Matthew Wilkening
Starship Guitarist Mark Abrahamian Dies After Nebraska Concert
Starship guitarist Mark Abrahamian died last night (Sunday, Sept. 2) of a heart attack following the group’s concert in Norfolk, Neb. He was 46 and had been with the Mickey Thomas-fronted group since 2000.
Brad Whitford Reveals Aerosmith Approached Sammy Hagar About Replacing Steven Tyler
How close did the other members of Aerosmith actually come to replacing Steven Tyler (under a new band name) when they found out the singer was going to be spending part of his time judging ‘American Idol?’ Close enough to call Sammy Hagar, apparently.
Unaired Olympics Performances from The Who and Ray Davies Emerge Via Internet
As we reported earlier, fans of the Who and the Kinks‘ Ray Davies were quite disappointed to find out they’d sat through two and a half hours of the pomp that was the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony, only to be denied the chance to watch their heroes perform at the big event.
The Who, Queen Highlight Rock-Heavy Olympic Closing Ceremony
The Who and Queen performed in person at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics tonight (Aug.12), putting a fitting capper on what was a classic rock-heavy evening of music and fireworks.
Did a Bad Hot Dog Inspire Eddie Van Halen to Write ‘Jump’?
Getting Eddie Van Halen to talk about the inspiration behind any of his songwriting efforts is rather difficult, in part because he refuses to take much credit for his work. “I’ve said plenty of times, I can’t claim to ever have really written anything. Because I don’t really feel like I’m responsible, it comes through me.”
Kiss and Motley Crue Donate $100,000 to Colorado Movie Theater Shooting Victims
During their Aug. 8 joint concert in Denver, Kiss and Motley Crue announced that they will be donating $100,000 to a relief fund set up to help victims of the July 20 movie theater shootings in nearby Aurora, Colo.
Marshall Tucker Band Guitarist Stuart Swanlund Dies
Stuart Swanlund, longtime member of the Marshall Tucker Band, died Saturday (Aug. 4) of natural causes. The slide guitar specialist joined the band in 1985, touring and recording with the group until unspecified health problems forced him off the road recently.
Peter Frampton Injured in Car Crash
Guitar hero Peter Frampton was injured in a car accident yesterday (July 31), but luckily, not badly enough to stop the ’70s icon from breaking the news himself via his Twitter account.
ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons Without a Beard – Pic of the Week
It seems hard to believe now, but as this photograph proves, there was indeed a time when ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons did NOT have a foot-long beard.
Larry Hoppen of Orleans Dead at 61
Singer / guitarist Larry Hoppen of Orleans died Tuesday (July 24) of unspecified causes. The popular soft-rock group had several massive hits in the ’70s, including ‘Still the One’ and ‘Dance With Me.’
Aerosmith Debut ‘Legendary Child’ Video
After much anticipation, Aerosmith has released the video for ‘Legendary Child,’ the first single from their upcoming album ‘Music from Another Dimension.’ The clip turns out to be the first of what promises to be a multi-part story featuring a rolling-skating young female hero.
Ozzy Osbourne’s Son Jack Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis
Jack Osbourne, son of Black Sabbath and solo career legend Ozzy Osbourne, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The 26-year-old Osbourne, who only weeks ago became a father for the first time, has vowed to fight the disease: “‘Adapt and overcome’ is my new motto.”