As part of the 2015 hennemusic Rock News Awards, the site is counting down the Top 10 Rock News Artists of the year.
Finalists for the 6th annual hennemusic Rock News Awards are chosen by readers: winners are determined by the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months.
The 2015 hennemusic Rock News Awards winners will be announced on Thursday, December 31.
2015 hennemusic Rock News Artist Of The Year – Top 10
10 – DEF LEPPARD
09 – QUEEN
08 – JUDAS PRIEST
07 – THE BLACK CROWES
Rock News Artist of The Year No. 6 – CHEAP TRICK
Cheap Trick kicked off their extensive 2015 live schedule with a headline performance during NASCAR Weekend in Las Vegas in March.
The band played a free show at the 12th Annual RaceJam concert at the city’s Fremont Street Experience while in town to co-host Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp with members of Blue Oyster Cult at the Mandalay Resort and Casino.
That same month, the group hit the road for dates in Australia and New Zealand before launching a North American tour in Austin, Texas in April.
A Cheap Trick performance of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic “Gimme Back My Bullets” from a November 2014 all-star tribute show for the Southern Rock legends surfaced in July as part of the lead-up to the release of “One More For The Fans”, a 2CD/DVD set featuring highlights from the event.
August brought news that original drummer Bun E. Carlos had dropped a 2013 breach of contract and trademark infringement lawsuit against his fellow band members.
Carlos said he and his bandmates signed an agreement in 2010 which noted that while he would step away from performing live – he was replaced by guitarist Rick Neilsen’s son Daxx – he would remain an equal partner in the various corporations through which Cheap Trick conducts its business.
In 2014, Cheap Trick members filed a countersuit against Carlos stating the drummer was ousted from the group when he stopped touring and that the move left him subject to removal as a corporate director without a unanimous shareholder vote.
The legal issues were eventually settled between the two sides when Carlos dropped his lawsuit.
In September, bassist Tom Petersson confirmed the group will release a new album in 2016, describing their first release since 2009’s “The Latest” as “vintage Cheap Trick”, while revealing they are “halfway to another record already.”
On October 8, the Rockford, Illinois band were named among 15 nominees under consideration for entry into the 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and Cheap Trick were confirmed as an inductee on December 17.
The group will enter the Rock Hall alongside Deep Purple, Steve Miller, Chicago and N.W.A. at an April 8, 2016 ceremony in New York.
On December 19, Cheap Trick celebrated news of their induction by offering fans a free download of “No Direction Home”, the lead single from their forthcoming album “Bang Zoom Crazy…Hello.”
This past week, Carlos said he expects to reunite with his bandmates to perform at the group’s induction next spring despite the animosity brought by the lawsuits.
“Yeah. As far as I know,” Carlos told Rolling Stone. “The Hall of Fame is inducting the four original members, and I assume that is who they want to get up there and play.”
See also:
Search Cheap Trick at hennemusic
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Van Halen dominate the 2012 hennemusic Rock News Awards
Van Halen win two hennemusic Rock News Awards
Guns N’ Roses named hennemusic’s Rock News Artist of The Year
Jimmy Page’s 2011 plans named hennemusic’s Rock News Story Of The Year
