Billy Idol received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday (January 6th). Fellow punk legend Henry Rollins and renowned visual artist Shepard Fairey delivered speeches to honor the legendary rocker. Rollins spoke first, praising Idol for his work as lead singer of the UK punk band Generation X, as well as his multi-platinum solo career. “Billy Idol has rock ‘n’ roll in his veins, and punk rock in his DNA,” said the one-time Black Flag singer. “He’s the real thing, and maybe that’s why we’re here today, ’cause decade after decade he has remained himself. And it takes a lot of guts and a lot of integrity.” Fairey spoke next, mentioning how he worshiped Idol after first seeing the “White Wedding” music video on MTV. “I was in love,” said the artist. “I wanted to be Billy Idol. Billy w...
Happy birthday, Joe Strummer! The Clash frontman would have turned 68 today, August 21st, and some of the biggest names in entertainment came together to celebrate with a gargantuan livestream tribute. It included Bruce Springsteen, Bob Weir, Lucinda Williams, Jeff Tweedy, Josh Homme, and more, all while raising money for struggling live music venues. While the list of contributors is as starry as they come, “A Song for Joe: Celebrating the Life of Joe Strummer” placed the late icon front and center. It opened with Strummer’s voice offering a definition for himself: “Punk rock warlord, with warlord being one word.” Over a montage of dramatic photographs, the great songwriter explained how the music itself is separate from the intention. He said, “Music is not the point. What matters is how...
Earlier this year, Gang of Four co-founder and guitarist Andy Gill passed away at the age of 64. Now, the band’s remaining members are prepping to release a new EP called Anti Hero, featuring a song co-written by Gill prior to his death. The track in question is called “Forever Starts Now” and was penned while Gang of Four were working on their 2019 album, Happy Now. “We’d always seen something great in the track, been excited by it, and would bring up the fact we needed to finish it after a glass of wine or midway through a game of pool on tour,” frontman John Sterry told Rolling Stone. “Life kept intervening like that and then, of course, the opposite of life, so we never did get to the final mix.” According to Sterry, the single is about a character who uses love “to exert control ...