Classic Hits

Moody Blues guitarist and lead vocalist Justin Hayward has paid tribute to his late bandmate John Lodge, whose death was announced Friday.

“I’m very sad and shocked to hear of John’s passing,” Hayward wrote on Instagram, next to a picture of them performing together. “I have such happy memories of making music together. My sincere condolences to his dear wife and family.”

Both Lodge and Hayward joined Moody Blues in 1966, with Lodge replacing bassist Clint Warwick, and Hayward replacing vocalist and guitarist Denny Laine.

With Lodge’s death, Hayward is now the last remaining member of the classic Moody Blues lineup.

Also paying tribute to Lodge on social media is the band Yes, former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, who, like Lodge, is a native of Birmingham, England.

Iommi wrote on X, “Sad to hear of the passing of John Lodge of the Moody Blues. I had lunch with him a few weeks ago, so quite a shock. They were another Birmingham band, often overlooked. RIP.”

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Journey’s Jonathan Cain is denying reports that he’s ready to say goodbye to the band.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s spokesperson tells ABC Audio that Cain “remains an active member of Journey, and any reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate.”

“He is fully dedicated to touring with the band over the next couple of years and has only expressed plans to retire at a later time,” the statement continues.

The statement is an apparent response to social media posts made by Cain’s Journey bandmate Neal Schon.

Schon first shared a post on X, in which he wrote, “Jonathan Cain announced his farewell to Journey tonight. I’m nowhere near done!” He added, “Journey has so much more life ahead! I’m sure we will have a great tour!”

Schon later followed up the post with a clip of an interview Cain recently did in which he said Journey would be going on a farewell tour in 2026. He said in the interview, “So I’ll be saying goodbye to that.” Schon then clarified, “We will be touring with Jon all through 26-27 celebrating the music we’ve created.”

The news comes as Cain is getting ready to release a new song, “No One Else,” which he says was “was written in honor of Charlie Kirk,” the late Turning Point USA founder who was killed in September. The song will benefit TPUSA and is set to drop Oct. 23.

As for Journey, so far they have one show scheduled for 2026. They are playing 2026 Stagecoach festival, in Indio, California, on April 25.

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Cheap Trick has shared another track off their upcoming album, All Washed Up, which drops Nov. 14.

The latest is “The Riff That Won’t Quit,” which is available now via digital outlets. It is the second track released from the album, following “Twelve Gates.”

All Washed Up, Cheap Trick’s first album since 2021’s In Another World, will be released digitally, on CD and on black vinyl. There will also be an orange marble variant, limited to 1,000 copies, sold through the band’s website. All formats are available for preorder now.

Cheap Trick is currently on tour and is set to play Rockin’ in Paradise with Styx & Friends on Saturday in Miramar, Florida. They’ll then play Oxford, Alabama, on Sunday.

A complete list of dates can be found at CheapTrick.com.

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Journey’s Jonathan Cain has left the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band, according to his now-former bandmate Neal Schon.

Schon revealed the news in a post on X, writing, “Jonathan Cain announced his farewell to Journey tonight. I’m nowhere near done!” He added, “Journey has so much more life ahead! I’m sure we will have a great tour!”

Schon later explained why Cain is leaving in a response to a fan comment, writing, “He wants to do his ministry.”

Cain is worship leader at City of Destiny in Florida, the church where his wife, Paula White, is the pastor.

Schon and Cain’s relationship has been rocky over the years, with both of them filing lawsuits against each other in 2024. They settled the lawsuit in August of that year and continued to tour together. Journey’s last show was in April.

The news comes as Cain is getting ready to release a new song, “No One Else,” which he says was “was written in honor of Charlie Kirk,” the late Turning Point USA founder who was killed in September. The song will benefit TPUSA and is set to drop Oct. 23.

As for Journey, while they have no tour announced for the rest of the year or 2026, they are scheduled to play the 2026 Stagecoach Festival, taking place April 24-26 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Journey is part of the April 25 lineup.

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Rhino High Fidelity has launched a new reissue series, with albums by Yes and T-Rex kicking things off.

The label’s new Reel-to-Reel (R2R) series focuses on the reel-to-reel format, with each release duplicating an album’s original flat analog master tapes. This offers music fans studio-quality sound, offering folks the master tape experience in their homes.

Starting off the series are reissues of Yes’ 1971 release The Yes Album, which features their classic tune “I’ve Seen All Good People,” and T-Rex’s 1971 release Electric Warrior, featuring their iconic tune “Get it On.”

Each release will be limited to 500 copies worldwide, with the option to bundle the albums. They are available exclusively at Rhino.com.

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Def Leppard received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Thursday.

The band was honored in the category of Recording, receiving the 2,825th star on the Walk of Fame, which is located near the Capitol Records building in Los Angeles.

Jon Bon Jovi was on hand to honor Def Leppard during the ceremony, starting off his speech by acknowledging, “I am a Def Leppard fan.” He then revealed how they met at a festival and became friends.

“The music of Def Leppard was born and raised in our generation but has continued to reach new audiences who have made it their own for four decades and counting,” Jon said in his speech. “Their work ethic, their resilience, their ability to tour year after year, their influence on some of music’s biggest names, including the reigning queen Taylor Swift, is legendary.”

He added, “Their legacy is in fact etched in stone. From their induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to this spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the name Def Leppard will always be.”

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott was chosen to speak for the band and acknowledged the number of stars that came before theirs.

“Are we in good company or what?” Elliott asked the crowd gathered for the ceremony, before thanking all the people on their team who have been with them over the years.

“So, from all of us up here, including (founding member) Pete Willis and, of course, the late great (guitarist) Steve Clark, we all say to each and every one of you, to our collective families, especially our parents who helped us get where we are now, just simply to our incredible, loving fan base out there, two words: thank you,” he added.

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Rock & Roll Hall of Famer John Lodge, bassist and vocalist of the progressive rock band Moody Blues, has passed away at the age of 82.

His death was announced on the Moody Blues’ Facebook page, which posted a statement from his family. They revealed that he died “suddenly and unexpectedly,” noting he “peacefully slipped away surrounded by his loved-ones and the sounds of The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly.”

“He was never happier than being on stage – he was ‘Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band,'” the statement read, referencing the Moody Blues’ 1973 hit, which Lodge wrote.

Born John Charles Lodge on July 20, 1943, Lodge joined Moody Blues in 1966 after original bassist Clint Warwick left the band. In addition to singing and playing bass, Lodge wrote many of their songs, including “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Sitting at the Wheel” and “Talking Out of Turn.”

In addition to his work with Moody Blues, Lodge released the album Blue Jays with his Moody Blues bandmate Justin Hayward in 1975, which was a top-five hit in the U.K. He also released two solo albums, with his most recent release, the EP Love Conquers All, dropping in February.

Lodge and the Moody Blues launched their last tour in 2017, but Lodge continued to tour on his own celebrating the music of Moody Blues. His most recent shows were dedicated to the band’s sophomore album, Days of Future Passed, which is considered by some to be the first real example of the progressive rock genre. It contained the classic hit “Nights in White Satin,” which was initially released in 1967 but peaked at #2 in the U.S. when it was reissued in 1972.

Moody Blues were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

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Former Eagles guitarist Bernie Leadon is out with Too Late To Be Cool, his first solo album in 20 years, and he tells ABC Audio making it was almost like creating a debut record.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer says when artists are starting out they “have their whole life to write that first album,” noting the sophomore albums are harder because musicians are often too busy touring to write new material.

“But you had your whole life to write your first album,” he says. “So this feels a little bit like that because I’ve had another half a lifetime to create this body of songs.”

Leadon worked on the album with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame producer Glyn Johns, who he previously worked with during his time with the Eagles. He says they decided to record the album live to analog tape with live musicians playing together in the studio because that’s “how we all learned” to make records.

Leadon says making the album “was just the joy of a lifetime” and he’s proud of the final product.

“I don’t think I can write any better. I don’t think I could sing any better. I don’t think we could play any better,” he says. “We can’t do this any better than we did. So I’m happy.”

And Leadon hopes fans will be happy as well, and that the album will inspire them to go out there and do what they love.

“Do not stop enjoying the thing that you chose for your life’s work because you loved it,” he says when asked what he wants fans to take away from the album. “Don’t forget why you loved it in the beginning, and keep looking for freshness and ways to make it fresh again for yourself.” 

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When Rush announced dates for their Fifty Something tour on Monday, surviving band members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson revealed that drummer Anika Nilles would be joining them behind the drum kit, filling the space left empty by the 2020 death of their bandmate Neil Peart.

Now that the news is out, Nilles has addressed her fans and the many Rush fans who have started following her on social media.

In a post on Instagram, Nilles describes the days since the announcement as “quite overwhelming,” and goes on to thank Geddy and Alex “for their trust and for welcoming me on this incredible new journey with @rush.”

“I also don’t want to miss the chance to warmly welcome all the new faces here and to thank you for your kind and open-minded words – they truly mean a lot,” she writes. “At the same time, I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has followed and supported my journey over the years.”

“We’re all in this together now, and I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead,” she adds.

Rush’s Fifty Something tour will hit seven cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with the band playing two sets each night, promising new sets for each show. The trek launches June 7 in Los Angeles and wraps Sept. 19 in Cleveland.
 

A complete list of dates and ticket information can be found at Rush.com.

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It’s a year late, but the 30th anniversary of Madonna‘s album Bedtime Stories is being acknowledged with the release of a new EP.

The album, which was released Oct. 28, 1994, featured the hits “Secret” and “Take a Bow,” as well as the title track and the song “Human Nature.” The eight-track EP, called The Untold Chapter, includes early demos, alternate versions and rarities. It’ll be available digitally and on black vinyl Nov. 28.

Madonna and producer Stuart Price, with whom she’s working on a new album set for release next year, put together the EP. In includes never-before-seen images from a 1994 photo shoot. A deluxe two-CD edition featuring the original album and the EP, along with a 20-page booklet of lyrics and artwork, will also be available.

In addition, the original Bedtime Stories album will be reissued on silver vinyl on Nov. 28; if you order it from Madonna.com or Rhino.com, you’ll get an exclusive poster.

Here’s the track listing for Bedtime Stories — The Untold Chapter:

Side One
“Survival” – Quiet Storm Demo Remix
“Secret” – Allstar New Single Mix
“Right On Time” – Original Demo Edit
“Don’t Stop” – Original Demo Edit

Side Two
“Freedom” – Short Mix
“Human Nature” – Howie Tee New Clean Edit
“Let Down Your Guard” – Rough Single Mix
“Love Won’t Wait” – Original Demo Edit

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