Classic Hits

A collection of guitars and memorabilia belonging to former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman that had been displayed at the recently closed Sticky Fingers restaurant he owned in London have been added to an auction of music collectibles scheduled for May 20-22.

The auction, the latest installment of Julien’s Auctions’ “Music Icons” sale, will be held at the Hard Rock Café in New York City, while bids also will be accepted online.

Almost 150 lots belonging to the 85-year-old rocker are part of the auction, including guitars, basses, “gold” and “platinum” record awards, photos, posters and other artifacts.

Among the instruments going on the block is a 1965 Framus Star bass that Wyman used during Stones concerts and recording sessions in 1965 and ’66. It is valued between $30,000 and $50,000.

Also being auctioned are a 1974 Dan Armstrong prototype bass that Wyman played on the Stones’ 1975-1976 tour, and a 1978 Travis Bean custom short-scale bass that was custom built for Wyman and was used on Stones recordings and tours from 1978 to 1981; both are estimated to sell for $20,000 to $30,000.

In addition, a 1969 Fender Telecaster guitar that Wyman used for home recordings in the 1970s and ’80s is expected to bring in $15,000 to $25,000.

Wyman also is selling “gold” record awards for such Stones albums as Out of Our Heads, Aftermath, Between the Buttons, Beggar’s Banquet, Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers.

Sticky Fingers restaurant was open from 1989 to 2021. Wyman notes, “This wonderful collection of Stones memorabilia that was displayed there … [gives] people the chance to have a piece of Sticky Fingers history for themselves.”

Check out the full list of items up for bid at the auction at JuliensLive.com.

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Daryl Hall has three shows left on his current series of joint U.S. tour dates with support act Todd Rundgren, and the Hall & Oates singer has now added a new six-show summer leg to the trek.

The newly announced concerts, which will mostly take place in the Southeast, run from a July 31 performance in Hollywood, Florida, through an August 11 gig in North Charleston, South Carolina. The other shows are scheduled for August 3 in St. Petersburg, Florida; August 5 in Roanoke, Virginia; August 7 in Mason, Ohio; and August 9 in Durham, North Carolina.

Tickets for the concerts go on sale to the general public this Friday, May 20, at 10 a.m. local time via LiveNation.com.

Hall’s current run of shows with Rundgren — his second of 2022 — winds down with performances this Wednesday in Denver; Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Sunday in Austin, Texas. The first run of concerts kicked off on April 1, the same day that Hall released his first solo compilation, BeforeAfter.

BeforeAfter is a 30-track collection that features selections from all five of Hall’s solo studio albums, as well as eight performances from his acclaimed TV/web series Live from Daryl’s House, six of which were previously unreleased.

Among the Live from Daryl’s House performances is a duet between Hall and Rundgren on Rundgren’s 1978 hit ballad “Can We Still Be Friends.”

Meanwhile, Hall also has six U.S. concerts with his longtime musical partner John Oates scheduled for later this year, running from a September 1 show in Canandaigua, New York, through an October 22 performance in Laughlin, Nevada.

Visit HallandOates.com for a full list of dates.

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Last month, Julian Lennon performed a cover of his late father John Lennon‘s classic peace anthem “Imagine” as part of Global Citizen’s Stand Up for Ukraine campaign. Now he’s set to release a special audio-visual NFT focusing on the performance, which will raise money for Ukrainian relief.

The NFT will include Julian’s recording of “Imagine,” which features him accompanied by Extreme‘s Nuno Bettencourt on guitar and backing vocals, as well as a visual interpretation of the song and audio narration by Julian explaining why he decided to perform his father’s famous tune.

The visual element that accompanies the recording includes black-and-white pencil strokes by Julian that transform into pockets of light.

Starting this Friday, May 20, the NFT will be available for purchase at the Yellowheart digital marketplace for 11 days priced at $11. A portion of the proceeds raised by sale of the digital tokens will benefit Julian’s White Feather Foundation and the charity’s efforts to aid Ukrainian refugees.

“The war on Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy, and as a human and an artist I have always felt that music finds a way to heal, comfort, rally and support during times of crisis,” Julian says. “Performing my father’s classic ‘Imagine’ was a very personal decision, but an obvious one given his lyrics reflect our collective desire for peace worldwide.”

He adds, “Partnering with YellowHeart to offer NFT artwork that includes my interpretation of the song will provide an opportunity for fans to connect and unite through the song’s message of unity in a new and innovative way.”

A video of Julian performing “Imagine” with Bettencourt debuted on Julian’s YouTube channel on April 8 in conjunction with the Stand Up for Ukraine campaign. It marked his first public performance of his late father’s song.

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Back in January it was announced the acclaimed three-part Disney+ documentary The Beatles: Get Back would be released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 8, but the release was indefinitely delayed.

Now, Variety reports that the physical versions of the doc will finally get their release on July 12.

According to Variety, the delay was due to a defect that was discovered in the discs.

The DVD and Blu-ray sets will feature the entire 468-minute documentary across three discs, although the outlet reports that there are no bonus features. The foldout packaging includes four commemorative cards boasting pics of each Beatles member. Both editions will offer multiple audio options.

As previously reported, The Beatles: Get Back was directed by Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson and premiered on Disney+ in late November 2021.

The series was created from dozens of hours of previously unseen footage shot in January 1969 for what became the 1970 film Let It Be.

Besides showing the Fab Four working on the songs that eventually appeared on the Let It Be album, Get Back also captures the group jamming on covers and older Beatles tunes, playing songs that would be featured on Abbey Road and the bandmates’ future solo albums — joking, arguing, chatting and more.

The docuseries ends with footage of the entire surprise performance that The Beatles gave on the roof of their Apple company’s headquarters in London’s Savile Row, which turned to be the last time the band played together in public.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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Rock ‘n’ roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year.

Popular country duo Country Brooks & Dunn announced the news during an event at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Tuesday morning.

Each year, the Hall inducts members in three categories. This year, Lewis is the Veteran Era inductee, late singer/songwriter Keith Whitley is the Country Hall’s Modern Era artist, and music executive Joe Galante is being inducted under the Non-Performer rotating category.

The 86-year-old Lewis was on hand to speak at the ceremony, delivering his remarks from a chair and wearing a glittering red sequined blazer. “I’m just overwhelmed that they asked me here today,” he told the room, adding that it was “always great to be recognized” and that his lengthy career has taught him to “be a good person, and treat your people right, treat your fans right.”

Lewis added that it was difficult for him to find the words to describe the honor he felt.

Jerry Lee, who was infamously nicknamed “The Killer,” came to fame during the late 1950s with classic songs like “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On,” “Great Balls of Fire” and “Breathless” that were hits on both the pop and country charts. He continued to score country hits throughout the 1960s and ’70s and into the early ’80s.

The three inductees will be officially welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame during a Medallion Ceremony this fall.

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Journey has released a third advance track from its forthcoming studio album, Freedom, a heavy, funk-flavored mid-tempo rocker called “Let It Rain.”

The song is available now as a digital download and via streaming services, while a visualizer video for the tune has debuted at Journey’s official YouTube channel.

“Let It Rain” showcases some sizzling guitar work by Neal Schon, who in a post on his social media pages describes the song as “a Sassy Funkin Rocker,” adding, “New Chapter from us and definitely proud of it.”

As previously reported, Freedom is a 15-track collection that will be released on July 8. The other songs that have been issued from the album are “The Way We Used to Be” and “You Got the Best of Me,” which debuted in June 2021 and last month, respectively. You can pre-order Freedom now.

Meanwhile, this Friday, May 20, at 9 p.m. ET, Schon will make an appearance on Talk Shop Live’s Rock N Roll Channel, where he will chat about the album and Journey’s upcoming tour plans. In addition, autographed copies of Freedom will be available to pre-order during the steaming event.

Journey recently wrapped up the initial leg of its Freedom Tour 2022, although the final four shows were postponed because an unspecified member of the group tested positive for COVID-19. Those dates are expected to be rescheduled in the coming months.

The band next scheduled performances are a series of four special symphonic concerts in Las Vegas that will take place at the new, state-of-the-art Resorts World Theatre. The shows are scheduled for July 15, 16, 22 and 23 and tickets are available now.

Schon also promises that Journey is planning a summer leg of its tour.

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Edgar Winter‘s latest album, Brother Johnny, which was released in April, is a star-studded tribute to his late sibling Johnny Winter.

The 17-track collection includes a version of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Hoochie Koo,” a song written by Rick Derringer that Johnny first recorded in 1970 with his band Johnny Winter And, which featured Derringer, and that Rick subsequently had a solo hit with in 1973.

Edgar’s version features guitar work by Toto‘s Steve “Luke” Lukather, who also is a longtime member of Ringo Starr‘s All Starr Band. Edgar tells ABC Audio that he specifically chose Lukather to play on the track because he envisioned a Jimi Hendrix-style solo that he knew Luke could deliver.

“I wanted it wild, crazy, sort of twisted and demented. And I knew that Steve would do exactly that,” Winter explains. “I said, ‘I know…Steve [is] gonna play something different than Rick would ever have played or completely different than Johnny ever would have played’…And, man, Luke delivered.”

Edgar adds, “He played exactly what I was hoping he would. And I didn’t really tell him anything, I just know Luke and know more or less how he thinks and navigates things, and he always likes to push the envelope.”

Lukather has been a member of Ringo’s All Starr Band since 2012, while Edgar recently rejoined the group after previously playing with Ringo and company from 2006 to 2011. Speaking about Luke’s personality, Edgar notes, “[H]e has this rough, raw sense of humor, sometimes perverse, that we all love.”

Other artists featured on Brother Johnny include Ringo, Joe Walsh, ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons, The Doobie Brothers‘ Michael McDonald and John McFee, ex-Allman Brothers Band members Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks and late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, among many others.

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Lionel Richie will be honored with the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize on Tuesday.  Ahead of the moment, the singer caught up with CBS’ Sunday Morning to talk about his lifetime achievements.

Lionel reflected on growing up by Tuskegee University, where he was surrounded by Black lawyers, war heroes, doctors and more, and joked that his parents “had a nervous breakdown” when he decided to pursue a music career with The Commodores.

“You could see everyone passing going, ‘Oh, there’s poor Lionel. Poor misguided Lionel!,'” he chuckled. Of course, The Commodores scored numerous chart-topping singles with Richie as their lead singer, before he set off a solo career.

Lionel reflected on his success, which saw him cross into the mainstream and anger some of his original R&B fan base. “Someone asked me a question one day, ‘Lionel, how does it feel that you’ve left your roots?'” Richie recalled. “And I said, ‘Did you ask that to The Beatles? Did you ask that to The Rolling Stones? Everyone came over to borrow from us, but I can’t go that way?'”

The singer also reflected on his hiatus at the peak of his career, which he took to care for his ailing father, who passed in 1990.  “It gave me an opportunity to kind of take a look over my shoulder just a little bit to see where I was in altitude. And it was frightening,” he reflected. But, he added his father’s death gave him a new perspective on fame.

Lionel now sees his career as an “adventure,” which he says “is just an amazing ride.”

He also admitted it’s been 13 years since he released an album of all-new songs, but teased he’ll break the dry spell “this year.”

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Elvis Presley‘s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, has posted a new message on her social media sites in which she shares a glowing review about director Baz Luhrmann‘s upcoming musical biopic about her late father, Elvis.

In the note, Lisa Marie first points out that she is still grieving for her son, Ben Keough, who died by suicide at age 27 in July 2020.

“I am and will forever be mourning the loss of my son,” she writes. “Navigating through this hideous grief that absolutely destroyed and shattered my heart and my soul into almost nothing has swallowed me whole.”

Lisa Marie then proceeds to shower praise on the Elvis film, revealing that she’s watched it twice and thinks it’s “nothing short of spectacular” and “[a]bsolutely exquisite.”

She writes that lead actor Austin Butler “channeled and embodied my father’s heart and soul beautifully,” adding, “In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully. (If he doesn’t get an Oscar for this, I will eat my own foot, haha.)”

Lisa Marie continues, “You can feel and witness Baz’s pure love, care, and respect for my father throughout this beautiful film, and it is finally something that myself and my children and their children can be proud of forever.”

Presley also notes that she was moved to tears when she saw how her three daughters — Riley, Harper and Finley — were “so filled with pride about their grandfather and his legacy in a way that I have not previously experienced” after watching the movie.

She adds, “It breaks my heart that my son isn’t here to see it. He would have absolutely loved it as well.”

Elvis, which also features Tom Hanks as the rock ‘n’ roll legend’s manager, Col. Tom Parker, hits theaters on June 24.

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The first trailer promoting the upcoming fourth season of Stranger Things premiered in April and featured a dramatic remix of Journey‘s 1983 smash “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” and now the track is available via digital formats.

The Bryce Miller/Alloy Tracks remix of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” has been released as an advance track from the forthcoming official soundtrack album to the hit Netflix series’ new season.

Two volumes of the album, titled Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4, will be released digitally in the coming weeks, on May 27 and July 1, respectively, coinciding with the premiere dates of the show’s two-part season.

Volume 2 will feature all of the songs that appear on Volume 1, as well as additional music heard in the second run of episodes of Stranger Things‘ fourth season.

The full Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4, including both volumes, will be released on CD and cassette on September 9, while a two-LP vinyl edition will be made available later in 2022.

Those who preorder the Stranger Things Season 4 soundtrack will receive an automatic free download of the “Separate Ways” remix.

Soundtracks for previous seasons of Stranger Things have included a variety of hits from the 1980s, reflecting the period during which the sci-fi horror series is set.

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