Bob Dylan has announced his first run of U.S. shows for 2019. The legendary singer-songwriter spent much of the spring and summer touring Europe but hadn’t announced any North American dates until this week. The 28 concert trek will kick off on October 11th in Irvine, California at the UC Irvine Bren Events Center and … Continue reading Bob Dylan Announces U.S. Tour Dates →

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 →

August 28, 1964 – The Beatles meet Bob Dylan for the first time, after their concert at New York’s Forest Hills Tennis Stadium. He introduces them to marijuana. August 28, 1966 – The Beatles perform at Dodger Stadium in LA  before a crowd of 45,000. Bob Eubanks is the concert’s promoter, a radio DJ who had been staging 100 concerts a year and goes … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 28 in Classic Rock →

The Rolling Thunder Revue documentary by Martin Scorsese is a fabulous piece of music history as it captures a time when pure art was celebrated, when art was what the counter-culture musicians of the 60’s and 70’s were striving for.  And when that counter-culture found a mass audience in the Baby Boomer generation, even the … Continue reading Reliving The Rolling Thunder Revue — More Bob Dylan Revealed →

August 2, 1973 – Robert Zimmerman legally changes his name to Bob Dylan. His biographer Mark Epstein says, “He was a great fan of Matt Dillon, the sheriff of the television series Gunsmoke. In 1958, he confided to his high school sweetheart that he planned to devote his life to music, adding that ‘I know what I’m going … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 2 in Classic Rock →

August 1, 1981 – MTV begins airing music videos with the legendary opening, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Rock & Roll.”  That’s followed by the now familiar power-chord-fueled guitar riff theme. The first ten videos are: The Buggles “Video Killed The Radio Star”, Pat Benatar “You Better Run”, Rod Stewart “She Won’t Dance With Me”, The Who “You Better You Bet”, … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 1 in Classic rock →

July 29, 1973 – Led Zeppelin play the last of three nights at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Although their 33-date North American tour grosses over 4 million, about $203,000 in cash is stolen that night from the safe at The Drake Hotel in New York where the band is staying. Tour manager Richard Cole is arrested as a suspect … Continue reading CDJ Today: July 29 in Classic Rock →

July 25, 1980 – AC/DC release Back In Black, their first album with lead singer Brian Johnson.  The album sells over 50 million copies worldwide, making it the second highest-selling album of all time (Thriller is #1), and the best-selling hard rock or heavy metal album. July 25, 1999 – Woodstock closes out its 3-day festival in Rome, NY with riots that break … Continue reading CDJ Today: July 25 in Classic Rock →

What makes a great autobiography? Honesty, great stories, and the willingness of the author to really go deep. The following books have either stood the test of time, or have recently topped the charts and gotten enthusiastic reviews from critics and fans alike.  Sadly, two of our choices feature artists who have passed – David Bowie and … Continue reading 10 Great Classic Rock Autobiographies You Need to Read →

“Never one to think of himself, he puts everyone else first,” wrote Neil Young in a touching tribute to his late manager, Elliot Roberts.  Roberts, who was best known for his five-decade association with Neil Young, passed away on Friday.  He was 76.  His company, Lookout Management, announced his death but has not shared the … Continue reading Elliot Roberts, Manager for Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Dies at 76 →