Music News

Susan Wood/Getty Images John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s classic holiday tune, “Happy Christmas (War Is Over),” has inspired a new animated short film, spearheaded by the couple’s son Sean Ono Lennon.  Sean tells The Hollywood Reporter that his goal with the movie is to remind folks the tune is not only a holiday song, but a song about peace. He says it “just felt like …

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Bonnie Raitt is set to headline Brandie Carlile‘s second annual Mothership Weekend, happening May 10-12, aka Mother’s Day Weekend, in Miramar Beach, Florida. Bonnie is set to close the festival on May 12, with a lineup that also includes Brandi and S.G. Goodman. The rest of the weekend includes performances by Brandi, Black Pumas and the Hanseroth twins on May 10, and Sara Bareilles, Nickel Creek and Devon Gilfillian on May …

Gary Miller/FilmMagic The 2023 Bowl for Ronnie charity bowling tournament raised $80,000 for the Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, which supports cancer research and education in honor of the late Ronnie James Dio. The event took place in November at PINZ Bowling Center in Studio City, California. Among this year’s celebrity bowlers were Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello, …

Island Records Bon Jovi continues to spread the holiday cheer. The band just dropped the music video for the recently released holiday tune, “Christmas Isn’t Christmas.” The clip is set at a bar called Santa’s Pub, where Jon Bon Jovi is singing for the patrons, including his Bon Jovi bandmates. While some of the folks in the bar seem to be having fun and …

Gems/Redferns Paul McCartney has paid tribute to his former Wings bandmate Denny Laine, who passed away December 5 at the age of 79. “I am very saddened to hear that my ex-bandmate, Denny Laine, has died,” McCartney writes, recalling his “fond memories” of the days when The Beatles toured with Laine’s band Moody Blues. “Our two bands had a lot of respect for each other and a lot of fun together.” …

Scott Dudelson/Getty Images Denny Laine, co-founder of Moody Blues and co-founder and guitarist for Paul McCartney & Wings, passed away Tuesday, December 5, at the age of 79.  News of his death was confirmed by his wife, Elizabeth Hines, who shared on social media that he had been in the hospital battling interstitial lung disease. She writes that “he fought every day,” but his disease was “unpredictable and aggressive,” noting …

Courtesy of Dave Mason Dave Mason is hitting the road. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, best known for his work with Traffic, just announced dates for his 2024 Traffic Jam tour, which kicks off February 29 in Tallahassee, Florida, and wraps April 13 in San Antonio, Texas. The tour, which features dates with Pat Travers, Jimmy Hall, The Outlaws and Jefferson Starship, will have Mason performing fan favorites, …

Rick Diamond/Getty Images A Tom Petty classic is featured in the trailer for the latest installment of the popular video game Grand Theft Auto. The clip for Grand Theft Auto VI features the Petty tune “Love Is A Long Road,” from his 1989 debut solo album, Full Moon Fever. The tune was the B-side to the hit single “Free Fallin’,” Petty’s highest charting Hot 100 hit, which landed at #7.  …

In the Q Records Iggy Pop sings with Cat Power on a cover of the song “Working Class Hero” for an upcoming tribute album to English musician Marianne Faithfull. “Working Class Hero” was originally written by John Lennon and recorded by Faithfull for her 1979 album, Broken English. On their version, Iggy’s gravelly, almost spoken word delivery contrasts with Cat Power’s ethereal …

Elektra Entertainment Geddy Lee is sharing new music with his fans. The Rush rocker has just released The Lost Demos, featuring the tracks “Gone” and “I Am…You Are,” which were recorded during the sessions for My Favorite Headache, his 2000 solo debut. “I’m excited to see these two ‘lost demos’ released,” Geddy shares. “I loved the songs when they were written and in some ways they …