Billy Dukes

This fall the Rolling Stones will re-release a significant portion of their hits catalog with a muli-disc greatest album called ‘Grrr!’ The band announced three-disc and four-disc options, allowing fans to snag up to 80 of their most important and best known works, plus two new songs cut specifically for this project.

Last week, Mark David Chapman was denied parole for a seventh straight time since serving the minimum of his 20 year to life sentence for shooting Beatle John Lennon. That seems to be what he wants. The convicted killer says that if were granted parole he would “probably stay right where I’m at.”

The price of sarcasm is high in one teacher’s classroom. The prof. (and obvious Ultimate Classic Rocker) was ticked that her student left an answer blank, but even more upset that he went on to quote the Who’s ‘Behind Blue Eyes,’ attributing the song to Fred Dust of Limp Bizkit.

Flower power pop-rock singer Scott McKenzie was found dead in his home in Los Angeles on Sunday (Aug. 19). The 73-year-old is best known for his 1967 hit ‘San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair),’ and as a long time friend of John Phillips from the Mamas and the Papas.

One-time Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant imposed himself on singer-songwriter Amy Cook recently, not that she objected. Cook is releasing her new album ‘Summer Skin’ on Aug. 28, and it will feature a track with Plant called ‘It’s Gonna Rain.’

Two legendary piano players have paid tribute to longtime Elton John bassist Bob Birch, who died at age 56 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on Wednesday (Aug. 15). Both John and his frequent touring partner Billy Joel, with whom Birch also performed, offered kind words through statements on their websites.

Peter Gabriel has remastered his 1986 album ‘So’ and added live footage and bonus tracks to create a five-disc boxset to be released in October. ‘So (25th Anniversary Immersion Box)’ will be available on Oct. 23, according to Amazon.

October will be an exciting month for fans of Electric Light Orchestra. Co-founder Jeff Lynne will be releasing a solo album, and ‘Mr. Blue Sky — the Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra’ on Oct. 9. The reissue of the most well-known hits from the British band allows Lynne to reassess old material.

A rare edition of the first Beatles album to be released in the United States has just sold for slightly under $15K at auction on eBay. A private collector paid $14,999 for an “Ad-Back” copy of ‘Introducing … the Beatles’ in an auction that ended on July 12.

Jon Lord, the founder and influential keyboardist of Deep Purple has died. According to his website, the 71-year-old suffered a pulmonary embolism on Monday (July 16), after fighting a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was surrounded by family at the London Clinic at the time of his death.

A new Freddie Mercury biography written by journalist and friend-to-Queen Lesley-Ann Jones dives deep into the man the lead singer became within seconds of walking off stage. In ‘Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury’ Jones further reveals the humble, quiet man who was conflicted sexually but capable of controlling thousands of fans with a sweep of his hand.

A car full of Van Halen fans slid into oncoming traffic while navigating a wet Texas highway on their way to see the band play in Dallas last Tuesday night. Antonio Garcia, his two children and his 42-year-old girlfriend all died after Garcia’s Ford Explorer collided with a tractor-trailer headed south on Alternate U.S. Highway 77.