Posted by Administrator on September 3rd, 2024
Roger Waters has responded to Australian musician Nick Cave after Cave criticized Waters' stand on a boycott of Israel, telling him "it's not complicated." Guesting on the Reason podcast on Aug. 28, Cave said Waters' support of the BDS movement for Palestinian rights is "embarrassing" and "deeply damaging." Posting on Instagram to his 1.3 million followers, Waters explained that the UK paper Independent ran a piece about Cave's statements and reached out to him for a comment. "Let's see if they f---ing publish it or not," Waters said in the video, and read his comment aloud. He said, in part: "Dear Independent, here is my response to the Aussie bloke. Nick Cave. Nick f---ing Cave. The Palestinian mother/father carrying the bits of her or his dead child back along the bitter road to nowhere in a plastic bag pauses on the roadside to scratch a message in the rubble. Nick, here's the message. Dear Nick Cave, we, the Indigenous people of Palestine, in this agony, implore you, please don't cross the BDS picket line to sing for your supper in Israel. It's not complicated, Nick. It's not complicated. That act -- singing for your supper in Israel, Nick -- that act serves to whitewash the 75-year-old Zionist Israeli occupation, land theft, apartheid, and genocide of our people, Nick. Please, please, please follow the example of Roger Waters and Brian Eno and many, many thousands of others who are active in the BDS movement. Nick, pay attention." Waters, now 80, has been a supporter of the boycott (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions or BDS) movement since 2011. - New Musical Express, 9/1/24...... 
In other Pink Floyd-related news, David Gilmour has told the UK paper The Sun that his tenure in the legendary psychedelic rock band receives "way too much deference." Gilmour reflected on the weight of his achievements with the band, saying: "After you achieve these dizzying heights, people tend to show you way too much deference. It becomes hard to retrieve the setup you had when you were young. In the earlier stages of Pink Floyd, we could be as rude and insulting to each other about our personalities and our music as we wanted -- and yet everything would be all right in the end." Referencing Roger Waters' exit from the band in 1985, he said "No one ever stomped off permanently, until that bloke did." Gilmour explained he felt "thrust into being band leader," but prefers "a more collaborative approach." On Apr. 27, Gilmour posted to X announcing that his new solo album, Luck and Strange, will be released on Sept. 6. More recently, he said the new album is the "best" music he's made since The Dark Side Of The Moon. Gilmour will tour behind the new album later in 2024, marking his return to the stage for the first time in eight years. It includes five shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London. - NME, 8/30/24...... Stevie Wonder dropped a new song titled "Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart" on Spotify on Aug. 30 that features a strong call for unity over an acoustic guitar as he demands in the hook: "Can we fix our nation's broken heart?/ Are we brave enough to try?" While the song is not political in its lyrics, the track's release is timely with the American presidential election coming up in November. Wonder took the stage on the third night of the Democratic National Convention in August, sharing some powerful remarks for the audience before performing "Higher Ground," off his 1973 album, Innervisions. "This is a moment to tell your children where you were and what you did," he declared. "When we stand between history's pain and tomorrows promises we must choose courage complacency." Throughout his career, Wonder has always stood up against injustices through song, most recently in 2020 by releasing two new songs, "Where Is Our Love Song?" and "Can't Put It in the Hands of Fate." He also lobbied hard to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday in 1986. - Billboard, 8/30/24...... On Aug. 28 Barry Manilow filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against the Hipgnosis Song Fund (HSF) in federal court in California for what he claims are unpaid bonuses related to the music rights company's acquisition of his catalog in 2020. The suit by the "Mandy" singer, along with his management company Hastings, Clayton & Tucker Inc, or Stiletto Entertainment, follows a similar lawsuit HSF filed in August in London alleging breach of contract relating to the bonus payments. Before Blackstone's $1.6 billion acquisition of HSF and its prized portfolio that includes songs by Manilow, Shakira, Red Hot Chili Peppers and others, shareholders of the publicly listed music royalty trust had revolted over, among other things, the late disclosure of some $40 million in unpaid bonus checks owed to artists. That liability on the fund's balance sheet combined with suspension of investors' dividends and accounting scandals ultimately led to investors giving the fund's board a vote of no confidence a move that resulted in Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis separating from the fund and investment adviser and to the fund's board selling the portfolio to Blackstone. Hipgnosis acquired 100% of Manilow's worldwide recording royalties (excluding SoundExchange royalties), comprising 917 songs, for an initial purchase price of $7.5 million in 2020. The deal included some of the 81-year-old singer's biggest hits, including "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "Looks Like We Made It," "Can't Smile Without You" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)." In the 14-page complaint, Manilow and Stiletto Entertainment say HSF agreed to make two additional payments of $750,000 each if HSF's earnings from the catalog reached certain benchmarks. Manilow and his management company claim those benchmarks have been met, but that HSF engaged "in a prolonged game of cat and mouse to avoid that obligation." - Billboard, 8/30/24...... The most recent legal battle between Journey members Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon appears to be over after Schon conceded to the appointment of a neutral third party to resolve the "deadlock" that Cain has claimed is crippling the band's operations. On Aug. 28, a Delaware judge appointed a so-called "custodian," former Chancery Court judge Joseph R. Slights, to break ties between the two longtime bandmates. The ruling came a month after Cain sued Schon seeking such an umpire, claiming their endless disputes pose "a severe threat of harm" to the band's "storied history of musical greatness." The order comes after Schon agreed to the appointment of such a neutral party. In his written ruling, the judge wrote: "Schon does not oppose the court's appointment of a custodian with the power to act as a third, deadlock breaking director." In a statement, a spokesman for Cain said he was "elated with the outcome and looks forward to moving beyond this matter so that Journey can continue the band's 50th Anniversary Freedom Tour." In a Facebook post in late August, Schon said recent accusations leveled by Cain against him and his wife were "slanderous" and that he "can't stress enough how much it upset me and how wrong they are." But he hinted that a deal was close to resolve the lawsuit by appointing a neutral third party like Judge Slights. Legal battles are nothing new for Cain and Schon, as the two have repeatedly fought in court over the band's finances over the past two years. - Billboard, 8/28/24...... 
Moon Unit Zappa was only 14 years old when she helped her father, art rock legend Frank Zappa, accomplish something he had done before. Their 1982 collaboration "Valley Girl," on which Moon performed the stream-of-consciousness, quasi-rap vocals, became her dad's first and only Top 40 hit. Behind the scenes, though, her home life wasn't easy. Now 56, Moon is telling all in her new memoir Earth to Moon, which details her complicated relationship with her frequently absent father, who died in 1993, and her emotionally abusive mother, Gail Zappa, who died in 2015 and whom Moon calls her "first bully." Now a mother to daughter Mathilda, 19, whom she shares with her ex-husband Matchbox Twenty drummer Paul Doucette, Moon says she's "dancing more than your average person might" and "giving myself a second chance at a childhood." Earth to Moon is due via HarperCollins on Aug. 20. - People, 9/2/24...... Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has reflected on coming out in the late '90s and how it's "never too late." In a recent interview with Fugues.com, Halford was asked if other gay musicians had asked him for advice before coming out. Halford publicly came out while performing live on MTV in 1998. "Yes, that has happened, but I won't name names because everyone comes out when it's their time," he said. "As we all know, set yourself free. It's such a difficult thing for us to do, even now in 2024 because we still have this ongoing challenge of hate and bigotry and intolerance and divisiveness. You think it would be a lot easier, but it's not. The struggle is still very real for young people, and that's where I hope any conversations I have with others do some good." He continued: "You know, I read a story not long ago about a guy in his 90s who came out just before he took his dying breath. Glory hallelujah! It's never too late to set yourself free because, as we know, once you're out, the attacks float away. I'm f---ing here, I'm queer, get f----ng used to it!" He also added that coming out "saved his life" along with becoming sober. Judas Priest released their 15th album, Invincible Shield, in March. - NME, 8/30/24...... The Kinks guitarist/vocalist Dave Davies has blasted an AI cover of his pioneering British rock band's song "You Really Got Me," saying it's like "a horror show." The YouTube clip of the song, claiming to be a "new original song," was called "Hop Skip Jump!" and uploaded to YouTube back in January, but has since been deleted. Reacting to the video, Davies posted to X: "What the f---- is this??? This Kinks AI cover is like horror show sounds f----in horrible." Star Wars actor Mark Hamill commented to say it had been taken down, writing "You will be happy to know when I clicked on this it said 'video unavailable.' (Still curious what The Kinks AI would sound like though)." Davies, 77, also recently took to his X account to share his shock that his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trophy up for sale on the auction site eBay "without his consent." The marble plaque from the Kinks' 1990 induction was listed on the re-sale site for $12,500 (£9,860). Davies insisted he had no idea how he lost the award but believes it could have been at the time of his stroke in 2004, as he was "incapacitated." The owner of Colony Records in New York was the seller and said he would come to an agreement with Dave. He wrote: "follow me and shoot me a message on X we will work it out." And it seems they did as the listing was removed. - Music-News.com, 8/29/24...... After the editors at MailOnline.com claimed on Aug. 27 that Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster were "desperately" trying to work on their relationship and had reached a "stalemate" over whether they should continue living in Los Angeles or move back to the U.K., Stewart took to Instagram the following day to insist that the allegations were "erroneous." "We wanted to put the record straight," Stewart wrote. "There is absolutely no rift between Penny and I and no disagreement over where we should reside, in fact, it's the opposite. We moved permanently back to our beloved Britain a year ago but are fortunate to also have homes in different countries, which we love to visit. Originally, we did think it made sense to sell our house in L.A., but having spent a wonderful time there this summer with family and friends during my Vegas residency, we realised that it makes sense to keep our house there." Rod went on to note that two of his children still live at the home in L.A., dubbed Celtic House. And to conclude, the 79-year-old "Maggie May" singer insisted he is a "lucky man." "Penny and I could not be more in love with each other after 27 glorious years. Please trust me on this... there's no disharmony in our marriage," he added. Rod and Penny, 53, wed in 2007 and share two sons; Alastair, 18, and Aiden, 13. He also has six other children from previous relationships. Stewart wrapped on his latest residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in August, and is set to play the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Sept. 8. - Music-News.com, 8/29/24...... 
Highlights of late Fleetwoood Mac keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie's personal collection went on exhibit at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, Tenn. on Aug. 30. The day after the exhibition concludes on Oct. 15, a two-day auction dubbed "Property From the Life and Career of Christine McVie" will take place at the same venue and online via Julien's Auctions, marking the first time the items have been offered to the public. More than 650 of McVie's belongings will be available to bid on in the auction, including the Hammond XK-5 organ she played on tour with Fleetwood Mac (estimated $6,000-$8,000), a Yamaha CLP-470PE digital piano from her London home ($3,000 -- $5,000), a model KP-180-122 Leslie speaker in a red road case labeled "3rd Encore Christine's Locker" ($2,000 -- $4,000), Tusk chord sheets with unknown handwritten lyrics ($800-$1,200) and two setlists annotated by McVie ($600-$800). Pieces of fine art and jewelry will also be for sale. The proceeds of the auction will benefit MusiCares as well as other charities in the U.K. "Christine McVie was a legendary artist and a beloved member of the MusiCares family, always showing deep compassion for those in the music community," said the organization's executive director, Laura Segura, in a statement. "The proceeds from this auction will continue her legacy of giving back, ensuring that musicians receive the support they need. Her love for music and for those who create it will continue to inspire us all." A Julien's video of the auction items can be viewed on YouTube. McVie died in Nov. 2022 at the age of 79. A few months later, her cause of death was revealed to be a stroke. - Billboard, 8/29/24...... Bruce Springsteen has contributed a cover of punk stalwart Jesse Malin's "She Don't Love Me Now" to the new Malin benefit album Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin. "Bruce gave it that Stax-soul-thing that we were dreaming of when we recorded the original. It's so surreal to me," said Malin in a statement. Indeed, in Springsteen's hands -- and with the backing of Malin's band -- the song sounds like a lost soul classic that could have easily fit on The Boss's 2022 R&B/soul covers LP Only the Strong Survive, complete with tasty Hammond organ and a perfectly placed saxophone solo from the E Street Band's Jake Clemons. "Oh, you don't love me when you say/ Oh, all I got is lost/ I'm hanging on that cross/ All I got and all I wanna and all I got is/ Oh, she don't love me now, she don't love me now," Springsteen croons on the song that will appear on the all-star album whose proceeds will benefit Malin's Sweet Relief artist fund as the beloved punk troubadour, 57, continues his recovery from a spinal stroke he suffered in 2023 that left him partially paralyzed. A lyric video for the "She Don't Love Me Now" cover has been shared on YouTube, and Silver Patron Saints is due out Sept. 20. Meanwhile, actor Jeremy Allen White has opened up about preparations for his upcoming role as Springsteen in his biopic, Deliver Me From Nowwhere (reportedly set around the making of Springsteen's classic 1982 album Nebraska). Speaking to GQ magazine, White explained: "I'm really lucky that there's sort of a team of folks now in place to help young actors portray rock stars. I've got a really talented group of people helping me train vocally, musically, to get ready for this thing." The actor, who previously revealed he had texted The Boss in the hopes of meeting him in London, also shared that Springsteen was "really supportive of the project," adding: "I've had some access to him and he's just the greatest guy." The Bear star was announced as part of the film in April after Deadline.com reported that White was the favorite to play a young Springsteen in the movie, which was announced this January. No release date for the film, which will adapt Warren Zane's 2023 novel Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, has been announced yet.- Billboard, 8/28/24...... ABBA has become the latest in a series of pop/rock groups asking Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to stop using their music at campaign rallies, but the Trump campaign says it has permission. "ABBA has recently discovered the unauthorized use of their music and videos at a Trump event through videos that appeared online," a rep for ABBA said in a statement. "As a result, ABBA and its representative has promptly requested the removal and deletion of such content. No request has been received; therefore, no permission or license has been granted," the statement continued. But a spokesman for the Trump campaign said it had obtained a license. "The campaign had a license to play ABBA music through our agreement with BMI and ASCAP," the spokesperson told the Associated Press. ABBA joins a long list of performers who've objected to Trump using their songs. Ahead of the 2020 election, that included Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Adele, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Young, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the Disco, R.E.M. and Guns N' Roses. Campaigns don't need an artist's express permission to play their songs at rallies as long as the political organization or the venue has gotten what's known as a "blanket license" from the performing rights organizations ASCAP and BMI. The Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet said its reporter attended a July Trump rally in Minnesota where ABBA's "The Winner Takes it All" was played. Universal Music in Sweden said videos had surfaced of ABBA's music being played at at least one Trump event. - AP, 8/30/24...... 
Actor James Darren, who went from teen idol status acting in youth-oriented movies like Gidget to become an actor in TV shows such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and T.J. Hooker and a singer and director, died on Sept. 2 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 88. Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Darren studied acting with Stella Adler in New York and was signed to Columbia Pictures, where his first role was in Rumble on the Docks. He went on to appear in films including Operation Madball and Gunmen's Walk before being cast in the 1959 teen movie Gidget, starring Sandra Dee and Cliff Robertson. Darren also sang the title track for the hit movie, which was based on the experiences of a teenaged surfer girl in Malibu and later became a popular TV series. The Gidget theme song launched a successful singer career for Mr. Darren, who had a gold record with "Goodbye Cruel World" in 1961 and released at least 14 albums. He continued to appear in feature films including The Guns of Navarone, The Gene Krupa Story, All the Young Men and Because They're Young. He reprised his role as Moondoggie in Gidget Goes Hawaiian and again in Gidget Goes to Rome, though he was tired of the typecasting by then. Moving into television, he starred in the series "The Time Tunnel and after a brief sojourn in Italy appearing in Jess Franco's Venus in Furs, he went on to guest-star on numerous series including Love, American Style, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. Mr. Darren was a regular on T.J. Hooker from 1983 to 1986 and also moved into TV directing, working on series including Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place. In 1998, he found a new generation of fans in 1998 as Vic Fontaine, the holographic lounge singer on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. His son, broadcaster Jim Moret, said that Mr. Darren had been able to express his love for his family while being treated in the cardiac unit. "He was a good man. He was very talented," Moret said. "He was forever young." Mr. Darren is survived by his wife Evy, sons Jim Moret, Christian Darren and Tony Darren and five grandchildren. - Variety, 9/3/24.
Neil Young has finally spoken about his recent decision to cancel the remaining shows of his summer tour with Crazy Horse. In late June, Young and Crazy Horse took to his Neil Young Archives website to announce the cancellation of those shows, revealing that a couple of band members fell ill following their gig at Detroit's Pine Knob and would have to take "a big unplanned break." Now in a recent Zoom conference call for his NYA followers (captured via Reddit), Young addressed the cancellations, recapping how he felt before and during most of the shows that were played. "I was doing great and we were moving right along. Everybody's loving the shows," he said. "Then I just woke up one morning on the bus and I said, 'I can't do this. I gotta stop.' It was like I felt sick when I thought of going on stage. My body was telling me, 'You gotta stop.' So I listened to my body. Then it gets into all the legal matters: 'You got this, you got that, people bought tickets, they did this, they did that.' I understand that. What matters to me is the art of playing, and the music. That's what matters. That's what people loved. That's what they come to see. But if that's not there, me going is not happening. My body told me to not do it." Young then shared an updated on how he's feeling, and the health of his Crazy Horse members: "But now I'm starting to feel like I could do it again and that's a great feeling. Not all of Crazy Horse -- this happened to a couple of us, and we're not all the way back. Crazy Horse will be back, god willing. And we'll play more." He also shared: "We haven't announced any shows yet, but they are mostly theaters that I played before, little theaters, and then I can play a little bit of acoustic, and then have the band come out and play. They'll probably be on the East Coast and then going towards Michigan and then Ohio, and then a few other ones. They won't be marathons. They won't be two hours and 10 minutes of blasting rock and roll like it was with Crazy Horse." Young is still scheduled to co-headline the 2024 edition of Farm Aid at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Sept. 21. In June, Young and Crazy Horse released a new archival album, Early Daze, recorded in 1969. - New Musical Express, 8/29/24...... 
Bryan Ferry has shared a new single called "Star" -- his first new music in over a decade -- ahead of his upcoming compilation Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023, which is set for release on Oct. 25. The trippy "Star," described as "an anxious, darkly gleaming slab of pounding post-techno," began as a "sketch" by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails, and was developed by Ferry and painter and writer Amelia Barratt, who also features onto the track. "'Star' is a collaboration with the painter and writer Amelia Barratt," Ferry says. "A couple of years ago I helped her record an audiobook here in my studio. I was very impressed by her writing, and this is the first song we did together. I'm very excited about this new work -- there's a lot more to come." The former Roxy Music frontman's Retrospective, which boasts 81 songs, is described in a press release as "a celebration of Bryan Ferry's peerless career as a solo artist, spanning a period of over 50 years of music and 16 solo albums, bringing the story right up to the present with a snapshot of his latest work." Retrospective will be the first collection to span the entirety of Ferry's solo career, covering 16 solo albums and over five decades of recordings. The new collection brings together his recordings with various labels over the years, including Virgin, Polydor and BMG, and will be available in a 5-CD deluxe box set, accompanied by a 100-page hardback book with extensive new liner notes and rare and unseen photographs and imagery. There will also be a 2-LP gatefold edition titled The Best Of Bryan Ferry, comprising 20 tracks, and a 1-CD version made from the same choices. Ferry has shared a video for "Star" on YouTube. - NME, 8/28/24...... Carole King joined a "Swifties for Kamala" live conference call to show support for Democratic presidential candidate Vice-President Kamala Harris on Aug. 27. "I am a Swiftie, and Taylor [Swift] and I are actually friends," the iconic singer-songwriter said. "We have had conversations backstage and I see her as sort of my musical and songwriting granddaughter. We have a lovely relationship, and I'm so proud of her," she told the thousands of listeners who tuned into the livestream. King also noted that her favorite song of Swift's is "Shake It Off" from 1989. King added that she was "excited about Kamala, because so many people are excited about Kamala, and I have met her... I admire her and the stars lined up, and Joe Biden did a really gracious, hard thing to do, and I'm so proud of him. But this is about you. I know you have your ways of communicating and social networking and organizing." King then encouraged Swifties to become in-person volunteers, and take part in door knocking and phone calling to rally voters, even giving them door knocker tips that she's learned over the years. To conclude, King shared that because Swift helped induct her into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 by performing the legend's classic, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," she will return the favor. She then delivered a "surprise song" for the Swifties for Kamala by briefly singing the chorus of "Shake It Off." "Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play/ And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate/ Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake/ I shake it off, I shake it off," she mused. The full "Swifties for Kamala" kickoff call can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 8/27/24...... In related news, Vice-President Harris recently took part in the music game Track Star, where she had to guess a song by a few seconds of its instrumental, winning money for each correct answer. Harris easily identified a song from Stevie Wonder, whom she called "one of the greatest musicians who ever lived... He's a lyricist, he's a poet, he's very active on social justice issues and he's actually a friend." After relating how both of her parents loved music, she concluded by noting that "the song everyone should know is Roy Ayers Ubiquity's 1976 hit, "Everybody Loves the Sunshine"... It's one of my favorite songs." Harris' appearance on Track Star can be viewed on TikTok. - Billboard, 8/23/24...... 
Previously unseen footage of David Bowie performing "Starman" during his Ziggy Stardust tour has been uncovered. In 2019, footage of Bowie's first TV appearance as Ziggy was unearthed after it was presumed lost for 47 years. The clip saw the late singer make his debut as his new and most legendary incarnation on UK ITV's Lift Off with Ayshea -- a month before his now iconic Top Of The Pops appearance. It was feared that the footage would never be seen again, as it was not stored by the station. However, the performance was recorded by one viewer and was found on an old computer tape in 2019, before later being included in the BBC documentary David Bowie: The First Five Years -- Finding Fame. The newly-shared video comes from the Bowie's Ziggy Stardust UK tour that took place between 1972 and 1973 and was filmed by late Bowie collaborator and photographer Mick Rock. Parlophone Records is releasing a new compilation of tour clips in celebration of the first-ever Dolby Atmos spatial audio version of Bowie's seminal 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The new mix of the album will be available on Blu-Ray Audio on Sept. 6. Bowie's previously unseen footage of "Starman," along with a new mix on the song, has been posted on YouTube. - NME, 8/27/24...... Former Megadeath guitarist Marty Friedman has revealed that he once missed out on a chance to join KISS because he was "too short." In an interview with Sam Ash Music (which can be viewed on YouTube), Friedman, best known for his decade-long tenure with Megadeth from 1990 to 2000, was asked if there was any KISS song he would have liked to play guitar on. "I would've wanted to be on any KISS song," Friedman responded. "I'll give you a quick story about that -- when they were changing guitar players a long time ago, I got a call from KISS' people. They say like, 'Do you think you'd be interested in auditioning for KISS?' I'm like, 'Tell me when and where.' They came back and were like, 'We've got a couple of questions for you. You don't have any facial hair, do you?' No. 'You got long hair right?' Right. 'You're skinny right?' Right. 'And you're over 6 feet tall?' and I'm like, 'What? I'm 5'7" but I'll have an operation, I'll do something.'" Unfortunately for Friedman, his height proved to be a deal-breaker. "They were like, 'I'm sorry, it's not going to work out.' I was so bummed." Despite the disappointment, Friedman acknowledged the importance of image for a group like KISS. "I get why they did it. KISS is meticulous about their image, and having a height difference wouldn't fit the band's aesthetic." - Billboard, 8/27/24...... Performing at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Aug. 23, Bruce Springsteen made it clear that he and his E Street Band won't retire from performing anytime soon, despite recent rumors to the contrary. In front of a passionate crowd, Springsteen dismissed any talk of a farewell tour with his signature sass. "We've been around for 50 f---ing years, and we ain't quitting!" he declared in a speech that has been shared by one fan on X. "We ain't doing no farewell tour bulls--t! Jesus Christ! No farewell tour for the E Street Band!" He added, "Farewell to what? A thousand people screaming your name? Get the hell out. I ain't going anywhere!" However, the latest tour has not been without its challenges. Last September, Springsteen was forced to postpone several dates due to health issues, rescheduling them for 2024. The current leg of the tour will continue with performances in Toronto and Vancouver before wrapping up on Nov. 22. Fans can also look forward to the upcoming documentary, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band, set to be released on Disney+ and Hulu this October. - Billboard, 8/26/24...... 
The never-ending legal war between the Ramones frontman Joey Ramone's brother and Johnny Ramone's widow over control of the iconic punk band heated up once again on Aug. 23 when Joey's brother Mitchel Hyman (better known as Mickey Leigh) filed a new lawsuit in Manhattan federal court accusding Johnny's wife, Linda Cummings-Ramone, of violating federal trademark law by carrying out an "unrelenting quest" to associate herself with the Ramones. As is typical of the nasty dispute between the two heirs (who each control exactly half of the band's holding company), the lawsuit pulled no punches -- calling Cummings-Ramone a former "groupie" with an "insatiable personal desire to shine a spotlight on herself." "Ms. Cummings-Ramone has made and continues to make blatant attempts to exploit and personally capitalize on and benefit from the name, goodwill and legacy of the Ramones -- that is, to try to push the false narrative that she is the heiress to & the Ramones' legacy," Leigh's lawyers write. "She most certainly is not. She is nothing more than a blatant self-promoter and an infringer." Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Ross Hyman) and Johnny Ramone (John William Cummings) were not actually brothers, and they had a notoriously chilly relationship during their decades as bandmates. In the years since the two died in the 2000s, that feud has seemingly continued between Leigh and Cummings-Ramone. As the executors of Joey's and Johnny's respective estates, Leigh and Cummings-Ramone each own half of Ramones Productions, the entity that controls the band's music and other assets. But that partnership has not gone smoothly, featuring multiple lawsuits and arbitrations over the past decade. The latest scuffle began in January, when Cummings-Ramone sued Leigh in New York state court over allegations that he had "covertly" developed an "unauthorized" biopic (believed to be Netflix's announced Ramones movie starring Pete Davidson as Joey). In the lawsuit, Cummings-Ramone said that any "authoritative story of the Ramones" would require her sign-off: "To permit defendants alone to tell the authoritative story of the Ramones would be an injustice to the band and its legacy." Eight months later, with the earlier case still pending, Leigh is now on offense -- claiming that Cummings-Ramone has infringed the band's trademarks held by Ramones Productions by using them herself. His new case repeatedly takes aim at her use of the name "Linda Ramone" despite the fact that "Ramone" was not the legal surname of her late husband nor any other band member. - Billboard, 8/26/24...... The English hard rock band Status Quo played what is likely their final show in Taunton, Somerset on Aug. 23. Status Quo, which formed back in 1962, concluded their most recent tour of Europe and the UK at the Taunton venue. In June, lead singer Francis Rossi had stated that this would be the band's final tour. "I don't think we will go again," he told the Daily Mirror. "And as far as the rest of the band are concerned it's the last tour too. I just can't see us doing it one more time." n 2023, Rossi also told Classic Rock magazine that their 2019 album Backbone, their 33rd album overall, would be their final one. Rossi blamed the band's decision not to make new music on royalty payouts by streaming platforms like Spotify: "It's even worse than it was when we were all getting ripped off in the sixties," he said. "It makes you sound mercenary saying it, but it's something we've sweated over and they're giving you a quarter of a penny per stream? F--k you. So do I think there'll be another Status Quo album? No, I don't," he said. While the band went on hiatus in 1984, they reconvened with a new line-up for 1985's Live Aid event. Status Quo shared a picture from their likely final gig on Instagram with a message for their fans. "That's a wrap! You, the Quo Army, did us proud. Thank you to every one of you for coming out and supporting us on #SQ24 and all the tours that came before," they write. "Thank you, Taunton and goodnight." Fan-shot footage of the band performing their "last song ever live," "Burning Bridges (On and Off and on Again)," can be viewed on YouTube. Status Quo's final show being in Taunton is fitting, as founding members Rossi and Rick Parfitt, who passed away in 2016, first met in Somerset. - NME, 8/25/24...... 
The last song that Alex and Eddie Van Halen ever wrote together will be included in the audiobook version of Alex's new memoir Brothers. Alex was the drummer and co-founder of Californian hard rock legends Van Halen, who he formed in 1972 with his younger brother, lead guitarist Eddie. The drummer has been largely absent from the public eye since the death of Eddie in 2020 at the age of 65, but is preparing to release his memoir on Oct. 22 via HarperCollins. the audiobook version of the book will feature a special treat for Van Halen fans: as Alex narrates his story, it will be soundtracked by "Unfinished," the final track he and Eddie wrote together. Speaking about the motivation behind writing Brothers, Alex has said: "This is my tribute to my brother; my way of saying goodbye. Ed, I love you and miss you. When I see you again, I'm gonna kick your ass! I was with him from day one. We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an 800-square-foot house, a mom and dad, and a work ethic." Van Halen disbanded in 2020 following Eddie's death. They released 12 albums in the period from their 1977 signing to 2020 and Alex and Eddie were the two constant members of the band throughout their career. - NME, 8/22/24...... The Jacaranda, the historic site where The Beatles first played, was honored with a commemorative plaque from World Origin Site on Aug. 23. In Aug. 1960 at The Jacaranda on Slater Street in Liverpool John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison played alongside Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best for their first performance under the name that was to make musical history, The Beatles. The location of this historic performance has long been acknowledged by dedicated fans and music historians, yet it remains relatively unknown to the wider fan base. However, this is about to change, as tourists to the Fab Four's hometown will soon be able to take a photo in front of the place where The Beatles truly began. World Origin Site places plaques at pivotal locations where groundbreaking events shaped the modern world. Among its accredited sites are landmarks such as the first rocket launch, the Wright brothers' inaugural powered flight, and the discovery of penicillin. The plaque at The Jacaranda marking The Beatles' first performance has now joined this esteemed company. While still embracing its Beatles heritage, The Jacaranda now thrives as more than a simple tourist spot. It hosts live music every night, serving as a vital hub for grassroots performances and sustaining Liverpool's musical heritage and future. "Being awarded World Origin Site status is an amazing privilege for us," says Graham Stanley, Director of The Jacaranda. "It probably wasn't a big gig for the band; their name and reputation were really made during the Hamburg tour which began just days later. But our venue is where they adopted the most famous band name in history." - Music-News.com, 8/23/24...... The estate of Isaac Hayes has been granted an emergency hearing over Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's use of the Hayes co-penned soul classic "Hold On, I'm Coming" without authorization during multiple recent campaign rallies. "The Federal Court has granted our request for an Emergency Hearing to secure injunctive relief," the late soul singer's song Isaac Hayes III wrote on X. "Donald Trump, the RNC, Trump, Trump for President Inc. 2024, Turning Point and The NRA are required to appear in court September 3rd, 2024 at the Northern U.S. District Federal Court in Atlanta. See you in court." On Aug. 11, lawyers for Isaac Hayes Enterprises filed a notice of copyright infringement and threatened further legal action against the Trump campaign over its use of the Sam & Dave classic at multiple Trump rallies without authorization from 2022-2024. Hayes III, writing on X on Aug. 10 and 11, said in part, "We demand the cessation of use, removal of all related videos, a public disclaimer, and payment of $3 million in licensing fees by August 16, 2024. Failure to comply will result in further legal action." Hayes died Aug. 10, 2008, at the age of 65. He and David Porter wrote "Hold On, I'm Coming," which was recorded by soul duo Sam & Dave, and issued on the Stax label in 1966, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. - Billboard, 8/25/24...... Seventies hitmaker Roberta Flack is among the contributors to a new poetry album titled On Imagination which celebrates life through the lenses of contemporary African American poetry and lyrical art. Available now, the project features 12 poems performed by legendary Black women artists and cultural icons such as Flack, Valerie Simpson, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters and Dr. Angela Y. Davis. The project was first revealed in commemoration of this year's Juneteenth celebration with Dr. Davis reciting Jordan's 1982 poem, "Moving Towards Home." The full-length album's cast of performers also includes Valerie June, Danyel Smith, Genesis Be, Lori Lightfoot and Flyana Boss. - Billboard, 8/24/24...... 
Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton has spoken out about how the future may look for the band after the band confirmed that their days of touring have come to an immediate end, following frontman Steven Tyler seriously injuring his voice at a gig on Sept. 9, 2023, in Elmont, N.Y. "First let me start by clearing up some information on Steven's injury," Hamilton said during a recent appearance on the podcast Charlie Kendall's Metalshop (available on YouTube). "We were playing the third show of our 'Peace Out' tour last September. During the third song of the set, Steven had a fall that resulted in a fracture to his larynx. Somehow he finished the show. Don't ask me how. It's a testament to his strength and desire to give the people what they came for. It wasn't a case of him blowing his throat out by doing something wrong." He continued, "He has been healing well and working his ass off to get ready to go back out on the road but it just wasn't possible. The decision was made by the team which includes the band and our dedicated management We don't know what the future holds but it won't include touring." Hamilton was also asked if the band would consider going on the road with a replacement vocalist in the future -- an idea which was quickly shot down by the musician. "There's been no talk at all about going on the road with another singer. I can't imagine it," he said. "I'm sure all of us have music in our future and it will manifest itself in ways that we haven't planned yet. I've been playing in a band with some good friends. We have a bunch of really good songs and we hope to be putting them out soon and hopefully doing some gigs," he added. - NME, 8/22/24...... Frank Carter and former Sex Pistols members Paul Cook, Glen Matlock and Steve Jones have announced four more dates around the UK in September. Having debuted with three fundraising nights at London's Bush Hall earlier in August, the quartet promptly announced a new London date at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London for Sept. 26, which sold out in 5 minutes. The new shows are this September at Nottingham Rock City (20th), Birmingham O2 Academy (21st), Glasgow O2 Academy (22nd) and Manchester Academy (24th). As with the earlier gigs, the band will be performing the Pistols' iconic 1977 album Never Mind The Bollocks... It's the Sex Pistols in its entirety. "There was an overwhelming response on social media from fans asking to play different parts of the country," says Steve Jones, "So guess what? It will be done. We will be tighter than a rat's arse by the time we get to Kentish Town." - Music-News.com, 8/23/24.
The owner of two reel-to-reel audio tapes containing a one-of-a-kind, superior-quality Beatles concert, recorded directly from the soundboard at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens on Aug. 17, 1965, says he's looking to sell the historic recording. Only seven people have purportedly heard the reels, from the show nearly 60 years ago at the height of Beatlemania. The question now is who will buy it, how much it could be worth -- and whether it will ever be released for the public at large to hear it. "I have never offered it for sale before," Piers Hemmingsen, a Toronto-based Beatles historian and author of The Beatles in Canada series, says. "This is the best recording of any Beatles concert in Canada, if not North America, other than what was professionally recorded for The Beatles themselves." For a band as legendary as the Beatles, any rare artifact is likely to draw a horde of prospective buyers, but a singular recording of a concert held at the band's apex is a rarity among rarities. Hemmingsen, who has a copy on three cassette tapes for listening purposes only, says the reels contain The Beatles' entire afternoon set, the opening acts, venue announcements about upcoming events (The Beach Boys, wrestling), and a press conference with The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, their PR person Tony Barrow and the BBC's Brian Matthew, held at the long-shuttered Maple Leaf Gardens' Hot Stove Lounge. One appraiser estimated that the reels could be valued at between $60,000 and $80,000, and could go at auction for as much as $100,000 or more. But the only potential buyer with the ability to release the recording to the public would be The Beatles' Apple Corps -- and so far, there has been no offer. The Beatles played just nine concerts in Canada, six of which were at Maple Leaf Gardens: two on Sept. 7, 1964; two on Aug. 17, 1965; and two on Aug. 17, 1966. Hemmingsen also owns the only other known Toronto recording from one of the 1966 concerts, which he obtained on eBay in 2008 from a U.S. seller and donated to the University of Toronto in 2017. In related news, The Beatles' 1964 North American Tour contract archive is currently up for auction at Gottahaverockandroll.com and is estimated to sell for over $400,000. Included in this historic collection are 24 performance contracts signed by Beatles' manager Brian Epstein or NEMS employee Bernard Lee for every city The Beatles performed in during their historic North American tour from Aug. 19 to Sept. 18, 1964. Each contract also comes with the rider signed by either Brian Epstein or Bernard Lee. Missing is Kansas City, MO on Sept. 17, 1964 due to it being an "add-on" concert after the tour was set. While some performance contracts have surfaced for both the 1965 and 1966 tours, none have ever surfaced in a public auction for the 1964 tour making this archive a historic Smithsonian-type collection. All of the riders contain the infamous "Desegregation Clause." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 8/23/24...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Paul McCartney made a surprise appearance at an intimate show by producer Andrew Watt and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith on Aug. 20 at the Stephen Talkhouse venue at the Hamptons, an affluent seaside area in New York. McCartney took to the stage midway through their set -- which saw Watt and Smith accompanied by guitarist G.E. Smith and a horn section -- where he performed covers of The Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There" and Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World." During the cover of the latter song, McCartney was joined on vocals by Watt's model girlfriend Charlotte Lawrence. The performance can be viewed on 
As Vice-President Kamala Harris was officially nominated to become the first Black woman and first Indian-American to accept a major party presidential nomination during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19-22, a slew of entertainers including '70s artists Stevie Wonder and Pattie LaBelle. Appearing on the third night of the convention on Aug. 21, Wonder said, "We must keep on keeping on until we are truly a united people of these United States and then we will reach a higher ground" before launching into a spirited rendition of his beloved 1972 classic "Higher Ground." Night two (Aug. 20) saw Patti LaBelle belt her way through "You Are My Friend" to soundtrack the in memoriam segment. The emotional performance marked a notable return to the DNC for the icon, who previously covered Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" at the 2004 convention, when John Kerry was voted the party's presidential nominee. The soul legend has also thrown her music support behind the Joe Biden administration, performing on the White House South Lawn for the President's Juneteenth concert on June 10. Neil Young gave permission for vice-presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz to cap his emotional acceptance speech on Aug. 21 with a recording of "Rockin' in the Free World." In 2020, Young sued Republican nominee Donald Trump for copyright infringement for playing "Rockin'" and "Devil's Sidewalk" at rallies, with Young saying that in "good conscience" he could not allow his music to be used by the divisive former reality TV star. Unfortunately for fans of James Taylor, a planned performance by the folk-rock icon was cut for time amid a lengthier-than-planned lineup of speakers on the first night of the convention -- something Taylor addressed in a statement posted to 
Don McLean says he does not want a slice of his smash Seventies hit 
Nearly 18 years after the death of James Brown, the privately held music publishing and talent management company Primary Wave is planning to reinvigorate the "Godfather of Soul"'s legacy starting with Brown's home in Brown's Beech Island, S.C. The estate sits on 62.8 acres on James Brown Boulevard, behind wrought-iron gates and down a sloping drive that passes through a lake and several other outbuildings. The house is built around an Asian garden in the center, where Brown liked to sit. Primary Wave, founded by veteran label executive Larry Mestel in 2006, purchased the assets of Brown's estate in Dec. 2021 for a reported $90 million, and the company has a long history of reinvigorating the intellectual property of music's giants, both living and departed, whether through new remixes, samples or interpolations of their work, partnerships with brands. But the Brown deal marked the first time the company acquired an actual house, and is hoping it could become the "next Graceland." The compound, which sits just across the Savannah River from Augusta, Ga., was a home almost entirely preserved as it was on the day Brown died on Christmas day 2006, down to the Christmas tree that still stands in the foyer, with unopened presents underneath. If things go to plan, Augusta, Ga. will soon be even more widely known as the home of James Brown -- the City of Soul, perhaps, or of Funk -- where his legacy and influence are on full display. "In order to create an overall immersive experience, we need the city of Augusta to help tell those stories," says Primary Wave's Songhay Taylor, who runs point on all things Brown house-related. "Where he shoeshined, where he buck-danced, where he would do shows, where he went to church -- all of those things that are part of the overall story." - Billboard, 8/22/24...... AC/DC played their final gig of their 2024 comeback tour on Aug. 17 at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. The Aussie rock legends' 21-song setlist saw them perform the likes of "Thunderstruck," "Hell's Bells," "High Way To Hell," "Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" and more from their five-decade-long career. The show closed out their comeback tour and saw the group kick off the celebratory night with their hits "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" and "Back To Black." The set also featured "Demon Fire" and "Shot In The Dark"' from their latest album, 2020's Power Up. The band also dusted off some deep cuts such as "Riff Raff," "Stiff Upper Lip," "Shot Down in the Flames" and "Rock 'n' Roll Train'." The show marked the final extended set of dates with vocalist Brian Johnson since 2016. That year, Johnson had to step away from the band's '"Rock or Bust Tour" due to hearing issues, with Axl Rose stepping in and joining the band for two dozen gigs. Their Dublin performance of "Back in Black" has been shared on 
Phil Collins may be working on new music for the first time in over two decades according to record producer and journalist Simon Napier-Bell, who has interviewed Collins at his home in Switzerland for a new documentary about the UK's iconic Marquee Club, which closed its doors in 2008 after 50 years. Posting on Facebook on Aug. 19, Napier-Bell wrote that Collins was "in top form, full of wicked stories," and "hugely fun," before revealing that the former Genesis singer/drummer had recently had his studio revamped. "For sure, before too long we're going to hear some new music," Napier-Bell continued. Collins hasn't released an album of original music since Disney's Brother Bear soundtrack in 2003. One year prior to that, he released his last solo studio album Testify. In June, Collins announced a 30th anniversary box set of his 1993 album Both Sides, due for release on Sept. 20 via Rhino Records. The lavish 
A Missouri woman has been federally charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft following an alleged attempt to fraudulently sell Elvis Presley's Graceland earlier in 2024. Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, was arrested for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, Presley's mansion located in Memphis, Tenn. The fate of Graceland was thrown into question in May, when a deed of trust emerged, which was allegedly signed by Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley in 2018 to secure a $3.8 million loan from Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC in Missouri. The company claimed that Graceland was used as collateral in the loan, which was never paid back. On Aug. 16, the US Justice Department alleged that Findley falsely claimed Lisa Marie, who died unexpectedly in Jan. 2023, took out the loan from Naussany Investments -- a bogus private lender -- pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan and failed to repay the debt. The DOJ alleged that Findley was seeking $2.85 million from Presley's family to settle the alleged debt, and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing that Graceland would be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Prosecutors also claimed that Findley used a variety of aliases associated with a fictitious private lender called Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC (Naussany Investments). This includes allegedly posing as a Nigerian scammer to take credit for the plan earlier this year. If convicted, Findley could face up to 20 years in prison. In May, it was reported that actress Riley Keough -- who is also the granddaughter of the late music icon and the current owner of Graceland -- was taking legal action to halt the court-approved sale of the estate. After taking the matter to court, it was confirmed just days before the auction that Keough had been successful in her plea, and a Tennessee judge had blocked the planned sale of Graceland. Later in May, a self-described scammer based in Nigeria came forward to take credit for the plan to send the iconic property to auction -- saying that he was working as part of an identity theft ring. The DOJ is now alleging that Findley was posing as the scammer. Elvis first purchased the mansion back in 1957, and lived there until his death in 1977. In the years since, it has been a popular destination for fans who want to pay their respects to the musician. Elvis is buried there, as are his parents, his daughter Lisa Marie, and her son Benjamin Keough. - New Musical Express, 8/17/24...... In other Elvis-related news, superfans of the King of Rock 'n' Roll will soon be able to take a $6K for a day insider tour of Graceland. A group of up to four people, and up to only eight guests per day, will be given access to some of the Presley family's favorite places on the Graceland grounds for the first time since it opened to the public in 1982. On the seven-hour tour, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy access to the family's favorite activities with golf cart rides around the grounds, a horse photo op and guided walk through the home's front pasture, and a "high-end dinner" at the newly renovated Moriah's House, which is said to offer stunning views of Graceland's landscape from the back pasture. (Moriah's House was named after Lisa Marie Presley's pony, which was once housed there.) The new "Presley for a Day Tour" launches on Sept. 6, and tours are now available to book through Jan. 2025 at the Graceland.com website. - Billboard, 8/15/24...... Seventies R&B singers Candi Staton and William Bell will be among 10 artists inducted into the 2024 class of inductees of the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Staton topped Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 1976 with "Young Hearts Run Free," while Bell hit No. 1 on the same chart with "Tryin' to Love Two" in 1977. Other performers inducted include legendary drummer/vocalist Buddy Miles, Jeffrey Osbourne, Regina Belle, Terry Stewart, Kenny Lattimore, Rose Marie McCoy, Ginuwine and Ken Hawkins. The 13th annual National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Oct. 6 at the Marriott Cleveland East in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. More than 300 R&B artists inducted since its National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame's inception in 2013. The roster includes legends such as James Brown, Prince, B.B. King, New Edition, The O'Jays, The Temptations, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson and Whitney Houston. - Billboard, 8/16/24...... Barbra Streisand was the marquee star participating in a virtual "Jewish Women For Kamala" rally on Aug. 15 in support of Democratic presidential contender Vice-President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. "It's been said that Jewish women are known to speak out and tell you what they think and I'm one of them," said Streisand, seated in a bespoke library. "I'm so tired of hearing [former Pres. Donald] Trump put down America, saying 'Make America Great Again' because America has been great since 1776. And it's still great in 2024." The "Evergreen" singer said she's supporting Harris/Walz because she wants a president who believes we can "do anything if we work together." She praised the replacement Democratic ticket for bringing a new sense of "optimism, energy and excitement" to the campaign since Harris stepped in for Pres. Joe Biden more than two weeks ago in an unprecedented switch at the top of the ticket with less than 100 days to go in the neck-and-neck race. The full 90-min. "Jewish Women for Kamala" call can be viewed on 
Willie Nelson's son Micah Nelson says his 91-year-old dad is "facing death with grace" on Willie's upcoming studio album Last Leaf on the Tree. "There are little side-quests, but that became the through-line - facing death with grace," says Micah, who also produced the LP. The album's first single, released on Aug. 15, is a cover of Tom Waits' "Last Leaf" which Willie previously recorded as a collaboration with Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards back in 2011. Last Leaf on the Tree also features another Waits song -- "House Where Nobody Lives" -- as well as covers of tracks by the Flaming Lips, Beck and Neil Young. The album also features "Wheels" which was written by Micah and "Color of Sound," a collaboration by Willie and Micah. Micah previously worked with his dad on the Nelson family albums Willie and the Boys in 2017 and 2021's The Willie Nelson Family but this is the first time he has produced one of his dad's records. Last Leaf on the Tree, Willie's 153rd album and 76th studio album, will land on Nov. 1 via Legacy Recordings. - Music-News.com, 8/16/24...... The Hipgnosis Song Fund, a six-year-old, London-listed investment trust that has amassed a huge catalog of 65,000 copyrights including songs by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Journey, Shakira, Blondie and Neil Young among others, is suing Barry Manilow over bonus payments relating to its acquisition of the singer's catalog four years ago. The lawsuit was filed at the High Court in London on Aug. 12 and the case is listed as breach of contract, but details of the claim are not publicly available. Three defendants are listed on the court filing: Manilow; Manilow Productions; and the artist's management company -- Hastings, Clayton & Tucker Inc trading as Stiletto Entertainment. News of the court case was first reported by the Financial Times, and the claim is understood to be for a low sum in the single digit millions. A spokesperson for Hipgnosis described the dispute as a "routine commercial matter concerning the interpretation of certain clauses in a contract regarding bonus payments, which the court is ideally placed to address." "While we regret that this couldn't be resolved directly between the parties, we continue to hold Barry and his music in the highest possible regard and we are confident that this can be resolved in a fair and reasonable way," the spokesperson went on to say. The court action comes almost exactly four years after Hipgnosis announced that it had acquired 100% of Manilow's worldwide recording royalties (excluding SoundExchange royalties) in his catalog, comprising 917 songs, for an undisclosed figure. The deal included some of the 81-year-old singer's biggest hits, including "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," "Looks Like We Made It," "Can't Smile Without You" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)." In July, the private equity group Blackstone completed a $1.6-billion acquisition of Hipgnosis following a tumultuous year in which the publicly traded fund faced a shareholder revolt following a series of missteps and accounting scandals, culminating in bitter infighting between the fund's board and its investment manager, Hipgnosis Song Management. - Billboard, 8/14/24...... Those not fortunate enough to attend the Sept. 2023 all-star tribute to Bruce Springsteen's beloved 1982 solo album Nebraska in Nashville will get a chance to view the event when Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska: A Celebration in Words and Music start airing on most PBS stations across the country on Aug. 31 (some stations will begin showing as early as mid-August, check your local listings). The 
Sting recently teamed up with legendary French highwire stuntman Philippe Petit as the latter recreated his iconic Twin Towers highwire stunt -- an unauthorized walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City done on Aug. 7, 1974 -- for the 50th anniversary of the amazing stunt. Petit, 74, took the opportunity to recreate the stunt at Manhattan's Cathedral of St. John the Divine as Sting sat down below and performed his tracks "Fragile" and "Fields Of Gold'" while accompanied by a live orchestra. Sting closed out the night with a song titled "Let the Great World Spin" from his upcoming musical about Petit. The stunt can be viewed on 
Beloved power pop musician Greg Kihn, best known for his Top 40 hits "Jeopardy" and "The Breakup Song," died on Aug. 13 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 75. Born on July 10, 1949, in Baltimore, Md., Kihn moved to San Francisco in the mid 1970s, where he became one of the first artists signed to Matthew King Kaufman's Beserkley Records. He formed the Greg Kihn Band, featuring guitarist Robbie Dunbar, bassist Steve Wright, and drummer Larry Lynch, and the group released a self-titled album in 1976. Through the 1970s, Kihn released an album each year. In 1981, Kihn scored his first major hit with "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)," from the Rockihnroll album. The track hit No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop songs chart. Two years later, he unveiled the dance-ready hit, "Jeopardy," which climbed to No. 2 on the Hot 100 in May 1983. Beyond his success as a musician, Kihn was also an accomplished author. He wrote four horror fiction novels, including 1996's Horror Show and 1998's Shade of Pale. 1998's Big Rock Beat and 1999's Mojo Hand were written as sequels to Horror Show. He also wrote Carved in Rock: Short Stories by Musicians, which compiled stories from him and other rock musicians including Pete Townshend, Joan Jett and more. His 2013 novel, Rubber Soul, was a Beatles-themed murder mystery story. Kihn is survived by Jay Arafiles-Kihn, his wife; his son, Ryan Kihn, and daughter, Alexis Harrington-Kihn; as well as his grandchildren. - Billboard, 8/15/24...... Maurice Williams, a rhythm and blues singer and composer who with his backing group The Zodiacs became one of music's great one-shot acts with the classic ballad 
Pioneering daytime talk show host Phil Donahue, who launched an indelible television genre that made household names of Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, Kelly Clarkson and many others, died on Aug. 18 after a long illness. He was 88. Dubbed "the king of daytime talk," Mr. Donahue was the first to incorporate audience participation in a talk show, typically during a full hour with a single guest. "Just one guest per show? No band?" he remembered being routinely asked in his 1979 memoir, Donahue, My Own Story. The format set The Phil Donahue Show apart from other interview shows of the 1960s and made it a trendsetter in daytime television, where it was particularly popular with female audiences. Later renamed Donahue, the program launched in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967. Mr. Donahue's willingness to explore the hot-button social issues of the day emerged immediately, when he featured atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair as his first guest. He would later air shows on feminism, homosexuality, consumer protection and civil rights, among hundreds of other topics. The show was syndicated in 1970 and ran on national television for the next 26 years, racking up 20 Emmy Awards for the show and for Mr. Donahue as host, as well as a Peabody for Donahue in 1980. It included radio-style call-ins, which Mr. Donahue greeted with his signature, "Is the caller there?" The show's last episode aired in 1996 in New York, where Mr. Donahue was living with his wife, actress Marlo Thomas. He met Thomas, the That Girl star of the 1960s who was a household name at the time and would later become a regular on Friends, when she appeared on his show in 1977. He was born Phillip John Donahue on Dec. 21, 1935, part of a middle-class Irish Catholic family in Cleveland. After a series of early jobs in radio and TV, Mr. Donahue was invited to move an earlier radio talk show to Dayton's WLWD television station in 1967. It moved in 1974 to Chicago, where it stayed for years, then ended its run in New York. Mr. Donahue returned briefly to television in 2002, hosting another Donahue show on MSNBC. The station canceled it after six months, citing low ratings. Mr. Donahue also co-directed the 2006 documentary Body of War, which was nominated for an Oscar. - AP, 8/19/24...... Peter Marshall, who hosted the popular game show The Hollywood Squares for more than 15 years and had a long career as an actor, singer and comic, died on Aug. 15 of kidney failure at his Encino, Calif. home. He was 98. Mr. Marshall won four Daytime Emmys for hosting the syndicated Hollywood Squares from 1966-81. The tic-tac-toe game featured two contestants agreeing or disagreeing with celebrities who provided answers to Mr. Marshall's questions -- which ranged from silly to ribald. The format has been revived a few times over the years, with a new 2024 edition hosted by Nate Burleson with Drew Barrymore in the famed center square is to premiere in midseason. Among the scores of stars who appeared on Hollywood Squares were Walter Matthau, Gloria Swanson, Glenn Ford and Milton Berle, as well as regulars Paul Lynde -- who often killed as the center square -- Rose Marie, Nipsey Russell, Cliff Arquette and Wally Cox. Born Ralph Pierre LaCock on March 30, 1926, in Huntington, W.V., Mr. Marshall had a long career in showbiz before his Hollywood Squares gig. Boasting a memorable voice, he worked as a DJ for Armed Forces Radio after being drafted into the Army stint during World War II and as an NBC page and a theater usher. Mr. Marshall teamed with Tommy Noonan in 1949 for a comedy act that sold out nightclubs and did The Ed Sullivan Show twice. They appeared together in movies including The Rookie (1959) and Swingin' Along (1961). He had bit parts in some early 1950s movies and became an contract player at Twentieth Century Fox, appearing in such films as Ensign Pulver, The Cavern and Annie, in which he played radio crooner Bert Healy. He got his TV start guesting on '50s variety shows as part of a comedy team with Tommy Farrell. Later that decade, he appeared in episodes of series including Men of Annapolis and The Millionaire. He also appeared in Manhattan Tower, the first color special NBC aired. Mr. Marshall authored the 2002 memoir Backstage with the Original Hollywood Square. He is survived by his Laurie, his wife of 35 years, two daughters, one son and 12 grandchildren. Another son, David LaCock, died of Covid complications in 2021. - Deadline.com, 8/15/24...... 
Revered actress Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and who later charmed audiences in her son's tear-jerker The Notebook, died on Aug. 14 at her home in Indian Wells, Calif. She was 94. Her passing was confirmed on Aug. 14 by representatives for her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes, who revealed earlier in 2024 that his mother had Alzheimer's disease. Operating outside the studio system, the husband-and-wife team of John Cassavetes and Ms. Rowlands created indelible portraits of working-class strivers and small-timers in such films as A Woman Under the Influence, Gloria and Faces. Ms. Rowlands made 10 films across four decades with Cassavetes, including Minnie and Moskowitz in 1971, Opening Night in 1977 and Love Streams in 1984. She earned two Oscar nods for two of them: 1974's A Woman Under the Influence, in which she played a wife and mother cracking under the burden of domestic harmony, and Gloria in 1980, about a woman who helps a young boy escape the mob. In addition to the Oscar nominations, Ms. Rowlands earned three Primetime Emmy Awards, one Daytime Emmy and two Golden Globes. She was awarded an honorary Academy Award in 2015 in recognition of her work and legacy in Hollywood. "You know what's wonderful about being an actress? You don't just live one life," she said at the podium. "You live many lives." A new generation was introduced to Ms. Rowlands in her son's blockbuster romantic drama The Notebook, in which she played a woman whose memory is ravaged, looking back on a romance for the ages. Her younger self was portrayed by Rachel McAdams. (She also appeared in Nick Cassavetes' Unhook the Stars in 1996.) In her later years, Ms. Rowlands made several appearances in films and TV, including in The Skeleton Key and the detective series Monk. Her last appearance in a movie was in 2014, playing a retiree who befriends her gay dance instructor in Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. Her other notable movies included Lonely Are the Brave with Kirk Douglas, Two Minute Warning (Charlton Heston), Tempest (co-starring with Cassavetes and Molly Ringwald, in her screen debut) and the mother who wants to do right by her children in Paul Schrader's 1987 study of a blue-collar family Light of Day. When no film scripts attracted her, she appeared in TV series such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Bonanza, Dr. Kildare and The Virginian. One of her career delights was co-starring with her icon Bette Davis on the TV movie