Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on December 30th, 2014

Singer Ashlee Simpson and her husband, actor Evan Ross, have legally changed their names to honor Ross's mother, Motown great Diana Ross. Following their wedding in August, impson took her husband's legal last name -- Naess -- which is his father's. But now that the couple is expecting its first child, together they want to change their last names to Ross-Naess in honor of the Supremes icon. Evan Ross's movie credits include Crazy Sexy Cool: The TLC Story and Jeff, Who Lives at Home, among other film projects. In 2015, he will co-star in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 1, the third installment of the blockbuster franchise. Simpson's last album, Bittersweet World, was released in 2008. - Billboard/TMZ.com, 12/29/14...... Ringo Starr announced on his YouTube page on Dec. 28 that he plans on releasing a new album in 2015 and mounting a tour behind it. In the video, the drummer said he's finished his new studio LP, and that it will be released via Universal Records. He also thanked his fans for supporting his many 2014 All Starr Band tour and alluded to more touring in February and March as well. "It's all my pals, really. We just get together," Starr said in an interview this summer. "It's a mixed bag, as my records always are. We have the reggae track and we have the rock track and that's how it is. It's pop, rock, reggae." Ringo added that he was taking the production reins on his own this time after working with Bruce Sugar his last two album's, Ringo 2112 and 2010's Y Not. The new album will feature such musicians as Toto guitarist and current All-Starr Band member Steve Lukather, along with Peter Frampton, Richard Marx, Dave Stewart and Nashville songwriter Gary Nicholson. - Billboard, 12/29/14...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney said in a recent written Q&A with fans that college courses focusing on legendary artists like the Fab Four as a means of learning pop music is "ridiculous." "For me it's ridiculous, and yet very flattering," McCartney wrote in response to one student who is studying for an MA in popular music. "Ridiculous because we never studied anything, we just loved our popular music: Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, etc. And it wasn't a case of 'studying' it. I think for us, we'd have felt it would have ruined it to study it." Sir Paul added however that he's not against learning about popular music -- simply that he doesn't think you can learn to make great music from a college course. "I don't think that by studying popular music you can become a great popular musician; it may be that you use it to teach other people about the history, that's all valuable. But to think that you can go to a college and come out like Bob Dylan? Someone like Bob Dylan, you can't make -- You can't tell [people] how to become a Bob Dylan or a John Lennon, because you know, nobody knows how that happens." - Billboard, 12/29/14...... Kiss announced on Dec. 28 it plans on performing its classic 1975 live album, Alive!, in its entirety during its Kiss Kruise V in 2015. "What better way to celebrate the rise of these rock legends than to watch Kiss perform the very live album that launched them into greatness 40 years ago," the statement on the official Kiss website reads. "Get ready to rock out to Kiss playing their first gold album Alive! in its entirety. You read it right. Kiss is playing Alive! from front to back during The Kiss Kruise V indoor show." Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley & Co. haven't yet announced which other acts will perform during the cruise, but promises they'll be inviting some of their favorite bands for the adventure at sea. The 2014 lineup included Cheap Trick frontman Robin Zander and Pat Travers. The cruise sets sail from Miami to Jamaica beginning Oct. 30 -- Nov. 3, 2015, on the Norwegian Pearl. - Billboard, 12/28/14...... Renowned jazz clarinetist Buddy DeFranco -- who collaborated with Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and other top singers and musicians of his era -- died on Dec. 27 at a Panama City hospital. He was 91. Mr.DeFranco, a member of the American Jazz Hall of Fame, performed at venues around the world for 75 years and recorded with musicians including Sinatra, Holliday, Art Tatum, Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett. He conducted the Glenn Miller Orchestra for eight years from 1966 to 1974. Mr. DeFranco was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and later named a Living Jazz Legend in a Kennedy Center ceremony, and also was recognized 16 times with the Playboy All-Star award for top jazz clarinetist in the world. His wife, Joyce, said he had been in declining health in recent years. The couple lived in Panama City. - AP, 12/26/14...... Alberta Adams one of the last of the great post-World War II era blues singers, passed away on early Christmas morning in Detroit after a long period of failing health. She was 97. Ms. Adams, known for decades as Detroit's "Queen of the Blues," recorded with Chicago's Chess Records during the 1950s and was a member of the Bluesettes, a vocal group that performed with Tiny Bradshaw and his big band. She also recorded for New Jersey-based Savoy Records and toured nationally, eventually beginning a long association with the late Detroit guitarist Johnnie Bassett and his band. - Billboard, 12/26/14.

After embracing recent changes in U.K. law and becoming married on Dec. 21, Elton John and his partner David Furnish shared a picture of themselves on Instagram.com as they tied the knot, adding the caption "That's the legal bit done. Now on to the ceremony! Share the love." The couple reportedly celebrated the union with a reception at their estate in Windsor, England with guests including model/actress Elizabeth Hurley, who tweeted a picture of herself on the way to the event. Elton received many well-wishes from his friends, and posted an Instagram shot of all the cards. One of them was a classy handwritten message from multi-platinum selling singer Adele, who apologized for missing the wedding. "Biggest congratulations my loves. Have a wonderful day. I'm sorry we are not there. See you in 2015. Love Adele, Simon and Angelo. x," she wrote. - WENN.com/Billboard, 12/22/14...... Paul McCartney has reacted to the news of the passing of his "good mate" Joe Cocker on Dec. 22, saying it was a "mind-blowing" experience the first time he heard Cocker's rendition of the Beatles' song "With a Little Help From My Friends." "He was a lovely northern lad who I loved a lot and like many people I loved his singing," McCartney said. "I was especially pleased when he decided to cover 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and I remember him and Denny Cordell coming round to the studio in Saville Row and playing me what they'd recorded and it was just mind blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful for him for doing that." Also in his statement, Sir Paul said that it was "sad to hear that he had been ill" and that Cocker "was a great guy, a lovely guy who brought so much to the world and we'll all miss him." Meanwhile, Paul said in a recent interview that he's attempting a song about the controversial police killings in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City. "I was thinking recently about all these protests in New York and around the country. I thought it would be great to put something down about that, just to add my voice to the thousands of people walking in the streets," he said. "I thought it through and it just didn't come easily. I'm not giving up on it, but it didn't come easily, whereas some other emotions might come easily to me." - Billboard/AP, 12/23/14...... In other Beatles-related news, a new documentary from Sacred Goose Productions that asks musicians, actors, comedians and an assortment of other celebrities to choose which side of the John Lennon and Paul McCartney songwriting duo they prefer was posted online in early December. Pete Townshend, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, John Lydon and Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner are among over 550 famous celebs that were queried over a 10-year period for the 35-minute film. - New Musical Express, 12/22/14...... A new legal group representing around 40 artists including the Eagles, John Lennon, Smokey Robinson, Pharrell Williams and Chris Cornell are demanding that the popular online video site YouTube.com remove around 20,000 videos that are currently streaming online. Eagles manager Irving Azoff, who recently founded Global Music Rights, says that although YouTube may have negotiated deals with the record labels, they didn't do so with the artists themselves. Azoff says that his clients want to pursue YouTube, as opposed to other sharing sites, because they have been "least cooperative and the company and our clients feel are the worst offenders." Google, which is planning to launch Music Key -- its own subscription music service to rival Spotify and Pandora -- in 2015, has maintained that YouTube does have the performance rights due to prior deals, however Global Music counters that the service has not provided details of any prior agreements. "Without providing a shred of documentation, you blithely proffer that YouTube can ignore the Notices because it operates under blanket licenses from performing rights organizations other than Global," a lawyer for the group says. - New Musical Express, 12/23/14...... Former Pink Floyd principal Roger Waters says in an op-ed for Britain's Daily Mail newspapaper that there's "no place in the legal system" for the "institutionalized brutality" of Guantanamo Bay and called for a judge-led inquiry into Britain's role in the detention and alleged torture of British prisoner Shaker Aamer. Waters discussed recent revelations about the CIA's torture program and raised concerns about "the mounting evidence that our own [Britain's] intelligence and security agencies may have colluded with the CIA" in the rendition and torture of terror suspects. He focused on the case of Aamer, a 46-year-old Londoner who was seized by the US and rendered to Guantanamo while working in Afghanistan 13 years ago. "During Mr. Aamer's long spell of incarceration, he has never been put on trial or even had any charges leveled against him," Waters wrote. "No human being should be subjected to such monstrous and prolonged treatment " 13 years, with no evidence produced to suggest a crime!" Waters explained that he became involved in the case after it was brought to his attention by Aamer's laywer Clive Stafford Smith, who received a letter from Aamer that included the opening lyrics to Pink Floyd 1979 song "Hey You." In November, Pink Floyd scored their first U.K. No. 1 album since 1995 with their new and purportedlly final LP, The Endless River. - New Musical Express, 12/23/14...... Speaking of YouTube, the Rolling Stones posted a short video to the site on Dec. 21 thanking fans for their support in 2014. "We've had a fabulous time on the '14 On Fire' tour this year," said frontman Mick Jagger in the likely scripted piece that featured a pantomime-esque back and forth with guitarist Keith Richards. "Thanks for coming out to see us and maybe we'll see you in 2015," Jagger added. The Stones performed in 19 countries in 2014 as part of their "14 On Fire" tour which, according to the video, equated to playing to 1,159,882 people. - NME, 12/21/14...... In an interview with New Zealand's One News on Dec. 22, longtime AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd, who's been estranged from the band since being hit with charges of threatening to kill a man in Rudd's employ for three years, says that "I want my job back." "I'm going back to work with AC/DC and I don't care who likes it or who doesn't," Rudd said. "I want my job back and I want my reputation back." Rudd pleaded not guilty to charges of threatening to kill one of his bodyguards earlier in December, which also included a charge of drug possession. Rudd drummed for AC/DC from 1975-1983, and then rejoined them in 1994. AC/DC's new album Rock or Bust, which features Rudd's playing, debuted on the Billboard Hot 200 at No. 3. - Billboard, 12/22/14...... Speaking to Japan's Universal Music, Queen guitarist Brian May says their current vocalist, season-eight American Idol star Adam Lambert, can even sing higher than their original frontman, Freddie Mercury. "They're difficult songs to sing, Queen songs. There's too much range," May said. "So many people can't sing them in the original key -- even if they are good singers, Adam comes along, [and] he can do it easy. He can do it in his sleep! He can sing higher than even Freddie could in a live situation. So I think Freddie would look at this guy and think, 'Hmm| Yeah. Okay.' There would be a kind of, 'Hmm ... You bastard. You can do this.'" May also remarked on Lambert's showmanship: "He doesn't have to try. He is a natural, in the same way that Freddie was," he said, adding, "We didn't look for this guy, [but] suddenly he's there, and he can sing all of those lines. ... He doesn't imitate; he just does his own thing." Freddie Mercury died in 1991 of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS. Lambert has collaborated with members May and drummer Roger Taylor since 2011. The Queen + Adam Lambert troupe are set to play a New Year's Eve gig at Central Hall Westminster in London, which will be broadcast on BBC One, before touring other cities in Europe in 2015. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/22/14...... Donny and Marie Osmond have just extended their run at Las Vegas' Flamingo Hotel & Casino at least through the end of 2015. The sibling singers are still performing more than six years after they committed to six weeks of shows starting in September 2008, and their 90-minute variety show is scheduled to have performance dates every month in 2015 except in March, July, August and December. - AP, 12/22/14...... After a lengthy legal battle, the body of legendary radio and TV personality Casey Kasem was finally laid to rest on Dec. 16, approximately six months after his death, however questions about the cause of his death remain. According to celebrity gossip site TMZ.com, Kasem's body was buried at Norway's Vestre Gravlund Cemetery. Kasem's own children were not at the ceremony and reportedly did not know it took place until Dec. 22. Kasem died June 15 at the age of 82, his wife, actress Jean Kasem and daughter Kerri Kasem sparred over the burial. Along with fellow siblings Mike and Julie, Kerri filed a police report with the LAPD claiming their stepmother contributed to their father's death. The elder abuse investigation examined whether a multi-state car trip Jean took Kasem on led to his fatal infection. Kasem's cause of death was first reported as "complications from dementia." In the months leading up to Kasem's death, Kerri accused Jean of torturing her father, which included allegedly denying him necessary treatment for his illnesses. Jean maintained she intended to have Kasem interred in Norway, because of her own Norwegian heritage, and because her plans to relocate there would allow her to visit him. - Billboard, 12/22/14...... The son of former Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry was involved in a car accident in England near Cressage, Shropshire on Dec. 22. Merlin Ferry was reportedly in "critical condition" following a "head on collision," and he was trapped in the car for an hour following the crash. Another of Ferry's sons, Otis Ferry took to Twitter to thank firefighters from Wellington fire station, after they tweeted an image of wreckage from the crash. Otis wrote: "Thank you for extracting my Brother alive from what looks like a mangled box of tin. We are all continuing to pray." Bryan Ferry released his latest solo album, Avonmore, in November, with the likes of Johnny Marr and Nile Rodgers appearing on the LP. - NME, 12/24/14...... Dirty Harry actor Clint Eastwood is now officially single after a judge in California signed off on his divorce from now-ex-wife Dina. The divorce documents were filed in Monterey County Superior Court on Dec. 22, terminating the marriage. Eastwood and his wife separated in June 2012, and Dina filed for divorce a year ago. Details of the settlement are not yet available. - WENN.com, 12/23/14...... Lynyrd Skynyrd have announced they'll play their first two classic '70s albums -- Pronounced 'Leh-nerd Skin-nerd and Second Helping -- in their entirety in back-to-back shows at the Florida Theatre in their hometown of Jacksonville on Feb. 12 and 13. They will perform their debut on Feb. 12, with the follow-up LP being played the following night. Both shows, which will also feature a selection of other hits, are to be recorded and will be released on DVD. "We've been wanting to go back and recreate these live records for a long time," lead singer Johnny Van Zant told The Florida Times-Union. "We decided to come back to our hometown, Jacksonville, and play at the legendary Florida Theatre. Can't wait to rock it." The two albums are among 15 studio LPs released by the legendary Southern rockers, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. - NME, 12/21/14...... Singer/songwriter Larry Henley, whose raucous falsetto on "Bread and Butter" gave The Newbeats their biggest pop hit in the 1960s and who later co-wrote "Wind Beneath My Wings," died Dec. 18 in Nashville. He was 77. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 2012, announced the death but did not cite a cause. "Bread and Butter," which features with the lyrics "I like bread and butter, I like toast and jam, that's what my baby feeds me, I'm her loving man" -- climbed to No. 2 on the U.S. pop charts. It continued to resonate through commercials, notably for Sunbeam bread, and its use in films as varied as 9 1/2 Weeks (1986) and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004). "The Wind Beneath My Wings," from the soundtrack of the 1988 film Beaches became a No.1 pop hit and won the 1989 Grammy Award for song of the year. Over time, it became a contemporary standard used both at public events and in more intimate settings, often in the context of an apology set to music. After The Newbeats went their separate ways in the '70s, Henley continued a solo career while deepening an interest in songwriting. He co-wrote "Till I Get It Right," which became a No.1 country hit for Tammy Wynette in 1973, and "Lizzie & the Rainman," which Tanya Tucker propelled to No. 1 in 1975....... Producer/engineer and Ardent Records and Ardent Studios founder John Fry died in Memphis, Tenn., on on Dec. 18. He was 69. Ardent Studioes hosted sessions by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, ZZ Top, R.E.M., Stevie Ray Vaughan, Al Green, the Allman Brothers Band, B.B. King, the White Stripes, the Replacements, as well as scores of Stax Records artists and, of course, the acclaimed '70s power pop band Big Star, who Fry mentored and made three albums with. All told, more than 70 gold and platinum singles and albums were recorded at Ardent. Fry, who was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame on Nov. 6, had been diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and had gone through chemotherapy. - Billboard, 12/18/14...... Udo Juergens, an Austrian-born star who dominated pop music in the German-speaking world and sold more than 100 million records in a career spanning five decades, died on Dec. 21 after collapsing unconscious during a walk in Gottlieben, a town on Lake Constance north of Zurich, Switzerland. He was 80. "Warum nur, warum" became a No. 1 hit for Mr. Juergens in France, and Walk Away," and an English-language version sung by Matt Monroe went to No. 1 in Britain and No. 2 in the United States, selling 1.5 million records. - AP, 12/21/14...... Joseph Sargent, the director of the 1974 film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and winner of four Emmys and four DGA Awards, died on Dec. 22 at his home in Malibu of complications from heart disease. He was 89. His credits also included Something The Lord Made, Warm Springs, MacArthur, The Incident, Playing For Time, Miss Rose White, Miss Evers' Boys and Love Is Never Silent. - Variety, 12/23/14.

Joe Cocker, a Grammy-winning rock icon best known for his cover of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" and for fronting the legendary 1970 Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour which became a hit double-LP, died on Dec. 22 at his home in Crawford, Col., after a hard fought battle with small cell lung cancer. He was 70. Born in Sheffield, Great Britain in May 1944, the gravely voiced soul, blues and rock singer released his eponymous debut album in 1969 which featured covers of songs by Bob Dylan. He performed at the Woodstock Festival in 1969 (as well as the Woodstock '94 anniversary festival) and scored 19 charting hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including 1968's "With a Little Help From My Friends," which later became the theme song for the hit 1980s TV show The Wonder Years. In 1982, he had a No. 1 hit with "Up Where We Belong," a duet with Jennifer Warnes, from the film An Officer and a Gentleman. The song also won him his only Grammy Award, for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal. He also charted Top 40 hits with "You Are So Beautiful" (No. 5), "The Letter" (with Leon Russell and The Shelter People, No. 7), "When the Night Comes" (No. 11) and "Feeling Alright" (No. 33). Another famed Cocker track, the Randy Newman-penned "You Can Leave Your Hat On," became a hit in 1986 after it was used in the film 9 1/2 Weeks. The song reached No. 35 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart. He released 22 solo albums, the last being Fire It Up in 2012. During a recent concert in New York, his friend Billy Joel told the crowd that Cocker was not well, and urged that Cocker be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. A statement released by his record label Sony, reads: "John Robert Cocker, known to family, friends, his community and fans around the world as Joe Cocker, passed away on December 22, 2014 after a hard fought battle with small cell lung cancer. Mr Cocker was 70 years old. Joe Cocker was born 5/20/1944 in Sheffield, England where he lived until his early 20's. In 2007 he was awarded the OBE by the Queen of England. His international success as a blues/rock singer began in 1964 and continues till this day. Joe created nearly 40 albums and toured extensively around the globe." Cocker's agent Barrie Marshall released a statement regarding his death, saying: "it will be impossible to fill the space he leaves in our hearts." Although Cocker was reportedly battling lung cancer, Marshall said that he passed away of "an undisclosed illness." Cocker's passing also drew condolences on Twitter.com from such fellow famous musicians as Ringo Starr, Tom Morello, Peter Frampton, Bryan Adams, Steven Tyler, Bette Midler, Arlo Guthrie, Lenny Kravitz and Bootsy Collins.. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 12/22/14.

Just two seasons in, the Thursday night CBS sitcom Mom has proven itself to be a primetime series that doesn't shy away from often dark subject matter, tackling such controversial issues as alcoholism, gambling, homelessness, cancer, and teen pregnancy. "I didn't see any point in doing another sitcom and not expanding the language a little bit," says cocreator and executive producer Chuck Lorre. "It seemed to me that the genre doesn't really deal with reality." Mom has been compared by critics to producer Norman Lear's 1970s sitcoms, such as All in the Family, Good Times, and Maude, all of which reflected the issues of that era, and Lorre says that while he's not comparing his show to All in the Family, "I thought this was a chance to go back to Lear's work... he saw opportunity in telling stories about what was really happening in people's lives." Coincidentally, Lear recently revealed that he and Sony Pictures are discussing an All in the Family revival for 2015. Lear says that, like the original, the reboot would be about "what you and your family are living through. They're the same problems we had 30 years ago. They're just not being addressed as often." Why does Lear think more shows don't touch the issues, as he did? "The answer lies in what the networks and buyers insist on," Lear says. "They don't want the problems that the sponsors and executives at the networks didn't want all those years ago. There are writers everywhere who would be eager to write about everything they're facing." - TV Guide, 12/21/14.

The Who have been forced to cancel two London dates on Dec. 17 and 18 that would have finished their UK "Who Hits 50" tour as singer Roger Daltrey recovers from a throat infection. The pair of gigs have been rescheduled for March 22 and 23, 2015, as Daltrey rests his voice on doctor's orders. "The band and their management wish to sincerely apologise to all ticket holders for the inconvenience and disappointment this has caused," The Who said in a statement. The UK tour began in November as the band announced they have begun to consider their retirement from music. Following the March gigs, the band is scheduled to headline London's Hyde Park festival in the summer of 2015. - New Musical Express, 12/16/14...... Tickets for AC/DC's upcoming gig at London's Wembley Stadium on July 4 sold out in under 60 minutes after going on sale on Dec. 17. The band will play Wembley as part of three UK dates in London, Glasgow (on 6/28) and Dublin (7/1) in the summer of 2015. - New Musical Express, 12/17/14...... Yusuf (formerly known as Cat Stevens) wrapped a brief U.S. tour in Los Angeles on Dec. 14, his first American trek in 35 years. Dubbed the "Peace Train" tour, a dilapidated train station provided a fitting backdrop for Yusuf's 32-song set at the Nokia Theatre before a sold-out crowd of 7,000. Standing ovations greeted album tracks such as "Where Do the Children Play" and "Miles From Nowhere," with encores including "Gold Digger," "Peace Train," "Sad Lisa" and "Morning Has Broken." Stevens, 66, was backed by his bandmate from his heady '70s days, guitarist Alun Davies, and four young musicians. - Billboard, 12/15/14...... An episode of the Netflix series Lilyhammer featuring acting by Bruce Springsteen began airing on Nov. 21, and the director of the series, Springsteen's longtime E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt, says there "was a little bit of anxiety involved." "I know we're friends for 50 years but still it meant a lot to me that he chose me and trusted me enough to direct him when literally everybody on earth's been wanting to do it ," said Van Zandt, who besides making his directoral debut also stars, writes, produces and composes music for the show. Lilyhammer is a fish out of water story about fictional New York gangster Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano (Van Zandt), who is trying to start a new life in the Norwegian city of Lillehammer. Springsteen played Frank's older brother Giuseppe -- a small role that was key to the plot, Van Zandt said. "He's really acting," says Van Zandt. "It's not some cameo. He's not playing himself. It's a real thing." Springsteen also briefly appeared in the 2000 film High Fidelity, but as himself rather than in an acting role. - AP, 12/17/14...... In a recent interview with Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, the wife of John Lennon's killer Mark David Chapman said that she and her husband have written letters to Lennon's widow Yoko Ono in a bid to salve Chapman's conscious over the shocking 1980 murder. "If Mark could say anything to John and Yoko now, he would say: 'I'm sorry I caused such pain'. He would say: 'I hope you have forgiven me'...," Gloria Chapman said. "John was a nice person but Mark wasn't thinking about that that day, and put himself first. That was his mistake," she added. She also revealed that she and Chapman have both written letters to Yoko and that she "prays for her to find Jesus Christ in her life and to find forgiveness for Mark." "He isn't angry or upset that (Yoko) has pleaded with judges not to release him. I think he understands," Gloria Chapman added, also saying she thinks that Paul McCartney should visit Chapman in prison because "Mark is a very likeable... and would welcome a visit from Mr. McCartney." Mark David Chapman was sentenced to 20 years-to-life in prison for shooting Lennon outside his home at the Dakota building in New York in December, 1980, and has been refused parole on several occasions. - WENN.com, 12/15/14...... Meanwhile in other Beatles-related news, the Recording Academy announced on Dec. 18 that beloved Fab Four legend George Harrison will be honored with a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award during an invitation-only ceremony in Los Angeles on Feb. 7, one day before the regular Grammy Awards. Other artists receiving the award include the Bee Gees, Buddy Guy, saxophonist Wayne Shorter and the country duo The Louvin Brothers, among others. The Recording Academy also announced that an all-star Grammys tribute to Stevie Wonder's classic 1976 double-LP Songs in the Key of Life will air on CBS on Feb. 16. Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life -- An All-Star Grammy Salute will feature 25-time Grammy-winner Wonder and contemporary artists covering his songs as well as other archival material. Presenters will also help highlight the historical impact of Wonder's songs on music and culture. - Billboard, 12/18/14...... In other Stevie Wonder news, the R&B icon became a dad for the ninth time on Dec. 17 when his girlfriend Tomeeka Robyn Bracy gave birth to a daughter named Nia. The couple reportedly chose the name because it means "purpose," which is one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, the African-American holiday observed at the end of December. Wonder has seven other kids from previous relationships, including two sons with his second ex-wife, fashion designer Kai Millard Morris, who he divorced in 2012. - WENN.com, 12/17/14...... The Grammy Hall of Fame added 27 recordings by such diverse acts as the Sex Pistols, Neil Young, Lou Reed, Kraftwerk, The Sex Pistols and Abba on Dec. 16. A selection of both albums and singles have been included, including Kraftwerk's 1974 Autobahn LP, Bob Dylan's 1975 LP Blood On The Tracks, Abba's 1976 single "Dancing Queen," Young's 1972 LP Harvest, Chic's 1978 single "Le Freak," Sex Pistols' 1977 LP Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols, Alice Cooper's 1972 single "School's Out," Leonard Cohen's 1967 album Songs of Leonard Cohen, Otis Redding's 1966 single "Try A Little Tenderness" and Reed's 1972 single "Walk On The Wild Side." "These memorable, inspiring and iconic recordings are proudly added to our growing catalogue -- knowing that they have become a part of our musical, social, and cultural history," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. The latest inductions bring the Grammy Hall of Fame's inductions to a total 987 recordings. - New Musical Express, 12/16/14...... The producers of the Carole King Broadway production "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical" have announced nationwide casting calls to find actors to portray King and other cast members. Auditions have been set for New York on Jan. 16; Seattle on Jan. 24; Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 7; Pittsburgh on Feb. 21; and Chicago on Feb. 28. The current King, Tony Award-winner Jessie Mueller, is leaving the show in March. In addition to the Broadway show, there's a West End production set to begin in February and a U.S. tour kicks off in Rhode Island in September. - AP, 12/17/14...... The performing rights organization BMI announced on Dec. 17 that it has renewed its long-standing partnership with the estate of Michael Jackson for representation of the late pop icon's catalog. "Since 1976, we've had the privilege of licensing his works and we're honored to continue this relationship with his estate," said BMI president Jim O'Neil. The pact, which dates back over 38 years, covers the public performances of Jackson's songs. BMI pegs its membership at over 650,000 songwriters, composers and publishers. - Billboard, 12/17/14...... Surviving members of the '70s hard rock band Iron Butterfly revealed in a recent interview with Classic Rock magazine that they are working on a new LP together and plan to play some shows in the near future. "We just reformed Iron Butterfly with some original members Ron Bushy, the original drummer and founder of the band, and myself, and Doug Ingle Jr.," said Iron Butterfly guitarist Mike Pinera. The band is perhaps best known for their 1968 track 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida', which was taken from the album of the same name. The record has, to date, sold over 30 million copies. - New Musical Express, 12/14/14...... RCA Records announced on Dec. 16 that it has signed Van Morrison to the label, and it will release Morrison's as-yet-untitled 35th studio album in early 2015. "We are thrilled to have Van Morrison, the iconic musical visionary and legend, join the RCA roster," RCA President and COO Tom Corson and CEO Peter Edge said in a joint statement. "He is one of the most prolific and talented songwriters and performers in music today and we are honored to have him join us at the label and work with him on his forthcoming new album." Morrison's new LP will be the follow-up to his 2012 set Born To Sing: No Plan B, which was released via Blue Note and debuted and peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 200. Morrison's new album for Sony/BMG will be his first for that company, following long a long stint with Warner Bros. in the 1970s, a 7-year run with Mercury in the 1980s and stints with Polydor, Exile, Virgin/Point Blank and Blue Note. Though he continues to tour extensively through Europe, Morrison hasn't performed in the States since a U.S. tour wrapped in Nov. 2013. - Billboard, 12/16/14...... Soul singer Wendy Rene, whose song "After Laughter, Comes Tears" was sampled by the Wu-Tang Clan on "Tearz," died on Dec. 16 in Memphis, Tenn., following a stroke. She was 67. A rarity for singers at the time, Rene only recorded songs she had written, using Booker T. and the MG's as her backing band. Her dance track "Bar-B-Q" was successful enough that she left high school to make a go of it as a performer though none of her singles ever reached a Billboard chart. Her work was also sampled by such rap/hip hop acts as Ol' Dirty Bastard, Alicia Keys and NastyNasty. - Billboard, 12/18/14...... Millie Kirkham, a backup singer for Elvis Presley whose sky-high iconic soprano helped define Presley's iconic yuletide hit "Blue Christmas," died in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 14 after suffering a stroke the previous week. She was 91. Singing as a sort of unofficial fifth member of The Jordanaires, Ms. Kirkham didn't just lead the "whoo-ooh-oohs" on "Blue Christmas," her first session with Elvis in 1957 -- she came up with the part. As the story goes, The King originally didn't want to record the song, but had to, and called on the singers to come up with something silly enough to keep RCA from releasing it. "I started going 'Whoo-oo-oo-oo,' " Ms. Kirkham said in a 2012 interview. "[Elvis] motioned for me to keep doing it, so I did it all the way through the whole song. When we were through, we all laughed and said 'That's one record the record company will never release.' But they did. And if I got royalties, I'd be a rich old woman." Ms. Kirkham became a regular session and stage backup vocalist for Elvis, appearing on hits like "(You're the) Devil in Disguise," gospel cuts like "Milky White Way" and versions of "Polk Salad Annie," "C.C. Rider" and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters." She also sang on classics of the '50s, '60s and '70s by many other artists, including Ferlin Husky, Brenda Lee, Patti Page, Bobby Vinton, Roy Orbison and George Jones.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on December 17th, 2014

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its class of 2015 inductees on Dec. 16, with Lou Reed, Bill Withers, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Green Day making the cut for next time. In addition, the "5" Royales will receive the Early Influence Award, and Ringo Starr will be honored with the Award for Musical Excellence, which was created in 2000. With that award, Starr becomes the fourth and final former member of the Beatles, who were inducted as a group in 1988, to also be honored as individuals by the hall. Among those finally making the cut after being eligible for many years include the late Reed, who has been eligible since 1997 and appeared on the 2000 and 2001 ballots, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, who have been eligible since 1988 and appeared on the ballot in 2006 as well as the 2013 and 2014 ballots, and Withers, who has been eligible since 1996 and made the cut as a first-time nominee. Known for such hits as "Ain't No Sunshine," "Use Me" and "Lean on Me," Withers started recording when he was 33 and left the business 15 years later. Artists also nominated this year but passed over include Chic, who hold the record of nine unsuccessful nominations, Kraftwerk, The Marvelettes, Nine Inch Nails, N.W.A., The Smiths, The Spinners, Sting and War. A voting body of more than 700 artists, historians and members of the music industry chose the 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performer inductees. To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. The 2015 nominees had to release their first recording no later than 1989. The 2015 induction ceremony will be held in Cleveland on Apr. 18. - Billboard, 12/16/14.

Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper is reporting that Elton John will marry his partner of 18 years, David Furnish, on Dec. 21 before a group of close friends and family at their home in Windsor, England. According to a source close to John and Furnish, the couple "have been planning this for months" and that "Elton is flamboyant but, for once, this will be a decidedly low-key affair. Only close friends and family are invited -- it's going to be a small, intimate do... It's important to David and Elton the boys play a special part." Among the invited guests are reportedly David and Victoria Beckham, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon, and actress Elizabeth Hurley, with the couple's adopted sons Zachary, three, and Elijah, one, serving as ring bearers at the nuptials. On Dec. 10, legislation was passed in the U.K. allowing couples to convert their civil partnerships into marriages. John and Furnish entered into a civil partnership in 2005. - WENN.com/The Daily Mirror, 12/12/14...... Smokey Robinson settled a legal dispute with his ex-wife Claudette Robinson on Dec. 11 over terminated song rights, with the parties telling a judge that they had reached a settlement in principle. The battle involves termination rights under the 1976 Copyright Act. The legendary Motown singer, whose songs include "My Girl" and "You've Really Got a Hold on Me," is in the process of reclaiming rights to his works. But as he was doing this Claudette Robinson, to whom he was married to between 1957 and 1986, says she put a hold on her own singing career to take care of the kids, and asserted that she deserved a 50 percent share of what he recovered. This led Smokey to file a lawsuit for declaratory relief with Claudette filing counterclaims. The dispute was closely-watched in the music community -- especially among artists reps -- with some talk about the conflict between federal copyright law and state family law and the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/14/14...... In other R&B news, Aretha Franklin was honored as Billboard's Women in Music Icon of the Year at the annual Women in Music event in New York on Dec. 11. Introduced by longtime collaborator and friend Clive Davis, who lauded her for topping various Billboard charts a whopping 100 separate times, Franklin took the stage and delivered a brief speech. "I don't get the opportunity to be with industry people as much as I'd like to," she said. "I want to thank Billboard and their staff personnel for this." Stevie Wonder also sent in his regards via video, singing a congratulations to the tune of his own "My Cherie Amour." - Billboard, 12/12/14...... AC/DC have confirmed they will play gigs in the U.K. as part of their European tour in the summer of 2015. The Aussie headbangers will play Glasgow's Hampden Park on June 28 and Aviva Stadium in Dublin on July 1 before headlining London's Wembley Stadium on July 4. The performance in Glasgow will mark the first time AC/DC have played the U.K. and Ireland since their Black Ice world tour in 2009. The band also recently revealed that they would be open to the idea of headlining the Glastonbury festival if asked. Meanwhile, AC/DC has scored their third No. 1 album in the U.S. on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart with their new album Rock or Bust. The LP, which sold 172,000 copies according to Nielsen Music, also debuted at No.1 on the Hard Rock Albums chart and No. 3 on the Hot 200 chart, where it is the group's ninth Top 10 album and their 26th charting title. Rock or Bust is also the band's first new album available for purchase on the ITunes music store, after AC/DC ended its holdout from the popular digital retailer in 2012. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 12/12/14...... In other Billboard chart action, Pink Floyd's seminal 1973 space-rock album The Dark Side of the Moon has returned to the Billboard Hot 200 album chart for the week ending Dec. 12 thanks to new ultra-cheap pricing in the store (where the classic set was discounted to 99-cents in the tracking week ending Dec. 7). It moved just over 38,000 album equivalent units, comprised mostly of pure album sales (nearly 38,000; up 940 percent), which was good for a No. 13 ranking. That's the album's highest rank since the Oct. 15, 2011-dated chart, when it re-entered at No. 12 following a new deluxe reissue. With 889 weeks on the chart, Dark Side continues to rule as the album with most charted weeks in the history of the tally. Incidentally, the next-closest album, in terms of longevity, is Johnny Mathis' Johnny's Greatest Hits, with 490 weeks. - Billboard, 12/11/14...... In other Pink Floyd-related news, guitarist David Gilmour made a surprise appearance during a concert by the British band Bombay Bicycle Club on Dec. 13 at London's Earls Court Arena, the last ever concert at the venue before it is demolished and the site is redeveloped. Gilmour was introduced onto the stage by Bombay Bicycle Club guitarist Jamie MacColl. "This man gave me my first guitar and was one of the first people to play this venue and by my count has played here more than 27 times," he commented. Pink Floyd first played Earls Court Arena in 1973, on their Dark Side of the Moon tour. Gilmour playing lap steel guitar on the London's band's own song "'Rinse Me Down," before he picked up an acoustic guitar and sang Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" from the 1975 album of the same name, much to the delight of the sold-out crowd. - New Musical Express, 12/14/14...... Billy Joel's sold-out show at Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa., on Dec. 5, his first concert at the Penn State arena in 12 years, gave the Piano Man the top ranking in Billboard's Hot Tours list for the week ending Dec. 10. Joel played to a crowd of 12,077, and box office revenue totaled $1.3 million. Joel's last concert at Bryce Jordan Center was on Jan. 16, 2002, during a co-headlining trek with Elton John. That performance drew a sellout crowd of 15,030, generating $1.6 million in sales. The Penn State gig was the first of three events the pop star has scheduled for Dec. 2014. Next on the itinerary is the 12th sold-out performance of his monthly residency at New York City's Madison Square Garden on Dec. 18, and he is set to close out the year at Amway Center in Orlando on New Year's Eve. Other '70s artists ranking in the Top 10 concerts for the week included Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band for a show in Uncasville, Conn. on Dec. 6, James Taylor for a gig also in Uncasville on Dec. 4, and Bob Dylan for a show in Newark, N.J., on Nov. 26. - Billboard, 12/11/14...... Speaking of Bob Dylan, the rock bard has just announced details of his next studio album, a set of Frank Sinatra covers called Shadows in the Night. The 10-track album is due Feb. 3, 2015 via Columbia Records, songs included renditions of "Full Moon And Empty Arms," "Stay With Me" and "What I'll Do." In a press release, Dylan explained his interest in the project as well as his recording process, adding that he doesn't see his renditions as "covers." "It was a real privilege to make this album. I've wanted to do something like this for a long time but was never brave enough to approach 30-piece complicated arrangements and refine them down for a five-piece band," he said. "I don't see myself as covering these songs in any way," Dylan continued. "They've been covered enough. Buried, as a matter a fact. What me and my band are basically doing is uncovering them. Lifting them out of the grave and bringing them into the light of day." News that the LP would be released in 2015 was originally revealed in a flyer that was inserted into advance copies of Dylan's new Basement Tapes Complete boxset, which dropped in November. - NME, 12/9/14...... Former The Police frontman Sting received a standing ovation on Dec. 9 as he joined the cast of the Broadway musical "The Last Ship," which incorporates several of his songs and is a semi-autobiographical story of his own life. Sting was also presented with a bouquet of white rosts at the Neil Simon Theatre after playing the role of a foreman in the musical. He took no special bow, choosing to stay in line with the ensemble as the clapping grew deafening. "It's a play. It's supposed to be fun and it's great fun," Sting said afterward. "The audience were so with us. They were so buoyant. The cast, too. It was a wonderful experience." Sting joined the cast after the musical, which has no bankable stars until now, struggled at the box office,attributable in part to its challenging topic. Sting hopes he can help raise both awareness and the weekly take to $625,000 a week, which would put it in the black. The previous week it made only $492,000. "I had no intention of going in when I was writing it, but I wanted to help the show out. It's hard to put on a new musical on Broadway, as many shows will tell you," Sting said. "We had a secret weapon and we used it." The $15 million project began as a CD and PBS concert special before it was turned into a stage version for a pre-Broadway stop in Chicago in the summer of 2014. The cast album comes out Dec. 16. - AP, 12/10/14...... Abba co-founder Bjorn Ulvaeus once again repeated his declaration that Abba will never again reunite in a new interview with the Associated Press on Dec. 8. "We took a break in '82, and it was meant to be a break. It's still a break and will remain so," Ulvaeus said. "You'll never see us onstage again." Ulvaeus also discussed the new photo book Abba: The Official Photo Book, which was released earlier in 2014 in Europe, and just recently in the United States. "I'm not a nostalgic person, but looking at these pictures really took me back," he said of the book, which features more than 600 photos from the height of the band's career in the 1970s. - AP, 12/9/14...... Joni Mitchell, who recently released a box set of music culled from her 40-year-plus catalog called Love Has Many Faces, A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced, says that she "don't miss much of anything" these days after retiring from performing due to a battle with the rare skin condition Morgellons Disease. "I've had a very full life," says the 71-year-old singer/songwriter. "I don't miss much of anything. I can't sing anymore -- don't miss it. I can't play anymore -- don't miss it. I've got all these instruments laying around and hopefully one day I'll pick them up. But I do want to start writing my short stories, that's what I want to do after I get this ballet out of the way. If it can happen, great -- if it becomes apparent it's not gonna happen, alright, I've got plenty to do. And I'll still paint." Mitchell says her next project will be a four-part ballet to be danced in early 2015 by the Alberta Ballet -- her first production since 2007's "Shine." - Billboard, 12/9/14...... Pop crooner Tom Jones responded to Welsh rugby officials who are being urged to ban the singing of his classic hit "Delilah" before matches because some claim the lyrics "trivialize the idea of murdering a woman. Speaking at the inaugural BBC Music Awards in London on Dec. 11, Jones said taking the song literally "takes the fun out of it." "If it's going to be taken literally, I think it takes the fun out of it, I think it takes the spirit out of why it's being sung at a Welsh rugby match." Jones added that the song wasn't meant to be a "political statement": "If they're looking into the lyric about a man killing a woman, it's not a political statement, it's something that happens in life. This woman was unfaithful to him and he just loses it... I wasn't thinking that I was the man that was killing the girl when I was singing the song -- I was acting out the part." He add that fans singing the song at matches made him "proud to be Welsh," commenting: "I love to hear it being sung at the Welsh games. It makes me very proud to be Welsh, that they're using one of my songs to sing at a rugby match. That's important to me." It was previously reported that Dafydd Iwan, former president of Plaid Cymru, had asked fans at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium to stop singing "Delilah" before matches because of its controversial content. The track currently acts as a second anthem for Wales, with the Rugby Union displaying the lyrics on the big screen before matches. The Welsh Rugby Union are yet to take any action over the song. - New Musical Express, 12/11/14...... Speaking before an audience of about 300 at England's Oxford University on Dec. 8, former Sex Pistols and current PiL frontman John Lydon said that all religion is "vile, poisonous and idiotic" and spoke of his exposure to paedophile priests as a young boy. "They spend all their time trying to make you believe things that can't possibly be true. Sounds a lot like the Tory party," he said. The irreverent punk rock icon, who was making his final public appearnce to promote his 2014 autobiography Anger Is An Energy: My Life Uncensored, also took a swipe at Mick Jagger for the Rolling Stones frontman's "embarrassing" performance at the Glastonbury Music Festival in 2013. "It's Mick in ladies' tights and his testicles are frocked and he's running around like a speed freak and then there's the band looking incredibly embarrassed and wearing the awful, I call them Tommy Hilfiger kind of colours, like Cliff Richard-on-holiday wear. And if I turn into that... then you're all welcome," he said. As for his musical future, Lydon said he'd give up music "only if I got bored with it, and as long as there's human being in the world, I'm not going to get bored." He said message of his autobiography is "self pity is for arseholes." - NME, 12/11/14...... Music engineer and Island Records co-founder Graeme Goodall, a pivotal figure in the development of Jamaica's music industry, died of natural causes at his Atlanta home on Dec. 4. He was 82. Born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1932, Mr. Goodall worked for several AM radio stations down under as an audio engineer before traveling to London in the mid-'50s where he trained (as an engineer) at the International Broadcasting Company (IBC), then Britain's largest independent recording studio. In the mid-1950's, he relocated to Jamaica after bieng offered a three-year contract to help design and install the first commercial FM service on the island. Shortly after his arrival in the capital, Kingston, Goodall (affectionately known as Mr. Goody) became involved in Jamaica's fledgling recording industry helping to build what is said to be Kingston's first recording studio-in the back of a downtown furniture store-owned by Ken "Papa Khou" Khouri, where some of the earliest recordings of mento (a Jamaican folk music, akin to calypso) were done. Mr. Goodall worked with the top Jamaican producers of the 1960s including Sir Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, Arthur "Duke" Reid and Cecil Bustamante Campbell a.k.a. Prince Buster. Mr. Goodall was responsible for the recording sessions of some of the most influential artists to emerge from Jamaica throughout the 1960s including The Skatalites, Bob Andy, Jimmy Cliff and The Wailers. (In the 1980s the family of Bob Marley purchased Federal Studios and it is now home to the world renowned Tuff Gong Studios). Mr. Goodall remained in Jamaica until the 1970s and eventually moved to the US where he worked for Sony's pro-audio division. He is survived by his Jamaica born wife Fay, whom he married in 1961, and their two children. - Billboard, 12/12/14...... Actress/model Mary Ann Mobley, a go-to guest star on many TV series of the '60s, '70s and '80s including The Love Boat, Perry Mason, Fantasy Island and Diff'rent Strokes, died on Dec. 9. She was 77. Mobley won the Miss American crown in 1959, and was married to actor/talk-show host Gary Collins for 45 years. Her big screen credits include one of Elvis Presley's love interests in the 1965 film Girl Happy. - TV Guide, 12/22/14.

Paul McCartney appears as a hologram in a new video for "Hope For The Future," his song written specifically written for the video game Destiny. In the clip, Sir Paul sings to blue and green aliens about building bridges to the sky, as warriors walk around deserts with guns and spaceships fly over barren landscapes, among other sci-fi happenings happen. "Hope For The Future" was released with a variety of different mixes on Dec. 8, and McCartney was reportedly paid nothing for his participation in the Destiny project -- only taking part in it just for the sake of creativity. "I was intrigued by the intricacy of the music because in a game if you go one route a certain piece of the music plays," Macca told New Musical Express. "I know from my kids and my grandkids, they just bury themselves in a game and I don't think they've got time to listen to my music. Their agenda is pretty full with all the other stuff, you know, so I like the idea of infiltrating into their agenda." Asked whether or not he's played the hot first-person shooter game, McCartney responded: "I'm not very good at games. I've got so much else to be getting on with; I can't have my face in a screen, you know, bopping along in a game. I had a go and it was great, but I got mashed almost instantly. The aliens mashed me." After its release earlier in 2014, Destiny is on track to become one of the highest-selling video game franchises of all time. Meanwhile, Dec. 8 marked the 34th anniversary of the tragic loss of Paul's former bandmate John Lennon, and McCartney appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show on that date to reflect on John's death. "It was so horrific and I couldn't take it in...For days, you just couldn't think he was gone," he remembered, adding that he received the bad news via an early morning phone call at his home. He also said he believed Mark David Chapman's act was not politically motivated -- a "total random thing" -- and called Chapman" the jerk of all jerks." In other Beatles-related news, the Fab Four has topped Billboard's Vinyl Albums chart for the fifth time with "Long Tall Sally," a Black Friday Record Store Day exclusive. The limited-edition four-song 7" reissue also starts at No. 22 on Top Rock Albums, selling 6,000 copies (all on vinyl) in the week ending Nov. 30, according to Nielsen Music. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 12/9/14.

Founding Creedence Clearwater Revival members Doug Clifford, Stu Cook and Tom Fogerty's wife Patricia Fogerty have filed a new lawsuit over CCR frontman John Fogerty over the use of the band's name. The long festering dispute stretches back to 1996 when Fogerty was the plaintiff in a lawsuit that alleged Clifford and Cook were the ones misusing trademarks through the "Creedence Clearwater Revisited" tour. According to the trio's new suit, it was John Fogerty who withdrew his objection to Creedence Clearwater Revisited in return for payment for uses of the "Revisited" name. The latest lawsuit points out that after the settlement, Fogerty gave interviews where he continued to slam use of the "Creedence Clearwater Revisited" name. "Using the name is sort of a sacrilege," John Fogerty told one publication. Now with Fogerty said to be threatening litigation again over money, the other Creedence parties are going to court first. They not only allege that Fogerty has breached the settlement agreement by publicly condemning use of "Revisited," but that Fogerty himself is now violating the band's trademarks. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/8/14...... Motown icons The Temptations and The Four Tops, who still tour often and appeared on Broadway in 1986, will renew heir rivalry when they perform on Broadway again this winter for a seven-concert stand between Dec. 29-Jan. 4 at the Palace Theatre. The Four Tops' Abdul "Duke" Fakir and The Temptations' Otis Williams, the only surviving original members of their groups, admit they "still have love for each other" despite the rivalry. "We're very competitive," says Fakir. "That's the way Motown was built. Basically we competed all the while. But we competed in a wonderful way -- brother against brother." Their concerts are part nostalgia and part education, reminding the audience of the Motown sound and celebrating such songwriters as Lamont Dozier and the team of brothers (Brian) Holland and (Eddie) Holland. "I never would have imagined that I'd still be here singing songs that are half my age," says Williams, 73. "Those songs feel fantastic even if it is 60 years later." - AP, 12/9/14...... Jack Utsick, a former music promoter who produced events for top-name acts such as the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Aerosmith, has been extradited to the U.S. from Brazil to face charges in a $300 million fraud case. Utsick, 72, fled to Brazil in 2006 during investigations by the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission. After a lengthy court battle, Brazil ordered his extradition in August and he was flown to Miami on Dec. 6. Authorities say he operated his Worldwide Entertainment Inc. promotion company as a Ponzi scheme, repaying older investors with money from newer ones. The scheme defrauded an estimated 3,300 investors out of nearly $300 million. He is charged with eight counts of mail fraud, each carrying a maximum 20-year prison sentence. Utsick has not yet entered a plea. - AP, 12/8/14...... David Bowie will face a host of newcomers including Ed Sheeran, Elbow, Jungle, Royal Blood and Sam Smith for the title of "British Artist of the Year" at the inaugural BBC Music Awards on Dec. 11. The BBC Music Awards will take place before an audience of 13,500 at London's Earls Court. Despite his nomination, Bowie has in 2014 only released two new tracks and hits compilation Nothing Has Changed. - New Musical Express, 12/8/14...... The lyrics of two early unrecorded Bob Dylan songs from the early 1960s failed to sell at an auction conducted by Christie's in New York on Dec. 4. The typed lyrics, including handwritten annotations, were of the original 1962 "Talkin Folklore Center," which was expected to fetch $40,000 to $60,000, while Dylan's "Go Away You Bomb" lyrics from 1963 were estimated to bring $30,000 to $50,000. The consignor has yet to announce what he now plans to do with the lyrics. - AP, 12/4/14...... Elton John took an embarrassing tumble out of his chair during he Mylan World Team charity tennis tournament in London on Dec. 7. The Rocket Man was serving as team captain against a group led by his good friend and former women's tennis champion Billie Jean King as his director's chair folded when he climbed into it, causing him to fall backwards towards the ground, taking two more chairs with him. To make matters worse, Sir Elton's team -- comprised of tennis icons Andy Roddick, John McEnroe, Martina Hingis and Heather Watson -- lost out to King and her pros, including Tim Henman, Sabine Lisicki and Jamie Murray. Proceeds from the tournament will go towards the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Meanwhile, Elton is among the confirmed performers at the upcoming Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015, which takes place at New York's Times Square on Dec. 31. John will perform his anthem "I'm Still Standing" on the telecast, which gets underway at 8:00 p.m. on Dec. 31 and broadcast on ABC. - WENN.com/Billboard, 12/8/14...... In a brief one-page "summary of facts," prosecutors in the threatening-to-kill case against AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd released details of their case against the musician on Dec. 6. The New Zealand prosecutors say that on Sept. 26, Rudd first called a business associate and talked about "what he wanted done" to the man, before calling the man and making the threats. Prosecutors said the man worked for Rudd under a contract arrangement. According to prosecutors, Rudd told police he didn't make the alleged phone calls and had not threatened to kill anyone. Prosecutors said police on Nov. 6 searched Rudd's home in the small city of Tauranga and found 130 grams (4.6 ounces) of marijuana and 0.7 grams (0.02 ounces) of methamphetamine. They said Rudd did acknowledge possessing a small amount of marijuana. Rudd's future with AC/DC, who on Dec. 2 released their latest album Rock Or Bust, remains uncertain. The LP bowed at No. 1 on the charts in their native Australia, and at No. 3 in the U.K. - AP, 12/7/14......In other news Down Under, the Rolling Stones wrapped the final leg of their 14 On Fire tour through seven cities in Australia and New Zealand with a sold out performance at Auckland's rugby venue, Mt Smart Stadium, on Nov. 22. The tour ended with ticket sales topping $165.1 million from 25 sold-out shows at 22 venues in Europe, Asia and Oceania. From the Feb. 21, 2014, launch in Abu Dhabi through the finale in New Zealand, the final sold ticket count totaled 862,900, and their three shows at the Japan's Tokyo Dome on Feb. 26, March 4 and 6, grossed $27.9 million. It was not only the Stones tour's top gross, but also the highest-grossing concert stand in 2014 by any touring artist. - Billboard, 12/5/14...... Soul great Al Green and former Police frontman Sting were among the five honorees at the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7. Pres. Barack Obama saluted the honorees, which also included actors Tom Hanks and Lily Tomlin prima ballerina Patricia McBride, at the gala which was hosted by Stephen Colbert. The event was taped and will be broadcast Dec. 30 on CBS. The Kennedy Center Honors are the nation's highest award for influencing American culture through the arts. - AP, 12/7/14...... Queen guitarist Brian May, also a noted astrophysicist, has joined a group of astronomers, scientists and other artists to raise awareness about the threat of asteroids on our planet. The group warned during a news conference on Dec. 3 that Earth is headed for destruction if global action isn't taken. May and the other members of the group, which also includes former astronaut Ed Lu, ethologist Richard Dawkins and Bill Nye (the science guy), called for the creation of a massive asteroid detection system to "solve humanity's greatest challenges to safeguard our families and quality of life on Earth in the future." The group also advocated the adoption of an Asteroid Day to commence on June 30, 2015. The date is a reference to Earth's last major asteroid impact, which flattened 800 square miles near Tunguska, Siberia on June 30, 1908. "The more we learn about asteroid impacts, the clearer it becomes that the human race has been living on borrowed time," Dr. May said during a news conference held via satellite in London and Los Angeles. "We are currently aware of less than one percent of objects comparable to the one that impacted at Tunguska, and nobody knows when the next big one will hit. It takes just one." "If [Tunguska] had taken place 6 1/2 hours later, Berlin would have rotated into the object's path, and that would have utterly changed the course of human civilization," said Nye. - Billboard/The London Telegraph, 12/5/14...... Geoffrey "Jake" Commander, a veteran rock guitarist with ties to Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra, was sentenced to ten days in jail on Dec. 5 at U.S. District Court in Virginia for participating in an attack carried out by the Internet hacker group Anonymous on MasterCard's website. Commander was reportedly at his home in New Hampshire on Dec. 10, 2010, when he entered an Anonymous chat room. In what he told the court was a "protest" against banks which had "brought the country to its knees," Commander found himself joining a thousand others in flooding the credit card company's site with traffic, resulting in a distributed denial of service attack (DDoS). Commander said he later regretted his "impulsive, spurious and foolish" decision to click on the links, which cost MasterCard over $1 million. The MasterCard attack was part of a larger, months-spanning action by Anonymous called "Operation Payback." His attorney said about 2,000 people took part in the operation. He was one of only 13 people charged. At sentencing, Commander said he was "mortified to have upset the government of this country, which has been my host for many years." His lawyer said that upon his release in mid-December, he will leave the country and never return. Commander replaced Jeff Lynne as guitarist in the rock legend's early band, Andicaps, and later became a tech roadie and occasional background vocalist on several ELO tours. He also sang a bit on Lynne's 1990 solo album Armchair Theatre. - Billboard, 12/8/14...... Former Genesis member Phil Collins was forced to cancel a charity performance at the Fillmore in Miami on Dec. 6 after coming down with an illness. The planned three or four-song set would have been Collins's first solo performance in several years, after he announced his retirement in 2011 to focus on being a father. The show was scheduled at the Fillmore Miami Beach to benefit his Little Dreams Foundation, presented by Collins' ex-wife Orianne Collins Mejjati and music technologist David Frangioni. Collins was on hand to break the bad news to his fundraiser audience, telling them that he had been overcome by a neurological affliction that affects him occasionally. He said he'd been working with doctors over the past two days and that sound checks had gone poorly, apologizing and thanking those in attendance. "Trust me, you wouldn't enjoy it," he said when he was encouraged to sing anyway. - Billboard, 12/7/14...... Songwriter/producer/publisher Bob Montgomery, who masterminded recording sessions for such country music icons as Mel Tillis, Marty Robbins, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and B.J. Thomas, among many others, died on Dec. 4 at his home in Kansas City, Mo., following a long struggle with Parkinson's disease. He was 77. Born May 12, 1937, in Lampasas, Tex., Montgomery met Buddy Holly when they were both in junior high school in Lubbock. Soon after, the two young enthusiasts formed their own band, Buddy and Bob. With Holly, Montgomery co-wrote the songs "Wishing," "Heartbeat" and "Love's Made a Fool of You." They also recorded a few songs together. In the early 1960s, Montgomery formed the House of Gold music publishing company with Bobby Goldsboro. He went on to produce Goldsboro's worldwide hit, "Honey," which topped the pop, country and adult contemporary charts for weeks in 1968. They sold their publishing company to Warner Bros in 1983. House of Gold also published such high-profile hits as Charlie Rich's "Behind Closed Doors" and Gary Morris' "Wind Beneath My Wings." After selling House of Gold, Montgomery worked with Tree Music and from there moved on to manage A&R for CBS Records, where he signed such future chart-topping acts as Joe Diffie, Doug Stone and Collin Raye.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on December 5th, 2014

Saxophonist Bobby Keys, best known for his contributions to such classic Rolling Stones tracks as "Brown Sugar" and "Tumbling Dice" as well as touring and recording with such major rock acts as Eric Clapton, John Lennon and others, died on Dec. 2 at his home in Franklin, Tenn., after a battling cirrhosis of the liver. He was 70. Keys began his career in his teen years on tours with Buddy Holly, Bobby Vee and Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars, and in 1961 established himself with his sax solo on Dion's "The Wanderer." This led to more studio work, when he befriended the Stones' Keith Richards and he contributed to his first album by the band in 1969. In 1970, Keys toured with the legendary Mad Dogs & Englishmen entouraged fronted by Joe Cocker, and around that time was also a member of Lennon's Plastic Ono Band. Keys, having become a go-to tenor saxophonist for British rock royalty, played on all of the Stones albums from 1969's Let It Bleed to 1974's It's Only Rock 'n' Roll and performed with band on nearly every tour from 1970 forward including the recent "14 On Fire" tour until quitting the tour in October. Keys released two solo albums, a self-titled instrumental album that featured Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Clapton, and Gimme the Key, which Starr released on his Ring O'Records in 1975. Keys also recorded with the likes of Harry Nilsson, Warren Zevon, Sheryl Crow and many others, and in recent years, he led the band the Suffering Bastards with Dan Baird of Georgia Satellites and other rock veterans. In 2012, he published an autobiography, Every Night's a Saturday Night. After hearing the news of Keys' passing, the Rolling Stones tweeted that they "are devastated by the loss of their very dear friend and legendary saxophone player, Bobby Keys... Bobby made a unique musical contribution to the band since the 1960's. He will be greatly missed." Keith Richards also paid his own personal respects, posting a hand-written note which read, "I have lost the largest pal in the world and I can't express the sense of sadness I feel although Bobby would tell me to cheer up." - Billboard, 12/2/14.

Former Small Faces and later Faces keyboardist/songwriter Ian McLagan, who had stints backing Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones and others, died in hospital in his hometown of Austin, Tex., on Dec. 3 after suffering what was described as a "massive stroke" a day earlier. He was 69. Born in 1945 in Middlesex, U.K., McLagan joined the Small Faces in 1965 and continued to play with the band after they changed their name to the Faces in 1969, when Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood joined. McLagan co-wrote such popular Faces' tracks as "Cindy Incidentally" and "You're So Rude," but his defining moment came on their 1971 hard-charging track "Stay With Me." When the Faces split up, McLagan stayed with Stewart, playing on his first five albums, including his legendary Every Picture Tells a Story and Never a Dull Moment. The Faces split in 1975, and McLagan began work as a session musician, playing with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Bonnie Raitt and Frank Black over the years. He also continued to record with Wood and Lane on their solo projects. McLagan hooked up with the Rolling Stones to record their classic set Some Girls in 1978, and toured with them as well. Other highlights in his career include Chuck Berry's London Sessions, Carly Simon's Spy, Bonnie Raitt's Green Light and Bruce Springsteen's Human Touch and Lucky Town. He also toured with Bob Dylan in 1984. Relocating to Austin in 1994, McLagan also performed regularly with Billy Bragg. The Faces reunited in 2010 with Simply Red's Mick Hucknall on lead vocals in place of Stewart and played a headline set at the Vintage at Goodwood Festival. The band toured in 2011. An active musician through his final years, in 2014 McLagan and his Bump Band released the album United States, he recorded with the Empty Hearts featuring Eliot Easton of the Cars and Clem Burke of Blondie and was about to tour with British pop rocker Nick Lowe on his Quality Holiday Revue. "Ian's artistry, generosity and warmth of spirit touched countless other musicians and music fans around the world. His loss will be felt by so many," his family said in a statement. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 12/3/14.

Just two days after AC/DCdrummer Phil Rudd's lawyer entered a not-guilty plea to charges of threatening to kill and possession of drugs on Rudd's behalf, the musician was brought to Tauranga District Court in New Zealand on Dec. 4 after a bizarre scuffle with an unidentified man and Rudd's own bodyguard. Police were called to a cafe in Tauranga after witnesses reported seeing the 60-year-old drummer "following a taller, bigger guy" and "trying to punch him." A third man, believed to be Rudd's bodyguard, then intervened which reportedly caused Rudd to begin to "punch and kick" him also. Appearing in court in handcuffs, Rudd was granted bail on condition he doesn't consume illicit drugs. Rudd's lawyer admitted his client had a "chance meeting" with someone he was barred from contacting under his previous bail conditions. The drummer is said to have "mumbled unintelligible responses" when the waiting media asked questions outside the court. Rudd has been in the headlines since he was charged in November with trying to procure a murder. That charge was soon dropped, but he still faces charges of threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. He has been on bail since his arrest in early November in New Zealand. Judge Tom Ingram said Rudd's charges of threatening to kill and drug possession would likely be heard at a judge-alone trial in 2015. - Billboard, 12/4/14...... Cher is calling out New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for what she says is the governor's "torture" of pigs by recently vetoing legislation outlawing pig gestation crates in his state. "IowaFarmers,WHY MUST U TORTURE PREG.PIGS? U PUT THEM IN CRATES & LOCK EM DOWN SO THEY CANT MOVE! C. CHRISTIE,UR DESPICABLE BULLY 4GET POTUS," Cher tweeted on Dec. 2. Although New Jersey has few hogs, some argue that Christie, who has been weighing a run for the Republican nomination for president in 2016, has been influenced by the early voting status of Iowa, a state that raises more than 20 million hogs annually. After Cher's postings on Dec. 2, Iowa Gov. Terry Brandstad responded by tweeting, "They know a lot about pig production out there in Hollywood." - AP, 12/3/14...... Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin of Coldplay filled in for U2 frontman Bono during a World AIDS Day concert in New York City's Times Square on Dec. 1. Bono, who is still recovering from a nasty bike accident he suffered in Central Park in November, and the other U2 members personally invited the two rock superstars to, as the band posted on their Facebook page, "save the World AIDS Day event from cancellation." Also donating their talents for the benefit were rapper Kayne West and country star Carrie Underwood. - Billboard, 12/1/14...... Premium cable channel HBO has reportedly picked up a rock 'n' roll drama which is being exec-produced by the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese. Set in the 1970s, the drama -- which remains untitled -- explores the drug- and sex-fueled music business as punk and disco were breaking out, all through the eyes of a record executive trying to resurrect his label and find the next new sound. Scorsese directed the pilot and executive produces alongside Jagger, Terrence Winter, Rick Yorn, Victoria Pearman, Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Breaking Bad's George Mastras. The series will star Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire, Nurse Jackie) as a record company president, and Olivia Wilde as his wife. A premiere date has not yet been determined. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/2/14...... According to a new survey by Wealth-X.com, Paul McCartney is the world's second-wealthiest recording artist with a net worth of $660 million, topped only by Madonna and her $800 million. However if the list is opened up to musicians as a whole, composers and theater moguls such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, a man worth around $1.2 billion, would have to be included. Elton John came in at No. 9 in the top 10 wealthiest recording stars, with a worth of $450 million, behind such artists as Dr. Dre, Diddy, Celine Dion, Bono, Mariah Carey and Jay Z. - Billboard, 12/2/14...... After wrapping a critically lauded 17-show tour of Canada on Nov. 29 in Victoria, B.C., John Fogerty says he's now looking forward to bringing the show to the U.S. in 2015. The Canadian tour was designed to commemorate the 45th anniversary of his triumphant 1969 with Creedence Clearwater Revival, a year which saw CCR score four Top 5 singles and even out-sell the Beatles during that 12-month span. The shows included the bit hits, of course -- including "Proud Mary, "Bad Moon Rising, "Green River" and "Down on the Corner"-- and also included some of his more recent solo material. Also on tap for 2015 is the publication of an autobiography that Fogerty started working on in 2013. "It's finished, but it's not done," Fogerty says. "I'm going through it and figuring out what should have more emphasis and what should have less. So right know I'm knee-deep in that process." Fogerty will also be exploring his past with a career-spanning box set that's due out in 2015 and is currently being assembled. And he says some new music is in his crosshairs, too: "Not quite specifically songs yet, but the textures of the sound of the music, and that sort of thing takes shape for me. I do practice a lot or have a guitar in my hands every day, so ideas develop from that." - Billboard,12/2/14...... Also held in New York the previous week was the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Kiss, who appeared in the parade, apparently didn't have a good time amongst the floats and holiday cheer. "Bluntly, We were screwed over & misled by the exec in charge of #MacysThanksgivingDayParade . We ALL deserved better. pic.twitter.com/hUVUN9gTqE," posted Kiss's Paul Stanley on Nov. 28. Stanley didn't elaborate on what he's upset about, but it could be the fact that NBC didn't put Kiss on camera until right before he first chorus of "Rock and Roll All Nite" -- or that the spotlight focused on bassist Gene Simmons during Tommy Thayer's guitar solo. - Billboard, 12/1/14...... The lyrics of two early unrecorded Bob Dylan songs are scheduled to be auctioned in New York in early December. The original 1962 "Talkin Folklore Center" manuscript could fetch $40,000 to $60,000. The "Go Away You Bomb" lyrics from 1963 could bring $30,000 to $50,000. Dylan gave the lyrics to the founder of the legendary Folklore Center in Greenwich Village. Izzy Young produced Dylan's first important concert in New York at the Carnegie Chapter Hall on Nov. 4, 1961, and Dylan wrote "Talkin" after Young asked him to write a song about the Folklore Center store. "Go Away You Bomb" was written for an unpublished book Young was compiling of anti-nuclear songs. Sale proceeds will support Young's current venture, the Folklore Centrum in Stockholm, Sweden. - AP, 12/1/14...... Neil Diamond announced on Dec. 1 that he'll mount a seven-date tour of Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2015. The tour of arenas and wineries kicks off at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, then visits Dunedin, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, the Hunter Valley and wraps-up Nov. 9 at Sydney's Allphones Arena. On the trek, he'll play works from his latest studio album Melody Road, which debuted in the Top 10 in the U.S and Australia after its Oct. 21 release date. The tour has the flexibility to fit in many more shows. - Billboard, 12/1/14...... Former Commodores member and '80s superstar Lionel Richie is the first confirmed headliner at the UK's 2015 Glastonbury Festival. Richie will make his debut U.K. festival appearance in the Sunday teatime slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, according to the event's website. This year's festival takes place from June 24-28 and is already sold out. The full lineup will be announced in the spring. "He's got so many amazing songs, to see him perform here on the farm is just going to be wonderful," said Glastonbury organizer Emily Eavis in a statement. Meanwhile, AC/DC's Angus Young said his band would be open to performing at the 2015 Glastonbury fest "if they ask" during a radio interview with BBC 6 on Dec. 1. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 12/2/14...... The Who's Roger Daltrey reportedly gatecrashed a wedding held at a hotel that he was staying at in Scotland on Nov. 30 and performed a rendition of the Who's "I Can't Explain." "Roger came up and he took the mic and he congratulated the bride and groom," said a member of the wedding band, The Milestone. "Because the groom had served in the parachute regiment he also mentioned them as well. Then he turned to the band and he said, 'I was through next door and I heard the band and they're brilliant, so I had to come through'." Bride Susan Smith wrote on Facebook following the event: "Absolutely overwhelming! The story we will be telling for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much x." Her new husband, Carl added: "Can't believe it happened. Feels so surreal. Thank you so much, you made our perfect day even better, a gent and a legend." In other Who news, Pete Townshend has announced details of a "classical" version of the Who's classic Quadrophenia album. The original LP was released in 1973, with an orchestral re-recording of the album coming out in 2015 to mark the influential band's 50th anniversary. The recording features the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London's Oriana Choir, tenor Alfie Boe, conductor Robert Ziegler, singer-songwriter Rachel Fuller, plus Townshend on electric guitar. It was recorded at London's Air Studios last October. Townshend and co will perform the reworked album at the Royal Albert Hall in London on July 5, 2015. - NME, 12/2/14...... Fleetwood Mac will headline the UK's Isle of Wight Festival 2015, it was announced on Dec. 1. The band, who recently announced a string of huge UK tour dates for 2015, will perform on the Main Stage at the festival on Sunday, June 14. Fleetwood Mac signed an exclusive worldwide deal to headline the event, making it their only festival appearance of the year. "With Christine (McVie) now back in the band too, it is going to be a momentous occasion, a moment in music history," founding drummer Mick Fleetwood said in a statement. The Isle Of Wight Festival takes place between June 11-14. - NME, 12/1/14...... Robin Trower will release his latest studio album, Something's About to Change, on Mar. 9, 2015 via Manhaton/V12 Records -- the same day as his 70th birthday. The LP marks his first album since 2013's critically acclaimed Roots And Branches, and dovetails his 17-date UK tour with special guest Joanne Shaw Taylor that kicks off on Mar. 26, 2015. - Noble PR, 12/1/14...... Actor Burt Reynolds is denying reports in the media that he's broke after he announced he was selling off several articles of memorabilia from his career. The Boogie Nights star said an auction in Las Vegas later in December was "a chance to clear out some old memorabilia," including his 1998 Golden Globe and his red jacket from his smash 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit. "I want everyone to know that contrary to what all the news outlets are saying, I am not broke," the actor said in a statement to ET Online. "I have been dealing with a business dispute for many years as well as a divorce settlement. I am simply selling some of my memorabilia that I have enjoyed for so many years but do not have use nor room for them anymore," he said. "Quite frankly, I am sick of so many pictures of myself in my own home," he added. - New York Daily News, 12/3/14...... George Berry, a music wholesaling pioneer, died due to heart failure on Nov. 27 in his home in Lafayette, La. He was 89. Berry -- who is credited with co-founding NARM, the National Assn. of Recording Merchandisers now known as the Music Business Assn. -- helped form the Modern Record Service, an early rack-jobber, where he served as a VP. In 1974, he opened Raccoon Records, an independent record store in Lafayette, which closed in 2003. - Billboard, 12/2/14.