Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on August 24th, 2024

Mavis Staples, formerly of the legendary group The Staple Singers which charted two Billboard Hot 100 pop chart No. 1 hits in the Seventies with "I'll Take You There" in 1972 and "Let's Do It Again" in 1975, has claimed her first top 10 as a solo lead artist on a Billboard airplay chart thanks to "Worthy," which has risen three spots to No. 9 on the Adult Alternative Airplay survey dated Aug. 24. Concurrently, "Worthy" ranks at its No. 42 high on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 858,000 audience impressions in the week ending Aug. 15, according to Luminate. Staples, 85, released her most recent album in 2022, the Levon Helm collaboration Carry Me Home, which was recorded in 2011 before Helm's death; it peaked at No. 2 on the Blues Albums chart, marking her fifth top 10. Her own We Get By became her first No. 1 on Blues Albums in 2019. Staples also made solo appearances on the Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 1970-92, along with a visit to Hot Gospel Songs in 2006. - Billboard, 8/21/24...... 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 YouTube. In a Dec. 2023 profile by The New York Times, Watt revealed that he ended up writing an as-yet-released song with McCartney during what was planned as a casual meeting. "Suddenly, we had a song," Watt said. "From a cup of tea to a song. Doesn't it sound easy?" Before that rendezvous, McCartney guested on The Rolling Stones' 2023 album Hackney Diamonds that was produced by Watt. McCartney will kick off a tour of South America in October, along with three dates in Mexico in November. - New Musical Express, 8/21/24...... 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 X the following day. In his message to fans, Taylor began by saying he was fully prepared to go on stage at the Chicago event, having had a "great rehearsal" prior to his scheduled performance time. Photos and videos on social media also show that he and his band had done a soundcheck shortly before he was cut. "It was exciting to see and hear so many of the speakers at the opening night of the Democratic convention here in Chicago," he wrote. "But it became clear, as the evening unfolded, that there wouldn't be time for our 'You've Got a Friend' with cello and voices." The "Fire and Rain" musician went on to suggest that "maybe the organizers couldn't anticipate the wild response from the floor of the United Center... Anyway, sorry to disappoint," he added. "But a great and inspirational, quintessentially American moment. We were honored to be there." - Billboard, 8/23/24...... Ozzy Osbourne fans are probably familiar with Ozzy's love of dogs, and now Osbourne is mourning the loss of his beloved fur baby Rocky. Osbourne, 75, took to Instagram on Aug. 22 to share the news of his death of his 15-year-old best pal Pomeranian. "Two days ago I lost my good friend Rocky who has been at my side for 15 years," he tweeted on Aug. 22 alongside a pic of the adorable little guy snuggled in his arms. "I'll see you on the other side my friend. I love you always." Ozzy is slated to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist on Oct. 19 in Cleveland. Though he isn't likely to perform for his second induction -- Black Sabbath was enshrined in 2006 -- he said in a recent statement that he plans to attend the ceremony. "I'm really looking forward to attending the induction ceremony in Cleveland this October," Ozzy said. "More importantly, I am so blessed to have had such an incredible career with amazing fans who have stuck by me through thick and thin over the years." - Billboard, 8/23/24...... Don McLean says he does not want a slice of his smash Seventies hit "American Pie" if it comes topped with "woke bulls--t" -- something he spoke at length about in a new interview with Metro. When asked about his iconic hit which topped the pop chart for four weeks in 1972, the 78-year-old singer/songwriter said he feels the eight-minute-plus track predicted the current state of the U.S. "The song really does open up a whole historical question about what happened in the '60s and assassinations and the history that forms the backbone of the song as it moves forward," he said. "This song talks about the fact that things are going somewhat in the wrong direction, and I think that they're still going in the wrong direction. I think most people looking at America now kind of think that too." He continued: "I mean, we certainly have a wonderful country, and we do wonderful things, but we also are in the middle of all this woke bullsh--t," he continued. "All this other stuff that there is absolutely no point to, as far as I can see, other than to undermine people's beliefs in the country. That's very bad." "There's so much anger out there," he added. "So many of these college students have been given everything, and they're just angry. They don't know why they're angry. They don't even know what to be angry about. It's really a symptom of the fact that they're frustrated. They don't have a path that they can tread in life that leads to a better life." Meanwhile In another interview with The Standard, McLean described Taylor Swift as a "monster star, the size of the galaxy" and a "person who is an example of what talent and really hard work can accomplish." "She's working all of the time, and she does everything that she does better than everybody else, whether it's a video or a performance or songwriting or records or whatever," he added. "The only thing is that she stays happy." Before Swift's "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021, "American Pie" was the longest song to ever reach No. 1 on the singles chart. After the song's 4-week record was broken, McLean told Billboard, "If I had to lose it to somebody, I sure am glad it was another great singer/songwriter such as Taylor." - Billboard, 8/21/24...... Journey guitarist Neal Schon has offered his side of the story in his dispute with his bandmate Jonathan Cain concerning Cain's recent lawsuit against him over what he describes as Schon's tour-related expenses including "budgeting and spending" of the band's credit card over personal expenses. Cain filed the suit at the end of July while Journey was on a co-headline tour in the US with Def Leppard, along with guests The Steve Miller Band and Cheap Trick, and Journey has since cancelled their UK and Ireland 50th anniversary arena tour, which was due to run in October and November. Now, in a new Facebook post, Schon has offered his side of the story, and has revealed that the band have opted to bring in "someone impartial" to help smooth over their differences. "Anyone who follows Journey will know that Jon Cain and I don't always see eye-to-eye on everything Or, sometimes, on pretty much anything," he wrote. "Recently, Jon Cain made a number of claims and slanderous accusations about me and my wife -- and I can't stress enough how much it upset me and how wrong they are. I am determined to take the high road and push all this aside for the moment to focus on our fans, the tour and all who give so much to make things happen," he added. Schon went on to say he's "glad that Jon now agrees with me that the current dynamic can't continue and it's also why I'm pleased that we're going to bring in someone impartial to help us resolve our disputes, bring clarity to what we're doing and allow us, as a band, to get back to what we should all focus on -- making music and performing for our fans." Cain claims that Schon exceeded a nightly limit of $1,500 for hotel accommodation, which was allegedly previously agreed upon, and has spent up to $10,000 per night for hotel rooms for him and his wife. He also alleges that Schon has allowed Journey's road crew to fly business class, to book hotel rooms in their home cities, and to travel between cities via private jet -- all without authorization from Cain. - New Musical Express, 8/24/24...... Daryl Hall shut down his Aug. 21 concert at the PNE Fair in Vancouver, Canada after just three songs, saying he felt ill. The Philly soul veteran's manager Jonathan Wolfson said afterward that he has tested positive for Covid and would also be cancelling an Aug. 23 show at the Albertsons Boise Open in Idaho. "Daryl feels horrible about having to cancel and would like to thank the many concerned fans for their well wishes," said Wolfson in a statement. PNE spokesperson Laura Ballance said Hall tried to perform as part of the PNE Fair's Summer Night Concerts series but "he left the stage because he was not well and couldn't return." "He wants his fans in Vancouver to know how sorry he is and he looks forward to returning to Vancouver soon," said Ballance. "I know that the PNE along with all of his fans here in B.C. are sending him our best wishes to feel better soon." Hall had stepped into the concert lineup after '70s new wave rockers Blondie cancelled a series of shows including the Vancouver date. - Canoe.com, 8/22/24...... Music by John Williams, a documentary exploring the career of legendary film composer John Williams, will have its world premiere at the American Film Institute's 38th AFI Fest on Oct. 23 in Los Angeles. The film -- produced by Lucasfilm Ltd., Amblin Documentaries and Imagine Documentaries -- takes a comprehensive look at Williams' unparalleled career, which includes 54 Oscar nominations and five wins for the likes of Jaws, Star Wars, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler's List. Following the World Premiere at AFI FEST presented by Canva, Music by John Williams will have a limited theatrical release and will premiere on Disney+ on Nov. 1. - Billboard, 8/22/24...... 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 YouTube. - NME, 8/20/24...... Foreigner has shared an unreleased track called "Turning Back the Time" from their upcoming compilation of the same name ahead of that 18-song best-of sets release on Oct. 4 via Rhino Records. "There are a number of songs that Lou Gramm and I wrote together that have never seen the light of day," Foreigner founder Mick Jones says. " Turning Back the Time' was co-written with Marti Frederiksen. Marti and I recently revisited and reworked the song. Because of the time that had passed we were able to go back to it with a fresh perspective. The sentiment of the song spoke to us now more than ever and with the upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction we thought it an ideal time to let the world hear it." The upbeat and melodic track weighs in at just under three minutes, with lyrics about "the times I was growing up and the road that brought me here," and how seeing the Beatles on TV "changed everything deep inside of me." It also references "the double vision day," a nod to Foreigner's second album. Particularly poignant in light of Jones' battle with Parkinson's disease, which has kept him off stage for the last few years, the chorus intones, "There's something missing my life, so I'm turning back the time." The album's other 17 tracks draw from Foreigner's nine studio albums, including "When It Comes to Love" with current Foreigner frontman Kelly Hansen. - Billboard, 8/20/24...... 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 Both Sides (All the Sides) box set comes with five vinyl records -= two of which are the original album remastered at half-speed by Abbey Road Studios' Miles Showell, and three feature demos, B-sides and live recordings from that era. In 2023, Collins' Genesis bandmate Mike Rutherford shared an update on the singer's health, saying he was "much more immobile than he used to be." Collins has experienced issues with his health since suffering a spinal injury in 2007, which damaged vertebrae in his upper neck and also left him with nerve damage. The injury has impacted his ability to perform, and at Genesis' last ever show in Mar. 2022, he performed in a wheelchair. - NME, 8/20/24...... KISS' Gene Simmons was presented with the keys to Niagara Falls city and North Tonawanda in New York during a special ceremony held in front of North Tonawanda City Hall on Aug. 18. That's not all however, as Mayor Robert Restaino revealed that a downtown street in Niagara Falls -- running between a section of Main Street between Pine and Cedar avenues -- has also been temporarily renamed to Gene Simmons Boulevard as an act of acknowledgement toward Simmons' significant investments in the Niagara Falls-based beverage business Rock Steady Sodas. Simmons said in a portion of his speech: "The business community in Upstate New York is alive and thriving, and I am honoured to be a part of it. This is the ideal picture of a homegrown family business exemplifying strong values and commitment to quality. The people and their work ethic make Niagara Falls a wonderful place to do business." The ceremony can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 8/20/24.

Bob Dylan will contribute a cover of the Cole Porter standard "Don't Fence Me In" for an upcoming biopic about former Pres. Ronald Reagan. Starring Dennis Quaid as the 40th President of the United States, the film will also feature music by Gene Simmons, Clint Black and Tanya Tucker. Dylan's rendition of the Porter-written classic, which was popularized by Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters, Gene Autry, Kate Smith and more performers in the 1940s, will reportedly play during the end credits of Reagan. Quaid, a conservative who is currently supporting former president and current 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, told Spin magazine that he was "honored to have Bob join our film." "We gave him the freedom to do any song he wanted to do, whether an original or a cover, and he chose 'Don't Fence Me In.' That was extra special since it was a song that Gene [Autry] made famous. Bob is a great lover of the American Songbook and we were delighted with the way he delivered the song. He's a national treasure and was the perfect addition to the film." The Sean McNamara-directed film, which hits theaters on Aug. 30, will also include Gene Simmons' version of the 1930s standard "Stormy Weather" and Clint Black's take on John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," according to Spin. - Billboard, 8/18/24...... 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 YouTube. The call is the latest in a series of similar digital rallies that have brought together the likes of "white dudes," Deadheads, Swifties, Black men and women and several other niche voting demos that have drawn more than 16,000 attendees, according to organizers. - Billboard, 8/16/24...... 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 first trailer for the special features footage of Noah Kahan singing an acoustic "Atlantic City" and musician/author Warren Zanes talking about the enduring legacy of the sparse album about dead-enders, law benders and no chancers struggling to rise above. "Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska has stayed with me over decades," says Zanes, who hosts the show and wrote a whole book about the album, 2023's Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska. The preview also features Emmylou Harris singing "The Price You Pay," Lyle Lovett crooning "My Father's House," Lucinda Williams tackling another non-Nebraska classic, "Born in the U.S.A." and Eric Church performing a touching solo version of the Born in the U.S.A. album hit "Dancing In the Dark." The special was taped during an intimate gig at Analog in Nashville's Hutton Hotel on Sept. 19, 2023, with the musicians performing covers in between Zanes' storytelling about the songs recorded in The Boss' New Jersey bedroom. "I wrote a book about Nebraska because the recording stayed with me over decades," Zanes said in a statement. "Every time there was trouble in my life I reached for Nebraska. When I started doing events around the book's publication, I quickly realized the best of them had music. When I went to Nashville, I had a remarkable cast of musicians to help me tell this story." - Billboard, 8/14/24...... 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 TikTok. Sadly, Petit would never be able to actually recreate his famous highwire stunt across the Twin Towers due to the terrorist attack on Sept.11, 2001 which saw the collapse of both buildings. Speaking to the AP about his latest performance, Petit shared that his aim was not to "remind people of the doomed day," but to honour his remarkable feat and the legacy of the towers. "It adds a certain significance when you discuss a legend or a piece of history, even when the object of that history is no longer present. That's the miracle of memory," he said. Meanwhile, Sting is currently on tour and is set to make his way to North America soon with an Aug. 31 concert in Aspen, Col., followed by September shows in Detroit, Toronto, St. Louis and Philadelphia. His 30-show/15-city run will wrap with three-night stand in Los Angeles beginning Nov. 12. - NME, 8/13/24...... On Aug. 19 John Cale took to Instagram to announce details of a 2025 UK and European tour, set to kick off at Le Trianon in Paris on Mar. 3. From there, it'll continue the following night with a show at Cirque Royal in Brussels and on Mar. 6 with a stop at Tollhaus in Karlsruhe. Further shows include dates in Munich, Stuttgart, Luxembourg, Berling, Utrecht and more, before Cale heads over to the UK for eight headline dates beginning on Mar. 20 in Nottingham, followed by shows in London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle and more. From there, the tour wraps up with a final stop at Vicar Street in Dublin on Mar. 31. The tour arrives on the heels of The Velvet Underground founder and Welsh musician releasing his most recent studio album, POPtical Illusion in June. Produced by Cale and longtime partner Nita Scott in Los Angeles, it marked his second album in just over a year, and features his new single "Davies and Whales." - NME, 8/19/24...... Keith Richards' iconic Gibson L6S Guitar, which the Rolling Stones guitarist used in 1975/1976, is currently up for auction on GottaHaveRockandRoll.com. Gibson Guitars gave the guitar to Richards to get him to try and endorse the guitar, and Richards then gave it to Patrick Stansfield, the Stones' tour manager in the 1970's. Stansfield acquired the guitar directly from Keith and then sold it in the early 2000's. An identical guitar can be seen in the Stones' "Hot Stuff" and "Fool To Cry" promotional videos as well as several European shows. The starting bid is $20,000, and it's expected to fetch between $50,000-$100,000. - Music-News.com, 8/15/24...... 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 "Stay," died on Aug. 6 at the age of 86. The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame revealed news of the death and did not immediately provide further details. A writer and performer since childhood, Mr. Williams had been in various harmony groups when he and The Zodiacs began a studio session in 1960. They unexpectedly made history near the end with their recording of "Stay," which Mr. Williams had dashed off as a teenager a few years earlier. Over hard chants of "Stay!" by his fellow vocalists, Mr. Williams carried much of the song and its plea to an unnamed girl. Midway, he stepped back and gave the lead to Shane Gaston and one of rock's most unforgettable falsetto shouts -- "Oh, won't you stay, just a little bit longer!" Barely over 1 minute, 30 seconds, "Stay" is among the shortest chart-toppers of the rock era, the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in Nov.1960 and was the group's only major success. But it was covered by the likes of The Hollies and The Four Seasons among others early on and endured as a favorite oldie, and is perhaps best known from when Jackson Browne sang it live for his 1977 Running On Empty album. "Stay" also was performed by Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and others at the 1979 No Nukes concert at Madison Square Garden, and appeared in its original version on the blockbuster Dirty Dancing soundtrack from 1987. The song was inspired by a teenage crush of Mr. Williams's, Mary Shropshire. "(Mary) was the one I was trying to get to stay a little longer," he told the North Carolina publication Our State in 2012. "Of course, she couldn't." Mr. Williams was born in Lancaster, S.C., and sang with family members in church while growing up. He was in his teens when he formed a gospel group, the Junior Harmonizers, who became the Royal Charms as they evolved into secular music and then the Zodiacs in honor of a Ford car they used on the road. Meanwhile, he was a prolific writer and needed little time to finish what became his signature hit. "It took me about 30 minutes to write 'Stay,' then I threw it away," he later told www.classicsbands.com. "We were looking for songs to record as Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs. I was over at my girlfriend's house playing the tape of songs I had written, when her little sister said, 'Please do the song with the high voice in it.' I knew she meant 'Stay.' She was about 12 years old and I said to myself, 'She's the age of record buying,' and the rest is history. I thank God for her." - Billboard, 8/17/24...... 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 Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter in 1979. She and Cassavetes met at the American School of Dramatic Arts when both their careers were beginning. They married four months later. In 1960 Cassavetes used his earnings from the TV series Johnny Stacatto to finance his first film, Shadows. Partly improvised, shot with natural light on New York locations with a $40,000 budget, it was applauded by critics for its stark realism. - AP, 8/14/24.