April 17, 1975 – Elvis Presley buys a $250,000 private jet, which he re-christens Lisa Marie. He spends an additional $600,000 refurbishing the jet with a dance floor (!) and other personal quarters.  That’s about $3.8 million today. April 17, 1983 – Joe Strummer of The Clash runs the London Marathon, finishing with a time of 4 hours and … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 17 in Classic Rock →

April 4, 2009 – Flea inducts Metallica into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a moving tribute to the deceased Cliff Burton.  This is the first-ever induction ceremony open to the public.  Jeff Beck is also inducted by his former Yardbird colleague Jimmy Page. April 4, 2015 – Marilyn Manson is sucker-punched at a Denny’s in Alberta, … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 4 in Classic Rock →

March 27, 1986 – Sammy Hagar sings his first concert with Van Halen at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport, LA.  Nicknamed “Van Hagar”, the show sells out in five minutes.  Hagar says, “We had made the commitment that we weren’t going to play any of the old material – only  ‘You Really Got Me,’ ‘I Can’t Drive … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 27 in Classic Rock →

June 24, 1999 – Eric Clapton auctions off 100 of his guitars with proceeds going toward his Crossroads Centre at Antigua, an alcohol and drug-dependency treatment center in the West Indies. The auction generates over $5 million, with his guitar “Brownie,” a 1956 sunburst Fender used to record “Layla”, going for almost $500,000. June 24, 2000 – Kiss begin a 2-day auction of costumes, instruments and … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 24 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 →

Eric Clapton has released a new collaboration featuring the late Jeff Beck. “Moon River”, a cover of the song originally popularized by the Audrey Hepburn film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, was recorded not long before Beck’s passing earlier this year.  You can hear the song and watch the animated video in the player below. The release … Continue reading Eric Clapton Releases “Moon River”, a Collaboration with Jeff Beck →

One of Jeff Beck’s early band mates Ronnie Wood, once told a story about he and Jeff having a guitar talk. Beck, forever coming up with new ideas for the electric guitar, showed Woody a couple new finger-flinging lick combinations. “Hey, I just figured this out. Do you ever do this?” Wood, laughing out loud … Continue reading Jeff Beck: Innovator Guitar God →

Legendary guitarist Jeff Beck has died at the age of 78. News of his death was shared in a statement on the rocker’s social media accounts and his official website on Wednesday. “On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing,” the statement … Continue reading Legendary Guitarist Jeff Beck Dies at Age 78 →

As anyone knows, the supergroup is a risky proposition in rock and roll. Since the ‘60s, there have been quite a few supergroups — bands made up exclusively (or at least primarily) of musicians who have already achieved success with other bands. Sometimes even ideas that sound good on paper don’t necessarily gel on vinyl. … Continue reading Top 10 Rock Supergroups →

Ozzy Osbourne will release his new solo album on September 9th. The Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer shared the details of Patient Number 9 this week and released a music video for the album’s first single and title track. You can watch and listen to the new song in the player … Continue reading Ozzy Osbourne Details New Album, Releases First Single Feat Jeff Beck →

A new trailer for the forthcoming Ronnie Wood documentary Somebody Up There Likes Me has been released to promote the film’s U.K. opening next month. You can watch the preview in the player below. Somebody Up There Likes Me explores the life and career of the veteran guitarist from his childhood in post-war England through … Continue reading Watch the Trailer for the New Ronnie Wood Documentary ‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ →

Of course the blues have influenced rock ’n’ roll, well,… ever since there’s been rock ’n’ roll! But, you may not know that many of the songs you know and love were actually initially recorded back in the 1930’s. In fact, some songs on the list may date back hundreds of years!  Here’s a good starter list … Continue reading 11 Classic Rock Hits That Are Actually Blues Songs →