Dusty Hill, ZZ Top's bassist for more than 50 years, died on July 28 according to a statement on from the band on Instagram. He was 72. In the statement, Hill's bandmates Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard said that "We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the 'Top'. 
We will forever be connected to that 'Blues Shuffle in C'. You will be missed greatly, amigo." Earlier in July, Gibbons and Beard played their first performances without Hill in more than 50 years, stating that the bassist had been forced to seek medical attention "to address a hip issue," according to a statement on Facebook, although his ailment was apparently more serious than they let on. "Per Dusty's request the show must go on!," the statement continued, and the band's longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, filled in. Hill's cause of death has not yet been determined, and it is unclear if it is related to the hip injury. Born in Joseph Hill in Dallas in 1949, Dusty played cello in high school, which made for an easy transition to electric bass. He, his guitarist brother Rocky and future fellow ZZ Top bandmate Beard, a drummer, played in local bands such as the Warlocks, the Cellar Dwellers and American Blues, working the same Texas touring circuits as ace guitarist Billy Gibbons' band, the Moving Sidewalks. The brothers parted company in 1968 over musical differences, and Hill and Beard moved to Houston, where they eventually united with Gibbons in ZZ Top. Gibbons had formed the band in 1969 and recorded a one-off independent single produced by manager Bill Ham, who would remain with them for decades. The act's original bassist introduced the guitarist to Beard; Hill would join Gibbons and Beard for a gig in Beaumont, Tex., on Feb. 10, 1970. The lineup remained the same for more than five decades: They celebrated their 50th anniversary at a San Antonio concert in February 2020. Launched on London Records in 1971, the Houston-bred threesome secured its first major hit with the No. 8 LP Tres Hombres in 1973; the set included the raunchy single "La Grange," a homage to the notorious bordello The Chicken Ranch in the like-named Texas city. Another top 10 album, Fandango!, followed in 1975, powered by the FM-staple single "Tush." Half of that album was recorded live in New Orleans, and captured the band's powerful blues-rock groove. By the end of the '70s, the band's potent brand of gutsy, no-frills blues 'n' boogie had made it one of America's top concert attractions, and its elaborate 1976 Worldwide Texas Tour featured actual livestock on stage. 
ZZ Top moved from London Records to Warner Bros. in 1979 for Deguello, which sold 1 million copies. ZZ Top then moved to another level of popularity with 1983's Eliminator, which achieved "diamond" status (10 million records sold) and found Gibbons and his band mates experimenting with new technologies -- guitar loops, manipulated vocals and synthesized bass and drums -- that refreshed their sound. In the wake of the follow-up, Recycler, the band was cast as themselves in director Bob Zemeckis' 1990 movie Back to the Future III. In 1994, ZZ Top exited Warner Bros. for a highly publicized $35 million pact with RCA Records, and released a platinum-selling album Antenna, which was followed by XXX (1999), Mescolero (2003) and La Futura (2012). ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and the group charted a total of seven albums in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Those paying tributes to Hill on social media include John Fogerty, who noted "the show we did together just last week would be his last... So heartbreaking," Ozzy Osbourne ("My thoughts go out to @BillyfGibbons and Frank Beard and all the #ZZTop fans around the world"), Paul Stanley ("What an icon. @ZZTop's bassist forever. So unique." and Bootsy Collins ("Danggit! We lost another loving Giant legend of the Rock & Roll Empire, Mr. Dusty Hill."). The contemporary rock band Foo Fighters also included a ZZ Top medley in their July 28 concert at Madison Square Garden in tribute to Hill. Billy Gibbons has reportedly said that ZZ Top will go on in a July 29 interview with SiriusXM radio host Eddie Trunk. "As Dusty said upon his departure, 'Let the show go on!' And... with respect, we'll do well to get beyond this and honor his wishes," he was quoted as saying. The band's U.S. tour is currently scheduled to run through the end of the year, with the final show set for Dec. 12 in Midland, Tex. - Variety.com/Billboard, 7/28/21.
Queen's Brian May has shared a new reworked version of his 1992 single "Too Much Love Will Kill You" on YouTube. The track originally appeared on May's debut solo album Back To The Light, which is being reissued on Aug. 6, and May calls it "in a way, the most important song I ever wrote." "'Too Much Love Will Kill You' is a big, long story and the version that you hear on Back to the Light is the original," May explained in a statement. "It has the original keyboard that I played when we were writing the song. Me and Frank Musker, and his lady friend at the time, were in a room and it was like a therapy session for me. I was just pouring out all these words because I felt like I was trapped. I was in a place that I could never, ever get out of. All I could do is write about it. This is the only song I wrote in that probably nine months or a year period." A number of bonus tracks will also be released on a second disc of the reissue titled Out of the Light. - New Musical Express, 7/30/21...... 
Bruce Springsteen has "respectfully declined" to allow his name to be used for a New Jersey rest stop in his honor. The state has announced plans to honor a number of its famous native sons, including Jon Bon Jovi, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Toni Morrison, James Gandofini and Toni Morrison, along the Garden State Parkway as part of Gov. Phil Murphy's plan to expand the New Jersey Hall Of Fame. Springsteen, however, is reported to have declined the proposal according to a statement by NJHOF spokeswoman Natasha Alagarasan. "Bruce Springsteen respectfully declined to have a service area named after him," she said in a statement. The rest stops will also feature a display curated by the New Jersey Hall Of Fame, including exhibits, artefacts and a video monitor that screens vignettes on the inductees as well as posters designed by New Jersey architect Michael Grave. - NME, 7/29/21...... In other Springsteen-related news, a mega-concert in Central Park co-headlined by Springsteen, Paul Simon, Journey, Jennifer Hudson, The Killers and LL Cool J will go ahead as planned on Aug. 21 despite new concern over the Covid-19 Delta variant. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio joined music industry legend Clive Davis, who is co-producing the concert, for a press conference on July 27, unveiling details of what de Blasio promised will be a "historic," "blockbuster" event. Officially titled "We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert," the event is set for Aug. 21 at 5 p.m., and the concert will be broadcast live globally on CNN with 80% of tickets free. While de Blasio initially proposed having vaccinated and unvaccinated sections, he said that attendees will be required to present proof of vaccination. "New York City is back. You can see it, you can feel it, and it's time to celebrate on the Great Lawn," de Blasio said. His office has been rolling out media campaigns to encourage vaccination among residents who are reluctant to get the shot, and the mayor continued to urge New Yorkers to get vaccinated at the press conference, calling the vaccine "the number-one savior." "If you want to go to this concert," he said, "get vaccinated." - Billboard, 7/27/21..... Elton John has debunked recent claims concerning HIV and AIDS made by rapper DaBaby after DaBaby launched into a headline-making homophobic tirade about the disease during his set at Rolling Loud Miami. During his set, DaBaby shouted to his fans, "If you didn t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up! Ladies, if your p---y smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up! Fellas, if you ain t sucking d--- in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up!" In the caption of his July 28 Instagram post, Elton laid out a series of important facts, including that HIV has affected more than 70 million people globally, and that gay Black men in America have a 50% chance of contracting the virus in their lifetime due largely to "stigma and shame around HIV and homosexuality." Perhaps in the most poignant critique of DaBaby's comments, John also stressed the importance of understanding how HIV treatment has evolved to the point of being able to effectively bring a person's viral load to undetectable levels, meaning the virus can no longer be transmitted to others. "You can live a long and healthy life with HIV," John wrote. "Treatment is so advanced that with one pill a day, HIV can become undetectable in your body so you can t pass it onto other people. DaBaby walked back his comments about HIV and AIDS on July 27, though firmly held his ground on the remainder of his comments. "Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV, y'all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies. But the LGBT community... I ain't trippin on y'all, do you. Y'all business is y'all business," he wrote. - Billboard, 7/28/21...... 
Stevie Nicks has reflected on the 40th anniversary of her hit 1981 solo debut Bella Donna in a lengthy message on Twitter, noting the album "did not break up Fleetwood Mac." In the July 27 post, Nicks revealed the album's title track "was written about my boyfriend's mother who was involved with a man in Chile during the coup that happened there in 1973." "The man she loved was banished to France. Banished -- or imprisoned, that was the choice. The love story never really ended, but she never saw him again. I was so touched by this story of lost love that I wrote 'Bella Donna'," she added. Nicks revealed that the moment she finished the song was the moment she knew she had the basis for her first solo record, which she believed in "from the bottom of my heart." The story of her boyfriend's mother changed the way she looked at love, a concept she would explore later throughout her first album. "It defined how I would feel about love forever," she said of "Bella Donna." "It broke my heart and gave me the strength to fight for it." She added that "Bella Donna" "opened the doors" for her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, as well as other female artists, "the thing I am most proud of." Nicks was inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist in Mar. 2019, and 1998 with Fleetwood Mac. - Billboard, 7/28/21...... In other Fleetwood Mac-related news, former band member Lindsey Buckingham said he thinks his firing from Fleetwood Mac in 2018 "has harmed the band's legacy" during a new interview on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast which became available on July 29. Buckingham, who was replaced by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' Mike Campbell and Crowded House's Neil Finn, told host Marc Maron that he'd asked the band for "an extra three months" to put out a solo album and take it on tour in the US before resuming his duties with FM. "There was certainly one person who did not want to bestow that on me," Buckingham said, before confirming that the individual in question was Stevie Nicks. "To be fair, everyone was anxious to get on the road but we've all made time for each other's [side-projects]. I've been in the band for 43 years for God's sake... Jesus! That sort of led to other things that kind of built up around that. And then it just got to the point where someone [Nicks] just didn't want to work with me anymore. And other people [in the group] were perhaps not feeling empowered enough to stand up for me when possibly they should have or could have." Buckingham continued: "I'm not saying that I can't be hard to get along with sometimes, but if you put it in a larger context of all the things that Fleetwood Mac has been through and what we've risen above in order to keep our eye on the larger picture and in order to fulfil our destiny over and over again... What was most disappointing about it to me was not, 'Oh, I'm not gonna get to do this tour'. What it was [is] again, we spent 43 years building this legacy which was about rising above things -- it stood for more than the music. And by allowing this to happen through some levels of weakness -- my own weakness included -- I think we did some harm to that legacy. And that's a shame." Buckingham went on to say that he has not been in contact with Nicks since his departure, apart from when she sent him a letter following his heart attack in 2019. - NME, 7/29/21...... The Grateful Dead has teamed up with iconic clothing manufacture Levi's to unveil a new capsule collection of t-shirts, denim jackets, sweatshirts and more -- all complete with hints of tie dye, iconic Grateful Dead graphics and tour dates. "Tune in, turn on, rock out. Our collab with the Grateful Dead features iconic graphics, special denim pieces, customizations -- and an immortal concert tee," the company posted on Twitter. "We wanted to do something that felt authentically rooted in the Grateful Dead's incredibly rich and unique history, so we dug deep into some of their more nuanced graphics and storytelling," Levi's exec Karyn Hillman said in a statement. "It's a deep dive into Grateful Dead's storied narrative and devoted fan base, only remixed through a contemporary lens," she added. The Levi's GD line is the latest in a string of officially licensed GD items recently made available online, including an officially licensed "Terrapin Station bobblehead" currently available on Amazon.com. - Billboard, 7/27/21...... 
The CNN-produced Linda Ronstadt documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice has been nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary category. Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the documentary looks at the singer's career peaks in the '70s and '80s, and the grace that she has shown in dealing with the degenerative condition (progressive supranuclear palsy) that has stilled her remarkable singing voice. The film also brought Ronstadt her 11th competitive Grammy win in Mar. 2021 (she also received a lifetime achievement award in 2016). The other nominees in the Emmy category include the Miles Davis PBS documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, along with docs on Harry Belafonte and Walter Mercado broadcast on Peacock and Netflix, respectively. The Emmy awards will be presented in two ceremonies in late September. - Billboard, 7/27/21...... Joni Mitchell is set to release the recordings of two sets at a Canadian coffee shop that were recorded by none other than Jimi Hendrix. Mitchell's performances at Ottawa's Le Hibou Coffee House were captured by Hendrix in March 1968 during a two week residency by Mitchell ahead of the release of her debut album, Song To A Seagull. Hendrix had performed at the nearby Capitol Theatre earlier that evening, and even noted plans to record her performance in his diary. "Talked with Joni Mitchell on the phone. I think I'll record her tonight with my excellent tape recorder (knock on wood)... hmmm... can't find any wood... everything's plastic," he wrote. The recording, which will feature on Mitchell's upcoming collection Joni Mitchell Archives - Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971), was captured while Hendrix sat on the floor at the front of the stage. Recalling the performance in the new collection's sleeve notes, Mitchell said: "They came and told me, 'Jimi Hendrix is here, and he's at the front door.' I went to meet him. He had a large box. He said to me, 'My name is Jimi Hendrix. I'm on the same label as you. Reprise Records.' We were both signed about the same time. He said, 'I'd like to record your show. Do you mind?' I said, 'no, not at all.' There was a large reel-to-reel tape recorder in the box. The stage was only about a foot off the ground. He knelt at edge of the stage, with a microphone, at my feet. All during the show, he kept twisting knobs. He was engineering it, I don't know what he was controlling, volume? He was watching the needles or something, messing with knobs. He beautifully recorded this tape. Of course I played part of the show to him. He was right below me." Hendrix's tape was stolen a few days later and presumed to be lost, but it recently resurfaced in a private collection donated to the Library and Archives Canada (LAC), and returned to Mitchell. Mitchell's performance of one of the songs from the set, "The Dawntreader," has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 7/29/21...... 
The life and career of country/pop legend Willie Nelson will be the focus of the multi-part docuseries Willie Nelson and Family from Blackbird Presents and Sight Unseen, it was announced on July 27. Nelson, 88, will participate in the docuseries, as will many of his family and friends. With the aim of making the "definitive docuseries" of the entertainer's career, the project's filmmakers will also benefit from access to Nelson's archives from his seven decades in music. Filmmakers Thom Zimny (Springsteen on Broadway, Elvis Presley: The Searcher, The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash) and Oren Moverman (The Messenger) will co-direct the docuseries, with production already underway in Austin, Los Angeles, Maui, Nashville, and New York. Sight Unseen, Moverman's production company, serves as producing and financing partner. - Billboard, 7/27/21...... Blondie have announced a new NFT collaboration with Hackatao to celebrate the 93rd birthday of legendary pop artist Andy Warhol. The "crypto art series," dubbed "Hack The Borders," will be be released through digital art online auction platform Nifty Gateway in August. The artwork is based upon Warhol's first ever digital portrait of Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry, shot in 1985 and currently available for viewing on Twitter. The one-of-a-kind artwork, which Blondie have called "a present day manifestation of the punk rock movement," will land on Aug. 6 via Nifty Gateway, to celebrate what would've been Warhol's 93rd birthday. - NME, 7/28/21...... Whitesnake and Foreigner have announced a co-headlining UK and Ireland tour with special guests Europe next year to kick off on May 10, 2022 in Dublin. "I pray every day we can all make this happen and once again, share unforgettable evenings together and celebrate the amazing journey we have been on for almost 50 years!" said Whitesnake's David Coverdale in a statement. Mick Jones of Foreigner added: "We can't wait to kick off the summer in the UK and Ireland with a massive tour alongside our friends Whitesnake and Europe. We're looking forward to playing all our biggest hits for our fans, and rocking across the country." The tour will also visit Glasgow (5/12/22), Newcastle Upon Tyne (5/14/22), London (5/16/22), Manchester (5/18/22), Nottingham (5/20/22), Birmingham (5/22/22) and Cardiff (5/25/22). - NME, 7/27/21...... Bob Marley's widow Rita Marley has announced a new scholarship to be awarded to three Jamaican women each year, aiming to empower "women from the lower socio-economic stratum of Jamaica's society." In a statement given to Billboard, Sharon Marley, Rita's daughter and ex-member of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, said, "Providing scholarships for young women needing assistance to complete their educational goals -- thus maintaining and bringing high standards to their communities -- is a big part of Dr. Rita Marley's vision." In addition to the scholarship announcement, Rita Marley celebrated her 75th birthday on July 24 with a livestream tribute concert on her official YouTube channel. - NME, 7/26/21...... John Hutchinson, an early collaborator of David Bowie's who played guitar on an early demo of Bowie's iconic track "Space Oddity," passed away in a UK hospital on July 24 following a long period of illness. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of John Hutchinson who passed in hospital yesterday after a long illness," a post on the official David Bowie Twitter page reads. Hutchinson was described as "a semi-retiered and little-known jazz guitarist and a veteran of three important David Bowie bands for seven years between 1966 and 1973." Perhaps Hutchinson's most notable contribution to Bowie's legacy is his involvement in the creation of "Space Oddity," playing guitar on multiple early versions. In February of 1969, Bowie and Hutchinson recorded the earliest version of "Space Oddity," with Hutchinson playing guitar and Bowie playing the Stylophone. The official studio version of "Space Oddity," which appears on Bowie's self-titled 1969 album, does not include Hutchinson. However, the demo later featured on both a 2009 reissue of the album, along with a 73 single collection titled the Clareville Grove Demos in 2019. It can also be heard on YouTube. In 1973, Bowie asked Hutchinson to join the Spiders from Mars as a touring member, performing 12-string guitar on Bowie's Aladdin Sane tours in the US, UK and Japan. - NME, 7/27/21...... 
Tom Jones has announced a new set of UK tour dates in 2021 in support of his recent UK chart-topping album Surrounded By Time. Sir Tom is now set to tour in the UK in December, launching on Dec. 5 in Glasgow, then hitting Manchester (12/6), Birmingham (12/8) and London (12/9). "We're delighted to have Tom Jones, one of the UK's most seminal artists, join the roster of our "Welcome Back Show" series, and we can't wait for what promises to be a special evening," Marc Saunders, Programming Manager at London's The O2, said in a statement. - NME, 7/26/21...... In an Instagram post on July 25, Lynyrd Skynyrd said its co-founding guitarist Gary Rossington is expected to make a full recovery following an emergency heart surgery earlier in July. Rossington, who is 69 and the band's sole surviving original member, is currently at "home resting and recovering with his family" and wants fans to know that he "expects a full recovery," the group wrote on July 23 on Facebook. Earlier in the week, Skynyrd singer Johnny Van Zant told the crowd at Minnesota's Twin Cities Summer Jam that Rossington had to undergo an "emergency stent put in his heart." He also noted that guitarist Damon Johnson would fill in for Rossington while he recovers from surgery. "After this past year, the country being shut down and everything we have all been thru, The Rossington's encouraged the band to go perform in his absence," Skynyrd continued on Facebook. "Music is a powerful healer! We all felt playing the shows and bringing the music to y'all was a better option than cancelling the performances." Lynyrd Skynyrd currently has tour dates scheduled through late November. This isn't the first time Rossington -- who formed Lynyrd Skynyrd with Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Larry Junstrom and Bob Burns in 1964 -- has experienced heart problems. The guitarist suffered a heart attack in Oct. 2015 and had to undergo emergency heart surgery the following year. The band was also forced to postpone shows in 2019 while he had a heart valve repaired. - Billboard, 7/25/21...... Clarence "Mac" McDonald, a keyboardist, producer, songwriter and arranger who collaborated with the likes of Ray Charles, Bill Withers, James Taylor and Cheech & Chong, died on July 21 in Las Vegas after a long battle with cancer. He was 76. In the 1960s, The L.A.-born McDonald served as the musical director and pianist for The Vocals -- an opening act for Ray Charles that was a forerunner of The 5th Dimension -- and later played keyboards on "Moving on Up", the theme song to the 1975-85 CBS sitcom The Jeffersons that was performed by actress Ja'Net DuBois and a gospel choir. He made songwriting contributions to Deniece Williams' 1976 debut album This Is Niecy, and played on songs including James Taylor's 1975 classic "How Sweet It Is" and Ray Charles and Gladys Knight's "Heaven Help Us All," from Charles' final album, 2004's Genius Loves Company. He was also the only musician heard on Cheech & Chong's seminal 1972 comedy album Big Bambu. McDonald went on to work with such other acclaimed artists as The Temptations, Carole King, The Jackson 5, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Hall & Oates, Nancy Wilson and Tina Turner during his 50-plus-year career. Survivors include his wife, Susan. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/27/21...... 
Ron Popeil, an inventor and the face of infomercials for "as-seen-on-TV" products like Showtime Rotisserie and Pocket Fisherman, died on July 27 surrounded by family after undergoing a medical emergency at Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was 86. Mr. Popeil was best known for the "Set it and forget it" catchphrase used to sell Showtime Rotisserie in late-night infomercials. Long before air fryers became the kitchen appliance du jour, the countertop rotisserie appliance took the home cooking world by storm, having sold over $1 billion worth, according to TMZ.com. The mogul is also credited with coining the oft-used infomercial phrase, "But wait, there's more!" Following in the footsteps of his father, Ronco president Samuel "S.J." Popeil who invented the Chop-o-Matic and Veg-o-Matic, Mr. Popeil went on to create products himself including the Mr. Microphone (the first Karaoke machine), the Popeil Pocket Fisherman, the Buttoneer, the Smokeless Ashtray, Popeil's Electric Food Dehydrator, the Inside-the-Egg Scrambler, GLH-9 (Great Looking Hair Formula #9) Hair in a Can Spray, the Rhinestone Stud Setter (Later called the Bedazzler), the Cap Snaffler, the Popeil Automatic Pasta Maker and the Ronco Electric Food Dehydrator. His products can be seen in the Smithsonian Museum today. Perhaps due to the catchiness of his infomercials, Popeil was a hot figure himself, having been portrayed by Dan Aykroyd on a 1976 episode of Saturday Night Live. The SNL skit, which can be viewed on YouTube, saw Aykroyd poking fun of the infomercial style with a fictional "Bat-O-Matic" product. A celebrity in his own right, Mr. Popeil also made appearances on the likes of The X-Files, King of the Hill, The Simpsons, Old School and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. - The New York Post, 7/28/21.
Cher has offered to take beleaguered pop star Britney Spears on a tropical island vacation after Spears name-checked the legendary diva in a lengthy 
After 15 years of legal wrangling, the family of James Brown appears to have finally settled a feud over his estate, which has been valued at anywhere from $5 million to $100 per year. Six years before his death on Christmas Day 2006 at age 73, Brown had specified in a will that he would bequeath little to his heirs, other than a $2 million scholarship fund for his grandchildren. But his daughters Deanna Brown-Thomas and Yamma Brown, among others, found a way to inherit potentially millions of dollars. Although details of the July 9 settlement have not been mad public, several of the late Godfather of Soul's are likely to split up termination rights on the copyrights to Brown's 900 compositions, which according to U.S. law cannot be bequeathed as part of a will. The rights are potentially incredibly valuable -- the publisher portion of Brown's songs, including classics like "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" -- are due to "terminate" and revert to Brown's control under U.S. copyright law starting in the next few years. That allows the Brown heirs to license them to commercials, TV shows, movies and video games or sell them outright. Marc Toberoff, a lawyer for nine of Brown's heirs, says that "all matters" had been settled between the parties and that his clients were "very happy." The deal also paves way for Brown's dying wish to fund scholarships for disadvantaged children to finally be realized. It comes one year after a judge ruled Brown's longtime girlfriend Tommie Rae Hynie was not his legal wife so has no right to Brown's fortune. - Billboard, 7/22/21...... The Boss and a former POTUS are teaming up to release a new book entitled Renegades: Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen and former Pres. Barack Obama teamed up in February for an 8-part Spotify.com podcast conversation back in February, and now the two are coming together again to tell tales on a literary counterpart. Spanning 320 pages, Renegades: Born in the U.S.A. captures those conversations between the rock legend and the 44th U.S president, and features more than 350 color photos, illustrations, and never-before-seen archival content, according to a press release. "There were serious conversations about the fate of the country, the fortune of its citizens, and the destructive, ugly, corrupt forces at play that would like to take it all down," writes Springsteen in his introduction for the forthcoming book. "This is a time of vigilance when who we are is being seriously tested. Hard conversations about who we are and who we want to become can perhaps serve as a small guiding map for some of our fellow citizens," he continues. "This is a time for serious consideration of who we want to be and what kind of country we will leave our children." Springsteen and Obama first met back in 2008, and went on to form a deep friendship. Renegades: Born in The U.S.A. will arrive Oct. 26 via Penguin Random House in partnership with Higher Ground, the production company established by Barack and Michelle Obama. A trailer for the new book has been shared on 
On July 21 Eric Clapton was quoted as saying he will not play any live shows that require attendees to show proof that they've received the Covid-19 vaccine. The 76-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, who feared he would "never play again" after receiving both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, made his statement after U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a press conference on July 19 stating, "We're planning to make full vaccination the condition of entry to nightclubs and other venues where large crowds gather" by the end of September in England, where 35% of 18- to 30-year-olds have not had their first shot. Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said that nightclubs can be classified as "potential super spreading events" because of attendees being in close contact. Italian architect and film producer Robin Monotti Graziadei shared Clapton's announcement on Instagram's 
Dolly Parton has recreated her 1978 Playboy magazine cover in honor of her husband Carl Dean's 79th birthday. "Today is July 20th," Parton said in a 
The estate of Dr. John issued a statement on July 22 saying a forthcoming Dr. John documentary directed by The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach is unauthorized. Auerbach and Dr. John, who died in 2019, collaborated multiple times in the last decade of the latter's life, with Auerbach producing and playing guitar on John's Grammy Award-winning 2012 album Locked Down. Earlier in July, Auerbach announced he would make his directorial debut with a documentary about the singer-songwriter, in partnership with Radical Media and Impact Artist Productions. But in a new statement, Dr. John's estate announced the project does not have its blessing. "The Official Estate of Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., p/k/a Dr. John, clarifies that the Estate has not authorized the recently announced documentary on the life of Dr. John purportedly to be produced by Impact Artist Productions (and Management) and Radical Media," the statement reads. "For clarity, Impact Artist Productions (and Management) does not manage or speak for the Estate, which has its own team with, as Mac would say, a gang and a half of legalizers. The Estate thanks Mac's fans for their support and assures that the Estate will 'Walk On Guilded Splinters' to deliver new music and an officially authorized documentary, to be announced In The Right Place at the right time," it continued. When announcing the project, Auerbach said he was honoured to be directing the film, describing it as "a tale of true Americana." "[Dr. John] was such a unique individual and a shining example of the great melting pot of American music," he said. - NME, 7/22/21...... On July 21 Columbia/Legacy Records announced that the next edition of Bob Dylan's ongoing bootleg series, 
The famously politically-incorrect comedy legend Jackie Mason died on July 24 at the age of 93. Mr. Mason (real name Yacov Moshe Maza) began his career in the mid-1950s, appearing at New York City nightclubs. He also worked resorts in the Catskills region of New York state, known as the "Borscht Belt," that fostered such comics as Rodney Dangerfield, Jerry Lewis, Don Rickles and Phyllis Diller. In 1987, he received a special Tony Award for his solo show, "Jackie Mason's The World According to Me!," which ran for 573 performances. The self-titled show also netted him an Emmy award when it aired on television in 1988. Mr. Mason won a second Emmy for voicing Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, the father of Krusty the Clown, on The Simpsons in 1992. His film roles included 1979's The Jerk with Steve Martin, Mel Brooks' 1981 comedy, The History of the World: Part I, and 1988's Caddyshack II. The comedian's 1992 series, The Jackie Mason Show, featured a panel discussion format about the topics of the day, very much along the lines of Bill Maher's show Politically Incorrect, which premiered the following year and ran through 2002. When the comedian launched a one-man show in 1994, called Jackie Mason: Politically Incorrect, the cable network Comedy Central, which hosted the Maher show, unsuccessfully sued the veteran comic over the name. Mr. Mason retired from show business in 2012 and is survived by his wife, Jyll Rosenfeld, who he married in 1991, and a daughter. - Variety, 7/24/21.
Digital art made by the late Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia in his final days are being put up for sale on the NFT (non-fungible tokens) cryptocurrency marketplace YellowHeart. Garcia, when he wasn't busy penning jams for the Dead as its principal songwriter, lead guitarist and vocalist, was an early adapter of digital artwork. Now a partnership between Garcia's family and YellowHeart is selling a three-part collection titled "An Odd Little Place: The Digital Works of Jerry Garcia (1992-1995)." It includes 20 digital art pieces as well as tickets to a corresponding art exhibit of the same title at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The first drop kicked off on July 19 and included NFT tickets for an exclusive preview event with the Garcia family at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Aug. 5, the day before the exhibit opens to the public. On Aug. 1 -- what would have been Garcia's 79th birthday -- the first 17 pieces of limited-edition art will go on sale, priced between $400 and $2,500, and collectors will also have the option to acquire a physical, framed digital screen displaying their purchase. On Aug. 5, the three works created in Garcia's final hours will go up for auction as one-of-ones, with a physical, framed screen of the work included with each purchase. More info can be found on the 
The 5th Dimension veterans Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. have found themselves back in the limelight with their inclusion in the new concert film Summer of Soul, which includes never-released concert footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. "What's so beautiful is that the timing is so perfect," says McCoo of Summer of Soul. "Fifty years ago, the film might not have had the tremendous impact that it's having today. People are being blown away by all the iconic talent featured in the film," she added. McCoo and Davis are also working on Blackbird, their first album in 30 years, and are also among the 38 new Hollywood Walk of Fame honorees announced in June. "Now, all of a sudden, we're being noticed like we were years ago," says Davis of the Grammy-winning husband-and-wife duo. "It's a blessing." In tandem with the social justice and equality movement that reached a boiling point in the summer of 2020, McCoo and Davis weaved those themes into their latest project, Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons. Using the famous Beatles tune and album title track as a catalyst, the duo recorded nine more Lennon/McCartney compositions threaded in the same vein, among them "Help!," "The Long and Winding Road" and "The Fool on the Hill." Their cover of "Blackbird" has since been chosen by the Social Justice Learning Institute (sjli.org) as its "Summer of Equity" anthem. - Billboard, 7/15/21...... Elvis Costello has announced he is re-releasing his classic 1978 album This Year's Model, but as a new Spanish version that erases his vocals and replaces him with Spanish-language singers. Producer Sebastian Krys kept, and remixed, the original instrumental tracks recorded by Costello and his backing band, the Attractions. In a press release, Costello said he was inspired by television producer David Simon's request that he record his song "This Year's Girl" as a duet with singer Natalie Bergman for his show The Deuce. He said he had a dream where he heard This Year's Model sung in Spanish, and wanted to rerecord the album with hispanic singer Juanes. A video of Costello and the Attractions playing "Pump It Up" with Juanes has been shared on 
The surviving members of The Faces -- singer Rod Stewart, guitarist Ronnie Wood and drummer Kenney Jones -- are reportedly recording their first new music in four decades. In a new interview with the London Times, Wood said he met up with Stewart and Jones recently, in addition to catching up with his Rolling Stones bandmate Mick Jagger for a separate project. "I saw Mick [Jagger] here last week and Rod [Stewart] and Kenney [Jones] were here yesterday," Wood told the paper. "Me and Mick have done nine new tracks for the [40th anniversary] re-release of Tattoo You, and me, Rod and Kenney have been recording some new Faces music. I've had a front-row seat on some amazing rock'n'roll projects these past couple of weeks," Wood revealed. The Faces, who formed in 1969 from the ashes of The Small Faces, formally disbanded in 1975 after Stewart left the group. Around the same time, Wood began playing with the Rolling Stones. The Faces recorded four studio albums in their time, the last being 1973's Ooh La La. The band's last reunion performance was at the 2020 BRIT Awards, where Stewart, Wood and Jones closed the ceremony with a live rendition of "Stay With Me." Faces' founding keyboardist Ian McLagan died of a stroke in 2014, and bassist Ronnie Lane passed award more than a decade earlier in 1997. Wood, 74, is also involved in yet another new project -- a tribute to blues legend Jimmy Reed with former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor. - NME, 7/19/21...... In the latest episode of Queen's retrospective series Queen: The Greatest, surviving Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor revealed that late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury wrote "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" in the bath in 10 minutes as a rockabilly tribute to Elvis Presley. After May noted that Queen "got into this rather indulgent way of just bowling into the studio with no ideas, or very few ideas, and just doing it from scratch" and were trying to find a new tact after recording seven albums, May added that "The first thing we did was 'Crazy Little Thing...', and Fred did write the song in the bath in about 10 minutes." Speaking about Mercury's love of Presley, May said: "He was very fond of Elvis, and of Cliff [Richard], I have to say. Yeah, Freddie wrote it very quickly and rushed in and put it down with the boys. By the time I got there, it was almost done." "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" went onto be Queen's first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979, and reached No. 2 on the Official UK Singles Chart. - NME, 7/17/21...... AC/DC has authorized two new craft beers that are set to be released on the fourth weekend of July. A joint venture between KnuckleBonz, Inc. and Calicraft Brewing Co., the beer is set to be launched at a series of events in California on July 23-25. "We are excited to announce this is the first in a series of AC/DC branded beers to be featured in this unique collaboration to bring quality beverages to the music superfan," KnuckleBonz and Calicraft said in a statement, with KnuckleBonz also announcing the beer on its 
Robert E. "Robby" Steinhardt, a violinist and co-lead vocalist with the American prog-rock band Kansas, died on July 19 due to complications from pancreatitis. He was 71. Steinhardt's wife Cindy posted on 
On July 13 Jethro Tull announced they'll be releasing their first studio album in 20 years soon. Dubbed The Zealot Gene, the LP will mark the prog-rock legends' first release as part of a new record deal with InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. "After 54 years in the world of music recording, it is with great pleasure that I now sign Jethro Tull to a record company which reminds me, in many ways, of the old Chrysalis label -- both as an independent and in its later years in partnership with EMI," frontman Ian Anderson said of the new signing. "Here are real music guys with a passion for the best and most creative in rock music. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship and more releases to come," he added. While a release date for The Zealot Gene has not been announced, the album has been completed, according to a press release. News of a new Tull album comes after Anderson revealed in 2020 that he is suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), blaming his exposure to smoke machines during live performances of Jethro Tull in the 1970s. The current Jethro Tull line-up consists of Anderson, guitarist Joe Parrish-James, drummer Scott Hammond, pianist John O'Hara, and bassist David Goodier. Guitarist Florian Opahle also contributed The Zealot Gene, but is not a part of the core line-up. - NME, 7/13/21...... Paul McCartney has told the British music mag Uncut that he still has unreleased "story songs" that were written in the style of the Beatles' 1966 track "Eleanor Rigby," although they're unlikely to see the light of day. "I've still got a few that I haven't released," Sir Paul said. "Because I don't think they're that good. It's quite a fun thing to do, to just dream up a name of a character and try and write the story of that character and then make it fit with another character. 'Eleanor Rigby', I did it with just the few. Father McKenzie and Eleanor." He went on to say that the darker tone of "Eleanor Rigby" is the reason it is more popular than some of the more lighthearted "story songs" in his collection. "With my story songs, a lot of them, besides 'Eleanor Rigby', tend to be comedy," he said. "It's me doing the tongue-in-cheek thing, whereas 'Eleanor Rigby' was more serious. I think that's why it was more successful." Meanwhile, Macca will break down his music career in-depth with acclaimed producer Rick Rubin for a new documentary series called McCartney 3,2,1. The show premieres on July 16 on the streaming platform Hulu. - NME, 7/14/21...... In other Beatles-related news, a rare demo the Fab Four recorded at Abbey Road Studios is being put on the auction block. The unheard collection -- which contains early versions of "I am the Walrus," "Fool on the Hill" and "I Me Mine" -- was left behind by the Beatles after a session in he 1960s. The tape went on sale on July 14 at Sworders Auctioneers, and it's expected to fetch up to £700. The listing reads: "Gifted to the vendor, a bass player in a rock band that has sold over 20 million albums. Presented in 1971 while recording their first LP at Abbey Road Studios by a sound technician, the demo itself recorded in the 1960s." It's said the four Beatles left the tape behind after a recording session. - Music-News.com, 7/14/21...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, director Peter Jackson has explained why Beatles fans are likely to be surprised by his new docuseries Get Back. Discussing the format of the documentary, which focuses more on conversations than music, Jackson told GQ magazine taht the series will be very "intimate." "I think people will be surprised by the series for two reasons," Jackson said. "One, it'll be far more intimate than they imagined it to be, because everyone is used to seeing music documentaries being a bit kind of MTV-ish, sort of together in a poppy kind of way and it's just the music, music, music, you know? The music isn't at the forefront of this film: weirdly, it's what goes on behind the music at the forefront." He continued: "I mean, even in the rooftop concert, we have the concept that we're inter-cutting all the time to the street and to the policeman and everything else. And that's really true of the whole series -- it's not a sequence of MTV video clips of them doing songs. There's probably more conversations with The Beatles in the films than there is actual singing." The Beatles: Get Back will air on Disney+ between Nov. 25-27. - NME, 7/12/21...... 
Surviving The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger has announced his first-ever memoir, 
James Taylor has announced details of a 2022 tour of the United Kingdom, which will get underway in Leeds on Jan. 27, 2022. With his All Star Band in tow, Taylor will also visit Manchester (1/29), Glasgow (1/30), Brighton (2/1), and Birmingham (2/2), before wrapping with two nights at the London Hammersmith Apollo on Feb. 4 and 5. Taylor released his 20th studio album American Standard in Feb. 2020, with the album going on to win Best Tradition Pop Vocal Album at the Grammys. Live music with no restrictions is set to return to the UK on July 19 as the country prepares to drop all Coved-19 rules. Despite this, over half of the UK's festivals set for this summer have already been cancelled. - NME, 7/12/21...... Elton John has responded to the Korean teen pop group BTS making reference to him on their latest track "Permission To Dance," which was released on July 9. In the first verse of "Permission To Dance," leader and rapper RM sings: "When it all feels like it's wrong/ Just sing along to Elton John/ And to that feeling, we're just getting started." Responding on 
Punk rock icon Iggy Pop may not be the first thing that pops to mind when one thinks of the discovery and exhibition of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, but Pop will lend his voice to a new documentary focused on King Tut. The documentary, Tutankhamun: The Last Exhibition, was produced by Nexo Digital and Italian cultural agency Laboratoriorosso. It follows the tomb's discovery in 1922 and the subsequent touring exhibition, "King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh," which launched in Los Angeles in 2019. The film was expected to be released in 2020, but the pandemic has delayed its arrival to 2022. The tour contained more than 150 artefacts from King Tut's grave, and was expected to run until 2023 before the pandemic cut it short. The Egyptian government has since declared that the artefacts will never leave the country again. Speaking to Variety, Nexus Digital's Rosella Gioffr said they were looking for "somebody that could give a different appeal to the narration of the movie." "And we thought of [Pop] and he accepted." Meanwhile, earlier in 2021 it was announced Pop had accepted a role in director Jeremy LaLonde's upcoming comedy fllm Blue Iguana, which will also star Bob Saget and Joel David Moore. - NME, 7/12/21...... Actor William Smith, best known for starring as Texas Ranger Joe Riley in both seasons of the NBC Western Laredo from 1965 to 1967, has died at age 88. Mr. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said the actor with over 300 roles to his credite in the 1960s, '70s and '80s died on July 5 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles. She declined to give the cause of death. With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Mr. Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen, also playing bareknuckle boxer Jack Wilson, who grappled with Clint Eastwood in an epic brawl in Any Which Way You Can, one of the top-grossing movies of 1980. The Columbia, Mo.-born Mr. Smith also played Anthony Falconetti, the menacing nemesis of the central family in the 1976 ABC miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, and returned for its sequel. And he played Detective James "Kimo" Carew in the final season of the original Hawaii Five-O series on CBS in 1979 and 1980. He would also play Arnold Schwarzenegger's father in 1982's Conan the Barbarian, after being considered for the title role, and a Soviet general in 1984's Red Dawn. In addition to his wife of 31 years, he is survived by a son, William E. Smith III, and a daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli. - Fox News, 7/10/21...... TV and film actor Charlie Robinson, known for playing Mac the court clerk in the 1980s and '90s sitcom Night Court, died on July 11 in Los Angeles due to cardiac arrest and cancer. He was 75. Throughout his 50-year career, Robinson also appeared in movies such as Secret Santa, The River, Set It Off, Antwone Fisher, Jackson, Even Money and Miss Lettie and Me, and TV series including Buffalo Bill, Home Improvement, Mom, Hart of Dixie, NCIS and The Guestbook. The Houston-born actor also won awards for his theatrical work, including the Image Theatre Award and FRED Award for portraying Simon in "The Whipping Man" and Best Actor Ovation Award for playing Troy in "Fences." His last performance was as 82-year-old Donald Jones in James Tyler's "Some Old Black Man." Throughout his career, he guest starred in television shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Key and Peele, This Is Us, Malcolm & Eddie and In The House. Robinson is survived by his wife Dolorita; his children Luca, Charlie, Christian and Byron; and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. - Variety, 7/13/21.
Director Todd Haynes' new documentary about the '70s art-rock band The Velvet Underground debuted at the Cannes Film Festival on July 8. The two-hour film plumbs little-seen footage and features a host of rare interviews, including founding member John Cale (who describes the band as striving for "how to be elegant and how to be brutal"), Jonathan Richman of the Modern Lovers and an early disciple, and Jonas Mekas, the late pioneering filmmaker who filmed the VU's first ever live performance in 1964 and to whom the film is dedicated. Laurie Anderson, the widow of late VU frontman Lou Reed, endorsed Haynes directing the film, and other estates, like Andy Warhol's (who famously designed the cover art for the band's debut album), were supportive. The Velvet Underground, which also resurrects the 1960s downtown New York art scene that birthed and fermented the group, will be released by Apple in theaters and on its streaming platform on Oct. 15. - AP, 7/9/21...... In related news, a new feature-length documentary focusing on the totality of the artistry of legendary late The Doors frontman Jim Morrison has been announced by the Morrison estate and JAM, Inc. "Jim Morrison has been known as the leather trousers-clad Dionysian rock star, the Greek god handsome, amazing singer, shaman and performer," says JAM, Inc. CEO Jeff Jampol. "But Jim was a polymath. Jim was a poet and a writer and a filmmaker long before he ever thought about music. All these decades everybody talked about Jim Morrison the rock star, which he certainly was. But we really felt it was time to even the playing field and talk about these other aspects of Jim, which were either not as known or celebrated or discussed," he added. In addition to the Doors, JAM, Inc. oversees the legacies of such acts as Janis Joplin and John Lee Hooker. While there have been documentaries on Morrison and the Doors before, and, of course, Oliver Stone's 1991 biopic on the band, the new film is the first documentary devoted solely to Morrison sanctioned by the estate -- with full access to all Morrison's music, poetry and art. - Billboard, 7/9/21...... Ringo Starr celebrated his 81st birthday on July 7 in Beverly Hills, Calif., with his annual "Peace and Love" event just off Santa Monica Boulevard. Ringo was surrounded by friends, collaborators like Joe Walsh, and family including wife Barbara Bach to celebrate his birthday. "Peace and love. Peace and love," proclaimed Starr, clad in black Adidas track pants and sneakers paired with a denim jacket and a black T-shirt emblazoned with a rainbow-colored hand flashing the peace sign. "Even Joe Walsh got out of bed for it," he quipped. Ringo shared his enthusiasm for being able to attend such an event after an extended period of Covid-19 lockdowns, which forced him to cancel several tours. But the famous drummer still managed to release a five-track EP in March, Zoom In, and has another one ready to debut in September. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/7/21...... In other Beatles-related news, an unreleased acoustic George Harrison demo called "Cosmic Empire" was released on July 9 and has been shared on 
The Who's Pete Townshend has said he's reluctant to make a new album with the band, because of the "old fashioned way that [the band] work." Speaking to Guitar Player, Townshend said: "As far as a new record, it does take quite a lot of time to put together the 20 or 30 songs that are needed for both Roger and I and any producer that we might be working with to cherry-pick the ones that fit the times. Because you write the songs, and then two years later you're putting them all out, and you just hope that you're going to hit the mood of the moment. A lot of artists now are writing songs at home, recording them at home and putting them out within weeks. But our process is the old-fashioned way, and it does take a lot of time. So I don't know, but I am optimistic. And I'm certainly full of ideas." In February, Townshend said he had "pages and pages of draft lyrics" for a potential new Who album to be released post-lockdown. "If the moment comes, I'll go in and start," he said. Townshend's comments come after frontman Roger Daltrey recently said he's reluctant to make another Who album because "there's no record market any more." The band, who released their last album WHO in 2019, recently cancelled their upcoming UK and Ireland tour due to ongoing coronavirus concerns. - NME, 7/10/21...... In a new interview with Simon Mayo on his podcast Greatest Hits Radio, Queen guitarist Brian May said he believes late frontman Freddie Mercury would still be playing with the legendary English art-rockers if he was still alive today. In the interview which has been shared on 
The family of late AC/DC singer Bon Scott are remembering the musician on what would have been his 75th birthday on July 9 with the launch of a new fan-focused website. Fans can contribute testimonials about seeing or meeting the rocker who fronted the Australian band between 1974-1980, with tributes to Scott from renowned rock stars as well as a store with newly available merchandise also included. "On the occasion of what would have been his 75th birthday, the Bon Scott Estate (Ron's two brothers and his nephew) are proud to launch the new website and take this important step toward elevating Bon's legend and tending to his legacy. Bon was a unique singer, songwriter and character that the world should never forget," a press release reads. Scott sang on the band's first six albums: High Voltage (1975), T.N.T., Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976), Let There Be Rock (1977), Powerage (1978) and Highway to Hell (1979). He died in February 1980 at the age of 33 from acute alcohol poisoning. - NME, 7/8/21...... Elton John is vowing to help new artists tour Europe despite the UK government's "disastrous" Brexit trade agreement. Sir Elton has been very vocal recently about the government jeopardising the future of touring for UK artists, after its Brexit deal with the EU failed to negotiate visa-free travel and Europe-wide work permits for musicians and crew, even calling the UK government "philistines" and accused them of "crucifying" the careers of young artists. On July 6, John and his husband David Furnish took part in a virtual meeting with Michael Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, and a number of others, to discuss free movement and visa-free arrangements for artists. "Very happy to meet & discuss today with @eltonofficial, who despite #Brexit, is fighting for free movement and visa-free arrangements for artists," Barnier tweeted, sharing a screenshot from the meeting. "Citizens, artists, students are the first to lose out from #Brexit. It didn't have to be this way." John then shared Barnier's tweet on his 
John Lawton, a former frontman of the English rock band Uriah Heep, died unexpectedly on June 29. He was 74. Lawton's death was confirmed by Uriah Heep, who shared a statement on social media revealing that Lawton passed away. "It is with deep regret that we share the devastating and tragic news of the sudden and totally unexpected passing of John Lawton on 29. June 2021," the band wrote on Facebook. "Contrary to reports, there was no illness involved, which makes his passing incomprehensible. He went peacefully with his wife at his side. John will be greatly missed." They added that a "private funeral service to celebrate John's life will be held following his wishes, with only family and close friends attending." Lawton was Uriah Heep's singer from 1976 to 1979, appearing on three of the band's studio albums Firefly (1977), Innocent Victim (1977) and Fallen Angel (1978). In 2013, he rejoined the group for some European tour dates to cover for current UH vocalist Bernie Shaw, who required some time off for a routine medical procedure. Aside from Uriah Heep in 1976, Lawton sang with legendary German cult rock band Lucifer's Friend (1969-1976, 1979-1995) and recorded nine studio albums during his time with the band. - NME, 7/6/21...... Director-producer Richard Donner, best known for helming the Lethal Weapon film series, The Goonies and the original 1978