Heart of Rock and Roll Coming To Broadway!

Get amped! THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL — the new musical comedy inspired by the timeless hits of HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS — is coming to Broadway with a rhythm that’ll drive you wild. Step into an era when the airwaves sizzled and bands with platinum dreams rocked every dive bar. 

A raucous rom-com wrapped in pure musical joy, THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL centers on a couple of thirty-somethings who know exactly what they want from life—until they find each other. It’s going to take The Power of Love — and a little help from their friends — to show them the way. Jam-packed with HUEY LEWIS megahits like “Working for a Living,” “Stuck with You,” and “If this is It,” this shamelessly fun show will have you dancing in your seat (and all the way home). Don’t miss Broadway’s newest feel-great musical, THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL, where it’s Hip to be Square. GET TICKETS

Johnny Colla & Bill Gibson record together again!

Specifically for “1955,” the new song/video by Alex Call’s Peace & Happiness Project. It premieres on Alex’s YouTube channel this Sunday, September 10th at 6:00pm Central Time (7pm EST) and includes some crack horn section work by Johnny Colla and his wife, Christie-Claire Colla and Newsman Bill Gibson on drums! Other amazing contributors are the one-and-only Bill Kirchen from Commander Cody, Kevin Smith from Willie Nelson’s band, and boogie-woogie king Rob Rio on piano.

Remembering Jimmy Buffet

Huey: Shocked by the news of Jimmy Buffett’s passing. Some of the last shows I was able to do before I lost my hearing were with him, and I got to know him a little. He was a wonderful songwriter, and author, and a major influence for country music. He pretty much created the style employed by Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, and others (Gulf and Western). He was very generous to me, sending support when I lost my hearing, and I’m deeply saddened by this news. Sail on brother…

Huey Lewis and the News to Celebrate 40th Anniversary of ‘Sports’ with Vinyl Re-Issue

Huey Lewis & The News’ classic album Sports is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, Lewis is reissuing the album on vinyl.

The vinyl release will drop September 15, which is exactly 40 years to the day of the initial album’s release. It will come in two different colors: classic black and olive green.

A cultural touchstone upon its release, Sports not only made a star out of its frontman vocalist Huey Lewis but also thrust the band into the global spotlight. Combining the unlikely concoction of power-pop, blue-eyed soul, doo-wop, and rhythm & blues, the album found itself posited in the Top 40 in numerous counties across the globe, including Norway, Canada, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, the U.K. and, of course, their native U.S.

Sports was Huey Lewis & the News’ first number-one album and featured four Top 10 hits: “Heart and Soul,” “The Heart of Rock & Roll,” “I Want A New Drug” and “If This Is It,” with the fifth single, “Walking on a Thin Line,” hitting the Top 20. Launching itself from the get-go with the first single “Heart and Soul” which peaked at #8 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles, Sports was a frequent visitor in the charts. “I Want a New Drug” found the band reaching #6 as did the third and fourth singles “The Heart of Rock and Roll” and “If This Is It” respectively. A fifth single “Walking on a Thin Line” broke the Top 20 at #16 on the Top Rock chart. The album charted in the Top 200 for 160 consecutive weeks, earning the album the remarkable designation of being the second biggest-selling album on Billboard’s end-of-year sales chart, beat only by Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

“In the early 80’s, there was no internet, no alternative scene, and really only one avenue to success; a hit single on CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio). We produced the Sports album ourselves because we wanted to make commercial choices we could live with while we aimed most of the tunes directly at CHR radio. Sports was a collection of singles. We needed a hit single … didn’t know we’d have five of them.” – Huey Lewis

A monumental breakthrough, Sports garnered Huey Lewis & The News two GRAMMYS® – in 1984 for “Best Rock Vocal by a Group” for “Heart and Soul” and in 1985 for “Record of the Year” for “The Heart of Rock and Roll.”

The Sports vinyl is available for preorder now.

Favorite Books

SAY NOTHING (about the Irish “troubles”)

I HEARD YOU PAINT HOUSES (became the Irishman movie about Jimmie Hoffa and the Mob)

PLENTY COUPS (book about the last Crow Indian Chief, battle of the Big Horn etc.)

WORKIN’ FOR A LIVIN’’ (my pal Dick Bright’s new book about the music business … biased)

Johnny Takes Some Lead Vocal Duties!

Johnny was thrilled to participate (as lead vocalist no less!) on Alex Call’s ‘Peace and Happiness Project’. If you’re not familiar with him, Alex was not just lead vocalist for his and Huey’s band, Clover, back in the seventies, but also responsible for penning many hits in the eighties we know and love, including “Livin’ In A Perfect World” for Huey and The News! Alex did a wonderful remake for all the right reasons, and the hope is it goes all the way to Playing for Change, another extraordinarily worthwhile cause! Watch video.

Huey Lewis among Guest Judges for Napa’s Hall Cabernet Cookoff

The HALL Cabernet Cookoff returns on Saturday, April 22, 2023!

Known as Napa’s most competitive and exciting food and wine pairing competition, the Cabernet Cookoff invites chef teams from all over the country to create a dish that pairs with a HALL Cabernet Sauvignon to benefit a charity of their choice. Each year, a panel of celebrity judges and hundreds of food and wine lovers vote for the best pairing. 100% of event proceeds benefit non-profit 501c3 organizations that the winning chef teams compete for. With two ticket options offered, VIP Ticket & Main Event Ticket, guests are invited to indulge, imbibe and enjoy a diverse menu of culinary delights with many surprises in store. Purchase tickets.