September 23, 1980 – Bob Marley collapses on stage during a concert in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Marley had collapsed in New York’s Central Park while jogging two days before and was told to immediately cancel the U.S. tour, but flew to Pittsburgh to perform one final performance. This was the last time Marley ever appeared on stage.  He died … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 23 in Classic Rock →

September 3, 1982 – The first US Festival commences in San Bernardino, California and features Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, The Cars, the Talking Heads, The Kinks, the Ramones, B52’s, The English Beat, Gang Of Four, The Grateful Dead, Pat Benatar and Jackson Browne. Apple Computers co-founder Steven Wozniak bankrolls the festival and loses about $12 … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 3 in Classic Rock →

August 3, 1968 – The Newport Pop Festival begins in Costa Mesa, CA.  It is the first concert with more than 100,000 paid attendees.  Performers include The Grateful Dead, Alice Cooper, Canned Heat, Electric Flag, Iron Butterfly, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Sonny & Cher, Steppenwolf and Tiny Tim.  Admission was $5.50 per day for the … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 3 in Classic Rock →

March 19, 2001 – Aerosmith, Queen, and Steely Dan are among those inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. Kid Rock inducts Aerosmith, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters inducts Queen,and Moby inducts Steely Dan. March 19, 1974 – Jefferson Airplane reform and become Jefferson Starship. They later drop the Jefferson and become Starship in 1984.  The new/old members include Paul Kantner, … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 19 in Classic Rock →

December 13, 2000 – After former Democratic presidential hopeful Al Gore delivers his concession speech to George W. Bush in Washington, D.C., he holds a party in his home with a performance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  It features guest appearances by Jon Bon Jovi and Stevie Wonder and others. Petty performs “I Won’t Back Down” with Jon … Continue reading CDJ Today: December 13 in Classic Rock →

January 10, 1964 – The Beatles release their first U.S. album Introducing… The Beatles on Vee-Jay records. The release comes only 10 days before Capitol’s Meet the Beatles! hits the shelves. January 10, 1995 – Rory Gallagher plays his last concert in severe pain, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Five months later he dies of complications from a liver transplant.  Due to … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 10 in Classic Rock →

Live music is slowly returning to normal and Steely Dan is following suit. The band announced a 2021 fall tour – aptly titled The Absolutely Normal Tour ’21 – although the verdict is still out on exactly how normal live concerts will be come fall. The Absolutely Normal Tour ’21 kicks off in Miami, FL … Continue reading Steely Dan Announce Fall Tour, New Live Album →

Sometimes a band will throw around hundreds of name ideas before they finally find the right one that all members can agree on. And in some cases, like with U2 or Styx, it might just be the idea they hate the least. Previously we revealed the original names of 18 famous classic rock bands from … Continue reading Original Names of Famous Classic Rock Bands – Part Two (J-Z) →

Steely Dan will team up with special guest Steve Winwood this summer for a North American tour. Dubbed the Earth After Hours tour, the 23-date trek kicks off in Portland, OR on June 2nd and runs through July 11th at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, NY. Along the way, the tour … Continue reading Steely Dan and Steve Winwood Announce 2020 North American Tour →

The street in Forest Hills, Queens where Walter Becker grew up will be co-named after the late Steely Dan co-founder. The proposal to honor Becker with the co-naming was put forth to the New York City Council by Karen Koslowitz of the 29th District (Forest Hills). It was approved by vote on June 28th. A … Continue reading New York Street to be Named After Steely Dan’s Walter Becker →

The eminently talented Boz Scaggs has announced the release of a brand new album Out of the Blues. Due out July 27th via Concord Records, the album was produced by Scaggs and includes a mix of vintage tunes and original tracks. Check out the first single “Rock and Stick” below. Scaggs made a name for … Continue reading Boz Scaggs Announces New Album ‘Out of the Blues’ →

Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers will co-headline a North American summer tour kicking off May 10 in Charlotte, NC and wrapping up July 14 in Bethel, NY. The legendary bands will travel to 30+ cities across the U.S. and Canada including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Nashville, and Toronto. The run of dates is being … Continue reading Steely Dan & Doobie Brothers Announce Summer Tour →