Classic Hits

Billy Joel has paid tribute to his former guitarist David Brown, who passed away Sunday, August 11. Brown played in Joel’s band from 1978 to 1991 and appeared on all of Joel’s albums from 1978’s 52nd Street to 1986’s The Bridge.

“I am so sorry to hear that David Brown has passed away,” Joel wrote on Instagram next to photos of the musician. “He had such a young heart and such extraordinary musical talent,” adding, “I send my deepest respects to his family.”

News of Brown’s death was first revealed on social media by Joel’s former drummer Liberty DeVito, who shared, “I am heart broken to hear my old band mate David Brown passed away.”

Mark Rivera, who has been Joel’s saxophonist since 1982, shared on Facebook that Brown passed away Sunday, and reflected on how his connection with Brown led to him being hired by Billy.

“I can’t say enough about the Beauty and Grace that David brought to Every musical endeavor that we shared,” Rivera noted. “His Sound and Feel were like no other. I Will Miss You My Friend.”

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Hall & Oates’ John Oates is set to receive the BMI Troubadour Award, which honors a songwriter “who has made a profound impact on the creative community as their craft continues to set the pace for generations to follow.” 

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will receive the honor from the performing rights organization on Sept. 16 at an invitation only event in Nashville, which will feature performances of songs from throughout Oates’ career. 

“John Oates has enriched Nashville and its music scene with his special blend of soulful storytelling and guitar playing,” BMI Nashville’s VP of Creative, Clay Bradley, shares. “His influence has elevated our community to be more accepting and open to all genres of music. We are proud to honor him as this year’s BMI Troubadour.”

This isn’t the first time Oates has been honored by BMI. He was previously named a BMI Icon, and has also been honored with 10 BMI Pop Awards, and Hall & Oates songs like “Maneater,” “You Make My Dreams Come True,” “I Can’t Go For That” and more have earned him and Daryl Hall 30 BMI Million-Air awards.

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Paul McCartney is set to play Costa Rica for the first time in more than a decade.

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just added a Costa Rica date to his Got Back tour. He will be playing Estadio Nacional in San Jose on Nov. 5.

A ticket presale kicks off Aug. 19 at 10 a.m., with tickets going on sale to the general public Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. 

The last time McCartney performed in San Jose was in May 2014 during his Out There tour, with the show also happening at Estadio Nacional. 

The 2024 leg of McCartney’s Got Back tour will kick off Oct. 10 in Uruguay, with confirmed dates in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Europe and the U.K. It wraps with a two-night stand at London’s O2 Arena, Dec. 18 and 19. A complete list of dates can be found at paulmccartney.com.

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A new compilation album featuring Lou Reed’s pre-Velvet Underground music will be released this fall. 

Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65 features music Reed wrote during his tenure as an in-house songwriter for Pickwick Records, where he also occasionally sang and played guitar. According to the compilation’s description, it “offers a fascinating early glimpse at his ever-evolving and truly limitless artistry.”

The set features previously unreleased material, including the song “Sad, Lonely Orphan Boy,” as well as rarities and cult classics like “The Ostrich,” a dance track released by the Primitives, which featured Reed and his future Velvet Underground bandmate John Cale.

The release also includes a booklet with unseen photos and essays by Patti Smith Group co-founder Lenny Kaye and music journalist Richie Unterberger.

The album is being released in cooperation with Reed’s widow, Laurie Anderson, and the Lou Reed Archive. It will be released digitally on Sept. 27, with CD and two-LP editions dropping Oct. 4. The vinyl will be available in two options: standard black vinyl and oxblood, and gold vinyl.

All formats are available for preorder now.

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A movie about rocker Dave Stewart’s teen years is headed to the big screen.

The Eurythmics star tells the site that director Shekhar Kapur has been hired to direct Ebony McQueen, a film based on Stewart’s 2022 semi-autobiographical album of the same name. It follows Stewart’s teen years in North East England in the 1960s/early 1970s, when he discovered music after he hurt his knee playing soccer.

“When I was at my lowest point, a turn of fate changed my life forever. Music appeared as if by magic,” Stewart tells Deadline. “Yes, music found me and opened my eyes to a whole new world.”

Filming on the movie is expected to begin next spring in Stewart’s hometown of Sunderland. British actress Sharon D. Clarke, whose credits include Doctor Who and London’s Ghost: The Musical, which Stewart wrote the music for, is on board to play the title character, a fairy godmother-type who encourages Stewart to go for his musical dreams.

Stewart will partner with Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R. Rahman on the music for the film, with Rahman penning the score and Stewart handling the lyrics.

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On This Day, Aug. 13, 1994 …

Aerosmith headlined the second day of Woodstock ’94, a three-day festival to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock.

Originally billed as “2 More Days of Peace and Music,” the festival was originally announced for Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, but a third day, Aug. 12, was added after the first two sold out.

In addition to Aerosmith, the Aug. 13 lineup included Crosby, Stills & Nash, who played the original Woodstock in 1969, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Blind Melon, Joe Cocker and Melissa Etheridge.

Artists who played the festival’s other days included Peter Gabriel, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers Band, Santana, Sheryl Crow, Collective Soul and Candlebox.

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Journey’s Neal Schon is once again speaking out against his bandmate Jonathan Cain after Cain filed a lawsuit detailing what he claims is Schon’s overspending. 

“I find Cain’s slanderous allegations are very disruptive and damaging with intent to try to harm me, the band, crew, promoter and the tour,” he writes on Facebook. “Truly disturbing to hear of Mr Cains filing in the middle of Journey’s very successful Stadium Tour with our good friends Def Leppard.”

He accuses Schon of creating “a very hostile work environment” for himself and their fellow bandmates, maintaining “the allegations are false and I intend to prove it in court.” 

“My focus is, as it always has been, and will be, the music and fans since when I began Journey in 1972,” he says. “51 years now for me, I will continue to always do what’s right for Journey in protecting and making good decisions for the band, crew, music and fans. I will let the music do the talking.”

Cain filed a lawsuit against Schon on July 24, detailing what he claimed was Schon’s overspending, although in a statement he insisted the aim of the suit was to get the court to appoint a third, independent director to serve on the band’s Freedom 2020 board in order to deal with “growing issues” between him and Schon.

Schon previously responded to the allegations via social media, calling them “absolute rubbish.”

In the meantime, Schon and Cain are currently sharing a stage on Journey’s Summer Stadium tour with Def Leppard. The tour hits Houston on Wednesday. A complete list of dates can be found at journeymusic.com.

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Last year a group of artists paid tribute to Bruce Springsteen’s classic solo album Nebraska at a show in Nashville, and if you weren’t able to catch it, you now have a chance to see what you missed.

Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska: A Celebration in Words and Music is now streaming on PBS Passport, giving fans a chance to experience the Sept. 19, 2023, concert that features performances of the album’s songs and spoken word storytelling. Artists who took part in the concert included Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, The Lumineers, Eric Church, Lucinda Williams and Noah Kahan.

Warren Zanes, who wrote the book about the album, Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, hosted the event. His book is now being turned into a movie, which will star The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White as The Boss. 

Released Sept. 30, 1982, Nebraska featured 10 acoustic songs that Springsteen originally recorded as demos on a four-track recorder. Those songs include “Atlantic City,” “Reason to Believe” and “Johnny 99.” Springsteen had planned to rerecord the songs with the E Street Band but instead opted to release them as a solo acoustic record.

Nebraska was a critical darling, was a top-10 hit for The Boss and has been included on several lists of the greatest albums of all time.

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Two Ian Hunter solo albums are set to be reissued this fall.

The records, 1979’s You’re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic and 1980’s Short Back n’ Sides, will both be remastered and reissued on Oct. 25, featuring bonus material.

You’re Never Alone With A Schizophrenic, produced by Mick Ronson, features two Hunter classics, “Just Another Night” and “Cleveland Rocks.” The expanded edition will include seven archival rarities, made up of early demos and outtakes. It will be released on CD and on green vinyl, marking the record’s first-ever vinyl release. 

Short Back n’ Sides, which features such guest musicians as The Clash’s Mick Jones and Topper Headon, as well as Todd Rundgren, will have an expanded edition with 12 archival rarities, and will be released on CD and double vinyl, with an eight-page lyric booklet.

You’re Never Alone With A Schizophrenic and Short Back n’ Sides are available for preorder now.

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With summer almost over, former President Barack Obama is letting us know what he’s listening to this season.

Obama just released his 2024 summer playlist and it features a diverse group of songs, including The Rolling Stones‘ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” Sting’s “If You Love Someone Set Them Free” and Bob Dylan’s “Silvio.” 

“With summer winding down, I wanted to share some songs that I’ve been listening to lately – and it wouldn’t be my playlist if it didn’t include an eclectic mix,” Obama writes. “I hope you find something new to listen to!”

Other songs on the list include The Miracles‘ “You Really Got A Hold On Me,” Billie Elish’s “Chihiro,” WILLOW’s “Symptom of Life,” The Supremes‘ “Where Did Our Love Go,” and Bob Marley and The Wailers‘ “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry),” along with songs by Beyoncé, Norah Jones, Etta James and Charli XCX.

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