Classic Hits

Dead & Company will be heading out on their final tour next month, but it will be one member short. The band announced on Instagram Saturday that drummer Bill Kreutzmann will be sitting out the tour.

“Every day, things change. After many long discussions and some good old-fashioned soul searching, we are letting you know that our brother Bill Kreutzmann will not be joining us on our final summer tour,” they shared on social media. “Bill wants you to know that he is in good spirits, good health and he is not retiring.”

They add, “This is the culmination of a shift in creative direction as we keep these songs alive and breathing in ways that we each feel is best to continue to honor the legacy of the Grateful Dead,” noting, “The final tour will go on as planned with Bill’s full endorsement and support.”

Last July, Kreutzmann battled a back issue, and then tested positive for COVID, both of which kept him away from the kit for a spell.

The final Dead & Company tour is set to kick off May 6 at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. A complete list of dates can be found at deadandcompany.com.

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Rick Allen is giving fans an update on his health.

As previously reported, the Def Leppard drummer was attacked last month outside the Four Seasons Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But in a new post on social media, it looks like Allen is doing a lot better.

“Thank you all so very much for all of your love and support over the last month,” he shared next to a smiling photo. “I am still recovering and getting my mind and body ready for the upcoming Def Leppard tour. Just wanted to say hi and let you know, There Will Be Rock!”

A 19-year-old man from Ohio named Max Hartley was arrested for attacking Allen. He reportedly snuck up behind the rocker, who hit his head when he was thrown to the ground. 

Allen has some more time to focus on his recovery. Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe don’t kick off the European and U.K. legs of their stadium tour until May 22, in Sheffield, England. A complete list of dates can be found at DefLeppard.com.

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R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Patti Smith Group’s Lenny Kaye have been added to a benefit concert being put on by Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, according to a post on the R.E.M. official Instagram page.

The third annual Revival — Celebrating Georgia’s Historic Theatres benefit will take place May 13 and feature Collective Soul, Mother’s Finest, Drivin N Cryin and Jet Black Roses, along with special guest David Ryan Harris and host Kevin Kinney.

The event, which will also include an auction, raises money to help preserve Georgia’s historic theaters, as well as expand the Fox Theatre’s education programs.

Tickets for the concert are on sale now.

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John Oates continues to share a new track each month, and his latest is his take on the Louis Armstrong classic “What A Wonderful World.”

“What an honor for me to be able to cover one of Americas’ [sic] greatest popular songs,” Oates says. “A true classic and a song that just makes everyone feel good.” 

He adds, “I hope you dig the 70s R&B style approach to the arrangement. I wanted it to be more upbeat and tried to make it my own.”

“What A Wonderful World” is the fourth single Oates has released this year, following “Why Can’t We Live Together,” “Disconnected” and “Pushin’ A Rock.”

And fans can see Oates sing these songs and more when he hits the road this year. He has several dates on the books, kicking off with a May 7 gig in Austin, Texas. A complete list of dates can be found at JohnOates.com.

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There’s only a week left to go in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fan vote, and things are looking good for George Michael and Cyndi Lauper.

Michael and Lauper, who rose to fame in the ’80s, lead this year’s voting as of Friday, April 21, with Michael nabbing over 911,000 votes to lead the list, and Lauper just behind him with 826,000 votes. 

Among the other nominees, Warren Zevon is in third with over 572,000 votes, while just out of the top five are Willie Nelson with over 372,000, Kate Bush with over 314,000, Sheryl Crow with over 301,000 and The Spinners with over 276,000.

Other nominees this year include Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, Joy Division/New Order, The White Stripes, Iron Maiden, Missy Elliott and A Tribe Called Quest.

Only the top five artists selected by the public will be considered part of the Fan’s Ballot, but there’s still time to make your voice heard. Voting is open until April 28. To cast your vote go to vote.rockhall.com.

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Julian Lennon continues to try to raise awareness of the many issues plaguing the environment, and he’s doing so with a brand new project. The singer and his White Feather Foundation have joined forces with Future Youth Records for a new EP that will raise funds for environmental issues.  

The Think Earth 23 EP, dropping Sunday, April 23, for Earth Day, features a cover of Lennon’s 1991 track “Saltwater,” written about our world’s climate issues. Artists on the tune include Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro, Wings guitarist Laurence Juber, The Mars Volta bassist Eva Gardner and Jim Keltner, a session drummer who worked with Julian’s dad, John Lennon.

The EP also includes a remix of “Save Me,” from Lennon’s 2022 album, Jude, by German youth artist Josh Heitzler.

“I always try to do something special on Earth Day one way or another,” Lennon tells People. “I tend to go with my gut on these things. And this was one of those project ideas that I thought, ‘Okay, well I kind of like this,’” adding, “Especially considering it was about a lot of the kids and their involvement in not only environmental and humanitarian issues, but the arts too, and music.” 

Lennon’s White Feather Foundation, which he founded in 2007, will donate proceeds from the EP to its Save the Mirning Sea Country Campaign to “help preserve critical biodiversity and protect a sacred Aboriginal culture.” Future Youth Records will use its share to help young artists as they “inspire environmental change and social justice through music.”

Think Earth 23 is available for preorder now.

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While no one sings like Chris Cornell anymore, there’s a new collectible figure that certainly looks like him.

Music merchandising company KnuckleBonz is releasing a mini statue of the late Soundgarden frontman, officially licensed with his estate.

The figure, which costs $164, stands 8.5 inches tall, and features Cornell sporting his ’90s-era long hair and a red-and-black flannel shirt.

Only 3,000 pieces were made, and each one is individually numbered. To preorder, visit KnuckleBonz.com.

Earlier this week, Soundgarden announced that they’d reached a resolution with Cornell’s widow, Vicky Cornell, ending a yearslong legal battle over a group of recordings created prior to the “Black Hole Sun” rocker’s 2017 death. The agreement will allow for the recordings to be finished and released.

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The Rolling Stones have shared a newly restored music video for “Child of the Moon,” the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards-penned track that was a B-side to the hit “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

Originally shot in 1968 as a promotional film, the clip, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, features all five original members of the band, along with actress Dame Eileen June Atkins. The moody video, shot on a farm near Enfield, outside north London, is now being released in both a standard color and a 4K resolution black and white version. 

“Child of the Moon” is the latest restored video released by the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and ABKCO Music & Records. They previously shared restored videos for “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “We Love You,” “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?” and “2000 Light Years From Home,” with more coming this year.

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John Mellencamp is back with new music. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is set to release the new album Orpheus Descending on June 2, and just dropped its first single “Hey God.” 

The 11-track album is Mellencamp’s 25th studio release, and is being described as “one of his most personal records to date,” featuring songs that “focus on social issues Mellencamp continues to passionately advocate for.” 

In the meantime, Mellencamp is currently on the road with his Live and In Person tour, which hits St. Louis, Missouri on Friday, April 21. A complete list of dates can be found at Mellencamp.com. 

Here is the track list for Orpheus Descending:

“Hey God”
“The Eyes of Portland”
“Land of the So Called Free”
“The Kindness of Lovers”
“Amen”
“Orpheus Descending”
“Understated Reverence”
“One More Trick”
“Lightning and Luck”
“Perfect World”
“Backbone”

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Roger Waters is finally releasing physical copies of his 2022 digital release The Lockdown Sessions. CD and vinyl copies of the six-song recording are due out June 2.

The release features songs Waters recorded and filmed at home during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, along with “Comfortably Numb 2022,” which he recorded during his 2022 This Is Not a Drill tour. 

In addition to “Comfortably Numb 2022,” the release features performances of Pink Floyd tracks like “Mother” and “Vera” from The Wall, and “Two Suns in the Sunset” and “The Gunner’s Dream” from The Final Cut. It also features “The Bravery of Being Out of Range,” from Waters’ solo album Amused to Death.

Waters explained that he originally had an idea to record an album of all the encores he did on tour, but the COVID lockdowns got in the way. That’s when he shifted plans. As for the new version of “Comfortably Numb,” he said he added it to the end, “as an appropriate exclamation point in closing this circle of love.” 

The Lockdown Sessions is available for preorder now. 

Waters is currently in Europe on his This Is Not a Drill tour. He plays Budapest, Hungary on Sunday, April 23. A complete list of dates can be found at RogerWaters.com.

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