Bon Jovi has reached a new milestone on YouTube. The video for the band’s classic track “Livin’ On A Prayer” has surpassed 1 billion views.
“Livin’ On A Prayer” was released in October 1986 and was the second hit single from their third album, Slippery When Wet.
The video, directed by Wayne Isham, was shot September 17, 1986, at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. It features the band rehearsing and performing; at one point, frontman Jon Bon Jovi flies over the crowd with the help of a harness.
“Livin’ On A Prayer” is one of many videos that predate the existence of YouTube to have landed 1 billion views. Others include Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain,” which reached 1 billion in July 2018, and their track “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” which reached the milestone in October 2019. In addition, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” reached 1 billion views in July 2019.
Bonnie Raitthas announced some new tour dates for 2023, including her first Canadian shows since 2017.
The new leg of the Just Like That… tour, featuring special guest Royal Wood on select dates, kicks off September 2 in Victoria, British Columbia. Bonnie will play 11 shows in Canada, including dates in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto.
The tour also includes some U.S. shows, with the tour wrapping October 11 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Presale tickets go on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time, with the public sale set for February 3. A complete list of tour dates can be found at BonnieRaitt.com.
Meanwhile, Raitt has a chance to add to her already huge Grammy hall this weekend. The singer, who has already won 10 Grammys, is up for four awards, including Song of the Year for her tune “Just Like That.” The 2023 Grammy Awards air Sunday on CBS live from Los Angeles.
Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Nellie’s Southern Kitchen
Joe Jonas might have done something he wasn’t exactly supposed to do — he leaked a snippet of a new Jonas Brothers song.
Taking to Instagram, Joe shared a video of him creeping into the studio as Nick and Kevin Jonas are listening to an unreleased song, which he reveals is called “Wings.” The DNCE frontman noted, “Guys, we just got the mix of our new song, ‘Wings,’ and … I don’t care, I just want you to hear it.”
The groovy song lyrics go as follows: “You are the wings I need to fly away/ When you give me love/ I feel it, I feel it, I feel it/ Got me runnin’ through/ The ceilin’, the ceilin’, the ceilin’/ And my love, it never had/ A meanin’, a meanin’, a meanin’/ You gave me a reason/ You got me believin’/ You’re makin’ me say/ You are the one, the sun, the light of day.”
Kevin commented on Joe’s video using just a shocked face emoji while Nick responded with a wide-eyes emoji.
The trio have not announced when they’ll release the new song. The track is likely to be the first single off the brothers’ new album, which they previously revealed to Varietywill include influences from ’70s music — namely the Bee Gees.
A title and release date for that upcoming work has not been announced yet.
Preston Brust and Chris Lucas are set to play the big game’s edition of Guy’s Flavortown Tailgate Sunday, February 12. It’ll take place right across from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The Food Network star will bring together more than 20 restaurant pop-ups and interactive dining experiences, alongside plenty of libations, in addition to LOCASH and DJ Diplo. You can get free tickets to the 11:30 a.m. event online.
Meanwhile, the new song from LOCASH, “Three Favorite Colors,” is set to drop February 3.
The Beatles gave their final public performance on Apple Records’ rooftop in London. In 42 minutes, the band, which was joined by guest keyboardist Billy Preston, did nine takes of five songs — “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” “I’ve Got A Feeling,” “One After 909” and “Dig A Pony” — before the police pulled the plug.
The concert happened while the band was recording what would become their album Let It Be. It was released May 8, 1970, almost a month after the band’s breakup.
Footage from the concert was used in the 1970 documentary Let It Be. In 2021, the entire performance was shown in the Disney+ documentary The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson.
The nearly eight-hour docuseries, which was co-produced by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon and George Harrison’s widows, YokoOno and Olivia Harrison, used footage from the original 1970 documentary. The series went on to win five Emmys, including Best Limited Documentary Series.
In January 2022 the full rooftop concert was released to streaming services as a standalone album, Get Back- The Rooftop Performance.
Along with the headlining dates, The Mars Volta will be playing this year’s Shaky Knees and Welcome to Rockville festivals, and will be opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers for a show in San Diego.
The Mars Volta reunited last year after a decadelong hiatus. They released a new, self-titled album last September.
Producer Rick Rubin thinks Paul McCartney doesn’t get enough credit when it comes to his bass playing. In fact, in a new interview he claims Sir Paul is the best bass player out there.
“I thought about how everything I’ve seen, Beatles-related, is either about the songwriting or Beatlemania,” Rubin said in an interview with MOJO, according to NME. “Paul McCartney the bass player, or Paul McCartney the musician, because he plays everything – that’s a little story told.” He adds, “You just think of him as Beatle Paul, yet in my opinion, he is the best of all bass players, he’s number one.”
Rubin, who worked with McCartney on the 2021 Hulu mini series McCartney 3, 2, 1, adds that he also admires McCartney’s simple songwriting style.
“What blew my mind was when he sat at the piano and he started showing me how to write a song. He was saying, ‘See, you could [do] it like this,'” Rubin says, “and what he was showing me was the simplest thing, but then he starts moving his fingers around slightly, and all of a sudden it evolves into ‘Hey Jude’ or ‘Let It Be.’”
He notes, “He’s using this technique that any child could do, then it morphs into one of the greatest songs of all time!”
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Dolly Parton continues to share bits of information on her upcoming rock album, which is due out in the late spring/early fall. She tells USA Today it will feature 28 tracks, with a mix of covers and originals. She’s also revealed a bit more on who will be joining her on what songs.
Among the originals on the album will be a song called “What Has Rock ‘n Roll Ever Done For Me” with Stevie Nicks, which Dolly describes as “a cute little song.” There’s also an unnamed original with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.
She’s also rerecorded the Dolly classic “My Blue Tears” with Duran Duran’s Simon LeBon.
“I was so excited because I could just hear his voice on it. He has that beautiful high voice and it’s an Irish-sounding love song with bagpipes,” she says. “It’s a love song about when a fella goes off to war and leaves his sweetheart behind and she cries her lonely blue tears and he’s on the other side crying his lonely blue tears. It’s a big range that Simon will be great at.”
In addition to the already announced “Let It Be” cover with Paul McCartney, Dolly will be covering the Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Long As I Can See the Light” with John Fogerty and Journey’s “Open Arms” with Steve Perry. She’s still hoping to get Annie Lennox and Cher on a cover of the Eurythmics‘ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).”
Dolly’s also trying to get Mick Jagger to join her, joking that if it doesn’t happen, “I’ll kick his bony a** when I see him!”
Michael Jackson‘s life story will be hitting the big screen and his nephew Jaafar Jackson will help tell it.
Lionsgate, which will release the upcoming film, announced Jaafar will play the legendary singer in the Michael biopic. He is the 26-year-old son of Jermaine Jackson.
Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, approves of the casting decision and said in a statement, “Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers.”
Graham King, producer of Bohemian Rhapsody, obtained the rights from Jackson’s estate to make a movie about the late King of Pop, including the rights to all of his music. King reportedly held a global casting call to find the right actor to portray Michael before ultimately settling on Jaafar.
“I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael,” he said. “It was something so powerful that even after conducting a worldwide search, it was clear that he is the only person to take on this role.”
Director Antoine Fuqua also confirmed the casting on social media and shared a glimpse of Jaafar practicing for his upcoming role. “Proud to announce @jaafarjackson as Michael — the motion picture event that explores the journey of the man who became the King of Pop. Coming soon,” he wrote.
Lionsgate is working with Jackson’s estate on the project. While it is unknown how far the movie will explore the unsavory allegations made against the pop star, the studio said in a statement Michael will “give audiences the never-before-told and in-depth portrayal of the complicated man who became the King of Pop,” and highlight both his life and career.
John Logan will pen the script. A release date has not been announced.
Olivia Newton-John was honored at the G’Day USA Gala last weekend in Los Angeles. Her husband, John Easterling, shared a moving tribute to the legendary singer, who passed away in August at age 73.
“We shared a love and a happiness on an order of magnitude that I didn’t even think was possible,” Easterling shared, as reported by The Mirror. “For the past 15 years, I’ve been blessed to share the depth and the passion of her being.” He added, “Every day with Olivia was a bit of magic. Every day with Olivia was supernatural.”
Easterling, who was at the event with Olivia’s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, called his wife “the most courageous and compassionate woman that I’ve ever known,” and explained why she chose to use her name to promote cancer research centers in both the U.S. and Australia.
“There’s an old adage that like attracts like, and Olivia knew that her voice and her huge profile of talents were a gift,” he said. “Her legacy continues as a joyful, healing spirit who is continuously focused on moving things, in her words, ‘into the love and the light.’”
