Hit blues-rocker celebrating 40 years to play Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown
A hard-playing blues-rocker marking 40 years in the business and who recently headlined Bethlehem’s Musikfest festival will return to the Lehigh Valley to play a far more intimate venue.
George Thorogood, best known for his 1983 hit "Bad to the Bone" as well as for covers of blues standards such as Hank Williams’ "Move It On Over," and Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?" will play Allentown’s Miller Symphony Hall at 7:30 p.m. March 17, it was just announced.
The show will be part of Thorogood’s 40 Years Strong tour, which marks four decades since the 1979 release of his debut album, “Better Than the Rest.”
Tickets, at $39.50 and $45.50, will go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 31, at the Symphony Hall box office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 800-745-3000 or 610-432-6715.
Read more: Hit blues-rocker celebrating 40 years to play Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown
Pollstar: George Thorogood Does The Q&A
Celebrating 40 years of rockin’ the world, George Thorogood may talk about retirement but he doesn’t plan on quitting anytime soon.
Since playing their first gig in late 1973, George Thorogood & The Destroyers have traveled the globe several times over. This year, while celebrating four decades of rock ’n’ roll, Thorogood and the band are touring in relation to a couple of recent releases.
One is the Icon album released by Universal Music Enterprises. Filled with such fan favorites as “Bad To The Bone,” and “I Drink Alone,” as well as live versions of “Who Do You Love” and “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” Icon is sure to bring smiles to longtime fans as well as attract new followers.
The other release is the Eagle Rock Entertainment-issued DVD / Blu-ray, “Live At Montreux,” featuring Thorogood and The Destroyers doing what they do best – rockin’ the night away.
While speaking with Pollstar, Thorogood offered observations about record companies, the labels that have been applied to his music through the years, and his passion for bona fide rock festivals. Oh, and a future where he can spend as much time as possible in a horizontal position.
What’s the story behind the guitar with all the signatures?
I have a guitar that I’ve had artists [I’ve worked with] sign over the years. … I started working in ’73 with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee [and] got into the habit that anyone who I was associated with in any kind of a business activity, I’d have them autograph my guitar.
George Thorogood getting better with time
George Thorogood Talks JazzFest, Longevity and Why Rock Rules the World
Courtesy 605Magazine
By Denise DePaolo, Managing Editor
It’s the Sioux Falls music festival that transcends generations and musical tastes. JazzFest kicks off Thursday, July 17 at Yankton Trail Park. For the twenty-third summer, Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues is 
bringing big names to South Dakota’s largest city for three days of free music. While JazzFest features a vast array of musical genres each year, the festival lineup (particularly at the top of the bill) has skewed toward the rock end of the spectrum as it’s evolved, with headliners like Sheryl Crow, Joe Walsh and this year, George Thorogood and the Destroyers.
Thorogood kicked off his 40th Anniversary Tour in February. In a recent phone conversation with the legendary rocker (famous for hits like Bad to the Bone and I Drink Alone), he began by explaining that The Destroyers have played countless jazz, blues and country festivals, which shows it’s rock ‘n’ roll that speaks to the masses.
GT: “We did a blues festival in Canada, and the headliners were Steve Miller, then the next night it was Pat Benatar and then George Thorogood and the Destroyers – none of which are known for playing blues. They’re all on rock classic radio. So that’s my point, Denise. When they brought Sheryl Crow in, they knew what they were doing. They were going to bring in the rock audience. That’s what works. That’s what runs the world. How did Bill Clinton get in the White House? Rock the Vote.”
DD: “I guess one could argue that all those genres have similar roots, so a lot of people are going to enjoy all of it.”
Read more: George Thorogood Talks JazzFest, Longevity and Why Rock Rules the World