Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on May 17th, 2023

On May 16, a federal judge issued a ruling that gave Ed Sheeran a second victory in a copyright case over the 1973 Marvin Gaye hit "Let's Get It On." Less than two weeks after Sheeran won a trial over whether his "Thinking Out Loud" hit infringed on "Let's Get It On," a federal judge has dismissed a second, closely-related copyright case accusing him of copying the same iconic song. U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton had ruled in the fall of 2022 that Sheeran would need to face a jury trial in the second case, just like he did in the recent showdown in Manhattan federal court. Now Judge Stanton has issued a surprise decision reversing himself and dismissing the case without a trial. Stanton says he could rule on the matter himself, without the help of a jury, that the combination of simple elements that Sheeran allegedly stole (a chord progression combined with a harmonic rhythm) was not unique enough to be covered by copyright law in the first place. "It is an unassailable reality that the chord progression and harmonic rhythm in "Let's Get It On" are so commonplace, in isolation and in combination, that to protect their combination would give "Let's Get It On" an impermissible monopoly over a basic musical building block," Judge Stanton wrote, echoing the arguments that Sheeran's attorneys made throughout the recent trial in early May. After critics and the public quickly noticed similarities between the two songs -- with one reviewer calling it an "incredibly obvious successor" to Gaye's famed slow jam -- Sheeran was sued by the heirs of Ed Townshend who co-wrote " Let's Get It On" with Gaye. Sheeran and his co-writer Amy Wadge were leared by jurors of infringing on that song on May 4, but Sheeran still faced another case filed by Structured Asset Sales, an entity owned by industry executive David Pullman that owns a separate one-third stake in Townsend's copyrights. Last October, Judge Stanton ruled in that case that the pop star would need to face a jury of his peers. The judge said there was "no bright-line rule" for deciding whether Gaye's selection and arrangement of common musical elements were creative enough to warrant copyright protection. Although the latest ruling is a victory for Sheeran, it's not the end of the road for the "Thinking Out Loud" litigation. Both the verdict earlier in May and the new ruling can still be appealed, which could take years to resolve. And Structured Asset Sales has also indicated it's pursuing a third, more novel case based on a different copyright covering Gaye's more famous recorded version of the song. - Billboard, 5/16/23...... Village People frontman Victor Willis has sent a cease and desist letter over a video of former US president Donald Trump and a Village People look-alike group dancing to the group's 1979 hit "Macho Man." The letter, from Willis and Village People manager (and Willis' wife) Karen Willis specifically calls out a recent video from Mar-a-Lago showing Trump dancing along to the Village People's "Macho Man" while a group of people -- dressed up just like the Village People -- dance behind him. Karen asserted that U.S. trademark law "protects against the unauthorized use of the Village People image and trade dress." "To be certain, the use of the group's image and likeness at Mar-a-Lago was unauthorized. Though my husband has tolerated your client's use of his Village People music, we cannot allow such use by him to cause public confusion as to endorsement," she added. The 45th president's use of Village People hits like "Y.M.C.A." and "Macho Man" has been a frequent (and surreal) part of the soundtrack for his campaign rallies and events over the years. Victor Willis did, indeed, tolerate it for a while, writing on Facebook in Feb. 2020, that he had not asked Trump to stop because "our music is not being used for a specific endorsement." But Willis' tune changed in June 2020 amidst the uprising against racial injustice and Trump's demand that law enforcement officers clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square in Washington D.C. with tear gas, batons, and explosive devices so he could stage a photo op in front of St. John's Episcopal Church. "If Trump orders the U.S. military to fire on his own citizens (on U.S. soil), Americans will rise up in such numbers outside of the White House that he might be forced out of office prior to the election," Willis wrote at the time, adding: "And I ask that you no longer use any of my music at your rallies especially 'Y.M.C.A.' and 'Macho Man.' Sorry, but I can no longer look the other way. In her letter to Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina, Karen Willis "requested" that Trump "cease and desist any such further unauthorized use of the Village People image in association with the songs and his campaign (or in his personal capacity)."She continued: "Otherwise, we shall be forced to bring suit preventing further use, not only of the Village People trademarked images and trade dress, but of the music as well (and we'd hate to have to do that) but such combined use causes public confusion and is suggestive of endorsement." She demanded Trump and his lawyers respond to their cease and desist within 10 days. Tacopina's office did not immediately return a request for comment. - Rolling Stone, 5/15/23...... A double live album recorded by Gordon Lightfoot at London's legendary Royal Albert Hall on May 24, 2016 will be the final album released by the late Canadian singer/songwriter on July 14. At Royal Albert Hall will be Lightfoot's fourth concert set, following 1962's Two Tones at the Village Corner, 1969's Sunday Concert, and 2012's All Live. The 26-track At Royal Albert Hall is described in a press release as "an unembellished live mix of that night's performance, without edits, overdubs, remixing, or re-sequencing. It captures every song performed in the order they were played, down to the encore by Gordon and his band -- Rick Haynes on bass, Barry Keane on drums, Mike Heffernan on keys, and Carter Lancaster on guitar." It is being released via Linus Entertainment, the Canadian independent label that released Harmony, Lightfoot's last studio album with his band, in 2004. (A subsequent studio album, Solo, did not feature his band.) In addition to such major hits as "If You Could Read My Mind," "Sundown," "Carefree Highway" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," the collection also features songs that have never previously appeared on a live album, including "The Watchman's Gone," "Sea of Tranquility," "Now and Then," "All the Lovely Ladies," "Drifters," "Beautiful," "Did She Mention My Name," "Sweet Guinevere," "Never Too Close," "Don Quixote," "Minstrel of the Dawn," "I'd Rather Press On" and "Waiting for You." In the weeks prior to his death, Lightfoot reportedly insisted that this live album be released as soon as possible. He approved the cover artwork and made it clear that no changes were to be made to the recording. - Billboard, 5/15/23...... Willie Nelson announced on May 16 that his recent "90th Birthday" concerts will be getting a limited theatrical release in June. Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 features all the special performances honoring the 12-time Grammy winner held on Apr. 31 and May 1 in Los Angeles, including performances by Nelson and the likes of Keith Richards, Neil Young, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Snoop Dogg and many more. As he reaches his 9th decade, the Texas-based actor, activist and songwriter is having a banner year. He was recently honored with an educational endowment at the University of Texas' LBJ School of Public Affairs, he'll be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame later in 2023, and a new book about his songwriting called Energy Follows Thought: The Stories Behind My Songs will hit stores Oct. 31 via William Morrow. Long Story Short will be shown in theaters on June 11, with encores on June 13 and 14, and tickets are on sale now at willienelson90experience.com. In other Willie news, the country star made a surprise cameo at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards at the Star Theater in Frisco, Tex., on May 11. Although Nelson couldn't be there in person, he FaceTimed a call with co-hosts Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks during the livestream on Amazon Prime Video. "Thank you, Dolly, for sending those beautiful flowers for my birthday," Nelson said. "Garth, I guess your birthday gift is still on the way?" Pretending to look sheepish, Brooks explained he must have left "the tracking number in my other pants." - Billboard, 5/16/23...... In 1973, Kansas was signed to '60s hitmaker Don Kirshner's Kirshner Records and built a loyal following with its first three albums, released between Mar. 1974 and Sept. 1975, and nonstop touring before 1976's quadruple-platinum Leftoverture and its massive hit, "Carry On Wayward Son." After came 1977's Point of Know Return and its even more popular lead single, "Dust in the Wind," which hit No. 6 in 1978. Those back-to-back successes cemented the Midwestern prog-rock band's status as an AOR stalwart and helped the group become a sturdy heritage act, sustaining it through lineup changes (nine additional members over the years) and 11 more studio albums. The good news is that -- as it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year -- Kansas has plans to "carry on" well into the future. Fans consider the group's current lineup -- David Ragsdale, Phil Ehart, Ronnie Platt, Richard Williams, Tom Brislin and Billy Greer -- to be one of its strongest, an opinion supported by its most recent albums -- including 2020's The Absence of Presence. Ehart and Williams say there's new music on tap for 2024, but at the moment they're reveling in a golden anniversary with 2022's three-disc Kansas anthology, Another Fork in the Road -- 50 Years of Kansas, and an anniversary tour starting June 2 and running, so far, into January. When asked how Kansas doesn't have the typical "heartland" rock band sound that everyone expects to come from that part of the country, Ehart said: "I think it has to do with the time period. When we were forming, it was right at the time the band Emerson, Lake & Palmer was coming out, Yes was coming out, Genesis. That stuff was just starting to hit the United States and those bands were influencing Kerry [Livgren], who was our main songwriter at the time -- not necessarily that we would be copying them, but it showed us you could play different time signatures and things like that. We could do a song like "Carry On Wayward Son"; all the different changes in that song might not have been performed before, especially on a single." When asked if the band has ever come close to calling it quits, Ehart says: "Well... no. We can't find a reason to, you know? First of all, we love it. And when we play, people come to see us. We've sold millions and millions and millions of records and had millions of people buy tickets and come to our concerts. We've done really well, so we can't find a reason to not do it. If we were sick and tired of it we would quit, but we're not." - Billboard, 5/15/23...... BMG Music announced on May 15 it has acquired rights to some of The Pointer Sisters' most popular records, including their share of the U.S. publishing rights to the 1982 hit song "I'm So Excited." The deal includes The Pointer Sisters' share of artist royalties for the original masters to nine albums the group released between 1978 and 1988 on Planet and RCA Records. That includes their 1983 multi-platinum record Break Out and its Grammy Award-winning tracks "Jump (For My Love)" and "Automatic." BMG also acquired 100% of the group's share of U.S. publishing (which was recaptured when the group exercised their termination rights) and their co-publishing royalties in the rest of the world for "I'm So Excited." They also acquried 100% of the master copyrights for the re-records and certain neighboring rights. BMG declined to disclose the terms of the deal, which was finalized in late 2022 but not acted upon until recently because of the death of Pointers Sisters member Anita Pointer on Dec. 31 at age 74. The Pointer Sisters earned pop success and critical acclaim with three Grammys -- the first in 1974 for their song "Fairytale," which peaked at No. 13 on the pop chart and won for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The song was a rarity at the time -- a country hit written by two black songwriters, Anita and Bonnie Pointer, in an era dominated by white male stars -- and led to The Pointer Sisters becoming the first African American group to perform on the Grand Ole Opry program. The Pointer Sisters won two more Grammys in 1984 for "Jump (For My Love)" and "Automatic," which won best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal and best vocal arrangement for two or more voices, respectively. The Pointer Sisters acquisition was one of 45 acquisitions BMG made in 2022 when the company spent a record 509 million euros ($536 million) on acquisitions and new publishing deals with artists. - Billboard, 5/15/23...... Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley and their actress granddaughter Riley Keough have reached a settlement over the estate of their daughter Lisa Marie Presley, who died on Jan. 12 at age 54 after suffering a heart attack. After her death, Priscilla disputed a 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie's will. The 77-year-old alleged she and former business manager Barry Siegel had been removed as co-trustees and had been replaced by Riley and Benjamin Keough without her knowledge. Lisa Marie's son Benjamin died at the age of 27 in 2020. But on May 16, lawyers acting for Priscilla and Riley announced the two parties had reached a settlement at a Los Angeles court. Details of the agreement remain under wraps. "They have reached a settlement. Families are happy. Everyone is happy. Unified and together and excited for the future," Priscilla's lawyer Ronson Shamoun told reporters, while Riley's attorney Justin Gold added: "(Riley) would not have agreed to the settlement if she was not happy with it." In a statement to People magazine, Priscilla insisted they had "resolved all confusion" related to the case. "As a family, we are pleased that we resolved this together," she said. "My family and I hope that everyone will grant us the privacy we have needed to properly grieve Lisa Marie and spend personal time together. We love and appreciate all of you and the Presley family is stronger than ever." One of the requests Priscilla reportedly wanted in the settlement was to be buried beside Elvis at the Graceland mansion when she dies, however since Elvis' mother and father are buried to his left and right, exhuming one of them to be buried elsewhere is not likely to happen. Both parties plan to file a motion to seal the settlement agreement. Meanwhile, Riley Keough paid tribute to Lisa Marie on the first Mother's Day since her death on May 14 by posting a message to Instagram. "Lucky to have had the best and most deeply loving mama I could have asked for," Riley wrote, including a vintage pic of Lisa Marie cradling her as a baby alongside Keough's dad, musician Danny Keough. Keough's Daisy Jones & the Six co-star, Sam Clafin was among a number of fellow stars offering Riley some love (via heart emoji) later in the day, along with Lindsay Lohan, Rosanna Arquette and others. - Music-News.com, 5/16/23...... Just before his fellow Swedish artist Loreen won the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest for their native country, ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus addressed viewers at home with a special message on the annual show's impact. "The lives of some of the acts that you've seen tonight could be about to change forever," Ulvaeus said in a video filmed remotely, aired while votes for this year's grand finalists were being counted. "When ABBA walked onto that stage, we couldn't even have imagined, 50 years later, we would have a museum about us, and that we would perform as avatars in 'ABBA Voyage.' Our international success all began with Eurovision. So I want to say to all the acts who are waiting nervously right now -- I just want to say 'good luck', and who knows where this journey will take you?" ABBA won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with their classic song "Waterloo," which in 2005 was voted the best winning song in the event's then-50-year history. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of that win, which is fitting -- with Loreen having taken out the top prize on May 13, Eurovision will return to Sweden for its 2024 edition. Ulvaeus' Eurovision 2023 message can be viewed on Twitter. - New Musical Express, 5/14/23...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and rising artist St Vincent have performed a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Chemical Love" together live. The pair, who have collaborated together frequently in the past, performed the rendition of Wonder's song at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on May 10. The event was held to honor Byrne, filmmaker Spike Lee and real estate lawyer, Claire Wood. St Vincent, aka Annie Clark, performed a short set of songs at the event including "New York," "Los Ageless" and "Dancing With A Ghost" from her 2018 album Masseduction before joining forces on stage with Byrne to cover "Chemical Love" from the Jungle Fever soundtrack -- a film directed by Lee. Speaking about their decision to cover the song, Byrne said: "We kind of wanted to tie Spike into this somehow, so this is a song from Jungle Fever, specifically 'Chemical Love' by Stevie Wonder," he explained. "It takes a little bit of nerve for us to do it," Byrne added. Footage of the performance has been shared on Twitter.com. - NME, 5/13/23...... In a new interview with Classic Rock magazine, producer Tony Visconti feared late Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott was on the verge of death when he spent three days "bedridden." Visconti, best known for his decades-long partnership with David Bowie, produced the Thin Lizzy LP's Bad Reputation, Live and Dangerous and Black Rose: A Rock Legend in the 1970s, and after the incident, he wasn't afraid to address Phil's drug use with him one-on-one. "When Phil was bedridden for three days, I was very frightened," Visconti told Classic Rock. "I seriously thought he was going to die in his hotel room. When he emerged I had a good heart-to-heart talk with him about his drug abuse, but he assured me, as always, that he had it under control." The producer added: "We really didn't waste too much time due to drugs in the studio, but the emotional strain was terrible on me." Lynott, who had a chronic addiction to heroin and alcohol, died of pneumonia and heart failure due to septicaemia in 1986, at the age of 36, after collapsing due to his drug misuse. - Music-News.com, 5/15/23...... Olivia Newton-John's posthumous new album Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection (Vol. One) contains 17 of the beloved late singer's final recordings, including classic tracks with the likes of Dolly Parton, Cliff Richard, Michael McDonald, John Travolta, Paul Anka, Barry Gibb, Richard Marx and Mariah Carey. Brand new fan favorites like "Window in the Wall" feature Olivia's daughter Chloe Lattanzi and "Stone in My Pocket" with Beth Nielsen Chapman and Amy Sky. Also contributing to Olivia's new album is Marie Osmond, who recently marked 12 years of marriage with motivational speaker Steve Craig. The 63-year-old "Paper Roses" singer marked the anniversary in a recent Instagram post in which she called Craig -- who she remarried 26 years after their divorce in 1985 -- "the love of my life." - People, 5/22/23...... Former That '70s Show star Danny Masterson "drugged women's drinks so he could rape them, then relied on his prominence in the Church of Scientology to avoid consequences for years," a prosecutor told jurors in a Los Angeles courtroom on May 16 in closing arguments at the actor's trial. "The defendant drugs his victims to gain control. He does this to take away his victims' ability to consent," Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson told the jury of seven men and five women. "You don't want to have sex? You don't have a choice. The defendant makes that choice for these victims. And he does it over and over and over again," he added. Masterson, 47, is on trial for rape for a second time after the first ended in a mistrial in December, with a jury hopelessly deadlocked on all counts. The new jury is expected to get the case on May 17 when prosecutors complete their final rebuttal. Masterson has pleaded not guilty to raping three women at his home between 2001 and 2003. His attorney, Philip Cohen, told jurors during his closing that inconsistencies in the women's stories that he said D.A. Anson downplayed are essential and should make it easy for jurors to have reasonable doubt of Masterson's guilt. Masterson has pleaded not guilty to raping three women at his home between 2001 and 2003. His attorney, Philip Cohen told jurors during his closing that inconsistencies in the women's stories that he said Anson downplayed are essential and should make it easy for jurors to have reasonable doubt of Masterson's guilt. Anson took aim at the Church of Scientology, of which Masterson is a member and all three women are former members, throughout her argument, emphasizing that church authorities kept the women from accepting what had happened to them and from reporting it to police for years. "The church taught his victims, 'Rape isn't rape, you caused this, and above all, you are never allowed to go to law enforcement,"' she said. "In Scientology, the defendant is a celebrity and he is untouchable." The church has denied having any policy discouraging members from going to law enforcement. Fewer than half of jurors voted to convict Masterson on any count after the first trial. His attorney emphasized on May 16 that even if they believe it is likely he is guilty, they must acquit. "If you say, 'I think he is probably guilty,' you know what that leads to?" Cohen said, then made a buzzer sound. "Not guilty." - AP, 5/16/23.

Streams of recently deceased Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot's songs have spiked 290% after his death from natural causes in Toronto on May 1 at age 84. Lightfoot's most popular U.S. song, "If You Could Read My Mind," bowed atop Billboard's Digital Song Sales with 10,000 sold, up 4,162%, for the week of May 13. His "Sundown" (9,000 sold, up 2,976%), "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (7,000, up 3,429%) and "Carefree Highway" (4,000, up 4,283%) also entered that survey's Top 10, at Nos. 3, 5 and 10, respectively. The four songs encompass Lightfoot's career Billboard Hot 100 pop chart top 10s. "Mind" reached No. 5 in Feb. 1971; "Sundown" reigned for a week in June 1974; "Highway" hit No. 10 that November and "Edmund Fitzgerald" peaked at No. 2 in Nov. 1976. All four songs also appear on the more specialized Rock Digital Song Sales chart at Nos. 1-3 and 5, respectively. They're joined by 1975's "The Soul Is the Rock" (No. 12; 2,000 sold). On the all-format Billboard Hot 200 album chart, Lightfoot's Gord's Gold collection returns at No. 95 thanks to 11,000 units, up 3,086%. It's the set's first appearance on the chart since Jan. 1977, after it reached No. 34 a year earlier. Gord's Gold also reached No. 3 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart, and Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Country Albums (No. 17 on both). His overall album consumption totaled 20,000 equivalent album units, up 511% from 3,000. Of that sum, 6,000 units were via album sales. His radio airplay audience vaulted by 317% to 3 million impressions, from 730,000. - Billboard, 5/10/23...... The estate Syd Barrett has partnered with their music publishing arm, Syd Barrett Music Ltd, to launch an official YouTube channel to launch a YouTube channel for the late Pink Floyd co-founder's solo work."The channel is a natural extension of Syd Barrett's existing online presence and will consist of artistic interpretations of his solo music, with accompanying music and lyrics," the estate said in a statement. "Together with the Swedish animator, Alex Teglbjaerg, known as The Artist on the Border, there will be new animated music videos released on an ongoing basis. It will initially focus on the solo songs which originally appeared on An Introduction To Syd Barrett (2010)." So far, Teglbjaerg has worked his magic on "Terrapin," "Dark Globe" and "Dominoes" from Barrett's '70s albums The Madcap Laughs and Barrett. "There isn't all that much filmed Syd Barrett out there," Peter Barrett said on behalf of the family. "You've already seen most of the material and the few bits that pop up are quickly placed in the digital public domain. We want to take his quirky and poetic lyrics and translate them into images." Barrett co-founded Pink Floyd with Roger Waters and Nick Mason in 1965 as a teen. He was slowly replaced by David Gilmour as he battled an addiction to psychedelic drugs, leaving the group officially in 1968. He died from pancreatic cancer in 2006 at age 60. A new Pink Floyd documentary, Have You Got It Yet? The Story Of Syd Barrett And Pink Floyd, will premiere in UK cinemas on May 15. - Music-News.com, 5/11/23...... After her well known nemesis Donald Trump was convicted of sexually assaulting and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll on May 9, Bette Midler took to Twitter.com to declare it was "a solid win for E. Jean." "#TRUMP, formerly Donald J Drumpf, must pay #EJeanCarroll $5million for sexual abuse and defamation. A solid win for E Jean," Midler posted soon after the verdict was announced. In a second tweet, Midler said: "The GOP is proud to present our candidate for the highest office n the land, former president, registered sex offender, convicted felon of 17 counts of tax fraud and under investigation for treason and theft of top secret government documents." Oscar-nominated director and former All In the Family cast member Rob Reiner tweeted: "Fact. A man Indicted for campaign finance crime of paying hush money to a porn star and found guilty of Sexual Abuse is poised to be the Republican nominee for President" and then later, "Looks like lying every minute of your life isn't a winning way to live. Looking at you, George and Donald," also referring to currently embattled congressman Rep. George Santos. - Billboard, 5/10/23...... Three months after her surprise win at the Grammys for Song of the Year and Best American Roots Song, Bonnie Raitt's "Just Like That" has been nominated for Song of the Year at the 2023 Americana Honors & Awards. Four of the five nominees for Song of the Year were written by solitary songwriters, a sign that the "songwriting-by-committee" approach currently popular in mainstream pop music has not yet come to the Americana sector. The Americana Music Association announced the nominees for its 22nd annual Americana Honors & Awards on May 9 at the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville. The winners will be announced during the Americana Honors & Awards on Sept. 20 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The program is the marquee event of AmericanaFest, which returns for its 23nd year on Sept. 19 and runs through Sept. 23. - Billboard, 5/9/23...... Dolly Parton's long-awaited first ever album of rock songs, Rockstar, has been given a Nov. 17 release date. The sprawling 30-track, 2-CD/4-LP set will bring such an A+ list of collaborators to the project, including Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Lizzo, Sting, Chris Stapleton, Debbie Harry, Elton John, John Fogerty, Joan Jett, Steven Tyler, Peter Frampton and Kid Rock. The set will feature nine original tracks and 21 rock anthems, including "Every Breath You Take," "Night Moves," "Free Bird," "Purple Rain" and "We Are the Champions." "Let It Be" will feature Parton with McCartney, Starr, Frampton and Mick Fleetwood. Meanwhile, the cover art features strong '80s vibes, with Parton sitting on a motorcycle, holding a black guitar and clad in a black, studded-leather outfit slightly reminiscent of the one she wore during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. In a statement, Dolly said she was "very honored and privileged to have worked with some of the greatest iconic singers and musicians of all time" and that "I hope everybody enjoys the album as much as I've enjoyed putting it together!" On May 11, Parton debuted her first single from the album, "Rockstar," during the 58th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. - Billboard, 5/9/23...... On May 8, Ted Nugent lashed out at what he describes as the "liars and haters" who forced the cancellation of an upcoming concert in Birmingham, Ala., after a social media backlash. The controversy started when it was announced that the diehard conservative and Donald Trump supporter would be performing at Birmingham's Avondale Brewing Co. venue on July 18 as part of his "Adios Mofo" farewell tour. The post about the concert had thousands of comments protesting the show and Nugent's right-wing political views, which led to venue to cancel the show. "We have heard the concerns of the Avondale community, which is so important to us, and in conjunction with our partners, have taken the necessary steps to to cancel the Ted Nugent concert scheduled for July 18," the venue wrote. Nugent reacted by taking to Twitter on May 5 for a brief rebuttal: "liars & haters drunk on stupid incapable to debate me-https://t.co/P56ILUnziG." Nugent has also recently come under fire recently for his transphobic tweets and remarks, most recently blasting Anheuser-Busch for working with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. His history of disturbing remarks also includes saying that survivors of the Parkland school shooting are wrong to blame the NRA for mass shootings and that the Florida students calling for gun control have "no soul" and are "mushy brained children." - Billboard, 5/8/23...... A legal team representing Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has asked a judge to strike a claim of intentional inflection of emotional distress (IIED) "based on statements" Tyler made in memoirs. In April, Tyler denied all allegations from a recent lawsuit accusing him of sexually assaulting a minor named Julia Misley (known as Julia Holcomb at the time) who accused him of sexual assault and battery dating back to the 1970s, when she was a minor. In the suit, Misley claimed that they were both involved in a sexual relationship for about three years and that the musician convinced her mother to grant him guardianship over her when she was 16. The lawsuit also referenced Tyler's memoirs, in which he recalled that he "almost took a teen bride" and described how her parents "signed a paper over for me to have custody, so I wouldn't get arrested if I took her out of state." Tyler's lawyers stated that all claims are "barred" as the claimant gave "consent," and added that Tyler should be granted immunity as he was "caretaker and/or guardian" at the time. Now in a new filing, his lawyers are arguing that the parts of Misley's suit based on the memoir make it a "Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation" (SLAPP) because, "The conduct complained of arises out of statements made in Tyler's published memoirs. Such conduct implicates Tyler's right to free speech." In response, Misley's attorney, Jeff Anderson, told Rolling Stone that Tyler's position "frivolous" and "his efforts to continue to profit and protect himself is both sordid and salacious." Tyler has yet to issue a comment in response to Anderson's statement. - NME, 5/8/23...... Former The Commodores member and '80s solo superstar Lionel Richie and current pop sensation Katy Perry were absent from their duties on the May 7 episode of American Idol for a good reason: the judges were busy performing at King Charles III's coronation concert at Windsor Castle in London a day after England's new monarch was seated in a ceremony rich with tradition and mega-charged pomp. Some 20,000 people gathered at the castle for the show that saw Richie performing "All Night Long" and the Commodores' "Easy" for the royals and their invited guests. The AP reported that Princess Charlotte and her mother, Kate, Princess of Wales sang along as Perry performed her hit "Roar" while decked out in a gold foil ball gown as drones formed into the shape of a lion to honor the new king's coat of arms. Perry closed out the show with "Firework," which she dedicated to the king, saying, "Thank you for bringing out the firework in so many young people." There was even a fly-by from Top Gun franchise actor Tom Cruise, who appeared in a video message saying, "Pilot to pilot. Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time." A minor controversy from Richie's performance erupted on social media after some fans thought his voice sounded unusual, with some branding it as being "completely different" to their expectations. "Is someone disguised as Lionel Richie because that is not his voice! Sounds completely different," wrote one viewer. Another agreed, writing: "Lionel Richie's voice sounds totally different. I wouldn't recognise it!" A third also weighed in on the debate, saying: "What the hell has happened to Lionel Richie's voice? He sounds completely different and is terrible live!" Not all fans were convinced that the singer's voice was different to usual, however, with many also taking to Twitter to share their appreciation for the performance, which can be viewed on YouTube. "Ok so several people seem to disagree with me," explained one user. "But I think Lionel Richie is still great and I really enjoyed his performance!" Although the "Hello" singer has yet to explain any possible reasons behind the change in his voice, e has previously spoke about a mysterious throat illness he experienced in the '90s, which left him needing to undergo four different surgeries. "You don't want anybody fooling around down there. This is [my] identity," he told People magazine, explaining his worry about the procedures. "I never really thought that it would end." - Billboard/NME, 5/8/23...... In related news, the king's coronation has also been celebrated with the service and pre-service music recorded and released by Decca Records on the same day of the coronation (May 6). The Official Album of the Coronation is set to be more than four hours long and will feature all music and spoken word from the global event, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's coronation anthem called "Make a Joyful Noise," with performers including Sir Bryn Terfel CBE, Pretty Yende, Roderick Williams OBE and Alis Huws. The Official Album of the Coronation was available digitally on May 6, before the physical version of the album will be available for purchase in stores starting on May 26. - Billboard, 5/5/23...... Peter Gabriel released a new single, "Four Kinds of Horses," from his upcoming album i/o on May 5 to coincide with the full moon. Speaking about i/o, the former Genesis frontman said: "Some of what I'm writing about this time is the idea that we seem incredibly capable of destroying the planet that gave us birth and that unless we find ways to reconnect ourselves to nature and to the natural world we are going to lose a lot. A simple way of thinking about where we fit in to all of this is looking up at the sky... and the moon has always drawn me to it." Gabriel says the new single explores "the interesting overlap of religion and peace on the one hand and violence and terrorism on the other," and was inspired by the Buddhist parable of the same name, "which describes different ways a student can approach their spiritual practice." The single, which features his daughter Melanie Gabriel on backing vocals, is the latest track to be shared from i/o following "Panopticom" and "The Court." Peter went on to describe "Horses" contributor Brian Eno's synths as "sounding like electric worms," while Melanie's vocals provide "another lovely moment for a dad." "Four Kinds of Horses" can be streamed on YouTube. While i/o has yet to be given a release date, the star is set to head out on a 2023 headline tour of Europe, North America and the UK beginning on May 18 in Krakow, Poland. He'll also visit countries including Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK through June 25. In the fall, he'll launch a North American tour on Sept. 8 in Quebec, followed by a tour of most major American markets that will wrap on Oct. 21 in Houston. - NME, 5/7/23...... As Buddy Guy is announcing his retirement from the road, the 86-year-old legendary bluesman has revealed to Guitar Player magazine that the Rolling Stones once camped in a van to see him perform live. "After I became friends with them, they told me they'd slept in a van to watch me play," Guy told the magazine. I said, 'Man, y'all play better than me,' and they're like, 'No! We got it all from you! We didn't know it was possible to play the blues with a Strat until we saw you.'" According to legend, the Stones named themselves after Muddy Waters' 1950s blues classic "Rollin' Stone," and incorporated blues into their signature style. However frontman Mick Jagger was annoyed that some people had no idea who the black artists that they took inspiration from were. "America wasn't ready for Muddy, B.B. or anybody until the British had to come and tell White America who B.B. King and Muddy Waters were," Guy said in his interview. "There was an American television show called Shindig and they were trying to get the Rolling Stones. And Mick Jagger said, 'I'll do it if you let me bring on Muddy Waters.' White America said, 'Who the hell is that?' and he got offended. He said, 'We named ourselves after his most famous record!'" - Music-News.com, 5/6/23...... South American singer Rita Lee, known as the "Queen of Brazilian Rock" for hits like "Ovelha Negra," "Mania de Voc" and "Now Only Missing You," died on May 8 after a battle with lung cancer. She was 75. Known for her fusion of psicodelia with pop, MPB, bossa and new wave, the Latin Grammy Award-winning artist was one of Brazil's most successful singer-songwriters. Lee got her start with the group Os Mutantes before launching a fruitful solo career and in Nov. 2022, she was recognized with the Latin Grammy's Lifetime Achievement Award, but unfortunately could not attend to receive it at the ceremony in Las Vegas. Born on Dec. 31, 1947 in So Paulo, Lee began her career with the band Os Mutantes and recorded albums with the band Tutti Frutti, including 1975's Fruto Proibido. In 1979, she released the LP Rita Lee -- which included classics such as "Mania De Voc," "Lana Perfume" and "Caso Srio" -- in collaboration with her husband, the multi-instrumentalist Roberto de Carvalho, in an artistic partnership that continued into the 1980s with a long list of radio hits and massive concerts. In later decades she made acoustic recordings such as Aqui, Ali, em Qualquer Lugar, a collection based on songs by the Beatles. In 2015 she celebrated her career with a CD collection, and the following year she published an autobiography in which she described herself as a "rebel" and "hippie communist." A public wake was held at the So Pãulo planetarium on May 10, the family said in the statement, adding that according to Lee's wishes, her body had been cremated. Lee is survived by her husband and collaborator Roberto do Carvalho and three children. - Billboard, 5/9/23...... Daytime soap actress Jacklyn Zeman, who became one of the most recognizable actors on daytime television during 45 years of playing nurse Bobbie Spencer on ABC's General Hospital, died of cancer on May 10. She was 70. "I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Jackie Zeman," General Hospital producer Frank Valentini wrote on Twitter. "Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and a true professional that brought so much positive energy with her work." Zeman joined General Hospital in 1977 as Barbara Jean, who went by Bobbie, and was the feisty younger sister of Anthony Geary's Luke Spencer. Bobbie had worked as a teen prostitute and given up a baby for adoption but had managed to turn her life around and become a nurse at General Hospital. Zeman's portrayal of Spencer was a spirited, upbeat woman who was as sweet as pie but who also had a sense of self. She didn't suffer fools and had no problem revoking the niceties if warranted. Bobbie has been a fascinating person for me to play," she said in an interview in 1982. "I get to do & all the things that most women think about but wouldn't dare." Laura Wright, who plays Bobbie's daughter Carly Spencer, posted to Instagram that she was "so grateful to have shared so many years with this beautiful woman.... Jackie told the best stories -- she had an INCREDIBLE spirit and she lived such an amazing life & saying she will be missed is an understatement." Outside soap operas, Zeman worked as a Playboy Bunny to help pay for college and also acted in commercials. She had a role in 1982's National Lampoon's Class Reunion and appeared in a string of TV movies, including the ABC Afterschool Special "Montana Crossroads" in 1993. She also had a series regular role as Sofia Madison in the crime drama series The Bay, earning her a fifth Emmy Award. Her last appearance on General Hospital was in April for the wedding of her character's grandson. The same month, she also celebrated the show's 60th anniversary by posting a video on Instagram to fans. "A great, big heartfelt thank you to the very special people who have been watching us and supporting us and keeping us on the air all these years. We love you," she posted. Zeman was married and divorced three times, first to Glenn Gordon and later to Steve Gribbin and disc jockey Murray "Murray the K" Kaufman. Her survivors include two daughters, Cassidy and Lacey, from her marriage to Gordon. - AP, 5/11/23.