Losing A Visionary....

It was the age of exploration. This new thing call FM radio was providing a platform for long plays to be heard. San Francisco was overflowing with visionaries on strings. And this man knew in his heart that he had the heart and the ear to invite generations to follow. He helped shape the vibration that shook the world of Classic Rock. Paul Kantner talks about his philosophy and why it was meant to be. He's gone at the age of 74

Here Comes Santana 4

The original members of Santana are back together. This April 15th you'll get to hear it on Santana 4. Original drummer Michael Schrieve talks about the moments within the studio and his reaction when the music was played back. Original Santana drummer Michael Schrieve is very excited about what the reconstituted early lineup of the band has accomplished on the upcoming Santana 4. The album's April 15th release was announced last Friday. He shares his thoughts on it. Original Santana drummer Michael Shrieve on the new album by the early Santana lineup “I can’t say enough about it. It really sounds great. I think people who like that band – that’s why it’s being called Santana 4, because it really picks up from where we left. And it doesn’t sound tired, it sound invigorating and fresh. And it’s really exciting.” Original Santana members Shrieve, Greg Rolie, Michael Carrabello and, of course, Carlos Santana, are on the album, along with early addition Neal Schon and current Santana members Karl Perazzo and Benny Rietveld. Shrieve tells what recording with this group was like. Michael Shrieve on making Santana 4. “At first it was really like putting on a pair of old jeans. We went through so much music and we got together about three times, but all and all it was pretty quick. And so we did do a whole bunch of music and then we decided what we wanted to make into songs and present. But it sounds real fresh. I keep listening to it and I don’t get tired of it.” Shrieve says Santana 4 is one of three new albums he'll be playing on this year. His Seattle-based quintet Michael Shrieve's Spellbinder will also release an album, as will Drums of Compassion, a project that features him performing with legendary jazz drummers Jack DeJohnette, Zakir Hussain and Airto Moriera plus keyboardist Jeff Greinke.

Mike Reno And Loverboy Are Ready For The 80s Party

Mike Reno of Loverboy is about to ignite a huge celebration in Los Angeles at the iHeart Radio 80's party. Everybody's going to be there from Culture Club to Billy Idol. If you think that's big... you should hear how he feels about his song Lovin Every Minute Of It being played at the Panther's Arizona game... Loverboy frontman Mike Reno is excited that his band is playing the iHeart '80s Party, set for February 20th at the Forum in L.A. He can't believe how strong the bill is. Mike Reno is really excited about Loverboy being on the bill for the iHeart '80s Party "Are we playing with anybody else? 'Cause some of our friends are asking me about it, right. And I just got the list -- this is gonna be amazing: Culture Club, Missing Persons, Rick Springfield, Billy Idol, Tears for Fears and Loverboy. And that is the '80s wrapped up in a bow, right there, man." The rest of the lineup is a mix of old friends and artists who had hits at the same time his band did, but never crossed paths with. Mike Reno of Loverboy on the '80s Party co-stars. "I've met the singer for the Culture Club, Boy George, at a couple of events that we kinda chummed around a little bit. He was a pretty cool guy. I met some of the people in Missing Persons, and Rick Springfield is a friend of ours. We did a tour with them last year. So we got to know everybody there including Rick, of course. Billy Idol, I've never met; and Tears for Fears, I've never met. So I'm looking forward... I'm actually looking more forward to doing this show than probably everybody who's going." The setting is special as well. The Forum has been renovated as is now a top-notch facility. And Mike won't just be performing that night. Mike Reno says staging the iHeart '80s Party at the Forum in L.A. is very cool "The Forum, for instance, has been changed around. They took the hockey rink out of it and I think they just set it up totally for concerts. Going to be a huge crowd. And it's in L.A. -- it's like one of the top cities in the world to doing a concert. Everybody, you know, looks forward to it. I'm looking forward to seeing all the other bands -- I'll be there all night. I'm going to stay there all night. I'm doing to stay there all night and watch everybody. I'm going to be like a fan." A big sports fan, Mike got an unexpected surprise while watching last Sunday's NFC Championship game on TV. Loverboy's Mike Reno on one of his band's songs being played near the end of the Panthers/Cardinals game. "I noticed when I was watching the game in North Carolina, they were kind of stomping on the poor Arizona team, there, and just barreling over the top of them. And right near the end, they played 'Lovin' Every Minute of It,' 'cause they won the right to go play in the Super Bowl. And I was so honored that they played 'Lovin' Every Minute of It' to celebrate. And the crowd was singing, 'Lovin' Every Minute of It,' and I just went 'this is great'!"

Heart, Cheap Trick and Joan Jett On Tour 2016

The most talked about summer of 2016 concert is Heart, Cheap Trick and Joan Jett. Three Rock n Roll Hall of Fame rockers cranking out more hits than an iPod on steroids. Anne Wilson talks about the tour and the bands new album. Ann Wilson is excited about Heart headlining this summer's Three for All tour, whose tickets go on sale Friday. Ann Wilson on this summer's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-themed tour "Starting July 14th across Canada and across America. And it's going to feature Cheap Trick, Joan Jett and Heart. Cheap Trick is being inducted this year, Joan Jett last year, and we were inducted two or three years ago. So, it's sort of a Hall of Fame -- that's why it's called Three for All. And it's going to be cool. Lots of rock and roll, you know." Ann Wilson says Heart is familiar with their tour co-stars."Yeah, we worked with them both before, especially a lot with Cheap Trick. And with Joan, too -- but mostly, most often with Cheap Trick. I love them, they're great." Ann Wilson says the induction of Heart and Joan Jett makes a strong statement that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is no longer an all-boys club "That's true, and also it's a question of there being women who are rockin' enough. That's a somewhat new thing in itself. 25 years ago, there just weren't that many women doing rock at all, you know. Now there are quite a few and there are some veteran women rockers. So, yeah, they won't be able to call it a boys club much longer." Ann Wilson on why Heart fans are so loyal "We've kept making records, we've kept playing shows. Sometimes we're up, sometimes we're down, but there we are. We love doing it, I think people can relate to that. We don't try to be something we're not. We'll go to where the people live [chuckle] and they appeciate that." And if that's not enough, Heart has a new album that's just months away from going on sale. Ann Wilson discusses Heart's upcoming album "Yes, we are. We are just finishing up a new record here in L.A. And it's being rough-mixed right now. We have one more song -- it'll be out before the tour starts. Right now, the working title is Iconograph. It's some new songs that have never been heard before; some really super old under-the-radar songs that we have reinvented." The Three for All tour -- with co-stars Joan Jett and Cheap Trick -- begins July 14th at the DTE Music Theater in suburban Detroit.

Jackyl Is Ready To Rock 2016

Jesse James Dupree calls his band Jackyl a Country act turned up on 11. The southern sounds of their Georgia Classic Rock are fueled up and ready to rock clubs across America. You'll find no other that puts so much of themselves into the performance. Maybe that's why they currently hold two world records.

Black Sabbath Kicks Off Final Tour

Tonight Ozzy and company kick off their final Black Sabbath tour. The famous front man talks about how shocked he is about it lasting this long. While Geezer Butler puts focus on Tony Iommi feeling great and better every day. The band kicks off its final tour -- dubbed The End -- in Omaha, Nebraska. Original members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler are joined by drummer Tommy Clufetos and keyboardist Adam Wakeman of Ozzy's solo band. Nobody's more surprised than Ozzy that Sabbath is still on the road. Ozzy Osbourne was shocked the Black Sabbath would last so long, "I can’t believe that it’s survived as long as it has. I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this should be good fun for a couple of years.‘ And when we did that ten years it was one thing, here we are nearly 50 years on the road. It’s been an amazing journey for us all.” One reason this tour will be the band's last is that guitarist Tony Iommi was treated for lymphoma between 2012 and 2014 and doesn't want to be on the road for long stretches anymore. He told Rolling Stone last September, "Don't get me wrong, I love gigging, It's all the traveling and the exhaustion that goes with it that's the problem." Bassist Geezer Butler tells us how Iommi's been feeling going into the tour. Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler on how guitarist Tony Iommi, who’s been battling cancer, is doing going into the tour, “He’s doing well. At rehearsals he was great. He doesn’t booze or smoke or anything like that. He’s keeping to what the doctor’s telling him. He’s changed his diet and everything else, y’know, so he’s looking after himself.“

Meditating And Prayer As One

What is meditation versus prayer? Most people are warmer to the idea of one over the other. And yet they share so much in common. Why then don't we mix both methods of communication?

Saluting Glenn Frey

I've created a three part series to share with you. By now you've heard the news. But do you know the story? Glenn Frey takes us for a walk through a journey called, "I am still an Eagle."

The Doors at 50

Robby Krieger of the Doors letting fans know that next year the 50th anniversary of the band will not go unnoticed.In the meantime, Krieger is doing solo shows and promoting the soon-to-released DVD documentary Turn It Up! He's one of several famed guitarists -- along with Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Nancy Wilson, Slash, Steve Lukather and the late Les Paul and B.B. King -- who help tell the story of the development of the electric guitar and how it became the backbone of rock and roll. Robby says he first became friends with the film's director Robert Radler when he worked on several Doors videos.

KISS Kruise VI

This November Gene Simmons and company hit the waves for yet another KISS Kruise. This year they're saluting the 1982 Creatures tour. The very time in KISS-tory that featured Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent.

Saluting David Bowie

This is Ground Control to Major Tom. David Bowie has left us. Today we salute the man that never saw himself as anything more than someone that enjoyed performing. Just days after his 69th birthday and the release of his latest album, Blackstar, David Bowie died Sunday after an “18-month battle with cancer,” according to a post on his official Facebook and Twitter accounts. The posts were confirmed by Bowie’s press rep. The full post reads, “David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.” Bowie son, Duncan Jones, also confirmed his father’s death on Twitter, writing, “Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be offline for a while. Love to all.” One of the most important figures in the history of rock, Bowie was born David Robert Jones on January 8th, 1947 in South London. He rose to prominence in 1969 with the British hit “Space Oddity,” having adopted the surname Bowie to avoid confusion with Monkees singer Davy Jones, and went on to have one of the most successful, influential and lengthy careers in rock history. He earned the nickname the Chameleon of Rock for his ever-changing look and ability to switch musical styles. Bowie first gained notice as a singer/songwriter, but soon latched onto the burgeoning glam-rock scene with the invention of his androgynous alter-ego Ziggy Stardust and 1972’s landmark album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. By 1975, he re-invented himself as a blue-eyed soul singer scoring hit single “Fame” from the album Young Americans. After the commercial success, he took another left turn by collaborating with producer Brian Eno on a trio of albums, including “Heroes,” recorded in Berlin. The title track from that album became one of Bowie’s most enduring songs, with the singer notably performing it at The Concert for New York, a tribute to 9/11 first responders. Bowie enjoyed another career resurgence in 1983 with the album Let’s Dance, co-produced with Nile Rodgers. The album spawned three huge hits – the title track, “Modern Love” and “China Girl.” He also enjoyed success as an actor, appearing in the lead role in a Broadway production of The Elephant Man in 1980 and ’81, and starring in a number of films, including 1976’s The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1983’s The Hunger and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2004, Bowie suffered a heart attack while performing in Germany and had emergency angioplasty. As a result, he dramatically curtailed live appearances and recording. On January 8th, 2013, he surprised fans with the news The Next Day, his first studio album in a decade, would be released. His new album, Blackstar, also came as somewhat of a surprise. It features Bowie and a group of New York jazz musicians performing seven songs. The title track doubles as the theme for a new European crime drama series called The Last Panthers. Another song, "Lazarus," is the title track to Bowie's off-Broadway musical, which runs until January 20th. Bowie is survived by his wife, model-turned-businesswoman Iman, their daughter Alexandria Zahra Jones and his son, Duncan Jones.

David Bowie's Black Star

Today is David Bowie's birthday. To celebrate the occasion, he's released his 26th album, Blackstar. Blackstar features Bowie and a group of New York jazz musicians doing seven songs. The title track doubles as the theme for a new European crime drama series called The Last Panthers. Another song, "Lazarus," is the title track to Bowie's off-Broadway musical, which runs until January 20th. And two of the songs were previously released, but re-recorded for this album -- "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" from his Nothing Has Changed compilation, and "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore," which he released digitally in 2014. The rest of the songs on Blackstar are"Girl Loves Me," "Dollar Days" and "I Can't Give Everything Away."

Unheard Freddie Mercury

Queen has posted never before heard interviews with their infamous lead vocalist Freddie Mercury. Freddy Mercury of Queen. The video's are on the Queen YouTube channel. interviews they did in 1986 for their album A Kind of Magic, as well as the songs they recorded for the film Highlander. Though the bulk of their answers relate to songs for those two projects, two quotes from Freddie Mercury dealt with the band and where he saw his future going.

Lemmy's Funeral

This could be a first. Lemmy's funeral is this Saturday at 3pm. The world has been invited to the gathering via the Motorhead YouTube channel. In Lemmy's final interview he talks about some of the bad choices that have swiped many of his friends from the world of Classic Rock. In his final interview Lemmy got a little personal about decisions made while with Motorhead. This Saturday's funeral for Lemmy can be seen online via the Motorhead YouTube channel. The 90-minute service will be held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood at 3 p.m. PT. With such limited space, the band is asking fans to watch online. They issued a statement saying, "Wherever you are, PLEASE get together and watch the service with fellow Motörheadbangers and friends. GO to your favorite bar or your favorite club, make sure they have access to an Internet connection, and toast along with us. Or simply invite your pals around and celebrate Lemm's life at home." For anyone wishing to send flowers, please contact Karen Brando at Flowers by Michael: (310) 276-1003 (310) 276-1003. Charitable donations can be made in Lemmy's name to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. Lemmy died on December 28th from cancer, four days after his 70th birthday.

Guns n Roses Headline Twice At Coachella

As expected, Guns N' Roses will headline twice at this year's Coachella Festival. Artist lineups for the two-weekend festival were announced Monday night. G N' R will headline on Saturday April 16th and April 23rd. LCD Soundsystem tops Fridays bills and Calvin Harris headlines the two Sunday shows. Shortly after the festival lineup was released, both Slash and Duff McKagan took to social media to confirm their involvement by posting the G N' R logo over Coachella artwork. Axl Rose is singing, of course, but there's no indication as yet of any involvement by G N' R charter members Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler. Speculation is rife that guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer of Axl's last lineup will round out the band. Aside from Guns N' Roses, this year's Coachella lineup doesn't offer very much in the way of loud rock music, current or classic. Volbeat will play the Friday shows, heritage punk band The Damned, Silversun Pickups and The Arcs on Saturday and Rancid on Sunday.

No REM Reunion.

Micheal Stipe spent the holiday performing live. Within seconds of hitting the stage fans of REM wanted to know if it was the first step of the band getting back together in 2016. Michael Stipe did a five-song all-covers set opening for Patti Smith on Tuesday in San Francisco. Peter Buck has his all-star charity festival coming up in Mexico in a couple of weeks. But as for R.E.M. reuniting anytime soon, well, don't hold your breath. Asked by the L.A. Times if the band might consider getting back together for to do a reunion tour and some festivals if millions of dollars were offered to the charity of their choice, Buck pretty much said no. He said he, Stipe and Mike Mills recently had dinner together and that he just can't see them saying: "Let's get together for four months again and go on the road again." Not only that, but Buck says, "There are tons of younger bands out there. If we reunited and played festivals, we'd just be taking space away from someone just starting out." Stipe's December 29th set included songs by Neil Young, The Doors, John Lennon and David Bowie, but none by R.E.M.