Speaking to The New York Times, Paul Simon says he's seriously considering retiring from performing and recording, just days after the 74-year-old scored his highest-ever chart debut as a solo artist with his new LP Stranger to Stranger."It's an act of courage to let go," he said. "I am going to see what happens if I let go. Then I'm going to see, who am I? Or am I just this person that was defined by what I did? And if that's gone, if you have to make yourself, who are you?," he added. And while Simon is surely one of the most famous singer/songwriters of his generation, he told The Times that fame can be dangerous: "I've seen fame turn into absolute poison when I was a kid in the '60s. It killed Presley. It killed Lennon. It killed Michael Jackson. I've never known anyone to have gotten an enormous amount of fame who wasn't, at a minimum, confused by it and had a very hard time making decisions." Simon's 2016 summer tour is set to wrap with the second of two concerts on June 30 at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens, the borough where Simon was raised and met a young Art Garfunkel, the other half of the Hall of Fame inducted vocal act Simon & Garfunkel. This fall, Simon will tour Europe beginning with an Oct. 17 show in Prague, Czech Republic, just four days before he turns 75. In 2017, he says he'll travel and drift, possibly with his wife Edie Brickell if her schedule allows. - Billboard, 6/30/16...... 
After a week's worth of testimony and arguments, Led Zeppelin won the "Stairway to Heaven" lawsuit on June 23, in which the iconic heavy metal band was accused of copying the song's iconic guitar riff from Spirit's 1968 instrumental "Taurus." During the trial, Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant testified as well as Michael Skidmore, the Trustee of Spirit songwriter Randy Wolfe's estate, who demanded in his lawsuit a rewriting of rock n' eoll history. The jury also heard from a Spirit band member, musicologists and other witnesses and experts opining on such subjects as whether Led Zeppelin had heard "Taurus" before composing their popular song and whether the two songs were substantially similar. After less than a day's worth of deliberation, the eight-member jury decided in favor of Zeppelin and various subsidiaries of Warner Music, saying that although Page and Plant had indeed heard the song before penning "Stairway," there was no substantial similarity in the extrinsic elements of "Taurus" and "Stairway." The decision came after the jury took one last listen of both songs. After the verdict, Page and Plant put out a joint statement. "We are grateful for the jury's conscientious service and pleased that it has ruled in our favor, putting to rest questions about the origins of 'Stairway to Heaven' and confirming what we have known for 45 years," they said. "We appreciate our fans' support, and look forward to putting this legal matter behind us." Francis Malofiy, the attorney for the plaintiff, reacted to the decision by saying that he lost his case on "a technicality" and said he may appeal, but several legal experts say overturning the jury's verdict would be a steep climb. "I think it would be a waste of time and money," says music litigator William Hochberg. "I would suggest that they think long and hard about whether they really want to go forward with an appeal." - Billboard, 6/23/16...... 
Rocker Meat Loaf was hospitalised on June 16 after collapsing on stage during a concert in Edmonton, Alberta. A video of the incident shows Meat Loaf dropping his mic and falling to the floor. As his band members walked over to help, the music eventually went silent, and the audience members were asked to vacate the Jubillee Auditorium venue. The 68-year-old Meat Loaf, whose real name is Marvin Lee Aday, had canceled two other concerts recently citing ill health. A hospital spokesman declined to provide an update on Meat Loaf's condition, citing patient privacy. - AP, 6/17/16...... Phil Collins announced on June 15 that he will publish his autobiography, entitled 
Former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore played his first rock gig in 19 years on June 17 at Germany's Monsters Of Rock festival in Loreley, then the following evening another performance at Bietghiem-Bissingen. Since 1997, Blackmore has played traditional-style baroque folk music with his band Blackmore's Night, the duo he formed with his partner Candice Knight. Blackmore has rejected playing traditional venues to perform in small clubs. Performing under the name Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, his set was divided between six Deep Purple songs including "Smoke On The Water" and six by Journey, such as "Spotlight Kid"' as well as Journey's cover of Russ Ballard's "Since You Been Gone." Blackmore founded Deep Purple in 1968 with singer David Coverdale, before quitting in 1975 to form Rainbow. Blackmore rejected an invitation to rejoin Deep Purple in 2015 when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. - NME, 6/20/16...... The '60s pop group The Turtles have announced they will release a career-spanning box set that will feature the band's six long-out-of-print albums this summer. Due on Aug. 19, The Complete Original Albums Collection will boast all the music the Turtles released between 1965 and 1970. Also, a 2-disc set of all the band's singles, All the Singles, will also be released featuring every White Whale label single and its b-side. The Turtles' legal battle over their pre-1972 recordings continues to wind its way through the courts, as the band wants a ruling whether copyright owners have exclusive performance rights over their pre-1972 tracks. - Billboard, 6/20/16...... Director Ron Howard's new Beatles documentary, The Beatles: Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years, will debut on Sept. 17 on the streaming service Hulu.com, one day after it bows in select U.S. theaters, its producers have announced. The film -- made with cooperation from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison -- recounts the first part of the band's' career, 1962 through 1966. A world premiere is planned for Sept. 15 in London. Meanwhile, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which owns the rights to most Lennon/McCartney lyrics, has enlisted the global branding and licensing firm Epic Rights to help put the lyrics of some of the Beatles' most classic songs on everyday products. Potential licensing ventures include greeting cards ("Hey Jude"), door mats ("Hello Goodbye") or coffee ("A Day in the Life"). "We envision a broad licensed products campaign that encompasses everything from apparel, accessories and wall art to home electronics, gifts, stationery, and more," an executive with Epic Rights said. Sony/ATV owns the songs originally published by Lennon/McCartney's Northern Songs, which was purchased by Michael Jackson in 1985 and dissolved ten years later when Jackson merged his catalog with Sony Music. - Billboard, 6/20/16...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Paul McCartney showed solidarity with the LGBT community following the recent mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., during a gig in Berlin on June 14. The Beatles legend came on stage draped in a rainbow flag and told the crowd: "We stand together with Orlando." Sir Paul's fellow rock music legend, Elton John, has also tweeted his condolences to the Orlando and LGBT community: "Our hearts go out to all the families and loved ones of those lost in Orlando," he posted. - New Musical Express, 6/15/16...... 
Steely Dan played a one-off symphonic charity gig with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at the famed venue in Los Angeles on June 18. A good number of the Donald Fagen and Walter Becker songs kicked off with a 15-to-30-second orchestral fanfare that let the audience get a touch of the baroque before the band's trademark hard soul kicked in. The duo also changed their normal set list to include six songs that have rarely or not at all been heard on their current tour, like "Night by Night" and "The Caves of Altamira." The 13-song show benefited the L.A. Philharmonic's high schooler-mentoring Composer Fellowship Program, raising $1.7 million for the charity. - Billboard, 6/19/16...... Bob Dylan's 2016 American tour hit Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium on June 16, after a few gigs further up the coast. For almost the first time in his 55-year career, Dylan has not altering the set list at all from night to night, with seven selections from his recent two albums of Frank Sinatra covers dominating the show along with nine original numbers from the year 2000 forward. Dylan's 20-song set included the encores "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Love Sick," with the latter being the only song that that sounds anything like contemporary rock as we know it. - Billboard, 6/18/16...... Jimmy Buffett paid tribute to two of Detroit's most famous recently fallen icons -- late Eagles member Glenn Frey and hockey great Gordie Howe, during a show at the DTE Energy Music Theatre on June 18. Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band played a version of the Eagles' "Take It Easy," posting a photo of Frey. He also included footage of Howe, the Detroit Red Wings hockey legend who died on June 10. - Billboard, 6/19/16...... Movie director Ray Burdis, who is helming a new Quadrophenia-inspired film To Be Someone, is defending his movie after being attacked by the Who. Burdis says he doesn't intend it to be a sequel to the Who's 1979 Quadrophenia film. "I totally agree that Quadrophenia is a classic, iconic film that should never be revisited," Burdis says. "If The Who management had actually read the script of To Be Someone, they would have realised it is not an attempt at a Quadrophenia sequel but a stand-alone film based on modern day Mod culture. It's a feel good, fun, fashion and music extravaganza... I have never stated that it was a sequel," he added. When the Who learned of Burdis' project, they issued a statement disassociating themselves from it and called it "totally ridiculous." Burdis did admit that he had hoped to cast Roger Daltrey in his film, but that doesn't appear to be in the cards. "I'm sorry that the Who's management feel affronted, as I would have loved Roger Daltrey to play a role, but there you go," he said. - New Musical Express, 6/20/16...... A lock of David Bowie's hair is to be auctioned off on June 25 by L.A.'s Heritage Auctions and is expected to sell for approximately £3,000. The hair snippet was kept by Wendy Farrier, who took a small chunk of Bowie's hair when he posed for his waxwork at Madame Tussauds in London in 1983. Farrier cut some of Bowie's hair for the waxwork's wig, but kept a small lock which is being sold off 33 years later. The hair is among several Bowie rarities being sold at the auction, with other items including a signed copy of his 1971 LP Hunky Dory, a signed drawing by the singer from 1996, and a gold disc of Bowie's 1983 album Let's Dance. Meanwhile, on June 19 Bowie's widow Iman posted a picture on Twitter of her late husband with their daughter to mark Father's Day. The photo shows Bowie holding the couple's daughter, Alexandria "Lexi" Zahra Jones, when she was a baby. "Happy Fathers Day #LexiLove," Iman tweeted. - NME, 6/20/16...... Blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa is set to be inducted into the Cavern Club's "Wall of Fame" on June 27 ahead of his gig at the U.K. venue later that evening. Bonamassa's free show at Liverpool's famous cellar club is a "thank you" to his British fans for the support they have shown him through his career. The show will pay homage to some of Bonamassa's musical inspirations including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, the latter two of already whom also feature in the Cavern's "Wall of Fame." - Noble PR, 6/20/16...... 
British pop singer Cliff Richard says he is "thrilled" that authorities in the UK have announced that they will not pursue charges against him over allegations that he sexually abused four boys more than three decades ago. "After almost two years under police investigation I learnt today that they have finally closed their enquiries," Richard posted on June 16. "I have always maintained my innocence, co-operated fully with the investigation, and cannot understand why it has taken so long to get to this point! Nevertheless, I am obviously thrilled that the vile accusations and the resulting investigation have finally been brought to a close." Britain's Crown Prosecution Service announced that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute the 75-year-old Richard, who has never been arrested on the charges but twice voluntarily met officers from South Yorkshire Police after it launched an inquiry in 2014. "I have always maintained my innocence, co-operated fully with the investigation, and cannot understand why it has taken so long to get to this point," Richard added. Richard, who was often called "Britain's Elvis Presley" early in his career, has had 14 No. 1 singles in Britain, and is the only singer to have topped the UK singles chart in five consecutive decades, from the 50s to the 90s. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1995. - Reuters, 6/16/16...... Rick Parfitt, a member of the U.K. rock band Status Quo, was hospitalised in Antalya, Turkey on June 16 following a suspected heart attack. Status Quo had been performing at the city's Expo 2016 event before the incident. Parfitt underwent a quadruple heart bypass in 1997 and suffered a heart attack in 2011. The band's manager said no further comment will be made "until the completion of the next round of tests and assessments," and asked that "the family's privacy be respected at this difficult time." - NME, 6/16/16...... Actress Ronnie Claire Edwards, best known for her portrayal of Corabeth Godsey in the '70s series 
The 
Two albums of previously unreleased Frank Zappa music, 
He's sometimes known as "Hot Rod," but now you can refer to him as "Sir Rod." Rod Stewart has been given knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II during her annual birthday honours list. Stewart, 71, was honored in Elizabeth's June 10 list "for services to music and charity," and will be able to call himself Sir Roderick David Stewart. Stewart reacted to the news saying he had "led a wonderful life" and a "tremendous career thanks to the generous support of the great British public... This monumental honour has topped it off and I couldn't ask for anything more." Later, Stewart tweeted a link to a BBC article confirming the news with the caption "A truly monumental honour." Britain's honors are bestowed by the monarch at New Year and on her official birthday in June. Recipients are selected by committees of civil servants from nominations made by the government and the public. In descending order, the main honors are knighthoods, CBE, OBE and MBE. Knights are addressed as "sir" or "dame," followed by their name. Recipients of the other honors have no title, but can put the letters after their names. - AP, 6/10/16...... Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Lionel Richie and Chic were feted at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 47th Annual Induction and Awards ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on June 9. Petty was inducted by former Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, to whom he is often compared. McGuinn recalled touring with Petty in the 1970s and writing with him. "He doesn't just write songs," McGuinn said. "He goes up and grabs them -- he flies up to the great wide open and catches and idea and freefalls back to earth." Petty delivered his brief acceptance speech in a slow, deadpan drawl: "I'm sorta the rock and roll white trash section of the show... Writing a song for a rock band -- you'd better bring a really good song, because they don't take it well if it's not. Many times I've gone back to the drawing board." Accepting his award, Elvis Costello called himself "the least commercially successful songwriter you have ever inducted" thanked Linda Ronstadt and her producer/manager Peter Asher for recording "Alison" in 1978, generating royalties that "kept the gas in my tour bus." As he was honored, Lionel Richie said, "I am humbled by the presence of greatness in this room... I am humbled by the fact that I am standing here holding any kind of award." The evening wrapped with Chic's Nile Rodgers leading the house band through "Le Freak," and finally joined by Sister Sledge for a rousing "We Are Family." - Billboard, 6/10/16...... The CBS television network has announced it is developing a scripted limited series about the kidnapping of millionaire heiress Patty Hearst by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) in 1974. Should the Hearst project be ordered to series, it would explore the 19-month FBI/police search and capture of Hearst, who turned SLA sympathizer and changed her name to Tania, that captivated the nation and played out on the nightly news during the course of her trial. - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/10/16...... Gordie Howe, the legendary National Hockey League player who shattered records, dropped gloves and threw elbows while helping the Detroit Red Wings win four NHL championships, died on June 10 of natural causes. He was 88. Known as "Mr. Hockey," Mr. Howe was a Canadian farm boy who developed his brute strength and incredible stamina on the Saskatchewan prairie, and could put his team ahead with a timely goal or even the score with his opponents with his elbows and fists. One of the most likeable superstars in any sport, Mr. Howe became the NHL's quintessential star during a career that lasted into his 50s. Mr. Howe helped guide the Red Wings to four NHL championships, and set NHL records with 801 goals and 1,850 points, a record that stood until Wayne Gretzky came along. "Unfortunately, we lost the greatest hockey player ever today," Gretzky tweeted after hearing of Mr. Howe's passing. "But more importantly the nicest man I have ever met," he added. - AP, 6/11/16...... 
Guitarist Henry McCullough, best known for his touring and recording work with Paul McCartney's Wings during the 1970s as well as also working with Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, died on June 14 in Belfast after a long illness. He was 72. Born in Portstewart, Ireland in 1943, McCullough spent years playing blues, rock, pop and psychedelic bands in London -- touring in support of Jimi Hendrix and playing on Joe Cocker's breakthrough 1969 album With a Little Help From My Friends -- before getting tapped to join Wings for 1973's 
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has revealed details of his first ever solo album, a country-infuenced LP titled 
Queen guitarist Brian May posted a note on his personal website on June 8 blasting US Republican presidential hopeful Donald J. Trump's use of Queen's triumphant classic song "We Are the Champions" as Trump walked onstage after he swept the final Republican primaries the evening before. "I've had an avalanche of complaints - some of which you can see in our 'LETTERS' page - about Donald Trump using our 'We Are The Champions' track as his 'theme' song on USA TV," May wrote. "This is not an official Queen statement, but I can confirm that permission to use the track was neither sought nor given. We are taking advice on what steps we can take to ensure this use does not continue. Regardless of our views on Mr Trump's platform, it has always been against our policy to allow Queen music to be used as a political campaigning tool. Our music embodies our own dreams and beliefs, but it is for all who care to listen and enjoy." - Billboard, 6/9/16...... In other presidential campaign news, Barbra Streisand has weighed in on Hillary Clinton's historic achievement of becoming the first woman in history to become the presumptive nominee of a major American political party. "I feel a tremendous rush of pride because this is a woman who is more than qualified to be president," Streisand said in a statement. "Isn't it interesting how a barrier seems insurmountable -- until it comes down? I hope girls across the country are thinking, 'That could be me.' And like I said after the first woman got a best director Academy Award, it's about time!" - Billboard, 6/8/16...... Meanwhile, former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has expressed his general disgust with the state of the 2016 US presidential race, saying he's "saddened by the low level to which US politics has sunk." "We're better than this," writes Byrne, without ever naming any current or former candidates. "We are a country that, to the surprise of many, elected a black president In fact, folks turned out in droves to vote for (Barack) Obama. Citizens in many areas -- especially places with young, low-income, and minority populations -- got out to the polls and made themselves heard. We need to do this again." Byrne added that citizens can become involved by supporting organizations such as the Community Voters Project, whose staffers hit the pavement to register voters one-by-one, and Project Vote, a legal group that provides "advocacy, litigation, research, and technical assistance to promote voter registration laws." - Billboard, 6/6/2016...... 
The four original members of ABBA -- Agnetha Faltskog, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstand and Bjorn Ulvaeus -- reunited on June 5 for a brief 50th anniversary performance a private party in a Stockholm hotel. According to Swedish newspaper Expressen, the party featured a performance from Faltskog and Lyngstad, who sang the ABBA song "The Way Old Friends Do." Ulvaeus and Andersson joined them on stage towards the end of the song, completing a brief reunion performance from the group. Afterward, Lyngstad was quoted as saying the reunion was "absolutely amazing" and "very nostalgic," while Andersson called it a "great night." The night marked 50 years to the day since the group's principal songwriters, Ulvaeus and Andersson, first met. In 2015, Ulvaeus said that ABBA will never reform. "We took a break in '82, and it was meant to be a break," he said. "It's still a break and will remain so. You'll never see us onstage again. We don't need the money, for one thing. Usually the reason bands have reunions is that one of them is destitute and the others want to help. Fortunately that has not happened to us." - New Musical Express, 6/6/16...... In a new video interview to promote his forthcoming compilation Pure McCartney, Paul McCartney discusses how he was in Bob Dylan's hotel room in the 1960s when he began having "a mystical experience." "I could feel myself climbing a spiral walkway as I was talking to Dylan. I felt like I was figuring it all out, the meaning of life." McCartney goes on to say that he then ordered Beatles roadie Mal Evans to write down the key to it all on a piece of paper. "Mal gave me the piece of paper the next day, and on it was written 'There are seven levels.' Well, there you go, the meaning of life|" 
Paul Simon is on track to score his highest charting album in 29 years with his new studio effort 
Yusuf Islam, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, has released a video for a new song he has written called "He Was Alone," which was inspired by child refugees. Islam appears in the video for the spare, emotional ballad playing the haunting electric organ accompaniment amid scenes of a child fending for himself after leaving his family behind. "He was alone, when he was 12 / Only his thoughts, which he kept to himself / He didn't have a place to play / A friend to call, or a word to say," Islam sings in the track that mixes the fear and desperation of child refugees with hopeful dreams of rainbows, white horses and a return home. The song is the first new music from Islam since his 2014 album Tell 'Em I'm Gone. Islam will perform at a concert at the Westminster Central Hall on June 14 in honor of the #YouAreNot Alone charity. - Billboard, 6/7/16...... Bruce Springsteen, who just wrapped his five-show swing through England and Ireland, has announced he will release live albums of every one of his recent European tour stops. One show a week will be available starting June 15, with each also receiving a broadcast on the Boss' SiriusXM E Street Radio channel. Fans can pre-order any of the shows as MP3s, lossless FLAC or ALAC, high-resolution 24 bit FLAC-HD or ALAC-HD and collectible three-CD sets. His "River Tour: Europe 2016" kicked off with a May 14 show in Barcelona and included stops in Lisbon, Madrid, Dublin and London. It will continue through a July 31 date in Zurich. - Billboard, 6/7/16...... Making his first public appearance since the death of his late wife Rose Woodward, Tom Jones broke down in tears during an intervew at the Hay Festival on June 5 as he recalled his love for his late wife. "I realized that she's always been very important to me, throughout my life, but I now realize she might have been the most important thing in my life - and she still is," he said, as tears came to his eyes. Jones, 75, was interviewed by CQ editor Dylan Jones about his six-decade career in the music industry at the thirty-year-old annual gathering of artists, writers and thinkers. - Billboard, 6/7/16.... Late Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious is at the center of a copyright suit against contemporary artist Richard Prince. Prince is being accused by photographer Dennis Morris of "causing significant advertising injury" to him over several photos Morris took of Sid Vicious that Prince incorporated and/or appropriated into two of his works. The case will center around the nebulous legal principle of "fair use," which allows for the use of copyrighted works under certain conditions. Fair use requires that a piece refer back to the original piece but furthers it artistically, or "adds value." Morris' suit was filed in California on June 9 and seeks damages and any profits that came from the use and sale of Prince's work. - Billboard, 6/9/16.
In an interview with London's The Evening Standard paper, David Bowie's producer Tony Visconti revealed that "great" unreleased Bowie music is likely to be released in the near future. "I think it's logical that, over the next few years, you're going to hear a lot of stuff that you haven't heard before. I'm in talks with his management and his label - there's going to be some great Bowie stuff coming out," Visconti said. But the producer added that he couldn't confirm the whereabouts of five additional songs he produced during the sessions of Bowie's final album 
Ringo Starr kicked off a 19-date U.S. tour with his All-Starr Band on June 3 in Syracuse, N.Y., and the legendary drummer says he's working on 8 songs as his home studio in Los Angeles for a new album release, the followup to 2015's Postcards From Paradise, hopefully in early 2017. Ringo says two were co-written with Toto and All-Starr Band guitarist Steve Lukather and will be finished during the upcoming tour. "We've got the tracks down; now we have to write the words," Starr says. "We know where it's going. We've got the idea. We've got the first verse of one of them. The second will be a ballad. We're gonna finish them while we're on the road." Another track, meanwhile, is a collaboration with Dave Stewart originally intended for a country album the two were hoping to finish in June before the All-Starr tour was scheduled. "We'll do the country album another time now. There's lots you can do," Ringo says. Meanwhile, Starr is gearing up for his 75th birthday celebration on July 7 -- with details to be announced -- as well as the 10th anniversary of the Cirque du Soleil LOVE show in Las Vegas and the fall 2016 premiere of Ron Howard's documentary about the Beatles' touring years in America. - Billboard, 6/2/16...... The Grateful Dead spinoff band Dead & Co. announced on June 2 that they will still perform their June 10 show in Charlotte, N.C., despite speaking out against that state's controversial anti-LGBT law. Instead of canceling the concert, Dead & Co. say they plan on donating $100,000 to the Human Rights Campaign and Equality North Carolina. They will also host organizations fighting discrimination so concertgoers can learn more about the law and its impact. The band added that it will "assemble a 'Participation Row' social action area at the show, where we'll host local organizations fighting discrimination and national organizations dedicated to voter registration and protecting the planet." - Billboard, 6/2/16...... The death of Prince in his Minnesota home on the morning of Apr. 21 has been attributed to an opioid overdose, according to tests results seen by law enforcement officials. Since his death, it was widely reported that the 57-year-old musicians had been abusing painkillers, and that he had been scheduled to meet with an addiction specialist doctor on Apr. 22. The Carver County, Minn. Sheriff's Office opened a criminal investigation shortly after the singer's death. A search warrant was issued, but the documents were sealed, so details are unclear. - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/2/16...... 
In a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Roger Daltrey slammed the practice of Internet streaming, saying "musicians are getting robbed every day." "You get paid for streaming, my ass," Daltrey said. "Musicians are getting robbed every day. And now it's creeping into film and television, everything now. You notice, the Internet is a slowly but surely destructive thing in all ways." The Who singer added that he's unconvinced that the Internet has improved people's lives: "Look up for a while. Live in the real world." Daltrey added that he's working on a solo record, but has no idea if he'd ever release it. As for a new the Who album, Daltrey said "We've talked about it, but it's not going to be easy... Why would I make a record? I would have to pay to make a record. There's no royalties so I can't see that ever happening. There's no record business. How do you get the money to make the records? I don't know. I'm certainly not going to pay money to give my music away free. I can't afford to do that. I've got other things I could waste the money on." The musician also noted that his battle with viral meningitis in 2015 "took quite a heavy toll on me physically... My legs aren't good. My feet aren't good. But I think being able to manage it with the adrenaline of the show, that's all the matters. It's two hours of losing myself and forgetting about my feet." - Rolling Stone, 6/2/16...... Tom Petty's side project Mudcrutch has released its sophomore effort, 
On June 3, Billy Joel dedicated his 1974 song 
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, the three-time heavyweight champion of the world and known as the most recognizable person on the planet, died on June 3 at a Phoenix, Ariz., hospital. He was 74. Born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Ky., on Jan. 17, 1942, Ali first entered the world spotlight when he captured a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. At age 22 in Feb. 1964, he surprised the surly 7-to-1 favorite Sonny Liston in Miami to take the heavyweight title for the first time. "I shook up the world! I shook up the world," he shouted in the ring. Ali beat Liston again 15 months later in Lewiston, Maine. In April 1967, he was arrested in Houston after he refused induction into the U.S. Armed Forces. The New York State Athletic Commission quickly suspended his boxing license and stripped him of his title, and other state commissions followed suit. On June 28, 1971, the Supreme Court overturned Ali's conviction, and in his third fight since returning from suspension, he lost to Joe Frazier in a 15-round unanimous decision in March 1971 in New York's Madison Square Garden in "The Fight of the Century." After avenging that defeat in a non-title bout back at the Garden in January 1974, Ali fought "The Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire, with heavyweight champ George Foreman on Oct. 30, 1974, then met his old rival Frazier again in October 1975 in the Philippines for "The Thrilla in Manilla," with Ali prevailing when Frazier could not come off his stool for the 14th round. Both fighters were exhausted and struggling to survive. In September 1976, Ali beat Ken Norton in Yankee Stadium in New York in their third meeting, and seven months after a shocking loss to Leon Spinks, he avenged that defeat in New Orleans in September 1978 to become heavyweight champ for an unprecedented third time. Ali played himself in The Greatest, a 1977 Columbia film adapted from his autobiography, and in the late 1970s, he even voiced his own Saturday morning cartoon, I Am the Greatest!: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali, which saw his character jetting around the world fighting evil. Ali, named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated in 1999, was married four times, the last to the former Lonnie Williams, who survives him, as does his nine children: Maryum, Rasheda, Jamillah, Hana, Laila (a former boxer herself and reality TV star), Khaliah, Miya, Muhammad and Asaad. In his autobiography, Ali reflected on his legacy and how he would be judged. "When I'm gone, they'll just have to look at the records and look at my actions. Then it is up to the people to rank me where they want," he wrote. - Variety, 6/4/16.