Top 11 of 11

This Thanksgiving weekend we are looking back at the top 11 stories from each month of the Day in Rock in 2011

January

Steven Tyler Rejected Led Zeppelin Offer

(hennemusic) Aerosmith's Steven Tyler not only jammed with Led Zeppelin following that band's celebrated 2007 reunion, but was asked by Jimmy Page to write a record with them and he turned the offer down.

Tyler dropped the Zeppelin bombshell on Howard Stern's show early Tuesday morning, while making the media rounds in NYC to promote American Idol's launch Wednesday night.

Tyler told Stern, "When I looked Jimmy in the eyes and it came time to...'you wanna write a record with me?' I went, 'No'" - Find out why

Gerry Rafferty RIP

(hennemusic) Singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, best known for songs like "Baker Street" and "Stuck In The Middle With You," has died after a long battle with liver disease. He was 63.

Rafferty passed away at his Dorest, UK home peacefully early Tuesday morning, with his daughter Martha by his side.

The British newspaper The Guardian notes that Gerry played with Billy Connolly's folk outfit the Humblebums, and co-founded the soft-rock group Stealers Wheel, before enjoying a successful solo career. - more on this story

Y&T's Phil Kennemore Loses Cancer Fight

Y&T bassist Phil Kennemore has died of lung cancer just a week after a high-profile concert to raise funds for his ongoing treatment. He was 57.

The classic rock artist revealed he was fighting the disease in October, when he vowed to win the battle, saying: "The cancer is treatable and I'll be walking out of this hospital in three to four weeks. I'll be able to go on the road and continue my rock'n'roll life in due time. I'll be back with you soon."

In October he told of his astonishment and gratitude after a Japanese fan sold his guitar and donated the money to the cancer fund. The board of the Ronnie James Dio Cancer Fund were among a number of music industry bodies who also helped. On New Year's Night members of Queensryche, Heaven and Hell, Dokken and Ratt gathered to perform a benefit concert at the Avalon in Santa Clara, California. -

Ronnie James Dio Didn't Have To Die

Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell singer Ronnie James Dio would still be alive today if he'd had a medical check-up while his bandmates had theirs, says friend and bandmate Geezer Butler.

Dio died of cancer in May last year after a six-month battle against the disease. But Butler says the frontman had stage-four stomach cancer by the time it was discovered – and it was already too late for him.

The bassist tells Noisecreep: "By the time Ronnie was diagnosed it was inoperable. The doctor hinted it was just a matter of time and there was nothing they could do. They said if he'd gone in for a check-up a year or two earlier they could have treated him." -

Arctic Monkeys Begin New Album

(Gibson) Arctic Monkeys have begun work on their fourth album, which will be produced by James Ford. NME.com reports that the sessions began in late 2010 in London and are continuing now in Los Angeles.

Frontman Alex Turner and the band are hoping the put out the record in late spring of this year. The album, as yet untitled, will be the Sheffield foursome's follow-up to 2009's Humbug, which was a co-production between Ford and Josh Homme. Ford also worked on the Monkeys' second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, as well as Klaxons' Myths of the Near Future and Florence and the Machine's Lungs.

Expect Arctic Monkeys to tour in 2011, too. The band have already confirmed a headlining slot at Ireland's Oxegen Festival in July and are expected to participate in V Festival and other U.K. shows - more on this story

Roger Daltrey Cancer Scare

(Gibson) In an interview with CBS Los Angeles, Who frontman Roger Daltrey revealed that, just before the band were set to play at the Super Bowl last year, he came face to face with his own mortality. "Suddenly my voice wasn't behaving in a normal way. It was becoming hard work to sing," Daltrey recalled.

Daltrey sought out the care of Dr. Steven Zeitels, Director of the Mass General Voice Center and professor at Harvard Medical School. Zeitels had previously treated such high-profile patients as Steven Tyler and Julie Andrews.

"When he came in, said Zeitels, "there were changes that were the typical ones we would see, but then there were other changes on his vocal chords – evidence of pre-cancerous dysplasia. It could have been cancer."

Daltrey was scheduled for surgery and underwent the knife the week before Christmas. "I got depressed after surgery, during what I call the big silence, that's when I realized what it would be like to not have a voice," Daltrey said. "I had two weeks of silence. Silence and no drinking. How's that for a good Christmas. So, you know, it was the strangest Christmas I've ever had." - Fortunately for Daltrey, the problem was not cancer

Don Kirshner RIP

(Gibson) Don Kirshner, the '60s music publisher behind the music of The Monkees and many others, died on Monday of heart failure. He was 76.

Kirshner discovered Bobby Darin in the '50s and began Aldon Music with Al Nevins, creating a veritable songwriting factory in the Brill Building in New York City. Kirshner's writers included Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.

He used many of those writers to provide the hit music for the TV show The Monkees. Time magazine called him, "The Man with the Golden Ear." - more on this story

Linkin Park's Chester Bennington Suffers Stupid Injuries

(Gibson) Although Linkin Park are set to begin their first North American tour on Thursday (January 20) in Sunrise, Florida, lead singer Chester Bennington says he's not as prepared for this trek as others in the past. The frontman says that he's been hindered by some "stupid" injuries.

"I tore a ligament in my left hand last year, playing basketball at Chuck E. Cheese, which is like a pizza place for kids," he said. "I injured my back a few years ago, that's been acting up. The last show in Australia, I bent over to pack my bags and I tore a little bit of my back again."

But the Linkin Park singer said his ailments won't stop him from putting on a show. "That's not gonna prevent me from going out and shredding on this tour," he said. "I'm gonna go out and it's gonna be like nothing happened." -

Bret Michaels Heart Surgery A Success

(hennemusic) Officials at a Phoenix hospital say rocker Bret Michaels' surgery to close a hole in his heart was successful.

The AP reports a surgical team at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix performed the procedure Monday.

A hospital spokeswoman says Michaels is recuperating and remains in the hospital's intensive care unit for observation. - more on this story

Big Audio Dynamite Reunite

(Gibson) Mick Jones, most famous for his time as guitarist for rock legends The Clash, is reuniting the members of his post-Clash outfit, Big Audio Dynamite.

All members of the band's original lineup are taking part, including Jones, Don Letts, Greg Roberts, Leo "E-Zee-Kill" Williams and Dan Donovan.

The reformed group will perform U.K. dates in March and April, followed by a high-profile appearance at the Coachella Festival in California. - more on this story

Jimmy Buffett Hospitalized For Stage Fall

(Gibson) Jimmy Buffett has been hospitalized, following an incident on Wednesday (January 26) in which he fell from the stage during a concert in Australia.

Rolling Stone.com reports that the performer was playing "Lovely Cruise" during his encore in Sydney when he fell into a gap between the stage and the crowd.

Audience members have said that Buffett was walking along the edge of the stage when a flash of light went off, causing the disoriented singer to fall. According to reports, he was unconscious for five to 10 minutes and suffered a gash on his head from hitting a piece of metal. - more on this story

February

The White Stripes Break Up

Meg and Jack White had bad news for fans of The White Stripes on Wednesday: they have decided to break up. Here is the what they had to say:

The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011, Their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live.

The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health. - more on this story

Deftones Fans Riot

(Rock News Desk) Deftones fans rioted in Bangkok, Thailand, last night after the band were forced to cancel a show at the city's Thunderdome Arena.

The event was already running 90 minutes late by the time the waiting crowd were told to go home. Hundreds of angry gigglers began throwing bottles, breaking windows and setting fire to beer tents.

Deftones have apologized for the call-off, stating: "Local power issues threatened the safety of the band and fans. We're sorry to those who were inconvenienced and hope to return to Thailand in the near future." - more on this story

Slayer's Tom Araya Rushed To The Hospital

(Rock News Desk) Slayer frontman Tom Araya was rushed to hospital in Australia on Saturday night after the band's first concert with stand-in guitarist Gary Holt.

The thrash giants decided to leave axeman Jeff Hanneman at home to recover from flesh-eating bug necrotising fasciitis, because they'd already cancelled dozens of shows during 2009 and 2010 due to Araya's back problems.

But they managed just one show of their Australian tour – in Brisbane, on the first night of the touring Soundwave festival – before Araya required medical attention once again. Festival organisers say Araya contracted a severe ear infection, which they hope will clear up in a few days. It's not known whether the band will be able to appear at the three remaining shows of the tour. - more on this story

Bandmates Not Invited To Gary Moore's Funeral

(Rock News Desk) Gary Moore was buried on Wednesday following a private ceremony attended by his family and none of his celebrity friends were told about the arrangements.

Thin Lizzy bandmate Scott Gorham has said he wasn't informed about the Brighton funeral, but he'll visit Moore's grave in the near future.

The Irish rock and blues icon died suddenly on holiday in Spain earlier this month. His children paid tribute at the service, with son Jack playing an emotional guitar version of the folk song Danny Boy. - more on this story

Duff Confirms Corey Taylor Velvet Revolver Rumor

(hennemusic) Well, Slash has done it, so Duff might as well, too. In a new interview with the Artisan News Service, Duff played a little coy on the subject, saying, "We'll see."

Duff then went on to explain further. "Here's the deal: Because of Twitter and other web sites over the last, whatever, eight years, especially in the last [couple of years], you can't say anything; it's instant. And somebody will tweet something and then people will read it, and then, all of a sudden, we're talking about this. So I understand it, I've been part of it."

"I'll go with Corey Taylor's line that was genius, like, a week ago or whatever. I can neither confirm nor deny that Corey Taylor is in Velvet Revolver. - more on this story

AC/DC Taking The Year Off

(Rock News Desk) AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson says that despite what some people may think, touring the world for two years is hard work – and that's why the band aren't making any plans for the future.

The Aussie giants are set to release a live DVD in the coming weeks, but asides from that Johnson's looking forward to taking the rest of the year off and indulging his hobby of driving classic cars at race meetings.

The band's status may endure turmoil after drummer Phil Rudd was found guilty of drug possession last year, because many of the places they play won't allow people with such convictions to enter the country. - more on this story

Black Country Communion Hit By Studio Fire

(Rock News Desk) Glenn Hughes is delighted that a fire in producer Kevin Shirley's Malibu studio didn't stop Black Country Communion complete recording work on their second album.

The blaze broke out in Shirley's Cave establishment, where he's worked with the likes of Deep Purple, Iron Maiden and Journey. The producer says: "I opened up this morning to thick, acrid smoke and a sideboard aflame. Miraculously there were no guitars lost, no masters affected and the studio is smelly but otherwise okay.

"We lost some furniture and need a big clean-up, but this is what's known as 'dodging a bullet'. Along with a baby rattlesnake outside the studio door last night, I think it's just too much energy in the Black Country Communion stuff." - more on this story

The Who's Roger Daltrey Talks Retirement

(Gibson) The Who's veteran frontman Roger Daltrey is gearing up for his performance of Tommy for the Teenage Cancer Trust concert series at London's Royal Albert Hall next month.

According to Music-news.com, Daltrey doesn't think he'll be performing for much longer: "I've probably got two or three years left to do that kind of music and I want to make the most of it, because again I've been given a gift, use it, use it or lose it, so I'm going to do Tommy at the Albert Hall.

"I'll start painting then. I do a bit of daubing in my spare time, but I know that when I start that seriously it's going to have to be serious, there won't be room for anything else." - more on this story

Metallica's Lost Sessions To Remain Lost

Lars Ulrich has ended speculation that Metallica would use some of their "lost" recordings from their sessions at the Presidio a decade ago, on their new recording project.

BW&BK reports that Ulrich said that the band bypassed the Presidio recording on their last studio album and have no desire to "wade through" it for their current project.

Says Ulrich, "There's certainly no plans right now. The Presidio was a real awkward time as we were kind of getting our feet wet again and when we were doing the whole Death Magnetic stuff, we didn't go back and wade through hours and hours of Presidio stuff to try and see what could be resurrected." - Read the BW&BK report here

Dimebag's Murder Helped Bring Big Four Together?

(Gibson) Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine was recently interviewed about the upcoming Big Four performances by Noisecreep. The guitarist was asked why, so far, there's only been one U.S. Big Four show scheduled (April 23 in Indio, California). "That, I don't know," he said. "But I do know this – and it's not me speaking on behalf of any of the Big Four collectively or individually – it started off as one date before, and then it ended up being several. So I would say for people that pray, do so. For people that don't, start."

Mustaine goes on to say that he feels responsible for keeping apart the bands in the Big Four (who also include Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax). "I think a lot of it was contingent on me, because [in the '80s and '90s] I was going through a lot of personal stuff that really put an unnecessary wall between all of us," he said. "A lot of it has been publicized, a lot of it wasn't. Most of it was the much heralded and worn stories of drugs and alcoholism."

Mustaine also said the bad blood stemmed from his use of black magic and witchcraft, which he had gotten into when he was young. It was the death of a fellow metal guitarist that changed his life. "I had practiced black magic and was friends with Satan, so those things kind of happen when you make bad choices," he said. "And once I started looking at things differently – once [Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott] had been murdered, unfortunately – it helped me put things in perspective between all of us in the Big Four. - more on this story

Rod Stewart Plans Tour With Stevie Nicks and Album With Jeff Beck

(Gibson) Rod Stewart is currently preparing himself for two major projects this year: A tour with Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and a new album with old pal Jeff Beck.

Stewart and Nicks will sing together during the shows on their upcoming tour. Nicks may be used to plenty of rehearsals, but not the more "ad hoc" Stewart, who told Rolling Stone, "In the Faces, we never rehearsed. I always like there to be the element of risk in any show. When things go wrong, I love it. We'll have to meet in the middle."

Stewart and Nicks' Heart & Soul Tour begins March 20 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and wraps up on April 16 in Hollywood. - more on this story

March

Alice In Chains Mike Starr Found Dead

(Rock News Desk) Former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr has been found dead in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was 44.

Starr was arrested three weeks ago by Utah police after a van he was travelling in was stopped for a traffic violation. The driver was found to have a suspended licence and Starr, who was seen popping pills as officers approached, was led off in handcuffs.

Police say they were called to a Salt Lake City residence yesterday afternoon, where they found the musician's body. A cause of death has not been revealed although investigators do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances - more on this story

Pantera Manager Smashes Reunion Hopes

(Rock News Desk) The surviving members of Pantera will never play together again, the band's manager has stated. Rumors have been circulating about the possibility of a one-off appearance by Phil Anselmo, Vinnie Paul and Rex Brown – with Black Label Society mainman Zakk Wylde playing guitar in place of Dimebag Darrell Abbott, who was shot dead on stage in 2004.

The Metal Den recently stated Paul was potentially interested in a memorial show, quoting a source who said: "If it does happen, it will be for only one show." But now band manager Kimberly Zide-Davis has shot down all the talk, stating: "There is never going to be a Pantera reunion show.

"The Metal Den posted a story that claims someone from Vinnie Paul's camp is the source. The story is a complete fabrication. There is no truth to the story. Without Dimebag there is no Pantera." - more on this story

Sum 41 Cancel Dates Following Singer's Hospitalization

(Gibson) Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley is being treated for severe pneumonia in a hospital in Sydney, Australia, the band has reported.

Whibley's illness has forced the group to cancel or postpone an indefinite number of shows. A statement on Sum 41's website reads: "We regret to inform everyone that we have had to cancel a few shows due to Deryck Whibley being hospitalized with severe pneumonia. Deryck is currently being treated in a Sydney hospital. Doctors are doing their best to beat the pneumonia and Deryck will remain in Sydney until he has recovered. As soon as Deryck is out of the hospital, the band will return back to the stage performing their Screaming Bloody Murder world tour with the usual high energy kick ass shows."

Whibley's illness marks the second instance in which the singer has been hospitalized for treatment in recent months. Last August, Whibley suffered a slipped disc after being attacked by three American men in a bar in Japan. -

Slipknot Reunite With Original Member

(Rock AAA) Slipknot have announced that original member Donnie Steele will take the stage with the band this summer in place of the late Paul Gray. The move was announced in a statement on their official website:

"For their upcoming shows in 2011, Slipknot has asked Donnie Steele to fill in for Paul Gray on bass. Donnie, as some may recall, was the original guitar player in Slipknot and had actually reconnected with Paul in recent years. Said the band on their decision,

"Donnie was in the band at the very beginning, and rather than get an outsider, we thought it would be a fitting tribute to Paul to play with someone from within the family. Donnie was great friends with Paul and we can't think of a better way to celebrate his memory than with someone who was there with us at the very beginning. -

Former Iron Maiden Singer Paul Di'Anno Jailed

(Rock News Desk) Former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno has been jailed for nine months after admitting he falsely claimed £45,479 in incapacity benefit.

He'll spend at least four and a half months behind bars before being eligible for conditional bail.

Di'Anno, 52, real name Paul Andrews, was last month found guilty of claiming money in a total of eight offences committed between 2002 and 2008, and told at the time to expect a custodial sentence. He was found out when investigators saw video clips of him leaping around during stage shows, at a time when he'd said nerve damage meant he couldn't work. - more on this story

Trap Them Singer Kicks Heckler

(Metal Injection) During a recent stop in Baltimore, MD, Trap Them vocalist Ryan McKenney was forced to intervene when a heckler starting abusing the band and the crowd.

Issues arose when the heckler started pushing and abusing fellow concert-goers leading McKenney to kick the man in the upper chest, knocking him to the side of the stage.

At the conclusion of the band's performance of a new song, Scars Align, McKenney had enough asking the fan: "Do you even like us or are you just trying to f*** with us."

The entire incident was shot by Metal Injection and can be see - here

Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson Collaborations To Be Released

(Gibson) Three 1983 tracks featuring Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury of Queen are set to be released for the first time. NME.com reports that one of the tracks is a demo for the Jackson/Jagger collaboration, "State of Shock," which was released in 1984.

The two other Jackson and Mercury songs are "Victory" and "Must Be More to Life Than This." No release date has been set, but Queen's Roger Taylor has said they will definitely be available soon.

"We are now working on some never-before-released songs that Freddie made with Michael in the early '80s. I'm not allowed to say too much about it, but they sound incredible." -

Dinosaur Jr Reunion

(Gibson) Sebadoh singer/guitarist Lou Barlow says he plans to tour and record again with J Mascis as Dinosaur Jr.

The Sub Pop label is releasing a double-disc expanded version of Sebadoh's 1994 album Bakesale in June, and Barlow will also reunite with former Dinosaur Jr. bandmate Mascis for a series of shows to play 1998's Dinosaur record, Bug. "We'll do that for a month, and then I'm going to continue to do Sebadoh after that. Then at the end of the year, there's talk of getting back together and starting to piece together a new Dinosaur record," Barlow told Rolling Stone.

"I'm not going to work for two months and just write songs, and see what I come up with. Hopefully, that will be fodder for a Dinosaur Jr. record, maybe a Sebadoh record, and maybe a solo record, too." - more on this story

Iron Maiden Show Halted After Barricade Collapse

(hennemusic) Safety first. That's the idea behind Iron Maiden's move to cancel a gig in Rio Sunday night when a barricade at the front of the stage collapsed due to a surging crowd of enthusiastic fans.

Terra reports the incident happened during the first song of the band's set at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Opening with "Satellite 15...The Final Frontier," Maiden's lead singer, Bruce Dickinson, noticed the barrier separating the fans from the stage broke and the crowd had rushed forward towards the members of the group.

Dickinson urged the crowd to take it easy. "Hey guys, please calm down. Everyone, take a step backward. The fence broke and it's dangerous. We do not want anyone to get hurt," he announced. A 10-minute delay to fix the barricade became 20, before Dickinson then returned to the stage to update fans. "The fence is completely broken. We do not want anyone to get hurt," he said, advising fans to pick up a bracelet before leaving the venue giving them access to tomorrow night's show." - more on this story

Former AC/DC Members Team for Bon Scott Tribute

(hennemusic) AC/DC's founding bass player Mark Evans and one-time drummer Simon Wright will team up for a series of Bon Scott Tribute Shows to be announced soon, reports Australia's Undercover.fm.

Evans was AC/DC's bass player through the band's early years with Bon Scott, from the first album up to, and including, 1977's "Let There Be Rock."

Wright joined the band in the 80s and played on "Fly On The Wall" (1985), "Who Made Who" (1986), and "Blow Up Your Video" (1988). - more on this story

Paramore Recording New Album

(Rock AAA) Losing a lead guitarist and drummer would for most bands mean a delay in recording. Not for Paramore, however. They newly restructured trio have entered the studio to record their fourth album.

Taylor York, the band's remaining guitarist, tweeted recently: ""Good afternoon (or whatever time of day it is wherever you may be). Day number 2 of recording. Super stoked. Sounding good! Yeahyeahyeahyeah."

York is also laying down the drums for this album. Singer Hayley Williams tweeted, "He never told us how great he was!" -

April

Kings of Leon Brothers Tried To Stab Each Other?

(Gibson) Stephen Mitchell considers himself Kings of Leon's #1 fan. As such, he's been filming the band for a decade, steadily putting together footage for the upcoming documentary Talihina Sky – about to make its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival. The director recently spoke to Spinner.com about the members' sometimes violent relationship (three of them are brothers, after all).

"[Nathan and Caleb Followill] have notoriously gone at each other over the years," he said. "They've had knockout – I mean broken shoulders, pulled hair, trying to stab each other. Those two are like twins almost. They're so close but they're too close, if that makes sense."

The movie follows the Kings from their first show in a garage to playing to enormous crowds at giant festivals, following the release of their 2008 breakthrough Only by the Night. Since Mitchell has been to so many of the band's shows, which one does he think was the best? - more on this story

KK Downing Quits Judas Priest

(Rock AAA) In a shock announcement Judas Priest have announced the retirement of original guitarist KK Downing just weeks ahead of their farewell "Epitaph Tour" which kicks off in Tilburg, Holland on June 3

Downing was part of the classic Priest line-up and combined with fellow axeman Glenn Tipton to create the band's legendary twin guitar attack. Downing's departure was announced in a statement released today (April 20) via the bands official website "Having thought long and hard about how to proceed, Rob, Glenn, Ian and Scott unanimously agreed that they should go ahead with the tour and not let the fans down all around the world.

"Fate has also stepped in and delivered the perfect replacement – 31 year old British guitar player Richie Faulkner – he has blended perfectly into the band and is a great talent who is going to help set the stage on fire." -

TV on the Radio's Gerard Smith Dead at 36

(Gibson) Gerard Smith, bass player for who played bass for the Brooklyn band TV On The Radio, died yesterday(April 20) from lung cancer.

The band's website announced the news: "We are very sad to announce the death of our beloved friend and bandmate, Gerard Smith, following a courageous fight against lung cancer. Gerard passed away the morning of April 20th, 2011. We will miss him terribly."

Gerard Smith had been with TV On The Radio since 2005 and played on their most recent release Nine Types of Light. Smith had not been on the road with the band, who were touring in support of the album, so he could be treated for his condition. - more on this story

Bill Wyman Records With The Rolling Stones Once Again

(Gibson) Bill Wyman has definitely reunited with The Rolling Stones for a new tribute album. The bassist, who left The Stones in 1992, has teamed up with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood to record a version of Bob Dylan's "Watching the River Flow" on a new charity album, Boogie 4 Stu, in tribute to the band's late co-founder Ian Stewart.

As previous reported by Gibson.com, the album is helmed by pianist Ben Waters, with all proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation. Jools Holland and Polly Harvey also reportedly play on the album, which is produced by Glyn Johns. The five Stones did not, however, physically get together in the studio for the track: each layed down their parts in separate studios around the world.

As reported on Music-News.com, a band source explained: "Charlie and Ronnie were already playing on the album and then Keith recorded his parts in New York, including 'Watching the River Flow." This was e-mailed back to Mick in France and he sent it back with a vocal and harmonica track. Bill also put the bassline on." - more on this story

Slipknot's Paul Gray Agreed To Seek Treatment Day Before Fatal Overdose

(Rock News Desk) (Rock News Desk) Slipknot bassist Paul Gray's widow has told of her desperate attempts to save him – even though she only discovered he was using drugs again the day before he died.

Gray, who would have celebrated his 39th birthday this week, was found dead in an Iowa hotel room last May following an accidental overdose. And his wife Brenna, who was pregnant at the time, says she'd saved him from death once in the past – but couldn't manage it a second time.

"One Saturday I realised what was going on when I found things at home – then he passed away that Sunday. So I really had no time to make a move," She tells Revolver. "On the Saturday I said, 'Hey, we need to do something. We need to fix this.' He agreed . He was getting ready to go out on tour with Hail and he said, 'I'll go get help after this tour.' But I said, 'You're not going.' I called his manager and told him to cancel. But I think it was a little too late." - more on this story

Fan Injures Bret Michaels

(hennemusic) Strange story this week about a new health issue facing Poison singer Bret Michaels. As if Bret hasn't been through enough in the past year, Michaels is now dealing with the effects of a corneal ulcer due to an infection in his eye.

Michaels tells the Birmingham News that his eye problem began after fans accidentally hit him with a glass during an impromptu nightclub appearance in Panama City, Fla., during spring break.

Although he wasn't scheduled to perform at Club LaVela, Michaels said he agreed to "go in and give them a free show, three or four songs." All went well until Michaels began to walk out of the venue. "Someone said, 'Bret, you rock!,' and this glass filled with vodka and Red Bull fell on my head, and something in the glass scratched my eye," Michaels said. "It was this comedy of errors that I survived through." - more on this story

Sabbath, Maiden, Metallica, Purple Supergroup Set US Release

(Gibson) WhoCares, the musical project featuring current and former members of metal and hard rock gods Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden and Metallica, will release their debut single in North America this June.

According to Black-Sabbath.com, "Out of My Mind"/"Holy Water" will be available in the States on CD single on June 27. Proceeds will be donated to help rebuild a music school in Gyumri, Armenia.

"Out of My Mind" features a who's who of metal giants, including singer Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), guitarists Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) and Mikko "Linde" Lindström (HIM), bassist Jason Newsted (Metallica, Voivod), drummer Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) and keyboardist Jon Lord (Deep Purple). As such, it is a reunion of sorts on multiple fronts. Gillan fronted Black Sabbath for the Born Again album in the early '80s. Gillan is also reunited with founding Deep Purple member Jon Lord, who retired from the band in 2002. "Holy Water" also features Gillan and Iommi, though with a different supporting cast.

As previously announced, the single will be released in Europe on May 24 and available for digital download on May 6. - more on this story

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry Did Drugs Again

(Rock News Desk) (Rock News Desk) Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler says the band's shambolic attempt to make an album in 2008 collapsed because he and guitarist Joe Perry started using drugs again. But the frontman says the situation threw up a terrible contrast: the once-celebrated Toxic Twins rekindled their friendship while they were high – but they couldn't work as a band while they partied.

The Boston giants' recent history is littered with near disaster. In 2009 Tyler fell off stage while under the influence of drugs, breaking his shoulder and forcing the band to cancel their tour with ZZ Top. Months later he announced he wanted to concentrate on his solo career, and his bandmates set about finding a replacement.

At the end of the year Tyler crashed a Perry solo show and told the crowd he wasn't leaving Aerosmith. Months later the band settled their differences and hit the road again, with both Toxic Twins saying the situation had got out of hand, and hadn't needed much conversation to repair. - more on this story

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and David Gilmour To Reunite

(Gibson) Roger Waters has confirmed he is likely to be joined on stage by former Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour on his tour of The Wall – but only for one gig. Waters and Gilmour have had a fractious relationship for many years, but did play together in Pink Floyd at 2005's Live 8 charity show. There now seems to be another chance to see them share a stage.

"I hear the rumors," Waters says. "I think it's beginning to look now as if he'll do one gig, he'll do "Comfortably Numb" at one gig. It's a big secret when. Live 8 was the big one when Rick [Wright] was still alive – it was very moving."

Speaking to Sky News, Waters also rebuffed that he and Gilmour's battle over Pink Floyd ever got over-serious. "We didn't go to court – all that was crap – we never went near a court ever. When we split up, David and Nick [Mason, drums] ended up with the name and I ended up with The Wall and everything to do with it and a few quid." - more on this story

Evanescence Begin New Album

(Gibson) Five years after the release of their sophomore album, The Open Door, Evanescence are heading back into the studio.

Amy Lee and company will begin recording their third album on April 11, according to Blabbermouth, with Foo Fighters producer Nick Raskulinecz at the helm. Most recently, Raskulinecz recorded with Rush on the Canadian power trio's upcoming Clockwork Angels album.

Lee told Blabbermouth, "We can't wait to show everyone what we've been working on. We've written more than an album of songs. We've been finding ourselves, reinventing our sound, experimenting with things we've never done before – and at the same time embracing the things we love most about Evanescence. This journey has made us the strongest we've ever been as a band, and I am in love with the music. Nick Rasculinecz is the perfect fit for this record, and we are all very excited to get into the studio together. - more on this story

Vince Neil Charged With Domestic Violence

(hennemusic) (hennemusic) Vince Neil has been charged with domestic violence and disorderly conduct a few days after Las Vegas police recommended that charges be brought against the Motley Crue frontman for his alleged altercation with ex-girlfriend Alicia Jacobs.

TMZ reports that, according to court documents filed last week in Clark County, Nevada, Neil committed a crime by, "forcing his way into the Shimmer lounge [at the Las Vegas Hilton] while a performance was occurring" and poked three people with his right index finger, each time stating the words, "f**k you."

One of the alleged poke victims is Jacobs, who told police she was "forcefully poked in her right shoulder blade." The other two pokees are local journalist John Katsilometes and Patricia McCrone, Wayne Newton's sister-in-law. - more on this story