April 7, 1990 – Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee suffers a mild concussion after falling 20 feet from the scaffolding above his elevated drum kit. Tommy was descending as usual on a bungee rope but panicked when he thought his roadie wouldn’t pull the brake in time.  He was turned upside down and smashed heads with a person … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 7 in Classic Rock →

February 20, 1991 – Bob Dylan and John Lennon receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 33rd Grammy Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Aerosmith win their first Grammy for Best Rock Performance for “Janie’s Got A Gun” and perform “Come Together” as part of the tribute to Lennon. February 20, 1976 – All four members … Continue reading CDJ Today: February 20 in Classic Rock →

January 31, 1959 – Robert Zimmerman, 17, (later known as Bob Dylan) sees Buddy Holly perform at the Duluth Armory in Minnesota. Dylan later said, “Buddy Holly’s songs were much more simplified [than Chuck Berry’s songs], but what I got out of Buddy was that you can take influences from anywhere. Like his ‘That’ll Be The Day.’ … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 31 in Classic Rock →

After recently reading about David Bowie’s estate selling his song catalog to Warner Chappell Music for approximately $250 million, I thought it was high time I cover the subject of why so many classic rock artists are rushing to sell their publishing. The music world, and the world in general, was shocked not too long … Continue reading Iconic Artists Are Selling Their Catalogs, and It’s a Slippery Slope →

I thoroughly enjoyed Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President.  I learned a lot from watching it, and I highly recommend the film which you can view on Amazon. This documentary brought back memories of more innocent times and gave a fresh look at the Carter presidency which I think is needed.  So much of what … Continue reading Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President – Plus Personal Insights on Gregg Allman & Bob Dylan →

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 →

2020 has been a rough year, to say the least. Lots of us have friends or family that have had to battle the COVID virus. Some didn’t make it. A few of my colleagues from the music industry have been amongst that count. My 95-year-old mother somehow contracted the virus in her independent living quarters. But she beat … Continue reading Finding the Silver Linings in 2020 →

Only a few classic rock musicians or bands have been fortunate enough to win a coveted Academy Award for music they’ve written. In fact, there are fewer than 15 winners in this category, with only a single artist scoring more than one Oscar.  One group on the list has won an Oscar but NOT a … Continue reading Rock Artists Who Have Won an Academy Award →

Have you voted yet?  If not, maybe you need some musical inspiration to either fill out that absentee ballot or go cast it in person. Here are ten handpicked songs to inspire, anger, motivate and delight you. GO VOTE! And now, in alphabetical order by song title: 01 “…And Justice For All” – Metallica (1988) Of course, … Continue reading 10 Classic Rock Songs That Will Inspire You To Vote →

Country music legend and fiddle virtuoso Charles Daniels died Monday after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke. He was 83 years old. Born on October 28, 1936, Charlie Daniels was a proud son of Wilmington, North Carolina and the only child of William and LaRue Daniel. According to Rolling Stone the “s” at the end of his name was the result … Continue reading Country Music Legend Charlie Daniels Dies at 83 →

In times of uncertainty, conspiracy theories thrive. And the world of classic rock has never been immune. But while these rock related conspiracy theories range from conceivable to crazy, there’s no shortage of people out there who are sure they are true. The majority of the most notorious conspiracy theories in music fit conveniently into … Continue reading Death, the Devil and the CIA: Classic Rock Conspiracy Theories that Range from Completely Crazy to Entirely Conceivable →

For a lot of us, the Covid-19 pandemic has meant more time on our hands than we know what to do with. So if you’ve been taking this year to finally pick up that guitar in the corner, or you’ve run out of Netflix shows to binge-watch and are looking for something new to fill … Continue reading Top 10 Easiest Rock Songs to Learn on Guitar →