Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

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Saturday, June 14, 2025

The Beach Boys co-founding member Al Jardine has paid tribute to his former bandmate Brian Wilson, who died on June 11 at age 82. In a press statement, Jardine said, "Brian Wilson, my friend, my classmate, my football teammate, my Beach Boy bandmate and my brother in spirit, I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives for as long as you were," he wrote, also honoring their late bandmates and Brian's brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson, who died in 1998 and 1983 respectively. "I think the most comforting thought right now is that you are reunited with Carl and Dennis, singing those beautiful harmonies again. You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever. Brian, I'll really miss you still I have the warmth of the sun within me tonight," added Jardine, who recently confirmed that he is also set to take Brian's solo band out on tour to promote his new EP release Islands in the Sun this summer. - Billboard, 6/12/25...... Meanwhile, as Beach Boy Mike Love was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame during a ceremony on June 12 in New York City, he also honored the one-time BB leader Wilson. "Gratitude is the main emotion I feel," Love told the audience. After thanking his wife, children, band and crew, he added, "I especially want to thank my cousin, Brian Wilson. I believe he's here with us. He's my first cousin but brother in music together." Love continued, noting that their partnership "set the stage for some of the most successful collaborations all time... I do feel his presence." Sharing "gratitude, love and peace" with the crowd, he added, "I pray that through music, art and kindness, the world heals and love prevails." After honoring Wilson, Love performed some of his best-loved co-written songs, including "Good Vibrations," "Kokomo" and "I Get Around," as most of the audience rose to their feet, singing along. Love was accompanied by Full House cast member John Stamos on guitar, who has been performing with the Beach Boys for four decades now, and introduced Love. Other '70s-related musicians inducted into the SHOF that evening include George Clinton and The Doobie Brothers members Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons. Elsewhere, other Brian tributes originated from Bruce Springsteen, who posted a thoughtful tribute to the late singer-songwriter on Instagram by calling him "the most musically inventive voice in all of pop, with an otherworldly ear for harmony." "He was also the visionary leader of America's greatest band, The Beach Boys," Springsteen continued. "If there'd been no Beach Boys, there would have been no 'Racing In The Street.' Listen to 'Summer's Gone' from The Beach Boys' last album That's Why God Made The Radio and weep." "Farewell, Maestro. Nothing but love and a lovely lasting debt from all of us over here on E Street," added the New Jersey rocker. And Paul McCartney, who inducted Wilson into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000, wrote on Instagram, "Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time." Sir Paul continued: "I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, 'God Only Knows'. Thank you, Brian. - Paul." The CBS television network has announced it will honor the life of Wilson by re-airing the 2023 special A Grammy Salute to the Beach Boys on June 15 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. The live concert special was taped at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Feb. 8, 2023, three days after the 65th annual Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles. The special originally aired on Apr. 9, 2023, and was No. 1 in its time period with 5.18 million viewers and was the night's No. 2 primetime broadcast in viewers. It featured performances by the likes of Beck, Brandi Carlile, John Legend, Norah Jones, John Legend, Michael McDonald, My Morning Jacket, Mumford & Sons, Lee Ann Rimes, St. Vincent and Weezer, among others. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 6/12/25...... Streams by Sly & the Family Stone have surged 563% following the death of the band's legendary frontman, Sly Stone, on June 9 at age 82. Stone's catalog combined for 2.5 million U.S. on-demand audio streams June 10 and 11, the two days following his death -- up 563% from 385,000 streams over the same period the previous week, according to Luminate. Among the most-streamed classics across those two days: "Everyday People" (up 168% to 326,000 streams, following a Cher-and-Future-assisted bump two weeks ago), "Dance to the Music" (up 408% to 174,000) and "Thank You Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin" (up 378% to 169,000). - Billboard, 6/12/25...... Iconic '70s prog-rockers Yes have announced a new fall tour which will see them play their 1971 album Fragile in its entirety. Officially dubbed "The Fragile Tour 2025 - The Album Series," the newly-announced run of shows will launch on Oct. 1 in Wallingford, Conn., and sees the English band performing a total of 31 dates until Nov. 16. Per a press release, the tour setlist will include Fragile in full along with a number of other "classic cuts." The lengthy 31-date tour also includes stops in Atlantic City, N.J. (10/4), Glenside, Penn. (10/8, 9), Washington, D.C. (10/14), Durham, N.C. (10/16), Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (10/19), Charleston, S.C. (10/22), Atlanta (10/24), Memphis (10/25), Louisville (10/27), Cincinnati (10/20), Indianapolis (10/30), Milwaukee (11/4), Denver (11/9), Inglewood, Calif. (11/13), and Alpine, Calif. (11/14) before wrapping at the Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., on Nov. 16. Released in Nov. 1971, Fragile was the fourth studio LP from the group, and their third to be released in a 16-month span. It also became their most successful release up to that point, with its Jan. 1972 single "Roundabout" reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Yes also embarked on a 115-date tour in support of Fragile, which the presser describes as "a vital part of the band's history, and marked the moment when Yes became a headline act in the US." "We were at the height of our creativity, determined for success," says guitarist Steve Howe. "It gave us confidence, further than our own in-stock belief, we'd crafted this unusual but noticeable musical twist to rock and what later became prog," he added. Of the original lineup which recorded Fragile in 1971, only Howe remains an active member. Drummer Bill Bruford would depart the group in 1992, while both vocalist Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman would depart in 2004. Bassist Chris Squire would remain with the band through all iterations until his passing in 2015. - Billboard, 6/11/25...... The Rolling Stones are reportedly working on a new album which they will support with a new tour. According to a report in the UK's The Sun paper, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Steve Jordan have been together working on a follow-up to 2023's Hackney Diamonds since April, and now have 13 songs that they completed at Metropolis Studios in West London. It also claims that the band are in talks with their record label over a release date for the record, which would be their 25th studio LP. "Originally, the plan was for them to bring their huge US tour to the UK and Europe this summer but promoters couldn't get the dates to work," a source told the paper. "Instead the Stones decided to get back into the studio and put down their next album. It's massive for their fans who didn't get a chance to see them live this year." The report also claims that renowned producer Andrew Watt -- who produced and co-wrote three songs on Hackney Diamonds -- is working with the band again for the upcoming album. As yet, nothing has been officially confirmed by the Stones regarding a new album, nor have they shared any plans for upcoming live shows. The members have, however, expressed interest in sharing more music. Ahead of Hackney Diamonds being released, Jagger told The New York Times that he wouldn't consider it to be the "last Rolling Stones album" as the members were already around "three-quarters through the next one." In Nov. 2023, Richards shared a similar sentiment with SirusXM, saying: "There's plenty more stuff left over. There'll always be another [album] until we drop This is what we do. We've gotta see this Rolling Stones through." - NME, 6/11/25...... Speaking of Mick Jagger, his 1985 "Dancing In The Street" duet with David Bowie which helped raise money for the Live Aid charity, will be re-released in a limited edition white vinyl EP version to mark the single's 40th anniversary. The two rock icons teamed up to cover the Motown classic -- co-written by Marvin Gaye and two other songwriters -- in 1985 to raise money for Live Aid, and its official music video was screened just before Bowie took to the stage in London at the Wembley Stadium event. Jagger and Bowie's studio version of the song was then released on Aug. 27, with all the proceeds benefiting famine relief. It topped the UK singles chart for four weeks, and reached No. 7 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100. Parlophone Records is reissuing the cover song on limited edition white 123 vinyl on Aug. 29 -- two days after its milestone anniversary. This remastered physical version brings together all of the song's mixes for the first time. Additionally, 30% of the retail price from the sale of this single will be donated to the Band Aid Charitable Trust. In a new statement to accompany the announcement, Jagger recalled: "We had such a laugh doing 'Dancing In The Street' with both the song recorded in the studio and the video done in one day. Remarkable how we pulled it off, really." - NME, 6/10/25...... Veteran director Ridley Scott of Alien fame has announced he'll start shooting his planned Bee Gees biopic in November 2025. Scott, 87, says the project will tell the story of brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb from their childhood right up to the present day, covering their incredible impact on disco due to the soundtrack they created for 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever -- which starred John Travolta as dancer/hardware store employee Tony Manero -- and the deaths of Maurice and his fraternal twin Robin. "It's really about the brothers and how close the brothers were as a gifted family," Scott told the website Collider.com. "They're really very much a family. I think Barry very much was the leader of them, but then Robin also had the voice initially and was also a very good writer. They were a fulfilled team. It is lovely to see this drawn out from scratch. We'll go from eight years old to the end." Scott said he's started the casting process for the three siblings but is remaining tight-lipped on who may take on the roles as the "Night Fever" hitmakers. He said: "I've already got my footprints and handprints, or requests is a better way of putting it, on those names. And no, I can't say who they are." - Music-News.com, 6/10/25...... Bob Dylan has narrated the trailer for MGK's (formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly) new album. After mysteriously posting a video of MGK on his Instagram page, Dylan seems to now be the narrator of the trailer for the rapper's new album Lost Americana -- expected to be released on Aug. 8. In a teaser video which has been shared on YouTube, Dylan is heard calling the upcoming album "a personal excavation of the American dream." "It's a sonic map of forgotten places, a tribute to the spirit of reinvention and a quest to reclaim the essence of American freedom," says Dylan as a video mongtage of MGK looking out into the mountains plays. "From the glow of neon diners to the rumble of the motorcycles, this is music that celebrates the beauty found in the in-between spaces. Where the past is reimagined, and the future is forged on your own terms." While MGK is yet to publicly confirm that it is the real Dylan who is narrating the video, he shared a black and white photo of the folk icon on his Instagram stories. Variety has reportd a source confirming to the outlet that it is Dylan. This comes after Dylan left some fans confused back in February after he shared footage of MGK performing live on Instagram. Previously, Dylan's social media only had posts relating to his upcoming live shows and an assortment of clips from old movies. - NME, 6/10/25...... An "irreplaceable" purple baritone Fender Telecaster guitar belonging to Heart's Nancy Wilson has been recovered by Atlantic, City, N.J. police after a woman who said she'd bought it from its suspected thief surrendered it to authorities. Detectives said surveillance video showed the suspect handing the Telecaster over to the woman, who put the instrument in her car, which was parked several blocks away from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino venue where Heart had been scheduled to perform. Police employed automated license plate readers to identify the vehicle and then tracked its location to find the woman, who voluntarily surrendered the guitar. A 57-year-old resident of Pleasantville, N.J., who the woman said she bought it from for an undisclosed amount, has been charged with burglary and theft. The Telecaster -- and a vintage 1966 Gibson EM-50 mandolin that Heart guitarist Paul Moak has played for more than 25 years that has still not been recovered -- were nicked the night before the veteran band kicked off their "An Evening With Heart" summer tour on May 31. Officials said Bennett has a long criminal record and was previously arrested in April for a prior burglary. Before Wilson's custom-built guitar was recovered, the band co-founder said in a statement, "These instruments are more than just tools of our trade -- they're extensions of our musical souls. The baritone Tele was made uniquely for me, and Paul's mandolin has been with him for decades. We're heartbroken, and we're asking for their safe return -- no questions asked. Their value to us is immeasurable." - Billboard, 6/11/25...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has announced a new solo album, Who Is the Sky?, featuring contributions from Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and Tom Skinner, among others. Byrne's 11th solo album will be the follow-up to his acclaimed 2018 set American Utopia and is due out on Sept. 5 via Matador Records. Byrne previewed the album on June 10 with a video for the universalist anthem called "Everybody Laughs" about the emotions and feelings we all share. "Everybody laughs and everybody cries/ Everybody lives and everybody dies/ Everybody eats and everybody loves/ Everybody knows what everybody does," Byrne sings over strummed acoustic guitar and a bouncy rhythm in the clip in which the camera scoots from left to right as dozens of people act out the lyrics and bust into an impromptu marching band performance when they're not dancing with selfie sticks. Produced by Kid Harpoon (Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles), the 12-track album contains "more story songs than usual" according to Byrne. "I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs," Byrne said. "It's something that folks don't always hear in my work, but this time for sure I thought it was there." Byrne will hit the road with a new live show featuring a 13-person troupe of musicians and dancers to support the album on a world tour slated to kick off on Sept. 14 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, R.I., winding down on Dec. 6 in Miami, Fla. In early 2026, he'll tour behind the new album in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the U.K. A video for the new single "Everybody Laughs" can be viewed on YouTube - Billboard, 6/10/25...... The late Quincy Jones was remembered during a tribute at the 2025 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 9 in Los Angeles. Lucky Daye, Luke James and Miles Caton joined forces to pay homage to Jones, who died at age 91 in November. The trio's performance was short yet sweet, as they delivered a soothing rendition of the sultry "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" as part of the in memoriam segment at the 2025 BET Awards. Prior to the 2025 BET Awards, the Grammy Awards and Oscars earlier this year each delivered star-studded tribute performances to Quincy Jones. - Billboard, 6/9/25...... Rodney Brown, drummer on 1967's "Funky Broadway," a Dyke & the Blazers classic and one of the first hit songs to use a variation on the word "funk" in its title, died May 17 of unknown causes in an unknown location. He was 78. Brown's distinctive skipped-beat syncopation on "Funky Broadway," a track covered by many artists, most notably Wilson Pickett with a Billboard Hot 100 No. 8 hit later that year, turned out to be influential. Clyde Stubblefield employed a similar technique on James Brown's "Funky Drummer," released in 1970, which became a widely sampled breakbeat on numerous hip-hop classics. "'Funky Broadway' started the funk beat that was heard around the world," says Lucius Parr, a veteran Phoenix guitarist whose '70s band, the Soul Keepers, featured Brown on drums. "'Funky Broadway' had a break where they gave Rodney this drumbeat solo -- 'wiggle your waist, baby, shake, shake, shake,' all that stuff. It was just Dyke and the drummer." Brown, a lifelong resident of Phoenix and the last surviving member of the Dyke & the Blazers original line-up, played in bands sporadically after leaving the group. At the time of his death, he was working in real estate. "Funk started right here in the desert," he said in 2004, "and we were part of the group that started it." - Billboard, 6/13/25...... The original Alice Cooper band have announced details of a one-off intimate show in London at the Union Chapel on July 24. It comes in celebration of the reunion of the original Alice Cooper line-up, which includes Cooper, Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith and Michael Bruce. Back together, the four-piece are set to share their first studio album in over 50 years, The Revenge of Alice Cooper, which is due out on July 25 via earMUSIC. The new LP marks the first time all four members have come together for new material in over half a century. It also sees them reunite with producer Bob Ezrin and pay homage to the sound they captured in the early '70s. Presented by both earMUSIC and Rough Trade, the one-night-only event will be hosted by Sir Tim Rice and available to just 900 fans. It will also offer attendees a first listen to the album in a one-off playback session, as well as a deep dive interview with the band members and a rare Q&A session from the audience. For those unable to get tickets, the night will be shared in a global livestream via the earMUSIC and Alice Cooper YouTube channels, as well as TalkShopLive. More info can be found on Cooper's Instagram page. Meanwhile, Cooper and his current band are set to head out on a North American co-headline tour later in 2025 with Judas Priest. The 22-date trek kicks off in Biloxi, Miss., in September. - NME, 6/9/25...... Frederick Forsyth, a British author of thrillers who frequently made the bestseller lists, sold 70 million books and saw his novels The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File and The Dogs of War, among others, adapted into films, died on June 9 at his home in Jordans, England. He was 86 years old. The New York Times confirmed Mr. Forsyth's death, which his literary representative, Jonathan Lloyd, said "followed a short illness." The Day of the Jackal was adapted into a 1973 film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Edward Fox and Michael Lonsdale. Fox played the professional assassin known only as the "Jackal" who is hired to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle in the summer of 1963. The film was a critical and box office success, and was also turned into a series in 2024 starring Eddie Redmayne. Mr. Forsyth's 1972 novel The Odessa File was adapted into the 1974 film of the same name directed by Ronald Neame and starring Jon Voight, Maximilian Schell and Maria Schell. Born in Ashford, Kent, Mr. Forsyth joined the BBC and was sent to Biafra to cover the war raging in Nigeria. In 1969 he decided to use his experience as a Reuters reporter in France as the basis for a thriller. Within 35 days he'd completed The Day of the Jackal, which has sold some 10 million copies. Despite becoming an established author with the success of The Day of the Jackal, which earned him a three-book publishing deal, he undertook missions to Rhodesia, South Africa and, at the height of the Cold War, East Germany. In his 2015 autobiography, The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue, he disclosed that he had been working for Britain's MI6 for more than two decades, starting when he was asked to provide information about the Biafran War. He is survived by two sons from his first marriage to model Carole Cunningham, Frederick Stuart and Shane Richard. His second wife Sandy Molloy, whom he married in 1994, died in 2024. - Variety.com, 6/10/25.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

The Beach Boys' founder and principal creative force Brian Wilson, whose spectacularly imaginitive songwriting evoked the joys of hot-rodding, sunshine, and the bronzed, bikinied lifestyle of Southern California, died on June 11, his family announced on social media. He was 82 and no cause of death was given. "We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away," wrote his children on Instagram. "We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy," they added. Brian Douglas Wilson was born in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, on June 20, 1942, and grew up in nearby Hawthorne, where his father owned a machinery company. His father, Murry Wilson, had musical ambitions that were never realized and was, by all accounts, a physically abusive tyrant and heavy drinker. In 1961, while a student at El Camino College, he wrote his first pop song. Based on the Disney standard "When You Wish Upon a Star," it was later known as "Surfer Girl." His group, originally called The Pendletones, made its first appearance that same year. When the first single, "Surfin'," was released on a small Los Angeles label called Candix, Mr. Wilson and his band were surprised to learn that the record company had changed their name to the Beach Boys. With brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and their friend Al Jardine, the band had regional success that year of their first single, "Surfin,'" thrust them to national attention when Capitol Records signed them almost immediately as the label's first rock act. Having the distinction of making the Billboard Top 40 at least 35 times -- more than any other American band -- each member contributed to the Beach Boys' signature angelic vocal harmonics, however Brian was the widely acknowledged mastermind behind their music and was responsible for initial successes including "Surfin' U.S.A.," "Surfer Girl," "I Get Around," "All Summer Long," "Don't Worry Baby," "The Warmth of the Sun" and "California Girls." He also displayed an ambitious craftsmanship as a producer that culminated in the band's 1966 album Pet Sounds, which many critics and music historians consider the first and greatest of all rock "concept" albums building songs around a theme. Alternately celebratory and despairing, making effective musical use of such traditionally extramusical sounds as bicycle bells, car horns, trains and barking dogs, Pet Sounds was not simply a collection of songs but a unified work of art, tracing a love affair from beginning to end, while melding an all-but-unprecedented intimacy of expression in rock with near-symphonic scope. The album and Mr. Wilson had a profound impact on musicians of the era and beyond, with the Beatles acknowledging its complexity helped inspire their similarly ambitious 1967 masterpiece, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Yet as such albums as Shut Down, Volume 2, All Summer Long, The Beach Boys Today! and Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) -- all released between March 1964 and July 1965 -- represented an exponential leap for Mr. Wilson as composer, arranger and producer, Brian led what was often an unhappy and unsettled life, and suffered a breakdown in the late 1960s that drastically curtailed his life and later work. For most of the following decade, Mr. Wilson was a near-complete recluse. He contributed one or two songs to Beach Boys recordings, which still came out on occasion but sold miserably (as did Pet Sounds, which sold relatively poorly when it came out). The group was often dismissed as hopelessly old-fashioned during the "psychedelic" late 1960s and early 1970s -- despite releasing such acclaimed albums as Surf's Up and Sunflower -- and an internecine struggle had begun within the band, one that would prove disastrous for all concerned. Some members of the band, particularly Mike Love, the front man during live performances, were vehemently opposed to any deviation from what had become an exceedingly lucrative formula. At home in Los Angeles, Mr. Wilson worked on what he hoped would be his magnum opus, a vast, abstracted suite called "Smile." A bejeweled single, "Good Vibrations," featuring an electro-theremin, went immediately to No. 1, and anticipation for the album was intense. Although the complete "Smile" was announced for release in early 1967, it was then postponed indefinitely, at Brian's insistence (it was later completed and released in 2004). He had begun to suffer from what would later be diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder, with incessant auditory hallucinations and paranoia. After Mr. Wilson mostly withdrew from the Beach Boys, he stayed in bed much of the time, put on weight and became addicted to alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. In 1976, his first wife, Marilyn Rovell, sought help and found an unconventional Hollywood therapist named Eugene Landy to take over the care of her rapidly deteriorating husband. Landy assembled a team that included himself, another doctor, a nutritionist and a group of handlers to watch him 24 hours a day. He charged a monthly fee that was said to exceed $20,000, and later estimated that Mr. Wilson had paid him more than $3 million between 1983 and 1991. For a while, he also lived in Mr. Wilson's mansion. In 1989, Landy's license to practice psychology was revoked by the state of California. But he continued to work with Mr. Wilson and claimed a third of the $250,000 advance for a spurious 1991 autobiography, Wouldn't It Be Nice. Eventually, Mr. Wilson -- with the strong support of his family and the rest of the Beach Boys -- took out a restraining order to break his last ties with Landy. Brian's brother Dennis drowned in 1983, and his brother Carl died of cancer in 1998. Brian's relationship with the rest of the Beach Boys devolved into a squalid series of suits and countersuits that lasted until the three surviving members of the band -- Mr. Wilson, Love and Jardine -- joined forces with David Marks and Bruce Johnston, both of whom had been "Beach Boys" at one point or another, to play together again in 2012. An album, That's Why God Made the Radio, was issued that June, and the group embarked on a 50th anniversary tour. The last official Beach Boys hit had been "Kokomo" in 1988, with which Mr. Wilson had nothing to do and initially sold more copies than any of their earlier songs, largely because of its inclusion in the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail. That same year, Brian released his first solo album, titled Brian Wilson, to encouraging reviews. It was his first collection of new songs in more than a decade. The opening piece, "Love and Mercy," became Mr. Wilson's signature piece. (That also became of the title of a 2014 film biopic featuring two actors, Paul Dano and John Cusack, playing the younger Mr. Wilson.) Further solo discs appeared and, in 2002, Mr. Wilson recorded a live version of Pet Sounds as part of a world tour. By then, he had recovered much of his original vocal luster, but the new rendition seemed alarmingly robotic, as though it had been learned rather than felt. Indeed, in later years, he grew increasingly adept at "playing" Brian Wilson onstage, but he never appeared fully comfortable doing much more. "It's a hard truth for those of us who love and admire him to admit, but it can be painful to see Wilson in concert," wrote Time of London critic Will Hodgkinson in 2018. The Wilson talent lived on into another generation as Mr. Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, by Rovell, made names for themselves as two-thirds of the band Wilson Phillips. His marriage to Rovell, which had long been complicated by affairs and his precarious mental state, collapsed in the late 1970s. In 1995, he married Melinda Ledbetter, who took charge of his career as well as his person. Ledbetter, a model and car saleswoman who became his manager and with whom he had five children. She died in 2024, at age 77. After her death, Mr. Wilson's family sought to place him under a conservatorship, saying that he was taking medication for dementia and "unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health." The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and Mr. Wilson received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007 for being "rock and roll's gentlest revolutionary" and for a body of work that was called "vulnerable and sincere, authentic and unmistakably American." In 2010, Brian made a recording of his favorite George Gershwin songs and, in 2021, he released At My Piano, a selection of his songs played simply, lovingly and somewhat anxiously by their composer. Mr. Wilson's final ever live performance took place on July 26, 2022, at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Mich., the final date of his 2022 US summer co-headline tour with Chicago. The 20-track set took in many of his most classic songs, from "I Get Around"' and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" to "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations." He was joined on stage by fellow Beach Boy Al Jardine, as well as Blondie Chaplin, his sometime songwriting partner who was also in the band from 1972-73. Footage from the final gig can be viewed on YouTube. In 2024, a 60th anniversary band documentary, The Beach Boys, premiered on Disney+, and a companion volume was released, the band's only "official book." Not unexpectedly, the world of music has reacted immediately to Mr. Wilson's passing. "Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him," wrote Elton John on Instagram. "He sang 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight' at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me. I played on his solo records, he sang on my album, The Union, and even performed for my AIDS Foundation. I grew to love him as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever; he was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever. A true giant." Bob Dylan, meanwhile, added on X: "Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I've been listening to him and admiring his genius. Rest in peace dear Brian." Other tributes include Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, Mick Fleetwood, Micky Dolenz, Julian Lennon and Sean Ono Lennon. - The Washington Post/New Musical Express, 6/11/25.

Monday, June 9, 2025

Sly Stone, the groundbreaking funk and psych-rock pioneer who led the iconic Sly and the Family Stone group in the 1960s into the early 1980s, died on June 9 from "a prolonged battle with COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] and other underlying health issues," according to his family. He was 82. Beginning with "Dance To The Music" in 1968, which peaked at No. 8 on the chart, Sly and the Family Stone racked up 17 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including five top 10s and three number ones: "Everyday People," which reigned for four weeks in 1968-1969; "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," which topped the chart for two weeks in 1970; and "Family Affair," which led for three weeks in 1971. The group also charted nine albums on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, including There's a Riot Goin' On, which spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1971. Born in Dallas on March 15, 1943, as Sylvester Stewart and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area when his entire family relocated out west, Mr. Stone, his brother Freddie and his sisters Rose and Loretta began performing in vocal groups in the 1950s, and in the 1960s Sly became a DJ at the San Francisco-based KSOL and began producing for and playing with other groups. Getting his nickname "Sly" when classmate had misspelled his name, he then changed his stage surname from Stewart to Stone, and his two siblings in the band also followed suit. He had began performing in bands throughout high school before going on to study music at Solano Community College. By 1966, Sly and Freddie combined their two separate bands into the Family Stone, beginning the run that would cement them in music history. They were known for their dynamic live shows, captured in several recently-released live albums through longtime label Epic Records. Mr. Stone's work had a profound effect on American rock music, particularly psychedelic rock, and, along with George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic groups, helped to pioneer the guitar-driven, socially-conscious funk music that would become a major part of the 1970s music scene. Alongside Clinton, James Brown and Prince, he's among the most important figures in funk music history, and his sound is among the influential records that underpinned much of early hip-hop music into the 1990s, influencing everyone from Dr. Dre and 2pac to The Notorious B.I.G. and OutKast and nearly everyone in between. On the popular WhoSampled.com site that tracks samples, covers and interpolations throughout music history, Sly and the Family Stone is credited as having been sampled more than 1,000 times. Among Sly and the Family Stone's greatest triumphs was their 1969 appearance at Woodstock, where they performed in the midst of a 3:30 a.m. downpour, roused a mud-caked crowd of 500,000, and brought the house down with a captivating performance that has since become a highlight of Michael Wadleigh's Oscar-winning 1970 documentary about the festival. In his 2023 memoir, Mr. Stone admitted that in the moment, he had no idea it would be such a monumental performance for the group. "When the show was over, we were wet and cold," he wrote. "I don't remember how I left, maybe the same way I came in and by the next day it was clear that Woodstock had been a big deal, and that we had been a major part of that deal. The festival had put a spotlight on lots of groups, but us and Jimi [Hendrix] the most." The Family Stone soon crumbled due to financial and interpersonal tensions, breaking up in 1975. Effectively retiring in 1987, Mr. Stone was largely absent from the public eye throughout the '80s and '90s, aside from rare public appearances and a few drug-related arrests. He would finally get clean in 2019 after his drug use landed him in the hospital four times in a period of a few weeks and a doctor told him that drugs would kill him. "That time, I not only listened to the doctor but believed him," Mr. Stone told The Guardian in 2023. "I realized that I needed to clean up. I concentrated on getting strong so that I could get clean. My kids visited me at the hospital. My grandkids visited me. I left with purpose." He and the band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 -- although he kept a distance from the other band members -- and he appeared at the Grammy Awards ceremony in 2006 for a tribute to the group, which was his first public performance in nearly two decades. He was also the subject of the 2025 documentary Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius), directed by Questlove. Mr. Stone was married to model-actress Kathy Silva from 1974 to 1976 and separated after their son Sylvester Jr. was mauled by his dog. He is also survived by two daughters: Sylvyette Phunne with Cynthia Robinson in 1976 and Novena Carmel whom he welcomed in 1982, and his grandkids. - Billboard/Entertainment Weekly/The Daily Mail UK, 6/9/25.

As Bruce Springsteen's European tour hit the Beatles' hometown of Liverpool on June 7, Paul McCartney joined the Boss onstage for a version of the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love." Springsteen was playing the second of two shows at Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC, and during his encore, he welcomed the Beatles legend onto the stage. In 2022, Springsteen appeared during McCartney's set at the Glastonbury festival, when the two icons played also played "Can't Buy Me Love," followed by the rock'n'roll classic "Kansas City." A few hours before the Liverpool gig, the pair were also spotted together at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, an institution that was founded by McCartney in 1996. Fan-captured footage of their June 7 Liverpool jam has been shared on X. Meanwhile, Sir Paul has said he enjoyed "looking back" on his '70s band Wings in the new documentary One Hand Clapping. Directed by David Litchfield, the film details the recording sessions for the band's the live studio album of the same name at London's Abbey Road Studios back in 1974 and features rare footage and interviews. "It's so great to look back on that period and see the little live show we did," Macca said of the project. "We made a pretty good noise actually. It was a great time for the band, we started to have success with Wings, which had been a long time coming." The footage was filmed back in the 1970s at the height of Wings' fame for a TV special which was never aired. One Hand Clapping is set to debut in cinemas in July. - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 6/7/25...... It was June 7, 1975, when Elton John achieved a chart feat no one had ever done before: he entered the Billboard Hot 200 album chart at No. 1 with his ninth studio set, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. In the nearly two decades between the introduction of the Billboard 200 in March 1956 and Captain Fantastic's history-making accomplishment, the highest any album had entered the chart was classical pianist Van Cliburn with his Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1, at No. 2. The highest that a contemporary pop or rock album had debuted prior to Captain Fantastic was No. 3, which was achieved by the Beatles with their Hey Jude compilation (Mar. 21, 1970), and a pair of Led Zeppelin albums, Led Zeppelin III (Oct. 20, 1970) and Physical Graffiti (Mar. 15, 1975). Captain Fantastic, John's sixth No. 1 album, dislodged Earth, Wind & Fire's That's the Way of the World, which had spent the three previous weeks at No. 1, and was potent enough to hold Wings' Venus and Mars to the No. 2 spot for four consecutive weeks before Wings finally moved up to No. 1 for one week. The debut of Captain Fantastic at No. 1 received considerable media attention and contributed to Elton's status as the "Greatest Pop Star of the Year." In 1975, he also made the cover of Time magazine with the cover line: "Rock's Captain Fantastic," and became the first artist since the Beatles to play a concert (two, actually) at Dodger Stadium. In 2006, John recorded The Captain & the Kind, a sequel of sorts to Captain Fantastic, which only reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200. - Billboard, 6/6/25...... In other Elton news, the Rocket Man has warned the U.K. government that "we will not back down" over a new Artificial Intelligence bill by the Labour party which proposes an opt-out approach for rights holders, as opposed to the opt-in strategy preferred by John and other recording artists. The bill has been voted down by the House of Lords for an unprecedented fifth time in a ping-pong between the Houses of Commons and the upper house has lasted for weeks, and resulted in John calling the government "absolute losers" in a recent interview. On June 4, Sir Elton collected the Creators' Champion Award at Billboard's Global Power Players event in London and used his speech to warn the U.K. government that "we will not back down" in relation to its controversial AI data bill. John added in his passionate speech: "We are not against Labour and we want a solution. We want to bring all parties together in a way that is transparent and fair and allows artists to maintain control of their work." He concluded: "We will not back down and we will not go away quietly. This is just the beginning." John's full speech can be read on Instagram. - Billboard, 6/4/25...... In the first part of a two-part Billy Joel documentary that premeired at the Tribeca Festival in New York on June 4, the Piano Man confesses he attempted suicide two times after having an affair with a former bandmate's wife. "Bill and I spent a lot of time together," Elizabeth Weber says in the documentary about the affair she had with Joel when he was in his 20s and she was married to the singer's best friend and Atila bandmate drummer Jon Small. She says in the film that the affair was a "slow build" until Small, who had a son with Weber, suspected something was going on and Joel fessed up to the affair, telling him, "I'm in love with your wife." Joel -- who did not attend the premiere after cancelling a summer run of shows due to a recent diagnosis of the brain condition normal pressure hydrocephalus -- says in the film that he felt "very, very guilty about it. They had a child. I felt like a homewrecker. I was just in love with a woman and I got punched in the nose which I deserved. Jon was very upset. I was very upset." It led to the singer spiraling into a dark period of drink and depression. "I had no place to live. I was sleeping in laundromats and I was depressed I think to the point of almost being psychotic," he says in the film. "So I figured, 'That's it. I don't want to live anymore.' I was just in a lot of pain and it was sort of like why hang out, tomorrow is going to be just like today is and today sucks. So, I just thought I'd end it all." At the premiere, the film's director Susan Lacy shared a message with the audience from Joel. "He will be back," she said. "Billy wishes he were here tonight, and he asked us to convey his greetings to you all. He said 'getting old sucks, but it's still preferable to getting cremated.'" Billy Joel: And So It Goes will stream on HBO in July. - Billboard, 6/6/25...... Singer/actor Nick Jonas has reportedly been tapped to portray KISS singer/guitarist Paul Stanley in an upcoming biopic about the legendary band. According to Deadline.com, a long-gestating film about KISS, Shout It Out Loud, is finally beginning to take shape and will begin production either at the end of 2025 or early 2026. Jonas is believed to be recording his own vocals on Paul-led classics, but will "need time to train to replicate the jet-engine vocals of Stanley." The remaining members of KISS have yet to be cast in the film, which was first announced by the band's longtime manager Doc McGhee in 2019. Director McG (Charlie's Angels, We Are Marshall, The Baby Sitter) is in talks to direct, according to Deadline. KISS has also announced plans for an "unmasked" show in Las Vegas later in 2025, which will mark the band's first performance since their 2023 farewell tour. - NME, 6/6/25...... The earliest known live recordings of Sly & the Family Stone are set to be issued on a new album, almost 60 years after they were first committed to tape. Dubbed The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967, the collection of unearthed live cuts will be issued on July 18 via High Moon Records. Recorded on Mar. 26, 1967, the live set sees the influential R&B/pop group performing as part of their four-month residency at the Winchester Cathedral club in Redwood City, Calif.. Recorded by the band's first manager Rich Romanello, the tapes were soon shelved, but later rediscovered in 2002 by Dutch twins and Sly Stone archivists Edwin and Arno Konings. The new release will be available in digital, vinyl and CD editions, with physical copies being issued with a booklet featuring never-before-seen photos, interviews with Stone and original band members, and liner notes from producer Alex Palao. The CD edition will also feature their cover of Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness" as an exclusive bonus track. Alongside the announcement of the package, a preview of the record has been released by way of final track, "I Gotta Go Now (Up On The Floor)/Funky Broadway," which can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 6/6/25...... On June 5 -- 50 years to the day since their first live show -- Talking Heads unveiled the official video for their first charting single, 'Psycho Killer." The clip, shared on YouTube, marks the gold anniversary of the band's debut performance at iconic New York City club CBGB. Opening for fellow New Yorkers the Ramones, the performance comprised just nine songs, including "Psycho Killer," which would be released as their third single in Dec. 1977. Issued on their debut album Talking Heads: 77, the single would become the group's first to impact the Hot 100, reaching No. 92 in early 1978. However, it lacked any official visual accompaniment until now, with the Mike Mills-directed clip featuring Academy Award-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan navigating the mundanity of modern life as she slowly destabilizes. "This video makes the song better," the band wrote in a statement on Facebook. "We LOVE what this video is NOT - it's not literal, creepy, bloody, physically violent or obvious." Alongside the release of the video, Talking Heads have also announced the super deluxe edition of their second album, 1978's More Songs About Buildings and Food, with the limited box set due for release on July 25. Talking Heads lasted from 1975 until 1991, with their 16-year career resulting in eight studio albums, the most successful being the No. 15 Speaking in Tongues in 1983. Their final live performances were as part of the Speaking in Tongues tour in 1984. They would later reunite for one solitary performance for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. - Billboard, 6/5/25...... Earth, Wind & Fire will kick off their summer 2025 tour on June 14 in Denver, then hit smaller markets in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada before a consecutive three-evening stand at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl on July 2-4. At the latter show, the band will perform alongside the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra for a special July 4th fireworks event. Later dates on the 20-plus city tour include Kansas City (7/18), Indianapolis (7/23), Cincinnati (7/25), Toledo (7/29), Detroit (8/2) and Milwaukee (8/9) before wrapping at The Ledge Amphitheatre in Waite Park, Minn. on Aug. 10. Earlier in 2025, the band announced a new EWF documentary directed by Questlove was in the works. - Billboard, 6/5/25...... On June 5 Rod Stewart announced on X he was cancelling a second Las Vegas show due to poor health. Earlier on June 2, Stewart announced he was pulling out of his huge Las Vegas gig at Caesars Palace's Colosseum Theatre just hours before he was expected on stage. That show is now rescheduled for June 10. In cancelling the second show, Stewart posted that he was "awfully sorry," adding: "My doctor ordered a bit more rest while I recover from the flu. Thanks for your love and understanding." Stewart, 80, is due to play the Glastonbury festival's coveted Legends slot at the Worthy Farm festival on June 29, where he will make his return since he headlined in 2002. Stewart has confirmed a Faces reunion with Ronnie Wood for his Glastonbury 2025 gig. - NME, 6/5/25...... Barry Manilow became an honorary Ph.D. during his Detroit tour stop at Little Caesars Arena on June 3 when six cap-and-gowned faculty members from Chicago's VanderCook College of Music (the only U.S. school that specializes in teaching music educators) presented him with an honorary Doctor of Music Education. The honorary degree, according to VanderCook President Kimberly Farris, recognized "your enduring dedication to music education," which, she added, "resonates deeply with our mission." The degree specifically saluted the Manilow Music Project, which he says has spent $10 million during the past 15 years providing musical instruments to schools and honoring music educators. "My mother always wanted me to be a doctor," Manilow quipped on stage. "She would be so proud!" On June 3, Manilow presented a $10,000 grant to a teacher from Detroit's Cass Technical High School. Donning his own cap and gown and accepting the degree, Manilow explained that "the VanderCook College stands for everything I believe in. Their commitment to music teachers and my passion for getting playable instruments for young people go hand in hand. That's why it really speaks to me." He gave special thanks to his drummer, Yolandus "YL" Douglas, for spearheading the honor. The show was part of the 81-year-old Manilow's continuing The Last Concerts series he's playing in "these cities that have been so supportive" during his 52-year recording career. Prior to the Detroit stop Manilow siad that the endeavor has put him in a reflective space. "It's like, 'What? Am I the only one left?'" he says. "It's Billy Joel, and Elton (John) is not well and Rod (Stewart) and Neil (Diamond). Diana Ross is still in great shape I think. There must be only a handful of people in my world that are still there. I'm still healthy. I'm strong and I've still got my voice and my energy. The night I can't hit the F natural on 'Even Now,' that's the night I throw in the towel. But I can still do it." Manilow says he hopes to release a new album, his first since Night Songs II in 2020, sometime in 2025. "This'll probably be my last album," he notes, adding that, "I've been working on it for a long time -- for so long that the style of music has changed." [Laughs] "I had to go back and redo (the songs) so they sounded a little more contemporary. I had to take all the strings out, all the background vocals out 'cause they don't do that anymore. They don't use strings and background vocals and all that. Even I heard that it sounded dated, so we had to go back and redo it." He resumes his "lifetime" residency at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on June 12. - Billboard, 6/4/25...... Authorities have made an arrest in the theft of two irreplaceable instruments owned by members of Heart that were stolen from a venue in New Jersey in the last weekend of May. Atlantic City, N.J. police say surveillance video initially led them to a 57-year-old Pleasantville man. He was later seen on video walking through various parts of the city, trying to sell the instruments, and he eventually sold one while the other remains unaccounted for, police said, declining further comment. The man has been charged with burglary and theft. Heart was set to kick off their "An Evening With Heart" tour at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on May 31, and its gear had been set up there the day prior to the show. Among the items stolen were a custom-built, purple sparkle baritone Telecaster guitar with a hand-painted headstock made for band member Nancy Wilson, and a vintage 1966 Gibson EM-50 mandolin that band member Paul Moak has played for over 25 years. "These instruments are more than just tools of our trade... they're extensions of our musical souls," Nancy Wilson said in a statement issued by the group that also offered a reward for information leading to their return. "We're heartbroken, and we're asking for their safe return... no questions asked. Their value to us is immeasurable," she added. - AP, 6/5/25...... Jimmy Buffett's widow and former business manager are seeking to remove each other from administration of the late singer-songwriter's estate, launching dueling court actions that each accuse the other of hostility and mismanagement of a trust holding $275 million worth of assets. Jane Buffett, Jimmy's wife of 46 years, became the sole beneficiary of a marital trust holding the bulk of the "Margaritaville" hitmaker's assets upon his death in Sept. 2023 at the age of 76. Her June 2 Florida court filing says these assets, including real estate and a 20% stake in his successful island-themed hospitality company Margaritaville, are worth roughly $275 million. Jane was made a co-trustee of the marital trust alongside Rick Mozenter, an accountant at the business management firm Gelfand Rennert & Feldman. But that relationship has since soured, and both Jane and Mozenter are now pursuing court actions seeking to remove the other from their roles administering the estate. Jane and Mozenter are both seeking to ax each other from the marital trust's administration and appoint a new co-trustee. Mozenter has also asked the court to remove Jane as the personal representative of Jimmy's estate. - Billboard, 6/4/25...... During a talk at the SXSW London event on June 4, ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus revealed he's working on a new musical using artificial intelligence. "Right now I'm writing a musical, assisted by AI," Ulvaeus said, noting that he's about three-quarters of the way through the creative process on the unnamed project, the follow-up to the hugely successful pop quartet's avatar stage show, Voyage. "It's fantastic. It is such a great tool," Ulvaeus raved of AI, noting it helped him to navigate through some creative dead-ends, particularly with lyrics. "It is like having another songwriter in the room with a huge reference frame. It is really an extension of your mind. You have access to things that you didn't think of before," he said. The AI project, whose ultimate form has not yet been announced, is part of Ulvaeus' ongoing partnership with Pophouse Entertainment, the company behind the ABBA Voyage production. The Voyage virtual residency opened in London in May 2022 and is slated to run through Jan. 2026. Though Ulvaeus is happy to use AI in the creative process, he is also adamant about fighting for artists' rights in the rapidly evolving digital age. "These AI models wouldn't exist without the songs that we wrote," he said. - Billboard, 6/4/25...... In a new interview with People magazine, former The Monkees member Mickey Dolenz revealed he was almost cast in the 1970s/early '80s sitcom Happy Days in the role of Arther "Fonzie" Fonzarelli, which was made iconic by Henry Winkler. "I almost got it," Dolenz, 80, said. "Supposedly it was between me and Henry [Winkler]. He remembers it too. The story I heard is that he was in the waiting room, saw me come in, and thought, 'Oh s-t, I'll never get this -- Micky Dolenz is here!' So we laugh about it now. He's a good friend and a brilliant talent." Dolenz auditioned for the role after his run on The Monkees (1966-1968), and he's the last surviving member of the American "pre-fab Four." Before acting on The Monkees and performing with the band, Dolenz had the lead role of Corky in the adventure series Circus Boy, which ran on NBC for one season before jumping to ABC for another short run in 1957. A young Dolenz then scored a few TV roles in the late 1950s and early 1960s -- credited as Micky Braddock -- before being cast as Micky on The Monkees alongside Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones and Peter Tork. Following his pivot to a number of small movie roles and voice work on dozens of cartoons in the 1970s, Dolenz said he has no regrets about the one that got away. "Oh my God, he's just so good," he said of Winkler, who parlayed his iconic role into a fifty-plus year career on TV (Mork & Mindy, Arrested Development) and movies (Night Shift, The French Dispatch). "I was definitely not as good as he was. Come on -- he was The Fonz! He had that New York, New Jersey thing down. I'm from Southern California. It wasn't gonna happen!," Dolenz said. Dolenz is going on tour this summer with his "Songs & Stories Tour," which mixes his iconic hits with stories about fellow L.A. legends such as Joni Mitchell, David Crosby and Jim Morrison. The tour is slated to kick off on Aug. 11 at the Ocean City Music Pier in Ocean City, NJ. - Billboard, 6/4/25...... Wayne Lewis, a founding member of the R&B group Atlantic Starr, died on June 5 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 68. "It's with great sadness we have to post the passing of Wayne Lewis on June 5, 2025," Atlantic Starr wrote on Facebook. "Please keep the family in your prayers and respect their privacy..." Lewis served as a vocalist and keyboardist for Atlantic Starr, which he co-founded in 1976 in White Plains, N.Y., alongside his brothers David Lewis (vocals, guitar) and Jonathan Lewis (keyboards, trombone), as well as drummer Porter Carroll Jr., bassist Clifford Archer and percussionist-flutist Joseph Phillips. Atlantic Starr became a fixture in R&B throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. The group signed with A&M Records (and later to Warner Bros. Records, among other labels), releasing their self-titled debut album in 1978, followed by their sophomore effort, Straight to the Point, the next year. Their biggest commercial success came in 1987 when "Always," from 1986's All in the Name of Love, reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In recent years, Atlantic Starr continued to perform with Jonathan Lewis and two other current members. The group's most recent album, Metamorphosis, was released in 2017. - Billboard, 6/8/25.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

SiriusXM host Howard Stern has relayed a brief message on Instagram by his friend Billy Joel of Joel insisting that he's "not dying" after the Piano Man was recently diagnosed with a brain disorder called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) and announced the cancellation of his summer tour plans. "I saw Billy Joel two weeks ago, we had dinner together," Stern told his listeners. "He's doing fine. He does have issues, but he said, 'Yeah, you can tell people: I'm not dying'. You know, he wants people to know that." Stern continued: "He just he's gotta deal with some medical stuff, but it was delightful. We had a great time with the wives, we had a great conversation. I was telling him I'm enjoying playing classical music on the guitar. He lit up, because that's what he's into. Then it was his birthday [on May 9], I even brought out the guitar and sang 'Happy Birthday' to him." Joel, 79, had shared that his NPH condition had been "exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance." Meanwhile, the premiere of a new Billy Joel documentary, And So It Goes, is set to open the Tribeca Festival 2025 in New York on June 4. - NME, 6/4/25...... After the 1978 10cc hit "Dreadlock Holiday" was adapted by English cricket fans as their unofficial anthem at cricket matches, 10cc founding member Graham Gouldman has finally attended his first cricket match. The song, which famously included the linke "I don't like cricket - I love it," was also named as a personal favourite by ex-England cricketer Phil Tufnell, who previously told Gouldman that it was part of the "soundtrack to my cricket career." Now, 47 years since the song was first released, the 79-year-old Gouldman has gone to a cricket match for the first time, and shared his verdict on the event, which saw England beat the West Indies at The Oval, with the BBC. "After today's experience I can say 'I don't like cricket, I absolutely love it'," Gouldman said. "I've had a really lovely day really, enjoyed it great atmosphere, great people. I just had a wonderful time." When asked if he would consider writing another cricket-related song now he has seen his first game, Gouldman said: "When you have had a nice experience like this I'm sure somewhere, at some point, something will crop up in a song." Gouldman has previously said the song, which can be heard on YouTube, was inspired by a man he met while on vacation in Jamaica. In 2022, Gouldman co-wrote a song to mark the historic first images from the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, "Floating In Heaven," with astronomy scholar and Queen guitarist Brian May. - New Musical Express, 6/4/25...... Posting on his Neil Young Archives site on June 2, Neil Young has invited Pres. Donald Trump to attend one of his summer concerts as a way to remind him of "American values." Young, ruminating on the current state of affairs in the U.S. ahead of the launch of his North American tour dates in August, wrote: "Our country and our way of life, that which our fathers and theirs fought for, is now threatened by our government. This is not what we voted for. This is our new reality. Our government is out of control, not standing for us. You can stand up for American values this summer, for our children and theirs." He continued: "When I tour the USA this summer, if there is not martial law by then which would make it impossible, let's all come together and stand for American values. We will not be doing a political show. We will be playing the music we love for all of us to enjoy together. President Trump, you are invited. Come and hear our music just as you did for decades." In more recent criticism of the president in May, Young labelled him "out of control" after the president made a Truth Social post describing Bruce Springsteen as "highly overrated" and "dumb as a rock," while saying that Taylor Swift is "no longer 'HOT.'" Young is currently scheduled to launch his forthcoming tour with the Chrome Hearts in Rttvik, Sweden on June 18, with North American dates set to begin in Charlotte, N.C. on Aug. 8. Meanwhile, Young has contributed vocals to a new single by The Beach Boys member Al Jardine. The Jardine/Young duet, "My Plane Leaves Tomorrow (Au Revoir)," is on Jardine's new EP Islands In The Sun, and opens with an excerpt from a BBC news report. The sweetly melodic track also features a trumpet part from Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, who also played bass on Jardine's 2010 first full-length solo LP A Postcard From California. Jardine is preparing to take BB mastermind Brian Wilson's solo band out on tour to promote the new release this summer. Dubbing the group the Pet Sounds Band, they will play a range of shows across the US in July, August and September. "My Plane Leaves Tomorrow (Au Revoir)" can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard/NME, 6/3/25...... Superstar pop queen Taylor Swift has often cited music legend Carole King as one of her major influences. Now, King has reacted to Swift's recent reclamation of her music empire by buying back the master recordings for her first six albums. King, 83, celebrated Swift's music rights victory by reposting the announcement via Instagram Stories, and added an encouraging note to Taylor: "You continue to inspire!" Introducing the Tapestry songstress at her 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Swift shared: "I was raised by two of her biggest fans, who taught me the basic truths of life as they saw it: That you should treat people the way you want to be treated; that you must believe you can achieve whatever you want to in life; and that Carole King is the greatest songwriter of all time." - Music-News.com, 6/2/25...... On June 1 Rod Stewart called off his planned residency show at the Colosseum in Las Vegas, just hours before he was set to take the stage. Citing an unspecified illness Stewart, 80, pulled out of the show around 6 p.m. local time, with less than four hours to go, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I am sorry to inform you that I'm not feeling well and my show tonight at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is being rescheduled to June 10," Stewart posted on Instagram. After taking home the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 American Music Awards in May, Stewart returned to the Colosseum for a trio of shows on May 29, 31 and June 1 before pulling out of the June 2 gig. He is next slated to take the stage in Las Vegas on June 5, followed by shows on the 7th and 8th. After that, Stewart is scheduled to hit the road for a summer tour that will include amphitheater shows in California and Nevada before jumping over to his native England for a Legends slot performance on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival on June 29. It was recently announced that his old Faces bandmate, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, and Faces drummer Kenney Jones, will reunite with him at the show. After returning to North America in July, Stewart will criss-cross the U.S. and Canada before resuming the residency on Sept. 24. - Billboard, 6/2/25...... Ozzy Osbourne has announced he'll be attending the Birmingham Comic Con in his UK hometown on July 12 and 13, just days after he performs his last ever concert with Black Sabbath in Birmingham. Ozzy will be joined by Osbourne clan members Sharon, Jack and Kelly Osbourne who starred alongside the metal legend in four seasons of the MTV hit The Osbournes. Ozzy's health issues have continued to make headlines in the lead-up to Black Sabbath's final gig at Birmingham's Villa Park on July 5. He has undergone multiple surgeries and battled Parkinson's disease in recent years, leading to fears about his fitness to perform. Meanwhile, Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler has admitted that he is having "nightmares" and "palpitations" ahead of the band's historic last live performance, dubbed the "Back To The Beginning" concert. The other two members of Sabbath's most iconic line-up, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward, will also be participating, along with several other iconic hard rock acts including Aerosmith's Steven Tyler. - NME, 6/2/25...... A 2017 commercial featuring Cher and rapper Future singing together has become a viral sensation on TikTok. Available on YouTube, the original ad for clothing retailer Gap saw the two musicians sitting together on a white flight of stairs and singing a highly-stylised version of Sly And The Family Stone's 1969 single "Everyday People." Now, after eight years, the seemingly random and cringeworthy nature of the clip has seen it become a viral hit on social media, with TikTok users filming their own parodies and recreations of the ad's awkward vibe. Elsewhere, Cher said in late 2024 that her next album would be her last. Promoting the release of Cher: The Memoir, Part One in November, Cher said she was "really excited" about the project, describing the new songs as "great." Cher's most recent LP, 2023's Christmas, was the first album to feature original music from the legendary singer in 10 years. - NME, 6/1/25...... Speaking to Classic Pop magazine, Daryl Hall says he believes that his Hall & Oates duo helped break down racial barriers in music during the 1970s and 1980s, and he considers himself a "pioneer" in the field. "I was one of those pioneers in breaking down those barriers between Black music and white music, whatever that means," Hall said. "My earliest success was on Black radio in America. I had to break into the white pop world in America. That was secondary, after the fact. So that's where my roots are. That's where my initial success started." The "Rich Girl" singer added: "I think it had a lot to do with me as a singer and my background. Being from Philly, a very colourblind area, helped me be able to break those barriers down. Luckily, I figured out how to do it." Hall is now performing solo as he finds himself embroiled in an legal battle with John Oates after he sued his musical partner in 2023 to prevent him from selling their stake in publishing company Whole Oats Enterprises and admits that he feels less constrained playing alone. He explained: "I really was restricted. When I was (performing) with John on stage, we had this rule that we couldn't play any other work than what we did under the Hall and Oates name. And it was very restrictive to me, because I love all those solo songs -= I wrote most of them =- but there was a lot that I had been doing over the years that I couldn't play. I had no outlet. So now, I'm completely liberated and it's much more fun." - Music-News.com, 6/1/25...... In an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF, Sammy Hagar said he believes "the best was yet to come" from his former band Van Halen. Hagar, 77, was frontman of the 'Jump' band from 1985 to 1996, before returning in 2003 until 2005. He said he was in touch with late VH guitarist Eddie Van Halen before Eddie's death in Oct. 2020, was frontman of the 'Jump' band from 1985 to 1996, before returning in 2003 until 2005. When asked if he had any regrets about his time with the band, Hagar said: "Oh, hell no. Oh, no regrets whatsoever. I regret that we broke up, just to see what else we could have done. I would've loved to have made another record or two with Eddie writing. Eddie and I wrote some great songs together, and I think the best stuff was yet to come; it could have been yet to come, because Eddie was really reaching out on instruments." Sammy added he believes Eddie had only touched the surface of what he wanted to achieve musically, because he was held back by the people at the top: "To me, I think that's what his dream would've been. And it was always held back by the record companies and the people around him. I think we would've broken out of that within a year and started doing some really crazy stuff." - Music-News.com, 6/2/25...... Good news for ZZ Top fans: drummer Frank Beard has returned to the band following a health-inspired leave of absence. Two months ago, the band announced Beard would be temporarily sitting out the band's shows due to unspecified "health issues." Beard's return was announced via a statement from the group's management, noting that the drummer will return to his rightful place behind the kit this weekend, and will "see the tour through to its completion in October." "We're happy that Frank is back with [bassist] Elwood [Francis] and yours truly, BFG," vocalist/guitarist Billy Gibbons explained. "We missed him and are looking forward to turning it up and rocking out with him as has been the case for the last few hundred or so decades. His complete recovery is cause for celebration and that's just what we intend to do on an open-ended basis. Welcome back, pardner!" Beard himself was far more concise, simply telling fans, "It's good to be back. See you out there." The 75-year-old drummer's leave of absence was announced on March 15, with a social media post from the group explaining that Beard had "temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term." Though no specifics were revealed at the time, ZZ Top's recent statement has detailed that Beard was suffering from foot and ankle issues which have since been resolved. During Beard's time away from the band, "longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer" John Douglas stepped in. Douglas had previously served as Beard's replacement during a Paris performance in Oct. 2002 when he underwent an emergency appendectomy. ZZ Top returned to the stage on June 1 to resume the North American leg of their ongoing Elevation tour, which currently features 51 dates between June and October. - Billboard, 5/29/25...... Marcie Jones, lead singer of the '60s/'70s Australian pop band Marcie & The Cookies, passed away on May 31, just days after publicly revealing a leukemia diagnosis. She was 79. The beloved vocalist first rose to fame in the late 1960s as the powerhouse lead singer of Marcie & The Cookies, an all-female vocal group that helped break ground in Australia's male-dominated music scene. After her time with the Cookies, Jones launched a solo career that included a string of singles and her debut album, That Girl Jones, across the 1970s. "It's with great sadness to let you all know that my beautiful mother-in-law, Marcie Jones, passed away yesterday evening," her daughter-in-law Asta wrote in a Facebook tribute. "I feel numb inside. Marc, never again will there be our little outbursts of song and dance. You made me laugh so hard and always gave me great advice," she added. "You were a legend, an icon, and you will always be remembered. You always said that we were so alike in many ways, and that's why I know you will always be my guiding light. I will miss you so much. I love you. Until we meet again to sing another song." Throughout her decades-long career, Jones performed across Asia, Europe and the U.K., and shared the stage with legends including The Monkees, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones and The Seekers. Her 2008 memoir Runs In The Blood described her as "an unsung Australian music legend" who "may not have received the accolades of some of her more recognised peers, but has remained stoic in her determination to perform, write and be a mother to her two boys." The Herald Sun newspaper reported that just five days earlier, on May 27, Jones had revealed her leukemia diagnosis on social media. "Sorry to start the day with rotten news," she wrote. "I am in hospital with leukemia, starting treatment soon. We are all feeling very scared but I'll fight as hard as I can." - Billboard, 6/3/25...... Alf Clausen, the Emmy-winning composer whose music provided essential accompaniment for the animated antics of The Simpsons for 27 years and served as musical director on several TV variety shows including Donny And Marie in the '70s, died on May 29 at his home in Los Angeles after struggling with Parkinson's disease for about a decade. He was 84. Mr. Clausen, who also scored TV series including Moonlighting and Alf ("no relation," he used to joke) was nominated for 30 Emmy Awards, 21 of them for The Simpsons, winning twice. Al Jean, an early Simpsons writer who was one of the key creative figures on the show in the 1990s, said in a post on X on May 31 that "Clausen was an incredibly talented man who did so much for The Simpsons." While Danny Elfman wrote the show's theme song, Clausen joined the Fox animated series created by Matt Groening in 1990 and provided essentially all of its music until 2017, composing nearly 600 scores and conducting the 35-piece orchestra that played it in the studio. Mr. Clausen was born in Minneapolis and raised in Jamestown, N.D. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles seeking a career in music. He also worked as an orchestrator for composer Lee Holdridge in his scores for 1980s films including Splash and The Beastmaster. Mr. Clausen won his Emmys for The Simpsons in 1997 and 1998 and also won five Annie Awards, which honor work in animation in film and television. He was fired from The Simpsons in a cost-cutting move in 2017, to the outrage of his collaborators and fans, and sued over his dismissal. He is survived by his wife, Sally; children Kaarin, Scott and Kyle; stepchildren Josh and Emily, and 11 grandchildren. - Billboard, 5/31/25...... Loretta Swit, the actress and animal activist forever known for her pioneering distaff turn as the disciplined Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the acclaimed CBS sitcom M*A*S*H, died just after midnight on May 30 of apparent natural causes at her home in New York City, her publicist, Harlan Boll, announced later in the day. She was 87. Ms. Swit won two Emmys for her portrayal of the Army nurse -- she was nominated 10 times, every year the show was on the air except the first -- and appeared on 240 of the series' 251 episodes during its sensational 11-season run. Adapting the character from Sally Kellerman's film portrayal of the lusty powerhouse, Ms. Swit was one of only two actors (along with Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce) to have a role in both the pilot and series finale of M*A*S*H. As a tough, by-the-book major, Ms. Swit's Houlihan was a rare strong woman on television. "She was [unique] at the time and in her time, which was the '50s, when [the Korean War] was happening," she said in a 2004 discussion for the TV Academy Foundation website The Interviews: An Oral History of Television. "And she became even more unique, I think, because we allowed her to continue to grow -- we watched her evolve. I don't think that's ever been done in quite that way." Bolstered by her M*A*S*H fame, Ms. Swit also performed in a number of movies, including Freebie and the Bean (1974), Race With the Devil (1975) and BoardHeads (1998). She also was hilarious as agent Polly Reed in Blake Edwards' satire of Hollywood, S.O.B. (1981). Born Loretta Jane Szwed on Nov. 4, 1937, in Passaic, N.J., she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and performed in repertory. She moved to Los Angeles in 1970 and landed TV gigs on such series as Mission: Impossible, Mannix, Gunsmoke and Hawaii Five-O and in the women's lib film Stand Up and Be Counted (1972). Those parts led to Swit being considered for M*A*S*H, produced by 20th Century Fox. Ms. Swit always pushed for Houlihan to grow in maturity and complexity. "She was the head nurse, and her ambition was to be the best damn nurse in Korea, and I tried to help her achieve that," she once said. Active in theater, Ms. Swit starred as one of the daffy Pigeon sisters during the L.A. run of Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" that starred Don Rickles and Ernest Borgnine as the ill-matched roommates. A talented singer and dancer who had been enrolled in dance classes as a youngster, Ms. Swit also performed on The Muppet Show and in a number of musical TV specials, and was a game-show regular on Match Game, The Hollywood Squares and The $10,000 Pyramid. In 2019, after a 21-year absence, she returned to the screen in the religious film Play the Flute, about a youth group. She also founded the SwitHeart Animal Alliance, which she set up to protect, rescue, train and care for animals and preserve their habitat, and recently created a fragrance and a necklace, the sales of which supported her efforts. Ms. Swit was married to actor Dennis Holahan, whom she met on the set of M*A*S*H, from 1983 until their divorce in 1995. - The Hollywood Reporter, 5/30/25.

Friday, May 30, 2025

ABBA celebrated the third anniversary of their acclaimed Voyage show at London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on May 27 alongside the likes of Elvis Costello, U2's Adam Clayton, Guy Garvey, Richard Osmon and Myleene Klass. With ABBA members Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in attendance at the purpose-built ABBA Arena, the event saw a revamped setlist with the introduction of the ABBA tunes "Super Trouper," "The Name Of The Game" and "Money, Money, Money" into the Voyage set, while "When All Is Said And Done" was removed. The new songs were rapturously received by the hardcore fans in attendance, and also came with stunning new choreographed visuals. "When we first opened we never imagined that we'd still be in London three years on," said the band in a statement. "We're very grateful that so many of you have joined us. Of course, the reason for us being able to sustain our concert for so long is because of our incredible audience. As we say in Sweden... Vilken resa!" ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus has promised that Voyage will eventually travel around the world -- with the venue and setup taking two years to build from scratch: "We hope to stay in this venue for as long as we can. We hope they'll have us for many years, and we might build other replicas of this in other places: Asia, Australia, North America. There are lots and promoters and cities that we're talking to at the moment about that." - New Musical Express, 5/28/25...... '70s pop idol Shaun Cassidy will kick off a 50-city "The Road to US" tour in Nashville on Sept. 13. "The truth is, in my whole career I never really toured -- because as a kid, I was working on The Hardy Boys, [TV show] so I'd go out on weekends, and then I got a week here or two weeks there in the summer," Cassidy says. "But this tour that I'm starting will be the biggest commitment of 50 shows and more to come I've ever had in my life." Following in the footsteps of his late older half-brother David Cassidy, Shaun burst onto the pop scene in 1976 with the Eric Carmen-penned hit "That's Rock 'n Roll." The breakthrough hit reached No. 3 on the pop chart and was followed by his chart-topping cover of The Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron," and "Hey Deanie," which reached No. 7. Cassidy, the son of Oscar-winning The Partridge Family actress Shirley Jones and Tony-winning actor Jack Cassidy, released five studio albums between 1977 and 1980 on Curb/Warner Bros. including the Todd Rundgren-produced Wasp. Simultaneously, he also was acting on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, which ran from 1977-1979. Cassidy then focused on the stage, appearing in plays on Broadway and London's West End during the '80s and early '90, before segueing into behind-the-scenes TV work in the mid-'90s. Since then, he has had an extremely successful second career creating, writing and and/or producing such acclaimed television series as American Gothic, Cold Case, Cover Me, The Agency and, most recently, New Amsterdam. In 2020, he began to tour sporadically as a one-man show that expanded to a full band, ending with five sold-out nights at 54 Below in New York City in 2023. But now he says he felt called to do another tour in order to "gather people, connect them and have a shared experience... so important at this at this stage in our world, I think." Between geographic segments of the tour, Cassidy says he'll come back home to his wife and four children in Santa Barbara, Calif., and tend to the wine they produce, My First Crush, which donates a portion of its proceeds to the food charity No Kid Hungry. Hitting many smaller markets, the tour is scheduled to wind down on Jan. 18, 2026 in El Cajon, Calif. "My early shows were just scream-a-thons, I couldn't talk to anybody," he says. "Now I actually can engage with people and look them in the eye and see that they've had a life, and I've had a life, and I'm just so grateful to share it." - Billboard, 5/28/25...... Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor were formally awarded the 2025 Polar Music Prize on May 28. The musicians accepted the award from Sweden's King Carl Gustaf in recognition for the entirety of their career. Speaking on stage, May shared, "In this special moment, I contemplate how that younger Brian May in 1974 would have felt if he knew that we would be living this kind of dream 50 years in the future." Taylor added, "When we started our band, we had ambitions, but never dreamed of the journey that was to follow. We were fortunate in the fact that our four wildly different personalities came together to achieve a wonderful chemistry." Known as the "Nobel Prize of Music," the Polar Music Prize is a Swedish international award for "significant achievements in music and/or musical activity" and was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, best known as the manager of the Sweden's ABBA. It is annually given to one popular musician and one classical musician. Previous winners include Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Dizzy Gillespie and Björk. - Music-News.com, 5/28/25...... Several musicians have paid tribute to Rick Derringer following news of the legendary rock guitarist's death on May 27. "God bless Rick Derringer. It was great playing with him in the All Starrs. I send peace and love to his family," wrote Ringo Starr. "Weird Al" Yankovic, whose first album was produced by Derringer, wrote on Instagram: "I'm very sad to say that my friend, rock guitar legend Rick Derringer, has passed. Rick produced my first 6 albums and played guitar on my earliest recordings, including the solo on 'Eat It.' He had an enormous impact on my life, and will be missed greatly. RIP." The band Foghat posted: "We just sadly heard that Rick Derringer has passed. We did many many shows with Rick back in the 70's. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, family & friends. RIP Rick," while Derringer's former bandmate Edgar Winter posted a tribute to the late rocker on Facebook. - NME, 5/28/25...... Appearing on his SiriusXM radio show Ozzy Speaks with co-host Billy Morrison, Ozzy Osbourne says he's going to make it to the stage for the final Black Sabbath show "by hook or crook." "I haven't done any physical work for the last seven, six and a half, seven years," Ozzy said, promising that "by hook or by crook, I'm gonna make it [to the stage at Villa Park]," where Black Sabbath's final gig on July 5 in their hometown of Birmingam, UK, will find them joined by an all-star roster that will also include Metallica, Anthrax, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Slayer, Smashing Pumpkins, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine and many more. "I've got this trainer guy who helps people get back to normal," he said of the intense training he's undergoing following a rough several years that included spinal surgery and a Parkinson's disease diagnosis. "It's hard going, but he's convinced that he can pull it off for me. I'm giving it everything I've got." Ozzy, 76, said he's definitely waking up and stressing about the show at times, but he knows that getting worked up is not what will get him through his first show with Sabbath bandmates guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward in more than 20 years. "Sometimes [I stress], but what I do, if I start obsessing all the time, I'll be insane by Friday, you know?" he said. "So, I'm just taking it one day at a time and when I do it one day at a time. You know, when we were talking about this [obsessive-compulsive disorder], whatever. I have that badly. All I can say is I'm giving 120%. If my God wants me to do the show, I'll do it." Ozzy's full interview can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/29/25...... On May 28 Smokey Robinson filed a countersuit against four longtime housekeepers who accused him of rape earlier in the month, claiming the allegations were part of an "extortionate scheme" by the women and their attorneys. The new cross-complaint, filed in Los Angeles court, came three weeks after the unnamed housekeepers filed a $50 million civil lawsuit over allegations that the legendary Motown singer repeatedly raped them over nearly two decades in his employ. In the countersuit, defense attorneys for Robinson went on offense -- accusing the four women and their attorneys (John W. Harris and Herbert Hayden) of defamation, invasion of privacy, civil conspiracy and even elder abuse over the "fabricated" allegations. "The depths of plaintiffs' avarice and greed knows no bounds," Robinson's attorney Christopher Frost writes. "During the very time that the Robinsons were being extraordinarily generous with plaintiffs, plaintiffs were concocting an extortionate plan to take everything from the Robinsons... and wrongfully destroy the Robinsons' well-built reputations." Robinson was sued on May 6, accused of forcing the housekeepers to have oral and vaginal sex in his Los Angeles-area bedroom dozens of times between 2007 and 2024. The singer's wife, Frances Robinson, was also named as a defendant over claims that she didn't do enough to stop the abuse, despite knowing that he had a history of sexual misconduct. According to the new filing, the housekeepers and their lawyers made "pre-litigation demands for $100 million or more" before filing their case. When that failed to work, the new filing says the accusers went public with the allegations as loudly as they could. In addition to the sexual abuse allegations, the lawsuit also claimed that the Robinsons paid their employees below minimum wage, and that Frances Robinson created a hostile work environment replete with screaming and "racially-charged epithets." The accusers also filed a police report, leading the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to open a criminal investigation. In addition to defamation and other wrongdoing, the Robinsons say the accusers tried to "hide, conceal, and destroy evidence exposing their illegal scheme," including by taking Frances Robinson's phone and deleting text conversations. The filing hinted that the Robinsons would seek additional penalties for such "spoliation" of evidence. - Billboard, 5/28/25...... The continuing saga of Zak Starkey's departure from The Who received another installment on May 28 when the band's former drummer called reports that he "retired" from his position in iconic group as "f-kin total bollox" while insisting that he was, indeed, "fired" from the group. Starkey's position as the band's drummer has been uncertain since a show at London's Royal Albert Hall in March. Reports suggested that Daltrey was unhappy with Starkey's playing on the night, and a number of songs were cut short. Starkey -- Ringo Starr's son and a prolific session drummer -- has been a part of the live lineup since 1996. In a statement, the band said, "The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future." Starkey was reinstated to band briefly after "communication issues" were resolved, but following the announcement of The Who's farewell tour dates in North America, guitarist Pete Townshend confirmed that time had "come for a change" in relation to their drummer, and that Scott Devours would be taking on the role. On May 26 the drummer shared an Instagram post stating that Roger Daltrey had said that Starkey had not been "fired," but "retired" on his own to work on his project with supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos. Two days later, on Wednesday (May 28), Starkey shared a new Instagram update calling the report "f-kin total bollox," insisted that "I was fired" and that Daltrey's "new word for it is 'retired' to complete my other musical projects." He continued, "I have no plan's whatsoever for the fall as I thought I was touring with The Who and my mantra band mates are v busy in oasis and happy Mondays until the new year . So this is simply a load of bollox & Am I fired, retired, deffo not tired as I'm 20 years younger than these guys as they keep saying." The Who will kick off the U.S. leg of their farewell tour on August 16 at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. - Billboard, 5/29/25...... To celebrate his forthcoming album Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years, John Fogerty has released three newly recorded versions of Creedence Clearwater Revival classics: "Up Around the Bend," "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," and "Porterville," the latter originally released in 1967 under the band's earlier name, The Golliwogs. The new recordings are labeled "John's Version," a nod to Taylor Swift's "Taylor's Version" project, though Fogerty now owns his masters. He won control over his publishing rights in early 2023, ending a legal battle that spanned five decades. "For most of my life I did not own the songs I had written," Fogerty said in a statement. "Getting them back changes everything. Legacy is my way of celebrating that -- of playing these songs on my terms, with the people I love." The album features Fogerty's sons Shane and Tyler on guitars, and Shane co-produced the album with his father. Julie Fogerty, John's wife, served as executive producer. "I knew firsthand how much it meant for John to get his publishing back," said Julie. "It has been so joyful and beautiful since this happened for him. This is a celebration of his life's work. It is the biggest party for the good guy/artist winning." Legacy, due out Aug. 22 via Concord Records, features 20 tracks, including CCR staples like "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising," "Fortunate Son," and "Down on the Corner." The project arrives as Fogerty celebrates his 80th birthday on May 28 with a pair of shows at New York's Beacon Theatre, ahead of a European summer tour and a performance at Glastonbury Festival. Fogerty has shared "Up Around The Bend" (John's version) from the new LP on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/29/25...... Rod Stewart has confirmed that Ronnie Wood will join him for a Faces reunion during his "Legends" set at the UK's Glastonbury 2025. In a new interview on That Peter Crouch Podcast, Stewart explained that he was still in regular contact with the Rolling Stones guitarist. The pair were previously bandmates in the late '60s/early '70s blues rock band, alongside surviving Faces drummer Kenney Jones. Faces hinted at a comeback in April, with Jones revealing in an interview with The Telegraph that the band had recorded "about 11 tracks" at RAK Studios in London for a new album -- which would be their first full-length effort in over 50 years. "I can't see it coming out this year. But I can see it coming out next year," Jones said. "Everyone's doing different things. We do little snippets [of recording] here and there. Then all of a sudden, The Stones are out [on tour] again, Rod's out again..." First formed in 1969 through a merger between members of Small Faces and the Jeff Beck Group, Faces existed for six years before guitarist Wood left to join the Stones, and Stewart continued his burgeoning solo career. The group have released four albums, with 1971's A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse hitting No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Glastonbury will take place at Worthy Farm, Somerset on June 25-29) with headliners The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo. Stewart last performed at the festival in 2002, topping the bill alongside Coldplay and Stereophonics that year. Meanwhile, Sir Rod capped the 2025 American Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 26 by accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award and treating the audience to a rendition of his 1988 hit "Forever Young." Stewart, 80, was introduced by five of his eight children -- Kim, Ruby, Renee, Liam and Sean -- who honored their dad's 60-year career. "I'm absolutely flabbergasted -- I had no idea they were here," a gobsmacked Stewart said after hugging it out with his brood, cheekily joking that he's got "eight all together... I didn't have a television." Rod the Mod's acceptance of the award can be viewed on YouTube.- Billboard, 5/28/25...... Billy Joel's daughter Alexa Ray Joel took to Instagram on May 25 to thank fans for their support and share an uplifting message after her father revealed he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a type of brain disorder. "SOUND UP =J We love you and we got you, Pop!," Alexa wrote alongside a black-and-white illustration of a father holding his young daughter's hand. "I just wanted to thank you all for the beautiful outpouring of love and support amid the recent news of My Father's health diagnosis. My Dad is the strongest and most resilient man I've ever known... and he's entirely committed to making a full recovery with ongoing physical-therapy treatments as he continues to regain his strength." Christie Brinkley, Alexa's mother, also shared a message of support for her ex-husband on May 24, wishing Billy "lots of love and good wishes for a full and speedy recovery.... you're OUR piano man." Earlier in May Joel announced the cancellation of all upcoming performances due to complications related to NPH. "This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance," he said in a statement. "Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health." The cancellations include several scheduled appearances throughout summer and fall 2025, as well as early 2026, including joint shows with Sting, Rod Stewart, and Stevie Nicks. - Billboard, 5/26/25...... Neil Young performed his 1983 deep cut "My Boy" for the first time in 42 years on the grounds of Ontario's Lakefield College School during a special benefit concert on May 23. The solo acoustic show marked Young's first full performance of 2025 and supported restoration efforts for a historic 116-year-old cottage nearby. Despite the cold and rainy conditions, attendees paid up to $1,500 for tickets to witness Young's intimate 18-song performance. While the set featured classics like "Heart of Gold," "Comes a Time" and "Sugar Mountain," it was the mid-show performance of "My Boy" that drew audible emotion from the crowd. Originally released on 1985's Old Ways LP, the banjo-led ballad is a tribute to Young's eldest son, Zeke Young. The song had not been performed live since the 1983 solo Trans tour. Hours earlier, Young had posted a vintage photo on social media of himself with Zeke and his late father, renowned Canadian journalist Scott Young. "Practicing for Lakefield, I was playing 'My Boy,' thinking about my own dad. I knew he must have heard this song," Young wrote. "My dad was a great guy and Zeke is a wonderful son. I think 'My Boy' is my favorite recording of all the ones I have done." The show comes ahead of Young's "Love Earth Tour," which launches June 18 in Sweden. The U.S. leg kicks off Aug. 8 in Charlotte, N.C. The setlist is expected to spotlight tracks from Young's upcoming album Talkin' to the Trees, which drops June 13 via Reprise. Young's May 23 "My Boy" performance has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/26/25...... Live Odyssey, a new attraction in Camden, UK which combines a show, an exhibition museum and live experience together, debuted on May 25. Attendees are taken through six decades of music via a two-and-a-half-hour adventure that captures the evolution of British music, from the early anthems of the '60s and '70s to the Britpop explosion of the '90s and today's cutting-edge hits. During its debut week John Lennon's sister Julia Baird unveiled a multi-sensory immersive exhibit dedicated to the late Lennon which "details the early years that shaped Lennon through to a life of stratospheric fame with The Beatles" through artifacts, paintings, drawings, writings, moving photographs, provided by James Wilkinson. This includes a recreation of Lennon's childhood bedroom, which Baird described as "very moving." "If you're a Beatles fan you've either been to Mendips or seen a picture of John's childhood home, where he had what is known as 'the box room'," Baird says. "You couldn't fit much in there. You had six inches to move everywhere. It's very true to life: the bed, the red quilt, the lot. It's a good imitation of what his room was like. He was in there writing all the time and doing his cartoons." The recreated bedroom can be viewed on Instagram. - NME, 5/25/25...... Paul W. Downs, the co-creator, co-writer and co-director of the hit HBO Max comedy series Hacks, has revealed that Cher turned down the opportunity to guest star on the series three times. "Well, one person in particular we asked to be on the show Seasons 1, 2 and 4 - and that person is Cher," Downs said on a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Downs, who plays Deborah's manager Jimmy, then explained that the creators went to major lengths to convince Cher after the singer's team advised them to mention her ice cream brand Cherlato. "So we wrote a commercial for Cherlato. Deborah (Jean Smart) was gonna go to the Cherlato factory, she was gonna taste all the Cherlato, she was gonna love the Cherlato, and then when it came down to shoot, we got a pass," he continued. "Now, people usually say, 'I love the show, but respectfully, I don't have time.' Once, Javier Bardem said, 'I cannot say yes right now,' which is Spanish for 'no.' And so we said, 'Is there any feedback? Can we change the script?' And her manager said, 'Well, this is the quote from Cher: I don't want to do it.'" - Music-News.com, 5/27/25...... The L.A.-based pop duo Sparks is on track to score their first-ever UK No. 1 album with MAD!, the 28th studio album by the brothers Ron and Russell Mael. Currently, Sparks' best UK Official Albums Chart position is a No. 4 peak for their 1974 LP Kimono My House. - Music-News.com, 5/28/25...... "Chicago Mike" Sumler, Kool & the Gang's beloved "hype man" during their live shows, died in a car crash in Georgia's Cobb County just after midnight on May 24 after colliding with another vehicle on Veterans Memorial Highway near Buckner Road. He was 71. Sumler spent more than three decades with Kool & The Gang and was known for being the group's energetic hype man during live shows. "He always wanted to see other people succeed in the business that he'd been around most of all of his life," Adrian Meeks of Song Source Music Group said. "He was the bridge, you know, for inspiring artists and songwriters and producers and musicians to the legends." "'Chicago Mike' contributed so much to the music and entertainment communities," said Mableton, Ga. mayer Michael Owens. "His style and energy added flare and excitement to Kool and the Gang for decades. The city of Mableton, council members and I join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss." Sumler is just the latest member of the group to pass away; Kool & The Gang's drummer George Brown most recently passed in 2023 after a battle with cancer. - Billboard, 5/28/25.

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Legendary rock guitarist-singer-songwriter Rick Derringer, who penned such classics as "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" and "Real American," died on May 26 in Ormond Beach, Fla. He was 77. Derringer's caretaker, Tony Wilson, shared news of the passing on his Facebook page on May 27. No cause of death was announced although Derringer had reportedly been in ill health in recent months. "Derringer's legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent," the announcement reads. "His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones." His wife, Jenda Derringer, was reportedly at his side, as was Wilson. A virtuoso rock guitarist, Derringer's career as a performer, songwriter and producer spanned six decades. In addition to finding fame as part of The McCoys with hits such as 1965's "Hang On Sloopy," the Ohio native and Florida resident also worked on music for a wide variety of artists, from Cyndi Lauper to Steely Dan, Barbra Streisand, Alice Cooper, KISS and "Weird Al" Yankovic. A fiery and remarkably versatile guitarist, a strong singer and a high-profile presence on New York's rock scene of the '70s and '80s, the musician charted four albums on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart -- starting with All American Boy, which reached No. 25 in 1974, followed by Spring Fever in 1975, Derringer in 1976, and Sweet Evil and Derringer Live in 1977. His efforts with the Edgar Winter Group, Shock Treatment and The Edgar Winter Group With Rick Derringer, would chart in 1974 and 1975, respectively. He also had one LP make it onto the Jazz Albums chart: 2002's Free Ride. Born Richard Dean Zehringer in Ohio in 1947, the young Derringer received a guitar for his ninth birthday and began playing local gigs with his uncle, a country musician, before he was in high school. As a teen he formed a band called The McCoys with his brother Randy. In the summer of 1965 the songwriting-production team The Strangeloves -- comprised of Richard Gottehrer, Jerry Goldstein and Bob Feldman, who had scored a major hit with "I Want Candy" -- hired the group as a backing band and soon after enlisted them to record a cover of the song "My Girl Sloopy," originally released by The Vibrations the previous year. With the title altered to "Hang on Sloopy," the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 that summer -- replacing Barry McGuire's grim "Eve of Destruction" -- around the time Derringer (still working under his born name) turned 18. "Hang on Sloopy" has become a kind of theme song for Derringer's home state and, in a foretelling of his later years making music for professional sports, has been a staple of Ohio State football game for decades. The McCoys, who opened for the Rolling Stones on their first major North American tour, had minor follow-up hits but did not repeat that success, and the group began working with blues guitarist Johnny Winter in the late 1960s. After a few years, Derringer joined forces with Johnny's brother, touring with and playing on and producing albums by the Edgar Winter Group. The partnership with Edgar produced a massive single with 1972's "Frankenstein," an instrumental the band had been playing around with for years; the title came from the look of the master tape, which had so many segments spliced together that the musicians said it resembled the horror-movie character's stitches. The song, produced by Derringer, topped the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1973; he went on to replace Ronnie Montrose in the band shortly after and remained the Edgar Winter Group's guitarist and producer for the next three years. Also in 1973, Derringer enjoyed his first solo hit with "Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo" -- originally recorded by Johnny Winter; the song has had such a long life that it was used in the fourth season of Stranger Things. After leaving Edgar Winter's band, Derringer launched his eponymous group in 1976, which toured extensively throughout the decade and released several albums; their concerts were heavy on guitar dueling and showmanship, and climaxed with Derringer and his second guitarist dramatically throwing their guitars to each other from opposite sides of the stage. Throughout the 1970s and '80s Derringer also worked extensively as a session musician, playing on albums by Steely Dan (including Countdown to Ecstasy, Katy Lied and Gaucho), Todd Rundgren, Alice Cooper, KISS and even Barbra Streisand. In the early 1980s he soloed on two massive singles written by Meat Loaf mastermind Jim Steinman: Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing at All." He also produced "Weird" Al's first album; and even gave Patti Smith her first major credit, on the song "Jump" from his All-American Boy LP. Two of the most important pieces of Derringer's legacy, however, will always be the songs "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" and "Real American." The former reached No. 23 on the Hot 100 in 1974 -- marking Derringer's highest career peak on the chart -- while the latter is known for its use as pro wrestler Hulk Hogan's theme song. The tune was also used as campaign music for both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, as well as sitting president Donald Trump. In 2017, Derringer was working on a new version of the song that would "transcend politics and bring the nation together," according to his manager Kenn Moutenot, who was also the drummer in The Rick Derringer Band. Derringer was still releasing music up until 2022. That year, he dropped a track called "Let It Be the Blues," which followed a 2018 cover of Aimee Zimmerman's "Always Be Your Mom" with Jenda. In his later years he toured with Ringo Starr's All Starr Band as well as Peter Frampton, Carmine Appice and others, aligned with conservative causes and released several Christian-themed albums with Jenda. - Billboard/Variety, 5/27/25.

Sunday, May 25, 2025

A new Freddie Mercury biography claims the late Queen frontman had a secret daughter. British biographer Lesley-Ann Jones' book Love, Freddie alleges the child was conceived accidentally during an affair by Mercury with the wife of a close friend in 1976. Mercury allegedly visited the child regularly and gave her 17 volumes of his detailed personal journals, which she kept a secret. The woman -- who is only referred to as B throughout the book and is now aged 48 and working as a medical professional -- shared the journals with Jones. According to reports by the Daily Mail UK, the book includes B's reasoning for sharing the journals after 30 years, with her writing: "After more than three decades of lies, speculation and distortion, it is time to let Freddie speak. "Those who have been aware of my existence kept his greatest secret out of loyalty to Freddie. That I choose to reveal myself in my own midlife is my decision and mine alone. I have not, at any point, been coerced into doing this," B said. "He entrusted his collection of private notebooks to me, his only child and his next of kin, the written record of his private thoughts, memories and feelings about everything he had experienced." B continued: "He adored me and was devoted to me. The circumstances of my birth may seem, by most people's standards, unusual and even outrageous. That should come as no surprise. It never detracted from his commitment to love and look after me. He cherished me like a treasured possession." Mercury allegedly started writing the diaries on June 20 1976, when he first learned about the pregnancy. He wrote his final entry in his notebook on July 31 1991, while his health was deteriorating. Mercury died aged 45 of bronchial pneumonia caused by AIDS. It is believed that only Mercury's inner circle are aware of B's existence. In 2012, Jones released another Mercury biography, Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury. Her other works include Who Killed John Lennon? and Songbird: An Intimate Biography of Christine McVie. - New Musical Express, 5/24/25...... Billy Joel announced on May 23 that he's been forced to cancel all of his upcoming shows due to a medical condition that affects his ability to perform. In a statement shared to Instagram and other social media accounts, the 75-year-old singer said the decision comes following a "recent diagnosis" of normal pressure hydrocephalus. "This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance," his statement reads. "Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health." "He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage," the announcement continues, concluding with a message directly from Joel: "I'm sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding." Fans with tickets to any of the "Piano Man" singer's scheduled shows will receive automatic refunds to their original payment method. According to Cleveland Clinic, normal pressure hydrocephalus is a condition that occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull, pressing on the brain. It can affect "several brain-related abilities, including thinking and concentrating, memory, movement and more," with treatment involving implanting a shunt to drain the excess fluid. Joel had several shows planned throughout the summer and fall of 2025, as well as a few performances scheduled for the first half of 2026. His canceled appearances include his joint dates with Sting, Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks, as well as his solo gigs. The 1999 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee previously delayed several of those tour dates by four months after revealing that he had recently undergone surgery. Joel did not disclose his medical condition at that time. His health update comes shortly after it was announced that his upcoming two-part documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. Later in the summer, the project will air on HBO. - Billboard, 5/23/25...... On May 23 Neil Young announced more support acts for his July 11 headline show and London's BST Hyde Park festival. Young's BST performance with his latest band the Chrome Hearts will follow the singer-songwriter's headlining set at the UK's Glastonbury Festival in June. Earlier in 2025, it was confirmed that openers Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Van Morrison would join him on the day. The latest support acts include the recently formed Irish folk trio Amble and German-born singer-songwriter Alice Merton, along with country singer Kelly McGrath, Naima Bock, Everyone Says Hi and Our Man In The Field, among others. Young is headlining this year's edition of the London concert series along with the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Wonder, Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan and Jeff Lynne's ELO. - NME, 5/23/25...... The Who's new drummer Scott Devours has spoken out on his new gig working with the legendary English rock band after the band's acrimonious split with former drummer Zak Starkey. Posting on Instagram, Devours said he understood if fans were "gutted" by Starkey's departure, adding that "as a huge fan myself, there is a part of me that's processing this loss with a heavy heart too." However, he also said that "there are no bigger shoes to fill than those behind Pete and Roger," adding that "the weight of this responsibility is enormous and I am feeling every ounce of it." He continued: "Since this is the last time Pete [Townshend] and Roger [Daltrey] will be touring the US, playing the greatest songs ever written, I will be giving them every second of my time, every beat of my heart, and every drop of my sweat and blood. This is my ultimate goal." He concluded: "This tour isn't about me or anyone other than The Who, which IS Pete and Roger. I will give them everything I have and the rest is soon to be history Thank you for reading this. Now I'm going to go throw up, lol." Devours most recently played in Daltrey's solo band. Meanwhile, Daltrey has suggested he doesn't want to tour with Townshend after Townshend said he feels like The Who is "flogging a dead horse" in a recent interview with Sunday People Daltrey is quoted by the Daily Mail's "Eden Confidential" column as saying: "If Pete doesn't want to tour, I don't want to be back with The Who on the road, at 81, with someone who doesn't want be there -- if that's what he's saying. I won't do it with someone who is half-hearted about it. But, you know, every dog has its day and it was a wonderful ride." Townshend had told Sunday People: "The Who has gone on a bit too long with two of us dying. It does sometimes feel like flogging a dead horse." Dubbed "The Song Is Over North America Farewell Tour," it kicks off on Aug.16 at Amerant Bank Arena in Florida, and is due to wrap on Sept. 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. - NME/Music-News.com, 5/22/25...... Although he reached his milestone birthday of 80 on Jan. 10, Rod Stewart says he has "so much more music" to make and has no less that three new albums in the works. Speaking to AARP The Magazine, he said: "There's so much more music I want to create. I've got a covers album, a country album, and a Faces album all in the works. I just can't stop. Even when I'm spending time with my grandkids, my passion for music drives me. I feel like I've done everything I've ever wanted, but there's still more to come." Stewart also admitted he enjoys performing at concerts "more" now than when he was a young musician, and he can appreciate "how lucky [he's] been." "When I feel I might be sick enough to cancel a concert, that's when I go, 'Maybe I'm getting old.' Then a couple of days later, bang, I'm back at it again. I enjoy doing concerts more than I did back then. Maybe I've come full circle to appreciate how lucky I've been." In November, Hot Rod confirmed he will play the coveted legends slot at this year's Glastonbury festival, posting on Instagram: "I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that I'll be playing Glastonbury Festival 2025! After all these years, I'm proud and ready and more than able to take the stage again to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury in June. I'll see you there!" - Music-News.com, 5/23/25...... Sony Music Vision has announced it will produce a new Judas Priest documentary, to be co-directed by Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello. The film, titled The Ballad Of Judas Priest, has yet to receive a release date, but will be co-directed by Morello and established heavy metal filmmaker Sam Dunn (Metal: A Headbanger's Journey). The band said in a statement, per Variety: "We have lived and breathed metal for over five decades, and finally in this documentary we are summoning our congregation to officially witness our lives uncensored, in a never-before-seen waythe cassock comes off, revealing Priest in all its metal glory!" Meanwhile, Morello will serve as "musical director" for Black Sabbath's final gig this July, however Judas Priest will not be participating, saying they were unaware of the gig until it was too late. After a show with the Scorpions in July which celebrates the German band's 60th anniversary, Priest will be hitting the road again in 2025 for a co-headline tour with Alice Cooper. It'll feature gigs across North America, Europe and the UK, and includes a stop at The O2 in London on July 25. - NME, 5/22/25...... Bruce Springsteen is doubling down on his stance that the US government is "corrupt, incompetent and treasonous," even after his remarks on the subject at a Manchester, UK concert infuriated Pres. Donald Trump. One week after criticizing the Trump administration during a speech at his European tour kickoff show in England -- leading Trump to launch into a series of vitriolic posts targeting him on his Truth Social platform -- the Boss has released a Land of Hope & Dreams EP featuring a recording of the address as its opening track. "In my home, the America I love, the America I've written about, and has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration," he says in the audio snippet. "Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against the authoritarianism, and let freedom ring." The New Jersey rocker then dives into 2001's "Land of Hope & Dreams," which is also the name Springsteen's ongoing tour. In addition to the politically charged speech, the six-track project also features live takes of the musician and his band performing "Long Walk Home," "My City of Ruins" and "Chimes of Freedom" in Manchester. There's also a three-and-a-half-minute recording of Springsteen once again critiquing the state of American politics later in the show. "In my country, they're taking sadistic pleasure in the pain that they inflict on American workers, they're rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and moral society," he says in the clip. "They're abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom." The EP comes shortly after Trump responded to Springsteen's onstage remarks by calling him "highly overrated" and "dumb as a rock" on Truth Social, adding at the time, "This dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that's just 'standard fare.'" He later accused Springsteen -- along with Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and Bono -- of taking part in an "illegal election scam" for Kamala Harris, alleging that he accepted an undisclosed payment from the 2024 Democratic nominee to endorse her for president. Trump still hadn't let the matter go as of May 21, when he shared a bizarre edited video of himself golfing -- and appearing to hit and knock over Springsteen with his ball -- on Truth Social hours after the Land of Hope & Dreams EP dropped. Springsteen's new Land of Hope & Dreams EP can be streamed on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 5/21/25...... Dead & Company have announced the opening acts for the upcoming Grateful Dead 60th-anniversary concerts at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park set for Aug. 1-3. Bluegrass phenom Billy Strings will open the Aug. 1 concert, while singer/songwriter Sturgill Simpson, performing as Johnny Blue Skies, will perform Aug. 2. Trey Anastasio, frontman for Phish who performed with the surviving members of the GD for the 50th-anniversary "Fare Thee Well" concerts, is opening the Aug. 3 show with his Trey Anastasio Band. The three-day concert series will also include Participation Row, Dead & Company's fan-powered social action village hosted by national nonprofits HeadCount, which promotes citizen participation in democracy and U.S. politics, and REVERB, which organizes and promotes action at concerts and festivals to bring about a better future. - Billboard, 5/21/25...... Brian Eno published on open letter to Microsoft on Instagram on May 21, three decades after composing the company's iconic Windows 95 startup jingle. The former Roxy Music member and veteran record producer is calling out the company for selling technology to Israel amid the country's highly criticized war against Hamas. In a statement titled "Not in My Name: An Open Letter to Microsoft From Brian Eno," Eno began by writing, "In the mid-1990s, I was asked to compose a short piece of music for Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system. Millions -- possibly even billions -- of people have since heard that short startup chime, which represented a gateway to a promising technological future. I never would have believed that the same company could one day be implicated in the machinery of oppression and war." Eno's words come a few days after Microsoft acknowledged in an unsigned blogpost that it sold advanced artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to the Israeli military -- as well as aided in efforts to locate and rescue Israeli hostages -- amid the war in Gaza. Violence has run rampant in the city ever since Hamas attacked and killed about 1,200 Israeli people while taking more than 250 hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel's ensuing war against the terrorist group has since led to the deaths of more than 53,000 Palestinians. Eno ended his letter by pledging to donate the fee he originally received for his Windows 95 composition to support for victims of attacks in Gaza. "If a sound can signal a real change," he concluded, "let it be this one." Microsoft has yet to comment about Eno's open letter. - Billboard, 5/21/25...... Rising actress Aimee Lou Wood, best known for her roles in Sex Education and The White Lotus, has reportedly been lined up to play George Harrison's one time wife Patti Boyd in one of director Sam Mendes' upcoming Beatles biopics. Rumours linking Wood to the role have persisted for some time, particularly after she shared an image of Harrison and Boyd on their honeymoon in Barbados in 1966 on her Instagram Stories page in March. Harrison and Boyd were married between 1966 and 1977 and she was said to be the inspiration for songs including "I Need You," "If I Needed Someone," "Something" and "For You Blue." She was later married to Eric Clapton between 1979 and 1989. In addition, Mia McKenna-Bruce is rumoured to be joining the cast as Ringo Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey. Announced in 2024, the project -- titled The Beatles - A Four Film Cinematic Event -- will see Mendes direct a different film about each member of the Fab Four. - NME, 5/21/25...... In other biopic news, the release of the Michael Jackson film Michael has been pushed back to 2026. Lionsgate Studios CEO Jon Feltheimer recently shared an update on the film that stars Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson in his big-screen debut. "In regard to our Michael Jackson biopic, we're excited about the three and a half hours of amazing footage from producer Graham King and director Antoine Fuqua, and we will be announcing a definitive release strategy and timing in the next few weeks," he shared, adding "I would note that it is likely we will move Michael out of the fiscal year." Variety has reported that the film would likely be split into two parts, and be pushed back from the initially announced release date of Oct. 3, 2025. Michael, made with a budget of around $155 million, is a musical drama film based on the life of the legendary singer, songwriter and dancer. It is also set to star Colman Domingo and Nia Long as family heads Joe and Katherine Jackson, and All Eyez on Me star Kat Graham as Diana Ross. - Music-News.com, 5/23/25...... A new Apple TV+ documentary about legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese will feature a slew of A-list celebrities, among them Mick Jagger. Per a press release, the five-part Mr. Scorsese documentary series will chronicle Scorsese's life and legendary career through chats with the iconic filmmaker himself, along with "unrestricted access" to his private archives and "never-before-seen interviews with friends, family, and creative collaborators." Also among the star-studded roster of talent speaking to Apple TV+ for the documentary are his long-time collaborators Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as Steven Spielberg, Robbie Robertson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Margot Robbie, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Cate Blanchett and more. His wife Helen Morris and his children and childhood friends will also participate. Director Rebecca Miller's documentary will also cover a large span of Scorsese's life, beginning with his student films while attending the New York University, to present day. While a release date for Mr. Scorsese has yet to be announced, Apple TV+ has teased that it is "coming soon." - NME, 5/22/25...... Grammy-nominated songwriter Roger Nichols, best-known for co-writing such Carpenters hits as "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "I Won't Last a Day Without You" with lyricist Paul Williams, died on May 17. He was 84. Paul Williams confirmed Mr. Nichols' death in an extended, and deeply affectionate, post on Instagram. Williams didn't list a cause of death, though he reported the basic circumstances of Mr. Nichol's passing. "Roger Nichols passed away peacefully four days ago, at home with his beautiful family his wife Terry and the daughters he was so proud of, Claire and Caitlin at his side." Williams added in part: "Roger was my writing partner and my music school a collaborator for years and a friend for life... We wrote almost every day for several years. He was as disciplined as he was talented... I wrote what I heard, note for noteword for word. The lyrics waiting in the emotion already in his music. He made it easy." Mr. Nichols signed as an artist to A&M Records in 1968, a year before Karen and Richard Carpenter were signed to the Los Angeles-based label. His debut album Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends was produced by Tommy LiPuma, engineered by Bruce Botnick, and featured session contributions from Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman and Lenny Waronker. Although the album failed to crack the Billboard Hot 200, A&M co-founder Herb Alpert thought there was something there and recommended that Mr. Nichols be hired by A&M's publishing company as a staff songwriter. It was during this period that he was introduced to Williams. One of the hottest pop songwriting teams of the early 1970s, Williams and Mr. Nichols took off as songwriters in the fall of 1970, when they had two songs in the top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time: the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" (a ballad which had originated as "soft-sell" commercial for Crocker-Citizens National Bank) and Three Dog Night's "Out in the Country." "We've Only Just Begun" went on to receive two Grammy nominations -- for song of the year and best contemporary song -- at the first live Grammy telecast in Mar. 1971. The pair continued writing songs for the Carpenters, including "Rainy Days and Mondays," a superb and remarkably adult ballad which reached No. 2 (it took Carole King's letter-perfect "It's Too Late" to keep it out of the top spot), and "I Won't Last a Day Without You," a 1972 album track that was finally released as a single in 1974, when it climbed to No. 11. Mr. Nichols also had some successes with other collaborators. He teamed with William Lane to write "Times of Your Life," which Paul Anka recorded in 1975. Like "We've Only Just Begun," this song was also adapted from a popular TV commercial -- for Kodak. Anka's recording reached No. 7 in Feb. 1976. Mr. Nichols retired soon afterwards, but his songs live on. R.E.M. covered "Out in the Country" as a B-side for their 2003 single "Bad Day," and Rumer covered "Traveling Boy" on her 2012 album Boys Don't Cry. Mr. Nichols was honored during Florida Chapter Presents The Recording Academy Honors 2006 at Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami. More recently he was nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame on Nov. 12, for the class that will be inducted on June 12. He wasn't elected (the competition is fierce every year), but the ballot listed the five songs that are probably his most famous and enduring: "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "I Won't Last a Day Without You," "Out in the Country," "Times of Your Life." In a comment on Williams' Instagram post, Mr. Nichols' daughter Claire wrote, "My mom, Terri, and my sisters, Caroline and Caitlin, are all so proud of the man he was, and are in awe of the legacy he leaves." - Billboard, 5/23/25.

Wednesay, May 21, 2025

Current Foreigner frontman Kelly Hansen has announced he's leaving the iconic British-American rock band he's fronted since 2005. Appearing on the season finale of the NBC talent show The Voice on May 20, Hansen said: "After 20 magical years performing with this band, this will be my last year with Foreigner. This summer, a new great voice will sing these songs for you, my friend Luis Maldonado." Hansen later said in a statement that "Being the voice of Foreigner has been one of the greatest honours of my life. But it's time to pass the mic. Luis has the voice, the energy, and the soul to carry these songs into the future. I couldn't be prouder to hand this off to him," with Maldonado adding, "This music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I'm ready to honour Foreigner's legacy and bring my heart to every performance." In March, Foreigner confirmed that Hansen would not be performing with the band on the Canadian leg of their ongoing farewell tour this autumn. At the time, the group said that these concerts would be fronted by Broadway singer and actor Geordie Brown, although it isn't clear if this is still the case. Hansen had also revealed that he wouldn't be participating in the scheduled shows in Mexico and South America this spring -- where Maldonado previously took on frontman duties. Further dates will take place in the US this summer. Foreigner co-founder and leader Mick Jones, who no longer plays live with the band, said: "I wish Kelly great happiness in his next endeavours after our summer tour, and I look forward to welcoming Luis to his new position. Luis was my choice as a guitarist and he has already shown us what he can do on lead vocals by fronting the band in South America to incredible reviews. He will soon lead the charge that will carry us forward to new heights." - New Musical Express, 5/21/25...... French police have recovered a bust from late Doors frontman Jim Morrison's grave, 37 years of it was stolen. The sculpture, created by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin, was placed on Morrison's grave in Paris' Pre Lachaise Cemetery to mark the tenth anniversary of his passing, on July 3, 1981. However, the bust was stolen seven years later, in May 1988, with Vanity Fair magazine noting that two individuals were reported to have taken the statue after being locked in the cemetery overnight. After years of rumor and innuendo surrounding its fate, Parisian police have now announced the heavily-graffiti'd bust has been recovered, with its rediscovery occurring during a search related to a fraud case. No further details regarding its whereabouts for the past 37 years have been announced, nor has word been shared as to whether it will return to its original location atop Morrison's grave. Morrison passed away in Paris on July 3, 1971 under murky circumstances at the age of 27. He was buried at the city's Pre Lachaise Cemetery where his grave site swiftly became one of the world's most-visited memorials of a late musician. In February, it was announced that the Paris City Council had decided to name a footbridge overlooking Bassin de l'Arsenal in Morrison's honor. Just weeks earlier, it was reported that the former Morrison Hotel, made famous by the Doors and their 1970 1970 album of the same name, was significantly damaged by a fire that erupted in downtown Los Angeles. - Billboard, 5/20/25...... Bruce Springsteen called out Pres. Donald Trump for a second time from the stage of his Land of Hopes and Dreams Tour on May 17 in Manchester, England. Springsteen resumed denouncing the 45th and 47th president after the latter called the rocker "highly overrated," "dumb as a rock" and a "dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!)." "Things are happening right now that are altering the very nature of our country's democracy, and they're too important to ignore," Springsteen said to the Manchester crowd in a three-minute speech on Manchester's Co-op Live stage. "In my home, they're persecuting people for their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. That's happening now," he added, echoing what he'd spoken about at his May 14 show. "In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world's poorest children to sickness and death. That's happening now. In my country, they're taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers." Meanwhile the Springsteen/Trump feud has motivated Neil Young to lash out at the president, accusing him of being "out of control" after his recent online rants about Springsteen and Taylor Swift. In a post on his Neil Young Archives on May 20, Young wrote that "Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America. You worry about that instead of the dyin' kids in Gaza. That's your problem. I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us. You shut down FEMA when we needed it most. That's your problem Trump. STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT ROCKERS ARE SAYING. Think about saving America from the mess you made." The Canadian-American singer-songwriter continued: "Taylor Swift is right. So is Bruce. You know how I feel. You are more worried about yourself than AMERICA. You are forgetting your real job. You work for us. Wake up Republicans! This guy is out of control. We need a real president!!" Trump has also claimed Springsteen, Beyoncé, Bono and Oprah Winfrey took part in an "illegal election scam" run by 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, although there is no record of Harris paying money to any of the artists who endorsed her, and her campaign has denied doing so. Meanwhile, Springsteen's pal Eddie Vedder paid tribute to the Boss during a Pearl Jamconcert in Pittsburgh on May 17, performing a solo acoustic rendition of Springsteen's "My City of Ruins" in what appeared to be a quiet but powerful response to Trump's recent public criticism of Springsteen. - Billboard, 5/20/25...... Rod Stewart is set to receive a lifetime achievement award at the 2025 American Music Awards at the 51st annual ceremony at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on May 26. Stewart, who co-hosted the AMAs in 1989 with Anita Baker, Kenny Rogers and others, has received several previous lifetime achievement accolades, including a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1993; a Legend Award from the World Music Awards, 1993; the Ivor Novello Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, 1999; induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame, 2006; and the ASCAP Founders Award, 2011. Sir Rod, 80, is also a two-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, being enshrined as a solo artist in 1994 and with Faces in 2012. The 51st edition of the AMAs, the world's largest fan-voted awards show, will air live coast to coast on May 26 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. This summer, Stewart will launch the North American leg of his "One Last Time" world tour, which ranked among the Top 20 Global Concert Tours of 2024. He'll return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in May-June and Sept.-Oct. 2025 with "The Encore Shows." - Billboard, 5/20/25...... In other award news, Steve Miller is set to become the 2025 recipient of the Les Paul Spirit Award on June 9 during a private event at the Gibson Garage venue in Nashville. The event will take place on what would have been electric guitar pioneer and performer Les Paul's 110th birthday. Miller is the fifth recipient of the award, following co-founding Grateful Dead member Bob Weir, Nile Rodgers, U2's The Edge and Peter Frampton. "I cannot think of anyone more deserving to be honored with the Les Paul Spirit Award than Steve Miller," Michael Braunstein, executive director of LPF, said in a statement. "Not only is he an extraordinary talent and a wonderful friend of the Les Paul Foundation, Steve holds the very distinct title of being Les' godson. They had a very unique relationship which Les cherished. If anyone understands the 'spirit' of Les Paul, it's Steve." Miller and Paul were both signed to Capitol Records in their heydays, and also had a long and personal relationship. A young Miller was introduced to Paul, who gave him his first informal guitar lessons and taught him his first three chords. Miller has often recalled how these early experiences watching Paul perform and receiving personal instruction were pivotal in inspiring his own musical journey. Miller joined Paul on stage at the latter's 90th birthday concert in New York City in 2005. The annual Spirit award, created and presented by the LPF (in partnership with Gibson Gives, the philanthropic division of Gibson), goes to an individual who "exemplifies the spirit of the late Les Paul through innovation, engineering, technology and/or music." In addition to the award, a grant from the LPF will be made in the honoree's name to the charity of his choice. - Billboard, 5/20/25...... Just weeks after The Who drummer Zak Starkey was fired and subsequently rehired by the band, Who guitarist Pete Townshend has announced the band is once again parting ways with Starkey. Starkey's membership saga began in April when a spokesman for the group claimed that "the band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall," referring to a pair of gigs the month prior. A report from those shows claimed that vocalist Roger Daltrey had stopped several songs mid-performance, citing difficulty hearing the band over the drums. Starkey later issued a statement noting he was "surprised and saddened" by the news, though Townshend later claimed Starkey was back in the band following the resolution of "communication issues." While fans were eager to reference "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" in regard to Starkey's reinstatement, the entire saga appears to have started all over again, with the band announcing a new drummer ahead of their forthcoming farewell tour. "After many years of great work on drums from Zak the time has come for a change," Townshend shared on Instagram on May 18. "A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best. Scott Devours who has worked with Roger's solo band will join The Who for our Final shows. Please welcome him," Townshend added. Starkey himself responded to the announcement in his own Instagram post hours later, making it clear it was not his decision to leave the band. "I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit the who to pursue my other musical endevours this would be a lie," he wrote. "I love the who and would never had quit. So I didn't make the statement & .quitting the who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me (thank you all a million times over and more) thru the weeks of mayhem of me going 'in an out an in an out an in an out like a bleedin squeezebox x," he added, referencing the 1975 The Who By Numbers track. Both Townshend and Daltrey also issued a more formal statement regarding Starkey's ousting via The Who's website, reiterating Devours' nascent role in the band and referring to Starkey's myriad other projects as the reason behind the lineup change. "The Who are heading for retirement, whereas Zak is 20 years younger and has a great future with his new band and other exciting projects," they wrote. "He needs to devote all his energy into making it all a success. We both wish him all the luck in the world." Notably, despite The Who's reference to Starkey being "20 years younger" and a need to focus on his other projects, Devours is himself 15 months younger than Starkey, with a similarly-busy schedule. Starkey is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Maureen Starkey, and has also enjoyed a fruitful career outside of The Who, playing with Oasis, Johnny Marr and other acts. He currently performs in the recently-formed "supergroup" Mantra of the Cosmos. On May 19, The Who took to Instagram to announce a massive line-up of special guests will join them on their final "The Tour Is Over" North American run, including Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters, Billy Idol, Booker T. Jones, Candlebox, Feist, Joe Bonamassa, The Joe Perry Project, Tom Cochrane and ZZ Ward. Additionally, the band have added a second night in Chicago's United Center on Sept. 9 due to incredible fan demand, with Joe Bonamassa acting as support on both Chicago dates. The tour is set to kick off on Aug. 16, in Sunrise, Fla. - Billboard, 5/19/25...... In a new interview with Britain's Mojo magazine, The Moody Blues frontman Justin Hayward said he doesn't expect the legendary UK rock outfit to make a comeback. The Moody Blues have been inactive since 2018, and Hayward admits he finds it difficult to see the band returning following the passing of drummer Graeme Edge -- the last surviving original member -- in 2021. "There's only me and Lodgy (bassist John Lodge) left," Hayward told Mojo. "When Graeme died, it really affected me. He loved the group so much. Me and John, we always had things outside of the band, but Graeme devoted his whole life to it. And I just think some of that particular magic is gone." Hayward continued: "I don't want to be in a tribute band -- actually, that's not fair -- I'm just saying that when Graeme passed the enthusiasm for it changed. And I'm really liking what I do now." Hayward, who has been in the music business for 60 years, said he feels fortunate never to have felt the "pressure" of being a celebrity. "I did have my time when I would get recognised, particularly around when 'Forever Autumn' was a hit, but that passes," he said. Hayward and Lodge enjoyed the hit 'Blue Guitar' away from the Moodies and the musician joked that the colour has followed him throughout his career. "It's something that a promoter will hang on you," he joked. "But I remember right at the beginning, Mike (Pinder, keyboardist) was hung up with a record called 'Mood Indigo'. And so there was always that aura around us, of blue, that stuck. My life is colour coded, though -- certain things on certain days, and I don't think I'm unusual in that. Today is green. What's tomorrow? Orange. Is there a blue day? Oh, yes... but I'm gonna have to leave it hanging there." - Music-News.com, 5/18/25...... Seventies artists Carlos Santana and Emmylou Harris were among the music acts performing at the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame Gala on May 16 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Though it's not their stated purpose, the Grammy Hall of Fame serves as a second chance for the Grammys organization to honor recordings they may have missed when they were first released. Of this year's 13 honorees, 11 were released since the inception of the Grammy Awards. Of those 11, only two -- Santana's Supernatural (1999) and Harris' Wrecking Ball (1995) -- had won Grammys when they were eligible. Only one other -- Luther Vandross' Never Too Much (1981) -- had even been nominated. The Grammy Hall of Fame Gala, presented jointly by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum, was conceived as a way to elevate the stature of the annual Hall of Fame inductions, which had long announced with little more than a press release. The Grammy Hall of Fame was established by the Recording Academy's national trustees in 1973, initially to honor recordings that were released prior to the inception of the Grammy Awards in 1959. The selection criteria was long ago changed to include any recording that is at least 25 years old. The Grammy Hall of Fame used to be the only major institutional award to honor classic recordings, but the arrival in 2002 of the National Recording Registry, administered by the Library of Congress, means the Grammy Hall of Fame no longer has this field all to itself. - Billboard, 5/17/25...... Elton John has slammed Britain's Labour government for its approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright law, calling the government "absolute losers" and saying he feels "incredibly betrayed" over plans to exempt major tech firms pursuing AI from aspects of copyright law. Appearing on the BBC show Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on May 18, he told the host that ministers' plans to allow AI firms to use artists' content without paying would be "committing theft, thievery on a high scale." Criticising Prime Minister Keir Starmer's team, Sir Elton said they would "rob young people of their legacy and their income", adding that he thought they were "just being absolute losers, and I'm very angry about it," and also described Technology Secretary Peter Kyle as "a bit of a moron." John's intervention comes as the House of Lords aimed to force AI companies to disclose what material they were using to develop their programmes. Their proposals were rejected by the House of Commons. A government spokesperson told the BBC that "no changes" to copyright laws would be "considered unless we are completely satisfied they work for creators." The U.K. government's proposals to allow tech firms to use copyrighted material as training data have come under fire from numerous other major figures in the music industry, including Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox and Dua Lipa. - Music-News.com, 5/19/25...... During his slot at Willie Nelson's "Outlaw Music Festival Tour" stop on the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, Calif., on May 15, Bob Dylan covered Rick Nelson's 1972 "comeback" hit "Garden Party," which includes a reference to Dylan himself. As his set came to an end, Dylan surprised fans by playing "Garden Party" for the first time. The track sees Nelson recall a Madison Square Garden oldies performance that he had played the year prior alongside Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Bobby Rydell. Nelson played his classic hits like "Hello Mary Lou," but faced criticism and boos from the audience after playing "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones, and Dylan's "She Belongs To Me." "Garden Party" saw Nelson lament the expectation to succumb to nostalgia, as he sang: "If memories were all I sang, I rather drive a truck." It ended up being a Top 10 hit in the US, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Dylan's rendition of "Garden Party" can be checked out on YouTube. Previously on the "Outlaw Music Festival Tour," Dylan covered The Pogues' "A Rainy Night in Soho"' for the first time, and broke out the first live rendition of his classic "Mr. Tambourine Man" in 15 years. - NME, 5/17/25...... Barbra Streisand has recruited Paul McCartney to join forces for a new version of Sir Paul's 2012 single "My Valentine," which was released on May 16 via Columbia Records. "What if it rained? We didn't care/ He said that someday soon the sun was gonna shine/ And he was right, this love of mine/ My valentine," Babs coos on the opening verse, before McCartney takes over to sing, "As days and nights would pass me by/ I'd tell myself that I was waiting for a sign/ Then she appeared, a love so fine/ My valentine" over a lush combination of strings and piano. The cozy love song originally served as the lead single from the former Beatles member's 2012 solo album Kisses on the Bottom, where it was one of just two original songs on the LP and featured an assist from Eric Clapton on guitar. Now, the reimagined version for two is the second preview of Streisand's upcoming duets album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, which is out June 27 and acts as a sequel 11 years in the making to her Grammy-nominated No. 1 LP Partners from 2014. Ahead of releasing the duet, the legendary Funny Girl star shared a snap of the longtime friends on her Instagram, writing, "What a joy it was to record 'My Valentine' with @paulmccartney. To share time with him in the studio was truly special." The new Streisand/McCartney collab can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/16/25...... Rolling Stones guitarst Ronnie Wood says the secret to the band's longevity is they don't "over socialise." Wood, who joined the group in 1975, 13 years after they formed -- said he stays in occasional contact with bandmates Mick Jagger and Keith Richards when they're not recording or touring, but they don't "over-familiarise" themselves with one another, which he thinks has contributed to their longevity. Wood, 77, told the UK's Daily Telegraph: "We're not on the phone to each other every five minutes. When we're not touring we keep in touch, just to keep the feelers in each other's camp, but we don't over-familiarise -- we run on faith and truth. We have faith in our music, and we always have hope that people will keep turning up, and sure enough they do." The group's most recent album, 2023's Hackney Diamonds, won critical acclaim and generated their best sales, but Wood admitted the group have "no idea" about the meaning of chart places these days. He said: "In the old days we used to have the charts, and you'd be able to plot things and feel a part of it. You'd look at the Melody Maker and say, 'Look! We're number 50!' or whatever. And then you'd creep up the charts. It gave young bands so much ambition and something to look forward to. I've no idea where we are on the charts now." - Music-News.com, 5/18/25...... In the new MAX series Duster which premiered on May 15, it's 1972, and FBI agent Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson) heads to Tuscon to take down Mob boss Ezra Saxton (Keith David). She recruits his driver Jim Ellis (Lost's Josh Holloway) to be her informant -- chiefly by suggesting that Saxton killed his brother. This series, from Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, doesn't break any new ground, but the '70s detail is perfect. Even during the action scenes, your mind may be conjuring up hazy memories of listening to the Eagles on a marijuana buzz. - People, 5/26/25...... Michael B Tretow, the acclaimed sound engineer for ABBA, has died at age 90. Because of Mr. Tretow's consistent hand in crafting their sound, ABBA fans had taken to dubbing him the "fifth member" of the group, with many taking to social media to pay tribute. "Without his brilliance," wrote one X/Twitter user, "the Abba sound wouldn't be what we know and love." All four members of the iconic pop group have also shared moving reflections about their time spent with the technician, who also co-owned the band's record label Polar Music. In the 1970s, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson selected him as ABBA's sound engineer, and he went on to work on all of their albums bar 2021's Voyage. "You meant more to us four in ABBA than anyone else," Andersson told the Swedish publication Aftonbladet. "I hope and believe that you felt it throughout all the years that have passed since we worked (and continuously laughed) in the studio. Our music lives on, it seems, and you are the one who made it timeless. You were a fantastic inspirer and joy-maker, and the finest sound engineer the world has ever seen," he said, seemingly adding an in-joke: "I miss you. And I've saved all your coconuts!" - NME, 5/21/25...... Legendary Broadway composer Charles Strouse, a three-time Tony winner for "Bye Bye Birdie," "Applause" and "Annie" who also composed the iconic "Those Were The Days" opening theme for the '70s series All In the Family, died on May 15. He was 96. Even if you're not a Broadway buff, you know at least a few of Mr. Strouse's songs, which he co-wrote with lyricist Lee Adams. "Annie" spawned the instant standard "Tomorrow," which Barbra Streisand covered on her platinum album Songbird and Jay-Z had a top 15 pop hit in 1999 with "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," which sampled "It's the Hard Knock Life" from "Annie." "Bye Bye Birdie," about a pop star who was drafted to go into the Army (inspired by Elvis Presley), also spawned a standard -- the jaunty "Put on a Happy Face," which Dick Van Dyke performed in the musical (and in the 1963 film version). The song was covered by such artists as Nancy Wilson, Johnny Mathis, The Supremes and Tony Bennett. While Mr. Strouse is probably best known for his long partnership with Adams -- who is still living at age 100 -- he also collaborated with other lyricists. He and Martin Charnin teamed to write "Annie," which won seven Tony Awards, including best musical and best original score. Mr. Strouse, who remained active late in life and once told the AP "I work every day," died at his home in New York City, his family said. His wife, director-choreographer Barbara Siman, died in 2023. He is survived by four children, Ben, Nick, Victoria and William. - Billboard, 5/16/25...... Sitcom and Broadway actor George Wendt, who played beloved barfly Norm on the hit 1980s comedy Cheers, died on the morning of May 20, his family has announced. He was 76. "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him," the family said in a statement. "He will be missed forever." The family has requested privacy during this time. Despite a long career of roles onstage and on TV, it was as gentle and henpecked Norm Peterson on Cheers that he was most associated, earning six straight Emmy Award nominations for best supporting actor in a comedy series from 1984-89. Wendt, who spent six years in Chicago's renowned Second City improv troupe during the 1970's before sitting on a barstool at the place where everybody knows your name, didn't have high hopes when he auditioned for Cheers. "My agent said, 'It's a small role, honey. It's one line. Actually, it's one word.' The word was 'beer.' I was having a hard time believing I was right for the role of 'the guy who looked like he wanted a beer.' So I went in, and they said, 'It's too small a role. Why don't you read this other one?' And it was a guy who never left the bar," Wendt told GQ magazine in an oral history of Cheers. Wendt became a fan favourite in and outside the bar -- his entrances were cheered with a warm "Norm!" -- and his wisecracks always landed. "How's a beer sound, Norm?" he would be asked by the bartender. "I dunno. I usually finish them before they get a word in," he'd respond. Wendt also found steady work onstage, putting on Edna Turnblad's housecoat in Broadway's "Hairspray" beginning in 2007, and appearing in the Tony Award-winning play Art in New York and London. He starred in the national tour of "12 Angry Men" and appeared in a production of David Mamet's "Lakeboat." He also starred in regional productions of "Death of a Salesman," "The Odd Couple," "Never Too Late" and "Funnyman." He is survived by his wife, Second City alum Bernadette Birkett, who voiced Norm's never-seen not-so better half, Vera, on Cheers; his children, Hilary, Joe and Daniel; and his stepchildren, Joshua and Andrew. - AP, 5/20/25.

Friday, May 16, 2025

Lawyers for four anonymous housekeepers of Smokey Robinson have confirmed their clients have filed a formal police report against the 85-year-old Motown legend alleging he repeatedly raped them over the course of nearly two decades. "We are pleased to learn that the LA County Sheriff's Department has opened a criminal investigation into our clients' claims of sexual assault against Smokey Robinson," say attorneys John Harris and Herbert Hayden. "Our clients intend to fully cooperate with LASD's ongoing investigation in the pursuit of seeking justice for themselves and others that may have been similarly assaulted by him." Robinson's lawyer Christopher Frost has responded that the housekeepers' claims are "manufactured " and motivated by "unadulterated avarice." Frost notes that police did not launch a criminal probe unilaterally; rather that the Sheriff's Department is required to investigate because the women filed a police report. "We welcome that investigation, which involves plaintiffs who continue to hide their identities, because exposure to the truth is a powerful thing," Frost says. "We feel confident that a determination will be made that Mr. Robinson did nothing wrong, and that this is a desperate attempt to prejudice public opinion and make even more of a media circus than the Plaintiffs were previously able to create." The singer's wife, Frances Robinson, is also named in the lawsuit. The housekeepers claim she did nothing to stop her husband's abuse, despite knowing that he had a history of sexual misconduct and had previously struck settlements with assault victims. The lawsuit also says the Robinsons paid their employees below minimum wage, and that Frances Robinson created a hostile work environment replete with screaming and "racially-charged epithets." Smokey and Frances Robinson have fiercely denied the housekeepers' claims, saying through Frost on May 7 that the "vile, false allegations" are merely "an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon." - Billboard, 5/15/25...... Former Journey frontman Steve Perry and country/pop icon Willie Nelson unveiled a new duet version of the Journey hit "Faithfully" on YouTube on May 14. In the gorgeously animated video which turns Journey's 1983 single into a wistful, meditative ballad, Nelson warbles, "Highway run in the midnight sun/ Wheels go round and round/ You're on my mind" over tender acoustic guitar. Later, Perry takes over the opening verse, optioning the vocal up an octave and singing, "They say the road ain't no place to start a family/ Right down the line, it's been you and me." Perry, who fronted Journey at the height of their success from the late '70s to the late '80s and again for a brief period in the mid-'90s, calls his collaboration with Nelson "one of the greatest honors of my life." "[Willie] is one of the most prolific and poetic vocalists I've ever heard... It brought out an emotion in me that only singing with Willie can do," Perry says. Proceeds from the single's sale will be donated to Farm Aid as the nonprofit dedicated to supporting America's family farmers marks its 40th anniversary. - Billboard, 5/15/25...... Speaking of Farm Aid, the lineup for the 40th anniversary version set for Sept. 20 at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, which advocates for American family farmers, has been announced. Nelson will be joined on the bill by fellow Farm Aid board members Neil Young (with his band the Chrome Hearts), John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds) and Margo Price, with the full-day lineup also set to include: Billy Strings, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Trampled by Turtles, Waxahatchee, Eric Burton of Black Pumas, Jesse Welles and Madeline Edwards, with more artists to be announced. Since Nelson introduced the first Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Ill., on Sept. 22, 1985, the nonprofit behind the festival has raised nearly $80 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture, while also building connections in the battles against climate change and social injustice. This year's Farm Aid will once again include its trademarked HOMEGROWN Concessions, with a menu featuring "ingredients that are grown or raised by farmers who use ecological practices and are paid a fair price," the organization states. The HOMEGROWN Village will feature exhibits about soil, water, energy, food and farming. - Billboard, 5/13/25...... In other festival news, headliners of the UK's legendary Glastonbury Festival, set for Worthy Farm in Somerset between June 25 and 29, have been finalized. As previously announced, Rod Stewart will be taking on the coveted Legend Slot on the Pyramid Stage on June 29, with Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts headlining the previous evening as part of his "Love Earth" world tour. The Canadian singer-songwriter had initially pulled out of Glasto '25 due to it being, as he put it, "a corporate turn-off," owing to the festival's partnership with the BBC. Young later backtracked, however, citing "an error in the information received." It'll mark his second time topping the bill at the farm, following his debut appearance in 2009. Other acts of interest to '70s music fans performing at the festival's many stages and areas include Nile Rodgers & Chic, Nick Lowe, Roy Harper, The Bootleg Beatles and George Harrison's son Dhani Harrison. First-timers performing include Alanis Morissette, Noah Kahan, Lola Young, Myles Smith (winner of this year's BRITs Rising Star award), Busta Rhymes, Brandi Carlile and Gary Numan. - NME, 5/15/25...... Yusuf/Cat Stevens will release his long-awaited memoir, Cat On The Road To Findout,, on Sept. 18 in the UK. According to a press release, the tome promises to be an "extraordinary soul-baring journey through the triumphs, trials, and transcendental quest of one of music's most enigmatic figures of our time, with fans being able to delve into the "intimate story of his deeply emotive transformation." The presser continues: "More than a memoir, the Yusuf/Cat Stevens' story is a backstage pass to the mind of a man who has lived a thousand lives. From his folk-troubadour beginnings, to the glamorous chaos of 60s pop stardom, to his 70s reign as a generational voice, his songs formed a musical odyssey that intricately recorded the journey to self-discovery. Then came his unexpected departure from superstardom, embracing Islam and leaving fans heartbroken." Yusuf commented: "I've been on an amazing journey, which began in the narrow streets of London, and led me through the most iconic cities, to perform upon the great stage of Western culture, ascending the dizzying heights of wealth, recognition and artistic pinnacles; freely exploring vast ranges of religions and philosophies, wandering through churches, temples, all the way to the Holy abode in Jerusalem -- ignoring myths and warnings -- and crossing the foreboded, desert heartlands, to arrive at the House of One God in Abrahamic Arabia. What finally elevated my perspective was a luminous Book that perfectly alchemized my thoughts, beliefs, with human nature. It taught me Oneness, and my place and purpose within the universe." The tome is illustrated with "dozens of drawings in his own hand and archival imagery, self-penned with raw honesty and poetic insight." Cat On The Road To Findout will be published in hardback, ebook and audiobook format (narrated by the author). The 560-page book, already a Top 5 bestseller in Amazon.com's rock music category, will be published by Constable in the UK on Sept. 18, and by Genesis Publications in North America on Oct. 7. - Music-News.com, 5/15/25...... Already a number one album in the UK, Pink Floyd's archival live LP Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXXII has debuted in the Top 10 across multiple Billboard music charts for the week dated May 17 following its release on May 2, including a No. 3 arrival on the Top Album Sales chart with the band's biggest sales week in over a decade. The album has also debuted at No. 1 on Indie Store Album Sales, No. 2 on Vinyl Albums (with 12,500 copies sold in its first week), No. 2 on Top Rock Albums, No. 3 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums and No. 28 on the overall all-genre Billboard Hot 200. On the latter, Pompeii marks the 15th top 40-charting set for the band and 30th charting album overall. In total, it sold just over 20,000 copies in the US in the week ending May 8, according to Luminate. The album contains the eight performances from the film and was available to purchase as a two-CD set and a double-vinyl package or as a digital download. The CD and vinyl editions have two bonus tracks, while the digital edition has a third bonus cut. The film itself, separate from the album, was also sold as stand-alone Blu-ray, DVD and digital download. With the No. 3 debut on Top Album Sales with 20,000 copies, Pink Floyd has captured its largest sales week for an album in over 10 years. The act last sold more copies of a single album on the Jan. 10, 2015-dated chart, when the band's final studio album, The Endless River, sold 29,000 copies in its seventh week of release. - Billboard, 5/14/25...... Pres. Donald Trump's ears must surely be burning after Bruce Springsteen slammed the US president and his administration during the kickoff concert of his "Hopes and Dreams" European tour at Manchester, England on May 14. The New Jersey rocker unloaded on Trump from Manchester's Co-Op Live stage, telling the audience "the mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll, in dangerous times" shortly after walking on stage. "In my home, the America I love, the America I've written about, and has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration," he continued, as captured in a clip filmed by a concertgoer and posted to Instagram. "Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against the authoritarianism, and let freedom ring," he added. Springsteen went on to sing the trek's namesake song, 2001's "Land of Hopes and Dreams," which includes the lyrics: "Dreams will not be thwarted/ Faith will be rewarded/ Hear the steel wheels singing/ Bells of freedom ringing." In another speech mid-show, the Boss said: "In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world's poorest children to sickness and death," he told fans before singing "My City of Ruins." "And in my country, they are taking sadistic pleasure in the pain that they inflict on loyal American workers, they are rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and moral society," he continued. "They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom." The performance marks the first of several tour dates Springsteen and the E Street Band have scheduled this summer. After two more dates in Manchester, he'll perform at venues in France, Spain, Germany and Italy through the beginning of July. - Billboard, 5/14/25...... A KISS fan who paid over $12,000 to be Gene Simmons' "roadie" for a day has spoken about the experience, saying it was "absolutely worth it." Simmons made headlines earlier in 2025 when he announced that he would be offering a fan the chance to be his roadie for a day at the steep price of $12,500 on top of the original ticket price. For the experience, Simmons would join the fan turned-roadie for a meal, help set up for the gig and introduce them during the show and maybe even sing with the musician. The fan -- who is allowed to bring a friend along -- will also receive an autographed bass guitar from Simmons himself. Now, a 52-year-old retired corrections sergeant from New York named Dwayne Rosado has shared about his experience serving as Simmons' roadie. For the experience, Rosado and his 13-year-old son Zach were shadowed by The New York Times to chronicle the process. Speaking to The Times, Rosado said the eye-watering amount was "absolutely" worth it, revealing that he had recently been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis: "You only live once, and I want to experience life. I'm not going to die with a lot of money. I'm going to die happy." During the live show, Simmons invited Dwayne and Zach onto stage, introducing them: "My father wasn't there when I was growing up, so I'll tell you, it means the world to me to see a good father who stays with his family and makes sure his kids are raised right" (fan-shot footage of the introduction has been shared on YouTube). Afterwards, Dwayne told The Times: "Nothing can beat tonight. It's cemented in Kisstory now, because it's going to be on YouTube and everything else. So I'll get to look back and see that moment forever." Simmons recently postponed his North American tour -- originally set to kick off in April -- to "early 2026." Since the postponement, KISS have announced plans for an "unmasked" show in Las Vegas later this year. It will mark the band's first performance since their 2023 farewell tour. - NME, 5/14/25...... On May 13 Bob Dylan covered The Pogues' "A Rainy Night in Soho" for the first time, and broke out the first live rendition of 'Mr. Tambourine Man' in 15 years. Dylan performed the songs during Willie Nelson's "Outlaw Music Festival Tour" in Phoenix, as he co-headlined the show with Nelson. The "Rainy Night in Soho" performance marked the first time Dylan has put his own spin on the Shane McGowan song, and the moving cover rounded off his 13-song set. Other highlights included the first live performance of his hit song "Mr. Tambourine Man" in 15 years. He broke out the 1965 classic towards the end of the set, introducing it after a rendition of "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry," and it marked his first time playing the song since 2010. He also played "Forgetful Heart" for the first time since 2015, and "To Ramona" for the first time since 2017. As well as classics like "All Along the Watchtower," Dylan also broke out more covers, including his first performance of George "Wild Child" Butler's "Axe And The Wind" and the first cover of Charlie Rich's "I'll Make It All Up To You." Nelson's "Outlaw Music Festival Tour"' is set to run for 36 dates and will include performances from the likes of Billy Strings, Wilco, Sheryl Crow, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, and The Avett Brothers. The rock bard's "Soho" performance can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 5/15/25...... The story of The Doors is one that has been told many times -- by writers, by filmmakers, by the band members themselves in their respective memoirs. But the new Night Divides The Day: The Doors Anthology puts all of their accounts (and more) alongside each other for the first time ever. The opulent, coffee-table sized 344-page book was created by England's Genesis Publications, in partnership with the Doors camp, as part of the L.A.-based group's 60th anniversary celebration. Featuring about 800 photos and other illustrations (many never before seen), the tome includes new interviews with surviving members Robby Krieger and John Densmore, along with material from the autobiographies and archival comments from Krieger, Densmore and late members Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek. Nirvana's Krist Novoselic wrote the foreword, while Van Morrison, Alice Cooper, Patti Smith and others join members of the Doors' camp in offering commentary throughout the book. Krieger says he's happy that in addition to the limited edition -- 2,000 copies signed by the guitarist and Densmore, with a 7-inch vinyl single featuring rare demo versions of "Hello, I Love You" and "Moonlight Drive" and other memorabilia for $495 -- there's also a standard book store edition, which is available for $64.36 on Amazon.com. The book is one of a number of projects for the Doors' 60th celebration, which began last November with Rhino's High Fidelity audiophile vinyl The Doors 1967-1971 and a Record Store Black Friday vinyl edition of The Doors -- Live in Detroit. That show is also part of a series of concert releases from the Doors' own Bright Midnight label from 1967-1970 streaming for the first time. The group acquired a recently discovered two-channel stereo recording of the final show with Jim Morrison -- albeit a disappointing night on Dec. 12, 1970, at the Warehouse in New Orleans -- that it's working to turn into an official release. "Even 20 years ago, the 40th anniversary, I was telling people I couldn't imagine this happening," Krieger says. "The only ones that have beaten us are the Stones and the Beatles, pretty much. There's plenty of groups out there who were formed around the same time as we did, and they don't have the (continuing) interest that we do. It's definitely (because of) the songs, the words and the music. It was just an amazing combination of people, the four of us, who came together, and it probably happens once every 60 years. We don't take it for granted." - Billboard, 5/14/25...... Speaking of 60th anniversaries, Dead & Company are planning a concert in Golden Gate Park to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the formation of the Grateful Dead in 1965. If approved by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission, the historic concert will take place 10 years after the band celebrated their 50th anniversary with the "Fare Thee Well" concerts at Soldier Field in Chicago and Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The Aug. 1-3 concert would take place one week before promoter Another Planet Entertainment stages the Outside Lands Festival on Aug. 8-10. The concert would feature surviving GD members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart. Bassist Phil Lesh passed away in Oct. 2024 at the age of 84. The concerts are expected to be attended by 60,000 fans per day, and a formal announcement of the concert is expected after the commission votes to approve the event. - Billboard, 5/12/25....... Former Hall & Oates singer Daryl Hall has expressed his disdain for his music being heavily associated with the contentious "Yacht Rock" genre. Used as a way to refer to the soft pop-rock and blue-eyed soul of the '70s and '80s, the term "yacht rock" was initially coined by makers of a 2005 mockumentary series of the same name. The series itself was a popular one, lasting from 2005 until 2010 and even resulting in a 2024 HBO Dockumentary that explored the genre in deeper detail. However, while the likes of Michael McDonald and even Hall's former partner John Oates have been receptive to the original show, Hall is singing a far different tune. In the latest episode of the Broken Record podcast, Hall told interviewer Justin Richmond that he's far from a fan of the concept. "This is something I don't understand. First of all, yacht rock was a f-king joke by two jerk-offs in California, and suddenly it became a genre," he explained. "I don't even understand it. I never understood it. It's just R&B with maybe some jazz in there. It's mellow R&B, smooth R&B. I don't see what the yacht part is. "People misjudged us because they couldn't label us," he continued. "They always came up with all this kind of crap, soft rock and yacht rock and all this other nonsense. And none of it, none of it really describes anything that I do, really." It's little surprise that both Hall and Oates have differing views on the matter, given that the pair's 2024 dissolution was given an air of finality when Hall claimed in March that they would never again perform together. "That ship has gone to the bottom of the ocean," he explained. "I've had a lot of surprises in my life, disappointments, betrayals, so I'm kind of used to it." - Billboard, 5/12/25...... Lindsey Buckingham has shared a new video on YouTube, reacting to watching rising singer Charli XCX's "Von Dutch" music video for the first time. The rock icon and Fleetwood Mac singer-guitarist posted the video on his official YouTube channel on May 14, showing him sat with his daughter Leelee and sharing his response to the hit song from Charli XCX's Brat album. Before the two began playing the official music video -- which shows the pop star wreaking havoc at an airport -- Leelee began by making a nod to the 2024 phenomenon, asking her 74-year-old father if he had a 'Brat summer', to which he responded "The brattiest!." As the footage began, Buckingham joked that the video was "getting kinda saucy already" as Charli ripped off her trousers in the airport. He then joked about the choice of location, saying "It's not a good place to get saucy." For the most part, Buckingham sat there and looked pretty captivated by the song, being caught off guard when the pop star gets blood on the camera lens and spits on it. "I'm surprised the airport let her do all this stuff," he added, before sharing his final thoughts at the end. "I thought it was very entertaining. I mean there was so much going on, and all in the context of a normal restrictive environment," he summarised before Leelee asked him what he thought Charli XCX was trying to get across in the song. "She's saying, 'Screw you!'" he responded. The "react" video from Buckingham is part of a relatively new series he is introducing on his YouTube channel. Currently there is just one other similar video on his page -- one where he and Leelee look back at the video for his own 1984 song "Slow Dancing." - NME, 5/15/25...... King Crimson co-founder Robert Fripp is recovering after undergoing emergency heart surgery in April, the musician revealed in a YouTube video posted with his wife, singer and actor Toyah Willcox, on May 11. In the clip, the 78-year-old explained that he unknowingly suffered a heart attack in early April while traveling to Italy for a performance with The Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists. Fripp said he initially believed his symptoms were related to acid reflux. "I'd been suffering what I considered to be acid reflux for a couple of weeks," he explained. "On the Saturday morning I flew, it felt a little bit more. I was in A+E not quite knowing what was going on other than I knew they were going to do something, and an orderly came along and shaved my balls," Fripp continued. "Now the dear man, I really didn't wish his job on him at that point. Now this is the thing. So you're concerned with my heart, fine. What are you doing shaving my balls?" Upon landing in Bergamo on Apr. 6, Fripp's companions took him directly to a cardiac hospital instead of waiting for a scheduled doctor's appointment. There, doctors discovered dangerously elevated troponin levels, a protein that indicates damage to the heart. "You're supposed to have 10 of these, but you've got 500," a doctor reportedly told him. The guitarist underwent five hours of surgery, followed by intensive care and a second operation. Despite the ordeal, Fripp still managed to perform with the 124-member ensemble at Villa Sancelso. He is now on medication for life and slowly adjusting to the change. "It was stunning. The audience were prepped with orchestral manoeuvres and it really was a magical event for me," he added. Toyah, visibly emotional in the video, praised the medical team and expressed her gratitude. "I'm so proud of you and so grateful to your team who kept us all informed," she said. Fripp also urged fans to take symptoms seriously. "If you think you have heartburn or acid reflux, really look into it. It might be something more." Fripp, widely regarded as one of the most innovative guitarists in rock history, founded King Crimson in 1968. Beyond the band's genre-defying catalog, he's contributed to landmark records from David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Peter Gabriel. In recent years, he's reached a new audience through the couple's viral "Sunday Lunch" YouTube series, where the two cover rock classics with a theatrical twist. - Billboard, 5/13/25...... Soap opera veteran Denise Alexander, best known for her starring roles on long-running sudsers General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, has died at the age of 85. A mainstay in the soap world in the '60s and '70s, Ms. Alexander portrayed Susan Hunter Martin on the NBC drama and Lesley Webber on the ABC series. She began her career in the 1950s, making her Broadway debut in "The Children's Hour," with her film debut coming four years later and appeared as a frequent guest star on primetime television, including The Twilight Zone. Embarking on her eventual soap stardom, the actress debuted in CBS' short-lived sudser The Clear Horizon in 1960, after which she appeared in a 1962 unaired pilot for General Hospital, then titled Emergency Hospital. Three years later, she portrayed a minor character on the show, before returning in full force in 1973; this year also marked her exit from Days, to the chagrin of fans who were unhappy to see her depart as a bad influence and driver of many of the series' dramatic twists and turns. From 1966 to 1973, Ms. Alexander logged over 800 episodes for Days. While there, she also met her longtime husband, Richard Colla, a director and actor who died in 2021. The two were married for over 40 years. In 1984, she departed from GH due to shifting personal priorities and failed contract negotiations (her character was killed off). During this time, she appeared on the soap Another World. However, she returned to GH in 1996 -- as her character was revealed to be alive and with her daughter Laura (Genie Francis) -- off and on through 2009. She returned again in 2013 for the show's semicentennial, as well as 2017, 2019 and her last appearance in 2021. Overall, the actress marked over 1,000 episodes with the series. "On behalf of the entire General Hospital family, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to her family, friends, and longtime fans. May she rest in peace," GH exec producer Frank Valentini wrote in a social media remembrance post. - Deadline.com, 5/10/25.

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Elton John and Paul McCartney are among 400 artists recently calling on the UK government to change copyright laws amid the threat from AI. "Creative copyright is the lifeblood of the creative industries. It recognizes the moral authority we have over our work and provides an income stream for 2.4 million people across the four nations of the United Kingdom," reads a letter also signed by the likes of Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Florence Welch, Kate Bush and Robbie Williams. "The fight to defend our creative industries has been joined by scores of UK businesses, including those who use and develop AI. We are not against progress or innovation. The creative industries have always been early adopters of technology. Indeed, many of the world's greatest inventions, from the lightbulb to AI itself, have been a result of UK creative minds grappling with technology," the letter added, also stating "the first job of any government is to protect its citizens" and claiming the proposed bill would "put transparency at the heart of the copyright regime and allow both AI developers and creators to develop licensing regimes that will allow for human-created content well into the future." On May 12, Britain's House of Lords is scheduled to vote on an amendment to a bill that would require AI developers to disclose which copyrighted materials they have used to train their models. So far, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government has expressed reservations about the amendment, favoring an ongoing consultation process instead. The current law allows data mining for non-commercial purposes by default, while for commercial use, rights holders must opt out of data mining. Jimmy Page is another artist who has spoken out previously, writing on Instagram: "The ethical implications are profound. When AI scrapes the vast tapestry of human creativity to generate content, it often does so without consent, attribution, or compensation. This is not innovation; it's exploitation." - New Musical Express, 5/10/25...... While a roster of heavy metal greats have been lined up for the upcoming final Black Sabbath "Back to the Beginning" show in Birmingham, U.K. on July 5, one iconic head-banging act is conspicuously absent: Judas Priest. However there appears to be a very good explanation for their absence, according to frontman Rob Halford: they're double-booked. Speaking to LouderSound.com, Halford explained that his band is slated to join the Scorpions in Hanover, Germany on that date for a 60th anniversary celebration of the German rock group. "I had no idea it [the Sabbath show] was happening. It all got announced and was a big deal," Halford said of the Scorpions and Priest concert taking place more than 630 miles away from Ozzy's show. "Suddenly I get this phone call [from Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne], 'Robbie, I know you've got this gig with Scorpions, but could you consider coming over to do a thing with Ozzy and the guys. He'd love to see you.'" But Halford said as much as he'd like to be on hand for the last run with Ozzy and the gang, trying to pull double-duty would be too difficult. He said Sharon even offered to fly him back to Birmingham on the day of the show to make an appearance a la Phil Collins' legendary Concord flight from London to Philadelphia to play two sets at Live Aid in July 1985, but he thinks it might be "dangerous even with a private plane, there's a word called 'technical', where something could go wrong, or the weather that time of year could cause problems I was absolutely gutted [to miss the show]." Though Halford will not be on hand, former longtime Priest guitarist K.K. Downing will perform at the show alongside members of Limp Bizkit, Smashing Pumpkins, Megadeth, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth, Soundgarden and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. - Billboard, 5/9/25...... Motörhead has announced the band's first recording of its classic lineup, featuring Lemmy Kilmister, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and "Fast" Eddie Clarke, is set for release. The "lost" album The Manticore Tapes came to be when the group set up at Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Manticore Studio in 1976 to rehearse and record with Ron Faucus. Ultimately, the tapes of this session were lost, but have since been recovered, with restoration undertaken by Cameron Webb and mastering done by Andrew Alekel. The result is a record which captures Motörhead in their formative period, fresh from the early lineup which recorded the tracks that would later make up 1979's On Parole album, yet hungry with the ambition that would turn them into one of the U.K.'s biggest heavy exports of the '70s and '80s. Many of the tracks present on The Manticore Tapes are early versions of those found on the band's 1977 self-titled debut and On Parole. This includes the likes of the eponymous "Motörhead," "Vibrator" and "The Watcher." Word of the newly-announced collection also comes alongside the single release of "Motörhead" (available on YouTube), allowing listeners to gain a deeper insight into the evolution of the track as it flirts with R&B and blues before making the leap into the hard rock classic it would become. The Manticore Tapes is officially set for release on June 27, with a deluxe edition also featuring their Blitzkreig on Birmingham '77 live record, and a previously-unreleased single titled "Live at Barbarella's Birmingham '77." - Billboard, 5/9/25...... Former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) has taken a swipe at his fellow veteran rockers the Rolling Stones by suggesting they "should retire." Appearing on the U.K.'s Good Morning Britain to promote his upcoming tour with his other band Public Image Ltd., Lydon brought the Stones into the conversation while defending his own career longevity. "If I just sat back and retired, that's just not me. I'm not that kind of person," he said before musing, "By all means, the Rolling Stones should retire." As the program's hosts burst into laughter, Lydon couldn't resist making another jab, saying, "I'm not short of a song idea or two, so there's a difference." However, quick to acknowledge his comments had the potential to cause a stir, he jokingly added, "Hold on, I've offended music lovers!" while screwing his face up into a cheeky scowl. "I'm not sure that you'd worry about causing offense, would you?" host Charlotte Hawkins pressed, to which the 69-year-old firebrand replied, "Certainly not! I mean, to compare music lovers with the Rolling Stones is absurd!" As the hosts tried to pivot to a different topic, Lydon laughed off his comments by making a giant pot-stirring motion and saying, "Give me a big spoon!" Of course, the Stones last released new music with their 2023 album Hackney Diamonds, the band's first full-length of original material in nearly two decades, which debuted in the U.S. at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 200 LP chart. It also topped the chart in the band's native U.K. and eventually took home the Grammy for best rock album the following year. Meanwhile, Lydon and Public Image Ltd. recently unveiled their eleventh studio set, End of World, in 2023, which bowed at No. 33 on the U.K.'s Official Albums Chart. Lydon's full Good Morning Britain interview can be streamed on X.com. - Billboard, 5/8/25...... '90s grunge rock veterans Pearl Jam were joined on stage in Nashville by Peter Frampton on May 8 for a version of their song "Black." Early in their hefty 25-song setlist, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder took the time to introduce Frampton, who he noted the '70s guitar hero is a longtime favorite of the band. "This gentlemen was someone we looked up to," he told the crowd. "Before the Ramones, some of our first guitar heroes, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, he was right up there. It was one of the reasons why you loved live records. Later, we decided to release bootlegs because of his influence. He's such an incredible human being on top of it." The musicians jammed on Pearl Jam's grunge ballad "Black" from their classic 1991 debut LP Ten, with Frampton adding some signature shreds and the band throwing in a riff from his 1973 track "Do You Feel Like We Do." Fan-captured footage of the jam has been shared on YouTube. Frampton, meanwhile, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2024 by The Who's Roger Daltrey. - NME, 5/10/25...... Speaking of The Who, on May 8 the legendary UK band announced they'll play their final run of shows in North America this coming August and September as part of a farewell tour. The announcement was made by guitarist Pete Townshend at a press conference in London with singer Roger Daltrey appearing via video link. The tour -- named after their 1971 song "The Song is Over," a deep cut on their classic album Who's Next -- kicks off in Newark, N.J. on Aug. 19 and runs through major cities including Philadelphia (8/21), Atlantic City (8/23), Boston (8/26), Wantagh, NY (8/28), New York (8/30), Toronto (9/2, 4), Chicago (9/7), Los Angeles (9/17, 19), Mountain View, Cal. (9/21), Vancouver, BC (9/23) and Seattle (9/25) before wrapping in Las Vegas on Sept. 28. The band has not announced any further shows outside of the U.S. and Canada at this time. Tickets will be available through The Who Fan Club, beginning May 13. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general sale starting May 16 at 10 a.m. local time. More info can be found at www.thewho.com. While the announcement casts doubt over the chances of their farewell tour rolling into the UK and Europe after scheduled shows in North America, they apparently haven't completely ruled it out. "Let's see if we survive this one," Daltrey said during the press conference. "I've just finished a solo tour of the UK. I've got to say that touring America is a damn site easier than touring the UK. For some reason, the UK has made it as difficult as possible to go from A to B. In America, you seem to want to make it as easy as possible -- but we are in the land of 'no'. I don't want to say it won't happen, but equally I'm not confident in saying that there will be." Townshend continued: "I would agree completely. I really enjoyed the last [UK] tour that we did [in 2023], but it was a strange one. We played a lot of open air gigs, but we had an insurance problem, which meant we couldn't play some of the more classic places that one plays on a UK tour. The door is open to us. We could do a week at The O2, a couple of weeks at the Royal Albert Hall, but we don't do consecutive shows. We like to do a show and take a break." - Billboard/NME, 5/8/25...... Screenwriters lined up for the upcoming four Beatles biopics have been revealed, and include three acclaimed Tony-, Oscar- and BAFTA winning scribes. They include Tony Award-winning writer Jez Butterworth (Ford v Ferrari, Spectre) Oscar winner Peter Straughan (Conclave, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and BAFTA- and Tony Award-winner Jack Thorne (Adolescence, Enola Holmes). It is not yet known how the workload will be shared and if each writer will work on their own film or if they will collaborate on all four of the titles that are being collectively referred to at the moment as The Beatles -- A Four Film Cinematic Event. The films mark the first time Apple Corps. Ltd. and the Beatles have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film. Each movie will tell the story of one of the members, with all four intersecting "to tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history," according to a press release. The movies, directed by Sam Mendes and distributed by Sony Pictures, are slated to hit screens in Apr. 2028. - Billboard, 5/8/25...... The final clue on the Jeopardy! game show on May 7 seemed to be way too easy -- at least for any self-respecting Beatlemaniac -- but not one of the contestants got it right. The category was The Grammys and the clue was: "Best New Artists at the 7th Annual Grammys, this band would be nominated the next six years, but not again until the 39th and 67th events." The current champion wrote down "Who is the Marine Marching Band," and the other two contestants wrote down "Springsteen" and "The Rolling Stones," respectively. As host Ken Jennings pointed out, the last answer was closer, but still not right. The correct answer, of course, is the Beatles. They won Best New Artist at the 1965 ceremony, were nominated every year from 1966-1971, and then were nominated again in 1997 (when they won a total of three Grammys for The Beatles Anthology and "Free as a Bird") and earlier in 2025 (when they won best rock performance for "Now and Then"). - Billboard, 5/7/25...... Gene Simmons has clarified that not all members of KISS may appear together at "KISS Army Storms Vegas," the upcoming three-day fan event scheduled for Nov. 14-16 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. "This is much more a fan gathering," Simmons told Farmingdale, N.Y. radio station 94.3 The Shark in a new interview. "The KISS Army are taking over the Virgin Hotel and we will show up, but I don't even know if the entire band's gonna be there. I know Paul [Stanley] and I are gonna be there, and Tommy [Thayer]. Bruce Kulick probably will show up, and we'll jam, answer questions and stuff. It ain't a concert, we're gonna do none of that stuff. I may even bring my solo band up there just for fun." The event will mark KISS's first public appearance since the group wrapped its "End of the Road" farewell tour at New York's Madison Square Garden in Dec. 2023. Simmons previously told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in March that the band would not perform in makeup during the Las Vegas event, staying true to their vow that the MSG show was their final appearance in full costume. "There's no stage show. There's no crew. We won't have 60 people levitating drum sets and all that stuff," he said at the time. "KISS Army Storms Vegas" will celebrate the fan club's 50th anniversary and will feature Q&A sessions with Stanley, Simmons and longtime manager Doc McGhee. Additional performances will include sets from Thayer's former band Black 'N Blue, Sebastian Bach and KISS tribute bands. - Billboard, 5/8/25...... Smokey Robinson is denying shocking new claims of sexual assault by four of his former housekeepers, saying through his attorney that the "vile, false allegations" are merely "an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon." In a statement issued on May 7, Robinson's lawyer Christopher Frost says he will "fiercely defend" both Robinson and his wife, Frances, against the $50 million lawsuit claiming the R&B legend raped four different housekeepers over the course of nearly two decades. "As this case progresses, the evidence (the crucial element that guides us) will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon -- $50 million dollars, to be exact," writes Frost. Frost says he plans to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit and address "numerous aspects of the complaint that defy credulity as well as issues relating to purported timelines, inconsistencies and relationships between the plaintiffs and others." Frost's statement comes one day after Smokey and Frances Robinson were sued in Los Angeles state court by four of their former housekeepers. The employees, suing anonymously, say Robinson forced them to have oral and vaginal sex in his bedroom dozens of times between 2007 and 2024. The housekeepers claim wife Frances shares blame because she did nothing to stop the alleged abuse, despite knowing that her husband had a history of sexual misconduct and that he'd previously struck settlements with assault victims. The lawsuit also says the Robinsons paid their employees below minimum wage, and that Frances Robinson created a hostile work environment replete with screaming and "racially-charged epithets." The settlements cited in Tuesday's lawsuit have not been previously reported, and there's no apparent record of prior sexual assault lawsuits against Smokey Robinson. This means that, if legitimate, the deals were likely struck confidentially and outside of court. Lawyers John Harris and Herbert Hayden, who represent the housekeepers suing Smokey and Frances Robinson, issued a statement later on May 7 responding to Frost's comments: "We stand behind our four clients' truthful claims, which are neither false nor vile, but clearly describe Mr. Robinson's despicable criminal acts." - Billboard, 5/8/25...... Video game company Rockstar Games unleashed the second trailer for its long-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI on May 6, and fans are headed back to Vice City. GTA has a penchant for perfectly curating the soundtrack to match the game's vibe, and they did it again with The Pointer Sisters' 1986 hit "Hot Together" playing throughout the trailer to the forthcoming Bonnie and Clyde crime saga. About a minute into the trailer, the groovy instrumental begins to play as the main protagonist duo, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, reunite when Lucia gets out of prison. The couple rekindle their flame and pick up with they left off, making plays across the city. "Hot Together" arrived as the title track for The Pointer Sisters' 1986 album, which peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 200. The Pointer Sisters grew up in West Oakland and reached mainstream acclaim in the 1970s and 1980s. The R&B/soul group won three Grammy Awards and has seven Billboard Hot 100 pop hits to its name, including "Automatic" and "Jump (For My Love)." The full trailer for GTA VI can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/6/25...... Brian James of the punk rock band The Damned was buried at sea on Apr. 28. James, who passed away on Mar. 6 at the age of 70, was laid to rest on the ocean floor by his family -- widow Minna, son Charlie and daughter-in-law Alicia -- and nine of his closest friends in a "very emotional" private ceremony that took place off the coast of Newhaven, East Sussex, England. "A burial at sea is pretty unusual, but it was in his will so we had to do it," Minna told the UK paper The Sun. A source told the publication: "Brian now sleeps with the fishes, which is what he wished for before he died. He was a true original in life and has carried that on in death. The spirit of punk never left him and he was adamant he wanted his final resting place to be at sea." The Damned released three studio albums and produced singles such as "Open Your Eyes," "Dance with Me" and "Method to My Madness." - Music-News.com, 5/8/25...... Ruth Buzzi, the effervescent Emmy-nominated comedian and voice actor who starred on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, died on May 1 at her Texas home, her family announced on Facebook. She was 88. The zany comedian appeared in every episode of the popular variety show that ran for five seasons, playing characters such as the frumpy, hairnet-wearing Gladys Ormphby. On the show, she was known for using her purse as a weapon to whack Arte Johnson's dirty old man character on the park bench. Ms. Buzzi won a Golden Globe and received five Emmy nominations during her run on Laugh-In. The comedian, who was only 30 years old when she became famous for playing a little old lady, told the AP in 2018, "Gladys is the underdog. Gladys embodies the overlooked, the downtrodden, the taken for granted, the struggler. So when she fights back, she speaks for everyone who's been marginalized, reduced to a sex object or otherwise abused. And that's almost everyone at some time or other." Ms. Buzzi later appeared on one of Dan Schneider's Nickelodeon shows, and appeared in a music video by "Weird Al" Yankovic. - AP, 5/5/25...... Country music star Johnny Rodriguez, a popular Mexican American singer best known for chart-topping hits in the 1970s such as "I Just Can't Get Her Out of My Mind," "Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico" and "That's the Way Love Goes," died on May 9 in San Antonio from health complications, according to his daughter, Aubry Rodriguez. He was 73. Rodriguez was named the most promising male vocalist at the 1972 Academy of Country Music Awards, and his debut, Introducing Johnny Rodriguez, was nominated for album of the year in 1973. More than a dozen of his albums and singles landed in the Top 10. Rodriguez later said his career suffered after he began to use drugs and alcohol excessively. Born Juan Rodriguez in Sabinal, Texas, in 1951, Rodriguez was discovered at 18 by music promoter Happy Shahan after he was heard singing in a jail cell, where he was briefly held for a minor offense, according to a Ken Burns biography on PBS.org. His musical influences ranged from mariachi to honky-tonk, shaped by his South Texas upbringing. "I was drawn to country music because I could relate more to what they were singing about," he told Burns. "And also it was just like the music of our people. In Mexican music, you have stories. Mexican music and country music said almost the same thing, just in different languages," he said. His debut album, Introducing Johnny Rodriguez, reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart in May 1973 and was nominated for album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards. He had six No. 1 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart: "You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)," "Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico," "That's the Way Love Goes," "I Just Can't Get Her Out Out of My Mind," "Just Get Up and Close the Door" and "Love Put a Song in My Heart." Rodriguez won an ACM Award for most promising male vocalist in 1973 and was nominated for single of the year for his breakthrough hit, "Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)." The following year, he was nominated for top male vocalist and entertainer of the year (in addition to album of the year). At the CMA Awards, Rodriguez was nominated for male vocalist of the year in 1973 and album of the year in 1994 as one of many artists on Asleep at the Wheel's Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. In 2007, he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. "Dad was not only a legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around the world, but also a deeply loved husband, father, uncle, and brother whose warmth, humor, and compassion shaped the lives of all who knew him," Aubry wrote on Instagram. He is survived by Aubry, whom he shared with his second wife, Debbie McNeely. - Billboard, 5/10/25.

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Pink Floyd are on track to claim their seventh UK number one album with the rerelease of the soundtrack of their legendary 1975 concert film Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXXII. Released on May 2 also in a Blu-ray cinema version and other formats, was directed by Adrian Maben and filmed in the hauntingly atmospheric Roman amphitheatre of Pompeii and has been remixed by acclaimed producer Steven Wilson. The legendary prog rockers' previous UK number ones included Atom Heart Mother (1970), Wish You Were Here (1975), The Final Cut (1983), The Division Bell (1994), Pulse (Live) (1995), and The Endless River (2014). Final chart positions will be confirmed on May 9 by the UK's Official Charts Company. - Music-News.com, 5/6/25...... Jimmy Page has been hit with another lawsuit over the songwriting credits of the 1968 Led Zepplin track "Dazed and Confused." Musician Jake Holmes, who is said to have written the original track that inspired the famous Zeppelin release in 1967, alleges Page heard the song in August of that year when he opened for Page's previous band, The Yardbirds. The Yardbirds went on to share their own version of the song shortly afterwards and played it regularly at their shows. Although an official studio version was never made, they did share live recordings of their version of "Dazed And Confused" in 1967 and 1968. Later, Page would share another version of the song with Led Zep that appeared on the band's 1968 debut album. This sounded very similar to the original version by Holmes (which can be heard on YouTube), although it contained new lyrics and instrumental melodies written by Page. It remains one of Led Zeppelin's most popular songs. Holmes first filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against against Page in 2010, and the settlement (decided outside of court) led to the songwriting credit on the Led Zeppelin version being changed to "inspired by Jake Holmes." It was unclear whether or not the agreement also applied to recordings shared by The Yardbirds, and now that several archival releases from the band have been shared, the lawsuit from Holmes has been revived once more. In the new lawsuit, Holmes claims that he has not been given credit nor royalties for the early versions of "Dazed And Confused" performed by The Yardbirds. The suit references the newly shared film Becoming Led Zeppelin, which has the Led Zeppelin version credited as "inspired by Jake Holmes" but the Yardbirds version as only "written by Jimmy Page." It also names Sony Pictures and music publisher Warner Chappell as defendants. Page's legal team has yet to make a public statement about the revived lawsuit from Holmes. - New Musical Express, 5/6/25...... Two months before Black Sabbath's final-ever live show at Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England on July 5, Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler says he has some intense anxieties ahead of the gig. Speaking to the UK paper The Guardian, Butler admitted that while he's unsure of how the performance will roll out, or how band frontman Ozzy Osbourne's health may affect the show. Butler says the lofty expectations behind such a gig have left him feeling immensely anxious. "I'm already having palpitations," he noted. "In fact, I had a nightmare last night. I dreamed everything went wrong on stage and we all turned to dust. It's important that we leave a great impression, since it's the final time that people will experience us live. So it has to be great on the night." While Osbourne hasn't performed a full set since Dec. 31, 2018 -- two months before his diagnosis of Parkinson's -- he's previously lowered expectations for the upcoming gig, noting he isn't "planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath," but rather "little bits and pieces" with the group. "I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable," he explained. Ozzy, who also participated in the interview, once again pointed out that Sabbath aren't planning on performing a full-length set. "We're only playing a couple of songs each," he explained. "I don't want people thinking, 'We're getting ripped off', because it's just going to be -- what's the word? -- a sample, you're going to get a few songs each by Ozzy and Sabbath." The event, which will raise funds for three charities -- Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Children's Hospice -- will see the band's classic line-up -- Osbourne, Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward -- play live together for the first time in two decades, while the likes of Metallica, Judas Priest, Slayer, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Megadeath, and myriad others also join the bill. In a new interview with the UK's The Guardian, Ozzy's wife/manager Sharon Osborne confirmed that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is set to perform at the event too, as are the surviving members of Soundgarden. For Tyler, the gig will mark one of the few live appearances since he abruptly retired from touring in Aug. 2024. The decision was made after he suffered a serious vocal cord injury while kicking off Aerosmith's final tour. Although he has not played any full shows since the news, he has taken to the stage once since the injury -- playing at a charity event in February and breaking out some of his biggest hits. - Billboard/NME, 5/5/25...... Shortly after performing a solo set at the 2025 Stagecoach Festival in Indio, Calif. on Apr. 27, Sammy Hagar has spoken to Rolling Stone about his ongoing feud with his former Van Halen bandmate Alex Van Halen. Hagar said he wonders if "jealousy" is the reason why Alex hasn't spoken to him in 21 years. In a 2022 interview, Hagar said the drummer had completely cut him off, adding that "Alex has got a stick up his ass about something with me still." Notably, Alex also left details of Hagar's years in Van Halen out of recent memoir, Brothers, whose narrative ends before the departure of original VH vocalist David Lee Roth. Hagar told Rolling Stone that he "dreamt about Alex the other night, man." "It was crazy. And it was so friggin' real," he said. "I was saying, 'What are you pissed off at me about, man? What the f---? Now just tell me what your problem is. What did I do? Just tell me.'" Hagar also wondered if it was related to the fact that the Van Halen band has been relatively inactive in music while he himself continues to tour. "I think Al's angry because I'm out doing it, and [bassist] Mike [Anthony] and I are out doing it, and he can't," he suggests. "He's not a singer. He's not a guitar player. He is not really a band leader. And he seems like he doesn't want to play drums or can't play drums anymore, and he can't go write a new record. Alex wasn't the songwriter in the band. He was the drummer. Eddie and I wrote the songs. Dave and Eddie wrote the songs, and so we can go out and do them. I think that really bothers him that Mike and I are still out there doing it. I would feel bad. If I put myself in his shoes, I would feel terrible if I couldn't do it anymore. But I'm the happiest guy out of all of them. That pisses people off in itself. Being too happy, people don't like that." The interviewer countered with the suggestion that Alex's health could be to blame, as well as the difficulty of playing without his brother following Eddie Van Halen's death in 2020. "Yeah, I'd say so. And I'm okay with it. Al, you're fine. Just leave me alone. I'll leave you alone. Everything's good. I'm making you money, by the way, Al. I'm out there selling Van Halen records and keeping the name alive, keeping the music alive." Hagar recently released a new single, "Encore, Thank You, Goodnight," which has been shared on YouTube and includes a guitar lick he says Eddie showed him in a dream. - NME, 5/5/25...... The 2025 Met Gala dinner inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 5 was headlined by Stevie Wonder and Usher. Making his Met Gala debut with his family, Wonder was joined by a nine-person band and opened his headlining set with a capella intro of "Sir Duke," before entertaining the guests with a string of hits like "Black Man," "Higher Ground" and "Isn't She Lovely." A singalong erupted in the room as Wonder sang his early hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" followed by "I Wish" and "Superstition." He concluded the set by bringing Usher, who opened the show, back out for a duet of his song "Another Star." During his time on the red carpet, the 74-year-old spoke to Vogue about the importance of Black fashion being celebrated by the Costume Institute's new exhibition "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style." "It is a wonderful thing that it's being celebrated tonight. I appreciate that," he said. "But the reality is, I believe that God has celebrated what we have done since the beginning of time... since we were created we've created style, whether be it music, whether be it dance, whether be it, the most important thing, love." - Music-News.com, 5/6/25...... Neil Young's new song "Let's Roll Again," released on May 2, calls out Elon Musk and "fascist" Tesla owners amid lyrics imploring the major auto manufacturers to build clean-energy vehicles that "won't kill our kids." Singing a melody that evokes Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," Young quips, "If yer a fascist, then get a Tesla/ If it's electric, it doesn't matter." The release of "Let's Roll Again" comes six days after Young first premiered the track during his performance at the "Autism Speaks Light Up The Blues 7" concert in Los Angeles. It will appear on Young's upcoming album, Talkin' to Trees, which he announced May 2 would be arriving June 13. Also featuring January single "Big Change," the LP marks Young's first with new band the Chrome Hearts. Young and his band are currently gearing up to kick off their first world tour on June 18 in Sweden, after which they'll perform a string of shows across Europe through the first week of July. In August, they'll kick off North American leg on Aug. 8 in Charlotte, N.C. Musk is famously the CEO of Tesla, which makes battery-powered cars. In addition to owning X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX, he's also the polarizing right-hand man of Pres. Donald Trump, with Musk heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) created in January. "Let's Roll Again" has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/2/25...... The new Bruce Springsteen documentary Bruce Springsteen: Backstage and Backstreets was nominated for an Outstanding Arts, Culture or Entertainment Coverage Emmy on May 1. Springsteen has been nominated for three Primetime Emmys, but has yet to win. He was nominated for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (HBO, 2001), Outstanding Special Class - Short-Form Live Action Entertainment Program for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Super Bowl Halftime Show (NBC, 2009) and Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) for Springsteen on Broadway (Netflix, 2019). The 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards will be presented live at the Palladium Times Square in New York City on June 25 (News ceremony) and June 26 (Documentary ceremony), and will be streamed live on The Emmys website and via The Emmys apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV and Roku. Meanwhile, the New Jersey rocker continues to review his upcoming expansive box set Tracks II: The Lost Albums by sharing another track, "Faithless," on Spotify.com on May 1. Described as "the title track from a long-lost soundtrack to a movie that was never made," the Boss takes us once again down to the river, where love is found. "Well, I work by the rocks of the river/ Faithless, faithless, faithless/ Then I met you," Springsteen sings in a hushed voice over gentle, high desert-style acoustic guitar backing. "I walked 'neath the eaves of the garden/ Faithless, faithless, faithless/ Then I saw you," he adds with a chorus of female voices echoing his own. In a press release announcing the song, it is called a "meditation on purpose, belief and acceptance" that was originally intended to accompany a "spiritual Western" film that never got made. Springsteen recorded much of the Faithless album between the end of the Nov. 2005 Devils & Dust tour and the Apr. 2006 release of the We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions album. "Faithless" joins the other two pre-release songs previewing the Tracks II collection, the beat-heavy "Blind Spot" from the 10-track "Streets of Philadelphia" Sessions and the turbulent, "Rain in the River." The 83-track collection will "fill in rich chapters of Springsteen's expansive career timeline -- while offering invaluable insight into his life and work as an artist," according to the initial release announcing the set, which noted that some of the albums got to the mixing stage before being shelved. - Billboard, 5/1/25...... In a new interview with the British tabloid Metro, Gloria Gaynor said the "biggest misconception" about her is that she is a feminist. Gaynor, whose chart-topping 1979 smash "I Will Survive" is widely regarded as one of the most iconic feminist anthems of all time, said that she does not identify as a feminist when asked what people often get wrong about her. "The biggest misconception about me? It may be dangerous to say this, but that I'm a feminist," she said. Noting that she grew up with five brothers, Gaynor added, "I love men who know who they are and are strong enough to take their place, but also strong enough to recognize a woman's strengths and allow her to exercise those strengths and realize that we are to be partners and not opponents." The disco legend's comments have already sparked pushback online, with many people pointing out that, despite her implication, loving men and feminism are not mutually exclusive. By definition, feminism is the "belief in and advocacy of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests," according to Merriam-Webster. "So Gloria Gaynor doesn't know what feminist is... got it," one person wrote on X. "So Gloria Gaynor isn't a feminist because she loves men?" wrote another user. "Feminism isn't anti-man, it's just pro-human rights. But sure, let's ignore that. i love men and I'm still a feminist." The two-time Grammy winner's new interview comes a few weeks after she announced that her new EP, Happy Tears, will arrive June 6. The first taste of the five-track project came in February, when Gaynor dropped single "Fida Known," which she told Metro is her favorite song of the bunch. - Billboard, 5/5/25...... Virgin records/airline CEO Richard Branson has recalled the time he once saved the life of Keith Richards when a man showed up brandishing gun to kill him. Branson, well known for being a close friend with countless A-List stars including the founding Rolling Stones guitarist, recalled the incident on Virgin Radio UK on May 1, saying, "I went to the front door. There was this huge guy there and he had a gun. He went, 'I've come to kill Keith Richards, he's in your house with my wife.'" While the command sounded preposterous, it appeared the angry man was correct -- as the 74-year-old Branson went on with his tale. "As I was talking to him, I saw a naked Keith Richards and a naked wife running behind him across the lawn," he recalled. "I said, 'Put the gun down and you can search the house'. He searched the house, he apologized, he left. About an hour later, a naked Keith Richards came back without the wife." Richards, now 81, has been in a relationship with model Patti Hansen since 1979 and they have been husband and wife since 1983. The couple share two children together, and Richards has three other children from a past relationship with late model Anita Pallenberg. - Music-News.com, 5/3/25...... The Beach Boys legend Mike Love took to Instagram on Apr. 28 to publicly mourn the loss of his brother, Stan Love, a onetime NBA player who spent two years with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1970s and is the father of current NBA All-Star Kevin Love. Kevin announced his father's death at age 76 on social media on Apr. 27, with no cause of death revealed. "So many of you have shared your condolences about the loss of my brother. I guess I am still in shock; although he'd battled significant health issues for so long, I never thought I'd lose him. I really thought we would be here together; reality is not what I thought or hoped for," Mike Love, 84, wrote in his post. "My big younger brother, you called me the superstar, but to me you are the superstar!! You always had my back!," Love continued. "I am blessed to be your brother. I will cherish our lives spent together, whether spoofing on each other or reliving memories. I know you're on the big court now, pounding down 3's; don't foul out, bro. Give Mom & Dad a hug from me. Until we meet again, I love you, Brother, for eternity," he added. Among those giving Mike's post a heart was Full House star John Stamos, who has performed frequently with the Beach Boys over the years. - Parade, 4/29/25...... Joe Louis Walker, an electric blues musician who worked with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt and Mark Knopfler, passed away in late April following a cardiac-related illness. He was 75. Walker's extensive career, which spanned over six decades, saw the singer and guitarist open for such fellow blues icons as Muddy Waters and Thelonious Monk. In the blues scene and beyond, he was considered a "musician's musician" by peers, with Franklin dubbing him "The Bluesman." Born and raised in San Francisco, Walker took to playing the guitar as a child and went on to become a Bay Area regular as he gigged throughout the boom of the late '60s psychedelic rock and blues movement, finding friends in Jimi Hendrix and Mike Bloomfield -- who later became his roommate. After a stint spent in jail, Walker was working odd-jobs by the mid '70s, but started playing with gospel outfit the Spiritual Corinthians. His joining them was followed by a performance at the 1985 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which became the catalyst for his return to blues. In 2016, he was nominated for his first and only Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album with 2015 release Everybody Wants a Piece, and, earlier in 2025, revisited his 1986 debut album, Cold Is The Night. Honors earned throughout his career include an induction into the Blues Hall of Fame, being named a USA Fellow by United States Artists, and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. - NME, 5/3/25.

Thursday, May 1, 2025

On Apr. 30 Paul McCartney revealed the cover for his new book about his '70s band Wings, Wings: The Story Of A Band On The Run. Set to arrive on Nov. 4, the book is compiled from over 42 hours of brand-new interviews, as well as historical interviews and newly discovered, previously unheard interviews from McCartney's personal archive. Also included are around 150 photos -- many previously unseen -- capturing the band throughout the years, along with memorabilia, including some of Sir Paul's diary page entries from the time and handwritten lyrics. The cover photo, taken by Linda McCartney, shows Wings members Paul, Linda, Denny Laine, Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell together while on tour in Spain in 1972. According to a press release, the book will recall some of the band's most memorable moments in Scotland, New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Nashville, Lagos, Japan, the Virgin Islands, Morocco, Montserrat and more, and is set against the backdrop of political and social timelines of the '70s. McCartney also shared a new excerpt he wrote of the book's foreword: "Suddenly Wings has found its moment. We have a generational shift at work, and it's like being transported back on a magic carpet. Working on the book has awakened so many beautiful memories of our times back then." News of the new book first arrived in February, when it was confirmed that Macca would be sharing an oral history of his first post-Beatles band Wings. In early April, it was confirmed that an exhibition of 36 rare photographs taken by Paul in the early '60s would be opening in Los Angeles. - New Musical Express, 4/30/25...... Speaking of Paul McCartney, the former Beatle will be among several famous collaborators on a new duets album by Barbra Streisand, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two. The diva announced her latest studio album on Apr. 30, a new project featuring a cross-genre, cross-generational list of duet partners including McCartney, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Sting; Irish rocker Hozier; Icelandic jazz singer-songwriter Laufey; English crooner Sam Smith; country hitmaker Tim McGraw and British soul singer Seal. The first taste of the album, a Streisand duet with Hozier of Roberta Flack's No. 1 1972 smash "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," has been shared on Spotify.com. "I've always loved singing duets with gifted artists," Streisand said in a statement. "They inspire me in unique and different ways... and make our time in the studio a joy." The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two is due on June 27 via Columbia Records. It follows Babs' 2023 anecdote-rich memoir, My Name Is Barbra, about her 60-plus years of blazing trails in music, film, Broadway, activism and beyond. The singer's previous two albums, Partners and Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, both reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and received Grammy nods for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. - Billboard 4/30/25...... Appearing on comedian Bill Maher's podcast Club Random with Bill Maher, actor Terrence Howard revealed that the biggest career mistake he ever made was turning down the chance to play Smokey Robinson after the Motown legend asked the actor to portray him in a movie. Howard said he turned down the role because he was already "in conversation" with director/producer Lee Daniels about playing another Motown legend, Marvin Gaye, in a separate project. Howard went on to say that he turned down the role of Gaye because he was uncomfortable with how the singer's sexuality would be explored. "I was over at Quincy Jones' house and I'm asking Quincy, 'I'm hearing rumours that Marvin was gay' and I'm like, 'Was he gay?,' and Quincy's like, 'Yes,'" Howard recalled. On the prospect of exploring Gaye's sexuality, he added: "They would've wanted to do that, and I wouldn't have been able to do that." When asked by Maher if he couldn't kiss a man on screen, Howard replied: "No. Because I don't fake it," before adding: "That would f--- me. I would cut my lips off. If I kissed some man, I would cut my lips off. I can't play that character 100 per cent. I can't surrender myself to a place that I don't understand." Gaye did not publicly explicitly state his sexuality but was married twice in his life, to Anna Gordy and Janis Hunter. But Jones once alleged in an interview with Vulture, that the late singer had an intimate relationship with late actor Marlon Brando, although it has never been confirmed. "Brando used to go cha-cha dancing with us. He could dance his ass off. He was the most charming motherf---er you ever me," said at the time. "He'd f---- anything. Anything! He'd f--- a mailbox. James Baldwin. Richard Pryor. Marvin Gaye He did not give a f---!" Howard's full interview with Maher can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 4/29/25...... The inductees of the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were announced by Ryan Seacrest on ABC's American Idol on Apr. 27, with '70s stars Joe Cocker and Bad Company among the seven acts inducted into the performer category. Cocker and Bad Company were first-time nominees, as well as inductee Outkast. Inductees Cyndi Lauper and The White Stripes, had each been nominated once before, and inductee Soundgarden had been nominated twice before. Inductee Chubby Checker, whose "The Twist" was a global smash in 1960, had to wait even longer for induction than Cher, who was finally inducted last year, 59 years after Sonny & Cher's breakthrough smash "I Got You Babe." There are six other inductees this year in other categories. Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon are set to receive the musical influence award; Philly Soul producer Thom Bell, English studio pianist/organist Nicky Hopkins and studio bass guitarist Carole Kaye (who was part of the fabled Wrecking Crew of top L.A. studio musicians) will receive the musical excellence award; and producer and label executive Lenny Waronker will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Sadly, several of these people didn't live to see their inductions. Hopkins died in 1994 at age 50; Zevon in 2003 at 56; Chris Cornell of Soundgarden in 2017 at 52; and Bell in 2022 at 79. The other seven nominees in the performer category who were denied admission to the Rock Hall this year include Oasis, Mariah Carey, Joy Division/New Order, The Black Crowes, Billy Idol, Man and Phish. Joe Cocker's widow Pam Cocker said she was "really surprised" her late husband was inducted into the Rock Hall. "I voted every day and watched his standing on the fan vote. 'Long overdue' -- those were my daughter's first words when we heard the news." Pam added that while her husband "wasn't obsessed with the fact he wasn't in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he did want it. But he didn't prioritize it. He was always surprised at what other people were not in it more than himself." All of the Cockers, including Joe's surviving older brother Vic Cocker, are planning to attend the induction ceremony in November and are anticipating, in Pam's words, "a brilliant evening." Bad Company's Paul Rodgers told Billboard that "I know that our fans, friends and some media have wanted this for a long time, so they will be pleased at last. I am looking forward to seeing some old friends, reconnecting with (fellow inductee) Chubby Checker -- maybe do the twist?" Both Rodgers and Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke say they'll attend and perform at the RRHOF induction gala on Nov. 8 ceremony in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be live on Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. The 2025 ceremony, held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live, will once again stream live on Disney+, with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day. - Billboard, 4/28/25...... Neil Diamond will be honored with the Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award by the Children's Diabetes Foundation at the 39th Annual Carousel Ball on Oct. 11. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Denver, near the home of CDF's primary operations and its clinic and research facility, the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. Diamond, 84, is just the third recipient of the award, following Sidney Poitier (2016) and Diane Warren (2024). Proceeds from The Carousel Ball benefit CDF and focus on patient support, awareness and diabetes research. The Carousel Balls, founded in 1978, collectively have raised more than $117 million. Diamond has served on CDF's advisory board and has attended the organization's fundraisers for many years, including performing in Denver in 2001, as well as at The Carousel of Hope Ball in Beverly Hills in 2012, where he memorably sang an impromptu duet of "Sweet Caroline" with George Clooney. "It's been my absolute joy to have supported the Children's Diabetes Foundation for so many wonderful years," Diamond said in a statement. "Barbara Davis and her organization have done an immense amount of good helping kids, adults and their families facing a difficult diagnosis." With a career spanning nealy 60 years, Diamond is a 2011 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and his achievements also include a Grammy, a Golden Globe Award, an American Music Award, an ASCAP Film and Television Award and a Billboard Icon Award. - Billboard, 4/29/25......Bruce Springsteen played alongside a litany of fellow music legends on Apr. 26 at an American Music Honors show at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ. An intimate audience of just 700 got to witness the Boss jam alongside John Fogerty, Smokey Robinson, Jackson Browne, Tom Morello, Darlene Love and Nora Guthrie in the concert organized by The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center. Fogerty, Robinson and Morello were receiving the American Music Honors at the event, as well as Emmylou Harris and Joe Ely. Springsteen himself delivered speeches for Fogerty and Ely. Springsteen and Fogerty went on to jam on the Creedence Clearwater Revival classics "Bad Moon Rising," "Proud Mary" and "Fortunate Son." Springsteen and Motown legend Robinson then played "Going To A Go-Go" together, before the Boss joined Browne for "Take It Easy" and Morello for "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." The night drew to a close with all the artists in attendance joining together on stage for a version of Woody Guthrie's classic "This Land Is Your Land," the first time Springsteen has played the once-regular part of his setlist since 2013. - Billboard, 4/27/25...... Former Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmates Neil Young and Stephen Stills reunited on Apr. 26 for the Light Up The Blues 7 Concert charity show at L.A.'s Greek Theatre. Stills came out at the end of Young's set with his new band The Chrome Hearts for collaborations on 1978's "Human Highway" and Young's regular set closer "Rockin' In The Free World," with footage of the latter available for viewing on YouTube. Later in the night, Young returned the favour during Stills' set, joining in on a version of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," the classic 1966 single on which they both originally played. It was a night in which political commentary dominated Young's set, with new song "Let's Roll Again" (which he has shared on YouTube) including the lyrics: "Come on America / Let's cover our back / Protect our children / If you're a fascist / Then get a Tesla / If it's electric, it doesn't matter." Other politically motivated tracks in Young's setlist included deep cuts "Ordinary People" and "Big Box," while "Rockin' In The Free World" included Young and Stills leading the crowd in a chant of "take America back." Other artists on the Light Up The Blues bill included Billy Idol, Cat Power, Nathaniel Rateliff, Rufus Wainwright and Linda Perry. - NME, 4/27/25...... An iconic photograph of David Bowie is set to feature on a limited-edition Bang & Olufsen speaker series. The high-end Danish audio tech company has announced an exclusive run of 30 Beosound A9 speakers that will include a canvas cover adorned with a rare Bowie image captured by the acclaimed British rock photographer Denis O'Regan. The item is priced at £3,995 and each speaker will come with a signed and numbered 12" x 8" print of the image, a printed box sleeve and a certificate of authenticity. The speakers are on sale now and can be found on the West-Contemporary-Editions website. O'Regan has spent decades capturing the biggest names in music and has been the official tour photographer for artists including The Rolling Stones, Queen and Pink Floyd. He also had a longstanding relationship with Bowie and was also one of the official photographers for Live Aid in 1985. He accompanied Bowie on multiple tours and produced the box set Ricochet: David Bowie 1983, which documented the extensive touring that followed the release of 1983's Let's Dance album. "Throughout my career I've been privileged to hear fans and collectors describe one of my images as their 'favourite picture of Bowie'," O'Regan said about the new release. "This favourite of mine is the image I've selected as my chosen moment for the B&O A9 speaker cover." - NME 4/26/25.

Saturday, April 26, 2025

It has been announced that the 2025 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will be revealed on a live episode of American Idol on Apr. 27. Show host Ryan Seacrest will make the eagerly awaited announcement. James Taylor, who was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2000, will serve as a mentor on the episode, on which this season's top 14 Idol contestants will perform songs associated with previous Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The episode will air live coast-to-coast on ABC from 8-10 p.m. ET/5-7 p.m. PT. The episodes will also be available the following day on Hulu. - Billboard, 4/21/25...... ZZ Top issued a statement via the LiveNation site on Apr. 24 announcing drummer Frank Beard will be missing the band's forthcoming Australian tour, "as recommended by medical personnel." On Mar. 15, the Texas trio revealed that Beard would be absent from the group's current "Elevation Tour" due to the need to undergo an unspecified health procedure. "Shelter Music Group, ZZ Top's management, has announced the band's drummer, Mr. Frank Beard, has temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term," an Instagram post read. "Beard, along with fellow ZZ Top members Billy F Gibbons and Elwood Francis, presently on the Elevation tour since March 5, have engaged fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer, John Douglas, for the interim," the post read. Douglas has long maintained a close relationship with both Beard and his bandmates, having previously sat in for the drummer during a Paris performance in Oct. 2002 when he underwent an emergency appendectomy. "Beard's continued physical therapy has shown to be very effective in dealing with the issue that caused him to leave the recent US leg of the tour," Live Nation's statement continued. "While cheered by the positive news, band and management believe that his total recovery must be priority #1. Beard's attending physicians have suggested more physical therapy over a longer period would potentially achieve better and longer lasting results, and this will now be his focus." Beard has been the drummer of ZZ Top since 1969, when he took over from co-founder Dan Mitchell. In 1970, Dusty Hill assumed the role of bassist and the lineup remained stable until Hill's death at age 72 in 2021, with Francis replacing him on bass. ZZ Tp[ will embark upon their first Australian tour since 2013 on Apr. 26. The ten-date tour will conclude in mid-May, with a handful of New Zealand tour dates to be followed by an additional North American trek in June. The band's 51-date trek will run through until October. - Billboard, 4/25/25...... In an interview with the Spanish outlet RockFM, The Who's Pete Townshend revealed that he does not love performing live on stage, saying it "does not fill my soul." In the interview, which is viewable on YouTube, Townshend said: "One is they love performing. I don't love performing. I don't like being on a stage. I don't mind being on a stage, I don't hate it, but it doesn't fill my soul in the way that you see some performers, [where] just their soul is filled through being on the stage. That's not me." He went on to explain that the second thing he does not enjoy is collaborating with other musicians, which he said he "finds very difficult." "If I was in a studio, like with a really, really great musician, or with a group of really great musicians, I think I would find it very hard. I often do find it very hard," he said. "I find it difficult to collaborate. I find it very difficult looking in the eyes of another musician. I find myself looking to my own energy to express myself. So I'm very different to most musicians in that respect." Townshend was talking ahead of the new ballet reimagining of The Who's 1973 album Quadrophenia, which has its opening performance in Plymouth's Theatre Royal on May 28. - New Musical Express, 4/25/25...... Speaking to the UK paper The Telegraph, former Faces drummer Kenney Jones revealed that he and his surviving former bandmates Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood have recorded "about 11 tracks" at RAK Studios in London for what would be their first album in over 50 years. Jones also confirmed that musician and TV personality Jools Holland also contributed to one track. "Not all of them are going to be right [for the album], but most of them are good." Jones continued: "I can't see it coming out this year. But I can see it coming out next year. Everyone's doing different things. We do little snippets [of recording] here and there. Then all of a sudden, The Stones are out [on tour] again, Rod's out again..." First formed in 1969 as the result of a merger between members of Small Faces and the Jeff Beck Group, Faces were around for six years before guitarist Wood left to join the Rolling Stones, and Stewart continued his ongoing successful solo career. The group would release four albums throughout their career, with 1971's A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse becoming their most successful, hitting No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The record would spawn the single "Stay with Me," which peaked at No. 17 on the Hot 100 singles chart, and would be followed by their final studio release, Ooh La La, in 1973. The article itself notes that the band have teased a new album for four years now, with Stewart confirming its existence in 2021, and again claiming in 2024 that "We haven't finished it yet, but we'll finish it this year, I promise." Faces performed a series of reunions after their initial dissolution, and founding bassist Ronnie Lane would pass away in 1997, and keyboardist Ian McLagan would also pass in 2014. At the 2020 Brit Awards, the remaining three performed "Stay With Me" and began to express a desire to work together again. Stewart is currently scheduled to perform in the Sunday evening Legends Slot at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival, with a series of Las Vegas residency dates also set to run until October. - Billboard, 4/25/25...... Founding KISS drummer Peter Criss announced the release of his first solo album in almost two decades via a short video from the fansite KissFAQ.com. "I have an announcement," Criss tells fans in the video. "I have my new rock and roll album to [share with] you KISS Army guys coming out in the fall, and I really hope you like it, man. And I wanna say God bless to each and every one of you." KISS historian Julian Gill then took over with the reporting, noting that the record is a "hard rock, kick-ass album" that features the production work of Barry Pointer, while Criss is joined by guitarists John 5 and Mike McLaughlin, bassists Billy Sheehan and Matthew Montgomery, and pianist Paul Shaffer. The record also features the talents of backing vocalists Dennis and Sharron Collins, and Cathryn Manning. "I was honored to listen to this album at Peter's studio with him last night, and it was absolutely amazing to hear this new music," adds Gill. "It was vibrant and powerful. The as-yet-untitled studio album will be Criss' first solo release since 2007's One for All, which itself arrived 13 years after his previous solo release. Criss initially departed KISS in 1980, having performed his last show with the band in December 1979. He would later rejoin the band in 1996 as part of their original lineup reunion, and following a brief departure in 2001, would rejoin the band until his final exit in 2004. He has not performed live since his retirement from touring in June 2017. Criss' new album announcement has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 4/25/25...... Lynyrd Skynyrd's classic 1973 track "Free Bird" has reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top TV Songs chart, for March 2025, topping the tally following a synch in NCIS: Origins. "Free Bird" appears in the 15th episode of NCIS: Origins' inaugural season, premiering on Mar. 31 on CBS. The new series is a spinoff of CBS' long-running NCIS franchise and was renewed for a second season earlier in 2025. In March 2025, "Free Bird" earned 12.3 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 2,000 downloads, according to Luminate. One of Skynyrd's signature tracks from its 1973 debut LP, the song peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975, with a live version also making the Top 40 almost exactly two years later. Meanwhile, the Apple+ TV series Severance, which wrapped up its second season in March, boasts four entries on the latest Top TV Songs, led by The Alan Parsons Project's "Sirius" at No. 4 (1.2 million streams, 1,000 downloads). - Billboard, 4/24/25...... Sammy Hagar says his guitar playing on his upcoming single "Encore. Thank You. Goodnight" was inspired by a guitar lick that his late Van Halen bandmate Eddie Van Halen showed him in a dream. "About two months ago, I had this dream and Eddie came," Hagar told Ultimate Classic Rock about the inspiration for the song. "We were in a room like this, [with] a bunch of people around. It was just like he'd been gone. It was not like he was passed, but he had just been out of my life and we hadn't seen each other for a while. He's going, 'Man, let's write some music!' I said, 'Yeah, f--k it, man. Here, let's go!'" In the dream, Hagar said Van Halen showed him "this harmonic thing he slid up to a chord, like a slide guitar... We wrote a song with that lick." The next morning, the veteran rock singer and guitarist said he got up and wrote the new song, which he titled, in part, "Thank You" because he'd used "the f---in' lick that he showed me in the song." While the track came together too late to be included on Hagar's 2022 Crazy Times album with his band the Circle, on Instagram earlier this week Hagar said he "can't wait" for the world to finally hear his tribute to his late bandmate. The post describes the song that also features Joe Satriani, drummer Kenny Aronoff and former VH bassist Michael Anthony as "inspired by a dream and brought to reality through introspective lyrics, powerful chords and rhythmic guitar and drums." - Billboard, 4/24/25...... Carlos Santana postponed a planned show in San Antonio, Tex. on Apr. 22 after being rushed to a local hospital. Santana, 77, was booked to play San Antonio's Majestic Theatre, but reportedly fell ill during soundcheck as a result of dehydration. According to a statement from the venue, manager Michael Vrionis said the guitarist was taken to a San Antonio hospital for observation. "It is with profound disappointment that I have to inform you all that tonight's show in San Antonio has been postponed," Vrionis said in a statement on Instagram. "Mr. Santana was at the venue (Majestic Theater) preparing for tonight's show when he experienced an event that was determined to be dehydration. Out of an abundance of caution and the health of Mr. Santana, the decision to postpone the show was the most prudent course of action. He is doing well and is looking forward to coming back to San Antonio soon as well as continuing his US Tour." Santana is in the midst of his 2025 Oneness tour, and his rep later issued a statement saying that Santana "is postponing his Oneness Tour 2025 show at Smart Financial Center, tonight (Wednesday, April 23, 2025) in Sugar Land, Texas. Mr. Santana has tested positive for Covid and is resting at his hotel.... [and] out of an abundance of caution, the decision was made to also postpone this evening's show in Sugar Land. Carlos experienced dehydration yesterday, and has since tested positive for Covid. I am happy to report that Carlos is doing well and will be back on his US Tour this Friday in Thackerville, OK. We appreciate everyone's well wishes and concern. Carlos is looking forward to seeing you all very soon." Please hang onto your tickets -- we will advise on the rescheduled show date as soon as possible." - Billboard, 4/23/25...... Emmylou Harris, R&B star Eddie Floyd and Jody Stephens, drummer of iconic power-pop band Big Star, are set to perform at the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame Gala on May 16 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. -- the site of the first Grammy Awards ceremony in 1959. All three have recordings being inducted this year. Harris will be joined by producer Daniel Lanois and jazz drummer Brian Blade for a performance of a song from her 1995 album Wrecking Ball, which Lanois produced. Floyd is being honored for his 1966 classic "Knock on Wood"; Big Star for its 1972 album #1 Record. Percussionist Cindy Blackman, who is married to Carlos Santana, is also set to perform. The band Santana's 1999 album Supernatural is among the 13 recordings being honored. The gala will celebrate the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame inducted recordings, which according to the GHOF exhibit "qualitative or historical significance" and are at least 25 years old. The Grammy Hall of Fame Gala serves as a fundraiser to support the Grammy Museum's national education programs. It includes a cocktail reception, dinner, and concert program. More info can be found at GrammyMuseum.org. - Billboard, 4/23/25...... After years of health issues, Ozzy Osbourne is making sure that he's in top shape when he suits up for what is being billed as Black Sabbath's final-ever performance on July 5 in Villa Park in the band's hometown of Birmingham, England. In a new interview with Billy Morrison on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard channel, Osbourne, 76, said he's been in "heavy training" for the show that will see rock's Prince of Darkness reunite with his bandmates for one last time on a bill that will also include the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Alice in Chains and many others. "I haven't done anything for, this will be seven years, and so I've been through all this surgery. It really is like starting from scratch," said Osbourne, who has been dealing with a Parkinson's disease diagnosis as well as a 2019 fall that aggravated a previous spinal injury and required multiple surgeries. Osbourne said his workouts include endurance training due to his long lay-off from performance. "The first thing to go when you're laid up is your stamina, so believe it or so, I'm doing two sets of three-minute walks and weight training. I'm going and going you know," he said. " I'm waking up in my body, you know. I mean, three minutes to you, for instance, is nothing, but I've been laying on my back recovering from umpteen surgeries." Osbourne talking about his training regimen on Ozzy Speaks can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 4/23/25...... Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen says he's still dealing with the fall-out from a 2023 incident in which a 19-year-old man rushed at him and knocked him to the ground outside a Florida hotel. In a recent interview on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, the veteran rocker said that he has eased back on some of his non-performance efforts -- including showcasing his painting on this years's "Monsters of Rock" cruise -- as he continues his recovery from the scary incident. "I've been going through some challenging times, kind of related to what happened in Florida," Allen said. "And that whole thing is kind of ongoing, when I got beaten up outside the hotel [there]. So I've been trying to deal with that the best that I can, and really I just needed to take a break from some of the side projects that I was busy with, just so I could spend more time at home. So, that's been a real challenge for me. Hopefully I can put it all behind me and I can just kind of get back to as normal as I could possibly be given the circumstances. But that was very traumatic for me, and, yeah, it's been difficult. But hopefully I can put it behind me soon." Allen was assaulted in March 2023 outside of a Fort Lauderdale, FL hotel by an Ohio man who allegedly rushed the drummer at full speed and knocked him to the ground. A police report noted that the alleged assailant hid behind a pillar outside the hotel entrance while Allen smoked and then allegedly attacked Allen, who "hit his head on the ground causing injury" and that when a woman ran out to help Allen the man allegedly attacked her as well. The man was arrested a short time later after police found him at another hotel allegedly breaking car windows. He was charged him with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief and abusing an elderly or disabled adult; Allen lost his left arm after a 1984 car accident. Allen said he went on a cruise following the assault and found it "difficult to be around a lot of people," leading to him deciding to stick closer to home. "I decided, 'You know what, Rick? Don't try and bite off more than you can chew. Just deal with this, deal with what's in front of you... And I'm just hoping, as I say, that I can put it behind me... I'd love to get back to doing some of my side projects, particularly the art. And let's hope I can soon." Though he is still traumatized by the incident, Allen will be on board when Def Leppard hits the road this year for a tour slated to kick off on May 15 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, followed by a summer of North American festival and amphitheater dates through October. - Billboard, 4/22/25...... Sean Ono Lennon has asked fans not to compare him to his brother Julian Lennon, while insisting that there's nothing but love between them. Taking to Instagram Stories on Apr. 21, Sean shared a black-and-white photograph of himself and his older half-brother -- both of whom are the children of late Beatles icon John Lennon. Sean, 49, is also the son of Yoko Ono. John shared Julian, 62, with his first wife Cynthia Lennon. "Here, we do not accept comparisons and erroneous creations of fights about two people that John Lennon loved the most: his children :)," Sean captioned the upload. He added: "Peace and much, much lovea&." The musician also tagged Julian in the post. The attached picture shows Sean and Julian at the 1986 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony, where they inducted Elvis Presley. Earlier in 2025, Julian admitted that he is not part of The Beatles' "inner circle" and is often one of the last to hear any news about his late father's former band. "I'm thankful that Sean and I get on like a house on fire -- we're best buddies and he tells me what he can, but things are pretty secret on the Beatles front," he explained. Julian also spoke about the pair's relationship in late 2023, when he called rumours of an alleged feud between them "such bull". He said: "We've never had a fight in our life. I posted lots of happy pictures of us [Sean and me] doing nothing but smiling, laughing and acting like idiots. This was important for me and for the peace and for family, because there has been friction, no question, in the past between everybody. But we're all getting a bit older, and as we get older we lose people and we realise now what's most precious in life." - NME, 4/22/25...... Speaking to Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast, Bruce Springsteen has discussed his involvement with his biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere, saying set visits brought back some memories and describing the film as "fantastic." Directed by Scott Cooper, the film stars Jeremy Allen White as the singer during the early '80s, and centers around the personal and professional circumstances that led to him making his seminal work, 1982's Nebraska. The film is yet to announce a release date but is expected to be released later in 2025. "It's '81, '82, and centred around the creation of that particular record while I was simultaneously recording 'Born in the USA' and also going through some personal difficulties that I've been living with my whole life. But it's fantastic," Springsteen said on the podcast. He revealed he wasn't present for a lot of the filming, but made regular trips to the set and was taken aback by what he saw. "I was on tour during a lot of it, so they filmed a good amount of it without me there," he said. "But I was on set sometimes". He continued: "It was interesting to see it played out, to see your grandmother's house again, and to go inside and get a general feeling of what it was like when you were very young. So I enjoyed all those parts of it." Meanwhile, The Boss is gearing up to release a new box set of seven never-heard-before full records on Tracks II: The Lost Albums on June 27. - NME, 4/22/25...... David Thomas, the howling lead singer of long-running Cleveland-bred post-punk rockers Pere Ubu, died on Apr. 23 in his home town of Brighton & Hove [in the U.K.]. He was 71. Thomas' passing was announced on Pere Ubu's Facebook page, which said he died after an unspecified "long illness" with his wife and youngest step-daughter by his side. "MC5 were playing on the radio. He will ultimately be returned to his home, the farm in Pennsylvania, where he insisted he was to be 'thrown in the barn.'," the post added. Thomas was born in Miami on June 14, 1953 and began his career in rock as the lead singer of the short-lived proto-punk Cleveland band Rocket From the Tombs. Inspired by Detroit punk godfathers the MC5 and The Stooges, the band was a precursor to the worldwide punk revolution that exploded in the U.S. and U.K. in the mid-1970s. After the band's split, two members, guitarist Gene "Cheetah Chrome" O'Connor and drummer Johnny "Johnny Biltz" Madansky, went on to form legendarily shambolic Cleveland punk band the Dead Boys. Thomas and guitarist Peter Laughner teamed up to launch the artier, spikier Pere Ubu, whose name was a riff on the outr 19th century French play "Ubu Roi." The avant garde group released its debut single, "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" in late 1975 on Thomas' indie label, Hearthan Records. After a handful of follow-up singles, their debut album, The Modern Dance, dropped in 1978. The band released three more albums, 1979's New Picnic Time, 1980's The Art of Walking and 1982's Song of a Bailing Man before breaking up. Thomas continued his experimental journey on a series of solo albums with his bands the Pedestrians and and Wooden Birds in the 1980s, before reforming Pere Ubu in 1987 for the recording of The Tenement Year, which leaned in a distinctly more pop direction (at least compared to the band's earlier work), followed by 1989s's Cloudland. In between Pere Ubu projects, Smith stayed busy with solo albums, Rocket From the Tombs reunions and experimental theater projects. - Billboard, 4/24/25...... David Briggs, a keyboardist and studio operator who played a pivotal role in establishing Muscle Shoals, Ala., as a recording hub in the 1960s before helping to revitalize mainstream country music, died on Apr. 22 in Nashville. He was 82. According to his brother John, his death, in a hospice facility, was caused by complications of renal cancer. Mr. Briggs contributed to not just one but two major developments in popular music. As a member of the original rhythm section at Fame Recording Studios, he helped put the northern Alabama hamlet of Muscle Shoals on the musical map. He played on landmark R&B recordings like Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On" (1962), Jimmy Hughes's "Steal Away" (1964) and The Tams' "What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)" (1963), all of which were Top 40 pop singles as well as R&B hits. Mr. Briggs's other defining moment came when he, fellow studio musicians Norbert Putnam and Jerry Carrigan, moved to Nashville in late 1964 and began infusing country recordings with the understated, groove-rich variant of the Nashville Sound that became known as "countrypolitan." Mr. Briggs would go on to play everything from the funky organ on Tony Joe White's "Polk Salad Annie" to the pealing barroom piano on Conway Twitty's honky-tonk weeper "The Image of Me." He provided empathetic accompaniment on Sammi Smith's "Help Me Make It Through the Night," a No. 1 country and Top 10 pop hit in 1971, and Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors," which was also a Top 10 country single that year. After just a few months in Nashville, Mr. Briggs had distinguished himself as one of the city's first-call studio keyboard players. He would go on to take part in hundreds of sessions a year into the 1980s. David Paul Briggs was born on Mar. 16, 1943, in Killen, Ala., northeast of Muscle Shoals. Classically trained, he began playing professionally as an adolescent. He worked in a local band called the Crunk Brothers and, through them, met Putnam and ultimately gained entree to session work at Fame. Mr. Briggs and Putnam played on Tommy Roe's chart-topping 1962 hit, "Sheila," and were members of his backing band when Roe was an opening act for The Beatles in their first U.S. concert, in 1964. In 1966, Mr. Briggs joined Elvis Presley's TCB Band, a job he would keep, along with his session work, until Presley's death in 1977. In 1969, Mr. Briggs and Putnam opened Quadraphonic Sound, a much-in-demand studio that hosted projects by Neil Young, Dan Fogelberg, Jimmy Buffett and The Jacksons. That year, Mr. Briggs joined Area Code 615, a supergroup of session musicians, including Putnam and guitarist Mac Gayden The band released a pair of albums of freewheeling country rock on Polydor Records. Along with Putnam, Carrigan and the guitarist Terry Thompson, Mr. Briggs was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville in 2019. He remained active as a musician and studio owner well into his 70s. - The New York Times, 4/25/25...... Veteran producer Roy Thomas Baker, whose credits feature some of rock's biggest hits including Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and other tracks by the likes of Journey, Yes, The Cars, Cheap Trick, Guns N' Roses and Smashing Pumpkins, died at his home in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., on Apr. 12, his family announced on Apr. 22. He was 78 and a cause of death has yet to be revealed. The producer's credits feature a who's who of rock stars over the past half-century, with Baker also producing Foreigner, Devo and Mötley Crüe, in addition to the above named acts. Baker worked with Queen on five of the band's 1970s albums, including on their bombastic A Night at the Opera lead single "Bohemian Rhapsody," which is reportedly the most-streamed song recorded in the 20th century. The 1975 single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in Jan. 1976 but didn't hit its No. 2 peak on the chart until its inclusion in the film Wayne's World in 1992. Born in Hampstead, London, in 1946, Baker's career began as second engineer to Gus Dudgeon and Tony Visconti at London's Decca Records. He graduated to chief engineer in the '70s and moved to Trident Studios to begin working with the then-unknown Queen. Columbia Records later asked him to relocate to the U.S. to work with Journey and others. "We did [1978 album] Infinity with the infamous Roy Thomas Baker," recalled Journey's Neal Schon, "and we did so many different things on that record that I'd never tried, or even thought about doing. I learned a lot from Roy." Elektra Records, Queen's U.S. label, then teamed Baker with such artists as Lindsey Buckingham, Dokken and The Cars -- for whom he produced their first four albums, from 1978 to 1981. "Bohemian Rhapsody" and The Cars have both been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the National Recording Registry, two of the most prestigious honors for classic recordings. In addition, Queen's A Night at the Opera album, which houses "Bohemian Rhapsody," was separately inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Baker is survived by his wife, Tere Livrano Baker, and his brother, Alan Baker. - Billboard, 4/22/25.

Monday, April 21, 2025

Patti Smith is among several musicians and celebrities who have reacted to news of the death of Pope Francis, who passed away at age 88 from a cerebral stroke on Easter monday (Apr. 22). "Farewell dear Pope Francis/Nature and poetry and the suffering shall miss their champion," the punk poetess shared on her Instagram account. Famously, in 2014, the pontiff personally invited Smith to perform at the Vatican's Christmas concert, where to much controversy she sang "O Holy Night" backed by the Vatican orchestra. Smith's booking evoked a mixed response from Christian groups, with Catholic organisation Portosalvo describing the decision as "blasphemous," following the singer's 1975 song "Gloria," which famously featured the lines: "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Francis, who was recently hospitalized for weeks with double pneumonia, was largely considered the most progressive pope to date, and had fans in several high-profile artists, with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Bono, Leonardo DiCaprio and Angelina Jolie attending papal audiences with him over the years. The death of the pontiff, who became pope in 2013 after his predecessor Benedict XVI resigned, was detailed in a statement by Cardinal Kevin Farrell on X. Dubbed the "People's Pope" for his more inclusive stance on marginalised communities, his last address to the public was on Apr. 20 when called for a ceasefire in Gaza. - New Musical Express, 4/21/25...... A New York Times instant bestseller since its release on Apr. 8, the new John Lennon and Paul McCartney biography John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs follows the songwriting duo's relationship as songwriters, lyricists and bandmates in The Beatles. Author Ian Leslie drew from tunes, film footage and recordings to paint a picture of two musicians working together to create some of the greatest songs of the 20th century. Meanwhile, Lennon and wife Yoko Ono's son Sean Ono Lennon has shared the message he hopes people will take away from the new Lennon/Ono documentary One to One: John & Yoko documentary. "It's going to be very revelatory for everybody who sees it," Sean says. "I do think I know my parents pretty well," says Ono Lennon, who co-executive produced the film (along with Brad Pitt and others) and served as its music producer. "I knew about that time. It was only a couple years before I was born. My mother spoke about it a lot. I know a lot about their story, including (this time period), so I would not frame it that I learned something necessarily." Directed by Kevin Macdonald and distributed by Magnolia Pictures, One to One employs a montage-style collection of footage and sound recordings (some provided by the John Lennon Estate) to present Lennon and Ono primarily in their own words, without third-party narration. One to One premiered at the Venice Film Festival in Aug. 2024, also showing at the Telluride Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival before its IMAX rollout on Apr. 11. It opens wide in theaters starting Apr. 18 and will stream on the Max premium platform later this year. Ono Lennon has also finished work on a One to One soundtrack release slated for Oct. 9 (John's birthday) in several formats and packages. - Billboard, 4/21/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, 36 rare Paul McCartney photographs, many of which have just been rediscovered, will feature in a new Los Angeles exhibition set to open on Apr. 25 at Gagosian Art Gallery. The Rearview Mirror: Photographs, December 1963-February 1964 collection includes photos that were recently rediscovered by Sir Paul and have never been shown before, as well as some that were featured in his 2023 photography book Eyes Of The Storm. Following the exhibition, the photos, which are all signed by McCartney, will be going on sale, with expected prices ranging from $15,000 to $90,000 (£11,000 to £68,000). Proceeds will go to benefit efforts for those affected by the devastating California wildfires. A clip of McCartney reflecting on the collection can be viewed on YouTube, and the exhibition will run until June 21. - NME, 4/19/25...... In still more Beatles news, John Lennon's last autograph is currently up for auction on the gottahaverockandroll.com website. On Dec. 7, 1980 musician Willie Nile and Lennon were recording at The Record Plant studio in New York City when engineer Thom Panunzio called saying, "John broke a string on his guitar. Do you have any extra strings?" Willie did have extra strings and gave them to John. The next day Dec. 8, 1980 Willie and John ere again at the Record Plant recording. That evening when John was about to walk out the door of the Record Plant, Penunzio asked John for an autograph for his friend Karl. John mistakenly thought it was for the person who gave him the guitar strings the day before so John wryly signed a Record Plant tape sticker "To Karl, who strung me along, thanks John Lennon 1980." Lennon also drew a self-portrait caricature, and then left the studio by limousine at approximately 10:30 pm, arriving at his The Dakota apartment building at approximately 10:50 when he was shot dead. It would become the last autograph John Lennon would ever sign, and one of the most important autographs in rock and roll history. The autograph was previously sold for $72,000 in 2012. - Music-News.com, 4/20/25...... Billboard is reporting that Alice Cooper has reunited with his original band for their first album in 51 years on his next album, The Revenge of Alice Cooper. "It was very much like this was our next album after (1973's) Muscle of Love, just like, 'OK, this is the next album.' Isn't that funny after 50 years? All of a sudden it just falls into place," Cooper told Billboard by phone from his home in Phoenix. Cooper's longtime producer Bob Ezrin, meanwhile, says that the band on The Revengewas eerily similar to the group he worked with on platinum Cooper 70s albums such as Love It to Death, Killer, School's Out and Billion Dollar Babies. "None of them has changed much as a person," Ezrin says. "Obviously everyone's older and more mature and more settled, but when we all get together and I watch the interplay between them, it's like they just walked out of high school and were hanging out in the local cafe. They just revert to type. They revert to who they were as kids when the first got together... and make music together like they did 50-some years ago." The 14-track album reunites Cooper with guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neil Smith. Guitarist Glen Buxton passed away in 1997 at the age of 49 -- the album is dedicated "to our brother Glen Buxton" -- and he's represented on two songs: "What Happened to You" is built from the riff on an old demo tape Dunaway and Buxton made together and the limited-edition box set bonus track "Return of the Spiders 2025," is an upgraded remix of a track from the group's second album, 1970's Easy Action. Cooper will be premiering the first single, "Black Mamba," on Apr. 22)on the latest episode of his syndicated radio show, Alice's Attic. Featuring Robby Krieger of The Doors, a friend of Cooper and his band's the late 60s days in Los Angeles, it was, according to Alice, "definitely an Alice Cooper, from-the-ground-up song" created during studios sessions for the album. As word about The Revenge filters out, Dunaway says the band is "ready to explode with excitement because we've kept it secret for so long." There's no word yet, however, on whether the four will regroup to play live to support the new LP when it's released on July 25. Cooper already has a full slate of touring ahead this year, including a May and August dates in the U.S., summer shows in Europe and a co-headlining run with Judas Priest during September and October. - Billboard, 4/21/25...... Just days after it appeared that The Who's current drummer Zak Starkey would no longer be performing with the group after three decades, The Who guitarist Pete Townshend took to Instagram on on Apr. 19 to announce that Starkey has been reinstated after what he described as "communication issues." "News Flash! Who Backs Zak! He's not being asked to step down from The Who," Townshend posted "There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily." The announcement comes shortly after Starkey addressed rumors of his firing, reportedly sparked by singer Roger Daltrey's dissatisfaction with Starkey's performance during a Teenage Cancer Trust benefit show at London's Royal Albert Hall in late March. Townshend elaborated on the situation in his post, saying, "Roger and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral line up and he has readily agreed. I take responsibility for some of the confusion. Our TCT shows at the Royal Albert Hall were a little tricky for me. I thought that four and a half weeks would be enough time to recover completely from having a complete knee replacement. (Why did I ever think I could land on my knees?) Wrong!" Townshend elaborated that "maybe we didn't put enough time into sound checks, giving us problems on stage." "The sound in the centre of the stage is always the most difficult to work with," he added. "Roger did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors. Zak made a few mistakes and he has apologised. Albeit with a rubber duck drummer. We are a family, this blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen. It's over. We move forward now with optimism and fire in our bellies." Starkey later shared Townshend's post on his own Instagram, adding, "V grateful to be a part of the who family Thanks Roger and Pete xx. Repost from @officialthewho." The drummer, son of Ringo Starr and his former wife Maureen, has been a central figure in The Who's live lineup since 1996, when he joined the band for their reunion tour, performing their 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia in its entirety. - Billboard, 4/19/25...... Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe have announced they're teaming up for the premiere "Rock the Tides Destination Festival" in Riviera Maya, Mexico this winter. The two legendary hard rock groups will set up shop from Nov. 7-9 for the Rock the Tides fest, which will also include sets from Poison singer and solo performer Bret Michaels, Extreme, the Struts, Buckcherry, Dorothy, Living Colour, Moon Walker and Velvet Daydream. Guests have a choice to stay at two different all-inclusive luxury five-star resorts, the adults-only Barcel Riviera Maya Barcel Maya Grand, with all packages including a resort room, unlimited food and drinks, access to all the shows and transportation to and from the airport, according to a press release announcing the event. The festival poster and teaser video has been shared on Instagram. - Billboard, 4/18/25...... Bruce Springsteen dropped "Blind Spot," the second preview of his upcoming Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set, on Apr. 17. Opening with a sampled voice grunting over a mechanical-sounding drum beat, it finds Springsteen singing, "We inhabited each other/ Like it was some kind of disease/ I thought that I was flyin'/ But I was crawlin' on my knees," in a haunted cadence. The chorus leans into the notion that it's the things we miss in love that are our undoing: "Everybody's got a blind spot that brings 'em down/ Everybody's got a blind spot they can't get around." "Blind Spot" was written following the New Jersey rockers's 1994 Oscar- and Grammy-winning song "Streets of Philadelphia," which accompanied the 1993 Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington movie Philadelphia, director Jonathan Demme's legal drama about an attorney suing his former employer for his firing after the firm discovers he's gay and has AIDS. Though a companion Philadelphia album never saw the light of day, the LP was completed, mixed and slated for release in the spring of 1995, then shelved when Springsteen opted instead to reunite with the E Street Band after a seven-year hiatus. Earlier in April, Springsteen announced the June 27 release of Tracks II, which will contain seven previously unheard full-length records. - Billboard, 4/17/25...... Elton John and Brandi Carlisle have united their respective Elton John AIDS Foundation and Looking Out Foundation to offset the Pres. Donald Trump. administration's cuts to HIV/AIDS funding. "Without prompt action, decades of progress in the global fight against HIV could be reversed, creating a global health crisis that we have both the power and the tools to prevent," Joh said in a statement. "Our mission is more important than ever -- we refuse to leave anyone behind -- and I'm so fortunate that Brandi is not only a wonderful collaborator and artist, but a dear friend who shares my vision of a world where HIV care is prioritised and protected," he added. Looking Out Foundation have committed to matching every donation up to $100,000, claiming it will "double the impact to protect HIV prevention and care services across the US and around the world." After his second inauguration in January, Trump passed an executive order slashing the funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has resulted in major setbacks for many HIV/AIDS programs that rely on USAID funding. Elton launched the foundation in 1992 and it is reported to have raised over $500 million over the last three decades. The pair's first collaborative album, Who Believes In Angels?, is currently a Top 10 release in the US and a No. 1 hit in the UK. Meanwhile, it appears Elton could have yet another collaborative partner soon -- '80s pop queen Madonna. Madonna and Elton recently buried the hatchet after years of feuding and Madonna revealed Elton had written a song for her, which Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters hinted on Nick Grimshaw's "Sidetracked" podcast could become the Rocket Man's next duet. Shears revealed superstar Elton always does his best to support new music but can be difficult to please. He explained: "He's always on it, but I can never predict what he's going to like. I can be listening to something and be like, 'Elton's going to love this,' and I'll be like, 'Elton, what do you think of this?'. He'll be like, 'Absolute c***. That's the worst thing I've ever heard'. It's really funny. But he's so passionate about music and he loves it so much. I know when he really likes something because he's effusive about it." - NME/Music-News.com, 4/17/25...... Speaking of Donald Trump, Neil Young's actress wife Daryl Hannah has said the first Trump administration tried to "mess Neil Young up" over his American citizenship. In light of his own speculations he may not be let back into the country after his upcoming European tour wraps, Hannah continued: "They've been detaining people who have green cards or visas -- which is hideous and horrifying -- but they have not, so far, been refusing to let American citizens back in the country, so I don't think that's going to happen." The Trump administration has deported and detained several immigrants over their political views, including pro-Palestine activists, as well as those backing Ukraine over Russia." If you say anything bad about Trump or his administration, you may be barred from re-entering USA. If you are Canadian, if you are a dual citizen like me, who knows? We'll all find that out together," Young recently posted on his blog. Hannah's revelation comes ahead of the release of forthcoming documentary Coastal, which was shot and directed by Hannah. "A personal, behind-the-scenes look at Young during his 2023 tour dates" which gives "an up-close and intimate view into the life of one of history's most iconic songwriters and musicians," it was screened in cinemas for one night only worldwide on Apr. 17. Its official trailer can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 4/14/25...... Songwriter Toby Gad, who has worked with the likes of Beyoncé, Fergie, Madonna and many more throughout the years, is set to share a posthumous song by '70s disco queen Donna Summer later in 2025. Gad, who recently dropped an new album that reimagines some of his biggest hits in his career, recently told BANG Showbiz that he has another release on the way -- a previously unreleased song from Summer, which the two worked on shortly before her death in 2012. "Moving forward, I'm releasing new singles of new songs with the same sonic signature," he told the outlet. "And one song I wrote was with Donna Summer before she passed, which I'm going to release. That's an unreleased song I'm working on and in a couple of months that will come out, and I'm very proud of it." Gad and Summer had worked together for the 'I Feel Love' singer's final album, 2008's Crayons. Recalling their time in the studio and during the writing process, Gad said: "Donna and I, we spent some beautiful times at her beach house. I worked with her on her last album. I had three songs on her last album. She was such an icon, so I'm really proud of that one coming out soon." More details about the track, including the title and release date, are expected to be shared soon. In other Donna Summer news, it was reported earlier this year that Kanye West and the late singer's estate had finally reached a settlement over the alleged "illegal" use of 'I Feel Love' on the controversial rapper's Vultures 1 album. A copyright infringement lawsuit was filed against both West and Ty Dolla $ign by Summer's husband Bruce Sudano, claiming that the two rappers did not have permission to sample the 1977 disco hit on their collaborative album. - NME, 4/17/25...... Greek art designer Ioannis Vasilopoulos, who has designed album cover artwork for such famous hard rock and heavy metal bands as Deep Purple, Bon Jovi, King Crimson and Extreme, has died at age 66 of as yet undisclosed causes. Vasilopoulos had been selling prints of his work on his official website prior to his passing. His family shared a stateent on Facebook on Apr. 8, writing: "The outpouring of love for Ioannis and his work is a great comfort. Ioannis wanted to do so many new things, and as a family, we have been tasked with continuing his work. His energy will live on through his incredible art. His bright smile and child-like excitement live on in his works. Ioannis will undoubtedly be remembered as one of rock's all-time great artists." Some of the more notable album artworks designed by Vasilopoulos include Deep Purple's Rapture Of The Deep, Sepultura's Chaos A.D., Extreme's Extreme II: Pornograffitti (A Funked Up Fairytale), and King Crimson's The ConstruKction Of Light. - NME, 4/11/25.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

During an appearance on Kate and Oliver Hudson's Sibling Revelry podcast, actress Liv Tyler recalled how she experienced a "wave of shock" when she found out Steven Tyler and not Todd Rundgren was her biological father. Recalling how her mother, Playboy model Bebe Buell, revealed to her who her real father was during one of the Aerosmith frontman's concerts, she said, "We sat on a bench at this outdoor amphitheatre and she told me the whole story in the most sincere, beautiful way. I just was there with it and then we went backstage after the show." She continued, "The first wave was shock. After that concert, we went home and my mom had a chaise lounge in front of a window. I remember sitting there for what felt like three days, but it was probably three hours, and coming to this conclusion of 'Whoa, I have two dads and all this love.'" Steven later took a paternity test to determine that he was her father when Liv was "11 or 12." The Lord of the Rings actress told the Hudsons that she believes her mom's on and off boyfriend during the '70s, Todd Rundgren, took the news "so hard" back then and still to this day. "I think it's probably still very hard and painful and I don't speak to him enough. I love him. I have brothers from him and I had a whole family with them," Liv said of the musician, who added that he "took care of me as (if) he was dad" before the paternity news came out. Following a brief romance with Steven, Buell became pregnant, but Rundgren signed Liv's birth certificate and she was originally named Liv Rundgren. Live, 47, admitted she needed "therapy" over the situation when she was older, adding, "Your life starts to formulate and then you're like, 'Wait, I need to deal with this s**t.'" - Music-News.com, 4/16/25...... The Who have apparently parted ways with their current touring drummer, Zak Starkey, after nearly three decades, following the band's recent run of London shows. A spokesman for the legendary English group said: "The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future." Tensions reportedly came to a head in mid-March when Daltrey complained onstage about Starkey's performance during The Who's Teenage Cancer Trust charity gigs. A report of the first performance suggested that Daltrey stopped several songs mid-performance, citing difficulty hearing the band over the drums. It also said that Daltrey paused their final song, "The Song Is Over," and told the audience: "To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can't. All I've got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can't sing to that. I'm sorry guys." On Apr. 13, Starkey, the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, posted an all-caps message to his Instagram pate that "Toger Daktrey [sic]... [was] unhappy with Zak the drummer's performance at the Albert Hall a few weeks ago is bringing formal charges of overplaying and is literally going to Zak the drummer." Starkey joined the band during their 1996 "Quadrophenia" world tour. He was introduced to drumming by The Who's original drummer, Keith Moon, a close family friend of the Starrs', who gave him a drum kit for his eighth birthday. He went on to play major shows with the group, including the 2010 Super Bowl and the 2012 London Olympics. Zak Starkey has also played with the likes of Oasis, Johnny Marr, Paul Weller and Graham Coxon. He currently performs in the recently-formed supergroup Mantra of the Cosmos, also featuring former members of the Happy Mondays, Black Grape, Oasis and Ride. - Billboard, 4/16/25...... Canadian-born music legend Neil Young is wading into his native country's upcoming federal election, throwing his support behind Liberal Leader Mark Carney. In a message posted to his Neil Young Archives, Young, who resides in the United States, said he wanted to tell the newly-minted prime minister, "How much I appreciate and support what you are trying to do for our great country, Canada." Watching U.S. Pres. Donald Trump's continuing rhetoric about wanting Canada to become part of the U.S. has apparently left Young worried about the future of his home country. "Canada is facing threats to its very existence, incredibly from people we thought were our friends," he wrote. "They want our resources, they want our land, they want our fisheries, they want our water, they want our Arctic, maybe they want our souls. I know the U.S. president could use a soul." Young added that it will take "more than bravado to fight this kind of threat," saying that the country's next leader will have to have "brains, deep economic knowledge of how the world works (and) strong, intelligent strategies." "Mr. Carney, I believe you are the person to do it," he wrote. "I believe you are the person our country needs to lead us through this crazy situation and bring us out the other side as a stronger, smarter, more resilient Canada, our core values of caring and fairness and generosity intact, along with our souls." Young's support for Carney comes after the Liberals tapped comedian Mike Myers -- who also doesn't live in Canada -- for a series of political ads last month. The spot, which generated over 13.5 million views on X, ends with Myers asking Carney a question that's been on the minds of a lot of Canadians lately: "Let me ask you, Mr. Prime Minister, will there always be a Canada?" "There will always be a Canada," Carney says confidently. - Canoe.com, 4/16/25...... In other Neil Young news, the rocker, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers shared the stage at U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy rally at Los Angeles' Grand Park. The event, which centered on anti-corporate messaging and grassroots political reform, also featured solo sets from all three artists. Young, who closed out the rally, began his brief performance with "Rainbow of Colors," a song from his 2019 album Colorado, before launching into "Rockin' in the Free World." Midway through the song, Baez and Rogers walked onstage to join him, taking turns on vocals and leading chants of "Power to the people" and "Take America back" between verses. Young, a longtime supporter of progressive causes, first released "Rockin' in the Free World" in 1989 on his album Freedom, and has performed it across decades of political moments. In 2020, the rocker filed a copyright infringement lawsuit over Donald Trump's unauthorized use of "Rockin' in the Free World" at campaign events. Fan-shot footage of the rally performances has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 4/14/25...... On Apr. 15 British hard rock legends Judas Priest and seminal shock rocker Alice Cooper announced they're teaming up for a 22-city co-headlining North American tour this fall. The outing is slated to kick on Sept. 16 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss., then wind its way through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, wrapping on Oct. 16 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston. The run of shows will be the follow-up to Priest's 2024 tour in support of their 19th studio album, Invincible Shield, which debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Priest has also announced a run of South American and European Shield dates this spring and summer beginning with a gig at the Arena of Rock festival in Brasilia, Brazil on Apr. 16. Indefatigable snake charmer Cooper will also be on the road before the fall tour, with his next scheduled show slated for May 2 at the VBC Mark C. Smith Concert Hall in Huntsville, Ala. Meanwhile, former Judas Priest drummer Les Binks, who manned the kit in the metal band's lineup for a few crucial years in the late 1970s, has died at 73. The band announced Binks' death on Apr. 15 with an Instagram post that read, "We are deeply saddened about the passing of Les and send our love to his family, friends and fans. The acclaimed drumming he provided was first class - demonstrating his unique techniques, flair, style and precision - Thank you Les - your acclaim will live on.." Binks made his first appearance with group in time for 1977's Sin After Sin, the band's major label debut, and made his biggest mark on 1978's Stained Class, where his massive, double kick drum sound and blitzkrieg style set the stage for the speed and thrash metal of the 1980s. His final record with the band would be the band's 1979 Unleashed in the East live album recorded in Tokyo earlier that year, after which he split following a reported dispute with band manager Mike Dolan over compensation for the live LP. - Billboard, 4/15/25...... Barry Manilow has announced he will take a break from his ongoing Las Vegas residency for a series of 16 North American arena dates in what is being called his "final North American concert tour" over the coming months. Dubbed "The Last Concerts," Manilow's upcoming run of arena shows will launch on May 23 in Pittsburgh, also hitting such markets as Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit and Cleveland through June 5. After a brief return to his ongoing Vegas residency, he'll play cities inlcuding Spokane, Seattle, Portland and Oakland, Cal., before wrapping in Sacramento on July 19. Those dates will again be followed by a return to Las Vegas, and a handful of holiday shows in December. "I couldn't be more thrilled to visit these great cities of which I have so many fond memories," Manilow said in a statement. "Each one is special to my touring history." News of the "Copacabana" singer's upcoming North American dates comes just a few months after he announced a lifetime residency at his longtime home, the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Manilow launched his "The Hits Come Home" residency at the Westgate Hotel in 2021, playing his first residency at the hotel (when it was known as the Las Vegas Hilton) from Feb. 2005 to Dec. 2009. He followed with his "Manilow Paris Las Vegas" at the Paris Hotel & Casino at Las Vegas from Mar. 2010 to Dec. 2012. His current run of residency dates see him booked until Dec. 13, though he will perform five shows for "Manilow's A Gift of Love VII" concerts at Palm Desert's McCallum Theatre only days later. - Billboard, 4/15/25...... Elton John and Brandi Carlile's first collaborative album, Who Believes In Angels?, has debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart dated Apr. 19, marking the 22nd top 10 for John and fourth for Carlile. Who Believes in Angels? earned 40,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its opening week (April 4-10), according to Luminate. The album's sales (36,500) were bolstered by its availability across seven vinyl and five CD variants, including signed versions. John earned his first Billboard Hot 200 top 10 more than 54 years ago, with his self-titled album on the Jan. 30, 1971-dated chart. The new album also takes a bow atop both the music industry publication's Top Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts, while also opening in the top 10 on Top Album Sales (No. 2), Indie Store Album Sales (No. 2) and Vinyl Albums (No. 3). The album has also hit No. 1 in the UK's Official Albums Chart for the week of Apr. 11, giving John his 10th chart-topper in his native England. It now joins Elton's classics Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) and Caribou (1973) as chart-toppers in his home country. His greatest hits collection Diamonds (2017) and The Lockdown Sessions (2021) have also achieved the feat in recent years. - Billboard, 4/14/25...... Rising singer Benson Boone was quite excited to be joined by Queen legend Brian May for a performance of Queen's classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" during Boone's slot at the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on Apr. 11 in Indio, Calif., however the crowd apparently didn't share his enthusiasm when May was introduced. After the event, the 22-year-old star took to TikTok to share a playful video making fun of the characteristically lackluster crowd at the festival. "Me trying to get the crowd at Coachella to understand what an absolute legend Brian May is and the cultural impact he has on music and THE WORLD," Boone wrote over a clip of himself lip syncing to "Bohemian Rhapsody" into a banana microphone, and then looking visibly confused and frustrated when pretending to not hear a reaction from the crowd. Meanwhile, over on Instagram, May expressed how excited he was to join Boone onstage. "I'm still reeling from last night at Coachella," the Queen guitarist wrote alongside a photo of the "Beautiful Things" singer jumping over him onstage. "Thanks to all of you folks who made it feel so special -- you know who you are !!!! And this particular way of concluding Bohemian Rhapsody will be hard to beat in the years to come !!! Thanks. And for Benson and his entire team, I have no words. I'm awestruck." - Billboard, 4/14/25...... AC/DC kicked off their first North American tour in nine years with a 21-song set at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Apr. 10. The show featured five songs from the band's 1980 classic Back in Black, and they opened the show with the Highway to Hell cut "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)." Songs like "Riff Raff" and "Let There Be Rock" were performed with extended guitar solos courtesy of Angus Young, while "T.N.T" and "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)" rounded up the show as encore picks. The 13 dates under the 'PWR UP' tour will see Aussie headbangers cross the continent over a six-week period, and will conclude in Cleveland's Huntington Bank Field on May 28. This tour also marks the band's first run of shows with their new line-up, comprising singer Brian Johnson, guitarists Angus and Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug, and new bassist Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction, Alanis Morissette). After their North American trek, the rock veterans will hit the road for 12 dates across 10 European countries this summer kicking off in Prague on June 26. It'll run through to Aug.21 in Edinburgh, which will mark their first show in Scotland in a decade. The "Power Up"' tour takes its name from AC/DC's 2020 album of the same name, their 17th studio record. - NME, 4/11/25...... Pink Floyd has shared a YouTube video of their "One Of These Days" performance from their upcoming Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXXII concert film, which is set to be released worldwide on Apr. 24. The new 4K restoration of the band's classic 1972 concert film -- which uses the original 35mm footage with audio newly mixed by Steven Wilson -- is set debut in cinemas worldwide. The original film was directed by Adrian Maben and it sees the legendary band performing in the amphitheatre in Oct. 1971, with no audience in attendance beyond the basic film crew. It features the band playing a range of music from their career up to that point, including "Echoes" and "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun." It will also include rare behind-the-scenes footage of the band beginning work on The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios. The cinema release will be released on Blu-ray on May 2, and will be accompanied by a live album, released the same day by Legacy Recordings. - New Musical Express, 4/11/25...... Producers of the new John Lennon documentary Borrowed Time have announced the film will receive its world premiere at London's Cine International Film Festival in May. The four-day event is taking place at the Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel in the capital from May 7 to 10 and will include the first screening of the biopic on May 9. The film's director Alan G. Parker will also be on hand for an exclusive talk after the screening. Borrowed Time is an ambitious new documentary that uses archive footage, never-before-seen interviews and eyewitness accounts to explore the final decade of the Beatle legend's life. The film's trailer was shared in February and can be viewed on YouTube. "Follow the legend as he evolves beyond The Beatles, creating revolutionary music and standing at the forefront of anti-war protests that would make him one of the most influential pop culture icons of all time," reads the film's official synopsis. "For the first time ever, the full story of how John and Yoko met is revealed and watch as the curtain is lifted on the 1981 comeback tour that never came to be," reads the documentary's logline. Meanwhile, another Lennon-related film project, One To One: John & Yoko, opened in UK cinemas on Apr. 11. The Kevin Macdonald-directed film explores the couple's time in New York City from 1971 to 1973. - NME, 4/11/25...... Shaun Cassidy has paid tribute to his late brother and fellow '70s teen idol David Cassidy on what would have been David's 75th birthday. Posting on Instagram on Apr. 12, Shaun recalled childhood memories with his big brother: "When David came to visit us on the weekends, my mother always made it a priority to celebrate him," he captioned a throwback photo with his brother. "She knew how difficult it was for a kid to be shuttled back and forth between two households, and she never wanted David to feel like he was a guest or a 'half-brother' in our home." David was born to actor Jack Cassidy and his first wife, Evelyn Ward, in 1950. Shaun was born to Jack and his second wife, Shirley Jones, in 1958. "There were no better nights than when David came to sleep over, and no better mornings than those spent walking around Westwood, dining at Ships coffee shop, and then riding the ponies at Beverly Park," the singer continued. "Before my younger brothers were born, these were the happiest days of my childhood because I got to share them with my big brother, Dave. God, I miss him. Happy birthday, pal." David Cassidy, best known for his role as Keith Partridge alongside his real-life stepmother Shirley Jones on The Partridge Family, died in 2017 from organ failure at the age of 67. - Music-News.com, 4/15/25...... On Apr. 14 Stevie Nicks announced on Instagram she "can't wait" to get back on the road with a run of solo dates beginning Aug. 12 with a show in Boston, which she'll follow with stops in Toronto, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Nevada and Oklahoma. Sharing a poster with the dates listed on it, the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman wrote, "More solo shows are on the way in 2025 -- I can't wait to share these nights with you." Four days prior to her kickoff performance in Massachusetts, Nicks will play MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., with Billy Joel. The duo has been co-headlining gigs together for the past couple of years, and after the remainder of Nicks' solo August shows, they'll team up again for stadium performances in Santa Clara, Calif., on Oct. 4, New Orleans on Oct. 18 and Detroit on Nov. 15. The tour dates come about seven months after Nicks dropped "The Lighthouse," a women's empowerment anthem inspired by the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade that marked her first proper release since 2020's "Show Them the Way." She's since performed the track on Saturday Night Live in October as well as Jimmy Kimmel Live the following month. "I have often said to myself, 'This may be the most important thing I ever do,'" Nicks wrote of the song in a statement at the time of its release. "To stand up for the women of the United States and their daughters and granddaughters - and the men that love them. This is an anthem." - Billboard, 4/14/25...... British actress Jean Marsh, who co-created and starred in the beloved television series Upstairs, Downstairs, died at her home in Britain on Apr. 13 of complications of dementia. She was 90. Ms. Marsh and her fellow actress Eileen Atkins developed the Upstairs, Downstairs concept over several years. The characters who eventually became Rose and Sarah, the maids, were intended to be played by the two of them. It was intended to be comedy but then the Bellamy family was added and it became drama. By the time it went into production, Atkins was performing on stage and wasn't available; Sarah was recast. The series was set in a "small" house at 165 Eaton Place, in fashionable Belgravia. The family had a long-term land lease; noble families tend to own the most valuable land in London. It was never clear to me if they owned or leased the house itself. Rose was the experienced upstairs made (plus other duties that required a uniform change during the work day) who later became the nanny as the upstairs household changed. The show lasted for 68 episodes over five seasons 1971-1975 and was produced by London Weekend Television. The show was aired in the U.S. three years after it first aired in the U.K., part of the popular WGBH Masterpiece Theatre, hosed by Alistair Cooke. - 4/13/25...... Wink Martindale, a rock 'n' roll disc jockey and good friend of Elvis Presley who gained fame as the host of such TV game shows as Tic-Tac-Dough, Gambit and High Rollers, died on Apr. 15 in Rancho Mirage, Cal., according to his publicist. He was 91. The friendly Martindale, who had a 74-year career, was known for his resonant voice, vivid sport coats and, especially, his curious first name. "When I was a kid in Jackson, Tennessee, one of my playmates, Jimmy McCord, couldn't say 'Winston,' which is my given name. He had a speech impediment, and it came out sounding like 'Winky,'" Mr. Martindale explained to ABC News in 2014. "So Winston turned into Winky, and then I got into the business and Wink it was! It served me well." Mr. Martindale recorded for Dot Records -- Pat Boone was another artist on that label -- and his "Deck of Cards," a narrative release from 1959, sold more than 1 million copies. He also sang "All Love Broke Loose" during the 1958 film Let's Rock. His second wife, Sandy, whom he married in 1975, dated Presley on and off until shortly before the singer wed Priscilla Wagner in 1967, and she appeared as a dancer in Viva Las Vegas (1964) and other Elvis movies. "Elvis is responsible for me marrying Wink," she said in a 2015 interview. "When [Mr. Martindale] said he was from Tennessee, I said, 'He must be a nice guy,' because I loved the state, I loved all the guys, I loved everything in the state of Tennessee because Elvis was such a wonderful part of my life." Winston Conrad Martindale was born on Dec. 4, 1933, in Jackson. His former Sunday school teacher managed WPLI, a 250-watt radio station, and gave him his first job in radio at $25 a week in 1951. He was 17 and a senior in high school. A few years later, he made the big move to WHBQ in Memphis, about 90 miles away from home, where he hosted a radio show in the morning and a popular kids TV show, Wink Martindale of Mars Patrol, in the afternoon. "All of a sudden I became a radio personality that everyone knew and respected to a television 'star,' and the kids loved me!" he said in a 2010 interview. Mr. Martindale happened to be back at WHBQ on one evening in July 1954 when he helped arrange to get Presley to the station for his first-ever radio interview, shortly after the debut of his song "That's All Right." Mr. Martindale hosted the American Bandstand-like show Top Ten Dance Party in Memphis -- Elvis was a big get for him on that show -- then asked for and was granted a transfer to Los Angeles' KHJ (radio and television) in 1959. He hosted another local Dance Party program, this one from Pacific Ocean Park in Santa Monica, and later had a 12-year run as the midday personality on the Gene Autry-owned station KMPC beginning in 1971. Mr. Martindale said he became interested in hosting a TV game show in 1965 when he learned that Password's Allen Ludden would "go in two days a week and tape five shows one day and five shows the next and the other five days play golf. I went to my agent and said, 'How about sending me on a game-show hosting interview?'" He eventually landed at NBC's What's That Song? (billed as Win Martindale) and worked for a year on that, the first of the 20 game shows that he hosted (only Bill Cullen did more). He was on Tic-Tac-Dough for a decade, did two shows for producer Chuck Barris (How's Your Mother-in-Law? and Dream Girl of '67) and produced game shows as well. Mr. Martindale co-hosted and helped produce a cerebral palsy telethon in his hometown for more than a decade and published an autobiography, Winking at Life, in 2000. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame six years later and on Oct. 13, 2007, he was one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. In addition to his wife, survivors include his daughters, Lisa, Lyn and Laura; his sister, Geraldine; and his "honorary son," Eric. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/15/25.

Friday, April 11, 2025

Mick Jagger's current girlfriend Melanie Hamrick has finally confirmed the couple have been engaged "for two or three years." In an interview for the French magazine Paris Match, the 37-year-old former ballerina addressed rumours suggesting that the Rolling Stones frontman had proposed to her around two years ago. "We've been engaged two or three years," she revealed. However Hamrick added she and Jagger, 81, aren't in a rush to tie the knot. "Maybe one day we'll marry, maybe not. We are so happy in our current life that I would be too afraid to change anything," she continued, before reflecting on the secret to their relationship. "We try to support each other, be there for each other, and make sure everyone is happy. That's all that matters to me and all I strive for." In June 2023, Hamrick sparked engagement rumours when she wore a large diamond ring on her ring finger while promoting her debut novel, First Position, but later told People magazine it was merely a "promise ring." Hamrick and Jagger first met in 2014 and welcomed a son, Deveraux, two years later. Jagger's only legal marriage was to Bianca Jagger from 1971 until their split was finalized in 1978. He is father to seven other children from previous relationships. - Music-News.com, 4/11/25...... Rod Stewart has shared details of a new best-of album which will drop just before his milestone performance the UK's Glastonbury festival this summer. Dubbed Ultimate Hits, the forthcoming LP comes as part of his 80th birthday celebrations and is set for release on June 27 via Warner. It's being touted as the first-ever solo-career-spanning hits collection from the legendary songwriter, and will include his signature breakthrough songs "Handbags and Gladrags" and "Maggie May," and move through to follow-up hits like "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?," "Hot Legs" and "Baby Jane." Various versions include 1-CD and 2-CD deluxe editions, collector-edition vinyl pressings in various colours, store-exclusive alternative-cover variants, and limited-edition cassette and Blu-ray audio versions. Stewart will take Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset for the coveted Sunday afternoon "Legends slot" on June 29, and has announced he'll be accompanied by his friend and former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood. 2025 will also see Stewart return to his Las Vegas residencies at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace, then perform in Europe, South America and North America as part of his highly anticipated "One Last Time" tour, which launches another European leg later in April. - New Musical Express, 4/10/25...... Former Eurythmics member Dave Stewart will release Dave Does Dylan, a 14-track LP of Bob Dylan covers, on Record Store Day (Apr. 12). The album features recordings of Dylan tracks such as "Simple Twist of Fate," "Forever Young," "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," "Visions of Johanna" and more. They're songs Stewart says he recorded on his iPhone over time -- during breaks in the studio, in his hotel rooms on tour or backstage at gigs. "Whenever I was waiting in-between something, I just started to put an iPhone on a little stick and sing a Bob Dylan song. I was just doing it for fun, and then I would put one up on Instagram every now and then and people would say, 'Oh, we love this! Why don't you make an album of this?'." He continued: "I didn't take any of it seriously. Then my management company said, 'We'd love to put this out on vinyl on Record Store Day.' I had 24 songs, so then it was, 'OK, we have to cut it down to fit on an album unless it's a double album,' which we didn't want to do. So we picked these (14), and I think you can hear that I have a deep connection to the songs and you can hear every word, even though we couldn't really mix them because the guitar and the voice are going down the same mics." Dylan himself has voiced his support of the project in a statement announcing the album: "Captain Dave is a dreamer and a fearless innovator, a visionary of high order, very delicately tractable on the surface but beneath that, he's a slamming, thumping, battering ram, very mystical but rational and sensitive when it comes to the hot irons of art forms," he wrote. "An explosive musician, deft guitar player, innately recognizes the genius in other people and puts it into play without being manipulative. With him, there's mercifully no reality to yesterday. He is incredibly gracious and soulful, can command the ship and steer the course, dragger, trawler or man of war, Captain Dave." Dave Stewart fans can catch the singer in an episode of Recorded Live at Analog that will premiere during July on PBS. - Billboard, 4/10/25...... Bootsy Collins will release his new album, Album of the Year #1 Funkateer, on Apr. 11. In addition to straightforward funk ("The InFluencers," with guest star Snoop Dogg), Collins travels into guitar-shredding metal ("Barbie T & Me"), electronic dance music (the murmuring "I.Am.AI," with competing robot voices) and hip-hop ("Bootdullivan is Soopafly"). Collins' solo albums in recent years have been long and varied, unlike the Bootsy's Rubber Band days, when he hit the studio, jammed with his bandmates and occasionally turned on the recording machines. "Those jams were just so long. You could only put so much on an album back in the day without it not sounding good," he says. "I never thought we were going to be doing as many songs as I'm doing now, but that's where technology has taken us." - Billboard, 4/9/25...... The Eagles have added more dates to their ongoing residency at Las Vegas Sphere, including new dates in October and November 2025. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers kicked off their current Sphere residency on Sept. 20, 2024, taking over from Dead & Company, who brought their never-ending road trip to the venue on May 16, 2024, with a new run of new dates that kicked off on Apr. 10. The Eagles' remaining 2025 dates can be viewed on Instagram. - Billboard, 4/8/25...... The Tribeca Festival has announced it will kick off its 2025 edition with the world premiere of a new Billy Joel documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes. The two-part doc features unreleased performances, home movies, personal photographs and in-depth, one-on-one interviews. The film, an HBO original, is described as "an expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting," according to an official announcement from Tribeca. Billy Joel: And So It Goes will have its premiere at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on June 4, 2025, the first night of this year's Tribeca Festival. Running from June 4-15 in NYC, the fest's full lineup -- featuring film, music, TV, audio storytelling, talks, games and immersive programming -- is expected to be revealed soon. Ahead of the Tribeca announcement, the film and plans for its HBO release were first confirmed in late March. Following its festival premiere, the doc will debut on HBO and be available to stream on MAX some time this summer. A release date has yet to be announced. Joel will also return to the stage this summer. In March he postponed his tour in order to recover and undergo physical therapy following an undisclosed surgery, announcing that he will resume performing in July. - Billboard, 4/6/25...... The BBC Two and iPlayer are set to honor Bruce Springsteen in May with a special night of programming marking the 50th anniversary of Springsteen's first-ever UK concert. The centrepiece of the celebration is When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain, a new one-hour documentary from Wise Owl Films, featuring a world-exclusive interview with the American music icon. The film dives into Springsteen's unique and enduring bond with the UK, beginning with his now-legendary 1975 debut at London's Hammersmith Odeon. At just 26, Springsteen was already creating buzz with Born to Run -- but despite a sold-out crowd, he left the stage disillusioned with his performance. "I had PTSD from the first Hammersmith show," he reveals in the candid new interview. Featuring unseen archive footage and contributions from E Street Band's Stevie Van Zandt, fellow artists Sting and Peter Gabriel, the documentary explores Springsteen's evolving relationship with British fans and musicians. Promoter Harvey Goldsmith, manager Jon Landau, and Sir Michael Palin also offer reflections, with Palin recalling the night in his famous diary. Springsteen's UK journey continued with his triumphant The River Tour in 1981, visits to cities like Newcastle and Brighton, and his massive Born in the USA tour in 1985. The story is brought full circle with his acclaimed 2024 UK shows and his recent induction as the first overseas songwriter to become a Fellow of The Ivors Academy. Also airing as part of the Springsteen celebration is Hammersmith Odeon, '75 -- a full broadcast of the landmark 1975 show -- and a new Bruce Springsteen at the BBC compilation, featuring performances from Top of the Pops, Old Grey Whistle Test, and more. - Music-News.com, 4/10/25...... The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) has released a statement saying Russia's just announced ban on its services will "undoubtedly endanger lives." In a statement released Apr. 3, the prosecutor general's office of the Russian federation banned both the British and U.S-registered foundations of the EJAF from offering its services in Russia, designating the non-profit as an "undesirable organization" -- a classification that would allow the state to prosecute and potentially jail individuals affiliated with the charity if they continue working in Russia. EJAF responded with a statement saying it is "devastated to learn of its new label under Russian law." "This decision by the Russian Federation will undoubtedly endanger lives and disrupt critical HIV prevention efforts for ordinary Russian citizens," the statement reads. "At a time when we have the tools and knowledge to defeat HIV, it is heartbreaking to be unable to support them." The organization pointed out that, according to the Russian governments own reporting, over 1.2 million Russians were living with HIV in 2024, and nearly half a million of those people had not received medical treatment. "Despite this setback, we will continue our work across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where the Foundation is the largest philanthropic HIV/AIDS funder," the organization said. Russia's move comes as a double whammy to the EJAF -- in February, the administration of Pres. Donald Trump announced it was eliminating more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID's) foreign aid contracts, which the EJAF said "could have devastating effects on the HIV response." - Billboard, 4/10/25...... In other Elton John news, the Rocket Man and his current collaborator Brandi Carlile have dropped a raw, emotional making-of short for their first joint album together, Who Believes In Angels?. In a first for John, the superstar rocker allowed cameras to film the entire recording process, resulting in the 32-minute YouTube short Who Believes in Angels?: Stories From the Edge of Creation, which dropped over the second weekend of April. In addition to the short, fans can also read a song-by-song breakdown of the new album by the two singers, watch their recent performance on SNL, check out the one-hour concert An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile on Paramount+ and hear the duo's song "Never Too Late" from the Disney+ doc Elton John: Never Too Late. Meanwhile, '80s/'90s pop queen Madonna has reported that she and Elton have officially "buried the hatchet" in a long-running feud between the two pop stars that dates back to Nov. 2002. In a photo posted to her Instagram page on Apr. 7, the Material Girl singer is giving the Rocket Man star a side-hug, and says that she and John are on the same page at long last. "We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!! Madonna wrote in her caption. "I went to see @eltonjohn perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW."I n the caption, Madonna revealed that seeing one of John's shows when she was in high school "changed the course of my life, helping her realize that she wanted to become a pop sensation." So, when John publicly expressed his disdain for her, she says she felt wounded. "I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him on stage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different -- to stand out -- to take the road, less traveled by, she wrote. "Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn't understand it." In the comments, Elton thanked her for coming to see him at SNL -- and for "forgiving me and my big mouth." The pair's feud officially started in 2002, when John said that Madge's "Die Another Day" was "the worst Bond tune ever" and that the track "hasn't got a tune." He continued to throw digs at the pop singer at the 2004 Q Awards, where he lambasted her winning the best live act award at the ceremony. "Madonna, best live act? F--- off. Since when has lip-synching been live?" he asked. "I think everyone who lip-synchs on stage in public when you pay, like, 75 quid to see them should be shot." Madonna even revealed that the pair's reconciliation could potentially bear fruit. "....He told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle," she wrote. "And you can tell everybody, This is Your Song." - Billboard, 4/8/25...... In still more Elton news, the singer's epic 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road double-album is among 25 additions to the 2025 National Recording Registry, which is administered by the Library of Congress. The list includes three songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman (1972), which gave the women's liberation movement a theme song; Freddy Fender's country/pop smash "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" (1975), and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On, the Oscar- and Grammy-winning smash from Titanic (1997). Two double-disk jazz albums -- Miles Davis' classic jazz fusion LP Bitches Brew (1970) and Keith Jarrett's The Köln Concert (1975) -- were also honored, along with Chicago's 1969 debut album, Chicago Transit Authority. The Steve Miller Band were honored for their 1976 album Fly Like an Eagle, which spawned three top 20 hits on the Hot 100 album chart, including the No. 1 smash "Rock'n Me." A left-field selection was Microsoft's Windows reboot chime (1995), composed by Brian Eno. When Microsoft wanted a brief start-up sound that would play when Windows 95 booted up, they approached Eno, who came up with a sound that Microsoft designers felt conveyed the sense of "welcome, hopefulness and progress that they desired." Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian of Congress, with advice from the National Recording Preservation Board, selects 25 titles each year that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Recordings become eligible for the Registry 10 years after release, compared to 25 years for the Grammy Hall of Fame. "These are the sounds of America our wide-ranging history and culture, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. "The Library of Congress is proud and honored to select these audio treasures worthy of preservation." - Billboard, 4/9/25...... Pete Best, the original drummer for The Beatles, has announced his retirement. The 83-year-old Best announced his retirement on X, with his brother Roag Best confirming that the drummer will no longer be performing as part of the eponymous Pete Best Band going forward. "Well what an absolutely wonderful ride we've had. However, everything comes to pass," Roag noted. "My brother Pete Best has announced today he is retiring from personal appearances and performing with the group. His daughter has informed me its due to personal circumstances." Pete himself acknowledged his retirement, reposting the original announcement and adding, "I had a blast. Thank you." Best's association with The Beatles began in the late 50s when The Quarrymen -- which was comprised of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ken Brown -- approached his mother Mona to perform at her Liverpool venue, the Casbah Coffee Club. The Quarrymen evolved into The Beatles in 1960, and following brief stints with Tommy Moore and Norman Chapman, the group recruited Best as their drummer ahead of launching a residency in Hamburg, Germany in August of that year. After two years with The Beatles, Best was ousted by manager Brian Epstein in favor of Ringo Starr. Various stories have circulated as to the reason for Best's dismissal, though his alleged lack of ability, his chemistry within the band, and his purported attractiveness have since been raised as possible explanations behind his firing. Following his time with the band, Best performed with other bands including Lee Curtis and the All-Stars and The Pete Best Combo, which notably attempted to capitalize on Best's prior work by releasing an album coyly titled Best of the Beatles. Best later enjoyed a successful career in civil service, raised a family, qualified for early retirement, and made millions from the Beatles' Anthology One album, which featured 12 tracks on which he drummed. The Pete Best Band is currently scheduled to perform at the Liverpool Beatles Museum on Aug. 23, though it's currently unknown if Best's retirement from the band will impact the planned appearance. More info can be found at liverpoolbeatlesmuseum.com. - Billboard, 4/7/25...... In other Beatles-related news, John Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird has said that an actor from Liverpool should play him in the forthcoming Beatles biopics, directed by Sam Mendes. Speaking to The Telegraph, Baird weighed in on her late brother's casting, in which it was recently announced that London-born actor Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) will play Lennon. "Yes, of course" she replied when asked if it should be a Scouser (a person from Liverpool) playing him. "No one else can get that Liverpool intonation. Nobody," she said. On the subject of being consulted about the movie, Baird replied: "[Mendes is] never going to ask me! I'm the last person he would want to talk to because then he can't make it up." Later in the interview, she described John Lennon as: "a brilliant older brother, very bossy -- a family trait." She does, however, regret his fame, given it led to his murder at the hands of fanatic Mark David Chapman in 1980. "To be John's sister is a privilege that I couldn't begin to describe to you. But given the choice I wish he'd never seen a guitar." When asked why, she replied: "Well, then he might have been an art teacher and he'd still be here." All four films -- one dedicated to each Beatle -- will premiere in Apr. 2028, in what Mendes describes as the first "bingeable moment in cinema." - NME, 4/7/25...... Patti Smith has announced she'll release a new memoir, Bread of Angels, in the fall. Described as Smith's "most intimate" memoir, the book follows on from the likes of her previous successful books including 2010's Just Kids, 2015's M Train, and 2019's Year of the Monkey, and is scheduled to release on Nov. 4 via Random House. "It took a decade to write this book, grappling with the beauty and sorrow of a lifetime. I'm hoping that people will find something they need," Smith said in a statement. According to a synopsis, the book focuses on Smith's teenage years, her foray into the world of poetry, and the recording of seminal works such as her Horses and Easter albums. In February, Smith announced a run of European, U.K., and U.S. tour dates in support of the 50th anniversary of Horses. The singer will be joined by longtime side men guitarist Lenny Kaye and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, who both played on the seminal 1975 LP. - Billboard, 4/10/25...... The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville has announced it will open a Dolly Parton exhibit in May. "Being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame was one of the greatest moments of my life, and being able to have a personal exhibit for the fans that put me there is a very big deal to me, Parton said in a statement. "This seeker is very proud and honored, and I hope you enjoy my journey. I will always love you." The exhibit will highlight key points in Parton's career, such as the handwritten lyrics to her No. 1 hit "Jolene," and the Sony portable cassette tape player recorder the 10-time Grammy winner used when she wrote her now-iconic songs including "I Will Always Love You," "Jolene" and the exhibit's namesake song, "The Seeker." Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker will open on May 20 and run until Sep. 2026. - Billboard, 4/9/25...... Paul Simon kicked off his 2025 North American tour in New Orleans on Apr. 4, following a return from retirement and struggles with his hearing. The opening night of his "A Quiet Celebration" tour also came as a huge milestone, as it was his first headline performance in two years, following rumours that he may never play live again due to severe hearing loss. Taking to the stage at the Saenger Performing Arts Theater, the 83-year-old kicked off the set with a handful of songs from his most recent studio album, Seven Psalms and was joined by his wife Edie Brickell for renditions of "Wait" and "The Sacred Harp." As the set developed, Simon moved into some of his most popular tracks including "Homeward Bound," "Slip Slidin' Away" and "Graceland," before wrapping up the 19-song setlist with performances of two huge Simon & Garfunkel songs: "The Boxer" and "The Sound Of Silence." Simon worked alongside the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss to help overcome the obstacles around playing live. This included repositioning the monitors on stage and opting for smaller venues with better acoustics -- allowing him to hear himself better during the performances. Other stops on the tour include Austin, Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis, Dallas, Boston, Chicago and more throughout the summer, including five shows at the Disney Hall in Los Angeles and five shows at New York's Beacon Theatre. Footage from the NO show can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 4/7/25...... Neil Young will be among the headliners for the 59th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival, set to take place on the picturesque shores of Lake Geneva between July 4-19. The opening night will feature a celebration of the late music icon Quincy Jones by soul legend Chaka Khan ("To Quincy With Love"), as well as a set marking Kahn's half-century of music-making, with the Casino stage hosting a James Blake solo piano set that same night. In addition to Young and his band the Chrome Hearts and Kahn, other acts slated to perform include Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Santana, The Black Keys, Brandi Carlile and Alanis Morissette, among others. The full lineup can be viewed on MJF's Instagram page. - Billboard, 4/10/25...... Former child actor Jay North, who starred as the titular troublemaker on the 1959-1963 CBS sitcom Dennis the Menace died peacefully at his home on Apr. 6, according to an announcement shared by his friend and Dennis the Menace co-star Jeannie Russell. He was 73. North's and Russell's mutual friend Laurie Jacobson posted on Facebook that Russell told her that "Our dear friend JAY NORTH has been fighting cancer for a number of years and this morning at noon EST, Jay passed peacefully at home." Born Aug. 3, 1951 in Hollywood, North was discovered after appearing on the Los Angeles children's show Cartoon Express, which led to appearances on several NBC variety shows, as well as episodes of Wanted: Dead or Alive, 77 Sunset Strip and Colt .45. At 6, North won a nationwide casting search for his breakout role in the CBS sitcom adaptation of Hank Ketcham's comic strip. During his time on Dennis the Menace, the child actor was abused by his aunt and uncle, which was revealed during a 1993 big screen adaptation of the series. Over the years, North appeared on such shows as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Lucy Show, My Three Sons, The Flinstones Comedy Hour, Lassie, General Hospital and The Simpsons, as well as movies like Zebra in the Kitchen (1965), Maya (1966), The Teacher (1974) and Dickie Robert: Former Child Star (2003). "He had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after but he did not let it define his life," Jacobson wrote. "He had a heart as big as a mountain, loved his friends deeply. He called us frequently and ended every conversation with 'I love you with all my heart.' And we loved him with all of ours. A life-long friend of Jon's, a brother to Jeanne and a dear friend to me, we will miss him terribly. He is out of pain now. His suffering is over. At last he is at peace." - Deadline.com, 4/6/25...... Clem Burke, the founding drummer of Blondie, died on Apr. 6 following a battle with cancer. He was 70. The group announced Burke's passing the following day on BlueSky, writing, "it is with profound sadness that we relay the news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Clem Burke following a private battle with cancer. Clem was not just a drummer; he was the heartbeat of Blondie. His talent, energy, and passion for music was unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable. Beyond his musicianship, Clem was a source of inspiration both on and off the stage. His vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm and rock solid work ethic touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him." Burke (born Clement Anthony Bozewski in Bayonne, N.J. on Nov. 24, 1954) joined punk/new wave pioneers Blondie in 1975, not long after the group was formed by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. He performed on all of Blondie's albums, from their 1976 self-titled debut, to their breakthrough 1978 LP Parallel Lines (which featured their No. 1 hit "Heart of Glass," 1979's Eat to the Beat and 1980's Autoamerican. He was behind the kit during a pivotal time in mid-1970s New York when Blondie, along with such acts as The Ramones, Patti Smith, Talking Heads and Television, were regularly playing in such legendary bars as CBGB and Max's Kansas City, setting the stage for the punk revolution in America, and across the world. Following their string of hit albums, Blondie announced their split in late 1982 before getting the original members back together for a brief 1997 tour and then a world jaunt the next year and a new album, No Exit, in 1999. The group's eighth studio album, The Curse of Blondie, dropped in 2003, followed by more touring and 2014's Ghosts of Download album and their final known recorded set with Burke, 2017's Pollinator LP. With an exuberant, high-energy style influenced by the Who's Keith Moon and Beatles' Ringo Starr -- he played left-handed on a right-handed kit just like Ringo -- Burke told Tidal in 2022 that he never thought of his day job as work. "Especially when I do things with my friends and my little side projects that I have with various bands, he said. "With drumming, you kind of have to keep doing it. You dont really wanna lose your chops. You wanna be prepared to play when you have to play. So it works both ways. I help people out by playing with them, and they help me to keep my abilities together." After Blondie's split in 1982, Burke stayed very busy performing and recording with a wide variety of bands, including the Romantics, Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop, Plimsouls, Bob Dylan, the Eurythmics, Joan Jett, Wanda Jackson, Dramarama, Nancy Sinatra and Johnny Thunders. He even briefly filled in for a couple of gigs in 1987 for his pals in the Ramones under the stage name Elvis Ramone. During his eight-year (1980-1988) run with the Eurythmics, Burke performed on three albums with the group, including on their 1986 Grammy winning single "Missionary Man." - Billboard, 4/7/25...... Dave Allen, who played bass guitar during influential British post-punk band Gang of Four's early years -- and who went on to found the group Shriekback -- died on Apr. 6. He was 69. "It is with broken yet full hearts that we share the news that Dave Allen, our old music partner, friend, and brilliant musician, died on Saturday morning. He was at home with his family," his former Gang of Four bandmate Hugo Burnham posted on Instagram, where the band featured several photos in a tribute to Allen. "Dave had endured the early-onset of mixed dementia for some years which has been a heartbreaking time for his wife Paddy, his children, and close friends. Our love and thoughts are with them," he stated. After joining Gang of Four with Burnham, Jon King and Andy Gill in Leeds in 1976, Allen made his mark as bassist on the band's debut album, 1979's Entertainment!, and their follow-up set, 1981's Solid Gold. While neither were chart successes in the U.S., Gang of Four's early work influenced the likes of Michael Stipe, Flea an dKurt Cobain, who included Entertainment! on his top 50 albums list (as published in the posthumous Journals). In 1981, Allen formed Shriekback with Barry Andrews (XTC, The League of Gentlemen), and went on to record a number of albums with the group. Allen rejoined Gang of Four for a reunion with the core lineup in the mid-'00s. He also performed with bands including The Elastic Purejoy and Low Pop Suicide. Gang of Four bandmate Gill, the group's founding guitarist, died in 2020. - Billboard, 4/6/25.

Sunday, April 6, 2025

Lexi Jones, the daughter of David Bowie and his widow Inman, quietly released her debut album, Xandri, on Apr. 2. The LP, which can be previewed on Spotify.com, followed weeks of Lexi sharing snippets of various tracks on her Instagram account, such as "Standing Alone," Moving On," and "Through All The Time," alongside video clips from her childhood. Xandri's 12 tracks incorporates elements of pop, electronic and indie rock, with 24-year-old Jones' vocals at the forefront. Bowie passed away on Jan. 10, 2016 after privately battling with cancer for 18 months. The artist had released his 26th and final studio album, Blackstar, on his 69th birthday just two days prior (January 8). - New Musical Express, 4/6/25...... Bruce Springsteen announced on Apr. 3 that he's really throwing open the vaults for a new release of seven previously unheard full length albums this summer. Even more sprawling than his 1998 four-disc odds and sods Tracks collection, the sprawling new Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set will boast 83 tracks on 9 discs and, according to Sony Records, "fill in rich chapters of Springsteen's expansive career timeline -- while offering invaluable insight into his life and work as an artist." In a statement, Springsteen said, "The Lost Albums were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released. I've played this music to myself and often close friends for years now. I'm glad you'll get a chance to finally hear them. I hope you enjoy them." The box will include the lo-fi LA Garage Sessions '83, described as a "crucial link" between the bare-bones Nebraska and the full-throated Born in the U.S.A., as well as the drum loop and synthesizer experimentation for the Streets of Philadelphia Sessions. The project covering the years 1983-2018 is a peek into 35 years of home recording and songwriting that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said provides insight into work that no one has heard before. "The ability to record at home whenever I wanted allowed me to go into a wide variety of different musical directions," Springsteen said. Some of that includes the "sonic experimentation" on "Faithless," a film soundtrack he wrote for a movie that was never made, as well as the country-leaning, pedal steel-fueled sound of Somewhere North of Nashville, featuring songs such as "Repo Man," "Tiger Rose," "Silver Mountain," "Janey Don't Lose Your Heart" and the title track. The Lost Albums will come in limited-edition 9-LP, 7-CD and digital formats, with distinctive packaging for each previously unreleased record, as well as a 100-page cloth-bound hardcover book with rare archival photos, liner notes on each album from essayist Erik Flannigan and a personal introduction from Springsteen. A 20-track compilation entitled Lost and Found: Selections From The Lost Albums will be released on June 27 on two LPs and one CD, with the full box set arriving the next day. Springsteen previewed the album on Apr. 3 with the muscular, devastating "Rain in the River," which can be streamed on Spotify.com, from the Perfect World album. - Billboard, 4/3/25...... Meanwhile, the Boss has paid tribute to Joe DePugh, the New Jersey baseball pitcher who inspired his hit song "Glory Days," following news of DePugh's death in late March at the age of 75. "Just a moment to mark the passing of Freehold native and ballplayer Joe DePugh," Springsteen wrote in an Instagram post on Mar. 30. "He was a good friend when I needed one. 'He could throw that speedball by you, make you look like a fool' & . Glory Days my friend." DePugh and Springsteen grew up together in Freehold, N.J., and played baseball in the same youth league. Their now-legendary chance encounter at a bar in 1973 served as the real-life basis for one of the most iconic verses on Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. album. "Glory Days" reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985, and DePugh told the Palm Beach Post that he was "tickled pink I would even get into the song." "When I first heard the song, I thought the song said 'and all we kept talking about was glory days,' " said DePugh. "And years later, I finally saw the lyrics and saw 'all he kept talking about was glory days.' And I thought, 'Huh, (he) took a little shot at me!' DePugh and Springsteen remained friends throughout their lives, occasionally crossing paths in Palm Beach County, where Springsteen owns a home and DePugh lived in Lake Worth. - Billboard, 4/2/25...... In an interview with The Times of London published Apr. 4, Elton John revealed even more details about his eyesight problems, which the 78-year-old rock legend first leaked during a Good Morning America interview in late 2024. "I can see you, but I can't see TV, I can't read," Sir Elton told The Times. "I can't see my boys playing rugby and soccer, and it has been a very stressful time because I'm used to soaking it all up." John, who shares sons Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12, with his husband, David Furnish, described the situation as "distressing." "You get emotional, but you have to get used to it because I'm lucky to have the life I have," he said. "I still have my wonderful family, and I can still see something out of [my left eye]. So you say to yourself, 'Just get on with it.'" In the GMA interview, the singer revealed that he contracted the eye infection while in the South of France. "It's been four months since I haven't been able to see, and my left eye's not the greatest. I'm, kind of, stuck in the moment," he said at the time. Despite his eyesight struggles, John teamed up with Brandi Carlile for a new collaborative album, Who Believes In Angels?, which dropped on Apr. 4, and which Elton has described as "my best album since the early '70s." The pair appeared as musical guests on Saturday Night Live on Apr. 5, and on Apr. 6 host a one-hour concert special on CBS at 8:00 p.m. EDT. - Billboard, 4/5/25...... '70s glam-rocker Gary Glitter has been declared bankrupt after failing to pay more than £500,000 to a victim he was convicted of sexually abusing, when she was 12. The disgraced glam-rocker (real name Paul Gadd) was convicted in 2015 of abusing the woman between 1975 and 1980, as well as two other young people, and was last year ordered to pay the victim damages of £508,800. The sum also included £381,000 in lost earnings and £7,800 for future therapy and treatment. Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at Slater and Gordon, the law firm representing the woman, confirmed 80-year-old Gadd had been made bankrupt, adding he had refused to co-operate and "continues to treat his victims with contempt," reports BBC News. In a statement, he added: "We hope and trust that the parole board will take his behaviour into account in any future parole applications, as it clearly demonstrates that he has never changed, shows no remorse and remains a serious risk to the public." Gadd's sentence for the 2015 convictions is set to expire in Feb. 2031. - NME, 4/1/25...... Lou Gramm's issues with his former band Foreigner -- especially with band founder Mick Jones -- have been well-documented over the years, especially after Gramm's final departure in early 2003. But in the wake of Foreigner's "life-changing" induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last October, Gramm has a new attitude. "Ever since (the induction) it felt like, personally, I had to find a way to let go of some of the things I've been holding onto for years -- and, like the song says, let it be," Gramm says. Gramm, who was Foreigner's original singer in 1976 and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with Jones in 2013, has been making occasional guest appearances with Foreigner since 2017. After singing a pair of encore songs with the band on Mar. 15 in Clearwater, Fla., it was announced that Gramm will be joining the group for an eight-date Historic Farewell Tour run through Mexico and South America that starts Apr. 28 and includes shows in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Kelly Hansen, Foreigner's frontman since 2005, will not be part of those concerts, with guitarist Luis Maldonado taking his place and planning to sing some of the repertoire in Spanish. "It's a hackneyed sentiment, but it's true -- life's too short," Gramm says of his latest return to the fold. "And a lot of the things that are blown up and made big deals about are easy enough to get over and humble yourself and reach out a little bit, 'cause what you've been mad about for the past 20 years is not a monumental thing." Gramm, for his part, says he's up for joining Foreigner for more of its 2025 dates in North America and certainly plans to be part of the 2026 activities, which will also mark the 45th anniversary of 1981's 6x platinum 4 album. "I don't think there's any contrivance or people questioning the reason why I would be up there with that band," he says, noting that the current edition, active since the mid-2000s, "is something Mick wanted to do after we parted company, and he did a great job and they've done a great job over the last two decades of keeping the name up there and flying the flag. They deserve a lot of credit." Foreigner is also setting up an Australian tour in addition to next year's 50th anniversary shows. A documentary project is in the works to commemorate the landmark. The band's "Juke Box Hero" musical, which has been previewed in Alberta and Toronto, is slated to go into production during 2026 as well. - Billboard, 4/1/25...... Attending a launch event in London for a new Buddy Holly tribute book, Words Of Love, on Apr. 4, Roger Daltrey said the "essence" of music is being lost due to the increasing use of technology. Daltrey, who participated in the Q&A alongside The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood (who created the Words Of Love cover art) alongside rising British singer Youngblud, expressed his concerns over the growing reliance on tech, such as AI, in creating music. "We were throwing shit at the wall and some of it stuck," Daltrey explained. "There's something about the technology I feel personally, we're losing the essence of the heartbeat. Maybe it's because I'm older, but there's not much new music." Wood, 77, added: "I think rock music has been so convoluted because we got to be forced and twisted for a mainstream audience to turn the guitar down. Modern music's been in a strange place, but it's exciting because it's really, I feel it's very democratic again." - NME/Music-News.com, 4/4/25...... Queen guitarist Brian May has explained to Britain's MOJO magazine why Queen would let an unnamed "gangster rapper" sample one of the band's songs in their music. May said the reason was it didn't align with Queen's beliefs: "We have stopped them being used to promote violence or abuse, during the heyday of gangster rap when someone wanted to sample it in a song, we thought was abusive to women," he said, while not identifying who the musician was. "But otherwise, our songs are for everyone. All art is theft." Later in the interview, May said he originally disliked the 1979 Queen Jazz track "Don't Stop Me Now" due to its perceived glorification of frontman Freddie Mercury's hedonistic lifestyle. "At the time, I didn't feel comfortable about 'Don't Stop Me Now', probably for all the right reasons and the wrong reasons," he said. "I think I resisted realising why people liked it for a long time. Now, I think people love it because it contains all their dark dreams of hedonism -- and that's fine," he continued. "I hear it all the time, though. People say to me, ''Who Wants to Live Forever' feels like it was written for me, or my mum or my dad'. It's in people's hearts and minds and becomes personal to them. That's what makes a song live on." - NME, 4/4/25...... The L.A.-based pop duo Sparks will release their latest album, Mad!, on May 2 via their new label home, Transgressive Records. Brothers Russell and Ron Mael have announced a set of North American dates to tour the album starting on Sept. 5 at Atlanta's Tabernacle, also hitting such cities as Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Boston, Brooklyn, Columbus, Oh., Cleveland, Oh., Toronto, Vancouver, BC, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and El Cajon, Cal. until they conclude their leg at LA's Greek Theatre on Sept. 30. News of the North American leg follows shortly after Sparks' announcement of more dates on their UK/Ireland tour. From late June to early July, Sparks will stop by London's Royal Albert Hall, Manchester's O2 Academy, Dublin's National Stadium and more. They're also set to tour Europe and Japan, having recently been announced to play Bilbao BBK. Sparks has shared a song from the new album, "Drowned In A Sea Of Tears," on YouTube. - NME, 4/3/25...... A federal judge ruled on Apr. 2 that Pres. Donald Trump must face a copyright lawsuit filed by the estate of Isaac Hayes over the president's alleged use of the 1966 song "Hold On, I'm Coming" on the campaign trail. Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. denied a motion by Trump's attorneys to dismiss the case over "Hold On," which Hayes co-wrote before it was performed and released by the duo Sam & Dave. Seeking the end of the case, attorneys for Trump had argued that the estate of the late soul legend had failed to show that "they even own the rights they claim have been infringed" by the campaign: "They have no copyright, much less a copyright claim." But at the hearingJudge Thrash said the Hayes estate had done just enough to avoid having the case tossed at the outset: "I think that the second amended complaint -- in spite of all its problems, and there are quite a few -- adequately alleges ownership of the work." An attorney for the Trump campaign declined to comment. Brittney Dobbins, an attorney for the estate, said: "We are pleased with today's ruling. The judge made the right decision. Now, we are looking forward, and are prepared to litigate this case on the merits." Hayes' estate sued Trump last summer, accusing the campaign of using "Hold On" at rallies and in video recordings of those events. The case accused the campaign of infringing copyrights, but also of violating federal trademark law -- essentially claiming that the campaign's use of the song made it appear that Hayes or his heirs had endorsed Trump's bid to return to the White House. The Hayes estate joined many other artists who spoke out against Trump using their music on the campaign trail during the 2024 election. Beyoncé, Celine Dion, the Foo Fighters, ABBA and Sinead O'Connor's estate all voiced opposition -- some merely with social media posts and others with cease-and-desist letters from their lawyers. - Billboard, 4/2/25...... In related news, outspoken Trump critic Neil Young has said he fears a U.S. blacklisting over expressing his disappointment with the president over the years. Young -- who is a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. -- has gone so far as to call Trump "a disgrace to my country," and most recently, claim that "the US has lost its standing" on the world stage under the President's leadership. However, with an upcoming European tour set to be followed by a run of dates in the U.S., Young has taken to his Archives website to ruminate on the notion that he too may be barred from entering the country for sharing his critical thoughts on Trump. "When I go to play music in Europe, if I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket," Young posted on Apr. 1. "If I come back from Europe and am barred, can't play my USA tour, all of the folks who bought tickets will not be able to come to a concert by me. If the fact that I think Donald Trump is the worst president in the history of our great country could stop me from coming back, what does that say for Freedom? I love America and its people and its music and its culture." Young is currently scheduled to launch his forthcoming tour with the Chrome Hearts in Rättvik, Sweden on June 18, with North American dates set to begin in Charlotte, NC on Aug. 8. The rocker's previously-announced plans for a free concert in Ukraine to launch the tour were recently cancelled, with Young citing safety concerns as the reason for the decision. On Apr. 12, Young will join his fellow folk rock legend Joan Baez along with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a "Fighting Oligarchy" event at LA's Grand Park. The quartet will be joined by a line-up of other musicians including Maggie Rogers, Indigo de Souza, Jeff Rosenstock, the Red Pears and Raise Gospel Choir. Admission to the event is free, and you can sign up at https://act.berniesanders.com/signup/rsvp-oligarchy-LA/. - Billboard/NME, 4/1/25...... Billy Joel has joined Paul McCartney in urging the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to induct late powerhouse rock vocalist Joe Cocker into the Cleveland-based hall and museum in 2025. On Apr. 1, Joel posted a video on YouTube in which he reads a letter he wrote in 2014 to the RRHOF's induction committee -- at a time when Cocker's health was in decline -- imploring the Rock Hall to finally enshrine Cocker in its ring of honor. "As a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of fame since 1999, it has been one of my finest hopes to see Joe Cocker into it as well," Joel said in a never-before-released clip recorded in 2016 in which he notes that he was "stunned" that he was inducted before Cocker. "When I first heard him in 1969 I was very inspired by the sound of his incredibly raw and soulful vocal style." In February, Cocker -- who died in Dec. 2014 at 70 from lung cancer, just months after Joel penned the letter -- was nominated for the RRHOF for the first time after 36 years of eligibility. He's vying for a spot for the Rock Hall's Class of 2025 alongside 13 other musical greats. In March, McCartney wrote his own letter to the Rock Hall also calling for Cocker's induction. "Joe was a great man and a fine singer whose unique style made for some fantastic performances," he wrote. "He sang one of our songs 'With a Little Help From My Friends,' a [1968] version produced by Denny Cordell which was very imaginative," the former Beatle added. - Billboard, 4/1/25...... Speaking of the Beatles, fans have been voicing their opinions about the new cast of the upcoming biopics of Beatles members directed by Sam Mendes being shared. After months of speculation about Mendes' forthcoming film about the Fab Four, a series of announcements were made by the director at the end of Sony's CinemaCon on Mar. 31. For the most part, many fans are pleased with the new announcements, praising the cast for their acting ability and sharing their confidence that the help of the hair and makeup will help them resemble the original four. "This might be one of the greatest things I've ever seen," one user on X/Twitter responded to the news, while another added: "The Beatles, reimagined with this cast? I'm already in line for tickets." Others, however, were less convinced about the line-up for the films and took to social media to criticise the cast as looking too different from the real Fab Four. "In what world do you think that group looks like the Beatles, great talent, bad casting," one wrote. Another added: "Four famous men who look nothing like the Beatles star in the Beatles films!! Okay.." while a third chimed in: "The way none of them look like the ppl they r playing& . these r just four mid white guys trying to play four mid white guys." While some took an issue with the cast not resembling the original band members generally, some had more specific issues with the bill. This included a complaint at Sony for opting to "cast whatever popular actor is trending at the time and hope for the best", and a handful of comments about Harris Dickinson potentially being "too tall" to play John Lennon. "Harry Dickinson is too tall. Casting error," one stated, while someone else questioned why the actor chosen is less of a household name than his three castmates: "It's funny that they chose the least known actor to be John Lennon," they wrote. - NME, 4/1/25...... The Grateful Dead's Bobby Weir has announced his first show in London in over two decades, set to take place at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Set to take place on June 21, the show will mark Weir's first appearance in London in 22 years. He will be joined by Wolf Bros bandmates Don Was and Dead & Company bandmates Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane. The orchestral night will feature two full sets of music, including reimagined Grateful Dead classics and hits from Weir's own catalogue. This will be the first time it is performed in London, with a full 68-piece orchestra. See the announcement on X. - NME, 4/1/25...... The Wonder of Stevie, a podcast about Motown legend Stevie Wonder, has won best entertainment podcast at the fifth annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies). The awards were presented on Mar. 31 at McCormick Convention Center in Chicago, with comedian Tig Notaro serving as host. The awards are voted on by members of The Podcast Academy. - Billboard, 3/31/25...... Priscilla Presley has won the first round in an elder abuse lawsuit she filed against her old business associates. On Apr. 3, a Los Angeles County judge sided with the former wife of Elvis Presley and ruled that California was the best venue to hear the lawsuit, which claims her ex-associates had conned her out of over $1 million. The complaint, filed last July, accused Florida-based memorabilia auctioneer Brigitte Kruse as well as Kevin Fialko, Vahe Sislyan and Lynn Walker Wright of crookedly convincing her to give them power over her and then abusing that control in efforts to steal her money. The case will now proceed with its next hearing in a few weeks. Presley is seeking at least $1 million in general damages as well as punitive damages and attorney's fees. She also seeks to have the "fraudulently-induced agreements" with the defendants rescinded in effort to regain control of her accounts. "What Presley cannot accomplish through this action, however, is the rehabilitation of her personal friendships and relationships that were disrupted and/or materially harmed by the selfish, fraudulent acts of defendants, which could take years to accomplish, if at all," stated the filing. - NME, 4/5/25...... As the new Janis Ian documentary Breaking Silence is currently in US theaters, the "At Seventeen" singer says she was initially reticent to participate in it, but was eventually persuaded by the persistence of the film's director, Varda Bar-Kar. "I had just walked away from a potentially lucrative [movie] deal with another entity," Ian says of her reticence to participate. "I firmly did not want a puff piece." But after viewing a 20-minute proof of concept from Bar-Kar, the Grammy-winning singer says she felt like she could trust the director with her time and story. "I wanted something that reflected the times," Ian says of her dream for the project -- and Bar-Kar's engrossing, informative documentary does that superbly, incorporating the turmoil of the Civil Rights era of the 1960s which inspired a 14-year-old girl from a farm town in New Jersey to write "Society's Child," a song about an interracial romance smothered by external prejudices. Some hailed her as an astonishing, bold voice, pushing the single to No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967; others hurled racial slurs at her during concerts, reducing the teenage singer to tears for daring to suggest love could go beyond racial boundaries. That song wouldn't be the last time that Ian -- who publicly came out as a lesbian in 1993 -- would find herself alternately celebrated and pilloried by audiences and industry players. Named after the album that came out when she did, the film uses Ian's unusually insightful music, her memories and fresh interviews with Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Lily Tomlin, Laurie Metcalf, Jean Smart, the late Brooks Arthur and others to tell the story of her impact and importance. - Billboard, 4/3/25...... Folk music legend Michael Hurley, a pioneer of the outsider folk and freak folk movements in the 1960s, has died at age 83. Mr. Hurley honed his eccentric perspective in folk music in the 1960s, releasing his debut album First Songs in 1964. Among his other celebrated works were the albums Armchair Boogie, Hi Fi Snock Uptown and the 1976 classic Have Moicy!, the latter of which went on to become and underground cult favourite. Mr. Hurley released over 30 albums in his lifetime, and his biggest hits were songs like "The Werewolf," "O My Stars," "Twilight Zone," "Hog of the Forsaken," "It Must Be Gelatine," "Slurf Song," "You Got To Find Me," and more. Besides his unique take on folk music, Michael Hurley was also known for his creative hand-illustrated album artwork. His last album was 2021's The Time of the Foxgloves, but continued to write and perform in recent years. Just days before his death, Mr. Hurley performed at the Big Ears festival in Tennessee. - NME, 4/4/25...... Actress Patty Maloney, best known for her recurring role on Little House on the Prairie, died on Mar. 89. She was 89. In addition to appearing on episodes of Little House, Ms. Maloney is remembered for playing Chewbacca's son Lumpy on the Star Wars Holiday Special and as Honk on the Sid & Marty Krofft family show Far Out Space Nuts. Her diverse resume also included the TV-movies Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and Punch and Jody and films like Ernest Saves Christmas, The Ice Pirates and Swing Shift. In addition to appearing on The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, Ms. Maloney appeared on shows like Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Married... with Children and My Name Is Earl. Maloney first began experiencing health issues in 2010 when she was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She was in hospice care in Winter Park, Fla., after experiencing "several" strokes over the years. Less than two weeks before her death, another Little House alum, Jack Lilley, died at 91. He played a variety of roles in the beloved series, and series star Melissa Gilbert honored him with an Instagram tribute. - People, 4/1/25...... Singer Johnny Tillotson, the Grammy-nominated country and pop singer behind the iconic hit "Poetry In Motion," died on Apr. 1. He was 86. Born in 1939 in Jacksonville, Fla., Mr. Tillotson was a talented singer since his childhood. He signed to Cadence Records, and issued his first single, "Dreamy Eyes" / "Well I'm Your Man" in Sept. 1958 at just 19 years old. After releasing a string of singles, Mr. Tillotson quickly became a major teen idol. His biggest hit came just two years later in the form of 1960's "Poetry in Motion," which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. His first Grammy nomination was for his 1962 track, "It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin'," which was inspired by the terminal illness of his father. The song was nominated for best country and western recording, and has since been covered by several other artists including Elvis Presley, Margaret Whiting, Slim Whitman and Wanda Jackson. The track peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Hot Country Songs chart. His second Grammy nomination was for his 1965 track, "Heartaches by the Number," which received a nod for Best Contemporary (Rock and Roll) vocal Performance. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and No. 35 on the Hot 100. Overall, Mr. Tillotson achieved 25 entries and four top 10s on the Hot 100; five hits on Hot Country Songs; two hits on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and nine entries on Adult Contemporary. "It is with a broken heart that I write to let you know that the sweetest, kindest man I ever met Johnny Tillotson, left earth for Heaven yesterday," she wrote alongside a sweet photo of the duo laughing together," Mr. Tillotson's wife, Nancy, posted on Facebook. "Johnny will be missed every single day for the rest of my life. He was simply the best. With all the love I have in my heart for a wonderful man gone too soon from this world." In addition to Nancy, he is survived by his brother Dan, his son John and stepdaughter Genevieve as well as his grandchildren, nieces and nephews. - Billboard, 4/2/25...... Actor Val Kilmer, a wide-ranging leading may who played everyone from Jim Morrison to Batman, died on Apr. 1 in Los Angeles. He was 65. The cause was pneumonia, said his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer. Mr. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and later recovered, she said. Tall and handsome in a rock-star sort of way, Mr. Kilmer was in fact cast as a rocker a handful of times early in his career, when he seemed destined for blockbuster success. He made his feature debut in a slapstick Cold War spy-movie spoof, "Top Secret!" (1984), in which he starred as a crowd-pleasing, hip-shaking American singer in Berlin unwittingly involved in an East German plot to reunify the country. He gave a vividly stylized performance as Morrison, the emblem of psychedelic sensuality, in Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991), and he played the cameo role of Mentor -- an advice-giving Elvis Presley as imagined by the film's antiheroic protagonist, played by Christian Slater -- in True Romance (1993), a violent drug-chase caper written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. He had top billing (ahead of Sam Shepard) in Thunderheart (1992), playing an unseasoned F.B.I. agent investigating a murder on a South Dakota Indian reservation, and in The Saint(1997), a thriller about a debonair, resourceful thief playing cat-and-mouse with the Russian mob. Most famously, perhaps, between Michael Keaton and George Clooney, he inhabited the title role (and the batsuit) in Batman Forever (1995), doing battle in Gotham City with Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carrey), though neither Mr. Kilmer nor the film were viewed as stellar representatives of the Batman franchise. In 1986, Tony Scott cast him in his first big-budget film, Top Gun (1986), the testosterone-fueled adventure drama about Navy fighter pilots in training, in which Mr. Kilmer played the cool, cocky rival to the film's star, Tom Cruise. It was a role that set a precedent for several of Mr. Kilmer's other prominent appearances as a co-star or a member of a starry ensemble. Val Edward Kilmer was born in Los Angeles on Dec. 31, 1959, and grew up in the Chatsworth neighborhood in the far northwest part of the city. He applied to the Juilliard School in New York and at 17 became one of the youngest students ever admitted to the acting program there. He made his Broadway debut in 1983 in "The Slab Boys," a drama by John Byrne about young workers in a Scottish carpet factory that also featured Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon. He later played Hamlet at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival in Boulder in 1988 and the male lead, Giovanni, opposite Jeanne Tripplehorn in a Public Theater production of the lurid Jacobean tragedy "'Tis Pity She's a Whore" in 1992. He also appeared as Mark Twain in a 2014 film adaptation of Twain's work, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, and he planned to direct and star in a film he wrote about Twain. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2012, Mr. Kilmer spoke about his absence from mainstream Hollywood for a decade or more and acknowledged that his career arc had been unusual. He had other interests, he said; he wanted to hang out with his kids. "I don't have any regrets," he said, adding: It's an adage but it's kind of true: Once you're a star, you're always a star. It's just, At what level?" - The New York Times, 1/4/25.

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

The Sex Pistols and their current collaborator Frank Carter have announced a North American tour that will kick off at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, Tex. in September, then visiting cities including Washington D.C., Philadephia, Brooklyn, Montreal, Toronto, Denver, and San Francisco before the final date at Los Angeles' Hollywood Palladium on Oct. 16. The "God Save the Queen" rockers haven't performed in the US at all since 2008 and last toured there in 2003, but now guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook have announced on Instagram that "we're comin to the USA and Canada." The irreverent rockers reformed in 2024 for a UK tour with the Gallows frontman Carter as vocalist in place of John Lydon, and Jones revealed Carter was the only singer they tried working with. "Frank was the first singer we [tried], because me, Cookie and Glen wanted to play. It just worked straight away," said Jones, 69. "He's a lot younger than us. He's 40, so he has all that energy and us old farts can just jam at the back! It was so much fun and people loved it, and I loved looking at people loving it." - Music-News.com, 3/28/25...... At the end of a Sony Pictures CinemaCon presentation on Mar. 31 in Los Angeles, it was revealed that the "Fab Four" in the studio's upcoming Beatles series of films -- one each dedicated to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr -- will be Harris Dickinson (as Lennon), Paul Mescal (as McCartney), Joseph Quinn (as Harrison), and Barry Keoghan (as Starr). In another blockbuster announcement, project director Sam Mendes revealed that all four films will arrive in Apr. 2028, though not at the same time. Sony Pictures head Tom Rothman added that the franchise will be titled The Beatles - A Four-Film Cinematic Event, and that the films will mark the first "bingeable moment in cinema." Mendes, who has not confirmed the order in which the four films will be released, confirmed that filming all four films will take over a year, but is confident for an Apr. 2028 launch. Mendes says he toyed with the idea of a Beatles mini-series but ultimately decided that "the story was too huge to fit into a single movie." Each of the four films will be told from the perspective of one of the four Beatles. It is also the first-ever film to be granted music rights to the Beatles' discography. The films were first announced back in Feb. 2024. Sony Pictures has also posted on X announcing the full cast. - New Musical Express, 4/1/25...... In other Beatles-related news, a YouTuber named Ian Hartley has uploaded a rare studio recording of the '70s prog rock band Yes covering the Fab Four's "Eleanor Rigby" to YouTube. The intense cover of the 1966 Beatles classic is said to have been recorded by Yes and producer John Anthony at London's Polydor Studios in Feb. 1969. "This particular recording has never been publicly released before," Hartley noted. "Here is the first (failed) take of the ER run-throughs as recorded in raw form at the time. Apart from some speed correction, no remastering was done to the master tapes." The uploader added: "Depending on reactions to this, further such things might follow." There are three known takes of Yes recording "Eleanor Rigby" in the studio, according to the Yes Fans forum, but none have been released officially. The exact origins of the Hartley's Yes audio are not known. Back in 2009, however, Bonhams auction house in London listed a tape recorded with John Anthony on Feb. 14, 1969. This included three other songs: Yes' cover of Stephen Stills' "Everydays," their take on Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's "Something's Coming," and Yes' own composition "Dear Father." Yes released their self-titled debut album later in 1969 via Atlantic. None of the tracks known to have been recorded with Anthony made the final tracklist. However, versions of "Everydays," "Something's Coming" and "Dear Father" were featured as B-sides of Yes' first three single releases. At the time of writing, the Yes's "Eleanor Rigby" cover has been streamed on YouTube over 8,000 times. - NME, 3/31/25...... On Mar. 30 a teenage American Idol contestant -- and aspiring preacher -- caused one of the talent show's judges, Lionel Richie, to have a religious experience during a soulful rendition of Earnest Pugh's "I Need Your Glory." Seventeen-year-old Dallas native Canaan James Hill's pitch-perfect, run-filled version of the gospel track prompted Richie to jump out of his seat while Bryan mimed getting the chills during his performance. "Would you do that again?" Richie said, marching straight up to Hill after the song was over and putting a hand on his shoulder. "You are so blessed. That was something so spectacular, I just can't even describe what I heard." Not only did Richie and the other judges give Hill a unanimous "yes" for his audition, but Richie also presented him with the final platinum ticket of the season, meaning the hopeful gets to skip straight past the first Hollywood round. Hill's glorious Idol audition can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 3/31/25...... Roger Daltrey shocked The Who's fans during the first of two Who shows at London's Royal Albert Hall on Mar. 27 when he opened up about his current medical condition. "The problem with this job is that you go deaf," he said from the stage. "And now I've been told that I am going blind." Referencing the band's 1969 rock opera title character, he added: "Thank God I've still got my voice. If I lost that I'll go full Tommy." The Who played another hits-packed show at the Royal Albert Hall the following night, with proceeds going to the charity concerts that Daltrey founded in 2000. Daltrey, who turned 81 in early March, announced in 2024 that he was stepping down as the TCT concerts curator, allowing The Cure's Robert Smith to take the reins. "I have to be realistic about my age... I'm on the way out," he told the London Times in 2024. "The average life expectancy is 83 and with a bit of luck I'll make that, but we need someone else to drive things," he said about the decision to step down from the curator role, instead opting to "work in the back room... talking to the government, rattling cages." During the Mar. 27 show, The Who performed their Who's Next track "Love Ain't For Keepin'" for the first time in 21 years. They also broke out classic tracks like "Pinball Wizard," "The Seeker," "My Generation" and "Behind Blue Eyes." Fan-shot footage of several performances can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 3/29/25...... Longtime REO Speedwagon vocalist Kevin Cronin has taken to Facebook to share his thoughts on his lack of inclusion in an upcoming one-off REO reunion event. Cronin, who has been touring with his own Kevin Cronin Band, addressed a fan on Facebook who noted the singer's absence from REO's forthcoming concert in Champaign, Ill. on June 14, responding that organizers of the event could have picked a date when many of the band's former members were readily available to attend. "Instead they chose June 14, 2025, a date where it was public knowledge that I was previously committed to perform with Styx and Kevin Cronin Band in Bend, Oregon," Cronin wrote. "Bottom line, I am being asked to participate in an event on a date when I can't possibly be there in-person. And then being falsely accused of turning down the invitation. I am deeply disturbed and hurt by all of this. After all I have done to help build the legacy of REO Speedwagon, I feel I have earned and deserve to be included in any event honoring that legacy. Instead, I have been knowingly excluded." Cronin joined REO Speedwagon in early 1972, taking over from Terry Luttrell who reportedly left due to personal issues with guitarist Gary Richrath. Though Cronin was himself briefly replaced by Mike Murphy the following year, he returned in 1976 and remained in the band until their end, performing on tracks such as their two Billboard chart-toppers "Keep On Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling." In late 2024, REO Speedwagon announced that they would cease touring as of Jan. 1, 2025. In a note shared to fans, the group explained that bassist Bruce Hall had not recovered sufficiently from previous back surgery and his inability to tour led to "irreconcilable differences" between Hall and Cronin. REO Speedwagon played their final live performance on Dec. 21 at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas, but in March announced they would be playing a special one-off show at the State Farm Center in their hometown of Champaign, Ill. on June 14. Officially titled as an event "Honoring the Legacy of REO Speedwagon," the show is described as a "concert retrospective featuring special guests & former members." Two former REO members (Luttrell and Murphy) are confirmed to attend, and a special tribute will be held to late members Richrath and Gregg Philbin. - Billboard, 3/30/25...... David Bowie's old childhood home in Bromley, Greater London, has been put on the market for £449,500. The late rock icon moved with his family into the two-bedroom terraced house for a year, before they moved to the East End section of London, where they settled at 4 Plaistow Grove. According to a property listing for the house, it has "two double bedrooms, one bathroom, a dining room, living room, small kitchen and moderate back garden." "Possibly the least eye-catching house I have featured architecturally, but interesting because this is David Bowie's childhood home in Bromley, Greater London, which is now up for sale," realtor WowHauser posted on X on Mar. 28. He building is also affectionately described as a "charming two-bedroom period terraced house, located in a quiet residential position close to the heart of Bickley on the borders of Bromley... This Victorian property exudes a sense of peace and tranquillity, making it the perfect place to call home." Meanwhile, Bowie is set to be one of the featured artists in London's brand new Live Odyssey immersive experience that's set to kick off in May 25 in Camden, UK. The attraction -- which combines a show, an exhibition museum and live experience together -- will take attendees through six decades of music via a two-and-a-half-hour adventure that captures the evolution of British music, from the early anthems of the '60s and '70s to the Britpop explosion of the '90s and today's cutting-edge hits. - NME, 3/28/25...... Bachman-Turner Overdrive announced on Mar. 28 they are "takin' care of business" again with the release of "60 Years Ago," a new sentimental single that was penned by BTO frontman Randy Bachman and his son Tal Bachman during their pandemic YouTube show Bachman & Bachman Friday Night Train Wreck aspart of a father-son album that has not yet been released. But after hearing that a highway section in Randy's native Winnipeg was to be renamed the Bachman-Turner Overpass -- with the dedication on Apr. 18, the day before BTO plays the city -- inspired the Bachmans to revise the song and make the song public. "I thought, 'I'll go and get "60 Years Ago," and I'll give it back to Winnipeg as a thank-you,'" Randy Bachman says. "There was no great plan for this song, y'know. But maybe they'll play it on Winnipeg radio, and if you live in Winnipeg maybe you'll want to download it and drive around singing '60 years ago, so damn cold, so much snow' and that kind of stuff. And I have a million BTO fans, followers on Instagram and my web site, so maybe some of them will download it. I have a lot of people asking me, always, 'Is there anything new? Is there anything new?' So now yes, there is." With its remembrances of the Winnipeg music scene of the mid-'60s, Bachman further torqued up "60 Years Ago" with some appropriate guests - childhood friend and fellow Winnipegian Neil Young, whose guitar solo can be heard at the end, and BTO co-founder Fred Turner who, despite spates of bad health, contributed vocals to the song. Both men are name-checked in the lyrics, along with Bachman's The Guess Who partner Burton Cummings and, as Bachman notes, Winnipeg's frigid climate. "60 Years Ago" comes as BTO prepares to hit the road on Apr. 1 for an extensive 22-date Canadian tour, followed by summer dates in the U.S., both on its own and with the Marshall Tucker Band, Jefferson Starship and The Outlaws from July 18 through Aug. 22. He's also hoping that Takin' Care of Business, a documentary about finding his stolen Gretsch 6120 guitar while in the midst of a serious cancer battle a couple of years back, will see wider release after running on the film festival circuit. - Billboard, 3/28/25...... On Mar. 27, London's legendary Abbey Road Studios celebrated its recent extensive restoration with an event called Synergy In Motion, which combined contemporary dance and music in a unique event. The choreography was helmed by Royal Ballet choreographer Joseph Toonga and set to the film scores of composer Daniel Pemberton (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), remixed and arranged by Jordan Rakei, Abbey Road's Artist in Residence. The studio has now reopened and is in operation for recording sessions. Abbey Road Studio One is described by the northwest London studio as "world's largest purpose-built recording studio," and can comfortably host 100-piece orchestras. The room is primarily used for the recording of classical and movie scores, with the soundtracks to a number of blockbusters having been recorded in in the space, including much of John Williams' movie canon, such as Raiders of The Lost Ark, Star Wars: The Return of The Jedi, as well as the Harry Potter movies. The premises was first built as a residential townhouse in 1831, and was converted into a recording studio a century later, reopening as EMI Studios in 1931. A number of classical greats including Edward Elgar and Sergei Prokofiev recorded there; in 1958, Studio Two was opened, with a number of influential acts like The Beatles and Pink Floyd recording in the space. The studio is currently owned by Universal Music imprint Virgin Records. - Billboard, 3/27/25...... Carlos Santana says his latest effort, Sentient, is a metaphor for floral arrangements. "When I go to the lobby in hotels in Europe, they always have these incredible flower arrangements," Santana told Billboard. "They hire some people to come in and arrange the flowers in the lobby. That's how this album was made -- that's how I make all my albums. I feel like a florist who is trying to combine the right colors and textures and create a beautiful ornament. That's what Sentient is, an ornament of flower arrangements -- colors, passions, textures, emotions." The 11-track set, which dropped on Mar. 28 and is the follow-up to 2021's Blessings and Miracles, includes three previously unreleased tracks, while the rest are remastered songs drawn from various points in the musician's career, including collaborations with friends living (Smokey Robinson, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and his wife Cindy Blackman Santana) and deceased (Michael Jackson, Miles Davis). After Sentient's release Santana will begin a nine-date Oneness Tour beginning April 16 in Highland, Calif., and wrapping May 1 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. His next residency at the House of Blues Las Vegas runs May 14-25, and a European Oneness Tour leg begins June 9 in Poland and runs through Aug. 11 in Copenhagen. The original 1969 Woodstock veteran says he's also working on a multi-day, multi-act worldwide festival with the utopian perspective of Woodstock. "I want to create a global concert that goes around the world and (promotes) unity, harmony, oneness," he says. - Billboard, 3/27/25...... Iconic '80s hitmakers Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are set to receive the 2025 ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the annual Chapin Awards Gala on June 4 at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and longtime activists, who have been married since 1982, will become the second married couple to receive the award. R&B songwriting greats Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson received it in 2010. The Chapin Awards Gala will include a cocktail reception, dinner, and live music, and additional honorees will be announced in coming weeks. The award's namesake, Harry Chapin, was an early music industry advocate for the world hunger movement. The "Cat's in the Cradle" singer co-founded WhyHunger, for which the ASCAP gala benefits, a full decade before music industry titans came together as USA for Africa to record "We Are the World" in 1985. Chapin gave tirelessly gave of his time and talents to perform at benefits and events in support of a range of social causes before his life was tragically cut short when he was killed in a car crash in 1981 at age 38. (On the afternoon he was killed, he was driving to a benefit, where he was slated to perform.) Previous ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award recipients include the likes of John Mellencamp, Kenny Loggins, Yoko Ono, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, Judy Collins, Barbra Streisand and Peter, Paul & Mary. - Billboard, 3/27/25...... Late Alice star Linda Lavin, who died unexpectedly on Dec. 29 at age 87 due to complications from lung cancer that had been recently discovered, will be honored with a "brutally honest" episode of her new Hulu series Mid-Century Modern. "It was a directive actually from Linda... When she was diagnosed with [lung cancer], she was like, 'I don't know how I'm going to respond to this, but whatever it is, write it into the [Sybil Schneiderman] character," reveals cocreator David Kohan (Will & Grace). How fitting that TV's most iconic waitress knew just what to order. Mid-Century Modern launched its series premiere on Hulu on Mar. 28. - TV Guide, 3/24/25...... Bruce Glover, a prolific character actor known for playing icy villains and no-nonsense lawmen, including an assassin who goes after Sean Connery in the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever and a private dick who works with Jack Nicholson in the 1974 neo-noir classic Chinatown, died on Mar. 12 at a hospital in Los Angeles. He was 92. His son, actor and director Crispin Glover, announced the death but did not cite a specific cause. Mr. Glover, a streetwise Chicago native who said he spent years trying to get rid of his "dese, dems and dose" accent, appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, building his resume in the 1960s and '70s with roles on Perry Mason, Adam-12, Mod Squad and Gunsmoke, among other westerns and crime dramas. Although he dabbled in comedy, making a cameo as an eccentric wheelchair-user in Terry Zwigoff's 2001 film Ghost World, he was typically cast as crooks, cops and other assorted tough guys. He played a Tennessee sheriff's deputy in the hit crime movie Walking Tall (1973), reprising the part for two sequels, and was a mob boss trying to recoup a debt from a hustler in the boxing film Hard Times (1975), starring Charles Bronson and James Coburn. He remained best known for his villainous turn in Diamonds Are Forever (1971), the sixth Bond film to feature Connery as the suave secret agent. Mr. Glover played a deceptively polite henchman, Mr. Wint, who teams up with fellow assassin Mr. Kidd (played by the mustached jazz musician Putter Smith) to protect a smuggling operation run by the cat-loving supervillain Blofeld (Charles Gray). For years, Mr. Glover painted and taught acting when he wasn't performing on the stage or screen. His approach was instinctual -- practical, not theoretical -- and honed during his early years performing in summer-stock theatre, when he sometimes did a play a week. "No 12, no 25 steps," he said of his approach. "Think the thoughts of the character. Have a conversation. That's how simple it is." In addition to his son Crispin, survivors include a brother. - The Washington Post, 3/31/25...... Legendary actor Richard Chamberlain, the handsome leading man who thrilled women as the young star of Dr. Kildare and then centered the epic, melodramatic miniseries Shogun and The Thorn Birds, died on Mar. 29 in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist. He was 90. On the big screen, Mr. Chamberlain played Julie Christie's brutal husband in Richard Lester's Petulia (1968), the woman-loving Aramis in a trio of Three Musketeers films and the fortune hunter Allan Quatermain opposite Sharon Stone in King Solomon's Mines (1985) and Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986). Mr. Chamberlain started off his miniseries career by starring as trapper Alexander McKeag in James Michener's 16 1/2-hour, 12-episode saga Centennial, which aired on NBC in 1978-79, and he was the first actor to portray Jason Bourne onscreen when he starred as the Robert Ludlum character in an ABC miniseries in 1988. Raised in Beverly Hills, Mr. Chamberlain was a rather inexperienced actor when he was hired to play James Kildare, an earnest intern with terrific bedside manner -- and the mentee of Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Raymond Massey) -- on Dr. Kildare. The NBC drama was based on popular MGM radio and film serials (Lew Ayres portrayed the character on the big screen). Female viewers quickly fell for the suave Mr. Chamberlain, and he received upward of 12,000 fan letters a week, more than anyone had ever received at MGM, even Clark Gable. The show aired for five seasons, from Sept. 1961 until Aug. 1966. "I went through life pretending to be perfect, and that helped me play Dr. Kildaire, because he was close to perfect," he once said. In the early 1980s, Mr. Chamberlain gained a reputation as the "king of the miniseries" for his starring roles in Shogun, The Thorn Birds and Wallenberg: A Hero's Story. He received Primetime Emmy nods for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or a special for all three productions. In the Australian-set The Thorn Birds based on Colleen McCullough's novel and which aired on ABC over four nights in Mar. 1983, he portrayed Father Ralph, a Catholic priest who is involved in a tortured romance with the ravishing young Meggie (Rachel Ward), who seeks solace from a ranch hand (Bryan Brown, her future real-life husband). James Clavell's Shogun was originally envisioned as a feature starring Robert Redford. NBC got the rights after those plans fell through and wanted Sean Connery to star as the tempestuous Englishman John Blackthorne. The network then cast Mr. Chamberlain, who had read the book and pushed for the part. He spent six months shooting the miniseries in Japan, and it aired for 12 hours over five nights in 1980. Shogun earned Mr. Chamberlain a best actor Golden Globe and Emmy nomination, and for The Thorn Birds, he took home another Globe for best actor in a miniseries or motion picture for TV. George Richard Chamberlain was born in Los Angeles on Mar. 31, 1934, the youngest of two sons and raised in Beverly Hills, but on the "wrong side of Wilshire Boulevard, the wrong side of Beverly Drive, in an extremely normal neighborhood," he noted. He attended Beverly Hills High School, where he appeared in such plays as "I Remember Mama." His film resume also included Twilight of Honor (1963), Joy in the Morning (1965), The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969), Julius Caesar (1970), The Music Lovers (1971), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella (1976), Peter Weir's The Last Wave (1977) and The Swarm (1978). More recently, Mr. Chamberlain guest-starred on Nip/Tuck, playing a gay millionaire who forces his younger lover to have plastic surgery so as to resemble himself; recurred on Brothers & Sisters as a former love interest of Ron Rifkin's character; hilariously portrayed Craig Ferguson's mom, Maggie Wick, on The Drew Carey Show; and appeared on the Twin Peaks reboot. In his liberating 2003 autobiography Shattered Love, Mr. Chamberlain, then 69, came out as gay. "When you grow up in the '30s, '40s and '50s being gay, it not only ain't easy, it's just impossible," he told The New York Times in 2014. Mr. Chamberlain learned while growing up "that being gay was the worst thing you can possibly be. I assumed there was something terribly wrong with me. And even becoming famous and all that, it was still there." - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/30/25.

Thursday, March 27, 2025

On Mar. 27 ABBA and their ABBA Voyage team announced the virtual concert residency is receiving a "small" revamp this May for its third anniversary in London. "When we first opened we never imagined that we'd still be in London 3 years on. We're very grateful that so many of you have joined us," the band said in a press release. "Of course, the reason for us being able to sustain our concert for so long is because of our incredible audience. As we say in Sweden Vilken resa!" As a result, the band will be implementing "a little something to our concert" beginning on May 27, three years to the exact date that ABBA Voyage first launched, although details surrounding the exact changes being made remain under wraps. ABBA Voyage first kicked off in May 2022, and was due to wrap in Nov. 2024, but has since been extended to Jan. 2026 due to overwhelming demand. Once the show wraps in London, the band intend on bringing the Voyage experience around the world, including Asia, Australia and North America, with details of the itinerary to be announced later. - New Musical Express, 5/27/25...... Bob Dylan kicked off his 2025 "Rough & Rowdy Ways" tour on Mar. 25 at the Tulsa Theater in Tulsa, Okla., opening with "All Along The Watchtower" (which according to Dylanologists is his most played track, racking up a total of over 2,285 times performed live), then treating the audience to 16 additional tracks, including performances of "It Ain't Me," "I Contain Multitudes," "Black Rider," "My Own Version of You," "To Be Alone With You," "Watching The River Flow," "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and more. A bulk of the night's performance saw the icon play the majority of his 2020 LP Rough And Rowdy Ways. To wrap up the show, he ended with "Every Grain of Sand." Elsewhere, the night revealed that Dylan's previous touring drummer Jim Keltner was replaced by Anton Fig, who previously was the drummer with Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. Fig and Dylan have a history of working together dating back the 1985 "Empire Burlesque sessions." - NME, 3/26/25...... As Elton John promotes the upcoming Apr. 4 release of Who Believes In Angels?, his new collaborative effort with Brandi Carlile, the Rocket Man revealed in a Smartless podcast on Mar. 25, his 78th birthday, that the project left him confronting his mortality. "I wrote a song at the end of the album and I just get the lyrics, Bernie Taupin's lyrics," John explained. "I'm writing the verse, like, 'Oh, this is really pretty.' And then I get to the chorus and of course it's about my death. When you get to my age, which is near 100, you think, 'How much time have I got left?'" he continued, before his thoughts turned to husband David Furnish and sons Zachary and Elijah. "You've got children, you've got a wonderful husband, you just think about mortality. And so when I got to the chorus, I just broke down for 45 minutes -- and it's all on film." The sessions were recorded as part of the film Elton John: Never Too Late, which was released in October to widespread acclaim. The titular song "Never Too Late" will also be released on Who Believes in Angels? and was recently up for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. The latest episode of the Smartless podcast was released to subscribers on Mar. 25, and will be officially released to all listeners on Mar. 31. Meanwhile, in a new interview with Carlisle with Rolling Stone UK, Elton said talent shows like The X Factor and American Idol are "the worst" for aspiring artists, and has instead advised them to "go and play in a pub." "Just keep trying to play live," Elton advised. "That's the way you improve as a musician and songwriter. It doesn't matter if you're playing to 40 people. The more experience you get playing to nobody, the better." The singer continued: "....backbone is so important, because the worst thing that can happen to you in the industry are things like X Factor and instant fame on television where you have no experience of playing live. You get put on stage, you go, and you can't do it. That's the worst thing. American Idol -- just the worst. Take risks. Go and play in a pub." - Billboard/NME, 3/26/25...... Home Box Office has announced a new, two-part Billy Joel will premier on the premium cable channel this summer. Billy Joel: And So It Goes is directed by Susan Lacy -- who created PBS' American Masters series and has previously helmed HBO docs such as docs Jane Fonda in Five Acts, and Spielberg -- and Jessica Levin, who produced those projects as well as The Janes. The upcoming doc "will examine the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting." It also includes access to never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs, along with one-on-one interviews. The doc announcement comes after the Piano Man recently revealed that he was postponing months of touring due to an undisclosed medical condition. - NME, 3/26/25...... Nancy Wilson of Heart didn't mince words about her view of the current state of the US and the world in a new interview with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Wilson noted that the band's third single, 1975's "Crazy on You," was written as a critical response to the Vietnam War, though the lyrics have found themselves relevant once again. "We were kind of embarrassed at that time to call ourselves American because of the dirty politics of the Vietnam War," Wilson explained. "To be as subtle as possible, it's more embarrassing now." The discussion also focused on the likes of 1977's "Barracuda," which had been initially written about a sleazy industry figure of the time. However, with reference to an infamous quote from Pres. Donald Trump, Wilson conceded the track "is even more relevant in the salacious billionaire culture with the grab-them-by-the-(expletive) mentality." "These songs will be there long after we are gone," she added, before focusing on the contemporary prevalence of the sexism that inspired "Barracuda." "I think for women in the culture the pendulum will come back again, and there'll be another renaissance in the arts to push back against the oppression of the cranky old rich white guys," Wilson added. "I hope I am alive to see that next revolution." In 2018, Nancy's bandmate sister Ann Wilson claimed that the Seattle band's "Barracuda" could be used by just about any candidate in the 2020 election if they desired. "I think anybody but Trump," she clarified. - Billboard, 3/24/25...... Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has teamed up with his former bandmate Mick Fleetwood once again, with the pair reuniting in the recording studio recently. News of the pair's musician reunion was detailed on Threads by Swedish producer Carl Falk, shared a photo from the studio where Fleetwood has been working on a new solo album. The sessions have ostensibly also seen Fleetwood working with The War on Drugs' Adam Granduciel. "Slightly unreal moment to sit with Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood to play Lindsey the album we have been working on," Falk wrote. "And to see his genuine happiness for Mick to finally do his own album and offering to play guitar and to sing on it. Can't wait to finish this one." Another post shared by Falk captured Buckingham in the studio with his guitar in hand. "Mick and Lindsey together again, what a flawless guitar player," the caption wrote. Currently, no official details from Fleetwood have been announced in regard to the content or release of the forthcoming album. Buckingham departed Fleetwood Mac in 1987, but rejoined in 1997 as part of the band's classic lineup reunion of himself, Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, John McVie and Christine McVie. He remained with the band until the 2018 announcement he would no longer be touring as part of Fleetwood Mac. The departure occurred almost a year after the release of Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie, an album which featured the band's lineup with the exception of Nicks. Until 2025, it was the most recent collaboration between Buckingham and Fleetwood. - Billboard, 3/25/25...... "Live Odyssey," described as "a celebration of the rich tapestry of British music... offering a unique experience for music lovers of all ages" through "a groundbreaking tribute to the sounds that shaped Britain," is set to launch on May 22 in the London borough of Camden. John Lennon's sister Julia Baird will be unveiling a multi-sensory immersive exhibit dedicated to the late Beatles member on its opening which "details the early years that shaped Lennon through to a life of stratospheric fame with The Beatles." "This is the brutally honest story of The Beatles legend by his sister Julia, who reveals the unorthodox childhood they shared, memories of their mother, renewed family bonds, and the many sides of John Lennon," according to a press release. Elsewhere in the exhibition, fans will move through six different rooms, each immersing guests in a different musical era and recreating the sights, sounds, and cultural moments that define each decade. Also included in the list of acts set to be represented are The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Sex Pistols, David Bowie, Oasis, Duran Duran, Radiohead, Coldplay, Adele and many more. Tickets for the experience are currently on sale, and a portion of sales will support the Music Venue Trust. - NME, 3/25/25...... Bruce Springsteen was a late addition to the lineup for an all-star tribute to Patti Smith on Mar. 26 at New York's Carnegie Hall. The sold out "People Have the Power: A Celebration of Patti Smith" celebrated the 50th anniversary of the punk poetess' legendary 1975 debut album, Horses. In addition to Springsteen, the show also featured appearances from R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs, Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde, and such celebrities as Sean Penn, Scarlett Johansson and Michael Shannon. Springsteen and Smith's relationship also stretches back nearly 50 years, when the Boss was struggling to figure out how to finish his song "Because the Night" and his engineer, Jimmy Iovine -- who was also producing Smith's 1978 album Easter at the time -- suggested he give it to Smith. She worked it over and added new lyrics in honor of her husband, the MC5's Fred "Sonic" Smith, and it became her highest-charting single to date, hitting No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Smith will also be hitting the road for a Horses anniversary tour, slated to kick off in Dublin, Ireland on Oct. 6 and criss-cross Europe for a month before landing in Seattle on Nov. 10 for a run of shows that will keep her on the road through a Nov. 29 gig in Philadelphia. - Billboard, 3/25/25...... In other Springsteen news, the rocker has personally praised British actor Stephen Graham for his portrayal of his late father, Douglas "Dutch" Springsteen in the upcoming Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere. After filming wrapped on the movie -- which stars Jeremy Allen White as Springsteen -- the Boss sent one of "the most gorgeous texts I've ever had in my life," according to Graham. "I'm racing to get to the airport, and I got this text, and it was so beautiful," Graham told Edith Bowman on her Soundtracking podcast. "It just said: 'Thank you so much. You know, my father passed away a while ago and I felt like I saw him today. Thank you for giving me that memory.' I was crying reading the text, do you know what I mean?.... You couldn't ask for anything more, you know, to share that with someone was gorgeous. He's a lovely man." The biopic, slated for release later in 2025, covers the musician's life during the making of his 1982 classic album Nebraska. - Music-News.com, 3/24/25...... Just 15 months after performing their final concert, KISS have announced their return to the live stage with a one-off "unmasked" concert as part of the KISS Army fan club's 50th anniversary celebrations. The show was announced via an email sent to fans (viewable on Instagram), confirming that the group would be performing as part of the three-day "KISS Army Storms Vegas" event, which runs from Nov. 14 - 16 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Though a full rundown of activities are said to be released soon, the headline of the message is KISS' intention to perform a makeup-free show as part of the event. According to the email, the concert also promises "a special live performance from former KISS member Bruce Kulick, along with other special guests, activities, exclusive experiences and more." While it's unclear if Kulick plans to perform with the band or separately as part of the event, the guitarist had previously been an official member from 1984 until 1996, playing on five KISS albums. The performance will be the band's first since Dec. 2023, where they wrapped up their "End of The Road Tour" with a two-night stand at New York City's Madison Square Garden. Despite their large-scale farewell tour (their second, after 2001's fittingly-titled "KISS Farewell Tour"), fans had speculated that the band could indeed take to the stage again at some point. Bassist Gene Simmons was quick to nix that claim, clarifying the band's plans in an interview with Rolling Stone in Nov. 2023. "I'll say right here, right now, my hand on the Bible, it will be the final KISS-in-makeup appearance," he declared. KISS had previously appeared without their makeup in 1983, beginning their "unmasked"' era alongside the release of their Lick It Up album. This era would continue until 1996, when the group readopted their iconic look ahead of their highly-anticipated "Alive/Worldwide Tour." News of the forthcoming show also coincides with the fact that Simmons recently postponed 17 dates on his forthcoming tour to 2026. An announcement confirmed that the dates were not related to Simmons' health, but offered no further details. This same tour also generated notice after Simmons revealed he would be offering fans the chance to serve as his "personal assistant & band roadie for the day." - Billboard, 3/23/25...... Ozzy Osbourne has confirmed he'll perform from a throne -- possibly even a flying one -- at what's being billed as Black Sabbath's final-ever performance on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. Osbourne, 76, has dealt with neck and spinal injuries as well as Parkinson's disease and now occasionally uses a wheelchair, but he says he's determined to make this moment count. Ozzy's longtime collaborator and guitarist Zakk Wylde teased that the frontman could be airborne during the event -- quite literally. "With Oz and his throne that just flies over the stadium or whatever, [where he] shoots out buckets of water and does everything like that," Wylde said in a new interview with Riff X's Metal XS. "So if Oz has a great time and it's just, like, 'I wanna go out on the road again,' it's just, like, 'Good. Let's do it again.' He added, "Ozzy was just sitting at the chair and he was singing 'Mama, I'm Coming Home,' and it sounded great. So hopefully we'll just do this, and then Oz will go, 'Let's just fire up the machine again and we'll do another tour'." "Everybody's gonna be playing Sabbath songs, it's gonna be pretty mind-blowing," he added. Although Ozzy won't be delivering a full set, the "Back to the Beginning" concert is shaping up to be a metal fan's dream, with other heavy metal icons including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera and Anthrax also participating. - Billboard, 3/24/25...... Dead & Company paid tribute to late Grateful Dead bassist and co-founder Phil Lesh on the first weekend of their their 2025 Las Vegas Sphere residency. Dead & Company returned to the venue after a wildly successful residency last year, which saw the band perform in front of the Sphere's 240-foot screens from May to July 2024. Closing out their first weekend of the 2025 residency, the band performed "Box Of Rain" -- which was Lesh's signature track with GD -- as their final song on Mar. 22. It marked the first time the band have performed the song since his passing. The band is due to perform 15 more dates between now and May 17. Lesh died in Oct. 2024 at the age of 84. - NME, 3/24/25...... The '60s "British Invasion" band The Searchers, who are known to be "longest-running band in pop history," are set to play their last ever show at the Glastonbury 2025 music festival. The Liverpool band, best known for their their version of The Drifters' hit "Sweets For My Sweet," "Sugar And Spice," "Love Potion No. 9," and "Don't Throw Your Love Away,", will end nearly 70 years of touring with their debut at Worthy Farm on the Acoustic Stage on June 27, after the line-up was announced on Mar. 22. Founding member John McNally told BBC News: "A Glastonbury debut at 83, can anyone top that? I don't think life gets any better, does it? There will be a few nerves, but in a good way, and we'll be nicely warmed up from our shows in June. We can't wait to see our fans again for this incredible final farewell." Bassist and singer Frank Allen, who joined the group in 1964, added: "I have played shows across the world with The Searchers for over 60 years; Glastonbury has always been an ambition that has eluded us -- until now. The Searchers are finally performing at the greatest music festival of them all. What a way to round off a tour and a career. I can't wait to get up on stage and give our fans one final blast." - NME, 3/23/25...... Legendary crooner Johnny Mathis announced his retirement from live performing via a Facebook post on Mar. 26. "As many of you may already be aware, Johnny Mathis is approaching his 90th birthday this year," the statement reads. "So, it's with sincere regret that due to Mr. Mathis' age and memory issues which have accelerated, we are announcing his retirement from touring and live concerts." The post notes that all shows scheduled after June 2025 will be canceled, as his final show will take place May 18 at the Bergan Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ. Known for such tunes as "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "It's Not for Me to Say," Mathis was honored by the Recording Academy with the Lifetime Achievement Award and he was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for three separate recordings: in 1998 for "Chances Are," in 2002 for "Misty" and in 2008 for "It's Not for Me to Say." His achievements also include more than 70 albums on the Billboard Hot 200 LP chart (including the No. 1s Johnny's Greatest Hits, in 1958, and Heavenly, in 1959), 34 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart (including the No. 1 "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" with Deniece Williams in 1978) and 50 entries on the Adult Contemporary airplay chart. His Greatest Hits project spent 490 weeks on the Billboard 200, and was the longest-charting album by a solo artist until 2020. - Billboard, 3/26/25..... The '70s ska revival band The Specials have shared a new single to honour the "fallen heroes" of ska. The new track, "When A Light Goes Out," was aired for the first time during a special event at the 2 Tone Museum in London. It is co-written by founding members of The Specials -- Lynval Golding, Mark Adams and Nikolaj Torp Larson -- and pays respects to giants of the ska genre. Proceeds will go to the Specialized Project & Tonic (Music For Mental Health) charities. The event came just days after the late Specials frontman Terry Hall would have celebrated his 66th birthday. Hall died in Dec. 2022 after being diagnosed with cancer months earlier. He was 63 years old. The rest of the band celebrated the milestone with a post on Instagram, wishing the singer a "happy heavenly birthday." - NME, 3/21/25....... Another beloved '70s UK band, Madness, announced on Mar. 25 they'll embark on a major "Hits Parade" UK arena tour this December. Kicking things off at Sheffield Utilita Arena on Dec. 4, the Nutty Boys will perform 13 dates across the country, culminating with a special hometown show at London's The O2 on Dec. 20. Madness will also be joined by very special guest Squeeze. Celebrating their biggest hits that have defined their lengthy career, Madness will be performing all the classics from their iconic, extensive back catalogue and fan favourites including "Our House," "It Must Be Love," "House Of Fun," "Baggy Trousers," "One Step Beyond," and more. Throughout their career, the band have had 11 UK top ten albums, 15 top ten singles and have won a multitude of awards including a prestigious Ivor Novello. Known for their high energy, raucous sets, Madness have performed on the top of Buckingham Palace as part of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations and set the record for the biggest ever audience for the BBC's Live New Year's Eve Broadcast -- the most watched TV music event of 2018. - Music-News.com, 3/25/25...... Larry Tamblyn, founding member of the '60s garage band The Standells and brother of actor Russ Tamblyn, died of as yet undisclosed causes on Mar. 21. He was 82. The frontman and keyboardist's death was announced by his nephew, Dennis Tamblyn, in a Facebook post. "My uncle Larry Tamblyn passed away today," Dennis posted. "I have very fond memories of him and his family over the years. He lived an incredible life. He was in a band called The Standells, whose hit song 'Dirty Water' is still played to this day whenever the Red Sox or the Bruins win a home game. They also played on an episode of The Munsters." Tamblyn continued: "A few years ago, The Standells played at Hotel Congress here in Tucson, Ariz., and Larry stayed with me. It was so great to hang out with him and catch up. He was still making music well into his later years. You will be missed, Uncle Larry." Mr. Tamblyn, who is the younger brother of Twin Peaks actor Russ Tamblyn and uncle of actress Amber Tamblyn, was born in Los Angeles on Feb. 5, 1943. The Standells were formed in 1962 by Tamblyn, guitarist Tony Valentino, bassist Jody Rich and drummer Benny King. In 1966, they recorded their most famous hit "Dirty Water" which is still played after every Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins home win. It peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard charts. "Dirty Water" became the band's calling card, acting as one of the anchors of both the 1972 Nuggets garage rock compilation as well as a sports anthem for a number of Boston-area professional teams. In addition to 1965 episodes of The Munsters, The Bing Crosby Show and Ben Casey, The Standells also appeared in such low-budget films as Get Yourself A College Girl (1964) and Riot On Sunset Strip (1967). After taking a long break to pursue a solo career, Mr. Tamblyn performed again under the band's name in 2009 with bassist John Fleck, guitarist Paul Downing and drummer Greg Burnham. They released their final album Bump in 2013. That same year former drummer Dick Dodd, died aged 68 after battling cancer. In addition to his work with the group, Mr. Tamblyn released an autobiography, From Squeaky Clean to Dirty Water: My Life with Sixties Garage Rock Trailblazers the Standells, in 2022. In Dec. 2023, Mr. Tamblyn was inducted into the California Music Hall of Fame by his brother. - NME, 3/23/25.

Saturday, March 22, 2025

The late The Ramones frontman Joey Ramone will be the subject of a new children's book, Gabba Gabba We Accept You: The Wondrous Tale Of Joey Ramone. Due on June 27 via the record label Drag City, the book "tells the story of a misfit kid who grew up to be a punk rock hero," according to a press release. "The challenging times that Jeffrey Ross Hyman endured before becoming Joey Ramone speak to young folks navigating the complexities of growing up, via teachable punk stuff: being your own person with your own compass, embracing uniqueness, etc.... [and] affirm everyone has a place in the world," it adds. The book's announcement can be viewed on Drag City's X page. Meanwhile, a legal battle has ensued over a planned Joey Ramone biopic, with Pete Davidson in the lead, with Johnny Ramone's estate suing Joey's brother Mickey Leigh over the biopic. It was claimed that Leigh -- real name Mitchel Hyman -- "covertly developed an unapproved and unauthorized Ramones-based biopic" based on his "one-sided recitation of the history of the Ramones." He counter-sued Johnny's widow Linda Cummings-Ramone, calling her attempts to shut down the biopic as "baseless and flimsy." Hyman also later filed a lawsuit against her for allegedly "exploiting" the Ramones' legacy. - New Musical Express, 3/20/25...... The Eagles have added eight more dates to their ongoing residency at Las Vegas' Sphere. Their remaining dates at the mind-bending venue will be on Apr. 4, 5, 11 and 12, with four late summer dates on Sept. 5, 6, 12 and 12. Their original string of gigs kicked off on Sept. 20, 2024, and feature ticket prices beginning at $175. Ensuring that they get into the hands of fans, presale registration is available now at https://eagles.com, and begins Mar. 25) at 1 p.m. ET. Live Nation and SiriusXM presales will launch on Mar. 26 at 1 p.m. ET. Limited VIP ticket packages will go on sale on Tuesday as well at 1 p.m. ET and include premium seats, exclusive merch and parking. Vibee, the hotel & experience package partner for the Eagles Sphere residency, has packages including a concert ticket and two-night stay at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas -- the only resort attached to Sphere -- with guests receiving priority entry to the venue, commemorative keepsakes and more. Vibee packages for the existing and newly announced dates are available now at Eagles.vibee.com. When the Eagles began their residency at Las Vegas' Sphere in September, they also debuted a "Third Encore" fan experience at the neighboring Venetian Resort. The space allowed fans to go inside a re-creation of the famed West Hollywood Troubadour venue where the California rockers got their start in the 1970s and where legend has it that Don Henley and Glenn Frey. Live Nation's travel and music company Vibee expanded the VIP experience to include a Hotel California pop-up, paying tribute to the band's 1976 album and its immortal title track. The most interactive piece of the space is three hotel room doors that open to three different moments in the song, with each room number representing the time code of the corresponding lyrics. Room 052 takes you to a "dark desert highway," with a circa-1970s car dashboard leading the way; room 118 has a "mission bell" hanging above the doorway; and room 354 leads to a spooky mirrored hallway in search of "the passage back to the place I was before." - Billboard, 3/18/25...... Speaking of Sin City, on Mar. 19 Rod Stewart announced another six-pack of residency shows at Las Vegas' the Colosseum for this fall. "Las Vegas! You wanted more, so here we go I've added more shows! I'll be back at @colosseumatcp this September and October, Can't wait to see you all for another round of unforgettable nights," Stewart wrote on Instagram on Mar. 18. Tickets for the shows, which are slated to take place on Sept. 24, 25, 27 and Oct. 1, 3 and 4, went on sale on Mar. 21 through Ticketmaster. Stewart, 80, began a trio of shows at the Colosseum on Mar. 19, and also plays there on Mar. 21 and Mar. 22. After that he heads to Europe, with shows in Lithuania, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Italy and Portugal through mid-May. He will return to Europe in November for more gigs in Germany, as well as stops in Switzerland, Austria, Bulgaria and Greece. - Billboard, 3/19/25...... Neil Young announced on his Neil Young Archives site on Mar. 20 that he's cancelling a recently-announced free concert in Ukraine over safety concerns. Earlier in March, Young shared word of the forthcoming gig in the war torn country, revealing that his upcoming European tour with The Chrome Hearts would be preceded by his debut performance in the country. "We are currently in talks and will make the announcement of details here at NYA," he wrote on his Archives website. While specifics were not forthcoming, the tour is set to begin in Rättvik, Sweden on June 18, meaning the as-yet unannounced Ukrainian show would have ostensibly occurred in the immediate lead-up. However now the "Heart of Gold" singer says the show is no longer going ahead as initially planned. "We had a good venue, close to a shelter, but the changing situation on the ground was too much," he posted. "I could not in good conscience take my crew and instruments into that area. My apologies to all. Ukraine is a great country with a good leader. Slava Ukraini." In February, Young posted a message titled "Leader of the Free World No More" in which he said "under [Pres. Donald Trump's] leadership, the US has lost its standing. Loyalists will never be stronger than Patriots, and Patriots are in the majority here in the USA. Our Patriots will take to the streets to peacefully demonstrate. There will be a moment of truth in our country and we will show the world who we really are. The USA will again be the leader of the Free World." - Billboard, 3/20/25...... '70s stars Queen and Herbie Hancock will be among the 2025 recipients of Sweden's prestigious Polar Music Prize. The Polar Music Prize, founded in 1989 by ABBA manager/publisher/lyricist Stig "Stikkan" Anderson, is presented at a ceremony in Stockholm in the presence of the Swedish royal family. Each Laureate will receive a cash award of one million Swedish Krona (approx. 74,082 GBP and $93,897 USD). Previous prize Laureates include Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Chuck Berry, Led Zeppelin, Patti Smith, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Elton John, among others. This year's ceremony will be held on May 27, at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm and is set to broadcast live in Sweden on TV4 at 8 p.m. CET. "We are highly and deeply honoured to be given the Polar Music Prize this year," the three surviving Queen members -- Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon -- said in a statement. "It's incredible, thank you so much." Hancock, 84, said: "The Polar Music Prize is a prestigious honour, and I am both thrilled and humbled to be a recipient. The Laureates who have come before me have left an indelible mark on humanity through their profound examples of inspiration and dedication." - Billboard, 3/18/25...... In related news, Elton John has been named the 2025 recipient of the Glenn Gould Prize, which was established in 1987 by The Glenn Gould Foundation to honor the legacy of legendary Canadian pianist Glenn Gould. Gould, whose 1956 album Bach: Goldberg Variations is considered a classic, died in 1982 at age 50, and he received a posthumous lifetime achievement award from the Grammy Awards' Recording Academy in 2013. "After spending decades admiring the virtuosity of Glenn Gould's work, I am awestruck and honored to receive this award," Sir Elton said in a statement. The Glenn Gould Prize is awarded biennially and includes a CDN$100,000 cash award for the Laureate, who also selects an exceptional young artist to receive the CDN$25,000 Glenn Gould Protege Prize. The prize will be presented to John during a special gala celebration to be held in Toronto this fall. Previous recipients include Philip Glass, Leonard Cohen, André Previn, Pierre Boulez and Yo-Yo Ma. In other Elton news, a concert special showcasing the Rocket Man and his recent collaborator Brandi Carlile, An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile, will air on CBS on Apr. 6 at 8-9 p.m. ET/PT and stream on Paramount+. In a concert filmed on Mar. 26 at London's iconic Palladium Theatre and accompanied by a live band, John and Carlile perform songs from their new album, Who Believes in Angels?, which is due Apr. 4 via Interscope Records. The musicians will also play a selection of their individual greatest hits, and an unreleased track by Carlile. Between these solo and duo performances, the two stars will engage in an intimate sit-down conversation on stage that promises to "pull back the curtain on their 20-year friendship, the journey behind their latest collaboration and share intimate footage from their process," according to the press release. Additionally, throughout the evening, those closest to the stars -- who are both LGBTQ icons -- will pay tribute to the artists' careers. John and Carlile are also set to be the musical guests on NBC's Saturday Night Live on Apr. 5 in an episode hosted by Jack Black. It will be John's fourth time on SNL, after musical performances in 1981 and 1992 and a hosting/performing double stint in 2011. - Billboard, 3/20/25...... In an interview with Rolling Stone, the Grateful Dead's Bobby Weir suggested it's possible for the GD to reunite as a trio following the 2024 passing of bass player Phil Lesh. Lesh died in October, at the age of 84, and before his passing, Weir, 77, and bandmates Bill Kreutzmann, 78, and Mickey Hart, 81, had been planning a 60th anniversary reunion tour with Lesh. But should the band reunite, Weir admits he couldn't replace his beloved bandmate. "I think when Phil checked out, so did that notion, because we don't have a bass player who's been playing with us for 60 years now," he said. "And that was the intriguing prospect. I think you need somebody holding down the bottom. Phil had all kinds of ideas that were pretty much unique to him. I grew up with Phil holding down the bottom in his unique way." Asked about reuniting as a three-piece, he added: "I suppose I could go back out. I wouldn't put anybody in his place, so it would be a trio at this point. It'd be me and two drummers. I'd have to think about that. I haven't thought about it -- it's just now occurring to me that it's a possibility that we could do that, since you asked. I guess we'll just see what the three of us can pull together." In Dec. 2024, the trio turned up with Lesh's son, Grahame, to be honoured by then-Pres. Joe Biden at the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2015, Weir, Lesh, Kreutzmann, and Hart reunited for a "farewell tour," in which they claimed the five shows would be their last together. - Music-News.com, 3/21/25...... Stevie Wonder will headline the UK's BST Hyde Park festival for the third time when he performs on the Great Oak Stage on July 12. The R&B legend will join an already packed roster of BST Hyde Park 2025 headliners that includes the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Zach Bryan, Sabrina Carpenter, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, Jeff Lynne's ELO, the Doobie Brothers, Stevie Winwood and Dhani Harrison during various evenings from June 28-July 13. Wonder's U.K. tour will kick off his "Love, Light & Song" U.K. tour with a July 3 show at the Lytham Festival in Lancashire, followed by a July 5 gig at Co-Op Live in Manchester, a July 7 stop at Utilita Arena in Birmingham and a July 9 gig at Blackweir Field in Cardiff. Wonder was recently on hand at a memorial for Roberta Flack at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, N.Y. - Billboard, 3/17/25...... Alice Cooper is coming out for British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Cooper, who was inducted into the RRHOF himself in 2011, shouted out the band -- who are set to head out on the road this summer with their "Run For Your Lives" tour of the UK and Europe -- during a Q&A session on the Rock Legends Cruise in February. When the "School's Out" singer was asked which artists he'd like to see inducted into the Rock Hall, Cooper mentioned Maiden, saying: "I mean, come on -- Iron Maiden. How can you diss Iron Maiden? They have their own army out there." Alice also commented on the Rock Hall's pivot to include non-rock acts. "It's really hard for me to put somebody, let's say, like Missy Elliott in with The Who," he admitted. "I was in there going, 'Come on. It's rock and roll bands - that's what rock is. But then I kind of loosened up that idea. Even Dolly Parton said, 'I don't belong in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame,' but then she made a rock record. I don't think anybody begrudges her that, but I would still I would prefer to see an Iron Maiden in there before I would see some of these other ones." Iron Maiden have been eligible to join the RRHOF since 2004, although they've only been nominated twice, in 2021 and 2023. Cooper meanwhile has confirmed two upcoming shows for the UK later this summer, marking his only performances in Scotland and Wales for 2025. - NME, 3/17/25...... A Vancouver, B.C. record store owner has discovered he that he bought, unbeknownst to himself, a rare and unknown Beatles recording from 1962. A few years ago, Rob Frith of Neptoon Records bought a reel-to-reel tape labelled "Beatles demo." But he didn't bother to actually listen to it; he just assumed someone had put a Beatles bootleg on the tape. Recently as he was transferring some tapes at broadcaster Larry Hennessey's recording studio and brought along the Beatles tape. "All of a sudden, it was like the Beatles are in the room playing," he said, a sense of astonishment still in his voice. "The quality was that good." Turns out, it really was a Beatles demo -- a legendary session they recorded on Jan. 1, 1962, for Decca Records. Decca rejected the band, which is arguably the biggest mistake in music history. Instead, EMI signed the Beatles a few months later and they became a worldwide sensation. The tape features the Beatles' original drummer Pete Best, not Ringo Starr. Most of the songs are covers like "Money," "To Know Him is to Love Him" and "The Sheik of Araby." But there are three original songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney: "Like Dreamers Do," "Hello Little Girl," and "Love of the Loved." Not all 15 recordings in the Decca session have been officially released, although it's been widely bootlegged. Five songs from the session were officially released on the Beatles Anthology I in 1995. Whoever sold the Beatles tape probably didn't know what it was: they didn't hype it to Frith. "I actually can't remember who I bought it from," Frith said. "I think it was an engineer that worked in Vancouver for years and years that was moving." Frith won't be able to legally reproduce the music on the tape for copyright reasons. But it has value as an artifact: a copy of the Decca sessions that once belonged to Beatles manager Brian Epstein, which had only half the recordings, sold for 62,500 pounds (about CDN$117,000) in 2019. - Canoe.com, 3/19/25...... Marty Callner, an acclaimed TV and music video director responsible for numerous music videos, concert specials, and stand-up performances, passed away at his home in Malibu from natural causes on Mar. 17. He was 78. Helming specials featuring Robert Klein, Redd Foxx, Robin Williams and Myron Cohen, Callner also directed 1981's The Pee-Wee Herman Show, having discovered comedian Paul Reubens at The Groundlings in Los Angeles. Callner shifted his focus towards music with names such as Diana Ross, Paul Simon and Liza Minnelli, before rising to prominence as an unsung hero of the entertainment world through his prolific career directing music videos. Alongside videos for beloved names such as Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, Heart and The Bangles, Callner was responsible for some of the most memorable music videos in history. His impressive resum includes Cher,'s "If I Could Turn Back Time," Twisted Sister,'s "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock," Whitesnake,'s "Here I Go Again" and "Is This Love," Poison,'s "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," and numerous clips for Aerosmith,, including "Livin' on the Edge," "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," and "Love in an Elevator." His career would also boast numerous live concert specials, including a number of famed pop stars of the '90s and '00s, including Madonna, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and NSYNC. - Billboard, 3/20/25...... Former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman, known as much for his gregarious personality as his vicious right hook, died on Mar. 21. He was 76 years old. A two-time heavyweight champion, he also won gold at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and later saw success, in his post-boxing career, pitching the now-omnipresent countertop grill that bears his name. Foreman's family announced his death in a post on Instagram, and they provided no cause of death. "A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, He was deeply respected -- a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name -- for his family," it reads. Born Jan. 10, 1949, Foreman was the fifth of seven children and grew up "in the toughest neighborhood in Houston," he wrote in his book George Foreman's Guide To Life: How to Get Up Off the Canvas When Life Knocks You Down, which was published in 2003. "I didn't have a lot to look forward to in life," he wrote. "At least I didn't think I did. I was hungry all the time; I dropped out of school in the eighth grade; I relied on my size and my fists to make my way." At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Foreman, then 19, had already developed what ESPN would go on to call his "wrecking ball fists," and defeated Soviet opponent Jonas Cepulis. The referee had to stop the fight before the end of the second round. Foreman won his first heavyweight title at just 24 with a stunning knockout of the then-undefeated world champion Joe Frazier in 1973. Billed as "The Rumble in the Jungle," Foreman's most famous fight ended in his first professional loss to Muhammad Ali in Oct. 1974. He surrendered the heavyweight title in the knockout loss. But he would regain the belt after a 10-year retirement in a fight in 1994 against Michael Moorer at 45 years old. In the pivot to entrepreneur, Foreman saw success in the 1990s promoting the "George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine," a staple on TV infomercials and home-shopping channels, which was known for its ridged and slanted cooking surface that was designed to allow fat to slide off the grill. There's hardly a single lesson I've learned in life that didn't come the hard way... Everyone in life goes through a hard time sometime, but you can't let that define who you are," he wrote in his 2003 book. "What defines you is how you come back from those troubles and what you find in life to smile about." - ABC News, 3/21/25...... Jesse Colin Young, the co-founder and vocalist for late '60s folk-rockers The Youngbloods, passed away at his Aiken, S.C. home on Mar. 16, according to his wife/manager Connie Young. He was 83. Born Perry Miller in New York City in 1941, Mr. Young grew up in a musical household and was encouraged by his parents to learn piano from a young age. Attending Massachusetts' Phillips Academy on a scholarship, Mr. Young studied guitar but was expelled, later enrolling in Ohio State University after high school before transferring to New York University. Deciding to become a full-time musician in the early '60s, he adopted the Jesse Colin Young moniker from famed western outlaws Jesse James and Cole Younger, and Formula One innovator Colin Chapman. Mr. Young issued his debut album, The Soul of a City Boy, in 1964 via Capitol Records, before following it up with Young Blood on Mercury in 1965. That same year, Mr. Young teamed up with guitarist and folk singer Jerry Corbitt with whom he would form The Youngbloods, named for his recently-released album. The band's second single, "Grizzly Bear," from their 1967 self-titled debut album, gave them their first success when it reached No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The album also featured a version of the Chet Powers-penned "Get Together." The single would only hit No. 62 on the Hot 100 upon its release, but was reissued in 1969 where it went to No. 5, ultimately going Gold, and defining the musical sound that accompanied the peace-loving attitudes of the '60s. "As the frontman of The Youngbloods, he immortalized the ideals of the Woodstock generation with 'Get Together,' an international hit that called for peace and brotherhood during the turbulent 1960s," a statement released following Young's passing noted. "During the decades that followed, Young expanded both his audience and his artistic range, releasing a string of solo albums that mixed socially conscious lyrics with top-tier guitar skills and gorgeous vocals." The Youngbloods would split in 1972 following five albums, though would later reform in late 1984 for a brief tour. Mr. Young returned to his career as a solo musician upon the band's initial breakup, with his most successful record, 1975's Songbird, peaking at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart upon its release. In 2012, Mr. Young retired from performing following a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease, though he returned to the stage in 2016, with Dreamers arriving as his final album in 2019. "An acclaimed songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, producer, label owner, podcast host, and longtime social/environmental activist, [Young] has established a permanent place in America's musical landscape -- while continuing to make modern music that's every bit as vital as his work during the counterculture era," the statement issued upon Mr. Young's passing concluded. Mr. Young is survived by his wife and manager, Connie; their children Tristan and Jazzie Young; and two children from his first marriage, Juli and Cheyenne Young. - Billboard, 3/17/25...... Lenny Schultz, a former stand-up comic and star of Laugh-In, died on Mar. 16 at his home in Delray Beach, Fla. He was 91. A frequent guest on late night shows in the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Schultz was a pioneer among a crop of comedians that embraced wacky and "out-there" comedy. People in the audiences of shows he starred in like Laugh-In would chant "Go crazy Lenny," in order to get him to bust out some of his zanier bits. When he wasn't playing weird characters like the Bionic Chicken, part of what Mr. Schutlz did so well was adding sound effects to his stand-up bits. In his his classic 1977 bit "It Started with a Bang," Mr. Schutlz recounted the formation of the solar system, with an incredible bit that anthropomorphized various explosions as well as the planets themselves. Even though his stand-up career was thriving, Mr. Schultz stuck with his job -- for more than a decade -- as a gym teacher, leaving clubs early when it was a school night. "The next day I'm in a smelly gym with kids! It was crazy!" he noted. In his stand-up act, he often was assisted by his second wife, Helen, who helped him with his sound cues and myriad props (they were married from 1965 until their 1982 divorce). She said he endured two bouts with COVID in his later years. The humble, funny, and delightfully weird Mr. Schutlz was often praised by such comedic legends as Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal, John Stewart and David Letterman. His legacy lives on in the wide world of physical comedy, and anytime a comedian dares to step outside of anything remotely normal. - Men's Journal, 3/18/25.

Monday, March 17, 2025

On Mar. 13 KISS co-founder Gene Simmons joined L.A. TV station Fox 11 to deliver a weather report with numerous KISS references, a quick rap and even tap dancing. Appearing alongsite meteorologist Adam Krueger, Simmons told Krueger that he looks "much better in real life than you do on TV," before going on to discuss the weather. Krueger dropped in a few Kiss references throughout the forecast such as: "There's been a lot of rain lately, and the rain you drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy talking about this rain," Recognizing the reference to "Rock and Roll All Nite," Simmons responded: "Hey, I wrote that. I like that." At the end of the forecast, Krueger told Simmons that it was time to wrap, but the bassist mistook the cue and began rapping "If you go to 7/11, go to heaven" before receiving a round of applause and laughter from the crew in the studio, adding in a quick tap dance. Simmons' debut stint as a weatherman can be viewed on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 3/17/25..... Speaking to NYC radio station Q104.3 on Mar. 16, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson revealed that several drummers reached out to his band to audition for late Rush drummer Neal Peart's job after Peart passed away in Jan. 2020 of brain cancer at age 67. Lifeson was asked if he and bassist Geddy Lee have considered reforming the band with a new drummer. "Oh, well, yeah, of course, because we're bombarded by it all the time," Lifeson said. "After Neil passed, it didn't take more than a few minutes before we started getting e-mails from all kinds of drummers who wanted to audition for the band, thinking that we were just gonna replace somebody that we played with for 40 years who wrote all the lyrics for our music." He continued: "I don't know what some of these people were thinking. So, yeah, we've had the conversation, because we can't avoid it." Rush last performed together for a farewell tour in 2015 playing 35 headline shows across North America. In 2022, Lifeson and Geddy Lee reunited in public to perform as part of the tribute shows in Los Angeles and London for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. The pair also participated in a Peart tribute concert in Los Angeles in Sept. 2020. Peart's full interview can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 3/17/25...... Taking a cue from The Cure's Robert Smith, Neil Young has taken to his Neil Young Archives website to walk back his "Platinum" ticket option, in which Ticketmaster introduced high priced Platinum tickets to the areas where scalpers were buying the most tickets for resale. "I have decided to let the people work this out," Young said. "Buy aggressively when the tickets come out or tickets will cost a lot more in a secondary market," he added. In Oct. 2024, Robert Smith told the London Times that he was "shocked by how much profit is made [by ticketing]." "I thought, 'We don't need to make all this money.' My fights with the label have all been about how we can price things lower. The only reason you'd charge more for a gig is if you were worried that it was the last time you would be able to sell a T-shirt," he said. Young's upcoming tour will see him accompanied on all shows by his new Chrome Hearts band, who released the grungy anthem "Big Change" in January and have an album tentatively scheduled for release in April. - Billboard, 3/16/25...... ZZ Top issued a statement on Instagram on Mar. 14 saying that their co-founding drummer Frank Beard will be taking time off of their tour to undergo a "health procedure." Beard will be replaced on the tour, which kicked off on Mar. 5, by the band's "fellow Texan and longtime tech member, percussionist and drummer" John Douglas, who they say has a "close relationship" with the group and previously filled in when Beard underwent an emergency appendectomy in Paris in 2002. The statement concluded by saying Beard is "looking forward to a speedy recovery." Beard has served as ZZ Top's drummer for over 55 years, after taking over from founding drummer Dan Mitchell who played on the band's first single "Salt Lick." Their most recent LP was the live album Raw in 2022, which followed the death of ZZ Top bassist, Dusty Hill, the previous year. Raw was an 11-track LP recorded for the trio's 2019 Netflix documentary, That Little Ol' Band From Texas. - NME, 3/16/25...... A new documentary claims that The Doors frontman Jim Morrison could still be alive. In Before the End, a new film created by Doors superfan Jeff Finn, conspiracy theories will be examined that suggest Morrison may have faked his own death after becoming disillusioned with the fame and attention his success had brought him. It will examine the "evidence" of the theories that Morrison may still be alive, including one revolving around a man named "Frank X," who works in maintenance in Syracuse, N.Y., but who some believe is actually Morrison in disguise. Morrison was found dead in the bathtub of his apartment in Paris by his girlfriend Pamela Courson on July 3, 1971. He was 27 years old at the time, with the official cause of death listed as heart failure. The trailer for Before The End has been shared on YouTube, and streaming options for the film can be found at www.zmachine.net. - NME, 3/13/25...... On Mar. 14 Journey suddenly halted their Texas concert at NRG Stadium during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo following an electrical fire. Journey had performed just five songs when, during their 1981 hit "Don't Stop Believin'," they were forced to leave the stage after the sound cut out and the projector screens went dark. As the audience continued singing along to their 1981 hit, unaware of the issue, members of Journey's crew were reportedly seen rushing to the stage with fire extinguishers. Shortly after, the crowd was informed that the concert would not continue and that everyone needed to evacuate, according to Houston station KHOU. No injuries were reported. The livestock organization later posted on Facebook that they regretted the incident and apologized to fans, and "will provide updates regarding rescheduling options and refunds as soon as possible." Fan-captured video from the event can be viewed on X. - Billboard, 3/15/25...... Former Ozzy Osbourne bassist Rudy Sarzo says he is "honored" to have been invited to play at the upcoming final concert ever by Ozzy and Black Sabbath. Sabbath has announced they will return for one last concert at Villa Park in their hometown of Birmingham on July 5. The upcoming show will see the group's most iconic line-up -- comprising frontman Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward -- play live together for the first time in two decades. Sarzo, who played bass for Osbourne for a year in the '80s, said during an intervew with radio station WDHA 105.5 that last fall that he received a text from Sabbath show co-organizer Tom Morello that said, basically, "Hi, Rudy. [It's] Tom. Sharon and Ozzy asked me to see if you were available and wanted to participate in this event." Reflecting on the significance of the show to him personally, Sarzo said: "At that moment, for so many reasons, it was like time stood still and brought me back, like, 40 years. So after I got out that trance, I immediately said, 'Yes. Of course.'" Osbourne, who last performed a full set in 2018, recently said in a SiriusXM interview that due to his health issues he isn't planning on doing a full set with Black Sabbath, but "little bits and pieces with them... I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable." - NME, 3/14/25...... '70s funk-rock icon George Clinton has filed a $100 million copyright lawsuit against his former business partner Armen Boladian and his Bridgeport Music company over ownership of his music. The Parliament-Funkadelic musician -- who is set to be be inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame later in 2025 -- has alleged that Boladian fraudulently obtained copyrights to approximately 90 per cent of his catalogue. In a lawsuit on Mar. 11 in Florida District Court, Clinton alleged Boladian and Bridgeport, as well as Westbound Records, Nine Records, Southfield Music and Eastbound Records, have unlawfully profited from his music. He went on to hold a press conference outside of the Apollo Theatre to announce the suit alongside his attorney Ben Crump, stating that he aimed to reclaim ownership of his catalogue to provide for his family. Richard Busch, Boladian's lawyer, told Variety that "This is just the latest in a series of lawsuits that Mr. Clinton has filed against Bridgeport and Armen Boladian over the last 30 years raising the same exact issues. He has lost each and every time, including in the very courthouse in which he has filed this latest lawsuit. We will obviously therefore be moving to dismiss this lawsuit and will be seeking sanctions." Parliament-Funkadelic released their last album Medicaid Fraud Dog in 2018, marking their first new music in 38 years. Shortly after, Clinton announced his retirement from the road in 2019 and played his final shows in 2022 after they were delayed by the pandemic. - NME, 3/14/25...... Canadian pop music legend Anne Murray will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Junos in Vancouver, B.C. on Mar. 30. Nova Scotia native Murray, the most Juno-awarded artist in the history of Canada's national music honours, has won 25 Juno Awards. "Canada's National Arts Centre has been honoured to support countless Canadian performing artists from the beginning of their careers to the international stage, including this year's honouree, Anne Murray," says Christopher Deacon, President and CEO of the National Arts Centre. Presented by the National Arts Centre/Centre National des Arts, Murray will be the first performer to receive the recognition since it was awarded to Pierre Juneau in 1989. Murray, the singer behind such classics as "Snowbird" and others has sold over 55 million albums and has won four Grammy Awards, including best female pop vocal performance in 1978 for "You Needed Me." Her debut hit "What About Me" launched her career in 1968. - Canoe.com, 3/13/25...... Actress Amanda Seyfried has denied that her appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon earlier in March in which she performed an impromptu cover of Joni Mitchell's 1971 classic "California" was an audition for Cameron Crowe's forthcoming Joni Mitchell biopic. Speaking with Variety's Just For Variety podcast, Seyfried said she never meant for the cover to be taken as an audition: "It was not an audition. In fact, I didn't even consider that, which is funny. What I know about that project is that I'm very, very much aged-out of [playing] young Joni." Crowe first announced his Mitchell project in 2023, and a cast has yet to be announced though it was reported that Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep -- a close friend of Mitchell's -- was in talks to portray an older version of the singer-songwriter in the biopic. - NME, 3/14/25...... A longtime dream of R&B/soul legend Otis Redding has finally come true as the Otis Redding Foundation has announced that the Otis Redding Center for the Arts (ORCA) will celebrate its grand opening in Redding's hometown of Macon, Ga., on Mar. 22. Following her husband's untimely death in 1967, ORCA president founder Zelma Redding has remained committed to fulfilling their vision of giving back to the community by enriching young people through the arts. "This is a dream that my husband and I shared," she said in a statement. "And being able to turn that dream into a reality with the help of my children, grandchildren and all of those who support us, means more to me than words can express." The Otis Redding Center for the Arts is a state-of-the-art, 15,000 square-foot facility housing seven creative labs, five private lesson rooms, an amphitheater and the O3 Recording Studio. The latter is named after the Reddings' son, Otis Redding III, who died in April 2023. The famed Otis Redding statue, previously located in Gateway Park, now stands outside of ORCA at the corner of Cotton Avenue and Cherry Street. Also nearby is the Otis Redding Museum at 339 Cotton Avenue. Otis Redding, nicknamed "The King of Soul," died on Dec. 10, 1967, in a plane crash near Madison, Wisc., at age 26. - Billboard, 3/13/25...... Joan Baez will appear with an electic panel of fellow guests on the season debut of John Mulaney's new Netflix series Everybody's Live With John Mulaney. In a prelude to a story about Martin Luther King Jr., Baez said she needed to "set the context" for what is going on in our country at the moment. "You said I could say anything I want out here," Baez said to Mulaney. "We're all here to be silly and have fun, and as long as we recognize the fact that our democracy is going up in flames we're being run by a bunch of really incompetent billionaires." Baez did not specifically note who said billionaires are, but it appeared she was talking about Pres. Donald Trump and DOGE boss Elon Musk, who have been deeply slashing the federal government workforce over the past two months in their attempt to cut government spending in a manner that has raised alarms about the impact on the environment, American's health and safety of the LGBTQ+ community. After Mulaney joked about the thought of Baez driving a Tesla, the singer noted that she actually used to own one of Musk's all-electric cars after her assistant suggested she try one, but that she now has serious buyer's remorse. "I hated that thing," Baez, 84, said. "But I thought I was supposed to like it. So I drove off in it. Within 45 minutes I had smashed it into an oak tree on my property I was thinking, 'That's a sign.'" While Baez said the crash was not on purpose, the joke came amid a national, and international, backlash against Musk's chainsaw-like slashing of federal programs that has seen Tesla vehicles and showrooms vandalized. "I hated it," Baez repeated about the car without specifying when she owned it. "It was too big I sold it and got one-half the amount of money I paid for." Baez's appearance on the Mulaney show can be streamed on X. - Billboard, 3/13/25...... Time to "turn it up to 11" once again. The highly anticipated sequel of the 1984 comedy, This Is Spinal Tap, officially has a release date. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues will hit theaters on Sept. 12 with Bleeker Street Studios gaining the U.S. distribution rights, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Rob Reiner is returning as director, and also reprising his role as documentarian Martin "Marty" DiBergi. "This Is Spinal Tap isn't just a movie -- it's a cultural touchstone that pioneered the mockumentary genre and left an indelible mark on both film and music," Bleeker Street CEO said in a statement. "Returning to this world through Spinal Tap II is an extraordinary chance to celebrate its legacy while creating something fresh for both new and devoted audiences." The original film -- in which most of the dialogue was improvised -- follows the rockers on a 1982 U.S. tour to promote their Smell the Glove album. Though the film did modestly at the box office at the time, it has since blossomed into a must-see movie with a cult following, even making it onto the Library of Congress' list of culturally significant artifacts. Spinal Tap II will reunite the band after a 15-year break for one last concert. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer will be returning in the sequel as the fictional English band Spinal Tap, while Fran Drescher will also be reprising her role as publicist Bobbi Flekman. Chad Smith, Lars Ulrich, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are all set to make cameos in the upcoming film. - Billboard, 3/12/25...... The first trailer for the upcoming John Lennon and Yoko Ono documentary One to One has been shared on YouTube. The two-minute clip opens with audio of Lennon calling someone named Howard, in which the woman on the other end begins to spell out the singer's name only to realize who she's talking to. "You're a member of the Beatles?" she asks. "That's right, yeah," Lennon answers nonchalantly. From there, the footage explodes into a collage of images of bombs falling in the Vietnam war and the couple preparing for a charity show as Lennon says, "good morning, folks. Have you had your breakfast yet?," accompanied by footage of the former Beatle having his bowl of morning cereal. The movie, directed by Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald, is a chronicle of the couple's new life in New York post-Beatles in 1972, following them as they move into an apartment in Greenwich Village and prepare for their "One to One" concerts, a two-show all-star charity event for children with special needs that they threw at Madison Square Garden in Aug. 1972. It was the only full-length performance by Lennon in the wake of the Fab Four's split two years earlier and in addition to the Plastic Ono Band it featured sets by Stevie Wonder, Sha Na Na and Roberta Flack, among others. - Billboard, 3/13/25...... Willie Nelson took to Instagram on Mar. 12 to formally announce his 154th studio album, Oh What a Beautiful World, will drop on Apr. 25. Like past albums, Oh What A Beautiful World sees Nelson dedicate an entire album to interpreting the works of notable songwriters. This time, he's focusing on songs written by Rodney Crowell. Nelson has released the title track as the record's first single, and it can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 3/13/25...... Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell has told Guitar Player magazine that his "conscience is clear" and he "doesn't torture himself" over his bandleader Tom Petty's 2017 death from an accidental drug overdose. Petty's death at age 66 sent shockwaves through the rock community, especially after a coroner's report determined that a mix of opioids -- including fentanyl and oxycodone -- in his system contributed to a fatal "mixed drug toxicity." The rock legend had gone through periods of drug use throughout his life, but famously got clean in 1999 when his future wife, Dana York, convinced him to go to rehab. Campbell, 75, explained that while he recognized Petty was no longer sober near the end of his life, he felt it was impossible to get through to his longtime bandmate of over 40 years. "With Tom it was like, 'Your private life is yours, and mine is mine. I can see what you're doing, but out of respect for you, I'll trust you'll do the right thing. If you need me, call me,'" he recalled. "I could have gone to him and said, 'Hey, you've got to cut this s--- out,' which I kind of did once to the manager. But the thing with Tom was, you could say that and he would just look at you like, 'But I'm Tom Petty. I'm going to do whatever I f---ing want. Get out of my face.'" Campbell, who will release a memoir about his career with Petty called Heartbreaker on Mar. 18, suggested that "the sides of [Petty's] personality" always made it challenging to get close to the musician he worked with for more than 40 years. "He was intimidating, but there was love there. I think one reason we stayed together is because we kept our private lives separate. We didn't socialize that much off tour," he insisted. The last time the pair worked together was only a week before Petty's death, when they concluded their 40th Anniversary Tour at the Hollywood Bowl in Sept. 2017. When Campbell was pressed on why he didn't "get in [Petty's] face" about his noticeable decline, the musician replied: "I don't torture myself. My conscious is clear because Tom knew that I knew, and Tom knew that I wasn't forcing him and getting in his face about it." Since Petty's death in 2017, Campbell and Crowded House's Neil Finn have joined Fleetwood Mac as replacements for Lindsey Buckingham following the latter guitarist's acrimonious departure from the group. - US Weekly, 3/13/25.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Billy Joel announced on Mar. 11 that he's postponing his current North American spring tour for four months due to an undisclosed medical condition. Joel, 75, underwent surgery recently, and says he'll use the time to recover and undergo physical therapy. "While I regret postponing any shows, my health must come first," Joel, 75, said in a statement posted to Instagram. "I look forward to getting back on stage and sharing the joy of live music with our amazing fans. Thank you for your understanding." He's expected to make a full recovery, with the tour resuming at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on July 5. The stadium tour, which includes Joel often pairing with fellow legends Stevie Nicks, Sting or Rod Stewart, had been slated to get underway Mar. 15 in Toronto. It is unknown if the surgery was related to the spill the Piano Man took on stage Feb. 22 during a show at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., while tossing his microphone during "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." Joel quickly recovered from the fall, seemingly uninjured, and finished the show. The delay will not affect Joel's three New York City-area summer shows. He'll play Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on July 18; Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 8; and Citi Field, in Queens, N.Y., on Aug. 21, making him the first artist to play all three NYC-area stadiums in one summer. Stewart will join him July 18, Nicks on Aug. 8 and Sting on Aug. 21. - Billboard, 3/11/25...... Former J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf has just released a new book, Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses, and though it tracks Wolf's childhood to relatively recently, it isn't a standard, linear memoir. Rather, it's a collection of stories -- and a fascinating, good-humored one at that -- as the New York-born Wolf regales readers with his Forrest Gump-like life of encounters with such famous stars as Marilyn Monroe, who once literally fell asleep on him as a 10-year-old while both attended a screening of a film at a local movie theater. Also included are recollections of his interactions and relationships with blues heroes such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker, as well as his fellow rockers Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, the Rolling Stones, John Lennon and Harry Nilsson, Sly Stone, Aretha Franklin and more. "My goal was to make a book of short stories, treat each chapter like its own short story," explains Wolf, who was an art student and radio DJ in Boston as well as a musician," says Wolf, who joined the J. Geils Band in 1967 and fronted them to multi-platinum fame in 1981 with the chart-topping album Freeze-Frame and its No. 1 smash "Centerfold." Other subjects include his actress former wife Faye Dunaway, to whom he was wed from 1974-79, and the J. Geils Band, which asked him to leave the group in 1983. "I didn't want this to be a kiss-and-tell book; I just wanted to write about these incredible people that I had the privilege to meet and to get to know to certain degrees and capture that," he says. Wolf has recorded an audio version of Waiting On the Moon and has a handful of author appearances planned throughout March, including bookstores in Cambridge, Mass. (3/11), New York City (3/12), Ridgewood, N.J. (3/13), Portsmouth, N.H. (3/18), and Philadelphia (3/27), with an Apr. 8 stop in Madison, Conn. He's also "about 80 percent" finished with his new solo album, which will be his first since 2016's A Cure For Loneliness. "I think if the book connects with people it would even put the wind beneath my wings to finish the record and put it out," he says. A reissue of the J. Geils Band's classic 1972 concert album "Live" Full House is also slated for this year, according to Wolf. - Billboard, 3/11/25...... Such R&B/pop icons as Stevie Wonder, Valerie Simpson, Phylicia Rashad, Dionne Warwick, Alicia Keys, India.Arie and Peabo Bryson were among those lifting up their voices in tribute to the late pioneering singer-songwriter-musician Roberta Flack at a jam-packed celebration at New York's Abyssinian Baptist Church on Mar. 10. Also making unexpected appearances were Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, with Hill delivering a beautiful and measured take on the Flack classic "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" as emotional Hill sniffled her way through reflections about her late idol. "The artistry of Ms. Roberta Flack was beyond trailblazing.... Roberta Flack is a legend," Hill said in part. Stevie Wonder performed "If It's Magic," a track from his 1976 platinum album Songs in the Key of Life, and a tune that he wrote for Flack, "I Can See the Sun." Noted Wonder at the end, "She spread love all over this world." Also in attendance was a diverse range of artists and industry personages such as Clive Davis ("There will never be another Roberta Flack"), Oprah Winfrey and Flack's former Dakota apartment building neighbor, Yoko Ono. The celebration program also noted that donations in Flack's memory can be sent to the RobertaFlackFoundation.org. Flack died on Feb. 24 at age 88. - Billboard, 3/10/25...... A first-of-its-kind jazz and super club in Chicago's West Loop built and designed in honor of legendary Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia was announced on Mar. 10 by venue impressario Peter Shapiro. Shapiro has long collaborated with original members of the iconic 1960s band through projects like the "Fare Thee Well" concerts honoring the band's 50th anniversary, and also worked as the long-time promoter for late GD founding member Phil Lesh. For the new club, he has enlisted the help of Garcia's family members, including his daughter Trixie Garcia, who said the inspiration for Garcia's was "a live music club with a comfortable atmosphere for artists and guests... A place where Jerry could get his musical fix without going on the road." The 300-capacity concert venue will feature a full bar and restaurant, according to Shapiro, adding that the concept for Garcia's comes from iconic old supper and jazz clubs of yesteryear, including New York's Birdland, Harlem's esteemed Bill's Place or the Spotted Cat on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans. A full list of shows at the new venue can be found at GarciasChicago.live. - Billboard, 3/10/25...... A two-hour Ringo Starr special, Ringo & Friends at the Ryman, is currently streaming on-demand on the Paramount+ channel for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers. The special, which premiered on Mar. 10 on the CBS network, celebrates the music and legacy of Starr through the lens of country music. The Beatles drummer brought his love of country to life with two concerts taped at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on Jan. 14-15. In an exclusive clip from Billboard on YouTube, Starr, with a little help from friends like Jack White, performs the Carl Perkins rockabilly classic "Matchbox," which the Beatles covered in 1964. Other "friends" in the special include Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Mickey Guyton, Jamey Johnson, Rodney Crowell, the War and Treaty, and Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, both of whom appear on Ringo's new album Look Up, a current country Top 10 LP. - Billboard, 3/10/25...... In other Beatles-related news, Lady Gaga has revealed that the late John Lennon would be her dream collaborator. During a fan-led presser for her new album Mayhem, Gaga was asked by a fan was about her dream collaborator, dead or alive. "I think it would have been John Lennon. I think he had such a beautiful heart and I think that's one of my favorite things in like the history of music is when you don't just remember an artist for their music but you remember them for their heart," she said. In 2012, the "Born This Way"' hitmaker was awarded the Lennonono Grant For Peace by Lennon's widow Yoko Ono. She also performed a cover of "Imagine" at the opening of the inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan back in 2015. Mayhem, Gaga's highly anticipated seventh album, arrived on Mar. 7. - New Musical Express, 3/7/25...... '80s pop star Rick Springfield, who released his first album in the U.S., Comic Book Heroes, in 1974, has revealed in a new People interview that he has brain damage from a bad stage fall he took in 2000. Springfield, 75, said that after getting a whole-body MRI scan he was told that he still has lasting brain damage from an on-stage tumble during a Las Vegas show 25 years ago. "I fell 25 feet, hit my head and then wood came down and hit my head, and then my head hit the stage again," Springfield said of the nasty fall. "I thought I had just broken my wrist, but on the scan I found out I have some brain damage from the fall, so I'm working on trying to repair that." Despite being halfway through his seventh decade, the "Jessie's Girl" singer said he's still feeling like he's in his 20s in his head thanks to daily exercise, a mostly pescatarian diet and the dialing back of his alcohol intake a few years ago, which has also had a positive impact on his lifelong battle with depression. Springfield released his Big Hits: Rick Springfield's Greatest Hits, Volume 2 in December, and is slated to hit the road on the" I Want My 80s Tour" this summer alongside such fellow 1980s stars as John Waite, Wang Chung, Paul Young and John Cafferty. Details can be found in his Instagram page. - Billboard, 3/10/25...... In other pop idol news, '60s hitmaker Tommy James was forced to end a recent concert in Las Vegas an hour into the performance after suffering from exhaustion. James, 77, was singing "Do Something to Me" at the Golden Nugget casino on Mar. 7 when he was forced to stop the performance and take a breather before he could finish the 90-minute set. His rep said the reason was that he had been up early for his five-hour flight to Sin City. The rep confirmed the "Draggin' the Line" singer was back in New Jersey and doing "fine working on his Sirius XM radio show Gettin Together with Tommy James." James and his band The Shondells are next due onstage on Mar. 15 in Tulsa, Okla. The musician is best known as the frontman of the rock band, who had a string of hits in the '60s with "Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover" and "I Think We're Alone Now." James is a prolific artist, having released 12 solo studio albums and eight albums with the Shondells. More than 300 musicians have recorded renditions of his songs with three of the covers reaching the Top 10 on the hit parade in the 1980s: Joan Jett's "Crimson and Clover," Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now," and Billy Idol's "Mony Mony." - Music-News.com, 3/10/25...... Michael Jackson's eldest son Prince Jackson attended the Sydney, Australia opening night of "MJ: The Musical" at Lyric Theatre, Star City on Mar. 8. This isn't the first time Prince has shown his support for the production, which debuted on Broadway in 2022 and has since expanded globally. In Mar. 2024, he attended the London preview night alongside his siblings, Paris Jackson and Bigi Jackson, continuing their tradition of honoring their father's legacy. Two years prior, he and Paris made an appearance at the 2022 Tony Awards, where "MJ: The Musical" was nominated for multiple awards, including Best Musical. The siblings introduced the cast's performance of "Smooth Criminal "that night, with Prince reflecting on their father's deep love for musicals. "A lot of people seem to think our dad Michael Jackson changed popular music forever. And who are we to disagree?" he said during the awards show. "But what people may not know is that he loved musicals, on film and on the stage." Following its success in New York, the musical has expanded to London's West End, a U.S. national tour, and now Australia, where it will run in Sydney before moving to other cities. The four-time Tony Award-winning production transports audiences back to 1992, inside the high-stakes creative process of Jackson's "Dangerous World Tour." Through the lens of an MTV documentary crew, the musical explores not just Jackson's signature moves and music, but his relentless artistic vision and the challenges behind the scenes. Tickets for "MJ: The Musical" are available now at mjthemusical.com.au. - Billboard, 3/10/25...... Legendary KISS bassist Gene Simmons is giving fans the chance to live out their dreams of rock stardom by letting them be his roadie for a day with his Gene Simmons Band -- but it comes with a hefty price tag. As Simmons prepares to mount a tour with his band in April, the rocker has launched a handful of "Experiences" in which fans can purchase ahead of the upcoming dates. One of them is the "Gene Simmons Bass Experience," which allows you (and three guests) the chance to meet Simmons after the stage. The other of these experiences (dubbed "The Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience"') allows the purchaser to become "Simmons' personal assistant & band roadie for the day." This package costs a total of $12,495 (in addition to the original ticket price), and also includes a bass guitar that had been used by Simmons during a KISS rehearsal. Only one experience per concert is available, with 26 dates currently scheduled across North America between April and August. More info can be found at www.genesimmonsaxe.com. - Billboard, 3/10/25...... Native Englishman and current Connecticut resident Keith Richards is being honoured with a new Connecticut residents award. Richards, who has been living in The Constitution State since 1985, was awarded the Connecticut Governor's Award of Excellence on Mar. 5, which recognizes creativity, passion and generosity in the area. The Rolling Stones guitarist is the first person to receive this award, and he was given a custom-designed medallion during a ceremony at The Westport Library in Westport, Conn. Gov. Ned Lamont, a self-professed Stones fan, praised the veteran musician for his music career and his contributions to local charitable causes. "Well, thank you very much. And thank you Connecticut," Richards while accepting the award. "You kind of get lost for words with something like this around your neck. All I gotta say is, you know, I've been here for 40 years, and it's been a great place for me. The family's had a great life, The kids grew up great and incredibly happy about everything." Meanwhile, the Stones have been reported to be scrapping their plans to tour across the UK and Europe in 2025. According to the UK paper The Times, in late January the group announced they have opted against a return to touring later in the year. This reportedly came following a proposed multi-million pound stop at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium being rejected, amid other shows across Europe. - NME, 3/9/25...... Kraftwerk kicked off the North American leg of their "Multimedia" world tour at Philadelphia's Franklin Music Hall on Mar. 6, then performed on Mar. 8 at the Pittsburgh venue Stage AE Outdoors and on Mar. 10 in Montreal. Some of the tracks played by the German electronic-pop pioneers include "Autobahn," "Airwaves," Spacelab," "Neon Lights," and "Radioactivity." The encore at the Philidelphia gig included "The Robots" and "Planet of Visions." Ralf Hütter & co. announced the tour back in December. In total, 27 dates have been lined up for March and April 2025, including March stops in Montreal, Boston, Brooklyn, New York, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Kansas City, Mo. In April, they'll visit Denver, Portland, Ore., Vancouver, B.C., Indio, Calif, Salt Lake City, Indio, Calif., and Austin, Tex., before wrapping in Dallas on Apr. 24. Some fan-captured footage from the opening gigs have been shared on Instagram. - NME, 3/8/25...... After having an Order of Canada and Polaris Music Prize rescinded, Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie has now had a Juno Award along with her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame revoked after facing criticism and scrutiny following a 2023 CBC investigation that cast serious doubt on her claims of Indigenous identity. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), the organization that administers the Junos, released a statement, writing that the singer-songwriter does not meet eligibility requirements following her confirmation that she is not Canadian -- similar criteria that the Polaris Prize cited. It was a "not a reflection of Ms. Sainte-Marie's artistic contributions," CARAS writes. CARAS says it made the decision following a thorough review and consultations with the CARAS Indigenous Music Advisory Committee. In January of this year, Sainte-Marie's Order of Canada was terminated. On Mar. 4, The Canadian Press reported Sainte-Marie issued a statement about the termination, saying that she returned the Order "with a good heart" and affirming that she is a U.S. citizen. "My Cree family adopted me forever and this will never change," she added. - Billboard, 3/7/25...... On Mar. 8 New Mexico authorities released a statement saying Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman likely died of heart disease and Alzheimer's after his dead body and his wife Betsy Arakawa's corpse were found dead in his Santa Fe, N.M., home on Feb. 26. Hackman, 95, likely died about a week after Arakawa died due to hantavirus, a medical examiner said. Hackman died of cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's disease as a significant contributing factor, said Heather Jarrell, the chief medical examiner for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. Arakawa likely died about a week earlier, on Feb. 11, of hantavirus, a potentially fatal virus transmitted by mice. Both deaths fall under natural causes, which can include heart disease, stroke, cancer, respiratory failure, infections and age-related complications. Authorities said at the time they did not suspect foul play, and the investigation continues. - Variety, 3/8/25...... Punk rock pioneer Brian James, founding member of English band The Damned, died on Mar. 6. He was 70. The news of the guitarist's death was shared with fans via a post on James' Facebook page on the day of his death. "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of one of the true pioneers of music, guitarist, songwriter and true gentleman, Brian James," it read. The message added that the musician was surrounded by family when he "passed peacefully." James formed The Damned in 1976 with bandmates Captain Sensible, Dave Vanian and Rat Scabies. That year, they released what is considered the first-ever British punk single: "New Rose." The guitarist would work on two albums with the foursome before leaving the group: 1977's Damned Damned Damned and Music for Pleasure. Captain Sensible honored his late bandmate with a post on X on Mar. 6, sharing a photo of himself with James and writing, "We're shocked to hear that creator of @thedamned, our great chum Brian James has sadly gone." A lovely bloke that I feel so lucky to have met all those years ago and for some reason chose me to help in his quest for the music revolution that became known as punk," he added. "Cheers BJ!" After leaving The Damned, James would form short-lived group Tanz Der Youth before starting The Lords of the New Church with Stiv Bators. His career came full circle in 2022 when James reunited with The Damned for a string of U.K. live shows. He is survived by his wife, Minna, his son, Charlie, and his daughter-in-law, Alicia. - Billboard, 3/7/25.

Friday, March 7, 2025

Cher rocked an Elvis outfit in drag as she performed at the ninth annual LOVE ROCKS NYC benefit concert at New York's Beacon Theatre on Mar. 6. The concert, which supports the God's Love We Deliver charity (this year, the proceeds also benefit Los Angeles' Project Angel Food in response to the devastating wildfires), featured musical performances by everyone from Cher to Beck to Alicia Keys to Bill Murray (yes, really). All-time legend that she is, Cher went beyond the stage to support the nonprofit before the show even started. Two days prior to the concert, she stopped by the God's Love We Deliver kitchen in NYC to personally thank the volunteers and staff for their hard work in cooking and delivering medically tailored meals for people too sick to shop or cook for themselves. During her performance, Cher covered Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis," with her distinct, resonant vocals gave the soft-rock smash a punch. After a costume change, she followed it with a full-throated, thematically appropriate "Song for the Lonely" and wrapped with "Believe." Other '70s artists performing that evening included Mavis Staples and Michael McDonald, who dueted on The Staple Singers' chart-topping classic "I'll Take You There," and a Roberta Flack tribute was performed by 17-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys. - Billboard, 3/7/25...... As Jethro Tull released Curious Ruminant, its third album in three years and its 24th studio album, in late January, frontman Ian Anderson says he took a new approach to songwriting on the LP and it's one of his most personal collection of songs ever. "My points of view and my feelings are expressed much more than they would normally be in most of the lyrics I've written in my life," Anderson, 77, told BANG Showbiz. "There's a lot more I/me pronouns than usual. Usually it's he/she/it. This one's a kind of an I/me album. And yet, ironically, it's very much a band album, it's not a solo album," he adds. "Interim Sleep," the final track, is perhaps his most personal effort on the album, as it diverts from the expected with a spoken word entry. Based on a poem he wrote a few years ago "for somebody bereaved," the song is delivered in a spoken-word format because Anderson says it "seemed more appropriate to the subject material than a melody would be." He explained: "I needed something a bit quieter on the end of the album. With that in mind, I decided it would be a spoken word piece that would be rather intimate, and I based it on that poem I had written." He continued: "In that poem, I was talking from beyond to the person, saying, 'Hey, cheer up', and giving some positive thoughts about death not being final. We will be together in another life." Anderson -- who is the only constant member of Jethro Tull -- and his current band head out on their European tour in April with shows scheduled until December. Ticket information can be found at JethroTull.com. - Music-News.com, 3/7/25...... Former Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers member Benmont Tench has just released The Melancholy Season, his first solo album in 11 years. The keyboardist says that a heavy work load with both Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch kept him busy during the interim. Also a nearly decade-long battle with oral cancer (which included jaw reconstruction during 2023), Petty's death in 2017, and the birth of his first daughter, Catherine, shortly after that -- not to mention the pandemic -- also contributed to the gap between works. "I made a better record because I didn't make it right away," explains Tench, 71, also an A-list session player who filled time after Petty's passing playing for the likes of Ringo Starr, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Chris Stapleton. Tench says he thinks using fewer instruments and be just as effective as the "Wall of Sound" technique employed by Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. "That's what we did on this record; there were some songs we cut with more (instrumentation) and pulled them back to make (the songs) better." Tench previewed The Melancholy Season during a solo residency at a New York nightclub in February, and he has West Coast club dates on Mar. 12 and Mar. 19 in Los Angeles, also hitting Ojai, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Grass Valley, Calif., and Sonoma, Calif., in April. - Billboard, 3/7/25...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Stephen Stills opened up about how his sobriety journey is benefitting the next stage in his career. Stills, 80, has been completely sober for the past three years, and says his sobriety "gets me back to the kid I was before this madness started, pretty affable and friendly." "Things were so special at the beginning of my career before I sold a single record. But when you add poison into that mix I'm just glad I have my original personality back," he adds. Stills has been performing a number of one-off gigs in recent years, since retiring from the road in 2018. Earlier in 2025, he took the stage at the L.A.'s Kia Forum alongside Dawes, Mike Campbell and his former bandmate Graham Nash for the star-studded FireAid benefit concert. The "Love the One You're With" singer also revealed that he's working on a memoir, though he admits he's "going one word at a time" and looking through old newspaper articles to help him remember life events. "I've looked at the issues from my birthdays throughout the years," he says. "That's been very helpful since it puts you in that timeframe and suddenly your memories opens up." Stills is also participating in singer-songwriter Judy Collins' 85th birthday celebration at New York's Town Hall on March 8. - Billboard, 3/4/25...... Heart's Ann Wilson has been performing in a wheelchair on Heart's "Royal Flush" tour because she suffered a nasty fall five days before her tour kicked off. Wilson, 74, postponed Heart's 2024 tour last summer after being diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer and undergoing surgery, but she has since completed treatment and revealed her current health woes are down to a recent tumble. During a recent episode of her After Dinner Thinks With Ann Wilson podcast, she explained: "I think some people thought that I was in a wheelchair because of cancer, which I just kicked its ass and I'm nice and clear now. It's not about cancer. It's about me being a klutz and missing a step and falling into a parking lot and busting my elbow in three places and then having to have it pinned back together with screws and all that kind of stuff." She went on to add: "In other ways, I'm perfectly fine. It's just I don't have the use of my left arm right now. So it's hard to navigate when you just have one hand and your other whole arm is in a sling. And you don't have the same balance. So I had to get used to that. And singing on stage, I really think that the pain level is still way too high for me to take it out of the sling so I chose to sit because then I can just concentrate on singing and not on keeping my balance and having somebody out there catching me when I reel to the side." Heart kicked off its current tour in Las Vegas on Feb. 28 and they will continue performing across North America this spring and summer until they wrap with a set at The Great Allentown Fair in Allentown, Penn. on Aug. 27. - Music-News.com, 3/7/25...... On Mar. 5 Pink Floyd released the trailer for the newly restored version of their concert film Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXXII on YouTube. The new 4K restoration of the classic 1972 film is set to be released in cinemas and on IMAX worldwide from Apr. 24. A press release states: "Pink Floyd At Pompeii pre-dates the release of 'The Dark Side Of The Moon'. The film documents what Pink Floyd did before they became giants of the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic -- where their music remains celebrated to this day." - NME, 3/5/25...... On Mar. 3 Neil Young announced plans on his Neil Young Archives website to give his Ukrainian fans a free concert during his upcoming European tour. "Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts will open the upcoming Love Earth Tour of Europe in UKRAINE with a Free Concert for all!" Young wrote. "We are currently in talks and will make the announcement of details here at NYA." As the "Rockin in the Free World" singer's post indicates, specifics are yet to be detailed, though Feb. 24 saw the announcement of European and North American tour dates for Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts. The tour currently begins in Rttvik, Sweden on June 18, meaning the as-yet unannounced Ukrainian show will ostensibly occur in the immediate lead-up. It will also be the rocker's debut appearance in the country. The timing of Young's Ukrainian show announcement seems rather pertinent given the outpouring of global support received by Ukranian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy following his meeting with U.S. Pres. Donald Trump on Feb. 28. The highly-contentious meeting resulted in widespread criticism of Trump, and took place only days after Young himself focused on the President in a post titled "Leader of the Free World No More." "Under 47's leadership, the US has lost its standing," Young wrote. "Loyalists will never be stronger than Patriots, and Patriots are in the majority here in the USA. Our Patriots will take to the streets to peacefully demonstrate. There will be a moment of truth in our country and we will show the world who we really are. The USA will again be the leader of the Free World." Young has also shared the first trailer for his forthcoming documentary Coastal on YouTube. The project was shot and directed by filmmaker and Young's wife Daryl Hannah, and will be screened in cinemas for one night only worldwide on April 17. - Billboard, 3/3/25...... In related news, Rod Stewart has also weighed in on the clash between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stressing that "we must keep supporting the Ukrainians." On the day after the contentious meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy ttended a summit of European leaders in London the following day, and now Stewart has posted an image on his Instagram Stories of Starmer and Zelenskyy shaking hands in Downing Street. "Proud to be British," he wrote. "Well done Starmer in welcoming Zelensky to the number 10." Underneath the image, he added: "We must keep supporting the Ukrainians." Meanwhile, the 80-year-old "Maggie May" singer has become a grandfather for the fourth time after his son Liam, 30, and his wife Nicole Artukovich welcomed a daughter into the world on Mar. 2. The newborn is the second child for hockey player Liam and Nicole, who already have a 21-month-old son named Louie. The baby shares her name with Rod's mother, Elsie Gilbart, who died in 1996 at the age of 91. - NME, 3/6/25...... Paul McCartney is giving a little help to his late friend Joe Cocker as the "blue-eyed soul" singer is a contender for the class of 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sir Paul has written a letter to the Rock Hall -- an international voting panel composed of more than a thousand artists, historians and music industry professionals -- suggesting that Cocker be chosen for induction. "Joe was a great man and a fine singer whose unique style made for some fantastic performances," McCartney wrote of the "Woman to Woman" singer in the letter obtained by Billboard. "He sang one of our songs 'With a Little Help From My Friends,' a version produced by Denny Cordell which was very imaginative." Macca continued: "All the people on the panel will be aware of the great contribution Joe made to the history of Rock and Roll. And whilst he may not have ever lobbied to be in the Hall of Fame, I know he would be extremely happy and grateful to find himself where he deserves to be amongst such illustrious company." The Beatles legend sweetly signed the note, "Paul (McCartney)." McCartney is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honoree, as he was inducted in 1988 as a member of The Beatles and in 1999 as a solo artist. Cocker, who died in 2014, is a first-time nominee. He's up for the Rock Hall's Class of 2025 alongside 13 other musical greats, including Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Man, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden and The White Stripes. Cocker, who died from lung cancer in 2014 at the age of 70, has been eligible since 1989, and is currently sitting in the top seven selections of the online fan vote that's being conducted by the Rock Hall. Fan voting is being conducted via vote.rockhall.com until Apr.21. Voters can vote once per day and choose up to seven of the 14 nominated acts. The Class of 2025 will be revealed in late April, and this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles in the fall. - Billboard, 3/3/25...... On Mar. 4 Eric Clapton announced details of a six-city run of 2025 US tour dates which will kick off on Sept. 8 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. From there he'll head over to Cleveland for a stop at the Rocket Arena on Sept. 11 and then to Philadelphia for a show at the Wells Fargo Center on Sept. 13. Other shows include gigs at the TD Garden in Boston on Sept. 16 and Madison Square Garden in New York on Sept. 19. The tour wraps up the following night with a final stop at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville on the 20th. Slowhand is touring behind his recently released studio album, Meanwhile, and contained the singles "One Woman" and "The Call. It also saw guest contributions from Van Morrison, Bradley Walker, Judith Hill, Daniel Santiago, Simon Climie and the late Jeff Beck. The US tour dates will follow Clapton's upcoming UK leg of live shows set for this spring, which kick off in Nottingham in May 18. In other Clapton news, it was recently announced that MTV would be sharing a new feature-length special around the artist, titled Eric Clapton Unplugged: Over 30 Years Later. - New Musical Express, 3/4/25...... Carl Dean, a Nashville businessman and beloved husband of Dolly Parton for nearly 60 years, died on Mar. 3 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 82 years old. The news of his death was announced via Parton's Instagram page, along with a statement from the country superstar. "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together," the statement reads. "Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy." The statement ends with requests for privacy from the family. Mr. Dean and Parton met outside a laundromat in Nashville as young adults, the same day Parton arrived in Music City at 18 years old to pursue her dreams of a music career (at that point, Parton had released a handful of non-charting singles). Parton and Dean wed on May 30, 1966 in Ringgold, Georgia. They renewed their vows in Nashville on their 50th anniversary in 2016. Mr. Dean has famously been averse to the spotlight, and only rarely do photographs of the couple emerge. At various times during her career, she has even had to debunk rumors that her husband doesn't exist. In a message posted to her Instagram on Mar. 6, Dolly wrote in part, "He is in God's arms now, and I am okay with that," before quoting her own 1982 classic hit: "I will always love you." Parton also released a heartbreakingly beautiful tribute song to Mr. Dean, "If You Hadn't Been There," on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 3/3/25...... Trailblazing "Godfather of Soul" James Brown has placed a new song on a Billboard chart for the first time since 1993 as "Bad," his co-billed collaboration with rapper 310babii, has reached No. 37 on the music industry outlet's Rhythmic Airplay chart dated Mar. 8. The new single samples Brown's "The Boss" from his 1973 album, Black Caesar. For Brown, who died in 2006 at age 73, "Bad" is the legend's maiden appearance on the Rhythmic Airplay chart, which launched in Oct. 1992. It's his first new recording on any Billboard songs chart since 1993's "Can't Get Any Harder," which netted a No. 76 high on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Some of his best-known recordings, including "I Got You (I Feel Good)," "Living in America" and "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto" banked time on digital song sales or other charts in recent years due to commercial syncs or holiday-fueled consumption. From 1958-1986, Brown accumulated his 91 Billboard Hot 100 hits, with a No. 3 career high through "I Got You (I Feel Good)" in 1965. Thanks to his storied career, Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's inaugural 1986 class alongside legends such as Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. The official video of 310babii & James Brown's "Bad" can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 3/6/25...... Mick Jagger made a surprise appearance at the 97th annual Academy Awards in L.A. on Mar. 2 to present the Best Original Song Oscar. "You're so kind. I'm greatly honored to be invited to give this award," said the Rolling Stones frontman. "Much as I love doing it, I wasn't the first choice. The producers really wanted Bob Dylan to do this. But Bob Dylan won't do it because he said the best songs in a movie this year were in A Complete Unknown," Jagger joked before adopting a pretty fair Dylan impersonation. "Bob said, 'You should find somebody younger.'" Jagger laughed. "Hey, I'm younger than Bob Dylan!" (For the record: Dylan is 83, Jagger is a sprightly 81.) After it was a revealed that the Emilia Prez song "El Mal" had nabbed the trophy, Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard took the stage, with Camille nodding to Jagger's presence by singing out a bit of the "woo-woo" portion of the Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil." A Complete Unknown, the Dylan biopic, went 0-8 on the night, making it the night's biggest shutout. This marked the second time in three years that a biopic about a top-tier music legend has been shut out. Two years ago, Elvis went 0-8 on the night. In both cases, stars who were thought to have a good chance at winning Best Actor went home empty-handed. Austin Butler was nominated for playing Elvis Presley; Timothée Chalamet for playing Dylan. Meanwhile Elton John, who was nominated for best original song for co-writing "Never Too Late" from the documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, also went home Oscarless, marking the first time the Rocket Man was snubbed on a night he was nominated. (He won in 1995 for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King and in 2020 for "[I'm Gonna] Love Me Again" from Rocketman.) Just over an hour after the Oscars came to a close, John's annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party was preparing for its hotly anticipated performance from the Grammy-winning artist Chappell Roan. Following an introduction and thank you from Sir Elton himself, Roan kicked off her hour-long set with the rousing "Femininomenon" followed by "Naked in Manhattan." Prior to dueting on Roan's hit "Pink Pony Club," the pair performed a stunning rendition of John's Hot 100 No. 1 "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with John on the ivories. And earlier, Roan had tucked in another ode to the legend with an incredible cover of his touching top 10 track, "Your Song." - Billboard, 3/2/25...... In other Elton John news, the superstar is speaking out against the Donald Trump administration's proposed cuts to USAID. The Trump administration announced plans on Thursday (Feb. 27) to eliminate more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development's foreign aid contracts, as well as $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance worldwide, according to the Associated Press. USAID has been the world's largest single aid provider for decades. "The U.S. Administration's abrupt decision to cut over 90% of USAID contracts could have devastating effects on the HIV response," John wrote on Instagram on Mar. 1, alongside an official statement from his Elton John AIDS Foundation. "We are working with our 90+ partners to ensure they can continue to provide lifesaving services and are launching The Rocket Response Fund to help cover immediate gaps in essential care." John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 to fund research aimed at eradicating HIV and AIDS. Over the past three decades, the organization has grown into one of the world's largest independent AIDS charity organizations. Meanwhile, on Mar. 5 Elton and Brandi Carlile shared "Swing for the Fences," the latest single from their upcoming album, on Spotify.com. The new track marks the latest preview of the duo's forthcoming collaborative album Who Believes In Angels?, which was announced in February, along with the title track as the lead single. - Billboard, 3/2/25...... Dan Fogelberg's breakthrough 1974 second album Souvenirs will be introduced to a new generation on May 30 with a digital remastered version and special vinyl reissue to celebrate the album's 50th anniversary. The Joe Walsh-produced album, originally released in Oct. 1974, was Fogelberg's first album to reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA. The upbeat, philosophical single, "Part of the Plan," reached No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and was also an Adult Contemporary chart hit, peaking at No. 22. The digital version will include four bonus tracks via Sony's Legacy Recordings, including previously unreleased tune, "I Know a Thief," a delicate, yet intense song that will be available on all streamers today. Also included on the digital release, which will be available for streaming in full on Apr. 4, are three other bonus tracks: early versions of "As the Raven Flies" and "Illinois" and the original demo of "There's a Place in the World for a Gambler." Sony found the recordings in their vaults as work began on the reissues. The 180-gram audiophile vinyl LP version will be limited to 3,000 numbered copies, and will ship on May 30. The Chris Bellman-remastered edition includes a 16-page booklet featuring previously unseen photographs by Henry Diltz, as well as liner notes from Charles L. Granata and exclusive interviews with many involved in the album's creation, including Fogelberg's friend and manager Irving Azoff, producer/engineer Bill Szymczyk and bassist Kenny Passarelli and Gerry Beckley of America. Impex Records/Sony Music will release both projects in conjunction with Azoff's Iconic Artists Group (IAG), which oversees Fogelberg's legacy in partnership with his estate. Azoff and Fogelberg, who died in 2007 from cancer, dropped out of the University of Illinois together in the early 1970s to come to Los Angeles, moving into a one-bedroom apartment in West Hollywood from which Azoff oversaw Fogelberg's nascent career. "When Dan made the first record [1972's Full Moon], that was kind of the post-Neil Young After the Gold Rush era. He was inspired by a lot of the production on those records," Azoff says. "But he wanted to go more electric on the second album. We are always looking for a new generation of fans and I think his music will identify with younger people. There seems to be room now for sensitive lyrically relevant music. We are just happy to try to put his work in front of fans new and old," Azoff adds. - Billboard, 3/4/25...... American jazz and funk musician Roy Ayers, known as the "Godfather of Neo Soul," has passed away at the age of 84. News of Mr. Ayers' passing was confirmed on Mar. 5, with a statement shared via his official Facebook page. Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Mr. Ayers performed music throughout high school thanks to a church choir and local bands and launched his musical career in earnest in 1962, serving as a sideman for saxophonist Curtis Amy and cool jazz outfit The Jack Wilson Quartet, releasing his debut solo album West Coast Vibes in 1963. By 1970, Mr. Ayers had formed his own group under the name Roy Ayers Ubiquity, and in 1973 he found wider fame after soundtracking the blaxploitation film Coffy, starring Pam Grier. Roy Ayers Ubiquity experienced years of chart success in the latter half of the decade, starting with 1975's Mystic Voyage, which hit No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and 1976's Everybody Loves the Sunshine, which reached No. 10 on the same chart, and No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The title track to the latter record would become one of Mr. Ayers' best-known compositions, going on to be sampled by artists such as Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige and Common, and covered by the likes of D'Angelo, Jamie Cullum and Robert Glasper. It also cemented his status as one of the more prominent figures in the neo-soul scene, with the likes of Pharrell Williams citing Mr. Ayers as one of his most influential artists. His biggest chart success came by way of 1980's No Stranger to Love, which reached No. 22 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Mr. Ayers would continue composing and performing into the 21st century, working with the likes of Erykah Badu, Tyler the Creator, Kerri Chandler, and more. He is survived by his wife Argerie, and their two children Mtume and Ayana Ayers. - Billboard, 3/5/25...... Joey Molland, the guitarist and last surviving member of the Beatlesque '70s rock band Badfinger, passed away on Mar. 1 while surrounded by his longtime partner, Mary, his two sons and other family members, according to a post on Badfinger's Facebook page. He was 77. While a cause of death was not specified, Molland had faced ongoing health challenges in recent years, including a recent battle with pneumonia. "Thank you, Joey for keeping the band's music alive for so long and for being a friend to us all," the Facebook post read. The Welsh band Badfinger, originally known as The Iveys, was one of the first acts signed by The Beatles' Apple Records. Molland joined the group in 1969, after the recording of their debut album, Magic Christian Music, which featured the Paul McCartney-written hit "Come and Get It." The song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1970. Molland's first album with Badfinger was 1971's No Dice, co-produced by Beatles road manager Mal Evans. The set featured two of the band's most iconic tracks: "No Matter What" and "Without You." The latter became a No. 1 hit after being covered by Harry Nilsson, with Mariah Carey also covering the tune later. Badfinger's main lineup of Molland (guitarist), Pete Ham (singer/guitarist), Tom Evans (bassist) and Mike Gibbins (drummer) recorded five albums together through 1974, producing hit singles like "Day After Day" and "Baby Blue" from 1972's Straight Up, both co-produced by George Harrison. "Baby Blue" was notably featured in the closing scene of the final episode of the TV series Breaking Bad in 2013. After the death of Ham, who died by suicide in 1975, Molland and Evans (minus Gibbins) reunited to revive Badfinger, with the guitarist taking on a larger role in songwriting and vocals for the albums Airwaves (1979) and Say No More (1981). Outside of his work with Badfinger, Molland contributed to Harrison's epic All Things Must Pass and The Concert for Bangladesh albums, and played guitar on John Lennon's 1971 classic "Jealous Guy" and Imagine's "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier." Throughout his career, Molland recorded music both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Natural Gas. In the early 1980s, he formed his own version of Badfinger, known as Joey Molland's Badfinger, and continued to tour with the act until the summer of 2024. Molland was the last surviving member of Badfinger's core lineup, following the deaths of Ham, Evans (who also died by suicide in 1983) and Gibbins, who passed away from a brain aneurysm in 2005. - Billboard, 3/2/25.

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Interviewed by the London Sunday Times, Daryl Hall insisted he'll never work with his former Hall & Oates partner John Oates again. "That ship has gone to the bottom of the ocean. I've had a lot of surprises in my life, disappointments, betrayals, so I'm kind of used to it...," Hall said. "I've been involved with some pretty shady characters over the years. That's where the problems start." In 2023, Hall sued his former musical partner to stop him from selling their stake in their publishing company, Whole Oats Enterprises -- a move he branded "the ultimate partnership betrayal" -- and while he can't talk about the ongoing legal proceedings, the "Rich Girl" hitmaker admitted things have gone too far for them to reunite. Hall, 78, also admitted he feels frustrated that his prolific songwriting in Hall & Oates -- who sold 60 million records -- has largely gone unrecognized. He said: "The songs with his lead vocal are the songs he wrote, and all the other ones, which is about 90 per cent, are the ones I wrote... It was very frustrating." Since Hall and Oates went their separate ways, Hall has worked with former Eurythmics star-turned-producer Dave Stewart on several projects and insists their partnership is far more "meaningful" than the one he had with John. "[Dave is] a whirlwind. Witty and amusing, for sure. Also manic. He never stops," Hall said. In May, Hall is set to head out on the road with Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook and, despite his advancing years, he still loves performing live. "[Playing live] is the way that music is supposed to be communicated, and it's unforgiving. What you do is what people hear." - Music-News.com, 3/2/25...... Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes are revisiting their 1999 collaboration with an expanded edition of Live at the Greek, and they've just shared a fresh taste from it on YouTube -- a newly unearthed live recording of Zeppelin's "The Lemon Song." Originally recorded during a soundcheck, this take on the Led Zeppelin II classic captures the raw chemistry between Page and the Crowes as they breathed new life into Led Zepp's bluesy, groove-heavy material. It's one of several unreleased tracks included in the expanded reissue, which drops Mar. 14. "I'm really looking forward to the soon-to-be-available release of Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes material from concerts in 1999," Page said in a statement. "The new mixes capture the collaboration of those historic encounters and provide the full explosive passion and exciting energy of those alchemical moments." - Billboard 2/25/25...... The Rolling Stones producer Andrew Watt has defended the legendary British band winning Best Rock Album at the most recent Grammys for their 2023 LP Hackney Diamonds. The Stones beat out the likes of Green Day, IDLES, Fontaines D.C and Jack White with their comeback album, their first full-length for 18 years and their first since the death of drummer Charlie Watts. However, some claimed their win was the result of their rich musical legacy as opposed to the quality of the album itself, and as such felt the other artists nominated were "robbed." Now Watt, who produced the album, has argued that the songwriting still made the Stones worthy of the Grammy. "They are in their 80s, They're 82 and 83 years-old. Tell me another band ever in history that has made a latter-day album that good in their 80s, with that level of songwriting, that level of performance?" Watt said in an interview with Rolling Stone's Music Now podcast. Watt accepted the award on the band's behalf during the ceremony. "Talked to Mick [Jagger] yesterday and he just wanted to say a big thank you to the Academy from the entire band. For a little boy that grew up playing guitar, it was one of the most amazing experiences to be around those musicians," he said at the time. Meanwhile, Watt has revealed that Ozzy Osbourne is back in the gym in preparation for the upcoming final Black Sabbath gig in Birmingham, UK on July 5. "He's OK. It's just his body is not doing what he wants it to do all the time," Watt explained. "But I talked to him a couple days ago, and he's, like, starting to get in the gym again a little bit by little, get himself ready for this last concert." - New Musical Express, 2/28/25...... On Feb. 28 Neil Young announced he'll be headlining a July 11 at the UK's annual BST Hyde Park festival in London, where he will be joined by "Peace Train" singer Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Van Morrison, with more support acts to be announced later. The gig will be Young's first at BST Hyde Park since a 2019 co-headlining gig there with Bob Dylan. Young's show will join a growing roster of 2025 BST Hyde Park headliners, which also include Jeff Lynne's ELO and such rising artists as Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan. The addition of the Hyde Park show expands Young's burgeoning 2025 "Love Earth" tour roster, which is slated to kick off in Europe on June 18 at Dalhalla in Rttvik, Sweden before moving to North America on Aug. 8 with a show in Charlotte, N.C. - Billboard, 2/28/25...... The ever inscrutable Bob Dylan has inexplicably posted a 2016 video of an in-store performance by Machine Gun Kelly at the Park Ave. CDs record store in Orlando, FL. While Dylan has posted some on-brand messages lately, including a tribute to his friend and late The Band member Garth Hudson in January following the death of The Band's longtime keyboardist, the MGK love is in keeping with his out-of-left-field online activity. Earlier in 2025, the 83-year-old folk rock legend joined TikTok just days before what was slated to be a ban of the app, posting a kind of career retrospective clip, followed by a half dozen other archival videos. Perhaps we'll never know why the rock bard feels such love for MGK, but both Kelly and his good pal, singer/producer Mod Sun, were beyond pumped at the unexpected shout-out. "You having a phone is so rad," Kelly wrote in the comments on the post, with Mod Sun adding, "This is my favorite thing that's ever happened on the internet. What does it all mean? Who knows? But in the immortal words of Dylan: "don't criticize what you can't understand." - Billboard, 2/27/25...... Pink Floyd's beloved 1972 concert film, Pink Floyd at Pompeii -- MCMLXXII -- will return to movie theaters worldwide beginning on Apr. 24. The film directed by Adrian Maben, will also be screened on IMAX in a digitally remastered, 4K version taken from the original 35mm footage, with enhanced audio that has been newly mixed by Steven Wilson, representing what a press release said is the "definitive version of this pioneering film." "Since 1994, I have searched for the elusive film rushes of Pink Floyd At Pompeii, so the recent discovery of the 1972 original 35mm cut negative was a very special moment," said Lana Topham, Floyd's director of restoration in a statement. "The newly restored version presents the first full 90-minute cut, combining the 60-minute source edit of the performance with the additional Abbey Road Studios documentary segments filmed shortly after." The movie's re-release will be accompanied by a Legacy Recordings release of the live album on Blu-ray and CD, digital audio and for the first time in Dolby Atmos and on vinyl on May 2, featuring performances of the songs "Careful With That Axe, Eugene," "Something Else," "Syncopated Pandemonium," "Storm Signals" and "Echoes -- Part II," among others. - Billboard, 2/26/25...... Nick Simmons and Evan Stanley, the sons of KISS' Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, have recorded 10 songs together, and the pair recently shared photos with fans on Instagram showing themselves beside recording equipment as they performed as yet unheard material. Another post featured Nick and Evan performing an original track with guitarist Jacob Bunton, which Paul Stanley called "magic!!!" while Nick's sister Sophie Simmons gushed "we want the album" in the comments. Bunton has also been writing with the duo, although it remains unclear if an actual album will materialize. Meanwhile, Simmons recently responded to those who criticised his involvement in the recent Ronald Reagan biopic. The singer/bassist recorded a cover of the 1933 classic "Stormy Weather" for Reagan. During an appearance on Bill O'Reilly's podcast No Spin News, he was asked if he had received any pushback for his contribution to the movie. "How do I say this as nicely as I can? I don't give a squat," he said. - NME, 2/27/25...... Paul McCartney has commented on his forthcoming Wings book Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run. Scheduled for release on Nov. 4 via Liveright/W. W. Norton and Allen Lane/Penguin Press, the book is authored by McCartney and edited by historian Ted Widmer, featuring an in-depth personal account of his post-Beatles band, as told by McCartney, key players, and family members. "I'm so very happy to be transported back to the time that was Wings and relive some of our madcap adventures through this book," said McCartney in a statement. "Starting from scratch after The Beatles felt crazy at times. There were some very difficult moments and I often questioned my decision. But as we got better I thought, 'OK this is really good.' We proved Wings could be a really good band. To play to huge audiences in the same way The Beatles had and have an impact in a different way. It was a huge buzz." A description of the book notes that it is "organized around nine Wings albums," implying the narrative begins with 1971's Ram and also includes 1976's triple live record Wings over America. The volume also contains 150 black-and-white photographs, of which many are unseen, and focuses on many iconic stories of the band's history, including how they "survive a robbery on the streets of Nigeria [during the 1973 Band on the Run sessions], appear unannounced at various university halls, [and] tour in a sheared-off double-decker bus with their children." Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run follows a number of recent Wings-related releases, including a 50th anniversary reissue of Band on the Run and the long-awaited arrival of the live record and film One Hand Clapping in 2024. A 50th anniversary reissue of 1975's Venus and Mars is also scheduled to arrive on Mar. 21. - Billboard, 2/26/25...... In other Beatles-related news, a piece of toast that was left behind by George Harrison in 1962 has been sold. The crust of the bread left over by the late Beatles legend was saved by a fan named Sue Houghton, who was 15-years-old at the time. According to the Daily Express, she preserved the bread on a scrapbook page alongside the caption: "Piece of George's breakfast 2-8-63." The date noted indicates that the bread was from around the time that the Fab Four made their return to Liverpool after seven weeks of touring. As reported by the New York Post, the fan had taken the remains from Harrison's plate after befriending his family and making a visit to their home. Her scrapbook also contained other memorabilia from Harrison, including fluff from under his bed and thread from his jeans. The bread was originally sold in 1992 when Houghton auctioned off her scrapbook for $1,600 (1,265) to fund home repairs. Now it has been reported that the leftover piece of bread has changed hands again, with memorabilia collector Joseph O'Donnell buying the piece of toast, although the price he paid has not been publicly disclosed. O'Donnell did, however, say that it has been preserved by being framed in UV-protected glass of museum standard. "It's a brilliant story that is both bizarre, historical and a story I'll continue telling friends, memorabilia collectors and fellow Beatles fans," he said. The NY Post also highlights that word of the swiped piece of toast has made its way over to members of The Beatles, and has become an inside joke to the members. In 1992 for instance, Harrison jokingly claimed that the toast couldn't have belonged to him in an interview with Vox.com, saying: "I ate all my toast! I never left any!" Harrison died in November 2001 following a battle with lung cancer at age 58. - NME, 2/27/25...... Tom Waits has added his talents to the final episode of Italian documentary series, Il Fattore Umano (The Human Factor), with his work accompanying stories of homelessness in America. The eight-part series, created by the Italian public television channel RAI3, offers investigative insights into how human rights have been violated by authoritarian regimes, autocracies and even democratic regimes. Focusing on how the most vulnerable and minorities face oppression in these countries, the final episode - titled "Ultima Fermata (The Last Ride)" -- serves as an in-depth look at American poverty. Looking specifically at four southern states -- Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana -- filmmakers travel through the regions on public buses, discovering forgotten communities while exploring the dignity and solidarity of those forced to live in marginalized conditions thanks to a system that lacks safety nets. "The Last " pairs the stories of these individuals with the voice of Waits, who shares performances on acoustic guitar and piano while also reading from his poem "Seeds on Hard Ground." A trailer for the episode is soundtracked by Waits performing "The Fall of Troy," which originally appeared on the soundtrack to 1996's Dead Man Walking. "I am an individual who is deeply concerned with the inequities as we all are, but ill equipped to solve any of them," Waits said in a statement. "I tell the world in the only way I know how: through my music. I don't deal with politics or laws, and I don't have answers to the big questions that concern us all. All I can do is try -- through songs and poems -- to inspire someone. I'm here to open up the window and open up our eyes. I guess a little bit, if I can." The episode was made available for global streaming on Feb. 26 via RAI's RaiPlay streaming platform. - Billboard, 2/25/25...... As the divisiveness in American politics grows increasingly sharper, veteran classic rock producer Bob Ezrin has said he plans to renounce his US citizenship and make a full return to his native country of Canada from his most recent US base, Nashville. Ezrin explained to the UK paper The Globe that the current polarized state of American politics and society is the driving force behind this move. "In the last few years, it seems as if America is split in half," Ezrin says. "The voices of a radical right have become so much louder. Conspiracy theories abound, people are armed to the teeth, and it's just a different place than the place I went to." Already a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Ezrin was recently named as a recipient of the lifetime artistic achievement award by The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation, honoured for a legendary discography that includes milestone albums by such international stars as Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, U2, Deep Purple, Rod Stewart, Nine Inch Nails, Kiss, Lou Reed, Taylor Swift and many more. He received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year in 1981 as producer of Pink Floyd's The Wall, which was subsequently voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. Ezrin and his family moved to Los Angeles from Toronto in 1985, and he became heavily involved in the community of that area. The following decade, he became a US citizen in order to vote. He teamed up with U2's the Edge co-found Music Rising, an initiative to replace musical instruments lost in natural disasters. He is also a board member of the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, a national initiative that supports music in U.S. schools by donating musical instruments to under-funded music programs. - Billboard, 2/28/25...... Billy Joel will make history this summer when he plays all three New York City-area sports stadiums, making him the first artist to ever play all three in one summer. His impressive feat will come over a month-long period. Joel will play Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on July 18; East Rutherford, N.J.'s Metlife Stadium, home to the New York Giants and New York Jets, on Aug. 8; and Citi Field, home to the New York Mets, in Queens, N.Y., on Aug. 21. Rod Stewart will join him July 18, Stevie Nicks on Aug. 8 and Sting on Aug. 21. The feat is all the more remarkable in that it comes on top of ending his 10-year residency at New York's Madison Square Garden last July after playing the vaunted venue once a month for 10 years. Joel's 2025 tour kicks off March 15 in Toronto and ends Nov. 1 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla. - Billboard, 2/24/25...... Brian May says he fears for the music industry as the UK government plans to make changes to AI copyright laws. The Queen guitarist is among those protesting the proposed amendment that would see artists have to opt out of having their work mined by AI algorithms. Sir Brian believes the damage is already done and has hit out at the "monstrously arrogant billionaire owners" of artificial intelligence and social media, making it "impossible for artists to be able to "afford to make music." May, 77, gave his stark warning to the UK's The Daily Mail as part of their campaign against the Labour government's proposed AI law changes. My fear is that it's already too late -- this theft has already been performed and is unstoppable, like so many incursions that the monstrously arrogant billionaire owners of Al and social media are making into our lives," May said. "The future is already forever changed." May backing the campaign comes after more than 1,000 artists -- including Kate Bush, Damon Albarn and Annie Lennox -- released a silent album in protest to the new changes. - Music-News.com, 2/28/25...... Robert John, the Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter whose inimitable voice lent itself to a number of Billboard Hot 100 hits including "Sad Eyes" and an enduring version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," died on Feb. 24. He was 79 years old. The singer's son, Michael Pedrick, confirmed the news of his death to Rolling Stone. While no cause of death was given, John was still recovering from a stroke he suffered a few years prior to his passing. Born Bobby Pedrick, Jr., in Brooklyn, N.Y., first made waves in the pop world at just 12 years old with the single, "White Bucks and Saddle Shoes." The song peaked at No. 74 on the Hot 100 in 1958, marking his first of many hits on the chart. In 1965, he changed his name and by 1971, he notched a major hit, a cover of The Tokens' 1961 classic, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." John's version, one of the most popular renditions of the track to this day, made its way to No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 6 on the Adult Contemporary songs chart. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, John was a mainstay on the Billboard charts, hitting No. 49 with 1968's "If You Don't Want My Love," No. 71 with 1970's "When the Party Is Over," and No. 99 with 1972's "Hushabye." In 1979, after John worked as a staff writer for Motown for a few years, he topped the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with his seminal hit, "Sad Eyes," which also hit the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. At the 22nd annual Grammy Awards, "Sad Eyes" was nominated for best pop vocal performance, male. "Sad Eyes" was also featured on John's third, self-titled album, which peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart. His career continued throughout the 1980s, with the release of his last album, Back on the Street in 1980. Overall, John earned a collective 10 Hot 100 tracks and five Adult Contemporary hits. John is survived by his four sons and several grandsons, his ex-wife Diane and his partner Susan. - Billboard, 2/25/25...... The Isley Brothers member Chris Jasper -- also an award-winning songwriter, producer and keyboardist -- died on Feb. 23 after being diagnosed with cancer in December. He was 73. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's family broke the news with a notice on Facebook posted one day after Jasper's death. "He will be deeply missed and his legacy will live on as an inspiration for generations," it reads. Born Dec. 30, 1951, and educated at the Juilliard School of Music, the Cincinnati native helped transform The Isley Brothers from vocal trio to full-fledged band when he joined the original lineup -- comprised of brothers O'Kelly Jr., Rudolph and Ronald Isley -- in 1973 alongside Ernie and Marvin Isley. During his decade with the group, they scored numerous entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including top 10 hits "That Lady (Part 1)" and "Fight the Power Part 1," both of which Jasper helped write. The Isley Brothers also charted a dozen albums on the Billboard Hot 200 during Jasper's tenure, including 1975's No. 1 LP The Heat Is On. 1973's 3+3, 1976's Harvest for the World, 1977's Go for Your Guns, 1978's Showdown and 1980's Go All the Way also all reached the top 10. After the group disbanded in 1984, the pianist formed Isley-Jasper-Isley with Ernie and Marvin, and recorded hits such as 1985's "Caravan of Love." He would later go on to pursue a solo music career, becoming known for tracks such as "Superbad" and "The First Time." He released his final album, It Started With a Kiss, in 2023. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of his Isley Brothers bandmates in 1992. In 2014, the Grammys honored the group with a Lifetime Achievement Award, eight years after which the Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted the members into its 2022 class. He is survived by his wife, New York attorney and author Margie Jasper, as well as his three sons Michael, Nicholas and Christopher. - Billboard, 2/25/25...... David Johansen, frontman with glam rock band New York Dolls, died on Mar. 1 at his home in New York City. He was 75. "David Johansen died at home in NYC on Friday afternoon holding hands with his wife, Mara Hennessey, and daughter Leah, surrounded by music, flowers and love," his rep said in a statement. "He died of natural causes after nearly a decade of illness." The news of Johansen's death comes after the punk pioneer announced in early February that he was battling stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor. The musician was diagnosed in 2020, and after a fall that broke his back in two places in Nov. 2024, he decided to share his story. "We've been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation," revealed Johansen, who also acted and has appeared in films such as Scrooged and TV shows including Oz. "This is the worst pain I've ever experienced in my entire life. I've never been one to ask for help, but this is an emergency. Thank you." The Staten Island-born Johansen joined the Dolls in 1971, playing his first show with the group at a homeless shelter on Christmas Eve that year. Favoring simple, sloppy rock n' roll over the increasingly complex and conceptual rock music of the early '70s, New York Dolls made up for what they lacked in technical mastery and professionalism with attitude, gender-bending fashion (women's clothes and high heels) and gobs of lipstick. Gigging around Manhattan in 1972, the group steadily increasing in popularity among young, disaffected audiences looking for something different and the NYC art crowd. The group's self-titled 1973 album is a no-notes distillation of their rough-and-tumble, campy take on the straight-forward, blues-boosted rock n' roll of the '50s. "Personality Crisis" is a wild, careening send-up of self-obsessed people manufacturing drama for attention that rings as true today as it did half a century ago; "Looking for a Kiss" opens with a cheeky reference to The Shangri-Las; and while the Dolls weren't renowned for their lyricism, "Frankenstein" is a clever metaphor for the lumbering, confused and patched-together New York City of the '70s. Despite inspiring countless punks, glam rockers, heavy metal bands and Morrissey (who cites seeing the band on TV as a watershed moment in his life), the band's debut only reached No. 116 on the Billboard Hot 200, and its follow-up, In Too Much Too Soon (another seminal classic), peaked at No. 167. The band broke up in the mid '70s, and thanks in no small part to superfan Morrissey, eventually reunited in the '00s, playing several reunion shows before hitting the studio for three well-received albums: One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This(2006), Cause I Sez So (2009) and Dancing Backward in High Heels (2011). Johansen released four solo albums between 1978 and 1984, the first three of which included members of the New York Dolls in some capacity. While his self-titled solo debut found him delivering a slightly more polished version of the Dolls' rock ("Funky But Chic" is a treat), he began experimenting with disco ("Swaheto Woman") on its follow-up, In Style, and by 1981's Here Comes the Night, he was contemporizing his rock palette in a fashion that set him up for a commercial breakthrough with 1987's Buster Poindexter, the debut LP from his martini-swigging, lounge lizard alter ego Buster Poindexter. "We were a band's band in a lot of ways," Johansen said of the New York Dolls in an interview featured in Personality Crisis: One Night Only. "We influenced a lot of bands and a lot of kids were influenced by us who started bands. Take The Ramones. The Ramones saw us and they looked at each other said, 'Hey, if these guys can do this, we can do that.' To have an influence like that on people is really good. To give people the idea, like, 'Hey, I can do that.'" Johansen is survived by his wife, Mara, and daughter, Leah. - Billboard, 3/1/25.

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Gene Hackman, the Oscar-winning actor whose gruff but soulful turns in classics such as The French Connection, The Conversation and Unforgiven made him one of the most respected performers in Hollywood, was found dead in his Santa Fe, N.M., home on Feb. 26. He was 95 and found dead alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 64, a classical pianist, and the couple's dog, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. "Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time however exact cause of death has not been determined. This is an active and ongoing investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office," a statement by the authorities said. In a remarkable acting career that spanned six decades, Mr. Hackman established himself as one of the most distinctive and dependable film stars of his generation, and compiled one of the most impressive filmographies in the history of American cinema. He was part of a group of unconventional leading men who helped define the "New Hollywood" cinema of the 1970s, but he was just as prominent across the '80s and '90s. Born Jan. 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, Calif., Mr. Hackman dropped out of school at 16 and fibbed about his age to join the U.S. Marines. He was trained as a radio operator and served in China, where he picked up work as a disc jockey. He took his talents to the radio industry, moving to New York City following his military discharge to learn the trade at the School of Radio Technique. He eventually switched gears and decided to pursue acting, enrolling at the Pasadena Playhouse in Southern California, where he was deemed "least likely to succeed." In time, Mr. Hackman left Pasadena and moved back to New York, where he roomed with fellow striving thespians Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall. George Morrison, a former instructor at the famed Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, took Mr. Hackman under his wing and schooled him in the Method technique, teaching him to draw from personal experiences in his acting. Mr. Hackman started to get gigs in theater and on various television shows, such as the first episode of the CBS courtroom drama The Defenders, and in 1964 he landed his first meaty movie part alongside Warren Beatty and Jean Seberg in the psychological drama Lilith. Impressed with Mr. Hackman, Beatty chose him to play his older brother Buck Barrow in his breakout role in 1967's Bonnie & Clyde, a shockingly violent crime drama that mixed classic outlaw archetypes with the energy of the French New Wave and the playful spirit of the American counterculture. He picked up more film work in the late 1960s, including as a quietly intense Olympic coach in Downhill Racer, and opposite Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in The Gypsy Moths as a barnstorming skydiver. But with William Friedkin's The French Connection (1971), Mr. Hackman catapulted to new heights of fame and acclaim as vulgar, bigoted NYC narcotics cop Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle. The action-packed film, which featured one of the most electrifying car chases in movie history, picked up five Oscars, including best picture and best actor for Mr. Hackman. The thriller propelled him to memorable turns in The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Scarecrow (1973), Night Moves (a 1975 French Connection sequel), A Bridge Too Far (1977) and as Lex Luthor in the 1978 blockbuster Superman. Mr. Hackman's portrayal of obsessive surveillance expert Harry Caul in The Conversation (1974) was a highlight of his 1970s filmography. Tamping down the volcanic anger that fueled The French Connection, he created an introverted character ravaged by paranoia and suspicion. The film and Mr. Hackman's tragic performance brilliantly captured the unease of the Watergate era. He entered one of the busiest stretches of his career in the 1980s, taking on a combination of leading roles and supporting parts in various dramas, action flicks and romances. He played a magazine editor in Beatty's epic Reds, a small-town basketball coach in Hoosiers and the secretary of defense in the noirish political thriller No Way Out. He capped his busy 1980s run with Mississippi Burning, playing an FBI agent, a role based on real-life investigator John Proctor, who was looking into the mysterious disappearances of three civil rights volunteers in a fictional Mississippi county. Mr. Hackman, who seemed drawn to projects that explored moral gray areas, earned his second Oscar in 1992 for his supporting work as the brutal Sheriff Little Bill Daggett in Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood's revisionist Western drama. The movie picked up four Oscars, including the best picture prize and best supporting actor for Mr. Hackman, and six years later the film earned a spot on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 best American movies ever made. In the 1990s, Mr. Hackman continued to work at a steady clip and frequently played a grizzled foil to younger stars, including Tom Cruise in The Firm, Denzel Washington in Crimson Tide, Robin Williams in The Birdcage and Will Smith in Enemy of the State, a frenetic surveillance thriller that paid homage to The Conversation. In 2001, he endeared himself to a new generation of moviegoers as the deeply flawed but rakishly charming family patriarch in Wes Anderson's ensemble film The Royal Tenenbaums, showing off his comedic chops and a more mischievous side of his public persona. Three years later, he left Hollywood behind, making his final film appearance in the largely forgotten Ray Romano vehicle Welcome to Mooseport. In a rare 2004 interview, Mr. Hackman told Larry King that he did not have any film projects in the pipeline and expected that his screen acting days were mostly behind him. He remained creative even in retirement, however, writing four historical fiction novels -- Wake of the Perdido Star, Justice for None, Escape From Andersonville: A Novel of the Civil War and Payback at Morning Peak: A Novel of the American West -- as well as the 2013 police thriller Pursuit. Mr. Hackman, who spent his final years in Santa Fe, N.M., is survived by three children -- Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie -- from his first marriage to Faye Maltese. - NBCNews.com, 2/27/25.

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

On Feb. 24 Neil Young announced he'll hit the road with his new band The Chrome Hearts this summer, playing Europe in June and July and North America in August and September -- a total of 24 cities in all. The first leg of his "Love Earth" tour will kick off in Europe on June 18 at Dalhalla in Rttvik, Sweden before moving on to gigs in Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. On Aug. 8, he'll begin the North American leg with a show at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, N.C., hitting Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, New York, Chicago throughout the month, then in September visiting Denver and Vancouver before winding down on Sept. 15 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. More dates are expected to be added later. Young, 79, will be accompanied by the Chrome Hearts, whom he debuted during a 2024 concert and has said an album from the group is tentatively slated for release in April. After taking a break from regular touring during the Covid-19 pandemic, Young toured for a few dates with his longtime backing band Crazy Horse in summer 2024 before cancelling the remaining dates due to an unspecified health issue. - Billboard, 2/24/25...... Midwestern '70s and '80s prog rockers Kansas have been forced to cancel two shows following the revelation that their current frontman, Ronnie Platt, has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Platt, who has been singing with the band for a decade, took to social media on Feb. 19 to announce his diagnosis, assuring fans his cancer has been caught early. "For all of you asking, Tuesday I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer but before everyone gets all excited, it has a 99 per cent survival rate," said Platt, who took over lead vocal duties with Kansas from Steve Walsh in 2014 before singing with the band Shooting Star. "It has not spread. It's contained to my thyroid. I just have to have my thyroid removed. Go through some rehab time and be right back in the saddle." Ahead of the announcement the band nixed their Feb. 21 show in New Orleans citing "band illness," and have also canceled a Mar. 1 show in Louisiana for the same reason. The "Carry On Wayward Son" band celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023. - Music-News.com, 2/21/25...... In a new interview with Mojo magazine, Phil Collins says he isn't "hungry" to make music nowadays because he's been "very sick." Collins, who is 73 and has been plagued with health issues for several years, disclosed that he's thought about getting back behind the kit, but hasn't been able to, due in large part to his condition. "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it anymore. The thing is, I've been sick. I mean, very sick," he said. The "In the Air Tonight" singer's health issues stem from a 2007 spinal injury that left him with severe nerve damage and limited mobility, complicating his ability to play the instrument. He went into further detail about his condition in a December documentary titled Phil Collins: Drummer First, in which he revisited his drums for the first time in years. "It's still kind of sinking in," Collins says in the doc, which premiered on the Drumeo YouTube channel on Dec. 18. "I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock." Collins' son, Nic Collins, explained in the doc how years of playing such a physically demanding instrument also took its toll on his father's body. In 2022, Nic took over drumming duties for his dad during Genesis' farewell tour, while Phil sang sitting down. - Billboard, 2/21/25...... Actor Timothée Chalamet was plainly surprised when he walked away with an outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role SAG (Screen Actors Guild) award on Feb. 23 at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles. "I was not expecting this at all," Chalamet told the audience as he accepted the honor for his titular role in the A Complete Unknown Bob Dylan biopic. "I know the classiest thing would be to downplay the effort that went into this role and how much this means to me. But the truth is it was five-and-a-half years of my life. I poured everything I had into playing this incomparable artist, Mr. Bob Dylan, a true American hero, and it was the honor of a lifetime playing him." Adrien Brody had won in the leading male category at most other 2025 awards shows for The Brutalist and was expected to win the SAG award too. Chalamet, 29, is the youngest actor to win SAG's lead actor prize, replacing Nicolas Cage who was 32 when he won for Leaving Las Vegas in 1996. Individual SAG winners for film acting generally go on to win Oscars, and Chalamet is vying to also become the youngest Oscar winner for best actor on Mar. 2. However the SAG win, and Chalamet's thoughtful acceptance speech, won't affect his Oscar chances as final-round voting closed Feb. 18. - Billboard, 2/18/25...... Despite announcing his retirement from touring in late 2023, Elton John set to headline Singapore's 2025 Formula 1 Grand Prix, closing out the huge three-day motor racing event on Oct. 5. More than two years after concluding his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour with an emotional concert in Stockholm, Sweden, Sir Elton will make his highly-anticipated return to the stage on the Padang Stage in Zone 4 after the F1 race. John previously told fans that he would possibly still play "the odd show" after retiring from touring, and since concluding his mammoth Farewell Yellow Brick Road run, he has made live appearances at numerous events. These include the 50th annual Candlelight Concert in the US last December, and the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center over the summer. In 2023, Elton played live at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony where he inducted his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Last October, he made a surprise appearance during his "Cold Heart" collaborator Dua Lipa's orchestral show at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In March, he played at the 2024 Gershwin Prize in Washington, D.C. - where he and Taupin were honoured with the Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song. On Apr. 4, he'll release Who Believes In Angels?, a collaborative effort with Brandi Carlile. - New Musical Express, 2/20/25...... Variety magazine revealed on Feb. 20 that Michael Jackson accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck are readying a sequel to their bombshell 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, in which the two men first described in graphic detail how the late King of Pop allegedly molested them at his Neverland Ranch in California when they were both minors -- accusations Jackson's estate has continuously and emphatically denied. Airing Mar. 18 on the U.K.'s Channel 4, the hourlong follow-up will catch up with the two men as they share how they've fared against the public's varying responses to their allegations since Leaving Neverland aired, with Dan Reed returning as director. This time around, though, HBO is not involved. In 2019, Jackson's estate sued the cable network for $100 million over claims the documentary violated a 27-year-old non-disparagement clause from a 1992 concert film for the King of Pop's "Dangerous" world tour. The case was sent to private arbitration that year and was still pending as of September. Robson and Safechuck make up just two of several accusers who have alleged sex abuse claims against Jackson before and after his 2009 death. The star was never convicted or held legally liable on any of the claims, however, and he and his estate have always maintained his total innocence. - Billboard, 2/20/25...... Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren will be fêted by The New York Pops at the orchestra's 42nd birthday gala this spring. "Words and Music: Diane Warren" will take place on Apr. 28, in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall, with a guest artist lineup that includes Taylor Dayne, Sofia Carson, Micaela Diamond, Shoshana Bean and Anglique Kidjo. Several of these artists have noteworthy ties to Warren -- Dayne sang "Love Will Lead Me Back," which in Apr.1990 became Warren's fifth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as a songwriter. (She has since had four more.) Carson sang "Applause" in the film Tell It Like a Woman, which two years ago became Warren's 14th song to receive an Oscar nomination for best original song. (She has since had two more.) Diamond was an original Broadway cast member of "The Cher Show." Cher sang two of Warren's 33 top 10 hits on the Hot 100 to date -- "If I Could Turn Back Time" (perhaps Cher's most iconic hit) and "Just Like Jesse James." Warren co-wrote the latter song with Desmond Child. Warren has penned nine No. 1 and 33 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Her songs have been featured in more than 150 films, leading to 15 Academy Award nominations for best original song. In Nov. 2022, she became the first songwriter in history to receive an Honorary Oscar, as voted on by the Academy's Board of Governors. She has won a Grammy, a Primetime Emmy winner and two Golden Globes. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001 and received that organization's top prize, the Johnny Mercer Award, in June 2024. - Billboard, 2/19/25...... Former The Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon (née Johnny Rotten) has dismissed a new Sex Pistols tour in 2025 featuring his fellow original band members Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock as "karaoke." News of a new Sex Pistols tour emerged in 2024 when it was first announced that the band -- sans Lydon -- were to reunite for a two-night affair to benefit West London's Bush Hall. Instead, the group was to be fronted by Frank Carter, who has previously fronted acts such as Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes. The initial shows soon led to further dates around the U.K. and Europe, with the band billed as "Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter." Further shows have since been announced for Australia, New Zealand, and other European countries throughout 2025. In January, Jones confirmed U.S. dates would follow, though specifics are yet to arrive. Although Lydon has remained largely quiet about the new Sex Pistols activity, on Feb. 13 he spoke to British publication The i Paper about the tour, explaining that he largely felt "annoyed" by the whole affair and feared it would tarnish the group's legacy. "When I first heard that the Sex Pistols were touring this year without me it pissed me off," he explained. "It annoyed me. I just thought, 'they're absolutely going to kill all that was good with the Pistols by eliminating the point and the purpose of it all.' I didn't write those words lightly. They're trying to trivialise the whole show to get away with karaoke but in the long term I think you'll see who has the value and who doesn't. I've never sold my soul to make a dollar. It's the Catholic in me -- that guilt I don't want to trip." The Sex Pistols initially existed from 1975 until 1978, releasing their sole studio album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols in 1977. Lauded as a pioneering punk outfit despite their short initial tenure, the band would later reform in 1996 for a world tour, and undertook sporadic tours until 2008. Famously -- or perhaps infamously -- the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, though refused to attend the ceremony, labeling the institution a "piss stain." - Billboard, 2/18/25...... In other '70s punk rock news, on Feb. 24 The Stranglers announced a raft of autumn 2025 UK tour dates on social media, with support from The Buzzcocks. The Stranglers will be bringing their "51 Tour" to the UK between Oct. 17 and Nov. 1, including two nights at London's Roundhouse. "They say 'making it to a goal is one thing, but making it further is even better'," the post read. "We are thrilled to announce The Stranglers 51 UK Tour. Fifty-one years on the road and still going strong." The Stranglers tour will make stops at cities including Newcastle, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and Aberdeen, as well as London. The Buzzcocks will join the band on all dates, except in Scotland -- a support act for their Scottish shows will be announced at a later date. The Stranglers will also mount tours in Australia and New Zealand this year, where they will be playing in cities including Sydney, Perth, Auckland and Christchurch. These shows are part of their "50 Years In Black World Tour." The band has scored 23 UK top 40 singles and 20 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades -- making them one of the longest-surviving bands to have originated in the UK punk scene of the 1970s. - Music-News.com, 2/24/25...... British singer Lulu announced on Feb. 24 that she's launching her very own charitable fund, Lulu's Mental Health Trust, a restricted fund operating under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund. Lulu says she decided to set up the fund while writing her memoir, which celebrated 60 years since she stormed into the UK charts with her iconic hit "Shout" and realized the part mental health has played throughout her life, whether her own or her loved ones. For her first initiative, Lulu will lead a mammoth sponsored walk on May 16 which will take her from the school where she filmed the 1967 movie To Sir With Love in E1 0AQ to the old Decca studio where she recorded "Shout" in NW6 3AU -- passing more places connected to her incredible six-decade long career along the way. "I have been on such an amazing journey filled with so many memories over the last 60 years, but it has come with lows as well as the incredible highs as my memoir will detail," Lulu says. "While writing my book, I had the chance to reflect on how mental health has played a big part in my life whether mine or people I love, and I feel compelled to give help to those going through their own struggles." Lulu is known for her dedication to charity work, having supported: Comic Relief, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Help For Heroes, Prince's Trust, Teenage Cancer Trust, and Young Lives vs Cancer amongst many others throughout her career. In 2021, she was awarded a CBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II for her services to charity as well as music and entertainment. - Music-News.com, 2/24/25...... British cult folk musician and songwriter Bill Fay died "peacefully" on the morning of Feb. 22 in London at the age of 81. A cause of death has not been given, though Mr. Fay had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. After being dropped from his label in the 1970s, Mr. Fay's career was revived nearly 40 years later when his music was discovered by the likes of Jim O'Rourke, Jeff Tweedy and Nick Cave. Born in North London in 1943, Mr. Fay went to Wales to study electronics at University. During his time studying, he began writing songs on the piano and harmonium, recording some demos that were noticed by former Van Morrison drummer Terry Noon. Noon helped Fay sign to Decca Records subsidiary Deram and he released two albums: 1970's Bill Fay and 1971's Time of the Last Persecution. His second LP didn't sell well, and he was eventually dropped from his label. After his music career seemed to come to an end, Mr. Fay pursued various other careers, as a groundskeeper, fishmonger and fruit picker. In 1998 -- almost 40 years after the release of Time of the Last Persecution -- a small British label reissued his music, leading to its discovery by producer Jim O'Rourke. O'Rourke played the albums for Jeff Tweedy during the writing and recording sessions for Wilco's seminal Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and Tweedy liked the songs so much that he began performing a cover of "Be Not So Fearful" during their live shows. Mr. Fay eventually joined the band to perform the song, once in 2007 and once in 2010. Mr. Fay never toured and made only one television appearance on Later with Jools Holland. In their statement, Dead Oceans Records shared that he had been working on an album at the time of his death. "Our hope is to find a way to finish and release it," they wrote. - NME, 2/23/25...... Jerry Butler, the beloved Chicago soul singer, producer and, later, politician who began his career in the late 1950 singing alongside childhood friend Curtis Mayfield in The Impressions, died on Feb. 20 of undisclosed causes after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 85. Working alongside singer/guitarist Mayfield -- whom he'd met as a teenager singing in a church choir -- Mr. Butler began his career in the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers group before joining the Roosters, who in short order became known as The Impressions. The group struck gold off the bat with the Mr. Butler co-written "For Your Precious Love," a slow-burning, yearning song inspired by a poem Mr. Butler wrote in high school -- credited to Jerry Butler & the Impressions -- that melded the friends' church-based gospel roots with a stirring soul sound. The single, released by Vee-Jay Records and ranked in 2003 as the No. 335 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, would be one of only two Mr. Butler recorded with the group, followed up by that same year's No. 29 Billboard R&B chart hit "Come Back My Love." Tensions in the group over Mr. Butler's first-billing status led to the singer going out on his own, though his first solo hit was a reunion with Mayfield on the 1960 Vee-Jay co-write "He Will Break Your Heart." That song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. While Mayfield soon became a star in his own right thanks to his funky soul soundtrack to the 1972 blaxploitation film Superfly and such civil rights anthems as "People Get Ready," Mr. Butler embarked on run of hits in the 1960s and 70s that included 38 career Hot 100 entries -- including three top 10s -- as well as 53 songs on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. In 1961, Mr. Butler's impressive vocal range and always fresh attire earned him the career-long nickname "The Iceman" from WDAS Philadelphia DJ George Woods, bestowed on the singer after he kept his cool and continued to sing after the PA system burned out on him at a Philly show. He scored another top 10 hit in 1964 with the hopelessly-in-love ballad "Let It Be Me," a collaboration with singer Betty Everett on the Everly Brothers-written song that appeared on their joint Delicious Together album and peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100. Mr. Butler's third top 10 song came in 1969 with the inspirational soul stirrer "Only the Strong Survive," one of the singer's collaborations with the hit songwriting team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The song appeared on his The Ice Man Cometh album and served as his highest-ever charting single after reaching No. 4 on the Hot 100, as well as spending two weeks at the top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (then called the Billboard Black Singles Chart). One of his most enduring hits, the song would later be covered by, among others, including Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart and Bruce Springsteen, who also made it the title of his 2022 R&B/soul covers solo album. Mr. Butler, whose vocals often climbed from a deep baritone to a crystal falsetto, would land Hot 100 hits in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, last charting on the singles tally in 1977 with "I Wanna Do It To You," which peaked at No. 51. Born in Sunflower, MS on Dec. 8, 1939, Mr. Butler moved to Chicago at age three, where he grew up in the since-demolished Cabrini-Green housing projects. With is biggest music years behind him by the early 1980s, Mr. Butler -- who had earlier set up his own short-lived record label, Memphis Records and production company -- pivoted to running a Chicago beer distributorship. He entered politics a few years later after being inspired by the city's first Black Mayor, Harold Washington. Former Black Panther and longtime Chicago alderman Bobby Rush encouraged Mr. Butler to run for the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 1985, where the singer served three four-year terms before his retirement from public office in 2018. The singer kept performing live into the early 2000s and hosted oldies R&B specials (Doo Wop 50, Rock Rhythm and Doo Wop) for PBS, as well as serving as the chairman of the board for the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the Impressions. Mr. Butler published his autobiography, Only the Strong Survive: Memoirs of a Soul Survivor, in 2000. "He was one of the great voices of our time," Motown legend Smokey Robinson told the Chicago Sun-Times. "We will really miss Jerry. He was a one of a kind music legend!," songwriters Gamble and Huff said in a statement. - Billboard, 2/21/25...... Roberta Flack, the beloved, Grammy-winning 1970s singer best known for such hits as "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly With His Song" died on Feb. 24. She was 88 years old. No cause of death has been announced, but it was previously revealed that she had been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for the past three years. "We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025," read a statement from her representative. "She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator," it added. Born Roberta Cleopatra Flack in Black Mountain, N.C. on Feb. 10, 1937, and raised in Virginia, Ms. Flack began singing at various churches throughout her childhood, before learning piano at age nine and going on to get a full scholarship to Howard University. After graduating, she began a career as a music teacher and started getting work as a singer in various clubs. It was around the late '60s that she made a shift to pop music and famously performed at Mr Henry's Restaurant on Capitol Hill -- getting recognition from the likes of Bill Cosby, Woody Allen and more. By 1969, Ms. Flack had shared her debut album First Take with Atlantic Records, and in 1971 she famously starred in the Ghana Independence Day concert film Soul To Soul, which also featured Santana, Ike & Tina Turner and more. Throughout the '70s, her success continued to grow. Her now-classic track "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" was notably chosen by Clint Eastwood to feature in his directorial debut Play Misty for Me. It would later go on to win Record Of The Year at the '93 Grammys and become her first chart-topping single. She would work with the revered Hollywood star again in his 1983 film Sudden Impact. That same year her Killing Me Softly album saw her take home Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Performance at the 1974 Grammys and reach the top of the charts again. "Feel Like Making Love" marked another No. 1 hit, and was released in 1974. "Killing Me Softly" would go on to get more recognition over two decades later, when The Fugees dropped their hit cover for The Score. She would also continue making music up until the late 2010s. Her final album Running was shared in 2018, and she also paid homage to The Beatles in 2012 with her covers album Let It Be Roberta. Ms. Flack was a resident of NYC's The Dakota apartment building, and had a close relationship with Dakota neighbors John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono, helping to comfort Ono after the murder of Lennon in Dec. 1980. In 2020 Ms. Flack was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony, and went on to announce her amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis, a neurodegenerative disease that impacts the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, in 2022. The disease sadly left Ms. Flack unable to sing. Her final years saw her work on projects including a children's book and a documentary about her life. The latter was titled Roberta, and was shared in Nov. 2022, while the children's book, The Little Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music, arrived the following year. In total, she was given 13 Grammy nods throughout her career, with the last coming in 1995 for Roberta, which was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. An activist and philanthropist, Flack remained a teacher at heart. She established the Roberta Flack Foundation in 2010 to help young people fulfill their dreams through education and mentorship. She is survived by her son Bernard Wright, who is also a musician. - Billboard/NME/Music-News.com, 2/24/25.

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Smokey Robinson has responded to a rumor about a '70s song he wrote which is speculated to be about an alleged affair with his fellow Motown legend Diana Ross, saying he "could not possibly have experienced everything" he has written music about. Robinson, 84, spoke to The Times about his music, the soul genre, and hanging out with the likes of The Beatles and Marvin Gaye. He was also asked about his 1975 track "The Agony and The Ecstacy" (available on YouTube) and whether it was about the affair he was having with Ross at the time. "As a songwriter, I could not possibly have experienced everything I've written about, and that song seemed like a good idea because so many people were in that situation," he said. "I've known Diana Ross since she was eight years old, man! She's precious to me. She's my longest living friend. Oh yeah, she's my babe." Smokey had been married to Claudette Robinson for more than a decade when he had the alleged affair with Ross. Robinson is scheduled to play his first UK show in over 15 years this summer in East Sussex. He will play a headline set at the "Love Supreme Jazz Festival" in Glynde Place in the South Downs, which will run from July 4 to 6. - NME, 2/17/25...... He isn't quite "slip-slidin' away" yet -- on Feb. 18 Paul Simon announced an ambitious 2025 North American tour on Twitter/X, some seven years after he retired from playing live. The 55-show, 19-city "A Quiet Celebration" trek will kick off in New Orleans' Saenger Theater on Apr. 4, hitting most major American cities and Vancouver, B.C. Runs of five shows in New York's Beacon Theater (6/16,18, 20, 21, 23) and Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall (7/9, 11, 12, 14, 16) are included in the run, which finally wraps in Seattle's Benaroya Hall on Aug. 3. The legendary 83-year-old singer-songwriter played what at the time was described as his final ever concert in Sept. 2018 in Queens, New York's Flushing Meadows Corona Park. "I've often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I'd consider bringing my performing career to a natural end," he said at the time. "Now I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating and something of a relief." In 2024, Simon opened up about being diagnosed with hearing loss while recording his 2023 album Seven Psalms, describing the process as "incredibly frustrating." A year earlier he had told The Times that he lost "most of the hearing in my left ear," saying the process happened "quite suddenly." "Nobody has an explanation for it," he explained, "so everything became more difficult." However, Simon went on to tell The Guardian in Nov. 2024 that he was "optimistic" about returning to perform live, saying he was "hoping to eventually be able to do a full-length concert." On Feb. 16, Simon made a surprise return to live performing when he was joined by rising singer Sabrina Carpenter for a duet of the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Homeward Bound" on the 50th-anniversary episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live. Introducing the performance, Simon told the audience: "I sang this song with George Harrison on Saturday Night Live in 1976," to which Carpenter responded: "I was not born then. And neither were my parents." Their duet can be streamed on YouTube. NBC has said the 3 1/2 hour extravaganza was watched by nearly 15 million people, the network's most-watched prime-time entertainment telecast in five years. It will be available to stream on Peacock. - NME, 2/18/25...... Speaking of the SNL special, Paul McCartney closed out the event with a stirring performance of The Beatles' Abbey Road medley, "Golden Slumbers"/ "Carry That Weight"/ "The End." Sir Paul, who was a musical guest on the show in 1980, 1993, 2010 and 2012 and made cameos in 2006, 2013 and 2015, also previously appeared on SNL's 40th anniversary special. His performance with members of his touring band -- guitarist Rusty Anderson, bassist/guitarist Brian Ray, keyboardist Paul "Wix" Wickens and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. -- can be viewed on YouTube. In 1993, McCartney appeared in a skit with the late SNL cast member Chris Farley in which a starstruck Farley asked the Beatle legend "In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.' Is that true?," before being overjoyed when the artist said he thinks it is. Now some fans are speculating Macca's latest SNL performance was a nod to Farley. The skit can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 2/17/25...... In other Beatles-related news, details of the forthcoming John Lennon documentary Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade have been revealed. The film follows the legend as he evolves beyond The Beatles, creating revolutionary music and standing at the forefront of anti-war protests that would make him one of the most influential pop culture icons of all time. Musicians, journalists, and close friends of the man himself set the record straight on the truth behind many famous Lennon moments, brought to life by rare archive footage, including never-before-seen interviews. For the first time ever, the full story of how John and Yoko Ono met is revealed and the curtain is lifted on the 1981 comeback tour that, sadly, never came to be. Speaking on the upcoming release director Alan G. Parker said: "I am so excited to share Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade with UK audiences. I've made a number of films, but this is the first one that feels personal. I never met John Lennon, but through his music he became the older brother that this bullied kid needed." Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade opens in UK cinemas on May 2, with an exclusive Director's Cut available on the Icon Film Channel on the same day. Special Q&A events about the documentary are to be announced soon. - Music-News.com, 2/20/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr has told Britain's Mojo magazine that he loves living in Los Angeles, where he has lived on and off since 1973. "When I first came to America and we landed in New York, I wanted to live in New York," said Starr, who was born and raised in Liverpool. "And then we want on tours around and we came to Los Angeles, I'd think, 'Uh ... maybe Los Angeles. No New York! Maybe Los Angeles. L ... A!' I just loved the atmosphere. I loved the light. I loved the heat." Despite this, Ringo says he's never been tempted to surf in the Pacific Ocean. "It took me seven years to go to the ocean. A limo took me down the Pacific Coast Highway. I got out the car, walked across the beach, put my feet in the water, turned around, walked back to the car and went for lunch." - Music-News.com, 2/17/25...... In what is likely a major disappointment to many fans, Ozzy Osbourne has said he won't play a full Black Sabbath set at the band's upcoming farwell show on July 5 in Birmingham, UK. Osbourne made the announcement on his Ozzy Speaks program on SiriusXM channel Ozzy's Boneyard, where he provided an update as to his plans for the recently-announced "Back to the Beginning" concert with the "ultimate" Sabbath lineup of Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. "I'm not planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath but I am doing little bits and pieces with them," the "War Pigs" singer explained. "I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable." Osbourne hasn't performed a full set since Dec. 31, 2018 on the final date of his "No More Tours" tour. Just two months later, the heavy metal pioneer was diagnosed with Parkinson's, and any plans for further large-scale performances have been affected by numerous cancellations and health issues. "I am trying to get back on my feet," Osbourne added. "When you get up in the morning, you just jump out of bed. I have to balance myself, but I'm not dead. I'm still actively doing things." Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Guns N' Roses, Tool and Jason Mamoa have been added to the lineup of the final Black Sabbath concert. Aquaman actor Momoa will host the event, while Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello will serve as musical director. Other previously announced acts include Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Rival Sons, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, songwriter-producer Andrew Watt, and bassist Dave Ellefson. Osbourne and Billy Morrison have shared their new single, "Gods Of Rock N Roll," on YouTube. The track is a reworking of the Morrison song "Gods," which appeared on his 2015 album God Shaped Hole. The track saw Ozzy co-write and sing on the original, and now it has been reimagined with a 61-piece orchestra featuring new guitar aspects from Steve Stevens. - Billboard, 2/16/25...... Matt Sorum, a former drummer with Guns N' Roses, says Steven Tyler will never return to touring just weeks after the Aerosmith frontman made a return to the stage as part of his sixth annual "Jam for Janie" Grammy Awards viewing party. With Sorum serving as Musical Director, the event was only the second time that Tyler had performed live since a 2023 vocal injury which halted Aerosmith's touring schedule, and the first time since the band announced their formal retirement in August of 2024. During Jam for Janie, Tyler sung covers of songs by Extreme and Led Zeppelin, and four Aerosmith staples. However, despite the positive response from fans, Sorum told Joe Rock of Long Island radio station WBAB that the strain of global touring would prevent Tyler from performing on a large scale once again. "Some fans were a little bit, like, 'Well, he can sing.' Well, let me just explain what's happening with Steven Tyler, 'cause he's a really good friend," Sorum explained. "He went out and sang. And it was a really big moment for him because he hurt himself bad. Now, is he gonna tour again? No, he's not. Because, and I explained this to people, Steven cannot put himself under the rigors of doing a full worldwide tour because there's a lot of pressure." Sorum went on to explain that Tyler "is 77 years old and a perfectionist... And if he doesn't sing correctly, it bothers him." On Sept. 9, 2023, Tyler fractured his larynx, necessitating the postponement of shows on Aerosmith's Peace Out tour. Ultimately, these shows were canceled entirely when the band announced their retirement from touring in Aug. 2024. In January, Aerosmith's Joe Hamilton said that "if [Aerosmith does] anything in the future, it would come from him." - Billboard, 2/18/25...... Queen guitarist Brian May. Created with significant design input from May, only 100 of the Brian May SJ-200 12-String models will be available worldwide in a limited run via Gibson.com, the Gibson Garage Nashville and London, and authorized Gibson dealers. In a press release, May said he "had the idea for the guitar when I needed a 12-String on tour, and the one I was accustomed to wasn't performing right on stage." "The guys at Gibson very kindly said, 'We'll make you something special that you can use on the tours.' One of the things I asked for was for the octaves to be placed around the other way from where it is normally done, because I like to pick upwards and hear the top notes when I'm playing," he added. Referring to his other career as an astronomer, he said: "Gibson was able to put the universe on it in a figurative way and the planet Mercury is here, and that is a little nod to a friend of mine that is always with me." An episode of the Gibson TV podcast with May introducing the instrument has been shared on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 2/19/25...... The Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown has topped the $100 million threshold in worldwide box-office grosses, according to boxofficemojo.com. The film, which has grossed $104 million as of Feb. 18, now ranks No. 8 on Billboard's list of music biopics with the highest worldwide grosses -- between the 2004 Ray Charles biopic Ray at No. 7 ($124 million) and the 2019 French singer Piaf biopic La Vie En Rose at No. 9 ($87.5 million). Released in December, A Complete Unknown received eight Oscar nominations on Jan. 23, and made Oscar history as the first music biopic to receive three acting nods -- for Timothée Chalamet as Dylan, Edward Norton as Pete Seeger and Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez. The runaway all-time highest grossing biopic continues to be the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), with a worldwide gross of $910.8 million. - Billboard, 2/16/25...... In other rock biopic news, Jimmy Page has thanked fans for their "humbling and inspiring" reaction to the new IMAX documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin. Page took to Instagram on Feb. 17 to send his personal thanks for the film's enthusiastic reception. "In light of your incredible responses and the demand for the Becoming Led Zeppelin film from those of you that have either viewed it at the IMAX or during its general cinema release, I must say that feedback from fans is just humbling and inspiring," he wrote. Currently in UK cinemas, Becoming Led Zeppelin is the first authorized account of the band's history ever to come to the big screen, and has been in production since first being announced back in 2019. Since hitting IMAX screens on Feb. 5 and receiving a general cinema release two days later, Zeppelin fans have been flocking to see the film, which features new interviews with Page, frontman Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980. - NME, 2/17/25...... A unique version of the classic Procol Harum single "A Whiter Shade of Pale" featuring late singer Gary Brooker is among the songs on the new charity album Think Loud 4 Parkinson's. The LP was put together by esteemed manager Ian Grant -- who helped steer the careers of the likes of Big Country, The Cult, The Stranglers, Elizabeth McGovern and many more -- and music producer Paul Mitchell, along with two others, in response to Grant's own experience living with Parkinson's disease for the last nine years. For the special version of "A Whiter Shade of Pale," Mitchell took the performance of the song from the "Remembering Gary Brooker" memorial concert that took place at G Live in Guilford, England, on Dec. 4, 2023. That performance features a 15-year old live vocal recording of Brooker -- who passed away from cancer in Feb. 2022, at the age of 76 -- matched to Procol Harum's live rendition of the track in tribute to the singer at that gig. Speaking at the launch of the album at the offices of Cure Parkinson's in London, Mitchell said: "Gary's widow Frankie Brooker very kindly allowed us to take some tracks from that concert. "The 'Whiter Shade of Paler' version on this -- and this is how valuable this album is going to be -- is super rare. The music is the band playing live in December 2023, but the vocal is Gary Brooker's vocal from Boston in 2010 and it's all synchronised together. It is an absolute one-off." All profits from the LP go to Cure Parkinson's to help the charity fund their vital research into the neurodegenerative disease. It additionally features an array of covers and rare tracks from such other music legends as Leo Sayer, Queen drummer Roger Taylor and former Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley. - Music-News.com, 2/16/25...... Rick Buckler, a longtime rocker best known as the drummer for legendary UK band The Jam, has died. He was 69 years old. News of his death was announced on X via a heartfelt message from his bandmate Paul Weller. "I'm shocked and saddened by Rick's passing.... We went far beyond our dreams and what we made stands the test of time & Rick was a good guy and a great drummer whose innovative drum patterns helped shape our songs. I'm glad we had the chance to work together as much as we did. My thoughts are with [Rick's wife Lesley] and his family at this very difficult time." The Jam was formed in 1972 in Woking, Surrey. Buckler was in the original lineup as drummer, and the group released their debut single "In the City" in 1977, and released their debut album of the same name that same year. The band made waves via their political statements, rising up against police brutality, the British government and beyond. Overall, the group released six albums, their final project being 1982's The Gift, which peaked at No. 82 on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart. After a world tour in support of the album, the group disbanded due to a decision from Weller. After his time in The Jam, Buckler formed Time UK with Jimmy Edwards and Ray Simone, and later formed a new The Jam tribute band called The Gift. - Billboard, 2/18/25...... Scottish drummer Jamie Muir, a former drummer of the British prog rock group King Crimson, died of as yet undisclosed causes on Feb. 17. He was 82. News of his passing was confirmed by his friend and bandmate Bill Bruford, who wrote on Facebook: "Jamie Muir died today, 17.02.2025, in Cornwall, UK, with his brother George by his side." Mr. Muir was best known for his stint with the legendary King Crimson from 1972 to 1973, playing most prominently on their fifth studio album Larks' Tongues In Aspic, released in 1973. Born in Edinburgh in 1942 and educated at the Edinburgh College Of Art, he moved to London in the 1960s as a passionate jazz trombonist, before switching to percussion. In London, he was involved in several free improvisational groups, including The Music Improvisation Company, and played with respected figures such as Derek Bailey and Evan Parker. King Crimson leader Robert Fripp invited him to join the band via a phone call in the summer of 1972, alongside a new incarnation of the band that included Yes drummer Bruford, bassist John Wetton and violinist David Cross. After just a year, and just days after the release of Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Muir abruptly left King Crimson and moved to a monastery in southern Scotland to pursue life as a Buddhist monk. He did return to music in 1980, appearing on albums by Bailey and Parker, as well as the soundtrack of the 1983 British independent film Ghost Dance. In 1990, he withdrew from the music industry once again, opting to devote his time to painting. Mr. Muir's passing comes just months after King Crimson songwriter and lyricist Peter Sinfield died, aged 80, on Nov. 14. Robert Fripp paid tribute to Mr. Muir on Instagram, writing: "Jamie Muir was a major, and continuing, influence on my thinking, not only musical. A wonderful and mysterious person. Of the five members of KC 1972, Jamie had the greatest authority, experience and presence. Fly well, Master Muir." - NME, 2/18/25.

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Willie Nelson's 13th annual Luck Reunion concert has been set for March 13 at his ranch in Spicewood, Tex. Nelson's Willie Nelson & Family will top the bill, but the 2025 will also feature the likes of Charley Crockett, Steve Earle, Taj Mahal, Willie's sons Micah and Lucas Nelson, and "more than one surprise guests." The concert will also feature a tribute to Willie's late close friend and Country Music Hall of Famer Kris Kristofferson. Ticket information is available at www.luckpresents.com. - Billboard, 2/14/25...... The lineup for the 2025 Love Rocks Benefit concert, set for the legendary Beacon Theatre in NYC on Mar. 6, will feature sets from Cher, Peter Frampton, Michael McDonald, Alicia Keys, Beck, Kate Hudson, Mavis Staples, Phish's Trey Anastasio and many more. The ninth annual benefit supports God's Love We Deliver -- an organization that cooks and delivers medically tailored meals for people too sick to shop or cook for themselves. God's Love We Deliver was founded in 1985 as a response to the AIDS pandemic and now serves people living with more than 200 different diagnoses. The organization has served more than 40 million meals to date, with this year marking the group's 40th anniversary. Past performers at God's Love shows have included Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Jon Bon Jovi, Dave Grohl, Dave Matthews and The Black Crowes. - Billboard, 2/12/25...... A rep for Don Felder says the former Eagles guitarist is "feeling much better" after a medical emergency during a Rock Legends Cruise performance on Feb. 13. In a video shared by an attendee and posted on the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com, Felder is seen introducing the Eagles classic, "Tequila Sunrise," sharing the inspiration behind the song before he began strumming his guitar to perform it. He then appears to look to crew members on the side stage and lose balance, before a member of his team and his bandmates helped escort him offstage. The crowd cheered in support for the musician before the video ends. Posting on Instagram, his rep said medical personnel determined that Felder "was deemed to be suffering from dehydration... He was given fluids, and is feeling much better." The statement continued that the remainder of Felder's cruise performances will be rescheduled to "ensure he has ample time to rehydrate and recover fully," before concluding, "Thank you for your understanding and remember -- drink your water!" Felder, 77, performed with the Eagles from 1974 to 2001, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 1998. After his departure from the group, he filed two lawsuits alleging wrongful termination, breach of implied-in-fact contract and breach of fiduciary duty, though the case was settled in 2007. Felder published the book, Heaven and Hell: My Life in The Eagles, in 2007. - Billboard, 2/14/25...... In other Eagles-related news, a rare book dealer filed a lawsuit against band co-founder Don Henley, their manager Irving Azoff, and their attorneys in New York state court on Feb. 6. Henley and his co-defendants are being sued by Glenn Horowitz, one of the men who was criminally charged for allegedly attempting to sell handwritten lyrics connected to the Eagles' 1976 album Hotel California, claiming they and their attorneys engaged in a "malicious prosecution" that harmed his reputation and caused him financial losses and emotional distress. Horowitz claims the parties falsely alleged that he and his two co-defendants in the criminal case "knew or had reason to believe" that the lyric sheets "had been unlawfully obtained" and nonetheless attempted to profit off of them via an online auction. However, Horowitz claims the men and their attorneys knew all along that the notes had been acquired through legal means in the first place. Horowitz, a rare book dealer, and his co-defendants -- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia auctioneer Edward Kosinski -- were criminally charged in 2022 over an alleged conspiracy to resell the lyrics that had been handwritten by Henley while working on the band's iconic Hotel California. At the time, prosecutors had accused the three men of hiding the fact that the documents had been stolen from Henley's home by Ed Sanders, a journalist hired by Henley and Azoff to write a never-published book on the Eagles in the late 1970s. But in a stunning turnaround in March 2024, Manhattan prosecutors dropped the case after Henley produced new evidence previously withheld under attorney-client privilege that cast doubt on his and Azoff's allegations. The judge in the case subsequently dismissed the charges and chastised Henley, Azoff and their attorneys for "obfuscat[ing] and hid[ing] information that they believed would be damaging to their position that the lyric sheets were stolen." Horowitz and his wife are asking for damages amounting to more than 10 million dollars over being "deprived of their liberty, suffering humiliation, defamation, diminished reputation and loss of business and/or wages." Henley and Azoff's attorney, Dan Petrocelli, said the Horowitzes' suit "highlights the dark underbelly of the memorabilia business that exploited the brazen, unauthorized taking and selling of Mr. Henley's handwritten lyrics... The only malicious prosecution involved here is the filing of this case by Mr. Horowitz." - Billboard, 2/10/25...... English Heritage, the charity responsible for the National Heritage Collection of England, announced on X/Twitter that late T. Rex legend Marc Bolan will be among several Londoners who will be honoured with a new London blue plaque in 2025 for their significant impact on the city's cultural landscape. Bolan, the charismatic frontman of glam-rock band T. Rex, was known for his flamboyant style and shape-shifting music and will be honoured with a plaque at one of his former addresses in West London. Others to be honoured with a blue plaque include actress Audrey Hepburn, poet Una Marson, ballerina Alicia Markova, novelist Barbara Pym and artist Graham Sutherland. In 2024, English Heritage paid tribute to George Harrison by unveiling a blue plaque at Harrison's childhood home in Liverpool. - New Musical Express, 2/13/25...... Performing a surprise concert at New York's iconic Bowery Ballroom on Feb. 11, Paul McCartney relived his Beatlemania days with several of the band's classic tracks and paid tribute to late bandmate John Lennon. McCartney, 82, announced the impromptu gig earlier in the day and, unsurprisingly, it swiftly sold out, with 575 lucky fans treated to a once-in-a-lifetime show. Sir Paul, backed by guitarist Rusty Anderson, guitarist and bassist Brian Ray, keyboardist Paul "Wix" Wickens and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. -- kicked off proceedings in style performing the 1964 Beatles hit "A Hard Day's Night," then dusted off his '70s band Wings' 1975 track "Letting Go," which he hadn't performed live in 11 years. 1966's Revolver track "Got to Get You Into My Life" followed, and other rarities included Wings' "Let Me Roll With It" -- which was last featured in his set at the iTunes Festival in 2007 -- alongside a jam of "Foxy Lady" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Elsewhere, Macca gave a stirring stripped-back acoustic performance of the tear-jerking Beatles tune "Blackbird." McCartney was amused to reminisce about the Beatlemania days when he heard a "Beatles scream" and demanded more shrieking from the "girls." "OK, let's get it out of the way. Girls, give me a Beatles scream," he quipped. Paul also paid tribute to Lennon when performing The Beatles' "final song," 2023's "Now And Then," which Lennon had penned in the 1970s and was finished with the help of AI. He said: "Let's hear it for John." After performing a three-song encore of "Golden Slumbers," "Carry The Weight" and "The End" from Abbey Road, the legend declared: "This has been a blast -- we've loo-ved it." McCartney was in the Big Apple to help NBC's Saturday Night Live celebrate its 50th anniversary on Feb. 16. The venerable comedy show announced on X/Twitter on Feb. 14 that musical performances by McCartney, Paul Simon, Cher, Sabrina Carpenter, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne and other famous acts will be combined with a three-hour primetime special which will feature various live sketches which will see both past and present SNL cast members, special guests, and retrospectives celebrating the show's 50th anniversary. The special will air 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and simulcast on Peacock. - Music-News.com/Billboard/NME, 2/14/25...... Appearing on TMZ's new 2 Angry Men podcast on Feb. 12, Village People frontman Victor Willis told hosts Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos that the group's 1978 classic "Y.M.C.A." has an intentional dual meaning. "That was something that I credited myself on is writing my songs with what is called a double entendre," Willis said. "I would write a song to where you can take it any kind of way you wanted it. If you're straight, you can take the lyrics for somebody straight or if you were gay, you could take it for somebody gay." Willis then insisted that "there's like 10% of the gay community that have been coming to my shows and have been there over the past 10 years," although Levin and Geragos insisted that the number would be higher. Willis recently sent a cease and desist letter to Jim Jeffries after the comedian's claims about the song being a "gay anthem." "[Jeffries] went over the line when he got into saying it had to do with men having sex in the bathroom," Willis said. "There is nothing in my lyrics that says anything about that. We approached him and he apologized and said he was going to rephrase what it was he said and say it differently, because the way he said it as worded was defamatory," he added. - Billboard, 2/13/25...... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame revealed its nominees for the Class of 2025 on Feb. 12, with Mariah Carey, Oasis, Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden and The White Stripes making the cut. Eight of those 14 acts -- Bad Company, the Black Crowes, Checker, Cocker, Idol, Maná, Outkast and Phish -- are first-time nominees, while the other six have been in RRHOF consideration in years past. Those names will now be narrowed down by an international panel of more than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry players, with a fan-voted element factored in. That group's selected nominees will be revealed in late April, as well as whether they'll be entering in the Musical Influence or Musical Excellence categories, and who the year's Ahmet Ertegun award recipient will be. An induction ceremony in Los Angeles will follow in the fall. Industry insiders predict Oasis, The White Stripes, Outkast, Phish, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper and Joe Cocker, in that order, have the best odds of being inducted, while an informal Billboard fan poll showed support for Phish, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper, Bad Company, Billy Idol, Soundgarden and Chubby Checker. Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers says that "[Our] fans and friends have been lobbying for this nomination persistently for years and they never gave up, so big thanks to them. According to them, Bad Company fits all of the criteria and then some to be inducted." Drummer Simon Kirke, however, is more inclined to also note that it's about time. "I think it's been a long time coming. It has rankled me a bit," Kirke says. "We've been around a long time and we've influenced a lot of bands, and I think it's a place that we deserve. I'm just pleased that we're at least on the ballot. I'm happy and I'm honored, and fingers crossed that we make it." Formed during 1973 in London, Bad Company brought together Rodgers and Kirke from Free, guitarist Mick Ralphs from Mott the Hoople and bassist Boz Burrell, fresh out of King Crimson. The group was managed by the legendary Peter Grant and signed to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song label. Its self-titled 1974 debut hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200, going five-times platinum and launching enduring rock radio hits such as "Can't Get Enough" (No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Movin' On" (No. 19) and the song "Bad Company." Four of the band's other 11 studio albums went platinum or better, as did the 1985 compilation 10 From 6. All told Bad Company sold more than 40 million records worldwide, with a cadre of other top 40 Hot 100 hits such as "Feel Like Makin' Love," "Young Blood," "Shooting Star" and "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy." The original Bad Company foursome came to a stop in 1982, and Bad Company last toured during 2019. Kirke confirms that "I think it's safe to say (the band's) playing days are pretty much over." He and Rodgers are still active, however. Though Rodgers is also battling health issues -- he's suffered several strokes since 2016 and 2019 -- he released the solo album Midnight Rose during 2023 and is continuing to write new material. Kirke, meanwhile, has written a stage musical about addiction that's currently being shopped and is planning to record his fourth solo album during the spring. - Billboard, 2/12/25...... On Feb. 12 The Jacksons shared details of three UK shows this summer. Comprised of founding members Jackie Jackson and Marlon Jackson, brothers of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, the band are set to break out hits from their lengthy discography as they headline GuilFest at Stoke Park in Guilford, Surrey on July 5. From there, they'll take to the stage at the Heritage Live Shows at the Englefield House in Berkshire on July 19. For their set at GuilFest, the band -- formerly known as The Jackson 5 -- will join Razorlight at the top of the bill. They also join other previously announced acts on the 2025 line-up, including KT Tunstall, Soul II Soul, The Amy Winehouse Band, Sleeper, Elvanna, Stereo MCs and Dub Pistols. At the Heritage Live gig, they will appear alongside Sister Sledge, Boney M and Maizie Williams. For the Essex show, Sister Sledge will also be performing, as will Miss Disco. The news of their UK shows arrives months following the death of founding member Tito Jackson, who passed away on Sept. 15 at age 70 after he suffered a heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma. At the time, the group's manager said The Jacksons were "far advanced" in the process of recording and releasing their first album since 1989's 2300 Jackson Street. - NME, 2/12/25...... Though not known as a country artist, Sammy Hagar will be among the eclectic lineup of headliners at this year's Stagecoach Country Music Festival, set for the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., on April 25-27. Hagar will perform on the final night of the festival on the event's Palomino Stage, with other notable performers during the three days including Lana Del Rey, Nelly, Tracy Lawrence, Goo Goo Dolls, Tommy James & the Shondells and Crystal Gayle. - Billboard, 2/11/25...... Patti Smith has announced she'll be hitting the road in the U.K. and U.S. this fall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her iconic debut album, Horses. The singer will be joined by longtime side men guitarist Lenny Kaye and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, who both played on the seminal 1975 LP that is considered a punk classic and is often cited by R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe as the album that made him want to make music, and has been enshrined in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry as a historically significant work. Her Patti Smith Group will kick off the 20-date jaunt on Oct. 6 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The outing is then booked to hit Madrid, London, Burssels, Oslo and Paris before moving over to the U.S. for theater gigs in Seattle, Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. before winding down on Nov. 29 at the Met in Philadelphia. "Please join us to help celebrate the final ride of our irreverent thoroughbred," read a statement announcing the run that will mark the first time in 20 years that Smith, 78, has performed the whole album. In 2005, she celebrated its 30th anniversary at that year's Meltdown Festival in London, which she curated. Before she hits the road, Smith will be feted at a March 26 all-star concert at New York's Carnegie Hall, "People Have the Power: Celebrating the Music of Patti Smith," which will feature appearances by Stipe and members of Sonic Youth and the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. In January, Smith assured fans that she was okay after collapsing on stage in So Paulo, Brazil on Jan. 29. The health scare came a month after Smith was ordered by a doctor to rest following a brief stay in an Italian hospital to deal with what was described as a sudden, unnamed illness, resulting in the cancellation of a pair of European shows. - Billboard, 2/11/25...... Van Morrison has added two Scotland shows to his forthcoming 2025 UK tour. In addition to the initially confirmed four gigs in Nottingham (3/18), Birmingham (3/19), Oxford (3/23, 24) and Stroud (3/24), Morrison has scheduled a pair of headline concerts in Scotland at the end of the trek. He'll take to the stage at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall on Mar. 30, before heading to Edinburgh for a performance at Usher Hall the following night. Morrison had previously announced two homecoming shows at Whitla Hall in Belfast on February 21 and 22, as well as European headline gigs in Antwerp, Brussels and The Hague. - NME, 2/11/25...... The legacy of legendary folk singer Joan Baez was celebrated on Feb. 8 with a star-studded Sweet Relief Musicians Fund benefit show at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. Performers included Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Margo Price, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Morello, Joe Henry, Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal and Baez herself. There were also appearances by Jackson Browne and the Glide Ensemble. Actress Monica Barbaro, who recently received an Oscar nomination for playing Baez in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, was in attendance, as were Linda Ronstadt and local counterculture icon Wavy Gravy. Eric Steinberg, executive director at Sweet Relief Musicians Fund said, "We're thrilled to celebrate 30 years of Sweet Relief while honoring the great Joan Baez and her amazing career. Joan has supported our charity for many years, and it was a privilege to honor her alongside so many incredible artists." Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides services and financial assistance for career musicians and music industry professionals. Grants are earmarked for medical and vital living expenses, including insurance premiums, prescriptions, medical treatment and operative procedures, housing costs, food costs, utilities, and other basic necessities. The event raised more than $600,000, and 100% of all donations will go to Sweet Relief for California fire relief for distribution to victims. - Billboard, 2/10/25...... 10cc's Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley celebrated the 50th anniversary of their 1975 hit "I'm Not In Love" on Vernon Kay's BBC Radio 2 program Piano Room on the morning of Feb. 14. Accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra at the BBC Maida Vale studios, Gouldman and Godley performed their seminal hit "I'm Not In Love" plus their new single -- "I Don't Wanna Get To Heaven," and a cover of The Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream." When Kay asked about "I'm Not In Love" going through different iterations, Godley said: "There were two versions, the first recording of it was dreadful. It sucked. So we put it to one side. We knew it was a good song and then we came back to it when we were deeper into the album and discovered this new way of approaching it and suddenly it came to life." A full 10cc reunion seems unlikely however, as Godley said "no" when asked if there was a chance the band would be getting back on stage together. - Music-News.com, 2/14/25...... On Feb. 12, Nordoff and Robbins, the UK's largest music therapy charity that uses music to transform lives, announced the first wave of winners for the 2025 O2 Silver Clef Awards. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour will be the 2025 recipient of the coveted O2 Silver Clef Award, which celebrates outstanding contributions to music. "It's such an honour to receive the O2 Silver Clef Award," Gilmour said in a statement. "Music speaks its own language and it's inspiring to see Nordoff and Robbins using it to make a real difference to people's lives. What they do reminds us of music's ability to reach across boundaries and bring people together." Gilmour and other 2025 winners, including Rick Astley and Soul II Soul, will be celebrated at an exclusive awards evening hosted by broadcaster Edith Bowman on July 2 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London. Previous winners of the prestigious O2 Silver Clef Award include David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Ed Sheeran, The Rolling Stones, Kylie Minogue and many more. First held in 1976, the O2 Silver Clef Awards is Nordoff and Robbins' largest annual fundraising event, raising over 13.5 million for the charity across its 49-year history. - Music-News.com, 2/12/25...... Ozzy Osbourne's new single "Gods of Rock N Roll" has already appeared on the charts days before its official release date of Feb. 14. It comes as the song as a new version of the Billy Morrison song "God," which appeared on his 2015 album God Shaped Hole The track saw Osbourne co-write and sing on the original, and now it has been reimagined as an orchestral edition featuring new guitar contributions from Steve Stevens. The reason that it has found its way onto the charts already comes as Morrison gave the new version of the track its premiere while on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard channel last month. Since then, it has been picked up by other radio stations and has made its way to the Number 26 spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. "Gods Of Rock N Roll (Orchestral)" is set to feature on the upcoming deluxe edition of Morrison's 2024 album The Morrison Project, which will arrive digitally on Feb. 21. - NME, 2/11/25...... Sir Tom Jones and Sugababes have been unveiled as headliners for the UK's 2025 Camp Bestival. The "She's A Lady" hitmaker and the "Freak Like Me" group will top the bill at the family festival at Lulworth Cove in Dorset, which takes place between July 31 and Aug. 3. They join previously confirmed headliners Basement Jaxx. Other acts on the stacked bill include Lightning Seeds, The Zutons and drum and bass legend Goldie, who will perform with a full band. - Music-News.com, 2/12/25...... The Stylistics have shared their first new song in more than 16 years, "Yes, I Will," featuring country star Shania Twain. The '70s soul legends -- who are behind the hits "You Are Everything," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "I'm Stone in Love with You," "Break Up to Make Up" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" -- have joined forces with the "You're Still the One" hitmaker on the lead single from their star-studded album Falling In Love With My Girl, their first in almost 20 years. Twain says she came up with the song and just so happened to be with musicians Steve Luthaker, Ray Parker Jr and Nathan East at the time, who contributed to the finished tune, but she says it wasn't until The Stylistics added their vocals that it "really came together." "I'm not known for making Soul records but Soul has always been a big influence for me musically," Twain says. "I'm so in awe of The Stylistics for their natural talent and effortless delivery. I can listen to their voices endlessly. I had this idea for the song Yes, I Will it all came together quite quickly for me lyrically and melodically, it was just a natural flow." The 21-track collection by the iconic group -- comprised of Airrion Love, Herb Murrell and Jason Sharp -- also features the likes of Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, KISS' Gene Simmons, and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. Falling In Love With My Girl -- the group's follow-up to 2008's That Same Way -- drops on Feb. 21. - Music-News.com, 2/13/25....... In a new interview with People, Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley set the record straight on the end of her relationship with the King of Rock & Roll. Priscilla, 79, was married to Elvis from 1967 until 1973 and birthed his only child -- the late Lisa Marie Presley, who died in 2023 aged 54. Director Sofia Coppola released her film, titled Priscilla, in 2023 and it chronicled the romance between the star and the late music legend -- who died in 1977 aged 42. While the film was based on Priscilla's 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me, Presley says the film failed to depict the end of the relationship accurately. "The only thing was the ending. I wasn't really happy about the ending. It didn't end that way, and we ended -- Elvis and I ended very lovingly," she told People. Presley made her comments to the magazine during a panel event at MegaCon Orlando -- where she went on to explain she remained close to Elvis after their divorce. She divulged, "We kept our relationship. We did. He would drop by my home unannounced, and I was going with someone by the way, and he would come unannounced. Thank God it was two o'clock in the morning, and I knew who it was, so I quickly tried to get to the door before he rang the doorbell, and of course he came in, we went in the kitchen, we talked for a couple of hours." - Music-News.com, 2/12/25.

Monday, February 10, 2025

After announcing his first U.S. tour dates for 2025 at the end of January, Bob Dylan has unveiled a much lengthier list of dates for the next seven months for his ongoing "Rough and Rowdy Ways" tour, which also include a number of shows as part of the 2025 installment of the "Outlaw Music Festival" tour, where he will play alongside Willie Nelson, Billy Strings and others. Dylan's tour will kick off on Mar. 25 in Tulsa, Okla., also visiting Little Rock, Ark. (3/26), Springfield, Mo. (3/28), Witchita, Kan. (3/29) and Topeka, Kan. (3/30). April will see the folk rock icon play 15 shows in mostly medium-sized cities, with approximately half that amount in May, June, July, August and September as part of the Outlaw Music Festival. The tour will wrap on Sept. 19 in East Troy, Wisc. - New Musical Express, 2/9/25...... As part of the huge wave of releases for Record Store Day on Apr. 12, previously unreleased performances from John Lennon's post-Beatles final full-length solo concerts will be released on vinyl as Power To The People - Live At The One To One Concert, New York City, 1972. The special 180-gram yellow vinyl will feature performances by John and Yoko Ono' Plastic Ono Band, backed by the NYC group Elephant's Memory, from their pair of "One to One" benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City. John and Yoko played a matinee and evening performance to a total of 40,000 people on Aug. 30, 1972, to benefit children with special needs, and raised a whopping $1.5 million, with some of the money raised going to the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, N.Y., which was infamous for its poor conditions. The historical event, two years after the dissolution of the Beatles, also saw performances by the likes of Stevie Wonder and Roberta Flack. Produced by the couple's son, Sean Ono Lennon, the four tracks have been remixed and re-engineered from the original multi-track tapes by Paul Hicks and Sam Gannon. They include the previously unreleased performances of "Well Well Well," "Cold Turkey" and Yoko's "Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)," while "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" has been newly remixed. The release is limited to just 5500 copies worldwide, and more info can be found on recordstoreday.com. Meanwhile, the One To One concerts are explored in great detail in the forthcoming film, One to One: John & Yoko. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, Marley), the documentary is an expansive look at the 18 months John and Yoko spent living in Greenwich Village in the early 1970s and delivers never-before-seen material and newly restored footage of John's only full length, post-Beatles concert. The film will air on HBO in the US and will be available to stream on Max in late 2025. - Music-News.com, 2/7/25...... Celebrated Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie has had her appointment to one Canada's highest honors -- The Order of Canada -- terminated by the country's Governor General following an investigation into Indigenous ancestry. Sainte-Marie had claimed she believed she was born on the Piapot First Nation reserve in Saskatchewan and had been adopted by the Santamaria family that raised her in Wakefield, Mass., attributing her adoption to the "Sixties Scoop," a period in the 1960s when many Indigenous babies were taken from their parents and adopted by white families. In the fall of 2023, however, a CBC Fifth Estate investigation cast doubt on her claims of Indigenous ancestry. The investigation produced a birth certificate for Sainte-Marie which lists her presumed adoptive parents as her birth parents. It also features interviews with Sainte-Marie's family members calling her claim to Indigenous identity "an elaborate fabrication," and contextualizes Sainte-Marie's career within a phenomenon of high-profile public figures who have fabricated Indigenous identity. As a young adult, Sainte-Marie was adopted by Emile Piapot and Clara Starblanket Piapot of the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan in accordance with Cree law and customs. Sainte-Marie issued a statement around the investigation. "For a long time, I tried to discover information about my background," she wrote. "Through that research what became clear, and what I've always been honest about, is that I don't know where I'm from or who my birth parents were, and I will never know." In a follow-up statement, she affirmed her truth. "I have never lied about my identity," Sainte-Marie said, adding that the investigation included "mistakes and omissions." In her six-decade career, Sainte-Marie has won an Oscar and a Golden Globe (both for co-writing "Up Where We Belong" from An Officer and a Gentleman), the Polaris Music Prize, seven Juno Awards (including four in categories honoring aboriginal or indigenous music), and the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, in addition to her appointment to the Order of Canada. She was first appointed to the Order in 1997, and in 2019 was made a Companion of the Order, the highest level within the Order. The 83-year-old artist also had a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972 with "Mister Can't You See." - Billboard, 2/10/25...... David Johansen, the co-founder and frontman of the iconic '70s punk band The New York Dolls, has revealed that he is battling a brain tumor and stage four cancer. The news came via a Sweet Relief Fund in his name seeking to raise money for the singer's ongoing care in which his daughter, Leah Hennessey, revealed the extent of her 75-year-old father's health issues. "Five years ago at the beginning of the pandemic we discovered that David's cancer had progressed and he had a brain tumor," Leah wrote. "There have been complications ever since. He's never made his diagnosis public, as he and my mother Mara are generally very private people, but we feel compelled to share this now, due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing." She noted that in a further blow, the singer known for his outrageous, high-energy stage persona, fell down a flight of stairs after Thanksgiving and broke his back in two places. Following a week-long hospital stay and a successful surgery, Leah said her dad has been bedridden and incapacitated since then and "due to the trauma, David's illness has progressed exponentially and my mother is caring for him around the clock." The family said that their most immediate needs are for full-time nursing, physical therapy and funding for day-to-day vital living expenses, aimed at helping Johansen regain "some mobility and independence." Donations to Johansen can be made via the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund at sweetrelief.org. Johansen has long been a beloved figure on the New York scene, beginning with his time as the lead singer and provocateur of the gender-bending New York Dolls. That band -- which also featured guitarists Johnny Thunders and Sylvain Sylvain, bassist Arthur Kane and drummer Jerry Nolan -- emerged from the fertile underground New York rock scene in the early 1970s, releasing a pair of albums in 1973 and 1974 that helped set the template for the punk revolution and, later, inspired the lipstick and Aqua Net late 1980s hair metal scene. In addition to the occasional reunion with the Dolls over the years, Johansen also hosted a freewheeling Sirius satellite radio show, David Johansen's Mansion of Fun and acted in projects including the HBO series Oz and the movies Scrooged, Let It Ride, Freejack, Mr. Nanny and others. He was also the subject of the 2020 Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi-directed Showtime documentary feature Personality Crisis: One Night Only, which told the singer's life story and chronicled one of his freewheeling shows at New York's Café Carlyle. - Billboard, 2/10/25...... On Feb. 7 the estate of Prince and Netflix announced a new "mutual agreement" and the cancellation of a long-awaited documentary on the late musical legend. The estate took to social media to announce its new partnership with Netflix, which will allow the estate to "develop and produce a new documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince's archive." The statement also confirmed the cancellation of Ezra Edelman's planned Prince documentary for Netflix, which had been in development for over four years. Edelman -- best known for his work on the O.J.: Made In America documentary -- had been working on the film for the past four years after he replaced Ava DuVernay and was given extensive access to Prince's archives. In July 2024, however, it was reported that Edelman's product had been blocked and "dead in the water" after multiple disputes with Prince's estate. The late artist's estate claimed a first cut of the Netflix film was filled with "dramatic" factual inaccuracies and "sensationalised" renderings of certain events from his life, according to Variety. The deal for the documentary also called for a six-hour series but Edelman reportedly delivered nine hours, which is said to be a violation of the agreement. Prince died of a fentanyl overdose in 2016, and as he had no will, his six heirs were left to inherit equal parts in his estate. It also sparked a long legal battle over how the estate would be managed going forward. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2024. - NME, 2/7/25...... On Feb. 5 it was revealed that the most iconic lineup of Black Sabbath -- frontman Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward -- will play live together for the first time in two decades on July 5 at Villa Park in their hometown of Birmingham, UK. The news of the final live show, dubbed "Back To The Beginning," was announced at the home of Aston Villa by Iommi and Sharon Osbourne, the manager and wife of the iconic Sabbath frontman Ozzy, as well as on X/Twitter. All profits will go to the charities Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice -- a Children's Hospice supported by Aston Villa. Fans immediately took to X/Twitter to express their excitement about the long-awaited reunion. One said: "I will be doing anything to get this ticket. Sabbath and Ozzy have raised me since a teen. They are my soundtrack to this day. And the foundation of most of the music I ever listen to. God bless all 4 of you." Other acts on the bill include Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax and Mastodon, and special appearances from Billy Corgan, Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns, among many more. Black Sabbath played the final show of their last farewell tour back in 2017, wrapping up the stint at Birmingham's arena. However, in May 2024 Osbourne said that he was somewhat disappointed that the last date they played didn't include Bill Ward. The drummer had parted ways with the metal legends in 2012, due to what he claimed was an "unreasonable contract." Ozzy also addressed his declining health and shared that he might have to "accept the fact" that a live comeback would potentially not be possible due to issues such as his battle with Parkinson's disease and recovery from multiple surgeries. Speaking to the BBC, Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon explained that the show was a chance for Osbourne to end a career which has been affected in recent years by numerous cancellations and health issues. "He's doing great. He's doing really great," she said. "He's so excited about this, about being with the guys again and all his friends. It's exciting for everyone. Ozzy didn't have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there's no been no full stop. This is his full stop." The news of the final Sabbath show comes as the 76-year-old Osbourne revealed he can no longer walk during his SiriusXM program Ozzy's Boneyard "I have made it to 2025. I can't walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I'm still alive," he said. "I may be moaning that I can't walk, but I look down the road, and there's people that didn't do half as much as me and didn't make it." NME/Billboard/Music-News.com, 2/5/25...... The new Led Zeppelin documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin premiered in IMAX theaters in the UK on Feb. 7. In May 2019, Becoming Led Zeppelin was announced via an excitable press release featuring quotes from each member. After that: radio silence -- except for news of a 7-inch vinyl "Immigrant Song" single that was confirmed in Oct. 2020 but abruptly cancelled without explanation a day before it was due out. On top of that, neither Robert Plant, Jimmy Page nor John Paul Jones attended the film's premiere events in Los Angeles and London earlier in 2025. Director/co-writer Bernard MacMahon says the involvement of the surviving Zeppelin members was "a miracle" and there's no way of telling whether the film could precipitate a potential band reunion. "That's the exciting thing about Zeppelin. There's no way of telling what's gonna happen or what's gonna go on. There's nothing predictable about them -- and that's what makes them interesting." The official trailer for Becoming Led Zeppelin has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 2/7/25...... Rod Stewart revealed on Feb. 9 that his friend and old Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood will be joining him during his prestigious Sunday afternoon Legends slot performance at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival this summer. "Rod is really excited about his big Worthy Farm gig and wanted to give a nod to the beginning of his career, so thought it would be fitting to bring out Ronnie," a source close to Sir Rod told the UK paper The Sun's Bizarre column. "He knows the pair of them together will be a huge crowd pleaser," the source added. Stewart, 80, previously declared that he is "proud, ready and more than able to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury" next summer. He wrote on Instagram: "I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that I'll be playing Glastonbury Festival 2025! After all these years, I'm proud and ready and more than able to take the stage again to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury in June. I'll see you there!" Rod will become the first artist to have headlined Glastonbury and later been given the Legends slot after he previously topped the bill at the festival in 2002 alongside Coldplay and Stereophonics. Fans in America can catch Stewart at Atlantic City's Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Feb. 23. - Music-News.com, 2/9/25...... The UK's Royal Mail announced on Feb. 6 that they will celebrate Australia's AC/DC with an official series of 12 special Royal Mail stamps. The stamps will mark the 50th anniversary of the band's debut album High Voltage and will depict the group in live performances in venues around the world. There will be 12 stamps in total, with four of them featuring the covers of four of the band's classic albums - High Voltage, Highway To Hell, Back In Black and Power Up. That band line-up will also be presented in a miniature sheet together. David Gold, director of external affairs and policy at Royal Mail, said: "AC/DC is one of the most successful rock bands in the world. Over the past half century, they have recorded some of the best-known rock anthems and have given us 'Back In Black' -- the biggest-selling rock album of all time. These stamps capture a sample of their electrifying live performances, along with some of their most iconic album covers, and celebrate their significant contribution to the world of rock music." AC/DC become the eighth artist to be honoured with their own dedicated Royal Mail stamp range, following on from The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden, Spice Girls and The Who. The AC/DC stamps can be viewed and pre-orderd at shop.royalmail.com/acdc. AC/DC recently announced a new European tour for 2025, consisting of 12 dates across 10 countries. Kicking off in Prague on June 26, it runs through to Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium on Aug. 21, their first Scottish show in a decade. - NME, 2/6/25...... The heirs of two former member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience say Sony owes them millions, and now their lawsuit is headed to trial after a UK court rejected Sony's appeal. The estates of bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell say they own a share of the rights to three albums created by the trio's JHE, and they've been battling in court with Sony and Experience Hendrix LLC for more than three years to prove it. In a ruling on Feb. 6, the U.K.'s Court of Appeal upheld a decision issued in 2024 that said the dispute must be decided at trial, rejecting Sony's request to overturn that ruling and dismiss the case: "In my judgment the judge was correct," Lord Justice Richard Arnold wrote in the new ruling. In a statement celebrating that ruling, a rep for Redding and Mitchell's heirs say that their case is now scheduled to proceed to trial in December -- more than four years after they first sued. "Noel and Mitch first issued their complaint in November 2021 and after the latest delaying tactic of Sony to deny them justice the case now moves to a full trial," said Edward Adams, a director for the heirs. "We retain our faith in the justice system that they and [Experience Hendrix] will be finally held fully to account at that time." A spokesperson for Sony did not immediately return a request for comment on the ruling. - Billboard, 2/6/25...... Neil Young announced on his website on Feb. 5 that he's eying an April release for his debut album with his new band The Chrome Hearts. The Chrome Hearts, as Young himself describes, "reconfigures musicians he has worked with before," with guitarist Micah Nelson, bassist Corey McCormick, drummer Anthony Logerfo, and organist Spooner Oldham comprising the lineup. While Nelson, McCormick, and Logerfo have performed with Young as members of Promise of the Real, Oldham has worked with Young for decades, appearing on records such as 1978's Comes a Time and 1992's Harvest Moon. Young added that the record is now in the mastering stage for vinyl, CD, and digital copies that are expected to be released in only a couple of months. "I am very happy and relieved to have ths [sic] done in the short time it took," he explained. "The album art has been completed and handed in with Jenice Heo. I am working on the lyric sheets now, hoping to hand-write the words and get them in, in time. It is a happy feeling I have today, knowing I have made an album I think people will enjoy. I hope it's out in April. That would be pretty fast," he added. Young and The Chrome Hearts will also be performing at England's Glastonbury Festival in June. - Billboard, 2/5/25...... Donny Osmond is set to share the stage with a younger version of himself from 1972 "thanks to some mind-blowing AI and CGI technology." The Osmonds star, 67, has shared introduced his new "co-star" for the remaining dates of his solo residency at Harrah's Las Vegas -- an avatar of 14-year-old teenage heartthrob Donny. In an Instagram video introducing "AI Donny," he said: "I have a new co-star at my Las Vegas residency, and we are going to be making history together. Can you imagine sharing the stage with your 14-year-old-self? Well, it's happening, thanks to some mind-blowing AI and CGI technology, I'm going to be talking and singing with Donny Osmond, you know the one from 1972." Donny is then joined by the avatar and asks him: "What does it feel like to sing with yourself 50 years in the future?" The young Donny said it was like performing with his "grandpa." To which, the real Donny replied: "You're my grandson, Daxton Osmond." At a click of the fingers, Donny and Daxton's faces interchanged. The "Puppy Love" hitmaker started his residency at Harrah's in Las Vegas back in 2021 and it will wrap in June. Speaking about the rise in the use of AI (artificial intelligence), Donny previously told Fox News Digital: "AI is a tool, not a substitute. So, I love the prospects of AI. I love what it can do for me as a producer, as an artist -- as a tool. And that's it." - Music-News.com, 2/7/25...... Guitarist Mike Ratledge, a co-founder of the British psych-rock band Soft Machine, died on Feb. 5. He was 81. The news of his passing was shared by his former Soft Machine bandmate John Etheridge, who explained that the death was related to a recent illness. "Incredibly sad news that my great friend and Soft Machine legend passed away two hours ago after a brief illness," he wrote. "Mike was the backbone of Soft Machine in the early years and a man with an absolutely incisive mind -- a marvellous composer and keyboardist. A real renaissance man -- so talented, cultured, charming -- and a wonderful companion. We used to meet every few weeks for over 40 yrs -- a treat for me. What a loss to all of us and his sisters and wonderful girlfriend Elena, who were with him at the end." Mr. Ratledge was born in Kent in 1943 and began his time in the music industry as a teenager when he Daevid Allen and joined his band the Daevid Allen Trio. As well as that, he grew up learning piano and clarinet and went on to get a degree in psychology and philosophy from Oxford's University College. He formed Soft Machine with Allen, Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers in 1966, and although the members would shift over the years, he remained the longest-serving member. He left the group in 1976. The band would make a name for themselves through their psych-pop, progressive sound and blend of jazz fusion. Alongside his work with Soft Machine, Mr. Ratledge also took on work as a composer and producer, working on various projects on television and in the theatre. He also famously joined forces with composer Karl Jenkins for his Adiemus: Songs Of Sanctuary album, and continued to work with Jenkins in the following years. - NME, 2/6/25.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

A year-long celebration of the legacy of Bob Marley will kick off Feb. 6 with an "Uprising Bob Marley Tribute Concert" livestream from the Marley family's Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica. In memory of what would have been the 80th birthday of the reggae icon, the concert features a slew of popular and new Jamaican entertainers, including Mortimer, Bugle, Kumar Fyah, Naomi Cowan, Quan Dajai, Kelly Shane, and Alexx A-Game, several of whom were featured in the 2024 Bob Marley: One Love movie. Other highlights featured in the livestream will be a countdown of the best live performances from past birthdays, stand-alone performances paying tribute, a showcase of the ongoing impact of his charitable Bob Marley Foundation organization, and more. The livestream happens on Feb. 6 from 3:00 pm ET-7:00 pm ET on Tuff Gong TV's official YouTube channel. Additional festivities include the premiere episode of Bob Marley & I on Tuff Gong TV's livestream, with more episodes being showcased throughout the year. Additional information on MARLEY 80 events will be revealed soon. One-quarter of all reggae music listened to in the US is Bob Marley's, and his Bob Marley's Legend compilation was recently re-certified 18x platinum by the RIAA. Legendis the fourteenth-biggest-selling album of all time and the third-biggest-selling Greatest Hits package in United States history. - Music-News.com, 2/5/25...... On Feb. 5 Elton John and Brandi Carlile announced details of a new collaborative album called Who Believes In Angels? that is set to drop on Apr. 4 via Island EMI. According to a press release, the album was started in Los Angeles back in Oct. 2023 and came together in less than three weeks. As for the sound, it is set to "draw comparisons with some of Elton's very finest works [as] ballads co-exist with raw rock and roll, pop songs and country-hued Americana rub shoulders with synth-heavy psychedelia." The album sees the artists join forces with long-time collaborators Andrew Watt -- who produced the record -- and John's longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Other contributors include Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith, Pino Palladino (Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan and David Gilmour) and Josh Klinghoffer (Pearl Jam, Beck). The album will also feature the 2025 Oscar-nominated song "Never Too Late," which was created especially for the Disney+ Elton documentary of the same name. The title track of Who Believes in Angels? and a making-of film can be viewed on YouTube. John and Carlile have also confirmed a special one-off concert showcasing the album at The London Palladium on on Mar. 26. Elton's last album was 2021's The Lockdown Sessions, and his last album of original material was 2016's Wonderful Crazy Night. - New Musical Express, 2/5/25...... MTV has announced a new feature-length Eric Clapton special of Clapton's 1992 MTV Unplugged performance. An all-new extended, remixed and remastered edition of the iconic session, Eric Clapton Unplugged - Over 30 Years Later, will be available to stream globally on Paramount+ beginning Feb. 12. It will also include exclusive content of the legendary guitarist/singer discussing the inspiration behind specific songs and performances with the crew just before he took the stage at Bray Studios in Windsor, Berkshire for the show, seamlessly integrated with the performance footage. A subsequently released live album of the session, Eric Clapton: Unplugged, sold over 26million copies and would also go on to become the best-selling live album of all time. The new 90-minute Over 30 Years Later film premiered in select UK and US cinemas in January, and its official trailer can be streamed on YouTube. Meanwhile, Clapton is readying to head out on the road in the UK this May, in support of his 22nd and latest album Meanwhile. He'll play three headline shows at the historic Royal Albert Hall in London, and perform at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham. The forthcoming dates are set to be Clapton's only UK gigs of 2025. His stop in Nottingham will mark his first visit to the city since 2008. - NME, 2/5/25...... On Feb. 5 heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath announced details of their final-ever live show, set for July 5 in Villa Park in their hometown of Birmingham, England. During a press conference in Villa Park, Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne's wife/manager Sharon Osbourne said the show has been dubbed "Black Sabbath - Back To The Beginning" and in addition to Ozzy and Iommi will feature the other two members of the band's classic lineup, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward, with the quartet playing together fir the first time in two decades. "It's my time to go 'Back To The Beginning' time for me to give back to the place where I was born," Ozzy said in a statement. "How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love. Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever." Alongside Black Sabbath reuniting, the gig will play host to performances from dozens more icons of the genre, including sets from Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, as well as the likes of Pantera, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Alice In Chains, Halestorm and recent Grammy Award-winners Gojira. Profits from the show will go to the following charities: Cure Parkinson's, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice, a Children's Hospice supported by Villa Park and Aston Villa. - Billboard, 2/5/25...... Cheap Trick will be among the headliners at the upcoming Pure Imagination Fest on May 17 in Prescott, Ariz. Other headliners include Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu, and Grammy winning hip-hop group Arrested Development. Also on the bill is the 80s ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk outfit English Beat, as well as Gone Gone Beyond, Kelsey Waldon, Ponderosa Grove, Bird and Byron, Kids In America, Pijama Piyama and Dutch Holly. Since its debut in 2022, the female-founded and curated Pure Imagination Fest has become a standout experience, seamlessly merging music, nature, and culture with an eco-conscious ethos in the traditional lands of several Native American tribes. "Pure Imagination is about more than just music," event founder Candace Devine says. "It's about creating an unforgettable experience where people can connect, be inspired, and celebrate the power of art in one of the most beautiful places in the world." The event's 2024 promo video can be viewed on YouTube, and tickets are on sale now at www.pureimaginationfestival.com. - Billboard, 2/4/25...... Van Morrison has announced he'll launch a brief UK headline tour at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham on Mar. 18, then visiting Birmingham's Symphony Hall (Mar. 19), the New Theatre Oxford (23) and The Subscription Rooms in Stroud (24). The forthcoming tour is described as a "unique opportunity to experience Van Morrison live" in intimate, "specially selected venues." The Celtic crooner had previously announced two homecoming shows at Whitla Hall in Belfast on Feb. 21 and 22, as well as European headline gigs in Antwerp, Brussels and The Hague. Morrison is supporting his latest album, 2024's New Arrangements And Duets, comprised of unreleased material the Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer had in his catalogue. The collection boasts collaborations with the likes of Willie Nelson, Joss Stone, Curtis Stigers and Kurt Elling. Morrison last performed live in the UK in Sept. 2024, and played a show at London's historic Royal Albert Hall last summer. - NME, 2/5/25...... On Feb. 4 The Doobie Brothers shared details on Instagram of a new 2025 UK and Ireland summer tour that kicks off on July 11 in Glasgow, also visiting London's BST Hyde Park on July 13 (opening for Jeff Lynne's ELO), Manchester (July 15), Birmingham (July 17) and London's The O2 (July 19) before wrapping at 3Arena in Dublin on July 21. The Doobies are touring behind their forthcoming studio effort, Walk This Road, set for June 6. It sees the band feature the reunited line-up of Tom Johnson, Patrick Simmons, Michael McDonald and John McFee, and will be their first LP since 2021's Libert. That band is scheduled to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame later in 2025. They were first inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, and then added to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004. Speaking of Jeff Lynne's ELO, support acts for the band's headlining London BST Hyde Park set on July 13 have been confirmed. In addition to the Doobie Brothers, Steve Winwood and Dhani Harrison will also be opening for Lynne and his band. Winwood is expected to break out songs from his time with bands like Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith, and Harrison is expected to play selections from his famous dad George Harrison's catalogue, alond with songs from his two albums IN///PARALLEL and INNERSTANDING. In other Jeff Lynne news, ELO has also shared news of more farewell shows, taking place across the rest of the UK later in 2025. Two dates were confirmed, with the first being held on July 5 at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, and the second at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on July 9. - NME, 2/4/25...... The Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 2 featured a star-studded tribute performance recognizing producer/composer/instrumentalist Quincy Jones's varied musical achievements throughout the decades. The performance was introduced by actor Will Smith, who acknowledged his career would not be what it is without Jones, who produced Smith's debut acting gig TV series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The musical portion of the tribute to Jones began with legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock playing Jones' classic '60s instrumental "Killer Joe." Hancock was then joined by vocal powerhouse Cynthia Erivo for a show-stopping performance of "Fly Me to the Moon," which became a signature song for Frank Sinatra with Jones arranging his performance. The duo were then replaced by country star Lainey Wilson for a rollicking performance of Jones' '90s rave-up "Let the Good Times Roll." After that, Hancock was welcomed back to the keys, along with all-time great Stevie Wonder on harmonica for a rendition of Jones' version of jazz staple "Bluesette." Wonder then capped the tribute by introducing (and leading the crowd in a singalong of) "We Are the World," the all-star USA for Africa charity single that Jones produced 40 years earlier in 1985. Jones is one of the most decorated figures in the history of the Grammys, winning 28 awards over the course of his generation-spanning career -- including two album of the year wins for Micheal Jackson's Thriller (1984) and his own Back on the Block (1991). Also during the Grammys, The Rolling Stones picked up a Best Rock Album award for their 2024 album Hackney Diamonds. Accepting the trophy on the Stones' behalf, Andrew Watt, producer of Hackney Diamonds, said: "Talked to Mick [Jagger] yesterday and he just wanted to say a big thank you to the Academy from the entire band. The legendary Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons was also honored with a Special Merit Award by the Recording Academy on Feb. 1. Valli made note of how long it took the Recording Academy to get around to him. Valli has never won a Grammy, on his own or in the Four Seasons, which landed their first three No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962-63. "This has been an incredible evening," he said. "I don't know what took so long, but that's the way it goes." - Billboard, 2/2/25...... As he attended the Janie's Fund Grammys viewing party in Los Angeles on Feb. 2, Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood opened up to US Weekly about his former bandmates Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham "I always have a fantasy that [Stevie] and Lindsay would pal up a bit more and just say everything's OK for them both. But we've had such an incredible career," Fleetwood told the magazine. This is not the first time Fleetwood has opened up about wanting Nicks and Buckingham to be friendlier. In 2024, he spoke to Mojo and shared: "It's no secret, it's no tittle-tattle that there is a brick wall there emotionally. Stevie's able to speak clearly about how she feels and doesn't feel, as does Lindsey. But I'll say, personally, I would love to see a healing between them -- and that doesn't have to take the shape of a tour, necessarily." In 2024, Buckingham shared that he would rejoin the Fleetwood Mac line-up "in a heartbeat," and Nicks has said there's "no reason" for the band to get together after the passing of Christine McVie. It was announced in 2024 that a "fully authorised," "definitive" Fleetwood Mac documentary to chronicle the history of the legendary band is in the works. - NME, 2/4/25...... Also at the Janie's Fund Grammy Viewing Party at the Hollywood Paladium, former Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler made his first return to the stage since Aerosmith's announcement that they were retiring from touring. Performing with Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt, Tyler's six-song set featured a rendition of Aerosmith's "Toys in the Attic", Extreme's "More Than Words" with Mick Fleetwood, and "Dream On" with Lainey Wilson. Joined by Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton and the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson for performances of "Sweet Emotion," and "Walk This Way," the high-profile set closed out with a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker." The performance was only Tyler's second time appearing on stage since his vocal injury. In May 2024 -- months before Aerosmith announced their retirement from touring -- Tyler performed "Mama Kin" with the Black Crowes in London. At the time, the Black Crowes were planning to resume their role as the opening act for Aerosmith's then-postponed "Peace Out" tour later in the year. While performing in Elmont, NY on Sept. 9 of that year, Tyler fractured his larynx, necessitating the postponement of shows on their "Peace Out" tour. Ultimately, these shows were canceled entirely when the band announced their retirement from touring in Aug. 2024. It's currently unclear whether Tyler's return to the live stage could result in anything more in the future, though Hamilton did speak to Boston's WBUR in January to give an update on the possibility of one-off Aerosmith appearances down the line. "Steven's healing process is going really, really well, but it goes at its own pace," Hamilton told the station. "Maybe Aerosmith will do something in the future, but it's a big if and the last thing I want to be doing is to try and push Steven in that direction. If we do anything in the future, it would come from him." - Billboard, 2/3/25...... AC/DC announced on Instagram on Feb. 3 that they're bringing their "PWR UP" tour back to Europe this summer with a 12-date run of shows as part of their ongoing global tour. The new shows will kick off on June 26 at LetH
any Airport in Prague, Czech Republic, and touch down in stadiums in Germany, Poland, Spain, Italy, Estonia, Sweden, Norway and France before winding down at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium on Aug. 21. The new European dates join the Aussie headbangers' first planned U.S. tour in nine years. That run is slated to hit 13 stadiums across the nation from April 10 through May 28. The shows will kick off on April 10 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN, before moving on to Arlington, TX, Pasadena (CA), Vancouver, Las Vegas, Detroit, Foxborough (MA), Pittsburgh, Landover (MD), Tampa, Nashville and Chicago before winding down on May 28 at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. - Billboard, 2/3/25...... A special vinyl edition of David Bowie's 2003 concert album Ready, Set, Go! set for release on Record Store Day (Apr. 12) via Parlophone Records. The limited edition double vinyl LP is a live recording of Bowie's Sept. 8, 2003 interactive satellite event which took place at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London. The event aired in 86 theatres across 26 countries and featured a Q&A segment with Bowie himself. The one-off concert saw the rock icon perform his album Reality in its entirety for the first time ever. - NME, 1/31/25...... Paul McCartney has paid tribute to the late "beautiful, sweet" UK singer Marianne Faithfull who passed away in London on Jan. 30 at age 78. The following day Sir Paul took to his official Instagram account o share a black and white photo of him alongside Faithfull, writing. "What sad news that Marianne Faithfull has passed away." He continued: "She came into my life in the Sixties and was a beautiful, sweet 17 year old who radiated innocent joy. Then through the years I was lucky enough to run into her and to become a life-long friend. It's very sad to think that I won't be meeting her again but my memories of our encounters over the years will always bring me joy. May god bless you Marianne and guide you in the next steps of your journey - Paul." Faithfull was a key figure in the 'Swinging London' arts and music scene in the '60s, becoming one of the leading female artists during the British Invasion era. She is remembered for hits including 'As Tears Go By' and for her roles on stage and screen, and also for her four-year relationship with The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. - NME, 1/31/25...... Speaking of The Rolling Stones, the band has reportedly scrapped plans for a 2025 UK and European tour citing complications with venues and travel. According to various reports from outlets including London's The Times, the iconic group opted against a return to touring later in 2025 following a proposed multi-million pound stop at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium being rejected, amid other shows across Europe. The outlets state that the band's remaining members, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, were presented with multiple-date options for shows in 2025, but these were soon dismissed due to complications around suitable venues, travel and pre-existing commitments. These reportedly included visits to Paris, Barcelona, Rome and four gigs at the aforementioned Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. - NME, 1/31/25...... An auction featuring items once belonging to the late Leonard Cohen is set to take place on February 28 in Los Angeles via Julien's Auction. The lot is comprised of 164 items, with the majority of them coming from the collections of Cohen's longtime friend Aviva Layton and romantic and creative partner Anjani Thomas. Among the items in the collection set to go under the hammer are various typed and handwritten works by Cohen including lyrics, letters, poems, postcards and manuscripts. Those items are expected to be bought for prices within the low thousands. One of the more impressive pieces that is included in the lot is one of the legendary musician's personal notebooks from 2007 which features 76 pages of notes, poems, and drafts of lyrics. The notebook is expected to sell within the $8,000-$12,000 range. An announcement of the auction has been shared on Julien's Instagram page. - NME, 1/31/25...... Joni Mitchell made a rare live appearance at the LA FireAid benefit show at the Kia Forum on Jan. 30. At the event to provide financial support for the victims of the recent devastating Los Angeles wildfires, one of the most memorable moments came as the 81-year-old iconic singer-songwriter took to the stage for a moving rendition of her hit "Both Sides Now" from her 1969 album Clouds. The singer remained seated on a gold throne as she broke out the track, and was joined by Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, as well as Lucius, Taylor MacKall, Blake Mills, and Abe Rounds. Footage of the performance can be viewed on X and YouTube. The appearance of Mitchell comes after the legendary artist has only made a select few live performances in recent years. The most recent of which was a set called the "Joni Jam" -- her first headline show in Los Angeles in 24 years, where she broke out rarities that had not been played live in decades. Before then, she delivered a moving set at the 2024 Grammy Awards ceremony, which led to a standing ovation from the audience. - NME, 1/31/25...... Brian Murphy, the UK actor and comedian best known for his role in the 1970s British sitcoms Man About the House and George and Mildred, passed away at his home in Kent on Feb. 2. He was 92. Born on the Isle of Wight in 1932, Mr. Murphy's acting career began in the 1950s when he became a member of the pioneering Theatre Workshop. Founded by Joan Littlewood and her partner Gerry Raffles, it was dedicated to modernising theatre and reaching working-class audiences. Mr. Murphy performed in many Shakespeare productions directed by Littlewood, and acted in her only feature film, the kitchen sink comedy Sparrows Can't Sing. Mr. Murphy was best known for his role in Man About the House, an ITV sitcom exploring the dynamics of one man and two women sharing a flat together in the 1970's, which later became the inspiration for a hit American spin-off, Three's Company. He went on to star in the spin-off George and Mildred, in which Mr. Murphy played a henpecked George Roper opposite fellow Theatre Workshop actress Yootha Joyce as his wife. He is survived by his wife, Hi-de-Hi! actress Linda Regan, and his two sons. - BBC.com, 2/5/25.

Friday, January 31, 2025

Patti Smith is reassuring her fans that she's "fine" after collapsing on stage in São Paulo, Brazil, on Jan. 29. "This is letting everyone know that I am fine," the 78-year-old singer-songwriter posted on her Instagram the following day, alongside a selfie smiling and waving at the camera. "A grossly exaggerated account is being spread by the press and social media. I had some post migraine dizziness. Had a small incident, left the stage, and returned 10 minutes later and talked to the people, told them I was fine and sang them Wing and Because the night." Adding that she was "absolutely fine" after being checked out by a health professional, the "Gloria" singer concluded with "With all the strife in the world, this explainable incident does not merit so much attention. Thank you everyone for your concern. Trust me I am fine." Smith is currently on the South American leg of her "Correspondences Tour" with the experimental duo Soundwalk Collective, which will also visit Argentina, Chile and Colombia. - Billboard, 1/30/25...... Alice Cooper took to Instagram on Jan. 28 to share details of two UK concerts this summer. Cooper and his band will play Cardiff's Utilita Arena on July 22 and Edinburgh's Playhouse on July 23, marking his only performances in Scotland and Wales for 2025. The shock rock icon is expected to break out a number of fan favourites like "Under My Wheels," "Schools Out," Poison," "Billion Dollar Babies" and "No More Mr Nice Guy," along with selections from his latest album, 2023's Road. Both cities were chosen as neither made it onto the tour itinerary for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee last time. "Cardiff and Edinburgh - you can't escape! We missed you last year, but now we're coming back. Alice would never let you down," Cooper posted. "Can't wait to see all the Sick Things at our shows at Utilita Arena in Cardiff on July 22 and the Edinburgh Playhouse on July 23." According to a press release, the shows will bring fans closer than ever to the show, incorporating "giant video screens blending the live action with pre-recorded scenes to delve deeper into Alice's world." - NME, 1/28/25...... Despite having starred in a Pizza Hut commercial back in 1995, Ringo Starr revealed he's actually never eaten pizza before during an appearance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Jan. 29. As part of his chat, host Jimmy Kimmel asked Ringo to set some rumors about himself straight, including the claim that the famous drummer had never eaten pizza. "I've never had a pizza," Starr confirmed, as the audience expressed their shock at the news. "Or a curry." "I'm allergic to several items," he continued. "With pizza, you don't know what you're putting in it half the time. Or the curry. So I'm strict with myself since it makes me ill immediately." "I used to think you had the greatest life, and now I realize mine is better," Kimmel joked in response. Added Starr: "Yours is better because you've had a pizza." In a 1995 Pizza Hut marketing campaign, Starr promoted the pizza chain's newly-introduced stuffed crust as part of a 30-second spot which saw him teasing a reunion from The Beatles. The ad's punchline sees Ringo joined by members of The Monkees instead ("Wrong lads," he quips), with all four musicians appearing to bite a piece of pizza -- crust-first. Ringo is promoting his 21st studio album Look Up, which has debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard all-genre Top Album Sales Chart and at No. 27 on the Top Country Albums Chart. - Billboard, 1/29/25...... In other Beatles-related news, Wings' classic 1975 set Venus and Mars will be reissued in a special half-speed master vinyl edition to mark its 50th anniversary. The original version of the LP arrived ahead of Macca and co's legendary "Wings Over The World" tour, and was preceded by the US Number One single "Listen To What The Man Said". Additionally, the album featured "Letting Go" -- a fan favorite in McCartney's solo live set to this day. The album peaked at No. 1 in the US and UK, and went on to sell over four million copies worldwide. The 50th anniversary vinyl edition was cut at half speed using a high-resolution transfer of the original master tapes from 1975 by Miles Showell at the historic Abbey Road Studios in London. The 50th anniversary edition Venus and Mars is set for release on Mar. 21, and the album will also arrive in Dolby Atmos on streaming sites for the first time, newly mixed by Giles Martin and Steve Orchard. The reissue marks the first scheduled Wings release of 2025, following the theatrical release of the film One Hand Clapping and its accompanying 1974 live-in-studio album in 2024. Wings also shared a five-decade edition of their 1973 third album, Band On The Run, in early 2024. In December, McCartney teased that he hoped to finish a new solo album in 2025. - New Musical Express, 1/28/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, pop sensation Robbie Williams has tied The Beatles' record for the most UK No. 1 albums with his latest album Better Man. The original soundtrack to his acclaimed Michael Gracey-directed biopic, Better Man is currently at the top of the UK's Official Albums Chart, drawing level with The Beatles' 15 UK No. 1's. - Music-News.com, 1/25/25...... Cher once sang she wanted to "turn back time," and now the superstar diva has filmed a hilarious new commercial for Uber Eats in Australia in which a mysterious time machine is delivered to the singer's doorstep just as she's listening to her own 1989 smash "If I Could Turn Back Time." Cher immediately knows where she wants to go -- "Take me back to the '80s," she tells the device -- but instead of the 20th century, she ends up in the 1680s. When she arrives in the middle of a colonial settlement, it's hard to say who's more confused -- Cher or the locals, who take note of her futuristic appearance and accuse her of being a witch. "I'm not a witch -- I'm an icon!" she says in futile protest, with the villagers proceeding to burn her at the stake. In a statement about the project, Cher said, "I get approached to do commercials all the time -- but the creativity and hilarity that Uber Eats presented appealed to me right away. I am really proud of the final product. I sincerely hope Uber will get me back my boots." Cher's time travel commercial can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 1/29/25...... '70s stars Smokey Robinson, John Fogerty and Emmylou Harris will be among the artists celebrated at the upcoming 2025 American Music Honors ceremony set for Apr. 26 at Monmouth University in New Jersey. The event will be hosted by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, and Springsteen, his wife Patti Scialfa and Springsteen's fellow E Street Band members Steven Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren will serve as presenters. "This year's honorees represent a cross-section of American music," said Robert Santelli, founding executive director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives. "Rock, Americana, soul, and country are all represented by some of the most important artists from each genre. We are most excited to honor them and welcome them into the American Music Center family." Other honorees include NJ natives Tom Morello and Joe Ely. - Billboard, 1/29/25...... A tribute to late legendary producer Quincy Jones will be headlined by Stevie Wonder at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Wonder and rising singer Janelle Monáe will lead the celebration of Jones, who died at the age of 91 in Nov. 2024 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, as part of the in-memoriam segment during the upcoming ceremony, with Herbie Hancock, Cynthia Erivo and Lainey Wilson to also feature. "The entire Grammys could have actually been Quincy Jones," says Grammys exec producer Raj Kapoor. "The wealth of work, the wealth of genres, the amount of music that he has touched - he really is the dude," he praised, referencing Quincy's 1981 album, The Dude. A separate tribute to the city of Los Angeles amid the recent wildfires featuring several top artists is also being planned. The 2025 Grammy Awards will take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 2. - Music-News.com, 1/30/25...... Posting on X/Twitter on Jan. 27, Bob Dylan paid tribute to late The Band member Garth Hudson, just days after the beloved Canadian musician's death at the age of 87. Dylan took to his newly-created X account to share a brief reflection on Hudson's musical legacy. "Sorry to hear the news about Garth Hudson. He was a beautiful guy and the real driving force behind The Band," Dylan wrote. "Just listen to the original recording of The Weight and you'll see." Hudson died on Jan. 21, becoming the final member of The Band's most famous lineup to pass away. Hudson officially began his tenure with The Band in 1965, after they had finished a two-year stint as The Hawks, the back-up group for rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. That same year, The Band met Dylan who recruited them to become his backing group for a 1965 U.S. tour and an accompanying world tour in 1966. The following year, Dylan and The Band recorded the 1967 sessions known as The Basement Tapes which would later form the basis of The Band's 1968 debut, Music from The Big Pink. Alongside many of their best-known songs, the record also included what is possibly their best-known song, "The Weight," as referenced by Dylan in his own tribute. In Sept. 2024, Dylan released the expansive box set The 1974 Live Recordings, which featured 431 live live tracks documenting the titular 1974 tour with The Band as his backing group. Alongside his tribute to Hudson, Dylan also announced the initial dates for his 2025 touring plans. The first four dates see Dylan performing in Tulsa, Okla. (3/25), Witchita, Kan. (3/29), Mankato, Minn. (4/4) and Green Bay, Wisc. (4/6). - Billboard, 1/27/25...... The Sex Pistols have announced a US tour with singer Frank Carter. The iconoclastic "God Save the Queen'" rockers haven't performed in America at all since 2008 and last toured there in 2003 but guitarist Steve Jones has confirmed he, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook are excited to be heading out on the road with their new singer, though he refused to share any specific details. Jones says "...no one knows where we're going to be playing... I don't wanna put my foot in it! I'm excited. I know the dates, so I know it's gonna be good." The Sex Pistols reformed in 2024 for a UK tour with Gallows frontman Carter as vocalist in place of John Lydon and Jones revealed Carter was the only singer they tried working with. "Frank was the first singer we [tried], because me, Cookie and Glen wanted to play. It just worked straight away," Jones said. The group have also recently announced an Australian tour, and will perform at London's Royal Albert Hall in late March as part of the charity concert series in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. The shows, taking place from Mar. 24-29, will also feature performances by The Who on Mar. 27 and Mar. 30. The Sex Pistols featuring Carter will perform on Mar. 24. - Music-News.com, 1/28/25...... Two of David Bowie's closest former collaborators have announced they are reuniting for a 16-city "Berlin Trilogy" tour of the UK and Europe in 2025. The D.A.M. Trilogy, made up of drummer Dennis Davis, guitarist Carlos Alomar and bassist George Murray, worked regularly with Bowie during his Berlin period in the late 1970s. Now, they'll reunite in a 16-date tour which will honour both Bowie's legacy and Davis', who died in 2016. The band, which will include additional new members, will play hits from across the late singer's Berlin album trilogy: Low, "Heroes" and Lodger. Coined the "Back To Berlin" tour, the string of shows will kick off in the city on Nov. 7, before they head to Oslo, Malmo, Paris, London and more. They'll wrap up on Dec. 1 with a final performance in Dublin. Alomar, who recorded with Bowie across 11 albums, including Young Americans, the Berlin Trilogy and, most recently, 2003's Reality, says: "Where other bands have toured Bowie's songs extensively since his passing, these songs haven't been performed the way they were meant to be. Until now. The Spiders from Mars are well known, but the D.A.M. Trio remains rock and roll's best-kept secret. It's time to honour our legacy, including Dennis's." Elsewhere, Bowie lieutenants Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey have announced a 2025 UK tour dubbed "A Celebration Of David Bowie." - NME, 1/27/25...... Queen guitarist Brian May's actress wife Anita Dobson has revealed that her husband is a huge Star Wars fan and has accumulated a vast collection of figures and ships inspired by the sci-fi film series that premiered back in 1977. Dobson, who played Angie Watts in the UK series EastEnders in the 1980s -- says Brian buys new Star Wars merchandise too and he always purchases two items, one to keep in the box and one to gift to his grandchildren. Speaking recently at the launch of Cirque du Soleil show Corteo at London's Royal Albert Hall, she said: "Brian is a collector of 'Star Wars' toys. And astronomical stuff, Queen stuff. He's a big collector... He's bought quite a lot. It's eased off a bit, as he's gone through life. His favourite is the little green guy, he loves Yoda. He also loves dinosaurs, like most kids do, and prehistoric creatures." Anita added Brian's collection of Queen memorabilia is staggering and will one day go on display for fans of the band to enjoy. She said: "He's got all his costumes, all his records, all those one-off records, loads of stuff. His legend will live on forever, as will Queen's." - Music-News.com, 1/26/25...... A scene from the 1970s Wonder Woman television series has resurfaced, sending social media into a frenzy. The 94-second clip features iconic '70s Wonder Woman Lynda Carter pulling off a skateboard car chase that has captivated viewers for all the wrong -- or maybe right -- reasons. With over a million views on X, the video (also available on YouTube) has sparked equal parts nostalgia, laughter, and secondhand embarrassment. The clip begins with Diana Prince (Wonder Woman's alter ego) transforming into her superhero persona through her signature twirl. But instead of the usual star-spangled outfit, she emerges in full skateboard safety gear: a helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads. Viewers are then treated to Wonder Woman chasing down a car while expertly maneuvering a skateboard through city streets. The scene features plenty of questionable physics, slow-motion hero shots, and a vibe that screams, "We had a tight budget, but we made it work!" And while it may have been groundbreaking in the 1970s, modern audiences can't help but laugh at its over-the-top execution. The Wonder Woman series, which ran from 1975 to 1979, was undeniably a product of its time. The skateboarding chase highlights the charm -- and occasional cheesiness -- of action sequences from an era when practical effects and stunt work took center stage. One fan described the scene as a "94-second treat from start to finish," noting that while the premise is ridiculous, it's impossible to look away. It's a time capsule of 1970s television, where superheroes fought crime with heart, ingenuity, and, occasionally, a skateboard." - Yahoo! News, 1/26/25...... The Eagles have announced that veteran Dallas session guitarist Chris Holt will be replacing Seuart Smith as the band's touring guitarist. In an Instagram video posted Idol Records, co-founding Eagles member Don Henley welcomed Holt "on the first night of his side hustle with the Eagles." The Dallas Morning News recently reported Smith was stepping down due to a diagnosis of Parkinsonism, a neurological condition that causes slow movements, tremors and stiffness. "I'm trying to fill the giant shoes of all three that came before me," Holt told the paper in reference to previous Eagles guitarists Don Felder and Bernie Leadon. "It's some of the most beautiful guitar work ever recorded, in my opinion. It's the highest honor for me to do it, and it's my duty to get it right," he added. The paper noted that Smith and Holt are good friends who've performed together in the past in Henley's solo band, and on Jan. 17 at the Eagles' launch of their 2025 residency at Las Vegas Sphere, Holt took the stage and was introduced by Henley. The paper also noted that in a separate statement, Henley -- the group's only remaining original member -- thanked Smith for his long tenure. "The Eagles will be forever grateful for the extraordinary talents that he brought to both our recordings and live performances," he said. "Steuart will be greatly missed, but he will always be a part of our musical family. We know our many fans join us in wishing him well." The Eagles' Sphere residency continues in February with for dates (14, 15, 21, 22). - Billboard, 1/24/25...... Marianne Faithfull, the beloved British singer, songwriter, actress and iconic figure of the 1960s, died on Jan. 30 of as yet undisclosed causes. She was 78 years old. "It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull," a statement shared to BBC reads. "Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed." Born in the Hampstead area of North London on Dec. 29, 1946, Faithfull was the daughter of an Austrian aristocrat and a British intelligence officer. Starting a career as a folk singer in the early '60s, she made the acquaintance of Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham, who introduced her to the band's circle, and offered her "As Tears Go By," a composition co-penned by the band's Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The sparse, acoustic ballad hit the top 10 in the U.K. in 1964, and also crossed over in the US to the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, peaking at No. 22. She followed up "As Tears Go By" with several other hits in the UK and US, including "Come and Stay With Me," "This Little Bird" and "Summer Nights," and soon became a British tabloid fixture, particularly after she began an affair with Jagger in 1966, ultimately leaving her first husband John Dunbar to live wth him. Early the next year, she made headlines for being at the scene of a drug bust at Richards' house, dressed only in a fur rug at the time of the arrest. Although her hits would dry up by the late 1960s, she continued to be a pop/rock presence, singing backing vocals on The Beatles' No. 2 hit "Yellow Submarine" and co-writing the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers classic drug ballad "Sister Morphine." However, her drug addiction ended up consuming much of what should have been her prime years, particularly after she split with Jagger in 1970 and lost custody of her son Nicholas (with first husband Dunbar). After 1967's Love in a Mist album -- her last on Decca Records -- she would not release another album until 1976. She made her first and most resounding comeback in 1979, with the new wave and disco-influenced Broken English album. By then her voice had transformed into something lower and more weathered with her drug usage, and the set drew rave reviews for its modern sounds and brittle energy. Substance abuse sapped the momentum the Grammy-nominated set earned Faithfull's career, until a 1987 reinvention as a jazz and blues singer on her Strange Weather set. In the 1990s she was a high-profile guest on Roger Waters' live tour in 1990, and as a featured vocalist on Metallica's 1997 single "The Memory Remains." She experienced another critical resurgence in the early 21st century with 2002's Kissin Time LP -- including songs written by popular alt-rock figures Beck, Blur and Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins -- and released further albums of originals and covers for the next two decades, most recently with 2018's Negative Capability, her highest-charting set on the U.K. albums chart since 1965, and 2021's She Walks in Beauty alongside Australian composer Warren Ellis. Outside of her recording career, Faithfull also had a successful run as an actress, appearing in theatrical roles on the stage, in television and in film. She holds the distinction of being the first person to ever say the "f word" in a mainstream movie, doing so in the 1967 Michael Winner film I'll Never Forget What's'isname, and had small 21st century rules in the hit British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (as God), and in the Sofia Coppola-directed biopic Marie Antoinette (as Empress Maria Theresa). For her starring role in 2007's Irina Palm, as a 60-year-old widow who becomes a sex worker out of necessity, she was nominated for a European Film Award for best actress. The star also endures as one of the defining popular figures of '60s Swinging London, iconic for her voice and her fashion, and for being a muse to many of the musicians in her orbit, primarily of course the Rolling Stones. She was ranked 25th in VH1's 1999 list of the Greatest Women of Rock and Roll, and in 2009, she was named icon of the year at the U.K.-based Q Awards. " I'm glad you can hear the experience in my voice," she told Time Out New York in 2016. "I should think so, after 50 years." Faithfull's passing prompted several tributes on social media, including Jagger ("...She was so much part of my life for so long. She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress. She will always be remembered"), Richards ("My heartfelt condolences to Marianne's family! I'm so sad and will miss her!! Love, Keith"), and Ronnie Wood ("Marianne will be dearly missed. Bless her xx"). - Billboard, 1/30/25.

Sunday, January 26, 2025

The Rolling Stones are expected to announce in the coming weeks that they'll play four UK dates at Tottenham's Hotspur Stadium in northern London as part of a European tour this summer. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood -- all in their 70s and 80s -- have reportedly been planning an extension of their "Hackney Diamonds" tour -- which launched in the US in Houston in Apr. 2024 and concluded in Missouri in July -- for months. The Stones haven't played a gig in their home country since 2022, when they wowed audiences at two Hyde Park concerts. An official announcement by the band is expected in the coming weeks. It is reported to include dates in Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Paris along with the London gigs. - Music-News.com, 1/23/25...... After the British government expressed support for a policy that would allow tech companies to use creators' works to train AI models unless creators specifically opt out, Paul McCartney says the proposed AI copyright law could "rip off" artists. In an interview with the BBC set to air on Jan. 26, Sir Paul warned that the proposal could "rip off" artists and lead to a "loss of creativity." "You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don't own it, and they don't have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it off," McCartney, 82, said. "The truth is, the money's going somewhere Somebody's getting paid, so why shouldn't it be the guy who sat down and wrote 'Yesterday'?" In late 2024 the UK government, currently controlled by the Labour Party, launched a consultation to explore how copyright law can "enable creators and right holders to exercise control over, and seek remuneration for, the use of their works for AI training" while also ensuring "AI developers have easy access to a broad range of high-quality creative content." But McCartney maintains that it's the government's job to protect the people. "So you know, if you're putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you're not going to have them," he said in the interview. The Beatles' final song, "Now and Then," released in 2023, utilized a form of AI called "stem separation" to help surviving members McCartney and Ringo Starr clean up a 60-year-old, low-fidelity demo recorded by John Lennon, making it suitable for a finished master recording. In early 2024, around 200 musicians signed an open letter directed at tech companies, digital service providers and AI developers. The letter criticized irresponsible AI practices, calling it an "assault on human creativity" that "must be stopped." - Billboard, 1/25/25...... In other Beatles-related news, a new documentary focusing on a pivotal 18-month period in the lives of John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono will be released exclusively in IMAX on April 11. One to One: John & Yoko, directed by Kevin Macdonald, will then make it's streaming debut later in 2025 on the Max platform. The core of the film will focus on John and Yoko's "One to One Concerts," a two-show charity event for children with special needs that took place at Madison Square Garden in Aug. 1972. The concert featured the only full-length performances by Lennon following the Beatles' split two years earlier. The benefit shows also featured performances by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sha Na Na and Roberta Flack, among others. One to One made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2024 and will be featured this month at the Sundance Film Festival. A high-energy one-minute trailer for the doc, available for streaming on YouTube, features home movie footage of the couple on the Staten Island Ferry, hanging with Andy Warhol and visiting the Statue of Liberty, where they both famously gave a power fist salute to the quintessential symbol of freedom and opportunity. The montage is cued to their song "New York City," a chronicle of the couple's love affair with the city Lennon called home until his murder in Dec. 1980. - Billboard, 1/22/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr's new country album Look Up has debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard all-genre Top Album Sales Chart for the week of Jan. 25. The 11-song album, recorded in Nashville and produced by T Bone Burnett, was released Jan. 10 and reached the No. 7 position on the chart in its debut week. It also opens at a career-best No. 27 on the Top Country Albums Chart, marking Ringo's second entry on the list, and at No. 12 on Americana/Folk Albums Chart. - Billboard, 1/22/25...... An anxiously awaited Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Michael's nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role, has been delayed due to a recently-revealed, decades-old legal agreement barring any portrayal of the family of one of his abuse accuser. Lionsgate Films announced in Nov. 2024 that the film is being pushed back from an April 2025 release to October 2025 with no further explanation at the time, however now it has been revealed by Puck.com that the filmmakers were forced to scrap key portions of the movie because they would potentially violate a legal contract reached with the family of Jordan Chandler, a then-13-year-old boy who accused the superstar singer of molestation in the 1990s. In the agreement, Jackson's team reportedly promised not to dramatize the Chandlers in any capacity, however the script reportedly portrays Jackson as a "naive victim of the money-grubbing Chandlers" and features a scene of the boy's father "threatening to leverage his son's accusations to 'destroy' his ex-wife and Jackson's career." Jackson's estate is reportedly funding the necessary re-shoots to the movie, and the filmmakers will seek Lionsgate's approval for a revised script and shooting strategy as soon as possible. Lionsgate is reportedly "hopeful" about the October release date and producer Graham King says he is "confident that his team can fix the movie." The Jackson estate has always vehemently denied all claims of child molestation by Michael, pointing out that the singer was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial and arguing that his accusers are simply seeking monetary gain from an artist who cannot defend himself because defamation law does not extend to dead individuals. - Billboard, 1/24/25...... Meanwhile, the superstar singer credited with helping to discover Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 has announced details of a "Symphonic Celebration" UK tour. Diana Ross announced on Jan. 24 that she'll embark on a seven-date arena tour of the UK on June 22 at Birmingham's BP Pulse Live arena. The tour continues the following night with a stop at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, before heading to the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on June 25. The "Touch Me In the Morning" singer will then visit Manchester (26/6), Leeds (28/6), and Liverpool (30/6) before wrapping at The O2 in London on July 2. The Hall Orchestra will be accompanying the singer on the Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool shows, while the Royal Scottish National Orchestra will perform in Glasgow and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will take to the stage with Ross in London. - New Musical Express, 1/24/25...... The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame wants a federal judge to toss out a copyright lawsuit over an image of Eddie Van Halen, arguing that it made legal fair use of the image by using it as part of a museum exhibit designed to "educate the public about the history of rock and roll music." The lawsuit, filed in 2024, claims the Rock Hall never paid to license photographer Neil Zlozower's image -- a black-and-white photo of late-'70s Van Halen in the recording studio -- before blowing it up into an eight-foot-tall display in the Cleveland museum. But in a motion to dismiss the case filed on Jan. 21, the Rock Hall says it didn't need to. Attorneys for the museum say the offending exhibit was protected by "fair use," a rule that allows copyrighted works to be reused legally in many contexts, including education and commentary. Zlozower filed his case in October, claiming the Hall made an "exact copy of a critical portion of plaintiff's original image" for the exhibit, which he claimed "did not include any photo credit or mentions as to the source of the image." - Billboard, 1/22/25...... The first trailer for the eagerly anticipated new Sly Stone documentary, Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius), dropped on Jan. 22 on YouTube. Directed by The Roots drummer Questlove, the film promises to unpack the unbelievable highs, and shocking lows of '70s musical supernova Sly Stone and his band Sly and the Family Stone. Set to begin streaming on Hulo on Feb. 13, Sly Lives! chronicles the pioneering multi-racial band, who burst onto the scene in 1968 with their first hit, "Dance to the Music," before becoming household names thanks to 1969 No. 1 hit "Everyday People." The group that preached unity and brotherhood went on to score a number of other indelible Top 10 hits, including "Hot Fun in the Summertime," "Dance to the Music," and No. 1 smashes "Family Affair" and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)." The film, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in January, is the follow-up to Questlove's Oscar-winning 2021 Summer of Soul doc about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival (aka "Black Woodstock"). - Billboard, 1/24/25...... KISS's "I Was Made for Lovin' You" has topped the final 2024 week of Billboard's Top TV Songs chart after a synch in the Disney+ show What If?. "I Was Made for Lovin' You" racked up 8.6 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads in Dec. 2024 after being heard in the fourth episode of the third season of What If?, according to Luminate. The anthology series based in the Marvel Cinematic Universe premiered its third season on Dec. 22 with an eight-episode run that concluded Dec. 29. It's the second high-profile synch for "I Was Made for Lovin' You," a No. 11 hit on the Hot 100 singles chart in Aug. 1979, in the last year, following the song's appearance in the 2024 film The Fall Guy (both KISS' original and a cover by Yungblud). "I Was Made for Lovin' You" also reached a new peak of No. 2 on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart dated Jan. 18, 2025, as viewers continued to catch up on What If?. - Billboard, 1/23/25...... Songwriter Diane Warren received her 16th Oscar nomination for Best Original Song during the Oscar nominations ceremony on Jan. 23 -- a tally equaled by only three other songwriters in the 91-year history of the category. Warren was nominated this year this year for "The Journey," sung by H.E.R. in The Six Triple Eight, and also becomes the woman with the most Best Original Song nods. Meanwhile, Elton John received his fifth Oscar nomination for co-writing "Never Too Late" for his documentary Elton John: Never Too Late. It's the second nod for his collaborator Bernie Taupin; and the first for fellow collaborators Brandi Carlile and Andrew Watt. Also, the new acclaimed Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown received a total of 8 nominations across various Oscar categories. - Billboard, 1/23/25...... Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler's sixth annual "Jam for Janie" Grammy Awards viewing party has been set for Feb. 2 at the Hollywood Paladium. Hosted by Grammy-winning comedian Tiffany Haddish, the evening features a powerhouse lineup of performers, including Tyler's fellow Aerosmith members Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton along with Billy Idol, Joan Jett and Linda Perry, among others. A special highlight will be a reunion performance by members of Aerosmith, who played their final show in Sept. 2023 before announcing they were disbanding. The event supports Janie's Fund, the rocker's nonprofit aiding young women and girls who have survived abuse, and expands its philanthropic reach this year to benefit the L.A. Fire Department Foundation and the Widows, Orphans, and Disabled Firefighter's Fund. The event will welcome more than 100 firefighters who have been at the forefront of combating the California wildfires, to celebrate the major night in music. The event is named after Aerosmith's 1989 hit "Janie's Got a Gun," which peaked at No. 4 on the hit parade and won the band their first Grammy for Best Rock Performance. Tickets and sponsorship details are available at JaniesFund.org. - Billboard, 1/23/25...... '70s artists Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Rod Stewart, Sting, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks are among the performance line-up for the upcoming FireAid benefit concert. The event was first announced earlier this month in support of the victims of the devastating early January Los Angeles wildfires and will take place on Jan. 30 concurrently at the Intuit Dome and the KIA Forum. Other major artists confirmed for the event include Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rod Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day. The full lineup can be viewed on Instagram. - NME, 1/22/25...... The four founding members of Black Sabbath -- vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward -- have been recommended to be honoured in their hometown of Birmingham UK with the honorary title of City Freeman. The title recognizes the contributions that the recipient has made to the city. "Birmingham has a fantastic musical culture and Black Sabbath are a major part of that history, a pioneering band that still influences today's musicians," said city council Deputy Leader Cllr Sharon Thompson. "They have become synonymous with the city and have been true ambassadors throughout their phenomenal careers. Conferring these honors on these Birmingham legends would be the perfect way of saying thank you for all that they have done for the city." Black Sabbath, who first formed in the inner-Birmingham area of Aston in 1968, are long considered to be pioneers of heavy metal, with their influence being felt by bands such as Metallica, who inducted the rock legends into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2019, Birmingham named both a bench and a bridge after the band. In 2024, Osbourne stated his desire to visit the bench, claiming he would do so "if I have to crawl there." - Billboard, 1/22/25...... In related news, fans of heavy metal will now have a chance to study their favourite genre at degree level thanks to a Dutch university. Summa College in Eindhoven has a new faculty called "The Metal Factory" where it teaches students how to "master the art of growling" in its singing classes, as well as playing guitar, bass, drum and keyboard for metal audiences. According to a post on The Metal Factory's official website, the curriculum "train[s] you to become an independent artist/entrepreneur in the music industry" and goes on to say that career opportunities after completing your degree include composing, producing and "teaching and coaching." It adds: "We also have alumni who eventually graduated in copyright, management, music therapy or speech therapy. Metal Factory offers everyone who wants to be professionally involved in music a broad foundation for the future." Any potential students interested in studying on the course can attend an open day at Dynamo Eindhoven on Jan. 26. - NME, 1/20/25...... A previously unreleased Tina Turner song, "Hot For You Baby," will appear on the the upcoming 40th anniversary edition of the late rock icon's 1984 career-peak album, Private Dancer. The uptempo rocker featues Turner's signature gritty, urgent vocals over a galloping beat and a chorus of male backing vocalists repeating the title phrase back to her. Private Dancer rose to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart and included the Hot 100 No. 1 smash "What's Love Got to Do With It." The previously unreleased song will be featured on the anniversary release due out on Mar. 21, which will also come in a 5CD/Blu-Ray version that will rope in more never-before-released songs, live performances and music videos. Among the special extras is an upgraded 55-minute "Private Dancer Tour" show filmed in 1985 that featured guest spots from David Bowie and Bryan Adams. "Hot For You Baby" has also been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 1/23/25...... Sting announced on Jan. 22 that he is pulling out of his next few public engagements as he recovers from a temporary throat infection. In a post on his Instagram, the former The Police frontman's team wrote that he would be canceling his scheduled appearance at the Jan. 23 Bass Magazine Awards, as well as his Jan. 24 and Jan. 26 concerts in Phoenix and Wheatland, Calif., based on "advisement from his doctor." The message also confirmed that Sting can no longer perform at Cherrytree Music Company's 20th-anniversary concert in Los Angeles, which was slated for Jan. 25 but will now take place May 29. Rapper Shaggy, Mike Einziger of Incubus and more guests were also expected to perform. Sting's Phoenix show has been rescheduled to June 1, while his Wheatland performance has been postponed to May 28. "Fans should retain their tickets for the postponed shows, as they will be honored on the new dates," the post on his Instagram reads. "Sting sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience and extends his gratitude to the fans for their understanding." One day after the announcement, Sting personally addressed fans with a follow-up message on his account. "I am steadily improving from a temporary throat infection which has prevented me from singing," he revealed, thanking fans for "all of the well wishes." "I'm looking forward to resuming my performances and rescheduled shows soon," he added. Sting is currently in the midst of his "Sting 3.0" tour. After a special joint performance with Billy Joel at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 8, the "Every Breath You Take" singer will embark on a run of Latin American shows starting Feb. 14 in Rio de Janeiro. - Billboard, 1/22/25...... After more than a yearlong hiatus, season four of the Rock & Roll High School With Pete Ganbarg podcast launched on Jan. 23 with an interview with Chaka Khan. This season's other guests include Tony Orlando, Squeeze's Chris Difford, Randy Bachman, Al Stewart, Tears for Fears' Curt Smith, Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian and America's Gerry Beckley. New episodes will debut every other Thursday and are available on all major streaming outlets and the podcast's website. Host Pete Ganbarg started Rock & Roll High School, named after the beloved Ramones' punk classic, several years ago as president of A&R at Atlantic Records when he realized that a number of the younger A&R staffers at Atlantic were unaware of the roots of popular music. At first it was an in-person lecture series, and he then began bringing in guests, including Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice and iconic record executives such as Clive Davis and Seymour Stein. - Billboard, 1/22/25...... Garth Hudson, The Band's virtuoso keyboardist and all-around musician who drew from a unique palette of sounds and styles to add a conversational touch to such rock standards as "Up on Cripple Creek," "The Weight" and "Rag Mama Rag," has died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Jan. 21 at a nursing home in Woodstock, N.Y. He was 87. A rustic figure with an expansive forehead and sprawling beard, Mr. Hudson was a classically trained performer and self-educated Greek chorus who spoke through piano, synthesizers, horns and his favoured Lowrey organ. No matter the song, Mr. Hudson summoned just the right feeling or shading, whether the tipsy clavinet and wah-wah pedal on "Up on Cripple Creek," the galloping piano on "Rag Mama Rag" or the melancholy saxophone on "It Makes No Difference." The only non-singer among the five The Band musicians celebrated for their camaraderie, texture and versatility, Mr. Hudson mostly loomed in the background, but he did have one showcase: "Chest Fever," a Robbie Robertson composition for which he devised an introductory organ solo ("The Genetic Method"), an eclectic sampling of moods and melodies that segued into the song's hard rock riff. Formed in the early 1960s as a backing group for rocker Ronnie Hawkins, The Band was originally called The Hawks and featured the Arkansas-born Levon Helm and four Canadians recruited by Helm and Hawkins: Mr. Hudson, Robertson, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel. The Band mastered their craft through years of performing as unknowns -- first behind Hawkins, then as Levon and the Hawks, then as the unsuspecting targets of outrage after hooking up with Bob Dylan in the mid-1960s. All joined Dylan on his historic tours of 1965-66 (Helm departed midway), when he broke with his folk past and teamed with The Band for some of the most stirring and stormiest music of the time, enraging some old Dylan admirers but attracting many new ones. The group would rename itself The Band in part because so many people around Dylan simply referred to his backing musicians as "the band." Mr. Hudson played briefly with the English band The Call; appeared with various latter incarnations of The Band, usually featuring Mr. Hudson, Danko, and Helm; assisted on solo albums by Robertson and Danko; and joined Danko and Helm for a performance of Pink Floyd's The Wall at the Berlin Wall. Other session work included records by Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen and Emmylou Harris. The son of musicians, Mr. Hudson was born in Windsor, Ont., in 1937 and received formal training at an early age. He was performing on stage and writing before he was even a teenager, although by his early 20s he had soured on classical music and was playing in a rock band, The Capers. Mr. Hudson also organized his own projects, although his first solo effort, The Sea to the North, came out on the day of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 2005, he formed a 12-piece band called The Best!, with his wife on vocals. "Garth Hudson Presents: A Canadian Celebration of The Band" was a 2010 tribute featuring Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn and other Canadian musicians. Mr. Hudson was the eldest and last surviving member of The Band: Robertson, the band's guitarist and lead songwriter, died in 2023 after a long illness. Keyboardist-drummer Manuel killed himself in 1986, bassist Danko died in his sleep in 1999, and drummer Helm died of cancer in 2012. The Band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. - AP, 1/22/25.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

A new 50th anniversary vinyl reissue of David Bowie's ninth album Young Americans will arrive via Parlophone Records on Mar. 7 -- the same day the original collection was released back in 1975. The disc will be available on a half-speed mastered LP and a picture disc LP with a poster, pressed from the same master. Per a press release on X, the follow-up to 1974's Diamond Dogs saw Bowie "broaden his musical horizons once more, embracing what he called 'Plastic Soul'." The now-classic single "Fame" (co-written by John Lennon and Bowie's then-guitarist, Carlos Alomar) would give the late icon his first No. 1 in the US. The Young Americans album -- featuring the lead single of the same name -- was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, Penn., with a band that featured Mike Garson (keys), the late Luther Vandross (vocals) and David Sanborn (saxophone). Sessions also took place at New York City's Electric Lady and the Record Plant. Produced by Bowie's longtime collaborator Tony Visconti, the full-length project had been partly inspired by the "Philly Sound." - NME, 1/16/25...... On Jan. 21 Lynyrd Skynyrd announced a summer four-city UK arena tour set to begin on July 15 at the Manchester AO Arena. The run will mark the first new dates for the legendary Southern Rock band in England since 2019, as well as the half century since the band's debut, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd. "Celebrating 50 Years of Lynyrd SkynyrdUK Tour" dates also include Birmingham (16/7) and Brighton (18/7) before wrapping at London's OVO Arena Wembley on July 19. "It's about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about," frontman Johnny Van Zant said in a statement. "There's nothing like getting out there, playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music." In 2023, the band announced that they would be continuing following the passing of guitarist Gary Rossington, the only member of Skynyrd to play on all of their albums and was the last surviving member of the original line-up. Opening for the band on the tour will be Blackberry Smoke, and £1 from every ticket sold will go to supporting grassroots music via the newly launched Live Trust. - New Musical Express, 1/21/25...... Steve Lukather of Toto has criticized the alternative band Weezer for its cover of Toto's hit "Africa," calling the circumstances surrounding it "weird." Weezer covered the tune in 2018 following a fan-driven campaign, and Toto returned the favor the same year with their take on Weezer's "Hash Pipe." Although Toto gave their seal of approval at the time, now it seems that things aren't so friendly between the two bands. Speaking to host Matt Pinfield on his New & Approved podcast, Lukather provided some new insight into their relationship, after Pinfield mentioned Cuomo "loving" "Africa." Lukather quickly interjected, saying: "I don't know about him loving the song, man. I don't think that's the case at all." He went on to say that he didn't believe the cover was done in good faith, but that Toto had the last laugh anyway. "I think he did it to take the piss out of it and it blew up in his face," he told the podcast. "Now he's gotta play it every night!" Lukather continued, saying that Cuomo wasn't so open to him: "I tried to reach out to this guy and be friendly and it just got weird," he explained. "I don't want to get into it, but peace and love. It was good for them, it was good for us. God bless." Meanwhile Toto is preparing for a 2025 UK and European headline tour, which includes a stop at London's Wembley Arena. - NME, 1/20/25...... The lineup for the 2025 MusiCares Person of the Year benefit gala held in tribute to the Grateful Dead in Los Angeles was revealed on Jan. 20, as The Hollywood Reporter announced the artists attached to the Grammy Week event scheduled for Jan. 31 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Dead & Company (which includes Grateful Dead co-founders Bob Weir and Mickey Hart), John Mayer, Mick Fleetwood with Stewart Copeland, Norah Jones, Vampire Weekend, Dwight Yoakam, Sammy Hagar and the War on Drungs are among those set for the event, as well as previous GD collaborator Bruce Hornsby. Andy Cohen will be the MC. Original GD members Weir, Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will be recognized for their contributions to music, their philanthropic efforts and the groups pioneering role in fostering communities through their concerts and activism. Two of the bands founding members, the late Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh, who passed away in Oct. 2024, will be honored posthumously. It was confirmed that the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year event will go on as planned last week, amid the wildfires that have devastated the Los Angeles area. The announcement came a day after the Recording Academy said the Grammys are still on for Feb. 2. The MusiCares Person of the Year gala raises funds for the support of the MusiCareshealth and human services programs. - Billboard, 1/20/25...... Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton has shared "Sound of a Train," the debut single of his new band Close Enemies, on YouTube. Announced by Hamilton in 2024, Close Enemies kicked off a US tour on Jan. 8 in Philadelphia and a full length album from the band is thought to be in the works although as yet, no release date or album title has been revealed. The tour will also hit Pawling, N.Y. (1/23), Nashville (1/25) and Chicago (1/28) before wrapping in Chicago on Jan. 29. Close Enemies is made up of Hamilton, a founding member of the UK band The Babys, alongside drummer Tony Brock, guitarists Peter Stroud and Trace Foster and singer Chasen Hampton. Foster was Hamilton's bass technician in Aerosmith, and Stroud has previously worked with names including Sheryl Crow and Don Henley. - NME, 1/20/25...... Carole King's 1975 children's album Really Rosie is being rereleased on vinyl on Feb. 28 to commemorate its 50th anniversary. A collaboration with the late legendary children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, Really Rosie featured 11 songs which she composed and performed, with story and lyrics by Sendak. The project encompassed an animated TV special that aired on CBS on Feb. 19, 1975 and also a soundtrack album. The album did very well, reaching No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and later receiving a Grammy nod for Best Recording for Children. Another reason for Really Rosie's success was King didn't "dumb down her songwriting just because the songs were aimed at kids." AllMusic.com called it "that rare children's album with the wit and intelligence to capture the imaginations of adult listeners as well." Really Rosie was co-produced by industry legend Lou Adler, who produced all of King's albums from Tapestry (1971) through Thoroughbred (1976), and Sheldon Riss. King voiced the title character in the TV special, which was released on VHS in 1993 but has never been released in its entirety on DVD. The stage production of "Really Rosie" has remained a staple for children's theater groups since premiering in 1978. - Billboard, 1/17/25...... Neil Young and his new band The Chrome Hearts shared their first single, "big change is coming," on YouTube on Jan. 17. Stylised in all lower-case, the boisterous, defiant track captures a rock song in its purest form. "Big change is coming, you know what you gotta do/ Big change is coming, could be bad or it could be good," Young promises throughout, while huge guitars and drums drive the track forward. "For seven decades, [Young's] songs have addressed where life has been and where it is going," according to a press release. "'big change Is coming' takes another big bold step in looking at where that might be. The way this new song confronts the big questions facing life right now makes it an instant thriller," it adds. Young and Chrome Hearts are scheduled to headline one of the nights at the UK's Glastonbury Festival later in 2025. Young recently announced that he is set to release his "lost" album Oceanside Countryside from the '70s, and shared his praise for the "great" new Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. - NME, 1/17/25...... Queen guitarist Brian May's wife has shared a health update about her husband following his minor stroke in Sept. 2024. At the time, May told fans about the minor stroke he experienced, saying it came on "all of a sudden, out of the blue,"and left him without any control over one of his arms. He said the incident was "a little scary" but praised the "fantastic" medical care he had received. Throughout his recovery, his actress wife Anita Dobson has shared updates with fans. Late last year, she revealed that while it was "a challenge", he had regained use of the affected arm. Late last year, she revealed that while it was "a challenge," he had regained use of the affected arm. The most recent update, given in an interview with the UK paper The Sun, seems to be as encouraging, with the 75-year-old saying her husband was "stable." "The start of the year has been up and down," she said. "We both had the flu but we took the kids to Lapland. 15 of them." "Brian is stable now," she added, noting that he had "never been happier" since they moved to the countryside. She said long-time animal rights activist May "loves the birds and the animals" and spends his time feeding "the birds and the badgers, foxes and pheasants." The Doctor Who actress also said they're "taking each day as it comes," adding: "It makes you realise that at any minute it could be you. You don't have to necessarily be old, It could be anyone." In 2020, the guitarist was admitted to hospital after suffering a heart attack caused by an arterial disease. He told fans that he was "very near death" after doctors found he had three congested arteries. Queen wrapped up a run of tour dates with Adam Lambert in February of 2024, and do not have any other live shows scheduled currently. - NME, 1/18/25...... Although Devo's song "Uncontrollable Urge" from its 1978 album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! was never released as a single, its use in the MTV staple Ridiculousness earns its author, Devo co-founder and vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh, an estimated $1 million per year. When Ridiculousness first launched in 2012, the viral video series used a cover of "Uncontrollable Urge" by host Rob Dyrdek. Over 12 years later, the program boasts over 1,500 episodes, becoming a staple of MTV in the process. Famously, the show saturates the network so much that in Aug. 2020, the industry outlet The Ringer noted it was played on repeat for 36 hours straight. Two months earlier, Variety noted that 113 of a single week's 168 hours (or 67.3%) were filled with episodes of Ridiculousness. For Mothersbaugh -- who has penned music for beloved series such as Rugrats and Pee-wee's Playhouse, and scored films for directors such as Wes Anderson -- the revenue from the ubiquity of Ridiculousness generates around $1 million annually, according to estimates from his wife and manager Anita Greenspan. "I've written so many other songs for films and television shows," Mothersbaugh recently explained to Rolling Stone. "I would've been shocked [years ago] if you told me this is the one that would become this prime source of income." Devo's biggest single on the pop chart, however, is 1980's "Whip It," which peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 after being issued as the second single from their Freedom of Choice LP. - Billboard, 1/16/25...... After 50 years of touring with the likes of Montrose, Van Halen and his own successful solo tours, Sammy Hagar says he's sick of touring and plans to concentrate on residencies at major night clubs instead for his live performing. Hagar, 77, made the admission to The Miami Herald ahead of a recent guest appearance at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where he expressed his disdain with the grueling nature of the touring cycle. "I don't think I want to go on tour anymore. I hate to say that, because I don't want to piss my fans off, Hagar explained. "I'll go out and do a one-off show and do things like that, but the residency is going to give me a good extension of my career. That's what Im hoping for," he adds. The Red Rocker's comments came just months after his The Best of All Worlds Tour, which saw him perform throughout the U.S., Canada, and Japan. Even then, a series of Birthday Bash performances throughout Mexico and Las Vegas followed, with 2025 set to feature a number of performances for Hagar, namely his "The Best of All Worlds Tour Residency" in Las Vegas throughout April and May. "With this, I don't have to travel, I don't have to unpack and pack and get on an airplane every day, he continued. "You know, at my age, it hurts my shoulders to do all this. And I have to perform. I'm a performer, at the end of the day. I keep telling my manager, 'Don't take any tours, let me do this residency. If I like it enough, Ill do another one. And if that's successful I'll do another one, and I can squeeze a few more years out of my career." Hagar last released a studio album, Crazy Times, in 2022, with his band The Circle. That album was also promoted with a series of dates throughout North America, though it remains their last large-scale tour to date. - Billboard, 1/16/25...... Actor David Schwimmer revealed that during his previous career as a process server one of the more prominent interactions he had was with rock icon Rod Stewart. "One summer after my freshman year in college, I was just looking for work," Schwimmer said during an appearance on CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. "And my mom said, 'Well, you can be a process server for me. My mom was a divorce lawyer. So I was the guy who would pop out of the bushes and serve you divorce papers. At the time I was 18, and I'm like James Bond. Im not James Bond! 'Cause you're tipped off as to where they might be. As he continued, Schwimmer turned his focus to one of his more famous "targets during this line of work." "Once, and oh man, thank goodness I've never run into him since, added, "but I served Rod Stewart. I don't even know if he knows. I don't think he knows. "He knows now, replied host Stephen Colbert before jokingly giving Schwimmer some sage advice. "Change your locks, man. He is vengeful." Stewart was previously married to Alana Stewart from 1979 to 1984, which coincides with the timeframe of Schwimmer's time as a process server. In 1990, Stewart married Rachel Hunter, though they would divorce in 2006 following a separation in 1999. Since 2007, hes been married to Penny Lancaster-Stewart. Stewart is set to hit the road once again in February, performing across the U.S. before returning to Las Vegas to continue his Caesars Palace residency. He's also confirmed to play Glastonbury 2025. - Billboard, 1/15/25...... Bob Dylan's original lyrics to his 1960s hit "Mr. Tambourine Man" have sold at auction for a whopping $500,000, almost 60 years to the day after Dylan first recorded it. The lyrics were sold via Juliens Auctions alongside a number of other Dylan items -- including a signed oil painting and numerous pieces of original art -- which were originally part of the personal collection of late American journalist Al Aronowitz. Famed for introducing Dylan to The Beatles in 1964 and for being the first manager of The Velvet Underground, Aronowitz spoke about his unique connection to "Mr. Tambourine Man" in a 1973 article -- of which an original version was included in the sale: "Bob Dylan wrote 'Mr. Tambourine Man' one night in my house in Berkeley Heights, N.J., sitting with my portable typewriter at my white formica breakfast bar in a swirl of chain-lit cigaret [sic] smoke, his bony, long-nailed fingers tapping the words out on my stolen, canary-colored Saturday Evening Post copy paper while the whole time, over and over again, Marvin Gaye sang 'Can I Get a Witness?' from the 6-foot speakers of my hi-fi in the room next to where he was, with Bob getting up from the typewriter each time the record finished in order to put the needle back at the start." Aronowitz continued, "At the breakfast bar I found a waste basket full of crumpled false starts. I took it out the side door to empty it into the trash can when a whispering emotion caught me, like a breeze that sometimes gently stops you cold just because of its own ghostly power to make you notice it. I took the crumpled sheets, smoothed them out, read the crazy leaping lines, smiled to myself at the leaps that never landed and then put the sheets into a file folder. I still have them somewhere." The lyrics as sold made up two pages of yellow paper which contained three progressive drafts of the lyrics, typewritten and providing an insight into Dylans writing process. The lyrics are believed to date back to March of 1964, based upon the information available. Dylan first began performing "Mr. Tambourine Man" privately in 1964, eventually recording the track as part of a number of takes on Jan. 15, 1965. The song was later included as the first song on the acoustic side to Dylan's fifth album, Bringing It All Back Home, in Apr. 1965. Though "Subterranean Homesick Blues" from the same album was Dylan's first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, "Mr. Tambourine Man" would become his first to top the chart, albeit when The Byrds released a cover as their debut single that same month. Meanwhile, Dylan has seen his massive back catalog earn 11.6 million U.S. on-demand streams in the week ending Dec. 26 following the release of the new acclaimed Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. - Billboard, 1/19/25...... Ringo Starr celebrated the release of his new country album Look Up with two concerts at Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15. Each show featured Starr welcoming a star-studded lineup of his fellow music luminaries, including Sheryl Crow, Jack White, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, The War and Treaty, Jamey Johnson, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Mickey Guyton, Sarah Jarosz and Larkin Poe. Legendary producer/musician T Bone Burnett, the producer of Look Up, hosted the show, welcoming artists throughout the evening, as some performances featured artists in collaboration with Starr, while other performances featured the evenings guest offering solo performances. "I feel blessed tonight, with all these great players coming out," Starr told the audience, as he performed a selection of songs from Look Up with the other musicians. The show concluded, appropriately, with an all-star singalong of The Beatles classics "Yellow Submarine" and "With a Little Help From My Friends," which saw additional artists join Starr onstage, including rock and country music trailblazer Brenda Lee (the Beatles once opened for Lee back in the 1960s, prior to the Fab Four's breakthrough). - Billboard, 1/16/25...... In related news, Ringo's son Zak Starkey says he was "s------g my pants" before playing the iconic Liverpool venue The Cavern for the first time with his band Mantra of the Cosmos. Interestingly, Zak had only visited his dad's home city once before and had never stepped foot inside the famous music venue where the legendary Liverpool band -- which also included Paul McCartney and the late John Lennon and George Harrison -- started out. That all changed when Zak's group -- completed by Happy Mondays' Shaun Ryder and Bez and former Oasis bassist Andy Bell -- played two shows there in one day, with Zak admitting it was a "surreal" experience. Ahead of the gigs, former Oasis drummer Zak contacted the group's guitarist Noel Gallagher for some reassurance. The Wonderwall hitmaker sings on the supergroup's latest single, "Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous)," which was launched at the Cavern gig. Zak told the Liverpool Echo: "It was very surreal. I was s------g it -- proper s------g it until I got on there and it was amazing. The music is like holy music isn't it." Recounting his conversation with Noel, he added: "Before I was ss------g my pants. I was sitting in my room, and I text Noel saying I was s------g it. He said, 'Get down there and get on, what are you talking about?'" Ahead of the gigs, Zak spoke about playing the venue his parents used to go on dates to. The musician -- whose late mother Maureen worked as a hairdresser in Liverpool -- said: "Can't believe I've never even been there. There's a great deal of family heritage at the Cavern, aside from the Beatles, my parents courted there who knows I may have even been conceived there." - Music-News.com, 1/20/25...... David Lynch, the iconic experimental filmmaker known for his dark, surrealist vision in the television classic Twin Peaks, as well as films including Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet, died on Jan. 16. He was 78. His death comes just five months after he announced that he was housebound over fears he'll contract COVID-19 after being diagnosed with emphysema from many years of smoking. At the time, he added that he wasn't planning to make another film. "I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it, Lynch said. "I wouldn't like that so much. The Missoula, Montana, native, was a one-time painter who enrolled in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts before he shifted his focus to making films. His breakthrough came via 1977's Eraserhead, which became popular in the midnight movie underground circuit. Among his many notable films include 2001's Mulholland Drive starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts and Laura Harring; and 1986's Blue Velvet, starring Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern. On the small screen, he was best known as the visionary behind the mystery drama series Twin Peaks, which ran for two seasons from 1990 to 1991 and returned for a third season in 2017. The series won three Golden Globes and two Emmys, as well as a 1991 Grammy for best pop instrumental performance for the Angelo Badalamenti-composed theme music. Lynch also directed several music videos for artists including Nine Inch Nails and Moby. "There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us," his family said in a statement. "But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole. It's a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.'" - Billboard, 1/16/25...... Legendary baseball player/broadcaster/comedian Bob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who after a short playing career earned the moniker "Mr. Baseball" and honors from the Hall of Fame, died on Jan. 16 after a battle with small cell lung cancer since early 2023. He was 90. Mr. Uecker was best known as a colorful comedian and broadcaster who earned his nickname during one of his numerous appearances on Johnny Carson's late night show. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Mr. Uecker was a beloved member of the baseball community and a pillar of the sport in Wisconsin. He signed his first professional contract with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 and reached the majors in 1962. He'd last six seasons in the big leagues as a backup catcher, finishing with a .200 average and 14 homers. He won a World Series ring with St. Louis in 1964 and also played for Atlanta and Philadelphia. Career highlights? I had two," he often joked. "I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets." Even as his celebrity status grew nationwide, Mr. Uecker savored the opportunity to continue calling games to fans in his hometown. "To be able to do a game each and every day throughout the summer and talk to people every day at 6:30 for a night game, you become part of people's families," Mr. Uecker once said. "I know that because I get mail from people that tell me that. That's part of the reward for being here, just to be recognized by the way you talk, the way you describe a game, whatever." Mr. Uecker was honored by the Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick award in 2003 and spent nearly 20 minutes keeping the Cooperstown, N.Y., crowd of about 18,000 in stitches. Mr. Uecker was honored by the Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick award in 2003 and spent nearly 20 minutes keeping the Cooperstown, New York, crowd of about 18,000 in stitches. "I still -- and this is not sour grapes by any means -- still think I should have gone in as a player," he quipped. But Uecker's comedy was just a part of his abilities. His warm storytelling and delivery made Uecker a natural to become one of the first color commentators on network TV broadcasts in the 1970s with ABC. In the '90s, he teamed up with Bob Costas and Joe Morgan for the World Series. From there, Mr. Uecker reached most households as one of the Miller Lite All-Stars in popular commercials for the beer brand based out of Milwaukee and Uecker later launched his TV acting career in 1985 on the ABC sitcom Mr. Belvedere. Uecker played George Owens during the successful 122-episode run of the series that lasted six years, as the head of the family and sports writer in a home that brings in a butler who struggles to adapt to an American household. The Brewers announced Mr. Uecker's death, calling it "one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history." In a statement released by the club, Mr. Uecker's family said he had battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023. "Even in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter," the family said. - CBSNews.com, 1/16/25...... Former Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes has died at age 65. "It is with great sorrow we share that John Sykes has passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer," according to a statement on social media. "He will be remembered by many as a man with exceptional musical talent but for those who didn't know him personally, he was a thoughtful, kind, and charismatic man whose presence lit up the room." The statement continued, "He certainly marched to the beat of his own drum and always pulled for the underdog. In his final days, he spoke of his sincere love and gratitude for his fans who stuck by him through all these years." Sykes joined Thin Lizzy in 1983, appearing on their album Thunder and Lightning. He then joined Whitesnake in 1987, contributing to two of their albums. - Music-News.com, 1/21/25.

Thursday, January 16, 2025

On Jan. 14 Bob Dylan created a TikTok account days before the popular social media platform could get banned in the US. "Explore the world of Bob Dylan, now on TikTok. #bobdylan," stated the caption of the first, and currently only, post which features a series of clips from various Dylan eras soundtracked to songs including "Like a Rolling Stone," "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," and "Hurricane." Dylan's move comes as TikTok has announced plans to cease operations in the US on Jan. 19 unless the Supreme Court blocks or delays its ban. This, however, would be a last resort if the Supreme Court decides to enforce laws that will force the Chinese-owned platform to sell to a third party and break ties with parent company ByteDance. ByteDance has said that it has no intentions to sell the app. Dylan's last-minute attempt to see what TikTok is about follows a pattern in his behavior. In 2024, Dylan started to use X (formerly Twitter) more than he did before, posting birthday wishes and general messages on top of his usual announcements, as new Twitter owner Elon Musk was driving people away from the platform. Meanwhile, actor Timothée Chalamet rode a Lime bike into London for the UK premiere of the Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. Once he hit the red carpet, Chalamet got off the bike and ended his ride using his mobile phone before turning to get photographed. Dylan has praised Chalamet's performance in the film, describing him as a "brilliant actor" and saying he is "sure he's going to be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me." The film will hit cinemas on Jan. 17 in the UK. - New Musical Express, 1/15/25...... As Elvis Presley fans recently celebrated what would have been the King of Rock & Roll's milestone 90th birthday on Jan. 8, Elvis' granddaughter Riley Keough says her late mother Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson "were in love" when they were married in 1994. In a conversation with podcast host Alex Cooper on Cooper's Call Her Daddy show on Jan. 15, Keough, 35, shed some rare insight on her mom's romance with the King of Pop. "The one thing I know is that they were in love, and that their love for one another was genuine," Keough told Cooper. "Everything else I don't know, because I wasn't there for it." Lisa Marie -- Elvis' only child, who died at 54 years old in Jan. 2023 -- shared Riley and late son Benjamin Keough with first husband Danny Keough. Lisa Marie was later married to Jackson from 1994 to 1996, after which she wed Nicolas Cage (2002-04) followed by music producer Michael Lockwood (2006-21), with whom she shared twin daughters. Riley also reflected on how her childhood changed with Jackson -- who died in 2009 -- entered the picture. "Our life wasn't crazier," she said candidly. "That already existed: the press, the crazy, the paparazzi and all that. I think when she saw Michael's life, there were things he had that she didn't have," continued the Daisy Jones & The Six actress. "Before that, she was with my dad, and their life was very simple. She didn't have 10 million assistants. She didn't need all that, and I think that changed." Keough's full Call Her Daddy interview can be heard on Spotify.com. Meanwhile, Elvis' ex-wife and Riley's mom Priscilla Presley paid tribute to Lisa Marie on Jan. 12, the second anniversary of her late daughter's death. Next to an Instagram post featuring a picture of Lisa Marie crouching down, with a slight smile on her face, Priscilla wrote, "I miss you more than words can say. I wish I could hold you, talk to you, see your smile just one more time. I wish you could see how much you are still loved, how deeply you are missed by all of us who carry you in our hearts." The message cued to a lilting instrumental version of the 1972 Elvis hit "Always on My Mind" and signed "Mom," was a poignant memorial for the late singer who died of a heart attack in Jan. 2023 at age 54. - Billboard, 1/15/25...... The Sex Pistols have announced the upcoming release of three live albums from their raucous 1978 US tour. For the first time, fans will be able to relive the punk legends' ferocious concerts that led to their demise at their final concert at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on Jan. 14, 1978 -- before they reformed in 1996. The sets were recorded at South East Music in Atlanta, Ga., on Jan. 5, Longhorns Ballroom in Dallas, Tex., on Jan. 10, and the finale at Winterland Ballroom. The first vinyl, available in red, from the Atlanta gig will be available from Feb. 28. The white vinyl of the Dallas concert goes on sale on Mar. 28, and the San Francisco vinyl, in blue, on Apr. 25. All three shows will also be available digitally and on CD. - Music-News.com, 1/14/25....... The Eagles announced on Jan. 15 that they are pledging $2.5 million to FireAid, the benefit concert for Los Angeles wildfire victims set for Jan. 30 at the Intuit Dome. There is no word whether the Eagles, who are currently in the middle of a residency at Sphere in Las Vegas, will play the show, and no acts have been announced for the benefit yet. The event, billed as "an evening of music and solidarity" and produced by longtime Eagles manager Irving Azoff and his family alongside concert promoters Live Nation and AEG Presents, with proceeds donated toward an organization created to rebuild Los Angeles infrastructure, as well as support displaced families and advance fire prevention technologies and strategies. The timing works in their favor to take advantage of artists in town for the Grammys, which are slated for Feb. 2. An estimated 1,000+ people in the music community in Los Angeles are also being supported by MusiCares -- the non-for-profit arm of The Grammys and Recording Academy. MusiCares says scores of people had been in touch since they launched their "Fire Relief Effort" on Jan. 8. The series of wildfires, which began on Jan. 7, have led to the confirmed deaths of 24 people, the evacuation of more than 180,000 residents and an estimated 12,000 buildings destroyed. It has been confirmed that the 2025 Grammys will proceed as planned and raise funds for those hit by the LA wildfires. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 1/15/25...... In related news, Ringo Starr has announced he is taping special L.A. wildfire relief concerts at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium on Jan. 14 and 15 to give a little help to his friends in the West. The former Beatle's upcoming concert special will air this spring on CBS and Paramount+, with some of the proceeds benefiting wildfire relief amid the ongoing crisis in the Los Angeles area. Titled "Ringo & Friends at the Ryman," the two-hour special will find Starr performing songs from his new country album, Look Up, which arrived Jan. 10. He'll be joined by a star-studded list of friends on stage, including Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle -- both of whom collaborated on the drummer's new LP -- as well as Sheryl Crow, Rodney Crowell, Mickey Guyton, Emmylou Harris, Sarah Jarosz, Jamey Johnson, Brenda Lee, Larkin Poe, The War and Treaty, and Jack White. Ringo will also delve into his life and career as his guest stars reflect on their own personal memories of his influence in the special. Proceeds from the show will go toward the American Red Cross supporting people affected by the fires devastating L.A. County. Meanwhile, Starr has revealed that he and Elton John's mum left one of the Rocket Man's gigs due to not knowing any of his songs. Speaking to The Sunday Times about an Elton concert that he attended at London's Wembley Stadium, Starr said: "He came on and said, 'I'm only going to do the new album.' Me and his mother left after three tracks because we didn't know them." Addressing why he no longer introduces new songs during his All-Starr Band shows, the drummer said: "The band sounds great. We have a fun time and we just do it. In the late '90s I would put in, like, two or three from the new album, and you could feel the room empty. It happens to everybody." Elsewhere in the chat, Ringo also addressed his vocals, admitting that he is not a fan of his voice. "I can hold a tune, as long as it's in my key," he told the paper. "And it just worked out with the Beatles because John and Paul were great writers. That's what made us. I'd get one song. And a couple of them were really good, you know, 'With a Little Help from My Friends' and 'Yellow Submarine.' They're still huge and I still do them on tour. They wrote me a lot of really nice songs." - Billboard/NME, 1/14/25...... David Bowie lieutenants Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey have announced details of a new 8-city UK Bowie tribute tour for 2025, which will see them celebrating the music and life of the late rock superstar. Visconti was Bowie's long-time producer and friend, as well as the bass player on his early LP The Man Who Sold The World, while Woodmansey was one of the Spiders From Mars and the artist's drummer from between 1970 and 1973. They will perform live renditions of some of Bowie's best known songs as part of the supergroup Holy Holy. The tour launches on May 15 in London at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, followed by dates in Leeds (15/5), Birmingham (16/5), Manchester (18/5), Newcastle (21/5), Oxford (29/5) and Bristol (30/5) before wrapping at Liverpool's O2 Academy on May 31. Bowie passed away in Jan. 2016 at the age of 69. - NME, 1/14/25...... In a new interview with the Speaking with Podpakas podcast, original AC/DC singer Dave Evans revealed the story behind how the hard-rocking Aussies came up with their name. Evans recalled how the members were writing music together as part of an unnamed band, when Alan Kissacks, a man involved with putting the band together, told them that they had secured a New Year's Eve slot at Australia's Chequers nightclub. "We had to get a name because it was only in a few weeks. So we started tossing names around between us, but no one could agree," Evans explained. "I had some really great names, but they didn't like them. What we said was that, [in time for] the next rehearsal, we'd all come with three names each, put them in a hat and we'd pick one out. And whatever it was, that was what we were gonna call ourselves," he added. According to Evans, he arrived with three potential names the following day, but the band decided to scrap the idea after being suggested the name "AC/DC" by a relative. "When we all arrived together, Malcolm Young said to us, 'Look, my sister-in-law' [wife of his older brother, George] has suggested a name AC/DC'. And I thought it's an easy name to remember and it was on the side of a lot of electrical appliances," Evans told Podpokas. AC/DC means alternate current and direct current [and] a lot of appliances were AC/DC. I thought: 'Free advertising free advertising on the side of all these appliances, and it's easy to say, and it means power.' It all went through my head very quickly. And I said yes." Concluding, he recalled: "Malcolm looked at us and said, 'Well, shall we call ourselves AC/DC?' And we all put our hands up. It was unanimous. We all shook hands and we were AC/DC those three names [I came up with], I went home and threw them away." According to Evans, he arrived with three potential names the following day, but the band decided to scrap the idea after being suggested the name "AC/DC" by a relative. "When we all arrived together, Malcolm Young said to us, 'Look, my sister-in-law' [wife of his older brother, George] has suggested a name AC/DC'. And I thought it's an easy name to remember and it was on the side of a lot of electrical appliances," Evans told Podpokas. "AC/DC means alternate current and direct current [and] a lot of appliances were AC/DC. I thought: 'Free advertising free advertising on the side of all these appliances, and it's easy to say, and it means power.' It all went through my head very quickly. And I said yes." Concluding, he recalled: "Malcolm looked at us and said, 'Well, shall we call ourselves AC/DC?' And we all put our hands up. It was unanimous. We all shook hands and we were AC/DC those three names [I came up with], I went home and threw them away." AC/DC is set to play 13 stadium shows across the US and Canada throughout April and May. The band wrapped up the 2024 UK and European leg of the trek in Dublin's Croke Park on Aug. 17. Their ongoing "Power Up" tour is in support of AC/DC's 17th and latest studio album of the same name, which was released in 2020. - NME, 1/13/25...... After a tumultuous relationship with incoming president Donald Trump over the use of their songs at his political rallies, the Village People took to Facebook on Jan. 13 to announce that they have "accepted an invitation from President Elect Trump's campaign to participate in inaugural activities, including at least one event with President Elect Trump." The post continued: "We know this won't make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics. Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost. Therefore, we believe it's now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump." According to TheHill.com, the group will perform at Trump's "victory rally" at Capital One Arena in Washington, and at the Liberty Inaugural Ball. "Y.M.C.A.," along with "Macho Man," were popular song choices at Trump campaign rallies during his 2020 and 2024 campaign rallies. In December, Village People frontman Victor Willis doubled down on why he chose to let the president-elect play "Y.M.C.A." at rallies and events, saying he "didn't have the heart" to block the usage -- despite originally asking Trump to stop in 2020 -- upon realizing that the politician seemed to "genuinely like" and was "having a lot of fun" with "Y.M.C.A." Plus, as Willis noted, the dance tune has only "benefited greatly" in terms of chart placements and sales for the group since the twice-impeached Trump incorporated it into his campaign. - Billboard, 1/13/25...... Rod Stewart and wife Penny Lancaster have been appointed ambassadors for The King's Foundation. The couple have come on board as King Charles III celebrates 35 years of his charity, which focuses on practical education and training programs aimed at building stronger communities and transforming lives. Stewart, who just turned 80, and Lancaster, 53, join other celebrity ambassadors including Sienna Miller, David Beckham and Naomi Campbell. "We are so pleased to be coming on board as ambassadors for The King's Foundation and look forward to lending our support to this worthwhile cause, particularly during such a significant year for the charity," the "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" singer said. Penny added, "As a volunteer special constable, the Foundation's approach to building communities -- and how access to green spaces can help build better, healthier places -- is particularly important to me. It's an honour to be working with the Foundation and I can't wait to meet more of the inspiring people who both learn with and work for the organisation." The couple are set to visit the charity's headquarters, Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, later in January. During the visit, they will meet staff at the health and wellbeing centre to learn more about their perimenopause programs and support services. Stewart has been a long-time supporter of King Charles' other charities, including the Prince's Trust (now the King's Trust) which helps disadvantaged young people access business opportunities that may not be available to them in their everyday lives. Stewart will play the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Feb. 23. - Music-News.com, 1/14/25...... Speaking with Boston radio station WBUR, Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton revealed that he and his former bandmates "could do something" in the future if frontman Steven Tyler was willing. Hamilton said that while Tyler is well underway with his "healing process" after seriously injuring his voice during a gig in 2024, the chances of the band making any new announcements are slim. "Steven's healing process is going really, really well, but it goes at its own pace," he said. "Maybe Aerosmith will do something in the future, but it's a big 'if', and the last thing I want to be doing is to try and push Steven in that direction. If we do anything in the future, it would come from him." The comments come after the bassist was asked last summer how hopeful he is, on a scale of one to 10, that the band will reunite. "On the hope scale, I'm somewhere between seven and nine. We won't be doing any tours from now on, but I'll always have hope that other types of opportunities will come along," he told AARP magazine. "This isn't the first time black clouds have been on our horizon -- and somehow the sun managed to come out. Time and hope are all we have at the moment," he added, while also dismissing hopes for a Las Vegas residency. Aerosmith's final live show, at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY in Sept. 2023, was held as part of their "Peace Out" tour, which began earlier that year but only saw the band play three nights, before rescheduling the rest of the dates after Tyler injured his larynx. Hamilton said in 2024 he "can't imagine" the band continuing with a new singer, and added: "I'm sure all of us have music in our future and it will manifest itself in ways that we haven't planned yet. I've been playing in a band with some good friends. We have a bunch of really good songs and we hope to be putting them out soon and hopefully doing some gigs." Shortly afterwards, the bassist announced details of his first shows with a new band called Close Enemies. - NME, 1/13/25...... Remembering late legendary soul singer Sam Moore of Sam & Dave who passed away on Jan. 10 at age 89, Bruce Springsteen shared a heartfelt message on Instagram on Jan. 11. "Over on E Street, we are heartbroken to hear of the death of Sam Moore, one of America's greatest soul voices. There simply isn't another sound like Sam's soulful tenor in American music," the Boss wrote. He continued, "Having had the honor to work with Sam on several occasions, he was a sweet and funny man. He was filled with stores of the halcyon days of soul music, and to the end had the edge of deep authenticity in his voice I could only wonder at." The two friends shared both the stage and studio over the years. Moore contributed backing vocals to several tracks on Springsteen's 1992 album, Human Touch, while Springsteen reciprocated on Moore's 2006 song "Better to Have and Not Need." One of Springsteen and Moore's most memorable live performances took place at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary concert in New York in Oct. 2009, where they joined the E Street Band to perform "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Comin'." Moore passed away in Coral Gables, Fla. The cause of death was complications from surgery. - Billboard, 1/11/25.

Saturday, January 11, 2025

Billy Joel took to Instagram on Dec. 10 to announce a one-off summer 2025 concert with Rod Stewart at New York's Yankee Stadium on July 18. The event is part of Joel's ongoing string of stadium shows with A-list guests, which have also included Stevie Nicks and Sting, John Mayer, Jason Bonham and Trey Anastasio. On Jan. 17, the Piano Man will kick off his 2025 touring schedule with a gig at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla., followed by a team-up with Sting at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 8. Sting will also join Joel in Syracuse on Apr.11, Milwaukee on Apr. 26, Charlotte on May 10 and Salt Lake City on May 23. Nicks will share the stage with him on Mar.h 29 at Ford Field in Detroit and the last scheduled date so far this year, an Aug. 8 show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Stewart will also be on hand for a gig at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on July 5 in a prelude to the Yankee Stadium gig. - Billboard, 1/10/25...... Ringo Starr released his new country & western-themed album, Look Up, on Jan. 10 via Lost Highway/UMG Nashville. Produced by T Bone Burnett, the set is Starr's first full-length album in six years after releasing a series of EPs. "I did love country music before I was in the band," says the former Beatles drummer, who tried to move to Texas when he was 18 because of his fondness for country and blues music. "We got plenty of it in Liverpool, because the lads who were in the merchant navy would bring not only rock and roll over, but country -- and when country bands went on tour in England, they always played Liverpool." With Ringo singing lead, the Fab Four famously remade such country hits as Buck Owens' "Act Naturally" and Carl Perkins' "Honey Don't," and in 1970, Starr's second solo LP, Beaucoups of Blues, was a country album he recorded in Nashville with noted country producer/musician Pete Drake, famous for his work with Tammy Wynette, Bob Dylan and Charlie Rich. Burnett recruited leading Americana, folk and bluegrass music artists including Alison Krauss, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Larkin Poe and Lucius to appear on Look Up, many on multiple tracks. Look Up's first single, "Time on My Hands," features classic country elements of heartbreak and lost love over an aching pedal steel, but like many Ringo songs -- and as reflected in the album's title -- it ends on a positive note. "If you listen to a lot of my songs, not only the country but the pop songs, the last verse is always an up," Starr says. "That's what I want to present -- there's a break in the clouds and the light comes through." - Billboard, 1/10/25...... Elton John's 2017 greatest hits collection Diamonds has finally hit No. 1 on the UK's Official Albums Chart in its 374th week on the tally (Jan. 10). Featuring a number of the Rocket Man's biggest hits, including "Your Song," "Tiny Dancer, "Rocket Man" and "Candle in the Wind," the compilation has surged to the top to dethrone Ed Sheeran at No. 1. When first released in 2017, Diamonds reached No. 5 and peaked at No. 2 following Elton's Glastonbury headline set in June 2023. The Official Charts Company reports that it hasn't left the top 100 since its release and has spent more weeks on the chart than any of John's other LPs. Meanwhile, Elton announced on Instagram on Jan. 7 that rising country singer Chappell Roan will perform at his annual Oscars viewing party in March. Joining Elton and his husband David Furnish as co-hosts for the event will be the likes of Jean Smart, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka to raise funds for AIDS research and to quell the negative stigma surrounding AIDS in the LGBTQ community. "David and I are thrilled to gather with friends and supporters once again, and we're honoured to welcome the bold and authentic Chappell Roan as this year's performer, whose artistry embodies the power of music to inspire change," John told Rolling Stone magazine. Other confirmed attendees at the event include Mick Jagger, Sean Penn, Sharon Stone, Megan Thee Stallion and Hozier. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 1/10/25...... Actor Rob Lowe has used a recent episode of his Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast to reflect on how he almost embarked upon a music career thanks to the L.A.-based hitmakers Toto. During a chat with journalist, author, and fellow podcaster Bill Simmons, the pair switched their focus to the world of '80s music and the recent Yacht Rock genre documentary Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary. Lowe responded to Simmons' praise about Toto's success at the 1983 Grammy Awards (in which they won three awards, with group leader David Paich winning two additional awards) by recalling how he once had a brush with the Los Angeles rockers. "I got one for ya," Lowe said. "There was a minute in the '80s where I was definitely doing too much Bolivian marching powder and just being a f--king lunatic," Lowe remembered. "And [it was] also coming at the time in a young actor's career where they're too old to play the roles they've been playing, but they're too young to play the roles that will last you the rest of your life, which are really the great ones. And you can kind of feel it. I love music so much, as evidenced by this talk and all of that, that I got it into my head that maybe I should think more about music and I cut a demo with Toto." Lowe did not elaborate on the track further, and it's unclear what happened to the demo that he recorded with Toto, or if it may ever see a potential release - ideally on a future sequel to the Yacht Rock documentary. Lowe's full chat with Simmons can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 1/9/25...... Appearing on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Jan. 8, Cher reflected on her partnership with her late singing partner and ex-husband Sonny Bono, shared the story behind her iconic driver's license, and revealed unexpected anecdotes from her legendary journey. "Doing the show kept us together because on the show we had so much fun," she told host Jimmy Kimmel. "We were equal. That was...I mean, I loved it. We worked so well together, and it really kept us closer longer than I really wanted." Starting with their breakthrough hit "I Got You Babe" in 1965, Sonny & Cher became one of the defining musical acts of their era. The duo's humor and chemistry later transitioned seamlessly into television, making The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour a staple of 1970s entertainment, even as their personal relationship faced challenges. in a lighter moment, Cher discussed the process of obtaining a driver's license that features only her first name. "I don't have a last name, so it just says Cher on my driver's license," she explained. "You have to prove that someone could know you, like the populace could know you by that name. It's not easy." As Cher fans eagerly anticipate the follow-up to her new memoir, Cher: The Memoir, Part One, Cher joked that she "hasn't even started" the second volume yet. At the end of the interview, Cher left the audience laughing as she told Kimmel, "You're a lot nicer and funnier than I thought you would be." - Billboard, 1/8/25...... Bob Dylan has been rolling "like a rolling stone" on the streaming charts in the wake of the new Timothée Chalamet-starring Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. During the week ending Dec. 26, one day after the release of A Complete Unknown in the US, Dylan's catalog earned 11.6 million U.S. on-demand streams, according to Luminate, leaping to 20.2 million streams the following week (ending Jan. 2), in the first full tracking week since the film's wide release. Compared to Dylan's streaming numbers from one month earlier, in which his catalog earned 8.1 million streams in the week ending Dec. 5, A Complete Unknown has helped the legend's weekly streaming numbers grow by roughly 150%. Meanwhile, some of Dylan's early classic songs (which Chalamet sings himself in the film) have gotten replayed since its release, with listeners wanting to either revisit or discover the original versions. "Like a Rolling Stone" earned 1.64 million streams in the week ending Jan. 2, a 232% increase from its streaming total five weeks ago (494,000 during the week ending Nov. 28). Meanwhile, "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin' posted streaming jumps of 215% and 174%, respectively, from their weekly totals during the last full tracking week of November. With the announcement of the Academy Awards nominations set for Jan. 17, and the Oscars ceremony scheduled for Mar. 2, these streaming numbers may stay boosted -- or keep climbing -- for a few more months. - Billboard, 1/8/25...... In related news, as multiple devastating wildfires continue to spread through the greater Los Angeles region, music and music-related events -- including several tied to the current film awards season in the city -- are being canceled or postponed out of both safety concerns and respect for the unfolding situation. An A Complete Unknown screening and dinner set for Jan. 9 is among the events canceled. As dangerous wildfires continue to rapidly spread across Los Angeles County, a number of famous residents are among the thousands of people whose homes were affected by the tragedy. Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren took to Instagram on Jan. 8 to reveal that her beach home was one of the properties that was burned down. "This is the last pic I took of [my late friend] Leah's rock from my beach house," Warren posted. "I've had this house for almost 30 years. It looks like it was lost in the fire last nite. There's a rainbow shining on it which I'm taking as a sign of hope for all creatures who have been affected by this tragedy. The animals and the rescue ranch are OK tho which is the most important thing. Stay safe everyone." The west-side Palisades Fire, fanned by strong winds, has caused 30,000 people to evacuate as it has burned at least 28,000 acres and claimed 16 lives as of Jan. 11. Meanwhile, a benefit concert for victims of the LA wildfires has been announced. Dubbed FireAid, the show has been described as an "evening of music and solidarity," and will take place at LA's Intuit Dome on Jan. 30. Proceeds from the concert will help to rebuild the communities lost by the wildfires that began on Jan. 7, supporting displaced families and advancing fire prevention technologies to ensure that, in the future, the city is better prepared for fire emergencies. - Billboard/NME, 1/8/25...... As former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Jan. 29 at age 100, was memorialized at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9, country stars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood paid tribute to the nation's 39th commander-in-chief with a moving cover of John Lennon's 1971 homage to peace, "Imagine." Brooks played the song's iconic melody on an acoustic guitar, singing, "Imagine there's no heaven/ It's easy if you try/ No hell below us/ Above us, only sky," his voice echoing through the majestic 188-year-old Washington National Cathedral, which has hosted the funeral and memorial services for almost all of the 21 Presidents who've died since Congress approved its charter in 1893. The deliberate pace of the performance -- and the addition of a piano accompaniment -- appeared to move many of the dignitaries on hand, which included all the former living Presidents. Soon-to-be-ex-President Joe Biden bowed his head at one point as his successor, former President Donald Trump seemed to close his eyes briefly during the performance. "You may say I'm a dreamer/ But I'm not the only one," Brooks sang as wife Yearwood joined in, matching his vocals on the lines, "I hope someday you'll join us/ And the world will live as one." That final line was delivered as the couple looked into each other's eyes and held the moment for a beat, with Brooks leaning in to give Yearwood, his wife since 2006, a kiss on the cheek. In addition to the Brooks/Yearwood performance and a number of other moving tributes from Carter's family, the funeral included a eulogy by Biden, who is less than two weeks away from the end of his term, after which he will be replaced by twice-impeached former President Trump. After the funeral, Pres. Carter's body will be flown back to Georgia for a private family funeral before he is buried on the grounds of his home in Plains next to his late wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter. Footage of the "Imagine" performance has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 1/9/25...... The official trailer for the upcoming Led Zeppelin biopic, Becoming Led Zeppelin, has been shared on YouTube. The film, powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music by the seminal heavy metal band, will be screened in IMAX theaters on beginning Feb. 7. The film is told in Led Zeppelin's own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group. - Music-News.com, 1/10/25...... An Australian construction company has issued an apology following the demolition of a Sydney home that once housed future AC/DC members Angus Young and his brother Malcolm Young. The house, which had been located at 4 Burleigh Street in the Western Sydney suburb of Burwood, was reportedly razed in late 2024 following a sale in Feb. 2023 for AUD $5.8 million. The Young family moved to the Burleigh Street address in 1965 after time spent at other houses in the suburb, with brothers Angus and Malcolm honing their musical talents while living there. In 1973, the pair would co-found AC/DC, who have since become one of Australia's most successful rock exports of all time. The legacy and importance of the address to the Sydney community had been recognized numerous times over the years. In 2013, the house was listed on the National Trust Register of Historic Houses, and in 2024 the local Burwood Council commissioned a mural of Angus and Malcolm by artist Claire Foxton which is still visible on the side of 12 Burleigh Street. News broke of the house's demolition in late December, with outrage from both fans and the local community reaching the Burwood Council, who defended the demolition despite the presence of the address on the National Trust. In a statement from Burwood Square general manager Leon Kmita, the company has shared their regret for the demolition, claiming they were unaware of the cultural importance held by the house. "We regret that the previous long-term owner did not share this vital part of the property's background with us," Kmita said. "Learning about this connection after our plans were already underway has shocked us. We are genuinely sorry for this oversight." According to Kmita, the Burwood Square team are in the process of attempting to salvage materials so they can create a "special space" for fans of AC/DC to "gather to celebrate the band's enduring legacy." "While we cannot change the past, we are dedicated to celebrating this significant part of their story," he added. "To the global fanbase of AC/DC, please know that we hear you, appreciate your deep admiration for this legendary band, and are devoted to making this right." - Billboard, 1/7/25...... KISS principals Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have reached a settlement to end a wrongful termination lawsuit accusing them of firing their longtime hairstylist after he complained about "unsafe working conditions" amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With a jury trial set to get underway later in January, attorneys for both sides told a Los Angeles judge on Jan. 7 that they had "resolved" the case, in which David Mathews claimed that he had been abruptly terminated in 2022 after serving as the band's hairstylist for 30 years. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed in court filings and neither side immediately returned requests for comment. Mathews sued the iconic rock band in 2023, alleging he had been fired in retaliation after he repeatedly raised concerns about the band's allegedly lax approach to the pandemic. Among other allegations, he said he was forced to work in close proximity to band members like Simmons even when they were sick. "He was coughing and blowing his nose in the dressing room while still insisting that he felt fine," Mathews wrote of one encounter with Simmons. "Once again, Mr. Mathews was required to be in Mr. Simmons presence to perform his job duties." Mathews isn't the only person to sue over Kiss over the band's COVID-19 protocols. The band is also facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Francis S. Stueber, a longtime guitar tech who died in Oct. 2021 while quarantining in a hotel room. The suit claims that the band ignored their own safety rules and failed to arrange medical aid to Stueber after he fell ill. - Billboard, 1/7/25...... Rush have reflected on their 2015 farewell tour, saying that they "let our British and European fans down" by not giving them the chance to say goodbye. The Canadian band played 35 headline shows across North America almost 10 years ago, having formed over four decades prior. Drummer Neil Peart died from brain cancer in early 2020, aged 67. During a new interview with ClassicRock.com, bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson recalled how they had initially wanted to visit more countries as part of the trek -- but said Peart didn't want to head out on the road at all. "I'd pushed really hard to get more gigs so that we could do those extra shows and I was unsuccessful," Lee said of the trio's "R40 Live" tour. "I really felt like I let our British and European fans down. It felt to me incorrect that we didn't do it, but Neil [Peart] was adamant that he would only do 30 shows and that was it." He continued: "That to him was a huge compromise because he didn't want to do any shows. He didn't want to do one show. So, in his mind, he'd compromised already. He said, 'I'll do 30 gigs, don't ask me for any more'. I just kind of felt I owed an explanation to them, the audience. It's part of why I went into the detail I did about Neil's passing in the book [Lee's memoir, My Effin' Life], was to let fans in on what went down. That it wasn't a straight line." Elsewhere, Rush paid tribute to their former producer Peter Collins in summer 2024 following his death aged 73. - NME, 1/7/25...... Folk singer Peter Yarrow of the beloved 1960s trio Peter, Paul & Mary died on Jan. 7 at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan following a four-year battle with bladder cancer. He was 86. With his high tenor melding seamlessly with baritone Paul Stookey and contralto Mary Travers, Mr. Yarrow and this singing partners produced some of the most beloved songs of the 1960s, taking the lead on classics "Puff the Magic Dragon," "The Great Mandala" and "Day Is Done," all of which he wrote or co-wrote. Perhaps the group's most well-known track, "Puff the Magic Dragon," was penned by Mr. Yarrow based on a poem by fellow Cornell grad and author Leonard Lipton about a magical dragon name Puff and his human friend, child Jackie Paper, who take off on adventures in the magical land of Honalee. Fans of the 1963 song -- which was later turned into a beloved 1978 animated special and two follow-up sequels -- were convinced that it was larded with secret drug references, tagging it as a trojan horse ditty about smoking weed, a claim both Lipton and Mr. Yarrow repeatedly denied. The song was one of the group's most successful on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 2 on the tally in May 1963. Following Mr. Yarrow's death and Travers' passing in 2009 at age 72, Stookey, 87, is the group's last living member. "Our fearless dragon is tired and has entered the last chapter of his magnificent life. The world knows Peter Yarrow the iconic folk activist, but the human being behind the legend is every bit as generous, creative, passionate, playful, and wise as his lyrics suggest," daughter Bethany Yarrow said in a statement. Born in Manhattan on May 31, 1938, Mr. Yarrow began performing in New York's burgeoning Greenwich Village folk scene after graduation from Cornell University in the late 1950s. After a performance at the Newport Folk Festival, he met the event's founder and famed music manager Albert Grossman, who shared his idea for putting together a vocal group in the vein of The Weavers, a harmony quartet from the 1940s and 50s that sang traditional folk and labor songs as well as children's tunes and gospel; it originally featured beloved folk singer/songwriter Pete Seeger. It was Bob Dylan manager Grossman's idea to put Mr. Yarrow and Travers together, with the latter later suggesting the addition of Stookey, who both had performed with on the folk scene. After signing to Warner Brothers Records, they debuted in 1962 with the song "Lemon Tree," which peaked at No. 35 on the Hot 100. Quickly establishing their folk credentials, they followed up with the 1949 Seeger/Lee Hayes-penned protest anthem "If I Had a Hammer," which won them two Grammy Awards in 1962 for best folk recording and best performance by a vocal group; they were also nominated for best new artist that year. They picked up two more Grammys the next year in the same categories for their cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and a fifth one in 1969 (best recording for children) for the Peter, Paul and Mommy LP, which peaked at No. 12 on the album chart. Among their string of hits on the Billboard Hot 100 were their 1969 No. 1 cover of John Denver's "Leavin' on a Jet Plane," as well as the No. 9 charting "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" and the No. 21 hit "Day Is Done." They were also well-known for their charting covers of such Dylan classics as "Blowin' in the Wind" (No. 2, 1963) and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (No. 9, 1963), scoring a total of five top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart. Two of those albums, a self-titled collection from 1962 and 1963's In the Wind, reached No. 1. In keeping with the tenor of the era, the group were also notable for their strong, progressive political stance in song ("The Cruel War," "Day Is Done") and in practice. They participated Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington in 1963, performing Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" (and "If I Had a Hammer") on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, helping to cement that song's place as a civil rights anthem. It was around that time that Mr. Yarrow was accused of taking "immoral and indecent liberties" with a 14-year old girl, Barbara Winter, after she and her older sister came to his hotel room for an autograph and he answered the door naked and forced her to perform a sex act on herself. The singer was indicted and sentenced to one to three years in prison, and ended up serving just three months. He later apologized for the incident and was granted a presidential pardon by Jimmy Carter in Jan. 1981, just before the late president's final day in office. Mr. Yarrow was also an indefatigable anti-war protester, helping to organize the anti-Vietnam National Mobilization to End the War protest in 1969 in Washington that drew nearly 500,000 fellow anti-war activists, as well as 1978's anti-nuclear benefit show Survival Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl, which featured appearances by Jackson Browne, Graham Nash and Gil Scott-Heron, among others. In 2000, he founded Operation Respect, a non-profit that aimed to tackle the mental health effects of school bullying. Following solo ventures by all three, the trio reunited several times over the ensuing years, including for a 1972 concert to support George McGovern's failed presidential campaign, his 1978 Survival Sunday anti-nukes show and a summer reunion tour that same year. By 1981 they were back together for good, performing and releasing five more albums before Travers' death. - Billboard, 1/7/25...... Grammy-nominated singer and controversial anti-gay rights activist Anita Bryant has died at age 84. The news was shared by The New York Times, which reported that Ms. Byrant died from cancer on Dec. 16 while at her home in Edmond, Oklahoma. Local newspaper, The Oklahoman, also made the announcement and shared a statement from the singer's family which read: "May Anita's memory and her faith in eternal life through Christ comfort all who embraced her." Born in Oklahoma in 1940, Ms. Bryant first began singing at age six and went on to make various television and radio appearances throughout her childhood. She was given her own show, The Anita Bryant Show, aged just 12-years-old. As a teenager, she took home the trophy at the Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant and came second runner-up in the 1959 Miss America pageant, also going on to share her debut album that same year. As she centred her efforts on her music career, she performed at both Republican and Democratic national conventions and also made her way into the US charts with songs "Till There Was You," "Paper Roses" and "In My Little Corner Of The World." Towards the end of the '60s, she became a spokesperson for Florida Citrus, although was later dropped from the role after becoming a vocal opponent of gay rights. The late '70s saw her lead an anti-LGBTQ+ raly that tried to repeal a Florida ordinance that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation. The "Save Our Children" rally was successful, although it damaged her image and led to a nationwide boycott of the juice from the state. In solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, bars also stopped serving screwdriver cocktails. Later, she would reveal in an interview that she lost roughly $500,000 in concert bookings as well as a deal to host her own television show. She also became one of the first people to be hit in the face with a pie as a form of protest in 1977. She was dropped by Florida Citrus in 1980 and her split from husband Bob Green also saw her lose support from conservatives. She later married Charles Dry, although never succeeded in reviving her career. In 2019, a biopic about her life starring Ashley Judd was reported as being in the works, and before then she was the subject for both the 2016 play Anita Bryant's Playboy Interview and the 2018 musical "The Loneliest Girl In The World." - NME, 1/10/25...... Legendary soul singer Sam Moore, half of the seminal duo Sam & Dave, died on Jan. 10 in Coral Gables, Fla., due to complications from surgery. He was 89. Mr. Moore, who was revered by artists including Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Garth Brooks and Jon Bon Jovi, had an instantly recognizable tenor, first heard on such call-and-response classics as Sam & Dave's 1960s hits "Hold On, I'm Coming" and the Grammy-winning "Soul Man," both of which reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart, as well as "I Thank You" and "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby." The duo, who performed at Martin Luther King Jr.'s memorial concert at Madison Square Garden following his assassination in 1968, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 by Billy Joel. Mr. Moore, who grew up in Miami, began singing in church and drew the attention of another legendary Sam, Sam Cooke, who wanted Mr. Moore to replace him in his gospel group The Soul Stirrers. However, after seeing Jackie Wilson perform, Mr. Moore shifted from gospel to pop and was performing at the King O'Hearts Club when he met Dave Prater and the two formed Sam & Dave. Legendary Atlantic Records executives Ahmet Ertegun, Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler saw the pair at the King O'Hearts Club and signed them to the label in 1965. Wexler passed them to Atlantic's southern partner, Stax Records, where Isaac Hayes and David Porter took them under their wing and produced their iconic hits. Following Sam & Dave's breakup in 1970, Mr. Moore signed to Atlantic as a solo artist. He recorded a solo album produced by King Curtis featuring Donny Hathaway and Aretha Franklin. However, after Curtis was murdered in 1971, the album was shelved. He reunited with Dave for a few years, but spiraled into heroin addiction, which was chronicled in the DA Pennebaker/Chris Hegedus documentary Only the Strong Survive. Interest in the duo was greatly revived by 1980's The Blues Brothers movie, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. The pair's main theme was their boisterous version of "Soul Man." In the early '80s, Mr. Moore became sober with the help of Joyce McRae, whom he married in 1982 and who became his manager. Mr. Moore went on to perform for six U.S. presidents -- Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump -- and was a frequent performer at the Kennedy Center Honors. Springsteen invited Mr. Moore to perform on his 1992 Human Touch album, as well as Only the Strong Survive, his 2023 album of soul covers. At the time of his death, Mr. Moore was working on a gospel album with Rudy Perez. He is survived by Joyce, daughter Michelle and grandchildren Tash and Misha. - Billboard, 1/11/25...... Cult psychedelic folk musician and painter Ed Askew has died at age 84. Mr. Askew was born in Connecticut in 1940 and began his career as a painter, graduating from Yale School Of Art in 1963, before making the shift to become a musician. He released his debut album Ask The Unicorn in 1968, and went on to gradually develop a cult following in the '80s after moving to New York City and developing a unique style of acid and folk. Ask The Unicorn was later re-released by Drag City Records in 2015 as a resurgence of interest in Mr. Askew's work arose, and throughout his career the songwriter shared 11 studio albums. One of his most listened-to releases was the 2013 album For The World. Released via Tin Angel, it included musical collaborations with Sharon Van Etten, Mary Lattimore, Marc Ribot, and more. Aside from the full studio albums, Mr. Askew also self-released hundreds of songs on cassettes and later on his Bandcamp page. - NME, 1/7/25.

Monday, January 6, 2025

Appearing alongside his recent "Never Too Late" collaborator Brandi Carlile as a presenter at the 2025 Golden Globes cereminy in Los Angeles on Jan. 5, Elton John joked about his recent eyesight issues as the pair announced Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross as winners of the best original score category. "It's a very special night for me to be here because, I don't know if you know, but there's been stories going around about my regressive eyesight," John said. "I just want to reassure everybody -- it's not as bad as it seems. I'm so pleased to be here with my co-host, Rihanna," he said, pointing to Carlile. When Carlile announced that the Nine Inch Nails duo had won, John raised both fists into the air and let out a huge cheer. Elton opened up about his eyesight problems in November during a Good Morning America interview: "I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the South of France," he said. "It's been four months now since I haven't been able to see. And my left eye is not the greatest." - Billboard, 1/5/25...... Speaking to the UK paper The Times, Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry reflected on turning 80 later in 2025 and the "beauty of aging." "I don't walk around thinking every minute, 'Oh God, I'm going be 80' - but that's sort of how I feel," said Harry, who reaches her milestone decade on July 1. Harry continued: "My mother used to say in her head she was 25 and I'm the same. But thinking about it all the time could be your downfall. And I don't really want the same kind of life I did when I was younger. I've done that! That's the beauty of ageing -- you know what it's about. You have it in your heart and soul and your memory bank or does that sound like an excuse? Should I go out and party every night?" The "Call Me" singer also opened up about the prospect of dating in her advanced years. When asked whether she was currently in a relationship, she responded: "No! God forbid! I'm terrified. No, I'm kidding, but I don't think [being in a relationship] is possible. Do you?" Harry, who was once in a relationship with Blondie co-founder Chris Stein, explained that she wasn't "in the right position to be dating online," before being told about the celebrity dating app Raya.com. "OK, OK, I'll do it!" she replied. "And I'm going to get back in touch and let you know how it went. I'm definitely not so adventurous as I was, but I'm still curious. I like the way the world spins." Additionally, Harry revealed that she likes to flirt in the local hardware store. "Home Depot is where I do all my flirting... There are some big, strong men there." She remembered: "I found somebody there I thought was really sexy. He was working in the garden department. But he was busy. We just sort of looked at each other and did that [look]." Elsewhere in the interview, the frontwoman recalled how she was once surrounded onstage by a group of Hell's Angels. Blondie are due to release a new album later in 2025, helmed by in demand Grammy-winning producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, The War On Drugs). It'll be the follow-up to 2017's Pollinator. - New Musical Express, 1/6/25...... In a new interview with the UK publication The Guardian, John Lennon's eldest son Julian Lennon says he's "not part of The Beatles' "inner circle." With the recent resurgence of the legendary quartet's work, including Peter Jackson's Get Back (2021), David Tedeschi and Martin Scorsese's Beatles '64 (2024), and the 2024 restoration of Michael Lindsay-Hogg's 1970 film, Let it Be, Julian said he's often the last to know about any activity with the Fab Four's camp. "It's news to me half the time. I'm not part of the inner circle -- I never have been," he admitted. "You have to realise that when Dad left, when I was between three and five (it was a bit of a process), it was just mum and me, and we had nothing to do with the Beatles or Dad. I visited him on the odd occasion but we were very much on the outside. I'm thankful that Sean and I get on like a house on fire -- we're best buddies and he tells me what he can, but things are pretty secret on the Beatles front." He continued: "[It's] extraordinarily strange but I'm not upset about it. I'd rather be excited and impressed by what they did and continue to do. As a fan, I'm just as curious as anybody else, although I do find myself going, 'how is it possible that there's another Beatles film?'" Julian also spoke about his photography work and his newest release, the coffee table book Life's Fragile Moments. Alongside discussions of how new music isn't on the cards just yet (a failed attempt to hit the late-night talk show circuit in 2024 left him "heartbroken"), Julian said he continues to "build up a body of work, a foundation that I can stand on, that nobody can take away from me." "And I continue to do so," he said. "It's not to show off, it's just to prove to myself that I can actually do this stuff. I'm not interested in fighting other people's opinions." Lennon recently took to social media in December to urge his followers to undergo regular doctor visits following an emergency surgery after a second skin cancer diagnosis. Just before the end of the year, on Dec. 30, Lennon updated his followers that he had received "the 'all clear'" from his doctors. - Billboard, 1/5/25...... A statue of legendary Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher was unveiled in Belfast city centre on Jan. 4. Gallagher, a County Donegal native, often played the Northern Ireland capital over his three-decade career and now has been immortalised with a bronze statue outside the city's Ulster Hall on Bedford Street, with a ceremony being held to mark its unveiling. "He's finally here!" announced the venue on X on Jan. 4. "Today we're celebrating the legacy of Rory Gallagher with the unveiling of a new statue of the legendary guitarist outside Ulster Hall." Members of Gallagher's family were joined by fans and local signatories for the unveiling, with the Lord Mayor of Belfast Mickey Murray commending Gallagher's authenticity and talent. The statue itself was created by Anto Brennan, Jessica Checkley and David O'Brien of Bronze Art Ireland, with the design being inspired by a photograph that first featured on the cover of a Jan. 1972 issue of Melody Maker magazine. Gallagher, who is often cited by the likes of Eric Clapton, The Edge and Brian May as one of the greatest players of all time, has sold over 30 million records worldwide. His most celebrated albums include his self-titled solo debut in 1971, Deuce later the same year and the live albums Live! In Europe (1972) and Irish Tour '74 (1974). In 2011, his "lost" live album Notes from San Francisco was released 33 years after its recording. Ulster Hall also screened a documentary film inspired by the latter album to mark the occasion. Gallagher had a number of health problems, before being admitted to hospital in London in 1995 for liver failure. After contracting a hospital superbug known as MRSA, he passed away later that year at the age of 47. - NME, 1/4/25...... After less than two weeks in release, the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown has already ranked among the top-grossing music biopics of all time. According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, the film has grossed $41.7 million worldwide since its Dec. 25 release, securing a position between No. 18 Notorious (a 2009 Notorious B.I.G. biopic) and at No. 20, the 1993 Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got To Do With It. Timothée Chalamet stars in the film, which follows Dylan from Jan. 1961, when he moved from Minnesota to New York City, to July 1965, when he caused an uproar among fans by "going electric" at the Newport Folk Festival. Still riding high among the all-time top-grossing musicals are the 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody ($910.8 milloin worldwide gross), followed by Elvis (2022, $288.7 million); Straight Outta Compton (2015, $210.6 million), and Rocketman (2019, $195.3 million). - Billboard, 1/5/25...... The Temptations are commemorating 60 years in show business with a 14-day Mexican Riviera Voyage on the Discovery Princess cruise ship in Dec. 2025. Serving as host for the cruise on the Discovery Princess, which is known as "The Love Boat" and is also celebrating its 60th anniversary, will be Jill Whelan, who portrayed the character Vicki Stubing on The Love Boat television series. Whelan, and The Tempts, were on hand on Jan. 4 on board the Discovery Princess to announce the special sailing. Prior to the performance, Whelan described the upcoming voyage as a "trip down memory lane" as she recalled that the iconic R&B group appeared as themselves on an episode of The Love Boat 40 years ago. During that episode, the group premiered its No. 2 R&B hit, "Treat Her Like a Lady." Of the group's timeless legacy, she added, "The Temptations have also been responsible for spreading messages of love over 60 years. And what is better than that." The Tempts also performed their classic hit "My Girl," which was released 60 years ago. The Royal Princess will depart from the Port of Los Angeles on Dec. 6 with an itinerary including two overnight stays in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, as well as visits to Loreto, Manzanilla and Mazatlan. Additional music and other special guests plus various anniversary festivities will be announced soon. - Billboard, 1/5/25...... Carlos Santana has been forced to postpone his return to Las Vegas' House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino later in January due to a minor injury to his finger. The venue announced on its website Friday (Jan. 3) the postponement of the eight shows between Jan. 22 to Feb. 2, noting that ticket holders will receive refunds. In a statement to Variety, Michael Vrionis, president of Universal Tone Management, revealed that the guitarist suffered a fall that left him with a broken finger. "I am sorry to say that Carlos was out taking a walk at his vacation home in Kauai," he explained. "He took a hard fall, and he broke his little finger on his left hand. He had to have pins inserted in the finger. Unfortunately, he won't be able to play guitar for approximately six weeks. Doctors do say that he will recuperate fully." The statement continued: "Carlos is doing well and is anxious to be back on stage soon. He just needs to heal. Santana profoundly regrets these postponements of his upcoming performances, but accidents happen, and his health is our number one concern. He is looking forward to seeing all of his fans very soon." While the new dates are yet to be announced, Santana is set to return to the venue for nine shows starting on May 14 and wrapping up on May 25. He's also scheduled to go on a small Oneness Tour starting on Apr. 16. - Billboard, 1/3/25...... The latest in a seemingly endless stream of "lost" Neil Young albums, Oceanside Countryside, will be released on Feb. 14 via Reprise Records. "This analog original album was recorded in 1977 and unreleased. These songs are the original mixes done at the time of the recordings in the order I planned for the album," Young said in a statement about the latest release in his Analog Original Series (AOS). Oceanside Countryside was originally recorded from May-Dec. 1977, just before the release of his 1978 folk/country album Comes a Time, which featured such beloved songs as the title track, "Lotta Love," "Human Highway," "Field of Opportunity" and "Four Strong Winds." "I sang the vocals and played the instruments on Oceanside in Florida at Triad studios and Malibu at Indigo studio," Young aded. "I sang the vocals and recorded with my great band of friends, Ben Keith [steel guitar], Joe Osborn [bass], Karl T. Himmel [drums], and Rufus Thibodeaux [fiddle] at Crazy Mama's in Nashville on Countryside. I hope you enjoy this treasure of an Analog Original recording, recorded by Tim Mulligan, as much as I do. Listening to it now, I think I should have put it out back then." All the songs on Oceanside are performed solo by Young, with a group of friends joining him on Countryside, including Keith, Thibodeaux, Himmel and Osborne, with Tim Drummond on bass for "The Old Homestead," which also features The Band's Levon Helm on drums. Young noted that the tracklist for the upcoming album -- which was recorded on tape -- reflects how he originally planned to release the LP, which will be available in analog and on vinyl for the first time ever with the original mixes done at the time of the recording. - Billboard, 1/3/25...... In other Neil Young news, the singer has announced that he will be headlining the UK's Glastonbury Festival in June, just days after he said that he would withdraw from the festival and called it a "corporate turn-off." On Jan. 1, Young posted to his website: "The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favorite outdoor gigs," Young wrote in the brief update. "We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in. It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being. We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be. Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour." On Jan. 3, Young gave this update: "Due to an error in the information received, I had decided to not play the Glastonbury festival, which I always have loved. Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing! Hope to see you there!" Glastonbury will take place at Worthy Farm, Somerset in England on June 25-29, and he will perform with his new band The Chrome Hearts. Young previously topped the bill in June 2009. - Billboard, 1/3/25...... As he spends time hanging around the set for an upcoming biopic of himself, Bruce Springsteen says so far he's very impressed with the movie's star, Jeremy Allen White. White, best known for playing perpetually harried chef Carmy Berzatto on the streaming TV series The Bear, has been filming the movie, titled Deliver Me From Nowhere, that will tell the story behind the making of the Boss' stark 1982 album Nebraska. In a recent chat with SiriusXM E Street Radio's Jim Rotolo, Springsteen, 75, talked about whether it's been strange to be on set as he watches Allen portray a thirtysomething version of him. "A little bit at first, but you get over that pretty quick and Jeremy is such a terrific actor that you just fall right into it," Springsteen said. "He's got an interpretation of me that I think the fans will deeply recognize and he's just done a great job, so I've had a lot of fun. I've had a lot of fun being on the set when I can get there." Springsteen continued: " [White] sings very well. You know, and Jeremy Strong [as Springsteen's longtime manager Jon Landau] and Odessa Young [as then-girlfriend Faye], you know, it's a tremendous cast of people. They cast the film beautifully, so it's very exciting." Directed and written by Scott Cooper and adapted from Warren Zanes' book of the same name, the movie has gotten full support from Springsteen. In the same interview with Rotolo, Springsteen also confirmed a late 2024 press release teasing that this year will bring a new collection that will "look back at Springsteen's storied recording career, featuring never-before-heard material." The full interview can be heard on YouTube. - Billboard, 1/3/25...... Billy Joel teamed up with drummer Jason Bonham for a rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" during a New Year's Eve concert at Long Island's UBS Arena on Dec. 31. Joel's end-of-year spectacular was a special for numerous reasons: not only was the night preceded by Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening as the opener, but the lengthy set saw the veteran musician roll out plenty of fan favorites for the night, along with a few rarer tracks from his extensive back catalog. While the seldom-heard 1982's "A Room of Our Own" from The Nylon Curtain LP got a look-in, rarer still was a performance of 1974's "Souvenir," from his album Streetlife Serenade, which received only its 13th showing from across the past 40 years. However, one of the most notable songs from the evening was one that wasn't Joel's own. Just over a third of the way through the set, Joel switched his focus to welcome Bonham and his band to the stage for a rendition of 1969's "Whole Lotta Love." "We're going to bring a guest onstage and do this next song," Joel said to the crowd. "We have fun playing this, especially with this guy. Please welcome Jason Bonham. You all know this song. It's not a piano song." With Bonham performing drums on the song his father helped make famous more than five decades ago, Joel's longtime guitarist and vocalist Mike DelGuidice sang lead on the track, relegating Joel to the background somewhat. The show also featured renditions of The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up," and Derek and the Dominos' "Layla," which was used to fill time ahead of the midnight countdown. The concert also wrapped up a big year for Joel, who not only concluded his record-breaking 10-year Madison Square Garden residency (earning $266.7 million from 1.9 million ticket sales to 104 shows), but also released "Turn the Lights Back On" -- his first new lyrical single in nearly 20 years. - Billboard, 1/1/25...... John Sykes, the chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has said the institution will not be renamed, despite pressure from some artists. In recent years, there has been discussion whether the Hall should still use the "Rock and Roll" moniker after inducting a number of artists from outside traditional rock music, including Eminem, A Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blige, Dolly Parton and Missy Elliott, however Sykes recently told Vulture magazine that he has no plans to change the name, stating that instead he will "communicate that rock and roll is open to all." "I think it's because some people don't understand the meaning of rock and roll," Sykes explained. "If you go back to the original sound in the '50s, it was everything. As Missy Elliott calls it, it was a gumbo. It just became known as rock and roll. So when I hear people say, 'You should just change it to the Music Hall of Fame,' rock and roll has pretty much covered all of that territory. Rather than throwing the name out, it's doing a better job of communicating to people where rock and roll came from and what it's truly about. Once they hear it that way, they understand." Sykes went on to explain what he believes are the true criteria that should qualify artists for the Hall. "It's music that has spirit to it, like a youth spirit," he said. "I think rock 'n' roll should have a very, very broad sense. I think there's room for a lot of different genres." - NME, 1/2/25...... Former Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee says he's "lucky to be alive" following a sepsis diagnosis over the holiday period. Posting on Facebook on Dec. 2, the Swedish percussionist shared news of his health scare, explaining that he had been hospitalized following a blood infection he described as "very serious." "I was admitted for three weeks but now I am home fighting this bastard bacteria," he shared. "Thankfully, I have received fantastic care at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, my hometown. So thanks a million to all the Doctors and Nurses that have been giving me the most excellent care. After several operations, I am now back home and the numbers are all going in the right direction. Still lots of recovery and rehab in front of me," he added. In a strange coincidence, Dee's brush with death occurred almost nine years to the day since his Motörhead bandmate Lemmy Kilmister passed away, on Dec. 28, 2015. Notably, his health scare also took place mere weeks after he took to social media to refute premature reports of his death. - Billboard, 1/2/25...... Two Maine businessmen have purchased radio station WKIT-FM from best-selling horror author and Maine resident Stephen King after he announced that the station and two others he owns would go silent after New Year's Eve. The buyers are the Maine-based duo Greg Hawes and Jeff Solari, who formed Rock Lobster Radio Group to run the station. "WKIT is the most legendary station in the region. It has tremendous history. We couldn't let it die," they said in a statement. King is a lifelong rocker and performed with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band that featured literary icons performing for charity. He announced late last year that at age 77 he thought it was time to say goodbye to the radio stations. "I'm sorry as hell to be closing down WKIT and its sister stations," King posted earlier this month on social media. "I held off the suits for as long as I could." Since getting into the terrestrial radio business in 1983, King has written over 50 novels, including well-known works such as It, Misery, The Dark Tower series, Pet Sematary, Under the Dome, Skeleton Crew, The Green Mile and 11/22/63, among many others. - AP/Billboard, 1/1/25...... Wayne Osmond, the second-oldest of the legendary teen idol group The Osmond Brothers (later simply The Osmonds), died on Jan. 1 after suffering a "massive stroke," according to his brother Merrill Osmond. He was 73. The singer and guitarist's family confirmed the news of his death in a statement to Salt Lake City news station, KSL TV. "Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children," the statement reads. "His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world. He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly." Following the news of his death, a number of Wayne's family members took to social media to honor him, including Donny Osmond who posted on X: "Wayne brought so much light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew him, especially me. He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone. I'm sure I speak on behalf of every one of us siblings when I state that we were fortunate to have Wayne as a brother." Wayne, one of nine Osmond siblings, started a barbershop quartet in 1958 alongside his brothers Merrill, Alan and Jay Osmond. After getting discovered from a Disneyland performance, the boys were cast over a seven-year period on NBC's The Andy Williams Show beginning in 1962. When brothers Donny and Jimmy Osmond joined the group, they became known as The Osmonds and were the standout teen idols throughout the 1970s. The Osmonds had four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart -- "One Bad Apple" (No. 1 in 1971), "Yo Yo" (No. 3 in 1971), "Down by the Lazy River" (No. 4 in 1972) and "Love Me For a Reason" (No. 10 in 1974). Alan and Merrill Osmond co-wrote "Down by the Lazy River," making it the group's biggest self-penned hit. The group's top-charting album on the Billboard Hot 200 LP chart was Phase-III, which reached No. 10 in 1972. The Osmond family was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. Wayne is survived by his wife Kathlyn Louise White and their five children. - Billboard, 1/2/25.

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

When the Grammy Awards' Recording Academy nominated The Beatles for two awards -- Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance -- for their "final" single "Now and Then," fans of the band were pleased. However only the two surviving Beatles -- Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr -- will be eligible to receive a Grammy because due to Recording Academy rules the two deceased Beatles -- John Lennon and George Harrison -- have each been dead for more than five years and cannot meet the test for "new recordings" -- "material that has been recorded within five years of the release date." There is precedent for this. Nat "King" Cole was not nominated when daughter Natalie Cole won Record of the Year and Best Traditional Pop Performance in 1992 for their studio-created duet "Unforgettable." He had died in 1965. Furthermore, Lennon was not included the last time the Fab Four were nominated, 28 years ago, for Best Pop Performance and Best Music Video, short-form, both for "Free as a Bird," and Best Music Video, long-form for The Beatles Anthology. McCartney co-produced "Now and Then" with Giles Martin, the son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin. Both McCartney and Giles Martin are nominated for Record of the Year as producers of the single, as are eight engineer/mixers and a mastering engineer -- but not John and George. If "Now and Then" wins Record of the Year, McCartney will complete his sweep of the Big Four awards, though it will have taken him longer to do so than any other act in Grammy history. He won Best New Artist in 1965 (with The Beatles), Song of the Year in 1967 for "Michelle" (in tandem with Lennon) and album of the year in 1968 for The Beatles' landmark Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The winners of the 68th Grammy Awards are set to be revealed at a ceremony on Feb. 2, 2025 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. - Billboard, 12/31/24...... Former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar has labeled VH drummer Alex Van Halen's oversight of the "Van Hagar" era in his recent memoir Brothers as "blasphemy." Hagar, who fronted VH from 1985 to 1996, and again from 2003 to 2005, criticized Alex for effectively stopping the VH story after the departure of vocalist David Lee Roth, and overlooking not only Hagar's time as vocalist, but the temporary lineup featuring Gary Cherone, and their ultimate reunion with Roth. Sharing a photo of himself and guitarist Eddie Van Halen from 1991 on Instagram, Hagar began responding to comments on the post, including one who opined that "most purists believe VH ended with DLR." "It could have [ended], my friend, but instead we went on to sell over 50 million records for [a] No. 1 album [then] sold out every building and stadium in the world for a whole decade," Hagar responded. "That never happened again." VH experienced some of their biggest successes with their album 1984, which featured the No. 1 single "Jump," and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and become their highest charting release of the Roth era. The follow-up, 1986's 5150, was their first released with Hagar on vocals, and was the first of four consecutive No. 1 albums released with Hagar at the helm. Continuing his response, Hagar contended that Alex was doing both the band and his late brother a disservice by leaving the era out of the memoir. "Alex is not doing his brother's musical legacy justice by not acknowledging all the No. 1 albums and some great music Eddie and I wrote together -- not Alex -- but Eddie and I wrote together," Hagar continued. "To not acknowledge [those] 10 years of music is blasphemy to his brother's musicianship, songwriting and legacy." However, Hagar recently told Rolling Stone that he still hopes that he and his former bandmate are able to make peace at some point. "I understand he probably couldn't have done the whole era in one book. It would've been the Bible, the dictionary, so maybe he's got plans for a Volume 2. Who knows?" said Hagar. "I want to be friends, though. I don't want to play in a band with Al. I'm not asking for that. I can see that he's not capable of doing that. If he was, I'd be happy to play with him, but it's not what I'm looking for. I just want to friends again." - Billboard, 12/31/24...... Elvis Presley's The Classic Christmas Album has topped Billboard Top Rock Albums for the first time, rising two places to No. 1 on the Jan. 4, 2025-dated survey. In the week ending Dec. 26, the set earned 40,000 equivalent album units, a jump of 59%, according to Luminate. The Classic Christmas Album was released in 2012 and features 17 holiday-themed hits from Presley's catalog, including "Blue Christmas" and "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)." "Blue Christmas" was the album's top performer in streaming last week. It ranks at No. 2 on Rock Steaming Songs with 27.1 million official U.S. streams (up 61%). "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" also appears on the tally, at No. 11 (8.1 million, up 43%). The collection, which previously reached a No. 2 best on Top Rock Albums over the 2020 holiday season, is Presley's second No. 1 on the chart, which began in 2006, after Elvis Presley Forever led for a week in 2015. That album accompanied a "forever" postage stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service that year. "Blue Christmas" was the set's top radio track, with 9 million in audience (up 33%). Meanwhile, Elton John has scored his 60th Billboard Top 40 hit with his 2021 collaboration with Ed Sheeran, "Merry Christmas." The holiday song rose four places to No. 38, marking its first week in the chart's top 40 -- and John's milestone 60th top 40 hit and Sheeran's likewise landmark 25th. The collab, which Sheeran and John co-wrote, was released in 2021 and first peaked at No. 42 a year later. Presley is currently at No. 4 on the list of artists with the most Top 100 hits, behind Drake, Taylor Swift and Lil Wayne, while John is tied with Beyoncé in ninth place with 60 each. - Billboard, 12/31/24...... The Doobie Brothers shared details of a new album in 2025 in a Facebook post on Dec. 30. "It's hard to believe another year just shot by like a rocket!" the band wrote in their year-end wrap-up. "We're currently celebrating almost 56 years together as a band. 55 years since we released our very first self titled album The Doobie Brothers. It's been a long winding road since those early days but we're still working together, doing our best to remain creative, and looking forward to bringing our music to you folks out there again next year." They went on to write: "We have 10 new songs sung by Tom [Johnston], Michael [McDonald], and Pat [Simmons]. The three of us wrote songs and collaborated together. We had a lot of fun recording it and we feel very proud of the results. John McFee added his incredible musical talents as well. Once more we turned to the amazing John Shanks who produced, wrote, and played on the tracks with us. Fortunately we're back working with our friends at Warner Brothers/Rhino Records on this release. We'll probably debut a song soon after the first of the year and the full album will follow sometime in the Spring/Summer." The most notable takeaway from the band's update is the return of McDonald on an album of original music. Joining the band ahead of their Takin' It to the Streets LP in 1975, McDonald remained lead vocalist of the band until their 1982, overseeing some of their most popular releases, including 1978's Minute by Minute -- their only album to top the Billboard Hot 200. The last studio album of original material he recorded with the Doobies was 1980's One Step Closer, though he would feature on one song from 2010's World Gone Crazy, and feature on the band's 2014 covers/collaboration album Southbound. While McDonald rejoined the band as a full-time member in 2019, he was ultimately absent from their 2021 album, Liberté. - Billboard, 12/30/24...... Actress Monica Barbaro, who portrays Joan Baez in the new Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, has revealed that Baez was "not fussed" about her portrayal in the film. "I struggled with this feeling of just so much gratitude for everything she's done and for being willing to speak to me and how much I admire her -- I tried to let that get out of the way and just have a conversation, but that's hard," Barbaro said in an interview with the UK paper The Guardian. Barbaro continued, sharing the research she did in preparation for the role: "Having studied her voice so closely -- her speaking voice, every interview in the 60s -- and then hearing Joan's voice now in her 80s, in real time, speaking to me, was an incredibly emotional experience: really cool and kind of mind-blowing." She added that Baez "was really not fussed" about her portrayal in the film. "I think I was more concerned on her behalf than she was for herself. I was sort of saying: you deserve your own biopic! So many biopics with different chapters of your life! And she said: 'I'm just sitting in my back yard watching the birds.' You know: I lived it, I did it." Starring Timothée Chalamet in the main role, A Complete Unknown premiered in US theaters on Christmas Day and will have its UK premiere on Jan. 17. - New Musical Express, 12/30/24...... In related news, the producer of A Complete Unkown has revealed he's attached for a new biopic on Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett and is in talks with "Mama Cass" Elliot's estate for a new film about the late The Mamas and the Papas singer. Peter Jaysen owns the company, Veritas Entertainment, that was involved in securing the rights to Dylan's musical archive and life story for A Complete Unknown. In an appearance on the podcast The Town With Matthew Belloni, he revealed that more big-name projects were in motion. "Due to our involvement with Bob [Dylan] doing A Complete Unknown, we've been fortunate enough that right now we're working on, with Wash Westmoreland, the great writer-director, a Syd Barrett movie, one of the founders of Pink Floyd," he confirmed. "We have had multiple Zooms with the estate of Mama Cass Elliot and met with her daughter, Owen, and are close to acquiring the rights to her book, My Mama Cass." Jaysen didn't mention release dates for either biopic nor give any timelines for their production. Barrett founded Pink Floyd in 1965 as their frontman and principal songwriter before leaving in 1968 over issues with his drug use and mental health. He spent the rest of his life out of the spotlight in Cambridge until he passed away in 2006. Meanwhile, Elliot, better known as Mama Cass, rose to fame as a member of The Mamas and the Papas in the 1960s. She died in 1974 at the age of 32. - NME, 12/27/24...... In a newly released fan capture of former Deep Purple members Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale participating in a Q&A event in Sydney, Australia on Oct. 3, Hughes revealed that his experience attending the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony of his former band Deep Purple was "f--king uncomfortable." "There was no, 'How are you tonight?' None of that," he said of his cold treatment by the other DP inductees -- Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and Ian Paice. "There was no family vibe, there was no hugging, there was no handshaking, there was no, 'How're you doing, pal?' None of that. And it was f--king uncomfortable. Let me tell you, it was uncomfortable." Hughes continued, saying that at the end of the event, he wanted to congratulate Gillan with a hug, but Gillan had put his arm out "'cause he did not want me to get near him." Hughes added that the incident "really upset me to the point of tears." "So I grabbed him and said to him, 'Oh shit.' I can't tell you what I said, but I thought it was very f--king stupid to do it on live TV where you have to show resentment or whatever you wanna call it. I was really upset. It didn't make me angry. It really hurt my feelings. Why did he do that? I don't know." Hughes added: "I've had my fair share of crappy, weird things happen. I wasn't the nicest guy when I was drunk. But to do that to a family member whilst I was thanking and congratulating him on his award He didn't wanna know it, didn't wanna fucking know. That was really rude." In 2024, Deep Purple embarked on their "=1 More Time" tour in support of their latest album =1, which included a performance at Montreux Jazz Festival. - NME, 12/30/24...... Neil Young has dug into his archives again for the latest addition to his "Fireside Sessions," pulling out "Pardon My Heart" for its first performance in over 50 years. The live rendition was shared to his Neil Young Archives website as part of his "Fireside Sessions" series, which in late December resulted in a rare performance of the track "Silver and Gold" on Dec. 25. Now, the second entry in the series has gone even deeper, resulting in an exceedingly-rare version of "Pardon My Heart." Originally released on Neil Young & Crazy Horse's Zuma album in Nov. 1975, the track had only ever been played twice previously, and not at all since its official release. Its debut performance took place at the Bottom Line in New York on May 16, 1974, when Young performed a surprirse set following a Ry Cooder show. Appearing as the penultimate song of the set, Young prefaced its debut by describing it as "a love song I learned recently." "I wrote it too," he added. "This is a love song. It's one of the saddest love songs I've ever heard." Just three months later, the track received its final live appearance when it was performed during Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's reunion tour in New York on Aug. 15. "Pardon My Heart" was penned by Young about the disolution of his relationship with Carrie Snodgress, who also inspired much of his Homegrown album. Despite being recorded throughout 1974 and 1975, Homegrown did not see a release until 2020. Though it currently remains to be seen whether more Fireside Sessions performances will arrive, Young also used his first entry in the series to announce that he would be releasing a new album titled Talking to the Trees, which will be accompanied by a North American and European tour with his new band, the Chrome Hearts. - Billboard, 12/29/24...... The former Morrison Hotel, immortalized by The Doors and their 1970 album of the same name, was significantly damaged by a fire that erupted in downtown Los Angeles on Dec. 26. The four-story building, which has been vacant more than a decade, burned for nearly two hours before more than 100 firefighters brought the flames under control, according to the L.A. Fire Department. The Morrison Hotel was featured on the cover of The Doors' fifth album. Celebrated L.A.-based music photographer Henry Diltz made the image in 1969 and said years later that it took a little trickery to pull it off. A hotel clerk told the band they weren't allowed to take photos inside, but when the clerk stepped away, the group ran into the lobby and Diltz quickly got the photo looking through the window, with legendary frontman Jim Morrison in the middle. "It was a great old wooden building with many small rooms upstairs where transients and drinkers could sleep it off on a cot for $2.50 a night!" Diltz says. "I think the beautiful front window with "Morrison Hotel" in red letters was the best part of it! So did The Doors!" The album was viewed as a comeback to their roots for the band, coming on the heels of Morrison's on-stage arrest at a Miami concert that saw him convicted of indecent exposure and profanity. Los Angeles firefighters who first arrived at the blaze found heavy flames on the building's top floor. Several people who were in the building escaped without injuries, including three people rescued by firefighters from the third floor, according to the department. The building's roof collapsed, leaving its structural integrity in doubt, the department said. The building in recent years had been used as a training site for firefighters. Morrison and The Doors would release one final album, L.A. Woman, before he was found dead in a Paris bathtub on July 3, 1971. - Billboard, 12/28/24...... Marvin Gaye III, the eldest son of legendary singer Marvin Gaye, is being accused of assault, battery, false imprisonment and more in a new lawsuit. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, the accuser, referred to as Jane Doe, claims she was called to Gaye's home in Jan. 2023 to mediate an argument between him and his then-wife Wendy. She states that her intention was to assist in "diffusing the situation," but events "escalated into a series of violent and threatening acts" perpetrated by Gaye including physical assault, verbal threats of death and the retrieval of a firearm. In court documents, the accuser claims that Gaye physically attacked her, pointed a gun at her and Wendy, and threatened to kill them. Gaye is further accused of orchestrating "acts of intimidation," including tampering with her vehicle by cutting the brakes, and arranging for his associates to surveil her home. As a direct result of Gaye's alleged conduct, the woman claims in court paperwork that she has suffered severe emotional distress including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia and weight loss. She is asking the court for an undisclosed amount of damages. Gaye denied the accusations to Us Weekly: "No way did that happen. It's all bullshit. I wouldn't do that. These are false claims." - Music-News.com, 12/31/24...... Legendary BBC Radio 2 broadcaster Johnnie Walker died on New Year's Eve at the age of 79, just two months after drawing his 58-year career to a close. The news was confirmed live on air on the station on Dec. 31 by his friend and colleague Bob Harris, who had taken over Walker's Sounds Of The 70s show after his recent retirement. Walker had the lung condition pulmonary fibrosis and stepped down from his shows, which also included The Rock Show on Radio 2, at the end of October. Walker's wife Tiggy said she "couldn't be more proud" of her husband for "how he kept broadcasting almost to the end and with what dignity and grace he coped with his debilitating lung disease." "He remained his charming, humorous self to the end, what a strong amazing man. It has been a rollercoaster ride from start to finish," she said. "And if I may say -- what a day to go. He'll be celebrating New Year's Eve with a stash of great musicians in heaven. One year on from his last live show. God bless that extraordinary husband of mine who is now in a place of peace." Walker was born on Mar. 30, 1945 and started his radio career in 1966 on pirate station Swinging Radio England before moving to the legendary Radio Caroline. He joined BBC Radio 1 in 1969 and helmed the lunchtime show from 1971, where he promoted emerging artists such as Lou Reed, Steve Harley and Steely Dan. After a stint on US radio, he presented shows on BBC Radio 5 Live and GLR before joining Radio 2 in 1997, where he presented Drive from 1998 to 2006. He had presented Sounds Of The 70s since 2009 and The Rock Show since 2018 before bowing out of both programmes in late October to tend to his poor health. His final words on his final show were: "Walk into the future with our heads held high, and happiness in our hearts." The BBC's director general Tim Davie has paid tribute to Walker, describing him as a "pop radio pioneer and champion of great music," while Radio 2 boss Helen Thomas added: "Everyone at Radio 2 is heartbroken about the passing of Johnnie, a much loved broadcasting legend." The BBC have said that a collection of programmes showcasing Walker's life and career will be available on BBC Sounds shortly. - NME, 12/31/24...... Actress Linda Lavin, star of the long-running CBS sitcom Alice and a Tony winner for Neil Simon's play "Broadway Bound," died on Dec. 29. She was 87. A representative for Ms. Lavin confirmed the actress died unexpectedly due to complications from lung cancer that had been recently discovered. As recently as Dec. 4 Ms. Lavin attended the premiere of Netflix's dark comedy series No Good Deed at the streamer's Tudum Theater in Hollywood. Ms. Lavin established herself as a beloved character actor with her decade-long stint on Alice, the CBS comedy series adapted from Martin Scorsese's 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, with Ellen Burstyn in the title role. The series, which ran from 1976-85, starred Ms. Lavin as Alice Hyatt, a widow with a young son (played by Philip McKeon) who starts life again in Arizona, where she works at Mel's Diner (whose eponymous owner was played by Vic Tayback), alongside fellow waitresses Flo (Polly Holliday) and Vera (Beth Howland). Ms. Lavin was Emmy nominated for her work on the series in 1979, and won the Golden Globe for actress in a comedy or music for Alice in 1979 and 1980 and was nommed again in 1981. Alice was a top-30 show throughout its first eight seasons, finishing the 1979-80 season at No. 4, before finally dropping off in its last season. The series subsequently appeared in syndication. In 2015 she appeared in the comedy The Intern, starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway, and also kept busy with roles on such series as Netflix's No Good Deedand CBS' Elsbeth as well as the CBS comedy 9JKL. Other TV credits include appearances in B Positive, Being the Ricardos, Madame Secretary, Mom, The Good Wife, The Sopranos, Room 104 and more. Though Lavin made appearances on television after Alice, she was actually more of a stage actress and was Tony-nominated six times for roles in "Last of the Red Hot Lovers," "Broadway Bound," "The Diary of Anne Frank," "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife," "Collected Stories" and "The Lyons." Born in Portland, Maine, Ms. Lavin first took the stage at the age of 5. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1959 with a degree in theater. The actress made her Broadway debut in 1962 in the Harold Prince-directed musical comedy "A Family Affair," followed by "The Riot Act" the next year. She made her television debut in a 1963 episode of The Doctors and Nurses and appeared in a 1969 segment of CBS Playhouse called "Sadbird." There were a few TV movies and guest appearances on Rhoda and Harry O before she did a one-season run from 1975-76 on ABC's hit police comedy Barney Miller as Det. Janice Wentworth. After starting Alice in 1976 she continued guested on other shows, including Phyllis and Family. Ms. Lavin was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2011. She was thrice married, the first time to actor Ron Liebman from 1969-81, the second time to actor Kip Niven from 1982-92. She is survived by her third husband, actor-drummer Bakunas. - Variety, 12/30/24...... Jimmy Carter, the Georgia peanut farmer who won the presidency in 1976 in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100. The longest-lived American president, Pres. Carter died more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Ga., where he and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who preceded him in death in Nov. 2023 at age 96, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. "Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia," the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world, Pres. Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation's highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. "My faith demands -- this is not optional -- my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference," he once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon's disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. Pres. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women's rights and America's global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Pres. Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet his electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in Apr. 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn't long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 -- losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox -- and then immediately focused on the next campaign. In 1970, he ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman he mocked as "Cufflinks Carl." Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Mr. Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Mr. Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. A self-declared "born-again Christian," Pres. Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he "had looked on many women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times." The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced -- including NBC's new Saturday Night Live show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. He campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he'd "kick his ass," but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with "make America great again" appeals and asking voters whether they were "better off than you were four years ago." The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his "malaise" speech, although he didn't use that word. He declared the nation was suffering "a crisis of confidence." By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. At 56, Pres. Carter returned to Georgia with "no idea what I would do with the rest of my life," and eventually founded The Carter Center. Among the center's many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee's 2002 Peace Prize cited his "untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. "I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything," hetold the AP in 2021. "But it's turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years." Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. "I'm perfectly at ease with whatever comes," he said in 2015. "I've had a wonderful life. I've had thousands of friends, I've had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence." "When I look at Jimmy Carter, I see a man not only for our times, but for all times," Pres. Joe Biden said in a tribute on X. "A man who embodied the most fundamental human values we can never let slip away. And while we may never see his likes again, we would all do well to try to be a little more like Jimmy Carter." Pres. Biden has declared Jan. 9 a national day of mourning for the late president, who will be honored with a state funeral in Washington, D.C. before being buried in his native Plains, Ga. - AP/Billboard, 12/29/24.