Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on November 8th, 2018

Jimmy Buffett took musical shots at Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Pres. Donald Trump during a Democratic rally in the Sunshine State on Nov. 3. Buffett performed at a Democratic campaign rally in liberal West Palm Beach for Democratic challenger Sen. Bill Nelson and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a gubenatorial candidate, urging the audience to vote for the pair by tweaking the lyrics of two of his most popular songs -- "Come Monday" (which he changed to "Come Tuesday") and "Margaritaville," in which he criticized Gov. Scott for the state's environmental problems. - AP, 11/4/18...... Bruce Springsteen and country star Eric Church were among the headliners at a "Stand Up For Heroes" event at the Hulu Theater at New York's Madison Square Garden on Nov. 5. For this occasion, the Boss avoided politics completely, instead offering a few off-color jokes and four of his songs, including "Dancing in the Dark," "The Hard Land" and "If I Should Fall Behind" with his wife, Patti Scialfa. Springsteen and Church also jammed on a version of Springsteen's 1984 song "Working on the Highway." "Stand Up for Heroes," co-presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival, kicks off the festival and raises money for The Woodruff Foundation, which funds programs for injured veterans and their families. - AP, 11/6/18...... In related news, Joe Walsh will hold his second annual VetsAid Benefit Concert at the Tacoma Dome in Washington state on Nov. 11. The event, which Walsh launched in 2017 in Fairfax, Va. and has raised more than $400,000 for non-profit organizations working with veterans, will also feature Walsh's Eagles bandmate Don Henley, James Taylor and country star Chris Stapleton. For the finale, Ringo Starr, Walsh's brother-in-law, will make a special appearance for a rendition of the Beatles' "With A Little Help From My Friends." Walsh -- whose father died in service during 1949 in Japan, when Walsh was two years old -- has designated nearly 20 veterans' non-profits to receive funds from the concert. Meanwhile, Walsh described his second Eagles tour with new members Vince Gill and Deacon Frey "a really good tour." A 2019 Eagles tour will include visits to Australia during the spring and Europe in the summer, Walsh says "we might go in the studio and try and write [new music] and see how that goes." "If we record it won't be with an agenda, like putting out a new album... But we'll be doing that for us, not with a plan for anything definite," he says. - Billboard, 11/7/18...... A new video for the Beatles' 1968 track "Back In the U.S.S.R." has been unveiled to mark the upcoming 50th anniversary of The Beatles ("The White Album") from which it was taken, as well as promote a new deluxe reissue of the album which hits stores on Nov. 9. In the new visuals, lyrics from the single appear in green, handwritten scrawls across grainy footage of the band. Various Russian landmarks, including Moscow's Red Square, are also shown, and the clip ends with the group taking off on a plane. The video features the "2018 Mix" of "Back In The U.S.S.R," which will be included in the upcoming release. Meanwhile, a new video for the "Ultimate Mix" of John Lennon's Imagine track "Gimme Some Truth" has been unveiled, as U.S. citizens head to the mid-term polls on Nov. 6. Although the tune was released back in 1971, the lyrics still ring true today given the political turmoil. "I'm sick and tired of hearing things from uptight short-sighted narrow-minded hypocritics/ All I want is the truth, just give me some truth," Lennon demands. "It's about politicians, newspaper men and all the hypocrites of the world - and male chauvinists, it's about them too," Lennon said of the track's lyrics at the time. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 11/7/18...... In related news, Barbra Streisand partnered with GLAAD to encourage LGBTQ voters in the U.S. to hit the polls on Nov. 6. "I'm working with GLAAD to help ensure the largest turnout ever of LGBTQ and ally voters in a midterm election," Streisand said in a phone call with GLAAD. "Tomorrow, I hope you will join me at the polls to send a strong message that America is better when we stand together." - Billboard, 11/5/18...... The music publishing company Primary Wave has acquired the rights to Aerosmith songwriter/bassist Tom Hamilton's publishing for an undisclosed sum. Hamilton as has co-written some of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee's biggest hits including "Sweet Emotion" and "Janie's Got A Gun." Aerosmith has earned 25 Gold albums, 18 Platinum albums, and 12 multi-platinum albums, making them the record holder for the most total RIAA certifications by an American group. Adam Lowenberg of Primary Wave issued a statement saying "We couldn't be prouder and more excited to have [Tom Hamilton] join the Primary Wave family." Meanwhile, Warner/Chappell music publishing has just picked up the solo catalog rights of legendary Clash frontman Joe Strummer. Terms were not disclosed for the deal, which covers hundreds of songs and a number of studio albums dating from the 1970s to the songwriter's death in 2002. The deal also covers Strummer's works on the sixth and final Clash album, Cut The Crap, recorded after drummer Topper Headon and guitarist Mick Jones had been fired from the band and originally released in 1985. "Joe Strummer is a personal hero of mine," said Warner/Chappell Music UK managing director Mike Smith, calling it an "honour to be entrusted with his legacy." - Billboard, 11/6/18...... Elton John paid homage to one of his musical heroes, Aretha Franklin, during his 17th annual "An Enduring Vision Benefit" to fight HIV/AIDS at Cipriani 42nd Street on Nov. 5 in New York City. "We witnessed the final performance of the Queen of Soul," John said. "You don't see greatness like that often." The Rocket Man told the audience that he wept during Franklin's soul-stirring performance last year at St. John the Divine, during which she delivered a powerful rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." "It was clear she was unwell," John recalled, "But she smiled her sweet smile and said, 'I didn't want to let you down. I was supposed to play the year before, and I didn't want to let you down.'" Sheryl Crow was the featured musical performer for the night's event, which raised an estimated $3.9 million to fight HIV/AIDS. Elton's enthusiastically received "Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour" is currently in progress, and the superstar has just announced that the final UK dates for the tour will take place in 2020. John's 13 UK gigs will take place in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Leeds in November and December of 2020. - Billboard/NME, 11/6/18...... Speaking of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul's 1972 concert film Amazing Grace will finally be released in November, ending one of the most tortured and long-running sagas in documentary film. Franklin's estate announced on Nov. 5 that Amazing Grace will premiere Nov. 12 at the DOC NYC film festival, more than 46 years after it was shot. The film, largely shot by Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack, captures Franklin's performance at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles' Watts neighborhood in January 1972. The music from the two performances was released as a landmark double live album in 1972, but Pollack s footage proved virtually impossible to edit because the filmmaker failed to sync the sound. After acquiring the film's rights from Pollack in 2007, producer Alan Elliott brought in a team to construct the film, which Elliott calls "a labor of love." "Aretha's fans will be enthralled by every moment of the film as her genius, her devotion to God and her spirit are present in every frame," Elliot said in a statement. An Oscar-qualifying theatrical release of Amazing Grace is planned for this fall, with a larger rollout in theaters likely coming in 2019. The film doesn't yet have distribution. - AP, 11/5/18...... Michael Jackson's horror pop classic "Thriller" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart for the week ending Nov. 1, thanks to its annual Halloween gains. "Thriller" returns with 15,000 downloads sold, surging by 189% from the prior week, and 15.2 million U.S. streams, up 198%, in the week ending Nov. 1, according to Nielsen Music. The gains also helped the song re-enter both the Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs charts at Nos. 11 and 30, respectively. Jackson's iconic 1982 Thriller LP also vaulted from No. 102 to No. 42 (up 83%) on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart. - Billboard, 11/6/18...... In other Michael Jackson news, items belonging to the late King of Pop along with Prince, Madonna, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Aretha Franklin will be auctioned live and online by Julien's auctions during the NYC Rock Exhibition at the Hard Rock Cafe Times Square Nov. 9-10. Items include Prince's white Collings 290 guitar, magnetic tape recordings from Jimi Hendrix, Woodstock memorabilia, Bob Dylan's black motorcycle jacket, Madonna's stage costumes and much more. Registration is required to bid and it can be done either online or in person. - Billboard, 11/6/18...... Southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd have announced their final shows in the United Kingdom as they complete their worldwide farewell tour in 2019. Skynyrd will head to Europe in June for a final set of gigs there, with the tour including four live dates in the UK including Glasgow (6/26), Manchester (6/27), London (6/29) and Birmingham (6/30). British rockers Status Quo will be opening for the band on all dates. - New Musical Express, 11/6/18...... The new Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has officially claimed the second biggest box office opening of all-time for a music biopic. Bohemian Rhapsody opened in cinemas in the U.K. in October and followed in the US on Nov. 2. On its opening weekend in North America, it took $50 million (£38.3 million), while its international figures totalled $72 million (£55.2 million). That means only the N.W.A. movie Straight Outta Compton has had a stronger start than Bohemian Rhapsody, even taking inflation into account. Straight Outta Compton took $60.2 million (£46.2 million) on its opening weekend in the US. The strong box office of the film was in spite of its lukewarm reception by critics, with it currently possessing a score of only 59% on review aggregator site RottenTomatoes.com. Meanwhile, the cast of Bohemian Rhapsody has revealed that they filmed a full run-through of Queen's Live Aid performance -- and it could be released as a standalone feature. The movie is bookended by Queen's famous performance at the July 13, 1985 benefit concert, which took place at the old Wembley Stadium in London. Rami Malek and co-stars Gwylim Lee, Ben Hardy, and Joseph Mazzello revealed that there's a full-length version of the full performance in the works. It could be released as a bonus feature for the movie's home video release. "We did the entire concert together," Malek said in an interview with Collider.com. "That's when we felt at our best. You need to go from one song to the next to have that same adrenaline rush that they had. We had an audience of Queen fans out there recreating that iconic concert and it's an adrenaline rush like you could never imagine." Revealing that the full concert has "just been cut," Malek added: "We're going to get to see it soon and then you will too."- New Musical Express, 11/5/18...... Bassist Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club fame is among three women being inducted into the class of 2018 Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame. Weymouth, who lives in Fairfield, will be honored during a ceremony on Nov. 5 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. The CWHOF was established in 1993 to honor women who have made a significant contribution to fields including the arts, athletics, business, government, philanthropy, humanities, science and education. - AP, 11/4/18...... Ozzy Osbourne has just added a new summer leg to his farewell 2019 North American "No More Tours 2" tour, it was announced on Nov. 5. The two-month summer leg of the tour will kick off May 29 in Atlanta, Ga., and will wrap on July 29 in Los Angeles. Osbourne will be supported by metal band Megadeth. Osbourne's final tour will begin on Dec. 31, as he headlines Ozzfest New Year's Eve at The Forum in Los Angeles. The Prince of Darkness will then head to Europe to begin the early 2019 leg of No More Tours 2. Four of Osbourne's new tour dates are makeup performances after he had to cancel his previous North American leg due to a staph infection. - Billboard, 11/5/18...... Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley has shot down a long-standing rumor that Eddie Van Halen once considered leaving Van Halen to join Kiss, which Kiss bassist Gene Simmons fueled when he claimed he once had to talk Eddie out of leaving his band. When asked about the rumor, Simmons told Guitar World: "That is true. And he was very serious. He was so unhappy about how he and [David Lee] Roth were -- or weren't -- getting along. He couldn't stand him. And drugs were rampant." But in a new interview with Blabbermouth.com, Stanley said: "Eddie Van Halen did not almost join Kiss. Eddie [came down to] the studio. I think there was some strife within the band [Van Halen] at that point, for him, and Eddie came down just to see what was going on.... But Eddie was never going to join Kiss and was never almost in Kiss." - NME, 11/4/18...... The estate of Prince and Sony Music announed on Nov. 5 that they will be released rare videos from Prince's 1995-2010 era. The first batch, in what is promised to be a weekly effort, dropped on Nov. 2 and included clips from 1995's The Gold Experience and 1996's Chaos and Disorder, including the rocking performance visual for "Endorphinmachine," which was first seen on the 1994 CD-ROM video game Interactive, where it was well-hidden within the adventure. The video finds Prince, wearing a giant flower-bedecked top hat, performing the track with his band in a room covered with silver foil. The other videos released in the initial batch include the more widely available visuals for "Gold," "Eye Hate U," "Dinner with Delores," and "The Same December." - Billboard, 11/5/18...... Guitarist Glenn Schwartz, a former member of the James Gang and Pacific Gas & Electric, died on Nov. 2 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 77. Schwartz, a native of Cleveland, Oh., had a musical career that spanned more than 50 years, starting with the Cleveland-based group the James Gang in 1966. Schwartz was later replaced by Joe Walsh, and then joined Pacific Gas & Electric, whose 1970 song "Are You Ready" became a top-15 hit. Schwartz "passed away peacefully" according to his Facebook fan page. - 11/3/18...... Actor Ken Swofford, best known for his roles in such TV series as Fame, Ellery Queen and Murder, She Wrote, died on Nov. 1 in Pacific Grove, Calif. He was 85. Mr. Swofford played the stubborn vice principal Quentin Morloch for three seasons on the TV adaptation of the musical "Fame," and also appeared in such series as The Odd Couple, Petrocelli, Switch, Police Story, The Rockford Files, The A-Team, Knots Landing, Dynasty and Dallas. On the big screen, he appeared in films directed by Robert Wise, Stanley Kramer, John Huston, Blake Edwards and Ridley Scott, including The Andromeda Strain, The Domino Killings, S.O.B, Annie and Thelma & Louise. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/3/18.

As the new Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody hit U.S. theaters on Nov. 2, the iconic video of the 1975 hit has been averaging 1 million views a day in the past week, entering the YouTube U.S. Top Songs chart at No. 82. The video of "Bohemian Rhapsody" has been a perennial favorite on the site: with more than 670 million views, it's the most-viewed '70s music video on YouTube. Reviews of the new movie have been mixed, even if star Rami Malek has received raves for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. - Billboard, 11/2/18...... A soundtrack album to Bruce Springsteen's hit Broadway show "Springsteen on Broadway" will be released on Dec. 14, ahead of the show's upcoming Netflix special which will arrive on the streaming service two days later. Springsteen on Broadway is a 2-CD, 30-track (including introductions for each song) release featuring a complete live performance of the Tony-winning show, which began previews on Oct. 3, 2017 and officially opened nine days later. The show was extended three times after its initial eight-week run, and ran on Broadway at The Walter Kerr Theatre through Dec. 15, 2018, bringing the total number of performances to 236. - New Musical Express, 11/2/18...... Just call him "Reverend Tyler": Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler revealed to celebrity gossip site TMZ.com on Nov. 1 that he recently became an ordained minister in order to wed his son "to a beautiful girl." Tyler flashed his all-new officiator's card to a TMZ photog during a recent trip to LAX, telling him that he was now an ordained minister. "I just married my son to a beautiful girl," Tyler said. "I went online, paid 80 bucks and I became a father. God knows I've been a mother for so long." Tyler then added that he'd like to officiate over the upcoming marriage of teen pop idol Justin Bieber and his fianceé, Hailey Baldwin. "Justin you need to get married and I'm the man to do it," he said. - NME, 11/2/18...... Michael Jackson has once again topped the annual Forbes list of highest earning dead celebrities for the sixth year in a row. The late King of Pop's estate reportedly raked in $313 million in 2017, largely due to the sale of his lucrative stake in EMI Music Publishing. Jackson's other profitable projects include a new record deal with Sony and Michael Jackson's Halloween, an animated TV special that first aired in 2017. Forbes reports that Jackson's estate has now earned a staggering $1.8 billion since his passing in 2009. Elvis Presley came in second on the list with earnings of $31 million, largely from record sales and the development of a new entertainment complex called "Elvis Presley's Memphis" which is located at his Graceland home. - New Musical Express, 11/1/18...... A deluxe box set of Bob Dylan's 1975 album Blood on the Tracks hit stores on Nov. 2 featuring every take of the songs on the record, many of which were recorded in New York the previous year but then re-recorded in Minnesota for the final release of the album. Many of his fans, particularly those who heard illicit outtakes of what he recorded in New York, have long debated whether that was a mistake, saying the New York recordings have a greater intimacy than the Minnesota versions. More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14 includes only one song, "Up to Me," that he was working on that was left off the original album. Sony Music has also compiled a more reasonably priced single-disc release with alternate versions of the songs on Blood on the Tracks. - AP, 11/2/18...... As Fleetwood Mac continues on its 2018 "An Evening With Fleetwood Mac" tour that began on Oct. 7 in Portland, Ore., the band has just added more dates to the North American jaunt for a total of over 50 shows, including a 3-night stand in Inglewood, Calif. in December, two shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in March, and two shows in Boston on Mar. 31 and Apr. 2. The lineup for the current tour includes Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, along with new guitarists Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and Neil Finn (of Crowded House and Split Enz). "With Mike and Neil, we'll be performing all the hits that the fans love, plus we'll be surprising our audiences with some tracks from our historic catalogue of songs," the band said in a statement. "Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution. We look forward to honoring that spirit on this upcoming tour." The tour is set to wrap on Apr. 8 in Toronto, then the band will kick off a European tour in June 2019. - Billboard, 11/1/18...... David Crosby has taped a new radio ad urging voters in North Dakota to legalize recreational marijuana when they go to the polls on Nov. 6. North Dakota radio station KFGO says the ad, which begain airing on Nov. 1, features the former Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young member encouraging voters to pass Measure 3 on the ballot to end adult marijuana arrests and let police focus on violent crime. The proposal seeks to legalize marijuana for people 21 and older and also seal the records of anyone convicted of a marijuana-related crime that would be made legal under the measure. - AP, 11/1/18...... In related news, in a note urging midterm voting on his archives on Oct. 31, Neil Young confirmed that he and actress Daryl Hannah did indeed get married in August 2017. Though the two dated for four years before reportedly getting married in a small, private ceremony in California, neither had made it official until now. Young posted the revelation alongside a live version of the classic CSNY protest song "Ohio." "OHIO was written back in 1970 after seeing the cover of a magazine with a young girl kneeling beside her fallen friend," Young wrote about his visceral reaction to the shocking Kent State shooting. "When the National Guard murdered four students at OHIO's Kent State University for protesting the Vietnam War, it was a pivotal moment in our history. It was a pivotal moment for me. Today we see what we have become. With no real laws protecting us from guns, and with politicians supporting the NRA because the NRA supports them, we are not well represented. Today's students are brave, demanding change in violent times." Young continued: "We stand with them. They are us. We are them. This has been going on for far too long. My wife Daryl and I put this video together for you to reflect on. Support the students. Support our children. They want protection. Not more guns." The note ends with a simple message: "VOTE." - Billboard, 10/31/18...... Motown legend Diana Ross will be among the many stars participating in the 92nd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in New York City on Nov. 22. Ross will perform a song from her new Christmas album, and will be joined on her float by her some of her family members, including Tracee Ellis Ross and Evan Ross. Also in the lineup will be the cast and Muppets of "Sesame Street," Barenaked Ladies and Leona Lewis. - AP, 11/1/18...... The suburban Detroit home of Aretha Franklin in Bloomfield Township has been listed for sale, with an asking price of $800,000. The 4,148-square-foot (385-sq.-meter) brick Colonial-style house offers five bedrooms, seven bathrooms and access to the gated community's pool and tennis courts. Franklin was living in a riverfront apartment in downtown Detroit when she died in Aug. 2017 at age 76 from advanced pancreatic cancer. The "Queen of Soul" died without a will, and her tangible assets include several pieces of property in the Detroit area that according to tax assessors' estimates are worth at least $2 million. - AP, 11/1/18...... Netflix is planning a multiple-part documentary on the life of late rock/funk icon Prince. Helmed by Ava DuVernay, who directed the Oscar-nominated films Selma and 13th, the project has reportedly already been in the planning stages for several months and will cover Prince's entire life. It has also been authorized by Prince's estate, who will give DuVerney exclusive access to the late "Purple Rain" singers extensive archive of videos, images and interviews. - New Musical Express, 10/30/18...... Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason announced on Oct. 31 that he'll embark on a North American tour in 2019 that will showcase material from deep in the Floyd archives and not heard in America for a long time. Mason says his "Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets" tuour will be jamming to pre-Dark Side of the Moon material, before the band rose to international fame. "I really wanted to find something different and a bit quirky," Mason says. "I think, for me, what's most interesting is to revisit the thinking behind some of these pieces." Mason's band includes Spandau Ballet guitarist Gary Kemp, longtime Pink Floyd touring bassist Guy Pratt, guitarist Lee Harris and keyboardist Dom Beken -- formed this year in the United Kingdom after bandmates nudged Mason to make music again. The name of Mason's new Saucerful of Secrets band and tour comes from Pink Floyd's A Saucerful of Secrets LP, released in June 1968. Some of the songs Mason says they intend to play live include "See Emily Play," "Arnold Layne," "The Nile Song," "Bike," "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" and "Obscured by Clouds." Mason's 25-date tour will kick off March 12, 2019, in Vancouver, and mark his first performances in North America since Pink Floyd played Giants Stadium in New Jersey in 1994 as part of the "Division Bell Tour." Mason, 74, says he's having more fun behind the drum kit that he initially expected after returning to live performing. "I had no idea how much I was going to enjoy it," he says. "This is not a grand scheme that I created. This is me being nudged into it by the rest of the band. That's my entire career -- not leading so much as being gently prodded." - AP, 10/31/18...... Paul McCartney announced on Nov. 1 he is teaming up with the charity site Omaze.com to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience with a fan. Through Nov. 25, fans can visit www.omaze.com/paul to donate to "Paul, Mary and Stella's non-profit Meat Free Monday," which raises awareness of the negative environmental impact of eating meat, and encourages people to have at least one meat free day each week. The lucky donater will win flights, hotel stay and two VIP tickets to McCartney's sold-out concert at Echo Arena in Liverpool, as well as the chance to join the former Beatle on stage during the show to sing a duet. Meanwhile, Sir Paul took to the social media sites Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on Oct. 30 to share his opinion on gun control in the U.S. Macca posted a photo of himself and his wife Nancy Shevell on the sites sporting "We can end gun violence" shirts under their jackets" which came from the "March for Our Lives" rally in New York on Mar. 24. "In the light of the recent tragic shootings in the USA I hope the American people will vote to elect politicians who advocate sensible gun control laws," the 76-year-old singer wrote. - Billboard, 11/1/18...... In other Beatles-related news, a cheeky new music video for the band's 1968 song "Glass Onion" premiered on Oct. 30 ahead of the band's 50th-anniversary deluxe re-release of its double album The Beatles ("The White Album"). The video includes rare footage of the Fab Four and shows the creation of The White Album's pull-out poster through vivid animations that reference elements iconic to the band's career. For example, at one point a yellow submarine is shown in Paul McCartney's bubble bath while later an American-flag pencil moves to erase a nude John Lennon and Yoko Ono animation representing the U.S. censorship of a similar drawing. The release, which features newly mixed versions of the 30 original tracks, 27 acoustic demos and 50 session takes, is set to drop on Nov. 9. - Billboard, 10/30/18...... Speaking of 50th anniversaries, Wayne Kramer of the MC5 kicked out the jams once again -- albeit with a different group of players -- on the exact 50th anniversary of the recording of the Detroit-based group's seminal 1968 debut album Kick Out the Jams. On his home turf of Detroit -- at Jack White's Third Man Records store in the city's Cass Corridor -- Kramer led his all-star MC50 through a two-hour show that was recorded direct to acetate on the same self-proclaimed "Zenta New Year" that the MC5 recorded Kick Out the Jams at the legendary, and long-closed, Grande Ballroom in 1968. With proceeds going to the guitarist's non-profit Jail Guitar Doors prison music initiative, a crowd of 250, including retired baseball star Kirk Gibson, packed the room, creating a sense of "small-venue" occasion that helped fuel the group's high-octane performance. The concert was the final show of the MC5's 2018 North America tour, and a new Kick Out the Jams LP of the Oct. 30 performance is slated for February to coincide with the original album's 50th anniversary. After a short break MC50 returns to the road on Nov. 9 in Bristol, U.K., 19-date European tour. The MC5, meanwhile, is on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot for a fourth time, with voting currently under way. - Billboard, 10/31/18...... Bette Midler hosted her legendary annual "Hulaween" bash on Oct. 29 in New York City's cavernous Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Now in its 22nd year, the event is designed to raise money for the New York Restoration Project, a Big Apple nonprofit whose goal is to provide public spaces ranging from gardens to parks for every New Yorker. Midler delivered a parody of "Dream a Little Dream Of Me" reworked as "Give A Little Cash to Me." The singer attended with her daughter, the actress Sophie Von Haselberg, with the two wearing matching jewel-encrusted blouses. Also in attendance was Blondie's Debbie Harry, actress Jane Krakowski and designer Marc Jacobs. - Billboard, 10/30/18...... On Oct. 29 Kiss announced North American dates for its 2019 "End of the Road" tour. Kiss will launch the tour on Jan. 31 in Vancouver, B.C., at Rogers Arena and play an additional 43 dates throughout North America for their farewell trek. "This time out is far beyond what we have done before, not just because of technology," says Kiss guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley. "It is because the meaning of this tour is so, so great because we have been an indelible part of people's lives, but guess what -- people have been an indelible part of our lives. A thank you is in order, but also one last time to live up to what everybody says we have been and what we are," he added. The farewell tour will include Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer for the multi-year run that promises dates until at least 2020. Kiss's current North American dates will hit major markets including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, Boston, New York and Miami. The final North American date is scheduled for Apr.13 in Birmingham, Ala. Kiss appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Oct. 30 to promote the upcoming tour, performing a head-banging rendition of its 1977 single "Love Gun." Meanwhile, Kiss recently reunited with their original lead guitarist Ace Frehley for the first time in 17 years for an acoustic set on the annual "Kiss Kruise." Frehley joined the group to perform four songs, including their hits "New York Groove," "Nothing to Lose" and "Rock and Roll All Nite," as well as a cover of the Rolling Stones' "2000 Man." Former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick also joined in on the set, as both artists were performing as solo acts on the cruise. Frehley split from Kiss twice (1982, 2001) and has only performed with Gene Simmons for a few smaller performances. - Billboard, 10/31/18...... In a new interview with the Associated Press, Jimmy Page says a 50th anniversary edition of his beloved 1959 Fender Telecaster "dragon" guitar will be unveiled in January. Nicknamed "the excalibur" by Page, the guitar was a gift to him from Jeff Beck for Page recommending him to replace Page in The Yardbirds. Page recently had his original guitar, which he played on every track of Led Zepp's 1968 debut album, restored, and Fender will release four different versions of the guitar in 2019. - AP, 10/30/18...... Willie Nelson will be honored during the annual Grammy Week celebration on Feb. 6, 2019, the Recording Academy announced on Oct. 30. The event, which takes place at The Village Studios in West Los Angeles, will celebrate the career achievements and creative excellence of the 85-year-old eight-time Grammy-winning icon. "Willie Nelson has inspired generations of musicians and fans, and continues to set precedents of excellence within the music community," Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. The 61st Annual Grammy Awards will air live on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. EST/PST on CBS. - Billboard, 10/30/18...... Don McLean and his new girlfriend Paris Dylan recently took to social media to share photos of their recent trip to Paris, France. "A dream with my love," Dylan wrote alongside a photo of herself and the 73-year-old "American Pie" singer standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. "Love of my life," Dylan wrote on another photo of McLean. The pair started dating in March after they were spotted in the U.K. together during his spring tour. - Billboard, 10/29/18...... Soul singer Candi Staton revealed on Oct. 29 that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. "I've been diagnosed with breast cancer," the 78-year-old Staton says in an emailed statement. "After all I've gone through in my life -- the domestic abuse, the bad relationships, alcoholism, fighting with record labels for royalties and all of that stuff -- it's the last thing I ever expected to go through, but I'm going through it and I plan to beat it." Staton also encouraged women of all ages to get tested as early as possible. "Cancer can happen to anyone. I found a lump through self-check, so I really encourage women -- including elderly women -- to get a regular mammogram," she says. "Don't let the fact that you are young or that you've lived a certain length of time without getting it fool you in to thinking you're immune to it. Have yourself checked because it can happen at any age." Staton says she will begin her 12-week chemotherapy treatment in early November and plans to continue working on her music. - Billboard, 10/29/18...... Billy Joel will be among the presenters at the 2018 Long Island Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Nov. 8. Other presenters will include Chuck D, Columbia Records VP Ron Alexenburg and SiriusSM programmer Lou Simon. Proceeds from the 2018 induction ceremony and red carpet fundraising gala will support a variety of Long Island-centric music education initiatives designed and administered by the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. - Billboard, 10/29/18...... Authorities in Los Angeles have thrown out a rape case against Rocky and Rambo star Sylvester Stallone. An unnamed woman filed a police report against Stallone in December, claiming he had raped her in 1987 and again in 1990. Stallone denied the claims and accused the woman of filing a false police report. On Oct. 30, the L.A. County District Attorney's Office dismissed the case, citing insufficient evidence, according to TMZ.com. Reports suggest none of the witnesses corroborated the woman's allegations, and two of them contradicted her story. The statute of limitations had also expired. Stallone also vehemently denied claims in another case that he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl in a Las Vegas hotel room in 1986. The alleged victim did not press charges, and police officials told TMZ they would not be going forward with the case. - WENN/Canoe.com, 10/31/18...... Carole King released "One," her first song in seven years, on Oct. 29, along with an equally powerful video. King filmed the clip in the studio formerly known as A&M Studios, where she recorded her critically acclaimed second album, Tapestry, in 1971. Initially written in 1977 for her album Simpler Things, "One" received a modern update after King rewrote the lyrics to the song. The video shows King singing and characteristically playing the piano as she delivers an empowering message full of passion about the current state of American politics and society. "As I watch the leader of our country dividing us with rhetoric that elicits fear and hatred and emboldens some of his supporters to commit acts of violence, I believe that most of us across party lines have the capacity for compassion," says King. "I believe that most of us care about our neighbors, and that most of us want Love to win. I see 'One' as an antidote to fear, hatred, and violence. I hope the song will empower everyone who hears it to know that he or she can make a difference." - Billboard, 10/29/18...... Hardy Fox, one of the co-founders of the long-running experimental art rock band The Residents, has died at 73. In 1969, Fox helped found the San Francisco group best known for keeping their identities a secret thanks to creative costumes, including their iconic eyeball heads. According to Hardy's site, the Texas-bred musician retired from his role as primary composer for The Residents in 2015, but continued to create music for the the group through this year. As one of the musical drivers of The Residents, Fox is credited with helping to shape their unique musical aesthetic, which drew on the avant jazz sounds of Sun Ra and Harry Partch, as well as elements of choral and classical music, rock, electronic and a Frank Zappa-esque kitchen sink approach to blurring genre boundaries while playing with challenging arrangements. - Billboard, 10/31/18...... Country singer/songwriter Freddie Hart, who rose to national stardom on the heels of the classic country tune "Easy Loving," passed away Saturday morning (Oct. 27) in Burbank, Calif. He was 91. Born Frederick Segrest on Dec. 21, 1926 in Loachapoka, Ala., Mr. Hart's initial success in the industry came as a tunesmith, crafting songs for Carl Smith ("Loose Talk"), Patsy Cline ("Lovin' In Vain") and Porter Wagoner ("Skid Row Joe"). Mr. Hart hit the top of the Billboard Country Songs chart in 1969 with "Easy Loving," and No. 17 on the Pop Hot 100. The tune won Song of the Year from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, as well as a Grammy Award. Other hits followed, "My Hang-Up Is You," "Trip To Heaven" and 'Bless Your Heart" among his other chart-toppers. He remained a radio presence into the 1980s, with 1981's "You Were There" being his final Top-40 hit, registering a No. 38 peak. Mr. Hart had just finished a new gospel record, God Bless You, which will be released soon on Nashville America Records, and was produced by David Frizzell. - Billboard, 10/28/18...... Dave Rowland of country group Dave & Sugar has passed away after suffering a stroke. He was 74 years old. Dave & Sugar charted 16 tracks on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart between 1975 and 1981, including three No. 1s: "The Door Is Always Open," "Tear Time" and "Golden Years." The group was known for its pop-styled blend of male and female voices, and was sometimes referred to as "country's ABBA." Rowland later kicked off his solo career in 1982. - Billboard, 11/2/18...... Actress Jane Actman, who played Barbara on The Paul Lynde Show, has passed away at the age of 69. Born on Apr. 6, 1949 in New York City, Actman also appeared in such series as The Partridge Family, Room 222, Wonder Woman and Mannix. - alt.obituaries, 10/30/18.