Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on March 31st, 2015

Danny Collins, a new film starring Al Pacino that was inspired by a letter written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono to a budding musician in 1971, is hitting US theaters in late March and early April. John and Yoko wrote the letter to young folk musician Steve Tilston after reading an interview with him in ZigZag magazine. Tilston was concerned about getting too popular and how wealth changes a person for the worse, and Lennon was reaching out with advice. But unfortunately, the letter didn't reach him until 2005. Using this story as inspiration, screenwriter/director Dan Fogelman started penning the script and wrote in scenes with Lennon originals accompanying them. He hoped he'd be able to clear one or two original Lennon songs for use. "I didn't have a back-up plan," he says. To the delight of Fogelman and Jessie Nelson, one of the film's producers who happened to know Ono, Yoko granted permission for nine Lennon masters to be used in the film, including "Imagine," "Working Class Hero," and "Beautiful Boy." The filmmakers say they think one reason they succeeded is that Lennon's music dominates the film. "The process would have been harder if it was a Lennon song amidst a bunch of other tracks," says Fogelman. "It was a story with a clear point of view." Nelson adds it's likely the theme of Danny Collins -- about an aging rock star trying to redeem himself from a self-indulgent past -- was also a catalyst for Ono's approval. "Yoko really wants to feel that a movie has a message of peace," she says. Meanwhile in other Lennon-Ono news, Japanese photographer Kishin Shinoyama and Ono are releasing a book of photo essays titled Double Fantasy that features many photographs never before shown publicly. In September of 1980, just three months before Lennon's death, Shinoyama spent two days in New York with the couple as they collaborated on their Double Fantasy LP. Over the course of those two days, Shinoyama captured approximately 800 photographs, capturing what, according to the artist, was "a moment of unclouded happiness for John and Yoko." The book, released in a limited edition of 1,980 copies -- a subtle ode to 1980 -- captures the many moments, both mundane and miraculous, that formulate two people in love. Releasing the book now was Yoko's idea. "There were many pictures that Yoko had never seen for over 30 years," Shinoyama explains. "She said to me, 'Thank you for taking images of my happiest time. How about making a photo book with these pictures?'" - The Wall Street Journal/HuffingtonPost.com, 3/27/15.

The Sunset Strip on L.A.'s Hollywood Boulevard was shut down on Mar. 30 as Van Halen performed a 3-song set for a performance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, eleven days after the band announced it would kick off a 3-month summer tour on July 5 in Seattle. Fronted by "Diamond" David Lee Roth who sported a bandage across his nose after hurting it with a microphone a few minutes into the show, the band performed "Panama," "Runnin' with the Devil," and "Dance the Night Away." "I got a hottie right here who's been dancing all night... Get her up here!," Roth said after the third number. " After she was pulled up onstage, the show abruptly came to a close. Van Halen is set to play the Apr. 6 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live as well, and its first official concert album with Roth, the 2-CD Tokyo Dome Live in Concert, hit stores on Mar. 31. They're also gearing up for a North American tour later in 2015. - Billboard, 3/31/15...... After hinting they planned to tour the US for many months in 2015, the Rolling Stones announced on Mar. 31 that they'll kick off a 15-city North American "Zip Code Tour" of second-tier cities like Dallas, Kansas City, Buffalo and Orlando with a San Diego performance on May 24. This time, the tour will pass over major markets the band hit on its 2012 "50th anniversary" and 2013 "50 and Counting" tours, and wraps on July 15 in Quebec. Tickets go on sale Apr. 13, although they will be available to American Express card members before the general public, beginning Apr. 8. "We are excited to be back in North America playing stadiums this summer!" frontman Mick Jagger enthused in a press release. "We are looking forward to being back on stage and playing your favorite songs." While the Stones played 22 arena dates across the U.S. and Canada in 2012 and 2013, the "Zip Code Tour" tour marks the first time the group has played North American stadiums since 2005-2007's "Bigger Bang Tour." In addition to the above mentioned cities, the band will also hit Columbus, Oh., Minneapolis, Atlanta, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Raleigh, Indianapolis, and Detroit. On May 26, two days after the tour's launch, the group will release a deluxe edition of its classic 1971 LP Sticky Fingers with a "generous selection" of previously unreleased studio outtakes from the album's sprawling sessions (which spanned from 1968 through 1970) as well as live material from the era, likely in the same vein as its Exile on Main Street reissue in 2010. - Billboard, 5/31/15...... As a new Bob Dylan DVD dubbed Roads Rapidly Changing -- In & Out of the Folk Revival 1961-1965 is set to drop on May 5, Dylan has reportedly approved another DVD of footage from his Feb. 6 MusiCares Person of the Year concert that included performances by Bruce Springsteen, Alanis Morissette and Jack White. It is unclear whether his notorious 35-minute acceptance speech as he picked up the award, which alternated between thankful and hostile, will be part of the package. - Billboard, 3/30/15...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, The Who's Roger Daltrey claims his bandmate Pete Townshend wants to record another Who album, which would be the follow-up to 2006's Endless Wire. "He's just talking about it. I've heard a couple of tracks, which are great," Daltrey said. "There are loads of things we can do in the future, but we can't keep doing this sort of tour. This bit of our career is closed, but maybe two more doors open up. Pete is an incredibly vibrant musician. I could see us playing acoustically in some ways." The band is currently in the midst of its "Who Hits 50" tour, which will continue throughout ost of 2015 and include a show at London's Hyde Park on June 26. Although the Who hinted it would be their last tour ever, Daltrey has stated that he would be open to more shows. "If people want to add shows and we still feel great, then it will go for a while longer, but not that much longer. It might last two years," he said. On Mar. 26, the band brought the tour to London's Royal Albert Hall as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust Concert gigs, performing a two-hour set of deep album cuts and hit singles spanning their entire career. - New Musical Express, 3/27/15...... Although new rumors have popped up that actor/comedian Sacha Baron Cohen will play Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic of the late Queen frontman, Queen guitarist Brian May posted on his blog on Mar. 28 that Queen's manager Jim Beach wasn't serious when he reportedly said on Mar. 26 that "an important breakthrough is that we have now managed to persuade Sacha Baron Cohen to write, produce and direct this movie, and he has also agreed to star" during the Artist & Management Awards in London. "I'm afraid some folks might have taken it seriously," May wrote. Looks like another Queen rumor bites the dust. - Billboard, 3/29/15...... The promoter of Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfiesta tour announced on Mar. 28 that the Mexican leg of Ozzfiesta will be canceled as Osbourne will undergo an unspecified surgery. The Black Sabbath frontman had been scheduled to perform at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya from May 27-31, a four-day festival was scheduled to include an acoustic set by Zakk Wylde, a concert by Black Label Society, a headlining performance by Osbourne, and much more, but now promoter Cool Breeze Concerts says that "Ozzy is having surgery, scheduled for May, following his South American tour. He requires at least four weeks of recovery time. We are very disappointed that we need to cancel." The promoter is offering refunds to people who purchased tickets to the event. Osbourne will undergo surgery following shows in South America, which begin April 25. Black Sabbath previously announced it will play its "farewell concert" on Nov. 22, 2015, as it headlines the second day of Ozzfest at Japan's Makuhari Messe venue, outside Tokyo. - Billboard, 3/28/15...... Country/pop legend and well known marijuana proponent Willie Nelson announced on Mar. 27 that he and his family are launching a new brand of marijuana and pot stores called Willie's Reserve, which the budding company's spokesperson Michael Bowman says will be a "Whole Foods for weed." Bowman says the shops will include signature strains of pot as well as others' strains that are grown to meet quality standards."Let's just call it the anti-Walmart model," he told DailyBeast.com. "Personally, internally, that's what we call it. A certain standard by which growers have to account for carbon and such, in a way that empowers small growers who are doing the right thing." Bowman said Willie's Reserve is looking to 2016 to open shops in states where voters have legalized marijuana, such as Colorado, Washington and Alaska. This is a culmination of Willie's vision and his whole life," Bowman said. "I'm not sure any of us could have predicted how fast the dominoes would start falling once they started falling (as far as legalization). And you have the men like Willie who's been out there getting arrested, standing up saying what's right and not wavering from that core." - Billboard, 3/27/15...... Gene Simmons of Kiss will partner with professional wrestling's WWE on three-picture deal under the banner of Erebus Pictures to finance three new horror films. The films, starring Temple and written by Matt Savelloni, will follow a team of operatives trapped inside an isolated military compound after its artificial intelligence shuts down. While investigating the source of the malfunction, the crew experiences strange phenomena as they attempt to uncover who or what killed the team previously stationed at the compound. WWE Studios plans to use its platforms -- weekly TV shows such as Monday Night Raw and SmackDown and the WWE Network -- to market its titles. "The horror genre continues to fascinate me as it proves to be endlessly thrilling and engaging for audiences," Gene Simmons said in a statement. Erebus Pictures is named after the Greek primordial deity that personifies darkness. - Billboard, 3/27/15...... As Ringo Starr releases his new studio album Postcards From Paradise on Mar. 31, the Beatles legend has revealed he originally wrote the LP's new songs on drums alone, before inviting other musicians to record their various parts. "It's just the way I do it," Ringo says. "I start off on my own. I play drums and nobody's there, we have no song and I'm saying 'Oh, there's a verse... and chorus... and the end'. So far it's worked." Produced by Starr and recorded at his home studio in Los Angeles, Postcards From Paradise features contributions from such guest musicians as Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Benmont Tench, Dave Stewart, Ann Marie Simpson, Richard Marx, Amy Keys, Nathan East and Glen Ballard. On Apr. 18, Starr will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a one-off Award For Musical Excellence, with Paul McCartney handling the honor. New Musical Express, 3/31/15...... Meanwhile, Ringo's fellow 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bill Withers has told Rolling Stone that he's a big fan of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. "I can actually deal with Taylor Swift because she's clever. Being a songwriter, I can appreciate her wit. She deserves all of her success," Withers told the mag. "But I do like Katy Perry? Look, I don't think there's a lot of 76-year-old people hanging on Katy Perry's every word. I'm not against it, but it doesn't come and get me," he added. Withers also said that "asking me about today's pop music would be like asking me who the national marbles champion is." "I just don't care," he said. "If music gets me, I'll come and listen to it." - NME, 3/27/15...... A Kickstarter.com campaign has been started to raise funds to publish an "illustrated scrapbook" that will document the making of the 1979 Tom Waits short film Tom Waits For No One. The film, which was animated by John Lamb using rotoscoping, has been labelled as one of the first music videos of its kind, and includes a video of Waits singing "The One That Got Away." Tom Waits For No One: The Illustrated Scrapbook will be 160 pages of "animation cels, rotoscope drawings, character studies and backgrounds... documenting the artwork and inspiration behind Tom Waits For No One according to the campaign, and the book will be limited to 250 copies. So far, the campaign has raised $3,964 of its $8,250 goal. - NME, 3/30/15...... In a new interview with the UK's The Guardian paper, actor Russell Crowe claims that Michael Jackson used to prank call him after Jackson found out what secret name Crowe used to book hotel rooms. "For two or three f---ng years, I never met him, never shook his hand, but he found out the name I stayed in hotels under, so it didn't matter where I was, he'd ring up do this kind of thing, like you did when you were 10, you know," Crowe said. "'Is Mr. Wall there? Is Mrs. Wall there? Are there any Walls there? Then what's holding the roof up? Ha ha.' You're supposed to grow out of doing that, right?," he added. - NME, 3/30/15...... Actor Harrison Ford of Star Wars fame has reportedly been released from UCLA Medical Center following his dramatic plane crash earlier in March. Ford was spotted driving in Los Angeles on Mar. 28, according to People magazine. On Mar. 5, the 72-year-old actor was forced to make an emergency landing on a California golf course after experiencing a mechanical issue while flying a two-seater vintage fighter plane, and is said to have undergone surgery to treat his injuries. - WENN.com, 3/30/15...... Lawyers representing the late Robin Williams' wife and children are appeared before a San Francisco probate judge on Mar. 30 to argue over who should get clothes and other personal items the actor kept at one of his Northern California homes. In papers filed in December, Williams' wife, Susan, says some of the late actor's personal items were taken without her permission, and she has asked the court to exclude the contents of the San Francisco Bay Area home she shared with Williams from the items the actor said the children should have. Williams' children, Zachary, Zelda and Cody, said in response that Susan Williams is "adding insult to a terrible injury" by trying to change the trust agreement and rob them of the late actor's belongings, including jewelry and memorabilia. The two sides also disagree over items put in storage, watches Williams owned and his memorabilia. Robin Williams died at his home in Tiburon, north of San Francisco, in August. The coroner ruled his death a suicide that resulted from asphyxia caused by hanging. - AP, 3/30/15...... Singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum, best known for his 1969 hit "Spirit in the Sky," was critically injured in an automobile accident in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Mar. 29 that also killed a motorcyclist. According to the California Highway Patrol, longtime Santa Rosa resident Greenbaum was the passenger of a Subaru Outback that turned left, crossing into the path of 20-year-old motorcycle rider Ihab Usama Halaweh. Halaweh died at the scene, and his passenger was also critically injured. According to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Greenbaum and the motorcycle passenger are being treated at a local hospital, and the car's driver was not injured. Police say that alcohol was not a factor in the crash. Originally written and recorded by Greenbaum, "Spirit in the Sky" was a No. 3 hit in the US in March 1970, and it topped the charts in the UK. It has been featured in some 50 movies and several TV shows, and was later covered by the likes of Bauhaus, Doctor and the Medics and Gareth Gates, the latter two versions also topping the UK singles chart in 1986 and 2003 respectively. - AP, 3/29/15...... Patricia Hearst, who was infamously kidnapped and brainwashed in 1974 by the Symbionese Liberation Army, is lashing out at her newest biographer, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, calling him an "emotional rapist" and says that she has no interest in reading Toobin's latest book about her, or seeing a movie version of the book. "I'm tired of being a cash cow for hack writers like Jeffrey Toobin," Hearst told PageSix.com. "He is an emotional rapist." Toobin's book, title unknown, won't be published by Doubleday until 2016, but it has already been optioned by Fox 2000, with Big Eyes screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski signed for the screenplay. Current A-list actress Jennifer Lawrence has reportedly been connected to play Hearst in the movie, but Hearst says that she "couldn't care less who plays me... I don't have anything to do with it and neither do any of my friends." In 1988, Hearst released her own book, Patty Hearst: Her Own Story, that detailed how she was locked in a closet for 57 days, threatened with death and raped before she joined her captors in robbing banks, for which she served 22 months behind bars. "This didn't define her. It was 40 years ago," said one friend. "She's had a great marriage, two beautiful children, grandchildren.... It was just one chapter in her life." - PageSix.com, 3/27/15.

Former White Stripes frontman Jack White was joined by former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant onstage in Argentina on Mar. 21 when Plant made a surprise appearance to jam with White on Zeppelin's "The Lemon Song" during White's Lollapalooza Argentina headlining show. White has long been a fan of "The Lemon Song" and performed it when he headlined Bonnaroo in 2014 and has covered it during his Lazaretto tour. It was the first time Plant has performed "The Lemon Song" live since he and Jimmy Page played it in Norway in 1995. Plant has also expressed a desire to record with White, posting several months ago on his Facebook Q&A page that he'd be "happy to make a single with him," possibly a remake of the 1958 The Phantom single, "Love Me." Plant was also on the bill for the Lollapalooza Argentina concert. - The Huffington Post, 3/22/15...... Country music's Oak Ridge Boys, who kicked off a 15-year period in 1977 with their hit "Y'all Come Back Saloon" that would see the vocal group become one of the most-successful acts on country radio, will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, it was announced on Mar. 25 in Nashville. The Oak Ridge Boys scored a total of 16 chart-toppers on Billboard's Country Singles Chart, including "Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight," "I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes," and their most famous single, a 1981 remake of Dallas Frazier's 1960's song, "Elvira." Also up for induction in 2015 are Jim Ed Brown and The Browns and legendary musician Grady Martin. - Billboard, 3/25/15...... In other country music news, the legendary Ray Stevens of "Ahab the Arab," "Guitarzan" and "The Streak" fame is back with yet another funny tune, this one about contemporary pop sensation Taylor Swift. "Taylor Swift Is Stalkin' Me," from his just released album Here We Go Again, is pretty self-explanatory, and Stevens says the idea for a Taylor Swift song came from his collaborator, Chuck Redden, with input on lyrics from Buddy Kalb. "It turned out to be a three-writer song, but Chuck had the idea," Stevens says. "I thought it was an attention grabber and wanted to see if we could make something out of it." "Taylor Swift Is Stalkin' Me" has indeed caught the attention of many, especially through the viral ranks. But has Swift and her camp heard the song yet? "I think they have," Stevens says. "I haven't heard any direct feedback from them -- pro or con, but I can't imagine that anybody would take offense. It's all in fun." Stevens, who also had huge hits with "Everything Is Beautiful" and "Mr. Businessman," says humor is only an "element" of what he does, but comedy is what he is largely recognized for."I'm just a guy who loves music and to have fun," he says. "When I get on stage, I'll tell a joke and sing a funny song." Stevens, who says he has several projects on tap and is working on building a performance venue in Nashville, has no plans to retire yet. "I've seen guys retire. They don't last long. Something about it just clicks a switch off in your brain and you just say 'The funeral isn't far off.'' I don't want to do that." - Billboard, 3/24/15...... David Crosby made two panicked calls to 911 emergency dispatchers on Mar. 21 after he accidently hit a jogger as he was driving near his Santa Barbara County home. "He's on foot and he's hurt and we need an ambulance here right now," Crosby told the dispatcher. "I'm worried about him a lot," he can be overheard telling someone next to him. After a dispatcher assured him an ambulance is on the way and tells him to stay in place, Crosby hung up, but than calls back and asks "if the ambulance is on its way, and how fast will it be here?... I think this guy really needs an ambulance right now." Crosby said the the sun was in his eyes and he couldn't see 46-year-old Jose Jimenez jogging on the same side of the road as his car. Jimenez, who was hospitalized with broken bones, cuts and bruises, is expected to survive. Crosby was not hurt. Authorities say the 73-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member was cooperative and neither drugs nor alcohol were involved in the crash. - AP, 3/25/15...... A new documentary on influential New Wave singer Grace Jones will be produced by the film arm of the British Broadcasting Co., the BBC announced on Mar. 25. Directed by Sophie Fiennes, Grace Jones -- The Musical Of My Life has been in the works for seven years, and is being co-financed by BFI Film Fund and the Irish Film Board. Jones, a former model who became a sensation with hits such as "Pull Up to the Bumper," "Slave to the Rhythm" and "Private Life," has long been seen as a musical and fashion influence on scores of female singers. Her last album was 2008's Hurricane, and she contributed the track "Original Beast" to the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack in 2014. Jones also has a June 21 concert set with Kylie Minogue in London. Sophie Fiennes is the sister of actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes. - Billboard, 3/25/15...... Bonnie Raitt will be featured on a new Boz Scaggs song called "Hell to Pay," which will be featured on Scaggs' forthcoming studio LP, A Fool to Care. Raitt, who contributes vocals and also plays slide guitar on the track, says she's "so glad to finally get to play and sing with Boz, who's always been a favorite... The song was so cool lyrically and musically and it seems like a perfect fit." Scaggs, who admits he "was scared to call Bonnie... I'm sort of in awe of her," says Raitt is "just a really strong musician, a remarkable woman. That's special to me." A Fool to Care will drop Mar. 31. - Billboard, 3/25/15...... In an interview with Australia's News.com.au, Gene Simmons of Kiss criticizes both the Rolling Stones and U2 for using "backing tracks" during their live shows. "I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food, if the first ingredient on the label is sugar thats at least honest." The bassist/vocalist, whose band released their latest album Monster in 2012, added: "It should be on every ticket that you're paying $100, 30 to 50 per cent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip synch. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty." Simmons says that there are "no synthesizers, samples of drums, nothing" during Kiss concerts. "There's very few bands who do that now -- AC/DC, Metallica, us. I can't even say that about U2 or the Stones. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks." - New Musical Express, 3/26/15...... The Doors's classic 1967 debut album The Doors, Joan Baez's 1960 debut LP Joan Baez, the Righteous Brothers' classic 1964 single "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," and Ben E. King's 1961 often-covered hit "Stand By Me" are among the recordings to be inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, it was announced on Mar. 25. Comedian/actor Steve Martin's 1978 album A Wild and Crazy Guy and Sly and the Family Stone's 1969 LP Stand! were also among the 25 recordings selected for induction in 2015. The U.S. Librarian of Congress each year selects 25 recordings that are "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" and at least 10 years old, and the Library's National Recording Preservation Board, which is comprised of leaders in the fields of music, recorded sound and preservation, suggest the nominations, with input from the public. The latest inductions brings the total number of registry recordings to 425. - Billboard, 3/25/15...... A 50th anniversary Grateful Dead memorabilia auction of more than 700 items from the legendary band's long career is set for Apr. 11 and 12 in Union, Ill., about 50 miles northwest of the location of the band's "Fare Thee Well" shows in July. Conducted by Donley Auction Services, the auction will handle items ranging from artist Stanley Mouse's original 1966 artwork for the Grateful Dead Fan Club poster to concert T-shirts. Also up for sale will be "unusual personal stuff" by band members including late frontman Jerry Garcia's kitchen table where he often sat in the Grateful Dead's office. Bidding for that item starts at $1,000. The auction will be held live starting at noon central on both days with online and phone bidding. - Billboard, 3/24/15...... Van Halen announced on Mar. 19 it will kick off a massive three-month summer tour of North America beginning on July 5 in Seattle, Wash. With David Lee Roth fronting the band, VH will hit nearly 40 cities during the tour, including Portland, Ore. (7/7), San Bernadino, Cal. (7/11), Irvine, Cal. (7/14), Salt Lake City, Ut. (7/18), Kansas City, Mo. (7/22), Chicago, Ill. (7/24), and Boston, Mass. (8/1) before wrapping at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 2. Van Halen will also be featured on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! for a performance on Hollywood Boulevard that will be broadcast over two nights, Mar. 30 and 31. It will mark the group's first U.S. television appearance with Roth, its original singer. It was previously announced that classic albums from the band's catalog will be remastered and released in 2015, starting with Van Halen and 1984 on Mar. 31. Tickets for the tour go on sale April 4. - Billboard, 3/24/15...... In other tour news, John Fogerty will expand his forthcoming "1969" summer tour, which celebrates the year his band Creedence Clearwater Revival released three hit albums. The "1969" dates start May 2 at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis and are currently booked to Aug. 9, including a July 15 stop at the Hollywood Bowl. The tour will wrap on Aug. 9 in Albuquerque, N.M. Fogerty has also announced he'll publish his autobiography, Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music, on Oct. 6 via LittleBrown, and the book will be as frank and forthright as the song it's named after. "I'm just being brutally honest," he says. "I'm not trying to shock or surprise anybody; really, I'm just being honest.... In the end, human beings, we are what we are. I'm not running for president or anything, so I'm not white-washing the life that I lived." Fogerty's "1969" trek recently played to rave reviews in Canada, and a retrospective Fogerty box set is also expected to be released in 2015. - Billboard, 3/23/15...... Also announcing a new autobiography for 2015 is British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, who will release Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink through Penguin Books later in 2015. The 352-page tome has a street date of Oct. 15 and will be "rich with anecdotes about family and fellow musicians, introspective about the creation of his famous songs," according to a press release from the publisher. - Billboard, 3/24/15.... Elton John has signed on to be among the headliners at the Outside Lands foodie music festival, which will take place at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on Aug. 7-9. Outside Lands is known for marrying music with gourmet food, including a stage dedicated to "culinary entertainment," and also on the bill are Kendrick Lamar and Sam Smith. - AP, 3/24/15...... Brian Wilson says that Lana Del Ray and Frank Ocean will not appear on his upcoming studio album No Pier Pressure, despite previous reports that those two artists will contribute to the LP. "Well, Frank Ocean didnt want to do the song. He wanted to do rap, so we cancelled him," Wilson told Vulture.com. "Lana Del Rey, uh, she just cancelled out on us." Wilson recently unveiled a series of live dates in the UK for September, including Liverpool, Cardiff, London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester and Glasgow. He will be supported on the tour by Edwyn Collins and America. - New Musical Express, 3/26/15...... Former Roxy Music guitarist/songwriter Phil Manzanera says he's owed "six figures" worth of income by rappers Kayne West and Jay-Z after they sampled a long-lost track of his that dates back to 1978. West and Jay-Z sampled Manzanera's song "K-Scope" on their Watch The Throne collaborative track "No Church In The Wild" in 2011. However, Manzanera claims to have not been paid yet. "I'm owed six figures," he told Britain's The Independent. "Six figures plus, which is more than I've made in the past 15 years with Roxy. I haven't got paid yet but it really reassured me about all of my beliefs, why I'm doing what I'm doing and the power of music. Things come and go " fame, fortune -- I'm not interested in that. I just do what I do because I love music but it felt like someone, somewhere up there in the ether, has said: 'You know what? You've been doing stuff for ages, had ups and downs -- you can have that now.'" - NME, 3/24/15...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne crashed his own tribute concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall on Mar. 23, leading a marching band down the aisle and, eventually, to an onstage dance party to the tune of "Uptown Funk." Byrne showed up at the end of an annual tribute that benefits music education, an unusual sight since past musicians whose work was celebrated -- like Paul Simon and Prince -- did not appear. Byrne's entrance came after CeeLo Green brought the tribute to a close by singing the Talking Heads smash hit of Al Green's "Take Me to the River." Also performing that evening were Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Steve Earle. - AP, 3/24/15....... Legendary soul diva Patti LaBelle brought down the house on the talent TV show Dancing With the Stars on Mar. 23 with her pick for the show's "My Jam Monday" episode. The 70-year-old LaBelle chose to dance to 50 Cent's 2003's hit single "In Da Club," and overcame a recent knee injury to perform the song in a salsa routine with dance partner Artem Chigvintsev. - Billboard, 3/24/15...... Black Sabbath have reportedly invited their founding drummer Bill Ward to rejoin the band for their "farewell" gig, which will take place at the Tokyo leg of Ozzfest on Nov. 22. Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon Osbourne made the announcement on YouTube on Mar. 23. Ward did not record with the band when they returned with latest album 13 in 2013, with Osbourne claiming that the drummer was overweight and unable to contribute to the band's recording and live plans. It was additionally claimed that the band could not come to a financial agreement with Ward, who was arrested following a bar brawl in Death Valley, Calif., on Jan. 27 of 2015 and charged with misdemeanour assault, public intoxication and vandalism. Black Sabbath has also announced it will release one final album in 2015, the follow-up to 13. - NME, 3/24/15...... Rod Stewart's son Sean Stewart was reportedly arrested on Mar. 22 at Miami International Airport in Florida for "riding" the luggage conveyor belt into a restricted area. Sean Stewart, who was travelling to a charity event in Haiti when he allegedly took a ride on the luggage carousel, was detained by airport police and later freed on bail. His mother is American former actress/model Alana Stewart, and he is believed to be plotting a new reality TV venture with his sister Kimberley. - WENN.com 3/23/15...... British singer-songwriter Jackie Trent, who composed for such artists as Frank Sinatra, Petula Clark, Shirley Bassey, Jack Jones, Nancy Wilson, Vikki Carr and Dean Martin among some 400 others, died at a hospital in Menorca on Mar. 21 after a long illness. She was 74. Trent reportedly scored her first recording contract in the early 1960s and topped the UK charts in 1965 with "Where Are You Now (My Love)." - Billboard, 3/22/15...... Guitarist-songwriter John Renbourn, a former member of the British folk-rock band Pentangle, died at his home in Hawick in the Scottish Borders on Mar. 27. He was 70. In 1967, Renbourn founded influential folk group Pentangle in 1967. The original Pentangle line-up released six albums, before disbanding 1973. He continued his solo career and also made music with The John Renbourn Group. Renborn was found at his home after he failed to turn up for a gig at the Ferry in Glasgow, according to the Guardian newspaper. - NME, 3/26/15...... Miriam Bienstock, who helped found Atlantic Records with her then-husband Herb Abramson and Ahmet Ertegun and became a theater investor later in life, died Mar. 21 at her home in New York City. She was 92. Ertegun once credited Ms. Bienstock as being the one who "first played me Ray Charles' SwingTime records" before Charles was signed to Atlantic, and added that "the company would have folded" without her help in running the office. Most recently, Ms. Bienstock was an investor in the Broadway produciton "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," which won two Tony Awards in 2014. - Billboard, 3/24/15.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on March 21st, 2015

What are being described as the master tapes of the Beatles' 1962 live performances in Hamburg, Germany, will be offered for auction by London's Ted Owen & Co. auction house with a starting bid of about $300,000. The tape, made in Hamburg's "red light district" Star Club not long before the Beatles shot to international fame, included nearly five hours of live performances of 33 songs, and were recorded by the Star Club's stage manager, Adrian Barber, who had been asked to document the band's live show by another Liverpool musician, Ted "King Size" Taylor. Much of the material on the tapes was released in 1977 as a two-LP set titled The Beatles: Live at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany -- 1962, which the Beatles tried unsuccessfully to block. Those recordings have since been widely bootlegged. "These tapes are of considerable historical and cultural value, but they are not a Holy Grail for serious students of the Beatles," Beatles scholar and Beatles music/film reissue producer Martin Lewis said. "They hold some interest because they give us a tantalizing aural snapshot of the primitive visceral power of their live performances in those early Beatles days. But the technical limitations of the tapes means that we hear more of their youthful swagger than the proficiency and creativity that would later enchant the world," he added. The tapes, which are currently owned by onetime Andy Warhol and Muhammad Ali business manager Larry Grossberg, reportedly were once offered to Beatles manager Brian Epstein at a price of £100,000, prompting Epstein to make a counteroffer of £20 based on the inferior sound quality. The auction includes the master tapes for the 26-song album as well as stereo mixes created from the original monaural recording and the 7-inch reel safety master from the original unedited tape that Barber made. - The L.A. Times, 3/19/15...... Meanwhile, "Strawberry Fields Forever" has just been named as the greatest Beatles song ever in a new poll of some of music's biggest names, including Beatles producer George Martin, Pete Townshend, Brian Wilson, Dave Grohl and Nile Rodgers. Coming in behind the 1967 chart-topping hit in the poll conducted by Britain's New Musical Express were "A Day in the Life," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Here Comes the Sun," and "Blackbird." - NME, 3/18/15...... In other Beatles news, it was announced on Mar. 18 that Paul McCartney will present Ringo Starr with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's one-off Award For Musical Excellence during the 2015 induction ceremony on Apr. 18 at Cleveland's public hall, making Ringo the final member of the group to be honored as a solo artists. Other presenters include Stevie Wonder, who will do the honors for '70s hitmaker Bill Withers, and Pattie Smith, who will induct the late Lou Reed. - Billboard, 3/18/15...... Barry Manilow is donating a piano to the Uniondale school district on Long Island in New York as part of the singer's Manilow Music Project. Manilow says he started the project to help public schools with depleted music programs, and is urging others to also donate musical instruments for schoolchildren to play. The 71-year-old crooner performed at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale on March 20, and announced he'd be giving free tickets to anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument. "Music is a vital part of a child's education," Manilow said. - AP, 3/21/15...... Organizers of a proposed Jimi Hendrix park in Seattle, Wash., announced on Mar. 20 that they've picked a developer to build a 2.5 acre Jimi Hendrix Park in the city's Central District, adjacent to the Northwest African American Museum. Construction, which is being handled by ERRG, Inc., is expected to begin in April, with phase one projected to open this fall. The non-profit groups Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation and the Friends of Jimi Hendrix Park have raised more than $1.4 million for the project since 2012. "It is our hope that for generations, [the park] will exist as more than an attraction or point of interest, but a place of homage to one of Seattle's own," said Janie Hendrix, the legendary guitarist's sister and director of the Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation. "The landscaping, the artistic design, and the ambience all mimic the vibe of the persona of Jimi, whom this park honors." Phase one of the park -- dubbed "Little Wing" -- will include an entrance at 25th and Massachusetts, a pathway with a timeline of the Seattle native's life and career, rain infiltration gardens and a central plaza for performances, among other features. Phase two, which is still in the fundraising stages, will add the park's centerpiece, a so-called "shadow wave wall" depicting silhouette images of Hendrix. Hendrix died in London on Sept. 18, 1970, at age 27. - Billboard, 3/20/15...... A planned Janis Joplin biopic starring Hollywood A-lister Amy Adams has been halted, at least temporarily, by a new lawsuit that claims writer-producer Ron Terry and an investor breached an exclusive option agreement by owned by producers for the script about the hard-living rock and roll queen. LKL Productions and Swiss production company Silver Reel claim they paid $117,000 for the exclusive rights in August 2014 to the script Get It While You Can, which Terry wrote with his wife Teresa Kounin-Terry. Silver Reel and LKL's option is set to expire at the end of March, and they have equested the judge extend the option agreement until the lawsuit's resolution, and want an injunction preventing the defendants from shopping the screenplay to any third party. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/18/15...... With its release held up for seven years because of rights issues, Danny Tedesco's illuminating documentary The Wrecking Crew about the unsung L.A. session musicians who provided the backbeat for some of the greatest songs from the '50s through the '80s can now be seen in selected theaters in the US. The wait was worth it. Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Carol Kaye, and the director's dad, Tommy Tedisco, are finally allowed to step out of the shadows and take a belated bow. - Entertainment Weekly, 3/20/15...... Neil Young made a surprise appearance at the South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival in Austin, Tex., on Mar. 19, attending a Q&A session following a special screening of his 1982 film Human Highway. "It has a life of it's own. It refuses to die - we tried to kill it a couple of times," said Young of the surreal movie, which was shown in a newly re-cut and re-mastered format. "It was never satisfying to look at, because I knew there was more than what we were seeing... I always wanted to make it what it could be." Human Highway is set at a roadside diner near a nuclear power plant and stars the singer-songwriter, who also wrote and directed the film under the pseudonym Bernard Shakey. It also features the band Devo as power plant workers and also sees the band jamming with Young on a version of his track "Hey Hey My My (Out Of The Blue)." "They're geniuses -- they had something that was totally unique," said Young of the Ohio-based Nw Wave band. "When I met them I freaked out." He added that the new version of the movie, which includes previously unseen footage, will be touring film festivals throughout the year, before getting a DVD release. - New Musical Express, 3/20/15...... Meanwhile, late Small Faces and Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan was remembered at the Austin Music Awards on Mar. 18 with an hour-long tribute by an all-star group of musicians, including Steven Van Zandt, Patty Griffin and Alejandro Escovedo. McLagan, an Austin transplant who died on Dec. 3 at the age of 69, had also been named best keyboardist in a poll conducted by the Austin Chronicle. The award was accepted by his son Lee McLagan, who'd flown over from England and received a standing ovation from the crowd. "He loved this place with all his heart. I hope he gave you a good time, 'cause you gave him a home," McLagan said. - Billboard, 3/19/15...... Fleetwood Mac has rescheduled their tour of Australasia for later in 2015 after previous dates in late 2013 were called off when bassist John McVie diagnosed with cancer (he sought treatment and returned to the stage in late December of that year). The classic Fleetwood Mac lineup of McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie will play 10 shows in Australia and New Zealand in the fall, beginning with shows on Oct. 22 and 24 in Sydney. The band will also visit Perth, Melbourne, Geelong, Brisbane, Hunter Valley, and Dunedin before wrapping on Nov. 21 in Auckland. Fleetwood Mac was last Down Under for the 2009 Unleashed Tour, and they've not toured as a five-piece since 1998. - Billboard, 3/20/15...... Former Chic principal Nile Rodgers has weighed in on the recent controversial verdict concerning the Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke song "Blurred Lines," which has been ruled as copying Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give it Up." "Compositionally, purely compositionally, I don't think they should have lost that case," said Rodgers, who has worked alongside Williams in Daft Punk's smash hit "Get Lucky." "'Got to Give it Up' is clearly a blues structure, ('Blurred Lines') isn't at all....they don't really sound alike." On Mar. 18, Gaye's children wrote an open letter in hopes to "set the record straight on a few misconceptions" surrounding their winning case against Thicke and Williams. The siblings said that they were "forced into court" by a lawsuit brought by Thicke and Williams' attorneys, and that the lawsuit could have easily been avoided had the pair acknowledged their infringement and approached the family in advance and come to a deal on the song -- something they "would have welcomed." - AP/Billboard, 3/19/15...... Auctioneers Julien's have announced an auction of Elvis Presley items at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York on May 16 will include the King of Rock & Roll's TCB (Taking Care of Business) bus was owned by Elvis' backup band, The TCB Band, and purchased with money provided by Elvis. The bus, which features the TCB initials and lighting bolt logo throughout, has been fully restored. It features bunks for nine, old-fashioned tube TVs and classic '70s decor. And Elvis drove it himself sometimes. The estimated selling price is $100,000-$200,000. Also up for sale is Presley's 1971 two-seat Stutz Blackhawk car, which featured the best audio system of the day and was delivered to Elvis at his Beverly Hills home on Sept. 9 1971. The pre-sale estimate is $400,000-$600,000, along with Elvis' army winter dress uniform ($20,000-$40,000), Las Vegas "penguin suit" ($60,000-$80,000), marriage certificate to Priscilla Presley, black Gibson J-200 he played in Vegas, and the contract he signed to play the Louisiana Hayride early in his career. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/17/15...... The Crawford, Colorado home of late British-born rocker Joe Cocker is back on the market again, after being taken off the market after the the singer's death. The nearly 16,000-square-foot Tudor-style mansion was on the market fully furnished for $7.9 million last year, before Cocker's death, but has now been relisted again, fully furnished, for $7 million. It has eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms and sits on 243 acres. The home is about a two-hour drive from the resort areas of Aspen and Telluride. - AP, 3/16/15...... Johnny Cash's acclaimed Rick Rubin-produced American Recordings I-VI will be released as a special vinyl box set on March 23. Recorded in the final decade of Cash's life with guidance from Rubin, the American Recordings led to a resurgence for the late-country singer. Four of the six albums were released during his life. The final two were issued posthumously. Pressed onto 180-gram audiophile vinyl, the records were cut from original masters under supervision from Rubin. - NME, 3/18/15...... Robin Trower has just released a video for the title track of his new album, Something's About to Change, which hit stores on March 9 via Manhaton/V12 Records. Released on Trower's 70th birthday, Something's About to Change marks Trower's first album since 2013's critically acclaimed Roots And Branches, and dovetails his 17-date UK tour with special guest Joanne Shaw Taylor starting March 26. Trower's tour kicks off in Lincoln, and also visits cities including Birmingham, Salford, Gateshead, Glasgow, York, Sheffield, London, Exeter and Salibury before wrapping at the Milton Keynes Stables on April 17. - Noble PR, 3/17/15...... Cabaret star Liza Minnelli has reportedly checked into a rehab center for substance abuse in Malibu, Calif. "Liza Minnelli has valiantly battled substance abuse over the years and whenever she has needed to seek treatment she has done so. She is currently making excellent progress at an undisclosed facility," a rep for the singer said. Minnelli's mother, Judy Garland, died in 1969 from an overdose of barbiturates. This past winter, Minnelli teamed up with jazz legend Wynton Marsalis for a new song called "Until the End" that was featured in the documentary film Garnet's Gold. - Billboard, 3/18/15...... With contemporary bands like War on Drugs refracting Dire Straits' honeyed 1980s guitar sound, it's surprising that frontman Mark Knopfler hasn't rebooted his old band lately. Instead, he's been unpacking his influences on modest, multifaceted rock LPs like his latest, Tracker. Opening on a vamp recalling Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," then veering into Celtic folk, "Laughs and Jokes and Drinks and Smokes" sets the tone for this burnished set about days past. Other highlights of his eighth solo effort include "Basil," a nod to his youth in Northumbria, and "Skydiver," which echoes Seventies Grateful Dead. The Mar. 31 Verve release includes a bonus DVD containing exclusive video and interviews, numbered art print, and six photographic prints. - Rolling Stone, 3/26/15...... Andy Fraser, the former bassist for the Classic Rock band Free, died on Mar. 16 at his home in California. He was 62. The cause of Fraser's death has yet to be announced, however he had been battling both cancer and AIDS. Fraser was a member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers before co-founding Free with Paul Rodgers in 1968 when he was just 15. He co-wrote the band's 1970 hit "All Right Now" but left the group in 1972 to form Sharks with guitarist Chris Spedding. He then formed the Andy Fraser Band before moving to California and going on to write for artists such as Robert Palmer, Joe Cocker and Rod Stewart. - NME, 3/17/15...... Songwriter/keyboardist Michael Brown, a former member of the '60s group The Left Banke, died of heart failure on Mar. 19 at his home in Englewood, N.J. He was 65. Born Michael Lookofsky, Brown grew up in Brooklyn and co-wrote "Walk Away Renee," which rose to No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and composed "Pretty Ballerina," which rose to No. 15. - AP, 3/20/15...... 'Ib Melchior, a screenwriter and director who took two classics of literature and set them in the future for the 1960s sci-fi films Robinson Crusoe on Mars and The Time Travelers, has died at age 97. Mr. Melchior, who claimed he was the one who came up with the ideas for TV's Lost in Space and Star Trek, died on Mar. 14 of natural causes at his home in West Hollywood, according to his son, Leif. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/19/15.

Paul McCartney has made chart history once again, this time for having two simultaneous Top 15 hits for the first time since 1982 as his latest collaboration with rapper Kayne West, "All Day," has cracked the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 15, along with a previous McCartney, West and Rihanna collaboration, "FourFiveSeconds," which sits at No. 5. McCartney previously earned the honor multiple times with the Beatles, or as a soloist and with the Fab Four, last on May 22, 1982. That week, his own "Ebony and Ivory," with Stevie Wonder, topped the chart, and the group's "The Beatles' Movie Medley" remained at its No. 12 peak. - Billboard, 3/13/15...... In other Macca news, Paul's ex-wife Heather Mills went to town on her former husband on an Irish TV show called The Late Show on Mar. 14, suggesting that Paul is finding it hard to stay "relevant" in the modern music industry, stating that he only collaborated with Rihanna and Kanye West "so people remember him." Mills, a former ski racer and environmental activist, who was married to the former Beatle between 2002 and 2008, seemed to become agitated with host Ryan Tubridy mentioned McCartney's name. Mills added: "If I go down the street all I get is kids coming up to me - half of them don't even know who he is.... he is just someone I fell in love with, who to me was a normal guy that happened to write a few cool songs in the '60s -- and a few in the '70s. It was just someone I fell in love with... You fall in love, get married, you sometimes then go, 'Oh my god, this was completely wrong', and you wake up and you move on." - New Musical Express, 3/16/15...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr has been forced to postpone two All Starr Band concerts set for Mar. 12 and 13 in San Francisco due to an unspecified illness, according to a tweet from the venue. The city's The Masonic posted that the Mar. 13 concert has been rescheduled for Oct. 1, 2015. Ringo's new solo album, Postcards From Paradise, is due Mar. 31. His current All Starr Band features Gregg Rolie, Todd Rundgren and other notable artists. - Billboard, 3/13/15...... Eric Clapton announced on Mar. 12 that he'll celebrate his milestone 70th birthday on Mar. 30 with two shows at New York's Madison Square Garden on May 1 and 2. The concerts will also commemorate another anniversary: the 46th anniversary of his first peformance at the venue with Cream, which christened the "new" MSG in 1968. Clapton ahs since appeared at the arena more than 45 times -- more than any other place in the U.S. General public tickets go on sale Mar. 20, and the opening act will be Andy Fairweather Low and the Low Riders. - Billboard, 3/12/15...... The Eagles announced on Mar. 13 that they'll take their History of the Eagles Tour on the road again in 2015 beginning with a May 19 performance at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Tex. The iconic country-rock band will play relatively smaller markets on the 24-date tour, including Bakersfield, Calif., Sioux Falls, S.D., Eugene, Ore., and Dayton, Ohio, before wrapping in Bossier City, La., on July 29. The previous leg of their HOTE tour raked in more than $145 million in 2013-14, playing for 1.1 million fans. - Billboard, 3/13/15...... Robert Plant has announced a series of live North American dates, some of which will see the alternative band the Pixies providing support. Plant will tour North America during May and June, with Frank Black & Co. opening for the musician in Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, Rochester Hills and Raleigh. Singer-songwriter JD McPherson will open on the remaining dates. Full dates can be found at Plant's official website. - New Musical Express, 3/16/15...... Ann Wilson of Heart says her band is planning on multi-tasking during its upcoming tour by not only preparing, but also recording significant portions of its next album while on the road. "We're touring and recording at the same time," Wilsonsays. "We're actually recording off the stage in sound checks and the shows, so if we're doing a song you're not familiar with at a show this year, you can be sure we're recording it to be worked on later. We're going to take the tracks and mess with them towards making a new record. You can get the spark of the live performance in the basic track, which is something which is really hard to do in the studio." Wilson added Heart currently has four new songs ready to play, which are "sounding very multi-dimensional, just real different from stuff we've done before." Heart will kick of its latest tour on Mar. 18 in Mankato, Minn., and hopes to finish recording the album -- the follow-up to 2012's Fanatic -- during the fall, with an early 2016 release. - Billboard, 3/12/15...... Elton John is among the voices calling for a boycott of fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana after the pair expressed skepticism about the use of in vitro fertilization and surrogate mothers to create families in a recent interview with an Italian magazine. "How dare you refer to my beautiful children as "synthetic," Sir Elton posted on his official site on Mar. 14. He added: "And shame on you for wagging your judgemental little fingers at IVF -- a miracle that has allowed legions of loving people, both straight and gay, to fulfil their dream of having children. Your archaic thinking is out of step with the times, just like your fashions. I shall never wear Dolce and Gabbana ever again." The designers, under growing social media pressure, issued a statement on Mar. 14 saying their comments supporting traditional families with a mother and a father "weren't intended to judge the choices made by others." The designers, who are gay and formerly were a couple, have put the traditional family at the center of their last two collections, sending a pregnant model and models with their own children down the runway to celebrate motherhood. - AP, 3/16/15...... Stevie Wonder will serve as an executive producer on Freedom Run, a proposed NBC show about the Underground Railroad. The mini-series will be based on Betty DeRamus' book Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories From the Underground Railroad. The show is indicative of the networks' desire to satisfy the audience's thirst for more diverse programming after the success of such diverse hits as Empire, How to Get Away With Murder and Fresh Off the Boat. Wonder is also writing a musical version of Freedom Run to be staged on Broadway. - Entertainment Weekly, 3/13/15...... Comedian/actor Eddie Murphy is in talks to portray Richard Pryor's dad in an upcoming Pryor biopic that Lee Daniels is directing for The Weinstein Co. Mike Epps will star as the controversial '70s comedian who pushed the boundaries of race and mined his own gritty experiences, becoming one of the most influential acts of all time. Murphy will play the father, LeRoy Pryor, and Kate Hudson will play Pryor's fourth wife, Jennifer Lee Pryor, who was married to Pryor in 1981-82, and then became his seventh wife after the couple remarried in 2001. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/13/15...... In one of the most unlikely career moves in recent times, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has recently relocated to Nashville and begun collaborating with local songwriters for a new album of country music, after first announcing his intention to record a country LP last October. Tyler is expected to sign with Big Machine Label Group very soon, and has reportedly already begun work on the album. On the Mar. 11 episode of American Idol, Tyler joined country stars Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire and The Band Perry in a taped segment, all of whom are signed to BMLG imprints, in praising Big Machine executive Scott Borchetta. Taylor Swift is the label's biggest act. A release date for Tyler's album could come as early as November, though a 2016 release is more likely. No producer has been confirmed for the project. - Billboard, 3/13/15...... Mike Porcaro, a longtime bassist for the Grammy-winning band Toto, died on Mar. 15 after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), according to a Facebook post by his brother, Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro. He was 59. "My brother Mike Porcaro is now now at peace. I will miss him more than I could ever put into words. My deepest love to the family. God Bless," Toto guitarist/singer Steve Lukather tweeted on Mar. 15. Porcaro, the son of the jazz percussionist Joe Porcaro, joined the Grammy-winning rockers Toto in 1982 and was with the band for their most successful album, Toto IV, which featured the hit singles "Africa" and "Rosanna." He appeared on many more Toto albums before retiring from the band in 2007 due to complications from ALS. Toto is set to tour Europe this spring in support of their new album, Toto XIV. - Billboard, 3/15/15...... Lew Soloff, a jazz trumpeter who reached a broader audience with the jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat and Tears, especially with a memorable solo on the original version of the 1969 hit "Spinning Wheel," died of a heart attack on Mar. 8 in Brooklyn. He was 71. Soloff was a session musician for such artists as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Lou Reed; he was the lead trumpeter of both the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra; and tackled Bach as a member of the quintet Manhattan Brass. Soloff toured the world with Blood, Sweat and Tears, and in 1970 the band played before 14,500 fans at Madison Square Garden; their opening act was a sextet led by Miles Davis But he left the band in 1973, seeking new musical challenges, and released eight albums as a leader and performed or recorded with Gil Evans, Paul Simon, Dizzy Gillespie and many others....... Three Dog Night keyboardist Jimmy Greenspoon died of etastatic melanoma in Gaithersberg, Md., on Mar. 11. He was 67. Greenspoon's organ and electric piano on hits such as "Easy to be Hard" and "Joy to the World" defined the band on par with its three lead vocalists, Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron and Cory Wells. "We are very saddened at the passing of our dear friend and longtime band mate, Jimmy Greenspoon. Jimmy died peacefully at home today surrounded by his family. Please keep him and his loved ones in your prayers and your hearts," Three Dog Night posted on its official website. Greenspoon, an L.A. native whose mother had been in silent films, recorded with his surf group the New Dimensions while in junior high and high school. After attending the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, he became a fixture at Sunset Strip clubs, playing with a host of bands. For a brief time he lived in Denver, where he was a member of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. Throughout his career, Greenspoon performed and recorded with such acts as America, The Beach Boys, Beck, Bogert & Appice, Nils Lofgren, Lowell George, Donovan, Eric Clapton, and many others. Greenspoon published his autobiography in 1991, titled One Is The Loneliest Number - On The Road And Behind The Scenes With Legendary Rock Band Three Dog Night. Since Greenspoon announced his cancer diagnosis five months ago, he used a crowd-funding page at GoFundMe.com to help pay medical bills. He is survived by his wife, Susie. - Billboard, 3/12/15...... Soft Machine and Gong co-founder Daevid Allen, a psychedelic rock legend, passed away on Mar. 12 after a battle with cancer. He was 77. The Australia-born Allen co-founded the immensely influential British psych-jazz band Soft Machine in 1966, which produced the self-titled underground classic The Soft Machine in 1968. He also co-founded the British-French experimental band Gong in 1968. - Billboard, 3/13/15...... Comic Gene Patton, better known as "Gene Gene the Dancing Machine" from his many appearances on the wacky daytime NBC series The Gong Show, died on Mar. 13 in Pasadena, Calif., after a battle with diabetes. He was 82. At a random moment during the 1976-78 game show, host Chuck Barris Barris would introduce Mr. Patton, and the curtain would part, bringing the shuffling stagehand with the painter's cap onstage to the sounds of "Jumpin' at the Woodside," a jazz tune made popular by Count Basie. His dance sent everyone on the set -- Barris, the judges, the cameramen, the audience -- into an uncontrollable boogie. A native of Berkeley, Calif., Mr. Patton also appeared as Gene in The Gong Show Movie (1980) and as himself in the film Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, George Clooney and Charlie Kaufman's surreal 2002 adaptation that starred Sam Rockwell as Barris. By then, Mr. Patton had lost both his legs to diabetes. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/13/15.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on March 11th, 2015

A superior court in Jesup, Georgia ruled on Mar. 10 that the first assistant director of the ill-fated Greg Allman biopic Midnight Rider was guilty of involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespass. Hillary Schwartz was sentenced to 10 years' probation and a $5,000 fine. Under the terms of her probation, Schwartz cannot serve as a director, producer, first A.D. or any department head responsible for crew safety on any film or TV production. Schwartz, after pleading not guilty when she was indicted in Sept. 2014, waived her right to a jury and received a bench trial. Schwartz was the fourth defendant in the criminal case over the Feb. 2014 train collision that killed camera assistant Sarah Jones during the Midnight Rider shoot and the safety protocols Schwartz and other crew members should have followed. The other three defendants -- director Randall Miller, his producer and wife, Jody Savin, and executive producer Jay Sedrish -- faced the same charges. Miller was previously sentenced to two years in jail, a $20,000 fine and 360 community service hours. Sedrish received 10 years' probation and a $10,000 fine. Charges agains Savin were dropped. Until recently, Schwartz was part of their case, but her case was separated from theirs in February. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/10/15...... A Los Angeles jury ruled on Mar. 10 that singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams' runaway 2013 hit "Blurred Lines" copied Marvin Gaye's 1977 single "Got to Give It Up," and ordered the pair to pay $4.8 million to Gaye's family. The suit was brought by Gaye's children Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III, who inherited the copyright to the soul legend's music following his death in 1984. Nona, who wept as the verdict was read, said: "Right now, I feel free. Free from... Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke's chains and what they tried to keep on us and the lies that were told." The trial in L.A. US District Court came as a result of a pre-emptive August 2013 lawsuit filed by Thicke and Williams who, fearing the Gayes would be litigious, sought to affirm that "Blurred Lines" is "strikingly different" to "Got to Give It Up." US District Judge John Kronstadt denied their request and said a jury must decide "the intrinsic similarity of the works." Robin Thicke performed a medley of songs in court as evidence that many tracks share similar chords and melodies without necessarily copying one another. His performance included tracks by artists including U2, Bob Marley and the Beatles. "While we respect the judicial process, we are extremely disappointed in the ruling made today, which sets a horrible precedent for music and creativity going forward," said Thicke and Williams' lawyer, Howard E. King. "We are reviewing the decision, considering our options and you will hear more from us soon about this matter." It is estimated that Pharrell and Thicke have earned over $3 million each from the profits of the Grammy-winning single. - New Musical Express, 3/11/15...... AC/DC has released a video for "Rock the Blues Away," their third single from their most recent studio album, Rock or Bust. Directed by David Mallet, the clip shows the Aussie headbangers rocking out in a small, sweaty club in Los Angeles. "Rock the Blues Away" follows clips for "Play Ball" and the title track of Rock or Bust, which has sold nearly 2.8 million copies since its Nov. 2014 release. AC/DC's 2015 world tour behind Rock or Bust kicks off May 5 in Holland, and wraps on Sept. 28 in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. The band has also been confirmed as headliners at this year's Coachella Music & Arts Festival, which runs from Apr. 10-17. - Billboard, 3/10/15..... Kraftwerk co-founder and frontman Ralf Huëtter filed a trademark infringement lawsuit on Mar. 9 against eZelleron Inc., the makers of an energy supply unit for mobile electronic devices. The Dresdon-based eZelleron has been taking advantage of fuel cell technology to raise more than $1.5 million on Kickstarter.com for a portable power plant that it says can be recharged within seconds and provide weeks of charge for iPhones, tablets and GoPro cameras. Written up in many tech publications, the tech product is called "Kraftwerk." Huëtter, whose band owns a trademark registration on "Kraftwerk" that covers quite a bit of territory, claims that "consumers are likely to assume that there is a connection, association, or relationship between the famous electronic Music band and a charger for portable musical-playing devices." Kraftwerk was honored with a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2014. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/9/15...... Jackson Browne made a surprise appearance during Crosby, Stills & Nash's World Tour 2015 on Mar. 5 in Tokyo, Japan, jamming with the famous folk-rock trio on "Crow on the Cradle," the b-side to Browne's 1982 hit single "Somebody's Baby." Opening with "Carry On," CSN and their backing band played to a packed crowd of 5,200 in Hall A of Tokyo's Forum, also treating fans to such chestnuts as "Our House," "Long Time Gone," "Helplessly Hoping," "Guinevere," Almost Cut My Hair," and "Wooden Ships." CSN's 41-date tour will also hit The Philippines, Singapore, the US, the UK and eight continental European countries. Browne, in the midst of his own world tour, also played two dates in Tokyo on Mar. 11 and 12. - Billboard, 3/9/15...... Singer/songwriter Emmylou Harris will be among the 2015 recipients of Sweden's prestigious Polar Music Prize during a ceremony set for Stockholm on June 9. Harris, who started performing in Scandinavia early in her career, said she loved to travel and was looking forward to a trip to Sweden but "I just hate packing and flights." The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig "Stikkan" Anderson, the manager and music publisher of Abba. A well-known lyricist, he also was the co-writer on many early Abba hits. - Billboard, 3/10/15...... Seventies artists Rod Stewart and Yoko Ono were among those tweeting their support for International Women's Day on Mar. 8. "Women worldwide walk miles everyday to get water. Let us walk in solidarity this week for #InternationalWomensDay," Stewart tweeted that day, while Ono posted "Inspiring Change for #InternationalWomensDay." The annual event champions equal rights for women and celebrates advocates of the cause, with marathons and marches staged around the world. - Billboard, 3/8/15...... Paul McCartney has added a second London date to his upcoming May tour of the UK. After tickets for shows in London (5/23) and Liverpool (5/28) went on sale on Mar. 9 and sold out within an hour, a second show at the O2 in London was scheduled for May 24. McCartney will also play Birmingham on May 27. He last performed at The O2 in Dec. 2011, and the upcoming O2 show will coincide with the 50th anniversary of "Yesterday." "'Yesterday' feels like it has taken on a life of its own over the years," Sir Paul said of the landmark tune. "The song still is and always has been an important part of our live show. It's always very emotional for me to hear crowds singing it so loudly at my concerts and I'm looking forward to singing it along with the audience at the O2 in May." - NME, 3/9/15...... Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page has prevailed over singer Robbie Williams in the pair's feud over Williams' plans to develop his mansion, which is next door to Page's west London home. Williams has now withdrawn plans to develop his mansion, which Page said he feared would "have an effect on decorative finishes of my house." At least one other neighbour is believed to have also objected to Williams renovation proposal. A spokesperson for Williams declined to comment. - NME, 3/8/15...... The New York metal band Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees & Beyond has released a headbanging cover of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's 1978 No. 1 hit "You're the One that I Want" from their movie smash Grease. The result is hilarious and arguably even more heartwarming than the original, not least for the visual pun unleashed on the line "it's electrifying." - Billboard, 3/8/15...... Albert Maysles, an Oscar-nominated director and cinematographer best known for helming the troubling 1970 concert documentary Gimme Shelter which chronicled a fan being killed by a Hells Angels security man during a Rolling Stones performance, died on Mar. 5 of natural causes at his home in Manhattan. He was 88. Mr. Maysles and his brother David Maysles also directed Grey Gardens, a profile of Jacqueline Onassis' eccentric cousins "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier, which was remade as a Tony-winning Broadway play and as an award-winning 2009 HBO drama that starred Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. Just prior to Gimme Shelter, they filmed Salesman (1969), which covered six weeks in the lives of four door-to-door Bible salesmen, and also collaborated on such direct cinemas as What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A. (1964), With Love From Truman (1966) and Meet Marlon Brando (1966), which premiered at the New York Film Festival. In 1968, they made Vladimir Horowitz: The Last Romantic, and the following year, they shot Horowitz Plays Mozart, also for TV. Gimme Shelter stood as a stark and more enduring counterpoint to the documentary Woodstock, a depiction of the glorified 1969 free concert whose own dark side was left out in its preconceived, celebratory style. Mr. Maysles, who was also the choreographer on D.A. Pennebaker's Monterey Pop documentary, won three Emmys, two for his work with his brother on The Last Romantic and Soldiers of Music (1991) and one for Abortion: Desperate Choices (1991). Mr. Maysles had reportedly been battling cancer. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/6/15.

Paul McCartney has reportedly contributed vocals to an LP by a new "supergroup" comprised of shock-rocker Alice Cooper, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, and actor/musician Johnny Depp called Hollywood Vampires. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Perry said Macca and his drummer, Abe Laboriel Jr., dropped into the L.A. studio where the Hollywood Vampires, who were assembled in 2014 and named after the notorious mid-'70s partying gang that included Cooper, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson, among others, to split lead vocals with Cooper on the McCartney-penned Badfinger hit "Come and Get It." "He knew all the chords, the lyrics, everything," Perry says. "He didn't have any cheat sheets. It was like he'd been playing it his whole life. Me and Alice and Johnny were standing there and looking at each other and I tell you -- if there's any ego-leveler in a room, it's Paul. It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done. If Paul's in the room, he's there. It was hard to focus on playing." Paul reportedly chose the song as a tribute to Badfinger's Pete Ham and Tom Evans, who took their own lives. The upcoming Holllywood Vampires LP, produced by Cooper's longtime producer Bob Ezrin, is being dedicated to "all the friends we've lost to drugs and alcohol over the years and getting people to come in and cover the songs their friends wrote," according to Perry. The Hollywood Vampires has confirmed just the one live date, at the Rock in Rio festival this September, though Perry says more dates will likely be added that month. It's unlikely McCartney will join the band on the road, though there's a chance he'll be joined with his mates on stage sometime this year. He's just extended his own touring itinerary with three shows this May at London's O2 (5/23), Birmingham (5/27) and his hometown of Liverpool (5/28). The London arena show will coincide with the 50th anniversary of his song "Yesterday," and they mark his first concerts in his homeland since he played the Royal Albert Hall in 2012. - Billboard, 3/6/15.

Brian Wilson has announced a new North American tour this summer in support of his new solo album No Pier Pressure. The Beach Boys legend, supported by his former bandmate Al Jardine and BB lieutenant Blondie Chaplin, will launch the tour on June 18 in Saratoga, Calif. Other major markets on the 17-city tour include San Diego, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, and Seattle. No Pier Pressure, due in April, will be Wilson's 11th solo studio album, and in March a new Brian Wilson biopic, Love & Mercy, will premiere at the SXSW film festival in Texas on Mar. 15. On Mar. 30, Wilson will be honored with an all-star "Brian-Fest" benefit tribute concert at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. Al Jardine, Heart's Ann Wilson, Norah Jones, Boz Scaggs and Wilson Phillips will be among the headliners at the event, which will benefit the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. - Billboard, 3/5/15...... In other touring news, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour announced he'll tour the U.K. and Europe this September behind his upcoming, as yet-untitled fourth solo studio album. Kicking off at the historic Pula arena Roman ampitheatre in Croatia on Sept. 12, Gilmour's six-city tour also includes stops in such exquisite venues as Italy's Verona arena (9/14), Italy's Florence Teatro Le Mulina (9/15), France's Orange Theatre Antique (9/17), and Germany's Oberhausen Konig-Pilsener-arena (9/19), before wrapping with a three-night stand at the UK's Royal Albert Hall on Sept. 23, 24 and 25. Gilmour's new set follows the release of the well-received final Pnk Floyd LP, The Endless River, in 2014. His previous three solo efforts include a 1978 self-titled debut, 1984's About Face, and 2006's On an Island. Gilmour hasn't toured since. - Billboard, 3/5/15...... As the condition of Grammy-winning country/pop star Glen Campbell continues to deteriorate, his two oldest children are attempting to wrest control of his medical and financial decisions away from his wife of 32 years, Kim Campbell. Debby Campbell-Cloyd and Travis Campbell claim their stepmom is keeping their father "secluded from the rest of the family" which has been "prohibited from participating in his care and/or treatment," according to a petition filed in a Nashville court in January. The petition asks a judge to appoint conservators and a guardian to protect Glen Campbell's interest. Campbell, 78, is in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease and living at a Nashville long-term care facility. Campbell revealed he had Alzheimer's disease in 2011, but he went on to record two albums and play more than 150 concerts. - AP, 3/4/15...... Officials in Chicago have ruled that Grateful Dead fans won't be allowed to camp out during three 50th anniversary "farewell" concerts this summer scheduled over the Fourth of July weekend at Soldier Field. A spokesman for the venue, Luca Serra, told the Chicago Tribune that safety was a top consideration in the decision not to grant permits to fans requesting overnight permits to camp out in parking lots surrounding Soldier Field. Roughly 60,000 to 70,000 people are expected to attend each sold-out concert. Soldier Field doesn't usually have events later than 11 p.m., after which tailgating isn't allowed, and Serra says there will be increased security with police and fire crews for traffic management. Tickets for the "Fare Thee Well" series of shows sold out in minutes on Mar. 1, but Deadheads with deep pockets can score tickets from such outlets as Stubhub for anywhere from $1,350 to a whoppiing $116,000 for premium seats. The shows will feature Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio joining original members of the Grateful Dead -- the "core four" of Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann. - AP/Billboard, 3/3/15...... As Crosby, Stills & Nash kick off a tour of Asia on Mar. 5, David Crosby has been very active on Twitter in recent days, replying to fans' questions, theories and remembrances with honest responses delivered in marathon online sessions. Among the 73-year-old folk-rocker's frank opinions are that rapper Kayne West is "an idiot and a poser...has not talent at all" and the Beach Boys' Mike Love "quite possibly the biggest jerk in rock 'n' roll." Crosby, who is approaching 7,000 tweets and 35,000 followers, adds that things he loves include Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young's new Pono music service. His dislikes include Punk Rock, Phish, Jim Morrison, Terry Melcher and fried eggs on hamburgers. - Billboard, 3/5/15...... A feature-length Led Zeppelin film of classic live footage from the band's '70s glory years will be screened in select U.S. theaters for one night only on Mar. 30. Fathom Events Classic Music Series presents Led Zeppelin, a 105-minute collection of Zeppelin performances, will premiere at 7:30 p.m. (local time) throughout the U.S. on March 30 in a multitude of cities, from New York to Fargo, N.D., to Fairbanks, Alaska. The show contains footage from a Jan. 1970 at London's Royal Albert Hall, a July 1973 at New York's Madison Square Garden, a May 1975 show at London's Earl's Court, and a 1979 concert at England's Knebworth festival. Meanwhile in other Zeppelin-related news, Jimmy Page is ramping up his feud with one of his west London neighbors, singer Robbie Williams, who has been planning to make changes to the garden and the layout of his house, as well as replacing the roof of its glass studio. As a result, Page hired architects, structural engineers and town planners to put together reports arguing why the renovation should not go ahead. "Similar schemes have been carried out on other properties in the area locally and each time the level of vibration during the works has caused concern about the effect on decorative finishes of [my] house," Page reportedly told the Kensington And Chelsea Council in a letter. "The work now proposed is much nearer than other major excavations carried out so far and the consequences for the building fabric and decorative finishes... may well be catastrophic if this project is allowed to proceed," he added. Williams bought his £17.5 million mansion next to Page, previously owned by late director Michael Winner, in 2013. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 3/2/15...... As the vinyl LP format continues its rebirth among younger generations of music fans, Universal Music has announced it will roll out vinyl albums of three popular movies of the '70s -- Boogie Nights, Car Wash and Animal House --- on Apr. 14. It will be the first-ever LP release for Boogie Nights, and other movie soundtracks being released by Universal include a picture disc of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Little Shop of Horrors and Silence of the Lambs. - Billboard, 3/3/15...... Singer-songwriter Victor Willis of the Village People has finally prevailed in his legal battle to remove a formerly credited French songwriter named Henri Belolo from many of the '70s disco troupe's most famous songs written by Willis and Jacques Morali, including "Y.M.C.A." On Mar. 5, a California jury decided that Belolo's name should be removed from 13 Village People songs, which will for a royalty bump up from a 12-20 percent rate. As a co-owner, he also enjoys licensing rights on the songs. The case had been closely followed in the music industry because it dealt with a portion of copyright law passed in the mid-1970s that allows authors to terminate copyright grants. "I'm excited that the world will now know that 'Y.M.C.A.' is all-American, not French," Willis said after the ruling. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/5/15...... Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members Hall & Oates have filed a lawsuit against a Brooklyn granola company named Early Bird Foods for calling one of their hipster-friendly products "Haulin' Oats." The name and mark Haulin' Oats is an obvious play upon Plaintiff's well-known Hall & Oates mark, and was selected by defendant in an effort to trade off of the fame and notoriety associated with the artist's and plaintiff's well-known marks," the "Rich Girl" duo's suit states. The Red Hook-based company was founded by a former manager of Brooklyn's renowned Franny's restaurant, and promises customers superior granola products. Hall & Oates are demanding Early Bird stop using the "Haulin' Oats" name and are also seeking damages. - Pagesix.com, 3/4/15...... A rotating display of Elvis Presley memorabilia and artifacts rarely seen outside his famed Memphis, Tenn., Graceland mansion will open this summer at the Westgate hotel-casino in Las Vegas, where the King of Rock & Roll first played almost 59 years ago and spent months performing in the 1970's. The very showroom where Presley performed several hundred sold-out shows when the hotel was first known as The International, and later as the Las Vegas Hilton, will be revamped to look much like it did when Elvis performed there -- complete with semi-circular booths. The exhibit -- all 28,000 square feet -- will be the largest Presley display outside Memphis. - AP, 3/1/15...... A plane piloted by actor and aviation enthusiast Harrison Ford crash-landed at a Los Angeles golf course on Mar. 5, with Ford sustaining head injuries and cuts. Patrick Butler of the Los Angeles Fire Department said the patient, whom he did not identify, was "alert, conscious and breathing." and in "fair to moderate" condition after being transported to a local hospital. Ford's son Ben Ford, an L.A. chef, later tweeted that he was at the hospital with his father. "Dad is ok. Battered, but ok! He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man," he wrote. He added: "Thank you all for your thoughts and good vibes for my dad." Ford, 72, was piloting a World War II-era single-engine training plane when it crashed west of the airport shortly after it took off from Santa Monica Airport, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said. The Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark star is expected to recover fully from his injuries. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/5/15...... Actor Sylvester Stallone reportedly broke up an unscripted fight on the set of his upcoming Rocky spin-off, Creed, on Mar. 1 when the film was shooting in Aston, Penn. Actor/boxer Tony Bellew, who plays a character called Pretty Ricky, reportedly left the ring in the middle of filming, and lunged at the actor portraying his corner coach in the movie, throwing punches at him. Stallone was among those who jumped in to break up the fight, and it is unclear what started the confrontation. In Creed, Stallone's Rocky Balboa is a trainer and mentor to the grandson of his former rival Apollo Creed. - WENN.com, 3/2/15...... Chris Rainbow, a singer whose credits include a string of hit albums with the Alan Parsons Project and a stint in Camel, has died. He was 68. "It was with great sadness that I read today of the passing of Chris Rainbow. He was an amazing talent and an integral part of the Project sound," Alan Parsons posted on his website. "[Keyboardist and co-writer] Eric [Woolfson] and I used to call him the 'One Man Beach Boys.' I will always remember his funny stories, his mimicking ability and his hilarious catch phrases. Sessions with him were always filled with laughter. I will miss him greatly," Parsons added. Rainbow began working with the Alan Parsons Project on 1979's Eve, and although he usually sang lead on only one song per album, he was frequently called upon to provide multitracked background vocals in the studio until Parsons dissolved the group after 1987's Gaudi. The cause of Rainbow's death has not been revealed at this point.