"My New Year's resolution is to appreciate each moment of life as the treasure it is, to have a more joyful heart each day, and to contribute to a more peaceful world," says Tina Turner, 81, who just released her book Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good. The legendary singer adds: "During this time when so many of us are facing adversity, let's choose hope over despair, help our human family grow wiser, and change our world by changing ourselves." - Entertainment Weekly, 1/21...... CNN will premiere a new Jimmy Carter documentary, Rock & Roll President, on Jan. 3 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern/7:00 p.m. Central. The documentary features intimate interviews that reveal how Pres. Carter's friendships with artists like The Allman Brothers Band, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin shaped and propelled the 39th president's life of service. - TV Guide, 12/21/20...... 
Patti Smith took over London's Piccadilly Circus billboards on New Year's Eve as part of a virtual performance that was streamed around the world on the YouTube channel of digital art platform Circa. The punk poetess paid tribute to Britain's NHS and healthcare workers who have died from COVID-19 in 2020. "It's just so sad when we lose people who work so hard to rebuild our world," Smith told the UK paper The Guardian. She also read a new poem dedicated to the environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, who will turn 18 in January. Thunberg first came to global prominence in 2018, after her first United Nations address warning of the dangers of global warming. Smith also shared her feelings about outgoing U.S. president Donald Trump and how she felt relieved about the victory of former vice-president Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris. "It's been a terrible atmosphere to live in," Smith said of Trump's tenure. "You try to do your work and not let [politics] permeate your consciousness daily but it does. It's very insidious." Going on to note that she's about the same age as 74-year-old Trump, Smith added: "I have encountered him in New York through the years and found him a horrible, narcissistic person and just a bad businessman. I've seen the debris of his deals." - NME, 12/29/20...... Appearing in a new documentary about Scottish soccer star Denis Law, Rod Stewart revealed he once conned his way out of massive hotel phone bills by convincing staff they must have made a mistake. Stewart recalled one phone bill he was handed as he checked out of a U.S. hotel in late 1973 during his tenure with the Faces. "To get to the 1974 World Cup in Germany, we had to beat Czechoslovakia," Stewart, 75, recalled. "This was another game I didn't see, because I was working with the Faces, but I remember it like it was yesterday... I used to phone up, and my dad would put the phone by the television and I would listen for the whole game," he went on, adding: "Then they would send me a bill for hundreds of quid (pounds)." He continued: "I would say, 'What person in his right mind would be on a phone call for 90-odd minutes?' and they would say, 'Oh, yes, I suppose it is a mistake, Mr. Stewart', and I would get a bill for 10 quid." Stewart proved to be the Scottish team's good luck charm in 1973 -- they beat Czechoslovakia and made it to the 1974 World Cup, but despite only giving up a goal in the first round in a 1-1 draw with Yugoslavia, they didn't move on. - Music-News.com, 12/31/20...... 
Elton John has made an appearance on the first episode of Prince Harry and Megan Markle's new podcast, Archewell Audio. The royal couple launched their streaming service in the final week of 2020, and their first episode sees them reflecting on the events of 2020 alongside "a few friends and a lot of other folks" that the pair "admire," aiming to "get their thoughts on what they learned from 2020." In his segment, Elton alled 2020 "the worst year I've ever known," while hoping that the pandemic means "that we have become better people" and shared a "hope for healing" in the following years. The first episode can be streamed on Spotify.com. Meanwhile, in an interview with Record Collector magazine, John complained that he'd "kill [himself]" if he ever has to play his No. 1 1973 hit "Crocodile Rock" again. "I'm lucky to have so many great songs to play every night. But there is a point in time where you think, 'I don't really want to play this anymore'," Sir Elton said. "There are things like 'Original Sin' or '(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket' that I haven't really played before -- not enough anyway. But if I have to go back and play 'Crocodile Rock' again, it's like, 'I'm gonna kill myself. So, after I've finished this tour, I don't want to play some of these songs any more. I'd like to do something like Kate Bush, where I can do a show and play some of these songs that are deep cuts." John's "Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour" began the 2020 chart year with 10 shows in North America, however it was derailed in March by the coronavirus pandemic. In September, he announced the tour would go on hiatus until January 2022. - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 12/30/20...... With his new release McCartney III debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album Sales Chart dated Jan. 2, Paul McCartney has scored his third chart-topping LP as a solo artist, and the vinyl edition of McCartney III has scored the third-largest sales week for a vinyl album since Nielsen Music/MRC Data began tracking music sales in 1991. McCartney III arrived with 107,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Dec. 24 following its Dec. 18 release, according to Nielsen Music. It follows his previous No. 1 albums Memory Almost Full (June 2007) and Egypt Station (Sept. 2018). Billboard's Top Album Sales chart, which was started in 1991, ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. - Billboard, 12/30/20...... In a new interview with Variety.com, Sammy Hagar opened up about his final phone call with Eddie Van Halen before the guitarist died at age 65 in October 2020 following a long battle with cancer. "Poor Eddie, broke my heart, but thank God we connected before [he died]," said the 73-year-old Hagar. "I heard he was in bad shape and I wanted to reach out; I finally said, 'I'm just calling him.'" Hagar said he called Eddie's brother, manager, and other friends in an attempt to "be his friend [and] bury the hatchet, but they never got it done." Hagar says he was eventually connected to Eddie through their mutual friend, comedian George Lopez. "George is a dear friend and he was Eddie's friend and he said, 'Sammy, Eddie's in bad shape, he loves you brother, you need to reach out.' I said, 'Give me his f---ing number and I'll make sure I call him,'" Hagar said. After finally connecting, the former bandmates instantly restored their bond and had a meaningful conversation. "I said, 'Why don't you respond? I've been reaching out,' and Ed said, 'Why didn't you call me? Don't f---ing call my brother, f---ing call me!'" Hagar recalled. "And I said, 'I love you man,' and it was like, boom, we were good. It was a beautiful thing." Hagar joined Van Halen in 1985, and the band enjoyed its most successful period with multiplatinum hit albums such as 5150, OU812, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge and Balance. After band tension forced him out, he returned for a brief two-year stint from 2003-2005. - Variety/Billboard, 12/27/20...... 
Elton's former touring co-headliner Billy Joel took to Instagram on Dec. 29 to share a video clip of his 5-year-old daughter Della belting out "Happy Birthday" to her singer sister Alexa Ray Joel in honor of her 35th birthday, proving she, too, has the potential to follow in her family's showbiz footsteps. Joel captioned the video "Happy Birthday to our big sister @alexarayjoel. You have been singing us lullabies since we were born. We are so excited to finally get to sing to you on your birthday. We love you more than words can say!," and the message was signed from Della and her 3-year-old sister Remy, who Joel shares with his wife of five years, Alexis Roderick. Responding to the sweet surprise, the birthday girl replied, "Aww My Little Diva...! love you rosebud, thanks for serenading me." Joel shares Alexa Ray with his second wife, Christie Brinkley, with whom he was married from 1985 to 1994, and before tying the knot with the model, the music icon was wed to Elizabeth Weber from 1973 to 1982. The 71-year-old Piano Man also posted a clip of his young daughters sweetly dancing to Taylor Swift's hit "You Need to Calm Down." "Merry Christmas from the Joels. Billy, Alexis, Della and Remy," he wrote. "Rockin' Out to @taylorswift on Christmas morning." - Music-News.com, 12/31/20...... Alice Cooper and Guns 'N Roses guitarist Slash are among some of the biggest rock stars to appear in the trailer for forthcoming documentary film Rock Camp, which documents the famous "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp" which for more than two decades has given people the chance to jam with and learn from rock stars. Started by producer David Fishof in 1996, the camp sees the rockers teach and inspire campers over the course of four days, concluding with attendees and counsellors performing alongside one another in a huge concert. In the trailer for Rock Camp, former camp counsellor Cooper can be seen giving an interview in which he reflects on the people and the nature of the camp, saying, "You would have a 15-year-old kid playing drums, and a dentist on guitar. If this band were a real band it would be the weirdest band ever, but cool!" The film chronicles the experiences of four campers as they learn to perform from some of rock's greatest artists, and its trailer has been shared on YouTube. It will receive a virtual cinema release on Jan. 15, 2021, before being made available on demand on Feb. 16, 2021. - NME, 12/30/20...... The creators of the rock 'n' roll "mockumentary" This Is Spinal Tap have set up a licensing body to exclusively manage the cult film's rights. Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean have set up a wholly-owned entity to manage the licensing of the film and all rights related to it that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2021. It comes after the film's creators settled their rights dispute with French media group Vivendi and its StudioCanal division, in which Harry Shearer alleged in a 2016 suit that despite decades of cult success, the creators had received just $81 in merchandising income and $98 in musical sales income to show for their work on the iconic 1984 film. In 2019, the creators settled their legal dispute with Universal Music over the film's soundtrack recordings, and the cast of the film reunited for a special screening and live performance to celebrate its 35th anniversary, with Elvis Costello even making a surprise appearance. - NME, 12/29/20...... 
1960s hitmaker Petula Clark says she's not happy that the man responsible for the Christmas morning explosion in downtown Nashville, Tenn., played her No. 1 1964 hit "Downtown" ahead of the detonation, in which 63-year-old local resident Anthony Quinn Warner apparently perished in the blast. "I feel the need to express my shock and disbelief at the Christmas Day explosion in our beloved Music City. I love Nashville and its people. Why this violent act -- leaving behind it such devastation?," Clark said in a Facebook post. The English songstress continued: "A few hours later -- I was told that the music in the background of that strange announcement -- was me -- singing 'Downtown!' Of all the thousands of songs -- why this one?." She added that "millions of people all over the world have been uplifted by this joyful song," the original version of which can be heard on YouTube. The singer cited the opening line of the 1964 hit tune -- "When you're alone and life is making you lonely you can always go, downtown" -- before adding: "Perhaps you can read something else into these words -- depending on your state of mind. It's possible." Clark ended her post by saying, "I would like to wrap my arms around Nashville -- give you all a hug -- and wish you Love, a Happy and Health New Year. And, as we say sometimes in the U., steady the Buffs! (Look it up!)." Warner's motive in the bombing, which injured three people, is still unclear and officials have said it is too early for it to be discussed publicly. - NME, 12/30/20...... Kiss bassist Gene Simmons has shared a photo of his band wearing face masks on Twitter and a message urging Kiss fans to do the same. Simmons posted the picture of the band without their conventional face paint before they travelled to Dubai for their Dec. 31 "Kiss Off 2020" livestreamed concert spectacular. "Wear your masks. Even if it's only as a courtesy. If you yawn, or sneeze, you don't think twice about covering your mouth. Do the rest of us a favor! Mask Up!... Besides, it looks cool," he wrote. His post comes after he recently called on people to stop complaining about being in lockdown during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. "Right now, the pandemic is not fun," Simmons told Canada's K-97 radio station. "It is devastating for families who've lost loved ones." He also criticized those choosing not to wear a mask during the pandemic: "Be kind to each other... I know the nerves are up, 'cause we're all scared -- what's gonna happen and all that stuff. It's okay... It's all gonna get better. And just be kind to each other. That doesn't take much effort. And wear your goddamn masks. It ain't about you." Meanwhile, former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley shot down rumours that he might be rejoining his former bandmates for their New Year's Eve concert in Dubai. "Contrary to online statements, Ace Frehley was not asked to and will not be appearing with KISS at their New Year's Eve concert in Dubai," a statement posted on Frehley's Facebook page read. "Ace is currently in Nashville, TN recording his new studio album of all original material. Ace wishes all of his fans a happy and prosperous New Year!" Frehley has stated that he might be open to a reunion with Kiss at some point -- if the price was right. "....Everything is delayed at this juncture, so who knows...? Unless they come forward and the price is right, you're not gonna see me anywhere close by," he told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation" with Eddie Trunk. - NME/Music-News.com, 12/29/20...... It has been reported that sales of vinyl LP's had their biggest sales week in history in the US, with a pre-Christmas rush of vinyl albums seeing nearly 2 million LPs sold across the country. 1.842 million vinyl LPs were purchased in the US in the week leading up to Christmas, which ended on Dec. 24, according to Billboard. It broke the record set just one week before (Dec. 10-17), where 1.445 million were sold. The new record is the biggest weekly sales of vinyl in the country since records began in 1991. Meanwhile in the UK, sales of vinyl look set to hit a new three-decade high as fans appear to be using their time in lockdown to beef up their record collections. Sales of vinyl there have gone up almost 10% this year, which puts it on track to break the £100 million mark by the end of 2020, making for the best year since 1990. - NME, 12/29/20...... 
Alto Reed, the longtime saxophonist for Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, died on Dec. 30 after a long battle with colon cancer. He was 72. Born Thomas Neal Cartmell on May 16, 1948, the gifted Detroit musician began playing with Seger in 1971 before joining the Silver Bullet Band three years later. He's widely recognized for his saxophone solo in "Turn the Page" from the band's Back in '72 album, and "Old Time Rock and Roll" from Stranger in Town, the latter of which became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979 and soundtracked an iconic scene in Tom Cruise's 1983 film Risky Business. As a member of the Silver Bullet Band, Reed won a 1980 Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for Against the Wind, the group's fourth studio album which topped the album charts for six weeks in the spring of 1980. It was their only No. 1 album. Aside from his work with the Silver Bullet Band, Reed performed alongside Grand Funk Railroad, Ted Nugent, Little Feat, Foghat, Dave Mason, Spencer Davis, the Blues Brothers, George Thorogood, Robin Gibb and the Motor City Horns. He also co-led the Reed & Dickinson Band with Steve Dickinson and the pair released an album together titled Tonight We Ride. "Whether it was 'Turn the Page,' 'Mainstreet,' or 'Old Time Rock and Roll,' audiences roared every time he played his part. In our band, Alto was the rock star," Bob Seger said upon learning of Reed's passing. - Billboard, 12/30/20...... Bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice, regarded as one of the all-time greats of the genre, died suddenly on Christmas day. He was 69. Rice was widely celebrated for his skill as a flatpicker, a fast-paced style of guitar playing, as well as his highly influential style which was itself indebted to jazz. Rice, who grew up in California before moving to Kentucky, released his first album Guitar in 1973, later writing and recording as a band with the Tony Rice Unit and the Bluegrass Album Band. His collaborations over the years ranged from the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia to guitarist Norman Blake and mandolin player David Grisman. Rice was diagnosed with dysphonia in 1994, which prevented him from singing for most of the rest of his life. The musician made his last ever public guitar performance at the 2013 International Bluegrass Music Association's Hall of Fame. - NME, 12/27/20...... Phyllis McGuire, the lead singer and last remaining member of the 1950s trio known as The McGuire Sisters, died in her Las Vegas home on Dec. 29 of as yet undisclosed causes. She was 89. Her path to fame began when she and her two sisters, Christine and Dorothy McGuire, appeared on Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts in 1952, winning the contest. Following their competition success, the three vocalists began to perform on variety shows and travel the country as their records rose in popularity. - MSN.com, 12/31/20...... 
Actress Dawn Wells, best known for parlaying her girl-next-door charm and wholesome beauty into enduring TV fame as the sweet-natured desert island castaway Mary Ann on the classic 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island, died on Dec. 30 after losing a battle with COVID-19. She was 82. Born in Reno, Nev. on Oct. 18, 1938, Wells studied theater at the University of Washington, and headed to Hollywood after her beauty pageant success. Wells beat out several actresses including 60s bombshell Raquel Welch for her role in Gilligan's Island, in which she played Kansas farm girl Mary Ann Summers, one of seven castaways stranded after their boat, the S.S. Minnow, became battered in a storm during what was supposed to be a three-hour tour from Hawaii. The series ran for three seasons from 1964-1967 and its 98 episodes invariably involved their efforts in vain to get off the island, even as a parade of guest stars dropped in and had no trouble getting out. The show, which also starred Bob Denver as the zany Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr. as "The Skipper," Jim Backus as millionaire Thurston Howell III, Natalie Schafer as his posh wife, Russell Johnson as "The Professor," and Tina Louise as movie star Ginger, drew the wrath of critics but its innocent fun caught on with viewers at a time of tumult in America after the assassination of a president and during the rise of the civil rights movement and the escalation of the Vietnam War. Wells, playing a cheerful brunette Midwestern farm girl, appeared in the series wearing short shorts, midriff tops and pigtails. Louise, playing a buxom red-headed sensation akin to Marilyn Monroe, wore slinky, form-fitting dresses. The two inspired what became an enduring pop culture question for men: "Ginger or Mary Ann?" In an interview with Forbes magazine, Wells said she was paid $750 for her work on the show and "didn't really get a dime" in residuals, adding, "Sherwood Schwartz, our producer, reportedly made $90 million on the reruns alone." Like some of her co-stars, she suffered from typecasting in Hollywood in the years after the series ended, appearing in TV guest spots and stage work before taking roles in B-movies. Wells also appeared in three made-for-TV movies based on the Gilligan's Island concept, and lent her voice to the animated Gilligan's Planet (1982) in which the castaways become stranded on a far-away planet. She also capitalized on her fame by writing, Mary Ann's Gilligan's Island Cookbook, and later, for the 50th anniversary of the series in 2014, the book, What Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide to Life. Following her death, Tina Louise, who at age 86 is now the sole survivor of the cast members, said in a statement to CNN: "I was sad to learn of Dawn's passing, I will always remember her kindness to me. We shared in creating a cultural landmark that has continued to bring comfort and smiles to people during this difficult time. I hope that people will remember her the way that I do -- always with a smile on her face." - WENN/Canoe.com, 12/30/20.
Foreigner has announced they will be heading back to the stage in March to perform as part of the first socially-distanced music festival in America, The Frontyard Festival at the outdoor Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, Fla. "We are so happy to be able to perform live again because we and our fans really miss the experience," current lead singer Kelly Hansen shared in a statement. "We saw how the team at Dr. Phillips Center cared about the health of their audiences and innovated socially-distant concerts, and that's why we chose it as our first show for 2021," he added. Kelly continued: "There's nothing like it anywhere else in the country. We are so excited to connect with our fans in a safe manner, and can't wait to play live again at the Frontyard Festival." Foreigner will play both nights of the festival, on Mar. 23 and 24. The specially-designed event is aimed at reigniting the live entertainment scene after the Covid shutdowns and will take place over six months at the spacious, purpose-built Dr Phillips Center. Attendees at the venue will be able to enjoy the shows in hundreds of private, elevated boxes, located six feet apart from one another. Guests will be required to undergo temperature checks to enter the arena and wear face masks whenever they step outside their boxes. - Music-News.com, 12/22/20...... 
A coffee company known as Dead Sled Coffee announced on Instagram on Dec. 24 that it is teaming up with Kiss for a unique Kiss coffee flavor that is set to arrive in 2021. Dead Sled Coffee, which describes itself as "an independent business born from a desire to bridge the gap between coffee elite," did not share much else about the new venture other than to say the coffee is "the Officially Licensed @kissonline coffee... coming in 2021." Dead Sled has previously teamed up with Pennsylvania hardcore band Wisdom In Chains, New York ska group The Toasters, and also a number of TV and film characters for custom coffee products. Meanwhile, Kiss are set to "Kiss 2020 Goodbye" with a special livestreamed gig on New Year's Eve at the Atlantis hotel and resort in Dubai. Promising "the biggest & baddest concert event and pyrotechnics show of the year," Kiss will take the stage at 5:00 p.m. BST on the last day of the year with tickets ranging from $40 (£30) for a standard ticket, all the way up to $1,000 (£750) for deluxe tickets which includes all manner of Kiss merchandise and memorabilia. "To send off 2020 in their larger-than-life style on New Year's Eve, the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, multi-platinum selling band is reigniting the FIRE and roaring back to life!...The massive stage production and FREE pre-show will be brought directly into your living room at 9 pm LIVE from Atlantis Dubai on December 31st!," a statement announcing the gig said. The statement added: "Filmed with more than 50 cameras and 360-degree views, this show produced by Landmarks Live can be seen globally with ticketing technology and livestream powered by TIXR and experienced like no other virtual concert before. You're invited to spend New Year's Eve with The Demon, The Starchild, The Spaceman, and The Catman as they rock out of 2020 and roll into 2021... all night!" In still more Kiss-related news, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford revealed in a new interview that the best piece of advice he's ever received was from Kiss bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons. "Priest were out on this big tour -- we were invited to open up for Kiss -- and I was just talking to Gene about the music business, and he goes, 'Let me just say this: It doesn't matter what they say about you, as long as they've got your picture and they spell your name right'," Halford told Twisted Sister member Jay Jay French his "The French Connection" podcast. - NME, 12/24/20...... In an interview with Total Guitar magazine, Queen's Brian May has opened up about the time he worked on a sci-fi themed EP called "Star Fleet Project" with the late Eddie Van Halen in 1983. "A couple of days after I heard the news about Eddie, I went back to 'Star Fleet'," May said. "I started revisiting all the feelings I had when we were in the studio doing that, and it sort of healed my soul a bit. I thought, 'Yeah, this is what I should be doing at this time.'" The three-song project, which was released under the Brian May + Friends moniker, features a heavy blues rock sound, with REO Speedwagon drummer Alan Gratzer and session musicians Phil Chen and Fred Mandel. During the recording sessions for the "Star Fleet Project" EP, May and Van Halen switched guitars, but as May explained, "It's basically all in the fingers at the end of the day. No matter what guitar Eddie picked up, it sounded like him." The lead track was a rearranged cover of the theme song to the children's TV show Star Fleet, and the other two songs on the EP, which has been shared on YouTube, were the originals "Blues Breaker" and "Let Me Out." - NME, 12/22/20...... 
The famous and sometimes infamous Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, Calif., near Santa Barbara that once belonged to Michael Jackson has sold to a billionaire for $22 million (£16m), which is $78 million (£57m) less than its 2016 asking price. Ronald Burkle, a billionaire businessman specializing in the mergers and acquisitions of American supermarkets, paid $22 million for the 2,700-acre property according to the Wall Street Journal, a significantly less amount than previous asking prices for the ranch which was first put up for sale for $100 million (£73m) in 2016. A year later, its price had dropped to $67 million (£49m), then the following year, the asking price had fallen even further to $31 million (£22m). The buyer reportedly views Neverland as a "land banking opportunity, having chosen not to open up a new branch of the private members club Soho House, of which is is the majority shareholder, near an adjoining lake to the ranch. Jackson purchased the property in 1988 for $19.5 million (£15m), naming it "Neverland" after the magical kingdom in Peter Pan, and turning it into his own private amusement park, building three ailroads on the property, an electric train with 100 feet of track, and a ferris wheel. Other highlights included a pirate ship, a roller coaster, bumper cars and an arcade. When Jackson died in 2009, rides and many of the exotic animals that lived on the ranch were removed. - Independent.co.uk, 12/25/20...... Speaking in his new The Public Image Is Rotten documentary, John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) says during his Sex Pistols days he was terrified of falling asleep and then not being able to remember anything when he woke up the next day after losing his memory after a serious case of meningitis when he was just seven-years-old. "There was just too much temptation. There was a lot of that cocaine floating around which can screw up a lot of things. That was a hard one to walk away from," Lyon said. "For me, it's things that keep me awake which are the things I'm interested in. The longer I'm awake the less chance of waking up from a sleep not knowing who I am. I never, ever want to go through that period of being in the hospital and not knowing who I was again," he added. Lydon has previously shared how he is now a full-time caretaker for his wife who is afficted with dementia. "Nora has Alzheimer' ... I am her full-time carer and I won't let anyone mess up with her head. For me the real person is still there. That person I love is still there every minute of every day and that is my life. It's unfortunate that she forgets things, well, don't we all?," he said. - Music-News.com, 12/23/20...... Seventies New Wave pioneers Talking Heads are among the acts tapped to receive a special Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Grammys. The Recording Academy announced its 2021 Special Merit Awards on Dec. 22, with other Lifetime Achievement honorees to include Salt-N-Pepa, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Lionel Hampton, Marilyn Horne and Selena. The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards takes place on Jan. 31, 2021, with details on exactly how it will be presented in the coronavirus era to be announced soon. - NME, 12/22/20...... 
In the fourth week of December Neil Diamond shared a new "global singalong" video for his beloved hit "Sweet Caroline" on YouTube. Compiled from footage of thousands of fans who submitted videos of themselves singing along to the karaoke classic, the new video follows Diamond's latest album with the London Symphony Orchestra, Classic Diamonds, which is in the running for the UK's Christmas number one album. In March, the award-winning musician and composer shared a comedic public service announcement to those in lockdown during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, using the lyrics for "Sweet Caroline" to urge people to wash their hands thoroughly. Performing in front of the fire at home along with his dog, Diamond began: "I know we're going through a rough time right now, but I love you, and I think maybe if we sing together we might feel a little bit better." He then sang a version of "Sweet Caroline," which featured the adapted lyrics: "Hands, washing hands, reaching out, don't touch me, I won't touch you." In 2018, Diamond announced "with great reluctance and disappointment" he was retiring from touring after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease although he would "continue his writing, recording and development of new projects." - NME, 12/22/20...... In an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe to promote his new album McCartney III, Paul McCartney said one of his favorite Beatles track was the obscure B-side to "Let It Be," "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)." "[It's] a zany, zany little B-side that nobody knows, but we had so much fun making it," McCartney said. "But there's a lot of songs that I love of the Beatles. I think 'Strawberry Fields' is a great song, I think, 'Hey Jude' worked out great. I've got a lot of favorite songs. 'Blackbird' I love. 'Eleanor Rigby' I love," he added. Sir Paul says that "Let It Be" is probably the Beatles track he's listened to most throughout his life. "It's the most ubiquitous. It sort of got everywhere. Ubiquitous from the Latin, ubi quo, meaning 'everywhere.' Come on, give it up," he said in the interview, which can be viewed in full on YouTube. Meanwhile, a Cort-made acoustic guitar played by Macca and actor Idris Elba during a recent BBC special to mark the release of McCartney III has gone up for auction to benefit the S.T.O.R.M charity, which provides support and shelter to those suffering from domestic abuse especially during the tumultuous coronavirus-enforced lockdown. S.T.O.R.M will receive 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the guitar, which already has bids that well exceed its initial £500 - £1,000 estimate. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 12/22/20...... In other Beatles-related news, as Ringo Starr prepares for the release of a new EP called "Zoom In" on Mar. 19 featuring contributions from Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Ben Harper, Dave Grohl and Sheryl Crow among others, a French Ringo and Beatles fan has compiled a database of Starr's many decades of work with his All-Starr Band. Webmaster Victor Baissait's Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band website features info on each All-Starr Band concert from 1989 to present, the personnel on each tour and song, setlists, tour maps, and even bootlegs info. Baissait, who also runs the popular French Paul McCartney site Maccaclub.com, is asking Ringo fans to contribute any concert video, audio, setlist, review, etc. they might have to help complete his already impressive All-Starr Band database. - 12/23/20.
Leslie West, the singer and guitarist for Mountain who were among the acts to play the legendary Woodstock festival in 1969, died on Dec. 23 after a brief illness. He was 75. West's brother Larry West Weinstein had shared news of his brother's rapidly declining health in a Facebook post on Dec. 20. "I am asking for all your prayers. Jenni [Leslie's wife] is by his side in Florida but it's not looking good. Thanks Jenni, he wouldn't have made it this far without you. His heart gave out and he's on a ventilator. May not make it through the night," Weinstein posted. West reportedly entered cardiac arrest on Dec. 21 and was rushed to a hospital near his home in Daytona, Fla. He reportedly did not regain consciousness. Born Leslie Weinstein in Queens, N.Y., on Oct. 22, 1945, West founded Mountain in 1969, alongside Cream associate and producer Felix Pappalardi, N.D. Smart and Steve Knight. Mountain are perhaps best known for their Southern-rock hit "Mississippi Queen," co-written by West, which appeared on Mountain's 1970 debut album, Climbing!. The song was the group's biggest chart hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. More recently "Mississippi Queen" was covered by Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin as part of their "Hanukkah Cover Song Series," which celebrated the religious holiday by paying tribute to Jewish artists. Mountain also had the distinguished honour of performing at Woodstock in 1969. In one of their earliest appearances as a band, the group joined a legendary lineup which featured Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin and more. "Woodstock was just our third job, and it was quite a thrill," West once told Rolling Stone magazine. "Mountain got on the show because our booking agent also handled Jimi Hendrix... I think I had the most amplifiers of anybody there. It was paralyzing because that stage, that setting, was some kind of natural amphitheater. The sound was so loud and shocking that I got scared. But once I started playing, I just kept going because I was afraid to stop." 
Although Mountain's 11-song set went unrepresented in the original film documentary and soundtrack album, it did figure into the Woodstock II album and the extended home-video cut of the movie. Mountain disbanded for the first time in 1972, before reforming periodically in the years that followed. During one of Mountain's hiatuses, West formed a supergroup with Cream bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Corky Laing called West, Bruce and Laing. West was often cited as one of the all-time great rock guitarists, but he downplayed his ability in a 1987 interview with Guitar World magazine. "I'm no great guitarist technically," he said. "I only play with these two fingers [index and ring]. But you wanna know why people remember me? If you take a hundred players and put them in a room, 98 or 99 of 'em are gonna sound the same; the one who plays different, has some of his own, that's the one you're gonna remember." West had appeared almost unrecognizably thin in recent years, after being big enough at the outset of Mountain's career that the band was said to have been named after his hefty size. He even named his second solo album in 1975 The Great Fatsby. In 2011, he had part of his right leg amputated as a result of complications from type II diabetes. "I lost my leg, but at least it wasn't one of my arms," West said in a 2016 interview. "Otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." The last studio album under the Mountain name, Masters of War, which consisted of Bob Dylan covers, was released in 2007. West continued doing live shows under his own name as recently as the fall of 2019, and also became known to new generations via his appearances on Howard Stern's radio show. Paul Stanley, Tom Morello, Slash and Twisted Sister's Dee Snider are among those to have paid tribute to West following news of his passing. "So very sad. Leslie's tone could stop a rhino in a full charge. Mountain sound was massive. Leslie was a warm and lovely guy. Sad," Paul Stanley 
A San Diego-based indie brewing company named Duckfoot Brewery Co. has teamed up with the estate of Frank Zappa to create a new tribute beer, hilariously named "Why Does It Hurt When IPA?," a play on the 1979 Zappa Joe's Garage track "Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?" Described as containing "notes of passion fruit, spice and the rocker's favorite, grapefruit," Why Does It Hurt When IPA? features never-before-published photos of Frank on the cans and was launched on Dec. 21 to mark Zappa's birthday. Duckfoot's co-founder, Matt DelVecchio, says he's a Zappa fan from childhood and also a longtime friend of a member of the Zappa Plays Zappa touring band fronted by Frank's son, Ahmet Zappa. "Stay home, be safe and enjoy Why Does It Hurt When IPA? responsibly," Ahmet said in a press release. "All the Zappa Trust proceeds from this batch will go to support the music community in need. Music is the Best!," he added. U.S. residents can purchase the beer at ZappaBrew.com. - Billboard, 12/21/20...... As he embarks on a promotional campaign for his new album 
Soul singer Al Green has just released his first new recording in a decade, a cover of Freddy Fender's 1975 hit 
As Keith Richards celebrated his 77th birthday on Dec. 18, the Rolling Stones frontman has been honoured with a cockroach named after. Officials at the Children's Museum in West Hartford, Conn. have decided to name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after the Rolling Stones icon -- and have even given the insect its very own custom miniature guitar to crawl all over. The news was revealed to acknowledge the fact that both Keith Richards and cockroaches have great survival rates, according to the celebrity gossip site TMZ. "Keith the Cockroach" has been adopted by Denver, Colorado's classic rock radio station 103.5 The Fox, although it will permanently remain at the museum's wildlife sanctuary -- not far from the town of Weston, where Richards has a home -- and it will be cared for by staff at the museum, noting that "all of his rider demands will be met" thanks to a generous contribution from 103.5 The Fox. "It is said the only two things to survive a nuclear war would be cockroaches and Keith Richards," the museum wrote in a press release. "Chances are the real Keith will outlive the newly named, oval-shaped invertebrate whose life span is two to five years," it added. The museum said it was inspired to name the nightcrawler after Richards, who himself has notoriously cheated death on several occasions, including when he fell out of a coconut tree in 2006, and in 1978, when someone laced his dope with strychnine, which landed him in a coma. Stones fans can visit Keith the Cockroach by getting tickets on the website of the Children's Museum in West Hartford. Admission is $8 for both adults and children. - The New York Post, 12/18/20...... Ozzy Osbourne is reportedly "about halfway through" his next studio album, according to producer/guitarist Andrew Watt, and it includes contributions from members of Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica. The new band, Watt explained in a new interview, features Ozzy on vocals, himself on guitar, Metallica's Robert Trujillo on bass, and Taylor Hawkins and Chad Smith sharing drumming duties. "There's a bunch of people involved," Watt told Guitar World magazine. "I can't say for sure until the end, but I started doing a bunch of basic tracks with Chad and Robert Trujillo, who used to play in Ozzy's band. Osbourne released his well-received last studio album, Ordinary Man, earlier in 2020, just before the pandemic hit. - NME, 12/18/20...... John Prine has been honoured posthumously with an Artist of the Year prize at the 19th annual Americana Honors and Awards. Prine, a 2003 Americana Lifetime Achievement Award winner, becomes the first artist in Honors & Awards history to be posthumously nominated in this category. There will be no in-person awards ceremony this year due to the COVID crisis and the winners were announced via social media on Dec. 15. Prine lost his battle with the coronavirus in April. - WENN/Canoe.com, 12/15/20...... Actor Jeremy Bulloch, best known for playing Boba Fett in the original 
British '60s pop singer Chad Stuart, one half of '60s hitmaking folk-pop duo Chad & Jeremy, has died at age 79, according to a post on the duo's Facebook page on Dec. 20. Born David Stuart Chadwick, Stuart met Jeremy Clyde at London's Central School For Speech and Drama, and the pair started performing together as a folk duo in the early '60s. After briefly attempting a side rock band and separating after graduation, they reassembled as Chad & Jeremy -- both members singing and playing guitar -- and released their debut single, the upbeat-but-melancholy "Yesterday's Gone," in 1963. The song became a No. 37 hit in their home country, but was more successful on U.S. shores, where it peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, as part of a growing wave of popular post-Beatles U.K. acts collectively known as the British Invasion. The group would score two more Stateside hits off their eventual 1964 album, also titled Yesterday's Gone: "A Summer Song" (No. 7) and "Willow Weep For Me" (No. 15). Stuart continued to find work in entertainment after Chad & Jeremy's split in 1968, becoming the musical director for The Smothers Brothers' variety TV show, and later working as a staff producer for A&M Records. Chad & Jeremy informally reunited in the late '70s, and eventually began to record and tour again, releasing the Chad Stuart & Jeremy Clyde album in 1983. They separated again from 1987 to 2002, but resumed touring for much of the 21st century, playing at a number of '60s and British Invasion-themed gigs and on such package tours, before Stuart officially retired to Sun Valley, Idaho in the late '10s. "He just loves being at home and puttering about," Clyde said about Stuart in 2019. "He has a shed and he does all sorts of woodwork, and feeds the birds and watches and identifies them, and has a lovely time." According to the Facebook post, Stuart contracted pneumonia in the fall, after having been admitted to the hospital for non-COVID-related reasons. "The family would like to thank his fans from around the world for the outpouring of birthday wishes and gifts he received every year," his family noted. "Chad took the time to read each and every card. The world has lost a legend today, but his voice will continue to touch our lives through his music," they added. - Billboard, 12/21/20...... Country star K.T. Oslin, a three-time Grammy-winning country singer and songwriter, died on Dec. 21 after battling Parkinson's Disease and being diagnosed with COVID-19 the previous week. She was 78. The Crosssett, Ark., native won a trio of Grammys in the late 1980s for her songs "80s Ladies" and "Hold Me." She took home best country vocal performance by a female for "80s Ladies" in 1988, then won the same award and best country song for "Hold Me" in 1989. The singer-songwriter also topped the charts with her 1990 song "Come Next Monday." At the Country Music Association awards, Oslin was named the 1988 female vocalist of the year, and "80s Ladies" earned the song of the year award. It was the first time a female songwriter took home the prestigious honour. Oslin would go on to influence several of today's songwriters, including Grammy-nominated country music singer Brandy Clark, who remembered her in a Twitter thread as "Larger than life, smart, funny, elegant, beautiful...the list could go on and on." - Variety.com, 12/21/20.
In other Springsteen news, the Boss has recalled his reaction to hearing the finished version of his 1975 iconic album 
With his new album 
As Dionne Warwick celebrated her milestone 80th birthday on Dec. 12, the Grammy-winning pop singer took to her Twitter page on Dec. 17 to share a video pitch for a new Netflix project based on her life and career, and she singled out rising singer Teyana Taylor as the perfect person to portray her on screen. "This is a case for @netflix," Dionne wrote alongside a video, in which she asked if fans would really want to tune in. "Please don't ask who I would cast to play me as it would obviously be @TEYANATAYLOR." Taylor was quick to share her gratitude for the honor, replying with clapping hand emojis, while Netflix admitted they were "taking notes." "I'll call ya!," Dionne replied to Netflix. Although she recently turned 80, the "I Say a Little Prayer" singer shows no signs of retiring. She's currently working with Chance the Rapper on an initiative to feed homeless people, with The Weeknd joining them too. Warwick's upcoming charity single "Nothing Is Impossible" -- penned by her son Dionne Damon Elliott -- will benefit the non-profit charity Hunger Not Impossible, whose aim is to fight hunger by connecting American families in need with nutritious meals provided by local restaurants. - Music-News/NME, 12/17/20...... In a recent interview with the UK paper The Guardian, Cher shared both her hopes and fears for the end of Pres. Donald Trump's term in January and said she hopes Trump will be prosecuted once he's out of office. Cher argued that Trump had turned US culture "toxic" during his time in office, adding: "People who just disagreed with each other before are now enemies. I hate to even call him a president because all he does is watch TV." She also related her fear that "if Trump can't be in the White House, he's going to burn it down." "He's trying to block [Pres. Elect] Joe [Biden] at every moment," she said. "He's the most vindictive person I've ever witnessed. I think he's fighting so hard because he's going to be prosecuted when he gets out of the White House." Asked if she thinks Trump could end up going to prison in the future, Cher replied: "Oh, I hope so. I'll be dancing around." - NME, 12/14/20...... An official cause of death of guitar legend Eddie Van Halen has been revealed as a copy of the 65-year-old's death certificate was obtained by the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com on Dec. 13. Van Halen's immediate cause of death on Oct. 6 was as a cerebrovascular accident, or a stroke, according to the certificate. He also had several underlying causes, including pneumonia, the bone marrow disorder myelodysplastic syndrome and lung cancer. The certificate also listed a number of "other significant conditions," including skin cancer on his head and neck and an irregular heart rate. Van Halen's body was cremated 22 days after his death and his ashes have been given to his son, Wolfgang Van Halen. - NME, 12/13/20...... A Slingerland drum kit played by Rush drummer Neil Peart between 1974-1977 has sold at a Bonhams' Music Memorabilia auction for just over $500,000 (£379,000) that ended on Dec. 10. The coveted kit, which features dual blue heads printed with Rush's logo and Neil Peart's name, as well as chrome-wrapped Tom-toms with an original head signed by Peart himself, was expected to fetch somewhere between $104,000 (£77,695) and $157,000 (£117,290). That estimation, however, was shattered as the drummer's hardware was sold for just over half a million dollars -- $500,312, to be exact. As the Bonhams listing explained, the kit was purchased by Peart in 1974 from Toronto's Long & McQuade music store shortly after he joined the iconic band. Peart used the kit for his first performance with the band on Aug. 14, 1974 and it acted as his main drum set until 1977. - NME, 12/12/20...... 
Trailblazing African-American country musician Charley Pride, the first African-American to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, passed away in Dallas, Tex., on Dec. 12 due to COVID-19 complications. He was 86. Born in Sledge, Miss., on Mar. 18, 1934 to a sharecropper, Mr. Pride enlisted in the Army as a young man and later worked at a Missouri smelting plant. Mr. Pride then played for the Memphis Red Sox and Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro League before heading in 1963 to Nashville where he made demonstration recordings. Four years later, his recording of "Just Between You and Me" broke into country's Top Ten. He went on to score 52 Top Ten hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. "Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'," "Why Baby Why" and "Night Games" were among Mr. Pride's 29 songs to reach No. 1 on that chart, and he also earned four Grammy Awards throughout his career, including three Grammys for his gospel songs "Let Me Live" and" Did You Think to Pray," and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He was also a distinguished advocate for African-American rights. "We're not color blind yet, but we've advanced a few paces along the path and I like to think I've contributed something to that process," Mr. Pride wrote in his memoir, 2017's Pride: The Charley Pride Story. Mr. Pride was also a talented baseball player in his youth, earning professional contracts during the 1950s. Mr. Pride gave his final public performance at the Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 11. Following claims that Mr. Pride may have been exposed to COVID-19 at the indoor event, the CMA Awards issued a statement. "Everyone affiliated with the CMA Awards followed strict testing protocols outlined by the city health department and unions," the statement read. "Charley was tested prior to traveling to Nashville. He was tested upon landing in Nashville, and again on show day, with all tests coming back negative. After returning to Texas following the CMA Awards, Charley again tested negative multiple times," the statement added. Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Billy Ray Cyris are among the musicians to have paid tribute to Pride following his passing. "I'm so heartbroken that one of my dearest and oldest friends, Charley Pride, has passed away. It's even worse to know that he passed away from COVID-19," Dolly Parton posted to 
Neil Young announced on his 
Willie Nelson has announced he'll release 
Appearing recently on the NBC morning show Today, Jimmy Buffett said he had to do some homework before recording his new album of old songs, Songs You Don't Know By Heart, because he'd forgotten the lyrics to so many of his lesser known tunes. "There were a lot of them that I had to go back and learn...!," Buffett, 73, mused. "I'm old, and I've been doing this for 40 years!," he added. Buffett said the album was initially an idea for a video performance series online during the coronavirus shutdown, and t's all thanks to his daughter Delaney, and her pal. "Delaney and a friend of hers from high school, who had been working for us for a little while, came up with the idea to go to fans and ask them, 'Hey, he's not doing shows, what songs would you like to hear that he hasn't played in 20 years?' so that became Songs You Don't Know By Heart," he explained. "(Delaney and her friend) got like 10,000 setlists (suggested by fans) in a short period of time, and so we collected 50 of the most voted on songs, and went to 15 which we could do, and that was the video (series). And then we started getting mail back from people saying, 'Why doesn't your dad go in the studio and do an acoustic album?' So as a person who hadn't made an album in seven years, I made two in three months!," he added. - Music-News.com, 12/11/20...... Jimmy Page is joining a growing list of musicians who are calling for fairer payments from streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music. "Having recently viewed the Select Committee for Music Streaming on 24 November 2020 I feel compelled to write this letter," the Led Zeppelin guitarist posted on 
Olivia Newton-John has announced she's shifting her new cancer foundation to America for tax reasons after launching it in Australia in Oct. 2020. Newton-John, who is currently battling stage-four metastatic breast cancer, posted on Instagram that she has chosen to voluntarily deregister the NJ Foundation Down Under in Australia and she and husband John Easterling "will now focus on our ONJ Foundation Fund in the USA. We're excited to be supporting plant medicine research, specifically for cancer, through a simple Donor Advised fund with CAF America!." "The ONJ Foundation received significant and positive public support after a soft-launch in October 2020, primarily from USA residents, and Olivia is keen to make sure these donors receive maximum tax benefits and support," according to the singer/actress's publicist, Michael Caprico. - Music-News.com, 12/10/20...... Appearing on the MSNBC show The Beat on Dec. 8, David Byrne said that "reunion tours have become an exercise in nostalgia" when host Ari Melber asked why many fans can't accept that his former band Talking Heads won't make a comeback. "There's a period where music really is essential to you kind of defining who you are and what your place is in the world, and you can never let go of that moment," Byrne said. "But then again, you could never could never recreate and replace that moment either. There's plenty of reunion tours and things like that and it's become an exercise in nostalgia. You can never recreate that moment when people hear things like that for the first time. It has to do with the moment that they heard this music in their life, where they were in their life, when this happened -- more than it was us." Talking Heads broke up in 1991, and have only played together once since, for their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002. - NME, 12/8/20...... Aerosmith have added an additional concert at Sheffield Arena on July 2, 2021 to their upcoming European tour. Aerosmith had been due to hit the road this summer, before they were forced to postpone the shows due to the coronavirus crisis. Other U.K. dates include previously announced shows in London and Manchester on June 23 and 29, respectively, and the band will also visit Switzerland, Spain, France, Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary before wrapping in Austria on July 15. - NME, 12/8/20...... In an interview with The Oakland Press, Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen told fans "not hold their breath" over the release of archived songs of his late father's. "That's not gonna happen for a long time," Wolfgang said. "I have no idea what's in there that would be worth releasing. To a certain extent, my dad released all the good stuff. Even without the intention to release, I want to archive it properly and digitize it, so everything is safe for years to come. It's going to be an incredibly difficult process and a very long process to do properly," he added, noting "you usually see right away the compilations of unreleased music that maybe should have stayed unreleased, and it just seems like a cash grab to take hold of the moment." Eddie Van Halen passed away from cancer on Oct. 6 at age 65. - NME, 12/8/20...... Bruce Springsteen recently teamed up with the rock band Bleachers to perform a song titled "Chinatown" together. Bleachers, led by frontman Jack Antonoff, filmed the performance on the roof of Electric Lady Studios in New York City and have shared it on 
Legendary American airman Gen. Chuck Yeager, the first pilot in history confirmed to break the sound barrier, died on Dec. 7 at age 97, according to a post on his verified Twitter account. A World War II ace, Gen. Yeager's place in history was secured in 1947 when he became the first pilot to blow past the speed of sound. Gen. Yeager's daring and understated swagger personified "The Right Stuff" associated with the test pilots who followed in his footsteps to become the first astronauts in the American space program. While stationed in England during the war, Gen. Yeager flew P-51 mustangs but was shot down over France on his eighth mission. He escaped and returned to the air. On Oct. 12, 1944, Gen. Yeager downed five enemy aircraft in a single mission and finished the war credited with shooting down at least 12 German planes. In all, Gen. Yeager flew 64 combat missions. After the war, he remained in the military and became a test pilot at Muroc Army Air Field, now called Edwards Air Force Base. He was selected to fly a rocket-powered Bell XS-1 to research high-speed flight, and broke the sound barrier on Oct. 14, 1947, flying his X-1 plane at 700 miles an hour, Mach 1.06, at an altitude of 45,000 feet. Because of the top-secret nature of the mission, Gen. Yeager's feat was not announced to the public until months later in June, 1948. Now, the X-1 he flew that day is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. His feat put Gen. Yeager in the headlines for a time, but he truly became a national celebrity only after the publication of Tom Wolfe's book The Right Stuff in 1979, about the early days of the space program, and the release of the movie based on it four years later, in which Gen. Yeager was played by Sam Shepard. He was depicted breaking the sound barrier in the opening scene. Gen. Yeager continued sound barrier-breaking flights well into his life. On Oct. 14, 1997, on the 50th anniversary of his historic flight, he broke the sound barrier again, flying an F-15D Eagle. Then as a co-pilot at age 89 on Oct. 14, 2012, on the 65th anniversary of breaking the sound barrier, Gen. Yeager did it again in an McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. His death was announced in a heartfelt statement by his wife of 17 years, Victoria Yeager. "It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET," she wrote on his account. "An incredible life well lived, Americas greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever." - AP, 12/8/20.