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October 31, 2008
Current Status of Led Zeppelin May Have Fans Dazed And Confused
Back in the news again are our favorite on-again-off-again classic rock supergroup, Led Zeppelin. Although some devoted fans may feel ill when they hear that name in association with the group without the presence of late drummer John Bonham, Led Zeppelin is the name that everyone is still using to refer to these guys, and I’m certainly not going to start calling them something like “Chickenfoot.”
After the recent revelation that Aerosmith’s Steve Tyler had been jamming with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham, there were rumors of Tyler filling in for Plant on a Led Zeppelin tour. Frankly, I’m a little afraid to hear what those devoted Led Zeppelin fans might say if that came to pass. There have been reports of fan outrage being vented in various online forums regarding any tours hitting the road and using the name Led Zeppelin without Robert 
Plant planted in front of his microphone.
Veteran promoter Harvey Goldsmith seems to be in agreement with many fans and says he does not see the point of a Led Zeppelin tour without Robert Plant. “I doubt it will be called Led Zeppelin. I just think it’s a lot of talk, I think it’s wishful thinking. Whether they all come together and do something in the future, they may,” Goldsmith said.
Anyway, dedicated Zep fans may be able to breathe a little easier after it was announced that Tyler’s recent jam sessions with the boys in the U.K. was nothing serious. According to Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, who was heard on the syndicated Todd n Tyler Radio Empire, the sessions were just for fun.
Whitford also said the whole idea might have been an effort to “light a fire under Robert [Plant],” which is the same rumor we heard a while back when it was reported that some other singers had been auditioning for Plant’s spot on a possible Led Zeppelin tour. Hooking up with Tyler may have been an effort to bring the big guns to bear on Plant, since Whitford agreed when asked if Steven Tyler was one of the most intimidating singers that could have been brought in to help motivate Plant.
Recent comments from John Paul Jones suggest that he, Page and Bonham have been having a great time rehearsing, and are very anxious to get out and play. A comment by Robert Plant saying that he would not be ready to take part in a Led Zeppelin tour for at least two years does not make the reality of a Led Zeppelin tour, or as close as we’ll ever see to one, appear to be coming to a venue near you in the near future.
There’s happier news for Led Zeppelin fans whose album collection may be a bit lacking, and who also subscribe to Sirius or XM satellite radio. The recently-merged broadcasters are launching a brand-new Led Zeppelin channel tomorrow at 6:00 PM Eastern Time, which will feature all Zeppelin all the time until December 31. There are plans to play just about every songs from the group’s catalog as well as interviews with band members from the archives. The Led Zeppelin channel will occupy channel 12 on Sirius and channel 39 on XM.
June 26, 2008
Springsteen Extends Tour While Exclusive SIRIUS Channel Endures
Currently on tour in Europe, Bruce Springsteen, affectionately known as “The Boss” by his loyal fans, has decided to treat more of the stateside faithful to some additional tour dates when Springsteen and his E Street Band return.
Promoting their most recent album, Magic, the group’s current tour has so far grossed $84 million and packed in more than 800,000 fans. The new album has so far sold more than a million copies.
More good news for Springsteen fans comes from satellite radio broadcaster SIRIUS, which has recently announced that “E Street Radio” will continue to air until at least mid-2009. SIRIUS reports that fan demand had influenced their decision to continue with the commercial-free channel that features music, interviews and news exclusively devoted to Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band.
Upon their return to the United States, the group has the following dates on their tour agenda:
July 27-28, 31 – East Rutherford, NJ – Giants Stadium
August 2 -Foxboro, MA – Gillette Stadium
August 15 – Jacksonville, FL – Veterans Memorial Coliseum
August 16 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Coliseum
August 18 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Coliseum
August 19 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
August 21 – Nashville, TN – Sommet Center
August 23 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center
August 24 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
August 30 – Milwaukee, WI – Harley Davidson 105th Anniversary Festival
March 17, 2008
‘Rolling Stones Radio’ Returns To SIRIUS
Just in time to celebrate the release of Martin Scorsese’s new film featuring the Rolling Stones, SIRIUS Satellite Radio is brining “Rolling Stones Radio” back on the air for a month.
Readers may be aware that I have been a fan of SIRIUS ever since I 
discovered it being carried on my Dish Network programming package a few years ago. The lack of commercials that plague terrestrial radio endlessly was the main reason I enjoyed listening to SIRIUS.
The new Scorsese film, Shine A Light, will open in “selected cities” on April 4, while “Rolling Stones Radio” will come to life on SIRIUS channel 12 tomorrow, March 18 with a scheduled end date of April 15.
“Rolling Stones Radio” last aired on SIRIUS during 2005 when the Rolling Stones released their album, A Bigger Bang.
Although SIRIUS has announced plans to keep “Rolling Stones Radio” on the air for about a month, there is the possibility that it could enjoy a longer life if there is enough demand for the channel. SIRIUS recently extended the life of the “E Street Radio,” a station dedicated to the music of Bruce Springsteen And the E Street Band.
March 3, 2008
E Street Radio To Continue on SIRIUS
Fans of “The Boss” who are also subscribers to SIRIUS satellite radio have something to celebrate. The satellite radio broadcaster has decided to continue the “E Street Radio” channel through the end of May.
As fans might recall, SIRIUS had originally planned to continue the 
channel until the end of March, but has now decided to extend its life for a few more months.
To celebrate the new lease on life given to the channel that features his music, Bruce Springsteen sat down for an interview with rock critic and historian Dave Marsh to talk about the next leg of is “Magic” tour, the songs from the album and a little bit of presidential politics to boot.
SIRIUS Channel 10, which currently carries “E Street Radio” features non-stop Springsteen fare, including rare concert recordings from throughout the legendary rocker’s career as well as interviews with “The Boss,” his E Street Band mates and other Springsteen insiders.
