Classic Hits

Diane Warren, already a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, has been announced as this year’s recipient of the hall’s highest honor: the Johnny Mercer Award.

The award is given to Hall members “whose body of work is of such high quality and impact that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary Johnny Mercer.” Diane, who is currently a Best Original Song Oscar nominee for the 15th time, has written enduring hits like “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” “Rhythm of the Night,” “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” “How Do I Live,” “Unbreak My Heart,” “Because You Loved Me,” “If I Could Turn Back Time” and countless others.

Songwriters Hall of Fame chairman Nile Rodgers calls Diane “a force of nature” who “despite her enormous success … shows up to write songs every morning at 8 a.m.!”

Diane says in a statement, “When I was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, my mom was there and finally understood that I could make a living and life being what I was born to be and wake up every day loving to be … a songwriter. Now, both she and my dad will be looking down on me with big smiles on their faces. Thank you, Songwriters Hall of Fame.”

She’ll receive the honor at the annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala on June 13 in New York City. This year’s inductees include the members of R.E.M. and Steely Dan.

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A lawsuit accusing Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler of sexual assault in the ’70s has been dismissed after a judge ruled the plaintiff waited too long to file her case.

The suit was filed in New York in November on behalf of former child model Jeanne Bellino, who claimed she was assaulted by Tyler in the summer of 1975 when she was 17. She accused him of forcibly kissing and groping her. 

Although the alleged assault happened in the ’70s, Bellino filed her suit under New York City’s Victim of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, which granted a two-year window to file suits that would have otherwise fallen outside the usual statute of limitations.

But U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed Bellino’s case, noting that to qualify under the Victim of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, she would have had to show Tyler’s actions posed a “serious risk of physical injury,” but she didn’t.

Tyler is still facing another lawsuit. In December 2022, a woman named Julia Misley filed a lawsuit in California accusing Tyler of sexual assault, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Tyler and Misley were in a relationship for three years starting in 1973, when she was 16 and he was in his 20s. She claimed she was “powerless to resist” the rock star’s “power, fame and substantial financial ability,” and said he “coerced and persuaded” her into believing their relationship was a “romantic love affair.”

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On This Day, February 22, 1989…

The 31st Grammy Awards added a new category, Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance, but it was not without controversy.

Jethro Tull won the award for their album Crest of the Knave, beating out Metallica, who were the favorites to win for their album …And Justice for All.

Other artists nominated in the category included AC/DC, Jane’s Addiction and Iggy Pop.

There was so much controversy over the win, that the following year the Grammys separated the categories into Best Hard Rock Performance and Best Metal Performance, with Metallica winning Best Metal Performance in 1990 for “One.”

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KISS fans know Paul Stanley can rock out onstage, but music isn’t his only artistic endeavor. Stanley has had a successful art career for years, and he tells ABC Audio it started as an outlet for him when he was going through some hard times.

“I was going through a divorce and my best friend said to me, ‘You need to paint,'” he shares. “And I was taken aback because that wasn’t something I was expecting to hear, but it somehow resonated with me.”

Stanley describes his art as “very cathartic.” While he’s made millions from his work, he never expected it to be so lucrative. In fact, when he first started out he didn’t think he’d show his pieces to anyone.

“I never could have imagined the kind of success I’ve had,” he says. “If credibility comes from being a struggling artist, I guess I’ve given that up.”

Stanley is set to premiere his latest collection with appearances at two Wentworth Gallery locations in Florida: at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood on February 23 and at the Town Center Mall in Boca Raton on February 24.

Included in the collection are some pieces from Stanley’s The Other Side exhibit, which debuted last August at The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. 

Of course, his appearances bring out KISS fans who may have previously thought art wasn’t for them, and Stanley is perfectly happy with that.

“I would like to think that I can break down some of those barriers of elitism and snobbism that ultimately intimidate people from experiencing theater or art,” he says. “Good art is what you like. Art is, like everything else, is subjective.”

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Bonnie Raitt is returning to Austin City Limits. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer appears on the Saturday, February 24, episode of the PBS series, performing classic tunes and highlights from her 2022 album, Just Like That… .

Raitt taped the episode back in October and was joined by Nashville-based singer/songwriter Sunny War.

Raitt’s appearance is her first ACL performance in over a decade. She made her ACL debut in 1984 and last appeared on the program in 2012, although she did perform on the 40th anniversary special in 2014. She was also inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame in 2016.

In addition to PBS, fans can catch the episode streaming via PBS.org. 

The ACL performance is a preview of what fans can expect when Raitt hits the road this spring. Her tour kicks off April 26 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A complete list of dates can be found at bonnieraitt.com.

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Roger Daltrey has booked his first U.S. show for 2024. The Who frontman is set to headline The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in San Diego, California, on May 6, with KT Tunstall serving as special guest.

The concert is billed as a one-off show, where fans can expect Daltrey to perform “solo songs, rare cuts and some Who favorites.” He’ll backed by a band that features Frank Simes on guitars, Jon Butto on bass, Loren Gold on keyboards, Scott Devours on drums and Katie Jacoby on violin.

A ticket presale begins Thursday, February 22, at 10 a.m, with the general sale set for Friday, February 23, at 10 a.m. 

The gig is one of only four shows on Daltrey’s schedule this year. The Who is set to perform two Teenage Cancer Trust benefit shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March. Daltrey is also headlining the final night of the Teenage Cancer Trust benefits, dubbed Ovation, a Celebration of 24 Years of Gigs for TCT, on March 24, with special guests Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones and Paul Weller.

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Eric Clapton and James Taylor are among the artists contributing to a new album celebrating the music of “Mr. Guitar” Chet Atkins.

We Still Can’t Say Good Bye, billed as “a musician’s tribute to Chet Atkins,” features an A-list lineup of artists performing on 15 tracks made famous by Atkins, who passed away in 2001 at the age of 77.

In total, 22 musicians and artists appear on the record. In addition to Clapton and Taylor, guests include Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley and Tommy Emmanuel.

Clapton appears on two songs on the album, “So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad),” which also features Gill and Bradley Walker, and “Freight Train,” which features several special guests. Taylor teams up with Krauss for one song, “How’s The World Treating You.” 

We Still Can’t Say Good Bye is set to drop April 19.

Atkins has been credited with creating the “Nashville sound,” which helped popularize country music. During his career he was the winner of 14 Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the Music Excellence category in 2002.

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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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