Though his name is currently synonymous with some of the most-sampled beats in hop-hop, musician Billy Squier will stick to the rock ‘n’ roll that he knows best on a summer tour of the United States. The ’80s rock icon launches his tour on June 23 at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY, and continues through September 22 at The Henderson Pavilion in Henderson, NV.

Squier has 30 concerts booked for the outing, which will cross the country in about 13 weeks. Two-night stands are slated for June 27-28 at Northern Lights Casino in Walker, MN, and September 11-12 at Golden Eagle Casino in Horton, KS.

Other scheduled stops include a June 30 appearance at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI, a July 11 concert at the Atlantic City Hilton in Atlantic City, NJ, and a July 24 show at Capital One Bank Theatre at Westbury in Westbury, NY. A gig on September 19 at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA, is the only West Coast stop on the current itinerary.

Squier released his last studio album, “Happy Blue,” in 1998 in the midst of a series of “best of” records and compilations. However, the rocker remains best known for his ’80s rock anthems including his 1981 breakthrough single “The Stroke.”

In recent years, his music has also become a staple of the hip-hop world. According to MTV, Squier’s song “The Big Beat” has become the most sampled song in history, inspiring the beat for Jay-Z‘s “99 Problems” and Kanye West‘s “Addiction,” among others.

“It’s the most sampled song in history — they said that on MTV, so even if I’m wrong, I’m not making it up. The intro of the song is me with my hands in a trap case, beating on the side of it. I just walked around the studio banging on stuff, looking for a sound,” Squier said in a 2005 interview with the Boston Globe. “People sometimes write that ‘Billy is the king of hip-hop.’ I didn’t even know what hip-hop was then.


Billy Squier itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)

June 23 Verona, NY Turning Stone Resort & Casino
June 26 Hankinson, ND Dakota Magic Casino
June 27 – 28 Walker, MN Northern Lights Casino
June 30 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
July 2 Muskegon, MI Heritage Landing
July 7 Traverse City, MI National Cherry Festival
July 8 Lansing, MI Common Ground Festival
July 10 Big Flats, NY The Summer Stage at Tag’s
July 11 Atlantic City, NJ Atlantic City Hilton
July 12 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn’s Peak
July 15 Chesaning, MI Chesaning Showboat Park Stage
July 17 Columbus, OH Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
July 18 St. Joseph, MI Venetian Festival Grounds
July 21 Green Bay, WI Oneida Bingo & Casino
July 24 Westbury, NY Capital One Bank Theatre at Westbury
July 25 Salamanca, NY Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel
July 31 Kettering, OH Fraze Pavilion for the Performing Arts
August 1 Aurora, IL Galena Boulevard
August 2 Lake Ozark, MO Horny Toad
August 4 Sturgis, SD Buffalo Chip Campground
August 6 Tulsa, OK River Spirit Casino
August 7 Norman, OK Riverwind Casino
August 8 Thackerville, OK Winstar World Casino
September 5 Indianapolis, IN City Military Park
September 6 Cleveland, OH Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
September 11 – 12 Horton, KS Golden Eagle Casino
September 19 Tacoma, WA Emerald Queen Casino
September 22 Henderson, NV The Henderson Pavilion