The GRAMMYS Are In The Books!
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones both won Grammys Sunday night in Los Angeles.
The Stones won Best Rock Album for Hackney Diamonds. It's their fourth Grammy overall. Album producer Andrew Watt was on hand to accept.
"Now and Then," The Beatles' last song with the late John Lennon, won Best Rock Performance, giving the Fab Four their eighth award. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr weren't on hand, so Sean Lennon, John’s son, accepted the award. Sean Lennon also won Best Boxed or Special Limited-Edition Package for the reissue of his father's Mind Games.
Peter Gabriel's i/o brought in two Grammys —Best Immersive Audio Album, which gives Gabriel his seventh Grammy overall, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers sang a bit of "Under the Bridge" to honor their hometown of Los Angeles before they gave Best Pop Vocal Album award to Sabrina Carpenter. President Jimmy Carter won a posthumous award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording for “Last Sundays In Plains: A Centennial Celebration”…making him the oldest Grammy winner in history. He’s won this award four times over the years, by the way.
Among the big performances that took place:
·A huge performance of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” opened up the GRAMMYs. The performance was a love letter to Los Angeles, which was impacted by severe wildfires earlier this year. Indie band Dawes led the tribute, and they were joined by John Legend, Sheryl Crowe, Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard, and St. Vincent
·Coldplay’s Chris Martin performed Coldplay’s “All My Love” during an in memoriam segment. The in memoriam segment paid tribute to a number of late musicians including Liam Payne, Rich Homie Quan, Kris Kristofferson, Wayne Osmond, Fatman Scoop, Toby Keith, and more.
Aerosmith Rocker Steven Tyler Tries Out His Healing Voice with Triumphant Comeback at Charity Event
Steven Tyler made a triumphant return to the stage at his charity event, Janie's Fund, following his vocal issues. The Aerosmith frontman performed with various musicians, including Nino Bettancourt and Lainey Wilson, showcasing his iconic voice on classics like "Dream On." Despite his past vocal struggles, Tyler's performance was met with enthusiasm from the crowd, hinting at a possible return to recording with Aerosmith in the future. The event also featured other notable musicians like Joan Jett and Billy Idol, making it a memorable night for all in attendance.
THE GRATEFUL DEAD: MusiCares Persons of the Year Honored
Grammy weekend kicked off Friday night at the Los Angeles Convention Center when Andy Cohen hosted the prestigious MusiCares 2025 Persons of the Year Gala with an assist from funnyman Bert Kreischer. This year’s event honored the iconic rock band The Grateful Dead.
Presented by children of the band -- Grahame Lesh, Trixie Garcia and Justin Kreutzmann -- members Mickey Hart and Bob Weir were on hand to receive the recognition with Bill Kreutzmann accepting via video. (Phil Lesh died in 2025 and Jerry Garcia in 1995.) Mickey and Bob also took the stage to perform during the evening’s concert.
PERFORMERS INCLUDED:
·The War and Treaty with Stewart Copeland and Mick Fleetwood – “Samson and Delilah”
·Norah Jones – “Ripple”
·Vampire Weekend – “Scarlet Begonias”
·Sammy Hagar – “Loose Lucy”
·John Mayer – “Terrapin Station”
·Bruce Hornsby – “Standing On the Moon”
·Dwight Yoakam – “Truckin’”
·Dead and Company – “Sugar Magnolia”, “Touch of Grey”
The MusiCares Persons of the Year Gala helps MusiCares provide vital services, including addiction recovery and disaster relief, to address the health and well-being of music industry professionals. Last night’s event raised over $5 million.
John Fogerty, Smokey Robinson, And Tom Morello Among 2025 American Music Honors Recipients
John Fogerty, Smokey Robinson and Tom Morello are set to receive an American Music Honors award this year. The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music announced the third annual American Music Honors event is going down on April 26th in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Emmylou Harris and Joe Ely are also on the list of 2025 honorees. Founding executive director Robert Santelli says this year's honorees represent a cross-section of American music and they're excited to welcome them into the American Music Center family. Tickets for the third annual American Music Honors will go on sale Tuesday, March 25th.
ROLLING STONES: Not Starting Back Up?
The Rolling Stones are reportedly scrapping their planned tour of England and Europe this summer and will instead focus on 2026. Numerous media outlets, including The Times, are reporting that they were presented with multiple-date options, but they declined due to complications around suitable venues, travel and pre-existing commitments. We reached out to the band for comment, but have yet to hear back. With Mick Jagger (81), Keith Richards
(81) and Ronnie Wood (77) having a combined age of 239, they don't have to many more years to wait.
AC/DC announce return to Europe with Power Up ⚡️ 2025 dates
AC/DC has announced a new European leg of their Power Up tour, in addition to their previously announced North American shows. The band will play 12 dates across 10 countries, including stops in Germany, Italy, Spain, and Scotland. The tour kicks off on June 26 in Prague and wraps up on August 21 in Edinburgh. Tickets for most shows will go on sale in early February.
As ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ nears theaters, a look back at the pivotal shows the band played in Chicago — or almost did
Led Zeppelin's connection to Chicago is explored in the new documentary "Becoming Led Zeppelin," which delves into the band's history and ties to the city. The band's interpretation of the country-blues song "When the Levee Breaks" for their fourth album in 1971 marked a specific reference to Chicago. The documentary sheds light on the band's deep ties to the city and their musical influences. "Becoming Led Zeppelin" opens Wednesday at IMAX locations and will be more widely available on Feb. 14.
KEVIN CRONIN: That's Snow Business
Kevin Cronin, now touring under his own name with the same musicians that were in his recent version of REO Speedwagon, didn't let a rare snowstorm last Friday in New Orleans get in the way of his show there. Although many flights to the "Crescent City" were canceled, he and the band along with key members of his crew were able to get there. Cronin says his monitor engineer was able to fly from San Francisco to Houston where he rented a car for the six-hour drive. And the band was able to switch flights at the last minute and get six seats to Dallas. But, with all commercial flights to New Orleans canceled, their manager chartered a turbo-prop plane to get them there and the show went on. Cronin's next show is February 22nd in Welch, Minnesota, followed by this summer's Brotherhood of Rock tour with Styx and Don Felder.
SAMMY HAGAR: Has the Blues
Sammy Hagar has teamed with Joe Bonamassa on a new song, "Fortune Teller Blues."
Producer Kevin Shirley says, "Sammy sent us this very rough idea of a blues song while Joe and I were in a studio in Greece, and we crafted a raw, edgy blues version to go with it.
"At times, it carries a haunting energy, and at others, it evokes the spirit of the New Orleans French Quarter. Joe was in a particularly gritty mood and played the entire track on an Ovation acoustic guitar plugged into an overdriven amplifier, producing a chaotic, heavy and almost eerie sound. We wanted to create a different kind of blues feel to complement the lyrics, and we’re all thrilled with how it turned out.” Hagar agrees, saying, "Holy [crap], the thing came out good... The track is a monster." You can check out "Fortune Teller Blues" on YouTube. Hagar was in LA to perform at Friday night’s MusiCares' 2025 Persons of the Year ceremony honoring his friends and Northern California neighbors, the Grateful Dead.
DEF LEPPARD: Stand By L.A.
Def Leppard have recorded and released a cover of Ben E. King's 1961 classic "Stand By Me" with all the proceeds going to FireAid to assist in both short-term relief efforts and long-term initiatives to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California.
Singer Joe Elliott says, "Los Angeles and its surrounding area has always played a central role in Def Leppard’s career, from it being where some of us are based and it being our U.S. hub for rehearsals, to being the city where we played our first-ever American gig. We feel blessed to be able to dedicate this song and give all the royalties to the amazing heroes in L.A. helping those affected by the fires. No better song.” And drummer Rick Allen, who lives in L.A., adds, "I have a continued appreciation for the L.A. firefighters and all of the first responders. I know how important first responders are in states of emergency, especially given my history, which is why in addition to supporting FireAid through the release of 'Stand By Me,' [my] Raven Drum Foundation will be offering five signed guitars to benefit First Responders Resiliency Inc., offering free resiliency and trauma trainings for first responders and their families across California.”
Guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell also live in Southern California. Collen says, "In times of devastation, standing together is more important than ever... I’ve witnessed the impact of wildfires as they continue to ravage communities across California. Our cover of Ben E. King’s ‘Stand By Me’ is a tribute to resilience, unity, and hope... Let’s stand by each other and make a difference—because no one should face hardship alone.” The song is streaming now and you can find it on YouTube or go to DefLeppard.lnk.to/StandByMe.
DAVID BOWIE: Another Record Store Day Release
The David Bowie estate has once again gotten ahead of the pack by announcing its Record Store Day release. Ready, Set, Go (Live, Riverside Studios 03) will be released as a two-record set and a CD, and was recorded on September 8th, 2003 in London. The concert, which features his then-new album Reality performed in full plus three other songs as an encore, was part of a live special beamed via satellite to 86 theaters in 26 countries. There's a video for "New Killer Star" up on YouTube. The rest of the Record Store Day lineup of releases will be announced in early February. Record Store Day takes place on April 12th.
JOHN PAUL JONES: Opera Opportunity
Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones has been working on an operatic version of The Ghost Sonata, a play by the Swedish playwright August Strindberg, since 2010. Demonstration recordings of at least three songs were done by the orchestra of the Welsh National Opera and a group of opera performers, and a CD of those recordings was found and purchased in a New York City record shop. The person who bought it is now asking $50,000 for the disc through Discogs, claiming in the sales listing that “it might be the ultimate John Paul Jones or Led Zeppelin related collectable disc of rare music.” There is a also a YouTube video containing 49 seconds of audio from two of the three songs.
This is all according to LedZepNews.com, which says the play is "about a student and the people who live in a fancy apartment building in Stockholm. A mysterious character in a wheelchair named Jacob Hummel allows the student into the building, but then the student finds that everything inside the apartment is nightmarish." Jones has not commented on this story.
SMASHING PUMPKINS: Corgan Launches Another Podcast
Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins will launch a new podcast on Wednesday. It's called The Magnificent Others and Corgan has lined up an all-star roster of interview subjects so far -- Gene Simmons of KISS, Richie Sambora, Tom Morello, Pat Benatar and Neil Geraldo -- and in what was one of his last interviews before his death on January 10th, Sam Moore. Check out a trailer for the podcast on YouTube. This is the second podcast that Corgan has hosted. His first, called Thirty-Three, ran from September 2022 to April 2023 and featured Corgan doing interviews and talking about each song on the band's triple album, Atum.
IN OTHER NEWS
Pat Benatar has contributed a new song, “Beautiful Weirdos,” to the London stage production of Scissorhandz.
Following the sale of John Lennon’s Hootenanny 12-string guitar for $2.8 million last year, Framus is reintroducing the acoustic with approval from Lennon estate. The 12-string will set you back $1145 and the six-string $1040. Find details at Framus-Hootenanny.de.
Paul McCartney has commented on the death Thursday of Marianne Faithfull, saying, “She came into my life in the sixties and was a beautiful, sweet 17-year-old who radiated innocent joy. Then through the years I was lucky enough to run into her and to become a life-long friend. It’s very sad to think that I won’t be meeting her again, but my memories of our encounters over the years will always bring me joy. May god bless you, Marianne, and guide you in the next steps of your journey.”
The Who have announced two more shows in addition to the two they’re doing in London in March. They are both in July Italy – the 20th in Padua and 22nd in Milan.
Bryan Ferry teamed up with performance artist, writer and painter Amelia Barratt for an album called Loose Talk that features music by Ferry and spoken word by Barratt. It's due out on March 28th.
Marc Cohn has revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five years ago. He says, “I waited this long to tell you about the diagnosis because I needed time to process the unsettling news myself. But the good news is this: I’m doing everything I can to stave off Parkinson’s progression, and with those efforts, I have been able to continue playing shows for you all. Some nights have been more difficult than others, but there were moments of healing and deep gratitude for my ability to stand at the microphone and continue to do the job I love so much.” Other musicians with the disease include Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Diamond, Linda Ronstadt, Foreigner's Mick Jones, Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton, and Eagles touring guitarist Steuart Smith.