Classic Rock News

Billy Joel gets the Dad of the Week award: He took his young daughters Della Rose and Remy Anne to see Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour over the weekend.

An Instagram slideshow of Billy, his wife and the girls enjoying the concert in Tampa, Florida, over the weekend is captioned, “Rockin’ into our new ‘era’ thank you @Taylorswift we loved the show!” 

One sweet shot shows Billy holding hands with the girls as he walks them into the stadium; in a video, the kids are rocking out in a VIP area and Della is singing all the words to “… Ready for It?”   

Another shot looks like the girls dressed to reflect Taylor’s different eras: Della appears to be channeling a folklore/evermore vibe, while Remy’s wearing purple, the official color of Speak Now.

Fans loved the post and are now clamoring for Taylor to appear at one of Billy’s shows and vice versa, or for the two to do a collaboration. Billy has spoken in the past of his admiration for Taylor, telling USA Today, “She knows music and she knows how to write. She’s like that generation’s Beatles.”

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Soundgarden has reached a reconciliation with Chris Cornell‘s widow, Vicky Cornell.

A joint statement posted to Instagram reads, “Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, on behalf of the Estate of Chris Cornell, are happy to announce they have reached an amicable out of court resolution.”

Notably, the agreement means that the Soundgarden music that was in the works before Chris Cornell’s death in 2017 will be released.

“The reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on,” the statement continues. “The two parties are united and coming together to propel, honor and build upon Soundgarden’s incredible legacy as well as Chris’s indelible mark on music history — as one of the greatest songwriters and vocalists of all time.”

The agreement comes after years of legal drama between Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, which began in 2019 over those final recordings, of which both parties claimed rightful ownership.

Various allegations surfaced amid the proceedings — Vicky accused Soundgarden of trying to buy out her ownership of Chris’ share in the band with a “villainously low” offer, while Soundgarden accused Vicky of misusing charity funds raised from 2019’s Chris Cornell memorial concert — leading up to a “temporary agreement” in June 2021, for which Vicky returned the passwords to Soundgarden’s social media account to surviving members Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd.

In 2020, the Cornell estate released a covers album called No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1.

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Roger Waters is vowing to continue on with his planned Frankfurt concert, despite the local city council canceling it. 

The Frankfurt concert was announced for May 28, but the city council canceled it because of the Pink Floyd rocker’s political beliefs, calling him “one of the world’s most well-known antisemites.” Rogers threatened to sue over the cancelation, and now he says he plans to go on with the show regardless of what happens.

In a post on Instagram, Waters writes that the Frankfurt council had a deadline of April 14 to respond to his interim injunction but they have no idea whether or not they actually did. Writing in all caps, Waters shares, “Not that it matters much! We’re coming anyway! Because human rights matter! Because free speech matters!” 

After referring to Kristallnacht, the November 9, 1938, attack on Jews in Germany, and anti-Nazi activist Sophie Scholl, who was executed in 1943 for distributing anti-war leaflets, Waters reiterated his intention to continue with the show, noting, “We’re coming to Frankfurt on the 28 of May.”

In the meantime, Waters’ This Is Not A Drill tour continues through Europe. He’s set to play Copenhagen, Denmark, April 17 and 18. A complete list of dates can be found at rogerwaters.com.

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Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival is returning with a star-studded lineup of guitarists joining him. The seventh installment of the festival will take place September 23 and 24 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the first time the festival is being held since 2019.

Clapton will play both nights of the festival, with the lineup made up of artists like ZZ Top, Robbie Robertson, Santana, Stephen Stills, Gary Clark, Jr., John Mayer Trio, Sheryl Crow, Robert Randolph, Roger McGuinn, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa, Jakob Dylan and many more.

Proceeds from the shows, as well as an online auction, benefit The Crossroads Centre at Antigua, a rehab facility founded by Clapton.

Tickets for the festival go on sale Friday, April 21, at 10 a.m. local time. More information, including the complete lineup, can be found at crossroadsguitarfestival.com.

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Bob Dylan appears to be on a Grateful Dead kick lately. As previously reported, on Wednesday, April 12, Dylan performed the Dead classic “Truckin’” at one of his concerts at the Tokyo Garden Theater. Well, his tribute to the band continued at two more shows.

Rolling Stone reports that the next night Dylan started performing another Dead tune, “Brokedown Palace,” although he didn’t make it all the way through. Then on Saturday he performed another song associated with the Dead, “Not Fade Away.” 

While “Not Fade Away” was actually written by Buddy Holly, the mag notes that it was often played by the Dead in concert. In fact, between 1969 and 1995 the band performed the track 566 times.  

But this wasn’t the first time Dylan performed “Not Fade Away,” although it was the first time in his set in 14 years. Dylan played it for the first time in 1997, and then in 1999 he’d play it at shows to mark the 40th anniversary of Holly’s death. He also played it in 2009 during a show in Lubbock, Texas, which was Holly’s hometown. 

Dylan remains in Japan for his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, playing three nights in Nagoya April 18-20. Dylan returns to the road in June for a European tour that kicks off June 2 in Lisbon, Portugal. A complete list of dates can be found at bobdylan.com.

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Metallica hasn’t slowed down since dropping 72 Seasons last Friday.

Over the weekend, the metal legends premiered videos for two songs off their much-anticipated new album, “Shadows Follow” and “Room of Mirrors.” The visual festivities continued Monday with the debut of the video for the track “Too Far Gone?”

Metallica previously shared videos for the lead 72 Seasons single “Lux Æterna,” “Screaming Suicide,” “If Darkness Had a Son,” “Sleepwalk My Life Away” and the title track. The remaining 72 Seasons cuts — “Crown of Barbed Wire,” “Chasing Light,” “You Must Burn!” and the 11-minute “Inamorata” — will also get videos.

Additionally, Metallica is releasing every 72 Seasons video in American Sign Language, or ASL. The ASL edition of the title track is out now, and the remaining 11 videos will premiere April 25.

For all your Metallica video needs, stay tuned to the band’s YouTube channel.

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On This Day, April 17, 1970…

Paul McCartney released his self-recorded debut solo album, McCartney, after refusing to delay its release until after The Beatles’ Let It Be.

McCartney recorded the entire album alone, playing all the instruments and using home recording equipment at his house.

While the album did receive some negative criticism, it topped the U.S. charts for three weeks – until it was replaced by Let It Be. The one song that stood out on McCartney was the future classic “Maybe I’m Amazed.” A live version of that song, recorded with McCartney’s band Wings became a Top 10 hit in the U.S.

McCartney later revisited this DIY-type of recording for two more albums, 1980’s McCartney II and 2020’s McCartney III. In 2022, all three albums were released together as a box set.

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The inaugural American Music Honors took place in New Jersey this weekend, but it was missing two of its big stars. 

Variety reports the event, a fundraiser for the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University, went on as planned April 15, although Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa had to miss it after testing positive for COVID-19. Springsteen, wrapped the first leg of his tour with a show at Newark’s Prudential Center on April 14, did appear via video to celebrate this year’s honorees.

“It broke our hearts around 6 a.m. this morning when I got a call that two of the most important people who were supposed to be here, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, unfortunately came down with COVID,” Bob Santelli, the Archives’ executive director, told the disappointed crowd. Host Jon Stewart later joked, “They’re alive. Don’t overreact. You can still see them in concert. They’re home sitting by the fire eating French onion soup.” 

The inaugural award show honored E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt, Sam & Dave‘s Sam Moore, Darlene Love and Steve Earle for their musical contributions. The night’s house band, the Disciples of Soul, performed a medley of tunes, including Love’s “A Fine, Fine Boy,” the Sam & Dave hit “Soul Sister, Brown Sugar,” Earle’s “Hard-Core Troubadour” and Van Zandt’s “I Am a Patriot.”

The artists themselves also performed, with Earle singing “Copperhead Road,” Love performing “River Deep Mountain High,” Moore performing “I Thank You,” and Van Zandt performing “Bitter Fruit.” The night ended with all four honorees onstage for a jam that included “It’s Been a Long Time,” “Hungry Heart,” “Soul Man,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” and “I Don’t Want to Go Home.”

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John Fogerty is set to hit the road in late April on what will be his first tour since regaining worldwide rights to all of his music with Creedence Clearwater Revival, and he’s certainly looking forward to playing those tunes on the road. 

“There’s sort of a new outlook, I must say,” he tells ABC Audio. “Retaining now, finally, the ownership — it just gives me kinda a new lease on life artistically.” 

Fogerty says he suspects that now that he’s in control of his music “there will be a renewed” energy onstage, but that energy may also be coming from another source.  

“I’m onstage with my own kids in my band,” he says of sons Shane and Tyler, who are joining him on tour, “and getting to share this music with them and getting to play the songs with them as a band, you know, if you’re a parent it’s the best.”

And while some kids may loathe their parents’ music, Fogerty says that’s not the case with his kids.  

“Happily, they like this kind of music. You know, I’m not forcing them to eat broccoli or something,” he jokes. “They enjoy classic rock and it shows up even in the songs that they write.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)

Fogerty’s Celebration Tour kicks off April 27 in Uncasville, Connecticut. A complete list of dates can be found at JohnFogerty.com.

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Bruce Springsteen is being honored by his native New Jersey.

Governor Phil Murphy has declared The Boss’ birthday, September 23, will officially be known as Bruce Springsteen Day in the Garden State.

In announcing the news, Murphy noted, “Bruce Springsteen is one of the most iconic and influential musicians – and New Jerseyans – of all time, period.”

The declaration came a day after Springsteen and The E Street Band wrapped the first leg of their North American tour at New Jersey’s Prudential Center, with a set that featured two special songs.

Bruce opened the night with the Lucky Town track “Local Hero,” appropriate for a man playing his home state. The performance marked the first time he played the song on this tour, and the first time it’s been played since 2013.

Springsteen also added a cover of the Tom Waits classic “Jersey Girl,” another tour debut. Previously, Bruce hadn’t played the track with the E Street Band since 2016.

While the Prudential show was the final concert of this leg, Bruce will be back in the States for another set of shows kicking off August 9 and 10 in Chicago, with dates confirmed through December. But up next, he and the band head over to Europe for a run beginning April 28 in Barcelona, Spain.

A full list of tour dates can be found at BruceSpringsteen.net.

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