Classic Hits – Page 324

Stevie Nicks rocks Taylor Swift bracelet onstage at BottleRock Napa festival

May 28, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Looks like Stevie Nicks may have gotten a special delivery from Taylor Swift.

When Taylor’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, was released in April, she sent packages of merchandise to select people, including Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Simu Liu, Ellen Pompeo and Sarah Michelle Gellar. While there’s no photographic evidence that Stevie received one, she was seen onstage wearing one of the items Taylor sent to her fellow stars.

As Page Six reports, at the BottleRock Napa music festival on May 25 — one day before her birthday — Stevie took the stage wearing stacks of bracelets, one of which was a gold nameplate bracelet that says “TTPD” on it.

Stevie deserved a package more than most of those celebrities: She’s actually mentioned in the lyrics of one of the songs on the album, “Clara Bow.” Taylor sings, “You look like Stevie Nicks in ‘75/ the hair and lips/ crowd goes wild at her fingertips/ half moonshine, a full eclipse.” She also wrote an original poem that’s included in the album.

Stevie and Taylor have known each other for years. They sang together at the Grammy Awards in 2010, and Stevie referred to Taylor as “my friend” in an interview last year. Stevie also thanked Taylor for writing the Midnights song “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” which Stevie said helped her grieve the 2022 death of her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie.

Jon Bon Jovi claims he’s only talked to Richie Sambora twice since he left Bon Jovi

May 28, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Jon Bon Jovi wants fans to know that despite what Richie Sambora says, the guitarist hasn’t made any “great overtures” about rejoining Bon Jovi.

Since Sambora left Bon Jovi in 2013, he’s hinted several times that he might reunite with the band, most recently in November 2023. But according to Jon, if Sambora is interested in doing so, he hasn’t made it very clear. In fact, according to Jon, the two have had very limited contact since 2013.

“I’ve talked to him twice,” Jon tells Classic Rock magazine. “He. Quit. The. Band. I swear to Christ there was never a fight, nothing … He wasn’t kicked out, he quit. And he hasn’t made any great overtures about coming back.”

Jon also tells the magazine the exact circumstances under which Richie departed the band right before a show in Calgary.

“I talked to him the day before, I remember it so well. It was Easter Sunday, 2013 … [I was in New York] and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m feeling great … see you up there [in Canada].’”

“He said: ‘Can I stay home one more day?’ ‘Of course. You want to fly private tomorrow? Sure. Do it. I don’t care. See you up there,’” Jon continues. “And then the next day the phone rings at three in the afternoon, and, you know… ‘I can’t go on.’”

Since then, Sambora has claimed that one reason he wanted to leave was that the band was getting “stale,” which Jon refutes.

“I didn’t think so, and the collective, we didn’t think so,” he tells Classic Rock. “I personally thought that everything was going incredibly … And it was never brought up in the room, or in the writing, or in the recording, or during the first 20 shows of that tour.”

Dead & Company add six more shows to Las Vegas Sphere residency

May 28, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Dead & Company‘s Las Vegas residency is very much alive.

The band has just announced six additional shows for their Dead Forever – Live at Sphere residency, beginning August 1. That brings the total number of shows at the Sphere to 30, for now.

You can register for the presale at Dead & Company’s website. The presale itself starts Thursday at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. PT via deadandcompany.com. Tickets start at $145, including taxes and fees.

You can also access VIP concert and hotel packages for the dates at deadforever.vibee.com.

The band’s residency launched on May 16.

Rare Bob Dylan painting sold for nearly $200K at auction

May 28, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Rare Bob Dylan painting sold for nearly 0K at auction

Rare Bob Dylan painting sold for nearly $200K at auction — Bob Dylan painting, courtesy RR Auction

A painting that Bob Dylan created while living in Woodstock, New York, in the ’60s has brought nearly $200,000 at an auction held one day before his 83rd birthday.

At the May 23 sale, held by RR Auctions, the colorful abstract painting — featuring the outline of a bull’s head and an image of a red man in a wide-brimmed hat — went for $196,156. It had been anticipated to sell for $100,000.

Dylan originally gave the painting to a Woodstock woman named Sandy LePanto in exchange for LePanto creating an astrology chart for him. The painting was rediscovered as part of LePanto’s ex-husband’s estate.

Another notable item sold at the auction was a rare recording of Jimi Hendrix performing with Little Richard at a concert in Boston in 1965. That went for $51,644.

The next Bob Dylan auction item to keep an eye on is the ’65 Fender Telecaster he played on Blonde on Blonde and on his 1966 tour with The Band, then known as The Hawks. On each night of that tour, Dylan was booed by audiences who were upset that he’d “gone electric.” The Band’s Robbie Robertson later used the guitar at various live gigs, on The Band’s albums Music From Big Pink and Stage Fright, and on sessions for artists like Joni Mitchell and Ringo Starr.

The guitar will be auctioned off May 29 by Julien’s Auctions and is expected to bring up to $700,000.

Peter Frampton to receive annual Spirit Award from Les Paul Foundation

May 28, 2024 by WDNY Radio

If you Google “Peter Frampton,” it’s likely you’ll find a photo of him playing a Gibson Les Paul guitar. Which is why it’s fitting that the newly minted Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee will receive the annual Spirit Award from the Les Paul Foundation.

The Spirit Award is given to people who “exemplify the spirit of the late great [guitar pioneer] Les Paul through innovation, engineering, technology and/or music.” Frampton will receive the honor June 9, which would have been Les Paul’s 109th birthday, at Gibson Garage Nashville. A grant from the foundation will also be made to the charity of Frampton’s choice in his name.

“I cannot think of anyone more fitting to be honored with this year’s Les Paul Spirit Award than Peter Frampton,” said Michael Braunstein, executive director of The Les Paul Foundation, in a statement. “Not only is he an extraordinary talent who has given us an amazing array of extraordinary music, but he is an innovator who understands music, technologies, and the spirit of Les Paul. … If Les were still alive today, I have absolutely no doubt that he and Peter would be experimenting together at Les’ house.”

After concert postponements, Bruce Springsteen promises European fans “show of your life”

May 28, 2024 by WDNY Radio

After announcing the postponement of four European concerts due to vocal issues, Bruce Springsteen has now taken to Instagram to address fans directly.

“Hey, it’s Bruce Springsteen. I’m in Marseille. Unfortunately, I could not sing for you,” says Bruce in his video message. “But we will be back — to Marseille, to Prague and to Milan — to give you the show of your life. That, I promise you.”

“In the meantime, I’d like to thank our Irish fans, our British fans, our fans in Wales for giving us a series of shows that [were] deeply memorable and we just had great times,” he continues. “We’ll be back, comin’ back to Madrid and Barcelona, where we plan to rock you into the ground. Alright, be seeing you soon. Bye bye.”

The message is followed by a video montage of Bruce & The E Street Band‘s U.K. shows.

Bruce and the band will resume their tour June 12 in Madrid.

On This Day, May 28, 1945: John Fogerty was born

May 28, 2024 by WDNY Radio

On This Day, May 28, 1945 …

Legendary rocker John Fogerty was born in Berkley, California.

Fogerty rose to fame as the lead singer, lead guitarist and principal songwriter for the rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, which he co-founded in 1968 with his brother Tom Fogerty, Doug Clifford and Stu Cook.

The band had nine top-10 singles, including such classics as “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Fortunate Son,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” “Green River,” “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” and “Down on The Corner.” Eight of their albums have been certified Gold.

CCR broke up in 1972 and Fogerty launched a successful solo career. His 1985 solo album, Centerfield, gave him his first and only solo top-10 single, “The Old Man Down The Road.” Fogerty was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

In January 2023, after a 50-year battle with his former record label, Fogerty regained control of the worldwide publishing rights to his music with Creedence Clearwater Revival, which encompassed more than 65 songs.

Fogerty will be hitting the road this summer, with his tour kicking off June 2 in Simpsonville, South Carolina. A complete list of dates can be found at johnforgerty.com.

Julien’s Auctions predicts John Lennon guitar will sell for over $1 million

May 28, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Julien’s Auctions predicts John Lennon guitar will sell for over million

Julien’s Auctions predicts John Lennon guitar will sell for over $1 million — courtesy of Julien’s Auctions

John Lennon’s long-lost Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar is up for grabs at Julien’s Auctions’ upcoming Music Icons auction, and it’s certainly an iconic piece of music history.

“It’s incredible,” Julien’s Auctions Executive Director Martin Nolan tells ABC Audio. “Presumed lost for 50 years.”

The guitar, purchased in 1964, was passed from Lennon to Gordon Waller of Peter and Gordon in late 1965; Waller then gave it to their road manager. It was only recently discovered in the 90-year-old road manager’s attic.

The guitar is an important part of The Beatles history, having been played on songs like “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” and “Help!” George Harrison even played it on “Norwegian Wood.” And Beatles member Ringo Starr recently got to relive that history when he was reunited with the instrument at his home.

“We brought the guitar and he was so genuinely excited to see it and to play it and to take photographs with it,” Nolan shares. “He loved holding it and just reminiscing.”

Another person who’ll be reunited with the guitar is Lennon’s son Julian Lennon, who was photographed in the studio with it in 1965. Julian is also selling items in the auction, and Nolan notes, “Of course, Julian will come to see this before we gavel it to the new owner.”

While Nolan says The Beatles probably only spent about $100 on the guitar, its new owner will have to shell out a whole lot more, with bids already over $1 million.

“It could go a lot higher,” Nolan says. “There’s great interest in this. It’s so iconic. It’s very special.”

Julien’s Auctions’ Music Icons auction is happening May 29 and 30 in New York and online. More info can be found at julilensauctions.com.

Iron Butterfly’s Doug Ingle dead at 78; co-wrote and sang “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”

May 26, 2024 by WDNY Radio

Doug Ingle, who founded the proto-hard rock/heavy metal band Iron Butterfly and co-wrote and sang their signature song, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” has died. He was 78.

“It’’ with a heavy heart & great sadness to announce the passing of my Father Doug Ingle,” Ingle’s son Doug Ingle Jr. wrote in a Facebook post. “Dad passed away peacefully this evening in the presence of family. Thank You Dad for being a father, teacher and friend. Cherished loving memories I will carry the rest of my days moving forward in this journey of life. Love you Dad.”

Ingle was the last surviving member of Iron Butterfly’s most famous lineup. Drummer Ron Bushy, bassist Lee Dornan and guitarist Erik Brann died in 2021, 2012 and 2003, respectively.

The band’s second album, 1968’s In A-Gadda-Da-Vida, featured the legendary title track, a 17-minute composition that took up the entire second side of the album. The title is a misheard version of the phrase “in the Garden of Eden.” When Ingle first played it for Bushy, he was so drunk that he slurred the words, so Bushy wrote them down incorrectly.

An edited, three-minute version of the song reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album itself peaked at #4, and sold eight million copies in its first year alone. It went on to sell 30 million copies.

Iron Butterfly broke up in 1971, but Ingle was involved with various iterations of the band over the subsequent decades. He retired from performing in 1999.

As Variety notes, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” has become part of pop culture, having appeared in the Michael Mann film Manhunter and an episode of The Simpsons. It was also covered and sampled by artists including Slayer and Nas.

George Harrison’s childhood home officially gets historical plaque recognition

May 24, 2024 by WDNY Radio

The Liverpool home where the late George Harrison lived during his childhood has officially been designated as a historical site.

The BBC reports that a “blue plaque” — a marker installed by the English Heritage charity — was unveiled May 24 at No. 12 Arnold Grove in the Liverpool suburb of Wavertree. It’s one of the first official plaques to be placed on a property outside London.

The former Beatles member wrote of his house in his memoir, “It was O.K. that house — very pleasant being little and it was always sunny in summer,” according to the BBC.

His widow, Olivia Harrison, was at the unveiling of the plaque. According to The Guardian, she said, “This … recognition of George’s birthplace is a source of family pride for all the Harrisons, and something that none of us, mainly George, would ever have anticipated.”

“So much of who George was came from being born and spending his earliest years at 12 Arnold Grove, undeniably a part of who George was,” she continued. “He left a footprint on this world, on this country, in this city and on this street.”

She told the BBC that George had good memories of growing up in a “very tight-knit, secure family life.”

“There was something about these small family places and how you learn to respect other people’s space,” she said. “He had a freedom where he could go run down the alley and visit his nan and then back home. That was a big deal for a little five-year-old kid.”

“This was his cocoon, and out of that came such an incredible man with such vision and compassion and sensibility.”

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