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‘Wild Thing,’ ‘Angel of the Morning’ songwriter Chip Taylor dead at 86

March 25, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Chip Taylor, songwriter of such hits as “Wild Thing” and “Angel of the Morning,” has died at the age of 86. The news was confirmed in a post on his official Facebook page.

“Hi all – we are sad to tell you that Chip passed away last night. His last days were peaceful,” read the post signed by his children Kris and Kelly. “Chip loved the amazing blessing it was to connect with people through music and truly appreciated this community. He considered you all friends. We will miss him greatly.”

Taylor, born James Wesley Voight, was the younger brother of actor Jon Voight. He had his first big hit with “Wild Thing,” which was a #1 hit for the Troggs in 1966. Their version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2019. Jimi Hendrix also gave a memorable performance of the track at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, where he set his guitar on fire at the end.

Taylor’s other big hit, “Angel of the Morning,” has been covered by several artists. Merrilee Rush’s 1968 version of the song was the first to hit the top 10, peaking at #7. Juice Newton also charted with the track, with her 1981 version peaking at #4. The song was also interpolated for Shaggy’s 2001 hit “Angel,” which went to #1 on the Hot 100.

Taylor wrote several other pop and country songs over the years, which have been recorded by such artists as Tom Petty, Janis Joplin, The Hollies, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson and more.

Taylor was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016.

HARDY has a huge hit with ‘McArthur’ — but it’s complicated

March 25, 2026 by WDNY Radio

It hasn’t even been two months since HARDY released “McArthur,” and the generational saga is already a top-25 hit.

While it seems to be making its way up the chart quickly, HARDY recalls it wasn’t one of his quickest compositions.

“It took a couple, three hours maybe. I mean, to me that’s a medium one. A fast one is, I always like to think under an hour,” he says. “But this one was a regular write. We definitely had to do like some surgery on this one, and make sure we had the timelines and all that kind of stuff in order. So it took a little bit of extra time.”

Eric Church, Morgan Wallen and Tim McGraw join HARDY on the “McArthur” recording, which means he has a hit he can’t exactly replicate on the road. So he’s decided to play it completely solo.

“It’s not really a song that I want to play with my band,” he explains. “I feel like if it’s already such a chill song, it’s something that I’ll just do with my acoustic guitar.”

HARDY’s currently on the COUNTRY! COUNTRY! TOUR, which resumes Thursday in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s most used guitar headed for auction

March 25, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Personal items from the late KISS guitarist Ace Frehley are among the pieces of memorabilia up for sale at Julien’s Auctions upcoming Music Icons auction.

Over 800 items will be part of the auction, including instruments from Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward and more.

The highlight of this year’s auction is Frehley’s most played 1975 Les Paul guitar, which is expected to sell for between $400,000 and $600,000. According to a press release, the guitar was Frehley’s “constant companion” from the beginning of his career and was used “more than any other guitar in his arsenal.”

Other Frehley memorabilia up for grabs include a 1977 tour jacket, a full-length kimono from the Rock & Roll Over Tour era and a purple velvet stage-worn jumpsuit.

Also part of the Music Icons auction is Hammett’s first Ouija ESP custom guitar, which is signed with an inscription from the rocker; Vaughan’s 1969 Guild F-412 Twelve String guitar, played during his 1990 MTV Unplugged performance; Ward’s used Zildjian Gong and RIAA Platinum records; and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin’s 1987 Gibson HR Fusion 1 guitar, used during the recording of the band’s debut album, Appetite for Destruction.

Bidding for items will open online April 27, with the two-day live auction happening May 29 -30 at the Hard Rock Café Times Square in New York. More info can be found at JuliensAuctions.com.

Highlights from the auction will be on display at the Hard Rock Piccadilly Circus in London through April 13, before moving to Japan’s Hard Rock Café Tokyo for display on April 27. Additional items will go on display at the Hard Rock in New York starting May 13.

Miley Cyrus says ‘Hannah Montana’ special is ‘just a celebration’: “It’s all joy”

March 25, 2026 by WDNY Radio

The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. It features Miley Cyrus performing your favorite Hannah hits plus a new song, “Younger You,” which she wrote just for the occasion.

“It’s really just something that felt like it came naturally and organically in support of this special,” Miley told ABC’s Good Morning America at the premiere. “So it’s always exciting when I can use music to kind of translate all the emotions that I’m feeling.”

Miley added paying tribute to the role that made her famous is “just a celebration.”

“It’s all joy. It’s a gift, you know, obviously to the fans, but also for me to get to be a part of it in a way that I wasn’t when I was kind of in the middle of it,” she explained.

In addition to stars from Hannah Montana, the premiere attracted other celebs, including David Archuleta, who sang a duet with Miley in the show’s third season. “People still remember it, they still love it, and it’s a part of their childhood,” David said. “And so to be a part of people’s growing up is really special.”

HUNTR/X singing voice Rei Ami, a huge Hannah fan, said, “Miley raised me.” She also revealed that she was once “caught by a fan at a convention and they started calling me ‘Asian Hannah Montana,'” adding that made the premiere a “full circle moment” for her.

Miley’s mom, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, said that for her, “one of the coolest” things is seeing “how proud” Miley is of being Hannah Montana.

“When you see her come out [onstage in the special], it’s pretty crazy,” noted Tish. “She’s kind of like this Miley/Hannah mix … and I love it. It’s amazing.”

(Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.)

Pearl Jam shares Japanese versions of videos ahead of Eddie Vedder’s solo Japan tour

March 24, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Pearl Jam has uploaded Japanese versions of videos for “Even Flow,” “Jeremy” and “Daughter” in celebration of frontman Eddie Vedder’s first solo tour in Japan.

The updated clips feature subtitles with the lyrics of each song in Japanese.

Vedder’s Japan tour launches in April and includes shows in Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo.

“The tour will give audiences a unique opportunity to experience Eddie’s solo work and career-spanning material in a theater setting,” Vedder previously said.

(“Jeremy” video contains uncensored profanity.)

Fetty Wap unveils track list for ‘Zavier’

March 24, 2026 by WDNY Radio

The rollout for Fetty Wap’s new album, Zavier, continued Wednesday, as he unveiled the project’s track list.

The list came at the end of a video trailer in which he’s seen working in the studio. “You ever been in the dark so long you start thinking it’s normal?” he begins. “I been there. Concrete walls. Long nights. Lotta thinking. Lotta solace, you know? That solace different though. It could break if you soft or it might make you stronger and sharpen you up.”

Fetty adds that his time behind bars got him focused. “Made me see who really around, made me see what mattered for real: kids, family, homies,” he says.

“When you lose everything you stopped playing with your second chance,” he adds. “So I don’t move random no more. I ain’t chasing, I ain’t rushing. I’m just locked in. When you really been in the dark, you don’t come out the same. You don’t talk the same, you don’t walk the same. You don’t move the same.”

Named after his alter ego, Zavier features 17 tracks, as well as guest appearances from Wiz Khalifa, Honey Bxby, Tink, Max B, G Herbo and more.

Zavier arrives on Friday, marking his first album since he was released from prison in January. He’d previously served time on charges of conspiracy to distribute drugs.

Music notes: Taylor Swift, Goo Goo Dolls and more

March 24, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Travis Kelce always has Taylor Swift on his mind, even when he’s at work. In a video posted by the Kansas City Chiefs, Travis is seen returning to Arrowhead Stadium to begin a new season with the team. As he walks down a hallway, he encounters a large framed photo of Taylor, captured while she played Arrowhead during her Eras Tour. He waves and mouths “Hi, sweetie” as he walks by.

Goo Goo Dolls are among the performers for this year’s Sea.Hear.Now festival, which is set for Asbury Park, New Jersey, on Sept. 19 and 20. Other acts on the bill include Men At Work, The All-American Rejects, Shaggy, Chaka Khan, Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles, Fitz & the Tantrums, and headliners Mumford & Sons and The Strokes. Tickets go on sale Thursday; presale registration is now open.

OneRepublic returns April 3 with a new song called “Need Your Love.” You can hear a clip of the song on Instagram. Frontman Ryan Tedder also co-wrote BTS’ new single, “SWIM.”

New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert recovering after surgery to remove brain tumors

March 24, 2026 by WDNY Radio

New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert is recovering after undergoing surgery to remove three tumors from his brain.

In an Instagram post published Monday, Gilbert shares that he was playing a show on Feb. 20 and noticed he was “struggling to control the movements of my left hand.”

“My left leg was getting weaker by the day and I started stumbling and falling at times,” Gilbert writes. “On the 23rd I was taken to the ER where a CT scan showed 3 new tumors had appeared in my brain. On 2/27 I had successful brain surgery and have been recovering in the hospital since.”

“I regained function of my left hand immediately,” he continues. “My radiation oncologist described it like this: ‘this is not a fatal blow and not the end of your story, just the beginning of a new chapter.'”

Gilbert has undergone multiple surgeries since first being diagnosed with a tumor in 2021.

Graham Nash announces new summer tour dates

March 24, 2026 by WDNY Radio

Graham Nash has extended his 2026 tour through the summer.

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has announced a new set of tour dates, which include co-headlining shows with Emmylou Harris.

The new summer shows begin July 7 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and run through Aug. 4 in Alexandria, Virginia. Nash is also booked to play the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival Sept. 19 in Fredricton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Nash and Harris will co-headline three dates of the tour: July 23 in Interlochen, Michigan; July 24 in Rochester Hills, Michigan; and July 26 in Highland Park, Illinois. Nash will also appear as special guest at the Avett Brothers’ July 12 show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.

A complete list of dates and ticket information can be found at GrahamNash.com.

Nash will next launch a spring leg of the tour, starting April 4 in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.

Nashville notes: The Opry’s Bakersfield tribute + Parmalee’s new radio tune

March 24, 2026 by WDNY Radio

The second annual Diffie Classic is set for Sept. 21-22. It starts with a golf tournament at 12 Stones Crossing Golf Club in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and continues with a concert at the Nashville Palace. The event honors the late Joe Diffie. Proceeds will go to Nashville-based First Steps, a nonprofit that works with children with special needs.

Parmalee’s new radio single is “God Knew Better,” their follow-up to their #1 “Cowgirl.”

Vince Gill, Paul Franklin and The Gatlin Brothers are booked to play the Grand Ole Opry May 28 as part of a special tribute to the Bakersfield sound.

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