Classic Hits

Foreigner is one of the nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, and producer Mark Ronson has recruited some celebrity friends to make the case for why they deserve to be inducted.

Ronson, who’s the stepson of Foreigner’s Mick Jones, has shared a for-your-consideration video on Instagram, featuring Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, all sharing their love of the ’70s rock band.

“Everything that made me want to be a record producer came from being in the studio watching Foreigner make records,” Ronson writes. “It’s also kind of crazy that this is the first time they’ve ever been on the ballot for the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame – after 20 years of eligibility.”

He adds, “Yes, Mick is my stepdad and I love him more than anything. But I’m also a MEGA fan just like Dave, Jack, Slash, Chad and Josh… Enjoy this video and VOTE BABY VOTE!”

“I’ve loved Foreigner since I got their debut record,” Grohl shares in the clip. “There’s one drum riff that I have used in more than a few songs.”

Referring to Foreigner’s #1 song, Homme adds, “You want to know what love is? Love is putting Foreigner in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.” 

The clip ends with Black singing a portion of “Feels Like the First Time” and joking, “Hey, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, open the door! Foreigner’s waiting outside. Let ’em in.”

Fan voting is open until April 26, with inductees to be announced later that month. The ceremony, happening this fall in Cleveland, will stream live on Disney+, followed by a highlights special airing later on ABC.

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John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Dion Dimucci and Mavis Staples will be honored at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music’s second annual American Music Honors. 

The awards are handed out to artists “who have demonstrated artistic excellence, creative integrity, and a longstanding commitment to the value of music in our national consciousness.” 

“The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music is proud to honor these musically, culturally, and politically important artists,” Robert Santelli, founding executive director of the Springsteen Archives, shares. “All four artists—John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Mavis Staples, and Dion—have contributed mightily to the American music canon and have demonstrated how the power of song can act as an agent for positive change in our country.”

The event will take place April 24 at the Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, the home of the Bruce Springsteen Archives.

Steven Van Zandt and his band Disciples of Soul will act as house band for the night, with Springsteen, his manager Jon Landau and Darlene Love serving as presenters.

The American Music Honors launched in 2023, with Van Zandt and Love both honored, along with Sam & Dave‘s Sam Moore and Steve Earle.

The event is open to the public, with tickets going on sale March 26.

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On This Day, February 21, 1990 …

At the 32nd annual Grammy Awards, Bonnie Raitt took home four awards, including Album of the Year for Nick of Time. 

She also won for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female for the album’s title track, as well as Best Traditional Blues Recording for her Johnny Lee Hooker collaboration “I’m in the Mood.”

Raitt won her most recent Grammys in 2023, taking home three trophies: the coveted Song of the Year award for “Just Like That,” which also won Best American Roots Song, and for Best Americana Performance for “Made Up Mind.”

In total, Raitt has won 13 Grammy Awards from 30 nominations. She was also honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

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Foreigner has been on their Farewell tour since 2023, and while guitarist Mick Jones is the only original member still associated with the band, he hasn’t been part of the tour. He’s now revealed that Parkinson’s disease is what’s been keeping him from performing.

“Fans will have become very aware that for some time now, I have not been performing onstage with the band,” Jones shared in a statement. “Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I want everyone to know that I am doing alright. However, I’ve always liked to be at my best when performing onstage, and sadly, at present, I find that a bit difficult.”

Jones notes that while he hasn’t been performing, he’s still very much a part of Foreigner, working behind the scenes with the group.

“Parkinson’s is a daily struggle; several of my friends are also dealing with the disease,” he continues. “The important thing is to persevere with the loving support of my family, and remind myself of the wonderful career I’ve had in music.”

He went on to thank Foreigner fans for their support, noting “it always means so very much to me, especially so at this point in my life.” 

Foreigner released their self-titled debut album in 1977 and went on to sell over 80 million records worldwide. They have nine top 10 hits, one #1 album, 4, and one #1 single, “I Want To Know What Love Is.”

Earlier this month Foreigner was nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Inductees will be announced in late April, with the ceremony set to take place this fall in Cleveland.

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Rod Stewart has hinted that he and his former Faces bandmate, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, may be releasing new music at some point.

During an interview with Vulture to promote his new album Swing Fever with Jools Holland, which drops February 23, Stewart talked about songs that he’s written but not released and suggested they may wind up being Faces recordings.

“There are a lot of songs I’ve written that I haven’t put out and nobody knows about them,” he says. “My songs are like my children. I gave birth to them and then I put them out there in the world and see how they do.” 

He then shared that he’s sent some of those songs to Wood, explaining, “I told him, ‘This is stuff we’ve recorded with my band, maybe the Faces would like to do it instead?’” He added, “We’re still struggling to make this album. We’ll see. Some of them might see the light of day.” 

In the meantime, Faces is set to drop a special release for Record Store Day on April 20. The BBC Session Recordings is the second set of highlights from the band’s appearances on the BBC over the years. They previously released Had Me A Real Good Time… With Faces Live In Session At The BBC 1971-1973 for Record Store Day Black Friday in November.

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Opening statements are expected Wednesday in the trial of three men charged in a conspiracy involving nearly 100 pages of Don Henley’s handwritten notes and lyrics for the Eagles album Hotel California.

According to the indictment, Glen Horowitz, Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinki possessed notes that included lyrics to the songs “Hotel California,” “Life in the Fast Lane” and “New Kid In Town.”  

Despite knowing the materials were stolen, they attempted to sell the manuscripts, manufactured false provenance and lied to auction houses, potential buyers and law enforcement about the origin of the material, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said.

The manuscripts were originally stolen in the late 1970s by an author who’d been hired to write an Eagles biography. In 2005 he sold the manuscripts to Horowitz, a rare books dealer, who then sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski. 

When Henley learned of the sale, he filed police reports, told the defendants the materials were stolen and demanded the return of his property. Prosecutors allege that rather than making any effort to ensure they actually had rightful ownership, the defendants responded by engaging in a yearslong campaign to prevent Henley from recovering the manuscripts.

According to the indictment, Horowitz and Inciardi worked to fabricate the manuscripts’ provenance and attempted to use that false statement of provenance to coerce Henley into buying back his stolen property. When trying to sell the manuscripts, Inciardi allegedly lied and withheld information regarding Henley’s claims.

Horowitz also attempted to exploit the death of founding Eagles member Glenn Frey to prevent criminal prosecution: he allegedly produced a new false statement of provenance, this time claiming that the materials originated from Frey.

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We haven’t heard much from Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen since the death of brother and bandmate Eddie Van Halen, but that’s about to change.

A post on publisher Harper Collins’ website reveals that Alex has written a new book, Brothers, which will be released on October 22.

The announcement doesn’t offer many details about the book, only the release date, that it will be 384 pages and will sell for $32. It also lists an alternative title, The Brothers Van Halen. 

The book is available for preorder now.

Alex has been fairly quiet and hasn’t played music publicly since Eddie’s death in 2020. In January, on what would have been Eddie’s 69th birthday, he shared a picture of them together on Instagram with the caption, “We miss you” and the hashtag #VanHalenForever.

Alex isn’t the first member of Van Halen to write a book. The band’s original frontman David Lee Roth released his autobiography, Crazy from the Heat, in 1997, while Roth’s replacement Sammy Hagar released his, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock, in 2011.

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After announcing a handful of U.S. shows for 2024, James Taylor has revealed dates for a full summer tour.

The tour kicks off May 29 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and includes a two-night stand at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, as well as shows in Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston and Bethel Woods, New York.

The tour wraps with three already announced shows in Vienna, Virginia, on September 12, 14 and 15.

A James Taylor fan club presale kicks off Wednesday, February 21, with the general onsale set for Friday, February 23, at 10 a.m. A complete list of dates can be found at jamestaylor.com.

Before he heads out for his summer trek, Taylor has dates booked in Tokyo, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. His next show is happening April 6 at Tokyo’s Garden Theater. 

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The solo career of The Who’s late bassist John Entwistle will be the subject of a new CD box set coming in May. 

The Ox Box Set, dropping May 10, will feature Entwistle’s six solo albums — 1971’s Smash Your Head Against the Wall, 1972’s Whistle Rymes, 1973’s Rigor Mortis Sets In, 1975’s Mad Dog, 1981’s Too Late the Hero and 1996’s The Rock — with each CD containing bonus tracks made up of outtakes, demos and early versions of songs. The set will also include a 28-page booklet. 

Also on May 10, three of Entwistle’s solo albums will be reissued separately on 140g colored vinyl. Smash Your Head Against the Wall will be released on green vinyl, its first vinyl release since 1981. Whistle Rymes will be released on red vinyl, its first time on vinyl since 1973, and Rigor Mortis Sets In will be released on orange vinyl, becoming its first vinyl release since 1974.

Both the box set and the individual colored vinyl releases are available for preorder now.

This isn’t the first time Entwistle’s solo career has been the subject of a new release. Back in November, all six albums, including bonus tracks, debuted on digital services.

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On This Day, February 20, 1974…

Steely Dan released their third studio album, Pretzel Logic, which was the last to feature the full lineup of Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, Denny Dias, Jim Hodder and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. Future albums would be recorded by Becker, Fagen and hired studio musicians. 

Pretzel Logic was a top 10 hit for Steely Dan, peaking at #8 on the Billboard 200.  It featured the hit single “Ricki Don’t Lose That Number,” which was the highest charting single of the band’s career, hitting #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The album went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA. 

Steely Dan, which these days consists of Fagen and a group of touring musicians, is still out on the road. They are currently opening for the Eagles on their Long Goodbye Tour, which hits Hollywood, Florida, on March 1 and 2.

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