Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on June 16th, 2019

Director Martin Scorsese premiered his new documentary about Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Review on June 10 at New York City's Alice Tully Hall. The Netflix-distributed film explores the rag-tag group of bohemian artists who toured with Dylan in the 1970s, including Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Alan Ginsberg. Scorsese told the audience he'd been wanting to revisit Dylan and his work ever since he did the 2005 Dylan documentary, No Direction Home. "I felt that I missed being around that world, dealing with that music and those lyrics, and I said, 'If you ever have anything, let me know,'" Scorsese said. "And so [producer Jeff Rosen] brought me some of the footage in 2008 and I looked it and said, 'Maybe something can be done with this.' Obviously something could be done. I wanted to do something that captured the spirit of the tour, not just the chronology of it." The resulting film, Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story, feels like an intimate Dylan concert, and at the premiere, audience members applauded after songs as if the performance was live. "Bob Dylan still speaks to the current generation of music fans, and to see him at his prime being the most creative, most vital, I think that's an easy sell," said original Rolling Thunder tour member David Mansfield. - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/12/19...... With very little fanfare, Bruce Springsteen has made his latest album Western Stars available for free streaming on Spotify.com. Comprised of 13 tracks, the LP is inspired by the Southern California pop records of the late '60s and early '70s, and is the Boss' followup to his 2014 set High Hopes. It features the previously released cuts "Tuscon Train," "There Goes My Miracle," and the lead single "Hello Sunshine." "This record is a return to my solo recordings featuring character driven songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestral arrangements," Springsteen said in a statement. "It's a jewel box of a record." - Billboard, 6/14/19...... Documents filed with the New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division on June 12 reveal that organizers of the Woodstock 50 festival lost their festival site at Watkins Glen International speedway because they failed to make a $150,000 payment due on May 15. They show that speedway president Michael Printup made several attempts to collect the payment from Woodstock 50 investor Greg Peck and the event's co-founder Michael Lang before issuing a breach notification on June 3. The missed payment was the second half of the $300,000 licensing fee festival organizers had agreed to pay the NASCAR track to host the festival on Aug. 16-18. The $150,000 payment was due the day after Woodstock 50 lost a key court battle on May 14 when a New York judge refused to force Dentsu, which had agreed to invest $49 million in the troubled Aug 16-18 festival and later attempted to cancel the event, to return $17.8 million of its own money withdrawn from the festival's bank account. Despite losing its permit, its producer, and its venue over the course of a few hours, and after losing its main investor and crucial parts of two recent court rulings, Greg Peck remains defiant and insists the festival will go ahead. "We are in discussions with another venue to host Woodstock 50 on August 16th--18th and look forward to sharing the new location when tickets go on sale in the coming weeks," he said. - Billboard, 6/13/19...... The 50th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony was held on June 13 at New York's Marriott Marquis hotel, with '70s artists Yusuf/Cat Stevens, John Prine, Jack Tempchin and Tom T. Hall among the six songwriters being inducted. This year's event featured additional performances by presenters Justin Timberlake, Bonnie Raitt, Dave Matthews, Patti LaBelle and Lukas Nelson, among others. Jack Tempchin, who co-wrote several Eagles songs including "Peaceful Easy Feeling," was inducted by Lukas Nelson who observed Tempchin was "a master of simplicity" in his songwriting craft. Dave Matthews introduced Yusuf/Cat Stevens with a performance of his 1970 classic "Father and Son." "The most important inspiration of this artist is has never stopped searching," Matthews said. Accepting the induction, Yusuf immediately agreed, noting, "Most of my songs are about the journey." Bonnie Raitt introduced John Prine with a rendition of Prine's "Angel from Montgomery," which originally appeared on Prine's 1971 eponymous debut album before Raitt released her own version on her Streetlights album in 1974. It has since become a staple of her catalog. "On behalf of all of us who sing your songs," she said, "thank you." Country Hall of Fame and Museum chief Peter Cooper inducted Hall, who only appeared by video because he prefers not to travel nowadays. "He wrote sophisticated stories about simple people," Cooper said. Toward the close of the ceremony, industry legend Clive Davis made the presentation for the Johnny Mercer Award -- an award so esteemed that only songwriters already in the SHOF are eligible to receive it -- to Carole Bayer Sager. "Her body of work is definitely considered the gold-standard by all of her peers," Davis said. Accepting her award, Sager recalled being too nervous to attend her SHOF induction 32 years ago, so she was thankful to have a second chance. She was then joined onstage by Patti LaBelle and others to sing "That's What Friends Are For." Also during the ceremony, SHOF chairman Nile Rodgers announced that his organization is partnering with the Grammys to create a traveling exhibition that will explore the craft of songwriting and help gain recognization for the giants of the discipline. - Billboard, 6/14/19...... Rush's loyal legion of fans have been in a kind of Rush-withdrawal since their heroes went on hiatus in 2015, but on Aug. 21 they'll get a fix with the cinematic screening of a new Rush rock-doc called Rush: Cinema Strangiato 2019. The film will feature a hodge-podge of song performances, including "Tom Sawyer," "Closer to the Heart" and "Subdivisions," unreleased soundcheck and backstage footage from Rush's 2015 R40 40th anniversary tour, and new interviews with producer Nick Raskulinecz and Rush fans and fellow famous musicians Billy Corgan, Tom Morello and Taylor Hawkins, who inducted the Canadian trio into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his fellow Foo Fighters bandmate Dave Grohl in 2013. Beginning on June 20, theater locations and ticket details can be found at the website Cinemastrangiato.com. Unfortunately, the film project is probably as close as we're likely to come to a Rush reunion. In Dec. 2018, Geddy Lee told Billboard that a Rush reunion is "highly unlikely." "Neil [Peart] has retired and has no interest to play anymore. Alex [Lifeson] and I... it's possible. We'll see. I'm sure something else will come along for me to do." Lee nevertheless has his voiced support for archival projects, such as album box sets the group has been putting out. - Billboard, 6/11/19...... On June 13, Elton John and the star of his new Rocketman biopic Taron Egerton released a music video on YouTube for their charming duet, "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again," written by John and Bernie Taupin for Rocketman. The colorful new video consists of shots both from archived footage of John's career, along with clips of Egerton from the film. "I'm gonna love me again/ Check in on my very best friend," the pair sing. John and Egerton also surprised fans by performing together on stage recently during a stop in Hove, Sussex on Elton's "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour, singing a rendition of "Your Song." Since its premiere in the US on May 31, Rocketman has become an unequivocal success, maintaining an impressive 90 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and recently surpassing $100 million at the box office. Meanwhile, the director of the mega-hit Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, Dexter Fletcher, has revealed he had an idea for Rami Malek's Freddie Mercury character to appear in Rocketman. "There was an idea I had at one point, where Elton's in a restaurant with his mother," he told Gay Star News. "I thought John Reid [Elton John and Freddie Mercury's manager] and Freddie could be at another table and they wave at each other! That would have been amazing [but] it didn't come to pass. It would've been a little too knowing I'm not looking to set out to make a cinematic universe!" Reid is played by Aidan Gillen in Bohemian Rhapsody and Richard Madden in Rocketman. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 6/13/19...... In other Queen-related news, co-founding guitarist Brian May recently retraced the journey of Freddie Mercury by visiting Zanzibar, the east African island where the legendary singer was born. May's "pilgramage" to Mercury included visiting key locations in the musician's early life, including the home where he was born and his first ever school. Posting on Instagram, May shared a photo of himself outside the school with wife Anita Dobson. "At Freddie's school," wrote May. "Under guidance from Freddie's lovely sister Kashmira and Abdul, our excellent Zanzibarian guide, we managed to retrace many of Freddie's childhood steps. Nice to share with you folks." May also posted photos from outside Mercury's childhood home, located in Zanzibar's Stone Town. The family apartment block has since been developed into the Tembo House Hotel, which is also known as "Freddie Mercury House." Mercury was born as Farrokh Bulsara on the island in 1946 and lived there until the age of eight, when his parents sent him to school in Mumbai. He later returned in 19643, but fled to London after a revolution caused social unrest. - NME, 6/12/19...... A "lost" Miles Davis album entitled Rubberband is set to be released on Sept. 6, almost 30 years after the legendary jazz musician's death. The 12-track album was recorded in 1985 and marked his first record on Warner Bros after moving from Columbia Records. It marked a stylistic change for the jazz icon, who incorporated funk and soul vibes on the record for the first time in his career. But Rubberband ultimately failed to see the light of day when Davis' talents became increasingly in demand. While he had planned to record with vocalists including Chaka Khan and Al Jarreau, the early sessions were ultimately put on the back burner so he could focus on his Tutu album, which arrived in Sept. 1986. Rubberband will see vocals being provided by Lalah Hathaway (the daughter of Donny Hathaway) and Grammy-nominated Ledisi. It will also feature cover art personally designed by Davis too -- which sees him channelling a Pablo Picasso-esque spirit. - New Musical Express, 6/14/19...... It has been revealed that Dr. John recorded an unreleased album a year before his passing on June 6, and that he understood "this was his final record." Consisting of originals, twangy covers and reworked classics, the LP features the likes of Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville and Rickie Lee Jones. It was completed in December 2018 with the help of guitarist Shane Theriot, who told Rolling Stone that listening to the final project was emotional. "We sat and listened to everything twice," Theriot said. "He was singing along and had a big grin on his face. Then he walked me out to my car, stared at me and said, 'I'm glad. I made the right choice.' And then he hugged and kissed me on the cheek." Theriot added that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was able to preview the entire album for he died. "Mac got to hear it and live with it and make suggestions," he said. "This was one of his creations." While the LP is completely finished, a title and release date are still being planned. - Rolling Stone, 6/11/19...... During a Q&A session at a The Who pop-up shop at 52 Brewer Street in London's Soho on June 13, frontman Roger Daltrey said he thinks The Who "have made their "best album since Quadrophenia." The band has been busy working on their first album since 2006's Endless Wire after guitarist Pete Townshend revealed in 2018 that the untitled album at the time consisted of 15 demos. He described the new album as a mixture of "dark ballads, heavy rock stuff, experimental electronica, sampled stuff and cliched Who-ish tunes that began with a guitar that goes yanga-dang." While Daltrey said he was initially skeptical about the new LP, he says he's now changed his mind and is "incredibly optimistic" about their 12th studio album. "When I first heard the songs I was very skeptical as I didn't think I could do it," Daltrey explained. "I thought Pete had written a really great solo album and I said to him, 'Pete, what do you need to do this for? Release it as a solo album, it's great.' But he said he wanted it to be a Who album. So I took the songs away and I listened to them, and listened to them some more, and I had some ideas. [Pete] let me have a bit of freedom with changing a few things, changing the tenses of songs and other little things. And he gave me complete melodic freedom. And I gotta tell you that after being very skeptical I'm now incredibly optimistic. I think we've made our best album since Quadrophenia." Daltrey added: "Pete hasn't lost it, he's still a fabulous songwriter and he's still got that cutting edge, man." The Who will be a huge show at London's Wembley Stadium on July 6 with support from Kaiser Chiefs and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. The Who kicked off their "Moving On! Tour" at New York City's Madison Square Garden on May 13. - New Musical Express, 6/13/19...... The Beatles' first contract with their manager Brian Epstein is expected to fetch around £300,000 when it is auctioned by Sotheby's in July. The contract, which is from the collection of Epstein's publisher Ernest Hecht, was signed by Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and original drummer Pete Best, and is thought to have been signed in the living room at Best's mother's house and is the first of two contracts between the group and Epstein. A second one was signed on Oct. 1, 1962, after Best was replaced by Ringo Starr. Interestingly, Epstein did not sign the document because he "wanted to free the Beatles of their obligations if I felt they would be better off." "Even though I knew I would keep the contract in every clause, I had not 100 percent faith in myself to help the Beatles," he is quoted as saying. Epstein's fee was spelled out as 10 percent of the band's earnings, which would rise to 15 percent if those earnings went over £120 a week. It also agreed that the manager would be responsible for finding work for the Beatles, managing their schedule and publicity, and "all matters concerning clothes, make-up and the presentation and construction of the artists' acts and also on all music to be performed." "[Epstein] stopped them eating on stage. He made sure they played the songs properly and coherently, and he got them bowing at the end of a set... They had the stage energy but he instilled a sense of professionalism in them," said Gabriel Heaton of Sotheby's. - New Musical Express, 6/14/19...... A week after announcing he was delaying his upcoming tour to work on some mental health issues, Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson posted on Twitter thanking his fans for their continued support. "Brian, Melinda and the Wilson family would like to thank all of you for your wonderful notes and good wishes," his post on June 10 reads. "Brian looks forward to feeling better and seeing you again this Fall. Love & Mercy." Wilson originally posted on his official website that he was "not feeling like myself." "Mentally insecure is how I'd describe it. We're not sure what is causing it but i do know that it's not good for me to be on the road right now," he wrote. - Billboard, 6/10/19...... Veteran singer/actor Steve Lawrence revealed on June 11 that he has been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. In a press release set by his spokesperson Howard Bragman, Lawrence confirmed the diagnosis, saying that he felt he needed to speak out in light of recent rumors and media inquiries. "I'm living my life, going out in public and trying to spend as much time as possible with my family and friends while I am still able to engage and enjoy," he wrote. Lawrence said he doesn't want pity or sympathy in response to his diagnosis. "I have lived and am living a wonderful, joyous life filled with love, support and amazing moments," he said. Lawrence, 83, is known for solo hits including the No. 1 ballad "Go Away Little Girl" and as one half of the 1960s pop duo Steve and Eydie alongside his wife, Eydie Gorme, who died in 2013. The couple were known for their frequent appearances on TV variety and talk shows, in night clubs, and on the stages of Las Vegas. - People.com/AP, 6/11/19...... Iggy Pop has released a new video for his song "Run Like a Villain" on YouTube. The video is animated by Polish visual artist Marta Kacprzak of Motion Picture Stories and follows the release of "The Villagers" / "Pain and Suffering" for this year's Record Store Day. The song is takend from the reissue of Pop's Zombie Birdhouse album, which is due out on June 28. The also contains a previously unreleased version of "Pain and Suffering," which features backing vocals from Blondie's Debbie Harry. - NME, 6/13/19...... Philomena Lynott, the mother of legendary late Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, passed away in Dublin on June 12 after an extensive battle with cancer. She was 88. Ms. Lynott was the author of My Boy, which told the story of her son's life from his early days in Manchester and Dublin, to his success as the frontman of the legendary rock band. "She was a formidable and brilliant woman," says Hot Press editor Niall Stokes. "I am really proud that we were able to participate in telling her remarkable story. Because she was indeed a remarkable woman." Philomena remained a huge champion of her son's talents after his passing and successfully campaigned for a statue in his memory to be erected in Dublin in 2005. In 2012, she also made international headlines after criticising Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney for using Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town" at a campaign rally. - NME, 6/12/19...... Country/pop crossover legend Kenny Rogers is dismissing "wild misinformation and speculation" about his health and says he plans on "sticking around" for years to come. A statement released on Rogers' behalf on June 14 was published after a U.S. tabloid report claimed the 80-year-old "Lucille" singer had been diagnosed with bladder cancer and was dying. The statement said Rogers, who hasn't been seen in public since April 2018, was recently admitted to a hospital in Georgia and treated for dehydration. "He will remain there to complete some physical therapy to get his strength back prior to discharge and can assure everyone he plans on sticking around through the years to come," it added. Rogers embarked on a world farewell tour in 2016 but in April 2018 he canceled the last few shows citing "a series of health challenges." Meanwhile, a woman who has accused the singer of sex assault is demanding an apology from the superstar "before he dies." "I'm sad he's sick and I don't want anybody to die, but it's time to cleanse his soul for his actions," Lisa Applewhite Kimbell, who claimed Rogers ruined her life when he allegedly sexually attacked her during a supposed "movie audition" nearly 30 years ago, told the website RadarOnline.com. Kimbell, 53, says she was a nursing student and part-time actress when she met the star in 1990 through a family friend. She alleges Rogers started calling her and begging her to come to New York City to read for a role. Kimbell went -- and that's when she said things went horribly wrong. We talked for a while, then he grabbed me, touched me inappropriately and tried to kiss me," said Kimbell. "The last thing he said as I left was he had power in Hollywood, and if I told anybody, I'd never become an actress." Kimbell -- who's currently recovering from grueling facial reconstruction surgery after developing skin cancer -- claimed Rogers even called her at home to try to indulge his sick sexual fantasies. She kept quiet until 1992, when two other women claimed he made obscene phone calls to them -- and Kimbell joined them in filing a lawsuit against Kenny. "I was shocked to find the Kenny Rogers so many people know and love is nothing but a dirty old man," she said at the time. Rogers denied their allegations, and she says she eventually felt pressured to drop her lawsuit. - Reuters/American Media, Inc., 6/14/19...... Actress Sylvia Miles, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her brief appearance in the movie Midnight Cowboy, died in New York City on June 12. She was 94. The NYC native began her career in the theatre in the late 1940s, and soon moved into TV and film, landing the role of Sally Rogers in the pilot episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show, although the part was eventually given to actress Rose Marie. Ms. Miles received her second Oscar nod in 1975 for another brief performance in Farewell, My Lovely. Her other film credits included Wall Street in 1987 and its 2010 sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, as well as Andy Warhol's Heat, Critical Condition, Crossing Delancey, and She-Devil, in which she portrayed Meryl Streep's movie mother. She was also a regular on TV, featuring in Sex and the City, NYPD, One Life to Live and All My Children, among many other shows. - WENN/Canoe.com, 6/13/19.

The city of New Orleans sent one of its recently deceased famous sons, Dr. John, off in style on June 7 when it hosted one of its famous "second line funerals" in tribute to the musician, who passed away on June 6 at age 77. The parade was announced on social media by local restauranteur Kermit Ruffins, and it kicked off in front of Kermit's Mother-in-Law Lounge. Trumpeter James Andrews started off the procession with a solo version of Dr. John's "Such A Night" before the celebration of the iconic musician's life wrapped up with the band playing "I'll Fly Away." Dr. John's granddaughter, Stephanie O'Quin, was also reportedly in attendance. - Billboard, 6/8/19...... The Cher-themed Broadway musical "The Cher Show" nabbed two Tony Awards -- Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for Stephanie J. Block and Best Costume Design of a Musical for Bob Mackie -- during the 2019 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 9, 2019 in New York City. The Temptations-based musical "Ain't Too Proud -- The Life and Times of the Temptations" also won in the Best Choreography category, for Sergio Trujillo, and was nominated in a total of 10 categories, including Best Musical. The cast of "Ain't Too Proud" also performed during the ceremony. - Billboard, 6/9/19......The Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson announced on June 6 that he's postponing his "Pet Sounds and Greatest Hits Live" tour as he struggles with his well publicized mental health issues. "It is no secret that I have been living with mental illness for many decades," Wilson posted on his Facebook page and website. "There were times when it was unbearable but with doctors and medications I have been able to live a wonderful, healthy and productive life with support from my family, friends and fans who have helped me through this journey," the 76-year-old musician said. He added that he had three successful operations on his back in the past year and had been recording and rehearsing with the intentions of touring but the latest surgery made him feel "strange" and turned "pretty scary" as he began to struggle with "stuff in my head and saying things I don't mean and I don't know why." Wilson said he plans to work with his doctors, rest and recover, and that he's "looking forward to seeing everyone later in the year." "The music and my fans keep me going and I know this will be something I can AGAIN overcome," he concluded. The tour -- celebrating the Beach Boys' classic 1966 album Pet Sounds with The Zombies as openers -- had already been postponed in 2018, when Wilson had the first of his back surgeries. Wilson was officially diagnosed as a schizoaffective disorder with mild manic depression, and has regularly experienced auditory hallucinations. - The Daily Mail UK, 6/6/19...... The Pacific island nation of Samoa has become the latest nation to ban the Elton John biopic Rocketman because of its depictions of homosexuality. Leiataua Niuapu Faaui, Samoa's principal censor, told a local newspaper on June 11 that Rocketman's homosexual activity violated laws and didn't sit well with the country's cultural and Christian beliefs, however he conceded that "it's a good story, in that it's about an individual trying to move on in life." In a Facebook post, Apollo Cinemas Samoa posted that "due to censoring issues we have had to cancel Rocketman (which) examines John's sexuality and relationship with then-manager John Reid. It stars Taron Egerton who does his own singing as John in the musical fantasy that aims to capture the essence of the musician's life." About 97% of people in Samoa identify as Christian, and the society is generally considered conservative and traditional. Under Samoa's 2013 Crimes Act, sodomy is deemed an offense that is punishable by up to seven years in prison, even if both parties consent. In May, a Russian movie distributor censored scenes from the film that featured gay sex and drug use. Elton John and Paramount Pictures issued a joint statement condemning the action and said it was a "sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people." Meanwhile, John and Egerton recently performed a rendition of Elton's first big hit, "Your Song," as John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour hit the open-air venue of Hove County Ground in the UK. A snippet can be viewed on YouTube. - AP/New Musical Express, 6/11/19...... Who Do I Think I Am?, a new documentary on late Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, will premiere in select US cities in July before being released on DVD on Aug. 17. The film chronicles Clemons' 40 years playing with Springsteen as well as his "spiritual awakening" that came in 2003 at the end of the Boss's The Rising tour. Those offering their memories of Clemons, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 69 from complications caused by a stroke, include Nils Lofgren, Joe Walsh and Bill Clemons. Who Do I Think I Am? producer Joe Amodei says Clemons was "a true Big Man... His spirituality rose to the top of every interview we conducted." - Billboard, 6/7/19...... Even though he once sniffed "I wouldn't do anything with the Royal family. They're scum. Why do we subsidize this family of buffoons?" in the punk rock heyday of the late 1970s, Elvis Costello says he's "happy to accept this very surprising honour" after he was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) during Queen Elizabeth II's annual Birthday Honours List on June 7. In his blog post, Costello added, "To be honest, I'm pretty tickled to receive this acknowledgement for my 'Services To Music', as it confirms my long held suspicion nobody really listens to the words in songs or the outcome might have been somewhat different." Costello went on to reveal how he called his mother after receiving the news, asking her for advice about whether to accept the award or not. "I thought for a while, then folded the document and slept on the news until the morning when I could place a call to England and speak to my mother, Lillian MacManus," he wrote. But Costello, who has often been critical of British imperialism and politics (particularly on tracks like "Oliver's Army" or "Tramp the Dirt Down") added that he had mixed feelings about receiving the distinction. "It is hard to receive anything named for the 'British Empire', and all that term embodies, without a pause for reflection," he noted. "It would be a lie to pretend that I was brought up to have a great sense of loyalty to the Crown, let alone notions of Empire." Costello's latest album, Look Now was released last October. It was the first LP with his backing band the Imposters since 2008's Momofuku and his first album since 2013's Wise Up Ghost which featured The Roots. - New Musical Express, 6/8/19...... On June 10 a panel of 11 judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to hear Led Zeppelin's appeal in a copyright lawsuit alleging the group stole its 1971 rock epic "Stairway To Heaven" from an obscure 1960s instrumental called "Taurus." Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Robert Plant offered testimony in a 2016 trial in which a jury found that "Stairway" did not significantly resemble "Taurus," written by the late Randy Wolfe and performed by his band Spirit. But in September, a three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit ruled that the judge at the trial had failed to advise the jury properly, and ordered a new trial. The judges unanimously found that the trial judge was wrong to tell jurors that individual elements of a song such as its notes or scale may not qualify for copyright protection, because a combination of those elements may qualify if they are sufficiently original. Lawyers for Zeppelin then moved to the next level of appeal, asking for the larger group of judges to rehear the case, and the request was granted. The 11-judge panel will hear the case in late September in San Francisco. - AP, 6/11/19...... The upcoming Woodstock 50 festival celebrating the milestone anniversary of the iconic 1969 concert has been hit with more ongoing issues as its venue, the Watkins Glen International speedway in New York, issued a statement on June 11 saying it would not host the event because it has violated "provisions of the contract." In turn, current Woodstock 50 organizers CID Entertainment then confirmed that Watkins Glen would no longer host the event. "CID Entertainment had been engaged to provide enhanced camping, travel packages and transportation for Woodstock 50. Given developments, we can confirm that CID is no longer involved in Woodstock 50 in any capacity," they said. A spokesperson for the festival said it is "in discussions with another venue to host Woodstock 50 on August 16th--18th and look forward to sharing the new location when tickets go on sale in the coming weeks." Woodstock 50's troubles began in April after its primary funding partner Dentsu Aegis Network withdrew its financial commitment and announced the "cancellation" of Woodstock 50. - New Musical Express, 6/11/19...... As Yusuf/Cat Stevens prepares to be inducted into the 50th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards on June 13 during a ceremony on June 13, the singer/songwriter gave an extensive interview with Billboard which included the stories behing some of his biggest hits, including "The First Cut Is the Deepest." "It was partly telling the story of a breakup between me and one of my first loves, really, and that was a very strong sentiment," Yusuf says. "What I wanted to do there was I loved R&B. As well as listening to musicals I was also going down to clubs and listening to the latest R&B records coming over from across the Atlantic. I loved Otis Redding and I tried to write a song for Otis Redding and that is how 'First Cut Is the Deepest' came about. It's very much a soulful tune. My guitar playing wasn't that clever in those days, so you hear those three little notes, which is pretty basic, but it begins the whole song and it's a signature tune." Yusuf added that Rod Stewart's cover version of the song is one of his favorite covers of his material. "I think he did the best job there, and he made it his own as well." Yusuf added that his next album "has been more or less recorded and we're in the mixing stage" and that his memoir is "being finalized and published" and should be released in 2020. - Billboard, 6/7/19...... In an interview with Toronto radio station Q107 that was his first since undergoing heart surgery in March, Mick Jagger said he was "feeling pretty good" and has "been rehearsing a lot lately in the last few weeks." "This morning [I did] a bit of gym. Nothing crazy. Then I go into rehearsal with the rest of the band," the Rolling Stones frontman added. Jagger says that the band rehearsed the 1976 rarity "Memory Motel" from Black and Blue, however he added the band's upcoming tour reboot, set to begin on June 21, will be filled with plenty of well known Stones classics. "The favorite ones people like to hear are, you know, 'Paint it Black, 'Honky Tonk [Women]' and 'Satisfaction' and things like that," said Jagger. "We don't always necessarily do all of them. We sometimes drop one or two, but there's maybe ten favorites. I don't know how people would feel if you didn't do any of them. I think people would say, 'Oh, that's a bit unfortunate, I came to hear this.'" At the same time, he says "We usually have a [fan] vote song. We usually throw a couple different things in. There might be a few." Meanwhile, the Stones have shared a clip of a live performance of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" from their recently reissued film The Rock and Roll Circus. The 1968 film, which also features such rock royalty as The Who, Jethro Tull, Eric Clapton and John Lennon, was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 7 in the US, with a June 28 release in the UK. - New Musical Express, 6/11/19...... Kool & the Gang were among the headliners on the opening day of the 2019 Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on June 8. The band performed several of its enduring hits, including "Celebration," "Jungle Boogie," "Fresh," "Get Down on It," "Ladies Night" and "Hollywood Swinging." "We've always been jazz musicians at heart," band leader Robert "Kool" Bell told reporters before the show. "I wanted to be John Coltrane at heart. I knew I couldn't be," he added with a laugh, "but I was chasing him like everyone else." The two-day, 41st annual Playboy Jazz Festival wrapped on June 9 with a lineup including Boz Scaggs, The Family Stone, Maceo Parker and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. - Billboard, 6/9/19...... A surreal, satirical documentary narrated by Iggy Pop, In Praise of Nothing, will be available to stream beginning June 21 on the streaming platform Mubi. The film explores what the concept of "Nothing" would say to humans if it could speak, and Iggy narrates as "The Voice of Nothing" throughout. In March, Pop shared a series of clips from the documentary and also revealed that the film had been translated into 35 languages. Described as "a whistleblowing documentary parody," the 78-minute film -- which took almost ten years to make -- is entirely composed of fixed shots filmed by 68 filmmakers in over 70 countries. Earlier in June, Pop also announced he's prepping a career retrospective book entitled 'Til Wrong Feels Right that will highlight lyrics from more than 100 of his songs. - NME, 6/8/19...... On the opening night of a six-show run at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in his hometown of Detroit on June 6, Bob Seger and his Silver Bullet Band treated the audience to a rarely played track from his 1978 Stranger in Town album, "The Famous Final Scene." "I wanted to do another extra song for this encore 'cause I'm home, dammit," Seger told the sold-out crowd at the amphitheater. "And," he added, "it seems appropros" for this stop on his "Roll Me Away" farewell tour. "The Famous Final Scene" was one of several localized touches offered by the Detroit rocker during his hit-filled, 130-minute show -- from 1976's "Mainstreet," about Seger's native Ann Arbor, to the first encore, "In Your Time," a new track he composed for his 1994 Greatest Hits album, inspired by his then two-year-old son Cole. Seger also dedicated the group's rendition of Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" to the late Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, a fellow Michigan native and close friend -- and backing vocalist on Seger's 1968 hit "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man." The show came a day after the DTE Energy Music Theatre venue renamed its address to "33 Bob Seger Drive," commemorating what will be 33 sell-outs at the venue by the time this stand ends on June 21. During a short ceremony on Wednesday, Seger, who was accompanied by his family, called the honor "overwhelming. I'm really happy about this. Great honor, and thank you so much." In a statement, he also said that, "I have a great affection for this historic venue and now to be a part of it forever is truly overwhelming." Seger and his band will take the summer off before resuming the farewell tour on Sept. 12 in Rapid City, S.D. So far 10 dates have been announced for the fall leg, though more are reportedly coming. - Billboard, 6/7/19...... In February, Duncan Jones, the son of David Bowie, said he wouldn't be giving a Bowie biopic titled Stardust that is currently in production his seal of approval. Instead Jones, who has helmed such film projects as Moon, Source Code and the upcoming Rogue Trooper, said he would only approve of a film about his dad if American Gods author Neil Gaiman and Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse director Peter Ramsey were involved. Now Gaiman and Ramsey have expressed an interest in making a Bowie film. Gaiman and Ramsey replied to Jones in a series of tweets on June 7 saying they would "be in" on a Bowie movie. But Jones since clarified that he will not be involved in the movie if it goes ahead. Responding to a fan he said, "I will be making Rogue Trooper. If it happens, Neil & Peter don t need my interference on this grand endeavour." - NME, 6/7/19...... Mavis Staples will be among the lineup for the 2019 concert series at The Surf Lodge in Montauk, N.Y. The hotel/restaurant/vacation spot will host the pop/gospel legend on June 16, and the series will run through Sept. 2 when it wraps with a performance from Lukas Nelson. - Billboard, 6/7/19...... In a new interview with Canada's Edmonton Journal newspaper, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford opened up about the he experienced when he came out as gay in the late nineties. "I was surrounded by homophobia, which still exists today. There are places I can't go back to because I'll be stoned to death," Halford said. "As far as that whole business, I discovered when I did come out that I was in this trap gay people find themselves living in that you're living your life for everyone else, but not yourself. During the '70s and '80s it was incredibly difficult." But Halford added that he "loves Priest more than, so while always in my mind -- I have to be careful how I say this -- it's not important to the music. Though I will say, a straight man can't do my job [laughs]. That's the way I view it." Halford also says that "Queen "would've been a totally different band" if Freddie Mercury hadn't been gay, and revealed that he'd do a duet with Elton John "in a heartbeat!" Judas Priest is currently in the midst of a summer tour of North America. - NME, 6/8/19...... Genesis' Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford performed together for the first time in 12 years when Rutherford jammed with Collins during his June 7 concert in Berlin on the band's 1978 hit "Follow You Follow Me." Fan-shot footage shows Rutherford hug Collins as he walks onstage and is handed an acoustic guitar. After rapturous applause from the audience, Collins said: "I think we'll have it one more time - Mr. Mike Rutherford!" Rutherford's band Mike + The Mechanics had performed earlier in the evening, with the group supporting Collins on the current tour. In 2018, Collins said that he'd be open to a Genesis reunion if his son would drum for the band. Both Collins and Rutherford have expressed interest in reforming Genesis in recent years, and Tony Banks also added to the speculation by refusing to rule out the prospect of a future Genesis reunion. - New Musical Express, 6/9/19...... Three months after suffering a stroke Jerry Lee Lewis is on the mend, according to a rep for the 83-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. "Jerry Lee Lewis is back home after a successful stay at a rehabilitation center following a stroke earlier this year," the rep told People magazine on June 7. "He is right on track to be back on stage soon and will be heading into the studio in the next couple of months to record a Gospel record. The Killer wants to express his continued appreciation to his fans across the world for their continued thoughts and prayers," the statement continued. On March 1, Lewis suffered a stroke and was transferred to a rehabilitation center shortly after, according to his rep. Lewis has spent the last year touring the US, with his most recent appearance occurring on Feb. 16 in Greenville, S.C., according to his website. His scheduled performances in April, May, and June were canceled so Lewis could focus on his health. - People.com, 6/8/19...... CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment released a 50th anniversary The Brady Bunch TV & Movie Collection on June 4. Described as "an ultimate compilation of programming spanning throughout the entirety of the Brady franchise history," the set features all five seasons of the original series and a compilation of Brady movies and derivative TV series, including The Brady Kids: The Complete Animated Series, The Bradys, and The Brady Brides spinoffs, alongside five television films: The Brady Bunch Movie, A Very Brady Christmas, The Brady Bunch in the White House, Growing Up Brady and A Very Brady Sequel. - ComingSoon.Net, 6/7/19.