Sharon Osbourne announced that Ozzfest will return next year after nearly a decade-long break, revealing that her late husband Ozzy Osbourne supported the festival’s continuation before his death. “Yeah, we’re gonna do it,” Osbourne disclosed at the MIDEM 2026 conference in Cannes, France last month. The last Ozzfest occurred in 2018 at Los Angeles’ Forum, just one month before Ozzy became ill. Osbourne recalled conversations with her husband about the festival’s future: “Do you think Ozzfest would work without me?” he asked. “Yeah, it’s a brand. It will work without you,” she replied. Ozzy responded, “We should do it.” The revived festival will expand as a touring production while maintaining its heavy metal and hard rock focus, possibly adding more diverse genres to the lineup. Ozzy died on July 22 from cardiac arrest and coronary artery disease weeks after performing a final hometown reunion show with Black Sabbath at Birmingham’s Villa Park. (Rolling Stone)
On Tuesday (March 3), Twisted Sister made the announcement that Sebastian Bach will front the band for select fall 2026 dates after singer Dee Snider recently retired from touring due to health challenges. Original members Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda will join the former Skid Row vocalist for the limited run of shows. The band scrapped their planned 50th anniversary reunion tour following Snider’s resignation. “Twisted Sister members Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda are thrilled to announce that iconic vocalist and front man Sebastian Bach will be fronting the band for a handful of select dates this fall,” the group stated. They emphasized the shows won’t conflict with Bach’s solo touring schedule, which remains intact. No specific tour dates have been announced yet, with details expected in coming weeks. Bach is currently performing his own North American headlining tour through early April. (Consequence of Sound)
Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan believes rock music was intentionally reduced in mainstream culture starting in the late 1990s. Speaking on a new episode of his podcast, The Magnificent Others, with guest Conrad Flynn, Corgan claimed, “I think that rock has been purposely dialed down in the culture.” He referenced personally witnessing changes at MTV in 1997-1998, stating “suddenly they decided rock was out when rock was still very, very high up in the thing. And it was replaced by rap.” Corgan noted standards shifted to allow previously prohibited content in music videos, adding “People were waving guns. Some people assert that the CIA was involved in all that.” He observed that while rock remains the top ticket-selling genre globally, it lacks cultural representation compared to dominant pop music, concluding “I think they purposely dialed down the ability of rock stars to have a voice in the culture.” (Consequence of Sound)
On Tuesday (March 3), The Guess Who announced that they will tour the United States for the first time in 24 years. The reunion tour will feature core members Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman, with the run of shows set to begin on June 25 in Shakopee, Minnesota and conclude on August 22 in Seattle. Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder will open all dates. The duo hadn’t performed together as The Guess Who since SARSfest in 2003 and recently reclaimed naming rights after a 2024 legal settlement. “Randy and I are incredibly grateful that our music has endured all these years,” Bachman stated. Cummings added, “I’m really excited about reuniting with Burton and touring again as the Guess Who.” Their current lineup includes drummer Sean Fitzsimons, bassist Jeff Jones, percussionist Nick Sinopoli, and guitarists Tim Bovaconti and Joe Augello. The U.S. shows follow a previously announced Canadian tour in May and June. (Rolling Stone)
On Tuesday (March 3), Ringo Starr announced that he will release his new country album, Long Long Road, on April 24th via Universal Music. This record continues the 85-year-old music legend’s ongoing collaboration with producer T Bone Burnett following 2025’s Look Up. The Beatles drummer also unveiled the project’s first single, “It’s Been Too Long,” featuring a collaboration with Molly Tuttle and Sarah Jarosz. Starr said, “I’m blessed to have T Bone in my life right now and working with me on these records. After we did the last record, which I love listening to, this one just sort of happened.” The 10-track album was recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles with musicians Burnett calls The Texans, named after a 1959 Liverpool band Starr played with. Additional special guests on the album include Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow, and St. Vincent. Starr’s spring tour with His All Starr Band begins May 28th in Temecula, California. (Consequence of Sound)
Legendary blues guitarist and singer John Hammond died on Saturday (Feb. 28) at the age of 83 from cardiac arrest, according to Billboard Canada. Longtime collaborator Paul James confirmed the musician’s death after being notified by Hammond’s wife Marla. “The blues world has lost a giant. I’ve lost my best friend,” said James. “He was such an inspiration to me, I’ll miss him terribly.” Known as John P. Hammond or John Hammond Jr., he was the son of legendary producer John Henry Hammond Jr. He signed with Vanguard Records in 1963 and released over 30 albums during his celebrated career. He won a Grammy in 1985 for his performance on Blues Explosion, a compilation recorded at the 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival. He received additional Grammy nominations for six other albums between 1993 and 2009: You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover (1993), Trouble No More (1994), Found True Love (1996), Long As I Have You (1998), In Your Arms Again (1995), and Rough & Tough (2009). The Blues Foundation inducted Hammond into its Hall of Fame in 2011. George Thorogood paid tribute to Hammon on Instagram: “For more than 50 years, John Hammond, Jr. was an icon, a professional role model and, most importantly, a friend. While we mourn his passing, we celebrate what the man and his music meant to us, and to so many. 
” (Rolling Stone)
Bad Bunny‘s Super Bowl halftime performance achieved a historic milestone, reaching 4.157 billion views within 24 hours across all platforms. The NFL, Roc Nation, and Apple Music announced on Monday (March 2) that the record-breaking figures include global broadcast numbers plus views on YouTube and across all social media platforms. Nielsen Big Data + Panel reported 128.2 million viewers watched the live U.S. broadcast, making it one of the most-watched Super Bowl performances ever. Only Kendrick Lamar‘s 2025 show, which drew 133.4 million viewers, surpassed Bad Bunny’s numbers. Following his performance and Grammy win for Album of the Year, Benito’s song “DtMF” reached No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, his first solo chart-topper. His recent album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, also returned to the top of the Billboard 200. The Puerto Rican music superstar recently set another record with his first ever Australian concerts, drawing nearly 89,000 fans across two sold-out shows at Sydney’s ENGIE Stadium over the weekend, breaking an attendance record for the venue. (Rolling Stone)
