Category: Uncategorized

Dream Theater‘s Mike Portnoy says he’s worried about his future after seeing a spate of high-profile drummers lose their job recently.

Josh Freese was let go by the Foo Fighters this month, The Who fired Zak Starkey a few weeks ago and Guns N’ Roses parted with Frank Ferrer in March.

Last year, Jason Bonham was replaced in Sammy Hagar’s band.

Reacting to those firings, Portnoy jokes that he is looking over his shoulder.

As well as his role in Dream Theater, which he returned to in 2023, Portnoy works with a number of other groups and artists.

He tells Office Hours Live With Tim Heidecker: “I think it’s the Spinal Tap conspiracy. I think nobody is safe. Ringo’s son was fired from The Who. John Bonham’s son was fired from Sammy Hagar’s band.

“I mean, if the spawn of Ringo and Bonzo are not safe, nobody is safe.”

Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!

On Freese’s shock departure from Foo Fighters, Portnoy says: “Frankly, it’s shocking. I thought Josh was perfect. So, yeah, it’s scary. It’s scary times for drummers.

“I’m scared for my life and career at this point. And I’m in, like, 15 bands, so I have 15 times the chance of getting fired right now. The odds are very much stacked against me right now.”

On Starkey’s firing from The Who, which came weeks after he was fired then almost immediately rehired, Portnoy adds: “The whole thing with Zak Starkey started … they did a show last month at the Royal Albert Hall.

“They were doing The Song Is Over and Roger came into the second verse early and stopped the band, turned around and blamed it on his mix, that the drums were powering out his mix.

“Now, mind you, Zak Starkey is on an electronic kit. They already downgraded it off of an acoustic kit. They have him playing an electronic kit, which is fully controllable in terms of volume through the sound guy.

“So, if anything, he should have fired the monitor guy, not Zak.”

Dream Theater released Parasomnia, their first album with Portnoy for 15 years, in February.

Nick Kroll, RM Brown, Mike Portnoy (Episode 341) – YouTube

Watch On

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock’n’roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022. 

A new biography of late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury claims he had a secret daughter with whom he had a close relationship until his death in 1991.

The 48-year-old woman, who is known only as B, works in the medical field somewhere in Europe. She has shared her story with rock biographer Lesley-Ann Jones for the new book, titled Love, Freddie.

The book claims B was conceived in 1976 when Mercury had an affair with the wife of one of his close friends. It adds that Mercury regularly spent time with the child.

It also claims Mercury gave B 17 volumes of his personal journals, which she kept secret until now.

The Daily Mail reports that B says in the book: “Freddie Mercury was and is my father.

“We had a very close and loving relationship from the moment I was born and throughout the final 15 years of his life.

“He adored me and was devoted to me. The circumstances of my birth may seem, by most people’s standards, unusual and even outrageous.

“That should come as no surprise. It never detracted from his commitment to love and look after me. He cherished me like a treasured possession.”

Mercury was known to have had relationships with both men and women. He died from complications of HIV/AIDS.

B’s existence was said to be known only to Mercury’s inner circle of friends.

In the book, B explains why she has revealed her story and the journals now. She says: “After more than three decades of lies, speculation and distortion, it is time to let Freddie speak.

“Those who have been aware of my existence kept his greatest secret out of loyalty to Freddie.

“That I choose to reveal myself in my own midlife is my decision and mine alone. I have not, at any point, been coerced into doing this.

“He entrusted his collection of private notebooks to me, his only child and his next of kin, the written record of his private thoughts, memories and feelings about everything he had experienced.”

Author Jones tells the Daily Mail: “My instinct was to doubt everything, but I am absolutely sure she is not a fantasist. No one could have faked all this. Why would she have worked with me for three and a half years, never demanding anything?”

Love, Freddie is due to be released in February of this year.

Joel’s professional journey began in 1971 with the release of his debut solo album “Cold Spring Harbor,” and he has since released 13 studio albums, selling over 150 million records globally while being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. His band evolved significantly over the years, starting with session musicians and various touring lineups before stabilizing around 1975 with what became known as his classic band formation, which remained largely intact through the 1980s before undergoing major changes in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Billy Joel’s touring band as a whole did not begin playing on his records until he recorded the album “Turnstiles” in 1976, marking the beginning of his most creatively and commercially successful period. This lineup included Richie Cannata on saxophones and organ, Liberty DeVitto on drums, Russell Javors and Howie Emerson on guitars, and Doug Stegmeyer on bass. This core group, which became known as the classic Billy Joel Band, provided the musical foundation for Joel’s greatest hits from “The Stranger” (1977) through “The Bridge” (1986), including timeless songs like “Just the Way You Are,” “Piano Man,” “Uptown Girl,” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” The band’s chemistry was rooted in their shared Long Island origins and their musical history together before joining Joel’s organization.

The band, which now no longer includes any of its original members, underwent significant changes in the late 1980s when Joel decided to pursue different musical directions and work with new producers. From “The Stranger” in 1977 through “The Bridge” in 1986, Joel had been working with the same producer, Phil Ramone, as well as with the same basic incarnation of the Billy Joel Band, but for the 1989 album “Storm Front,” Joel chose a new producer, Mick Jones of Foreigner, and started making more significant personnel changes. Today’s Billy Joel band continues the tradition of musical excellence while supporting his ongoing touring commitments, including his record-breaking monthly residency at Madison Square Garden that began in 2014 and has become the most successful concert franchise in the venue’s history.

Liberty DeVitto

Liberatori “Liberty” DeVitto served as Billy Joel’s drummer from 1975 to 2005, making him the longest-tenured member in Joel’s band history and one of the most recognizable figures in Joel’s musical legacy. Born on August 8, 1950, in New York City to Italian ancestry, DeVitto taught himself to play drums after seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. He was also influenced as a teenager by rock drummer Dino Danelli and developed a hard-hitting, aggressive style that would become perfect for Joel’s New York-influenced sound.

DeVitto’s path to joining Joel’s band began through his childhood friendship with Russell Javors and their shared experience in the Long Island band Topper alongside Doug Stegmeyer. Billy and I used to play the same club in Plainview, Long Island called “My House.” We would watch each other play and acknowledge each other in passing. When Joel was looking for a permanent band in 1974, Doug Stegmeyer recommended DeVitto because Billy was looking for a New York-type drummer, aggressive and hard hitting. The three of us recorded the basic tracks for Turnstiles and we both recommended Russell Javors and Howie Emerson, who played guitars in Topper and with the addition of Richie Cannata on saxophone, the “Billy Joel Band” was born.

DeVitto’s drumming provided the rhythmic foundation for Joel’s most successful albums, including “Turnstiles,” “The Stranger,” “52nd Street,” “Glass Houses,” “The Nylon Curtain,” “An Innocent Man,” “The Bridge,” “Storm Front,” and “River of Dreams.” His powerful playing style and intuitive understanding of Joel’s musical vision made him an essential component of the band’s sound. He is credited as a drummer on records which have sold a combined total of 150 million units worldwide. DeVitto’s contributions extended beyond drumming, as he often provided input on arrangements and helped shape the band’s overall musical direction.

The partnership between DeVitto and Joel came to an end in 2005 when DeVitto was not invited to continue with the band, leading to legal disputes over royalties and song credits. After working with Joel for 30 years, DeVitto was discharged from the 2006 Billy Joel tour for an unknown reason. The two eventually reconciled in 2020 when DeVitto reached out via email, leading to a meeting and Joel’s agreement to write the foreword for DeVitto’s memoir “Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Following his departure from Joel’s band, DeVitto formed The Lords of 52nd Street with fellow former Joel band members Richie Cannata and Russell Javors, performing faithful renditions of Joel’s classic recordings.

Doug Stegmeyer

Douglas Alan Stegmeyer served as Billy Joel’s bassist from 1974 to 1989, becoming one of the most important musical contributors to Joel’s classic period and earning the nickname “The Sergeant Of The Billy Joel Band.” Born on December 23, 1951, in Flushing, Queens, Stegmeyer grew up in a musical family with his father being an accomplished musician and his mother a contemporary singer and piano player. He took up bass guitar at age 14 and after graduating from Syosset High School, joined the band Topper with friends Russell Javors and Liberty DeVitto, becoming one of the hottest club bands on Long Island.

Stegmeyer’s introduction to Billy Joel came in 1974 when Joel was living in Los Angeles and looking for a new band with a New York sound. A mutual friend suggested that Joel reach out to Stegmeyer, and he flew out to California to join Joel on bass for the “Streetlife Serenade” tour. After the tour finished, Stegmeyer suggested that Joel give a listen to DeVitto and Javors, leading to the formation of what would become the classic Billy Joel Band. Stegmeyer’s bass work can be heard on every one of Joel’s studio albums from “Turnstiles” (1976) through “The Bridge” (1986), as well as the live albums “Songs in the Attic” and “КОНЦЕРТ.”

Stegmeyer’s playing style combined keen musical intuition with harmonic awareness and a band-first mentality that made him the perfect foundation for Joel’s intricate songwriting. His bass work featured tastefully executed grace notes, slaps, fretless glissandos, and nimble plectrum and finger picking, all rendered with a crisp bite that served the song. He frequently matched Liberty DeVitto’s kick drum patterns to reinforce the pulse of the song, creating one of the most powerful rhythm sections in popular music. His tone stood out through the mix, providing a clean and powerful low end with enough midrange presence to definitively stand up to the other instruments.

Stegmeyer and Russell Javors left the band in 1989, according to DeVitto, they were forced out as Joel made significant changes to his musical direction. Following his departure from Joel’s band, Stegmeyer maintained a busy schedule recording and producing, opening his own studio and continuing his music career. Tragically, on August 25, 1995, Stegmeyer died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Smithtown, New York home. On October 23, 2014, Stegmeyer was posthumously inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame along with his former Topper and Joel bandmates Richie Cannata, Liberty DeVitto, and Russell Javors, primarily for their work with Joel.

Russell Javors

Russell Javors served as guitarist and vocalist for Billy Joel’s band from 1976 to 1989, contributing rhythm guitar, backing vocals, and occasional lead guitar work during Joel’s most successful commercial period. Born and raised on Long Island, Javors began his musical journey at age 15, performing songs with his childhood friend Liberty DeVitto. He met Doug Stegmeyer in high school, and along with Howard Emerson, formed the band Topper, where they performed original songs written by Javors. The band became known as one of the hottest club acts on Long Island and eventually attracted Billy Joel’s attention.

Javors’ transition from Topper to the Billy Joel Band occurred when Joel was assembling his permanent touring and recording group in 1975. When DeVitto and Stegmeyer joined Joel to record basic tracks for “Turnstiles,” they recommended both Javors and Howard Emerson as guitarists. Javors’ rhythm guitar work and backing vocals became integral components of Joel’s sound throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. His playing style complemented the band’s overall dynamic, providing solid rhythmic support while occasionally stepping forward for lead guitar parts when needed.

Throughout his tenure with Joel, Javors contributed to some of the most beloved albums in popular music, including “Turnstiles,” “The Stranger,” “52nd Street,” “Glass Houses,” “The Nylon Curtain,” “An Innocent Man,” and “The Bridge.” His guitar work and harmonies can be heard on classic Joel songs that continue to receive regular radio play and are performed at concerts worldwide. Javors’ contributions extended beyond just playing, as his songwriting experience from his Topper days provided valuable input during the creative process of Joel’s albums.

Javors left Joel’s band in 1989 along with Doug Stegmeyer as Joel made significant changes to his musical direction and production approach. Following his departure, Javors continued his music career and eventually reunited with his former bandmates in The Lords of 52nd Street. On October 23, 2014, Javors was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame along with Cannata, DeVitto, and Stegmeyer (posthumously), primarily for their work with Joel. The Lords of 52nd Street continues to perform faithful renditions of Joel’s classic recordings, allowing fans to experience the original arrangements and energy of the songs as they were first recorded.

Richie Cannata

Richard “Richie” Cannata served as saxophonist, keyboardist, and occasional vocalist for Billy Joel from 1976 to 1982, bringing a jazz sensibility and distinctive saxophone sound that became synonymous with Joel’s classic recordings. Cannata joined the newly formed Billy Joel Band when the core members of Topper were assembled with Joel, completing the lineup that would define Joel’s sound throughout his most successful period. His saxophone work became one of the most recognizable elements of Joel’s music, particularly evident on songs like “Just the Way You Are” and numerous tracks from “The Stranger” and “52nd Street.”

Cannata’s musical versatility made him an invaluable member of the band, as he contributed not only saxophone but also organ, keyboards, and backing vocals when needed. His jazz background brought sophistication to Joel’s arrangements, helping to elevate the musical complexity of the recordings while maintaining their accessibility to mainstream audiences. The addition of Richie Cannata on saxophone completed the “Billy Joel Band” formation that would become one of the most successful backing bands in popular music history.

One important addition to the band in 1982 was the replacement of his long-time saxophonist Richie Cannata with Mark Rivera. Cannata’s departure marked the end of an era for the classic Joel band lineup, though the reasons for his leaving were not widely publicized. His saxophone work on Joel’s classic albums remains some of the most memorable and influential in popular music, helping to define the sophisticated pop-rock sound that made Joel a global superstar.

Following his time with Joel, Cannata established Cove City Studios, where he continues to work as a producer and engineer. Liberty DeVitto serves as the house drummer at Cannata’s studio, maintaining their musical partnership beyond their Joel years. In 2014, Cannata reunited with DeVitto and Javors for their induction into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, and they officially formed The Lords of 52nd Street, which plays faithful renditions of the original Joel recordings. For the 2006 tour, Cannata temporarily returned on lead saxophones though he soon left the band again and Rivera returned to his position as lead saxophonist, demonstrating the ongoing respect Joel had for Cannata’s musical contributions.

David Brown

David Brown served as lead guitarist for Billy Joel from 1978 through the 1980s, joining the band during their peak commercial period and contributing distinctive guitar work to some of Joel’s most beloved albums. Joel also added lead guitarist David Brown in 1978 who stayed with the band throughout the 1980s, beginning with the recording of “Glass Houses” (1980). Brown’s addition to the band provided a different guitar dynamic from the rhythm guitar work of Russell Javors, allowing for more complex arrangements and layered guitar parts that enhanced Joel’s increasingly sophisticated compositions.

Brown’s guitar work can be heard on crucial Joel albums including “Glass Houses,” “The Nylon Curtain,” “An Innocent Man,” and “The Bridge.” His playing style brought influences from classic rock and blues traditions while adapting to Joel’s pop sensibilities and the band’s tight ensemble approach. The guitar work by Brown channeled George Harrison influences, and he worked closely with drummer Liberty DeVitto, who tried to emulate Ringo Starr’s approach, creating Beatles-influenced dynamics within Joel’s band structure.

Throughout the 1980s, Brown was part of the core group that Joel retained as he made various changes to his band lineup. For the 1989 album “Storm Front,” when Joel chose a new producer and started making more significant changes to the band, at this point, the only players that Joel kept, for both his touring band and for the recording of the album, were Brown, Rivera, and DeVitto. This demonstrates the high regard Joel had for Brown’s musical contributions and his importance to the band’s sound during a period of transition.

In August 2024, Liberty DeVitto announced on his Facebook that guitarist David Brown had passed away, marking the end of an era for the classic Joel band alumni. Brown’s guitar work remains an integral part of Joel’s recorded legacy, and his contributions helped define the sound of some of the most commercially successful and artistically acclaimed albums in popular music history. His death represents a significant loss for the extended Billy Joel musical family and for fans who appreciated his tasteful and effective guitar work throughout Joel’s classic period.

Mark Rivera

Mark Rivera joined Billy Joel’s band in 1982, replacing Richie Cannata as the primary saxophonist and becoming a long-term member who has remained with Joel for over four decades. One important addition to the band in 1982 was the replacement of his long-time saxophonist Richie Cannata with Mark Rivera. Rivera brought his own musical personality to the saxophone role while maintaining the high standards and jazz-influenced approach that had characterized Cannata’s contributions to the band.

Rivera’s saxophone work became an integral part of Joel’s sound from the 1980s onward, contributing to albums including “The Nylon Curtain,” “An Innocent Man,” “The Bridge,” “Storm Front,” and “River of Dreams.” His versatility as a multi-instrumentalist has made him valuable beyond just saxophone, as he also plays flute, harmonica, and percussion while providing backing vocals. This multi-instrumental approach has allowed Rivera to adapt to the changing needs of Joel’s music and touring requirements over the decades.

Throughout the various lineup changes that occurred in Joel’s band during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Rivera remained a constant presence. For the 1989 album “Storm Front,” when Joel made significant changes to his band, at this point, the only players that Joel kept, for both his touring band and for the recording of the album, were Brown, Rivera, and DeVitto. This continuity demonstrates Rivera’s importance to Joel’s musical vision and his ability to adapt to new musical directions while maintaining the quality and professionalism that Joel demanded.

Rivera continues to be a core member of Billy Joel’s current touring band, participating in Joel’s ongoing monthly residency at Madison Square Garden and other tour dates. His longevity with Joel surpasses that of most other band members, making him one of the most enduring musical partnerships in Joel’s career. His saxophone work has become synonymous with the live Joel experience for multiple generations of fans, and his professionalism and musical versatility have made him an indispensable part of Joel’s ongoing musical legacy.

Mike DelGuidice

Mike DelGuidice joined Billy Joel’s band in 2013 as a multi-instrumentalist providing rhythm guitar and backing vocals, bringing a unique perspective as someone who had spent years studying and performing Joel’s music as a tribute artist. In 2013, the Billy Joel Band was joined by multi-instrumentalist Mike DelGuidice on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. DelGuidice had previously fronted various Billy Joel tribute projects. His path to joining Joel’s official band began on Long Island, where DelGuidice also grew up and attended Miller Place High School.

DelGuidice’s passion for Joel’s music led him to form a tribute band called Big Shot, named after Joel’s 1978 hit single. Regionally successful, DelGuidice supported his family with Big Shot, playing covers of songs from Joel’s vast, decades-spanning catalog. His physical resemblance to Joel, including their shared baldness, along with his deep musical understanding of Joel’s repertoire, made him a natural fit when an opportunity arose to join the official band.

DelGuidice’s addition to Joel’s band came through a remarkable set of circumstances. In 2010, just as he was losing his patience with the constant hustle of touring with his tribute band and caring for his family, DelGuidice heard Joel was sidelined from his own touring schedule upon undergoing hip replacement surgery. This led to DelGuidice auditioning for and joining Joel’s official band, transitioning from tribute artist to official band member in a way that few musicians have experienced.

From there, DelGuidice went on the road with Joel for a run of dates in Europe before becoming an official part of the band for his debut gig for the historic Madison Square Garden residency. “It was a lot at first, but it’s a well-oiled machine,” he says. “It’s was pretty easy to slide onto the conveyor belt that’s running so smoothly. And I think that’s a testament to how he runs his organization. He’s beloved, so it’s a big family.” DelGuidice continues to balance his role in Joel’s official band with performances of his tribute act, allowing him to experience both the intimacy of smaller venues and the spectacle of major arenas and stadiums.

Chuck Burgi

Chuck Burgi joined Billy Joel’s band in 2006 as drummer, replacing Liberty DeVitto after DeVitto’s 30-year tenure ended due to legal disputes and personal conflicts with Joel. For the 2006 tour, Joel did not invite DeVitto back as his drummer after the two became involved in a legal dispute, and the drummer Chuck Burgi (who played in the Broadway production of “Movin’ Out”) replaced DeVitto. Burgi’s background in musical theater, particularly his work on the Billy Joel/Twyla Tharp Broadway production “Movin’ Out,” provided him with extensive experience performing Joel’s music in a live setting.

Burgi’s transition to Joel’s touring band represented a significant change for the organization, as DeVitto had been such a long-standing and integral member of the group. Burgi’s drumming style and approach had to fill the considerable shoes left by DeVitto while adapting to the expectations and musical dynamics that Joel’s audiences had come to expect. His experience with “Movin’ Out” proved invaluable in understanding the nuances and requirements of Joel’s music in a live performance context.

Since joining Joel’s band, Burgi has become a stable and reliable member of the current lineup, participating in Joel’s various tours and his ongoing Madison Square Garden residency. His drumming provides the rhythmic foundation for Joel’s current live performances, maintaining the energy and drive that fans expect while bringing his own musical personality to the role. Burgi’s professionalism and adaptability have made him an effective successor to DeVitto, allowing Joel’s live performances to continue at the high level of quality that has characterized his career.

Burgi’s work with Joel represents the continuation of the band’s evolution, demonstrating how new members can successfully integrate into an established musical organization while respecting the legacy and expectations that come with performing such well-known and beloved music. His drumming continues to support Joel’s live performances as they reach new audiences while satisfying longtime fans who have followed Joel’s career across multiple decades.

Crystal Taliefero

Crystal Taliefero joined Billy Joel’s band in 1989 as a percussionist and multi-instrumentalist, becoming one of the few musicians to maintain a long-term association with Joel through multiple lineup changes and musical transitions. He also added the percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Crystal Taliefero who would become a permanent fixture in his band while Stegmeyer was replaced by Schuyler Deale and Javors was replaced by Joey Hunting on the album and Tommy Byrnes for its accompanying tour. Taliefero’s addition came during a period of significant change for Joel’s band, as he was exploring new musical directions and working with different producers.

Taliefero’s versatility as a multi-instrumentalist has made her an invaluable addition to Joel’s band, capable of handling percussion, keyboards, backing vocals, and other instrumental needs as they arise during performances and recordings. Her musical flexibility has allowed her to adapt to the various stylistic changes that Joel has explored throughout different periods of his career, from the more rock-oriented material of the late 1980s through his more recent work.

Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, Taliefero remained a consistent presence in Joel’s touring band, demonstrating the loyalty and musical chemistry that Joel values in his collaborators. Her contributions extend beyond just instrumental performance, as her backing vocals and stage presence have enhanced the overall live experience for Joel’s audiences. The fact that she became a “permanent fixture” in the band speaks to her musical abilities and professional reliability.

Taliefero continues to be part of Joel’s current touring lineup, participating in his ongoing performances and maintaining the continuity that has characterized her tenure with the organization. Her longevity with Joel represents one of the more successful long-term musical partnerships in his band’s history, and her contributions have helped bridge the gap between Joel’s classic period and his contemporary touring presentations. Her presence in the band demonstrates Joel’s appreciation for musicians who can grow and evolve with his musical vision while maintaining consistent quality and professionalism.

David Rosenthal

David Rosenthal serves as keyboardist, pianist, organist, and musical director for Billy Joel’s current touring band, representing the continuation of Joel’s tradition of working with accomplished keyboard players who can handle both the technical and creative demands of his music. As musical director, Rosenthal is responsible for coordinating the band’s performances, maintaining musical arrangements, and ensuring that Joel’s live presentations meet the high standards that audiences expect from one of popular music’s most accomplished performers.

Rosenthal’s role as musical director involves not only his own keyboard and piano contributions but also overseeing the overall musical coordination of the band during rehearsals and performances. This position requires extensive knowledge of Joel’s catalog, understanding of his musical preferences, and the ability to communicate effectively with other band members to maintain the tight ensemble playing that characterizes Joel’s live shows. His background and experience have prepared him to handle the complex logistics of presenting Joel’s sophisticated musical arrangements in live settings.

The current Billy Joel band lineup, which includes Rosenthal as a key member, continues the tradition of musical excellence that has characterized Joel’s career while adapting to contemporary touring demands and audience expectations. Rosenthal’s contributions help ensure that classic Joel songs are presented faithfully while allowing for the spontaneity and energy that make live performances special. His musical director role also involves preparing for the various special guests and unique situations that arise during Joel’s tours and residency performances.

Rosenthal’s work with Joel represents the ongoing evolution of the Billy Joel Band, demonstrating how new musicians can successfully integrate into an established musical legacy while bringing their own expertise and creativity to the role. His contributions as both performer and musical director help maintain the continuity and quality that have made Joel’s live performances among the most popular and enduring in popular music.

Check out more Billy Joel articles on ClassicRockHistory.com Just click on any of the links below……

Top 10 Billy Joel Songs
Top 10 Billy Joel Love Songs
10 Most Rocking Billy Joel Songs
The Top 10 Billy Joel Albums
Top 10 Billy Joel Album Covers
Complete List Of Billy Joel Albums And Complete Discography
New Billy Joel 9 LP The Vinyl Collection Vol. 1 Box To Be Released
Billy Joel Plays Zep, Eagles, Bruce And More At Last Night’s MSG Show
Billy Joel Donates A Million Dollars To Long Island High School Students
Billy Joel SiriusXM Radio Channel Reborn
10 People You Didn’t Know Had Connections To Billy Joel
Billy Joel’s Return To Madison Square Garden A Victory For Us All
Why A New Billy Joel Studio Album Would Break All Sales Records
Billy Joel And Stevie Nicks To Perform Stadium Shows TogetherElton John and Billy Joel Live: Concert Review
Our 10 Favorite Covers Of Billy Joel Songs

Read More: Artists’ Interviews Directory At ClassicRockHistory.com

Read More: Classic Rock Bands List And Directory

Complete List Of Billy Joel Band Members article published on ClassicRockHistory.com© 2025

Fifty-two years after it was first released on Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s debut 1973 album (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), the band have finally released an official video for its most iconic track, Free Bird.

The video, directed by Max Moore, cuts between an older man and his younger self, looking back with affection at a past romance and the motorbike that facilitated it. Enamoured by all this nostalgia, the older man dusts down his bike, fixes it up and hits the open road, just in time for the guitar solo. The video is also riddled with romantic tropes, including a piggy-bag ride during a falling-in-love montage.

Director Moore has previously worked with Spiritbox, Code Orange, Knocked Loose and many more, while actor Mike Seely – who plays the older man – appeared as Hugh Heffner in the TV series Pam & Tommy.

Last month Skynyrd announced a new live album. Celebrating 50 Years – Live At The Ryman was recorded at the Ryman Theater in Nashville in November 2022 on the band’s Big Wheels Keep On Turnin’ Tour. The show was founding guitarist Gary Rossington‘s final performance with the band, just five months before his death.

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 50th anniversary tour reaches the UK in June, and returns to the US in August. Support at the UK shows comes from Blackberry Smoke. Full dates below.

Lynyrd Skynyrd: 50th Anniversary Tour 2025

May 30: Atlantic City Ocean Casino Resort, NJ
May 31: West York Rock The Country – York, PA 2025, PA
Jun 14: Hastings Rock The Country, MI
Jun 20: Eau Claire Summer Jam 2025, WI

Jun 27: Barcelona Rock Fest, Spain
Jun 29: Ferrara Summer Festival, Italy
Jun 30: Munich Tollwood, Germany
Jul 02: Breisach am Rheim Onot & Rock Festival, Germany
Jul 04: Halle Freilichtbühne Peißnitz, Germany
Jul 05: Bonn Kunstrasen Bonn Gronau, Germany
Jul 07: Prague O2 Arena, Czech Republic
Jul 08: St Pölten Vaz, Austria
Jul 10: Paris Zénith de Paris – La Villette, France
Jul 12: Bad Mergentheim Residenzschloss Mergentheim, Germany
Jul 13: Berlin Zitadelle Spandau, Germany
Jul 15: Manchester AO Arena, UK
Jul 16: Birmingham Utilita Arena, UK
Jul 18: Brighton Centre, UK
Jul 19: London OVO Arena, UK

Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!

Aug 01: Saratoga Mountain Winery, CA
Aug 02: Las Vegas Pearl Concert Theater, NV
Aug 03: Highland Yaamava’ Theater, CA
Aug 09: West Allis Wisconsin State Fair Park, WI
Aug 11: Des Moines Iowa State Fairgrounds, IA
Aug 14: Airway Heights BECU Live, WA
Aug 29: Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena, CT

Sep 10: Calgary Scotiabank Saddledome, AB
Sep 11: Edmonton Rogers Place, AB
Sep 12: Saskatoon SaskTel Centre, SK
Sep 13: Winnipeg Canada Life Centre, MB
Sep 18: Oshawa Tribute Communities Centre, ON
Sep 19: Niagara Falls Fallsview Casino, ON
Sep 20: Laval Place Bell, QC
Sep 22: Moncton Avenir Centre, NB
Sep 23: Halifax Scotiabank Centre, NS
Sep 25: St. John’s Mary Brown’s Centre, NL

Oct 04: Winnsboro Field & Stream Festival, SC

Tickets are on sale now.

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 39 years in music industry, online for 26. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.

Few bands have had a career to match Queen. Formed in London in 1970, they became one of the biggest groups on the planet thanks to huge hits such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites The Dust and Radio GaGa. Their mix of anthemic songwriting, uplifting musicianship and the charisma of frontman Freddie Mercury marked them out as utterly unique compared to such 70s peers as Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and Black Sabbath.

Mercury’s death in 1991 seemingly marked the end of the band, but guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor returned in 2004 with former Free/Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers under the name Queen + Paul Rodgers (bassist John Deacon sat out the reunion, having officially retired). Since 2011, the revitalised band have been fronted by American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert, playing a string of acclaimed shows and releasing the UK No.1 live album Live Around The World. Those later line-up changes helped keep the band alive, with a string of world tours and the huge success of the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody introducing them to new generations of fans.

They may have changed singers a couple of times since their return, but amazingly, the band’s classic line up stayed the same for virtually all of its original existence. Mercury, May and Taylor founded the band in 1970, and they were joined the following year by Deacon – the same four men who would make up Queen for the next 20 years.

But it could have been very different. Roger Taylor, whose powerhouse drumming would become one of the band’s sonic signatures was almost poached by a rival band – one whose success in the 80s would go on to match that of Queen.

Like many other bands who started out in the early 70s, Queen spent their first few years playing the club circuit. Their early gigs included shows at such venues as Truro Town Hall, Liverpool’s Cavern Club and famed London club The Marquee.

Another fledging band putting in the hours on the same circuit were Genesis, who were gradually transforming into something more theatrical and progressive. It’s unclear when the two groups’ paths first crossed, but Queen clearly made an impression on the Peter Gabriel-fronted band. When Genesis drummer John Mayhew announced that he was leaving in the summer of 1970, they reached out to Taylor in the hope that he might be interested in joining.

“Well, they invited me to the studio, then we went to the pub,” Taylor told Classic Rock in 2020, on the band’s 50th anniversary. “They didn’t say, ‘Do you want to join the group?’, but I get the impression that’s what they wanted because their drummer had left.”

Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!

Taylor was flattered by the offer, but he wasn’t tempted to desert his own band – not least because he wasn’t a huge fan of Genesis’ complex songs.

“I didn’t really get the music, to be honest,” he admitted. “It was a bit too prog for me. But they’re all lovely people.”

In the end Genesis opted for Phil Collins, a former child star who had most recently been in the band Flaming Youth. With Collins behind the drums, Genesis established themselves as leading lights of the emerging progressive rock scene. After Peter Gabriel’s departure in 1974, he took on the additional role of frontman, helping lead the band to huge success with albums such as Duke, Abacab, Invisible Touch and We Can’t Dance.

Genesis weren’t the only band interested in poaching Taylor. In the mid-70s, shortly after Queen supported Mott The Hoople on what would be one of the latter’s last tours before they split, the latter’s singer Ian Hunter and guitarist Mick Ronson asked the drummer if he was interested in joining them in an all-star trio.

“I had a wonderful offer from Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter,” Taylor said. “It was going to be called Hunter Ronson Taylor. That would have been good.”

The reason Taylor turned that one down was less to do with the music they were making and more to do with the bond he had with his Queen bandmates by that point. “I believed there was something about the four of us as a band that was special,” he said. “And I was right.”

Classic Rock is the online home of the world’s best rock’n’roll magazine. We bring you breaking news, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes features, as well as unrivalled access to the biggest names in rock music; from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses to the Rolling Stones, AC/DC to the Sex Pistols, and everything in between. Our expert writers bring you the very best on established and emerging bands plus everything you need to know about the mightiest new music releases.

Stone Temple Pilots rode many a chaotic wave with vocalist Scott Weiland throughout their initial existence and parted ways with the singer for the final time in the early part of 2013.

Bassist Robert DeLeo and guitarist Dean DeLeo had worked outside of the band’s normal setting a couple of times, first with 1997’s Talk Show, which featured the whole STP lineup minus Weiland, with vocalist Dave Coutts stepping in. During another period of inactivity for the group, the DeLeo brothers paired up with Filter’s Richard Patrick and drummer Ray Luzier to form Army of Anyone, releasing a single self-titled album in 2006.

When they found themselves again at loose ends in early 2013, things took an interesting path. “We were introduced to [vocalist] Pete [Shoulder] through Ross Halfin,” Dean DeLeo tells UCR. “He kept on us, while we were having our metamorphosis and that’s kind of how we met. Pete came over and we actually jumped in and made a record. Robert, [drummer] Brian Tichy, Pete and myself went and made a record, which we’re sitting on.”

READ MORE: STP Recall the Moment Scott Weiland ‘Took a Turn’ to Addiction

He says the album went on the shelf once they met and began collaborating with Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington. “We talked Chester into being in the band,” he shares. “Chester, Robert, Eric [Kretz] and I jumped [back] into the world of STP and started recording. We did the High Rise EP [which was released in October 2013] and that record [with Shoulder] was sadly put on a little bit of a hiatus.”

According to the guitarist, it’s possible that fans could hear it as soon as next year, but it won’t be released under the Stone Temple Pilots name, since Kretz is not part of the recordings — and also because of the current lineup with singer Jeff Gutt, which remains intact. “This is a totally different thing. STP is Eric, Robert, Jeff and myself,” he explains. “I would hope they wouldn’t have another guitar player come in for an STP record. We wouldn’t do that to any [of the other] members. STP is what it is, and these things that Robert and I are have been doing lately [are] just another avenue for us to just kind of go, ‘Let your freak flag fly!'”

Stone Temple Pilots Fans Will Dig Dean’s New Music

Though the initial collaboration with Shoulder remains presently unreleased, he’s continued to work with both Dean and Robert separately. The fruits of their efforts are starting to come to the surface. Dean and Pete unveiled One More Satellite, and will release a self-titled album under that name July 18. DeLeo had songs sitting around that he wanted to record, initially planning to track an instrumental album. He reached out to Shoulder about working on a song or two and the vocalist ended up singing on the bulk of the material.

The debut single, “Paper Over the Cracks,” was released in early May and in tone, will be familiar to STP fans. But listening to the rest of the album, what sticks out is the diversity and range of the material stylistically. It’s clear that Shoulder brings a wide palette to the project, when it comes to what he can contribute, something which DeLeo appreciates. It’s a trait that reminds him of his past work with Scott Weiland.

“I like visiting all facets of music. You know, it’s pretty evident, the broad spectrum of music Robert and I were raised on,” he says. “I think all that shows now later on in life with us and [what we’re] writing. That was the amazing thing about Scott. He was able to really [do a lot of different things vocally]. It’s almost as if a singer takes on a character for a song. One of my favorite STP songs is a song Robert and Scott wrote off of No. 4 called ‘I Got You.’ Scott’s approach to that song was so brilliant. So yeah, it’s a wonderful trait for a singer to take on this character that really suits the song.”

READ MORE: Stone Temple Pilots Albums, Ranked

“Paper Over the Cracks,” according to DeLeo, is a trailer of sorts when it comes to what fans can expect to hear on One More Satellite. “The record definitely explores a lot of different types of music. I mean, there’s two instrumentals on the record,” he shares. “It really explores a lot of different types of music and a lot of different moods. Both Pete and I felt ‘Paper Over the Cracks’ was a decent representation of what will unfold [with the rest of the album].”

Watch One More Satellite’s ‘Paper Over the Cracks’ Video

Genesis were in the midst of trying to figure out a path forward as vocalist Peter Gabriel was planning to leave. It was Jon Anderson of Yes who gave them an important assist.

The signs of a potential fracture first appeared as the band were working on songs for 1974’s The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Gabriel briefly departed from the group to collaborate with William Friedkin, who had enjoyed success with the previous year’s The Exorcist, eventually earning an Oscar nomination for the horror film. “[But] Friedkin, didn’t want to bring about the end of the Genesis he’d enjoyed,” guitarist Steve Hackett tells the UCR Podcast. “Pete came back to the band, but over time, it became apparent he was going to do this one album and tour it with us, so he didn’t leave us in the lurch. But then we were going to have to find a new singer after that.”

Finding a replacement for Gabriel proved to be a challenge, though Hackett says now that he knew they had a solution. “We had one person in the ranks who could carry this off, but there was a worry about a singing drummer, having had a frontman who was dressing up, running around and doing all sorts of things,” he explains. “The idea of having a guy singing behind the kit was an idea that we thought visually, could be very difficult. But funny enough, it was Jon Anderson [who gave us some good advice]. I was there at Phil’s first wedding to his first wife and I was meeting Jon for the first time.”

READ MORE: The Day Peter Gabriel Left Genesis

“He said to me, ‘Well, Phil’s got a great voice, why don’t you make Phil the lead singer and get in another instrumentalist?’ I said, ‘Well, you’re absolutely right and I agree with you.’ He’d sung on the first song I ever wrote for Genesis [‘For Absent Friends,’ from 1971’s Nursery Cryme]. Phil also sang on my [solo] album, Voyage of the Acolyte,” he continues. “I told Jon at the time, ‘Yep, I think that’s the right thing to do, but the others aren’t convinced of that strategy.’ As it happened, Phil at one point got very frustrated and said, ‘Let me have a go at this song.’ We’d started an album without knowing who was going to be the vocalist. That song turned out to be ‘Squonk,’ on A Trick of the Tail. Phil did such a great job that [Genesis manager] Tony Stratton-Smith poked his head around the corner while we were at Trident [Studios] and said, ‘Well, chaps, looks like you’ve found your singer, bye!’ He left before there was any argument. So in some ways, it looked as if he was in the know that Phil was going to do that. I think if Phil had been rejected for any reason, I suspect he might have just decided to go off and join another band. But luckily Tony talked him out of that and talked him into staying with the band.”

Listen to Genesis’ ‘Squonk’

What’s Steve Hackett Doing Now?

The former Genesis guitarist continues to tour regularly and will release a new live album, The Lamb Stands Up Live at the Royal Albert Hall on July 11. He’ll bring that same trek to the United States this fall and admits that he’s already got material in the works for his next solo album. “I’m working on new stuff, which sounds better than ever, of course,” he laughs. “But then I would say that, wouldn’t I?”

Being a rock star is a dangerous job.

Besides the cliches that we all think of – including excessive partying and adrenaline rush risk taking – musicians are known to go to extremes onstage. This can lead to scary mishaps, like misfired pyrotechnics or dangerous prop malfunctions.

Alice Cooper knows a thing or two about such accidents. The godfather of shock rock nearly has met his maker during performances on multiple occasions.

“When you go to the circus and see a trainer locked in a cage with 12 tigers, there’s always the possibility that one of the tigers behaves inappropriately,” Cooper once explained. “Let’s say that danger is part of the show. You go into it knowing that you may be about to witness a tragedy… and that makes everything much more interesting and authentic. I’ve always wanted to integrate that point of uncertainty into my show. I want people to think: ‘This could be Alice Cooper’s last night.’”

READ MORE: 30 Rockers Who Died Before 30

Cooper is one of the famous musicians who can be found below in our list of 10 Rock Stars Who Nearly Died Onstage.

While some, like the shock rock icon, put their life on the line in the name of excitement, many more faced death due to completely unexpected accidents. Electrocution, projectile instruments and sudden illnesses landed some rockers on our list. For others, the dangerous pitfall was a literal fall on the pit (turns out plummeting off a stage is bad for one’s health).

Thankfully, all of these musicians survived their harrowing moments and were able to continue their careers.

10 Rock Stars Who Nearly Died Onstage

More From Ultimate Classic Rock

A 48-year-old woman has said she’s the daughter of Queen star Freddie Mercury, as the result of an affair he had in 1976.

She reported that Mercury had a close relationship with her until his death in 1991, and gave her a total of 17 detailed journals he’d written for her, starting from when he first knew he was going to become a father.

The story is detailed in upcoming book Love, Freddie, written by Lesley-Ann Jones, who told the Daily Mail she’d been in contact with the women for three years, adding: “My instinct was to doubt everything, but I am absolutely sure she is not a fantasist. No one could have faked all this.”

READ MORE: Brian May Recalls Early ‘Unnerving’ Moments With Freddie Mercury

The woman – a medical professional in Europe – said in a letter: “Freddie Mercury was and is my father. We had a very close and loving relationship from the moment I was born and throughout the final 15 years of his life.

“The circumstances of my birth may seem, by most people’s standards, unusual and even outrageous. … It never detracted from his commitment to love and look after me. He cherished me like a treasured possession.”

Why Freddie Mercury’s Secret Daughter Wants to Speak Up Now

In another letter she wrote: “After more than three decades of lies, speculation and distortion, it is time to let Freddie speak.

“Those who have been aware of my existence kept his greatest secret out of loyalty to Freddie. That I choose to reveal myself in my own midlife is my decision and mine alone. I have not, at any point, been coerced into doing this.

“He entrusted his collection of private notebooks to me, his only child and his next of kin, the written record of his private thoughts, memories and feelings about everything he had experienced.”

Until now, her existence was said to been known only by those in Mercury’s “inner circle.”

Rejected Original Titles of 30 Classic Albums

Titles are more than just words on the album covers. They’re reflections of the music and themes inside – and sometimes they make all the difference in the world.

Gallery Credit: UCR Staff

More From Ultimate Classic Rock

Given his free-flowing-meets-hard-charging style on guitar, it’s not hard to see that Dave Navarro, like many of his generation, was inspired by the late, great Jimi Hendrix. But beyond inspiration, Navarro got to pay homage in ways that he’d never previously imagined.

“I got invited to play with Slash, and Mitch Mitchell, the original Hendrix Experience on drums.” Navarro tells ClassicRockHistory.com. “I played ‘Fire’ with Mitch Mitchell from the original Experience—that was fucking unbelievable.”

But that’s not all, as on the same stage, Navarro got to celebrate Hendrix’s post-Experience group. “I got to play with Billy Cox and Buddy Miles,” he says. “I don’t know if you’re a Hendrix aficionado, but they were from the Band of Gypsy’s.”

“It wasn’t a long-lived band,” Navarro says. “They just had a live record, but it’s like one of the Holy Grails for guitar players, especially because of ‘Machine Gun.’ There’s a note that Hendrix holds, and if you’re a Hendrix aficionado, every guitar player knows what I’m talking about. They know exactly what note it is, and I got to play that note with those guys.”

Navarro notes that the show was “pretty fucking special,” but the Hendrix fun didn’t stop there, as he decided that he wanted his own version of Hendrix’s iconic white Strat, which he played at Woodstock, in 1969. “I decided I wanted a white Jimi Hendrix Strat,” he says.

“As a kid growing up, I watched that white guitar,” he says. “They did a limited consumer run of the Jim Andrews Isabella model, you know, the Hendrix Woodstock one. But what I wanted was the exact guitar, you know, as close as it could be.”

As for how he did that, Navarro says: “I contacted my buddy over the [Fender] Custom Shop, and said, ‘I want to have built as an exact replica of the white Jimi Hendrix Strat.”

Of course, Fender could do it, but there were roadblocks to making it happen. Navarro says that Fender told him, “We can’t just… we have to ask the Hendrix Foundation. His sister runs that, so we gotta ask her.”

Navarro says that Fender reached out to Jimi Hendrix’s sister, Janie Hendrix, with his Strat-related request. “They said, ‘Dave Navarro wants to get a relic’d reproduction of your brother’s guitar from Woodstock. Is that okay?’”

Thankfully, Janie was up for it. “She knew me,” Navarro says. “She remembered me playing with the Band of Gypsys at that tribute concert, and she was like, ‘Of course he can!’ So, we went back to the Custom Shop, and we spent months and months with pictures and details.”

“We took trips to the museum in Seattle, where it is, and got up close,” Navarro says of the process. “All of the scratches, wood chips, burns, and the fact that he had to turn it over because he was left-handed meant that there was a drilled-out hole in the bottom of the cutaway. We went down to that detail, and down to the detail of the exact serial number.”

The result was a guitar that the normally PRS-playing Navarro treasures to this day. “They made me a guitar that is so precise and exact,” he says. “The only difference is that it says ‘DN’ and then his serial number on the neck bolt.”

“It’s invaluable,” he says. “It’s the only one like it in the world—and it was signed off on by the Hendrix estate, and Jimi’s sister. It came as a result of one of my favorite gigs. When I was a kid, and that record was in constant rotation, never in my imagination did I think I would be playing with those guys, let alone playing Hendrix songs with them.

Looking back on the gig—and the guitar—Navarro says that they’re “as close to him as I could get.” He adds, “I got to meet his family and play with his band members. It’s odd to say, but some of my favorite experiences are not with my own bands. Instead, I have favorite memories and favorite moments.”

Read More: Artists’ Interviews Directory At ClassicRockHistory.com

Read More: Classic Rock Bands List And Directory

An Interview With Janes Addiction’s Dave Navarro article published on ClassicRockHistory.com© 2025