Classic Hits

A guitar previously owned by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour has broken records at auction.

Gilmour’s black Fender Stratocaster, known as “The Black Strat,” brought in a record-setting $14.55 million from an online bidder at a Christie’s auction on Thursday. According to the auction house, the guitar was part of a 21-minute online bidding war.

That price tag for Gilmour’s guitar is now the highest amount ever paid for a guitar at auction, beating Kurt Cobain’s Martin D-180E, which he played during Nirvana’s Unplugged episode, which brought in over $6 million in 2020. 

According to Christie’s, Gilmour’s guitar was used in the recording of six Pink Floyd albums, including 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon, 1975’s Wish You Were Here, 1977’s Animals and 1979’s The Wall. He also recorded most of his 1978 self-titled solo debut on the guitar.

In 2019 the guitar was purchased at auction by the late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay for $5 million. The latest sale was part of a larger Christie’s auction of Irsay’s vast memorabilia collection.

Other records set in Thursday’s auction include: a guitar Cobain used for Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video sold for $6.9 million, the highest price for one of the rocker’s instruments; a custom Jerry Garcia-owned guitar known as “The Tiger” brought in $11.56 million, the highest price ever for a Garcia guitar; and John Lennon’s Broadwood upright piano, on which he composed songs for The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, sold for over $3.2 million, the most expensive Beatles item ever sold.

The Jim Irsay Collection auction, featuring over 400 items, continues through Tuesday.

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The Quincy Jones estate is putting new measures in place to keep the late producer’s legacy alive. The estate has signed a deal with HarbourView Equity Partners, granting it ownership of select music and non-music assets from Quincy Jones, including portions of his recorded music, publishing assets and his participation in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

HarbourView will also work with the estate on future initiatives tied to Quincy’s name, image and likeness, helping ensure his legacy is preserved and his music is protected against “unauthorized and exploitative uses,” according to a press release. The goal, the release adds, is to ensure that “future generations can fully understand and appreciate his global impact on music and culture.”

“Our father was endlessly curious and always ahead of his time. Long before anyone talked about ‘multi-platform,’ he was already building bridges and connecting the dots across music, film, television, publishing, technology and culture, creating iconic juggernauts like Thriller, The Color Purple, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Vibe,” Quincy’s daughter Rashida Jones said in a statement on behalf of the Jones family. “These projects didn’t just succeed; they became the gold standard. As his children, our responsibility is to protect not only the catalog, but the spirit and love behind it. HarbourView understands that legacy and has the vision and expertise to help ensure future generations can feel the full scope of his everlasting impact.”

His son, Quincy Jones III, added that the family has great confidence that his “father’s legacy will be thoughtfully protected and carried forward” through the partnership with HarbourView.

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It wasn’t 9 o’clock on a Saturday, but the crowd that shuffled into New York’s Carnegie Hall at 8 p.m. on Thursday night were definitely in the mood for a melody — written by Billy Joel.

An all-star cast lined up to pay tribute to The Piano Man during the latest installment of the annual Music Of charity concert series, which raises money for music education for underserved youth. Thursday night’s show netted $225,000 for the cause.

While Billy himself didn’t take the stage, he did watch from the balcony, accompanied by his friend Pink and her teenage daughter, Willow Sage Hart. He smiled and waved as the adoring crowd chanted, “Let’s go, Billy!”

And speaking of daughters, Billy’s eldest, Alexa Ray Joel, was on hand to perform for her dad, who she called “my musical hero.” She thanked Billy — and her mom and “golden muse,” Christie Brinkley — “for making me,” before singing “This Night,” from Billy’s 1983 album An Innocent Man.  She was backed by Billy’s longtime touring band, who accompanied every artist on the bill, and also took their own turn in the spotlight to play “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant.”

While many artists delivered faithful renditions of Billy’s songs, such as Rob Thomas singing “Vienna,” Gavin DeGraw rocking through “Big Shot” and Train’s Pat Monahan doing “She’s Always a Woman,” others offered their own interpretations. Former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant turned “Allentown” into a somber piano ballad, while jazz-pop singer Sammy Rae did “River of Dreams” solo, accompanied only by her own ukulele.

Matt Nathanson sang an introspective solo acoustic guitar version of Billy’s hard-driving 1990 rocker “I Go to Extremes,” and followed that with a full-band rendition of “Miami 2017,” earning him one of the night’s many standing ovations. Another ovation came when legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman accompanied O.A.R. frontman Marc Roberge on “The Downeaster ‘Alexa.'”

The night concluded with an all-star version of “You May Be Right,” which had fans literally dancing in the aisles.

Here’s who performed what:

Yola — “Movin’ Out”
Rob Thomas — “Vienna”
Pat Monahan — “She’s Always a Woman”
Mary Chapin Carpenter — “And So It Goes”
Matt Nathanson — “I Go to Extremes” and “Miami 2017”
Jon McLaughlin — “Everybody Loves You Now”
Alexa Ray Joel — “This Night”
Rufus Wainwright — “Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)”
Ledisi — “Turn the Lights Back On”
Marc Roberge & Itzhak Perlman — “The Downeaster ‘Alexa'”
Bettye LaVette — “(He’s) Got a Way”
David Rosenthal (Billy’s musical director) — “The Longest Time” piano sonata
Music Will students and Wyclef Jean — “My Life”
Neal Francis — “Stiletto”
Sammy Rae — “River of Dreams” and “Get It Right the First Time”
Natalie Merchant — “Allentown”
Billy Joel Band — “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”
Curtis Harding — “Uptown Girl”
Gavin DeGraw — “Big Shot”
Lawrence — “Only the Good Die Young”
Andrew McMahon — “Piano Man”
Ensemble — “You May Be Right”

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The Black Crowes are back with a new album, A Pound of Feathers, which they recorded in just eight days. And while that may sound fast, guitarist Rich Robinson tells ABC Audio that’s just how he and brother Chris Robinson work.

“Chris and I have always been that way when we make records,” he says. “Even when we were kids, we were always that way.” He adds, “This time around we were just like, well, let’s just kind of wing it and see what happens.”

Rich says he and Chris “work really quickly” when they get into the studio together, as does their producer, Jay Joyce.

“At the end of the first five days we had nine songs done, and we’re like wow, that’s pretty cool,” he says.

One of the first singles the band released from the album is “Profane Prophecy,” which Rich says is a fun song that has “an abandon to it.”

“You know, it is kind of a love letter to rock ‘n’ roll music,” he says. “Even how the songs are crafted, how they come across and, you know, and also the variety, the love, it’s a love letter to what rock ‘n’ roll was.”

When it comes to influences on the album, Rich says there’s a “really deep and broad base that we draw from,” but he notes, “At the end of the day, it still sounds like a Black Crowes record.”

A Pound of Feathers is the Crowes’ follow-up to 2024’s Happiness Bastards. While two albums in two years may also seem fast, Rich would be happy to continue at that pace.

“I would make a record a year indefinitely,” he says. “It’s something I love to do.” 

A Pound of Feathers is out now.

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A long list of artists will pay homage to Billy Joel at Carnegie Hall Thursday by performing his songs during the  latest installment of the annual Music Of charity concert, which raises money for music education for underserved youth. And according to his daughter Alexa Ray Joel, Billy will be in the house.

The Piano Man has been sidelined from performing since last year due to a diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus, a neurological condition that affects balance, vision and hearing. But as Alexa tells The Hollywood Reporter, “I said, ‘Dad, you better be there! This is Carnegie Hall. Everyone’s paying tribute to you, and it’s an amazing group of artists.’”

“He was like, ‘Let me mark that down.’ He’s very organized with his little calendar,” adds Alexa. “He was so excited when he first played Carnegie Hall in the ’70s, so it’s exciting for him to come back decades later and see amazing artists and his daughter pay tribute to him. It’s a full-circle moment.”

As for her dad’s health, Alexa tells the publication, “He’s doing physical therapy regularly and he’s doing great. He’s lost weight as he’s on his diet.” She adds, “I’m so proud of him. He’s such a [trouper], so resilient and committed to being healthy and proactive. He’s a fighter. He’s always been a fighter.”

Alexa told The Hollywood Reporter that during Thursday’s show she’ll perform a song of her dad’s that she’s never covered before. She — and all the artists on the bill — will be backed by Billy’s longtime touring band.

Other artists paying tribute to Billy on Thursday night include Rob Thomas, Gavin DeGraw, Train’s Pat Monahan, Andrew McMahon, Tanya Tucker, Matt Nathanson, Rufus Wainwright, Wyclef Jean and Itzhak Perlman.

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Tears For Fears’ classic track “Everybody Wants To Rule the World” has been given a new spin by pop star Harry Styles.

Styles covered the song during an appearance on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. The singer is out promoting his recently released album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., and will be the host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live March 14.

“Everybody Wants To Rule the World” appeared on Tears For Fears’ second studio album, 1985’s Songs from the Big Chair, which hit #1 in the U.S. and has been certified five-times Platinum. “Everybody Wants To Rule the World” became the band’s first #1 hit, spending two weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. The second single from the album, “Shout,” also went to #1.

This isn’t the first time Harry has covered a classic tune for Live Lounge. In 2017 he performed his take on Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.”

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John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s iconic One To One concerts are coming to the big screen.

The concert film Power to the People, which features the subtitle John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory and Special Guests – Live at the One To One Concert, New York City, 1972, will screen in theaters nationwide on April 29 and May 3.

The film captures John and Yoko’s historic August 1972 concerts at Madison Square Garden, which were Lennon’s only full-length performances after The Beatles’ 1970 breakup. The concerts, which raised money for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, featured performances of songs like “Imagine,” “Mother,” “Instant Karma!” and more, as well as special guests Stevie Wonder, Sha Na Na and others.

The footage of the concerts have been restored, re-edited and remixed by a team led by the couple’s son, Sean Ono Lennon. Highlights from the concerts previously appeared in the documentary, One to One: John and Yoko, directed by filmmaker Kevin Macdonald.

“It was a concert that had a legendary status in my mind, because it was my dad’s last concert,” Sean said in a statement. “Maybe not everyone realizes how special it is for me to hear my dad talking or to see him. I grew up with a set number of images and audio clips that everyone’s familiar with. So to come across things that I’ve never seen or heard is really deep for me, because it’s almost like getting more time with my dad.”

Tickets for Power To The People go on sale March 20, which would have been John & Yoko’s 57th wedding anniversary.

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On This Day, March 12, 2007 …

R.E.M., Patti Smith and Van Halen were among the artists inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

R.E.M. was inducted by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. The band reunited with original drummer Bill Berry, who had left the group in 1997, to perform three songs “Gardening at Night,” “Man on the Moon” and “Begin the Begin.” They also performed a cover of The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” with Smith.

Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha handled the induction duties for Smith, who took the stage to perform a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” Her track “People Have the Power” was performed as part of the night’s all-star jam.

Van Halen was inducted by the band Velvet Revolver. Although all members of the band, including both frontmen David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, were inducted, only Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony attended the ceremony. Velvet Revolver performed “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” while Hagar and Anthony performed “Why Can’t This Be Love” with band leader Paul Shaffer.

Others inducted at the ceremony include Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and The Ronettes.

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Bruce Springsteen has released a cover of The Pogues’ “A Rainy Night in Soho,” the first track off an upcoming tribute album to the band’s late singer Shane MacGowan.

20th Century Paddy – The Songs of Shane MacGowan is set to drop Nov. 13. In addition to Springsteen, the album features contributions from Dropkick Murphys, The Pogues, David Gray, Glen Hansard, Hozier and Jessie Buckley, Johnny Depp and Imelda May, Kate Moss, Primal Scream, Tom Waits, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and more.

“Shane was all naked bottomless humanity. Threatening to force us to ask ourselves if we were living deeply, authentically,” says Springsteen. “He was raw, hilarious, no apologies and profound. His soul was filled with the transgressive and ecstatic properties of the saints.”

Springsteen’s cover of “A Rainy Night in Soho” is available now via digital outlets.

A portion of the artist royalties from the album will benefit Dublin Simon Community and their mission to provide lifesaving housing and healthcare for those experiencing homelessness.

20th Century Paddy – The Songs of Shane MacGowan will be released as a two-CD or three-LP set, as well as a three-LP, two-CD Deluxe Bookpack that comes with a book filled with memorabilia and liner notes. All formats are available for preorder now.

MacGowan passed away Nov. 30, 2023 at the age of 65.

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Foreigner is set to release a live version of their iconic track “Urgent,” featuring new lead singer Luis Maldonado.

The band announced that they’ll be releasing “Urgent (Live in Halifax 2025)” to streaming platforms on March 20. The song was previously only available on YouTube. 

“Urgent is one of the most powerful songs we perform in our set. It always gets people up and engaged with the band. We take no prisoners when we play,” says Maldonado. “So with Urgent’s strong and steady beat, and [its] ‘catchy as hell’ melodies, it stands as a highlight of the evening.”

The performance was recorded during Maldonado’s first tour as the band’s frontman. He took over duties in October, replacing Kelly Hansen, who retired after 20 years with the band.

Foreigner is in the midst of their orchestral residency at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas, with the next show on Friday. They are also scheduled to perform the national anthem Sunday at the Pennzoil 400 NASCAR race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

This summer they’ll hit the road with Lynyrd Skynyrd on the Double Trouble Double Vision Tour, which starts July 23 in Atlanta.

A complete list of dates can be found at Foriegneronline.com.

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