Lindsey Buckingham shared a new single called "Scream" on YouTube on Sept. 1. The track is the latest to be taken from the former Fleetwood Mac guitarist's upcoming self-titled solo album -- his first since 2011's Seeds We Sow -- and follows his recent tracks "I Don't Mind" and "On The Wrong Side." "Many of the songs on this album are about the work and discipline it takes in maintaining a long-term relationship. Some of them are more about the discipline and some of them are more about the perks," Buckingham said. "'Scream' is about the perks. It felt very celebratory and it was also very, very simple and short. To the point." The new album, Lindsey Buckingham, drops on Sept. 17. Buckingham launched fall 2021 US tour behind the new album in Milwaukee on Sept. 1. Buckingham, 71, will kick off his first ever solo tour of Europe in Dublin on May 17, 2022. The tour will also visit venues in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Tickets can be purchased via LindseyBuckingham.com. - NME/Music-News.com, 9/1/21...... 
ABBA announced on Sept. 2 the will be releasing their ninth studio album and first studio album in 40 years on Nov. 5. Titled Voyage, the record will be the followup to the Swedish pop quartet's 1981 LP, The Visitors. Group members Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad, Agnetha Flaskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus also said they will perform a run of shows as avatars in a specially built arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London beginning on May 27, 2022. "We are on our way back! Thank you for waiting. #ABBAVoyage is the concert we've always wanted to perform for our fans. The journey is about to begin!," the group posted on Twitter. During a press conference, Andersson noted that "at first it was just two songs, and then we said, 'Well, maybe we should do a few others," before Ulvaeus referred to the inspiration behind the first track on the 10-song album, "I Still Have Faith in You." "When Benny played the melody, I just knew it had to be about us. It's about realising that it's inconceivable to be where we are. No imagination could dream up that, to release an album after 40 years and still be the best of friends, and still be enjoying each other's company, and have a total loyalty. Who has experienced that? Nobody." The 10-track album was recorded by all four members at Andersson's Riksmixningsverket studio in Stockholm. ABBA, who famously turned down millions to reunite, most recently sang the song "Me and I" at a private gala in 2016. "It's been a while since we made music together," the group said in a statement. "Almost 40 years, actually. We took a break in the spring of 1982 and now we've decided it's time to end it. They say it's foolhardy to wait more than 40 years between albums, so we've recorded a follow-up to The Visitors." The avatar versions of the group will take the stage with a live 10-piece band for the shows, with tickets for the shows in the 3,000-capacity arena going on sale to the general public on Sept. 7 on AbbaVoyage.com. "Agnetha, Frida, Benny and Bjorn got on stage in front of 160 cameras and almost as many VFX geniuses, and they performed every song in this show, to perfection, over five weeks," producer Ludvig Andersson said about the digital versions of the group during a press conference. Also helping out was an 850-person team from Star Wars creator George Lucas' famed Industrial Light & Magic effects shop in the company's first dip into music. Tickets for the shows in the 3,000-capacity arena will go on sale to the general public on Sept. 7 on AbbaVoyage.com. A spokesperson confirmed that the Voyage experience will be a residency-like run of shows, and the length of the run will be announced at a later date. Two songs from Voyage -- the sweeping ballad "I Still Have Faith In You" and the bouncy "Don't Shut Me Down" -- are available for streaming on Spotify.com, and a video of "I Still Have Faith in You" can be viewed on YouTube. Meanwhile, ABBA has officially joined the TikTok video platform, months after TikTok users created a "#DancingQueenChallenge." According to a press release from TikTok, ABBA's music was the most requested from an act without an official TikTok presence, a situation the service remedied on Aug. 29 with the upload of a piano version of "Dancing Queen". With just a set of hands playing the song's instantly recognizable refrain on the keyboard, although it is unclear who is performing the song in the clip. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 9/2/21...... 
Elton John has made a return to Billboard's Pop Airplay chart with his imaginative new mash-up with Dua Lipa, "Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)." The song has entered the chart at No. 39, the Rocket Man's first appearance there since the chart dated Jan. 31, 1998, when "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" wrapped its run. In "Cold Heart," released on Aug. 13 via Mercury/EMI/Interscope Records, John sings part of his No. 18-peaking 1990 hit "Sacrifice" and Lipa reprises Elton's No. 6 1972 classic "Rocket Man." The song sports co-writing and co-production credit for the Australian trio Pnau. Over its first two weeks, "Cold Heart" has drawn 6.2 million U.S. streams and sold 13,300 downloads, according to MRC Data. As announced Sept. 1, the cut is set to appear on John's album The Lockdown Sessions due Oct. 22 via Interscope. Elton took to Instagram on Sept. 1 to announce the launch of The Lockdown Sessions, and revealed that the record includes collaborations with the likes of Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, Charlie Puth, Miley Cyrus, Brandi Carlile, Lil Nas X, Eddie Vedder, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks and Glen Campbell. "The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album. But, as the pandemic went on, one-off projects kept cropping up and I've ended with a selection of really interesting and diverse stuff that was completely different to anything I'm known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory," he wrote in the caption. "And I realised there was something weirdly familiar about working like this. At the start of my career, in the late '60s, I worked as a session musician. Working with different artists during lockdown reminded me of that. I'd come full circle: I was a session musician again. And it was still a blast. I can't wait for you all to hear the album," he added. Meanwhile, at has been announced on Twitter that John will headline the UK's BST Hyde Park festival in 2022 as part of his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour -- his final ever series of live shows. Elton will headline the event on June 24, 2022 on what could be his final ever London tour date. Fans who pre-order John's new album before midnight on Sept. 5 will receive access to a pre-sale from September 6-8. Customers who book for BST in the pre-sale window will be guaranteed tickets to Elton's show at BST Hyde Park. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 9/2/21...... John Lennon and Yoko Ono's iconic peace anthem "Imagine" will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special global party, Yoko announced on Sept. 2. Lennon released the song -- as well as an album and a film by the same name -- in 1971 with the help of his wife Yoko, who co-produced the record. As "Imagine" approaches its 50th birthday on Sept. 9, Yoko and her son Sean Ono Lennon as well as the Lennon Estate and Universal Music Group are hosting a global party. Speaking about the iconic track, Yoko said: "John and I were both artists and we were living together, so we inspired each other. The song 'Imagine' embodied what we believed together at the time... We have this oneness and 'the whole world would eventually become one' is the sense that we will all be very happy together. All these instructions are for people for how to spend eternity, because we have lots of time." Among the events taking place to mark the anniversary is a watch party for the 1971 film Imagine, which was one of the first full-length conceptual music films and contains all the songs from John's Imagine album as well as four songs from Yoko's FLY LP. In 2018, under the supervision of Yoko, the film was completely reassembled in HD from the original 16mm negative reels and cleaned and digitally restored frame-by-frame with the audio completely remixed. The watch party will begin at 7:30 pm BST on Sept. 9, and people can tune in either online, or in person at participating venues for free. On Sept. 10, Capitol and Universal Music Group will release a limited collector's edition pressing of Imagine as a double LP on white vinyl. The unique and expanded edition, Imagine - The Ultimate Mixes & Out-takes, includes the original demo for "Imagine" alongside a host of outtakes that demonstrate the writing and recording process and showcase the evolution of the songs. Three-dimensional Dolby Atmos mixes and full-length Stereo versions of the content in Imagine - The Ultimate Collection will be made available on streaming services to celebrate John Lennon's birthday this year, on Oct. 9. - Music-News.com, 9/2/21...... During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Mötley Crüe member Nikki Sixx revealed that his band once offered former Van Halen vocalist David Lee Roth a spot as the opener on their joint tour with Def Leppard, but Roth turned it down. Sixx revealed that when Mötley Crüe offered Roth the opening slot on the tour, he responded in the negative, reportedly saying: "I don't open for bands that I influenced." Sixx's comments come after KISS member Gene Simmons publicly apologized after Roth took offense to comments Simmons made about the VH frontman in a recent interview. - NME, 9/2/21...... 
Speaking of Gene Simmons, the bassist/vocalist has become the second member of KISS to contract the Covid-19 virus. KISS announced on Twitter on Aug. 31 that Simmons has tested positive for the coronavirus, and that their next four dates of their "End of the Road" tour would be delayed. The dates affected are a Sept. 1 show in Clarkston, Mich.; a Sept. 2 date in Dayton, Oh.; a Sept. 4 concert on Tinley Park, Ill.; and a Sept. 5 show in Milwaukee. "Gene Simmons has now tested positive and is experiencing mild symptoms," the shock-rockers shared in a statement on social media. "The band and crew will remain at home and isolate for the next 10 days and doctors have indicated the tour should be able to resume on September 9th at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA." Just days earlier, on Aug. 26, KISS announced that frontman Paul Stanley had tested positive, and canceled the evening's show. That announcement also indicated that the entire band and crew was fully vaccinated. The vocalist tweeted Monday that he has since recovered. "My Covid symptoms were MILD compared to many others and let me tell you... It kicked my ass," Stanley shared. "It's over now." Meanwhile, Gene Simmons shared some blistering thoughts on politicians in Texas and Florida who are spreading misinformation during the Covid pandemic and banning mask mandates. "Always listen to the CDC and the doctors -- not stupid politicians," he told 95.5 KLOS before adding some clarity on his opinion. "Not all politicians -- evil, self-serving politicians of a certain party who are more interested in getting re-elected than actually saving lives ... The politicians in Texas and Florida -- evil, self-serving, just moronic." The full interview can be heard on the OMNY.fm website. In a separate interview with US Weekly, the 72-year-old rock veteran took aim at illegal downloaders for "robbing" new artists of the chance to make a proper living from their music. Simmons said he blames fans for killing the music business, also the record companies "for not suing that first putz who dared break into the henhouse and steal some eggs and a chicken for free." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 8/31/21...... Barbra Streisand is among a host of female music artists who are criticizing lawmakers in Texas after its legislature recently passed the U.S.'s most restrictive abortion law -- and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to step in to block the measure on Sept. 1. "Have we gone backwards in time?" asked Streisand on Twitter about the law that prohibits abortions after around six weeks -- at which time many women are not even aware they are pregnant. "Isn't it interesting how putting on a mask is 'violating their body' but abortion rights is not?" Abortion rights advocates fear that the new Texas law is the most significant effort to date by anti-abortion advocates to reverse the landmark 1973 Roe V. Wade decision that legalized abortion. The law, which does not make any exceptions for rape or incest and very few for health reasons, basically means that abortion is effectively banned in the second most-populous state in the country. Other musicians sharing their thoughts on the issue include St. Vincent and P!nk, who both included the trending hashtag #BansOffOurBodies in tweets. - Billboard, 9/2/21...... Former The Commodores member and '80s solo superstar Lionel Richie says he's excited to return for the new season of American Idol, and is looking forward to seeing contestants in-person once again, after two years of virtual auditions and performances. With Season 20 on the horizon -- expected to air in the spring -- Richie says it'll be good to see people again, if Covid restrictions for filming begin to ease. "Idol is a fabulous experience for the people trying out and for the judges," he says. "Having said that, the hardest thing to do is to judge somebody when you're not in the same room. So it's great to be back face to face. We get a chance to hear and feel these young talented people." Richie has a lot of other projects he's excited about right now -- in addition to his American Idol gig, the singer/songwriter has teamed up with Tyra Banks' ice cream brand, SMiZE Cream, on a new flavor dubbed "All Night Love." Inspired by his classic anthem, "All Night Long," the new flavor incorporates some of Richie's favorite childhood flavors -- think salted caramel, chocolate fudge and cookie crumble -- into a creamy vanilla ice cream base. The Lionel Richie x Tyra Banks "All Night Love" ice cream is available now for purchase on Smizecream.com. - Billboard, 9/1/21...... 
A new Bob Marley and The Wailers LP and DVD, The Capitol Session '73, was released on Sept. 3 via Tuff Gong and Mercury Studios. Seven hours of a Marley and the Wailers' session at the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood has been edited into a cohesive 60-minute presentation. "For over two decades I have been tending, researching and gently waving the banner for prepping the seven hours of Capitol footage for the release it so richly deserves," said British filmmaker, archivist and historian Martin Disney, who has worked on almost every film made about Marley as a researcher, producer, or consultant. "As we were editing, we felt like no time had passed, it sounds so fresh. In a way the film made itself, we just pushed it, to get that feeling right and show how raw, ad hoc, and relaxed it all was." The Capitol Session '73 will also be released on single CD, 2-LP colored vinyl, and digital audio formats; it will stream exclusively via the Amazon Prime hosted music documentary channel, The Coda Collection. - Billboard, 9/1/21...... A new book on recently deceased Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has soared onto the bestsellers charts after Watts' passing on Aug. 24. Sympathy for the Drummer: Why Charlie Watts Matters has entered the Top 10 of Amazon.com's Bestsellers List for music criticism and history, and into the Top 30 of Amazon's musician memoirs and biographies chart. The 264-page book was written by author and musician Mike Edison, and was released on Aug. 1 -- just three weeks before Watts passed away in a London hospital at the age of 80. Watts is the sole subject of "Sympathy for the Drummer," which tracks the artist's career from his beginnings in London's jazz and R&B scene, to meeting his future bandmates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and original group leader, Brian Jones. Subsequent chapters explore everything from Watts' unique -- and at-times frenetic -- drumming style, to his contributions as a producer and composer, to the lasting brotherhood he forged with his beloved group members. - Billboard, 8/30/21...... Former The Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon [aka Johnny Rotten] has responded to a recent lawsuit verdict against his former Sex Pistols bandmates. Lydo lost his legal battle against his former bandmates on Aug. 23, having been sued after refusing to license the group's music for inclusion in director Danny Boyle's upcoming biopic series, Pistols. Edmund Cullen, the lawyer for Sex Pistols members Steve Jones and Paul Cook, said a band agreement made in 1998 stated that decisions about licensing requests could be determined on a "majority rules basis." However, Lydon lost the case in a court ruling handed down by the High Court. Sir Anthony Mann found Cook and Jones were entitled to involve the "majority voting rules" against their bandmate. Now, in a new statement on his website, Lydon has responded claiming that he didn't know about the proposed use of Sex Pistols music in the new series until "just a few hours" before it was announced. The statement said: "Understandably, John, as the creative force of the Sex Pistols wanted to know how he was going to be portrayed and his musical works were going to be used to lend credibility to the series. Despite asking for details of the script or screenplay, John still does not know these details. John Lydon did not ask for the recent proceedings. He was asked to allow the Sex Pistols works to be used without any prior consultation or involvement in the project. He took a stand on principle for what he sees as the integrity of the Sex Pistols legacy and fought for what he believed and continues to believe was right." The lengthy statement concluded with a direct statement from Lydon himself which read: "I am the lead singer and songwriter, front man, image, the lot, you name it. I put it there. How is that not relevant? It is dumbfounding to me. It is so destructive to what the band is and so I fear that the whole project might be extremely negative.... I don't think there are even words that I can put forward to explain quite how disingenuous this is. As I said in the lyrics of 'The Order of Death', This is what you want, this is what you get..." - NME, 8/31/21...... Lee "Scratch" Perry, the legendary Jamaican producer and a pioneer of dub, died on Aug. 29 at he Noel Holmes Hospital in western Jamaica, according to the Jamaican Observer. He was 85. Mr. Perry, whose real name was Rainford Hugh Perry, was born in rural Jamaica in 1936. His career in music began in the late 1950s when he was hired by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Jamaica's famed Studio One, where he got his start in producing music. By the early 1970s, Mr. Perry had built his legendary Black Ark studio in Kingston, which became the birthplace for many classic reggae and dub recordings by Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Congos, Max Romeo and Junior Murvin. With his backing band The Upsetters, Mr. Perry also released such influential albums as Blackboard Jungle (1973) and Super Ape (1976), as well as his solo release, Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread (1978). In 2003, he won a best reggae album Grammy Award for Jamaican E.T. Later in life, after suffering a mental breakdown and allegedly burning down Black Ark Studio studio in 1983, Mr. Perry moved to England and the U.S. before settling with his family in Switzerland. Over the next several decades, he continued releasing music and collaborating with artists like the Beastie Boys, Mad Professor, The Orb and Adrian Sherwood. - Billboard, 8/29/21...... 
Ron Bushy, the drummer with the psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, died on Aug. 29 after a bout of ill health. He was 79. Bushy "passed away peacefully," surrounded by his wife Nancy and three daughters, reads a statement from the band's official social accounts. "He was a real fighter," the message continues. "He will be deeply missed." Born in Dec. 23, 1941 in Santa Monica, Calif., Bushy was the only member of Iron Butterfly to perform on all six of its studio albums, from 1968's Heavy to 1975's Sun and Steel. He made his mark with an extended drum solo on the band's epic hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," from 1968, the full cut of which runs to 17 minutes. "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, one of four IB titles to impact the chart. Its parent album hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, while 1969's Ball went to No. 3. Co-founding IB bassist Lee Dorman (2012) and lead guitarist Erik Brann (2003) have also passed. In recent months, Bushy agreed to donate his iconic clear drum kit to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The custom set, built by Bill Zickos, was well-traveled, hitting the road with the likes of The Doors, Cream and The Who. Iron Butterfly is scheduled to perform three nights in Park City, Utah, Oct. 22-24. - Billboard, 8/30/21...... Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, best known for the captivating score for the 1960's film Zorba the Greek, died on Sep. 2. He was 96. A towering man with a brooding presence and a shock of wavy hair, Mr. Theodorakis's work evoked a progressive, democratic vision of the world, though his political struggles reflected a darker side of Greece rarely seen by visitors. As news of his death at home in Athens at the age of 96 swept across the country of 11 million, authorities declared three days of mourning and tributes poured in from across the political spectrum. "Today we lost a part of Greece's soul. Mikis Theodorakis, Mikis the teacher, the intellectual, the radical, our Mikis has gone," said Culture Minister Lina Mendoni. Praising a man he dubbed the "Universal Greek," Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: "We had all forgotten that he was a mere mortal. But his legacy of music, his political activism and his service to the nation in times of crisis lives on." - Reuters, 9/2/21.
The surviving members of the current incarnation of the Rolling Stones have honored Stones drummer Charlie Watts in a touching tribute video three days after Watts died on Aug. 24 at the age of 80. In a two-minute video posted to the band's official Twitter account on Aug. 27, the band presented vintage footage of Watts in action behind the kit, with the first verse of their 1974 track "If You Can't Rock Me" (from their It's Only Rock 'n Roll album) perfectly setting the scene: "The band's on stage and it's one of those nights, oh yeah/ The drummer thinks that he is dynamite, oh yeah." Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood have also posted individual tributes to Watts on social media. Frontman Jagger tweeted a photo of an ecstatic Watts smiling with his whole body while seated at a drum kit, while guitarist Richards tweeted an even more poignant image: Watts' simple drum kit featured a "Closed, Please Call Again" sign hanging off the snare drum. 
Guitarist Wood also tweeted a picture to sum up his feelings about his late bandmate, offering up an image of the two men smiling side by side with the caption, "I love you my fellow Gemini -- I will dearly miss you -- you are the best," followed by praying hands, heart and sun emoji. Bill Wyman, the former Stones bassist played alongside Watts for nearly 30 years, also shared his feelings about Watts on Instagram, sharing a picture of Charlie with the caption: "Charlie, you were like a brother to me. In the band and in life. Rest in peace." Paul McCartney, whose former band the Beatles spearheaded the "British Invasion" of America in the mid-Sixties along with the Rolling Stones, also tweeted a heartfelt video to Watts on Twitter on Aug. 24. Meanwhile, Stones promoter Concerts West announced on Aug. 26 that the band's 12-date U.S. "No Filter" tour is "moving ahead as planned" after the band announced earlier in August that Watts would not be joining them due to recuperation required after an unspecified medical procedure. The "No Filter" tour was originally scheduled to hit U.S. stadiums in 2020 before being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the outing is slated to resume on Sept. 26 with a show at the Dome of America's Center in St. Louis and run through a Nov. 20 gig at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Tex. - Billboard, 8/27/21...... Eric Clapton dropped a new song titled "This Has Gotta Stop" on YouTube on Aug. 27 that seemingly addresses what he feels are overly strict Covid-19 policies. "This has gotta stop, enough is enough/ I can't take this BS any longer/ It's gone far enough, you wanna claim my soul/ You'll have to come and break down this door," Clapton sings in the opening lines of the bluesy track. In the accompanying animated music video, faceless figures gather in protest holding signs emblazoned with such messages as "Liberty," "Enough is Enough" and "Stop." Elsewhere, the clip features socially charged references to the over consumption of media and concerns about climate change. Clapton, 76, recently said he's refusing to play live shows that require attendees to provide proof they've been vaccinated for Covid, and in 2020, he also made his thoughts about regulations around the virus known with his anti-lockdown track "Stand and Deliver" with Van Morrison, who has also come out against the Covid policies of government and concert promoters. - Billboard, 8/28/21...... While Slowhand continues his campaign against Covid rules, his fellow classic rocker Neil Young says the concert business needs to let its money-making efforts take a back seat to help stop the spread of Covid. In a new post titled "Concerts and Covid" on his website "Neil Young Archives Times-Contrarian," the 75-year-old folk rock icon called concerts "super-spreader events" and claimed their promoters are responsible. Young explained that he pulled out of Willie Nelson's 2021 Farm Aid festival that's scheduled for September "for fear that unprotected children may become infected with Covid by folks who went to the show, caught the virus, had no symptoms and returned home to hug their kids or someone else's kids." Young also commended fellow musician Garth Brooks for recently canceling his live performances, citing the recent surge of Covid cases. Young also wondered why other musicians haven't followed suit, especially when one or multiple people from his crew have tested positive for Covid, which has also been the case for other rock acts. - Billboard, 8/27/21...... 
KISS, one of the bands whose roadies have tested positive for Covid-19, announced on the evening of Aug. 26 that their concert scheduled just outside Pittsburgh the same night had been canceled after lead vocalist Paul Stanley tested positive for Covid. While a new date is yet to be announced, the band said the show has been postponed. "Tonight's #KISS show at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA is unfortunately postponed due to Paul Stanley testing positive for COVID. More information about show dates will be made available ASAP," the band tweeted alongside a full statement." The statement also noted that "everyone on the entire tour, both band and crew, are fully vaccinated." Ahead of the band's announcement, Stanley took to Twitter to shoot down rumors about how severe his symptoms were. "PEOPLE!!! I am fine! I am not in ICU!" Stanley tweeted. "My heart allows me to do 26 miles a day on my bike! I don't know where this came from but it's absolute nonsense," he added. In a subsequent tweet, he wrote, "I had been sick with flu-like symptoms and was tested repeatedly and was negative. As of late this afternoon I tested positive. The crew, staff and band have all tested negative once again. More to follow." KISS are currently on their End of the Road Tour, billed as their final trek ever, which kicked off in January 2019 and then had to reschedule dozens of 2020 dates due to the coronavirus pandemic. They resumed touring in mid-August in Massachusetts and have U.S. dates scheduled through October in Florida, followed by a December stint in Las Vegas and international dates booked through July 2022. - Billboard, 8/26/21...... In other KISS-related news, Gene Simmons has publicly apologized after David Lee Roth took offense to comments Simmons made about the former Van Halen frontman in a recent interview. In 2020, Roth opened for KISS on their "End of the Road" farewell tour before it was called off due to the pandemic. When the tour recommenced earlier this month, Roth was not present, and Simmons went on to confirm he was no longer on support duties in an interview with Rolling Stone, praising Roth in his VH heyday but saying he didn't think "modern-day Dave" was currently up to scratch. Roth responded via Instagram a short time later, sharing the same black-and-white image of a child with their middle finger up 18 times alongside the caption "Roth to Simmons." Now, in a new interview with Us Weekly, Simmons has apologized for his remarks, attributing the incident to his "stream of consciousness" talking style. "I don't mean to hurt people's feelings, and every once in a while, diarrhoea of the mouth comes out," Simmons explained. "I read that quote, and somehow, the way they put it together, I think I said something like, 'Nobody touched David in his prime. Not Robert Plant, not [Mick] Jagger. He was the king.' Then somehow, there was a segue to, 'Elvis, bloated on the ground, fat and naked,' and 'I don't want to see that.'" "I wasn't talking about David, but that doesn't matter," Simmons said. "What matters is I hurt David's feelings, and that's more important than the intent. So, I sincerely apologise for that. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. It reminds me of the guy that gets out of a truck and says, 'Hey I'm sorry, buddy, I didn't mean to run you over.' Well, what the f---'s the difference? You've been run over," he added. Simmons' full interview with People can be viewed on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 8/26/21...... In an interview with the UK paper The Sun, the siblings of Michael Jackson have revealed they are trying to record new music featuring unreleased work from the King of Pop. Michael's brother Tito Jackson said "there is more music to release" and that Michael "left a few things behind" after his death in 2009. "It would be so pleasing to be on a record with Michael once again. Anything that would work we would be willing to give a try and see what happens," he said. "It's beyond our control but they always try and get our participation and we're always happy to offer," Tito added. Also during the interview, Tito said plans are in motion for The Jacksons' first studio release since 1989. Two posthumous Michael Jackson albums have been released since his death in 2009 -- Michael in 2010 and Xscape in 2014. Michael's vocals have also featured on singles by Drake and Lenny Kravitz, among others, following his death. In other Michael Jackson news, the singer's classic Thriller LP has now been certified 34x platinum. According to data collected by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the 1982 album has moved 34 million copies in the US alone. Thriller was Jackson's sixth studio effort and is also the second-best album in the US ever, behind the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), which remains at the RIAA's top spot with 38 million copies. The RIAA also certified Michael's 1987 diamond-certified album Bad to 11x platinum, upgrading it from 10x platinum. His Number Ones album also now has a fifth platinum certification. - NME, 8/29/21...... 
The Beatles have announced a new special edition re-release of their 1970 album Let It Be will be released on Oct. 15 in a series of special edition packages, including a Super Deluxe 5 CD/Blue-ray box set, a Super Deluxe 4 LP + 12" EP vinyl box set, a Deluxe 2-CD edition, and a Special Edition vinyl LP. The expanded edition will feature never-before-released session recordings, rehearsals and studio jams, as well as a previously unreleased 1969 Get Back LP mix by producer/engineer Glyn Johns. Three songs from the revamped collection -- "Let It Be" - 2021 Mix, "Don't Let Me Down" - First Rooftop Performance, and "For You Blue" - 1969 Glyn Johns Mix -- were made available on Spotify.com on Aug. 26 to mark the new releases. The Let It Be revamp follows previously released anniversary Special Editions' of the band's Sgt. Peppers, "White Album", and Abbey Road albums in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively, and like those releases, has been mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell. The physical and digital Super Deluxe collections will feature 27 previously unreleased session recordings, a four-track "Let It Be" EP, and the never before released 14-track Get Back stereo LP mix compiled by engineer Glyn Johns in May 1969. An official trailer for the Let It Be reissues has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 8/26/21...... Sotheby's auctioneers announced on Aug. 25 that several Grateful Dead-related items will be auctioned during an online auction from Oct. 7-14. Among the items up for bid culled from the collections of Grateful Dead Productions and the group's inner circle are late lead singer-guitarist Jerry Garcia's stage-used 12-string Guild Starfire guitar (estimate $50,000-$70,000), as well as 1990s-era stage racks used by Garcia and fellow singer-guitarist Bob Weir (estimated $10,000-$15,000 each) and Garcia's beloved McIntosh 2300 amplifier with "Budman" sticker ($5,000-$7,000). A public preview of the items will be on display at Sotheby's York Avenue galleries from Aug. 19-30, and the full sale contents will be revealed in a public exhibition at York Avenue Oct. 9-13. There will also be personal items from GD crew members "Big" Steve Parish and Lawrence "Ram Rod" Shurtliff, including the latter's psychedelic jumpsuit (estimated $20,000-$30,000). Meanwhile, the GD spinoff band The Dead and Rhino Records announced on Aug. 25 that they've teamed with the Coda Collection website to host a series of exclusive archival content, kicking off with the streaming debuts of three concert films from one of the band's most beloved eras (1989-1991). The shows include Live in Foxboro 7/2/89, the group's summer tour opener from Foxboro, Mass., which premiered on the Coda Collection channel on Aug. 25. - Billboard, 8/25/21...... In other Grateful Dead news, Dead & Company -- which consists of former GD members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann -- took to the stage in Bethel Woods, N.Y. on Aug. 23 as part of their current 2021 tour and recreated the GD's 1969 Woodstock set. Completed by John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti, Dead & Company played an 18-song set that incorporated GD's five-song Woodstock '69 setlist, beginning with "St. Stephen" followed by "Mama Tried," a cover of late country artist Merle Haggard. The group then performed "Dark Star," "High Time" and a version of Bobby 'Blue' Bland 's 1969 song "Turn On Your Love Light." "Fifty years ago, right here, we tried this little sequence," Bob Weir told the crowd. "And it didn't work so well for us, so we're going to try again," referring to the extreme weather conditions during their set. "It was raining toads when we played," he explained. "The rain was part of our nightmare. The other part was our sound man, who decided that the ground situation on stage was all wrong. It took him about two hours to change it, which held up the show." Dead & Company's current US tour is due to end in October with a trio of sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. - NME, 8/25/21...... 
ABBA posted a cryptic message on Twitter on Aug. 26 that appears to tease their long-awaited return with new music. The post features new black-and-gold official glowing rings artwork for their new project "Voyage," which presents the date "02.09.21" (Sept. 2, 2021). In the caption, fans are directed to sign up at a new website "to be the first in line to hear more about ABBA Voyage." The post comes amid reports that ABBA are set to release new music imminently. According to the group's former session guitarist Janne Schaffer, a full ABBA album will arrive "this autumn." The UK paper The Sun cites a source who claims that the first taste of the record will arrive on Sept. 3 -- the day after news on "Voyage" is due to be revealed. However, the paper also claims that "Voyage" will be a live hologram show featuring a documentary-style film that follows ABBA's comeback. Reports of a potential "virtual" tour first emerged back in 2019. The Swedish pop icons announced back in 2018 that they were set to release their first new material in 35 years, and the group's Bjorn Ulvaeus promised earlier in 2021 that they would "definitely" drop music at some point in 2021. - NME, 8/26/21...... Joni Mitchell has been named Billboard's 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year and will receive the honor at the annual MusiCares gala on Jan. 29, 2022. "I'm honored to be chosen as person of the year by this great charity," Mitchell said in a statement. "I look forward to being part of this gala that will help MusiCares continue their inspired work in providing a support system for those in need," she added. The legendary singer/songwriter will be the first person of the year honoree since Aerosmith two years ago, after the event was put on hold in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and replaced by the Music on a Mission fundraiser. Since 1991, money raised from the gala has gone toward MusiCares programs and services that assist the music community. Mitchell is also set to be feted at the annual Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 5, about seven weeks before the MusiCares event. - Billboard, 8/25/21...... On Aug. 26 Patti Smith shared a new 7-track EP entitled "Live at Electric Lady" on Spotify.com that was created in partnership with the online service. The EP features five new performances of Smith's songs, as well as two previously-unreleased covers: One of Bob Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings," and another of Stevie Wonder's "Blame It on the Sun." Smith has previously performed several Dylan covers -- among them "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and "Boots of Spanish Leather" -- and has also previously recorded a cover of Wonder's "Pastime Paradise." Coincidentally, the original version of "Blame It on the Sun"' was recorded by Wonder at Electric Lady Studios, as part of his 1972 album Talking Book. Smith described Electric Lady Studios as her "favourite recording studio" in a press statement. "It was a unique challenge, and offered us an exciting and innovative platform. We are grateful to Spotify for their generous support and willingness to present a live performance with all its possibilities of risk and revelation," she added. Smith is the latest artist to participate in Spotify's "Live at Electric Lady" EP series, following the Bleachers, Japanese Breakfast and Jon Batiste. - NME, 8/26/21...... 
Cher has opened up about her lasting friendship with ex-boyfriend actor Val Kilmer. In a touching essay for People magazine, the 75-year-old diva discussed falling "madly in love" with Kilmer after they met in the '80s. "He's like nobody I've ever known," she began. "He is exasperating and hysterical. Thrilling and funny, and doesn't do what anyone else does. I don't know how we stayed friends, we just did. We didn't try. We just were." Writing about when they met at a party hosted by mutual friend Meryl Streep, Cher reflected on how their 14-year age difference was a big deal at the time. "He was so young. Was he 22? What was I? I don't know. Thirty-something. It was a bigger deal back then," she recalled. "The truth was if I hadn't gone out with younger men, I would have never had a date. Younger men weren't intimidated by older women. But older men in my age category, they weren't having it," she added. The "Believe" singer also wrote about how their sense of humor was key to maintaining their relationship, romantic or not. She revealed how the couple used nicknames for each other -- "Valus Maximus" and "Cherus Reprimandus" -- and that Kilmer always put an effort in with her kids. Val, the recently released documentary on the actor's life, delves into Kilmer's six-year battle with throat cancer. Cher shared the message she sent to him after she'd finished watching the film: "I said, 'Valus Maximus, I'm sorry if I did anything to p--s you off or hurt your feelings. I love you and your documentary was all things... I love the things that p--sed me off, the things that made me hysterical, amazed, hurt, astonished, etc. You are brave and beyond brilliant.'" The singer concluded by calling Kilmer a "Renaissance man," noting that the new documentary shows "even the worst things" about his life and diagnosis because "he wanted to show you who he was." - Music-News.com, 8/27/21.
Legendary Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died at age 80 on Aug. 24, it was confirmed by his London publicist in a statement provided to the media and reposted on the Stones' 
Away from the Rolling Stones, Watts found the time to play jazz with several groups including a 32-piece band, the Charlie Watts Orchestra, as well as to work with pianist Ian Stewart in the band Rocket 88 during the 1980s. In the 1990s, the Charlie Watts Quintet released several albums, including a tribute to jazz great Charlie Parker. Watts married Shirley Ann Shepherd in 1964 and they remained together until his death -- the first regular member of the band to pass away since Jones in 1969. Members of the band showed their support for Charlie on Aug. 4 after he pulled out of their upcoming "No Filter" US tour to "rest and recuperate" following an unspecified emergency medical procedure. Watts joked following the announcement that he would miss the imminent dates that "for once my timing has been a little off." Bandmates had expected Watts to rejoin the band, with Jagger tweeting "We really look forward to welcoming Charlie back as soon as he is fully recovered" and that their "friend Steve Jordan" would be filling in for Watts for the time being. Tributes have started to pour in for Watts, including Paul McCartney who posted a tribute video on Twitter. In the clip he gives his condolences, saying the he was aware that Watts was unwell but "didn't know he was this ill." He then goes on to say: "Charlie was a rock and a fantastic drummer -- steady as a rock." McCartney's fellow ex-Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr added on Twitter: "God bless Charlie Watts we're going to miss you man peace and love to the family Ringo." The Kinks' Dave Davies wrote that he was "in total shock, Charlie Watts was a lovely guy... He will be sorely missed. Deepest sympathy to his wife, the band and all his family and friends," while Elton John posted it's a "very sad day": "Charlie Watts was the ultimate drummer. The most stylish of men, and such brilliant company. My deepest condolences to Shirley, Seraphina and Charlotte," he added." Other musicians posting tributes include Pete Townshend, Nile Rogers, Brian Wilson, Debbie Harry and Liam Gallagher. - New Musical Express/Canoe.com, 8/24/21.
Inclement weather in the form of an approaching thunderstorm brought on by Hurricane Henri forced the "We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert" in New York's Central Park to be canceled halfway through its planned five hours, and also during Barry Manilow's set as the Brooklyn-born crooner gleefully sang his hit "Can't Smile Without You." After leaving the stage as a concerned voice over the loudspeaker urged the thousands of attendees to exit the premises over safety concerns, Manilow hopped on the phone with CNN's Anderson Cooper to give his reaction to the sudden cancellation. "When I was in the wings, I saw it start to drizzle but I had no idea it was going this far," the 78-year-old "Mandy" singer told Cooper before serenading the TV personality with a snippet of his 1981 hit "I Made It Through the Rain." "Maybe one of these days we can do this again and it won't rain," added Manilow, who also shared a video clip of the downpour on 
The Rolling Stones announced on 
Neil Young announced on 
Speaking of sequels to successful collaborations, Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas have reunited on record for the first time in 22 years on a song titled "Move," which has been shared on 
Don Everly, half of the legendary Rock & Roll duo The Everly Brothers, died at his home in Nashville on Aug. 22 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 84. "Don lived by what he felt in his heart," read a statement given to The Los Angeles Times. "Don expressed his appreciation for the ability to live his dreams... with his soulmate and wife, Adela, and sharing the music that made him an Everly Brother," the statement added. Born on Feb. 1, 1937 in Kentucky, Don and brother Phil Everly were the sons of Ike Everly, a coal miner turned musician. After discovering the melodic harmonies of his two sons, the family started making music together. They started a radio show in the 1940s which gained them much attention and after the success of the show, Ike took his two sons to Nashville where the brothers eventually signed a record deal. The brothers officially formed The Everly Brothers in 1957 and the duo were quickly famed for their soaring harmonies. The pair released their self-titled album in 1957 before signing with Warner Bros. Records in 1960. They went on to achieve 15 Top 10 hits from 1957 to 1962 such as "Bye Bye Love," "All I Have to Do is Dream," "Cathy's Clown," "Bird Dog," "When Will I Be l Loved," and "Problems," which have been covered numerous times by artists they influenced. The duo released a total of 21 studio albums in addition to numerous live and compilation albums, while Don Everly released several solo records including Sunset Towers and Brother Jukebox. The Everly Brothers were inducted into the inaugural class of the 
Country singer/songwriter Tom T. Hall, best known for penning hits including Jeannie C. Riley's massive 1968 pop/country crossover smash 
If you think you've heard every weird Michael Jackson story imagineable, hang on to your hat. A self-described medium named Kathleen Roberts is claiming to be married to the ghost of the King of Pop, and that his ghost "clairvoyantly" proposed to her with a pink engagement ring. Roberts, an American who also claims she is the reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe, told the Daily Star paper that Jackson uses her body through possession -- "or channelling, if you refer to it professionally," she said -- in order to live a happy marriage to her. He sings, dances and eats food via Roberts' body, and "stays in me all the time." "He comes to the restroom with me and calls these special bonding moments 'toiletries'. He loves cookies. He cusses a lot more to I'd expect him to... He talks to me a lot, which is not what I expected from the shy man I saw on TV all of those years I was a fan," Roberts said. She added that she believes Jackson chose her because of her apparent resemblance to the late Hollywood icon Monroe. "I feel special that he chose me for a wife (though not on paper) we treat our relationship as though we are married. We have our ups and downs but Michael, the truth is, I just can't stop loving you," she said. Roberts also noted that she and Michael, who died in 2009 aged 50, haven't yet consummated their marriage. "He doesn't like being touched back. He scares me with spider visions and dead corpse visions if I kiss him or try to initiate romance physically," said Roberts. "He is very bossy and points things out like flaws and mistakes I make. I assume he got that from his father, so I try to overlook that because I love him and I am not perfect either," she added. - New Musical Express, 8/19/21...... George Harrison has notched his first No. 1 album on Billboard's 15-year-old Top Rock Albums chart as a solo artist with the 
With the success of her latest album 
An unnamed woman who identifies herself only by the initials "J.C." has accused Bob Dylan of sexually abusing her in 1965 when she was just 12 years old, according to a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court on Aug. 13. "J.C." claims that Dylan abused her over a six-week period in April and May 1965 by providing her with drugs and alcohol and threatening physical violence, "leaving her emotionally scarred and psychologically damaged to this day." She says Dylan facilitated the abuse by establishing an "emotional connection" and grooming her using his status as a hugely-famous musician. The complaint includes few specifics of the alleged abuse, but claims it resulted in economic losses, including medical costs related to his conduct -- some of which she alleges occurred in his apartment at the Hotel Chelsea, where rock legend famously wrote lyrics for his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. "J.C." is suing Dylan for assault and battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress and seeking compensatory, punitive and exemplary damages. A spokesperson for Dylan categorically denied the accusations, saying "the 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended." Filed by attorneys Daniel Isaacs and Peter Gleason, the suit was made possible by the 2019 New York's Child Victims Act, which suspended NY's ordinary statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims for a two-year period that ended on Aug. 14 -- just a day after the Dylan complaint was filed. Isaacs said the complaint "speaks for itself" and declined to comment on why his client was mounting the allegations so many years later. A British Bob Dylan biographer, Clinton Heylin, says the allegations made against Dylan are "not possible" due to the claimant's timeline of events. Heylin, the author of a new Dylan biography called The Double Life of Bob Dylan: A Restless, Hungry Feeling, 1941-1966, says that Dylan was touring England during that time, and was in Los Angeles for two of those weeks, plus a day or two at Woodstock. "The tour was 10 days, but Bob flew into London on April 26 and arrived back in New York on June 3," Heylin says. "If Dylan was in New York in mid-April, it was for no more than a day or two. Woodstock was where he spent most of his time when not touring." Heylin adds that if Dylan was in New York City, the singer "invariably stayed at his manager's apartment in Gramercy, not the Chelsea." - Billboard/NME, 8/16/21...... An acoustic guitar owned by Keith Richards that he once shot in frustration after an argument with his Rolling Stones bandmate Ronnie Wood has gone up for auction. Richards reportedly blew a hole in the Gibson 1952 SJ Southern Jumbo Sunburst Acoustic Guitar in 1995 after a row with Wood as the band was relaxing in a Memphis hotel room after a show. According to the memoirs of Ronnie's ex-wife Jo Wood, Richards became so incensed after walking in the room to find Wood jamming on the guitar that he decided to shoot a hole in it. An official listing statement claims: "Richards asked where Wood got the guitar from, and Wood said he borrowed it from Mick Jagger. "Richards was so mad that they took his guitar that he grabbed it, sandwiched it between two pillows, took out a gun and shot it. The guitar not only still has the hole, but also has remnants from one of the foam pillows used to silence it." Despite the hole, New Jersey auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll has received an opening bid of $150,000 for the unique piece of rock history and estimates that the guitar will bring in $250,000. The listing adds: "Richards owned and frequently played this acoustic guitar on stage during the Rolling Stones' 1995 Totally Stripped tour. - NME, 8/18/21...... A collection of classic cars, known as the "Silver Surfers," belonging to the late Rush drummer-lyricist Neil Peart, sold for $3.9 million during an auction conducted by Gooding & Company at the Pebble Beach Auctions on Aug. 13-14. The auction of Peart's seven cars saw the top sale of the collection go to his 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400 S, which sold for a whopping $1.32 million after being predicted to sell for more than $1 million. Only one car from the collection, an 1964 Aston Martin DB5, did not reach its reserve price (estimated beforehand to reach between $650,000-$725,000) and failed to sell. Peart, who died on Jan. 7, 2020 after bravely battling brain cancer for three and a half years, said previously he named his cars his "Silver Surfers" for the feeling he had while driving them on the California coast. "The title 'Silver Surfers' for my collection of cars occurred to me while driving the DB5 up and down the Pacific Ocean," he once explained. "Because it felt right to me, I guess -- the idea that I was just one of the wave riders." - Canoe.com, 8/18/21...... 
On Aug. 16 KISS officially announced the details of their second Las Vegas residency on 
Aerosmith's Joe Perry says his band once considered replacing co-founding vocalist Steven Tyler with Sammy Hagar, a.k.a. "The Red Rocker." In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Perry said the incident took place around a decade ago, when Tyler was appearing as a judge on American Idol among a number of other non-Aerosmith activities, moves which led Perry to believe the singer was distancing himself from the band. He went on to say that Hagar came close to accepting the role, before Tyler ended up continuing to sing with the band. "It was really another one of those times, you don't keep a band together without a lot of bumps," Perry said. "But anyway, over the years, everybody has to bust out and do what they want. And I remember Steven doing that TV show, I thought that was great. I just knew he had to do something like that, and doing that solo record that he did. So the band wasn't that tight, there was talk and there were so many people involved -- lawyers, different managers. I thought Steven wants maybe to take four years off, do what he wants to do. And so the whole looking around for another lead singer thing, just as soon as that happened, that raised its head," he added. Meanwhile, Aerosmith's Brad Whitford has said he's not sure Aerosmith's upcoming UK and European tour will go ahead because of visa issues relating to Brexit. The band's European tour was originally scheduled to take place in 2020 but was pushed back to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was later rescheduled again and is now set to take place in 2022. - NME, 8/15/21.
The Eagles' current record company Rhino Entertainment has licensed the iconic L.A. rockers' first six albums to the audiophile label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab that will release each of them as 2-disc 45rpm box sets for $125. The band's first, self-titled album drops on Aug. 15, followed by Desperado on Sept. 15 and then later On the Border, One of These Nights, Hotel California, and The Long Run. "We are incredibly honored to be doing these Eagles records," says Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab vp Josh Bizar. The label, which has the approval of the band as well as Rhino, is working with Eagles catalog curator Richard F. W. Davis. As far as the price, which is typical for Mobile Fidelity's "Ultradisc One-Step" products, "people will pay more for a quality product," Bizar says. The label generally presses limited amounts of records -- the first two Eagles releases are limited to 7,500 copies each -- which tend to sell out. Over the past decade, as vinyl grew into a substantial business, MFSL has been selling reissues on vinyl and audiophile SACDs - mostly of classic rock acts like Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Dire Straits, and others. More info on the releases can be found on the 
Elton John and fellow Brit Lipa have joined forces on a new mashup called "Cold Heart," which has been expertly created by Pnau, the Australian electronic music outfit of Peter Mayes and brothers Nick and Sam Littlemore. The new cut has a slinky vibe, introduced into the mix by Pnau, and features a nuggety bassline and house beat. Over the top, John performs lyrics from his 1989 single "Sacrifice" and Lipa drops in with lines from Elton's signature song from 1972, "Rocket Man." The video for "Cold Heart" can be streamed on 
Earth, Wind & Fire have teamed up with acclaimed producer Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and singer-songwriter Lucky Dave for a new version of the EW&F hit "You Want My Love" to mark its 45th anniversary. The tune blends the music of the Grammy-winning troupe with contemporary stars and will be released on Aug. 20. "You Want My Love" was released on the album 
Fourteen years after their Grammy-winning collaboration Raising Sand, Led Zeppelin icon Robert Plant and country singer Alison Krauss have announced a sequel, 
Stevie Nicks announced on Aug. 10 that she will no longer tour for the rest of 2021 due to rising Covid-19 cases across the U.S. Nicks revealed she canceled her live performances this year in a short note on her 
Folk singer/songwriter Nanci Griffith, best known for the classic hit "From a Distance," died on Aug. 13 of as yet unspecified causes, according to her managment. She was 68. "It was Nanci's wish that no further formal statement or press release happen for a week following her passing," Gold Mountain Entertainment added in a statement. Griffith, who came of age in the mid-70s folk scene in and around Austin, Tex., was renowned for classics such as "Love At The Five And Dime" and "Outbound Plane." She was also known for her recording of "From A Distance," from her 1987 album Lone Star State Of Mind, which went on to become a popular Bette Midler cover. Griffith's fellow folk-rock icon Don McLean was one of the first to pay tribute to the late singer describing her as "a lovely person." "I worked with her on a TV special we did for PBS TV and on that show, we sang two duets. They were 'And I Love You So' and 'Raining In My Heart'. I never heard anyone sing harmony in a more beautiful way. We should have done an album together. At this taping in Austin, Texas she brought her father to see it. I really loved her spirit it was warm and loving and I'm really sorry to hear she has gone," he added. Griffith's work became increasingly political with age, openly criticizing former Pres. George W. Bush and supporting former Pres. Barack Obama. Griffith described her 2012 record Intersection as "a protest album." It was her last album before she retired in 2013. - NME, 8/13/21...... Actor Alex Cord, best known for co-starring with Jan-Michael Vincent and Ernest Borgnine in the 1980s attack-helicopter series Airwolf, died on the morning of Aug. 9 at his home in Valley View, Tex. He was 88. Mr. Cord had been working in films and TV for more than 20 years before he landed his signature role as the mysterious, eyepatch-sporting Archangel on Airwolf. The CBS drama debuted in 1984 -- the year all three broadcast networks bowed helicopter dramas following the theatrical success of Blue Thunder. While that would be Cord's signature role, he had scores of others -- ranging from guest slots on such classic series as Route 66, Night Gallery, Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, Police Story and The Six Million Dollar Man to a lead role in the short-lived 1978 NBC primetime soap W.E.B. He also was a regular on Cassie & Company, Angie Dickinson's follow-up series to Police Story. The Long Island, N.Y., native also appeared in films, starring alongside Ann-Margret, Mike Connors, Bing Crosby and others in 1966's Stagecoach. Other film roles included Synanon, The Last Grenade The Brotherhood, Stiletto and The Dead Are Alive! Mr. Cord continued to work onscreen throughout the 1980s and '90s, guesting on such hit dramas as Murder, She Wrote, Simon & Simon, Jake and the Fatman and Walker, Texas Ranger. - Deadline.com, 8/10/21.