After Rush drummer Neil Peart died in January after a three year battle with brain cancer, his surviving bandmate Alex Lifeson says that he no longer feels motivated to play music. "After Neil passed in January, I've played very little guitar. I just don't feel inspired and motivated," Lifeson said on the sports radio program Talkin' Golf. "I don't know if the motivation is there for us to really do anything now. We' re certainly proud of our track record, and we still love music. But it's different now," the guitarist added. Lifeson said he had similar feelings of lack of motivation after the influential drummer's daughter died in a car crash in 1997, followed by the death of Peart's wife from cancer a few months afterwards. "I didn't really play for about a year [after that]," he said. "I just don't feel it in my heart right now. Every time I pick up a guitar, I just aimlessly mess around with it and put it down after 10 minutes." - Billboard, 6/4/20...... 
Bruce Springsteen shared a powerful tribute to slain African-American citizen George Floyd during the latest installment of his home radio show From His Home to Yours on June 4 after the Minneapolis resident died following an altercation with police officers last month. Floyd, 46, was killed on May 26 when a white police officer appeared to kneel on his neck as he lay on the ground during an arrest, an incident which has caused outrage and sparked demonstrations both in the US and abroad. Opening his show with "American Skin (41 Shots)," an eight minute song he wrote in response to the 1999 killing of Amadou Diallo (an unarmed Guinean immigrant shot dead by four New York City police officers), Springsteen said the length of the song mirrored "how long it took George Floyd to die with a Minneapolis officer's knee buried into his neck." "That's a long time. That's how long he begged for help and said he couldn't breathe. The arresting officer's response was nothing but silence and weight. Then he had no pulse. And still it went on... May he rest in peace," Springsteen said. The Boss then brought up the White House's response to the George Floyd death as well as the coronavirus pandemic. "As we speak, 40 million people are unemployed. 100,000 plus citizens have died from COVID-19 with only the most tepid and unfeeling response from our White House. As of today, our black citizens continue to be killed unnecessarily by our police on the streets of America. As of this broadcast, the country is on fire and in chaos," he added. Other songs Springsteen played in the tribute included Childish Gambino's "This Is America," Kanye West's "Who Will Survive in America," Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" and Bob Marley's "Burnin' and Lootin'." He also played a recording of a powerful 1963 speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham, Ala. - NME, 6/4/20...... In related news, former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel has condemned the "racist murder" of George Floyd in a recent moving statement on Twitter. "This type of brutality needs to be confronted directly, with justice clearly seen to be done whenever & wherever it occurs," Gabriel posted, using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Gabriel, who co-founded the human rights non-profit WITNESS in 1992, noted that the organization has been "helping groups monitoring police violence." He continued, "I hope these protests will not only lead to the addressing of the problems at the root of this, but also encourage a worldwide look at how each country is dealing with racism and religious persecution within their own borders." He also cautioned that politicians are "trying to win support by fueling nationalism and racism for their own gain." "If we don't like the way things are going, we have to speak out and act. The world can only be what we choose to make it," he concluded. - Rolling Stone, 6/1/20...... One of KISS frontman Paul Stanley's side projects the last few hears is Soul Station, a 17-piece ensemble tribute group that performs R&B and soul classics. Until recently, Stanley and Soul Station have been performing their catalog at smaller venues and clubs, but after the coronavirus pandemic has effected the live music industry, Stanley and the other four band members have released their debut video on YouTube: a remote cover of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "Ooo Baby Baby." "Long before I ever heard the great British bands, I grew up listening to Philly Soul, Motown and so much more," Stanley said in a statement. "The great classics of that era are magical medicine for most and I felt myself drawn back to that era for some sorcery I think we could all use," he added. Stanley and the rest of KISS previously announced they were forced to postpone the last three dates on their North American tour due to the pandemic. - Rolling Stone, 5/29/20...... 
Eagles co-founder and longtime musicians rights advocate Don Henley testified virtually before a US Senate Judiciary subcommittee on June 2 in which he urged Congress to strengthen anti-piracy rules online. As the government mulls possible changes to the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Henley spoke specifically on the need to update the DMCA's "notice and takedown" system. That process allows copyright holders to send a takedown notice to websites or services they believe have posted their content without permission. The offending party can either comply without any consequences or risk legal action. However Henley says that process is no longer suitable, describing it as "a relic of a MySpace era in a TikTok world." He argued in his remarks that the current deluge of content uploaded to the internet each day makes it practically impossible for artists to combat copyright infringement, and that for "each infringing link or file taken down, a dozen more pop up in its place." Henley added, "[D]ue to the antiquated procedures dictated by the DMCA, internet services with clear oversight and control of content posted on their websites are continuing to monetize and collect advertising revenue on videos containing music, even after that music has been flagged by the music creator as infringing. How is that a fair bargain?" However Jonathan Berroya, CEO of the tech lobbying group Internet Association, argued that the "overwhelming majority" of copyright infringement occurs on foreign tech platforms, and that tech companies and those in the entertainment industry should come together to find a solution. - Rolling Stone, 6/3/20...... Saying his 1970 song "Southern Man" is just as relevant in 2020 as it was in 1970, Neil Young shared a 2019 live version of "Southern Man" on his Neil Young Archives website on June 3. "Here's me as an old guy singin' this 50-year-old song that was written after countless years of racism in the USA," Young wrote of his After th Gold Rush track. "And look at us today! This has been going on for way too long. It's not just 'Southern Man' now. It's everywhere across the USA. It's time for real change, new laws, new rules for policing," he added, referring to mass protests against police brutality spreading across the nation and world in response to the police killing of George Floyd. Young's long-awaited "lost" Seventies album, Homegrown, has been scheduled for a June 19 release. - New Musical Express, 6/4/20...... Appearing on the TV show Good Morning Britain, the Who's Roger Daltrey said he misses human contact during the coronavirus lockdown, the kind of isolation that began when he became a global star in the 1960s and was distanced from his old pals. ""Human contact. That's what I didn't like about being a celebrity," Daltrey said after being asked what he misses most amid the lockdown. "It kind of distanced me from my mates and everyone treated me differently immediately after I became famous, I didn't like that. I never wanted to be different. I like to just chat to people and be treated normally. I just miss that human contact," he added. Daltrey says he and his wife Heather are lucky as they live on a farm in Sussex, South-East England, but the isolation has been a "nightmare." "It's like three months of Sundays. In that sense it's a nightmare. I live on a farm so it hasn't been too bad... it's not been completely isolating for myself and my wife." When asked for his favourite memory with the Who, the 76-year-old musician told host GMB Piers Morgan: "I suppose the sun coming up at Woodstock." "The sun pokes its head over the horizon. That moment, and it was very near to the end of the show, when I was so looking forward to coming up." - Music-News.com, 6/4/20...... 
According to a recent story in the UK paper The Mail, Elton John has reportedly been left "bereft" after taking a significant $75 million (£60 million) hit after the coronavirus outbreak forced him to cancel his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. John and his partner David Furnish had anticipated the cash would see the star into his retirement according to the article, and it is believed the "Bennie and the Jets" hitmaker is unlikely to receive any insurance payout for the losses. The cancellation of the tour has also resulted in his long-serving band -- including guitarist Davey Johnstone and drummer Nigel Olsson -- being laid off until it becomes clear if concerts scheduled for later this year will take place. A number of the domestic staff at the "Rocketman"'s $25 million (£20 million) home in Atlanta, Ga. have also been told they are not needed. Despite being worth an estimated $445 million (£360 million), Elton is also thought to be considering making further cuts to save expenses. "The tour was forecast to make over £60 million this year. That revenue has literally disappeared overnight," a source told the paper. "Nobody expected this." John had to postpone or cancel 34 U.S. dates from his tour, and it appears increasingly likely that the 48 fall leg gigs scheduled from September to December will also be affected. - Music-News.com, 5/31/20...... In related news, Diana Ross has moved her UK "Top of the World Tour" from this June to 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic forced their postponement. Ross will play arenas in Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, London and Birmingham between June 15 and July 15 on her 60th anniversary tour. Her shows in Cork and Dublin have not yet been rescheduled. Ross was also due to perform at UK festivals including the Eden Sessions and Glastonbury's Legends Slot in 2020. - NME, 6/1/20...... The popularity of Netflix's series Tiger King documentary and its exposure of mistreatment of big cats by private owners in the US has helped garner support for a petition calling for protection of the animals in Florida. Among those signing the petition are seminal punk rocker Iggy Pop, an animal rights champion who has previously worked with PETA. "The Big Cat Public Safety Act, which has bipartisan support in both the house and senate, is aimed at protecting big cats from abuse and neglect by prohibiting private possession of these wild animals, and banning risky public encounters with them," Pop said in a statement (via Stereogum.com). "Co-sponsoring this commonsense bill will show the Senators commitment to the safety of Floridians and respect for exotic wildlife." Pop and actors Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara are among the many celebrities urging Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to co-sponsor the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which would prohibit private ownership, direct public contact, and dangerous interactions with tigers, lions and other such animals. - New Musical Express, 6/4/20...... 
One-time Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar has said that VH "will probably be on tour next year" following original VH singer David Lee Roth's pronouncement last year that the group is "finished" and that he's concentrating on his Las Vegas residency. Reports surfaced in 2019 that co-founder and lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen had been battling throat cancer for a number of years, but Hagar says his former bandmate is doing better. "Eddie had a lot of health issues, but I heard he got it together," Hagar said in the Rolling Stone interview. "I pray for the guy and I love the guy." Hagar joined VH in 1986 after Roth departed for a solo career that never took off. He continued with the group throughout the rest of the '80s and into the '90s completing three other studio albums as part of Van Halen. He departed in 1996 after Eddie recruited Roth for a track on the band's first hits package before reuniting with group in 2004 for a reunion tour. Roth returned to the band in 2007, but original bassist Michael Anthony was replaced by Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen. In 2018, Anthony revealed that he had spoken to Van Halen's manager about a reunion trek that never took place. "They were gonna try to plan a thing for this summer [of 2019]. The next thing I knew, the plug got pulled on it," Anthony said. Hagar says that he "knows that Eddie and I are not done." "If enough water goes under the bridge before we die, it'll happen. It has to. God is going to slap us both around if he has to." - WENN/Canoe.com, 5/21/20...... Terry Quirk, an renowned British album cover artist best known for painting the iconic psychedelic cover for The Zombies' acclamed 1968 album Odessey and Oracle, passed away suddenly on the morning of June 1 at his home in Salisbury, England. Born on June 22, 1941 in Hertfordshire, England, Quirk began his association with The Zombies long before the band's formation, meeting future singer Colin Blunstone and bassist Chris White in the local grammar school. Quirk and White went on to attend art school together, and they shared a North London flat with keyboardist Rod Argent in 1967 when Argent and White were writing the songs that would become Odessey and Oracle. The musicians asked Quirk to design their album cover, and brought the artist into their recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios for inspiration. Quirk's now infamous misspelling of 'odyssey' in the album title -- an error that went unnoticed until after the record had gone to print -- is as much a part of Rock legend as the artwork and songs themselves. Released by a CBS Records subsidiary in 1968, Odessey and Oracle was initially considered a commercial failure, but a year later spawned the world-wide hit "Time of the Season" and went on to be named in Top All-Time Album lists from the likes of Rolling Stone and Mojo magazines. Quirk's friendship and association with The Zombies continued over the next 5 decades, most recently painting the covers for the band's 2015 album Still Got That Hunger and the tabletop book The Odessey: The Zombies in Words and Images. Quirk also wrote and illustrated children's novels, penned books of poetry, and staged musical productions for local schools. At the time of his death, he was collaborating with White on a musical about The Zombies. - Music-News.com, 6/1/20...... 
Steve Priest, a founding member of the famous '70s glam rock band The Sweet, died on June 4 at age 72, the band confirmed on its Facebook page. "It is with a heavy heart that we announce at 8:25am PT today, Steve Priest, founding member of The Sweet, passed away," reads the post. "He is survived by his wife, Maureen, three daughters, Lisa, Danielle & Maggie and 3 grandchildren, Jordan, Jade & Hazel." His former bandmate, Andy Scott, posted that he is "in pieces right now." "His wife Maureen and I have kept in contact and though his health was failing I never envisaged this moment. Never. My thoughts are with his family," Scott said. Scot added that Priest was "the best bass player I ever played with." "The noise we made as a band was so powerful. From that moment in the summer of 1970 when set off on our Musical Odyssey the world opened up and the rollercoaster ride started! He eventually followed his heart and moved to the USA. First New York then LA. Rest in Peace brother. All my love," Scott added. Priest and Scott formed The Sweet in London in 1968, alongside lead singer Brian Connolly, who died in 1997, and drummer Mick Tucker who died in 2002. By 2020 there were two iterations of The Sweet: Steve Priest's Sweet who were based in the US and Andy Scott's Sweet in the UK, the latter led by the band's founding guitarist. The band scored 13 Top 20 hits in the 1970s, including number one U.K. single "Block Buster!" in 1973, "The Ballroom Blitz" that same year, and "Fox On The Run" in 1975, the latter two songs appearing on its classic album Desolation Boulevard. - New Musical Express, 6/4/20.
Led Zeppelin is making a free stream available of their 2012 concert film Celebration Day beginning May 30 on their YouTube channel, an event that is being billed as a "global watch party." Celebration Day was filmed at the legendary band's one-off reunion show at The O2 in London on Dec. 10, 2007. The stream will be available to watch for three days, ending June 2. The gig saw founding members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones being joined by Jason Bonham, the son of the band's late drummer John Bonham, for a 16-song set. - New Musical Express, 5/27/20...... Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie and new recruit Neil Finn have shared a new charity song on YouTube to benefit the Auckland City Mission, which helps the homeless population in Finn's native country of New Zealand. "Find Your Way Back Home" was written by Finn about the city s homeless population after he was inspired by a personal encounter he had at the Mission. Finn, a former member of Crowded House, joined Fleetwood Mac in 2018 after the equally quirky Lindsey Buckingham left the band. - NME, 5/30/20...... 
Universal Music will release a "reimagining" of Yusuf/Cat Stevens' classic 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman on Sept. 19. The multi-platinum album, which included the classic "Wild World," as well as "Where Do the Children Play" and "Father and Son," catapulted the 22-year-old musician to global stardom and helped define the singer/songwriter era. On May 28, UMe released the first single from the upcoming Tea for the Tillerman 2, "Where Do the Children Play," the album's opening track. It can also be streamed on YouTube. With the world in turmoil, "Where Do the Children Play" seems more relevant than ever -- as it questions how we protect children in the face of rampant urban sprawl, poverty, pollution and climate change. The 71-year-old musician, who was interviewed from his home in Dubai by Billboard, says he came up with the idea to revisit Tea for the Tillerman on its 50th anniversary after being inspired by his son. "He inspires me in many ways to do things and to get out there," Yusuf said. "This challenge was one I couldn't refuse because it's my record, but not only that, it set such a standard for so many people as far as my music is concerned, I thought, 'C'mon.' Not that I'm going to try to beat it or compete with it, but at least make it relevant to me today so the people can hear me singing it all over, but with some very interesting and new novel arrangements on some of the songs at least. ...If you do a masterpiece, people always want to see you do it again. That's another reason why I'm doing it because I'm satisfying that part of the curiosity of people to see how would I approach it today," he added. Asked what he wants the new generation to get out of his classic album, Yusuf replied: "Explore yourself and explore life and realizing, you know what, it is a wild world. We have to live in it, but try to find that place of peace within it that you can make your home." - Billboard, 5/28/20...... Elton John hosted a watch party of his 2019 biopic Rocketman on May 29 shared several anecdotes and thoughts along the way. One included him commenting on the "Herculean effort" it took him to get noticed for cocaine use in '70s LA when such debauchery was widespread. "It took a fairly Herculean effort to get yourself noticed for taking too much cocaine in the music industry of 1970s LA, but I was clearly prepared to put the hours in," John wrote next to a pic of an inebriated Taron Egerton, who portrayed him in the film. Elton also opened up about how emotional he got when he first saw Rocketman. "I broke down the first time I saw this scene of me hugging Little Reggie. I'd spent most of my adult life running away from myself. It was time to re-embrace the real me," he wrote. John said he was also brought to tears during the scene where his longtime musical partner, Bernie Taupin, warned him about his excessive drug and drink problem. "Seeing this scene for the first time also set me off sobbing again," he wrote alongside a contemporary picture of the pair. Meanwhile, Elton has posted a tribute to AIDS activist Larry Kramer, who passed away on May 27 in New York at the age of 84 after a battle with pneumonia. John remembered Kramer, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on Ken Russell's 1969 film Women In Love, as "a giant of a man who stood up for gay rights like a warrior." Kramer was also a co-founder of the Gay Men's Health Crisis organization in the early 1980s, the first organization of its kind to support HIV-positive people. - New Musical Express, 5/30/20...... ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus was named the named the president of CISAC, the global confederation of authors societies, on May 29. Known for his business-savvy, as well as his interest in technology, Ulvaeus steps into the role at a time when Internet companies and collecting societies are learning to live with one another but still have very different views on how streaming services should work and what they should pay creators. "I tend to think that creators get too little, of course, because I'm a songwriter, and I think that in the long run we have to take a closer look at how things are divided," Ulvaeus said. "It all starts with the song, as far as I'm concerned. What's more important -- 'Dancing Queen' [the song] or ABBA? And since you can't say, wouldn't it be more natural to split it down the middle?," he added. CISAC represents 232 societies in 120 countries around the world, and advocates for higher royalties and better terms for creators. - Billboard, 5/29/20...... 
Alice Cooper has shared what he's been doing lately during the coronavirus quarantine. "You know that Geico commercial with the whole family clogging? That's us," Cooper says. "We have a friend who's a great tap dancer, and every Wednesday night, he has an hour-long online class. So the whole family goes in the backyard where we have all this plywood on the ground, and everybody's got tap shoes on. My wife and daughters are professional dancers, so they're way ahead of me. But every Wednesday night is tap night," he added. Meanwhile, Cooper has told Yahoo! Entetainment that he would like his actor friend and Hollywood Vampires bandmate Johnny Depp to play him if a biopic were made about his life and times. "I hope it's not of those where we get to die first. Usually it's gonna happen with bands that were extremely commercially successful, whereas Alice was successful and we sold a lot of records, but I did not appeal to everybody," Alice said. "I was definitely on the darker side. And I think that it would make a great movie, myself. And if Johnny Depp were just better looking, he could play me," he quipped. "He knows me well enough now where he could imitate me pretty well, I'm pretty sure." - Billboard/NME, 5/29/20...... Bruce Springsteen wrapped a concert by the Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys by appearing on the jumbotron at Fenway Park in Boston on May 29, after Dropkick Murphys performed a charity concert in an empty ballpark. The two-hour "Streaming Outta Fenway" show marked the first time a musical performance has ever taken place at an empty major U.S. arena, stadium or ballpark, and benefitted the Boston Resiliency Fund, Habitat For Humanity and Feeding America. "You're making us all look old!" Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey joked with The Boss, who laughed onscreen. "What are you, 15 years old?" The whole group went on to perform Dropkick Murphys' "Rose Tattoo" and Springsteen's "American Land." The concert can be streamed on YouTube, and encore performances will also be broadcast on Springsteen's exclusive SiriusXM radio channel E Street Radio starting May 30. - Billboard, 5/29/20...... Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden hosted a virtual fundraiser that featured conversations and performances from the likes of the Eagles' Joe Walsh, David Crosby, Jimmy Buffett and Sheryl Crow on the evening of May 28. The event was hosted by Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Whoopi Goldberg. In related news, Barbara Streisand and John Legend will be among the headliners of another virtual Biden fundraiser on June 11. Both Streisand and Legend have shown their support for Democratic presidential candidates in the past, each performing for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama during their respective presidential campaigns. Streisand has been an outspoken critic of Trump, and previously tweeted: "I wholeheartedly endorse Joe Biden for President. Trump must be beaten in November before he does more damage to our democracy, environment, health, safety and standing in the world." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 5/28/20...... The premium cable channel Epix premiered a two-part documentary on Los Angeles' Laurel Canyon neighborhood, which became one of the greatest hotbeds in popular music history in the mid-'60s and '70s, on May 31. The film features such rock/pop stars as Michelle Phillips, Micky Dolenz and Chris Hillman sharing their Laurel Canyon memories and is directed by Alison Elwood, who also helmed History of the Eagles and The Go-Go's, among other documentaries. "It's just the story about this sort of zeitgeist that happened in this place," says Elwood, who originally became interested in the neighborhood while researching a possible The Doors documentary. "It became a magnet for all these artists discovering who they were, what their places was in the world through their art. And it just got bigger and bigger and bigger," she added. An encore presentation of Laurel Canyon will be aired on Epix on June 7, and Episode 10 can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/29/20...... 
Jimmy Buffett released his first album in seven years, Life on the Flip Side, on May 29. The lavishly packaged 14-song set was co-produced by Buffett and Michael Utley and Mac McAnally of his Coral Reefer Band, and features songs co-written by Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady and Lukas Nelson. Currently quarantined with most of his family in Malibu, Buffett has been feeding the Parrothead flock with a Zoom chat, special weekly online performances for first responders, and vintage concerts on his Margaritaville TV. Buffett says the long wait in between albums was due to "a lot of creative stuff" that went into his Broadway musical "Escape to Margaritaville," and "the rewrites and writing songs that never got in the show." "Then the show went on the road, where it had a very successful two-year run until we had to shut it down because of the pandemic. So those two things really kind of kept a lot of writing time going," he added. Buffett says there's a streaming concert for Parrotheads in the future: "When the time comes we can play (the new album) for people, whether it's 10 or 10,000. We'll have a show. This will all calm eventually. I'd like a fresh new start in everything by next year -- we got back to work, this thing'll be done and we'll get rid of these foolish people who are making policies and stuff. That'd be the best end result." - Billboard, 5/28/20...... David Crosby performed a rendition of his song "What Are Their Names" from his 1971 solo debut LP, If I Could Only Remember My Name, on Stephen Colbert's A Late Show on May 27. The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (with the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash Zoomed in for the special socially-distanced performance in which he ditched the instruments and sang the song a cappella. The performance can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/28/20...... KISS will be among the headliners of a virtual Download Festival in the UK on the third weekend in June, which has been forced to change its format due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The virtual festival, set for June 12-14, will feature hours of exclusive footage, unseen performances and interactive content and "celebrate the spirit of Download Festival (with) 2 to 3 hours of tailor-made programming where Downloaders can tune in and rock out," according to the organizers' press release. June 12 will present a replay of 2015 headliners KISS' standout festival moments, with nostalgic performances from Iron Maiden on June 13 and System of a Down performances from 2005, 2011 and 2017 on June 14. Other interactive events will include live artist Q&A's, special lockdown performances, music tutorials and mindfulness sessions, according to organizers. "Downloaders are encouraged to put tents up in the garden, wear Download merch, dress as your favourite hero, send in photos and videos -- the weekend is about the fans and celebrating the Download community," the organizers said. In other KISS-related news, guitarist Bob Kulick who toured and worked with the band has died at the age of 70. "We are heartbroken. Our deepest condolences to the Kulick family in this difficult time," a message on KISS' Twitter account read. In addition to his work with KISS, Kulick also played with Lou Reed on Coney Island Baby, and was part of Meat Loaf's touring band. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 5/30/20...... 
A rhinestone-studded jockstrap said to have been worn by Elvis Presley is being offered for sale in Britain by Paul Fraser Collectibles for 30,000 pounds ($50,656.71). The piece was made for Elvis by a fan and later ended up in the collection of Jimmy Velvet, a singer who opened an Elvis museum in Memphis. Presley is believed to have worn the "family jewels" jockstrap several times in the 1970s. "It is extravagant. It is absurd. It is absolutely Elvis," said Daniel Wade of Paul Fraser Collectibles. Wade said the coronavirus crisis had increased interest in celebrity memorabilia, because buyers had more time on their hands and because people were seeking alternative investments at a time of turmoil in financial markets. "We are seeing more people coming to us with a view to sort of hedging the diversification for their portfolios," he said. - Reuters, 5/27/20...... Actor Alan Alda of M*A*S*H fame says he's been staying active during the coronavirus quarantine to stay healthy given his advanced age and underlying health conditions. "I began to exercise. A lot of people hear they have Parkinsons and get depressed and panicky and don't do anything, just hoping it'll go away. It's not going to, but you can hold off the worst symptoms," the 84-year-old star said in a new interview with AARP magazine. Alda continued: "Movement helps: walking, biking, treadmills. But also specific things: I move to music a lot. I take boxing lessons from a guy trained in Parkinsons therapy. I do a full workout specifically designed for this disease. It's not the end of the world when you get this diagnosis." While quarantining with his wife, Arlene, at their home on Long Island, Alda says the couple have also been going on socially distanced walks with their friends to keep moving. Alda announced in July 2018 that he was diagnosed with Parkinsons, a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system. There is no known cure for it. - PageSix.com, 5/27/20...... Emmy-nominated actress Marge Redmond, best known as the wry Sister Jacqueline in the 1967-1970 convent-based sitcom The Flying Nun, died of as yet undisclosed causes on Feb. 10, it was finally publicly announced in the last week of May in the latest quarterly SAG-AFTRA magazine. In addition to her role as Sister Jacqueline, she also had small roles in the films The Fortune Cookie, Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery and Alfred Hitchcock's final movie, Family Plot. Ms. Redmond also made appearances in the TV shows My Three Sons, Dr. Kildare, My Favorite Martian, The Munsters, The Rockford Files, Hunter, Columbo, Murphy Brown and Law & Order. Ms. Redmond was married to late actor Jack Weston from 1950 until their divorce in the 1980s. - WENN/Canoe.com, 5/29/20.
Queen guitarist Brian May posted a video to 
In an interview with the Associated Press, the Who's Roger Daltrey said he worries that the coronavirus pandemic will have a devastating effect on a special group of people in need -- teens with cancer. "(The pandemic is) devastating for them because every treatment that they have for cancer compromises their immune system," said Daltrey, who along with bandmate Pete Townshend started the Teen Cancer America foundation in 2012 to deal with the specific needs of teenage cancer patients. TCA has funded specialized hospital wings and services for teens and their families, but with venues closed and touring postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the organization faces a potential shortfall in donations heading into June, which is National Cancer Survivors Month. "We pay for that space in the hospital. We equip it. We maintain it. And we provide specialist nursing. That's what we do," Daltrey says of TCA. "And you have to remember that a lot of these youngsters who get cancer don't live near a big city. They might be miles out in the sticks. So we are starting outreach programs where we send specialized nursing, setting up web links so that they can link patients up," he added. Asked about streaming possibly making up the loss of revenue from live performances, Daltrey says "there's no money" in streaming. "Ask any musician, man. The only ones making money are the streaming companies. You can have a billion streams and you'll get paid $5,000. Oh, man. It's cruel. It's crucifying. I don't know whether it would work for us, though. I mean, that music's very different," he said. The 76-year-old musician added that he has been "singing for myself just to keep my voice up" during the Who's downtime. "I don't want to go back and be half as good as I was last year. I want to be as good as I was last year because the Who was better than ever last year... But I'm going to continue. I don't know what else I would do, man," he said. - AP, 5/22/20...... Paul McCartney posted a series of Twitter posts on May 21 paying tribute to Beatles photographer Astrid Kirchherr, who died earlier in May at age 81 of as yet undisclosed causes. "Very sad news this week about Astrid Kirchherr," McCartney began. "Astrid was a dear friend from my Hamburg days with The Beatles. Another friend, Klaus Voormann, told me she had passed away and this brought back memories of our days in the clubs in Hamburg. She had a great sense of humour and later went on to marry Stuart (Sutcliffe) our bass player. I have so many fond memories of our time together in the club or her home or a trip to the nearby seaside resort, Lubeck. So sad for all of us who were her friends to lose such a lovely lady from our lives. I will miss her but will always remember her and her cheeky grin with great fondness. God bless you Astrid, see ya love!," McCartney added in his posts. Kirchherr, who was known for taking the first ever photo of the then-quintet in her native Hamburg, Germany in the early 1960s and helping to shape their trend-setting style before they shot to international superstardom, passed away on May 13, days before turning 82. - Music-News.com, 5/22/20...... Foreigner premiered a new performance of their 1984 power ballad "I Want To Know What Love Is" on 
Cher celebrated her 74th birthday on May 20 with a socially distanced surprise party outside. Cher revealed details of her big day as she responded to a fan who tweeted her a picture of the chocolate cake she had made for the star's birthday. In her usual capital letters, Cher replied on Twitter that she'd been thrown a surprise party by her nearest and dearest, explaining: "We were outside, masks, gloves and social distancing. Hardest part, social distancing, not easy! Being outside helped." Cher added that there were 10 people present for the celebration, and concluded: "There was cake. Hope we did it right. It's not easy. A million things you're used to doing that you can't do." Cher also tweeted her gratitude to her legion of Twitter followers who inundated her with birthday messages. Calling her followers "the best", Cher added: "I can't believe I'm 'so' old and 'still crazy after all these years'. I can't find words to thank you for all you've (done) for me." - Music-News.com, 5/21/20...... A UK postman and rabid KISS fan on the Isle Of Sheppey who has been dressing up as KISS frontman Gene Simmons on his delivery rounds to boost morale during the coronavirus lockdown has drawn attention from Simmons himself. "Gary Underdown is keeping spirits up in the UK by delivering the mail as The Demon Gene Simmons during quarantine, KISS posted on their 
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood says beating lung cancer was like being given a "get out of jail free card" in his new documentary, Somebody Up There Likes Me. Wood previously revealed he was diagnosed with the illness in 2017 after smoking "25 to 30 cigarettes a day at least for 50-odd years" and had prepared to say goodbye to his loved ones before he underwent five hours of surgery to remove cancer from one of his lungs. He announced that he was cancer-free in 2018 ."I got away with having it cut out of one lung, the cancer," he revealed in a preview for his first feature-length documentary, which can be viewed on 
In April, organizers of a "Hungry Heart Club Night" in the UK raised over £32,000 for charity after spinning a virtual 24-hour DJ set of Bruce Springsteen songs. Now Hannah Summers and Jon Beck have announced details of their latest Springsteen DJ event which will raise money for Mental Health Awareness Week, after The Boss himself previously opened up on his own battles with depression -- with fans encouraged to submit their requests in advance. "To help support conversations about mental health, this Saturday we will be bringing you a Hungry Heart requests special. As @springsteen is someone who has spoken openly about his own mental health (and given how his music has helped us manage ours!), we wanted to do our bit in raising awareness," the duo wrote on Instagram. Fans who wish to take part in the latest Hungry Heart Club Night can log on to the 
Seventies popsters America have announced they'll be celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2019 by releasing a deluxe 8-disc career retrospective called 
Former Pink Floyd principal Roger Waters shared his thoughts about the coronavirus situation on his 
In an interview with BBC Radio 2 on May 17, Rod Stewart has discussed the prospect of a movie about his life and career, following the success of recent Freddie Mercury and Elton John biopics Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. The 74-year-old musician said he would be "flattered" if a similar film was to be made about his own career, and said he thought actor Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill, Harry Potter) would be a good choice to play him. "Rhys would be a very good idea. [But] he has got to do something with his barnet (Cockney rhyming slang for hair), Stewart said. Ifans, who previously dated Stewart's daughter Kimberley, also has musical experience of his own as a founding member of Welsh band Super Furry Animals. Stewart also said he'd like his fourteen year old son Alastair to play his younger self, as he believes they have a "remarkable similarity" in their looks. "If it does not happen it does not matter but I would be flattered if it did," Rod mused. "But I tell you what, the Freddie Mercury one was so good. It was rock and roll. It would be hard to get something better than that but I would give it a shot," he added. - NME, 5/17/20...... Guitarist Jorge Santana, the younger brother of Carlos Santana and whose guitar riffs on the band Malo's 1972 hit "Suavecito" transformed the song into a Chicano anthem, died on May 14 of natural causes. He was 68. "We take time to celebrate the magnificent spirit of our beloved brother, Jorge," Carlos Santana wrote on his 
Ken Osmond, best known as the sneaky troublemaker on the 1957-63 TV sitcom Leave It To Beaver, died on May 17, his manager has confirmed. He was 76. Osmond's Haskell character was a troublemaking friend of Wally Cleaver (Tony Dow), Beaver's (Jerry Mathers) older brother. His impact on pop culture can be measured by the fact that, for those of us of a certain age, if someone is described as an "Eddie Haskell"-type, we know exactly what is meant. Osmond revisited his most famous role frequently over the years in the many subsequent iterations of the show, most notably Still the Beaver, which ran from 1983-1989. He also guested on such series as Happy Days, Lassie, Petticoat Junction and The Munsters. After his acting career ended, he went on to become an LAPD Cop and reportedly took five bullets in the line of duty, reportedly growing a mustache to be less-recognizable on the job. "He was an incredibly kind and wonderful father," his son, Eric, said in a statement. "He had his family gathered around him when he passed. He was loved and will be very missed." - Deadline.com, 5/18/20...... Annie Glenn, wife of astronaut and former U.S. Sen. John Glenn, died at a nursing home of COVID-19 complications near family in St. Paul, Minn., on May 19. She was 100 years old. Annie, as everyone knew her, lived in the shadow of her husband's fame, but emerged in midlife to become an inspiration for people with disabilities around the world by overcoming the chronic stuttering that afflicted and limited her during the years her husband was becoming a household name. In 1983, Annie Glenn received the first national award of the American Speech and Hearing Association for her meritorious service to those with communicative disorders. In 1987, the National Association for Hearing and Speech Action awarded the first annual Annie Glenn Award for achieving distinction despite a communication disorder. In 2009, the Ohio State University awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Public Service to recognize her work on behalf of children and others. John Glenn died in 2016 at age 95 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. At the time of his death, the two had been married 73 years, after being high school sweethearts. - USAToday.com, 5/19/20.
Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson is reassuring fans he isn't at death's door after revealing that he had been diagnosed with an incurable lung disease and that his "days are numbered." In an interview with veteran newsman Dan Rather on the US TV channel AXS, Anderson said he had been diagnosed with the lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). "I'm going to tell you something I've never told anybody in public before -- I am suffering from an incurable lung disease which I was diagnosed with a couple of years back." Anderson said he "struggles" with the condition. "I have what are known as exacerbations: Periods when I get an infection, it turns into severe bronchitis and I have maybe two or three weeks of really a tough job to go out there onstage and play. Fingers crossed, I've gone 18 months now without an exacerbation." He said he believes one of the main factors in contracting the disease was his exposure to smoke machines during live performances with Jethro Tull. But Anderson has now clarified his "days are numbered" statement: "After all, I am 73 years old this August! But I should be OK for a few more years if COVID doesn't get me first." He says that the COPD "has no impact at all on my daily life as long as I don't catch a cold or flu virus and suffer the subsequent heavy bronchitis which, for me, historically follows since I was a young man." - WENN/Canoe.com, 5/14/20...... Alice Cooper has just written and recorded "Don't Give Up," a new single inspired by the COVID-19 lockdown. In a press release, Cooper says he penned the song from isolation at home, where he is recording his new album, before working with his longtime producer Bob Ezrin using remote technology to complete the record. "'Don't Give Up' is out today! It's a song about what we've all been going through right now and about keeping our heads up and fighting back together," Alice explains. "And whatever you do - Don't Give Up!" The song debuted on 
In 1974 and early 1975, Neil Young recorded a 12-track album called Homegrown that he shelved in favor of his 1973-recorded Tonight's the Night album. Now the Canadian singer/songwriter is making the unheard LP, one of the great "Holy Grails" of his unreleased catalogue, available on June 19 on all formats via Reprise Records. "I apologize. This album Homegrown should have been there for you a couple of years after Harvest," Young posted on his Neil Young Archives site. "It's the sad side of a love affair. The damage done. The heartache. I just couldn't listen to it. I wanted to move on. So I kept it to myself, hidden away in the vault, on the shelf, in the back of my mind.... but I should have shared it." Young says Homegrown is "actually beautiful." "That's why I made it in the first place. Sometimes life hurts. You know what I mean. This is the one that got away," he says. Young says Homegrown is "the unheard bridge between Harvest and Comes A Time, featuring different mixes of songs that turned up on later albums, such as "Star of Bethlehem" (on 1977's American Stars 'n Bars), "Little Wing" and "This Old Homestead" (on 1980's Hawks & Doves), and "White Line" (on 1990's Ragged Glory). Homegrown is "coming your way in 2020," Young concludes, "the first release from our archive in this new decade. Come with us into 2020 as we bring you the past." - Billboard, 5/15/20...... Rod Stewart was so moved after seeing video of a Welsh student nurse named Natasha Jenkins reuniting with her three children following a five-week stay at a Cardiff, Wales hospital where she had spent 22 days on a ventilator, that he decided to get in touch with the COVID-19 survivor so he could send her a $6,000 (£5,000) cheque to help with expenses. "My house phone rang one day, and it was a lady saying, 'I'm calling on behalf of Rod Stewart,'" Jenkins, 35, told People.com. "She said, 'I'm from his PR company. He'd like to send you something.'" Jenkins was pleasantly surprised to receive the call, and two days later, she received an envelope containing a signed promotional picture of the "Maggie May" hitmaker -- and the generous gift. "I was like, 'Wow!' I was only expecting a card or something!" she exclaimed. Jenkins says she plans to hold on to the extra funds unless absolutely necessary. "The money is just going to be put away until I need it really," she said. "There's not too much I can do at the moment but it's just one less worry isn't it, the money issues and everything. It's just so sweet." The nurse also shared her story on Facebook showing off Stewart's personal, handwritten note, which read, "Hi Natasha, a small gift to help you through rough times." - Music-News.com, 5/16/20...... Streams of Little Richard's catalog of classic rock & roll hits have soared by 2,228% after the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician died on May 9 from bone cancer at age 87. On May 9-10, songs by Richard drew 4.1 million on-demand U.S. streams, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. The sum represents a whopping 2,228% surge from the previous two days, May 7-8, during which his songs were streamed 175,000 times. Leading the pack was his 1955-56 hit "Tutti Frutti," which earned 412,000 streams on May 9-10, up 1,210% from 32,000 on May 7-8. His 1958 smash "Good Golly Miss Molly" also racked up 367,000 streams on May 9-10, up 985%, followed by 1956's "Long Tall Sally" (255,000 streams, up 1,056%). As for digital song sales, Little Richard's catalog sold 10,000 downloads on May 9-10, up 6,928% from a negligible amount on May 7-8. Lyrics to his songs are also in demand on LyricFind U.S., with "Good Golly Miss Molly" placing at No. 4 on its top lyrics searches, followed by "Long Tall Sally" (No. 6) and "Lucille" (No. 7). - Billboard, 5/13/20...... 
Former The Doobie Brothers member Michael McDonald has released live covers of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and the 1965 Burt Bacharach-Hal David penned Jackie DeShannon hit "What the World Needs Now Is Love," and McDonald says there's nothing random about his decision. "We always end our evening with one of those two songs, or both," says McDonald, who's slated to inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Doobie Brothers on Nov. 7. "We've tried to make our live shows leave people with a sense of community and a little something more important than just all of us getting together to hear some live music... And the mindfulness of being a community is always important -- especially now," he says from quarantine in his home near Santa Barbara, Calif. McDonald says he's also been working on a new studio album, the follow-up to 2017's Wide Open, and is also planning an EP of material he's been working on with local musicians in a converted barn studio on a ranch his friend owns north of Santa Barbara. A summer 2020 Doobies tour, with McDonald joining the existing lineup of the band, is slated to kick off July 9 in West Palm Beach, Fla., and has not yet been postponed or canceled, although he says "I can't imagine we'll go out this summer or any time soon." The Doobies Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction has been moved back six months and he says the band is "pretty geared up to go do it -- but such is everybody's fate these days." "I know I'm really looking forward to it, and I hope all the other guys are up for it come next year," he says. - Billboard, 5/13/20...... A YouTuber who goes by the moniker of Funk Turkey has created an AC/DC song using Artificial Intelligence called "Great Balls" and shared it on 
ABBA announced on May 14 it will be reissuing its entire back catalogue on colored vinyl for the very first time. All eight of the Swedish pop group's albums will be neatly collected in a box set titled 
The surviving members of the Beach Boys, who have been touring in two separate camps since completing their 50th anniversary tour in 2012, could all reunite in 2021 for a 60th anniversary tour. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love, who heads up one of the camps says he is "not against anything like that in terms of another proper Beach Boys reunion." "Anything that's creative and done for positive reasons is good with me," says Love. "We will continue thinking about stuff like that and see what we can do." In March, Al Jardine told a concert industry publication that a full BB reunion tour "will happen... we'll probably do about 20 or 30 [shows] together next year," although Love says he has not spoken with Jardine about a reunion "specifically." "Al's a really good singer, but he's been travelling and performing with Brian Wilson, [and] Brian has some serious health issues," Love said. "We are in a very fortunate and blessed position to be able to do music for a lifetime. It's pretty amazing. I can remember when my cousin Brian was a young boy. He sang "Danny Boy' sitting on my Grandma Wilson's lap. So that's how far back we go musically." Brian Wilson's manager, Jean Sievers, says no one has spoken to Brian about a 60th anniversary tour, however. In February, Wilson urged fans not to attend a Beach Boys show that had been organized by Love as it was taking place at the Safari Club International Convention, a group that supports trophy hunting. - NME, 5/14/20...... Elton John says he's "thrilled" to be the focus of an episode of the BBC television series Killing Eve, in which Villanelle's younger brother Bor'ka is revealed to be a superfan of the musician. In the episode "Are You From Pinner?," which is the name of John's English hometown, several references to Elton's music appear throughout the episode, as well as an inner table rendition of John's hit "Crocodile Rock," and a later scene which sees Bor'ka buy tickets to see the musician live. "#KillingEve is such a groundbreaking series and I was thrilled to be included in this week's episode," John said on Instagram, sharing a still from the episode which sees Villanelle wearing heart-shaped glasses just like John. "I think the glasses suit you @jodiemcomer! = the caption added. - NME, 5/13/20....... Pink Floyd guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour has paid tribute to his late former bandmate Syd Barrett by covering some of the singer-songwriter's solo songs during a lockdown performance, and sharing them on 
Astrid Kirchher, the legendary German Beatles photographer and collaborator who is renowned for taking the first ever photograph of the Beatles in her hometown of Hamburg, when they were an unknown five-piece combo, has died at age 81 of as yet undisclosed causes. Enjoying a lengthy collaborative relationship with the Beatles, Ms. Kirchherr is also known as the person who first suggested that the band cut their hair into what would become iconic "mop tops." She was also engaged to one-time Beatles guitarist Stuart Sutcliffe before his death in 1962. "Astrid was intelligent, inspirational, innovative, daring, artistic, awake, aware, beautiful, smart, loving and uplifting," Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn posted in tribute on Twitter. "Her gift to the Beatles was immeasurable." Also among the many fans paying tribute to Ms. Kirchherr on social media, where she was referred to as "the sixth Beatle," was George Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison. "Astrid is and was the sweetest woman, so thoughtful and kind and talented, with an eye to capture a soul. Our family loved her and none more than George. I am truly saddened but honoured to have known her," Olivia said. Ms. Kirchherr's photography of several iconic photos of the band was collated into a 2018 book, Astrid Kirchherr with the Beatles. - New Musical Express, 5/16/20...... Phil May, the frontman of the influential 1960's rock band The Pretty Things, died on the morning of May 15 at hospital in Kings Lynn, England, according to a rep for the band. He was 75 and died from complications after falling off his bicycle and undergoing emergency hip surgery. The Pretty Things, who formed in 1963, were peers of the Rolling Stones, and featured former Stones bassist Dick Taylor in their line-up on guitar. The band's 1968 album SF Sorrow has gone down in rock history as one of the first rock & roll concept albums, and The Pretty Things were publicly adored by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie, who covered one of their tracks on his 1973 album Pin-Ups. In 2014, May was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema, and while the band never officially broke up, May did take a break from touring following the diagnosis. The band played a "Final Bow" gig in Dec. 2018, at which they were joined on stage by Van Morrison, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and more. The band continued to release iconic and influential recordings, right up to the present day, with a new album due for release this year. Among those paying tribute to May was Dave Davies of The Kinks, who called him "a very talented guy" who "will be sorely missed." - NME, 5/16/20.
On May 7, Bob Dylan released his third new track of 2020, "False Prophet," and announced on 
The original Led Zeppelin debut album artwork designed by English graphic designer/illustrator George Hardie is scheduled to be auctioned off in June, with the iconic cover based on a famous Hindenburg disaster image by photographer Sam Shere expected to bring an estimated $20,000 to $30,000. "In terms of rarity, this is a unique object... I don't think you can get rarer than that," said senior specialist Peter Klarnet of Christie's Auctions, which will conduct the sale between June 2-18 in New York. "(The cover) marked a major turning point in the history of pop music, heralded by the debut of Led Zeppelin. It was louder, bolder than what had come before and would come to define the shape of hard rock for generations." George Hardie produced his take on the photo while studying at the Royal College of Art in London in 1969. His friend, photographer Stephen Goldblatt, had recommended his work to Led Zeppelin, with Jimmy Page later suggesting he use Shere's Hindenburg photo. Led Zeppelin reportedly paid Hardie only £60 for his efforts, though he is said to have discovered a note reading "George's pension fund upon finding the original tracing years later." - New Musical Express, 5/9/20...... The Rolling Stones' recent quarantine anthem "Living in a Ghost Town" has surged on the Billboard rock charts after being released on Apr. 23. It rose 3-1 on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart dated May 9, becoming the band's first No. 1 on that list and selling 16,000 downloads in its first full tracking frame (Apr. 24-30), according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. On the all-genre Rock Airplay Chart, it jumped 44-34 fueled by its No. 21 debut on Adult Alternative Songs and early airplay on mainstream rock stations. The song becomes the Stones' highest-ranking song on a Billboard airplay chart since "Doom and Gloom," which peaked at No. 10 on the Adult Alternative Songs chart in Nov. 2012. "Living in a Ghost Town" is expected to appear on the band's new album that the legendary rockers have been recording for several years, the follow-up to their 2016's covers set Blue & Lonesome and their first album of newly-written material since 2005's A Bigger Bang. - Billboard, 5/6/20...... In a new interview on Sirius XM/s "Trunk Nation" radio show, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi says he's "not opposed to doing anything" with his iconic heavy metal band, which hasn't performed since Feb. 2017. "It was great to be able to go out and do a final tour," Iommi said. "I think that it would be good, if we could do [a one-off show]. The hard thing is, certainly with Sabbath, because it's such a big thing, you can't just do an occasional show, because of the crew, and you have the whole setup. It would have to be a year or an 18-month tour... I'm not opposed to doing anything; I just would do it in a different way." In April, Iommi revealed that he's been in touch with Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne on a daily basis during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown "and that people had been keeping an eye on him too." "Neighbours have dropped a note through the door asking if I want any shopping, the guitarist said of being stuck indoors at his home in Worcestershire. "They're looking out for the poor old sod!," he said. - New Musical Express, 5/6/20...... 
The late Ricky Nelson's sons Matthew and Gunnar Nelson are marking what would have been the 80th anniversary of their dad's birthday on May 8 with a 2-hour documentary called Ricky Nelson Remembered that, according to Matthew, "tells the stories behind the songs, with videos playing behind us with people like Paul McCartney, John Fogerty and Kris Kristofferson talking about our pop, and words from the man himself." "He had this wonderful, silent strength, and a kindness and gentleness," Gunnar mused of his father, who died in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1985. "We're doing this show not because we have to, but because we want to." The special can be streamed on the 
Florian Schneider, co-founder of the German electronic pop band Kraftwerk, died after a short battle with cancer on May 6, just a few days after of his 73rd birthday. Schneider formed the influential group and multimedia project with Ralf Hütter in 1970. With its use of electronic instruments that included homemade and custom-built devices, Kraftwerk has been credited with pioneering the electronic music and influencing several music genres, including including hip-hop, synthpop and rock. Schneider -- who played the synthesizer, vocoder, flute, sax and more, as well as provided vocals -- left the band in 2008 after four decades. The late David Bowie once recognized Schneider and Kraftwerk's influence by titling his mostly instrumental track "V-2 Schneider" on his 1977 album "Heroes" after the musician. Though nominated for the Rock Hall of Fame six times, the influential electronic band has yet to be inducted. Prior to his death, Kraftwerk had announced that the band would be embarking on a summer tour of North America to celebrate the group's 50th anniversary, which unfortunately had to be canceled due to the global coronavirus pandemic. - Billboard, 5/6/20...... Actor/comedian Jerry Stiller, known for his role as cantakerous fathers on the TV sitcoms Seinfeld and The King of Queens, has died at age 92 of natural causes, his actor son Ben Stiller posted on Twitter on May 11. "He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad," Ben posted. Jerry Stiller was part of a 1960s comedy team Stiller and Meara with wife Anne Meara, who died in 2015 at age 85. Stiller and Meara worked together in the Compass Players comedy troupe before forming their own team. By the 1960s, they had become a popular comedy duo on U.S. television and appeared 36 times on The Ed Sullivan Show. Their act included skits such as an interview with the biblical Jonah after his encounter with the whale and parodies of TV commercials. Mr. Stiller later did some Broadway work and appeared in films including Airport 1975 and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. He was in his mid-60s when he got what would become his signature acting role -- Frank Costanza, father of ne'er-do-well George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander) on Seinfeld, a tense, bombastic man always on the verge of apoplexy. The show, one of the most highly regarded in U.S. TV history, was in its fourth season at the time but Mr. Stiller said he had never watched a minute of it and had to ask, "Who's Seinfeld?" Mr. Stiller also had roles in both the 1998 and 2007 versions of the movie Hairspray and appeared in films starring son Ben such as Zoolander and The Heartbreak Kid. He is also survived by a daughter, Amy Stiller, also is an actress. - Reuters, 5/11/20.