Classic Hits

Amid his legal battle with his musical partner John Oates, Daryl Hall has been announced as a headliner for the first Montreux Jazz Festival Miami. 

The Montreux Jazz Festival, the second-largest annual jazz festival in the world, has been held in Montreux, Switzerland since 1967. This is the first time the festival, which welcomes all genres of music, is branching out to a U.S. city. In addition to Daryl, headliners include Grammy-winning artist Jon Batiste, who is the co-owner of and ambassador for the event.

The festival will take place March 1-2 at The Hangar in Coconut Grove, Florida. More details about the rest of the lineup will be announced in January.

Ticket presales are available now at MontreuxJazzFestivalMiami.com. The general onsale date is November 30.

Deep Purple fans may recall that the Montreux Jazz Festival inspired the band’s classic single “Smoke on the Water.” The song tells the true story of the events of December 4, 1971: During a concert at the festival’s original location — the Montreux Casino — an audience member set off a flare gun, which set fire to the venue’s ceiling and burned down the entire complex.

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Derek Smalls, former vocalist and bass player of the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap, has reissued his 2018 solo debut, Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing), with even more music for fans to enjoy. 

“As a rock’ n’ roller, I really never expected to make it past 27,” Smalls, better known as actor Harry Shearer, shares. “Here I am with all 10 fingers and all five strings, still ready to rock. Maybe my colleagues are getting older too. So, I’d say, it’s time to rock some more.”

Released in 2018, Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing) featured guest appearances by such A-list rockers as Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, Yes’ Rick Wakeman, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, the late Taylor Hawkins and more. 

The new deluxe edition features two previously unreleased live tracks: “She Puts the B**** in Obituary” featuring actress Jane Lynch and “Hell Toupee,” both of which were recorded at Los Angeles’ Palace Theatre in February 2019. Smalls has also released a new video for the track “MRI,” featuring a guest appearance by guitarist Dweezil Zappa. 

Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing) is available to stream and purchase now.

Released in 1984, This is Spinal Tap was a mockumentary about the fictional rock group Spinal Tap, made up of Shearer as Smalls, Christopher Guest as guitarist Nigel Tufnel and Michael McKean as guitarist David St. Hubbins. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film poked fun at the ridiculous behavior of pretentious rock stars.

Earlier this week, Reiner announced they will begin shooting a sequel to the film in February, featuring guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Elton John and more.

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Ace Frehley is back with new music. The former KISS guitarist just dropped the new single “10,000 Volts,” the title track to his upcoming solo album, due out February 23.

The album, produced by Frehley and Trixter’s Steve Brown, features 11 tracks of what’s described as “electrifying, hard-hitting, riff-heavy rock’n’ roll.”

You can listen to “10,000 Volts” now via streaming services and watch the video on YouTube. 

The album is Frehley’s first solo release since 2020’s Origins Vol. 2. Frehley previously talked about 10,000 Volts in an interview with Nuvo, calling it “probably the best record I’ve ever done.” 

Here is the track list for 10,000 Volts. The album is available for preorder now.

“10,000 Volts”
“Walkin’ on the Moon”
“Cosmic Heart”
“Cherry Medicine”
“Back Into My Arms Again”
“Fightin’ for Life”
“Blinded”
“Constantly Cute”
“Life of a Stranger”
“Up in the Sky”
“Stratosphere”

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Apple TV+ has released the first trailer for their upcoming three-part documentary John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial, which will debut December 6.

The series, narrated by 24 star Kiefer Sutherland, aims to shed new light on the murder of The Beatles legend, using exclusive eyewitness interviews and previously unseen crime scene photos.

Among those interviewed in the series are Richard Peterson, a taxi driver who witnessed Lennon being shot, Jay Hastings, who was a doorman at Lennon’s apartment, The Dakota, Chapman’s defense lawyer David Suggs and more.

Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman outside The Dakota on December 8, 1980. Chapman pled guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 20-years-to-life in prison. He became eligible for parole in 2000 but still remains in jail.

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On This Day, November 28, 2020… 

AC/DC hit #1 with Power Up, their 17th studio album and their first since 2014’s Rock or Bust. It was the rock group’s third #1, following 2008’s Black Ice and 1981’s For Those About To Rock (We Salute You).

The album was AC/DC’s first since the 2017 death of co-founder Malcolm Young. It also featured the return of vocalist Brian Johnson, who temporarily left the band in 2016 due to hearing problems, drummer Phil Rudd, who had been replaced in 2015 due to legal problems, and bassist Cliff Williams, who had announced his retirement in 2016. 

Power Up hit #1 in 21 countries, including their native Australia and the U.K., and wound up selling 1.4 million copies worldwide.

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Rod Stewart is cleaning house: He’s auctioning off a collection of fine art, furniture and decorative objects that he evidently has lying around his U.K. mansion for thousands of pounds.

This is the third time Rod’s sold off his stuff through the U.K. auctioneer Sworders. The sale, which goes live on December 12, includes things like mirrors, side tables, couches, chairs, engravings, paintings and rugs. While you could pick up some items for as little as 200 pounds — that’s about $253 — some items, like a nautical painting from 1912, are priced at as much as 15,000 pounds — about $19,000.

The director of Sworders, John Black, tells the U.K. paper The Sun, “I think you’ll agree, we all feel the need for a declutter once in a while, and that sentiment is no different for Sir Rod. He has accumulated many things over his lifetime and has decided it is again the time to have a bit of a clear-out.”

Perhaps, Rod doesn’t need all that furniture in his house because he’s rarely there: He has a busy touring schedule booked for 2024, including his final shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in July and August.

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On November 28, 1974, John Lennon surprised fans by joining Elton John onstage at Madison Square Garden for what would be Lennon’s last major concert appearance. Well, it turns out Lennon really didn’t want to take the stage alone. 

Elton’s songwriting partner Bernie Taupin tells ABC Audio Lennon wanted him to come out with him, but he refused. 

“I said, ‘To do what? What am I going to do? Just stand there, you know, like a wallflower?’” he shared. “I said, ‘I can’t do that. This is where you’re on your own.’ And that’s when he was propelled onto the stage. And the rest is history.”

Lennon eventually dragged Taupin out, but Bernie doesn’t think anyone noticed.

“Nobody could have cared less that I was on there,” he said. “I mean, I was just one of many and he was the one in the limelight and much deservedly so.”

Lennon’s appearance was the result of losing a bet with Elton over “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night,” which features Elton on backing vocals. Elton bet Lennon the song would go to #1 and if he won, Lennon would have to join him onstage.

Well, the song did hit #1, becoming Lennon’s only solo #1 single in his lifetime. He made good on the bet, performing three songs with Elton: “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night,” plus The Beatles tracks “I Saw Her Sanding There” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” 

Bernie recounts the night in his memoir, Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton and Me, telling ABC Audio, “That was such an important part of our lives and our careers and my interaction with John in general, that it was necessary for me to include that.” He added, “It was my fly on the wall part of that situation.”

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Madonna has had many feuds with fellow celebs over the years, but one friend who’s always been by her side is actress Debi Mazar. So it’s no wonder that Madonna invited Debi to join her onstage over the weekend when her tour hit Milan, Italy.

Debi, who lives in Italy part time, joined Madonna during her Celebration Tour stop November 25. During the “Vogue” portion of the show, Debi served as a judge, holding up scorecards as Madonna’s dancers performed their sexy moves. 

Praising Debi as “one of my oldest friends,” Madonna joked that the Younger star “married some Italian dude and moved to Italy and she deserted me.”

Afterward, Debi, who’s known Madonna since 1978, posted on Instagram, “How much FUN! @madonna ! Thankyou for your beautiful words & having me come play on stage for ‘Vouge’. It was like old times!! This show is special to me,as it shows a journey that spans all the incredible years of Madonna’s career and of so many collective moments in our combined lives…”

“Decades of dance,music,creativity, travel, friendships,deaths, births, re-birth.. OMG Truly a Celebration!” she added. “You’re the Queen @madonna ! Ride or die per Sempre !”

Madonna’s tour hits North America on December 13 in Brooklyn, New York.

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Paul McCartney is ready to show us his comedy chops, with a planned appearance in the upcoming sequel to the legendary mockumentary This is Spinal Tap.

Rob Reiner, who directed and co-wrote the original film, revealed the news during an appearance on the RHLSTP with Richard Herring podcast, noting that McCartney’s not the only big name appearing in the flick. 

“We’re making a sequel. We’re going to start shooting at the end of February,” he shared. “Everybody is back, Paul McCartney is joining us and Elton John and a few other surprises, Garth Brooks.” 

Released in 1984, the mostly improvised This is Spinal Tap was a satire of traditional rock documentaries and followed a fictional heavy metal band, played by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. It was a hit with critics and movie fans, and in 2002 it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.

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A new video has been released for the late Jimmy Buffett’s latest tune, “Like My Dog,” from his posthumous release, Equal Strain on All Parts.

The clip, created in collaboration with the ASPCA to encourage pet adoption, features never-before-seen footage of the rocker with his pooches. It also features adorable dog videos shared by his fans on social media using #likemydog.

“The dedication and humanity Jimmy Buffett put into his music crossed over into his love for animals, especially pets and wildlife,” Matt Bershadker, ASPCA president & CEO, shares. “This collaboration honors Jimmy’s legacy and animal advocacy and reflects our shared commitment to help vulnerable dogs find safe and loving homes.” 

Released on November 3, Equal Strain on All Parts was recorded while Buffett was battling Merkel cell skin cancer, which claimed his life on September 1 at the age of 76. The album features guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Emmylou Harris, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Angélique Kidjo.

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