R.I.P. David Bowie Dead at 69
Iconic musician and actor David Bowie, a.k.a. Ziggy Stardust, died January 10 following an 18-month battle with cancer which he and his family had kept private.
The news was confirmed on the glam-rock icon’s official Facebook page as well as by his son, director Duncan Jones, who tweeted, “Very sorry and sad to say it’s true. I’ll be offline for a while. Love to all.”
Bowie had just celebrated his 69th birthday on January 8, the same day he released his 25th studio album, Blackstar. He is survived by his wife, the supermodel Iman, his son Duncan Jones, and his daughter, Alexandria “Lexi” Zahra Jones who is 15.
David Bowie’s videos have smashed all viewing records following the announcement of his death this week. His videos were watched 51 million times on January 11, easily breaking through the previous one-day record — which was achieved by Adele on October 23 when her single “Hello” was viewed 36 million times.
This total was helped in large part by Bowie’s final single, “Lazarus,” showing the singer in a hospital bed before he disappears into a cupboard. The song has the opening line “Look up here, I’m in heaven / I’ve got scars, that can’t be seen”. If you haven’t yet seen it – do yourself a favor and watch it now. It’s eerie, beautiful, groundbreaking and extremely sad, all at the same time.
Rock stars and fans flooded the internet with tributes and heartfelt condolences. Over 4.3 million tweets to #RIPDavidBowie were sent on January 11 alone.
“I can tell you unequivocally if it wasn’t for David Bowie, there would be no Twisted Sister,” Jay Jay French told CBS. “The Bowie medley, which are three songs from the The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars album, were our staple for about five years. You couldn’t come and see Twisted Sister without listening to those songs from that album. It was as simple as that. We loved Bowie, and we changed as Bowie changed.”
Check out this video of TS doing Bowie’s Suffragette City, here.
“It’s hard to know exactly what to say when you hear of someone’s passing,” Alice Cooper said. “I know that I have certainly lost one of my lifetime rock and roll theatrical comrades in David Bowie. We both started in theatrical rock ‘n’ roll at the same time, and in some cases we challenged each other to go farther and push the envelope.
“The loss of David Bowie will be hard to swallow for everyone. He leaves behind a rich history of musical and cultural experimentation and invention that will rarely be seen again, if ever. He was one of a kind.
“The man that fell to Earth has gone back to the planet that he came from. Condolences to his family and fans.”
Rockstars Pay Tribute To Lemmy During Memorial Service Last Weekend
Family and close friends observed a memorial service for iconic Motörhead frontman Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister on Saturday, January 9 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood.
Speakers included Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee; Judas Priest singer Rob Halford; Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo; Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and drummer Matt Sorum (who filled in for Mikkey Dee for a Motörhead tour in 2009); and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.
Others who shared remembrances included Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian; wrestler Triple H; Alice In Chains bassist Mike Inez; Bob Kulick (who co-produced Motörhead’s Grammy-winning cover of Metallica’s “Whiplash”); Lemmy’s son Paul; and Motörhead’s manager Todd Singerman.
Those in the audience included Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden, Gene Simmons, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains and other rock royalty too numerous to mention.
“They say you can’t choose your parents. Well, I won the lottery when I got Lemmy,” said his son Paul Inder. He added that Lemmy was frail the last time he saw his dad perform, “but the moment it came to showtime, his uncompromising grit and unyielding determination kept him going at full beam, and I knew nothing was going to stop him, not even at this point, from getting up onstage and doing what he loved to do most of all… He wasn’t going to give in as long as he could walk, stand, play his instrument and sing.”
“Lemmy is just somebody that I feel so honored to be friends with,” Slash said. “His music and personality will last forever. He was such a fucking great example of what most of my peers all want to be — somebody who is true to his school … straight-up honest, a hundred percent loyal. I just loved the guy a lot, and I miss him a lot. But all things considered, he did live his life the way that he wanted to. He had more integrity in one finger than a room full of rock & rollers.”
Sorum added: “Many people say Lemmy is God. I believe that.”
Halford admitted: “When I was in the presence of Lord Lemmy, I was a bit overwhelmed … Here was a man who lived life on his own terms, a rock and roll maverick.”
Ian said: “Elvis, you taught us how to dress, how to look. It was Carl Perkins and Little Richard who taught us how to sound. And it was The Beatles who taught us we could to write our own songs. And Lemmy, it was you who taught us that we could be real.”
“He was gravitational,” said Inez. “Lemmy’s brand of cool was singular in nature. It was a hundred percent non-transferable. There’s only one Elvis Presley, one Little Richard, Steve McQueen, you know, and one Lemmy.”
“That’s one of the heaviest things to wrap my head around today,” he added. “They were never the type of band to ride out gracefully into the sunset. That, of course, is not the Motörhead way. Motörhead eats … sunsets for breakfast.”
Grohl closed the service, reflecting: “There is not enough time to tell you what Lemmy meant to me. He’s my person; he’s the one that bridged my love of AC/DC and Sabbath and Zeppelin, and my love with GBH, the Ramones and Black Flag.
“What everyone in this room has learned today is that Lemmy was not only that badass-looking, whiskey-drinking, badass motherfucking rock star, but he had the biggest heart and he set such a great example because he was so kind to everyone.”
The full video of Lemmy’s service can now be seen here.
Lemmy will be entombed right across from the resting place of Ronnie James Dio. The tomb will eventually have a glass window so visitors can see the urn.
Where Was Motörhead’s Phil Campbell?
Many Motörhead fans were wondering why Campbell was a no-show at Lemmy’s Hollywood funeral.
Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell says that he was unable to attend Lemmy’s funeral because he was advised by doctors not to fly.
In a series of tweets, Campbell explained that he was under doctor’s orders not to make the trip from the U.K. He said: “Amazing service for Lem the other day, everyone there spoke beautifully. I really wanted to attend but I wasn’t able to make it. Unfortunately, I was advised on doctor’s orders not to fly on such a long haul flight due to my recent hospitalisation. I’m doing well though and I managed to watch the whole service via the online stream, so thanks to the Motörhead team for organising that.”
Jack & Coke Officially Renamed “The Lemmy” In Honor Of Late Motörhead Frontman
Food & Beverage Magazine has officially named the industry standard call-out drink of Jack & Coke to “The Lemmy” in honor of Motörhead legend Lemmy Kilmister’s favorite drink, which he made famous on the Sunset Strip at The Rainbow Bar and Grill.
“We are honored to represent the industry and bring the moniker, “The Lemmy” to every bar in the world!”, exclaims Food and Beverage Magazine Publisher, Michael Politz. “Owning a rock club with Anthrax’s Scott Ian and Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell gave me the chance to meet Lemmy and experience his legend myself.”
Rocklahoma Celebrates 10th Year May 27 – 29 in Pryor, OK
Rocklahoma is celebrating its 10th year at the “Catch the Fever” Festival Grounds in Pryor, OK, just outside Tulsa May 27-29. The three-day camping festival features music on three stages each day. In addition, the campground stage hosts performances during the Thursday night campground party and in the afternoon and late night hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Rocklahoma band lineup is as follows (subject to change): Scorpions, Disturbed, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeth, Chevelle, 3 Doors Down, Sixx:A.M., Collective Soul, Sebastian Bach, Bullet For My Valentine, Great White, Sevendust, P.O.D., Hellyeah, Steel Panther, Pop Evil, Saint Asonia, Bang Tango, Last In Line (featuring Vivian Campbell, Vinny Appice & Jimmy Bain), Thousand Foot Krutch, Texas Hippie Coalition, The Sword, Red Sun Rising, Hatebreed, DevilDriver, Mystery, Wilson, Avatar, Wild Throne, The Glorious Sons, Citizen Zero, Banshee, Nova Rex, Prophets Of Addiction, Beggars Jam, NiteRain, Freeway Mad, Midnite Sin, 3-D In Your Face, Teer, 5-Star Hooker, Dead Metal Society, Electro_Nomicon, Kore Rozzik, Diamond Lane, Chaotic Resemblance, Project Terror, The Tip, NICNOS, Stolen Rhodes, Screaming For Silence, DREK, A Course Of Action, Lovebettie, and BC and the Big Rig.
Scorpions comment, “We’re looking very much forward to seeing all of you at the Rocklahoma Festival on Memorial Day Weekend…Are we ready to rock you like a hurricane again??? You bet!!!”
Specially priced Rocklahoma weekend presale General Admission and Reserved tickets are available now. Visit the Rocklahoma Facebook and Twitter pages for a password to purchase presale tickets. Fans are encouraged to buy early and save, since ticket prices will increase at the public on-sale on Monday, January 18 at Noon CST at www.Rocklahoma.com.
Iron Maiden To Play In China For First Time Ever
Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden will make their highly anticipated first-ever visit to China in April on The Book Of Souls World Tour, playing at Beijing LeSports Center on April 24 and Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena on April 26. The band is promoting their double album The Book Of Souls.
Scorpions Return To Las Vegas For Five Shows at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
After a sold-out show back in October 2015, the Scorpions are back to rock even harder with an impressive five-night run at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Special guests Queensrÿche are returning for each night of the limited engagement.
Performances are scheduled for May 13, May 14, May 18, May 20 and May 21. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 15 at 10 a.m.
Guns N’ Roses Management Orders Members To Deny Reunion
Odd things are happening in the Guns N’ Roses camp, as band management is now forcing some of the members linked with the new lineup to deny the reunion, according to Ultimate-Guitar.com.
Multi-instrumentalist Chris Pitman, who was the only musician apart from vocalist Axl Rose to give a strong confirmation of his involvement with “semi-reunited” GN’R through such posts as “Gonna be a fun time 2016 #coachella #axlrose #GunsNRoses,” has now “denied” the whole thing. Pitman tweeted: “I was just informed by management to not acknowledge anything about Coachella, GN’R, etc. So there, denied! #GamesForDays”
Scrubbing all mention of his tenure in GNR from his feeds, he quipped, “When I said ‘We are playing at Coachella,’ I meant me and my daughter like to play in the sand.”
Management’s decision comes in a midst of the latest reports suggesting that drummer Steven Adler and guitarist Izzy Stradlin could be involved with the reunited Guns after all. Thus far, only three musicians have been confirmed for the new GN’R lineup: Axl Rose on vocals, Slash on lead guitar, and Duff McKagan on bass.
Twisted Sister Movie “We are Twisted F**king Sister!” Set For Limited Theatrical Release
After premiering at independent film festivals, the documentary “We Are Twisted F**king Sister!” is now set for a limited theatrical release in the U.S. ahead of a Feb. 23 consumer release date.
“We Are Twisted F**king Sister!” will be screening at Cinefamily Theaters in Los Angeles and the Bryant Bowl in Minneapolis, on Feb. 15. Other showings include: Portland, Maine’s Space Gallery on Feb. 17, New York City’s Cinema Village and Seattle’s Grand Illusions will begin a one-week run of the film on Feb 19, Pittsburgh’s Hollywood Theater will screen it between Feb. 19-22, and Chicago’s Music Box Theater will show the movie on Feb. 22.
“We Are Twisted F**king Sister!” a documentary film by German filmmaker Andrew Horn, recounts the untold story of Twisted Sister’s beginnings, at the same time that the band mounts their last ever tour, making their final farewell to performing after 40 years.
Horn, said of the film: “I realized as I was working on the film, that it was really very much a story of how a band becomes a band. They are truly unique in that their overnight success actually took ten years, so you really get to experience everything Twisted Sister went through to do it. I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced any group of musicians as ferocious…or as funny.”
Check out the new video trailers, here.
Pantera, Slayer, Black Label Society Members Lead “2016 Ride for Dime Dimebash”
Monster Energy will sponsor the Ride for Dime Dimebash at the Lucky Strike Live venue in Hollywood, on Jan. 22.
Organizers are promising that members of Pantera, Slayer, Black Label Society, Alice in Chains, Machine Head, Hatebreed, Stone Sour, Type O Negative, Danzig, King’s X, DevilDriver, Prong, Kyng and Armored Saint will be taking part in the musical tribute.
“I think the thing that embodies this event and entity is unity; bringing everyone together to celebrate the music played and loved by Darrell and to benefit the foundation of a very beloved man, Mr. Ronnie James Dio,” says Rita Haney, Dime’s longtime girlfriend. “Dimebag Darrell was notorious for giving us all so much, in some way, even to this day. So to be able to give back in his name is such an honor. With all of this amazing talent in one place it makes for a damn good celebration! C’mon out and getcha pull!”
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. Tickets for the Ride for Dime Dimebash are available here.
Megadeth Unveil “Dystopia” Title Track
Megadeth have made a new track, “Dystopia,” available for streaming. The song is the title track from their upcoming 15th studio album, due January 22.
Check out the video, here.
“Hair I Go Again” – ’80s Metal Documentary Slated For March 2016 Release
“Hair I Go Again”, a documentary about the determination and failures of a former hair band chasing their dreams, will officially be released worldwide on March 10, 2016. Check out the just-released three-minute opening sequence from the film, and the DVD Extras Preview video, right here.
Rockers Say The Damnedest Things
“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”
~ David Bowie