April 20, 1971 – Five friends at San Rafael High School in California coin the term “4:20” as a euphemism for smoking pot so they could talk about their “activity” in front of their parents. April 20th becomes a popular day to spark one up, as does 4:20 pm… every day. April 20, 2011 – K.K. Downing, guitarist … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 20 in Classic Rock →

Judas Priest will celebrate their 50th anniversary with a U.S. tour this fall. The 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour will kick off September 9th in Oxon Hill, MD and wraps up October 17th in Las Vegas. In between the band will make stops in major cities including Philadelphia, Newark, Charlotte, Orlando, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Dallas, … Continue reading Judas Priest Announce 50th Anniversary Tour →

This year, there has been more than the usual amount of consternation regarding the list of nominees who were granted access into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  For the first time since the Fan Vote started in 2012, the top vote-getter (The Dave Matthews Band) did not get inducted, even though they garnered … Continue reading 15 Most Overlooked Artists by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame →

Alice Cooper brought together a stellar lineup for his 18th annual Christmas Pudding fundraiser. Known as one of Phoenix’s signature holiday events, the proceeds from the show directly benefit the free music, dance, arts, and vocational programs for teens at Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center. This year’s fundraiser brought together original Alice Cooper band members … Continue reading Watch: Rob Halford, Joe Bonamassa, Johnny Depp, Nita Strauss, and more Join Alice Cooper at 18th Annual ‘Christmas Pudding’ Fundraiser →

I was perusing CDJ, when I spied a great interview with Rob Halford by my old friend Jim Villanueva.  New music by iconic veterans is most always something to shout about.  The idea of always “becoming” keeps an artist fresh and vibrant.  A metal Christmas album is perfect, and Celestial delivers on all fronts.  The … Continue reading Rob Halford and the Secret Lives of Metal Gods →

When Ozzy Osbourne returns to the road in 2020 he will be joined by special guest Marilyn Manson for the North American run of shows. Manson replaces Megadeath who were scheduled to tour with Osbourne when the original tour dates were announced. “Marilyn is killer live,” said Ozzy. “He’s so fucking out there, and if … Continue reading Ozzy Announces Special Guest for North American Shows →

Ozzy Osbourne has announced the rescheduled dates for the European leg of his No More Tours 2. Earlier this year Ozzy was forced to postpone all of his 2019 tour dates after a fall, sustained while sick with pneumonia, aggravated a years-old injury and sent him in for surgery. The European tour was rescheduled for … Continue reading Ozzy Osbourne Announces Rescheduled 2020 European Tour Dates →

“We have 12 distinctly, separate, different musical experiences on Celestial. All of these tracks have got their own legs.” Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford and his heavy metal mates are synonymous with figuratively wrecking halls worldwide with their particular brand of face-melting hard rock. Known as the Metal God, Halford has sold millions of albums … Continue reading Merry Metal Xmas: Rob Halford Unwraps Holiday Album Celestial →

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has caved to pressure from Motörhead fans and has updated the 2020 ballot. There was an uproar from fans and surviving band members last week when the nominations were announced for the class of 2020 and Motörhead’s drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell were not included in … Continue reading Rock Hall Caves to Fan Pressure and Updates 2020 Ballot →

Judas Priest’s Rob Halford has released the lyric video for “Morning Star” from his new Christmas-themed album Celestial. The LP was released last week and offers fans a rare opportunity to hear a different side of Halford than what you might expect from the heavy metal frontman. In a recent interview with Billboard, Halford spoke … Continue reading Hear Rob Halford’s New Holiday-Themed Single “Morning Star” →