Elton John's famous temper was on display at a Mar. 1 concert at The Colosseum at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas when he stormed off the stage after an overzealous fan kept touching him during his performance. As Elton was wrapping up his performance, he invited fans up to the stage for the set-closer "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting," and became increasingly upset with one particular fan who kept tapping him on the shoulder and asking for a high-five. After telling the fan to "f--- off" twice, the Rocket Man stood up from his piano and walked off the stage as his backing band continued to play in the background. Elton later returned to the stage to finish the song, but he also told fans that he would no longer be inviting anyone up on stage. "No more coming on stage on 'Saturday Night'," he announced. "You f---ed it up." John is currently in the middle of a long Las Vegas residency, playing regular gigs at The Colosseum at the famous Caesar's Palace. - New Musical Express, 3/3/18...... 
Appearing on CBS' late night gabfest The Late Late Show on Mar. 1, Robert Plant revealed he has a disdain for karaoke after being out-performed at a karoake bar in China about 20 years ago. The former Led Zeppelin frontman told host James Corden that he decided to sing an Elvis Presley song after also considering songs by ABBA and Aerosmith, but hilariously explained that "another bloke" had also settled on Elvis, and his rendition was much preferred by the Chinese audience, despite the fact that he was Taiwanese. Plant said he still doesn't fare well at karaoke to this day, and called it a "dastardly trick." Plant then treated Corden and the audience to a performance, with his own backing band, of "New World," a cut from his 2017 studio album Carry Fire. - Billboard, 3/2/18...... Speaking of Robert Plant, the "Stairway to Heaven" singer will be joining such rockers as Neil Young, Jack White, the Pretenders, Kings of Leon, Guy Clark Jr. and Third Eye Blind as headliners at the 2018 Arroyo Seco Weekend festival, set for June 23 and 24 in Pasadena, Calif. The event will feature three stages of music, in addition to specially curated menus from local restaurants around Pasadena. The inaugural Arroyo Seco Weekend last year was headlined by Mumford & Sons and the late Tom Petty. - Billboard, 3/1/18...... Previously-unread poems from Lou Reed will be published in a new book titled Do Angels Need Haircuts?, publisher Anthology Editions announced on Mar. 2. The poems were written during a six-month stint in 1970 when Reed left the Velvet Underground and returned to Long Island to to work for his father's accountancy firm. Only three of the 12 poems and short stories in the collection have been published before, and the book will be accompanied by recordings of Reed reciting the poems in 1971 at St Mark's Church in New York, where poet Allen Ginsberg is said to have been in the audience. The collection will feature an afterword by Reed's widow, Laurie Anderson, and introductions from Reed himself. - NME, 3/2/18...... 
Journey's 1988 Greatest Hits album has just joined an elite group -- becoming just the third album to spend 500 weeks on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. After debuting on the chart on Dec. 3, 1988, Journey's Greatest Hits peaked at No. 10 on Feb. 11, 1989. The album was a fairly consistent fixture on the chart until it departed the list after Oct. 27, 1990. The collection -- boasting classic Steve Perry-belted hits like "Open Arms" and "Don't Stop Believin'" -- returned to the list on Dec. 5, 2009, and continued to rack up its lengthy run. The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers holds the No. 2 position for longevity on the same chart with 510 weeks, and the all-time longevity champ, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, has accumulated a whopping 937 weeks so far. - Billboard, 3/1/18...... The UK's Record Store Day, which takes place on Apr. 21, will see three rare and unreleased David Bowie records released this year. Bowie's Welcome To The Blackout (Live London '78) album be released as a 3-LP set. It features recordings from Bowie's "Isolar II" tour performances at London's now-demolished Earls Court on June 30 and July 1, 1978. Also being released is the first full-length single of "Let's Dance," along with a live version on the B-side. Finally, Bowie Now -- a rare 1977 US only promotional-only LP, featuring tracks from Heroes and Low -- will get its first commercial release. In other Bowie vinyl news, Aladdin Sane is getting a vinyl reissue to commemorate its 45th anniversary on Apr. 20. Pressed onto silver vinyl, the record will only be available from "bricks and mortar" record shops, according to a press release. Also, Changestwobowie, the star's 1981 compilation album, will be released on vinyl on Apr. 13, with Changesonebowie being added to streaming services on that same day. - NME, 3/1/18...... In other Bowie news, the record-breaking Bowie career retrospective "David Bowie Is" will take its final bow at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City beginning on Mar. 2. The sprawling exhibit, which includes over 60 performance costumes, handwritten lyrics, and Bowie's own oil paintings, breaks new ground through its non-linear storytelling. Rather than a chronological walk-through of the music legend's life, the exhibit creates separate spheres for Bowie's creations, encapsulated by the cities, people and artists that shaped them. "I really think that if you go through the show you're going to feel a sense of being an explorer," Brooklyn Museum's Matthew Yokobosky said. After premiering at London's Victoria and Albert Museum in Mar. 2013, the exhibit went on tour for five years, and the Brooklyn Museum is hosting its last run. - Billboard, 3/1/18...... Cable TV's HBO channel has released a trailer for its upcoming Elvis Presley documentary, Elvis: The Searcher. The nearly three-and-a-half-hour-long, 2-part documentary (which will also get a soundtrack released through Sony/Legacy) features new interviews with scholars, stars like Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris and the late Tom Petty, and Elvis' ex-wife Priscilla Presley, who is responsible for the special's name. "Elvis was a searcher," she says in the documentary's trailer. "He said to me, 'I wanna be able to reach and feel what we all go through as human beings.'" Elvis: The Searcher debuts Apr. 14 at 8 P.M. on HBO. The Elvis: The Searcher soundtrack hits stores on Apr. 6 and features 18 Elvis Presley hits, live performances, and rare alternative versions of songs, tracking the progression from his early career to his greatest hits. - Spin.com, 2/28/18...... 
The Who's Roger Daltrey will be joining the Rock Legends Cruise, which is billed as "the largest rock festival at sea," when it next sets sail in 2019. For the water-bound rock concert's seventh run on Feb. 14-19, 2019, Daltrey will be be joining Buddy Guy, Dave Davies and Kansas as it departs from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and head to the Caribbean coast of Mexico's eastern Yucatn Peninsula, with a four-night itinerary that includes a lineup of more than 20 artists, 60 concerts, artist meet & greets, interviews, acoustic sets and more. Rock Legends Cruise takes place aboard the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, and is sponsored each year by the Native American Heritage Association, with money raised donated directly to in-need Native American families living on reservations in South Dakota and Wyoming. - Billboard, 3/1/18...... Joan Baez has just released her first album in nearly a decade, Whistle Down the Wind, along with news that upcoming tour of Europe and North America will be her last. Produced by Joe Henry and Baez's 25th studio album, Whistle Down the Wind features a mix of songs, some written expressly for Baez and some covers chosen by the artist. Baez, 77, has spent nearly six decades -- from her early days in the folk music scene in Boston to her recent appearance at Barclays Center when she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame -- performing for audiences all over the world. She's also been on the frontlines of the civil rights battle in Selma, Ala., the Occupy Wall Street protests, and the battle against the Dakota Access Pipeline at the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Asked if she has plans to get her voice heard in support of candidates or causes important to her in 2018, Baez says: "I'm not sure what I'll do. I'll do what I feel comfortable doing." - Billboard, 3/1/18...... In a new interview with Variety, Barbra Streisand discussed everything from her extensive film career to Harvey Weinstein to her elaborate home. But perhaps the most interesting piece of information from the interview was when the actress and director revealed that her dogs are clones. Of the two cloned puppies, Streisand said: "They have different personalities. I'm waiting for them to get older so I can see if they have her brown eyes and her seriousness." Her dogs Miss Scarlet and Miss Violet were cloned using cells from the mouth and stomach of her beloved previous dog Samantha, who died in 2017 at 14 years old. Miss Fanny, whose mom was named Funny Girl, was given to Streisand while she waited for her two clones. "I was so devastated by the loss of my dear Samantha, after 14 years together, that I just wanted to keep her with me in some way," Streisand told the New York Times. "It was easier to let Sammie go if I knew I could keep some part of her alive, something that came from her DNA," she added. - Billboard, 2/27/18...... 
Country music icon Dolly Parton has donated her 100 millionth book to needy children through her non-profit organization Imagination Library. Inspired by her father, who never learned to read or write, Parton began donating books to children in 1986, earning the nickname of "the book lady" by kids around the world. "I never thought about being the book lady, but that just goes to show you, you can't judge a book by its cover," Parton said at the Library of Congress on Feb. 27. Parton then read her newest book, Coat Of Many Colors, based on her 1971 single of the same name. Parton's Imagination Library donates books to families in need once a month, from their birth until they go to kindergarten. In other Dolly news, the singer's 1980 comedy 9 to 5 in which she co-starred with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin is perhaps the archetypal movie about sexual harassment, and now the movie is reportedly being remade for the #MeToo era. 20th Century Fox is said to be in the early stages of making a modern reboot of the film, which features the three ladies as secretaries getting revenge on their sexist boss (played by Dabney Coleman). The plot would, again, center around three young women facing sexism in the workplace, but would see the new trio turning to the characters from the original movie for help. Parton, Fonda and Tomlin are all said to be interested in signing on for the remake. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 2/28/18...... Speaking of the #MeToo movement, singer/songwriter Don McLean recently criticized #MeToo along with Time's UP in an interview with Kentucky radio station 91.9 WFPK. "There's a lot of disingenuousness around now. I think it was more sincere when we were dealing with our friends and buddies being killed in Vietnam," McLean said. "To have people in Hollywood all dressing in black as if they've suddenly discovered the casting couch after 60 years is a laugh," he added. Asked whether he would write a song about the topic, McLean replied: "If I wanted to. I can't really figure out what to say. I want to make sure that you write about things that are really gonna last. If you were going to write a political song, a topical song, I think a more important one would be about police brutality. That would be a more interesting topic than some of this other stuff." McLean was arrested on domestic violence charges in Jan. 2016, later saying that he was "not a villain" after pleading guilty to misdemeanor domestic assault and terrorizing. The charges were later dismissed after the "American Pie" singer met terms of his plea agreement. - NME, 3/1/18...... The estate of Prince announced on Feb. 27 that it has cut a new merchandising deal with the Minnesota Twins MLB team. The Twins will honor Minneapolis' favorite son and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with its second annual "Prince Night" during the upcoming 2018 season, and also features Prince and Twins logo merch, which will be available year-round and includes baseball caps marked with Prince's signature symbol as well as the Twins "TC" stamp. Last year's first-ever Prince Night featured a tribute video and the Twins players honored the "Purple Rain" star on field wearing purple sleeves and gloves during the evening's game. In addition, 10,000 fans were treated to purple umbrellas in memory of the icon's hit. Prince Night 2018 will take place on June 8 and the first 10,000 fans in attendance will be rewarded with an inflatable version of Prince's signature guitar, a "Special remembrance" video will also be played. - Billboard, 2/27/18...... 
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards described himself as an "opinionated bastard" in a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, and expressed several of those opinions including wishing Taylor Swift's career well, "while it lasts." Richards went on to say he isn't a huge pop music fan: "I've just been around too long to be picking the bones out of kids," he said. "It wouldn't be fair of me and I've always been an opinionated bastard anyway. And I never did really like pop music -- even when I became pop music, I was listening to the blues and jazz and not interested in the hits." Richards' comments come after Swift performed with the Stones on stage in 2013, an experience that she said was the "best moment ever," and duetted with Stones frontman Mick Jagger during a stop in Nashville, Tenn. on her "1989" tour in 2015. Richards also apoligized to Mick Jagger for saying in the same interview that Mick should get a vasectomy. "Mick's a randy old bastard! It's time for the snip.... you can't be a father at that age. Those poor kids!" Richards later tweeted that "I deeply regret the comments I made about Mick in the WSJ which were completely out of line. I have of course apologised to him in person." - Billboard, 3/2/18...... Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley was ordered to pay $100,000 to her estranged husband Michael Lockwood on Feb. 28 by the judge in her divorce case. The ruling came after Presley's soon-to-be ex Lockwood alleged Presley has been lying about her assets, insisting she is making a lot more money than she claims. Lockwood had requested $450,000 to cover his legal bills, and the judge ordered Lisa Marie to pay the $100K within 30 days. Presley is also suing her ex-business manager, Barry Siegel, accusing him of mishandling her fortune and costing her millions. She is suing for breach of trust, negligence and constructive fraud. - WENN.com/TMZ.com, 2/28/18...... Warner Bros. Pictures announced on Mar. 2 that it will release a reboot of the '70s action/adventure series The Six Million Dollar Man starring Mark Wahlberg on May 31, 2019. Wahlberg will portray Steve Austin, a man who is saved by cutting-edged technology that turns him half machine following a horrible accident. In Dec. 2017, Warner Bros. announced it was looking to buy the adaptation of the 1970s TV series from the Weinstein Co., which has recently been sold to another group of investors after the Harvey Weinstein sexual harrassment scandal exploded. The '70s series, starring Lee Majors in the title role, ran from 1974 to 1978 and spun off another successful series, The Bionic Woman. - The Hollywood Reporter, 3/2/18.
The Rolling Stones posted on all their social media accounts on Feb. 26 that they plan to hit the road in summer 2018 for an 11-date string of concerts across the U.K. and Europe. "The news you've all been waiting for! The Rolling Stones are bringing the No Filter tour to the UK and Ireland this summer, with some additional European shows!," the band posted, along with a teaser video that features their classics "Paint It Black" and "Satisfaction" and their 2013 release "Doom and Gloom." The U.K., which was passed over on the band's 2017 15-date No Filter tour of Europe, this time will get five shows by the rock legends (London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Twickenham), Germany two (Berlin and Stuttgart) and France, Czech Republic and Poland score one apiece. The tour will get underway on May 17 with a show at Dublin, Ireland's Croke Park. The Stones have yet to announce whether they intend to extend their trek into the Americas and beyond. - Billboard, 2/26/18...... 
Late Beatle George Harrison was publicly remembered on Twitter on Feb. 25th, what would have been his 75th birthday, by his former bandmate Sir Paul McCartney and Harrison's widow, Olivia Harrison. "Happy Birthday Georgie. Wonderful memories," McCartney tweeted along with a black and white photograph of the two of them together during the Beatlemania days, along with other photos. Olivia and the couple's son, Dhani Harrison, tweeted an invitation for fans to celebrate George's birthday by watching a video of Billy Preston and Eric Clapton performing the Harrison song "Isn't It a Pity" at the star-studded Concert for George in 2002. Another tweet from the same account also shared a video of "Blue Jay Way," a 1967 Beatles song written by Harrison. Harrison died of cancer in 2001 at the age of 58. - AP, 2/25/18...... Billy Joel has announced plans to perform for the fifth consecutive year at three U.S. stadium venues in 2018 -- Citizen's Business Bank Park in Philadelphia (July 27), Fenway Park in Boston (Aug. 10), and Wrigley Field in Chicago (Sept. 7). "No one's ever done that before, it's his own version of a stadium residency," Joel's longtime agent Dennis Arfa said on Feb. 25. "He gives an amazing performance. People want to hear him sing his legendary songs from a catalog that contain so many iconic hits." The Piano Man will also be visiting Europe this summer with a June 16 concert at Old Trafford Football Ground in Manchester, a June 23 show at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, and a June 30 show at Voksparkstadion. Two stateside stadium concerts -- Sept. 21 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and an Oct. 13 show at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. -- have also been announced. It has also been revealed that Joel has also sold his one-millionth ticket for Madison Square Garden, where he has performed 105 shows overall. - Billboard, 2/25/18...... A New York man says he kicked former Saturday Night Live cast member Chevy Chase in self-defense during a traffic dispute on Feb. 9 after the comedian climbed into a vehicle and tried to punch him during a profanity-laced traffic dispute. Chase told police he was cut off by another driver. Thinking his car might be damaged, he followed the car across the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. Both drivers pulled over in South Nyack. A truck passenger, Michael Landrio, tells the New York Post that his friend tried to make peace, but Chase got into their vehicle and tried to punch him. Landrio says that's when he kicked Chase, sending him flying. Landrio was charged with harassment, and Chase was not charged. Chase's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. - Canoe.com, 2/23/18...... 
Neil Young announced on Feb. 24 that his long anticipated live album of 1973 shows at L.A.'s Roxy Theatre, Tonight's the Night Live, will be released on standard vinyl, CD and digitally on Apr. 24. Also, a limited 2xLP pressing will be released as part of Record Store Day in the U.K. on Apr. 21 and will feature a print of Young and his band on stage at the Roxy. Preorders begin on Mar. 5. Young performed with band Santa Monica Flyers at the Roxy as the opening act between Sept. 20-22, 1973. The performance featured nine songs that would become part of Young's celebrated album Tonight's the Night. "We really knew the Tonight's The Night songs after playing them for a month [in the studio]," Young once recalled. "So we just played them again, the album, top to bottom, without the added songs, two sets a night, for a few days. We had a great time." - New Musical Express, 2/24/18...... Marc Hubbard, a North Carolina man who pleaded guilty in 2016 of defrauding the University of Hawaii of $200,000 by lying about being able to produce a Stevie Wonder fundraiser concert, is requesting that his plea be changed, however a prosecutor says that Hubbard could risk more jail time if he succeeds and is eventually convicted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Wallenstein argued during a hearing on Feb. 22 that a decision by Hubbard to plead not guilty could mean the end of his current sentencing deal, which called for him to have his Hawaii sentence served at the same time as a six-and-a-half year sentence he received for a similar conviction in Pennsylvania. Hubbard under the plea deal would likely be released after serving the Pennsylvania sentence, Wallenstein said, but faces an additional sentence of about six years without the deal. "I hope Mr. Hubbard sees the folly of what he's doing," Wallenstein said. Hubbard pleaded guilty in 2016 to wire fraud, saying he lied about his ability to secure Wonder for a concert. In 2012, the university paid a $200,000 deposit, began selling tickets and then learned neither Wonder nor his representatives had authorized a show. Thousands of tickets were refunded, embarrassing the school. A hearing has been set for March to discuss whether Hubbard will be allowed to withdraw his plea. - AP, 2/23/18...... Producer Quincy Jones, who recently raised eyebrows with several outlandish comments during recent interviews, has apologized for his remarks after reportedly receiving a "family intervention" from his six daughters about his comments. In an interview in GQ magazine, Jones slammed Taylor Swift's songwriting, Ray Charles' drug use, and accused Michael Jackson of "stealing" songs. In an interview with Vulture, Jones also mentioned dating Ivanka Trump, complimenting her legs, and called the Beatles "no-playing motherf-----s... the worst musicians in the world." Jones also alleged that Richard Pryor once had sex with Marlon Brando. "I'm sorry to anyone whom my words offended," Jones posted on Twitter on Feb. 22. "I am an imperfect human and I'm not afraid to say it. And I'm sorry and I'm not afraid to say it," he added. - Billboard, 2/22/18...... 
Three classic LP's by Isaac Hayes -- Hot Buttered Soul, Shaft, and Black Moses -- were released by the Concord Music imprint Craft Recordings on Feb. 23 in newly remastered vinyl editions. Each reissue comes complete with old-school style tip-on jackets, and the Black Moses package also features a replica of the original four-foot cross-shaped fold-out image of Hayes as the titular character. Hits and choice cuts in the albums include "Walk on By," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," the Oscar-winning "Theme from Shaft," "Do Your Thing," "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "Ike's Rap II/Help Me Love." Also arriving on Apr. 13 will be two remastered hits collections from Hayes' fellow R&B/soul icon, Barry White. Love's Theme: The Best of the 20th Century Records Singles is a single-CD compilation featuring 21 hits including title track "Love's Theme" and "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby." It will also be available as a double vinyl album featuring the bonus track "Satin Soul" by White's Love Unlimited Orchestra. Mercury Records/UMe has also announced plans to drop two other Barry White collections, the 3-CD, 46-track The Complete 20th Century Records Singles (1973-1979) and The 20th Century Records Singles (1973-1975), a box set of 10 seven-inch vinyl singles. - Billboard, 2/23/18...... Ozzy Osbourne and his clan's hit 2002-2005 series The Osbournes will be returning on Mar. 5 in the form of a podcast, it was revealed on Feb. 22. The weekly show, called The Osbournes Podcast, will debut on Mar. 5 -- marking the 16th anniversary of the popular series -- and run for 10 episodes. Speaking of their return, Ozzy's son Jack Osbourne said that the podcast was the closest thing to reviving the series. "There's been talk about bringing The Osbournes back, but it would never work," he said. "I thought, 'Well, this is probably the next best thing.'" Jack also revealed that the podcast will not disappoint fans which revelled in the honesty of the original MTV series. Guest appearances on the podcast will include singer Carnie Wilson, comedian Sheryl Underwood, and The Osbournes executive producer Greg Johnston. Some favorites from the TV show will also feature on the podcast, like Big Dave the nanny, and Melinda Varga. - The Hollywood Reporter, 2/22/18...... The Devon Allman Project, a band fronted by Gregg Allman's son Devon Allman, has announced a tour of the U.K. this fall. With special guest Duane Betts, the son of Allmon Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts, the tour will visit Bristol (9/2), Bilston (9/3), London (9/4), Newcastle (9/6), and Leeds (9/7) before wrapping in Manchester on Sept. 8. Devon Allman also participated in an all-star tribute to his father Gregg and the late ABB member Butch Trucks at Peachfest festival, which featured Chuck Leavell, Jaimoe and Duane Betts, among others. - Noble PR, 2/26/18...... 
The 50th anniversary of Mister Rogers' legendary PBS children's show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is being celebrated in 2018 in the form of a documentary called Won't You Be My Neighbor that recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and will be released nationally in June. Also, a Mr. Rogers' tribute special airing on PBS, Mister Rogers: It's You I Like, has also been announced, along with a new feature film, You Are My Friend, which chronicles the friendship between Mister Rogers (played by Tom Hanks) and writer Tom Junod, who was assigned to cover the program for Esquire in 1998. Meanwhile, the United States Postal Service will issue a stamp in Mr. Rogers' honor on Mar. 23. Often backed by the show's musical director, legendary Pittsburgh area pianist Johnny Costa, the gentle and wise Mr. Rogers wrote over 289 songs over the course of the show's run and released a number of LPs, all of which sadly remain out of print. Although he succumbed to stomach cancer 15 years ago, on Feb. 27, 2003, his legacy continues to thrive and educate in the form of the animated spin-off of his "Neighborhood of Make Believe" segment, "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." - Billboard, 2/23/18...... Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley has reportedly filed a $100 million lawsuit against her former business manager, Barry Siegel, who she accuses of "reckless and negligent mismanagement" of her inheritance. According to reports, Presley is claiming that Siegel is responsible for the loss of the money she inherited from her famous father. Lisa Marie, a former wife of both Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage, says her cash reserves have been reduced to $14,000 (£10,000) due to poor investments. She also accuses Siegel of "self serving-ambition" and claims that he placed her assets "in risky ventures in hopes of attaining his own celebrity in the entertainment industry." Elvis left only a few million at the time of his death in 1977 but the fortune increased to $100 million by the time Lisa Marie inherited his estate when she turned 25 in 1993. Siegel has reportedly countersued in response to the claims and has accused Presley of having "uncontrollable spending habits," adding that his former client is "looking to blame others instead of taking responsibility for her actions." Lisa Marie's estranged husband with whom she is currently locked in a bitter divorce battle, Michael Lockwood, claims she is lying about her huge debts, and has filed a counter-claim disputing her money woes. - NME, 2/23/18...... Singer Barbara Ann Alston, formerly of the '60s girl group The Crystals, died in Charlotte, N.C., on Feb. 16 after contracting the flu. She was 74. Formed in 1961, The Crystals signed to Phil Spector's Philles Records, and released their debut single "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" later the same year. Alston sung the lead on that first release, as well as the two that followed it in 1962 -- "Uptown," and "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)." Of the latter, she later said it was "absolutely, positively, the one record that none of us liked." Phil Spector gave The Crystals name to Darlene Love after the commercial failure of "He Hit Me," but the band were later allowed to use it again in 1963. They split in 1968. - NME, 2/23/18...... 
Actress/singer/comedienne Nanette Fabray, best known to modern audiences as the mother of Bonnie Franklin's character on the CBS sitcom One Day at a Time, passed away on Feb. 23 at her home in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. She was 97. Born Ruby Nanette Bernadette Theresa Fabares in San Diego, Ms. Fabray was performing in vaudeville by the age of 4, and by the age of 19, she was doing bit parts in Hollywood movies and made her Broadway debut in the 1941 musical comedy "Let's Face It" opposite Danny Kaye. In 1949, Ms. Fabray won a Tony for best actress in a musical for "Love Life," and her most notable film appearance was with Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon (1953), considered to be one of MGM's best musicals. Ms. Fabray also played a major part in the evolution of television. During the 1940s, NBC hired her to work as a demonstration model for color television because her skin tone showed off the technology just right. During this time, Ms. Fabray was suffering from an undiagnosed hearing problem called otosclerosis that affected her ability to perform. She coped by learning sign language and wearing hearing aids, and also had four operations from 1955 to 1977 before her hearing was restored. Also during that time, Ms. Fabray appeared on many classic sitcoms and variety show, winning three Emmys in the 1950s for her work on Sid Caesar's Caesar's Hour variety show. She later became a popular guest on shows like The Love Boat, Maude and Murder, She Wrote. She played the mother of Ann Romano (Franklin) on One Day at a Time and the mother of Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. On the 1990s ABC sitcom Coach, Fabray portrayed the mom of a character played by Shelley Fabares, her real-life niece, and in 1987 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild. She is survived by her son, Dr. Jamie MacDougall, from her second marriage to screenwriter Ranald MacDougal, as well as Fabares and her husband, actor Mike Farrell. - The Huffington Post, 2/23/18.
British hard rockers Judas Priest will release their 18th studio album, 
Two songs by Aerosmith and Queen have charted on Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart after being featured in commercials during the 2018 Super Bowl championship. Aerosmith's signature '70s song "Dream On," which was featured in a Kia ad starring frontman Steven Tyler, debuted on the chart at No. 11, selling 2,000 downloads (up 131 percent) and drawing 3.5 million U.S. streams (up 13 percent) in the week ending Feb. 8, according to Nielsen Music. Queen's 1977 anthem "We Will Rock You," featured in a Ram Trucks ad, bowed at No. 13 on the 7-year-old Hot Rock Songs chart, with 3,000 sold, up 56 percent, and 2.7 million streams, up 13 percent. - Billboard, 2/16/18...... The Beatles tribute band Bootleg Beatles are auditioning for a new John Lennon after its current Lennon, Adam Hastings, has apparently decided to leave the group. "The world's premier Beatle band is searching for a new John Lennon. Must have the look, the voice, basic keyboard and rhythm guitar skills," reads an ad in the U.K. music publication Music Week. The Bootleg Beatles was established in 1980 and have gone on to play huge, notable shows in the U.K. and other locations. They were among the artists on the bill at the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002, and have also performed at Glastonbury. They currently have dates booked in the UK and Ireland from February 25 through to the end of 2018. - New Musical Express, 2/21/18...... Court documents filed by Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley in her divorce from Michael Lockwood reveal the King's daughter is apparently swimming in debt. In the docs Lisa Marie says most of her debt is unpaid taxes from 2012 to 2015, totaling more than $10 million. She also says she has a house in the U.K. that she owes an additional $6 million on and she's desperately trying to unload that property because she's defaulted on the mortgage. Lisa Marie sold off 85% of Elvis Enterprises in 2004 for $100 million, and while she still receives $100K monthly from that agreement, it apparently is not enough to cover all her mounting bills, which also include credit card debt and unpaid attorney's bills. Lisa Marie disclosed her current financial situation because Lockwood is demanding she pay more than $450 for his attorney fees. - TMZ.com, 2/16/18...... 
Sylvester Stallone is laughing off rumors of his death after a hoax claiming the Rocky star had lost a secret battle with pancreatic cancer started to swirl on the Internet. "Please ignore this stupidity," Stallone posted on Instagram on Feb. 19. "Alive and well and happy and healthy. Still punching!" Stallone also shared a fake obituary with followers, in which his picture had been drastically altered to give him a frail, aged appearance. Stallone's brother Frank Stallone also slammed the reports, writing on Twitter: "Rumors that my brother is dead are false. What kind of sick demented cruel mind thinks of things like this to post? People like this are mentally deranged and don't deserve a place in society." Sylvester, 71, was also the victim of a death hoax in 2016. - PostMedia Network, 2/19/18...... In related news, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill is reassuring his fans that social media reports of his death were premature. On Feb. 17, Hamill posted on Twitter that he was still alive and well and included a little joke: "HAMILL DIES: Much of Nation Mourns GOP: Meh #DontRushMe." Hamill has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump and the GOP. Hamill recently started in the latest Star Wars installment, The Last Jedi, in which many critics and fans said he gave his best performance yet as the beloved sci-fi hero. - The Hollywood Reporter, 2/18/18...... Chicago power pop band Kevin Lee & The Kings have released their latest album, Sticks & Stones, via Sigus Records. Fronted by singer/songwriter Kevin Lee, a former MCA recording artist who has toured with such bands as Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon, Lou Gramm, Matthew Sweet and Pearl Jam, the band's new effort features an infectious sound of modern pop/rock packed with big guitars, indelible hooks, and soaring vocal harmonies. Sticks & Stones marks Lee's third album with The Kings, following 2013's Breakout (2013), which was voted one of the best of the year by Illinois Entertainer, and 2010's Dusk Till Dawn, whose signature anthem, "Time Won't Stand Still," hit #1 at WMWX in Cincinnati, Ohio. To support the new album, the band will play a series of shows throughout Chicagoland including a special appearance at the Fox River Harley-Davidson in St. Charles on Apr. 7. The band will perform in Bolingbrook, Il. on Mar. 3, Hanover Park, Il. on Mar. 10, Berwyn, Il. on Mar. 22, St. Charles, Il. on Apr. 7, and Dundee, Il. on Apr. 14. More info can be found at KevinLeeOnline.com. - 1888 Media, 2/20/18...... 
The Rev. Billy Graham, who transformed American religious life through his diligent preaching and activism, becoming a counselor to presidents and the most widely heard Christian evangelist in history, died on the morning of Feb. 21 at his home in North Carolina after a battle with cancer, pneumonia and other ailments. He was 99. The famed evangelist reached more than 200 million through his appearances and millions more through his pioneering use of television and radio. Unlike many traditional evangelists, Rev. Graham was known for abandoning narrow fundamentalism to engage broader society. - AP, 2/21/18...... Bassist Craig MacGregor of Foghat died on Feb. 9 after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 68. MacGregor, who joined Foghat in 1975, stopped performing with the band after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015, but remained an official member until his death. He underwent aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments but was no longer able to play because his fingers had become "clubbed," a deformation related to his illness. "On behalf of Craig MacGregor's family and the Foghat family, it is with great sadness that we are letting you know that we have lost our brother, good friend, husband, father and bandmate this morning," the band wrote on Facebook. "He passed peacefully in his wife Lisa MacGregor's arms after a prolonged battle with cancer. Please respect the privacy of the family and band members at this time. We will be sharing information in the next day or so. Rest in peace, Thunderfingers." Foghat is currently celebrating the 40th anniversary of its 1978 album Stone Blue, and its most recent release was 2016's Under the Influence. MacGregor's death follows the death of two other co-founding Foghat members, singer/guitarist "Lonesome Dave" Peverett in 2000, and original lead guitarist Rod Price in 2005. - 2/9/18...... Judy Blame, a punk fashion icon of the 1980s London scene where he became renowned for designs that were heavily influenced by his punk aesthetic, has died at the age of 58. Born Chris Barnes in 1958, Blame was also known for his involvement with the New Romantic scene, and co-hosted his own night at the Heaven club which was frequented by the likes of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. - NME, 2/20/18.
The Kinks co-founder Dave Davies launched a 2018 tour of the US on Feb. 14 at the Roxy on L.A.'s Sunset Strip. About halfway into his enthusiastically received set, the 71-year-old musician told the audience that "the music business takes its toll on people," then performed the meditative "Path Is Long" from his current sole album Open Road. Davies dedicated "Young and Innocent Days" from the Kinks' classic concept album Arthur to his older sibling Ray Davies, and remembered late-era Kinks (and Argent) bassist Jim Rodford, who passed away in England Jan. 20 after a fall, with a performance of "See My Friends." Backed by former Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken and Davies' familiar musical companion David Nolte on bass, Davies' 16-date tour will hopscotch the US through late April. As for a possible Kinks reunion, Davies told reporters that he and Ray have "been getting along okay now, trying to do something -- I don't know what, but after touring I'm going back to discuss -- something." - Billboard, 2/16/18...... Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and David Israelite have co-authored an editorial for Billboard urging Congress to pass the Pass the Music Modernization Act and fix how songwriters are paid. "Songwriters are the unsung heroes of the music industry; what improves their ability to create will improve the entire ecosystem. Today's songwriters face an uphill battle. If we don't fix how music creators are paid by digital streaming services, we may never hear the great songs of tomorrow. As people who have been in this industry for a long time, we've seen the songwriters affected first hand," the pair write. "Fortunately, there's hope in the form of the Music Modernization Act (MMA). The MMA is legislation that has brought everyone to the table like never before and now presents a promising future for songwriters and the digital companies who rely on their work. We just need Congress to pass it," they add. The pair went on to say many times ownership information for each song isn't located by digital music companies, and "there have been many lawsuits filed and instead of working together like business partners, songwriters have felt under attack. "The MMA establishes a new central database -- run by music publishers and songwriters -- which will house all ownership information and, in return for proper payment, allow a service to use any song they'd like," according to Tyler and Israelite. Israelite is the President & CEO of the National Music Publishers' Association -- the trade association representing U.S. music publishers and songwriters. - Billboard, 2/15/18...... Record producer Chris Moon, the co-writer of Prince's first ever single "Soft and Wet," is offering to sell his 50% share of the rights of the song for a cool $490,000. Since the rise of music streaming has devalued songwriting royalties, and "Soft and Wet" was only a modest hit in the first place (charting at number 92 and appearing on Prince's 1978 debut For You), Moon says that "anyone who buys this probably shouldn't be doing it for financial purposes... It's more about owning one of the most unique collectibles ever related to Prince." Moon, the former owner of the Minneapolis studio where a teenage Prince recorded his first demo tape, admitted that he made more money off the song when MC Hammer sampled it on his own "She's Soft and Wet" in 1990. - Billboard, 2/14/18...... 
Alice Cooper, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Feb. 4, is musing that "somebody was trying to keep me from getting to 70" after he was among the residents of Hawaii who were traumatized by a recent false nuclear attack alert, then two weeks later, being involved in a head-on car collision back home in Phoenix that totaled both vehicles. "Both of us walked out of it without a scratch," Cooper reports. "My car looked like a piece of art, but I did come out of it with a 1965 350 Shelby Mustang -- a real Detroit car. That's where the insurance money's going." About the false nuclear attack alert, Cooper says: "y theology told me I'm gonna go from one paradise to another one, but it's still a bit of a shock to think, 'In about 18 minutes, I'm gonna be fried.' When it blew over everybody was laughing about it, but believe me, it was scary." On Mar. 1, Cooper will kick off a new US tour behind his 2017 album Paranormal, promising three or four songs from the new album. Cooper and his longtime manager Shep Gordon are also planning a major new show that will probably hit the road during 2019. "There's a million ideas out there," Cooper notes. "It won't look like this (upcoming) tour and it'll be a bigger show. There's no way from getting away from the 15 songs for so you have to do, so it's, 'How do you approach them? What's the look of Alice? What's the look of the band?' That's what we're working on how. The creativity has not gone." Meanwhile, the Coop kicked off a mini-tour of the UK with his supergroup Hollywood Vampires on Feb. 7, and says the band will enter the studio to record its second album this summer. Cooper's other major project this year is continuing his 
The Doors will release a new live DVD/CD, 
The Steve Miller band will reunite with fellow classic rocker Peter Frampton for another co-headlining summer trek this year, it was announced via a press release on Feb. 12. "We plan to travel between the psychedelic sixties through the future with a vengeance," says the 74-year-old Miller, who released his first LP Children of the Future 50 years ago, in June 1968. The tour will kick off June 12 in Evansville, In., and includes dates at Radio City Music Hall in New York (6/27), concluding in the Washington state city of Woodinville on Aug. 25 and 26 with a two-night run. The Steve Miller Band will also be closing out the final day of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in May prior to the tour's start. - Billboard, 2/12/18...... Elton John was the victim of "friendly fire" when he was struck by a flying necklace during a show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Valentine's Day after he invited the front row of the crowd to come on stage as he performed his hit "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting." Footage of the performance shows John stopping his performing momentarily and checking his teeth for any damage. It is believed that one of the fans threw the Mardi Gras beads at Sir Elton. John recently announced he was canceling two of his Las Vegas residency performances in order to attend the upcoming royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. - NME, 2/16/18...... Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton revealed on Feb. 12 that he intends to quit touring after being diagonosed with Parkinson's disease. Tipton, 70, joined the heavy metal band in 1974, shortly before they released their debut album Rocka Rolla. In a press release, Judas Priest said that "ten years ago Glenn was diagnosed to have the onset of the early stages of Parkinson's... From then until recently Glenn has lived his life as the great heavy metal guitar player he has always been, maintaining by his own definition a standard of quality and performance that is incredibly important." The band also revealed that Tipton has requested that guitarist Andy Sneap, who produced the Priest's latest album Firepower, replace him live. In January, former Judas Priest drummer Dave Holland died at the age of 69. - NME, 2/12/18...... Country music legend Willie Nelson announced on Feb. 16 that he'll release his latest album, 
Comedian Marty Allen, the baby-faced, bug-eyed comedian with wild black hair who was a staple of TV variety shows, game shows and talk shows for decades, passed away from complications from pneumonia on Feb. 13. He was 95. Mr. Allen, known for his greeting and catchphrase "hello dere," first found fame as half of the duo Allen & Rossi with partner Steve Rossi, who died in 2014. Allen & Rossi appeared 44 times on The Ed Sullivan Show, including the episodes where the Beatles performed and most of America watched. "Everyone remembers those shows with the Beatles, and they were great, but we appeared on all the shows," Mr. Allen said in 2014. "There wasn't a talk show on TV that didn't want Allen & Rossi." The duo appeared regularly on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson and The Merv Griffin Show, also touring comedy clubs nationwide, headlining shows at major Las Vegas casinos, and releasing a series of hit albums until their amicable breakup in 1968. Mr. Allen then took on a series of serious roles on daytime television and made-for-TV movies, and was a regular on The Hollywood Squares and other celebrity-themed game shows. Mr. Allen, who kept making crows laugh with live performances well into his mid-90s, is survived by his wife Karon Kate Blackwell, a singer-songwriter who became his performing partner in his last decades and acted as the goofy Allen's "straight man" just as Rossi did half a century earlier. - Fox News, 2/13/18...... Singer Vic Damone, one of the last remaining crooners of the golden era, passed away from complications of a respiratory illness on Feb. 12. He was 89. Famously described as having the "best pipes in the business" by Frank Sinatra, Mr. Damone's performing career lasted five decades and spawned dozens of hits thanks to his smooth, mellow baritone and a style that was indisputably inspired by his compatriot Sinatra. Best known for lush, romantic ballads, Mr. Damone's career was launched in 1947 when he won first place in Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts show, which led to regular radio gigs and a chance encounter with comedian Milton Berle, who helped the then-19 year-old performer land gigs at prominent nightclubs. With his matinee idol good looks, Mr. Damone also had a notable run on the big screen, signing a contract with MGM in 1951 and appearing in The Strip and Rich, Young and Pretty before his career was put on hold for two years when he was drafted into the military. One of Mr. Damone's signature songs was "On the Street Where You Live," the Lerner and Loewe song from "My Fair Lady", which the singer released in 1956, hitting No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 200 pop chart. In all, he recorded more than 2,000 songs over his five-decade career, which landed him an induction into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1997. The Brooklyn-born crooner continued to be a big draw in Las Vegas after his radio hits dried up in the late 1960s. - Billboard, 2/12/18.
Ozzy Osbourne held a press conference at his L.A. home on Feb. 6 to announce dates for the first North American leg of his farewell "No More Tours 2" tour, which takes its name from his hit album No More Tears. "I'm 70-something. I've missed my family over the years," Ozzy said, with wife Sharon Osbourne at his side. "I've always been out on the road the whole time with a few breaks here and there. It's just time," he added. Ozzy, a grandfather who recently welcomed his eighth grandchild, is looking to slow down after his final tour but insists it isn't the end for his music career. "I'm not retiring from the music business; I'm just not doing world tours anymore. I'll be doing gigs," he said. When asked about what kind of shows fans can expect from the heavy metal musician, Sharon responded, "Anything but Coachella." Ozzy confirmed that his Ozzfest tour, which was put together by himself, Sharon and son Jack Osbourne, will continue. He will play two dates in the US, on Apr. 27 in Jacksonville, Fla., and Apr. 29 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., before traveling to Central America and then Europe and Israel in May, June and July. His No More Tears 2 tour will kick off on Aug. 30 in Allentown, Pa., playing 32 dates in mostly smaller markets before wrapping on Oct. 13 in Las Vegas. Ozzy and the band that made him famous as its frontman, Black Sabbath, wound up their farewell tour in Feb. 2017 in their hometown of Birmingham, UK. "It is the greatest love affair I've ever had in my life," he said of his days with Black Sabbath. - Billboard, 2/6/18...... Carly Simon has signed a global administration deal for the entirety of her song catalog with Universal Music Publishing Group, the company announced on Feb. 8. "From my generation to my daughter's, her music continues to be a source of inspiration and emotional resonance for people around the world," said UMPG chairperson and CEO Jody Gerson. "UMPG is thrilled to welcome her to our world-class family of songwriters." During her lengthy career the "You're So Vain" singer has won a total of three Grammys and has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Grammy Hall Fame and named to the ASCAP Founders Award, among numerous other prestigious honors. - Billboard, 2/8/18...... Hollywood Vampires, the "supergroup" comprised of Alice Cooper, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, and actor Johnny Depp announced details of a four-city summer UK tour on Feb. 7. The band, making their live debut in the country, will play Birmingham's Genting Arena on June 16, the Manchester Arena on June 17, Glasgow's SSE Hydro on June 19, and London's SSE Arena in Wembley on June 20. Hollywood Vampires began back in the 1970s on the Sunset Strip at the Rainbow Bar & Grill's upstairs bar, and has welcomed a rotation of stars passing through LA throughout the years. "To join the club, one simply had to out drink all of the members," Alice Cooper once recalled of his drinking buddies. "I would walk in on a typical night and John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon would be there, then another time Bernie Taupin, Jim Morrison or Mickey Dolenz might be there." - New Musical Express, 2/7/18....... Film company Magnolia Pictures has acquired distribution rights for the new Joan Jett documentary Bad Reputation, which follows the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee from her early years as the founder of The Runaways through her major mainstream chart success with songs like "I Love Rock 'n Roll" and "Crimson and Clover." Directed by Kevin Kerslake and written by Joel Marcus, Bad Reputation will likely be released by Magnolia sometime later in 2018. - The Hollywood Reporter, 2/9/18...... 
Kiss singer/guitarist Paul Stanley exhibited his own paintings and sculptures on Feb. 9 and 10 at the Wentworth Gallery in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, respectively. "I enjoy going to the galleries. I enjoy meeting people. People acquire pieces and we get a chance to talk about those pieces and I'm interested in their take and what they're getting out of the piece," said Stanley, who studied art as a youth and returned to active painting a decade ago. "I'm a big believer that people are intimidated by art and theater because critics have intimidated them. Nobody needs to be told what good art is; Good art is what you like and bad art is what you don't like," he added. Stanley's Florida exhibitions included a variety of works, ranging from paintings (including pieces of he and Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons on stage) to an acrylic guitar sculpture that represents some of his most recent artistic interests. Stanley, who also fronts a 13-piece R&B group called Soul Station, says he has more time for painting hobby in what looks like a light year for Kiss. The group has a handful of festival and headlining dates during July in Spain and Portugal but will be spending most of the year off the road. Stanley and Soul Station recently played a dozen shows in Japan and says he'd like the band to "really bring Philly soul and Motown live, the way it was done, in the studio." He added that the group is also considering some original material. "I have some friends of mine who are some of the top producer/writers, and we may do some new material that's very much in that vein," he noted. - Billboard, 2/7/18...... The estate of late Steely Dan member Walter Becker has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Steely Dan's Donald Fagen over ownership of Steely Dan. In November, Fagen sued Becker's estate for full ownership of Steely Dan Inc. based on a Buy/Sell agreement drawn up between Becker and Fagen in 1972 that stated that if a member of Steely Dan dies or leaves the group, the other members would then buy their shares. Now Becker's estate has issued a statement criticizing Fagen for having "his lawyer send a demand letter" trying to claim total ownership of Steely Dan Inc. one day after his bandmate of 50 years passed away, on Oct. 29. Fagen's attorneys responded with a motion claiming that Becker's estate "already received its fair share of Steely Dan's revenues based on Becker's contributions to the band while he was alive," and argue that it would be unfair for Becker's estate to earn the revenue Fagen generates by continuing to tour as Steely Dan. Meanwhile, Fagen has announced plans to launch a new Steely Dan tour with the Doobie Brothers in May. - Spin.com, 2/7/18...... A new album featuring previously undiscovered poems and lyrics written by late country icon Johnny Cash is being planned for this spring. 
Streams of '70s disco legend Donna Summer's 1982 single "State of Independence" have increased dramatically after producer Quincy Jones claimed in a recent interview that Michael Jackson "stole" the song for his own smash single, "Billie Jean." On Feb. 7, the day Jones' interview was published in Vulture, as well as Feb. 8, Nielsen Music reported that "State" racked up more than 150,000 on-demand audio and video streams -- up more than 12,000 percent compared to its on-demand streaming sum on Feb. 5 and 6 (less than 2,000 streams). Streams of "Billie Jean" also grew in streaming activity, to a lesser extent. Clearly, readers of Jones' interview were very curious to see if they could hear anything in "State" that sounded similar to "Billie Jean." Jones was the producer of Summer's "State of Independence," and he co-produced "Billie Jean" with Jackson. Meanwhile in the same Vulture interview, Quincy Jones claimed late comedian Richard Pryor once had sex with Marlon Brando "He'd f-- a mailbox. James Baldwin. Richard Pryor. Marvin Gaye," Jones said of Brando. And now, Pryor's widow Jennifer has apparently confirmed Jones' claim. "It was the '70s! Drugs were still good, especially quaaludes," she told the gossip site TMZ.com. "If you did enough cocaine, you'd f-- a radiator and send it flowers in the morning." Jennifer said she plans on publishing Pryor's diary entries -- which allegedly document his sexual escapades -- later in 2018. - Billboard/PostMedia News, 2/10/18...... Legendary rock guitarist Robin Trower has announced a one-off UK show at the Islington Assembly Hall in London on Feb. 27. Trower released his latest album, Time and Emotion, in 2017, and in the upcoming concert will be supported by the New York based blues vocalist Sari Schorr Trio featuring guitarist Ash Wilson and keyboardist Bob Fridzema (former King King). "I can honestly say I don't know when I have been happier with an album," the 72-year-old guitarist said of his last LP. "I feel Time and Emotion contains some of my very best work." Tickets for the show can be purchased at TheGigCartel.com or the venue's website, http://bit.ly/19KfXmW. - Noble PR, 2/8/18...... Memorabilia company Molecule8.com has announced it's first flagship release, a John Lennon 1:6 scale figure set, featuring Lennon's likeness captured by internationally celebrated sculptor and Molecule8 collaborator Ms. K.A.KIM. The "John Lennon: IMAGINE" figure set also incorporates Molecule8's internal Mark I Endoskeleton and soft skin technology. More info can be found on the Molecule8.com website. - Molecule8.com, 2/9/18...... 
Actor John Gavin, best known for appearing in such classic films as Psycho, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Spartacus, Imitation of Life, Back Street and Midnight Lace, died on the morning of Feb. 9 died from complications with pneumonia. He was 86. The handsome thespian also served as Ambassador to Mexico under Pres. Ronald Reagan, and once accompanied First Lady Nancy Reagan on a tour to survey earthquake damage in Mexico City in 1985. Mr. Gavin won a Golden Globe for his role in the 1958 TV movie A Time to Love and a Time To Die, and was also a familiar face on TV, playing Harrison Destry in 1960s series Destry, and appearing on hit shows like Convoy, The Love Boat and The New Adventures of Heidi. His last credit came in the late 1970s series Fantasy Island. - WENN.com, 2/9/18..... Songwriter and digital rights advocate John Perry Barlow, who penned numerous songs for the Grateful Dead from 1971 to 1995, including "Cassidy," "Mexicali Blues" and "Black-Throated Wind," reportedly passed away in his sleep on Feb. 7. He was 70. The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir has paid tribute to Barlow on Twitter, writing: "This life is fleeting, as we all know -- the Muse we serve is not. John had a way of taking life's most difficult things and framing them as challenges, therefore adventures. He was to be admired for that, even emulated. He'll live on in the songs we wrote." As well as his work with The Grateful Dead, Barlow was known for his vocal activism and defense of Internet freedom, digital rights and online liberties, and helped establish the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in 1990. "We will miss Barlow and his wisdom for decades to come, and he will always be an integral part of EFF. It is no exaggeration to say that major parts of the Internet we all know and love today exist and thrive because of Barlow's vision and leadership," the organization's Cindy Cohn said. - New Musical Express, 2/8/18.
The famous ruffled, sparkly outfits worn by Prince along with his white "cloud" guitars will be among the memorabilia belonging to the late funk superstar in a two-day "music icons" sale, Julien's Auctions announced on Feb. 5. The Prince items are being sold by family members and former employees, and the auction will take place both online and live at the Hard Rock Cafe on May 18. A purple glitter outfit worn by Prince during tours in 1997 and 1998 could bring between $6,000 to $8,000, and a custom electric blue two-piece ensemble Prince wore onstage in a 1999 pay-per-view concert at Paisley Park has an estimated value of $40,000 to $50,000. Meanwhile, Prince's sister Tyka Nelson, says her late brother wouldn't have been mad at Justin Timberlake halftime Super Bowl tribute to Prince on Feb. 4 in Prince's hometown of Minneapolis. Some fans of Prince have complained that the musician wouldn't have approved of Timberlake covering Prince's "I Would Die 4 U" before a giant projected image of Minneapolis' finest, considering Prince once dinged Timberlake over his hit "SexyBack" with a quip about how "sexy never left," and Justin smacking back on "Give It To Me" with the line "Now if sexy never left, then why is everybody on my shit." But Tyka says that she was "pleasantly surprised" by JT's performance and enjoyed the tribute to her late brother, though the family was not previously aware that Prince would appear via a large video projection. Tyka added that her brother would have been fine with the tribute, and "said what he said and kept it moving." - AP, 2/5/18...... In related news, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler was featured in a surprisingly sad Super Bowl commercial on Feb. 4 for automaker Kia. In the ad, Tyler steps behind the wheel of a Kia Stinger on a dusty race track, throws the car into reverse and puts the pedal to the medal. When Tyler emerges from the car, he's 40 years younger (thanks to CGI), resembling the shaggy-haired hippie who belted out classics on Toys In the Attic and Rocks. The message? "Feel something again." - Billboard, 2/4/18...... Willie Nelson announced on Feb. 5 that he will be canceling the remainder of his shows set for the month of February as he recovers from the flu and needs "a few extra weeks to recover completely." Nelson, 84, was also forced to cancel shows due to illness in January and in 2017 also scrapped some shows in February and ended an August concert early. Nelson's next anticipated tour date is on Mar. 5 in Greenville, S.C. - Billboard, 2/5/18...... Queen + Adam Lambert announced on Feb. 5 that they'll mount another European tour in 2018 that kicks off on June 13 in Cologne, Germany, also visiting Berlin (6/19), Hamburg (6/20) and Milan, Italy (6/25) before wrapping at London's O2 Arena on July 2. It will be Queen + Adam Lambert's first European tour since a 25 date trek in November and December of 2017. - NME, 2/5/18...... 
A year after touring a hologram of late rocker Ronnie James Dio, production company Eyellusion has announced it will be launching a new hologram for Frank Zappa. "The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa" tour will include a hologram of the "Don't Eat Yellow Snow" singer who passed away in 1993, along with appearances by living musicians who performed with Zappa including Ray White, Mike Keneally, Scott Thunes and Robert Martin. They will be joined on the tour at various stops by Steve Vai, Warren Cuccurullo, Ian Underwood, Vinnie Colaiuta and Napoleon Murphy Brock. Eyellusion said it constructed the Zappa hologram using hours of never-before-seen Zappa performance footage taped in his Los Angeles studio in 1974 and witnessed only by camera operators until it was unveiled earlier this year in cooperation with the Zappa Family Trust. Eyellusion debuted the hologram technology for the "Dio Returns" tour of 2016. Meanwhile, a Roy Orbison hologram show put on by BASE Entertainment will kick off in the UK in April and reach North America in the fall. - Billboard, 2/5/18...... A source close to AC/DC, biographer Murray Engleheart, is claiming that the Aussie rockers will continue to tour and record with Guns N' Roses leader Axl Rose in the future. In a recent Facebook post, Engleheart wrote: "Speculate all you want but I've said it before and I'll say it again: AC/DC will continue with Axl on vocals -- new album, touring, the whole nine yards... What was a massive gamble by Angus (Young) turned out to be an equally enormous triumph that has set the scene for the future." Axl Rose joined AC/DC in 2016 after previous frontman Brian Johnson was forced to retire from performing after suffering from hearing loss. Guns N' Roses are currently scheduled to finish touring in July 2018, when their Not In This Lifetime world tour wraps up in Sweden. Before it concludes, they will headline Download Festival at Leicestershire's Donington Park on June 9. - New Musical Express, 2/5/18...... Paul Simon confirmed on Feb. 5 that he will indeed playing his farewell tour in 2018, announcing North American dates for what he is calling "Homeward Bound - The Farewell Tour." Simon, 76, posted that he's spent much time considering his decision to retire from live performing, and while he's emotionally torn of it, now feels like the right time to bow out gracefully. "I've often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I'd consider bringing my performing career to a natural end," he said. "Now I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating and something of a relief. I love making music, my voice is still strong, and my band is a tight, extraordinary group of gifted musicians. I think about music constantly." Simon goes on to note that his band recently lost their lead guitarist and friend of 30 years: Vincent N'guini, who passed in December. "His loss is not the only reason I've decided to stop touring, but it is a contributing factor," Simon explained. "Mostly, though, I feel the travel and time away from my wife and family takes a toll that detracts from the joy of playing." Simon's 19-city farewell tour will get underway on May 16 in Vancouver, BC, hitting several major cities including Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Toronto, Boston and Philadelphia before wrapping on June 20 in Nashville, Tenn. - Billboard, 2/5/18...... 
A new documentary about late David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson titled 
Nile Rodgers of Chic says that Chic's long-awaited new album It's About Time is "absolutely coming this year." In 2015, Rodgers and his legendary act Chic was supposed to release its first album since 1992. Dubbed It's About Time, its title would turn out to be an ironic one considering it's been delayed since, with sudden passings (Chris Cornell, Prince, David Bowie) and Rodgers' medical issues getting in the way. But Rodgers says it's "100 percent" that the album will be released this year. "The reason I don't have a specific release date right now is because we're looking at visuals and concepts with different video directors," he says. "This album is sort of like a musical compendium, if you will. It really taught me a lot. It's me saying, 'This is how I got here, I'm so appreciative, it's so fun, this is how we do it and this is what I believe in.'" - Billboard, 2/1/18...... Retailer Best Buy announced on Feb. 2 that it plans to pull compact discs from its stores on July 1, and threatened to pay labels for CDs only when customers buy them. At one point, Best Buy was the most powerful music merchandiser in the U.S., but nowadays it's a shadow of its former self, with a reduced offering of CDs, which Best Buy says were down 18.5 percent in sales in 2017. While it says it's planning to pull out CDs, Best Buy will continue to carry vinyl for the next two years, keeping a commitment it made to vendors. The vinyl will now be merchandised with the turntables, sources suggest. - Billboard, 2/2/18...... Ozzy and Jack Osbourne's A&E show Ozzy & Jack's World Detour has been renewed for a third season, Jack Osbourne announced in a Facebook post on Feb. 1. "Everyone keeps asking if we're doing a season 3 of World Detour well guess what today is? Day 1 of season 3 baby!!! Woooohoooo," Jack wrote. The series follows the Osbournes they hit the road on a father-son journey they've waited years to take. Season 2 saw the duo visiting Disaster City, Texas, testing their battle skills while riding in a tank, and hunting for pythons in Florida, among other adventures. - Deadline.com, 2/1/18...... Actor Robert Wagner has been named a "person of interest" in the death of his late wife Natalie Wood, who disappeared from her family's yacht off the coast of Catalina Island in Nov. 1981 and was found floating in the water the next day in a red down jacket and flannel nightgown. Los Angeles County investigators say they believe Wood's then-husband Wagner is a "person of interest" in the case, which was reopened in 2011 after initially being ruled an accident. "[W]e know now that he was the last person to be with Natalie before she disappeared," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lieutenant John Corina says. Investigators noted the autopsy report indicates there were a number of bruises that appeared to be fresh on Wood's body, and that Wagner's "version of events just don't add up." Wagner, who maintains he had nothing to do with his wife's death, has refused to speak with them since the case was reopened. "We have not been able to prove this was a homicide. And we haven't been able to prove that this was an accident, either," an LA Sheriff's Dept. detective says. - Jezebel.com, 2/1/18...... 
The Temptations singer Dennis Edwards, who replaced David Ruffin in the Motown group in 1968, died at his home in Chicago on Feb. 2. He was 74. Edwards began his career as lead singer of another Motown group, The Contours, before being recruited to replace Ruffin after the singer's fallout with the group. Edwards' voice defined the sound of The Temptations through their funkiest period, in which he sang lead on major hits like "I Can't Get Next To You,"