Classic Hits

There have been a lot of books written about The Beatles over the years, and now a new one will focus on the relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs, by author Ian Leslie, will be released April 8. It’s described as a “myth-shattering biography of a relationship that changed the cultural history of the world.”

According to the description, John & Paul follows the “twists and turns” of the rock stars’ relationship, revealing “how these shifts manifested themselves in the music.” It will offer readers “an intimate and insightful new look at two of the greatest icons in music history, and rich insights into the nature of creativity, collaboration, and human intimacy.”

John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs is available for preorder now.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Neil Young is worried he may not be able to tour America as planned due to his feelings about President Donald Trump.

The rocker writes on his Neil Young Archives website that he’s concerned he’ll be barred from reentering the U.S. if he chooses to speak out against the president during his upcoming European tour.

“If I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket,” Young writes. “That is happening all the time now. … If I come back from Europe and am barred, can’t play my USA tour, all of the folks who bought tickets will not be able to come to a concert by me.”

Young, who is from Canada and became a U.S. citizen in 2020, questions what it means for freedom if he could be kept out of the country for freely sharing his feelings about the current administration.

“I love America and its people and its music and its culture,” he writes. “By these latest actions of the US government, it seems that those who speak freely with their own opinions are now vulnerable to non-existent Trump law.”

Finally, Young ends his post by paraphrasing the Pledge of Allegiance. “One country, indivisible, with Liberty and Freedom, for all,” he writes. “Remember that? I do.”

Young’s love earth tour with his band The Chrome Hearts kicks off June 18 in Rättvik, Sweden. It hits the U.S. Aug. 8 in Charlotte, North Carolina, wrapping with a show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Sept. 15.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Foreigner’s Lou Gramm and Mick Jones have had a troubled relationship over the years, with Gramm leaving the group in 1990 over their differences. But Gramm now says the band’s 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction has helped heal the rift.

“Ever since (the induction) it felt like, personally, I had to find a way to let go of some of the things I’ve been holding onto for years — and, like the song says, let it be,” he tells Billboard.

Relations between Gramm and Foreigner have improved so much that it was recently announced he’d be joining the band for their South American tour; Gramm and Luis Maldonado will fill in for current frontman Kelly Hansen, who’s missing the tour due to “some issues.”

“It’s a hackneyed sentiment, but it’s true — life’s too short,” Gramm says of his decision to return. “And a lot of the things that are blown up and made big deals about are easy enough to get over and humble yourself and reach out a little bit, ’cause what you’ve been mad about for the past 20 years is not a monumental thing.”

And Gramm’s new attitude apparently extends to Hansen, as well. “We didn’t have a very good relationship before, either, but it’s good now,” Gramm says.

Foreigner’s South American tour kicks off April 28 in Mexico City and runs through May 10 in São Paulo, Brazil. A complete list of Foreigner dates can be found at foreigneronline.com.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Although Bruce Springsteen has denied reports that he’s a billionaire, that didn’t stop Forbes from adding him to its 2025 World’s Billionaires list.

The Boss is one of this year’s newcomers to the list, with earnings of $1.2 billion, according to the magazine, which notes his reported payday of $500 million when he sold his catalog to Sony in 2021.

Other billionaire newbies on the list include Jerry Seinfeld and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Forbes first reported Springsteen’s billionaire status back in July, but the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer later denied the report.

“I’m not a billionaire,” he told The Telegraph in October. “I wish I was, but they got that real wrong. I’ve spent too much money on superfluous things.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Who continues to look back at their 60-year career, and this time they are highlighting their iconic 1967 appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

The band just debuted a new poster and T-shirt inspired by the appearance, which had them performing “My Generation” and then completely destroying all their equipment.

While neither the poster nor T-shirt, designed by Tom Walker, actually mention the Smothers Brothers show, both pay homage to the destruction with images of broken guitars, drums and more set against a huge explosion.

Both the poster and T-shirt are now available at thewho.com.

The Who recently headlined two nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall for Teenage Cancer Trust. They are also scheduled to play two shows in Italy: July 20 in Padua and July 21 in Milan. Frontman Roger Daltrey also has several solo U.K. shows on the schedule, with a tour kicking off April 20 in Brighton, England.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A second leg has been added to The Queens! 4 Legends. 1 Stage tour, starring legends Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and Stephanie Mills.

The new dates will kick off Sept. 19 in Greensboro, months after the first leg ends on June 1. Atlanta, Memphis, Newark, Milwaukee, Detroit and Atlantic City are also on the updated tour schedule, which will wrap Oct. 5 in Cleveland. Tickets go on sale via a presale starting Thursday at 10 a.m. local time at BlackPromotersCollective.com, with a general sale beginning Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

“Sharing the stage with my amazing sisters is an absolute honor,” Chaka said in a statement. “Music is about connection, and this will be a celebration of the joy, power, and love that it brings to us all.”

Patti teases the tour is “going to be something special,” and Stephanie adds the ladies are eager to perform for their fans.

“I’m excited to tour with my beautiful sisters! Our different styles unite in love, compassion and understanding and it’s important to come together now,” Stephanie said in a statement. “Performing with Chaka, Patti, and Gladys for you will be electrifying. We can’t wait to see you.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones has revealed that he once stole equipment from David Bowie.

In a new interview with The Guardian, Jones confirmed a rumor that in 1973, at Bowie’s last Ziggy Stardust show at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, he made off with some of Bowie’s equipment.

“They played two nights, and after the first night they left all the gear up, because they were playing there the next night,” he explained. “I knew the Hammersmith Odeon like the back of my hand, I used to bunk in there all the time. I was like the Phantom of Hammersmith Odeon.”

He said he stole a minivan and got into the venue at about 2 a.m., when the place was empty except for one guy who was asleep and snoring.

“I tiptoed across the stage, and I nicked some cymbals, the bass player’s [amplifier] head – a Sunn amp it was – and some microphones,” he said. “I got Bowie’s microphone with his lipstick on it!”

Jones said he eventually called Bowie to admit he nicked the equipment, noting, “He knew I’d done it; he thought it was funny.” Jones clarified that he doesn’t think he took anything that actually belonged to Bowie, just his band.

In the same interview, Jones admitted to a somewhat gross “party trick,” sharing, “I like to fart in front of people.”

“You can tell if someone’s cool or not from their reaction,” he said. “I farted in front of Lisa Marie Presley once. She was sitting outside Starbucks and I was going in, and I just let one rip. She had this look on her face of disgust. I just carried on walking into Starbucks. Is that bad?”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Looks like Bruce Springsteen is trying to tell us something.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer shared a cryptic post on social media that suggests he’s set to reveal some news on Thursday.

The post featured a recording session log from Springsteen’s Thrill Hill Recording company, with the date April 3 written on the top. Written on the document is the statement, “What was lost has now been found.” The name “Springsteen” is stamped at the bottom.

Whatever he’s teasing, fans seem excited. Many are speculating in the comments that he’ll be announcing Tracks 2, a sequel to his 1998 box set of never-before-released demos, alternative tracks and more. However, some seem hopeful for an electric version of his 1982 acoustic album, Nebraska.

Others are just excited for whatever it is, with one person commenting, “Oh my God, I’m having a heart attack now.”

The tease comes as Springsteen is getting ready to hit the road again. He and the E Street Band will kick off a U.K. and European tour on May 14 in Manchester, England. A complete list of dates can be found at BruceSpringsteen.net.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On This Day, April 1, 2008…

The Rolling Stones released Shine a Light, the soundtrack to their Martin Scorsese-directed concert film of the same name.

The concert doc featured performances from the band’s two-night stand at the intimate Beacon Theatre in New York, which took place October 29 and November 1, 2006. The shows took place during their A Bigger Bang Tour.

The movie featured special guests Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera performing with the Stones; they also appeared on the soundtrack.

Performances on the release included “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Symphony for the Devil,” “Brown Sugar” and “Start Me Up.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Martin Guitar just debuted two new limited-edition Eric Clapton guitars to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their first collaboration together.

The collaboration began in 1995 with the 000-42E guitar after Clapton’s iconic 1992 MTV Unplugged episode sparked renewed interest in acoustic guitars. Now for the 30th anniversary, the company is once again taking inspiration from Clapton for new acoustic models.

The 000-42EC 30th Anniversary guitar is inspired by the 1939 Martin Clapton played during the Unplugged performance. Only 300 of the new guitars are being made available, and each comes with a paper label hand-signed by Clapton. They don’t come cheap, though, with a price tag of almost $11,000.

The second guitar is the 000-EC 30th Anniversary and is said to be for “players seeking a more understated nod to Eric’s sound.” It will be available only through 2026 and comes with a paper label with Clapton’s pre-printed signature. It sells for almost $5,000.

Clapton has long been a fan of Martin guitars and has collaborated with the company on a variety of axes over the years, including a trio of guitars in 2023 that benefited his Crossroads Centre rehab facility. 

He previously noted, “If I could choose what to come back as, it would be a Martin OM-45.”

More info can be found at martinguitar.com.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.