Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on December 17th, 2020

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band delivered energetic performances of two tracks on Springsteen's latest album Letter To You -- "Ghosts" and "I'll See You In My Dreams" -- as the musical guests on the Dec. 12 episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live. Available for viewing on YouTube, the performance was the 71-year-old New Jersey rocker and his band's first appearance on the popular late night comedy show since 2015, however two E Street Band members -- bassist Garry Tallent and violinist Soozie Tyrell -- decided not to participate because of COVID-19 precautions." "Garry and his family are fine as is Soozie, but we thank Jack Daley of the Disciples of Soul for sitting in," Springsteen posted on Twitter earlier in the week. Letter To You, Springsteen's 20th studio album, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart in early November and is the follow-up to his 2019 LP Western Stars. - Billboard, 12/13/20...... In other Springsteen news, the Boss has recalled his reaction to hearing the finished version of his 1975 iconic album Born To Run as that album marked its 45th anniversary on Aug. 25. Appearing on The Tonight Show, Springsteen told host Jimmy Fallon that he threw the album itself in the pool and not its cover, as Fallon said he had once heard. "No, I threw the album in the pool, that was different," Springsteen replied in the interview that has been shared on YouTube. "When you first start you're not used to hearing yourself, even two, three records in. I just couldn't get used to the sound of my voice and very often it sounds terrible to you. You're making all these choices you end up not comfortable with. I recorded that when I was a 24-year-old kid, you know?" He continued to explain that Jimmy Iovine was working as the engineer on the record and brought the mastered version to Springsteen in Richmond, Va. After finding a record player in a local music store, the pair had their first listen in the shop. "So I'm listening to the mastering of Born To Run, the two of us are standing in the back of the record store down south and Jimmy is trying to get me to say 'It's OK, we can release it'," Springsteen explained. "I'm there and I'm like, '[makes uncertain noises] Into the pool at the hotel it goes!' At any rate, we did release it and it worked out alright." - New Musical Express, 12/13/20...... A filmed version of the David Bowie musical "Lazarus" will be live-streamed on Jan. 8, 2021 -- what would have been Bowie's 74th birthday -- to mark the five-year anniversary of Bowie's death. A second broadcast of "Lazarus" will also take place the following evening (Jan. 9) before a final virtual outing on Jan. 10, which is the fifth anniversary of Bowie's death. The performance will be available for the aforementioned three airings only across the following time zones -- GMT, AEDT, EST, PST, CST -- and tickets for a viewing can be purchased at https://t.co/WoIiMUxLFU pic.twitter.com/mTGOI5Alie. "Lazarus" made its debut at The New York Theatre Workshop in 2015, arriving in the UK for a sold-out run at London's Kings Cross Theatre the following year. The filmed version of the show was screened at Brooklyn, New York's Kings Theatre in May 2018. Meanwhile, it has been announced that Bowie's covers of John Lennon's "Mother" and Bob Dylan's "Tryin' to Get to Heaven" will be released as a special 7" single to mark the late rock legend's birthday. Two previously unreleased versions of Bowie's covers of the classics will arrive on vinyl on Jan. 8. A cream record (exclusive to Bowie's official store and Dig!) will be limited to just 1000 copies, with the remaining 7,147 numbered vinyl being black. Fans will also be able to listen to the tracks via streaming services. The five-year anniversary of Bowie's passing is also set to be marked with a BBC Radio series titled Bowie Five Years On, which begins on Jan. 8, 2021. The series will explore "the impact of David Bowie on their lives and how he always managed to be ahead of the curve," according to a BBC post on Twitter. - NME, 12/17/20...... Elton John is set to be honored at the upcoming annual Global Citizen Prize ceremony on Dec. 19, which recognizes individuals or groups who use their platforms to promote awareness and positive change. Sir Elton will be recognized for his work with his AIDS Foundation, which he founded in 1993. He is also being honored for his fundraising efforts to help with the response to coronavirus. John shared the news on his Instagram Stories account, reposting the official announcement from the Global Citizen account. Hosted by singer John Legend and featuring appearances by Oprah Winfrey, Nick Jonas and Miley Cyrus, the event will also feature performances from Gwen Stefani, Carrie Underwood and Common. - Music-News.com, 12/16/20...... Universal has announced a new TV series based on the life of late funk-rock singer Rick James. Superfreak is described as "a funkadelic mix of music biopic and true crime, chronicling James' plans for a comeback in the early 1990's amidst a heated trial that threatened to destroy his legacy." The series will be written and executive produced by Randy McKinnon with James' daughter Ty James also on board as an executive producer. Casting for the show has yet to be announced. - NME, 12/17/20...... With his new album McCartney III set for release on Dec. 18, Paul McCartney has confirmed he will dissect the latest addition to his trilogy of self-titled efforts with a Twitter "Listening Party" series appearance on Dec. 21. "Hey @PaulMcCartney," Tim Burgess tweeted in November. "Just wondering if you fancy doing a [listening party] for 'McCartney III'. Give us a shout if you do." On Dec. 17, Sir Paul McCartney gave Burgess said shout, tweeting him back with a simple thumbs up, indicating that the listening party is on its way. After the run-through of McCartney III, Macca will then host a special encore, talking through his Christmas classic "Wonderful Christmas Time." Launched back in March as the UK went into coronavirus-enforced lockdown, Burgess's "Listening Parties" are listen-and-tweet-along online events that see bands and artists tweeting through a playback of one of their classic albums and interacting with fans. Meanwhile, McCartney has revealed that Taylor Swift moved the release date of her new album Evermore so as not to clash with the Beatle's upcoming album. Talking on Howard Stern's syndicated radio show, McCartney said that he and Swift had a conversation about release dates, and that Swift decided out of courtesy to "keep out of each other's way" and would agree to release her album on Dec. 10 instead of Dec. 18, which happens to be her birthday. Paul's full interview with Stern can be heard on YouTube. In still more McCartney news, the former Beatle has shared a teaser for for his new documentary with producer Rick Rubin on YouTube. On Dec. 16 he posted a 96-second black-and-white preview of the film to his official YouTube channel with a description that reads "Paul McCartney x Rick Rubin. A forthcoming documentary event. Coming Soon." In the video, we see Macca and the acclaimed producer behind a studio desk as they listen to the Beatles classic track 'Come Together'. "You can actually control the band with the bass," McCartney explains. A release date for the six-part documentary has not yet been confirmed. - NME, 12/17/20...... In other Beatles-related news, Ringo Starr has announced a new EP called "Zoom In" featuring contributions from McCartney, Dave Grohl and Finneas. Starr recorded the five-song collection at his home studio between April and October of 2020. Ringo shared a taste of the forthcoming EP, "Here's to Nights," on YouTube on Dec. 15. Ringo collaborates with LA songwriter Diane Warren on the track. "When Diane presented this song to me I loved the sentiment of it," Starr explained. "This is the kind of song we all want to sing along to, and it was so great how many wonderful musicians joined in. I wanted it out in time for New Years because it feels like a good song to end a tough year on. So here's to the nights we won't remember and the friends we won't forget -- and I am wishing everyone peace and love for 2021," he added. - NME, 12/16/20...... Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon Osbourne has shared details of her recent diagnosis of testing positive for COVID-19 and being briefly hospitalized for the disease. "I wanted to share I've tested positive for Covid 19," Osbourne wrote on Twitter. "After a brief hospitalization, I'm now recuperating at a location away from Ozzy (who has tested negative) while 'The Talk' is on scheduled hiatus. Everyone please stay safe and healthy," she added. The Twitter account for The Talk, the talk show Osbourne has co-hosted since 2010, replied to Sharon's tweet saying "Wishing you a speedy recovery, Mrs. O, we love you." - NME, 12/15/20...... On Dec. 14 it was announced that Michael Jackson's estate has won an appeal that allows it to pursue arbitration after claiming the creators of the Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland violated a non-disparagement clause. The estate had sued HBO for $100 million, arguing that its 2019 documentary, which details accounts by Jackson's alleged victims of child sex abuse, breaks a 27-year-old confidentiality clause. By contrast, HBO accuses the Jackson estate of seeking to silence victims of sexual abuse. HBO argued that the non-disparagement clause from a 1992 concert film from Jackson's "Dangerous" tour is irrelevant to the present dispute, and appealed a decision by a lower court that granted he Jackson estate's motion to take the dispute to arbitration, as provided by the contract. HBO appealed, and on Dec. 14 a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal upheld the lower court ruling. The judges said the suit may be "frivolous," as HBO has claimed, but concluded that it would be for an arbitrator to decide. Now, HBO is left with the option of appealing the panel's ruling to the full 9th Circuit or bring its case before an arbitrator. - Variety, 12/14/20...... As Dionne Warwick celebrated her milestone 80th birthday on Dec. 12, the Grammy-winning pop singer took to her Twitter page on Dec. 17 to share a video pitch for a new Netflix project based on her life and career, and she singled out rising singer Teyana Taylor as the perfect person to portray her on screen. "This is a case for @netflix," Dionne wrote alongside a video, in which she asked if fans would really want to tune in. "Please don't ask who I would cast to play me as it would obviously be @TEYANATAYLOR." Taylor was quick to share her gratitude for the honor, replying with clapping hand emojis, while Netflix admitted they were "taking notes." "I'll call ya!," Dionne replied to Netflix. Although she recently turned 80, the "I Say a Little Prayer" singer shows no signs of retiring. She's currently working with Chance the Rapper on an initiative to feed homeless people, with The Weeknd joining them too. Warwick's upcoming charity single "Nothing Is Impossible" -- penned by her son Dionne Damon Elliott -- will benefit the non-profit charity Hunger Not Impossible, whose aim is to fight hunger by connecting American families in need with nutritious meals provided by local restaurants. - Music-News/NME, 12/17/20...... In a recent interview with the UK paper The Guardian, Cher shared both her hopes and fears for the end of Pres. Donald Trump's term in January and said she hopes Trump will be prosecuted once he's out of office. Cher argued that Trump had turned US culture "toxic" during his time in office, adding: "People who just disagreed with each other before are now enemies. I hate to even call him a president because all he does is watch TV." She also related her fear that "if Trump can't be in the White House, he's going to burn it down." "He's trying to block [Pres. Elect] Joe [Biden] at every moment," she said. "He's the most vindictive person I've ever witnessed. I think he's fighting so hard because he's going to be prosecuted when he gets out of the White House." Asked if she thinks Trump could end up going to prison in the future, Cher replied: "Oh, I hope so. I'll be dancing around." - NME, 12/14/20...... An official cause of death of guitar legend Eddie Van Halen has been revealed as a copy of the 65-year-old's death certificate was obtained by the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com on Dec. 13. Van Halen's immediate cause of death on Oct. 6 was as a cerebrovascular accident, or a stroke, according to the certificate. He also had several underlying causes, including pneumonia, the bone marrow disorder myelodysplastic syndrome and lung cancer. The certificate also listed a number of "other significant conditions," including skin cancer on his head and neck and an irregular heart rate. Van Halen's body was cremated 22 days after his death and his ashes have been given to his son, Wolfgang Van Halen. - NME, 12/13/20...... A Slingerland drum kit played by Rush drummer Neil Peart between 1974-1977 has sold at a Bonhams' Music Memorabilia auction for just over $500,000 (£379,000) that ended on Dec. 10. The coveted kit, which features dual blue heads printed with Rush's logo and Neil Peart's name, as well as chrome-wrapped Tom-toms with an original head signed by Peart himself, was expected to fetch somewhere between $104,000 (£77,695) and $157,000 (£117,290). That estimation, however, was shattered as the drummer's hardware was sold for just over half a million dollars -- $500,312, to be exact. As the Bonhams listing explained, the kit was purchased by Peart in 1974 from Toronto's Long & McQuade music store shortly after he joined the iconic band. Peart used the kit for his first performance with the band on Aug. 14, 1974 and it acted as his main drum set until 1977. - NME, 12/12/20...... Trailblazing African-American country musician Charley Pride, the first African-American to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, passed away in Dallas, Tex., on Dec. 12 due to COVID-19 complications. He was 86. Born in Sledge, Miss., on Mar. 18, 1934 to a sharecropper, Mr. Pride enlisted in the Army as a young man and later worked at a Missouri smelting plant. Mr. Pride then played for the Memphis Red Sox and Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro League before heading in 1963 to Nashville where he made demonstration recordings. Four years later, his recording of "Just Between You and Me" broke into country's Top Ten. He went on to score 52 Top Ten hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. "Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'," "Why Baby Why" and "Night Games" were among Mr. Pride's 29 songs to reach No. 1 on that chart, and he also earned four Grammy Awards throughout his career, including three Grammys for his gospel songs "Let Me Live" and" Did You Think to Pray," and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He was also a distinguished advocate for African-American rights. "We're not color blind yet, but we've advanced a few paces along the path and I like to think I've contributed something to that process," Mr. Pride wrote in his memoir, 2017's Pride: The Charley Pride Story. Mr. Pride was also a talented baseball player in his youth, earning professional contracts during the 1950s. Mr. Pride gave his final public performance at the Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 11. Following claims that Mr. Pride may have been exposed to COVID-19 at the indoor event, the CMA Awards issued a statement. "Everyone affiliated with the CMA Awards followed strict testing protocols outlined by the city health department and unions," the statement read. "Charley was tested prior to traveling to Nashville. He was tested upon landing in Nashville, and again on show day, with all tests coming back negative. After returning to Texas following the CMA Awards, Charley again tested negative multiple times," the statement added. Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Billy Ray Cyris are among the musicians to have paid tribute to Pride following his passing. "I'm so heartbroken that one of my dearest and oldest friends, Charley Pride, has passed away. It's even worse to know that he passed away from COVID-19," Dolly Parton posted to Twitter. "What a horrible, horrible virus. Charley, we will always love you...Rest in Peace. My love and thoughts go out to his family and all of his fans." - NME/Reuters, 12/13/20.

The Rolling Stones have tapped BMG to represent them globally in pursuing collections of master recording performance rights royalties when their songs are played on radio and television, also known as "neighboring rights." The signing gives a big boost to BMG's neighboring rights service, which was launched in June. "If you are in the business of selling services to artists and songwriters, these are the kinds of client you dream of attracting," BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said in a statement. "We are immensely grateful to Sir Mick [Jagger], Keith [Richards], Charlie [Watts] and Ronnie [Wood] for putting their faith in us." According to BMG, the neighboring rights deal covers all of the Stones' music from their first single "Come On," released in 1963, to "Living In A Ghost Town," released in 2020. At the same time BMG announced that the band had reached a deal extending BMG's representation of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' music publishing rights, in a deal first signed back in 2013. Meanwhile, a scripted series about the beginnings of "the world's greatest rock & roll band" has been announced by the FX cable network. FX CEO John Landgraf confirmed the news at Disney's Investor Day on Dec. 11, saying the network is in "advanced talks" for the series. The story would follow the band during their formative years, specifically mapping the 1960s through to 1972. - Billboard/The Hollywood Reporter, 12/10/20...... Neil Young announced on his Neil Young Archives site on Dec. 12 that he's offering free access to his online archive through the end of 2020. "We are doing well here and feeling good. We hope you are well, too," he posted. "If you are locked down, we are here for you with hours of listening and cruising around through the years in movies. We want you to enjoy what we have to share at NYA... It's my music and our lives. Peace," he added. Fans will have access through Dec. 31 to more than 50 years of Young's music and videos, including the recent Archives Volume II: 1972-1976 boxset. Also included are the Fireside Sessions, which received a staggered release during the summer of 2020. His forthcoming concert film, Timeless Orpheum, will also be streaming for free. Meanwhile, Young has reportedly dropped his lawsuit against Pres. Donald Trump for the Trump campaign's unauthorized use of his music at rallies. New York Times reporter Ben Sisario screenshotted a legal document to his Twitter account which appears to be a notice of dismissal in which Young "voluntarily dismissed all claims against "Donal [sic] J. Trump for President, Inc. with prejudice, with each party to bear its own costs, fees, and expenses." A dismissal with prejudice means that claims cannot be renewed. Both parties' lawyers have not released an official statement regarding the status of Young's lawsuit. Young first announced he was suing Trump in August and was seeking "statutory damages in the maximum amount allowed for willful copyright infringement." - NME, 12/12/20...... John Lennon's former bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with his widow Yoko Ono and sons Sean and Julian Lennon were among those honoring the late rock legend on the 40th anniversary of his death on Dec. 8. "A sad sad day but remembering my friend John with the great joy he brought to the world. I will always be proud and happy to have known and worked with this incredible Scouser! X love Paul," McCartney posted on Twitter on Dec. 8, along with a touching picture of the duo snapped by McCartney's late wife, Linda McCartney. Ringo Starr, meanwhile, took to Twitter to urge radio stations across the globe to play "Strawberry Fields Forever" in honour of his former bandmate: "Tuesday, 8 December 1980 we all had to say goodbye to John peace and love John. I'm asking Every music radio station in the world sometime today to play Strawberry Fields Forever. Peace and love." Yoko Ono, meanwhile, used used the opportunity to campaign against gun violence in the U.S. with her Twitter post. "The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience. After 40 years, Sean, Julian and I still miss him," she wrote. Sharing the lyrics to John's peace anthem "Imagine," she added: 'Imagine all the people living life in peace," and accompanied the post with a graphic that highlighted the seriousness of gun violence in the U.S. Lennon's eldest son, Julian, shared a picture of his father and wrote, "As time goes by." Lennon, 40, was fatally shot in front of his New York City apartment on the evening of Dec. 8, 1980, by Mark David Chapman. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 12/8/20...... In related news, James Taylor has shared a chilling story about meeting Mark Chapman the day before he fatally shot John Lennon. In an interview with the U.K. paper The Telegraph, Taylor said he encountered Chapman approximately a 25-minute walk away from where Chapman shot John in front of his Dakota apartment building on Dec. 7. According to Taylor, Chapman was "glistening with sweat" and "his eyes were dating all over the place... dilated like crazy," and "seemed either drugged or in a manic break of some sort." He also remembered that Chapman mentioned Lennon in conversation and said he was "going to show him" something. "He was just talking a mile a minute about something he was going to show John Lennon," said Taylor, who was once signed to the Beatles' Apple Records early in his career. "He was just someone who knew me who I didn't know; someone who had an agenda that I knew I couldn't deal with. I just knew that I needed to get away from him," Taylor added. - NME, 12/8/20...... Willie Nelson has announced he'll release That's Life, his second album of Frank Sinatra covers, on Feb. 26 via Legacy Recordings. Ahead of its release Nelson has shared a cover of "A Cottage For Sale" on YouTube. That's Life follows Nelson's first Sinatra covers album, My Way, released in 2018. He released his 70th studio album, First Rose of Spring, earlier in 2020. - NME, 12/12/20...... In other Country news, Dolly Parton has announced she'll embark on a global stadium tour in 2021 to mark her 75th birthday on Jan. 19. Parton's agent Neil Warnock says the "Dolly Fest" will visit 15 stadiums and will be "very Dolly." Parton has a number of other projects in store for 2021, including the launch of a Broadway show, another book publication, more film features and a new album following signing with 12Tone. In 2020 she released the festive album A Holly Dolly Christmas, the Netflix movie Christmas On The Square, and her book Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life In Lyrics. Meanwhile Parton has said that she's considering selling the rights to her entire back catalogue of songs, in what would be a hugely lucrative deal. "I've owned my own publishing company for years and years," Parton told Music Week magazine. "It's very possible that, for business reasons, estate planning, and family things, I might sell the catalogue I have now. I've often thought about it and I'm sure that I could get a lot of money for it," she added. Parton and Cher are also set to join the star-studded lineup of '80s hitmaker Cyndi Lauper's 10th annual "Cyndi Lauper & Friends" gig, which raises funds for True Colors United, the non-profit organization the singer founded in 2008, which addresses the issue of youth homelessness in the US, particularly among the LGBTQ+ community. The event will be live-streamed on TikTok on Dec. 11, and YouTube and Facebook on Dec. 13. - NME/Music-News.com, 12/12/20...... Alice Cooper has shared a new song called "Our Love Will Change the World" on YouTube which he describes as "one of the oddest songs I've ever done." "It was one that came to us by somebody else, another Detroit writer," Cooper said of the new track, which will appear on Coop's upcoming studio album Detroit Stories. "And it was so strange, because it was happy and what it was saying was anything but happy - it was simply a great juxtaposition. And I got it immediately and said "okay, this is going to be great". The music saying one thing and the lyrics saying something else, I love that song. It is totally different from anything else on the album." Detroit Stories will drop on Feb. 26, 2021. - NME, 12/12/20...... Appearing recently on the NBC morning show Today, Jimmy Buffett said he had to do some homework before recording his new album of old songs, Songs You Don't Know By Heart, because he'd forgotten the lyrics to so many of his lesser known tunes. "There were a lot of them that I had to go back and learn...!," Buffett, 73, mused. "I'm old, and I've been doing this for 40 years!," he added. Buffett said the album was initially an idea for a video performance series online during the coronavirus shutdown, and t's all thanks to his daughter Delaney, and her pal. "Delaney and a friend of hers from high school, who had been working for us for a little while, came up with the idea to go to fans and ask them, 'Hey, he's not doing shows, what songs would you like to hear that he hasn't played in 20 years?' so that became Songs You Don't Know By Heart," he explained. "(Delaney and her friend) got like 10,000 setlists (suggested by fans) in a short period of time, and so we collected 50 of the most voted on songs, and went to 15 which we could do, and that was the video (series). And then we started getting mail back from people saying, 'Why doesn't your dad go in the studio and do an acoustic album?' So as a person who hadn't made an album in seven years, I made two in three months!," he added. - Music-News.com, 12/11/20...... Jimmy Page is joining a growing list of musicians who are calling for fairer payments from streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music. "Having recently viewed the Select Committee for Music Streaming on 24 November 2020 I feel compelled to write this letter," the Led Zeppelin guitarist posted on Instagram." I fully appreciate the dilemma surrounding streaming royalties that should be rightfully paid to all musicians and writers who made the music. The sooner the streaming companies can make fair payments to all musicians whose music is played on or viewed via the internet, and to pay fair royalties to those who give us great pleasure from those who are exploiting it, the better," he added. - NME, 12/10/20...... In related news, David Crosby took to Twitter on Dec. 8 to announce he intends to sell his catalogue of work, saying "streaming stole my record money." "I can't work... and streaming stole my record money... I have a family and a mortgage and I have to take care of them so it's my only option... I'm sure the others feel the same," Crosby posted. Crosby's tweet was responding to a thread regarding the recent news that Bob Dylan has sold his complete catalogue to Universal in a "landmark agreement" with the global publishing group to sell his catalogue of more than 600 songs spanning 60 years. - NME, 12/9/20...... AC/DC have shared a a new video for their second single from their chart-topping album Power Up. "Demon Fire," which can be viewed on YouTube, features a car driving down a dimly lit motorway, with billboards of the band members flashing by periodically. At one point, the car drives under a bridge with graffiti paying tribute to late AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young. "This one's for Mal," it reads. AC/DC's Angus Young recently said that Power Up is an album "for Malcolm," adding: "His death was a huge blow to us, but I still think he's there when I'm playing." - NME, 12/9/20...... Elton John has told Record Collector magazine that he's holding off on recording another album because "no one needs another Elton John record out at the moment." "I have no idea what the f--- I'm going to do next, and that feels great," Sir Elton said. "I just don't think this is a time for me to think about recording. I'm a dad and I love being a dad. I will get in the mood to record again -- and I'll get in the mood to write," added John, whose "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour was derailed by the coronavirus pandemic. - NME, 12/9/20...... Olivia Newton-John has announced she's shifting her new cancer foundation to America for tax reasons after launching it in Australia in Oct. 2020. Newton-John, who is currently battling stage-four metastatic breast cancer, posted on Instagram that she has chosen to voluntarily deregister the NJ Foundation Down Under in Australia and she and husband John Easterling "will now focus on our ONJ Foundation Fund in the USA. We're excited to be supporting plant medicine research, specifically for cancer, through a simple Donor Advised fund with CAF America!." "The ONJ Foundation received significant and positive public support after a soft-launch in October 2020, primarily from USA residents, and Olivia is keen to make sure these donors receive maximum tax benefits and support," according to the singer/actress's publicist, Michael Caprico. - Music-News.com, 12/10/20...... Appearing on the MSNBC show The Beat on Dec. 8, David Byrne said that "reunion tours have become an exercise in nostalgia" when host Ari Melber asked why many fans can't accept that his former band Talking Heads won't make a comeback. "There's a period where music really is essential to you kind of defining who you are and what your place is in the world, and you can never let go of that moment," Byrne said. "But then again, you could never could never recreate and replace that moment either. There's plenty of reunion tours and things like that and it's become an exercise in nostalgia. You can never recreate that moment when people hear things like that for the first time. It has to do with the moment that they heard this music in their life, where they were in their life, when this happened -- more than it was us." Talking Heads broke up in 1991, and have only played together once since, for their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002. - NME, 12/8/20...... Aerosmith have added an additional concert at Sheffield Arena on July 2, 2021 to their upcoming European tour. Aerosmith had been due to hit the road this summer, before they were forced to postpone the shows due to the coronavirus crisis. Other U.K. dates include previously announced shows in London and Manchester on June 23 and 29, respectively, and the band will also visit Switzerland, Spain, France, Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary before wrapping in Austria on July 15. - NME, 12/8/20...... In an interview with The Oakland Press, Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen told fans "not hold their breath" over the release of archived songs of his late father's. "That's not gonna happen for a long time," Wolfgang said. "I have no idea what's in there that would be worth releasing. To a certain extent, my dad released all the good stuff. Even without the intention to release, I want to archive it properly and digitize it, so everything is safe for years to come. It's going to be an incredibly difficult process and a very long process to do properly," he added, noting "you usually see right away the compilations of unreleased music that maybe should have stayed unreleased, and it just seems like a cash grab to take hold of the moment." Eddie Van Halen passed away from cancer on Oct. 6 at age 65. - NME, 12/8/20...... Bruce Springsteen recently teamed up with the rock band Bleachers to perform a song titled "Chinatown" together. Bleachers, led by frontman Jack Antonoff, filmed the performance on the roof of Electric Lady Studios in New York City and have shared it on YouTube. Bleachers and Springsteen released the collaborative single in November. A B-side titled "45," which doesn't feature Springsteen, also arrived at the same time. - NME, 12/8/20...... Legendary American airman Gen. Chuck Yeager, the first pilot in history confirmed to break the sound barrier, died on Dec. 7 at age 97, according to a post on his verified Twitter account. A World War II ace, Gen. Yeager's place in history was secured in 1947 when he became the first pilot to blow past the speed of sound. Gen. Yeager's daring and understated swagger personified "The Right Stuff" associated with the test pilots who followed in his footsteps to become the first astronauts in the American space program. While stationed in England during the war, Gen. Yeager flew P-51 mustangs but was shot down over France on his eighth mission. He escaped and returned to the air. On Oct. 12, 1944, Gen. Yeager downed five enemy aircraft in a single mission and finished the war credited with shooting down at least 12 German planes. In all, Gen. Yeager flew 64 combat missions. After the war, he remained in the military and became a test pilot at Muroc Army Air Field, now called Edwards Air Force Base. He was selected to fly a rocket-powered Bell XS-1 to research high-speed flight, and broke the sound barrier on Oct. 14, 1947, flying his X-1 plane at 700 miles an hour, Mach 1.06, at an altitude of 45,000 feet. Because of the top-secret nature of the mission, Gen. Yeager's feat was not announced to the public until months later in June, 1948. Now, the X-1 he flew that day is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. His feat put Gen. Yeager in the headlines for a time, but he truly became a national celebrity only after the publication of Tom Wolfe's book The Right Stuff in 1979, about the early days of the space program, and the release of the movie based on it four years later, in which Gen. Yeager was played by Sam Shepard. He was depicted breaking the sound barrier in the opening scene. Gen. Yeager continued sound barrier-breaking flights well into his life. On Oct. 14, 1997, on the 50th anniversary of his historic flight, he broke the sound barrier again, flying an F-15D Eagle. Then as a co-pilot at age 89 on Oct. 14, 2012, on the 65th anniversary of breaking the sound barrier, Gen. Yeager did it again in an McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. His death was announced in a heartfelt statement by his wife of 17 years, Victoria Yeager. "It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET," she wrote on his account. "An incredible life well lived, Americas greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever." - AP, 12/8/20.