Classic Rock
R.I.P. Jay Black, Frontman of Jay and the Americans Dead at 82
Jay Black, frontman of ’60s rock band Jay and the Americans, has died at the age of 82. According to Rolling Stone, Black passed away Friday, October 22nd, from complications of pneumonia. Black also suffered from dementia. Jay Black was born David Blatt in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Borough Park. After a short stint fronting the doo-wop group The Empires, he took over as lead singer of Jay and the Americans in 1962, replacing original singer John “Jay” Traynor. In joining Jay and the Americans, Blatt agreed to assume the professional moniker of Jay Black. Jay and the Americans saw a majority of their success with Jay Black singing lead. “Come a Little Bit Closer,” released in 1963, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. A second top 5 single followed in 1964 with “Cara Mia.” The band’s t...
Elton John Unveils Star-Studded New Album The Lockdown Sessions: Stream
Sir Elton John has today released his collaborative album The Lockdown Sessions. Stream the star-studded project in full below. The stacked guest list is led by artists like Eddie Vedder, Lil Nas X, Gorillaz, and Stevie Nicks. They are joined on the tracklist by Rina Sawayama (“Chosen Family“), Miley Cyrus (“Nothing Else Matters“), Stevie Wonder (“Finish Line“), and Dua Lipa. The latter’s appearance on “Cold Heart” (PNAU Remix)“ helped The Rocket Man score his 58th Top 40 hit and claim a Billboard Hot 100 record for the longest span of Top 40 appearances (excluding holiday songs). In a statement, John explained how the album came together during quarantine, and why the process made him feel like a “session musician again.” He said, “The last thing I expected to do durin...
Andrew Bird and Lucius Share Live Performance of The Velvet Underground’s “Venus in Furs”: Watch
Andrew Bird and Lucius were among a slew of high-profile acts who contributed to the recently released track-by-track covers album I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico, and now they have shared an intimate live recording of their take on “Venus in Furs.” Of course, “Venus in Furs” wouldn’t be complete without John Cale’s iconic viola solo. It makes sense that Bird — who’s a bit of a violin legend in his own right — would put his own spin on the track, using loop pedals to fill out the live performance as he then plucks the four-stringed instrument like a banjo alongside Lucius’ flawless vocal harmonies. Though nobody could compete with Lou Reed and company, this is one cover that rivals its original. Check out their living room performance of “Venus In ...
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford on 50 Years of Metal, Handcuffing Andy Warhol, and Touring with Ozzy Osbourne
Fifty years of doing anything in the arts is impressive — even more so in popular music, and especially in heavy metal. It’s a rigorous and demanding genre, and certainly of a niche for faithful. But it’s proved resilient, welcoming to new directions and trends while continuing to revere its traditions and its long-haulers. Judas Priest have become the latest to join the golden anniversary club, and in its case a band that’s spent the past half-century rocking uninterrupted, weathering lineup changes and changing audience tastes. But anyone who’s seen the quintet as recently as this year’s “50 Heavy Metal Years Tour” — which came to an abrupt and unexpected stop on September 26th after guitarist Richie Faulkner suffered a ruptured aorta onstage and more than 10 hours of open heart surgery ...
The Beatles Officially Join TikTok
Here comes the sun, because The Beatles are officially on TikTok. The news coincides with the release of the previously-announced special edition reissue of Let It Be, The Beatles’ twelfth and final studio album as a group, which was released in May 1970. TikTok users will now be able to use 36 of the rock band’s most iconic hits to soundtrack their videos, including “Get Back,” “Across the Universe,” and, of course, the ever-popular title track. TikTok will also be home to exclusive content from the recording process of Let It Be, with fans able to watch archival, behind-the-scenes footage of the creation of individual songs from the album as well as interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Advertisement Related Video The band joins the social media platform just in time for #Rockt...
Elton John Claims Billboard Record with 50-Year Span Between Top 40 Hits
50 years after first striking gold with “Your Song,” Sir Elton John has now tallied his 58th Top 40 hit. His Dua Lipa-assisted “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” rose to No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, allowing him to pass Michael Jackson’s previous record of Top 40 appearances (excluding holiday songs) spanning 46 years, eight months, and three weeks. “Your Song” climbed to No. 38 on the chart dated December 19th, 1970, marking a span of 50 years and 10 months between The Rocket Man’s very first Top 40 hit and his latest. Prior to “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix),” John last scored a Top 40 hit in 1999 with his LeAnn Rimes collaboration “Written in the Stars.” “A lot of it is, of course, due to Dua Lipa’s popularity and the brilliant PNAU remix, but I feel very, very content and happy that I’m ...
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford “Still Shook Up” by Richie Faulkner’s Heart Emergency
Judas Priest singer Rob Halford is “still shook up, emotionally” after witnessing guitarist Richie Faulkner being rushed to a hospital for what turned out to be life-saving emergency heart surgery. The metal band was forced to postpone the remaining dates on its US tour, but Halford has “good news” to share regarding Faulkner’s recovery. As we’ve reported, Faulkner was onstage performing “Painkiller” at the end of Judas Priest’s recent set at Louisville’s Louder Than Life festival when his “aorta ruptured and started to spill blood” into his chest cavity. He immediately underwent a 10-hour surgery at the Rudd Heart and Lung Center at UofL Health – Jewish Hospital, where five parts of his chest were replaced with mechanical components. Heavy Consequence just caught up with Rob Halford to di...
KISS’ Gene Simmons Has Spinal Tap Moment During Concert Platform Malfunction: Watch
KISS singer-bassist Gene Simmons nearly fell when a descending platform malfunctioned during the band’s concert on Saturday (October 9th) in Tampa, Florida. The scary moment occurred as KISS descended to the stage for the opening number “Detroit Rock City.” As Simmons, Paul Stanley, and guitarist Tommy Thayer dropped down on separate risers, the crowd gasped when Simmons’ platform suddenly became uneven and started wobbling. Simmons held his balance until the platform appeared to right itself, though it continued to shake unsteadily. The platform never made its way all the way down, leaving Simmons suspended for a while longer than his bandmates, until he finally hopped onto the stage and continued playing the song. Advertisement Related Video The incident was like something out of th...
The Rolling Stones Remove “Brown Sugar” from Setlist: “I Don’t Want to Get Into Conflicts”
Despite the tragic recent passing of their longtime drummer Charlie Watts, The Rolling Stones are carrying on with their US tour, which commenced in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 26th. However, fans who were lucky enough to catch the band’s first few dates have noticed that one very popular Stones hit, “Brown Sugar,” hasn’t made the cut in the setlist so far. If you’ll recall, the opening line to “Brown Sugar” goes: “Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields.” While the lyric has widely been interpreted as a critique of slavery, a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times indicates that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards feared the line would be misconstrued in 2021. “I’m trying to figure out with the sisters quite where the beef is,” Richards said. “Didn’t they understand ...
Parents Start Petition to Remove Iron Maiden-Loving School Principal for “Satanic” Imagery
A group of “concerned parents” in Canada have started a petition to remove a high school principal who loves Iron Maiden, claiming that the imagery associated with the legendary metal band is “satanic.” Sharon Burns, principal of Eden High School in St. Catherines, Ontario, has proudly displayed her love of Iron Maiden and heavy metal on her social media pages. Her Twitter handle reads, “Principal at Eden High School. Growth Mindset Practitioner. Fueled by metal & ska. & chickens.” One image she posted shows her flashing the metal horns hand gesture in front of an Iron Maiden license plate and banner. Another picture shows a figurine of Maiden’s skeletal mascot on her car dashboard with a handwritten sign that reads “Eddie 666.” Advertisement Related Video The Change.org petition, ...
Tom Morello Defends Friendship with Ted Nugent: I Have the “Right to Be Friends with Anybody”
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has once again defended his unlikely friendship with right-wing rocker Ted Nugent. The pair make an odd couple, for sure, considering Morello’s left-leaning politics and associations with anarchy and socialism. In a new interview, the guitarist stressed the importance of keeping an open dialogue with those you disagree with. “I reserve the right to be friends with anybody,” Morello told NME. “I reserve the right to confront opinions I disagree with, with open heartedness and love, or by throwing a brick. That’s up to me.” Advertisement Related Video He continued: “In the case of Ted, I know he’s become this right-wing caricature but there have been several times where I have reached him on issues that you might be surprised about. But he ...
Alice Cooper on His New Audio Memoir, the Legacy of “School’s Out,” and Who Should Play Him in a Movie
When Audible announced its ongoing “Words + Music” audio program — in which some of rock’s biggest names combine storytelling with music — it made perfect sense that legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper participate in the series. As evidenced by his newly-released entry, Who I Really Am: The Diary of a Hollywood Vampire, Alice tells great story after great story. Throughout the audio memoir, he is comparable to a “rock ‘n’ roll Forrest Gump” — recounting experiences in which he crossed paths with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Syd Barrett, Frank Zappa, John Lennon, and Keith Moon, among others. Additionally, you’ll hear new acoustic versions of “School’s Out,” “Is It My Body” (a tune from which a line was plucked from for the title of his Audible release), “Poison,” and other classics. Advertis...
