Classic Rock News

Elton John has made good on a promise to treat a group of students to one of his shows after they impressed him with their version of “I’m Still Standing.”

In March 2020, in the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns, students from Telford Priory School in Telford, England, made a video of themselves singing and performing the track over Zoom, under the direction of their music teacher, Ben Millington. And it attracted Elton’s attention.

Elton was so impressed he sent a video to the students in which he shared that he watched the clip three times and was “completely blown away” by it, noting it cheered him up during lockdowns. He promised the students tickets to one of his shows once lockdowns were over and the tour hit England.

Millington tells the BBC that Elton reached out and told the students to “take their pick” of shows on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Many of them are now studying music at university, but they are all planning to see the show on June 10 in Birmingham. 

Millington notes, “I just knew he would come through.”

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As previously reported, Dolly Parton is making a rock album, and she’s lined up A-list artists like Paul McCartney, John Fogerty, ex-Journey frontman Steve Perry and Steven Tyler to join her. Well, now she’s revealed at least one song we can expect to hear on the album.

During an appearance on the Rachael Ray Show, Dolly shared that she has recorded a cover of The Beatles‘ “Let It Be” with McCartney for the record, which will be titled Rock Star.

“I’ve got a lot of wonderful, iconic songs that people love and wonderful, iconic singers joining me on them,” she shared. 

Dolly also revealed that she’s already recorded one of Elton John’s hits with him and finished recording a song with Stevie Nicks, noting that she is still hoping to get Cher to agree to be on the album

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James Taylor is the latest artist setting up shop in Las Vegas. Taylor and his All-Star Band have booked a five-night residency at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan.

The shows are confirmed for June 3, 4, 7, 9 and 10, with tickets going on sale to the general public Saturday, January 28, at 10 a.m. PT. There are also a variety of presales happening, including a fan and Citi presale on Wednesday, January 25, at 10 a.m. PT and an MGM Rewards presale kicking off Thursday, January 26, at 10 a.m. PT. 

The Vegas shows are among a handful of dates Taylor currently has on the books for 2023. His next show is a February 25 concert in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He’s also set to play the Love Rocks concert in New York on March 9, Milwaukee Summerfest on June 24 and Tanglewood in Lennox, Massachusetts, July 3 and 4.

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Motörhead has unearthed a previously unreleased song called “Greedy Bastards.”

The track will be included in the upcoming Seriously Bad Magic collection, a deluxe, expanded version of the “Ace of Spades” outfit’s final album, 2015’s Bad Magic.

A slower burn of a tune, “Greedy Bastards” opens with a spoken word piece expressing the late Lemmy Kilmister‘s thoughts on politicians. As you can probably guess from the title, he’s not exactly a fan.

You can listen to “Greedy Bastards” now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

Seriously Bad Magic will be released on February 24. Its other bonus tracks include the song “Bullet in Your Brain,” which was released for the first time last November, a cover of David Bowie‘s “‘Heroes'” and a full live recording from a 2015 Motörhead show in Japan.

Bad Magic was originally released in August 2015, four months before Lemmy died in December at age 70. Motörhead has since disbanded.

(Video contains uncensored profanity) 

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Neil Young, Warren Haynes and Bob Weir are among the artists set to celebrate Willie Nelson’s birthday at a two-day celebration at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.

Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, A Star-Studded Concert Celebrating Willie’s 90th Birthday, is happening April 29 (Willie’s actual birthday) and 30. The lineup also includes Willie, along with Lyle Lovett, Tom Jones, Sheryl Crow, The Lumineers, Norah Jones, Roseanne Cash, Snoop Dogg, Chris Stapleton, Beck, Edie Brickell, Kacey Musgraves, The Chicks and Willie’s son Lukas Nelson, with additional artists to be added in the coming weeks.

“I can’t think of a better way to spend my 90th birthday than being surrounded by family, friends and of course the fans who made this all possible,” Willie shares. “It’s an honor to perform with such an incredible group of artists at such an iconic venue.” 

The show promises a unique experience each night, filled with yet-to-be-announced collaborations. 

Two-day tickets go on sale Saturday, January 28, at 10 a.m. PT, with a presale set for Wednesday, January 25, at 10 a.m. PT. More information on the show and tickets can be found at WillieNelson90.com.

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Van Morrison is giving fans another taste of his upcoming album, Moving On Skiffle. The Irish singer has just dropped the new tune “Worried Man Blues.”

The track is a cover of an old folk song, which has previously been recorded by The Carter Family, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and more.

The 23-track Moving on Skiffle is due out March 10 and will be available as a two-CD set, as a two-LP vinyl package, on cassette and via digital formats. It features a variety of covers, including Hank Williams‘ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and “Cold Cold Heart,” and traditional tunes like “Gypsy Davy” and “Green Rocky Road.”

Morrison is set to promote his new album with a series of live dates, including March 13, 14 and 15 at The Stables in Milton Keynes, England, and April 6 and 7 at Whitla Hall in Belfast, Ireland.

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David Byrne is in the running for an Oscar. The Talking Heads frontman earned a Best Original Song nomination for “This Is a Life,” the song he wrote with Mitski and Ryan Lott for Best Picture nominee Everything Everywhere All at Once.

The tune does have some stiff competition, however. Other nominees in that category include the Diane Warren-penned song “Applause,” from Tell It Like a Woman, Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand,” from Top Gun: Maverick, Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up,” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and the Golden Globe winner “Naatu Naatu” from the Indian film RRR.

Byrne was previously nominated and won a Best Original Score Oscar in 1987 for his collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su on Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor.

The 95th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, airs March 12 live on ABC from the the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

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The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are set to be immortalized with statues in their hometown of Dartford, in Kent, England, with Mick telling The Telegraph he is “honored and delighted with the news.”

The statues are to be created by sculptor Amy Goodman. They will be erected near the Dartford Railway Station where the two childhood friends reunited as teenagers in 1961, started talking about music and decided to form a musical partnership. 

Goodman is currently working on the statues in her studio. Once completed, they will be unveiled at One Bell Corner on Dartford High Street. 

“Many Dartfordians have gone on to change our world, but in terms of culture and music you don’t get much more influential than The Rolling Stones,” Jeremy Kite, leader of the Dartford Borough Council, tells the paper. “Their music has changed the face of popular music and these lads from Dartford are now two of the most recognizable and loved people in the world.” 

He adds, “We want to celebrate that their roots are firmly planted right here in our town and also thank them for the impression they have made on lives.”

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Billy Idol is hitting the road this spring. The rocker, who earlier this month received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just announced a new set of tour dates, kicking off March 30 in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

The tour will hit such cities as Denver, Atlanta, Orlando and Indianapolis before wrapping May 12 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He’s also set to perform at the Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California, on May 20.

Tickets go on sale Friday. A complete list of tour dates and ticket information can be found at BillyIdol.net.

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The members of Yes are the latest artists to sell their catalog. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have made a deal with Warner Music Group’s Global Catalog Division to sell the rights to their music and income streams for recordings made during their Atlantic Records era. 

The purchase encompasses 12 studio albums, including such classics as Fragile, Close to the Edge and 90125, along with live recordings and compilations. 

“The entire Yes family came together and worked enthusiastically with Warner Music Group to secure this historic deal,” the band shares in a statement, “ensuring that these iconic recordings will continue to be curated in the optimum manner to delight their fans across more than five decades, while also finding and developing new audiences for this timeless music.”

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