Classic Hits

The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band both earned nominations for the 2024 Billboard Music Awards.

Being that both artists are known for their live shows, it seems fitting they’re nominated in the Top Rock Touring Artist category, with their only other competition being Coldplay.

Both The Rolling Stones and Springsteen were on tour this year. The Stones launched their Hackney Diamonds tour in April in Houston, while Springsteen and The E Street Band returned to the road in March in Phoenix.

Also earning BBMA nominations this year are Pearl Jam, in the Best Hard Rock Album category for Dark Matter, and Dolly Parton, in the Best Rock Album category for Rockstar, which featured collaborations with such artists as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Stevie Nicks.

The 2024 BBMAs will air Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, Fire TV channels and on-demand on Paramount+.

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The new Disney+ documentary Beatles ’64, which captures the Fab Four’s first trip to the U.S., had its premiere in New York City on Nov. 24, and in attendance was one of the film’s subjects: Sir Paul McCartney.

In addition to Sir Paul, John Lennon‘s son Sean Ono Lennon and George Harrison‘s widow, Olivia Harrison, were in the theater for the premiere, along with E Street Band guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt, Elvis Costello and the film’s producer, Martin Scorsese. 

The movie is built around the footage captured by late filmmakers Albert and David Maysles, who were with The Beatles constantly during their 14-day trip to America. During that time, they traveled to New York, performing on The Ed Sullivan Show and at Carnegie Hall; Washington D.C., where they did their first U.S. concert; and Miami. Seventeen minutes of footage is previously unseen.  New interviews with Paul and Ringo Starr are included, plus archival interviews with Harrison and Lennon.

The musical performances in the film have all been restored and remixed using the same technology that was used on the Get Back documentary and on The Beatles’ Grammy-nominated single “Now and Then.” At several points during the premiere screening, the audience spontaneously burst into applause at the end of some of the performances.

Following the film, Scorsese and director David Tedeschi did a Q&A with actor/director Ethan Hawke.

Beatles ’64 will stream exclusively on Disney+ starting Nov. 29.

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The Beatles‘ George Harrison’s love of gardening will be explored in a new exhibit in Sarasota, Florida.

George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life will run from Feb. 9 to June 29 at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, part of a series that “examines the work of major artists through the lens of their connection to nature.”

According to a press release, the exhibit will look at Harrison’s connection to gardening, which is described as his “greatest passion.” In fact, during a 1979 Rolling Stone interview, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer actually described himself as “just a gardener.”

In addition to the horticultural aspects of the exhibit, it will include a selection of Harrison’s music and lyrics, along with excerpts from wife Olivia Harrison‘s poetry book, Came the Lightening. The exhibit promises to “highlight George’s connection to nature and celebrate his life and legacy through the power of plants.”

“Selby Gardens is thrilled to explore George Harrison’s love of gardening and the inspiration he drew from it,” Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, shares. “We are honored to present this exhibition to our visitors, demonstrating the many ways Harrison connected with nature.”

The exhibition will include a special program featuring legendary artist Patti Smith, Selby Gardens’ Artist in Residence. An Evening with Patti Smith Dedicated to George Harrison will take place Feb. 12 at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus.

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The Rolling Stones are giving fans a chance to win a unique gift bag, with proceeds going to a good cause.

The new sweepstakes, part of Universal Music Group’s Music 4 Good Holiday Giveback, will have one lucky fan taking home a customized gift package that includes a leather jacket hand-painted by The Stones’ Ronnie Wood, plus a $500 gift card to the official Rolling Stones merch store.

Folks can purchase entries to the sweepstakes through Charity Stars, with most of the proceeds going to chef José Andrés‘ World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that’s first to the frontlines to provide fresh meals in response to crises.

A winner will be announced Jan. 13. 

The Stones’ sweepstakes is one of several to raise money for World Central Kitchen. There are also options from KISS, Imagine Dragons, The Killers and more.

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Eddie Van Halen’s long-lost 1993 Ernie Ball Music Signature “Canada Day” guitar sold for $104,000 as part of day two of Julien’s Auctions’ Played, Worn & Torn II auction in Nashville.

The guitar, unseen for 31 years, was played by Eddie at a July 1, 1993, Canada Day concert at Molson Park in Barrie, Ontario. It features the red Canada maple leaf, with signatures of all the band members. Proceeds from the sale will go to City of Hope.

Other items sold during day two of the auction include Gov’t Mule frontman Warren Haynes’ signed “Soulshine” Gibson Les Paul standard ’60s electric guitar, for $29,250, which was 20 times its initial estimate; late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s handwritten concert set list, signed by bandmate Dave Grohl, for $26,000, which was 13 times over its initial estimate; and a 1981 “New York” tank worn by Queen’s Freddie Mercury, for $22,750. 

Also at the auction, Prince’s Sadowsky Telecaster style guitar sold for $381,000. One of only six that were made, Prince used it during his 1986 Parade tour.

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Aerosmith will no longer be part of a popular attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Disney World in Orlando.

It was announced on the Disney Park blog that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith is being taken over by The Muppets, marking the first time The Muppets will be the focus of a Disney ride.

The change in the ride comes as Disney replaces Muppet Vision 3D with Monsters Inc. land.

“To make way for the monsters, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and more of their friends will be moving right along to Sunset Boulevard!” read the announcement. “But there’s more to the story: The Muppets will be taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, teaming up with some of music’s biggest stars for a rockin’ music festival!”

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith is an indoor ride that launched at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (then named Disney-MGM Studios) in July 1999. The ride features video of the band members, including Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, as well as music from the band, including songs like “Walk This Way,” “Love in an Elevator” and “Sweet Emotion.”

Exactly when The Muppets will take over for Aerosmith has not been announced.

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A piano once owned by Stevie Nicks is on the auction block.

Gotta Have Rock and Roll is handling the sale of the Hamilton grand piano, which was used to write such Fleetwood Mac tunes as “Sara” and “Songbird.”

Described as “debatably the most important piano ever offered for public auction,” the piano was one of two  Stevie had in her home in the ’70s. In 1979 it went on tour with the band and was played onstage by Christine McVie until around 1982 or 1983; Christine also wrote “Songbird” on it. 

The piano was eventually returned to Stevie’s home. Musician Robbie Patton, a friend of Stevie’s who worked with her during that time, was eventually gifted the piano by Stevie as payment for a song they wrote together.

He went on to use it in the studio with several other big-name musicians, including Elton John and Queen, with Patton noting both Elton and Freddie Mercury actually played it.

“The people who have touched this piano are crazy!” he says.

Bidding on the piano is open until Dec. 16, and it is expected to sell for between $100,000 and $200,000. The piano also comes with letters of authenticity by Nicks and McVie.

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Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett is set to release the new live album Live Magic At Trading Boundaries on Jan. 17.

The album is a compilation of various recordings taken from years of shows at the intimate venue in Sussex, England, with Hackett performing stripped down versions of classic tracks, including solo material, and Genesis tunes like “Blood On The Rooftops” and “Horizons.”

“It’s always a joy for me to play at Trading Boundaries, a magical intimate place full of beautiful lights and exotic imagery, illuminating the darkest time of year over Christmas and New Year,” Hackett shares. “It’s the perfect location for my acoustic set.”

Coinciding with the announcement, Hackett has shared the first track from the record, a performance of “Ace of Wands,” a tune from his 1975 debut solo album, Voyage of The Acolyte. 

Hackett has been playing Trading Boundaries yearly since 2016, and has shows coming up on Jan. 18 and Jan. 19. A complete list of tour dates can be found at hackettsongs.com.

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Sean Ono Lennon says the only reason he decided to learn to play music was to get closer to his late father, The Beatles‘ John Lennon, who was killed in 1980 when Sean was only 5. 

“I never played music because I was good at it,” he tells People in a new interview. “I lost my father and I didn’t know how to fill that void. Learning how to play his songs on guitar was a way to process the loss with an activity that made me feel connected to him.”

He adds, “When you’ve lost a parent, things like that motivate you — because you’re trying to find them. Making music always made me feel like I was getting to know him better.”

Sean continues to learn more about his dad by managing John’s legacy, being involved in things like the recent Mind Games box set and more. And the more he works on these projects, the more connected he feels to his dad, especially since many of the archival tapes include John interacting with his fellow musicians.

“You’re constructing somebody out of fragments,” he explains. “I grew up mostly knowing my dad through pictures and recordings, because he wasn’t around. So whenever I hear my dad saying anything that I haven’t heard before, even just a little moment, it means so much to me.”

He adds, “It’s like gold. It’s precious because it’s like getting more time with him.”

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On This Day, Nov. 22, 1950 …

E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts. Born Steven Lento, he took the name Van Zandt after his mother remarried. The family then moved to New Jersey, where his musical career began.

While performing with his bands on the Jersey Shore he met Bruce Springsteen, which would lead to a musical partnership that continues to this day.

Prior to joining the E Street band, Van Zandt, who’s gone by the nicknames Little Steven and Miami Steve, co-founded Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. He also produced Southside Johnny’s first three records.

Although he’d worked with Springsteen for years, Van Zandt officially joined the E Street Band on guitar in 1975 and remained with the group until 1984, when he left to pursue a solo career. He rejoined the band in 1995, has been with them ever since and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the group in 2014. 

A solo artist and songwriter in his own right, Van Zandt wrote the all-star anti-apartheid song “Sun City.” He also penned the track “I Am A Patriot,” which has been covered by Jackson Brown, Pearl Jam and more. 

In 1999 Van Zandt launched an acting career, starring as Silvio Dante in HBO’s The Sopranos, and then in 2011 starred in Lilyhammer, Netflix’s first original series.

Van Zandt was recently the subject of an HBO documentary, Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple, which just earned a Grammy nomination.

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