Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on February 21st, 2024

Former The Grateful Dead member Bob Weir will be among the headliners for the annual "A Great Night in Harlem" fundraiser for the Jazz Foundation of America on Mar. 28 at the legendary The Apollo venue in Harlem. The evening will honor Richard Parsons, who is stepping down as JFA chairman after 15 years, with JFA's Dr. Billy Taylor Humanitarian Award. Parsons is the former chairman of Citigroup and former chairman/CEO of Time Warner. Proceeds from the benefit fund JFA programs that provide housing assistance, pro-bono healthcare, disaster relief and direct financial support to musicians and their families. For the past 35 years, JFA has been assisting not only jazz musicians, but artists in blues, roots and R&B genres. - Billboard, 2/20/24...... Director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator) is reportedly in talks to helm an upcoming biopic based on the Bee Gees. DeadlineHollywood.com quotes anonymous sources close to the as-yet-untitled project as saying Scott is currently in the negotiations phase with Paramount Pictures to lead the project, which he will also supposedly co-produce. John Logan, who wrote Scott's 2000 epic Gladiator, will reportedly pen the script, and Barry Gibb, the last surviving Bee Gees brother and member, will executive produce. The film will tell the story of lives and careers of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb, the latter two of whom died in 2003 and 2012, respectively. A Bee Gees biopic was first announced in 2019, with Kenneth Branagh originally attached to direct. Branagh exited the project for unknown reasons, then other directors including John Carney and Lorene Scafaria stepped in until Scott eventually expressed interest. - New Musical Express, 2/16/24...... In related news, Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, 1917, Spectre) has been given the green light to begin work on four separate feature films that will tell the individual stories of Beatles John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. In announcing the project on Feb. 20, Sony Pictures said the project will mark the first time the band's Apple Corps Ltd. and the two surviving group members and the families of the deceased two have given full access to life story and music rights for a scripted film. "I'm honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies," said Mendes in a statement. Mendes will direct the four stand-alone theatrical movies -- with each one told from one band member's point of view -- as well as intersecting to tell the full story of the Fab Four for the project, which promises to be "innovative and groundbreaking." - Billboard, 2/20/24...... In other Beatles news, the British woman who found and returned Paul McCartney's long-lost bass guitar is now hoping that she may be in store for a reward. Cathy Guest found the bass in her attic following the death of her husband Hadyn, who Cathy believes in turn inherited the bass from his brother Graham. The 1961 Hofner 500/1 bass -- which has been dubbed the most important bass in history for its role in recording numerous Beatles hits including "Love Me Do," "She Loves You" and "Twist and Shout" -- was stolen from the musician in 1972, only to be returned to him earlier in February. Speaking to the UK paper The Sun, Guest said that she slipped a hand-written letter into the guitar case before she returned it, explaining her financial situation as a single parent looking after two school children. "My husband inherited it when another family member died and he'd had it for years," she said. "He had no idea where it came from. He was a keen musician and used to play all the guitars at home, including Paul's bass. We both loved music and I still go to gigs every weekend." McCartney purchased the instrument in 1961 for £30 ($38) in Hamburg, Germany. Meanwhile, Paul's son James McCartney has announced his first new single since 2016. James posted on X on Feb. 12 that his new song "Beautiful" will be released on Feb. 23. James, a multi-instrumentalist who began releasing his own solo material in 2010, grew up contributing to recording sessions for his famous dad's albums Flaming Pie in 1997 and Driving Rain in 2001, as well as his mother Linda McCartney's 1998 release Wide Prairie. He released his debut LP, Me, in 2013, and followed up with 2016's The Blackberry Train. - NME, 2/19/24...... An unusual criminal trial centering around handwritten lyrics to the Eagles' 1976 classic "Hotel California" is set to open on Feb. 21. Rare-book dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski are charged with conspiring to own and try to sell manuscripts of "Hotel California" and other Eagles hits without the right to do so. The three have pleaded not guilty, and their lawyers have said the men committed no crime with the papers, which they acquired via a writer who had worked with the Eagles. But the Manhattan district attorney's office charges the defendants connived to obscure the documents' disputed ownership, despite knowing that "Hotel California" composer Don Henley of the band said the pages were stolen. At issue are over 80 pages of draft lyrics from the smash 1976 Hotel California album, including words to the chart-topping, Grammy-winning title cut. It features one of classic rock's most recognizable riffs, best-known solos and most oft-quoted -- arguably overquoted -- lines: "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." Henley has said the song is about "the dark underbelly of the American dream." Although Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinki are not charged with actually stealing documents, but with conspiracy to possess stolen property and various other offenses, prosecutors will still have to establish that the documents were stolen. The defense maintains that's not true. Much turns on the Eagles' interactions with writer Ed Sanders, who also co-founded the 1960s counterculture rock band The Fugs. He worked in the late '70s and early '80s on an authorized Eagles biography that was never published. Sanders, who isn't charged in the case, sold the pages to Horowitz, who then sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski. The DA's office worked closely with Henley's legal team, and an investigator even yearned for backstage passes for an Eagles show -- until a prosecutor said the idea was "completely inappropriate," Kosinki's lawyers said in court papers. Prosecutors have rebuffed questions about their motivations as "a conspiracy theory rather than a legal defense." In 2023, they wrote in court papers, "It is the defendants, not the prosecutors, who are on trial." - AP, 2/20/24...... AC/DC announced on Instagram on Feb. 20 that they're re-releasing all of their LPs on gold vinyl in celebration of their 50th anniversary as a band. Each of the limited edition albums come with an album-specific 12"x12" print featuring new AC/DC 50 artwork suitable for framing. The first wave of re-releases include Back In Black, Highway To Hell, The Razors Edge, Powerage, For Those About To Rock (We Salute You), High Voltage, Dirty Deeds Done Cheap, Who Made Who and Live. All nine albums are available for pre-order now and are set for release on Mar. 15. Other AC/DC albums in limited edition gold vinyl will be released later in 2024. AC/DC recently announced a huge UK and European stadium tour for 2024, performing 21 dates in 10 countries this summer, which will mark their first tour in Europe for eight years. - NME, 2/20/24...... With a six-day US opening box office of $46.2 million, the new Bob Marley biopic Bob Marley: One Love has earned a start that rivals other hit musical biopics like Rocketman, based on the life and career of Elton John. One Love, which covers the dynamic between Marley, his backing band The Wailers and the musician's family in the year immediately following an assassination attempt on his life, opened on Feb. 14. His songs have garnered a whopping seven billion official on-demand U.S. streams, per Luminate, while his Legend compilation is the second-longest charting album in the history of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart (821 weeks). - Billboard, 2/17/24...... Appearing on the latest episode of the podcast Your Mom's House with hosts Christina P. and Tom Segura, KISS member Gene Simmons recalled the one and only time in his life that he got high. Simmons, who has previously claimed to have never been drunk or high in his life, opened up about the time he accidentally ingested cannabis brownies after a KISS gig in the 1970s. "I've never been drunk or high in my life," he reasserted on the podcast, before his son Nick Simmons, who also partipated in the interview, brought up the "one accidental story." "You've told me this a couple of times. It's my favorite story," said Nick. Gene recalled: "So, you've got a room full of people celebrating -- we're breaking some kind of record in Detroit. This was in '76. The whole room is full, and I'm just seeing the brownies piled [high]. And I love that stuff. Everyone's [like] 'Let's smoke, let's put things up our ass.' No, just give me cake." Gene said that it "didn't hurt" that the woman dispensing the brownies "wasn't bad looking, adding: "[She] comes over, and I'm [like,] 'Give me another one of those.' Then I started, like a dog with a bone, just following her around. 'Can I have another one?' 'You want another one?' And I just kept eating it -- six." Simmons then recalled his experience of being high, remembering the room "started to get bigger, and my head started to get smaller... down to the size of an olive." The musician said that thankfully the editor of Creem magazine was there to help him into his limo and return to his hotel. On a more serious note, Gene said his reason for not getting high or drunk was because of his late mother, who was a Holocaust survivor. "She was in a concentration camp when she was 14 years of age. And I never wanted to break her heart," he said. "And I was always aware I never wanted to disappoint her -- there was enough aggravation. So I never smoked cigarettes, never got high, never got drunk." In January Simmons announced his first solo concert after KISS' retirement last December, on the Apr. 26 show at Brazil's Summer Breeze festival. - NME, 2/20/24...... In other shock-rocker news, Alice Cooper has announced an autumn UK tour that will kick off at Glasgow's OVO Arena on Oct. 14, followed by shows in Birmingham (10/16), Manchester (10/17) and Leeds (10/18) before wrapping with two shows at London's Eventim Apollo on Oct. 20 and 21. A press statement reveals that the tour is set to bring fans "closer than ever to Alice," with giant video screens blending the live action with pre-recorded scenes. Primal Scream will join as special guest at all locations except London, alongside The Meffs at all shows. Former Sex Pistols guitarist and songwriter Glen Matlock will be the special guest at the London dates. Cooper's last album, Road, was released in 2023, and earlier in Feb. 2024 launched a new radio show called Alice's Attic. - NME, 2/20/24...... In an interview with People magazine to promote A&E's new four-part James Brown docuseries James Brown: Say It Loud, Brown's daughter Deanna Brown declared there would be "no hip-hop, Michael Jackson or Usher" without her late father. "There would be no Michael [Jackson], there would be no Usher, there'd be no Chris Brown -- all these people who took from him," said Deanna, 55. "I mean, where would it be? You could ask a lot of these musicians, they'll tell you the same thing. It would probably be zero. I think LL [Cool J] says that in the documentary that the trajectory of music would be -- he can't even imagine where it would be without James Brown." Another daughter of Brown's, 50-year-old Yamma Brown, discussed her father being the creator of funk and influencing many genres. She said: "Somebody sitting at home maybe watching it and think, 'His story is not that dissimilar than mine and look what he went on to do.' And if you can inspire somebody to be the greatest at what they can be, that's amazing." James Brown: Say It Loud premieres on A&E on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. - Music-News.com, 2/20/24...... Comments made by Bono about the Israel-Hamas war during one of U2's recent shows at The Sphere in Las Vegas have prompted Roger Waters to call the U2 frontman "disgusting" and "a shit." During U2's residency, Bono used the performance to pay his respects to those killed during the Oct. 7 attack at the Israeli music festival Supernova. "In the light of what's happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about non-violence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable, but our prayers have always been for peace and for non-violence," he told the crowd before launching into a performance of "Pride (In The Name Of Love)." "But our hearts and our anger, you know where that's pointed. So sing with us and those beautiful kids at that music festival." He then played the song with altered lyrics, singing "Early morning, Oct. 7, the sun is rising in the desert sky Stars of David, they took your life but they could not take your pride," in place of the original lines. Now, Waters -- a longtime critic of the State of Israel -- has taken aim at the musician for his comments during a new interview with the news outlet Al Jazeera, and branded the comments made at the live show "disgusting." "My mother told me, when faced with difficult problems, the first thing to do is to read -- read, read, read. Then, the next part is easy: do the right thing," he told the outlet, referring to his own family background that saw his father killed in the Second World War. "Anybody who knows Bono should go and pick him up by his ankles and shake him until he stops being an enormous shit. We have to start saying to these people, your opinion is so disgusting and so degrading sticking up for the Zionist entity. What he did a couple of weeks ago in the Sphere in Las Vegas, singing about the Stars of David, was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen in my life." Over recent months, the outspoken former Pink Floyd member has been in the news for his comments on the conflict in Palestine and accusations of anti-Semitism. Waters has repeatedly denied all accusations of anti-Semitism and explained that his disdain is towards Israel, not Judaism. He also accused Israel of "abusing the term anti-Semitism to intimidate people like me into silence." He was recently the subject of a documentary, The Dark Side Of Roger Waters, which was produced by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism and collates various incidents of alleged anti-Semitism levelled against the musician. Rogers spoke out against the documentary with a post to his official website, dismissing the project as "a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda." On Feb. 17, U2 once again used their Sphere residency show to speak out on behalf of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who suddenly died the day before. - NME, 2/19/24...... Speaking on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio show on Feb. 19, Billy Joel reflected on the 1985 recording sessions for the charity single "We Are The World," and an interesting exchange between Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan. "Funny things were happening," said Joel, who said he happened to be in Los Angeles at the time for Grammys week and thought to himself: "What the hell, this could be fun." "Bob Dylan was shy to sing on his own. So Stevie Wonder comes out and is telling Bob how to sing like Bob Dylan. 'We are the world. We are the children.' And Dylan's like, 'Okay, I think I can do that.' Stevie Wonder teaching Bob Dylan to sing like Bob Dylan was a moment." Later, Joel shared his escapades with Bruce Springsteen during the song's recording. "When everybody's singing together, sometimes Bruce and I are in the chorus and sometimes we're not because there was a big pile of deli sandwiches on the other side of the room and we kept going over to get a beer and a sandwich." "We Are The World" went on to top charts across the world, and is the ninth best-selling single of all time. It is the subject of a new Netflix documentary, The Greatest Night In Pop, and is available for streaming exclusively on the platform now. Joel also revealed he once thought of "putting together a supergroup with the likes of Don Henley, Sting and John Mayer, but admitted he doesn't "have the nerve" to team up with Paul McCartney. When asked why the band never came to be, the musician replied, "Well, everybody's busy." Joel's full interview with Stern can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 2/19/24...... Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett said one of the songs on his new concept album The Circus and the Nightwhale was inspired by a fever dream. "I dreamt that melody many years ago when I was recovering from [the often fatal] swamp fever. I heard this beautiful music that felt very healing," Hackett told Prog magazine. "I was telling the story to [famed cover artist] Roger Dean, and he said, 'I find that fascinating! Why don't you record it?' I thought, 'Are people really going to be interested in things I've literally dreamt?' But it felt like a gift, something otherworldly I had to use sooner or later." Although his own life had an impact on the new collection, the 73-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member created a fictional protagonist called Travla to focus on. He explained: "It's the arc of a life that starts literally. Then it becomes metaphorical and we start to embrace story, not just little Stevie Hackett and his guitar exploits." Hackett described the process of making the album -- which he compared to "a film for the ear" -- as "extraordinary." "It's been extraordinary making this record. I grew up in a time when music changed the world, and I've always felt the album can be a really powerful force. I really hope people enjoy listening to this one." - Music-News.com, 2/19/24...... The family of Brian Wilson have confirmed they are planning to place the Beach Boys legend under a new conservatorship following a Feb. 15 report that the 81-year-old has dementia and the family was seeking to appoint new conservators following the death of his wife Melinda Ledbetter Wilson in January.Confirming their plans, the family wrote on Wilson's Instagram page, "Following the passing of Brian's beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, (housekeeper) Gloria Ramos and Brian's doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian's co-conservators of the person." In court documents, it was claimed Wilson "does not have the capacity to give informed consent to the administration of medications appropriate to the care and treatment of major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia)" and is also allegedly unable to provide for his personal needs "for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter." In the statement, the family continued, "This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family." They added, "Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses." A hearing about the proposed conservatorship arrangement will take place on Apr. 26. Wilson, who suffers from schizoaffective disorder, mild manic depression and auditory hallucinations, had been in a conservatorship arrangement with Melinda ever since they married in 1995. Before that, he was given a court-appointed conservator named Jerome Billet in 1992. - Music-News.com, 2/17/24...... John Schneider, co-star of the hit '70s comedy The Dukes of Hazzard, is being slammed for recent comments he made on the conservative TV channel One American News in which he shared his thoughts on Beyoncé's upcoming country music album. "The lefties in the entertainment industry just won't leave any area alone, right? They just have to seize control over every aspect, don't they?" the OANews host asked Schneider in an already leading series of questions. Scheider, 63, replied: They've got to make their mark, just like a dog in a dog walk park. You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right? So that's what's going on here." The comparison to a dog had 42-year-old Beyoncé's fans up in arms. "This is racism at its best," one wrote on X/Twitter. "Former Dukes of Hazzards has-been likens Beyoncé to a urinating dog because she decides to make a Country Western album. He needs to research Country Western." "Comparing Beyonce to a dog is racist and hateful," wrote another. "As a country fan, I welcome her and let's see what she has. John Schneider is another low life white supremacist." Others pointed out that Beyoncé, unlike John, "hails from Texas -- the home of country music... He's lame just like his songs and his acting." During her the recent Super Bowl, Beyoncé announced she'll release her followup to Renaissance with a disc titled Act II in March. "This ain't Texas," she could be heard crooning over finger-picked guitars. "Ain't no hold 'em/ So lay our cards down, down, down, down." The clip then cut to a black screen that read "Act II, 3.29." One of her new songs, "Texas Hold 'Em," has already landed a spot on Billboard's Country Airplay chart, marking Beyoncé's first time on the country charts. - Billboard, 2/19/24...... That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson -- who was sentenced last September to 30 years to life behind bars after being found guilty of raping two women 20 years ago -- was transferred from North Kern State Prison to Corcoran State Prison in California on Jan. 29, but after less than two weeks at the high security facility, he has been relocated again to California's Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo. Masterson was moved most recently due to concern for "the inmate's well-being" while he was at Corcoran, which is best known for having housed notorious cult leader Charles Manson for the two decades before his death in 2017. The Men's Colony is a medium and minimum-security facility, and according to a description on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's website, inmates "have the opportunity to take advantage of increased academic and career/technical education, as well as self-improvement programmes including: cognitive behaviour therapy programmes, substance abuse education, criminal thinking, anger management and family relationships." In January, Masterson was denied bail while he appeals his case over concerns he has "every incentive to flee." Los Angeles Superior Court judge Charlaine F. Olmedo wrote: "If defendant's conviction and sentence are upheld on appeal, he will likely remain in custody for decades and perhaps the rest of his life. In light of the fact that defendant has no wife to go home to, defendant now has every incentive to flee and little reason to return to state prison to serve out the remainder of his lengthy sentence should his appeal be unsuccessful." The judge's decision to deny bail comes as Masterson has appealed against his rape conviction. His lawyers had argued that he possessed a "lack of dangerousness" and wouldn't be a flight risk, claiming they now had "extensive exculpatory evidence that was not presented to the jury." - Bang Showbiz, 2/19/24.

The estate of late '70s disco queen Donna Summer is charging rapper Kanye West with using an unauthorized interpolation of Summer's 1977 hit "I Feel Love" in his song "Good (Don't Die)" from his new album Vultures 1. "Kanye West... asked permission to use Donna Summer's song I Feel Love, he was denied... he changed the words, had someone re sing it or used AI but it's I Feel Love... copyright infringement!!!," reads a statement posted on Summer's official Instagram account on Feb. 10. On West's new song, the lyric "Oh, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive" is seemingly set to the melody of "I Feel Love." On Feb. 9, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne also called out West on social media, saying that Kanye had asked to sample a song but was "refused permission because he is an antisemite." Osbourne said West used a sample of a Black Sabbath track anyway at a recent Vultures 1 listening party at Chicago's United Center "I want no association with this man!" the rocker wrote. Although Osbourne said online that West asked to sample "War Pigs," the song he seems to have used at the event is "Iron Man." West has extended an apology to the Jewish community for has anti-Semitic comments. - Billboard, 2/10/24...... A 50th anniversary reissue of Paul McCartney and Wings's classic 1973 set Band on the Run has returned to the Billboard Hot 200 album chart after more than a decade. The album re-entered the Top Album Sales chart at No. 5, debuted at No. 7 on the Vinyl Albums tally, re-entered at No. 6 on Tastemaker Albums and debuted at No. 37 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums. On the overall Billboard 200 chart, where the album hit No. 1 in 1974, the set re-entered at No. 156 -- its first appearance on the chart since Jan. 1, 2011. The album sold 8,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 8 (up 14,681%) according to Luminate. The reissued Band on the Run is available in a number of formats, including a single-LP vinyl release cut at half-speed, a double-LP vinyl set at half-speed with a bonus "underdubbed" version of the album, and as a double-CD set (also with the underdubbed mixes). "This is Band on the Run in a way you've never heard before," McCartney said of the new remixes last December. "When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that's an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed." Meanwhile, Sir Paul reunited with pop sensation Taylor Swift for a short time during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. The Beatles legend and the "All Too Well" singer had previously teamed up a few years ago for a wide-ranging conversation for Rolling Stone magazine's "Musicians on Musicians" series. Before that, McCartney has said that "Who Cares," an anti-bullying track from his 2018 solo album Egypt Station, was actually inspired by Swift and the fan connection she has. In still more Macca news, a five-year search by music instrument manufacturer Hofner has reunited Sir Paul with his beloved 1961 Hofner electric bass guitar that went missing a half century ago. McCartney had asked Hofner to help find the missing instrument that helped launch Beatlemania phenomenon in the early 1960s, according to Scott Jones, a journalist who teamed up with Hofner executive Nick Wass to track it down. McCartney bought the bass for about £30 ($37) in 1961 when the Beatles were developing their chops during a series of residencies in Hamburg, Germany. The instrument was played on the Beatles first two records and featured on hits such as "Love Me Do," "Twist and Shout," and "She Loves You." It was rumored to have been stolen around the time the Beatles were recording their final album, Let it Be, in 1969. But no one was sure when it went missing. The big break came in Sept. 2023 when sound engineer Ian Horne, who had worked with McCartney's band Wings, got in touch. He said the bass had been swiped from the back of his van one night in the Notting Hill section of London in 1972. Horne couldn't remember the date, but a former trainee reporter for a London newspaper got in touch and said he had written an article on the theft. Scott's wife Naomi Jones located the item in the British Library that provided the date and other details. They were then contacted by a person who said their father had stolen the bass. "The thief didn't set out to steal McCartney's instrument and panicked when he realized what he had," Jones said. The man ended up selling it to Ron Guest, landlord of the Admiral Blake pub, for a few pounds and some beers. As the Joneses were starting to look for relatives of Guest, word had already reached his family. His daughter-in-law contacted McCartney's studio. Cathy Guest said that the old bass that had been in her attic for years looked like the one they were looking for. It had been passed from Ron Guest to his oldest son, who died in car wreck, and then to a younger son, Haydn Guest, who was married to Cathy and died in 2020. The instrument was returned to McCartney in December and then it took about two months to authenticate it. The instrument is estimated to be worth £10 million ($12.6 million US). - Billboard/AP, 12/16/24...... A source close to Elton John has revealed the Rocket Man is working on new music just months after completing his marathon farewell tour. "It's all been very top secret but Elton is back in the studio working on a new album," the source told the UK paper The Sun's Bizarre column on Feb. 15. "Time frames are always movable but the fourth quarter has been pencilled in terms of a release date. He adores music and that will never change but the desire to be as busy as he was has waned," the source added. The insider added that Elton -- who is married to David Furnish and the father of Zachary, 13, and 11-year-old Elijah -- will still continue with his other ventures but just wants to spend more time with his family after such a mammoth world tour. "Elton will still have a Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music and his finger is very much still on the pulse; he just wants to slow down a bit and spend the time with his family but the new album is coming." Sir Elton has released a total of 31 studio albums since beginning his career in the late 1960s and his latest LP came in the form of The Lockdown Sessions in 2021, on which he collaborated with the likes of Miley Cyrus, Stevie Wonder, Nicki Minaj and Brandi Carlile. That same year, he duetted with Dua Lipa on "Cold Heart" and wrapped up the year by joining Ed Sheeran for the holiday track "Merry Christmas" before collaborating with Britney Spears on "Hold Me Closer"' in 2022. John completed his 330-date tour in Sweden last July and told the audience that he may do "something else" in the to come but for the time being just wanted to enjoy a break. - Music-News.com, 2/16/24...... As the US faces the tragedy of its 50th mass shooting so far in 2024 with the killing of a popular Kansas City DJ/radio personality and the wounding of more than 20 people at a Feb. 14 parade celebrating the recent victory of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, Indiana rocker John Mellencamp has issued a forceful statement about gun violence in America. "Excuse me for saying the obvious truth. I do so out of love for this country and the pain of learning, once again, that children have been killed by gun violence," posted Mellencamp, a longtime gun control advocate. "If we as a country want to find the collective will within ourselves to change our gun laws, let's stop playing silly political games. Show the carnage on the news. Show the American people the dead children and others who have been struck down. Show us what guns and bullets can do to the human body," he added. Mellencamp, a 72-year-old father of five, released his 25th album, Orpheus Descending, in 2023, which included the anti-gun violence track "Hey God." "Weapons and guns, are they really my rights?/ Laws written a long time ago/ No one could imagine the sight of so many dead on the floor," he sings on the track, adding, "Hey, God, if you're still there, would you please come down? We can't take it anymore." Mellencamp's full statement can be viewed on Instagram. - Billboard, 2/16/24...... Billy Joel has returned to the Top 10 of Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart with "Turn the Lights Back On," his first new single release in 17 years. It is Joel's 24th Adult Contemporary top 10, and first since his version of Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love" hit No. 9 in Aug. 1997. "Turn the Lights Back On" was released by Columbia Records on Feb. 1, and the song's official video arrived Feb. 16. In the video, which has been shared on YouTube, generative AI is used to portray the now 74-year-old Piano Man in all his different eras. Meanwhile, Joel has announced a The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden - The Greatest Arena Run of All Time special will be coming to the CBS network. The special is scheduled to be filmed on Mar. 28, which will mark Joel's 100th consecutive performance at the iconic New York City venue. It's set to air on Apr. 14 from 9 to 11 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. The special will also be available to stream live or on demand in the US for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers; Paramount+ Essential subscribers will have access to watch it on demand in the U.S. the day after its debut. Joel's first gig at Madison Square Garden was on Dec. 14, 1978. Joel is set to perform at select stadiums around the US with Stevie Nicks and Sting in between his ongoing residency at MSG. - Billboard, 2/16/24...... It was announced on Feb. 15 that Rod Stewart has sold his song catalog to music industry mogul Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group. Styled as a "wide-ranging cross-media" partnership, the deal with IAG includes the raspy singer-songwriter's rights to his sound recordings and his interest in his publishing, as well as certain name, image and likeness rights. The company, which Azoff co-founded in Jan.y 2020, declined to offer financial particulars of its deal with Stewart, who joins an elite roster of IAG acts that includes the Beach Boys, Cher, Linda Ronstadt, Joe Cocker, Dan Fogelberg, Nat "King" Cole, Dean Martin and Crosby, Stills and Nash. The partnership with IAG arrives less than a year after Stewart backed out of a potential catalog sale to Hipgnosis following lengthy negotiations. Yet now Stewart says he believes the "time is right" and that "I feel fortunate to have found partners in Irving and his team at Iconic that I can entrust with my life's work and future musical legacy." - Billboard, 2/15/24...... The family of Brian Wilson issued a statement on Instagram on Feb. 15 stating the Beach Boys mastermind will be placed into a conservatorship amid his battle with dementia. The statement noted that following the death of Wilson's wife and longtime manger, Melinda Ledbetter, in January, the decision was made to appoint two longtime family representatives as co-conservators. "Following the passing of Brian's beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, Gloria Ramos and Brian's doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard [his longtime business manager] and Jean Sievers [a longtime publicist] will serve as Brian's co-conservators of the person," read the statement. "This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family." The note concluded by saying that the arrangement will allow Wilson to "enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses." People magazine recently obtained a copy of the court filing for the conservatorship that reportedly noted that Wilson is suffering from a "major neurocognitive disorder (such as dementia)," and that his team said he is "unable to properly provide for his or her personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter." Wilson has long suffered from mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder, with the latter known to cause hallucinations, paranoia and distorted reality. Meanwhile a "lost" 1970's country music-themed album produced by Brian is finally set to be released. The collection, entitled Cows in the Pasture, features the vocals of former Beach Boys manager Fred Vail and will be released sometime in 2025, per Rolling Stone magazine. Wilson is an executive producer and added his vocals to one of the tracks. The pair worked on the songs during the time of the recording of the classic 1970 BB album Sunflower, recruiting guitarist James Burton, pianist Glen D. Hardin (members of Elvis Presley's touring band), and steel guitarist Red Rhodes. Unfortunately, Wilson decided to ditch the project as he allegedly "lost interest." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 2/16/24...... A 50th anniversary edition of David Bowie's 1974 album Diamond Dogs is set to be released later in 2024. The limited edition, half-speed mastered LP will also be released as a picture disc LP pressed from the same master. The records will be released on May 24 via Parlophone, on the exact day of the album's anniversary. Bowie produced the original album himself and played lead guitar in the absence of Mick Ronson. It came out of a period when Bowie had been attempting to make an adaptation of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four as well as project based on the writing of William S. Burroughs, but both had fallen through. - New Musical Express, 2/15/24...... In other Bowie-related news, Queen guitarist Brian May revealed that he has "never liked" the mix of "Under Pressure," the band's 1981 smash hit collaboration with Bowie, and "bowed out" to Bowie in a fight to mix the song. Speaking in an interview with Total Guitar, May revealed that the original version of "Under Pressure" "sounded massively chord-driven," but that much of its "heavy guitar was lost" following Bowie's input on the final mix. Recalling the song's creation, May said "Under Pressure" was the result of spontaneous late nights in the studio, with the initial cut featuring a "pretty heavy backing track." At first, May said he was "beaming" over the heavier guitar sound because it reminded him of The Who. May raised that comparison to Bowie, who said "'it's not going to sound like The Who by the time I've finished with it.'" May continued: "[Bowie] didn't want it to be that way." The guitarist said that the changes were made because "we all had different ideas of how ["Under Pressure"] should be mixed," specifically naming Bowie and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. "I do recognise that it works. It's a point of view, and it's done very well," he added. "People love it... David was an awesome creative force, but you can't have too many awesome creative forces in the same room. It starts to get very difficult." In live shows, the guitarist said he now performs "Under Pressure" "quite a bit different" to the released version, leaning into its more guitar-heavy origins. "It is a lot heavier and I think it benefits from it," May said. He also told Total Guitar that he struggles to play the complex guitar riff on the iconic Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody." He said the lick of the band's 1975 hit is so "unusual" he finds contorting his hand into the notes and chords when his adrenaline is pumping in front of fans. May says it's not a riff that he would naturally play. "And that's a double-edged sword. It's difficult for the guitar to get a hold of it, it's very unusual. And to be honest, I still don't find it easy!" - NME, 2/13/24...... A 30th anniversary 4-CD/1 DVD box set edition of the 1993 Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got to Do with It will eature the remastered original album on CD1, with CD2 sporting a compilation of edits, remixes and acapella tracks. CD3 and CD4 are comprised of Turner's 1993 live show at Blockbuster Pavilion in San Bernardino, Calif. This remastered footage can also be watched on the DVD along with three music videos. The boxed set also boasts a poster and a 24-page booklet. Additional album formats include one LP and two CDs; it will also be available to stream digitally. The brand-new special edition collection will be released on Apr. 26 by Rhino. - Billboard, 2/14/24...... Reviews of the new Bob Marley biopic One Love have been less than enthusiastic since the reggae legend's biopic debuted in US theaters on Feb. 14, with many critics stating it is something of a well-intentioned failure. Many reviewers felt the movie, made with the full cooperation of Bob's family, was too reverent of its subject to be truly engaging. "This is a reverent Hallmark Channel-type film," Peter Bradshaw wrote in The Guardian, while Michael O'Sullivan in The Washington Post described the film as "an effort to render Marley's story in more messianic terms: His music, we're told, was not just something to get high to but a gospel-like message of unity, peace and love." Owen Gleiberman for Variety kept it simple: "One Love flirts with complexity but slides into the banality of hero worship." - Music-News, 2/15/24...... KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons is among a wide-ranging group of more than 400 musicians, actors, agents and managers and studio executives signed an open letter to the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest rejecting attempts by some participating countries to bar Israel from participating in this year's event. Among others lending their names to the letter from the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community for Peace were: Boy George, Sharon Osbourne, Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber, Debra Messing, Diane Warren and Selma Blair, among many others. The letter supports the European Broadcasting Union's commitment to including Israel in this year's contest amid calls last month from Swedish and Finnish artists demanding Israel's exclusion from the contest over their belief that including the country "undermines" the spirit of the competition. The letters cited Israel's ongoing response to the deadly Oct. 7 surprise assault on the nation from Hamas militants in which more than 1,200 Israelis -- mostly civilians -- were murdered, sexually assaulted and attacked and more than 250 were taken hostage. Simmons, who was born in Israel to a Holocaust survivor mother, wrote, "Music unites people from all backgrounds. It's the one language that everyone can understand. It's a beautiful thing and a great way to bring people together. Those advocating to exclude an Israeli singer from Eurovision don't move the needle towards peace, but only further divide the world." - Billboard, 2/14/24...... Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley is facing a lawsuit that claims she illegally turned her back on a former business partner who had helped her "dig herself out of impending financial ruin" and played a key role in getting the recent Priscilla biopic movie made. The lawsuit, filed in 2023, claims that Priscilla partnered with a woman named Brigitte Kruse in 2022 to help develop and monetize her name and likeness rights -- a move that came as Presley was allegedly "60 days from insolvency" and facing $700,000 in unpaid tax debt. But Kruse claims that in Aug. 2023, Presley and two new advisors suddenly sent her a cease-and-desist letter and "cut off all communication" with her former partner. She claims the sudden about-face came as her extensive and time-consuming efforts on Presley's behalf were finally paying off. "Though [Kruse's company] was integral to the Priscilla movie, all individuals other than Priscilla were excluded from the premiere of the Priscilla movie at the Venice Film Festival," reads the October lawsuit, which was first reported on Feb. 14 by DailyBeast.com. Presley's lawyers are seeking to toss out the case on the grounds she has no connections to the Florida county where Priscilla Presley Partners filed the lawsuit, meaning the court lacks jurisdiction to hear it. A hearing on Presley's motion to dismiss is scheduled for May. Attorneys for PPP did not immediately return a request for comment. Morgan, who was not named as a defendant or accused of any wrongdoing, could not immediately be located for comment. - Billboard, 2/14/24...... On Feb. 14 Neil Young and Crazy Horse announced their first tour together in a decade and shared details of their new album. Young and his longtime backing band will reunite to play the upcoming 16-date 2024 "Love Earth" tour, which gets underway on Apr. 24 in San Diego. After a second show there on Apr. 25 they'll also visit such major markets as Phoenix (4/27), Dallas (5/2), Atlanta (5/7), Queens, NY (5/14) and Toronto (5/22) before wrapping in Chicago on May 23. The band also revealed their upcoming album FU##IN' UP,, which will contain songs from the band's 50 year career, freshly recorded for 2024. The album will have its initial release on Record Store Day (Apr. 20); it will arrive in all formats on Apr. 26. Young said of the new album: "In the spirit it's offeredmade this for the Horse lovers. I can't stop it. The horse is runnin'. What a ride we have. I don't want to mess with the vibe. I am so happy to have this to share." Neil Young and Crazy Horse last reunited in 2014, where they played London's Hyde Park BST. - NME, 2/14/24...... The inaugural 2024 "Fool in Love Festival" featuring Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Santana, Al Green, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Gladys Knight, The O'Jays, Dionne Warwick, The Stylistics, The Chi-Lites, Kool & The Gang, George Clinton and Smokey Robinson will take place Aug. 31 at Sofi Stadium-adjacent Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. Also slated to perform at the show are Santana, Eric Burdon & the Animals, the Jacksons, War and The Spinners. The full lineup can be viewed on Instagram.com. - Billboard, 2/14/24...... Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have announced they're returning to the road, two years after their "Raise the Roof" tour, for nearly 30 headline dates and counting. Beginning June 2 with a centennial celebration for the legendary Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Okla., their ambitious 28-date "Can't Let Go Tour" will also see Plant and Krauss hit such cities as Lincoln, Neb. (6/5), Madison, Wisc. (6/8), Toledo, Oh. (6/14), Vancouver, B.C. (8/13, 14), Seattle (8/16, 17) Stanford, Calif. (8/22), Santa Fe, NM (8/28, 29) and Colorado Springs, Col. (8/31) before wrapping in Vail, Col. on Sept. 1. Drawing from their T Bone Burnett-produced LP Raising Sand and 2021's chart-topping Raise The Roof, Plant and Krauss will deliver a cosmic collision of early blues, country deep cuts, revolutionary folk-rock and lost soul music. - Billboard, 2/13/24...... The first photo of Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson portraying the late singer in the forthcoming biopic Michael has been shared on Variety.com .The pic sees Jaafar performing as Jackson during his Dangerous Tour from 1992-93. "With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael," producer Graham King told Variety. "He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could." Jaafar and nine-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi will play an adult and child version of Michael respectively in the forthcoming biopic. Michael has been confirmed to receive a theatrical release in the U.S. on Apr. 18, 2025 - NME, 2/13/24...... Dolly Parton has broken her silence about the recent controversial performance by country singer Elle King on the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville on Jan. 19. During the Grand Ole Opry's tribute concert for Parton's 78th back in January, King appeared on stage, where she declared that she was "f--king hammered" and forgot the lyrics to Parton's song "Marry Me." During a recent interview with Extra, offered forgiveness and support to the "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home) singer, telling fans: "So let's just forgive that and forget it and move on, 'cause she felt worse than anybody ever could." Following King's performance, the Grand Ole Opry issued an apology via X, responding to one disgruntled attendee's comment, and saying, "We deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used during last night's second Opry performance." King has yet to comment publicly on the incident. Shortly after the Grand Ole Opry performance, King postponed a series of shows, including a concert at famous dancehall Billy Bob's Texas. - Billboard, 2/12/24...... Music legend Mavis Staples will celebrate her 85th birthday in style, with a star-studded celebration to be held on Apr. 18, at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif. The lineup features a who's who of artists who have been inspired and influenced by the soul/gospel/R&B pioneer and civil rights activist, including Black Pumas, Chris Stapleton, Grace Potter, The War and Treaty and Keb' Mo'. The lineup also includes Hozier, Jackson Browne, Jeff Tweedy, Michael McDonald, Nathaniel Rateliff, Norah Jones, Robert Randolph and Taj Mahal, with more artists to be announced. Staples herself will also take the stage during the event. - Billboard, 2/12/24...... On Feb. 12 AC/DC announced dates for their summer U.K./European tour, a 21-show swing in 10 countries slated to kick off with the first of two dates at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on May 17, followed by shows in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland before hitting London's Wembley Stadium for a pair of shows (July 3, 7), Germany, Slovakia and Paris and then winding down with a gig at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland on Aug. 17. The European tour follows AC/DC's long-awaited return to the stage last year at the all-star hard rock Power Trip festival in Indio, Calif. The band began teasing their 2024 return on socials earlier in February, posting images of a lightning bolt and a countdown cued to a snippet of "Are You Ready" from 1990's The Razors Edge. The band's announcement and the full schedule of tour dates can be viewed on X. - Billboard, 2/12/24...... ABBA have announced a 50th anniversary reissue release of their breakthrough 1974 album Waterloo in a host of formats along with brand new merchandise. The album will be released as a Half-Speed mastered 45RPM 2LP Vinyl, along with a limited edition box set of the three vinyl singles originally released by Polar Records in 1974. The singles -- which as well as the title track include classics such as "Honey, Honey" and "Hasta Maana" -- will also be made available as separate picture discs and a 10-inch vinyl featuring the title track in four different languages will also be released. The 50th anniversary reissue of Waterloo is due for release on Apr. 5. - Music-News.com, 2/15/24...... Frankie Beverly, frontman of the legendary '70s R&B group Maze, has announced that a Maze farewell tour will kick off in Atlanta at the State Farm Arena on Mar. 22 and wrap in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum on May 12. Other stops include Mobile, Ala, Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles. "I want to share with my lifelong fans and associates that I'll be going out on the road one last time, then retire," Beverly said in a statement. "Thank you so much for the support given to me for over 50 years as I pass on the lead vocalist torch to Tony Lindsay. The band will continue on as Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly. It's been a great ride through the decades. Let the music of my legacy continue." Throughout its 54-year-long career, Maze has scored nine gold albums and a string of hits including "Before I Let Go" -- which Beyoncé lovingly covered on her live album Homecoming. Among Beverly and Maze's early mentors was Marvin Gaye. After relocating to San Francisco and meeting Gaye in 1971, the group began touring as the R&B/pop legend's opening act. - Billboard, 2/14/24...... Damo Suzuki, a member of the experimental German group Can, died on Feb. 9, the group posted on Instagram on Feb. 10. He was 74. "It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing of our wonderful friend Damo Suzuki, yesterday, Friday 9th February 2024," Can wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of Suzuki. "His boundless creative energy has touched so many over the whole world, not just with Can, but also with his all continent spanning Network Tour. Damo's kind soul and cheeky smile will be forever missed." Suzuki officially joined Can in 1970 and appeared on the band's classic run of albums, including Tago Mago (1971), Ege Bamyasi (1972) and Future Days (1973). He was known for his improvisational singing style, mixing words in English and Japanese, which helped define the group's sound. Suzuki left Can in 1973 after marrying a German woman and converting to Jehovah's Witness. He returned with several new musical projects in the 1980s, including Damo Suzuki's Network and Damo Suzuki Band. With a rotation of vocalists, Can continued on a path of unabated experimentation for 20 years, releasing its swansong, Rite Time, in 1989. The group has proven amongst the most influential in rock history, particularly for subsequent generations of experimental acts such as the Talking Heads, Brian Eno, Sonic Youth and Tortoise. - Billboard, 2/11/24...... Cable TV channel A&E will celebrate James Brown with a two-night documentary event entitled James Brown: Say It Loud on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. Across four hours, the special traces the incredible trajectory of the "Godfather of Soul"'s life and career -- from a 7th grade drop-out arrested and jailed at the age of 16 for breaking into a car in the Jim Crow-era South, to an entertainment legend whose groundbreaking talent and unique perspective catapulted him to become a dominant Black creative and cultural force in the 1960s and forward. The special examines Brown's legacy through exclusive interviews, never-before-seen archival footage and his beloved music catalog. Directed by Deborah Riley Draper, James Brown: Say It Loud was executive produced by Mick Jagger and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. The series will also be available on demand and to stream on the A&E App and aetv.com. A sneak peek can be viewed on YouTube. - aetv.com, 1/18/24...... BBC Radio legend Steve Wright, who spent over 40 years as one of the most popular presenters on BBC Radio, has died at the age of 69. The news was confirmed in a statement by his family, who wrote: "It is with deep sorrow and profound regret that we announce the passing of our beloved Steve Wright... As we all grieve, the family requests privacy at this immensely difficult time." Wright began on BBC Radio 1 in 1980, settling into his Steve Wright in the Afternoon show the following year. He remained at the station until 1995, briefly hosting the Breakfast Show, and later became an institution at BBC Radio 2, presenting in his trademark time slot from 1999 to 2022. He also hosted the show Sunday Love Songs on Radio 2 up until his death, and recently replaced the veteran broadcaster Paul Gambaccini on the station's Pick of the Pops in late 2022. - NME, 2/13/24.