The Feb. 27 season opener of the durable talent series American Idol included a contestant with a famous showbiz heritage -- the granddaughter of late Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. Detroit resident Grace Franklin, 15, gave it her best shot on the show, hitting a soulful but imperfect version of Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly." After some prompting from celebrity coach Katy Perry, the high school student performed another number, her version of her famous grandmom's "Ain't No Way." Not content just to live in the shadow of the Queen of Soul, Grace says she's keen to make her own moves in music. "I am my own artist and I have my own voice," she said. When it came time to voting, Luke Bryan had his reservations, and gave a "no." It was a "yes" from Perry, who enthused that the teen has "stardust" on her. The final vote was a tough-love "no" from Lionel Richie, who pointed out the shy contestant simply "wasn't ready." "The best thing for you in life is to take a shot at going backwards," Richie said. The entire performance has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 2/28/22...... 
As the rest of the world watches in horror and disgust at Vladimir Putin's continuing invasion of Ukraine which began in late February, several '70s and '80s musicians have taken to social media to criticize the actions of the longtime Russian Federation president. As the conflict entered its seventh day on Mar. 1, former Pink Floyd guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour posted a message on Twitter urging Russian soldiers to cease carrying out Putin's orders while mentioning his Ukranian daughter-in-law. "Russian soldiers, stop killing your brothers. There will be no winners in this war. My daughter-in-law is Ukrainian and my grand-daughters want to visit and know their beautiful country. Stop this before it is all destroyed. Putin must go," Gilmour wrote. In his post, Gilmour included "In Any Tongue," a song from his 2015 solo album Rattle That Lock which features lyrics written by Gilmour's wife, novelist Polly Sampson, and carries a strong anti-war message, describing the deaths of young soldiers in conflict. "How was I to feel it when a gun was in my hands / And I'd waited for so long," Gilmour sings on the track. "How was I to see straight in the dust and blinding sun / Just a pair of boots on the ground." Posting on Instagram, Elton John expressed that he's "heartbroken" over the "nightmare" the people of Ukraine are currently living through. "For over 20 years, the Elton John AIDS Foundation has supported some of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine with access to HIV services and care, as part of our commitment to communities across Eastern Europe and Central Asia," Sir Elton wrote. "We are heartbroken and appalled to see this conflict unfold and our hearts are with the people of Ukraine who do not deserve to live through this nightmare. During these devastating times, we stand for an end to the violence and suffering in Ukraine so that life-saving services and humanitarian aid can reach those desperately in need," he added, completing his post with an image of Ukraine's blue and yellow flag as a show of support for those affected by the attacks. Fleetwood Mac frontlady Stevie Nicks has also come out strongly against Putin's unprovoked invasion, comparing Russia's head of state to infamous German dictator Adolf Hitler. "This is Hitler coming back to haunt us. In one evening, until now, an entire sovereign country has been full-on invaded... How dare he," Nicks wrote in a lengthy statement, adding that she has "been crying ever since" she discovered an Ukrainian acquaintance of hers was trying to flee the country following Russia's invasion. "My heart is broken for our new friend and for the people of Ukraine - I am so, so sorry," Nicks added, also sharing a photo of the "beautiful" hand-painted box she received from her Ukranian friend. 
Meanwhile, Dee Snider of the '80s metal band Twisted Sister says he "absolutely approves" of the Ukranians using the Twisted Sister classic "We're Not Gonna Take It" as a rallying cry as they fight off the latest Russian hostilities against Ukraine. "I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using 'We're Not Gonna Take It' as their battlecry," Snider tweeted. "My grandfather was Ukrainian, before it was swallowed up by the USSR after WW2. This can't happen to these people again! #F---RUSSIA," he added. Donations to help the Ukranians affected by the conflict can be made at RedCross.org.uk. The invasion has resulted in nearly 200 deaths so far, including civilians, three of whom were children, according to Ukraine's health minister. - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 3/2/22...... Dolly Parton has announced she will livestream her first ever appearance at the South By Southwest (SXSW) festival on Mar. 18, when she and best-selling author James Patterson will appear at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater to discuss their upcoming novel collaboration Run, Rose, Run, which drops on Mar. 7. Moderating the panel will be actress Connie Britton, known for her work on the television shows Nashville and Friday Night Lights. Afterward, Parton will offer a live performance of songs from her new Run, Rose, Run album, as well as a few of her hit songs. The event will be streamed live for free via a "Dollyverse" audience-centric Web3 experience by Eluvio, which will also power the "Dollyverse"'s NFT sales. "There's almost nothing more important to me than connecting with my fans. And I'm almost always up for trying something new and different," Parton said in a statement. "I'd say releasing NFTs at my first ever appearance at SXSW, with James Patterson by my side, definitely counts as new and different!," she added. - Billboard, 3/1/22...... David Crosby expounded on his recent decision to remove his music from music streaming services such as Spotify.com in a new interview with Stereogum.com, and the reason he gave was largely due to streaming royalties. "I don't like Spotify. I don't like any of the streamers, because they don't pay us properly. Their proportion is wrong. They're making billions with a 'b' and they're paying out pennies with a 'p'," Crosby said. "That's not OK. It's not OK in that it took away half my income, and it's not OK in that, especially, it makes it impossibly difficult for young people to make it in the business. It doesn't pay them anything. It's wrong," he says. Crosby said it felt "shitty" offering such advice but in the current streaming climate he felt there was little other advice he could give: "You know how shitty it is for me to say that? You know how much I don't want to say that? Some bright-eyed young kid who has talent.... I don't want to say that to them, and it is the truth. I don't hold out any hope for it at all." But Crosby said he still intends to make new music with his son James Crosby "because we love making records and because we think music is a lifting force...I think these are really hard times, and people need the lift. I'm making music because music makes things better and it makes people happier. That's good enough for me. If I don't get paid, I don't get paid." "It's OK for now. I'm going to run out of money in a couple of years and then I'll have to sell my house," he says. "That's just how that is. I can't do shit about it. I can't play live anymore. I'm 80 years old and I'm very fragile health-wise. I can't change the marketplace. [The streaming giants are] making the money and they're not going to change that. They're not going to suddenly develop a sense of moral responsibility. They're scummy people," he adds. - NME, 3/1/22...... 
Universal Music Group announced on Feb. 28 that they've acquired the entire catalog of their longtime roster artist Neil Diamond as the culmination of a decades-long relationship between the artist and UMG. UMG's deal includes Diamond's entire song and master recordings, also covering the rights to record and release any future music by Diamond (should he return to the studio), and to the rights of the recordings of 110 unreleased tracks, an unreleased album and long archival videos of Diamond. UMG declined to state the price of the deal. Diamond and UMG began their relationship back in 1968 when he was signed to the Uni/MCA label until 1972 -- a heyday which saw the release of such enduring hits as "Sweet Caroline," "Solitary Man" and "Song Sung Blue." In 2013, the singer/songwriter entered a recording agreement and licensing deal for his non-MCA recordings through Capitol Music Group and Universal Music Enterprises, and the new deal sees the union of all of his music -- compositions and recordings -- under the UMG umbrella. "After nearly a decade in business with UMG, I am thankful for the trust and respect that we have built together, and I feel confident in the knowledge that Lucian, Jody, Bruce, Michelle and the global team at UMG, will continue to represent my catalogue, and future releases with the same passion and integrity that have always fueled my career," Diamond said in a statement. Diamond's indelible impact on popular music will soon be immortalized in the premiere of the biographical "The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise," which premieres at Boston's Emerson Colonial Theatre on June 21 before heading to the Broadway stage. His many awards include a Grammy, a Golden Globe, Kennedy Center Honors, an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and more. In 2018, he announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinsons' Disease. In the deal, Diamond was represented by Gene Saloman of Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc. and by his manager Katie Diamond. - Billboard, 2/28/22...... Mick Jagger and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson have announced they're teaming up to produce a four-part documentary on one of their biggest influences -- "Godfather of Soul" James Brown. In a press release, Jagger described Brown as "a brilliant performer who inspired me from the beginning," while QuestLove, leader of The Roots, said that Brown "is significant not only to understand his immense musical impact, which inspires us and other artists to this day, but also for the deep and lasting impression he has had on American culture." James Brown: Say It Loud is expected to premiere on the A&E Network sometime in 2023. - Billboard, 2/26/22...... Billy Joel paid tribute to late Procul Harum leader Gary Brooker during his recent show at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 26 with a moving rendition of Procul Harum's 1967 hit "A Whiter Shade of Pale." Featured on the US version of the English band's self-titled debut album, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is one of the most commercially successful singles in history, having sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. It's a song that Joel has praised frequently, and covered on numerous occasions throughout his career, including a snippet during a Cincinnati concert in 2021 and a solo take during a Town Hall Q&A and concert with Howard Stern in 2014. In further tribute, The Piano Man the followed the song with one of his own compositions, "Only The Good Die Young." Joel's performance of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" can be viewed on YouTube or Twitter. Joel also offered his condolences about Brooker's passing on Feb. 19 at the age of 76 with a Feb. 22 Twitter post. - NME, 2/27/22...... 
Bonnie Raitt will release her 18th studio album, Just Like That, on Apr. 22, and the 72-year-old three-time Grammy winner says she's positively buzzing with excitement at the opportunity to tour the new LP with guests Lucinda Williams and Mavis Staples. Raitt recently came off three weeks in a Sausalito, Calif., studio with her band, prepping to tour her 18th studio album, and says "it was like I was 8 years old every morning: 'What am I going to wear today?!'" For Raitt -- a die-hard road warrior who consistently fills theaters around the world - spending the past couple of years in Covid lockdown and not even being in the same room with her longtime crew were "just crushing." "Night would come, and I'd go, 'That's it? That's as cool as it's going to get today?'," she says. Raitt has long been open about her past struggle with alcoholism, and her sobriety since age 37 informs another of her personal directives: how to stay not only active, but vibrant, 50 years into a music career. "All of us who are still out on the road, we didn't used to warm up. Now we warm up our voices. We stopped trashing ourselves in our 30s, just about," she explains. "You can't keep up this pace if you don't do yoga or hike or get some exercise. You have to get enough sleep. You have to keep people who are drains out of your circuitry and your life. Getting sober "made a huge difference in how easy it is to be out on the road," she continues. "But it's a pleasure taking care of myself." Raitt produced the new album herself and, as usual, it's studded with her hand-picked roster of songwriters (ranging from Al Anderson to her late friend Frederick "Toots" Hibbert of Toots & The Maytals), but also includes four originals by Raitt herself, the haunting title track among them. "More and more, the songs I've written lately are very personal, she says. "I could farm it out to somebody more adept than I, but it's nice to write on assignment. I don't care if they're not on everybody's best-of list: They're on mine." Raitt says that when she is done touring Just Like That, she'll take a little break, and then the job will go on: time to think about the next record. "I mean, my dad toured till he was 86! Raitt exclaims as if anything else would be plain lazy. "Look at Tony Bennett. Look at [Rolling Stones] Mick and Keith. I don't feel any urgency to finish. I feel like I'm pretty well understood, and I've felt understood this whole time." - Billboard, 2/25/22...... On Feb. 24 Paul McCartney shared a new Wordle-style teaser on his Twitter feed, prompting renewed speculation that he may soon be announcing his headline slot at England's Glastonbury 2022 festival. The Beatle had been set to headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2020 with Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar, but that edition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that the Glastonbury fest is back on in '22, speculation about who will join Billie Eilish at the top of the bill reignited on Feb. 24 after McCartney shared a "Wordle-style" teaser on Twitter. The tweet appears to hint that McCartney will be headlining Glastonbury 2022 via the inclusion of the numbers "25/6," which could mean June 25 (Saturday of this year's event). The Wordle teaser also features six green tiles which could spell out "GLASTO." McCartney has previous form when it comes to this type of hint, having previously shared a composite image of Philip Glass, Emma Stone and Chuck Berry ahead of the announcement that he'd been booked to headline Glastonbury in 2020. So far, only Eilish, Diana Ross (who is playing the "Legends' slot) and Little Simz have been officially announced for this year's festival, with the complete line-up to be announced in April. - New Musical Express, 2/24/22...... David Byrne, appearing recently on Zane Lowe's Apple Music 1 podcast, says he's ready to put his acclaimed "American Utopia" show to a close. "Well, we are going to put an end to it. We've been extended it until April 3rd this year, and that's where we're going to end," the former Talking Heads frontman said. "Yeah, I've been doing it for a number of years now, and we had, of course, this huge interruption. But I feel like, okay. Before that, we toured a version of it, and so I feel like, yes, maybe I've done this enough. And it's time for me to move on and try something else that might succeed and might fail with new material and see where that leads," he added. As for his next projects, Byrne says he's "working on an immersive theatre project that has science experiments and experiences as a kind of basis." He continued: "It's not real. It's not a music show. It's not a music thing. That'll happen in August and September. So I've got a little while to prepare for that. And then I think before that and after that, I think I'll probably start working on new music and see where that goes. And again, just like you said, I'll probably write some things, report some things. Do that and then maybe ask people, what do you think? Is it any good or should I scrap it all and start again?" - Music-News.com, 2/28/22...... 
Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates has shared a stripped-back cover of Eurythmics' 1983 track "Here Comes The Rain Again" on YouTube as the singer/songwriter prepares to head out on his irst US solo tour in a decade this April. To coincide with the tour, he's releasing a 30-track retrospective of his solo career called BeforeAfter that is compiled of songs from his five solo albums. The collection also includes six previously unreleased performances from his Live From Daryl's House series. Included is his cover of "Here Comes The Rain Again," actually sees him joined by Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart, who along with his Eurythmics partner Annie Lennox was a producer and partial co-writer for Hall's 1986 solo effort Three Hearts In The Happy Ending Machine. BeforeAfter will drop Apr. 1 via Legacy Recordings, with his tour kicking off the same evening in Chicago, also visiting Nashville, Tenn. (4/3), Atlanta (4/5), Northfield, Oh. (4/7), Philadelphia (4/9), Boston (4/11) and New York's Carnegie Hall on Apr. 14 before wrapping in National Harbor, Md. on Apr. 16. - NME, 2/26/22...... Nicky Tesco, a founding member of the late '70s UK punk band The Members, died on Feb. 26. He was 66. The news was confirmed in a post on Tesco's Facebook page, which simply said that Tesco had "left the building." Tesco formed The Members in 1976 alongside Gary Baker (guitar), Steve Morley (bass guitar) and Clive Parker (drums), and the band underwent a number of line-up changes across his career. Their debut album, At The Chelsea Nightclub, came out in 1979 and featured their biggest hits, "Sounds Of The Suburbs" and "Solitary Confinement." Tesco departed the band in 1983 before going on to launch a successful acting career, appearing in movies such as Cha Cha Cha (1989) and Amar Akbar & Tony (2015), as well as composing music for films. The Members reunited without Tesco in 2008, and have steadily released new albums across the last decade. Their most recent album, Bedsitland, came out in 2021. "The Members were a brilliant group with fantastic observational, witty songs. Their singer Nicky Tesco was a fantastic frontman and in later years a great presence on social media. RIP Nicky Tesco," tweeted rock journalist David Quantick. - NME, 2/28/22...... Ernie Andrews, a jazz and blues singing legend who began performing in the '40s and continued entertaining until well into the 21st century, died in a Conroe, Tex. hospital on Feb. 21 after suffering a broken hip from a fall at home. He was 94. Born on Christmas Day in 1927 in Philadelphia, Mr. Andrews began singing in the Baptist church and continued to do so when his family moved to Los Angeles in his teenage years. After winning an amateur show in L.A., he caught the attention of songwriter Joe Greene, who brought him into the studio to record his first hit record, "Soothe Me," in 1945 at the age of 17. One of the best-selling records of the year, it would go on to sell 300,000 copies. Capable of conjuring the grit of the blues, the swing attitude of the big band era and the ache of '60s soul, Mr. Andrews performed with everyone from saxophonist Cannonball Adderley to Wrecking Crew drummer Frank Capp to jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell over the course of his lengthy career, which saw him tour everywhere from Australia to Europe to South America. Mr. Andrews is survived by four children, 12 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. His wife of 52 years, Dolores, died in 1997. - Billboard, 2/25/22.
Elton John has reportedly been left "shaken" after his private jet experienced a harrowing emergency landing at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire, UK on Feb. 22. According to sources, the jet was flying over southern Ireland at 10,000 ft., on its way from the UK to New York for a show that evening at Madison Square Garden, when it was forced to land. The plane took off around 10:00 am UK time, but suffered hydraulic issues an hour into its journey and was forced to turn back, eventually landing at Hampshire's Farnborough Airport, but then experienced severe weather conditions. "The jet was being buffeted and couldn't land. It was horrible to see," an eyewitness said. "The terrible weather and epic gusts made it almost impossible to land. Two attempts to touch down failed. The aircraft's nose was far too vertical. The plane was descending and was halfway along the runway when it gave up trying to hit the tarmac. It soared back in the air," the witness added. After word went around that Sir Elton was in difficulty, a crowd gathered around and saw the plane come around again for a second attempt to land, when the storm was doing its worst. "It was a horrible thing to see, and you wouldn't have swapped places with Elton on that small plane for anything. I bet he said a few prayers of thanks," the witness said. Another source said that Elton was "shaken" but eventually made it to New York and played the show as planned. John resumed his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour in New Orleans in January after multiple delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. - New Musical Express, 2/23/22...... 
Former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones has re-recorded the band's 1971 version of "When the Levee Breaks," with assistance from 17 musicians from around the world. An intercontinental performance that can be viewed on YouTube, the video sees Jones joined by Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, as well as husband-and-wife duo Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi of the Tedeschi Trucks Band. The version also features Smi vocalist Elle Mrj Eira, Mihirangi, Congo musician Mermans Mosengo and Nigerian percussionist Sikiru Adepoju. The new rendition of the Led Zeppelin "IV" track was recorded as part of global music non-profit Playing for Change's Song Around the World initiative. All money raised through the song will benefit organisations like Conservation International, American Rivers, WWF, Reverb and the Playing for Change Foundation. The Blues standard "When the Levee Breaks" was first recorded by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929, reflecting on the upheaval that followed the Great Mississippi Flood two years prior. Zeppelin's version closes out their fourth album, 1971's Led Zeppelin "IV". "It seems that little has changed since 1927, or even 2005 with Katrina," Jones says of the song. "It's still a really powerful track, both musically and lyrically." - NME, 2/22/22...... KISS will be among the headliners at the Aftershock Festival 2022, set for Oct. 6-9 at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif. Billing itself as "the West Coast's BIGGEST rock festival" which has enjoyed sellouts for five consecutive years, the event will expand to four full days in 2022 after expanding to three and a half days in 2021. Other headliners will include Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, Judas Priest, Papa Roach, Rob Zombie, Evanescence and Stone Temple Pilots, among others. The full lineup can be seen on the festival's Twitter post of Feb. 23. Meanwhile, KISS has also been confirmed for the UK's Download Festival in June, along with Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro. KISS' Gene Simmons previously admitted he can't wait to take to the Download stage this summer for the 2022 edition: "I've said it before, Download Festival audiences are the best. They are up for whatever is thrown at them." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 2/23/22...... The heirs of late Jimi Hendrix Experience members Noel Redding and Mitch Michell filed a motion in a New York federal court on Feb. 22 to dismiss a legal battle with the Jimi Hendrix estate, calling it a "blatant" effort to litigate the dispute in the wrong country." Redding and Mitchell's heirs are demanding the case must be resolved in the UK rather than New York, claiming the other side is trying to "circumvent" English courts to win a "sympathetic" judge. In a New York lawsuit, Hendrix's estate said Redding and Mitchell signed away any rights shortly after the legendary rocker died in 1970. In a British lawsuit, the bandmates' heirs said those deals were flawed and that they're owed millions in royalties. "Plaintiffs are merely trying to win the race to the courthouse because they apparently believe this court will be more sympathetic to their claim than the English court before which it is now pending," the Redding and Mitchell heirs contend in their motion. "Such blatant forum shopping is not entitled to any deference," they added. The judge is expected to rule on the motion in March. - Billboard, 2/23/22...... 
Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry has announced on his Twitter account that Roxy Music will be reissuing all eight of their studio albums on vinyl across 2022. "Announcing Roxy Music 50th anniversary LP reissues! Released in pairs throughout the year, half-speed cut at Abbey Road, revised artwork with lyrics and deluxe gloss finish. 'Roxy Music' and 'For Your Pleasure' out 1 April 2022," the tweet reads. The reissue series will begin on Apr. 1 when the band reissue their self-titled debut album (which turns 50 this year) and its follow-up, For Your Pleasure. All eight of the albums have been newly remastered at half speed by Miles Showell at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. The reissues will also see the albums given fresh, revised versions of their artwork and laminated finishes. The albums will be reissued in pairs throughout 2022. - NME, 2/23/22...... A notebook containing Paul McCartney's handwritten lyrics for the Beatles' classic "Hey Jude" has been donated to Beatles museum in Liverpool by British actress Davinia Taylor, best known as a former member of the cast of the British soap opera Hollyoaks. Taylor was given the special pad for her 21st birthday by her millionaire dad Alan Murphy, who Taylor says purchased the notebook in a Sotheby's auction for "something crazy like £100,000." "Sotheby's had an auction, dad was at home, a few bottles of wine in and started bidding against an American. He won. He said, 'It's not going to America, it's staying in Liverpool," Taylor says. In addition to the "Hey Jude" lyrics, the notebook also contains doodles and poetry by all four band memebers, including John Lennon, George Harrison and Sir Ringo Starr, along with snippets of lyrics from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and other tracks. The pad -- which was compiled from 1967 to 1968 -- is now on display at The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool. Taylor admitted she was "over the moon" to have donated the item, and the museum has insured it for £1 million. - Music-News.com, 2/24/22...... The Who's annual Teenage Cancer Trust gigs at London's Royal Albert Hall are returning in 2022, following a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. "Live music has been hit hard by the pandemic and it has been particularly frustrating for me that we haven't been able to get artists on stage to raise money for this vitally important cause," says Who frontman Roger Daltrey. "But we haven't given up. The Who will be back on stage this year at the hall alongside some wonderful talent. After the last two unbelievably difficult years, young people with cancer deserve everything we can do for them," he added. In addition to The Who's performance on Mar. 25, the 2022 roster includes Yungblud (3/23), Madness (3/24), Don Broco (3/25), and Liam Gallagher (3/26), with Ed Sheeran closing out the series on Mar. 27. The first Teenage Cancer Trust gigs were presented in 2000, and over the years, the likes of Oasis, Sir Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys and Muse have played the charity gig. - Music-News.com, 2/22/22...... 
The Velvet Underground co-founding member John Cale has announced that he'll be heading to the UK this summer for his first full run of tour dates in the country in almost a decade. "TOUR News! Hello UK I'm heading your way in July! My first extended run of UK dates in several year," Cale announced on his Twitter page. The Welsh musician's tour will begin in Liverpool at the Royal Philharmonic Hall on July 15, before visiting Whitley Bay (7/18), York (7/19), Bexhill (7/21), Cambridge (7/23) and the London Palladium (7/24), before closing out the run at Birmingham Town Hall on July 25. Cale last toured the UK in 2012 on his "Shifty Adventures In Nookie Wood" European tour. - NME, 2/24/22...... In a new interview with Stereogum.com, David Crosby expanded on his recent decision to remove his music from the Spotify.com streaming platform. The ex-Crosby, Stills & Nash member also made it clear that he takes issue with all streaming services -- not just Spotify, with which controversial radio show host Joe Rogan has a lucrative content deal. "Here's how I feel about it. I think Joe Rogan is... eh, not real impressive. But I think he has a right to spew his garbage. He has a right to do it. I think Spotify has a right to put him up there," Crosby said. "I absolutely will fight for their right to do that. I have a right to not be associated with it. I told a friend this morning, 'Listen man, if I was selling my records in a marketplace, I don't want to be selling them next to some spoiled meat.' That's why I don't want to be on the same platform as Joe Rogan. He's calling people the n-word all the time. He's talking about women as if they're a mouth and a pair of tits. He doesn't really represent me at all, so I don't want to be there with him." Additionally, Crosby indicated that the Rogan controversy was the last straw in terms of him personally eschewing digital streaming services like Spotify. "I don't want to be in there. I don't like 'em and their quality's lousy and their payscale's lousy and I don't want anything to do with them... I'm not trying censor him or you. That's of course the first thing that all his fans said: 'This is censorship! You used to be a hippie!'... I still am. I still have the exact same set of values. I just don't want to be associated with that guy." He added that he does "not envision going back" to the platform. - NME, 2/21/22...... 
Gary Brooker the lead singer/pianist/composer of the English rock band Procol Harum, died "peacefully" at home on Feb. 19 after a battle with cancer, according to a post on Procol Harum's Facebook page on Feb. 22. He was 76. The post included a link to a full statement about Brooker on the band's website. The statement described Brooker as "a brightly shining, irreplaceable light in the music industry," adding that he "exhibited and developed a highly individual talent." "His first single with Procol Harum, 1967's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', is widely regarded as defining the 'summer of love', yet it could scarcely have been more different from the characteristic records of that era," the post reads. "Gary's voice and piano were the single defining constant of Procol's 50-year international concert career. Without any stage antics or other gimmicks he was invariably the most watchable musician in the show," it added. Brooker founded Procol Harum alongside friend and member Keith Reid, who served as a lyricist for the group. The band is well known for "A Whiter Shade of Pale," which was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Singles category in 2018. The track notably sold a total of 10 million copies worldwide, spent six weeks atop the U.K. charts, and reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. In 1972, Procol Harum scored a Top 5 album with their gold certified concert LP Live With the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra which featured the U.S. No. 16 hit "Conquistador." Brooker was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Honors on June 14, 2003. He is survived by his wife, Franky, whom he married in 1968. The band concluded its Facebook statement: "Our thoughts must be with her, their families and friends at this extremely sad time." Brooker was paid tribute on Twitter by such celebrities as Stevie Van Zandt, Bonnie Tyler, Martin Knight, Mike Scott and Richard Lewis. Procol Harum most recently released Novum -- the band's 13th studio album -- in 2017. It was the group's first set after a 14 year hiatus, after releasing 2003's The Well's on Fire. - Billboard/NME, 2/22/22...... Actress Sally Kellerman, who was nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in director Robert Altman's 1970 film M*A*S*H, died on Feb. 24 in Woodland Hills, Calif. She was 84. The willowy blonde actress with the characteristically throaty voice appeared in two Altman films in 1970; the other was the more experimental Brewster McCloud, in which she starred with Bud Cort and Michael Murphy. 
In this film, which did not have a conventional narrative, Ms. Kellerman played Louise, the mother of the bewinged Cort character, Brewster. She starred next opposite Alan Arkin in the Gene Saks-directed Neil Simon effort Last of the Red Hot Lovers, then with James Caan in the goofy 1973 road movie Slither (as a witch, no less). She was among the starry cast of the musical version of Lost Horizon. Born in Long Beach, Calif., Ms. Kellerman made her feature debut in 1957's Reform School Girls and next appeared on the bigscreen in 1962's Hands of a Stranger, 1965's The Third Day and The Lollipop Cover. Her first high-profile film was 1968's The Boston Stranger, starring Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda, in which she had a supporting role as a victim of the strangler who survives his attack but does not remember anything about him. She also had a supporting role in the 1969 film The April Fools as the wife of Jack Lemmon, who has an affair with Catherine Deneuve, before breaking out the next year in M*A*S*H the next year. The actress worked mostly in television during the 1960s, appearing on such series as Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, My Three Sons, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, I Spy, That Girl, Hawaii Five-O and Mannix. She was also a singer, who signed a recording contract with Verve Records when she 18, though her first album, Roll With the Feelin', was not recorded until 1972. Her second album, Sally, was released in 2009. The actress also contributed songs to the soundtracks for Brewster McCloud, Lost Horizon, Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins and Boris and Natasha: The Movie, among others. Her memoir, Read My Lips: Stories of a Hollywood Life, was published in 2013. Ms. Kellerman was married to TV writer-director Rick Edelstein for two years in the early 1970s. She married writer-producer Jonathan D. Krane in 1980 and he died in 2016. - Reuters, 2/24/22.
Paul McCartney announced on Feb. 18 that he'll be hitting the road in 2022 for his first live shows in three years. Macca's "Got Back" arena/stadium tour is slated to kick off on April 28 at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash., his first-ever show in that city. The 13-city, 14-date outing will also find the Beatles legend playing East Rutherford, N.J.'s MetLife Stadium for the first time since 2016 on the tour's wrap date June 16. "I said at the end of the last tour that I'd see you next time. I said I was going to get back to you. Well, I got back!," McCartney, 79, said in a statement. Other stops on the 13-city, 14 date tour include Seattle (5/2, 3), Oakland, Calif. (5/6), Los Angeles (5/13), Fort Worth, Tex. (5/17), Winston Salem, N.C. (5/21), Hollywood, Fla. (5/25), Orlando, Fla. (5/28), Knoxville, Tenn. (5/31), Syracuse, N.Y. (6/4), Boston (6/7) and Baltimore (6/12). Tickets for the tour will go on sale to the general public beginning Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. local time. McCartney concluded his 39-date, 12-country "Freshen Up" tour in July 2019. - Billboard, 2/18/22...... In other Beatles-related news, a statue of the band's early manager, Brian Epstein, has been given planning permission by Liverpool council, according to a 
After revealing he is a big fan of cryptocurrency earlier in February, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons said on Feb. 20 that he'll accept cryptocurrency as payment for his Las Vegas mansion, which he recently put on the market for $13.5 million (£9.93 million). "I have been an outspoken proponent of cryptocurrency from the beginning. It is the future of money, and it just makes sense to offer interested parties the option of using cryptocurrency to purchase the estate," said Simmons, who bought the house in 2021 for $10.8 million (£7.95 million) but says that he and his family rarely stay at the property. The property, which can be viewed on 
In a new interview with The New Yorker, Stevie Nicks revealed she has nearly 50 years of meticulous journals to help jog her memory. "When I keep my journal, it's big, like a telephone book, because I always feel that that will never get lost. So what I do is I write on the right side of the page, and then on the left-hand side I write poetry, which I usually take right out of my prose," Nicks told actress/writer Tavi Gevinson. "So lots of times, when I go back to them, it's to look at the poetry for songs. I would rather spend the time writing a new journal entry than going back and reading old journal entries, because if you go back you're not going to go forward. I just try to keep going forward," Nicks said. The 73-year-old musician also opened up about her burgeoning friendship with rising singer Lorde ("a really great writer and she's really good at doing her own recorded stuff"), the very important, prescient advice she gave to pop star Katy Perry in a hotel lobby 10 years ago ("We don't have rivals. That's just ridiculous."), and what she's learned from her longtime bandmate Christine McVie. The full interview can be read at 
Although he's attracted an extremely loyal base of fans throughout his career as one of the most famous pop crooners in history, authorities in New Zealand have decided Barry Manilow's music is good for deterring protestors upset about the country's Covid-19 mandates. Some of Manilow's biggest hits, including "Mandy" and "Could It Be Magic," were played on a 15-minute loop in an attempt to disperse the crowds in Wellington on Jan. 14. Truckers and other people participating in NZ's ongoing "Freedom Convoy" congregated at the parliament building, camping out in front of the government headquarters to protest the vaccine mandate issued by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (Similar protests originated in Canada, with a convoy of truckers making their way to Ottawa to air their grievances about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.) The federal government hit back at the unrest clogging up public spaces by putting together a playlist featuring the greatest hits of Manilow, English pop singer James Blunt, an out-of-tune version of Celine Dion's Titanic theme "My Heart Will Go On," and even Los del Rio's inescapable 1996 dance hit "Macarena." The playlist -- interspersed with promotions for Covid-19 vaccines -- was the brainchild of Trevor Mallard, Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, and the decision to use the music was not made by law enforcement. However the crowds of protestors fought back by playing Twister Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It." The move is a bit ironic, given lead singer Dee Snider's full and vocal support for vaccine requirements at concerts and other live events as well as Covid-19 vaccination in general. Snider even condemned anti-mask protestors for using the song back in Sept. 2020, slamming their stance as "moronic." - Billboard, 2/14/22...... Diana Ross is among the headliners confirmed for The Los Angeles Philharmonic's upcoming celebration of the Hollywood Bowl's 100th season this summer. Beginning in June, the Hollywood Bowl will host shows with Ross, Sheryl Crow, John Fogerty, Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina, Boyz II Men, Billie Eilish, The Roots, Duran Duran, Ricky Martin, Grace Jones, TLC, and more. The venue will also feature a tribute to Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra with special guests Eilish, Debbie Harry, Diane Reeves and Brian Stokes Mitchell. The famous outdoor venue's centennial season will also feature 10 nights with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a Fourth of July fireworks celebration, and the free 101 Festival, which includes two nights of music at the Bowl and neighboring venue The Ford. In addition, the LA Phil will perform alongside beloved movies for the "Film at the Bowl" series. This year's titles will include Back to the Future, Amadeus, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 and more. In honor of the iconic venue's 100th anniversary, the LA Phil is releasing a limited-edition book, Hollywood Bowl: The First 100 Years, by Derek Taub. In addition, a vinyl box set of seven LPs will also be available featuring recordings from the Hollywood Bowl between 1928 and 2021. The book and box set will be exclusively sold at LA Phil and Hollywood Bowl stores beginning opening night. The current Hollywood Bowl season is scheduled to run from June 11 through Sept. 29. - Billboard, 2/15/22...... 
American conservative satirist P.J. O'Rourke, died on Feb. 15 of complications from lung cancer. He was 74. Known as "one of the major voices of his generation," O'Rourke defied the leftward trend of American humour -- particularly the "gonzo" style of irreverent journalism popularized by writers like Hunter S. Thompson -- by offering a more conservative, but equally cutting and iconoclastic, critique of the nation's culture and politics. O'Rourke authored over 20 boooks, including the best-sellers A Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance. A member of the Baby Boom generation, O'Rourke first debuted on the national stage as editor of the storied humour magazine National Lampoon in the 1970s. He went on to work as a freelancer for Atlantic Monthly, Esquire and Vanity Fair, and serve as foreign-affairs desk chief for Rolling Stone. One of his more memorable lines was that Democrats promise that government will make you "smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn," while "Republicans say that government doesn't work -- then get elected and prove it." O'Rourke was a fellow at the conservative Cato Institute, but also a regular guest on the left-leaning MSNBC news network and a panellist on the the NPR faux-game show, Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me. He frequently criticized Democratic presidents, but in 2016 endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton over Republican Donald Trump. "His insightful reporting, verbal acuity and gift at writing laugh-out-loud prose were unparalleled," his publisher Grove Atlantic said in a statement. A native of Toledo, Oh., O'Rourke attended college at Miami University, and earned a graduate degree in English from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He was married twice and had three children. - The BBC, 2/16/22.
Sting announced on Feb. 10 that he's selling his entire song catalog -- from his early days in The Police through his long solo career -- to the Universal Music Publishing Group. The deal brings Sting's publishing and master recordings back together under the UMG roof and gives the label group a strong hand in licensing both his Police and solo classics. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Billboard previously reported that Sting had been shopping a music asset bundle that produced an annual royalty income stream of about $12-$13 million, and he was looking at a roughly $360 million payday. "I could never have imagined that someday I would get to lead a company that will be the guardian of Sting's remarkable songwriting legacy," UMPG chairman & CEO Jody Gerson said in a statement. "Every one of us at UMPG looks forward to this work with a sense of honor, responsibility and enormous excitement about what we can achieve for his music in the future," the statement added. For his part, Sting said: "I am delighted to have Jody and the team at UMPG curate and manage my song catalog... It is absolutely essential to me that my career's body of work have a home where it is valued and respected." That catalog includes such songs as "Roxanne," "Every Breath You Take," "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," "Fields Of Gold," "Message in a Bottle" and "Englishman in New York." Between the Police and his solo career, Sting has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, according to UMG, which has been Sting's label home for his entire career through A&M, Interscope and Cherrytree Records. - Billboard, 2/10/22...... Neil Young has debunked an internet conspiracy theory that his music publishing is overseen by the Covid-19 manufacturer Pfizer. In a since-deleted letter posted to his NeilYoungArchives.com website, Young addressed the rumour that his recent highly publicized views on vaccines were dictated to him by Pfizer -- who, according to the conspiracy theory, own Young's music publishing. However the misunderstanding seems to stem from the fact that a former CEO at Pfizer now serves as a senior advisor for asset manager Blackstone, which currently has a partnership with music publisher Hipgnosis -- with whom Young presently works. In his letter, Young described the conspiracy theory as "clever but wrong," while also quipping "so much for Pharm Aid" -- a reference to both the common conspiracy theory trope of "big pharma" and his own charity Farm Aid. "The publishing share Hipgnosis has in my copyrights is in the Hipgnosis Songs Fund, that is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange," Young explained. "The Blackstone investment went into a separate Hipgnosis Private Fund, and none of that money was used for the Hipgnosis Songs Fund. Pfizer has not invested in Hipgnosis, but a past Pfizer CEO is a senior advisor for Blackstone," he added. The "Pharm Aid" conspiracy is part of an ongoing conservative backlash against Young -- most recently expressed by right-wing American rocker Ted Nugent, who described Young as a "stoner birdbrain punk" for his recent protest against Spotify and podcast host Joe Rogan. Speaking on his "Friday Free For All" edition of The Nightly Nuge on 
Actor Kingsley Ben-Adir has been confirmed to portray Bob Marley in a forthcoming biopic of the reggae legend. Ben-Adir, who most recently portrayed '60s activist Malcolm X in One Night in Miami, will portray Marley in the as-yet-untitled film by Paramount Pictures. It was first announced back in 2018 that a Marley biopic, produced by Ziggy Marley, was in the works, before Reinaldo Marcus Green, director of Oscar-nominated tennis drama King Richard, was revealed to be attached to the film in 2021. In an interview at the time, Green said that the film will focus on the making of Marley's classic album Exodus with The Wailers, which he recorded after moving to London following an unsuccessful assassination attempt in Jamaica. Meanwhile, an immersive Bob Marley exhibition has recently opened in London. The Marley "One Love Experience" eceived its global premiere at the Saatchi Gallery before heading out on a multi-city U.K. tour. According to a press release, the "unique experience will showcase unseen Marley photographs and memorabilia whilst immersing audiences on a journey through his lifestyle, passions, influences, and enduring legacy." - NME, 2/12/22...... On Feb. 11 Paul McCartney issued a statement through PETA to both show his support for the nonprofit animal rights organization's new "Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics European Citizen's Initiative" to uphold the ban of animal testing for cosmetic items, and vehemently oppose the European Chemical Agency's current practices. "We all thought the battle was over and that cosmetics tests on animals in Europe were a thing of the past, but sadly, that's not the case," Sir Paul's statement reads. "The European Chemicals Agency continues to demand the use of thousands of rabbits, rats, fish, and other animals in cosmetics ingredients tests. But you can help put a stop to it. No animal should suffer for beauty, so if you re an EU citizen, please go to SaveCrueltyFree.eu and sign the European Citizens Initiative to protect the ban. Signing the petition takes only a minute and it will help save lives," he added. The Beatles legend also teamed up with PETA for his 78th birthday in 2020, when a video for the organization titled "Glass Walls" showed how horrific animal slaughterhouse conditions are. Most recently he urged leaders at COP26 -- the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference -- to address that animal agriculture has a detrimental effect on the environment. - Billboard, 2/11/22...... In other Beatles-related news, the Fab Four's legendary final concert on the rooftop of Apple Corps' Savile Row headquarters on Jan. 30, 1969 is getting an extended theatrical run in the UK market in 2D beginning on Feb. 18. The concert will be optimized for IMAX screens, digitally remastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Remastering) technology. Director Peter Jackson said in a statement that he is "excited to partner with Disney to bring Get Back to an entirely new stage and give Beatles fans everywhere a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch and hear their heroes in the unrivalled sight and sound of IMAX." The 65-minute concert is included in the new Beatles documentary 
Heart legend Ann Wilson has shared a new single, "Greed," taken from her upcoming solo LP 
The veteran British rock band Status Quo says its baffled by the enduring popularity of its cover of the John Fogerty track "Rockin' All Over the World." Status Quo covered the song in 1977, and though artists including Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and Bon Jovi have offered their take on the song over the years, Status Quo's version is viewed as the definitive one and remains one of their most popular anthems across the world. "I don't know why ours has become this classic 'raaaawk' song," Status Quo singer/guitarist Francis Rossi says. "We played Sweden Rock festival and all these people dressed head to toe in black were in front of the stage going, 'This is great!' I'm looking at them going, 'What the f---- are you thinking?... Even my dental hygienist sent me something the other day to say they were all singing it at some wedding reception," he added. Rossi recalled the band being skeptical when late SQ guitarist Rick Parfitt originally brought the track to his mates. "It sounded a bid piddly, to be honest. But me and Rick used to joke that we could Quo-up anything with a guitar on it. So that's what we did...," Rossi recalled. He added that he has particularly fond memories of kicking off their set at the legendary Live Aid charity concert in 1985 with the song. "Nobody wanted to go on first, so we went, 'F--- it, we'll do it -- get the f--- on, get the f--- off.' But when we started playing that song, there was a total sense of euphoria. Everything slotted in. The sense of love from the audience was something else." Status Quo will kick off a spring tour of the UK on Feb. 27 in Belfast, then later begin a fall run on Nov. 25 in Aberdeen. - Music-News.com, 2/6/22...... Producer-director Ivan Reitman, whose wildly successful comedies of the '70s and '80s included the madcap, wildly successful frat comedy 
Musician Ian McDonald, a multi-instrumentalist who co-founded the highly influential prog rock outfit King Crimson and later became a founding member of the hard rock group Foreigner, died on Feb. 9 at his home in New York City. He was 75. McDonald's rep said the musician "passed away peacefully [while] surrounded by his family," and while no cause of death has been officially provided, his son said he died of cancer. Born in Osterley, England on June 25, 1946, McDonald gravitated to music as a youth, learning to play multiple instruments -- guitar, keyboards and reeds -- and playing in rock bands and orchestras. "I really liked jazz -- the big bands, Stan Kenton, stuff like that," he said. "When the rock 'n' roll came around, it didn't seem like a great leap to me. There was a great energy there that appealed to me." Guitarist Robert Fripp recruited McDonald, along with drummer Michael Giles, for the first lineup of King Crimson and the recording of the landmark 
I just apply myself to whatever situation I'm in and try to make things as musical as possible. That's what I do, and that's what I look for when I produce records." McDonald was cut loose from Foreigner when Jones let half the band go in 1980, but bygones were bygones when he began playing occasional reunion dates 37 years later. "I actually left King Crimson sort of myself -- with Foreigner it was a different situation," McDonald explained. "Mick wanted to pare the group down to a four piece, so that's what happened. I didn't make the cut." He managed to stay busy, however, recording with former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and Roxy Music/Uriah Heep/UK/Asia bassist-vocalist John Wetton. He reunited with Fripp to play on Judy Dyble's 2009 album Talking With Strangers and was also part of the 21st Century Schizoid Band with other King Crimson alumni. He worked with former King Crimson bandmate Greg Lake and Keith Emerson during their duo shows in 2019, and a guest performance with Asia in 2009 appeared on the group's Spirit of the Night: Live two years later. His first solo album, Drivers Eyes, came out during 2009, followed by Take Five Steps a decade later. Original Foreigner keyboardist Al Greenwood posted a message to his 
The Who announced on Feb. 7 that they're ready to hit the road in 2022 after a two-year pandemic hiatus. Frontman Roger Daltrey and guitarist/singer Pete Townshend will be paired with orchestras on their "The Who Hits Back!" tour which will launch with a run of 15 spring dates slated to kick off on Apr. 22 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla., and run through a May 28 gig at Bethel Woods Center of the Arts in Bethel, N.Y. That leg will also include a visit to a venue that figures prominently in The Who lore -- a May 15 date at Cincinnati's TQL Stadium where 11 people tragically died in a pre-show stampede in 1979. It will be the first time in 42 years The Who has played in the venue. Long haunted by the tragedy, the band has for years supported a memorial scholarship effort in a Cincinnati suburb where three of the victims went to school. Two years after The Who performed with local orchestras on their "Moving On!" tour, they will once again share the stage with classical ensembles in the U.S. and Canada on the upcoming dates. They will be joined by guitarist/back-up singer Simon Townshend, keyboardists Loren Gold and Emily Marshall, bassist Jon Button, drummer Zak Starkey, backing vocalist Billy Nicholls, orchestra conductor Keith Levenson, lead violinist Katie Jacoby and lead cellist Audrey Snyder. On Oct. 2, The Who will mount a run of 13 fall dates beginning in Toronto, Ont., also visiting such cities as Detroit (10/4), Columbus, Oh. (10/9), Chicago (10/14), St. Louis (10/14), Denver (10/17), Portland, Ore. (10/20), Seattle (10/22), Sacramento (10/26), Anaheim, Calif. (10/28) and Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl (11/1) before wrapping with a two-night stand at Las Vegas' Dolby Live at Park MGM on Nov. 4 and 5. In other Who-related news, it appears that Pete Townshend s working on a new solo album -- the first since his 1993 release Psychoderelict. Townshend was spotted in the studio over the first weekend of February with with session bassist Guy Pratt (whose portfolio includes work with Pink Floyd, Madonna, The Smiths and more) and drummer Ged Lynch (a longtime collaborator of Peter Gabriel). On Feb. 5, Pratt posted a photo of the trio on 
Iggy Pop has been announced as one of the two recipients of Sweden's prestigious annual Polar Music Prize for 2022. In an official video posted on 
ABBA have responded to reports that their music was played during one of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's alleged lockdown-flouting parties that was held at 10 Downing Street in 2020. One of the 12 alleged gatherings which were the subject of senior civil servant Sue Gray's recent report -- and are now under police investigation -- reportedly took place on Nov. 13, 2020 following the departure of Johnson's controversial aide Dominic Cummings. Sky News reports that a "victory party" was allegedly held in Johnson's flat on that date by friends of his now-wife Carrie Johnson, during which a number of ABBA tracks, including the 1980 single "The Winner Takes It All," were played. Cummings also recently claimed that there would be "witnesses who say 'we could all hear a party with ABBA playing'." "You can't call it an ABBA party," ABBA's Benny Andersson said in a new interview. "It is a Johnson party where they happened to play some ABBA music. It is not an ABBA party. You see how [Johnson] wriggles himself out of this," he added. ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus added: "I mean, wow. Did they only play ABBA music? Are you kidding? Of course they played other music as well." - NME, 2/8/22...... Neil Young posted a new letter to his Neil Young Archives site on Feb. 7 encouraging a mass exodus of Spotify employees following his highly publicized debate with the streaming service. "In our communication age, misinformation is the problem. Ditch the misinformers. Find a good clean place to support with your monthly checks. You have the real power. Use it," wrote Young, who requested his catalog be removed from Spotify in late January and cited the spread of vaccine misinformation on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast as the reason for his departure. Young also shifted the focus away from Rogan and onto Spotify CEO Daniel EK. "To the workers at SPOTIFY, I say Daniel Ek is your big problem -- not Joe Rogan. Ek pulls the strings. Get out of that place before it eats up your soul. The only goals stated by EK are about numbers -- not art, not creativity," he said. Young has led his own exodus of artists from Spotify, including Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, India.Arie and more. "To the musicians and creators in the world, I say this: You must be able to find a better place than SPOTIFY to be the home of your art," he wrote. - Billboard, 2/7/22...... It was announced on Feb. 7 that Lionsgate movie studio will team with Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King and his GK Films on the forthcoming Michael Jackson biopic, Michael. Lionsgate picked up the worldwide rights to the film also produced by the co-executors of the Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain, which will allow the project access to Jackson's music. John Logan will write the screenplay for Michael after he and King previously collaborated on Martin Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic, The Aviator. Logan also penned director Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning best picture winner Gladiator. Micheal promises an "in-depth portrayal of the complicated man who became the King of Pop. It will bring to life Jackson's most iconic performances as it gives an informed insight into the entertainer's artistic process and personal life." It will cover Jackson's beginnings with The Jackson 5, his rise to pop superstardom, and his legal struggles with both civil and criminal lawsuits stemming from allegations of child sex abuse through his death in 2009 at the age of 50. - The Hollywood Reporter, 2/7/22...... 
An 11-year-old British drumming prodigy named Nandi Bushell has brought Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson to tears after she posted a 
R&B singer Donny Gerrard, who scored a No. 9 hit with 
On Feb. 2 the 
In a new conversation with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay Alice Cooper says he doesn't think "rock 'n' roll and politics belong in the same bed together," and commented about his current relationship with his fellow Detroit-raised rocker Ted Nugent. "Ted and I grew up together in Detroit, and he's always been the mouth that roared," Alice said of the controbersial right-wing rocker. "When he gets going, nobody can stay with him. I kind of look at him as his own entity," he added. Cooper also said that, unlike Nugent who recently called Bruce Springsteen a "dirtbag... for supporting communists," he shies away from politics. "I don't ever talk politics... I hate politics," Cooper says. "I don't think rock 'n' roll and politics belong in the same bed together, but a lot of people think it does -- because we have a voice, and we should use our voice. But again, rock and roll should be anti-political, I think. When my parents started talking about politics, I would turn on The [Rolling] Stones as loud as I could. I don't want to hear politics, and I still feel that way." Instead, the shock rock legend explained that he wanted his show to be an escape from the news. "My music and my show is designed to give you a vacation from CNN, you know what I mean? I'm not preaching anything up there, and I'm not knocking anybody. If I do a thing like on 'Elected', which we would always do during the elections, and I'd bring out [Donald] Trump and Hillary [Clinton] to fight, and both of them would get wiped out!" he said about performing his Billion Dollar Babies LP track. "That's what was funny about it. If you're in the political theater, you'd better be able to take a joke. So, that's okay. I don't mind the satire of it, but I don't ever go up there and tell you who to vote for," he added. Alice recently revealed he is working on his 29th and 40th studio albums simultaneously, and is also scheduled to undertake a co-headlining UK arena tour with The Cult and a run of US dates later this year, as well as appearing at UK's Graspop Metal Meeting and the "Monsters Of Rock" cruise. - New Musical Express, 2/4/22...... The annual pre-Grammy gala hosted by the Grammy's Recording Academy and veteran music exec Clive Davis has been canceled for 2022. "Due to the logistical obstacles caused by the ongoing pandemic, including the unavailability of an appropriate venue, we have decided to postpone the 2022 Pre-Grammy Gala," Davis and Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. said in a joint statement. "We will resume the celebration next year when we will host an incredible evening in our unique and glittering way, hospitable to our wonderful music artists, music executives, film, television, sports and illustrious politicians who annually love the event like no other," they added. Davis originated his pre-Grammy party in 1976 as a way of celebrating Barry Manilow's "Mandy," the first hit on Davis's fledgling label Arista Records, which received a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. The event quickly grew to become a music business counterpart to talent agent Swifty Lazar's legendary Oscar parties. The Academy later agreed to co-present the party, though the event was invariably still referred to as "the Clive party." The 2022 Grammy Awards were pushed back on Jan. 5 to Apr. 3 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. - Billboard, 2/3/22...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has announced details of a new immersive theatre show. His "Theater Of The Mind" will be a collaborative stage production between Byrne and his friend Mala Gaonkar, who is a neuroscientist. The production is to debut in Denver this summer on Aug. 31 before wrapping on Dec.18. In a statement, Byrne said the installation will "take audience members through an immersive journey of self-reflection, discovery, and imagination, inspired by and grounded in neuroscience." It goes on to describe it as "a visceral theatre experience inspired by neuroscientist experiments," and attendees will be participants in sensory experiments intended to "reveal the inner mysteries of the brain," rather than audience members. "Theater Of The Mind' will see groups of 16 enter the exhibition show with a guide. The exhibition will "[use] stories from our own lives to shape a narrative you'll see, feel, taste and hear," according to organizers, meaning each of the experiences will be different as they are informed by guest's individual experiences. In Dec. 2021, Byrne's acclaimed "American Utopia" show returned to Broadway in modified form due to the surge in Omicron Covid-19 cases in New York. That show is presented at Broadway's St. James Theatre and will run through the end of Apr. 2022. - New Musical Express, 2/3/22...... 
In related news, the new Michael Jackson bio-musical "MJ" has opened on Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre in New York. Produced by arrangement with the late King of Pop's estate, "MJ" is set in 1992, two days before the start of Jackson's "Dangerous" World Tour. The musical takes audiences through Jackson's life and catalog with impressive ease, expertly chronicling major milestones. After breaking up with Motown Records, Michael goes to Epic Records, where he works with Quincy Jones to produce Off the Wall and Thriller. His vision and work ethic become more exacting, his drive to best himself at once breathtaking and worrisome. As the narrative burrows deeper into Michael's mind, the toll his artistry took on him is clear -- he wanted to bring his audiences joyful and spectacular experiences, but he felt isolated and misunderstood. Cast members include Myles Frost, Quentin Earl Darrington, Whitney Bashor, Gabriel Ruiz and Walter Russell III. - The Hollywood Reporter, 2/2/22......The Rolling Stones guitarist and accomplished artist Ronnie Wood has unveiled his latest work -- a giant abstract painting of the Rolling Stones featuring a nude Mick Jagger. Unveiled on the corner of the aptly named Wood Lane and Ariel Way in the Shepherd's Bush area of west London, the musician signed his name on a billboard showing his work on Feb. 1. "It's great because they finally discovered I can paint," exclaimed Wood. "Nobody knows I can paint, so we've got to make sure that people realize I can." Called "Abstract Performance," it's based on Pablo Picasso's "The Three Dancers" and shows Ronnie on stage with the rest of the Stones -- Jagger, Keith Richards and the late Charlie Watts. Wood completed the painting, which can be seen in an 
It has been revealed that the long-awaited biopic about The Who drummer Keith Moon will finally begin production this summer. Provisionally called The Real Me (after the Quadrophenia song), the movie will be executive produced by surviving Who members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, with Paul Whittington (The Crown) set to direct, while the script has been penned by British screenwriter Jeff Pope. It's still undetermined who will play Moon, although Daltrey has previously said the casting will need to be very specific -- and will need to be based on the actor's eyes. "I've got to find a Keith Moon," Daltrey told BBC 6Music's Matt Everitt back in 2018. "It's going to be very, very dependent on the actor and the actor's eyes. Because you've got to cast it completely from the eyes because Moon had extraordinary eyes." When Everitt suggested it might be hard to find an actor who could play a musician like Moon, Daltrey replied: "What makes you think Keith was a f---ng musician? He would have said, 'How dare you, my boy! A musician? I'm a f---ing drummer!'" Daltrey also explained that he'd spent a long time searching for "the right screenplay" for the Moon bio-pic, which has now been in the works for over a decade. - NME, 2/1/22...... Aerosmith announced on Feb. 1 that they've decided to cancel their planned 2022 summer European tour due to uncertainty over the spread of Covid-19. "It is with deep regret we must announce that our European Tour, scheduled to take place in June and July 2022, has been cancelled," the band wrote in a 
Meanwhile, legendary Memphis R&B singer Al Green can currently be heard on a new Apple Music Hits podcast celebrating the 50th anniversary of his classic 1972 set 
Australian music icon Glenn Wheatley, the former musician who earned a place in the ARIA Hall of Fame with The Masters Apprentices before pivoting into artist management, whereupon he guided some of Australia's most successful recording artists, including Little River Band, John Farnham and Delta Goodrem, died of complications from Covid-19 on Feb. 1 in Melbourne. He was 74. Born in Brisbane, Queensland, the son of a truck driver, Wheatley got his break with the local blues-rock outfit Bay City Union, whose frontman Matt Taylor would later front breakout blues outfit Chain. In the late 1960s, heco-founded The Masters Apprentices, whose output included the hit singles "Turn Up Your Radio," "Because I Love You" and the 1971 album Choice Cuts, recorded at London's iconic Abbey Road Studios. The Masters Apprentices would call it a day in 1972, after a whirlwind four-year span during which they would become one of the country's leading rock bands. Their popularity was confirmed in 1998 with elevation into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Wheatley is survived by his wife Gaynor Martin and three children. - Billboard, 2/2/22...... Publishing executive and music historian Alan Warner died Jan. 27 in Los Angeles after a long illness. He was 78. Warner spent more than a decade at EMI Music Publishing as vp and senior vp global catalog promotion. He also served as a creative consultant for EMI, Warner Chappell and Sony/ATV (Now Sony Music Publishing). Warner was revered as a music historian and creative catalog marketer -- his interviews with such legendary songwriters as Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Kenny Gamble & Lon Huff, Gerry Goffin, Lamont Dozier, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Neil Sedaka and Allen Toussaint were used for catalog promotional purposes by publishers. He also compiled vintage song catalogs for a number of publishing companies, who then promoted the music to producers, music supervisors and ad agencies. British-born Warner began his career with EMI Records in 1961, shifting to United Artists Records' London office before transferring to the label's Los Angeles office in 1976. In addition to his blog, The Door to Yesterday, which was devoted to music and vintage movies, Warner's most recent project was writing the liner notes for Can's 2021 album Live In Stuttgart 1975. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Pat. - Billboard, 2/1/22.