Classic Hits

A concert movie featuring the final performance of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s late guitarist and founding member Gary Rossington is set to hit theaters on Saturday, July 8, and Skynyrd frontman Johnny Van Zant is excited fans are going to be able to see Gary in his element. 

After undergoing heart surgery in 2021, Rossington was no longer touring with the band, but he did get to rejoin them for the concert featured in the movie, Skynyrd’s 50th anniversary show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in November 2022. It turned out to be his final performance.

“I know if he was here to talk to me, he’d be, ‘That’s the way for me to go out,’” Johnny tells ABC Audio. “And I can’t wait for people to see it.”

Gary passed away in March, and Johnny says in addition to his family and the band, the legacy Gary leaves behind is “of course the music.”

He explains, “Gary told me one time, he goes, ‘Hey, man, I don’t do nothing but play guitar and write songs … so, the good Lord gave that to me and I’m so proud that I’ve been able to make some sort of, you know, impact on the music business and impact on the fans.’” 

The 50th Anniversary of Lynyrd Skynyrd: An Exclusive Concert Film Experience will have a weeklong run in movie theaters, drive-ins and outdoor venues from July 8 to 14. Tickets are on sale now.

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Gladys Knight is scheduled to perform at the fourth annual Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS, an event that will honor Earvin “Magic” Johnson and his wife, Cookie Johnson, with the Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award.

“Cookie and I are so excited to announce that on the night we are being honored by The Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS, the ‘Empress of Soul,’ Gladys Knight will perform!” Magic shares. “We are thrilled to see our friend light up the stage. The great ones endure, and Gladys Knight is one of the greatest.” 

Knight has been devoted to many causes throughout her career. She is the national spokesperson for the American Diabetes Foundation and has also devoted her time to causes like the American Cancer Society, the Minority AIDS Project and amFAR.

She was also part of the star-studded charity single “That’s What Friends Are For,” along with Dionne Warwick, Elton John and Stevie Wonder, which raised money for AIDS research and prevention.  

The fourth annual Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS will take place September 21 in Beverly Hills. More info can be found at ETAF.org.

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Gov’t Mule has a busy touring schedule ahead of them this year, but frontman Warren Haynes is finding time to fit in a solo show.

The rocker just announced he’ll be playing The Clubhouse in East Hampton, New York, on August 25, which he’s billing as his only solo show of 2023.

“Solo shows are special to me, and I believe to the fans as well, because it allows me to explore my catalog in different and unique ways. I try to play at least a few each year,” he shares on Instagram. “With all my other touring for the remainder of the year, I’m only able to do this one solo show in East Hampton, NY at The Clubhouse on August 25th. Since this will be my only solo show for 2023, I’m going to make it count!”

Tickets for the show go on sale Friday, July 7, at 12 p.m. ET at murmrr.com. 

As for Gov’t Mule, they kick off their Dark Side of the Mule tour on July 22 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The trek will feature the band playing a set of their own music, along with a tribute to Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. A complete list of dates can be found at mule.net.

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Ringo Starr says The Beatles were very amused at the big “Paul is dead” conspiracy theory of the late ’60s, which suggested Paul McCartney had died and was replaced by a lookalike.

“We only ever had one that stuck. That was ‘Paul is dead.’ And there were some songs people pointed out as being ‘secret,'” Ringo, who turns 83 on July 7, tells Vulture when asked to pick his favorite Beatles conspiracy theory. He explains that the whole “secret song” thing was just them being “silly.”  

“John (Lennon), by accident, learned how to play a tape backwards, and we put that to full use. So we’d just do something silly at the end of a track and it’d be all over the newspapers and on the radio,” he explains. “They’re actually singing, ‘Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.’ It just made us all laugh.”

He notes, “All of those interesting things we said were not that interesting. We had a great laugh about that. Look at what they’re saying now.”

In the same piece, Ringo reveals that the band’s first song, “Love Me Do,” is the track he’d consider his “career-defining song,” even though session musician Andy White is featured on the album, while Ringo’s on the single.

“We were on vinyl. We made a record,” he says. “We were just blessed that George Martin took a chance on us because many record labels sent us down.” He adds that when they heard it on the radio “it was a really big moment. It was magic because we were on this piece of vinyl all to ourselves.”

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Foreigner is ready to kick off their farewell to the road. To mark the occasion, the band has released a brand new companion album.

Farewell – The Very Best Of Foreigner features 11 of the band’s biggest hits, including such classics as “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “I Want To Know What Love Is” and more. 

Farewell – The Very Best Of Foreigner, produced by Mick Jones with Jeff Pilson, is being released as a limited edition gold vinyl with only 5,000 numbered copies available. They’ll be sold at tour stops and independent retailers.

Foreigner’s Historic Farewell Tour kicks off Thursday, July 7, in Alpharetta, Georgia, with dates confirmed through November. A complete list of shows can be found at foreigneronline.com.

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Paul McCartney’s comprehensive book about his music is finally getting a paperback.

The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present will get a one-volume, paperback release on November 7. The new edition will include McCartney’s musings on seven songs left out of the original release: “Bluebird,” “Day Tripper,” “English Tea,” “Every Night,” “Hello, Goodbye,” “Magical Mystery Tour” and “Step Inside Love.”

First released in 2021, The Lyrics went to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and earned the Book of the Year honor from Barnes & Noble. It has McCartney chronicling his musical history and the inspirations behind his songs, with tracks arranged alphabetically instead of chronologically. It also includes never-before-seen material from McCartney’s personal archive, including photographs, drafts and more.

“The one thing I’ve always managed to do, whether at home or on the road, is to write new songs. I know that some people, when they get to a certain age, like to go to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks,” McCartney said at the time of The Lyrics’ release. “What I do have are my songs, hundreds of them, which I’ve learned serve much the same purpose. And these songs span my entire life”

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Tracy Chapman’s debut single, “Fast Car,” has become an unlikely hit on the country charts thanks to Luke Combs‘ cover of the tune, and Chapman can’t quite believe it.

“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman tells Billboard. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”

Luke’s version of the song has also become a big pop hit. Chapman’s version, released 35 years ago in 1988, peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Combs’ version has surpassed that, reaching #2. It is also #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, which according to Rolling Stone, makes Chapman the first Black woman to have a sole songwriting credit on a country #1.

“Fast Car” earned Chapman three Grammy nominations, including Record and Song of the Year, as well as Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, which she won. It appears on her self-titled debut, which was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Contemporary Folk Album. She also won the coveted Best New Artist trophy.

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Music and movie fans are getting their first look at the upcoming Bob Marley biopic, Bob Marley: One Love.

Paramount has just released the trailer for the film, which stars British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, who landed the role as Marley after a global talent search. It also stars Captain Marvel actress Lashana Lynch as Marley’s wife, Rita. 

The trailer features clips of Marley performing and living his life in Jamaica with his family, and even includes footage of the assassination attempt on his life. It also features the Marley quote, “One love, one heart, one destiny.” 

Bob Marley: One Love is set to hit theaters January 12, 2024.

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On This Day, July 6, 1977…

At a Pink Floyd show in Montreal, Roger Waters got so upset at fans who were being noisy and setting off firecrackers, he spit on one of them.

That night, he told producer Bob Ezrin he wished he could build a wall between himself and the audience, which went on to inspire Pink Floyd’s next album, The Wall. 

Released on November 30, 1979, The Wall topped the U.S. charts for 15 weeks, went on to sell over 30 million copies and was certified 23-times Platinum.

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The Eagles are saying a Long Goodbye to their fans.

The band’s upcoming Long Goodbye tour will be their final one, they announced July 6. Thirteen initial shows have been announced, kicking off September 7 in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Steely Dan — who namechecked The Eagles in their song “Everything You Did,” as it happens — will open those shows.

“The Eagles have had a miraculous 52-year odyssey, performing for people all over the globe; keeping the music alive in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds,” the band says in a lengthy statement. They add, “We know how fortunate we are, and we are truly grateful. Our long run has lasted far longer than any of us ever dreamed. But, everything has its time, and the time has come for us to close the circle.”

The statement continues, “We want to give all our fans a chance to see us on this final round. So, scheduling information will be released as dates are set. The difficulties of booking venues for multiple nights may require us to return to certain cities, depending on demand. But, we hope to see as many of you as we can, before we finish up.”

It concludes, “Most importantly, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for embracing this band and its music. At the end of the day, you are the reason we have been able to carry on for over five decades. This is our swan song, but the music goes on and on.”

A presale starts July 12; the general on-sale begins Friday, July 14 at 10 a.m. local time. The tour is expected to continue into 2025, as the band plans to play as many shows in each city as the audience demands.

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