets for each show. The trek launches June 7 in Los Angeles and wraps Sept. 19 in Cleveland.
 

A complete list of dates and ticket information can be found at Rush.com.

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A new behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Bruce Springsteen movie, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, highlights the movie’s star, Jeremy Allen White, with both director Scott Cooper and Springsteen describing why he was right for the role.

“Finding someone to play Bruce Springsteen is as daunting a task as I’ve ever faced,” Cooper says in the clip. “Thankfully there is Jeremy Allen White.”

Springsteen adds, “The minute they said film, and somebody was gonna have to portray me, I immediately thought of Jeremy.” He noted there was some physical resemblance and something in the way White carried himself.

“And then there was the way the camera read his internal life that was really essential,” Springsteen says. “I just said this is the guy, you know, I didn’t have a #2.”

White so embodied the role of Springsteen that it even impressed the rocker’s wife, Patti Scialfa.

“By the end he had fully become Bruce Springsteen,” Cooper says. “Bruce’s wife, Patti, when she saw him on set, she said, ‘Oh my God, Bruce, [he] looks like when I first met you.'”

“Everybody has their own idea of Bruce Springsteen, he’s such a legend. So taking on the role, there was a big leap of faith,” White says. “But once I knew I had Bruce’s blessing, that gave me the confidence to go on a journey.”

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere opens Oct. 24.

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Paul McCartney has paid tribute to his late Beatles bandmate John Lennon on what would have been the musician’s 85th birthday.

McCartney shared a black-and-white photo on Instagram of him and John, taken by Paul’s late wife, Linda McCartney. He wrote, “Sweet memories on this day of a very special friend. Happy birthday John.”

The Beatles’ social media account also marked Lennon’s birthday, captioning a video montage, “Remembering John on his birthday today.” Abbey Roads Studios, where The Beatles recorded many of their albums, also marked the day, writing, “Today, we’re remembering @johnlennon on what would have been his 85th birthday. … It remains an honour to have played a part in his story.”

Lennon’s birthday is also being celebrated in a variety of other ways.

The Yoko Ono-conceived Imagine Peace Tower, in Reykjavík, Iceland, is set to be relit in honor of The Beatles’ legend at 3 p.m. ET, with the moment livestreamed at imaginepeacetower.com. It will remain lit until Dec. 9, the day of his passing.

A video for Lennon and Ono’s One-to-One concert performance of “Imagine” has also been posted on YouTube. The 1972 concert is part of the new Power to the People box set, which will be released Friday.

Plus, the Lennon estate is hosting a free global Power to the People listening party at 3 p.m. ET on the Citizen of Nutopia website, which is an interactive art project celebrating the world of John & Yoko. Escape to Nutopia, the interactive game that puts players into the mind of Lennon, will be launching the second installment in the game immediately following the listening party.

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Chicago is set to make a return to Las Vegas.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have announced a nine-show residency at The Venetian Theatre inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, kicking off Feb. 13 and running through Feb. 28.

This is the ninth year in a row Chicago has played The Venetian, making their residency the longest-running residency in the venue’s history.

A Citi presale will begin Monday at 10 a.m. PT, with additional presales running throughout the week. Tickets go on sale to the general public Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. PT.

Chicago is due to launch a new set of tour dates on Oct. 29 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Their complete schedule can be found at Chicagotheband.com.

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