Classic Rock News

Nikki Sixx is officially 20 years sober.

The Mötley Crüe bassist marked the milestone in an Instagram post Friday morning.

“Some people will try an kick you in the nuts, steal your money, stab you in the back, guaranteed to let you down, sabotage yer life, not believe in you and gossip that you’ll never make a day without drugs or alcohol,” Sixx wrote in the post caption. “And do you know what you’re gonna do? YOU’RE GONNA STAY SOBER ONE DAY AT A TIME.”

“You are the miracle, the one that breaks the addiction chain, the one who is a living amens,” he continued. “The one who has altered your family history. You will live in gratitude for those that never thought you’d stay sober or make it out alive BECAUSE THEY MADE YOU STRONGER and you know how to forgive a**holes.”

Sixx concluded, “And when you see people who are still suffering/treading water or gasping for air, be sure to throw them a life vest. Because we give back now to those that are still afflicted and hope they too pass it on.”

Sixx previously detailed his struggle with drugs and addiction in his 2007 book The Heroin Diaries, which was accompanied by the Sixx:A.M. album The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack.

 

 

 

 

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The sons of late Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo have reunited in a new band.

Noah Weiland and Tye Trujillo, who used to play together in the band called Suspect208 alongside Slash‘s son, London Hudson, have now started a new band called Blu Weekend.

The group made their live debut over the weekend in Los Angeles, where they were interviewed by The Blairing Out with Eric Blair Show.

“[Blu Weekend is] something completely new and groundbreaking,” Weiland said.

Suspect208 released two songs in 2020 before announcing earlier this year that Weiland was no longer in the band due to alleged drug use. They continued on with a new vocalist before revealing in May that Suspect208 had broken up entirely.

Also in the interview, Trujillo said he was open to returning to play bass in Korn in place of Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, who announced in June that he’s taking time away from the band to deal with “personal issues.” Trujillo previously filled in for Fieldy during a 2017 South American tour, when he was only 12.

“If they’re interested, then I’m obviously more than down to go play with them,” Trujillo said.

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Tenacious D is adding a bit more tenacity to The Beatles with a new charity single that has gotten a thumbs-up from Paul McCartney himself.

The comedy duo has released “You Never Give Me Your Money”/”The End,” an acoustic mashup of two tracks from the Fab Four’s Abbey Road medley. Being a Tenacious D performance, the cover also includes some extra four-letter words that pop up amid Jack Black‘s signature riffing vocal style.

Reacting to the cover, McCartney writes on his Facebook page, “This Tenacious D cover of our song is fantastic! It’s so imaginative and so well performed. What a great tribute to the original. Guys — I love it.”

Black and band mate Kyle Gass also have debuted an over-the-top mixed-media music video for their Beatles homage, which depicts the duo an a variety of surreal scenarios and locations, including on a mountain top, at Stonehenge, at Big Ben, in a forest, and in a jail cell. Gass dons a poorly fitting Beatles wig throughout most of the clip.

“Tenacious D are paying tribute to the greatest band in the world…not themselves…The Beatles!!!” the duo proclaims. “In the spirit of healing the world…please enjoy Tenacious D’s mashup of two classics from Abbey Road.”

You can download “You Never Give Me Your Money”/”The End,” now via digital outlets. The vinyl single version, which is available now for pre-order, will raise money for Doctors Without Borders.

Last fall, the D released a star-studded cover of the Rocky Horror Picture Show classic “Time Warp” to encourage voting.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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Jim Morrison, the iconic lead singer of The Doors, died 50 years ago this Saturday, July 3, 1971, at age 27.

Morrison died unexpectedly during an extended stay in Paris while on hiatus from The Doors. He was found dead by his longtime girlfriend, Pamela Courson, in the bathtub of their rented apartment. His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but the actual cause remains a mystery, since no autopsy was performed.

The late Doors frontman’s influence on music and popular culture has been immeasurable, thanks to his charismatic persona, his powerful vocal style, his exploration of dark themes and his talent for combining poetry with rock music.

Morrison had a fascination with pushing social boundaries that, unfortunately, coincided with a penchant for excess that included a serious alcohol dependency.

Doors drummer John Densmore recalls that he heard that Morrison had died while he was jamming with band mates Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger.

“[Jim] had been away for a few months and we wanted to make music and we were jamming on stuff, hoping he’d be back to help us,” Densmore tells ABC Audio. “And then, the manager came downstairs and said Jim had passed.”

John says that when Morrison was in Paris, he worried about the singer knowing his issues with alcohol.

“I was hoping he wasn’t drinking, but, you know, the Parisians have wine for breakfast,” Densmore notes. “[Paris] might not have been such a good place for him.”

As tragic as Morrison’s young death was, Densmore says he’s grateful for what he and the band created together.

“[I]t became bigger than its ingredients that came together in a garage in Venice [Beach, California,]” John notes. “And we gotta honor that muse and be thankful that something came in [that was] magic.”

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Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Foreigner‘s hit-packed fourth studio album, the aptly titled 4.

The album featured such enduring tunes as “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” “Urgent” and “Juke Box Hero,” which peaked at #2, #4 and #26, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.

Propelled by those hits and a fourth top-40 single, “Break It Up,” 4 became Foreigner’s only album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200, spending 10 non-consecutive weeks atop the chart from August 1981 to January 1982. 4 has sold over 6 million copies in the U.S.

Interestingly, “Waiting for a Girl Like You” set a Billboard record by spending 10 weeks at #2 on the Hot 100 tally without ever reaching the top. It was blocked from #1 by Olivia Newton-John‘s “Physical” and Hall & Oates‘ “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do).”

The title 4 also was a reference to the fact that Foreigner had become a quartet after the exit of founding multi-intrumentalist Ian McDonald and keyboardist Al Greenwood in 1980.

Founding guitarist and main songwriter Mick Jones co-produced the album with “Mutt” Lange, then famous for producing AC/DC‘s Back in Black and soon to become more famous for his work with Def Leppard.

4 was the first Foreigner album to make significant use of session musicians. Thomas Dolby, who had a big hit of his own in 1982 with “She Blinded Me with Science,” played synthesizers, while Motown sax legend Junior Walker contributed a memorable solo to “Urgent.”

Singer Lou Gramm told ABC Audio that while “Waiting for a Girl Like You” may be the tune that fans remember most from 4, he considers “Juke Box Hero” to be “the quintessential Foreigner song.”

Here’s 4‘s full track list:

“Night Life”
“Juke Box Hero”
“Break It Up”
“Waiting for a Girl Like You”
“Luanne”
“Urgent”
“I’m Gonna Win”
“Woman in Black”
“Girl on the Moon”
“Don’t Let Go”

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Jerry Cantrell is teaming up with his old buddy Duff McKagan for a new video.

Earlier this week, photos leaked of the Alice in Chains vocalist/guitarist at a shoot with the Guns N’ Roses bassist. Cantrell then confirmed the news himself in an Instagram post.

“Here’s a couple better pics than the ones leaked yesterday,” Cantrell wrote, referring to the grainy quality of the unofficial images. “May be time to upgrade that phone? Just sayin.”

The photos features Cantrell on stage with McKagan, as well as The Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato and former Marilyn Manson drummer Gil Sharone.

Earlier this year, Cantrell announced that he had finished a new solo album, his first since 2002’s Degradation Trip.

Cantrell and McKagan, by the way, go way back, having both come from the Seattle music scene. They’ve collaborated numerous times, including on a joint cover of the song “A Satisfied Mind” released last fall to celebrate former President Jimmy Carter‘s 96th birthday.

 

 

 

 

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A bevy of veteran rock artists are part of the lineup of CNN’s The Fourth in America special, which will air on the cable network on Independence Day from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. ET.

The Beach Boys, Chicago, Sammy Hagar & The Circle, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon and Bangles frontwoman Susanna Hoffs are among the many performers that appear on the show, which will also will feature live footage of fireworks displays in cities across the U.S.

The Beach Boys will be joined by their longtime honorary member, actor John Stamos.

Meanwhile, Hagar tells ABC Audio that his performance with The Circle was filmed during a series of recent concerts that he and the band played in Florida, which were some of their first shows since the start of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“Woo, it was awesome,” Sammy gushes about the gig. “[CNN] filmed a lot of our songs. And we were really having a good night…I felt so good about that night, ’cause the band was so up to play. It was about our fourth show, so we were getting our wings back, and the audiences [were] just nuts.”

Other artists who will perform on The Fourth in America include Kool & the Gang, Blues Traveler, Bebe Rexha, Billy Ray Cyrus, Black Eyed Peas, Brad Paisley, Trisha Yearwood and many more.

The special will stream live on CNN.com, and also will be viewable on Apple and Android mobile devices via CNN apps for those with a login to a cable provider. The program also can be viewed on CNNgo.

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Sammy Hagar‘s recently announced four-date Las Vegas residency taking place at The STRAT Theater on October 29-30 and November 5-6 is completely sold out, so the Red Rocker has lined up two additional shows at the venue, on November 12-13.

Tickets for the newly added concerts will go on sale to the general public this Saturday, July 3, at 10 a.m. PT via TheStrat.com. Members of Hagar’s fan club and The STRAT resort’s True Rewards program will be able to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Friday, July 2, at 10 a.m. PT.

Hagar also has confirmed that more Vegas shows will be scheduled soon in 2022.

“Adding these shows so quickly makes me happier than anyone for the fans that didn’t get tickets the first time,” Sammy says. “This is exciting, we’re going to be doing this for a while.”

As previously reported, Hagar’s Las Vegas show, which has been dubbed Sammy Hagar & Friends, will feature the Red Rocker performing with a rotating cast of his musical pals, similar to the annual birthday bashes he’s known for throwing at his Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

The first two concerts will feature Hagar playing with his current group The Circle, which also includes founding Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, acclaimed rock drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson of Sammy’s longtime backing band, The Wabos. Anthony and Johnson also are confirmed to perform with Hagar on November 5, 6, 12 and 13. Other special guests will be announced at a later date.

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Metallica‘s “Sad but True” week continues with a new live video.

The unearthed clip captures the metal legends’ performance of the Black Album single at their August 1991 show in Denmark. That particular concert marked the opening date on the European Monsters of Rock tour, which also featured AC/DC, Mötley Crüe, Queensrÿche and The Black Crowes.

“It’s a very happy little number, so cheer up, huh?” a young James Hetfield tells the crowd.

You can watch the performance video streaming now on YouTube.

Earlier this week, Metallica premiered covers of “Sad but True” recorded by St. Vincent, country artist Jason Isbell and U.K. musician Sam Fender. Those will all appear on The Metallica Blacklist, an upcoming, 53-track tribute record celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Black Album.

Metallica also shared a demo of “Sad but True,” one of the many bonus tracks included on the forthcoming 30th anniversary deluxe Black Album reissue.

Both the Blacklist and the Black Album reissue will be released September 10.

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Vicky Cornell is sharing a personal love letter written to her by her husband, late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell.

The handwritten note, which Vicky posted through the parenting site Fatherly, begins, “I write this with the quivering hand that is guided by the fortunes of a heart lucky enough to know true love.”

“My heart is a beating drum and my voice a clanging bell sounding to the world,” Chris continued. “I love you, be mine in joy lit only by the glow of our shining love!”

Vicky also spoke with Fatherly about how she and her children are continuing to cope with Chris’ 2017 death.

“Chris is constantly kept in the present,” she says. “We speak about him, we play his music, we share memories, we work in his legacy and I include my children in that.”

Last year, the Cornell estate released a covers album titled No One Sings Like You Anymore, which Chris had fully recorded and completed prior to his passing.

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