It's A No Go For Billy Joel's Rock n Roll

Although he pummeled the Adult Contemporary and Top 40 Pop Music sides of radio from the late 70's to mid-90's... Billy Joel has had a fair share of Classic Rock late night at the bar sing-a-long songs.

Nearly every man in America freaked out when Joel landed a marriage gig with Christie Brinkley. Ugly guys teaming up with unstoppable chicks is a different blog and time. Ok, so Billy's had a few spin outs over the past ten years. Life isn't a scene from Behind The Music! You can slip a Rock star into reality but you can't rip the memories their music helped to generate from our fantasies. So what if Elton John publically released some dirt about Billy's drinking. Give the Piano Man back his stage! You may be right. I may be crazy! But it's still Rock n Roll to me! Billy Joel didn't start the fire. He loves us just the way we are. Joel isn't moving out. Nor is he gonna tour. According to Classic Rock Magazine...Despite a killer performance at the recent 12-12-12 concert at Madison Square Garden and an upcoming headlining slot at JazzFest, Billy Joel will not be mounting a tour any time soon. In a new interview, he disclosed that recent health issues have stopped him from a return to the stage. “I had to get hip replacements in both hips,” he says in the new issue of Rolling Stone. “And now slowly but surely I’m kinda getting back to normal. I’d say I’m 85 percent. I can walk OK. I can’t run like I used to.” The 63-year old Joel also acknowledges — quite refreshingly for a rocker of his generation — that the natural changes that come with middle age mean that he can no longer perform in the manner to which he and his many fans are accustomed. “Honestly, I’m not as good as I used to be,” he continues. “I’m not as athletic as I used to be. I don’t jump off the piano anymmore – that didn’t help my hips, either. My voice has changed. It’s lowered.” Although Joel hasn’t released a rock album since 1993′s ‘River of Dreams,’ the classically trained pianist still regularly composes instrumental music for his own enjoyment, without any desire to record it. And even with famous friends like Bruce Springsteen and Pete Townshend wanting him to get back to songwriting, Joel hasn’t felt the necessary motivation to go back to putting so much of his life into his work. “I like to say I broke up with me,” he adds. “The singer broke up with the songwriter and the performer didn’t want to work with the piano player anymore.”

Wanted: Jimmy Page Seeks New Lead Vocalist

If for a day. Better yet a week. If but for a moment I could be the owner of one Super Power; my chosen ability would be a fly on the wall. I'd be the nearly invisible minding his own business buzz killer that slips between cracks snagging unheard of amounts of human contact without the makers of sound truly knowing it.

My Top 3 Wish I Was A Fly On A Wall Moments: 1. When Bill Clinton told those closest to him he had to come clean about Monica 2. When Lee Iacocca fell into the idea of creating the world's first Mustang 3. Like Billy Graham who has sat with nearly every President; I believe an honorary fly on the wall should hold the same honor. I'd be the fly brought into every final meeting before a well publicized band breaks up. Until I get those Super Powers...we've got to rely on the old fashioned internet. And here's what I found lurking in the moodiness of chapters waiting to be told. Classic Rock Magazine writes: We already knew that Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones put some thought into getting back together without Robert Plant after Led Zeppelin‘s triumphant one-off reunion show in 2007, but in a recent interview, the pair delved into just how close they came to starting a new band. Although their efforts were spun as an attempt to continue Zeppelin without Plant, Page and Jones were actually serious about creating something new — in fact, they’d written a substantial amount of material before bringing in any singers. “It seemed the right thing to go in and start playing new material,” Page told Classic Rock Magazine (via Blabbermouth). “I thought we really should play to our strengths here, which was the music. But there were a lot of movements to bring in singers and do this, that and the other. And that would’ve changed the character too early from what we were doing. I won’t say there was pressure, but there was a lot of hinting about this singer and that singer. For me it was more a question of, let’s see what we can really do. And I don’t think we got a chance to do that.” Calling the ‘Zeppelin with a new singer’ rumors “a total misunderstanding,” Jones recalled, “I said, ‘Of course, if we go out (on the road), we’re going to have to do some Zeppelin numbers.’ And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, we rehearsed ‘Carouselambra,’ which we’ve never done live before, and we had a bunch of new material done. But Jimmy and I couldn’t agree on singers.” Of the vocalists they worked with, Jones said, “I quite liked Myles Kennedy. He’s got the range, but his voice is completely different than Robert’s. Which was fine by me, because it was going to be a completely different band. But it didn’t work out and we all moved on.”

You Know Its Gonna Be A Great Summer When Sammy Hagar Wants To Rock

How many times have you been caught in a conversation about how the rich keep getting richer? What happens if they're a Rocker? Can the magicians of writing and strings be allowed too much space to race through Rock's everyday chapters? Look at Dave Grohl! Cranking up the volume at the Democratic Convention with Foo Fighters, jamming with Paul McCartney and his ex-Nirvana bass guitarist while sliding out the frames of a new Hollywood movie. He ain't the only business maker in the music biz. Sammy Hager has always kept himself busy in the afterlife of a solo career turned Van Halen whipped into whatever his heart desires. He’s got his membership in Chickenfoot and a burgeoning booze empire to keep him busy, but that doesn’t mean Sammy Hagar has forgotten about his solo career. According to Classic Rock Magazine Hagar hasn’t released an album on his own since ‘Cosmic Universal Fashion’ in 2008, and according to comments he made during a recent interview with Las Vegas Magazine, it seems like he’s starting to get the itch again. Celebrating the three-year anniversary of his rather awkwardly named Cabo Wabo Cantina in Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort, he talked about looking forward to “a big rum and tequila party” while reminding us that, hard-partying image aside, he’s still one of the more consistently prolific rock artists of his generation. “I’m in the studio right now with my band, The Wabos, and we’re rehearsing and writing songs,” Hagar revealed when asked about his plans for 2013. “We’re putting something out this year and we’ll probably go out and do 25-30 shows.” Of course, Hagar being Hagar, music isn’t all he’s up to — aside from launching his new Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum, he’d also like to expand his cantina empire (“We’re opening another Cabo Wabo in Los Angeles at Hollywood and Vine”) as well as follow up his recent memoir with “a lifestyle cookbook with some of my chef friends.”

Social Networking Assumption Versus Motley Crue Truth

Social Networking makes it too simple to assume. In a really weird, completely in a 100% six degrees of

separation Kevin Bacon way I'm hooked up to Nikki Sixx: Twitter, Face Book, his daily radio promos and a total fan of Sixx Sense on WRFX.com and I Heart Radio. Smart enough to know the difference between hype and actuality; generated in the depths of my Rock n Roll soul was an off the wall vision that Nikki and company were attaching themselves to a new collection of songs. I've seen photographs of Nikki's new bass. Studied his excitement of writing new material. Through Social Networking a billion fans are at fault for thinking one plus one equals two. Classic Rock Magazine rips down the curtain. There won’t be new Motley Crue music coming in 2013, and there may never be another full-length album from the hard-rockers. Vince Neil says there may be an EP in the band’s future, but 2014 is as early as that would surface. “What I’m hearing is that maybe two or three or four more songs might come out to go with that song (‘Sex’) we released this year,” he tells Music News Nashville, “but it will be something like an EP, not an album. Our schedule seems to have a lot of touring.” The last Motley Crue album came in 2008 with the release of ‘Saints of Los Angeles.’ The title track became a Top 5 rock hit and a mainstay of their live set. The group continues to be among the most coveted tickets in rock. In March they’ll be in Australia with Kiss as a continuation of their joint tour, which visited the United States last summer.

There Could Be Christine McVie On Fleetwood Mac Tour

Rock Stars running rampant on world tours will forever appear in the mirrored image as being the single most coolest job on earth. Try telling that to Agnita Foltscog of ABBA and Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac. For that matter professional sports announcer John Madden. Once you've been convinced that keeping your feet on the ground while reaching for the stars can be achieved: I ain't leavin on a jet plane. How do you turn sound around? Mick Fleetwood is working hard to locate the answer. Mick recently told Classic Rock Magazine that he's doing his best to lure McVie back into the fold for their upcoming tour. “I’m seeing Chris here in London before I leave,” he told the English tabloid the Sun. “And even though she loathes flying and she’s never been back to the United States since the day she left, she is getting on a plane and flying to Hawaii with me. I’m going to hold her hand all the way, even if I have to handcuff it.” This contradicts McVie’s own words from last month, where the keyboardist/singer said she was content to be out of the spotlight. And both Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, independently of each other, admitted that her return was unlikely, but Fleetwood is hoping that being around her old bandmates will rekindle the desire to get back on stage with them. “She’s going to come and stay for three weeks in Maui,” he continued. “I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. John’s going to come over from Honolulu to see her and then she’s going to L.A. to see Stevie, who misses her terribly and is really excited to see her. But it’ll be her decision. But we’d make her very welcome if she wanted to creep on that stage again.” Even if McVie decides against a return to the road, she will have the opportunity to see them. The band announced five shows today (Feb. 4) in the U.K. and Ireland in September and October, with tickets going on sale Saturday (Feb. 8).

Don Henley? Did You Forget?

Here we go again. Except this time fans of music might get it right. I was doing small town radio mid-1980's when Don Henley broke out his first collection of solo projects. Pumping out the Rock over an AM not FM broadcast and still pulling in ratings...shows how different the times were. Like it was yesterday, I remember popping that microphone open, "South central Montana's first AM Stereo station is the first to play the debut release from The Eagles drummer Don Henley." Before I could slip those 400 pound Koss earphones off my head the studio telephone lines were blinking like a Christmas party, "Hello it's the Arroe Show!" "Dude! Who are the Eagles?" Wait! I had to play this same game with Donald Fagen from Steely Dan and Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers. When your Radio shoes are laced up and decorated with lettering that reads 7-Midnight Jock...you're always going to bump into someone that has no clue that Paul McCartney was once a Beatle. After Hell froze over and the Eagles returned one hopes music fans will easily identify with whom I'm speaking of when its announce Eagles drummer Don Henley a new solo album and autobiography. There are also plans in the works for an upcoming Eagles tour. According to Henley, the show will focus on the 40-year history of the band, which will bring one former member back into the fold. While he would not disclose the name of the member, he admitted that it would not be Don Felder, who had a public and acrimonious split with the band in 2001. Henley also acknowledged that he is writing his memoirs. “I’m actually working on it now,” he said. “But it will be a few years before we get to that…I don’t want to write a trashy tell-all…I think you can tell the truth and not get too salacious or prurient or tacky.” However, in front of Henley right now is the two-part documentary, ‘The History of the Eagles,’ that will debut on Showtime later this month. Henley admits that it was difficult to see his life reflected back at him on the big screen. “We were always a pretty private band,” he continued. We didn’t allow a lot of access to our little entourage there. Partly, of course, because of our behavior.” However, they did have their own film cameras capturing the backstage actions, some of which made it into the documentary, causing Henley to sardonically add, “I’ve got a lot of explaining to do to my kids.”

Nominations For The Golden Gods Of Rock Are Announced

Once Christmas is tossed in a bright red bag and taken back up the bricked chimney the Entertainment World grips the bottom of their hotel chairs with high metal backs and no cushion for the pushin. It's time for the awards! Big ones! Little one! Nominations for greatness! Industry nods to help you keep pumpin. Movies, football teams, the best commercials to mightiest in music. The American Music Awards were created by Dick Clark. He wanted a show for the fans not the business. The Grammy's have been around forever but they end up going to unknowns seeking better sales. MTV, People's Choice, Best Original Score for an Oscar. What would be on TV during primetime if there weren't so many awards? Here's a set of trophies you might not know about. Motorhead, Rush and Aerosmith are amongst the nominees in 11 just-announced categories for the fifth annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show, but the highest honors will go to Metallica and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, in addition to Rob Zombie. Metallica will also play at the show’s live concert on May 2 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Classic Rock Magazine reports Zombie will receive the Golden God Award, while Metallica will receive the Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award. Iommi will be honored with the Riff Lord Award, according to a press release at the Revolver website. Pro wrestler Chris Jericho will host the show once again. Sebastian Bach and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister will host the Black Carpet pre-show. Voting for all categories is open at GoldenGodsAwards.com. Fans have until April 15 to place votes in 11 categories (listed below) like Best Guitarist and Song of the Year. The three achievement awards were decided previously. Metallica’s Lars Ulrich sounds pretty pumped to be placed in the same category of previous winners like Rush and Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead. “I was hanging out and presenting at the shenanigans two years ago and the energy in the room and the vibe backstage was beyond f—ing cool, so Metallica is chomping at the bit to partake in this year’s event,” the irrepressible drummer enthuses. Other bands that will take part in the live concert are Five Finger Death Punch, Anthrax, Stone Sour, Dillinger Escape Plan and Halestorm. Stone Sour and In This Moment will kick off the first-ever Revolver Road to the Golden Gods tour in March. The show will broadcast on AXS-TV in the U.S., and in many cities worldwide through Xbox Live and Facebook.