The Who’s Roger Daltrey has endorsed Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice’s recent assertion that his band created heavy metal music. Speaking to Rolling Stone, Daltrey declared “We were the first heavy metal band” and credited guitarist Pete Townshend with pioneering extreme stage performances and amplifier volumes that influenced later artists. Daltrey noted that Jim Marshall specifically invented the 4×12, 100-watt amplifier stack for Townshend, while Jimi Hendrix’s famous guitar-smashing style was “basically copied from Pete Townshend.” Townshend previously stated they “sort of invented heavy metal” with their 1970 Live At Leeds album. Paice had praised The Who as pioneers who “changed everything for kids who wanted to do something a little more violently,” citing Townshend’s stage presence and the band’s aggressive sound. Story URL
Jack White has launched his debut public art exhibition at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery in London. The show, titled “THESE THOUGHTS MAY DISAPPEAR,” runs until September 13 and features sculptures made from found objects, interactive installations, and furniture designs. White recreated his 2015 piece “The Red Tree,” transforming a decaying tree into striking artwork. The Detroit-born musician, who opened Third Man Upholstery in 1996, draws inspiration from mid-century modern design. “People don’t know this side of me,” White told Wallpaper magazine. “I want them to see that this came from a passionate place.” Hirst invited White to exhibit after they met during the opening of Third Man Records’ British headquarters. White admitted, “No one had ever really invited or encouraged me [to exhibit my art], so I never really sought it out.” Story URL
Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil shares the devastating moment he discovered Chris Cornell’s death in his upcoming autobiography A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond, releasing June 9th. Hours after performing at Detroit’s Fox Theatre on May 17, 2017, Thayil was traveling to Columbus when drummer Matt Cameron called with disturbing news. “Kim, I’m reading a lot of weird sh-t on the internet,” Cameron said. “Somebody posted ‘RIP: Chris Cornell’ on my Facebook page.” Initially believing it was an internet hoax, the band soon learned Cornell had died by suicide. “I didn’t see it coming,” Thayil writes, expressing regret about missing potential warning signs. “The thing that hurts me the most is to be a close friend and colleague and not to have read things that perhaps, in retrospect, I should have read.” Story URL
Paul McCartney admitted The Beatles were “the greatest band ever” during a TikTok livestream promoting his new album ‘The Boys Of Dungeon Lane.’ For years, he downplayed their impact, previously crediting The Everly Brothers as the greatest. McCartney revealed the band expected to last no more than five years, not decades of influence across generations. Story URL