'70s artists are well represented on a new pop-up SiriusXM radio channel counting down the top songs of the 1980s and 1990s. Olivia-Newton John's "Physical" crowned the 1980s chart, while Santana and Rob Thomas' "Smooth" was named the most popular song of the 1990s. "Physical" led the weekly Billboard Hot 100 for a then-record-tying 10 weeks, beginning in November 1981, with "Smooth" leading the Hot 100 for 12 weeks, beginning in October 1999, marking Santana's first No. 1 a record 30 years after the Carlos Santana-fronted act's first appearance on the chart. SiriusXM partnered with Billboard for the pop-up channel countdowns. - Billboard, 4/24/19...... Meanwhile, SiriusXM has announced special Willie Nelson programming in the last weekend of April to celebrate the country icon's 86th birthday on Apr. 30. "Willie Nelson's 4-Day Birthday Weekend" gets underway on the curated Willie's Roadhouse channel on Apr. 27 at 7:00 p.m. EDT, featuring a conversation between Nelson and his daughter Paula and his full 45-minute Luck Reunion performance. It will be repeated on Apr. 28 at 11:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Apr. 29 at noon and 6 p.m. and Apr. 30 at midnight and 8:00 p.m. - Billboard, 4/26/19...... 
A musical based on the beloved '70s-themed acclaimed 2000 movie Almost Famous will have its world premiere in San Diego on Sept. 13 at The Old Globe Theater, producers Lia Vollack announced on Apr. 26. The city is the hometown of the movie's director, Cameron Crowe, and is based on his own teenage adventures as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine, and where he set the story. "The story has always been a personal one for me and it is a special thrill that we are coming to the Old Globe," Crowe said in a statement. "We used to live in an apartment on Sixth Street across from Balboa Park and the Old Globe. I first met [rock critic] Lester Bangs less than a mile away from where the 'Almost Famous' musical will open. It all feels a little bit like fun destiny to bring this story about loving music back to San Diego, where it all began." The show will open the 2019-2020 season at the Old Globe, with the musical's book written by Crowe based on his Oscar-winning screenplay, with music by two-time Tony winner Tom Kitt and lyrics by Kitt and Crowe; the show will be directed by Tony nominee Jeremy Herrin. Set in 1973, the story unfolds in the twilight of the Watergate-besieged Richard Nixon presidency, and follows idealistic 15 year-old aspiring music journalist William Miller. "'Almost Famous' is about a young man finding his place in the world and the indelible characters he meets along the way, featuring classic hits, in addition to the new songs by Kitt," according to a press release. Casting and other news about the show, which is co-produced by Columbia Live Stage, will be announced at a later date. - Billboard, 4/26/19...... A&M Records co-founder and '60s band leader Herb Alpert will hold his annual Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (HAAIA) event in New York on May 13. Alpert, 84, established HAAIA 25 years ago in response to cutbacks in government funding for the arts, and he says the situation hasn't changed. "The politicians don't get it," says Alpert. "The heart and soul of a country is shaped by its artists." Each year, the Herb Alpert Foundation offers a $75,000 prize (it previously was $50,000) to boundary-pushing midcareer artists, one each in the categories of dance, film and video, music, theater and visual arts. During his 50-year career, the Los Angeles native led The Tijuana Brass, won nine Grammys and, with his partner Jerry Moss, co-founded A&M Records, which the two sold to PolyGram in 1989. But he remains humble: "We started out very inconspicuously in my garage," he says of his early days. Using the funds from album royalties and the A&M sale, he established the foundation to support arts education, inspired by his decision to pick up a trumpet in his own school's music class. Alpert says he removes himself from both the process of selecting winners and the logistics of running HAAIA so there's "no corruption," but his discerning taste and generous spirit permeate the awards nonetheless. "The artists that we gravitate toward," he says, "have that certain something." - Billboard, 4/26/19...... In related news, Paul McCartney is criticizing the UK government after Liverpool's Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) reportedly lost £16 million in funding. The institution, which the former Beatle co-founded, claims a "series of errors, made in 2016, cost the institute in potential funding and a further £160,000 for the initial steps of a judicial review." An investigation has now been launched by the Parliamentary Ombudsman over how the Office for Students disqualified LIPA. "I helped to bring LIPA into life during very difficult times for Liverpool. It is now a highly respected institution all over the world," said Sir Paul in a statement. "Our funding was recently affected by what to me, and the heads of every university in Liverpool, was a flawed process. LIPA is my passion and part of my legacy. It would not be fair to allow injustice to affect its future. I sincerely hope the Government will correct this error and help us to continue our work successfully into the future," he added. - New Musical Express, 4/25/19...... In other Beatles-related news, the 2009 John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy is being adapted as a musical for the theatre stage. Based on a book written by the late Beatle's half-sister Julia Baird, the film Nowhere Boy depicted Lennon's teenage years and starred Aaron Johnson as the musician. Kristin Scott Thomas, David Morrissey and Anne-Marie Duff also starred, while Sam Taylor-Wood made her directorial debut with the movie. The musical will largely follow the narrative that was set out in the original film, which focused on the Quarrymen-era Lennon and the relationships he had with his mother, Julia Lennon, and Julia's older sister, Mimi Smith. The musical's producer, Dayna Lee, said that, as was the case with the movie, this focus on Lennon's aunt and mother will depict "two very different women, very powerful in different ways." Lennon's wido Yoko Ono is aware of the project "but has no involvement." As with the film version of Nowhere Boy, the musical will not include Beatles songs -- but will instead use rock and roll hits from the late 1950s. - NME, 4/23/19...... 
It was revealed on Apr. 25 that Bruce Springsteen's first new studio album in more than five years will be released on June 14 by Columbia Records. Western Stars, Springsteen's 19th LP, draws inspiration from the Southern California pop records of the late '60s and early '70s. It was primarily recorded at the musician's home studio in New Jersey, with additional recording in California and New York. "This record is a return to my solo recordings featuring character driven songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestral arrangements," said Springsteen in a statement. "It's a jewel box of a record." Western Stars' 13 tracks -- all written by Springsteen -- are described as "encompass[ing] a sweeping range of American themes, of highways and desert spaces, of isolation and community and the permanence of home and hope." Western Stars was co-produced by Springsteen with Ron Aniello, who also produced the artist's last two studio albums, 2012's Wrecking Ball and 2014's High Hopes. Patti Scialfa, a long-time member of Springsteen's E Street Band who has been married to the musician since 1991, provided vocals and contributed vocal arrangements on four tracks. The first single and video from Western Stars, "Hello Sunshine," was released on Apr. 26. The four-minute, mid-tempo ballad features the Boss's melancholy vocals over a quickly strummed acoustic guitar, with a repeating piano figure coming in as the song's chorus is introduced with a touch of pedal steel guitar. - Billboard, 4/25/19...... Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer was absent during the eighth night of the band's "Deuces Are Wild" Las Vegas residency at the Park MGM on Apr. 23. He was replaced by his drum tech, John Douglas, after the 68-year-old suffered a minor accident, the band later told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Joey had a minor accident and is totally fine, but he hurt his shoulder in the process so he won't be playing tomorrow," read the statement, which did not describe the injury. Douglas also replaced Kramer for the band's Apr. 26 show. - Billboard, 4/26/19...... A new David Bowie demo collection called The Mercury Demos after his former label will be released by Rhino/Parlophone Records on June 28. Songs on the album were recorded live in one take in the late musician's flat in 1969, and feature Bowie singing and playing guitar and Stylophone. John "Hutch" Hutchinson also appears on guitar and vocals. The 10-track LP will also include an early version of "Space Oddity," which according to a press release will be "presented in its true context for the first time." The rest of The Mercury Demos will be comprised of Bowie originals including "Conversation Piece" and "An Occasional Dream," a cover of Roger Bunn's "Life Is A Circus," and Lesley Duncan's "Love Song." The latter was later covered by Elton John for his 1971 album Tumbleweed Connection. "Janine" features a brief section sung to the melody of the Beatles' "Hey Jude." The album will be released in a replica of the original tape box and will feature one mono 33 1/3 RPM vinyl, one print, two photo contact sheets, and sleeve notes by Mark Adams. The collection will follow another box-set called Clareville Grove Demos. That set will also include a version of "Life Is A Circus" and will mark the 50th anniversary of "Space Oddity." - New Musical Express, 4/26/19...... Paul Simon announced on Apr. 23 that he's donating all net proceeds from his upcoming 2019 Outside Lands Festival performance to two environmental organizations, the San Francisco Parks Alliance and Friends of the Urban Forest. The Outside Lands Festival will take place Aug. 9-11 at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Other performers will include Childish Gambino, Kacey Musgraves, Mavis Staples, Twenty One Pilots, Lil Wayne, Blink-182 and Ella Mai. Simon, 77, retired from touring last year but plans to perform occasionally at benefit concerts. In a statement, Simon says he's "pleased to be playing in San Francisco with its well-deserved reputation for being in the forefront of environmental issues." - AP, 4/23/19...... Actor Taron Egerton, the star of the upcoming Elton John biopic Rocketman, says he understands why gay actors would feel more suited to the role of Elton. "It's easy for me to sit here as a white, heterosexual man and say I should be able to play a part I want. But I completely understand why a gay actor would feel that this is an opportunity for which they would be better suited," Egerton recently told the UK's Attitude magazine. "The way I feel about it is that Elton asked me to play him in a movie about his life. I am proud and privileged to be playing this person who happens to be gay. I want to live in a world where people are excited about playing people who are different from themselves. I believe that there is something inclusive and progressive about that," he added. Rocketman is set to premiere in the U.K. on May 2 and the U.S. on May 31. - NME, 4/25/19...... 
Steely Dan brought their sophisticated ecstasy to their new Vegas residency, dubbed "Reelin' In the Chips 2," at the Venetian at its debut on Apr. 24, with band co-founder Donald Fagan fully front and center after the death of Walter Becker in 2017. The team accompanying Fagen in 2019 is a practically flawless assortment of instrumental pros -- much like the cast of studio pros who played on Steely Dan's '70s albums -- whose every guitar riff, horn vamp or silky backup vocal brings to mind the original studio version without feeling like a slavish recreation. Before delving into "FM (No Static At All)," the title track to the forgotten 1978 comedy starring Martin Mull, Fagan noted: "This is a song we wrote -- I'm talking about my partner Walter Becker -- for a movie that was kind of a stinker. It was okay, could have used a little help on the screenplay." Fagen and his band also trotted out such classics as "Reelin' In the Years," "Peg," "My Old School," "Hey Nineteen," "Aja" and "Dirty Work." "I hope we're good -- or at least passable," Fagen told the crowd at one point. - Billboard, 4/25/19...... Meanwhile, Sting announced on Apr. 24 that he'll headline a new Las Vegas residency, "Sting: My Songs," beginning May 22, 2020. The 16-show residency will take place at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and explore Sting's decades-long catalog, including his hits with The Police and his solo work. "I'm thrilled to announce that my brand new Las Vegas residency "Sting: My Songs" will be opening at the legendary Caesars Colosseum in May of 2020!," Sting tweeted on Apr. 24. Before he heads to Vegas, Sting has a string of projects in the works: He'll tour the United Kingdom with Shaggy (they won the best reggae album Grammy this year for their collaborative album 44/876); he has a number of solo shows in the United States and around the world; and he will release a new album that re-imagines some of his biggest hits, My Songs, on May 24. - Billboard, 4/24/19...... The producers of an upcoming new Michael Jackson musical have said that production will continue regardless of controversial claims made against the pop star in recent documentary Leaving Neverland. "We're not judge and jury," director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon recently told The New York Times. "In our process, we're facing [the controversy] pretty much head on, but we're also studying the many facets of Michael Jackson." Meanwhile, a former bodyguard of Jackson's, Matt Fiddes, has defended the late singer despite allegations in the Leaving Neverland documentary. Fiddes, who owns a string of martial arts schools across the UK with a business empire worth a reported £30 million, recently posted on Instagram it was "now to defend a friend @michaeljackson who was always so great to my family and staff." He claims that key facts were left out of the film which details accounts of two subjects named Wade Robson and Jame Safechuck who claim they were sexually abused by the singer. "I have sat back and watched the circus which we got used too over the years," he added. "People forget this man was and still is the most famous man in the world. The biggest target in the world. And he wanted his life to be a "mystery." He understood the media value of that. And it has backfired on him in death sadly." - New Musical Express, 4/25/19...... The Prince estate and Warner Bros. Records announced on Apr. 25 the upcoming release of an album of 14 previously unreleased Prince demos, marking the latest posthumous release from the late musicians's vast vault of career-spanning material. The focus of Originals is 14 songs Prince wrote for other artists, including Apollonia 6, The Time, The Bangles, Sheila E., Vanity 6, Kenny Rogers and Martika. Tracks on the LP, which were selected by Troy Carter on behalf of the Estate and Jay-Z, will begin streaming exclusively on TIDAL for two weeks beginning June 7, before Warner Bros. releases the collection on all download and streaming partners and CD on June 21. A 180s gram 2-LP and limited-edition deluxe 2CD-2LP format will follow on July 19. - Billboard, 4/25/19...... Motown Records launched new mentorship programs for Detroit-based musicians and startups on Apr. 25. The legendary label says the two new programs are aimed at fostering local talent and entrepreneurs. The first program, dubbed the Motown Musician Accelerator, will offer individualized coaching, industry introductions and a $20,000 grant to four musicians or musical groups during a 12-week program slated to launch in summer 2019. A second component of the Accelerator program will involve quarterly workshops conducted by industry professionals that will offer information and advice on distribution, booking and touring and songwriting, among other topics. "Detroit has always been a creative hub for new talent and development," said Motown president Ethiopia Habtemariam in a statement. "Being able to provide the necessary support, funding and programming to help them grow in their careers is an absolute honor for us." - Billboard, 4/25/19...... 
'80s pop hitmaker Rick Springfield, who released his debut album in 1974, will release Orchestrating My Life, a collection of his tunes with orchestral accompaniment, on Apr. 26. Springfield said he was inspired to release the new album, which features such key hits as "Don't Talk to Strangers," "Affair of the Heart," "Human Touch" and "I've Done Everything For You," after being invited to Germany to play six weeks of orchestral concerts in 2018. The Orchestrating My Life arrangements got their U.S. debut on Mar. 30 at the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles. Ahead of the album, Springfield has released an orchestral version of his iconic 1981 hit, "Jessie's Girl." Meanwhile, Springfield has just completed his second novel, World on Fire, and is "in the middle" of a third, which he says "is going good and bad, like it always does. I'd like to finish it f---ing soon, but it'll be done when it's done." - Billboard, 4/25/19...... Netflix announced on Apr. 25 that Martin Scorsese's upcoming Bob Dylan tour documentary will be released by the studio on Netflix and in selected cinemas on June 12. Scorsese's new film chronicles Dylan's famed "Rolling Thunder Revue Tour," which took place during 1975-76 and saw the musician performing with the likes of Joan Baez, Mick Ronson and T-Bone Burnett. Titled Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese, the film has been described as "part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream." It will feature on-camera interviews with Dylan, and, according to a press release, promises to "capture the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year." A companion 14-CD box set, The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings, will also be released in June and is now available to pre-order on Dylan's official website. - New Musical Express, 4/25/19...... Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has unveiled a series of new paintings, including a Picasso-inspired picture that honours his band. Entitled "Abstract Stones," the painting is one of five different works of art Wood began selling online as hand-signed prints on Apr. 26. "I call it The Picasso Stones. It's my interpretation of Picasso's painting The Three Dancers," Wood said. "Looking at the original, I was inspired to do my own take featuring the boys. I did a few versions and each one was slightly different and more honed than the last. I had great fun doing it. Picasso did his own take on a lot of artists but I bet he never thought no one would ever do a take on him. I hope and think he'd be flattered, but also a bit shocked and pleasantly surprised at my take on his work." Wood has also painted a set of his own personal interpretations of classic Stones tour posters: "Bridges to Babylon," "Urban Jungle" and "Voodoo Lounge." They can be viewed and purchased on Wood's official site. - NME, 4/25/19...... In other Rolling Stones news, Mick Jagger made his first appearance since undergoing heart surgery earlier in the month on Apr. 18 at the premiere of his partner Melanie Hamrick's new ballet in New York. Jagger reportedly remained backstage for the opening night "Porte Rouge," which includes choreographed dance routines to Stones classics such as "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Paint It Black." Although he wasn't spotted by attendees, the 75-year-old musician made his presence known by sharing a message over the PA. "Mick Jagger here. Hope you enjoy this wonderful new ballet and the music," he told the audience. An insider said that the frontman stayed out of view as he "didn't quite look like Mick Jagger" following his recent operation. Backstage sources added that he stayed for the entire show and congratulated dancers. - NME, 4/24/19...... Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne has given an update on his dad's health following Ozzy's cancellation of his 2019 tour after being hospitalized with pneumonia. "He's doing really well," said Jack during an appearance on The Jenny McCarthy Show. "He's good. He's getting back on his feet, so he's good." Elsewhere in a recent chat with People magazine, Jack said that Ozzy is "back to being his cynical old self," which he claimed "is always a good sign." In February, the rock star was forced to postpone dates in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. He then postponed all upcoming 2019 shows due to a subsequent fall. - NME, 4/24/19...... A new Frank Zappa-based holographic tour, "The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa," made its world premiere on Apr. 22 at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, N.J. The show combines holographic performances, surreal visuals and a live band of Zappa collaborators for a maximalist tribute. The show is a joint effort between the Frank Zappa Family Trust and Eyellusion, a hologram production company that is simultaneously reuniting the late Ronnie James Dio with his Dio bandmates. "It really takes you on the emotional journey that Frank was about," Eyellusion co-founder and CEO Jeff Pezzuti says. "But even if you know nothing about Frank, you're still going to enjoy the show, just based on the visuals." Although the idea never came to fruition during his lifetime, Zappa shared his vision for consumer-grade holograms in his 1989 memoir The Real Frank Zappa Book. "[It would] generate free-standing 3-D images, in any size, on your coffee table at home, or on a stage for theatrical use." He even came up with a company name: Intercontinental Absurdities. - Billboard, 4/23/19...... Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel will reproduce two episodes of classic '70s Norman Lear sitcoms for a new ABC Primetime special on May 22. Kimmel will stage episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons with an all-star cast, including Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as Archie and Edith Bunker. - The Wrap/ComingSoon.net, 4/23/19...... 
Actor Ken Kercheval, best known for portraying oil tycoon Cliff Barnes on the 1978-1991 CBS soap opera Dallas, died in his hometown of Clinton, Ind., on Apr. 21. He was 83. A spokeswoman of the Frist Funeral Home confirmed his death and did not provide additional information, however Mr. Kercheval had been a heavy smoker and had part of his lung removed in 1994 after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Mr. Kercheval and Larry Hagman as his rival J.R. Ewing were the only two stars who appeared on Dallas for its entire 14-season run. Mr. Kercheval was a recurring character for the first two seasons, but was then upped to a regular in the 1979-1980 season. He reprised his role in the 1996 Dallas reunion, the 2004 CBS reunion special and the 2012-2014 TNT revival. He was among five series stars who directed episodes, taking the helm for two episodes for Seasons 13-14. When Dallas viewers asked him when Cliff was "finally going to get J.R.," Mr. Kercheval always answered: "This Friday night!" Born on July 15, 1935, in Wolcottville, Ind., and raised nearby in Clinton, Mr. Kercheval attended the Indiana University to major in music and drama, and later studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York with Sanford Meisner. In the 1960s, Mr. Kercheval appeared on Broadway in Mike Nichols' "The Apple Tree" and Harold Prince's "Cabaret." He also had roles in films like Pretty Poison, Rabbit Run and Sidney Lumet's Network and F.I.S.T. His small-screen career was prolific, with appearances on Search for Tomorrow in the 60s and early 70s, CHiPs, The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, ER, and more. - MSN.com, 4/24/19.
Fans of Prince are tweeting tributes to the late funk rocker, who died on Apr. 21, 2016, in his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota, on the third anniversary of his death. "Three years since Prince died & whilst time may fly, his music will last forever," posted one fan, while another said: "Thank you for the amazing music you made, your memory will live forever." Meanwhile, the memoir Prince was working on at the time of his death has been given an Oct. 29 release date, publisher Random House announced on Apr. 22. Titled The Beautiful Ones, the 288-page book will combine Prince's unfinished manuscript with rare photos, scrapbooks and lyrics. First announced just weeks before Prince's 2016 death, the book will include an introduction by The New Yorker writer Dan Piepenbring, whom Prince had chosen as a collaborator. The memoir, which spans from the artist's childhood to his early years as a musician to the cusp of international stardom, is an exclusive partnership with the Prince Estate. - New Musical Express/AP, 4/21/19...... 
Eric Clapton announced on Apr. 22 that he'll play three dates in the Western US this September before presenting the fifth iteration of his Crossroads Guitar Festival later the same month. Slowhand will play San Francisco's Chase Center on Sept. 11, Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 13, and Phoenix's Talking Stick Resort Arena on Sept. 14 before his two-day Crossroads Festival gig, which is set for Dallas' American Airlines Center on Sept. 20-21. The festival has announced a superlative group of ax-slingers, with 2019's roster boasting Gary Clark, Jr., Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Billy Gibbons, James Bay and more. Clapton will be the only artist playing both nights of Crossroads, whereas every other player is split between Friday and Saturday's slate of performances. Proceeds from the event will benefit Clapton's Crossroads Centre in Antigua, his facility for chemically-dependent persons focused on treatment and education. - Billboard, 4/22/19...... Photographic portraits of Joni Mitchell by veteran rock photographer Norman Seeff have gone on display at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Seeff's latest photo book, The Joni Mitchell Sessions, was released in Dec. 2018 captures Mitchell in a variety of moods and looks from her 1970s heyday, from 1972's Court and Spark shoot through 1975's bathing-suited Hissing of Summer Lawns work and on through to a concluding set of mysterious poses for her Don Juan's Reckless DaughterLP in 1977. "I usually like to be extemporaneous, which is dangerous," Seeff told the audience during a recent preview of his full exhibit at the Grammy Museum. "Working with Joni is also dangerous," he added with a fondness. The Grammy Museum will mount a larger exhibition of Seeff's Mitchell portraits later in 2019. - Billboard, 4/22/19...... The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the sailing vessel and environmental organization launched 50 years ago by the late folk icon and green activist Pete Seeger, announced on Apr. 22, which is "Earth Day," that Mavis Staples and Ani DiFranco will headline its annual festival on June 15, followed by the Wailers and Railroad Earth on June 16. Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival, which takes place at Croton Point Park on the banks of the Hudson River, 30-plus miles north of New York City, is billed as "the country's oldest and largest music and environmental festival." The 2019 Clearwater Festival, as it's commonly known, will recognize the centennial of Seeger's birth, on May 3, 1919, and the 50th anniversary of the launch of the sloop Clearwater on May 17, 1969. Seeger, who passed away in 2014 at age 94, conceived of the Clearwater in the early 1960s with a simple goal. "We're going to build a boat to save the river," he said of the vessel, a 106-foot-long replica of the wooden Dutch sloops that sailed the Hudson in the 19th century. With Seeger's inspiration, and the commitment of multiple generations of leaders, crew and volunteers, the sloop has achieved much more. The festival will also feature several co-headliners, including Lone Bellow, Del McCoury Band, Tom Paxton & the DonJuans, Tom Chapin and Joanne Shenandoah. - Billboard, 4/22/19...... 
Serving as the keynote speaker at the Pop Conference 2019 at the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture' on Apr. 20, former Journey frontman Steve Perry spoke of how personal loss affected his music, and how he sees his songs as "little ghosts in time." "I'm a pretty melancholy kind of guy," Perry said when asked how grief affects writers' songs. "I kind of live in a melancholy state all the time. For me, is that too much sadness? I don't know. It does keep me centered, it keeps me in the moment. Am I a depressive guy? I don't know, I call it melancholy. I write music that I think speaks from that place." Perry then brought up the loss of his partner Kellie Nash, who died in 2012 after a battle with cancer. They were together for a year and a half before she passed away. "When I had my profound loss with Kellie [Nash] a few years back, I agree that being pulled into that moment deeper than I ever experienced before was a new place, to where everything that mattered, I thought, fell off," Perry said. "I sought professional help to really learn how to grieve, because I didn't know how." Perry also spoke about his most recent solo album, 2018's Traces. "It's a complex record because there are two songs I wrote that were about profound grief -- one called 'In the Rain,' which is the darkness of grief, pictures that stare back in silence, by myself; the other one is a song called 'Most of All,' a little but more uplifting, but still about loss," said Perry. "Those songs were written before I met Kellie, which was really bizarre." He later spoke of the "haunting" aspect of music. "Some of the recordings are little ghosts in time, and they have a tendency to remain that to us personally, but they are invisible until they hit your inner ear and they go in your mind and they recall spots where you first heard that song, what it means to you, what's going on today. They conjure all these emotions." - Billboard, 4/21/19...... Concert promoter Michael Lang, who is heading one of the two planned 50th anniversary Woodstock festivals later in 2019, is pushing back against rumors that his Woodstock 50 festival has been cancelled after an email alerting agents that a ticket on-sale has been postponed. "Woodstock is a phenomenon that for fifty years has drawn attention to its principles and also the rumors that can be attached to that attention," Lang, one of the co-founders of the original 1969 event in Bethel Woods, N.Y., told Billboard. "It's just more rumors." Tickets for the three-day event with headliners The Killers, Dead and Co, Imagine Dragons and Jay-Z had been set to go on sale on Apr. 22 in honor of Earth Day. No new date has been announced, and the delay has prompted concern from managers and agents with acts playing the multi-genre festival. - Billboard, 4/19/19...... The Rolling Stones released a new career-spanning greatest hits compilation titled Honk on Apr. 19, ahead of their recently postponed North American leg of their "No Filter" tour. The collection collects hits and classic cuts from every Stones album from 1971's Sticky Fingers to 2016's covers album Blue & Lonesome. The album comes in 3 CD, 4 LP and digital formats, with 36 essential tracks, including "Brown Sugar," "Tumbling Dice," "Angie," "Miss You," "Emotional Rescue" and "Start Me Up." A deluxe version also has a bonus disc of 10 live tracks recorded during the band's recent tours, including "Dead Flowers" with Brad Paisley, "Bitch" with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, "Wild Horses" with Florence Welch and "Beast of Burden" with Ed Sheeran. "All the very best hits in one spot! #HONK is available to stream and download at @AppleMusic. Add it to your library today! #therollingstones #applemusic #bestof #listennow," the band tweeted on Apr. 19. The Stones recently postponed the launch of the 17-date North American leg of their tour after singer Mick Jagger underwent heart valve replacement surgery. The 75 year-old singer is reportedly recuperating and expected to make a full recovery. - Billboard, 4/19/19...... 
The supergroup Hollywood Vampires have released the lead single, "Who's Laughing Now," from their forthcoming second album Rise, which will drop on June 21. The 16-track effort from the group, which features Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp, will contain mostly original material written by the band -- unlike their 2015 debut, which featured covers of songs by The Who, Spirit, The Doors, Harry Nilsson, Badfinger and others. "Rise is not only a totally different animal than the first Vampires album, it is unique to anything I've ever been a part of," says Cooper in a statement. "I approached it very differently than I usually do when working on an album. Each of us; Joe, Johnny, Tommy, and myself have written songs on this album. What is different though is that I didn't try to change any songs to be more 'Alice-like.' Because each of us has different influences, the sound of this album is very cool. I think that with this album, we are establishing what the Vampires' sound really is, whereas with the first album, we were more tipping our hats to our fallen rock 'n' roll brothers." The band has also announced a 7-city tour behind the new LP which will kick off on May 10 in Las Vegas. Additional dates include Los Angeles (5/11), San Francisco (5/12), Denver (5/14), Albuquerque, N.M. (5/16), Scottsdale, Ariz. (5/17) and Indio, Calif. (5/18). - Billboard, 4/18/19...... Drummer Jason Bonham has retracted a recent story about Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page purportedly giving him his first line of cocaine when he was just 16. On Apr. 19, Bonham issued a statement to "unconditionally retract all derogatory and defamatory comments relating to Mr J Page." "It is wholly untrue that Mr J Page offered me any illegal substances either when I was a minor or at all," Bonham wrote on his website. "I apologize to Mr Page, unreservedly, for making these unfounded and untrue comments about him. Out of my long held respect for Mr Page I will make no further comments on the interview and I agree to make no further comments which Mr Page might view as disparaging, either now or in the future." Bonham, the son of late Led Zepp drummer John Bonham, made headlines earlier in April after telling SiriusXM talk show host Howard Stern how the guitar icon offered him the drug at a hotel while the band was on tour. "Jimmy was the first one to ever give it to me," Bonham previously told Stern. "We got called to his room. I was 16 at this point, and there was a woman on the floor with a collar on, meowing, and he had this grinder thing and he turned it over and he went, 'Here you go,' and I went, 'Thanks.' He's like, 'You've done this before, right?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, of course I have.'" The original anecdote came after Bonham previously stood in for his dad at several Led Zepp reunions -- including the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and their comeback performance at Ahmet Ertegun's O2 Arena tribute concert in 2007. - New Musical Express, 4/19/19...... Pop hitmaker Sheryl Crow has released "Redemption Day," the lead single from her forthcoming final album of duets, which is due out this summer. The poignant tune is a duet with Johnny Cash, who previously recorded the tune. Penned by Crow in 1996 after a trip to Bosnia with Hillary Clinton, "Redemption Day" was featured on the singer's 1996 self-titled album. After Johnny Cash heard the tune in 2003, he approached Crow about the song's lyrics and later recorded it himself. His version was released on the posthumous American VI: Ain't No Grave in 2010. The country legend is one of several duet partners featured on Crow's forthcoming release on the Big Machine imprint the Valory Music Co. Additional collaborations include Keith Richards, Stevie Nicks and St. Vincent. - Billboard, 4/19/19...... 
Former Doobie Brothers member and '80s solo star Michael McDonald has inked a new worldwide publishing deal with Kobalt Music, the company announced on Apr. 18. The worldwide agreement includes administrative, creative and global synch services for the former Doobie Brother's entire catalogue and any future works. "Having penned some of the most significant songs of the last fifty years, Michael's catalogue is a treasure trove of hits," Kobalt exec Merril Wasserman-Serling said in a statement. "Michael continues to write and I'm certain that more great songs are on the horizon. It's an honor to welcome him to the Kobalt family and look forward to working closely with him and his team." "I'm very excited about my new affiliation with Kobalt Music Publishing," McDonald added. "I look forward to working with... Merril Wasserman... and the entire Kobalt team in the years ahead." McDonald is currently on a North American co-headling tour with Chaka Khan. He continues to collaborate with other artists, including recent work with Barbra Streisand, Thundercat and Nashville duo Johnnyswim. - Billboard, 4/18/19...... Fleetwood Mac announced the rescheduled date for their upcoming North American tour on Apr. 18 after cancelling a handful of shows earlier in April due to the illness of a band member. The previously scheduled show in Boston at TD Garden has been shifted to Oct. 28, while a show in Quebec City at Centre Videotron will now take place on Oct. 30. New dates have also been announced for shows in Toronto (11/1), Philadelphia (11/3), Winnipeg (11/7), Calgary (11/10) and Edmonton (11/12). However the Mac will not be making up a planned appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in May, which was to be a replacement act after the Rolling Stones had to cancel their performance due to Mick Jagger recent surgery. All previously held tickets will be honored for the new dates. - Billboard, 4/18/19...... During a performance in Vienna, Austria on Apr. 17, Bob Dylan called out fans for taking photos after he nearly fell over during the concert. After nearly wiping out on a foldback wedge, the rock icon gathered himself and paused when a fan broke his "no photos" rule. "Take pictures or don't take pictures. We can either play or we can pose. Okay," Dylan grumbled to the audience before taking his seat at the piano for a rendition of "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry." This isn't the first time that Dylan has taken issue with fan photography at gigs. As Rolling Stone reports, a New York show last year had ushers shining flashlights at anyone they spotted using a phone, with repeat offenders threatened with being removed from the show. Dylan's European tour continues, including a headline performance at Roskilde Festival in June as well as performing at London's Hyde Park with Neil Young in July. Meanwhile, Dylan is expected to help open his new whiskey distillery in downtown Nashville, Tenn. next fall under the brand "Heaven's Door," in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of his classic Nashville Skyline album. - New Musical Express, 4/18/19...... 
A 60th anniversary Motown concert featuring a slew of famous Motown acts including Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson was aired on CBS on Apr. 21. The "Motown 60: A Grammy Celebration" concert, which was held on Feb. 12 in Los Angeles, also featured Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr., who told the packed Microsoft Theater that he wanted his label to "bring people together from all walks of life through a legacy of love." "My dream came true," added Gordy, who started the African American label in 1959, building a roster that included superstar artists such as Ross and The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and The Temptations. Ross, who was once signed to Motown as lead singer of The Supremes, brought attendees to their feet when she opened her set singing to Gordy while sitting next to him. After singing a couple of songs onstage, she returned back to Gordy and sang "My Man." The event was hosted by Robinson and Cedric the Entertainer. - AP, 4/17/19...... Accomplished British songwriter Les Reed, who penned songs for the likes of Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby and Shirley Bassey, has passed away at age 83, his family has confirmed. The Woking-born songwriter was the co-writer of Jones' hits "Delilah" and "It's Not Unusual," the latter which was released in 1964 and became Jones' debut single and first No. 1 hit. It also featured Mr. Reed as arranger and pianist. The pair reprised their success with "Delilah" in 1968, which reached the Top 10. In 1959, Mr. Reed joined The John Barry Seven as a pianist, and developed his career as a songwriter in the 1960s, writing hits for artists including Lulu, Herman's Hermits and The Dave Clark Five. Tom Jones paid tribute to Mr. Reed on Twitter, describing him as a "gifted songwriter who was instrumental in penning many a hit, incl two important songs for me. Les was a lovely man, whose legacy will live through his music." Mr. Reed was born in Woking, Surrey, in 1935. He is survived by his daughter, Donna, and grandsons. - The BBC, 4/16/19...... Soul music songwriter Kent "Boogalo" Harris, who wrote hits for such acts as The Coasters, Bo Diddley and The Platters, has reportedly died of cancer at his Southern California home at age 88. Mr. Harris's stock and trade in the 1950s was writing catchy novelty songs such as "Shopping For Clothes" for The Coasters and "Cops and Robbers" for Diddley. He also wrote for his own family group, The Harris Sisters (later called The Dimples Harris Trio), who had several modest hits during the decade, and recorded and performed with his own act, Boogaloo and His Gallant Crew. Mr. Harris also became an entrepreneur, opening a Los Angeles record store in the 1960s and forming his own record label. He also continued to write and producer for a number of R&B and jazz artists, including Adoph Jacobs and Jimmy Ellis. Mr. Harris continued to work into the new century, reportedly contributing to the music of the somewhat maligned Eddie Murphy movie, Norbit. He also would perform his delightfully humorous repertoire around the U.S. with his Boogaloo and His Gallant Crew. - AP, 4/16/19.
Songwriter/singer Kenny Nolan, the composer of such iconic '70s hits as LaBelle's 
In related news, James Taylor will kick off his first ever Vegas residency at The Colosseum on Apr. 17. Taylor will perform 17 shows at the venue, which has also hosted residencies by the likes of Elton John, Cher, Celine Dion and Bette Midler Taylor will be performing on acustom-built stage that will include the return of his One Man Band drum machine. "I was a Vegas snob forever, for sure," the 71-year-old Taylor notes. "Back in the day, Vegas definitely had a very specific connotation for us, and it was something [that folk and pop artists] in the late '60s and early '70s, were distancing ourselves from. For one thing, it's now a town of two million people. It's not just the strip; there's an actual population there, and it's just an excellent place to put on a show." He says he's most excited about performing on his most elaborate stage to date. "This particular staging that we're going to present is something we've essentially been perfecting over the past couple of years," he said. Taylor will play the Colosseum on April 17, 19, 20, 24, 26, 27 and May 1, 3, 4, 8, 10 and 11, with the possibility of more gigs added in the future. - Billboard, 4/15/19...... Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance at New York's Tribeca Grill Loft on Apr. 13 at a benefit for the Kristen Ann Carr Fund. Hopping on stage with famed photographer Danny Clinch's Tangier Blues Band, the Boss ripped through Johnny Rivers' classic "Rockin' Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu" and the blues rock standard "Down the Road Apiece" at the event, dubbed "A Night to Remember." The event was aimed at raising money to fight the soft tissue cancer sarcoma in honor of Carr, the late daughter of rock journalist Dave Marsh and Springsteen's co-manager, Barbara Carr. Kristen Carr died of sarcoma in 1993 at age 21. - Billboard, 4/15/19...... Police log books from the Beatles' first visit to the U.S. have gone on display at Liverpool's Magical Beatles Museum. The log books, which were set to be destroyed, were discovered by NYPD officer Patrick Cassidy, who discovered the logs while searching in police records. "The Ed Sullivan Theatre is in the confines of my precinct, so one day in 2013, I went into the storage area that holds these books," Cassidy told the BBC. "After 50 years, they clean out and destroy them, so I looked up February '64 and found the book, which would have been destroyed the following year." The logs list the names of the officers who guarded the band in New York as they prepared to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 and their show at Carnegie Hall. At the latter, the logs state that there was an incident where an officer was "knocked off balance" and injured outside the Plaza Hotel while "attempting to restrain the surging crowd." The Fab Four's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which marked their US TV debut, was watched by a then record 73 million people at the time. - New Musical Express, 4/15/19...... The Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has made nearly $1 billion (£760 million) taking in box office receipts of over $900 (£687 million) around the world since its premiere in 2018, Variety has reported. The Oscar-winning film generated $901 million (£688 million) internationally and of those figures, it has been a huge hit in Japan where it has grossed $114 million (£87 million), a further $76 million (£58 million) in South Korea and in the United Kingdom where it has brought in returns of $71 million (£54 million). The ticket sales show a huge return for the biopic, which itself only cost Fox $50 million (£38.2 million) to make. Bohemian Rhapsody swept the board at major film awards earlier in 2019 including winning accolades for Best Picture at the Golden Globes and numerous Best Actor awards for Rami Malek, who portrayed Freddie Mercury in the blockbuster. Rudi Dolezal, the director of many Queen music videos, recently revealed that a Bohemian Rhapsody sequel could also be in the works. A documentary about Queen and its current frontman Adam Lambert, The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story, to be aired on ABC on Apr. 29 and will follow the band's ongoing collaboration with Lambert. - New Musical Express, 4/15/19...... A source close to AC/DC says its former frontman Brian Johnson will "absolutely" tour again with the Aussie rockers in 2019. Last year, it was reported that the rock icons were working on a new album that would feature the work of their late rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young on "every track." Then, earlier this year, American band Terrorizer confirmed that after bumping into Johnson at an airport, he told them that he would feature on the new album and that he was "sick of denying it." Johnson meanwhile was forced to quit AC/DC in 2016 after suffering hearing loss and was replaced on the band's tour by Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose. But according to radio DJ Eddie Trunk, Johnson will rejoin the legendary band to tour the upcoming album. "I have sources that have told me that they are absolutely going to tour with Brian back again," Trunk says. "That's all unconfirmed from their camp, but I had it from some reliable sources." The band is reportedly back in the studio working on a new album with Johnson on vocals. - NME, 4/13/19...... Mick Jagger posted a pic on Twitter of himself taking a stroll in a park on Apr. 11, once week after the 75-year-old rock icon had surgery to replace a heart valve. Dressed in jeans, a dark blue dress shirt and gray baseball hat, Jagger posed in front of a tree filled with white spring blossoms, a slight smile on his face, with the caption "A walk in the park!" The Stones announced earlier in April that they were rescheduling their North American "No Filter Tour" so that Jagger could have the procedure. Originally slated to begin in April, the tour will now begin in July with new dates to be announced in the coming weeks. - Billboard, 4/12/19...... 
Singer/songwriter John Prine gave a rollicking performance at Brooklyn's Kings Theatre on Apr. 13, the one year anniversary of his 2018 album The Tree of Forgiveness, his most acclaimed and successful album in several years. "Today is its birthday, one year ago tonight," said Prine to the sold-out crowd at the majestically restored venue. The album's arrival last spring marked Prine's first set of new songs in some 13 years, and the disc debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The album also signaled Prine's confident return after surgery for lung cancer in 2013, following his recovery from neck cancer 15 years earlier. Prine, 72, was named artist of the year at the Americana Music Awards in September. He was honored in an all-star tribute concert on the eve of this year's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, and he will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York on June 13. After touring throughout 2018, Prine spent this March performing in Australia. The Brooklyn gig was his second stateside stop on a world tour that currently runs through December. - Billboard, 4/14/19...... As the 2020 presidential primary campaign heats up, some of the leading Democratic candidates have received donations from several famous rock and country musicians before the recent close of the first quarter fundraising deadline. Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, a former member of a punk rock band, has received $2,800 from a fellow Texan, county music icon Willie Nelson, as well as $1,850 from Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh and $2,800 from Dave Matthews Band violinist Boyd Tinsley. In March, Michael Jackson producer and composer Quincy Jones was among the celebrities contributing to California Sen. Kamala Harris' bid for the White House, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has received donations from members of Foo Fighters and Phish. - AP, 4/16/19...... Paul Raymond, a guitarist for the rock band UFO, died of a heart attack only one week after the band's final U.K. show, his life partner Sandra announced on Facebook on Apr. 14. He was 73. "With a desperate and broken heart, fully in tears and pains that feel like they will kill me I have to tell you that my most beautiful and beloved darling Paul Raymond has passed away today," she wrote. "The doctors were trying to reanimate him and with success at first but then his system shot down again and there was nothing more they could do for him, he died of a heart attack." First joining UFO in 1976, Raymond played on the albums No Place to Run, Obsession and Lights Out as well as the live Strangers In The Night album. After playing with the band during four different stints, he was a regular in the UFO lineup since 2003. Raymond's other musical endeavours included replacing Christine McVie in Chicken Shack after she left to join Fleetwood Mac, as well as being a member of Savoy Brown. He also played with two former UFO bandmates on two separate occasions. He also played with guitarist Michael Schenker in MSG, and then with Pete Way in Waysted. UFO will be performing at a series of European festival dates this coming June and July, with a US tour in October. They will also perform as part of the Rock Legends Cruise, which departs from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Feb. 27, 2020. - New Musical Express, 4/13/19...... Gary Stewart a music industry veteran who spent decades in the industry working at Rhino Entertainment and Apple Music, died on Apr. 11. He was 62. A musical savant, Stewart used his vast knowledge to introduce music to a new audience through such memorable catalog collections for Rhino Entertainment as the kitschy 
Emmy-winning sitcom actress Georgia Engel, best known for playing Ted Baxter's significant other Georgette Franklin on 
Neil Young posted on his Neil Young Archives site on Apr. 8 that he and Crazy Horse are "about to enter the studio with 11 new ones." "We sincerely hope [fans] enjoy our new music when it is released this year, because we know we will enjoy making it," Young added. He has released a total of 23 records with Crazy Horse, including EPs and live albums. Young and Crazy horse last recorded together in 2012 for their Psychedelic Pill album, and the two camps reunited in 2018 for a one off concert. Young launched his Neil Young Archives, a subscription service and app that gives fans access to a complete back catalogue of audio and visual content, in 2018. - New Musical Express, 4/10/19...... On Apr. 9 the Fender guitar company released replicas of two iconic guitars made famous by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page to mark the band's 50th anniversary -- the "Dragon" and "Mirror" models of Page's Telecaster. In an animated clip from Fender which features Page's voiceover, he recalls the time his former Yardbirds bandmate Jeff Beck gifted him the "Mirror" -- "He said, 'Here, this is yours', and he gave me the Telecaster." Page goes on to discuss how he wanted to "really make it [his] own" following his time with the Yardbirds. "I tried applying mirrors to it so you could use it in an optical way," he remembers. "It was this whole thing of the reflective surfaces, and you could actually reflect the light onto other things; to make it sort of almost kinetic at the same time." - New Musical Express, 4/9/19...... In other Zeppelin-related news, drummer Jason Bonham, son of late Led Zepp drummer John Bonham, has revealed how Jimmy Page gave him his first line of cocaine when he was just 16. Appearing on Howard Stern's SiriusXM show, Bonham explained how he entered Page's hotel room to discover a woman on the floor who was meowing and wearing a collar. "Jimmy was the first one to ever give [cocaine] to me," Bonham said. "We got called to his room. I was 16 at this point, and there was a woman on the floor with a collar on, meowing, and he had this grinder thing and he turned it over and he went, 'Here you go,' and I went, 'Thanks.' He's like, 'You've done this before, right?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, of course I have.'" Jason Bonham has filled in for his dad on the kit at several Led Zeppelin reunions - including the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and their comeback performance at Ahmet Ertegun's O2 Arena tribute concert in 2007. - NME, 4/11/19...... 
Disciples of Soul, a side project of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt, will release their latest album, 
Legendary prog-rockers King Crimson are finally entering the digital world in conjunction with their upcoming 50th anniversary world tour. At a presser on Apr. 6, King Crimson manager David Singleton announced that the band's entire studio-album catalog will soon launch on the Spotify streaming platform, as part of an "outreach year" for King Crimson. Their 13 studio albums will be available on other streaming platforms in May before uploading to Spotify on June 10, the same day the band kicks off their ambitious 43-city 50th anniversary world tour on June 10 in Leipzig, Germany. The Robert Fripp-led group is also releasing reissues of their back catalog, a new documentary, and commemorative merchandise in celebration of five decades together. - Billboard, 4/8/19...... Music publisher Primary Wave has signed a deal with the estate of Leon Russell to curate the songwriting catalog of the late 1970s rocker, including such oft-covered songs as his 1970 classic "A Song For You." Under the new deal, Primary Wave also acquires the music publishing and master recording income stream of songs including his 1972 hit single "Tight Rope," "The Masquerade," which George Benson recorded, and "Superstar," a hit for The Carpenters. Since Russell released "A Song For You" on his eponymous debut album, it has been covered by the likes of Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles and Amy Winehouse. "I am delighted that Leon Russell and his heirs have joined the Primary Wave family," said Primary Wave CEO and founder Lawrence Mestel. "Leon was a legendary songwriter whose music has resonated in people's lives for decades. His songs were an inspiration to so many and we look forward to furthering the legacy of this remarkable musician." The partnership comes one week after what would have been Russell's 77th birthday. The eclectic Grammy-winning artist, who was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, died in 2016 at age 74. - Billboard, 4/9/19...... More details have been announced about Bob Dylan's recently announced whiskey distillery which will open in downtown Nashville, Tenn., in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of his iconic Nashville Skyline album. Dylan is set to help open the distillery in fall 2020 under the brand "Heaven's Door," which takes its name from one of his biggest hits. According to a press release, "Heaven's Door Spirits will transform the 160-year-old Elm Street Church into the Heaven's Door Distillery and Center for the Arts, featuring the distillery, a whiskey library, a restaurant and a 360-seat live performance venue. It will also feature Dylan's paintings and metalwork sculptures." - AP, 4/9/19...... A silent 11-second clip of the Beatles performing on the legendary U.K. music program Top Of The Pops that was once thought lost has been unearthed in Mexico. The clip is the only surviving footage of the band miming to 'Paperback Writer' on the show back in 1966, as the BBC did not keep the tapes. However, one family in Liverpool happened to be filming the footage from a television on an 8mm camera. A collector in Mexico then happened upon the footage, who handed it over to missing TV footage specialists Kaleidoscope in Birmingham. "I think if you're a Beatles fans, it's the holy grail," Chris Perry of the UK band Kaleidoscope told the BBC. "People thought it was gone forever because videotape wasn't kept in 1966. To find it all these years later was stunning." While the band pre-recorded a number of performances for Top Of The Pops, this was their only live appearance. - New Musical Express, 4/9/19...... 
Classic rock veterans Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck have announced they'll reunite this September for a connect in Los Angeles, marking the first time the two have shared a stage together in almost a decade. Stewart and Beck, who played together in The Jeff Beck Group, are set to play the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 27 in what is being described as "their most in depth concert in over 35 years." Their set list will include a mixture of hits and rare early classics. The Jeff Beck Group was formed by Stewart and Beck in 1967 and also included Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. The group released several albums before disbanding in the early 1970's. The last time the two reunited was during a concert in 2009. - New Musical Express, 4/8/19...... Fans of Creedence Clearwater Revival will have their final opportunity to see the CCR spinoff band Creedence Clearwater Revisited this summer as the band has announced a 20-city farewell tour will kick off on June 13 in Del Mar, Calif. and the San Diego County Fair. Original bassist Stu Cook says "this just seemed like a good time to wrap it up." "Both (drummer Doug Clifford) and I are approaching 74 this month and just thought, 'Y'know, we've been there, done that, seen it, we know how it feels, we know how it tastes'," Cook explains. "We're gonna miss it, but there's still time to do other things in life. We all have bigger families, grandkids. We're still playing great, but we are pretty tired of the road. We're not retiring, but the idea right now is to put the band to bed and see what else comes along and how we feel about it moving forward. I'd like to try other things and explore other ideas and places before my time's up." CCRevisited formed during 1995, at a time Cook and Clifford's former bandmate John Fogerty was still refusing the play the band's material. Cook and Clifford did lock horns periodically with Fogerty -- who famously refused to perform with them during CCR's 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction during Revisited's tenure. Though in 1997 Fogerty's legal actions briefly forced them to change the group name to 
ZZ Top announced on Apr. 8 that they'll embark on a lengthy 34-city U.S. tour this summer in celebration of their 50 years as a band, with Cheap Trick and Lynyrd Skynyrd opening for the Texas trio on selected dates. "It's been five decades, and I think we're starting to get pretty good at all this!" ZZ Top guitarist/vocalist Billy Gibbons said in a statement. "We're truly excited to be appearing across the continent this summer and fall, playing our bluesy kind of rock like we started in '69." The tour is set to kick off Aug. 16 in Ridgefield, Wash., also hitting cities including Irvine, Calif. (8/23), San Diego (8/28), Phoenix (8/29), Milwaukee (9/4), Boston (9/18), Cleveland (9/21), Charlotte (10/6) and Tampa, Fla. (10/19) before wrapping in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Oct. 20. - Billboard, 4/8/19......Just a few days after announcing they'd be stepping in to replace the Rolling Stones at the 2019 Jazz Fest in New Orleans as Stones frontman Mick Jagger recouperates from surgery to replace a faulty heart valve, the band has been forced to drop out of the Jazz Fest as well due to an illness affecting Mac singer Stevie Nicks. "Due to the illness of Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac has just announced the postponement of four upcoming North American tour dates and their performance at Jazz Fest on May 2," the Jazz Fest announced on Apr. 8. Mac announced on April 4 that the band would replace fellow veterans the Stones at the annual New Orleans festival, with Nicks tweeting to fans that she "can't wait to get back to New Orleans again." Earlier in April, Mac postponed shows in Philadelphia and Boston due to what was described as "a band member illness." "We are having more fun than ever on this current tour, but as we all know, touring life comes with its challenges," drummer Mick Fleetwood said. "The flu has sidelined Stevie for a couple of weeks but she is on the mend and we look forward to getting back out on the road. We so apologize to the fans, but we are working on rescheduling." - Billboard, 4/8/19...... Meanwhile, Mick Jagger updated fans on his healthon Apr. 5, posting on his Facebook page that he's "feeling much better now and on the mend." The 75-year-old singer also thanked his fans for their messages of support, "and also a huge thank you to all the hospital staff for doing a superb job." The Stones announced last week that they were rescheduling their North American No Filter Tour so that Jagger could have the procedure. Orginally slated to begin in April, the tour will now begin in July with new dates to be announced in the coming weeks. The Stones are expected to make up nearly all the dates on their "No Filter Tour." - Billboard, 4/8/19...... In other Stones-related news, the UK's Sheffield Documentary Festival has pulled a screening of a film about former Stones bassist Bill Wyman over "sex predator" protests in the country. Wyman's The Quiet One documentary was among the festival's most high-profile offerings for the 2019 event, where it was due to be screened alongside a Q&A session with Wyman himself and the film's director Oliver Murray. Both events have now been pulled after detractors singled out Wyman's relationship with his second wife Mandy Smith. Wyman met Smith when she was just 13, and he was 47. While the pair married in 1989 when she was 18 and Wyman was 52, Smith later alleged that they first had sex when she was just 14. While the screening has been cancelled, Wyman has never been arrested or charged with any offences and previously said that he volunteered to be interviewed by police. "I went to the police and I went to the public prosecutor and said, 'Do you want to talk to me? Do you want to meet up with me, or anything like that?' and I got a message back, 'No,'" he said. "I was totally open about it." Wyman was the main bassist with the Rolling Stones until his retirement in 1993. He has since made a handful of comeback cameo performances, including a brief stint during a show at London's O2 Arena in 2012. - New Musical Express, 4/8/19...... 
A "prequel" to the smash 1978 movie musical 
Aerosmith delivered the first performance of their "Deuces Are Wild" Las Vegas residency at the Park MGM on Apr. 6 that saw the Boston-based rock veterans blast through their greatest hits while re-tracing the steps of their journey to rock legend status. Before taking the stage, fans were taken on a trip down memory lane as eight towering screens projected tons of never-before-seen photos, concert reels, TV spots and interviews, including Aerosmith's 1991 appearance in the animated series The Simpsons. Frontman Steven Tyler also chose to sport a T-shirt bearing the "Simpsonified" versions of himself and his bandmates for their first night of the Vegas run. Tyler was in top form throughout the concert, which kicked off with the band's cover of The Yardbirds' "Train Kept A-Rollin'," followed by "Mama Kin," "Back in the Saddle," "Kings And Queens" and "Sweet Emotion." They wrapped the 16-song set with the 1-2-3 punch of "Dude Looks Like a Lady," "Dream On" and "Walk This Way." - Billboard, 4/7/19...... A rep for Mick Jagger confirmed on Apr. 4 that the Rolling Stones frontman has successfully undergone a heart valve procedure in New York and is "expected to make a full recovery." Doctors were reportedly able to access Jagger's heart valve through his femoral artery, using a a catheter without opening the chest, and are now monitoring the musician for any complications that could arise from the procedure, including excess bleeding. The minimally invasive procedure is believed to have been carried out at New York-Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell Hospital, and although the 75-year-old singer could be up an moving in a few days, he will need some additional recovery time before returning to the stage. On Mar. 31, the Stones announced they were rescheduling their North American "No Filter Tour" so that Jagger could have the procedure. Orginally slated to begin in April, the tour will now begin in July with new dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Jagger became a great-grandfather for the second time on Mar. 31 after his 26-year-old grandaughter Assisi Jackson, whose mother is his 47-year-old daughter Jade, gave birth to her second daughter. Assisi and her chef boyfriend are already parents to a four-year-old daughter, Ezra, who was Mick's first great-grandchild. Jagger also has eight children, the youngest of whom, Deveraux, was born in 2016. - Billboard/WENN.com, 4/4/19...... In related news, Fleetwood Mac will be replacing the Rolling Stones at the upcoming 50th anniversary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May. Fleetwood Mac will take the stage on May 2, the day the Stones had been set to appear before being forced to postpone their tour due to Mick Jagger's health. New Orleans Jazz Fest lineup will also feature Tom Jones, Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples and Regina Carter's Southern Comfort, along with many local artists. Fleetwood Mac was forced to postpone a show itself on April 2 at Boston's TD Garden due to a "band member illness," according to a post by the venue on Twitter. The band has also since postponed their April 5 show in Philadelphia. It is unclear which band member is sick. In November 2018, the group rescheduled their concert at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, right before the show was set to begin after Stevie Nicks became ill. Tickets for the original Boston concert will be honored at the rescheduled show, or fans have the option to refund their purchases. - Billboard, 4/4/19...... Michael Jackson's family has decided to speak out against the recent bombshell allegations of sexual abuse against the pop star made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck in the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. In a new 30-minute film posted online titled Investigating Neverland, journalist Liam McEwan interviews several of Jackson's relatives and inner circle, who vehemently defended him against numerous claims. MJ's 37-year-old niece, Brandi Jackson, details how she originally met Robson, when she was about nine years old in 1991. The two would go on to become best friends and dated for nearly a decade. "Everything was fine until he was about 17 or 18, when I noticed his behavior changed. That's when he began to cheat," she explained. "As I would confront him about these things, he would say, 'No these aren't true.' Constantly lying. He denied [the infedelities]." Brandi continues: "He has always been a bit of an opportunist. He knows how to position himself in different situations that will benefit him in a financial way. Once other jobs weren't coming through, this was his next outlet," Brandi continued. Her relationship with Robson was left out of Leaving Neverland. "It would discredit the things he's trying to claim. I find it fascinating that he thinks he's able to erase 10 years of life." If presented with the opportunity to confront Robson, Brandi says, "I would tell him to stop lying. I'm not curious as to why he's doing it, he needs to stop. I don't care what his reasoning is, as far as trying to be relevant, desperate for money. These lies need to stop. It's not okay. My uncle took care of him and did very well by his family." - Billboard, 4/5/19...... 
Queen drummer Roger Taylor has released a new politically-themed solo single, "Gangsters Are Running This World." The track -- his first new music in more than five years -- feature lyrics that address the state of the world. "There's blood in the streets / Panic in the air / The markets are trading up / In madness and fear," Taylor sings in the new song. It's not the first time that Taylor has made political statements in his material. In 1994 he released the single "Nazis" while his 1998 album Electric Fire featured a cover of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero." In 2011, Taylor re-released a protest song he wrote about media tycoon Rupert Murdoch. There were no details of a possible new album with the release of "Gangsters Are Running This World." - New Musical Express, 4/2/19...... Ozzy Osbourne announced on Apr. 5 that he has been forced to postpone all his 2019 North American and European as he recovers from an injury he sustained while recovering from a recent bout of pneumonia. "I can't believe I have to reschedule more tour dates," Osburne, 70, said in a statement. "Words cannot express how frustrated, angry and depressed I am not to be able to tour right now. I'm grateful for the love and support I'm getting from my family, my band, friends and fans, it's really what's keeping me going. Just know that I am getting better every day...I will fully recover... I will finish my tour... I will be back!" In the statement, Osbourne said he fell at his Los Angeles home and aggravated a years-old injury from a 2003 ATV accident, requiring an unspecified surgical procedure in March. He will reportedly remain under a doctor's care in L.A. as he recovers. On Feb. 19, Osbourne was forced to cancel shows in Australia, New Zealand and Japan on his "No More Tours 2" as a result of developing pneumonia from the flu. The news came a week after wife/manager Sharon Osbourne revealed the rock star had been released from intensive care unit. In early March, Ozzy's song Jack Osbourne said in an interview that his dad was "back to his normal routine" following hospitalization for complications from the flu. According to the new statement, all of Ozzy's shows will be rescheduled beginning in February 2020, with ticketholders asked to hold onto their original tickets, which will be honored at the rescheduled dates. - Billboard, 4/4/19...... Former presidental candidate Hillary Clinton was spotted in the audience at the Cher-themed Broadway musical "The Cher Show" on Apr. 3. The former presidential candidate was happy to pose with the cast for snaps at the Neil Simon Theatre, which were shared wide on Twitter and Instagram. Cher and Clinton are friends from way back. The pop legend is a longtime - and vocal -- supporter of Clinton and in 2016 campaigned for the former First Lady at a string of campaign events. Cher will be on the road through much of the year with her "Here We Go Again" tour, which has just expanded with 14 new dates. "The Cher Show" traces the trailblazing singer, comedienne, actress's career. - Billboard, 4/4/19...... A full house congregated on Mar. 31 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church for the Los Angeles premiere of the Aretha Franklin concert documentary Amazing Grace, which chronicles the live, two-day recording of Franklin's best-selling gospel album of the same name. In the exact spot where the film and album were originally recorded 47 years ago, viewers clapped and cheered in the blue-upholstered pews as the late Franklin sang onscreen, echoing those who sat in her presence in 1972. Amazing Grace, which recently won the NAACP Image Award for best documentary film, was remastered and released on March 22 by the American film production and distribution company Neon. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/3/19...... Tom Petty's widow and his two daughters are reportedly locked in a fierce legal battle as they feud over the late singer's will and the future of his unreleased music. According to the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com, Petty's wife Dana York Petty and his daughters Adria and Annakim Petty are feuding over the late music icon's estate. In a petition filed in Los Angeles County court, Dana states that she is in control of Petty's estate -- but Adria and Annakim, his daughters from a previous relationship, say that their father always intended for them to be involved too. Dana has also accused Tom's daughters of verbally attacking Petty's former bandmates and making it increasingly difficult for her to control the estate. The court filing also sees Dana accusing Petty's daughters of blocking the release of solo material he recorded 25 years ago. His widow reportedly wanted to include the tracks on a 25th anniversary box set reissue of his seminal 1994 album Wildflowers and expected the project to have pulled in more than $1 million in royalties. Petty died on October 2, 2017, of an accidental drug overdose. He was 66 years old. - NME, 4/3/19...... 
It has just been revealed that George Harrison once sent an angry telegram to then president Richard M. Nixon after being detained at a U.S. airport in March 1973 to discuss the Beatles' record company Apple and to work on Ringo Starr's album Ringo. Beatles researcher Chip Madinger, the co-author of Eight Arms to Hold You and Lennonology: Strange Days Indeed, says when he researched the latter book he did a Freedom of Information request and got John Lennon's INS [Immigration and Naturalization Service] file "and just went ahead and got George's at the same time." "[George] came in from Pakistan and was detained at the airport. And they went through some 'he said and she said' and but eventually was allowed to come into the States. And I believe he was given permission to stay until June 1 and he was looking for more time," Madinger says. "He'd supposedly gone to an INS office and gotten an OK to stay until the 30th of June. And he wanted more time beyond that. And that's when it was denied. So he and [wife] Pattie Boyd shipped back to the U.K. on, I believe it was, June 28th of '73. And he must have just gotten a bee in his bonnet or something about it and wrote this telegram." The telegram, addressed to "President Richard Nixon, White House DC," with misspellings, reads: "Sir, how can you bomb Cambonian (sic) citizens and worry about kicking me out of the country for smoking marijuana at the time. Your repressive emperaour (sic) war monger ways stop before too piece (cq) luv (cq). We will run the world Harry Krisher, Hare Hara Krishne Hare Hara Hare Hara Krishner. George Harrison." "I think it's clear that he dictated it because of the misspellings in it," Madinger says. John Lennon also famously had immigration problems with the U.S. government in the early '70s after the Nixon Administration feared he would galvanize young voters, so they then moved to deport him. Lennon's victory came in four steps in Federal Court. He and wife Yoko Ono were first approved as "outstanding artists" and then was given "non-priority status" to keep from being deported. Lennon also sued the government for "selective prosecution," and lastly won an appeal on the deportation order. The Lennon case became an important legal precedent in immigration law. - Billboard, 4/5/19...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney's 2019 tour of Latin America has broken the $100 million threshold, earning $17.8 million from four South American shows. Of that total, he has earned $21.5 million in Argentina (four shows) and $47.8 million in Brazil (10 shows). His recent shows in late March at Brazil's Allianz Parque were his first double-header in the country and as such, become his highest-grossing engagement there. - Billboard, 4/4/19...... Robin Trower, Maxi Priest and Livingstone Brown will embark on a nationwide U.K. tour in October 2019, playing Holmfirth on Oct. 24, Edinburgh on Oct. 25, Newcastle on Oct. 27, Birmingham on Oct. 28 and London's Shepherd's Bush Empire on Oct. 29. The three musicians have joined forces on a new album, United State of Mind, which will be released later in 2019. After a chance meeting at Brown's recording studio in Brixton, the unlikely duo of Trower and Priest hit it off. Both are directly influenced by soul and gospel music and still share a mutual passion for the genre. Robin, Maxi and Livingston went even further, striking up a very productive joint songwriting partnership, that quickly developed over a dozen new songs. In the 90's Brown played in Trower's band and co-produced his highly rated 20th Century Blues album. - Noble PR, 4/4/19...... Veteran British blues rockers Savoy Brown, with leader Kim Simmonds at the helm, will return with this summer with their 40th album, City Night, set for a June 7 release via Quarto Valley Records. The new 12-track album features Simmonds on vocals and searing lead guitar and includes such tracks as "Walking On Hot Stones," "Payback Time" and "Don't Hang Me Out To Dry." Savoy Brown was formed by guitarist Simmonds in 1965 in London. Simmonds has been the group's guiding hand from the first singles released in 1966 through the band's newest effort, their 40th album. Savoy Brown has announced five U.K. dates in which they will premiere songs from the new album. They will play Banham (4/11), London (4/12), Sheffield (4/14), Wolverhampton (4/15) and Edinburgh (4/15). - Noble PR, 4/5/19...... 
The Eagles announced on Apr. 2 they will perform their 1976 album 
The Rolling Stones are reportedly planning to return to the road by this July after after the band was forced to postpone its nine-week "No Filter" tour across the US and Canada when frontman Mick Jagger was told by his doctors that he needs to have a damaged heart valve replaced in early April. The 75-year-old Jagger, who follows a strict diet and exercise regime, is expected to make a complete recovery, as heart valve replacement surgery has a 95% success rate. The rock icon had undergone a routine scan that alerted doctors to an unexpected issue that could require hospital treatment. Despite being ordered to rest, Jagger is said to have told friends he "feels great" and that he is already "bored" of taking it easy. He was spotted on Mar. 31 playing with his youngest son on a beach in Miami and taking it easy ahead of the surgery. Jagger was seen enjoying some family time with two-year-old Deveraux, girlfriend Melanie Hamrick and daughter Georgia May after cancelling the sell-out North American tour which was due to start on Apr. 20. The postponed dates include the Stones' set at New Orlean's Jazz Festival on May 2, as well as the recently added show planned for Canada Day weekend on June 29 in Ontario. Jagger, a father of eight, apologized to fans on Twitter for the cancellation of the tour. "I really hate letting you down like this. I'm devastated for having to postpone the tour but I will be working very hard to be back on stage as soon as I can. Once again, huge apologies everyone," he posted. In 2016, Jagger pulled out of a show in Las Vegas owing to what was described as "bad laryngitis." Two years earlier, the band cancelled the entire Australasia leg of their world tour due to Jagger's devastation over the suicide of his girlfriend L'Wren Scott. - Billboard/DailyMail.co.uk, 4/1/19...... The Who's long-shelved "Lifehouse" project is to be made into a graphic novel more than four decades after the ambitious rock opera was intended to be released, Who guitarist Pete Townshend announced on Apr. 1. "A graphic novel based on my very first 1970 concept for The Who's abandoned Lifehouse project is perhaps the most exciting creative development in my long career," Townshend said in a statement. "Lifehouse always had a strong and important visual story that was never even touched on. Even by 1971, when Lifehouse was written, it had to be treated as a film script, which was entirely beyond my skill set, and beyond the financial scope of The Who," Townshend continued. "If I had completed my art studies, instead of staying with The Who, I might have made my own graphic novels. I am excited then, with huge anticipation, that at last Lifehouse can be realised visually, and as a story -- part science fiction, part spiritual allegory." Townshend originally wrote the opera as a follow-up to the band's 1969 album Tommy, which was later adapted for stage and screen. But Lifehouse was abandoned in favour of the group's 1971 record, Who's Next. In March, Townshend announced the release of his debut novel, 
Stevie Nicks, Roxy Music, Def Leppard, Janet Jackson, The Cure, Radiohead and The Zombies were formally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Mar. 29 during an induction ceremony at Barclays Center in New York City. Nicks, already a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer as part of Fleetwood Mac, was inducted as a solo act, and opened the show with her pounding 1983 hit "Stand Back." "This is the original cape from 'Stand Back,'" Nicks pointed out to the crowd. "My frugal mother would've appreciated that." Well, at least eventually. "If she found out how much it cost in 1983 ($3,000), she would've grounded me, even though I was too old to ground." After a duet with the Eagles' Don Henley on "Leather and Lace," the pair's 1981 duet, Nicks welcomed another surprise guest, rising singer Harry Styles, for a duet of "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," originally recorded by Nicks and the late Tom Petty. Nicks closed her set with "Edge of Seventeen," after which Styles returned to the stage to induct her and praise her as the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock Hall for a second time. "She is forever current," Styles said. "'Dreams' was the first song I knew all the words to before I even knew what it meant -- I thought it was a song about the weather," he said to laughter. Also that evening, Bryan Ferry reunited with some of his Roxy Music bandmates including multi-instrumentalist Andy Mackay and guitarist Phil Manzanera for performances of such Roxy classics as "In Every Dream Home A Heartache," "Out Of The Blue," "Love Is The Drug," "More Than This," "Avalon" and "Editions Of You." Former Roxy members Brian Eno and Paul Thompson were not present due to other commitments, however a selection of musicians who have also played with Ferry and the band over the years accompanied Ferry, Mackay and Manzanera, including Chris Spedding, Neil Jason and Fonzi Thornton. "I'd like to thank everybody for this unexpected honor, especially our fans around the world, who've supported us through the years," said Ferry, after the band was inducted by Simon Le Bon and John Taylor of Duran Duran. Def Leppard led and all-star jam to close out the ceremony, which included an all-star jam of Mott the Hoople's 1972 David Bowie-penned song "All the Young Dudes" that included Queen's Brian May; the Zombies' Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent; the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs; "Little" Steven Van Zandt; and Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter. Earlier in the evening, Brian May gave the induction speech for Def Leppard, calling the pop-metal band a "magnificent rock group, in the classic tradition of what a rock group really is." - Billboard/New Musical Express, 3/30/19...... Speaking of Mott the Hoople, the veteran '70s rockers kicked off an 8-date tour of selected U.S. cities on Apr. 1 in Milwaukee. Other dates on the "Mott the Hoople '74" tour include Minneapolis (4/2), Chicago (4/3), Detroit (4/5), Cleveland, Oh. (4/6), Glenside, Penn. (4/8), and Boston (4/9) before wrapping at New York's Beacon Theatre on Apr. 10. Touring with Hunter will be two members of Mott's 1974 incarnation, keyboardist Morgan Fischer and guitarist Ariel Bender, however two key members -- bassist Pete Watts and drummer Dale "Buffin" Griffin -- have died in the last few years, and guitarist-songwriter Mick Ralphs can't appear due to complications from a stroke he suffered in 2017. Hunter was asked if he had any thoughts on turning 80, which happens two months after the tour ends. "I feel great about it! 80 sounds sunshiny and clear and lovely, and 79 sounded all murky. I didn't think I'd make 50, so this is all a bonus," he said. - Billboard, 4/1/19...... The Brach's candy company has announced the release of special "Purple Rain" jelly beans for Easter holiday this year in honor of the late Prince, who died three years ago on Apr. 21, also the date of Easter in 2019. The "Purple Rain Tiny Jelly Bird Eggs" will feature four flavors: berry, blueberry, blue raspberry and grape and be available in 3 oz and 11 oz bags. - Billboard, 3/29/19...... 
Original The Village People member, "cop" Victor Willis, has announced he plans on "rebooting" the famous '70s disco group after years of legal issues have been settled. The "YMCA" hitmakers began life back in 1977, created by French producers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo. Appearing alongside Willis' policeman alter-ego were the GI, the builder, the cowboy, the biker, and the Native American. After original frontman Willis quit the band back in 1979, he is now looking to bring the Village People back as his own -- with years of legal issues surrounding royalties finally resolved. "There was nothing I could do about it until this legal stuff was straightened out," Willis told the BBC on Mar. 31 of returning to front the group. "And this just happened to be at the 40-year anniversary of Village People. Everything seemed to fall into place where I could say, 'OK, it's time for me to take over the group again.'" Willis added: "Not a reunion, but to reboot the group. To have to get new characters. Then I have to get a band like when Jacques and I first sat down and decided we're going to create this Village People thing." He went on to explain that the new incarnation of the group will be "something that's live" and "real." "And this what I came back to do," he said. Willis won a landmark royalties court case back in 2012, which gave him back partial ownership of a number of Village People tracks. In 2009, he sued a new version of the band for $1 million over image issues. He sought the damages after claiming that his image and voice had been used for new promotional purposes without his consent. Willis recently wrapped up his "40 Years of Disco UK" arena tour. - New Musical Express, 3/31/19...... Elton John is standing by actor George Clooney's call to boycott hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei after the country passed a law that would allow stoning LGBTQ people to death. He was referring to an op-ed Clooney penned for Deadline.com about the Asian nation's law and its Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, who is instituting the law and happens to be the owner of several luxury hotels around the world. ("On this particular April 3rd the nation of Brunei will begin stoning and whipping to death any of its citizens that are proved to be gay," Clooney wrote. "Let that sink in." "Our hearts go out to the good, hardworking employees of properties owned by the Sultan of Brunei, many of whom we know to be gay," John said. In another tweet, Sir Elton added: "We must send a message, however we can, that such treatment is unacceptable. That's why [my husband] David [Furnish] and I have long refused to stay at these hotels and will continue to do so. We hope you will join us in solidarity." John then provided a list of hotels he's urging others to boycott: The Dorchester in London, 45 Park Lane in London, Coworth Park in the U.K., the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, Le Meurice in Paris, Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, Hotel Eden in Rome and Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan. - Billboard, 3/30/19...... A museum in Tulsa, Okla., will soon open a new Bob Dylan exhibit that will showcase 12 pastel portraits painted by the iconic musician. Tulsa's Gilcrease Museum will display "Bob Dylan: Face Value and Beyond" from May 10 to Sept. 15. The exhibit is filled with pieces from the Bob Dylan Archives, which has more than 100,000 items from his 60-year career. It's the first major show from the archives since it was acquired by the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the University of Tulsa in 2016. The paintings highlight Dylan's multifaceted artistic capabilities, said Michael Chaiken, the archive's curator. "He's best known for his music, but Dylan is also a writer of prose, a filmmaker and someone who has been involved in the visual arts for decades," Chaiken said. "This show is an opportunity to explore all those different avenues of Dylan's creativity." The portraits were first shown in London in 2013. The only time they were on display in the U.S. was during a two-month exhibit in Ohio in 2016. The exhibit will also include handwritten song lyrics, a black leather jacket, an electric guitar and screen tests filmed by Andy Warhol. - AP, 3/30/19...... The Grateful Dead has announced it will reissue its 1969 album 
Motown Records released the previously unheard "lost" Marvin Gaye album,