Led Zeppelin Handed Victory

Badlands of Indiana (October 6, 2020) - British rock band Led Zeppelin on Monday effectively won a long running legal battle over claims it stole the opening guitar riff from its signature 1971 song, “Stairway to Heaven.”

The band, one of the best-selling rock acts of all time, was handed victory after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case, meaning that a March 2020 decision by a U.S. appeals court in Led Zeppelin’s favor will stand.

Lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page had been accused in the six-year long case of lifting the riff - one of the best-known openings in rock music - from a song called “Taurus”, written by the late Randy Wolfe of the U.S. band Spirit.

Wolfe, who performed as Randy California, drowned in 1997, and the case was brought by a trustee for his estate. It has been one of the music industry’s most closely watched copyright cases, potentially exposing Plant and Page to millions of dollars in damages.



Led Zeppelin was the opening act for Spirit on a U.S. tour in 1968, but Page testified in a 2016 jury trial in Los Angeles that he had not heard “Taurus” until recently.

The Los Angeles jury found the riff they were accused of stealing was not intrinsically similar to the opening chords of “Stairway to Heaven.”

Lawyers for Wolfe’s estate and for Led Zeppelin could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.

SOURCE: BBC

Eddie Van Halen Dead at 65

Santa Monica, California, USA (October 6, 2020) - The iconic guitarist and founder of his eponymous rock band lost his battle with throat cancer. Van Halen’s son Wolfgang shared a touching memorial to his father on Tuesday, confirming the heartbreaking news.

Iconic guitarist Eddie Van Halen rockin' it

“I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning."

pic.twitter.com/kQqDV7pulR

— Wolf Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) October 6, 2020

He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift,” said Wolfgang, 29, who was the band’s bassist since 2006." “My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop.”

His wife Janie was by his side as the cancer spread throughout his body. He passed away in Santa Monica on Tuesday. The rocker experienced several health difficulties over the years following his cancer diagnosis. In 2019, he was hospitalized after suffering a bad reaction to his cancer medication.



Eddie was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and came to the US in 1962. Ten years later, he and his brother formed the band along with vocalist David Lee Roth and bassist Michael Anthony.



They went on to break barriers in rock music, selling 80 million records worldwide and joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

SOURCE: TMZ

World Tallest Mohican Mohawk

Park Rapids, Minnesota, USA (September 16, 2020) - After previously trying to obtain an official record title, Joseph Grisamore is now officially on the pages of this year’s book after achieving the world’s tallest full Mohican Mohawk.

Measuring 1.08 m (42.5 inches) in height, this lengthy hairdo can easily be spotted from a distance. "My favorite thing about the mohawk is just the rarity of it," Joseph said. "I’ll admit that peoples’ reactions are pretty priceless too. I’m 6’1 tall, and my mohawk is pushing 4 feet now."

"Doors aren’t over 7’ tall, ceilings 9’, and cars are impossible to get into - so I’m limited to where and how I move around when I’m all done up, but the crowd usually comes to me.”

Joseph wanted to break this record back in 2007. However he was too afraid to shave the sides of his hair, which is required for the record attempt. Since he’s been known for having long hair most of his life, he thought this was the perfect record for him to have.

After being inspired to try again, he needed to start from scratch due to his hair becoming too dreaded – so Joseph regrew his mane and actually managed to have it reach the length of four feet in just seven years! One of the most surprising elements to Joseph’s hair is that it actually does not require much maintenance.

When he’s not wearing it in a record-breaking tower, Joseph keeps his hair braided and in two knots as to avoid sitting on it. During his time in quarantine, Joseph has been an essential worker at a healthcare facility in Minnesota and has tried to look for silver lining amid the global changes.



One these includes becoming a Guinness World Records title holder and being featured in the 2021 book, a feat he is incredibly proud of. “When I was first informed that I’d become a Guinness World Records title holder, I was over the top. Having a goal become a reality is always a thankful experience."

"I’m honored to be added to a list of one-of-a-kind record holders. My wife wants me to stay humble, but instead I’m considering becoming the ‘Mohawk King’, and attempting the tallest Mohawk spike title, which is how I’d begun my journey with record-breaking in 2007."

SOURCE: Guinness World Records

'Confusion Wheel' by Tom Petty

Badlands of Indiana (September 12, 2020) - A previously unreleased song by Tom Petty has been released in anticipation of his upcoming Wildflowers & All the Rest box set.

“Confusion Wheel” was written by Petty in 1994 and has remained on the shelf ever since. The tune begins with the late rocker singing over a jangly acoustic guitar part. From there, the song slowly expands, as drums, vocal harmonies and electric guitar add extra layers to the poignant track.

Lyrically, Petty explores internal fears, searching for safety in a chaotic existence. “So much confusion has entered my life / So much confusion has torn me apart / So much confusion has made me afraid / And I don’t know how to love / And I don’t know who to trust / And I don’t know what I did,” he sings on the song’s chorus. Still, Petty tries to maintain a positive outlook, noting that “One of these days we’ll drive away / Drive away singing a brand-new song / We’ll wake up singing a brand-new song.”

You can listen to “Confusion Wheel” below.



The song is one of 10 tracks that make up the All the Rest portion of the upcoming set. The box will also feature the original Wildflowers LP, a collection of 15 Petty home demos, live versions of 14 songs recorded between 1995 and 2017 and 16 alternate studio versions of Wildflowers tracks.

Deluxe, Super Deluxe and Ultra Deluxe editions will offer the set in various forms, with varying bonus material, including a lithograph, tour-program replica, reproductions of handwritten lyrics and specially commissioned illustrations accompanying some of the versions.

Wildflowers & All the Rest will be released on Oct. 16; it's available for pre-order now.