The rock world is in a state of deep mourning for Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, who died Thursday following a fall at his home. “We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley said in a joint statement. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock …
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Even at 80, Latin music titan Eddie Palmieri was as agile as ever on the keys. That’s the first thing you notice from his 2016 Tiny Desk concert, which starts with a camera fixed on Palmieri’s dexterous fingers as he plays “Iraida,” the touching composition he wrote for his wife, …
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Sly and the Family Stone didn’t have an easy task in front of them when they stepped onstage at Woodstock. It was 3:30 AM, several hours past their scheduled start time, the grounds were soaked and muddy after a pissing rainstorm earlier in the day, and they were terrified to …
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OK, let’s face it. You heard the news about the return of dire wolf pups after 12,000 years, marking the end of that species’ extinction. And maybe you thought, “Wow, 12,000 years flies by!” Or you thought, “You mean, like in Game of Thrones?” But, if you’re a music nerd …
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For the first 20 years of David Johansen‘s career — despite his immense role in kickstarting the punk movement as the frontman of New York Dolls and all of his great solo work that followed — genuine mainstream success seemed like an impossible dream. That changed in 1987, when he …
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When Morrissey attempted to reunite the New York Dolls in 2004 for a performance at London’s Meltdown festival, he thought his odds of success were low. “I expected David [Johansen] to laugh at me and put the phone down,” he said that year. “But he was very agreeable and it …
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When Sinéad O’Connor tore up a photo of the pope on Saturday Night Live in 1992 to draw attention to child sexual abuse in the Catholic church, just about everyone turned their back on her. She was banned for life by NBC, belittled by late-night comedians, often in painfully misogynistic …
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When news hit this afternoon of James Earl Jones’ death at age 93, the memories that came to mind likely depend on when you came of age. If you grew up in the Nineties, you probably thought back to The Lion King and The Sandlot. If you’re a bit older, …
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The past three days have been a pretty insane time for Oasis fans. On Saturday evening, Liam Gallagher wrapped up his Definitely Maybe 30th anniversary tour with a triumphant set at the Reading Festival in England where he played the album straight through. Not long after he walked offstage, the …
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The comedic legend Bob Newhart has died at 94. You might know him from famous sitcoms like The Bob Newhart ShowandNewhart. Or, if you’re much younger, he’s Papa Elf. Newhart was 73 when he starred as Will Ferrell‘s adoptive father in 2003’s Elf. With those adorable mustard yellow tights and …
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