Rock
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Mötley Crüe promises there’s more where its brand new song “Dogs of War” came from.
The track and video, both out Friday (April 26), are the first releases under a new deal with Nashville’s Big Machine Records. It’s also the Crüe’s first new song since the Machine Gun Kelly collab “The Dirt (Est. 1981)” from the soundtrack for the 2019 Netflix biopic of the same name and the band’s first recording with new member John5 (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie), who replaced original guitarist Mick Mars last year.
“We want to keep putting out new music, too, so we don’t get stagnant,” frontman Vince Neil tells Billboard. “We recorded ‘(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)’ by the Beastie Boys and we recorded this song, too, and I thought it turned out pretty good.” And while no firm plans have been specified for future material (although an EP has been rumored for fall), both Neil and John5 say there’s more Motley music on the runway.
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“There’ll definitely be new music out next year, for sure,” Neil says, “’cause we recorded a couple of other songs, too. Maybe we’ll release one of those by the end of the year, but I can’t say. But we want to keep putting out new music — not, maybe, an album but a few songs here, a few songs there, and that’s good.”
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John5 confirms that “there’s gonna be more music to come out, that’s for sure. [Bassist] Nikki (Sixx) calls me all the time and says, ‘Hey dude, check this out’ and it sounds like it could be a demo from, like, the Too Fast For Love album or the Shout at the Devil album. He just has that inside him; he’s created this music and it sounds just like that era because that’s who the guy is.”
Neil describes the fiery-tempoed “Dogs of War” as “like old school meets new school. It’s got that old school vibe about it, but it’s new music. Nikki came up with it and he sent me the music and I thought it was really cool. So I started singing it and we got in the studio and it turned into the song I think the fans are really gonna like it.” The song was produced by frequent Crüe collaborator Bob Rock, which Neil says was a source of comfort for the band.
“He’s great,” the singer explains. “He’s a lot of fun. He’s smart. He’s creative. He knows what the wants. He knows what to get from each guy to make them be their best. That’s what a good producer does, takes what you have and makes it better – and that’s what (Rock ) does to Mötley Crüe. That’s what we love about him. We know he’s not gonna change and we didn’t want any change. We wanted to do it just the way we always recorded with him.”
The upcoming video, meanwhile, is an animated, all-CGI affair directed by Nick DenBoer that depicts the band in various levels of an apocalyptic, video game-like battle. It also includes a clever nod to the pig masks the group wore on the cover of 1997’s Generation Swine album.
In making the new label deal announcement, Big Machine Chairman and CEO Scott Borchetta — the driving force behind the 2014 Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Mötley Crüe compilation — says that, “Growing up in Southern California, I was in Hollywood when these new sheriffs showed up and took over the city. It was loud. It was powerful. It was game changing. (The band has) reignited the flame with ferocious newCrüe Music.”
Neil, who resides in Nashville, calls Borchetta “a good friend … and a good friend of the band’s. They’re just a smart company that knows how to market songs and how to get them on the radio and do all the stuff you gotta do. They’re perfect for us.”
BMG remains the band’s home for catalog releases, however. This year it’s already released a Dolby Atmos remaster of The Dirt Soundtrack to celebrate its fifth anniversary as well as a Record Store Day re-release of the rarities compilation Supersonic and Demonic Relics on vinyl for the first time. Since this year is the 25th anniversary of the band’s legendary Dr. Feelgood album, fans have been speculating about some sort of release to commemorate that later in the year.
Back in 2014, of course, Mötley Crüe famously signed a “binding” contract for its The Final Tour farewell trek stipulating that support act Alice Cooper could cut their heads off if they broke it. Then, however, came The Dirt, which despite overwhelmingly negative reviews was a rating success, while the soundtrack hit No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and Top 5 on the Top Rock Albums and Soundtrack Albums charts. “The Dirt (Est. 1981)” single was also a Top 10 Mainstream Rock hit.
“The Dirt got us so many new fans, a whole generation that hadn’t seen Mötley Crüe. That kinda brought us back to want to play again,” Neil says. The Crüe did regroup for The Stadium Tour with Def Leppard in 2022, while John5 came on board later in the year in place of Mars, who announced he was retiring from touring. (The band and Mars are currently embroiled in legal actions regarding the latter’s departure and status in the band, which Neil would not comment on.)
“John brings a lot,” Neil says. “He’s an amazing, creative guitar player. He hears stuff us normal people don’t hear. He brings a lot to the song and a lot to the band, and we’re just so happy to have him.” The feeling is mutual according to John5, who collaborated with Sixx on Sixx A.M. projects and co-wrote the three new songs on The Dirt Soundtrack.
“I love Motley and I’ve known Mick, Tommy (Lee) and Nikki for so long, it’s just like playing with your friends,” the guitarist says. “Their music is something I care about. I care about the history and I care about the future of this band, so I want to do things with the utmost respect and make sure everything is done right and execute it to the ability it deserves.”
Mötley Crüe will play selected shows this year starting May 3-4 at Hard Rock Live in Atlantic City, N.J. and including several festival dates.
Check out the full tour itinerary below:
May 3-4 — Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live
May 9 — Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville
June 22 — Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
June 23 — Mt. Pleasant, MI @ Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
July 11 — Calgary, Canada @ Calgary Stampede
July 13 — Ottawa, Canada @ Ottawa Bluesfest
July 14 — Quebec, Canada @ Festival d’Ete de Quebec
July 19 — Minot, ND @ North Dakota State Fair
August 10 — Springfield, IL @ Illinois State Fair
August 14 — Des Moines, IA @ Iowa State Fair
August 17 — Thackerville, OK @ Winstar Casino
August 29 — St. Paul, MN @ Minnesota State Fair
August 31 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
Sept. 26 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live
Sept. 28 — Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival
Oct. 13 — Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Fest
A quick glance at the credits for the Black Keys‘ new Ohio Players album reveals a number of A-list collaborators — including, Juicy J, Noel Gallagher, Beck and Greg Kurstin — marking a departure from the relatively insular creative process they employed on past records such as 2019’s chart-topping Let’s Rock.
In a new interview with Billboard News, the Grammy-winning duo breaks down how their approach to collaborations has evolved over the years.
“It took us 20 years to be able to even collaborate this deeply with people,” says Dan Auerbach. “We’re comfortable now being in the studio and just solely being supportive. It feels kind of amazing to be able to do this, it almost feels like anything’s possible. We can navigate differently than we used to. We really had fun and it didn’t really feel like we sacrificed who we were when we got into the studio with these people, our footprint was still firmly planted.”
The Black Keys launched three singles in the lead-up to the full release of Ohio Players on April 5. Lead single “Beautiful People (Stay High),” which features writing contributions from Grammy-winning rock savant Beck, became their seventh chart-topper on Alternative Airplay, spending two weeks atop the ranking. Second single “I Forgot to Be Your Lover,” a cover of William Bell‘s 1968 classic, arrived on Feb. 9, and third single “This Is Nowhere” — also co-written with Beck — hit DSPs on March 8.
In addition, to co-writing “Beautiful People” and “This Is Nowhere,” Beck also lends his vocals to “Paper Crown,” a track on the album’s back half that also features Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper Juicy J. Moreover, Memphis rapper Lil Noid appears on “Candy and Her Friends,” English singer-songwriter Noel Gallagher helped co-write “On the Game” and Grammy-winning cross-genre producer Greg Kurstin lent his talents to album closer “Every Time You Leave.”
“When you’re working with people who have different perspectives on melody, like Noel or Beck, to just be able to thread the line between the songs — we do that with some overdubs and the way Dan’s voice is working and harmony-building — that’s a fun problem to have,” notes Patrick Carney.
Auerbach, who released Electrophonic Chronic in 2023 as a part of garage rock band The Arcs, also explained how moving to Nashville helped collaborating become a more approachable practice for him.
“I moved to Nashville [14] years ago, Pat shortly after,” Auerbach says. “The recording scene is so collaborative and I’ve met so many people, it definitely opened my mind to collaboration. Pat and I slowly dipped our toes in there on the last album, calling in some people that were from Nashville, that I knew from doing other records, it slowly seeped in.”
Ohio Players debuted and peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 (chart dated April 20), marking the duo’s 13th entry on the ranking. Their new LP also reached No. 7 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums, becoming their eighth consecutive studio album to reach the top 10 on that chart.
In addition to breaking down the collaborations on Ohio Players, the Black Keys also discuss their longevity in the industry, their pre-album release rituals and their respective bowling skills.
Watch the full Billboard News interview above.
Megadeth announced the dates for a 33-show U.S. fall tour on Tuesday (April 23). The Live Nation-produced Destroy All Enemies outing will feature support from Mudvayne and All That Remains and is slated to kick off on August 2 at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, AR.
“Our ‘Crush The World’ tour has been a tremendous experience for the four of us,” said singer/guitarist Dave Mustaine in a statement. “We are all playing tight, and that has made it possible for me to really focus on solos and singing, we are playing more songs than ever before, and we are closer to each other, onstage AND off. I’m excited to see Mudvayne, and All That Remains. Join us as we DESTROY ALL ENEMIES.”
The two-month run will include shows in Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Charlotte, Boston, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis, before winding down on Sept. 28 with a gig at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Tickets for all the dates will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. local time on Friday (April 26), with a presale for Cyber Army/Megadeth Digital members kicking off today at noon local time here.
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According to a release, the outing will feature Mustaine and company playing classics from their beloved albums Rust in Peace, Countdown to Extinction and others, including their most recent studio LP, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!
Check out the dates for the 2024 Destroy All Enemies U.S. tour below.
August 2 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
August 3 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
August 5 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheatre
August 6 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
August 8 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
August 9 — Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater
August 10 — Concord, CA @ Toyota Pavilion at Concord
August 12 — Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
August 13 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater
August 16 — Las Vegas, NV @ Bakkt Theatre at Planet Hollywood
August 17 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Maverick Arena*
August 20 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
August 21 — Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
August 23 — Macon, GA @ Atrium Health Macon Amphitheater*
August 24 — West Palm Beach, FL @ IThink Financial Amphitheatre
Sept. 3 — Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Sept. 5 — Huntington, WV @ Marshall Health Network Arena*
Sept. 6 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
Sept. 7 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Sept. 9 — Reading, PA @ Santander Arena*
Sept. 10 — Albany, NY @ MVP Arena*
Sept. 11 — Boston, MA @ Leader Bank
Sept. 13 — Bethel, MY @ Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
Sept. 14 — Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Sept. 15 — Richmond, VA @ Virginia Credit Union Live!*
Sept. 17 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
Sept. 18 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Sept. 20 — Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
Sept. 21 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
Sept. 24 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
Sept. 26 — St Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre STL
Sept. 27 — Southaven, MS @ Bankplus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove*
Sept. 28 — Nashville, TN @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium
*Non Live Nation Dates
If you’ve noticed one trend with the artists the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has officially let through its doors this decade, it’s probably been the institution drifting away from the classic rock artists (mostly bands, mostly all-male) that defined its ranks for decades, and towards a broader genre view rewarding artists (often solo and female) of wide cultural iconicity.
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Artists like Whitney Houston, Carly Simon, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Missy Elliott, Kate Bush and Dolly Parton did not fit the traditional mold of artist the Rock Hall would have looked towards in past decades — as evidenced by the fact that all of them except Missy had to wait at least a decade from their earliest eligibility until their induction. But of course, music has continued to progress further and further away from the late period traditionally considered the classic rock era, while modern audiences have come to place significantly less emphasis on rock as the sun that the world of Serious Music revolves around. It makes sense that Rock Hall voters would end up emphasizing game-changing pop, country and hip-hop artists whose relevance has endured into the 21st century over 20th century radio rock leftovers with little bearing on contemporary popular music.
And so of course, the 2024 inductees for the Rock Hall include Peter Frampton, Foreigner and the Dave Matthews Band.
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Now, that snarky comment isn’t totally fair to either the Rock Hall voters or the artists inducted. For one, there are still two artists from this year’s recently announced class that absolutely fit the newer brand of Rock Hall inductees in Cher and Mary J. Blige: both unquestionably iconic artists with rich, expansive legacies and subsequent generations of major artists that their impact can be traced through. Neither is traditionally rock — Cher dabbled in the genre and likely would’ve gone further with it than she did had she been allowed the artistic agency more frequently afforded today’s pop stars, while Blige’s intersections with the genre have been mostly incidental — but you can’t properly tell the story of the period of popular music the Rock Hall covers without either, so their presence is hard to argue with.
And while they cannot compare with artists like Cher or Mary J. Blige in terms of enduring pop culture ubiquity, those aforementioned rockier acts have legacies of their own that at least elbow their way into the discussion of Rock Hall worthiness. Peter Frampton had one of the biggest rock albums of the ’70s and a tremendous amount of peer respect for his work solo, as well as in prior group Humble Pie and as a sideman. Foreigner were among the biggest hitmakers in any genre for a solid decade from the late ’70s to late ’80s, with a handful of songs that remaining enduring staples on classic rock radio, movie soundtracks and even on singing competition reality shows. And for 30 years, Dave Matthews Band have been the model for a beloved jam-band also thriving as a massively successful recording act, scoring No. 1 albums and alternative radio hits and even a major pop crossover or two.
In an older Rock Hall class, you might not have looked askance at the three of them getting in. Even now, you might not think it that strange for any of the three of them to get in on their own. But for all three of them to get in the same year is fairly surprising, especially considering some of the names shut out. That includes Mariah Carey, one of the most accomplished and longest-lasting pop superstars of all time, and Sinéad O’Connor, a genre-blending star whose stardom was curtailed by artistic risks she took on and off record, but whose legacy feels even more vital and timely in 2024 (sadly following her death in 2023) than it even did at her commercial peak three-plus decades ago. By modern Rock Hall standards, both would feel like obvious picks; both will nonetheless remain on the outside for at least one more year.
And it’s not just the rockers among the less-expected inductees for 2024. Kool and the Gang, funk hitmakers of the ’70s and ’80s who had been picked up as something of a cause in recent years for their longtime Rock Hall snubbing, have been granted entry on their first nomination. Meanwhile, the third time proves the charm for A Tribe Called Quest — among the most beloved and celebrated groups in hip-hop history, but one that never achieved the massive crossover success of recently inducted rappers like Missy, Jay-Z and Eminem. For those two groups to get in not just over Carey and O’Connor, but more traditional rock and roll flag-wavers like Oasis and Lenny Kravitz, is also something of a shock. (The eighth and final 2024 inductee not yet mentioned was this year’s most predictable: Ozzy Osbourne, who satisfies both classic rock cred and solo star recognizability and prototypicality.)
Nonetheless, the recognition of that trio of long-eligible 20th century rock acts (and male ones, as six out of this year’s eight artists inducted are) suggests that as much as the Rock Hall has shifted towards a less hemmed-in, genre-specific institution over the years– an evolution likely necessary for its continued relevance — there are still plenty of voters primarily concerned with rock representation. DMB were likely helped by their continued presence within the industry, while Foreigner were doubtless boosted in no small part by the celebrity campaigning on their behalf by insider’s insider Mark Ronson (stepson of the band’s guitarist and founder Mick Jones). But the recognition of Frampton in particular — who we pegged as having the second-lowest chances of induction among this year’s 15 years — feels indicative of pushback against the Rock Hall’s broadening definitions.
If there is more of a unifying theory to the new inductees to the Rock Hall this year, though, it might have to do with the breakdown of longstanding critical preconceptions in evaluating said artists. Of the eight artists granted entry this year, only A Tribe Called Quest could really be considered in any way to be critics’ darlings. Of the seven others, several (Dave Matthews Band, Cher, Foreigner) existed as critical punching bags at their commercial peaks, and others (Kool & The Gang, Mary J. Blige, solo Ozzy Osbourne) were largely shrugged at by rock critics outside their home genres. Perhaps the expulsion of Jann Wenner from the Rock Hall’s Board of Directors last year has also served as the final severing of the institution’s adherence to classic critical canons, in favor of a slightly more updated perspective less beholden to the received wisdom of previous generations.
In any event, the 2024 class makes it clear that while the Rock Hall’s constituency may be forever evolving in their tastes and priorities, the musical values of decades past have not yet been completely lost to time. We will have to wait and see from the next few years’ classes whether this year’s represents the beginning of a pendulum swinging back to more traditional rock hall definitions for voters, or a final emptying of the bench for the classic rock faithful.
“Honestly, I broke into tears when they told me,” says longtime Motown executive Suzanne de Passe about the moment she learned that she would be receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Award at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, taking place Oct. 19 in Cleveland.
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That reflected the many reactions coming from inductees after the Rock Hall’s Class of 2024 was revealed on Sunday (April 21) night’s episode of American Idol on ABC. Joy, exultation and even some surprise was expressed by those headed into the Rock Hall this year, whether in the voted-on performers category or those receiving this year’s musical excellence awards.
Robert “Kool” Bell is happy to explain why Kool & the Gang, an R&B band with several pop hits, belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Speaking to Billboard via Zoom, with bottles of his branded champagne sitting alongside to presumably, er, celebrate the induction, Bell says that “I did 48 shows with Van Halen, 10 shows with Kid Rock, opened for the Dave Matthews Band, Elton John, Rod Stewart. I also worked with Foreigner…If you’re gonna call it a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame then, yeah, I guess you could say that I feel like a rock n’ roller.”
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Bell is, of course, the last remaining member of Kool & the Gang’s original lineup and says his departed bandmates, including his brother Ronald Bell, would be pleased with the Rock Hall honor. “We’ve been to a lot of different ones,” Bell notes, including a 2018 induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. “It’s great to finally be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. All the guys would love it.” Kool & the Gang’s Rock Hall honor comes 60 years after the band’s formation in New Jersey, and 55 years after its self-titled debut album.
Ozzy Osbourne, who was inducted with Black Sabbath in 2006, tells Billboard via email that being honored for his solo career “feels big. I’m more than honored.” He says the induction for his own work, which began with the Blizzard of Ozz album in 1980 “feels different than with Sabbath because my solo career, it’s been a much larger part of my overall music career as a whole…I feel like I was invited to a party in 1980, and it hasn’t stopped. Not bad for a guy who was fired from his last band.” Osbourne, who’s effectively retired from touring due to a variety of health issues, including Parkinson’s disease, says he’s not sure about performing at the ceremony but will be there, in attire that “most certainly will be black.”
Peter Frampton tells Billboard that he’s “a little bit shock, and speechless” after learning the news of his induction. He was also stoked about finishing second behind the Dave Matthews Band in the fan vote, with 528,000. “It’s an honor people regard me in this way. I’m just blown away,” said Frampton, who had encouraged fan voting during his recent tour by flashing a QR code for the vote on the video screen at his concerts. “It’s quite uncanny we would be touring during the public voting, so every night I could hopefully get a few hundred out of the couple of thousand, three thousand that were in the audience. And it made a difference.”
Foreigner founder Mick Jones told Billboard in an exclusive interview that, “It’s a great honor to be included amongst all these great artists that have been inducted over the years.” He added that despite waiting more than 20 years since the band became eligible, “I certainly haven’t been overly consumed by it. Every year was the same thing, so eventually I didn’t really worry about it…I’ve had a great career, and this is like the whipped cream and cherry on top.”
Jones, who’s battling Parkinson’s disease, was also “very grateful” to son-in-law Mark Ronson’s video campaign on Foreigner’s behalf, which enlisted luminaries such as Paul McCartney, Slash, Jack Black, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and others to express their surprise and indignation that Foreigner hadn’t already been inducted. “I wasn’t totally aware of the extent to which he saw this through…I had a good laugh seeing Paul’s Instagram post.” Jones added that he plans to attend the ceremony in October but hasn’t decided if he’ll play or not. Original Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm previously told Billboard that he plans to be there and expects to perform the Billboard Hot 100 topper “I Want to Know What Love Is” and one other song.
The MC5’s musical achievement Award is “bittersweet” in the wake of co-founder Wayne Kramer’s death on Feb. 2 at the age of 75, according to his widow, Margaret Saadi Kramer. “Perhaps even the exact right thing at precisely the wrong time,” noted Kramer, who manages MC5 affairs and co-founded the Jail Guitar Doors initiative with her husband. “Yet I’m certain he would have landed in gratitude for this recognition and received it like the beautiful free radical he was, an underdog victorious.” Three other MC5 members — Rob Tyner, Fred Smith and Michael Davis — have also passed, leaving only drummer Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson.
Wayne Kramer did finish working on a new MC5 album, Heavy Lifting, which is due out later this year and features guests such as Thompson, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave), Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, Alice in Chains’ William DuVall, Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath and Don Was. It will be packaged with a live recording of the all-star MC50 band during 2018 in the MC5’s hometown of Detroit.
Suzanne de Passe, who is still active as a TV and film producer since her days with Motown, said she’s “truly blown away and honored,” and that the Ahmet Ertegun Award means even more to her because she saw her mentor, Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., receive it back in 1987. “Berry Gordy gave me the opportunity of a lifetime,” says de Passe, whose time at Motown included shepherding the careers of the Jackson 5, Lionel Richie and others as well as producing the Emmy-winning Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever and specials for the company’s 30th and 40th anniversaries. She also produced miniseries about the Temptations and Jacksons as well as Lonesome Dove and other projects.
“I really learned a lot and was able to go out on a limb in some cases and either rise or fall, but never not be in a position of learning and growing,” she says. “I’m very, very grateful for the career I’ve had and the opportunities that have come my way because of that launching pad.”
She’s also happy to be honored alongside Motown songwriter-producer Norman Whitfield, whom she knew well and calls “one of the funniest people I ever met, a born comedian. We worked together a lot and I learned a lot from Norman. He really took me under his wing and taught me a lot about working in the studio. We had a great relationship.”
Berry Gordy issued a statement celebrating the honors for both of his Motown charges on April 21.
“Today marks a moment of intense pride as two members of the Motown Family will be honored at the upcoming Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation Awards, Suzanne de Passe and Norman Whitfield,” reads Gordy’s statement. “I want to congratulate, Suzanne, my protégé and longtime friend, on being selected to receive the prestigious Ahmet Ertegun Award! Suzanne’s vision and passion contributed to Motown’s success. Every task I ever threw at her, she not only accomplished, but exceeded my expectations. Suzanne went from being my creative assistant, helping to launch the careers of Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5, Lionel Richie, the Commodores and more, to co-writing a screenplay for Lady Sings the Blues, for which she received an Oscar nomination. Suzanne has great instincts, a sharp wit, and a creative sense that has made her a formidable player in the entertainment world. I continue to be extremely proud of her.
“I am also so thrilled that Norman Whitfield, whom I consider a true musical genius and one of Motown’s most important creative forces, has been selected for the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame’s musical excellence award. His brilliant body of work was versatile and bold. He had early collaborations like Marvin Gaye’s ‘Pride and Joy’ and the Temptations’ ‘Just My Imagination.’ He had numerous No. 1 hits, including two with the same song, ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine,’ back to back on two artists – Gladys Knight & the Pips and Marvin Gaye. Then, with his ear to the streets, he took the Temptations and Motown in a whole new direction. Norman’s music reflected the social consciousness of the times with songs like ‘Ball of Confusion,’ ‘War,’ ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone.’ His incredible body of work makes him one of the most important creative forces of his time.”
Mick Jones could be excused for feeling a bit bitter about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ignoring Foreigner for more than two decades of eligibility. But now that the group will be part of the class of 2024 this October, Jones — who put Foreigner together back in 1975 in New York — says he’s feeling “quite the opposite.”
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“I think it means more to me now than perhaps 20 years ago,” Jones tells Billboard exclusively, via email due to a struggle with Parkinson’s disease that he revealed in February. “I’ve had a great career, and this is like the whipped cream and cherry on top. It’s something I will savor over the years. It’s a great honor to be included amongst all these great artists that have been inducted over the years.
Jones, 79, adds that despite Foreigner fans’ very vocal frustration at the band’s exclusion, he himself has kept a measured perspective about the prospects. “Occasionally it might have entered my mind,” he says. “I certainly haven’t been overly consumed by it. Every year was the same thing, so eventually I didn’t really worry about it. My dear friend Peter Frampton had been passed over all these years; I don’t think he has been overly consumed by it either.”
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Foreigner finished third in the Rock Hall’s fan vote this year, behind the Dave Matthews Band and Frampton, with more than 527,000 total votes. That was partly assisted by a video campaign by Jones’ son-in-law Mark Ronson, who recruited musical friends such as Paul McCartney (“Foreigner? Not in the Hall of Fame? What the f–k?!”), Dave Grohl, Slash, Jack Black, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and others expressing disbelief that the group wasn’t yet in.
“I am very grateful for the time and effort Mark has put into this,” Jones says. “I wasn’t totally aware of the extent to which he saw this through. He reached out to a lot of people to post their support on social media. I had a good laugh seeing Paul’s Instagram post.”
Jones isn’t alone, of course, in celebrating Foreigner’s impending induction. Rick Wills, who was Foreigner’s bassist from 1979-1993, tells Billboard, “We’re more than thrilled. It’s been over 20 years since we’ve been waiting for this day. I suppose we were frustrated, to be perfectly honest, but we tried to hide it as best we could because we didn’t want to appear like we were sad people. (laughs). I mean what else could you do but what we’ve done already with our music, and what people have appreciated and enjoyed? We didn’t understand why we didn’t get that recognition.”
And original frontman Lou Gramm told Billboard last month that he “had given up that we would ever be considered” but would happily serve if elected. “I was not feeling good that our peers were in years ago and we were completely neglected…I didn’t even think about it anymore, to be honest with you, so (the nomination) was a big surprise to me.”
Gramm recently brought up past issues with Jones over songwriting credits and financial issues but is looking forward to being with the band and performing at the induction ceremony on Oct. 19 in Cleveland. And Jones says Gramm, with whom he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with in 2013, will be welcomed with open arms.
“On a personal level I have no hard feelings toward Lou,” Jones says. “We did perform together at the 40th anniversary concert. It has been so many years now since Lou left Foreigner; I like to think that those ill feelings are in the past. There is power in letting go of hard feelings and getting on with your life. Why carry the burden of hard feelings? It serves nothing in the long run. I do plan to attend,” Jones adds. I’m sure my whole family will be there. As to whether I get up on stage and perform hasn’t really been decided as yet. In some ways it might be nice just to be there to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy being inducted.”
Jones says he deals with his Parkinson’s “day to day. Keeping my chin up and making the best of everything. Fortunately, my Parkinson’s isn’t debilitating like it is for some people. My friend Michael J. Fox has been such an inspiration and advocate to find a cure for this disease. I do hope they find the answer soon. Like any disease it’s a quality-of-life issue. With all the research my family and assistant has done, I’ve been able to stick with a healthy lifestyle and exercise program that I think helps stymie the progression of my Parkinson’s.”
It’s also allowed him to continue working — not on stage with Foreigner, of course, but there may be new material in the offing. “There are a number of songs that are demos I wrote with Lou,” Jones says. “A couple of them are quite promising. Some written with Marti (Frederiksen) are lying around. I’ve been going through cassette tapes of demos; some I think don’t deserve to see the light of day.” Jones adds that he’s also finished mixing and mastering a solo album, Shelter From the Storm, that he hopes to release “at some point soon.”
Foreigner, meanwhile, is in the midst of an open-ended farewell tour that will likely extend into 2025 and may even include occasional performances or residencies after the road work is done. And Jones affirms he’s still comfortable with that decision. “It’s expected that all good things must come to an end. When Foreigner does retire it’s because the guys in the band have given so much of themselves and have reached a time in their lives where they want to have an easier life and spend more time with their families. There are so many demands being in a successful rock band.”
Peter Frampton says news of his long-awaited Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction “hasn’t really sunk in yet.” But he’s still thrilled that the honor is upon him after 52 years of eligibility as a solo artist.
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“I think I’m a little bit in shock, and speechless,” Frampton tells Billboard with a laugh from his home in Nashville. “I never expected this. People always said, ‘You should be in.’ I said, ‘Eh, what is to be,’ y’know? So mixed emotions, because it’s something that I just never expected, whereas other people did for me. (laughs) It’s wonderful.”
Frampton is particularly stoked that he also finished second in the fan vote with 528,000 — second only to the Dave Matthews Band. “You never quite know how you are regarded,” Frampton explained. “I don’t think about that; I just do my thing. But ending up in the number two position blew me away, actually. It’s an honor people regard me in this way. I’m just honored and blown way.”
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Of course, Frampton did his part, too; during his most recent concert tour he spoke about the nomination, putting a QR code up on the video screen to take fans to the voting site in real time.
“That was wonderful,” he recalls. “Every night when I said, ‘I got this phone call a couple months ago…and my managers told me I’m being nominated for the Rock….’ I never got out ‘Fame’ — they just went berserk, the audience, every night, and it made me feel like, ‘Well, they think I deserve to be in.’ So that was very, very nice from the word go. It’s quite uncanny we would be touring during the public voting, so every night I could hopefully get a few hundred out of the couple of thousand, three thousand that were in the audience. And it made a difference.”
Frampton regards the 2024 Rock Hall lineup as “a wonderful class to be involved with,” with many personal connections. He and Foreigner founder Mick Jones, for instance, go back to sessions for French singer Johnny Hallyday when Jones was his musical director and songwriter; Jones subsequently played on “All I Want To Be (Is By Your Side)” on Frampton’s 1972 debut album, Wind of Change. And Foreigner’s lineup included Rick Wills, who also played bass in Frampton’s Camel. “I was hoping they would get in, too,” Frampton says. “I figured they would, but you never know, so I’m thrilled.”
In the musical influence category, meanwhile, Frampton played with Alexis Korner during the mid-‘60s and was also a fan of John Mayall. “I was in the front row at the Flamingo and all the clubs, watching Eric (Clapton) and so many other guitar players — Peter Green, Mick (Taylor) from the (Rolling) Stones, so that means a lot to me,” Frampton notes. “It’s just amazing that (Mayall) was a spawning ground for so many great English guitar players.”
Frampton – who began as a teen star in England before achieving worldwide fame in the band Humble Pie and especially with his Frampton Comes Alive album in 1976 — has begun thinking loosely about the induction ceremony night on Oct. 19 in Cleveland, though with no concrete plans yet. “I’m thinking about people to invite to play with me and all that kind of stuff he says,” noting that number one on the list will be Sheryl Crow, who “championed” Frampton by including him in her induction performance last year in Brooklyn.
Meanwhile, Frampton — who continues to work in defiance of the degenerative inclusion body myositis (IBM) disorder he’s been battling during the past six or so years — is continuing with his other work. He’s planning a trip to England during June as well as a filmed concert performance for the career documentary he’s been working on. He’s also writing songs for a new album, his follow-up to 2021’s instrumental set Frampton Forgets the Words. “It’s just got to be the best one I’ve ever done,” he says. Another leg of touring is also a possibility, he says, “but I don’t know when that’s going to be at this time. We’re still looking at availabilities and things like that.”
All is sweetness and light between Ozzy Osbourne and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the Prince of Darkness prepares for his second induction — this time as a solo artist.
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Osbourne, you may remember, tried to get Black Sabbath taken off the 1999 nominations list, calling the nod “meaningless.” But he happily went in with the band in 2006, and he tells Billboard via email that to become one of the Rock Hall’s multiple inductees “feels big. I’m more than honored.”
The honor comes after his wife and manager Sharon Osbourne called out the Rock Hall last year for not considering Ozzy as a solo artist even though he’s been eligible since 2006. Osbourne began that career after leaving Black Sabbath acrimoniously in 1979 and scoring eight consecutive multi-platinum albums starting with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980. On his own he’s also released iconic songs such as “Crazy Train,” “Flying High Again,” “Bark at the Moon,” “Shot in the Dark” and “No More Tears.”
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“I definitely wouldn’t say I was confident” about solo success, says Osbourne, adding that the 2021 induction of Randy Rhoads, his late songwriting partner, in the musical excellence category “made me feel we could be on to something. With every new music venture there’s always a certain amount of surprise that comes when you see the fans embrace it, because no one wants to make a record and have it flop. I feel like I was invited to a party in 1980, and it hasn’t stopped. Not bad for a guy who was fired from his last band.”
Comparing this induction to Sabbath’s “feels different,” Osbourne says, “because my solo career, it’s been a much larger part of my overall music career as a whole.” And after finishing fourth in the fan vote with more than 480,000 votes “feels more special, and I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way.”
The big question, of course, is whether Osbourne will perform at the induction ceremony on Oct. 19 in Cleveland. Though he’s effectively retired from touring due to a variety of health issues, including Parkinson’s disease, Osbourne continues to speak about performing again in some capacity. Could it be a two- or three-song set for the Rock Hall? “You never know,” he says, only promising that his outfit that night “will most certainly be black.”
Osbourne has remained prolific as a recording artist, meanwhile, releasing two albums so far this decade — Ordinary Man in 2020, Patient Number 9 in 2022 — and is intending to do more. “I’m not putting a timetable on it,” Osbourne says, “but I plan to start working on a new album sometime in the near future.”
What’s more rock n’ roll than American Idol? Well, a few things, but the Sunday (April 21) episode of the long-running singing competition series found Ryan Seacrest and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lionel Richie revealing which artists constitute the Rock Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. (The episode featured the 12 remaining contestants […]
The Starting Line, the group behind the 2003 pop-punk classic “The Best of Me,” got a name-check on Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department album and posted a response to the pop star after hearing the song.
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Swift references The Starting Line on the emotional ballad “The Black Dog,” found on one of four deluxe editions of her Tortured Poets physical release, and as track No. 17 on Swift’s complete 31-song The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, made available on streaming services and via digital download on April 19.
The song begins with Swift’s realization that her former flame forgot to disable location tracking on his phone. It goes on to set the scene of what she imagines is playing out without her at a London pub.
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“I just don’t understand/ How you don’t miss me in The Black Dog/ When someone plays The Starting Line/ And you jump up, but she’s too young/ To know this song that was intertwined/ In the magic fabric of our dreaming,” Swift sings on the chorus of “The Black Dog.” “Old habits die screaming.”
Later, Swift’s hurt turns to anger as her words shift to “And I hope it’s shitty in The Black Dog/ When someone plays The Starting Line/ And you jump up, but she’s too young/ To know this song that was intertwined/ In the tragic fabric of our dreaming/ ‘Cause tail between your legs, you’re leavin’.”
In a note posted on The Starting Line’s Instagram account on Friday, the band wrote: “Dear Taylor, we heard the song, thank you for name checking our band. We feel flattered and humbled by the reverberations of love that have come back to us as a result. It’s an honor to have TSL memorialized on such a lovely song. You didn’t have to do that, but you did, and we appreciate it wholeheartedly. Respect!”
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Although Swift doesn’t name the song by The Starting Line she’s hearing in her head on “The Black Dog” — nor does she identify the romantic interest the song is about — her lyric could be alluding to “The Best of Me,” the lead single from TSL’s debut album, Say It Like You Mean It.
The 1975’s Matty Healy — who by all appearances Swift briefly dated in 2023 after also briefly being linked together a decade ago — happened to play a snippet of “The Best of Me” live on tour in New Zealand on April 21, 2023, and again on May 3, in the Philippines. On May 5, Healy was spotted attending Swift’s Eras Tour in Nashville. This was the first of several times he was photographed around or with her during the time period, sparking dating rumors for the pair.
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“Shout-out to people in their 30s,” Healy said with a smile after his short “The Best of Me” cover, as seen in the clip above from The 1975’s show a year ago.
Fans have pointed out signs indicating Healy as the possible muse of title track “The Tortured Poets Department,” among other songs, on Swift’s latest release.
“Tell me what you thought about when you were gone/ And so alone/ The worst is over/ You can have the best of me,” The Starting Line’s Kenny Vasoli sings on the group’s “The Best of Me.” “We got older/ But we’re still young/ We never grew out of this feeling that we won’t give up.”
See the band’s thank-you letter to Swift for the shout-out on “The Black Dog” below.