As Cher graces the latest cover of CR Fashion Book magazine alongside Kim Kardashian and Naomi Campbell as a "fantasy biker gang," the 73-year-old diva told the publication that her concerts may not be quite as good as they were five years ago. "I can still put on my show. It might not be as great as it was five years ago, but it's still pretty damn good," she said, adding that she "never expected" to still be famous at her age. "Now when I go on stage, I see such different groupings: really old people beside really young children. That's something really special. I know that I still make people happy, and that's my gift." Cher also commented on her reputation as an opinionated Twitter user, saying she likes the social media platform "because I like to say what I think and I don't have to worry about that kind of thing. Sometimes I get my a*s kicked on Twitter, but I still speak my mind... Don't f**k with me but also, I'm very gentle and very loving and I have a really good moral compass." Cher also said she's not very keen on selfies requests from her legion of fans: "People ask me all the time for them, and I almost always say no -- except for Naomi (Campbell)." - Music-news.com, 2/25/20...... 
The Liverpool City Council and the estate of George Harrison have announced a new woodland memorial dedicated to the late Beatle will be created in the city in 2021 to mark what would have been the legendary musician's 77th birthday. The George Harrison Woodland Walk will be located in the Liverpool suburb of Allerton, close to where Harrison was born and spent his formative years. Upon its completion, it will feature a selection of artistic installations directly inspired by Harrison's seminal lyrics and his life, as well as a "nature classroom" to help school children learn about the natural world. Local artists are already being solicited to submit ideas for their own artwork at CultureLiverpool.co.uk. Olivia Harrison, George's widow, noted that her late husband "was an avid gardener who found solace and joy in being in the outdoors." "I don't think there is any better way to commemorate him in Liverpool than with a garden which can become a place of tranquility and reflection for everyone. I am really looking forward to watching it change and grow over the coming years," she added. Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson called Harrison "one of our most-loved sons" and that "the site is beautiful and the plans for the area in the coming months are really exciting." - New Musical Express, 2/25/20...... The family of late Rush drummer have announced Rush fans will have the chance to participate in a Neil Peart tribute event for charity set for May 16 in Ontario's Meridian Centre. The venue is located in St. Catharines, Peart's hometown. The event, which is being coordinated with Peart's family, will benefit St. Catherines Hospital and Walker Cancer Centre, the Juravinsky Hospital and Cancer Centre, the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, as well as Overtime Angels, a non-profit charity that is also helping to put the event together. "We are especially pleased to be able to support this charity event that will benefit some much needed organizations that are close to our hearts," Peart's parents, Glen and Betty Peart, said in a statement. Peart died at age 67 on Jan. 7 after a three-year battle with brain cancer. "A Night for Neil" will feature musicians, guest speakers, and production professionals. The artists and speakers will be announced at a later date. - Billboard, 2/24/20...... 
Carlos Santana and Earth, Wind & Fire announced on Feb. 25 they'll kick off a "Miraculous Supernatural 2020 Tour" together on June 19 at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, Calif. The 32-city trek, which also visits such cities as Los Angeles (6/20), Salt Lake City (6/30), Dallas (7/3), Cincinnati (7/8), Syracuse (8/19) and Nashville (8/25) before wrapping on Aug. 29 in Tampa, will be the first time the two superstar acts have ever toured together. The tour is a continuation of Santana's 2019 "Supernatural" swing, with the band slated to perform songs from the guitarist's landmark 1999 comeback album, classic tunes and selections from his 2019 release Africa Speaks. "It is a great joy and honor to co-share music with the magnificent elements of Earth, Wind & Fire. We look forward to delight, joy and ecstasy!" said Santana in a statement. EWF lead vocalist Philip Bailey said he and his band "are excited to rock the USA alongside our friend Carlos Santana and his band with their off-the-chart musicianship and high energy show." "We're going to bring the mighty elements of the universe to the stage and take fans on a journey they'll never forget. This is gonna be a blast!," he added. - Billboard, 2/25/20...... In other tour news, Neil Young recently posted on his Neil Young Archives site that he wants to tour historic venues on his upcoming "Crazy Horse Barn Tour" but is struggling to find many still in operation. "Many of the old places we used to play are gone now, replaced by the new coliseums we have to book year in advance and we don't want to go to anyway," he wrote. Young added that it is a "real job if you have to book it and wait a year" and a large number of new arenas feel "soulless" to him. He included a long list of venues that he s played over the years, listing the buildings that have been demolished and those still existing. "We wanted to play in a couple of months because we feel like it. To us it's not a regular job. We don't like the new rules. If you are looking for us on our Crazy House Barn Tour, we will hopefully be in one of the existing arenas," he said. - New Musical Express, 2/23/20...... Herb Alpert Is.., a documentary chronicling the ife and career of the legendary trumpeter and A&M Records co-founder, Herb Alpert, will kick off a spring threatrical release with a world premiere at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on May 5. In a Herb Alpert Is.. trailer shared on YouTube, fellow artists from Quincy Jones to Sting expound on Alpert, who admits he could not enjoy his success in its height because he felt like just a number. "We were selling out these huge arenas in three minutes and at that point I realized, man, I'm rich, I'm famous, but I'm miserable," he says. At A&M, Alpert, now 84, discovered and/or worked with artists as diverse as The Carpenters, The Police, Janet Jackson, Peter Frampton and Cat Stevens. The film also explores Alpert's work as an abstract painter and sculptor and his philanthropic support of arts programs nationwide. - Billboard, 2/25/20...... 
Alice Cooper made a guest appearance on Duncanville, the new animated FOX series from Saturday Night Live alumni Amy Poehler, on Feb. 23. Titled "Read Head Redemption," the episode saw Cooper make a guest appearance in one of dad Jack's (played by Ty Burrell) flashbacks. Tasked with decluttering the garage, Jack struggles to part with a guillotine that was once owned by the rock icon. In a flashback, viewers learn how he came into possession of the stage prop. Sharing the clip on Twitter, Cooper tweeted: "I've been animated! Don't miss Alice on tonight s episode of @duncanvillefox at 8:30/7:30c after the Simpsons on FOX." Duncanville was created by Poehler along with The Simpsons alums Julie Thacker Scully and Mike Scully. - New Musical Express, 2/24/20...... With his new album Ordinary Man in the stores on Feb. 21, Ozzy Osbourne says he's already planning on returning to the studio to record a follow-up. "I'm starting another one next month," Osbourne says, but also expressed his fear of touring, which he doesn't "like to think about" because "I can't even f---ing walk properly yet." Ozzy has credited Ordinary Man with pulling him out of a downward spiral caused by his health woes, including battling pneumonia and suffering a fall at his home last February, and last month, revealed he had been living with Parkinson's disease. And he also thanked the producer, and rapper Post Malone, who got them together by asking him to appear on his track "Take What You Want." "I've never been laid up for a year in my life and still been in so much pain at the end of it, but Andrew Watt and f----ing Post Malone and my daughter Kelly got me going in the right direction. If it's not a big hit that's fine, but this album is quite possibly one of the most important albums I've ever made because it saved my life." - Music-news.com, 2/22/20...... At 86, Willie Nelson's age is only 17 years higher than the number of albums he's released throughout his long and venerable career. On Feb. 23, Nelson announced his 70th studio album, First Rose of Spring, will drop on Apr. 24 and feature covers of songs from the likes of Toby Keith, Chris Stapleton and Billy Joe Shaver alongside a series of co-written Nelson originals. Nelson has also shared the title track of the new LP on YouTube. - NME, 2/23/20...... 
Songwriter Paul Williams is set to receive the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award at the 51st Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 11 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. "Paul Williams is a songwriter's songwriter," said SHOF chairman Nile Rodgers. "He’s one of the most wonderful and colorful creators of our time and a man who has given the world so much love through songs like 'Just An Old Fashioned Love Song,' 'We’ve Only Just Begun' and 'Rainbow Connection.'" Williams, 79, received three Grammy nominations for song of the year, for "We've Only Just Begun" (1970), "You and Me Against the World" (1974) and "Evergreen" (1977). He wrote all three songs with different composers -- Roger Nichols, Kenny Ascher and Barbra Streisand, respectively. He has also received three Oscar nominations for best original song, for "Nice to Be Around" from Cinderella Liberty (1973), "Evergreen" from A Star Is Born (1976) and "The Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie (1979). Williams won an Oscar for writing the lyric to "Evergreen," and is just the fifth recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award who has won both an Oscar for best original song and a Grammy for song of the year. Williams is also passionate about recovery and works tirelessly to destigmatize alcoholism and addiction. His career, life, and work in recovery were chronicled in the 2011 documentary, Paul Williams Still Alive. - Billboard, 2/25/20...... In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, Clint Eastwood said he thinks former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg should be the next president and that he wishes Pres. Donald Trump would change his behavior. The 86-year-old Dirty Harry actor, a self-described libertarian, says although he agrees with some Trump policies he thinks the president should act "in a more genteel way, without tweeting and calling people names." "I would personally like for him to not bring himself to that level," the Academy Award-winner told the paper, before adding "The best thing we could do is just get Mike Bloomberg in there." Eastwood also weighed in on the sensational trial of disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein, saying the #MeToo movement has undercut the "presumption of innocence" and rejected accusations of sexism related to his latest film Richard Jewell, which was criticized for suggesting a female reporter traded sex for tips about
case. - Dailymail.co.uk, 2/21/20...... As Eastwood endorses Bloomberg, small-screen icon Dick Van Dyke has come out for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders. "I can't wait to see Bernie debate Mr. Trump," the 94-year-old Van Dyke said in an endorsement video released on Feb. 21. "The age question keeps coming up," Van Dyke noted. "I know that I'm 20 years older than Bernie. I have all my marbles. I could run for office if I wanted to. So I don't think age... it really doesn't matter, except for his experience and the years he's put in." The actor also said he's struggled understanding why Sanders had difficulty appealing to those from the older generations. "Why wouldn't an older citizen vote for somebody with that kind of a record and with that kind of experience and honesty and trust? It just doesn't make sense to me that he's not getting my generation. And I want to urge my generation to get out and vote for him, please." The Mary Poppins star also declared that the November election would be the most important one held since the end of World War II. While not mentioning Trump by name, Van Dyke did suggest that democracy was doomed if his administration had "another four years." "We must get him out of there. Democratic principles are flying out the window. He has assumed authority beyond what the president is allowed and he's going to get worse," he concluded. Dailymail.co.uk, 2/21/20.
Rod Stewart closed the 2020 Brit Awards at London's O2 Arena on Feb. 18 with a reunion with two of his former Faces bandmates -- guitarist Ronnie Wood and drummer Kenney Jones. Stewart first performed a solo rendition the Crazy Horse song "I Don't Want to Talk About It," which he dedicated to the mother of Brit Awards host Jack Whitehall, joking that she was "throwing herself" at him earlier in the night. Rod then said, "This show may be 40 years old, but the Faces are 50 years old," referring to the bluesy hard rock outfit that formed out of Small Faces decades ago in the U.K. "There used to be five of us, and now there's three," he said, before inviting out the fellow two surviving members -- Wood and Jones -- for a little reunion in the form of the Faces' scuzzy booze-blues classic "Stay With Me." The 74-year-old Stewart also contributed some dance moves that stole the finale. - Billboard, 2/18/20...... 
A rare David Bowie album called I'm Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74) has been announced for release for Record Store Day (Apr. 18). The LP collects previously unreleased tapes from Bowie shows in Nashville and Detroit in 1974 and will be released on 2LP and 2CD format, and joins a previously announced Bowie album, ChangesNowBowie, which will also be released on Record Store Day. In a press release, Parlophone Records said I'm Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74) "was recorded mostly during David's performance at the Michigan Palace, Detroit on 20th October, 1974, with the encores taken from the Municipal Auditorium, Nashville on 30th November, 1974." ChangesNowBowie, a 9-track album culled from a 1996 session with longtime Bowie bassist Gail Ann Dorsey, guitarist Reeves Gabrels and producer Mark Plati during rehearsals for a 50th birthday gig at Madison Square Garden, was previously announced for Record Store Day release in January. - Billboard, 2/20/20...... A remastered version of the classic live Elvis Presley film That's The Way It Is will be screened in select cinemas in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Australia and New Zealand for one night only on Apr. 22. Originally released in Nov. 1970, the Denis Sanders-directed documentary was filmed during a series of shows the King played in Las Vegas in 1970. Tickets will go on sale on Feb. 26. Meanwhile, a Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic of Presley is currently in the works, with Tom Hanks set to play the late singer's manager Colonel Tom Parker. - New Musical Express, 2/20/20...... Ozzy Osbourne attended an album release party for his new solo album Ordinary Man at L.A.'s Rainbow Bar and Grill on the Sunset Strip on Feb. 20. With wife Sharon Osbourne, daughter Kelly Osbourne, and others in his sizable entourage including Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith also in attendance, Ozzy held court in the back booth for two full hours as tracks from the new LP played at top volume, the walls of the venue papered with photos from all different phases of his career. Osbourne, who was walking with the help of a cane and holding onto the arm of a male friend as he entered and exited the venue, recently told the UK tabloid The Sun that he is in "unbelievable pain 24/7" after a fall at his home in Feb. 2019 aggravated an old neck injury. In January, he revealed he had been diagnosed with a type of Parkinson's disease known as PRKN 2, a milder form of the progressive nervous system disorder. His health issues caused him to announce on Feb. 20 that he's postponing planned U.S. and Canadian dates on his "No More Tours 2" while he seeks treatment overseas. "I cannot go out on the road, until I'm 100 percent confident that I can pull it off," Ozzy said in an interview with Radio.com. "If I go out now and I can't carry on, people are gonna think I've lost the plot, ya know. So I'm not gonna go out there until I can give them the show that I want to give them, because it's not fair to them. I mean I've waited this long. I'm intending on going back out on the road," he added. The 27-date tour, with Marilyn Manson supporting, had been slated to kick off in May. Ordinary Man is currently available for streaming on Spotify.com. - Billboard, 2/21/20...... 
After becoming an official American citizen in January, Neil Young is already exercising his First Amendment rights with a scathing open letter to US Pres. Donald Trump that begins with the phrase: "You are a disgrace to my country." Young posted the lengthy screed on his Neil Young Archives Times-Contrarian website on Feb. 18 with a featured cover image of an angry young boy riding a bike with the American flag waving behind. "Your mindless destruction of our shared natural resources, our environment and our relationships with friends around the world is unforgiveable," the singer/songwriter wrote. "Your policies, decisions and short term thinking continue to exacerbate the Climate Crisis.... The United States of America, my country, is not a green on one of your branded gold courses that you can ride around on and damage so that other players cannot shoot straight," he added. Young also slammed the president for using Young's Grammy-winning classic rock anthem "Rockin' in the Free World" after kicking off his 2016 Republican presidential candidate announcement with the track, a song Young says he wrote back in 1989 as a critique of former Pres. George H. W. Bush's administration and his lack of care toward the poor in America. "'Keep on Rockin' in the Free World' is not a song you can trot out at one of your rallies," Young wrote. "Perhaps you could have been a bass player and played in a rock and roll band. That way you could be on stage at a rally every night in front of your fans, if you were any good, and you might be... Every time 'Keep on Rockin' in the Free World' or one of my songs is played at your rallies, I hope you hear my voice. Remember it is the voice of a tax-paying US citizen who does not support you. Me." Before ascending to the presidency, Pres. Trump attended multiple Young concerts over the years and even sat next to Patti Smith in the first couple of rows at a 2006 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young reunion show at The Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York City. "He's got something very special," Trump said in the interview at the time of the concert. "I've listened to his music for years." - Billboard, 2/19/20...... As he grants new interviews to help publicize his latest album American Standard, James Taylor told the UK paper The Guardian that his good friend Joni Mitchell is "coming back" with new music soon as she recovers from a brain aneurysm she suffered in March of 2015 and was found unconscious at her home. Taylor revealed the two have recently reconnected and that he "recently sort of re-engaged with Joni, and that's been wonderful." "She came to a show of mine recently, at the Hollywood Bowl, which was an unusual thing for her to do," Taylor said. Going on to seemingly reveal a comeback for the iconic folk singer, he added: "She's recovering, she's coming back -- which is an amazing thing to be able to do -- and I wonder what she has to tell us about that... think she's coming back musically... It's amazing to see her come back to the surface." Mitchell's most recent album, 2007's Shine, is set to be released on vinyl later in 2020. Taylor also told The Guardian that he fears he may have played a role in the demise of the Beatles by giving John Lennon hard drugs. Lennon's issues with heroin have long been rumoured to have contributed to the band deciding to break-up in 1969, a year after they met Taylor, who was at the time battling his own opioid addiction, and signed to their Apple Records label. Describing his drug use, he said: "You used to be able to buy something called Collis Browne's Chlorodyne, which was an old-fashioned medication. Essentially, it was a tincture of opium, so you'd drink a couple of bottles and you could take the edge off." But Taylor added he isn't absolutely sure it was he who introduced Lennon to hard drugs. "They were leaving as I was coming in. I often came in early and would sit in the control room and listen to them recording -- and hear playbacks of what they had just cut." Asked whether the band was "unravelling" at that stage, he adds: "Well, it was a slow unravelling, but it was also an extremely creative unravelling." Taylor subsequently left Apple Records, beat his addictions in rehab and moved to Los Angeles, where he recorded his breakthrough record Sweet Baby James featuring vocals from Carole King. - New Musical Express/WENN, 2/17/20...... Speaking of the Beatles, the Fab Four's Apple Corps and Subafilms, which owns the Yellow Submarine trademark, have been granted a $77 million default judgement over fake band merchandise. A Florida judge fined the 77 defendants in the case each $1 million in damages for trademark violations. London-based Apple Corps and Subafilms, which are owned by the former Beatles members, brought the federal lawsuit against the individuals in Nov. 2019 asking a judge to not only prohibit them from selling the counterfeit merchandise, but to also hold them accountable for any commercial sales made that infringed on the trademark. Apple Corps was also granted a permanent injunction against the defendants prohibiting them from "manufacturing, importing, advertising, or promoting, distributing, selling or offering to sell counterfeit and infringing goods using" the bands' trademarks. Defendants in the lawsuit were listed only through their domain names, seller IDs, URLs and email addresses. An attorney familiar with the case says the lawsuit was likely filed by Apple Corps "to send a message; protect its legitimate licensees; build its case against future infringers and hopefully, just hopefully, catch a few bad actors in the act, seize their assets and put them out of business." - Billboard, 2/18/20...... 
A charity founded in honor of late Black Sabbath and Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who died on May 16, 2010, will remember the musician with a 10th anniversary Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund concert and memorial awards gala at The Avalon in Hollywood on Feb. 20. Metal media maven Eddie Trunk will host the second annual gala, which will feature a performance by the current edition of the Dio band, which has been touring with a hologram of the late singer. Presenters will include Ahmet Zappa, Sebastian Bach, Motley Crue's Tommy Lee, Cinderella's Fred Coury, Quiet Riot's Frankie Banali, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) and Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, Dokken). Among the evening's honorees will be Rhino Entertainment/Warner Music Group (which will receive the Holy Diver Award), T.J. Martell Foundation CEO Laura Heatherly (the Killing the Dragon Award), and Dio hologram creator Jeff Pezzuti of Eyellusion (the Stand Up and Shout Award). Dio's widow Wendy Dio says she hopes to have a new Dio hologram out later this year with the Dio road band, which went on tour during 2019. "We're developing a new one because technology changes every day," she explains. "I was happy with the one we just did last year in the U.S., but now we can make it even better. It's something I think Ronnie would have wanted to do. He loved going to Disneyland and seeing the holograms there and always was very interested in developing one." Meanwhile, a new RJD documentary is on the way. BMG Music announced on Feb. 18 that the film will be the first documentary to be fully authorized by his estate and include never-before-seen archival footage and photos from his personal archives, as well as scenes with his closest peers, friends and family. The film will complete Dio's unfinished autobiography, which he was working on before his untimely death from stomach cancer in 2010. In conjunction with the film, BMG will release on Mar. 20 a remastered collection of Dio's acclaimed 1996 - 2004 studio albums Angry Machines, Magica, Killing The Dragon, and Master Of The Moon with rare and unreleased bonus tracks. - Billboard, 2/19/20...... The estate of late funk singer Rick James is being sued for $50 million by a woman who claims James raped her when she was only 15 years old. The unidentified plaintiff says James raped her while she was staying at a group home in Buffalo, New York, in 1979. The lawsuit was filed on Feb. 13 against the James Ambrose Johnson Jr. 1999 Trust, which is run by the singer's estate. The suit was filed under the Child Victims Act, which opened a one-year litigation window for victims who were once blocked by the statute of limitations. In the lawsuit, the woman said James was visiting one of the parents at the group hope. She said he came into her room after dinner and raped her. "He grabbed my hair and pushed my head into the pillow," she said in the suit. "I tried to fight him off, but he told me to 'shut up and quit moving or I'll cut you.'" The woman says she has suffered "physical, psychological and emotional injury" due to the alleged assault. James was convicted in 1993 of assaulting two women. The first case occurred in 1991, when prosecutors said James and his girlfriend tied a woman to a chair, burned her with a hot crack pipe and forced her to perform sex acts during a cocaine binge at his West Hollywood home. He was free on bail when the second assault occurred in 1992 in James' hotel room. He served more than two years in prison. He was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Aug. 6, 2004. - AP, 2/18/20...... Debbie Harry of Blondie, John Fogerty, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Sheryl Crow are among the headliners at the 2020 Jazz Plus concert series at the Hollywood Bowl which will begin on July 29 and run through Sept. 23. Corea and the Spanish Heart Band are set to open the series on July 29; Harry will participate in a Peggy Lee tribute on Aug. 5; Fogerty will headline on Aug. 19; Crow will perform on Sept. 16, and Hancock will close out the series on Sept. 23. Other headliners include Charlie Wilson (8/12) and Hiatus Kaiyote (9/9). - Billboard, 2/18/20...... 
A new musical inspired by the life and music of late '70s reggae legend Bob Marley will debut at London's Lyric Theatre from Feb. 6, 2021, on what would have been the seminal musician's 76th birthday. "Get Up, Stand Up!" will chronicle Marley's rise to superstardom, with Kene tackling the role of Marley. "I feel absolutely honoured to be able to take on this role," Kene said in a statement. "It is not only an honour to be able to spread Bob Marley's message further, but to get to be him for a little while is a lifelong dream come true. I grew up on his music and his mantra and he has been one of my role models since I was a child. I feel as if he's in my DNA. He's the man, I love him." - New Musical Express, 2/16/20...... Elton John canceled the two remaining New Zealand shows on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour on Feb. 18 as he continued to suffer from a bout of pneumonia. The shows have been rescheduled for next year. Earlier in February, John was forced to cut short a performance in Auckland after he lost his voice and needed medical help on stage. In a statement, Elton said he was "incredibly disappointed" and sent his sincerest apologies to his fans. It was not immediately clear if his illness would affect other dates on his tour, which next moves to Australia. John had just returned to New Zealand after performing at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 9. He won an Oscar for best original song for his theme song for the movie Rocketman. - AP, 2/18/20...... The Who are set to join an all-star group of performers for the 2020 Teenage Cancer Trust benefit shows at London's Royal Albert Hall in March. The Who's Mar. 28 show will feature Who frontman Roger Daltrey and guitarist/singer Pete Townshend performing with a full orchestra as part of a week of gigs (Mar. 23-29) in support of the only UK charity dedicated to meeting the needs of young people (13-24) battling cancer. The TCT shows, conceived and curated by Daltrey, have traditionally featured all-star lineups, including the likes of Paul McCartney, Oasis and The Cure. The 2020 shows will feature such artists as Stereophonics (3/25), Groove Armada (3/27) and Nile Rodgers and Chic (3/29). This year's gigs will celebrate the 20th year of TCT shows at Royal Albert Hall and the organization's 30th anniversary. - Billboard, 2/18/20...... "American Utopia," the critically acclaimed theatrical concert from former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, is set to begin a return Broadway engagement at New York's Hudson Theatre for a 17-week run this fall, with beginning performances set for Sept. 18 and scheduled through Jan. 17, 2021, and an official reopening date to be set. The "American Utopia" production combines songs from Byrne's Talking Heads heyday with selections from across his eclectic solo output, and calls for his fellow humans to "rewire their brains and connect with our ailing planet." A filmed version of "American Utopia," directed by Spike Lee, has been shot, with a release date to be announced for later in 2020. Meanwhile, Byrne and his backing band will be the musical guests on the Feb. 29 edition of Saturday Night Live. - The Hollywood Reporter, 2/17/20...... A video of a KISS cover band musician has been posted on Twitter with the hair of Bobby Jensen, who portrays Gene Simmons in the cover band Hairball, accidentally catching fire as he keeps on rock 'n rolling. Jensen was performing in Sioux City, Iowa, dressed in full KISS make-up and costume, when his long hair accidentally caught fire from the onstage pyro spark. He kept it totally cool, not missing a chord, or even really reacting at all, as the fire spread up his head while two crew members raced over to put out the flames. The crowd burst into cheers once the scary moment was over and Jensen was alright. See it all go down below via a fan on Twitter, who fittingly titled the clip: "The most rock and roll thing you will ever see." - Billboard, 2/18/20...... 
Actress Ja'net Dubois, best known as Willona Woods on the classic 1970s sitcom Good Times, apparently passed away in her sleep in her home in Glendale, Calif., on Feb. 18. She was 74. In addition to famously portraying the exhuberant neighbor Woods on Good Times, Dubois also co-wrote and performed "Movin' On Up", the theme tune for another All in the Family-related spinoff, The Jeffersons. Prior to her Good Times fame, Dubois made TV history with her role as Loretta Allen on soap opera Love of Life in 1970, when she was cast as the first African-American female regular on a daytime serial, and she went on to win two Emmy awards for her voice work on animated series The PJs, which ran from 1999 to 2001. Her other screen credits included films like 1988's I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle in 2003, while on TV, she appeared in Shaft, Kojak, ER, Home Improvement, Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, and A Different World. The actress was also known for her roles on Broadway, where she began her career in plays like "A Raisin In The Sun" and 1956's "Golden Boy", which also featured Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Gossett Jr. She reunited with Good Times co-star Janet Jackson in 1987 to play the R&B icon's mother in the video for her single "Control." "I am so very saddened to hear my longtime friend Ja'net DuBois has passed away," Janet Jackson posted online as news of Dubois' death broke, alongside a slideshow of snapshots of the pair taken over the years. Good Times producer Norman Lear also posted a tribute to the late actress and singer, sharing on Twitter, "Ja'Net DuBois was all light and will be missed. I love that she wrote the theme song for her passing, 'Movin' on Up'," referencing the theme song to The Jeffersons, which DuBois wrote and performed." - WENN/Canoe.com, 2/19/20...... Actress Kellye Nakahara, who portrayed Lieutenant Nurse Kellye on the hit wartime sitcom M*A*S*H died on Feb. 16 in Pasadena, Calif., following a battle with cancer. She was 72. The Hawaii native, who moved to San Francisco before landing the role as Nurse Kellye on M*A*S*H, also appeared in the films Clue and Black Day Blue Night, and was an accomplished watercolour artist. "Kellye Nakahara was a beautiful person and a natural as an actor," M*A*S*H star Alan Alda told Fox News in a statement. "She began as a background performer and worked her way up to playing the lead in an episode I wrote for her. She was adorable and brilliant in the part. But, you couldn't beat what she was as a person, funnier and warmer and kinder than most people I've known. We all loved her on 'M*A*S*H,' and we're all heartbroken to know she's gone. Kelley was a treasure." Alda's M*A*S*H co-star Loretta Swit also offered her condolences, calling Nakahara a "jewel" [who] radiated sparkle and goodness and joy. The light that her presence brought will be deeply and forever missed." - WENN/Canoe.com, 2/18/20.
Queen + Adam Lambert performed the same setlist from their 1985 Live Aid concert for the first time since that legendary performance during a massive Australian bushfire benefit concert at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 16. Queen noted earlier in a social media post that it was the current incarnation of Queen's first time performing the original 22-minute set "for the first time in its history." At the Fire Fight Australia benefit, Queen even broadcast footage of late frontman Freddie Mercury to replicate how Mercury encouraged the 1985 Live Aid audience at Wembley in an energetic singalong, only to light-heartedly tell them "F--- you" afterwards. Queen guitarist Brian May had previously described Fire Fight Australia as a benefit concert "a bit like Live Aid" when he initially revealed that Queen had been approached to play the event. Other artists performing at FFA included Alice Cooper, k.d. Lang and Michael Buble along with native Aussies Olivia Newton-John, Daryl Braithwaite, Hilltop Hoods, Icehouse and Amy Shark, among others. - NME, 2/16/20...... Elton John was forced to end a Feb. 16 concert in Auckland, New Zealand earlier than normal after he began to lose his voice and was escorted from the stage, performing the show despite being diagnosed with walking pneumonia earlier in the day. Before the end of the gig at Mount Smart Stadium, Elton was seen visibly crying on stage and later told fans on Instagram that despite his illness "...I was determined to give you the best show humanly possible. I played and sang my heart out, until my voice could sing no more." John, 72, concluded his apology with "I'm disappointed, deeply upset and sorry. I gave it all I had. Thank-you so much for your extraordinary support and all the love you showed me during tonight's performance. I am eternally grateful. Love, Elton xx." Elton's "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour began in 2018 and is set to end in 2021. In other Elton news, John was awarded a Best Book award at the 2020 New Musical Express Awards on Feb. 12 for his 2019 autobiography, Me, triumphing over books written by or about such artists as Debbie Harry, Prince, Brett Anderson and Tegan & Sara. - New Musical Express, 2/16/20...... Authorities in Atlanta, Ga. have revealed they are evaluating new evidence and considering opening a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 2006 of late Godfather of Soul James Brown. Paul Howard Jr. of the Fulton Co. D.A.'s office says on Feb. 12 prosecutors met with a woman named Jacque Hollander who said she had relevant evidence. Hollander reportedly told the DA that she believes Brown died under suspicious circumstances and was possibly murdered. She also was said to have handed over a bin containing some items relevant to the case that she had collected in the years since Brown's passing to the DA's office. "We told her that we would take the information, take the items, and we would review it," said DA spokesperson Chris Hopper. Hopper added that the DA said his office would also attempt to interview some individuals whose names Hollander provided them to determine whether there are facts to back up her assertions regarding Brown's death. The DA plans to make an evaluation in the next six months whether or not to move forward with any kind of official death investigation, according to Hopper. Brown's cause of death in 2006 at age 73 was listed on his death certificate as a heart attack and fluid in his lungs. - Billboard, 2/13/20...... 
Two years after being fired from Fleetwood Mac and a year after suffering a vocal cord injury which required emergency open heart surgery, Lindsey Buckingham announced on Feb. 11 that he's ready to hit the road again in 2020. Buckingham's trek will kick off at Reynolds Hall in Las Vegas on Apr. 25, also visiting Boulder, Co. (4/28), Kansas City, Mo. (4/30), St. Louis (5/1), Memphis (5/3), Atlanta (5/5), Knoxville, Tn. (5/6), Huntsville, Ala. (5/7), Wichita, Ks. (5/9), Oklahoma City, Ok. (5/10) and Tuscon, Ariz. (5/12) before wrapping at the Magnolia Performing Arts Center in El Cajon, Calif. on May 13. Buckingham, who had been forced to postpone some planned 2019 dates due to his medical issues, was kicked out of Fleetwood Mac in 2018 after more than four decades with the band after some differences with his former bandmate and girlfriend Stevie Nicks. He later settled a civil lawsuit against the band after he was cut from a run of concerts in North America which he said cost him millions in lost earnings. - Billboard, 2/12/20...... Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2019 inductees Def Leppard have announced a slate of 16 fall dates for their "20/20 Vision" tour that will immediately follow their summer stadium tour with Motley Crue, which has already sold more than 1.1 million tickets. With openers ZZ Top, the fall leg is set to launch on Sept. 21 at Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., and run through Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, Nebraska, Michigan and more before wrapping on Oct. 18 in Spokane, Wash. "What a year this is going to be!," Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott said in a release. "First, sold out stadiums, then we get to go on tour with the mighty ZZ Top! Having been an admirer of the band for a lifetime it's gonna be a real pleasure to finally do some shows together...maybe some of us will get to go for a spin with [ZZ Top front man] Billy [Gibbons] in one of those fancy cars..." Gibbons responded in his own statement: "We're excited about hitting the road with Def Leppard this fall; we've been fans of theirs since forever... Joe Elliott is always welcome to ride 'shotgun' with us and we won't even ask him to pay for the gas." - Billboard, 2/13/20...... Neil Young, Willie Nelson and Stephen Stills will be the headliners at the sixth annual Light Up The Blues benefit concert in Los Angeles, set for May 30 at the Greek Theatre. "With this year's stellar lineup -- and a meaningful venue in the Greek Theatre, our hometown favorite -- I am itching to get on stage with this crew and support the efforts of Autism Speaks. It's going to be another exciting and marvelous show!" said Stephen Stills in a release. Also on the bill for the show will be Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Lucius, Fantastic Negrito, Chris Stills and Oliver Stills. Actor/comedian Jack Black will serve as the concert's emcee, with additional special guests expected to appear. - Billboard, 2/12/20...... 
"Karn Evil 9," the almost 30-minute centerpiece of prog-rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 1973 album 
A 1962 vintage amplifier that helped former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman clinch his audition for the iconic British rock band is among more than 1,000 items being auctioned by the musician from his more than 50-year career. "Collecting and archiving has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life and will undoubtedly be one of my legacies," the 83-year-old Wyman, who quit the band in 1993, said in a statement. "It feels like the right time to share my archive with the world. I hope people will get as much joy from my collections as I have," he added. One of the most interesting items in the May 29-31 auction conducted by Julian's in Beverly Hills, which also includes stage clothes and other Stones memorabilia, is the 1962 Vox AC30 amplifier that then 26-year-old Wyman brought to his audition for the Stones at a London pub in 1962. According to Wyman, band members Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were impressed with the amp. "They had horrible amps so they were very happy about that. I bought a round of drinks for everyone and offered cigarettes and of course they jumped immediately because they all smoked but couldn't afford them," Wyman recalled in a 2008 interview. The amp carries a pre-sale estimate of $80,000 - $100,000. Wyman, who now fronts his own band Rhythm Kings, is also selling off several of his other bass guitars, including a 1969 Fender Mustang bass that he played at concerts and on Stones recordings in 1969 and 1970 that is expected to sell for up to $500,000. A portion of the auction proceeds will go to the Macmillan Cancer Support, the British-based youth charity Prince's Trust and the Central Caribbean Marine Institute. Some of the items will go on public display at the Museum of Style Icons in Ireland from March 10-April 20, and in Beverly Hills immediately before the May auction. - Reuters, 2/13/20...... Newly released footage has emerged of Rod Stewart appearing to give a Nazi salute and assaulting a security guard in a New Year's Eve incident at Palm Beach's The Breakers hotel. The scuffle took place as Stewart, 74, was vacationing in Florida with his family and he and his entourage were said to be denied access to a private party outside of the resort's children's area. Sean Stewart -- Rod's son whom he shares with first wife Alana Hamilton -- was accused of shoving the guard after being told to back up, according to a police report. This was allegedly followed by Rod stepping toward the guard and throwing a punch, striking the guard "in his left ribcage area." Footage from the night has now emerged, which shows what appears to be Stewart striking the security guard and performing a Nazi salute. Stewart is set to launch a North American summer tour with openers Cheap Trick on July 1 in Cuyahoga Falls, Oh. - New Musical Express, 2/16/20...... 
Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder has proposed to his girlfriend Diane McInerny, who anchors the syndicated TV celebrity show Inside Edition. Felder, 72, proposed to McInerny, 48, during a sunset stroll in Malibu in January, according to People magazine. It was the same spot where Felder says he wrote music for the Eagles' iconic 1976 album, Hotel California. "Diane is beyond excited to be engaged to the love of her life," a source close to the couple told People. "Their friends and family are thrilled for their happiness." McInerney showed off her engagement ring in an Instagram post on Feb. 10 -- a custom design featuring a five-carat round brilliant cut diamond -- and following the proposal Felder reportedly whisked his bride to be away for a luxury vacation in Mexico. The marriage is a second one for both. Felder has four children with ex-wife Susan Pickersgill, from whom he split in 2000 after three decades of marriage. McInerny was previously married to criminal defense lawyer, Edward Palermo, with whom she has two daughters. The New York-born journalist has been at Inside Edition since 2003. - DailyMail.co.uk, 2/11/20...... Paul English, the longtime drummer for Willie Nelson's band Willie Nelson & Family, died on Feb. 11 in Dallas following a recent battle with pneumonia. He was 87. Mr. English had been a beloved member of Nelson's fand since the 1960s, first playing with the Grammy-winning country star in 1955 before becoming his full-time drummer in 1966. He was a member of Nelson's band until his death. The Vernon, Tex. native served as part of the inspiration behind Nelson's famous 1971 road song "Me & Paul." The nearly four-minute track includes Nelson lamenting of their troubled travels in Nashville, being "almost busted in Laredo, but for reasons that I'd rather not disclose," and a Milwaukee airport not allowing them on the plane. "They said we looked suspicious/ But I believe they like to pick on me and Paul," Nelson sings on the song. In addition to his role as a drummer, Mr. English sometimes served as Nelson's bodyguard, and also credited Nelson for saving his own life. "If I hadn't gone with Willie, I would be in the penitentiary or dead," Mr. English told Rolling Stone in 2014. "I was running girls and playing music at the same time." Mr. English was reportedly surrounded by friends and family at a hospital near his home as he died. - Billboard, 2/12/20.
Elton John became the second-oldest winner in the history of Oscar's best original song category when he and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin picked up the award during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 9 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. John and Taupin's rousing, life-affirming "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from the Elton biopic Rocketman was Elton's second Oscar win in that category, and Taupin's first. "Thank you to Bernie who has been a constant in my life, when I was screwed up, when I was normal, he's always been there for me," John said, after Taupin remarked, "Being here with this guy, I don't have words for it. This is justification for 53 years of just hammering it out and doing what we do." The win enabled John to set a new record as the songwriter with the longest span of wins in the best original song category -- 26 years. He took the 1994 award for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from the original The Lion King. The old record for the longest span of best song winners was held by James Van Heusen, whose wins spanned 20 years--from "Swinging on a Star" (1944) through "Call Me Irresponsible" (1963). The 72-year-old superstar also becomes the second-oldest winner in the history of the category. The oldest is Gulzar, who was 74 when he won for writing the lyrics to "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Taupin, 69, becomes the third-oldest winner in the history of the category. Guests, including Heidi Klum, Diane Lane and Eric McCormack, were welcomed to the party with cocktails, followed by a gala dinner and viewing of the broadcast of the ceremony, after Elton took to the stage to share a few words. "What a night. It is so special to celebrate our Foundation's 28th annual Oscar Party with the Fab Five (cast members of Queer Eye) and Sam Fender and to top it off, another Oscar win!," Elton said. "But most importantly, tonight we have come together to raise urgently needed funds and awareness for the LGBT community at risk or living with HIV in the U.S. and around the world." - Billboard, 2/9/20...... In other Oscars news, Randy Newman performed his Toy Story 4 composition "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" during the ceremony, which was a best original song nominee. Performing at a Steinway piano in a black suit, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer offered a spirited version of the jaunty Toy Story contribution --- with puffs of cloud-like smoke occasionally getting in the way. It was the 13th Newman-written song to be nominated for an Academy Award -- including songs from all four Toy Story movies, with "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3 winning in 2010. Newman was also nominated for best original score for his work on the drama Marriage Story, while Toy Story 4 reigned victorious earlier in the evening for best animated feature. - Billboard, 2/9/20...... 
Heavy metal star and tattoo afficianado Ozzy Osbourne is asking fans to celebrate the Feb. 21 release of his highly anticipated new solo album 
Rod Stewart has been confirmed to close out the 2020 BRIT Awards show, which is set for Feb. 18 at the O2 Arena in London. "Happy to be asked to close out The BRITs on their 40th show celebrations," Sir Rod, 75, said in a statement. It will be the second time Stewart has performed at The BRITs, having first performed at the 1993 show where he also picked up an honorary award for outstanding contribution to music. It is not known if Stewart will receive an honorary award this year. It will be the 40th edition of the annual pop music awards sponsored by the British Phonographic Industry, with hot rising artists Billie Eilish and Lizzo also set to perform. The BRIT Awards 2020 will air live on Feb. 18 at 8:00 p.m. GMT, 3:00 p.m. ET, 12:00 p.m. PT. Viewers in the UK can watch on ITV and STV. International fans can watch via YouTube.com/BRITs. - Billboard, 2/20/20...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is set to make his first Saturday Night Live appearance in 31 years on Feb. 29. Byrne's appearance on SNL will come just two weeks after his acclaimed "American Utopia" show ends its five-month long residency on Broadway. Byrne last appeared on the venerable comedy show in 1989, performing two songs from his debut solo album Rei Mono. - New Musical Express, 2/8/20...... Collectors of newly released vinyl LPs are said to be in for a probable "vinylgeddon" after a plant in California -- one of only two in the world that manufactures the lacquers used for making vinyl master discs -- suffered massive damage during a fire on Feb. 7. "To all of [our] wonderful customers. It is with great sadness we report the Apollo Masters manufacturing and storage facility had a devastating fire and suffered catastrophic damage," a statement by company on its official website read the following day. "The best news is all of our employees are safe. We are uncertain of our future at this point and are evaluating options as we try to work through this difficult time. Thank you for all of the support over the years and the notes of encouragement and support we have received from you all." Luckily, no employees were injured in the fire, although several were present in the building when the fire broke out. The fire comes as a difficult blow to the booming vinyl record industry, as Billboard reported in January that 26% of all physical albums sold in the U.S. in 2019 were vinyl. - Billboard, 2/7/20...... 
Dead & Company have announced dates for a 17-date summer 2020 North American tour that will launch with two datesat Folsom Field in Boulder, Col. on July 10 and 11. The tour will also hit three other major league fields -- two-show stops at Chicago's Wrigley Field on July 24 and 25, and a tour closer at Boston's Fenway Park on Aug. 7 and 8. Other stops include Maryland Heights, Mo. (7/13), Noblesville, Ind. (7/15), Atlanta (7/18), Cincinatti (7/20), Clarkston, Mich. (7/22), Cuyahoga Falls, Oh. (7/27), E. Rutherford, N.J. (8/1), Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (8/3) and Bristow, Va. (8/5). The Grateful Dead spinoff band is currently led by original GD members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kruetzmann, along with Jeff Chimenti, Otiel Burbridge and John Mayer. - Billboard, 2/6/20...... Lyle Mays, a jazz keyboardist whose work, chiefly with the Pat Metheny Group, won nearly a dozen Grammy Awards, died pm Feb. 10 in Los Angeles. He was 66. Mays had a "long battle with a recurring illness," according to Pat Metheny's website. Mays joined the guitarist group Metheny in the 1970s, where he was a performer, composer and arranger. The group's endlessly innovative fusion style incorporated everything from rock and contemporary jazz to world music. Mays, who also was a sideman for such artists as Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and Earth, Wind & Fire, also helped compose movie soundtrack music for several movies, including 1985's The Falcon and The Snowman. Pat Metheny praised Mays as "one of the greatest musicians I have ever known" and added "every moment we shared in music was special." - AP, 2/11/20...... Steven Cagan, a composer and conductor who worked with the likes of Bette Midler, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, died Feb. 1 in Los Angeles at age 77. Cagan scored numerous TV series and specials, including those starring Spinal Tap, Robert Klein, Michael Keaton and Rob Reiner. He also worked with such theatrical giants as Michael Bennett, Lester Wilson, Michael Peters, Bob Avian and Joe Layton. His original songs included "I Will Touch You," recorded by Olivia Newton-John in 1972; "Dinah! I've Got a Song," recorded by Dinah Shore for a 1979 Sesame Street album, and "Such A Morning" recorded by his sister-in-law Melissa Manchester for her 1978 album, Don't Cry Out Loud. - Billboard, 2/11/20...... Orson Bean, the witty actor and comedian, died on Feb. 7 in Los Angeles after being hit and killed by a car in a traffic accident, according to the L.A. County coroner's office. He was 91. According to a police report, Mr. Bean was walking in the Venice neighborhood when he was clipped by a vehicle and fell, with a second vehicle then striking him which was fatal. Mr. Bean enlivened such TV game shows as To Tell the Truth, appeared in the title role of "Mr. Bevis" in an episode of The Twilight Zone,, and played a crotchety merchant on Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. He also appeared in a number of films, notably, Anatomy of a Murder and Being John Malkovich, and starred in several top Broadway productions, receiving a Tony nod for the 1962 Comden-Green musical "Subways Are for Sleeping." He continued working into his 80s, with guest roles on TV series such as Hot in Cleveland and Modern Family. Survivors include his third wife, actress Alley Mills, who played the mother on the TV series The Wonder Years. - AP, 2/8/20...... 
Actor Robert Conrad, the star of such TV series as Hawiian Eye, The Wild Wild West and 
On Feb. 5 the Rolling Stones teased they could be hitting the road Stateside in 2020 with a post on 
Founding Beach Boys members Brian Wilson and Al Jardine are calling for a boycott of a Beach Boys concert fronted by Mike Love and featuring Bruce Johnston set for Feb. 5 at the Safari Club International Convention in Reno, Nev., due to the organization's support of trophy hunting, which Brian Wilson says he and Jardine are opposed to. According to a petition calling for a boycott of the show posted on 
ABBA member Benny Andersson has said in a new clip shared by the ABBA fan site Talk that the Swedish quartet is "aiming" to release new music this September. "They're coming. They're coming this year. I'm guessing after the summer. But I can only guess, because I'm not really sure. But I would think so," Andersson said of their first new songs in 35 years that ABBA first announced in 2018 they were planning on recording. Asked if they will be out in 2020, he added: "One shouldn't promise anything but if I were to decide myself, it would be September. I can't make that decision alone. But that's what we're aiming for." In 2018, Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog and Frida Lyndstad announced they had recorded two new songs, "I Still Have Faith in You" and "Don't Shut Me Down" to tie in with a proposed ABBA avatar tour. They said in a statement at the time: "The decision to go ahead with the exciting ABBA avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence. We all four felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio." However, the tracks have yet to materialise and Bjorn later explained the plans had been delayed until at least 2020 due to the complex technical nature of the show they are creating. ABBA split in 1982 and performed together for the first time in decades in 2016 at a private event, which marked the 50th anniversary of the first meeting between songwriters Bjorn and Benny. - Music-News.com, 2/4/20...... John Lennon's eldest son Julian Lennon was recently rushed to hospital for an emergency cancer operation after a suspicious-looking mole was discovered during a routine appointment with is dermatologist. Julian, 56, told the U.K. paper The Sun that the mole was discovered during a routine appointment with skin expert Dr. Tess Mauricio. "The trouble is... you think you have time...," Julian noted. "A few days ago, I went to visit my dermatologist, here in LA, when she noticed a little bump on my head that was actually a mole that had been there, along with a birthmark, for the last 57 years. But this time, it looked & felt a little different," he explained. After a biopsy he had several days ago revealed that it was "malignant/cancerous" and needed to be removed immediately, Julian underwent the operation. "Hopefully we managed to remove all that was cancerous, but the mole is being sent off again, for a further/deeper analysis, and I'll have those results next week," he said. "I cannot tell you how I felt, from one moment of joy, to the fear of feeling that I may be gone, at any given moment. I'm still shaking inside... but my faith is strong." In a post on his Facebook page on Feb. 2, Julian urged his fans to also get checked out and "do every health check possible." "Life is too short & Don't make it shorter by being ignorant about your own health," he posted. Julian's latest album, Everything Changes, was released in 2011. Since then, he has released a handful of standalone singles, including 2016's "Saltwater 25." - Music-News.com, 2/4/20...... 
Director Spike Lee is set to direct a movie adaptation of former Talking Heads member David Byrne's "American Utopia" tour. The Do The Right Thing director will helm the feature-length adaptation of Byrne's well received tour, which features songs that are described as "forthright pleas and musings on a country that might one day build a better home for everyone in it." A Broadway adaptation of Byrne's "American Utopia" tour was also staged, and Byrne also released a live EP of the tour. Speaking about the film in a statement, Byrne said: "Pinch me. This couldn't have worked out better for this project. Spike Lee directing and Participant producing two socially engaged teams, well, three if you count us in the band, coming together in what I feel will be something moving, important, and unlike anything anyone has seen before." - NME, 2/2/20...... Blues rock artist Mike Zito has announced a spring 2020 U.K. tour behind his latest album, Rock 'n Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry. The tour will kick off in Kinross on Apr. 2, followed by shows in Hartlepool (4/3), Devizes (4/4), Sutton (4/5), Chislehust (4/7), London (4/8), Pershore (4/9) and Sheffield (4/11). The new album consists of 20 Chuck Berry classics performed by Zito and an impressive array of 21 guest guitarists, among them Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Robben Ford, Sonny Landreth, Luther Dickinson, Albert Castiglia, Anders Osborne and, significantly, Chuck Berry's grandson, Charles Berry III. "This was a very special project for me," Zito says. "I lived in Chuck's hometown of St. Louis for 32 years... Chuck Berry was a tremendous influence on my career, and, of course, on many other musicians' as well." - Noble PR, 2/3/20...... Andy Gill, guitarist and founding member of legendary U.K. punk band Gang of Four, has died following a short respiratory illness. He was 64. Gill played guitar for Gang of Four since the Leeds band's inception in 1976, alongside original members Jon King, Dave Allen and Hugo Burnham. Though the band's line up changed several times over the years, Gill remained the sole original member of Gang of Four throughout -- a career ranging from 1978 debut single "Damaged Goods" to 2019's Happy Now, their most recent studio album. Gill was also a highly respected producer, not only on much of Gang of Four's work, but several high-profile bands including Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Stranglers, Michael Hutchence, Killing Joke, Therapy?, The Jesus Lizard and The Futureheads. The news was announced in a post on the Gang of Four's Twitter account on Feb. 1. "This is so hard for us to write, but our great friend and Supreme Leader has died today," the statement begins. "Andy's final tour in November was the only way he was ever really going to bow out; with a Stratocaster around his neck, screaming with feedback and deafening the front row... to us, he was our friend -- and we'll remember him for his kindness and generosity, his fearsome intelligence, bad jokes, mad stories and endless cups of Darjeeling tea. He just so happened to be a bit of a genius too." - NME, 2/2/20...... Veteran director/producer Gene Reynolds, a six-time Emmy winner best known for directing and producing for the lauded socially conscious 1970s TV shows M*A*S*H and Lou Grant, died on Feb. 3 in Burbank, Calif. He was 96. Born in Cleveland, Oh. as Eugene Reynolds Blumenthal, Mr. Reynolds began as a child actor, making his big screen debut in a 1934 Our Gang short. His first significant non-acting work came in 1957 for the TV series Tales of Wells Fargo, which he created with James L. Brooks and Frank Gruber. Over the series' multiseason run, Reynolds wrote and directed several episodes. He had a solid run as a director on My Three Sons and stints on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Leave It to Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show, The Donna Reed Show, Gidget, The Munsters and F Troop. Over the course of his career, Mr. Reynolds drew 24 Primetime Emmy nominations, winning six times, including for outstanding series for M*A*S*H and, twice, for Lou Grant. He won his first Primetime Emmy in 1970 as a producer for Room 222. M*A*S*H remained in the top 10 for its entire run, and its final episode was at the time the most-watched program in history, with more than 50 million families tuning in. Mr. Reynolds described his later career as "freelance directing," and helmed several TV movies and episodes of such TV series as Life Goes On, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Touched by an Angel. His last directing effort was the 1999 telepic How to Get There. Starting in 1993, Mr. Reynolds served four years as president of the Directors Guild of America, which confirmed his death. He also won a Humanitas Prize for Lou Grant and DGA awards for direction of a comedy series for M*A*S*H twice and for direction of a drama series for Lou Grant once. In 1993, Mr. Reynolds received the DGA's Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award for extraordinary service to the guild. - Reuters, 2/4/20...... 
Legendary Hollywood actor and producer Kirk Douglas, one of the first box office stars of the silver screen, died at his home on Feb. 5, according to his son, actor Michael Douglas. He was 103. "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103," Michael Douglas told People magazine. "To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to." With over 92 acting credits, including some 75 movies, seven of which co-starred his friend Burt Lancaster, Mr. Douglas became a superstar even before the term was coined. Born Issur Danielovitch Demsky, the poor son of an illiterate Russian-Jewish immigrant, in Amsterdam, N.Y., on Dec. 9, 1916, Mr. Douglas was known as Izzy as a child and had some 40 jobs growing up including newsboy, before acting in high school plays sent him on the course that would eventually make him a household name. He studied at Manhattan's American Academy of Dramatic Arts alongside classmate Lauren Bacall, who later helped get him a screen test that led to his first movie role, opposite Barbara Stanwyck, in 1946's The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. He received his first Academy Award nomination in 1950 for Champion, and was nominated again in 1953 for the Hollywood expose The Bad and the Beautiful, and once more in 1957 for his performance as Vincent Van Gogh in the biopic Lust for Life. A man of heartfelt conviction, Mr. Douglas hired blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo -- and giving him full-screen credit -- to write the 1960 epic Spartacus, in which Mr. Douglas starred and served as executive producer. In 1996, he was awarded an honorary Oscar for 50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community, and in 2018, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The legendary actor had been in good health since suffering a stroke in 1996, and spent the last years of his life surrounded by his loved ones including Michael's son Cameron, who was released from prison in 2016 after being convicted on drug charges. He celebrated his 103rd birthday on Dec. 9 with his family -- and several tributes from his relatives including Michael and his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. He survived by his wife of 65 years, Anne, and his sons Michael, Joel, and Peter. - People.com/TheBlast.com, 2/6/20.
Footage from an upcoming Beatles documentary from director Peter Jackson about the fractious Let It Be recording sessions was previewed at a Universal Music showcase on Jan. 28, and indications are it could change the way the Fab Four are viewed forever. Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) has been has been working on the film for a year, remastering hours of unused footage from Michael Lindsay-Hogg's 1970 documentary film 
Sammy Hagar and his backing band the Circle have announced they'll kick off a 30-city U.S. summer tour with openers Whitesnake and Night Ranger on July 9 in West Palm Beach, Fla. "I love some friendly competition on stage and that's exactly what this is going to be," said Hagar in a release. "David [Coverdale] and I have nothing but the highest respect for one another, but we would also like to blow the other guy off the stage! Add in Night Ranger and the fans will have one hell of a night of music," he added. Hagar's band the Circle also includes former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham, and guitarist Vic Johnson. The tour is set to run through Georgia, Virginia, New York, Michigan, Texas, and more before wrapping on Sept. 20 in Chula Vista, Calif. Hagar says his setlist will include career-spanning hits from his former bands Van Halen and Montrose, along with several solo career tracks. - Billboard, 1/27/20...... Boston-based groups Aerosmith and New Kids on the Block have announced they'll headline two shows at Boston's Fenway Park, the home of baseball's Red Sox, on Sept. 18 and 19, respectively. Aerosmith's gig is being billed as a "50th anniversary celebration" and will feature support from Extreme. Aerosmith were recently honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year during Grammy week before taking the stage at the Jan. 26 Grammys show to perform "Walk This Way" with Run-D.M.C.. - Billboard, 1/27/20...... Elton John was forced to abandon a concert in Australia on Jan. 31 after a downpour occurred during the show. As John was in the middle of playing his 1973 single "Funeral For a Friend," a torrential rain and hailstone storm began to flood the stage and instruments were damaged. Three assistants ushered Sir Elton off the stage in Victoria more than 95 minutes into his concert at Rochford Wines in Yarra Valley. He was unable to return to the stage because the bad weather continued. At the beginning of the concert, John remarked how "f---ing hot" it was in Australia. "Thank you for buying a ticket to the show. We love doing it, even though it's hot," he said, to widespread applause. The concert was the first of two shows John played in Victoria. - New Musical Express, 1/31/20...... Queen + Adam Lambert have added two final dates to their upcoming U.K. "Rhapsody Tour." The two new shows in Birmingham on June 14 and 15 come after six shows at The O2 in London between June 2 and 9, and before four additional shows at London's O2 between June 17 and 21. The band will kick off the European leg of the tour in Bologna, Italy on May 24. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Queen guitarist Brian May's company Brian May Guitars has begun selling sports bras. - NME, 1/29/20...... Tom Jones and Lionel Richie will be among the headliners of the UK's Edinburgh Summer Sessions 2020 festival, which runs from Aug. 8-20 at Princes Street Gardens. The two-week event kicks off with Jones performing on Aug. 8 and Richie headlining the following evening's show, with additional headliners on other nights including such acts as The 1975, McFly, Simple Minds and Travis. ionel Richie, who will be making his Edinburgh Summer Sessions debut, said in a statement: "I'm really looking forward to heading back to Scotland next summer, the crowds are some of the best in the world and I can't wait to get back over there to see you all." - NME, 1/29/20...... 
In a new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Fleetwood Mac founder Mick Fleetwood says his band will never reunite with former member Lindsey Buckingham, who was fired from the band in 2018. "No," Fleetwood said when asked about the prospect of Buckingham rejoining the group. "Fleetwood Mac is a strange creature. We're very, very committed to [new members] Neil [Finn] and Mike [Campbell], and that passed away a time ago, when Lindsey left. And it's not a point of conversation, so I have to say no." Fleetwood continued: "It's a full drama of Fleetwood Mac, no doubt. [Buckingham's] legacy is alive and well, and as it should be. A major, major part that will never be taken away, and never be down-spoken by any of us. Neil and Mike have tremendous respect for Lindsey. The situation was no secret. We were not happy. It was not working, and we parted company. And that really is the all of it." Band frontwoman Stevie Nicks has cited Buckingham wanting too much time off to concentrate on his solo work as the reason for his being kicked out of the band. Buckingham has denied that was the case, and says he was given a list of things that "Stevie took issue with" in a phone call with the band's manager Irving Azoff, including how he had "smirked" during her thank you speech at a MusiCares concert and that he had had an outburst over the band's intro music, "Rhiannon." - NME, 1/28/20...... Film and TV character actor Robert Sampson, veteran of such shows as The Twilight Zone, That Girl, Green Acres, Bridget Loves Bernie and Star Trek, died peacefully of natural causes on Jan. 18 in Santa Barbara, Calif., it was reported on Jan. 31. Mr. Sampson enjoyed a 50-plus-year acting career spanning over 150 movie and television productions, including Re-Animator, The Dark Side of the Moon, Robot Jox, and many theatre and commercial productions. Mr. Sampson worked steadily from the 1960s to the 1990s and held regular roles in five short-lived television series, acted in about thirty-five movies, and guest-starred in about eighty television series, primarily in the 1960s and 1970s. He starred alongside David Birney in the 1970s series Bridget Loves Bernie, playing Bridget's older brother, a priest. In the original Star Trek series, he portrayed Sar 6 in the first season episode "A Taste of Armageddon." He is survived by a partner, Richard Witt, and a daughter, Rebecca. - TheLifeandTimesofHollywood.com, 1/31/20...... 
Fred Silverman, a legendary network TV programmer who greenlit such influential projects as All in the Family, Roots and Hill Street Blues during tenures at CBS, ABC and NBC, died on Jan. 30 at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif. He was 82. Known as "The Man With the Golden Gut," Mr. Silverman gave David Letterman his first TV show; orchestrated such popular spinoffs as The Jeffersons, Rhoda, Laverne & Shirley, The Bionic Woman and The Facts of Life; and brought "Jiggle TV" series like Charlie's Angels and Three's Company to the airwaves (and suggested Suzanne Somers play Chrissy on the latter). Known as a genius of counterprogramming, Mr. Silverman honed his skills working on kids shows (he came up with the idea for Scooby-Doo), game shows (he resurrected The Price Is Right and launched Family Feud) and daytime TV (under his watch, All My Children and General Hospital aimed for younger viewers). At CBS, Mr. Silverman jettisoned rural comedies like The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction in favor of smarter shows like All in the Family and M*A*S*H, then took the beleaguered ABC network to No. 1 in primetime. He shifted to NBC in 1978 with oversight of the entire company, reporting only to the chairman of RCA. Born on Sept. 13, 1937, in New York City and raised in Queens, Mr. Silverman's father was a TV and radio repairman for Sears and his mom a housewife. He made a hobby of collecting radio scripts, getting them from the porters who worked at the radio networks; he said that at one point that he had about 5,000 of them. He earned his master's degree at Ohio State, where he recalled an adviser suggested he get into programming instead of his first choice of directing because programming "requires a real knowledge of the business, and it is kind of creative, because you're picking the shows." His first job was editing commercials at Tribune's WGN-TV in Chicago in 1961, where he oversaw Bozo's Circus, a live program that was a hit at noon, then found unlikely success with a repackaged, recut and heavily promoted block of Bomba, the Jungle Boy films. In 1970, Mr. Silverman was put in charge of everything on the air at CBS. "We had an old schedule that was directed at old people in rural areas," he once said. "Our company-owned stations in cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles were dying with this schedule. Something had to be done." He convinced CBS president Bob Wood to put All in the Family on the air, after ABC twice passed on it. Soon, the network was thriving, helped by Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times and One Day at a Time -- all from producer Norman Lear. In 1978, Mr. Silverman jumped to NBC as president and CEO, where he guided David Letterman's talk shows and came up with the idea for Hill Street Blues, but exited the network in 1981 after it finished with its worst season in history. Mr. Silverman was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1999. He married his secretary at CBS, Catherine Ann Kihn, in 1971, and they had two children, Melissa and Billy. They survive him, as does his daughter-in-law, Anna. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/30/20.