May 8, 1965 – Bob Dylan shoots a film clip for his song “Subterranean Homesick Blues” which becomes the forerunner to what we now know as music videos.  The famous “flashcard” clip theme is then duplicated many times in music videos and movies. May 8, 1996 – Tommy Lee and wife Pamela Anderson lose their suit against … Continue reading CDJ Today: May 8 in Classic Rock →

July 19, 1986 – Van Halen headline the Texxas Jam at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, preceeded by Dio, Loverboy, Krokus, Keel and Bachman-Turner Overdrive who are joined by Leslie West on “Mississippi Queen. July 19, 1976 – Deep Purple disband at the end of their UK tour. David Coverdale goes on to form Whitesnake, and the classic line up of Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord … Continue reading CDJ Today: July 19 in Classic Rock →

When Queen took a break for the first part of 1983, Brian May put his time to good use. Waking up one morning in Los Angeles, he decided to phone a few friends and invite them to collaborate on some tracks in California’s famous Record Plant studios. The resulting collaboration was a great success, and Brian would later mould the recordings … Continue reading Brian May & Friends Star Fleet Project Gets 40th Anniversary Treatment →

May 27, 1988 – The first U.S. Monsters of Rock tour kicks off with a 3-night stand at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in Wisconsin.  On the bill in this order are Kingdom Come, Metallica, Dokken, Scorpions and Van Halen as the headliners.  The tour lasts for two months. May 27, 1994 – After 14 years apart, The Eagles reunite for their “Hell Freezes Over” … Continue reading CDJ Today: May 27 in Classic Rock →

David Lee Roth has released a new acoustic single titled “Pointing At The Moon”. You can listen to the track in the player below. The new song was released with very little fanfare and with no additional information. Musically, it follows in the same vein as The Roth Project – an “immersive interactive comic”  released … Continue reading Hear David Lee Roth’s New Single ‘Pointing At The Moon’ →

Most rock music fans don’t expect much from the GRAMMY Awards these days, but criticism of the self-described “biggest night” in music mounted this week after Sunday’s lackluster tribute to the late, great Eddie Van Halen during the annual awards ceremony. While the GRAMMYS’ annual In Memoriam segment paid tribute to artists such as John … Continue reading Wolfgang Van Halen Declined Invitation to Perform GRAMMY Tribute to His Father →

From the pandemic to the election to the lockdowns and so much more, what a helluva year 2020 has been – and not in a good way! Sadly, this year has also taken away too many of our shining rock n’ roll stars. Here is a look back at some of the people who shaped … Continue reading Remembering Rockers We Lost in 2020 →

Wolfgang Van Halen is paying tribute to his later father Eddie with his new song “Distance”. The track marks the musician’s first single as a solo artist and was released along with a heartwarming video featuring home video footage from Wolfgang’s childhood. Watch and hear “Distance” now in the player below. Wolfgang, who had a … Continue reading Wolfgang Van Halen Pays Tribute To His Father With New Single and Video →

David Lee Roth has unveiled a brand new track, dedicating the previously unreleased song to his late, former bandmate Eddie Van Halen.  Audio for the tune was posted on Roth’s YouTube channel accompanied by an illustration that features the words “Hey Ed, I’m gonna miss ya’ See you on the other side..” You can hear … Continue reading David Lee Roth Dedicates New Song to Eddie Van Halen →

I didn’t know Eddie Van Halen personally.  Only to say hello backstage when our Columbia Records’ band Alice In Chains opened for Van Halen on one of their big tours.  So, unlike my usual fare, I have no personal stories to tell.  Yet, I find it hard to sit back and not write about this … Continue reading Like Picasso or Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen Was a True Original →

Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen has died at the age of 65 following a long battle with cancer. The news was confirmed by Van Halen’s son Wolfgang in a Tweet on Tuesday afternoon. “I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle … Continue reading Eddie Van Halen Dies at 65 →

There are tons of lists of the best rock drummers ever, but ours ranks the best drummers that are still playing. You may not be able to see them with their original bands, and it’s possible they may never play again live, but at least there is the potential to still witness their greatness.  It wasn’t … Continue reading 14 Great Rock Drummers Still Drumming →