May 9, 1992 – Bruce Springsteen makes his North American network television debut on Saturday Night Live with host Tom Hanks. He performs three songs to promote his two recently-released albums, Lucky Town and Human Touch. May 9, 1974 – Bruce Springsteen opens a show for headliner Bonnie Raitt, who insists on him playing his full 2-hour set, rare for an opener. … Continue reading CDJ Today: May 9 in Classic Rock →

April 25, 1980 – Black Sabbath release their ninth studio album, Heaven and Hell. It’s the first Sabbath album to feature Ronnie James Dio as lead singer, who replaced Ozzy Osbourne.  The album goes on to reach platinum status in the U.S. April 25, 1988 – Doc McGhee, manager of Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe, pleads guilty to importing more than 40,000 lbs of … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 25 in Classic Rock →

January 25, 2006 – Mötley Crüe receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “We’re across the street from the Erotica Museum and Frederick’s of Hollywood. This is a perfect place for us to be,” bassist Nikki Sixx told an estimated 600 screaming fans. January 25, 2003 – Billy Joel crashes his Mercedes in Long Island, New York.  He … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 25 in Classic Rock →

August 30, 1965 – Bob Dylan releases his sixth studio album, Highway 61 Revisited. It is Dylan’s first mostly electric album, and receives much critical acclaim and platinum status. August 30, 1969 – The second Isle Of Wight Festival takes place in front of 150,000 people over a 3-day period. Acts include Bob Dylan, The Band, Joe Cocker, Free, The Moody … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 30 in Classic Rock →

June 22, 2005 – Ted Nugent is ordered to pay $3,500 per month in child support to Karen Gutowski of Dover, NH.  While married to his current wife, Shemane, with whom he has 4 children, Nugent fathered a son with Gutowski in 1994. June 22, 1981 –  Mark David Chapman says that “God has told me to plead guilty” to the charge of murdering … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 22 in Classic Rock →

June 13, 1983 – Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble release their debut album Texas Flood which was recorded in only three days at Jackson Browne’s personal studio. The album is later certified double platinum. June 13, 2003 – David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and Sting receive a CBE award (Commander of the British Empire) at the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Sting states, “I’m surprised and flattered to receive this honour…If … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 13 in Classic Rock →

He hasn’t released an album of new material since 1993, but Billy Joel’s place in the pop-rock pantheon is secure nonetheless. His concerts are still massively popular, of course. But beyond that, Joel’s back catalog — the first half of which is the subject of The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1, a new box set from … Continue reading Billy Joel’s Top 10 Albums →

Billy Joel has released a live version of “New York State of Mind” ahead of the November 5 release of his new Vinyl Collection, Vol 1. The performance of the then-unreleased song was recorded in San Francisco in 1975, a year before it would be featured on Billy Joel’s Turnstiles album. You can hear “New … Continue reading Hear Billy Joel’s Live Rendition of “New York State of Mind” from his New Vinyl Collection →

Billy Joel paid tribute to the late Charlie Watts this past weekend with a performance of the Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” during his concert at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. You can watch a fan-filmed clip from Friday night’s show in the player below. “That’s for Charlie,” said Joel as he and his band wrapped … Continue reading Billy Joel Pays Tribute to Charlie Watts with Rolling Stones Cover →

I first met Walter Yetnikoff when he was the head of CBS’s music International Division from 1971 to 1975, and I wound up working with him when he was president and CEO of CBS Records from 1975 to 1990. Walter was an amazing man. He was an attorney by trade, which helped him negotiate major … Continue reading Remembering Walter Yetnikoff →

Thirty-seven years ago, a phenomenal cast of superstars banded together to raise money for humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the U.S. And thirty-seven years later, “We Are The World” still gives us chills. Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones, the charity single was recorded on this day in … Continue reading We Are The World: In Order of Appearance →

For roughly three decades, Liberty DeVitto was the quite literal driving force behind Billy Joel’s biggest hits and countless concerts. But the toll that level of success and excess eventually took on the New York-bred drummer was high – again literally and figuratively. As the touring miles and recording sessions piled up, so did the … Continue reading Keeping the Beat: Longtime Drummer Liberty DeVitto Pens Memoir, Preps Album Release →