Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on October 4th, 2019

Rod Stewart surprised a British couple with a serenade during their wedding in Las Vegas on Oct. 2 after they became stranded in the city when the British tour agency Thomas Cook abruptly announced its bankruptcy in late September. Sharon Cook and Andrew Aitchison of Liverpool and their 14 guests were left high and dry in Vegas until Delta Air Lines and Caesars Palace stepped in to throw them a party in the hotel's Venus Garden Chapel. At the end of the ceremony, Sir Rod surprised the pair with an acoustic version of his hist "Have I Told You Lately" accompanied by a string trio. Stewart then invited the whole gang to cap off the blessed event with a visit that night to his "Rod Stewart: The Hits" show at the Colosseum. "Thank you Rod you've absolutely made our dream wedding you absolute legend," Andy Aitchison tweeted after the wedding. - Billboard, 10/3/19...... On Oct. 3 Fleetwood Mac announced they'll close out their 2018-19 world tour with one last blowout gig at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 16. The band, with Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie joined by new members Mike Campbell and Neil Finn, kicked off the tour in October 2018 and have visited eight countries for over 80 shows. In a statement, Mick Fleetwood said, "Mike and Neil and the overall band chemistry really worked and let the band realize that this is the right combination to go forward with in Fleetwood Mac style. It's got the unmistakable Mac sound." - Billboard, 10/3/19...... KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons is reportedlyr esting comfortably after undergoing surgery to remove kidney stones in late September. Tweeting on Oct. 1, Simmons' wife Shannon Tweed-Simmons wrote, "Well, now that the cats out of the bag, this is Gene's second of three procedures that will remove these large kidney stones so he can move on with Rockin' & Rollin'," she wrote and included a link to an Instagram shot of an ultrasound of what appeared to be one of the stones. KISS postponed a concert in Salt Lake City in September after Simmons said he had to fly home for an unspecified medical procedure, calling it "nothing serious... but it must be taken care of now." The gig was the final scheduled performance of the band's "End of the Road" world tour before they are slated to move begin an Australian leg in November. KISS also postponed shows in Los Angeles and Oakland last month due to "unforeseen scheduling issues," with the gigs re-scheduled, respectively. - Billboard, 10/3/19...... Reggae legend Bob Marley's former home in west London has been honored with a rare English Heritage blue plaque that was unveiled on Oct. 1 at 42 Oakley Street in Chelsea. The house was the headquarters of Marley and his The Wailers and Marley's primary address in 1977, during their recording of the Exodus album. The plaque was unveiled by Rastafarian writer Benjamin Zephaniah and broadcaster David Olusoga, who called Marley "a cultural icon who blazed a trail for other black artists." John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and Mozart are among the other cultural icons who have been honored with the blue plaque. Marley died in 1981 at the height of his fame. - AP, 10/3/19...... On Oct. 2 Elton John announced further European shows on his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" in 2020 that includes two additional nights at London's 02 Arena on Dec. 16 and 20. Sir Elton will also perform farewell gigs in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Leeds before kicking off the European leg in London on Nov. 2. In a statement, John said, "...these UK shows will be incredibly special... The UK is home, and where my heart will always be... These homecoming shows will be very emotional, and a lot of fun." Elton first announced his 3-year farewell tour in 2018 after deciding to retire from touring, telling his fans that he wanted to focus on his family. He and husband David Furnish are parents to two young sons who are now at school age. John will perform more than 300 shows in North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australasia before its conclusion in 2021. - New Musical Express, 10/8/19...... The family of Cream drummer Ginger Baker is asking fans to keep the 80-year-old musician in their prayers after he was admitted to hospital in a critical condition on Sept. 25. "Ginger is holding his own & thank you for all your good wishes. He is receiving visits from close family & very special friends," the family tweeted. No further details about Baker's illness have been disclosed as of yet. In 2013, Baker announced that he suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by smoking, and chronic back pain as a result of degenerative osteoarthritis. In July 2016, he underwent open-heart surgery after being diagnosed with a "major" heart condition. He suffered a fall at his home four months earlier, which forced him to cancel shows with his band Air Force 3. Baker founded Cream in 1966 with Eric Clapton and bassist Jack Bruce, the trio released four albums including the influential Disraeli Gears before splitting in 1968. Baker and Clapton went on to play in Blind Faith with Steve Winwood of Traffic. - New Musical Express, 9/30/19...... On Sept. 30, Roger Waters shared a trailer for his upcoming concert documentary Us + Them, which was filmed across four nights at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome on the European leg of his 2017-18 "Us + Them" tour. In the trailer, Waters performs Pink Floyd's seminal track "Dogs" as a hologram of London's Battersea Power Station is seen floating in the middle of the crowd, a reference to the band's 1977 album Animals. As well as showcasing the titular album and its message of "human rights, liberty and love," the film also features songs from Waters' legendary Pink Floyd albums, including Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Wish You Were Here and Waters' latest solo album, Is This The Life We Really Want? Us + Them was screened in select cinemas in the UK on Oct. 2, and another night of screenings is scheduled for Oct. 6. - NME, 9/30/19...... Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has tweeted out a message of support for his fellow rocker and friend James Hetfield of Metallica after Metallica recently announced that they will be postponing their Australian and New Zealand tour as Hetfield has re-entered substance abuse rehabilitation treatment. "My best out to James Hetfield," Iommi wrote on Twitter on Oct. 2 alongside a throwback photo of the duo. "You've done the right thing seeking help -- I'm thinking of you my friend and wishing you all the very best on your recovery. Looking forward to seeing you back at your best very soon. Your pal Tony," he added. - Billboard, 10/2/19...... Iggy Pop announced on Oct. 2 he will perform an exclusive London live show in November. The iconic punk rocker, who released his latest album Free in September, will make a one-off appearance as part of The EFG London Jazz Festival. Pop will perform his new record in its entirety at The Barbican Centre on Nov. 21, and it will be his only UK date of the year. On Oct. 1, Pop shared the official video for his new single, "Love's Missing," on YouTube. "Loves screaming/ So quietly and in pain/ Loves absent it's failing her once again/ Loves screaming," croons Pop in the track, his raw lyrics matched with close-up shots of him on the mic. Speaking about Free earlier in 2019, Pop described his 18th solo LP as "an album in which other artists speak for me, but I lend my voice." - New Musical Express, 10/2/19...... On Oct. 1, Barbra Streisand celebrated 57 years as an artist on the Columbia Records label by sharing a throwback picture on Instagram of the budding star, grinning ear to ear, signing her contract in 1962 while Columbia Records president Goddard Lieberson, her manager Marty Erlichman, and Columbia A&R man David Kapralik look on. The diva's 57th anniversary with Columbia easily makes her the label's longest-running continuous artist. Over the course of her storied career, Streisand has become the first artist to score a No. 1 album on the Billboard Hot 200 in six consecutive decades, as well as charting 11 albums to the top of the Hot 200, starting with People hitting No. 1 in 1964. - Billboard, 10/2/19...... Foreigner announced on Oct. 1 that lead singer Lou Gramm has been forced to sit out the group's "Double Vision: Then & Now" tour due to serious medical issues. The band tweeted that 69-year-old Gramm was hosptialized in Rochester, N.Y., in late September with a "severe respiratory infection, dehydration and fatigue." Though he'd prepared for the 40th anniversary tour, a doctor reportedly told Gramm that he would be unable to perform on the shows. In a note to fans, he wrote, "I'm very disappointed about not being able to perform at the FOREIGNER Double Vision: Then & Now shows for all the fans. My doctor insists if I pushed myself to perform, I would be in big trouble. So doctor's orders, I ride the bench. Rock on." Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones added that "We will all miss Lou at our upcoming shows and we join all his family, friends, and fans in wishing him a speedy recovery." A spokesperson for the group noted that requests for refunds can be addressed at point of purchase before the concert date. The Mick Jones-led Foreigner announced the tour in September, which will feature the current lineup performing with the classic one to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Original members Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, guitarist Ian McDonald, keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Rick Wills are slated to take the stage with Jones and the current Foreigner lineup of guitarist Tom Gimbel, bassist Jeff Pilson, singer Kelly Hansen, keyboardist Michael Bluestein, guitarist Bruce Watson and drummer Chris Frazier. - Billboard, 10/2/19...... The Beatles' special 50th anniversary reissue of Abbey Road is on track to top the album chart in the U.K. after dropping on Sept. 27. Abbey Road is No. 1 on the midweek chart with a lead of 12,000 chart sales over the reigning chart-leader, Liam Gallagher's Why Me? Why Not, according to the Official Charts Company reports. Widely regarded as the Beatles' greatest LP, Abbey Road is the final studio album recorded by the Fab Four. - Billboard, 10/2/19...... The estate of Prince announced on Oct. 1 that it has new leadership and development partners for the late artist's famed Paisley Park complex located 30 minutes outside of Minneapolis in Chanhassen, Minn. Alan Seiffert will serve as executive director of Paisley Park, while entertainment development companies MR-ProFun and Mycotoo will come on board to "enhance the overall experience" for guests of the facility -- Prince's former home and recording studio in Minnesota, which is now a public museum. "Just as it was for Prince, Paisley Park is more than a building or place -- it is a creative laboratory, performance studio, and innovative space offering future generations the chance to create and share their work," Seiffert said in a statement. "I am honored to help bring Prince's vision to life." The 65,000 square-foot Paisley Park, where Prince recorded many of his most famous albums, opened to the public as a museum just months after Prince's death at the complex in April 2016. - Billboard, 10/1/19...... In an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF on Oct. 1, Van Halen singer David Lee Roth said that Van Halen is "finished" and that his upcoming Las Vegas residency "is the next phase" of the band. "I've inherited the band de facto -- whatever that means," the 64-year-old singer said. "I think it means if you inherit it, carry this proudly. Van Halen isn't gonna be coming back in the fashion that you know." Roth went on to explain that he was now "the face of Van Halen" as he's "not sure what's happening with Ed (VH guitarist Eddie Van Halen)." Pressed on whether Eddie had been facing any health issues, Roth responded: "I hear all the same rumours that you do and it's not my place to guess." Earlier in 2019, fans speculated that Van Halen's rumoured reunion had been shelved due to Eddie's ill health. Van Halen haven't performed a live show since their appearance at Hollywood Bowl in October 2015. The date formed part of the band's extensive North American tour that summer. - New Musical Express, 10/1/19...... A trailer for the new 90-minute Johnny Cash documentary The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash was shared on YouTube on Oct. 1. The Gift was created with the full cooperation of the Cash estate and uses his legendary 1968 gig at Folsom Prison as a central motif for the deep dive into Cash's life. Directed by Emmy- and Grammy-winning filmmaker Thom Zimmy (Springsteen on Broadway), it has been given a Nov. 11 premiere date. - Billboard, 10/1/19...... Speaking of Bruce Springsteen, the NJ rocker has been nominated for a best music film Grammy at the upcoming 62nd annual Grammy Awards for his Springsteen on Broadway film. Springsteen won in this category in 2006 with Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run. Springsteen's 14-month run at the Walter Kerr Theatre in 2017-18 has proven to be an awards magnet. He received a special Tony Award prior to the Emmy nom. Also nominated in the same category is Bob Dylan, for his Martin Scorsese-directed concert film Rolling Thunder Revue. Scorsese also directed Dylan's No Direction Home, the 2005 winner in this category. - Billboard, 10/1/19...... Speaking with CBS morning host Gayle King recently, Olivia Newton-John talked being positive and staying present despite battling breast cancer for the third time. "...I need to enjoy my life," Newton-John said. "So, I'm going to eat a cookie if I want it. And I'm gonna have a cup of tea if I want it. And if I wanna have a little bit of wine, I'm gonna do that.' Because the joy of life and everyday living has to be a part of that healing process as well." Olivia was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 at the age of 43, and returned in 2013. In May, she revealed that her recent struggles with the disease had spread to her back. "It's almost like, I think I know what the statistics are. And if, and, but I put them away. But I'm gonna live longer than that. I've made that decision. And I don't buy into the statistics 'cause I think they can make you really nervous," she said. "It's a decision how you choose to feel about something. So, I've chosen that path," she continued in a positive light. "I'm happy. I'm lucky. I'm grateful. I have much to live for. And I intend to keep on livin' it." - Billboard, 9/30/19...... In her new memoir Face It, Blondie's Debbie Harry reveals that David Bowie once exposed his penis to her as a thank you for getting him cocaine. "One time David and Iggy (Pop) were looking for some blow," Harry writes. "Their connection in New York had suddenly died and they were out... After they did the blow, David pulled out his c---, as if I were the official c--- checker or something. Since I was in an all-male band, maybe they figured I really was the c--- -check lady." Harry writes she was not offended by Bowie exposing himself: "David's size was notorious, and he loved to pull it out with both men and women. It was so funny, adorable and sexy." Face It was published on Oct. 1 via Dey Street Books. - WENN/Canoe.com, 9/30/19...... Mott the Hoople announced on Sept. 30 they have been forced to cancel their upcoming fall "Mott the Hoople '74" reunion tour that was to feature original members frontman Ian Hunter, keyboardist Morgan Fischer and guitarist Ariel Bender due to Hunter's illness. "The group's singer and guitarist Ian Hunter has recently developed a severe case of tinnitus and has been advised by his doctors to discontinue performing until this condition subsides," according to a press release. The fall tour was set to kick off on Oct. 21 at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y. and run through Nov. 6 when they closed out the 11-date trek at The Moore Theatre in Seattle. The upcoming run followed the reunited group's dates earlier this year that kicked off in April. The eight-stop tour played Chicago, Detroit, Boston and closed out in New York on April 10. - Billboard, 9/30/19...... Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa will return to the UK in April 2020 to perform six concerts. Dates include the Brighton Centre (Apr. 25), Edinburgh Playhouse (Apr. 27), Liverpool M&S Bank Arena (Apr. 28), Gateshead Sage (Apr. 30), Leeds First Direct Arena (May 1) and Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (May 2). Joe Bonamassawill release his new live album Live at The Sydney Opera House on Oct. 25 via Provogue/Mascot Label Group in the UK and Europe and J&R Adventures throughout North America. - Noble PR, 9/30/19.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse shared a "love letter from us to planet Earth" video on YouTube on Sept. 27 paired with messages of all the reasons why earth is such a sacred place. In April, Young and the band announced their new studio album Colorado would arrive in October and feature "10 new songs ranging from around 3 minutes to over 13 minutes." A documentary chronicling the making of Colorado will premiere in more than a hundred theaters worldwide the same week Colorado is released, Young wrote on his Neil Young Archives website in August. - New Musical Express, 9/29/19...... The Eagles performed their seminal 1976 platinum LP Hotel California in its entirety for the very first time on Sept. 27 during at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. In an amusing nod to the album era, the Eagles opened the show with a mysterious, caped man striding across the stage and placing a Hotel California disc onto a turntable. When it came time to flip the album, a woman dressed in a cigarette girl costume came and did the honors. Also notable was the show being the first time the Eagles had played "Try and Love Again" since Randy Meisner, who sang lead on the track, left the band in 1977, and original Hotel California arranger/conductor Jim Ed Norman being on hand to lead a 46-piece orchestra and 22-member choir from UNLV. The show was the first of three that evening that also included a blazing greatest hits set that had the sold-out audience of 13,000 constantly on its feet. "We're going to take a 20-minute break, put our heads back together and play you everything we know," Eagles drummer/vocalist Don Henley told the audience after the Hotel California show. What followed was a 23-song set of solid hits (including guitarist Joe Walsh's solo and James Gang hits) with valuable contributions from the newest Eagles, Vince Gill and the late Glenn Frey's son, Deacon Frey. The two encores included "Rocky Mountain Way," "Desperado," "The Long Run," and the "Hotel California" reprise. - Billboard, 9/28/19...... Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr recently reunited at London's Abbey Road studios to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' classic 1969 album Abbey Road. McCartney and Starr attended a party at the studios in St John's Wood, North London with their respective wives, Nancy Shevell and Barbara Bach. Other guests included Nile Rodgers of Chic and Taron Egerton, the star of the recent Elton John biopic, Rocketman. On Sept. 26, an Abbey Road 50th anniversary release was released featuring a new mix by Giles Martin and 23 demos and alternative recordings of songs produced for Abbey Road. To mark the reissue, the Beatles recently released the first official video of one of the album's classic songs, "Here Comes The Sun." The new stereo mix of the George Harrison composition captures a gorgeous sunrise illuminating Abbey Road Studios' Studio Two, where the Fab Four recorded most of the legendary album. In related news, Alex Lacamoire, the musical director of the hit Broadway show "Hamilton," has shared a new video of himself playing the entire Abbey Road album in just 50 seconds. Lacamoire performed his condensed Abbey Road on a piano originally used by the Beatles, which is kept at Abbey Road Studios where they made the album in 1969. "Abbey Road is in my head. I just needed to make sure that the way I remembered these songs from when I was six-years-old is the way they are," Lacamoire told Rolling Stone. Lacamoire has previously played Billy Joel's 1977 album The Stranger in the same manner. - NME, 9/27/19...... In other Beatles-related news, Ringo Starr performed a rendition of the Beatles' classic "Yellow Submarine" with classroom instruments on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon with the show's house band, The Roots, on Sept. 24. Ringo also sang some of the Beatles' best-known songs, including "With a Little Help from My Friends." Ringo led from the top on vocals and playing a tiny three-piece drum kit while the late-night show's host, Jimmy Fallon, took duties on a Casio keyboard, wooden block and kazoo, as the Root's leader Questlove showed his talents on clappers and a shaker fashioned as a submarine. - Billboard, 9/25/19...... A new anthology TV series based on Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Billy Joel is in the works. MGM Television, the same studio behind the recent Elton John and Queen biopic movies, is teaming with Universal Music Publishing Group to bring Joel's music to life as a scripted "arc-thology" called Scenes From an Italian Restaurant. The show, which takes its title from Joel's favorite song from his sizable catalog, will see each episode based on lyrics of his hits and populated by characters from his songs, including "The Stranger," "Piano Man" and "Moving Out." The tracks will be reimagined and rearranged by Joel's music team -- with his input -- and take his tunes in new directions. Kevin Fox (Law & Order: SVU) is creating the series, which will be shopped to networks, and will exec produce alongside Joel and his longtime producing partner, Steve Cohen (with whom he collaborated on the Billy Joel: New York State of Mind documentary). - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/25/19..... After premiering in London at the Old Vic Theatre in July 2017, Irish playwright/director Conor McPherson's Bob Dylan-inspired musical, "Girl From The North Country," will return to New York at the Belasco Theater on Mar. 5, 2020, with preview shows kicking off on Feb. 7. After its successful Old Vic run, the show moved to London's West End, New York at The Public Theater and Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Set in 1934 in Dylan's hometown of Duluth, Minn., the 20-song musical weaves songs from the rock bard's expansive catalog into a story about a family who runs a boardinghouse, which results in various characters coming in and out of their lives. Tickets are already on sale for the roughly eight-month show, which features Tony Award nominees Marc Kudisch and David Pittu along with Oscar-winning actress Mare Winningham, that concludes in Sept. 2020. - Billboard, 9/27/19...... Songs by Eddie Money and The Cars' Ric Ocasek continue to sell briskly following their deaths on Sept. 13 and Sept. 15, respectively. Money's 1986 top five hit "Take Me Home Tonight" entered the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart at No. 3 for the week ending Sept. 28, while The Cars' 1984 top five hit "Drive" (sung by bassist Benjamin Orr, who died in 2000), bowed at No. 6. Other songs charting by the two late artists include "Two Tickets To Paradise," "Shakin'," "Baby Hold On," "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl." - Billboard, 9/27/19...... Aerosmith were forced to cancel their Sept. 26 show of their "Deuces Are Wild" Las Vegas residency after frontman Steven Tyler lost his voice. "I lost my voice... but I can't talk about it," Tyler wrote in a tweet about the canceled gig. Tyler added that refunds for the gig will be available at the point of purchase. Accompanying the post was an amusing photo of Tyler pointing to a hand-scribbled "OUT OF ORDER" sign underneath his throat. - Billboard, 9/27/19...... In related news, the Who cut their Houston concert short on Sept. 25 after lead singer Roger Daltrey lost his voice midway through the show. The British rock legends were eight songs into the concert when Daltrey, 75, told the audience, "I think I should quit while I'm ahead." Lead guitarist Pete Townshend then apologized to the crowd, saying Daltrey "cannot speak now" and promised the crowd that the band would honor their tickets at a make-good concert still to be scheduled. The Who also postponed concerts on their "Moving On! Tour" scheduled for Sept. 27 in Dallas and Sept. 29 in Denver. - AP, 9/26/19...... On Sept. 25, Queen + Adam Lambert announced they'll bring their "Rhapsody Tour" to the UK in June 2020 after a successful run across North America this year. Kicking off with five shows at the London O2 Arena on June 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9, the band will play the Manchester Arena on June 11 and 12, the second Manchester show added after phenomenal demand. On Sept. 28, Queen and Adam Lambert were the headliners of a Global Citizen free concert in New York City's Central Park before 60,000 people. - New Musical Express, 9/25/19...... Sales of such iconic country music artists as Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Patsy Cline and Vince Gill have soared following the premiere of the 8-part Ken Burns-directed Country Music documentary series on PBS on Sept. 15. The Haggard/Nelson duet "Pancho and Lefty" sold 2,000 downloads in the day of the premiere of the episode in which it was featured (episode seven) and the following day (Sept. 23-24) vs. the previous two days (Sept. 21-22), a 700% gain, according to initial sales reports to Nielsen Music. Cline's Nelson-penned hit "Crazy" and Gill's "Go Rest High on That Mountain" also saw huge gains after their respective episodes were aired. As for the largest percentage gains, that distinction belongs to Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me," which moved 1,000 downloads in the day of the episode's airing and the day following alone (episode 6, Sept. 23-24), a 2,589% boost. - Billboard, 9/26/19...... On Sept. 26, Jeff Lynne announced his Jeff Lynne's ELO will release the follow-up to his 2015 album Alone In the Universe on Nov. 1 on Columbia Records. Entitled From Out of Nowhere, the 10-track LP's title will continue the ELO branding of a spaceship. "From Out of Nowhere -- that's exactly where it came from," Lynne said in a press release. "That's the first one I wrote for this album and it's kind of like that." Lynne says the title track, "From Out of Nowhere," is a song about hope and salvation, with Lynne often finding himself turning to a sense of optimism, a recurring theme on the album. "Everybody's got to have a bit of hope," he says. In the song, Lynne sings, "Let me go, let me fly/ To a place where I love/ Let me fly away and start again." Lynne played nearly every note on the album (guitars, bass, piano, drums, keyboards, vibes) as well as singing all the lead and harmony vocals, with some added percussion from engineer Steve Jay. - Billboard, 9/26/19...... A soundtrack album from Bruce Springsteen's Western Stars movie, Western Stars - Songs From the Film, will be released on Oct. 25, Columbia Records announced on Sept. 27. The 14-track LP will feature live performances of all the songs from the Western Stars album, as well as a cover of Glen Campbell's beloved 1975 single "Rhinestone Cowboy." The album was mixed by Bob Clearmountain and mastered by Bob Ludwig, the team behind Springsteen's Springsteen on Broadway album from his successful show of the same name. The Western Stars movie premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival earlier in 2019, with Springsteen performing the songs from his first studio album in five years backed by a band and full orchestra at Stone Hill Farm in Colts Neck, N.J. - Billboard, 9/27/19...... In other Springsteen-related news, E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt has announced he's been forced cancel most of his "Summer of Sorcery Tour" of North America due to sinusitis on doctor's orders. "I thought I could shake this sinusitis, but it doesn't seem to be going away," Van Zandt said in a statement on Instagram on Sept. 24. "I've never canceled shows before. I feel terrible about this, but my doctors are telling me there's just no way to continue right now. We were really looking forward to continuing this 90-show tour around the world. We want to thank the fans for all of their support. I really hope we can make up these dates someday somehow." The only two shows remaining are a Nov. 2 one in Boston and the Nov. 6 date in New York City. The New York show will be filmed for a future live DVD and album release. - Billboard, 9/24/19...... Patti Smith released her latest book, Year of the Monkey, on Sept. 24 via book publisher Knopf. "I would say this is my most informal book, and I like that," Smith says. "I mean, it has its formal passages, but it's really just, like, me. If anybody was wonderin' what I'm like, it's just what I'm like. When I was done, I wished it wasn't. [Laughs.] But I'll write another one." Unlike her 2010 book Just Kids, her memoir reflecting on her relationship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe and her life in New York in the '70s, or 2015's M Train, the most vivid scenes of Year of the Monkey aren't necessarily pulled from reality. "I live a lot in my imagination," Smith says. "It's a book written in real time merged with imagination, and that's how I maneuver the world. That's how I navigate all the difficult things we have to navigate. We lose the people we love, but we have to be receptive that they will be by our side. They will speak to us in certain ways." - Billboard, 9/25/19...... Jann Wenner, the Rolling Stone magazine co-founder and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation chairman, announced on Sept. 25 that he will be retiring as the RRHOF chairman in 2020. Taking over as chairman in the new year will be John Sykes, president of entertainment enterprises for iHeartMedia and a co-founder of MTV. "Jann Wenner is a cultural legend," Sykes said. "It's an honor to serve the foundation in this new capacity, and to build on Jann's legacy." Wenner, 73, will remain on the board of directors. Wenner produced the RRHOF's 25th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in 2009, which was headlined by U2, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder and Sting, and is credited with recruiting late famed architect I.M. Pei to create the RRHOF headquarters in Cleveland, Oh. - AP/Billboard, 9/25/19...... King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp has spoken about his ongoing dispute with David Bowie's estate over his contributions to the classic Bowie albums "Heroes" and Scary Monsters. Fripp famously leant his efforts to the seminal 1977 "Heroes" of the Berlin trilogy, performing the iconic sustained guitar part on the title track. Bowie then invited Fripp back to add his distinctive guitar sounds to 1980's Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) album. Posting on Facebook, Fripp claims that rules of "historic injustice" are blocking the recognition of his contributions to the records, where he argues he should be recognized under the modern term of "Featured Player." He is currently in dispute with Bowie's estate and the UK's PPL over the correct payment of royalties. "The dispute centres on the refusal of PPL and the David Bowie estate to acknowledge that RF's contribution to the "Heroes" and Scary Monsters albums is that of a Featured Player," wrote Fripp. "This accreditation as a Featured Player is supported by Brian Eno, Tony Visconti [and] David Bowie himself (although the terminology was not then in use), and the Court Of Public Opinion over four decades. Essentially, the DB Estate argues that RF's Featured Performer Status is not acknowledged by PPL rules; and PPL argues that as the DB Estate does not accept RF as a Featured Performer, RF is therefore not a Featured Player - and their rules confirm this. Anyone read Catch 22?," he continued. Fripp went on to slam the music industry itself as being run by "self-serving" individuals. "This, a microcosm in our larger societal turmoil, as a new paradigm seeks to be welcomed into our suffering world," he added. Meanwhile, a new version of Bowie's "Heroes" song recorded live at Earl's Court video has been released to mark the track's 42nd anniversary. - New Musical Express, 9/25/19...... A previously unreleased Aretha Franklin recording, "Big Band Holidays II," will be featured on a new Christmas album from The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Franklin performed the song as she played the piano at a 2015 holiday concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center; her performance of the classic, in both English and German, was a surprise. It will be featured on the Big Band Holidays II album, which is being digitally released on Oct. 25 and will be in stores on Nov. 8. Few songs have been released from Franklin since her death in August 2018. - AP, 9/24/19.