Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

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Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Five of late reggae icon Bob Marley's sons have announced their first joint tour in nearly 20 years for the fall. On Apr. 15, Ziggy, Stephen, Julian, Ky-Mani and Damian Marley announced they'll be teaming up for their first extended run of dates together since 2007. Kicking off Sept. 5, in Vancouver, the 22-city "Marley Brothers: The Legacy Tour" will also hit such major markets as Phoenix, Dallas, Cincinnati, Toronto, Atlanta and Tampa before winding down in Miami on Oct. 5. The brothers say the tour will feature both their individual hits and classic Bob Marley songs. On Apr. 20, an expansion of screenings in US theaters will occur for the recent Bob Marley hit biopic Bob Marley: One Love, and May marks the 40th anniversary of the musician's landmark 1984 greatest hits compilation, Legend. Meanwhile, Bob Marley: One Love debuted on the Paramount+ streaming channel on Apr. 12, with channel subscribers allowed to stream the film at no additional cost. Paramount+ offers a free trial for the first week. - Billboard, 4/15/24...... Billy Joel fans are feeling "closer to the borderline" after the CBS network cut a telecast of his 100th Madison Square Garden Show a few minutes short due to the network's live coverage of the Masters golf tournament on Apr. 14. The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden special was announced during this year's Super Bowl and taped on Mar. 28 during the Piano Man's 100th performance at the legendary New York city venue. The show was slated to run from 9-11 p.m. on CBS but unfortunately, the network's live coverage of the Masters tournament pushed back the start of the Joel concert's airing, which meant that the climactic ending of the show was cut off for many viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones to throw to the local news. To make matters worse, according to posts from livid viewers, the screen went black at the worst possible time, near the celebratory ending of Joel's signature sing-along ballad, 1973's "Piano Man." "#BillyJoel #MSG #100 concert not only starts a half hour late, but then you cut off the last 3-4 minutes for local news to start at 1130?," read one rage-filled tweet that opened with a not polite, four-letter salutation to the Tiffany network. "Are you serious. Absolutely pathetic decision making, on an event that's been advertised for MONTHS, and you f--k it up." The abrupt cut-away from the broadcast had some X users comparing to the infamous moment in 1968 when NBC jumped from a nail-biter New York Jets/Oakland Raiders football game to switch to children's movie Heidi. A spokesperson for CBS apologized for what was described as a "network programming error" and added "due to the overwhelming demand from his legion of fans, [the concert] will be rebroadcast in its entirety on CBS on April 19th at 9:00PM ET/PT." - Billboard, 4/15/24...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, former Hall & Oates member John Oates shot down a H&O reunion, saying he has "moved on." When asked if "an official end date should be added to the career of one of the most successful pop duos of all time?", Oates responded: "You can ask Daryl [Hall] the same question. But, yes. As far as I'm concerned, I've moved on. I feel like I have a new lease on my creative life." Oates's comments come after Hall said he was suing Oates after claiming that he was left "blindsided" by his plan to sell a business stake in Nov. 2023 -- while the latter described the claims as "inaccurate." Although he is not open to a reunion, Oates said he would be open to repairing their friendship in the future: "I'm always open for that. Daryl Hall is an amazing individual. He is one of the great, great songwriters of all time, and without a doubt, one of the great singers of all time. I would never say anything negative about him. But we have a different strategy for our lives, and we have a different strategy for our business lives as well as our personal lives. And that's that, so be it. We're old guys. We deserve to be allowed to do whatever we want to do." When asked if the duo will ever get back together, he continued: "I have no idea. But I don't see it. I really don't. Life is funny though. You never know what kind of curve it will throw you." - NME, 4/13/24...... Classic rockers Blue Öyster Cult have revamped 40-year-old recordings for their latest album, Ghost Stories. Released on Apr. 12 via Frontiers Music srl, Ghost Stories comprises a dozen songs originally recorded between 1978-1983 (with one from 2016), mostly featuring the original lineup. Initially co-produced by golden age BOC audio engineer George Geranios, the versions on the album were spruced up, and in some cases added to, by band member Richie Castellano and BOC manager Steve Schenck, with remaining co-founders Eric Bloom and Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser participating and brothers Albert and Joe Bouchard returning for some overdubs. "We were casting around for what we might want to do," Roeser says, "and we had all these archival recordings from back in the day with the original members. Rather than just put it out as a rarities record we went back to those tapes. There were some multi-track tapes and some stereo tapes, and we used modern tools to sort of deconstruct the elements and then process them as if they were contemporary recordings. So the sonics of the LP are pretty modern-sounding. Of course I remember the songs from the day, but they sound like new tracks to me. It's almost eerie to me to hear the Bouchard brothers back in the band and Allen Lanier still alive." Roeser says the songs on Ghost Stories "were all contenders" for BOC's albums during that time -- including Mirrors, Cultsaurus Erectus, Fire of Unknown Origin and The Revolution By Night -- but that "for one reason or another, they didn't make the cut. There's probably a different reason for each one, y'know?" The guitarist purports to have "no opinion" on the original songs, but Castellano lists a few "Holy Grail" finds -- including Bloom's vocal on "Don't Come Running to Me," the late Lanier's piano that kicks off "Shot in the Dark" and Roeser's solo on a cover of the MC5's "Kick Out the Jams." Blue Öyster Cult -- which also includes bassist Danny Miranda and drummer Jules Radino -- continues to perform sporadically and has several shows set for summer, including a June 7 appearance at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook, NY. Roeser, meanwhile, has been working on a new solo track called "The End of Every Song" that he plans to release this year, but he's circumspect about the possibility of fresh music from BOC. "I have the thought, to be honest," he says. "At this point in our career I don't think we have anything we have to do. We don't have anything to prove. So there's no reason to just put stuff out for its own sake. But if we have something that's significant and if it's good, it can come out. But it has to hold up with what we've already doneand that's a pretty high bar." - Billboard, 4/12/24...... In a new interview with Stereogum.com, Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott laughs off claims his band uses backing tracks at gigs. Elliott says he isn't fazed by the musicians who made the claims because it shows that they think their performances are too good to be true. "I don't normally comment on this kind of stuff, but a friend of mine just sent me some link to something on YouTube, a recent posting by, forgive me, I don't know his name, Chuck something from Testament [singer Chuck Billy], I think it is, and [ex-W.A.S.P. guitarist] Chris Holmes accusing us of using backing tracks. I don't get angry at this. I'm flattered because their standards must be very different to ours. For anybody that thinks we use backing tracks, it must mean that when they hear us, they can't believe how good it is for real." Elliott continued: "We don't use backing tracks. We use effects. God, who wouldn't? When there's four people singing, we use effects. There's no tapes of backing vocals." Elliott admitted the band does have some tricks they use, such as a triggered loop for the drums and keyboards, but he insists everything is played live and he's never mimed. He explained: "We use keyboards. We use a few drum loops because, in fairness, two-armed drummers use drum loops, but Rick Allen, to play a song like 'Rocket', it's a cacophony of toms that one arm couldn't play. So yeah, we use a triggered loop, which is part of his drum kit, but [U2 drummer] Larry Mullen's been doing that for years. So have thousands of other drummers to enhance a sound. But backing tracks or playing along to a backing track -- we've never done that, never. We've never mimed to the vocals, or we've never had multiples of stuff on tape. It's literally live." In fact, the 64-year-old rocker admits their high-octane performances often take a "toll" on them. He went on: "If we're running at about 90 per cent [live], it's more than most people's 100 per cent. Because we do play and sing, it does take a toll." - Music-News.com, 4/13/24...... A Paul McCartney and The Eagles jam happened during a tribute concert for the late Jimmy Buffett at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl on Apr. 11. The concert, titled "Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett," also included performances from the likes of Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile, Zac Brown, Jon Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Jackson Browne, Brandi Carlile and Buffett's own Coral Reefer Band. Introduced to the stage by his pal, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, McCartney spoke about his relationship with Buffett. "I had the great pleasure of knowing Jimmy, and like everyone else on the bill tonight has said, this is one great man," he said. "He was generous, he was funny, he'd done just about everything in his life. I was on holiday with him and I forgot to bring my guitar, so he had his own guitar strung left-handed for me. And then the next time I saw him he'd had one custom made left-handed for me." Sir Paul then took to a grand piano and performed the Beatles classic "Let It Be," backed by The Eagles. Footage of the performance has been shared on YouTube. A posthumous Buffett album, Equal Strain On All Parts, that the musician had been working on before his death was released in November, and featured the McCartney collaboration "My Gummie Just Kicked In." In a social media tribute to Buffett following his death, McCartney announced his involvement in the album, writing: "I was very happy to have played on one of his latest songs called 'My Gummie Just Kicked In'. We had a real fun session and he played me some of his new songs." Buffett, known for his tropical rock sound, died at the age of 76 in Sept. 2023 after a four-year battle with skin cancer. - NME, 4/13/24...... In other Beatles-related news, John Lennon's eldest son Julian Lennon has listed his dream French Riviera property for sale. The four-story, five-bedroom home comes with a guide price of $27.6 million (£22 million). Described as a "classic" and a "passion project," the captivating, white-shuttered 18th-century house features a music studio, cinema room, its own chapel, and a Venetian mosaic floor. Musician, photographer and philanthropist Lennon -- the only child of John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia -- has owned the house for the past 25 years. The grounds feature a swimming pool and pool house and a terrace with views across the Mediterranean Sea. - Music-News.com, 4/13/24...... Appearing on ABC's late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Apr. 10, Jon Bon Jovi said although he didn't get a chance to party with Michael Jackson during the two musicians' heyday in the 1980s, he did get to hang out with the next best thing: the King of Pop's beloved pet chimpanzee, Bubbles. Bon Jovi recalled the time he met Jackson in the middle of Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" tour, and he invited the late pop icon to a party with them that night, but things didn't go quite as planned. "He didn't come," Bon Jovi told host Jimmy Kimmel, laughing. "But he sends Bubbles the Chimp as his representative. That was big. Bubbles comes down and wreaks havoc. Bubbles partied like a rock star." To the 62-year-old Bon Jovi's memory, Bubbles spent much of the evening "jumping on the bed, putting on a show." "I don't remember who brought him down, or if he just came down on his own with a cigar... Bubbles showed up, man -- he hung hard. Hotel management threatened to throw us out." Bon Jovi's new interview comes a few weeks ahead of the Apr. 26 release of the documentary Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story on Hulu. The band's 16th studio album, Forever, will arrive just over a month later on June 7. - Billboard, 4/11/24...... Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson has recorded a posthumous duet with the late Glen Campbell, on a version of the latter's song "Strong," which appeared on the latter's 2011 album Ghost on the Canvas. Campbell, known for hits including "Wichita Lineman" and "Rhinestone Cowboy," died in 2017 at the age of 81 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, and toured with the Beach Boys for a short time in the 1960s. Campbell addressed the disease in the original version of "Strong," singing "As I look into these eyes I've known for all these years / I see for the first time in my life fear." On this new version, which can be heard on YouTube, Wilson adds his signature golden harmonies, while also echoing Campbell's longing verses. Speaking about the collaboration, and referencing a song he wrote for Campbell in the 1960s, Wilson has said: "Glen was a great singer and a great guy. Our intention in doing 'Strong' was to echo back to 'Guess I'm Dumb' and the times that Glen and I worked together. It's kinda got that vibe to it and I dig the sound of it." The song takes on added poignancy in the light of the news in February that Wilson himself has been diagnosed with dementia. Glen Campbell Duets - Ghost on the Canvas Sessions drops on Apr. 19, and a long-lost country music themed album from Wilson, Cows in the Pasture, has finally been scheduled for a release sometime in 2025. - New Musical Express, 4/14/24...... Original AC/DC frontman Dave Evans has claimed that he was the legendary Aussie headbangers' "best" singer in a new interview with Jos Luis Mata Sanchez's YouTube podcast. Evans, who co-founded AC/DC in 1973 alongside brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, drummer Colin Burgess and bassist Larry Van Kriedt, provided lead vocals on AC/DC's first official single 'Can I Sit Next To You, Girl' and it's B-side 'Rocking in the Parlour'. In 1974, Evans was replaced by Bon Scott, who sang lead vocals until his untimely death in 1980. The late singer was then replaced by Brian Johnson, who has fronted the band ever since. Asked by Sanchez who the best AC/DC singer was, Evans said: "Well, first, Dave Evans is the best, of course. That's me, okay? Of course. And most of my fans will tell you exactly that, too," and added that his fans called him "maestro." He also explained that the comparison between Scott and Johnson shouldn't happen as the two singers have such different vocal styles. "If you're an AC/DC fan, you must embrace the whole band, because first of all, there was the five founding members, and I'm one of 'em," he said. "And if you're biased against one or the other, then you're not really an AC/DC fan. If you're a Bon Scott AC/DC fan or a Brian Johnson AC/DC fan, you're a fan of part of the band." - NME, 4/8/24...... O.J. Simpson, the legendary college and NFL running back, Hollywood actor, broadcaster and pitchman who was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her acquaintance in 1994, resulting in the televised "trial of the century," died on Apr. 11 of prostrate cancer. He was 76. Born Orenthal James Simpson on July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, Simpson would become one the greatest football players ever, winning a Heisman Trophy and national championship at USC and leading the nation in rushing during his two seasons in 1967 and 68. He also was an All-American both years and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. His amiable personality and good looks made "The Juice" a natural for show business. He guested on late-60s TV series including Dragnet, It Takes a Thief, Medical Center and Ironside and went on to star in commercials for Chevrolet and Hertz -- famously running through airports and leaping over benches for the latter -- before becoming a broadcaster. He was a commentator for ABCs juggernaut Monday Night Football from 1983-85. Simpson continued to guest on popular TV shows into the 1970s before co-starring in the 1974 disaster epic The Towering Inferno opposite such huge screen icons as Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. He went on to appear in an episode of Roots and several films through the 70s, culminating in a star turn as an astronaut in the 1979 movie Capricorn One, which depicted a faked mission to Mars. His most famous screen role came in 1988 when he was cast opposite Leslie Nielsen in the comedy gem The Naked Gun. Simpson was accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman outside her condo in West L.A.'s Brentwood area on June 12, 1994. That led to the infamous televised slow-speed pursuit that captivated the nation and much of the world five days after the killings. Coming just 21/2 years after the Rodney King riots, Simpson's televised trial mesmerized the country, with its overtones of race, celebrity, wealth, spousal abuse and brutal violence. It became a cultural touchstone of the 1990s that ruminates today. Later in 1996, the families of victims Brown Simpson and Goldman filed a wrongful-death civil suit again Simpson. After a seven-week trial, the jury found Simpson liable and awarded the plaintiffs $33.5 million in damages, however the families would fail to recover most of that judgment. All the time, Simpson proclaimed that he was searching for and would hunt down the "real killer or killers." Simpson's family issued a statement saying Simpson was "surrounded by his children and grandchildren" when he passed and asked the public to "please respect their wishes for privacy and grace." - Deadline.com, 4/11/24...... Longtime PBS newscast host Robert MacNeil died on Apr. 12 of natural causes at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He was 93. The veteran newsman co-founded and co-hosted the long-running PBS NewsHour and The MacNeil/Lehrer Report with the late Jim Lehrer, with the two solidifying their partnership in 1975 with the 30-minute PBS news program that soon would bear their names. Lehrer died in 2020 at age 85. Unlike other newscasts, The MacNeil/Lehrer Report focused on one story per day, taking a deeper dive beyond the headlines. Their approach and execution would earn them considerable accolades, including News Emmys and a Peabody Award. It was the predecessor to what is now the PBS NewsHour. Born on Jan. 19, 1931, in Montreal and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mr. MacNeil had a brief acting career for the CBC, then he moved to London to become a playwright. While there, he signed on to the new network ITV as a reporter. From there, he landed a job as an editor at Reuters. He joined NBC News in 1960, working as a London-based correspondent. In 1963, he was transferred to the network's Washington bureau, where he covered the Civil Rights Movement and the White House, among other beats. Within five years he was co-anchoring a 30-minute weekend news broadcast with Ray Scherer. After his work at NBC and, briefly, the BBC, he joined PBS in 1971 as a correspondent. Two years later, his national profile increased considerably with the award-winning coverage of the Watergate hearings. After retiring in 1995 from the nightly news program, Mr. MacNeil periodically would return to PBS, most notably hosting the 2007 PBS docuseries America at a Crossroads. He is survived by sons Ian MacNeil, a Tony Award-winning "Billy Elliot: The Musical" theatrical set designer, and Will MacNeil; daughters Cathy MacNeil and Alison MacNeil; and five grandchildren. - Deadline.com, 4/12/24.

Thursday, April 11, 2024

As eclipse-mania engulfed North America on Apr. 8 during a rare total eclipse of the sun, sun-and-moon-themed songs by a diverse group of musicians including '70s artists Pink Floyd, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bill Withers and the Beatles have seen streaming spikes. Pink Floyd's "Eclipse" was up a whopping 1472% to 541,000 streams, CCR's "Bad Moon Rising" jumped 48% to 559,000, the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" rose 58% to 656,000, and Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" was up 87% to 772,000. But the mother of all eclipse jams -- as during the 2017 US eclipse -- proved once again to be Bonnie Tyler's 1983 No. 1 smash "Total Eclipse of the Heart," which was not only up 652% to nearly 1.3 million streams on Apr. 8, but also sold nearly 4,000 digital copies on the day, an increase of 3,992%. Seattle's Heart were in New York to perform Tyler's hit on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.. The performance was captured from the rooftop at 30 Rockefeller Center when the eclipse was closest to NYC at 3:25 PM EDT. Host Jimmy Fallon, flanked by the Wilson sisters, wore the appropriate shades and a throwback public school uniform from the official music video for "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and their performance can be viewed on YouTube. The eclipse wasn't the only freak natural phenomenon that boosted streams -- plenty of Northeasterners were affected by the 4.8 magnitude earthquake on Apr. 5, causing them to process their feelings via streams of Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move" (up 25% from the previous Friday to 65,000), and R.E.M.'s end-times classic "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" (up 66% to 100,000). - Billboard, 4/10/24...... Rush fans are now able to discover the origins of the famous Canadian rock band in a fun way with Orbit: Rush, a new vibrant, graphic novel-style comic book written by Todd Matthy with illustrations by Noumier Tawilah. Released on Apr. 10 and already No. 1 on the Amazon.com biography/history graphic novels list, Orbit: Rush's 26 pages allows fans to go back to the beginning when the rockers initially started the band and see their rise to fame through an interactive book that'll leave fans with a deeper understanding of just how the group -- and their iconic songs -- were created. Matthy has previously authored graphic novels on the likes of Foo Fighters and Black Sabbath, and will release another on about Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath in July. - Billboard, 4/10/24...... On Apr. 10 Aerosmith took to Instagram to unveil a slew of new rescheduled dates for the fall and winter of 2024. After taking an unexpected break from the "Peace Out" farewell tour due to frontman Steven Tyler's vocal cord injury in 2023, the Boston-based rockers will reunite on Sept. 20 in Pittsburgh, Penn., after which they'll travel through cities across the US and Canada before wrapping with a Feb. 26 show in Buffalo, N.Y. "All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled shows -- you'll receive more info via email," reads the announcement. "Tickets for the rescheduled dates & newly added shows go on sale Fri 4/12 @ 10AM local at aerosmith.com." The news comes more than six months after the band announced that the remainder of the previously scheduled "Peace Out" shows were to be postponed indefinitely due to Tyler's injury, which the band had discovered was "more serious than initially thought." Joining Aerosmith on select dates of the updated trek will be The Black Crowes and Teddy Swims. - Billboard, 4/10/24...... A new book featuring unreleased interviews with The Beatles, All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words, is currently at the top of Amazon.com's bestsellers charts, where it sat for many weeks before being released. Written by longtime Beatles biographers Peter Brown and Steven Gaines, All You Need Is Love was officially released on Apr. 9. Beatles fans can expect to learn more previously unknown details about the band's history as well as why they broke up, hearing from each band member's point of view as well as from their closest confidants, such as Yoko Ono, their families, friends and business associates. Juicy tidbits include a claim that Ono once instructed her husband John Lennon on how to take heroin, and a Mick Jagger encounter with Lennon that made the Rolling Stones frontman feel "uncomfortable." Brown and Gaines previously collaborated together back in 1983 when they co-authored the bestselling book The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles, which detailed the rise of the band and their oftentimes complicated relationships with one another. - Billboard, 4/9/24...... Elton John's longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin is set to share his tales of collaborating with the Rocket man at a charity event called "The Other Songs Live," set for May 20 at the London Palladium. "The Other Songs Live celebrates the most distinguished songwriters, offering audiences an intimate, 'backstage' experience -- the event is a combination of performances, interviews, and storytelling throughout the evening," according to a press release. Money raised on the night, which will also feature Tom Odell, Gabriels, Celeste, KAMILLE and many more, will go to The BRIT School, The Ivors Academy Trust, and Nordoff and Robbins. This year's Ivors nominees will be announced on April 23, with the winners set to be revealed at The Ivors with Amazon Music at Grosvenor House in London on May 23, and tickets are available now via TheOtherSongs.com. - Music-News.com, 4/10/24...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr is set to share "February Sky," the first single from his forthcoming EP, Crooked Boy, on Apr. 12. Ringo penned the song -- along with the EP's other three tracks -- with renowned songwriter and producer Linda Perry, who has worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Pink and Adele. The other songs are: "Gonna Need Someone," "Adeline" and the title track. "Linda made me a great EP -- she produced it in her studio and then sent me the tracks and I added the drumming and my vocals," Starr said, adding "February Sky is great -- very moody -- but since Linda wrote these specifically for me -- it of course has to have a positive peace and love element." The EP -- Ringo's fourth consecutive in a row -- will be released on a limited-edition marble vinyl on Record Store Day, Apr. 20, 2024. The following Friday, Apr. 26, it will be released digitally. Black vinyl and CD versions will hit stores on May 31. Meanwhile, Ringo and his All Starr Band are hitting the road this spring for 12 shows, beginning May 23 with six dates at the Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas through June 2, then a June 9 date at Hildago's State Farm Arena. Meanwhile, Ringo's son Zak Starkey has teased a new star-studded charity album with his dad alongside the likes of Elton John, Slash and Iggy Pop. Zak, who is currently the drummer for The Who, shared the details in a post on Instagram earlier in April, writing "Duff [McKagan] and I went in a local studio and cut bass for a cover of T-Rex's 'Children Of The Revolution'. My dad played drums in LA (while I fudged the bass) then in Rio, Duff cut bass. A couple of weeks after the tour we cut guitars in NYC with Slash -- sent the track with sshh guide vocal to Elton who played amazing piano." He went on to reveal that the track was currently being mixed, saying the final record would be auctioned off for the Teenage Cancer Trust -- of which The Who's Roger Daltrey is an Honorary Patron. In other Beatles-related news, a Beatles memorabilia collection worth up to $3,000,000 is currently up for auction on the website GottaHaveRockandRoll.com Some highlights include the quartet's signed artwork of "Peace to Monterey" with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club'' handwritten lyrics, which is estimated to be worth $2 million. The auction features two sessions, on Apr. 12 and Apr. 13. - Music-News.com, 4/10/24...... Bruce Springsteen invited his old pal Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave), onstage at his Apr. 7 concert at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles to jam on "American Skin (41 Shots)" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad." Besides marking the first time these songs were performed during the 2024 tour, April 7 was also the first time that they have been played live since 2017 and 2016, respectively. Springsteen and his E Street Band kicked off the night with "Open All Night," which marked the first time the track was performed on this current tour, as well as the first time it's been played live since 2014. During the same show, he also performed "Sherry Darling" for the first time during the current tour. Meanwhile, the long rumored Springsteen biopic has now been made official -- 20th Century Studios and Disney announced on Apr. 8 that they will produce and distribute the upcoming Springsteen biopic, Deliver Me From Nowhere, which chronicles the making of the rocker's 1982 album, Nebraska. The Bear star Jeremy Allen White is reportedly in talks to portray the Boss in the film. The biopic is based on Warren Zanes' 2023 book, Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, and will feature involvement from Springsteen himself as well as his manager Jon Landau. Per a press release, Scott Cooper will direct the film, while Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Eric Robinson will produce alongside Cooper, Zanes and Scott Stuber. Shooting on the film is set to begin in the fall. - NME/Billboard, 4/9/24...... Speaking of rock biopics, the recent Bob Marley movie One Love has just passed the 2019 Elton John biopic Rocketman to become the fifth highest-grossing music biopic of all time. One Love, starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as reggae legend Marley, grossed $607,000 in its eighth week at the box office, allowing it to jump ahead of Rocketman on the all-time list, according to boxofficemojo.com. One Love's domestic gross so far is $96.6 million, with Rocketman racking up $96.4 million in ticket sales during its run in 2019. Ahead of One Love on the all-time list are Bohemian Rhapsody ($216.4 million), Straight OUtta Compton ($161.2 million), Elvis ($151 million), and Walk the Line ($119.5 million). - Billboard, 4/8/24...... The English rock band The Libertines have revealed that they've bought the Paris bathtub that late The Doors frontman Jim Morrison died in for their Margate, England hotel, The Albion Rooms. During a new interview with Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music 1, The Libertines' Pete Doherty and Carl Bart talked about achieving their "dream" of opening their own Libertines hotel and studio space in 2020. "We've also got the bathtub that Jim Morrison died in, which we're going to be putting in one of the rooms," Doherty explained at one point in the chat. Morrison, aged 27, was found dead in the bathtub of the Paris apartment he was renting in 1971, with the official cause of death being ruled as heart failure. Due to French law, however, no autopsy was carried out as no foul play was suspected at the time. Doherty continued: "There's a fellow who my wife's cousin knows, and his cousin was basically the landlord. And he's not interested in music, and even less interested in music mythology, and so he's just been going on about this bathtub which people have been trying to buy off him. He doesn't want it. He thinks it's morbid to make money off it. So I said, 'Well, we'll take it for the hotel'." The Libertines released their fourth album, All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, on Apr. 5, marking their first full-length record in almost a decade. It is currently on course to hit No. 1 in the UK. - NME, 4/9/24...... ABBA released a new statement on Apr. 6 marking the historic 50th anniversary of their Eurovision song contest win with their 1974 hit "Waterloo." "It's slightly dizzying and deeply humbling to think that millions of you who saw us for the first time in the Eurovision final 1974 have passed our music on not only to one generation, but to several," the band wrote. "We see evidence of that every time one of us visits ABBA Voyage in London and it's because of this we can celebrate the 50th Anniversary of that event in the knowledge that our songs still resonate around the world," they added. To further mark the occasion, ABBA's Benny Andersson has recorded a short piano piece called the "Piano Moment" that will be experienced as if he were at the competition and playing live. In London, Berlin, Warsaw, and Stockholm, several different renditions of the piano piece will be linked together simultaneously to play the piece every hour on the anniversary. In England, the piano will be placed at Waterloo Station railway in London -- also named after the 1815 battle that dealt defeat to the French leader Napoleon -- where a choir belted out a rendition for commuters on Apr. 6. In the English coastal town of Brighton the same day, where the 1974 competition was held, fans were staging a flashmob dance and silent ABBA disco to mark the anniversary. ABBA's Eurovision victory turned the quartet into a pop juggernaut, by far the most successful band to win the pan-continental music contest, which will hold its 68th edition in May in ABBA's home country, Sweden. The Eurovision final will take place May 11 in Malm, after Swedish singer Loreen won the 2023 competition with "Tattoo." The band have also released of a 50th-anniversary reissue of their iconic album Waterloo in celebration of the milestone. It was also recently reported the Swedish icons are set to take their acclaimed Voyage hologram show to Las Vegas to the tune of millions of dollars. - NME, 4/6/24...... Cher's son Elijah Blue Allman is fighting back in his conservatorship battle with his famous mother. Elijah Blue filed an objection to Cher's request for a temporary conservatorship, according to court documents obtained by People magazine on Apr. 9. "My mother's petition raises dual concerns that I suffer from some mental illness and that I live hand-to-mouth using my trust distributions to buy drugs and place myself in mortal danger," Allman said in the filing. "As I have mentioned in previous pleadings, I have struggled with addiction, but I am not mentally ill." He admitted that he has been inclined to engage in self-destructive behaviours, but states he wants to solve his own problems. "The only person who can save me from my demons is me," he insisted, "and I'm doing just that." He further argued that he has taken steps by retaining counsel and an accounting firm to assist him in managing his finances. He is the son of Cher and her second husband, musician Gregg Allman. - Music-News.com, 4/9/24...... The Isley Brothers' master guitarist and vocalist Ernie Isley was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Guitar Center Music Foundation on Apr. 4 during the foundation's second annual benefit concert and fundraiser at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. "It's such an honor to be a part of this because Ernie's influence has been truly unrecognized for a long time," said award presenter and fellow guitarist-songwriter Vernon Reid, founder of the rock band Living Colour. He added in part, "It's so long overdue that it's ridiculous. So this is a measure of justice as well. As a kid, I used to get guitar magazines and I'd see Duane Allman on a cover. I'd see Dicky Betts on a cover. Or I'd see Rory Gallagher, who I love, on a cover. But the one person I didn't see on those magazines was the person who had the most influence on me. And that's Mr. Ernie Isley." Video tributes from a host of artists and musicians also were presented, among them: Nile Rodgers, Chaka Khan, Narada Michael Walden, Sheryl Crow and Carlos Santana. Referencing his Isley Brothers siblings -- O'Kelly Jr., Rudolph, Ronald, Vernon and Marvin Isley -- Ernie remarked in part as he accepted the award, "We've been blessed with longevity and the music. This is a highly distinguished honor and privilege. I really don't have the words to describe it. Just thanks." Proceeds from The Guitar Center Music Foundation's annual fundraiser go toward music education and music therapy. - Billboard, 4/6/24...... Veteran Australian concert promoter Garry Van Egmond, who produced blockbuster tours for AC/DC, Dire Straits and many others, died on Apr. 6 following complications of recent surgery. He was 82. Based in Melbourne, Mr. Van Egmond was AC/DC's promoter of choice for touring Australia and New Zealand, and, in 1986, he helmed Dire Straits' record-smashing Brothers In Arms tour, a juggernaut that shifted more than 900,000 tickets when Australia's population was just 14 million. More than 250,000 tickets for that Dire Straits tour were sold in Sydney alone. With over 50 years' experience in live events, Mr. Van Egmond sold upwards of 35 million tickets across Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Mr. Van Egmond also produced AC/DC tours dating back to 1985, including the 2010 Black Ice trek, which shifted more than 600,000 tickets across 11 Australian dates (and 760,000 tickets across Australia and New Zealand). The rock legends' "Rock or Bust" Australasia leg in 2015 sold in excess of 460,000 tickets across nine stadium dates in seven cities (five in Australia, two in New Zealand). He is survived by his daughter Katie, son Christo and grandchildren Hugo and Saskia. - Billboard, 4/7/24...... Joe Flaherty, a writer and performer on the influential and beloved sketch comedy series SCTV and a series regular on the retro TV series Freaks and Geeks, died on Apr. 1 following a brief illness. He was 82. "After a brief illness, he left us yesterday, and since then, I've been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss," Mr. Flaherty's daughter Gudrun Flaherty said in a statement. "Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the '40s and '50s.... In these last few months, as he faced his health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many of those classic movies together -- moments I will forever hold dear." Born Joseph O'Flaherty in Pittsburgh on June 21, 1941 -- he eventually dropped the O' because the name was already taken by another Actors' Equity Association member -- he began his comedy career at The Second City in Chicago, and appeared on the National Lampoon Radio Hour from 1973-74. He moved to Toronto to help launch a Second City troupe there, and in 1976 became a founding cast member of the Canadian sketch comedy series SCTV that would feature some of the most influential comedians of the era, including himself, John Candy, Harold Ramis, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas. Among Mr. Flaherty's were popular characters were fictional TV station owner-manager Guy Caballero; Sammy Maudlin, a fawning talk show host inspired more than a little by Sammy Davis Jr.; and the station's horror movie host Count Floyd, whose Monster Chiller Horror Theater featured movies so bad -- and frequently very non-horror -- that the host would be forced to unconvincingly stammer, "Oooh, that's scary, kids"; and Big Jim McBob, whose Farm Film Report (with Candy) was a sort of Siskel & Ebert for fans of movie explosions. The segment made a catchphrase of "that blowed up real good." After SCTV stopped production in 1984, Mr. Flaherty appeared in such films as Johnny Dangerously, Innerspace, Who's Harry Crumb, Back To The Future Part II, Stuart Saves His Family and Happy Gilmore. But he would find his second signature role as an alternately angry and befuddled dad in 1999 on the short-lived cult favorite Freaks and Geeks, the Paul Feig-Judd Apatow coming-of-age drama about high school students in 1980s Detroit. Like SCTV, the series launched the careers of numerous actors, including Linda Cardellini and John Francis Daley (who played Mr. Flaherty's kids), James Franco, Seth Rogan, Jason Segel and Busy Philipps. In March, Mr. Flaherty's former improv group Second City organized a fundraiser to help support the actor during his illness, with his former SCTV co-star Martin Short writing in part: "We are writing to our friends because we believe SCTV meant something to you, and that would not be the case if it were not for Joe Flaherty. He was a mentor, a director, and an inspiring improviser who gave us many of the tools we are still using in the careers he helped kickstart." In addition to his daughter, survivors include son Gabriel and brother (and SCTV writer) Paul Flaherty. - Deadline.com, 4/2/24.

Saturday, April 6, 2024

After Beyoncé featured a cover of the Beatles' 1968 "White Album" track "Blackbird" on her new country-themed album Cowboy Carter, Paul McCartney took to his Instagram page to praise the pop icon's rendition of the song. "I am so happy with @beyonce's version of my song 'Blackbird," Sir Paul wrote in a caption of a carousel comprised of a photo of the two artists and the standard Cowboy Carter artwork. "I think she does a magnificent version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place. I think Beyoncé has done a fab version and would urge anyone who has not heard it yet to check it out. You are going to love it!," he added. Beyoncé's "Blackbird," stylized as "Blackbiird" on her new LP, reimagines the acoustic original with additional bass, orchestral flourishes and lush harmonies (and lead vocals on the final verse) from a quartet of rising female Black country performers, including Tanner Adell, Reyna Roberts, Brittney Spencer and Tiera Kennedy. McCartney -- whose original master recording is used in Beyoncé's version, also revealed that he had the chance to speak with the singer about her take on "Blackbird." "I spoke to her on FaceTime and she thanked me for writing it and letting her do it," wrote Paul, who attended one of Beyoncé's 2023 Renaissance World Tour concerts. "I told her the pleasure [of her cover] was all mine and I thought she had done a killer version of the song. When I saw the footage on the television in the early 60s of the black girls being turned away from school, I found it shocking and I can't believe that still in these days there are places where this kind of thing is happening right now. Anything my song and Beyoncé's fabulous version can do to ease racial tension would be a great thing and makes me very proud." In another Beatles connection, Emmy-winning documentarian Ken Burns recently compared Cowboy Carter to "The White Album," citing both records' extensive exploration of different musical genres. - Billboard, 4/4/24...... When KISS took the stage at the final night of their farewell tour in Dec. 2023 at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden, they ended by revealing digitized avatars of themselves. Now the band announced on Apr. 4 that they've sold the band's publishing, recording royalties and trademarks -- including both the band's logo and its iconic makeup design -- to the Swedish company Pophouse that also backed ABBA's successful avatar-featuring Voyage show in London. The deal will result in a Pophouse-produced KISS virtual show, using some of the same technology as Voyage. "We have a lot of plans for KISS," Pophouse CEO Per Sundin says. Although Sundin says the company bought out the rights owned by frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, the two musicians will work with the company to develop the show, which is expected to open in 2027 in a U.S. city that will be announced at a later date. But don't expect it to look anything like ABBA Voyage, Sundin says. "We want to keep to the legacy. We want to extend it and amplify it for new generations," he says, adding that fans can also expect a KISS biopic and a documentary. Pophouse would not comment on the terms of the deal, which are presumably more complicated than a straightforward purchase of publishing rights, but it is estimated to be worth over $300 million. "We went to see the ABBA show and it blew our socks off," Gene Simmons said as he reacted to the Pophouse deal. "And the technology since then has improved by leaps and bounds. We've seen sketches of what it will look like and we looked like the X-Men," he added. Since KISS concerts were always heavy on spectacle, Simmons adds that a virtual show seems ideal for the band. "Everything is theater. We wanted bombast theater," he added. At this point, KISS may be better known for its concerts than its songs. But the deal includes those, plus recording royalties. Pophouse also has a good relationship with UMG, which owns the band's recordings, since Sundin was previously managing director of Universal Music Sweden and president of Universal Music Nordics. The band's trademarks belonged to Simmons and Stanley, including the makeup designs for their characters: The Demon (Simmons), the Starchild (Stanley), the Spaceman (originally Ace Frehley, more recently Tommy Thayer) and the Catman (originally Peter Criss, more recently Eric Singer). - Billboard/AP, 4/4/24...... The brother of late The Ramones co-founder Joey Ramone is fighting back against a lawsuit filed by late Ramones member Johnny Ramone's widow over a planned Netflix movie about the pioneering punk band, calling the case "baseless and flimsy" and filing his own countersuit against her. Johnny's wife, Linda Cummings-Ramone, sued Joey's brother Mitchel Hyman (better known as Mickey Leigh) in January over allegations that he had "covertly" developed an "unauthorized" biopic, believed to be Netflix's announced movie starring Pete Davidson as Joey. In the lawsuit, Cummings-Ramone said that any "authoritative story of the Ramones" would require her sign-off. But in a sharply worded response filed in March, Leigh's attorneys argued that Cummings-Ramone had, in fact, already greenlit such a movie many years ago -- and that her "baseless" lawsuit was simply one more step in a yearslong plan to "install herself as the Queen of the Ramones." "Ms. Cummings-Ramone's main purpose is to embarrass, harass, and destroy the integrity of Mr. Hyman, create an utterly false narrative about him, rewrite her role in the history of the Ramones, and win a popularity contest in which, in her mind, she takes over & the legacy of a band of which she never was a member and had nothing to do with creatively," Leigh's lawyers wrote in the Mar. 15 filing. Joey (real name: Jeffrey Ross Hyman) and Johnny (real name: John William Cummings) were not actually brothers, and they had a notoriously chilly relationship during their decades as bandmates. In the years since the two died, that feud has seemingly continued between Leigh and Cummings-Ramone. As the executors of Joey's and Johnny's respective estates, Leigh and Cummings-Ramone each own half of Ramones Productions, the holding company that controls the band's music and other assets. But that partnership has not gone smoothly, featuring multiple lawsuits and arbitrations over the past decade. The latest legal scuffle was triggered in part by the plans for a movie version of I Slept With Joey Ramone, Leigh's 2009 memoir, which Netflix announced in Apr. 2021. - Billboard, 4/3/24...... The two most prominent of Michael Jackson's alleged child molestation victims have requested access to nude photos of Jackson that were taken by the police back in 1993, around the same time Jackson was accused by a 13-year-old boy of sexual abuse. In March, Wade Robson, now 41, and James Safechuck, now 46, issued a subpoena requesting access to "photographs of Michael Jackson's genitalia and naked body taken by police" in an attempt to unseal the records. But lawyers for Jackson's estate are fighting back, arguing that the "highly sensitive" and "private" documents had been "sealed by a court-entered protective order from the Santa Barbara Superior Court." The team went on to call the plaintiffs' request "an egregious violation" and "simply beyond the pale." "The photographs Plaintiffs seek were not taken willingly by Mr. Jackson; they were the result of a court-ordered search based on a false statement in what became a discredited criminal investigation," the attorneys wrote. "To allow Plaintiffs to exploit that series of circumstances to their benefit by obtaining those photographs now adds a second defilement to the first," In 2013 and 2014 respectively, Robson and Safechuck accused the King of Pop of sexually abusing them as children. Both men are now suing the deceased singer's companies, arguing they are liable for allowing the alleged abuse to take place. - Music-News.com, 4/4/24...... Cher was honored with the iHeartRadio Icon Award during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at the Dolby Theatre on Apr. 1, 2024 in Los Angeles. When the Grammy-winning singer and Oscar-winning actor took the stage, she had some words for the haters. "There are people who say, 'Doesn't that b-tch have more than one pair of pants?'," she said, laughing, while sporting a pair of Chrome Hearts pants. "I've had these pants for 40 years. I thought we should come here and accept this award together." Speaking to her longevity, Cher said she felt "lucky to have people that have stayed with me all these years," while acknowledging that "most of you weren't born" when her career began as part of Sonny & Cher in the 1960s. "I don't usually talk about it, but I have been down and out so many times you could not believe it," Cher admitted. "Dropped by record companies, couldn't get a job they said, 'Oh, she's so over.' But I never gave up my dream." Cher also had some advice for everyone in attendance and watching at home, too. "Have a dream and don't give it up no matter what happens. If you have a dream and stick with it, you will have a wonderful life and it will probably come true." Prior to accepting the Icon Award, Cher hit the stage to perform her No. 1 hit "Believe," joined by vocal powerhouse (and fellow Oscar and Grammy winner) Jennifer Hudson. Cher's Icon Award was introduced by another living legend: Meryl Streep, who has been friends with Cher since they starred in the 1983 drama Silkwood together. Streep noted that Cher is the only woman who has notched a No. 1 Billboard song in every one of the last seven decades. She also shared a story about listening to "I Got You Babe" back when she was just a teen in the mid '60s. "[Cher was] 17. I thought she was old -- she could have been a senior! Now we're both seniors," she added drily. - Billboard, 4/1/24...... Prince's Grammy-winning 28th studio album Musicology received rave reviews from fans and critics alike when it was released 20 years ago, and with its revolutionary direct-to-fan marketing strategy, effectively changed music promotion forever. On Apr. 5, to commemorate the anniversary, NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, released "United States Of Division," a rare 2004 Prince recording that was initially offered as a virtual B-side download for "Cinnamon Girl" exclusively from Prince's NPG Music Club and eventually as a non-LP bonus track for the UK CD single of "Cinnamon Girl," but has not been distributed via streaming services until now. "United States Of Division" is a powerful protest song that sees Prince boldly confronting the social and political issues that continue to plague the nation to this day. Over a percussive backbeat and slinking bassline colored by synths and horn stabs, Prince laments the state of a fractured nation: "How far from heaven must we go? / Before the winds of change will blow and show / This world how it's supposed to be / Land of peace and harmony." Released on Apr. 20, 2004, in the midst of the US war in Iraq, "United States Of Division" serves as a potent reminder of Prince's often underappreciated passion for social commentary. Musicology was praised by Rolling Stone for "its sinuous grooves and effortless swing" and earned Prince two Grammy awards in addition to being certified double platinum by the RIAA in 2005. The album came at the peak of Prince's early 2000s resurgence, practically coinciding with his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame where he performed his now iconic guitar solo on an all-star rendition of The Beatles classic, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." His Musicology tour that year was also his highest-grossing US tour of his career and one of the most successful US tours of the year, with the artist performing for over 1.4 million fans. - Music-News.com, 4/5/24...... ABBA has reportedly struck a "multi-million-dollar" deal to take their acclaimed 'Voyage' hologram show to Las Vegas. Band members Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Bjorn Ulvaeus have reportedly been in talks with Resorts World to bring the ABBA-tars to Vegas following its huge success in London over the last couple of years. "ABBA has been secretly in talks for a while about getting a deal in Vegas," a source told the Daily Star paper. "The music of Abba is well liked in the US and the unique selling point of avatars makes it more than an ABBA show as the spectacular is something that could well wow audiences." In 2023, it was reported that a Voyage world tour was in the works for the virtual concert experience, but no plans have been confirmed in regard to the timeframe or locations where it could happen. - NME, 4/2/24...... Bruce Springsteeen paused his Mar. 31 concert with the E Street Band at San Francisco's Chase Center to sign a young student's absentee note to cut class to attend his show. Springsteen's attention was brought to a young fan in the front row, who was carrying a handwritten sign that read "Skipping school, sign my note?". The note would allow the kid to skip school on Apr. 1 after attending the concert. Springsteen obliged the young fan and signed the now, however it is currently unclear if the absentee note signed by The Boss was accepted by their school. Elsewhere during the show, the New Jersey rocker kicked off the concert with "Light Of Day," marking its first time being performed on his ongoing tour, as well as the first time he had performed the song with the E Street Band since 2016. - NME, 4/2/24...... Former King Crimson principal Robert Fripp went nude on Apr. 1 to announce that he had joined the adult content site OnlyFans -- but it turned out to be an April Fool's Day joke. On that day Fripp took to YouTube and other social media to share a new video in which he appears nude, with nothing but his guitar to cover his lower half. As he sits on stairs, Fripp caresses the neck of his Gibson Les Paul and licks his lips suggestively, before a link to his OnlyFans page is shown onscreen. A description for his OnlyFans page reads: "Robert has officially joined OnlyFans! Subscribe now for exclusive, jaw-dropping content you never knew you needed." Upon clicking the link, you're taken to a broken page, suggesting that Fripp has indeed not joined OnlyFans, and that it was all a ruse in the name of April's Fools. Since Fripp posted the video, reactions online have ranged from some fans finding the April Fool's joke funny, while some have seemed to miss the joke entirely. "This will no doubt upset all the King Crimson purists," one fan wrote on YouTube with laughing emojis, while another wrote, "WTF!!!! Robert's lost it! Get the doctor!". On X, users seem to be taking the joke better, with some calling it the best prank they've seen this year. One fan even posted a tweet using the cover of King Crimson's classic In The Court Of The Crimson King to convey his reaction to the joke. "This is my sincere reaction," he captioned the post. - NME, 4/2/24...... Speaking to People magazine, Wolfgang Van Halen has revealed a sweet salute for his late dad Eddie Van Halen at every concert he performs by pointing to the sky after every performance. "The reason I do what I do is because of my dad. So if I didn't or at least think about him throughout the process, I'd be doing a disservice to my existence," said Wolfgang, who fronts his solo project Mammoth WVH and used to play with Van Halen. "So I think it's very important to establish that to thank my dad every night, every time I'm on stage. Just to thank my father and to know that he's always there with me every night." Wolfgang recently revealed the reason he refuses to cover his dad's songs is because it's important to be his "own musician." Speaking on the Talk Is Jericho podcast, Wolfgang explained: "I'm happy to be able to prove myself. The important key distinction is that I'm not doing what my dad did, I'm my own person, I'm my own musician it's why I don't play any Van Halen music or have a plan to play Van Halen music during my sets. Even my dad hated doing covers back in the day, his quote resonates with me all the time where he says: 'I'd rather bomb with my own music than succeed with somebody else's', and that's exactly how I feel about playing Van Halen music. I'd much rather fail on my own than succeed heartlessly by playing 'Panama'." - Music-News.com, 4/5/24...... Chaka Khan has announced she's been forced to turn down a legends slot at the UK's Glastonbury festival this year due to her busy work schedule. Khan, 71, is the curator of this year's Meltdown festival at London's Southbank Centre, following in the footsteps of late rock legend David Bowie, Grace Jones and Yoko Ono, to name a few, and due to her busy schedule, she was unable to accept the offer from the world-famous music festival's organisers, Michael and Emily Eavis. But Khan says she hopes to perform at the 2025 edition of Glastonbury. "Yeah, sure - I would love that," she said when asked if she would do it next year. Country-pop singer Shania Twain was ultimately chosen for the Sunday afternoon slot dedicated to music icons, joining headliners SZA, Dua Lipa and Coldplay. Khan is using the Meltdown festival to mark her 50 years in music after she hit the landmark in 2023, following the release of her 1973 debut album Rufus. Her first solo single, "I'm Every Woman," was released in 1978 and is among the classics of the disco era. Chaka, who has released 13 solo albums to date, will also perform a run of UK shows this summer including at the Nocturne Live concert series at Blenheim Palace in London on June 13. - Music-News.com, 4/4/24...... John Sinclair, the counterculture poet and political activist who was also the former manager of the Detroit rock band MC5 and helped launch the career of Iggy Pop, died on Apr. 2 at Detroit Receiving Hospital following congestive heart failure. He was 82. Mr. Sinclair was an influential activist who was best known for his fight toward legalizing marijuana in the US and for his role in MC5. Born on Oct. 2, 1941 in the Flint, Mich. suburb of Davison, Mr. Sinclair was also a champion of civil rights and co-founder of the radical anti-racist group the White Panther Party. He also helped launch the seminal punk rock band Iggy Pop and the Stooges, and managed the MC5 through 1969, helping the group score its contract with Elektra Records. Mr. Sinclair was famously arrested for allegedly giving two cannabis joints to police officers in the late 1960s and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He served 29 months but was released a few days after John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger and others performed in front of 15,000 attendees at the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena. Lennon also wrote a song named after Mr. Sinclair that appeared on his 1972 solo album, Sometime In New York City. Mr. Sinclair also faced charges of conspiracy to destroy government property in 1972, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and resulted in a landmark decision that prohibited the government's use of electronic surveillance without a warrant. After those cases, Mr. Sinclair spent time living in Amsterdam -- where he established the John Sinclair Foundation to promote arts and media -- and New Orleans, where he continued writing and performing. He formed bands, including several iterations of his Blues Scholars, and recorded a litany of albums, including the highly regarded Guitar Army in 2007. He also hosted performances at the Detroit Jazz Center in the city's downtown and launched the Radio Free Amsterdam channel online. Over the years, Mr. Sinclair also promoted concerts and festivals and helped to establish the Detroit Artists Workshop and Detroit Jazz Center. He taught blues history at Wayne State University and wrote liner notes for albums by such artists as The Isley Brothers and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. His death comes just two months after MC5 guitarist and co-founder Wayne Kramer died at the age of 75 after battling pancreatic cancer. "He was a truly interesting man, one of a kind. Thanks and praises," Iggy Pop posted on X following his passing. Billy Fuller, Robert Plant's bassist, also paid his respects. He wrote: "RIP John Sinclair I met him once when I was asked to bring some smoke for him before his gig at the Thekla in 2002. He signed my copy of [the MC5's] Kick Out The Jams as a thank you." Mr. Sinclair had been in poor health for a number of years, including diabetes, and was admitted to the hospital during the weekend to treat a leg sore that had become infected and turned into sepsis. He's survived by two daughters, Marianne and Celia. Memorial arrangements are pending. - NME, 4/2/24.

Monday, April 1, 2024

The veteran prog-rock band Hawkwind is releasing its 26th studio album, Stories From Time And Space. Although guitarist/vocalist Dave Brock is the only member that remains from Hawkwind's original lineup in 1969, the band's sound still immediately recognizable as Hawkwind, and songs on the album stand up in terms of originality and an experimental spirit. It features synths and pounding rhythms, psychedelic jams, massive and harsh riffs, and sounds seeming to appear from nowhere, in Hawkwind's trademark style. Stories From Time And Space arrives on Apr. 5 via the Cherry Red label, and its first single, "The Starship (One Love One Life)," can be viewed on YouTube. Hawkwind will mount a four-city UK tour behind the album on Apr. 4 in Cardiff, followed by Newcastle Upon Tyne (Apr. 5), Edinburgh (Apr. 6) and Glasgow (Apr. 7). - Music-News.com, 3/29/24...... In a new interview with Billboard, former Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm says he'd "given up" on his famous classic rock band being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until it was revelaed that Foreigner was among the Class of 24 RRHOF nominees in February, and he's still trying to temper his expectations as the Rock Hall prepares to announce the latest inductees later in April. "I was not feeling good that our peers were in years ago and we were completely neglected, Gramm said in a phone interview from his home in his native Rochester, N.Y. "I personally had given up that we would ever be considered. I didn't even think about it anymore, to be honest with you. So (the nomination) was a big surprise to me, and I didn't want to be too excited about it when I heard. I didn't want to be amped up or get my hopes up because of the way things have gone down in the past. I was, 'OK, that's good. Let's see what happens. I hope we get in.' I'm patiently waiting to see what happens." Gramm does however feel that "things look pretty good," and he's been particularly appreciative of the campaign efforts by Mark Ronson, son-in-law of Foreigner founder Mick Jones, who's enlisted artists such as Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Slash, Jack Black, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith and others to publicly express disbelief that the veteran act isn't in the Rock Hall already. Gramm was Foreigner's original frontman and was with the band from 1976-1989 and 1992-1993, also serving as Jones' principal songwriting partner. The two were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, the same year Gramm published his memoir Juke Box Hero: My Five Decades in Rock 'n' Roll. Gramm was part of Foreigner reunion shows during 2017 and 2018 and currently performs with his Lou Gramm All Stars. He'll be part of Poison frontman Bret Michael's Parti-Gras 2.0 tour this summer as well. Gramm says he hasn't been in contact with any of his bandmates, but he's been told that if inducted, Foreigner -- which has remained in the top 5 of the fan vote since it opened in February -- will perform two songs at the ceremony in Cleveland. "One I'm sure is gonna be 'I Want to Know What Love Is,'" Gramm notes. "I don't know what the other one is gonna be." Gramm does feel like there's some unfinished business for Foreigner, however. He says that "there's a whole album's worth of songs -- from the early 2000s that he and Jones wrote and only recorded in rough form." Although he isn't sure if Jones is "ever gonna do anything with them... I kind of doubt it, but I would like to at least listen to those roughs that we did. Those were great ideas." The current Foreigner lineup, fronted by singer Kelly Hansen, is in the midst of a farewell tour that will likely go into 2025. In February, Jones disclosed he has Parkinson's disease, which has kept him from performing with Foreigner since 2022. Gramm, meanwhile, is also planning to retire after his 2024 run. "I've been doing it for years now, and I've thought about (retiring) a few years ago, and a few years before that. I still enjoy playing but I can't stand the travel anymore. I'm sure I'm gonna miss it initially, but I have a lot of memories, fantastic shows performed all over the world. I'm not becoming a reclusive person, but I value my time on my own, and when I'm out there, I don't have that, and I don't like that anymore." - Billboard, 3/28/24...... Comedian Jerry Seinfeld paid tribute to his fellow Long Islander pal Billy Joel during Joel's 100th show at Madison Square Garden. "I am from Long Island, like Billy is from Long Island," Seinfeld told the crows. "He captured how we all feel living in this particular part of the world. Long Island. New York. He's like the companion that we've gone through our whole lives with. His music is our best friend for our whole life." Seinfeld continued: "100 sellouts in a row. Congratulations, Billy," Seinfeld said while presenting a banner to commemorate the milestone. "Most lifetime performances by any artist. You can die now," he joked. "And I want to thank you for buying my house," Joel told Seinfeld as he left the stage. "That was a nice thing to do." Seinfeld currently lives in his former house, having purchased Joel's house almost 25 years ago. Joel has been performing at the venue for a residency once a month for the last decade, with each of his 100 shows being a sell-out. His first MSG concert took place on Dec. 14, 1978, and every Billy Joel concert there has been a sell-out since. Fan-shot footage of Seinfeld's Piano Man tribute has been shared on X. A taping of the entire concert, The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden - The Greatest Arena Run of All Time, is set to air on Apr. 14 from 9 to 11 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. The special will also be available to stream live or on demand in the US for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers; Paramount+ Essential subscribers will have access to watch it on demand in the U.S. the day after its debut. - NME, 3/31/24...... Michael Jackson's three children made a rare appearance together at a press night performance of "MJ: The Musical" at London's Prince Edward Theatre on Mar. 27. Paris Jackson, Prince Jackson and Bigi Jackson (formerly known as Blanket) posed together for photos before walking into the theater to watch the Tony Award-winning musical based on their father's life. In 2022, Paris and Prince attended the Tony Awards together to present the "MJ: The Musical" cast's performance of "Smooth Criminal." "A lot of people seem to think our dad Michael Jackson changed popular music forever. And who are we to disagree?" Prince said at the time. "He loved musicals, on film and on the stage." Bigi rarely makes public appearances, but in March the 22-year-old asked a Los Angeles judge to stop his grandmother from using money from the his late father's estate to fund her ongoing legal battles against the estate's executors over their recent $600 million deal with Sony. Michael's life and career will be the subject of an upcoming biopic, titled "Michael," which will be produced by Graham King (Bohemian Rhapsody) and John Branca and John McClain, who are the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. The film will be directed by Antoine Fuqua, with Michael's nephew Jaafar Jackson portraying his late famous uncle and -- just recently announced -- The Vampire Diaries star Kat Graham playing one of Michael and The Jackson 5's mentors, Diana Ross. In other MJ news, one of the King of Pop's original "Thriller" jackets 1983 is available to buy now via an online auction. The red jacket with black trim, red lining, ribbed shoulders and collar, stud fasteners, with belts to waist and sleeves, was originally owned by Jackson's manager Frank DiLeo from 1983 to 1989. It was then sold at Sotheby's in 1993, and is now available for bids until Apr. 12 via the GottaHaveRockandRoll.com memorabilia site. The minimum bid for the item is $100,000 (£79,000), and it is listed as having an estimated sale value of $300,000-$500,000 (£240,000-£400,000). The item's listing states that Jackson wore the jacket for promotional events, although it is not the particular article worn by the singer during the shooting of the "Thriller" video. That jacket went to auction in Los Angeles in 2011, just two year's after Jackson's death. It was sold to the Texan gold trader Milton Verret for $1.8 million, who said he intended to use the jacket to raise money for children's hospitals around the world. Also being put up for sale on GottaHaveRockandRoll.com is Elvis Presley's iconic 1974 Martin D28 acoustic guitar. The guitar comes from Presley's close friend and former Memphis Mafia member Charlie Hodge. According to Hodge, "When Elvis first came on stage he would always do two songs and then he would always take his guitar and flip the guitar to end the song and then toss the guitar over his shoulder without looking at me and throw it for me to catch." Well, this is exactly what happened, as Elvis threw this guitar to Hodge on stage. The auction house estimates the guitar to sell for between $150,000 to $300,000. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 3/28/24...... In more rare memorabilia auctions, Paul McCartney's original, handwritten lyrics for the 1967 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band track "Lovely Rita" will be among the items to be sold at the ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, which returns to Manhattan's Park Avenue Armory from Apr. 4-7. Now in its 64th year, the celebrated book fair will boast Sir Paul's lyrics in black ink on a piece of paper, torn from a spiral notebook. Also included are Macca's later revisions in blue ink (he changed "writing all the numbers in her little black book" to "filling in a ticket with her little blue pen," neither of which made it to the final product). Biblioctopus Rare Books brings the item to the fair with an asking price of $650,000. And if you're a Beatles fanatic who can't quite cover the "Lovely Rita" asking price, you can also check out an original artwork by Dutch art collective The Fool (Marijke Koger and Simon Posthuma) that the Beatles commissioned for Sgt. Pepper's. The piece, available from Voewood Rare Books, is signed by Ringo Starr as "Billy S" (Billy Shears, his fictional Pepper persona). Details about the "Lovely Rita" lyrics and the 2024 Antiquarian Book Fair can be found at nyantiquarianbookfair.com. Meanwhile, "banned" and "unflattering" artwork that an artist claimed was banned by McCartney for being "too unflattering" is now headed to auction. However, it has since emerged that the Beatles' icon has never seen the piece. The artwork in question is a wooden sculpture created by Wilfrid Wood, which was originally set to be released as part of the 2024 Secret 7 vinyl project -- in a bid to raise money for the charity War Child. The project is being released in conjunction with a host of gigs that War Child puts on to raise money for its charity, and consists of various artists including McCartney releasing a limited edition 7" record for a specific track, which are later auctioned off. However, the single artwork for McCartney was withdrawn. Wood claimed that the wooden sculpture was banned from the exhibition after the rock veteran deemed it "too unflattering," according to the artist. Wood then took to Instagram to share that he will be auctioning the piece off personally anyway, and donating the proceeds to War Child UK. However, a spokesperson for McCartney has since revealed to New Musical Express that McCartney "never saw this artwork". - Billboard/New Musical Express, 3/27/24...... A cache of never-before-heard Marvin Gaye music that has potentially lain hidden in Belgium for over 40 years has been found, according to a report by the BBC. Gaye moved to the coastal city of Ostend in 1981 after taking the business card of a Belgian concert promoter in a nightclub while he was living in London. At the time, he was a heavy cocaine user, but his move to Belgium helped him to beat his addiction. It was also during this time that he recorded one of his biggest hits, "Sexual Healing." For a time, Gaye lived at the home of a Belgian musician, Charles Dumolin, and it is Dumolin's family who are claiming ownership of the material. "They belong to [the family] because they were left in Belgium 42 years ago," said Belgian lawyer Alex Trappeniers. "Marvin gave it to them and said, 'Do whatever you want with it' and he never came back. That's important." Trappeniers continued: "Each time a new instrumental started when Marvin started singing, I gave it a number. At the end when I had listened to all the 30 tapes I had 66 demos of new songs. A few of them are complete and a few of them are as good as 'Sexual Healing', because it was made in the same time." Meanwhile, Gaye's heirs in the US might theoretically have the rights to the music but would be unable to access it without owning the tapes. Trappeniers said he thought a compromise was due. "I think we both benefit, the family of Marvin and the collection in the hands of [Dumolin's heirs]. If we put our hands together and find the right people in the world, the Mark Ronsons or the Bruno Mars. I'm not here to make suggestions but to say 'OK, let's listen to this and let's make the next album'," he said. "Morally," he says, "I'd like to work with the family but this is the nightmare for them that someone comes from a country where there's a lot of money and we make an agreement and this collection leaves this country." The family of Dumolin, who died in 2019, undoubtedly own the collection, particularly in light of a Belgian law that stipulates that any property becomes yours after 30 years, regardless of how it is acquired. This, however, doesn't apply to intellectual property, meaning Trappeniers and his partners could end up as the owners of the physical tapes on which the music was recorded, without the right to publish the songs. Also among the rediscovered Gaye items is a valuable collection of his stage costumes and notebooks. - NME, 3/31/24...... If you've ever wanted to see Mick Jagger himself dancing to Maroon 5's 2011 hit "Moves Like Jagger," now's your big chance. On Mar. 27, the Rolling Stones frontman took to Instagram to post a video of himself dancing along to a bar band's performance of the song during a night out on the town. He captioned the video "moves like who !," while also giving a shout out to the live band, Splash. The Stones released their 24th album Hackney Diamonds in Oct. 2023, marking their first full-length effort since 2005's A Bigger Bang. On Apr. 28, the "world's greatest rock and roll band" will kick off a US tour in Houston, Tex., followed by seven additional dates in May. They are also set to play at this year's edition of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside Foo Fighters and Neil Young and Crazy Horse and more. - NME, 3/28/24...... Bruce Springsteen joined country-rock singer Zach Bryan onstage at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Mar. 27 for a two-song encore that included a performance of Bryan's unreleased number "Sandpaper" and a duet of "Revival," the closer from Bryan's 2020 album Elisabeth. Snippets from the Springsteen-assisted encore can be viewed on X. The collaboration is something of a payback by The Boss, as Bryan has covered Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. classic "I'm on Fire" on several occasions, live and in the studio. Springsteen, 74, recently made a triumphant return to the road in March, taking the stage in Phoenix, AZ with the E Street Band to relaunch their world tour after a six-month break due to the singer's battle with peptic ulcer. In other Springsteen-related news, actor Jeremy Allen White is reportedly in talks to portray Springsteen in an upcoming biopic. White, best known for his roles in The Iron Claw, Shameless and more, took the 2024 award season by storm with his intense but vulnerable role as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto in the FX comedy-drama series The Bear. The Brooklyn-born White, 33, won a number of best actor awards for his role on The Bear, including two Critics' Choice Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two SAG Awards, an Emmy Award and more. The upcoming film is set to focus on the making of The Boss' 1982 stripped-down album Nebraska, and will be based on the 2023 Warren Zanes deep-dive novel of the same name. Springsteen has previously said that Nebraska, his sixth studio album, is his most definitive work. "If I had to pick out one album and say, 'This is going to represent you 50 years from now' I'd pick Nebraska," he told CBS Sunday Morning in 2023. Nebraska peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated Oct. 30, 1982. So far no further details on a timeline or production details about the Springsteen biopic have been announced. - Billboard/The Hollywood Reporter, 3/28/24...... Speaking to the UK's The Times newspaper, Roger Daltrey reflected on recently turning 80, saying that "he has to be realistic" and that he is "on the way out." "I have to be realistic," he wrote in a "backstage diary" feature for the paper. "I'm on my way out. The average life expectancy is 83 and with a bit of luck I'll make that, but we need someone else to drive things." Daltrey was referring to recently wrapping up his last year the active curator of the Teenage Cancer Trust series of charity shows. "I'm not leaving TCT -- I've been a patron since I first met the charity's founders, Dr. Adrian and Myrna Whiteson, more than 30 years ago -- and that will continue, but I'll be working in the back room, talking to the government, rattling cages." The Who frontman also opened up about feeling nerves ahead of his recent shows: "We haven't done anything for seven months and this winter's been brutal. I've been in hibernation. For the whole of January, I lost my voice completely." His remarks come after the singer recently announced a new "semi-acoustic" 9-date solo tour of North America, launching in Vienna, Va. on June 12. Meanwhile, Who guitarist Pete Townshend has teased the prospect of a worldwide The Who "final tour" before they "crawl off and die." In an interview with The New York Times, the 78-year-old musician said he was open to making new music, five years after The Who's last album of new music and 31 years after his last solo album. "I do and I think I will," Townshend said when asked if he wants to make new music. "It feels to me like there's one thing the Who can do, and that's a final tour where we play every territory in the world and then crawl off to die," he noted. Townshend admitted he has mainly been "touring for the money" in recent years, and while he's been writing a lot in his spare time, he hasn't felt a desire to release any of the material. He added: "I don't get much of a buzz from performing with the Who. If I'm really honest, I've been touring for the money. My idea of an ordinary lifestyle is pretty elevated. I've been immensely creative and productive throughout that period, but I haven't felt the need to put it out. And if I can make it personal, I don't care whether you like it or not. When White City came out [in 1985] and the sales were so slow, I thought, 'Screw this'. Nobody wanted me as I was -- they wanted the old Pete." - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 3/31/24...... A new documentary examining the life and career of "King Tut" comedian Steve Martin is currently streaming on the Apple TV+ platform. STEVE dives into the extraordinary story o Martin, told from two distinct points of view that trace his rise in standup and examines the golden years of his career. - Canoe.com, 3/24/24...... ABBA will be releasing a 50th-anniversary deluxe reissue of their iconic 1974 album Waterloo on Apr. 5 to mark 50 years after the now-legendary Swedish band had their international breakthrough in the Eurovision Song Contest on Apr. 6, 1974 at The Dome in Brighton, UK. The reissue comes on the Polar Music International label and arrives as a half-speed mastered 45 RPM 2-LP vinyl, along with a limited edition box set of the three vinyl singles originally released in 1974. The three singles are also available as separate picture disks. There is also a unique 10-inch vinyl disc featuring "Waterloo" in four different languages, as well as a new line of retro-'70s apparel. As well as the now-iconic title track, the tracklist of their second album also includes songs such as "Honey, Honey," "Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)," and "Hasta Maana" -- a ballad that very nearly became ABBA's Eurovision entry choice instead of the title track. As well as the vinyl reissue, fans are also being given the chance to dance along to ABBA's hits on the roof of London's O2 to celebrate the milestone. Taking place for one night only on Apr. 4, fans can climb the landmark venue, then swap their climbing shoes for dancing shoes as an ABBA silent disco will be held against the backdrop of London's skyline. For more information and tickets you can visit the aegeurope.com website. In other ABBA-related news, the ABBA tribute show Björn Again has been confirmed as one of the headliners for the UK's Hampton Court Palace Festival 2024. Set for June 11 to June 22, this year's lineup also includes Nile Rodgers and CHIC, Paloma Faith, Sheryl Crow, Sir Tom Jones, Jessie J, Jack Savoretti, Deacon Blue and Sam Ryder, with Björn Again taking the stage on June 15. Artists perform in an intimate 3,000-seat auditorium in Base Court, set against the backdrop of Henry VIII's magnificent Tudor Palace and attendees can enjoy picnics, drinks and street food in the Palace Gardens, with luxury packages on offer. Ticket info can be found at HamptonCourtPalaceFestival.com. - NME/Music-News.com, 3/27/24...... Actor Louis Gossett Jr., best known for his Oscar-winning 1982 role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley opposite Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman, died in Santa Monica, Calif., on Mar. 29. He was 87. A statement from his family announced the death, and no cause was revealed. The New York-born Mr. Gossett was the first Black man to win a best supporting actor Oscar, and he also won an Emmy in 1978 for his role in Roots, the ground-breaking TV mini-series about slavery. Mr. Gossett made his Broadway debut as a teenager and later starred in shows such as "A Raisin in the Sun" and "Golden Boy." He went on to gain critical acclaim across a six-decade career. He continued acting into later life and his last role was in the 2023 musical remake of "The Color Purple." His other credits include Backstairs At The White House, The Story Of Satchel Paige, The Josephine Baker Story (for which he won a Golden Globe), and Roots Revisited. He also starred in the cult 1980s science fiction film Enemy Mine as the alien Jeriba Shigan, alongside Dennis Quaid. - AP, 3/29/24.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Grammy-winning guitarist-vocalist George Benson is reuniting with his former label, Warner Bros. Records, who released his breakthrough 1976 album Breezin' that topped the pop, R&B and jazz charts, propelled by the top 10 crossover hit, "This Masquerade." In addition to new music arriving later this year, the artist and Warner Music Group are celebrating the reunion with a previously unreleased YouTube video featuring Benson in a live performance of the track "Lady Blue" in the late '70s. "When I joined WB Records the first time, it caused an explosion in my career as a musician and quest to become a singer," said Benson, who was already a renowned jazz guitarist when he joined the lable, in a press release. "The exposure from that union has given me a life that I never imagined. Nothing but good has come from this partnership and today the inspiration continues on," he added. Benson recorded 12 albums for WB between 1979 and 1993, including the platinum-certified albums In Flight (1977), Weekend in L.A. (1978), and Give Me the Night (1980). He is also a 10-time Grammy winner, out of 25 nominations, and his cover of Leon Russell's "This Masquerade" won Record of the Year in 1976. Benson is set to perform at the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 18. - Billboard, 3/26/24...... On Mar. 24 Roger Daltrey celebrated his final performance as the curator of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust concerts after 24 years with an all-star performance of one of The Who's most beloved songs, "Baba O'Riley." The "Ovation" concert at London's Royal Albert Hall ended with the 80-year-old Daltrey singing the Who's go-to show-closing 1971 epic, with Robert Plant, Eddie Vedder, Glen Hansard, Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics, and Pete Townshend's brother Simon Townshend. In fan-shot video shared on YouTube, Daltrey takes the lead with Vedder, Plant, Jones, Hansard and Townshend leaning in to add group backing vocals. Pete Townshend performed with the Who earlier in the run and was slated to be on the "Ovation" lineup but had to miss the Mar. 24 show to be in New York for the opening of the revamped "Tommy" on Broadway. Though Daltrey is stepping down from his post, after the encore, he told the crowd, "I'm not going away from the Teenage Cancer Trust. I've completed the job I set out to do. We're going to get curators to do a year rather than doing 20 years... But I've got other work to do for the charity that is kind of more important because we live in a day where our NHS [National Health Service] everyone knows is very questionable even surviving. We are part of that service, though we are a charity If the NHS goes down, I want to make sure this charity doesn't go down with it." Among those thanking Daltrey for his TCT work with videos posted on social media were Paul McCartney and Nile Rodgers. Introducing himself as "Paul here, your friend of a million years," McCartney said: "Thank you for your 24 years of incredible service to Teenage Cancer. You've made so many kids happy and healthier and all of us connected with it want to thank you, so much," he began. "So what we say is [sings] 'thank you Roger, thank you so, you're a hero and you better know' -- That's one of the best songs I've ever written." Nile Rodgers also thanked Daltrey, saying: "It's Roger's last year curating these amazing gigs for Teenage Cancer Trust, and what an incredible 24 years it's been, showcasing the biggest names in music and comedy for a brilliant cause -- 600 hours of live music, reunions, supergroups, and of course rock n roll." Their messages can be viewed on X/Twitter. Daltrey has hosted and curated the fundraising shows since 2000, raising more than $40 million to date. He will still be an Honorary Patron of the charity, despite stepping down as curator of its annual concert series. - Billboard, 3/26/24...... Bruce Springsteen will be recognized for his "outstanding contribution to the craft of songwriting," as well as his "impact on the UK's cultural landscape," when he is honored as the first international songwriter outside the UK to receive the prestigious Ivors Academy Honor during an Amazon Music ceremony in London on May 23. The Boss will also be the irst American musician in the organization's 80-year history -- as well as the 27th musician overall -- to become an Academy Fellow, which is the highest honor one can receive from the institution. "I'm proud to be the first international songwriter to be recognized by The Ivors Academy," Springsteen said of the prize in a statement. "In addition to recognizing my songwriting, the award stands as a tribute to the fans and friends who have supported me and my work for the last 50 years. This entire country has made me feel welcome every step of the way. For this, I will always remain deeply appreciative," he added. Previous recipients include the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Joan Armatrading and Sting. Meanwhile, the the 74-year-old rock icon has said he's worried that his battle with peptic ulcer disease, which kept him off the road for six months during his latest world tour with the E Street Band, might permanently sideline him. In an interview with the E Street Radio channel, Springsteen told host Jim Rotolo that there was a point recently when he feared he might never perform live again. "Once I started singing, you know, you can rehearse singing, but your voice isn't the same in rehearsal. You don't have that edge of adrenaline that really pushes it into a better place and the thing when I had the stomach problem, one of the big problems was I couldn't sing," said Springsteen, who paused the E Street's planned 2023-2024 world tour in September for a total of 29 shows due to the serious effects of the gastro disease. "You sing with your diaphragm. My diaphragm was hurting so badly that when I went to make the effort to sing, it was killing me, you know?," he added. Thanks to his medical team, Springsteen is back and during the show in Phoenix on Mar. 19 -- originally slated for Nov. 30 -- he rocked through 29 songs without even mentioning the medical issue until the final song of the set. "I had a motherf----r of a bellyache," he told the crowd near the end of the two hour and 45 minute set. - Billboard, 3/26/24...... Ahead of a new Beach Boys documentary set to air on Disney+ in May, the band will release their first-ever and only autobiography, The Beach Boys, on Apr. 2. Surviving band members including Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston have chronicled their journey to fame and the success that followed in an autobiography that the title claims is "in their own words." Boasting 408 pages, The Beach Boys will include a detailed history about the band through their unique perspective providing a more intimate look at the band's history. The official description also says that the text will be accompanied with "iconic images, never-before-seen negatives and rare ephemera." Lindsey Buckingham, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Ray Davies, Bob Dylan, Def Leppard, David Lee Roth, Roger McGuinn, Graham Nash, Jimmy Page, Carly Simon and Pete Townshend are among the lineup of famous musicians who were tapped to contribute to the book. "There's love in the music and people can relate to the love, regardless of whether you're two years old or 92 years old," Brian Wilson said in a description of the book for Amazon.com. "For me, music is about love. Love is the message I want to share. I hope people feel that in my music. That makes the hard work worth it." - Billboard, 3/26/24...... Willie Nelson announced on Mar. 26 that his 4th of July Picnic will be moving to Philadelphia, PA for the first time. The country/pop superstar's annual concert, which he started in 1973, will be held at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, N.J., just outside Philadelphia, the birthplace of America. "I am thrilled to bring the 4th of July Picnic to Philadelphia for the first time in our storied history," Nelson said in a statement. "It's an honor to host such an extraordinary lineup of talent in the birthplace of our country. We can't wait to celebrate Independence Day with you," he added. Willie, now 91, first held the 4th of July Picnic more than 50 years ago in 1973 at Hurlbut Ranch in Dripping Springs, Tex. Over the decades, artists on the bill have included Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, The Charlie Daniels Band, Rita Coolidge and Leon Russell. The 2023 event was held at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Tex., and featured Tyler Childers, Dwight Yoakam, Shakey Graves and Sierra Ferrell, among others. Though this is the first stop in the Philly area, the picnic has been held outside Texas before, including at The Gorge in Quincy, WA, in 2007 and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO, in 1978. On May 31, Nelson will release his latest album The Border, and will, once again, headline his annual Outlaw Music Festival Tour, which kicks off June 21 in Alpharetta, GA, and features many of the same artists as will appear at the July 4 event. - Billboard, 3/26/24...... AC/DC has announced its support act for the band's 2024 UK Wembley Stadium and European tour. The Pretty Reckless, a New York rock group comprised of frontwoman Taylor Momsen, alongside Jamie Perkins, Ben Phillips and Mark Damon, will be performing in the UK for first time since 2022 when they traveled outside the US for their "Death by Rock and Roll Tour." The tour dates with AC/DC are set to kick off in Germany on May 17, and will see them play numerous shows across Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland, before heading to the UK for two shows at Wembley Stadium on July 3 and 7. From there, the tour will head abroad again for remaining shows in Germany, Slovakia, France, Ireland and more. - New Musical Express, 3/25/24...... Van Morrison and The Corrs are the latest acts to be confirmed for the Forest Live 2024 festival set for Westonbirt Arboretum in Tetbury in Gloucestershire, UK, on July 7 and 6, respectively. The picturesque venue will also play host to acclaimed American jazz, blues and soul singer Gregory Porter on July 4, pop star Anne-Marie on July 5, and disco icons Nile Rodgers and CHIC on July 12. Forestry England uses the money raised from tickets for Forest Live to maintain the beautiful natural areas and run vital conservation projects, including planting trees. Tickets can be obtained through the ForestLive.com website. - Music-News.com, 3/22/24...... After becoming a staple within pop culture, notably being featured in the famous final scene of HBO's The Sopranos series finale "Made in America" as well as numerous theatrical films including Rock of Ages, Glee and Monster, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" has been named as "the biggest song of all time" by Forbes magazine. According to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), "Don't Stop Believin'" is now an 18-times-platinum-certified single, meaning that the track has moved more than 18 million units between pure sales and other forms of consumption like streaming in the US alone. Before reaching this honor, in May 2013, "Don't Stop Believin'" had only hit quadruple platinum status. Journey's founding member and lead guitarist Neal Schon took to X/Twitter to celebrate the achievement. "We now officially have the biggest song in the world ever in the history of music! Congratulations to all," he wrote. Former Journey frontman Steve Perry also took to his Instagram account to celebrate, writing: "To be part of such a moment as this made me reflect on my parents. By that I mean, though I lost them both years ago, I was so happy for them because they are truly the reason this is happening. My dad was a singer and both of them were very musical. So on behalf of my Mom and Dad, I thank every one of you for so many years of support." Upon it's release in Oct. 1981, "Don't Stop Believin'" earned the #9 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, becoming one of Journey's biggest hits. The track appeared on the band's seventh studio LP Escape which landed the top spot on the Billboard Hot 200 upon its release, and was certified a Diamond seller by the RIAA in July 2021 for at least 10 million sales in the US, making it the band's most successful studio album and second most successful album overall behind Greatest Hits. Journey announced on Feb. 27 that they'll kick off a 50th anniversary tour of the UK and Ireland this autumn in Cardiff's Utilita Arena on Oct. 30. - NME, 3/22/24...... Ryan Coogler, the director of the recent action flick Black Panther, is set to produce an as yet untitled "jukebox movie musical" based on the music of Prince. The film, which has been in the works since 2018, has a script by Bryan Edward Hill, who has written for comic books including Kilmonger and Ultimate Black Panther. In January, it was announced that Prince's Purple Rain film and soundtrack would be adapted into stage musical. The adaptation is set to feature a score by the late Prince, with a book by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who is currently enjoying the Broadway run of his acclaimed drama "Appropriate." Jacobs-Jenkins' book will be based on the original Purple Rain screenplay, which was written by Albert Magnoli (who also directed the original film) and William Blinn. - Billboard, 3/23/24...... Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley has shut down a rumor suggesting she is in love with her former Dallas co-star Patrick Duffy. Presley, 78, dispelled the "unbelievable" rumor during a Q&A event at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., on Mar. 23. "Now there's this whole big thing out there that I love Patrick Duffy, and I'm reading this in a magazine that someone showed me yesterday," Priscilla said as she discussed her career after her divorce from Elvis in 1972. "I'm going, 'This is unbelievable, really, this is so crazy.'" The Naked Gun actress did not specify the article she was referring to. However, she claimed that the dating speculation began after she spent time with Duffy and his partner Linda Purl at a Dallas cast reunion event at the Burbank Marriott Convention Center on Mar. 1. "I hadn't seen him in a long time, and it was a great reunion," she explained. "Patrick told me how happy he was, and we talked to the audience and they had questions for us and that's it." Presley played Jenna Wade in Dallas for six seasons between 1983 and 1988. Jenna was the high school sweetheart of Duffy's character Bobby Ewing. In addition to Dallas, Presley appeared in all three Naked Gun films and made appearances on TV shows such as The Fall Guy, Melrose Place, Spin City and Dancing with the Stars. - Music-News.com, 3/26/24...... Joni Mitchell's catalog of classic tunes has been restored to Spotify.com, a week after her old friend Neil Young allowed his song canon to return to the popular streaming music platform. Mitchell pulled her music from Spotify in early 2022 in solidarity with Young over their concerns about the vaccine and Covid-19 misinformation being spread on the platform's popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Though Mitchell, 80, has not as yet formally commented on her music's return to Spotify, in a note on her official website posted at the time of the boycott she explained, "I've decided to remove all my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue." Earlier in March, Young said in a post on his Neil Young Archives site that the end of Spotify's exclusive deal with Rogan led to the restoration of his music to the service. "My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify," Young's post read -- in a clear reference to the Joe Rogan podcast, though he never mentioned the show, or its host, by name. Since February, the Rogan podcast has been available on a variety of platform, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and YouTube. At the time of Mitchell's boycott not all of her music was actually removed from Spotify. While such iconic titles as 1970's Ladies of the Canyon, 1971's Blue and 1974's Court and Spark went away during the pull-out, her four Geffen Records albums from the 1980s and early 1990s were still available. - Billboard, 3/22/24.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon Osbourne has opened up about the couple's decades-long marriage in a new interview with the UK's Daily Mirror paper. Sharon revealed that she and Ozzy had once tried marriage guidance counselling -- but it only lasted 30 minutes. "No matter how much bad behaviour or who's wrong or right in a certain situation, I love him," she explained. "He's the only man other than my dad that I've ever loved. I just adore him. And I knew what he was before I married him," she added. Reflecting on Ozzy's well publicized struggles with drugs and alcohol, she added: "But in my youth, being naive, I thought, 'I can change Ozzy. He won't drink when he's with me. I'll make him a nice home and nest and we'll be happy ever after.' But that's not real life. I knew what he was. I knew he had addictions and I took it on. We can't go for a week without each other. It's ridiculous." Sharon also says that Ozzy has "always been inappropriate with women." "We have a nurse at home, quite a large Russian lady, and she bent over him and he goes, 'Tell me, did you breastfeed your kids?' And I'm like, 'You cannot say those things now. The world today is different. You cannot talk to a woman like that. You can get into trouble'," she said. Earlier in 2024, Sharon revealed she once tried to take her own life after discovering that Ozzy was having an affair with a celebrity hairdresser, which went on for four years between 2012-2016. Ozzy and Sharon temporarily separated following the revelation. Sharon said she was "used to" her husband "always" having groupies, adding: "But when he knows the name of the person, where they live and where they work it is a whole different thing as you are emotionally invested. I took, I don't know how many pills." In January, Sharon revealed that Ozzy, who has ongoing health issues, was planning "two more shows to say goodbye" before he fully retires from performing live. - New Musical Express, 3/21/24...... In other Ozzy-related news, the historic Birmingham pub where Ozzy and Black Sabbath once played has been granted secured listed status by the UK's Department of Culture, following fears it may be knocked down. The Crown venue on Station Street, also regarded by some as the "birthplace of heavy metal" was one of the buildings at risk on that street, as is the Electric -- the UK's oldest working cinema which was shut down earlier in March. Now however, the Crown has been listed as Grade II by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England, helping to secure its future on the street. The iconic space, first erected in 1881, has been empty for 10 years now, and initially, Birmingham Open Media had planned to buy and restore the pub, however the organisation lost its funding and faced competition from a developer wanting to use the site for housing. The listed status comes after more than 15,000 people signed a petition, calling for the street to be saved and regarded as "a site of civic pride, cultural value and historic asset." The new status gives the venue more protection from re-development. Not only did Black Sabbath famously play many of their first shows at the site, but it also saw acts including Thin Lizzy, The Who, Supertramp, Duran Duran, Status Quo and Judas Priest headline earlier in their careers. Black Sabbath's Toni Iommi, one of the Crown's biggest backers, celebrated the news with a post on Instagram. - NME, 3/18/24...... Speaking of Judas Priest, the iconic heavy metal band has landed its third No. 1 album on Billboard's Top Hard Rock Albums chart for the week dated Mar. 23. Invincible Shield, released on Mar. 8, has bowed with 25,000 equivalent album units earned March 8-14 in the U.S., according to Luminate. Of that sum, 23,000 units are via album sales. Priest's previous leaders on Top Hard Rock Albums, which began in 2007, are 2014's Redeemer of Souls and 2018's Firepower. Invincible Shield starts at No. 6 on Billboard's Top Rock & Alternative Albums and at No. 4 on Top Rock Albums. It is the band's 19th studio album, and its first in six years. The album also replaces Queen's Greatest Hits on the Top Hard Rock Albums tally, which has topped the chart every week since Nov. 4, 2023. Invincible Shield's lead single, "Crown of Horns," currently sits an No. 28 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. - Billboard, 3/20/24...... Michael Jackson's son Blanket Jackson is asking a Los Angeles judge to order his grandmother Katherine Jackson to stop using money from the late pop superstar's estate to fund her ongoing legal battles against the estate's executors over their recent $600 million deal with Sony. In court filings dated Mar. 18, Blanket is arguing that the estate shouldn't foot the bill for Katherine's pending appeal, in which she's challenging a 2023 ruling that gave co-executors John Branca and John McClain approval to proceed with an unnamed transaction. While the disputed deal itself is not explicitly named in legal documents, it appears to be the Jackson estate's estimated $600 million deal to sell part of the singer's catalog to Sony. Both Blanket and Katherine initially opposed the estate's proposed transaction, but after the judge ruled last year that the deal could move forward, Blanket and Jackson's other children accepted the decision. Katherine opted instead to keep fighting, filing an appeal that remains pending. In December, Katherine filed motions asking that the estate pay for her legal bills stemming from her objections, including the ongoing appellate case. But in his filing on Monday, Blanket said it would be "unfair" to force him and his siblings to pay for that case, since his grandmother's efforts face "long odds." Blanket did argue however that the estate should, in fact, pay Katherine's legal bills for her initial opposition to the deal -- arguing that she had presented "essential evidence" about the proposed transaction and that "all heirs and beneficiaries benefited from this court's scrutiny." - Billboard, 3/21/24...... Metallica was among the performers honoring Elton John and Bernie Taupin during the 2024 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at DAR Constitution Hall on Mar. 20 in Washington, DC. John and his songwriting partner Taupin were honored with the Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song at the ceremony, which was hosted by Billy Porter. Ahead of the event, Metallica said they were "beyond excited and proud to have been invited to perform at the "very special event" before describing John and Taupin as a "legendary songwriting team." The group opened the show with a rendition of "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" from John's 1973 double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, footage of which has been shared on X/Twitter. In addition, Annie Lennox covered "Border Song" from John's 1970 self-titled album and joined Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile for a joint performance of Elton's 1983 hit "I'm Still Standing." John closed the night with a live rendition of his 1970 classic track "Your Song." The invitation-only ceremony is scheduled to air on PBS in the US on Apr. 8. - NME, 3/21/24...... Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band returned to the stage on Mar. 19 at Phoenix, Arizona's Footprint Center after Springsteen took an extended 6-month break from the road as he suffered from peptic ulcer disease that caused him to postpone 29 dates on his world tour with the band. The Boss, clad in a red and black checkered shirt with rolled-up sleeves and black jeans, was in top form from show opener "Lonesome Day" and fully had his sea legs back by third song, "No Surrender," when he gave his first trademark shout out, "Cmon, Steve!" beckoning for his brother-in-music for over half a century, Steven Van Zandt, to join him on the mic. Unlike the setlists from earlier shows on this tour that seemed slightly more reflective and wide-ranging, the latest show was more of a high-octane, freight train of a rock show. Springsteen and the band barreled through 29 songs, passionately delivering mainly full-on rockers, in 2 hours and 45 minutes. The only break between songs was the few seconds it took for Springsteen to change guitars and, other than a few asides, he only addressed the audience for the speech before "Last Man Standing" and after "Backstreets." He never brought up his illness until right before the closing song when he apologized to anyone inconvenienced by the Phoenix date shifting from Nov. 30 to Mar. 19, adding, "I had a mother-----r of a bellyache." His 7-song encore included a rendition of the Isley Brothers' classic "Twist & Shout," after holding up a suggestion sign from a member of the audience to the band. - Billboard, 3/20/24...... Songs by '70s artists The Doobie Brothers, Donna Summer and Charlie Pride are among ten recordings that were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame on Mar. 20, following a two-year period in which the Hall was put on hiatus for a reevaluation. Several changes were made during the hiatus period. The number of inducted recordings is down significantly from 25 to 30 in prior years. And while past classes have included repeat inductions by such Hall of Fame mainstays as The Beatles and Ella Fitzgerald, all of this year's choices are by first-time inductees into the Hall. The as usual eclectic selection of artists chosen include the Doobies' 1979 No. 1 smash "What a Fool Believes," Donna Summer's 1977 No. 6 hit "I Feel Love" (her longest charting single), and country star Charlie Pride's 1971 signature song "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'." This year's class, which also includes songs and albums by the likes of Guns N Roses, Lauryn Hill and De La Soul, will be saluted at the Grammy Museum's inaugural Grammy Hall of Fame Gala and concert on May 21 at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles. - Billboard, 3/20/24...... The US tabloid The New York Post is reporting that the Eagles could be headed for a residency at the spectacular new venue the Sphere in Las Vegas. The Post reported claims made by various sources, stating that the country-rock veterans will enjoy a 10-week residency in Las Vegas later in 2024. The report claims that the official announcement is set to be made soon, and the booking will see the band perform in the impressive new venue from September through to December. If the Eagles do play the Vegas residency, the dates would come as an extension to their ongoing farewell shows, held as part of itsd "Long Goodbye" tour. The final run of tour dates kicked off in Sept. 2023, and is expected to run up until 2025. Currently, the last show officially listed on the schedule is planned for Arnhem in The Netherlands, and will take place on June 15. For the farewell tour, founding member Don Henley -- alongside Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill and Deacon Frey -- plan to play "as many shows in each market as their audience demands." A spokesperson for the Sphere declined to shed light on the situation, telling the Post, "We do not comment on any artists performing at Sphere except for those who have been announced." - NME, 3/20/24...... During a concert in Toledo on Mar. 17, John Mellencamp called out a "cocksucker heckler" who kept asking him to "play some music." According to footage shared by an audience member on TikTok, the 72-year-old singer is seen sharing an anecdote with his crowd between songs, however, after a few seconds he is interrupted by a fan urging him to "play some music." "What do you think I've been doing, you cocksucker?" the Indiana rocker replied. "Here's the thing, man. You don't know me. You don't f----ing know me." "Hey Joe, find this guy and let me see him after the show," Mellencamp added, going on to continue with his anecdote before being interrupted again. "Guys, I can stop this show right now and just go home and I tell you what I'm going to do. Since you've been so wonderful, I'm going to cut about 10 songs out of the show," he said. From there, he began to play the "Jack & Diane" solo, before deciding: "Y'know what? Show's over." Mellencamp then left the stage and the house lights went up, but he eventually returned to the stage and performed a few more songs to close off the night. - NME, 3/19/24...... On Mar. 18 Jeff Lynne's ELO announced the dates for the classic rock group's final run of North American dates. The 27-date "Over and Out Tour" is slated to kick off on Aug. 24 in Palm Desert, Calif. and keep the "Evil Woman" band on the road through late October, with stops including Seattle (8/27), Vancouver (8/28), San Francisco (9/1), Toronto (9/9), Pittsburgh (9/10), Cincinnati (9/14), New York (9/16), Boston (9/23), Chicago (9/27), Denver (10/2), Detroit (10/9), Houston (10/16), Phoenix (10/21) and Sacramento (10/23) before winding down on Oct. 25 with a show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale on Mar. 22, and more info can be found at JeffLynnesELO.com. The original ELO released a dozen albums through 2001's Zoom -- plus the 1980 soundtrack to Xanadu featuring Olivia Newton-John -- as well as two credited to Jeff Lynne's ELO -- 2015's Alone in the Universe and 2019's From Out of Nowhere. The 2019 tour supporting the latter album was the last time Lynne, 76, was on the road. - Billboard, 3/18/24...... The BBC is celebrating ABBA's 50th anniversary with an hour-long documentary, When Abba Came to Britain, as part of a Saturday night full of ABBA specials on BBC Two on Mar. 23. Another special is called More ABBA at the BBC, and there will be further programming across the BBC, including BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds. The "Dancing Queen" hitmakers -- Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad -- made the UK their home from 1974 to 1982, and the film "examines their ground-breaking legacy," from winning Eurovision with "Waterloo" to ABBA Voyage, their record-breaking, first-of-its-kind avatar show in London. Viewers can expect "previously un-transmitted interviews with ABBA" with unseen footage thought to be lost. It will include interviews with the likes of Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and indie pop group Blossoms, who cite ABBA as an influence. - Music-News.com, 3/18/24...... On Mar. 18 The Who's Roger Daltrey announced a new "semi-acoustic" solo tour of North America this summer. Daltrey posted on the Who's official Instagram account and announced nine dates in June that will see the frontman perform "The Who hits and rarities along with solo music and stories about his incredible 60 year career" with the help of an "electric/acoustic" band. The tour will kick off in Vienna, Va. on June 12 before heading to Niagara Falls two days later. Other dates throughout the tour will see Daltrey and his backing band perform in Bethel, NY (6/16), Port Chester, NY (6/18), Boston (6/20), Lenox, Mass. (6/22), Detroit (6/25), Indianapolis (6/27) and Highland Park, Ill. (6/29). In December, Townshend said that the Who will have talks about where they go next, after playing their most recent show at the Sandringham Estate last summer. "I think it's time for Roger and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next. Because Sandringham shouldn't feel like the end of anything but it feels like the end of an era." Meanwhile, pop and contemporary Christian artist Ryan Ellis, who was nominated for a Grammy for best contemporary Christian music performance/song this year for "God Problems," has been named a celebrity ambassador for Daltrey's and Pete Townshend's Teen Cancer America charity. As part of his role, Ellis will perform at the fifth annual Rockin' Polo Match, a TCA fundraiser taking place June 15 at Will Rogers State Park in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades. The charity, funded by Daltrey and Townshend, is dedicating to getting specialized and appropriate care for teen cancer patients, who often fall in a gap between pediatric and adult oncology treatment. - NME, 3/19/24...... On Mar. 19 Deep Purple announced details of a new UK arena tour set for later in 2024. Called the "'One More Time" tour, the dates comprise five shows across the country, and will see frontman Ian Gillan and co. run through live renditions of their biggest hits including "Smoke on the Water," "Highway Star" and "Soldier Of Fortune." The dates kick off with an opening night at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham on Nov. 4, before resuming two days later with a show at London's O2 on Nov. 6. A gig at the First Direct Arena in Leeds is scheduled for the following night (11/7), and the tour wraps up with slots at Manchester's AO arena and Glasgow's OVO Hydro -- set for Nov. 9 and 10 respectively. Support for the UK shows will come from '90s indie-rock legends Reef, and tickets go on general sale on Mar. 22. Ahead of embarking on their UK shows, Deep Purple are set to head down under next month, and play a series of Australian festival slots alongside rock icons including Blondie, Alice Cooper, Placebo, Wolfmother and more. A run of European tour dates will then follow, and run throughout the summer. Deep Purple will also soon launch a deluxe version of their classic 1972 album Machine Head. Machine Head - 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will be available beginning Mar. 29 as a 3-CD/LP/Blu-ray set. The new version will feature new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes by Dweezil Zappa, as well as the original 1974 quadraphonic mix. It also features two live albums: one recorded at the Paris Theatre in London in Mar. 1972, and a previously unreleased set recorded at the casino in Montreux in 1971. - NME, 3/19/24...... Longtime Styx bassist Ricky Phillips has departed the US hard rock band after a 21-year tenure. Phillips, 71, split duties with original bassist Chuck Panozzo for 21 years but has decided to take a break from the road to focus on a studio project close to home. In a statement, Phillips said: "Dear Friends, after touring for 50 years with The Babys, Bad English... Tina Turner, Belinda Carlisle... and writing, touring, and co-producing... with Ronnie Montrose, to name a chosen few... I'm taking a breather." He continued: "My last 20+ years of touring and recording with my friends in Styx has come to an end. I am taking a break from the road. I'm not retiring, just taking a break. Presently, I have accepted an offer to co-produce a project in a studio close to home. I've known since I was a kid that live performance is in my blood so, in time I will post any future engagements or commitments. But for right now, Melissa and I will share coffee talk and meals from home... with our critters close by." Phillips contributed to four Styx albums, the most recent being 2021's Crash of the Crown, and worked with Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page and Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale on their 1993 Coverdale/Page LP. - Music-News.com, 3/21/24...... Byron Janis, hailed as one of the great pianists of the 20th century, died on Mar. 14 at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He was 95. The rare student of Vladimir Horowitz, Mr. Janis made a dazzling Carnegie Hall debut at age 20 and performed major concertos from Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Liszt and Prokofiev. During his 85-year career, he covered composers from Bach to David W. Guion and performed major piano concertos from Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Liszt and Prokofiev. He occupied two volumes of the 1999 Mercury Philips series Great Pianists of the 20th Century and recorded for Philips, EMI, Sony and Universal as well. Mr. Janis performed six times by four sitting presidents at the White House, and among his awards were the Commander of the French Legion d'Honneur for Arts and Letters, the Grand Prix du Disque, the Stanford Fellowship from Yale and the gold medal from the French Society for the Encouragement of Progress (he was the first musician to receive that honor since its inception in 1906). He composed the scores for major musical productions of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Hans Brinker," and wrote one for The True Gen, a 2013 documentary on the 20-year friendship between Gary Cooper and Ernest Hemingway. He is survived by his wife, Maria Cooper Janis, daughter of two-time Oscar-winning actor Gary Cooper. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/17/24...... M. Emmet Walsh, the familiar character actor in such films as Blade Runner, Blood Simple, Ordinary People, Knives Out, My Best Friend's Wedding, Slap Shot and more than 200 other films and TV shows spanning a half-century, died on Mar. 19. He was three days short of turning 89. His manager Sandy Joseph told Deadline.com that Mr. Walsh died of cardiac arrest at Kerbs Memorial Hospital in St. Albans, VT. Born on Mar. 22, 1935, in Ogdensburg, NY, Mr. Walsh was raised in rural Vermont. He began his screen career guesting on late-1960s TV series before landing bit parts in films including Alice's Restaurant, Little Big Man and Escape from the Planet of the Apes. He continued to guest-star in episodes of popular 1960s and 70s series including Bonanza, All in the Family, Ironside, The Bob Newhart Show, McMillan & Wife, The Rockford Files, The Waltons, Starsky and Hutch, James at 16, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and many more. He also appeared on the big screen in such '70s hits as Serpico, Straight Time, The Jerk, They Might Be Giants, Whats Up, Doc? and Slap Shot, in which he played sportswriter Dickie Dunn, who was "Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing." The prolific actor with the hangdog face and trademark paunch continued to work regularly into the 1980s up to the 2020s, appearing in popular pics including the Coen brothers' 1984 debut Blood Simple, and also appeared in the Robert Redford prison drama Brubaker (1980), Academy Award winner Ordinary People (1980), Best Picture Oscar nominee Reds (1981), Ridley Scott's sci-fi classic Blade Runner (1982), the Chevy Chase comedy Fletch (1985), horror pic Critters (1986) and more. His most recent roles included Knives Out, The Righteous Gemstones and Sneaky Pete. In 1979, he established the Blarney Fund Education Trust, which provides scholarships to Vermont students. Mr. Walsh is survived by his niece Meagan Walsh; nephew Kevin Walsh (Renee); and grandnephews Emmet and Elliot. Film critic Roger Ebert once created the "Stanton-Walsh Rule," which held that no movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad, though he admitted it wasn't an infallible rule. "I approach each job thinking it might be my last, so it better be the best work possible," Mr. Walsh once said. "I want to be remembered as a working actor. I'm being paid for what I'd do for nothing." - Deadline.com, 3/20/24.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

AC/DC's Brian Johnson and Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler are set to star in a new documentary series titled Music Legends that will explore the careers of six other rock legends. Airing in the UK on Sky News from Apr. 25, and available to stream via NOW TV internationally, each episode will see Johnson and Knopfler examine the careers of, respectively, Tom Jones, Sam Fender, Cyndi Lauper, Nile Rodgers, Carlos Santana and Emmylou Harris, with the hosts also playing live with the guests on the episodes. "Join AC/DC singer, Brian Johnson and Dire Straits singer and guitarist, Mark Knopfler as they share their incredible knowledge and experiences with each other -- and a hand-picked selection of music royalty," a press release reads. "Guests including Sir Tom Jones, Nile Rodgers and Cyndi Lauper share stories from their own careers and discuss the tracks that shaped them as musicians and fans. Mark and Brian do the same, painting a fascinating portrait of their shared musical lives," it adds. AC/DC recently announced a huge UK and European stadium tour for 2024, performing 21 dates in 10 countries this summer for their first European tour in eight years. Knopfler, meanwhile, recently released a re-recorded version of his song "Going Home" for Teenage Cancer Trust, featuring Brian May, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton and Ronnie Wood. After being teased earlier in 2024, the track officially dropped on Mar. 15 on YouTube, and is a new take on Knopfler's solo hit. It also features the last ever recording by guitar virtuoso, Jeff Beck -- which he laid down for the track shortly before his death in Jan. 2023. The charity track was recorded at British Grove Studios in West London, and produced by Knopfler's longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher. As for Beck's contribution, Fletcher described it as "absolutely meant to be. And what he did with it, it just brings you to tears." The release also comes ahead of the 2024 edition of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust gig series, which will take place the last week in March and raise funds for the charity. Noel Gallagher, The Chemical Brothers and Young Fathers lead the line-up for the 2024 edition of the series, and the closing night will feature performances from Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Eddie Vedder and Paul Weller. Originally released by Knopfler in 1983, "Going Home" is also widely recognized from the film Local Hero, as the theme song. - NME, 3/16/24...... Speaking of Roger Daltrey, The Who frontman has opened up about the one time he smashed a guitar and compared it to "killing his wife." Appearing as a guest on Shawn Keaveny's Daily Grind podcast, the 80-year-old musician said: "[Fans] never came to hear the music, they came to see the guitar being broken. The trouble is the guitar was worth 50 gigs. I've only ever smashed one guitar and I'm really sorry I did it. I don't know why, just this thing came over me. I've always regretted it -- I thought 'I shouldn't have done that, that was like killing the wife'." Daltrey's interview can be heard on Spotify.com. - Variety, 3/14/24...... An upcoming BBC documentary series reveals that Paul McCartney was once so moved by the plight of a group of climate activists after they were seized in Russia during a protest and thrown in jail in 2013 that he attempted to convince Russian president Vladimir Putin to release them. As detailed in On Thin Ice: Putin V Greenpeace, the activists were aiming to film an oil rush in Arctic Russian waters, but 28 of them were arrested on their ship the Arctic Sunrise and charged under piracy and hooliganism charges. The arrest prompted McCartney, who famously played in Moscow's Red Square in 2003, to write a personal letter to Putin, imploring him to release the campaigners. "Forty-five years ago I wrote a song about Russia for The White Album ['Back In The U.S.S.R.'], back when it wasn't fashionable for English people to say nice things about your country," he wrote. "That song had one of my favourite Beatles lines in it: 'Been away so long I hardly knew the place, gee it's good to be back home.' Could you make that come true for the Greenpeace prisoners?," he added. The prisoners served a three month sentence before being released. Curve Media's On Thin Ice: Putin V Greenpeace is being positioned as the BBC's latest box-set series for BBC Two and iPlayer and will break with tradition by airing via bitesized half-hour episodes. - NME, 3/16/24...... Chic legend Nile Rodgers has been chosen as one of the recipients of Sweden's 2024 Polar Music Prize. "In Nile Rodgers, we honour a ground-breaking pioneer whose legacy spans his work as co-founder of CHIC and as record producer and creator behind so much of the world's greatest music," says PMP managing director Marie Ledin. "Nile's impact in pop culture is incomparable and his timeless songs will continue to delight, uplift and inspire for many years to come." Rodgers, whose producing and writer credits include hits for David Bowie, Madonna, Sister Sledge, Duran Duran, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera and many more, will receive Prize money of one million Swedish Kroner (around £75,000 and $94,000) when he and composer Esa-Pekka Salonen are made laureates at a ceremony on May 21 in Stockholm, Sweden at the Grand Hotel. Previous recipients include Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Sting, Joni Mitchell and Iggy Pop. - Music-News.com, 3/12/24...... During his Luck Reunion concert in Spicewood, Tex. on Mar. 14, Willie Nelson and Kermit the Frog delivered a sweet duet of The Muppets' classic "Rainbow Connection." With Kermit on banjo and Nelson on guitar, the pair delivered a tender, heartwarming cover of the classic song, which was originally released in 1979 for The Muppet Movie. Kermit's rendition -- performed by Jim Henson -- reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart and earned an Academy Award nomination for best original song. In addition to "Rainbow Connection," the two icons also treated the crowd to a rousing gospel medley featuring selections such as "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," "I'll Fly Away" and "Hard to Be Humble." Footage of Willie and Kermit's duet has been shared on YouTube. The 2024 edition of Nelson's annual Luck Reunion, held at Willie's ranch in Spicewood, Tex., featured a star-studded lineup of performers, including Tyler Childers, Red Clay Strays, Durand Jones and Zella Day. On the same day as the concert, Nelson announced on Instagram his forthcoming 75th solo studio album, The Border, will be released on May 31. It will feature 10 newly recorded studio performances, including four new Nelson/Buddy Cannon compositions. - Billboard, 3/15/24...... A new Paul Simon documentary that premiered on the streaming channel MGM+ on Mar. 17 reveals that the veteran singer-songwriter has some hopeful news about his near-total hearing loss in his left ear, which has left him struggling to perform live. The 82-year-old musician says that his hearing has now come back to "enough of a degree that I'm comfortably singing and playing guitar and playing a few other instruments," after previously stating that two previous attempts to rehearse with his touring band didn't go quite to plan. "I haven't figured out how to perform with the hearing loss," he said in July 2023, adding "I've tried to rehearse with the guys in my touring band, to see if I could manage it. I can't so far." But now the "Kodachrome" hitmaker says, "I can hear my voice the way I want it in the context of the music." "If there's a drum or an electric guitar, it's too loud and I can't hear my voice. But when I first lost the hearing, I couldn't get, it threw me off. Everything was coming from this side," he said. Elsewhere in the documentary, Simon recalls the time he once tried to stop Frank Sinatra from covering one of Simon & Garfunkel's most famous songs, "Mrs Robinson." "I met him once. It was very interesting too, because he made a cover record of my song 'Mrs Robinson'. And he changed the lyric[s]," Simon said. "They were fantastic, but when I first heard it, it was like, 'Man, ring a ding, ding you Mrs Robinson, Jesus loves you more,' and this is in the sixties, and I said, 'He can't do that.' And so a guy from Warner Brothers called me up and said, 'Please don't do this. It's my fault I did it. Please don't do this to me.' So I said, 'Okay'." Part two of In Restless Dreams, in which Simon takes viewers behind the scenes during the recording of his 2023 album Seven Psalms, airs on Mar. 24. - New Musical Express, 3/17/24...... Smokey Robinson has confirmed that he is in talks for performing at the 2024 edition of the UK's legendary Glastonbury festival. After being asked when he will next perform in the UK by Bizarre's Howell Davies at Elton John's Oscars party in Los Angeles on Mar. 10, Robinson hinted at a playing there "soon." "We've been talking about that for the past two weeks -- probably soon," Robinson said. Davies also asked the 84-year-old music legend about the potential of playing at Glastonbury. "That's one of the things we've been talking about," Smokey shared, adding that he would "absolutely" love to take the stage at the Worthy Farm festival. "I love the UK, man. We've had some of our greatest times in the UK," he concluded. - NME, 3/13/24...... Neil Young announced on Mar. 12 that he's bringing his music back to Spotify more than two years after requesting its removal from the popular streaming platform. In Jan. 2022, Young published an open letter asking Spotify to pull down his catalog, citing what he called the spread of vaccine misinformation on the wildly popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast, which was then hosted exclusively on the streaming platform. Several other artists, including Joni Mitchell, Indie.Arie and Young's Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmates David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, subsequently followed suit, though CSN/CSN&Y and Aries music have since been restored to the service. Mitchell's catalog remains absent. Now in a new post on his Neil Young Archives website, Young said the end of Spotify's exclusive deal with Rogan led to his decision to restore his music to the service. "My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at Spotify, the post reads -- a clear reference to the Joe Rogan Experience, though Young never mentions it by name. "I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all, so I have returned to Spotify, in sincere hopes that Spotify sound quality will improve and people will be able to hear and feel all the music as we made it," Young continued, before giving a shout out Qobuz and Tidal, where his catalog also lives, as "High res streaming options." Young concludes his post by stating his hope that Spotify "will turn to Hi Res as the answer and serve all the music to everyone. Spotify, you can do it! Really be #1 in all ways. You have the music and listeners!!!! Start with a limited Hi res tier and build from there!" A longtime advocate of high-resolution audio, Young once launched his own (now-defunct) high-res audio download platform, Pono, in 2015 before shuttering it two years later. It has been estimated that the absence of Young's catalog on Spotify had cost him roughly $300,000 in lost recorded music and publishing royalties by Sept. 2023. - Billboard, 3/12/24...... Patti Smith will be among the headliners of London's Somerset House Summer Series this summer. The iconic central London venue will host the series again beginning in July, from the 11th to the 21st. Smith will close out the series, which also features the likes of Smino, Hak Baker, The Amazons, Hania Rani and The Big Moon, on July 21. - NME, 3/16/24...... Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed has described the script for the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael as "startlingly disingenuous." Given the project's connection to the Jackson estate, it is unclear whether the film will explore the most controversial aspects of the singer's life, including the allegations of child sexual abuse. However, according to Reed, who has read a draft of the script, the film makes a point to discredit Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the two men who allege that Jackson sexually assaulted them in the 2019 docuseries Leaving Neverland. "Jackson is only ever seen caring for children with childhood cancer, or dancing with a little girl in a wheelchair, or tucking up multiple little boys, mostly his nephews, at sleepovers," Reed said of the script. "It feels like the creators of the movie have been stuck in a room with John Branca and just told what to write." Michael will be directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer, Brooklyn's Finest) and Jackson's own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will play the King of Pop in the film. The movie has been confirmed to receive a theatrical release in the US on Apr. 18, 2025, per production house Lionsgate. A UK release date is yet to be announced. - NME, 3/14/24...... Jack and Kelly Osbourne have revealed who they think should play their famous parents in a biopic about the couple. Speaking on a recent episode of The Osbournes Podcast, the two siblings spoke about the possible project, which was announced to be in development back in 2020, and officially confirmed in 2021. Bringing up the conversation about their movie, Jack asked the question: "Who do you want to play you guys?," prompting Kelly to say: "I know who I want to play mum -- Florence Pugh. I think Florence Pugh would do a fantastic [job]." Pugh, 28, recently starred in the critically acclaimed Dune: Part Two, as well as Oscar Best Picture winner Oppenheimer. Sharon, who has been a contestant on the latest season of Celebrity Big Brother, added: "I think Florence Pugh or the little girl from Game of Thrones," referring to Maisie Williams. Jack then chimed in with: "You know who I want to play dad? Bill Hader." He continued: "Everyone thinks I'm f---ing crazy until I show a side-by-side picture, and then that guy's ability to morph." Jack then showed his father a photograph of the former Saturday Night Live cast member, to which Ozzy responded: "F--- off!" His wife disagreed, repeatedly agreeing with Jack and saying: "I think he could nail it." No recent updates to the biopic's development have been made, and Ozzy made a witty remark on the podcast about the stagnant project saying: "By the time we finish this film I'll be dead." - NME, 3/12/24...... Steve Harley, the frontman of the '70s band Cockney Rebel, has died at age 73. The news was confirmed by his family in a statement, who said: "We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband and father has passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his side." Harley, who had been receiving cancer treatment, had cancelled a run of shows in late 2023, writing on his website at the time that it was a "heartbreaking decision, but necessary in order to fight a "nasty cancer." His family continued that they knew Harley would be "desperately missed by people all over the world... Whoever you know him as, his heart exuded only core elements. Passion, kindness, generosity. And much more, in abundance." Born Stephen Nice, the musician grew up in London, and while working as a local journalist in the early 1970s, he started busking and playing in the city's folk scene. He formed the glam rock group Cockney Rebel in 1972 with Jean-Paul Crocker, Stuart Elliott, Paul Jeffreys and Milton Reame-James, and they were quickly signed by EMI Records. The band had early success with singles such as "Judy Teen" and "Mr. Soft," but they began to fall apart due to other members wanting to write more of the group's material. Harley reformed the band with a new line-up, including Elliott, Jim Cregan, Duncan Mackay and George Ford, and renamed them Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. Their first single together, "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)," was a UK Number One single in 1975 and charted on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in the US. Harley's most enduring song, it has been named by PRS as one of the most played songs in British broadcasting history. Harley began a solo career in the late 1970s, releasing six albums under his own name, most recently 2020's Uncovered. Cockney Rebel also reformed multiple times, playing together as recently as 2021. Steve Harley is survived by his wife Dorothy, with whom he had two children and four grandchildren. - NME, 3/17/24.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Eric Carmen, the former leader of the '70s power pop band The Raspberries before setting out on an internationally successful solo career, died on Mar. 11. He was 74. "It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen," a message posted by his wife of eight years, Amy, to his website, Facebook and X account reads. "Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy," she added. Over his long career which began in the 1960s, Carmen scored three top five hits on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart: the No. 2-peaking "All By Myself" in 1976, followed by the Dirty Dancing soundtrack standout "Hungry Eyes," which peaked at No. 4 in 1988, and "Make Me Lose Control," a No. 3 hit, also in 1988. His highest-charting album was his self-titled 1975 solo debut, which peaked at No. 21 in 1976. Born on Aug. 11, 1949 in Cleveland, bassist/vocalist Carmen started his music career in earnest during his college years at John Carroll University in his home state of Ohio, when he joined a band called Cyrus Erie. In 1970, he formed The Raspberries with members of several local groups, including drummer Jim Bonfanti who had drummed on The Outsiders' 1966 Beatlesque hit "Time Won't Let Me," guitarist Wally Bryson, and bassist/guitarist Dave Smalley They became the most popular band in Cleveland, and in 1967 scored a minor hit, "It's Cold Outside." In mid-1971, their demos attracted the attention of producer Jimmy Ienner, who secured them a contract with Capitol Records. The eponymous 1972 The Raspberries had a raspberry-scented scratch-and-sniff sticker on the cover, and their second single, "Go All The Way," rose to No. 5 and sold more than 1.3 million copies. The second LP, Fresh, included "I Wanna Be With You" (No. 16, 1972), and "Let's Pretend" (No. 35, 1973). Carmen penned most of the hits himself, many of which were paeans to making out. Internal problems developed by the time of 1973's Side 3, with Bonfani and Smalley resisting the group's teenybopper image and leaving. They were replaced by Michael McBride, who had played with Cyrus Erie, and Scott McCarl, who had sent an audition tape to Ienner. The regrouped Raspberries then released its fourth and final LP, the critically acclaimed Starting Over, which many critics called the best LP of 1974. A concept album about stardom, Starting Over was a commercial flop, although the single "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" reached No. 18. Carmen then began an intermittently successful solo career as a pop balladeer, hitting the Top 40 with "All By Myself" (No. 2, 1976), "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" (No. 11, 1976), and "Sunrise" (No. 34, 1976), from his debut LP, and the last of which incorporated a Rachmaninoff melody, as did several other songs from the classically trained pianist/guitarist. In the 1980s, Carmen's Top 40 hits included "I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips" (No. 35, 1985), the No. 4 "Hungry Eyes" (1987) and "Make Me Lose Control" (No. 3, 1988). "'Love Is All That Matters -- Faithful and Forever,'" Amy Carmen concluded her announcement of Eric's death, referring to the lyrics of a song on his 1977 album, Boats Against the Current. A cause of death has yet to be disclosed. - Billboard/The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock, 3/12/24.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Sting announced on Mar. 11 that he'll return to the stripped down three-man configuration for his "Sting 3.0" tour of 2024, which kicks off Sept. 17 at the Fillmore Detroit. The tour includes multiple theater dates in most cities, including two nights at Toronto's Massey Hall (9/20, 21), and three nights at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, NY (10/7, 9, 10). Sting, a 17-time Grammy winner, and his band will perform songs from his solo career, as well as his time as the Police frontman. The tour will wrap in Los Angeles on Nov. 13, after also visiting Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn, NY, Port Chester, NY, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco. Sting's busy 2024 schedule also includes an Apr. 13 date in San Diego with Billy Joel, as well as continue on a European arena tour for much of the summer before the kick-off of this fall's theater tour. - Billboard, 3/11/24...... Elton John's AIDS Foundation has announced it raised $10.8 million dollars for AIDS research at its 32nd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on Mar. 10, 2024 in West Hollywood, Calif. The money from the event will go toward the organization's Rocket Fund, a fundraising initiative meant to "redouble the fight against AIDS everywhere," according to the organization's website. "So far, this has been an extraordinary year beyond my wildest dreams, including the honor of achieving the EGOT, but it's tonight's gathering that is the ultimate highlight," John said in a statement following the event. "I'm so grateful to everyone who comes out each year to have a lot of fun and do a whole lot of good together. We've been loud and proud about showing compassion and ending the dreadful stigma that follows HIV, and we won't stop until we achieve our mission." Hosted by John, his husband David Furnish, Neil Patrick Harris and others, featured a star-studded guest list that included Sharon Stone, Donatella Versace, Danny DeVito, and more. During the evening, a multimillion-dollar live auction saw the organization sell off a number of luxury items, including a bedazzled Yamaha piano signed by Elton, two pinball machines, two pairs of Chopard earrings and a custom-made Rolex for his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour." At the night's close, John performed alongside the evening's musical guests, R&B-pop trio Gabriels, to his 1989 hit "Are You Ready for Love," recreating an iconic moment from the UK's Glastonbury 2023 when Gabriels lead singer Jacob Lusk joined John onstage for the track. In still more Elton news, country star Kacey Musgraves has claimed the Rocket Man used to have a cardboard cut-out of his husband and sons in his dressing room. "I'll never forget Elton playing in Nashville and getting to catch up with him in his dressing room after with all the Gucci and sunglasses lying around," Musgraves, 35, told The Times newspaper. "And a big cardboard cut-out of his husband and kids." Insiders in John's camp recently revealed that the "Candle in the Wind" singer has been working on a "top secret" new album that could be released later in 2024. A source told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: "It's all been very top secret, but Elton is back in the studio working on a new album. Time frames are always movable, but the fourth quarter has been pencilled in terms of a release date." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 3/11/24...... John Lennon and Yoko Ono's son Sean Lennon wished his mom Yoko a happy Mothers Day during the Mar. 10 Academy Awards show. Mar. 10 was not only the date of the Oscars ceremony, but it's also Mother's Day in the U.K. During filmmakers Dave Mullins and Brad Booker's emotional Best Animated Short win for "WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko, Sean Ono Lennon" -- Sean made sure to give his mom an extra special shout-out -- even though the "wrap-it-up" music was already playing. "My mother turned 91 this February," he told the audience. "Can everyone say 'happy Mother's Day to Yoko'?" At his request, the audience in front of him wished Ono a happy holiday in unison. Ono and John collaborated a number of times before Lennon was fatally shot in 1980, notably on "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)." The track has gone down in history as a classic Christmas tune, reaching its latest peak of No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022 -- more than 50 years after it was first released. - Billboard, 3/10/24...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney will be among the artists paying tribute to the late Jimmy Buffet with a "Keep the Party Going" concert on Apr. 11 during an all-star concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The Live Nation/Hewitt Silva presents show will also feature performances from the Eagles, Jon Bon Jovi, Zac Brown, Jackson Browne, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Mac McAnally, Pitbull, The Coral Reefer Band and more special guests to be announced later. Tickets for the celebration of life event will go on sale to the general public on Mar. 15. Buffett died at his home in Sag Harbor on Long Island, N.Y., on Sept. 1, 2023 from skin cancer. He was 76 years old. Earlier in Marh, the video for his single "The University of Bourbon Street" -- from his final studio album, November's Equal Strain on All Parts -- was released. On the album Buffett performs a tribute to his favorite city with help from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. - Billboard, 3/11/24...... The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael will reportedly address the allegations of child sexual abuse against the singer. Given that Michael has the approval of the Jackson estate, it had been unclear whether the film would explore the most controversial aspects of his life, but a new report suggests it will. Puck News' Matthew Belloni has obtained an early draft of the script, and says that the film "wants very much to convince you Michael is innocent," adding that it goes to "great lengths to minimise and downplay the actual claims and eviscerate the Chandlers." In 1993, Evan Chandler, a dentist and screenwriter based in Los Angeles, accused Jackson of sexually abusing his 13-year-old son Jordan Chandler. The case was concluded when the two parties reached a financial settlement in 1994. In 2013, four years after Jackson's death, the choreographer Wade Robson filed a lawsuit against the Jackson estate, saying the King of Pop had sexually abused him between the ages of seven and 14. Another man, the former child actor James Safechuck, also came forward with allegations. The director of the documentary Leaving Neverland, which documented Robson and Safechuck's allegations, recently criticized the making of the new biopic, saying it "will glorify a man who raped children". Robson and Safechuck have requested that their joint trial starts before the release of Michael. The film has been set for an Apr. 18, 2025, per production house Lionsgate. A UK release date is yet to be announced. It was announced in Jan. 2023 that Michael's own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will play the late pop superstar in the film. Jaafar is the son of Michael's brother Jermaine Jackson. This will be the 27-year-old's film debut, although he has appeared in the Lifetime reality show The Jacksons: Next Generation. - New Musical Express, 3/9/24...... As Chicago reaches its 57th year of existence in 2024 after being formed by trombonist Jim Pankow, keyboardist/singer Robert Lamm, trumpeter Lee Loughnan and saxophonist Walt Parazaider in 1967, Pankow looks ahead at the band's future, while sharing stories of rock and roll excess from the past, in a new interiew with Billboard. "It was eternity, not being able to work for a year and a half," says Pankow. "So here we are. This is our 57th year and, gosh, it just keeps getting better. I have to pinch myself because this phenomenon is never ending. And, man, we're going to do this as long as we can." Earlier in March, the band hit another milestone: on Mar. 6, Chicago played its 50th show at Las Vegas' Venetian Theater, the first act to reach that landmark. The 1,815-seat venue at the Venetian allows fans to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band in a much smaller setting than its other 80-to-90 annual shows. Pankow says the current lineup, in his opinion, is the strongest lineup in the history of the band. "The band is firing on all cylinders. There's no weak spots in the personnel. We have trimmed the fat and we are just slamming. Being on stage with my fellow bandmates is a joy every night that I will never tire of. Who would have thought more than a half century later that it's still an amazing experience? More amazing than ever." Pankow said each era of Chicago is "defined in a unique way -- you can't really compare because it's a completely different time." But the recording of the band's first album Chicago Transit Authority will always be the most special to him. "I'll never forget walking into Columbia Recording Studios in New York City, standing in front of a mic and knowing that this is going on tape forever," he says. "We were very frightened young men. And that music was the embodiment of the idea of what this band is all about." Pankow said if asked to choose which Chicago song to put in a time capsule, it would be "Beginnings" from the first album. "It's one of the songs in the repertoire that I get to stretch out on and solo on. So, I always like that." Although Parazaider retired from touring in 1967, Pankow says he, Lamm and Loughnan are "going to do this until we cannot be believable anymore." "As long as we can get up there and we can kill it every night, I pray to God that we can do that. At this point there is no end in sight. We're at the top of our game. I say, 'Retire to what?'." Chicago will head out on a co-headlining tour with Earth Wind & Fire this summer for the sixth time. - Billboard, 3/8/24...... The Stone Pony, the Asbury Park, N.J. club brought to national fame by local superstar Bruce Springsteen, is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2024. In Feb. 1974, New York native Jack Roig opened the Ocean Avenue club, situated across from the Asbury Park boardwalk, and it also became the birthplace of Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. The Jukes started playing regularly at the Pony in 1974 as one of the venue's first house bands -- and early incarnations included future E Street Band member Little Steven Van Zandt. The Boss began to hang around soon after. The 1976 record release party for the Jukes' debut, I Don't Want To Go Home, helped put the club on the map. Springsteen, members of the E Street Band and legendary singers Ronnie Spector and Lee Dorsey made guest appearances at the concert, which was simulcast across the region including on major Philadelphia rock station WMMR-FM. The sound of Asbury Park -- a merging of rock'n'roll and horn-fueled R&B and soul -- was a hit. The modest-looking venue also helped drive the revitalization of Asbury Park, and its 4,500-capacity outdoor Summer Stage has hosted stars from Elvis Costello to Blondie, Green Day to Demi Lovato, as well as local favorites like Springsteen over its 50-year history. The modest building, painted white stucco on the outside with a simple rectangular floor plan, will continue its storied legacy with anniversary shows throughout the year. The Jukes played there Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 (although Southside Johnny left the second show early and was briefly hospitalized for dehydration, according to a band spokesman). Roig says that "the future of the community has gotten so much brighter with new things coming through." "The Pony is a symbol that we don't have to let go of our past to embrace our future. The Pony is a symbol of both those things." - Billboard, 3/8/24...... The Wolfgang Van Halen/David Lee Roth feud continues as Van Halen has fired back at Roth after the Van Halen frontman blasted him in a viral rant earlier in 2024. "I guess I'm honored (Roth) even thinks about me as much as he seems to," Wolfgang, 32, said during a recent interview with Atlanta radio show The Morning X. "I seem to have been born into this Van Halen drama that has come way before me," he continued. "And now that my dad isn't here to be a target, I guess he went to the next best thing." Roth, one of the founding members and lead singers of VH, went off on the band's bass player and son of the late Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli in a scathing rant posted to his YouTube channel in January. The segment began with Roth doing a spoof interview with "our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" as the fake personality tells listeners he was hired "because of my talent," in what many perceived was a thinly veiled swipe at Wolfgang taking over as the band's bassist in 2006. "I would have this job anyway, even if my dad wasn't God. I know you agree. I'm on every church wall, and I would be on that church wall if my dad wasn't God I just want people to know I got this job because of my talent," the Jesus impersonator continued. Roth then started to rant about Wolfgang -- who replaced original VH bassist Michael Anthony -- claiming that the youngster complained that the singer didn't pay attention to him onstage. "This f---in' kid! He's complaining the entire tour like I'm not paying enough attention to him on stage," Roth says. "Like Santa Claus on Christmas coming down the chimney and popping out on Christmas and saying, 'Nobody is paying attention'. I'm giving him the best, everything I've got, in front of twenty, thirty thousand people at a clip, and he's complaining to everybody around me -- the business manager, the security guy, the clothing lady -- 'Dave's not paying enough attention to me.'" But in his conversation with The Morning X, Wolfgang said, "You have to take what he says with a grain of salt." "He also said that he wrote 'Eruption" and came up with (Eddie's custom guitar) the Frankenstein Strat," Wolfgang added. Wolfgang added that he's not planning on participating in a summer VH tribute tour featuring former VH vocalist Sammy Hagar and Anthony. "No way. I don't want to play that music without my dad," he said. - Canoe.com, 3/8/24...... The Australian film production company HALO Films announced on Mar. 8 that a "loose biopic" based on the life of late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott is currently in the works. The film -- titled The Kid From Harvest Road -- will not be a faithful retelling of Scott's life, but rather a "fictionalised narrative set in the 1960s," according to HALO. The company explains that by working around a loose retelling, the movie "can offer a more imaginative exploration of Scott's character and experiences". The studio continued: "Focusing on his formative years in Fremantle allows for a deeper dive into the influences and events that shaped him as a person and ultimately as the iconic frontman of AC/DC. It also provides an opportunity to explore the cultural landscape of the time, including the burgeoning music scene and social dynamics of the era." Young Australian actor Lee Tiger Halley, who stars in Netflix's Boy Swallows Universe, will play Scott in the film. A release date for The Kid From Harvest Road has yet to be announced, as the film is expected to begin shooting in earl 2025.Scott fronted AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. He sang on the band's first six albums, spanning from their debut High Voltage, through 1979's Highway To Hell. Brian Johnson was tapped to replace Scott just weeks after the latter's death, and went on to record the smash LP Back in Black and has been with the band ever since. In celebration of their 50th anniversary as a band, AC/DC are set to release limited edition gold vinyl pressings of their entire album catalogue. Each of the limited edition albums come with an album-specific 12"x12" print featuring new AC/DC 50 artwork suitable for framing. All nine albums are available for pre-order now and are set for release on Mar. 15. The band recently announced a huge UK and European stadium tour for 2024 as well as a new drummer and bassist for said shows. The Australian rock legends will perform 21 dates in 10 countries this summer, which will mark their first tour in Europe for eight years. - NME, 3/8/24...... Cher and her son Elijah Blue Allman have been asked to reach an agreement over bid for Allman's conservatorship. Cher's bid for a conservatorship over Allman's finances, which began in Dec. 2023, was rejected in January, but now they've been granted a three-month grace period to try to reach an agreement outside the court. Cher had argued, via her lawyers, that "she feared that her son would not be alive within the year" if he was left in control of his money," due to the 47-year-old Allman's"history of drug use" and a "schizoaffective disorder" diagnosis. However, that bid was denied as Allman returned a clean drug test and appeared to have successfully managed his finances. Allman's lawyers said in early March they believe Cher intends to drag out the process until he can no longer afford to pay for legal representation. "We are concerned that this is an effort to continue this case further and further until Mr. Allman is left dry," Steven Bremer, Allman's attorney said during a hearing. Bremer added he could not see how the two parties could come to an agreement independently. "This is not like a family law matter where several issues need to be resolved," he said. "There is one issue and that is the conservatorship of my client... I'm not certain what middle ground we can find." - Music-News.com, 3/7/24...... Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon Osbourne has slammed singer Adele, accusing her of using a "fake" cockney accent. The former X Factor judge took aim at the London-born singer during the Mar. 7 episode of Celebrity Big Brother -- criticizing the "Rolling In The Deep"' singer as exaggerating her accent. I think she plays the whole 'Oh, love, oh I'm Adele... I'm so English,'" she said to her housemates during the UK reality show, putting on a heavy cockney accent. It's like, cut the crap, you don't talk like that anymore, just sing, just be true to who you are," she continued. "But she does all this old English, you know?" Since entering the Big Brother house on Mar. 4, Sharon has also called out fellow housemate James Corden -- namely for his habit of "constantly" name-dropping. Before entering the reality show, Sharon lashed out at rapper Kanye West, saying he "f----ed with the wrong Jew this time ater West was accused of sampling a Black Sabbath song without the band's permission on his new album Vultures. - NME, 3/8/24...... Steve Lawrence, the charismatic Grammy- and Emmy-winning crooner who delighted audiences for decades in nightclubs, on concert stages and in film and television appearances, died on Mar. 7 in Los Angeles of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 88. Mr. Lawrence partnered with the late Eydie Gormé, his wife of 55 years, in the very popular lounge act Steve & Eydie. Born Sidney Liebowitz in Brooklyn on July 8, 1935, Mr. Lawrence broke into show business with his boyish good looks, silky voice and breezy personality after winning a talent competition on Arthur Godfrey's CBS talent show and signed with King Records as a teenager. The singer chose to stay old school and resist the allure of rock 'n' roll. "It didn't attract me as much," Mr. Lawrence once said. "I grew up in a time period when music was written by Irving Berlin and Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin and Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart and Sammy Cahn and Julie Stein. Those people, I related to -- what they were writing -- because it was much more melodic." Mr. Lawrence's smooth stylings were heard on dozens of solo albums, starting in 1953 with an eponymous LP. In 1963, he topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks with the Gerry Goffin-Carole King pop ballad "Go Away Little Girl." The single became the first in history to reach No. 1 by two different artists, after Donny Osmond recorded his chart-topping version in 1971. Lawrence also made the top 10 with 1959's "Pretty Blue Eyes" (No. 9), 1960's "Footsteps" (No. 7) and 1961's "Portrait of My Love" (No. 9). On Broadway, Mr. Lawrence starred as Sammy Glick in the long-running "What Makes Sammy Run?," a musical adaptation of Budd Schulberg's novel, and received a best actor Tony nomination in 1964. A year later, he hosted a short-lived CBS variety program, and in the 1970s, he was a semi-regular on The Carol Burnett Show, appearing on more than two dozen episodes. Mr. Lawrence also portrayed manager Maury Sline in The Blues Brothers in 1980, and reprised the character in the 1998 sequel Blues Brothers 2000. Mr. Lawrence and wife Edie won an Emmy in 1979 for their NBC special Steve & Eydie Celebrate Irving Berlin and had fun on game shows, appearing on What's My Line?, I've Got a Secret and Password All-Stars, to name a few. They were a staple in Las Vegas, headlining Caesars Palace, the Sands, the Sahara and the Desert Inn, and the Las Vegas Entertainment Awards honored them four times as Musical Variety Act of the Year. Survivors include his son, David, a film and television composer whose credits include the High School Musical films; daughter-in-law Faye; granddaughter Mabel; and brother Bernie. Another son, Michael, died of heart failure in 1986 at age 23. Gormé died of an undisclosed illness in Aug. 2013. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/7/24.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Elton John has teamed up with the apparel company Happy Socks for a new collection of limited-edition custom socks. Titled the "Elton John Special Edition Unapologetically Yourself Collection," the line boasts eight different sock styles ranging from a denim patterned "Blue Jean Baby" pair of socks to a cobalt blue "Rocket Man"-themed pair. The entire collection, available for a limited time only, can be viewed at HappySocks.com. - Billboard, 3/5/24...... Cher will be honored with the 2024 iHeartRadio Icon Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Apr. 1. Cher was not announced as a performer on the show, but will be the subject of a musical tribute. The show will feature performances by Justin Timberlake, Green Day, TLC, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Tate McRae and more. The inimitable singer is also among this year's nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The 12th annual iHeartRadio Music Awards will celebrate the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app throughout 2023. The event will air live from Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Apr. 1 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET live (PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The show also will be heard on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app. - Billboard, 3/4/24...... The Eagles/Don Henley "stolen notes" trial came to a stunning end on Mar. 6 after Manhattan prosecutors decided to drop a criminal case against three men accused of trying to sell stolen notes linked to the band's 1976 album Hotel California, with a judge saying Henley had "manipulated" prosecutors. During a hearing in open court, Justice Curtis Farber dismissed the charges against Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski after prosecutors alerted him that newly uncovered evidence cast doubt on whether Henley's notes had been stolen in the first place. The sudden reversal was sparked by Henley producing new evidence that had been previously withheld under attorney-client privilege. The new materials touched on whether journalist Ed Sanders, who was hired in the 1970s to write a book about the Eagles, had legitimately come into possession of Henley's notes. Farber sharply criticized the conduct of Henley and his manager, Irving Azoff: "It is now clear that both witnesses and their lawyers used the privilege to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging to their position that the lyric sheets were stolen." He added he was also troubled that prosecutors had been "manipulated" into bringing the charges, and questioned why they had not more thoroughly vetted the accusations and the evidence -- but praised them for dropping the case once new evidence had come to light. The surprise dismissal of the charges came mid-way through the closely-watched criminal trial, in which Henley and Azoff had already testified. The proceedings had already run more than two weeks and had been expected to keep going until at least next week. - Billboard, 3/6/24...... In other legal news, Earth, Wind & Fire has won its trademark lawsuit against a tribute band that used the group's name without permission. After a year of litigation, EWF prevailed against a tribute act calling itself "Earth, Wind & Fire Legacy Reunion" -- a use of the legendary R&B group's name that a federal judge called "deceptive and misleading." Tribute acts -- groups that exclusively cover the music of a particular band -- are legally allowed to operate, and they often adopt names that allude to the original. However they must make clear that they are only a tribute band, and they can run into legal trouble if they make it appear that they are affiliated with or endorsed by the original. The case against Legacy Reunion took that basic framework and added tricky questions. The tribute band really did feature musicians who had once performed with EWF, and they argued that they were legally allowed to tell that to fans. But EWF's attorneys argued that those performers were just a few "side musicians" who had briefly played with the band, and that they had purposefully aimed to mislead consumers into thinking the primary players were also involved. On Mar. 4, Judge Federico A. Moreno sided decisively with the original band, saying the evidence tipped "overwhelmingly" in its favor. - Billboard, 3/5/24...... '70s musicians and longtime anti-nuclear activists Jackson Browne and Graham Nash are among a coalition of actors, musicians and activists who have signed an open letter to Hollywood on the significance of director Christopher Nolan's film Oppenheimer and the real-life threats of nuclear war. Under the headline "An Open Letter to Hollywood on Oppenheimer and Nuclear War," an ad to be published on Mar. 7 in the Los Angeles Times and also viewable on MakeNukesHistory.org reads, in part: "Oppenheimer depicts the origin story of nuclear weapons, the history of the Manhattan Project, and Robert Oppenheimer's subsequent warnings against an arms race and the development of even more powerful weapons. Oppenheimer was right to warn us. Today, 13,000 nuclear weapons are held by nine countries. Some are 80 times more powerful than the ones that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. As artists and advocates, we want to raise our voices to remind people that while Oppenheimer is history, nuclear weapons are not." The campaign is taking place across Los Angeles and includes, in addition to several billboards, a mural in West Hollywood and more than 1,000 street posters, proclaiming "Oppenheimer Started It, We Can End It" and "13 Oppenheimer Nominations; 13,000 Nuclear Weapons." Also included the coalition are the likes of Annie Lennox, Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, Julianne Moore, Lily Tomlin, Viggo Mortensen and J. Robert Oppenheimer's grandson, activist Charles Oppenheimer. The film Oppenheimer is expected to pick up several Oscars -- including the major categories of best picture and best director -- during the 2024 Academy Awards ceremony on Mar. 10 in Los Angeles. - Billboard, 3/6/24...... On Mar. 6 the Doobie Brothers and their former member Michael McDonald announced they are reuniting for their first album in 44 years. The Doobies' 50th anniversary reunion tour is heading into its third year, and co-founders Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons say they're stoked about the band's next album, which it's finishing work on with McDonald. The singer/keyboardist was with the Doobies from 1975-1982, McDonald has been back in the fold since the band's anniversary tour was first announced in 2019 and then delayed by the pandemic. Produced by John Shanks -- who also produced the band's 2021 effort Liberte -- the new album will be the Doobies' first in 11 years, and the band's first with McDonald since 1980's One Step Closer. It will also be the first Doobies album to include McDonald, Simmons and Johnston since Takin' It to the Streets in 1975. McDonald also sang backing vocals on the Doobies' 2014 album Southbound. McDonald's tenure with the band -- coming after he contributed backing vocals to Steely Dan albums -- was among its most successful. Brought in to help the band while Johnston was suffering burn-out, the St. Louis native contributed hits such as "Takin' It to the Streets," "It Keeps You Runnin'," "You Belong to Me" (co-written with Carly Simon) and "Real Love." The triple-platinum Minute By Minute album in 1978, meanwhile, was the band's sole No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and won three Grammy Awards including Record of the Year for the hit "What a Fool Believes." Simmons says the goal is to finish recording the new album before the band's summer tour begins June 15 in Seattle; meanwhile McDonald is preparing to release an autobiography, What a Fool Believes: A Memoir, on on May 21. - Billboard, 3/6/24......Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have been booked for a Jersey homecoming spot headlining the second of two nights at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival, set for Sept. 15 at Asbury Park, N.J., according to a post on the festival's Instagram page. The band previously announced it will hit the road for its latest world tour, set to launch Mar. 19 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, and stretching across 52 dates in 17 countries. Springsteen, 74, is now symptom free from a peptic ulcer disease that plagued him in 2023, and forced the band to postpone a long run of shows into 2024. Those postponed dates are worked into the forthcoming tour, set to wrap up Nov. 22 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C. The Boss warmed up the trek with performances at the 2024 MusiCares "Person Of The Year" gala, the 17th annual "Stand Up For Heroes" benefit, and at the New Jersey Hall of Fame induction honoring his wife and fellow musician Patti Scialfa. To celebrate the trans-Atlantic tour dates, Springsteen's longtime label home Sony Music has announced it will release a career-spanning collection of the Rock And Roll Hall of Famer's original music, on Apr. 19. The Best of Bruce Springsteen will boast 31 songs in digital formats. Sony will also issue an 18-track set across two LPs or one CD, and the vinyl edition will also be available as an Amazon.com exclusive "color variant," reps say. - Billboard, 3/6/24...... '70s pop star Gary Glitter is being sued in the UK by one of his victims over alleged psychiatric damage caused by his past sexual abuse. The claim against the disgraced Glitter has been brought by one of the victims to which Glitter was convicted in 2015 of abusing, along with two other young victims, with the incidents taking place between 1975 and 1980. In the lawsuit, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, is seeking compensation for the psychiatric damage she suffered at his hands when she was just 12 years old -- with her lawyer describing it as "the worst kind" of abuse. "What we have is severe and profound consequences as a result of abuse that I think is fair to say is of the worst kind," her lawyer, Jonathan Metzer, told the court during a hearing in London on Mar. 5. "In summary, it has had profound and long-lasting consequences for my client's life ever since." Glitter -- whose real name is Paul Gadd -- did not attend the London hearing and was not represented by a lawyer. The court was also told that he had not so far engaged with the civil case. The plaintiff has previously secured a "default judgment" in her claim -- a ruling in her favor over Gadd's liability. Glitter had several chart hits in the '70s but later fell from grace around 20 years later, when he was arrested and imprisoned for possessing thousands of images of child abuse. From there, he was later expelled from Cambodia in 2002 following reports of sex crime allegations, and was convicted of sexually abusing two girls, aged 10 and 11, in Vietnam in 2006. The latter saw him spend two and a half years in jail. Further allegations against him came to light when he was the first person named and arrested under the UK's Operation Yewtree -- an investigation by the Metropolitan Police following the Jimmy Savile scandal. - New Musical Express, 3/6/24...... Sammy Hagar has won a court order barring an allegedly unauthorized Hollywood location of the "Red Rocker"'s Cabo Wabo Cantina from continuing to use the chain's name and branding while their dispute plays out before a judge. In a preliminary injunction issued on Mar. 5, a Los Angeles federal judge sided with Hagar's company, Red Head Inc., and ruled franchisee Robert Azinian was prohibited from using "Cabo Wabo" trademarks for any purpose, including a new location on Hollywood Boulevard that sparked the rocker's lawsuit. Judge George H. Wu's order came amid an escalating legal dispute between Hagar and his former business partner over Cabo Wabo Cantina -- a brand of Mexican-themed eateries started by the Van Halen rocker in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 1990 and later franchised into locations in Las Vegas and Hollywood. He said Hagar's company was likely to eventually win the lawsuit, and that it would face so-called "irreparable harm" if Azinian was able to continue using the Cabo Wabo Cantina branding while the case played out. - Billboard, 3/5/24...... After premiering in the US on Valentine's Day, the new Bob Marley biopic One Love has become the seventh all-time highest-grossing music biopic. The film, which stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as reggae legend Marley, has grossed $82.8 million in the U.S. and Canada Mar. 3, according to boxofficemojo.com. The 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody claims the top spot, with a domestic gross of $216.4 million to date. Rami Malek won an Oscar for best actor for playing the band's charismatic lead singer Freddie Mercury. - Billboard, 3/3/24...... The Black Sabbath classic "Paranoid" has joined the elite streaming "Billions Club" on Spotify.com. Recognized as a classic of the heavy metal genre, "Paranoid" is the title track from the band's 1970 LP, peaking at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart and No. 4 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. Spotify welcomed "Paranoid" to its Billions Club in a Mar. 4 post on X/Twitter. "Paranoid" has racked up over 75 million records sold, including more than 24 platinum albums in the U.K. alone and over 15 million albums in the U.S., according to BMG, which represents the band's recordings outside North America. The song was written in the studio "in about five minutes," according to an interview with Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler with Guitar World in 2004. The song is the 581st addition to Spotify's Billions Club since the service launched in 2008. Black Sabbath was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, with members of Metallica doing the honors. - Billboard, 3/6/24...... During a show at the Broward Center For The Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Mar. 1, Bob Dylan appeared to respond to a heckler who shouted "play something we know!" at one of his recent live shows. Early on in the 16-song set, the rock legend was interrupted by a dissatisfied audience member. In a fan-shot video which can be viewed on YouTube and X/Twitter, a woman can be heard shouting at the musician to "play something we know!" during the introduction to a live rendition of his 1971 song "When I Paint My Masterpiece." Dylan then launched into a new arrangement of the song where he sings the lyrics to the tune of Irving Berlin's "Puttin' On The Ritz" (or possibly, The Four Lads' 1953 song "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)." During the concert, Dylan also covered Jimmy Rogers' "Walking By Myself" live for the first time. Dylan's current "Rough And Rowdy Ways" tour is scheduled to conclude in early April. In February, he and Willie Nelson announced a co-headlining US tour for this summer. - NME, 3/5/24...... Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry has sold half of his sound recording, publishing and name, image and likeness rights to Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group. The company, which did not disclose financial details of the deal, said it will "develop and expand the renowned artist's musical legacy to new generations of fans." The deal spans Ferry's work with Roxy Music and his expansive solo career, which combined has yielded 24 albums over 50-plus years. The band's best known songs include "Love Is the Drug," "All I Want Is You," "Virginia Plain," "Dance Away," "Avalon" and radio staple "More Than This." Ferry's solo favorites include "Slave to Love," "Let's Stick Together," "Don't Stop the Dance," "Kiss & Tell" and a memorable cover of fellow sophisticate Robert Palmer's "Johnny & Mary." Ferry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of Roxy Music, and he was awarded a CBE in 2011 for his contribution to British music. - Billboard, 3/5/24...... One of the somewhat underreported facts about the recent lunar lander which became the first US spacecraft to touch down on the moon since 1972 was its payload that included a capsule full of artistic artefacts. Artists whose music appears in the arts-centric collection include recordings by Marvin Gaye, Santana, Chuck Berry, Sly & the Family Stone, Bob Marley, Janis Joplin and The Who and many more. It also has photos of music events like Woodstock and album art, such as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon. The capsule was enclosed in a glass, nickel and NanoFiche structure built to last millions of, if not a billion, years. "In case we blow ourselves up with a nuclear weapon or a meteor hits us or climatic change wipes us out, there's a testament of our history sitting on the moon," says Climate & Refugees documentarian Michael P. Nash. - NME, 2/27/24...... Late Queen singer Freddie Mercury's $38 million London home has officially hit the market for the first time since his death. The peaceful home, named Garden Lodge, first caught the eye of the Queen frontman in 1980 after he toured the Kensington property himself. He was so taken by its beauty and charm that he decided to purchase it "on the spot," according to a press release from Knight Frank, which holds the current listing. After Mercury bought the Neo-Georgian style home, he worked alongside interior designer Robin Moore Ede to transform it into a true reflection of himself and his eclectic style. After his death in 1991, the rock legend left his treasured estate to his close friend and former fiance Mary Austin, who has decided to list the property after more than 30 years. Freddie composed the Queen classic on the home's grand piano before his death at age 45 due to complications of AIDS. - People, 2/29/24...... Jim Beard, a solo artist and touring keyboardist for Steely Dan for the past 16 years, died on Mar. 2 at age 63 from complications of a sudden, as yet undisclosed illness, a spokesperson for the group has confirmed. Born in Ridley Park, Penn. on Aug. 26, 1960, Beard took clarinet, saxophone and sting bass lessons as a teenager and studied jazz at Indiana University, where he played in a bar band that featured session drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty) and trumpet player Chris Botti. He joined the live Steely Dan band in 2008 for the Think Fast Tour and in addition to performing with the long-running jazz-influenced rock group -- including at his final show with the band on Jan. 20 in Phoenix, Ariz. He was also a touring member of the Eagles on their Long Goodbye tour. Between tours with such jazz greats as Pat Metheny and John McLaughlin's Mahavishu Orchestra, Beard recorded six solo CDs and taught at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, the Mason Gross School of Arts at Rutgers University, and variouis other universities. - Billboard, 3/6/24.

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Organizers of the 2024 BST Hyde Park Show in London announced on Feb. 29 that Stevie Nicks will be joining the already power-packed lineup for the July 12 concert in Hyde Park. "Anything that draws me back to London -- and therefore to England -- fills my heart with joy," Nicks, 75, said in a statement. "And to be able to visit and make music... is always a dream come true." The concert, with support acts to be named later, will be former Fleetwood Mac frontwoman's first show in the U.K. in seven years; she previously performed at BST in 2017 in support of her old friend and duet partner Tom Petty. Nicks will be on the road throughout 2024, including a Mar. 3 headlining show in Omaha, Neb., as well as a run of co-headlining stadium gigs with longtime pal Billy Joel on Mar. 9 show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex. and June 21 at Chicago's Soldier Field. - Billboard, 2/29/24...... Keith Richards has covered the Lou Reed classic "I'm Waiting For the Man" ahead of the release of a new tribute album in honor of Reed. The track is one of Reed's earliest works which appeared on The Velvet Underground's 1967 debut, The Velvet Underground & Nico. "To me, Lou stood out. The real deal! [He was] important to American music and to ALL MUSIC! I miss him and his dog," Richards said in a statement. The cover is the first song to be released from the forthcoming Reed tribute album The Power of the Heart, which also features contributions from Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Rosanne Cash, The Afghan Whigs, and Lucinda Williams and more. Produced in partnership with Reed's widow, Laurie Anderson, and the Lou Reed Archive, The Power of the Heart is set for release on Apr. 20 via Light in the Attic Records. Richards' cover of "I'm Waiting For the Man" has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 3/1/24...... A new book featuring unreleased interviews with The Beatles, All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words, has already made Amazon.com's bestsellers charts as a No. 1 new release, even though it won't officially be available to buy online until Apr. 9. Written by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines -- who have both worked with, and written about the Fab Four for years -- All You Need Is Love features unreleased interviews with the band members, as well as new interviews with people who were close to the group, including ex-wives Cynthia Lennon, Pattie Harrison Clapton and Maureen Starkey, as well as "the major social and business figures of the Beatles' inner circle" according to a press release, which adds that "Only a small portion of the contents of these transcribed interviews have ever been revealed." Brown and Gaines previously collaborated together back in 1983 when they authored the bestseller The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles, which detailed the rise of the band and their oftentimes complicated relationships with one another. - Billboard, 2/26/24...... In other Beatles-related news, music producer Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, the Barbie soundtrack) says he "called in some favors" to encourage the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to induct his stepfather Mick Jones' famous rock band, Foreigner, into the Rock Hall in 2024. Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Feb. 26, Ronson revealed he put together a compilation of videos from famous friends vocalizing their support for the rock band, including Paul McCartney. "I called in some favors. So there's some people I've met along the way making music myself that I knew were fans of Foreigner, like Jack Black and Dave Grohl and Slash." But when he got the former Beatles' superstar's submission, he said he was shocked to find that it was somewhat off-color. Fallon then rolled the clip, self-filmed by McCartney in his car. "Foreigner not in the Hall of Fame? What the f--k?," Macca succinctly declares in the video before abruptly ending the recording. "I've never heard Paul McCartney curse," said Ronson. "He's a knight! I don't want to be the first person to ever post a video of Paul McCartney dropping the f-bomb." Sir Paul's video can be viewed on X, while Ronson's full interview with Fallon is available on YouTube. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductions are set to be announced in late April. Meanwhile, Foreigner's big moment continues as another late night host, Jimmy Kimmel, has tweaked Foreigner's 1977 breakthrough hit "Feels Like the First Time" in a new ad for Kimmel's upcoming fourth time hosting the Academy Awards, set for Mar. 10. The copy line of the ad, which can be viewed on Instagram, reads "Feels Like the Very Fourth Time," since this is Kimmel's fourth time as host. In other McCartney news, it has been revealed by Japanese composer Koji Kondo that McCartney once brought him backstage to sing the iconic Super Mario Bros. for him. In an interview with the Washington Post, Kondo said he and Super Mario Bros. creator Shigeru Miyamoto went to see Paul in 1986 while he was touring Japan. After learning they were in the audience, Paul and his wife Linda invited them backstage. Upon meeting Kondo and Miyamoto, the first thing the McCartneys did was sing the first six notes of the Super Mario Bros. theme (available on YouTube). It was an "incredible moment," said Kondo. In 2014, McCartney wrote the song "Hope For The Future" for online shooter Destiny, alongside several of game's main themes. There is also speculation more McCartney music may feature in Destiny 2's The Final Shape soundtrack, which is set for release in June. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 2/27/24...... The trailer for the forthcoming Paul Simon special on the premium streamer MGM+, In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, has been shared on YouTube. In the two-part series, Simon dives into his songwriting legacy and the high points of his nearly seven-decade career in music. In addition to taking viewers behind the scenes of the making of his 2023 album Seven Psalms, the Alex Gibney-helmed doc promises to include never-before-seen footage from throughout the 82-year-old Simon's storied career, from his days in Simon & Garfunkel to the global success of his landmark 1986 world music album Graceland. "I've never wanted to be anything other than a singer and songwriter," says Simon, author of such indelible hits as "Homeward Bound," "The Sound of Silence" (which includes the line "In restless dreams" which provided the title of this doc), "Mrs. Robinson," "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and "Loves Me Like a Rock." In Restless Dreams, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, will bow as a two-part series on MGM+ on Mar. 17 and 24. - Billboard, 2/29/24...... John Fogerty says that he's "in total shock" over the recent announcement by Australia's Country Fest Queensland festival that mysteriously canceled his scheduled performance. On Feb. 27, the festival announced that his performance was canceled due to "unforeseen circumstances." I'm bewildered," Fogerty told Billboard, sounding jovial but confused. "I still remain able and ready and willing to do this show. I take the commitment of playing for the fans very seriously. Throughout my career, practically my whole life, there's hardly ever been a cancelation." His performance, which had been scheduled for the weekend of Mar. 30, would have marked the Creedence Clearwater Revival founder's first show in Australia in more than a decade. Fogerty and his team maintain that they have not been made aware of any reason for the sudden change. "I really don't know a lot," he says. "I was happy to be coming down to Australia to play. It sounded like a really fun event." Soon after Country Fest announced that Fogerty was no longer part of the billing, Fogerty posted a statement on Instagram. "I was ready to celebrate with you all for my one and only show this year in Australia when the Country Fest Queensland blindsided me yesterday by canceling my appearance," it read. "It was posted that I would not be appearing due to unforeseen circumstances. Well, I can tell you, my friends, I was not the reason for the 'unforeseen circumstances.'" Country Fest has since shared a follow-up statement claiming that negotiations with Fogerty's team "did not reach a final outcome," however Fogerty maintains his contract was signed and fully agreed upon in mid-January. "Everything was normal as far as I knew," he says. - Billboard, 2/28/24...... After first expressing disappointment that rapper Kanye West had allegedly used an unauthorized interpolation of Donna Summer's 1977 hit "I Feel Love" in his new song "Good (Don't Die)" in early February, Summer's estate formally sued West for copyright infringement on Feb. 27 in federal court in Los Angeles. The suit alleges that representatives of West had asked permission to use Summer's song, however West was rejected because the Summer estate "wanted no association with West's controversial history." West and his collaborator Ty Dolla $ign have been accused of "shamelessly" including re-recorded parts of the hit that were "instantly recognizable" on the song from his new Vultures 1 album. The suit, filed by Summer's husband Bruce Sudano in his role as executor of the estate, states: "In the face of this rejection, defendants arrogantly and unilaterally decided they would simply steal 'I Feel Love' and use it without permission." The lawsuit names both West and Ty as defendants, as well as Yeezy Record Label, LLC, the company Yzy Snd, and 10 Does. It seeks an injunction to prevent any further circulation of the song, with damages to be determined at a trial. The defendants are yet to respond to the suit. Meanwhile, Ozzy Osbourne has reflected on standing up to West in a similar situation in a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine. In early February, Ozzy claimed he turned down Kanye's request to use a sample of the 1971 Black Sabbath track "Iron Man." "With the current state of affairs, you don't need anybody starting people on discrimination of any kind," said Osbourne, 75-year-old. "It's wrong. It's just wrong. There's enough f--king aggravation, and he shouldn't say anything (like what he has)," he continued. "It's wrong if you don't say anything about him. I don't want any of my work in any shape or form to be associated with anything like that." In late 2022, West made a series of anti-semitic remarks, including comments praising Adolf Hitler, which led to the termination of numerous commercial partnerships. He later apologized. - NME/Music-News.com, 2/28/24...... Such '70s artists as Melissa Manchester, Barry Manilow, Carlos Santana and Dionne Warwick will be among the lineup paying tribute to music industry icon Clive Davis in late April. "The Soundtrack of Our Lives: A Tribute to the Legendary Clive Davis" will take place on Apr. 29 at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage in New York. According to a release from The New York Pops on Instagram announcing the special night of music, the lineup (which also includes Babyface, Toni Braxton, Busta Rhymes and Kenny G, among others) will "showcase Mr. Davis' immense impact on the worlds of Pop, Rock and Roll, R&B, Country and Hip-Hop through a wide array of musical selections." It noted that throughout his nearly six-decade career in the music industry, Davis, 91, has won four Grammys, as well as a Trustees Award from the Recording Academy and a 2000 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2010, the theater at The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live was named in Davis' honor. Davis' storied career as a record producer, record executive and A&R man has included stints at the top of Columbia Records, RCA Music Group and BMG North America and the founding of Arista Records and J Records, as well as the landmark singings of such music legends as Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd and Chicago, as well as a key role in boosting Whitney Houston to global prominence. - Billboard, 2/28/24...... Auction house Christie's announced on Feb. 26 that it will host an online auction of items from the personal collection of British model and photographer Pattie Boyd, who once served as a muse for both George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Hailing Boyd as "one of the greatest muses in rock history" in a press release, Christie's noted that she inspired a plethora of songs between the two musicians, including Harrison's Beatles song "Something" and Clapton's classic "Layla." Boyd was married to Harrison during the peak of Beatlemania, the band's foray into psychedelia and post-breakup (1966-1977). Clapton, a close friend of Harrison's, pursued Boyd for years via a series of love letters, some of which are available at the auction. "I am writing this note to you, with the main purpose of ascertaining your feelings toward a subject well known to both of us," he opens one letter. "What I wish to ask you is if you still love your husband, or if you have another lover? All these questions are very impertinent I know, but if there is still a feeling in your heart for me... you must let me know!" By 1974, upon discovering his multitude of extramarital affairs, Boyd left Harrison. Five years later, she and Clapton married, eventually splitting in 1987 due to substance abuse issues and infidelity. For her part, Boyd believes auctioning off these items (which include photos of herself, Harrison and Clapton, as well as postcards, telegrams and letters) is a part of her healing journey. "I thought, 'Do I need them? Do I need to keep going into Pandora's Box?' I've enjoyed them for many, many years, and now it's time for other people to see and enjoy them. It's only right I should pass them on," she mused to Christie's, where items will be on display at Christie's in London from Mar. 15-22. The online auction occurs between Mar. 8-21. - Billboard, 2/27/24...... As shooting begins on the new Michael Jackson biopic Michael, Lionsgate and Universal Pictures have reported that two sets of four actors have been cast to play the King of Pop's brothers in the Jackson 5 -- Jermaine, Marlon, Tito and Jackie -- to represent the group as they age in the film. "The truly epic nature of this film required a total of 10 actors with the talent to portray the Jackson 5 through the years," says Michael producer Graham King in a press release. "I'm thrilled to bring this extraordinary group of actors and performers to worldwide audiences in this film," he adds. Jaafar Jackson will portray his late uncle Michael in the film alongside Nia Long, set to play Katherine Jackson, and Oscar nominee Colman Domingo, who is set to play the controversial Jackson family patriarch, Joe Jackson. Nine-year-old actor Juliano Krue Valdi will portray Michael during his formative years in the Jackson 5. Michael is currently scheduled for release on Apr. 18, 2025. - Billboard, 2/27/24...... Journey announced on their X page on Feb. 27 that they'll kick off a 50th anniversary tour of the UK and Ireland this autumn in Cardiff's Utilita Arena on Oct. 30, followed by stops in Glasgow (11/2), Belfast (11/4), Dublin (11/5), Manchester (11/8), Leeds (11/9), Liverpool (11/11), Birmingham (11/13) and Newcastle (11/6) before wrapping at London's O2 Arena on Nov. 17. "It's been too long since we've seen you all!" said guitarist Neal Schon in a statement. "We are all very excited to be coming back to the UK and playing with our good friends Cheap Trick, who I've known and played with since the '70s. It's going to be a great party for all!" The run follows a lengthy trek across the US which will include a massive stadium tour with Def Leppard which gets underway in July. Journey's most recent album was 2022's Freedom, their first full-length LP in over a decade. - NME, 2/27/24...... Willie Nelson announced on Feb. 27 his latest Outlaw Music Festival Tour will launch June 21 in Alpharatta, Ga. -- and this one might be the most star-studded one yet. The tour will feature Nelson's band Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and John Mellencamp, along with Brittney Spencer, Celisse and Southern Avenue on various dates throughout the tour. Country singer Billy Strings, who just headlined three Nashville shows, will join the tour for a special concert outside Seattle, Washington at The Gorge. "This year's Outlaw Music Festival Tour promises to be the biggest and best yet with this lineup of legendary artists. I am thrilled to get back on the road again with my family and friends playing the music we love for the fans we love," Nelson, 90, said in a statement. The Outlaw Music Festival made its debut in 2016 in Scranton, Penn. The sold-out show garnered so much acclaim that organizers Blackbird Presents, Mark Rothbaum and Nelson developed it into a hugely-popular touring franchise that has welcomed artists including Chris Stapleton, Neil Young, Luke Combs, Van Morrison, ZZ Top, Sheryl Crow, Eric Church, Bonnie Raitt and more over the years. - Billboard, 2/27/24...... Appearing in Manhattan Criminal Court on Feb. 26, Don Henley denied that he ever gave away handwritten pages of draft lyrics to "Hotel California" and other Eagles hits, calling them "very personal" in testimony that also delved into an ugly but unrelated episode: his 1980 arrest. Henley, the 76-year-old Grammy-winning co-founder of one of the most successful bands in rock history, is prosecutors' star witness in an unusual criminal trial surrounding the lyrics sheets. Henley says they were stolen decades ago from his barn in Malibu, Calif., and that he was appalled when the material began turning up at auctions in 2012. "It just wasn't something that was for public viewing. It was our process. It was something very personal, very private," he said in a raspy drawl. "I still wouldn't show that to anybody." The defendants are three collectibles experts who bought the pages years later through a writer who had worked with the Eagles on a never-published band biography. The defense maintains that Henley willingly gave them to the scribe. Under cross-examination, Henley acknowledged that he didn't remember "the entirety" of his conversations with the writer, Ed Sanders, who isn't charged in the case. Nor, Henley said, could he recall whether he gave Sanders permission to take the documents off the property. But Henley insisted he gave Sanders only access to the documents, not permanent possession of them, in the hopes that a firsthand view of "the time and effort that went into" the lyrics would improve the book. He said he told Sanders he could look at the pages, ideally at a breakfast table in an apartment upstairs from the barn. "I never gave him permission to keep those items," Henley said. At issue are about 100 sheets of legal-pad paper inscribed with lyrics-in-the-making for multiple songs on the Hotel California album, including "Life in the Fast Lane," "New Kid in Town" and the title track that turned into one of the most durable hits in rock. Famed for its lengthy guitar solo and puzzlingly poetic lyrics, the song still gets streamed hundreds of millions of times a year. The defendants -- rare-book dealer Glenn Horowitz and rock memorabilia specialists Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski -- have pleaded not guilty to charges including criminally possessing stolen property. Their lawyers say there was nothing illegal in what happened to the lyrics sheets. The defense has signaled that it plans to question Henley about how clearly he remembers his conversations with Sanders during an era in which the rocker was living in his own fast lane. In an apparent attempt to defuse some of those questions, a prosecutor brought up Henley's 1980 arrest. Henley pleaded no contest in 1981 to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, after authorities found cocaine, quaaludes, marijuana and a naked 16-year-old girl suffering from an overdose at his Los Angeles home the prior November. He was sentenced to probation and a $2,500 fine, and he requested a drug education program to get some possession charges dismissed. Henley testified that he'd been depressed about the Eagles 1980 breakup and had sought "an escape" by calling for a sex worker that night. "I made a poor decision which I regret to this day," he said. As for his memory, he said, "I can't tell you what I had for breakfast last Friday morning, but I can tell you where we stayed when we played Wembley in 1975 and we opened for Elton John and the Beach Boys," referring to London's Wembley Stadium. - AP, 2/26/24...... Rod Stewart and his latest collaborator Jools Holland are on track for a No. 1 UK album with their latest covers collection gathering songs from the big band era, Swing Fever. The LP leads the midweek Official Chart Update, and is set to become Stewart's 11th No. 1 album, and first since You're In My Heart led the tally back in Dec. 2019. Holland has never nabbed top spot on the Official U.K. Chart. Should it top the chart, Swing Fever would see Stewart move up to 10th on the U.K.'s list of artists with the most career No. 1s, and into equal fifth among solo acts with the most leaders. - Billboard, 2/26/24...... The Bizarre column in the UK paper The Sun is reporting that Mercury Songs Limited, which owns late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury's solo works, has filed to trademark his moniker for 3D and virtual reality, giving rise to speculation that a new Freddie Mercury hologram show could be in the works. According to the filing, it covers "immersive 3D virtual, augmented, and mixed reality experiences" for "virtual environments." Queen have already performed with an illusion of Freddie at their concerts. Guitarist Sir Brian May, 76, wept after performing a duet of "Love Of My Life" with an optical illusion of Mercury during Queen + Adam Lambert's "Rhapsody Tour" in 2022, however May has said he would prefer that a Queen hologram show similar to ABBA's successful Voyage show in London happen after he and his bandmates have gone on to join Mercury in the next world. "When we're all gone, yeah sure, make an ABBA thing about us, but while we're here I want to play live," May said during an appearance on The Graham Norton Radio Show podcast in 2023. Mercury died at the age of 45 in 1991 from bronchial pneumonia, a complication of AIDS. - Music-News.com, 2/27/24...... The death of beloved comedian/actor Richard Lewis on Feb. 27 after suffering a heart attack has prompted online messages of condolences from the likes of Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton and Bette Midler. "Comedian/Actor Richard Lewis passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles last night after suffering a heart attack," his rep, Jeff Abraham, shared the news via a statement. "His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time." Lewis quickly became a fan favorite over 40 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, including the 2000 pilot episode. In 2021, he announced that he would not return to the series in order to recover from three surgeries, though he ended up making a one-scene appearance in season 11. He ended up returning for the now-airing final season of the HBO program. "God bless, Richard Lewis peace and love to Joyce peace and love," Ringo Starr posted on X on Feb. 28, while Peter Frampton posted that "I just heard we have lost the great and wonderful Richard Lewis. We've been friends for over 30years. I'll really miss you my friend. I love you @TheRichardLewis rip." Bette Midler posted "On a sad note, the great Richard Lewis has died." - Billboard, 2/28/24.

Monday, February 26, 2024

Billy Joel and Sting wasted no time jamming together when they kicked off their co-headlining show at Tampa, Fla.'s Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 24. Opener Sting immediately brought out Joel for a duet of The Police hit "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic." While the surprise duet to start the night was undoubtedly a big event in itself, the Tampa Bay Times reports that a big chunk of the night's audience were unable to catch it as they were stuck in traffic outside the stadium. Fortunately, these unlucky fans were able to catch the night's second duet when Joel brought Sting out to perform "Big Man on Mulberry Street" late into his set. The pair will next share co-headlining dates together in April (San Diego) and September (St. Louis) as part of Joel's ongoing tour, which also includes stops with Stevie Nicks (Arlington, Tex. and Chicago). Fan shot footage of the Police and "Mulberry" duets can be viewed on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 2/26/24...... Foreigner founder and guitarist/keyboardist Mick Jones released a statement on Feb. 21 revealing that he's been battling Parkinson's Disease for several years. Jones' ongoing absence from the band's live concerts since 2022 has been widely noticed and commented on by fans, and Jones, 79, says it's Parkinson's that has sidelined him from being on stage with the group, which is in the midst of a farewell tour. "Fans will have become very aware that for some time now, I have not been performing onstage with the band," Jones said in the statement. "Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. I want everyone to know that I am doing alright. However, I've always liked to be at my best when performing onstage, and sadly, at present, I find that a bit difficult. I am still very much involved in the background with Foreigner and remain a presence. Parkinson's is a daily struggle; the important thing is to persevere and remind myself of the wonderful career I've had in music. I thank all the fans who have supported Foreigner throughout the years and continue to attend our concerts -- I want you to know I appreciate your support; it always means so very much to me, but especially so at this point in my life." In a previous interview, Jones -- who had heart surgery during 2012 and was playing only a few songs each night with the band during the late 2010s -- was asked about the prospect of the continuing without him on board. "That's a tough one," he said, adding that, "I look at it as a team. If you think about any kind of sports teams, they change players all the time. The thought of my music carrying on in that way has some appeal to me." Foreigner's farewell tour is slated to finish in North America this summer; dates have been announced through Aug. 28, including a summer run with Styx and John Waite. The English-born Jones formed Foreigner during 1976 in New York, shortly after playing in the Leslie West Band. He put together a band of British and American musicians, including Ian McDonald of King Crimson fame and Lou Gramm from the band Black Sheep, and hit it out of the box with a self-titled debut in 1977, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, was certified five-times platinum and launched the enduring hits "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice." In its wake Foreigner has released eight more studio albums and sold more than 80 million records worldwide, spawning additional hits such as "Hot Blooded," "Urgent," "Juke Box Hero" and the No. 1 "I Want to Know What Love Is." Foreigner recently received its first-ever nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. After the first week of fan voting, Foreigner ranked third, behind Ozzy Osbourne and Peter Frampton, with well over 100,000 votes. - Billboard, 2/21/24...... Barbra Streisand was honored with a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement award during the 2024 SAG Awards on Feb. 24 at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall. Introducing Streisand, presenter Jennifer Anniston told the audience that the Grammy-winning singer performed her first major concert at the Shrine Auditorium in 1963. Unmentioned was the fact that the venue was also the same place Streisand won three Grammy Awards in the 1970s and 1980s. Bradley Cooper also helped present the award. Streisand recalled the time in 1955 when she first saw the film musical Guys and Dolls starring Marlon Brando which she said had a powerful effect on her dreams and imagination. There was just one problem, as Streisand explained in her speech. "I wanted to be in the movies even though I knew I didn't look like the other women on screen. My mother said you better learn to type, but I didn't listen, and somehow, some way -- thank God, it all came true." Streisand also spoke about how acting, and researching roles and preparing for films, has been her education. "I never went to college," she said. "I always thought acting was my education. In trying to understand the character, to have to do research, immerse yourself in the period. The whole process was fascinating to me." - Billboard, 2/25/24...... Dolly Parton has congratulated Beyoncé on her latest achievements -- the first Black woman, or female known to be biracial, to have topped Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, and the first woman to have topped both Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since the lists began as all-encompassing genre song charts in Oct. 1958. "I'm a big fan of Beyonce and very excited that she's done a country album," Parton posted on Instagram on Feb. 23. "So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single. Can't wait to hear the full album!," she added. That album is Renaissance Act II, due out Mar. 29. Beyoncé's country-flavored songs "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages" debuted at Nos. 2 and 38, respectively, on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. "Texas Hold 'Em," meanwhile, is projected to lead the Official U.K. Singles Chart, having topped the midweek survey, and is in line to be the singer's sixth U.K. solo No. 1 single. Meanwhile, Dolly Parton has been nominated for a 2024 Audie Award, which recognize distinction in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. Parton is nominated in the autobiography/memoir category for Behind the Seams, which she wrote and narrated with Holly George-Warren and Rebecca Seaver. Winners across 27 competitive categories will be revealed on Mar. 4 in Los Angeles. - Billboard, 2/23/24...... Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley says he's added two more KISS songs to his set after the band says it's retired from performing -- but he doesn't truly believe they have. "I'm the only game in town because KISS is supposedly retired -- which I don't believe is gonna happen," Frehley says. "But be that as it may. I actually added two more KISS songs to my set. We added 'Shout It Out Loud' and 'Rock and Roll All Nite' because talking to people, they go 'you gotta do those songs live' -- and I did and it went over fantastic. We ended the night with three KISS songs: 'Shout It Out Loud,' 'Deuce' and 'Rock and Roll All Nite,' and everybody was singing along and it was great. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't even matter who wrote the song. I played the guitar solos on those records, and that's good enough for me." Frehley also said he "wouldn't be surprised if KISS reformed." "There were times when I had enough and I had to leave and do my own thing," says Frehley, who was part of the band from its formation in 1973 through 1982, then rejoined from 1996 through 2002. Although Frehley maintains he quit the band, leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have indicated that he was dismissed, and the pair did not include Frehley (or original drummer Peter Criss) on any of the dates of their farewell "End of the Road World Tour." "We're still friends," he says. "I know a lot of people think we hate each other, but that's not true." On Feb. 23, Frehley released his latest solo album, 10,000 Volts, his first album since the covers set Origins Vol. 2 in 2020 and his first of original material since Spaceman in 2018. The album was co-produced by Steve Brown of the '70s band Trixter, who Frehley says he "clicked with immediately" after the two were introduced by Frehley's fiance. Frehley says he'll likely mount a worldwide tour to support 10,000 Volts. "Y'know, here I am at age 72 and I'm putting out one of the best records I've ever recorded," he says. "The playing is great and the singing is some of the best vocals I've ever done. It really doesn't make any sense, but I'm the kind of guy that's always broken rules, y'know?" - Billboard, 2/23/24...... In the latest edition of his podcast A Life in Lyrics, Paul McCartney revealed for the first time the inspiration behind a lyric in one of his most famous songs, The Beatles' "Yesterday." The line in question is "I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday" in the song's bridge, which appears twice in the song. Sir Paul said the line was subconsciously inspired by a conversation he had with his mother several years before writing the song. "We were out in the backyard and she talked posh," he said. "She was of Irish origin and she was a nurse, so she was above street level. So she had something sort of going for her, and she would talk what we thought was a little bit posh. And it was a little bit Welshy as well -- she had connections, her auntie Dilys was Welsh." McCartney continued: "I know that she said something like 'Paul, will you ask him if he's going'. I went 'Arsk! Arsk! It's ask mum.' And she got a little bit embarrassed. I remember later thinking 'God, I wish I'd never said that'. And it stuck with me. After she died I thought 'Oh f---, I really wish'." "Sometimes it's only in retrospect you can appreciate it," he added. "Yesterday," a track on the 1965 Beatles LP Help!, has been covered over 2000 times by other artists, making it one of the most performed pieces of music of all time. - NME, 2/25/24...... In other Beatles-related news, a bullet once fired from the same gun that killed John Lennon is set to go up for auction in Newcastle, UK. The bullet was given to Northumbria Police officer Brian Taylor by the New York Police Department, after they allowed him to shoot the gun on a visit to the department. Taylor recently passed away, and now the bullet will be going under the hammer at Newcastle auctioneers Anderson & Garland on February 29. Taylor had kept the bullet in a frame for the rest of his life, with the auction house's director describing it as "one of those slightly macabre lots you get now and again that draws everyone's attention." "There is a Beatles fanbase that is fanatical and a market for just about anything Beatles," he continued. "But very seldomly do you get something so unusual and unique, it's difficult to know what it's worth and whether there's a market for it or not. It's a really interesting piece of Beatles memorabilia that probably can't be replicated." Mark David Chapman shot and killed Lennon on Dec. 8, 1980 as the musician and wife Yoko Ono were returning to their Dakota Building apartment in New York City's Upper West Side. Chapman then remained at the scene until police arrived, and later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was sentenced to serve a prison term of twenty years to life. In 2022, Chapman said he shot Lennon because he "wanted to be somebody and nothing was going to stop that." He has been denied parole 12 times. - NME, 2/25/24...... On Feb. 21 a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler of sexually assaulting a teenage girl decades ago, ruling that she had waited too long to bring her case. In Nov. 2023, a former teen model named Jeanne Bellino sued the rocker, claiming he had forcibly kissed, groped and "humped" her twice over a single day in Manhattan in the summer of 1975, when she was 17 and he was 27. The case was filed under a recently-amended New York City law that allows abuse victims to sue over decades-old claims. However U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that Bellino's case did not qualify under the new statute. He ruled that the special "lookback" window only applies to cases where the abuser's actions presented a "serious risk of physical injury" -- and that Tyler's alleged actions did not do so. "The complaint in this case does not alleged conduct presenting a serious risk of physical injury and therefore fails to state a legally sufficient claim under the [NYC statute]," the judge wrote. But in dismissing the lawsuit, the judge said Bellino could potentially seek to file an updated version of her case, and gave he gave her until the end of March to request the right to do so. Tyler has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, but in court filings, his attorneys have said he "vehemently denies" the allegations. In their motion to dismiss the case, his lawyers argued Bellino could not use the New York City newly-enacted statute to sue over "purported sexual misconduct that occurred nearly half a century ago." In 2022, Tyler was sued by another woman, Julia Holcomb, who claims he repeatedly assaulted her for three years starting in 1973, when she was just 16 years old. Holcomb claims to be the girl Tyler referred to in his memoir, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?, when he wrote he "almost took a teen bride" and convinced her parents to grant him guardianship over her. Holcomb's case, filed in Los Angeles under a different look-back statute, remains pending. Tyler has denied those allegations, too, and his lawyers are seeking to have the case dismissed. - Billboard, 2/22/24...... Feel the need to "move like Jagger"? Mick Jagger has curated a new playlist featuring the songs he listens to while exercising. Titled "Mick Jagger: Music That Moves Me," the collection was put together for Apple Music's Fitness series and is accessible on music.apple.com. "Sometimes I like to exercise in silence, other times I like to be in the gym with Mozart but most of the time I enjoy exercising to music like this!" he said in a statement. The playlist is made up of 23 songs, opening with The Chemical Brothers' 1997 single "Block Rockin' Beats" before going into Daft Punk's classic track "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." It also features Fatboy Slim's "Rockafeller Skank," The Human League's "Don't You Want Me" and Prince & The Revolution's "Erotic City." As for more current picks, Jagger included The 1975's "Sex" and Burna Boy's "Common Person." Jagger isn't against working out to his own tunes, either -- selecting the Rolling Stones' Hackney Diamonds single "Mess It Up," the Alok remix of "Living In A Ghost Town" and his 2001 solo song "God Gave Me Everything." Jagger, now 80, is likely getting into shape for the Stones' huge 2024 US stadium tour. The run of concerts is due to launch on Apr. 28 in Houston, Tex. - NME, 2/23/24...... Legendary axmen Jimmy Page, Brian May and Tony Iommi came together in London on Feb. 22 to launch a new guitar shop from Gibson Guitars named the Gibson Garage. The shop is inspired by Gibson's Nashville flagship branch and has over 300 guitars for sale, as well as a live music space downstairs and a made-to-measure counter for ordering bespoke, custom guitars. Page of Led Zeppelin was in attendance to reveal a new collaboration with the brand -- launching a replica of his iconic 1971 Doubleneck guitar. May of Queen and Iommi of Black Sabbath were in also attendance, and joined Page in cutting the opening ribbon, images of which can be viewed on May's Instagram page. Page recalled how he first got his hands on the signature Doubleneck back in 1971 -- despite it being a model which wasn't in circulation at the time. "[Before that], people would have an acoustic guitar on a microphone stand, then they'd start playing the electric guitar I thought 'Well, I'm not going to do that, it looks absolutely ridiculous'," he explained. "I'd seen the concept of the Doubleneck guitars in country music, but those were like a six-string then a mandolin You couldn't just go down to the shops, so I got in touch with Gibson and asked them to make one for me," he added. He also recalled that he used the model live for the first time with Zeppelin in 1971, when the band performed "Stairway To Heaven" during a gig in Belfast: "It was always there, from Belfast onwards I was always playing that." - NME, 2/23/24...... Rod Stewart recently admitted that he and the other two surviving members of his '70s band The Faces -- guitarist Ronnie Wood and drummer Kenney Jones -- are "struggling" with a comeback Faces album that was first announced in summer 2021. Speaking to Vulture.com, Sir Rod revealed he's been writing songs for the project though he is unsure what will happen to the tracks. "I've sent a lot of them to Ronnie Wood. I told him, 'This is stuff we've recorded with my band, maybe the Faces would like to do it instead?' We're still struggling to make this album. We'll see. Some of them might see the light of day." Stewart, 79, added that he has "a lot of songs" that fans have never heard but he enjoys seeing how people react to his tunes when they are released. He said: "There are a lot of songs I've written that I haven't put out and nobody knows about them. My songs are like my children. I gave birth to them and then I put them out there in the world and see how they do." Jones previously explained the band's comeback record would be a "mixture of old and new." He told Uncut magazine: "What we've decided to do is work on some of the original stuff that we didn't use, so the album is going to be a mixture of old and new," he told the UK's Uncut magazine. "It's very difficult to go into specifics because many of them didn't even have titles. I think the fans may have heard certain things before and might recognise them. Ronnie and I, in particular, have been working on lots of the old stuff together and we've re-recorded a couple of those songs with more of a modern feel." - Music-News.com, 2/24/24...... Country music entertainer Roni Stoneman, a talented banjo player and cast member on the long-running TV show Hee Haw, passed away on Feb. 22 at age 85. Ms. Stoneman, known as "The First Lady of Banjo," was born May 5, 1938, to Hattie Stoneman and pioneering bluegrass musician Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman, known for his 1925 recording of "The Sinking of the Titanic." She was also part of the family band The Stoneman Family, which evolved from the band The Bluegrass Champs, which included family members Scott Stoneman and Donna Stoneman. The group won a competition as part of Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts in 1956. By the 1960s, Roni had joined the group on banjo. She also performed as part of the group on their syndicated 1960s television show Those Stonemans. In 1967, the first year the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards were held, the Stoneman Family was named vocal group of the year. Roni departed the group in 1971, and soon joined the cast of Hee Haw, working on the country variety program for two decades as a comedian and banjo player, and known for portraying Ida-Lee Nagger, the "Ironing Board Lady." There, she worked alongside artists and comedians including Minnie Pearl, Buck Owens and Roy Clark. In 2007, she recounted her life story in the book Pressing On. CMA Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young called Ms. Stoneman "a great talent and a strong woman," commending her legacy in the genre. "For 18 years on 'Hee Haw,' she stole scenes as both a skillful banjo player and as a comical, gap-toothed country character," he said. - Billboard, 2/22/24.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Former The Grateful Dead member Bob Weir will be among the headliners for the annual "A Great Night in Harlem" fundraiser for the Jazz Foundation of America on Mar. 28 at the legendary The Apollo venue in Harlem. The evening will honor Richard Parsons, who is stepping down as JFA chairman after 15 years, with JFA's Dr. Billy Taylor Humanitarian Award. Parsons is the former chairman of Citigroup and former chairman/CEO of Time Warner. Proceeds from the benefit fund JFA programs that provide housing assistance, pro-bono healthcare, disaster relief and direct financial support to musicians and their families. For the past 35 years, JFA has been assisting not only jazz musicians, but artists in blues, roots and R&B genres. - Billboard, 2/20/24...... Director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator) is reportedly in talks to helm an upcoming biopic based on the Bee Gees. DeadlineHollywood.com quotes anonymous sources close to the as-yet-untitled project as saying Scott is currently in the negotiations phase with Paramount Pictures to lead the project, which he will also supposedly co-produce. John Logan, who wrote Scott's 2000 epic Gladiator, will reportedly pen the script, and Barry Gibb, the last surviving Bee Gees brother and member, will executive produce. The film will tell the story of lives and careers of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb, the latter two of whom died in 2003 and 2012, respectively. A Bee Gees biopic was first announced in 2019, with Kenneth Branagh originally attached to direct. Branagh exited the project for unknown reasons, then other directors including John Carney and Lorene Scafaria stepped in until Scott eventually expressed interest. - New Musical Express, 2/16/24...... In related news, Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, 1917, Spectre) has been given the green light to begin work on four separate feature films that will tell the individual stories of Beatles John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. In announcing the project on Feb. 20, Sony Pictures said the project will mark the first time the band's Apple Corps Ltd. and the two surviving group members and the families of the deceased two have given full access to life story and music rights for a scripted film. "I'm honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies," said Mendes in a statement. Mendes will direct the four stand-alone theatrical movies -- with each one told from one band member's point of view -- as well as intersecting to tell the full story of the Fab Four for the project, which promises to be "innovative and groundbreaking." - Billboard, 2/20/24...... In other Beatles news, the British woman who found and returned Paul McCartney's long-lost bass guitar is now hoping that she may be in store for a reward. Cathy Guest found the bass in her attic following the death of her husband Hadyn, who Cathy believes in turn inherited the bass from his brother Graham. The 1961 Hofner 500/1 bass -- which has been dubbed the most important bass in history for its role in recording numerous Beatles hits including "Love Me Do," "She Loves You" and "Twist and Shout" -- was stolen from the musician in 1972, only to be returned to him earlier in February. Speaking to the UK paper The Sun, Guest said that she slipped a hand-written letter into the guitar case before she returned it, explaining her financial situation as a single parent looking after two school children. "My husband inherited it when another family member died and he'd had it for years," she said. "He had no idea where it came from. He was a keen musician and used to play all the guitars at home, including Paul's bass. We both loved music and I still go to gigs every weekend." McCartney purchased the instrument in 1961 for £30 ($38) in Hamburg, Germany. Meanwhile, Paul's son James McCartney has announced his first new single since 2016. James posted on X on Feb. 12 that his new song "Beautiful" will be released on Feb. 23. James, a multi-instrumentalist who began releasing his own solo material in 2010, grew up contributing to recording sessions for his famous dad's albums Flaming Pie in 1997 and Driving Rain in 2001, as well as his mother Linda McCartney's 1998 release Wide Prairie. He released his debut LP, Me, in 2013, and followed up with 2016's The Blackberry Train. - NME, 2/19/24...... An unusual criminal trial centering around handwritten lyrics to the Eagles' 1976 classic "Hotel California" is set to open on Feb. 21. Rare-book dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski are charged with conspiring to own and try to sell manuscripts of "Hotel California" and other Eagles hits without the right to do so. The three have pleaded not guilty, and their lawyers have said the men committed no crime with the papers, which they acquired via a writer who had worked with the Eagles. But the Manhattan district attorney's office charges the defendants connived to obscure the documents' disputed ownership, despite knowing that "Hotel California" composer Don Henley of the band said the pages were stolen. At issue are over 80 pages of draft lyrics from the smash 1976 Hotel California album, including words to the chart-topping, Grammy-winning title cut. It features one of classic rock's most recognizable riffs, best-known solos and most oft-quoted -- arguably overquoted -- lines: "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." Henley has said the song is about "the dark underbelly of the American dream." Although Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinki are not charged with actually stealing documents, but with conspiracy to possess stolen property and various other offenses, prosecutors will still have to establish that the documents were stolen. The defense maintains that's not true. Much turns on the Eagles' interactions with writer Ed Sanders, who also co-founded the 1960s counterculture rock band The Fugs. He worked in the late '70s and early '80s on an authorized Eagles biography that was never published. Sanders, who isn't charged in the case, sold the pages to Horowitz, who then sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski. The DA's office worked closely with Henley's legal team, and an investigator even yearned for backstage passes for an Eagles show -- until a prosecutor said the idea was "completely inappropriate," Kosinki's lawyers said in court papers. Prosecutors have rebuffed questions about their motivations as "a conspiracy theory rather than a legal defense." In 2023, they wrote in court papers, "It is the defendants, not the prosecutors, who are on trial." - AP, 2/20/24...... AC/DC announced on Instagram on Feb. 20 that they're re-releasing all of their LPs on gold vinyl in celebration of their 50th anniversary as a band. Each of the limited edition albums come with an album-specific 12"x12" print featuring new AC/DC 50 artwork suitable for framing. The first wave of re-releases include Back In Black, Highway To Hell, The Razors Edge, Powerage, For Those About To Rock (We Salute You), High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Cheap, Who Made Who and Live. All nine albums are available for pre-order now and are set for release on Mar. 15. Other AC/DC albums in limited edition gold vinyl will be released later in 2024. AC/DC recently announced a huge UK and European stadium tour for 2024, performing 21 dates in 10 countries this summer, which will mark their first tour in Europe for eight years. - NME, 2/20/24...... With a six-day US opening box office of $46.2 million, the new Bob Marley biopic Bob Marley: One Love has earned a start that rivals other hit musical biopics like Rocketman, based on the life and career of Elton John. One Love, which covers the dynamic between Marley, his backing band The Wailers and the musician's family in the year immediately following an assassination attempt on his life, opened on Feb. 14. His songs have garnered a whopping seven billion official on-demand U.S. streams, per Luminate, while his Legend compilation is the second-longest charting album in the history of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart (821 weeks). - Billboard, 2/17/24...... Appearing on the latest episode of the podcast Your Mom's House with hosts Christina P. and Tom Segura, KISS member Gene Simmons recalled the one and only time in his life that he got high. Simmons, who has previously claimed to have never been drunk or high in his life, opened up about the time he accidentally ingested cannabis brownies after a KISS gig in the 1970s. "I've never been drunk or high in my life," he reasserted on the podcast, before his son Nick Simmons, who also partipated in the interview, brought up the "one accidental story." "You've told me this a couple of times. It's my favorite story," said Nick. Gene recalled: "So, you've got a room full of people celebrating -- we're breaking some kind of record in Detroit. This was in '76. The whole room is full, and I'm just seeing the brownies piled [high]. And I love that stuff. Everyone's [like] 'Let's smoke, let's put things up our ass.' No, just give me cake." Gene said that it "didn't hurt" that the woman dispensing the brownies "wasn't bad looking, adding: "[She] comes over, and I'm [like,] 'Give me another one of those.' Then I started, like a dog with a bone, just following her around. 'Can I have another one?' 'You want another one?' And I just kept eating it -- six." Simmons then recalled his experience of being high, remembering the room "started to get bigger, and my head started to get smaller... down to the size of an olive." The musician said that thankfully the editor of Creem magazine was there to help him into his limo and return to his hotel. On a more serious note, Gene said his reason for not getting high or drunk was because of his late mother, who was a Holocaust survivor. "She was in a concentration camp when she was 14 years of age. And I never wanted to break her heart," he said. "And I was always aware I never wanted to disappoint her -- there was enough aggravation. So I never smoked cigarettes, never got high, never got drunk." In January Simmons announced his first solo concert after KISS' retirement last December, on the Apr. 26 show at Brazil's Summer Breeze festival. - NME, 2/20/24...... In other shock-rocker news, Alice Cooper has announced an autumn UK tour that will kick off at Glasgow's OVO Arena on Oct. 14, followed by shows in Birmingham (10/16), Manchester (10/17) and Leeds (10/18) before wrapping with two shows at London's Eventim Apollo on Oct. 20 and 21. A press statement reveals that the tour is set to bring fans "closer than ever to Alice," with giant video screens blending the live action with pre-recorded scenes. Primal Scream will join as special guest at all locations except London, alongside The Meffs at all shows. Former Sex Pistols guitarist and songwriter Glen Matlock will be the special guest at the London dates. Cooper's last album, Road, was released in 2023, and earlier in Feb. 2024 launched a new radio show called Alice's Attic. - NME, 2/20/24...... In an interview with People magazine to promote A&E's new four-part James Brown docuseries James Brown: Say It Loud, Brown's daughter Deanna Brown declared there would be "no hip-hop, Michael Jackson or Usher" without her late father. "There would be no Michael [Jackson], there would be no Usher, there'd be no Chris Brown -- all these people who took from him," said Deanna, 55. "I mean, where would it be? You could ask a lot of these musicians, they'll tell you the same thing. It would probably be zero. I think LL [Cool J] says that in the documentary that the trajectory of music would be -- he can't even imagine where it would be without James Brown." Another daughter of Brown's, 50-year-old Yamma Brown, discussed her father being the creator of funk and influencing many genres. She said: "Somebody sitting at home maybe watching it and think, 'His story is not that dissimilar than mine and look what he went on to do.' And if you can inspire somebody to be the greatest at what they can be, that's amazing." James Brown: Say It Loud premieres on A&E on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. - Music-News.com, 2/20/24...... Comments made by Bono about the Israel-Hamas war during one of U2's recent shows at The Sphere in Las Vegas have prompted Roger Waters to call the U2 frontman "disgusting" and "a shit." During U2's residency, Bono used the performance to pay his respects to those killed during the Oct. 7 attack at the Israeli music festival Supernova. "In the light of what's happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about non-violence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable, but our prayers have always been for peace and for non-violence," he told the crowd before launching into a performance of "Pride (In The Name Of Love)." "But our hearts and our anger, you know where that's pointed. So sing with us and those beautiful kids at that music festival." He then played the song with altered lyrics, singing "Early morning, Oct. 7, the sun is rising in the desert sky Stars of David, they took your life but they could not take your pride," in place of the original lines. Now, Waters -- a longtime critic of the State of Israel -- has taken aim at the musician for his comments during a new interview with the news outlet Al Jazeera, and branded the comments made at the live show "disgusting." "My mother told me, when faced with difficult problems, the first thing to do is to read -- read, read, read. Then, the next part is easy: do the right thing," he told the outlet, referring to his own family background that saw his father killed in the Second World War. "Anybody who knows Bono should go and pick him up by his ankles and shake him until he stops being an enormous shit. We have to start saying to these people, your opinion is so disgusting and so degrading sticking up for the Zionist entity. What he did a couple of weeks ago in the Sphere in Las Vegas, singing about the Stars of David, was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen in my life." Over recent months, the outspoken former Pink Floyd member has been in the news for his comments on the conflict in Palestine and accusations of anti-Semitism. Waters has repeatedly denied all accusations of anti-Semitism and explained that his disdain is towards Israel, not Judaism. He also accused Israel of "abusing the term anti-Semitism to intimidate people like me into silence." He was recently the subject of a documentary, The Dark Side Of Roger Waters, which was produced by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism and collates various incidents of alleged anti-Semitism levelled against the musician. Rogers spoke out against the documentary with a post to his official website, dismissing the project as "a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda." On Feb. 17, U2 once again used their Sphere residency show to speak out on behalf of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who suddenly died the day before. - NME, 2/19/24...... Speaking on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio show on Feb. 19, Billy Joel reflected on the 1985 recording sessions for the charity single "We Are The World," and an interesting exchange between Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan. "Funny things were happening," said Joel, who said he happened to be in Los Angeles at the time for Grammys week and thought to himself: "What the hell, this could be fun." "Bob Dylan was shy to sing on his own. So Stevie Wonder comes out and is telling Bob how to sing like Bob Dylan. 'We are the world. We are the children.' And Dylan's like, 'Okay, I think I can do that.' Stevie Wonder teaching Bob Dylan to sing like Bob Dylan was a moment." Later, Joel shared his escapades with Bruce Springsteen during the song's recording. "When everybody's singing together, sometimes Bruce and I are in the chorus and sometimes we're not because there was a big pile of deli sandwiches on the other side of the room and we kept going over to get a beer and a sandwich." "We Are The World" went on to top charts across the world, and is the ninth best-selling single of all time. It is the subject of a new Netflix documentary, The Greatest Night In Pop, and is available for streaming exclusively on the platform now. Joel also revealed he once thought of "putting together a supergroup with the likes of Don Henley, Sting and John Mayer, but admitted he doesn't "have the nerve" to team up with Paul McCartney. When asked why the band never came to be, the musician replied, "Well, everybody's busy." Joel's full interview with Stern can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 2/19/24...... Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett said one of the songs on his new concept album The Circus and the Nightwhale was inspired by a fever dream. "I dreamt that melody many years ago when I was recovering from [the often fatal] swamp fever. I heard this beautiful music that felt very healing," Hackett told Prog magazine. "I was telling the story to [famed cover artist] Roger Dean, and he said, 'I find that fascinating! Why don't you record it?' I thought, 'Are people really going to be interested in things I've literally dreamt?' But it felt like a gift, something otherworldly I had to use sooner or later." Although his own life had an impact on the new collection, the 73-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member created a fictional protagonist called Travla to focus on. He explained: "It's the arc of a life that starts literally. Then it becomes metaphorical and we start to embrace story, not just little Stevie Hackett and his guitar exploits." Hackett described the process of making the album -- which he compared to "a film for the ear" -- as "extraordinary." "It's been extraordinary making this record. I grew up in a time when music changed the world, and I've always felt the album can be a really powerful force. I really hope people enjoy listening to this one." - Music-News.com, 2/19/24...... The family of Brian Wilson have confirmed they are planning to place the Beach Boys legend under a new conservatorship following a Feb. 15 report that the 81-year-old has dementia and the family was seeking to appoint new conservators following the death of his wife Melinda Ledbetter Wilson in January.Confirming their plans, the family wrote on Wilson's Instagram page, "Following the passing of Brian's beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, (housekeeper) Gloria Ramos and Brian's doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian's co-conservators of the person." In court documents, it was claimed Wilson "does not have the capacity to give informed consent to the administration of medications appropriate to the care and treatment of major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia)" and is also allegedly unable to provide for his personal needs "for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter." In the statement, the family continued, "This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family." They added, "Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses." A hearing about the proposed conservatorship arrangement will take place on Apr. 26. Wilson, who suffers from schizoaffective disorder, mild manic depression and auditory hallucinations, had been in a conservatorship arrangement with Melinda ever since they married in 1995. Before that, he was given a court-appointed conservator named Jerome Billet in 1992. - Music-News.com, 2/17/24...... John Schneider, co-star of the hit '70s comedy The Dukes of Hazzard, is being slammed for recent comments he made on the conservative TV channel One American News in which he shared his thoughts on Beyoncé's upcoming country music album. "The lefties in the entertainment industry just won't leave any area alone, right? They just have to seize control over every aspect, don't they?" the OANews host asked Schneider in an already leading series of questions. Scheider, 63, replied: They've got to make their mark, just like a dog in a dog walk park. You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right? So that's what's going on here." The comparison to a dog had 42-year-old Beyoncé's fans up in arms. "This is racism at its best," one wrote on X/Twitter. "Former Dukes of Hazzards has-been likens Beyoncé to a urinating dog because she decides to make a Country Western album. He needs to research Country Western." "Comparing Beyonce to a dog is racist and hateful," wrote another. "As a country fan, I welcome her and let's see what she has. John Schneider is another low life white supremacist." Others pointed out that Beyoncé, unlike John, "hails from Texas -- the home of country music... He's lame just like his songs and his acting." During her the recent Super Bowl, Beyoncé announced she'll release her followup to Renaissance with a disc titled Act II in March. "This ain't Texas," she could be heard crooning over finger-picked guitars. "Ain't no hold 'em/ So lay our cards down, down, down, down." The clip then cut to a black screen that read "Act II, 3.29." One of her new songs, "Texas Hold 'Em," has already landed a spot on Billboard's Country Airplay chart, marking Beyoncé's first time on the country charts. - Billboard, 2/19/24...... That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson -- who was sentenced last September to 30 years to life behind bars after being found guilty of raping two women 20 years ago -- was transferred from North Kern State Prison to Corcoran State Prison in California on Jan. 29, but after less than two weeks at the high security facility, he has been relocated again to California's Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo. Masterson was moved most recently due to concern for "the inmate's well-being" while he was at Corcoran, which is best known for having housed notorious cult leader Charles Manson for the two decades before his death in 2017. The Men's Colony is a medium and minimum-security facility, and according to a description on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's website, inmates "have the opportunity to take advantage of increased academic and career/technical education, as well as self-improvement programmes including: cognitive behaviour therapy programmes, substance abuse education, criminal thinking, anger management and family relationships." In January, Masterson was denied bail while he appeals his case over concerns he has "every incentive to flee." Los Angeles Superior Court judge Charlaine F. Olmedo wrote: "If defendant's conviction and sentence are upheld on appeal, he will likely remain in custody for decades and perhaps the rest of his life. In light of the fact that defendant has no wife to go home to, defendant now has every incentive to flee and little reason to return to state prison to serve out the remainder of his lengthy sentence should his appeal be unsuccessful." The judge's decision to deny bail comes as Masterson has appealed against his rape conviction. His lawyers had argued that he possessed a "lack of dangerousness" and wouldn't be a flight risk, claiming they now had "extensive exculpatory evidence that was not presented to the jury." - Bang Showbiz, 2/19/24.

Friday, February 16, 2024

The estate of late '70s disco queen Donna Summer is charging rapper Kanye West with using an unauthorized interpolation of Summer's 1977 hit "I Feel Love" in his song "Good (Don't Die)" from his new album Vultures 1. "Kanye West... asked permission to use Donna Summer's song I Feel Love, he was denied... he changed the words, had someone re sing it or used AI but it's I Feel Love... copyright infringement!!!," reads a statement posted on Summer's official Instagram account on Feb. 10. On West's new song, the lyric "Oh, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive" is seemingly set to the melody of "I Feel Love." On Feb. 9, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne also called out West on social media, saying that Kanye had asked to sample a song but was "refused permission because he is an antisemite." Osbourne said West used a sample of a Black Sabbath track anyway at a recent Vultures 1 listening party at Chicago's United Center "I want no association with this man!" the rocker wrote. Although Osbourne said online that West asked to sample "War Pigs," the song he seems to have used at the event is "Iron Man." West has extended an apology to the Jewish community for has anti-Semitic comments. - Billboard, 2/10/24...... A 50th anniversary reissue of Paul McCartney and Wings's classic 1973 set Band on the Run has returned to the Billboard Hot 200 album chart after more than a decade. The album re-entered the Top Album Sales chart at No. 5, debuted at No. 7 on the Vinyl Albums tally, re-entered at No. 6 on Tastemaker Albums and debuted at No. 37 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums. On the overall Billboard 200 chart, where the album hit No. 1 in 1974, the set re-entered at No. 156 -- its first appearance on the chart since Jan. 1, 2011. The album sold 8,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 8 (up 14,681%) according to Luminate. The reissued Band on the Run is available in a number of formats, including a single-LP vinyl release cut at half-speed, a double-LP vinyl set at half-speed with a bonus "underdubbed" version of the album, and as a double-CD set (also with the underdubbed mixes). "This is Band on the Run in a way you've never heard before," McCartney said of the new remixes last December. "When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that's an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed." Meanwhile, Sir Paul reunited with pop sensation Taylor Swift for a short time during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. The Beatles legend and the "All Too Well" singer had previously teamed up a few years ago for a wide-ranging conversation for Rolling Stone magazine's "Musicians on Musicians" series. Before that, McCartney has said that "Who Cares," an anti-bullying track from his 2018 solo album Egypt Station, was actually inspired by Swift and the fan connection she has. In still more Macca news, a five-year search by music instrument manufacturer Hofner has reunited Sir Paul with his beloved 1961 Hofner electric bass guitar that went missing a half century ago. McCartney had asked Hofner to help find the missing instrument that helped launch Beatlemania phenomenon in the early 1960s, according to Scott Jones, a journalist who teamed up with Hofner executive Nick Wass to track it down. McCartney bought the bass for about £30 ($37) in 1961 when the Beatles were developing their chops during a series of residencies in Hamburg, Germany. The instrument was played on the Beatles first two records and featured on hits such as "Love Me Do," "Twist and Shout," and "She Loves You." It was rumored to have been stolen around the time the Beatles were recording their final album, Let it Be, in 1969. But no one was sure when it went missing. The big break came in Sept. 2023 when sound engineer Ian Horne, who had worked with McCartney's band Wings, got in touch. He said the bass had been swiped from the back of his van one night in the Notting Hill section of London in 1972. Horne couldn't remember the date, but a former trainee reporter for a London newspaper got in touch and said he had written an article on the theft. Scott's wife Naomi Jones located the item in the British Library that provided the date and other details. They were then contacted by a person who said their father had stolen the bass. "The thief didn't set out to steal McCartney's instrument and panicked when he realized what he had," Jones said. The man ended up selling it to Ron Guest, landlord of the Admiral Blake pub, for a few pounds and some beers. As the Joneses were starting to look for relatives of Guest, word had already reached his family. His daughter-in-law contacted McCartney's studio. Cathy Guest said that the old bass that had been in her attic for years looked like the one they were looking for. It had been passed from Ron Guest to his oldest son, who died in car wreck, and then to a younger son, Haydn Guest, who was married to Cathy and died in 2020. The instrument was returned to McCartney in December and then it took about two months to authenticate it. The instrument is estimated to be worth £10 million ($12.6 million US). - Billboard/AP, 12/16/24...... A source close to Elton John has revealed the Rocket Man is working on new music just months after completing his marathon farewell tour. "It's all been very top secret but Elton is back in the studio working on a new album," the source told the UK paper The Sun's Bizarre column on Feb. 15. "Time frames are always movable but the fourth quarter has been pencilled in terms of a release date. He adores music and that will never change but the desire to be as busy as he was has waned," the source added. The insider added that Elton -- who is married to David Furnish and the father of Zachary, 13, and 11-year-old Elijah -- will still continue with his other ventures but just wants to spend more time with his family after such a mammoth world tour. "Elton will still have a Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music and his finger is very much still on the pulse; he just wants to slow down a bit and spend the time with his family but the new album is coming." Sir Elton has released a total of 31 studio albums since beginning his career in the late 1960s and his latest LP came in the form of The Lockdown Sessions in 2021, on which he collaborated with the likes of Miley Cyrus, Stevie Wonder, Nicki Minaj and Brandi Carlile. That same year, he duetted with Dua Lipa on "Cold Heart" and wrapped up the year by joining Ed Sheeran for the holiday track "Merry Christmas" before collaborating with Britney Spears on "Hold Me Closer"' in 2022. John completed his 330-date tour in Sweden last July and told the audience that he may do "something else" in the to come but for the time being just wanted to enjoy a break. - Music-News.com, 2/16/24...... As the US faces the tragedy of its 50th mass shooting so far in 2024 with the killing of a popular Kansas City DJ/radio personality and the wounding of more than 20 people at a Feb. 14 parade celebrating the recent victory of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, Indiana rocker John Mellencamp has issued a forceful statement about gun violence in America. "Excuse me for saying the obvious truth. I do so out of love for this country and the pain of learning, once again, that children have been killed by gun violence," posted Mellencamp, a longtime gun control advocate. "If we as a country want to find the collective will within ourselves to change our gun laws, let's stop playing silly political games. Show the carnage on the news. Show the American people the dead children and others who have been struck down. Show us what guns and bullets can do to the human body," he added. Mellencamp, a 72-year-old father of five, released his 25th album, Orpheus Descending, in 2023, which included the anti-gun violence track "Hey God." "Weapons and guns, are they really my rights?/ Laws written a long time ago/ No one could imagine the sight of so many dead on the floor," he sings on the track, adding, "Hey, God, if you're still there, would you please come down? We can't take it anymore." Mellencamp's full statement can be viewed on Instagram. - Billboard, 2/16/24...... Billy Joel has returned to the Top 10 of Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart with "Turn the Lights Back On," his first new single release in 17 years. It is Joel's 24th Adult Contemporary top 10, and first since his version of Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love" hit No. 9 in Aug. 1997. "Turn the Lights Back On" was released by Columbia Records on Feb. 1, and the song's official video arrived Feb. 16. In the video, which has been shared on YouTube, generative AI is used to portray the now 74-year-old Piano Man in all his different eras. Meanwhile, Joel has announced a The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden - The Greatest Arena Run of All Time special will be coming to the CBS network. The special is scheduled to be filmed on Mar. 28, which will mark Joel's 100th consecutive performance at the iconic New York City venue. It's set to air on Apr. 14 from 9 to 11 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. The special will also be available to stream live or on demand in the US for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers; Paramount+ Essential subscribers will have access to watch it on demand in the U.S. the day after its debut. Joel's first gig at Madison Square Garden was on Dec. 14, 1978. Joel is set to perform at select stadiums around the US with Stevie Nicks and Sting in between his ongoing residency at MSG. - Billboard, 2/16/24...... It was announced on Feb. 15 that Rod Stewart has sold his song catalog to music industry mogul Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group. Styled as a "wide-ranging cross-media" partnership, the deal with IAG includes the raspy singer-songwriter's rights to his sound recordings and his interest in his publishing, as well as certain name, image and likeness rights. The company, which Azoff co-founded in Jan.y 2020, declined to offer financial particulars of its deal with Stewart, who joins an elite roster of IAG acts that includes the Beach Boys, Cher, Linda Ronstadt, Joe Cocker, Dan Fogelberg, Nat "King" Cole, Dean Martin and Crosby, Stills and Nash. The partnership with IAG arrives less than a year after Stewart backed out of a potential catalog sale to Hipgnosis following lengthy negotiations. Yet now Stewart says he believes the "time is right" and that "I feel fortunate to have found partners in Irving and his team at Iconic that I can entrust with my life's work and future musical legacy." - Billboard, 2/15/24...... The family of Brian Wilson issued a statement on Instagram on Feb. 15 stating the Beach Boys mastermind will be placed into a conservatorship amid his battle with dementia. The statement noted that following the death of Wilson's wife and longtime manger, Melinda Ledbetter, in January, the decision was made to appoint two longtime family representatives as co-conservators. "Following the passing of Brian's beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, Gloria Ramos and Brian's doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard [his longtime business manager] and Jean Sievers [a longtime publicist] will serve as Brian's co-conservators of the person," read the statement. "This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family." The note concluded by saying that the arrangement will allow Wilson to "enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses." People magazine recently obtained a copy of the court filing for the conservatorship that reportedly noted that Wilson is suffering from a "major neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia)," and that his team said he is "unable to properly provide for his or her personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter." Wilson has long suffered from mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder, with the latter known to cause hallucinations, paranoia and distorted reality. Meanwhile a "lost" 1970's country music-themed album produced by Brian is finally set to be released. The collection, entitled Cows in the Pasture, features the vocals of former Beach Boys manager Fred Vail and will be released sometime in 2025, per Rolling Stone magazine. Wilson is an executive producer and added his vocals to one of the tracks. The pair worked on the songs during the time of the recording of the classic 1970 BB album Sunflower, recruiting guitarist James Burton, pianist Glen D. Hardin (members of Elvis Presley's touring band), and steel guitarist Red Rhodes. Unfortunately, Wilson decided to ditch the project as he allegedly "lost interest." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 2/16/24...... A 50th anniversary edition of David Bowie's 1974 album Diamond Dogs is set to be released later in 2024. The limited edition, half-speed mastered LP will also be released as a picture disc LP pressed from the same master. The records will be released on May 24 via Parlophone, on the exact day of the album's anniversary. Bowie produced the original album himself and played lead guitar in the absence of Mick Ronson. It came out of a period when Bowie had been attempting to make an adaptation of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four as well as project based on the writing of William S. Burroughs, but both had fallen through. - New Musical Express, 2/15/24...... In other Bowie-related news, Queen guitarist Brian May revealed that he has "never liked" the mix of "Under Pressure," the band's 1981 smash hit collaboration with Bowie, and "bowed out" to Bowie in a fight to mix the song. Speaking in an interview with Total Guitar, May revealed that the original version of "Under Pressure" "sounded massively chord-driven," but that much of its "heavy guitar was lost" following Bowie's input on the final mix. Recalling the song's creation, May said "Under Pressure" was the result of spontaneous late nights in the studio, with the initial cut featuring a "pretty heavy backing track." At first, May said he was "beaming" over the heavier guitar sound because it reminded him of The Who. May raised that comparison to Bowie, who said "'it's not going to sound like The Who by the time I've finished with it.'" May continued: "[Bowie] didn't want it to be that way." The guitarist said that the changes were made because "we all had different ideas of how ["Under Pressure"] should be mixed," specifically naming Bowie and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. "I do recognise that it works. It's a point of view, and it's done very well," he added. "People love it... David was an awesome creative force, but you can't have too many awesome creative forces in the same room. It starts to get very difficult." In live shows, the guitarist said he now performs "Under Pressure" "quite a bit different" to the released version, leaning into its more guitar-heavy origins. "It is a lot heavier and I think it benefits from it," May said. He also told Total Guitar that he struggles to play the complex guitar riff on the iconic Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody." He said the lick of the band's 1975 hit is so "unusual" he finds contorting his hand into the notes and chords when his adrenaline is pumping in front of fans. May says it's not a riff that he would naturally play. "And that's a double-edged sword. It's difficult for the guitar to get a hold of it, it's very unusual. And to be honest, I still don't find it easy!" - NME, 2/13/24...... A 30th anniversary 4-CD/1 DVD box set edition of the 1993 Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got to Do with It will eature the remastered original album on CD1, with CD2 sporting a compilation of edits, remixes and acapella tracks. CD3 and CD4 are comprised of Turner's 1993 live show at Blockbuster Pavilion in San Bernardino, Calif. This remastered footage can also be watched on the DVD along with three music videos. The boxed set also boasts a poster and a 24-page booklet. Additional album formats include one LP and two CDs; it will also be available to stream digitally. The brand-new special edition collection will be released on Apr. 26 by Rhino. - Billboard, 2/14/24...... Reviews of the new Bob Marley biopic One Love have been less than enthusiastic since the reggae legend's biopic debuted in US theaters on Feb. 14, with many critics stating it is something of a well-intentioned failure. Many reviewers felt the movie, made with the full cooperation of Bob's family, was too reverent of its subject to be truly engaging. "This is a reverent Hallmark Channel-type film," Peter Bradshaw wrote in The Guardian, while Michael O'Sullivan in The Washington Post described the film as "an effort to render Marley's story in more messianic terms: His music, we're told, was not just something to get high to but a gospel-like message of unity, peace and love." Owen Gleiberman for Variety kept it simple: "One Love flirts with complexity but slides into the banality of hero worship." - Music-News, 2/15/24...... KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons is among a wide-ranging group of more than 400 musicians, actors, agents and managers and studio executives signed an open letter to the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest rejecting attempts by some participating countries to bar Israel from participating in this year's event. Among others lending their names to the letter from the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community for Peace were: Boy George, Sharon Osbourne, Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber, Debra Messing, Diane Warren and Selma Blair, among many others. The letter supports the European Broadcasting Union's commitment to including Israel in this year's contest amid calls last month from Swedish and Finnish artists demanding Israel's exclusion from the contest over their belief that including the country "undermines" the spirit of the competition. The letters cited Israel's ongoing response to the deadly Oct. 7 surprise assault on the nation from Hamas militants in which more than 1,200 Israelis -- mostly civilians -- were murdered, sexually assaulted and attacked and more than 250 were taken hostage. Simmons, who was born in Israel to a Holocaust survivor mother, wrote, "Music unites people from all backgrounds. It's the one language that everyone can understand. It's a beautiful thing and a great way to bring people together. Those advocating to exclude an Israeli singer from Eurovision don't move the needle towards peace, but only further divide the world." - Billboard, 2/14/24...... Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley is facing a lawsuit that claims she illegally turned her back on a former business partner who had helped her "dig herself out of impending financial ruin" and played a key role in getting the recent Priscilla biopic movie made. The lawsuit, filed in 2023, claims that Priscilla partnered with a woman named Brigitte Kruse in 2022 to help develop and monetize her name and likeness rights -- a move that came as Presley was allegedly "60 days from insolvency" and facing $700,000 in unpaid tax debt. But Kruse claims that in Aug. 2023, Presley and two new advisors suddenly sent her a cease-and-desist letter and "cut off all communication" with her former partner. She claims the sudden about-face came as her extensive and time-consuming efforts on Presley's behalf were finally paying off. "Though [Kruse's company] was integral to the Priscilla movie, all individuals other than Priscilla were excluded from the premiere of the Priscilla movie at the Venice Film Festival," reads the October lawsuit, which was first reported on Feb. 14 by DailyBeast.com. Presley's lawyers are seeking to toss out the case on the grounds she has no connections to the Florida county where Priscilla Presley Partners filed the lawsuit, meaning the court lacks jurisdiction to hear it. A hearing on Presley's motion to dismiss is scheduled for May. Attorneys for PPP did not immediately return a request for comment. Morgan, who was not named as a defendant or accused of any wrongdoing, could not immediately be located for comment. - Billboard, 2/14/24...... On Feb. 14 Neil Young and Crazy Horse announced their first tour together in a decade and shared details of their new album. Young and his longtime backing band will reunite to play the upcoming 16-date 2024 "Love Earth" tour, which gets underway on Apr. 24 in San Diego. After a second show there on Apr. 25 they'll also visit such major markets as Phoenix (4/27), Dallas (5/2), Atlanta (5/7), Queens, NY (5/14) and Toronto (5/22) before wrapping in Chicago on May 23. The band also revealed their upcoming album FU##IN' UP,, which will contain songs from the band's 50 year career, freshly recorded for 2024. The album will have its initial release on Record Store Day (Apr. 20); it will arrive in all formats on Apr. 26. Young said of the new album: "In the spirit it's offeredmade this for the Horse lovers. I can't stop it. The horse is runnin'. What a ride we have. I don't want to mess with the vibe. I am so happy to have this to share." Neil Young and Crazy Horse last reunited in 2014, where they played London's Hyde Park BST. - NME, 2/14/24...... The inaugural 2024 "Fool in Love Festival" featuring Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Santana, Al Green, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Gladys Knight, The O'Jays, Dionne Warwick, The Stylistics, The Chi-Lites, Kool & The Gang, George Clinton and Smokey Robinson will take place Aug. 31 at Sofi Stadium-adjacent Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. Also slated to perform at the show are Santana, Eric Burdon & the Animals, the Jacksons, War and The Spinners. The full lineup can be viewed on Instagram.com. - Billboard, 2/14/24...... Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have announced they're returning to the road, two years after their "Raise the Roof" tour, for nearly 30 headline dates and counting. Beginning June 2 with a centennial celebration for the legendary Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Okla., their ambitious 28-date "Can't Let Go Tour" will also see Plant and Krauss hit such cities as Lincoln, Neb. (6/5), Madison, Wisc. (6/8), Toledo, Oh. (6/14), Vancouver, B.C. (8/13, 14), Seattle (8/16, 17) Stanford, Calif. (8/22), Santa Fe, NM (8/28, 29) and Colorado Springs, Col. (8/31) before wrapping in Vail, Col. on Sept. 1. Drawing from their T Bone Burnett-produced LP Raising Sand and 2021's chart-topping Raise The Roof, Plant and Krauss will deliver a cosmic collision of early blues, country deep cuts, revolutionary folk-rock and lost soul music. - Billboard, 2/13/24...... The first photo of Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson portraying the late singer in the forthcoming biopic Michael has been shared on Variety.com .The pic sees Jaafar performing as Jackson during his Dangerous Tour from 1992-93. "With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael," producer Graham King told Variety. "He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could." Jaafar and nine-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi will play an adult and child version of Michael respectively in the forthcoming biopic. Michael has been confirmed to receive a theatrical release in the U.S. on Apr. 18, 2025 - NME, 2/13/24...... Dolly Parton has broken her silence about the recent controversial performance by country singer Elle King on the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville on Jan. 19. During the Grand Ole Opry's tribute concert for Parton's 78th back in January, King appeared on stage, where she declared that she was "f--king hammered" and forgot the lyrics to Parton's song "Marry Me." During a recent interview with Extra, offered forgiveness and support to the "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home) singer, telling fans: "So let's just forgive that and forget it and move on, 'cause she felt worse than anybody ever could." Following King's performance, the Grand Ole Opry issued an apology via X, responding to one disgruntled attendee's comment, and saying, "We deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used during last night's second Opry performance." King has yet to comment publicly on the incident. Shortly after the Grand Ole Opry performance, King postponed a series of shows, including a concert at famous dancehall Billy Bob's Texas. - Billboard, 2/12/24...... Music legend Mavis Staples will celebrate her 85th birthday in style, with a star-studded celebration to be held on Apr. 18, at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif. The lineup features a who's who of artists who have been inspired and influenced by the soul/gospel/R&B pioneer and civil rights activist, including Black Pumas, Chris Stapleton, Grace Potter, The War and Treaty and Keb' Mo'. The lineup also includes Hozier, Jackson Browne, Jeff Tweedy, Michael McDonald, Nathaniel Rateliff, Norah Jones, Robert Randolph and Taj Mahal, with more artists to be announced. Staples herself will also take the stage during the event. - Billboard, 2/12/24...... On Feb. 12 AC/DC announced dates for their summer U.K./European tour, a 21-show swing in 10 countries slated to kick off with the first of two dates at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on May 17, followed by shows in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland before hitting London's Wembley Stadium for a pair of shows (July 3, 7), Germany, Slovakia and Paris and then winding down with a gig at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland on Aug. 17. The European tour follows AC/DC's long-awaited return to the stage last year at the all-star hard rock Power Trip festival in Indio, Calif. The band began teasing their 2024 return on socials earlier in February, posting images of a lightning bolt and a countdown cued to a snippet of "Are You Ready" from 1990's The Razors Edge. The band's announcement and the full schedule of tour dates can be viewed on X. - Billboard, 2/12/24...... ABBA have announced a 50th anniversary reissue release of their breakthrough 1974 album Waterloo in a host of formats along with brand new merchandise. The album will be released as a Half-Speed mastered 45RPM 2LP Vinyl, along with a limited edition box set of the three vinyl singles originally released by Polar Records in 1974. The singles -- which as well as the title track include classics such as "Honey, Honey" and "Hasta Maana" -- will also be made available as separate picture discs and a 10-inch vinyl featuring the title track in four different languages will also be released. The 50th anniversary reissue of Waterloo is due for release on Apr. 5. - Music-News.com, 2/15/24...... Frankie Beverly, frontman of the legendary '70s R&B group Maze, has announced that a Maze farewell tour will kick off in Atlanta at the State Farm Arena on Mar. 22 and wrap in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum on May 12. Other stops include Mobile, Ala, Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles. "I want to share with my lifelong fans and associates that I'll be going out on the road one last time, then retire," Beverly said in a statement. "Thank you so much for the support given to me for over 50 years as I pass on the lead vocalist torch to Tony Lindsay. The band will continue on as Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly. It's been a great ride through the decades. Let the music of my legacy continue." Throughout its 54-year-long career, Maze has scored nine gold albums and a string of hits including "Before I Let Go" -- which Beyoncé lovingly covered on her live album Homecoming. Among Beverly and Maze's early mentors was Marvin Gaye. After relocating to San Francisco and meeting Gaye in 1971, the group began touring as the R&B/pop legend's opening act. - Billboard, 2/14/24...... Damo Suzuki, a member of the experimental German group Can, died on Feb. 9, the group posted on Instagram on Feb. 10. He was 74. "It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing of our wonderful friend Damo Suzuki, yesterday, Friday 9th February 2024," Can wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of Suzuki. "His boundless creative energy has touched so many over the whole world, not just with Can, but also with his all continent spanning Network Tour. Damo's kind soul and cheeky smile will be forever missed." Suzuki officially joined Can in 1970 and appeared on the band's classic run of albums, including Tago Mago (1971), Ege Bamyasi (1972) and Future Days (1973). He was known for his improvisational singing style, mixing words in English and Japanese, which helped define the group's sound. Suzuki left Can in 1973 after marrying a German woman and converting to Jehovah's Witness. He returned with several new musical projects in the 1980s, including Damo Suzuki's Network and Damo Suzuki Band. With a rotation of vocalists, Can continued on a path of unabated experimentation for 20 years, releasing its swansong, Rite Time, in 1989. The group has proven amongst the most influential in rock history, particularly for subsequent generations of experimental acts such as the Talking Heads, Brian Eno, Sonic Youth and Tortoise. - Billboard, 2/11/24...... Cable TV channel A&E will celebrate James Brown with a two-night documentary event entitled James Brown: Say It Loud on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Across four hours, the special traces the incredible trajectory of the "Godfather of Soul"'s life and career -- from a 7th grade drop-out arrested and jailed at the age of 16 for breaking into a car in the Jim Crow-era South, to an entertainment legend whose groundbreaking talent and unique perspective catapulted him to become a dominant Black creative and cultural force in the 1960s and forward. The special examines Brown's legacy through exclusive interviews, never-before-seen archival footage and his beloved music catalog. Directed by Deborah Riley Draper, James Brown: Say It Loud was executive produced by Mick Jagger and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. The series will also be available on demand and to stream on the A&E App and aetv.com. A sneak peek can be viewed on YouTube. - aetv.com, 1/18/24...... BBC Radio legend Steve Wright, who spent over 40 years as one of the most popular presenters on BBC Radio, has died at the age of 69. The news was confirmed in a statement by his family, who wrote: "It is with deep sorrow and profound regret that we announce the passing of our beloved Steve Wright... As we all grieve, the family requests privacy at this immensely difficult time." Wright began on BBC Radio 1 in 1980, settling into his Steve Wright in the Afternoon show the following year. He remained at the station until 1995, briefly hosting the Breakfast Show, and later became an institution at BBC Radio 2, presenting in his trademark time slot from 1999 to 2022. He also hosted the show Sunday Love Songs on Radio 2 up until his death, and recently replaced the veteran broadcaster Paul Gambaccini on the station's Pick of the Pops in late 2022. - NME, 2/13/24.

Sunday, February 11, 2024

The Rolling Stones have shared that they have "cut back" on their backstage rider requests. Bassist Darryl Jones revealed on Instagram on Feb. 8 that the iconic band no longer have big asks for their backstage area such as gigantic gaming rooms but did say that they do keep plenty of food around including guitarist Keith Richards' favorite dish, shepherd's pie. "They would make a room out of curtains and things. We had the banks of video racing games, where you sit, that was around for a while," Jones says. "They kinda cut back on that stuff now. Keith still has what he loves, shepherd's pie. There's so much food backstage, me and the keyboard player have our own rider," he added. The Stones will launch the spring 2024 leg of their "Hackney Diamonds" tour on Apr. 28 in Houston, also playing New Orleans (5/2), Glendale, Ariz. (5/7), Las Vegas (5/11), Seattle (5/15), East Rutherford, N.J. (5/23, 26) and Foxboro, Mass (5/30). They're also set to play at this year's edition of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside Foo Fighters and Neil Young and Crazy Horse and more. - New Musical Express, 2/8/24...... The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame unveiled its class of 2024 nominees on Feb. 10, with a larger than usual roster of 15 artists up for induction into the Cleveland-based hall and museum. Seventies musicians nominated include arena-filling guitar pro Peter Frampton, metal god Ozzy Osbourne, half-century-plus pop icon Cher, stadium rock hitmakers Foreigner, and R&B/funk legends Kool & the Gang. Two thirds of the names on the 2024 Rock Hall ballot are first-timers, despite years of eligibility (particularly in the cases of Frampton, Cher and Foreigner). Frampton says he's "happy to finallly have his name in the hat" after being eligible since the early '90s based on his first recordings; Osbourne issued a statement saying he is "deeply honored to receive this news from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame"; and Foreigner's Mick Jones said being nominated was "an incredible endorsement of what we have achieved over time." The 2024 nominees, which also include Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Dave Matthews Band, Eric B. & Rakim, Jane's Addiction, Lenny Kravitz, Oasis, Sinéad O'Connor, Sade and A Tribe Called Quest, will be decided by a voting body of 1,000+ "artists, historians and members of the music industry," per a press release. The Rock Hall's Class of 2024 will be announced in late April. This year's induction ceremony returns to Cleveland, home of the RRHOF, this fall. For the second consecutive year, the 2024 RRHOF induction ceremony will live stream on Disney+. It will air on ABC at a later, to-be-announced date, and be available on Hulu the following day. Industry observers are saying those most likely to get an induction nod include Osbourne, followed by O'Connor, Kravitz, Cher and Carey. - Billboard, 2/10/24...... Speaking of Ozzy Osbourne, the Black Sabbath co-founder is infuriated that rapper Kanye West has recently sampled a section of a 1983 live performance of Sabbath's "War Pig" in West's new song "Talking/Once Again." "@KAYNEWEST ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A [SECTION] OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF 'WAR PIG' FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS," Osbourne posted on Instagram on Feb. 9, going on to say that West was "REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY. HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM LISTENING PARTY LAST NIGHT. I WANT NO ASSOCIATION WITH THIS MAN!" West has raised eyebrows in the music industry with his controversial antisemite statements and the slogan "White Live Matter," which led to his dismissal from many of his lucrative business partnerships and caused him to lose his billionaire status. In December, West extended an apology to the Jewish community for "any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions... Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity." - Billboard, 2/9/24...... Stevie Nicks has added 12 additional solo dates to her 2024 tour across North America, in which she has been co-headlining with Billy Joel in various cities. Nicks took to Instagram on Feb. 6 to make the official announcement with a photo of her updated tour dates list. "It's a new year& Let's keep this thing going! I've added 12 more shows to my 2024 tour. I can't wait to see you all soon," the caption says. Additional cities the former Fleetwood Mac frontlady will be visiting include St. Louis, MO; Thackerville, OK; Nashville; San Antonio; Highland, CA; Salt Lake City; Denver; Indianapolis; Uncasville, CT; Albany, NY; Hershey, PA; and Grand Rapids, MI. - Billboard, 2/9/24...... As the Bob Marley biopic Bob Marley: One Love hits US theaters on Feb. 14, titular actor Kingsley Ben-Adir says "at first, I didn't think it was right" that he was chosen to portray the iconic Jamaican musician, but Marley's family, led by son Ziggy Marley, was persistent. "What I needed to do was try and find Bob's humanity," Ben-Adir says, and that they didn't want Ben-Adir to try and mimic Marley; they wanted him to tap into his spirit. "What I needed to do was try and find Bob's humanity," Ben-Adir says. It was while he was working on Greta Gerwig summer blockbuster Barbie, in which he played one of the many Kens, that he prepped for the role. "I got the gig when I was on Barbie and I just started doing the preparation when we were on downtime," he says. Not a cradle to the grave project, One Love zeroes in on a small part of Marley's life as he tried to organize the One Love Peace Concert in the late-1970s to unite his warring home country of Jamaica. As he rose to worldwide musical fame, we see how despite a failed assassination attempt in 1976 his message of love and unity triumphed over forces that sought to keep his fellow Jamaicans divided. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) and co-produced by Ziggy, Marley's widow Rita, sister Cedella and Oscar winner Brad Pitt, the film delves into the recording of the classic Wailers album Exodus (widely considered one of the best albums of the 20th century). Many months after filming wrapped on the film, Ben-Adir describes the experience of shooting One Love as transformative in his burgeoning acting career (he has previously portrayed the likes of Malcolm X and Barack Obama). "(Marley's) music speaks for itself. It plays everywhere and it's been part of all our lives. I can't even remember when I first heard of Bob; he's just always been there," Ben-Adir says. "But to get to know Bob as a father and as a human -- that process was extraordinary." - Canoe.com, 2/10/24...... As Elton John continues to downsize after announcing his retirement from touring, the Rocket Man has announced he is liquidating his museum-worthy collection of art, photography and personal effects he collected in the sprawling 13,000-square foot penthouse/gallery on Peachetree Road, which he recently sold. On Thursday Feb. 8, John's husband and manager, David Furnish, spoke to Good Morning America about the sale while spotlighting some of the most interesting pieces going under the gavel starting Feb. 9. "This has brought Elton a lot of joy. He always liked to go out to do shows to earn money to collect more things that he loved and that inspired him," Furnish told GMA, while standing in the museum-like space and showing off pieces headed for the "Goodbye Peachtree Road" Christie's auction that lasts through Feb. 21. The collection comprised of photography, art and objects collected by John since 1991 at his Peachtree Road apartment in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood includes everything from pieces by British artists Damien Hirst and Banksy, as well as ones from iconic American artists Julian Schnabel, Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe and Keith Haring, a pair of John's silver leather platform boots from 1971. Also on the list is the Yamaha grand piano from 1992, on which the Emmy/Grammy/Oscar/Tony honoree wrote his Tony-winning score to the "Aida" Broadway musical and the score to the Billy Elliott musical. Other highlights include his first outrageously colorful custom concert outfits from 1971, Rolex watches, a sapphire ring, a Versace set of Rosenthal china and hundreds of individually printed silk shirts by his late friend Gianni Versace. Furnish's GMA interview can be viewed on X. - Billboard, 2/8/24...... Sony Music Group has closed an agreement to buy half of Michael Jackson's publishing and recorded masters catalog in a deal that sources say valued those music assets somewhere above $1.2 billion, what could be the largest valuation of a musician's music assets. Other sources have suggested it might be as much as $1.5 billion. At those valuations, Sony will pay at least $600 million for its stake of the legendary rights. As English prog-rockers Queen are finally getting close to selling their catalog, according to sources -- and may even already be in an exclusive period with an undisclosed suitor and are reportedly seeking a $1.2 billion payday -- the Jackson deal, which closed in late 2023, is at a bigger valuation than the $1.2 billion that Queen is currently seeking. And whereas the Queen valuation includes, sources say, royalties from income streams beyond the masters and publishing, including from the Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, and theatrical productions using Queen's music, Sony's deal with the Jackson estate does not include royalties from the Broadway play and other theatrical productions featuring Jackson's music. Sales and streams of Jackson's music grew steadily from 1.07 million album equivalent units in 2020 to 1.47 million in 2023 -- up 37% over those three years -- according to Luminate. That outpaced the overall U.S. music market for album consumption units, which grew 22.9% during that time period. Outside the U.S., Jackson is arguably even more popular. In 2023, consumption of his music grew 38.3% to 6.5 billion on-demand streams, up from 4.7 billion streams in 2021. In 2025, a Jackson biopic called Michael will be released, likely fueling even more growth to his fanbase, boosting consumption and triggering more revenue to flow to his estate and any other rights holder. - Billboard, 2/9/24...... John Travolta reprised some of his best Saturday Night Fever dance moves on stage during the Sanremo 2024 festival in Italy on Feb. 7. Announced as the international guest of the second night of the three-night Sanremo 2024, Travolta was involved in a series of sketches in which -- rather than speaking -- he was just asked to replicate with host Amadeus the dance moves that made him famous, from Saturday Night Fever to Pulp Fiction, ending with the "Chicken Dance" (where he refused to wear a beak-shaped hat). It is not clear whether he had been made aware of all this. Travolta will celebrate his milestone 70th birthday on Feb. 18. - Billboard, 2/8/24...... A re-release of Mark Knopfler's "Going Home (Theme from Local Hero)" will feature the final recording of late guitar great Jeff Beck. "Going Home" is Knopfler's legendary soundtrack to the 1983 Scottish comedy-drama film, and will raise funds for the UK's Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. Compacted to nine minutes long, almost all the world's most iconic guitarists take turns on the history-making anthem, with Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, Guns N' Roses' Slash, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, Eagles member Joe Walsh, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, The Who's Pete Townshend, Nile Rodgers, Joan Jett and Queen's Brian May also contributing. Beck -- who died after contracting bacterial meningitis in Jan. 2023 aged 78 -- opens the song with an emotional solo. Sting completes the rhythm section on bass. Legendary graphic designer Sir Peter Blake, best known for his work for The Beatles, The Who and Paul Weller, designed the artwork featuring cutouts of all the contributors squeezed into the backdrop of Hanks guitar shop. "What I really want to do, more than anything else, is just to thank each and every one for this sterling response," Knopfler said. "I really had no idea that it was going to be like this. It hit (producer) Guy (Fletcher) and I quite early on that we had to extend this piece somehow, to take in the number of people who joined in." "Local Hero" is due out on Mar. 15. - Music-News.com 2/8/24...... Actor Paul Giamatti says Cher keeps calling him and he doesn't know why. Appearing on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio show, Giamatti said, "Every now and then, I get a message from somebody that says Cher really needs to talk to me, like it's important, like it's crucial that she talks to me. And I'm like, 'What the f---?! Why does Cher want to talk to me?' Nobody will tell me!" He continued: "And then I never hear anything and a year will go by, and it happens again... I don't know what she could possibly want to talk to me about. And it's killing me, I'm dying to know what she wants to talk to me about. I mean, it would be great! I'd love to talk to her about anything. I don't care, it'd be fantastic," he explained to Stern. Giamatti is a strong contender for a Best Actor Oscar for is performance in The Holdovers. He's up against alongside Cillian Murphy, Bradley Cooper, Colman Domingo and Jeffrey Wright. - NME, 2/8/24...... 70s crooner Engelbert Humperdinck is aiming to become the oldest ever performer at the UK's Glastonbury festival, Glastonbury's oldest ever performer this year, beating the record help by the late Burt Bacharach, who was 87 when he played the festival in 2015. The 87-year-old Humperdinck -- who will be 88 in May -- said: "I wouldn't mind doing Glastonbury. I'd have to have the right songs for that show. But my new project may give me that opportunity. It's out of my comfort zone and taking me into a different style, which may lead to Glastonbury." Englebert also revealed one of his career regrets is when his manager turned down a collaboration with Gorillaz in 2010. He said: "That was a terrible mistake. I would've jumped at the chance if they'd spoken to me. "Hopefully, with this new project, I'll be able to work with these sort of people. I want to record with them," he said. Humperdinck's 2024 tour itinerary includes a Feb. 11 show in Detroit, a June 13 concert in Englewood, N.J., and UK dates in London (9/8), Manchester (9/9), Birmingham (9/10) and Glasgow (9/12). - Music-News.com, 2/10/24...... In a new interview with the London Times, Rod Stewart took a veiled swipe at contemporary singer Ed Sheeran by admitting he doesn't know any of his songs. Asked if timeless songs are still being made, he told The Times: "I'm sure they are. You mean like Maggie May? Songs that will be played in 50 years? I like whatshisname. Oh great, Rod. Well done. He's British, really talented and his songs will be around. Erm." Asked if he meant Sheeran, he replied: "No, not Ed, I don't know any of his songs, old ginger [redacted]. Jesus." Stewart, 79, then when on to heap praise on pop star George Ezra, 30, for penning "really tremendous songs" that he believes will stand the test of time. Stewart also took a pop at "kids" in music today just wanting fame and money and not caring about their craft. "We were brave in those days to go into the music business," he said. "We didn't know where it would take us but record companies were different. They would give you a try." - Music-News.com, 2/9/24...... Mojo Nixon, the unpredictable rock and roller behind the 1987 MTV-favorite novelty song "Elvis Is Everywhere," died on Feb. 7 at age 66. According to a statement on his Facebook page, Nixon (real name: Neill Kirby McMillan Jr.) died after suffering a "cardiac event" during an Outlaw Country Cruise on which he was a performer. Nixon also hit the Billboard charts with "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant With My Two-Headed Love Child," a No. 16 Alternative Airplay hit from his Root Hog or Die album with Skid Roper (No. 151 on the Billboard 200 in 1989), as well as "Don Henley Must Die," a savage song that takes aim at the Eagles frontman from Mojo's 1990 solo album Otis -- which was a No. 20 hit on Alternative Airplay. In addition to his music career, Nixon also worked as an actor, appearing in the 1989 Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire! and starring as Toad in the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. A documentary about Nixon, The Mojo Manifesto: The Life and Times of Mojo Nixon, debuted at the 2022 South by Southwest film festival and was released digitally in March 2023. - Billboard, 2/7/24...... Henry Farmbrough, the last surviving original member of the iconic R&B group The Spinners, died peacefully of natural causes on Feb. 7 in his northern Virginia home, spokesperson Tanisha Jackson said in a statement. He was 85. In May 2023, Mr. Fambrough took a tour of Motown's Studio A in Detroit as part of a ceremony that included the donation to the Motown Museum of 375 outfits worn by The Spinners during performances. It "was a long time ago," Mr. Fambrough said at the time of the 1960s, when he first walked into the studio. "I used to dream about this place." He told reporters that he had to convince his wife that the studio was where he was going for 3 a.m. rehearsals and recording sessions with other members of the group. Their first big hit for Motown was "It's A Shame," which peaked at No. 14 on the pop chart in 1970. The Spinners would later sign with Atlantic Records and turn out a string of hits that included "Then Came You," which featured singer Dionne Warwick and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. Their other hits include "It's a Shame," "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" and "The Rubberband Man." Their songs received six Grammy Award nominations and earned 18 platinum and gold albums. Originally called The Domingoes, the group was formed in 1954 just north of Detroit in Ferndale. The Spinners joined Motown Records 10 years later. Mr. Fambrough's survivors include his wife of 52 years, Norma, and daughter Heather Williams. - AP, 2/8/24...... J.M. "Jimmy" Van Eaton, a pioneering rock 'n' roll drummer who played behind the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Billy Lee Riley at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn., died on Feb. 9. He was 86. Mr. Van Eaton, a Memphis native who came to the famous record label as a teenager, died at his home in Alabama after dealing with health issues over the last year. He was known for his bluesy playing style that the newspaper said powered classic early-rock hits at Sun like "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Lewis and "Red Hot" by Riley. He also played with Bill Justis and Charlie Rich. Mr. Van Eaton drifted away from the music business in the 1960s, but he resumed performing by the 1970s, particularly as interest in rockabilly grew following the death of Elvis Presley. By the early 1980s, he began four decades of working in the municipal bond business. But he also was part of the team that played the music for the film Great Balls of Fire, about Lewis, and he put out a solo album in the late 1990s. He was a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and Memphis Music Hall of Fame. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son and daughter. - Billboard, 2/10/24.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Alice Cooper has returned to the airwaves with Alice's Attic, the follow-up to his long-running Nights with Alice Cooper broadcast which wrapped in 2022. Cooper, who turned 76 on Feb. 4, has teamed up with Superadio to syndicate the show, which runs Monday through Thursday. "To all of my insane radio minions, I'm BACK," the shock rocker said in a statment. "And if you thought 20 years of 'Nights with Alice Cooper' was weird, just wait until you get into 'Alice's Attic!' Just think about who or what could be lurking in all these dusty old boxes. We've got the same team behind the new show and so you'll find the show fairly familiar, but we're all looking forward to getting a little more creative with introducing new elements to keep things from getting stale. Speaking of stale what IS that smell??!" Alice promises a "curated mix of classic and some obscure rock, with an occasional 'future classic' song," plus his own stories and commentary about the music and artists he features. Listeners in the US and Australia are already able to access the show, with local stations in Canada and the UK also set to get the show soon. Cooper's interviewees in past years include Joe Perry, Brian Johnson, Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie and the late Meat Loaf. - Music-News.com, 2/6/24...... The restaurant management company owned by Sammy Hagar is demanding that a federal judge shut down an allegedly unauthorized Hollywood location of his Cabo Wabo Cantina, claiming that a former franchisee has gone rogue and is damaging the rock star's reputation. Attorneys for Hagar's company, Red Head Inc., sued in January, claiming that franchisee Robert Azinian had opened a new Cabo Wabo on Hollywood Blvd across from the TCL Chinese Theatre even though his licensing deal had been terminated. A new Feb. 5 filing asks for an immediate injunction blocking Azinian from continuing to use the name or any other company branding on his new eatery. "Every day that the Cabo Wabo Cantina at the new Hollywood location continues to operate under the 'Cabo Wabo' brand, it soils the name, reputation, and goodwill that Red Head has developed," the company's lawyers write. "Defendants were instructed to discontinue any and all use of the marks, but they have ignored that request." Hagar and his then Van Halen bandmates opened Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 1990, after buying out his partners, he later launched a line of tequila under the same name. Hagar sold the liquor brand to Italian beverage company Gruppo Campari for $101 million, but his Red Head Inc. continues to operate the restaurant in Cabo and later franchised locations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. - Billboard, 2/6/24...... Meanwhile, Sammy Hagar was among those paying tribute to rocker Jon Bon Jovi on Feb. 2 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Bon Jovi was named the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year, an in addition to Hagar, the event was also attended by Bon Jovi's pals Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Melissa Etheridge, Jelly Roll and Shania Twain, among others. "We were buddies forever, and I don't ever remember having any kind of Internet argument or anything with Jon," Hagar said on the red carpet before the event. "We came from the same school, we sing the same kind of way, we're screamers, we write big choruses that make people want to sing along. He's just younger and better looking than me," he added. When asked if there are any Bon Jovi songs he wishes he could have written instead, the former Van Halen vocalist was upfront. "Yeah, all of 'em," he said, smiling. "'Wanted Dead or Alive,' I really love that song. It's so cool. But hey, 'You Give Love a Bad Name' it's a damn good song." During the ceremony, Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi jammed together on a rendition of Bon Jovi's "Who Says You Can't Go Home," as well as the Boss' "The Promised Land," Bon Jovi also debuted a new song by the name of "Legendary." Footage of the performances can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 2/5/24...... In a new interview with Conan O'Brien's SiriusXM radio show, former Fleetwood Mac member Lindsey Buckingham reflected on his time in the platinum-selling group and revealed that he would rejoin the line-up "in a heartbeat." "If there's more to come [from Fleetwood Mac], if there's a way to heal that, that would be great. It would be very appropriate to close on a more circular note," Buckingham, who departed from Fleetwood Mac in 2018, told O'Brien. Currently, the future of Fleetwood Mac hangs in the balance, following the death of longtime member Christine McVie in Nov. 2022 at the age of 79, "following a short illness." It was later revealed that her death was primarily caused by suffering an ischemic stroke. In Feb. 2023, founding member Mick Fleetwood said that the loss of McVie meant he had drawn a "line in the sand" in terms of playing with the band again, but would be happy if the members continued to make music as part of other projects. Later, Stevie Nicks shared a similar sentiment, claiming that "there's no reason" to keep the band going as they could never replace McVie. Elsewhere in the interview, Buckingham went on to recall the circumstances that led to him being fired from the outfit in 2018, adding that while he doesn't blame anyone for the issues that led to his departure, he does see his replacement as something that "disrespected the legacy" the members built. "There's no fingers to point at anyone, really. That's rock and roll, right?," he said. Buckingham posted to X on Jan. 24 saying his fans can catch the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast with his interview on the SiriusXM app. - New Musical Express, 2/6/24...... To commemorate the 60th anniversary of The Beatles' legendary Feb. 9, 1964 appearance on America's The Ed Sullivan Show, toymaker MEGA/Mattel is releasing a one-of-a-kind construction set that replicates the "arrows" stage that was specially made for the broadcast, and includes four 2-inch posable micro-figures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, complete with swappable instruments. The 681-piece set is currently available for $79.99 at select Walmart stores, online at Walmart.co, and on the Beatles official website. The Beatles' performance on The Ed Sullivan Show launched the "British invasion" and birthed Beatlemania Stateside as the show received more than 50,000 ticket requests for the 728-seat studio. By comparison, Elvis Presley drove more than 7,000 ticket requests for his Sullivan show debut in 1957. The Beatles appeared on the show three times in 1964 and several other times over the next four years but stopped performing live on the show in 1966, opting instead for pre-taped performances. The band's final appearance on Sullivan show, a pre-taped performance, was on Mar. 1, 1970. - Billboard, 2/5/24...... The Grateful Dead has just broken the record for the most top 40-charting albums in the nearly 68-year history of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The group's latest archival live release, Dave's Picks, Volume 49: Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford U., Palo Alto, CA (4/27/85 & 4/28/85), debuted at No. 25 on the chart dated Feb. 10. It's the 59th Top 40-charting set for the San Francisco-based band, surpassing the 58 top 40s earned by both Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. Dave's Picks, Volume 49 is from the band's long-running archival release series, named for the group's archivist, David Lemieux. The series launched in 2012 and has granted the group 41 of its 59 top 40-charting sets on the Billboard Hot 200. In other GD-related news, the GD spinoff band Dead & Company has revealed the dates for its summer residency at Las Vegas' Sphere venue. Dubbed "Dead Forever," the six-week run will kick off on May 16, with other May dates on May 17, 18, 24, 25, 24, 25 and 26. In June, the band will perform on June 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22. July dates include July 4, 5, 6, 11 and 12 before wrapping on July 13. The gigs will run Thursday-Saturday, and, according to a release, "feature never-before-seen visual storytelling from Dead & Company, providing fans with the ultimate connection to the music through these innovative and immersive shows." Dead & Company -- which includes Grateful Dead founding member guitarist/singer Bob Weir and longtime drummer/percussionist Mickey Hart, as well as John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti and Oteil Burbridge -- formed in 2015. Co-founder drummer Bill Kreutzmann was originally part of the band as well, but he exited in 2023, before the band kicked off what it called its "final tour" last summer. - Billboard, 2/5/24...... The 2024 Grammys award ceremony held at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena on the evening of Feb. 4 featured a long-overdue return from 30-years-gone Billy Joel and a spellbinding rendition of "Both Sides Now" from legendary singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Mitchell was introduced by Brandi Carlile, who saluted her importance and influence as "the matriarch of imagination" and her own personal hero -- as well as for the struggles she had to go through after suffering a brain aneurysm (including having to learn how to walk again three separate times), among other issues. "Joni just turned 80, my friends," Carlile raved, "but we all know she's timeless." Mitchell then performed her signature ballad "Both Sides Now" seated from a large cushioned throne. Despite her voice of course being huskier and octaves lower than it was on the original 1969 recording, and the arrangement significantly slower, her performance of the classic song was absolutely stunning and thoroughly indelible. Attendees from Beyoncé to Meryl Streep to Dua Lipa were caught rapt in attention, visibly overpowered by the moment. Carlile assisted on the performance on the guitar, with further backing from Alison Russell, Lucius and Jacob Collier. Mitchell has won 11 Grammys in her career, including one at this year's ceremonies -- dating all the way back to 1969, when her "Both Sides" parent album Clouds won best folk performance. She also took home best folk album earlier in this year's ceremonies for her Joni Mitchell at Newport live set. Although her own version of "Both Sides Now" never charted on the Billboard Hot 100, Judy Collins' contemporaneous version of the song reached No. 8 in late 1968. Toward the end of the ceremony, Billy Joel took the stage to perform his latest single "Turn the Lights Back On." The performance -- the first time Joel has played at the Grammys in 30 years -- was preceded by a video package explaining the new song's origin story, with co-writer Freddy Wexler saying his dream of meeting Joel was fulfilled when his wife introduced him "to a doctor who knew another doctor who once knew Billy Joel." This loose association led to a long lunch meeting between Wexler and the icon who, Wexler says, became "unlikely friends" and ultimately wrote the song together. "It took him awhile to talk me into it," says Joel, who says he did a recording and "didn't hate my voice, and I usually do." Joel, who has scored 33 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, ended up co-writing "Turn the Lights Back On" with Wexler, Arthur Bacon and Wayne Hector. Wexler also produced the track, which is Joel's first song released with words since 2007's "All My Life." The song has also entered the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart dated Feb. 10 at No. 11, his first entry on the survey since 1998. Joel later closed the 2024 Grammys with a rousing rendition of his 1980 classic "You May Be Right." Other '70s stars featured in the 2024 Grammys include Stevie Wonder, who honored the late, legendary performer Tony Bennett with a rendition of Bennett's hit "The Best Is Yet To Come," and a "duet" with Bennett on "For Once in My Life" with footage of the late artist performing on a big screen. Bennett recorded "For Once in My Life" in 1967, with Wonder's version of the song releasing in 1968. On Feb. 3, '70s R&B great Gladys Knight was also honored with the Recording Academy's Special Merit Award at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. Knight spoke emotionally about family in accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award. She noted that her mother would never allow her to sing "easy.... It had to come from a deeper place." - Billboard, 2/4/24...... AC/DC have teased a return to touring by dropping a teaser on X on Feb. 6 that asks fans whether they are "ready." The Aussie rock vets hinted to fans that plans to hit the road are underway by sharing a cryptic update on X and other social media channels. The 20-second-long clip that shows their iconic lightning bolt symbol flickering against a dark background, before the words 'ARE YOU READY' abruptly flash onto the screen. In the background, their 1990 song 'Are You Ready' plays, and the band's logo later fills up the screen. If their hints prove to be true, it will mark their first shows on the European continent since their slot at Dusseldorf Espirit Arena in June 2016 -- back when Axl Rose was acting as frontman for the band. It will also mark some of their first live gigs since they made their comeback at the huge Power Trip festival in Indio, Calif., in October 2023. The slot saw the band close out the second of three nights at the rock festival and featured a massive 24-song set with Brian Johnson and Cliff Williams returning to the line-up. - NME, 2/6/24...... Tom Bahler, the arranger who "We Are the World" producer Quincy Jones tasked with arranging the vocals on the iconic 1985 charity single, has weighed in on the discussion and suggested that the late Prince may have turned down the opportunity to sing on the record because he was "afraid" of Michael Jackson, who co-wrote and sang on the song with Lionel Richie and a star-studded lineup of other singers. "I had a feeling Prince had a problem with men. With him, everything was with women. It made him feel good," Bahler recently told Rolling Stone's Music Now podcast. Bahler also said he thinks the disagreement about the lyric in "Bad," on which Prince also turned down the opportunity to collaborate with Michael because of his reluctance to sing the line "Your butt is mine," was "one of his excuses" to not work with Jackson later. "I think if anything, he was afraid of Michael," Bahler said. "This is pure conjecture on my part. Michael was not afraid of him. Michael wasn't afraid of anybody. He loved everybody." Alternate theories have also suggested that Prince didn't take part in the "We Are the World" recording because he wanted to play the guitar on the track instead -- a decision which Jones allegedly turned down. - NME, 2/2/24...... In a wild post on his social media channels, 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has claimed he looks like Elvis Presley. Trump surprised followers when he shared a photo to X, Instagram and his Truth Social platform that showed his face spliced with Presley's. "For so many years, people have been saying that Elvis and I look alike," Trump wrote in the post. "Now this pic has been going all over the place. What do you think?" His message garnered over 620,000 likes on both social media platforms but sparked a tidal wave of jokes. Democratic strategist Johnny Palmadessa claimed Trump "clearly has dementia" after he shared the image. "He just compared himself to Elvis because he believes they 'look alike,'" Palmadessa wrote on X. "He needs to seek help." "Trump says he's an Elvis look alike. Hopefully he will soon be doing the Jailhouse Rock. #TrumpIsNotWell," another social media user wrote on X. Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann piled on, writing, "Dementia J. Trump now trying to convince his cult he's somehow like Elvis Presley. You mean both brain dead since 1977? You bet!" Another X user tweeted, "If you believe Trump looks like Elvis do yourself a favour and stay out of any bar near closing time." At a 2018 rally in Presley's hometown of Tupelo, Miss., Trump claimed he'd been compared to Presley for years. "I shouldn't say this. You'll say I'm very conceited 'cause I'm not," Trump told the crowd as he campaigned for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. "But other than the blonde hair, when I was growing up, they said I looked like Elvis. You see that? Can you believe it? I always considered that a great compliment We love Elvis," said Trump, who awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Presley during his tenure in office in Nov. 2018. - Canoe.com, 2/5/24...... Original NBC's Saturday Night Live cast member Garrett Morris was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on his 87th birthday, Feb. 1. Morris, a New Orleans native, became a TV legend during his run on SNL through 1980 and went on to stack his resume with TV roles on shows like The Jeffersons and 2 Broke Girls. "There have been highs and lows," says Morris, who spent some time homeless in New York City in the '50s and recalls experiencing more of a "hidden racism" in Hollywood early in his career. "But I'm so grateful for it." - People, 2/12/24...... Bruce Springsteen is mourning the loss of his mother Adel Springsteen, who passed away on Jan. 31 at age 98. Springsteen, 74, shared the news with his followers via Instagram on Feb. 1, posting a sweet throwback video of him dancing with his mother to a recording of Glenn Miller's "In the Mood." "Adele Springsteen -- May 4, 1925-January 31, 2024," he captioned the clip. The Boss also fittingly paired the video with lyrics from his 1998 song "The Wish." "I remember in the morning mom hearing your alarm clock ring," he wrote in his post. "I'd lie in bed and listen to you getting ready for work, the sound of your makeup case on the sink. And the ladies at the office all lipstick, perfume and rustling skirts, how proud and happy you always looked walking home from work." In addition to Bruce, Adele leaves behind two daughters, Pamela and Virginia. Their father Douglas Springsteen, whom Adele married in 1948, died in 1998. A Brooklyn, New York, native, Adele was a proud champion of her son's music and sometimes joined him onstage at his concerts to dance. "My mother loves to dance," Bruce once said in a July 2021 Broadway performance. "She grew up in the '40s & [with] the big bands and the swing bands, and that was a time when dancing was an existential act. She's 95 and she's 10 years into Alzheimer's and that's taken a lot away from us. But the need to dance hasn't left her," he added. - Billboard, 2/1/24...... Wayne Kramer, the co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the MC5 that thrashed out such hardcore anthems as "Kick Out the Jams" and influenced everyone from The Clash to Rage Against the Machine, died on Feb. 2 at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 75. From the late 1960s to early 1970s, no band was closer to the revolutionary spirit of the time than the MC5, which featured Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith on guitars, Rob Tyner on vocals, Michael Davis on bass and Dennis "Machine Gun" Thompson on drums. Managed for a time by White Panther co-founder John Sinclair, they were known for their raw, uncompromising music, which they envisioned as the soundtrack for the uprising to come. "Brother Wayne Kramer was the best man I've ever known," Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello wrote via Instagram on Feb. 2. "He possessed a one of a kind mixture of deep wisdom & profound compassion, beautiful empathy and tenacious conviction. His band the MC5 basically invented punk rock music." "Kick Out the Jams" was their most famous song, peaking at No. 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and marking their only appearance on the chart, and opened with an unprintable call to arms: "Kick out the jams mother-----r!" A live album of the same name peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 200 in 1969, their highest-charting release. They also released the studio albums Back in the USA and High Time before breaking up at the end of 1972. Kramer would lead various incarnations of the MC5 over the following decades, and perform with Was (Not Was) among other groups. But for a time he sank into the life of what he called "a small-time Detroit criminal." He was arrested on drug charges in 1975 and sentenced to four years in prison. "Jail Guitar Doors" is named for a Clash song that refers to his struggles: "Let me tell you 'bout Wayne and his deals of cocaine." Survivors include his wife, Margaret Saadi, and son, Francis. Dennis Thompson is now the MC5's only surviving member. - Billboard, 2/2/24...... Aston "Family Man" Barrett, the bassist best known for playing with Bob Marley & The Wailers, died on Feb. 3. He was 77. Born on Nov. 22, 1946, Barrett became a key figure in the early development of reggae music, first gaining fame as a member of The Upsetters, the house band of the visionary producer and singer Lee Perry. In 1970, he and his brother, the drummer Carlton Barrett, joined The Wailers' backing band, shortly before they signed a landmark record deal with Island Records. Barrett remained a member of the band for the remainder of Marley's life, playing on the legendary albums Catch a Fire, Burnin' and Exodus, among others. He was credited with defining the dub-influenced bass-heavy sound of the music that the Wailers produced, and later became a mentor for Robbie Shakespeare of Sly & Robbie. News of Barrett's death arrives less than two weeks before the release of Bob Marley: One Love, the biopic of Marley in which Barrett will be played by his own son, Aston Barrett Jr. The film hits theaters on Feb. 14. - NME, 2/3/24...... Actor Carl Weathers, the former NFL star known for his roles as Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise and Derick "Chubbs" Peterson in Happy Gilmore, died on in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles on Feb. 1. He was 76. During his time as a football player, Weathers played for the NFL's Oakland Raiders from 1970 to 71 and for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League from 1971 to 73. Soon after, he landed the role of Apollo Creed -- inspired by Muhammad Ali -- in the Sylvester Stallone-starred 1976 smash Rocky, and continued to play him throughout the franchise. He also had roles in Predator and The Mandalorian, in addition to portraying golfer Derick "Chubbs" Peterson in Happy Gilmore. "Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life," his manager Matt Luber said. "Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner and friend." - Billboard, 2/2/24...... It was revealed in early February that Charles Osgood, the calm and dignified anchor of CBS Sunday Morning from 1994 to 2016, died of dementia on Jan. 23. He was 91. Mr. Osgood, who managed to appear on nearly all of CBS's major news shows in his 45 years with the network, began his career on CBS Radio in 1972. He was known for his engagingly calm presence, and the relaxed pace of CBS Sunday Morning proved a perfect fit for the newsman. He is survived by his wife, Jean Crafton, and their five children. - People, 2/12/24.

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Billy Joel shared his first new lyrical single in nearly 20 years, "Turn the Lights Back On," on YouTube on Feb. 1. A wistful, swaying piano ballad, the song recalls the intimate conversation the Piano Man has been having with his fans for nearly six decades. "Nothing is different, we've been here before/ Pacing these halls, trying to talk/ Over the silence," Joel sings over his familiar, warm piano playing. And pride sticks out its tongue/ Laughs at the portrait/ That we've become/ Stuck in a frame, unable to change," he continues in lines that hint at grappling with accepting ourselves as we are. Produced by Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer Freddy Wexler, the song was composed by Joel, Wexler, Arthur Bacon and Wayne Hector. The 74-year-old pop legend will perform the song live for the first time during the 2024 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 4, which will air live on CBS at 8:00 p.m. EST. Joel's last pop effort was 2007's "All My Life," which he wrote with his then-wife, Katie Lee; the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. - Billboard, 2/1/24...... Due to "overwhelming demand," Joni Mitchell has added a second show the following evening to her previously announced concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 19. Marking the veteran Canadian singer-songwriter's first shows in Los Angeles since 2000, the "Joni Jam" will also feature Mitchell's longtime fan and friend Brandi Carlile on the Oct. 19 and 20 dates. The latest concert announcement for Mitchell, 80, comes ahead of her performance at the Grammys in L.A. on Feb. 4, a first for the singer who won the first of nine competitive Grammys in 1970 and, in 2002, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. Mitchell is nominated in the best folk album category for her Joni Mitchell at Newport album, which captures her surprise 2022 performance at the Newport Folk Festival, her first public performance following an aneurysm suffered in 2015. It was her first full public concert since the turn of the century. In June 2023, another Joni Jam happened in Quincy, Wash. with special guests Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan, Marcus Mumford and Wynonna Judd, among others. It was her first ticketed show in 20 years. January marked the 50th anniversary of Mitchell's seminal 1974 LP Court and Spark, a critical and commercial success which is still winning over new fans and influencing new generations of artists. - Billboard, 1/31/24...... Guitars owned and used by former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler have sold for over a staggering £8 million at a Christie's auction in London, which was much higher than had been estimated. More than 120 of Knopfler's guitars and amps -- including the 1983 Gibson Les Paul used to record "Money For Nothing" and "Brothers In Arms," which was also played at the iconic Live Aid concert in 1985 -- were sold on Jan. 31 with 25% of the proceeds being donated to various charities, including the Red Cross, wildlife advocates Tusk, and children's non-profit, Brave Hearts of the North East. The sale attracted bidders and buyers form 61 countries, with a final total including buyer's premium, confirmed at £8,840,160. Knopfler was able to set a new auction record with his 1959 Vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard which was sold for £693,000, making it the highest sale for that specific guitar model. "I am so pleased that these much-loved instruments will find new players and new songs as well as raising money for charities that mean a lot to me," Knopfler said of the auction. "It has been heart-warming to witness how much these guitars mean to so many people and I am also pleased that they will continue to give joy to many through the songs recorded over the years with me," he added. Formed in 1977, Dire Straits briefly split in 1988 before reforming to release one more studio album, 1991's On Every Street. They permanently disbanded in 1995, after a total of six records. Knopfler then pursued a solo career, where he experimented with folk and roots music in albums including 2004's Shangri-La and 2006's All The Roadrunning, a duets album with Emmylou Harris. He is currently working on his tenth solo album. - New Musical Express, 2/1/24...... They're "Back (and Back and Back and Back) in Black." AC/DC's music video for the title track of their 1980 album has become the Aussie headbangers' second visual to reach one billion views on YouTube, following their hit "Thunderstruck." In the video, the group performs the high-energy hit on a small stage, as new frontman Brian Johnson belts out, "Back in black / I hit the sack / I've been too long, I'm glad to be back." Back in Black is AC/DC's biggest-selling LP, in which they re-teamed with Highway to Hell producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange in the Bahamas to pick up the pieces, just months after frontman Bon Scott died Feb. 19, 1980 at the age of 33. - Billboard, 1/31/24...... A federal judge ruled on Jan. 31 that a tribute band sued by Earth, Wind & Fire for trademark infringement can continue to try to prove its bold counterargument: That the legendary R&B group abandoned the intellectual property rights to its name. Faced with a lawsuit for using the name "Earth Wind & Fire Legacy Reunion" at concerts, the tribute band first argued in 2023 that the original group had allowed plenty of other tribute bands to use its name without repercussion -- so many, in fact, that it could no longer claim any exclusive legal rights to it. Lawyers for EWF have called that argument meritless and demanded that it be dismissed, but in his decision, Judge Federico A. Moreno refused to do so. Though he said EWF Legacy Reunion might ultimately find it "difficult" to prove that "abandonment" argument, he said they had "done enough" to avoid having it tossed out entirely in the early stages of the case. EWF has continued to tour since founder Maurice White died in 2016, led by longtime members Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson and White's brother, Verdine White. The band operates under a license from an entity called Earth Wind & Fire IP, a holding company owned by Maurice White's sons that formally owns the name. In a March 2023 lawsuit, that company accused Legacy Reunion of trying to trick consumers into thinking it was the real EWF. Though it called itself a "Reunion," the lawsuit said the tribute band contained only a few "side musicians" who briefly played with EWF many years ago. Tribute acts -- groups that exclusively cover the music of a particular band -- are legally allowed to operate, and they often adopt names that allude to the original. But they must be clear that they are a tribute band, and they can get into legal hot water if they make it appear that they are affiliated with or endorsed by the original. In 2021, ABBA filed a similar case against a what it called a "parasitic" band called ABBA Mania. - Billboard, 1/31/24...... The premium cable channel Showtime was sued in Delaware court on Jan. 31, claiming their 2022 George Jones and Tammy Wynette series George & Tammy unfairly portrays Wynette's final spouse George Richey as "a devious husband" who abused and manipulated her. "The series depicts Richey as a devious husband who abused Wynette and Richey's prior wife, facilitated and encouraged Wynette's addiction to prescription painkillers, and engaged in financial and managerial manipulation of Wynette," write attorneys for Richey's widow, Sheila Slaughter Richey. The case is not a defamation lawsuit, but actually accuses Showtime of violating a 2019 settlement agreement that allegedly barred Wynette's daughter, Georgette Jones, from making disparaging statements about Richey. Since George & Tammy was based on Georgette's 2011 memoir about her parents, the lawsuit claims that Showtime committed so-called tortious interference with contract -- meaning the network essentially encouraged Georgette to breach her settlement with Richey's estate. "The defendant [was] specifically told, in a written letter delivered prior to the broadcast of the Series, that the Series was based on and featured disparaging information that was the ill-gotten product of Georgette's violation of the agreement," the estate's lawyers wrote. "Nonetheless, Showtime chose to broadcast the Series anyway." A Showtime spokesperson has denied the lawsuit's allegations, saying "We see no plausible basis for any claim against Showtime." Released in Dec. 2022, George & Tammy was well-received by critics -- particularly Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain's respective portrayals of Jones and Wynette. Both were later nominated for Emmy Awards for their performances. The six-episode limited series was based on The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George, Georgette Jones' 2011 memoir, and she's listed in credits as a "consulting producer" on the series. - Billboard, 1/31/24...... In other legal news, a long-simmering feud between the families of Joey Ramone and Johnny Ramone has erupted into a new lawsuit over a proposed Netflix biopic about the legendary NY punk band. Joey and Johnny Ramone -- who were very much not actual brothers -- didn't like each other much in life, and it appears their heirs don't like each other much either. In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan court, Johnny's widow, Linda Ramone, sued Joey's brother, Mickey Leigh, over allegations that he had "covertly" developed a planned Netflix movie starring Pete Davidson as Joey. She says that any movie based on the pioneering punk band requires her sign-off. "To permit defendants alone to tell the authoritative story of the Ramones would be an injustice to the band and its legacy," Linda's lawyers wrote. The case is the latest in years of battles between Linda and Mickey, who split 50-50 ownership of the Ramones IP. And it raises interesting legal questions about so-called life rights deals -- and how they raise unique challenges in the context of musical biopics. - Billboard, 1/30/24...... Elsewhere on the legal front, a London judge has issued a ruling that the heirs of Jimi Hendrix's former bandmates could continue to sue Sony Music over the rights to three classic albums, clearing the way for a trial next year to resolve the contentious lawsuit. 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 Jimi Hendrix Experience, and they've been battling in court for more than two years to prove it. Sony had argued that the case should be dismissed because Redding and Mitchell both signed away their rights in the early 1970s shortly after Hendrix died, but a judge on London's High Court ruled on Jan. 29 that the dispute -- over "arguably the greatest rock guitarist ever" -- must be decided at trial. "My overall conclusion is that the claims in respect of copyright and performers' property rights survive and should go to trial," Justice Michael Green wrote in his ruling, obtained by Billboard. The judge wrote that Redding and Mitchell's heirs had "a real prospect of succeeding" on their argument that the decades-old releases "do not provide a complete defence" for Sony. It's unclear when the trial will take place. - Billboard, 1/29/24...... The Grateful Dead spin-off band Dead & Company announced on Jan. 31 it was reuniting for a Las Vegas residency at the Sphere. "In 2023, Dead & Company played their final tour. But there are other ways to make sure the music never stops," the Instagram video begins as audio of screaming fans can be heard. "And it's gonna be a ball." As music kicks in, a nighttime view of the Sphere appears with the band's red, white and blue skull logo slowly appearing on the side of the massive, 20,000 capacity state-of-the art venue. Dead & Company -- comprised of original GD members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, as well as John Mayer, Jeff Chimenti and Oteil Burbridge -- formed in 2015. (Bill Kreutzmann was originally part of the band as well, but exited in 2023, before the band kicked off its last trek.) Its "final tour" in 2023 grossed nearly $115 million, and sold nearly 850,000 tickets across 28 shows. That made the trek the supergroup's highest tour gross, with its previous best being the $53.7 million earned during the Fall Tour 2021. U2 opened up Las Vegas' Sphere in Sept. 2023 with its "U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere" show. - Billboard, 1/31/24...... A Talking Heads tribute album has been announced by A24 Music in commemoration of the 40-year anniversary of the New York New Wave quartet's Stop Making Sense concert film and accompanying soundtrack. The tribute album's track list mirrors that of the original LP, with fresh, new takes on the 16 tracks from a genre-spanning array of artists including Paramore, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, The National, Teezo Touchdown, Kevin Abstract and Jean Dawson, among others. The new compilation specifically celebrates the recent re-release of Stop Making Sense to theaters nationwide. Originally filmed and released in 1984, the acclaimed Jonathan Demme-helmed concert film chronicles four nights of performances on the band's 1983 tour in support of their Speaking in Tongues album, which reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 200 that year. A sneak peak of Paramore's blazing "Burning the House Down" cover can be viewed on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 1/31/24...... Beach Boys principal Brian Wilson is mourning the death of his longtime wife Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, who has died aged 77. Wilson took to Instagram on Jan. 30 to share the devastating news, alongside two photos of his wife. "My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning," he wrote, without indicating the cause of death. "Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost. Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her." The caption also featured a joint statement from the couple's five children -- Dakota Rose, Daria Rose, Delanie Rose, Dylan and Dash. "It is with a heavy heart that we let everyone know that our mom, Melinda Kay Ledbetter Wilson passed away peacefully this morning at home," they wrote. "We will miss her but cherish everything she has taught us. How to take care of the person next to you with out expecting anything in return, how to find beauty in the darkest of places, and how to live life as your truest self with honesty and pride." Brian and Melinda first met in 1986, when she sold him a Cadillac. They dated for three years, but rekindled their relationship in 1992 and tied the knot in 1995. Melinda's efforts to save Brian from the grips of mental illness were immortalized in the 2014 film Love & Mercy, when she was played by Elizabeth Banks, with John Cusack and Paul Dano playing Brian at different ages. - Billboard, 1/30/24...... On Jan. 29 a Los Angeles Superior Court judge rejected Cher's request that her adult son be put into a court conservatorship controlling his money. had argued in a petition that 47-year-old Elijah Blue Allman's large payments from the trust of his late father, rocker Gregg Allman, are putting him in danger because of his struggles with mental health and substance abuse. But Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed and declined the petition, though she will still consider a larger, long-term conservatorship at a hearing in March. Cher observed the hearing remotely, appearing on a large screen in the courtroom throughout, but did not take part in the arguments. Allman was in the courtroom with his his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he is in a good place now, attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his previously estranged wife. "We are thrilled that the court saw that he does not need a temporary conservatorship," Allman's lawyer said as he stood alongside him outside the courthouse. "He's got a lot of support, he's doing great." Cher's attorneys argued that the support Allman was getting was from people who tell him what he wants to hear and downplay the size of his problems. They said his current apparent sobriety and mental health were illusory. They said he suffers from bipolar disorder, has been recently homeless, and that having large amounts of money might lead to access to drugs that could endanger his life. Allman and his attorneys have consistently argued since the petition was first filed in December that none of this is true. - Billboard, 1/30/24...... On Jan. 29 Heart announced they'll launch a 2024 "Royal Flush" tour with a huge run of shows planned across North America, the UK and Europe. Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson will kick off their tour on Apr. 20 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., and will visit several cities including Portland, Montreal, Detroit, London and Stockholm as well as New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Col. They will also play a handful shows in stadiums opening for Def Leppard and Journey. "We're excited and all geared up to hit the road in 2024 to perform for our devoted fans," lead vocalist Ann Wilson said in a press release. "The exceptional talent of the band -- Ryan, Ryan, Paul, Tony and Sean -- brings a whole new level of energy to Heart's live performance." Nancy Wilson added: "I am incredibly proud of the show that our band has crafted and am looking forward to reconnecting with our fans. We can't wait to share our music with everyone and celebrate the big electric energy of a completely live on the spot rock show." The sisters recently reunited for their first live shows together in almost half a decade, in California and their hometown of Seattle, around and on New Year's Eve. - NME, 1/29/24...... Elton John and his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin have been named 2024 recipients of the Library of Congress's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The renowned songwriting duo is only the third pair to receive the prestigious award, following Burt Bacharach and Hal David in 2012, and Gloria and Emilio Estefan in 2019. Established in 2007, the Gershwin Prize honors artists whose creative works are collected and made accessible by the Library and acknowledges popular song's vital role in society. The prize is named for another legendary songwriting team, George and Ira Gershwin, whose papers are held by the Library. Other past recipients include Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Lionel Richie and Garth Brooks. John and Taupin will accept the prestigious honor on Mar. 20 at Washington, D.C.'s Daughters of the American Revolution's Constitution Hall. The invitation-only, all-star concert will premiere on PBS stations Apr. 8. Meanwhile, John's TV special Elton John AIDS Foundation: Let Your Inner Elton Out is among the recipients of a 2024 Anthem Award, which were launched in 2021 to highlight social impact work across the globe. This year's Anthem winners were selected from a pool of more than 2,000 submissions from 44 countries by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. - Billboard, 1/30/24...... The Eagles have announced yet more additions to their "Long Goodbye Tour" on Jan. 22, marking the fifth time since first announcing their tour that the band has added additional dates to its lineup. The newly added dates are for the European leg of the tour, which now includes a three-show residency in Manchester, UK, on May 31, June 1 and June 4, as well as a show in Arnhem, Netherlands, on June 13. The group took to Instagram on Jan. 29 to make an announcement about the final tour extension and when to score tickets. - Billboard, 1/29/24...... Chaka Khan has been confirmed as the curator of the UK's 2024 Meltdown Festival, set for ten days between June 14 and 23 at London's Southbank Centre. Khan, 70, will be in charge of putting on a lineup of artists to celebrate her 50 years in music for this year's Meltdown. "The Southbank Centre's about to light up! We're going to funk it up, rock every crowd, and touch every soul. It's a community celebration, an all-ages bash. Join us and immerse yourself in a world that's vibrant, diverse, and absolutely unforgettable," said the Grammy-winning singer who fronted the funk group Rufus before she went on to have a tremendous solo career propelled by the R&B hit "I'm Every Woman" in 1978. During her stay in England, Khan will also be performing in Woodstock (6/13) and Lewes (7/5,6 and 7). - Music-News.com, 1/29/24...... Stop, in the name of chic!....Diana Ross, 79, has been selected as the face of fashion house Yves Saint Laurent's spring 2024 campaign. "My mama is on fire! Hoping to mature in this direction," gushed her daughter Tracee Ellis Ross. - People, 1/29/24...... Renowned British photographer and Depeche Mode collaborator Brian Griffin died "peacefully" in his sleep on Jan. 29. He was 75. Throughout his career, the Birmingham native famously worked with artists such as Siouxsie Sioux, Kate Bush, Ultravox, R.E.M., Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, Ringo Starr, Queen and Peter Gabriel. However, he was most widely recognised for his work with Depeche Mode. In 1989, The Guardian named Griffin "photographer of the decade," and later that year he left still photography behind to focus on TV commercials, music videos, and films. He also went on to acquire a production company, where he worked as a commercial director. He returned to still work around the turn of the century, and famously directed a documentary for Sir Paul McCartney. - NME, 1/30/24.

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Melanie Safka, the beloved '70s singer-songwriter behind such hits as "Brand New Key," "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" and "Look What They've Done to My Song Ma," passed away "peacefully" on Jan. 23 at her home in central Tennessee, according to her publicist Billy James. She was 76 and the cause was not immediately revealed. "We are heartbroken, but want to thank each and every one of you for the affection you have for our Mother, and to tell you that she loved all of you so much!," Melanie's children Leilah, Jeordie and Beau Jarred, said in a post on her Facebook page announcing her death. "Our world is much dimmer, the colours of a dreary, rainy Tennessee pale with her absence today," the post continued. "She was one of the most talented, strong and passionate women of the era and every word she wrote, every note she sang reflected that. Our world is much dimmer, the colors of a dreary, rainy Tennessee pale with her absence today, but we know that she is still here, smiling down on all of us, on all of you, from the stars." With a voice that could shift from high-pitched and coy to a deep soulful rasp, Melanie scored a No. 1 U.S. hit in 1971 with "Brand New Key," a song from her 1971 album Gather Me that she wrote about about a girl who bikes and skates past the house of a boy she longs for. With echoes of the quaint popular songs of the 1920s and 1930s, "Brand New Key" combined a youthful simplicity with a winking adult sophistication in its chorus: "Well, I've got a brand-new pair of roller skates, you've got a brand-new key, I think that we should get together, and try them on to see." Melanie would say in later interviews that she didn't necessarily intend sexual innuendo in the song, but those who heard it weren't necessarily wrong. "I probably have a quirky way of writing, and I think I was misunderstood," the wholesome-looking singer told the Nashville Tennessean newspaper in 2014. "I had this smiling, cherubic thing, and I think that worked against me. Girls with guitars who were relevant were angst-filled and angular." "Brand New Key" had several revivals in the decades since, being featured in director Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 film "Boogie Nights" and was lip-synced by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in 2016. Born in Queens, New York on Feb. 3, 1947, Melanie was the daughter of a jazz singer and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and performed in the coffee houses of Greenwich Village and other New York folk hubs. She released her self-titled debut album in 1969, and had hit songs in Europe with "Bobo's Party" and "Beautiful People." That summer, she was one of only three female solo performers, along with Joan Baez and Janis Joplin, to perform at the generation-defining Woodstock Music and Art Fair in upstate New York. The candles the crowd held up during her opening-night set at the festival inspired her first U.S. hit, 1970's "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" which went to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. That same year came "Look What They've Done to My Song Ma," which would be covered by artists from Ray Charles to Miley Cyrus and adapted into commercial jingles for decades after. The artist later released the single "Peace Will Come (According To Plan)" and a cover version of The Rolling Stones "Ruby Tuesday." The latter release earned her a top 10 in the UK. Melanie founded her own record label, Neighborhood Records, in 1971. Its biggest hit was "Brand New Key," which went to No. 1 in the US, and No. 4 in the UK. "People in the Front Row," a danceable jam from her 1971 LP Garden in the City, got prominent placement in the most recent season of the series Black Mirror. By the mid-1970s Melanie's popularity waned, but she would maintain a following and keep recording and playing live into the 2010s. Melanie was married to her manager and producer Peter Schekeryk from 1968 until his death in 2010. According to Variety, Melanie had been in the studio earlier in January working on a new album of covers called Second Hand Smoke, which would have marked her 32nd full-length LP. She had reportedly already recorded some songs for the new album, including new versions of Morrissey's "Ouija Board Ouija Board," Radiohead's "Creep"' and Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence." It is due to be released via Los Angeles-based label Cleopatra, which had also planned to reissue the majority of her back catalog. Melanie is survived by their children, Leilah, Jeordie and Beau Jarred, who requested that on Jan. 24 fans "light a candle in honor of Melanie... Raise, raise them high, high up again. Illuminate the darkness, and let us all be connected in remembrance of the extraordinary woman who was wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to so very many people." - AP/New Musical Express, 1/25/24.

Gary Glitter appeared in front of a UK parole board in the fourth week of January as the "Rock and Roll Part 2" performer and convicted pedophile made a bid to be freed from prison. The 79-year-old Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was jailed for 16 years in Feb. 2015 after being found guilty of sexually abusing three young girls between 1975 and 1980. Glitter was sentenced for attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and one for having sex with a girl under 13. During sentencing, Judge Alistair McCreath said he could find "no real evidence" that he had atoned for his crimes. In Feb. 2023, the disgraced star was automatically freed from prison after serving half his 16-year sentence. The following month, however, Gadd was returned to custody after breaking his bail license conditions. Richard Scorer, a lawyer who is representing one of Gadd's victims, said the board would not hear from her or read his letter detailing the singer's "total lack of remorse." "She hasn't been given any opportunity to read her witness impact statement," Scorer explained, adding"We do not know what information has in fact been provided to the panel hearing regarding the matter today -- the process is shrouded in secrecy despite previous promises from the Parole Board to adopt a more open approach." Scorer said however he "hopes the board take this matter very seriously as it is yet more evidence of Gadd's lack of remorse, and contempt for his victims." Parole board decisions in the UK are usually made public 14 days after the hearing. In October, a request for Gadd's parole hearing to take place in public was rejected because it was too difficult to contact all his victims. In March 2023, it was announced that Netflix was developing a three-part documentary series about Gary Glitter. - New Musical Express, 1/25/24...... In conjunction with Black History Month, cable channel A&E will premiere a new two-night James Brown documentary, Say It Loud, on Feb. 19 and 20. "He [James] was a brilliant performer who inspired me from the beginning and was deeply committed to the civil rights movement," Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger said about the late "Godfather of Soul," who died in 2007. "I've always admired James and learned so much from him." Jagger also served as one of the documentary's executive producers, and reflects on the musician's impact in a trailer for the documentary, which has been shared on YouTube. Featuring never-before seen archival interviews and performances, the documentary chronicles Brown's hard-fought journey from seventh-grade dropout to being crowned the "hardest working man in show business." In addition to Jagger, the film also features insights from the likes of Questlove, Bootsy Collins, LL Cool J, Chuck D, Jimmy Jam, Rev. Al Sharpton and Brown's children Deanna, Yamma and Larry. - Billboard, 1/26/24...... Bruce Springsteen will be among the artists performing at a MusiCares Person of the Year gala tribute to his fellow New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi on Feb. 2 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, two nights before the 66th annual Grammy Awards at the adjoining Crypto.com Arena. "I'm looking forward to seeing these talented musicians take the stage for the MusiCares gala. I'm honored they are able to be with us for such a wonderful night," Bon Jovi, who is also scheduled to perform, said in a statement. Springsteen received the honor in 2013, and other past recipients include Tom Petty (2017), Bono (2003) and Don Henley (2007). Comedian Jim Gaffigan will host the 33rd annual benefit gala, which will also feature performances from Jelly Roll, Melissa Etheridge, Jason Isbell, Shania Twain, Brandy Clark and Goo Goo Dolls, among others. In addition to his musical achievements, the 61-year-old Bon Jovi is being recognized for his philanthropic work. In 2006, he established the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which is dedicated to disrupting the cycle of hunger, poverty and homelessness. - Billboard, 1/26/24...... In a new interview with the UK's MOJO magazine, Paul McCartney credited Johnny Cash for inspiring him to form his '70s band Wings. "After the end of The Beatles I was faced with certain alternatives," Sir Paul says. "One was to give up music entirely and do God knows what. Another was to start a super-band with very famous people, Eric Clapton and so on. I didn't like either so I thought: 'How did The Beatles start?' It was a bunch of mates who didn't know what they were doing," he continued. "That's when I realised maybe there is a third alternative: to get a band that isn't massively famous, to not worry if we don't know what we're doing because we would form our character by learning along the way. It was a real act of faith. It was crazy, actually." Macca then said he watched Johnny Cash one night with his wife, Linda, and found his idea for a new band. "We were in bed one night," he said, "newly married, when Johnny Cash came on the telly with a new band he'd formed with Carl Perkins, a big hero of mine. There they were, playing with some country musicians I had never heard of, looking like they were having fun. I thought: here's Johnny, he's back, he's doing it. So I turned to Linda and said: Do you want to form a band? And she went: 'Sure.' That's how our relationship was. Do you want to go and live on a farm in Scotland? 'Why not?'" Wings are set to release the 50th anniversary reissue of their seminal album, Band On The Run, including some new "underdub" mixes, on Feb. 2. "This is Band on the Run in a way you've never heard before," said McCartney of the new mixes. "When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that's an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed." The new Band on the Run comes two months after the death of former Wings member Denny Laine on Dec. 5. - NME, 1/26/24...... Former Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler will release his tenth solo album, One Deep River, on Apr. 12 via his own EMI-distributed label, British Grove. Knopfler has already shared the album's lead single, "Ahead of the Game," which tells the tale of a struggling musician. Knopfler says the album's title track is about the River Tyne in his home city of Newcastle in the North East of England. "Crossing the Tyne is always on your mind," he says. "It's what you were doing when you were leaving as a youngster and that feeling is always the same every time you do it. You're heading out or you're coming back, and it just connects with your childhood. The power of it doesn't go away." Meanwhile, on Jan. 31, Knopfler is selling 120 of his guitars to benefit multiple charities, including the British Red Cross, Tusk and Brave Hearts Of The North East. The sale will take place at Christie's in London, with estimates ranging from £300 to £500,000. - Music-News.com, 1/25/24...... If anyone could lay claim to the old saying "always the bridesmaid but never the bride" when it comes to the best original song Oscar award, it's veteran songwriter Diane Warren. Warren is getting up there on the all-time list of top Oscar nominees for the award, and her nod this year for "The Fire Inside," sung by Becky G in Flamin' Hot, is her 15th -- a tally equaled by only five other songwriters in the 90-year history of the category. Moreover, this is the seventh year in a row Warren has been nominated, the longest continuous streak of nominations in this category since Sammy Cahn was nominated eight years running from 1954-61. "I'm so excited about being nominated for 'The Fire Inside'!!," Warren said in a statement after her nomination was announced on Jan. 23. "This song is all about passion. It's the theme song not only for the movie Flamin' Hot but a theme song for dreamers everywhere with that Fire Inside to make their dreams come true." Previous best song Oscar nods for Warren include "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (1987, from Mannequin performed by Starship), "Because You Loved Me" (1996, from Up Close & Personal performed by Celine Dion, "How Do I Live" (1997, from Con Air performed by Trisha Yearwood, and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (1998, from Armageddon performed by Aerosmith). - Billboard, 1/25/24...... Former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth has slammed Wolfgang Van Halen, VH latest bass player and son of VH guitarist Eddie Van Halen and actress Valerie Bertinelli, in an audio clip he posted to X and also shared on YouTube. "This f----n' kid," Roth says, "he's complaining the entire tour like I'm not paying enough attention to him on stage. He's complaining to everybody around me -- the business manager, the security guy, the clothing lady -- 'Dave's not paying enough attention to me.'" The clip opens with a throwback to Roth's brief stint helming The David Lee Roth Show, as he launches into an imaginary chat with a comedy-voiced "Jesus Christ," a thinly-veiled barb at Wolfgang securing the gig with VH thanks to him being of the son of guitar "god" Eddie Van Halen. Roth also recounts touring tales where, in New York, Wolfgang "commandeered a couple of monkeys to go in back, behind my back, over to the side of the stage and throw out these two great dames that I invited to be my guests to the show... In fact, you aren't gonna believe this shit. This f----n' kid, what he doesn't know is that these two dames work for the accounting firm that represent him, not me. But as usual, he, just like his uncle and his uncle's brother, stiffed them for tickets." It's unclear what ticked-off Roth, and Wolfgang, who now leads the band Mammoth WVH, has yet to respond. - Billboard, 1/25/24...... In other Van Halen-related news, former VH vocalist Sammy Hagar found out some shocking news on the newest episode of the PBS genealogy series Finding Your Roots. In a preview clip of the episode (shared on YouTube), the rocker finds out that his DNA does not match any men with the last name Hagar, meaning that genetically, that is not his last name. "Get out of here. This is nutty as anything I've ever imagined," Hagar said, before confirming that he did want to find out what his real biological surname is. After discovering that his DNA matches 27 men with the last name Belcher, Hagar was blown away. "What a trip," he said, visibly shocked. Finding Your Roots is hosted by educator Henry Louis Gates Jr., and features DNA diagnosticians analyzing genetic code, tracing bloodlines and occasionally debunking beliefs. - Billboard, 1/22/24...... On Jan. 24 Elton John announced a new book that will chronicle his half-century on the road. The 256-page Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour arrives on Sept. 24 through the Disney publishing imprint Hyperion Avenue, and promises readers "an epic visual journey through the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour while Elton reaches back in time to reflect on key moments in his astounding touring history and reminisces about the beginning of his career... Fans also get a rare glimpse at Elton's personal archive of posters, sketches, and never-before-seen photographs and postcards." Writing on Instagram, Sir Elton said: "I am incredibly excited to announce my new book, Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life On Tour, which goes behind the scenes on my final tour, from Allentown, PA, to Stockholm, Sweden and everywhere in between." John also revealed the technicolor book cover, which finds him standing next to a psychedelic piano in a trippy forest. Elton wrapped his epic Farewell Yellow Brick Road outing on July 8, 2023, five years after its launching -- and being delayed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, illness and injury. It earned grosses of $939.1 million and 6 million tickets sold over 330 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore. The 76-year-old singer has said that he does not want to tour again, but noted he might play sporadic shows in the future. - Billboard, 1/25/24...... Cher has been accused of "abusive behaviour" in a conservatorship battle over her son Elijah Blue Allman's estate. Recently released court documents reveal that Allman claims that he has refrained from the use of illicit substances that "have historically caused the incidents that have given rise to my mother's concern." His estranged wife, Marieangela King, has also claimed that Cher "categorically unfit to serve as conservator," and alleged that she has "witnessed and experienced abusive behavior coming mostly from Elijah's mother." In the original petition filled by the "Believe" singer, the documents alleged that Allman's estranged wife, is not fit to be conservator because of "their tumultuous relationship has been marked by a cycle of drug addiction and mental health crises." Allman, however, claims that he is fully capable of controlling his own life. "I have been living a sober life, reconciling with my spouse, paying my bills, and paying attorneys to secure my ability to maintain independent of my mother's control," he declared in court documents. "I remain free of illicit substances, capable of and committed to managing the money I receive quarterly from the trust left by my late father." Earlier in January, Cher was denied a request for an emergency temporary conservatorship over Allman. - NME, 1/25/24...... The Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) announced on Jan. 24 that it will honor late The Band co-founder Robbie Robertson and acclaimed director Martin Scorsese with their Spirit of Collaboration Award at the fifth Annual SCL Awards to be held on Feb. 13 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The award recognizes a composer/director relationship which has resulted in a prodigious body of work. Robertson worked in various capacities on 11 films Scorsese directed over a 45-year period, including The Last Waltz, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, The Color of Money, Casino, Gangs of New York, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, The Irishman and Killers of the Flower Moon. Robertson died last August at age 80. On Jan. 23, he received a posthumous Oscar nod for best original score for Killers of the Flower Moon. He was the first composer to receive a posthumous Oscar nod in that category in 47 years, since Bernard Hermann received a pair of posthumous nods for his scores to Taxi Driver and Obsession. - Billboard, 1/24/24...... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's primetime awards show airing on ABC on Jan. 1 was a hit for the ABC television network, drawing 13 million total viewers and a 0.38 rating among people people aged 18 to 49, according to Nielsen data. Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners were among the inductees, and highlights included a surprise pop-in by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Elliott's raucous closing medley, among other choice moments. - Billboard, 1/24/24...... On Jan. 24 Bob Dylan announced a run of U.S. dates on his Never Ending Tour in support of his 2020 album Rough and Rowdy Ways. The trek kicks off with a pair of dates at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Mar. 1 and 2. The mostly Southern gigs will then hang in the state for gigs in Clearwater, Fort Myers, Orlando and Jacksonville, before moving on to Athens (GA), Charlotte, Fayetteville and Asheville (N.C.), Louisville (KY), Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis (TN) before winding down with gigs in Springfield (MO), Wichita (KS) and a final gig at the Music Hall of Fair Park in Dallas on Apr. 4. - Billboard, 1/24/24...... Saying it's time to "call it a day," former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman has announced his final U.S. tour will kick off on Mar. 19 at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Conn. He'll then visit Montclair, N.J. (3/20), Huntington, N.Y. (3/22), Collingswood, N.J. (3/23), Derry, N.H. (3/24), Red Bank, N.J. (3/26), and Vienna, VA (3/27 and 28), before wrapping in Albany, N.Y.'s Egg Center for the Performing Arts on Mar. 29. On his official website, Wakeman also announced a 7-date tour of Mexico and South America in April, which he noted would mark the start of his last-ever concerts as a "one-man show." The statement however, suggests that the keyboardist will not be retiring yet, noting that he will spend the future "[concentrating] on composing, recording and collaborating with other musicians." To clarify any confusion, Wakeman took to X to explain: "In March I perform 9 shows in the USA which will be the beginning of the very last one man show tours there. The main bulk of shows will be in October [and] November [and] if demand is there, may carry on into 2025." In the statement on his website, Wakeman stated that he had always intended to stop touring by his 77th birthday.... I have thoroughly enjoyed performing the various one-man shows, but it's time to call it a day." To commemorate the musician's final solo tour, he will premiere a new piece of music during the performances. Entitled "Yessonata," the 30-minute work will weave melodies from Yes material into a cohesive sonata form. Wakeman was a member of Yes for most of the band's career, being featured every album from their classic 1972 LP Fragile, to their 1997 live album Keys to Ascension 2. In addition, Wakeman served as a sessionist for various artists including Elton John, Lou Reed, Black Sabbath and most notably, David Bowie. His work appears appears on several of Bowie's most iconic songs and albums, including "Space Oddity," his 1971 album Hunky Dory, and his magnum opus, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. - NME, 1/24/24...... The Doobie Brothers have announced a 38-date 2024 U.S. tour, with special guests Steve Winwood and the Robert Cray Band set to open on select dates. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, featuring Michael McDonald (vocals/keyboards), Tom Johnston (vocals/guitar), Pat Simmons (vocals/guitar) and multi-instrumentalist John McFee, will kick off the run with a June 15 gig at the White River Amphitheatre in Seattle, WA. Visiting a number of cities they haven't played for years, the tour will hit Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Knoxville, New York, Boston, Detroit, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Denver before winding up in Seattle. The 2024 outing follows on the heel's of the Doobies' 2023 50th anniversary swing, which reunited McDonald, Johnston, Simmons and McFee on stage for their first tour in 25 years. - Billboard, 1/22/24...... On Jan. 22 the Eagles announced on Instagram what they're calling their final-ever U.K. shows as part of the veteran country-rock group's Long Goodbye final tour. Eagles members Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, with Vince Gill and Deacon Frey -- announced a three-show residency run at the new Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester on May 31, June 1 and June 4. The gig at the U.K.'s largest indoor arena will feature support from the group's fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members, Steely Dan. Due to high demand, on Jan. 25 the band announced the addition of two shows in Manchester, on June 7 and 8. The Eagles are scheduled to hit the road again on Feb. 2 for the first of two shows at the Moody Center in Austin, TX, followed by a run of North American stops in St. Louis, Omaha, Tulsa, Houston, New Orleans, Hollywood (FL), Orlando, Toronto and Charlotte before heading overseas. - Billboard, 1/22/24...... John Fogerty has announced he will visit Australia for the first time since 2012 when he headlines the Country Fest Queensland this easter. Morgan Evans, Lee Kernaghan, James Johnston and many others are also on the bill, set for March 30 and 31. According to a post by festival reps on Instagram, the rock legend will perform a set of his own songs, then a second set playing Creedence Clearwater Revival classics -- something he hasn't done in Oz since 1972. - Billboard, 1/22/24...... Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon Osbourne has revealed that Ozzy is planning "two more shows to say goodbye" before he fully retires from performing live. Speaking about her husband's future during her "Cut The Crap" show at London's Fortune Theatre on Jan. 21, Sharon told journalist Jane More: "He won't tour again but we are planning on doing two more shows to say goodbye as he feels like, 'I have never said goodbye to my fans and I want to say goodbye'." Sharon continued: "His voice is still absolutely perfect. And all the time he has been off he still does his singing lessons. Even if you don't like his music, you can't not like Ozzy." She reportedly hinted that Osbourne, 75, would stage the pair of farewell concerts at the Villa Park football stadium in his home city of Birmingham. "We will do it in Aston Villa where Ozzy is from," Sharon told Moore and the audience in attendance. Ozzy announced his retirement from touring in Feb. 2023, calling off his scheduled European and UK tour dates in the process. Later that month, however, he said he hoped to return to the stage at some point in the future. - NME, 1/23/24...... Billy Joel announced on X on Jan. 22 that he's putting out his first pop single in nearly two decades, "Turn the Lights Back On," on Feb. 1. Columbia Records, Joel's longtime label, will release the song on Feb. 1 to all digital service providers and on limited edition 7" vinyl. It will be accompanied by a lyric video on Joel's YouTube channel. The song, which Joel wrote with Freddy Wexler, Arthur Bacon and Wayne Hector and was produced by Wexler -- includes the lyrics, "Did I wait too long to turn the lights back on?" It's Joel's first song released with words since 2007's "All My Life," a lush, Sinatra-like ballad Joel wrote for his then wife, Katie Lee, that reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Singles Sales chart. There is no word yet if "Turn the Lights Back On" is a one-off or a precursor to more material, but the artist has been open about his hesitation to return to his pop heyday, making the new song all the more welcome. "I'm not ruling out the possibility of writing songs again," he told Billboard in 2007, a few months after "All My Life's" release. "I suppose if I had the motivation to write a song, I'm not gonna stop myself from doing it. I just haven't felt the compulsion to write songs in pop form. I guess these days I just think of myself as a composer." Meanwhile, Joel has been added to the lineup of performers at the 2024 Grammy Awards, set for Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Joel is the seventh performer announced to perform on the Grammy telecast, following Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Travis Scott, Luke Combs and Burna Boy. Joel is the first of the announced performers who isn't a current Grammy nominee. He is, however, a five-time Grammy winner, winning each of the Big Three awards in a two-year span in 1979-80 -- album of the year for 52nd Street and record and song of the year for "Just the Way You Are." He also received a Grammy Legend Award in 1991. The 74-year-old Joel has sold over 160 million albums around the world, emerging as "the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States," and garnering six Grammys out of 23 nominations. - Billboard, 1/22/24...... The estate of late counterculture comedian George Carlin filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles on Jan. 25 against the media company behind a fake hourlong comedy special that purportedly uses artificial intelligence to recreate the late standup comic's style and material. The suit asks that a judge order the podcast outlet, Dudesy, to immediately take down the audio special, George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead," in which a synthesis of Carlin, who died in 2008, delivers commentary on current events. Carlin's daughter, Kelly Carlin, said in a statement that the work is "a poorly-executed facsimile cobbled together by unscrupulous individuals to capitalize on the extraordinary goodwill my father established with his adoring fanbase." The Carlin estate and its executor, Jerold Hamza, are named as plaintiffs in the suit, which alleges violations of Carlin's right of publicity and copyright. The named defendants are Dudesy and podcast hosts Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen. "None of the Defendants had permission to use Carlin's likeness for the AI-generated 'George Carlin Special,' nor did they have a licence to use any of the late comedian's copyrighted materials," the lawsuit says. The defendants have not filed a response to the lawsuit and it was not clear whether they have retained an attorney. They could not immediately be reached for comment. The AI issue was a major sticking point in the resolution of 2023's Hollywood writers and actors strikes. Josh Schiller, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement that the "case is not just about AI, it's about the humans that use AI to violate the law, infringe on intellectual property rights, and flout common decency." - AP, 1/26/24...... David Beckwith, the veteran publicist whose crowning achievement was his work representing Elvis Presley's Graceland museum since it opened more than four decades ago, died on Jan. 19 in Phoenixafter his hip replacement surgery was followed by sepsis. He was 67. When Presley's home in Memphis, Tenn., was first opened to the public in July 1982, Beckwith helped manage the 700-plus members of the media there for the opening news conference with Priscilla Presley. He continued his work with Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises until his death. Beckwith was a pioneer in the LGBTQ+ community, serving on the local and national boards of the Human Rights Campaign, and was instrumental in creating Los Angeles' Outfest, the world's largest LGBTQ+ film festival. Survivors include Dietrich Nelson, his partner of 42 years and husband of 15 years, and his pets Edie, Arlen, Daisy and Doris. - Billboard, 1/23/24...... Norman Jewison, the Canadian-born director of such acclaimed films as In the Heat of the Night, Fiddler on the Roof and Moonstruck, died on Jan. 20 at his home. He was 97. A seven-time Oscar nominee, Mr. Jewison received the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences in 1999. Known for his ability to coax great performances out of his actors -- 12 of his players were nominated for Oscars, while five of his features made the cut for best picture -- the most distinguished film director in Canadian history often used conventional genre plots to take on social injustice. Mr. Jewison earned best director and best picture nominations for Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Moonstruck (1987); received another nom for helming In the Heat of the Night (1967), a winner for best picture; and added two others for producing the wacky Red Scare comedy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966) and A Soldier's Story (1984). Other directoral credits include Send Me No Flowers (1964), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Rollerball (1975), F.I.S.T. (1978), And Justice for All (1979), Agnes of God (1985) and Other People's Money (1991). Frederick Jewison was born on July 21, 1926, in Toronto, where his parents ran a general store/post office. He developed an early interest in the arts, studying piano and music theory at the Royal Conservatory, and staged and appeared in shows and musical comedies in high school. Following graduation, Mr. Jewison made his professional debut in a minstrel show, which he also directed and co-wrote, then served in Canada's Navy during World War II. Back home, he graduated from the University of Toronto's Victoria College in 1949 with a B.A. in general arts. He worked as a cab driver in Toronto and occasionally performed as a radio actor for the CBC. In 1950, he moved to London for a two-year work-study stint with the BBC. In 1950, CBS invited Mr. Jewison to New York to update the venerable TV musical Your Hit Parade. After he booked African-American singer Tommy Edwards, who had a hit with "It's All in the Game," to be on the program, he was called to a Madison Avenue meeting with a representative from Lucky Strike cigarettes, the show's South Carolina-based sponsor. The CBC called him back to work in the new medium of television, and Mr. Jewison wrote, directed and produced some of his country's most popular shows and specials. Mr. Jewison served as producer of the 1981 Academy Awards, which were rescheduled after President Reagan was shot, and he earned an Emmy nomination in 2002 for directing the HBO telefilm Dinner With Friends. Mr. Jewison returned to Toronto in 1978 and lived on a 240-acre farm in Ontario. He hosted a gala picnic for years at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 1982, Mr. Jewison was made an officer of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian decoration, then set out to establish the Canadian equivalent of the American Film Institute. Survivors include his second wife, Lynne St. David, and three children. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/22/24.

Monday, January 22, 2024

KISS co-founder Gene Simmons has announced his first solo show since KISS retired from touring with the final show on their "End of the Road" farewell tour at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2. Simmons, 74, will headline the Apr. 26 show of Brazil's Summer Breeze festival alongside Mr. Big and Sebastian Bach. Simmons' band will reportedly include Corey Taylor's guitarist Zach Throne and Sebastian Bach's axeman Brent Woods as well as session drummer Brian Tichy, who has played with acts such as Whitesnake, Billy Idol and Foreigner. Simmons last toured as a solo act back in 2018. KISS recently surprised fans by debuting digital versions of themselves created by the teams behind ABBA's lucrative Voyage hologram show. They declared the avatars signal the start of a "new era" and Simmons has claimed millions of dollars are being pumped into the project. - Music-News.com, 1/20/24...... George Clinton, the mastermind behind the legendary bands Parliament/Funkadelic, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Jan. 19. Acknowledging all the members of his bands over the years, Clinton (a.k.a. "Dr. Funkenstein") said, "Lots of them are here, lots of them not. But for all of them I say thanks and I'm blessed to be representing a bunch of funky mothers. Thank you, Hollywood!" Clinton's star, the walk's 2769th, is located at 6752 Hollywood Blvd. in front of the Musicians Institute. Also speaking at the ceremony were Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, civil rights attorney Ben Crump and songwriter Janie Bradford. As the leader of Parliament/Funkadelic, Clinton steered the way across the cosmos to such classics as "(I Wanna) Testify," "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)," "Star Child (Mothership Connection)," "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)," "Flash Light," "Aqua Boogie," "One Nation Under a Groove," "(Not Just) Knee Deep" and "Atomic Dog," from such notable albums as Parliament's Mothership Connection and Funkadelic's Maggot Brain and One Nation Under a Groove. - Billboard, 1/21/24...... Sting and DEVO will be among the headliners at the upcoming BeachLife Festival 2024, set for Redondo Beach, Calif., on May 3-5. The high-end live music, art and culinary event is celebrating its fifth year as the South Bay's premiere event, and is organized and promoted by local promoter and restauranteur Allen Sanford. Also among the headliners are My Morning Jacket, Trey Anastasio and Dirty Heads. The full lineup can be viewed on BeachLife Festival's Instagram page. - Billboard, 1/19/24...... In other festival news, the New Orleans Jazz Festival has confirmed a litany of huge names for its annual two-weekend event, this year occurring between Apr. 25 and May 5 at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. The Rolling Stones, Neil Young and Crazy Horse and Foo Fighters will top the bill along with such famous acts as The Beach Boys, Bonnie Raitt, Heart and Earth, Wind & Fire. The full lineup can be viewed on the NO JazzFest's X page. The JazzFest will be just one of the stops on the Rolling Stones' huge 2024 North American tour, which gets underway in Houston on Apr. 28. - NME, 1/19/24...... Dolly Parton celebrated her 78th birthday on Jan. 19 by dropping a deluxe version of her 2023 debut rock-themed album, Rockstar. "It's my Birthday so I'm going to give you a present!" Parton wrote on X. "I'm releasing four never released songs for my birthday, to go with the Rockstar album, and a few others that you may have heard before that were not on the album. I hope you enjoy them, and I hope you all have a happy birthday for me! LOL." Her nine fresh tracks include a live version of her originals "Rockin' It," "Mama Never Said" and the golden oldie "Stay Out of My Bedroom," featuring Sylvester Stallone from the 1984 Rhinestone soundtrack. Other bonus tracks include songs originally by Pat Benatar, Eddie Money, Billy Joel, Eurythmics and Simon & Garfunkel. A preview of the deluxe version of Rockstar can be streamed on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 1/19/24...... A running feud between former Van Halen lead singers David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar has escalated after Roth claimed that Hagar was "sex probed by aliens." Roth and Hagar have been locked in a war of words for the past several months, with Hagar recently stating their was "no f---ing way" he would want to do a full tour with Roth in honor of Eddie Van Halen who died at age 65 in Oct. 2020 after long battle with cancer. Roth's latest retort came in the form of a YouTube video titled "The Ballad of Popsicle Sam," in which he made the claims about Hagar, referencing a 2011 story in which Hagar claimed he was abducted by aliens. "In the face of a constant fart gas aimed in our direction here at the Mojo Dojo Diamond Dave Laboratories, I think we've arrived at both the technical and the medical answer that may explain some of Sammy Hagar's conduct and his constant spew of diarrhea vitriol in our direction," Roth says. "Sammy Hagar was abducted by aliens and he was sex probed." Hagar replaced original VH vocalist Roth in 1985 and continued to front the band until 1996, returning between 2003 and 2005. In Oct. 2023, Hagar joined The Killers on stage at the Ohana Festival in California for a version of VH's "Why Can't This Be Love." Roth, meanwhile, announced his retirement back in 2021. "I am throwing in the shoes. I'm retiring. This is the first, and only, official announcement You've got the news. Share it with the world," he said at the time. - New Musical Express, 1/19/24...... Organizers of a Michael Jackson Las Vegas tribute act called MJ Live filed a complaint in Nevada federal court on Jan. 17 asking a judge to rule that they could continue to stage their concerts featuring an MJ impersonator, which are held six nights per week at the Tropicana in addition to other venues around the country. MJ Live and Jackson's estate have been embroiled in a dispute, with MJ Live charging the late King of Pop's attorneys have unfairly begun threatening to sue over a show that's been performed nightly on the Vegas Strip for more than a decade. Despite the fact that the show has allegedly been performed more than 3,600 times since 2012, MJ Live says the Jackson estate has only recently begun threatening to sue -- including sending cease-and-desist letters to other venues demanding that they cancel upcoming tour dates. Their lawsuit is primarily what's known as a "declaratory judgment action" -- a type of case aimed at proving that you've done nothing wrong. In the complaint, MJ Live's lawyers argue that the group has not infringed any trademarks held by the estate, nor has it violated his likeness rights by impersonating him. Notably, Nevada's state likeness laws have an unusual carveout the allows for the legal use of a celebrity's likeness by "impersonators in live performances" -- likely a nod to the long-standing and beloved tradition of Elvis Presley look-alikes in Las Vegas. Citing that statute, as well as the First Amendment's protections for free speech, MJ Live says it has a clear legal right "to impersonate Michael Jackson" in its shows. MJ Live is even claiming it's actually the Jackson estate that's infringing intellectual property. By using the "MJ Live" name for more than a decade, MJ Live's lawyers maintain the group has developed its own trademark rights to that particular name -- and that the estate's recent use of "MJ The Musical" on a Broadway show is infringing of those rights. An attorney for the Jackson estate described MJ Live's lawsuit as "beyond frivolous," and that they, "as always, will vigorously defend all intellectual property rights of Michael Jackson." - Billboard, 1/19/24...... Earth, Wind & Fire are among the first wave of performers being announced for CBS's upcoming Super Bowl Soulful Celebration 25th Anniversary special, set to air on the network on Feb. 10 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer and Tichina Arnold, stars of the CBS series The Neighborhood, the special will be taped on Feb. 7 during Super Bowl LVIII week in Las Vegas. The taping will take place at the Pearl Theater in the Palms Casino Resort. Also performing will be The Players Choir. The ensemble of NFL talent has been a staple of the league's Super Bowl weekend festivities for 16 seasons. Additional Super Bowl Soulful Celebration performers, honorees and partners will be announced in the coming weeks. Launched in 1999 during Super Bowl XXXIII, the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration was formerly known as the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, and has previously welcomed such entertainers as Snoop Dogg, Gladys Knight and Fantasia. - Billboard, 1/18/24...... Speaking of Earth, Wind & Fire, the legendary rock-soul troupe have extended their co-headlining "Sing A Song All Night Long Tour" with Lionel Richie into the first half of 2024. The pair's joint tour kicked off last year with a 20-date run around the United States, and they have now extended it for 13 more shows this spring. New dates include Knoxville, Tenn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Birmingham, Al.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Orlando, Fla. in May, and 11 shows in June in such cities as San Antonio, Tex.; Kansas City, Mo.; Tulsa, Okla.; Omaha, Neb.; and Louisville, Ky. The full tour intinerary can be viewed on Richie's X page. Richie will then go straight into a Las Vegas residency that will take him through until the middle of November. - NME, 1/17/24...... Steely Dan are among the latest inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the SHOF announced on Jan. 17 on CBS's morning program. Also being inducted are R.E.M., Timbaland, Carrie Underwood and Lady Gaga, with non-performing writers Hilary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford rounding out the 2024 class. The 2024 Songwriters Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will take place on June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The SHOF's website states that more honorary inductees will be announced soon. - NME, 1/18/24...... The Ray Charles Foundation has donated $2 million to the Grammy Museum Foundation to fund the museum's Campaign for Music Education. The Campaign, launched in Oct. 2022, will expand access to the museum's educational programs, including the Grammy in the Schools programming. The Ray Charles Foundation provides funding in the area of hearing disorders and in empowering young people through educational institutions and non-profit education programs. In honor of the donation, the Grammy Museum is renaming its rooftop terrace The Ray Charles Terrace at the Grammy Museum. The renaming will take place as an official Grammy week event on Jan. 29 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Jimmy Jam. The terrace, which offers views of downtown LA and the Hollywood sign and hosts more than 150 events each year. - Billboard, 1/18/24...... Marlena Shaw, the jazz and soul singer best known for her 1969 recording of "California Soul," died of as yet undisclosed causes on Jan. 19 at the age of 81. Ms. Shaw is known for her release of "California Soul," which was written by Ashford & Simpson and made available in 1969 under Cadet Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records. There, she released the albums Out of Different Bags (1967) and The Spice of Life (1969), the latter of which featured the oft-sampled songs "California Soul" and "Woman of the Ghetto." Ms. Shaw also released several recordings under Blue Note Records, and music on labels including Columbia and Verve. - Billboard, 1/20/24...... British composer Laurie Johnson, whose theme for The Avengers was among the most famous of 1960s spy-show signatures, died in his sleep on Jan. 16, in North London, according to a statement from the family. He was 96. Mr. Johnson was among the last of the prominent English film composers active during the 1950s, '60s and '70s. He also scored "Dr. Strangelove" for Stanley Kubrick in 1964, along with such features as "Tiger Bay" (1959), the Werner von Braun biopic I Aim at the Stars (1960) and sci-fi and fantasy films First Men in the Moon (1964) and Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter (1972). But it was his music for The Avengers, the lighthearted and stylish teaming of troubleshooters John Steed and Emma Peel, winningly played by Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg, that gave him star status. Mr. Johnson came aboard for the fourth season of the British-made series, which aired in America starting in 1966. He remained with the series after Rigg's departure and the arrival of Linda Thorson as Tara King in the series' sixth season. Mr. Johnson scored virtually every episode, "an unheard-of extravagance," he once said. "Sometimes there would be as much as 30 minutes of music to be recorded and synchronized every week. Over the whole series I must have composed around 50 hours of music." The Hampstead, England native became active in the British music industry in the 1950s and contributed considerable music to the KPM music library (some of which could be heard, decades later, in the cartoons Ren and Stimpy and SpongeBob SquarePants). He is survived by his wife Dot, a daughter, son-in-law and grandson. - Variety, 1/17/24...... If you missed the big screen re-release of Talking Heads' acclaimed 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense you're in luck. The movie will be back in select theaters in the U.S., Canada and U.K. starting Jan. 27 after its well-received 2023 4K re-release. The latest reboot is thanks to independent film company A24 (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Uncut Gems), which snagged the worldwide rights to the film to coincide with its 40th anniversary. According to Variety, the film will have residencies in a number of cities during the run, including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and others. Tickets and screening locations and dates can be found at tickets.stopmakingsense.movie. Talking Heads, which split in 1991, reformed for one night for their 2002 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and came back together in 2023 to promote the re-release of the Stop Making Sense, which pulled in $5 million at the box office during last year's A24 re-release, besting the haul for its initial 41-week run ($4.95 million) in 1984. A collector's edition Blu-ray of the film will be on sale at the screenings. - Billboard, 1/18/24...... Mary Weiss, lead singer of the 1960s pop girl group The Shangri-Las, died on Jan. 20. She was 75. In 1964, when Weiss was just 14, her singing group -- which also included her older sister Elizabeth "Betty" Weiss and friends Marguerite "Marge" and Mary Ann Ganser -- met producer and songwriter George "Shadow" Morton. Working with him, they broke through with their recording of "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" released in 1964 via Red Bird Records and subsequently covered by Aerosmith, followed by singles like the chart-topping "Leader of the Pack" and "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" the same year, and "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" in 1965. As Weiss was a minor, her mother signed her contracts. The group released only two studio albums before shifting to Mercury Records and disbanding in 1968 amid litigation. The Shangri-Las shared concert bills with the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Brown and more famed acts, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honored "Leader of the Pack" in its singles category in 2019. After her time performing with The Shangri-Las, Weiss went on to pursue a career as a commercial interior designer and consultant in New York City. Weiss is survived by her husband, Ed, and sister, Liz, who is the last living member of The Shangri-Las. - Billboard, 1/20/24...... Actress Lynne Marta, who played Lulu Warnicker in the hit 1984 film Footloose, passed away at her Los Angeles home from cancer on Jan. 18. She was 78. The New Jersey-born actress and singer appeared on episodes of smash TV shows including The Mod Squad, Starsky & Hutch and The Streets of San Francisco. She started her career on the syndicated teen dance series The Lloyd Thaxton Show and also appeared in episodes of Gidget and The Monkees in 1966. In 1973 she starred in a pilot for an ABC sci-fi series, Genesis II, written by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, which was not picked up. Her other TV roles included parts on Kojak, The Rockford Files, Knight Rider, Law & Order and soap operas such as The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives. She also appeared in the 1990 box office hit Three Men and a Little Lady. - Bang Showbiz, 1/16/24.

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Elton John says he's "on cloud nine" after becoming a member of the exclusive "EGOT club" -- the winner of at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in competition. On Jan. 15, the Rocket Man was awarded an outstanding variety special (live) Emmy for his Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodgers Stadium broadcast. "We won an Emmy and I am on cloud nine!! Receiving this recognition is a testament to the passion and dedication of everyone involved, and I am so deeply grateful," John wrote in an Instagram post featuring the special's poster and an image from his wild, piano-jumping 1970s heyday as an explanation for why he could not be there in person. "Whilst I am gutted that I couldn't be there to accept this award in person -- I recently underwent a knee operation, a gentle reminder, perhaps, of a lifetime spent jumping off pianos (see pic 2!) -- my heartfelt thanks go out to the @televisionacad and all those who took the time to vote. This award reflects the collective effort and creativity of an amazing team," he added. The statement went on to thank streamer Disney+, as well as his partner and one of the special's executive producers, David Furnish and others involved in the event. One of the special's executive producers, Gabe Turner, accepted the award on John's behalf at the ceremony, noting that the 76-year-old singer had recently undergone a knee operation. The Emmy made John the 19th performer to do a clean-sweep of the top entertainment awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Sir Elton is 76 years and nine months old, making him the second-oldest performer to complete the EGOT; English actor Sir John Gielgud was 87 years and four months when he completed the sweep in 1991. Ahead of the Emmy Awards, the Television Academy released a list of the 75 most impactful television moments on Jan. 15. Among the '70s artists represented on the list are Michael Jackson for his 1983 "Thriller" video, Elvis Presley and the Beatles for their respective performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, and Elton John's 1997 "Candle in the Wind" tribute to Princess Diana at her funeral. - Billboard, 1/17/24...... On Jan. 16 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band announced they'll launch a 31-city farewell tour on Mar. 21 in Bowling Green, Ky. Their "All the Good Times: The Farewell Tour" will mark the conclusion of multi-city runs that aided the band during the recording of their classic Will the Circle Be Unbroken series, which featured Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm and more. "'All the Good Times' perfectly describes our career," the band said in a press release. "Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience -- that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That's the very spirit we'll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We're really looking forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!" Hank Williams Jr. will be the group's special guest for the final show, on Sept. 14 in Kansas City, Mo. The group's first gig was 1966 in Southern California, with their breakthrough coming in 1970 with "Mr. Bojangles." In 1972, they released the first of three Will the Circle Be Unbroken records, working with pre-eminent names in bluegrass, country and folk. In 1984, the group's "Long Hard Road" reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, followed another chart-topper, "Modern Day Romance," in 1985 as well as 1987's "Fishin' in the Dark," which in recent years has been covered by artists including Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley. - Billboard, 1/16/24...... Robert Plant's latest project, Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian, has announced a UK tour set to launch on Mar. 13 at the Bristol Beacon. Further dates are scheduled for Ipswich Regent, London Palladium and the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells. Plant and co. are then set to visit Peterborough, Nottingham, Hastings, Liverpool, Sheffield and Blackburn later in March before resuming the tour in Harrogate on Apr. 30. From there, the group will make stop-offs in Stockton and Warwick in May ahead of gigs in Southend and Woking in July. Per a press release, the upcoming concerts will be "a rare opportunity to witness the collective's unique blend of folk, Americana, and blues." The former Led Zeppelin frontman formed Saving Grace in 2019. Its line-up is completed by Oli Jefferson (percussion), Tony Kelsey (mandolin, baritone, acoustic guitar) and Matt Worley (banjo, acoustic, baritone guitars, cuatro). Taylor McCall will open on the tour as a special guest support act. Plant's Saving Grace played a run of UK shows last November, and October saw Plant perform Led Zep's classic track "Stairway To Heaven" live for the first time since 2007 during a charity event. - New Musical Express, 1/16/24...... It has been revealed that the upcoming Linda Ronstadt biopic will be directed by five-time Oscar nominee David O. Russell. The film will star Selina Gomez in the titular role be produced by James Keach (who also produced the Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line and the Grammy-winning Ronstadt documentary The Sound of My Voice) along with Ronstadt's manager, John Boylan. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/14/24...... A baby grand piano owned by the late Christine McVie, a Fender Stratocaster guitar belonging to Joe Walsh, and a signed hardcover edition of Paul McCartney's two-volume The Lyrics: 1965 to Present are among the more than 75 unique collectibles that will be offered during this year's annual Grammy MusiCares Charity Relief Auction. The auction will take place live for the first time ever from the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles (and online) on Feb. 4. All auction proceeds will benefit the MusiCares program, which provides the music community with services in physical and mental health, addiction recovery, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster relief. The 2024 Grammy Awards are set for Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. - Billboard, 1/11/24...... The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael has been given an Apr. 18, 2025 release date. The Lionsgate project will be directed by Antoine Fuqua, with Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson playing the King of Pop in a film about the singer's remarkable life. Graham King, the seasoned producer behind the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, will be producing along with John Branca and John McClain, who are the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. John Logan, who penned Gladiator and The Aviator, wrote the script. According to Lionsgate, the film will cover all aspects of Jackson's life, though it is unclear how -- or even if -- it will address the many controversies involving the late music icon, given that the biopic is being made in conjunction with his estate, which has defended him against accusations of sexually abusing children. Those accusations were returned to the public discourse thanks to the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/11/24..... The Eagles played four shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on their "Long Goodbye Final Tour" on Jan. 5, 6, 12 and 13. "It's good to be back here at the Forum," band co-founder Don Henley told the audience. "We consider the Forum to be our home field. They've improved the place a lot since then. Remember all those ugly yellow and orange seats?" he said with a laugh, recalling the slightly different color scheme when the Lakers played at the Forum before moving to Staples Center in 1999. Throughout their 21-song set, the Eagles sprinkled in tributes to peers they've lost, including bandmates Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner. Frey passed away in 2016, and his son Deacon Frey, now 31, has been filling in for his late dad, alongside Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill, in the band since their Classic West performance at Dodger Stadium in 2017. Founding member Randy Meisner -- who left the band after 1976's Hotel California album -- died this past summer, so this is the band's first tour since. "We're going to dedicate this to the memory of Mr. Randy Meisner," Henley said to introduce "Take It to the Limit," which was the band's only single to feature the bassist on lead vocals and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976 and spent 23 weeks on the chart -- their longest-charting hit on the tally. "Sing it with him," Henley implored, as Gill took over on Meisner's sky-high vocals. The band also played Henley's 1984 solo hit "The Boys of Summer," dedicating it to their "dear friend," the late Jimmy Buffett, who died in Sept. 2023. Steely Dan served as the opening act, doing a robust 12-song set and remembering some friends of their own, with leader Donald Fagen making sure to shout out his band co-founder Walter Becker, who died in 2017. The Eagles will wrap their winter 2024 tour on Mar. 16 in Charlotte, N.C. - Billboard, 1/15/24...... Blondie have announced an extra show on their 2024 UK tour at Halifax Piece Hall this summer due to huge demand. The US new wave band's first outdoor show at the Halifax venue, taking place June 9 has sold out. They have now added a second on June 7, 2024 at the same venue. Debbie Harry and co. have also been announced for the very first Plymouth Summer Sessions, alongside Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Madness and Sting. This year they're also set to headline Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, Calif. with Duran Duran and Interpol. - NME, 1/15/24...... Paul McCartney's younger brother Mike McCartney has shared a health update after spending his 80th birthday in hospital. On Jan. 8, Mike shared a photo of himself on X/Twitter, aged 22, saying: "I'm now 80..can u believe! and haven't changed at all! You won't believe how I spent my 80th!" A week later, he then explained more on the same platform, telling followers: "I mentioned you wouldn't believe HOW I spent my 80th birthday didn't I? "The glorious celebrations were spent in our local hospital! The NHS nurses, doctors & staff were, as always magnificent. I'm now, thankfully out. Thanks to the NHS very much." In 2022, Mike McCartney backed plans to open up the pair's childhood home in Liverpool for unsigned artists to use as a base to write, perform and gain inspiration from. The Forthlin Sessions initiative will see artists chosen by Mike and local partners to write music at the same place where Paul and John Lennon forged their distinguished songwriting partnership. 20, Forthlin Road in Liverpool is where the pair wrote hits including "Saw Her Standing There" and "When I'm 64." The property is now owned by the National Trust. - NME, 1/15/24...... Bruce Springsteen is reportedly working on a film adaptation of the making of his bare-bones 1982 studio album Nebraska. Springsteen is said to be consulting about the possible film alongside director Scott Cooper, who is known for his films including Out of the Furnace, Black Mass and, most appropriately, Crazy Heart, about a washed-up country singer played by Jeff Bridges. One entertainment outlet, World of Reel, reports that the new film may be based on author Warren Zanes' book Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska. The Boss's sixth album, Nebraska stands out in his catalogue due to the stripped back nature of the recordings. He was going through a dark psychological period, and had recorded a batch of songs as demos on a 4-track recorder, intending to re-record them with the E Street Band. Ultimately, the singer decided to release the demos as they were, and the album became a critically acclaimed and commercial smash. Springsteen, 74, fell ill with a then-undisclosed illness back in August that resulted in two cancelled Philadelphia shows. Three weeks later, all of Springsteen's September tour dates were postponed when it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease. In early October, he rescheduled the affected US gigs and confirmed to fans that he'd be embarking on the tour between March and September 2024 instead. The first date of his 2024 UK/Ireland and European tour will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on May 5. - NME, 1/14/24...... '70s hitmaker Tony Orlando has announced his forthcoming tour will be his last and kick off with dates across three consecutive nights at South Point Casino in Las Vegas on Jan. 19-21; followed by shows at Niagara Falls, Ontario (2/27, 28); Des Plaines (3/2) and St. Charles, Ill. (3/3); Atlantic City, NJ (3/16); and Uncasville, Conn. (3/22). Orlando's final performance in Vegas should be an emotional one, wrapping 51 years as a headliner on the Strip. "Performing live shows for 63 years has been a "glorious dream-come-true run," the 79-year-old recounts. "And man oh man I will miss the audiences, friends, and fans who have stuck by me for these last sixty-three incredible years OMG I will miss them for sure! But now it's time to grow and turn a new page in my life. How exciting." Travel today is "grueling," he notes. "And then when you add the overhead the cost to travel with eight band members on the road and then you add five and six hours of delays or cancellations at airports. And not many non-stops, and then your connections end up being canceled." All of that, approaching the age of 80, "well this is not a smart or good match. So, it's time."It's "time for a new journey," he adds. Part of that trip involves the launch of Tony Orlando Productions and Explosive Film and Entertainment companies. "I also plan to pay more attention to writing a Broadway show," he adds, and "pitching my ideas for films and writing my next book. And maybe even managing the careers of some new and young talent." Orlando's '70s group, Tony Orlando & Dawn, charted three No. 1 singles from 1971-75 -- "Knock Three Times," "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" and "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)." Also, the act received a Grammy nod for best pop vocal performance by a duo, group or chorus for "Tie a Yellow Ribbon," which was also nominated for song of the year. Orlando says he will continue his broadcasting career with New York City's 77 WABC, but he's done with the rigors of the road. "I can still hit the ball," he quips. "I just can't run the bases." - Billboard, 1/16/24...... Smokey Robinson has responded to a viral TikTok highlighting his curiously-titled 2023 album, Gasms. On Jan. 13, the Motown veteran posted a response message to TikTok, clarifying the meaning behind the album's title. "Okay guys, I figured it's time for me to comment on the comments that I've been getting about calling my album 'Gasms'," began Robinson. " Gasms' is any good feeling you might have. Get your mind off of sex, because that's what you're connecting it to." He continued: 'Gasms' is not only a sexual word. It's a word that means 'whatever makes you happy. And people are saying, at my age, I shouldn't be talking about 'gasms' you know, I still have gasms! And I hope I always do. So I just wanted to kind of clear that up for you guys who are thinking or making negative comments about it, and all that." He ended his message by sharing a few words about the album's title track: "And for the title song of the album, 'Gasms', if you listen to it, you'll know that it's not something dirty or whatever you're trying to make it. Just listen to the song." The track's hook notably sees the former Miracles frontman repeatedly singing the word "gasms", crediting his "gasms" to an unspecified lover: "You give me gasms / Eyegasms / You're the one responsible for my gasms / Gasms." The album of the same name was released in Apr. 2023, marking the 83-year-old singer's first album of new material since 2009's Time Flies When You're Having Fun. - NME, 1/15/24...... A year after the legal battle over Prince's estate was finally settled, the music legend's heirs are now suddenly back in court again, fighting amongst each other over allegations that certain family members are trying to wrongfully seize control. The lawsuit, made public on Jan. 10 in Delaware court, amounts to a civil war among the members of Prince Legacy LLC, one of the two holding companies created to run the star's $156 million estate. (Primary Wave, which owns the other half of the estate, is not involved in the dispute.) The case was filed by L. Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer, two longtime Prince friends who serve as managers for Prince Legacy, over allegations that four of Prince's family members have been improperly trying to force them out of the company. They say such a move not only violates the group's operating agreement but would cause massive damage to efforts "to preserve and protect Prince's legacy." The lawsuit targets Prince's half-sisters Sharon Nelson and Norrine Nelson, as well as his niece Breanna Nelson and his nephew Allen Nelson. - Billboard, 1/11/24...... Patti Smith has made her first public appearance since her late 2023 hospitalization, to honor Lily Gladstone. In December, the punk poetess as forced to cancel a show in Bologna after a "sudden illness" prompted her to be rushed to the hospital. A few days later, it was reported that the singer was "in good health," with Smith taking to social media: "I am resting, as the doctor ordered, grateful to have had such care, though being painfully aware that many are not so fortunate." Nearly a month later, Smith has made her first public appearance to present Gladstone with the award for Best Actress at the National Board of Review Awards Gala. She won the honor with her performance in Martin Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon, for which she also won a Golden Globe. Smith praised the film in her speech, saying: "It pierces the vein of human weakness, greed, cowardice, and betrayal. And what is more piercing than the face of Lily Gladstone as the camera captures the shifting tones of her interior process seamlessly embodying the courageous Mollie Burkhart?" "Within the fabric of the film, even off-screen, Lily is like the new moon that can be felt, but not seen," she continued. "She has always felt." - NME, 1/13/24...... Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley paid tribute to the couple's daughter Lisa Marie Presley on the first anniversary of her death, who died from an intestinal obstruction that constricted blood supply to her digestive tract at age 54 on Jan. 12, 2023. "Today is a very solemn day. It's been a year since your passing and not a day goes by where I don't think about and miss you. Rest in peace, Lisa. You are in the arms of your beloved father now. Only that& gives me comfort. Mom," Priscilla posted to X/Twitter on Jan. 12. Presley was born in 1968 as the only child to her parents Elvis and Priscilla, and was the sole heir to the Graceland estate, which she inherited in 1980. She went on to pursue her own music career, within which she released three studio albums in 2003, 2004, and 2012, the former two peaking in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 200 album charts. Her mother's tribute comes after it was revealed her daughter's memoir will be released later this year. - NME, 1/13/24...... Annie Nightingale, a pioneering DJ for BBC Radio 1, died on Jan. 11 at her home in London after a short illness, according to a statement shared by her family the following day. She was 83. Ms. Nightingale was the first female DJ on BBC Radio 1, where she started in 1970, ultimately becoming the station's longest serving DJ. In 2010, Ms. Nightingale entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest serving female radio presenter, a record she still holds. Her last broadcast was in late Dec. 2023. Born near London in 1940, Ms. Nightingale began her career as a journalist and television presenter, later launching a line of clothing shops. She first came on the BBC Radio 1 airwaves in Feb.1970. BBC Radio 1 reflected on Ms. Nightingale's career and her impact. "Annie was a world class DJ, broadcaster and journalist, and throughout her entire career was a champion of new music and new artists," Aled Haydn Jones, Head of BBC Radio 1, said in a statement posted to BBC Radio 1's Instagram account. "She was the first female DJ on Radio 1 and over her 50 years on the station was a pioneer for women in the industry and in dance music. We have lost a broadcasting legend and, thanks to Annie, things will never be the same." - Billboard, 1/12/24...... Soap opera actor Bill Hayes, who originated the role of Doug Williams on Days of Our Lives in 1970, has died at age 98. "It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved Bill Hayes," a rep for the television series told People magazine in a statement. "One of the longest-running characters on Days of Our Lives, Bill originated the role of 'Doug Williams' in 1970 and portrayed him continuously throughout his life." The rep added that Mr. Hayes and his real-life wife, Susan Seaforth (who played Doug's spouse Julie on the program), "remained the foundation of the Williams-Horton family spanning more than 50 years." Doug and Julie were immensely popular characters on the sudser and the couple's wedding, which took place on the series in 1976, was viewed by about 16 million viewers. Mr. Hayes is survived by Seaforth Hayes, their five children, 12 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren. - Canoe.com, 1/15/24...... Sitcom actress Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie Norton on the television classic The Honeymooners, died on Jan. 13 at her home in New York City, according to multiple reports. She was 99 years old and in hospice care at the time of her death, which was from natural causes. Ms. Randolph played the wife of sewer worker Ed Norton, played by Art Carney. The couple were the best friends and neighbors of Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason), and Alice Kramden (Audrey Meadows). The Honeymooners debuted in 1951 as a sketch on DuPont Network's Calvacade of Stars. It later moved to The Jackie Gleason Show on CBS. The Honeymooners was not a breakout hit, finishing its lone season in 1955-56 at No. 19 in a three-network universe. But its "Classic 39" CBS episodes have lived on in syndication, reaching multiple new generations of fans. Ms. Randolph was the last surviving member of the main cast of The Honeymooners, which is still regarded as one of the classics of television. - Deadline.com, 1/14/24....... Leon Wildes, a prominent immigration lawyer best known for his landmark, yearslong fight in the 1970s to prevent John Lennon from being deported and enable the former Beatle to receive permanent residency in the U.S., died on Jan. 8 at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. He was 90. Mr. Wildes' son -- immigration attorney and Englewood, N.J. Mayor Michael Wildes -- said his father had been in failing health after a series of strokes. "Dad felt he effectively lived the American Dream for a kid from Olyphant PA and spent his life facilitating the same experience for scores more," said Michael Wildes, who is also the managing partner for the firm his father helped start, Wildes & Weinberg. "He was beloved by his family, was extraordinarily humble, and beloved by our Bar." Leon Wildes was a graduate of the New York University School of Law who co-founded Wildes & Weinberg in 1960 and, by the end of the decade, had gained enough stature to serve as president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. His name would become part of musical and political history after an old law school classmate, Alan Kahn, called in 1972 and told him that Lennon and Yoko Ono needed his help getting their visas extended. Mr. Wildes agreed to meet with the couple at the Manhattan offices of Apple Records, the label founded by the Beatles in the late 1960s. But he did have one embarrassing confession about Lennon and his artist wife. "I have no idea who these people are," he told Kahn, later saying he misheard their names as "Jack Lemmon and Yoko Moto." What Mr. Wildes initially thought would be a formality turned into one of the most dramatic legal struggles of the era. John and Yoko had moved from England to New York City, trying to track down Ono's daughter from a previous marriage, Kyoko Chan Cox, whom her ex-husband had abducted. The couple also were active in the New Left politics of the time, opposing the Vietnam War and backing efforts to defeat Pres. Richard Nixon in his bid for re-election. With the minimum voting age lowered from 21 to 18, Lennon's plans included a 1972 tour of the U.S. that would potentially attract millions of young people. As government files later revealed, some Nixon supporters feared that Lennon could damage Nixon politically. In a Feb. 1972 memo sent to Sen. Strom Thurmond, a South Carolina Republican and a member of a Senate subcommittee on internal security, aides recommended a "strategic countermeasure," terminating Lennon's visa. The government would also try to deport Ono, a Tokyo native, but she was granted permanent residency in 1973. Descended from European Jews, Mr. Wildes grew up in a small Pennsylvania community where he was often the only Jew in his class. He attended Yeshiva College as an undergraduate and became interested in immigration law after working with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in the late 1950s. Mr. Wildes published articles in the Cardozo Law Review among other journals and wrote a book on the Lennon case, John Lennon Vs. the USA, that was published in 2016. An opera fan when he was young, he would become fully vested in the Beatles universe, to the point of using "Imagine" as music when a caller to his office was placed on hold. He remained close to Yoko, appeared in the 2006 documentary The U.S. vs. John Lennon and even attended some Beatles conventions, among them the Chicago-based Fest for Beatles Fans. - Billboard, 1/13/24.

Friday, January 12, 2024

A memoir by Elvis and Priscilla Presley's late daughter Lisa Marie Presley was announced on Jan. 11 by publisher Random House. The memoir, due later in 2024, is still untitled and was produced in collaboration with Lisa Marie's actress daughter, Riley Keough. Described as a "raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir (that) will lift the veil on one of America's most storied families," the book was finished by Keough after Lisa Marie requested her help before she died on Jan. 12, 2023, at the age of 54. According to a press release, the Daisy Jones in Daisy Jones & The Six actress had listented to hours of tapes recorded by Lisa Marie in preparation for the book. "Few people had the opportunity to know who my mom really was, other than being Elvis's daughter," Keough, 34, said in a statement. "I was lucky to have had that opportunity and working on preparing her autobiography for publication has been a privilege, albeit a bittersweet one. I'm so excited to share my mom now, at her most vulnerable and most honest, and in doing so, I do hope that readers come to love my mom as much as I did." The memoir, due Oct. 15, will cover topics including "Lisa Marie's complicated relationship with her mother Priscilla," as well as "the shattering loss of her son, Riley's brother Benjamin Keough, to suicide." - Music-News.com, 1/11/24...... It has been confirmed that singer/actress Selena Gomez will portray Linda Ronstadt in an upcoming biopic about the "You're No Good" singer. According to Great Eastern Music, a music publisher founded by Ronstadt's manager John Boylan, Gomez is "attached to play Linda" and the "long-rumored Linda Ronstadt biopic is now up-and-running." According to an announcement on Great Eastern's "Projects" page, "the two recently spent a few hours at Linda's home discussing the project and getting to know each other." Ronstadt, 77, also appeared to confirm the news on her Instagram account, sharing screenshots of Variety and Rolling Stone's reports that the 32-year-old Gomez will be portraying her to her Instagram Stories. On her verified Facebook page, she also shared one of those reports, captioning it, "It all started with a simple dream," recalling her chart-topping 1977 album Simple Dreams. Fan speculation about Gomez's new role kicked off on Jan. 9 after Gomez shared a photo of Ronstadt's book Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir to her Instagram Stories. Ronstadt announced her retirement in 2011, citing her Parkinson's disease diagnosis, but later sharing that she actually has a brain disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy, which resembles Parkinson's. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2016. - Billboard, 1/10/24...... German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk have announced a nine-show residency in Los Angeles in May that will cover the group's decades-long catalog and mark their 50th anniversary. Each show will feature the band playing one of their classic albums, including Autobahn, 1975's Radio-Activity and 1977's Trans Europe Express. The final show will span five decades of the Kraftwerk repertoire. Hosted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the nine shows will take place between May 21-30 at downtown L.A.'s iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall, where the group also performed a celebrated residency in 2013. It will mark the first performances by the influential group, who were nto the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, in North America since a 2022 run of their 3-D show. - Billboard, 1/10/24...... Accepting a best motion picture Golden Globes award for the film Poor Things during the 2024 Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills on Jan. 7, director/producer Yorgos Lanthimos gave a shout-out to audience member Bruce Springsteen. "I just wanted to speak to Bruce Springsteen the whole night," Lanthimos said as he took the stage and grabbed the mic. "We have the same birthday -- the 23rd of September!" As Poor Things star Emma Stone and the rest of the cast and crew laughed behind him, the camera cut to The Boss, who was flashing a thumbs up from his table. Springsteen was a 2024 Golden Globe nominee for writing "Addicted to Romance" for She Came to Me, which was up for best original song, but lost to Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell's "What Was I Made For?" from the blockbuster Barbie film. Lanthimos went on to thank Searchlight Pictures for making the film, his cast and his crew ("Emma, she's the best," he said), but couldn't walk away without one more shout-out to The Boss: "Thank you, Bruce Springsteen, for making me grow up the way I did." - Billboard, 1/7/24...... The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that a stage adaptation of Prince's original 1984 film Purple Rain is under development, with a world premiere in the works. Forty years after the funk/pop icon unleashed his Purple Rain film and soundtrack album, the adaptation is set to feature a score by the late Prince, with a book by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who is currently enjoying the Broadway run of his acclaimed drama "Appropriate." Jacobs-Jenkins' book will be based on the original Purple Rain screenplay, which was written by Albert Magnoli (who also directed the original film) and William Blinn. The 1984 film version starred Prince as The Kid, a burgeoning Minneapolis rock musician who trudges his way through rival bands, fleeting romances, and a gritty home life. To date, the film has grossed nearly $70 million worldwide, and, in 1985, it won the Academy Award for best original song score. The accompanying soundtrack of the same name was also smash success, spending 24 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and spawning five Top 40 hits including the No. 1 "When Doves Cry." - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/8/24...... Appearing on the popular SiriusXM podcast Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson revealed his arthritis is "slowly getting worse," but he is now "used to it." Lifeson, 70, has suffered from psoriatic arthritis -- a form of arthritis with a skin rash -- for nearly 20 years, but says the medication he is on to deal with it has been "very effective" over the years. "I'm on two biologics, so sort of like a double whammy in dealing with it. And it's been very, very effective," Lifeson said. "Despite the side effects and all of that, it's been a really effective regimen for me, and it's really helped my hands. I have times where the inflammation has its own mind, and that's when you'll see me shaking my hands [while I am playing]. But it is what it is, and I can still get by, and I'm so used to it, I don't really even think about it that much anymore." He added that he's no longer "interested" in hitting the road with his guitar "after 40 years of touring." "I enjoyed it when we did it. There were lots of ups and downs," he noted. In June 2020, Lifeson admitted to a WFAN radio host that he hadn't felt "inspired or motivated" to play music since drummer Neil Peart's death aged 67, six months earlier in Jan. 2020."After Neil passed in January, I've played very little guitar. I don't feel inspired and motivated.... Every time I pick up a guitar, I just aimlessly kind of mess around with it and put it down after 10 minutes. Normally, I would pick up a guitar and I would play for a couple of hours without even being aware that I'm spending that much time. So I know it'll come back." - Music-News.com, 1/10/24...... During the latest episode of The Osbournes Podcast, Ozzy Osbourne shared that his recovery is going well, but it's going to "take time." Chatting with fellow musician Billy Morrison, Osbourne said that "I just came back from the doctor today and my blood clots are gone, everything's back to normal. I can bend my neck. I just gotta get my balance going now." Ozzy, 75, underwent his fourth and final spinal surgery in Sept. 2023 and is now focusing on managing his Parkinson's disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2003. "I'm not seeing so many doctors anymore," Osbourne continued. "I'm just seeing the Parkinson's doctor but I'm not having surgery or anything. I had seven surgeries in five years." He added, "It's a slow recovery because I'm not as young as I used to be so recovery of anything is gonna take time." Osbourne had metal plates inserted into his neck after he suffered a fall in 2019. They were later removed as were causing him further pain. Osbourne and Corey Taylor of Slipknot, along with the likes of Billy Idol, Steve Vai members of Run-DMC and 4 Non Blondes, are set to appear on Billy Morrison's new album. It will be released on Apr. 19, with lead single "Drowning" coming on Feb. 23. - Music-News, 1/10/24...... Roger Daltrey announced on Jan. 8 that he'll close out the nearly quarter-century run of his Teenage Cancer Trust fundraising gigs in March with a week-long series of all-star shows benefitting the British charity dedicated to helping young people needing nursing care and support after diagnosis. Taking place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the shows will feature Daltrey's legendary band The Who taking the stage on Mar. 18 and 20 with an orchestra, with support from Squeeze. Noel Gallagher has been tapped to headline on Mar. 21 with support from Blossoms. There will also be an as-yet-unannounced lineup of stand-up comedians on Mar. 19, a Mar. 22 gig by Young Fathers and a Mar. 23 lineup featuring the Chemical Brothers and DJ Paul Holroyd. The final show -- dubbed "Ovation" -- on Mar. 24 will be a blow-out celebrating the 24 years of TCT shows featuring Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, The Stereophonics' Kelly Jones, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Paul Weller. Daltrey has been hosting and curating the fundraising shows since 2000, raising more than $40 million to date, which the organization said has paid for more than a million hours of specialist care from TCT nurses, or 13 TCT hospital care units. Daltrey has announced that beginning in 2025 the concert series will continue with a series of guest curators. - Billboard, 1/8/24...... In other Who-related news, Pete Townshend admitted in a new interview with Guitar.com that "all guitarists are intimidated" by the young guitarists who post videos of themselves shredding on social media. Townshend spoke of using the guitar as a technical tool when it comes to composing music. "I think one of the things that all guitarists of today are intimidated by is these young guys on Instagram that shred to hell and back, or to heaven and back, I should say, who started when they were six. But we are just our fingers." The veteran axman added that despite the "intimidation," he's happy that he has developed his own style rather than focusing on "flashy runs": "What I'm happy about is I can do two days of practice and learn some really flashy runs if I want to, though I'm still stuck with the old order, which is trying to make sure I don't let my fingers play a series of cliches." Meanwhile, the future of The Who remains unclear, as Townshend said that they have to "have a chat about what happens next" following the conclusion of their final orchestral tour date at the Sandringham Estate over the summer. "I think it's time for Roger and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next. Because Sandringham shouldn't feel like the end of anything but it feels like the end of an era," he said recently. - NME, 1/9/24...... American alternative rock band Wilco have shared a cover of David Bowie's classic track "Space Oddity" to celebrate what would have been the late star's 77th birthday on Jan. 8. The live recording of the cover, which can be viewed on YouTube, is the first taste of a new Wilco compilation album from a live performance on radio station Mountain Stage. "As a gratefully, if not begrudgingly, Earth-bound band, it's always an honor and a challenge to tackle any of David Bowie's space-soaring arrangements," Wilco said of their "Space Oddity" cover. Their new album, Live On Mountain Stage: Outlaws and Outliers, will be released in full on Apr. 19 via Oh Boy Records. It features four songs not on the seminal 1972 album, including a Chuck Berry cover, as well as contributions from Margo Price, John Prine, Jason Isbell and more. In other David Bowie-related news, a new "Ziggy Stardust"-era Bowie album is set to be released on Apr. 20 as part of this year's Record Store Day. Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth) is a collection of recordings from Trident Studios in 1971, and features the majority of songs that would go on to form the legendary 1972 The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars album. Artwork and a tracklist can be viewed on Bowie's Instagram page. "Wating In The Sky" is the latest in a host of Bowie rarities have been released for Record Store Day in recent years. - NME, 1/8/24...... Cher has shared the cuddly picture of herself with latest beau Alexander "AE" Edwards on X/Twitter. In the photo, she sits on Edwards' lap and embraces him, with one hand on his back and the other affectionately touching his chin. Cher, 77, first met Edwards, 37, at Paris Fashion Week in Sept. 2022. She opened up about their romance and its 40-year age gap on The Kelly Clarkson Show in Dec. 2022, noting, "On paper, it's kind of ridiculous. But in real life, we get along great. He's fabulous. And I don't give men qualities that they don't deserve." She added that Edwards is "very kind, very smart, he's very talented, and he's really funny, before adding, "And I think he's quite handsome." - Billboard, 1/6/24...... Tony Clarkin, the guitarist and founder of Birmingham UK hard rock band Magnum, died on Jan. 7. He was 77. Clarkin's passing was confirmed by a statement shared to the band's official Instagram account, which read: "On behalf of the family, it is with profound sadness that daughter Dionne is sharing the news of the passing of Tony Clarkin. Following a short illness, he died peacefully surrounded by his girls on Sunday 7th January 2024." Clarkin co-founded Magnum in 1972 alongside singer Bob Catley, and they were initially set to be the house band for the Rum Runner club in Birmingham. He served as the band's sole songwriter across all 22 of their albums -- including their commercial zenith starting from 1982's Chase The Dragon through to 1990's Goodnight LA -- and guitarist for over 50 years. His death came a few days ahead of the release of Magnum's 23rd LP Here Comes The Rain, which drops Jan. 12 via SPV/Steamhammer, and a week after the band's new single, "The Seventh Darkness," was released. - NME, 1/11/24...... James Kottak, a former drummer for the German hard rock group Scorpions, died on Jan. 9 in his birthplace of Louisville, Ky. of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 61. Joining the Scorpions in 1996, Kottak appeared on all of their albums from 1999's Eye II Eye to 2015's Return to Forever during his 20-year run with the band. He was kicked out of the band for alcoholism in 2016 and later replaced by Motörhead's Mikkey Dee, who remains in the line-up. Before joining the band, Kottak was an original member of Kingdom Come in the '80s. He rejoined the band a couple of years after he was dismissed from Scorpions and remained in the group up until his passing. Elsewhere, he had also toured with bands including Warrant and Dio, and also took on vocal duties for the '90s band Krunk. "Very sad news& our dear friend & Drummer for 20 yrs," reads a post on the Scorpions' X/Twitter page. "James Kottak has passed at the age of 61. James was a wonderful human being, a great musician & loving family man. He was our "Brother from another Mother" & will be truly missed. Rock'n Roll Forever. RIP James." - NME, 1/10/24.

Sunday, January 7, 2024

On Jan. 5 a Los Angeles Superior Court judge declined to immediately put Cher's son Elijah Blue Allman into the legal conservatorship that Cher is seeking and Elijah Blue is opposing, but the court will take up the issue again within weeks. Judge Jessica A. Uzcategui ruled that Cher's attorneys had not given Elijah Blue and his lawyers the necessary documents to give them sufficient time to make their case, and scheduled another hearing for Jan. 29. In late December, Cher filed a petition for control of the finances of her 47-year-old son with the late Gregg Allman, claiming his struggles with addiction and mental health have left him unable to manage his money and potentially put his life in danger by making him able to buy drugs. Elijah Blue receives money from a trust left by his late father, and an attorney for Cher said during the hearing that a payment from the trust is pending, and the immediate establishment of a conservatorship is "a life-and-death proposition." However Judge Uzcategui said that she was "not persuaded," citing Cher's unwillingness to share material with Allman's attorneys. Cher's lawyers said they had confidentiality concerns and shared the documents instead with Allman's court-appointed lawyer. Allman acknowledged his struggles with addiction and irresponsible spending, but said he is under the care of a doctor, has been sober for more than three months, is attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and is willing to submit drug tests. "While I understand that my mother, the proposed conservator, believes she is looking out for my best interests and I appreciate her love and support, I do not need her unsolicited help or support at this time," the filing said. Allman attended the hearing but spoke only to briefly answer the judge's questions. His lawyers declined comment after the hearing. Cher did not attend. - Billboard, 1/5/24...... It appears that France will have a street named after David Bowie before the late rock legend's own home country of the UK. On Jan. 8 -- what would have been Bowie's 77th birthday -- a new road near Austerlitz train station in Paris will be named after Bowie, rather than a pre-existing one that has been renamed. According to Paris Mayor Jorme Coumet, the idea for the "rue David Bowie" emerged as the "Space Oddity" singer had "a strong link with the city of lights." Bowie's ties to France not only include his countless shows across the country, but also his time recording music at the legendary Miraval studio -- which is now owned by actor Brad Pitt. An inauguration party is also set to be held at Salle des Fetes that same day to celebrate the launch, and a variety of photographs and paintings related to the singer will be showcased at the Galerie Athna until Jan. 14. While the UK does not yet have a street named after the late music legend, his birthplace of Brixton does have a famous mural of the singer, painted by Australian artist James Cochran. Bowie died in 2016, following a cancer diagnosis. - New Musical Express, 1/5/24...... On Jan. 4 Billy Joel announced several dates at stadiums across the U.S. in 2024, with Stevie Nicks and Sting opening for him on select different dates. The Piano Man will play Tampa, Fla. (2/24), Arlington, Tex. (3/9), San Diego (4/13), Seattle (5/24), Chicago (6/21), Denver (7/12), and St. Louis (9/27). On Aug. 9, he'll play a UK date in Cardiff, Wales. Sting will open for Joel on the Tampa, San Diego and St. Louis dates, while Nicks -- who toured with Billy in 2023 as part of their "Two Icons One Night" outing -- will be the opener for the Arlington and Chicago shows. The gigs will come amid Joel's historic sold-out run at NYC's Madison Square Garden, where he will fire up his keys on Jan. 11, Feb. 9, March 28, April 26, May 9, June 8 and July 25, marking the end of a decade-long, 150-show run. - Billboard, 1/5/24...... Dionne Warwick is denying involvement in a campaign fundraiser for 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. "This is absolutely ridiculous. If you are going to lie on my name, at least lie about something cool," Warwick posted on X/Twitter on Jan. 3. Her response was to an X/Twitter post on DailyMail.com that read: "Superstar tenor @AndreaBocelli will perform at fundraiser for US presidential hopeful @RobertKennedyJr with 'well wisher' guests including Martin Sheen, @MikeTyson and @dionnewarwick." In response, Warwick posted: "I don't know anything about this event. I did not agree to it and I certainly won't be there." When a person in the comments responded "Damn Dionne I almost got my respect back for you," she retorted, "That's okay, baby. Keep it." Sheen has also denied any participation in Kennedy's campaign, requesting a surrogate post that he "wholeheartedly support[s] President Joe Biden and the democratic ticket in 2024." - Billboard, 1/5/24...... The Grammys' Recording Academy announced on Jan. 5 that Donna Summer, Gladys Knight, Laurie Anderson, Tammy Wynette and N.W.A. will be the recipients of the academy's 2024 lifetime achievement award. Also announced were Peter Asher, DJ Kool Herc and Joel Katz as trustees award recipients; Tom Kobayashi and Tom Scott are technical Grammy award honorees; and "Refugee" as the best song for social change award. The Recording Academy's 2024 Special Merit Award honorees, as they are collectively known, will be saluted at a Grammy Week ceremony on Feb. 3 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. Summer, Wynette, Eazy-E of N.W.A, and sound engineer Kobayashi are being honored posthumously. - Billboard, 1/5/24...... Heart played their first live shows together in almost half a decade during on and around the New Years Eve holiday. The first date took place on Dec. 27 at a more intimate venue, the Yaamava Theatre in Highland, Calif. The band then played two other arena shows in California and their hometown of Seattle on Dec. 28 and 31 respectively. These were Heart's first shows since 2019 and featured a career-spanning setlist including hits such as "Barracuda, "Magic Man" and "Crazy on You." Heart then finished the evening with a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" reprising their famous performance of the song at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012 which brought former Led Zep frontman Robert Plant to tears. Heart has announed they will continue their reunion in 2024 by supporting Def Leppard and Journey on select dates across their co-headlining run of the U.S. later this year. "We're gonna see how it works with the Heart thing, whether it feels like a level up," remarked singer Ann Wilson of the reunion shows in a recent interview with 96.1 KLPX out of Tucson, Arizona. "If it does feel like a level up, then we'll keep doing it. But that's what it has to be. It can't just slide down into jukebox time. Fan-shot footage of the Seattle reunion show has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 1/2/24...... Michael Jackson's name has surfaced in recently unsealed court documents tied to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein -- though Jackson was not accused of any wrongdoing in the documents. On Jan. 3, the files were unsealed as part of the 2015 lawsuit victim Virginia Giuffre filed against Ghislaine Maxwell, the now deceased financier's girlfriend, who was convicted in 2021 of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse underage victims. Maxwell is serving a 20 year prison sentence. According to the documents, Jackson's name comes up during the deposition of a witness, which took place May 18, 2016. Epstein accuser Giuffre, when questioned by her lawyer, says that she "met Michael Jackson" when asked if she ever met anybody famous when she was with Epstein. "At his house in Palm Beach. At Jeffrey's house in Palm Beach." McCawley also asked whether the witness had given Jackson a massage, which she denied doing, and for a second time later in the deposition. Epstein, 66, died by apparent suicide in Aug. 2019. He was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York while awaiting trial. He had been charged with sexually abusing multiple underage girls. - Billboard, 1/4/24...... During a recent stay at Scotland's famous Gleneagles Hotel, Rod Stewart gave its stave a tip of £10,000, as well as some advice on how he thinks they should spend it. Stewart was staying at Gleneagles to celebrate Hogmanay (the last day of the year) with his wife Penny Lancaster and their two sons, and caught staff working over the festive period off-guard by offering them the generous tip. Given to them in thanks for working over the holidays, he reportedly suggested they should use the amount to make a bet that Scotland will win the Euros this summer. "I've been lucky enough to stay in some of the top hotels in the world and the service at Gleneagles is second to none," he reportedly said. "The staff do a terrific job at a very hectic time of the year and deserve every penny. It's Scottish hospitality at its very best. I advised the boys and girls at Gleneagles to invest the money wisely," he added. "Stick the lot on Scotland to win the Euros." Stewart also posted a photo of his stay at Gleneages -- which became famous for hosting the first international match between American and British professional golfers -- on his Instagram page, showing him and his sons wearing kilts to welcome in the new year. - NME, 1/4/24...... Elvis Evolution, an immersive Elvis Presley AI hologram show, is being prepped by the U.K. company Layered Reality for an opening date in London in Nov. 2024. In a statement announcing the special event, Layered Reality promised that the mind-blowing "concert finale" featuring the King of Rock will feature a "jaw-dropping" performance and a "personal invite to the After Party." "The show peaks with a concert experience that will recreate the seismic impact of seeing Elvis live for a whole new generation of fans, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy," according to a press release. "A life sized digital Elvis will share his most iconic songs and moves for the very first time on a UK stage," it adds. Elvis Evolution promises to use Layered Reality's patented blend of "technology, augmented reality, theatre, projection and multi-sensory effects" to reproduce the late rock icon for his first-ever shows outside of North America nearly half a century after Presley's 1977 death. The Elvis AI show will follow on the heels of the hit London show ABBA Voyage, which digitally recreated the beloved Swedish pop band via digital avatars. A preview clip of Elvis Evolution can be viewed on Vimeo.com. - Billboard, 1/4/24...... Speaking on the latest edition of The Osbournes Podcast, Sharon Osbourne said she is open to reviving the Ozzfest as a heavy metal touring festival. Ozzy Osbourne asked the the Osbournes matriarch about bringing the festival back, asking "Not just one [at] the f---ing Forum, but a whole Ozzfest [tour]?" Sharon replied: "Yeah, sure. Of course." Their daughter Kelly Osbourne then commented that artist managers need to be "realistic" when it comes to booking fees. In response Sharon said: "Why is it when it comes to us that everybody thinks that we are trillionaires, and so that every manager who wants their band on our festival wants one of the f---ing trillions they think we've got to put on the festival?" The last Ozzfest took place in 2018 and was headlined Ozzy, alongside Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Jonathan Davis of Korn and Body Count. - NME, 1/3/24...... Co-founding former KISS member Ace Frehley has told Guitar World magazine that his forthcoming album, 10,000 Volts, will make his former KISS bandmates "look like imbeciles." Drama between the guitarist and his former bandmates began in 2023, after Paul Stanley explained why the band didn't perform when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame back in 2014. Among the reasons was the "demanding" nature of the Rock Hall, which wanted KISS to take to the stage with its original members -- Frehley, Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss. Stanley said the move would be "demeaning" to the band, adding: "'Cause if you saw people onstage who looked like KISS but sounded like that, maybe we should be called PISS." Frehley subsequently threatened to release "dirt" on KISS if Stanley didn't apologize, later sharing that he didn't apologize, but called to say "f--- you." "Paul and Gene have tried to destroy my reputation over the years -- we know that," Frehley told Guitar World. And unfortunately for them, '10,000 Volts' is going to make them look like imbeciles. KISS hasn't put out a record since 2012 [Monster], and here I am, 17 years sober, and it's my sixth record since leaving KISS. I keep chugging along, and nobody can stop me. Creating amazing music is the best way to combat someone putting you down. That's how I shut them up." 10,000 Volts will drop on Feb. 23. - NME, 1/4/24...... In a new interview with Record Collector magazine, '60s pop singing-songwriting legend Donovan revealed he used to hang out with the Beatles and pulled guitarist George Harrison to one side to teach him "a few tricks" so he could pen his own tunes after being "in the shadow" of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. "I became George's mentor for songwriting," the Scottish musician said. "He was in the shadow of John and Paul for so many years and I said, 'Look, I'll show you a few tricks, how to encourage the songs.' There's a way to encourage the song to come. You can tease it, like fishing. I told him how to play a chord then put your ear on the guitar, listen to the open chord and try a tempo. You can hear melodies, believe it or not. Melodies appear, but you've got to be quick to catch them." The "Sunshine Superman" hitmaker -- who was a prominent figure of the Flower Power era of the late '60s -- also recalled how "dangerous" it was playing shows with little security to stop fans ramming toward him or The Fab Four. "As soon as the last song was over, they'd turn the lights on, say goodnight, and get in their cars. And what would happen? The whole audience would swarm towards the stage. That became a big problem." - Music-News.com, 1/6/24...... Elton John has allegedly completed a new album with American singer Brandi Carlile. During a recent roundtable conversation with the UK's Clash Music magazine, Elton's good friend Pete Townshend of The Who shared that John has been at a loss following the end of his farewell tour, and ended up reaching out to Carlile to begin working on a project. "Elton is so fraught with loss at not knowing what to do next. He's just gone over to LA to make an album with Brandi Carlile. They made an album together in two weeks. He says it's one of the best things they've ever done," Townshend told the publication. Speaking about her relationship with John, Carlile told People magazine in 2023: "I think we find ourselves in a position of being soulmates. Our friendship is an amazing one." The two musicians appeared onstage together back in 2022 at the Dodgers Stadium for a rendition of Elton's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (available on YouTube), and have remained incredibly close. Elsewhere in the interview, Townshend also reflected on his friendship with the Rocket Man and said: "He's great company. And he's very smart. But he's also a wonderful musicologist, you really keep some with what's new." - NME, 1/2/24...... David Leland, a writer, director and actor who worked with George Harrison, Paul McCartney and the Travelling Wilburys over his five-decade career, passed away on Christmas Eve surrounded by his family, according to a press release. He was 82. Initially trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama and later moving into stage management and direction at the Crucible Theatre, Mr. Leland collaborated with British actors including Michael Palin and Terry Jones early in their careers, as well as an as-yet-undiscovered Victoria Wood, who wrote her first play, "Talent," for him to direct. He also gave Pierce Brosnan his first opportunity to act on stage in the British premiere of Tennessee Williams' "The Red Devil Battery Sign," which Mr. Leland directed. Mr. Leland was a close friend of George Harrison's and worked with him on several occasions, directing several Traveling Wilburys videos including "Handle With Care" and the 1988 film Checking Out, on which Harrison served as a producer. His other music video work included Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" (which also featured Harrison and Ringo Starr), and McCartney's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man." He also directed the documentary Concert For George (2003) following Harrison's own death, which was a concert film of a memorial concert event which took place at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring the remaining Beatles, Petty and Eric Clapton. Mr. Leland won a Grammy Award for his work, while the DVD was certified platinum eight times over. He also worked extensively as a screenwriter for both TV and film, with his film credits including Made In Britain (1982), Birth Of A Nation (1983) and Wish You Were Here (1987). The UK's BAFTA Awards posted a tribute to Mr. Leland on X/Twitter, saying they were "saddened" to hear of his death. Other tributes came from Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson and Monty Python's Terry Gillam. - NME, 1/2/24...... English actress Glynis Johns, best known for playing the daffy suffragette mother Mrs. Banks opposite Julie Andrews in the classic film Mary Poppins, died on Jan. 4 at an assisted living home in Los Angeles. She was 100 years old. Ms. Johns' greatest triumph was playing Desiree Armfeldt in the play "A Little Night Music," for which she won a Tony in 1973. Stephen Sondheim wrote the show's hit song "Send in the Clowns" to suit Ms. Johns' distinctive husky voice, but she lost the part in the 1977 film version to Elizabeth Taylor. "I've had other songs written for me, but nothing like that," Ms. Johns told the AP in 1990. "It's the greatest gift I've ever been given in the theater." "Send in the Clowns" brought Sondheim a Grammy Award for song of the year in 1976, and is the most recent song from a Broadway musical to win in that marquee category. The fourth generation of an English theatrical family, Ms. Johns was a dancer at 12 and an actor at 14 in London's West End. Her breakthrough role was as the amorous mermaid in the title of the 1948 hit comedy "Miranda." She also starred in the 1989 Broadway revival of "The Circle," W. Somerset Maugham's romantic comedy about love, marriage and fidelity, opposite Rex Harrison and Stewart Granger. In 1960's The Sundowners, with Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum, she was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar, losing out to Shirley Jones in Elmer Gantry. Ms. Johns lived all around the world and had four husbands. The first was the father of her only child, the late Gareth Forwood, an actor who died in 2007. "Today's a sad day for Hollywood," Ms. Johns' manager Mitch Clem said of her passing. "She is the last of the last of old Hollywood." - Billboard, 1/4/24...... Actor-singer David Soul, who rose to fame as Sergeant Kenneth Richard "Hutch" Hutchinson in the 1970s TV detective series Starsky & Hutch, died on Jan. 4, his wife Helen Snell announced on his website. He was 80. "David Soul -- beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother -- died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family," she wrote. "He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist, and dear friend. His smile, laughter, and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched." Born in Chicago on Aug. 28, 1943, Mr. Soul started acting on stage in the '60s and began pursuing his passion for music. In 1967, he sang on The Merv Griffin Show, receiving major attention, and landed his first TV role on Flipper. That led to signing a contract with Columbia Pictures and playing Joshua Bolt, a lumberjack and brother of lead character Jason Bolt (Roger Brown), on Here Comes the Brides. The show ran from 1968 to 1970 and made Soul a major star. In 1971, he made his film debut in Johnny Got His Gun and then appeared opposite Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force (1972), the second in Eastwood's Dirty Harry franchise. After more guest roles, the actor landed the biggest role of his career on Starsky & Hutch, alongside Paul Michael Glaser as Sergeant David Michael Starsky. The two played Southern California police detectives, originally in a 1975 pilot movie and then in a weekly TV series that ran on ABC until 1979. Starsky and Hutch drove around in their iconic red-and-white-striped Ford Gran Torino and had a brotherly love, us-against-the-world attitude that was different than typical cop shows. The overly affectionate buddy cops became a staple of the '70s and oftentimes the punchline to erotic jokes, with Glaser even later admittiing that Starsky and Hutch had some "homoerotic elements." Amid rising concerns about TV violence, Starsky & Hutch toned down the blood and played up the social themes and friendship in Season 3. Ratings declined soon after, and Glaser often publicly discussed leaving the show, which finished its run with Season 4. It wasn't the last time fans would see the two cops, however. Director Todd Phillips made a prequel film, starring Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch, in 2004, with Mr. Soul and Glaser making cameo appearances. Mr. Soul returned to his singing roots in the '70s with the popular songs "Don't Give Up on Us," which reached No. 1 on the hit parade in Apr. 1977, and "Silver Lady." He released five studio albums beginning in 1976 and seven compilations during his career. He also starred in the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" in 1979, playing Ben Mears, a writer who returns to his small hometown of Salem's Lot, Maine, only to discover it's become infested by vampires. In the '90s, Mr. Soul moved to the United Kingdom and began a career in West End theatre and British TV. He obtained citizenship in 2004, and his later credits included the films Farewell and Filth and shows like Poirot, Dalziel and Pascoe and Lewis. "David was a brother, a friend, a caring man. We shall never see his like again," Paul Michael Glaser told People magazine. I find it difficult to comprehend David's passing... saying goodbye to such a dear friend and important part of my life I suspect that I will let myself feel his loss, our loss, only gradually." Mr. Soul is survived by his wife Helen Snell and his six children. - Variety, 1/5/24...... Veteran music exec Bob Fead, who held key positions with such powerhouse labels as Liberty Records and A&M Records from the 1960s into the 2000s, died on Jan. 2 at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 89. Mr. Fead thrived at Liberty Records in the 1950s and 1960s and helped drive radio airplay for such artists as Bobby Vee, Gene Pitney, Jackie DeShannon, Willie Nelson, Jan and Dean, Del Shannon and Vikki Carr. He worked alongside famed producer (and longtime friend) Snuff Garrett. After five years at Liberty, Mr. Fead was recruited by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss to join them at their fledgling A&M Records, where he eventually rose to senior vp of sales and marketing. While there, Fead worked with such legendary acts as Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, Quincy Jones, the Carpenters, Cat Stevens and Peter Frampton. "Bob Fead was a gentleman and the key person who organized a national sales team for A&M's huge sales success in the late 1960's/early 1970's," Alpert said in a statement. "His personality and kindness is a huge part of the A&M legacy." He is survived by his wife, Beverlye, and their two children. - Billboard, 1/4/24.

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Elvis Presley's record of 67 weeks for a solo artist topping the Billboard Hot 200 album chart has been broken by -- you guessed it -- Taylor Swift. The "Cruel Summer" singer's re-release of her early LP 1989, 1989 (Taylor's Version), returned to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart for a fifth time in the last week of 2023, putting her ahead of Presley's record of 67 weeks at the top spot. With 68 weeks, the 34-year-old superstar now holds the record as a solo artist, but she is second overall behind the Beatles. The Fab Four are significantly ahead of her with 132 weeks atop the Hot 200 chart. Presley and Swift are currently tied for the most No. 1's in a calendar year, with them both having three in a year twice. The "Shake It Off" singer is currently third for the record of the most chart-topping albums overall. The Beatles are first with 19, followed by Jay-Z with 14 and Swift with 13. Thanks in part to her album re-releasing project, Swift also holds the record for the most albums to debut consecutively at No. 1 with 13. - Music-News.com, 1/1/24...... Elton John has shared the favorite songs on his Christmas listening list for 2023 as part of a Christmas edition of his Rocket Hour show on Apple Music. The 17 songs on the list include his own 1973 festive hit "Step Into Christmas" along with seasonal songs and covers by Elvis Presley ("Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me"), Greg Lake ("I Believe in Father Christmas"), James Brown ("Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto"), The Ronettes ("I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus") and the Pretenders ("2000 Miles"). John took to his Instagram account ahead of the show to write: "It's the Rocket Hour Christmas Special! This year I have selected an eclectic mix of old and new, ranging festive classics from The Ronettes, Elvis Presley and Greg Lake, to some of my favourite new Christmas songs and covers from contemporary artists including RAYE, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens, as well as some lesser-known deep cuts. Hope some of these make it onto your Christmas playlist these holidays. Wishing all my Rocket Hour listeners Happy Holidays and I look forward to bringing you more shows and the latest new music in the New Year!" It comes after Elton previously shared his favorite 15 songs of 2023 which included songs from The Last Dinner Party, Gabriels, boygenius, Romy and The Chemical Brothers. John, who wrapped his years-long "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour earlier in 2023 with a final headline slot at the UK's Glastonbury festival, will appear in an upcoming sequel to the classic rock "mockumentary" This Is Spinal Tap, along with Paul McCartney. - New Musical Express, 12/30/23...... Dolly Parton recently made a deserving fan's bucket list wish come true by serenading him with her classic song "I Will Always Love You" as he struggles with stage four colorectal cancer. In 2021, a Utah man named LeGrand Gold made a bucket list of final wishes that included meeting and talking with the country superstar. A video of Dolly, 77, was posted to YouTube showing Gold lying in bed as the star chats with him over speakerphone. "I'm just happy to know I've got a fan that devoted and that I've had a chance to walk that journey all these years," Parton tells Gold. "I heard you've been a fan of mine for many years, and I just want to thank you for that." Dolly continued: "I'm just happy that we got to kind of have our journey together in this lifetime. I always want to make people happy with my music and with the things I do and the things I say and I'm just happy to know that I've touched your life in some way. So thank you for honoring me with that." To close out her conversation, she sang a snippet of one of her most famous compositions, adding in his nickname at the end. "I will always love you, I always love LG," she crooned. Gold explained to local media that after receiving his cancer diagnosis in 2021, he and his wife, Alice, took a pen to a napkin to list out his biggest dreams as a way of keeping hopes high. The No. 7 item was to meet the "9 to 53 singer -- "I thought, 'Well, it's never going to happen,'" he told KSL, a local NBC affiliate. "She sang me a song, put my name in the song," he added. "I feel like I'm immortal now." - Billboard, 12/27/23...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Chaka Khan says she "will not do another tour" because "I got this rich-ass life." Khan, who charted 10 Top 40 Billboard hits from 1974 to 1983 as part of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan including the No. 3 "Tell Me Something Good," said that she wasn't planning on completely retiring from performing live, but intends on stopping touring because she now had more going on in her life than just music. "Some people, that's all they have, you know? I got this rich-ass life. I've got great-grandchildren I want to get to know better. So I will not do another tour. I'll do dates, but it won't look like a tour. They'll be far enough apart that I can have time to sleep in between." When asked if she'd ever retire entirely, the 70-year-old said: "Well, I might do that three or four times, like other bitches do." Khan added that as far as her legacy goes, she doesn't really care about that but would hope some of her material has some longevity. "I just hope that the art form doesn't get so screwed up with stupid shit -- kids today think that every instrument can be played on a keyboard," she said. "Instruments have to be introduced once again to these kids." Khan recently teamed up with Bombay Bicycle Club for the track "Tekken 2," which frontman Jack Steadman said he initially felt "embarrassed" about recording at an upmarket sound studio near Chaka's home but she was "really down to earth.... I immediately felt relaxed." She is next scheduled to perform in Los Angeles in January and she has several shows lined up in the U.K. in June and July. - NME, 12/28/23...... Micky Dolenz, the sole surviving member of The Monkees, has told Record Collector magazine that he doesn't remember having any control over The Monkees' musical output in the mid-1960s, nor does he remember wanting much. Dolenz, 78, admitted some of his bandmates -- which included Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Davy Jones -- were frustrated over the lack of input they were allowed into their careers, he was happy to just do what was asked of him. "They put everything together. I don't remember having any control, nor do I remember wanting much," Dolenz told the magazine. "I mean, that was the big bugbear especially for Nesmith. I can only speak for myself. I was cast into this as a singer, a guitar player -- they made me the drummer. We had no control over the song selection, the musicians, who was going to sing what. Who knows why they made the choices they did? We had very little, if any control over the first two albums." He continued: "Nez managed to write and play on a couple of things. Sometimes after 12 hours of filming, I would do a couple of lead vocals at night. I don't remember having any control over the artwork, the liner notes, the sequencing, the song selection, nothing. Having said that, I'm very, very proud of those first two albums. I put an enormous amount of that material in my shows because they were the big hits." Despite their frustrations, Micky said the group loved to play live. "Nez used to say, when we hit the stage live playing this music, that it was like Pinocchio becoming a real little boy and it was," Dolenz explained. "There's a wonderful CD out, 'Monkees Live in 67' that was not recorded to be an album. Somebody found the tape and it's really raw. We were a garage band. But funnily enough, that's what 'The Monkees' was about -- the TV show was about a garage band, before the term even existed." - Music-News.com, 12/27/23...... Jazz pianist/vocalist/composer Leslie "Les" McCann, the musician credited for discovering a young Roberta Flack and whose own works have been sampled by countless hip-hop artists, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 88. A self-taught pianist, Mr. McCann was an innovator in the soul jazz style, fusing jazz with funk, soul and world rhythms. He mastered all instruments before him, and enjoyed an unusual breakthrough, by winning a Navy talent contest, opening the door to an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. An early hit came with "The Shampoo," the 1963 instrumental cut with his trio for Pacific Jazz Records. Later he would enjoy a fruitful relationship with Atlantic Records, releasing a dozen albums on the label from the late-'60s through to the mid-'70s. Swiss Movement, his album featuring frequent collaborator, saxophonist and labelmate Eddie Harris, and trumpeter Benny Bailey, earned a Grammy nomination for best jazz performance -- small group or soloist with small group, and included the protest song, "Compared to What," which Mr. McCann and Co. performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1969. Another career highlight came 1971, when he appeared with a cast of famous artists, including Wilson Pickett, The Staple Singers, Santana and Ike & Tina Turner, for an historic 14-hour concert in Accra, Ghana. The event was captured for the concert film Soul To Soul. After a stroke in the 1990s slowed his musical output, the Lexington, Ky. native channeled his energies into painting and photography, and he recovered for a string of music releases, including Pump It Up from 2002. "Les McCann was one of jazz music's most gifted and influential artists," Warner Music Group exec Kevin Gore said in a statement. "While we deeply mourn his passing, his music will live on in the hearts of millions of music fans across the globe." - Billboard, 1/2/24...... Shecky Greene, the legendary Las Vegas comedian who became the consummate Vegas lounge headliner and who was revered by his peers and live audiences as one of the greatest standup acts of his generation, died on Dec. 31 of natural causes at his home in Las Vegas. He was 97 years old. Those who saw Mr. Greene in his decades of comedy dominance on the Vegas Strip in the 1950s, '60s and '70s said that with a mic in his hand he could roam a room and work a crowd like no other, abandoning written jokes for the shared thrill of improv. "I've never had an act," Mr. Greene told the Las Vegas Sun in 2009. "I make it up as I go along." With a body like a linebacker's, a wit as quick as lightning and a voice that suggested he could've been a lounge singer instead of a lounge comic, Mr. Greene in the course of a night would plow through dozens of impressions, do extended riffs at audience members' tables and turn musical standards into parody songs on the spot. He made appearances in films including 1967's Tony Rome with Frank Sinatra, 1981's History of the World Part I with Mel Brooks, and 1984's Splash with Tom Hanks, and showed-up on network sitcoms including Laverne & Shirley and Mad About You, and was a constant guest on talk and variety shows. He did his first show in Las Vegas in 1953, and places like the Riviera and the Tropicana became his regular haunts for the next 30 years. Mr. Greene could also fill Carnegie Hall, and guest-hosted both Johnny Carson's Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show. He grappled with addictions to both drinking and gambling -- neither ideal for a man who spent most of his time in Las Vegas -- and also struggled with what were later diagnosed as severe depression and panic attacks, both of which made it increasingly difficult to perform as he got older. Mr. Greene moved to Palm Springs in an attempt at retirement in his late 70s in 2004, but the stage still had appeal, and he returned for a stint in Las Vegas at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino in 2009. Returning to a city now dominated by the likes of Celine Dion and Cirque du Soleil, Mr. Greene found he could stroll through casinos anonymously. "I'm a legend," he told the Sun in 2009, "but nobody knows me in Vegas anymore." Mr. Greene was married to nightclub dancer Nalani Kele from 1972 to 1982, and is survived by his wife of 41 years, Marie Musso, daughter of jazz saxophonist Vido Musso. - Billboard, 12/31/23.

Thursday, December 28, 2023

Speaking on his Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics podcast, Paul McCartney has admitted the Beatles classic "Let It Be" was subconsciously inspired by William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." "In those days [at school], I had to learn [Shakespeare] speeches off by heart. So I could still do a bit of 'to be or not to be', or 'O that this too too solid flesh'. And it had been pointed out to me recently that Hamlet, when he has been poisoned, he actually says, 'Let it be' - act five, scene two. He says 'Let be' the first time, then the second time he says, 'Had I but time -- as this fell sergeant, Death, Is strict in his arrest -- oh, I could tell you. But let it be Horatio.'" He added: "I was interested that I was exposed to those words during a time when I was studying Shakespeare so that years later the phrase appears to me in a dream with my mother saying it." Sir Paul, 81, previously explained how the idea for the song came to him in a dream about his mother during the intense writing sessions for the Beatles' 1968 "White Album." His mother Mary Patricia McCartney died of cancer in 1956, when he was 14. He later said: "It was great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing 'Let It Be'." In another interview, he clamed she said to him in the dream: "'It will be all right, just let it be.'" - Music-News.com, 12/28/23...... English post-punk legends XTC have expressed mixed opinions about the possibility of reforming, with each member offering different perspectives about the prospect. In a rare new interview with their hometown newspaper, The Swindon Advertiser, the quartet -- frontman Andy Partridge, bassist Colin Moulding, drummer Terry Chambers and guitarist Dave Gregory -- reflected on their legacy and looked to the future. "I think we've all got our own things going as I do sessions at the moment and I'd want to do another EP probably next year as well of my own," said Moulding. "As for reforming now, I can't see it really because we've all got different agendas because Terry wants to tour and Andy doesn't and nor do I so it's hard to reconcile that really. Never say never I suppose because with the internet you're able to record remotely with one another and that could quite feasibly happen with the memories of XTC." Chambers, who still tours with his band EXTC, playing covers of the band's original songs, shared: "It wouldn't be a problem for me as I'm still playing live regularly but as for the others, ask them. My feeling is no, it will never happen." Gregory also agreed that it would be dependant on a number of factors. "If everyone was into it, I would join in but I'm not going to force it and I'm not even going to suggest it," he said. As for Partridge, the frontman stated that it would "horrify" him, unless it was "just a kickabout." "Some of the saddest sights you will see, and hear, are old, fat, bald, hoarse pop groups, waddling around a stage, in front of people trying to relive their youth," he explained. "Move on folks, get your feet out of the nostalgia swamp, it's deadly. I'd leave XTC as it is, a perfectly flawed historical event that left much good music in our vapour trail... The future belongs to the young." The band, known for songs like "Making Plans for Nigel," "Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" and "Senses Working Overtime," formed in 1972 and split in 2006. They released 12 original albums between 1977 and 1992, starting with their debut White Music in 1978 and bookending their Virgin discography with Nonsuch in 1992. They released their final two albums, Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999) and Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) (2000), through Cooking Vinyl. - New Musical Express, 12/28/23...... Hall and Oates' John Oates has reflected on his musical partnership with Daryl Hall amid their ongoing legal battle. In November it was revealed that Hall was granted a restraining order against his longtime former musical partner, though details of their legal dispute were unknown at the time. Hall later said he was suing Oates after claiming that he was left "blindsided" by his plan to sell a business stake -- while the latter described the claims as "inaccurate." In a court statement about Oates' alleged breach of their business partnership agreement, Hall accused his bandmate of making a "completely clandestine and bad faith move" by trying to sell a share of their business without consent. Speaking on David Yontef's Behind the Velvet Rope, Oates said: "You can't ignore the fact that the Hall & Oates catalogue of hits and the 50-year career will always trump almost anything that Daryl does on his own or I do on my own, which is okay because I'm very proud of that music. I'm really proud of what Daryl and I created together." Oates said that he doesn't like to "live in the past", adding: "I make the analogy of what it's like when you go to a great museum and you're really excited to go and see all the beautiful paintings or the exhibits or whatever it might be, and then near the end, your feet start to hurt and you say, 'You know what? I can't wait to get out of here.' That's kind of how I feel about it. It's just a matter of living in my present." Earlier in December, Oates was revealed to be "Anteater" on the US version of The Masked Singer. - NME, 12/28/23...... It appears that Cher has filed for a conservatorship of her youngest son, Elijah Blue Allman, over fears of alleged "severe" substance abuse issues. According to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by People, the singer is requesting to be the sole conservator of her son's estate, claiming he is "substantially unable to manage his financial resources." The doc also states that a conservator is "urgently needed" to "protect Elijah's property from loss or injury," because he is "currently unable to manage his assets due to severe mental health and substance abuse issues." It adds that Allman's estranged wife, Marie Angela King, is not fit to be conservator because of "their tumultuous relationship has been marked by a cycle of drug addiction and mental health crises." It continues: "Elijah is entitled to regular distributions from the Trust, but given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues, [Cher] is concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah's life at risk." The filing concludes that Cher has reportedly "worked tirelessly to get Elijah into treatment and get him the help he needs... [she] loves Elijah immensely and has always acted with his best interests in mind." A hearing for a temporary order is currently set for Jan. 5, 2024, while the hearing for a permanent order will follow on March 6, 2024. In September, Cher was accused of hiring four men to kidnap Allman, 47, as a way to prevent him from seeing King and get him clean from drugs. Cher subsequently denied allegations that she orchestrated a kidnapping. "That rumour is not true," she told People. While the singer declined to comment further, she did confirm that the situation was related to Allman's addiction issues. "I'm not suffering from any problem that millions of people in the United States aren't," she added. - NME, 12/28/23...... In other Cher news, the pop legend has entered the U.K. history books twice as her new holiday single "DJ Play a Christmas Song" has rocketed to No. 20 from No. 41 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. This makes Cher the first solo artist to land top 40 hits with new material in seven consecutive decades in the U.K., and at 77 years old she becomes the oldest female to snag a top tier hit in the country. Cher beats the previous mark set by Shirley Bassey, who was 70 when "The Living Tree" peaked at No. 37 in 2007. "DJ Play" has also broken records across the pond -- when the single jingled to the top of the Dec. 2-dated Dance/Electronic Song Sales survey, she became the first solo artist to earn a new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart; the only other act to have at least one new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart in each of the seven decades from the 1960s through the 2020s is the Rolling Stones. - Billboard, 12/27/23...... Speaking of the Rolling Stones, the band has scored a Christmas No. 1 with their latest album Hackney Diamonds, which jumped from 6-1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Dec. 22, for its second non-consecutive week at the top. Featuring collaborations with Lady Gaga, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, Hackney Diamonds is the band's first album of original material in 18 years since A Bigger Bang, which peaked to No. 2 in 2005. Meanwhile, the Stones have announced they've hired a Tina Turner impersonator as a backing singer for their upcoming US tour. They will joined by former "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" star Chanel Haynes, who joined the band onstage at their show in Milan in June 2022 to perform "Gimme Shelter" together. A source told the U.K.'s The Sun newspaper's "Bizarre" column: "The Stones had a very close relationship with Tina and Chanel blew them away when she got up on stage with them. Chanel has now been booked as one of their backing singers and will be going out on tour with them across America in the spring." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 12/26/23...... Ozzy Osbourne has referenced a scene from the 1975 comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail to squash an online rumor that he had died. "The thing on YouTube, it's got 'Celebrities Who Died Today', and there's a picture of me," Ozzy exclaimed on the Dec. 26 edition of his The Osbournes Podcast. "I'm not dead! I'm not really dead, just a little flesh wound," he said, recalling Monty Python's Black Knight, played by John Cleese, who declares, "Tis but a scratch" and "Just a flesh wound" when Arthur (Graham Chapman) severs his arm. The singer's wife Sharon Osbourne called those who spread the death hoax "sick f**kers." Ozzy, 75, has experienced ill health in recent years and in September, he announced he'd undergone his "final" surgery on his spine, admitting he couldn't "do it anymore." In addition to a spinal injury suffered in a 2003 ATV accident which required metal rods installed in his body, he revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in Feb. 2019. - Music-News.com, 12/27/23...... On Dec. 22 KISS shared a teaser clip on X/Twitter revealing the date when their digitized avatar characters will make their debut. "50 years is a long time, and what the future holds is in the making," Kiss captioned the clip. The 25-second teaser includes previously seen footage of KISS digital avatars and concludes with the message, "2027 - A Show Is Coming." During their the last concert of their "End of the Road" farewell tour at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2, KISS made a surprise announcement that they will continue on as digitized versions of themselves going forward with a two-minute video on YouTube. "The future is so exciting," Simmons says in the clip amid behind-the-scenes snippets of the band wearing motion capture suits to develop their high-tech avatars. Stanley adds, "We can live on eternally." KISS avatars were created by George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Sweden's Pophouse Entertainment Group, according to the Associated Press. The companies recently collaborated on the ABBA Voyage show in London, a virtual concert performed by the Swedish pop group. - Billboard, 12/23/23...... In an interview with the U.K.'s HELLO! magazine, Rod Stewart and wife Penny Lancaster have joked that they will need a large marquee tent to be able to host their "huge" family Christmas. "We've got such a huge family Christmas that Rod's been talking about getting a marquee just for the dining table," Lancaster said. Stewart shares eight children with five mothers and now has three grandchildren. The couple, who wed in 2007, did not divulge which of his older children will be visiting them and their sons Alistair, 18, and Aiden, 12. Stewart revealed after Christmas they plan to travel up to Scotland to celebrate Hogmanay. "We've never done a Hogmanay, so this will be our first in Scotland," Rod noted. "There will be whisky galore." While he is now 78, Rod insisted that he is feeling as energetic and agile as ever as he rings in the New Year. "I don't feel my age -- I feel great," he gushed. "I work out a lot and look fantastic." - Music-News.com, 12/25/23...... On Dec. 27 authorities at North Kern State Prison in California confirmed that That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson has been admitted to their prison, and released his first prison mug shot. The photo shows him wearing orange prison attire, with long hair and a beard. In June, the 47-year-old Masterson was convicted of raping two women in his Los Angeles home in 2003. In September, a judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison. His wife, actor Bijou Phillips, filed for divorce in the weeks that followed after a marriage of nearly 12 years. Masterson had been held in Los Angeles County jail in the months since while post-sentencing hearings were held and issues resolved, including the turnover of all the guns he owned, some of which had to be located. It will be more than 25 years before he will be eligible for parole. His lawyers said they plan to appeal the conviction. - AP, 12/27/23...... Tommy Smothers, one half of the comedic folk duo The Smothers Brothers, died "peacefully at home with his family" on Dec. 26 following a "recent battle with cancer," according to a statement released by his younger brother, Dick Smothers. He was 86. "Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner," Dick said in the statement. "I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage -- the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed." With Tommy on acoustic guitar and Dick on double bass, the duo performed satiric and farcical folk music with a socio-political bent beginning in the late '50s. By the early '60s, they were making regular appearances on various variety programs, from The Judy Garland Show to The Jack Paar Show. The duo released their first album, The Smothers Brothers at the Purple Onion, in 1961, and followed it with several other popular comedy LPs. The Billboard Top 40 1966 album Mom Always Liked You Best! was titled after Tommy's signature phrase, which was often delivered in the midst of staged feuds with his brother, who would play the smarter straight man to Tommy's sillier, innocent persona. Mom Always Liked You Best! and 1963's (Think Ethnic!) were both nominated for the best comedy performance Grammy. Following a one-season sitcom from 1965-1966, The Smothers Brothers Show, the duo landed a network variety show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which aired on CBS from 1967-1969. CBS hoped the show would bring in a younger, savvier audience during a decade marked by massive generational change but ended up getting more than it bargained for. Despite playing an unworldly, stammering goof on television, Tommy was the more liberal and politically driven of the two behind the scenes, pushing their comedy in a direction that gently skewered American culture, religion and the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Following complaints from viewers and sponsors, CBS censors and network execs clashed with the Smothers Brothers, but Tommy was steadfast in refusing to self-censor or kowtow. The show, which boasted performances from edgier acts than what you'd find on most network variety shows, including Cream, Joan Baez, Buffalo Springfield and The Who, was canceled in Apr. 1969 despite the Smothers Brothers having a contract through 1970; the duo filed a breach-of-contract suit against CBS, which they won in 1973 to the tune of $776,300. In June, the same month the show's final episode aired, it won an Emmy for outstanding writing achievement in comedy, variety or music for its platoon of writers, which included a young Steve Martin and the versatile writer/musician Mason Williams, who scored a No. 2 pop hit in 1968 with "Classical Gas." In 1968, cast member Pat Paulsen won an Emmy for special classification of individual achievements for his appearances on the show. He ran for president that year under the slogan "If nominated I will not run, and if elected I will not serve." The duo made a few other TV shows in the '70s, which were less successful than their highly influential Comedy Hour, which is now celebrated as an essential piece of television and cultural history that paved the way for the arrival of NBC's irreverent variety show Saturday Night Live in 1975. They appeared sparingly over the ensuing decades, popping up for a televised 1988 anniversary special and a 2009 episode of The Simpsons. The Smothers Brothers officially retired from touring in 2010, over a half century after their live debut. Tommy Smothers is survived by his children Bo and Riley Rose Smothers, grandson Phoenix, Marcy Carriker Smothers, sister-in-law Marie Smothers, and several nephews and a niece. His son Tom and sister Sherry Smothers preceded him in death. - Billboard, 12/27/23.

Saturday, December 23, 2023

Late The Band frontman Robbie Robertson has been shortlisted for a Best Original Score Oscar for his work on the film Killers of the Flower Moon. Killers was the 12th and final film Robertson and director Martin Scorsese collaborated on. Robertson, who died in June at age 80, is vying to become the first composer to be nominated in this category posthumously since the legendary Bernard Herrmann was cited in 1976 for both Obsession and Taxi Driver. Also nominated for Best Original Score was legendary Star Wars composer John Williams for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. This would be Williams' record-extending 49th nod in a scoring category and his fourth for a film in the Indiana Jones franchise. A total of 148 scores were eligible, from which this shortlist was culled by members of the music branch, who will also vote to determine the nominees. The final nominations for the 2024 Academy Awards will be announced on Jan. 23, and the awards will be presented on Mar. 10. - Billboard, 12/21/23...... David Gilmour's wife Polly Sampson has been sharing photos on Instagram of her Pink Floyd legend husband working on a "new album" in his recording studio in Brighton, UK. Sampson, an author and lyricist, has posted pics of Gilmour with various artists such as Brian Eno's brother, pianist Roger Eno and Guy Pratt -- who has worked with both Pink Floyd and Gilmour on various occasions. Though there is no exact reason as to what Gilmour's studio sessions are for, the Pink Floyd fansite Neptune Pink Floyd recently reported that Samson had told an Romanian entertainment website that Gilmour is working on an album of original material. If the sessions result in a new album, it would be Gilmour's first since 2015's Rattle That Lock. Since then, he released the standalone single "Yes, I Have Ghosts"' in 2020, and revived Pink Floyd with Nick Mason for the charity track "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" His last live performance was back in 2016 for his six-night residency at London's Royal Albert Hall. - New Musical Express, 12/22/23...... Rising starlet Sydney Sweeney is reacting to claims she was "objectified" for the Rolling Stones' music video for their lead single from Hackney Diamonds, "Angry." Sweeney told the UK's Glamour mag that she "felt hot" in the video, which can be viewed on YouTube, and wore a bustier and studded chaps. "I picked my own outfit out of racks and racks of clothes. I felt so good in it." The Euphoria actress also revealed that the dance moves she performed in the video were unprompted, and that she felt honored to be part of the Rolling Stones' videography. "I'm in a Rolling Stones video. How cool and iconic is that?," Sweeney said. "I felt so good. All the moves, everything I was doing was all freestyle. I mean, who else gets to roll around on the top of a convertible driving down Sunset Boulevard with police escorts? It's the cool things in this career that I had no idea I'd get to do," she added. The music video for "Angry" was released on Sept. 6. The album arrived on Oct. 20 and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart dated Nov. 4. The Stones have claimed the UK's Official Christmas Number 1 album for 2023 with Hackney Diamonds. "It's a wonderful way to round off 2023," the band told Official Charts. "Thank you to everyone for listening to Hackney Diamonds. Have a very happy Christmas and New Year!" Meanwhile, the Stones have shared the official video for their latest single from Hackney Diamonds, "Mess It Up," on YouTube. The clip features British actor Nicholas Hoult and was filmed in the US and helmed by Grammy award-winning director Calmatic. In still more Rolling Stones news, Keith Richards wished his wife Patti Hansen a happy 40th anniversary with a throwback wedding photo he posted on Instagram on his 80th birthday, Dec. 18. "For Patricia, Happy 40th Anniversary! I love you. Keith," Richards captioned the post, which featured a photo of him and Hansen dressed in their wedding attire on the beach and cutting into their cake. Richards adding a black heart emoji to the caption. - Billboard/NME/Music-News.com, 12/21/23...... According to a new report from UK financial sources, ABBA's Voyage avatar concert experience boosted London's economy with nearly £323 million in spending turnover within a one year period. Voyage -- which is continuing to run until at least Nov. 2024 at the 3,000-capacity ABBA Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park -- provided a huge financial boost to London and the East London area around the venue. "The operation and attendee spending are ongoing generators of economic contribution to the local and city-wide economies, demonstrating that as long as ABBA Voyage is in London, it has the potential to contribute to the economic wealth of the city," read the report. Contributing factors included spending on accommodation, food and beverage, transport, shopping and entertainment. Additionally, Voyage has provided employment opportunities to 5,075 workers in London. That includes those directly connected to the concert and sectors impacted by the show including staff in restaurants, sales, hotels and more. - NME, 12/22/23...... Cher took to X/Twitter on Dec. 19 to gush over Kelly Clarkson recent "Kellyoke" cover of Cher's Christmas single "DJ Play a Christmas Song" on Clarkson's eponymous talk show. "KELLY,,,,U ACED IT," Cher wrote. "U GOT THE GIRL VERSION OF MY VOICE. BABE, I AM OUT OF MY MIND OVER UR VERSION.. THE MODULATION GAVE ME & I DONT KNOW, I JUST LOST MY MIND. SISTER U GOT IT." Cher released "DJ Play a Christmas Song" as the lead single from Christmas her first holiday album. The single topped the Billboard Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart in November -- giving Cher a record for having a Billboard chart-topper in the last seven decades -- while Christmas debuted atop Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart earlier in December. Clarkson's take on "the hit "DJ Play a Christmas Song" has been shared on YouTube. Meanwhile, Cher has expressed an interest in playing the esteemed "legends" slot at the UK's Glastonbury festival. Appearing on BBC Radio 2 on Dec. 20 to promote her new Christmas album, host Rylan Clark asked: "There are so many rumours, you haven't done it yet, Glastonbury. Are we ever going to see Cher take on that Legends slot at Glastonbury?" Cher confirmed she would "like to" perform at the festival one day. Clark reiterated: "So hang on, you're saying if I manage to make this happen you'll be on that stage?," to which she replied "Yes." The 2024 Glastonbury fest is set for June 26-30 at Worthy Farm. - Billboard/NME, 12/20/23...... Controversial rocker Ted Nugent has set his sights on Taylor Swift, accusing the superstar singer of churning out "poppy nonsense" with "no fire" and "no sensuality." Nugent, who has been a musician since the 1970s and later became a right-wing commentator, was asked his opinions on modern music during an appearance on the The Joe Pags Show podcast, and his thoughts on Swift were particularly unsparing. "So I'm afraid to say in this world that's gone down the toilet in all aspects, I'm afraid the success of Taylor Swift, and God bless her work ethic, God bless her musical dreams, but that's cartoon music," Nugent said. "I mean, it doesn't have any piss and vinegar. There's no fire, there's no sensuality in that. It's all poppy nonsense as far as I'm concerned, and it's the most popular stuff in the world, which is an indictment to the music industry and music fans. They're not looking for that fire from a ZZ Top or from a Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels or from a Brownsville Station or an Amboy Dukes [Nugent's own band from the '60s]. And I miss that. Thank God I'm still around. We still deliver the fire that the Beatles did [at clubs] in Germany." In June, Nugent had also voiced his displeasure for Swift's music -- also labelling it "cartoon music" -- on an episode of his Nightly Nuge podcast. - NME, 12/22/23...... Denny Tedesco, the director/producer of the acclaimed documentary The Wrecking Crew! about an earlier generation of studio musicians who backed '60s pop giants from Frank Sinatra to The Beach Boys, has come out with a follow-up film about five other prominent session musicians titled Immediate Family. Immediate Family showcases Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Waddy Wachtel, Steve Postell and Russ Kunkel who have played with the likes of Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Phil Collins, Carole King and hundreds of others since the '70s. Shortly after Tedesco's crew started filming in 2019, Wachtel, Sklar, Kortchmar and drummer Russ Kunkel, who'd been known for nearly 50 years as The Section, rebranded themselves as a new band called the Immediate Family. They began playing gigs on their own and added a longtime collaborator, guitarist Steve Postell, for a self-titled 2021 album. Producer Peter Asher's decision to credit the studio musicians on the album covers in the early '70s was a "quantum change" from The Wrecking Crew days, says Sklar, 76. The Section, collectively and individually, went on to perform on Browne's "Running On Empty," Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen," Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl," Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London," Don Henley's "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" and thousands of other classic tracks. "Unlike the Wrecking Crew, we got credit for it as it was happening, not necessarily later," Kunkel adds. "It changed all of our careers. It made us who we are today." Immediate Family documents the band's evolution, complete with funny stories like Zevon insisting on 61 straight studio takes of "Werewolves," before settling on the second take for his album. Conspicuously absent are the usual recollections of drug and alcohol excess that accompany many documentaries about rock touring in the '70s and '80s. "We did talk about drugs here and there, and there are things that are very painful for those guys," Tedesco says. "They took in a lot of things and they survived -- some did, some didn't." - Billboard, 12/20/23...... Brian May has shared that he is concerned over the increase in copyright strikes issued against Queen and Adam Lambert concert videos posted on social media. On Dec. 18, May took to his official Instagram page to share a screenshot of a fan's post in which she claimed to have received a strike from both Universal and YouTube over Queen concert videos she posted on the platform. "Hi guys, it looks like Universal and YouTube are now coming for everyone who posts concert videos of Queen and Adam [Lambert]. I got a strike and deleted most of my concert videos. If you get multiple strikes you may lose your channel. Be careful!," she wrote. In the caption of his post which featured the screenshot of the fan's claim, May wrote: "Hi Folks - - i've been watching this for a few days, and I'm very concerned. I've asked our management to look into it, and try to figure out if there is a reason for Instagram and Universal suddenly becoming so Draconian. The decision to take these videos down certainly hasn't come from us, the band. Hopefully we will get an answer soon. Meanwhile, be extra careful and I'm sorry you good folks of good intentions have been put in this position." - NME, 12/19/23...... An unreleased Bob Dylan song is set to feature in a new box set compilation chronicling the British-Irish folk rock band The Waterboys' album This Is The Sea. The track, an instrumental titled "Meridian West," came about in 1985 when The Waterboys were invited to play with Dylan at a session in North London recording studio Church Studios. Dylan had been working on the piece with the musician Dave Stewart when The Waterboys joined in, and the band's frontman Mike Scott happened to record the jam session. When compiling the upcoming re-release project, Scott contacted Dylan and received his authorization to include the track on the box set. The six-CD, 90-track collection is set to be released in 2024. The original album came out in 1985 and featured the band's signature song, "The Whole of the Moon." Meanwhile, Dylan ecently secretly released a 28-track CD of studio outtakes from the soundtrack to 1973's Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid, with copies of the CD popping up at record stores scattered around Europe. Dylan's 50th Anniversary Collection features an alternative rendition of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" along with multiple takes of tracks "Billy Surrenders," "And He Killed Me Too" and "Final Theme." Dylan fanatics have reportedly lined up to buy the disc online for prices over $500. NME, 12/21/23...... Billy Joel was joined by his two daughters -- eight-year-old Della and six-year-old Remy -- during the latest of his Madison Square Garden shows on Dec. 19 for a rendition of "Jingle Bells." The two girls sang the festive classic with their father joining on piano, in a show that also featured Christmas favorites such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Silent Night" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." At the same show, the Piano Man was joined by Elvis Costello to play a version of Joel's "Allentown" and Costello's "Pump It Up." The show was part of Joel's decade-long monthly concert residency at the legendary New York venue, which is due to come to an end in July 2024. That show will mark the 104th show of the residency and Joel's 150th overall at the venue. - NME, 12/21/23...... Former Slade frontman Noddy Holder has revealed the real inspiration behind Slade's festive 1973 hit "Merry Christmas Everybody." Arguably one of Slade's biggest hits, "Merry Christmas Everybody" has become so famous that strangers regularly shout the iconic "IT'S CHRISTMAAAAAAS!" line back to Holder in the street. It still generates £500,000 in royalties every year, 50 years after its original release. However, Holder has now revealed he and bandmate Jim Lea were never intending to write a Christmas song, explaining that its first iteration was conceived in the band's "hippy dippy psychedelic days" in 1967, when it was called "Buy Me A Rocking Chair," and was later discarded. Their label later pushed them to release a Christmas song, prompting them to revive the track and use its melody for "Merry Christmas Everybody." The song was also partly inspired by the success of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Merry Christmas (War Is Over)." "I went to the local pub in Wolverhampton and went back to my mum and dad's after and I sat up all night with a bottle of whisky and wrote the total lyrics that night," Holder told the BBC. Holder said the record company "were making serious dough from us" after the song sold 500,000 records through pre-orders alone before it topped the charts. Despite this, Holder said it was the "hardest song we ever had to record" after drummer Don Powell narrowly escaped death in a car crash in Wolverhampton earlier that year and had to re-learn his instrument. At the time, he could only play the drums for a short while at a time, but their engineer was a "clever cookie" and was able to stitch together the sections of the song they recorded, so that afterwards "you couldn't tell." - NME, 12/16/23...... Julian Lennon has spoken out about his relationship with his half-brother Sean Ono Lennon, saying that rumours of an alleged feud between them are "such bull." The elder son of John Lennon reflected on his relationship with his sibling during a new interview with Esquire, and shut down speculation that there was any feelings of rivalry between them. The conversation arose as he looked back at the red carpet premiere of the Beatles' 2021 documentary series Get Back, which he attended with Sean. Recalling the event, he explained that Sean initially had reservations about attending. "He felt overwhelming pressure. And I didn't particularly want to go. But he said he felt obligated to go," he told the magazine. "So, because I love him so much I said, 'Listen, I'm coming with you. We'll face the demons together.' And it's funny because there's always been, especially in the U.K. press, 'Lennon Sons Feuding,' this, that. We've never had a fight in our life. It's such bull." Julian also revealed that he's been "driven up the wall" by the Beatles' classic "Hey Jude." Paul McCartney wrote the 1968 non-album single about John's break-up with Julian's mother, Cynthia. The couple had separated and John began a relationship with Yoko Ono, whom he married in 1969. "It's a beautiful sentiment, no question about that, and I'm very thankful - but I've also been driven up the wall by it," he told Esquire. "I love the fact that he wrote a song about me and for Mum, but depending on what side of the bed one woke up on, and where you're hearing it, it can be a good or a slightly frustrating thing." - NME, 12/20/23...... Jim Ladd, the legendary Los Angeles-based disc jockey whom Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers immortalized in their 2002 song "The Last DJ," died suddenly on Dec. 17 of a heart attack. He was 75. A fixture in the L.A. radio market, Ladd worked up and down the radio dial, including stints at KNAC, KMET and KLOS. He was considered the last "freeform DJ" in the country, allowed to pick his own song selections. Ladd started his career at Long Beach, Calif.'s KNAC in 1969 as FM radio was burgeoning and quickly established himself as one of Southern California's leading rock voices. From KNAC, Ladd moved to KLOS in 1971 and then had stops at Los Angeles stations KMET, KMPC and KLSX before returning to KLOS in 1997, where he stayed for 14 years. After leaving KLOS in 2011, he was quickly picked up by SiriusXM's "Deep Tracks" channel, where he appeared until his death. Over the decades, he was well known for his interviews with such artists as John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Stevie Nicks and Led Zeppelin. The Doors drummer John Densmore paid tribute to Ladd on social media, posting on X/Twitter, ""The Last DJ' has crossed the tracks. There wasn't a more soulful spinner of music. The songs he played were running through his blood, he cared so much for rock n' roll. Irreplaceable & a very sad day, which can only be handled by carrying his spirit forward." Densmore's Doors bandmate Robby Krieger also posted, "Rest in peace, Jim Ladd. He was the best friend in radio The Doors ever had. Even when people forgot about us in the late '70s, he kept playing our music." Ladd inspired "The Last DJ" song, which Petty once told journalist Jim DeRogatis was "about a DJ who becomes so frustrated with his inability to play what he wants that he moves to Mexico and gets his freedom back." SiriusXM is airing tributes to Ladd, who is survived by wife Helene, on "Deep Tracks" as well as other classic rock channels. - Billboard, 12/18/23.

Monday, December 18, 2023

ABBA was spoofed during the Dec. 16 episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live in a skit that featured the cast performing Christmas spins on classic ABBA songs. Kate McKinnon was joined by fellow SNL alumni Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph along with current cast member Bowen Yang as the quartet were decked out in shiny red and green outfits to perform Christmas spins on such classic ABBA songs as "Dancing Queen ("Santa Queen") and a new take on "Chiquitita" called "Frostitita." The cast also staged the performance with ABBA's "signature 'standing close, facing different directions'," and could be seen laughing as they sang with their faces pressed right up against each other. The full sketch can be viewed on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 12/17/23...... Elton John unveiled his 15 favorite songs from 2023 during his Rocket Hour radio program on Dec. 15. "I'm looking back and choosing some of my favorite songs that I've played on the show this year," he said on the show, before adding on his Instagram account that "2023 has been a fantastic year for new artists and great songs." Among those included on the "Cold Heart" singer's list are artists such as Boygenius ("Not Strong Enough"), Mitski ("My Love Mine All Mine"), Chappell Roan ("Red Wine Supernova"), Stormzy and Raye ("The Weekend") and James Blake ("Loading"), among several others. Elton's list comes at the end of a banner year for the superstar -- his years-long "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour, which officially wrapped in July, became the highest grossing tour in history and the first to ever earn $900 million dollars, according to Billboard Boxscore. John's full list of his favorite 2023 song can be viewed on Instagram. Meanwhile, Elton and his good English pal pop idol Ed Sheeran posted a sweet video on X/Twitter on Dec. 13 of their annual gift exchange. The 82-second clip opens with Sheeran in a dark blue puffer jacket preparing to go watch a soccer match between Ipswich Town and Watford with John. The two exchange ugly soccer-themed Christmas sweaters before hitting the stands, where they perform an impromptu bit of John's "Your Song" and Sheeran steals John's famous spectacles as a prank -- before Ed raises his first in victory after his team bested Watford 2-1. In still more "Elton Christmas" news, celebrity chef Massimo Bottura has revealed he's cooking a Christmas banquet for the Rocket Man when Elton plays Venice, Italy on Dec. 19. "This Christmas, the 19th of December, I have to cook Christmas lunch in Venice, in Venice theatre, 'cause it's gonna be a big Elton John concert," Massimo, 61, told The Dish podcast. "It's going to be a big party and you know - they're ask me to cook like a Christmas, like with tortellini, zampone, lenticchie, everything. So [Elton's] gonna be there." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 12/15/23...... The Grateful Dead spinoff band Dead & Company are reportedly in talks for a 2024 residency at the impressive new music venue The Sphere in Las Vegas. Dead & Company members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti are in talks for a potential residency that would take place "next summer," however the New York Post story stressed that negotiations are "still in the works and not 100%." Dead & Company embarked on a supposed "farewell" tour this summer but Weir posted on Twitter: "Well it looks like that's it for this outfit; but don't worry we will all be out there in one form or another until we drop." The Sphere opened in September with a residency featuring U2 playing its classic LP Achtung Baby in full, which was recently extended into March. Phish will be playing a week-long residency later that month, while Beyoncé has also reportedly been involved in talks. - NME, 12/16/23...... Cher has scored her first Top 40 hit on Billboard's Pop Airplay chart for the first time since 2002 with her new holiday single "DJ Play a Christmas Song." "DJ" debuted at No. 40 on the survey dated Dec. 23 with radio support in such major markets as New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Cher last appeared on the chart, which began in 1992 and ranks weekly plays on over 150 mainstream top 40 radio stations, in Mar. 2002 with "Song for the Lonely," which reached No. 38. The carol is from Cher's first holiday LP, Christmas, which chimed in at No. 1 on the Nov. 4-dated Top Holiday Albums chart. "DJ" is also spending a third week at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In other Cher news, the "Believe" legend appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Dec. 15 and told host Kelly Clarkson that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame can "you-know-what-themselves" after repeatedly snubbing her since she's been eligible for induction since 1991. "It took four of (the Rolling Stones) to be one of me," the 77-year-old icon told Clarkson, prompting Kelly to jump out of her seat and clap. "And I'm not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!" Cher added. After the studio audience let out a collective groan, Cher told them it was okay. "You know what, I wouldn't be in it now if they gave me a million dollars. I'm not kidding you," she said, laughing that she almost dropped an f-bomb in her answer. "I'm never going to change my mind. They can just you-know-what themselves," Cher said to applause, while casually noting that she "changed music forever" with her 1998 dance pop hit "Believe," one of the best-selling singles of all time and the track that is widely credited with introducing the world to AutoTune. Cher's interview with Clarkson has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 12/15/23...... Speaking of the Rolling Stones, the band has shared a live video of their performance of their Hackney Diamonds track "Whole Wide World" on YouTube. The song is featured on the forthcoming Hackney Diamonds (Live Edition) 2-CD set recorded live at the studio album's launch event in October at Racket in New York. It hits stores in the US on Jan. 19. The band recently announced they'll be touring North American behind Hackney Diamonds in 2024, hitting 16 cities across the U.S. and Canada. - NME, 12/15/23...... Warner Chappell Music has signed founding Foreigner member Mick Jones to a global publishing deal. Foreigner's recorded music is already being looked after by Warner's Rhino Entertainment, so this deal unites publishing and records for Jones under one roof. - Billboard, 12/15/23...... Former Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera has announced his memoir, titled Revolución to Roxy, will be published in early 2024. With over 100 color and black and white photographs, the book not only covers Manzanera's life and times with Roxy Music, David Gilmour and many of the luminaries of popular music, but also his family history, dating back to the expulsion of the Sephardic Jews from Spain in 1492, via the 1959 revolution in Cuba and the discovery of a Neapolitan Opera musician grandfather. "I've written this memoir for my English and Colombian family, dear friends and music fans, who've followed my musical twists and turns for over half a century," Manzanera notes. "It's a memoir that spans my '50's childhood in Cuba, Hawaii and Venezuela, when everything seemed in the brightest technicolor, to monochrome but very cool '60's London and the start of a music career that continues to enrich my life. Roxy Music is an important part of the story but I hope the reader will find my family history every bit as fascinating as my music adventures: I'm proud to be related to the most famous 17th century Sephardic Jewish pirate of the Caribbean, a British spy and an Italian opera musician." Revolución to Roxy will be published on Mar. 22. - Music-News.com, 12/17/23...... A new Willie Nelson documentary titled Willie Nelson & Family will debut on the Paramount+ streaming platform on Dec. 21 as a four-part series. The film captures the complexity of Nelson, who dreamed in his boyhood of becoming a singing cowboy like his movie idols, and became one of the most acclaimed songwriters and singers of his age, as well as a celebrated actor, author and activist, living through decades of tragedies and triumphs. Nelson speaks throughout the film, in both current and archival interviews (with aging audio often supplemented by helpful subtitles). But the filmmakers also present extraordinary insights from numerous family members, friends and fellow artists, including Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, Nelson's longtime bandmate and harmonica player Mickey Raphael and more. "Dad has been homeless, he's had his house burned down, he's been through four marriages, he's been up and down, he's been broke, he fought the IRS, he's lost a child that's what makes him inspiring to me, his resilience in the face of adversity," says Willie's son Lukas Nelson in the film. "Willie Nelson is someone who not only has covered every genre of music, but also has really united people from all sides of the political conflict. All sides of every conflict," says co-director Oren Moverman. "So, yeah, we need him. We need his healing." - Billboard, 12/14/23...... John Oates of Hall & Oates was revealed as "the anteater" on the Dec. 13 episode of reality talent series The Masked Singer. Oates performed a rendition of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Goode" (shared on YouTube) before having his identity shared (also shared on YouTube). The anteater costume was a reference to Hall & Oates' 1982 hit "Maneater." No one on the judging panel -- made up of Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke -- were able to guess who the anteater could be. After his reveal, Oates said: "I'll tell you what, I've done a lot of crazy stuff in my career. This is one of the best things I've ever done so thank you very much." Speaking to Variety about being on the show, Oates said he agreed to take part in the show after he realized there was an opportunity to perform without any preconceived Hall & Oates notions from the audience. "...I realized that it was a huge platform. It's such a successful show. I'm doing a lot of charity work and things like that for some great organizations. And I thought, if I can get the word out, I can reach a lot of people," Oates said. The reveal of the musician as the anteater comes weeks after it was shared that he was being sued by his former bandmate Daryl Hall. Hall recently explained why he is suing Oates -- claiming that he was left "blindsided" by his plan to sell a business stake -- while the latter described the claims as "inaccurate" and saying that he was "tremendously disappointed" to hear about the filing. - NME, 12/14/23...... Barbra Streisand has been named the recipient of the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, which is presented annually to an actor who exhibits what the guild describes as the "finest ideals of the acting profession." In Streisand's case, it joins a lengthy list of accolades including her two Academy Awards, eight Grammys (plus the Grammy Legend and Lifetime Achievement Awards), five Emmys and an honorary Tony. She is the 59th recipient of the tribute; she follows Sally Field, who received it during the 2023 telecast. "[Barbra's] enduring career is a testament to her genuine performances, connecting with audiences on a profound level," said SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher. "She is a colossal icon with a relentless work ethic, evolving with each stage of her remarkable journey. We celebrate Barbra Streisand not just for her achievements but for the enduring legacy she has carved." The SAG Awards will stream live for the first time on Netflix. The nominees for this year's event, which is being held at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, will be unveiled early next year. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/14/23...... A graphic novel version of The Who's Pete Townshend's legendary Lifehouse rock opera is hitting stores on Dec. 19. Townshend has been trying to bring his sprawling, dystopian sci-fi epic Lifehouse to life since he first wrote the follow-up to the band's iconic rock opera Tommy in 1970. Through several re-writes, false starts and re-imaginings, Townshend has struggled to bring his epic vision of a future world in which music is outlawed by the tyrannical despot Jumbo 7 -- and saved by a group of idealistic underground rock rebels via a massive, mind- and spirit-melding concert -- to the masses. "I'd gone back to it a few times and tried to get it to make sense and several times I've worked with other creative people, producers and writers who, in a sense, tried to 'fix' what they thought was wrong with it," Townshend says. "But in the case of this graphic novel what happened is people who trusted the original idea and used those [original scripts I wrote in 1971 and a 1978 revision] to create the bulk of the story." The bulk of the original songs Townshend wrote for Lifehouse ended up on The Who's 1971 album, Who's Next, including such iconic tracks as "Behind Blue Eyes," "Won't Get Fooled Again" and the song that provides the beating human heart of the graphic novel, "Baba O'Riley." A limited-edition run of 1,000 copies of the project -- which is being released in a square, vinyl-sized box -- signed by Townshend and Who singer Roger Daltrey, will be released by Tower Records on Jan. 20 and Rockbox Studios, with standard and deluxe versions coming from Rockbox and Image Comics on Dec. 19. - Billboard, 12/13/23...... Patti Smith is reportedly "resting, as the doctor ordered" following a brief stay in an Italian hospital to deal with what's been described as a sudden, unnamed illness. "This is thanking all at the hospital for their help and guidance," Smith wrote in an Instagram post on Dec. 14 in which she is pictured standing in the middle of a group of eight hospital workers in scrubs. "I am so sorry that we had to cancel concerts in Bologna and Venice. I will return to fulfill my happy obligations. This is also to thank all the medical teams globally, who attend to the people's needs, especially those altruistically serving under fire, all healers, physicians, nurses, attendants," she continued. Italian media reported that Smith was taken to the Maggiore Hospital on Tuesday due to a "sudden illness" that resulted in the cancellation of her planned show at the Teatro Duse in Bologna that night; she was reportedly released after the short visit to the ER. The artist/poet's planned Dec. 14 show t the Teatro Malibran in Venice was also cancelled. - NME, 12/14/23...... In a new interview with The New York Times, former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne admitted that he "harboured a lot of racial biases" on an unconscious level when was younger. "Well, I realized quite a few years ago that as much as I might like to deny it, I harbored a lot of racial biases," Byrne told the Times. "At that point, a younger liberal person would say, 'Oh, I'm not racist, or I believe in equality'. But at the same time, I was aware that I was also harboring these inner biases that I could occasionally sense." Byrne continued: "Overcoming those is more difficult than just rationally saying, 'Oh, no, that's not right' Those beliefs and biases, whether they're about race or women's rights or whatever they might be, those things can take a long time to fundamentally change within us." He went on to explain how he's used his art to widen his perspective on life, drawing reference to his recent "American Utopia" show. Byrne added: "I would like to think that I've been engaged in that process and was trying in 'American Utopia' to demonstrate that that can be done. That kind of change can happen, but it doesn't happen with this snap of fingers." - NME, 12/13/23...... Colin Burgess, the original drummer for AC/DC, has died at age 77. AC/DC announced Burgess' death in an Instagram post on Dec. 16. A cause of death was not given. "Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess," AC/DC captioned a photo of the drummer on Instagram. "He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace Colin." Burgess had been the drummer for Australian rock band Masters Apprentices, and after the group's split in 1972, he joined AC/DC alongside founding members, brothers Angus and Malcom Young and singer Dale Evans. Four months after being recruited, he was fired in Feb. 1974 for supposedly performing while intoxicated. He served as the drummer on AC/DC's debut single "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl," which became a minor hit in Australia. Burgess was later replaced on drums by Phil Rudd, but he played a handful of shows in 1975 while Rudd recovered from a hand injury. "Can I Sit Next to You, Girl" was later re-recorded for AC/DC's 1975 album, T.N.T., with Rudd on drums and new singer Bon Scott on vocals. After his time with AC/DC, Burgess went on to perform in the groups His Majesty, Good Time Charlie and Dead Singer Band. Burgess wasn't one of the AC/DC members to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, but he was inducted into Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame for his contributions to Masters Apprentices. - Billboard, 12/16/23...... Jeffrey Foskett, a longtime guitarist for the Beach Boys, died on Dec. 11, bandmate Brian Wilson confirmed. Foskett, who was diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid cancer in 2019, was 67. - People, 1/8/24.

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Distinguished British actor Sir Ian McKellan and ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus have recorded another festive clip, this time the ABBA hit "Gimme Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" celebrating their new ABBA-themed socks. Sir Ian and Ulveaus been recording Christmas knitting clips since 2021, when a silent video of the pair knitting sweaters went viral online. In 2022 they returned with another video, this time promising to create some knitwear for the legendary Kylie Minogue. Now, McKellen and Ulvaeus have teamed up again to promote some ABBA-themed socks, which are sold as part of the virtual ABBA Voyage production. All four pairs cost £35, and can be purchased either at the ABBA Arena or the ABBA Voyage online store. The video of the pair dancing to "Gimme Gimme! Gimme!" has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 12/8/23...... On Dec. 12 ZZ Top announced they'll be launching their first UK and European tour in five years next summer. The Texas-based rockers will performing in nine countries across the continent including festivals and indoor headline shows, starting in Sweden on June 28 before hitting Norway (6/29), Denmark (7/1), Austria (7/3), Germany (7/5, 6), Paris (7/9), London (7/11) and Germany (7/13, 14), then wrapping at Switzerland's Sion Festival on July 16. "It's been a while since we've been able to check in with our European fans, so it goes without saying that we're excited about coming back this summer," frontman Billy Gibbons said in a press release. "We're looking forward to a good time and that goes for both those in the audience and on stage." Meanwhile, Gibbons teamed up with Slash and Myles Kennedy for a nearly 10-minute cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" with Warren Haynes' band Gov't Mule at Haynes' 2023 Christmas Jam on Dec. 9. The cover featured vocals from Haynes and Kennedy, along with an extended guitar solo from Slash. The concert marks the 32nd edition of Haynes' annual Christmas Jam, and took place at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in Asheville, N.C. The charity event raised funds to benefit local non-profits, Asheville Area Habitat For Humanity and BeLoved Asheville. Gibbons also treaed the crowd to a set a ZZ Top songs, including "Jesus Just Left Chicago," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "La Grange." The "Simple Man" cover has been shared on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 12/12/23...... Lawyers representing Michael Jackson's estate have sent a legal threat letter over the recent release of a rare Jackson 5 recording from 1967 touted as "Michael Jackson's first ever studio recording," claiming the release by the Swedish company Anotherblock "violates" the estate's trademark and likeness rights for Michael, and that the company was potentially "misleading the public" by claiming the song was the "first-ever Jackson recording." "We have serious doubts that Michael would have ever wanted these recordings released and commercialized," the estate's attorneys wrote. "What you are doing is the opposite of honoring Michael Jackson." A subsequent version of "Big Boy" as commercially released in 1968, and the earlier version is called the "One-derful Version" because it was recorded at Chicago's One-derful Studios. According to Rolling Stone, that version of the song first surfaced in 2009 and was released in 2014 on vinyl. On Dec. 6, Anotherblock said it would release the track for the first time in digital format, doing so in partnership with Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and with a company called Recordpool, which purportedly controls the intellectual property rights to the recording. The sale, which included $25 and $100 packages with various other goodies, was planned to continue through the weekend via the Anotherblock site. But in its letter of Dec. 7, the estate warned that whatever deals Anotherblock had struck to facilitate the "Big Boy" sale could be invalid if they covered rights that were controlled solely by Michael's estate, like his trademark rights. The estate's lawyers also strongly questioned the claim that the "One-derful Version" was Jackson's first studio recording. The estate also sharply criticized the decision to publish previously unreleased songs, telling Anotherblock that Jackson was "was the consummate perfectionist" and that he had been "very careful about what recordings he released to the public." At the bottom of the letter the estate warned that it reserved "all of the Jackson Estate's rights and remedies," including the right to seek monetary damages and an injunction blocking further sales. A spokeswoman for Anotherblock declined to comment. - Billboard, 12/12/23...... In a new interview with Record Collector magazine, Pete Townshend said The Who will have a talk about "what happens next" after the English rock icons wrapped their final orchestral tour date at the Sandringham Estate over the summer. "I think it's time for Roger [Daltrey] and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next," Townshend said. "Because Sandringham shouldn't feel like the end of anything but it feels like the end of an era. It's a question of, really, what is feasible, what would be lucrative, what would be fun? So, I wrote to Roger and said, 'Come on, let's have a chat and see what's there.'" Townshend's comments come after he recently revealed that he is currently working on creating a new rock opera, that will see him take his novel The Age Of Anxiety to the stage, and see it performed alongside a variety of new songs. Townshend released the novel in 2019, and it explored themes of societal anxiety, triggered by things such as global warming and the threat of terrorism. It also saw the musician depict the detrimental consequences of social media on modern life, and how mental health issues are becoming more prominent across younger generations. Meanwhile, The Who's "Tommy" musical is set to return to Broadway in 2024, with previews starting on Mar. 8 at New York's Nederlander Theatre, ahead of the official opening on Mar. 28. Daltrey has also revealed he's working on a biopic about the band's late drummer Keith Moon, who died aged 32 in 1979 from an accidental drugs overdose. - NME, 12/10/23...... After reaching the top of the Billboard album charts with her first ever holiday collection Christmas, Cher is embarking on her first ever trip to the "metaverse." In the latest collaboration between Warner Music Group and leading metaverse game developer Gamefam, Cher will head to WMG's music-themed Roblox world Harmony Hills for a limited-time Cher store of virtual merchandise. It will feature some of the superstar's most iconic looks with tinsel hair, winter fairy wings, diamond antlers and a winter crown. The activation will spotlight three of Cher's new Christmas tracks: "Drop Top Sleigh Ride" with Tyga, "Angels in the Snow," and her historic new No. 1 Billboard single, "DJ Play a Christmas Song." Alongside a virtual Cher NPC (non-playable character) designed to match her new album cover, players can earn the wearable avatar merch by successfully completing tasks like delivering presents, climbing up Christmas trees and participating in snowball fights. Roblox currently has 70 million daily active users, and the new project marks a unique opportunity for Cher to reach across generations, including an entirely new audience and demographic, via festive and familiar holiday music. Cher's Christmas event on Roblox, which launched on Dec. 8), joins her heavy promo run for the holiday LP that's included performances at the iHeartRadio Z100 Jingle Ball, the Rockefeller Center Tree-Lighting Special and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. - Billboard, 12/8/23...... Lou Reed's final solo album, Hudson River Wind Meditations, will be getting its first vinyl release in January. Originally released in 2007, the LP is a collection of ambient and drone recordings from the late Velvet Underground frontman, and was his last solo studio album. Helmed by Seattle independent label Light In The Attic, in conjunction with the Lou Reed Archive and Reed's wife, Laurie Anderson, the vinyl release marks the album's first-ever, and is scheduled to drop on Jan. 12. The album is not currently available on streaming platforms. The package comes with remastered audio, liner notes from yoga instructor Eddie Stern, and an unreleased interview with Anderson. Deluxe versions of the vinyl will also come with five 810 photographs of New York City's Hudson River by Reed himself. In the album's original liner notes, Reed wrote: "I first composed this music to play in the background of life to replace the everyday cacophony with new and ordered sounds of an unpredictable nature." In a statement for the re-release, Anderson elaborated further: "I guess by 'life,' he meant something like what Brian Eno might mean ambient music that colors the air in very interesting ways. For me, it resets my brainwaves." In Feb. 2023, Reed's fourth album with VU, Loaded, received a limited-edition re-release as a nine-LP box set containing stereo, mono and "full-length" mixes of the album alongside demos, outtakes and live recordings. - NME, 12/1/23...... Ryan O'Neal, the boyish leading man who kicked off an extraordinary 1970s run in Hollywood with his Oscar-nominated turn as the Harvard preppie Oliver in the legendary romantic tearjerker Love Story, died on Dec. 8. He was 82. O'Neal's death was reported by his son Patrick O'Neal, sportscaster with Bally Sports West in Los Angeles, on Instagram. O'Neal had been diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and with prostate cancer in 2012. Born Patrick Ryan O'Neal on Apr. 20, 1941, in Los Angeles, O'Neal was the older son of novelist-screenwriter Charles "Blackie" O'Neal (The Three Wishes of Jamie McRuin) and actress Patricia Callaghan. He competed in Golden Gloves events in L.A. in 1956 and 1957 and compiled a boxing record of 18-4 with 13 knockouts, according to his website. In the late 1950s, O'Neal and his family moved to Munich, and he became infatuated with the syndicated TV series Tales of the Vikings, which shot in Europe and was produced by Kirk Douglas' company. He went on to perform as a stuntman on the series. After appearing on such shows as The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Untouchables, Leave It to Beaver and My Three Sons, O'Neal co-starred opposite Richard Egan on Empire, a 1962-63 NBC Western set in New Mexico. The sandy-haired O'Neal then made the ladies swoon for five seasons when he starred as Rodney Harrington on more than 500 episodes of the hit Peyton Place, the 1964-69 serialized ABC melodrama spawned by the Lana Turner movie. As Peyton Place was drawing to a close, he made his big-screen debut in The Big Bounce (1969), an Elmore Leonard adaptation that also starred then-wife Leigh Taylor-Young, then played a marathon runner in Michael Winner's The Games. Author Eric Segal adapted the screenplay, and that led to their Love Story collaboration. In the 1970 Arthur Hiller-directed film, O'Neal played a college kid from a wealthy family who sacrifices his riches as he falls for Ali MacGraw's lovely Jenny, a wisecracking, working-class girl, only to watch her agonizingly succumb to a rare blood disease. The drama, a box-office smash, also received seven Oscar nominations, including one for best picture, and won for best score. (O'Neal lost out to George C. Scott of Patton in the best actor race.) The actor then signed up to star with auteur Peter Bogdanovich opposite Barbra Streisand in the screwball farce What's Up, Doc?, an homage to the fabled Cary Grant-Katharine Hepburn 1938 comedy Bringing Up Baby. Next came Paper Moon in 1973, in which he portrayed a good-natured con artist in the Midwest in the 1930s. O'Neal's daughter with first wife Joanna Moore, Tatum O'Neal, starred as his youthful partner in crime and went on to make history as the youngest winner of a competitive Oscar, taking home the best supporting actress prize. Also in the 1970s, O'Neal starred with Jacqueline Bisset as a computer programmer turned crook in The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973); played a general in the World War II-set A Bridge Too Far (1977); portrayed a getaway driver in Walter Hill's The Driver (1978); and returned as a widower in the Love Story sequel Oliver's Story (1978). Later roles include So Fine (1981), Partners (1982), Irreconcilable Differences (1984), Fever Pitch (1985), Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987), Chances Are (1989), Zero Effect (1998) and Knight of Cups (2015). Recently, he had recurring roles on the TV series Miss Match and Bones. O'Neal's relationship with Farrah Fawcett began after they were introduced by her then-husband, actor Lee Majors, in 1979. They lived together for years in Malibu; had a son, Redmond, who went on to battle drug addiction (he and his father were arrested at home for drug possession in 2008); and starred together in the 1989 ABC dramatic telefilm Small Sacrifices and as co-anchors on the 1991 CBS sitcom Good Sports. They broke up for a spell after Fawcett caught him in bed with a younger actress but reunited after O'Neal was diagnosed with leukemia. In 2012, he published a memoir, Both of Us: My Life With Farrah, and three years later, he was back with MacGraw for a national tour in Love Letters. O'Neal was married to and divorced from actresses Moore and Peyton Place co-star Taylor-Young before beginning an on-and-off 30-year relationship with Fawcett that ended with her death at age 62 on June 25, 2009. O'Neal had Tatum and a son, Griffin O'Neal, with Moore. Patrick is his son with Taylor-Young. His younger brother, Kevin O'Neal, a regular on the TV version of No Time for Sergeants in the 1960s, died in Jan. 2023. "[My father] meant the world to me," said Tatum O'Neal, who like Redmond often did not get along with her father, in a statement to People. "I loved him very much and know he loved me too. I'll miss him forever, and I feel very lucky that we ended on such good terms," she added. "My dad was 82 and lived a kick ass life," Patrick O'Neal wrote on social media. "I hope the first thing he brags about in Heaven is how he sparred 2 rounds with Joe Frazier in 1966, on national TV, with Muhammad Ali doing the commentary, and went toe to toe with Smokin' Joe. YouTube has it, and trust me, it's so awesome. Ryan by a majority decision." - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/8/23.

Friday, December 8, 2023

Billy Joel announced on Dec. 8 he'll be performing a huge gig in Cardiff, Wales on Aug. 9, 2024 -- his only show in the UK and Europe set for 2024. The show will see the Piano Man take to the stage at Cardiff's Principality Stadium and feature opening support from Chris Isaak. It will mark Joel's first gig in the UK since his slot at the 2023 edition of the BST Hyde Park concert series in London, which was also headlined by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Guns N' Roses, Lana Del Rey and others. Tickets for Joel's Cardiff show go on sale on Dec. 15 at Ticketmaster-UK. Joel's last U.S. show of 2023 will be a special New Year's Eve concert on Dec. 31 at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., his first show back on his native Long Island since 2018. He has also confirmed that the final show ongoing 9-year residency at Madison Square Garden will take place on July 25, 2024, his 150th appearance at the prestigious NYC venue. - New Musical Express, 12/8/23...... Tom Petty's 1989 Full Moon Fever album was a career highlight of the late Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rocker. One of its deep cuts, "Love Is a Long Road," is up over 8,000 in streams following its inclusion in the recently released trailer for the highly anticipated upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI, which set viewership records in its first 24 hours of release on YouTube. Petty's first LP recorded without usual backing band the Heartbreakers, Full Moon Fever was certified 5x platinum by the RIAA in the U.S., and spawned the massive radio and MTV hits "Free Fallin'," "I Won't Back Down" and "Runnin' Down a Dream." In 1989, "Love Is a Long Road" made it to No. 7 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, despite never being released as an A-side in the U.S. - Billboard, 12/7/23...... On Dec. 7, Def Leppard and Journey took to Instagram to announce a massive co-headining "Summer Stadium Tour 2024" which will see the bands perform in 23 different cities, beginning with Saint Louis' Busch Stadium on July 6, continuing through cities including Atlanta (7/13), Detroit (7/18), Nashville (7/20), Pittsburgh (7/27), Boston (8/5), New York (8/7), Minneapolis (8/19) and San Francisco (8/28) before concluding on Sept. 8 at Denver's Coors Field. The bands will have opening support from Steve Miller Band, Cheap Trick and Heart at different dates on the tour. The Summer Stadium tour follows Def Leppard's lengthy co-headlining world tour with Motley Crüe, which took place between February and August 2023. - NME, 12/8/23...... The audio from Michael Jackson's first ever studio session in 1967 is set to be released as a limited-edition package. The recording was made 56 years ago, when Michael was aged just nine and entered One-derful Studios in Chicago for the very first time with his brothers in The Jackson Five. In the session -- which took place on July 13, 1967 -- The Jackson Five produced a song titled "Big Boy," and it has been confirmed that this was the first time that the late King of Pop's voice was put on tape. The song is now getting shared in a digital format for the first time, and will be available as part of a limited-edition release. Available on Dec. 7, the packages are shared in collaboration with the song's owner, Recordpool, and Swedish blockchain-based music and royalty marketplace Anotherblock. "Big Boy" comes in two formats -- the "open edition" and the more expensive "limited edition. The former is available for $25 (£19.85) and includes the track, named "Big Boy (One-derful Version)." It is accessible through Anotherblock's player, and also comes with images of master tape and agreements, downloadable song stems, and a digital vinyl B-side including "Michael the Lover" and "My Girl" along with their stems. More information can be found at https://anotherblock.io, and a portion of the sale revenue will go to the non-profit Legacy Foundation. "Big Boy" can also be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 12/6/23...... A 50th anniversary edition of Paul McCartney & Wings' acclaimed 1973 LP Band on the Run has been announced that will be available in a range of formats, including a set of "Underdubbed" mixes. These new unreleased rough mixes were made by Geoff Emerick and Pete Swettenham at AIR Studios on Oct. 14, 1973. "This is Band on the Run in a way you've never heard before," McCartney says of the new remixes. "When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that's an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed." The Band On The Run reissue will be available in vinyl, CD, digital and Dolby ATMOS formats. McCartney formed Wings in 1971, with himself and his wife Linda McCartney as the two permanent members. Band On The Run was Wings' third album, and went on to win multiple Grammy Awards and topped the charts in several countries including the UK. McCartney has been playing tracks from Band On The Run such as "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five" and "Jet" on his current tour. He is now playing the South American leg of his international "Got Back" tour until Dec. 16, where he will finish in Rio de Janeiro. - NME, 12/4/23...... A new clip from the forthcoming Bob Marley biopic Bob Marley: One Love has been shared on YouTube. In the clip, Marley's son Ziggy Marley gives actor Kingsley Ben-Adir the stamp of approval for his portrayal of his father. "In the audition, I saw Kingsley, who plays my father. He was the one who kept my attention," Ziggy says in the video shared by Paramount Pictures. "Kingsley did a great job in an artful way, not trying to mimic my father. To be true to who Bob was, how he speaks, how he acts, how he sees the world, I think Kingsley is bringing that human element. Not just the legend or the artist, but the human side, the emotional side." According to the official synopsis, One Love "celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity" and tells the tale of the singer-songwriter "overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music." Produced in partnership with the Marley family and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, One Love hits theaters on Jan. 12, 2024. - Billboard, 12/5/23...... Sixty-five years after its 1958 release, pop singing legend Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" has finally hits the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The Christmas classic, which rose to No. 2 each of the last four holiday seasons but was previously unable to unseat Mariah Carey's equally beloved "All I Want for Christmas Is You," rose all the way to the top of the Hot 100 on the chart dated Dec. 9 -- marking Lee's third career No. 1, after "I'm Sorry" and "I Want to Be Wanted" both reached pole position in 1960. It comes after a major promotional push from both Lee and her UMG Nashville label, including a new music video, a new holiday EP, and a whole lot of new Brenda Lee TikTok videos, all timed to the song's 65th birthday celebration this year. Lee, whose indomitable spirit and powerful voice, even as a child, earned her the nickname "Little Miss Dynamite," recorded "Rockin'" when she was just 13. Now, at age 78, she's watching as the song, promoted by major label UMG Nashville, has reached the pinnacle of Billboard's all-genre chart. In the process, the song has become only the third holiday song to reach No. 1 ever on the Hot 100. "I like that God has given me that favor that I can stand aside and look and know that it wasn't just me; that it's a conglomerate of a lot of people that made the song what it is," Lee says. I'm happy for everybody here that's worked so hard to make this happen because in today's world, everything moves so fast and furious. But I'm telling you this: My label has come to bat," she added. Produced by Owen Bradley, "Rockin'" was initially released in 1958, though the song's initial chart impact was modest, reaching an original peak of No. 14 in Dec. 1960. Between Dec. 2019 and last year, the song would spend nine weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100, behind only Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Johnny Marks, the songwriter behind other holiday classics including "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas," also wrote "Rockin'," with Lee in mind for the song. "He was such a gentle soul," Lee recalls of the late songwriter, who died in 1985. "He was Jewish and didn't even believe in Christmas, and all that would come out of him was Christmas music. In 1990, "Rockin'" became a favorite holiday song for a new generation when it was featured in the Macaulay Culkin film Home Alone. Lee marked the 65th anniversary of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by filming the song's first official video, featuring cameos from Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. It can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 12/5/23...... Rush bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee has released two new songs which were recorded during the sessions of his 2000 solo album, My Favourite Headache. Lee released the recordings on Dec. 5 through Elektra Records under the title The Lost Demos, and the tracks -- "Gone" and "I Am You Are" -- grant fans a deeper look into the writing sessions of Lee's only solo album so far. "I loved the songs when they were written and in some ways they feel as fresh and perhaps more relevant all these years later," said Lee in a press release about the new tracks, which were given fresh mixes by Rush's longtime producer and engineer, David Bottrill. "Gone" and "I Am You Are" have also been shared on YouTube. Meanwhile, Lee has a new TV show, Are Bass Players Human Too?, streaming on Paramount+. The show came about when Toronto filmmaker Sam Dunn approached him about doing some kind of documentary resulting from Lee's 2018 Beautiful Big Book of Bass in which he interviewed other bassists like Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and the Rolling Stones' Bill Wyman. Lee, who does everything from landscaping to fishing with Primus' Les Claypool to making preserves and flying with Nirvana's Krist Novoselic, said he isn't sure if there will be more episodes yet but he enjoyed the experience. "We had to go through a combination of people I wanted and people that were available and also people that were up for letting me invade their lives for three days," said Lee. "If I had been asked as a bass player to let some other bass player into my house, (starts chuckling) I'm not so sure I would have said yes." - NME/Canoe.com, 12/6/23...... Cher announced on Dec. 5 she'll be joining the "Jingle Ball Party" event in NYC. The legendary singer is joining the lineup for the iHeartRadio Z100 Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 8. She will join previously announced performers Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, OneRepublic, Sabrina Carpenter, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, Pentatonix and David Kushner. Meanwhile, the singer said that she is "close with all" of her ex-boyfriends during an appearance on the Dec. 6 episode of the Table Manners podcast. During the program, Cher was asked to name co-stars who she would invite to her last supper. he name-dropped Meryl Streep, Nicolas Cage, Sam Elliott and Val Kilmer, who she dated in the '80s. After co-host Jessie Ware expressed her admiration for Cher inviting exes to the table, the 77-year-old replied, "I'm close with all of them. I have a feeling that you have to like someone a lot before you go to bed with them because if you don't, then when you break up, then there's nothing, you can never be friends because you weren't friends before." Cher was previously married to musicians Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman. Her famous ex-boyfriends also include Warren Beatty, Tom Cruise, Gene Simmons and Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, among others. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 12/5/23...... Nile Rodgers & CHIC will be among the performers during the 2023 Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve special, set to air live on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. EST on Dec. 31. In his 19th year as host, Ryan Seacrest will lead the traditional countdown to midnight alongside global superstar Rita Ora live from Times Square. Also joining this year's broadcast is Emmy-winning TV personality Jeannie Mai, who will co-host the Hollywood portion of the broadcast in the Pacific time zone. In 2022, the countdown -- which has been the top-rated NYE programming special for more than 30 years -- attracted 13.8 million total viewers. ABC and Dick Clark Productions recently extended their agreement for the annual special for another five years. The show, which will now air on the network through Jan. 1, 2029, was created in 1972 by Dick Clark, who conceived it as a younger-skewing competitor to veteran bandleader Guy Lombardo's long-running New Year's Eve broadcasts on CBS. The special first aired on Dec. 31, 1972. Its first two editions were broadcast by NBC, and hosted by Three Dog Night and George Carlin, respectively, with Clark anchoring coverage from Times Square. The show moved to ABC in 1974, and Clark took over as host. In Dec. 2004, Clark suffered a stroke. Due to lingering speech impediments from the stroke, Clark ceded hosting duties to Seacrest the following year, but he continued to make limited appearances on the show until his death in Apr. 2012 at age 82. - Billboard, 12/7/23...... Blondie will be among the headliners of the Cruel World Festival 2024, set for Brookside at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on May 11, 2024. Also on the bill are Duran Duran, Simple Minds, Placebo, Soft Cell, Adam Ant, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Gary Numan and Ministry, among others. Last year's edition was headlined by Siouxie Sioux and Iggy Pop. Sioux' set was thwarted by severe weather, which halted the festival during sets by Pop and The Human League. - NME, 12/5/23...... During the encore of their last ever show on Dec. 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York, KISS made a surprise announcement that the band will live on as digital avatars. "KISS Army, your love, your power, has made us immortal!," vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley said in a video revealing the digital characters as the virtual band launched into a performance of "God Gave Rock and Roll to You." "The new KISS era stars now!" After the concert, part of the KISS' "End of the Road" farewell tour, the quartet shared a two-minute video on YouTube teasing their next chapter. "The future is so exciting," Simmons says amid behind-the-scenes snippets of the band wearing motion capture suits to develop their high-tech avatars. He pointed out that the forthcoming digital band will be able accomplish things the original members couldn't dream of doing. "We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we've never dreamed of before," the bassist said. "The technology is going to make Paul jump higher than he's ever done before." Stanley adds, "We can live on eternally." KISS' avatars were created by George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Sweden's Pophouse Entertainment Group. The companies recently collaborated on the ABBA Voyage show in London, a virtual concert performed by the Swedish pop group. "KISS could have a concert in three cities in the same night across three different continents. That's what you could do with this," Pophouse CEO told the AP. - NME, 12/3/23...... New biographies of two of the '70s most intriguing musicians are available for the holiday season. Karen Carpenter was remembered as much for the anorexia that led to her death as for her crystalline voice. The singer gets her due as an artist to be reckoned with in Lucy O'Brien's immersive biograpy Lead Sister. Singer-songwriter Nick Drake left a trove of breathtakingly lovely songs when he died at 26 in 1974. Richard Morton Jack's exhaustively researched bio Nick Drake: The Life celebrates their power and brings him to life. - People, 12/11/23...... Myles Goodwyn, frontman of Canadian rock band April Wine, has died at the age of 75. News of his death was confirmed by his publicist, who hailed Goodwyn's "distinctive and immediately recognizable" voice and prolific songwriting. No cause of death has been announced. April Wine was formed in 1969, with its original line-up consisting of Goodwyn, brothers David and Ritchie Henman and their cousin Jim. They moved to Montreal and released their self-titled debut album in 1971 before following it up with On Record the next year, which became their commercial breakthrough and featured a successful cover of Hot Chocolate's "You Could Have Been A Lady." It took April Wine slightly longer to crack the US market, but they did so with 1979's Harder Faster and then scored their biggest hit in 1981 with "Just Between You And Me," which was taken from the album The Nature Of The Beast. By the middle of the '80s, the band's fortunes were waning and they parted ways in 1985. Goodwyn released a solo album in 1988 but the band later reformed for the 1993 album Attitude. Their last album together was 2006's Roughly Speaking. Goodwyn was hospitalised for months in 2007 after suffering internal bleeding caused by long-term alcoholism. He later went to rehab when he had recovered. April Wine continued touring until last year when Goodwyn retired, saying: "Touring has been very difficult in recent years because of my diabetes and my health comes first, so unfortunately, my touring days are officially over." Goodwyn also wrote two books, the memoir Just Between You and Me, and a novel, Elvis and Tiger. Earlier in 2023 he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is survived by wife Kim Goodwyn and their two children, plus another child from a previous marriage. - NME, 12/4/23...... English rock musician Denny Laine, a co-founding former member of The Moody Blues and a member of the Paul McCartney-led '70s band Wings, died on Dec. 5 of a bacterial infection that followed a serious bout of Covid-19. He was 79. Laine's wife Elizabeth Hines posted the announcement on Instagram, stating that her husband had passed away due to Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). "My darling husband passed away peacefully early this morning," she began. "He and I both believed he would overcome his health setbacks and return to the rehabilitation center and eventually home. Unfortunately, his lung disease, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), is unpredictable and aggressive; each infection weakened and damaged his lungs. He fought everyday. He was so strong and brave, never complained. All he wanted was to be home with me and his pet kitty, Charley, playing his gypsy guitar." Hines said Laine was "so very thankful" for the love and support he had received during his "health crisis." "It was my absolute honor and privilege to not only be his wife, but to care for him during his illness and vulnerability," she added. Born on Oct. 29, 1944 in Birmingham, Laine played in his first band The Diplomats (which featured ELO drummer Bev Bevans). From there, he would go on to found The Moody Blues in 1964 with singer Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas and drummer Graeme Edge, who died in 2021 aged 80. He sang on the band's cover of "Go Now," which would eventually top the UK charts and solidify their success. From there, Laine formed the Electric String Band, and would also play with Ginger Baker's Air Force. But it was a call from Paul McCartney that would see Laine join Wings, becoming a constant member of the band. It was he, Paul and his wife Linda that would go on to make their most celebrated album, Band on the Run, in 1973. Wings officially wrapped by the 1980s, but Laine and McCartney stayed in touch, with Laine playing on Macca's Tug of War (1982) and Pipes of Peace (1983), in addition to co-writing the "Ebony and Ivory" B-side, "Rainclouds." After learning of Laine's death, Paul McCartney took to Instagram to mourn the loss: "I have many fond memories of my time with Denny: from the early days when The Beatles toured with the Moody Blues," he wrote alongside a throwback picture of Laine. "Our two bands had a lot of respect for each other and a lot of fun together. Denny joined Wings at the outset. He was an outstanding vocalist and guitar player. His most famous performance is probably 'Go Now' an old Bessie Banks song which he would sing brilliantly. He and I wrote some songs together the most successful being 'Mull of Kintyre' which was a big hit in the Seventies. We had drifted apart but in recent years managed to re-establish our friendship and share memories of our times together." He continued, "Denny was a great talent with a fine sense of humour and was always ready to help other people. He will be missed by all his fans and remembered with great fondness by his friends. I send my condolences and best wishes to his wife, Elizabeth and family. Peace and love Denny. It was a pleasure to know you. We are all going to miss you." Laine is survived by his widow Hines and his five children. - NME, 12/5/23...... Norman Lear, the legendary TV writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with such shows as All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Maude, propelling political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of TV sitcoms, died in his sleep on the evening of Dec. 5 surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles. He was 101 years old. A liberal activist with an eye for mainstream entertainment, Mr. Lear fashioned bold and controversial comedies that were embraced by viewers who had to watch the evening news to find out what was going on in the world. His shows helped define prime time comedy in the 1970s, launched the careers of Rob Reiner and Valerie Bertinelli and made middle-aged superstars of Carroll O'Connor, Bea Arthur and Redd Foxx. Mr. Lear "took television away from dopey wives and dumb fathers, from the pimps, hookers, hustlers, private eyes, junkies, cowboys and rustlers that constituted television chaos, and in their place he put the American people," the late Paddy Chayefsky, a leading writer of television's early "golden age," once said. Mr. Lear's work transformed television at a time when old-fashioned programs such as Here's Lucy, Ironside and Gunsmoke still dominated. CBS, Mr. Lear's primary network, would soon enact its "rural purge" and cancel such standbys as The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres. The groundbreaking sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show, about a single career woman in Minneapolis, debuted on CBS in Sept. 1970, just months before All in the Family started. But ABC passed on All in the Family twice and CBS ran a disclaimer when it finally aired the show: "The program you are about to see is All in the Family. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter we hope to show, in a mature fashion, just how absurd they are." By the end of 1971, All In the Family was No. 1 in the ratings and Archie Bunker was a pop culture fixture, with Pres. Richard Nixon among his fans. Some of his putdowns became catchphrases. He called his son-in-law "Meathead" and his wife "Dingbat," and would snap at anyone who dared occupy his faded orange-yellow wing chair. It was the centerpiece of the Bunkers' rowhouse in Queens, and eventually went on display in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. All in the Family, based on the British sitcom, Til Death Us Do Part, was the No. 1-rated series for an unprecedented five years in a row and earned four Emmy Awards as best comedy series, finally eclipsed by five-time winner Frasier in 1998. Born in New Haven, Conn. on July 27, 1922, Mr. Lear dropped out of Emerson College 1942 to enlist in the Air Force and flew 52 combat missions in Europe as a turret gunner, earning a Decorated Air Medal. After World War II, he worked in public relations. Mr. Lear began writing in the early 1950s on shows including The Colgate Comedy Hour and for such comedians as Martha Raye and George Gobel. In 1959, he and Bud Yorkin founded Tandem Productions, which produced films including "Come Blow Your Horn," "Start the Revolution Without Me" and "Divorce American Style." Mr. Lear also directed the 1971 satire Cold Turkey, starring Dick Van Dyke about a small town that takes on a tobacco company's offer of $25 million to quit smoking for 30 days. In his later years, Mr. Lear joined with Warren Buffett and James E. Burke to establish The Business Enterprise Trust, honoring businesses that take a long-term view of their effect on the country. He also founded the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication, exploring entertainment, commerce and society and also spent time at his home in Vermont. In 2014, he published the memoir Even This I Get to Experience. Tributes poured in on social media after Mr. Lear's death: "I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family," Rob Reiner wrote on X/Twitter. "More than anyone before him, Norman used situation comedy to shine a light on prejudice, intolerance, and inequality. He created families that mirrored ours," Jimmy Kimmel said. - AP, 12/6/23.

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Rare and long-lost photos, contact sheets & original negatives of rock music legends including Paul and Linda McCartney, John Lennon, Joan Baez, The Supremes, The Carpenters, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Cliff and more are up for auction through Dec. 10 at entertainment.ha.com. Bidding is open on the Heritage Auction sale, which also features a treasure-trove of rare and some previously unseen images of music legends including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Donovan, Marianne Faithful, Tim Buckley and others shot by renowned music photographer and photojournalist Shepard Sherbell. Some of the items include the original negatives. The auction closes Dec. 10, 2023. All items come with a certificate of authenticity (COA) from Heritage Auctions. - M4G Media, 12/5/23...... The Beatles are back at No. 1 on a Billboard airplay chart for the first time in over 50 years as their "final song" "Now and Then" jumped from the second to the top spot on the Adult Alternative Airplay tally dated Dec. 9. It's the band's first No. 1 on that particular survey, which began in 1996. The Beatles previously peaked at No. 11 on that chart with "Free as a Bird" that same year. The last time the group notched a No. 1 on a Billboard radio chart was 1970, when "Let It Be" (the Fab Four's sole other airplay leader) ruled Adult Contemporary for four weeks beginning that April. However the Beatles can boast their share of chart-toppers elsewhere, including a record 20 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Billed as the Beatles' final song, "Now and Then" was recorded as a demo in 1977 by John Lennon and finished at last by surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, among others, after multiple attempts via new technology to extract Lennon's vocals from the original demo, along with guitar parts from George Harrison. It's included on the reissues of the group's 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 compilations, initially released in 1973 and re-released Nov. 10. - Billboard, 12/1/23...... In other Beatles-related news, a new documentary series about the Dec. 8, 1980 assassination of John Lennon has a claim that Lennon's murderer Mark David Chapman apologized to his group after shooting Lennon dead outside of his New York City apartment block. According to a witness interviewed for the Apple TV+ docuseries, which begins streaming on Dec. 6, Chapman "actually apologized to us... He said: 'Gee I'm sorry I ruined your night'." The witness responded: "You gotta be kidding me, you just ruined your whole life." First announced in October, John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial examines the pre-meditated crime by the troubled Chapman and its aftermath, and its producers were "granted extensive Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole and the District Attorney's office." It also features interviews with Lennon's friends and Chapman's defense lawyers, psychiatrists, detectives and prosecutors. It also makes use of previously unseen photos from the scene of the crime. The three-part series is narrated by actor Kiefer Sutherland. Its trailer has been shared on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 11/29/23...... Cher has topped Billboard's Adult Contemporary radio airplay chart for the week of Dec. 9 with "DJ Play a Christmas Song" from her new holiday collection Christmas. The carol is the 29th holiday No. 1 on the AC chart since 2000, around the time that most stations in the format began playing seasonal songs heavily, or 24/7, between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. "DJ Play a Christmas Song" also makes history for Cher, as it's her first AC No. 1 since "If I Could Turn Back Time," which led for a week in Sept. 1989. She ends the longest break between No. 1s in the chart's 62-year history: 34 years and two weeks. She surpasses Elton John, who went 23 years, 11 months and one week between "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" in 1997-98 and his own latest holiday hit, "Merry Christmas" with Ed Sheeran two Yuletide seasons ago. Christmas, meanwhile, has jingled in at No. 1 on the Nov. 4-dated Top Holiday Albums chart. After a festive performance at the recent Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Cher delivered another dazzling performance with Darlene Love during the Christmas in Rockefeller Center tree-lighting special at Radio City Music Hall on Nov. 29. Cher started with another performance of "DJ Play a Christmas Song," then joined forces with longtime friend Darlene Love to sing Love's signature holiday hit "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," of which they recorded a duet version for the new Christmas album. Cher and Love's performance can be viewed on X/Twitter. In still more Cher news, the singer says she's finding it "very hard to cast" actors in a biopic about her life. During an appearance on the Dec. 1 episode of The Graham Norton Show, the 77-year-old music icon revealed that she is having a hard time creating her biopic. "It is the hardest thing," Cher said of the project. "I have lived too long and done so much, it is very hard to cast, and we haven't even finished the script." The "Believe" hitmaker noted that she will be providing her own music for the film. "I will do all the music myself because I don't like imitation," she told the host. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 12/1/23...... The Rolling Stones announced on X/Twitter on Nov. 30 that they're releasing a live deluxe edition of their new Hackney Diamonds studio album. The live version will feature seven songs recorded live at the band's surprise show at New York's intimate Racket club on Oct. 19 as part of the launch for their 24th studio album. The brief set memorably featured such classics as "Shattered," "Tumbling Dice" and "Jumping Jack Flash," as well as the live debut of the soul blues burner "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," complete with a cameo from the track's guest, Lady Gaga. The double-disc set -- which will ship on Jan. 19 -- will also spotlight the Hackney tracks "Angry," "Whole Wide World" and "Bite My Head Off." The group has also just released a lyric video for the latter song on YouTube, which features additional vocals from Paul McCartney. Meanwhile, Stones principals Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have landed 2024 Grammy nods for a version of their rock classic "Paint It Black" which appears in the Netflix series Wednesday. Jagger and Richards arranged the classical-shaded treatment of "Paint It Black," hich was recorded for a memorable cello scene in the first episode of Wednesday. Jagger and Richards are now listed alongside Esin Aydingoz, Chris Bacon and Alana Da Fonseca, who had been listed as the arrangers of the track when the Grammy nominations for best arrangement, instrumental or a cappella were announced on Nov. 10. Wednesday, which debuted on Netflix in Nov. 2022, has also aired cello renditions of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" and Dua Lipa's "Physical." - Billboard, 12/1/23...... Roger Waters' son Harry Waters has revealed that his father fired him from playing in his band, and he is now planning on playing his dad's music in a Pink Floyd tribute band instead. Interviewed by Rolling Stone, Harry claimed that it was in late 2016 that the ex-Floyd bassist let him know that he would no longer be required to play keyboards in his dad's touring band. "I was fired, it was pretty miserable," Harry said. "I think he just wanted a change of blood, something new, something fresh. I'm not sure of his exact reasoning, but everyone except two people got fired. But the other guys that got the sack weren't his son, so it was doubly hurtful for me." Harry had been part of his dad's band for 14 years, but was dropped ahead of the "Us + Them" tour. Nevertheless, Harry has continued to play the material that he is so familiar with, recently completing a tour with Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, covering the Pink Floyd album Animals in its entirety. Now, Harry says he's accepted an offer to play three shows with Floyd tribute act Brit Floyd, alongside one of the band's former background singers Durga McBroom and a former saxophonist Scott Page. "I've never met any of them, but I'll just turn up and play," he said. "I've been playing this music for 30 years or so. I think we'll be OK without rehearsal. I think we all know the material pretty well." - NME, 12/1/23...... The Nashville judge overseeing the bitter lawsuit between Hall & Oates sided with Daryl Hall on Nov. 3, ruling that John Oates temporarily cannot sell his share of the band's joint venture to Primary Wave until a private arbitrator hears the case. Hours after attorneys for the two singers squared off in court, Chancellor Russell Perkins agreed to extend an existing restraining order that's been blocking Oates from selling his share of their joint venture to industry heavyweight Primary Wave. Without such an order in place, Perkins ruled that Hall might face the "irreparable harm" of the sale being finalized before he is able to prove his claim that the deal violates the terms of their partnership deal. "If the transfer goes forward before the arbitrator has an opportunity to consider and rule upon plaintiffs' application for interim injunctive relief in the arbitration, then it could, as a practical matter, render much of the relief Plaintiffs are seeking in the arbitration ineffectual," Perkins wrote. The new restraining order bars Oates from completing his sale to Primary Wave until Feb. 2024 or until an arbitrator can decide whether to impose a similar restraining order -- whichever comes first. - Billboard, 11/30/23...... In a testament to the enduring popularity of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop's 1983 hit "Beat It" is the latest music video to reach one billion views on YouTube. The streaming giant announced on Nov. 29 that "Beat It" is Jackson's third music video to enter the Billion Views Club, following the Moonwalk-featuring "Billie Jean" and 1996's "They Don't Care About Us." For the period of Nov. 17-23, MJ ranked at #58 on YouTube's U.S. Top Artists chart and at #96 on their Global Top Artists chart. Nearly 15 years removed from his tragic passing, Jackson continues to earn new chart achievements off the strength of his timeless catalog. Earlier in November, Jackson's accidental Halloween anthem "Thriller" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 21, marking the sixth consecutive year that the song has reappeared on Billboard's marquee singles chart. During its original chart run, the track reached No. 4. - Billboard, 11/29/23...... Mick Fleetwood has paid tribute to his late Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie on the one year anniversary of her death, while the Irish family band The Corrs have covered McVie's composition "Songbird" in her memory. In a post on X/Twitter, Fleetwood wrote: "Dear Chris, a year ago today you flew away, and memories come flooding back. Too many to mention! I miss you.. Fleetwood Mac misses you & along with so many that loved your music. Always love, Mick Fleetwood." Meanwhile, The Corrs shared a rendition of "Songbird," one of McVie's best known contributions to Fleetwood Mac's discography, on X/Twitter. The keyboardist and vocalist died last November, aged 79, after suffering an ischemic stroke. She had also been diagnosed with "metastatic malignancy of unknown primary origin," meaning cancer cells had been detected in her body. - NME, 11/30/23...... During a pre-show soundcheck and Q&A session for KISS's Indianapolis gig on Nov. 25, the band's Paul Stanley opened up about the illness that forced the band to cancel three recent shows. In the interview, which has been shared on YouTube, Stanley revealed the extent of just how serious his condition was. "I've done shows with cracked ribs, I've done shows with a 102 [degree] fever," said Stanley. "I was wondering if it was my time." Three shows on KISS's "End Of The Road World Tour" had to be pulled after Stanley came down with the flu. They resumed the tour at the weekend in Indianapolis once he had fully recovered. Stanley announced the cancellation on X/Twitter, posting a photo of himself attached to an IV drip. "I've done everything possible to get onstage and be a part of the incredible 2 1/2 hour celebration we planned but this flu has made it impossible. I along with Gene, Tommy and Eric couldn't be more disappointed and send our deepest apologies." KISS are due to bow out with a performance at Madison Square Garden in New York on Dec. 2. - NME, 11/28/23...... Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits are among the rock royalty paying tribute to Shane MacGowan, after the charismatic and controversial lead singer of the Celtic punk band The Pogues died at age 65 on Nov. 30, following ill-health and a recent hospital stay after being diagnosed with encephalitis. The singer also had well-documented problems with drugs and alcohol. "Over here on E Street, we are heartbroken over the death of Shane MacGowan," Springsteen posted on Instagram the following day. "Shane was one of my all-time favorite writers," he continued. "The passion and deep intensity of his music and lyrics is unmatched by all but the very best in the rock and roll canon." The Boss also shared memories of his last time seeing the acclaimed singer in Dublin back in May, where he surprised MacGowan ahead of his headline shows in the city. "I was fortunate to spend a little time with Shane and his lovely wife Victoria the last time we were in Dublin," he wrote. "He was very ill, but still beautifully present in his heart and spirit. His music is timeless and eternal. I don't know about the rest of us, but they'll be singing Shane's songs 100 years from now." Meanwhile, Tom Waits has made a rare public comment by paying his own tribute to the life and work of MacGowan. Writing on X/Twitter, Waits and his wife and co-writer Kathleen Brennan wrote: "Ah, the blessings of the cursed. Shane MacGowan's torrid and mighty voice is mud and roses punched out with swaggering stagger, ancient longing that is blasted all to hell. A Bard's bard, may he cast his spell upon us all forevermore." The couple added: "Let him go boys, let him go down in the mud where the rivers all run dry," quoting from The Pogues' song "If I Should Fall From Grace With God." "Love and condolences to Pogues, Victoria, family and all who loved Shane, Tom and Kathleen," they concluded. - NME, 12/2/23...... A judge overseeing the estate of Aretha Franklin has awarded real estate to the late Queen of Soul's sons, citing a handwritten will from 2014 that was found between couch cushions. The decision on Nov. 27 came four months after a Detroit-area jury said the document was a valid will under Michigan law, despite scribbles and many hard-to-read passages. Franklin had signed it and put a smiley face in the letter "A." The papers will override a handwritten will from 2010 that was found at Franklin's suburban Detroit home around the same time in 2019, the judge said. One of her sons, Kecalf Franklin, will get that property, which was valued at $1.1 million in 2018, but is now worth more. A lawyer described it as the "crown jewel" before trial last July. Another son, Ted White II, who had favored the 2010 will, was given a house in Detroit, though it was sold by the estate for $300,000 before the dueling wills had emerged. "Teddy is requesting the sale proceeds," Charles McKelvie, an attorney for Kecalf Franklin, said on Nov. 28. Judge Jennifer Callaghan awarded a third son, Edward Franklin, another property under the 2014 will. Franklin had four homes when she died of pancreatic cancer in 2018. The discovery of the two handwritten wills months after her death led to a dispute between the sons over what their mother wanted to do with her real estate and other assets. One of the properties, worth more than $1 million, will likely be sold and the proceeds shared by four sons. The judge said the 2014 will didn't clearly state who should get it. "This was a significant step forward. We've narrowed the remaining issues," McKelvie said of the estate saga. There's still a dispute over how to handle Aretha Franklin's music assets, though the will appears to indicate that the sons would share any income. A status conference with the judge is set for January. - Billboard, 11/28/23...... Despite being often compared, Van Morrison has insisted that he and Bob Dylan are "worlds apart" in a new interview with Vintage Rock magazine. Morrison, 78, insists what they do because the 82-year-old Dylan is a "songwriter who sings" and he is a singer first. "Well, I'm just nothing like Bob Dylan, so I guess what I was trying to say was, like, I'm coming from the place that I'm a singer first. I'm a singer. Right? And I write songs. So Bob Dylan and I are, like, worlds apart. What he does and what I do, you know, it's nowhere near." He continued: "I am a singer who writes songs, so I was comparing myself more to the singer who writes songs, rather than a songwriter who sings." Morrison's latest project is the covers album Accentuate the Positive, and he insists he is only motivated to do things that inspire him, not what other people want him to do. I can do it, you know?" - Music-News.com, 12/1/23...... What is being touted as the "Holy Grail" of Elvis Presley jewelry -- the King of Rock & Roll's iconic and famous "Lion Claw" necklace -- is being auctioned on the GottaHaveRockandRoll.com site through Dec. 15. Originally displayed at the Elvis Presley Museum in Memphis, the relic was later given to Jimmy Velvet, who was once described as "The Godfather of memorabilia" by Rolling Stone magazine. Velvet has even described the Elvis Lion Claw as "the most iconic piece of Elvis Presley Jewelry ever worn by Elvis Presley." The amount of pictures that Elvis can be seen wearing this necklace is mind boggling, he wore it throughout his daily life, on and off stage. Elvis can be seen wearing the necklace on Lisa Marie Presley's birthday, with girlfriend Linda Thompson, and most importantly, he can be seen wearing the necklace when he met boxing heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali both times. Debatably the most iconic photograph ever of Presley, he can be seen wearing this exact Lion Claw Necklace. He also wore the necklace many times in concerts, with over 30 shows Elvis can be seen wearing the same necklace. Bidding for the item ends on Dec. 15. - Music-News.com, 11/29/23...... Henry Kissinger, a diplomatic powerhouse of the second half of the twentieth century whose roles as a national security adviser and secretary of state under two presidents left an indelible mark on U.S. foreign policy and earned him a controversial Nobel Peace Prize, died on Nov. 29 at age 100. During the 1970s in the midst of the Cold War, Mr. Kissinger had a hand in many of the epoch-changing global events of the decade while serving as national security adviser and secretary of state under Republican Pres. Richard Nixon. The German-born Jewish refugee's efforts led to the U.S. diplomatic opening with China, landmark U.S.-Soviet arms control talks, expanded ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors, and the Paris Peace Accords with North Vietnam. Mr. Kissinger's reign as the prime architect of U.S. foreign policy waned with Nixon's resignation in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal. Still, he continued to be a diplomatic force as secretary of state under Nixon's successor, Pres. Gerald Ford, and to offer strong opinions throughout the rest of his life. While many hailed Mr. Kissinger for his brilliance and broad experience, others branded him a war criminal for his support for anti-communist dictatorships, especially in Latin America. In his latter years, his travels were circumscribed by efforts by other nations to arrest or question him about past U.S. foreign policy. Mr. Kissinger had been active past his centenary, attending meetings in the White House, publishing a book on leadership styles, and testifying before a Senate committee about the nuclear threat posed by North Korea. In July 2023 he made a surprise visit to Beijing to meet Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping. Mr. Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut, according to a statement from his geopolitical consulting firm, Kissinger Associates Inc. No mention was made of the circumstances. It said he would be interred at a private family service, to be followed at a later date by a public memorial service in New York City. - Reuters, 11/30/23.

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

More details about the mysterious restraining order by Daryl Hall against his longtime former musical partner John Oates have been revealed. Many of the details of the dispute were kept under seal when first reported on Nov. 17, however more info obtained by the AP reveals that Hall & Oates have a joint venture and Oates intended to sell his share to a company called Primary Wave. Hall contended that the sale of Oates' share would violate the business terms the duo had agreed upon. In response, a judge temporarily blocked the sale and granted the temporary restraining order on Nov. 16. Legal proceedings and a previously initiated arbitration are still continuing, and the case will be taken up at a court hearing in Nashville Chancery Court on Nov. 30. Primary Wave has previously owned "significant interest" in Hall & Oates' catalogue for more than 15 years. Hall apparently alluded to his own disappointment in a 2021 interview: "Oh, in the early days, it got sold off for me and I didn't get the money," he said. In the same interview, he also told artists to retain their publishing rights: "all you have is that." On Nov. 23, Hall performed a string of Hall & Oates hits during a concert in Japan at Tokyo's Garden Theater despite his ongoing legal battle with Oates. In 2022, Hall described being in a duo as "annoying" to the Los Angeles Times, and told podcaster Bill Maher that "You think John Oates is my partner? He's my business partner. He's not my creative partner." - New Musical Express, 11/26/23...... Dolly Parton's new star-studded rock-themed album Rockstar has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart, giving the Country music queen her biggest sales week in the modern era. Rockstar bowed with 118,500 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 23, according to Luminate. Of Rockstar's first-week sales of 118,500, physical sales comprise a little more than 96,000 (78,000 on CD, 18,000 on vinyl and a negligible sum on cassette) and download album sales comprise a little over 22,000. The album has also blasted in atop Billboard's Top Country Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts, dated Dec. 2. The legend adds her ninth No. 1 on the former and her first on the latter. The LP was promoted as Parton's first rock album, and its recording was sparked by her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. The artist has primarily released country music in her nearly 60-year career, through has taken detours (with albums and/or songs) into such genres as Americana/folk, bluegrass, children's music, Christian, dance/electronic and pop. The album's first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across a variety of editions and formats, in addition to some non-traditional music retailers including Cracker Barrel, Dollar General and HSN. The album's CD edition was available in four editions -- a standard version and three variants, each with alternative cover art: for HSN, with three bonus tracks; a Dallas Cowboys version, and a Tennessee Volunteers edition with a bonus track. The latter two were tied to a pair of high-profile live TV performances from Parton: during the Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers football game on Nov. 19, and during halftime of the Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys football game on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23). Dolly dazzled the crowd during the latter event by appearing in a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader uniform. "Hello, Texas! Dolly does Dallas. How do you like my outfit?" Parton announced to the roaring crowd at Arlington's AT&T Stadium. "Hey, Cowboys and Commanders, stop fightin' long enough to sing along!" Her Thanksgiving halftime show can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 11/27/23...... In a new interview with the UK edition of Rolling Stone magazine, Ozzy Osbourne revealed that he may never perform live again after a long string of medical procedures and surgeries. Osbourne said that though he hopes to return to the stage again one day, he might have to "accept the fact" that he might never get the chance to do so. "I'm taking it one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will," he said. "But it's been like saying farewell to the best relationship of my life. At the start of my illness, when I stopped touring, I was really pissed off with myself, the doctors, and the world. But as time has gone on, I've just gone, 'Well, maybe I've just got to accept that fact.'" He continued: "I'm not going to get up there and do a half-hearted Ozzy looking for sympathy. What's the f---ing point in that? I'm not going up there in a f---ing wheelchair. I've seen Phil Collins perform recently, and he's got virtually the same problems as me. He gets up there in a wheelchair! But I couldn't do that." Ozzy concluded: "If I can't continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, 'Hi guys, thanks so much for my life.' That's what I'm working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I'll die a happy man." In Sept. 2023, the former Black Sabbath frontman underwent what he said would be his "final surgery" after he had suffered a fall in 2019, which dislodged metal rods that were put into his body after a quad bike crash in 2003. Meanwhile, Osbourne recently told the UK paper The Sun that he has gone back to smoking weed as he fears he has only 10 years to live. The 74-year-old musician, who is afflicted with Parkinson's and pain from a string of surgeries, revealed his wife Sharon Osbourne recently told him off for puffing in a joint but he told her he does not think he has long left so it didn't matter. "I don't fear dying, but I don't want to have a long, painful and miserable existence. I like the idea that if you have a terminal illness, you can go to Switzerland and get it done quickly," he said. "I saw my father die of cancer. I said to Sharon that I'd smoked a joint recently and she said, 'What are you doing that for? It'll kill you!' I said, 'How long do you want me to live for? At best, I've got 10 years left and, when you're older, time picks up speed.'" - NME/Music-News.com, 11/27/23...... Wowing the crowd during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on Nov. 23 was Cher, who turned the parade route into a dance club, performing on a silver stage flanked by dancers dressed like discofied toy soldiers. A troupe of silver-clad dancers also surrounded the stage and carried giant red hearts out for the grande finale. Cher performed "DJ Play a Christmas Song" from her brand new Christmas album, a yuletide club-banger that recalls one of the diva's biggest hits, 1998's "Believe," with its vocoder-assisted vocals and insistent beat. The holiday tune debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart in October -- Cher's highest-peaking song on the chart -- while its parent album, Christmas, debuted atop Billboard's Top Holiday Albums earlier in November. Fan shot footage of the performance can be viewed on X/Twitter. Meanwhile, Cher opened up about her long-anticipated memoir during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Cher said she is now working on it again after "totally chickening out" on the endeavour in the past, and she found the process more challenging than anticipated. "I just totally chickened out," the singer told host Jimmy Fallon. "I didn't put in some things that needed to be put in. And they're not comfortable, but they need to be put in so I have to go back and man up." She continued: "I've lived too long and done too much and so it's like it should be the encyclopaedia." She then joked with the audience: "Not that you guys know what that is." Cher's interview can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard/NME, 11/23/23...... David Bowie's handwritten lyric sheets for his The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars tracks "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" and "Suffragette City" are estimated to potentially fetch up to £100,000 at auction when they go under the hammer during an Omega Auctions sale on Nov. 28. According to the letter of provenance, the page is from the final recording sessions of the album. Bowie allegedly gave the original owner the lyric sheets at Trident Studio, alongside some other pages of original lyrics, some of which have not survived. The letter of provenance also said the sheet was purchased by the current owner in the early 1980s, and loaned to the V&A in 2013 for an exhibition. - NME, 11/26/23...... One of Paul McCartney's iconic Hofner bass guitars from the 1960's that the former Beatle gifted to a music executive in the 1990's is up for auction at GottaHaveRockandRoll.com. A photograph accompanying this guitar shows McCartney playing the bass with a clear photo-match to the signature on the body of the guitar. The music legend has signed the body of the guitar, "Paul McCartney waz here." The gem can be viewed at GottaHaveRockandRoll.com. - Music-News.com, 11/27/23...... Meanwhile, it has been revealed that McCartney and Elton John are set to appear in the upcoming sequel to the classic 1984 "mockumentary" comedy This Is Spinal Tap. Rob Reiner, who directed the original film starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, confirmed various guest stars in the sequel during an appearance on the UK-based Leicester Square Theatre Podcast with host Richard Herring. Speaking on the podcast about the sequel, which was announced in May 2022, Reiner said: "We're going to start shooting in the end of February. Everybody's back. Paul McCartney is joining us, and Elton John. And a few other surprises, Garth Brooks." Along with directing the sequel, Reiner is set to reprise his role as filmmaker Marty DiBergi. McKean, Guest and Shearer will all return as the fictional metal band, comprised of David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls respectively. Regarding the plot, the sequel looks set to see DiBergi shoot a second film for the band in a bid for redemption. The Spinal Tap sequel was originally slated to be released in March 2024 to coincide with the original film's 40th anniversary. With filming set to begin in February, however, it's unclear when the sequel will be released. - NME, 11/27/23...... In other Beatles-related news, the Fab Four's "Red" and "Blue" compilation albums have re-entered Billboard's Top Album Sales chart (dated Nov. 25) at Nos. 6 and 5, respectively, following their expanded reissue on Nov. 10. The titles sold 22,000 and 24,000 in the week ending Nov. 16 in the U.S., according to Luminate. Each told sold less than 500 copies in the previous week. For both titles, it is their largest sales week since the week ending Dec. 24, 1994, when they sold 37,000 and 40,000, respectively. Upon their original release in 1973, the 1962-1966 album contained 26 songs, while 1967-1970 held 28 tunes. For the 2023 reissue, 21 songs were added to the two albums -- 12 songs on 1962-1966 and nine on 1967-1970. The latter's additional cuts include the recently released new single "Now and Then," which debuted in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 - marking the Fab Four's 35th top 10-charting hit. - Billboard, 11/22/23...... Billy Joel recently told People magazine that he scored "cool dad points" after taking his daughters to a Taylor Swift concert in Tampa, Fla., back on March 15. "Oh, she's great. She's really very good," Joel told the magazine during his exhibit preview at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, which opened on Nov. 24 at the Stony Brook Village Center and features a Billy Joel exhibit, titled "My Life -- A Piano Man's Journey," in his honor. "We're going to probably go see her again." After Swift's concert, Joel took to Instagram to share a gallery of photos that included his wife, Alexis Roderick, and their two daughters, Della Rose, 8, and Remy Anne, 6. The Joel exhibit's designers said that approximately half of the exhibit's memorabilia came from Joel and the rest from fans when they learned it was planned. "It's a little overwhelming," Joel told the crowd. "Have you ever found yourself surrounded by you? It's kind of a nightmare," before concluding, "I guess I've lived." Joel added that he still plans on performing live after his the last show of his residency at Madison Square Garden ends in July 2024. "I'm not leaving [touring]. We'll still do the work -- we're just not going to keep working in the same place. We're going to different places." - Billboard, 11/25/23...... On Nov. 24 Neil Young shared a video of himself performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on an electric guitar, urging viewers to "Stand For Peace." The track was shared for Thanksgiving 2023 and sees the Canadian-American songwriter share a Jimi Hendrix-style version of the US national anthem while standing next to an American flag. The video, which has been shared on YouTube, was directed by Young's wife Daryl Hannah and concludes with "Be Brave" and "Stand For Peace" written on the screen. Despite being titled "Stand For Peace," it does not refer to any ongoing conflict in particular, however it does arrive just days after Young posted a separate statement to social media speaking against the conflict in Israel and Palestine. "For our many Palestinian friends and our many Jewish friends, we do need to start over in the present and release our terrible connections to the past," Young posted. "As bad as they are, they need to be forgotten so we can be free to move on in life together, all humanity, focused on saving our planet for future generations of all people." - NME, 11/24/23...... A court in Chile has ruled that Roger Waters' upcoming concerts in the country can go ahead, despite attempts to block them over accusations of antisemitism. The Representative Committee of Jewish Entities in Chile had sought to stop Waters' shows at the stadio Monumental in Santiago on Nov. 25 and 26 from taking place, citing what they describe as Waters' "history of incitement to antisemitic hatred." However, as reported by Cooperativa, the bid has been dismissed by Santiago's Court of Appeals, who ruled that "no facts have been mentioned that could constitute a violation of the constitutional guarantees." In response to the attempt to block the concerts, a group of over 60 Chilean artists wrote a letter to the country's Court of Appeals, imploring them to allow the shows to go ahead. Waters, who has repeatedly insisted he is not an antisemite, was recently the subject of a documentary, The Dark Side Of Roger Waters, which was produced by the Campaign Against Antisemitism and collates various incidents of alleged antisemitism perpetrated by the musician. The documentary makers put their findings to Waters but he reportedly did not respond. He has repeatedly denied all accusations of antisemitism and explained that his disdain is towards Israel, not Judaism. He also accused Israel of "abusing the term antisemitism to intimidate people like me into silence." - NME, 11/24/23...... Sir Tom Jones and rising UK singer Becky Hill have been confirmed for the UK's Forest Live 2024 festival in the summer of 2024. The Welsh music legend, 83, will headline High Lodge, Thetford Forest with support from Gabrielle on June 28, while UK chart-topper Hill heads to Delamere Forest on June 13. Rock legend Sting, 72, will top the bill on June 14, and Nile Rodgers and CHIC on June 15 at Delamere. The former is also playing Thetford on June 22. The concerts help raise funds for Forestry England to maintain beautiful natural areas. - Music-News.com, 11/26/23...... TV producer Marty Krofft, known for imaginative children's shows such as H.R. Pufnstuf and primetime hits including Donny and Marie in the 1970s, died of kidney failure on Nov. 25 in Los Angeles. He was 86. Mr. Krofft and his brother Sid Krofft were puppeteers who broke into television and ended up getting stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Along the way, they brought a trippy sensibility to children's TV and brought singing siblings Donny and Marie Osmond and Barbara Mandrell and her sisters to primetime. The Osmonds' clean-cut variety show, featuring television's youngest-ever hosts at the time, became a lasting piece of '70s cultural memorabilia, rebooted as a daytime talk show in the 1990s and a Broadway Christmas show in 2010. The Kroffts followed up with Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters, centered on the country music star; it ran from 1980-82. Like Donny and Marie, H.R. Pufnstuf proved to have pop culture staying power. Despite totaling just 17 episodes, the surreal show, featuring an island, a witch, a talking flute, a shipwrecked boy and a redheaded, cowboy boot-wearing dragon, came in 27th in a 2007 TV Guide poll ranking of all-time cult favorites. More than 45 years after the show's 1969 debut, the title character graced an episode of another Krofft brothers success, Mutt & Stuff, which ran for multiple seasons on Nickelodeon. The Canadian-born Krofft brothers first made their mark in television with H.R. Pufnstuf, which spawned the 1970 feature film Pufnstuf. Many more shows for various audiences followed, including Land of the Lost; Electra Woman and Dyna Girl; Pryor's Place, and D.C. Follies, in which puppets gave a satirical take on politics and the news. The pair were honored with a Daytime Emmy for lifetime achievement in 2018. They got their Walk of Fame star two years later. Sid Krofft said on Instagram that he was heartbroken by his younger brother's death, telling fans, "All of you meant the world to him." "I am so saddened by the passing of my dear friend, Marty Krofft," Donny Osmond posted in tribute to Mr. Krofft on Nov. 26. "His fingerprint is on generations of entertainment and the impact he's had in connecting people around the world is an astonishing legacy he leaves behind. Our best wishes and love go out to his family and loved ones. As Marie and I sang at the end of every show, 'May God keep you in His tender care, 'till He brings us together again.'" - AP, 11/26/23...... '70s R&B star Jean Knight, best known for her funk hits "Mr. Big Stuff" and "Think It Over," died of natural causes on Nov. 22 in New Orleans. She was 80. Born Jean Caliste in New Orleans on Jan. 26, 1943, Ms. Knight began singing around town after graduating from high school and recorded her first single, a cover of Jackie Wilson's "Stop Doggin' Me Around" in 1965, which got her a recording contract with the Jet Star/Tribe record label. Her climb to fame began when she met producer Wardell Quezerque; he took her to Jackson, Miss., where she recorded "Mr. Big Stuff," which became her first single and the title track from her debut studio album on Stax Records. The song earned a Grammy nomination for best female R&B vocal performance, and in July 1971, it reached the top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it remained for five weeks; the song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following month. The album itself reached a high of No. 60 on the Billboard 200 in Sept. 1971. "Mr. Big Stuff" was used across films and covered many times, including in the 2005 movie Kinky Boots performed by soul singer Lyn Collins, and the 1994 Disney sports comedy-drama D2: The Mighty Ducks sung by Martha Wash. "She was the first person we appointed on the board when we took it over and we had a long relationship with her and she was just fabulous," said her friend and former Louisiana Music Commission director Bernie Cyrus. "She was always willing to get involved with good causes and help out." He continued: "'Mr. Big Stuff' -- it was just so universal. People remember it. And look, so many people covered it. But nobody did it like Jean." - Music-News.com, 11/27/23.

Thursday, November 23, 2023

On Nov. 21, the Rolling Stones announced the dates for an ambitious 16-date 2024 North American tour in support of their Grammy-nominated new album, Hackney Diamonds. The core trio of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood will be sponsored by the AARP and kick off on Apr. 28 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Tex. Other cities on the itinerary include New Orleans (5/2), Las Vegas (5/11), Seattle (5/15), Atlanta (6/7), Philadelphia (6/11), Denver (6/20), Chicago (6/27) and Los Angeles (7/10) before wrapping at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on July 17. Tickets will go on sale Dec. 1. - Billboard, 11/21/23...... Axios.com reporter Nate Rau tweeted on Nov. 17 that Daryl Hall has been granted a restraining order against his former music partner John Oates in the midst of a confidential legal battle. "Members of the beloved pop rock duo Hall & Oates are locked in mysterious litigation," Rau posted. "Daryl Hall filed a lawsuit yesterday against John Oates in Nashville Chancery Court. At least for now, all of the filings in the litigation are under seal. Based on captions for the filings in the chancery clerk's system, a business trust is at the center of the dispute." Although very little information about the lawsuit is publicly available due to it being sealed, UltimateClassicRock.com is reporting that Hall "sued in his official capacity as trustee of the Daryl Hall Revocable Trust, naming Oates and fellow co-trustees Aimee Oates and Richard Flynn from the John W. Oates TISA Trust as defendants. Summons were issued on November 20, after the proceedings were placed under seal on November 16." Per Variety, the Nashville Chancery Court confirmed the lawsuit but did not comment further due to the lawsuit being sealed. Neither Hall or Oates have spoken about the lawsuit or shared any statement in regards to it. The platinum-selling duo have always had a weird relationship. In 1985, Rolling Stone described their relationship as "strange" with journalist Lynn Hirschberg writing that the pair "are a cross between business partners and brothers... Hall doesn't seem to really like Oates, and Oates seems removed, even distant, from the entire Hall and Oates organization." - NME, 11/22/23...... Rod Stewart, who is preparing to release a new album about his "latest passion" -- swing music -- says if his new swing collaboration with Jools Holland proves popular enough, he is looking to head back to Las Vegas for a special run of shows. "If I go back to Vegas -- and I'd like to -- if the album's a big success, maybe I could do a swing show, big band stuff," the 78-year-old Sir Rod told the Daily Star's Wired column. Stewart added he finds live performing "highly addictive," although he's not the biggest fan of "sitting in hotel rooms" waiting for the next gig. "That two hours on stage is the most potent drug you can imagine. It's highly addictive. It's all the bloody in between time I don't like, sitting in hotel rooms. Although when I am sat around like that, I build my model railroad so that I'm not idle." Indeed, there was a time where his model railway hobby almost took over his future as a legendary musician. He recalled: "My dad was the first person who bought me a model railroad but also the first to buy me a guitar instead of a part for my train set. When I was young I said, 'Dad, I don't want a guitar -- I want that signal." After a date at The Colusseum at Caesars Palace in Vegas on Nov. 23, Stewart will return to the venue in 2024 for three dates in July and four dates in August. In February, he has gigs set for Thackerville, Okla., Gary, Ind., Hollywood, Fla., Tampa, Fla. and Jacksonville, Fla. - Music-News.com, 11/21/23...... Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson joined the alternative band Tool on stage in Toronto on Nov. 20 for a surprise performance. As Tool wrapped up their North American headline tou two shows in Toronto earlier in the week, the band invited Lifeson, who grew up in the city, to the stage for a rendition of their song "Jambi." The performance also included Rush's "A Passage To Bangkok"' intro and guitar solo from their 1976 album 2112. Footage of the surprise performance has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 11/22/23...... Among the music gems being released on Record Store Day on Black Friday (Nov. 24) is WAR's The World Is a Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition. The original album, which was the top-selling album of 1973, has been remastered and repackaged as a deluxe, five-LP boxed set curated by founding WAR member/lead singer Lonnie Jordan, the band's longtime producer Jerry Goldstein, and Jeremy Levine. Limited to only 4000 copies, the set is comprised of the original 1972 album, featuring the gold-certified hits "The World Is a Ghetto" and "The Cisco Kid," six previously unreleased session bonus tracks and unreleased "the making of" recordings that reveal the origins of the album's six tracks. The original album (which topped the Billboard Hot 200 and R&B album charts) and bonus tracks are pressed on two gold-vinyl LPs; the making of tracks on three black-vinyl LPs. "War Is Coming," one of the bonus tracks, will also be available digitally on Black Friday. The entire project is being released through Rhino and Avenue Records/Far Out Productions. "[WAR] practically invented their own genre while addressing race, class issues and more," music reporter Adam Weisller said during a recent symposium with Jordan and Goldstein at the Grammy Museum. "They had people on their feet every night." Describing the Long Beach, Calif.-based WAR as a "universal street band," Jordan noted that the group "refused to be political... we just wanted to let people know what was going on outside of their box. We were their internet then. We were waging war against war, but we didn't shoot bullets. We shot rhythms and harmonies." Currently, three of WAR's surviving original core members -- Howard E. Scott, Lee Oskar and Harold Brown -- perform as the Lowrider Band. Lonnie Jordan continues to perform under the WAR moniker. - Billboard, 11/21/23...... Pink Floyd's David Gilmour has collaborated with the English electronic music group The Orb on a new project that lets fans reimagine their own versions of Metallic Spheres in Colour, a newly released remix album from The Orb and Gilmour, based on their 2010 ambient album Metallic Spheres. The new remixing tool is by generative AI company Vermillio, which allows fans to type out how the music makes them feel and create a unique album cover based on their feelings. Plus, it can also generate a personalized version of one of the album tracks based on a few parameters: the unique album cover, mood, and tempo. "Fans in today's world are shifting from just consumption to creation. They want to co-create," says Dan Neely, co-founder and CEO of Vermillio, which can be achieved through creating remixes, covers, TikTok videos, or using generative AI. "The good news is ambient music has been a place where co-creation has existed for a while -- DJs have always looked to music like this. It's a good collaboration to start with." For now, these custom tracks based are limited to 30-second snippets that can be shared on Vermillio's website with other fans, but the team is considering giving fans the option to purchase a download of the full track in the future. - Billboard, 11/21/23...... Neil Young says he's swearing off X/Twitter as he takes a firm stand against the popular social media platform's current owner, Elon Musk, after Musk recently urged Palestinian and Jewish people to band together in light of the war between Israel and Hamas. "We are stopping all use of X that we can control," Young wrote in a statement posted to his NeilYoungArchives.com website on Nov. 20. "For reasons that should be obvious to the richest man on Earth, we are taking action against his company." The post featured an image of Musk with the text "Tesla should fly flags of love, not hate" written over the billionaire's face. The statement continued: "For our many Palestinian friends and our many Jewish friends, we do need to start over in the present and release our terrible connections to the past. As bad as they are, they need to be forgotten so we can be free to move on in life together, all humanity, focused on saving our planet for future generations of all people." The statement comes after the tech mogul approved of a Nov. 17 tweet that accused Jewish people facing antisemitism due to the Israel-Hammas war of furthering the "exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them" and supporting "hordes of minorities" to become immigrants. Musk replied, "You have said the actual truth." Also joining Young in a boycott of X/Twitter is Gene Simmons of KISS. Simmons announced his departure on Nov. 18 by simply sharing on X: "Friends, I've decided to end my X/Twitter posting. From now on find me on: instagram.com/genesimmons, tiktok/@genesimmons and threads.net/genesimmons." - Billboard/NME, 11/20/23...... Speaking of KISS, co-founding vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley posted a message of himself in a hospital bed with an IV to Instagram on Nov. 22 with a caption saying: "Toronto And Ottawa, I've done everything possible to get onstage and be a part of the incredible 2 1/2 hour celebration we planned but this flu has made it impossible. Along with Gene, Tommy and Eric couldn't be more disappointed and send our deepest apologies." The New York shock-rockers were forced to cancel their final ever Toronto show after tanley continued to deal with the flu. That cancellation came after KISS also axed a show scheduled for the previous evening in Ottawa due to Stanley's illness. Refunds for both the Toronto and Ottawa shows will be available and there will be no rescheduling either concerts as KISS plans to end their farewell tour at New York's Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2. - Canoe.com, 11/22/23...... A video clip of legendary British pop singer Cliff Richard has gone viral after the musician recalled passing on an opportunity to meet Elvis Presley due to the King of Rock & Roll's weight gain in the late '70s. Interviewed on the UK daytime TV show This Morning with Alison Hammond, Richard was asked if he'd ever met Elvis, to which he responded by telling the story of his "one chance" to meet the music legend. He recalled a journalist with connections to Presley who wondered if he would like to meet him. However, he chose to put off meeting the rock'n'roll legend because he'd "put on a lot of weight," adding: "I thought, if I'm having a photograph taken with him and it's gonna be hanging on my refrigerator, he's gotta look good." He added: "And I put it off, and of course then he died." Richard then said that anyone should take the chance to meet someone they're a fan of, "even if they've put on weight." One fan posted on social media that the interview, which can be viewed on X/Twitter, was "one of the most awkward, jaw-dropping things I've ever seen on TV." Richards is promoting a new memoir, A Head Full of Music, and new album, Cliff with Strings - My Kinda Life. - NME, 11/21/23...... There is speculation that AC/DC will tour Europe in 2024 after Munich, Germany mayor Dieter Reiter accidentally let slip to a reporter that the Aussie rockers will be performing at the city's Olympic Stadium on June 12, 2024. "I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret," Reiter said after inadvertently leaking the date of the AC/DC concert during a city council meeting. If the show is confirmed by AC/DC and goes ahead next summer, it will mark their first performance in Europe since their slot at Dusseldorf Espirit Arena in June 2016 -- back when Axl Rose was acting as frontman for the band. It will also mark their first show since they made their comeback at the huge Power Trip festival in Indio, California back on October 7. The slot saw the band close out the second of three nights at the rock festival, and featured a massive 24-song set with Brian Johnson and Cliff Williams returning to the line-up. - NME, 11/21/23...... Tom Waits is set to join Iggy Pop for a rare UK radio interview, which will span two hours on BBC 6 Music. The discussion will mark one of the first new interviews the iconic American singer-songwriter has taken part in during recent years, and will see him co-host a special show with punk veteran Pop. Taking place on Dec. 3, the show will air on BBC Radio 6 Music between 4pm and 6pm. It will also see the two converse about their time in the music industry, share anecdotes from their personal lives and spin some of the famous tracks that have influenced them over the years. Waits has rarely stepped into the public eye to discuss his music career since he released his last studio album, Bad As Me, back in 2011. Since then he has also celebrated the 50th anniversary of his 1973 debut LP Closing Timebuy sharing a new vinyl reissue. He played one of his last live shows back in 2008, taking place in a tent venue in Dublin named the Rat Cellar. However, in the time since then, he turned his focus towards an acting career, appearing in such films as The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs (2018), the star-studded action film The Book Of Eli (2010) and the 2021 film Licorice Pizza. As for Iggy Pop, the punk icon released his latest studio album Every Loser in early 2023. His 19th full-length studio release, it featured contributions from Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses, and Blink 182's Travis Barker, among others. More recently, he joined forces with Trevor Horn to share a gritty cover of the Depeche Mode classic track, "Personal Jesus." - NME, 11/21/23...... Dolly Parton has revealed that she sent a "love note" to Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr asking them to contribute to a cover of the Beatles classic "Let It Be" for her new album Rockstar. "I just sent them a love note through their managers, and I just said what I was doing. And I said, 'I didn't want to put you on the spot, but I'd love to have you sing with me on my rock album. And if you're interested, call me at this number'," Parton said in an interview with National Public Radio. "And [they] said, yes, we'd love to, and I was very honored and very proud and very humbled by that." A video for Dolly's version of "Let It Be" can be streamed on YouTube. Meanwhile, the Beatles have launched an official Christmas sweater ahead of the festive season through their Apple Corps Ltd. company. It pays homage to the band's iconic Abbey Road album cover, with the Fab Four wearing red Santa hats as they stride across the crossing near Abbey Road Studios in London. As described in a press release, the top is also "set in a winter wonderland surrounded by a snowscape scene and traditional Fair Isle Christmas motifs with The Beatles logo above" and the "subtle and stylish grey knit is finished with red sleeves and hems for a festive touch." UK Christmas sweater dealer Notjust clothing and Earth Merch have teamed up with Apple Corps to launch the new ethically-made jumper to celebrate the release of the Beatles' latest No. 1 hit "Now And Then." Priced at £44.99, the jumper is available now at the Notjust clothing site. In still more Fab Four news, Ringo Starr has dispelled the "terrible rumours" of John Lennon not singing on "Now and Then." Speaking with the AARP, the famous drummer also took a moment to dispel some rumors about the track's creation. "There were terrible rumors that it's not John, it's A.I., whatever bullshit people said," she said. "Paul and I would not have done that. It's a beautiful song and a nice way to finally close that door." "Now and Then" has become the group's first Billboard Top 10 since 1996. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 11/22/23...... One of Eric Clapton's legendary guitars has fetched one of the highest prices for a guitar at auction ever. Slowhand's 1964 Gibson SG Les Paul Standard guitar -- named "The Fool" -- was sold for $1.27 million (£1.03 million) at a sale conducted by Julien's Auctions. The six-string instrument was sold as part of the three-day music auction event "Played, Worn and Torn: Rock N' Roll Iconic Guitars and Memorabilia" at the Hard Rock Café in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 16. Per Guitar World, the custom-painted psychedelic guitar is the same '64 SG that Clapton played when he and his Cream bandmates were creating their second LP, Disraeli Gears. The instrument was painted by the Dutch art collective from whom the SG got its name, and became an influential emblem of the psychedelic era as well as a symbol of the "Summer of Love" in 1967. According to Planet Rock, Clapton gifted the guitar to George Harrison following the disbandment of Cream. Harrison then passed it down to his Apple Records label mate Jackie Lomax. It was also owned by Todd Rundgren in the 70s and 80s who gave it the nickname "Sunny" after Cream's track "Sunshine of Your Love," until he sold it at auction in 2000. The axe was purchased by renowned memorabilia collector Jim Irsay, and a portion of the proceeds of "The Fool" will go towards Kicking The Stigma, The Indianapolis Colts and Irsay Family's mental health awareness initiative. - NME, 11/20/23...... In related news, Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has announced he's selling off 120 of his guitars, also for good causes. Knopfler's guitars, with estimates ranging from 300 to 500,000, will be sold at Christie's in London on Jan. 31, and the non-profits that will benefit from the sales include the British Red Cross, Tusk and Brave Hearts Of The North East. Knopfler, 74, said: "I'll be sad to see them go, but we've had wonderful times together and I can't play them all." He added: "It's exciting having those guitars that figured so big on that record be in the sale. Each one brings back loads of memories. If you would have asked me 20 years ago I'd have thought, No way! But I'm happy now that they're going to different homes." The axe expected to fetch the most, a whopping 300,000-500,000, is the 1959 vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard which the "Money For Nothing" hitmaker used on tours in 2001 and 2008. - Music-News.com, 11/22/23...... R&B legend Gladys Knight has announced she's extending her UK Farewell Tour, due to overwhelming public demand. A second date has been added Southend at the Cliffs Pavilion on July 4 and shows at Eastbourne Congress on July 6, and the Bristol Beacon on July 8. Knight's UK farewell tour already includes dates in Glasgow, Birmingham, London, Swansea, Bournemouth, Nottingham and Southend. The 79-year-old "Empress of Sou" is expected to play all her classics during her tour including standout gem "Midnight Train to Georgia," which was voted one of Rolling Stone's greatest songs of all time. She's also set to play new material from her latest album Where My Heart Belongs. The icon will be joined by guest Mica Miller, 33, one of the UK's most critically acclaimed modern soul stars. Tickets for the recently added shows go on sale on Nov. 24. On Dec. 9, Knight launches an 11-city US tour in Phoenix, wrapping in Lincoln, Neb. on June 8. - Music-News.com, 11/21/23...... Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a true life partner to Pres. Jimmy Carter who helped propel him from rural Georgia to the White House in a single decade and became the most politically active first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt, died on Nov. 19 in Plains, Ga. She was 96. The Carter Center in Atlanta announced the politically active former First Lady's death. It had disclosed on May 30 that Mrs. Carter had dementia. "She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones," a statement by the center said at the time. On Nov. 17, the center said she had entered hospice care at home. Jimmy Carter, 99, the longest-living president in American history, has also been in hospice care at their home, but so far he has defied expectations. The Carter Center had announced in February that he was stopping full-scale medical care "after a series of short hospital stays," and his family was preparing for the end. But he has hung on -- and celebrated his most recent birthday on Oct. 1. Although Bess Truman may have lived a bit longer than Rosalynn Carter, Mrs. Carter lived more years after her husband left office, and had a much higher profile. She is scheduled to be buried in Plains on Nov. 29. - The New York Times, 11/19/23.

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Bob Geldof, co-organizer of the legendary 1985 Live Aid benefit concert, has revealed their are plans to release a new Live Aid IMAX film. Recently speaking at the EnergaCamerimage cinematography film festival, Geldof reflected on his career as a concert organizer and frontman of the Boomtown Rats before revealing that an IMAX film about Live Aid could be on the way to cinemas soon. "As the media landscape spreads through streaming, etc., the need for content grows, I know for a fact that they're looking at doing an IMAX film on Live Aid, and there's a Disney series -- four-part or six-part series -- on Live Aid, and there's a musical about Live Aid at the end of January in opening in London," he said. "So, that stuff will just continue." Live Aid, held in two different venues on July 13, 1985 -- Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia -- was attended by a total of about 161,000 fans, and an estimated 1.9 billion peple from across 130 couintries watched the TV broadcast. Geldof, along with ex-Ultravox singer Midge Ure, organized the concert to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. A 20th anniversary event called Live 8 was held in 2005 at venues in G8 countries and South Africa. - New Musical Express, 11/18/23...... Blondie guitarist/songwriter Chris Stein announced details of a new memoir, Under a Rock, on Instagram on Nov. 16. "OK here we go. I've been working on this memoir for two years and it'll show up allegedly in 2024," Stein said, adding he "wrote the whole... thing myself" and "it's got a lot of weird ass stuff that actually happened even if it might seem made up... I'm quite looking forward to people interacting with it." Described as a "no-holds-barred" memoir, a synopsis from publisher Macmillan added: "[Blondie frontwoman] Debbie Harry defined iconic band Blondie's look. Chris Stein her performing partner, lover, and lifelong friend was its architect and defined its sound.... Chris Stein knows how to tell a story. Under A Rock is his nothing-spared autobiography. It's about the founding of the band, ascending to the heights of pop success, and the hazards of fortune." Harry has written the foreword for the book, which will hit stores on June 12, 2024. This summer, Stein announced the news of his daughter Akira's tragic death in a Facebook post, revealing that she died from a drug overdose in May. Stein has been absent from tours with Blondie over the last year, including a slot on the Pyramid Stage at the UK's Glastonbury 2023 festival, due to what he described as "a dumbass condition called Atrial Fibrillation or AFib which is irregular heart beats and combined with the meds I take for it I'm too fatigued to deal." - NME, 11/17/23...... In a rare public remark from the stage during his concert at New York's Beacon Theatre on Nov. 16, Bob Dylan offered up unequivocal support for Rolling Stone magazine Jann Wenner, who was bounced from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame foundation's board of directors in September after making sexist/racist remarks in a New York Times interview. "All right, like to say hello to Jann Wenner who's in the house. Jann Wenner, surely everybody's heard of him," Dylan can be heard saying in a recording tweeted out by the Dylan.FM Podcast of his comments to the crowd at the show. "Anyway, he just got booted out of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame -- and we don't think that's right, we're trying to get him back in." Wenner sparked a huge backlash when he told the Times that women were not "as articulate enough on this intellectual level" about rock music and that Black artists "just didn't articulate at that level" in an interview about his new book, The Masters. He later apologized, admitting they "diminished the contributions, genius, and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks." Rolling Stone, whose president and CEO is Wenner's son, Gus Wenner, has issued a statement amid the controversy distancing itself from the RS founder. - Billboard, 11/17/23...... Dolly Parton has shared a video for "World on Fire," her first single from her new rock-themed album Rockstar, on YouTube. Her 30-track LP clocks in at over two hours, with nine original tracks and nearly two dozen cover songs, and features contributions from the likes of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Elton John, John Fogerty, Miley Cyrus, Pink and Lizzo, among many others. Dolly recently remarked on the power of her voice on many of the recordings: "When you think of rock, you've got to do it with passion [and] power. I've always had a good range and fairly good pitch, so I knew that my voice would open up to it. I thought, 'Well, if I screw this up, I've screwed up big time because I've got to do it good.' I wanted the rock artists, the rock field, to be proud of me if I was going to do it." The famously buxom superstar also nixed any plans to run for president of the US, quipping "I think we've had enough boobs in the White House." Rockstar, which dropped on Nov. 17, can be streamed in full on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 11/17/23...... On Nov. 17, the estate of John Denver released The Last Recordings, a collection of new masters of some of the biggest hits recorded by soft-spoken singer before his death in a late 1997 plane crash at age 53. Late in his career, Denver had become alienated from his longtime label RCA Records, calling them "an organization of pure opportunists" in his autobiography Take Me Home and declaring the label "not only lacked interest in promoting my albums, they were no longer interested in releasing them." With backing band regulars such as bassist Alan Deremo and the late guitarist Pete Huttlinger, Denver created new masters for the old songs, to be owned exclusively by his indie label, Windstar Records. Windstar put the songs out as a limited-edition European album, but they never came out officially in the US until the release of The Last Recordings. "It's always a good time to release what we have," says Amy Abrams, who co-manages Denver's estate. "John would have been 80 this year. We recently passed 25 years since he passed away. We want to make sure fans have access to those recordings." Abrams says Denver's estate, which includes his children Zak Deutschendorf, Anna Kate Hutter and Jesse Belle Denver, has a "fine working relationship" these days with RCA and its parent company, Sony, which has put out box sets such as 2011's 25-disc John Denver: The RCA Albums Collection. The most striking thing about The Last Recordings is Denver's voice -- deeper and a touch more gravelly than the one on his '70s hits. "He lost a lot of the boyish quality that his voice had early on," bassist Deremo says. "It ripened into a really full, beautiful-sounding instrument." Denver released his final RCA studio album All Aboard!, a collection of train-song covers that came out shortly before his death, in 1997. The album won a Grammy for best musical album for children in Feb. 1998, his only Grammy win. - Billboard, 11/16/23...... In a new interview with TheMessenger.com, Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne said his dad will never tour again. "I don't think he'll tour again," Jack said, adding: "But he's gunning to do one-off shows -- like festivals, gigs, things like that. He's not done yet." Ozzy's last full concert was in 2018, and the following year he suffered a fall, which dislodged metal rods that were put into his body after a quad bike crash in 2003. He was also diagnosed with Parkinson's in early 2020. Ozzy had announced his retirement from touring in Feb. 2023, calling off his scheduled European and UK tour dates in the process. Later that month, however, he said that he hoped to return to the stage at some point in the future. - NME, 11/16/23...... Late Motörhead frontman and bassist Lemmy Kilmister may be honored with a statue in his birthplace of Burslem, Stoke-On-Trent, UK, if his statue plans are approved by the Stoke-on-Trent City Council. Kilmister was born on Dec. 24, 1945 in Burslem, one of the towns that is part of the city of Stoke-On-Trent in Staffordshire, prior to him and his family moving to Newcastle-under-Lyme. The majority of his childhood was spent in Wales before founding Motörhead in 1975. Lemmy's statue would be created by North Staffordshire sculptor Andy Edwards -- the same artist who created the world-famous Beatles statue on Liverpool's waterfront -- and be placed in Burslem's Market Place. Lemmy began his career in the late 60s and worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix before joining the space rock band Hawkwind in 1971. He sang lead vocals for their hit "Silver Machine," and was sacked from the band in 1975 after an arrest over alleged drug possession. That same year, he went on to create Motörhead. The metal band reached its peak in the 1980s with their hit UK single "Ace of Spades" and their chart-topping live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith. Kilmister passed away in 2015 at the age of 70 just two days after he revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. - NME, 11/16/23...... In a new interview with New Musical Express, former Kinks frontman Ray Davies recalled being shot almost 20 years ago, and explained that he now has some sympathy for the gunman. In 2004, Davies was involved in a shooting in New Orleans when he and a female friend were walking home from dinner. A mugger attacked them both, threatening the woman with a gun before taking her handbag and piling into a getaway car. Davies chased after the assailant, who turned, aimed the gun and shot him in the leg at point-blank range, leading him to be hospitalized for a short time. NME asked Davies how it felt to relive the incident in his 2013 memoir Americana: the Kinks, the Road and the Perfect Riff. In response, he said it was a "cathartic" experience because he "didn't feel like the good guy" when he replayed the scene on the page. "Just before he shot me, he looked afraid -- and he had a gun. You know, I was thinking of the world he came from, the challenges in his life... It's utter desperation." Davies also spoke about a potential of a full reunion of The Kinks, and revealed that they have enough material to create "about 20" new songs. As for the prospect of a full-blown comeback, Davies told NME that the idea remains "in the lap of the gods," and would only come to fruition if they could lock in "a show that gives us the credit we deserve." - NME, 11/15/23...... Gene Simmons has said KISS' farewell tour is the "end of the road for the band, not the brand" and hinted at what's to come. During a new interview with 519 Magazine, the musician explained that the group's imminent retirement doesn't necessarily mean the end, and teased some other potential KISS-related projects. "This tour is the end of the road for the band, not the brand," he told the outlet. "KISS is a universe of its own -- movies, merchandise, maybe even Broadway. The band will end, but the KISS experience it's immortal." He continued: "It's the end of touring. You're very smart in seeing that. We are the hardest-working band on stage. I've got 40 pounds of armor and all the rest of it and seven-inch platform heels. Each of the dragon boots weighs as much as a bowling ball. Physically, it's tough to do that." He went on to acknowledge the possibility of KISS continuing the music side of their career in a different style, given the band's elaborate and demanding stage persona. I could do it into my [old age], like The [Rolling] Stones if I was like Keith [Richards], not [Mick] Jagger, because Jagger keeps pushing the limit," Simmons said. "But you could put on a comfortable pair of sneakers and a t-shirt and strum your guitar; you wouldn't have to break your back." He added: "If any of these -- The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, or whoever -- had to put on my outfit, spit fire, and do that on seven-inch platform heels for two hours, they'd break their back." - NME, 11/16/23...... AC/DC fans have launched a campaign to try and get the band to a Number One UK single for Christmas 2023. A push to get the Aussie headbangers to the Number One spot on the charts in time for Christmas was first launched in 2013 when fans created a campaign to get their track "Highway To Hell" to the top position to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Created on the AC/DC We Salute You page on Facebook, the push led to the 1979 classic reaching Number Four, becoming the band's first-ever Top 10 single in the UK. Now, 10 years on, the people behind the page have announced a new campaign to mark half a century since the iconic metal band formed, hoping this time that they can get one of their tracks to top the 2023 charts. "In 2013 we all came together to celebrate 40 years of AC/DC by giving them their highest ever UK Singles Chart placing 'Highway To Hell' at No.4," an update from the page reads. "Well, we're going to choose another track and see if we can get 3 places higher for their 50th anniversary. Are you in? If so join this group and invite everyone," it added, "Big Balls to Ladbaby!" It's not yet clear which song from AC/DC's discography will be the one chosen to push for the peak position on the charts, although "Back in Black," "Touch Too Much," "Thunderstruck," "Mistress For Christmas" and "Hells Bells" are among the top fan suggestions. After taking a hiatus from playing for seven years, AC/DC made their live comeback at the huge Power Trip festival in California in October. It remains unclear whether the band have any plans to continue performing live in 2024. - NME, 11/15/23...... Richard Carpenter has announced he's set to thrill UK fans of the legendary pop duo Carpenters by telling the stories behind the group's hits on stage for the first time. Carpenter, 77, says he'll hit the road in the UK from September 2024, and be both performing and sharing tales of how the group's biggest songs were created. Richard -- who was left devastated by the death of his bandmate sister Karen Carpenter aged 32 in 1983 after her nightmarish battle with anorexia -- said about his upcoming An Evening With Richard Carpenter shows: "After too long an absence, I'm very much looking forward to performing for the UK audiences once again." A press release announcing the tour said: "Richard will share anecdotes and reflections on how he and his late sister, Karen Carpenter, took the world by storm, becoming one of the most successful duos in music history -- as well as performing these iconic and timeless songs." First performing together as a duo in 1966, during their 14-year career the Carpenters won three Grammys and were nominated for 15 of the awards. A total of 10 of the Carpenters' singles were million-sellers, and by 2020 combined worldwide sales of the duo's albums and singles well exceeded 150 million copies. Tickets for An Evening with Richard Carpenter - UK Tour 2024 are available from www.tdpromo.com or venue box offices. - Music-News.com, 11/14/23...... A selection of the Beatles' catalog has been added to YouTube Shorts for the first time. In total, 75 songs from the legendary band's recently reissued greatest hits compilations "The Red Album" and "The Blue Album" are now available on the platform, with the aim of introducing "a new generation of fans to the incredible history of one of the most important bands in modern music, opening up a whole new way for fans to creatively engage with their catalog." Also available on YouTube shorts is the recent single "Now And Then," the last track to feature all four Beatles members. The single, which was released Nov. 2, has topped the UK Charts 60 years after their first Number One. It is the band's 18th Number One single, with the last being 1969's "The Ballad Of John And Yoko." This feat means that the band now boast the longest period between an artist's first and last Number One single -- with their first being "From Me to You"' in May 1963 (60 years and six months ago). Previously, Elvis Presley held the record with 47 years and six months between his 1957 hit "All Shook Up" and a reissue of "It's Now or Never" that was released in 2005. - NME, 11/13/23...... As she continues to promote her new holiday album Christmas, Cher has announced a live in-person event for fans in London this December. The pop icon will participate in an In Conversation event at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on Dec. 1. The discussion -- hosted by Greatest Hits Radio's Ken Bruce and Magic Radio's Harriet Scott -- will see Cher discuss highlights from her career and her Christmas album, along with a Q+A. Recorded primarily in LA and London, Christmas was produced by Cher's longtime collaborator Mark Taylor, who worked with the singer on her 1998 hit album Believe. - NME, 11/13/23...... George Brown, the Kool & the Gang drummer who gave the iconic funk-rock band its propulsive, infection beats, died on Nov. 17 after a battle with cancer, a Universal Music Enterprises spokesperson announced. He was 74. Brown -- whose nickname was "Funky" -- was one of seven school friends from Jersey City, N.J., who came together in 1964 as an instrumental-only jazz and soul group calling itself the Jazziacs. Other members included Robert "Kool" Bell on bass, brother Ronald Bell on keyboards and Charles Smith on guitar. Eventually renaming themselves Kool & the Gant, they signed to De-Lite records and released their first LP, the all-instrumental Kool and the Gang, in 1970. By 1973, they incorporated emerging disco trends in its sound, cracking the U.S. Top 10 with "Jungle Boogie" in 1973 and "Hollywood Swinging" in 1974. After a period of decline, they roared back in 1979 with top-10 hits "Ladies Night" and "Too Hot" and the following year reached No. 1 -- their only song to top the chart -- with "Celebration." Other hits include "Get Down on It," "Fresh," "Cherish" and "Joanna." Brown has co-written many of the band's iconic songs, including "Ladies Night," "Too Hot," "Jungle Boogie," "Celebration" and "Cherish." When asked to describe his music, Brown always replied, "The sound of happiness." Nile Rodgers of Chic posted on X/Twitter that his "heartfelt condolences go out to (Brown's) family, friends and the funk." Brown, who released a memoir this year titled Too Hot: Kool & the Gang and Me, is survived by his wife, Hanh, and children Dorian, Jorge, Gregory, Jordan, Clarence and Aaron. Donations can be made in his honor to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/17/23...... Stephen Kandel, a prolific TV screenwriter whose work over four decades in television spanned Sea Hunt to Star Trek, Batman to Barnaby Jones and Mannix to MacGyver, died on Oct. 21 of natural causes in his Boston apartment, his daughter Elizabeth Englander has announced. He was 96. Mr. Kandel also wrote multiple episodes of such shows as The Millionaire, The Rogues, Gidget, I Spy, Ironside, The Wild Wild West, It Takes a Thief, Dan August, The New Mike Hammer, Mission: Impossible, Room 222, The Magician, Medical Center, Cannon, Hawaii Five-O and Hart to Hart. Born in New York City on Apr. 30, 1927, Stephen David Kandel was the son of Aben Kandel, a writer on films including Manhattan Moon (1935) and I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957). Raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Los Angeles, Stephen Kandel graduated from high school at age 16, served in Germany with the U.S. Army during World War II and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1950. He then wrote the screenplays for the films Singing in the Dark (1956), Magnificent Roughnecks (1956) and Frontier Gun (1958). He shared a Humanitas Award for the 1979 NBC telefilm Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love, a drama about an autistic child that starred James Farentino and Kathryn Harrold. And in retirement, he wrote a 2020 political-themed book, The Lyin' King: A Tragical Tale of Tawdry Trumpery. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Anne; and children Jessica, Anthony, Elizabeth and Joanna. His late sister was Beat Generation poet Lenore Kandel. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/13/23.

Monday, November 13, 2023

A leather jacket worn by Michael Jackson in a 1984 Pepsi New Generation commercial has sold for £250,000 ($306,000) in an auction conducted by memorabilia dealer Propstore. The jacket had been expected to fetch between £200,000-£400,000 at the Propstore London auction on Nov. 10. It was among more than 200 pieces of music memorabilia sold, alongside a George Michael jacket and a hairpiece that belonged to Amy Winehouse. Elsewhere in the auction, a Gibson guitar that belonged to AC/DC's Angus Young did not sell, nor did a limited edition Yellow Submarine Beatles jukebox. - NME, 11/13/23...... KISS announced on Nov. 10 that the final night of their farewell tour at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2 will be livestreamed on a pay-per-view basis and is set to stream exclusively on PPV. The livestream will begin at 8:00 pm ET, meaning that fans can watch the show in real-time. No further details about the show have been shared, although the band said that it "promises to be a massive event." "50 years of Rock 'n' Roll. 1 Final Show," the band wrote on Instagram, announcing the livestream event with a teaser trailer- which showed clips of their elaborate live performances. "Rock out with @kissonline one last time! Their final concert ever, LIVE." First announced back in 2019, then put on due to the pandemic, KISS's "End Of The Road" shows are the latest of the impressive number of farewell tours the band have embarked on over the years, the first of which took place 23 years ago. - NME, 11/10/23...... In a new interview with The Washington Post, Rush bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee says he'd be open to a Rush reunion with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson. Fans assumed Rush had broken up for good after the death of Rush drummer Neil Peart in 2020 before quietly battling brain cancer for three years. During tribute for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in Los Angeles and London, Lee and Lifeson played Rush songs alongside a host of musical friends including the Foo's own Dave Grohl and other musicians from Tool and Red Hot Chili Peppers, about which Lee explained: "It was nice to know that if we decide to go out, Alex and I, whether we went out as part of a new thing, or whether we just wanted to go out and play Rush as Rush, we could do that now." Lee added that "It had been a taboo subject. And playing those songs again with a third person was the elephant in the room, and that kind of disappeared." Following Peart's death, Lee seemed to suggest that Rush's touring days were definitely behind them, and Lifeson reiterated that as recently as July. - New Musical Express, 11/13/23...... American broadcast, podcast and radio streaming platform iHeartRadio announced on Nov. 10 that a bevy of rock icons including Cher and Elton John will take over its Adult Contemporary and Classic Hits stations nationwide and its iHeartRadio app on Nov. 22 as it begins its annual flip to holiday music on more than 85 stations across the US. Hosted by Mario Lopez, the two-hour special event will also feature interviews with Train, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Meghan Trainor, Rob Thomas and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic discussing their favorite holiday songs and traditions. "Listeners look forward to that special day when we convert so many of our stations to Christmas music because it means that the holiday season has really started," said Tom Poleman, chief programming officer for iHeartMedia, in a press statement. Cher has recently released her first ever holiday album, Christmas, and John is celebrating the 50th year of his jingly yuletide single "Step Into Christmas." iHeart's North Pole Radio will be hosted by Santa Claus and feature a message line where kids can leave Christmas wishes for Jolly Old Saint Nick himself. To find all of iHeart's generous Christmas music options, including Country, Jazz, R&B and Rock, you can search "iHeart Holiday" in the iHeart app. - Billboard, 11/10/23...... The Grateful Dead has tied Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra for the most career top 40-charting albums in the 67-year-old history of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The band achieves its 58th top 40 album with its latest live archival release, Dave's Picks, Volume 48: Pauley Pavilion, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 11/20/71, as the set debuts at No. 33 on the Billboard 200 dated Nov. 11. The three-CD album, part of the band's continuing live archival release series, captures a previously unreleased show recorded at the university's Pauley Pavilion on Nov. 20, 1971. The collection also includes bonus live material recorded at an Oct. 24, 1970, concert at the Kiel Opera House in St. Louis. - Billboard, 11/8/23...... In another amazing Billboard chart feat, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones have appeared together in the Top 10 of a Billboard chart 59 years after first appearing on the tally for the week of Dec. 12, 1964. On that date, the Beatles' "I Feel Fine" rose to No. 5 from No. 22 in its second week on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, jumping over the Stones' "Time Is on My Side," which held at No. 6. Now the two iconic bands are together again in the top 10 of a Billboard ranking, with the Beatles' "Now and Then" debuting at No. 9 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, dated Nov. 18, 2023, with the Stones' "Angry" reaching a new high of No. 6 in its ninth week on the list. "Now and Then" marks the Fab Four's first time in the Top 10 of a radio ranking since "Free As a Bird" debuted and peaked at No. 8, in the song's lone week in the top 10, on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart dated Dec. 9, 1995. "Now and Then" also marks the Beatles' first Top 10 song on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. - Billboard, 11/10/23...... In other Rolling Stones news, guitarist Keith Richards has revealed that he and his bandmates have "plenty more material" and will keep making albums until they "drop." In an interview with SiriusXM NPR, Richards said: "There's plenty more stuff left over from Hackney Diamonds to work on. There'll always be another one until we drop. We can put our feet up for a little bit, but you know. You're into this thing all the way. This is what we do. We've gotta see this Rolling Stones through." During the interview, Richards also shared that he has no plans to stop performing because he still "loves it", adding: "It keeps me on my toes and keeps my fingers moving. And I'm still finding different ways of playing things. Even though you're getting to be around 80, believe me, it don't stop." The Stones recently released their 24th LP Hackney Diamonds, their first album in 18 years, which earned the No. 1 spot on the UK charts and the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Top Rock charts upon its release. The band recently became the first act with Top 10 albums in each decade since the '60s. - NME, 11/8/23...... The mystery behind the identity of the man on the iconic album cover of Led Zeppelin's 1971 LP Led Zeppelin "IV" has been resolved. The image of a grey-bearded man stooping over, a bundle of thatched wood on his back and a walking aid propping him up, has been an enigma ever since the album was released 52 years ago, but now an academic in Wiltshire has uncovered the origins of the photograph. Brian Edwards, a visiting research fellow at the University of the West of England, says the man in question is a Wiltshire thatcher named Lot Long, who was born in Mere, Wiltshire in 1823, and died in 1893. The photograph was taken in the late-Victorian era. According to The Guardian, Edwards came across the original image while curating an exhibition at the Wiltshire Museum. The show in question displayed artifacts relating to the public and cultural history of the county, and while searching for early photographs of Stonehenge, he came across the familiar image. "Led Zeppelin created the soundtrack that has accompanied me since my teenage years, so I really hope the discovery of this Victorian photograph pleases and entertains [surviving Led Zep members] Robert [Plant], Jimmy [Page] and John Paul [Jones]," Edwards said. The identity of the man in the painting had been a mystery since the album's original release on Nov. 8, 1971. Led Zep frontman Robert Plant is believed to have purchased a copy of the photograph from an antique shop near guitarist Jimmy Page's house in Pangbourne, Berkshire. Lot Long, who is sometimes referred to as Lot Longyear, was believed to be a widower at the time the photograph was taken, living in a small cottage in Shaftesbury Road, Mere. The photograph was discovered in an album titled Reminiscences of a visit to Shaftesbury. Whitsuntide 1892. A present to Auntie from Ernest. The Ernest in question is the photographer, Ernest Howard Farmer (1856-1944). Led Zeppelin "IV" has sold more than 37 million copies worldwide, and was ranked as the 58th greatest album of all time in a 2020 Rolling Stone magazine poll. - NME, 11/8/23...... The Stevie Nicks limited edition Barbie doll, which arrived to buyers on Nov. 10, sold out almost instantly when it was first announced in early October. Nicks, 75, revealed that a tambourine-toting doll fashioned after her 27-year-old self would be released by Mattel during a show at Madison Square Garden, and she later announced the news on X/Twitter. Nicks and her team worked directly with Mattel on the doll's design. There were several iterations of the face and outfit, with the team ultimately styling it after Nicks' iconic look from the cover of Fleetwood Mac's 1977 classic, Rumours, and Nicks even sent the actual outfit she wore on the album cover to Mattel for accuracy. The doll -- already selling for more than twice its sticker price on the secondary market -- isn't likely to generate vast revenue and wasn't intended to, however it's lifting all areas of Nicks' business. "It wasn't as much about a financial win as much as it was about marketing," says Jeff Straughn of Primary Wave, which acquired a majority stake in Nicks' publishing copyrights as well as her name and likeness in 2020. The real benefit is the buzz that's lifting all parts of Nicks' and Primary Wave's businesses. Straughn reports that streams of Nicks' music have gone up since the doll's announcement, and that it has brought multiple queries about synching her work for other campaigns. - Billboard, 11/9/23...... In other Nicks-related news, Dolly Parton has revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that her song "What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done to Me" duet with Stevie from her upcoming Rockstar album was originally written as a song for Fleetwood Mac. Speaking of the track, Parton said: "Our song, 'What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done to Me', she [Nicks] said, 'This a song I wrote back when we were in the heat of our stuff It's a song I love but they didn't think it was good enough to be on a record.' She said, 'I have an old demo of it. Can we do this one, because I wrote it about someone I was involved with that was also in the rock 'n' roll field when we had an affair?'" Parton continued: "She wrote that about their relationship because they had fun about it. 'What has rock 'n' roll ever done for you?' They said, 'Well, everything,' because they were both famous and rich. She just said, 'I just love this song. I'd like to do it just to commemorate that time in my life and that person.' We talked about stuff like that." Parton's new album Rockstar (out Nov. 17) is a 30-track compilation of new songs and covers of classics like Heart's "Magic Man," Prince's "Purple Rain," The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and many more. - NME, 11/7/23...... In her new memoir My Name Is Barbra (out Nov. 7), Barbra Streisand digs deep into her past, from her childhood in Brooklyn spent yearning to please her mother to her big Broadway break and award-winning turns in films like Funny Girl, The Way We Were and A Star Is Born. There are also musings on her personal life, including a flirtation with Marlon Brando ("About three hours into the conversation, he looked into my eyes and said, 'I'd like to f--- you.' I was taken aback. 'That sounds awful,' I said. After a moment of thought, he said, 'Okay. Then I'd like to go to a museum with you.' 'Now that's very romantic. I'd like that,' I said."), a romance with former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau, an eight-year marriage to Ellliott Gould (with whom she shares son Jason Gould, 56) and finally, lasting love with actor James Brolin, her husband of 25 years. Nine hundred and ninety-two pages may seem a hefty weight for a memoir, but when you consider all the lives Barbra Streisand has lived, it makes sense. Already, the book has gained the label of a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon, as well as a 4.6 star rating, in the first week of its release. - People, 11/20/23...... Deadline.com is reporting that Bruce Dickinson of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden has signed on to star in an ABBA-inspired zombie-themed horror flick, titled Bjorn of the Dead. The movie will center on an ABBA tribute band who get trapped in a nightclub with other tribute acts just as an apocalypse starts. "Bjorn and his band must work together to save themselves, humanity, and the future of music," according to a press release. The Iron Maiden frontman is one of several famous faces from the rock and metal scene to appear in Bjorn Of The Dead, according to Deadline, although no other names have been announced at the time of writing. Bjorn of the Dead was written by Dickinson's son, Austin, who is also a rock vocalist for the London bands As Lions and Rise To Remain. - NME, 11/10/23...... As a historical biopic of 19th century French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte with Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role hits US theaters on Nov. 22, Black Sabbath's original manager Jim Simpson has said that the use of Sabbath's "War Pigs" in the trailer for Napoleon was a "perfect" use of the song. When the trailer for the film (available on YouTube) was released this summer, it featured Sabbath's anti-war song, "War Pigs,", which was released on the band's second studio album Paranoid in 1970. Jim Simpson recently told Westside BID that using "War Pigs" in the trailer was "absolutely perfect." "In the trailer for a film set more than 200 years ago, you can hear a crystal-clear Ozzy [Osbourne] singing Geezer's [Butler] lyrics in the anti-war song 'War Pigs': 'Generals gathered in their masses, just like witches at black masses' and it sounds absolutely perfect," he said. "Like Beethoven, Mozart and all of the other great composers, you can imagine Sabbath's made-in-Birmingham music will still be played and appreciated in 200 or more years' in the future, too." Meanwhile, Ozzy's wife Sharon Osbourne recently revealed that she is opening an Ozzy museum in the singers's hometown of Birmingham, UK. "He's having all of his awards [in the museum], all his stage clothes, posters, old posters from [the pre-Black Sabbath band] Earth days. I've got so much memorabilia," she said on a recent The Osbournes podcast. - NME, 11/10/23...... In April 1972, the United States received its first giant pandas, named "Hsing-Hsing" and "Ling-Ling," from China after Pres. Richard Nixon told then-Chinese premier Zhou Enlai that he loved animals. Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling received national acclaim and attention during their 20-year stay, to be succeeded by "Mei Xiang" and "Tian Tian," and their 3-year-old cub "Xiao Qi Ji," at Washington, D.C.'s Smithsonian National zoo. The presence of pandas in the US came to be understood as a symbol of goodwill between China and the US, or what some call "panda diplomacy." The pandas remained in the US under a loan agreement with their Chinese counterparts, until the agreement expired this year and zookeepers reluctantly began preparing the animals for their return to China. On Nov. 8, the pandas were transported on a 19-hour flight to a panda reserve in Chengdu, which is in China's Sichuan province, traveling on a Boeing 777F plane called the "FedEx panda express." Panda experts told the New York Times the animals had reached the age when they should return to China. "They are at the age when they should be in China," said Melissa Songer, a conservation biologist at the National zoo. "I don't want to have a panda pass away outside of China." The departure of Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji means that the Atlanta zoo will be the only zoo in the US with the popular giant pandas, and they are set to return to China in 2024. The National zoo says it plans to ask Chinese officials for a new pair of pandas, though there is some speculation that rising tensions between the US and China may prevent another agreement from going into effect. - The Guardian, 11/8/23.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Willie Nelson has announced an all-star 90th birthday TV special set to air on Dec. 17 on CBS and begin streaming the same day on Paramount+. Featuring performances from Beck, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Norah Jones, Miranda Lambert, Dave Matthews, Keith Richards, and the man of honor, Willie Nelson's 90th Birthday Celebration will be hosted by Jennifer Garner, Chelsea Handler, Woody Harrelson, Ethan Hawke, Helen Mirren and Owen Wilson. Nelson, who hit his latest milestone birthday on Apr. 30, announced the news during a recent appearance on Stephen Colbert's The Late Show. "I'm ready for it," he tells Colbert, with a confirmation on The Late Show's X/Twitter page on Nov. 3. A multi-part documentary on Nelson, titled Willie Nelson & Family, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. On Mar. 3, he released his latest album, I Don't Know a Thing About Love, which highlighted songs written by Harlan Howard, on Sony's Legacy Recordings. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 3. - Billboard, 11/3/23...... Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance at the annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit event, held at the David Geffen Hall in New York, on Nov. 6. During the charity event, the Boss performed the live debut of his new song "Addicted To Romance," fan-shot footage of which has been shared on YouTube. The event usually consists of live music performances and live sets from comedians to raise funds for US vets, and Springsteen usually appears at the event to try his hand at some stand-up comedy, however, with him being on tour with the E Street Band this year, he was not scheduled to appear at the 2023 instalment. Instead, Indiana-based rocker John Mellencamp, was tapped to headline the event. However, since Springsteen was forced to cancel his remaining 2023 tour dates back in September due to a peptic ulcer, he caught fans off-guard by making a surprise appearance on the night. "I'm going to bring out one of the best songwriters of our generation, and he's my big brother, and I've looked up to him my whole life," Mellencamp told the audience, introducing Springsteen to the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, Bruce Springsteen." From there, Springsteen proceeded to play a brief five-song set for the crowd at the charity event, and even broke out the first-ever live performance of his recently released track "Addicted To Romance." The track is a soundtrack song that Springsteen recorded alongside Bryce Dessner of The National and the Nov. 6 rendition marked its first-ever live performance. Springsteen, between performances of "Power of Prayer," "Working on the Highway" and "Dancing in the Dark," also served up in-between-song "ribald, double-entendre jokes" as he's done in the past. Meanwhile, veteran rock photographer Lynn Goldsmith is preparing to release her second book of photos showcasing Springsteen and his band, this one from the singer's Darkness On the Edge of Town period. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Darkness On the Edge of Town features photos from her time with the band back in 1978, when had unprecedented access to Springsteen and cohorts such as guitarist Steven Van Zandt, the late saxophonist Clarence Clemons and manager Jon Landau, all of whom she captures in intimate, surprising moments. Springsteen and his E Street Band is scheduled get back on the road beginning Mar. 19 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ. "We're gonna come back stronger than ever in March," Van Zandt recently told People magazine. "It was a very, very intense first six months of the tour -- maybe our most intense ever. And so we're gonna come back with that same intensity, and it's gonna be great," he added. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 11/7/23...... Elton John has teamed up with Marmite -- a savory spread made from yeast extract and fortified with B vitamins that's especially popular in the United Kingdom -- to launch a limited-edition jar, with proceeds being donated to the Elton John AIDs Foundation. On Nov. 6, Sir Elton, re-shared an Instagram post from Marmite's official Instagram page which depicts the new the new limited-edition jar featuring artwork inspired by the cover of John's iconic 1973 album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023. "We're back and ready to spread the love with a new ELTON JOHN LIMITED-EDITION Marmite jar in partnership with the Elton John AIDS Foundation," read the caption. "Our latest collaboration celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' album and is available to buy now in Sainsbury's stores across the UK," it adds. In the update, the company also confirms that the new jar "marks the start of a THREE YEAR, $1 million partnership" between Marmite and the Elton John AIDs Foundation, which will run until 2025 and continue to "ensure ongoing support for individuals impacted by HIV." Meanwhile, the Rocket Man has revealed that he has completed a new album with the help of his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Elton announced the news the news at the recent 2023 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Ceremony class of 2023 induction ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Nov. 3, which saw Taupin inducted after nearly 60 years of collaborating with Sir Elton. "Our success story is what it is, you all know. Through the years we grew and we grew and we grew," John noted as he inducted Taupin. "We climbed mountains that we never thought were possible to climb, and we scaled heights that we never thought were possible to scale. And throughout that time, we never ever really had an argument. He was disgusted with my behavior, yes, that's a given. But to this day, we are still growing as a partnership," he added. John then confirmed that the duo have just completed a new album together in Los Angeles. The full speech can be streamed on YouTube. Others inducted into the Class of 2023 that night include Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Rage Against the Machine, Willie Nelson, George Michael and The Spinners. Jimmy Page also made a surprise appearance to induct the late Link Wray in the Musical Influence category. Page appeared in a video montage about the power chord pioneer, calling Wray his "hero" and saying, "if ever there was a guitarist who deserved this, it was Link Wray." But when the lights came up and the Led Zeppelin legend was on stage in the flesh, the crowd went crazy. Busting into "Rumble," Wray's iconic instrumental, Page looked happy as hell playing a song he's loved his whole life on a double-necked guitar. The 2023 RRHOF ceremony was streamed live, for the first time ever, on Disney+, and is still available on-demand. Audio from the ceremony streamed live on Apple Music 1. An edited broadcast of highlights will be aired in the US on network TV on ABC on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2024, from 8-11 p.m. ET. - NME, 11/6/23...... Joe Walsh has lived life in the fast lane for nearly six decades as a member of various rock groups -- including, most famously, the Eagles -- but his favorite lineup yet is the one he's put together for his 2023 VetsAid benefit concert for veterans. Taking place Nov. 12 in San Diego, the show will feature performances from bands like the War on Drugs and the Flaming Lips, as well as Walsh, who launched VetsAid in 2017. "It's the same love and energy as an Eagles show," says the singer, 75, who was 20 months old when his dad died in a plane crash while serving as a flight instructor for the Air Force. Giving back has been a light at the end of a long tunnel for Walsh, who went through struggles with alcoholism and cocaine addiction in the '70s and '80s. Sober since 1994, Walsh credits wife Marjorie Bach (whom he married in 2008) with helping him stay grounded. And his Eagles bandmates -- he's currently on the Long Goodbye tour with them -- keep things fun. "I'm so blessed," he says. "We play our asses off, and everybody goes home happier." The band has also announced dates for a 22-date European stadium run beginning in May 2024. - People, 11/13/23...... Roger Waters, in a new interview with journalist Glenn Greenwald that has gone viral, says he still isn't ready to condemn Hamas following the terrorist group's brutal attack and murder of more than 1,400 Israeli citizens on Oct. 7, and accuses Israel of "making up stories." "Didn't the Israeli army hear the bangs when (Hamas) blew up whatever they have to blow up to get across the border?," the 80-year-old former Pink Floyd bassist/vocalist asked. Asked if what Hamas did on that day "can be justified," he defiantly replied: "We don't know what they did do. Was it justified for them to resist the occupation? Yeah They are legally and morally bound to resist the occupation since 1967. It's an obligation." During the nearly 10-minute-long chat, which can be viewed on YouTube, Waters wouldn't describe Hamas' attack, which included the murder of more than 260 attendees at a music festival, as "war crimes". "Probably the first 400 (killed) were Israeli military personnel," he alleged, and added he believes the reporting of the incident "was thrown out of all proportion by the Israelis making up stories about beheading babies." "They even got the president of the United States to claim that he had seen photographs of the beheaded babies," Waters said, noting that Pres. Joe Biden admitted later that he didn't. "What we do know is, whether it was a false flag operation or not whatever story we're going to get to, we don't know if we're ever going to get much of the real story They're calling it their 9/11. What the hell happened on the American 9/11? No one knows." Waters is in the midst of his "This Is Not a Drill" tour, which wraps in December, and comes with a stern warning before the music starts: "If you're one of those, 'I love Pink Floyd, but I can't stand Roger's politics' people, you might do well to f--- off to the bar right now." - Canoe.com, 11/7/23...... Halloween hits are back on the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Nov. 11) thanks to annual gains for spooky songs around the Oct. 31 holiday. Michael Jackson's classic "Thriller" is the highest Halloween-sparked reentry at No. 21 with 14.5 million U.S. streams (up 163%), 10.9 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 464%) and 5,000 downloads (up 102%) for Oct. 27-Nov. 2, according to Luminate. This is the sixth consecutive year in which "Thriller" has reentered the Hot 100. It peaked at No. 4 during its initial chart run in 1984. Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers' "Monster Mash" follows at No. 38 with 11.9 million streams (up 213%), 4.4 million radio impressions (up 1,923%) and 4,000 sold (up 82%). This is the third consecutive season that the graveyard smash has revisited the chart. It spent two weeks at No. 1 during its original run in 1962. Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" reenters the Hot 100 at No. 45 with 11.1 million streams (up 168%), 5.9 million radio impressions (up 1,484%) and 4,000 sold (up 97%). This is the third consecutive year that the song has returned to the survey, thanks to Halloween gains. The theme to the 1984 blockbuster film of the same name spent three weeks at No. 1 during its original chart run that year. - Billboard, 11/7/23...... In other chart action, the Beatles' "final song" "Now and Then" has debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Digital Song Sales chart dated Nov. 11. In the Oct. 27-Nov. 2 tracking week, "Now and Then" sold 16,000 downloads in the U.S., according to Luminate. The song also starts at No. 1 on Rock Digital Song Sales, and is Fab Four's first leader on each retail ranking. (The band's digital catalog was first made available in the iTunes Store in Nov. 2010.) Elsewhere, "Now and Then" starts at Nos. 7 and 11 on the multi-metric Hot Rock Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts, respectively, with its sales and airplay also augmented by 2.3 million official U.S. streams Nov. 2. "Now and Then" is also heading for a U.K. No. 1 based on sales and streaming data captured from the first 48 hours in the chart week. It's in the pole position, outselling the rest of the top 5 combined, the Official Charts Company reports. If it holds its spot, "Now And Then" will become the band's 18th U.K. chart-leader, and their first in 54 years, since "The Ballad of John and Yoko" topped the weekly tally back in 1969. Meanwhile, Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson, who has directed and shared the official "Now and Then" video on YouTube, has suggested that more new music from The Beatles is "conceivable." Looking back at his time working on both the "Now and Then" and 2022 Get Back eight-hour docu-series projects, Jackson said that he thinks it is "conceivable" that more new music from the band could be developed. "We can take a performance from Get Back, separate John [Lennon] and George [Harrison], and then have Paul [McCartney] and Ringo [Starr] add a chorus or harmonies," he recently told London's Sunday Times, reflecting on the series which saw him sift through 60 hours of footage and 150 hours of audio. "You might end up with a decent song," he added. "But I haven't had conversations with Paul about that." - Billboard, 11/6/23...... Former Dire Straits bassist John Illsley has revealed to the U.K. paper The Telegraph that Dire Straits have urned down "huge amounts of money" to reform the band in recent years. Speaking about recent meetings he has had with the band's former manager Paul Crockford, Illsley said: "Every time we have lunch, [he] says to me, 'I wish people would stop offering me huge amounts of money to put [Dire Straits] back together.'" Dire Straits split briefly in 1988 for two years before permanently calling it a day in 1995, releasing a total of six studio albums. Illsley says he was "pretty happy" when the band's run came to an end, recalling feeling "mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted" by the time they finally disbanded. "Most of our marriages were falling apart, we weren't seeing our children very much -- it was all wrong. It's the usual things that can happen to people in bands," he continued. Dire Straits won four Grammys and three Brit Awards, and their 1985 album Brothers in Arms is the eighth best-selling album of all time in the UK. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide and in 2018, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2008, Illsley revealed that he had approached Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler about the possibility of reforming the band, but was rebuffed. "I think we've definitely got one more tour left in us, and probably another record too," Illsley said at the time. "But he's [Knopfler] doing different kinds of music now. He's doing incredibly well as a solo artist, so hats off to him. He's having a perfectly good time doing what he's doing." Knopfler continues to record solo material and is known for his work on film scores, including Local Hero (1983), The Princess Bride (1987) and Wag the Dog (1998). - NME, 11/5/23...... A life-size sculpture of Ozzy Osbourne has been unveiled in the rock legend's hometown of Birmingham -- made entirely of cake. The extravagant homage depicts the former Black Sabbath frontman sitting upon his throne, eyes wide in a satanic grin, his finger outstretched at passers-by. The sculpture is part of this year's Cake International show at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre, with Jane Lashbrook the cake artist that has brought the Prince of Darkness to life in sweet form. Other famous figures that have been modelled at the exhibition include King Charles and the cast of Netflix show Stranger Things. An announcement of the sweet concoctions can by viewed on the National Exhibition Centre's X/Twitter page. In other Ozzy-related news, his son Jack Osbourne's has admitted his youngest daughter, 15-month-old Maple Osbourne, is scared of her grandpa. Talking on the latest episode of the Osbourne family's The Osbournes Podcast, Jack revealed that Ozzy recently told his son, "Bring the grandkids to come and see me!" To which a laughing Jack replied, "I f----ing will... she's scared of you IRL (in real life)." "We put on (Ozzy's song) 'Crazy Train', like an actual performance," Jack says. "She does the 'I, I, I,' but she's pointing a the TV going 'Papa, Papa, Papa, Papa, Papa', just on repeat like a broken record. But in real life when she sees him and she's like, "Oh f----, there he is. Ahh!" - NME/Music-News.com, 11/3/23...... Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley has had her settlement with granddaughter actress Riley Keough, concerning her daughter Lisa Marie Presley's estate, approved by the courts. The settlement states that Priscilla can now be buried as close to her ex-husband Elvis Presley as possible at the Graceland estate when she dies, and that her son Navarone Garibaldi can participate in the memorial ceremony. "Riley agrees to allow Priscilla to be buried upon her death in the Meditation Garden of Graceland. The burial location will be at the location closest to Elvis Presley without moving any existing gravesite," reads the official settlement. As reported by Rolling Stone, the agreement has been confirmed in a probate court in Los Angeles County, and signed off by a judge, thereby avoiding a potentially long and costly legal battle. In addition, Priscilla is set to receive a $1 million (810,000) payment from Lisa-Marie's $25 million (£20.2 million) life insurance trust, as well as $100,000 a year for the next ten years for her services as "special advisor" to Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. The settlement further states that Keough "agrees to use her best efforts to ask Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., or any successor thereof, not to pursue litigation against Priscilla related to her name, image and likeness." The pair also agreed that Riley would be made the sole trustee of Lisa Marie's estate and own the Memphis, Tenn. mansion. Priscilla Presley's life has been dramatised in the new film Priscilla, directed by Sofia Coppola. The film was released in the US on Nov. 1 and will receive its UK release on Jan. 1. - NME, 11/3/23...... Barry Manilow has extended his farewell London Palladium residency, due to "overwhelming demand." The "Mandy" hitmaker, 80, originally announced nine nights at the legendary music venue between May 23 and June 2, for what will mark his last ever UK shows. He will now play five further shows on June 4, 5,7, 8 and 9, bringing the run to 14 nights. The Grammy winner -- who holds the title for the longest stint in Las Vegas with his Barry Manilow - The Hits Come Home! concert series, overtaking the late Elvis Presley's 1978 record -- will play a hit-packed show, including "Could it Be Magic," "Copa Cabana" and "Can't Smile Without You." - Music-News.com, 11/7/23...... Disgraced That '70s Show cast member Danny Masterson filed an appeal against his Sept. 7 rape conviction, when the 7-year-old actor was found guilty in May of raping two women 20 years ago and later sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. On Nov. 3 court documents obtained by TheBlast.com showed he had formally raised an appeal against his punishment. Shortly after Masterson was sentenced, his lawyer Shawn Halley vowed to appeal and insisted she was confident Masterson's conviction would be overturned. She said in a statement: "The errors which occurred in this case are substantial and unfortunately led to verdicts which are not supported by the evidence. And though we have great respect for the jury in this case and for our system of justice overall, sometimes they get it wrong. And that's what happened here. Mr. Masterson did not commit the crimes for which he has been convicted and we and the appellate lawyers -- the best and the brightest in the country -- are confident that these convictions will be overturned." The victims -- both of whom are former members of the Church of Scientology -- attended the hearing in Los Angeles. In the wake of Masterson going to jail, his estranged wife Bijou Phillips -- who had been by her spouse's side throughout court proceedings -- filed for divorce. The actor subsequently agreed to give the 43-year-old singer-and-actress legal and physical custody of their nine-year-old daughter Fianna. - Bang Showbiz, 11/7/23...... All My Children soap opera actor Peter White passed away on Nov. 1 at his home in Los Angeles after a struggle with melanoma. He was 86. Mr. White studied a master's degree at the Yale School of Drama before launching a career on the stage, joining the cast of off-Broadway production "The Boys in the Band" in 1968 about gay life in New York and later going on to appear in the film version of the stage show in 1970 which was directed by William Friedkin. A year later, he landed his first soap job with a part in Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and went on to score the role of Linc Tyler in All My Children in the mid-1970s. He played the character for more than three decades before his final exit in 2005. Mr. White's other film roles included turns in Dave, Flubber, Armageddon and Thirteen Days while his TV credits include NYPD Blue, The West Wing, The X Files and Ally McBeal as well as the night-time soaps Dallas, Dynasty and Knots Landing. He never married and didn't have any children. - Bang Showbiz, 11/6/23...... Former NASA astronaut Ken Mattingly, who helped guide the crew of the crippled Apollo 13 shuttle safely back to Earth in 1970, died on Oct. 31 in Arlington, Va. He was 87. - People, 11/20/23...... Former Indiana University head basketball coach Bob Knight, who led the Hoosiers to an NCAA championship in 1976 and two other years before being fired in 2000 due to his polarizing behavior, died at his home in Bloomington, Ind. on Nov. 1. He was 83. - People, 11/20/23.

Friday, November 3, 2023

Billy Joel has confirmed the final show of his ongoing residency at Madison Square Garden, where he performed monthly beginning in Jan. 2014. The newly-announced show, which will take place on July 25, 2024, will be Joel's 150th appearance at the prestigious NYC venue since the residency began. The 74-year-old Piano Man is set to play MSG next on Nov. 22, followed in December with a show on the 19th which will be his last show of 2023 at MSG. His 2024 tour dates kick off on Jan. 11, and will continue on Feb. 9, Mar. 28, Apr. 26, May 9 and Jun. 6. His tour schedule also features a variety of co-headlining shows, which will see the singer-songwriter take to the stage with other rock royalty including Stevie Nicks and Sting. His last show of 2023 will be at a New Year's Eve event on Long Island. - New Musical Express, 11/2/23...... In a new episode of the Ozzy Osbourne family's revived Osbournes Podcast, Sharon Osbourne shed light on the factors that led to the cancellation of Ozzfest, revealing that it was ultimately due to managers becoming "greedy." In the eighth episode of the series, which is available on YouTube, the family reminisce about the unforgettable moments they witnessed at the annual event and the popular heavy metal acts they saw perform including Limp Bizkit, System Of A Down, TOOL and Rob Zombie. When asked why the festival ultimately came to an end, Sharon responded: "It was a very weird beast because all the bands were our mates, but the managers were greedy and for some reason they thought that we were making billions on it and we weren't. We made a profit," she continued. "But it was not like -- we couldn't retire on it. And managers and agents wanted more and more and more, and it just wasn't cost-effective anymore. We stopped because it just wasn't cost-effective." - NME, 11/1/23...... A New York woman has filed a complaint in that state against Steven Tyler, claiming the Aerosmith frontman sexually assaulted her when she was a minor some 48 years ago. Former teen model Jeanne Bellino says she has suffered "severe and permanent emotional distress" over the incidents, which allegedly occurred over a single day in the summer of 1975 when she was 17 and Tyler was 27. "By 1975, Tyler had acquired wealth, stature, and power as a result of his career and status as a rock star," Bellino's lawyers write. "Tyler used his power, influence, and authority, as a well-known musician to sexually assault Plaintiff." In her lawsuit, Bellino claims that she and a friend had arranged to meet Aerosmith in Manhattan, and while they were allegedly walking down Sixth Avenue with his entourage, she says Tyler pushed her into a phone booth. "While holding her captive, Tyler stuck his tongue down her throat, and put his hands upon her body, her breasts, her buttocks, and her genitals, moving and removing clothing and pinning her against the wall of the phone booth," her lawyers write. "As Tyler was mauling and groping Plaintiff, he was humping her pretending to have sex with Plaintiff." Bellino also claims she could feel that "Tyler's penis was erect" and because she was "relying upon her friend for transportation, a dazed, confused, and shocked" Bellino continued with the group to the Warwick Hotel, where the band was allegedly staying. She then alleges Tyler pinned her against the wall in a bar entrance, and began to "simulate sex" with her once again. Tyler then left, according to the woman, and told her she would call her up later. The woman then says sympathetic employees of the hotel took her home to Queens. "As a result of the sexual assault, Plaintiff was hospitalized and medicated," her lawyers write. "Plaintiff has continued to require medication to cope with the sexual assault and has suffered long term physical injury associated with the trauma." A rep for Tyler did not immediately return a request for comment. The new case comes just under a year after Tyler was sued by Julia Holcomb, who claims that the rocker repeatedly assaulted her for three years starting in 1973, when she was just 16 years old. Tyler has denied the accusations and moved to dismiss the case in April. However, his arguments raised eyebrows at the time, as one of his defenses was that he was immunized against the allegations because he had been granted legal custody over Holcomb. - Billboard, 11/2/23...... Dolly Parton has weighed in on a series of anti-trans measures recently passed in her home state of Tennessee. While Parton, a vocal advocate and ally to the LGBTQ+ community, said that she wasn't interested in talking about "the politics of everything," she has told The Hollywood Reporter that, at the end of the day, "I just want everybody to be treated good." "I try to get into the human element of it." Pointing out that she has people in her life who identify as queer and trans, the 77-year-old star said it was important to hear what they're saying. "I know and love them all, and I do not judge," says Parton, 77. "And I just see how broken-hearted they get over certain things and I know how real they are. I know how important this is to them. That's who they are. They cannot help that any more than I can help being Dolly Parton, you know, the way people know me. If there's something to be judged, that is God's business. But we are all God's children and how we are is who we are." In March, Tennessee passed a state-wide ban on gender-affirming care for minors, preventing gender-diverse youth from being able to access evidence-based, best practice treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Families of transgender children subsequently challenged the new law in court, attempting to block it from taking affect. After the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the law, families have petitioned the Supreme Court to block the ban and hear their case. Elsewhere in the interview, Dolly revealed that she's turned down playing the coveted Super Bowl halftime gig several times, and for very good reasons. "I couldn't do it because of other things, or I just didn't think I was big enough to do it -- to do that big of a production," she said. "When you think about those shows, those are big, big productions. I've never done anything with that big of a production. I don't know if I could have. I think at the time that's what I was thinking." But she added she might consider staging a blow-out Super Bowl performance these days: "That might change. I might be able to do a production show." Parton is set to release her long-awaited rock album, Rockstar, a week before Black Friday on Nov. 17. - Billboard, 11/2/23...... The highly anticipated "final" Beatles song, "Now And Then," was released on Nov. 2, 60 years after the release of the iconic British band's 1963 debut studio album Please Please Me. "Now and Then" can be streamed on Spotify.com, which this summer surviving Beatle Paul McCartney explained how Artificial Intelligence (AI) wold be used to complete it. "Can't say too much at this stage but to be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created," McCartney wrote on X/Twitter. "It's all real and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings -- a process which has gone on for years." He later clarified his comments during a radio interview with the BBC, explaining that AI would be used to separate vocal tracks from background noise and instruments and "extricate" late bandmate John Lennon's vocals from an old recording for use on the final master of the song. A lovelorn guitar-centric rock ballad, "Now And Then" was originally written and recorded by Lennon around 1977 as a solo piano track. After his death in 1980, the unfinished demo floated in limbo -- at times being considered as a Beatles reunion single -- and was ultimately shelved for almost three decades. Now, the song will find a home on the expanded reissue of 1973's 1967-1970 compilation (aka "The Blue Album") -- currently slated for a Nov. 10 release -- and have the distinction of being the final Beatles song. The official video of "Now And Then," directed by Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson, has also been released and shared on YouTube. The poignant 12-minute film tells the story behind the band's "final" song and features exclusive footage and commentary from McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, as well as Sean Ono Lennon and director Jackson. - Billboard/NME, 11/2/23...... The Guess Who principals Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman have filed a lawsuit against their former bandmates, bassist Jim Kale and drummer Garry Peterson, for playing small venues across the U.S. under the Guess Who moniker. Cummings and Bachman filed a lawsuit on Oct. 30 in Los Angeles deeming that Kale and Peterson, who recruited twentysomething musicians to complete their band, are little more than a "cover band" and alleging they are misleading fans. The original Guess Who, which formed in Winnipeg in 1962 and disbanded in 1975, have the distinction of selling more records than the Beatles in 1970 with hits like "American Woman," "These Eyes" and "Laughing." "They've taken mine and Randy's history, the history of the Guess Who, and stolen it to market their cheap ticket sales in their fake bulls*** shows," Burton Cummings told Rolling Stone magazine. "It takes away everybody's legitimacy." According to the lawsuit, Kale and Peterson are accused of using vintage photos and recordings that include Cummings and Bachman to "give a false impression that fans will get anything more than covers of the original music." In reposting the Rolling Stone story on X/Twitter on Oct. 31, Cummings wrote, "Let's set the record straight and make it clear who was on the records vs who you'll see on the stage." On Oct. 30, Bachman also posted to X, writing "Well, it's about time" with a link to the article. It added: "You can't be the creative force behind a decade of music and be pleased that hired musicians have basically stolen your songs, pretended to be you and fans line up to pay money to go see the imposters." Bachman and Cummings are seeking $20 million in damages for false advertising, unfair competition, and violation of the right to publicity. Both say the bogus GW has impeded their own careers. The pair had hoped to tour in 2020 under the Guess Who banner but that was torpedoed by Kale and Peterson. Kale has previously slammed Bachman and Cummings for trying to reclaim the name. "Cummings signed off on the name in 1977 and he hasn't stopped his pissing and moaning ever since," he told the Winnipeg Free Press in 2012. "What the hell do you think I was going to do, start a scrapbook? Here I was with a whopping Grade 10 education and I don't have a trade and I'm too old for a paper route. I gotta make a living," he said. "I'll have a band of trained monkeys out there just to piss him off. I'm prepared to be that petty I'm really, really sick of it. I'd love to take the high road, but I'm not going to. I'm his karma," he added. - Canoe.com, 11/1/23...... Cher is set to close out the Macy's Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23. The "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves" singer will close out the official show and appear towards the end of the broadcast, where Santa arrives in his sleigh, marking the official beginning of the Christmas season. Cher's addition to the annual holiday event comes on the heels of two releases for the star: Believe's 25th anniversary re-release on Nov. 3, and her first-ever Christmas album, Christmas released Oct. 20. While Cher has not yet confirmed which of her hits she'll to perform during the broadcast, she could perform one of the tracks from the new holiday LP, which has recently debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums Chart, to ring in the Christmas season at the parade's end. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on NBC from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 pm ET. Among the many top music acts also making an appearance during the parade will be '70s jazz-rock legends Chicago. - Billboard, 11/1/23...... Heart have announced they will celebrate New Year's Eve by reuniting for their first show since 2016. The band, led by Ann and Nancy Wilson, will play a headline gig at the Climate Pledge Arena in their hometown of Seattle, Wash. on Sunday, Dec. 31. Heart will be joined on the bill by their special guests, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening -- the group formed by original Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's son. The gig will be followed by the traditional firework show at the Space Needle. Ann and Nancy had a falling out in 2016 after Ann's husband was arrested after being accused of assaulting Nancy's 16-year-old twin sons. The following year, Rolling Stone magazine reported that the sisters continued the band's tour but did not speak directly to each other during the remaining dates. However the siblings reconciled in 2019, reuniting on stage for the first time at the Love Rocks NYC concert that March. The upcoming New Year's Eve concert will be their first performance together since then. Earlier in 2023, it was reported that the sisters are also working on new Heart music as well, which would be the follow-up to 2016's Beautiful Broken. Heart was a major force on the AOR charts in the '70s and '80s, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. - NME, 10/31/23...... The Grateful Dead's massive merch machine has teamed up with the English football club the Forest Green Rovers, "a team that really follows Grateful Dead values," according to the band's legacy manager. For custodians of Grateful Dead -- which officially disbanded in 1995 following the death of guitarist and songwriter Jerry Garcia but has continued to tour in various incarnations, most recently as Dead & Company, featuring original members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart -- the tie-up with Forest Green is the latest in a vast and ever-growing line of merch and licensing deals helping keep the Grateful Dead brand alive. "For us, it's a perfect match," says the legendary jam band's archivist and legacy manager, David Lemieux. "Forest Green Rovers is a team that really follows Grateful Dead values, which is to say that we're both conscious of the world around us and we want to make sure that we leave it a better place than when we arrived." At present, the band has deals with more than 100 merch partners and more than 750 products on sale in over 50 territories, spanning everything from water bottles to cosmic mushroom foraging tools to camping equipment to Grateful Dead-branded skis and snowboards, as well as an extensive range of t-shirts and clothing. - Billboard, 10/31/23...... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have just added 22 European stadium shows to their 2024 trek across the pond. The new dates will kick off on May 5 in Cardiff, UK, and keep the band on the road through a July 25 date at Wembley Stadium in London, with stops along the way in Belfast, Dublin, Prague, Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Helsinki and Stockholm. Tickets for the trek will go on sale starting with the Odense, Denmark show (July 9) on Nov. 2. - Billboard, 10/31/23...... Bob Dylan delighted his fans during his Montreal concert on Oct. 29 with a surprise cover of Leonard Cohen's classic "Dance Me to the End of Love." The cover was performed live for the first time by Dylan, who had previously released the cover on his website and YouTube channel as part of his ongoing series of "Murder Most Foul" playlists. The cover received a standing ovation from the audience, where Dylan performed as part of his "Rough and Rowdy Ways" Tour. The tour is Dylan's first in Canada since 2017, and features songs from his latest album Rough and Rowdy Ways, as well as some of his classics and covers. The tour began in Milwaukee on Oct. 2, and will wrap in Boston on Nov. 19. Fan-filmed footage of the Montreal performance of "Dance Me" has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 10/31/23...... The Rolling Stones debuted at the summit of the Official U.K. Albums Chart dated Oct. 27 with their new studio album Hackney Diamonds, which racked up 72,000 chart units in its first week. That's the third biggest week of sales for an album of 2023 so far, according to the OCC, behind only Lewis Capaldi's Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent, and Ed Sheeran's -- (subtract). With 11 different studio collections reaching the chart summit, the Stones are now part of the elite club of acts with the most studio albums to reach No. 1, joining the Beatles, Robbie Williams and Bruce Springsteen. Meanwhile, the Stones have become the 25th artist to receive a BRIT Billion Award by the BPI. The program commemorates 1 billion career UK streams as calculated by the Official Charts Company. In reaching the landmark, the British band became what the BPI artfully called "the longest-active artist" (so much nicer than "oldest") to receive the award. The Stones' most-streamed hits include "Paint It, Black," "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "Start Me Up." Over in the U.S., the band has become the first act with newly-charted top 10 titles on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart in the 1960s, '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000s, '10s and now the '20s. Hackney Diamonds debuted on that chart at No. 3 in its first week of release. - Billboard, 10/30/23...... One of the late Jimmy Buffett's last messages to his family and friends before his Sept. 1 death from skin cancer was "keep the party going," and his longtime backing musicians in the Coral Reefer Band now say they plan to do just that. "The Coral Reefer Band is second family to all of us. We are a family. And Jimmy wants us to continue and we want to continue," Mac McAnally, longtime Coral Reefer Band singer/guitarist, has told Billboard in a new interview. How that will look is still being determined, but McAnally says, "there's ongoing discussions about the best way to do that, the most practical way to do that and how to do it in a way that is worthy of the legacy that we're part of." The Coral Reefer Band, which has had a rotating cast of musicians -- some of whom had played with Buffett for nearly 50 years -- began backing the singer-songwriter in concert and in the studio in the '70s. The Coral Reefer Band played its last full concert with Buffett on May 6 at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium. Buffett's last time on stage was McAnally's July 2 show in Portsmouth, R.I., when Buffett joined him for eight songs, including signature tunes "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" and "Margaritaville." Though Buffett was undergoing treatment, he still craved being on stage. "He had been calling through the summertime when the treatments were going," McAnally says. "I didn't know how far up or down he was. I hadn't seen him [in person], though he never called without Facetiming me and I could tell he was losing weight. He couldn't do a full show, but he kept calling saying, 'Where are you playing? I'm gonna come sit in.'" McAnally said Buffett called him two days later asking if he had other shows that weren't on his website yet so he could join him again. "He was ready to tour as a guest singer on these little singer-songwriter shows," McAnally says, "but unfortunately, his time ran out." - Billboard, 10/30/23.

Sunday, October 29, 2023

On Oct. 27 it was announced that The Who's Tommy rock musical will return to Broadway in 2024. Tommy, featuring music and lyrics by Pete Townshend, started as a concept album in 1969 and debuted on Broadway in 1993. Now a reimagined version of the classic will return for a new run at New York's Nederlander Theatre in Mar. 2024. Previews are due to start on March 8 before the official opening on Mar. 28. "I can't wait to see how this newly empowered show connects with younger Broadway audiences today," Townshend said in a statement. "I hope the younger ones come, for they will identify in an entirely new and important way with Tommy's tumultuous life. Meanwhile, longtime fans of TOMMY, The Who and all their music will be blown away by this new show," he added. The news comes after Townshend recently revealed that he was working on a new rock opera based on his novel The Age of Anxiety. A teaser for the the reimagined Tommy has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 10/27/23...... As Halloween approaches, Billboard has compiled the "20 Biggest Halloween Songs" based on their Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements. Representing the '70s are The Edgar Winter Group's head-banging hit "Frankenstein" (No. 1, 1973) at No. 4, Cher's eerie "Dark Lady" (No. 1, 1974) at No. 8, Cliff Richard's rockin' "Devil Woman" (No. 7, 1976) at No. 16, Santana's witchy "Black Magic Woman" (No. 4, 1971) at No. 18, and The Charlie Daniels Band's rollicking "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" (No. 3, 1979) at No. 19. Coming in at the top of the list is Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers endearing 1962 hit "Monster Mash," followed by Ray Parker Jr.'s campy 1984 smash "Ghostbusters" and Post Malone feat. Ty Dolla $ign's vibey "Psycho" from 2018. Interestingly, Michael Jackson's "Thriller," a perennial Halloween staple which peaked at No. 4 in 1984 and spent 22 weeks on the chart, doesn't quite make the list. - Billboard, 10/27/23...... Speaking of "Thriller," a new 40th anniversary tribute to the King of Pop's 1982 mega-selling album of the same name will debut on Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. ET on Showtime and will stream on Paramount+ (for Paramount+ With Showtime subscribers). Usher, Mary J. Blige, will.i.am, Mark Ronson, Misty Copeland, Maxwell, "Thriller" video director John Landis and more are all interviewed for Thriller 40, which includes never-before-seen footage behind the making of the classic. A trailer for Thriller 40 has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 10/27/23...... Elton John has praised Madonna in a new social media post for her "advocacy & compassion" during her current "Celebration Tour." On Oct. 26, Sir Elton shared a photo from Madonna's tour, showing the singer standing in a floating rectangle as the faces of thousands of people who died throughout the HIV/AIDS crisis swirled around the stage. John took a moment to praise his peer for bringing visibility to an ongoing issue. "We're deeply moved by the heartfelt tribute from @madonna during her Celebration Tour performance of 'Live to Tell', honouring the 40.4 million people we've lost to AIDS," John wrote in the caption. "Thank you, Madonna, for your advocacy and compassion, and for raising important awareness of the ongoing mission to end AIDS. With 39 million people living with HIV today, 9.4 million of whom are not currently on life-saving treatment, we must keep using our voices and platforms to ensure everyone has the opportunity to live full and healthy lives," he added. Both John and Madonna have been vocal advocates for people living with HIV/AIDS over the years, with Elton starting his Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 and Madonna being one on of the first celebrities to lend her support to patients living through the outset of the epidemic. - Billboard, 10/27/23...... The Eagles have announced the dates for their final "The Long Goodbye" tour of North America. So far, 29 dates in 21 cities have been announced for the tour, which will feature Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit as well as Vince Gill and Deacon Frey playing "as many shows in each market as their audience demands," according to the statement. Country Music Hall of Fame member Gill began playing with the Eagles in 2017 alongside Deacon, son of late Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey, who died in 2016. The tour will kick off on Sept. 7, 2024 with two shows at New York's Madison Square Garden, then visit such major markets as Boston, Newark, NJ, Denver, Indianapolis, Detroit, Atlanta, St. Paul, MN, Inglewood, CA, Phoenix, Houston and Chicago before wrapping in Toronto, Ontario on Mar. 13, 2025. - Billboard, 10/25/23...... Dolly Parton is commemorating the release of her new rock music-themed album Rockstar with a special movie event on Nov. 15, two days before the album hits stores. "Dolly Parton Rockstar: The Global First Listen Event" will give fans the opportunity to listen select songs from the album before it is released. The 60-minute film also includes clips of music videos for the new album an interview with with Dolly, and behind-the-scenes footage as well as a rare performance of her hit single "9-to-5." The movie will only be screening in movie theaters on Nov. 15 with encore showing occurring in select theaters on Nov. 16. A trailer for Rockstar can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 10/25/23...... The Rolling Stones have charted their eighth No. 1 album in Australia with their new LP Hackney Diamonds. Hackney Diamonds is also the legendary British band's 34th top 10 title down under, and they first led the national chart back in 1964 with their debut, self-titled album. Meanwhile, the Stones have shared a new live video on YouTube for their Hackney Diamonds track and latest single "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," which was filmed during a live concert for their album launch party in New York on Oct. 19. Stones guitarist Keith Richards recently told the Apple Music 1 podcast that the new album's song "Bite My Head Off" which features Paul McCartney on bass felt "like the old days." "I felt that it was bloody time... I've known Paul for 60 years, just about. Although him and John [Lennon] did do a few backup vocals with us in the '60s. Great fun to play with." He continued: "At the end of it, I just said, 'Well, that's just like the good old days,'" Richards recalled of the McCartney's studio session with the band. - Billboard, 10/27/23...... Speaking of the Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have announced details of the release of their "final song" "Now And Then," along with news of expanded reissues of their 1973 "Red" and "Blue" greatest hits albums. "Now and Then" will arrive on Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT from Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe, and it marks the last song written by John Lennon, McCartney, George Harrison and Starr. McCartney and Starr finished the song together, more than 40 years after its inception. The double A-side single also includes a sweet full-circle moment, as it's paired with "Love Me Do," featuring the original cover art shot by Ed Ruscha. Both songs have been mixed in stereo and Dolby Atmos. Additionally, a 12-minute Now and Then -- The Last Beatles Song documentary film will arrive on Nov. 1. The Oliver Murray-written doc will tell the story behind the track and will feature exclusive footage and commentary from McCartney, Starr and Harrison, as well as Sean Ono Lennon and The Beatles: Get Back director Peter Jackson. "Now and Then" begins in the late 1970s, when John recorded a demo with vocals and piano at his home in New York's Dakota Building. In 1994, his wife, Yoko Ono Lennon, gave the recording to Paul, George and Ringo, along with John's demos for "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love." Those two songs were released as singles in 1995-96, reaching No. 6 and No. 11, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2022, Paul and Ringo set out to complete "Now and Then." In addition to John's vocal, the song includes electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995 by Harrison; Starr's new drum part; and bass, guitar and piano from McCartney, who also added a slide guitar solo inspired by George. "It was the closest we'll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It's far out," Starr said of the process in a press statement, with McCartney adding, "It's quite emotional. And we all play on it, it's a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven't heard, I think it's an exciting thing." Meanwhile, on Nov. 10, expanded editions of The Beatles/1962-1966 (often called "The Red Album") and The Beatles/1967-1970 ("The Blue Album") will be released in 2023 Edition packages by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe. The original editions, released in 1973, three years after The Beatles' break-up, reached No. 3 and No. 1, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 200. - Billboard, 10/26/23...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, the 1980 assassination of John Lennon is being documented in a new series by Apple TV+. John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial is narrated by actor Kiefer Sutherland and will look into the pre-meditated crime and its aftermath by troubled fan Mark David Chapman, who fatally shot the former Beatle outside of his New York City apartment block on Dec. 8, 1980. Makers of 3-part docu-series were "granted extensive Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole and the District Attorney's office," according to a press release, and the series includes interviews with Lennon's friends and Chapman's defence lawyers, psychiatrists, detectives and prosecutors. A premiere date has not yet been confirmed. Chapman pleaded guilty to the crime. In 1981 he was ordered to receive psychiatric treatment and was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. In 2021 he was denied parole for the 12th time. His story was previously dramatized onscreen in the 2007 film Chapter 27, which starred Jared Leto. - New Musical Express, 10/27/23...... A new George Harrison biography from Beatles biographer Philip Norman, George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle includes Harrison's sarcastic reaction to being stabbed 40 times in a 1999 incident at his home, which left the musician fighting for his life. The moment took place when George and his wife Olivia Harrison became victims of a home invasion, and upon hearing someone break into his home, the guitarist got out of bed to investigate. From there, he was soon confronted by a man named Michael Abram who was holding a knife. An altercation followed as Harrison attempted to wrestle the knife out of Abram's hands, however, the intruder managed to get on top of the Beatle and stabbed him 40 times. He only stopped upon being struck over the head with a lamp by Olivia. In the book, the incident is described in detail and it is also revealed how Harrison described the attack to his son Dhani Harrison with a darkly witty sense of humor. According to Dhani, Harrison described Abram by saying: "He wasn't a burglar and he certainly wasn't auditioning for the Traveling Wilburys." Harrison had already been diagnosed with cancer at the time, and of the 40 stab wounds, one punctured his lung. It was presumed by doctors that the attack worsened his condition. He died of cancer in 2001 -- two years after the incident. - NME, 10/24/23...... HarbourView Equity Partners has announced the acquisition of Fleetwood Mac's recorded royalties owned by Christine McVie's estate. McVie, who died in Nov.2022 at age 79, was the keyboardist and one of the vocalists in Fleetwood Mac as well as one of its primary songwriters. Financial terms of the transaction was not disclosed. Harbourview's portfolio includes more than 24,000 songs across master recordings and publishing income streams. - Billboard, 10/25/23...... Sting has announced a run of outdoor UK and Ireland headline shows for 2024. The soloist and former The Police frontman is due to play five special concerts in the two contries next June in continuation of his "My Songs" world tour. Sting's tour begins in Cheshire on June 14, then hits Cork (6/18), Belfast (6/19), Suffolk (6/22) and Sherwood (6/23). Per a press release, Sting is set to be joined on stage by "an electrifying rock ensemble." He'll share the bill with Blondie at the Cork and Belfast dates. - NME, 10/27/23...... A new Canadian Broadcast Corporation investigation that calls into question the Indigenous identity of singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie has opened up a broad conversation about identity and appropriation. The bombshell investigation, which aired Oct. 27 on the YouTube channel of the Canadian series The Fifth Estate and began streaming on CBC on Oct. 27, says some of Sainte-Marie's family members believe her claim to Indigenous heritage "is built on an elaborate fabrication." Sainte-Marie has previously said that she was adopted by her parents, Italian-Americans Albert and Winnifred Santamaria, and grew up in the predominantly white Christian suburb of Wakefield, Mass. Later, as a young adult, she was adopted by Emile Piapot and Clara Starblanket Piapot of the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan in accordance with Cree law and customs. The documentary, which was made without participation of Sainte-Marie herself, features an interview with her younger cousin Bruce Santamaria, who disputes her claim of adoption. It also features quotes from other family members, including references to alleged sexual abuse. The investigation hinges on her birth certificate, which CBC obtained, which lists her presumed adopted parents as her birth parents and her race as white. Ahead of the investigation, Sainte-Marie has released a video on Instagram in which she affirms herself as "a proud member of the Native community with deep roots in Canada." She also put out a written statement entitled "My Truth As I Know It." "I am proud of my Indigenous-American identity, and the deep ties I have to Canada and my Piapot family," it reads in part. One of Canada's most decorated musicians, Sainte-Marie has won the Polaris Music Prize, seven Juno Awards, an Academy Award for Best Original Song (for co-writing the music for "Up Where We Belong" from An Officer and a Gentleman), and is the recipient of the Order of Canada and the Governor General's Performing Arts Award. Buffy Sainte-Marie, who is 82, retired from touring earlier in 2023 for health reasons. - Billboard, 10/27/23...... KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley has responded to rumors that his flamboyant shock-rock band may be next in line to play Las Vegas' impressive new music venue The Sphere once the residency of Irish rockers U2 there ends. "I can't speak to it in any other way except to be honest with you about how I feel now, and the way I feel today is I can't really see that happening," Stanley told Ultimate Classic Rock. "As far as I'm concerned, we're done." The comments come in light of KISS currently playing the last leg of their ongoing tour. The tour is the latest of their impressive number of farewell tours over the years -- with the first dating back 23 years -- and is set to end with a final ever performance in Madison Square Garden, New York, in December. KISS had been scheduled to play a 2021-2022 residency at Vegas' Zappos Theater, however it was called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Another act reported to be considering the possibility of playing at The Sphere -- which features a 16k wraparound LED screen and 167,000 speakers -- are The Eagles. - NME, 10/24/23...... The B-52s were forced to cancel a concert at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 25 due to the "sorrow and pain" of the Israel-Hamas war. The B-52s were set to play at an official state dinner for the Australian PM Anthony Albanese, hosted by the US Pres. Joe Biden, however the Athens, GA, trio -- who are named after a US bomber aircraft -- instead attended the state dinner as guests. Presidential military bands provided "instrumental music" in the group's place. "While we had initially planned for the legendary B-52s to perform their iconic dance and party music, we are now in a time when so many are facing sorrow and pain, and we have decided to make adjustments to the entertainment portion of the evening," First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement. - NME, 10/26/23...... Marie Osmond will make her soap debut playing wealthy Countess Von Frankfurt on CBS's The Bold and the Beautiful on Oct. 27. Tracey Bregman and Kate Linder will join the TV icon for a special five-part event. - People, 10/30/23...... The cause of death of Three's Company actress Suzanne Somers has been revealed. The 76-year-old's death certificate, which was obtained by The Blast, reveals that a string of underlying conditions that also contributed to her Oct. 15 passing.The document cites "breast cancer with metastasis to the brain" as her immediate cause of death, with a biopsy confirming the discovery, and hypertension, the term for high blood pressure, and hydrocephalus -- a build up of fluid on the brain -- were listed as additional underlying conditions. The certificate also indicated Suzanne had suffered from hydrocephalus for over a year. The document also confirmed that Somers was buried at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, Calif., just three days after she passed away. - Bang Showbiz, 10/26/23...... Groundbreaking African-American actor Richard Roundtree, who rose to fame in the lead role of the 1971 action thriller Shaft, died on Oct. 24 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer with his family at his bedside. He was 81. Mr. Roundtree's career spanned five decades and included everything from his most popular "blaxploitation" role to a very early appearance on As the World Turns in 1956 to being a Season 2 main cast member on Ava DuVernay's OWN series Cherish the Day in 2022. However he is best known for playing detective John Shaft in the 1971's Shaft and its sequels, Shaft's Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973) as well as the short-lived 1973 Shaft TV series. For his performance in the original film, Mr. Roundtree was nominated for a New Star of the Year Golden Globe and hailed as the first Black action hero. More importantly, the films made John Shaft a cultural hero, a symbol of Black power onscreen, at the box office and beyond. The Academy Awards took notice, as Isaac Hayes' propulsive "Theme from Shaft" won the Oscar that year for Best Song - Original for the Picture. Decades later, Mr. Roundtree reprised his role in the 2000 John Singleton-directed movie Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson and the 2019 Tim Story-directed sequel. In 2000, Shaft was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. It was cited for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Shortly thereafter, it was named one of the best films ever made by The New York Times. Mr. Roundtree's many film credits also include 1981's Inchon, in which he appeared opposite Laurence Olivier and Ben Gazzara, 1984's City Heat opposite Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds as well as Se7en, George of the Jungle, Body of Influence, Amityville: A New Generation and What Men Want. He was last seen in 2022's Paul Weitz comedy Moving On. On television, Mr. Roundtree played slave Sam Bennett in the acclaimed 1977 miniseries Roots. He had major roles on such series as Generations, 413 Hope St., Alias, Diary of a Single Mom, Buddies, Desperate Housewives, Soul Food, Being Mary Jane and Family Reunion. "Richard Roundtree, The Prototype, The Best To Ever Do It!! SHAFT, as we know it is & will always be His Creation!!," Samuel L. Jackson wrote in an IG tribute following Mr. Roundtree's death. "His passing leaves a deep hole not only in my heart, but I'm sure a lotta y'all's, too." - Deadline.com, 10/24/23.

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Stevie Nicks has been announced as one of the presenters for the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, set for Nov. 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 2019, Nicks became the first woman to be inducted into the Hall twice, after having first been inducted with Fleetwood Mac in 1998. Nicks will be joining her fellow '70s superstar Elton John, who will induct his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, as one of the previously announced presenters. This year's inductees include Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners, along with DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray for musical influence; Chaka Khan, Al Kooper and Taupin for musical excellence; and Don Cornelius for the Ahmet Ertegun Award (formerly known as the non-performers award). The induction ceremony will be broadcast live coast-to-coast via Disney+ on Nov. 3 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and will be available to stream following the ceremony. ABC will air a three-hour prime-time special, The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring performance highlights and standout moments on Jan. 1, 2024 (8-11 p.m. ET), available the next day on Hulu and Disney+. - Billboard, 10/24/23...... The Rolling Stones rolled out their 26th studio album, Hackney Diamonds, on Oct. 20. The LP is the Stones' first new album of original music since 2005's A Bigger Bang, which climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Hackney Diamonds also is the first since the death of band's drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away at age 80 in 2021. It features the previously released collaboration with Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder, "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," plus tracks like "Bite My Head Off," with bass from Paul McCartney and "Get Close" and "Live By the Sword," both of which have piano from Elton John. Hackney Diamonds can be streamed in full on Spotify.com. According to data published by the U.K.'s Official Charts Company, Hackney Diamonds is on track to become the band's 14th U.K. No. 1, putting them behind only the Beatles with 15 No. 1's. The Stones were joined by Lady Gaga for a surprise album launch party on Oct. 19 at Racket NYC in New York City. "It seems we always launch our albums in New York," frontman Mick Jagger told the crowd at the intimate New York City venue. "We've done it in a blimp. We've done it on a flatbed truck going down 5th avenue," he said, reading from a teleprompter. "We were missing launches so much that we had to make another album and come back and re-launch it." The Stones performed a seven-song set which kicked off with their 1978 Some Girls track "Shattered," and were joined by Gaga for their encore of their new collaborative track "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," easily the highlight of the night. Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones have escaped a lawsuit over their 2020 song "Living in a Ghost Town" -- at least for now. On Oct. 18, a federal judge in Louisiana dismissed a lawsuit, originally filed in March, from a Spanish songwriter who calls himself Angelslang who claimed that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards copied "Ghost Town" from a pair of his little-known songs. Judge Eldon E. Fallon ruled that his Louisiana federal court lacked jurisdiction over Fernandez's case. In doing so, he pointed out that Jagger and Richards are Brits, Fernandez lives in Spain, and the Rolling Stones have "only performed in New Orleans four times." The judge only tossed the case "without prejudice" -- meaning Fernandez is free to re-file the lawsuit in a more appropriate location. In the lead-up to the ruling, lawyers for the band argued that the case should have been filed somewhere in Europe. - Billboard, 10/20/23...... On Oct. 20 oung surprised fans by announcing that he's unveiling a new album, Before and After, on Dec. 8. According to a press release, Before and After will feature an "eclectic" fresh takes of the Canadian singer/songwriter's favorite lesser-known tracks from his vault and be available in four formats: CD, vinyl LP; clear vinyl LP (Limited Edition available only from Indie outlets and Young's Greedy Hand online store), and Blu-Ray disc featuring Atmos mix, Binaural mix and Hi-Res 96/24 stereo. - Billboard, 10/20/23...... In a new interview with the U.K. paper The Sun's "Bizarre" column, Pete Townshend revealed he's turning his 2019 novel The Age of Anxiety into a "full opera" that will be soundtracked by new songs. "I am still developing the score and recording the music," the 78-year-old the Who guitarist said. "I am also working on a documentary about the project, from its inception in 2007 until today. I'm probably two years off completing it, at which time I hope to perform it with a full opera and a cast of guest singers." Townshend says the show will explore society's fears for the future with the impact of global warming and terrorism looming large, the detrimental effects of social media and how that is producing a generation of people with mental health issues. He previously created the rock operas Tommy in 1969 and Quadrophenia in 1973. Meanwhile, the Who's Roger Daltrey is working on his own passion project, a biopic about the band's late drummer Keith Moon, who died aged 32 in 1979 from an accidental drugs overdose. "I've written a film script about his life because I have never met anyone in my life similar to Keith. He was the funniest man I ever met. But he couldn't control his talent," Daltrey noted in a previous interview. - Music-News.com, 10/23/23...... Nile Rodgers & Chic have announced a U.K. tour for summer 2024 with special guest Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The "Good Times" hitmakers will be performing five shows across the UK next year starting at The Piece Hall in Halifax in June 16, also visiting Southampton on June 23, Bedford (7/7), Llangollen (7/11) and Margate (7/13). "Thrilled to announce we're bringing the 'Good Times' back across England and Wales in 2024!," Rodgers shared in an X/Twitter post on Oct. 23. "Mark your calendars because we're gonna light up the night, celebrate life, and dance like there's no tomorrow." Elsewhere, Rodgers features in Duran Duran's latest single "Black Moonlight." - New Musical Express, 10/23/23...... '70s country/pop crossover singer Tanya Tucker is one of three new inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn. Tucker made her debut in 1972 as a precocious 13-year-old talent with the top 10 Billboard Hot Country Songs hit "Delta Dawn," and swiftly went on to rack up six No. 1 Country Songs hits before she turned 18. Tucker's songs with mature themes, such as "What's Your Mama's Name," and "Would You Lay With Me (in a Field of Stone)," helped redefine the boundaries for women in country music. She also blazed her own trail in terms of image, thanks to her edgy cover artwork of her 1978 album TNT, which featured Tucker in leather, while the music embraced rock and pop. Accepting her honor on Oct. 22 at the CMA Theater, Tucker called her journey to the Hall of Fame "a 52-year experience -- and I've had a lot of ups and downs." She thanked her three children, who were in attendance, as well as members of her management and touring teams and paid tribute to her father, champion and early manager, Beau Tucker. Also inducted that evening were songwriter Bob McDill and Patty Loveless. - Billboard, 10/23/23...... Robert Plant performed the Led Zeppelin classic "Stairway To Heaven" for the first time during a U.K. charity concert at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire on Oct. 21. Held for The Cancer Platform, the live show was developed by the Cancer Awareness Trust and organised by former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor. One of the main highlights of the evening -- dubbed "An Evening With Andy Taylor And Special Guests" -- arose with a performance from Plant, who broke out the Zeppelin tracks "Thank You," "Black Dog" and "Stairway To Heaven." The latter marked his first time singing the track in 16 years. The last time he sang the iconic Led Zeppelin IV track in public was back in 2007 at London's O2 Arena, later released as the Celebration Day concert film. Footage of the moment can be viewed on Instagram and YouTube. - NME, 10/23/23...... In a new interview with The Los Angeles Times, Cher says that she "buried" her feud with '80s pop queen Madonna "a long time ago." The topic arose when the 77-year-old diva was asked if she knew that Madonna was using old interview clips of her during her ongoing "Celebration" tour dates. According to the Times, the footage embedded in the recent run of live shows sees Cher calling Madonna "mean" in a past interview. "It seems to me when you reach the kind of acclaim that she's reached you should be a little bit more magnanimous, and a little bit less of a c---," she says in the clip, also describing Madonna as a "spoiled brat." "I said a lot worse than that," Cher responded. "I actually like her. But come on." When asked if she thought Madonna could be mean too, she added: "She can be. We buried that hatchet a long time ago because I called her something so much worse, and she forgave me." Cher released her first-ever Christmas album, Christmas on Oct. 20. - NME, 10/23/23...... Barry Manilow announced on Oct. 24 that he'll play his final shows in the U.K. in 2024 during a nine-show residency at the legendary London Palladium music venue between May 24 and June 2. "In 1978, The London Palladium is where I began my love affair with the British public," Manilow said in a presser. "These shows will be my last full concerts in Britain and I wanted to end where I began -- at the London Palladium." Manilow will kick off the final UK run with a one-off show at the new Manchester Co-op Live arena on May 19, playing a hit-packed show, including "Could it Be Magic," "Copa Cabana" and "Can't Smile Without You." Despite these being his final shows in the UK, Manilow says he still loves to perform his most famous tracks at his shows and could never grow tired of them as the audience makes him feel like he's "never heard" the songs before. Manilow kicks off a 20-show residency stateside at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 10, wrapping on Mar. 9, 2024. - Music-News.com, 10/24/23...... The estate of Tom Petty has released three previously unheard songs by the artist to commemorate what would have been his 73rd birthday on Oct. 20. The estate has reissued Petty's 2010 blues album with The Heartbreakers, Mojo, with two new songs added to it called "Help Me" and "Mystery Of Love." Petty once said that Mojo was "where the band [The Heartbreakers] lives when it's playing for itself." Meanwhile, the other new song, 'What's The Matter With Louise', was recorded around the same time as the songs from Petty's 1994 album Wildflowers. It is now available for streaming on Amazon Music. Fans can check out "Help Me" and "Mystery of Love" on YouTube. In addition, the 2021 Mary Wharton-directed documentary Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free has now been added to Amazon Prime for the first time. - NME, 10/22/23...... Joni Mitchell is the subject of an episode of the new music biography series from BBC Radio 4 called Legend that explores the extraordinary life stories of pioneering artists who changed music forever. As Mitchell celebrates her 80th birthday in 2023, the BBC's Jesca Hoop explores the singer/songwriter's extraordinary story to reveal the life behind the legend. Mitchell's Legend episode is available to listen to across six weeks on BBC Radio 4, and on BBC Sounds and podcast feeds everywhere. Through Mitchell's archive, fresh interviews, narration, immersive sound design and an original score, Legend trace sthe story of an extraordinary life and explore what makes Joni a singular artist: the genius of her lyrics; her incredible talent as guitarist, painter and producer; and her restless drive for innovation. Meanwhile another special, Joni Mitchell: Verbatim, will mark the iconic singer/songwriters 80th birthday on Nov. 7, 2023. Incorporating previously unheard interviews, studio out takes, rare demo recordings and archive dating back to her very first radio interview recorded in 1964, Verbatim is the story of Joni's life and career -- told in her own words. - Music-News.com, 10/23/23.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Joni Mitchell made a surprise appearance at Brandi Carlile's recent show in Los Angeles as well as Annie Lennox, Lucius, Blake Mills, Wendy and others. A highlight of the evening came towards the end of the 21-song setlist when Carlile brought out close friend and music icon Mitchell for a surprise appearance, which came amid 79-year-old Mitchell's general return to live performing following a nine-year hiatus. The two shared stories of their memories about one another over the years including Mitchell calling Carlile "butch" for drinking straight out of a wine bottle, and Carlile recalling their spending time together in Canada. They also performed renditions of Mitchell's "Shine," "Ladies Of The Canyon," and "The Circle Game" to close off the show. The pair's "The Circle Game" duet has been shared on YouTube. In August, Mitchell announced the forthcoming release of the third volume of her ongoing archival project, The Asylum Years, which she began in 2020. - NME, 10/16/23...... Kicking off his 2023 tour of Australia, Paul McCartney played the Beatles classic "She's A Woman" for the first time in nearly 20 years at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Oct. 18. His first performance in over a year, the Adelaide gig spanned across nearly three hours and included a mix of his solo hits, as well as discography with the Beatles and Wings. "She's A Woman," originally the Fab Four's B-side to "I Feel Fine" and their last single release of 1964, was last played live by Macca in 2004. Elsewhere in the setlist, McCartney opened the show with "Can't Buy Me Love" -- the same as seen in previous dates of his "Got Back" tour -- before launcing into the Wings tracks "Junior's Farm" and "Letting Go." No tracks from his latest album McCartney III were featured in the 39-song setlist, although he did bring out songs such as "Come On To Me," "My Valentine," "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Dance Tonight" from his solo discography, and even an old pre-Beatles The Quarrymen number, "In Spite Of All The Danger." His "She's A Woman" performance has been shared on YouTube. The remaining dates of his Oz tour will continue on Oct. 21 in Melbourne; from there, he will also play shows in Newcastle, Sydney and Brisbane. The Australian dates will conclude with a gig at Heritage Bank Stadium, Gold Coast on Nov. 4. He will then make his way to Brazil for five shows, beginning on Nov. 30. In other McCartney news, the star has recently spoken about the Beatles' feelings towards Yoko Ono during a new episode of his new 12-part podcast series, McCartney: A Life In Lyrics -- stating that he saw her presence during the Beatles' recording sessions as "an interference in the workplace." "John and Yoko had got together and that was bound to have an effect on the dynamics of the group," McCartney said in an interview with poet Paul Muldoon. "Things like Yoko being literally in the middle of the recording session [were] something you had to deal with... Anything that disturbs us, is disturbing. We would allow this and not make a fuss. And yet at the same time, I don't think any of us particularly liked it." - New Musical Express, 10/19/23...... In the latest episode of Ozzy Osbourne and family's new Osbournes Podcast, Ozzy admits that used to willingly wet himself while performing on stage, arguing that it was fine because he was "wet anyway." The topic came to light during the weekly podcast when Ozzy, his wife Sharon Osbourne and children Jack and Kelly Osbourne were discussing the unusual things that have been sold for huge amounts at auctions - namely, a pair of Queen Victoria's underwear. To justify the purchase, Sharon responded, "Shoes, a handbag, a dress is different than somebody's bloody knickers that they farted in and shit in," with Ozzy adding: "[Queen Victoria] was an old girl, she was probably incontinent. She owned continents, but she was incontinent." He continued: "When I was onstage, I used to go, 'Oh, f--- it,' and just piss, 'cause I was wet anyway from throwing water around," he explained, referring to when he would spray his audience with high-powered water guns or throw buckets of water around on stage. Following the announcement, Sharon exclaimed, "Thanks for sharing!" The full episode can be streamed on YouTube. Meanwhile, Ozzy has told Philadelphia's 93.3 WMMR radio station that his upcoming final solo LP will have fewer featured artists -- unlike his last two albums which featured contributions from the likes of Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and his former Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi. "I'm waiting for [his recent producer Andrew Watt] to get free to do another album. 'Cause everybody wants to use him now," Ozzy said. - NME/Music-News.com, 10/18/23...... Pop-rock-funk legend Sly Stone released his first ever memoir, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), on Oct. 17. Named after one of his band Sly & The Family Stone's many hits, the memoir is the first title from AUWA Books, an imprint headed by Questlove who also penned the foreword. Beyond reflections on the band's music, Stone takes a no-holds-barred approach in his memoir as he tracks the other ups and downs throughout his storied life from his and Kathy Silva's famous 1974 wedding/concert at Madison Square Garden ("$8.50 for a wedding and a concert both. A bargain.") and the birth of his beloved son Sylvester Jr. and daughters Phunne and Novena to various business ventures and finally overcoming his drug addiction. Stone, now 80 and suffering from COPD, writes, "Then came the Four Visits. Fifty years of drugs, plus age, plus stress, made the hospital a regular stop." Sly's stream of consciousness recall of life experiences, coupled with colorful turns of phrase, makes Thank You a fun and insightful read. - Billboard, 10/18/23...... The Eagles' Joe Walsh has signed a new publishing deal with Reservoir Media for his back catalog and future output, including songs he wrote for the Eagles, The James Gang, and his solo albums. It does not include the administration of his entire back catalog but select songs, including "A Life of Illusion," "In The City," "Life In The Fastlane" and "Life's Been Good," are part of the deal. "It is such a pleasure to be partnered with a team who are hands on and personal and who have shown their passion for and dedication to my work," said Walsh in a statement. "I look forward to a great partnership and future with Reservoir." Walsh, who rocketed to superstardom when he joined the Eagles in 1975, has also released eleven solo albums to date and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 alongside his Eagles bandmates. - Billboard, 10/17/23...... Graham Nash has sold controlling interest in his recording catalog, as well as his name, image and likeness, to Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group. Joining his Crosby, Stills & Nash bandmates on Team IAG, Nash's deal is a wide-ranging deal that aims to bolster the influential singer-songwriter's musical legacy for future generations. He joins an elite roster of acts at IAG, which Azoff co-founded in Jan. 2020: Cher, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, The Beach Boys, Joe Cocker, Nat "King" Cole, Dean Martin and of course Stephen Stills and David Crosby, who died earlier in 2023. IAG declined to share financial details of the deal, or the size of their controlling interest in Nash's rights. - Billboard, 10/17/23...... Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli's son Wolfgang Van Halen married his long-time love Andraia Allsop during an intimate ceremony over the second weekend of October, the eighth anniversary of their first date. One of the most emotional moments of the ceremony was when Van Halen walked down the aisle with his actress mom Bertinelli, to a song written for him by his late dad Eddie Van Halen, who died at age 65 in Oct. 2020 after long battle with cancer. "The song that my father had written for me, it's an instrumental piece called '316.' It'll be a nice way to include my dad," Wolfie said of the acoustic, finger-picked 90-second track from Van Halen's 1991 album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge that was inspired by Wolfgang's birth on March 16, 1991. The bride walked down the aisle with her dad to Dean Martin's "Everybody Loves Somebody" and tapped her grandmothers as the flower girls. The wedding took place in the couple's living room and was officiated by one of the guitarist's closest family friends, whom Wolfgang, 32, said he's known for most of his life. "He's the dad of one of my best men and he's just an important guy in our life," the Mammoth WVH frontman said of the officiant. The backdrop to the ceremony was a stained-glass window that previously served as a set piece for a Lady Gaga performance. A picture of the happy couple has been shared on People magazine's Instagram page. Wolfgang will kick off his upcoming Mammoth WVH tour on Nov. 4 in Milwaukee. - Billboard, 10/17/23...... The Grammy-nominated documentary Music, Money, Madness... Jimi Hendrix In Maui will make its debut theatrical screening on Oct. 25 at 7:15 PM at LOOK Dine-In Cinemas W57 (657 W. 57th Street) in Manhattan. Nominated for Best Music Film at the 2023 Grammy Awards, the feature length documentary chronicles the Jimi Hendrix Experience's storied visit to Maui in 1970, and how they became ensnared in the controversial, counterculture film Rainbow Bridge. Co-produced by Hendrix's sister Janie Hendrix, George Scott and John McDermott, who also directed the film, Music, Money, Madness... Jimi Hendrix In Maui incorporates never before released original footage and new interviews with firsthand participants and key players such as bassist Billy Cox, Warner Bros. executives and several Rainbow Bridge cast members, as well as its director Chuck Wein. Their fascinating accounts tell the definitive story about what is arguably one of the most controversial independent films ever made. - Music-News.com, 10/14/23...... '70s disco queen Gloria Gaynor has reacted to Madonna covering her 1979 signature hit "I Will Survive" during a London stop on her European "Celebration Tour" on Oct. 14. Madonna took a moment during her first show to talk about the serious health scare that postponed the tour from its original planned start over the summer. "I forgot five years of my life, or my death -- I don't really know where I was," Madonna said onstage at The O2 arena. "But the angels were protecting me, and my children were there.... If you want to know my secret and you want to know how I pulled through and survived, I thought, 'I have to be there for my children. I have to survive for them'," she said before covering "I Will Survive." Gaynor approved of Madonna covering her hit sharing on X/Twitter the next day: "@Madonna congratulations on the launch of #TheCelebrationTour at @TheO2. So happy that you are in good health and ready to have a holiday with fans around the world! By the way, you have excellent taste in music!" - Billboard, 10/16/23...... Former The Police guitarist Andy Summers is combining his two passions -- music and photography -- on his current North American tour. The show, which features Summers performing solo while his photography is displayed behind him, spans The Police ("Roxanne," "Tea in the Sahara" and "Spirits in the Material World" are regularly played), original solo works (such as "Triboluminescence" and "The Bones of Twang Zu"), covers of Brazilian influences and a jazz classic (Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight"). His recent Solo Tour: Behind the Setlist podcast can be streamed on Spotify.com and other major streaming services. - Billboard, 10/16/23...... Never one to shy away about sharing her feelings about former US president Donald Trump, Cher has told the UK paper The Guardian that she is considering moving out of America should the four-times indicted, former reality TV star become president again. "I almost got an ulcer the last time," Cher said of Trump's tumultuous four-year term, which concluded with the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump's followers. "If he get in, who knows?" the 77-year-old diva said. "This time I will leave [the country]." During the 2016 election, Cher threatened to "leave the planet" if then-political neophyte Trump was elected. Cher, who will releae her first-ever Christmas collection Christmas on Oct. 20, also spoke about the rise in anti-trans legislation. "It's something like 500 bills they're trying to pass," the longtime ally of the LGBTQ community said about the raft of legislation being pushed by conservative lawmakers across the US over the past year targeting trans people, drag queens and queer culture. "I was with two trans girls the other night -- and of course my own child [Chaz Bono is trans]. I was saying 'We've got to stand together.' I don't know what their eventual plan is for trans people. I don't put anything past them." - Billboard, 10/18/23...... After teasing his long awaited new solo album I/O with a steady stream of singles over the last 12 months, Peter Gabriel has confirmed the album will drop on Dec. 1. "After a years-worth of full moon releases, I'm very happy to see all these new songs back together on the good ship I/O and ready for their journey out into the world," Gabriel, 73, said in a statement. Collaborations with Brian Eno, XL Recordings owner Richard Russell, guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin, drummer Manu Katch and pianist Tom Cawley are set to feature on the album. Gabriel shared the first single, "Panopticom," in January, marking his first new song since 2016. - Music-News.com, 10/19/23...... Films about or featuring live performances of '70s stars David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Elton John and Billy Joel are among 94 films vying for a nomination for a Best Music Film Grammy in 2024. The Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream and the Cohen doc Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen: A Journey, A Song, along with Elton's Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium and Joel's Live at Yankee Stadium, are just four of the films contending for nominations in the very competitive category. The last two winners in the category were Various Artists films -- Summer of Soul and Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story. - Billboard, 10/16/23...... Two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine has announced he is retiring from acting following his work on the recently released WW2 drama, The Great Escaper, in which he plays a veteran named Bernard Jordan who broke out of a care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of D-Day in 2014. "I keep saying I'm going to retire," Caine said during an appearance on BBC Radio 4's Today show. "Well, I am now." aine said the fact that he got to play the lead in the film that received accolades from critics after its release in Britain earlier this month led to his decision. "I've figured, I've had a picture where I've played the lead and it's got incredible reviews," Caine said. "The only parts I'm likely to get now are old men, 90-year-old men, maybe 85. And I thought, 'Well, I might as well leave with all this -- I've got wonderful reviews. What have I got to do to beat this?' You don't have leading men at 90, you're going to have young handsome boys and girls." In his 70 years as an actor, Caine has starred in more than 130 films and won two Oscars (for Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986 and Cider House Rules in 2002), three Golden Globes, one SAG award, and one BAFTA. - Canoe.com, 10/16/23...... Influential jazz composer and pianist Carla Bley, a pioneer in the free jazz movement who previously worked on an album with Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, died at her home in Willow, upstate New York on Oct. 17. She was 87. Ms. Bley was known for her avant-garde approach in her early career and become a pioneering musician in the free jazz movement. "I wanted to object to as many things as possible that were wrong in the world of jazz and change the whole system that existed in the music world," she once told The Guardian. Her best known work, the jazz opera Escalator Over the Hill, was released in 1971. She would go on to write the music for Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason on his 1981 solo debut album, Nick Mason's Fictious Sports. - NME, 10/18/23...... Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie, the rough-hewn, mumbling-and-grumbling best friend, corner-man and brother-in-law to Sylvester Stallone in the franchise that began with 1976's Rocky, died on Oct. 8 in Los Angeles, his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, disclosed to the New York Times on Oct 18. No cause was given. He was 83. Mr. Young had roles in acclaimed films and television shows including "Chinatown, Once Upon a Time in America and The Sopranos, but he was always best known for playing Paulie Pennino in six Rocky movies. The short, paunchy, balding Young was the sort of actor who always seemed to play middle-aged no matter his age, and began in the Rocky series as an angry, foul-mouthed meat packer who is abusive to his sister Adrian (Talia Shire), with whom he shares a small apartment in Philadelphia. The film became a phenomenon, topping the box office for the year and making a star of lead actor and writer Stallone, who paid tribute to Mr. Young on Instagram on the evening of Oct. 18. "You were an incredible man and artist, I and the World will miss you very much," Stallone posted, along with a photo of the two. Born and raised in Queens, N.Y., Mr. Young served in the Marine Corps, fought as a professional boxer and worked as a carpet layer before taking up acting, studying with legendary teacher Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. He also appeared in the 1986 comedy Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield, and the 1989 gritty drama Last Exit to Brooklyn with Jennifer Jason Leigh. In addition to The Sopranos he guest-starred on many TV series including M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H, Miami Vice and The Equalizer. Later in life he focused on roles in the theatre and on painting, a lifelong pursuit that led to gallery shows and sales. His wife of 13 years, Gloria, died in 1974. Along with his daughter, Mr. Young is survived by one grandchild and a brother, Robert. - AP, 10/19/23...... Actress Piper Laurie, a three-time Oscar nominee who starred in such films as The Hustler and Carrie, died on Oct. 14. She was 91. Born Rosetta Jacobs in Detroit on Jan. 22, 1932, Ms. Laurie was plucked out of Los Angeles High School at age 17 and signed to a Universal contract for $250 a week, which would run up to $1,750 a week after seven years. She made her debut as Ronald Reagan's daughter in the 1950 film Louisa and then went on to star in a series of undistinguished comedies and musicals, including a foray into the Francis the talking mule series called Francis Goes to the Races. She negotiated herself out of her contract with Universal in the mid-'50s after a series of ingenue roles in mediocre films and turned in an impressive supporting performance in Robert Wise's Until They Sail (1957), with Jean Simmons, Paul Newman and Joan Fontaine. She scored her first Oscar nomination for her work opposite Newman in 1961's classic poolhall drama The Hustler, in which she played an alcoholic who memorably tells Newman's character, "Look, I've got troubles and I think maybe you've got troubles. Maybe it'd be better if we just leave each other alone." Though she informally retired to raise a family for more than a decade, Ms. Laurie returned to film and television in the mid-'70s and racked up an impressive roster of characterizations, including Oscar-nominated turns in Carrie and in Children of a Lesser God, in which she played Marlee Matlin's icy mother. She also began regular work on television in such TV movies as In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan; the Judy Garland biography Rainbow; and 1981's The Bunker, in which she played Magda Goebbels to Anthony Hopkins' Hitler. Her last film appearances included Eulogy (2004), in which she stood out as the matriarch of a dysfunctional family; The Dead Girl, in which she played another cruel mother, this one bed-ridden; Hounddog, as the stern grandmother of rape victim Dakota Fanning; and Hesher, in which she memorably shared a bong with the stranger, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who insinuates himself into her household. Ms. Laurie's manager Marion Rosenberg confirmed the news of her death to Variety, writing, "A beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time." - Variety, 10/14/23...... Actor Mark Goddard, best known for his role in the 1960's sci-fi series Lost in Space, died on Oct. 10 after being hospitalized for pneumonia, his wife Evelyn posted on Facebook. "I'm so sorry to tell you that my wonderful husband passed away on October 10th," she wrote. "Several days after celebrating his 87th birthday, he was hospitalized with pneumonia. We were hopeful when he was transferred to a rehabilitation center, but then doctors discovered he was in the final stages of pulmonary fibrosis for which there is no cure. He received excellent care at the beautiful Pat Roche Hospice Home and was able to die peacefully and with dignity," she added. After starring as Major Don West on Lost in Space, Mr. Goddard guest-starred on a number of series and starred with Liza Minnelli on Broadway in the musical "The Act" in 1978. His last major appearance was in 2010's Soupernatural, but he reprised his signature role as Don West in the BluRay special Lost in Space: The Epilogue in 2015. Tributes poured in for the actor, including one from his former Lost In Space co-star Billy Mumy, who posted Mr. Goddard was "a truly beloved friend and brother to me for 59 years.... The last words we exchanged were 'I love you.'" - Bang Showbiz, 10/13/23...... Phyllis Coates, the first actress to play Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane on television, only to leave the Adventures of Superman after just one season, has died. She was 96. Ms. Coates, who also appeared in Republic Pictures serials and in such films as I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, died on Oct. 11 of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, her daughter Laura Press told The Hollywood Reporter. - The Hollywood Reporter, 10/16/23...... Suzanne Somers, best known for playing the ditzy blonde Chrissy Snow on the hit 1977-1981 sitcom Three's Company and who later became an entrepreneur and a New York Times best-selling author, died on the morning of Oct. 15 in her Palm Springs, Calif., home after a 23-year battle with breast cancer. She was 76. "Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th," read a statement from her publicist and longtime friend R. Couri Hay. "Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family." Her death came just one day before her 77th birthday. Born in 1946 in San Bruno, Calif., to an abusive, alcoholic gardener father and a medical secretary mother, Somers married young, at 19, to Bruce Somers, after becoming pregnant with her son Bruce. The couple divorced three years later and she began modeling for The Anniversary Game to support herself. It was during this time that she met her second longtime husband Alan Hamel, who she married in 1977. She began acting in the late 1960s, earning her first credit in the Steve McQueen film Bullitt. But the spotlight really hit when she was cast as the blonde driving the white Thunderbird in George Lucas's 1973 film American Graffiti. Her only line was mouthing the words "I love you" to Richard Dreyfuss's character. At her audition, Lucas just asked her if she could drive. She later said that moment "changed her life forever." In 1980, after four seasons on Three's Company, she asked for a raise from $30,000 an episode to $150,000 an episode, which would have been comparable to what Ritter was getting paid. Hamel, a former television producer, had encouraged the ask. "The show's response was, 'Who do you think you are?"' Somers told People in 2020. "They said, 'John Ritter is the star."' She was promptly phased out and soon fired; Her character was replaced by two different roommates for the remaining years the show aired. It also led to a rift with her co-stars; they didn't speak for many years. Somers did reconcile with Ritter before his death, and then with Joyce DeWitt on her online talk show. She followed her Three's Company stint by releasing more than two dozen wellness books, headlining a show in Las Vegas, hosting a talk show (The Suzanne Show) and becoming a fitness entrepreneur via her ubiquitous commercials for the ThighMaster exercise device. In July, Somers revealed on Instagram that she was diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer after she'd previously been diagnosed with the disease in the early 2000s. "Like any cancer patient, when you get that dreaded, 'It's back' you get a pit in your stomach. Then I put on my battle gear and go to war," she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. "This is familiar battleground for me and I'm very tough." Barry Manilow, one of her longtime friends, posted a tribute to the actress on Oct. 15 on X/Twitter: "Suzanne and I were friends for decades. She was the sister I never had and my close confidant forever. We shared triumphs and heartaches. Her fame in so many fields overshadowed her real talent as one of our greatest comedic actors, a loving mother [and] an amazing homemaker." - AP, 10/15/23.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

The No. 1 song on Billboard's Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind, for September 2023 is fitting: it's "September," by Earth, Wind & Fire. "September" sported a synch in the latest season of the Netflix series Virgin River. The entire fifth season premiered Sept. 7, and the 1979 Earth, Wind & Fire classic was heard in the third episode. In all, "September" received 19 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 8,000 downloads in Sept. 2023, according to Luminate. Some of its metrics are also due to annual gains for the song (No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in Feb. 1979) each September around Sept. 21, corresponding with the track's opening lyric. Gerry Rafferty's 1978 smash "Baker Street" ranks at No. 2 on the tally. It appears in the second episode (Sept. 29) of new show The Continental, from Peacock, which is a newly released spinoff of the John Wick franchise. The Continental has three tracks on the tally, with "Baker Street" followed by ZZ Top's "La Grange" at No. 5 and Tommy James and the Shondells' "Crimson and Clover" at No. 10. - Billboard, 10/12/23...... A Jimi Hendrix Experience cover of the title track of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album has been newly unearthed and released to the public for the first time. The track, which has been shared on YouTube, had its world premiere on the SiriusXM radio show Breakfast With the Beatles, which was guest hosted by former Rolling Stone editor David Fricke. "Here is the sound of the most exciting new group in the world, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, live in rock's greatest year -- and performing the opening theme song from The Beatles' Summer of Love masterpiece," Fricke said as he introduced the song. Fricke continued: "It is a pleasure and honour to play it, for the first time anywhere, on the Beatles Channel." The track serves as the lead song on the forthcoming album Jimi Hendrix Experience: Hollywood Bowl August 18, 1967, which is set for release on Nov. 10. The LP will also feature such JHE originals as "Purple Haze," "The Wind Cries Mary," "Foxey Lady" and "Fire," as well as covers of the likes of Howlin' Wolf ("Killing Floor"), Bob Dylan ("Like a Rolling Stone"), The Troggs ('Wild Thing") and Muddy Waters ("Catfish Blues"). According to legend, Beatles Paul McCartney and George Harrison were able to witness the Hendrix and his band cover their song mere days after the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in the middle of 1967. Occurring at the Saville Theatre in London on June 4, Hendrix played the song for the pair backstage on a portable record player and then opened the show with the Jimi Hendrix Experience's own dramatic interpretation. - New Musical Express, 10/13/23...... As the Queen + Adam Lambert tour hit New York's Madison Square Garden on Oct. 12, fans were treated to all manner of spectacles from frontman Adam Lambert, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. For "Bicycle Race," Lambert rose from under the stage on a shimmering chrome motorcycle (straddling a camera on its dashboard all the while); during "Killer Queen," the singer turned his back to the audience and performed directly into a vanity mirror, primping and preening at every given opportunity; and during "A Kind of Magic," May managed to conjure up sorcery of his by shooting flares out of the end of his guitar. At one point late in the show, May let the audience in on secret. "You're all in very good voice tonight. At Queen shows, we like to hear you... It's more fun when there's a bit of audience participation," he said with a cheeky smile. The crowd certainly delivered on that front -- during the band's opening number "Radio Ga Ga," audience members perfectly nailed the hands-up, double-clap choreography for the song's chorus. When "Fat Bottomed Girls" arrived at its ear-worm chorus, the audience sounded more like a choir than a group of concertgoers. And Lambert continued to facilitate that choral energy for the bridge of "Somebody to Love," letting the audience take the reins. At no point during their show did the trio pull the focus away from the spirit of their late enigmatic former frontman, Freddie Mercury. During a solo section in which May performed an acoustic version of "Love of My Life," he acknowledged that this was "Freddie's song," and that "Freddie should be singing it right now." After introducing his legendary bandmates, Lambert made sure the audience knew whose shoes he was filling on stage. "Just know that every time I take this stage, just like all of you and just like these gentlemen, we all have Freddie Mercury in our hearts," he said. But the most poignant and fitting tribute to Mercury's legacy came just moments before the band's encore, when a video of Freddie performing live appeared on the stage's scrim. Performing his famous vocal improvisation "Ay-Oh," in which he quickly runs through a series of riffs and runs while getting the audience to repeat after him, the virtual image of Mercury secured the same command over the crowd gathered in MSG as he did when he was still alive. It was simple, effective, and exactly the kind of tribute Queen fans would want to see for an icon like Mercury. - Billboard, 10/13/23...... On Oct. 12 it was revealed that Michael Jackson's leather jacket from his 1984 Pepsi commercial will be auctioned off by Propstore.com. The auction house will be selling the custom-made black and white jacket and over 200 original pieces of music memorabilia on Nov. 10 in one of the biggest ever sales of entertainment collectors' items. Bids on the late King of Pop's garment -- which has no size or manufacturer label -- will start at $100,000, but estimates predict it will fetch between $200,000 and $400,000. For the Pepsi ad filmed in New York City, Michael changed his 1983 hit single "Billie Jean"' to create a jingle referencing Pepsi's "New Generation" of customers, which co-starred a 12-year-old Alfonso Ribeiro before he found fame on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Michael starred in the commercial with his brothers from the Jackson Five and they earned a reputed $5 million -- a record fee at the time -- from PepsiCo in 1983. The jacket is being sold by Wendell Thompson who was gifted the item when he met the pop legend in 1980 aged 12. Thompson -- whose father was Jackson's hairdresser in Florida -- was given the piece of pop history in Dec. 1983 when he was visiting Orlando for the opening of the Michael Jackson room at the Hotel Royal Plaza, originally named The Royal Inn and now called B Resort Spa. Thompson's auction lot also includes the original Polaroid photo of him receiving the jacket, a hand-signed photo from Jackson, The Making of Thriller book, Making Michael Jackson's Thriller LaserDisc and Pepsi set pics. When filming a second Pepsi commercial with his siblings, Michael's hair notoriously caught fire after a pyrotechnics effect went wrong and he sustained second degree burns on his scalp. The incident has been attributed to the start of the Michael's painkiller addiction, a struggle that lasted up until his death on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50 from "acute Propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication." Make-up artist Karen Faye -- who worked with Jackson for 27 years -- testified in a later court case: "I never saw anything like that in my life. This was someone I knew and he was on fire. All his hair was gone and there was smoke coming out of his head." The auction will also include items from other music legends including John Lennon, The Beatles, David Bowie, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Oasis, AC/DC, KISS, Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, Queen, Elvis Presley and Amy Winehouse. - Music-News.com, 10/12/23...... On Oct. 13, ABBA's Agnetha Faltskog released A+, a reimagining of her solo album A. In a new interview with the UK paper The Guardian, Falkskog said at first she was "a bit suspicious" of the ABBA Voyage show, which reunites the band in digital form when it debuted in 2020. "We were working the whole of February [2020] to prepare -- it doesn't sound so much, but it was, performing the songs with all these technicians and all the things on your body. We were working really hard and I'll be totally honest, I was not so comfortable with it. But after maybe four or five days you get into it: OK, I'll go there again. Also, the music helps, because it gives us a very special feeling, and somewhere along the way I could just feel proud -- they really want to see us again." The ABBA Voyage virtual concert series is currently set to run in London into 2024, with plans reported for the experience to be taken on a world tour. - NME, 10/13/23...... Ringo Starr released a new four-song EP titled Rewind Forward on Oct. 13, which features a song written for Ringo by his former bandmate Paul McCartney. Ringo says his request to Paul to write a song for him came about during one of the pair's frequent conversations. "We were Facetiming each other -- we do that quite a bit -- and I say, 'I'm doing an EP. Write me a song.' And he said, 'OK,'" Starr told Billboard during a recent interview outside West Hollywood's famoust Sunset Marquis hotel. "And he not only wrote it, he's on bass, he's singing on it. He's all over it. He actually put his drums on it." But fans won't hear Sir Paul's drumming on the song: Starr may be the only musician in the world who could tell McCartney his contribution wasn't up to par. When asked how he rates McCartney as a drummer, Starr laughs and, without missing a beat, says, "I wiped him off completely and did it myself. It would be like me sending him a track and I'm on bass." This year also marks the 50th anniversary of "Photograph," the sweeping, nostalgic tune co-written by Starr and George Harrison that became Starr's first solo No. 1 hit in 1973. "We were on a yacht. We were at the Cannes Film Festival," Starr says of writing the song, but the details pretty much end there. "I've very little memory of whatever went on on that holiday," he says with a chuckle, before going into a sweet remembrance of working with Harrison over the years. "George was like my producer for awhile. He took care of me. He put the right chords in because I could only play three," he says. "There's a great piece of footage where I'm playing 'Octopus's Garden' and he's going [shouts] 'F!' I don't know where F is. 'G flat!' He's just shouting out these chords, laying on the settee. Look, I can play any song in the world as long as it's in C," Ringo says, laughing loudly at himself. Ringo has just wrapped the 2023 edition of his annual All-Starr Band tour, which includes such musicians as Colin Hay, Hamish Stuart and Edgar Winter. "We love it. I know the audience loves me. And I love them," Starr says. "And the band has only one rule: We're not there to be miserable. And I'll support you to the best of my ability and I expect the same from you. We do it for each other." - Billboard, 10/13/23...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney took to Instagram on Oct. 9 to mark his 12th wedding anniversary to his wife Nancy Shevell. "Happy anniversary to my lovely wife, Nancy," the 81-year-old wrote alongside a photo of him and his wife, 63. Macca added in the caption, "Let's have a great one - Paul." Fans flooded the comments section with congratulatory messages for the couple, with one fan writing, "Congrats to the happy couple. Look'in good guys," while another commented, "Happy anniversary to my favorite Beatle and his wife." McCartney and businesswoman Shevell met in 2007. They tied the knot four years later in 2011 in London. - Music-News.com, 10/10/13...... Rod Stewart has turned down what could likely have been one of the biggest paydays in his vaunted career over what he says are the repressive policies of the Saudi Arabian government. "I'm grateful that I have a choice whether or not to perform in Saudi Arabia," the "Maggie Mae" singer wrote in an Instagram message on Oct. 12. "So many citizens there have extremely limited choices -- women, the LGBTQ community, the press," Stewart continued. "I'd like my choice not to go shine a light on the injustices there and ignite positive change." It is unknown how big a payday the 78-year-old Stewart was being offered to play in the kingdom, where members of the LGBTQ+ community do not have state-recognized rights and where same-sex sexual activity is illegal and punishable by up to life imprisonment. A source close to Sir Rod said that the offer, which was never confirmed, was one of the most lucrative of rocker's career, though not the biggest he has received. - Billboard, 10/12/23...... On Oct. 10, Bruce Springsteen shared an update on his health amid his continuing battle with peptic ulcer disease. In late September, the Boss postponed the remainder of his 2023 live tour late last month due to his illness. A statement at the time explained that Springsteen had "continued to recover steadily," but said he'd been advised to "continue treatment through the rest of the year" per consultations with his doctor. On Oct. 6, Springsteen announced the rescheduled US dates with The E Street Band for 2024. During the Oct. 10 edition of his From My Home To Yours series on SiriusXM, the Jersey rocker introduced himself as "your favorite rock star with a bitch of a bellyache." "Let me take a moment and thank my fans affected by our postponed shows for their understanding," he continued. "I am deeply sorry but this belly thing, despite my ability to laugh at it, has been a monster and is still unfortunately rocking my internal world." In other Springsteen news, the star's Only the Strong Survive 2022 collection of classic R&B and soul songs is among the contenders for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for the 2024 Grammy Awards (there is no traditional R&B album category). The Traditional Pop category, long the domain of such crooners as Tony Bennett and Michael Bublé, has embraced more contemporary pop and rock artists in recent years. Winners since 2000 include Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now, Paul McCartney's Kisses on the Bottom, Elvis Costello & the Imposters' Look Now and James Taylor's American Standards. Springsteen has won Grammy album awards in three different categories -- Best Contemporary Folk Album for The Ghost of Tom Joad (1996), Best Rock Album for The Rising (2002) and best traditional folk album for We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006). First-round voting for the 66th annual Grammy Awards opened on Oct. 11 and closes Oct. 20. Nominees will be announced on Nov. 10. The final-round voting window extends from Dec. 14 through Jan. 4, 2023. Winners will be announced on Feb. 4, 2024, at Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center) in Los Angeles. - NME, 10/11/23...... On Oct. 11 Cher denied allegations that she plotted to kidnap her adult son Elijah Blue Allman in Nov. 2022. Speaking to People about the claims made last year by Allman's estranged wife, Marieangela King, in divorce documents, which alleged that the pop icon had sent four men to kidnap Allman from a New York City hotel room, Cher simply said, "That rumor is not true." The diva declined to comment further on the event described by King, but she did tell the magazine that the family matter was related to her son's substance abuse issues, which he has previously spoken about. "I'm not suffering from any problem that millions of people in the United States aren't," Cher said. "I'm a mother," she continued. "This is my job -- one way or another, to try to help my children. You do anything for your children. Whenever you can help them, you just do it because that's what being a mother is. But it's joy, even with heartache -- mostly, when you think of your children, you just smile and you love them, and you try to be there for them." Though the kidnapping plot accusations were first made in court documents filed in December, the allegations recently surfaced amid ongoing divorce proceedings between King and Allman, whose father is late rock star Greg Allman. King alleged in her filing that Cher, concerned for Elijah's well-being, hired four men to get her 47-year-old son out of the hotel where he was staying with King as the two worked to reconcile their marriage. - Billboard, 10/11/23...... Leo Sayer has been forced to cancel his scheduled UK live shows after becoming "very ill," the "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" singer revealed on Facebook on the first week of October. "I haven't posted anything publicly about this before but I couldn't fly or make the recent shows in the UK as I became very ill just before the trip," Sayer, 75, said. "I have been in hospital here for the last 3 weeks in Australia with kidney, bladder and prostrate complications. It all happened at the last moment, so it was too late to warn anyone. Many thanks to Butlins [sic] and Tony Denton for making replacement arrangements for these shows," he added. Sayer went on to apologize for having to disappoint his fans, but said "these things can happen to us 75 year olds." Sayer confirmed that he was "still in hospital" at the time, though he said he was "well on the mend." "I will take a necessary short break from activities and be back fighting for shows in 2024 -- particularly my UK and Ireland tour next autumn. Thank you everyone for all your concerns and good wishes," he concluded. Sayer released his most recent studio album, Selfie, in 2019. He recorded the LP at his home in Queensland where he lives with his wife Donatella Piccinetti, who he wed earlier in 2023. In 2022, the singer released the covers collection Northern Songs: Leo Sayer Sings The Beatles. - NME, 10/11/23...... Steely Dan has reportedly dropped out of a few of their tour dates with the Eagles due to illness. ccording to the Indy Star newspaper, Eagles principle Don Henle told the crowd at a recent concert in Indianapolis's Gainbridge Fieldhouse that Steely Dan frontman Donald Fagen had been hospitalized, before thanking fellow rocker Steve Miller for filling in at the last minute. "The show must go on," Henley reportedly said. Sheryl Crow filled in for Steely Dan at the Eagles' Denver shows earlier in October, before Miller took over in Indianapolis and the upcoming Detroit show on Oct. 13. Eagles member Vince Gill will open the Pittsburgh concert on Oct. 15 with a solo set, and Steely Dan are currently listed to return to the stage on Oct. 17. There has yet to be an official statement from the Eagles specifying Fagen's illness or recovery time. The Eagles' tour will wrap on Jan. 6 in Inglewood, Calif. - Billboard, 10/10/23...... Judas Priest surprised fans during a concert at the Power Trip Festival in Indio, Calif., on Oct. 7 by unveiling details of a new album. "Panic Attack," the first single from their long-awaited 19th studio album Invincible Shield, will drop on Oct. 13, with the new LP following on Mar. 8, 2024. The band also announced the new album on X/Twitter the following day. Invincible Shield will be Judas Priest's first album in six years and the follow-up to 2018's Firepower. - NME, 10/8/23...... Roger Waters reportedly told his audience to "f--- off" during a gig at the London Palladium on Oct. 8, prompting some fans to leave soon after. At the start of the show, Waters reportedly informed fans that it would be split into different parts. Many had turned up expecting Waters to play his new version of Dark Side of the Moon from the opening, but were surprised when instead, he began the show reading from his unpublished memoir, Dark Side Of The Moon: Memoirs Of A Lanky Prick. A report in Men's Journal noted that Waters "arrived 15 minutes late for his scheduled performance" and "instead of launching into the hits, [he] began reading off of his laptop passages from his yet-to-be-published memoir." As the audience grew disgruntled with the start of the show, Rogers reportedly told the audience to "f--- off." After that, some frustrated fans started to leave according to reports. One fan posted on X/Twitter that "I went to watch Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon remake gig last night at London Palladium with Roger Waters and I simply have no words to describe it and not in a positive way. What an egocentric narcissist he is and to think I paid good money to watch him. Lesson learnt." Waters released his re-recorded version of The Dark Side Of The Moon, The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux, on Oct. 6. - NME, 10/10/23...... Rudolph Isley, a founding member of the iconic R&B group The Isley Brothers, died on Oct. 11 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 84. After years of singing gospel in the church, Rudolph formed The Isley Brothers with his siblings Ronnie, O'Kelly and Vernon Isley in 1954 when he was just a teenager. A year later, the group temporarily disbanded after 13-year-old Vernon was killed after getting hit by a car. In 1957, the group rebanded with Ronnie as the lead vocalist, and the trio left their hometown of Cincinnati, Oh., for New York City. There, they recorded their first tracks including "Angels Cried" and "The Cow Jumped Over the Moon," and signed a deal with RCA Records in 1959. They released their first album, Shout!, that same year. The trio added their younger brothers Ernie and Marvin Isley and Rudolph's brother-in-law Chris Jasper into the band in 1971. On the Billboard charts, The Isley Brothers have charted two albums top the all-genre Billboard Hot 200 album chart: The Heat Is On in 1975 and Body Kiss in 2003. Over on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the group has six No. 1 hits, including "Fight the Power Part 1," "Take Me to the Next Phase," "I Wanna Be With You," "Don't Say Goodnight," "The Pride (Part 1)" and "It's Your Thing." Rudolph left The Isley Brothers in 1989 to pursue becoming a Christian minister. However, he has often reunited with his brothers over the years, including when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, an honor that was presented to them by Little Richard. "There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother," Rudolph's brother Ronald said in a statement. "Our family will miss him. But I know he's in a better place." - Billboard, 10/12/23.

Monday, October 9, 2023

AC/DC returned to the stage with their first concert in seven years at the Power Trip festival at Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., on Oct. 7. Reuniting with lead vocalist Brian Johnson for the first time since Sept. 2016 at the end of the "Rock or Bust" world tour, AC/DC performed a 24-song setlist, opening with "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" for the first time. The show also included performances of AC/DC classics "Highway To Hell," "Thunderstruck" and "Black In Black." The group also performed live debuts of "Demon Fire" and "Shot In The Dark" from 2020 album Power Up, and closed the show with "Let There Be Rock," "T.N.T." and "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)." Fan-shot footage from the show has been shared on YouTube. Meanwhile, AC/DC has also just launched a new limited edition whiskey with Ballantine's Scotch whiskey. The collaboration is part of the Scottish distillers' "True Music Icons" series and celebrates the band's 50th anniversary. "With AC/DC's unwavering commitment to staying true to their roots aligning with Ballantine's ethos of celebrating self-expression, it was a natural fit for the Scotch whisky to pay tribute to this iconic band in its 50th anniversary year," read a statement from the company. The whiskey bottle design features the band's thunderbolt logo in neon red -- a tribute to the Power Up LP. Ballantine's have also named a cocktail in the band's honor, the Dark and Thunderstruck, which they described as "a twist on the classic Kentucky Mule Whisky cocktail." The Oz-based headbangers have close links to Scotland, with lead guitarist Angus Youngand his late elder brother Malcolm Young being born in Glasgow and late singer Bon Scott in the town of Forfar. - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 10/9/23...... The YouTube channel of the MTV show Catfished revealed on Oct. 4 that an impersonator of Bee Gees frontman Barry Gibb scammed a woman out of her retirement money. The woman, named Wanda, reportedly believed she was in a relationship with the singer, despite Gibb being married to wife Linda Gray since 1970. The romance began when Wanda was browsing one of the fake Gibb's web pages, where a button said she could message him. Though she was suspicious at first -- the impersonator turned down a FaceTime offer, claiming a fan tried to blackmail him through video before -- Wanda was eventually charmed by the fraud. "It started getting really intimate, and we started really chatting and talking about visiting and stuff like that," she said. Wanda also questioned his decades-long marriage to Gray; in response, the person pretending to be Barry Gibb said he was leaving his wife for her. He additionally requested Wanda to search for houses in Oregon that they could live in together. The fraud referred her to a man posing as an Oregon realtor named Aaron Williams, who was sent a total of over $11,000 by Wanda from her retirement fund. The fake Barry also claimed he couldn't access his money and didn't want people to know about his relationship with Wanda just yet. The pair had fans donate a total of $20,000 to an account that Wanda could access and transfer money to the scammer, who claimed it would help get through the divorce. Despite the supposed Gibb refusing to voice or video call Wanda, she believed he was the real Barry Gibb as he continuously assured her they would meet in person. She also said her "gut feeling" led her to believe it was actually him. Eventually, Gibb's verified Facebook page had posted a warning written by the singer's son, Stephen Gibb: "I am posting on his behalf today as it seems there are several profiles pretending to be Dad on Facebook and other social media platforms. Please report and block these scam artists to the platform," the post read. When Wanda confronted "Barry Gibb" about the post, he responded: "Babe, doubts ruin a relationship." Catfished convinced Wanda to cease money transfers to the scammer. Reaching out to the real Aaron Williams, they proved that the house Wanda and Gibb were supposedly going to live in together was not only still on the market, but that no payments had been received. The show also tracked the location of the supposed Aaron Williams to be in Lagos, Nigeria. Wanda has since blocked the fake accounts of Barry Gibb and Aaron Williams, and she is changing her bank information. Wanda was also shown recent footage of Gibb and Gray at their 50th anniversary to prove they were still married. They added: "The next step is for her to file a police report and we are turning everything we were able to find out over to the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission)." In other Bee Gees news, a biopic of the Gibb brothers was announced back in 2020 with Bradley Cooper rumoured to be interested in the titular role. Barry is the sole surviving member of the Bee Gees following the deaths of his brothers Maurice Gibb in 2003 and Robin Gibb in 2012. - NME, 10/6/23...... Queen + Adam Lambert kicked off their 2023 "Rhapsody" tour on Oct. 4 at the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore by opening with a timely song named "Machines (Or 'Back to Humans)," then launching into "Radio Ga Ga, followed by "Hammer to Fall" and "Another One Bites The Dust." Queen launched the Rhapsody tour in 2019, ant brought it to the UK, Ireland and Europe in 2022. The 25-song setlist also included such Queen classics as "I Want to Break Free," "Killer Queen," "Somebody To Love," "Don't Stop Me Now," "We are the Champions," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and more. Elsewhere in the set, Queen drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May took over lead vocal duties from Adam Lambert on a few tracks. Taylor sang "I'm In Love With My Car," a song he penned for 1975's A Night at the Opera, as well as singing co-vocals with Lambert on "Under Pressure." May took over "Love Of My Life" and "39'." After another show in Toronto on Oct. 8, Queen next visits Detroit (10/10), New York's Madison Square Garden (10/12, 13), Boston's TD Garden (10/15, 16), Philadelphia (10/18) and five other U.S. cities on October. In November, the band plays Dallas, Denver and San Francisco before wrapping in L.A. with two nights on Nov. 11 and 12. Fan shot footage of the Baltimore gig can be viewed on X/Twitter. - NME, 10/6/23...... On Oct. 6 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band rescheduled dates from their postponed 2023 to early 2024 as frontman Springsteen continues to recover for peptic ulcer disease. The tour will now reboot on Mar. 19 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix (a make-up for a show originally scheduled for Nov. 30), followed by a Mar. 25 show at San Diego's Pechanga Arena through a Sept. 13 show at Baltimore's Oriole Park. All tickets for postponed shows will be valid for the newly announced dates, with fans encouraged to reach out to the ticketing company for each date about refunds. New dates for the Canadian shows will be announced in the near future. Peptic ulcer disease is fairly common, though painful, gastrointestinal condition that can cause severe abdominal pain as a result of an imbalance in the protective lining of the stomach. "Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor's advice," read a statement released on Sept. 27 announcing the push of all 2023 dates to 2024. - Billboard, 10/6/23...... On Oct. 6 Cher released the first single from her upcoming first-ever Christmas album, Christmas, due on Oct. 20 via Warner. "DJ Play a Christmas Song" was written by Sara Hudson (Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Troye Sivan) an her team, and has been shared on YouTube. Featuring contributions from the likes of Stevie Wonder ("What Christmas Means to Me"), Michael Bublé ("Home"), Cyndi Lauper ("Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart"), Tyga ("Drop Top Sleigh Ride") and Darlene Love ("Christmas, Baby Please Come Home"), Christmas is Cher's follow-up to her hit 2018 album, Dancing Queen. "I never say this about my own records but I'm really proud of this one. It is one of the most amazing highlights of my career," Cher says. "They're not 'Christmas Christmas' songs, OK, they're just great songs. And I never say that because I almost never like what I do. But I mean people love it and I'm happy. I'm so particular, but I love the songs and everyone who hears them loves them," she adds. - NME, 10/6/23...... Legendary NYC punk godfathers The Ramones have been channeled by the pop-punk trio Blink-182 in a video for their new single "Dance With Me" that dropped on Oct. 5. In the video which has been shared on YouTube, Blink-182's Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker dress up in their finest Ramones-appropriate shag wigs, sunglasses and leather jackets and offer sincerely annoyed answers before busting into a cover of the Ramones' chaotic song "Sedated." "The video serves as a love letter to the Ramones and finds the guys paying homage to one of their favorite iconic bands that came before them," reads a description of the visual that opens with a clueless interviewer introducing the band and then asking, "What the hell is punk? And is it punk that I said 'hell'?" A second set-up re-creates the legendarily grimy interior of the Ramones' musical mecca, New York's late lamented CBGB punk club, with drummer Travis Barker smashing his kit in front of a wall of graffiti and band posters while wearing a "Disco Sucks" t-shirt. The 17-song effort One More Time, produced by Barker, is Blink-182's first album by the core trio in 11 years, and is due out on Oct. 20. - Billboard, 10/5/23...... In a new episode of The Osbournes Podcast on Oct. 5, Sharon Osbourne revealed that she is opening a museum showcasing her husband Ozzy Osbourne in Ozzy's hometown of Birmingham, UK. Sharon said that the planned "memorabilia place" will feature both a music-education section and a café. "He's having all of his awards [in the museum], all his stage clothes, posters, old posters from [the pre-Sabbath band] Earth Days, I've got so much memorabilia," she told the couple's son, Jack Osbourne. Sharon continued: "We're gonna do it totally interactive -- every video, every live show of your dad's, everything there. It's more of an educational thing for musicians and artists that want to see that you can come from nothing, and if you work hard enough this is what you can get. We're going to have a café, and in there we're going to have every instrument you can think of. Music students can come in and we're gonna do music classes, because there's no music at schools anymore. We're gonna get friends, other musicians to come in." Jack asked Sharon if it would be like a "School of Rock kind of thing?" to which Sharon replied: "Yes." The full episode can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 10/5/23...... Pink Floyd's David Gilmour has continued his long running feud with his former bandmate, Roger Waters, by sharing a documentary detailing instances of alleged anti-Semitism from the latter. Taking to X/Twitter on Oct. 5, Gilmour retweeted a post about a documentary titled The Dark Side Of Roger Waters, originally published by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which produced the project. The clip shared by Gilmour sees two of Waters' former collaborators recall their experiences working with the musician, and the instances where they reportedly saw him make anti-Semitic comments. The first of which was from Waters' former saxophonist Nortber Statchel, who told the BBC about a time when the Pink Floyd musician allegedly imitated a stereotypically poor Polish woman as a reference to his Jewish ancestors. He also recalled another instance where the bassist expressed outrage at a restaurant serving "Jew food." The second of the former collaborators featured in the video was Bob Ezrin, the music producer who helped helm the band's 1979 album The Wall. In the clip, Erzin recalled Waters' speaking about the band's then-manager, Bryan Morrison, and claims that he described Morrison as a "f---ing Jew." Although Gilmour did not provide a comment when sharing the promotional video, the guitarist has spoken openly about the accusations in the past. Earlier in 2023, his wife, Polly Samson, claimed that Waters was "antisemitic to [his] rotten core," as well as "a [Vladimir] Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac." Gilmour reposted that tweet as well, and told his followers that his spouse's claims were "demonstrably true." Waters himself issued a statement in response to Samson's comments, saying he "refutes [them] entirely" and that they are "incendiary and wildly inaccurate." Waters also said he was "taking advice as to his position" regarding Samson's claims. Waters will release The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux, his full-length reimagining of the band's iconic 1973 album, later in October to celebrate its 50th anniversary.The band is also celebrating the milestone anniversary by releasing a brand new 30-minute YouTube-exclusive film entitled Eclipse which documents the Apr. 2023 Australian eclipse. On Thursday 20 April 2023, the shadow of the moon grazed the tip of Western Australia, as it travelled over one of the world's most beautiful areas -- the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park in Exmouth. Overseen by the group's long time Creative Consultant and Hipgnosis co-founder, Aubrey "Po" Powell, Pink Floyd gave eight Australian fans (named The Astronome Domine Eight) the exclusive opportunity to visit the special scenic location within the region to hear the Dark Side LP in its entirety. The album's soaring epic final song "Eclipse"' (with the closing lines "But the sun is eclipsed by the moon") was timed to align with the exact moment of total eclipse. Pink Floyd's stand-alone release of the newly remastered Dark Side on CD, LP and Blu-ray will also be available on Oct. 13. - NME/Music-News.com, 10/5/23...... On Oct. 4 the Eagles announced the dates for their swansong "The Long Goodbye" tour. The trek will feature fellow Rock and Roll Hall of famers Steely Dan as openers for the tour, which is slated to kick off Sept. 7, 2024 with two-night stand at New York's Madison Square Garden, then hit Boston (9/11, 13), Newark, NJ (9/16, 17) and Belmont Park, NY's UBS Arena on Sept. 20. The 23-date/15-city tour also visits such major markets as Denver, Indianapolis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Raleigh and St. Paul, Minn. before wrapping with two nights at Inglewood, Calif.'s Kia Forum on Jan. 5 and 6, 2025. "The Eagles have had a miraculous 52-year odyssey, performing for people all over the globe; keeping the music alive in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds," read a statement from the group. "Credit and thanks go to our longtime management team, our dedicated road crew, and our exceptional backup musicians for providing skilled and steadfast support, throughout these many years. We know how fortunate we are, and we are truly grateful." - Billboard, 10/4/23...... Paul McCartney launched his new A Life in Lyrics podcast on Oct. 4 with the first episode breaking down the creation of the Beatles' 1966 classic "Eleanor Rigby." In episode one Sir Pual explains where the title for the song came from, sharing that the name for the song came from a grave that he and his late bandmate John Lennon saw. "There is a grave which John and I wandered around endlessly talking about our future," he recalled in the podcast. "And there is a grave there [with the name Eleanor Rigby]. I don't remember ever having seeing that gravestone but it's been suggested to me that psychologically I would have seen it." He also shared where the famous lyric "wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door" originated from, attributing the words to his mother and her love and use of Nivea cold cream. "My mum's favourite was Nivea and I love it to this day. It kind of scared me a little that women used quite so much cold cream, and it was my dread, when I got older and got married, that I would marry someone who would [wear a lot of cold cream] and put one of those big shower caps on and the curlers and have masses of things. So that played on my mind quite a bit, so she's wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door," he said. McCartney: A Life In Lyrics, based on McCartney's best-selling book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present was co-produced by Pushkin Industries and iHeartPodcasts. Superfans can binge all of the first season immediately with a Pushkin+ subscription. A new episode will come out every week, and Season 2 will follow with an additional 12 episodes set for release in February of 2024. In other Beatles-related news, Ringo Starr has recently said that the "final" Beatles song -- which has been made with help from artificial intelligence (AI) -- "should have been out already." Speaking to AP News, Starr said when asked when fans can expect to hear the track or find out the title, he responded: "It should've been out already." "Can't say too much at this stage but to be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created," Paul McCartney said in a June 22 tweet. "It's all real and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings -- a process which has gone on for years. No one is more excited than us to be sharing something with you later in the year," he added. - NME, 10/4/23...... Mick Jagger announced on Oct. 5 that he's releasing a second collection of his harmonical line after the first offering of mouth harps flew off the shelves earlier in 2023, selling out within a month. The 80-year-old Rolling Stones frontman, who plays the harmonica on the likes of the Stones tracks "Midnight Rambler" and "Gimme Shelter," is releasing a "Mick Jagger Series: Edition Two" as part of his continuing partnership with Whynow Music and Lee Oskar, the original harmonica player for rock-fusion legends War and who started manufacturing his own harmonicas in 1983."I was blown away by the response to our first range of harmonicas!," Sir Mick said is a statement. I hope everyone has enjoyed playing their harps, and that more people are falling in love with my favourite instrument. With artists like Little Nas X and Kendrick Lamar using it in their music today, I'm confident that the harmonica will be gracing stages around the world for a long time to come," he added. The harmonica design, which includes a Mick Jagger logo in black on a striking red harp, can be purchased on Jagger's official website. - Music-News.com, 10/5/23...... The Exorcist: Believer, the latest in the demonic franchise based on the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, took possession of the US box office on the first weekend of October by bringing in $27.2 million in its opening weekend for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions, according to studio estimates released on Oct. 8. Facing competition from no major new releases, The Exorcist: Believer took in a bigger weekend box office than the next three films combined. But while it nearly earned back its reported budget of $30 million in just a few days, its take was underwhelming after the two companies paid $400 million in 2021 for the rights to a new trilogy. The new Exorcist was released just shy of the 50th anniversary of the original horror classic, and it comes just two months after the death of the original film's director, William Friedkin. Directed by David Gordon Green, who has become a legacy sequel specialist after helming a trilogy of Halloween films, The Exorcist: Believer stars "Hamilton" actor Leslie Odom Jr., withLidya Jewett as his 13-year-old daughter, taking on the role of the demonically possessed girl played by Linda Blair in the original. The new film has garnered unfavorable reviews -- managing a critics score of just 23% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewer Jake Coyle of the AP was more charitable than most, giving it two stars out of four for its lead performances and sure-handed direction but saying it "never manages anything like the deep terror of the original." The release of the film was moved up a week to avoid competing with the juggernaut of Taylor Swift's new concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. - AP, 10/8/23...... Grammy-winning record producer and manager Ron Haffkine, known for his work with '70s and '80s hitmakers Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, died at his home in Mexico on Oct. 1 after a brief bout with leukemia and kidney failure. He was 84. Mr. Haffkine was instrumental in getting Dr. Hook signed by Clive Davis at Columbia Records in the 1970s, and the band led by Dennis Locorriere and the eyepatch-wearing Ray Sawyer, would compile a string of hits that included "Sylvia's Mother," "Cover of the Rolling Stone," "Sharing the Night Together," "When You're in Love With a Beautiful Woman," "Sexy Eyes," "Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk" and "A Little Bit More." Mr. Haffkine produced 10 Dr. Hook studio albums and two live albums and also worked with the likes of Waylon Jennings, Lou Rawls, Mac Davis and Helen Reddy. He often collaborated with singer, songwriter and poet Shel Silverstein, and won a Grammy Award in 1985 for producing Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends and received another Grammy nom two years later for his work on another Silverstein children's album, A Light in the Attic. Born in New York on Dec. 13, 1938, Mr. Haffkine contracted polio when he was 12, leaving him paralyzed for two years. Later, he and Silverstein became friends in Greenwich Village. Mr. Haffkine and his wife of 37 years, Sydney, moved to Mexico several years ago. She survives him. - Billboard, 10/6/23...... Legendary NFL linebacker Dick Butkus, perhaps the greatest player to ever suit up in that position, died "peacefully in his sleep" at his home in Malibu, Calif., on Oct. 5. He was 80. Mr. Butkus patrolled the middle for the Chicago Bears' "Monsters of the Midway" for nine seasons -- from 1965 to 1974 -- stuffing the stat sheet and striking fear into the hearts of opponents in the process. A five-time first team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Mr. Butkus was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-1960s and All-1970s teams and was inducted as a player in 1979. He was a Chicago legend through-and-through -- born in the Windy City and becoming a college football legend at Illinois before he was selected by the Bears with the third overall pick in the 1965 NFL draft. His impact was immediate as he intercepted five passes and recorded seven fumble recoveries, both career highs, while earning his first All-Pro honor, and continued to shine from there. Mr. Butkus retired in May 1974 after nine seasons, hastened by a 1970 knee injury, finishing his career with 22 interceptions and 27 fumble recoveries. Mr. Butkus went on to appear in a number of movies and TV shows following his retirement, including the motion picture Any Given Sunday and most notably on NBC sitcoms Hang Time and My Two Dads. "Dick Butkus was a fierce and passionate competitor who helped define the linebacker position as one of the NFL's all-time greats," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "Dick's intuition, toughness and athleticism made him the model linebacker whose name will forever be linked to the position and the Chicago Bears." In 1985 the Butkus Award was established, honoring the top linebacker in college football. Since 2008, Mr. Butkus' foundation has overseen the award, with the best high school and NFL linebackers also honored. A moment of silence was held for Mr. Butkus before the Oct. 5 game between the Washington Commanders and the Bears. - USA Today, 10/6/23.

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

AC/DC announced in an Instagram post on Oct. 3 that they'll be opening up a pop-up dive bar in celebration of their headlining gig at the upcoming Power Trip festival, set for Oct. 6-8 in Indio, Calif. Located near the festival grounds at 82971 Bliss Ave., the bar will open every day from Oct. 5-8 from 11:00 am PST until 10:00 pm PST. The bar is "the ultimate way to connect and plug in with fellow AC/DC fans over the weekend and check out iconic AC/DC props and exclusive merch," their post reads. AC/DC's headlining set at Power Trip will mark their first live performance in seven years. The first day (Oct. 6) will be headlined by Guns N' Roses and Iron Maiden, with AC/DC and Judas Preist headlining the second night. Things then wrap up on Oct. 8 with sets from Metallica and Tool. - New Musical Express, 10/4/23...... Ringo Starr took a tumble onstage on Sept. 20 during a gig at Albuquerque, N.M.'s Rio Rancho Events Center while making his way back onstage during the band's encore performance of John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band's "Give Peace A Chance." Starr, 83, quickly got to his feet after the fall and joined his band to sing the chorus. There were no later reports of any injuries suffered. Moments after the fall, Starr cracked a joke about the mishap. "I fell over just to tell you that, thank you," he said. - NME, 9/30/23...... In a recent interview with Vulture.com, Stevie Nicks says "there's no reason" to continue on with Fleetwood Mac after the November 2022 death of Fleetwood Mac keyboardist/singer Christine McVie. "We did go out on the road and do a year-and-a-half tour with [Lindsey Buckingham replacements] Neil Finn and Mike Campbell," Nicks said. "We had a really great time and it was a huge tour. That was there in the realm of possibility. But when Christine died, I felt like you can't replace her. You just can't. Without her, what is it? You know what I mean?" Nicks is currently in the midst of a solo tour as well as a co-headlining tour with Billy Joel, and recently unveiled her very own Barbie Music Collector doll from Mattel. Decked out in a Rumours-esque black outfit and feathered '70s hair, the doll will be released in November. "My Stevie @Barbie has been with me now for several months," Nicks later posted on X/Twitter. "When Mattel came to me asking if I would like to have a Barbie made in the Rumours" cover style I was very overwhelmed. Of course I questioned 'would she look like me? Would she have my spirit? Would she have my heart'." The doll retails for $55 and is available for pre-order at Amazon, Target and Walmart while supplies last. Meanwhile, Nicks has once again spoken of her love for the Fleetwood Mac-based Amazon Prime series Daisy Jones & The Six." It was the kind of snappy sarcasm between Daisy and Billy, who in my mind was like me and Lindsey [Buckingham]," Nicks told Vulture.com. "It was the back-and-forth between the two of them. It was so good. It was so real and it was really so right on." She continued: "I would be watching and be like, Well, there you go. That's exactly why we did it. That's exactly why Fleetwood Mac stayed together for 50 years. It was all for the music. It was all just to keep the music going, and the show got it." Asked whether she enjoyed the original music featured in Daisy Jones, given the parallels with Rumours, Nicks replied: "My favorite is the one that goes, 'We could make a good thing bad'," referring to "Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)," which can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard/NME, 10/3/23...... The trailer for the new Sofia Coppola-directed Priscilla Presley biopic Priscilla was shared on YouTube on Oct. 3. It begins with a young Priscilla at a diner drinking a soda. A member of the army comes up to her and asks, "Hi, what's your name?" to which she replies, "Priscilla Beaulieu." The man then asks her if she enjoys Elvis Presley's music, and Priscilla's answer was a simple one. "Of course. Who doesn't?" The trailer then cuts to brief moments from Elvis' courtship of Priscilla, from them flirting with each other at a party and going to the movies, to eventually meeting the parents in between army deployments. Rising actors Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi play Priscilla and Elvis in the film, which the actual Priscilla Presley has said did an accurate job at representing her life and emotions during her time with the King of Rock n' Roll. "Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, we spoke a couple of times and I really put everything out for her that I could," Presley said in September during the film's world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. Priscilla arrives in U.S. theaters on Nov. 3. - Billboard, 10/3/23...... UK fans of R&B/soul legend Gladys Knight will have one final chance to catch the "Empress of Soul" next summer when she embarks on a seven date tour of the UK. Dates include Glasgow (6/24), Birmingham (6/25), London (6/27), Swansea (6/29), Bournemouth (6/30) and Nottingham (7/2) before wrapping in Southend on July 3. Opening for the 79-year-old "Midnight Train to Georgia" singer will be Mica Miller, 33, one of the UK's most critically acclaimed modern soul stars. In addition to her catalog of classics, Knight is also set to play new material from her latest album Where My Heart Belongs. - Music-News.com, 10/3/23...... The legendary 1985 Live Aid charity mega-concert featuring such top rock stars as Queen, U2, David Bowie and Paul McCartney is being made into a musical that will be staged in London in 2024, it was announced on Oct. 2. Titled "Just For One Day," the production has received the blessing of Live Aid organizer and former The Boomtown Rats frontman Sir Bob Geldof, who told BBC News that no actors will be trying to imitate the original performers. "This isn't a tribute thing. I wouldn't have anything to do with that," he said. "So, there isn't a person dressed up as Freddie [Mercury] wearing a crap moustache. The songs drive the drama along." The plot of "Just For One Day," named after a line in Bowie's song 'Heroes', will balance a behind-the-scenes look at how Band Aid and Live Aid came together, with a love story inspired by real events. "The story is based on actual testimony from the day," Geldof noted. "It's real people telling their story throughout this. So it's complex theatre." "Just For One Day" has been green-lit with the full permission of the Band Aid Charitable Trust, which will receive 10% of every ticket sale. John O'Farrell, who wrote the "Mrs Doubtfire" musical, originally conceived the play with musical director Luke Sheppard. Live Aid, held on July 13, 1985 to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia, was attended by about 72,000 people at London's Wembley stadium, and, simultaneously more than 89,000 people at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, US. An estimated 1.9 billion people from across 130 countries watched the TV broadcast. - NME, 10/2/23...... It appears the years-long copyright battle against contemporary pop star Ed Sheeran over whether he copied his hit "Thinking Out Loud" from Marvin Gaye's iconic No. 1 '70s single "Let's Get It On" isn't over just yet. Although one of Sheeran's accusers dropped their case in September, a separate set of plaintiffs filed their opening salvo at a federal appeals court on Sept. 29, setting the stage for years more litigation and a ruling that could revive the case against the rising pop star. Sheeran was first sued over "Thinking" by the daughter of Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the famed 1973 tune with Gaye. It was that long-running case that culminated in a May jury verdict that cleared Sheeran of any wrongdoing. Then more recently Kathryn Griffin Townsend's lawyers dropped their efforts to overturn that verdict, ending that leg of the legal battle. But Sheeran has long faced a separate, closely related case filed by an entity called Structured Asset Sales (owned by industry executive David Pullman) that controls a different one-third stake in Townsend's copyrights. In May, weeks after the big jury verdict, a federal judge tossed out that case, too, ruling that it was seeking an "impermissible monopoly over a basic musical building block." Unlike Griffin, however, Structured Asset Sales seems ready for a long appellate battle. In their opening brief at the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit, Structure Asset Sales' lawyers cited a wide range of supposed errors by Judge Louis Stanton in that May ruling dismissing the case, including his decision about "musical building blocks." But they mostly focused on what they said was a far more basic error: that Judge Stanton refused to let them cite the famous recorded version of "Let's Get It On" in making their case. Instead, the judge ruled that Structured Asset Sales owned only the rights to a "deposit copy" -- the basic notation filed at the Copyright Office decades ago to secure a copyright registration. That erroneous holding, the company's lawyers said, "severely" limited their rights and unfairly hurt their ability to win the case. Sheeran's legal team will file their own appellate brief in the months to come. - Billboard, 10/2/23...... Peter Gabriel has shared a song he co-conceived with Skrillex, "This Is Home" (Dark Side Mix) on YouTube. In a statement, the former Genesis frontman noted that "I'd had a call from Skrillex, who's a very talented musician, and I thought it would be interesting to see what he had in mind, so he came to my home studio and we sat down and talked and tried to evolve bits and pieces and it was mainly for this song. He was trying to encourage me to write a song about staying up all night in a night club and that sort of thing, but that's not really my life so I made it more about family and home and I like it. Though we took the song in this other direction it was an interesting experience nonetheless, and I think it is good for me to be taken outside my normal comfort zone sometimes." "This Is Home" will also be featured on Gabriel's long-awaited, upcoming solo effort i/o, due out sometime in 2023. Gabriel is currently on tour in the US through Oct. 21. - Billboard, 10/2/23...... Roger Waters has released a statement hitting back at a new documentary titled The Dark Side of Roger Waters that makes him out to be anti-Semitic. Waters mentions that the filmmakers, who are sponsored by the UK-based advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism, approached him for comment before releasing the film, but he declined. Now, however, he has given his verdict on it in a lengthy post on his RogerWaters.com website. "All my life I have used the platform my career has given me to support causes I believe in. I passionately believe in Universal Human Rights," he began. "I have always worked to make the world a better, more just and more equitable place for all my brothers and sisters, all over the world, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or nationality, from indigenous peoples threatened by the US oil industry to Iranian women protesting for their rights. That is why I am active in the non-violent protest movement against the Israeli government's illegal occupation of Palestine and its egregious treatment of Palestinians. Those who wish to conflate that position with anti-Semitism do a great disservice to us all. Truth is, I'm frequently mouthy and prone to irreverence, I can't recall what I said 13 or more years ago. I've worked closely for many years with many Jewish people, musicians and others." He continued: "If I have upset the two individuals who appear in the film I'm sorry for that. But I can say with certainty that I am not, and have never been, an anti-Semite -- as anyone who really knows me will testify. I know the Jewish people to be a diverse, interesting, and complicated bunch, just like the rest of humanity. Many are allies in the fight for equality and justice, in Israel, Palestine and around the world." He closed by saying, "In summary, the film is a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda that indiscriminately mixes things I'm alleged to have said or done at different times and in different contexts, in an effort to portray me as an anti-Semite, without any foundation in fact." The filmmakers are yet to respond to Waters' statement. - NME, 10/1/23...... The Who's classic 1971 set Who's Next has returned to Billboard Top Album Sales chart dated Sept. 30 following its expanded deluxe reissue on Sept. 15 across an array of formats, many containing a hefty number of bonus tracks. Who's Next re-entered the tally at No. 8. The album was first released in 1971 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 200 and spun off two Hot 100-charting singles in "Won't Get Fooled Again" (No. 15 peak) and "Behind Blue Eyes" (No. 34). The set also houses the rock radio staple "Baba O'Riley." The sales of the Who's Next reissue was bolstered by its availability in multiple configurations. On the low end is the base original 9-track album remastered on CD, vinyl and digital download, up through a lavish $257 Super Deluxe Edition boxed set with 10 CDs, a Blu-Ray Audio disc, a 100-page hard back book, posters and other merchandise. - Billboard, 9/29/23...... Neil Young has lost untold millions of dollars over his career in potential ad sales and endorsement deals. But as an artist who's always clearly voiced his principals and stood by them, he's long made it clear money is not his first priority. A new analysis by Billboard has determined the "Heart of Gold" singer has missed out on about $16,000 in royalties each month since he first pulled his songs from Spotify.com in January 2022. At the time, Young blamed Joe Rogan and his Spotify-exclusive podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, for spreading "fake information about vaccines" and putting the public's health at risk. Spotify acquiesced a few days later and removed Young's catalog from its platform. Young's open letter and demand for removal from Spotify attracted worldwide media attention and caused a brief spike in streams, but his departure from the platform created an immediate decline in his average stream rate -- and it hasn't rebounded since, according to Luminate data. From 2021 to Sept. 21, 2023, Young's average weekly global on-demand audio streams declined 32% from 10.5 million to 7.1 million. The actual loss is deeper considering that weekly on-demand audio streams in the U.S., Young's largest market, increased 25% over that period. Another place you won't see Young's music is advertisements, given he's famously opposed to using his music to sell products and advertise corporate brands. Young encapsulated his distaste for putting music in advertisements in his 1989 song "This Note's For You" a take on a Budweiser ad slogan from the era, "This Bud's For You." "Ain't singing' for Pepsi, ain't singing for Coke," Young sang in the album's title track. "I don't sing for nobody, makes me look like a joke." The song's video stirred up controversy -- and was initially banned from MTV -- for its mocking depiction of a 1984 Pepsi commercial shoot during which pyrotechnics set Michael Jackson's hair caught fire. - Billboard, 9/29/23...... Aerosmith announced on Sept. 29 that they're postponing the remainder of their farewell tour, due to frontman Steven Tyler's vocal chord injury. "Unfortunately, Steven's vocal injury is more serious than initially thought," the band posted to Instagram. "His doctor has confirmed that in addition to the damage to his vocal cords, he fractured his larynx which requires ongoing care. He is receiving the best medical treatment available to ensure his recovery is swift, but given the nature of a fracture, he is being told patience is essential." As a result, the band noted that the current dates for the Peace Out tour will be postponed to "sometime in 2024," with the new dates being announced at some point soon. In his own statement, Tyler said he was "heartbroken to not be out there with Aerosmith, my brothers and the incredible Black Crowes, rocking with the best fans in the world. I promise we will be back as soon as we can." The news comes just a few weeks after Aerosmith postponed six shows as a result of the injury to the 75-year-old rocker's vocal chords. - Billboard, 9/29/23...... Alice Cooper has told Rock Candy magazine that has no plans to retire like his peers in KISS and Aerosmith, and insists that if Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger, 80, "can do it, so can I". "A farewell tour hasn't crossed my mind at all," said Cooper, 75. "And it's weird, because all my friends are retiring. Gene Simmons said to me recently, 'Look, I'm done. Come December, it's over.' And I go, 'Well, you know, these farewell tours go on for years and years now, right?' But Gene was very serious and said, 'Not this time. I promise you that come December, Kiss as we know it is absolutely done.' The guys in Aerosmith are saying the same thing, as are many other bands from my era. But none of that occurs to me. It's never been a thought that I'd retire. I feel great, and the band sounds great. I'm 75, but I'll be up there at 90 if I'm still in good enough shape. I'm looking at Mick Jagger as the prototype. Mick still does three-hour shows and the soundcheck. So if Mick can do it, so can I." The "I'm Eighteen" hitmaker -- who released his 22nd solo album and 29th album overall, Road, in August -- previously insisted the word "retirement" "doesn't exist" in his "vocabulary." Alice has enjoyed decades of success but is showing no signs of slowing down with two touring bands: his own band and the Hollywood Vampires with movie legend Johnny Depp and Aerosmith's Joe Perry. - Music-News.com, 10/2/23...... On Sept. 29 Bruce Springsteen shared a new single, "Addicted to Romance," which was co-produced and orchestrated by The National's Bryce Dessner. The track was recorded for the soundtrack of the new Rebecca Miller film She Came To Me and also features vocals from his wife and E Street Band member Patti Scialfa. "As a lifelong Bruce fan, along with my bandmates, he is one of our biggest influences, it was a dream to work on this song with Bruce, and he was incredibly generous and open to my ideas and contributions," Dressner told Spin magazine. She Came To Me stars Peter Dinklage as a composer married to Anne Hathaway, who has an affair with Marisa Tomei while he's attempting to deal with writer's block. "Addicted to Romance" has been shared on YouTube. Springsteen recently was forced to postpone all his remaining 2023 tour dates citing his continuing battle with peptic ulcer disease. - NME, 9/29/23...... A massive 55-song Tina Turner compilation titled Queen of Rock 'N' Roll will drop via Rhino Records on Nov. 24. The set showcases Turner's solo-billed singles from 1975 through 2020, including such Top 40 charting hits as "What's Love Got To Do With It" (a No. 1 from 1984), "The Best" and "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)." Included on the collection is a reworked version of Turner's "Something Beautiful Remains," retitled to "Something Beautiful." It was remixed by Turner's longtime collaborator Terry Britten, who co-wrote and produced the original version of the song, released in 1996. The Queen of Rock 'N' Roll collection will be released via streaming services and as a five-vinyl LP box, a three-CD package, and a digital download album. An abbreviated 12-song version of the collection will simultaneously be issued on a single vinyl LP. All iterations of the album will include a foreword written by Tina's 1985 "It's Only Love" duet partner Bryan Adams. Turner passed away on May 24 at age 83. - Billboard, 9/29/23...... Cher has been accused of allegedly hiring four men to kidnap her own adult son with the late Gregg Allman -- Elijah Blue Allman -- as a way to halt him from seeing his then-estranged wife. Back in 2021, Elijah Blue had filed for a divorce from his then-wife, Marie Angela King. Allegedly, the pair had reconnected for 12 days in November 2022. In newly revealed court documents, King has claimed that on November 30, the night of their wedding anniversary, four men reportedly entered the couple's New York hotel room and abducted Allman. The allegations of the case were outlined in a court declaration that was then signed by King on Dec. 4 in the Los Angeles Superior Court. The documents were recently made public as part of the couple's ongoing divorce case. Allman first filed for divorce back in 2021. "I did so on the belief that my support payments would be timely, and I would be able to afford housing," King said in the documents. "I was not allowed to retrieve all my belongings from our primary home and residence, nor was I given the opportunity to inventory our assets." The couple's next court date is slated for Oct. 27 in Los Angeles. Allman has been open about his struggle with drug addiction and has publicly discussed his issues with addiction before, revealing that he first began using as a preteen. As the Daily Mail reported, after the alleged kidnapping, Allman stayed at the Chateau Marmont under the eye of a caretaker who was hired by Cher. Cher is yet to comment on the proceedings and allegations. In early September, Elijah Blue was escorted by police to a rehabilitation facility after hotel staff found his caretaker's "lifeless body, lying face down on the pavement leading to the hotel entrance with his arms by his side." - NME, 9/28/23...... ABBA's Agnetha Faltskog and Gary Barlow have reunited on a modern version of their 2013 duet "I Should've Followed You Home." The Swedish pop star and the Take That frontman originally released the song for Agnetha's solo album A, which has been reimagined for her new release A+. The pair went on to perform the song on the benefit telethon BBC Children In Need. "I have such happy memories with this song, and my first meeting with Gary! I love this duet and the new version is even better!!!," Faltskog said. The duet follows the release of Agnetha's first new solo music in 10 years, "Where Do We Go From Here?," which she released on Aug. 31 and also features on A+. A+ will be available via BMG on Oct. 13. - Music-News.com, 9/28/23...... In the new Joan Baez documentary I Am a Noise, the 82-year-old singer, whose high, ringing voice was the most beautiful sound to come out of the '60s folk revival, looks back on her life with wise, rueful humor (yes, Bob Dylan broke her heart). But she goes further, bravely exploring the darkest recesses of her childhood. Joan Baez: I Am a Noise is in limited release in U.S. theaters beginning Oct. 6. - People, 10/9/23...... U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a centrist Democrat and champion of liberal causes who was elected to the Senate in 1992, died on Sept. 28 at her home in Washington, D.C. She was 90. Ms. Feinstein, the oldest sitting U.S. senator, broke gender barriers throughout her long career in local and national politics, and was a passionate advocate for liberal priorities important to her state -- including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control -- but was also known as a pragmatic lawmaker wo reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground. Ms. Feinstein was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969 and became its first female president in 1978, the year SF Mayor George Moscone was gunned down alongside Supervisor Harvey Milk, a local champion of gay rights, at City Hall by Dan White, a disgruntled former supervisor. Ms. Feinstein found Milk's body. After Moscone's death, Ms. Feinstein became San Francisco's first female mayor. In the Senate, she was one of California's first two female senators, the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first woman to serve as the Judiciary committee's top Democrat. Her death came after a bout of shingles sidelined her for more than two months earlier in 2023. When she returned to the Senate in May, she was frail and using a wheelchair, voting only occasionally. Pres. Joe Biden, who served with Ms. Feinstein for years in the Senate, called her "a pioneering American," a "true trailblazer" and a "cherished friend." - AP, 9/29/23.