Classic Hits

The full lineup and more details have been unveiled for the star-studded concert that will take place in New York City at Central Park’s Great Lawn on August 21 that Big Apple Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed late last month.

The event, which will celebrate the city’s “rebirth” amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has been dubbed “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert.” Among the stars joining the previously announced Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Jennifer Hudson on the bill are Journey, Carlos Santana, Rob Thomas, Earth, Wind & Fire, Barry Manilow, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith and many others.

With Santana and Thomas both performing, it could set the scene for a performance of their collaborative hit, “Smooth.”

Most of the tickets for the concert will be available for free, while Citi card members will be able to purchase presale VIP tickets beginning this Thursday, July 29, at 10 a.m. ET. In addition, Citi will give away 1,000 general admission tickets to card holders on a first-come, first-served basis starting Monday, August 2, at 10 a.m. ET.

Additional free tickets, as well as VIP tickets for purchase, will be released to the general public in batches daily from Monday, August 2, through Saturday, August 7, via NYC.gov/HomecomingWeek. Attendees must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

Other celebs on the lineup include Andrea Bocelli, LL Cool J, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Fallon, Wyclef Jean and The Killers.

The concert will begin at 5 p.m. ET and air live on CNN. The event was produced by New York City, music mogul Clive Davis and Live Nation.

“This is a celebration of our city, of every working family who faced incredible challenges last year and overcame,” says Mayor de Blasio. “This is a celebration for you.”

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Bella Donna, Stevie Nicks‘ first solo album, was released July 27, 1981, and was an immediate success. To mark the 40th anniversary of the start of Stevie’s solo career, here are Five Fascinating Facts about Bella Donna.

5. Stevie began working on Bella Donna in between sessions for Fleetwood Mac‘s 1979 album, Tusk. She started recording it in 1980, after the Tusk tour ended.

4. The only song on the album Stevie didn’t write was “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” which was penned by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers frontman Tom Petty and guitarist Mike Campbell. Producer Jimmy Iovine, who worked with both acts, had the idea of having Stevie record it as a duet with Petty. The song’s video was the 25th video ever shown on MTV.

3. Nicks wrote Bella Donna‘s other duet, “Leather & Lace,” for an album by country star Waylon Jennings and his wife, Jessi Colter. When it didn’t make that album, Stevie recorded it with her ex-boyfriend, The Eagles‘ Don Henley.

2. Bella Donna includes Stevie’s signature song, “Edge of Seventeen,” which was inspired by Petty and his wife, as well as the deaths of both Stevie’s uncle and John Lennon. It was sampled by Destiny’s Child for their number-one hit “Bootylicious,” and interpolated by Miley Cyrus on her 2020 single “Midnight Sky.” Stevie appeared in the “Bootylicious” video, and allowed Miley to do an “Edge of Midnight” remix with a sample of her original song.

1. Bella Donna hit number one on the Billboard chart, spun off four top-40 singles, and has been certified for sales of 4 million copies. Its huge success has allowed Stevie to run a solo career parallel to her work with Fleetwood Mac for decades. Having previously been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Fleetwood Mac in 1998, Stevie went in again in 2019 as a solo artist, making her the first woman ever to be inducted twice.

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Founding Styx singer/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung hasn’t played with the group since 1999, and although longtime members Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young continue to insist they have no interest in reuniting with him, DeYoung says he’d like to tour with his ex-band mates one more time.

“I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but there should be one last Styx tour,” the 74-year-old musician tells ABC Audio. “You know, with Moe, Larry and Curly on the same stage, to wave goodbye to the fans…and tell them, ‘Hey, you made us wealthy people and you gave us incredible lives. Thanks. Bye.'”

Acknowledging that Shaw and Young don’t want to work with him again, DeYoung declares, “I don’t want to be in Styx anymore…Styx is Tommy and JY. [Founding bassist] Chuck [Panozzo] plays once in a while, but it’s Tommy that makes the decisions. It’s his band.”

Having said that, Dennis maintains that most Styx fans would love to see a reunion trek.

“Even if you’ve bought into Tommy’s new Styx with JY, and you love ’em and you think I’m a poop face, based on lies told about me, if you see the Styx reunion [is happening,] you’re coming,” DeYoung says.

Dennis says his feeling is based on Styx fans’ social media posts and the continuing popularity of the band’s music.

“[I]t does mean a great deal to them,” he declares, then quips, “And to see it one more time would be grand…and it would not be an illusion.”

Dennis also points out that next year marks the 50th anniversary of Styx’s debut album.

In June, DeYoung released what he says will be his final solo album, 26 East, Vol. 2, a collection of tunes that features multiple nods to Styx songs.

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David Bowie‘s estate has partnered with the LA Pop Art apparel company to launch a new collection of Bowie-themed shirts and other items featuring interesting hand-drawn “word art” designs.

The collection offers two different designs featured on long-sleeved and short-sleeved T-shirts, tank tops and sweatshirts for men, women and kids, as well as tote bags.

One design is Bowie’s classic lightning-bolt logo created by using titles of many of his best-known songs. The second design is based on the photo of David featured on his 1973 album Aladdin Sane, but with the image made up of the name Bowie written over and over again.

“There are Rock Stars, and there are Rock Gods — David Bowie is one of the few artists in history that’s both,” says LA Pop Art founder Joseph Leibovic. “We are so honored to put this collection out for his ever-growing fan base. The words that create our designs are used to add another layer of an emotional connection for the fans.”

The Bowie collection is available at LAPopArt.com, Macys.com, Amazon.com and other select retailers.

The LA Pop Art company previously has released apparel items with designs celebrating such other music artists as AC/DC and KISS.

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Mick Jagger turned 78 Monday and a couple of the Rolling Stones frontman’s band mates took to social media to share some birthday wishes with him.

Keith Richards wrote in a Twitter message, “[Wishing] you a Happy Birthday. See you very soon!!! One love, Keith,” along with a photo of him and Mick smiling and with their arms around each other.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Wood tweeted his own note to Jagger that reads, “Happy birthday Mick! Have an amazing day, love Ronnie x.” Wood also posted photos of two portraits that he painted of the legendary singer.

In other news, the release of Wood’s recently announced concert album, Mr. Luck — A Tribute to Jimmy Reed: Live at the Royal Albert Hall, has been pushed back from September 3 to September 17.

As previously reported, the album is the second in a trilogy of live albums Ronnie plans to issue saluting artists who have made a major impact on his own music, following 2019’s Mad Lad: A Live Tribute to Chuck Berry.

Mr. Luck documents a special 2013 concert Wood played at London’s Royal Albert Hall that paid homage to electric blues pioneer Jimmy Reed. The show, which was recorded in November 2013 during London’s BluesFest, features Ronnie performing with a backing group that included ex-Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, plus appearances from guest singers Bobby Womack, Simply Red‘s Mick Hucknall and ex-Jam frontman Paul Weller.

The 18-track collection, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available on CD, digitally and on vinyl.

The Rolling Stones kick off their 2021 No Filter Tour in St. Louis on September 26.

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The music world lost one of its great voices on May 29 when B.J. Thomas passed away at age 78 of lung cancer. Now, in celebration of the hitmaking pop-country artist, a collection of updated versions of many of his classic songs will be released on vinyl for the first time this Friday, July 30.

B.J. Thomas: The Very Best Of will be available a limited-edition 11-song LP pressed on silver vinyl, as well as a 14-track CD packaged in a digipak.

The album, which was recorded in 2001, includes renditions of Thomas’ chart-topping singles “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” and “Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” as well as other hits including “Hooked on a Feeling,” “I Just Can’t Help Believing” and “I’m So Lonesome (I Could Cry).”

Here’s the full track list of The Very Best Of:

“Hooked on a Feeling”
“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”
“I Just Can’t Help Believing”
“I’m So Lonesome (I Could Cry)”
“Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song”
“No Love at All”
“Rock and Roll Lullaby”
“Back Against the Wall”
“No Other Baby”
“To Be Loved”
“What’s Forever For”
“Call It a Mountain”*
“Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me”
“Ballyhoo Days”*

Bonus Track:
“100% Chance of Pain” — with T.G. Sheppard*

* = CD only.

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Guitarist John “Hutch” Hutchinson, who collaborated frequently with David Bowie during the late rock legend’s early music career, died Saturday, according to a post on Bowie’s official website.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of John Hutchinson who passed in hospital yesterday after a long illness,” reads the message, which was posted Sunday.

Hutchinson was played in three of Bowie’s bands, starting in 1966 when David hired him to play guitar his backing group, The Buzz. Then, in 1968, Hutch and Bowie teamed up with David’s then-girlfriend, vocalist Hermione Fatheringale, in the short-lived acoustic trio Feathers.

In 1968 and early ’69, Bowie recorded a series of demos with Hutchinson that included the first version of David’s classic song “Space Oddity.” These recordings were officially released in 2019 as part of a series of special box sets.

In 1973, Hutchinson served as a touring member of Bowie’s backing band The Spiders from Mars during what turned out to be that group’s farewell trek.

According to Hutchinson’s official website, he continued to play music in various projects after Bowie broke of The Spiders, but “spent much of his time since 1980 ‘working for a living’ in the oil industry.”

In 2014, Hutchinson published a memoir focusing on his experiences with Bowie called Bowie & Hutch.

A 2019 video interview with Hutchinson in which he reminisces about recording “Space Oddity” with Bowie and shares other recollections about collaborating with him has been posted on David’s official YouTube channel.

Ours thoughts are with the family and friends of John Hutchinson who passed in hospital yesterday after a long illness. John was described as “a semi-retired and little-known jazz guitarist and a veteran of three important David Bowie bands for seven years between 1966 and 1973.“ pic.twitter.com/hTwgPSidcv

— David Bowie Official (@DavidBowieReal) July 25, 2021

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Steely Dan is getting ready to do it again — get back on the road, that is.

The Donald Fagen-led band has announced dates for a U.S. fall trek dubbed the Absolutely Normal Tour ’21, which kicks off with four concerts in Miami Beach, Florida, on October 5, 6, 8 and 9 and winds down with shows in Boston on November 17, 19 and 20.

The outing also includes multiple-night engagements in Orlando and St. Petersburg, Florida; Philadelphia; Morristown, New Jersey; and Port Chester, New York, as well as stops at various other East Coast venues.

Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, July 30, at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. Pre-sale tickets will be available starting this Thursday, July 29 at 10 a.m. local time. Visit SteelyDan.com for more details.

Meanwhile, Steely Dan and Fagen will be releasing new live albums in the coming weeks. Northeast Corridor: Steely Dan Live! and Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly: Live both will arrive on CD and digital formats on September 24, while 180-gram vinyl versions of the albums will hit stores on October 1.

Northeast Corridor was recorded during recent tours by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group at four venues in the Northeastern U.S. The album showcases renditions of some of Steely Dan’s most popular tunes, including “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Hey Nineteen,” “Aja,” “Peg,” and “Reelin’ in the Years.”

The Nightfly Live features Fagen and the Steely Dan band performing Fagen’s acclaimed 1982 debut solo album in its entirety, culled from shows in New York City and Boston.

If you pre-order Northeast Corridor and The Nightfly Live, respectively, will receive free downloads of live versions of “Reelin’ in the Years” and “I.G.Y.“

Here’s the Northeast Corridor track list:

“Black Cow”
“Kid Charlemagne”
“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”
“Hey Nineteen”
“Any Major Dude Will Tell You”
“Glamour Profession”
“Things I Miss the Most”
“Aja”
“Peg”
“Bodhisattva”
“Reelin’ in the Years”
“A Man Ain’t Supposed to Cry”

And here’s The Nightfly Live track list:

“I.G.Y.”
“Green Flower Street”
“Ruby Baby”
“Maxine”
“New Frontier”
“The Nightfly”
“The Goodbye Look”
“Walk Between the Raindrops”

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Journey‘s Neal Schon is selling 112 of his valuable and historic guitars via an online auction hosted by Heritage Auctions, with bidding open until this Saturday, July 31.

Among the guitars being auctioned is a 1977 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Black Solid Body model that Neal used to record “Don’t Stop Believin'” and other songs on Journey’s chart-topping 1981 album Escape, the opening bid for which is $200,000.

“It’s on many famous songs,” Schon tells ABC Audio. “I used it on…’Who’s Crying Now’ [and] ‘Stone in Love’…I used it a bunch on Escape…And many, many albums after that.”

Other pricey guitars Schon is selling include two 1959 Gibson Les Paul Sunburst models with respective opening bids of $175,000 and $150,000, and two late-1950s Gibson Les Paul Goldtop models with $75,000 opening bids.

Schon, who estimates that he owns about 800 guitars in total, says he has no apprehensions about selling the ones he’s put up for bid, because he actually doesn’t play them that much.

“I’m looking to whittle [my collection] down,” he notes, “[and] put ’em in the hands of somebody that will really appreciate them, so they don’t sit in a case.”

Explaining why he decided to sell off part of his guitar collection, Schon admits, “I simply don’t have any more space…I’ve been collecting my whole life, you know, guitars and equipment, amps, all kinds of gear. We have a huge warehouse that Journey’s had for years, and that is packed.”

The auction ends on the same day that Journey plays Lollapalooza in Chicago, and Schon reveals that if there’s “a high-bidding buyer that wants to know about a guitar [that day], I’m gonna [Skype or FaceTime] with them and…tell them all about it.”

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Guitarist Gary Rossington, the last surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, recently underwent “emergency heart surgery,” according to a message posted late Friday on the band’s official Facebook page.

“Gary is home resting and recovering with his family,” the message reads. “He wants everyone to know he is doing good and expects a full recovery.”

The note continues, “After this past year, the country being shut down and everything we have all been thru, The [Rossingtons] encouraged the band to go perform in his absence. Music is a powerful healer! We all felt playing the shows and bringing the music to y’all was a better option than cancelling the performances.”

In the message, the band also asks fans to “say some prayers for the Rossington family and if you would like to leave [Gary] a (positive) message please do! He will look forward to reading them!”

Accompanying the Facebook post is a video clip from a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in Minnesota this past week featuring frontman Johnny Van Zant explaining to the audience that Rossington had to have “an emergency stent put in his heart.”

Van Zant also told the crowd, “Gary said, ‘Go up to Minnesota and kick some a** in my honor,’ and that’s what we’re here to do tonight.” In addition, he revealed that former Alice Cooper guitarist Damon Johnson was standing in for Rossington.

Rossington has experienced numerous heart issues over the years, and has revealed in past interviews that he’s had many stent operations.

Lynyrd Skynyrd launched their 2021 Big Wheels Keep On Turnin’ tour last month. The Southern rock legends’ next show is scheduled on August 9 in Canton, Ohio.

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