Willie Nelson celebrated his 90th birthday last weekend with some of his talented friends and admirers — from Keith Richards to Billy Strings — at the Hollywood Bowl in L.A. Just a few days later, the iconic singer-songwriter also added to his accolades by becoming a newly elected member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. From covering rock and pop classics to collaborating with non-country acts both live and on record, here are 10 of the mercurial master’s best rock-influenced performances.
“All Things Must Pass” (with Lukas Nelson)
Ex-Beatle George Harrison...
“All Things Must Pass” (with Lukas Nelson)
Ex-Beatle George Harrison...
- 5/4/2023
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Jerry “Ji” Allison, drummer for Buddy Holly and the Crickets and co-writer on some of their biggest hits, has died. He was 82.
The official Facebook page for Holly announced Allison’s death, though no cause or date of death was given. “Ji was a musician ahead of his time, and undoubtedly his energy, ideas and exceptional skill contributed to both The Crickets, and rock n’ roll itself, becoming such a success. Buddy is often heralded as the original singer-songwriter, but Ji, too, wrote and inspired so many of the songs...
The official Facebook page for Holly announced Allison’s death, though no cause or date of death was given. “Ji was a musician ahead of his time, and undoubtedly his energy, ideas and exceptional skill contributed to both The Crickets, and rock n’ roll itself, becoming such a success. Buddy is often heralded as the original singer-songwriter, but Ji, too, wrote and inspired so many of the songs...
- 8/22/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Tony Joe White cooks up a slinky disco-country tune with “Alone at Last,” a previously unreleased song from Light in the Attic’s third installment of its popular Country Funk series. Country Funk Volume III (1975 – 1982) will be available August 6th.
No stranger to creating backwoods funk burners, the late Tony Joe White feels almost dressed up on “Alone at Last” by comparison to “Polk Salad Annie.” A taut bassline, scratchy electric guitar, and rubbery disco groove keep things moving, while a shimmering electric piano creates an atmosphere of late-night desire.
No stranger to creating backwoods funk burners, the late Tony Joe White feels almost dressed up on “Alone at Last” by comparison to “Polk Salad Annie.” A taut bassline, scratchy electric guitar, and rubbery disco groove keep things moving, while a shimmering electric piano creates an atmosphere of late-night desire.
- 8/5/2021
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
The 1996 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album Songs and Music From the Motion Picture ‘She’s the One’ is such a weird outlier in the band’s catalog that even Tom Petty himself didn’t quite know what to make of it. “It was kind of a confused album for us,” Petty told writer Paul Zollo in his book Conversations With Tom Petty. “It got stocked in the soundtrack section. It didn’t really come out like a Heartbreakers record. So it didn’t feel like we made a record or anything.
- 7/15/2021
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
A historic heatwave is pulverizing much of America right now, making it the perfect time for the previously unreleased Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s song “105 Degrees” to be shared with the public. The song appears on Angel Dream, a reimagined version of the 1996 She’s the One soundtrack that arrives in stores Friday. Check out a lyric video right here.
“It’s 105 degrees,” Petty sings. “Yeah, I’m out in my swimming pool/Yeah she had me down on my knees/For a minute I thought I was cool/What do you want?...
“It’s 105 degrees,” Petty sings. “Yeah, I’m out in my swimming pool/Yeah she had me down on my knees/For a minute I thought I was cool/What do you want?...
- 7/2/2021
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
The bright horns and slapping bass of Dolly Parton’s “Sure Thing,” the disco harmonies of Conway Twitty’s “Night Fires,” and the swagger of Ronnie Milsap’s “Get It Up” all get their due on Country Funk Volume III (1975-1982), the latest installment of Light in the Attic Records’ compilation series.
Slated for release on August 6th, the 17-track set is the first in the series to include music from the Eighties. Twitty’s Heart & Soul album, which featured the machismo-heavy “Night Fires,” was released in 1980; Jerry Reed...
Slated for release on August 6th, the 17-track set is the first in the series to include music from the Eighties. Twitty’s Heart & Soul album, which featured the machismo-heavy “Night Fires,” was released in 1980; Jerry Reed...
- 7/1/2021
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Rolling Stone interview series Unknown Legends features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and veteran musicians who have toured and recorded alongside icons for years, if not decades. All are renowned in the business, but some are less well known to the general public. Here, these artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on music’s A list. This edition features drummer Karl Himmel.
On November 12th, 1977, Neil Young celebrated his 32nd birthday by playing an enormous outdoor festival in Miami, Florida, to raise funds for the National Hemophilia Foundation.
On November 12th, 1977, Neil Young celebrated his 32nd birthday by playing an enormous outdoor festival in Miami, Florida, to raise funds for the National Hemophilia Foundation.
- 3/31/2021
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
In our new series, we look at eight cities where live music has exploded — from legendary hubs like New Orleans and Nashville and Chicago, to rising hot spots like Raleigh, North Carolina and Portland, Maine. The latest: Tulsa, where history, social consciousness and barroom jamming make it one of the most fun places to visit right now.
Jack White remembers the first time he stepped inside Cain’s Ballroom, a 1920s Tulsa dance hall where Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys once broadcast their weekly radio shows. “I basically almost...
Jack White remembers the first time he stepped inside Cain’s Ballroom, a 1920s Tulsa dance hall where Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys once broadcast their weekly radio shows. “I basically almost...
- 1/27/2020
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
Eric Clapton, Gary Clark. Jr., Jeff Beck and other guitar icons will appear on the Crossroads Festival’s first-ever vinyl set, a six-lp live release.
Performances from Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Carlos Santana, James Taylor, Steve Winwood, Zz Top, Joe Walsh, Keith Urban, Susan Tedeschi with the Derek Trucks Band, Willie Nelson and Buddy Guy also appear on the package, Crossroads Revisited: Selections from the Crossroads Guitar Festival, out December 6th via Rhino.
Clapton’s selections include “Cocaine,” “Crossroads,” “Layla,” “Have You Ever Loved a Woman,” a cover of George Harrison...
Performances from Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Carlos Santana, James Taylor, Steve Winwood, Zz Top, Joe Walsh, Keith Urban, Susan Tedeschi with the Derek Trucks Band, Willie Nelson and Buddy Guy also appear on the package, Crossroads Revisited: Selections from the Crossroads Guitar Festival, out December 6th via Rhino.
Clapton’s selections include “Cocaine,” “Crossroads,” “Layla,” “Have You Ever Loved a Woman,” a cover of George Harrison...
- 10/15/2019
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real took the stage at the Late Show to perform their recent track “Bad Case.” The song, which comes off the singer’s album Turn Off The News (Build a Garden), got some impassioned accompaniment from the musician’s brother Micah Nelson, as well as his band Promise of the Real.
In the clip, a top hat-clad Nelson leads the charge on guitar and vocals, giving the bluesy rock tune a lot of vigor. The song, which Nelson has said was inspired by the Traveling Wilburys,...
In the clip, a top hat-clad Nelson leads the charge on guitar and vocals, giving the bluesy rock tune a lot of vigor. The song, which Nelson has said was inspired by the Traveling Wilburys,...
- 6/18/2019
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
Since releasing 2017’s Something Real, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real have played 200-plus shows — both on their own and with Neil Young, inspiring some of the legend’s fieriest shows in years. “They have no fear,” Young told Rs. “They’re much better players than I am. Lukas is like a gunslinger.”
The band took that fire and experience into the studio for their new album, Turn Off the News (Build a Garden), out June 14th, where they double down on their psychedelic cowboy anthems, with help from friends including Sheryl Crow,...
The band took that fire and experience into the studio for their new album, Turn Off the News (Build a Garden), out June 14th, where they double down on their psychedelic cowboy anthems, with help from friends including Sheryl Crow,...
- 5/1/2019
- by Patrick Doyle
- Rollingstone.com
Widespread Panic and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit topped the bill at this past weekend’s Sweetwater 420 Fest in Atlanta, with the two Southern roots-based bands closing out the festival’s main stage with back-to-back performances on Sunday. Following a set with his own group, Isbell stuck around with his guitar and joined Widespread Panic — stalwart jam heroes from nearby Athens, Georgia — for a rousing rendition of Zz Top’s “Jesus Just Left Chicago.”
With a soulful growl, Widespread frontman John Bell handled lead vocals on the bluesy staple originally found on 1973’s Tres Hombres.
With a soulful growl, Widespread frontman John Bell handled lead vocals on the bluesy staple originally found on 1973’s Tres Hombres.
- 4/22/2019
- by Jedd Ferris
- Rollingstone.com
Late folk and blues great Jj Cale hits the road and reminisces about an old love that won’t quit on the previously unreleased track, “Chasing You.” The song is set to appear on a new posthumous album, Stay Around, out April 26th.
“Chasing You” is a simmering blues rocker anchored by Cale’s plucky guitar and tender vocals as he sings, “Walking down through the past/We thought it would always last/Things have changed somehow/It’s all behind us now/Don’t know why I do/I’m still chasing you.
“Chasing You” is a simmering blues rocker anchored by Cale’s plucky guitar and tender vocals as he sings, “Walking down through the past/We thought it would always last/Things have changed somehow/It’s all behind us now/Don’t know why I do/I’m still chasing you.
- 1/31/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Steve Ripley, leader of Grammy-nominated country-rock band the Tractors, died Thursday at his home in Pawnee, Oklahoma, following a battle with cancer. He was 69.
With Ripley as frontman, the Tractors scored their biggest hit with their rollicking debut single, “Baby Likes to Rock It,” in 1994, attracting critical attention and rapidly earning a platinum disc for their self-titled debut. While other releases for the group didn’t fare as well, Ripley would continue as a recording artist, songwriter, producer, engineer, radio host (of the popular Oklahoma Rock & Roll series) and the inventor of the “stereo guitar,...
With Ripley as frontman, the Tractors scored their biggest hit with their rollicking debut single, “Baby Likes to Rock It,” in 1994, attracting critical attention and rapidly earning a platinum disc for their self-titled debut. While other releases for the group didn’t fare as well, Ripley would continue as a recording artist, songwriter, producer, engineer, radio host (of the popular Oklahoma Rock & Roll series) and the inventor of the “stereo guitar,...
- 1/4/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Paul Simon has revisited his 1990 album cut “Can’t Run But,” adding a jittery sense of urgency to the track with help from the instrumental ensemble yMusic. The song will appear on Simon’s upcoming album In the Blue Light, due out September 7th.
“Can’t Run But” originally came out on The Rhythm of the Saints. That version was filled with bursts of polyrhythmic drumming from Brazilian percussionists Mingo Araújo and Naná Vasconcelos and languid guitar from J.J. Cale.
Simon dispenses with the loose funk and rebuilds the song...
“Can’t Run But” originally came out on The Rhythm of the Saints. That version was filled with bursts of polyrhythmic drumming from Brazilian percussionists Mingo Araújo and Naná Vasconcelos and languid guitar from J.J. Cale.
Simon dispenses with the loose funk and rebuilds the song...
- 8/24/2018
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
Rock singer and songwriter Leon Russell died in Nashville on Sunday at the age of 74. His wife stated on his website that he died in his sleep. Russell had a heart attack in July. The musician worked with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse, Joe Cocker, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and The Temptations. Also Read: 'Dracula' Actress Lupita Tovar Dies at 106 Russell’s career spanned more than five decades. As a teenager he began playing in Tulsa, Oklahoma clubs with his group the Starlighters, which also included guitarist J.J. Cale. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1950s and.
- 11/13/2016
- by Meriah Doty
- The Wrap
New York (AP) — Eric Clapton is paying tribute to his late friend and collaborator J.J. Cale with a new album. Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, John Mayer and others lend a hand on "The Breeze: An Appreciation of J.J. Cale," due out July 29. The album includes 16 Cale songs reimagined by Clapton and the all-star group of friends. Cale, architect of the Tulsa Sound and a widely influential figure in rock 'n' roll history, died last year at 74. Clapton turned Cale's "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" into major hits and the two recorded and collaborated together. Others on the album include Mark Knopfler, Derek Trucks and Cale's wife, Christine Lakeland. Clapton says in a statement that he wants to bring more attention to Cale: "I'm just the messenger." Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
- 4/30/2014
- by AP Staff
- Hitfix
A previously unreleased series of duets from Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury are set to come out this fall, according to members of Mercury's band Queen. Guitarist Brian May and Drummer Roger Taylor promised "something for folks to hear" in two months, according to media reports. Also read: J.J. Cale, Songwriter on Eric Clapton's 'Cocaine,' Dead at 74 Jackson and Mercury recorded three tracks at Jackson's Encino, California home in 1983. The sessions never went further and the music was not released. Until now, that is. The King of Pop died in 2009 at age...
- 7/29/2013
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Singer-songwriter J.J. Cale, who died Friday night at the age of 74, was renowned in the industry for his work as collaborator, most notably with Eric Clapton, Santana and Tom Petty. His most well-known songs were sung by others, but the Oklahoma-born musician had a distinctive performing style that very much stood on its own. Here he is performing his biggest hit, 1972's "Crazy Mama," and his take on a couple of songs that Clapton made famous: "Crazy Mama" 'Cocaine' 'After Midnight' Related Articles: ...
- 7/28/2013
- by Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
The music industry lost a creative soul. Songwriter J.J. Cale, famous for the Eric Clapton hits "Cocaine" and "After Midnight," died Friday night after suffering a heart attack at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., according to the musician's website. He was 74. "J.J. Cale was loved by fans worldwide for his completely unpretentious and beautiful music," Mike Kappus, president of the Rosebud Agency, told CNN. "He was loved even more dearly by all those he came in contact with as the most real and down-to-earth person we all knew." Kappus continued, "He was incredibly humble and avoided the spotlight at all costs but will be missed by anyone touched by him...
- 7/28/2013
- E! Online
Grammy-winning songwriter J.J. Cale, who wrote the Eric Clapton hits "Cocaine" and "After Midnight" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Call Me the Breeze," died at the age of 74 Friday (July 26) in Los Jolla, Calif., his manager Mike Kappus tells the AP.
Cale was born in Oklahoma City and was one of the architects of the Tulsa Sound, a combination of rock, country and jazz that took him to eventually writing popular hits and playing in the touring company for the Grand Ole Opry.
In addition to the above songs, Cale's works have been performed by Kansas, Carlos Santana, Johnny Cash and Tom Petty, among a host of other artists. Cale won a Grammy in 2007 for the album "The Road to Escondido," on which he collaborated with Clapton.
Cale was born in Oklahoma City and was one of the architects of the Tulsa Sound, a combination of rock, country and jazz that took him to eventually writing popular hits and playing in the touring company for the Grand Ole Opry.
In addition to the above songs, Cale's works have been performed by Kansas, Carlos Santana, Johnny Cash and Tom Petty, among a host of other artists. Cale won a Grammy in 2007 for the album "The Road to Escondido," on which he collaborated with Clapton.
- 7/27/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
J.J. Cale died Friday at the age of 74. The singer-songwriter's official website confirmed Cale passed away at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla after suffering a heart attack Friday night. Cale brough the music world his unique “Tulsa Sound,” a blend of rockabilly, country, jazz and blues. Cale's hits include “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” which Eric Clapton covered and turned into smashes. In a career that spanned more than five decades Cale issued 14 albums and his songs have been covered by iconic musicians including Johnny Cash, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Petty, Waylon Jennings and Captain Beefheart. From his website: Jj Cale passed away at 8:00 pm on Friday July 26 at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, CA. The legendary...
- 7/27/2013
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
J.J. Cale, the songwriter behind the Eric Clapton classics "Cocaine" and "After Midnight," died Friday at the age of 74. Born John Weldon Cale in 1938 in Oklahoma City, Okla., the Grammy winner was an originator of the "Tulsa Sound," a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country and jazz influences. His career saw him release 14 albums and his songs have been covered by acts including Johnny Cash, Santana, Tom Petty, Waylon Jennings and Captain Beefheart. His biggest U.S. hit single, "Crazy Mama," peaked at No. 22 on the U.S. Billboard...
- 7/27/2013
- by Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
Here's eleven of my favorite new rock tunes for your early spring listening pleasure. Enjoy the melodic sunshine, people.
"Eskimo Kiss" The Kooks Junk of the Heart (Astralwerks)
Not sure why my fellow critics insist on dropping the "sounds like The Strokes" tag on these Brits. And some scribes have whined they aren't "edgy" enough. So what. I hear more of The Kinks and The La's as reference points. And to me, that's much better company if you love more pop in your rock. Case in point, the infectious ear candy of "Eskimo Kiss," my pick hit from their latest long player (LP). Currently on tour in the U.S. of A.
"Stay At Home" Yellow Ostrich Strange Land (Barsuk)
Speaking of the Strokes...I hear more than a hint of their aggro-guitar pop rock in this very fine track from former Wisconsinite/current New Yorker Alex Schaaf. His newly...
"Eskimo Kiss" The Kooks Junk of the Heart (Astralwerks)
Not sure why my fellow critics insist on dropping the "sounds like The Strokes" tag on these Brits. And some scribes have whined they aren't "edgy" enough. So what. I hear more of The Kinks and The La's as reference points. And to me, that's much better company if you love more pop in your rock. Case in point, the infectious ear candy of "Eskimo Kiss," my pick hit from their latest long player (LP). Currently on tour in the U.S. of A.
"Stay At Home" Yellow Ostrich Strange Land (Barsuk)
Speaking of the Strokes...I hear more than a hint of their aggro-guitar pop rock in this very fine track from former Wisconsinite/current New Yorker Alex Schaaf. His newly...
- 3/7/2012
- by Dusty Wright
- www.culturecatch.com
If you know actor Michael Shannon by name, chances are it's because of his searing, Oscar-nominated performance as head-case John Givings in last year's Revolutionary Road. Yet the Kentucky-born Brooklynite has brought his towering presence and curious intensity to dozens of projects, most notably Bug, World Trade Center, Shotgun Stories, and Werner Herzog's upcoming My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done. (Click here for my podcast with Herzog for Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, in which Shannon has a small role.) The actor's latest, which premiered at Sundance this year, is the post-9/11 noir thriller The Missing Person: Writer/director Noah Buschel's third feature stars Michael Shannon as John Rosow, a private detective hired to tail a man, Harold Fullmer, on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles. Rosow gradually uncovers Harold’s identity as a missing person... [Plot spoiler redacted]. Persuaded by a large reward, Rosow...
- 11/22/2009
- GreenCine Daily
There are musicians' musicians, and then there's J.J. Cale. The iconic Okie songwriter has been lauded and subsequently covered by artists as diverse as Spiritualized and Beck, not to mention Eric Clapton, whose famous renditions of "Cocaine" and "After Midnight" gave Cale the mainstream clout he enjoys today. Still, Cale has generally managed to stay out of the limelight, living off other musicians' praises and, of course, a bunch of fat royalty checks from Clapton Inc.
- 12/12/2008
- Pastemagazine.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.