Classic Rock News

Ozzy Osbourne is not expecting to kick off 2023 with a Grammy win.

The Prince of Darkness is up for four awards at next year’s ceremony, including Best Rock Album for his new solo effort, Patient Number 9, as well as Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for the record’s Jeff Beck-featuring title track and Best Metal Performance for the Tony Iommi collaboration “Degradation Rules.”

Speaking with Billboard, Ozzy shares that he was “shocked” by the nominations and will be even more so if he actually wins.

“I mean, if I won anything for the album I’ll be floored,” Ozzy says.

Should a win be in the cards, will Ozzy be preparing a speech ahead of the February 5 show?

“I’m not good at making speeches,” Ozzy explains. “I always end up saying it twice or blowing it or whatever. I’m sure my wife will have it worked out. Behind me is my wife. My wife pulls my strings.”

However unexpected a Grammy victory may be, it’d be a nice boost for Ozzy, whose last few years have been, in his own words, “sheer hell” due to a variety of health issues.

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Elton John‘s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is paved with gold: It’s topped Billboard‘s list of the highest-grossing tours for the month of November. It’s the sixth time Elton has been number one on that chart, and it extends his record as the artist with the most months at number one overall.

Elton’s eight concerts in November took in a whopping $60.2 million, including $23.5 million alone for his three concerts at L.A.’s Dodger Stadium on November 17, 19 and 20. Those shows represented the final North American concerts of his farewell tour; the show on November 20, featuring Dua Lipa, Kiki Dee and Brandi Carlile, was livestreamed on Disney+.

Since mid-July, Elton’s been playing North American stadiums, and those 33 shows together have brought in a hefty $222 million. Overall, the tour currently ranks as the second-highest-grossing one of all time, behind only Elton’s pal Ed Sheeran‘s Divide tour, which ran from 2017 to 2019.

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In his recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Bob Dylan revealed he’s a fan of the British series Coronation Street, a soap opera that has been on since the 1960s. Producers of the show were so flattered they’ve actually offered him a part on the series.

“I’ve binge-watched Coronation Street, Father Brown, and some early Twilight Zones,” Dylan said in the interview. “I know they’re old-fashioned shows, but they make me feel at home.” He added, “I’m not a fan of packaged programs or news shows, so I don’t watch them. I never watch anything foul-smelling or evil.”

Well, Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeod couldn’t quite believe the comments, telling The Daily Telegraph he could “dine out on this forever”: “To hear that Bob Dylan is a Coronation Street viewer blows my mind.”

MacLeod says he “would absolutely love the idea of him turning up” on the show, suggesting “we could write in an open mic night and a mysterious singer could roll in out of the Manchester rain and do a turn.”

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Keith Richards and his wife, Patti Hansen, celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary on Sunday, which also happened to be the Rolling Stones guitarist’s 79th birthday. The couple’s daughter Theodora shared a photo from the celebration, revealing a picture of the couple recreating a kiss from their big day, with Patti actually donning her wedding dress.

“A jubilee happened yesterday 🎂💋🍯🇦🇷💕🪩 My parents had a party where we celebrated my dad being another year older and that my parents have been married for 39 years (really it’s 43yrs of togetherness but we’ll go off the legitimacy of their 1983 Cabo wedding ),” she writes on Instagram. “I am so proud of this family. We’ve been through a lot but the love is so strong and powerful that it carries us forever forward on a cloud of compassion and courage. I love you mom and dad. You guys are my inspiration.”

Keith also marked the occasion, sharing a picture from their wedding day, writing, “Happy Anniversary, Patricia❤️. Love, Keith.”

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For night three of Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin‘s 2022 The Hanukkah Sessions, the pair released a cover of the 10cc song “The Things We Do for Love.”

The performance features vocals by Inara George, who plays with Kurstin in the band The Bird and the Bee, as well as background singing by Tenacious D‘s Jack Black and Kyle Gass. You can watch it streaming now on YouTube.

For The Hanukkah Sessions, which is now in its third year, Grohl and Kurstin release a cover of a song by a Jewish artist for each of the holiday’s eight nights. This year’s edition was recorded live at the Los Angeles club Largo earlier this month, and so far has included versions of Blood, Sweat & Tears‘ “Spinning Wheel” featuring director Judd Apatow and Pink‘s “Get they Party Started” featuring the pop star herself.

The last two Hanukkah Sessions spawned covers of artists including KISS, Beastie Boys, Bob Dylan, Drake, Lisa Loeb, Ramones, Amy Winehouse and Billy Joel.

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While out promoting his new memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs One Story, Bono has been talking a lot about his dad and says it’s actually changed his feelings about his father.

“I always loved my father,” the U2 frontman shared on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky. “But now, I’m starting to like him even more because his put-downs were funny and he was a funny man, and there was mischief in him.”

He adds, “I had a very, not that unusual relationship with my father. I think a lot of males have difficulty sometimes with their father. I try to be a good father to my kids, but it’s harder if you don’t have that relationship yourself, so I’m working on it.”

Bono’s mom passed away when he was just 14. Since his father didn’t talk about her much after she died, he says he and his brother didn’t have “many memories of our mother.” But, thanks to the book, he says he has “found her again.”

“I have some beautiful memories that I discovered. She was wonderful, and I’ve made peace with all that,” he says. “Through that ache, I filled that hole with music, so I wouldn’t be in U2 and I wouldn’t have the life I have without all the stuff that got me here, so I’m very grateful going into Christmas for everything, from both my father and my mother.”

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Rolling Stone‘s ranking of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is now available in book form.

A hardcover tome features the most recent edition of the list, which was unveiled in 2020. You can order your copy now via Abrams Books publishing.

The #1 album on Rolling Stone’s ranking is Marvin Gaye‘s What’s Going On, followed by The Beach Boys‘ Pet Sounds at #2, Joni Mitchell‘s Blue at #3, Stevie Wonder‘s Songs in the Key of Life at #4, The Beatles‘ Abbey Road at #5, Nirvana‘s Nevermind at #6, Fleetwood Mac‘s Rumours at #7, Prince and the Revolution‘s Purple Rain at #8, Bob Dylan‘s Blood on the Tracks at #9 and Lauryn Hill‘s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill at #10.

The list was voted on by a number of different journalists, producers and industry executives, as well as artists including U2‘s The Edge and Adam Clayton, Stevie Nicks, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Alice Cooper, Nile Rodgers, Questlove, FINNEAS and KISS‘ Gene Simmons.

Rolling Stone will celebrate the release of the book with an event taking place at New York City’s Rizzoli Bookstore on January 31.

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Add Brian May to the list of Yungblud fans.

In an Instagram post, the Queen guitarist shares his reaction to the young English rocker’s recent cover of “We Are the Champions.”

“Every now and then, while idly scrolling in the park, you come upon something that makes you go ‘WOW,'” May writes.

While May enjoyed Yungblud’s spin on the Queen classic, he noticed that some commenters weren’t as impressed.

“I’m smiling quietly at all the ‘noooo’ comments,” May writes. “I remember so clearly the same kind of derision being poured on Freddie [Mercury] when we started out as Queen.”

May adds, “As soon as I see someone who can inspire such strong reactions – positive and negative – I’m sure this person is a star performer.”

Other rock legends who’ve shared their love for Yungblud’s music include The Rolling Stones‘ Mick Jagger and The Who‘s Roger Daltrey.

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The Rolling Stones are getting ready to release their new live album and DVD, GRRR Live!, next year, and they’ve just shared a video of their live performance of the classic “It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It).” 

The video is taken from their December 15, 2012, concert at Newark’s Prudential Center, which was part of their 50 & Counting tour, celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band. The original show aired as a pay-per-view event.

GRRR Live!, which is a full recording of the concert, is set to drop February 10. It features guest appearances by such big names as Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Gary Clark Jr., Mick Taylor and The Black Keys.

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Thursday marks the 20th anniversary of the death of The Clash‘s Joe Strummer, and the occasion will be marked with a special tribute in New York. 

Consequence reports that D Generation’s Jesse Malin, Gogol Bordello‘s Eugene Hutz and more will celebrate Strummer by busking at the annual Gates of the West holiday benefit, which kicks off at 6 p.m. outside Malin’s Lower East Side bar Niagara, where there’s a mural of the late Clash frontman. 

Following the tribute, which will move inside Niagara if it snows, there will be an after-party at Malin’s 96 Tears. Proceeds from the event benefit the nonprofit Music & Memory, which “helps individuals with a wide range of cognitive and physical conditions to engage with the world, ease pain, and reclaim their humanity through the use of personalized music.”

Strummer passed away December 22, 2002, at the age of 50, just a few months before the Clash were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His official cause of death was an undiagnosed congenital heart defect.

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