It's no surprise the Play it Loud! exhibit of instruments now on display at the Rock Hall of Fame has more guitars in it than anything else. What is amazing is that it includes so many iconic ones... guitars you'll recognize long before you're close enough to read the accompanying information card that tells about the axe and the role it played in Rock history.

One that even casual fans will recognize from distance at first glance is the battered Fender with a Telecaster body and an Esquire neck Bruce Springsteen had riding his back as he leaned into Clarence Clemons on the cover of Born To Run. Bruce considered the instrument an extension of himself, saying it was so integral to him that he didn't even feel like he had it strapped to him, which he regularly did through four decades of recording and touring.

In addition to appearing on the cover of Bruce's 1975 breakthrough album, it was in the cover shots for Live 1975-85, Human Touch and Wrecking Ball albums.

The 1953/54 guitar Bruce bought for $185 in 1973 no longer accompanies him on the road. It's been retired out of concern that it has withstood so much that continuing to travel and perform with it would do it in. The good news is that means fans can see the a guitar that millions could only admire from a great distance and on album covers very, very close, and near the sax Clarence blew some of his most electrifying solos with.

How long will it be before Lindsey Buckingham returns to Fleetwood Mac? Forever, evidently. Founding drummer and band's namesake Mick Fleetwood was asked whether the door might open for a reunion with Buckingham in the future during a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine. he replied, "No. Fleetwood Mac is a strange creature. We're very, very committed to Neil (Finn) and Mike (Campbell, and that passed away a time ago, when Lindsey left. And that's not a point of conversation, so I have to say no."?

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Billy Joel welcomed Jon Bon Jovi to the stage during the Piano Man's most recent monthly appearance at Madison Square Garden over the weekend.

Like many, we take issue with many of the nominee and induction selections of the Rock Hall of Fame. Too many deserving of induction artists have been neglected and too many out of genre ones  with little to no relevance to Rock have been enshrined.  That said, the museum itself is remarkable, and the current special exhibit Play It Loud! is amazing to behold. By all means, catch it in person if you can. In case you can't, we'll share some of the instruments and equipment featured in the exhibit in the coming weeks.

Mick Jagger plays a conniving art dealer in The Burnt Orange Heresy, a film that also stars Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Debicki and Claes Bang. The move is due in theaters on March 6th. Here's a preview...

Aerosmith was honored at  the annual pre-Grammy MusiCares award presentation last night in LA.  The band was joined on stage by Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp, members of the Hollywood Vampires, the side group Joe Perry formed a few years ago. Others on the scene to perform and schmooze included Sammy Hagar and the Foo Fighters. Not in the perfroming lineup but there to accept the honor with his band mates was drummer Joey Kramer, who failed in a legal filing to prevent the group from replacing him with another drummer for the event last night and the group's Grammy Awards performance on Sunday.

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Neil Young became a U.S. citizen, taking the oath Wednesday (1/22) after a lengthy delay in securing dual citizen status over his past use of marijuana. Young, who became America based more than 50 years ago, sealed the deal at the LA Convention Center with his wife, actress Daryl Hannah, at his side and waved small US and Canadian flags as he sang "I'm proud to be a Canarican".

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Joey Kramer drummed out of Grammy's performance. Aerosmith's drummer has lost the lawsuit he filed in an effort to secure his place behind the band when it performs during the Grammy Awards show and the MusiCares Person of the Year ceremony the night before. A court ruled that his filing was unlikely to prove that the defendants had breached "...the covenant of good faith and fair dealing".

Kramer issued a response to the decision to CNN reading, "I knew filing a lawsuit was a bit of an uphill battle considering that the corporate documents don't reference any process for a band member returning from an injury or illness." He said he will respect the band's decision and the ruling of the court, but voiced disappointment that the group gave him so little advance notice and added, "I can hold my head high knowing that I did the right thing - to fight for my right to celebrate the band's success that I have dedicated the better part of my life to helping build."

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Joey Kramer drummed out of Grammy's performance. Aerosmith's drummer has lost the lawsuit he filed in an effort to secure his place behind the band when it performs during the Grammy Awards show and the MusiCares Person of the Year ceremony the night before. A court ruled that his filing was unlikely to prove that the defendants had breached "...the covenant of good faith and fair dealing".

Kramer issued a response to the decision to CNN reading, "I knew filing a lawsuit was a bit of an uphill battle considering that the corporate documents don't reference any process for a band member returning from an injury or illness." He said he will respect the band's decision and the ruling of the court, but voiced disappointment that the group gave him so little advance notice and added, "I can hold my head high knowing that I did the right thing - to fight for my right to celebrate the band's success that I have dedicated the better part of my life to helping build."

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The Allman Brothers Band has put together a 50th Anniversary box set configured in 5 CD or 10 lp versions that will also include the most recent lineup's final concert together at the Beacon Theatre in 2014. Here is a preview of the set due out February 28, an early demo of Trouble No More.

Drummer Joey Kramer has filed a lawsuit over Aerosmith's decision to have another drummer behind the kit when the band performs during the Grammys ceremony. Kramer has been dealing with some injuries that resulted in the group relying on the drum tech to fill-in for him during some dates during the group's Las Vegas residency, but Kramer claims he is ready, able and willing to play the Grammy event but was notified by the band that the decision had been made to sideline him.. Responding to Kramer's suit, Steven Tyler released a statement that read, "Joey Kramer is our brother; his wellbeing is of paramount importance to us. however he has not been emotionally and physically able to perform with the band, by his own admission, for the last 6 months. We have missed him and have encouraged him to rejoin us to play many times but apparently he has not been ready to do so.

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The CD of this June, 2019 career spanning concert came out last November. On January 24th, it becomes available on DVD and vinyl.

After Tom Petty's death, Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell accepted an invite to join Fleetwood Mac. Now, Campbell has another project; a new group he's put together called The Dirty Knobs.  Here's a preview from the album the band hass slated for a March 20 release.

Pearl Jam is set to release it first full studio album in 7 years. Gigatron is set for a March 27 release. The 11th studio recording by the group has been a long time coming. Mike McCready calls the project "...an exciting and experimental road map to musical redemption" for his band.

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The Rock world was stunned today with the news that Neil Peart died on Tuesday (1/7) of brain cancer.  News of the Rush dfrummer having the disease had been kwpt under wraps since it was diagnosed three years agro

John Mellencamp appreciates quiet, small town life and privacy when he's not on stage, so it was a bit unexpected that a 35 foot mural featuring his profile on the side of a guitar shop in his hometown of Seymour, Indiana met with his approval. Recently the relatively reclusive singer has even more surprisingly written a check for $50,000 so a plaza featuring info on his significant career achievements can be laid out in front of the large portrait of him created by Indianapolis artist Pamela Bliss. In a letter that accompanied the check, John wrote that he would like the space to be a "very nice meeting area in downtown Seymour".?

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Police in Palm Beach, Florida responded to a call reporting an assault on a security guard during a private party for children on New Year's Eve at the Breakers Resort. The alleged punch thrower was none other than Rod Stewart. The altercation apparently developed when kids in the company of Rod and his 39 year-old son were refused entry to the event. The police account contends that Sean Stewart got in the face of the security guard who told the pair they would not be allowed to enter. Sean then allegedly shoved the guard and his father reportedly delivered a punch to the guard's ribs. The pair has been charged with misdemeanor battery in the incident.?

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Surviving members of the most recent lineup of the Allman Brothers Band will share the stage to mark the 50th anniversary of the Southern Rock trailblazing group on March 10, 2020. The on-off concert will include co-founding drummer Jaimoe together with Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Oteil Burbridge and Marc Quinones joined by Duane Trucks, Chuck Leavell and Reese Wynans. Dickey Betts, the only surviving original member other than Jaimoe, has declined the opportunity to participate, citing previous commitments. His web site shows no tour dates that conflict with the reunion date in New York.

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