Liner Notes (January 22)

Billy Joel, Tom Petty and The Kinks make up the January 22 edition of “Liner Notes.”  Enjoy!

We’re sure Billy Joel’s July 18 gig at Madison Square Garden will be a tough ticket to score and for good reason.

The show, which is part of The Piano Man’s MSG residency, will mark his 100th concert at the historic New York City venue.  Don’t be surprised if more than a few special guests join him on stage that night.

Tickets will go on sale January 26 at 10 AM EST.

Tom Petty’s cause of death of an accidental pain medication overdose made headlines when it was revealed over the weekend, and Petty’s daughter AnnaKim took to Instagram to release her own statement and to reiterate that he was not addicted to prescription opioids.

She wrote, “Thomas Earl Petty lived a million lifetimes in one. He overcame much psychic pain from an abusive childhood by transforming his anger into the greatest rock n roll band ever. My dad in the past openly overcame a crippling drug problem with no shame. His recent death is tragic yet he died from doing what he loved and what will continue to keep his spirit alive. Touring with a broken hip because he would have it no other way. He loved performing. There are no hypothetical questions I love my dad and feel he is an immortal badass. The amount of pain his hip caused was beyond a normal surgery. He is at peace out of pain.  I thank you for respecting my family’s privacy and inviting love during this shocking new chapter. My dad loved his life and left behind so much love in his music for us to share. Invite love listen to Tom Petty. He passed away with his family in a room filled with love.”

Finally, we’re sad to report that bassist Jim Rodford, who founded Argent and went on to play with The Kinks and The Zombies, has died at the age of 76.

Per The Zombies’ Facebook page, Rodford “died…after a fall on the stairs.  More details are not yet known about the exact cause of death.”

Rodford was a member of The Kinks from 1978 through 1996.  He was a member of The Zombies from 2004 until his sudden death.

Dave Davies released a statement via Twitter that read, “I’m devastated Jim’s sudden loss. I’m too broken up to put words together.  It’s such a shock.  I always thought Jim would live forever in true rock and roll fashion – strange, great friend, great musician, great man.  He was an integral part of The Kinks later years.  RIP.”

Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.