Classic Rock
Dee Snider: Robert Plant and Ronnie James Dio Not “Great Frontmen” Despite Being “Great Singers”
Dee Snider stirred up an ongoing Twitter debate just before the new year when he claimed that he doesn’t consider Robert Plant and the late Ronnie James Dio to be great frontmen. The Twisted Sister vocalist explained that he admires both rock legends as singers but insisted that they lacked excitement onstage as performers. It all started when Snider praised late drummer Cozy Powell, who was bandmates with Dio in Rainbow and played on select tracks on Plant’s debut solo album, Pictures at Eleven. When a fan tweeted at Snider that Dio was the second best frontman after Freddie Mercury, Snider responded, “You are confusing singing with performing. There is a huge difference between a great frontman & a great singer. Ronnie was one of the greatest singers of all time, but as a frontman, h...
Tony Iommi Is Prepping a New Solo LP and Reissues of the Tony Martin-Era Black Sabbath Albums
The new year is shaping up to be a busy one for Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi. In a year-end video message to fans, the guitarist revealed that he’s been building a recording studio and plans to write a new solo album. There are also plans for numerous reissues, including a box set of the long-out-of-print Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath LPs. “It’s been a good year for me, 2022, in parts anyway,” Iommi said [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]. “I’ve been writing and recording. I’m having a new studio built, which I’m really pleased about. Well, actually, the studio is built, and it’s almost ready to go … I think I’ll be ready to go in and start work in there, which I’m really looking forward to — writing another album.” Related Video Iommi then discussed the reissue projects lined up for 2023...
Iggy Pop Was Once Approached About Fronting AC/DC
Iggy Pop has revealed that he was once approached about becoming the frontman of AC/DC. “They had a manager many years ago, when I hadn’t re-formed The Stooges, I hadn’t moved to England,” Iggy told the New York Times. “And this guy said, ‘Are you interested in joining AC/DC?’ They were looking for a singer.” Though it’s not clear exactly when he was asked to join the band, the timeline likely puts the encounter around the time AC/DC formed in 1973 or perhaps when original frontman Dave Evans departed and when Bon Scott took over as lead singer — sometime around 1974. Related Video “I listened to their record. I thought, I can’t fit that bill,” Iggy admitted. “I wasn’t, like, ‘Ugh, I don’t like them.’ It was quite well made. They do careful work, but I’m not what they needed.” Advertisemen...
Sir Brian May: Queen Guitarist Knighted by King of England
Brian May has added another title to his title to his resume. Already a rock legend, an activist, and a doctor in astrophysics, May has now been knighted by King Charles. May received a knighthood as part of the 2023 New Year Honours List, an annual tradition celebrating the achievements and service of exceptional individuals. May was specifically recognized for his contributions to “music and charity.” His full citation reads as follows: “Brian May is an acclaimed musician and songwriter, founding member of the rock group Queen. In 2020 he was named Greatest Guitarist of All Time by Total Guitar Magazine. Queen’s performance at Live Aid in 1985 is acknowledged as the greatest live set in history. Brian famously opened the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002 performing live on Buck...
Billy Joel and Producer Phil Ramone Captured Collaborative Magic on The Stranger: The Opus
Listen via: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts | Stitcher | Radio Public | Pocket Casts | RSS The Stranger didn’t just mark Billy Joel’s critical breakthrough, but the beginning of a decade-long creative partnership with producer Phil Ramone. Together, the two would create some of the most lasting songs in music, and it all began with those first sessions in the summer of 1977. Advertisement Related Video Joel had a specific vision for what would be his fifth studio album, and that meant finding the right person to work the boards. And he was dead set on finding the right person; not even Fifth Beatle George Martin met his standards. It wasn’t until Ramone — known then for hits like “I...
Steven Tyler Accused of Sexually Assaulting a Minor in New Lawsuit
Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler has been accused of sexual assaulting a minor in a new lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend, Julia Holcomb. Tyler, then 27, began dating Holcomb shortly after her 16th birthday in 1975. Holcomb’s mother signed over her guardianship to Tyler, and the two moved in together at Tyler’s Boston home. She soon became pregnant, but then their relationship went south. Their apartment caught on fire, and she ended up in a hospital, during which time Tyler allegedly forced her to have an abortion. “When I returned home to my mother, I was a broken spirit,” Holcomb recounted in a 2011 essay. “I could not sleep at night without nightmares of the abortion and the fire. The world seemed like a dark place.” For his part, Tyler contends that the couple jointly decided to abo...
David Lee Roth: Working with Eddie Van Halen Was “Better Than Any Love Affair”
David Lee Roth and the Van Halen camp haven’t always seen eye to eye, but the singer recently offered some touching remarks while reflecting on his longtime bandmate, the late Eddie Van Halen. Roth opened up about his working relationship with the guitar legend on his The Roth Show podcast earlier this week. DLR famously left Van Halen in 1985 to pursue a successful solo career, and multiple failed attempts to patch things up would eventually give way to Roth rejoining the band in 2007. Roth and Eddie Van Halen appeared to be on good terms when Eddie passed away in 2020. “My dear departed Ed,” Roth said on his podcast (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “Boy, I miss him. I had a ball with Ed. Walt Disney once said, ‘You know what? My love affair with Mickey Mouse was better than any love aff...
Billy Joel Reintroduced Himself to the World with The Stranger: The Opus
Listen via: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts | Stitcher | Radio Public | Pocket Casts | RSS The Opus podcast is back with Episode 1 of Season 19, this time taking us inside the legacy of Billy Joel’s breakthrough record, The Stranger. Advertisement Related Video Everyone loves an underdog story, and despite its legendary status, that’s the story of The Stranger. It was Joel’s fifth full-length, but in some ways it felt like his debut. Despite having a few hits to his name, his genius had been hampered by a string of overly slick producers who didn’t connect with his musical vision. He may not have known that his career was on the chopping block, but he knew that his next record had to be ...
Brian Johnson Has “Been Told Not to” Discuss AC/DC’s Future Plans
Brian Johnson has apparently been told to not to speak about AC/DC’s future plans, including whether or not the band will tour again. The singer was very guarded in a new interview with Eddie Trunk on Sirius XM’s Trunk Nation, refusing to answer some questions about the band’s touring and recording plans. Johnson hasn’t performed with AC/DC since departing their 2016 “Rock or Bust Tour” due to hearing loss, and the band hasn’t played live since September 20th of that year (when Axl Rose had filled in on vocals). When asked by Trunk if AC/DC would perform live again, Johnson replied [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]: “I’m not answering that. Why should I? First of all, there’s five members in this band, and to ask one member isn’t fair.” Advertisement Related Video Johnson returned to AC/DC ...
Journey’s Neal Schon Hits Bandmate Jonathan Cain with Cease and Desist over Mar-A-Lago Performance
Journey’s Neal Schon has hit bandmate Jonathan Cain with a cease and desist over Cain’s performance of “Don’t Stop Believin’” at Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort. In November, Cain participated in a singalong of “Don’t Stop Believin’” with Trump sycophants Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Kari Lake. The performance struck a nerve with Schon, who fired off a cease and desist. “Although Mr. Cain is free to express his personal beliefs and associations, when he does that on behalf of Journey or for the band, such conduct is extremely deleterious to the Journey brand as it polarizes the band’s fans and outreach. Journey is not, and should not be, political,” Schon’s attorney wrote in a letter (via The Guardian). Advertisement Related Video “Mr. Cain’s unauthorized af...
Pearl Jam’s 10 Best Deep Cuts
This article originally ran in 2020, but we’re dusting it off for Eddie Vedder’s birthday on December 23rd. Pearl Jam 30 continues with a look at the band’s finest Deep Cuts. Be sure to see all of our Pearl Jam content, old and new, here. The idea of a deep cut usually isn’t so complicated. They’re the padding, the filler, the less marketable tracks buried deep on records or used as buffers between the singles both band and record company pin their joint hopes on. Of course, what’s beautiful about deep cuts is that once we’ve grown tired of the singles we’re urged to consume again and again, we stumble upon these afterthoughts, and they can often become our favorite songs off a record. Advertisement Pearl Jam kinda throw a wrench into that idea, though. First off, the band at one point wer...
Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain Quietly Battled Laryngeal Cancer a Couple Years Ago
Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in 2020, but thankfully is now cancer-free. The metal veteran actually revealed his cancer battle last year in an inconspicuous interview with the University of Miami’s School of Medicine that has just been picked up by Blabbermouth. McBrain started noticing a change in his voice in 2019 that served as a cause of concern. He initially chalked it up to a habit he’s developed while drumming: “When I play drums with the band, I actually sort of scream and yell while I play, like a Judo guy slapping the mat.” However, he eventually felt that there was something more to his vocal issues this time around. “When you are lying down in a quiet room and you speak and hear your voice in your head and have a cold, you sound differen...
