Jerry Lee Lewis, the outrageous rock 'n' roll pioneer whose outrageous talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal, died on the morning of Oct. 28. He was 87. The last survivor of a generation of groundbreaking performers that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, Mr. Lewis died at his Mississippi home, south of Memphis, Tenn., according to his rep. The news came two days after the publication of an erroneous and subsequently retracted report of his death by celebrity gossip site TMZ.com. Born in Ferriday, La., on Sept. 29, 1935, Mr. Lewis was the cousin of TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart and country star Mickey Gilley. He first learned to play guitar, but found the instrument too confining and longed for an instrument that only the rich people in his town could afford -- a piano. His life changed when his father pulled up in his truck one day and presented him a dark-wood, upright piano. He took to the instrument immediately, and began sneaking off to Black juke joints and absorbing everything from gospel to boogie-woogie. Conflicted early on between secular and scared music, he quit school at 16, with plans of becoming a piano-playing preacher. Mr. Lewis briefly attended Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Tex., a fundamentalist Bible college, but was expelled, reportedly, for playing the "wrong" kind of music. A roadhouse veteran by his early 20s, Mr. Lewis took off for Memphis in 1956 and showed up at the studios of Sun Records, the musical home of Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Told by company founder Sam Phillips to go learn some rock 'n roll, Mr. Lewis returned and soon hurried off "Whole Lotta Shakin"' in a single take. "I knew it was a hit when I cut it," he later said. "Sam Phillips thought it was gonna be too risque, it couldn't make it. If that's risque, well, I'm sorry." That song, along with "Great Balls of Fire" -- a sexualized take on Biblical imagery that Mr. Lewis initially refused to record -- were his most enduring early songs and performance pieces. 
He had only a handful of other pop hits, including "High School Confidential" and "Breathless," but they were enough to ensure his place as a rock 'n' roll architect. For a brief time, in 1958, he was a contender to replace Presley as rock's prime hit maker after Elvis was drafted into the Army. But while Mr. Lewis toured in England, the press learned three damaging things: He was married to 13-year-old (possibly even 12-year-old) Myra Gale Brown, she was his cousin, and he was still married to his previous wife. His tour was canceled, he was blacklisted from the radio and his earnings dropped overnight to virtually nothing. "I never did hide anything from people," Mr. Lewis said in a 2014 interview. "I just went on with my life as usual." Over the following decades, Mr. Lewis struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, legal disputes and physical illness. Two of his many marriages ended in his wife's early death. Myra Brown herself divorced him in the early 1970s and would later allege physical and mental cruelty that nearly drove her to suicide. Mr. Lewis reinvented himself as a country performer in the 1960s, and the music industry eventually forgave him, long after he stopped having hits. He won three Grammys, and recorded with some of the industry's greatest stars. Mr. Lewis had a run of top 10 country hits between 1967-70, and hardly mellowed at all. He performed drinking songs such as "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)", the roving eye confessions of "She Still Comes Around" and a dry-eyed cover of a classic ballad of abandonment, "She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye." He had remained popular in Europe and a 1964 album, Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, is widely regarded as one of the greatest concert records. A 1973 performance proved more troublesome: Mr. Lewis sang for the Grand Ole Opry and broke two longstanding rules -- no swearing and no non-country songs. In 2006, he released Last Man Standing, featuring Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, B.B. King and George Jones. In 2010, he brought in Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw and others for the album Mean Old Man. In 1986, along with Elvis, Chuck Berry and others, he made the inaugural class of inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and joined the Country Hall of Fame this year. He won a Grammy in 1987 as part of an interview album that was cited for Best Spoken Word recording, and he received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2005. The following year, "Whole Lotta Shakin"' was selected for the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. Mr. Lewis married seven times, and was rarely far from trouble or death. His fourth wife, Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate, drowned in a swimming pool in 1982 while suing for divorce. His fifth wife, Shawn Stephens, 23 years his junior, died of an apparent drug overdose in 1983. 
Within a year, he had married Kerrie McCarver, then 21. She filed for divorce in 1986, accusing him of physical abuse and infidelity. He countersued, but both petitions eventually were dropped. They finally divorced in 2005 after several years of separation. The couple had one child, Jerry Lee III. Another son by a previous marriage, Steve Allen Lewis, 3, drowned in a swimming pool in 1962, and son Jerry Lee Jr. died in a traffic collision at 19 in 1973. He also had two daughters, Phoebe and Lori Leigh, and is survived by his wife Judith. His finances were also chaotic. Mr. Lewis made millions, but he liked his money in cash and ended up owing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Internal Revenue Service. When he began welcoming tourists in 1994 to his longtime residence near Nesbit, Miss. -- complete with a piano-shaped swimming pool -- he set up a 900 phone number fans could call for a recorded message at $2.75 a minute. "The Killer" not only outlasted his contemporaries but saw his life and music periodically reintroduced to younger fans, including the 1989 biopic Great Balls of Fire, starring Dennis Quaid, and Ethan Coen's 2022 documentary Trouble in Mind. A 2010 Broadway music, "Million Dollar Quartet," was inspired by a recording session that featured Mr. Lewis, Elvis, Perkins and Cash. Mr. Lewis was unable to attend his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville earlier this month due to the flu. "It is with heartfelt sadness and disappointment that I write to you today from my sick bed, rather than be able to share my thoughts in person," he said in an acceptance statement. "The Killer is Gone," Rolling Stone rock critic David Wild tweeted shortly after Mr. Lewis' death. "Say what you will about the man, it took Great Balls of Fire to Rock & Roll this world like #JerryLeeLewis did." - AP, 10/28/22.
Renowned rock photographer Lynn Goldsmith has just released Music in the '80s, a 352-page hardcover book of some of the most famous musicians from the "Decade of Greed." Goldsmith says her initial reaction when her publisher suggested she put together a book of her photography from the 1980s was "that was a terrible decade!... [I] thought that it just would be a lot of pictures of hair bands," however her attitude changed after compiling a couple images of her work from that era. "It was actually an amazing decade," she says. "There was so much new music and such a variety of music on the charts. "You had Bananarama and Barry Manilow. Bruce Springsteen and Spandau Ballet. Madonna and Prince. Herbie Hancock had a hit with 'Rockit.'" Even Goldsmith herself was writing, recording and performing as Will Powers, a sort of self-help Dry Cleaning for the era. "So then I was like, 'I love the '80s!'" she says, which resulted in her new book that's an alphabetically arranged collection -- from AC/DC to Ziggy Marley -- of her photos from the decade. But Goldsmith, whose work is among the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum, says she has no tales to tell. "I'm so focused on the visual, you're safe telling me anything," says the photographer, who owns a Nashville gallery and is working on a Springsteen photo book. "I could never repeat it because I could never remember it." - Billboard, 10/27/22...... 
In a new interview with Classic Rock Online, former Rolling Stones member Bill Wyman revealed he and his former bandmates exchange Christmas gifts ever year and that he, Stones guitarist Keith Richards and Stones frontman Mick Jagger are "like distant relatives. Wyman, 86, says Stones guitarist Keith Richards sends him scented candles every holiday season and "we all send each other birthday and Christmas presents. "It's still a family thing, social not business, and it works really well. It's like distant relatives -- you've got an Auntie Elsie and an Uncle Fred who are really charming but you don't want to see them all the time," Wyman says. However Bill -- who played with the iconic band between 1962 and 1993 -- admitted it did take time for him to get back on friendly terms with Mick, 79, and Keith, 78, because they were desperate for him to keep playing with the band. "When I first left the Stones it took a few months to rebuild that relationship with them. It was quite stressful and they didn't want me to leave. So they became bitchy. Instead of being nice and saying, 'Great 30 years. Cheers mate.' Mick would say the most absurd, stupid things, with that spoilt attitude he had. He'd say things like, 'Oh well, if anybody has to play bass I'll do it. It can't be that hard.'" Wyman concluded: "Then when it came time for them to do the '94/'95 tour they had to make a final decision. Mick and Charlie [Watts] came over and spent the evening with me, trying to talk me into staying. Have I had any regrets about not going back? None whatsoever." - Music-News.com, 10/27/22...... One Day at a Time star Valerie Bertinelli has taken part in a popular new TikTok trend, seemingly in response to a story about her in Matthew Perry's new memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. The actress shared a video lip syncing along to Taylor Swift's Midnights track, "Anti-Hero," featuring the lyrics, "It's me, hi. I'm the problem, it's me." "Anyone misbehave in their 20s and early 30s?," Bertinelli captioned the clip. "Are you mortified? - @realwolfiesmom." In Perry's memoir, he detailed having an unrequited crush on Bertinelli while the the two co-starred in the 1990 sitcom Sydney, in which Bertinelli played a single woman trying to make it as a private detective in Los Angeles and Perry played her younger brother. "I fell madly in love with Valerie Bertinelli, who was clearly in a troubled marriage," Perry wrote. "My crush was crushing; not only was she way out of my league, but she was also married to one of the most famous rock stars on the planet, Eddie Van Halen." He continued that one night, he decided to make a move while at Bertinelli and Van Halen's house. "As the night progressed, it was clear that Eddie had enjoyed the fruits of the vine a little too hard, one more time, and eventually he just passed out, not ten feet away from us, but still," he recalled. "This was my chance! If you think I didn't actually have a chance in hell you'd be wrong, dear reader... Valerie and I had a long, elaborate makeout session." However, the next day, Bertinelli "made no mention" of what happened and was acting completely normal. "I quickly got the hint and also played the role I was supposed to, but inside I was devastated," Perry wrote, noting that he was relieved when the show was ultimately canceled, "and I didn't have to see Valerie anymore." Bertinelli was married to the late rock legend, who died in 2020 at age 65, from 1981 to 2007. The two share 31-year-old son, rock bassist Wolfgang Van Halen. - Billboard, 10/27/22...... A new "supergroup" dubbed Elegant Weapons has been formed by members of Judas Priest, Pantera, and Rainbow. The band features Judas Priest's Richie Faulkner on guitar and Scott Travis on drums, Rex Brown of Pantera on bass, and Rainbow/MSG's Ronnie Romero on vocals. Judas Priest touring guitarist Andy Sneap has also handled production duties for the group's debut album Horns For A Halo, which is due to be released in spring 2023 via Nuclear Blast. Elegant Weapons' sound is described by Faulkner as "a mix of Jimi Hendrix, Priest, Sabbath, solo Ozzy [Osbourne] and Black Label Society... heavy, catchy, and with melody. Sort of old school and modern at once if that makes any sense, and actually down-tuned a whole step." - NME, 10/26/22...... 
As Dolly Parton preps for her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 5, the 76-year-old country legend says she doubts she'll ever tour again, "but... do special shows here and there, now and then." "Maybe do a long weekend of shows, or just a few shows at a festival. But I have no intention of going on a full-blown tour anymore," Parton told the concert industry publication Pollstar. Dolly's most recent tour was her 2016 "Pure & Simple Tour," which included 60 shows in the US and Canada. "I've done that my whole life, and it takes so much time and energy," says Dolly, who's released a steady stream of albums, books, movies and TV projects in recent years. "I like to stay a little closer to home with my husband [Carl Dean]. We're getting older now, and I don't want to be gone for four or five weeks at a time. Something could happen. I would not feel right about that, if I were gone and somebody needed me. Or I would feel bad if I had to leave a tour if somebody got sick at home and needed me and then I had to walk out on the fans." After hinting she'd like to record a rock album in 2021, Parton also revealed in the interview that she's currently working on that album and plans to re-record "Stairway to Heaven," the Led Zeppelin classic she recorded in a bluegrass-inspired arrangement as part of her 2002 album Halos & Horns, part of her bluegrass trilogy of albums. "But I'm going to redo that really on the money," she told Pollstar. "I did it kind of bluegrass-style when I did it; but when I do the rock album, I'm going to actually re-record it - and do it more true to the regular record. I'm trying to see if Robert Plant might sing on it. Maybe Jimmy Page might do the pick-up part on it. I'm looking forward to dragging in some of the great classic people, girls and boys, to sing on some of the songs. I'm not far enough along to discuss who and what, but I am going to do an album." - Billboard, 10/27/22...... AC/DC's Brian Johnson has responded to the rumour that original AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott wrote lyrics for the band's Back In Black LP before his death in 1980. Discussing the theories in a new Rolling Stone interview, and why he felt forced into discussing them, Johnson said: "There was one particular journalist -- a writer in Australia -- who just wouldn't let go of this thing. And of course, Malcolm and Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarists] were, like, 'What a f------ load of bull---.' It wasn't something that stuck in me craw a lot, but every now and again, a fan would come up and say, 'This guy's saying this.' And factually, it wasn't true. There wasn't an Internet then; it didn't really get further than Australia. But I thought it was awful I had to explain myself and that's why in the book, I went, once and for all, I want to put this baby to bed." Johnson took over vocal duties for Scott in 1980 until 2016, and again from 2018 to the present day. His new 373-page memoir, The Lives of Brian, hit stores on Oct. 25. Another revelation in the book is Johnson's admission that he "couldn't watch" Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose fill in for him in AC/DC. Johnson also recalled the time he had to step away from AC/DC due to hearing issues in 2016, with Rose stepping in for him until he was well enough to return. He went on to say he couldn't bring himself to watch Rose in the role: "I'm told that he did a great job. But I couldn't watch -- especially when you've been doing it for 35 years. It's like finding a stranger in your house, sitting in your favourite chair. But I bear no grudges. It was a tough situation." - NME, 10/26/22...... On Oct. 24 Elton John announced he's moving two of his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" headline concerts to avoid preparations for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. John had been set to play at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena on April 22 and 23, 2023, but following the news that the venue will be hosting Eurovision 2023, the shows have been shifted forwards to March 23 and 24. Original tickets remain valid. The pair of shows in Liverpool will now kick off Elton's 2023 European tour. "Given the electric reception that Elton received when he played to a sold-out Anfield Stadium earlier this year, he couldn't wish for a better place to start the final leg of his 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour," the M&S venue said in a statement. After the Liverpool gigs, the Rocket Man bids London farewell with an ambitious 9-night stand at the O2 on Apr. 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17 and 19. Subsequent concerts include Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, and Aberdeen before wrapping in Glasgow on June 18. John's "farewell" tour was originally announced back in 2018 before it was pushed back to 2021 due to Covid and then rescheduled to 2023 after the musician needed an operation following a fall. Earlier in October, he added a handful of new dates to the run. - NME, 10/24/22...... 
John Lennon's eldest son Julian Lennon premiered the video for his new single, "Lucky Ones," on YouTube on Oct. 19. Julian says the song is about depicting a love for music that brings humans from different cultures together as they take steps to nurse our environment back to health. In 2007, Lennon founded The White Feather Foundation to address environmental and humanitarian issues. It was created with the intent to work with partners worldwide to raise funds for the betterment of all life and to honor those who have made a difference. Over the years, he has dedicated his time to working on creative projects across mediums such as music, photography, documentaries, children's books and more, while donating the majority of his profits to the foundation. Lucky Ones" is the single currently at radio on Julian Lennon's most recent full-length, Jude. The album was released after the 59-year-old musician's 11-year hiatus from releasing new music. - Billboard, 10/24/22...... Ozzy Osbourne has been confirmed as one of the headliners at the forthcoming Metaverse virtual music festival. The event, which will take place in the specially created Decentraland virtual world, is set to take place from Nov. 10-13. Over 100 artists will participating and Osbourne's Ozzfest will be staged as part of the event with an appearance from the Black Sabbath legend himself. It will be the first time Ozzfest has been held since 2018 and further acts will be announced in the coming weeks. The online event, which is in its second year, is free to attend and users will not be required to wear a VR set. More info can be found at themetaversefestival.io. - NME, 10/24/22...... Robert Louis Gordy, Sr., younger brother of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and chief executive for many years of the company's successful music publishing division Jobete Music, died of natural causes at his home in Marina del Ray, Calif. on Oct. 21. He was 91. The youngest of eight siblings, Mr. Gordy enjoyed a little-noticed music career as a recording engineer and songwriter before taking command of Motown's Jobete division in 1965. Born July 15, 1931 in Detroit, Robert Gordy followed his elder brother into boxing, then moved into music circles such as the city's Flame Show Bar. In 1958, he co-wrote and recorded "Everyone Was There" under the name of Bob Kayli. Leased to Carlton Records, the lightweight pop song referencing recent hits such as "Peggy Sue" and "Yakety Yak" became a minor chart success. After brother Berry started Motown Records, Mr. Gordy left a post office job to join the venture, initially working for in-house engineer Mike McLean. "At that time, he was building the first eight-track machine in the east," Gordy later explained. "I put together the electronics, learned how to read the schematics, helped with the writing and so on." He went on to become the company's first stereo engineer, before working for the Quality Control department. Motown's explosive success from 1964 onwards with The Supremes and other acts made Jobete a substantial revenue source, capitalizing on the talents of writers Smokey Robinson, Holland/Dozier/Holland, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, among others. Jobete opened its own professional department in 1966, securing covers and expanding the catalogue's reach. Among its most popular titles to this day: "My Girl," "Dancing In The Street," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "The Tears Of A Clown," "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life," "What's Going On" and "For Once In My Life." Earnings continued to grow as stars such as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye evolved into self-sufficient, influential songwriters. By 1971, with Robert Gordy promoted to vice president/general manager, the division had 5,000 copyrights under its roof and 100 writers under contract. He joined the board of the National Music Publishers' Association, and actively participated in industry seminars and conferences. He retired from the post in 1985. In his 1994 memoir, To Be Loved, Berry Gordy wrote, "So Robert, I'd like to thank you for moving Jobete from a holding company for our copyrights into a highly profitable, competitive international publishing company, keeping us No. 1 for many years. And also for being my little brother." - Billboard, 10/26/22...... 
Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley has announced a five-evening series of intimate conversations, "An Evening with Priscilla Presley," in the UK in the spring of 2023. "I'm not going to hold anything back. People are going to understand Elvis even better," the 77-year-old actor and former wife of the late King of Rock & Roll says. "It's taken me a while to get to this point in my life where I'm comfortable to fully share with the audience," Presley told New Musical Express. "I'm so protective of Elvis and Graceland and our life. This will be more about Elvis the man, not the entertainer. We all know he was a great entertainer, but this is what was going on behind the scenes, and what his fears and loves were." Presley, who was married to the late singer from 1967 to 1973, first met Elvis in Germany where he was stationed with the US Army, when she was 14-years-old and he was 24. The couple wed seven years later, and welcomed daughter Lisa Marie nine months after in 1968. Presley, who never saw Elvis live until his legendary 1968 "Comeback Special," wanted to offer fans a deeper insight into who Elvis was behind closed doors. "I think it might shock people to know how much he loved America," she said. "He went to see [Pres. Richard] Nixon in the White House and he had a narcotic [police] badge which meant he could stop and arrest people who were doing drugs. I'll be telling stories for people who didn't really know who Elvis was inside that will make you realise this bigger-than-life man's concerns were deeper than people would ever think." Unseen home-footage of the couple will also be presented during the sessions, which include Glasgow (4/1), Manchester (4/2), London (4/3), Birmingham (4/5) and Newcastle (5/6). - NME, 10/24/22.
In a new interview with the UK's Uncut magazine, Peter Frampton revealed he's working on a new album of self-penned tracks. "I'm recording brand-new material right now," said the 72-year-old rock star, who released his first record 50 years ago. "No co-writers, all my own songs and I'm throwing out a lot already because every track has got to be a winner. I'm going nowhere Framptom has gone before!" Frampton, who released his 18th studio album Frampton Forgets the Words only last year, also added that becoming a teen idol in the late 1960s as a member of The Herd was a "big surprise" to him and joked that his "good looks" got him into "trouble." "Yeah, becoming a teen idol was as big a surprise to me as the other guys," Frampton said. "My guitar playing did good for me, but my looks got me into trouble -- both I thank my parents for, ha! But through all the ups and downs you have to pick yourself up and move on," he added. The British-born Frampton, who now resides in Nashville, Tenn., explained that his mantra was the reason behind his determination to return to the UK and Europe for a final tour, but teased that the "farewell" nature of the show -- which is due to conclude at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 8 November -- may become "indefinite" if things go well. "I don't ever give up on things," he said. "That's why I didn't give up on the farewell tour coming to the UK and Europe. It was a must for me. And if it goes well, I might be able to go to other places, too. So it's an indefinite farewell, really." Tickets for his UK tour kickoff Nov. 6 in Glasgow are already on sale. - Music-News.com, 10/23/22...... As antisemetic outbursts from Kanye West continue to make headlines, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has joined the fray, saying the controversial rapper should surround himself with "nicer people" and urging him to "take the medication." Speaking to British journalist Piers Morgan on his show Piers Morgan Uncensored on Oct. 20, Simmons was asked if he thinks Jewish people should accept an apology from West for his recent antisemitic outbursts, which resulted in both his Twitter and Instagram accounts being suspended after drawing widespread criticism. Simmons, who is Jewish, told Morgan that he'd never met West, but "from everything I've heard... he sounds really wounded, he sounds hurt, so he's lashing out." "I'm not a doctor. I'm not a physician. I don't know much about Ye (West's recently adapted moniker) or Kanye," he continued. "If there's medication, I respectfully urge for the gentleman to take the medication. If he's surrounded by the wrong people, get some nicer people." On the topic of Jewish people, Simmons added: "Let's be clear about this: African-Americans have been tortured physically, mentally, culturally for decades, centuries, but you're talking to a people who've heard this story and have been tortured mentally, physically for thousands of years." Jews have done well, let's be clear, because they worked for it. But don't kid yourself -- racism, anti-Semitism exists right next to each other, and we're all victims in some way or the other by the ruling establishment." The episode also featured an interview with West himself, with the rapper initially refusing to say sorry for his comments. He later offered something of an apology over a particular tweet that referenced "going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE." West's antisemitic outbursts have been numerous in recent weeks, blaming "Jewish media" and "Jewish Zionists" for alleged wrongdoings, and telling NewsNation TV host Chris Cuomo that he "doesn't believe" in the term antisemitism. West's record label, Universal, has shared a statement denouncing West's stand on antisemitism and his bank, JPMorgan Chase, has cut ties with him. - New Musical Express, 10/23/22...... Promoting his new heart-wrenching and hilarious memoir 
Grammy-winning pop legend Carly Simon is grieving after losing two sisters one day apart. In a wild coincidence, two of Simon's older sisters -- Lucy and Joanna Simon -- died of cancer within 24 hours of each other. Lucy Simon, a composer who received a Tony nomination in 1991 for her work on the long-running Broadway musical "The Secret Garden," died of breast cancer at her home in Piedmont, N.Y. on Oct. 20 at age 82. She was born in New York on May 5, 1940, to publishing giant Richard Simon of Simon & Schuster fame, and his wife, civil rights activist and singer Andrea. She was the second oldest of four children Joanna, Lucy, Carly and Peter. Carly and Lucy once performed as The Simon Sisters, opening for other acts in Greenwich Village folk clubs, and their recording of "Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod" hit No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. As her younger sis Carly found huge success in the early 1970s with such hits as "Anticipation," "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" and "You're So Vain," Lucy elected to enter nursing school. However after marrying and having children, Lucy recorded two solo albums, Lucy Simon (1975) and Stolen Time (1977), for RCA. Lucy and her husband, David Levine, produced two Grammy-winning children's albums, In Harmony (1981) and In Harmony 2 (1983). Her return to Broadway with "Doctor Zhivago" in 2015 was less successful, with the production lasting less than two months after blistering reviews. Lucy is survived by her husband; her children, Julie Simon and James Levine; and four grandchildren Sophie, Ben, Charlie and Evie. In 1962, Lucy's older sister Joanna Simon, 82, made her debut at the New York City Opera as Mozart's Cherubino, and went on to perform on stage with the New York Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She went on to work as the arts correspondent for PBS's MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour until 1992, and later worked in real estate. Joanna Simon, who died of thyroid cancer on Oct. 19, was married to novelist and journalist Gerald Walker from 1976 until his death in 2004. She was also the companion of Walter Cronkite from 2005 until his death in 2009. On stage, she made her professional debut in 1962 as Cherubino in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" at New York City Opera. That year, she won the Marian Anderson Award for promising young singers. Lucy and Joanna were predeceased by their brother, photographer Peter Simon, who died of cardiac arrest at age 71 in 2018 after being treated for cancer. "I have no words to explain the feeling of suddenly being the only remaining direct offspring of Richard and Andrea Simon," Carly Simon said in a statement. "They touched everyone they knew and those of us they've left behind will be lucky and honored to carry their memories forward." - Bang Showbiz/Billboard, 10/22/22...... Fleetwood Mac's bouncy 1988 hit "Everywhere" has bounced back into the Billboard charts thanks to its use in a new commercial for Chevrolet's electric vehicle line. Originally released on the band's 1987 album Tango in the Night, has risen to No. 25 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally (where older songs are eligible to appear if in the top 25 and with a meaningful reason for their return) for the week of Oct. 22. "Everywhere" has attracted 2.3 million official U.S. streams, up 16%, and 5,000 downloads sold, up 12%, in the U.S. Oct. 7-13, according to Luminate. "Everywhere," true to its title, concurrently rules the Rock Digital Song Sales chart for a third week, all consecutively, and vaults from 7 to 3 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales list. The ditty stands as Fleetwood Mac's most recent Top 20 hit, among 16 total, on the Billboard Hot 100, having reached No. 14 in Feb. 1988. It also became the band's second of three Adult Contemporary No. 1's. Tango in the Night marked Fleetwood Mac's last studio LP fully featuring its famed lineup of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. - Billboard, 10/18/22...... An acoustic demo of John Lennon singing "Yellow Submarine" from The Beatles' Revolver has been shared on 
Motown Records icons Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson have been named the 2023 MusiCares persons of the year, the Recording Academy's philanthropic partner announced on Oct. 20. The longtime friends will receive the honor at the annual gala on Feb. 3, 2023. The event, which takes place two nights before the 65th annual Grammy Awards, will mark the first time the gala will honor two individuals together, as it's typically reserved for a single person or a musical group. With Berry Gordy as the creator of the Motown Sound and Smokey Robinson as his first writer and artist, the duo transformed popular music and fostered a legendary friendship -- one that has spanned more than six decades and produced countless classic songs. "I am grateful to be included in MusiCares' remarkable history of music icons. The work they do is so critical to the well-being of our music community, and I look forward to a most exciting evening," Berry said in a statement, while Robinson shared, "I am honored that they have chosen me and my best friend and Motown founder Berry Gordy to share this beautiful honor and celebrate with you all together." Gordy and Robinson join a prestigious list of recent MusiCares honorees, including 2022 person of the year Joni Mitchell, preceded by Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton, Aerosmith and many more. - Billboard, 10/20/22...... On Oct. 20 Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe announced a set of joint UK and Ireland tour dates for summer 2023. "After finally getting back on the road and having a monumental summer tour in the US and Canada this year, we're beyond thrilled to be bringing this massive stadium tour to major cities all over the world, and kicking off Europe in Sheffield where it all started for us 45 years ago," Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott said in a statement. The two bands toured together in North America over the summer, with the last gig of "The Stadium Tour" taking place on Sept. 9 in Las Vegas. "We had an incredible time playing 'The Stadium Tour' in North America this summer and we truly can't wait to take the show around the globe with The WORLD Tour in 2023," Mötley Crüe said in a statement. "Creheads in Latin America and Europe: Get ready! We're coming for you next and can't wait to finally see all of you out there again next year!" The UK and Ireland dates include Sheffield (5/22), London (7/1), Lytham (7/2), Dublin (7/4) and Glasgow (7/6). - NME, 10/20/22...... A memorial service for the late Loretta Lynn will air live on cable channel CMT on Oct. 30 with George Strait, Keith Urban, Wynonna and more paying tribute to the late Country music icon, who died on Oct. 4 at age 90. Hosted by NBC's Today show co-host and family friend Jenna Bush Hager, the evening will also include performances and appearances from Barbara Mandrell, Lynn's sister Crystal Gayle, Darius Rucker, Emmy Russell & Lukas Nelson, Faith Hill, Margo Price, Martina McBride and Sheryl Crow, among others. Two additional commercial-free encores of the Oct. 30 celebration will air on CMT on Nov. 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET and Nov. 6 at 11:00 a.m. ET. The special will also be made available on Paramount+ in early 2023. - Billboard, 10/20/22...... During an appearance on The Daily Show on Oct. 19, Brandi Carlile announced that she and folk icon Joni Mitchell are planning a sequel to their special "Joni Jam" performance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival at Fort Adams State Park on July 24. Carlile revealed the two will reunite for a special concert weekend at Washington state's picturesque venue the Gorge Amphitheatre in June 2023 for a pair of shows they're calling "Echoes Through the Canyon." "Joni Mitchell is going to play. No one's been able to buy a ticket to see Joni Mitchell play in 20 years," Carlile noted of the artist who hadn't performed a full live set since 2000 before Newport and hadn't appeared in public much since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015. "So this is enormous... and she is going to crush it!" Carlile played a show also called "Echoes Through the Canyon" at the Gorge in Aug. 2021 with Sheryl Crow and Amythyst Kiah. Carlile's interview on The Daily Show has been shared on 
On Oct. 19 it was announced punk icon Iggy Pop has signed with Atlantic Records, in partnership with producer Andrew Watt's Gold Tooth Records, for the release of his next album. "I'm the guy with no shirt who rocks," said Pop in statement. "Andrew and Gold Tooth get that, and we made a record together the old-fashioned way. The players are guys I've known since they were kids and the music will beat the s out of you. Have a great day." The first release from Pop's forthcoming album, debut single "Frenzy," is slated to drop Oct. 28 on Gold Tooth Records / Atlantic Records. The album will be Pop's first since 2019's Free, released by Caroline International/Loma Vista. Pop rose to fame as the lead singer of Detroit-bred band The Stooges, which released three seminal proto-punk albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s: The Stooges, 
Rockabilly revival icon Robert Gordon, who released more than 20 albums and helped usher in a rockabilly resurgence in the 1970s and '80s, died on Oct. 18 at Don Greene Hospice in New York City following a diagnosis of leukemia, according to a 
After watching a devastating report on TV about the plight of Ukranian families under attack from invading Russian forces, Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster have revealed they're footing the bill for a house rental in Berkshire UK for a refugee Ukranian family. Speaking to the Daily Mirror paper, Stewart said he believes it's his duty to help others after being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II six years ago. "I usually keep all my charitable efforts nice and quiet and just do it. But I thought, 'I am a knight, I have been given this knighthood because of the things I've achieved in my life and the charity work I've done over the years'," said Sir Rod, who was knighted in 2016 for his services to music and charity. Rod added that he and Penny "couldn't describe what we were watching" when they viewed a report about the war on TV news one night. "The bombing of innocent children, the bombing of hospitals and... playgrounds. Like everyone else, we were completely beside ourselves. I don't wish that one anyone. This is evil, pure evil," Stewart said. "I was born just after the [Second World] War, so my family have lots of memories of it. That's how devastating it was to me. I didn't think we would see the likes of land war with tanks again," he added. Stewart said he and his nephew Warren Cady then came up with a plan to fill trucks up with supplies and take them to the Ukrainian border. Although he wished to travel in a truck himself, he was ultimately advised against it. The trucks brought 16 refugees to Berlin. Afterwards, he got in contact with Ukranian Rostyslav and his family, who were not part of the 16 brought back by his vehicle, which led to him renting the home for the family of seven. The Mirror added that he and Lancaster will pay both the rent and bills for the family for at least a year as the Ukrainian family continue to settle into their new home, and he's also provided two other refugees with jobs on his Essex estate. Rostyslav and his wife Olena issued a statement thanking Stewart and his nephew "for their openness and genuine and big hearts." "Thanks to their sponsorship and Warren's hard work, our children are now safe and able to learn normally in school... We pray daily for God's blessings on Sir Rod, Warren, their family and all the British people," the statement added. - New Musical Express, 10/18/22...... On Oct. 13 Ringo Starr revealed that he has tested positive for Covid-19 once again and he's canceling the remainder of his 2022 All Starr Band tour. "I'm sure you'll be as surprised as I was I tested positive again for Covid the rest of the tour is off I send you peace and love Ringo," the 82-year-old former Beatles member wrote in an 
On Oct. 15 Neil Young announced a 50th anniversary reissue of his iconic 1972 album 
The new Bruce Springsteen exhibit "Bruce Springsteen Live!" officially opened at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Oct. 15. The exhibit gives fans a backstage pass to five decades of Springsteen and the E Street Band's live shows, including rare memorabilia and clothing, instruments, photographs and interactive displays. The exhibit was co-curated by the Grammy Museum and Eileen Chapman, director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives & the Center for American Music at Monmouth University. Highlights include "I Got This Guitar and I Learned How to Make It Talk" which features a number of The Boss's guitars including the gloriously roadworn and famous 1950s Fender Esquire; "I Got Debts No Honest Man Can Pay," an undated letter from what is likely the early '70s from Springsteen to his landlord apologizing for not paying his rent on time; "I Want Pounding Drums," a video tutorial from E Street drummer Max Weinberg giving wannabe drummers a tutorial and then the chance to play along with a video of Springsteen performing before tens of thousands of people at a stadium gig; "Is There Anybody Alive Out There?," an interactive exhibit allowing fans to build their own five-song encore to a live show and see how close they come to what Springsteen played that actual night; and "A Prayer for the Souls of the Departed," tributes to late E Street members Danny "The Phantom" Federici and Clarence "The Big Man" Clemons. In other Springsteen-related news, the New Jersey rocker has shared a video for "Nightshift," a cover of the original hit by The Commodores which features on his forthcoming album 
The Mattel toy company released its latest Barbie doll in honor of a music icon, the Tina Turner Barbie doll, on Oct. 13 as the latest edition to its Barbie Signature Music Series. The doll, which retails for $55, was released in honor of the music legend's 1984 smash hit, "What's Love Got to Do With It," which is nearing its 40th anniversary. Recreating her iconic outfit from the music video, the 
Actor Danny Masterson, former star of the long-running sitcom 
KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley has become the latest celebrity to speak out against rapper Kanye West after the troubled artist recently shared a string of antisemitic and racially insensitive comments. Earlier in October, West was banned from Instagram and Twitter after sharing posts that violated both platforms' community guidelines. On Instagram, he attacked Sean "Diddy" Combs over his response to West's recent gaffe at this year's Paris Fashion Week -- where he donned a shirt emblazoned with the phrase "White Lives Matter" -- by telling Diddy that he would "use [him] as an example to show the Jewish people that told [him] to call me that no one can threaten or influence me." After being booted from Instagram, West took to Twitter, where he wrote that he "[would be] going death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE." Both comments were roundly criticized by celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer, musical colleagues like John Legend and Jack Antonoff, and multiple politicians and organizations that represent Jewish communities. Prospective Twitter owner Elon Musk, meanwhile, said that he has talked to West and "expressed [his] concerns about [West's] recent tweet." Posting on his 
AC/DC have the inspiration for a new children's alphabet book, The AC/DC AB/CD High-Voltage Alphabet, in the Aussie headbangers' native Australia. Set for release on Nov. 11 via Love Police, an Australian touring agency, merchandising company and record label, the book is designed and produced by Paul McNeil, who also illustrated 2006's 
A biography of late The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, 
Stevie Nicks has shared a poem and teased a new song while urging her US fans to register to vote ahead of the upcoming 2022 midterm elections. Nicks shared the poem, which is titled "Get It Back," alongside a statement on her 
Veteran disc jockey and music promoter Art Laboe, known for spending 79 continuous years on the radio, of being an innovator of the compilation album, and coining and trademarking the term "Oldies but Goodies," died peacefully on Oct. 7 at his home in Palm Springs after a brief bout with pneumonia. He was 97. One of the first DJs to play R&B and rock 'n' roll on Los Angeles/West Coast radio, Mr. Laboe gets credit for creating the oldies format in radio (he helped set the tone in the '70s at KRTH, known as K-Earth 101). He also owned and operated a nightclub that is now the site of The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. Born Arthur Egnoian in Salt Lake City to an Armenian American family, Mr. Laboe began his professional radio career at KSAN/San Francisco at age 18 in 1943, and he went on to work for several stations in Los Angeles. He also had stops in Palm Springs; Pomona, Calif.; and Reno, Nev. He owned radio stations in Tucson, Ariz., and Fresno, Calif., and in connection with his radio shows presented, promoted and hosted concerts throughout the west. He started Original Sound Record Inc. in 1957 and a year later released the compilation LP Oldies but Goodies Vol. 1, which stayed on a Billboard chart for months. Also in 1958, he hosted for KTLA-TV The Art Laboe Show, a dance program featuring the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Jackie Wilson and Bobby Darin. Through his company Original Sound Entertainment, Mr. Laboe placed thousands of songs in commercials, films and on TV dating to George Lucas' American Graffiti (1973), which paid royalties to the artists heard in the film. Mr. Laboe was on the air as recently as Oct. 9 with his pre-recorded The Art Laboe Connection, the syndicated program that he launched in 1991. "My favorite place to be is behind that microphone, Mr. Laboe once said. "I have one of the best jobs in the world, playing the music, interacting with our listeners, doing their dedications and connecting them with their loved ones." - The Hollywood Reporter, 10/11/22...... Brooks Arthur, the Grammy Award-winning record producer and engineer who worked on hits by the likes of Leiber and Stoller, The Grateful Dead, Burt Bacharach, Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison among many others, died on Oct. 9 aged 86. Born Arnold Brodsky in New York City in 1936, Mr. Arthur cut his teeth in the industry while still in high school, scoring a part-time job in the Decca Records mailroom. From there, he could see how the entire business in action. Several years later, he was tapped by Aldon Music as a songwriter and demo singer, along with the likes of Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. There, he wrote "At the Edge of Tears," recorded by a young Tony Orlando, who would introduce Mr. Arthur to his engineering mentor. The hits would roll on at Associated Studios, where Mr. Arthur engineered cuts for Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich -- The Raindrops' "What A Guy,"The Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back" and more. As his resume grew, so too did his reputation. At Mirasound, he engineered recordings for Leiber and Stoller, and was behind the boards for many classic songs of the era, including The Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love," The Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack," "Hang On Sloopy by The McCoys, and Janis Ian's "Society's Child," becoming known as a chief architect of New York's "girl group sound." Mr. Arthur caught the attention of producer Phil Ramone, who brought the engineer over to his A&R Studios to work on recordings by The Lovin' Spoonful, and several Van Morrison standards, including "Brown Eyed Girl" on which he sang backup vocals. He also engineered more than a dozen Neil Diamond songs including "Cherry Cherry," "Kentucky Woman" and the enduring "Sweet Caroline." He won a Grammy in 1976 for best engineered recording -- non-classical for his work on Ian's Between the Lines LP, which had topped the Billboard Hot 200 in Sept. 1975. He was also music supervisor on all three Karate Kid films, which have enjoyed a renaissance following the Cobra Kai series on Netflix. He is survived by his wife Marilyn and their daughters Jill Arthur Posner and Jacki Arthur Eisenberg. Tributes to Mr. Arthur online include tweets from Adam Sandler (with whom he worked as music supervisor on several of his films), Carole Bayer Sager and Rob Schneider. - Billboard, 10/10/22...... Actress Joan Hotchkis, who played Dr. Nancy Cunningham on the classic '70s sitcom 
Distinguished British actress Angela Lansbury, who kicked up her heels in such Broadway musicals as "Mame" and "Gypsy" and solved endless murders as crime novelist Jessica Fletcher in the long-running TV series Murder, She Wrote, died on Oct. 11 at her home in Los Angeles, according to a statement from her three children. She was five days shy of her 97th birthday. Ms. Lansbury's 75-year career in show business included beloved musicals on stage, iron-fisted matriarchs on film, singing the theme song for the animated movie Beauty and the Beast, being made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II, and the creation of one of television's best loved characters. Ms. Lansbury won five Tony Awards for her Broadway performances and a lifetime achievement award. She earned Academy Award nominations as supporting actress for two of her first three films, Gaslight (1945) and The Picture of Dorian Gray (1946), and was nominated again in 1962 for The Manchurian Candidate and her deadly portrayal of a Communist agent and the title character's mother. Born Angela Brigid Lansbury in London on Oct. 16, 1925, Ms. Lansbury once remarked that it "took me years to get over" her shyness as a child, and after her father's factory was forced into bankruptcy the family lived on money her mother had saved from her theater career. Angela suffered a shattering blow when her beloved father died in 1935, and he tragedy forced her to become self-reliant -- "almost a surrogate husband to my mother." Her mother struggled through red tape to relocate the family to America as England was threatened with German bombings during WW2, and add to their income, Angela at 16 landed a nightclub job in Montreal doing impersonations and songs. Moyna moved the family to Hollywood, hoping to find acting work. Failing that, she and Angela wrapped packages and sold clothing at a department store. An actor friend suggested Angela would be ideal for the role of Sybil Vane in The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was being prepared at MGM. She tested, and studio boss Louis B. Mayer ordered: "sign that girl!" She was just 19 when her first film, Gaslight, earned her an Oscar nomination, but MGM "didn't know what to do" with the new contract player. She appeared as Elizabeth Taylor's older sister in National Velvet, Judy Garland's nemesis in The Harvey Girls, Walter Pidgeon's spiteful wife in If Winter Comes and Queen Anne in The Three Musketeers. Tired of playing roles twice her own age, she left MGM to freelance but the results were much the same: the mother of Warren Beatty in All Fall Down, of Elvis Presley in Blue Hawaii, of Carroll Baker in Harlow, and of Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate, in which she unforgettably manipulates her son and helps set off a killing spree. In the mid-1940s, Ms. Lansbury had a disastrous nine-month marriage to Richard Cromwell, a soulful young star of the 1930s, after finding out he was gay. In 1949, she married Peter Shaw, a Briton who had been under an acting contract to MGM, then became a studio executive and agent. He assumed the role of Ms. Lansbury's manager. They had two children; he had a son by a previous marriage. After her triumphs on Broadway in "Mame" and "Hello, Dolly," in the 1960s, Ms. Lansbury returned to Hollywood to try television. She was offered a lead role in Murder, She Wrote, after All In the Family's Jean Stapleton declined the role. In 2000, Ms. Lansbury withdrew from a planned Broadway musical, "The Visit, because she needed to help her husband recover from heart surgery. "The kind of commitment required of an artist carrying a multimillion-dollar production has to be 100%," she said in a letter to the producers. Her husband died in 2003, and in 2012 she was back on Broadway in a revival of "The Best Man, sharing a stage with James Earl Jones, John Larroquette and Candice Bergen. She also recently co-starred in Emma Thompson's Nanny McPhee and with Jim Carrey in Mr. Popper's Penguins. In 1990, Ms. Lansbury philosophized: "I have sometimes drawn back from my career. To what? Home. Home is the counterweight to the work." In addition to her three children, Anthony, Deirdre and David, she is survived by three grandchildren, Peter, Katherine and Ian, plus five great grandchildren and her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury. - AP, 10/11/22.
A new biography of The Rolling Stones alleges its flamboyant frontman Mick Jagger had flings with two members of the band and calls for the 79-year-old Jagger to be reassessed as a "bisexual icon." In 
Julien's Auctions of Beverly Hills has announced more than 700 lots of Fleetwood Mac memorabilia will go on sale in a a two-day live auction on Dec. 3-4 at their showplace in Beverly Hills and online on julienslive.com. An unspecified portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCares. "Fleetwood Mac: Property From the Lives and Careers of Christine McVie, John McVie And Mick Fleetwood" includes instruments, awards, wardrobe, equipment and memorabilia from Fleetwood Mac's recordings, live performances and appearances, as well as furnishings, artwork, jewelry, and personal items from the three musicians' homes. One of the most prized offerings is a stage-played Yamaha C3 baby grand piano, known as the "Songbird Piano" and played by Christine McVie while on tour with the band for many years. It would come out at the end of the show for the last song, "Songbird," from Rumours. Julien's has attached an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000 for the piano. An unspecified portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCares, and the two other members of the "classic" incarnation of the celebrated quintet -- Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks -- are not involved with the auction. In other Fleetwood Mac-related news, Stevie Nicks was joined onstage by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam on the third and final night of Vedder's Ohana Fest in Dana Point, Calif. The two performed Nicks and Tom Petty's 1981 hit "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," which can be viewed on 
Patti Smith has announced a new book that was inspired by her official Instagram account, 
Rolling Stone magazine is reporting that the FBI had a 270-page file on the late Aretha Franklin after spying on her for 40 years. The Queen of Soul, who died of cancer in August 2018 at 76, was reportedly the target of surveillance, subjected to false phone calls and had her inner-circle infiltrated by spies, according to documents obtained by the magazine from the organization. The lengthy file -- which is heavily redacted -- is reportedly filled with phrases such as "Black extremists," "pro-communist," "hate America," "radical," "racial violence," and "militant Black power" and was filled with suspicion about the singer, her work, and the activists and entertainers she spent time with. The FBI regularly tracked the "Respect" singer's addresses and phone numbers and seemed to be particularly interested in her civil rights work and association with the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Angela Davis. Among the documents obtained by the publication -- some of which are newly-declassified -- is a 1968 report on the funeral plans for King, which described it as a "racial situation." It further noted: "Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha Franklin ... of this group, some have supported militant Black power concept ... [performance at MLK memorial by these prominent entertainers] would provide emotional spark which could ignite racial disturbance in this area." The agency failed in attempts to connect Franklin to the Black Liberation Army and other so-called "radical" groups, with one document detailing Franklin's recording contract with Atlantic Records "just in case" her business dealings could be connected with the Black Panther Party. The FBI have yet to comment on the report. - Bang Showbiz/Canoe.com, 10/3/22...... Former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters has shared his belief that he is on a "kill list" of enemies of Ukraine, as well as dismissing evidence of Russian forces' alleged war crimes in the country as "propaganda." Speaking to Rolling Stone, Waters said that "as a taxpayer in the United States," America was "the most evil of all [countries] by a factor of at least 10 times", adding: "We kill more people. We interfere in more people's elections. We, the American empire, is doing all this shit." When it was suggested that the people of Ukraine may disagree with his stance, particularly following months of reports detailing alleged Russian war crimes, Waters replied: "You've seen [those reports] on what I've just described to you as Western propaganda. It's exactly the obverse of saying Russian propaganda; Russians interfered with our election; Russians did that. It's all lies, lies, lies, lies." The musician went on to claim that he was featured on "a kill list that is supported by the Ukrainian government," after the interviewer cited credible testimony from both American and Ukrainian journalists of reported Russian "atrocities." "I'm on the f---ing list, and they've killed people recently... But when they kill you, they write 'liquidated' across your picture. Well, I'm one of those f---ing pictures," Waters said. He is currently underway with the North American leg of his "This Is Not A Drill" tour, which will continue until mid-October, when he and his band play two shows in Mexico City. - NME, 10/4/22...... Grammy winning Country hitmaker Jody Miller, best known for her 1965 hit "Queen of the House," died on Oct. 6 in Blanchard, Okla., due to complications from Parkinson's Disease. She was 80. The Oklahoma native signed to Capitol Records as a folk artist in 1962 and released her debut album, Wednesday's Child is Full of Woe, in 1963. She earned her first Billboard Hot 100 entry with "He Walks Like a Man" in 1964. A year later, Ms. Miller's "Queen of the House," an answer to Roger Miller's (no relation, though both artists were both raised in Oklahoma) "King of the Road," became a crossover hit, traversing the country and pop charts, reaching the top five on the Hot Country Singles chart, and No. 12 on Billboard's Hot 100 pop chart. "Queen of the House" would earn Ms. Miller a Grammy win in the Best Country & Western Vocal Performance-Female Category (she was also nominated for Best New Country & Western Artist that year) in 1966. In the 1960s and 1970s, she ultimately placed 27 entries on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, including five top 5 hits such as "Baby I'm Yours," "There's a Party Goin' On" and "Darling, You Can Always Come Back Home." In the 1970s, Ms. Miller began recording for Epic Records in Nashville, working with renowned producer Billy Sherrill. She also earned another crossover hit with a cover of The Chiffons' "He's So Fine," which netted her a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance-Female). In 2020, Ms. Miller recorded her last project, the upcoming album Wayfaring Stranger, which is slated to release via Heart of Texas Records. - Billboard, 10/6/22...... 
Country music icon Loretta Lynn, the Kentucky coal miner's daughter whose frank songs about life and love as a woman in Appalachia pulled her out of poverty and made her a pillar of the genre, died on Oct. 4 at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. She was 90. "Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home at her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills," her family wrote on her