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Authorities in Illinois have charged former Rock Island County Court Services administrative assistant Leisa Streeter with theft, theft of government property, forgery, money laundering, and three counts of official misconduct. After she retired in June 2024, the county's Probation and Treasurer's Departments noticed financial irregularities in her department. Authorities claim she opened a fraudulent bank account in 2003 under "Rock Island County VIP" to siphon funds, which she spent on food, entertainment, travel, and loan payments, averaging about $43,000 annually. She reportedly stole about $900,000 over 21 years.

Despite the ‘album era’ fast approaching its approximate 60th anniversary, the lauded rock heritage that deified stadium monsters such as Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones as the paragons of musical achievement and authentic expression still looms over a pop climate that’s undergone seismic creative and social shifts across the last half-century. It won’t be too long before the cultural totems that still command such collective veneration, rock and roll, Woodstock, and AOR, will all cease to be living memories sooner than you think. With Rolling Stone‘s ‘rockist’ residue still colouring many muso’s quality metrics and indication of a healthy...

… By its peak in 1983, rock music dominated radio play and accounted for over 60% of the Billboard Top 100.… In many ways, the rise of pop, rap, and hip-hop can be seen as a market correction to mainstream rock's lack of cultural innovation, aesthetic appeal, and musical experimentation. In the years leading up to the stylistic shifts of the 1980s, there was a significant disconnect between critical acclaim and consumer music preferences. However, when rock began its descent from the mainstream in the mid-1980s, the association between critic and consumer music preference rebounded and stayed aligned for the...

Roy Thomas Baker — the producer behind some of rock’s biggest hits, including Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” — has died at age 78, his family announced Tuesday (April 22). Baker died at his home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, on April 12. No cause of death has been revealed. The producer’s credits feature a who’s who of rock stars over the past half-century, including Journey, Yes, Foreigner, The Cars, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Devo, Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses and Smashing Pumpkins. Baker worked with Queen on five of the band’s 1970s albums, including on their bombastic A Night at the...

The longest molecules ever found on Mars have been unearthed by NASA's Curiosity rover, and they could mean the planet is strewn with evidence for ancient life. Molecule chains containing up to twelve carbon atoms linked together were detected in a 3.7 billion-year-old rock sample collected from a dried-up Martian lakebed named Yellowknife Bay, according to a study published March 24 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These long carbon chains are thought to have originated from molecules called fatty acids, which, on Earth, are produced by biological activity. While fatty acids can form without biological...

Clem Burke, whose versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group Blondie during its decades performing everything from new-wave punk to disco-infused tunes, has died. He was 70. The band said in a statement on its website Monday that he died from cancer but no additional details were provided.

One of the best Rock bands today. Three sisters from Mexico.

Rock and roll evolved quite heavily in a matter of years after it became a popular genre to the masses. But one of the biggest debates, not just by purists but musical connoisseurs in general, is the endless comparisons between the ’70s and ’80s music. But first of all, in what ways do the two decades differ in terms of rock music? Let’s start with the ’70’s first, which came just right after rock n’ roll’s decade of inception. First off, the decade was derivative but refined, in a sense that it had mastered what the ’60s have developed. For...

AC/DC has unveiled dates for the 2025 “Power Up” North American tour — the band’s first dates on the continent since 2016. It will also be singer Brian Johnson’s first run in an even longer time. During that 2016 tour, he suffered hearing loss and had to bow out — none other than Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose filled in for him. The 13-date run kicks off on April 10, 2025, in Minneapolis at US Bank Stadium and concludes on May 28, in Cleveland at Huntington Bank Field. Along the way, the band will play the Rose Bowl in...

Tony Soprano once famously said, “'Remember when' is the lowest form of conversation.” This never dawned on Kiss’ Gene Simmons, whose recent “rock is dead” rant amounted to little more than waxing nostalgic about the days when his band ruled the roost — and revealed his ignorance and disinterest in the current state of the genre. Simmons made his latest proclamation on an episode of The Zak Kuhn Show. When asked if he believed rock was still dead, Simmons replied: "It is. And people don't understand how I can say that when we all have our favorite songs and we...

Blue Oyster Cult's Buck Dharma reflected again on the immortal Saturday Night Live "More Cowbell" sketch that lampooned their hit song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," saying the results were ultimately positive — even if it forced the band to take preventative measures in concert. The sketch, which aired on April 8, 2000, starred Will Ferrell as fictional band member Gene Frenkle and Christopher Walken as producer Bruce Dickinson. Ferrell, dressed in a ridiculously tight and low-cut shirt, plays the cowbell so aggressively while recording "Reaper" that he distracts and infuriates his bandmates. Walken, however, is obsessed with capturing more of...

The feud between brothers Rudolf and Michael Schenker is ongoing – and it sounds like it will keep the latter musician from participating in Scorpions’ 60th anniversary. During an appearance on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk (as relayed by Blabbermouth), Michael was asked if there was any chance he’d rejoin the band for their anniversary celebration, taking place July 5, 2025 in the group's hometown, Hannover, Germany. "No,” the rocker flatly replied, noting the frayed relationship with his brother. “I just know that I have been a very big part of creating Rudolf as a musician. I don't think...

Not only is rock music dead, it’s been dead for quite a while. Like the jazz, blues, and classical genres, it rests now in an afterlife of soundtracks and in the tombs of dark clubs and gilded concert halls, where the remnant priesthood still perform the ancient rituals. But it has no thriving existence. Rock is a form of music distinct from, but closely related to, the earlier doo-wop, rockabilly, and rock ‘n roll. It draws inspiration from the same genres of jazz, blues, gospel, country, and the folk music of the British Isles transplanted to the American backwoods. It...

A special set of stamps have been issued to mark the 60th anniversary of British rock band The Who. The Royal Mail revealed details of 12 stamps which feature images of some of the rock band's most popular album covers and group shots from their live performances. The album covers are My Generation from 1965; Tommy from 1969; Who's Next from 1971; Quadrophenia from 1973; Who Are You from 1978; Face Dances from 1981; Endless Wire from 2006; and Who from 2019. Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon formed The Who in 1964. A miniatures sheet features...

Legendary American rocker Freddie Salem has died at the age of 70. The Outlaws guitarist passed away from 'complications due to cancer', his former band confirmed. ... Originally a drummer, Salem switched to the guitar at the age of 15. The Akron, Ohio born performer was the only musician in his family but credited his love of music to hanging out around the jukebox in his father's bar. Salem toured with the Rolling Stones at one point with the band, calling the experience 'incomparable'.

There are some artists who released many songs throughout their career that clearly fit into the yacht rock template. And then there are a few who kind of accidentally dipped their toes into that warm ocean water. Dave Mason, a British classic rocker, probably stands as one of the most unlikely Yacht Rock standard-bearers, thanks to his 1977 hit “We Just Disagree.” What is the song about? Who wrote it? And how did it go against the grain of what Mason usually released? Here is the story of one of the most heartbreaking yacht rock standards, “We Just Disagree.” Mason’s...

"Works, Volume 1 was a double album with Keith Emerson the focus of the first side, Greg Lake the second, Carl Palmer the third, and the entire band sharing equally on Side 4. "C'est La Vie" was one of the songs Lake wrote for his side with help from lyricist Pete Sinfield, who was his bandmate in King Crimson. Telling the story of the song, Lake said: "I used to live in Paris for a while. A very beautiful city. I sometimes would go out walking in the streets there, and you'd often hear this instrument playing. I don't know...

I saw them at Lakeland, FL civic center in 1979. Open seating and I got there early, right front of stage, maybe two rows back.

Queen’s catalog of hits and bestselling albums has been purchased for an eye-popping sum—one that appears to be historic. According to HitsDailyDouble, the rights to the band’s music have been acquired for well north of $1 billion. Sony Music is the company that agreed to pay that figure, which also includes other rights connected to the rockers. According to Variety, the deal doesn’t feature monies connected to live performances...

Mark Farner - guitar, harmonica, vocals Don Brewer - drums, vocals Mel Schacher - bass "Inside-Looking Out", often written "Inside Looking Out",is a 1966 single by The Animals. It was a substantial hit in their native land, reaching number 12 on the UK Singles Chart, number 21 in Canada, but was at best a minor hit in the United States, reaching number 34 on the U.S. pop singles chart. The song is very loosely based on a work chant entitled "Rosie" collected by musicologist Alan Lomax and released in his album Popular Songbook. In 1969 it was covered by Grand...