By Ray Shasho
It’s a classic rock double billing starring Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks, and it premiers in Florida. “The Heart & Soul Tour”, will launch March 20th at the BankAtlantic Center http://www.bankatlanticcenter.com/index2.asp in Fort Lauderdale and make a stop in Tampa at the St. Pete Times Forum on March 23rd.
According to Rod Stewarts website, tickets for the Heart & Soul Tour will go on sale this Friday, January 21st at 10 am. http://www.rodstewart.com/us/home
Tickets for the Tampa show will go on sale this Saturday, January 22nd at 10 am. Ticket prices are $49.50, $75.00, $95.00 and $149.50. http://www.sptimesforum.com/
Stewart says,
“We haven’t yet begun rehearsals but I can already tell you this, with Stevie on board our audiences are in store for an evening of pure rock & roll music. I’m already thinking about which of my old favourites to bring back and vocally, I think we’ve both begun thinking about which songs might be great fun and well-suited for a duet or two."Stevie Nicks will be releasing her first new material in a decade with a new CD called, In: Your Dreams on May 3rd. Stevie’s new CD is available for fans to pre order at stevienicks.warnerreprise.com.
Nicks is now 62 years of age.
She joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974. The band was actually formed in 1967 in London. The only original member of the band that remains today is drummer Mick Fleetwood.
Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album won a Grammy award for the “Album of the year” in 1977. http://www.fleetwoodmac.com/
In 1981 Nicks released her first solo album Bella Donna. The album hit number one on the U.S. Billboard charts and continues to be her best selling solo album of all-time. http://rockalittle.com/ the official Stevie Nicks website.
Stevie Nicks loves to draw angels. She started drawing after her best friend Robin Anderson died of Leukemia. http://www.inherownwords.com/art.htm
Rod Stewart finished 2010 at the top of the album and touring charts.
He turned 66 on January 10th.
Stewart is a longtime rocker. He was recruited in 1967 by ex Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck for a vocalist-front man position with the Jeff Beck Group. The band included Beck, Stewart, Ronnie Wood (Rolling Stones), and Aynsley Dunbar (John Lennon, David Bowie, Jefferson Starship, and Whitesnake) on drums. It was an all-star line-up that demised prematurely perhaps from all the bickering going on.
In 1969 Steve Marriott left the “Small Faces” to join Humble Pie, so Stewart and Wood left the Jeff Beck Group to join Ronnie Lane, Ian Mclagen, and Kenney Jones to form “Faces.”
In 1971 Stewart recorded the album Every Picture Tells a Story which featured the smash hit Maggie May. The album is considered one of the great classic rock albums of all time. It was ranked 172nd on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album also featured Rod’s songwriting talents. Stewart recorded with and without Faces.
In 1975 the band toured the US twice. During that year Ronnie Wood left to join the Rolling Stones. The band finally split up at the end of the year.
Then Stewart traded in his blue suede shoes for boogie shoes when he recorded the number one hit, “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” in 1978.
Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, Stewart remained a pop icon by singing slower tunes that became chart favorites, but leaving his “Rockin Rod” image behind.
Later Stewart underwent throat surgery to remove a benign cancerous node.
And now Stewart sings collections of American Classics in recordings called, The Great American Songbook. He’s set to release The Best of… The Great American Songbook which should be out in stores on February 1st.
Do you have a classic rock story that you want to share? Email me at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com
