Music

Ozzy Osbourne has announced that his touring days are officially over.

In a message he called “probably one of the hardest things” he’s ever shared with his “loyal fans,” the 75-year-old Prince of Darkness explained health reasons were behind the difficult decision.

“As you may all know, four years ago, this month, I had a major accident, where I damaged my spine,” Ozzy explained. “My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak.”

Osbourne continued, “I am honestly humbled by the way you’ve all patiently held onto your tickets for all this time, but in all good conscience, I have now come to the realization that I’m not physically capable of doing my upcoming European/UK tour dates, as I know I couldn’t deal with the travel required.”

Ozzy continued, “Believe me when I say that the thought of disappointing my fans really F***S ME UP, more than you will ever know. Never would I have imagined that my touring days would have ended this way.”

The former Black Sabbath frontman left the door open for other options that could allow him to “perform without having to travel from city to city and country to country.”

He concluded the message by saying, “I want to thank my family……my band…….my crew……my longtime friends, Judas Priest, and of course, my fans for their endless dedication, loyalty, and support, and for giving me the life that I never ever dreamed I would have. I love you all.”

Ticket refunds are now available at point of purchase, the message noted.

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Missy Elliott and A Tribe Called Quest are among the nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2023 class. The two were named among a group of 14 people, including stars Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Cydni Lauper, Willie Nelson and Rage Against the Machine.

Missy is nominated for the first time during her first year of eligibility. Her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, turned 25 last year, meeting the requirement that an artist’s first commercial recording has to be released at least 25 years before their nomination.

Tribe, on the contrary, was previously nominated for the 2022 class. Inductees will be announced in May.

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Two ’80s pop icons and one ’90s pop-rock staple are among the first-time nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023: Cyndi Lauper, George Michael and Sheryl Crow.

Cyndi has sold over 50 million records worldwide, and her 1983 debut album, She’s So Unusual, was the first debut by a female artist to spin off four top-five hits. A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, she’s three-quarters of the way to an EGOT, having already won an Emmy, a Tony and several Grammys.

George Michael ruled the charts in the early ’80s as half of Wham!, then went on to become one of the best-selling solo artists of all time, with eight number-one songs, two Grammys and numerous other awards. He was also an LGBTQ rights activist and philanthropist.

Sheryl’s 1993 debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club, made her a star thanks to the hit song “All I Wanna Do.” The anti-war and gun control activist’s blend of pop, rock, blues, folk and country has earned her nine Grammys overall, and she’s sold over 50 million records.

In all, eight of this year’s 14 nominees are making their debut on the ballot, including country legend Willie Nelson, late singer/songwriter Warren Zevon, R&B icon Missy Elliott, rockers The White Stripes and influential post-punk band Joy Division, jointly nominated with their later incarnation, New Order.

The nominees returning to the ballot for another try include Kate Bush, grunge icons Soundgarden, rap metal stars Rage Against the Machine, R&B legends The Spinners and British heavy metal heroes Iron Maiden.

Now through April 28, fans can vote online daily at vote.rockhall.com. The top five artists chosen in the vote will make up a “fans’ ballot,” which will be added to the tally to determine the inductees.  

The final Class of 2023 will be announced in May, with the induction ceremony taking place this fall — dates and ticket information will be announced later.

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If you can’t make it out to see Cody Johnson in concert, that’s OK, he can come to you — sort of.

You see, the prison guard turned rodeo cowboy turned country star has just put together an epic, two-disc live set that showcases what he does on the road.

“We’ve been trying for years to capture the live energy in the studio,” he tells ABC Audio. “And I felt like we did a pretty good job of it on ”Til You Can’t.’ It has that vibe, but it just doesn’t replace recording an actual live album.”

Cody’s career-changing song is included in the live set, as is his current hit, “Human.”

“We recorded six shows,” he explains. “You know, some nights the wind would hit the microphone wrong or the guitar amp was a little jacked up. So we just tried to take the best takes from six nights, keep the editing down to a minimum and make it a true live album.”

“But there’s, like, 27 tracks on this record,” he adds.  

Cody Johnson & the Rockin’ CJB Live is out now and also features his previous hits, “On My Way to You” and “Dear Rodeo.” 

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Metro Boomin is one of many celebrities tapped to be part of this year’s Super Bowl ads. The producer will appear in the “Six Degrees of Budweiser” commercial, narrated by Kevin Bacon.

In the clip, a six-pack of the beer is passed around in different locations. Metro grabs his Budweiser while jamming to music in the studio.

“Budweiser being in St. Louis and me being born and raised in St. Louis and always representing and speaking out for [the city], I saw it as a golden opportunity,” he tells Billboard of his decision to be in the commercial. “A lot of my closest friends growing up, some of my family and everybody like … Bud’s always been around. I remember going to the Anheuser-Busch factory, we had a field trip there when I was a kid. That just goes to show you how big of an impact Budweiser has always had on the whole city, even from the original Busch Stadium.”

Metro’s placement in the Budweiser ad comes after the December release of his Heroes & Villains album. He tells Billboard he created a song that will play in the commercial and also plans to deliver a villain’s edition of his project.

“With my career, my head’s always down. I’m always working so I’m not always looking back like, ‘Oh, this album did this or this happened,’ you know?” he said. “Just like in the gym, I feel like this Super Bowl commercial is like when you start to see some gains. It’s one of them things where you can see [my] growth.”

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Avril Lavigne just received five Juno Award nominations from her native Canada, including Album of the Year for her 2022 album Love Sux.  The album hit the top 10 album was got great reviews, but Avril also says she really enjoyed the creative process — because for once, she said, “I clicked with everybody!”

For Love Sux, Avril teamed up with collaborators from the pop-punk world like Blink-182′s Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus, as well as Machine Gun Kelly, blackbear, Yungblud and Mod Sun, to whom she’d eventually become engaged.  “I felt like I was just, like, hanging out with my friends in the studio,” Avril told ABC Audio last year.

“I felt like these are my kind of people — from my type of background musically,” she added of her collaborators. “And I felt the most understood, for the first time. And I also just feel like everyone was so talented that I worked with, but we all have the same vibe and style. So, like, we clicked!”

And Avril says that was a big change from other times when she attempted to work with others on an album.

“Definitely, in the past, there’s been like times where it’s like, you meet these songwriters and you get together and you write songs, it’s so boring!” she recalled.

“You’re not gonna to click with everyone you get together with, right?,” she continued. “So over the years, I really clicked with certain people and other people, I didn’t.”

She laughed, “This album, I clicked with everybody, which is so fun!”

Love Sux debuted in the top 10 when it was released last February and spun off the singles “I’m a Mess,” “Bite Me” and “Love It When You Hate Me.”  This spring, she’ll be touring in Europe and the U.K.

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Ice-T is getting a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

On Tuesday, it was announced that the rapper and actor, 64, will be awarded the star on February 17, with legendary rapper Chuck D serving as a guest speaker, along with walk-of-famers Mariska Hargitay and Dick Wolf, who Ice-T works with on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

While Ice-T is being awarded the star in the category of Recording, he’s a multi-hyphenate. Aside from his role on Law and Order: SVU, his film and television credits include New Jack City, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Saturday Night Live, and the reality series Ice Loves Coco. 

As an author, the Grammy Award-winner has written five books, including his 2022 memoir Split Decision. He’s also lent his voice to various video games like Grand Theft Auto and Gears of War 3. 

It all began, though, with gangster rap. Ice-T started his career as a rapper in the 1980s and eventually formed the label Rhyme Syndicate Records in 1989, where he released a string of groundbreaking West Coast rap tracks. 

The star will be dedicated at 11:30 a.m. PT and will be streamed on walkoffame.com.

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Rise Against has announced a three-show residency at the Metro club in the band’s hometown of Chicago.

The run takes place from March 30 to April 1 and will celebrate the Metro’s 40th anniversary. For each show, Rise Against will play songs off every one of their albums over three entirely unique sets with no repeats.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 3, at 10 a.m. CT. For more info, visit RiseAgainst.com.

You can also catch Rise Against at the 2023 When We Were Young festival, taking place this October in Las Vegas. They’re also planning a tour of Australia with Blink-182 in 2024.

Rise Against’s most recent album is 2021’s Nowhere Generation.

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Les Claypool is bringing back the Fearless Flying Frog Brigade.

The Primus frontman’s side band, which has been on hiatus for the last 20 years, will return this spring and summer for a U.S. tour, running from May 17 in Stateline, Nevada, to July 15 in Phoenix.

“In an age of calibrated chaos, moral constipation, and conspiranoia, it is reassuring to know that certain frogs can and do fly,” Claypool says.

The shows will feature a performance of Pink Floyd‘s 1977 album Animals in full. Select dates will be co-headlined by Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew‘s Remain in Light Talking Heads celebration tour.

Originally formed in 2000 when Primus was on hiatus, Fearless Flying Frog Brigade consists of Claypool and a rotating cast of backing musicians. For the upcoming tour, that includes Sean Lennon, son of Beatles legend John, on guitar.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 3, at 10 a.m. local time. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit LesClaypool.com.

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