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His bandmates from the Bad Company band, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, have both paid their respects to their long-term friend on social media saying: “Our Mick has passed, my heart just hit the ground. He has left us with exceptional songs and memories. He was my friend, my song writing partner, an amazing and versatile guitarist who had the greatest sense of humor. Our last conversation a few days ago we shared a laugh but it won’t be our last. There are many memories of Mick that will create laughter. Condolences to everyone who loved him especially his one true love, Susie. I will see you in heaven.”

Kirke added to the tribute: “He was a dear friend, a wonderful songwriter, and an exceptional guitarist. We will miss him deeply.”

Back in 2016, Bad Company had announced a US tour with Joe Walsh with Mick re-joining the band and taking his spot back from Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes. However, not long after the tour started, it was announced Mick had been hospitalised after suffering from a stroke. The band still went on tour, with his bandmates, Howard Leese and Paul Rodgers playing his parts.

Prior to being a part of Bad Company, Mick had formed Mott The Hooplee in 1969. The rock group had a breakthrough after releasing their most famous songs, produced by David Bowie himself, ‘All The Young Dudes’ in 1972. Bowie had initially offered the group his hit ‘Suffragette City’ but they rejected it and stated they had split up. In 1973, Mick departed the band following their Top 10 LP ‘Mott’. Bad Company’s debut album was released a year later, in 1974, and featured the hit ‘Can’t Get Enough’.

The collaboration has proven to be an inspired one as well, as McCartney had the chance to flex his guitar playing muscle, delivering a memorable and distinctive bass line for “Bit My Head Off.” Richards spoke about his friendship with McCartney and how easy he finds playing with him.

Further elaborating on the guest spot with The Telegraph, Richards said, “Paul happened to be in town…And we couldn’t keep him away, bless his heart. And hey, if you can get one of the Beatles on your track, you know, you do it. Paul’s a very amiable cat to play with; we’ve been great friends forever.”

The Rolling Stones guitar virtuoso also said the late John Lennon and George Harrison would have slotted into the Stones rather easily. “I don’t think John Lennon would have had much problem fitting into the Stones, or George, if you can imagine that sort of thing happening. We were the same generation, and we all loved the same music. When we first heard The Beatles, we were relieved that there was some other band in England on the same track that we were on. And within a few months, that track was the main track.”

The Rolling Stones continue to experience amazing success, well into the band’s 6th decade. Hackney Diamonds has thus far proven to be another critical and commercial success for the band. The Beatles, for their part, recently announced that they will be releasing their final song “Now And Then” in November.

Speaking to the BBC on whether arthritis has affected his playing, Richards said, “Funnily enough, I’ve no doubt it has, but I don’t have any pain, it’s a sort of benign version. I think if I’ve slowed down a little bit it’s probably due more to age. And also, I found that interesting, when I’m like, ‘I can’t quite do that any more,’ the guitar will show me there’s another way of doing it. Some finger will go one space different and a whole new door opens. And so you’re always learning. You never finish school, man.”

The Rolling Stones have only recently celebrated their 60th anniversary and noted the landmark with a special tour. This seemingly put the fire back into the band, with frontman Mick Jagger expressing a desire to get back into the studio to record a new LP. Commenting on the finished product and Jagger’s influence on proceedings, Richards continued, “he [Jagger] hit me in the right spot. I’ve always wanted to record the band as soon after we get off of the road, because the band is lubricated.”

The band have covered a lot of ground in their long and storied history, forming in 1962 in London with the now legendary story of Jagger and Richards meeting each other on the platforms of Dartford train station-Richards with his guitar and Jagger holding records of Chuck Berry among other blues musicians. The pair quickly struck up a friendship and the rest is rock history of the most illustrious kind.

Hackney Diamonds, The Rolling Stones’ 24th studio album, is set to be released on 20 October and features guest spots by Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Charlie Watts and former bassist Bill Wyman.

Speaking of the collaboration, Lloyd said, “I’ve been a fan of hers for years growing up, and when I decided to do a collaborative album, her name was the first one that came to mind. She did such an incredible job at taking such a personal thing and making a song that conveys all the emotion I have felt for years.”

Hale, no stranger to Lloyd’s work thus far, added, “I’ve been garnering inspiration from Sophie Lloyd for years! When Sophie asked me to put lyric and song to her amazing instrumental work we talked in depth about how this album has been a tool in helping her overcome her feelings of otherness. It was like thumbing through her diary and also like staring at myself in the mirror. I hope that this song will give strength to anyone who needs it. It was an honour to draw my weapons and with such a talented and stunning soul!” 

Lloyd got her start by creating guitar videos and streaming it online on platforms like YouTube. She began by doing covers of popular bands that she enjoyed such as Green Day and Iron Maiden before moving on to classic rock and metal songs. It was’t too long before the guitarist made the sizeable jump from online content creator to massive arena rock star.

The guitarist remains quite humble about her meteoric rise however, saying, “I just kind of wing it. The truth is, I never set out to be an online content creator. I joined YouTube back in the day because there wasn’t a real music scene where I grew up. I had to follow a more unconventional path. I didn’t plan to be a touring musician, either; in fact, I like staying at home and being with my family…. I just love making music, and I’m open to whatever exciting thing comes my way.”

Sophie Lloyd’s album, Imposter Syndrome will be released on 10 November. You can pre-order the album here.

Despite the parallels, a new sense of creativity and desire to make music was rekindled in Downing who, speaking on Loudwire’s podcast Loudwire Nights, said, “I’ve never been a religious person, but as a juvenile delinquent when I was young, I did find music and it put me on a good path. It was a righteous path because it gave me a goal. It gave me motivation in life and it became my salvation because I was in fear of going off the rails.”

Downing simply never envisioned having to make the decision to write and record new music with a different band other than Judas Priest. Downing continued, “I was loyal and devoted and dedicated. I never went anywhere else — my whole life was Judas Priest … I always thought I’d step back into Judas Priest, but that opportunity is not there. I asked if it was there before I started [KK’s Priest] and they said, ‘No, the door is closed.’ It is what it is.”

Downing cited multiple reasons for leaving Judas Priest, the band he had been a member of since its inception in 1969, which included a persistent breakdown in the relationship within various elements of the band. After Glenn Tipton was forced to leave the group due to health issues, Downing felt the opportunity to re-join Judas Priest was wide open, but the band never approached him and the chance never materialised.

Although Downing is not a member of Judas Priest anymore and feelings between the two camps may be slightly less than amicable, the guitarist has stated that he feels the band will always be an integral part of who he is and a driving force behind the music he continues to create.

K K’s Priest’s The Sinner Rides Again was released on 29 September and can be purchased here.

When asked his thoughts on the recent advancements in AI platforms, the 76-year-old expressed his fear on it’s potential impact and how he thinks AI could change the music industry for the worse.

May told the magazine, “My major concern with it now is in the artistic area. I think by this time next year the landscape will be completely different. We won’t know which way is up. We won’t know what’s been created by AI and what’s been created by humans,”

He continued, “Everything is going to get very blurred and very confusing, and I think we might look back on 2023 as the last year when humans really dominated the music scene. I really think it could be that serious, and that doesn’t fill me with joy. It makes me feel apprehensive, and I’m preparing to feel sad about this.”

Whilst the English rock legend claims that “a lot of great stuff will come from AI, because it is going to increase the powers of humans to solve problems”, he is still apprehensive about the technological advance, stating “I think the whole thing is massively scary. It’s much more far-reaching than anybody realised — well, certainly than I realised”.

The notion of using computers to generate music is definitely not new, however, recent leaps in AI technology have expanded the possibilities of what computers can do in the music industry. For example, AI platforms such as ChatGPT are now able to replicate songwriting and music production to create entirely computer generated music, therefore eliminating the whole writing and recording process artists go through.

Brian May is not the first musician to share their thoughts on AI’s impact on the music industry, and he definitely won’t be the last.

Nick Cave revealed in his blog, The Red Hand Files, that he believes AI songwriting to be a “grotesque mockery of what it is to be human”, while Sting told the BBC that he isn’t impressed by AI, and songwriters will have to fight to protect “our human capital against AI”.

Some artists however, are seemingly big fans of the way technology is evolving in the music industry. For example, Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes is allowing fans to use her voice in AI generated songs, so long as they share the royalties with her.

I’ll split 50% royalties on any successful AI generated song that uses my voice. Same deal as I would with any artist i collab with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty. I have no label and no legal bindings. pic.twitter.com/KIY60B5uqt

— Grimes (@Grimezsz) April 24, 2023

Brian May‘s conversation with Guitar Player magazine is set to feature in the October 2023 issue, however, you can read the interview online here.

Great to meet Mats and Esben today and receive an amazing replica of the Iommi fossil! And thanks to Mike Olley and Steve at The Velvet Music Rooms. pic.twitter.com/8vgr99Tx7n

— Tony Iommi (@tonyiommi) July 3, 2023

Widely considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time and primary song writer for what most metal fans would consider the seminal and greatest ever band in the genre-Black Sabbath-Tony Iommi has accomplished pretty much everything there is in the world of rock superstardom. Perhaps that is why, when palaeontologist Mats Eriksson discovered a 469 million year old fossil, he thought of the Birmingham based virtuoso-although it probably doesn’t hurt that Eriksson is an avid metal fan himself.

The new species, a pre-historic eel like marine creature, has been dubbed Drepanoistodus Iommii, in honour of what Eriksson considers his all time favourite musician. Eriksson then found himself heading to Birmingham-the home of Iommi and origin of Black Sabbath to present Iommi with a life-size replica model of the fossil.

Iommi himself expressed some shock that a scientist would name a fossil after him but he was also equally humbled by it as well. Speaking about the naming, Iommi said, “when I first heard about this, it was a real shock to hear that a fossil’s been named after me! I’ve had a bit of abuse from from my friends about it who’ve enjoyed calling me an old fossil, but I think it’s great, a real honour. This has to be the weirdest thing that’s ever been named after me but I’m really proud of it and I wanted to thank Mats and his team in person for being such brilliant fans.”

Although Iommi is the latest heavy rock musician to be esteemed in such a way, it’s also not the first time Eriksson has bestowed the honour upon metal musicians with Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse, King Diamond and Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead also enshrined. Other fossils have been named after metal music or musicians in the past as well.

Iommi, who was diagnosed with early stage lymphoma over a decade ago, recently described his health as being all in all good and has claimed that his busy lifestyle has kept his overall health in shape. He also recently revealed that a Black Sabbath reunion, with all original members, is not off the table and that perhaps, if everything is right, a show could happen in future. Metal fans will eagerly await that news, should it come to pass.