Chris M. Junior

Velvet Revolver and Guns N’ Roses fans know Matt Sorum is one hard-hitting drummer. Lately, though, it’s his words — not his stick work — that have packed a mighty punch, as Sorum has taken the media to task for the way it has dealt with the death of pop star Whitney Houston.

When you’ve toured as much as the Rolling Stones, it can be really hard to differentiate one show from another. But the band’s gig on Dec. 18, 1981, in Hampton, Virginia — now available as ‘Hampton Coliseum (Live 1981),’ the second official Stones concert bootleg — was certainly memorable for Keith Richards and Mick Jagger.

Paul McCartney has given his stamp of approval to an upcoming tribute album that will feature Alice Cooper, Kiss, Billy Joel, Steve Miller and other stars performing their versions of Beatles, Wings and McCartney solo material.

Before Rob Halford became Judas Priest‘s frontman, Al Atkins held the position in the band’s prefame years. And even though Atkins didn’t sing a note on Priest’s first two albums, 1974′s ‘Rocka Rolla’ and 1976′s ‘Sad Wings of Destiny,’ he made his presence felt as a co-writer of ‘Victim of Changes,’ among other songs. Had Atkins remained a member of Priest, surely the course of the band’s history

Maybe security didn’t recognize him as someone who had played with one of British rock’s most successful bands. Or maybe a clipboard-holding gatekeeper stopped him cold at the entrance and said in a monotone voice, “Sorry, you’re not on the list.” Whatever the reason, ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett resorted to an everyman move in December 2007 so he could enter London’s O2 Arena for a special

A year ago, Slash was in Texas rocking out with pop stars the Black Eyed Peas and Usher as part of the Super Bowl XLV halftime show. This past weekend, he was a good 2,000-plus miles away from Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis — and for good reason. The former Guns N’ Roses guitarist was in Los Angeles wrapping up his second solo studio album, which is slated for a May 22 release on Slash’s own Dik

At the start of the 1990s, young guitarist Jason Becker was riding high, having joined forces with ex-Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth to record what would become Roth’s third full-length solo album, 1991′s ‘A Little Ain’t Enough.’ But around the same time, Becker was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Now par

When Frank Zappa parted ways with Verve Records in 1968, he knew what was best for his career moving forward, and that was starting his own label.

Hard-core Black Sabbath fans know the significance of Tony Iommi‘s retired red 1965 Gibson SG guitar — easily identifiable by its cartoon monkey sticker — to the band’s catalog and touring history. As the reunited Sabbath moves forward with a new album and tour, Iommi will be armed with two new replicas of the trusty guitar made specifically for him by a craftsman in the band’s hometown of Birming

When Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh first sang the memorable ‘Truckin’ lyric “What a long, strange trip it’s been,” the Grateful Dead had only been together for about five years. Of course, the Dead’s rich musical journey continued for another 25 years, effectively ending with Garcia’s death on Aug. 9, 1995. This spring, Deadheads can look back on the band’s storied career in a new exhibit c

Throughout his career, George Harrison played a variety of guitars, among them a psychedelic-looking Fender Stratocaster, a “fireglo” Rickenbacker 360 12-string and a black Gretsch Duo Jet (which he considered to be his first real decent guitar). Those particular instruments — and many more — are part of a new Harrison guitar app for the iPad that will be available via the Apple iTunes store start

Two years ago, Leon Russell received some long overdue attention when he teamed up with Elton John for the album ‘The Union.’ Singer/pianist Dr. John is deserving of the same type of lovin’ from the masses, and Dan Auerbach of the red-hot duo the Black Keys is doing his part by producing the New Orleans legend’s new studio album, ‘Locked Down.’