June 1, 1975 – Ronnie Wood performs his first official gig as a Rolling Stones guitarist on his 28th birthday. June 1, 2008 – A massive fire at the 22,320-square-foot warehouse on the lot of Universal Studios Hollywood destroys thousands of master tapes including recordings by Aerosmith, Don Henley, the Eagles, Eric Clapton Joni Mitchell, Elton John, … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 1 in Classic Rock →

May 5, 1963 – At George Harrison‘s urging, the Head of A&R for Decca Records checks out the Rolling Stones at the Crawdaddy Club in London. Within one week, the Stones are signed to Decca. May 5, 2003 – Lewis & Floorwax, two morning DJs from Denver’s KRFX, ask Ted Nugent to leave the studio after he uses derogatory racial terms for … Continue reading CDJ Today: May 5 in Classic Rock →

April 14, 1975 – Former Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood gets a coveted Rolling Stones gig, replacing Mick Taylor.  Other rumored replacements for the position are Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Steve Marriott and Chris Spedding. April 14, 2009 – George Harrison is honored posthumously with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in front of the Capitol Records building.  In attendance … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 14 in Classic Rock →

Two all-time greats passed away last week. Jerry Lee Lewis and Steven Clean. The first you know of. If you’re not from Boston or Los Angeles you’ve probably never heard of the latter, otherwise known as “The Obscene” Steven Clean. I have great stories regarding both. The media coverage for Lewis’s passing has been omnipresent … Continue reading Two Legends Pass Away: “The Killer” Jerry Lee Lewis and “The Obscene” Steven Clean →

Willie Nelson once told me, “Paul, fame is funny thing. Some people really want it, but when it comes, they can’t handle it.” Echoing Willie, in an interview talking about Brian Jones, Mick Jagger said, “Fame doesn’t sit comfortably on anyone’s shoulders. But some people’s shoulders don’t seem to fit it on at all.” The … Continue reading The Downside of Fame for Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, and More →

I usually don’t write many opinion pieces and definitely try to shy away from being a critic. Someone once said, “Critics are the people who come down from the mountain after the war is over and shoot the wounded.” That pretty much sums it up for me. Not that there aren’t some critics of the … Continue reading Are We Modern Day Blues Players Losing the Plot? →

A biography about the life and career of Charlie Watts is due out on October 11th. The book was authorized by the Rolling Stones as well as the late drummer’s family and includes forewords by both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Charlie’s Good Tonight: The Authorized Biography of Charlie Watts includes interviews with family, friends, … Continue reading Authorized Charlie Watts Biography Due Out This Fall →

If you get to talking with the great songwriters, you’ll notice a common thread, a connecting theme, and you’ll hear it over and over. They generally have no idea where their songs come from. In 1965, a 21-year-old guitarist in a London band supersized that notion when he wrote a guitar lick for the ages. … Continue reading Classic Rock Landmarks: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction →

The Rolling Stones will release a live album from a pair of secret shows performed in Toronto in 1977. The recordings from those two legendary concerts have been bootlegged for 45 years and are finally getting a proper release. The two shows were attended by just 300 people each, mostly radio winners who believed they … Continue reading Rolling Stones to Release Live Album from Secret 1977 Toronto Shows →

Looking back at some of the people who shaped our musical life that are no longer with us. Here are the rockers we lost in 2021. Mick Bolton Died January 1, 2021Keyboardist for Mott the Hoople Gerry Marsden September 24, 1942 – January 3, 2021Leader of Gerry and the Pacemakers Michael Fonfara August 11, 1946 … Continue reading Remembering Rockers We Lost in 2021 →

The Rolling Stones have released a new music video for “Living In The Heart Of Love”. The song is one of nine previously unreleased tracks included on the 40th Anniversary Edition of their Tattoo You album, due out October 22nd. The black and white video features footage of the Stones from the Tattoo You era … Continue reading Watch: Rolling Stones Release New Video for “Living In The Heart Of Love” →

Billy Joel paid tribute to the late Charlie Watts this past weekend with a performance of the Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” during his concert at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. You can watch a fan-filmed clip from Friday night’s show in the player below. “That’s for Charlie,” said Joel as he and his band wrapped … Continue reading Billy Joel Pays Tribute to Charlie Watts with Rolling Stones Cover →