FIREAID: Lineup Keeps Growing
The lineup for FireAid continues to grow. Signing on for the two concerts on January 30th in Inglewood, California at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum to raise money for rebuilding communities devastated by wildfires and supporting efforts to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California are:
·Alanis Morissette
·Anderson .Paak
·Dawes
·Graham Nash
·John Fogerty
·Olivia Rodrigo
·Peso Pluma
·Stevie Wonder
·The Black Crowes
They join the previously announced lineup of:
·Billie Eilish
·Dave Matthews and John Mayer
·Earth, Wind & Fire
·Gracie Abrams
·Green Day
·Jelly Roll
·Joni Mitchell
·Katy Perry
·Lady Gaga
·Lil Baby
·No Doubt
·Pink
·Red Hot Chili Peppers
·Rod Stewart
·Sting
·Stephen Stills
·Stevie Nicks
·Tate McRae
The Eagles donated $2.5-million to the event, which is being produced by their manager Irving Azoff and his wife Shelli. Tickets for both shows go on sale Wednesday (tomorrow) at noon PT through Tickemaster. An audio stream will be available on iHeartRadio, Apple Music, Spotify, SoundCloud and SiriusXm. A video stream will be available through Apple TV, Max, Netflix, Paramount+, Prime Video and the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, plus AMC Theatre locations in 70 U.S. markets. To make a donation go to FireAidLA.org.
MusiCares "Persons Of The Year" Lineup Announced
The Grateful Dead are being honored as MusiCares [[ Music-Cares ]] "Persons of the Year" and a band featuring two of the Dead's co-founders is among the performers at the event. Bob Weir and Mickey Hart will perform as part of Dead and Company and also be joined by Grateful Dead member Bill Kreutzmann to receive the award, which recognizes the band's "contributions to both music and humanity." Other artists performing at the annual gala include Mick Fleetwood with Stewart Copeland, Sammy Hagar, Bruce Hornsby, Norah Jones, John Mayer, and Dwight Yoakam.The event will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on January 31st, two days before the Grammy Awards.
John Sykes Dead
Former Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes has died.The 65-year-old English musician was involved with many bands during his career, but his most notable moment came with David Coverdale's Whitesnake in the 80s. He also spent a short time with Thin Lizzy and did some recording with the group. His family posted news of the death on Facebook, calling him and exceptional musician and a kind man. Sykes died after a battle with cancer.
Def Leppard Guitarist Vivian Campbell Misses Mexico Concert For Cancer Treatments
Def Leppard's first concert of 2025 is in the books, despite the absence of guitarist Vivian Campbell. Frontman Joe Elliott told the crowd in Leon, Mexico Saturday night that Campbell was "recovering from some treatment for his cancer" and John Zocco was filling in for him. Campbell revealed in 2013 that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis.He has undergone various types of treatments through the years but has performed at most Def Leppard shows. The band's next scheduled show is nearly four months away, May 15th in Puerto Rico.
SCORPIONS: Vegas Delayed for Dee's Recovery
The Scorpions have postponed their Las Vegas residency because drummer Mikkey Dee is still recovering from having sepsis in December. The five shows that were slated to start on February 27th at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino are now set for August 13th through the 23rd. Fans who can't attend those dates will receive refunds. The band says, "The health and well-being of our brother is of the utmost importance. We wish Mikkey a full and speedy recovery and look forward to rocking with you all again soon!" The 61-year-old Dee was hospitalized for three weeks last month and underwent several operations for the condition, which occurs when the body's response to an infection injures its own organs and tissues.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Boss of Basie
Bruce Springsteen was on back on stage for the first time this year on Saturday when he participated in the annual Light of Day concert at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. He sat in with three of acts, starting with Jesse Malin on Malin’s “Broken Radio” and “Glitter in the Gutter.” Willie Nile was the next act to welcome Springsteen, doing Nile's "One Guitar." Springsteen then sat in with his friend Joe Grushecky for:
·"Never Be Enough Time"
·"Darkness on the Edge of Town"
·"The Promised Land"
·"Savin' Up" - Clarence Clemons & The Red Bank Rockers cover
·"Pumping Iron"
·"Pink Cadillac"
·"Light of Day"
·"Thunder Road"
This was the 12th time Springsteen has performed at the show, which raises money for Parkinson’s research.
MTV Makes Devo Frontman "Ridiculously" Rich
The frontman for Devo admits that MTV is helping to make him and his wife "ridiculously" rich. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Mark Mothersbaugh says fans might presume it's because of "Whip It" or other Devo hits that were on heavy rotation in the early days of MTV.In reality, the Devo song that's making the biggest contribution to the Mothersbaugh household is the "Uncontrollable Urge" from their 1978 album "Are We Not Men -- We Are Devo." MTV made the song famous -- and profitable -- by using a cover of the song for its hit show "Ridiculousness." The cover was recorded by "Ridiculousness" host Rob Dyrdek.The show debuted in 2012 and has produced more than 15-hundred episodes, resulting in about a million-dollars-a-year for Mothersbaugh.
NEIL YOUNG: A Lower Case "Change"
Neil Young has released his first song with his new band The Chrome Hearts. The track is called "Big Change" and there's a video for it on YouTube. And in typical Young style, he's got something quirky for this release. He insists that the band's name and the song title must be in all lowercase letters. It's not clear what Neil has against the shift key. The song is on Young's upcoming album Talkin’ to the Trees, which Young co-produced with Lou Adler and recorded last year at Shangri-La studios in Malibu, California. The Chrome Hearts feature Micah Nelson on guitar, Corey McCormick on bass, Anthony Logerfo on drums and Spooner Oldham on organ. Young and the band are slated to do a European summer tour but haven't announced any U.S. dates yet.
U2 Announce 'Limited Edition' Sphere Photo Book
U2 has announced a new photo book, V-U2: An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas | A Commemorative Photography Book, to commemorate their Sphere residency from September 29, 2023, to March 2, 2024. The 156-page book features rare and unseen photographs taken by U2's tour photographer, Ross Stewart, and includes a forward by guitarist The Edge and an essay by Pat Carty. U2.com subscribers have a 24-hour window to order the limited-edition book for $75 before it goes on sale to the public in early February. The residency, centered around their album Achtung Baby, featured acoustic mini-sets and marked the band's first concert residency. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. was replaced by Bram van den Berg for all 40 shows due to injuries.
All-Star Grateful Dead/Allman Brothers Tribute Live Dead & Brothers Announce Spring Tour With Steve Kimock
Live Dead & Brothers, an all-star tribute band honoring the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers Band, have announced their Truckin’ 2025 Spring Tour featuring special guest Steve Kimock on slide guitar. The band, formed in 2024, pays tribute to the joint performances of the Dead and ABB from 1969–1973, with members including Berry Duane Oakley, son of ABB bassist Berry Oakley. The tour will kick off on March 28th in Northampton, MA, and cover 19 shows across the Northeast, South, and Midwest before concluding on April 20th in Milwaukee, WI. For a full list of tour dates and ticket information, visit the band’s Bandsintown page.
IN OTHER NEWS
Saturday's Celebrating Bob Dylan: The Al Aronowitz Archive, T Bone Burnett and More sale held by Juliens Auctions at the Musician's Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville took in close to $1.5-million. The original typewritten draft lyrics to “Mr. Tambourine Man” sold for $508,000; an original 1968 oil on canvas painting by Dylan went for $260,000; and Dylan’s owned and played 1983 Fender Telecaster took in $222,250. Aronowitz, a rock journalist, died in 2005.
Rod Stewart's wife, Penny Lancaster, threw him an 80th birthday party on Saturday. Among the guests were his Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood, along with Jools Holland who Stewart did his last album with, 2024's Swing Fever. Stewart turned 80 on January 10th.
The Doors will release their Bright Midnight Archives live recordings series to streaming services throughout this year. The first of the eight live albums -- previously only available as limited–edition CDs and LPs -- is Live at the Matrix 1967: The Original Masters and is out now.
Peter Frampton and Vince Gill of the Eagles will be among the artists taking part in Titan of Twang: A Celebration of Duane Eddy on April 13th at the Opry House in Nashville.
A new live Supertramp album, Live in Paris 1979, will be released on February 28th. It draws from two concerts not used for the band's 1980 live album Paris.
ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons has shared his new solo track “Livin’ it Up Down in Texas” from Landman. Check it out on YouTube.
Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey will release a solo album called Pushed to the Edge on March 28th. Check out the single "Tell Me" on YouTube.
Spin Doctors will release their first album in 12 years, Face Full of Cake, on April 11th. Check out the single “Still a Gorilla” on YouTube.