Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen says he wouldn't mind having Tom Cruise guest with the band once they hit the road later this year. Collen told Music Radar that he and his bandmates were floored by Cruise's performance of their material in the upcoming movie version of the Broadway hit, Rock Of Ages, explaining, "We were just knocked out by his singing, which he was doing for real. We said, 'We didn't know you could sing.' He smiled and said, 'I couldn't -- I just learned five months ago.' He was having lessons and practicing five hours a day -- crazy stuff. Extremely impressive."

When asked if Cruise would be welcome to pop up on the road to sing with Def Leppard, Collen laughed and said, "We'd let him! Absolutely. That would be amazing. Him singing 'Pour Some Sugar On Me?' Totally! Hey, he knows the words."

CHECK IT OUT: The official trailer for Rock Of Ages:

Guns N' Roses will play a series of intimate club shows in New York City during the spring edition of Fashion Week, with the band returning to the Ritz, now known as Webster Hall, 24 years after the original lineup performed there for Live At The Ritz, an MTV broadcast that continues to be one of the most bootlegged concerts of all time. The band has confirmed a total of six shows, including other New York stops at smaller venues like Roseland and Terminal 5.

• Other stops on this run will include Chicago and Atlantic City. Pre-sale tickets go on sale Tuesday (January 31st), with general public sales beginning on Wednesday (February 1st).
• Guns N' Roses completed a U.S. arena tour in December, the band's first full-length trek through the States since the 2008 release of its long-delayed Chinese Democracyalbum.
• Lead singer Axl Rose is the only remaining founding member of the current edition of the band. The original five-piece group, along with drummer Matt Sorum and keyboardist Dizzy Reed, will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on April 14th.
• Newly announced Guns N' Roses tour dates (subject to change):
  February 10 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
  February 12 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
  February 15 - New York, NY - The Ritz (Webster Hall)
  February 19 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
  February 23 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
  February 24 - Atlantic City, NJ - House of Blues

CHECK IT OUT: Watch bootleg video from Live At The Ritz:

Liam Neeson's new thriller, The Grey dominated the weekend box office, taking in $20 million. The hit cemented Neeson's status as an action star, following his work in Taken and Unknown.

Previously, the 59-year-old was best known for his work in dramatic films, like Schindler's List and Kinsey.

Katherine Heigl's One for the Money, which was panned by critics, debuted in third place with $11.8 million, while Man on Ledge, with Sam Worthington, opened in fifth place with just $8.3 million.

• Last week's number one, Underworld: Awakenings, took the second spot, having brought in another $12.5 million.

The top 10 films of the weekend:

• 1. "The Grey," $20 million.
• 2. "Underworld: Awakening," $12.5 million.
• 3. "One for the Money," $11.8 million.
• 4. "Red Tails," $10.4 million.
• 5. "Man on Ledge," $8.3 million.

Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Sunday's (January 22nd) AFC title game between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens was blasted online, with one fan writing on Twitter, "Steven Tyler's national anthem before the Patriots/Ravens game couldn't have been any worse if John Maddenfarted it through a harmonica." Tyler was also ridiculed for having a teleprompter nearby -- apparently in case he forgot the words.

The singer's previous performance of the national anthem, at a Boston Bruins hockey game in 2010, came under fire when he mumbled or mispronounced some of the lyrics, and his 2001 performance at the Indianapolis 500 was panned when he changed the line "home of the brave" to "home of the Indianapolis 500."

• Tyler returned earlier this month to American Idolfor his second season on the panel of judges.
• He and the rest of Aerosmith have been working on a new studio album, which is tentatively set for release this spring.

WATCH: Listen to Tyler's performance yourself and see what you think: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/steven-tyler-national-anthem-twitter/

It turns out it's a good thing Bruce Springsteen's new single "We Take Care Of Our Own" isn't billed to the E Street Band -- because they're nowhere to be found on it. Although the track features wife Patti Scialfa and her longtime cohort Lisa Lowell on backing vocals, along with supplemental E Street-er Soozie Tyrell on violin, Springsteen himself handles vocals, guitars, banjo, piano, organ, drums, percussion, and loops with co-producer Ron Aniello supplying the guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and loops. Strings are provided by the New York String Section.

SIDE NOTES

• Springsteen will release Wrecking Ball on March 6th. The album, which is "The Boss's" 17th studio set, features 11 new Springsteen recordings and was produced by Ron Aniello and Springsteen, with longtime manager Jon Landau serving as executive producer.
• A special edition of Wrecking Ball will also be available and include two bonus tracks -- "Swallowed Up" and "American Land" -- along with exclusive artwork and photography. Springsteen has also released the video for the album's lead single, "We Take Care Of Our Own."
• Including the bonus "American Land" track, both "Wrecking Ball" and "Land Of Hope And Dreams" have long been a part of Springsteen's recent live history. "Land Of Hope And Dreams" was performed at every one of the E Street Band's 1999-2000 reunion shows, with "American Land" becoming a standard for both his Session Band tours and recent E Street gigs. "Wrecking Ball" made it's debut in October 2009 when Springsteen closed New Jersey's Giants Stadium over a series of nights.

CHECK IT OUT: The lyrics to "We Take Care Of Our Own":

• "WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN"
  (Bruce Springsteen)
  
  I been knocking on the door that holds the throne
  I been looking for the map that leads me home
  I been stumbling on good hearts turned to stone
  The road of good intentions has gone dry as a bone
  We take care of our own
  We take care of our own
  Wherever this flag's flown
  We take care of our own
  
  From Chicago to New Orleans
  From the muscle to the bone
  From the shotgun shack to the Super Dome
  There ain't no help, the cavalry stayed home
  There ain't no one hearing the bugle blowin'
  We take care of our own
  We take care of our own
  Wherever this flag's flown
  We take care of our own
  
  Where're the eyes, the eyes with the will to see
  Where are the hearts that run over with mercy
  Where's the love that has not forsaken me
  Where's the work that'll set my hands, my soul free
  Where's the spirit that'll reign rain over me
  Where's the promise from sea to shining sea
  Where's the promise from sea to shining sea
  Wherever this flag's flown
  Wherever this flag's flown
  Wherever this flag's flown
  
  We take care of our own
  We take care of our own
  Wherever this flag's flown
  We take care of our own

CHECK IT OUT: The video for "We Take Care Of Our Own":

Happy Birthday to former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, who turns 63 today (January 17th)!!! In June of 1969, Taylor replaced the band's co-founder Brian Jones shortly before his death, and less than a month later, on July 3rd, 1969, he made his live debut with the Stones at a free live concert at London's Hyde Park. Taylor, who had previously played with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, toured extensively with the band until late 1973, and played on the Stones albums Let It Bleed, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out, Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main Street, Goat's Head Soup, and It's Only Rock And Roll.

CHECK IT OUT: The Stones with Mick Taylor performing "All Down The Line" live in 1972:

• A copy of the very first single ever released by AC/DC, titled "Can I Sit Next To You Girl?", has been sold to a fan for $1,225 on eBay. The single was only released in Australia and features vocals from the band's original singer, Dave Evans. It was released in May of 1975 and climbed to Number 19 on the Australian chart. The band re-recorded the track for their second album, TNT, with Bon Scott on vocals. (Gibson.com)

CHECK IT OUT: Watch a promo video for "Can I Sit Next To You Girl?" featuring the original lineup of AC/DC:

Foreigner -   January 19 - Chicago - House Of Blues

Rodney Carrington - Adler Theatre - February 9

Peter Frampton - February 25 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre

Jeff Dunham - Des Moines - March 11

T-S-O - March 18 - I wireless Center

George Thorogood -  

March 22 - Peoria, IL - Peoria Civic Center Arena

March 23 - Larchwood, IA - Grand Falls Casino Resort 

March 25 - Council Bluffs, IA - Harrah's Casino - Stir Concert Cove

Roger Waters'"The Wall" - 06/08 - Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field

• Proof that rock stars often make for some strange bedfellows -- at a benefit concert on New Year's Eve (December 31st) in Hawaii, Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper, "Weird Al" Yancovic the Doobie Brothers' Pat Simmons' and former bandmate Michael McDonald jammed on several tunes -- including a rendition of the Beatles' "Come Together." The performance took place at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Hawaii where Cooper was headlining a benefit for the Maui Food Bank and the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. (Vintage Vinyl News)

CHECK IT OUT: The New Year's Eve "Come Together" jam session: