The Pulitzer Prize jury announced on Apr. 15 that Aretha Franklin is being honored with a posthumous Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for her contribution to American music and culture. "Congratulations to @Aretha Franklin and her family and friends," the Pulitzer Prize account tweeted to make the announcement, using the hashtags #QueenofSoul and #Respect. The jury occasionally awards the Special Citations when deemed necessary, and has previously awarded them to the likes of Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. Franklin, who passed away on August 16th at age 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, is also the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. - Billboard, 4/15/19...... Carly Simon is writing an "intimate, vulnerable" memoir about her famous late friend, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux announced on Apr. 15. The press release states that Simon and Onassis, who died in 1994, met at a summer party on Martha's Vineyard and began an "improbable, but lasting friendship" with Onassis becoming everything from a "protective mother figure" to a "mischievous pal" to the popular singer/songwriter. Titled Touched by the Sun, the book has been given an Oct. 22 release date. - PageSix.com/The New York Post, 4/15/19...... 
Songwriter/singer Kenny Nolan, the composer of such iconic '70s hits as LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade," Frankie Valli's "My Eyes Adored You" as well as his own 1976 No. 3 hit "I Like Dreamin'," has filed a $20 million lawsuit against Sony/ATV Music Publishing for breach of contract and copyright infringement, according to court documents filed April 10. According to the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in California, Nolan alleges that Sony/ATV bought the publishing rights to dozens of his compositions without his knowledge and have been failing to pay him his fair share of royalties ever since. Nolan claims that after licensing his 50% share of the publishing rights to 77 compositions -- including "Lady Marmalade" -- to his former co-writer Bob Crewe, Crewe later licensed those compositions to music publisher Stone Diamond. Nolan alleges that Stone Diamond then sold the rights to Sony/ATV without his knowledge or consent. EMI April Music, EMI Blackwood and Stone Diamond Music Corporation are also named as defendants in the lawsuit. Nolan is seeking a total of at least $20 million to be determined at trial, as well as a "necessary and appropriate accounting to determine exactly how much money Sony/ATV owes him. A representative for Sony/ATV declined to comment. - Billboard, 4/16/19...... Attorney John Branca, a co-executor of the Michael Jackson estate, spoke publicly for the first time about the controversial Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland and indicated that he's considering suing the film's director, Dan Reed. At a panel discussion titled "Trial by Media: Guilty Until Proven Innocent" presented at Harvard's Institute of Politics in Cambridge, Mass., on Apr. 16, Branca and other members of Jackson's legal team including Howard Weitzman and Bryan Freedman had harsh words for the documentary and Reed, telling the small audience they were determined to defend and rebuild Jackson's reputation in the wake of Leaving Neverland, which contained disturbing and graphic first-person accounts of Jackson's alleged pedophilia but did not give the estate a chance to respond to these accusations. Branca said although the estate has taken a hit after the airing of the documentary, streaming sales of Michael's music is still up from 2018. He added that "From the point of view of society, I want to make it so people feel comfortable saying, 'I love Michael's music.' Michael is too big to fail." In February, the estate filed a $100-million lawsuit against the pay-cable network HBO, which aired the documentary in the US, alleging it had violated a non-disparagement clause contained in a 1992 agreement to premiere Jackson's concert film, Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour. - Billboard, 4/16/19...... The Victoria & Albert Museum in London has named its new photography gallery in Elton John's honor after the superstar recently made a "significant donation" to the attraction. Recognizing John and his husband David Furnish's generosity, gallery 101 has been renamed The Sir Elton John and David Furnish Gallery. The singer's private collection of more than 7,000 photographs will also go on display at the gallery, with the images spanning from the early 20th Century to the present day. John has described the collaboration and renaming as "the perfect partnership," with a major co-curated temporary exhibition set to be announced in the near future. "We are delighted to be part of this exciting moment and we hope that audiences will walk away with the same excitement and appreciation for photography as I did when I first started collecting," said John in a statement. Meanwhile, the new Elton biopic Rocketman will hit theaters in the U.S. on May 31 and in the U.K. on May 2. - New Musical Express, 4/16/19...... SiriusXM radio launced its highly anticipated new Cher channel on Apr. 17. The limited run channel will play music from throughout the diva's career, including her hits and her musical influences, along with stories from Cher herself about her music that defined multiple decades and her life. The Cher channel will also feature tracks off the original cast album for "The Cher Show," the new bio musical currently playing on Broadway. SiriusXM subscribers will be able to enter for the chance to win two trips for the winner and a friend to New York City. The prize includes airfares, hotel stays and a pair of tickets to see The Cher Show on Broadway, plus see Cher live at Madison Square Garden from the front row and the opportunity to meet her. The Cher Channel will run through May 1 at 3 a.m. EST on SiriusXM radios (channel 4) and on the SiriusXM app. Meanwhile, Cher performed her Sonny & Cher hit "I Got You Babe" with the cast of "The Cher Show" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Apr. 15. Cher, rocking a fire engine-red wig and a sparkly black suit, also came out with host Jimmy Fallon to lip sync to a bunch of random New York bar patrons screeching her hit "Believe" and recreated the famous Moonstruck slap during his monologue. Cher also revealed that she used to be terribly shy and still gets embarrassed to sing in front of strangers. Also, she told late ex-husband Sonny Bono that she thought "I Got You Babe" wasn't very good when she heard it for the first time. - Billboard, 4/16/19...... Paul Simon stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Apr. 15 for a spirited performance of the Cajun-inspired tune "That Was Your Mother" with host Stephen Colbert accompanying him on washboard. "That Was Your Mother" was first recorded by Simon on his revered 1986 album Graceland, and one of its orginal contributors, John Batiste who also fronts The Late Show house band, joined in on accordian. Meanwhile, Simon is set to headline Outside Lands Festival in August with Twenty One Pilots and Childish Gambino. - Billboard, 4/16/19...... Journey announced via its Twitter account on Apr. 15 that it will play a nine-show residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace this October. The nine performances are set for Oct. 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 23, 25 and 26. The band last toured together in 2018 during an extensive 56-date show across the U.S. with co-headliner Def Leppard. Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. - Billboard, 4/15/19...... 
In related news, James Taylor will kick off his first ever Vegas residency at The Colosseum on Apr. 17. Taylor will perform 17 shows at the venue, which has also hosted residencies by the likes of Elton John, Cher, Celine Dion and Bette Midler Taylor will be performing on acustom-built stage that will include the return of his One Man Band drum machine. "I was a Vegas snob forever, for sure," the 71-year-old Taylor notes. "Back in the day, Vegas definitely had a very specific connotation for us, and it was something [that folk and pop artists] in the late '60s and early '70s, were distancing ourselves from. For one thing, it's now a town of two million people. It's not just the strip; there's an actual population there, and it's just an excellent place to put on a show." He says he's most excited about performing on his most elaborate stage to date. "This particular staging that we're going to present is something we've essentially been perfecting over the past couple of years," he said. Taylor will play the Colosseum on April 17, 19, 20, 24, 26, 27 and May 1, 3, 4, 8, 10 and 11, with the possibility of more gigs added in the future. - Billboard, 4/15/19...... Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance at New York's Tribeca Grill Loft on Apr. 13 at a benefit for the Kristen Ann Carr Fund. Hopping on stage with famed photographer Danny Clinch's Tangier Blues Band, the Boss ripped through Johnny Rivers' classic "Rockin' Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu" and the blues rock standard "Down the Road Apiece" at the event, dubbed "A Night to Remember." The event was aimed at raising money to fight the soft tissue cancer sarcoma in honor of Carr, the late daughter of rock journalist Dave Marsh and Springsteen's co-manager, Barbara Carr. Kristen Carr died of sarcoma in 1993 at age 21. - Billboard, 4/15/19...... Police log books from the Beatles' first visit to the U.S. have gone on display at Liverpool's Magical Beatles Museum. The log books, which were set to be destroyed, were discovered by NYPD officer Patrick Cassidy, who discovered the logs while searching in police records. "The Ed Sullivan Theatre is in the confines of my precinct, so one day in 2013, I went into the storage area that holds these books," Cassidy told the BBC. "After 50 years, they clean out and destroy them, so I looked up February '64 and found the book, which would have been destroyed the following year." The logs list the names of the officers who guarded the band in New York as they prepared to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 and their show at Carnegie Hall. At the latter, the logs state that there was an incident where an officer was "knocked off balance" and injured outside the Plaza Hotel while "attempting to restrain the surging crowd." The Fab Four's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which marked their US TV debut, was watched by a then record 73 million people at the time. - New Musical Express, 4/15/19...... The Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has made nearly $1 billion (£760 million) taking in box office receipts of over $900 (£687 million) around the world since its premiere in 2018, Variety has reported. The Oscar-winning film generated $901 million (£688 million) internationally and of those figures, it has been a huge hit in Japan where it has grossed $114 million (£87 million), a further $76 million (£58 million) in South Korea and in the United Kingdom where it has brought in returns of $71 million (£54 million). The ticket sales show a huge return for the biopic, which itself only cost Fox $50 million (£38.2 million) to make. Bohemian Rhapsody swept the board at major film awards earlier in 2019 including winning accolades for Best Picture at the Golden Globes and numerous Best Actor awards for Rami Malek, who portrayed Freddie Mercury in the blockbuster. Rudi Dolezal, the director of many Queen music videos, recently revealed that a Bohemian Rhapsody sequel could also be in the works. A documentary about Queen and its current frontman Adam Lambert, The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story, to be aired on ABC on Apr. 29 and will follow the band's ongoing collaboration with Lambert. - New Musical Express, 4/15/19...... A source close to AC/DC says its former frontman Brian Johnson will "absolutely" tour again with the Aussie rockers in 2019. Last year, it was reported that the rock icons were working on a new album that would feature the work of their late rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young on "every track." Then, earlier this year, American band Terrorizer confirmed that after bumping into Johnson at an airport, he told them that he would feature on the new album and that he was "sick of denying it." Johnson meanwhile was forced to quit AC/DC in 2016 after suffering hearing loss and was replaced on the band's tour by Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose. But according to radio DJ Eddie Trunk, Johnson will rejoin the legendary band to tour the upcoming album. "I have sources that have told me that they are absolutely going to tour with Brian back again," Trunk says. "That's all unconfirmed from their camp, but I had it from some reliable sources." The band is reportedly back in the studio working on a new album with Johnson on vocals. - NME, 4/13/19...... Mick Jagger posted a pic on Twitter of himself taking a stroll in a park on Apr. 11, once week after the 75-year-old rock icon had surgery to replace a heart valve. Dressed in jeans, a dark blue dress shirt and gray baseball hat, Jagger posed in front of a tree filled with white spring blossoms, a slight smile on his face, with the caption "A walk in the park!" The Stones announced earlier in April that they were rescheduling their North American "No Filter Tour" so that Jagger could have the procedure. Originally slated to begin in April, the tour will now begin in July with new dates to be announced in the coming weeks. - Billboard, 4/12/19...... 
Singer/songwriter John Prine gave a rollicking performance at Brooklyn's Kings Theatre on Apr. 13, the one year anniversary of his 2018 album The Tree of Forgiveness, his most acclaimed and successful album in several years. "Today is its birthday, one year ago tonight," said Prine to the sold-out crowd at the majestically restored venue. The album's arrival last spring marked Prine's first set of new songs in some 13 years, and the disc debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The album also signaled Prine's confident return after surgery for lung cancer in 2013, following his recovery from neck cancer 15 years earlier. Prine, 72, was named artist of the year at the Americana Music Awards in September. He was honored in an all-star tribute concert on the eve of this year's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, and he will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York on June 13. After touring throughout 2018, Prine spent this March performing in Australia. The Brooklyn gig was his second stateside stop on a world tour that currently runs through December. - Billboard, 4/14/19...... As the 2020 presidential primary campaign heats up, some of the leading Democratic candidates have received donations from several famous rock and country musicians before the recent close of the first quarter fundraising deadline. Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, a former member of a punk rock band, has received $2,800 from a fellow Texan, county music icon Willie Nelson, as well as $1,850 from Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh and $2,800 from Dave Matthews Band violinist Boyd Tinsley. In March, Michael Jackson producer and composer Quincy Jones was among the celebrities contributing to California Sen. Kamala Harris' bid for the White House, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has received donations from members of Foo Fighters and Phish. - AP, 4/16/19...... Paul Raymond, a guitarist for the rock band UFO, died of a heart attack only one week after the band's final U.K. show, his life partner Sandra announced on Facebook on Apr. 14. He was 73. "With a desperate and broken heart, fully in tears and pains that feel like they will kill me I have to tell you that my most beautiful and beloved darling Paul Raymond has passed away today," she wrote. "The doctors were trying to reanimate him and with success at first but then his system shot down again and there was nothing more they could do for him, he died of a heart attack." First joining UFO in 1976, Raymond played on the albums No Place to Run, Obsession and Lights Out as well as the live Strangers In The Night album. After playing with the band during four different stints, he was a regular in the UFO lineup since 2003. Raymond's other musical endeavours included replacing Christine McVie in Chicken Shack after she left to join Fleetwood Mac, as well as being a member of Savoy Brown. He also played with two former UFO bandmates on two separate occasions. He also played with guitarist Michael Schenker in MSG, and then with Pete Way in Waysted. UFO will be performing at a series of European festival dates this coming June and July, with a US tour in October. They will also perform as part of the Rock Legends Cruise, which departs from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Feb. 27, 2020. - New Musical Express, 4/13/19...... Gary Stewart a music industry veteran who spent decades in the industry working at Rhino Entertainment and Apple Music, died on Apr. 11. He was 62. A musical savant, Stewart used his vast knowledge to introduce music to a new audience through such memorable catalog collections for Rhino Entertainment as the kitschy Have a Nice Day '70s compilation series to Nuggets, a slate of albums devoted to obscure psychedelic rock from the '60s, as well as more scholarly sets, including Shout! Factory's Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens: The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans. After a hiatus, he rose to senior vp A&R for Rhino and then moved to Apple Music. His first role was chief music officer for Apple's iTunes before he left and then returned to work in catalog curation. He parted ways with Apple for good in 2018. Stewart, a massive Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen fan, was also a co-founder with David Gorman of Trunkworthy.com, a website evangelizing "underappreciated yet overachieving music, movies, and television," as the description phrased it. Stewart was also a committed philanthropist. At Rhino, he was the impetus for a volunteer program whereby employees who donated 18 hours of time per year would get off the week between Christmas and New Year's Day with pay. At various times, he served on the boards of Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, the Community Coalition, Liberty Hill Foundation and Social Venture Network. He was a donor, fundraiser and activist on social justice issues and progressive candidates and initiatives, advocating for such issues as living wages, progressive taxation, marriage equality, affirmative action and immigrant rights. Elvis Costello posted a tribute to Stewart on Facebook on Apr. 14. "This morning's brief promise of Spring was punctured by the news of the passing of Gary Stewart. It is rare enough to find people of insight, kindness and loyalty but Gary had all these qualities in abundance. Friends have called or written all today trying to make sense of the impossible and the inexplicable." - Billboard, 4/12/19...... 
Emmy-winning sitcom actress Georgia Engel, best known for playing Ted Baxter's significant other Georgette Franklin on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the mother-in-law of Robert Barone (Brad Garrett) on Everybody Loves Raymond, died on Apr. 12 in Princeton, N.J. She was 70. The Washington, D.C. native joined The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1972 when it was a top 10 primetime series and would appear in nearly 60 episodes over its final five seasons. Her demure, dim but well-meaning Georgette was the love interest of self-important anchorman Baxter (Ted Knight), who courted and eventually married her during the November 1975 sweep -- though he didn't seem all that prepared for it. They went on to adopt a child and later had one of their own. The role earned Engel back-to-back Emmy noms for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1976 and '77. She appeared as Georgette in the MTMS spinoff Rhoda and later was a regular in a different role as Betty White's ditzy best pal on CBS' The Betty White Show (1977-78). She also was a series regular on the single-season ABC comedy Goodtime Girls in 1980 and the network's 1983-84 sitcom Jennifer Slept Here and had a recurring role as Shirley Burleigh on Coach from 1991-97. During that era, Engel also guested on such shows as The Love Boat, Mork & Mindy and Fantasy Island. She also did voice work on such animated series as The Care Bears, Hercules and Hey Arnold! and played a giraffe in the 2001 feature Dr. Dolittle 2. She joined CBS' megahit Everybody Loves Raymond during Season 7 in 2003 when she scored back-to-back-to-back Guest Actress Emmy nominations. She continued to work in TV post-Raymond, appearing in episodes of such series as The Office, Two and a Half Men, Passions and Neighbours. She also recurred as Mamie in 20 episodes of Hot in Cleveland, TV Land's first scripted series, and her final credit was a 2018 appearance in Netflix's Grace and Frankie. "Georgia Engel was a comedy machine," Mary Tyler Moore Show co-creator James L. Brooks once told the TV Academy's The Interviews series. "She was a great character, a great addition to the show. She as much as any actor I've ever worked with, when she's talking people lean forward -- just reaching for her words." - Deadline.com, 4/13/19.
A remixed version of Diana Ross' Aug. 1979 hit "The Boss" has topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart for the week ending Apr. 13. "The Boss 2019" remix by producer Eric Kupper, among others, is Ross' third remix to hit No. 1 on the chart, following "I'm Coming Out"/"Upside Down 2018" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough 2017." The singer also topped the Dance Club Songs with her original versions of "Upside Down"/"I'm Coming Out," in 1980, "Swept Away" (1984) and "Take Me Higher" (1995). - Billboard, 4/11/19...... Electric Light Orchestra mastermind Jeff Lynne will be honored with the Founders Award for songwriters and composers at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards, set for May 16 in Beverly Hills, Calif. "Jeff Lynne has led a singular career and we are all fortunate that his musical genius has been felt so widely. His legendary stature is well-deserved and ASCAP is very proud to present him with our highest honor," said ASCAP chairman of the board and president Paul Williams. During the invitation-only ceremony Blondie icons Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke will also be feted with ASCAP's career-encompassing Golden Note Award. - Billboard, 4/11/19...... 
Neil Young posted on his Neil Young Archives site on Apr. 8 that he and Crazy Horse are "about to enter the studio with 11 new ones." "We sincerely hope [fans] enjoy our new music when it is released this year, because we know we will enjoy making it," Young added. He has released a total of 23 records with Crazy Horse, including EPs and live albums. Young and Crazy horse last recorded together in 2012 for their Psychedelic Pill album, and the two camps reunited in 2018 for a one off concert. Young launched his Neil Young Archives, a subscription service and app that gives fans access to a complete back catalogue of audio and visual content, in 2018. - New Musical Express, 4/10/19...... On Apr. 9 the Fender guitar company released replicas of two iconic guitars made famous by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page to mark the band's 50th anniversary -- the "Dragon" and "Mirror" models of Page's Telecaster. In an animated clip from Fender which features Page's voiceover, he recalls the time his former Yardbirds bandmate Jeff Beck gifted him the "Mirror" -- "He said, 'Here, this is yours', and he gave me the Telecaster." Page goes on to discuss how he wanted to "really make it [his] own" following his time with the Yardbirds. "I tried applying mirrors to it so you could use it in an optical way," he remembers. "It was this whole thing of the reflective surfaces, and you could actually reflect the light onto other things; to make it sort of almost kinetic at the same time." - New Musical Express, 4/9/19...... In other Zeppelin-related news, drummer Jason Bonham, son of late Led Zepp drummer John Bonham, has revealed how Jimmy Page gave him his first line of cocaine when he was just 16. Appearing on Howard Stern's SiriusXM show, Bonham explained how he entered Page's hotel room to discover a woman on the floor who was meowing and wearing a collar. "Jimmy was the first one to ever give [cocaine] to me," Bonham said. "We got called to his room. I was 16 at this point, and there was a woman on the floor with a collar on, meowing, and he had this grinder thing and he turned it over and he went, 'Here you go,' and I went, 'Thanks.' He's like, 'You've done this before, right?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, of course I have.'" Jason Bonham has filled in for his dad on the kit at several Led Zeppelin reunions - including the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and their comeback performance at Ahmet Ertegun's O2 Arena tribute concert in 2007. - NME, 4/11/19...... 
Disciples of Soul, a side project of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt, will release their latest album, Summer of Sorcery, on May 3. Van Zandt first launched the Disciples of Soul back in 1982 and recently brought the group back to active duty with 2017's Soulfire, its first release in 18 years, and 2018's Soulfire Live. Among the upcoming projects on Van Zandt's list is another TV show to follow his well-received roles in The Sopranos and Lilyhammer. "If (Springsteen) decides not to do anything, then I'll probably go back to TV," he says. "I've dedicated a good, solid two years to becoming reacquainted with my own life's work and re-introducing myself as an artist, which has been very satisfying, and I'll continue to do that on a regular cycle. But having done that I think it's time to look back at TV and what I might be able to do there now. - Billboard, 4/11/19...... Sharon Osbourne became a bit emotional as updated fans on husband Ozzy Osbourne's health on the Apr. 8 broadcast of her talk show The View. Sharon recalled that at the beginning of 2019 Ozzy had a "very bad flu" that developed into bronchitis and then a bout of pneumonia. After leaving the hospital for treatment of the flu, "he had a bad accident at home, he fell... in the middle of the night," she said, noting that the fall aggravated injuries from a 2003 motorbike accident that put him in a coma for several days. "And what he'd done was he re-injured his back and neck and shoulders. All of the metal rods and everything that were put in his body were dislodged. So we had to cancel his year of dates." As her fellow panelists rubbed her back and soothed a teary Osbourne, she assured them that Ozzy is "good... he's fine, he's great." Ozzy announced on Apr. 4 that he has been forced to postpone all his 2019 North American and European as he recovers from a the injury sustained at his Los Angeles home. - Billboard, 4/10/19...... Meanwhile, a tour featuring a hologram of the singer who once replaced Ozzy in Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio, will launch on Mar. 31 and feature the late rocker's former Dio bandmates. The official band line-up will feature Craig Goldy on guitar, Simon Wright on drums, Scott Warren on keyboards and newer Dio family member Bjorn Englen on bass. The show will also feature renowned metal vocalists Tim "Ripper" Owens and Oni Logan of Lynch Mob. The 90-minute celebration of Dio will include fan favorites such as "Holy Diver," "King of Rock N' Roll" and "We Rock," and fans will get to see the hologram of Dio perform material ranging from Rainbow to Black Sabbath, to his own Dio material. The "Dio Returns" tour will visit 18 cities, including Orlando, Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Dallas and Los Angeles, and wrap on June 29 in Las Vegas. - Billboard, 4/9/19...... The B-52's have announced their 40th anniversary world tour will kick off on May 4 at West Palm Beach, Fla.'s Sunfest festival on May 4. OMD and Berlin will open for the band on select U.S. tour dates. The band will play two additional U.S. dates, in Arlington, Tex. (5/12) and Nashville, Tenn. (5/26), before touring Europe in June and July. In August, they'll play 29 additional U.S. dates before wrapping at New York City's Central Park Summerstage on Sept. 24. Meanwhile, the B52's are working on their first official book, which is due in 2020. "Woo-hoo! Europe and then all over North America! Dust off those go-go boots and shine your dancing shoes because the B-52s are coming!," frontman Fred Schneider said in a press release. - Billboard, 4/9/19...... 
Legendary prog-rockers King Crimson are finally entering the digital world in conjunction with their upcoming 50th anniversary world tour. At a presser on Apr. 6, King Crimson manager David Singleton announced that the band's entire studio-album catalog will soon launch on the Spotify streaming platform, as part of an "outreach year" for King Crimson. Their 13 studio albums will be available on other streaming platforms in May before uploading to Spotify on June 10, the same day the band kicks off their ambitious 43-city 50th anniversary world tour on June 10 in Leipzig, Germany. The Robert Fripp-led group is also releasing reissues of their back catalog, a new documentary, and commemorative merchandise in celebration of five decades together. - Billboard, 4/8/19...... Music publisher Primary Wave has signed a deal with the estate of Leon Russell to curate the songwriting catalog of the late 1970s rocker, including such oft-covered songs as his 1970 classic "A Song For You." Under the new deal, Primary Wave also acquires the music publishing and master recording income stream of songs including his 1972 hit single "Tight Rope," "The Masquerade," which George Benson recorded, and "Superstar," a hit for The Carpenters. Since Russell released "A Song For You" on his eponymous debut album, it has been covered by the likes of Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles and Amy Winehouse. "I am delighted that Leon Russell and his heirs have joined the Primary Wave family," said Primary Wave CEO and founder Lawrence Mestel. "Leon was a legendary songwriter whose music has resonated in people's lives for decades. His songs were an inspiration to so many and we look forward to furthering the legacy of this remarkable musician." The partnership comes one week after what would have been Russell's 77th birthday. The eclectic Grammy-winning artist, who was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, died in 2016 at age 74. - Billboard, 4/9/19...... More details have been announced about Bob Dylan's recently announced whiskey distillery which will open in downtown Nashville, Tenn., in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of his iconic Nashville Skyline album. Dylan is set to help open the distillery in fall 2020 under the brand "Heaven's Door," which takes its name from one of his biggest hits. According to a press release, "Heaven's Door Spirits will transform the 160-year-old Elm Street Church into the Heaven's Door Distillery and Center for the Arts, featuring the distillery, a whiskey library, a restaurant and a 360-seat live performance venue. It will also feature Dylan's paintings and metalwork sculptures." - AP, 4/9/19...... A silent 11-second clip of the Beatles performing on the legendary U.K. music program Top Of The Pops that was once thought lost has been unearthed in Mexico. The clip is the only surviving footage of the band miming to 'Paperback Writer' on the show back in 1966, as the BBC did not keep the tapes. However, one family in Liverpool happened to be filming the footage from a television on an 8mm camera. A collector in Mexico then happened upon the footage, who handed it over to missing TV footage specialists Kaleidoscope in Birmingham. "I think if you're a Beatles fans, it's the holy grail," Chris Perry of the UK band Kaleidoscope told the BBC. "People thought it was gone forever because videotape wasn't kept in 1966. To find it all these years later was stunning." While the band pre-recorded a number of performances for Top Of The Pops, this was their only live appearance. - New Musical Express, 4/9/19...... 
Classic rock veterans Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck have announced they'll reunite this September for a connect in Los Angeles, marking the first time the two have shared a stage together in almost a decade. Stewart and Beck, who played together in The Jeff Beck Group, are set to play the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 27 in what is being described as "their most in depth concert in over 35 years." Their set list will include a mixture of hits and rare early classics. The Jeff Beck Group was formed by Stewart and Beck in 1967 and also included Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. The group released several albums before disbanding in the early 1970's. The last time the two reunited was during a concert in 2009. - New Musical Express, 4/8/19...... Fans of Creedence Clearwater Revival will have their final opportunity to see the CCR spinoff band Creedence Clearwater Revisited this summer as the band has announced a 20-city farewell tour will kick off on June 13 in Del Mar, Calif. and the San Diego County Fair. Original bassist Stu Cook says "this just seemed like a good time to wrap it up." "Both (drummer Doug Clifford) and I are approaching 74 this month and just thought, 'Y'know, we've been there, done that, seen it, we know how it feels, we know how it tastes'," Cook explains. "We're gonna miss it, but there's still time to do other things in life. We all have bigger families, grandkids. We're still playing great, but we are pretty tired of the road. We're not retiring, but the idea right now is to put the band to bed and see what else comes along and how we feel about it moving forward. I'd like to try other things and explore other ideas and places before my time's up." CCRevisited formed during 1995, at a time Cook and Clifford's former bandmate John Fogerty was still refusing the play the band's material. Cook and Clifford did lock horns periodically with Fogerty -- who famously refused to perform with them during CCR's 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction during Revisited's tenure. Though in 1997 Fogerty's legal actions briefly forced them to change the group name to 
ZZ Top announced on Apr. 8 that they'll embark on a lengthy 34-city U.S. tour this summer in celebration of their 50 years as a band, with Cheap Trick and Lynyrd Skynyrd opening for the Texas trio on selected dates. "It's been five decades, and I think we're starting to get pretty good at all this!" ZZ Top guitarist/vocalist Billy Gibbons said in a statement. "We're truly excited to be appearing across the continent this summer and fall, playing our bluesy kind of rock like we started in '69." The tour is set to kick off Aug. 16 in Ridgefield, Wash., also hitting cities including Irvine, Calif. (8/23), San Diego (8/28), Phoenix (8/29), Milwaukee (9/4), Boston (9/18), Cleveland (9/21), Charlotte (10/6) and Tampa, Fla. (10/19) before wrapping in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Oct. 20. - Billboard, 4/8/19......Just a few days after announcing they'd be stepping in to replace the Rolling Stones at the 2019 Jazz Fest in New Orleans as Stones frontman Mick Jagger recouperates from surgery to replace a faulty heart valve, the band has been forced to drop out of the Jazz Fest as well due to an illness affecting Mac singer Stevie Nicks. "Due to the illness of Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac has just announced the postponement of four upcoming North American tour dates and their performance at Jazz Fest on May 2," the Jazz Fest announced on Apr. 8. Mac announced on April 4 that the band would replace fellow veterans the Stones at the annual New Orleans festival, with Nicks tweeting to fans that she "can't wait to get back to New Orleans again." Earlier in April, Mac postponed shows in Philadelphia and Boston due to what was described as "a band member illness." "We are having more fun than ever on this current tour, but as we all know, touring life comes with its challenges," drummer Mick Fleetwood said. "The flu has sidelined Stevie for a couple of weeks but she is on the mend and we look forward to getting back out on the road. We so apologize to the fans, but we are working on rescheduling." - Billboard, 4/8/19...... Meanwhile, Mick Jagger updated fans on his healthon Apr. 5, posting on his Facebook page that he's "feeling much better now and on the mend." The 75-year-old singer also thanked his fans for their messages of support, "and also a huge thank you to all the hospital staff for doing a superb job." The Stones announced last week that they were rescheduling their North American No Filter Tour so that Jagger could have the procedure. Orginally slated to begin in April, the tour will now begin in July with new dates to be announced in the coming weeks. The Stones are expected to make up nearly all the dates on their "No Filter Tour." - Billboard, 4/8/19...... In other Stones-related news, the UK's Sheffield Documentary Festival has pulled a screening of a film about former Stones bassist Bill Wyman over "sex predator" protests in the country. Wyman's The Quiet One documentary was among the festival's most high-profile offerings for the 2019 event, where it was due to be screened alongside a Q&A session with Wyman himself and the film's director Oliver Murray. Both events have now been pulled after detractors singled out Wyman's relationship with his second wife Mandy Smith. Wyman met Smith when she was just 13, and he was 47. While the pair married in 1989 when she was 18 and Wyman was 52, Smith later alleged that they first had sex when she was just 14. While the screening has been cancelled, Wyman has never been arrested or charged with any offences and previously said that he volunteered to be interviewed by police. "I went to the police and I went to the public prosecutor and said, 'Do you want to talk to me? Do you want to meet up with me, or anything like that?' and I got a message back, 'No,'" he said. "I was totally open about it." Wyman was the main bassist with the Rolling Stones until his retirement in 1993. He has since made a handful of comeback cameo performances, including a brief stint during a show at London's O2 Arena in 2012. - New Musical Express, 4/8/19...... 
A "prequel" to the smash 1978 movie musical Grease titled Summer Loving is in development, with with writer John August (Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) set to write the script. Summer Loving is said to center on a summer fling Danny Zuko (originally played by John Travolta and Sandy Olsson (originally played by Olivia Newton-John each bring up to their friends in the movie during the song "Summer Nights." Zuko's take on the fling is much more graphic than Olsson's version of the story, which is more innocent and wistful. In 2016, a live TV version of the original movie starring Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens won five Emmy Awards. Grease has remained a popular title and soundtrack for Paramount ever since it's '78 release, forever cemented in pop culture. - ComingSoon.net, 4/9/19...... Country singer/songwriter Earl Thomas Conley, known for his country hits in the '80s and early '90s including "Holding Her and Loving You," "What'd You Say" and "Right From the Start," died on Apr. 10 at age 77. Conley had been in hospice care for several months while suffering from a condition similar to dementia, accordding to The Tennessean. "I'm sad to report that Earl Thomas Conley passed away very early this morning," according to country singer and The Voice judge Blake Shelton. "Earl was my all time favorite singer, hero and my friend. Prayers to his family. We will all miss you deeply my brother. Now go rest..." Shelton, Conley and and Michael Pyle composed Shelton's 2002 hit "All Over Me." Born in Portsmouth, Oh., in 1941, Conley began writing songs while in the U.S. Army and after being honorably discharged in 1968 he'd frequently travel from Ohio to Nashville. In 1974 he signed with independent record label GRT. While his early singles failed to chart, Conley continued to have success writing songs for other artists, including Conway Twitty ("This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me") and Mel Street ("Smokey Mountain Memories"). In 1979 he signed with Warner Bros. Records and released his first major hit, "Dreamin's All I Do," which peaked at No. 32. He'd see his first No. 1 in 1981 with "Fire and Smoke" and receive a string of nine chart-toppers from 1983-1986, beginning with "Your Love's on the Line" and including "Don't Make It Easy for Me," "Angel in Disguise" and "Chance of Lovin' You," among others. He went on to release 10 albums and secure more than 30 singles on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. - Billboard, 4/10/19...... Actor Seymour Cassel died on Apr. 7 following complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 84. Mr. Cassel collaborated with director/actor John Cassavettes on several of his films, and earned an Oscar nomination for their 1968 movie Faces. He later worked with filmmaker Wes Anderson on Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. His other screen credits included the Steve Buscemi comedy In the Soup in 1992, and TV series Under Suspicion, Good Company and Tracey Ullman's Tracey Takes On. - WENN/Canoe.com, 4/8/19.
Aerosmith delivered the first performance of their "Deuces Are Wild" Las Vegas residency at the Park MGM on Apr. 6 that saw the Boston-based rock veterans blast through their greatest hits while re-tracing the steps of their journey to rock legend status. Before taking the stage, fans were taken on a trip down memory lane as eight towering screens projected tons of never-before-seen photos, concert reels, TV spots and interviews, including Aerosmith's 1991 appearance in the animated series The Simpsons. Frontman Steven Tyler also chose to sport a T-shirt bearing the "Simpsonified" versions of himself and his bandmates for their first night of the Vegas run. Tyler was in top form throughout the concert, which kicked off with the band's cover of The Yardbirds' "Train Kept A-Rollin'," followed by "Mama Kin," "Back in the Saddle," "Kings And Queens" and "Sweet Emotion." They wrapped the 16-song set with the 1-2-3 punch of "Dude Looks Like a Lady," "Dream On" and "Walk This Way." - Billboard, 4/7/19...... A rep for Mick Jagger confirmed on Apr. 4 that the Rolling Stones frontman has successfully undergone a heart valve procedure in New York and is "expected to make a full recovery." Doctors were reportedly able to access Jagger's heart valve through his femoral artery, using a a catheter without opening the chest, and are now monitoring the musician for any complications that could arise from the procedure, including excess bleeding. The minimally invasive procedure is believed to have been carried out at New York-Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell Hospital, and although the 75-year-old singer could be up an moving in a few days, he will need some additional recovery time before returning to the stage. On Mar. 31, the Stones announced they were rescheduling their North American "No Filter Tour" so that Jagger could have the procedure. Orginally slated to begin in April, the tour will now begin in July with new dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Jagger became a great-grandfather for the second time on Mar. 31 after his 26-year-old grandaughter Assisi Jackson, whose mother is his 47-year-old daughter Jade, gave birth to her second daughter. Assisi and her chef boyfriend are already parents to a four-year-old daughter, Ezra, who was Mick's first great-grandchild. Jagger also has eight children, the youngest of whom, Deveraux, was born in 2016. - Billboard/WENN.com, 4/4/19...... In related news, Fleetwood Mac will be replacing the Rolling Stones at the upcoming 50th anniversary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May. Fleetwood Mac will take the stage on May 2, the day the Stones had been set to appear before being forced to postpone their tour due to Mick Jagger's health. New Orleans Jazz Fest lineup will also feature Tom Jones, Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples and Regina Carter's Southern Comfort, along with many local artists. Fleetwood Mac was forced to postpone a show itself on April 2 at Boston's TD Garden due to a "band member illness," according to a post by the venue on Twitter. The band has also since postponed their April 5 show in Philadelphia. It is unclear which band member is sick. In November 2018, the group rescheduled their concert at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, right before the show was set to begin after Stevie Nicks became ill. Tickets for the original Boston concert will be honored at the rescheduled show, or fans have the option to refund their purchases. - Billboard, 4/4/19...... Michael Jackson's family has decided to speak out against the recent bombshell allegations of sexual abuse against the pop star made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck in the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. In a new 30-minute film posted online titled Investigating Neverland, journalist Liam McEwan interviews several of Jackson's relatives and inner circle, who vehemently defended him against numerous claims. MJ's 37-year-old niece, Brandi Jackson, details how she originally met Robson, when she was about nine years old in 1991. The two would go on to become best friends and dated for nearly a decade. "Everything was fine until he was about 17 or 18, when I noticed his behavior changed. That's when he began to cheat," she explained. "As I would confront him about these things, he would say, 'No these aren't true.' Constantly lying. He denied [the infedelities]." Brandi continues: "He has always been a bit of an opportunist. He knows how to position himself in different situations that will benefit him in a financial way. Once other jobs weren't coming through, this was his next outlet," Brandi continued. Her relationship with Robson was left out of Leaving Neverland. "It would discredit the things he's trying to claim. I find it fascinating that he thinks he's able to erase 10 years of life." If presented with the opportunity to confront Robson, Brandi says, "I would tell him to stop lying. I'm not curious as to why he's doing it, he needs to stop. I don't care what his reasoning is, as far as trying to be relevant, desperate for money. These lies need to stop. It's not okay. My uncle took care of him and did very well by his family." - Billboard, 4/5/19...... 
Queen drummer Roger Taylor has released a new politically-themed solo single, "Gangsters Are Running This World." The track -- his first new music in more than five years -- feature lyrics that address the state of the world. "There's blood in the streets / Panic in the air / The markets are trading up / In madness and fear," Taylor sings in the new song. It's not the first time that Taylor has made political statements in his material. In 1994 he released the single "Nazis" while his 1998 album Electric Fire featured a cover of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero." In 2011, Taylor re-released a protest song he wrote about media tycoon Rupert Murdoch. There were no details of a possible new album with the release of "Gangsters Are Running This World." - New Musical Express, 4/2/19...... Ozzy Osbourne announced on Apr. 5 that he has been forced to postpone all his 2019 North American and European as he recovers from an injury he sustained while recovering from a recent bout of pneumonia. "I can't believe I have to reschedule more tour dates," Osburne, 70, said in a statement. "Words cannot express how frustrated, angry and depressed I am not to be able to tour right now. I'm grateful for the love and support I'm getting from my family, my band, friends and fans, it's really what's keeping me going. Just know that I am getting better every day...I will fully recover... I will finish my tour... I will be back!" In the statement, Osbourne said he fell at his Los Angeles home and aggravated a years-old injury from a 2003 ATV accident, requiring an unspecified surgical procedure in March. He will reportedly remain under a doctor's care in L.A. as he recovers. On Feb. 19, Osbourne was forced to cancel shows in Australia, New Zealand and Japan on his "No More Tours 2" as a result of developing pneumonia from the flu. The news came a week after wife/manager Sharon Osbourne revealed the rock star had been released from intensive care unit. In early March, Ozzy's song Jack Osbourne said in an interview that his dad was "back to his normal routine" following hospitalization for complications from the flu. According to the new statement, all of Ozzy's shows will be rescheduled beginning in February 2020, with ticketholders asked to hold onto their original tickets, which will be honored at the rescheduled dates. - Billboard, 4/4/19...... Former presidental candidate Hillary Clinton was spotted in the audience at the Cher-themed Broadway musical "The Cher Show" on Apr. 3. The former presidential candidate was happy to pose with the cast for snaps at the Neil Simon Theatre, which were shared wide on Twitter and Instagram. Cher and Clinton are friends from way back. The pop legend is a longtime - and vocal -- supporter of Clinton and in 2016 campaigned for the former First Lady at a string of campaign events. Cher will be on the road through much of the year with her "Here We Go Again" tour, which has just expanded with 14 new dates. "The Cher Show" traces the trailblazing singer, comedienne, actress's career. - Billboard, 4/4/19...... A full house congregated on Mar. 31 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church for the Los Angeles premiere of the Aretha Franklin concert documentary Amazing Grace, which chronicles the live, two-day recording of Franklin's best-selling gospel album of the same name. In the exact spot where the film and album were originally recorded 47 years ago, viewers clapped and cheered in the blue-upholstered pews as the late Franklin sang onscreen, echoing those who sat in her presence in 1972. Amazing Grace, which recently won the NAACP Image Award for best documentary film, was remastered and released on March 22 by the American film production and distribution company Neon. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/3/19...... Tom Petty's widow and his two daughters are reportedly locked in a fierce legal battle as they feud over the late singer's will and the future of his unreleased music. According to the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com, Petty's wife Dana York Petty and his daughters Adria and Annakim Petty are feuding over the late music icon's estate. In a petition filed in Los Angeles County court, Dana states that she is in control of Petty's estate -- but Adria and Annakim, his daughters from a previous relationship, say that their father always intended for them to be involved too. Dana has also accused Tom's daughters of verbally attacking Petty's former bandmates and making it increasingly difficult for her to control the estate. The court filing also sees Dana accusing Petty's daughters of blocking the release of solo material he recorded 25 years ago. His widow reportedly wanted to include the tracks on a 25th anniversary box set reissue of his seminal 1994 album Wildflowers and expected the project to have pulled in more than $1 million in royalties. Petty died on October 2, 2017, of an accidental drug overdose. He was 66 years old. - NME, 4/3/19...... 
It has just been revealed that George Harrison once sent an angry telegram to then president Richard M. Nixon after being detained at a U.S. airport in March 1973 to discuss the Beatles' record company Apple and to work on Ringo Starr's album Ringo. Beatles researcher Chip Madinger, the co-author of Eight Arms to Hold You and Lennonology: Strange Days Indeed, says when he researched the latter book he did a Freedom of Information request and got John Lennon's INS [Immigration and Naturalization Service] file "and just went ahead and got George's at the same time." "[George] came in from Pakistan and was detained at the airport. And they went through some 'he said and she said' and but eventually was allowed to come into the States. And I believe he was given permission to stay until June 1 and he was looking for more time," Madinger says. "He'd supposedly gone to an INS office and gotten an OK to stay until the 30th of June. And he wanted more time beyond that. And that's when it was denied. So he and [wife] Pattie Boyd shipped back to the U.K. on, I believe it was, June 28th of '73. And he must have just gotten a bee in his bonnet or something about it and wrote this telegram." The telegram, addressed to "President Richard Nixon, White House DC," with misspellings, reads: "Sir, how can you bomb Cambonian (sic) citizens and worry about kicking me out of the country for smoking marijuana at the time. Your repressive emperaour (sic) war monger ways stop before too piece (cq) luv (cq). We will run the world Harry Krisher, Hare Hara Krishne Hare Hara Hare Hara Krishner. George Harrison." "I think it's clear that he dictated it because of the misspellings in it," Madinger says. John Lennon also famously had immigration problems with the U.S. government in the early '70s after the Nixon Administration feared he would galvanize young voters, so they then moved to deport him. Lennon's victory came in four steps in Federal Court. He and wife Yoko Ono were first approved as "outstanding artists" and then was given "non-priority status" to keep from being deported. Lennon also sued the government for "selective prosecution," and lastly won an appeal on the deportation order. The Lennon case became an important legal precedent in immigration law. - Billboard, 4/5/19...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney's 2019 tour of Latin America has broken the $100 million threshold, earning $17.8 million from four South American shows. Of that total, he has earned $21.5 million in Argentina (four shows) and $47.8 million in Brazil (10 shows). His recent shows in late March at Brazil's Allianz Parque were his first double-header in the country and as such, become his highest-grossing engagement there. - Billboard, 4/4/19...... Robin Trower, Maxi Priest and Livingstone Brown will embark on a nationwide U.K. tour in October 2019, playing Holmfirth on Oct. 24, Edinburgh on Oct. 25, Newcastle on Oct. 27, Birmingham on Oct. 28 and London's Shepherd's Bush Empire on Oct. 29. The three musicians have joined forces on a new album, United State of Mind, which will be released later in 2019. After a chance meeting at Brown's recording studio in Brixton, the unlikely duo of Trower and Priest hit it off. Both are directly influenced by soul and gospel music and still share a mutual passion for the genre. Robin, Maxi and Livingston went even further, striking up a very productive joint songwriting partnership, that quickly developed over a dozen new songs. In the 90's Brown played in Trower's band and co-produced his highly rated 20th Century Blues album. - Noble PR, 4/4/19...... Veteran British blues rockers Savoy Brown, with leader Kim Simmonds at the helm, will return with this summer with their 40th album, City Night, set for a June 7 release via Quarto Valley Records. The new 12-track album features Simmonds on vocals and searing lead guitar and includes such tracks as "Walking On Hot Stones," "Payback Time" and "Don't Hang Me Out To Dry." Savoy Brown was formed by guitarist Simmonds in 1965 in London. Simmonds has been the group's guiding hand from the first singles released in 1966 through the band's newest effort, their 40th album. Savoy Brown has announced five U.K. dates in which they will premiere songs from the new album. They will play Banham (4/11), London (4/12), Sheffield (4/14), Wolverhampton (4/15) and Edinburgh (4/15). - Noble PR, 4/5/19...... 
The Eagles announced on Apr. 2 they will perform their 1976 album 
The Rolling Stones are reportedly planning to return to the road by this July after after the band was forced to postpone its nine-week "No Filter" tour across the US and Canada when frontman Mick Jagger was told by his doctors that he needs to have a damaged heart valve replaced in early April. The 75-year-old Jagger, who follows a strict diet and exercise regime, is expected to make a complete recovery, as heart valve replacement surgery has a 95% success rate. The rock icon had undergone a routine scan that alerted doctors to an unexpected issue that could require hospital treatment. Despite being ordered to rest, Jagger is said to have told friends he "feels great" and that he is already "bored" of taking it easy. He was spotted on Mar. 31 playing with his youngest son on a beach in Miami and taking it easy ahead of the surgery. Jagger was seen enjoying some family time with two-year-old Deveraux, girlfriend Melanie Hamrick and daughter Georgia May after cancelling the sell-out North American tour which was due to start on Apr. 20. The postponed dates include the Stones' set at New Orlean's Jazz Festival on May 2, as well as the recently added show planned for Canada Day weekend on June 29 in Ontario. Jagger, a father of eight, apologized to fans on Twitter for the cancellation of the tour. "I really hate letting you down like this. I'm devastated for having to postpone the tour but I will be working very hard to be back on stage as soon as I can. Once again, huge apologies everyone," he posted. In 2016, Jagger pulled out of a show in Las Vegas owing to what was described as "bad laryngitis." Two years earlier, the band cancelled the entire Australasia leg of their world tour due to Jagger's devastation over the suicide of his girlfriend L'Wren Scott. - Billboard/DailyMail.co.uk, 4/1/19...... The Who's long-shelved "Lifehouse" project is to be made into a graphic novel more than four decades after the ambitious rock opera was intended to be released, Who guitarist Pete Townshend announced on Apr. 1. "A graphic novel based on my very first 1970 concept for The Who's abandoned Lifehouse project is perhaps the most exciting creative development in my long career," Townshend said in a statement. "Lifehouse always had a strong and important visual story that was never even touched on. Even by 1971, when Lifehouse was written, it had to be treated as a film script, which was entirely beyond my skill set, and beyond the financial scope of The Who," Townshend continued. "If I had completed my art studies, instead of staying with The Who, I might have made my own graphic novels. I am excited then, with huge anticipation, that at last Lifehouse can be realised visually, and as a story -- part science fiction, part spiritual allegory." Townshend originally wrote the opera as a follow-up to the band's 1969 album Tommy, which was later adapted for stage and screen. But Lifehouse was abandoned in favour of the group's 1971 record, Who's Next. In March, Townshend announced the release of his debut novel, 
Stevie Nicks, Roxy Music, Def Leppard, Janet Jackson, The Cure, Radiohead and The Zombies were formally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Mar. 29 during an induction ceremony at Barclays Center in New York City. Nicks, already a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer as part of Fleetwood Mac, was inducted as a solo act, and opened the show with her pounding 1983 hit "Stand Back." "This is the original cape from 'Stand Back,'" Nicks pointed out to the crowd. "My frugal mother would've appreciated that." Well, at least eventually. "If she found out how much it cost in 1983 ($3,000), she would've grounded me, even though I was too old to ground." After a duet with the Eagles' Don Henley on "Leather and Lace," the pair's 1981 duet, Nicks welcomed another surprise guest, rising singer Harry Styles, for a duet of "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," originally recorded by Nicks and the late Tom Petty. Nicks closed her set with "Edge of Seventeen," after which Styles returned to the stage to induct her and praise her as the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock Hall for a second time. "She is forever current," Styles said. "'Dreams' was the first song I knew all the words to before I even knew what it meant -- I thought it was a song about the weather," he said to laughter. Also that evening, Bryan Ferry reunited with some of his Roxy Music bandmates including multi-instrumentalist Andy Mackay and guitarist Phil Manzanera for performances of such Roxy classics as "In Every Dream Home A Heartache," "Out Of The Blue," "Love Is The Drug," "More Than This," "Avalon" and "Editions Of You." Former Roxy members Brian Eno and Paul Thompson were not present due to other commitments, however a selection of musicians who have also played with Ferry and the band over the years accompanied Ferry, Mackay and Manzanera, including Chris Spedding, Neil Jason and Fonzi Thornton. "I'd like to thank everybody for this unexpected honor, especially our fans around the world, who've supported us through the years," said Ferry, after the band was inducted by Simon Le Bon and John Taylor of Duran Duran. Def Leppard led and all-star jam to close out the ceremony, which included an all-star jam of Mott the Hoople's 1972 David Bowie-penned song "All the Young Dudes" that included Queen's Brian May; the Zombies' Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent; the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs; "Little" Steven Van Zandt; and Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter. Earlier in the evening, Brian May gave the induction speech for Def Leppard, calling the pop-metal band a "magnificent rock group, in the classic tradition of what a rock group really is." - Billboard/New Musical Express, 3/30/19...... Speaking of Mott the Hoople, the veteran '70s rockers kicked off an 8-date tour of selected U.S. cities on Apr. 1 in Milwaukee. Other dates on the "Mott the Hoople '74" tour include Minneapolis (4/2), Chicago (4/3), Detroit (4/5), Cleveland, Oh. (4/6), Glenside, Penn. (4/8), and Boston (4/9) before wrapping at New York's Beacon Theatre on Apr. 10. Touring with Hunter will be two members of Mott's 1974 incarnation, keyboardist Morgan Fischer and guitarist Ariel Bender, however two key members -- bassist Pete Watts and drummer Dale "Buffin" Griffin -- have died in the last few years, and guitarist-songwriter Mick Ralphs can't appear due to complications from a stroke he suffered in 2017. Hunter was asked if he had any thoughts on turning 80, which happens two months after the tour ends. "I feel great about it! 80 sounds sunshiny and clear and lovely, and 79 sounded all murky. I didn't think I'd make 50, so this is all a bonus," he said. - Billboard, 4/1/19...... The Brach's candy company has announced the release of special "Purple Rain" jelly beans for Easter holiday this year in honor of the late Prince, who died three years ago on Apr. 21, also the date of Easter in 2019. The "Purple Rain Tiny Jelly Bird Eggs" will feature four flavors: berry, blueberry, blue raspberry and grape and be available in 3 oz and 11 oz bags. - Billboard, 3/29/19...... 
Original The Village People member, "cop" Victor Willis, has announced he plans on "rebooting" the famous '70s disco group after years of legal issues have been settled. The "YMCA" hitmakers began life back in 1977, created by French producers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo. Appearing alongside Willis' policeman alter-ego were the GI, the builder, the cowboy, the biker, and the Native American. After original frontman Willis quit the band back in 1979, he is now looking to bring the Village People back as his own -- with years of legal issues surrounding royalties finally resolved. "There was nothing I could do about it until this legal stuff was straightened out," Willis told the BBC on Mar. 31 of returning to front the group. "And this just happened to be at the 40-year anniversary of Village People. Everything seemed to fall into place where I could say, 'OK, it's time for me to take over the group again.'" Willis added: "Not a reunion, but to reboot the group. To have to get new characters. Then I have to get a band like when Jacques and I first sat down and decided we're going to create this Village People thing." He went on to explain that the new incarnation of the group will be "something that's live" and "real." "And this what I came back to do," he said. Willis won a landmark royalties court case back in 2012, which gave him back partial ownership of a number of Village People tracks. In 2009, he sued a new version of the band for $1 million over image issues. He sought the damages after claiming that his image and voice had been used for new promotional purposes without his consent. Willis recently wrapped up his "40 Years of Disco UK" arena tour. - New Musical Express, 3/31/19...... Elton John is standing by actor George Clooney's call to boycott hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei after the country passed a law that would allow stoning LGBTQ people to death. He was referring to an op-ed Clooney penned for Deadline.com about the Asian nation's law and its Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, who is instituting the law and happens to be the owner of several luxury hotels around the world. ("On this particular April 3rd the nation of Brunei will begin stoning and whipping to death any of its citizens that are proved to be gay," Clooney wrote. "Let that sink in." "Our hearts go out to the good, hardworking employees of properties owned by the Sultan of Brunei, many of whom we know to be gay," John said. In another tweet, Sir Elton added: "We must send a message, however we can, that such treatment is unacceptable. That's why [my husband] David [Furnish] and I have long refused to stay at these hotels and will continue to do so. We hope you will join us in solidarity." John then provided a list of hotels he's urging others to boycott: The Dorchester in London, 45 Park Lane in London, Coworth Park in the U.K., the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, Le Meurice in Paris, Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, Hotel Eden in Rome and Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan. - Billboard, 3/30/19...... A museum in Tulsa, Okla., will soon open a new Bob Dylan exhibit that will showcase 12 pastel portraits painted by the iconic musician. Tulsa's Gilcrease Museum will display "Bob Dylan: Face Value and Beyond" from May 10 to Sept. 15. The exhibit is filled with pieces from the Bob Dylan Archives, which has more than 100,000 items from his 60-year career. It's the first major show from the archives since it was acquired by the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the University of Tulsa in 2016. The paintings highlight Dylan's multifaceted artistic capabilities, said Michael Chaiken, the archive's curator. "He's best known for his music, but Dylan is also a writer of prose, a filmmaker and someone who has been involved in the visual arts for decades," Chaiken said. "This show is an opportunity to explore all those different avenues of Dylan's creativity." The portraits were first shown in London in 2013. The only time they were on display in the U.S. was during a two-month exhibit in Ohio in 2016. The exhibit will also include handwritten song lyrics, a black leather jacket, an electric guitar and screen tests filmed by Andy Warhol. - AP, 3/30/19...... The Grateful Dead has announced it will reissue its 1969 album 
Motown Records released the previously unheard "lost" Marvin Gaye album, 
Sting will revisit and reimagine 15 of his best known songs as a solo artist and Police frontman on his new album 
In other Motown-related news, Stevie Wonder is set to headline a gig at this year's British Summer Time at London's Hyde Park on July 6, with former The Commodores and '80s solo superstar Lionel Richie as his opener. "The Stevie Wonder Song Party: A Celebration of Life, Love & Music" will be presented on Great Oak Stage with Wonder playing music from his almost six decades-long career. "I'm very thankful that you all have been so wonderful to me, giving me your life and allowing me to share my music with you since I was 11 years old, which was just a little ago," Wonder told the UK's New Musical Express. "So, we're just going to play and have fun." Wonder is also set to headline the international TV festival SeriesFest on June 24 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. This will mark Wonder's first-ever performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Meanwhile, Lionel Richie has announced he'll release his latest album, Live from Las Vegas, on Aug. 23, his first release under his new deal with Capitol Records. Recorded at Zappos Theater at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, the album will feature Richie performing some of his biggest hits, inclukding "All Night Long," "Say You, Say Me," "Hello," "Dancing On The Ceiling" and "Truly," as well as songs from his time with The Commodores, including "Three Times a Lady" and "Easy." Richie will kick off a 32-date "Hello Tour" on May 28 at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, Tex., also making stops in Radio City Music Hall in New York CIty (July 17, 18) and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles (Aug. 5), among others, before wrapping on Aug. 30 at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Minn. - Billboard/NME, 3/26/19...... Family members of late Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin celebrated what would have been her 77th birthday on Mar. 25 with a memorial service at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit, nearby where Franklin was laid to rest in a crypt in August 2018. Those who attended remembered not only the legendary singer but also other departed members of the Franklin family. Later in the evening, the Detroit Institute of Arts hosted the premiere of the documentary Amazing Grace, which chronicles Franklin's 1972 performance at a Los Angeles church. Amazing Grace will be released on DVD in April with many extras, including several songs that aren't in the movie. - AP, 3/25/19...... Playing his 62nd sold out show during his residency at Madison Square Garden in New York on Mar. 21, Billy Joel surprised his audience by bringing out John Fogerty to jam with him on a couple of Creedence Clearwater Revival classics, "Up Around the Bend" and "Fortunate Son." Fogerty was in New York for the Woodstock 50 festival lineup announcement at Electric Lady Studios earlier in the week, where he also performed a few CCR songs. - Billboard, 3/25/19...... The estate of Michael Jackson is criticizing the recent announcement by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) that Michael's mega-selling 1982 album 
Elton John revealed the title, release date and cover for his long-awaited biography on Mar. 25 to mark his 72nd birthday. Titled 
Speaking of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joan Jett is set to take the stage at WWE's Wrestlemania on Apr. 7, the entertainment company announced on Mar. 26. Jett will perform her hit song "Bad Reputation" as Ronda Rousey makes her grand entrance into the ring for the annual wrestling smackdown. With her performance, Jett will join a lengthy list of stars who've graced the extravaganza's stage over the years, including Snoop Dogg, Pitbull, Kid Rock and others. Wrestlemania is set to take place April 7 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and will stream live around the globe on WWE Network. - Billboard, 3/26/19...... Ranking Roger, a former member of The English Beat and General Public, passed away on Mar. 26 after a battle with cancer. He was 56. Roger, whose real name is Roger Charlery, announced his diagnosis back in January, revealing that cancer had been discovered in his brain and in his lungs after he suffered a stroke last summer. He began his career drumming for the Nam Nam Boys before joining The Beat (known as The English Beat in North America) for their three albums, 1980's classic I Just Can't Stop It, 1981's Wha'ppen? and 1982's Special Beat Service. After the band's breakup in 1983, Roger and Dave Wakeling went on to form General Public with members of Dexys Midnight Runners and The Specials. - Billboard, 3/26/19...... Scott Walker (neé Scott Engel) of the '60s group The Walker Brothers has died aged 76, his record label said on Mar. 25. The US pop trio enjoyed hits like "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" and "Make It Easy On Yourself" in the 1960s. The band moved to Britain and at one point their fame in their adopted country rivalled that of the Beatles. "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Scott Walker. Scott was 76 years old and is survived by his daughter, Lee, his granddaughter, Emmi-Lee, and his partner, Beverly," record label 4AD posted on Twitter. - TV News London, 3/25/19...... Blues harmonica virtuoso and onetime Muddy Waters sideman James Cotten died on Mar. 14 at a medical center in Austin of pneumonia. He was 81. Mr. Cotton, who was born on a cotton farm in Tunica, Miss. on July 1, 1935, came to prominence in the Fifties when he cut two singles for the fledging label Sun Records and performed gigs with Waters. Mr. Cotton, dubbed "Mr. Superharp," formed the James Cotton Band in 1966, with the group issuing a self-titled debut the next year. In the Seventies, he recorded for Buddha and Capitol, reuniting with Waters for LPs produced by guitarist Johnny Winter. The first, Hard Again, came out in 1977 and won a Grammy. He also made appearances on albums by Sumlin, Memphis Slim, Steve Miller and others, and welcomed Miller, Winter, Dr. John, Todd Rundgren, David Sanborn and others onto his own recordings. He continued to record throughout the Eighties, including a run on Alligator Records, and won the Best Traditional Blues Album Grammy for his Deep in the Blues LP in 1997. His most recent album was Cotton Mouth Man, which came out in 2013 and was nominated for a Grammy. - 3/19/19.
Barbra Streisand has clarified her comments regarding Michael Jackson and the controversial new Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland after facing criticism for an interview with the Times of London on Mar. 22 in which she said Jackson's "sexual needs were his sexual needs, coming from whatever childhood he has or whatever DNA he has... You can say 'molested,' but those children, as you heard [the grown-up Wade Robson and James Safechuck] say, they were thrilled to be there. They both married and they both have children, so it didn't kill them." Streisand went on to say that she has "a combination of feelings" on the situation and that she blames the parents of Jackson's alleged victims, saying, "I feel bad for the children. I feel bad for him. I blame, I guess, the parents, who would allow their children to sleep with him." On Mar. 23, Streisand issued an additional clarification, saying she is adamant that she does not condone the behavior Jackson is accused of perpetrating in the documentary, which details the experiences of Robson and Safechuck, who allege that Jackson sexually abused and groomed them as children. "To be crystal clear, there is no situation or circumstance where it is OK for the innocence of children to be taken advantage of by anyone," her statement reads. "The stories these two young men shared were painful to hear, and I feel nothing but sympathy for them." In an additional apology on her website, Streisand said that the original comments to The Times "do not reflect my true feelings." "I am profoundly sorry for any pain or misunderstanding I caused by not choosing my words more carefully about Michael Jackson and his victims, because the words as printed do not reflect my true feelings," she writes. "I didn't mean to dismiss the trauma these boys experienced in any way. Like all survivors of sexual assault, they will have to carry this for the rest of their lives. I feel deep remorse and I hope that James and Wade know that I truly respect and admire them for speaking their truth." - Billboard, 3/23/19...... In related news, the Jackson estate has been informing the media of its many concerns about the credibility of Leaving Neverland and Safechuck and Robson. In a 24-page PowerPoint document not intended for publication titled "Leaving Neverland and the Truth," the estate questions the accusers' memories and the filmmakers' motives in detail. The estate also attached recent news clips in which the Jackson's defense attorney, Thomas Mesereau Jr., called the charges "hogwash." "The quotes are taken out of context and no effort was made to clarify," notes the estate, which sued HBO before the film's wide debut for violating a 1992 nondisparagement clause. "The facts don't add up, but no one has really been interested in reporting on it." Meanwhile, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has said it has no intentions of removing Jackson from its list of legendary superstars despite the extensive allegations against Jackson. The music icon was inducted into the prestigious hall twice during his lifetime, once with the Jackson 5 in 1997, and again as a solo artist in 2001. This comes after the legendary Madame Tussauds wax museum said that all waxwork statues of Jackson are set to remain on display at all of their museums. "The figures on display at Madame Tussauds reflect profiles that have had an impact on popular culture and that visitors expect to see," a spokesperson says. "Michael Jackson has been and is currently a feature of Madame Tussauds attractions around the world. We regularly monitor our choice of figures on display based on external events and visitor feedback." - Billboard/New Musical Express, 3/22/19...... Sources close to the upcoming Elton John biopic Rocketman say the film is expected to get an R-ration for sex and drug scenes. Rocketman will reportedly include an intimate love scene between Taron Egerton, who portrays John, and Richard Madden, who plays Elton's former manager and lover, John Reid. Director Dexter Fletcher is in the midst of editing the film, which is slated for release in the U.S. on May 31 and in the U.K. on May 24, and produced by John's husband, David Furnish. Fletcher recently tweeted a statement saying the movie "has and always will be the no holds barred, musical fantasy that Paramount and producers passionately support and believe in." Paramount test screened the film earlier in March in Pasadena, Calif., and according to a source, it received scores in the high 80s, a promising sign for an unfinished $40 million musical that grapples with some challenging themes, including John's drug addiction. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/22/19...... An old school book containing essays written by Paul McCartney when the former Beatles member was 17-18 years old and studying at the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys will be auctioned on Mar. 26 as part of a Beatles memorabilia auction by Merseyside's Omega Auctions. The green book contains English essays on such classic literary works as Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native and John Milton's Paradise Lost, as well as notes and doodles. The book is expected to reach a final price of between £4,000 and £6,000 -- although estimates of £10,000 have also been quoted. In Beatles biographer Mark Lewisohn's book The Beatles - All These Years: Vol. One McCartney is quoted as saying, "I did most of my reading in (that) little period of my life I thought it was a bit swotty, a good image I felt like I was at university." - New Musical Express, 3/22/19...... 
As Todd Rundgren prepares to launch the U.S. leg of his "The Individualist" tour on Apr. 10 in Atlanta, Ga., the musician will release 
Alan Parsons will release a new studio album, 
Boz Scaggs has released a video for "Little Miss Night and Day" from his latest album, 2018's Grammy Award-nominated 
'70s hitmaker Ray Stevens is among the country/pop acts who have been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the organization announced on Mar. 18. Stevens, along with Brooks & Dunn and Jerry Bradley, will be formally inducted during a ceremony at Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum later in 2019. The induction into the CMHOF is the pinnacle of achievement in country music. - Billboard, 3/18/19...... A California judge has allowed a lawsuit brought by former Journey singer Steve Perry over vocals he recorded in a garage two decades ago to move forward. In Nov. 2018, Perry sued Phil Brown, claiming the musician wants to release without his permission demos the two recorded together in the early 1990s. Perry says he never intended for those vocals to be used in a larger sound recording in which any other party would have a copyright interest and that the two signed an agreement that Perry would control the exploitation of the musical compositions. Perry says Brown has ignored his cease and desist demands, so he sued. He asked the court for a declaration to clear up who owns the recordings, and is seeking damages for violation of his publicity rights and false endorsement. The court in November granted a temporary restraining order that bars Brown from releasing the works. The next hearing in the case is currently set for Mar. 25. - Billboard, 3/18/19...... R&B legend Andre Williams, perhaps best known for songs including "Bacon Fat" (1956), "Jail Bait" (1957), "Cadillac Jack" (1966), and the R&B classic, "Shake a Tail Feather" (1963), passed away on Mar. 17 in Chicago. He was 82. "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of legendary artist Andre Williams," a Facebook post from the Chicago-based label Pravda Records read. "He died this afternoon in Chicago at the age of 82. He touched our lives and the lives of countless others. We love you Dre." Mr. Williams was signed to Motown and Chess Records during his career, and released his last album, Don't Ever Give Up, via Pravda in 2016. - New Musical Express, 3/18/19.