Classic Hits

On This Day, Jan 22, 1949…

Stephen Ray Perry, better known as Journey frontman Steve Perry, was born in Hanford, California.

Perry joined Journey in 1977 and made his debut on their fourth studio album, 1978’s Infinity. He appeared on a total of eight Journey albums, including their biggest releases, 1981’s Escape and 1983’s Frontiers, singing lead on such classic tunes as “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,” “Separate Ways” and “Faithfully.”

He launched a successful solo career in 1984 with the release of the album Street Talk, which featured the top 5 hit “Oh Sherrie.”

Perry reunited with Journey in 1995 and they released their last album together, Trial By Fire, in 1996, although he left the band in 1999.

He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey in 2017, and while he attended the ceremony, he did not perform. Instead, Journey performed with his replacement Arnel Pineda.

Perry has released a handful of solo albums since his departure from Journey, his last being the holiday album The Season in 2021.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Members of The Doobie Brothers and The Beach Boys’ Mike Love are among the artists chosen for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year.

Love and The Doobies’ Mike Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons will be inducted into the 2025 class in the performers category, along with George Clinton.

Non-performing songwriters set for induction this year include Rodney “Darkchild” Jenkens, best known for writing such songs a “Say My Name” and “The Boy Is Mine,” hit country songwriter Ashley Gorley and Tony Macaulay, who penned such songs as “Build Me Up Buttercup.”

“The foundation of the music industry exists because songwriters compose great songs,” SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers said. “Without them, there is no recorded music, no concert business, no fans, or merchandising; it all starts with the song and the songwriter. We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important writers of all time and that this year’s slate represents not just iconic songs, but also diversity and unity across genres and ethnicity.”

He adds, “These songwriters have enriched the lives of billions of listeners the world over. It’s our honor to honor them.”

Artists who were nominated, but not chosen this year, include Bryan Adams, Steve Winwood, Boy George, Bread’s David Gates, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Janet Jackson, Eminem, Tommy James and the members of Public Enemy.

The 2025 class will be celebrated at the annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala, taking place June 12, in New York City.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Creedence Clearwater Revival rocker John Fogerty is set to be one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming South by Southwest Conference and Festival March 7-15 in Austin, Texas.

Fogerty and Jay Graber, CEO of the social media site Bluesky, are the latest additions to the SXSW keynote lineup, which also includes IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna.

“Whether it be insights from the CEO of one of the fastest-growing social media platforms or tales from a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, the unique perspectives showcased each March is what makes SXSW such an exceptional event,” Hugh Forrest, president and chief programming officer, says. “Jay Graber and John Fogerty are excellent additions to what is developing into a fascinating Keynote Speaker lineup.”

Fogerty has yet to announce a tour for 2025, but he has several shows already on the books. He’s headlining a three-night residency at the Encore Theater at The Wynn in Las Vegas starting Wednesday. He’s also set to play the FireAid benefit concert in Inglewood, California, on Jan. 30 and will be part of the 2025 edition of New Orleans Jazz Fest, taking place over two weekends, April 24-27 and May 1-4.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Sammy Hagar is clarifying his comments about his future on the road.

Sammy is due to kick off a new residency in Las Vegas in April, and ahead of the shows he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “I don’t think I want to go on tour anymore. I hate to say that, because I don’t want to piss my fans off.”

But in a video posted to social media, Sammy suggested in the caption that the comment was “taken out of context” and used as clickbait.

“The last couple of weeks, yeah, I’ve been getting all these messages from people, ‘Oh my God. You’re not gonna tour anymore,’” he shared. “I didn’t say I’m not gonna tour anymore.”

He said the comments were referring to the residency, noting he’s “hoping that that will be a lot easier” for him than the challenges of the road.

“I’ll be chomping at the bit when it comes showtime, because I will be well rested without all that travel,” he said. “I just think it’s gonna be great. And maybe I will able to squeeze fifty, a hundred more shows out of this voice, you know, and this body.”

“I’m a performer. I like to perform, and it takes it out of you,” he added. “So that’s all I’m saying, is hopefully the residency will be the answer to be able to continue on for many more years, because if not, touring is getting tough, and I will be doing less and less. And eventually, probably won’t be able to do it at all. I mean, it’s inevitable. I’m only human.”

The Best of All Worlds Tour – The Residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM runs from April 30 to May 17. 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The John Lennon/Yoko Ono documentary One to One: John & Yoko is set to hit IMAX theaters this spring.

The film, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald, was just acquired by Magnolia Pictures for North America and will open exclusively in IMAX theaters on April 11. It will eventually expand to additional theaters, and it will air on HBO and stream on Max later in the year.

One to One follows the 18 months John and Yoko lived in New York’s Greenwich Village in the early ’70s, and culminates with the pair’s 1972 One to One concerts, which were Lennon’s only full-length performances after The Beatles‘ 1970 breakup. The film features never-before-seen and fully restored footage of the concert.

One to One: John & Yoko had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2024 and its North American debut at the Telluride Festival. It is also set to screen at the Sundance Film Festival, which runs from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Peter Frampton is hitting the road for the first time since becoming a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The legendary guitarist, who was inducted into the Rock Hall in October, has announced dates for the Let’s Do it Again tour. The 10-show run launches March 30 in Uncasville, Connecticut, and wraps April 19 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

“I am so thrilled to be able to come out and play again for you,” Frampton shared on Instagram, “it’s been a spectacular year, looking forward to seeing everyone soon.”

A ticket presale begins Wednesday at 10 a.m., with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. A complete list of dates can be found at Frampton.com.

The Let’s Do it Again tour is Frampton’s first trek since his Positively Thankful tour, which kicked off in September.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Billy Idol is hitting the road this summer with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

Idol just announced dates for a new trek, dubbed It’s A Nice Day To … Tour Again, with Jett and the Blackhearts along for the ride as special guests.

Idol announced the tour with a video featuring comedian Matt Rife, with appearances by Idol’s longtime collaborator and guitar player Steve Stevens and Jett. In it, Rife keeps subtly dropping the lyrics to Idol’s most popular tunes, leading the rocker to feel it’s a sign to go back out on the road.

The tour will kick off April 30 in Phoenix and wraps Sept. 25 at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, with the latter raising money for the victims of the California wildfires. For every ticket purchased for the LA show, $5 will be donated to the American Red Cross, with Idol set to match the donation.

A presale for tickets kicks off Wednesday at 9 a.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public starting Friday at 9 a.m. A complete list of dates can be found at billyidol.net.

And it sounds like there’s even more good news on the way for Idol fans. The press release for the tour notes that he’s planning to share details about a new album soon.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A group of A-list artists have signed up to celebrate the Grateful Dead at the Recording Academy’s upcoming MusiCares Person of the Year gala, taking place Jan. 31 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood, The Police’s Stewart Copeland, Sammy Hagar, Dave Matthews, and former Dead collaborator and friend Bruce Hornsby are set to honor the band with performances, as are Norah Jones, Maren Morris, Noah Kahan, Vampire Weekend, Zac Brown, Dwight Yoakam, Wynonna Judd, The War and Treaty, The War on Drugs, My Morning Jacket, Maggie Rose, Billy Strings, Sierra Ferrell and Lukas Nelson.

Dead & Company, which includes Dead members Bobby Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti, will also perform at the ceremony, with a set celebrating The Dead’s late founding members, Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh.

Watch What Happens Live host and well-known Deadhead Andy Cohen will be the emcee for the evening, with funds raised going to help music professionals in need, including those affected by the California wildfires.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On This Day, Jan. 21, 1966…

Beatle George Harrison married model Pattie Boyd, with his bandmate Paul McCartney serving as best man.

Harrison and Boyd met on the set of the 1964 movie A Hard Day’s Night.

The couple separated in 1974 and divorced in 1977, with Pattie blaming the split on Harrison’s infidelity.

During her marriage to Harrison, his good friend, Eric Clapton, actively pursued her. He even wrote the song “Layla” about his secret love for Pattie. Boyd and Clapton would eventually marry in 1979, although their tumultuous union ended in 1989.

Harrison would go on to marry Olivia Trinidad Arias in 1978 and they were married until his death in 2001.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ringo Starr recently released the new country album Look Up, co-written and produced by T Bone Burnett. It features 11 songs, with special guest appearances by Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Lucius, Larkin Poe and Alison Krauss.

This isn’t Ringo’s first foray into country music, and he recently told reporters that he loves the genre because it’s “emotional music.”

“I’m quite an emotional person myself,” he said, joking that “in the ’50s, every country song was either the wife left, the dog’s dead or I need some money for the jukebox.”

And it seems for Ringo, one of the emotions he hopes to convey with the record is joy, especially with all the turmoil in the world.

“I think there’s always a need for music and there’s always a need for joy,” he said, noting music has a wide reach because it “translates into every language. It’s just peace and love.”

And for Burnett, there’s no better person to bring that joy than Ringo.

“I’m fond of saying that nobody in the world has generated more goodwill than Ringo Starr in my lifetime,” Burnett said, although he suggests that Ringo’s music is often thought of as “lighthearted” but it’s so much more.

“I’ve been spending the last couple of months listening to everything he’s recorded ,or that’s out that he’s recorded, and there’s a lot of very deep, serious stuff in there,” he said. “I mean, Ringo has paid his dues.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.