Lennon/Harrison Guitar Sells for Over $408K

A guitar played by John Lennon and George Harrison has sold for $408,000 at auction.

The custom-made instrument, built in 1966 by the VOX company, was bought by an unidentified buyer in New York.

Harrison practiced ‘I Am The Walrus’ on the guitar in 1967 while Lennon used it in a video for ‘Hello, Goodbye’ later that year.

Julien's Auctions said the guitar had exceeded its estimated value of $200,000-$300,000.

After playing the guitar, Lennon gave it as a 25th birthday present to Alexis "Magic Alex" Mardas, a member of The Beatles' inner circle in the 1960s.

A plaque on the back reads: "To Magic Alex/ Alexi thank you/ for been [sic] a friend/ 2-5-1967 John." The date on the plaque is believed to refer to his birthday, but Lennon gave the gift to him later in the year. Mardas sold the instrument in 2004.

Grohl Guests with Stones in Anaheim

The Rolling Stones played their second show at the Anaheim Honda Center, California and were joined by special guest Dave Grohl for a performance of ‘Bitch’.

For the first time on this tour the band played ‘Shattered’ and ‘You Got The Silver’.

Singer Comments on His Brief VH Tenure

Vocalist Mitch Malloy auditioned for Van Halen after Sammy Hagar‘s departure in the ‘90s.

As Malloy told it in a recent interview with Classic Rock Magazine, he had the lead singer gig locked up; he recalled a phone call from then-VH manager Ray Danniels, who he said told him, “I think you’re the next singer in Van Halen — I can’t imagine anyone better for the job. But if you don’t get the job then I want to manage you and when people become tired of artists wearing their pajamas and looking at the floor, then you’re going to be a huge star.”

And what happened next? “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I only know that Eddie [Van Halen] told me I was in the band. Then the whole MTV presentation with David Lee Roth happened, which I didn’t know about. I got upset and called them and it all kind of imploded. My manager sent them a letter saying that I’d ‘respectfully passed’ on the gig, which they couldn’t believe.” It was all, as he put it, “Really sad, I mean…I was actually in Van Halen — even if it was just for that moment. I’d had the kiss on the cheeks, the hugs, the congratulations [from the band]…that had all seemed pretty official to me.”

Malloy maintained a friendship with Eddie Van Halen, who bankrolled his 2000 album ‘Shine’; as he told CRM, “Ed was like my big brother back then and he really loved those songs,’ but currently Malloy and the Van Halens are no longer in contact.

AC/DC Beer Released as Limited Canadian Edition

AC/DC and Karlsberg Brewery have released a limited Canadian edition of their AC/DC Beer.

The product is an absolute rarity for collectors since this edition will only be sold in Canada.

The edition differs from the normal version by its smaller size (500ml) and the French/English imprint on the top of the can: Hardrock Australien / Australian Hardrock.

The standard edition of "AC/DC Premium Lager Beer" is 568mL of true German Premium Lager.

For more information, visit ACDC-Beer.com.

AC/DC Sung by 12 Year Old

A new YouTube clip features 12-year-old singer Brooks Paul performing a convincing version of AC/DC’s ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap’ with his band.

The ambitious North Carolina resident is known as the “Prince of Rock,” and he performs with his own band, touring the East Coast hitting venues from Virginia to Florida. He was also the youngest performer in the over-70-year history of Myrtle Beach Bike Week. His closest band mate in age is 40 years old.

His YouTube channel also features his renditions of songs by Journey, Bon Jovi, Foreigner and more.

Townshend Attends ‘Tommy’ Production

Pete Townshend attended the Canadian production of ‘Tommy’ in Stratford, Canada this week.

Townshend made the surprise appearance at a preview of the stage revival at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario. He also joined the cast on stage at the end of the night.

Townshend says ‘Tommy’ still means the same to him now as it did then. "Not a lot has changed. There’s still a sense that the family is in trouble, that the way religion operates is still in trouble, that the celebrity system is still in trouble and that all of these things...well, they’re all the same. There’s poignancy to that. I think about my generation and think that it’s sad that things were as they were.”

Tommy premieres at the Stratford Festival on May 30th.

‘Layla’ Co-Writer Denied Parole

Drummer Jim Gordon, who killed his mother in June 1983 after claiming her voice had tormented him for years, was denied parole until at least 2018 at a hearing this April.

A California board panel deemed the musician "a danger to society if released from prison," citing his resistance to court-ordered medication and counseling, according to a hearing transcript obtained by Rolling Stone.

Thirty years after Gordon confessed to stabbing his 71-year-old mother to death at her North Hollywood home, he continues to shows symptoms of schizophrenia and is "medically and psychologically noncompliant," Los Angeles County deputy district attorney Alexis de la Garza told the three-member panel. "This is one of the saddest cases that we have in prison. We have an individual who is seriously psychologically incapacitated, and he is a danger when he is not taking his medication."

In 2005, Gordon told the panel he believed his mother was alive, a concern highlighted during last month's hearing, which he declined to attend. Now 67, Gordon has also refused to meet with his attorney, who asked for a hearing postponement until 2014, citing an online support community petitioning for his release. "It's my hope that in a year's time those people can reach out to Mr. Gordon and help him develop parole plans," Jeremy Valverde said. The panel denied his request.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Gordon racked up dozens of credits as one of music's most in-demand session drummers – including work on albums by the Beach Boys, John Lennon, the Carpenters and Carly Simon. But his substance dependence and reputation for abusing women led to problems including hallucinations and in-studio confrontations. In 1979, he turned down a tour with Bob Dylan. Between that time and his arrest, Gordon checked himself into hospitals more than a dozen times for treatment. His mother's voice had grown louder and more relentless in his head, Gordon said, even threatening to destroy his gold records.

"I just snapped," he admitted to detectives the day after the murder. Following his trial, the judge sentenced Gordon to 16 years to life, with his first eligibility for parole in 1992.

"He used to talk to me about hearing voices, but I told him that it was his consciousness speaking to him. He said it was someone else," Bobby Whitlock of Derek and the Dominos tells Rolling Stone in an email. "Evidently he never stopped or even lightened up on his drug and alcohol intake. The end result was the destruction of his family."

Gordon is perhaps best known for playing the piano climax of Derek and the Dominos' 1971 hit "Layla," which he wrote with Eric Clapton. The song still pays him well; California's deputy district attorney said that for years inmates have solicited money from Gordon, which he has allegedly given them.

"In terms of parole plans, because of his condition it is our opinion that, not only for the good of society but for his good, what needs to be done is work on getting him a conservator, because I do believe he has a substantial amount of income," de la Garza said at the hearing. "The question is, would people be preying on him on the outside, as they have on the inside, because of his finances?"

The panel recommended Gordon seek substance abuse self-help, and will finalize its decision to deny parole for a five-year period in August.

Bono Wondering if More U2 Necessary?

U2 are working on a new album, but Bono says he’s not sure the world needs another album. On PBS’s Charlie Rose Thursday night, he said, “For sure they don’t need it unless it’s great.”

Over the hour-long broadcast, Bono also talked about his humanitarian work, his bandmates, songwriting and the songwriters who influenced him, including Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and John Lennon.

And despite his love for Lennon, he’s not a fan of John’s most famous solo song, ‘Imagine.’ Bono explained, “I love so many things about John Lennon, but imagining wasn’t one of them. I’m more of a doing. More of an actions. More of a building.”

Bon Jovi: There's Always Temptation

Jon Bon Jovi admits there is always ''temptation'' to cheat on his wife.

Bon Jovi, who has children Stephanie, 19, Jesse James, 18, Jacob, 11, and Romeo, nine, with wife Dorothea - insists he is not a ''perfect'' husband, but he isn't interested in sleeping with anyone behind his spouse of 24 years' back.

He said: ''I have a wife who I adore, without her the cards would crumble. Every day there's temptation. I don't go looking for it either. Am I perfect? No. But do I aspire to finding a mistress somewhere? I really don't.''

Last November, Stephanie was found unconscious in her university dorm following a heroin overdose and the 51-year-old singer believes her plight to be more common than people realize because her generation are under so much ''pressure''.

“You wake up, you shake it off and put your shoes on and say OK, I am on the way home. It was horrible, a horrible moment. It was my worst moment as a father,” he remembered. “The first thing she said, ‘I'm all right’ but then she said this is what happened.”

He added in an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper: ''There's a lot of pressure on this generation. They have a lot easier access to things than yours or my generation had.

''She was by no means sticking needles in her arms. But there's a lot of synthetic stuff in the world and a lot of temptation and access and pressures that just a generation ago you and I didn't know about. I wasn't aware of it, not because I'm not home but because it is a different world. Our world is far more relatable to our parents' world than the kids' world.”

''There's many more pressures on kids - what is this college degree going to do for me, what am I going to be when I grow up, will I be able to accomplish things?''

The singer insists he has never taken drugs. ''I never did a thing. I didn't even do anything that could open the cover of the book. I was never attracted to it.''

Sting Trying to Raise $15 Million to Bring Musical to Broadway

The New York Post reports that Sting and his producing partner are trying to raise $15 million to bring their musical, ‘The Last Ship,’ to Broadway next spring. 

Based on his autobiographical album ‘The Soul Cages,’ the musical tells the story of a family of shipbuilders whose future looks bleak when the shipyard where they’ve worked for years is shut down.

A staged reading of the piece was conducted last week for potential investors, reports the Post. While Sting isn’t going to star in the show, he did write the music and lyrics, and the tone is said to be “moody,” “reflective” and “haunting.”  A source told the paper that the show is reminiscent of ‘Billy Elliot’ in that it’s about “working-class people who maintain their dignity in the face of adversity.”

According to the Post, one potential investor said he thought the show was too “arty” for Broadway, but another pointed out that the musical ‘Once’ was considered to be “arty” as well, and it won the Tony.

The Post also claims that Sting’s been suffering from writer’s block for several years, and working on this show is what cured him.

Doors: Krieger Hoping For Reunion

Guitarist Robby Krieger will be touring in August and September with his Jam Kitchen band on a bill with Eric Burdon.

He has an August date in Los Angeles with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and hopes to do more with him, but adds that Ray is “going through some health issues.”

Krieger is also trying to get Doors drummer John Densmore to join him for some charity shows in September.

Bowie Among ‘13 O Music Awards Nominees

MTV’s O Music Awards returns this year, and a number of veteran artists have scored nominations. David Bowie, Neil Young, and Yoko Ono each will compete for one honor at the third annual ceremony, which will stream live at OMusicAwards.com on June 19 at 7 p.m. ET. 

MTV’s O Music Awards honor various achievements in the arena of digital music.

Bowie is in the running for the “Too Much Ass for TV” prize, thanks to the risqué and edgy video for ‘The Stars (Are Out Tonight).’

Young is among the nominees for the “Analog Genius Award.” Young received his nod because of his work on the high-quality digital-music service Pono.

As for Ono, she’s been nominated for the “Digital Genius Award.” Ono, who turned 80 in February, was cited for releasing a chart-topping dance hit, ‘Hold Me;’ creating artistically minded apps; and sharing her innovative photography via Instagram.

Fans can vote for their favorites through June 19 via Facebook, Twitter, or at OMusicAwards.com.

Stanley Slams Jann Wenner For KISS Rock Hall Snub

With the passing of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Kiss are still no closer to joining the Hall.

Paul Stanley took time to salute the band’s fans while taking a swipe at Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner when asked if he ever sees a day when Kiss will be inducted, telling The Huffington Post, “Well, it depends on who lives longer, us or Jann Wenner. Look, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is marketing. You’ve got a bunch of faceless people in a back room who trademark a name that sounds very official. Well, if you had thought of it first, you would have been the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I am one of the biggest Laura Nyro fans. I still listen to that stuff incessantly. Laura Nyro does not belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Songwriter Hall of Fame? Absolutely.”

He went on to plead his case, saying, “It’s absurd for anybody to look around and hear the acts and artists who cite us as an inspiration, and then tell me that we’re not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I would certainly accept on their (the fans) behalf because it seems to be a major sore spot for them, but I don’t need the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”

The Late Joey Ramone's Birthday Celebrated in NYC on Sunday

The 13th annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash will be held Sunday night at New York City’s Bowery Electric club, just up the block from where CBGB was located. 

The special show, which falls on what would have been the late Ramones frontman’s 62nd birthday, will feature performances by late-era Ramones bassist CJ Ramone, Dictators bassist/songwriter Andy Shernoff, Johnny Thunders’ Heartbreakers member Walter Lure and Joey’s brother, Mickey Leigh, among many others.

Proceeds raised by the concert will go toward the Joey Ramone Foundation for Lymphoma Research. The singer died in April 2001 at age 49 after battling lymphoma.

Specially created T-shirts and posters featuring a cartoon depiction of Joey surfing have been designed by Punk magazine co-founder and illustrator John Holmgren. They will be sold at the concert and also are available at the recently relaunched official Joey Ramone online store.

Twisted Sister: Snider To Gore

Dee Snider recently appeared on Joy Behar’s ‘Say Anything’ TV show, and he had a few choice words for former vice president Al Gore, whose ex-wife Tipper led a crusade against Snider’s music back in the ’80s.

“I was stunned and very happy,” the Twisted Sister frontman said of the Gores’ 2011 divorce. “They went after me big-time in the ’80s, pointing a lot of fingers.”

Snider was referring to the Parents Music Resource Council, which led to the parental-advisory stickers on CDs. Twister Sister was one of the artists that came under a lot of fire for their lyrics at the time. Tipper Gore co-founded the PMRC and personally attacked many hard-rock, metal and R&B musicians for their sexually implicit lyrics.

At one point during his conversation with Behar, Snider addressed the former vice president: “Al, a) I’m still married, and b) none of my kids have been busted for possession. So don’t throw stones.”

Behar and Snider also discussed the differences between musicians and politicians on her Current TV show. “I think that’s why kids look up to rock stars,” Snider said. “At least they’re being honest and you know who they are. Politicians are hiding everything and being dishonest.”

The talk then turned to former US Representative Anthony Weiner, who famously sent a photo of his penis to one of his Twitter followers. Snider compared the incident to Jim Morrison’s public airing of his own privates. “When Jim Morrison took his thing out,” Snider said, “people were like, ‘Oh, that’s Jim.’”

Top Cowbell Songs

According to a list compiled by Gibson.com, the top cowbell songs are:

1. ‘Honky Tonk Women’ – The Rolling Stones

2. ‘Mississippi Queen’ – Mountain

3. ‘Hair of the Dog’ – Nazareth

4. ‘We’re an American Band’ – Grand Funk Railroad

5. ‘Rock of Ages’ – Def Leppard

6. ‘Time Has Come Today’ – The Chambers Brothers

7. ‘Low Rider’ – War

8. ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ – Blue Oyster Cult

9. ‘Nightrain’ – Guns n’ Roses

10. ‘Red Morning Light’ – Kings of Leon