Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on May 31st, 2021

Queen has announced they will re-release their 1981 Greatest Hits album to mark the 50th anniversary of the band and the 40th anniversary of the album. Upon its release, the album made history as the first and only collection to have sold more than six million copies in the UK (6.75 million sales to date) with global sales above 25 million. What's more, the record has spent more than 900 weeks on the UK's Official Albums Chart. According to a press release, one in four British households are already in possession of the album, and since the release of the 2018 blockbuster biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, interest in Queen has spiked. - Music-News.com, 5/27/21...... 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 Twitter. Meanwhile in other KISS-related news, band member Gene Simmons will be hosting a MasterClass event in Las Vegas in June, where he will teach bass and songwriting. Simmons will bring back his Axe MasterClass for fans on June 26, with participants having the opportunity to learn how to write rock music in an afternoon class under Simmons' guidance. There will also be a package that includes custom "one-of-a-kind" bass guitars hand-painted by the musician himself. Footage from previous editions, along with an introduction by Simmons, can be viewed on YouTube. Each package runs from US$5,000 to $7,000, depending on bass model of choice, with limited spots available due to social distancing measures. - NME, 5/29/21...... An Ohio man has returned his copy of Bob Dylan's 1970 LP Self Portrait to a local library 48 after its due date, but the library says he needn't have enclosed an overdue fee along with it. According to an Instagram post by the University Heights library, Howard Simon checked out his copy of the Dylan album in the spring of 1973, when he was a 14-year-old student. The library says Simon returned the album in late May, along with a letter explaining what took him so long. "As a recent retiree, I am taking the opportunity to turn my attention to some of the many vignettes of life that by dint of career and family have been neglected these many years," wrote Simon, who now resides in San Francisco. "In that context, I am returning with this letter an overdue item (by my count, approximately 17,480 days overdue as of this writing) that I borrowed from the library in the spring of 1973 when I was 14 and in 8th grade at Wiley. So it's quite late, and I'm quite sorry!," he added. Library manager Sara Philips says although Simon's late fees total around US $1,748, or 10c a day, and Simon also sent a "replacement fee" of $175 and one of his own albums, "we don't charge overdue fines anymore -- as long as we get the item back, we see no need to penalize people... We're grateful that Mr. Simon returned the record. I'd said we can now call it even." In other Dylan-related news, the music legend's "Heaven's Door" whiskey brand has unveiled its latest release in conjunction with Bob's recent 80th birthday: a limited-edition collaboration with Redbreast Irish Whiskey. Dubbed the "Master Blenders' Edition," the new whiskey is billed as "a tribute to both American and Irish artistry and whiskey." Master Blenders' Edition is described as "10-year aged low rye bourbon... finished for 15 months in Redbreast's signature 12-year-old Irish Whiskey casks... What you get: a smooth and flavorful whiskey with notes of leather, nut and spice as well as sherry, citrus, dark fruit and Irish honeycomb." Heaven's Door says Dylan was actively involved in the process for the new liquor from start to finish, helping to select the final blend that was bottled, and helping to create the actual bottle itself. It says Dylan was "especially excited about the opportunity to partner with the Redbreast team, given his long history and influence from Ireland in his music and beyond." The Master Blenders' Edition is available in super limited-edition right now at ReserveBar.com, with a suggested retail price of $99.99 for a 750ml bottle. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 5/31/21...... 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 YouTube and can be purchased on Amazon.com. - NME, 5/28/21...... In other Beatles-related news, Strawberry Field, the latest addition to Beatles tourism in Liverpool and now open to the public, have commenced celebrations by inviting a student from Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts to play the very piano on which John Lennon composed and recorded "Imagine," with The Liverpool Signing Choir singing the words to the inspirational song. Lennon's world-famous piano was once toured by late pop star George Michael as a symbol of peace in the early 2000s and hasn't been played in a performance since 2007. It is now on loan to the Strawberry Field exhibition, courtesy of Michael's estate. The upright Steinway piano, purchased by the singer-songwriter in 2000 was delivered to Strawberry Field on Oct. 2, 2020, to mark what would have been John's 80th birthday. It is now on display in the Strawberry Field exhibition. Tickets to the exhibition can be purchased on the Strawberry Field website. - Music-News.com/NME, 5/25/21...... 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 John's AIDS Foundation site. - NME, 5/30/21...... Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley has finalized her divorce with her husband Michael Lockwood five years after they split. Presley and Lockwood were married for a decade and share twin 12-year-old daughters and although the feuding couple will continue to litigate various issues, a judge signed off on their marriage's dissolution on May 26. Presley previously urged the judge overseeing the pair's divorce and custody battle to officially end her marriage so she could get on with her life, claiming Lockwood refused to agree to terminate their union. She requested a bifurcation, allowing her to become legally single, in March. In the court hearing, Lockwood's lawyer said his client "has no desire to stay married to this woman," adding, "He wants to get on with his life." The union was the latest in a string of failed marriages by Lisa Marie -- she was previously wed to Michael Jackson, Danny Keough and Nicolas Cage. - Music-News.com, 5/27/21...... Pioneering folk musician Patrick Sky, a member of the '60s Greenwich Village folk scene, passed away on May 27 in a in Asheville, N.C., after a bout with prostate and bone cancer. He was 80. He had previously been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017. Mr. Sky was most known for his highly provocative satirical record Songs That Made America Famous, which was recorded in 1971 but wasn't released until some years later, following difficulties trying to get a record label to sign off on the profanities. Fellow musician and friend, Eric Andersen, paid tribute to Mr. Sky on May 27 in a post praising his "brilliant mind and insightful soul." "Well, today's a big, big sad day for me personally and for all of us songwriter music lovers. The dark? Well, he finally got there..." he wrote in a statement on Facebook. Born in Georgia, Mr. Sky grew up in Louisiana and served in the army before becoming part of Florida's burgeoning folk scene. It was there he met Buffy St. Marie and proceeded to move to New York, where he recorded her debut album. Later in his career, Mr. Sky turned more towards traditional folk music, reflective of his Irish roots. In the '70s, the part Creek Indian, part Irish singer-songwriter visited Ireland and set out to learn -- and build -- the Uilleann pipes. Mr. Sky went on to start the Celtic folk label Green Linnet, and serve as a Rhode Island state planner on Native American affairs. Mr. Sky is survived by his wife Cathy Larson Sky and son Liam Sky. - NME, 5/31/21...... Veteran TV actor Gavin MacLeod, who played a wise-cracking news writer on the classic 1970s sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the hospitable cruise ship captain on The Love Boat, died on the morning of May 29 at his home in Palm Desert, Calif. He was 90. Mr. MacLeod's ex-wife Joan Devore told TMZ.com that MacLeod had been hospitalized over the past few months with various illnesses, though his actual cause of death was unclear. Born Allan See on Feb. 28, 1931, in Mount Kisco, N.Y., Mr. MacLeod changed his name to Gavin because he liked it and his last name to MacLeod as a tribute to his college acting teacher. The United States Air Force veteran launched his career at the age of 26 when he landed a role on The Walter Winchell File. Mr. MacLeod often played villains on TV before being cast in the acerbic comic role of Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which ran on CBS from 1970-1977 and was one of the most honoured shows of its decade, winning 29 Emmy Awards. After that ended, Mr. MacLeod was signed for the starring role of Captain Merrill Stubing on ABC's The Love Boat, which ran for 10 seasons from 1977-1987. The series, which featured guests stars in each episode as passengers looking for romance aboard a cruise ship, was not a favorite of critics -- a New York Times reviewer once called it "a dreadful porridge" -- but it was frequently amusing and popular with viewers. Mr. MacLeod also had a regular role on the World War II situation comedy McHale's Navy from 1962 to 1964 but frequently played bad guys like a character named Big Chicken in the CBS crime drama Hawaii Five-O. Other TV credits include The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Untouchables, Dr. Kildare, Rawhide, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Man from U.N.C.L.E., My Favorite Martian, Hogan's Heroes, Combat!, The Big Valley, The Andy Griffith Show, It Takes a Thief, The Flying Nun, The King of Queens and That '70s Show. He also appeared in supporting roles in several prominent movies as well including Kelly's Heroes (1970), with Clint Eastwood, and Operation Petticoat (1959) with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. In 2013, the star opened up about his years-long struggle with depression and alcohol in his autobiography, This Is Your Captain Speaking: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith & Life. "I've gotten to do what I wanted to do. I've been a captain!' MacLeod told People. Mr. MacLeod was recently seen in February when he joined his Love Boat co-stars for a virtual charity reunion on SiriusXM radio's Stars In The House. "My heart is broken. Gavin was my brother, my partner in crime (and food) and my comic conspirator," Mr. MacLeod's Mary Tyler Moore Show co-star Ed Asner posted on Twitter. "I will see you in a bit Gavin. Tell the gang I will see them in a bit. Betty! It's just you and me now," he added. Mr. MacLeod had four children from his first marriage, which ended in divorce, and three stepchildren from his second marriage. - Variety, 5/29/21.

In a new interview with BBC Radio 2 host Johnny Walker, Ozzy Osbourne hailed late Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister as his personal "rock god." Ozzy and Lemmy were close friends, and Lemmy co-wrote a wide array of Osbourne's solo tracks before he succumbed to cancer in 2015, including "Mama, I'm Coming Home." "My rock god is Lemmy Kilmister," Ozzy told Walker. "Lemmy was a guy -- he shot from the hip every time. 'That sucks,' or, 'I like that... I'm good at starting lyrics, but I can't finish them. And he'd go -- he'd write a bunch of lyrics for my songs -- 'Mama, I'm Coming Home.' So, I'd give him a tape, and I had this book on World War II. I haven't read it and I told him, 'Tell me what you think. And I have a bunch of these lyrics -- whenever you can...' I'm thinking, it's gonna be a week." Ozzy said Kilmister not only finished the lyrics in four hours, but also read the WW2 book within that time -- "He was a speed-reader!" The pair were also frequent tour mates -- including a final run of shows in South America in 2015 which proved to be the first indicator of Lemmy's ill health. - New Musical Express, 5/26/21...... 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 No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan, was released. In addition to being an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Dylan is the recipient of such honors as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 10 Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. He released his first original music in eight years in 2020. - Music-News.com, 5/24/21...... Taj Jackson, the nephew of Michael Jackson, and other members of the Jackson clan are calling for a fresh investigation into British journalist Martin Bashir's notorious 1995 interview with the King of Pop after a recent independent inquiry by Lord Dyson found that Bashir engaged in "deceitful behaviour" to gain access to Princess Diana for a landmark interview in 1995. Dyson's report also concluded that Bashir's actions to secure the interview amounted to a "serious breach" of BBC editorial policy, which the corporation subsequently covered up. In 2003, Bashir attracted international attention for presenting Living with Michael Jackson, an ITV documentary where he followed the late pop icon's life over the course of eight months. The film became steeped in notoriety after it saw Jackson admitting to sharing his bed with young boys, but he remained adamant that there was no sexual element to the interactions. Months later, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation but he was acquitted of all charges in 2005. Appearing on Good Morning Britain on May 24, Taj Jackson asserted his uncle had been "betrayed" by Bashir's film. "It's the betrayal aspect of it, someone that you let into your life and you trust," Taj said. "My uncle felt safe with him, and safe that he would portray him in the right light. My uncle looked at him as a friend, and through the voiceovers and the editing, really stabbed him in the back. I always had faith that journalism meant something, and that day that faith died." Taj also called for an investigation in a post on Twitter, saying: "This was a man who was let into my uncle's life, trusted... and then pretty much destroyed my uncle's persona, I would say, when my uncle was looking to rehabilitate it." Jackson, who died in 2009, once said the film left him feeling "more betrayed than perhaps ever before." - NME, 5/24/21...... 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 Twitter. "Bernie Taupin's 21st Birthday and, last night, his 71st," wrote McCormack as he shared the snaps on Instagram. "50 years later and I got to be Paul Lynde! 15-year-old me would be losing his mind!" Elton also took to social media to celebrate the birthday of his long-term songwriter and close friend: "Celebrating the milestone birthday of my musical soulmate. Happy Birthday Brother, I love you." - NME, 5/25/21...... Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant revealed on the latest edition of his Digging Deep podcast that he's assembled a personal archive of unreleased music and artwork over the coronavirus lockdown that will be publicly released "when I kick the bucket." Plant told his co-host Matt Everitt that he'd spent the past year "in Worcestershire, Shropshire, the Welsh borders; just walking, painting, drawing." He then revealed that, due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, he'd had ample time recently to "put my house in order." "All the adventures that I've ever had with music and tours, album releases, projects that didn't actually get finished or whatever it is -- I just put them, itemised them all, and put everything into some semblance of order," Plant noted. "So I've completely changed the set-up. I've told the kids when I kick the bucket, open it to the public free of charge -- just to see how many silly things there were down the line from 1966 to now. It's a journey," he added. As well as the prospect of unreleased music, Plant revealed that his archive also includes personal items from his collection. "[I] found a letter from my mum that said: 'Look, you've been a very naughty boy, why don't you come back, because Sue wants to know where you've gone. And also, the accountancy job is still open in Stourport-on-Severn. Why don't you just come back home and we'll just pretend all this stuff didn't happen? And I hadn't opened the letter until about three months ago!" Plant's acclaimed Digging Deep podcast returned on May 24 for a fourth series, featuring six brand new episodes to be broadcast every other week through Aug. 2. This time around the series has more of a British feel to it with music by Scott Matthews, Afro Celt Sound System, transplanted Brit Chrissie Hynde, in addition to his long time American collaborator, Alison Krauss. It is available everywhere including YouTube, Apple, Spotify and Amazon. Plant will be one of the headliners at the 2021 Black Deer Festival, which is set to take place in Kent, UK in June. - NME, 5/25/21...... In a new SiriusXM radio interview, Ringo Starr credited the Beatles' "psychic" connection for their becoming the best band in the world. Ringo insisted no other act can top the Fab Four -- which was also comprised of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison -- because they shared a telepathic bond when performing live. "I don't care what anyone says," Ringo explained. "We knew each other and it was like psychic. I would be playing drums with my eyes closed and the headphones on and would know John was going to go somewhere. I'd drum in that and hold it together while they went mad and then bring it back," he added. Ringo also recently revealed he nearly missed out on being one of the Beatles because he'd planned to move to America. Ringo said that age 19, he and a friend decided to emigrate to the States but they were put off when they saw how many forms they had to fill in, and he often reflects on how different his life could have been. "I love the blues and wanted to go and live in Houston because I wanted to be where Lightnin' Hopkings was -- my all-time favorite blues player.... I often look back on my life and think, 'what if I'd gone and lived in America? Because who knows where I'd have been now," Starr said. - Music-News.com, 5/22/21...... In other Beatles-related news, John Lennon's youngest son Sean Ono Lennon has shared a lengthy thread on Twitter about political correctness. In the May 24 post, Sean shared his experiences growing up with a Japanese mother. "When I was young ppl used to say racist shit about Asians around me all the time and then be like 'Oh sorry! But you're not reeeally Asian so...' and I think they sincerely thought that would make me feel better," he wrote. "I'm not exactly sure why I brought that up but I think it's because I want to say that I grew up in a time when there was zero political correctness." Lennon went on to explain how he believes political correctness and "morality policing" is "arguably" making things worse. "Race relations seem to be in the middle of a 'two steps back' moment," he wrote, citing current events as well as racist direct messages he has been receiving. "I am very sad that I feel like I have to say the following but here goes: Asians are not the problem. Blacks are not the problem. Jews are not the problem," he wrote. "And yes, Whites are not the problem either. No race or culture is 'the problem. I have lived in many cities and countries and I can say from experience that there is an EQUAL distribution of shitty ppl and good ppl in EVERY human population." Lennon clarified that he's not blaming political correctness for "all of the bad things we are seeing in culture today," but he did write, "I am simply saying we should check our strategy if we are not getting the results we intended." - NME, 5/25/21...... 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 YouTube. Directed by D.J. Viola, the documentary chronicles the band's 50-year career with founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley reflecting on their extensive careers. Other featured artists in the film include Dave Grohl and Tom Morello. The four-hour Biography: KISSstory will air on cable channel A&E over two evenings in the US on June 27 and June 28 from 9-11pm ET/PT. A UK release date has yet to be confirmed, and the project is separate from another forthcoming KISS documentary produced for Netflix, Shout It Out Loud. - NME, 5/22/21...... A new graphic novel detailing late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury's life is set to be released via Z2 Comics in November. Freddie Mercury: Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs is inspired by Mercury's life and words and, according to a press release, "will be a journey through Freddie's life; from his childhood in Zanzibar, through his formative years in England, to becoming the rock star known and loved by millions around the globe." The story, written by Tres Dean and illustrated by Kyla Smith, Robin Richardson and other illustrators, will be told in Mercury's own words, with each chapter giving a glimpse into the many facets of his life. The 136-page softcover and hardcover editions of the graphic novel are available for pre-order now at the Z2 Comics site. - NME, 5/22/21...... 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, Blondie: Vivir En La Habana will be released on July 16 ahead of the film's premiere which will take place at Sheffield Doc/Fest later this year. Directed by Rob Roth, the short film documents their 2019 live debut in Cuba, and a trailer has been shared on YouTube. The EP includes performances of "Heart Of Glass," "Rapture," "The Tide is High" and "Wipe Off My Sweat," a video for the latter track shared on YouTube. An official statement says of the film: "It is a dream-like portrait of this legendary band's first experience in Havana and of the magical exchange between musicians from the two cities each call home and their intertwined influence." - NME, 5/22/21...... Stevie Nicks, country star George Straight, and current pop faves Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus will be among the headliners of the 2021 Austin City Limits festival this Oct. 1-3 and Oct. 8-10 at Zilker Park in Austin, Tex. As is the case with its sister festival Lollapalooza in Illinois, Austin City Limits is returning with a full capacity two-weekend event to mark its 20th anniversary edition. Tickets to ACL 2021 went on sale on May 20, and ticket options include: three-day general admission ($275); four-day general admission+ ($550); four-day VIP ($1,300), and four-day platinum ($3,800). ACL is one of hundreds of US festivals, including Tennessee's Bonnaroo and Delaware's Firefly Festival, planning to run in 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic. - NME, 5/21/21...... A deluxe reissue of the soundtrack of director Cameron Crowe's acclaimed '70s-themed 1999 film Almost Famous is set to be released on July 9, in both 5-CD super deluxe, 2-LP 180-gram black vinyl, and digital form. For the first time, all of the music featured in the film will be released in one package. The expanded track list includes songs by Led Zeppelin, The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, The Who, and Fleetwood Mac. Six original songs from the film's fictional band Stillwater, including "Fever Dog," will be included in the reissue, as well as demos and jams from the band. Unreleased songs will include a cast rendition of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer," and a remix and edit of The Who's "Amazing Journey/Sparks" as arranged by director Crowe. Nancy Wilson's original score will also be featured, along with 14 outtakes. For more modest budgets, a 2-CD soundtrack version will also be released. Alongside the newly expanded soundtrack, Paramount Home Entertainment will release the film for the first time on 4K Ultra HD on July 13. - NME, 5/21/21...... Roger Hawkins, the drummer who helped shape Alabama's famed Muscle Shoals music scene, died on May 20 following an extended illness and several years of health struggles, according to AL.com. He was 75. The Muscle Shoals Music Foundation announced his death on Instagram, posting "Our hearts are breaking today as the heartbeat of 'The Swampers' drummer Roger Hawkins passed away this afternoon at his home in Sheffield. He was 75. Jerry Wexler called Roger, 'the greatest drummer of all time'. Roger was a kind and generous man who loved family, friends and his fellow musicians. As a member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section also more casually known as The Swampers, Hawkins worked with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett at Muscle Shoals' FAME Studios in the 1960s. Hawkins left FAME in 1969, co-founding the new Muscle Shoals Sound with funding help from super-producer Jerry Wexler in nearby Sheffield, Ala. Cher's 3614 Jackson Highway was the first album recorded there, with the singer borrowing the studio's address for its title. Hawkins went on to work with Paul Simon, Ry Cooder, Steve Winwood, Art Garfunkel, Rod Stewart and Bobby Womack. - NME, 5/21/21.