April 10, 1956 – Leo Fender patents his Stratocaster guitar, which is the follow-up to the popular Telecaster. April 10, 1970 – Doors singer Jim Morrison attempts to flash his junk at a show in Boston.  He is dragged off stage by keyboardist Ray Manzarek as Morrison is already facing charges for a similar event … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 10 in Classic Rock →

A new documentary featuring late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, along with legendary drummers Ringo Starr, Stewart Copeland, Mickey Hart and more, is due out this fall, Deadline reports. The film, which may have been Hawkins’ last filmed interview before his death this past March, will hit theatres on October 28. Let There Be Drums! … Continue reading New ‘Let There Be Drums!’ Documentary Features Ringo Starr, Late Drummer Taylor Hawkins →

Actor Jonah Hill (Superbad, 21 Jump Street) will play the late Jerry Garcia in a Grateful Dead biopic directed by Martin Scorsese, Deadline reports. The film, as yet untitled, will be available on Apple TV+ and Apple has reportedly obtained rights to use the Grateful Dead’s musical catalog for the film. Surviving Grateful Dead members … Continue reading Jonah Hill Will Play Jerry Garcia in Martin Scorsese’s Upcoming Grateful Dead Biopic →

Dead and Company will return to the road this summer with more than 30 dates across the United States. The tour kicks off in Raleigh, NC on August 16th and will see the group perform in Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Colorado, Arizona and California. The … Continue reading Dead & Company Announce U.S. 2021 Tour Dates →

Since 1959, all the way back when Domenico Modugno swept the Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories with “Nel Blu Dipinto Blu (Volare)” (in Italian no less!), the Recording Academy has awarded more than 8,000 Grammy Awards to a wide variety of artists.  The Beatles were the first rock band to … Continue reading You Won’t Believe This List of Rock Artists Who Have Never Won a Grammy →

Nike has revealed a new Grateful Dead inspired sneaker design. The Nike SB Dunk Low Grateful Dead shoes feature the Dead’s iconic dancing bear image on the tongue and come in three colorways: green, yellow and orange. The shoes also feature a faux fur and suede finish and a frayed Nike swoosh, imitating the bear’s … Continue reading Nike Reveals New Grateful Dead Sneakers →

Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution is a traveling exhibit now on display at the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library.  I was invited to attend the opening ceremony in which there was a panel discussion about Bill’s early years and some of the more memorable moments and concerts he promoted.  Many of … Continue reading Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution →

If you’ve ever formed a band, you probably know that in those tumultuous first days, coming up with a great name that really fits – and actually sticks – might be the hardest part of the process. Luckily these classic rock bands really nailed it… eventually. Can you imagine today talking about the legendary career … Continue reading Original Names of Famous Classic Rock Bands – Part One (A-H) →

Pegi Young December 1, 1952 – January 1, 2019After marrying Neil Young in 1978, Pegi Young’s debut as a singer came in 1983 when she joined her husband’s Shocking Pinks tour as a backup singer. The Youngs performed together a number of times at their annual Bridge School Benefit and in 2007 she released her … Continue reading Remembering Rockers We Lost in 2019 →

A new exhibit will open at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this month. Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll explores the history of the instruments that have “inspired the musicians and made possible the songs we know and love.” The Play It Loud exhibit, which was previously on display at … Continue reading New Rock Hall Exhibit ‘Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll’ to Open this Month →

More than 50 years since the two music legends first met and became friends, Paul Simon and Bob Weir have finally performed their first duet together. Simon was playing the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco Sunday night when he invited the Grateful Dead guitarist to join him on stage. According to Simon, the … Continue reading Watch Paul Simon and Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir Perform First-Ever Duet →

A graphic novel telling the story of the Grateful Dead’s early days will be released next year. The book will take an in depth look at the formation of the band, from their beginnings as a bar band to becoming the forefathers of the jam band culture. Created in cooperation with Z2 Comics, Origins is … Continue reading Grateful Dead to Release Biographical Graphic Novel →