The non-profit music venue Sweetwater Music Hall in the Bay Area of California will celebrate its 50th anniversary in November by hosting a monthlong concert series led by Grateful Dead legend Bob Weir and a slew of other local favorites who have played the venue over the years. "Sweetwater has been a little playpen for San Francisco and Marin [County] musicians for 50 years now," says Weir, who headlines the series' 50th-anniversary gala benefit concert on Nov. 17. Other notable acts include the 2022 incarnation of Big Brother & The Holding Company (Nov. 4), Jonathan Scales Fourchestra (Nov. 9), Will Bernard (Nov. 10), Bonnie Hayes (Nov. 11), Tommy Castro & the Painkillers (Nov. 12), Jason Crosby & Friends (Nov. 27) and Ramblin' Jack Elliott (Nov. 30). Often described as a "Jewel of America," Sweetwater is a non-profit, state-of-the-art performing arts venue managed by Maria Hoppe that is "fully devoted to advancing education, understanding and appreciation of music, culture and arts through the presentation of a vibrant and diverse range of live performances." More info can be found at sweetwatermusichall.com. - Billboard, 9/2/22...... 
On Sept. 2 Bob Dylan added three new shows to his forthcoming UK tour which kicks off with an intimate four-night billing at the London Palladium beginning Oct. 19 and ending Oct. 24. He'll then visit the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff (10/26), the Bonus Arena in Hull (10/27) and Motorpoint Arena Nottingham (10/28) before ending the run with two consecutive performances at the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow (10/30, 31). Just announced shows include O2 Apollo Manchester, Oxford's New Theatre and Bournemouth BIC on Nov. 2, 4 and 5, respectively. Dylan will continue his "non-phone" policy at the upcoming UK shows, with audience members required to put their mobile devices into a Yondr bag, which they can keep with them until after the performance. Dylan, who resumed his "Rough and Rowdy Ways" tour in the US in March, last played the UK when he co-headlined London's BST Hyde Park festival in 2019 alongside Neil Young. He also has a string of European dates are scheduled between Sept. 25 - Oct. 17, with stop-offs including Oslo, Paris (three nights), Brussels and Amsterdam (two nights). - New Musical Express, 9/2/22...... Elton John took to Instagram on Aug. 31 to remember his dear friend, the late 36-year-old Diana, Princess of Wales who tragically died in a car crash in Paris, France, 25 years earlier on that date. "You will always be missed," Sir Elton wrote in the caption of a photo of himself and Diana backstage at one of his concerts in 1993. John famously performed an emotional version of his song "Candle in the Wind" at Diana's funeral. Meanwhile, the Rocket Man has had nothing but good things to say about his newest collaborator Britney Spears, who appears on their new single "Hold Me Closer." "I'm really happy for Britney, especially because having her on this record is such a gas, for start," Elton said in a Sept. 1 interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe. "But this is someone who has been through hell, who needed some love in her life, a lot of love from a lot of people, and she's getting it.... She hadn't really made any music since 2016, so it's all about her for me," he said. John added that "life unfolds on an incredible speed, and I don't know what will happen, but I'm so thrilled this is happening because I love the record... The record's taken off. Seventy-five years of age and having the time of my life, and it proves that you can still be modern and be old at the same time if you care to take an interest in what's going on." The Elton/Britney collab became the "top trending" song in the U.K. by the last day of August and most-downloaded track of the week, and is locked in a three-way battle for the chart crown with DJ Eliza Rose's "B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)" and LF System's "Afraid to Feel." Elton, 75, and the 40-year-old Spears recently joined forces to record "Hold Me Closer," and an extended version of the track is now set for release, as well as a bumper remix package. In related news, Elton's greatest hits collection Diamonds has just crossed the 1 million mark in sales in the UK, according to the Official Charts Company. Originally released in Nov. 2017, Diamonds peaked at No. 5 on the chart, but has become a long-standing chart fixture across the years. - Music-News.com/Billboard, 9/1/22...... Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne are set to make a reality TV comback with Home to Roost, a new BBC reality show that will focus on the shock rocker and his TV judge wife returning to their family home in the U.K. after many years in Los Angeles. The show documents the Osbournes' journey back to Britain, alongside their children Kelly and Jack Osbourne's efforts to support them, as they attempt to re-start their lives in rural Buckinghamshire, according to a press release. The show will cover their big relocation as well as Sharon's 70th birthday in October, Ozzy's tour, and the birth of Kelly's first child. The series, which will consist of 10 30-minute episodes, will air on BBC One and iPlayer in the U.K. in 2023. Their U.S. hit show The Osbournes was broadcast on MTV between 2002 and 2005. - Music-News.com, 9/2/22...... 
The ever outspoken Roger Waters brought stunning visuals and fiery politics to Madison Square Garden on Aug. 31 for his second show at the famed venue on his This Is Not a Drill tour. Rogers, 78, even gave the audience fair warning in a pre-recorded message before the show: "If you're one of those, 'I like Pink Floyd but I can't stand Roger's politics' people, you might do well to f-k off to the bar night now," he said with a laugh. If there were any "shut up and sing" types in the audience that night, they were either strangely silent or took his advice about f-king off to the bar. The crowd's response was either supportive or respectfully neutral to images branding everyone from Ronald Reagan to sitting Pres. Biden a "war criminal." There were claps, and even tears, when he ran footage of police officers mercilessly beating unarmed, nonviolent civilians along with the names of murder victims from George Floyd in Minneapolis to journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Palestine. All of that went down during a driving, funky take on "The Powers That Be" from his 1987 solo album Radio K.A.O.S. that took on a weightier urgency than the studio version. The crowd gave a muted response to his cringe-worthy Ukraine comments, in which he faulted both Biden and Ukrainian Pres. Zelenskyy for insufficient negotiations with Russia and claimed Russia was pushed into this war. But it could also have simply been a result of the crowd giving him a pass, considering how astonishing the visuals and music of the show sounds. - Billboard, 9/1/22...... It was announced on Sept. 1 that Universal Music Group-owned Bravado has scored North American merchandise rights for the Beatles, an arrangement that unites the legendary band's records and merch under the one roof of UMG. Through the new partnership, Bravado will develop new merchandise opportunities for the Fab Four across retail, licensing and e-commerce in the US and Canada. As part of that agreement with Apple Corp., Bravado will expand the Beatles' presence across those markets by leveraging its retail and licensing partnerships and its ecommerce network to "supercharge direct-to-consumer efforts," according to a statement. It's a coup for UMG, which has represented the Beatles' recorded music catalog since 2012, and, three years later, facilitated the arrival of the band's works on streaming platforms. Bravado will also handle T shirts, hats and all the essential pieces of Beatles-branded kit which continues to prove popular with fans. The joint statement from UMG and Apple Corp., founded by the Beatles in 1968 to oversee the band's own creative and business interests, says the foursome of John, Paul, George and Ringo "remain one of the world's most popular bands in the history of music." - Billboard, 9/1/22...... On Sept. 1 it was announced that Johnny Depp will join Jeff Beck for the majority of the British guitarist's upcoming North American tour. The pair -- who released a joint album, 18, back in July -- will perform together over the course of Beck's North American tour, which kicks off this October at Atlanta's Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre. However Depp will join the run at the next show on Oct. 4 in Washington, D.C. The actor-musician will remain on tour with Beck until the tour wraps up in Reno, Nevada, on Nov. 12. Depp and Beck have teamed up on various behind-the-scenes projects for several years. Back in 2020, the pair released a cover of John Lennon's "Isolation," marking their first official release together. The artists then went on to release a handful of album cuts as singles -- a cover of The Beach Boys' "Caroline, No" and one of The Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs." A third cover single dropped in July, with Beck and Depp reuniting for a take of "The Death And Resurrection Show," a 2003 song by Killing Joke. - NME, 9/1/22...... 
Dolly Parton launched a new "Doggy Parton" collection of pet accessories on Aug. 31, posting on Instagram that "'Puppy Love' was my very first record and six decades later, my love for pets is stronger than ever." According to the fledgling brand's Amazon store page, fans can peruse everything from collars, leashes and harnesses for their pets to stuffed chew toys in the shape of giant pink stilettos, denim and gingham bandanas, pink cowgirl hats encrusted with a tiara and even a "blonde bombshell" Dolly-style wig headpiece that's perfect for pups. With the country legend's "god-dog" Billy the Kid as its official face, Doggy Parton also garnered more than 11,000 followers on Instagram just hours after its debut. In other Dolly news, Kelly Clarkson recently revealed her and Parton's reimagined duet version of "9 to 5" is finally set to be released Sept. 9, six months after making its premiere in the documentary Still Working 9 to 5 earlier this year at the South by Southwest festival. Dolly's also currently prepping for her upcoming holiday musical movie Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas, which will air on NBC sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas with a cast that includes Jimmy Fallon, Miley Cyrus and Willie Nelson. - Billboard, 8/31/22...... David Bowie is set to follow the likes of The Who, Amy Winehouse and Madness in receiving a walk on the Camden Music Walk of Fame in north London. Bowie's stone on the walk, outside Camden Town tube station, will be unveiled on Sept. 15 at a ceremony that will see the star's collaborators, friends and fans pay tribute to the late singer, who died in 2016. "David Bowie is a global influence, one of the ultimate influencers and sooner or later, we had to have him on The Music Walk Of Fame," says MWOF founder Lee Bennett, who began the memorial in Nov. 2019. "Our intention is for this to be the highest honour a music figure can receive in the UK and beyond, the unveiling of David's stone ensures that legacy. We have huge plans for the future, but for now, let's celebrate one of the greats of music," he added. The unveiling happens the day before the new Bowie film Moonage Daydream will be released exclusively in IMAX on Sept. 16 (hitting UK cinemas on Sept. 23). It's described as a "feature length experiential cinematic odyssey" that "explores Bowie's creative, musical and spiritual journey." - NME, 8/31/22...... Neil Gaiman, the creator of the comic book series The Sandman, has revealed that Michael Jackson had wanted to be cast as Morpheus in the Netflix screen adaptation of the series. In an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gaiman discussed the early iterations of the Netflix project in the 1990s, adapting his comic book series which ran from 1989 to 1996. "By 1996, I was being taken to Warners, where the then-president of Warner Bros sat me down and told me that Michael Jackson had phoned him the day before and asked him if he could star as Morpheus in The Sandman. He continued: "So, there was a lot of interest in this and they knew that it was one of the Crown Jewels and what did I think? And I was like, 'Ooh.'" In the Netflix adaptation recently released, Tom Sturridge plays Morpheus. The cast also includes Jenna Coleman and Gwendoline Christie. - NME, 8/30/22...... 
On Aug. 30 Micky Dolenz of the legendary '60s pop band The Monkees filed a lawsuit against the FBI, demanding that the agency turn over all unredacted documents about his band collected during their swinging heyday. After the agency released a heavily redacted version of their file on the band (erroneously ID'd on the title page as "The Monkeys") in 2011, the suit notes that Dolenz filed a Freedom of Information Act request on June 14, 2022 in order to get the full story. After his request was not answered in a timely manner, Dolenz's lawyer, Mark S. Said, filed the suit against the FBI on the drummer/singer's behalf to get access to the whole file. "This lawsuit is designed to obtain any records the FBI created and/or possesses on the Monkees as well as its individual members," the suit reads. "Mr. Dolenz has exhausted all necessary required administrative remedies with respect to his [Freedom Of Information Act/Privacy Act] request." The suit notes that Dolenz, 77, and the three deceased members of the Monkees -- singer/guitarist Michael Nesmith, bassist/singer Peter Tork and singer Davy Jones, -- "were known to have associated with other musicians and individuals whose activities were monitored and/or investigated by the FBI, to include, but not limited to: John Winston Lennon (and the three other Beatles as well) and Jimi Hendrix." A portion of the document released by the FBI noted that an FBI informant attended a show on the band's inaugural 1967 tour, describing, "subliminal messages" that were allegedly depicted on the screen, "which, in the opinion of [informant] constituted 'left wing intervention of a political nature... These messages and pictures were flashed of riots, in Berkeley, anti-U.S. messages on the war in Vietnam, racial riots in Selma, Alabama, and similar messages which had unfavorable response from the audience.'" it was unclear what information might be included in the redacted portions of the band's file what, if anything, it could reveal about the FBI's surveillance of the group. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said the agency had no comment on the suit. - Billboard, 8/30/22...... Don McLean says he's angry he was plunged into a supposed feud with mega-selling contemporary artist Adele for axing her Las Vegas residency at the last minute back in January. It was reported in March he had "slammed" the "Rolling in the Deep" singer for axing her Las Vegas residency at the last minute. But the "American Pie" singer told BANG Showbiz in an interview from his home in Palm Springs, Calif.: "I did an interview and I was talking about artists that don't respect their audience. And somehow it got conflated with a remark I made, which was not a critical remark, about Adele cancelling her show in Vegas. And the thing came out: 'Don McLean Slams Adele'. I didn't slam Adele. I know she didn't want to cancel, I know she's a serious performer -- I don't even know the circumstances even of what happened there. That was something a person did to get a headline... I don't do that. I don't go around saying things about other people like that." McLean, 76, appeared on the Greatest Music of All Time podcast and spoke about how modern musicians didn't have enough respect for their audiences, comments that were interpreted to be about Adele, 34. Speaking on the platform, he said: "They are all very rich and very spoiled and they don't really care about the audience. They think the audience should kiss their ass and that is the opposite to how I feel." McLean's "50 Years of American Pie" tour is running throughout September and October in the UK, kicking off on Sept. 11 in Cardiff. - Music-News.com, 9/2/22...... The estate of Prince has won a case over an energy drink called "Purple Rain." On Aug. 23, a tribunal at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office formally rejected energy drink company Bang's attempt to trademark the phrase "purple rain" for their brand. The judges decided that the phrase "uniquely and unmistakably" belongs to the late musician Prince, who released his iconic song "Purple Rain" in 1984. "Consumers encountering applicant's mark, when used in connection with applicant's goods, will presume a connection between 'purple rain' and Prince," one judge said during the ruling. The Bang Energy subsidiary had requested the trademark in 2020 for use on their energy drinks, dietary supplements, and sports beverages. After the verdict was handed down, Bang Energy CEO Jack Owoc said in a statement that he was a "big fan" of the artist. He added, "We greatly respect Prince and his estate and will not 'rain' on their parade. Maybe we can negotiate a deal in the future that is mutually beneficial to both parties." - Music-News.com, 9/1/22...... 
Cher has reacted to rising pop sensation Dua Lipa being called the "Cher of our generation" on social media, sparking a conversation around the ethics of comparing younger artists to older ones who are still active. In late August, a Twitter user shared a now-deleted tweet with side-by-side images of Cher and Lipa. According to Newsweek, the photo of Lipa showed her look at the 2021 Grammys next to Cher at the same awards in 1974 -- both images showed them wearing visually similar, sparkling outfits that make prominent use of a butterfly design. "Dua Lipa, the Cher of our generation," they captioned the post. Another user quote-retweeted the post, writing, "So much truth in one Tweet. They tagged both artists, to which Cher responded somewhat shadily. "How many [years] are in a generation," the 76-year-old Cher wrote on Twitter alongside an emoji of a thinking face. Debate about the comparison ensued. Some defended Cher's position -- one user, for instance wrote that "Cher is Cher. No one else will ever be Cher. Period." Another user said: "People are not really understanding the cultural impact Cher had. Anyone can dress like Cher today, but it's not the same thing as being the first one to break that ground." While both artists have enjoyed incredibly successful careers in their own rights, the conversation turned to whether it's appropriate to compare a younger artist's impact and oeuvre to that of an older artist who is still continuing to make work. Cher, for what it's worth, last released an album in 2018 -- the ABBA covers record Dancing Queen -- and she embarked on a lengthy tour around the time of its release that only concluded, in March 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The person who made the original post responded to Cher, saying they were simply "praising [you] and Dua["s] style, but that "some people didn't get the message." Lipa herself has not yet responded. - NME, 9/1/22......Golden Globe-winning actress and fitness guru Jane Fonda announced on Sept. 2 that she's been diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer. The 84-year-old Fonda -- who in 2010 was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a lumpectomy in November to have it removed, then in 2018 revealed she had a cancerous growth removed from her lower lip and pre-melanoma growths taken from her skin -- said she felt lucky to have been diagnosed with such a treatable form of the disease this time. "So, my dear friends, I have something personal I want to share. I've been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and have started chemo treatments," the thrice-married mother-of-three said on Instagram about her latest fight with the disease. This is a very treatable cancer. 80% of people survive, so I feel very lucky." Fonda also admitted she was in a "privileged" position as she has access to some of the world's best doctors: "I realize, and it's painful, that I am privileged in this," she added. "Almost every family in America has had to deal with cancer at one time or another and far too many don't have access to the quality health care I am receiving and this is not right." - Bang Showbiz, 9/2/22.
Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story has been voted the favourite animated movie song in a poll of BBC Radio 2 listeners. Radio 2's "Ultimate Animated Movie Song Countdown" was presented on Aug. 29 with host OJ Borg and the listener vote was launched in July to mark an amazing 50 years of classic, feel-good, animated movie songs. In the programme, Borg was joined by many of the contributors from the top songs, including Newman, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams and Angela Lansbury. Released in 1995 and written by Newman, "You've Got a Friend in Me" is the theme tune to the Disney/Pixar film Toy Story. The song was nominated for an Academy Award plus a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and has featured in the sequel Toy Story films, and has been covered by many famous names including George Jones, Michael Bublé and Rex Orange County. Other '70s acts making the Top 50 include Elton John ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight," The Lion King and "Someday Out of the Blue," The Road to El Dorado), Donny Osmond ("I'll Make a Man Out of You," Mulan), Robin Williams ("Prince Ali" and "Friend Like Me," Aladdin), Peter Gabriel ("Down to Earth," Wall-E), and Billy Joel ("Why Should I Worry," Oliver & Company). All of Radio 2's shows are also available on BBC Sounds live for 30 days post-transmission. - Music-News.com, 8/28/22...... 
On Aug. 28 KISS announced a deluxe reissue of their 10th studio album Creatures of the Night will drop on Nov. 18 in celebration of its 40th anniversary. The reissue will be released in a variety of formats, including a single-disc CD and vinyl pressing -- which will both feature a newly remastered mix of the original nine-track album -- as well as a Deluxe Edition (over two CDs or three vinyl records) with an additional nine demos, rarities and outtakes, and seven tracks recorded live on the 1982/83 Creatures tour. A Super Deluxe Edition spread across five CDs, featuring a total of 103 tracks (75 of which are previously unreleased) will include 34 tracks classed as demos, rarities and/or outtakes, 18 live tracks from the Creatures tour and six pulled from other shows that KISS played around that time, and seven tracks of sound effects used during the Creatures tour. Alongside the announcement, KISS shared a previously unreleased outtake from the album titled "Betrayed" on YouTube. Released on Oct. 13, 1982, Creatures Of The Night spawned three singles -- "I Love It Loud," "Killer" and the title track -- and received positive reviews upon its release. Rising to No. 45, it also charted 30 rungs higher than its predecessor, 1981's Music from The Elder. Meanwhile in other KISS news, Paul Stanley said on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast on Aug. 26 he's not interested in writing new KISS music because it will "never compete with the past." "It doesn't have that patina to it of, 'Gee, I remember I heard this song when I was 18,' or, 'I heard this song when I was on my first date or whatever'," Stanley said. "You can't compete with that. It's more than a song; it's a snapshot of your life at a certain point." Stanley's comments come after Gene Simmons recently said he anticipates the band continuing "in ways even I haven't thought of" after its current line-up stops touring. Simmons hinted at a significant extension to the KISS farewell tour originally announced back in 2018, promising that KISS will take the show to 100 more cities before they finally retire. - New Musical Express, 8/28/22...... The Times UK is reporting that Pink Floyd is set to make £400 million from the sale of their back catalogue. In May, it was revealed that the legendary prog-rockers were in talks to sell their entire catalogue, with a potential price for the sale reaching the hundreds of millions. Now the band are reportedly looking for a £400million sale for their whole back catalogue, with private equity group Blackstone battling with major labels Sony, Warner, BMG and more to seal the deal. The sale, which would include Floyd's songs and master recordings, comes after they reunited earlier this year for new song "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!," the band's first original material since 1994's Division Bell album. The track was released to draw attention to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to raise funds for those affected by the war, with all proceeds from the song donated to Ukrainian Humanitarian Relief. If the catalogue deal happens, the band would join the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen and more who have already sold the rights to their work in the last few years. - NME, 8/26/22...... As they continue to celebrate their mind-boggling 60th anniversary as a performing rock band, the Rolling Stones have shared their "promotional film" from 1967 for the track "We Love You" online for the very first time. Available on YouTube, the Peter Whitehead-directed film ocuments and pokes fun at the band's notorious Redlands drug bust of the same year, where Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Marianne Faithfull were arrested at Richards' home in Sussex for drug possession. In the film, which has been remastered in 4K for its online release, Richards plays the character of a judge, while Jagger and Faithfull participate in a mock recreation of their subsequent trial. "We Love You" is the latest Stones video to be remastered in 4K in 2022, after both versions of the "Jumpin' Jack Flash" video were remastered and released earlier in August. - NME, 8/26/22...... 
Earlier in 2022, Marvel's Oscar Issac-starring Moon Knight series premiered with an episode prominently featuring Engelbert Humperdinck's 1968 top 20 hit "A Man Without Love (Quando m'innamoro)." But for the British pop veteran, a more apt moniker might be "A Man Without Age." At 86, Humperdinck -- born Arnold George Dorsey in India -- retains his attentive amiability, his humor, a full head of hair and a busy global touring schedule. Incredibly, Humperdinck's vocal abilities have remained as robust as his hair through the years, which his new video -- "You're the First, The Last, My Everything," a country-tinged version of the Barry White single from 1974 -- testifies to. In 1967, he adopted the name Engelbert Humperdinck and recorded his version of the Country classic "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again), which stayed on the charts for six weeks at No. 1 [in the U.K.], and stopped the Beatles from having their 12th No. 1 with "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane." "I'm a big Beatles fan but nobody came along and stopped the almighty Beatles from No. 1," Humperdinck says. Humperdinck says even after a 50-plus year career he still gets a kick out of recording music and performing. "The only time I'm really happy is when I walk on stage," he says. "I'm really happy when I walk on stage. It's the ultimate in my life. Songs mean that much more to me now and some of the lyrics because I lost my darling wife [in 2021] and the lyrics mean that much more to me now...... I had a good run. The only thing I really regret is the fact that in the early years I would have liked a more rounded career of being in the movies and things like that... I would have liked to be in show business because I consider myself a thespian of song. When I'm onstage I try to relate [to the song] as if it was a script I'm reading." - Billboard, 8/26/2022...... Phil Collins' ex-wife Orianne Cevey has reportedly had her long-running $20 million legal battle against the singer kicked out of court. Cevey, 48, sued Collins, 71, for half of the proceeds from the sale of the Miami estate they once shared, which the Genesis drummer sold for $40 million (C$52 million) in Jan. 2021. Cevey claimed the Genesis frontman and '80s solo superstar had previously promised her half of its sale value if she moved back in with him. But the New York Post's Page Six column is reporting that on Aug. 26 Judge Alan Fine dismissed the case, brought in Miami, Fla., in "its entirety" and ruled that Cevey "had made 10 separate violations of the court's orders." "I'm done with this. You can go ahead and prepare the order of dismissal... I feel comfortable that enough is enough," Fine reportedly said in a courtroom transcript. Collins has denied promising Cevey half of the proceeds from the sale of the house they shared. The pair were previously married from 1999 to 2007 before Cevey then married investment banker Charles Mejjati, from 2008 to 2017. She reunited with Collins in 2015 but they split again in 2020 and she married Thomas Bates. Cevey was awarded $46 million (£60 million) after her 2008 divorce from Collins -- a U.K. record for a settlement at the time -- but went ahead with her claim for $20 million (£26 million) from the house sale. Collins now lives in Switzerland and shares sons Nic, 21, who took over his dad's drumming duties during the recent Genesis farewell tour, and 17-year-old Matthew, with Cevey. - Bang Showbiz, 8/26/22...... In a new interview with the UK paper The Observer, Ozzy Osbourne says he's "fed up" with all the mass shootings in America and has decided to move back to England. "Everything's f---ing ridiculous there," Osbourne said. "I'm fed up with people getting killed every day. God knows how many people have been shot in school shootings. And there was that mass shooting in Vegas at that concert... It's f---ing crazy," he said, referencing the Route 91 Harvest event shooting in 2017, where nearly 60 people died and more than 500 were injured. Ozzy added that he's fearful of dying in America. "I don't want to be buried in f---ing Forest Lawn," the 73-year-old musician says of the celebrity-filled cemetery in L.A. "I'm English. I want to be back. But saying that, if my wife said we've got to go and live in Timbuktu, I'll go. But, no, it's just time for me to come home." Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, noted during the interview that "America has changed so drastically. It isn't the United States of America at all. Nothing's united about it. It's a very weird place to live right now." The couple, who celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in July, plans to sell their Hancock Park mansion in L.A. and move to their 350-acre Buckinghamshire estate in early 2023, according to The Observer. Ozzy is reportedly planning to build a music studio in the U.K. home, where he mentioned the possibility of recording an album with former Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi. - Billboard, 8/28/22...... 
On Aug. 23 Joni Mitchell received an Honorary Doctorate degree from the Berklee College of Music in recognition of her contribution to music. "Since her debut in the late 1960s, Joni has been a force for change in the industry, blazing the trail for women in music with an unwavering commitment to achieving the status rightfully due her as one of the world's great musical artists," Berklee President Erica Muhl said at the event, which was held at a private residence in Santa Monica, Calif. In addition to lauding Mitchell's trailblazing musical career, Muhl said the evening was also a chance to "highlight Joni's important work as an activist and champion for women in music" via a collaboration with the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, an organization she said has done "pioneering work in this same area." With her signature wit on full display, Mitchell, 78, paid homage to both her childhood piano teacher and her parents in a speech that was both self-deprecating and thoughtful. She collected the award while reminiscing about the piano instructor who called her out for not following the sheet music, quoting the words that echoed in her head as a child. "'Why would you want to play by ear when you can have the masters under your fingertips!' And she whacked me across the knuckles with her ruler," Mitchell said with a laugh while recalling her early lessons. The night also included video clip tributes from many of Mitchell's admirers, including Eurythmics and solo star Annie Lennox, who said, " I'd never have thought about becoming a singer-songwriter if I'd never heard Court and Spark and all the beautiful, beautiful pieces of work that you have created over your lifetime." Mitchell has shared pictures from the event on her Instagram page. - Billboard, 8/26/22...... Elton John and Britney Spears released their highly anticipated collaboration, "Hold Me Closer," on Aug. 26 and have shared it on YouTube. The song is a mash-up of John's 1972 single "Tiny Dancer" and 1992's "The One." Spears completed her performance for the recording in less than two hours, according to The Guardian paper. It marks her first new song in six years and her first release since she was released from her controversial 13-year conservatorship in 2021. The collaboration was confirmed earlier in August and followed multiple claims that the pair were "secretly recording" a new version of John's 1972 single "Tiny Dancer." Elton recently surprised diners in a restaurant in Cannes by getting the establishment's DJs to play the song and singing over it. The new version of the song features a number of different lyrics, including in the chorus, when she sings: "Give me a f----ing sign." In an interview with The Guardian, Elton insisted Britney didn't need any convincing to record the duet, but she had a lot of concerns about releasing it to the public. "We had to get her to approve what she did," he explained. "She's been away so long -- there's a lot of fear there because she's been betrayed so many times and she hasn't really been in the public eye officially for so long. We've been holding her hand through the whole process, reassuring her that everything's gonna be alright." John described his duet partner as "broken" and expressed his hope that "Hold Me Closer" will encourage her to make more music. "I'm so excited to be able to do it with her because if it is a big hit, and I think it may be, it will give her so much more confidence than she's got already and she will realise that people actually love her and care for her and want her to be happy. That's all anybody in their right mind would want after she went through such a traumatic time," he shared. "I'm just crossing my fingers that this will restore her confidence in herself to get back into the studio, make more records, and realise that she is bloody good," he added. - NME, 8/26/22...... In other Elton-related news, Rod Stewart ribbed his longtime rival on social media on Aug. 24 by posting a clip during a recent show when he donned a pair of circular, blinged-out glasses and a colorful jacket, and gave his best imitation of his fellow superstar behind the ivories, writing, "Still love you, Elt. Rod xxx." It appears that Sir Elton has yet to comment on Sir Rod's post or respond to the light jab, but two icons' friendship -- and friendly rivalry -- dates back decades at this point. In fact, the pair have been going tit for tat for more than half a century by now. Back in the late 1970s, Stewart launched his "Blondes 'ave More Fun" tour only for Elton to famously pay for billboards with his face on the opposite side of the street reading, "But Brunettes make more money." (A few years later, John also got the last word by quite literally shooting down a blimp promoting his rival's music.) Stewart's mimicking of John onstage has been shared on Instagram. - Billboard, 8/25/22...... Baz Luhrmann's summer hit Elvis Presley biopic Elvis is headed to Blu-ray and DVD in September. Physical copies of the smash drama, which recently became the second highest grossing musical biopic of all time and director Lurhmann's top-grossing film in the U.S. and Cananda, will be available on Sept. 13. The Blu-ray/DVD release comes with a digital copy of the film. Special features include "Bigger Than Life: The Story of Elvis," "Rock 'n' Roll: Royalty: The Music and Artists Behind Elvis," "Fit for a King: The Style of Elvis," "Viva Australia: Recreating Iconic Locations for Elvis" and a lyric video for Presley's song, "Trouble." Elvis debuted in theaters in June, and was released on Prime Video and other digital platforms earlier in August, the 45th anniversary of Presley's death on Aug. 16, 1977 at age 42. It has grossed just over $270 million worldwide. - Billboard, 8/24/22...... 
A companion album to the forthcoming David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream will hit stores on Sept. 16, ISO Records/Parlophone Records announced on Aug. 25. The digital edition is previewed by a new mix of "Modern Love," the third single from Bowie's 15th album, Let's Dance (1983), and has been shared on YouTube. Highlights of the companion release include a previously unreleased live medley of "The Jean Genie" / "Love Me Do" recorded live at the final Ziggy Stardust concert at Hammersmith Odeon in 1973, featuring Jeff Beck on guitar. Other rarities include an early version of the Hunky Dory track "Quicksand" and a previously unreleased live version of "Rock 'n' Roll With Me" from Bowie's 1974 "Soul Tour." A 2-CD format of Moonage Daydream follows on . 18, with plans to release a 3-LP vinyl edition in 2023. The Brett Morgen-directed Moonage Daydream is released exclusively in IMAX on Sept. 16 (hitting UK cinemas on Sept. 23) and is described as a "feature length experiential cinematic odyssey that "explores Bowie's creative, musical and spiritual journey." With never-before-seen footage, performance and music, the film is guided by Bowie's narration and is the first to be officially sanctioned by the Bowie estate. - NME, 8/25/22...... Pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo surprised fans at Billy Joel's Madison Square Garden concert in New York City on Aug. 24 by singing back-to-back songs with the Piano Man: "Deja Vu" and Joel's "Uptown Girl," the song she references in her 2021 top five Billboard Hot 100 hit. "Hey, guys!," the 19-year-old Rodrigo said to the crowd as they screamed wildly. "Thank you so much for having me, Billy. I'm such a huge fan. And, uh, I kind of wrote this next one about you," she said before launching into "Deja Vu." Olivia's fans will recognize the reference to Joel's 1983 hit in Rodrigo's single, in which she sings, "I'll bet that she knows Billy Joel 'cause you played her 'Uptown Girl,'" and later on when she belts, "Play her piano, but she doesn't know that I was the one who taught you Billy Joel." Fan-shot footage of the performances has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 8/24/22...... Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are among the star-studded collection of musicians slated to perform during a pair of tribute concerts for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in September. Renowned drummer Omar Hakim recently posted a photo to Instagram of himself alongside Lee, Lifeson and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl with the caption: "Getting ready for the first Taylor Hawkins Tribute Show in London! So FUN for Dave and I to rehearse with Geddy and Alex of RUSH!." The first tribute show is scheduled for Sept. 3 at London's Wembley Stadium, followed by a Sept. 27 concert at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Hawkins, generally viewed as being among the greatest drummers of all time, died March 25 at age 50. Officials said the popular musician had 10 drugs in his system at the time of his death. As to what this reunion of sorts might mean for the future of Rush? "I wouldn't be surprised if we did something together in the future, but I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't," Lifeson recently told BBC Music's Craig Charles.- Postmedia News, 8/24/22...... Gerald Potterton, the British-Canadian filmmaker who worked on a sequence for the Beatles' 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine and later directed the adult animated cult classic Heavy Metal in 1981 died on Aug. 23 at the Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins Hospital in Cowansville, Quebec. He was 91. The London-borne Mr. Potterton created animation for NFB films in the 1950s before directing his own classic shorts, including the Stephen Leacock adaptation My Financial Career in 1962 and Christmas Cracker in 1963, which he co-helmed. Both films were nominated for Academy Awards. Mr. Potterton also directed the live-action comedy The Ride in 1963 and The Railrodder in 1965, which starred Buster Keaton in one of his last film roles. In 1968, he returned to England to work on a sequence for the animated Beatles feature Yellow Submarine. Back in Canada, he turned to forming his own indie studio, Potterton Productions, for film and TV projects, which included his Oscar Wilde adaptation The Selfish Giant (1972), an animated short that earned him his third Oscar nomination. In another new direction, Mr. Potterton directed the animated feature Heavy Metal, which became a cult classic. A member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Mr. Potterton was selected by the World Animation Celebration in 1998 as one of "Ten Men Who Have Rocked the Animation World." - The Hollywood Reporter, 8/25/22...... 
Veteran R&B singer Mable John, the first solo female artist signed by Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, passed away at her home in Los Angeles on Aug. 25. She was 91. In addition to being the first solo female artist signed to Motown (then Tamla), Mable John also recorded hit songs for Stax Records and she was a singer in Ray Charles' Raelettes backing band. As a teenager, the Louisiana-born Ms. John took a job with the Friendship Mutual Insurance Company, founded by Bertha Gordy, the mother of then-aspiring music producer Berry Gordy. He became my vocal coach, my manager and, within a couple of years, my record producer," John recalled to author Susan Whithall, according to Motown Classic's website. Gordy later arranged John's professional musical debut at Detroit's Flame Show Bar, where she opened for Billie Holiday in 1959. She became the first solo female act to sign with Gordy's Tamla Records in 1958. The label became Motown two years later. Ms. John left Motown in the mid 1960s to join Stax Records in Memphis, where she teamed up with with the songwriting team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter for her 1966 hit "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)," which reached No. 6 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100. The popular song was later recorded by Lou Rawls, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt and others. After releasing a handful of singles on Stax, John departed the label to became the musical director and a singer in Ray Charles' Raelettes backing band, where she collaborated on dozens of songs during her decade-long stay. She eventually left the music business and became a minister, founding Los Angeles' Joy Community Outreach, which assists with feeding and clothing the homeless. She made her onscreen debut as a veteran blues singer in John Sayles' 2007 film Honeydripper, and was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom. - Billboard, 8/28/22.
Mick Jagger has paid a fresh tribute to the late Charlie Watts on the first anniversary of the death of the Rolling Stones drummer, who passed on Aug. 24, 2021 at age 80. Posting on 
Elton John unveiled a short snippet of "Hold Me Closer," his highly anticipated new song with Britney Spears that was inspired by his 1971 hit "Tiny Dancer," on Aug. 22. In a 
In an emotional message posted on her 
On Aug. 18, Elvis Costello unveiled details of a huge 10-night residency in New York City in Feb. 2023. Appearing on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Costello said: "I'm gonna play a 10-night stand in New York City next February. But here's the thing -- I'm going to print a list of 10 songs a night that's gonna give you a clue to what the night's gonna be like. And the other 10 songs that I might play are a secret." Elvis went on to say that fans will "never hear the same song twice" and that the setlists would add up to "200 songs [played] over 10 nights." He also revealed that for fans wanting to go to all 10 nights of the residency, a "special price" would be set. The residency will take place at Gramercy Theatre in Feb. 2023. Further dates and details are expected to be announced soon. Costello's interview with host Jimmy Fallon can be seen on 
In related news, drummer Jerry Allison, who drummed as part of Buddy Holly's The Crickets, has died at age 82. Mr. Allison's death was confirmed on Aug. 22 in a statement shared to Holly's official Facebook page, which expressed "sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the drummer." In the statement, Mr. Allison is described as "one of buddy's very closest friends, and the inspiration to drummers for decades since.... Buddy is often heralded as the original singer-songwriter, but [Mr. Allison], too, wrote and inspired so many of the songs that would go on to be eternal classics. There's more to be said and posted here in the coming days. For today, we think about his family and friends and wish [Mr. Allison] to rest in peace." A cause of death has not been disclosed. Born in Hillsboro, Tex. in 1939, Allison was one of the original four members of The Crickets, which was formed in 1957 and also included bassist Joe B. Mauldin and guitarist Niki Sullivan. The latter would leave the group shortly afterwards, leading them to continue as a trio. Following Holly's untimely death in 1959, Mr. Allison and Mauldin continued to tour and record under the Crickets banner, with a revolving cast of guests and collaborators throughout -- Mr. Allison being the only constant member. Mr. Allison played a significant role in the composition of many of Holly's most well-known songs. The pair co-wrote 1956's "That'll Be The Day," and 1957's "Peggy Sue" alongside Norman Petty. Mauldin died in 2015 from cancer, and a year later, Mr. Allison -- joined by a wide array of The Crickets' former members -- performed at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, the site of Holly's final performance. Shortly after, Mr. Allison announced that the special show marked The Crickets' final performance. - NME, 8/23/22...... Entertainment lawyer John Eastman, who represented his brother-in-law Paul McCartney through Beatles power struggles and for decades afterward, died on Aug. 10 in East Hampton, N.Y., of pancreatic cancer. He was 93. - People, 9/5/22.
A return of the 1978 Olivia Newton-John-starred musical comedy 
The New York Times is reporting that Willie Nelson was temporarily sidelined after testing positive for Covid-19 back in early May, less than a week after the Country Music Hall of Fame member's 89th birthday. At the time, the iconic performer had shared on social media that he was canceling his May 8 performance and postponing other shows "due to a positive Covid case in the Willie Nelson Family band, but did not indicate who in the group had contracted the coronavirus. According to the Times, Nelson, who had been sleeping on his tour bus while making a stop in Nashville, woke up in the middle of the night struggling to breathe. He tested positive for Covid-19 after taking a rapid PCR test. "I had a nebulizer on the bus," his wife Annie Nelson told the paper. "I started everything I could at that point, including Paxlovid. He had the monoclonal antibodies. He had steroids." After returning to their ranch home in Spicewood, Tex., the couple brought a mobile medical unit to his ranch. "We turned the house into a hospital," she said. "There were a couple of times when I wasn't sure he was going to make it." It took six days before Nelson was on the road to recovery. "I had a pretty rough time with it, the "On the Road Again" singer added. "Covid ain't nothing to laugh at, that's for sure. Two weeks later, Nelson was back to performing, playing two shows in New Braunfels, Tex. In Jan. 2021, Willie shared photos of himself receiving a Covid-19 vaccine. Nelson is currently on the road for his Outlaw Music Festival tour. On Sept. 24, he and the band will be in Raleigh, N.C., to once again take the stage at Farm Aid, the nonprofit and benefit concert Nelson launched in 1985 alongside Neil Young and John Mellencamp to raise awareness of the loss of family farms, and to raise money to help keep farm families on their land. - Billboard, 8/18/22...... Elvis Presley's widow Priscilla Presley appeared on NBC's Today on Aug. 16, the 45th anniversary of the music legend's death, and opened up about Elvis's plans to expand into film and her thoughts about the new hit Elvis movie. "He wanted to do movies, serious movies, and [his manager] Colonel Parker probably should have stayed a publicist," Priscilla explained. "He didn't take Elvis where he wanted to be, and that was hard because I lived it. I lived the arguments that they had. I lived Elvis trying to explain he didn't want to do the movies with all the girls and the beaches and everything, that he really wanted to do serious things," she continued. "So living that, with him, and watching the [new] movie, it brought back a lot of memories." Director Baz Luhrmann's glitzy Elvis biopic was released on VOD on Aug. 8. Viewers have the option to rent the film for $19.99 or buy the Blu-ray at stores including 
BMG and Trafalgar Releasing announced on Aug. 18 that a new Ronnie James Dio documentary, Dio: Dreamers Never Die, will be shown in theaters worldwide for two days only -- Sept. 28 and Oct. 2. The documentary follows Dio's unlikely rise from a '50s doo-wop crooner to frontman of some of the most formidable and influential outfits in metal, including Rainbow, Black Sabbath (where he replaced Ozzy Osbourne) and his namesake Dio. Executive produced by his widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio, Dreamers Never Die includes never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with bandmates and colleagues Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, Vinny Appice, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk and Jack Black. Premieres will be held in Los Angeles and London, and the two-day cinema run will also include outtakes available only to the theatrical audience. Tickets for the documentary go on sale Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. ET at DioDreamersNeverDie.com. A post-theatrical run is also being planned and Rhino/WMG will release the soundtrack from Dio: Dreamers Never Die in the fall. Dio died of stomach cancer in 2010 at age 67. - Billboard, 8/18/22...... In related news, it has been revealed that Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler missed the reunion of Sabbath at the recent U.K. Commonwealth Games after getting Covid-19 and a boating accident that left him with injured ribs. In an interview with Birmingham Live, Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi explained Geezer's absence was due to health issues. "I don't think he wanted to come over as he hadn't been well with Covid. He'd been on holiday to Kenya and to Italy and had had an accident on a boat, cracking or breaking a rib about three weeks ago, so he was not quite in fine fettle to come over to play." Iommi added: "It's a shame because we'd talked for a long time about the possibility of playing at the Commonwealth Games." Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, 73, and guitarist Iommi -- as well as bassist Adam Wakeman and drummer Tommy Clufetos -- returned to the stage earlier in August to perform a rendition of "Paranoid" at the multi-sport event. The performance came over four years after the final night of Sabbath's "The End"' tour, while Ozzy, who has been recovering from a major operation at home in Los Angeles, hadn't been on stage since joining Post Malone for a rendition of their "Take What You Want" collaboration at the American Music Awards in 2019. Ozzy also made headlines recently when he told The Sun newspaper that he wishes he'd made "more varied" music throughout his career. "You know what, I would have liked to have been a little more varied. Black Sabbath music is very aggressive even if some of it is foot-tapping," Osbourne said. "But we fought the f---ing world to make it big. But mind you, it's a good thing we didn't get our royalties when we were 23 because I would have f---ed myself into another planet." - Music-News.com, 8/16/22...... 
REO Speedwagon lead singer Kevin Cronin has expressed his gratitude to a "super-friendly family" in Toronto after they lent a hand when he experienced trouble renting a bicycle to take in some of the local sights. Cronin was in the city as part of REO's current tour with Styx and Loverboy, which was to hit Budweiser Stage on Aug. 16. But while he was enjoying some free time to take in the sights, he ran into some issues trying to rent a Bike Share bicycle, and posted his predicament to 
In an interview with Dean Delray on the Let There Be Talk podcast, KISS bassist Gene Simmons says he anticipates the band continuing "in ways even I haven't thought of" after the current line-up stops touring. KISS announced back in 2018 that they would embark on one massive final tour, before hanging up their iconic costumes, with Simmons saying they were retiring out of "self-respect" and because of the "love" for their fans. In the interview, Simmons hinted at a significant extension to the farewell tour, promising that KISS will take the show to 100 more cities before they finally retire. Simmons also discussed where their last ever show might take place. "We don't know if it's [going to be in] New York. I have good reasons why it should be, but the important thing is when it's the last show, it'll be the last show," Simmons said. "KISS the touring band will stop. But the touring band. KISS will continue in other ways. I have no problems with four deserving 20-year-olds sticking the makeup back on and hiding their identity," he added. "KISS will continue in ways that even I haven't thought of," Gene predicted. "But I can conceive of... You know, the Blue Man Group and 'Phantom Of The Opera' tours around the world with different personnel. There could and should be a KISS show, kind of live on stage with effects and everything else, but also semi-autobiographical thing about four knuckleheads off the streets of New York that ends with the last third as a full-blown celebration, a full-on performance. Not with us. Although not a problem stepping in every once in a while." After slots in Europe and Australia this summer -- including a headline slot at this year's Download Festival -- the band will return to North America at the end of 2022 for a few more festivals, which is everything they have officially left on the schedule. KISS also plan to reschedule their Las Vegas residency, which was cancelled in 2021. - New Musical Express, 8/15/22.
As the Baz Luhrmann-directed Elvis Presley biopic Elvis became a summer box office hit and has become the third-highest grossing music biopic since the 1970s, the director of the Emmy-winning 1968 Presley "comeback" TV special has announced he's producing a documentary about the experience. Steve Binder says his Elvis & Steve: The Making of the '68 Comeback Special will delve into the behind-the-scenes drama that seemed to loom over almost every frame of the NBC program that catapulted Presley back into people's homes and hearts. Binder, the head of Rodan Productions, has begun pre-production on the documentary that's due in 2023 and celebrates the 55th anniversary of the show. "I'm truly the only one who can tell the behind-the-scenes story of how it came to be... because I'm the only one who was actually there for all that happened," says Binder, 89. Binder, who has also directed films on such iconic pop/rock musicians as Diana Ross, Olivia Newton-John and Petula Clark, has chronicled much of the '68 Elvis comeback special stories in his 2018 coffee table book Elvis '68 Comeback: The Story Behind the Special. The book was re-issued in 2021 with an introduction by Luhrmann. Binder, who served as a creative consultant on Elvis, is portrayed in Luhrmann's movie by Australian actor Dacre Montgomery, and the scenes about the special are considered some of the film's most riveting. The TV special, which featured the King of Rock & Roll performing in a variety of styles and settings and birthed the acoustic "unplugged" concept, drew a now unimaginable 42% of the viewing audience when it aired on Dec. 3, 1968. - Billboard, 8/12/22...... In other Presley-related news, the 2022 Elvis soundtrack has vaulted back onto Billboard Top Album Sales chart for the week ending Aug. 13, as the set's 
The Grateful Dead's new live set Dave's Picks, Volume 43: San Francisco, 11/2/69 - Dallas, 12/26/69 has debuted at No. 4 on Billboard's Top Album Sales with 28,000 sold -- the largest sales week for the band in over 25 years. Dave's Picks is the GD's continuing live archival release series, named for the group's archivist, David Lemieux, that has been going strong since its first release in 2012. Releases in the series are issued exclusively on CD and in limited quantities. On the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, Dave's Picks, Vol. 43 debuted at No. 11 -- the group's highest debut ever and second-highest charting album overall. The only album from the legendary San Francisco rockers to go higher on the list was 1987's In the Dark, which peaked at No. 6 on the Aug. 22, 1987-dated chart. Dave's Picks, Vol. 43 also marks GD's 53rd top 40-charting album on the Billboard Hot 200. The band continues to have the most top 40 albums among groups since the chart began regularly publishing on a weekly basis in March of 1956, with only albums from solo acts Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Barbra Streisand ranking higher. - Billboard, 8/9/22...... Officials in Australia have announced that state memorial services will be held for two of the country's most recognized female singers who recently passed away -- Olivia Newton-John and The Seekers' vocalist Judith Durham. Australian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the plans for Newton-John on Aug. 11, just three days after she died at the age of 73 after a decades-long battle with cancer. "I'm so pleased that Olivia Newtown John's family have accepted our offer of a State Memorial Service," Andrews posted on social media. "We're working with Olivia's family on the details, but it will be more of a concert than a funeral fitting for a Victorian who lived such a rich and generous life," he added. Earlier, Andrews confirmed that Newton-John's niece, Tottie Goldsmith, the actor and former singer with pop group The Chantoozies, had accepted his offer of a state service on behalf of the family. "This would be much more of a concert than a funeral... [she] was a very special person and to take her cancer journey and to turn that into more research, better treatment, better care and this focus on wellness, is such an amazing legacy," he told reporters. On Aug. 7, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews posted on Twitter that, after speaking with Judith Durham's family, they accepted the offer of a state funeral to "honor the life and contribution of a true icon of Australian music." Following her passing on Aug. 5 after suffering complications from a long-standing lung condition, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led tributes, describing the 79-year-old as "a national treasure and an Australian icon" and a singer who "gave voice to a new strand of our identity and helped blaze a trail for a new generation of Aussie artists." - Billboard, 8/11/22...... On Aug. 10 Michael Jackson's estate and Sony Music announced they have reached a settlement to end a years-long lawsuit that claimed they violated false advertising laws by releasing a posthumous album featuring songs sung by "a Jackson impersonator." After pulling the disputed tracks (from the 2010 album Michael) off streaming platforms in July, the two parties said that both they and the plaintiffs had agreed to formally end the lawsuit. The deal came as the two sides were awaiting a decision by the California Supreme Court, which heard arguments on the case in May. Regardless of how the CSC may rule, the parties to the lawsuit mutually decided to end the litigation, which would have potentially included additional appeals and a lengthy trial court process, Sony and the estate said in a joint statement, adding that removing the songs was "the simplest and best way to move beyond the conversation associated with these tracks once and for all." Vera Serova, the woman who filed the lawsuit over the Michael tracks, confirmed that the case had been "amicably resolved" but declined to comment further. Neither side provided any details on the terms of the agreement, including whether any money exchanged hands or what would happen to the disputed songs in the future. As soon as Michael was released a year after his death, fans and even some family members questioned whether three of its tracks -- "Monster, "Keep Your Head Up" and "Breaking News" -- were actually sung by the King of Pop himself. The songs were produced and recorded by Jackson's friend Eddie Cascio, who made assurances that it was Jackson behind the microphone. That controversy turned into a lawsuit in 2014 when the estate and Sony were hit with a proposed class action claiming they had violated California state consumer protection laws by labeling the songs as "Michael Jackson tracks" when they had really been performed by someone else. Following the notice of the settlement, it's unclear whether or not the California Supreme Court court will still rule on Serova's case against Sony and the estate. - Billboard, 8/10/22...... 
The Isley Brothers are taking their 60-plus-year career to the next phase with a more sultry and sensuous revamp of "Make Me Say It Again Girl" with current R&B sensation Beyoncé. Beyoncé intertwines her sexy, silky voice with Ronald Isley's ageless, supple tenor on the new track, which premiered worldwide on Aug. 9 on iHeartRadio. The song follows the 2021 release of The Isley Brothers' "Friends & Family" with Snoop Dogg, and also doubles as the title of the siblings' new album. Hinting only that "there are many more guest features" to come, Ronald and Ernie Isley say the Make Me the album will arrive in September via indie label RI Top Ten. - Billboard, 8/10/22...... Blondie have released a rediscovered home recording of a 1978 song called "Mr Sightseer" and shared it on 
On Aug. 9 Tom Waits announced that his twin 2002 albums, Alice and Blood Money, will be reissued on vinyl. The albums -- which this year celebrate their 20-year-anniversary -- will be pressed on translucent blue and red vinyl respectively, with the reissues expected to hit record stores and Waits' merch website on Oct. 7. Both reissues are currently available for pre-order via Waits' webstore. Coinciding with the announcement, Waits has also shared a pair of live recordings on YouTube from each of the upcoming reissues: 
David McCullough, the Pulitzer prize-winning author whose lovingly crafted narratives on subjects ranging from New York's Brooklyn Bridge to American presidents John Adams and Harry Truman made him among the most popular and influential historians of his time, died on Aug. 7 at his home in Hingham, Mass. He was 89. A joyous and tireless student of the past, Mr. McCullough dedicated himself to sharing his own passion for history with the general public. His fascination with architecture and construction inspired his early works on the Panama Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge, while his admiration for leaders whom he believed were good men drew him to Adams and Truman. In his 70s and 80s, he indulged his affection for Paris with the 2011 release The Greater Journey and for aviation with a best-seller on Orville and Wilbur Wright that came out in 2015. Beyond his books, the distinctive, white-haired Mr. McCullough may have had the most recognizable presence of any historian, his fatherly baritone known to fans of PBS's The American Experience and Ken Burns's epic The Civil War documentary. "Hamilton" author Ron Chernow once called Mr. McCullough "both the name and the voice of American history." "David McCullough was a national treasure," Simon & Schuster chief executive Jonathan Karp said in a statement. "His books brought history to life for millions of readers. Through his biographies, he dramatically illustrated the most ennobling parts of the American character." Mr. McCullough received the National Book Award for The Path Between the Seas, about the building of the Panama Canal; and for Mornings on Horseback, a biography of Theodore Roosevelt; and Pulitzers for Truman, in 1992, and for John Adams in 2002. He died less than two months after his beloved wife, Rosalee. - AP, 8/8/22.
Such Motown icons as Smokey Robinson, Otis Williams and Martha Reeves helped Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. celebrate the completion of the expansion of the Motown Museum at the famed "Hitsville, U.S.A." building at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit on Aug. 8. Robinson, Williams, Reeves and other Motown luminaries helped Gordy celebrate the completion of the first two phases of the museum's expansion, as well as the grand opening of Hitsville NEXT, an educational programming and creative hub, and the newly established Rocket Plaza. "Kids who aren't even born yet will be aware of Motown," Robinson told The Associated Press during an interview ahead of the event held near the entrance to the museum. "Some of their parents weren't even born when we started this. But it's a wonderful thing." The festivities included comments from Robinson and Williams, an original founding member of The Temptations who gifted microphones to the museum from his personal collection. Three nearby Motown-era buildings next to the Hitsville location have been transformed into Hitsville NEXT, which will be home to camps, workshops, master classes and community events. It represents the first phase of the museum's expansion. Phase two is Rocket Plaza, an outdoor plaza that will serve as a community gathering place and a welcome destination for museum visitors. 'this plaza is the new front porch to Motown, said Robin Terry, Motown Museum chairwoman and CEO. Berry Gordy launched Motown in 1959. His late sister, Esther Gordy Edwards, founded the museum in the former Hitsville headquarters in 1985. In addition to Robinson and The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and many others recorded hits there before Motown moved to California in 1972. Footage from the ceremony, which included a performance of the Tempts classic "My Girl" performed by the cast of the musical "Ain't Too Proud," has been shared on 
Pink Floyd founding member Roger Waters took time out from his "This Is Not a Drill" solo tour on Aug. 6 to sit down with CNN's Michael Smerconish for an interview in which Waters shared his controversial views on the origins of the war in Ukraine, Pres. Biden and China's saber-rattling over Taiwan. Telling Smerconish that anyone who comes to his show is well aware of his politics -- and, as the video before his show states, can "f--k off to the bar if they're not up for his message" -- Waters defended the opening sequence in which a video counts Pres. Biden as a "war criminal & just getting started." According to Waters, Biden is, "fueling the fire in the Ukraine, for a start.... That is a huge crime. Why won't the United States of America encourage [Volodymyr] Zelensky, [Ukraine's] president, to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war?" he said, as Smerconish pointed out that Waters was blaming the country that was invaded, not the invaders. That caused Waters to double-down as he added, "this war is basically about the action and reaction of NATO pushing right up to the Russian border, which they promised they wouldn't do when [Mikhail] Gorbachev negotiated the withdrawal of the USSR from the whole of Eastern Europe." The pair then got into a heated discussion about the U.S. entry into WWII, with Smerconish reminding the rock singer that America was seen by most of the world as a liberator. The entire Waters/Smerconish interview can be viewed on 
A concert promoter is suing the Miami-area beach resort owned by one of former president Donald Trump's companies over allegations that the Trump International Beach Resort backed out of a Classic Rock event after months of promises to host it. In a lawsuit filed on Aug. 5 in Ohio federal court, 4U Promotions Inc. says that 18001 Holdings LLC -- the entity that owns the Trump resort -- "is liable for fraud and other wrongdoing after it allegedly reneged on a deal to host the Decades of Rock & Roll Cruise Reunion this coming October." Trump International, according to the suit, made the promise to hold the event "knowing it was false," 4U Promotions maintains, or with such an "utter disregard and recklessness for the truth that the resort essentially should have known it was not being honest." "The Trump Resort made a clear and unambiguous promise to 4UP," the company wrote, adding "4UP relied on the promise of the Trump Resort." 4U Promotions operates a cruise service called "Decades of Rock & Roll," featuring several bands playing classic rock from the 1950s to the 1970s, including an Eagles cover band and an Elton John tribute act called Remember When Rock Was Young. With its trademark cruises still postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company's lawsuit says its marketing director Penny Greene approached Trump International sales director Maria Daniel Espina in February about hosting the stationary "Reunion" event in Miami from Oct. 6 to Oct. 10, but the formal contract still had not been received by the company by late July even thought 4U had started taking deposits. According to its website, the Decades of Rock & Roll Cruise Reunion has since been rebooked at the Marriott Pompano Beach Resort Hotel & Spa, about an hour north of the original location in Miami. - Billboard, 8/8/22...... ABBA has announced it will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its smash ABBA Gold hits collection on Sept. 23 via UMC/Polydor. The special editions will come as a 
Judith Durham, the lead singer of the '60s Australian pop group The Seekers, died on Aug. 5 in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne after suffering complications from a long-standing lung disease, Universal Music Australia and Musicoast said in a statement the following day. She was 79. Durham made her first recording at 19 and rose to fame after joining The Seekers in 1963. The group of four became the first Australian band to achieve major chart and sales success in the U.K. and the U.S., eventually selling 50 million records. International hits included "The Carnival is Over," "I'll Never Find Another You," "A World of Our Own" and "Georgy Girl." Durham embarked on a solo career in 1968 but recorded with The Seekers again in the 1990s. Tributes flowed for the beloved singer, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing Durham as "a national treasure and an Australian icon." "A national treasure and an Australian icon, Judith Durham gave voice to a new strand of our identity and helped blaze a trail for a new generation of Aussie artists," Albanese wrote on Twitter. "Her kindness will be missed by many, the anthems she gave to our nation will never be forgotten," he added. Victoria premier Daniel Andrews announed on Aug. 7 that Durham's family has accepted the offer of a state funeral to "honor the life and contribution of a true icon of Australian music." - AP, 8/6/22...... Sam Gooden, one of the original members of the Chicago soul group The Impressions and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, died on Aug. 4 in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tenn. He was 87. The Impressions formed in the 1950s after Mr. Gooden and brothers Richard and Arthur Brooks met Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler in Chicago. Butler sang baritone lead on their breakthrough record in 1958, the classic ballad "For Your Precious Love," although many of their hits featured Mayfield's tenor, with Mr. Gooden singing bass behind him. The Impressions remained a top group in the 1960s, known for their gospel-styled harmonies and socially conscious songs. The group scored 39 Billboard Hot 100 hits (including three top 10s), 18 entries on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and six No. 1s and 20 top 10s on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Mayfield helped write many of their hits, including the widely covered "People Get Ready" (No. 14 on the Hot 100), along with "Gypsy Woman" (No. 20), "Keep on Pushing" (No. 10), "We're a Winner" (No. 14) and their highest-charting Hot 100 hit "It's All Right" (No. 4). "Keep on Pushing" was nominated for best rhythm & blues recording at the seventh annual Grammy Awards in 1965 -- the group's lone nomination. The Impressions were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Seven years later, "People Get Ready" was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Mayfield left the group in 1970 for a solo career, although he continued to write and help produce for The Impressions. Mr. Gooden and fellow Chattanoogan Fred Cash continued to sing as The Impressions along with other lead singers, including Leroy Hutson. They toured until 2018. - Billboard, 8/5/22...... Award-winning composer, lyricist and songwriter Leslie Bricusse passed away on Aug. 4. He was 90 years old. Among his many other achievements, Mr. Bricusse collaborated with composer John Williams writing lyrics for songs featured in such hit films as Superman, Home Alone and Hook, among others. With his longtime collaborator, singer/composer Anthony Newley, Mr. Bricusse also wrote the score for the 1972 film Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which featured song 
Legendary Motown songwriter/producer Lamont Dozier, the middle name of the celebrated Holland-Dozier-Holland team that wrote and produced "You Can't Hurry Love," "Heat Wave" and dozens of other hits and helped make Motown an essential record company of the 1960s and beyond, died on Aug. 9. He was 81. In Motown's historic, self-defined rise to the "sound of Young America," Holland-Dozier-Holland stood out even compared to such gifted peers as Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and Barrett Strong. Over a four-year period, 1963-67, Mr. Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland crafted more than 25 top 10 songs and mastered the blend of pop and rhythm and blues that allowed the Detroit label, and founder Berry Gordy, to defy boundaries between Black and white music and rival the Beatles on the airwaves. For The Four Tops, they wrote "Baby I Need Your Loving" and "Reach Out (I'll Be There)"; for Martha and the Vandellas they wrote "Heat Wave" and "Jimmy Mack"; for Marvin Gaye "Baby Don't You Do It" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"; for Diana Ross and the Supremes 10 No. 1 songs, among them "Where Did Our Love Go," 'stop! In the Name of Love" and "You Can't Hurry Love." The music lived on through countless soundtracks, samplings and radio airings, in cover versions by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and many others and in generations of songwriters and musicians influenced by the Motown sound. H-D-H were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame two years later. On his own, Mr. Dozier had a top 20 hit with "Trying to Hold on to My Woman," helped produce Aretha Franklin's Sweet Passion album and collaborated with Eric Clapton and Simply Red's Mick Hucknall among others. His biggest success was co-writing Phil Collins' chart-topping "Two Hearts," from the 1988 movie Buster, a mid-tempo, Motown-style ballad that won a Grammy and Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination. Like so many Motown artists, Mr. Dozier was born in Detroit and raised in a family of singers and musicians. He sang in the choir of his Baptist church and his love for words was affirmed by a grade school teacher who, he recalled, liked one of his poems so much she kept it on the blackboard for a month. By the late 1950s, he was a professional singer and eventually signed with Motown, where he first worked with Brian Holland, and then Eddie Holland, who wrote most of the lyrics. Mr. Dozier's death was confirmed by Paul Lambert, who helped produce the stage musical "The First Wives Club" that H-D-H wrote for. He did not have additional details.- AP, 8/9/22...... Actor Roger E. Mosley, who portrayed Theodore "T.C." Calvin, the helicopter pilot and buddy of Tom Selleck's character on all eight seasons of the original Magnum, P.I., died on Aug. 7. He was 83. Mr. Mosley died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of injuries incurred in a car accident in Lynwood, Calif., thee days earlier, his daughter, Ch-a, said. On the big screen, Mr. Mosley was at his most memorable as blues and folk singer Huddie Ledbetter ("The Midnight Special") in the period piece Leadbelly (1976), directed by Gordon Parks. In his review, Roger Ebert wrote that Mr. Mosley played the part "with great strength" and called the film "one of the best biographies of a musician I've ever seen." Mr. Mosley also was a standout in "blaxploitation" films, playing the angry brother of the fresh-out-of-prison Goldie (Max Julien) in the classic The Mack (1973) and starring in Hit Man (1972), Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (1973) and Darktown Strutters (1975). And in The Greatest (1977), Mosley -- a sturdy 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds in his prime -- portrayed Sonny Liston and got whupped by Muhammad Ali. His other big screen credits include McQ with John Wayne (1974), The River Niger with James Earl Jones (1976), and Semi-Tough with Burt Reynolds (1977). Post-Magnum, he starred opposite Nell Carter on the CBS sitcom You Take the Kids, as Coach Ricketts on ABC's Hangin' With Mr. Cooper and as Milt Johnson on Showtime's Rude Awakening. Survivors include his wife, Antoinette ("Toni"), son Brandonn, and grandsons Austin and Rahsan. - The Hollywood Reporter, 8/7/22.