Celebrity

Nils Lofgren Drops Powerful New Protest Anthem: “No Kings, No Hate, No Fear”

Published

3 months ago

February 2, 2026

Veteran rocker and longtime E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren has released a raw, urgent protest song titled “No Kings, No Hate, No Fear”—co-written with his wife, Amy Lofgren, and described as “A Street Anthem for Freedom’s Gladiators.”

The track is currently available as a free download for a limited time directly from his official website, nilslofgren.com. Its simple, repetitive chorus—“Shout it loud and clear / Our freedom beating here”—aims to serve as an accessible rallying cry in turbulent times.

Lofgren premiered the official video on February 5, 2026, during a live appearance on the Mary Trump Media YouTube channel, where he joined host Mary L. Trump for an in-depth conversation. In the interview, Lofgren drew stark parallels between the current political climate and the Vietnam War era he experienced as a young musician in the late 1960s and 1970s.

“No Kings, No Hate, No Fear”—co-written with his wife, Amy Lofgren, and described as “A Street Anthem for Freedom’s Gladiators.”

“I have such PTSD from those times,” he shared. “And this time … this is worse.” He explained his choice of a stripped-down, primitive style: “I wanted to try writing an anthem that was honest, that didn’t have a lot of words, that was repetitive. Because we need that.” Lofgren expressed deep disappointment that progress from the civil rights advancements of the late ’60s feels reversed, amid ongoing violence and unrest.

He specifically referenced the heartbreaking recent deaths of protesters Renée Good (killed January 7, 2026) and Alex Pretti (killed January 24, 2026), both by federal agents during immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis. “We’re all watching in horror as people are getting killed in the street, and not just Renée Good and Alex Pretti. Other people are being killed, too,” he said. “Our heart goes out to all of them. But it’s just unacceptable and horrific, and we gotta try to get out of it.”

The song and its release come amid heightened national tensions over immigration policies, protests, and civil liberties. Lofgren, known for his lifelong commitment to social justice through music (from his work with Neil Young’s Crazy Horse to Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band), positions this as a direct call for unity and resistance without hatred or authoritarianism.

Fans and listeners can grab the free download while available at nilslofgren.com and check out the premiere video on the Mary Trump Media channel for the full context of the interview and performance.

This release underscores Lofgren’s enduring role as a voice for freedom and human dignity—timely, direct, and unapologetically hopeful in the face of division.

Celebrity

Opinion: Why Whoopi Goldberg Was Removed from the NJ Fame Wall

Published

1 month ago

April 7, 2026

Editorial Director

There are certain names in American culture that carry undeniable weight. Whoopi Goldberg is one of them. Her career spans decades, her accomplishments are historic, and her place in entertainment history is secure. That was never in question.

What is in question is something more specific: identity, origin, and what it really means to represent New Jersey.
— a member of the Board of Trustees

The NJ Fame Wall was created with a clear purpose, to recognize individuals whose story is rooted in this state. Not those who passed through it. Not those who later chose to live here. But those whose formative years, cultural identity, and rise are directly tied to New Jersey itself.

That distinction matters.

After a formal review under the Jersey Review Celebrity Smell Test (JRCST), a member of the Board of Trustees pointed out something simple but critical: Whoopi Goldberg does not meet the first requirement for inclusion. She was not born here. She was not raised here. Her early life, her development, and her breakthrough all took place in New York City.

That’s her story, and it deserves to be respected as it is.

Yes, she has been a longtime resident of West Orange. And New Jersey has always been a place that welcomes people who choose to build a life here. But residency is not the same as representation. A home address doesn’t redefine where someone comes from, and it doesn’t place them within the cultural foundation the Fame Wall is meant to preserve.

This isn’t about exclusion, it’s about clarity.

New Jersey’s identity, especially in its Shore towns and long-standing communities, is built on generations of families, shared traditions, and a very real cultural backbone. The Fame Wall reflects that. It’s meant to highlight people who were shaped by that environment—people who carry it with them in their work and their story.

Once that line starts to blur, even for someone as accomplished as Goldberg—the purpose of the platform starts to fade.

And that’s why the standards matter.

The JRCST isn’t just a guideline, it’s a guardrail. It keeps recognition grounded in something real, not just fame. Because once exceptions are made, especially for major names, it becomes harder to say no the next time. And eventually, the wall stops meaning what it was built to represent.

This decision wasn’t political. It wasn’t personal. It was about staying consistent.

Whoopi Goldberg remains one of the most accomplished entertainers of her generation. Nothing about that changes. But her story is not a New Jersey story in the way this platform is designed to honor.

And in the long run, protecting that truth matters more than expanding the list. Because this was never about removing someone.

It was about protecting what the Fame Wall stands for.

Celebrity

Southside Johnny: The Grandfather of the New Jersey Sound

Few artists capture the soul of the Garden State the way Southside Johnny does. Born John Lyon on December 4, 1948, in Neptune, New Jersey, and raised in nearby Ocean Grove, Southside Johnny’s rise from local club stages to becoming a living legend of the Jersey music scene is as authentic and storied as the very boardwalks he once played beside.

Published

1 month ago

April 6, 2026

Editor-in-Chief

Why the Jersey Shore legend earns his place on the NJ Celebrity Fame Wall

Few artists capture the soul of the Garden State the way Southside Johnny does. Born John Lyon on December 4, 1948, in Neptune, New Jersey, and raised in nearby Ocean Grove, Southside Johnny’s rise from local club stages to becoming a living legend of the Jersey music scene is as authentic and storied as the very boardwalks he once played beside.

A Jersey Born and Raised Sound

Southside Johnny didn’t just make music, he helped define what people now celebrate as the Jersey Shore sound. Emerging from the vibrant Asbury Park music scene in the 1970s, he co-founded Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, a band that blended stones-tinged rock ’n’ roll with soul, R&B, and horn-driven rhythm, a style that came to characterize the local musical identity.

The band was a staple at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, a venue that itself has become synonymous with Jersey music lore, and their early albums; like I Don’t Want to Go Home and Hearts of Stone , helped elevate the Jersey Shore sound into a wider national spotlight.

A Legacy of Influence

Southside Johnny’s influence rippled far beyond bar gigs and regional tours. He was a mentor and touchstone for future stars; Jon Bon Jovi has credited him as his “reason for singing,” and his collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt tied the Asbury Park scene’s major talents together in a shared musical heritage.

After decades of touring, recording, and performing globally, the impact of Southside Johnny’s music reverberated not just through the Northeast but across generations of fans and artists. In recognition of his cultural contributions, he was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame with the Class of 2018, an honor reflecting his deep roots in the state’s artistic legacy.

A True Jersey Icon

What makes Southside Johnny especially worthy of a place on thejerseyreview.com’s NJ Celebrity Fame Wall isn’t just his longevity or his catalog, it’s how intrinsically his story is tied to New Jersey’s identity. His music evokes the grit, soul, and rugged charm of the Shore; his journey mirrors the ups and downs of the local music scene; and his influence stretches from Asbury Park’s dive bars to arenas and concert halls around the world.

From Neptune to international stages, Southside Johnny’s sound truly is New Jersey, and that’s exactly why he belongs on the Fame Wall.

Celebrity

Rising Stars of New Jersey: Maleah Joi Moon

Published

1 month ago

April 4, 2026

Kristina Rossi

Every once in a while, someone comes along and it just clicks right away. That’s exactly what happened with Maleah Joi Moon. Born and raised in Franklin Township, New Jersey; she didn’t take the long, slow road to recognition – she stepped onto the stage and made people pay attention almost instantly.

Like a lot of Jersey artists, her story starts close to home. School plays, local performances, figuring it out as she went – nothing flashy, just putting in the work and getting better. There’s something very real about that path, and you can feel it in the way she performs. It’s not forced. It’s earned.

Then came her breakout moment as Ali in Alicia Keys’ Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen. And it wasn’t just a “nice debut” kind of situation, she absolutely delivered. The performance had emotion, control, and confidence well beyond her years. Audiences connected with it, critics noticed, and before long she found herself holding a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Not long after that, she added a Grammy Award to her name for the show’s cast recording.

That kind of start doesn’t happen often.

What stands out most, though, isn’t just the awards, it’s how natural it all feels. She doesn’t come across like someone chasing attention. She feels like someone who belongs exactly where she is. That’s a rare quality, especially that early in a career.

And through it all, she’s still very much a Jersey story. There’s a grounded, hardworking edge there, the kind of quiet confidence you see in people who didn’t skip steps to get where they are. Franklin Township to Broadway isn’t just a headline

– it’s a reminder of how far raw talent and consistency can take you.

Maleah Joi Moon is still at the beginning of her journey, but she’s already done something most performers spend a lifetime chasing. And if this is the starting point, it’s going to be very interesting to see where she goes next.

For New Jersey, she’s not just a rising star, she’s one of those names you’re going to keep hearing more and more.