Billy Idol & Steve Stevens

Legendary rockers Billy Idol and Steve Stevens will join Adam Reader, the host of the Professor of Rock, about the history and stories behind Billy Idol's biggest hits. Then Billy and Steve will perform acoustic versions of Billy’s biggest hits.

Billy Idol rose to fame in the 80's with his electrifying stage presence and rebellious image. He has produced numerous classic hits including "White Wedding," "Rebel Yell," and "Dancing with Myself." With the help of his guitarist and collaborator, Steve Stevens, Billy Idol has cemented himself as one of the most iconic figures in rock and roll history.

Huey Lewis 

Join us for an exclusive and intimate evening with legendary musician Huey Lewis as he takes the stage for the Professor of Rock Live Series. With over four decades in the music industry and millions of records sold worldwide, Huey Lewis is a true icon of American rock music.

During the show, Huey will share his personal stories and insights into his most beloved hits, including "The Power of Love", "Hip to Be Square", and, of course, "The Heart of Rock and Roll". Get a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process and how he crafted some of the most memorable songs in rock history.

As one of the most successful musicians of the '80s and '90s, Huey has received countless awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award and multiple Billboard Top 100 hits. Don't miss this unique opportunity to see him in person and learn about the heart of rock and roll from one of its greatest pioneers.

Note: Huey suffers from an inner-ear disorder that prevents him from hearing music frequencies so he no longer performs. This production will be limited to a conversation with Adam Reader. 

Randy Bachman

Randy Bachman worked as a member of the Guess Who in the late 60’s and produced a string of hits including "American Woman", "These Eyes", "No Time" and many others. he later went on to form Bachman Turner Overdrive or BTO where he continued his string of hits with "Takin' Care of Business", "Let It Ride", "Roll On Down the Highway" and "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet".

Please note: Due to unforeseen family schedule conflicts Burton Cummings will regrettably not be able to join Randy Bachman as previously scheduled. The show will now feature a duo of Randy Bachman and his son Tal Bachman who is an accomplished performer in his own right charting the top 10 single “She’s So High.”

Sammy Hagar

Prepare to learn mind-blowing facts and hear fascinating stories about Sammy Hagar as Adam Reader delves into his legendary five-decade career in music and beyond. Hagar -- a singer, songwriter, and guitarist – rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard-rock band Montrose, his commercial success continued during his multi-platinum-selling solo career, and later hit a fever pitch during his decade as the lead vocalist and songwriter of Van Halen, and continues today with his supergroup, Sammy Hagar & The Circle. He has earned the highest respect in the music industry with a Grammy Award and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 as a member of Van Halen. Hagar is also a spirits pioneer and entrepreneur, two-time New York Times best-selling author, and a dedicated philanthropist.

Also joining Hagar for this high voltage event will be Vic Johnson, who played guitar with The BusBoys, Sammy Hagar, and the Waboritas and currently with Sammy Hagar & The Circle, Johnson has said that he was influenced by famed musician Jimi Hendrix.

Professor of Rock Live features the definitive stories behind the greatest songs of the rock era straight from the artists and writers who created them. Adam Reader has produced over 500 mini-documentaries on these iconic songs and artists over the years and is curating exclusive conversations behind the genealogy of the greatest artists of the rock and roll era.

Each show features stories and a live performance by the artist. These shows are being recorded for future broadcasts.

Tickets go on sale September 2, 2022

Lou Gramm of The Voice of Foreigner

Lou Gramm fronting for Foreigner became one of the most successful rock vocalists of the late 1970s and 1980s. Circus magazine in 1978 upon release of "Hot Blooded" commented that Lou Gramm had a voice that Robert Plant might envy. His unique vocals have made Foreigner one of Billboard's Top 100 Artists of All Time in hit songs history.

Gramm was the lead vocalist on all of Foreigner's hit songs, including "Feels Like the First Time", "Cold as Ice", "Long, Long Way from Home", "Hot Blooded", "Double Vision", "Blue Morning, Blue Day", "Head Games", "Dirty White Boy", "Urgent", "Juke Box Hero", "Break It Up" and "Say You Will". He co-wrote most of the songs for the band, which achieved two of its biggest hits with the ballads "Waiting for a Girl Like You", which spent ten weeks at #2 on the 1981-82 American Hot 100, and "I Want to Know What Love Is", which was a #1 hit internationally (US & UK) in 1985. Their first 8 singles cracked the Billboard Top 20,(4 went Top 10) making them the first group since the Beatles to achieve this in 1980.

Lou Gramm will be featured at the Eccles Center with his full band.

Air Supply

The trademark sound of Russell Hitchcock's soaring tenor voice and Graham Russell's simple yet majestic songs created a unique sound that would forever be known as Air Supply. "Lost in Love", "All Out of Love", "The One That You Love", "Sweet Dreams", and "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All" have each achieved multi-million plays on the radio.

Graham Russell & Russell Hitchcock met on May 12, 1975, the first day of rehearsals for "Jesus Christ Superstar" in Sydney, Australia; they became instant friends with their common love for The Beatles and, of course, singing. After a tour in the US, they returned to Australia and made a record called Life Support. On this record were some treasures of songs, including "Lost in Love" after being signed by Clive Davis,  "Lost in Love" became the fastest-selling single in the world, leaping to the top of all of the charts.The second single was "All Out of Love," and that went up the charts even quicker. Seven top-five singles later, Air Supply at that time had equaled The Beatles' run of consecutive top-five singles. The albums Lost in Love, The One That You Love, Now & Forever, and The Greatest Hits sold in excess of 20 million copies. "Lost in Love" was named Song of the Year in 1980, and, with the other singles, sold more than 10 million copies.

Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon

Fronted by iconic vocalist Kevin Cronin since 1972, REO Speedwagon’s unrelenting drive, as well as non-stop touring and recording jump-started the burgeoning rock movement in the Midwest. Platinum albums and radio staples set the stage for the release of the band’s explosive HI INFIDELITY in 1980. The album contained the massive hit singles “Keep On Loving You” (No. 1 single written by Cronin) and “Take It On the Run,” and spent 15 weeks in the No. 1 slot. From 1977 to 1989, REO Speedwagon released nine consecutive albums all certified Platinum or higher, including an RIAA Diamond Award for HI INFIDELITY for surpassing sales of 10 million units in the U.S. REO, now having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, is still electrifying concert audiences with hits including the Cronin-penned No. 1 "Can't Fight This Feeling," “Ridin’ The Storm Out,” “Time For Me To Fly,” “Roll With The Changes,” “Take It On the Run,” and many more.

Kenny Loggins

Kenny has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide and has won two Grammy® Awards. His songs have left his musical imprint on “the soundtrack of our lives.”  Over the last four decades, his chart-topping songs have included “This Is It,” “I’m Alright,” “Footloose," “Danger Zone,” and so many more. 

In addition to his string of successful recordings, both solo and as a member of the famed duo Loggins & Messina, Kenny became the first major rock star to dedicate himself to recording music for children and families. His album Return to Pooh Corner remains the best-selling children’s album of the last 20 years. In 2016, he released his latest children’s project, the book Footloose (Moondance Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA, October 17, 2016), inspired by his 1985 Oscar® nominated and Grammy® Award-winning “Song of the Year.” 

His song “Conviction of the Heart” was hailed as the "unofficial anthem of the environmental movement" by Al Gore, when Loggins performed it on Earth Day in 1995 at The National Mall in Washington, D.C.

In 2016, he was a recipient of the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the annual Chapin Awards hosted by WhyHunger.  Later that year, The Guild of Music Supervisors honored the legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist with the organization’s first-ever Icon Award for his outstanding achievements in film, television, and soundtracks. His gift for crafting deeply emotional music is unparalleled, and it's been a part of his life as long as he can remember. His generous support of countless local organizations has made a lasting impact on the causes that are close to his heart.