The rock band Free played their final show ever in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The band, made up of Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff, Andy Fraser and Simon Kirke, formed in London in 1968. Their biggest hit was the iconic tune “All Right Now,” which was a top-5 hit in the U.S.
Fraser left the band in 1972. Kossoff was replaced for the 1973 tour, which was in support of the band’s sixth and final studio album, Heartbreaker.
Following the breakup of the band, Rodgers and Kirke would go on to form Bad Company with Mott The Hoople’s Mick Ralphs and King Crimson’s Boz Burrell. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp founder David Fishof (Courtesy of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp)
Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, where regular folks get to meet, be mentored by and perform with rock superstars, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. That’s certainly quite a milestone, considering founder David Fishof wasn’t sure he’d get any rockers to sign on when he came up with the idea.
“In the beginning, I had a lot of rock stars who said no,” he tells ABC Audio. “But I did have a bunch that said yes,” noting some of first to participate included The Beach Boys’ Mike Love, Poison’s Bret Michaels, and E Street Band members Clarence Clemons and Nils Lofgren.
Upcoming 30th anniversary camps will feature The Police’s Stewart Copeland, The Who’s Roger Daltrey, Bad Company’s Simon Kirke, and Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee and John 5.
Fishof says he’s excited to have Daltrey back for the 30th anniversary, noting he also took part in their 10th anniversary and participated in about eight camps over the years. As for why Daltrey keeps returning, Fishof says, “It reminds him what it was like when he first started.”
But even with all the big names he’s landed over the years, there are still some rock stars Fishof would love to enlist for the camp.
“My dream is Paul McCartney and/or Mick Jagger,” he says. “I have to say they’re two of my favorites.”
Of course, the camps aren’t only about the rock stars — they’re about the campers, as well, with Fishof noting they usually walk away better musicians after performing with their favorite artists.
He says, “I’ve learned over the 30 years, if you play with someone that’s better than you, you’re gonna become better.”
More info on Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp can be found at RockCamp.com.
Billy Steinberg performs onstage at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 42nd Annual Induction and Awards on June 16, 2011 in New York City. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall of Fame)
Billy Steinberg, the songwriter who, with musical partner Tom Kelly, penned pop classics such as Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” and The Bangles’ “Eternal Flame,” died Feb. 16 in Los Angeles, his attorney Laurie Soriano confirmed to ABC News. He was 75.
With Steinberg usually writing the lyrics and Kelly most often writing the music, the duo scored an impressive string of hits through the ’80s and ’90s, including Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional,” The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You,” Heart’s “Alone” and The Divinyls’ “I Touch Myself.”
After Kelly retired, Steinberg continued writing with other partners, penning hits like “Falling Into You” by Celine Dion and “Too Little Too Late” by JoJo.
Other artists who recorded Steinberg’s songs include Linda Ronstadt, Pat Benatar, Tina Turner, Belinda Carlisle, Taylor Dayne, Bette Midler, Cheap Trick and REO Speedwagon.
Steinberg and Kelly were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011.
On Instagram, Lauper, who also recorded Steinberg and Kelly’s song “I Drove All Night,” wrote, “I’m so sorry to hear that my friend Billy Steinberg has passed away. He was such a nice guy and very supportive. My thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and Tom during this sad time.”
Heart’s Nancy Wilson wrote in the comments, “He was a wonderful spirit.”
Sammy Hagar at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction/ (Disney/Michael Le Brecht II)
Sammy Hagar has a suggestion on how his fans should celebrate Valentine’s Day.
The rocker took to Instagram to share his idea, which includes staying at home Saturday to watch the director’s cut of his Best of All Worlds concert film, shot live at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas.
“All you love birds out there, I don’t know what you plan on doing for Valentine’s Day but you better have something planned,” he said in his video post. He then discussed how hard it is to get into his favorite restaurants on the romantic holiday, so he offered up another idea.
“So, what you do is you cook something nice for your honey, mix up some cocktails … and you check out Veeps,” he said. “Take ‘em to a Sammy Hagar concert right in your own home … and you don’t have to get dressed up.”
The Best of All Worlds director’s cut includes never-before-seen interviews with Sammy and enhanced audio. It will be available Saturday at Veeps.com.
Hagar will return to the Park MGM for a new set of Best of All Worlds Tour Residency dates March 11. He will then launch a new U.S. leg of the Best of All Worlds tour on June 13 in St. Louis, Missouri, followed by a U.K. leg starting July 4 in Manchester.
A complete list of dates can be found at RedRocker.com.
Paul McCartney has released a new video for the classic Wings track “Let ‘Em In,” which appeared on their 1976 album, Wings at the Speed of Sound.
The visualizer video features archival footage of McCartney and the band, along with drawings and animation.
A new Wings anthology, simply titled Wings, was released in November. The set, personally overseen by McCartney, featured a remastered version of “Let ‘Em In,” as well as such Wings classics as “Band on the Run,” “Live and Let Die,” “Jet” and “Silly Love Songs.”
That same month, McCartney also released a new book about his Wings era, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run.
And next up, McCartney’s post-Beatles career, including his time with Wings, will be the subject of a new documentary. Man on the Run will hit theaters for one day only on Feb. 19 and will debut on Prime Video Feb. 27. The movie’s soundtrack, Man on the Run – Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack, will be released the same day.
Melissa Etheridge has dropped a new single from her upcoming album, RISE.
The singer has released the album’s opening track, “Bein’ Alive.” According to the press release, the song “uplifts with themes of love and hope, offering an exuberant reflection on the ups and downs of life while celebrating resilience and survival.”
Etheridge notes that with the song, she “wanted people to feel what rock and roll feels like,” adding, “It’s the song that I dream of opening the show with.”
The video for the track was shot at Norman’s Rare Guitars in Los Angeles. It was directed by Etheridge’s wife, Linda Wallem, and edited by the singer. It features home movies, personal photos and footage of Etheridge’s career through the years, as well as appearances by the song’s co-producer, Shooter Jennings, his wife and their dog.
RISE, Etheridge’s first studio release in five years, will be released March 27. She will launch THE RISE TOUR on March 26 in Detroit. A complete list of dates can be found at MelissaEtheridge.com.
Cream ‘Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005’ reissue/(Surfdog Records)
Cream, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band made up of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, has released another performance video from their 2005 reunion concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
The latest is a performance of the T-Bone Walker track “Stormy Monday.” It follows the release of the performance video of Cream’s iconic track “White Room.”
Both songs appear on the recently reissued live album Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005, which captured the band’s four-night reunion at the venue after 37 years apart. The shows were Cream’s first concerts together since their farewell concerts at the same venue in November 1968. The band did reunite one other time, in 1993, for their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The reissue is out now on triple blue and green splatter vinyl, and double blue and orange CD.
And Cream fans will soon be able to get their hands on another live Cream album. The band is releasing a three-LP expanded edition of Cream – Wheels of Fire: Live at Fillmore Auditorium & Winterland Ballroom for Record Store Day on April 18. The release includes four tracks originally released as Wheels of Fire: Live at the Fillmore, plus eight other live performances from the March 1968 concerts.
‘Feels Like The First Time – The Foreigner Musical’ admat (Courtesy of Foreigner/Tilles Center for the Performing Arts/Long Island University’s Post Theatre Company)
A new musical using the music of Foreigner is set to open in April.
The previously announced production, Feels Like The First Time – The Foreigner Musical, will run April 17-26 at the Little Theatre on Long Island University’s Brookville campus.
The musical, featuring the band’s iconic hits like “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded” and “I Want to Know What Love Is,” is a collaboration between the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band, the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts and Long Island University’s Post Theatre Company.
Rent star Adam Pascal, who is the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at LIU, is directing the production. Stephen Garvey is writing the book, choreography will be done by Lorna Ventura, and David Abbinanti will handle orchestrator and arranger duties.
The musical, set in 1985, will center around a suburban family who wins an MTV sweepstakes with a grand prize of a weekend visit from a popular rock star, including a private backyard concert.
“This new show represents everything I love about making theater—great music, fun storytelling, and meaningful collaboration,” says Pascal. “Partnering with Foreigner, Tilles Center, and LIU Post Theatre Company to develop a brand-new musical in an academic setting creates a rare and powerful environment where artists and students are building something together from the ground up.”
Tickets for Feels Like The First Time – The Foreigner Musical go on sale Friday at 12 p.m. ET at TiliesCenter.org.
Admat for Gibson Gives’ guitar benefit auction (Courtesy of Julien’s Auctions)
Guitars autographed by James Taylor and The Doobie Brothers are up for grabs as part of Gibson Gives’ upcoming benefit auction, hosted by Julien’s Auctions.
Other artists who’ve donated signed guitars include Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Willie Nelson, Halestorm, Live, Collective Soul and Daughtry.
“We are proud to help support the musicians of tomorrow, with help from the musicians of today,” says Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of Julien’s Auctions. “This auction of nearly two dozen guitars features some incredible instruments, all signed by renowned artists and bands.”
The online-only auction will go live March 5 at 10 a.m. PT, with proceeds benefiting Gibson Gives & FirstBank Amphitheater Music Education Program, supporting music education for students in Williamson County Schools in Tennessee.
Gene Simmons on ‘Dancing with the Stars’/(Disney/Eric McCandless)
Gene Simmons recently made headlines for sharing his opinion about hip-hop artists being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and caught some flack over using the word “ghetto.” He’s now defending himself against the backlash.
In the original interview with the Legends N Leaders podcast, the KISS rocker, who was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2015, said of hip-hop, “It’s not my music. I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language.”
“And as I said in print many times, hip-hop does not belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, nor does opera, symphony orchestras,” he added. “How come the New York Philharmonic doesn’t get into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Because it’s called the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
After folks online dubbed Simmons’ use of the word ghetto racist, he defended himself, telling People, “I stand by my words.”
“Let’s cut to the chase. The word ‘ghetto,’ it originated with Jews,” he continued. “It was borrowed by African Americans in particular and respectfully, not in a bad way.”
As for the suggestion that it’s a racist term, Simmons argued, “Ghetto is a Jewish term[.] … How could you be, when rock is Black music? It’s just a different Black music than hip-hop, which is also Black music.”
He added, “Rock ‘n’ roll owes everything to Black music, statement of fact, period. All the major forms of American music owe their roots to Black music.”
