Classic Rock News

Alan White, the drummer for, and longest continuously serving member of, Yes, has died at age 72.

The band announced the news on its official Twitter page as did White’s official website and Facebook page. The site announced, “Alan White, our beloved husband, dad, and grandpa, passed away at the age of 72 at his Seattle-area home on May 26, 2022, after a brief illness.

The message continues, “Throughout his life and six-decade career, Alan was many things to many people: a certified rock star to fans around the world; band mate to a select few, and gentleman and friend to all who met him.”

A drummer since age 12, White performed with many artists throughout the ’60s, including the jazz-rock fusion supergroup Ginger Baker’s Air Force, which also featured Steve Winwood and Denny Laine. In 1969, John Lennon invited him to join the Plastic Ono Band, and he played on the 1969 album Live Peace in Toronto as well on John’s 1970 single “Instant Karma,” his landmark 1971 album Imagine and 1972’s Some Time in New York City. 

White also contributed to to George Harrison‘s All Things Must Pass album, including the chart-topping single “My Sweet Lord.”

White joined Yes on July 27, 1972, replacing founding drummer Bill Bruford, and learned the band’s repertoire in just three days before they kicked off a tour in Texas. The well-known albums he played on include Yessongs, Tales from Topographic Oceans, Going for the One, Relayer, Drama, 90125 and Big Generator.

White was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Yes in 2017. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Gigi, two children and two grandchildren.

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Def Leppard has debuted the official music video for their latest single, “Fire It Up,” a stadium-ready chant-along tune that appears on the band’s upcoming studio album Diamond Star Halos.

The clip features the band performing the song surrounded by video screens showing swirling abstract images, while graphics from the album’s cover art also appear sporadically throughout the visual.

You can watch the “Fire It Up” video now at Def Leppard’s official YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, with Diamond Star Halos set to be released this Friday, Def Leppard primed the release with an appearance Wednesday night on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The band premiered “Take What You Want,” a song from the new record, and then played their classic “Rock of Ages,” from the smash 1983 album Pyromania.

The band also performed two additional classic songs — “Hysteria” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me” — that didn’t air on the Kimmel show, but were streamed on the program’s YouTube channel.

Diamond Star Halos, which can be preordered now, is Def Leppard’s first album of new, original tunes since 2015’s self-titled effort. It’s available as a deluxe package, on CD, as a two-LP set and digitally, among other configurations.

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A new official video for the classic 1970 Creedence Clearwater Revival hit “Travelin’ Band” has just debuted on the Craft Recordings label’s official YouTube channel in advance of the limited-edition vinyl single featuring an unreleased live version of the song that will be issued as part of the June 18 Record Store Day event.

The video features rare footage of CCR on tour in 1969 and ’70 both on and off the stage at various international locations.

As previously reported, the vinyl disc will feature live renditions of “Travelin’ Band” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain” on the A side and B side, respectively, and will be available at participating record shops on June 18.

The version of “Travelin’ Band” was recorded on April 14, 1970, at London’s famed the Royal Albert Hall. The rendition of “Who’ll Stop the Rain” was recorded on January 31, 1970, at the Oakland Coliseum in California, and previously appeared on the CCR live album The Concert, which was released in 1980.

Only 9,000 copies of the vinyl single will be pressed. The packaging replicates the sleeve of the double-sided single Creedence Clearwater Revival released in January 1970 featuring the studio versions of “Travelin’ Band” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” The tunes peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and both tracks also were included on CCR’s chart-topping 1970 studio album Cosmo’s Factory.

The “Travelin’ Band” video follows the recent announcement that a new CCR documentary and concert film called Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall is in production. The movie, which focuses on the band’s aforementioned April 1970 concert at the historic London venue, is narrated by Oscar-winning actor and Creedence fan Jeff Bridges, and directed by Grammy-winning filmmaker Bob Smeaton.

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Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band launch their 2022 North American tour this Friday, May 27, in Rama, Canada.

The lineup of the former Beatles drummer’s group is slightly different than when they last hit the road in 2019, with veteran rocker Edgar Winter rejoining the All Starrs after a 2006-2011 stint with the band.

Interestingly, Winter released a star-studded tribute album in April called Brother Johnny — an homage to his late sibling, Johnny Winter — that features contributions from Ringo and two other All Starr Band members — Toto guitarist Steve Lukather and veteran session drummer Gregg Bissonette.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Edgar tells ABC Audio about touring with the All Starrs again. “And it’s perfect in that the album [has] just been released, and I get to see all my friends again…So it’s gonna be a beautiful reunion. I can’t wait!”

Winter, who is best known for his 1970s hits “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride,” says he’ll definitely play those songs on the new tour, and possibly a tune from Brother Johnny.

“Ringo…always wants your biggest hits. That’s the whole idea. And it’s a great model,” Edgar notes. “I love the All Starr Band. It’s unlike any tour. You know, I think of it as the ‘peace and love’ tour, because there’s just so much positive energy.”

Winter, who idolizes The Beatles, says it’s an honor to play with Starr.

“I have such respect for him, not only as a drummer, but…as a human being,” he declares. “He’s such a heartfelt advocate and spokesman for peace and love. And, you know, having played Woodstock and being an old hippie myself…peace and love is something the world can always use more of.”

Visit RingoStarr.com to check out the full tour schedule.

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As Def Leppard prepares to release its latest studio album, Diamond Star Halos, on Friday, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will be featured as the musical guests on tonight’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.

The band will also perform additional songs that won’t air on the Kimmel show but will be streamed on the program’s YouTube channel. According to information on the YouTube page, performances of four classic Def Leppard tunes will be shown online — “Rock of Ages,” “Photograph,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Hysteria.”

Meanwhile, as previously reported, Def Leppard will premiere the music video for the new song “Fire It Up,” the latest single from Diamond Star Halos, on Thursday, May 26, at 9 a.m. ET on the group’s YouTube channel. Following the clip’s debut, the band members will take part in an exclusive YouTube Premieres afterparty, during which they will discuss the new album. For more information on how to join the afterparty, visit YouTube.

After the premiere, the “Fire It Up” video will be available to view at Facebook Watch. You can check out a snippet of the clip now on Def Leppard’s Facebook page.

Diamond Star Halos is Def Leppard’s first album of new, original tunes since 2015’s self-titled effort. It can be preordered now and will be available as a deluxe package, on CD, as a two-LP set and digitally, among other configurations.

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Don McLean had been scheduled to perform at a concert event in Houston this Saturday celebrating the 150th anniversary of the National Rifle Association, aka the NRA, but the “America Pie” singer/songwriter has pulled out of the event in the wake of the recent mass shooting at a grade school in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday.

Variety reports that McLean has issued a statement that reads, “In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA at their convention in Houston this week. I’m sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well. After all, we are all Americans. I share the sorrow for this terrible, cruel loss with the rest of the nation.”

The show, dubbed NRA’s Grand Ole Night of Freedom Concert, takes place on the second day of the 2022 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, a three-day convention that’s also scheduled to feature speeches by former President Donald Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and “over 14 acres of guns and gear and 800 exhibitors.”

Performers still apparently on the bill for the concert include Lee Greenwood, Larry Gatlin, T. Graham Brown and Restless Heart singer Larry Stewart. Gatlin and Stewart both confirmed that they still planned to perform at the event.

Nineteen children and two adults were shot to death by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos on Tuesday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Ramos was then killed by police.

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Stone Temple Pilots have canceled their performances at the last five shows of their U.S. tour with Halestorm and Black Stone Cherry because “a member of [their] touring party … tested positive” for COVID-19 during routine testing for the virus.

STP announced the news in a post on their social media sites: “Out of an abundance of caution, we must regretfully cancel the remaining shows on our tour with HALESTORM,” adding, “HALESTORM and BLACK STONE CHERRY will still be performing as scheduled.”

The five affected dates were last night’s show in Evansville, Indiana; tonight’s concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and performances on May 27 in Deadwood, South Dakota; May 28 in Moorhead, Minnesota; and May 30 in Missoula, Montana.

STP’s message concludes, “Thank you to everybody who has come out to see a show, and an extra special thank you to HALESTORM. We’ll be back out there as soon as we can.”

In November of last year, the band canceled the final two dates of their fall tour after someone in their organization tested positive for COVID-19, while the following month bassist Robert DeLeo announced that he had caught the virus.

Stone Temple Pilots’ next concert is scheduled for June 4 in Addison, Texas.

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A new studio version of Bob Dylan‘s classic folk song “Blowin’ in the Wind” will be sold at a Christie’s auction in London on July 7.

Billboard reports that Dylan recently recorded his new version of the tune with acclaimed producer T Bone Burnett using Burnett’s new ultra-high-definition Ionic Original audio format, details of which were unveiled last month.

The recording will be up for bid as part of Christie’s “Exceptional Sale,” and its value is estimated between $752,000 and $1.2 million. Prior to the auction, people will be able to listen to the Ionic Original disc by appointment at Christie’s locations in Los Angeles on June 8 and New York on June 15, and in conjunction with a public exhibition in London from July 2 to July 7.

The auction of the updated version of the tune coincides with the 60th anniversary of the original recording of “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

“Sixty years after Bob first wrote and recorded ‘Blowin’ in the Wind,’ he is giving us a new recording of his song; one that is both deeply relevant for our times and resonant with decades of the artist’s life and experience,” Burnett says in a statement. “We’re grateful to Christie’s for their belief in the ‘Ionic Original’ and for presenting Bob’s masterful recording to the world in a unique and meaningful way.”

The new rendition of “Blowin’ in the Wind” is the first recording to use the Ionic Original technology, which was developed by Burnett’s NeoFidelity Inc. company.

As reported last month by Variety, Dylan recorded a series of new versions of his well-known songs that will be released by NeoFidelity on a new Ionic Originals medium, which resembles a vinyl LP but is made of aluminum.

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The viral music collective Rockin’1000 has shared a rendition of the Foo Fighters classic “My Hero” in honor of the band’s late drummer, Taylor Hawkins.

The performance, which featured 1,000 musicians playing together simultaneously, took place during a Rockin’1000 concert in Paris earlier this month. You can watch it streaming now on YouTube.

Rockin’1000, of course, has a special connection to Foo Fighters. The project made its debut in 2015 by gathering 1,000 musicians to play the Foos song “Learn to Fly” in an effort to convince Dave Grohl and company to perform a concert in founder Fabio Zaffagnini‘s hometown of Cesena, Italy.

Video of the performance — which now has over 60 million views on YouTube — soon went viral and caught the attention of the Foos themselves; they played a show in Cesena later in 2015.

Rockin’1000 has continued over the past seven years performing concerts around the world and has collaborated with musicians including Courtney Love.

Hawkins passed away on March 25. He was 50 years old.

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The San Francisco Giants baseball team is once again back to celebrating Metallica Night.

After a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual event returned Tuesday at SF’s Oracle Park. Like with previous years, frontman James Hetfield and guitarist Kirk Hammett took to the diamond to rock their shred-heavy instrumental rendition of the national anthem.

Hetfield also threw out the game’s ceremonial first pitch.

Perhaps the spirit of Metallica inspired the Giants players, who pulled out a thrilling 13-12 victory over the visiting New York Mets.

Along with the Giants, Metallica supports a number of other Bay Area sports teams, including the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.

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