Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 6th, 2019

Various Michael Jackson fan clubs including the Michael Jackson Community, the MJ Street and On the Line have filed a defamation suit in France against the two alleged victims of abuse featured in the 2018 documentary Leaving Neverland. Unlike in America, under French law defamation laws extend beyond death. The groups are seeking symbolic damages of 1 euro from each man on the grounds that they are "sullying" the late pop superstar's "image." The groups' lawyer, Emmanuel Ludot said: "In France you cannot sully the image of the dead. There's moral and emotional suffering. And when there's suffering, there's compensation. It's very simple." He also compared the men's allegations to a "genuine lynching." A joint documentary from the BBC's Channel 4 and HBO, Leaving Neverland detailed allegations of child abuse from James Safechuck and Wade Robson against Jackson, all of which have been denied by Jackson's family. - New Musical Express, 7/5/19...... In a new interview with Billboard, The Who's Roger Daltrey says he expects that age will claim his voice in the next few years. "Obviously within the next five years I think my voice will go. Age will get it in the end." But, Datrey adds, "It's still there at the moment," and says he plans on getting the most out of with the time he has left. In June, Daltrey released a live album from his tour performing the Who's iconic rock opera Tommy with symphony orchestras, after releasing his first new solo album (As Long As I Have You) in 26 years in 2018 and publishing a memoir (Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite). As the iconic 1969 Woodstock festival approaches its 50th anniversary, Daltrey also reminisced about the Who's performance. "Once we got to 'See Me, Feel Me' it was sunrise and the sun just peeked itself over the horizon," he recalls. "You couldn't have planned it better. It was just magical." Daltrey also talked about the Who's new studio album, which has no title or release date yet. "It's turning out really much better than I ever thought it could be," he says. He reports there are nine tracks "that are absolutely fabulous," some of which will also be orchestrated, and he expects the group to add one or two more songs before it's finished. The Who's summer "Moving On!" tour schedule includes a huge show at London's Wembley Stadium on July 6, backed by a symphony orchestra and with special guests Kaiser Chiefs, Eddie Vedder, Imelda May and Connor Selby. The show comes only a day after Pete Townshend confirmed the death of the band's long-term guitar technician, Alan Rogan. Townshend described Rogan as "my guitar tech, friend, saviour and good buddy... (he) was an essential and hugely respected member of the Who crew for many years and will be sorely missed." Rogan, who also did guitar maintenance for Aerosmith, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards, has been described as "the greatest guitar tech of all time." - Billboard/NME, 7/3/19...... An official in Oneida County, N.Y., where the Woodstock 50 festival is scheduled to be held on Aug. 16-18 released a statement on July 2 saying hosting the festival "could pose a significant challenge." County Executive Anthony Picente says preparing for the health and safety of residents and concert goers with the event just over a month away will be challenging. "With the event just a little over a month away, we have been asked to prepare in just days what has failed to get done in over a year of negotiations and preparations at the previous location," Picente noted. "With such a short time frame, the logistical hurdles to ensure the public health and safety of the concertgoers and the surrounding community could pose a significant challenge. In light of the hundreds of thousands that turned out for the original 1969 festival our first and foremost concern is for the safety and welfare of Oneida County residents," he added. The Woodstock 50 festival has faced a series of setbacks, including the losses of a financial partner, a production company and original site, Watkins Glen International. A mass gathering permit application for the Vernon Downs harness track and casino in Vernon, N.Y., was recently filed after operators of the original festival site pulled out in June. - AP, 7/2/19...... Motown legend Smokey Robinson recently traveled to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., to entertain its young patients. In a heartwarming new video, posted on Instagram, Robinson teaches patients Calvin, Cassidy and Alana the Temptations' "Get Ready." They sing the tune and clap their hands to the beat, and even delve into a small side-chat about how Smokey got his unique name. Robinson's visit was part of his participation in the "Music Gives to St. Jude Kids" initiative, which aims to inspire bands, their fans and the music industry as a whole to raise awareness for St. Jude. "It means the world to me to be able to spend time with these amazing kids and experience the joy that music brings to their faces," said Robinson in a press statement. "There is magic in song and the ability to harness that magic to help heal your mind and body is truly a gift. I am honored to share my love for music with these brave children and in turn, share that experience with the world through this video." - Billboard, 7/2/19...... On July 2, producers of an upcoming Elvis Presley biopic to be directed by Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, The Great Gatsby) revealed that a group of rising stars including Harry Styles, Miles Teller, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ansel Elgort and Austin Butler have tested to portray the late King of Rock 'n' Roll in the film. Styles seems to be the most obvious musical choice, with two wildly successful projects under his belt with One Direction and his just-starting solo career. Though his only venture into acting thus far has been in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, it was quite a prestigious start and critics say his performance was solid. In March, it was revealed that Tom Hanks, who counts Elvis as one of his musical heroes, is in talks to play Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Production on the movie is expected to begin later in 2019. - Billboard, 7/2/19...... Irish-born and English-reared singer Gilbert O'Sullivan of "Alone Again, Naturally" fame will be returning to live performing in the U.S. for the first time in 43 years on July 9 and 10 with two gigs at Manhattan's City Winery and Philadelphia's World Cafe Live, respectively. O'Sullivan says he hopes it's the beginning of righting a wrong decision made by his management back in the mid-'70s. "After having three million-sellers I was ready for my first tour of America, so the decision that my manager at the time had to make -- and I had nothing to do with it -- was should I go and do my own shows and play big venues in Europe or come to America and support the Moody Blues?" O'Sullivan says his management opted to instead put him out as a headliner in all territories, which -- despite a successful performance at New York's Carnegie Hall -- proved to be "a wonderful disaster" in the U.S., where the tour was eventually aborted due to low ticket sales. "Just because you sell millions of records it doesn't guarantee bums on seats," he says. "I wasn't involved enough, but obviously looking back at this it was the wrong decision to send me out there without having the experience of doing support. So that's the story." After some career ups and downs, O'Sullivan returned to active live performing during the mid-00s and has been releasing music steadily, including a well-received 2018 self-titled effort, produced by Ethan Johns. He played some shows to introduce that release in an "intimate and up close and personal" duo format with guitarist Bill Shanley -- which is how O'Sullivan says he's electing to play his upcoming U.S. shows. O'Sullivan has more European dates set up during the remainder of 2019, as well as a plan to return to the U.S. next spring. "I mean, it's a guy who hasn't been there in so many years. They don't know what it's going to be like," he notes. "So they were very wary; We had to work really hard to even get this. So if we go down well and the reaction is good, we could be doing quite a few more dates covering the country. I'd certainly like that." - Billboard, 7/2/19...... Robert Plant performed the Led Zeppelin classic "Immigrant Song" for the first time in 23 years during his headlining set at the Secret Solstice festival in Iceland on June 29. Plant last performed the song on Feb. 9, 1996 during a tour with Jimmy Page. "We went to Iceland, and it made you think of Vikings and big ships. And bang, there it was -- ' Immigrant Song!'," Plant said of the 1970 tune at the time. "We come from the land of the ice and snow/From the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow," the lyrics fittingly read. "Immigrant Song" was the lead single from Zeppelin's 1970 LP, Led Zeppelin III. - Billboard, 7/1/19...... In related news, the Rolling Stones performed their cover of Don Covay & The Goodtimers song "Mercy Mercy" for the first time in 50 years during their concert at Landover, Maryland on July 3. "It's a long time ago, so we're going to try to remember it," frontman Mick Jagger told the audience before launching into the song. The last time the Stones played "Mercy Mercy"' was at their Hyde Park show on July 6, 1969, days after the death of guitarist Brian Jones. Meanwhile, as the 50th anniversary of the death of Jones came on July 3, Jones' daughter Barbara Marion told the UK's Sky News she thinks her father could have been murdered. Describing his death as a "bit of a mystery, Marion said: "I think he was murdered and I think the police did not investigate it the way they should have. I would love to have them reopen [the case] and to get some answers." In 1969, a coroner recorded the death of the co-founding Stones member, who was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool at Cotchford Farm in East Sussex, as a result of "misadventure." In March of this year, Sussex Police said: "From time to time over the past 49 years Sussex Police have also received messages or reports from journalists and other individuals about the death. Each is considered on its individual merits and reviewed wherever appropriate. No such report has been received since 2010 and no new evidence has emerged to suggest that the coroner's original verdict of 'death by misadventure' was incorrect. The case has not been reopened and there are no plans for that to happen." - New Musical Express, 7/5/19...... A copyright court case over Ed Sheeran allegedly copying Marvin Gaye's iconic 1973 single "Let's Get It On" has reportedly been delayed until 2020. In 1918, The family of Ed Townshend who co-wrote the song with Gaye, filed suit against the "Shape of You" singer for allegedly lifting variety of musical elements -- including melody, harmony, and rhythmic components -- for his 2014 single, "Thinking Out Loud." A request by Sheeran to dismiss the lawsuit was later rejected by District Judge Louis Stanton in Manhattan, who argued there are "substantial similarities between several of the two works' musical elements". He also referenced performances of Sheeran "seamlessly transitioning between [the songs]" to support the reasoning for the suit. Now, it's been reported that the case could be delayed until next year. According to Law360 magazine, Standon joked for those involved to "take the summer off!" while a similar copyright case between Led Zeppelin and Spirit over "Stairway to Heaven" has been resolved. The publication states that all parties will then be summoned by the US District Judge in New York. Sheeran is reportedly being sued for a $100m (£76.4m) over his alleged use of the track. - NME, 7/3/19...... City officials in Philadephia honored hometown girl Patti LaBelle during a ceremony on July 2 by renaming a street between Locust and Spruce Streets "Patti LaBelle Way." LaBelle, sometimes referred to as "The Godmother of Soul," was on hand to make remarks during the ceremony. Labelle's former group of the same name scored a No. 1 hit in 1975 with "Lady Marmalade," and she also had a successful solo career with hits like "You Are My Friend" and "New Attitude." LaBelle is the winner of two Grammy Awards and has appeared in her own cooking show, Patti LaBelle's Place. She has also launched a successful pie and cake business, with her deserts available at Walmart. - AP, 7/2/19...... As a Linda McCartney photo retrospective exhibition prepares to open in Glasgow later this summer, Paul McCartney remembered his first wife during an interview with the BBC on July 5. "Both my mum and Linda died of breast cancer. We had no idea what my mum had died of because no-one talked about it. She just died." Sir Paul continued: "The worse thing about that was everyone was very stoic, everyone kept a stiff upper lip and then one evening you'd hear my dad crying in the next room. It was tragic because we'd never heard him cry. It was a quiet private kind of grief." Macca said he "cried for about a year, on and off." "You expect to see them walk in, this person you love, because you are so used to them," he said. "I cried a lot. It was almost embarrassing except it seemed the only thing to do." Paul also spoke of Linda's photography: "When she came to Britain and we got to together the greatest thing about it was we both wanted to be free. We did what we wanted and she took pictures of it all." Linda McCartney died after a battle with breast cancer on Apr. 17, 1998, at age 56. - New Musical Express, 7/5/19...... Comic Arte Johnson, best known for the hilarous characters he created for the 1960 comedy series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, died on July 3 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of heart failure following a three-year battle with bladder and prostate cancer, his family announced. He was 90. The 5-foot-4 Mr. Johnson, a master of ad libs, double-talk and dialects who once said he was content to be a "second banana," cracked up Laugh-In audiences with his portrayal of Wolfgang, a former German storm trooper who muttered "Verry interesting" to the most cracked proposals (or, "Verry interesting -- but stupid"). Mr. Johnson said he got the idea for the character while watching Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan battle the Nazis in the 1942 movie Desperate Journey. Mr. Johnson had a repertoire of more than 60 comic characters, including Piotr Rosmenko, an Eastern European song-and-dance man; Rabbi Shankar, an addled Indian guru; and a man in a yellow raincoat who could not help falling off his tricycle. Mr. Johnson came to Los Angeles in 1955 as a singer and appeared on such shows as Make Room for Daddy, Sally, The Twilight Zone, The Red Skelton Hour, The Andy Griffith Show and McHale's Navy and in the films Miracle in the Rain (1956), The Subterraneans (1960), The Third Day (1965) -- as a neurotic killer -- and The President's Analyst (1967). His versatile vocal creations led to work in scores of commercials over the years. Producer George Schlatter was impressed with his humorous characterizations and impersonations and asked Johnson to try out for Laugh-In, which debuted in September 1968. In the 1970s for NBC, Johnson headlined his own special, Verry Interesting; starred in the telefilm Call Holme, a comedy mystery that utilized his propensity for disguises and accents; and served as master of ceremonies for the quiz show Knockout. In 1968, Johnson married a German woman, Gisela, and picked up a love of needlepoint from her. She survives him, as does his brother. Donations in his name can be made to Actors & Others for Animals. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/3/19...... It has been revealed that Mad magazine, the irreverent and highly influential satirical comic that gave the world Alfred E. Neuman, will effectively cease publication some time later in 2019, after 67 years in existence. According to sources, Mad will no longer be sold on newsstands after the August issue, and will only be available through comic book shops as well as mailed to subscribers. After the September issue, there will no longer be new content save for the end-of-year specials. Beginning with the October issue, the magazine will only feature previously published content -- classic and best-of nostalgic fare -- from its massive vault of material from the past 67 years. DC, however, will continue to publish Mad books and special collections. The venerable humor magazine was founded in 1952 by a group of editors led by Harvey Kurtzman. Although it began as a comic book, bimonthly issues were published and became the norm for the satirical content. Mad, with it's always memorable covers featuring the gap-toothed Alfred E. Neuman, has been highly influential for successive generations of comedians, artists, writers and performers. The news of Mad's closure has already led to reaction on social media, with a host of comedy heavyweights sharing their sorrow, how the mag influenced them and their favorite bits over the years. "I am profoundly sad to hear that after 67 years, Mad Magazine is ceasing publication," tweeted pop music satirist Weird Al Yankovic. "I can't begin to describe the impact it had on me as a young kid it's pretty much the reason I turned out weird. Goodbye to one of the all-time greatest American institutions. #ThanksMAD." DC Entertainment, the publishers of Mad, declined to comment. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/3/19...... Auto industry legend Lee Iacocca, best remembered as the man who was the driving force behind the Ford Mustang and as Chrysler CEO who managed to save the company from near-certain destruction in the early 1980s, died on July 2 at his home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif. He was 94. Mr. Iacocca also was likely the only auto executive to have a best-selling autobiography, and was the driving force behind the modern rebirth of the minivan while at Chrysler. He had his share of controversy as well, getting fired from his position as president of Ford as the result of the fallout from the Ford Pinto's exploding fuel tank scandal, the risks of which Ford (and Iacocca) were aware of before the car went to market. Outside of the automotive business, Mr. Iacocca was appointed by Pres. Ronald Reagan to head the foundation to raise funds for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, and founded the Olivio company, which makes olive oil-derived food products and donates all the profits to diabetes research. He also appeared on an episode of Miami Vice, as a park commissioner. - Jalopnik.com, 7/2/19.

It has been revealed that Mick Jagger has to be within feet of a doctor when on stage just weeks after having heart surgery, and indeed the Rolling Stones frontman has a cardiologist waiting in the wings at every Stones concert "just in case." Sir Mick, 75, returned to live performing on June 21 in Chicago as the Stones kicked off the latest leg of their No Filter in the U.S. after the band was forced to postpone its North American concerts after it was disclosed that Jagger needed life-saving heart valve replacement surgery in April. However, insurance requirements mean a heart specialist now has to be within feet of the singer every time he is on stage. "There has always been a doctor on tour with the band -- that's a requirement of any major tour, particularly given the ages of the band members," according to one source. "But now Mick has undergone heart surgery, there is a cardiologist there too, just for him. The insurance company demands it just in case anything happens," he added. Jagger has reportedly resumed his gruelling fitness regime, which includes working out for two hours a day with a trainer, and even has his own gym set up in a suite next to his hotel room. He also travels with a private chef who cooks him organic food. The source added: "Mick has always eaten clean but he's on a low-sodium diet because of his issues. He takes a handfuls of vitamins every day and has never looked or sounded better." On June 29, the Stones performed a Canada Day show at Burl's Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, about 90 minutes north of Toronto. "Hello Canada. Happy Canada Day, everybody," Jagger told his audience of around 60,000 after the band performed two opening songs ,"Street Fighting Man" and "Let's Spend The Night Together" (Canada Day is officially July 1), before launching into "Tumbling Dice." It would be the first of many Canadian references he would make during the two-hour set. The band's two-song encore consisted of Mick's vocal duet with Sasha Allen on "Gimme Shelter," while closer "Satisfaction" capped the show with a fireworks display. - DailyMail.co.uk/Billboard, 6/29/19...... On July 1, a new biographical Broadway musical telling the life story of Neil Diamond was announced by producers Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio. The as yet untitled musical, directed by Michael Mayer, will consist of the veteran singer's greatest hits and is based on a book by writer Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Theory of Everything). The musical will follow Diamond's journey throughout his life, from poor kid in Brooklyn to one of the greatest showmen in rock 'n' roll history. In a statement, Diamond said he's "always loved Broadway." "The inspiration for many of my early songs came from shows like 'West Side Story', 'My Fair Lady' and 'Fiddler on the Roof', so it seems only fitting to bring my songs to The Great White Way. I'm honored and excited to be working with this great team," he noted. Additional details will be announced soon. - Billboard, 7/1/19...... As the new Cameron Crowe-produced David Crosby documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name prepares to hit U.S. theaters on July 19, Crosby says he hopes the film will serve as "an apology" to fans for the mistakes he's made throughout his life. "It's a very difficult film for me, playing a flawed human being, highly imperfect -- sometimes an asshole," Crosby says. "Lots of mistakes. If you are trying to look at me as a whole picture, you can't leave that stuff out, because otherwise it's like cooking the meat and no salt." Crosby and Crowe have known each other since 1974, when then writer Crowe interviewed the rock superstar for a Rolling Stone magazine profile. Like most "Croz"'s friends and close observers, Crowe says he held little hope for a long run for the musician. "I ran into him probably four or five times between '78 and '93, where I really thought it would be the last time," Crowe says. "He felt a bit like an empty shell. I would see him at one of those [local school] events and he gave you this look like, 'Travel safely, my friend.' You go, oh, shoot, kiss it goodbye. Then a year later, he's back." The 95-minute picture debuted to a strong reception at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in 2019 and was quickly picked up by Sony Pictures Classics for release. - Billboard, 7/1/19...... A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd to erect two Mississippi Blues Trail markers to commemorate the 1977 plane crash that killed three members of the legendary Southern rock band, their road managers and two pilots. According to a local paper, the markers will be unveiled in October, 42 years after the tragic accident -- one near the crash site in Gillsburg and the other at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in McComb, where survivors were treated. Mississippian Skynyrd fan Mike Rounsaville, who is organizing the campaign, says his GoFundMe page has already reached $10,000 in donations. The Florida-based band is touring Europe and the U.S. in 2019. - AP, 6/29/19...... In related news, Yusuf/Cat Stevens is among the musicians participating in a crowdfunding campaign to help restore and preserve late singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone's childhood home in Tryon, N.C. The clapboard pier and beam house, which has been designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, helped inspire some of Simone's most powerful work, including the songs "Mississippi Goddam" and "Four Women." The National Trust is also taking the Simone crowdfunding campaign on the road, bringing it to the 25th annual Essence Festival in New Orleans (July 5-7). - Billboard, 7/1/19...... Bette Midler reacted to Pres. Donald Trump's recent tweet calling the singer a "washed-up psycho" on June 4 during a performance before a raucous crowd at the Javits Center in New York during her headlining set at New York's World Pride main event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riot. Midler joked that she was surprised she was even invited after Trump's harsh lambasting on Twitter. "Just two weeks ago, I was a washed-up psycho," she quipped. "Happily, I have recovered completely, and there's something that I learned from my president's lunatic attack," she added, before dropping into her beloved hit "Friends." "I am not alone," Midler sang. "When he tweets me and derides me/ As he sits there on the throne/ At one thirty in the f---ing morning/ What is he doing?... he had just had dinner with the queen. He doesn't drink, but of course he is 73, so I'm sure he had to pee all night long. There he is sitting on the throne, got nothing better to do but call me a 'washed-up psycho.'" In June, Midler tweeted an apology for a previous statement she had erroneously attributed to Trump. "I apologize; this quote turns out to be a fake from way back in '15-16. Don't know how I missed it, but it sounds SO much like him that I believed it was true!" the singer-actress wrote. - Billboard, 7/1/19...... Meanwhile, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne are blasting Pres. Trump's use of Ozzy's solo hit "Crazy Train" in a Twitter post about the recent Democratic presidential debate on June 27. Trump tweeted a doctored video that marries Osbourne's 1980 single with footage of a technical glitch that occurred at last night's Democratic primary debate in an effort to mock the participants. The video culminates with footage of Trump on a stage before ending with a plug for Trump's 2020 campaign. "Based on this morning's unauthorized use of Ozzy Osbourne's 'Crazy Train,' we are sending notice to the Trump campaign (or any other campaigns) that they are forbidden from using any of Ozzy Osbourne's music in political ads or in any political campaigns," said Sharon -- who notably appeared on Season 9 of Trump's NBC series The Celebrity Apprentice -- in a statement on behalf of her husband. "Ozzy's music cannot be used for any means without approvals. In the meantime, I have a suggestion for Mr. Trump -- perhaps he should reach out to some of his musician friends. Maybe Kayne West ('Gold Digger'), Kid Rock ('I Am the Bullgod') or Ted Nugent ('Stranglehold') will allow use of their music." Previously, such major rock stars as Queen, Neil Young, Aerosmith and R.E.M. have protested the president's use of their songs at Trump events. - Billboard, 6/27/19...... In other Black Sabbath-related news, the band's Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler admitted that they "don't listen to modern heavy metal" during the opening of a new Black Sabbath exhibition in their hometown of Birmingham, UK on June 26. "I don't particularly [listen to modern metal," said Butler. "The Beatles, The Stones and The Kinks, that's my kind of music." "I tend to listen to the more older stuff really. More the classic stuff than the newer stuff because I relate to that more," Iommi added. The "Home Of Metal: Black Sabbath at 50" exhibition, will celebrate how the West Midlands band pioneered heavy metal before it spread across the globe. While Sabbath played their last gig in 2017, Ozzy Osbourne recently admitted he's hoping for one last gig with ousted drummer Bill Ward. - New Musical Express, 6/27/19...... In other Heavy Metal news, the University of Newcastle in Australia has just announced a scholarship for a PhD student to study "Heavy Metal Geographies." The scholarship is worth $27,596AUD (£15,256), and would allow the successful applicant to research "the social geography of heavy metal culture." For the metal degree, the course description reads: "While unique scenes have evolved across the globe, the bulk of Heavy Metal's bands have originated within countries in the northern latitudes. "Australia is uniquely positioned within this global evolution, owing to its historical connection to the United Kingdom and shared cultural affinities with its colonial originator. While remote from the geographical heart of Heavy Metal culture, Australia has developed its own unique and passionate approach, producing a number of high profile bands." - NME, 6/27/19...... During his second show in Las Vegas on his "Freshen Up Tour" on June 28, Paul McCartney brought out another famous rocker, Steven Tyler, to scream through what is probably the fiercest rocker in the Beatles' canon, "Helter Skelter." Tyler -- who's back in Vegas for his "Deuces Are Wild" residency with Aerosmith -- spent his night off enjoying the music of Macca. Before he hopped onstage to belt out "Helter Skelter" with McCartney, Tyler broadcast his joy to his followers through his Instagram account as he sang along with the chorus of "Hey Jude" from backstage. The Aerosmith frontman was clearly thrilled to be in the company of one of his own favorite musicians, and even brought his own trademark, scarf-draped microphone to the T-Mobile Arena for their standout moment in the deafening "Helter Skelter" encore. McCartney's "Freshen Up Tour" picks up again in Vancouver on July 6. Aerosmith will roll through their Vegas run of "Deuces Are Wild" dates through July 9 before they take their residency on an East Coast tour, which kicks off Aug. 8 in National Harbor, M.D. - Billboad, 6/29/19...... After Elton John released an open letter to Russian president Vladimir Putin on Instagram on June 28 saying he "strongly disagrees with your view that pursuing policies that embrace multicultural and sexual diversity are obsolete in our societies," Putin is denying that Russia is hostile toward the LGBT community and said that British singer Elton John was wrong to make such claims. "[Elton John] is mistaken," Putin was quoted as saying by the Russian state-run news agency TASS on June 29. "We [in Russia] have a very neutral attitude to members of the LGBT community. We have a law, for which we've been slammed, a law banning propaganda of homosexuality among minors." According to Putin, the law just aims to make sure children are "left alone" until they've grown up, and then they can make decisions regarding their sexuality. In further remarks, Putin complemented John. "I respect him very much, he is a genial musician, he comes to Russia and we are happy to listen to him sing," he said. John's remarks referred to the fact that the recent Elton biopic Rocketman was censored in Russia, with scenes depicting gay sex and drug consumption being cut. However the Russian culture ministry, which is in charge of issuing permissions for movies to be released, stressed that it didn't request any changes, and that the cuts were made voluntarily by the local distributor. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/1/19...... The Beach Boys singer Mike Love announced on June 28 that he'll be releasing a new solo album on July 19 entitled 12 Sides of Summer, and has also released a new song from the LP, "California Beach." Describing the song, Love says is about "That mythical place out west; the California I've been blessed to call home has provided a lifetime of inspiration. California Beach, in reality is not one, but many wonderful places that have held an allure beckoning so many for countless years. This song has been living in my head for a long time and finally, 'California Beach' has come to life just in time for summer." Love's fourth solo outing, 12 Sides of Summer will be made up of original tracks, updated versions of Beach Boys songs ("Surfin'," "Surfin' Safari" and the Hanson-featured "It's OK") and other covers (including the Ramones' "Rockaway Beach," the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," ABBA's "On and On and On," Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues," and the Dave Clark Five's "Over and Over"). - New Musical Express, 6/28/19...... Cher took to Twitter on June 28 on the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, to celebrate gay pride. "Can't Believe It's 50 YRS SINCE STONEWALL," Cher wrote. "Don't Have Anything Witty Or Smart 2 Say..actually I'm in tears writing this. U HAVE FOUGHT SO LONG,BEEN SO STRONG,IM BEAMING WITH PRIDE. WE HAVE HAD EACH OTHERS BACKS SINCE I WAS 9.WE WILL CONTINUE 2 WALK THE ROAD 2GETHER." - Billboard, 6/28/19...... Queen has captured the top two spots on the just published Top Selling Vinyl Albums for the first six months of 2019, from Nielsen Music. The top-selling vinyl LP of 2019 thus far is Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack with 61,000 copies sold. The band also has the second-biggest selling vinyl set of the year, as its Greatest Hits package has shifted 49,000. Other '70s artists making the top 10 in vinyl sales include the Beatles (Abbey Road, 33,000), Pink Floyd (32,000), Bob Marley and the Wailers (Legend, 30,000), Fleetwood Mac (Rumours, 29,000), and Michael Jackson (Thriller, 29,000). Queen has sold more albums in North America than any other artist in the first half of 2019, as music featured in high profile Queen movies and television shows sent streaming and downloads of their music soaring. The band sold more than 731,000 albums -- more than any other artist -- as well as the most digital songs with more than 1.3 million downloads, Nielsen said. - Billboard, 6/28/19...... It has been revealed that the new owner of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's legendary "Black Strat" guitar used on such classic Floyd tracks as "Comfortably Numb" and "Money" is Jim Irsay, the owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts NFL team whose net worth stands at over $2 billion (£1.58b). "I just f----ing love Pink Floyd, man, I cannot deny it," Irsay told Rolling Stone magazine. Irsay contributed nearly a quarter of the $21.5 million total raised by the auction of Gilmour's guitars, dropping $3,975,000 (£3.13m) on the Black Strat and, in doing so, setting the world record for the most expensive guitar sold at auction. Irsay, through a proxy, also successfully bid for the Black Strat's flight case ($175,000, or £138,125) and another six-string, the 1969 Martin D-35 that was used on "Wish You Were Here" ($1,095,000, or £864,272). After the Martin acoustic guitar was sold for $900,000 (£710,388) -- its final price includes additional fees -- Irsay knew "that it would be a record-breaking auction," he told Rolling Stone. "It was really off-kilter. I was like, wow. Why on Earth and how on Earth? But Floyd internationally is a powerful thing." - NME, 6/28/19...... Chic mastermind Nile Rodgers is set to receive the coveted Artist's Artist Award at the U.K.'s Artists and Managers Awards on Nov. 14 at the Bloomsbury Big Top in central London. "I've been very lucky to receive recognition for my achievements throughout my career but this is very special," Rodgers says in a statement. "To be selected as 'The Artist's Artist' by some of my favorite artists is truly special. To receive that recognition from a panel as diverse as Annie Lennox, Nick Mason from Pink Floyd [and] Ed O' Brien from Radiohead... is very, very meaningful to me and will make for a special night in my life at the Artist & Managers Awards." Rodgers is also curator of this year's Meltdown Festival on London's Southbank. - Billboard, 6/27/19...... On June 24, Eagles member Joe Walsh revealed in a mysterious post on his Instagram account that he and AC/DC singer Brian Johnson have been doing some recording in the studio. Walsh posted a photo of the pair together, along with a caption reading: "Great day making music today with my old pal Brian in London. We nailed it! Love ya man!" Walsh didn't give any further details about the collaboration, but it follows the pair making an impromptu song for Johnson's TV series A Life On The Road, in which the singer discusses the careers of several musicians, including Walsh. In their episode, Walsh talked about his career in the Eagles and his early band the James Gang. It has been speculated that the pair will record a studio version of their song from A Life On The Road, and that they have since been writing new music together. - New Musical Express, 6/27/19...... The Allman Brothers Band spinoff group the Allman Betts Band released their debut album, Down to the River, on June 28 via BMG Records. Down To The River was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Muscle Shoals, Ala., and was produced by Grammy Award-winning boardman Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine and Elvis Presley). Peter Levin (Gregg Allman's Hammond B3 player) and Chuck Leavell (former ABB keyboardist and current Rolling Stones keyboardist) make special appearances on the record. The Allman Betts Band is comprised of Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Berry Duane Oakley, Johnny Stachela, John Ginty, R Scott Bryan and John Lum. The band kicked off their world tour on March 27 at Brooklyn Bowl in NYC then went on to sell out twelve of their first eighteen shows on the first leg of their 200-show world tour. - Noble PR, 6/28/19...... Sitcom actor Max Wright, best known as family patriarch Willie Tanner on the 1980s series ALF, died on June 27 after a long battle with cancer. He was 75. Wright appeared on the puppet-driven sitcom which ran for four seasons on NBC, also appearing in such shows as Cheers, Buffalo Bill, Misfits of Science and Norm, among others. His film credits included All That Jazz, Reds, The Sting II, Soul Man and The Shadow. He is survived by two children and his wife, Linda Ybarrondo, passed in 2017. - Deadline.com, 6/27/19.