Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on June 30th, 2016

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...... Surviving Bee Gees member Barry Gibb has signed a new recording deal with Columbia Records and will release his second solo album on the label this fall. "This is a dream come true for me," Gibb said in a statement. "It's a new chapter in my life. I always hoped one day that the Bee Gees would be with Columbia or indeed Sony so, it's a great joy for me to start again this way with such great people." Gibb, who returned to live performing in 2013-14 with his Mythology Tour behind a Bee Gees anthology release, has sold tens of millions of albums with his two late brothers Robin and Maurice Gibb as the Bee Gees, most of which were released through Polydor and Atco. "I will never forget my brothers, they will always be a part of everything I do," Gibb said also said in his statement. "Our dream came true." Barry Gibb also helped the UK band Coldplay close the Glastonbury 2016 festival on June 26 with a rendition of "Stayin' Alive." - Billboard, 6/29/16...... The London recording studio owned by Pink Floyd where the band laid down tracks for all of their 1977 album Animals as well as parts of 1979's The Wall is to be converted into flats. Britannia Row in Islington, housed in a Victorian warehouse, was owned by all four members of Pink Floyd, before drummer Nick Mason assumed full ownership after Roger Waters departed from the band. Eventually, Mason moved Britannia Row's recording equipment several miles away to Fulham before selling it to commercial building manager Consortia in the early 1990s. Consortia continued to rent the studio, with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant recording their 1998 LP Walking Into Clarksdale there (it can be seen in the video for that album's single "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It"), as well as other artists including Manic Street Preachers, Bjork, Richard Ashcroft and the Charlatans also recording there. The Islington Council has approved plans to turn two floors of the building into luxury rental space, but say they don't want the whole of the building to be given over to residential space. "We have lost a huge amount of small business space because developers can make much more money converting spaces into residential," one official said. - New Musical Express, 6/30/16...... In late June, the Beatles authorized a new Cirque Du Soleil video for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" to mark the tenth anniversary of the Cirque Du Soleil Beatles show, "The Beatles Love." The show, which opened in 2006, has been hosted by the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas for 10 years now. The remix on the video is the "Love Version" of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and centers on string arrangements made by Beatles producer Sir George Martin for the Love album accompanying Cirque Du Soleil's show. Released in 2006, Love was among the final productions completed by Martin before his death in March 2016. First released in 1968 on the Beatles "White Album," While My Guitar Gently Weeps" features lead guitar from an uncredited Eric Clapton and was inspired by Harrison's interest in the Chinese philosophical book I Ching about the concept of fate and interconnectedness. - New Musical Express, 6/29/16...... In other Beatles-related news, a shirt soaked with the blood of John Lennon has sold at auction for $40,819. The white button down shirt was worn by concierge Jay Hastings as part of his uniform while he was on duty at The Dakota building in New York on Dec. 8, 1980, the fateful day the rock icon was assassinated by deranged fan Mark Chapman as he and wife Yoko Ono entered the porch of The Dakota to go up to their flat. According to Hastings, Lennon stumbled into the entranceway of his station after being shot twice in the back and twice in the shoulder, where Hastings covered Lennon with his suit jacket. In his attempt to aid the ailing star, some of Lennon's blood seeped into the shirt on its chest and sleeves. Hastings says he recently decided to sell the macabre item at auction, where it was expected to reach in the region of $9,216 in the June 25 Heritage Auctions sale. It eventually sold for a staggering $40,819, according to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper. Garry Shrum of Heritage says that Hastings "kept this shirt all these years and never really spoke about it... It has just been sitting in a drawer for years and now he is getting older he felt it was time to sell it." Shrum also insists that Hastings isn't exploiting John Lennon's death: "He is telling the story of how he tried to help John Lennon in the last few minutes of his life." The auction sale also included a copy of the album Double Fantasy - which includes a handwritten message that reads: "To Jay, Love John Lennon Yoko Ono," as well as a 1978 Thanksgiving card from John and a 1980 typed letter from Yoko thanking the staff of the building for their help two weeks after the singer's death. The buyer of Hastings' collection has apparently chose to remain anonymous. Also sold in a Heritage auction in Beverly Hills is a small lock of David Bowie's hair that was clipped by Wendy Farrier in 1983 so it could be used for his waxwork at Madame Tussauds in London. Farrier had kept the lock of hair, which sold for around $18,500, in a frame for 33 years. - WENN.com/The Hollywood Reporter, 6/27/16...... The online auction site eBay is sponsoring a three-day auction event beginning on June 29 that includes 1,700 lots full of pop-culture memorabilia, including the ruffled silk shirt worn by the late Prince in his movie Purple Rain (starting bid: $3,000), and the motorcycle jacket he wore in the same movie (starting bid: $6,000). Bidding on the auction, which also includes items of clothing worn by such stars as Marilyn Monroe, Britney Spears and Daniel Craig, will take place through 11:00 a.m. PT July 1 on eBay. - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/28/16...... Speaking of Prince, newly-revealed secret recordings made by Michael Jackson in an interview with a UK paper indicate that Jackson wasn't quite as chummy with Prince as he would have everyone believe as the two music mega-stars battled for chart supremacy in the 1980s. In the recently unveiled recording, made in 1988 with The Daily Mirror paper during the writing of Jackson's autobiography Moonwalker, the Gloved One makes clear his dislike for the Purple One. "I have proven myself since I was real little. It's not fair. He feels like I'm his opponent," Jackson told the interviewer. "I hope he changes because boy, he's gonna get hurt. He's the type that might commit suicide or something." Jackson also bristles at comparisons to Prince and himself in the secretly recorded conversation, shared for the first time by the Daily Mirror. "I don't like to be compared to Prince," he says, bluntly. The King of Pop then goes on to describe Prince as "one of the rudest people I have ever met," and says that he had been "mean and nasty to my family." The rivalry has also been confirmed by producer LA Reid, who revealed in his memoirs earlier in 2016 that one of Michael Jackson's hobbies "was laughing at videos of Prince making mistakes." - NME, 6/26/16...... Glenn Symmonds, a former drummer in Eddie Money's band, has added claims of sexual harassment to an age and disability wrongful termination lawsuit he first filed against Money in October 2015. Money says his First Amendment right to artistic expression trumps a claim from Symmonds that he was axed because of his age and disability, according to an anti-SLAPP motion to strike a portion of the complaint filed on June 29 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. For now, Money's attorneys are only addressing the initial complaint that Symmonds was illegally fired because of his age and complications of bladder cancer and a back injury. "Even though Symmonds' claim is frivolous, it raises serious First Amendment concerns," states the motion. "The performance of music is a fundamental First Amendment right. Eddie's choice of the members of his band furthers and is directly connected to this right." Money says the events resulting in the lawsuit were sparked by his decision to tour with his children for the summer of 2015, which he argues is protected artistic expression. The rocker intended to rehire the band after his family tour. Symmonds and his fiancee Tami Landrum responded with a "malicious and unwarranted attack" consisting of disparaging internet posts and threatening voicemails left for concert promoters, Money claims, and that's why the drummer wasn't rehired. Money has also turned to Facebook to tell his fans how he feels about the lawsuit. "Glenn Symmonds and his girlfriend are trying to damage my reputation not only as a professional entertainer, but as a husband and a father," the "Two Tickets to Paradise" singer writes. "Having something like that happen to you is like the Twilight Zone, so preposterous and downright evil." - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/29/16...... Cher has apologized for using a "bomb Emoji" in a tweet about the recent tragedy at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport in Instanbul, Turkey, on June 28. "In support of the victims of the attack that killed 41 people and wounded 239," Cher tweeted, then adding "WE ALL PRAY FOR INNOCENT PPL IN TURKEY AIPORT" along with a bomb emoji. Now, after receiving much backlash from her folowers for the emoji choice, Cher once again took to the service to apologize: "Been thinking about my Poorly Placed,Insensitively Timed 'bomb Emoji.' No ExcuseI'm Used 2 Using Emoji 2Help Say More Than 140 Letters.Sorry," she tweeted. The singer is known for using multiple emojis in her tweets and actively uses the social media site to share her thoughts to her more than 3 million followers on the current political climate around the world. - Billboard, 6/29/16...... Rod Stewart's current "Hits Tour" of Europe, which is nearing the end of his eight-week trek through 11 European countries, is doing big business on the continent, with sales from four events in Sweden, Poland and England totaling $6.7 million, earning the tour a slot among the 10 top-grossing tours of the week. Stewart's tour ranks second to only Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's summer European jaunt, who slotted higher due to ticket sales totaling $14.9 million from two stadium dates on his current "The River Tour." Stewart kicked off his tour on May 14 at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome, and it will continue through July 9, wrapping with an appearance at the Cap Roig Festival staged at an outdoor site on the Mediterranean Sea near Calella, Spain. - Billboard, 6/29/16...... Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley has filed for divorce from her fourth husband, guitarist Michael Lockwood, after the two were wed for more than 10 years. According to court documents filed on June 24 in Los Angeles Superior Court, Presley has been separated from Lockwood since June 10 and cites irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. Presley and Lockwood were wed in Jan. 2006, and have 7-year-old twin daughters together. Presley was previously married to Danny Keogh, Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage. - AP, 6/28/16...... In a recent interview with a country radio station, Charlie Daniels said the US "has enough gun control laws" and that "the laws we have now are not being enforced." "These guns laws are cosmetic... It's like taking cars away to stop car wrecks. It's the drunk drivers that are the problem. You'll clean it up by taking the bad drivers off of the road," added Daniels, who released his last album Live at Billy Bob's Texas, in Oct. of 2015. - Billboard, 6/28/16...... In other Southern Rock news, Lynyrd Skynyrd will be the subject of a new biopic written by the band's drummer Artimus Pyle. Named "Free Bird" after the band's biggest hit, the film will center around the 1977 plane crash that claimed the lives of their lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant, and their new guitarist Steve Gaines. Pyle co-wrote the script with the film's director, Jared Cohn, and filming is set to begin later in 2016. Pyle, who played with Skynyrd from 1974 until 1999, told Deadline.com: "The film's story, which is my story, is not just about the plane crash, but also about my personal relatonship with the genius that was Ronnie Van Zant. I loved him like a brother and still miss him to this day." Lynyrd Skynyrd still tours and are currently on a US run with Peter Frampton until September. - New Musical Express, 6/27/16...... Ozzy Osbourne, who will play his final series of concerts with Black Sabbath in the UK from Jan. 22 until Feb. 4, says he's disappointed Sabbath's final tour will be coming to an end and says he wanted to continue playing with the iconic heavy metal band. "It's not me that wants to retire, it's Black Sabbath," Osbourne says. "I'll be continuing my own musical thing. My wife is good at telling me partial information, but I know I'm not hanging my boots up for a while." Osbourne added that he couldn't persuade guitarist Tony Iommi to continue the tour beyond its contracted 80 shows. "Tony wants to do 80 shows and we're doing 80 shows. It's good enough, but I wouldn't mind extending the tour for another few gigs. There's a lot of people who won't get to see us, but I don't think it's going to happen," he said. Sabbath wraps up its current European tour on July 12 and returns for a final run through North America on Aug. 17, with late-year dates in South America before next year's end run in the UK. - NME, 6/28/16...... Keith Richards has signed on to host his own weekend of shows on the UK's BBC Four television channel. Richards' Lost Weekend of shows will air in the fall, and the BBC says it's likely to include "documentaries, films and live performances." Richards will introduce both night's shows in excerpts directed by Julien Temple. Temple has also directed a new documentary about Richards, Keith Richards -- The Origin Of The Species. The hour-long show, which BBC2 will screen in July, sees Richards talk about his childhood in post-war Kent. - NME, 6/29/16...... A new Jimmy Buffett musical, "Escape to Margaritaville," will have its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse in the San Diego area, producers announced on June 27. The limited engagement will begin previews on May 16, 2017, ahead of its opening night on May 28, and will play through June 25. "Escape to Margaritaville" will feature both original songs and Buffett classics. It tells the story of a tropical island resort and its charming bartender-singer who falls for a beautiful, career-minded tourist. - Billboard, 6/27/16...... Fans attending a Billy Joel tribute band show in Huntington, N.Y., on June 24 were treated to a real surprise -- an appearance by the Piano Man himself. Joel was in the audience with this wife, Alexis Roderick, when he decided to join the band Big Shot for a three-song set, including covers of the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends," done Joe Cocker-style, the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women, and one of Joel's own biggest hits, "You May Be Right," which was blended with Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll." Joel told the crowd that he lives "down the road" from Huntington's Paramount Theater and decided to catch the show. - AP, 6/25/16...... After being a big hit at this year's Glastonbury Festival, Jeff Lynne's ELO have announced a show at London's Wembley Stadium on June 24, 2017, which is also the Saturday of next year's Glastonbury festival. Officially billed in full as "Jeff Lynne's ELO" due to copyright issues over the name between Lynne and his former bandmates, the band's tour ended with a homecoming show in Birmingham on June 24 before their slot on June 26 in the traditional "legends" slot of Glatsonbury. In 2015, Lynne and his new band released Alone in the Universe, his first album under an ELO name since the group split in 1986. - NME, 6/27/16...... Rob Wasserman, a versatile, Grammy-winning bassist, composer and producer who worked with such major rock artists as Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Rickie Lee Jones and Bob Weir, died on June 29 after a battle with undisclosed health complaints. He was 64. A classical trained violinist, Wasserman took up the upright bass at age 20, and began performing with the likes of Van Morrison and Oingo Boingo and before forming a band with David Grisman. "My great friend Rob Wasserman is facing a serious health struggle today," Bob Weir tweeted on June 29. "Please share the strength of our family with him and his family," he added. Wasserman's last album, the six-CD set Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound, with Jerry Garcia Band and Weir, dropped in Dec. 2013. - Billboard, 6/30/16...... Scotty Moore, the rockabilly guitarist who was teamed up with Elvis Presley by Sun Records producer Sam Phillips in 1954 to record "That's All Right (Mama)," died at his home in Nashville, Tenn., on June 28. He was 84. Alongside bassist Bill Black and drummer DJ Fontana, their backing band The Blue Moon Boys, Mr. Moore played on a string of Presley classics including "Jailhouse Rock," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Mystery Train" and "Hound Dog." Born near Gadsden, Tenn., in 1931, Mr. Moore learned guitar at an early age. He was a fan of jazz and country and was strongly influenced by Chet Atkins and Les Paul. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he settled in Memphis, working at a dry cleaning plant during the day and playing music after his shift was over. Phillips, who had not been impressed with Presley at first, had called in Moore and Black to work with the young singer. After appearing in four of Presley's films including Jailhouse Rock and GI Blues, Mr. Moore was fired by Phillips in 1964 for breaking his contract by releasing a solo album, The Guitar That Changed The World. He was reunited with Presley in 1968 for Elvis' famous "comeback special" on NBC, which saw Moore and Presley play Mr. Moore's trademark Gibson Super 400 guitar. Throughout his long career, Mr. Moore also played with the likes of Carl Perkins, Jeff Beck, Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood. Keith Richards credits Mr. Moore as the musician who made him want to take up the guitar. "When I heard 'Heartbreak Hotel', I knew what I wanted to do in life. It was as plain as day," Richards once said. "All I wanted to do in life was to be able to play and sound like that. Everyone else wanted to be Elvis, but I wanted to be Scotty." Mr. Moore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. - NME, 6/29/16...... Mack Rice, the composer of '60s hit "Mustang Sally" and co-writer of the Staple Singers' song "Respect Yourself," died in his Detroit home on June 27 of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 82. "Sir" Mack Rice was best known for writing "Mustang Sally," which he initially recorded but singer Wilson Pickett popularized. They had been in a group together called The Falcons, which recorded in Detroit. Mr. Rice was a songwriter for Memphis, Tennessee-based Stax Records and split his time between there and Detroit, where he moved from Mississippi as a teen. He wrote "Respect Yourself" with late R&B singer-songwriter Luther Ingram for the Staple Singers, which became Stax's biggest hit. According to his wife Laura, Mack wrote the song in about 15 minutes after talking with other musicians in the studio about the need for people to respect themselves in order to be respected by others. A tribute service has been scheduled for July 6 at Detroit's New Bethel Baptist Church. A funeral service is set for July 7. - AP, 6/28/16.

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...... After 46 years together as one of America's premier hard rock bands, Aerosmith have announced they're going on a "permanent vacation." Appearing on Howard Stern's radio show on June 24, frontman Steven Tyler confirmed that the band, which was founded in Boston in 1970, will embark on a farewell tour in 2017. "We're doing a farewell tour, but only because it's time," Tyler told Stern. "I love this band, I really do, and I want to squash every thought that anybody might have about this. Look, there's two bands that still have the original members, us and the Stones. I'm grateful for that," he added. Taken aback by the revelation, Stern made Tyler confirm that the band were indeed doing a farewell tour next year. "I think so, next year," the singer said. Asked whether guitarist Joe Perry is aware of Aerosmith's farewell plans, Tyler responded with a simple "Mmhmm." Tyler, meanwhile, is prepping for the release of his new Country music inspired album, We're All Somebody From Somewhere, which drops on July 15. Its title track was released as a single on June 24. Aerosmith's last studio LP, Music From Another Dimension, was released in 2012. - New Musical Express, 6/24/16...... Foghat is celebrating its 40th anniversary with Under the Influence, its first new album in six years, which hit stores on June 24. The LP includes a remake of the band's biggest hit, "Slow Ride," which Foghat drummer Roger Earl says is "kind of a nod and a tribute to (late Foghat guitarists) Rod Price and to Lonesome Dave (Peverett)." It just seemed like a good idea, and it was easy and fun to do. I love playing the song, even after all these years," said Earl, who is the sole original Foghat member left in the band's lineup. Under the Influence also features a contribution of former Savoy Brown leader Kim Simmonds. "Playing with Kim was a real thrill for me again," Earl notes. "He gave me my first job when I was 20, in Savoy Brown. We've met each other over the years and we've jammed together. It was like a full-circle thing for me." - Billboard, 6/23/16...... Sting and Peter Gabriel kicked off their "Rock, Paper, Scissors" summer co-headlining tour at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Oh., on June 21. After opening the evening with Gabriel's 1982 song "The Rhythm of the Heat" and Sting's 1993 hit "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," the two convened in the middle of the stage. For more than three hours they traded numbers, sometimes sharing vocal duties and offering accompaniment, other times ceding the stage, and on a couple occasions covering each other's songs. Gabriel took a stab at Sting's first big solo hit, "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," while Sting used the first bit of the 1973 Genesis tune "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" as a lead-in to a powerful version of the Police chestnut "Message In a Bottle." The pair encored with their biggest individual hits, "Every Breath You Take" and "Sledgehammer." - Billboard, 6/22/16...... The Rolling Stones' "Exhibitionism" museum tour will make its United States debut at the West Village's Industria Superstudio this November, it was announced on June 21. So far, a specific date in November for the New York City debut has not been shared. "Exhibitionism" features instruments, clothing, artwork, film, photos and more, chronicling the Stones' journey since the early '60s. It opened at London's Saatchi Gallery in early April 2016. - Billboard, 6/21/16...... Reports have surfaced that Michael Jackson owned a disturbing photographic collection of child pornography and animal abuse that was allegedly discovered during a raid by authorities at his Neverland Ranch in California in 2003 as part of their investigation into his child molestation allegations. It has been speculated that Jackson used the materials, which included pictures of children's faces superimposed on adult bodies, to desensitize children for abuse. Other images, according to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, reportedly featured S&M and animal torture and gore. "We identified five different boys, who all made allegations of sexual abuse," said ormer Santa Barbara Senior Assistant District Attorney Ron Zonen. "There's not much question in my mind that Michael was guilty of child molestation," he added. On June 21, the Jackson estate issued a statement claiming the "content that appears to be obtained off the Internet or through unknown sources" is false, and that it was "no doubt timed to the [seventh] anniversary of Michael's passing." "Those who continue to shamelessly exploit Michael via sleazy internet 'click bait' ignore that he was acquitted by a jury in 2005 on every one of the 14 salacious charges brought against him in a failed witch hunt... Michael remains just as innocent of these smears in death as he was in life even though he isn't here to defend himself. Enough is enough," the statement went on. Jackson was acquitted of allegedly molesting then 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo in 2005. He died of cardiac arrest in 2009. - VanityFair.com, 6/23/16...... In other Jackson family news, the wife of Jermaine Jackson filed divorce papers on June 21, citing irreconcilable differences, and listed Nov. 28 as the date of separation. The couple's separation fell on the same day Jackson's wife, Halima Rashid, was arrested and booked on suspicion of corporal felony injury on a spouse after an incident at the couple's California home. In the divorce papers, Rashid is seeking spousal support. She and Jermaine have no children together. - WENN.com, 6/23/16...... In related news, Don McLean and his wife Patrisha finalized their divorce on June 20 and agreed to a $10 million settlement. A spokesman for McLean said that the "American Pie" singer "chose to ignore a premarital agreement" and provide the settlement. Patrisha McLean, an author and photographer, filed for divorce citing "adultery, cruel and abusive treatment, and irreconcilable differences" in legal papers. The couple, who have been married for about 30 years, have two adult children. In January, Don McLean was arrested in January in his hometown of Camden, Maine, on charges including domestic violence assault. He has pleaded not guilty. - AP, 6/21/16...... Frank Zappa's 8,000 square foot home in Los Angeles' Laurel Canyon neighborhood where the musician lived with his family from 1968 until his death in 1993 has been put on the market for $5.4 million. The 7-bedroom property at 7885 Woodrow Wilson Drive includes the fabled "Utility Muffin Research Kitchen" where Zappa recorded his jazz-rock albums and composed his symphonies, as well as "The Vault," a chamber beneath the house where Zappa stored thousands of hours of unreleased recordings, video and family artifacts. The sale of the property has been caught up in a dispute among Zappa's four children, who have been battling each other since their mother Gail Zappa died in 2015. - Billboard, 6/24/16...... '70s artists The Eagles, James Taylor and Mavis Staples will be among the 2016 Kennedy Center Honorees in Washington, D.C., this winter, the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced on June 23. The recognition will be a bittersweet one for the Eagles, who were originally tapped for the honor in 2015, but were forced to postpone their appearance because of founding member Glenn Frey's failing health. Frey died in January, about a month after the honors gala. The Eagles issued a statement on June 24, saying "We accept this honor in memory of our comrade and fellow traveler, Eagles founder Glenn Frey... we always felt very fortunate that our music was embraced by people from all walks of life, all over the world." James Taylor, who attended the ceremony for his good friend Carole King in 2015, said that "the prospect of attending the Kennedy Center Honors again, this time as an honoree, is astonishing... I am deeply moved to be included in such august company." The honorees, which this year also include actor Al Pacino and Argentine pianist Martha Argerich, will be celebrated at a gala on Dec. 4, featuring performances and tributes from top entertainers. The show will be broadcast on Dec. 27 on CBS. - AP, 6/23/16...... In other Eagles-related news, Joe Walsh dedicated his entire concert to Glenn Frey as Walsh's "One Hell of a Night" summer tour hit Frey's hometown of Detroit on June 22. The show at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Independence Township, Mich., was the first visit by an Eagles member to Frey's hometown since Frey's death on Jan. 18. As he's done ever other night on the tour, Walsh played the Eagles' "Take It To The Limit," but instead of just dedicating the song to Frey, Walsh announced he was "dedicating the entire show...to my brother and my fellow bandmate." The song was accompanied by video screen footage of an eagle soaring in the sky and finished with a photo of the Eagles. Walsh also recognized Frey at the end of the show, adding a portion of "Heartache Tonight" to the encore and saying, "That's for you, Glenn." - Billboard, 6/23/16...... Paul Simon, who is in the midst of a two-month solo tour to support his new album Stranger to Stranger, took a break to discuss his new career-high ranking hit album and other topics including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump with Billboard. "I'll say this about Trump: Anger is an addiction. We like it. The brain likes it. And now you've got a country full of addicts," Simon said. "And the media and certain politicians are the dealers. So everybody's angry all the time, and they're all juiced up. I'm not saying there's nothing to be angry about. What I'm saying is, you can't make a calm decision when somebody's got you in a rage. The political game has become very different now. A lot of people recognize it and are exploiting it," he added. - Billboard, 6/23/16...... Two David Bowie tribute concerts are set for Spain, on July 1 at Madrid's Real Jard-n Botnico Alfonso XIII and July 2 at Barcelona's Sala Razzmatazz. Over a dozen of Spain's most popular indie-rock artists will perform a set list of 21 Bowie covers, anchored by a band of several Bowie colaborators. All proceeds from the Bowie concerts will go to charity organizations. Meanwhile, thousands of Bowie fans celebrated the life of Bowie on June 23 at this year's Glastonbury Festival in the UK. The Pyramid Stage was decorated with a giant lightning bolt in tribute to the siinger, and fans paid tribute to the star further by singing his most famous hits. The performance was organised by a group who dubbed the event "GlastonBowie." - New Musical Express, 6/22/16...... Meat Loaf has announced he will release a new album titled Braver Than We Are on Sept. 16 that will feature 10 never-before-released compositions by Bat Out of Hell songwriter Jim Steinman. The album is the fourth release from Meat Loaf that features work solely written by Steinman. The singer has also shared a new song from the upcoming LP, "Going All the Way," which features additional vocals by Ellen Foley and Karla DeVito. On June 16, Meat Loaf was hospitalised after collapsing on stage during a gig in the Candian city of Edmonton, Alberta. He is now "stable and in good condition," according to his representative. - NME, 6/23/16...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has penned an impassioned pro-gun control essay on his official website, in reaction to the recent massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. "No matter what some of my friends seem to imply, I firmly believe we can have gun control and reduce gun violence in this country. Allow me to be optimistic. At this point, any cause for hope is worth considering," wrote Byrne, who made it clear that he's for gun control in the follow-up to a recent post urging Americans to vote. "I believe the situation in the U.S. is unacceptable; more controls are necessary, and there is proof that they can work. Just look at the data. There is a staggering split in U.S. gun deaths and gun deaths in a host of other countries," he added. "The public feeling is already there: Everyone should not have the right to risk everyone else's life and take away the freedom of others. We have countered these arguments before, from slavery to seat belts to smoking, and we can do it again. We're better than this," he said in closing. - Billboard, 6/22/16...... Bill Ham, the longtime manager for ZZ Top, died in his sleep on June 20. He was 79. Ham is heralded as an innovator in the music business and praised for his modest demeanor that preferred attention be focused on his artists rather than himself. Ham formed his Lone Wolf Management company in 1968 to manage the Texas-based psych rock group The Moving Sidewalks featuring future ZZ Top member Billy Gibbons. When that group disbanded, Ham continued his relationship with Gibbons' next project, ZZ Top. Throughout ZZ Top's career, Ham acted often as the group's producer and occasionally as a songwriting partner. Their long and fruitful business relationship ended in 2006. "We were saddened to hear of Bill Ham's passing. His early vision and continuing encouragement were invaluable; his efforts and energy will always remain deeply appreciated," the members of ZZ Top said in a statement after hearing of Ham's death. - Billboard, 6/22/16...... Bernie Worrell, a legendary Funk keyboardist with Parliament-Funkadelic, died on June 24 following a battle with lung cancer. He was 72. As part of Parliament-Funkadelic, Worrell's indelible keyboard skills -- including his pioneering use of Minimoog on songs like Parliament's "Flash Light" -- were a major influence on R&B in the '80s, hip-hop, new wave and early electronic music. He was also a regular contributor to the New Wave band Talking Heads in the 1980s, appearing on several of their albums and featuring in the classic documentary Stop Making Sense. In 1997, the Long Branch, N.J.-born Worrell was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by the late Prince alongside George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and 13 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. - Billboard, 6/24/16...... Ralph Stanley, a bluegrass legend known for such songs as "The Lonesome River," "White Dove" and "Man of Constant Sorrow," died on June 23 at age 89. Mr. Stanley and his brother Carter Stanley formed the Stanley Brothers and their Clinch Mountain Boys in 1946. Mr. Stanley won a Grammy for best male country vocal performance in 2002, and despite health problems, he continued to record and tour into his 80s, often performing with his son Ralph Stanley II on guitar and his grandson Nathan on mandolin. - AP, 6/23/16...... Wayne Jackson, a trumpet player with the Memphis Horns, who performed on recordings by the likes of such artists as Otis Redding, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond and U2, died on June 21. He was 74. Jackson formed the Memphis Horns with the late Andrew Love, a tenor saxophonist who died in 2012, and the duo played together on 52 No. 1 records and 83 gold and platinum records, according to Memphis-based Stax Records. His wife, Amy Jackson, said her husband received his first gold record in 1961 and his last in 2005. Their horn tracks can be heard on such classic songs as Redding's "Dock of the Bay," Franklin's "Respect," Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," Presley's "Suspicious Minds," Sam & Dave's "Soul Man," Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," Steve Winwood's "Roll With It," Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," and U2's "Angel of Harlem." "He led an incredible life and he left an amazing music legacy," Amy Jackson said. - AP, 6/22/16...... Country artist Freddy Powers, who worked with Merle Haggard for several decades, died on June 21 at the age of 84, ending a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Freddy Powers and Haggard penned such chart-topping Country hits as "I Always Get Lucky With You," "A Friends in California," "Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room Tonight" and others. Powers also produced Willie Nelson's Grammy-winning, No. 1 Country album Somewhere Over the Rainbow from 1981. - Billboard, 6/22/16.