Buckingham Palace announced on Dec. 31 that longtime Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin is among those recognized in the 2022 New Year Honours List, the annual U.K. tradition dating back to 1890 that bestows titles upon a number of individuals in recognition of their work and is presented in the name of Queen Elizabeth II. Taupin, who has collaborated with Sir Elton for more than 50 years, received a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) honor for "exceptional services to music." Pauline Black, singer with the ska group The Selecter for more than 40 years, received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to entertainment. James Bond OO7 gatekeepers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are also among the names on the Queen's 2022 list. The list, announced just 90 minutes before midnight on Dec. 31, features a heavy crop of British sports stars, charity workers and, perhaps unsurprisingly, individuals known for their work in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Knighthoods are going to the chief medical officers for England, Scotland and Wales. - Billboard, 12/31/21...... 
In other Elton John-related news, it has been revealed that the Rocket Man was nearly denied permission to perform a modified rendition of his 1973 song "Candle In The Wind" at the Sept. 6, 1997 funeral of Princess Diana at Westminster Abbey in London. While the song is largely considered to be one of Elton's greatest performances, a set of newly released government papers from Britain's National Archives eveals that Buckingham Palace did not want John to perform his updated version of the song. According to the report, the royal household was concerned that the song was "too sentimental for the event, with Westminster Abbey even going as far as to have a solo saxophonist on standby to perform a rendition of the song as a "very second best shot." However, the Dean of Westminster at the time, The Very Reverend Dr. Wesley Carr, is said to have appealed to the royals, urging them to allow John to perform the song as a show of goodwill to the public. Dr. Carr argued that the performance would provide an "imaginative and generous gesture to the grieving public," adding that the song was "all the time on the radio." "Candle In the Wind 1997," alternatively known as "Goodbye England's Rose," went on to become one of Elton John's biggest hits, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated Oct. 10, 1997, where it stayed for 14 weeks, making it the singer's longest running No. 1 on the chart. John and Ed Sheeran currently have the No. 1 song on Billboard's Adult Contemporary radio airplay chart for the week ending Dec. 26 for their holiday single, "Merry Christmas." The song gives Elton a record-extending 17th AC No. 1, ahead of The Carpenters (15) and Barry Manilow (13). - Billboard, 12/30/2021...... In a new interview with Los Angeles heavy metal FM radio station KNAC, Ted Nugent lashed out at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for inducting the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Madonna and ABBA, calling the Cleveland-based organization's operators "dishonest" and "rotten." "Why am I not in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame? That has a lot to do with the fact that you can't always explain why people are rotten. Why do some people violate other people and commit vicious crimes and lie?," asked Nugent, who has been eligible to be inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist since 2000. Nugent, who has been criticized for his outspoken and often controversial right-wing opinions, said that he doesn't take the snub "personal" and added that he wasn't "offended" by the fact that he hasn't yet been inducted, but he did question the inclusion of a number of artists already in the Hall. "Why isn't a band like Triumph in there, but Grandmaster Flash is?! That's just dishonest," he said. "Why are Patti Smith, ABBA and Madonna in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, but not Styx?! Are you kidding me?! You can only explain that is that the people who made those decisions are just plain rotten people. The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame should genuflect to Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, the Motown Funk Brothers. Are you kidding me?! How dare you put Grandmaster Flash, ABBA and Madonna in that?!" Nugent went on to give his opinion on what he thinks artists need to do to get inducted -- "you get 'high' with the board" -- but insisted "I don't get high with anybody because I have campfires and I have the healing power of nature.... I call on God. I call on the good earth to help cleanse my soul and to help stimulate my very spirit." - New Musical Express, 12/30/21...... The Grateful Dead spin-off band Dead & Company announced on Dec. 29 it will go ahead with its back-to-back concert weekends in Riviera Cancun, Mexico, on Jan. 7-10 and 13-16, but any ticket holders who no longer wish to attend the outdoor beach concerts as the omicron variant drives a surge in Covid-19 cases around the world are now eligible to receive refunds. The "Playing In The Sand" event requires guests to provide proof of full Covid-19 vaccination before departure for the event, as well as negative COVID-19 PCR test or any NAAT lab or technician-certified test no more than two days prior to event check-in. Guests must also provide a negative antigen test administered at check-in and an additional negative antigen test for departure from Mexico no more than 1 day before your flight home per CDC order. Dead & Company had one of 2021's biggest tours with a hybrid of amphitheater-stadium shows that started in August and continued through October, grossing $53.7 million and sellling 593,000 tickets across 31 shows durng the year. - Billboard, 12/29/21...... In related news, Alice Cooper has revealed that he set funds aside for his touring crew to be able to make ends meet in early 2020 when the pandemic first began to impact live shows. Speaking to Forbes magazine, the shock-rocker said he foresaw the pandemic outlasting any government assistance his crew would be entitled to. "We could see that it was... something. So we put money aside as a backup for them. Because we knew that their unemployment would run out, you know? And then they'd have something to go to. I think all responsible bands did that. Hopefully," Cooper said. The rocker continued: "The guys that run the stage are as important as the guys that play guitar. So we made sure that everybody was covered. And that was really important. Hey, we thought this thing was gonna last a month! 18 months?! Unreal." Cooper himself ended up contracting Covid-19 in 2021. Noting that he wasn't vaccinated at the time -- but did wind up getting the jab back in February -- he said that, "For three weeks, I felt like I went 12 rounds with [boxing legend] Roberto Duran; I was just beat up." Cooper released his latest album, Detroit Stories, in 2021 and has announced a sprawling world tour in 2022. - Billboard, 12/29/21...... 
KISS guitarist/singer Paul Stanley revealed on Dec. 26 that he's been stricken by the Covid-19 virus for the second time in six months -- but this time he caught the highly contagious Omicron variant that has been causing a massive, global spike in new cases over the past few weeks. "My Omicron face! Yup. My entire family has it. I'm tired and have sniffles," Stanley wrote in an Instagram post featuring a close-up of the 69-year-old rock icon. "Most of my family have absolutely no symptoms. Do as you choose. I'm so glad I'm vaccinated," he added. Stanley first contracted Covid in late August 2021, which led to the cancellation of KISS's planned gig at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Penn. KISS had been in the midst of a revamp of their End of the Road Tour, which has been billed as their final trek ever; the shows kicked off in Jan. 2019 and then got postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic. The PA show came just a few gigs into the rebooted outing, which was then put on ice for two weeks after Stanley's longtime bandmate, bassist/singer Gene Simmons, also contracted Covid. KISS returned to the road in Sept. 2021 and finished up their U.S. dates on Oct. 16 and played at October's KISS Kruise before announcing that their Las Vegas residency -- which was supposed to kick off on Dec. 29 -- was being canceled as well two weeks after the band's long-time guitar tech died from Covid-19. KISS was slated to play 12 shows at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood through Feb. 2022. Meanwhile in other KISS-related news, a drum set once owned by late KISS drummer Eric Carr is now up for grabs. The Ludwig 12-piece kit made for and owned by Carr is being sold via Reverb.com. Currently priced at a little over £23,000, it comes with a certificate of authenticity from the Eric Carr estate. The seller's listing reads: "While I was playing in a KISS tribute band in 2005, my dream came true when I bought this kit from Paul Orofino, one of Eric's closest friends and the one who recorded Eric's audition demo tape for KISS. Carr, who died of a rare heart cancer on Nov. 24, 1991 at the age of 41, joined KISS in 1980 following the departure of the band's co-founding drummer Peter Criss. He made his recording debut with the band on 1981's Music From 'The Elder' album and contributed to such hits as "Lick It Up," "Heaven's on Fire," "Tears Are Falling," and "God Gave Rock and Roll To You II." - Billboard/NME, 12/28/21...... Ozzy Osbourne announced in an Instagram post on Dec. 27 that he's releasing "CryptoBatz," his very first collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). "I'm launching a f---ing NFT project," the Prince of Darkness posted. "9,666 unique bats designed by yours truly" he added, along with a sneak preview of two bats -- a traditional black bat with the 73-year-old metal icon's signature circular tinted sunglasses as well as a hot pink bat smiling without teeth. In a press release, Osbourne said he has been "trying to get in on the NFT action for a while so when I asked [wife] Sharon [Osbourne] for a Bored Ape for Christmas after several failed attempts of buying my own, and she said no, so I decided to create my own." "CryptoBatz is a f---ing mental project for NFT collectors and fans. The design pays tribute to one of my most iconic on-stage moments and is a chance to acquire a rare piece of art history. I love it!," Ozzy added. His NFT project is set to launch in January, with the CryptoBatz title referring to the now-infamous moment in which Osbourne bit off the head of a bat during a Des Moines, Iowa concert in 1982. His CryptoBatz presale is available via the project's official Discord server, where 2,500 guaranteed presale passes will also be distributed. - Billboard, 12/28/21...... Two members of late Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister's road crew have paid tribute to the musician with new tattoos done using his ashes. It was revealed in early 2021 that Lemmy's ashes were placed in bullet casings and given to some of his closest friends. Now, in a new video posted on Instagram, Motörhead's longtime tour manager Eddie Rocha and production assistant Emma Cederblad can be seen getting new tattoos honouring Lemmy using ink mixed with his ashes. "Motörhead means family for life," a caption begins the video. Rocha and Cederblad are then seen sitting for tattoo artist Stina Nyman to receive their Motörhead-themed ink work. Rocha got a Lemmy portrait tattooed on his leg, while Cederblad had a "spade" tattoo inked on her leg. Legendary Motörheadfrontman and bassist (real name Ian Fraser Kilmister) died in Dec. 2015 at 70-years-old from prostate cancer and heart failure. - NME, 12/29/21...... "American Utopia: Unchained" -- a reworked version of David Byrne's "American Utopia" -- returned to Broadway on Dec. 28 featuring a completely new setlist and modified stage show. The production had originally started its second run in Manhattan earlier in 2021 but was forced to cancel dates recently with company members testing positive for Covid-19. However, Byrne announced that the show would go on and set to work creating a modified version of "America Utopia." In a Facebook video, Byrne said that "rather than us cancelling our shows, we're looking at this as a kind of opportunity to, well, honor our commitment to the audiences who are coming in the coming weeks and creating something special." Footage from the show and its setlist has been shared on Instagram.com. "American Utopia: Unchained"is set to run for one week only before the regular "American Utopia" resumes until the end of Apr. 2022. The show is held at Broadway's St. James Theatre and tickets are on sale now. - NME, 12/30/21...... 
Canadian prog-rock heroes Rush have announced they're releasing their own pinball machine in conjunction with the Stern Pinball company. It's the latest in a series of rock 'n' roll pinball machines from the manufacturer, including games based on AC/DC, KISS, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Iron Maiden and Metallica. While teaser for the new machine posted on YouTube does not offer a price or a look at the machine itself, it features an animated CGI version of the owl from the band's album cover for 1975's Fly By Night. The teaser also lists 17 songs, including classic rock radio hits "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight" and "The Spirit Of The Radio." - NME, 12/29/21...... Patti Smith was bestowed with the key to her adopted home of New York City on Dec. 27, ahead of her milestone 75th birthday three days later. Smith received the honor during a press conference held by outgoing mayor Bill De Blasio, who, in the last week of his tenure, also gave keys to filmmaker Spike Lee and Sen. Chuck Schumer. Noting his personal affinity for the 1970s' punk movement, Mayor De Blasio praised Smith for having "an authenticity that you just don't find [in] that many other places" and an "ability to cut through all the swirl around us and speak some more profound truths." "Some have called Patti Smith the godmother of punk," De Blasio continued in his speech, "[and] I think it's a fair phrase because she inspired so many people, helped shape a whole artistic movement, and in many ways a political movement as well. Her work as a musician, as a singer, as a lyricist, as an activist -- so many elements influenced so many people and showed people a way. And when we honor people, I particularly think about the pathfinders -- the people who show the way to so many others. There's a lot of artists out there who realise what they could do and what they could say because they heard the works of Patti Smith." In her own speech, Smith touched on her origins in New York, having moved from "a rural, rural area of South Jersey" in 1967 with "just a few dollars in my pocket, nowhere to stay [and] no real prospects". She explained that when she moved back to New York in 1994, 15 years after she'd moved to Detroit with her late husband, the city "embraced me again [and] gave me another chance to rebuild my life and continue to evolve as an artist." "I wish I could give New York City the key to me," she joked, "because that's how I feel about our city. With all its challenges and difficulties, it remains -- and I'm quite a traveler -- the most diverse city, to me, in the world." The entire press conference has been shared on Twitter.com, with Smith receiving the key at 26:20, and performing her song "Ghost Dance" at 40:15. - NME, 12/27/21...... Denis O'Dell, a British film producer and director who worked with The Beatles on their 1964 movie A Hard Day's Night and other productions, has died at his home in Almera, Spain on Dec. 31, his son announced. He was 98. Mr. O'Dell was an associate producer of A Hard Day's Night, the Fab Four's first film, and How I Won the War, in which John Lennon appeared as a supporting actor. He also produced the 1967 Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour, as well as The Magic Christian, which featured Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, and later became a director of The Beatles' new organization, Apple Corps, and the head of Apple Films. In 1970, he was immortalized during a spoken passage by Lennon in the obscure Beatles song "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)," the B side of their "Let It Be" single which also later featured on their Rarities album. - Billboard, 12/31/21...... John Madden, the pro football Hall of Fame coach who became one of America's most recognizable ambassadors of professional football, died on Dec. 28. He was 85. The National Football League announced Mr. Madden's death in a statement that didn't include the cause. In his irrepressible way, and with his distinctive voice, Mr. Madden left an imprint on the sport and reached millions, and generations, from the broadcast booth and through a popular video game that bears his name. Mr. Madden retired from coaching the Oakland Raiders in 1979, at age 42 and with a Super Bowl victory to his credit, but he turned the second act of his life into an encore, demystifying the mysteries of football for the common fan and, in the process, revolutionizing sports broadcasting. Mr. Madden spent his first 15 years in broadcasting at CBS, starting in 1979. There he introduced his Thanksgiving tradition of bestowing a "turducken" -- a turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken -- to the winning team. But the three other major networks all came to employ him because, at one point or another, they all needed him. Fox then snagged him in the mid-1990s to establish credibility for its fledgling sports division. ABC followed in 2002, to boost the sagging fortunes of Monday Night Football. NBC hired Mr. Madden when it regained NFL football in 2006 -- because, as Dick Ebersol, then the chairman of NBC Universal Sports, said: "He's the best analyst in the history of sports. He's able to cut through from people my age, who remembered him as a coach, all the way to 12-year-olds." Mr. Madden was honored with 16 Sports Emmy Awards, including 15 for top analyst. Mr. Madden and his wife had two sons, Joseph and Michael, and a number of grandchildren. - The New York Times, 12/28/21...... 
Beloved American actress and comedienne Betty White, who capped a career of more than 80 years by becoming America's geriatric sweetheart after Emmy-winning roles on the TV sitcoms The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls, died at her home in Los Angeles on Dec. 31, less than three weeks shy of her 100th birthday. Born Betty Marion White on Jan. 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois, Ms. White was the only child of an electrical engineer and a housewife. The family moved to Los Angeles when she was 2, and she graduated from Beverly Hills High School. She landed parts on radio shows and in 1949 accepted disc jockey Al Jarvis' offer to be his "Girl Friday on Hollywood on Television, a new variety show he was doing for KLAC-TV. In 1952, Ms. White co-founded Bandy Productions -- she was a rare woman with power in show business in those days -- and went on to star as the title character in the syndicated sitcom Life With Elizabeth, shot live from the Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills. She also hosted The Betty White Show in daytime for NBC (that was only on a half-hour each weekday) and played a newlywed in Date With the Angels, a 1957-58 ABC comedy. Ms. White joined the cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show for the CBS sitcom's fourth season in 1973 as Sue Ann Nivens, the blunt, man-lusting star of the WJM-TV show "The Happy Homemaker," and she won two straight Emmys for outstanding continuing performance by a supporting actress in a comedy series. On NBC's The Golden Girls, which aired for seven seasons, Ms. White played the simple-minded Minnesotan Rose Nylund opposite Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty. She was nominated for lead comedy series actress in every year from 1986 through 1992, winning the trophy in her first try. Following The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Ms. White starred in another series called The Betty White Show, this one a short-lived sitcom from CBS/MTM Enterprises. She played a TV actress starring in a police series who was directed by her character's ex-husband (John Hillerman). In the 1980s, Ms. White recurred as Ellen Harper Jackson, the oldest daughter of Thelma (Vicki Lawrence), on Mama's Family, and showed up as Rose on the series Empty Nest, the short-lived Golden Girls spinoff The Golden Palace and Nurses. Other roles include a regular on CBS' Bob, starring Bob Newhart, the mother of Marie Osmond on the ABC sitcom Maybe This Time in 1995, playing herself on The John Larroquete Show, and Alfred Molina's mom on the 1999-2001 CBS sitcom Ladies Man. 
Playing on her eminent likability, Ms. White was still starring in a TV sitcom, Hot in Cleveland, at age 92 until it was canceled in late 2014. Film credits include Otto Preminger's Advise & Consent (1962), Lake Placid (1999), The Proposal (2009), and Hard Rain. Ms. White won another Emmy and attracted 12 million viewers for hosting Saturday Night Live in 2010 at age 88 after a fan-based Facebook campaign; starred in a clever Snickers Super Bowl commercial with Abe Vigoda; and netted noms from 2012-14 (giving her a career total of 21) as host of the NBC reality show Off Their Rockers. In 1988, she was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and received the Screen Actors Guild's Life Achievement Award in 2010. Ms. White also worked on many charitable projections involving animal disease research, and served for three years as the president of the Morris Animal Foundation and served on the board of trustees for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn. Ms. White, who had no children, was married to game show host Allen Ludden, her third husband, from 1963 until his death from cancer in 1981. "Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," said Ms. White's agent, Jeff Witjas. No cause of death was cited. Tributes to Ms. White from her fellow celebrities have poured in on social media since her passing, including ones by George Takei, Henry Winkler and Ellen DeGeneres. - The Hollywood Reporter/Reuters, 12/31/21.
Elton John and Dua Lipa's hit duet "Cold Heart" (Pnau Remix) is the 2021 Christmas No. 1 in Australia, where it has clocked up five non-consecutive weeks at the top of the charts in Oz. The track is just one week away from equaling Elton's all-time streak at No. 1, the double A-side Princess Diana tribute "Something About The Way You Look Tonight"/Candle in the Wind 1997." "Cold Heart" (Pnau Remix) leads several regular Christmas tunes at the top of the chart Down Under, including Mariah Carey "All I Want For Christmas Is You," Wham's "Last Christmas," Elton & Ed Sheeran's duet "Merry Christmas," and Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree." - Billboard, 12/24/21...... 
Neil Young presented fans of his "Archives" project with a special gift on Christmas Day, dropping an 8-track archival album called Summer Songs on his Neil Young Archives site that he first teased in November. Recorded at his Broken Arrow Ranch in Redwood City in 1987 with Young playing every instrument on the tracks himself, Summer Songs was produced by the Volume Dealers and mastered by Tim Mulligan. Many seasoned fans of Young's music will note most of the LP's tracks later showed up on other works in his discography -- "American Dream," for example, was included in Young's sometime band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's eponymous 1988 album (as did "Name of Love"). Meanshile, "Someday," "Wrecking Ball" and "Hangin' On A Limb" all appear on 1989's Freedom, while "One Of These Days" appeared on 1992's Harvest Moon, and "For The Love Of Man" showed up on Young's 2012 Crazy Horse collaboration, Psychedelic Pill. As Young noted as he announced Summer Songs, however, many of the lyrics featured on these demos "are significantly different from their subsequent master album releases," with tracks sporting "several completely new and unheard verses." The latest archival album comes as the first chapter of his "Neil Young Archives Volume III." The second volume of the project was issued in 2020, covering unreleased music recorded between 1972 and 1976. Among the records shared was Homegrown, which -- made up of recordings from '74 and '75 -- languished as an unheard album for decades before its release in June 2020. Young released his 41st studio album, Barn, on Dec. 10. - New Musical Express, 12/26/21...... Eric Clapton's management team issued a statement on Christmas Eve saying that Clapton "does not intend" to collect money from a German widow who was ordered to pay nearly $4,000 for attempting to sell a bootleg Clapton CD on eBay. The 55-year-old woman, identified in court documents as Gabriele P., claims she inherited the bootleg CD Eric Clapton - Live USA from the estate of her late husband, who she says purchased it at a department store in 1987. But after listing it for sale on eBay for the USD equivalent of $11.27, lawyers for Clapton issued an affidavit in Düsseldorf regional court stating the CD was illegal. The court eventually issued an injunction barring the woman from selling the CD online and ordering her to pay $3,852 in legal fees for both parties. Also if the woman continues to offer the CD for sale, she could face a fine of $283,074 or six months in prison. But in a statement issued to Clapton's online fan club on Dec. 22 -- designed to address what it says are "widespread and often misleading press reports about the case -- Clapton's management says neither the musician nor his record company will attempt to collect. The statement noted that the woman "is not the type of person Eric Clapton, or his record company, wish to target," while also pointing out what they call "rampant sales of llegal bootleg CDs in Germany," and that they as well as other artists and record companies "have successfully pursued thousands of bootleg cases under routine copyright procedures in the country over the past decade." The statement also stressed that Eric Clapton "is not personally involved in any individual cases." - Billboard, 12/24/21...... 
Joni Mitchell shared the first official music video for her classic 1971 track "River" on YouTube on Dec. 23. "River" first appeared on Mitchell's acclaimed LP Blue and over the years has become a melancholy Christmas staple. For the new video, an animated "River" by director Matvey Rezanov and Skazka Studios features splashes of black land on a white screen like dripping ink on a page before forming a black-and-white portrait of Mitchell looking out over a frozen mass of water. Later, an animated Joni is seen ice skating over the river, before it cracks and turns to a branch growing in a dark sky. According to a press release, the visuals "capture the song's lonesome mood while paying tribute to Mitchell's prolific creativity as a painter." In a statement, Mitchell said that "'River' expresses regret at the end of a relationship, but it's also about being lonely at Christmas time. A Christmas song for people who are lonely at Christmas! We need a song like that." Meanwhile in other Joni Mitchell news, the star was celebrated at the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors, where she received a lifetime achievement award. At the event, the likes of Ellie Goulding, Norah Jones and Brittany Howard all paid tribute to the iconic musician, performing their own versions of some of her best-loved songs. "Your words and melodies touch the deepest parts of our souls," Pres. Joe Biden said. "[She has] a capacity to love with abandon, and she does it by letting us in, by sharing what's deeply personal and yet universal. It's why millions of people will listen to her songs and feel they were written just for them." Other tributes in store for Mitchell in 2022 include the MusiCares' "2022 Person of the Year" award and a tribute concert to her on Jan. 29 in Los Angeles. - NME, 12/23/21...... The estate of late funk-rock superstar Prince is closer to being divvied up by court officials, with The Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting on Dec. 22 that November tax filings show the Internal Revenue Service and Comerica Bank & Trust, the estate administrator, have reached an agreement on the total value of Prince's assets. The specific number hasn't been disclosed but it could be more than $100 million. The IRS last year determined Prince's assets were worth $163.2 million. Comerica put the number at $82.3 million. IRS officials felt Comerica's total was so low they imposed a $6.4 million accuracy penalty on the estate. The Carver County probate court still must approve the agreement. The court is set to begin discussions in February on how to divide up the assets. Prince's estate likely will be divided between New York music company Primary Wave and Prince's three oldest heirs or their families. Primary Wave bought out all or most of the interests of Prince's three youngest siblings. Prince died, without a will, of a fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park home in Carver County in Apr. 2016. - Billboard, 12/22/21...... 
Director/screenwriter Todd Haynes' documentary about the cult '60s/'70s band The Velvet Underground is among the 15 nominees for a Best Documentary Feature Oscar at the 94th annual Academy Awards on Mar. 27. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released shortlists in 10 categories on Dec. 21) Members of the documentary branch voted to determine the shortlist for documentary feature, which was drawn from 138 eligible films. They will vote again to determine the five nominees in the category, which will be announced on Feb. 8. All Academy voters will vote to determine the winner, which will be announced at the Oscars ceremony on March 27. Todd Haynes wrote and directed The Velvet Underground, about the legendary Lou Reed-led underground New York rock band. This would be the first nomination for Haynes, 60, who has directed such acclaimed features as Far From Heaven and Carol. Also nominated for a Best Documentary Feature Oscar -- as well as a Best Music Film statuette -- is Questlove's directorial debut, Summer of Soul, about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which featured performances by Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Fifth Dimension, Sly and The Family Stone, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Mavis Staples, B.B. King, and many other top artists of the era. That film won both the U.S. grand jury prize and the audience award for documentary at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Meanwhile, Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson got mixed results in the shortlists. Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road was passed over for the documentary feature shortlist, but a song from the rock-doc, "Right Where I Belong," is shortlisted for "Best Original Song." - Billboard, 12/21/21...... A new Carole King and James Taylor documentary, Carole King & James Taylor: Just Call Out My Name, will premiere on Jan. 2 at 9:00 pm EST in the US (2:00 am GMT) on cable channel CNN, also being livestreamed via the CNNgo app. The documentary will feature setlist highlights from King and Taylor's 2010 "Troubadour" reunion tour, including "You've Got A Friend," "It's Too Late," and "Sweet Baby James." Directed by Frank Marshall and commissioned by CNN Films and HBO Max, the program also includes footage of the pair being interviewed in July 2021 at the Southern New Hampshire University Arena in Manchester. The documentary explores the story behind King and Taylor's friendship, as well as detailing a number of song stories, including "You've Got a Friend." The trailer for Just Call Out My Name can be viewed on RollingStone.com, and an interview from the show has been shared on YouTube. Just Call Out My Name will also be available on demand from Jan. 3 - 9 via cable and satellite providers, CNNgo, and CNN mobile apps. There is currently no information for audiences streaming from the UK. - NME, 12/22/21...... 
Kenney Jones, the former drummer of The Faces, has revealed details of a Faces comeback album that was first teased in the summer. News leaked that Jones, frontman Rod Stewart and guitarist Ronnie Wood were back in the studio laying down music, and the sticksman has explained that the record will be a "mixture of old and new," with certain pieces of music already familiar to their loyal supporters. Jones has now told the UK's Uncut magazine that "what we've decided to do is work on some of the original stuff that we didn't use, so the album is going to be a mixture of old and new." "The songs we've been revisiting are from right across the board. It's very difficult to go into specifics because many of them didn't even have titles," Jones says. "I think the fans may have heard certain things before and might recognise them. Ronnie and I, in particular, have been working on lots of the old stuff together and we've re-recorded a couple of those songs with more of a modern feel," he adds. However, Kenney also said work on the new LP has been stilted because of Rod's solo work and Ronnie's commitment to the Rolling Stones: "The new songs are coming along too We're definitely going in the right direction but work had to stop temporarily while Woody went back to his rescheduled gigs with the Stones. The same thing happened with Rod. I know that Rod, between things on tour, is working on lyrics to some of them. Woody is doing the same thing. So we'll return to those when we're able to get back together again." However, Kenney also said work on the new LP has been stilted because of Rod's solo work and Ronnie's commitment to the Rolling Stones: "The new songs are coming along too We're definitely going in the right direction but work had to stop temporarily while Woody went back to his rescheduled gigs with the Stones. The same thing happened with Rod. I know that Rod, between things on tour, is working on lyrics to some of them. Woody is doing the same thing. So we'll return to those when we're able to get back together again." Jones says can also expect some "special guests" on the record, but their identities are staying under wraps for now. "I don't want to give too much away at this point, but there will be some special guests on there with us," he said. Meanwhile, Rod Stewart has paid tribute to his "dear friend" Robin Le Mesurier, who passed away on Dec. 22 at age 68 after a battle with cancer. Le Mesuier's first band, The Reign, disbanded in 1973 and he then performed with novelty act the Wombles before becoming a session guitarist later in the decade and performing with the likes of Johnny Hallyday, Sir Elton John and Jeff Beck. In 1977, he toured with Rod Stewart's opening act Air Supply, and went on to join Stewart's backing band in 1980, playing on a number of his albums over the years. Rod shared a photo of himself on stage with Robin and wrote on Instagram: "A Rock & Roll soul, rest in peace my dear friend [prayer emoji] #robinlemesurier (sic)." Stewart's Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood also paid tribute to the guitarist, who had joined them when the pair, along with Kenney Jones, reunited in 2015. "Rest in peace Robin, I have so much respect for you ~ you will be missed," Wood tweeted. - Music-News.com, 12/24/21...... In a new interview with The i, Don McLean said that he probably would have "drank himself to death" if it weren't for having asthma as a child. McLean discussed the longevity of his 1971 classic "American Pie" -- which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year -- and how things could have been very different for him had it not been for a childhood ailment that kept him out of school. "Children are all naturally creative -- until school knocks it out of them," McLean said. "They sing, they paint, they invent stuff. One of the advantages of having asthma is that it kept me out of school for long periods for many years. I was able to develop another Don McLean that wasn't programmed by the school system," he added. McLean continued: "If I'd been perfectly healthy and a good student or athlete, I'd probably be dead now because I would have been a really boring person at a bank somewhere who drank himself to death." McLean recently announced details of a 2022 world tour celebrating 50 years of "American Pie" that will launch on Jan. 28 in Honolulu. "After spending the past 18 months at home, I am thrilled to be getting back on the road with my band," McLean said in a statement. - NME, 12/22/21...... 
British pop legend Cliff Richard has said he doesn't eat before gigs to avoid on-stage burping which has made him "uncomfortable" during his performances. "I don't eat anything before I go on stage because I discovered years ago that if I ate before a show I spent a lot of time burping," Richard, 81, told The Daily Star paper. "It's uncomfortable waiting to have that burp happen and trying to find a gap in the song to do it. So now I don't eat anything. I just have some soup maybe before the show starts, but I eat after the show." Richard then explained that once he has finished performing, he spends his time trying to find a restaurant that will stay open: "So it means sometimes running off to try to get to a restaurant that will stay open for you that long or that late." But despite having performed hundreds of concerts during his 60-year career, Cliff admitted that he is at his happiest in the recording studio due to the "pressure" that comes with playing to a crowd. He said: "In terms of my career the happiest I feel is when I'm recording. And the reason is very simple -- there is no pressure. I've done it in the past. I've phoned the producer and said, 'Look I've got a tickle in my throat'. He says, 'Take a couple of days off. I'll get the drummer in to do something then you can start singing again'." - Music-News.com, 12/20/21...... Star Trek actor William Shatner was involved in a car accident in Studio City, Calif., on Dec. 21. The 90-year-old actor appeared to be driving a black Mercedes SUV at the time of the collision, and his two dogs were in the vehicle. Photos from the scene of the accident show Shatner's Mercedes parked near a parking meter, with damage to the front end of the SUV. An unidentified woman's small silver car had front end damage as well, and appeared to have been driven up onto the curb. It is not clear who caused the accident. Shatner's car accident comes roughly two months after the actor became the oldest person to travel to space, on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket. "I hope I never recover from this. I hope that I can maintain what I feel now. I don't want to lose it," he told reporters after the space trip. - Fox News, 12/23/21...... J.D. Crowe, an influential Grammy-winning bluegrass musician, died on Dec. 24 of undisclosed causes. He was 84. Born James Dee Crowe in 1937, Mr. Crowe's 50+ year career included stints with Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys, Mac Wiseman and his own band, the Kentucky Mountain Boys, which later became the New South. According to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, his path was set in 1949 when, at the age of 12, he heard Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys play at a barn dance in Lexington. Mr. Crowe won a Grammy award in 1983 for Best Country Instrumental Performance for his song "Fireball." "We just want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. As great of a musician as dad was, he was even better husband, father and friend," Mr. Crowe's son David said in a brief message. He is survived by his wife, Sheryl; his children, David and Stacey; and a granddaughter, Kylee. - Billboard, 12/26/21.
Bette Midler has apologized to the residents of West Virginia after the longtime liberal diva took to 
Queen guitarist Brian May took to 
Rod Stewart and his son Sean Stewart have resolved an assault case stemming from a New Year's Eve 2019 altercation with a security guard at an exclusive Florida hotel. Court records released on Dec. 17 show that the Stewarts entered guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of simple battery. The plea agreement, dated and signed Dec. 13, means that Stewart, 76, and 41-year-old Sean won't have to appear in court and formal adjudication of the charge was withheld. There will be no trial and neither will do any jail time or be required to pay fines and won't be placed on probation, according to Stewart's attorney Guy Fronstin. "No one was injured in the incident and a jury did not find Sir Rod Stewart guilty of the accusation," Fronstin said in a statement. "Instead, Sir Rod Stewart decided to enter a plea to avoid the inconvenience and unnecessary burden on the court and the public that a high profile proceeding would cause," Fronstin added. The Stewarts were accused of a physical altercation with security guard Jessie Dixon at the luxury Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach on Dec. 31, 2019. The dispute involved Dixon's refusal to allow them into a private New Year's Eve party at the hotel. Dixon said in court papers that Rod Stewart punched him in the rib cage with a closed fist and that Sean Stewart shoved him. A spokesperson for Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg, whose office prosecuted the case, said in an email that Dixon agreed with the outcome of the case. - Billboard, 12/18/21...... Stevie Wonder held his annual House Full of Toys Benefit in Los Angeles on Dec. 18. In addition to marking the charity benefit's 23rd anniversary, the holiday concert also celebrated its return after a three-year break owing to Wonder's successful kidney transplant in 2019, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Rocking a stylish black suit, Wonder stood before a sold-out audience at the Microsoft Theater and thanked those who attended. "A lot has happened in the world, my world and your own worlds. But the blessing is that we are all here to give to those less fortunate," said the 71-year-old Motown legend. Concert-goers were asked to bring an unwrapped toy or "unwrapped gift of joy," which were placed in bins outside the theater on behalf of Wonder's nonprofit We Are You Foundation. After briefly reminiscing about his mother's crying over learning her son's blindness when he was a youngster and recalling his career start at Motown ("Berry Gordy said, 'We've got to work on that voice -- but the harmonica playing is good'"), Wonder spent the next two-and-a-half hours delving into his deep catalog of hits, ripping through roof-raising audience singalongs to "Master Blaster (Jammin')," "Higher Ground" and "Don't You Worry Bout a Thing." Near the show's end, Wonder acknowledged the audience's latest in a string of standing ovations throughout the evening, saying, "I live to love you & all of my life." - Billboard, 12/19/21...... Don McLean announced on Dec. 19 that he'll launch an ambitious 68-city 2022 world tour celebrating 50 years of his iconic hit 
BMG Music and the American global investment company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) announced on Dec. 21 they've acquired all of ZZ Top's publishing catalog and recorded music royalties in a deal that has an estimated $55 million valuation. In a joint statement, the two companies noted that since its formation in 1971 ZZ Top has sold over 50 million albums worldwide, earning one diamond album, and two multi-platinum albums along the way. The Texas trio's album catalog has averaged close to 300,000 album consumption units a year, according to MRC Data, and though the announcement doesn't disclose the acquisition price, the Wall Street Journal estimates the band's recorded masters catalog has averaged annually about $4.481 million in revenue over the last four years. Meanwhile, Billboard estimates that the band's publishing, which includes rock staples like "Legs" and "La Grange," comes out to about $1.262 million annually and the band's share of that is about $950,000. BMG has served as co-publisher and administrator publishing catalog for the band, which was the subject of the 2019 documentary ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas. ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and has received three Grammy nominations, one of its founding members, bassist Dusty Hill, dying earlier in 2021 at the age of 72. - Billboard, 12/21/21...... Dolly Parton has added three new Guinness World Records awards to her already epic 2021. After contributing to the funding of the coronavirus vaccine, being included on the Time 100 and People of the Year honors, raising $700,000 for Tennessee flood relief, and dropping a new fragrance, Parton now holds the high-water mark for most decades on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart by a female artist (seven) and most No. 1 hits on that chart by a female artist (25) as well as breaking her own existing record for the most hits on the that chart by a female artist with a mind-blowing 109 hits. "Well, I feel like a bird that wants to fly away," Parton said in a Guinness video on 
Wanda Young, a member of the 1960s Motown group The Marvelettes who sang lead on such hits asd "I'll Keep Holding On" and "Don't Mess With Bill," died on Dec. 16. She was 78. "We are so saddened by the news of Wanda Young of the Marvelettes passing," the Motown Records official Twitter account wrote on Dec. 17. "What an impact she has had on the world of Classic Motown and the lives of so many. Her legacy will continue to live on," the statement added. Born in Inkster, Mich., a suburb of Detroit, Young joined The Marvelettes in 1961 after being brought in by her high school classmates Gladys Horton and Georgia Dobbins. Young served as a replacement for Dobbins, who left the group to take care of her ill mother and because her father didn't want her involved in the music industry. Her passing follows the death of Marvelettes co-founder Horton, who died in 2011 at the age of 66, and sang lead on several of the group's hits, including the Dec. 1961 Billboard No. 1 "Please Mr. Postman." Dobbins, a co-writer of the track, died in Sept. 2020. Young, who also performed under the name Wanda Rogers, can be heard singing backup vocals on "Postman," as well as other Marvelettes classics like "Playboy" and "Beechwood 4-5789." Young went on to marry The Miracles singer Bobby Rogers in 1963, taking on his last name. By the mid-'60s, she was singing lead vocals on Marvelettes songs "I'll Keep Holding On, "Don't Mess With Bill, "My Baby Must Be a Magician" and "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game." The Marvelettes officially split following the release of their Smokey Robinson-produced 1970 album, Return of the Marvelettes, which was originally planned as a solo release for Young. Soon after, she mostly stepped away from the music industry, but performed alongside a semi-reunited Marvelettes in 1989, according to Rolling Stone. - Billboard, 12/18/21.
Pink Floyd delivered its legion of fans a surprise Christmas gift on Dec. 16 by releasing to streaming services a dozen live albums documenting some of their gigs from the early '70s. Added to the services with no prior announcement, the 12 LPs span the prog-rock icons' years of 1970 to 1972, covering the period in which the band released Atom Heart Mother (1970), Meddle (1971), and Obscured By Clouds (1972). The earliest recording, titled They Came In Peace, features performances from Leeds University on Feb. 28, 1970 and Washington University on Nov. 16, 1971, which features seven tracks and totals one hour 34 minutes in length. That concert, like the other 11 albums, can be streamed on 
A new documentary on The Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson will hit UK cinemas on Jan. 21, 2022, and ahead of the band's celebration of its milestone 60th anniversary. Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road is described as a a "rare and personal music documentary that explores the life and career of legendary songwriter Brian Wilson, through a literal and metaphorical road trip exploring Brian's hometown." The documentary presents a new original Brian Wilson song and incorporates several of his famous tracks including "God Only Know," "Good Vibrations" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice." The film features over 36 of the artist's most iconic hits, rare tracks, never-before-heard demos, and offers intimate access to his personal home movies and photo albums. Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine accompanies Brian throughout on his tour and gives special access to Brian and his band as they play at The Hollywood Bowl in L.A, The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and the Odeon in London. - Music-news.com, 12/17/21...... An all-star cast of celebrities from the worlds of music, TV, film and comedy have joined forces to honor George Harrison in the first-ever official music video for his 1970 song, "My Sweet Lord." Over 40 musicians, actors, comedian, directors, artists and other creatives make cameos in the Lance Bangs-directed clip, ranging from Harrison's friends and former Beatles band mate Ringo Starr and Traveling Wilburys bandmate Jeff Lynne to actors Mark Hamill, Darren Criss, Jon Hamm and Rosanna Arquette. Originally released on Nov. 23, 1970, in the US, the track featured on the late Beatle's third studio album, All Things Must Pass. The new video version boasts a fresh 2020 mix by Paul Hicks, released this past August on the 50th anniversary edition of All Things Must Pass. The new official video for "My Sweet Lord" has been shared on 
The Kinks' guitarist/vocalist Dave Davies announced on 
Ken Kragen, best known for organizing the iconic 1985 "We Are The World" humanitarian project which spawned the hit single of the same name, died on Dec. 14 of natural causes at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles. He was 85. Mr. Kragen also produced TV's The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the 1960s and managed the careers of Kenny Rogers and other top-notch entertainers including Lionel Richie, the Bee Gees, Olivia Newton-John, Burt Reynolds, The Smothers Brothers and Trisha Yearwood, among others. In 1985, after receiving a call from Harry Belafonte, Mr. Kragen was instrumental in rounding up the talent -- including Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Cyndi Lauper, Richie and Rogers -- that appeared on the fund-raising single and album "We Are the World," and he brought in Quincy Jones to produce the music. The project raised an estimated $64 million for poverty relief in Africa and the U.S. A year later, Mr. Kragen returned to organize "Hands Across America," a human chain that stretched across the U.S. and involved 6.5 million people. That raised millions to help the hungry and the homeless as well. He said that one of his proudest achievements was receiving the United Nations' Peace Medal in 1985 for the creation of "We Are the World"; he was one of only a handful of private citizens to receive the honor. Mr. Kragen was born on Nov. 24, 1936, in Alameda, Calif," and attended UC Berkeley before graduating from Harvard Business School. He joined The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour as a production coordinator in 1967, then served as executive producer during the controversial show's third and final season in 1968-69. He first met Rogers when his band, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, played on the show, and soon became his manager. Mr. Kragen also wrote the 1994 best-selling book, Life Is a Contact Sport: Ten Great Career Strategies That Work, and with Jones, he produced a portion of the 1992 presidential inauguration for Bill Clinton. Mr. Kragen received two Emmy nominations, two MTV Awards, an American Music Award and a Manager of the Year Award from the Conference of Personal Managers and was the only person elected president of both the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music. He is survived by his sister, Robin; nieces and nephews; and brothers-in-law David and Mark and their families. A life tribute is being planned. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/15/21...... Skeletal remains found nearly 40 years ago have been identified as those of a guitarist who once played with the R&B group The O'Jays and also co-wrote a few of their songs, investigators announced on Dec. 14. Authorities used DNA and genealogical research to identify the remains of Frank "Frankie" Little Jr., which were found in a garbage bag in a wooded area behind a business in Twinsburg in 1982, said Summit County Medical Examiner Lisa Kohler. Little's death has now been ruled a homicide, but who killed him remains unknown, she said. Little, who was born in Cleveland in 1943, played with the The O'Jays in the mid-1960s. He was not a founding member of the group that began in Canton, Ohio, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. He served in the U.S. Army for two years, including in the Vietnam War, but not much was known about his disappearance, the Akron Beacon Journal reported. Walter Williams, one of the original members of The O'Jays, said Little wrote songs with Eddie Levert, another one of the band's founders, according to Twinsburg detective Eric Hendershott, who helped revive the investigation into the remains. "Part of the mystery is over with, but we have no idea how he got there, how he disappeared or where he lived toward the end of his life," Hendershott said. - Billboard, 12/14/21...... 
Grammy-winning R&B singer Joe Simon, whose hits included 1969's "The Chokin' Kind" and 1972's "Power of Love," died on Dec. 13 his longtime hometown near Chicago. He was 85. Born on Sept. 2, 1943 in Simmesport, La., Mr. Simon hated picking cotton and moved to Los Angeles to make it as a singer, spending his early years there homeless and living in a chicken coop. With nothing to do at night, he wrote 20 to 30 songs daily and developed his voice to the point that a label owner paid him $1,100 to record four songs written by others. He brought in local musicians including future funk greats Sly Stone and Larry Graham to play on 1964's "My Adorable One," which became Mr. Simon's breakthrough hit. His career then moved quickly, as he landed three No. 1's and 14 Top 10's on what is now called Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and a Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male Grammy for "The Chokin' Kind." He collaborated with Philly Sound hitmakers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff for 1971's "Drowning In the Sea of Love," then created the theme to the 1973 "blaxploitation" flick Cleopatra Jones. Mr. Simon was known as "The Mouth of the South," and compared to Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and, perhaps most aptly, Jackie Wilson. "He had a very different and distinct voice," says his grandson, David Simon, a professional basketball player who toured with Simon toward the end of his R&B career in the '80s. "You can definitely pick his voice out of any crowd." Early in his touring career, Mr. Simon played New York's Apollo Theatre, where an employee told him he wouldn't amount to anything. "I went from the cotton field to the chicken coop to a superstar of rhythm and blues -- you can't tell me I ain't gonna be nothin'," Mr. Simon said in his 2016 documentary, Looking Back with Joe Simon. - Billboard, 12/14/21.
In a new interview with Classic Rock magazine, Queen drummer Roger Taylor questioned the acting ability of Sacha Baron Cohen, who was once considered for the role of Freddie Mercury in the hit Queen/Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, speculating that the Borat star would have been "shit" in that role. "I think he would have been utter shit. Sacha is pushy, if nothing else," Taylor said, adding that Cohen was "also six inches too tall." "But I watched his last five films and came to the conclusion he's not a very good actor," Taylor added. "I might be wrong there. I thought he was an utterly brilliant subversive comedian, that's what he's great at. Anyway, I think Rami [Malek] did a brilliant job in an almost impossible role." The role of Mercury eventually went to Malek, who won an Oscar for his performance. The film was criticized for altering the timeline of events for dramatic effect, including changing the date Mercury told his bandmates he was HIV positive. However, Taylor argued that the film "didn't fictionalize the real story, only in detail" and that it simply "messed with the timeline." "When you're making a movie, which is approximately a hundred minutes long, you have to mess with the timeline to make it work," Taylor explained. "The movie has to work, that's priority one." - NME, 12/8/21...... Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has left open the door to more Sabbath shows following the heavy metal icons' farewell tour in 2017. "You can never say never, can you? We've known in this band you can never say, 'That's never gonna happen again,' because every time we said that, it has," Iommi said in a new interview. "We never thought we'd get back with Ozzy [Osbourne] after the early years. We never thought we'd get back with [Ronnie James] Dio again; we did. So you just can't say it's never gonna happen," he added. Iommi elaborated that "it's just the major touring that has come to a stop." "I wouldn't wanna do 18-month tours again but that doesn't say we wouldn't do any one-off stuff," he said. However, in Sept. 2021 Osbourne revealed that he didn't have the "slightest interest" in a return for Black Sabbath. "It's done," the frontman said, while bassist Geezer Butler backed up Osbourne two months later, saying "there will definitely be no more Sabbath." Osbourne is expected to release his next solo album "over the next six months," according to a recent financial statement issued by his label Sony Records. - NME, 12/11/21...... Cher's legal battle with Mary Bono, the second wife of Cher's late first husband Sonny Bono, by arguing that Sonny should not be allowed to claim that her divorce agreement trumps important provisions of federal copyright law. In November, Cher sued Mary Bono, seeking to block her from taking control of Sonny's music. The case is one of several closely-watched music lawsuits over copyright law's "termination right" -- a provision that allows creators or their heirs to win back control of rights they signed away decades prior. On Dec. 9, Mary Bono filed papers to dismiss the case, arguing that Cher's lawsuit was essentially trying to argue that her divorce agreement with Sonny was more powerful than a law passed by the U.S. Congress. "Cher's position would subvert Congress' intent in enacting the copyright termination provisions: to ensure that authors and authors' heirs, not grantees or ex-spouses, would benefit from the extended term of copyright," Bono's attorneys wrote. Cher's case is one of several pending industry fights over terminations. Two pending class actions filed by artists are seeking to regain control of masters owned by Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. KC & the Sunshine Band and 2 Live Crew are fighting similar cases, too. A formal response filing from Cher is due in several weeks. - Billboard, 12/9/21...... Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Foo Fighters brought KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons onstage during a recent show at Park MGM's Dolby Live theatre in Las Vegas. After spotting a fan who bore a striking resemblance to Simmons, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl then invited the real Gene Simmons to come out from the side of the stage. As he left the stage Grohl said: "Can we just hear it one more time for Gene F---ING Simmons," before he told the crowd he had posters of the KISS legend on his wall as a child. Footage of the incident has been shared on 
A previously unseen video by The Police for their No. 1 UK hit "Don't Stand So Close To Me" has been unearthed from the band's archives after 41 years and shared on 
Ralph Tavares, the eldest of the five brothers in the Grammy-winning R&B singing group Tavares whose hits included "It Only Takes a Minute and "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel," died of as yet undisclosed causes at his home in South Dartmouth, Mass., on Dec. 8, two days before his 80th birthday. The Tavares brothers, sons of immigrants from Cape Verde who were based in New Bedford, Mass., began performing together in 1959, settling on the name Tavares in 1973, the same year they had their first hit, "Check It Out." The group hit their chart peaks with 19752 s "It Only Takes a Minute, which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and 19762 s "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel," which got to No. 15 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on Hot Soul Singles. Tavares' cover of the Bee Gees' "More Than a Woman" appeared on the 
Michael Nesmith, one of the stars of The Monkees, a 1960s TV comedy series about a rock quartet modeled after The Beatles, died on Dec. 10 of natural causes, his family announced in a statement on his website. He was 78. "With infinite love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully and of natural causes. We thank you for the love and light that all of you have shown him and us," the family said. Known for his trademark wool watch cap and quiet demeanour, Nesmith was a singer, guitarist and songwriter for the band, a made-for-television ensemble that would form the cast of the NBC series. Born in Houston on Dec. Dec. 30, 1942, Nesmith was 24 and an up-and-coming musician getting noticed for penning such tunes as "Different Drum" -- which would be recorded in 1967 by the Linda Ronstadt-led Stone Poneys -- when he was cast from nearly 450 aspiring actor-musican applicants as one of the four carefree youngsters living in a California beach house looking to make it in the music world on The Monkees. The brainchild of producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, the comedy was designed to cash in on the popularity of The Beatles by mirroring the zaniness of Help! and A Hard Day's Night. An immediate hit upon its Sept. 1966 debut, it won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series after its first season and became a pop culture phenomenon. The TV series, which ran until Aug. 1968 and introduced by its catchy theme, "Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees," was an immediate ratings hit weeks after the group's first single, "Last Train to Clarksville," had topped the pop charts in the autumn of 1966. 
The group collaborated early with some of the major songwriters and top session musicians of the day, including Neil Diamond, Carole King, Glen Campbell and Hal Blaine. Nesmith was the group's guitarist, and also one of its songwriters, penning the likes of "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," "Listen to the Band" and "Mary, Mary." After the series was canceled, Nesmith branched out with the First National Band, a country-rock band that produced several critically acclaimed albums, including 
'70s artists Joni Mitchell and Bette Midler were among the honorees at the prestigious 44th annual Kennedy Center Honors in the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5. Also receiving the honor were Motown visionary Berry Gordy Jr., renowned bass/baritone singer Justino Diaz, and Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels. Also in attendance were Pres. Joe Biden, Paul Simon, Smokey Robinson, Ellie Goulding and Brittany Howard. To mark the celebrations, Stevie Wonder gave a mini concert of Motown hits including "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," "Superstition" and a custom "I Just Called To Say I Love You." Joni Mitchell, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015 that left her temporarily unable to walk or talk, addressed her ongoing health issues during her acceptance, saying "I always think that polio was a rehearsal for the rest of my life," referring to the disease she suffered aged nine. "I've had to come back several times from things. And this last one was a real whopper. But, you know, I'm hobbling along but I'm doing all right!," she added. Mitchell will also be at the center of a tribute concert held by MusiCares, the charity arm of The Recording Academy which hosts the annual Grammy awards, on Jan. 29, 2022 during Grammy week in Los Angeles. - Billboard/NME, 12/6/21...... ABBA filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court on Dec. 3 against a British tribute band called "Abba Mania" for trademark infringement, calling the act's behavior "parasitic and bad-faith." Tribute bands -- acts that exclusively cover the music of a particular band -- often adopt names that refer or allude to the original, but they can typically avoid legal issues by clearly stating that they are not affiliated with the original, often appending "A [Band] Tribute after their name. In its suit ABBA maintains that "Abba Mania" "includes the term 'official' and 'original' in many of their marketing materials, website pages, and social media handles, which gives consumers the impression that there is some kind of association, affiliation, or sponsorship between ABBA and ABBA MANIA." ABBA says they gave "Abba Mania" an opportunity to "properly use the phrase "ABBA Tribute' in a non-confusing manner" and not include "ABBA" in its title, however "they refused to comply." Meanwhile in other ABBA-related news, the band has released their first ever Christmas single, "Little Things," and shared its video on 
The late rocker Tom Petty, who in 2002 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with his band The Heartbreakers, has been honored once again, this time with an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Florida. UF's board of trustees unanimously voted to award Thomas Earl Petty a posthumous doctoral degree in music during a Dec. 3 meeting. Born and raised in the UF headquarters of Gainesville, Petty once worked as a groundskeeper at the college as he tried to make it in the music industry, but he was never enrolled. Petty passed away from an accidental drug overdose in October 2017. Days later during a UF home football game, his hit "I Won't Back Down" was played at the stadium as a memorial to the musician. The song has since become a regular feature at Florida Gators games. - Billboard, 12/4/21...... Several artists who recorded for A&M Records during their careers including Sting, Burt Bacharach, Merry Clayton, Sergio Mendes and Herb Alpert are set to perform at "Live at The Music Center: Concerts Celebrating Jerry Moss, Co-Founder of A&M Records." The events honoring A&M co-founder Jerry Moss will take place at the The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on Feb. 11-12, 2022. 2022 will mark the 60th anniversary of A&M Records, the legendary label that Moss and Herb Alpert co-founded on a handshake and an investment of $200 from both men. Over 25 years, A&M grew into the world's largest independent record label, signing such iconic stars as The Police, Carpenters, Janet Jackson, Joe Cocker, Peter Frampton and Carole King (on Lou Adler's Ode subsidiary). Moss won a Grammy for co-producing (with Alpert) Alpert & The Tijuana Brass' sleek instrumental "A Taste of Honey," the 1965 winner for Record of the Year. Alpert and Moss received trustees awards from the Recording Academy in 1997. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Award for non-performers. After selling A&M Records to Polygram in 1989, Moss and Alpert formed Almo Sounds. Moss serves as chairman of both Almo Sounds and Rondor Music Inc., a music publishing company. - Billboard, 12/2/21...... Speaking of Sting, the British Grammy winner thinks his latest album 
Carlos Santana announced on 
Sylvester Stallone has pushed back against some followers of the QAnon conspiracy movement after some of hits adherents believed the iconic Rocky actor was signalling the fringe group when he posted a photo of himself sporting a cap with the letter "Q" alongside the caption: "Heading into the Storm..." "For those incredibly inquisitive individuals, let me state unequivocally that the Q on this hat stands for Quantum of Solace, the name of the boat I was on, not anything else, OK?," Stallone wrote on Instagram. "Relax... So folks, the moral of the story is... enjoy your lives and let other people enjoy theirs... So keep punching," he added. One of the central beliefs of the followers of the anonymous prophet named "Q" is that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic pedophiles operate a global child sex trafficking ring and conspired against former president Donald Trump during his term in office. Believers in the conspiracy have been accused of helping lead the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. - Canoe.com, 12/6/21...... British rock musician John Miles, best known for the ballad "Music" which peaked at number three in the UK charts in 1976, has passed away after, according to his family, "a short illness." A statement from Miles' family on his Facebook page read: "We are devastated to have to announce that 'Mr Music' John Miles sadly passed away peacefully after a very short illness. He was a loving Husband, Father and Grandfather and we will all miss him more than any words could ever express. We kindly ask you to respect our privacy at this extremely difficult time. He will live on forever in our hearts and with the wonderful musical legacy he has left behind. You were our first love and will be our last. Our Husband, Father , Grandfather and hero. We Love you. Xxx." Miles released ten albums during his career, and he also received an outstanding contribution gong at the Progressive Rock awards in 2017. Miles -- who worked with the likes of Jimmy Page and Tina Turner -- said as he accepted the award: "I think I made a contribution but that was way back in the 70s. suppose it has endured though. And the song 'Music' has endured as well, and that was the biggest hit worldwide. I'm a man of few words and there are eight lines of lyrics in that song. I get to work with orchestras these days too, which is fantastic." Miles is survived by his wife Eileen, their two children and his grandchildren. - Music-News.com, 12/7/21...... Denis O'Brien, who served as George Harrison's manager for much of the former Beatle's solo career and with Harrison co-founded the production company that backed such hits as the classic Monty Python's Life of Brian, died on Dec. 3 in Britain at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon after being admitted for severe abdominal pains. He was 80. Mr. O'Brien was a St. Louis native who moved to Europe after receiving a law degree from Washington University and had a long record of successes, along with setbacks and legal battles. Through the actor Peter Sellers, whose career he had helped revive, he met Harrison in 1973 and quickly formed a personal and professional bond. Harrison hired him as his manager after parting with Allen Klein, who had become The Beatles' manager in 1969 but eventually fell out with the group, which broke up a year after signing with Klein. In 1978, Harrison and O'Brien co-founded HandMade Films, a top independent company over the next decade. Their initial project was Life of Brian, Monty Python's controversial religious parody which they financed after EMI Films dropped out at the last minute. HandMade went out of business in 1991 and the partnership between Harrison and Mr. O'Brien ended in court. Mr. O'Brien was ordered by a California judge in 1996 to pay Harrison damages of $11 million for alleged mismanagement of the company's finances. In August 2001, three months before Harrison's death, a judge rejected the musician's effort to stop Mr. O'Brien from declaring bankruptcy. - Billboard, 12/6/21...... 
Country music star and longtime Grand Ole Opry member Stonewall Jackson passed away on Dec. 4 following a battle with vascular dementia. He was 89. Mr. Jackson was known for his classic country singles that charted on the Billboard Hot Country charts, including the country No. 1s "Waterloo" (1959) and "B.J. the D.J." (1963), as well as songs like "Life to Go" (1958) and "Don't Be Angry" (1964). Born in Tabor City, N.C., Mr. Jackson was then raised in Georgia before heading to Nashville. He joined the Grand Ole Opry on Nov. 3, 1956, longer ago than any other current member. In an interview with Music Charts Magazine, Mr. Jackson recalled the excitement of being offered a five-year contract with the Grand Ole Opry on his first invitation to play there in 1956, after Wesley Rose heard his music and set him up with an audition. Mr. Jackson became a member of the Opry without having a record deal at the time. In a statement after Stonewall's passing, Nancy Jones, wife of the late George Jones, wrote, "Stonewall's breakout hit 'Life to Go' was written by George [Jones] and they both became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 1956. They held a special friendship over the years and although Stonewall was retired, he participated in the final George Jones "No Show" tribute event after he passed. I will always have a special place in my heart for Stonewall. May he rest in Peace!" A performance at the Grand Ole Opry on Dec. 4 was dedicated to Mr. Jackson. - Billboard, 12/4/21...... Former U.S. Senator and 1996 Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole died in his sleep on Dec. 5, according to an announcement from the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. He was 98. Sen. Dole had announced earlier in 2021 that he was battling advanced lung cancer. A native Kansan, Sen. Dole as a young adult was briefly a student-athlete on the University of Kansas' football, basketball and track teams when in December 1941, he heard over the radio that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. A year later, he enlisted in the U.S. Army's Reserve Corps, leaving for active duty in June 1943. Sen. Dole deployed to Italy during World War II as a second lieutenant in the Army's 10th Mountain Division in late 1944, but just a few months into that deployment he led an assault on Hill 913 north of Castel D'Aiano, with the soldiers taking heavy artillery and aerial fire. When he saw a fellow soldier go down, Sen. Dole went to help pull him into a manhole, and as he scrambled out, he felt a sharp sting in his shoulder. Sen. Dole collapsed onto the battlefield, and it was nine hours before medics could evacuate him to a field hospital. He would spend the next two and a half years at the Percy Jones Army Medical Center in Battle Creek, Mich., in a head-to-hip plaster cast, having lost a kidney and full use of his right arm. For his sacrifices, Sen. Dole received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster. Those experiences hardened Sen. Dole, and they were experiences he never hid but instead used in relating to disadvantaged Americans as a longtime U.S. senator and as the Republican nominee in the 1996 U.S. presidential race. During that failed campaign for president, Sen. Dole told the New York Times that he hoped to serve as an inspiration to people with disabilities and to help make the world a more accessible place. He also in 1983 created the Dole Foundation to help provide for and support programs for those with disabilities, and the foundation played a large role in securing passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Asked once how he'd like to be remembered, he said, "As somebody who had a sense of humor, who got along well with people and who kept his word." - The Topeka Capital-Journal, 12/5/21.