Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen is blaming the coronavirus pandemic for possibly preventing his late dad from receiving more treatment abroad due to international travel restrictions in place when Eddie died on Oct. 6, 2020, following a battle with cancer. Eddie's cause of death was determined to be a cerebrovascular accident, or a stroke. He also had several underlying causes, including pneumonia, the bone marrow disorder myelodysplastic syndrome and lung cancer. Wolfgang, in an interview with the Washington Post, now reasons that his father might still be here had the pandemic not stopped international travel, which resulted in Eddie not being able to get further radiation treatment. "In the summer of 2020... if I were to open for Van Halen, he would come out and play a solo for a song," Wolfgang said. "That would have been the end-all dream.... I will forever loathe Covid and how it was handled because they stole that moment from me." Wolfgang is gearing up to open for Guns 'N Roses on the US leg of their summer 2021 tour, and his debut album, Mammoth WVH, drops on June 11. 
It features the previously unreleased tracks "Don't Back Down," "Think It Over," "Feel," and "Distance." In February, Wolfgang dedicated a TV performance of the latter song to his late father, with whom he played with in Van Halen. Home videos of Wolfgang as a baby with his dad played behind his new band Mammoth WVH as they performed on the late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, including footage of the pair at the beach and Wolfgang playing the drums. - New Musical Express, 6/3/21...... In other Van Halen-related news, co-founding vocalist David Lee Roth has released a new song titled "Giddy-Up." The track was originally issued to accompany his interactive graphic novel The Roth Project, which debuted online in Nov. 2020 and can be experienced in full at TheRothProject.com. The Roth Project incorporates illustrated visuals with music and narration, all made by Roth. The story blends classic Western with sci-fi themes, imagining a future where artificial intelligence has gained the capability to imitate human behaviour. The 17-chapter comic features original music performed by Roth, written with guitarist John 5 of Rob Zombie's band. "Giddy-Up," which has been shared on YouTube, is the second single to be officially released from its soundtrack, the first being "Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill." The artwork for that single arrived with a dedication to Roth's former bandmate Eddie Van Halen, who died in Oct. 2020. - NME, 6/1/21...... Barbra Streisand is preparing the release of Release Me 2, the follow-up to her 2021 collection Release Me which featured rare and previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1967's Simply Streisand and 2011's What Matters Most. Streisand announced the new LP on her Twitter page alongside the album cover artwork of her face: "Release Me 2 - Coming August 6 - A new collection containing previously unreleased tracks from Barbra's vault." A track-listing for the set of previously unreleased songs is yet to be shared, however the album will reportedly feature "duets with Willie Nelson and Kermit the Frog.... with songs by Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Barry Gibb, Paul Williams, Randy Newman and Carole King," among others. Streisand's last studio album was 2018's Walls, which she said was inspired by ex-Pres. Donald Trump and the political climate at the time. "These times gave me energy," she said in an interview then. "I felt so passionate about it. And music gave me that creative way to express my feelings." - Music-News.com, 6/3/21...... 
Webster's Dictionary defines "pansexual" as "a person who is not limited or inhibited in sexual choice with regard to gender or activity," and The Who's Pete Townshend has revealed that he thinks he used to be one. In an interview with The Daily Star's "Wired" column the guitarist/singer said at one point in his life he would have been involved sexually with anybody, regardless of their biological sex, gender or gender identity. "With 'I'm A Boy' [a 1966 The Who single] it's the idea of masculinity and the way that men are seen to be at a time when I often forget, to be homosexual, to be pansexual, as I think I probably was, but not anymore. But I think I was ready to fall into bed with anybody that would have me," Townsend said. He continued: "I think I forget that homosexuality was still illegal, so these adventures had to be couched in vignettes of humour and irony." In February 2021, Townsend told the UK's Uncut mag that he's been working on new music and "wants to make another" record after Covid 19 restrictions ease if it makes financial sense. "If the moment comes, I'll go in and start," he said. The Who's last album was 2019's WHO, their first record in 13 years. - NME, 6/1/21...... KISS vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley is praising a "really good" and "interesting" script for the forthcoming KISS biopic Shout It Out Loud helmed by Pirates of the Caribbean 5 director Joachim Rnning. In an interview with the UK's Download Festival host Kylie Olsson on June 1 ahead of KISS's headline slot at this year's festival, Stanley said: "Look, you get once chance to do it, and I would rather not do it than do it half assed or poorly. Our director is the real deal. He did Maleficent 2, and he's not some hack; he knows how to make movies. It should be great. Casting hasn't begun yet. But that will be interesting too." When Stanley was asked which actor he would like to play him in the forthcoming film in the interview, which has been shared on YouTube, he answered: "For casting to be accurate in terms of age, we are looking at actors in their early 20s. Honestly, I don't know a whole lot of actors in their early 20s. When people get asked these kinds of questions, they'll say, 'Oh, Brad Pitt,' or this one or that one. Well, those guys are in their 50s or 60s, so you're talking about another generation of actors. And I'm the first to say I'm not up on a lot of them." He continued: "But as the casting process goes on, I'll certainly be there and watching. It'll be interesting to see how someone else -- be it the casting people or the director -- how they view who I am and who they see doing that. I think I'll learn a lot about their perception of me by who they cast." Shout It Out Loud is a co-production of Atmosphere Entertainment and Universal Music Group, and Netflix is reportedly close to securing a deal for it. - NME, 6/2/21...... 
Former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters has shared the liner notes for the band's remaster of its 1977 Animals album, claiming his ex bandmate David Gilmour wanted them removed because of credit disputes. Waters is alleging that Gilmour wanted the true extent of his songwriting and artistic contributions buried because, as Rogers put it, Gilmour intended to "claim more credit...than is his due." In a Twitter post on May 31, Waters pointed fans to his official website RogerWaters.com for more details on how he claims Gilmour "does not dispute the veracity" of the liner notes, which place Waters at the center of the project's conception, songwriting and cover art design, but that Gilmour "wants that history to remain secret." "What precipitated this note is that there are new James Guthrie Stereo and 5.1 mixes of the Pink Floyd album 'Animals', 1977. These mixes have languished unreleased because of a dispute over some sleeve notes that Mark Blake has written for this new release," Waters noted in his message. He continued: "This is a small part of an ongoing campaign by the Gilmour/Samson [Polly, Gilmour's wife] camp to claim more credit for Dave on the work he did in Pink Floyd, 1967-1985, than is his due. Yes he was, and is, a jolly good guitarist and singer. But, he has for the last 35 years told a lot of whopping porky pies about who did what in Pink Floyd when I was still in charge. There's a lot of 'we did this' and 'we did that', and 'I did this' and 'I did that.'" Waters went on to post Blake's liner notes, which will not feature on the long-delayed remastered release of the iconic prog-rock band's 10th album. Elsewhere in the post Waters said that he's been working on his memoirs during the coronavirus pandemic, and in his forthcoming book he will reveal more instances where it's alleged that Gilmour claimed too much credit. - NME, 6/1/21......Queen drummer Roger Taylor has announced he'll launch a 14-date solo UK tour this fall, launching on Oct. 2 at the O2 Academy in Newcastle. The "I'm In Love With My Car" singer, who will release his sixth studio album Outsider the day before, will be performing cuts from that LP alongside Queen classics and also visit Manchester, York, Cardiff, Liverpool, Norwich, Bath, Bournemouth, Plymouth, Nottingham, Bexhill, Guilford and Coventry before wrapping on Oct. 22 at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. Ticket information can be found on the Shop.EMI.com site. News of Taylor's solo tour follows Queen + Adam Lambert summer 2021 tour being rescheduled for 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The tour will be Taylor's first live performances outside Queen in more than two decades. - NME, 6/1/21...... 
Famed American criminal defense attorney F. Lee Bailey died on June 3 under hospice care in Atlanta, Ga., after a period of ill health, one week before his 88th birthday. Mr. Bailey's name first came to nationwide attention for his involvement in the second murder trial of Sam Sheppard, an Army surgeon accused of murdering his wife. He later served as the attorney in a number of other high-profile cases, such as Albert DeSalvo, a suspect in the "Boston Strangler" murders, heiress Patty Hearst's trial for bank robberies committed during her involvement with the Symbionese Liberation Army, and US Army Capt. Ernest Medina for the My Lai Massacre. Mr. Bailey was also a member of the so-called "dream team" in the trial of former football player O. J. Simpson, who was accused of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. For most of his career he was licensed in Florida and in Massachusetts, where he was disbarred in 2001 and 2003 respectively, for misconduct while defending marijuana dealer Claude Louis DuBoc. Following his disbarment, he moved to Maine, where he ran a consulting firm. He later sat for the bar exam in the state of Maine, though in 2013 he was denied a law license by the Maine Board of Bar Examiners, a decision upheld by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in 2014. Mr. Bailey also once participated in a mock trial about the Paul McCartney "Paul Is Dead" rumor that was aired locally in New York City on Nov. 30, 1969, and was never re-aired. He was also the host of the short-lived TV series Good Company on ABC in 1967 and the syndicated Lie Detector show in 1983. Mr. Bailey was married four times and had two sons from his first marriage and another son from his second marriage. - Wikipedia.com
Grammy-winning pop singer B.J. Thomas, known for such million-selling hits as "Hooked on a Feeling" and the No. 1 "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head", died on May 29 at his home in Arlington, Tex., due to complications from stage four lung cancer. He was 78. Thomas's official Twitter page confirmed the news later in the day with the brief post: "It is with profound sadness we confirm the passing of BJ Thomas." Born in Hugo, Okla. on Aug. 7, 1942, Thomas grew up in Houston, Tex. where he absorbed a wide range of influences, from Hank Williams' traditional country to the soul of Jackie Wilson and Little Richard. From humble origins of singing in church, Thomas first found success with a cover of William's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" in 1966, which became his first million-selling single. Over his career, Thomas won five Grammys, sold 70 million albums worldwide and has eight No. 1 hits and 26 Top 10 singles. Among his hits were "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song", "I Just Can't Help Believing," "Don't Worry Baby," and "Hooked on a Feeling." Thomas' hit single "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, won the best original song award at the Academy Awards as part of the classic Paul Newman and Robert Redford film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. 
Sales soared to over 2 million copies and the tune has continued to find its place in such beloved movies as Forrest Gump and Spider-Man 2. Shortly after his chart-topping single, Thomas fell into substance abuse. He cited meeting his wife Gloria as a turning point, at which point he became a born-again Christian, quit drugs and turned to gospel music as a way of expressing his faith. His 1976 album, Home Where I Belong, earned a Grammy and a Dove Award. Beyond his beloved hits, Thomas also sang the theme song for the sitcom Growing Pains, "As Long As We've Got Each Other," and voiced several commercials for companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi. He also appeared in the film Jory and Jake's Corner, and penned his autobiography, also titled Home Where I Belong. Thomas is survived by Gloria, who he was married to for 53 years; their three daughters, Paige Thomas, Nora Cloud and Erin Moore and four grandchildren, Nadia Cloud, Keira Cloud, Ruby Moore and Billy Joe Moore. "I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to record and perform beautiful songs in pop, country, and gospel music, and to share those wonderful songs and memories around the world with millions of you," Thomas said in a statement when he was first diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in March and was admitted to a Texas health care facility for treatment. A private funeral will be held soon, and the family says in-memoriam donations can be made to Mission Arlington, Tarrant Area Food Bank and the SPCA of Texas. - Variety/New Musical Express, 5/29/21.
KISS are set to appear in a new comic book from comics publisher Dynamite called "Phantom Obsession" beginning in August. A synopsis of the Ian Edginton-written comic reads: "As a young man in 1978, Darius Cho attended a concert of his favorite band, a memory that has stuck with him to this day. Now he is a massively wealthy tech giant, but mysteriously reclusive. Some even believe he may not exist at all, simply serving as a ghostly facade for an endless consortium of corporations. At least until Kiss receives an all-expense invitation to play an exclusive concert for him. Playing for an audience of just Cho, his assistant and a crowd of 'Westworld'-style androids invented by the mega-billionaire, everything seems a little off... Especially when the band wakes up in luxurious accommodations, but with no way to leave, and their powerful talismans stolen from them!" One of the covers for the comics series has been shared on 
If you thought every conceivable aspect of the Beatles' career had been thorougly investigated and documented, think again. The Beatles and India, a new documentary on the Fab Four's time in India in the late '60s, will premiere in the UK in June. The film is co-helmed by first-time director Ajoy Bose, author of Across The Universe - The Beatles In India, and will comprise of rare archival footage, recordings and photographs, eye-witness accounts and expert comments along with location shoots across India. Cultural researcher Pete Compton is Bose's directing partner, and the film will premiere in the UK on June 6 as part of the Tongues On Fire UK Asian Film Festival ahead of a full release in the fall that will coincide with The Beatles and India: Songs Inspired by the Film, a companion album of interpretations of 19 Beatles songs from contemporary Indian artists. The covers will be of songs that the band were inspired to write from their time in India. The first single from The Beatles and India has been released, and features Indian singer-songwriter Nikhil D'Souza performing "India, India," John Lennon's ode to the country. The track has been shared on 
Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Beatles lieutenant Klaus Voormann remembered the first time he saw George Harrison in an interview with Uncut magazine. Describing an encounter with an early incarnation of the Beatles at Hamburg's Kaiserkeller in 1960, Voormann said: "The first time I saw George he was only 17 years of age. He was very different to how he was later. He was a cocky little boy! This band he was with was completely unknown. George was singing all those funny songs, which he did later on a little bit, when he sat around and played ukulele. He was into songs like 'I'm Henry The Eighth, I Am,' singing it all cockney. He would sing all those Eddie Cochran numbers too, like 'Twenty Flight Rock'." Voormann went on to design the Beatles' Revolver album cover (for which he won a Grammy), play on Harrison's All Things Must Pass solo album, three of Ringo Starr's solo albums and four of John Lennon's solo efforts. He was for a time rumoured to be replacing Paul McCartney in a reformed Beatles project. - NME, 5/26/21...... Elton John and actress Charlize Theron are among the signees of an open letter to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking him to address a new AIDS emergency and the forthcoming G7 summit of world leaders. "We face a new AIDS emergency, and we need your help," the letter begins. "While naturally Covid-19 is currently dominating the agenda, it is vital that you and your fellow leaders also protect and build on what we have achieved in the fight to end AIDS and use that in the struggle against Covid-19," it continues. "The Covid-19 crisis has shut down HIV prevention and treatment services, in many countries literally overnight... Already we have seen a steep increase in rates of adolescent pregnancy, which we know will mean a surge in HIV infections too... The World Health Organisation has highlighted widespread disruption to HIV treatment supply chains... The UK must drive ambitious G7 support for international progress as convenor and by example... The eyes of the world, Prime Minister, are on the UK, and on you." John is founder of his Elton John AIDS Foundation, while Theron is the founder of Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. The full letter can be read on 
Veteran TV actor Gavin MacLeod, who played a wise-cracking news writer on the classic 1970s sitcom 
Bob Dylan fans around the world marked the milestone 80th birthday of the rock bard on May 24 with festivals, contests, and marathon Dylan radio shows. Dylan's home city of Duluth, Minn. held its 11th annual Duluth Dylan Fest, with fans invited to join the celebration both at the festival and virtually. Fans partied outside his former childhood home, where a young Robert Zimmeran lived until he was six. The largely-virtual event -- owing to the COVID-19 pandemic -- has been running since May 22 and will continue until May 30. Dylan Fest also featured a songwriting contest in the rock legend's honor, along with a poetry contest, lecture, tour, and much more. Elsewhere, in New York -- where Dylan moved to in 1961 to pursue his dream of becoming a music star -- the WFUV radio station at the Bronx's Fordham University played 80 Dylan songs throughout the day. And in Dublin, Ireland -- where Dylan has often visited over the years -- Other Voices hosted a live-stream from the US Embassy titled "Dignity" after his 1994 song. Also on May 24, a new revised and illustrated edition of Robert Shelton's essential Dylan biography 
In other Michael Jackson-related news, the singer's frequent producer Quincy Jones has opened up about meeting Michael for the first time, when the late singer was just 12 years old. Jones, now 88, made the comments while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter as part of their new Icon series. "When he was 12 at Sammy Davis' house, and he told me when we decided to do [The Wiz], he says, "I need you to help me find a producer. I'm getting ready to do my first solo album." Jones, a 28-time Grammy-winning producer, said the young Jackson "knew how to do his homework" when it came to other artists, "whether it was with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly or whoever, James Brown. He was doing some Elvis [Presley] copying, too. 'The King of Pop,' man. Come on!" Jones, who has made several controversial remarks in his later years, went on to say that he wouldn't have worked with Presley, alleging in a new interview that the late singer "was a racist." Pressed on why not, Jones continued: "I was writing for [orchestra leader] Tommy Dorsey, oh God, back then in the '50s. And Elvis came in, and Tommy said: 'I don't want to play with him.' He was a racist mother -- I'm going to shut up now." "But every time I saw Elvis, he was being coached by ['Don't Be Cruel' songwriter] Otis Blackwell, telling him how to sing," he added. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Blackwell told David Letterman in 1987 that he and Presley had never met. - The Hollywood Reporter, 5/25/21...... Elton John and Alice Cooper have recreated an iconic 50-year-old photo of the pair and their friends Bernie Taupin and the late comedian Paul Lynde, with Will & Grace actor Eric McCormack standing in for Lynde. John, Cooper, Taupin and McCormack gathered in Los Angeles on May 22 to celebrate Taupin's 71st birthday when they recreated the memorable photo, later posting both photos on 
Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant revealed on the latest edition of his 
The UK's Royal Mint launched a new selection of coins to celebrate the legacy of The Who on May 24. Co-founding lead Who singer Roger Daltrey personally visited the Royal Mint to help strike one of the first coins. Images of the new coin reveals that they are printed with recognizable symbols from the band's career, including a Mod logo, a Union flag and a Rickenbacker guitar which is smashing a guitar. When placed together, the symbols on the coin form a pinball table, a knowing nod to the track "Pinball Wizard" and 1969 Who album Tommy, one of the band's most iconic records. The Royal Mint has also employed innovative technology, with a number of coins featuring a special "shockwave" effect, radiating from the speaker and elevating the detail of the coin. Designers and craftspeople at the Mint have developed this effect in honour of the Who's record-breaking loud concert -- a record that was held for a decade. "It's an honour to have a coin produced to celebrate The Who's musical legacy," Daltrey said in a statement. "The coin's design captures the true essence of the band and what we represent. It was a fantastic moment being able to strike one of the very first pieces in the collection and see the range of technologies and processes involved in the making of the coin." The Who are the fourth Brit music act to be honoured by the Royal Mint's music legends series, following the likes of David Bowie, Queen and Elton John. - NME, 5/24/21...... KISS have shared the trailer for the new KISS documentary Biography: KISSstory on 
In other Queen-related news, co-founding guitarist Brian May has warned "there's a possibility" Queen will never tour again. Queen's planned 2021 tour with current frontman Adam Lambert was delayed until next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and May has insisted "people have to face up" to the fact arena shows might never happen again because of the unpredictable nature of the virus. May is quoted by the Daily Star paper's "Wired" column as saying: "Things don't look good at the moment, it's tough. The arena touring that we did was amazing. There's a possibility that we'll never be able to do it again. People have to face up to that it's possible, this virus is very clever and it's evolving faster than we can put up our defences." May, 73, said he's thought about putting on a Queen live-stream gig, but admitted it would be "harder" for the band because their shows are so "interactive" with the crowd. "We've postponed our big tour of Europe and the UK again -- that's going to be 2022," May said. "I hope I'm still alive to do it! It's like another universe that we can't quite touch right now. I suppose we could do a Queen virtual concert - probably harder for us than most because the Queen thing is very interactive." Meanwhile, May took to Instagram on May 20 to reveal he has recently undergone eye surgery to improve his vision. May shared a mirror selfie of himself wearing a face mask and hospital gown and assured fans he was going to be fine. "One Vision! All prepped and waiting... for a little bit of eye surgery," he wrote, quoting the title of Queen's 1985 hit. "I'm in good hands. No need to worry. All in a day's work... it should really improve my focus -- AND my stereoscopic vision." May's eye surgery is the latest in a long line of medical procedures - in 2020, the rocker suffered a heart attack, a stomach haemorrhage, and other complications. - Music-News.com, 5/25/21...... Tom Waits has joined the cast of a new stop-motion animation series dubbed Ultra City Smiths. The show, which will see Waits join as narrator, comes from Steve Conrad, creator of Patriot and Perpetual Grace, LTD. Speaking about the project, Conrad said: "I'm grateful that this group of actors, who could work with whomever they choose on whatever they choose, chose to work with us." Other members of the cast include: The Mighty Boosh's Julian Barratt, John C. Reilly, Jimmi Simpson, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Kristen Bell, Bebe Neuwirth, Tim Meadows and Debra Winger. - NME, 5/22/21...... Blondie are set to release a Cuba-inspired EP to accompany a film about their 2019 performance in Havana, Cuba. The six-soundtrack EP, 
A deluxe reissue of the soundtrack of director Cameron Crowe's acclaimed '70s-themed 1999 film 
In an e-mail message to Italian architect and music mogul (and anti-lockdown activist) Robin Monotti Graziadei, Eric Clapton hits out at what he terms "propaganda" over vaccine safety and says he suffered alarming side-effects after both his first and second vaccinations of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. Clapton, a lockdown skeptic, said his hands and feet became "useless" prompting fears he would never play again. "I took the first jab of AZ [AstraZeneca] and straight away had severe reactions which lasted ten days," the legendary guitarist said in his message to Grazaidei, adding he "recovered eventually" but suffered further "disastrous reactions" six weeks later after the second shot. "My hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, I feared I would never play again... I should never have gone near the needle. But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone," he added. Clapton, who suffers from emphysema, ended his e-mail to Grazaidei, which was shared on Telegram and verified by Rolling Stone, by saying: "I've been a rebel all my life, against tyranny and arrogant authority, which is what we have now." Clapton criticized the UK government earlier in 2021 in an anti-lockdown song called "Stand And Deliver." The song was in collaboration with Van Morrison, who is also a critic of pandemic restrictions. It has been well-documented that possible side-effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine can potentially include fatigue, chills, fever, nausea, headaches or "generally feeling unwell". It can also cause "excessive sweating, itchy skin or rash," though this is less common. Many people have taken to social media to point out how their experiences with the AZ vaccine were much more mild or symptom-free in comparison to Clapton's. Music and entertainment celebrities who have received Covid vaccinations and encouraged others to do so include Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John, WIllie Nelson, Roger Taylor, Rob Halford and Dolly Parton. - DailyMail.co.uk, 5/16/21...... The second part of music mogul Clive Davis's annual Grammy-related gala took place on May 15, with Davis virtually interviewing the likes of Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor, Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow and Santana. The second edition, benefitting the Grammy Museum, had been slated to take place on Mar. 13 -- the night before the rescheduled Grammy Awards show -- but Davis contracted Bell's palsy and postponed the event until May 15. "I've always been drawn to miserable lyrics," joked Elton as Davis talked to him about writing the music for "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me." "I love that song so much, its always a favorite part of my repertoire. The song is about redemption, about hope and coming through the end of something sad," John added. In a rare appearance, Joni Mitchell talked to Davis about her hit, "Both Sides Now," a song she says she "grew into," as well as her musical path. Looking and sounding great following her 2015 brain aneurysm, Mitchell said she had her piano teacher to thank for her piano style. "When I was seven, I wrote an instrumental called 'Robin Walk.'" When Mitchell played it for her piano teacher, "she hit me across the knuckles with a ruler and said, 'Why would you want to play by ear when you have the masters to learn from?'" Mitchell quit and from then on was self-taught. "My style is unorthodox because I am uninfluenced by the masters." The first edition of Davis's pre-Grammys gala was held on Jan. 30 and included Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen and Barry Gibb, among others. - Billboard, 5/16/21...... 
The Who's frontman Roger Daltrey announced on May 21 he'll kick off a solo tour of the US on Aug. 21 at the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys in Stateline, Nev. Daltrey, 77, will tour with members of the Who's touring band for his "Live and Kicking Tour" for a few rare dates without his longtime bandmate Pete Townshend. "Roger Daltrey is delighted to announce that he and members of The Who touring band will be on the road late summer 2021, performing some Who hits, a few rarities and some solo hits," reads a message on the official Who website. "So far, three dates have been announced with several more to follow," with the other two dates to include the Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Spokane, Wash. on Sept. 1 and the Washington State Fair in Puyallup on Sept. 3. The Who were due to perform 11 dates in the UK and Ireland in March and April 2020, but they had to be were postponed due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the concerts are yet to be rescheduled but Daltrey has told fans they will "definitely happen." Daltrey and Townshend have been focused on reissues of the Who's back catalogue during the coronavirus lockdown, including a 
The new John Lennon and Yoko Ono "mini-documentary" 
Actor Charles Grodin, best known for his roles in such films as 1992's Beethoven and 1972's 
On May 12 the 
Alice Cooper is auctioning an artwork by renowned pop artist Andy Warhol that could become the highest selling artwork ever in his home state of Arizona. Warhol's "Little Electric Chair," a red acrylic and silkscreen canvas was part of the late Warhol's "Death and Disaster" series between 1964 and 1965 that was gifted to Cooper in the 1970s by a girlfriend who was friends with Warhol. Cooper says he plans to make the canvas available for public viewing before it's auctioned by the Larsen Gallery in Scottsdale on Oct. 23. The gallery estimates it could fetch anywhere from $2.5 million to $4.5 million, and gallery owners say they will donate part of any commission to Cooper's nonprofit, Solid Rock, which works to bring music, dance and other forms of art to teens. Meanwhile, Cooper is set to headline the 2022 "Monsters of Rock" cruise in February 2022, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary next year. Those aboard the Royal Caribbean's Freedom Of The Seas will visit two ports in CocoCay, Bahamas and Labadee, Haiti, and watch performances from over 35 artists, which in addition to Alice will include the likes of Queensryche, Skid Row, L.A. Guns, Great White, Pat Travers, Y&T, Lillian Axe and Faster Pussycat. "Interactive events" between artists and fans during the Feb. 9-14 cruise, according to a press release, will include "Artist/Cruiser Q&A sessions, Gong Show Karaoke, 'So You Think You Can Shred,' Cooking with Rock Stars, Painting With Rock Stars, Rock Stars vs Average Joe Basketball, and Beach Volleyball, with more to be announced." Cooper, who recently told the New York Post's "Page Six" column that he's a devout Christian who prays daily, reads the Bible and credits his faith with helping him stay sober, also recently partnered with Cooper Tire to find the most talented garage band in the US. The Ohio-based band South of Eden won, and as the grand prize, the band opened for Evanescence in a special livestreamed concert on May 13.- AP/New Musical Express, 5/14/21...... Guitars from Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton and Aerosmith as well as autographed memorabilia from the Beatles and even strands of hair from Nirvana's Kurt Cobain are some of the highlights of an online rock 'n' roll auction that well end over the third weekend in May. The item with the highest minimum bid is a collarless, dark blue jacket custom made for Paul McCartney that starts at $25,000. It was worn onstage over a six-night stand at Bournemouth, England's Gaumont Theatre in 1963. There's also a copy of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band signed by McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and a sheet of handwritten "Blowin' in the Wind" lyrics signed by Bob Dylan. Other treasures include band-signed copies of Led Zeppelin II, Queen's self-titled debut, and Pink Floyd's Animals. Among the 70 or so guitars is one signed by Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne from Black Sabbath and starts at $500. A portion of proceeds will benefit Crew Nation, a relief fund for live music touring and venue crews who are facing hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. - AP, 5/13/21...... Speaking of Paul McCartney, the former Beatles says practicing eye yoga has helped preserve his eyesight over the years. Sir Paul spoke about the practice during a guest appearance on the latest episode of the Jessie Ware-hosted 
Jimmy Buffett kicked off a four-night stand (May 13-14, 17-18) at The Pavilion at Old School Square in Delray Beach, Fla., not far from his home in Palm Beach. The reduced seating due to coronavirus restrictions allows for around 850 people per show -- seated in fenced four-person pods. Tickets for all four shows at the open-air venue sold out in around 10 minutes. Buffett calls the concerts "spring training" for when his summer job resumes -- playing full-capacity shows, rescheduled from last year -- in July. Buffett played (and filmed) two shows at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, Calif. for an invited crowd of 40 people in April, but, otherwise, the Delray Beach concerts will be his first in 14 months, and the singer/songwriter says he's excited to perform live again. "The pandemic comes along and I'm gin-clear focused on the things that I actually can do, and the things that I can't do I can't whine about," Buffett says. "It's like you getting on a boat: If there's a storm, you can't go back to the hotel and order Eggs Benedict. You gotta get your a-- through the storm. So that's what it was kinda like." Buffett, who will reach his milestone 75th birthday on Christmas Day 2021, says he'd like to finish a rock & roll book he's working on. "It's based on when we went to Montserrat and did the [1979] Volcano album," Buffett says. "I'm making it fictitious, but it's based on that whole episode, which you can't believe the s--t that happened. I still can't. There are so many stories and I file them away. It's a funny book, but it's a real rock 'n roll book. It's not a miserable experience, let's just say." Buffett says he'd rather put another album out than doing "some 75th anniversary thing." "I've got five songs now. I like what I'm doing. It's a little more kind of down island -- authentic Creole and Trinidadian and Calypso kind of influences are in it," he says. - Billboard, 5/12/21...... Pervis Staples, a co-founding member of the iconic gospel group The Staple Singers best known for such hits as "Respect Yourself," the No. 1 
Julie E. "Tawny" Kitaen, who famously appeared in several Whitesnake music videos and starred as Tom Hanks's fiance in Bachelor Party, died on May 7 in her Newport Beach, Calif., home. She was 59. The Orange County Coroner's Office confirmed her death via a press release, which listed her as Tawny Finley. Her cause of death has not yet been released. Born in San Diego, Kitaen began her journey as an '80s music video heartthrob by appearing on several albums for the heavy metal band RATT, as well as their "Back for More" video. She later appeared in a video for Whitesnake's 1987 smash hit "Here I Go Again," along with "Still of the Night," "Is This Love" and "The Deeper the Love." Kitaen was briefly married to Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale from 1989-1991. Notable film and television roles include for Kitaen include Witchboard, White Hot, Dead Tides, Santa Barbara, Seinfeld and most recently Moms Anonymous. She also recently appeared in several reality shows, including The Surreal Life, Botched and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Pinsky. Kitaen was also married to baseball player Chuck Finley from 1997 to 2002. They had two daughters together. - The Hollywood Reporter, 5/8/21.
Heart's Nancy Wilson released her first solo album, 
Steve Miller will release a live CD and companion film, 
The Pretenders' frontwoman Chrissie Hynde has shared details of a new Bob Dylan covers album, Standing In The Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan, that she recorded largely over text. Hynde says she made the record "almost entirely by text message" with her Pretenders bandmate James Walbourne who, according to a press release, would record an initial idea on his phone and send it to Hynde to add her vocal before the tracks were mixed by Tchad Blak. "A few weeks into lockdown last year, James sent me the new Dylan track 'Murder Most Foul'," Hynde said about her inspiration to record an LP of Dylan covers. "Listening to that song completely changed everything for me. I was lifted out of this morose mood that I'd been in... Whatever Bob does, he still manages somewhere in there to make you laugh because as much as anything, he's a comedian. He's always funny and always has something to say. That's when I called James and said, 'Let's do some Dylan covers' and that's what started this whole thing." Standing In The Doorway drops on May 21 via BMG Records -- a few days before Dylan's 80th birthday. - NME, 5/10/21...... ABBA's Bjrn Ulvaeus says new ABBA music is "definitely" on its way in 2021. Speaking to Australia's The Herald Sun paper, Ulvaeus said: "There will be new music this year, that is definite, it's not a case anymore of it might happen, it will happen." Bjrn also went on to reveal more about the group's time back in the studio. "We're really, really good friends. The four of us stand in the studio for the first time in 40 years and there's just something in knowing what we've been through. It's hard to describe, but there are such strong, strong bonds between us." In April, Ulvaeus gave more information about the band's forthcoming avatar tour, promising that it "still sounds very much ABBA." In 2017 it was announced that the band would reunite in digital form in 2019, performing as "Abbatars" for the first time since they split in 1982. When the reunion tour was then delayed, the Swedish pop quartet announced in 2018 that they would be sharing two new tracks: "I Still Have Faith In You" and "Don't Shut Me Down," which was then expanded to five new tracks as a reward to fans waiting even longer for the reunion tour due to Covid-19-related delays. - NME, 5/11/21...... Lindsey Buckingham has said he never got "closure" with former Fleetwood Mac bandmate and ex-partner Stevie Nicks following their much-publicized breakup. In a new interview with Nile Rodgers on his Apple Music 1 show 
Aaron Neville of The Neville Brothers announced on 
Lloyd Price, best known for such hits as "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," "Stagger Lee" and "Personality," died on May 3 from complications with diabetes, his wife Jackie has confirmed. He was 88. "I am so touched by the outpouring of love and tribute for the passing of my husband Lloyd Price, who passed peacefully on May 3, 2021 at Schaffer Extended Care in Westchester County, NY," Jackie Price said. "Lloyd's music crossed many boundaries and carried him to all corners of the world. He got the nickname 'Mr. Personality' because of his biggest hit but he also earned that name because he was charismatic, generous, smart, funny, talented with a very kind heart. I am so grateful for everyone who loves his music and have precious memories of his many songs. From the deepest part of me thank you, love to all," she added. Mr. Price was born in New Orleans in 1933 and rose to fame with his 1952 single "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," which featured Fats Domino playing piano. The song went on to be covered by numerous stars, including Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, The Hollies and others. He enjoyed a handful of further hits on the US R&B chart before being drafted to serve for the US Army in Korea in 1954. After he returned, he scored another smash hit with his 1958 single "Stagger Lee," which would go on to become his biggest success, and the 1959 release "Personality," which would spark his nickname "Mr Personality." Mr. Price also started several record labels over his career, include KRC, Double L Records, LPG Records, and Turntable. The latter also provided the name for his club in New York City. Outside of music, he owned several businesses, including a Lawdy Miss Clawdy food line and two construction companies. He also helped boxing promoter Don King promote fights, including the famous "Rumble In The Jungle" bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998 and was also a member of the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall Of Fame. Mr. Price is survived by his wife Jackie, his three daughters Lori, D'Juana and December, two sons Lloyd Jr and Paris, and his sister Rose. "As an entertainment industry entrepreneur, 'Mr. Personality' wrote smash hits, launched and owned clubs and record labels, and promoted concerts and sporting events," the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame posted on its 
Britain's Royal Mail announced on May 6 that the "immense" musical legacy of Sir Paul McCartney will be celebrated with a new collection of postage stamps available beginning May 28. With close collaboration from the Beatles legend himself, the 12-stamp collection is set to feature artwork from eight of the musician's solo LPs, including his most recent album, 2020's McCartney III. The remaining four stamps, which are presented in a 'Miniature Sheet', feature images which span three decades of McCartney at work in the studio. David Gold, a spokesman for the Royal Mail, noted that McCartney "remains a vital figure at the centre of rock and pop, an artist whose legacy is immense, but whose work continues to generate popular attention and critical acclaim" and that the collection is "a fitting tribute to one of the UK's much loved and revered musical icons." The Royal Mail has previously celebrated music icons David Bowie (in 2017) and Elton John (in 2019) with their own collections, and more can be found on the McCartney collection at the 
The Woody Guthrie Center has announced that Bruce Springsteen is the recipient of its seventh annual Woody Guthrie Prize, which is presented to an artist who reflects the spirit of Woody Guthrie by proving themselves to be "a champion for the voiceless with an understanding of how a platform can be used to shine a light on our world, showing us what needs to be fixed and how to fix it." The late folk icon has been one of Springsteen's biggest influences, with the New Jersey rocker's 1995 hit "The Ghost of Tom Joad" beind directly inspired by Guthrie's "The Ballad of Tom Joad." Springsteen has also covered such Guthrie standards as "This Land is Your Land," "I Ain't Got No Home," and "Blowin' Down The Road" during his live performances. "I'm honored to receive the 2021 Woody Guthrie Prize," Springsteen said in a statement. "Woody wrote some of the greatest songs about America's struggle to live up its ideals in convincing fashion. He is one of my most important influences and inspirations," he added. Springsteen will accept the honor during a virtual event later in May. Previous honorees of the award include Joan Baez, Mavis Staples and Chuck D. - NME, 5/5/21...... The Sparks Brothers, the new documentary on the '70s L.A. pop-rock duo Sparks, is set to open the 2021 Sundance London film festival this summer, it was announced on May 4. Directed by Edgar Wright (Baby Driver), The Sparks Brothers focuses on musical brothers Ron and Russell Mael and will receive its UK premiere at the physical iteration of the festival, which runs from July 29-Aug. 1. "I was just five years old when I was hypnotized by Ron & Russell Mael (collectively Sparks) staring at me from the telly on a 1979 episode of Top Of The Pops," Wright said of his film. "It's very exciting for me to finally bring The Sparks Brothers to Sundance London, as the U.K. were the first country to embrace Sparks' genius. I look forward to everyone falling in love all over again or being as amazed as I was when I first saw and heard them," he added. - NME, 4/5/21...... The Neil Young fansite 
CNN will premiere an hour-long documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's seminal 1971 album 
Actress Olympia Dukakis, who won an Oscar for her performance as a sardonic, middle-aged mother who advises her headstrong daughter on matters of love in the 1987 romantic film comedy Moonstruck, died on May 1 after months of failing health, according to her agent Allison Levy. She was 89. Ms. Dukakis, the Massachusetts-born daughter of Greek immigrants, worked for decades as a stage, TV and film actor before rocketing to fame at age 56 playing the mother of Cher's character in Moonstruck. She built on that with roles in films including Look Who's Talking (1989) and its sequels with John Travolta and Kirstie Alley, Steel Magnolias (1989) with Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field and Julia Roberts, director Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995) and Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) with Richard Dreyfuss. Ms. Dukakis, a master of deadpan humour, also was nominated for Emmy awards for TV roles in 1991, 1998 and 1999. In accepting her Oscar as best supporting actress for Moonstruck in Apr. 1988, when her cousin Michael Dukakis was battling to become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, she thanked Jewison, her husband and a few others. She then raised the golden statuette over her head and shouted to the worldwide TV audience, "OK, Michael, let's go." Michael Dukakis won the nomination but the Massachusetts governor lost badly in the general election to Republican Vice President George H.W. Bush. Like her cousin, Olympia Dukakis embraced liberal views, advocating for causes including women's rights, gay rights and the environment. "She had an incredible life and we were very proud of her," Michael Dukakis told the Boston Globe on May 1. "Olympia Dukakis Was An Amazing, Academy Award Winning Actress," Cher wrote in memory of her friend on Twitter the same day. "I talked to her 3Wks Ago. Rip Dear One," she added. Dolly Parton also paid tribute to her Steel Magnolias co-star on May 1. "I was so sorry to hear that Olympia Dukakis had passed away," Parton wrote. "She has been one of my favourite people that I have ever known or worked with... She will be missed by her fans, her family, and those of us that were lucky enough to get to know her personally," she added. - Reuters, 5/1/21...... Billie Hayes, the actress who portrayed Witchiepoo on NBC's H.R. Pufnstuf from 1969 to 1970, has died. She was 96. From H.R. Pufnstuf, Ms. Hayes reappeared as Witchiepoo on The Paul Lynde Halloween Special and the series finale of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. Ms. Hayes lso appeared as a witch in several other shows, including Bewitched, Weenie the Genie, The Monkees and Lidsville. H.R. Pufnstuf producer Marty Kroft paid tribute to Hayes in a statement: "In addition to being a very talented and special person, Margret Hamilton (Wicked Witch of the West/Wizard of Oz) once told me that Witchiepoo was the best witch ever. And as far as I'm concerned, there was no one better than Billie Hayes. She was a home run for us and H.R Pufnstuf. The DuQuoin, Ill., native is also well-known for her theater work, including starring as Mammy Yokum in the original 1956 Broadway production of "Li'l Abner," as well as the 1959 film adaptation and a 1971 TV special. - Variety, 5/4/21.