New 2019 Carlos Santana Album, Tour And Woodstock!

Santana has already been preparing for 2019 while he’s been doing his residency at The House of Blues Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, which the legendary guitarist just extended into 2019. The guitarist told Billboard he’s planning on releasing a new EP in January, he then will issue a new album produced by Rick Rubin sometime in the late spring early summer while celebrating the 50th anniversary of his legendary appearance at the original Woodstock festival. There is also a plan to tour around all of these activities scheduled for 2019.

First up is his upcoming EP, “Mona Lisa”, which arrives on January 25, 2019 and is a three-song suite inspired by the famed painting. “I saw the Mona Lisa and the creative started from me having enough gratitude and confidence from all the things I learned from my teachers,” Santana said of the EP. Rick Rubin produced the first track on “Mona Lisa” and also helms Santana’s upcoming full-length album, which is set for release between spring and summer.

Santana also revealed that he has talked with Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang about plans for the Woodstock 2019 50th anniversary event and a possible performance. “If they invite me, I’m in,’ Santana said. In the meantime, Santana is playing a concert of his own at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts in Bethel, New York. An amphitheater that is located on the grounds where the original festival was held in 1969. A date for this has yet to be announced.

Santana has announced the first date of their 2019 Global Consciousness tour. Carlos and company will head to St. Augustine Amphitheatre in St. Augustine, Florida on April 20, 2019. Although Santana has only announced one show on their Global Consciousness tour so far, there will be more announcements on the way.

Next year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Santana band's album, “Supernatural.” Santana adds that he may consider playing the “Supernatural” album in its entirety at some point as a concert, but nothing is currently set in stone.

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2019 Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees!

This past weekend, the 2019 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductees were announced. It was a heated race and for once it seemed like there was more motivation and excitement surrounding these inductees than the usual. There were also seven inductees selected instead of the usual five which is a first. They include Def Leppard, Roxy Music and Stevie Nicks' first nomination as potential inductees (though, as a member of Fleetwood Mac, Nicks is already in), The Cure and Radiohead's second, Janet Jackson's third and The Zombies' fourth.

Regardless of whether or not you agree with the list of those that made it, the induction is an honor. Artists are only eligible 25 years after the release of their first record and it is an acknowledgment of the "influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock n roll," according to the Hall of Fame's website.

The inductees are nominated and determined by a voting group of over 1,000 previous winners, historians and members of the music industry. This announcement also leaves fellow nominees Devo, John Prine, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, MC5, Rage Against The Machine, Rufus & Chaka Khan and Todd Rundgren waiting it out for another year.

The Induction Ceremony is planned for March 29, 2019 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with an edited special to air on HBO in the spring. Either way, I think they got a couple right but there are many more that deserve this honor as well.

So, let's check out this year's newest Inductees:

Def Leppard

Having been eligible for the Hall of Fame for 14 years, and the most fan votes this year, topping over half a million, it is clear that the band deserves their spot. With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, with two albums, Pyromania and Hysteria having reached RIAA diamond certification; that means each sold more than ten million. This ranks them as one of only five rock bands to have two original albums selling over ten million copies each in the United States alongside The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, and Pink Floyd.

Stevie Nicks

The first woman to be inducted in to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame twice. In 1998 with iconic band, Fleetwood Mac and now in 2019 as a solo artist. From her first solo album, 1981's Bella Donna, reached multiplatinum status and has earned her spot in the Hall of Fame with more than 50 years of music.

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson has been nominated for induction into the Hall of Fame three times and has been eligible for over a decade. Her music combines elements of hip hop and rap with dance music and R&B. She is a true pop icon whose music changed music in the '80’s and has paved the way for future generations of musicians and artists.

Roxy Music

Bryan Ferry formed English rock band, Roxy Music, in 1970 and they released their self-titled first album in 1972, making them eligible for Hall of Fame induction for 22 years. Their unique, funky beats have influenced everyone from Nile Rodgers, to The Talking Heads, and Duran Duran. Their music was inspired by avant-garde art, modern fashion and cinema which changed the perception of what rock and roll was and what it could be by pushing boundaries.

The Cure

Nominated twice and eligible since 2004, the band from West Sussex have sold more than 27 million records worldwide, released 13 albums, and had more than 30 singles. With a new album in the works, The Cure are busier than ever. This new album will their first album in more than a decade.

Radiohead

This is the first nomination for the band and comes just in time as their first album, Pablo Honey celebrates 25 years. The band has sold more than 30 million records worldwide.

The Zombies

British Invasion group, The Zombies have been eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame for 30 years and have been nominated four times. Their first hit, "She's Not There," was released in 1964 and went on to sell more than 1 million copies achieving RIAA Gold status. "Time of the Season," emerged and landed at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is not only The Zombies' most famous, but it is a pop culture standard that is often used to depict the climate of the entire decade of the '60s.