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David Ellefson reviews Megadeth’s farewell album: ‘This is a Dave solo record’

February 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has shared his thoughts on the band’s self-titled farewell album.

“I hear it and I go, ‘OK, this is a Dave solo record,'” Ellefson says on the latest episode of his podcast, referring to frontman Dave Mustaine.

“This is Dave and his new band, Dave and his new guys,” Ellefson continues. “It says ‘Megadeth’ so obviously it gets all the attention, but realistically I hear it and to me, it just doesn’t sound like Megadeth.”

The album features Mustaine alongside guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, drummer Dirk Verbeuren and bassist James LoMenzo, marking the first Megadeth record to feature that particular lineup. Mäntysaari joined in 2023, Verbeuren joined in 2016 and LoMenzo rejoined in 2021 after previously playing in Megadeth from 2006 to 2010.

Ellefson, who was the longest tenured member of Megadeth other than Mustaine, was let go from the band in 2021.

Regardless of Ellefson’s thoughts on the album, it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, marking a career-first for Megadeth.

Along with releasing their final album, Megadeth plans to embark on a multiyear farewell tour. Dates so far include a North American run with Iron Maiden launching in August.

Three Dog Night founding member Chuck Negron dead at 83

February 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Chuck Negron, founding member of Three Dog Night, has died at the age of 83. According to Negron’s representative, he passed away Monday at home in Studio City, California, “surrounded by his loving family.”

No cause of death was revealed, although the statement from his rep noted he battled chronic COPD for three decades and heart failure in his final months.

Negron, along with Danny Hutton and the late Cory Wells, formed Three Dog Night in 1967, with Michael Allsup, Jimmy Greenspoon, Joe Schermie and Floyd Sneed later joining the band. They went on to become one of the most successful bands of the ’60s and ’70s, landing 21 Billboard top-40 hits between 1969 and 1975.

Negron sang lead vocals on many of their iconic songs, including the #1 hit “Joy To the World (Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog),” and the top-five hits “One (Is the Loneliest Number)” and “Old Fashioned Love Song.”

After a decadeslong battle with drug abuse, Negron got clean in 1991 and launched a solo career, releasing seven albums, the last of which was 2017’s Negron Generations. He recounted his life story, as well as his battle with addiction, in the memoir Three Dog Nightmare, released in 1999.

Hutton and Allsup are the last two surviving original members of Three Dog Night. While Negron and Hutton had been estranged since Negron’s final departure from the band in the ’80s, they reunited last year.

“When Chuck left the band 40 years ago, we rarely spoke and lost touch for much of that time. Five months ago, his wife Ami called to tell me he was very sick, and I decided I should go see him,” Hutton wrote in a post on Three Dog Night’s Facebook page. “When I arrived at his house, we hugged, cried, reminisced, and shared many stories. In that moment, we realized how much time had been lost by not being in each other’s lives. It was a beautiful and deeply meaningful reunion.”

Paying tribute to Negron, he noted, “Besides being a phenomenal singer, Chuck was a good college basketball player and had a great sense of humor. I will always be grateful for the music we made together.”

On This Day, Feb. 3, 1973: Elton John scored his first US #1 with ‘Crocodile Rock’

February 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

On This Day, Feb. 3, 1973…

Elton John landed his first #1 single with “Crocodile Rock,” from his sixth studio album, Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player.

The song went on to spend three weeks in the top spot and earned a Platinum certification by the RIAA.

The song also topped the chart in Canada and Switzerland, and hit #5 in the U.K.

Elton went on to have nine #1 hits in the U.S. over the course of his career. His last #1 was “Candle In The Wind 1997,” a reimagined version of his 1987 single, which was released following the death of Princess Diana. The song was paired with the track “Something About The Way You Look Tonight.”

Alice in Chains’ Mike Inez criticizes Grammys for not including Brent Hinds in televised in memoriam

February 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez has criticized the Grammys for not including late Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds in the televised portion of the in memoriam during Sunday’s ceremony.

“BIG party foul Grammys for forgetting the MIGHTY Brent Hinds in the In Memoriam,” Inez writes in an Instagram post.

Hinds, who won one Grammy as a member of Mastodon and was nominated for six others, died in August 2025, just months after he parted ways with the Atlanta metallers.

While not part of the broadcast, Recording Academy did include Hinds in the in memoriam 2026 page on its website.

In other Mastodon-related news, the band has announced a tour of Europe kicking off in June. Visit MastodonRocks.com for the full list of dates and all ticket info.

Grammy winner Lola Young to perform at Elton John’s Oscar viewing party

February 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Newly minted Grammy winner Lola Young has lined up her next big gig: She’ll be providing the entertainment for Elton John‘s annual Oscar viewing party, which benefits his AIDS Foundation.

The 34th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party will take place March 15 in West Hollywood, California. The event will be co-hosted by Elton and his husband David Furnish and Neil Patrick Harris and his husband David Burtka. Among those serving on the committee for the event are Sharon Stone, Patricia Arquette, Brandi Carlile, Keke Palmer, Eric McCormack, Tiffany Haddish, Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey.

“Over the years, this stage has welcomed extraordinary young artists I have championed … big voices that have gone on to shape culture and move the world,” Elton said in a statement. “This year, we’re thrilled to continue that tradition with Lola Young, a truly remarkable talent. It’s such an exciting time for new British artists, and Lola’s sheer brilliance has put her right at the forefront globally.”

Last year, Elton told Lola that he’d “bet his house” that her song “d£aler” would be a #1 hit. When it failed to top the chart, Lola had posted a video on Instagram showing Elton jokingly turning over the keys to his house to her. “Can we stay [over] the odd night?” he asked her. “No, sorry,” Lola responded. “It’s mine now.”

“It’s been incredible getting to know Elton and David, and I’m grateful for the support they’ve shown my music,” Lola said in a statement. She added, “I’m proud to be part of a night that helps make a meaningful impact.”

On Sunday, Lola won the Grammy for best pop solo performance for her hit “Messy.”

Over the years, Elton’s party has has raised nearly $124 million for the cause.

Country ‘Ain’t a Bad Life,’ but Thomas Rhett does have other dreams

February 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

While it’s practically unfathomable that Thomas Rhett would ever forsake his home format to pursue another genre entirely, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have non-country dreams.

So what would TR do if he ever decided to color outside the lines?

“Probably something in the Motown space or literally being able to hire an orchestra for like a month and go write some kinda Sinatra-esque type songs, and be able to sing them live with the orchestra the way that they did it back then,” he reveals.

“I can’t tell you it’d be good,” he adds, “but it’d be something that I think would be really fun.”

Right now, Thomas is planted firmly in country’s top 10, enjoying his first collaborative hit with his buddy Jordan Davis on “Ain’t a Bad Life.”

Mýa announces 10th studio album, ‘Retrospect’

February 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Mýa is reflecting on the music that shaped her as she prepares to release her upcoming 10th studio album, Retrospect. The project marks her first studio album in eight years, though it has been in the works since 2016.

According to a press release, the album draws from her “earliest musical influences — rooted in late ’70s through late ’80s funk, R&B, and soul — while seamlessly infusing contemporary sounds and perspectives.”

“I’m able to channel the music that inspired me to get into the music industry, and make music from that pure, exciting place where you feel like a kid when you listen to it again or you feel joyful or you really feel something that you once upon a time used to feel when you listened to music in its purest state,” she previously told ABC Audio of the album.

With the pioneers of funk predating her, Mýa said Retrospect also serves as a tribute to those legends. “I get to pay homage to the [Jimmy] Jam and [Terry] Lewises, the Princes, the Vanity 6, Rick James, those sounds that fill my living room,” she said.

She added in a press release, “Music wasn’t just a part of my life; it was the heartbeat of my home, the foundation of my joy. This album is a celebration of that and the kind of funk that never fades. It’s a bridge between the past and the future, honoring the greats, my inspirations, while forging something new.”

Featuring the recently released single “ASAP” and guest appearances from 21 Savage and Joyner Lucas, Retrospect will arrive in spring 2026. It will be available in Stereo, Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio, offering what the press release describes as “an immersive listening experience that honors both her sonic roots and forward-looking vision.”

Joe Elliott says Def Leppard is ready to launch new ‘next level’ Vegas residency

February 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Def Leppard launches Def Leppard: Live at Caesars Palace The Las Vegas Residency at The Colosseum on Tuesday and fans can expect quite a show. This will be the band’s third residency in Vegas, and frontman Joe Elliott tells ABC Audio “they keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger.”

He says the beauty of Las Vegas is that it allows you to go big and “it just enthuses you to put on a show,” noting their latest residency is gonna be “next level.”

So what are they doing to make it bigger than ever?

“The production is massive. It’s the best we’ve ever had by a country mile,” Elliott says. “Visually it’s insanely different to anything we’ve ever done.”

And that includes the set list, with Elliott saying they’re planning to go “a lot deeper” in their catalog.

“We’re pulling out stuff we haven’t played in decades. Stuff we’ve never played before,” he says. Of course, they’ll still play hits like “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” but Elliott says if fans only know that song “they’re in for a shock.”

They also plan to play their recently released single “Rejoice.” Says Elliott, “It’s the reason we released it, so that we could play it.”

And with Def Leppard booked at the venue through Feb. 28, bassist Rick Savage says there will be plenty of time for them to enjoy what Vegas has to offer.

“Once you get settled in, and you’ve played two or three shows, you kinda, you become a little bit more of a tourist rather than concentrating on your proper job,” he says. “But it’s such a great town, even just to walk around, you know, whether it’s during the day or at night, all the lights and the buzz and the people.”

Wolfgang Van Halen battles ‘crowd dysmorphia’ in believing in Mammoth’s success

February 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Wolfgang Van Halen and his band Mammoth have notched their fourth #1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with their current single, “The Spell.” As Wolf tells ABC Audio, his radio success has been “a little difficult to believe.”

“I think I’m my own toughest critic,” Wolf says. “I do stuff for myself and I write music that feels good for me, but to know that somebody else could hear it and enjoy it and derive their own meaning from it is a really cool thing.”

That self-criticism, Wolf says, has resulted in what he calls “crowd dysmorphia.”

“It’s tough for me to tell if people are into it or not, and anybody I see enjoying it, it almost seems like it’s sarcastic,” he laughs. “I think that’s just how tough my brain is on myself.”

But between the chart success and seeing more and more people coming out to shows while singing along and rocking Mammoth T-shirts, that crowd dysmorphia has started to ease.

“We’ve played almost 350 shows over the last four years, and to see that people enjoy it and wanna come see us again … it’s very humbling, and we’re very grateful to be able to do it,” Wolf says.

“The Spell” is off Mammoth’s new album, 2025’s The End. Mammoth will launch a U.S. headlining tour in March before hitting the road with Bush in April.

Grammy winner Lola Young says ‘Messy’ reflects ‘how we all feel’

February 3, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Lola Young was the winner of the best pop solo performance Grammy on Sunday for her breakthrough hit “Messy,” which she thinks is a song that reflects something everyone has experienced at one time or another.

Backstage at the awards show, Lola said, “I feel like ‘Messy’ is a song that symbolizes how we all feel, and I’m very proud of this song. I feel it speaks on just like being a messy human being and not being enough for, you know, the world.”

“And that’s how a lot of us feel a lot the time, and how I felt a lot of the time,” the British singer continued. “That’s why I think it related.”

The Grammy win was a huge comeback for Lola, who’d taken time out of the spotlight after collapsing during a festival appearance in September. On Feb. 28 she’ll find out if she’s also a winner at the BRIT Awards, the U.K. equivalent of the Grammys. She and fellow U.K. star Olivia Dean, who was named best new artist on Sunday night, are both nominated for five BRIT Awards, including artist of the year.

Of note, Lola and Olivia attended the same performing arts school — the BRIT School — which helped launch the careers of Adele and Amy Winehouse. Another BRIT School alum, RAYE, won the Harry Belafonte best song for social change trophy on Saturday, which is a merit award given out by the Recording Academy each year.

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