Posted by Administrator on October 3rd, 2024
Sony Music announced on Oct. 2 that they've bought the recorded music assets, merchandising and name, image and likeness of Pink Floyd for $400 million, however the band's music publishing assets were not a part of the deal. Since the group started shopping its recorded music assets about two years ago, the assets were shopped to all the big players -- BMG, Concord, Primary Wave and other private equity-backed music buyers -- but Sony always had the inside hand on the deal given that it serves as the group's distributor. For a while, the assets were pulled off the block due to some infighting between group members, according to published reports. This deal marks the third big music asset deal Sony has made in the last 12 months, having previously bought 50% of Michael Jackson's music assets in a deal that valued them at $1.205 million; and Queen's music assets for about $1.2 billion. - Billboard, 10/2/24...... 
To celebrate one of the UK's most innovative and influential bands of the rock and roll era, Britain's Royal Mail revealed on Oct. 3 that a set of 60th anniversary The Who stamps are available for pre-order at www.royalmail.com/thewho and by telephone on 03457-641-641. The eight stamps feature images of some of the band's most popular and iconic album covers: My Generation (1965); Tommy (1969); Who's Next (1971); Quadrophenia (1973); Who Are You (1978); Face Dances (1981); Endless Wire (2006); and WHO (2019). Completing the set is a miniature-sheet featuring two publicity group shots and two images of the band's dynamic live performances at the Marquee Club, London, in 1967 and the Kings Hall, Belle Vue, Manchester, in 1973. Commenting on the honor, frontman Roger Daltrey said: "The artwork on the album sleeves was almost as important to the success of the record as the music. It's great to be reminded of them," while guitarist Pete Townshend said: "Stamp! Stamp! Stamp! It's what I've done on stage all my life, sometimes in the air. At last, my stamping, and that of my buddy Roger, has been honoured properly, and will help letters, parcels and birthday cards travel through time and space, just as we have." The Who become the seventh music group to feature in a dedicated Royal Mail stamp issue -- following on from: The Beatles (2007); Pink Floyd (2016); Queen (2020); The Rolling Stones (2022); Iron Maiden (2023); and The Spice Girls (2024). - Music-News.com, 10/3/24...... A producer who worked on Fleetwood Mac's legendary 1977 album Rumours is suing the creators of the hit Broadway play "Stereophonic," claiming they stole material from his memoir about working on the legendary album. In a lawsuit filed on Oct. 2 in Manhattan federal court, Ken Caillat and co-author Steven Stiefel call the Tony Award-winning show an "unauthorized adaptation" of their 2012 book Making Rumours -- and accuse "Stereophonic" playwright David Adjmi of "flagrant and willful infringement." "'Stereophonic' copies the heart and soul of Making Rumours," attorneys for the two men write in their complaint. "The striking similarity is readily apparent right from the beginning of the show." Featuring the music of Arcade Fire's Will Butler, "Stereophonic" debuted on Broadway last fall, eventually winning five Tony Awards including best play, best direction of a play and best featured actor in a play. Critics quickly noted the similarities to the infamous story of the recording session for Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, which featured high tensions and heavy drug usage. A reviewer for the Wall Street Journal said the play was "fictionalizing Fleetwood Mac"; another critic said the play "isn't literally about Fleetwood Mac, but c'mon." The case presents tricky legal questions. Under U.S. law, historical events cannot be monopolized under copyrights, and nobody can claim exclusive ownership over the real story behind the making of Rumours. But specific creative elements of how such a story is told can be protected by copyrights, and film, TV and stage producers often license non-fiction books as the basis for their works. In their case, Caillat and Stiefel claim that Adjmi copied those exact kinds of creative choices when he created his play: "'Stereophonic''s audience not only sits in the same place that Mr. Caillat sat, but the show also depicts Mr. Caillat's wild ride as it is described in Making Rumours." - Billboard, 10/2/24...... Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton has shared details of his first shows with a new band called Close Enemies. News of the new band comes as Aerosmith confirmed that their days of touring had come to an immediate end, following frontman Steven Tyler seriously injuring his voice at a gig. "Hey, I need to tell you something about a band I'm playing with called Close Enemies. We have a bunch of good songs recorded. We're going to release one soon," Hamilton posted on X/Twitter. "Meanwhile, we're doing a show in Nashville on October 11 in Nashville at a place called Eastside Bowl. Please come!" The rest of the Close Enemies line-up is comprised of drummer Tony Brock (The Babys), singer Chasen Hampton, and guitarists Peter Stroud and Trace Foster. Aerosmith's final ever live show took place at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. in Sept. 2023. It was held as part of their 'Peace Out' tour, which began last year, but only saw the band play three nights, before rescheduling the rest of the dates after Tyler injured his larynx. - NME, 9/30/24...... 
Frankie Valli has "cleared the air" after viral videos of him at recent shows sparked concern from fans. Footage of the Four Seasons legend, who turned 90 this year, performing during his recent concerts appeared to show him lip-syncing while displaying difficulty keeping up with the music. A series of videos circulated on social media over the weekend, with many expressing concern over his wellbeing. "I love Frankie Valli but this isn't right," one person shared on Twitter, with another calling it "a tough watch." Now the singer has told People magazine that "I get a chuckle from the comments wondering if someone forcing me to go on stage." "I know there has been a lot of stuff on the internet about me lately so I wanted to clear the air," he said. "I am blessed to be 90 years old and still be doing what I love to do and as long as I am able, and audiences want to come see me, I am going to be out there performing as I always. I absolutely love what I do. And I know we put on a great show because our fans are still coming out in force and the show still rocks. How do we do the show?! The Four Seasons sound was always about layering vocals and instruments. We use our 60 years of experience so we sound like the records. I sing, I have singers who sing, great arrangements & everything. I get a chuckle from the comments wondering if someone forcing me to go on stage. Nobody has ever made me do anything I didn't want to do." The "Grease" singer concluded: "I plan to be doing shows as long as I can, delivering that great Four Seasons sound. Like that line in 'Jersey Boys,' I'm like that bunny on TV, that just keeps going and going and going. Chasing the music." In August, a representative for Valli dismissed claims that the singer was having health problems, telling the New York Post: "Frankie is doing just fine and super happy to still be performing. The audiences are filling venues and listening to some great music. Frankie is doing what he loves to do at 90. We should all be so lucky." Valli is still actively touring and has a string of US dates planned throughout the rest of 2024 and into 2025. - NME, 10/1/24...... Speaking at the premiere of his new career-spanning documentary Elton John: Never Too Late on Oct. 1, Elton John joked with the crowd that "To be honest with you, there's not much of me left." "I don't have tonsils, adenoids or an appendix. I don't have a prostate, I don't have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee," the Rocket Man said. "In fact, the only thing left to me is my left hip. But I'm still here." John went on to credit his fans and his family for his ongoing career, calling them "the people that made me". "I want to thank David, Zachary and Elijah for making me the happiest man in the world," he said. "I found complete and utter happiness and bliss when I met David [Furnish], and when I had my children, our children. And it satisfied me so much. I've never felt happiness like I have now." Elton John: Never Too Late follows the musician as he reflects on his life and 50-year career as he prepared for his final North American stadium show at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium in Nov. 2022, which was also livestreamed on Disney+. The film is due to premiere on Disney+ on Dec. 13 worldwide, and will reportedly "pull back the curtain" on the singer's life, featuring "never-before-seen concert footage of him over the past 50 years, as well as hand-written journals and present-day footage of him and his family." The official trailer for the film can be streamed on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 10/2/24...... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band announced on Oct. 1 that they've added eight new shows to their previously-rescheduled European jaunt -- including concerts in England, France, Germany and Spain. The newly-confirmed dates kick off May 17 with the first of two nights at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. All told, Springsteen and Co. will play 12 dates on their 2025 run of the U.K. and Europe, including previously-rescheduled shows in Marseille, Prague and Milan, which were initially called off in May on doctor's orders, as the rock legend recovered from "vocal issues." The announcement of new dates follow the world premiere of the Thom Zimny-directed documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which arrives Oct. 25 on Hulu and Disney+. - Billboard, 10/1/24...... Late soul music legend Otis Redding will be honored posthumously with a star the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday, Oct. 4, at 11:30 a.m. PT at 6150 Hollywood Blvd. Redding's star is in the category of live theatre/live performance. Five-time Grammy-winning producer (and previous Walk of Fame honoree) Jimmy Jam will emcee the star ceremony. Accepting the award will be the singer's daughter, Karla Redding-Andrews. "The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is honored to dedicate a star to the legendary Otis Redding, whose music continues to inspire generations," Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, said in a statement. Redding has long been regarded as one of the greatest soul singers in popular music history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 1999. After releasing a slew of hits between 1964 and 1967, Redding played at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967. But less than six months later, on Dec. 10, 1967, he died in a plane crash in Madison, Wisc. en route to a concert. He was just 26. His deeply moving posthumous single, "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay," shot to No. 1 in early 1968 on the pop and R&B charts. - Billboard, 9/27/24...... 
Emmylou Harris will receive the ASPCA Henry Bergh Award at the 2024 Humane Awards for her passionate commitment to animal welfare. In 2004, Harris established Bonaparte's Retreat with the goal of rescuing shelter dogs. Bonaparte's Retreat continues to save dogs most in need at Metro Nashville Animal Care and Control and at municipal shelters in surrounding counties. She is also a board member of Crossroads Campus, a nonprofit that transforms lives by creating opportunities for individuals facing poverty and homelessness to care for homeless dogs and cats. Harris has recorded 32 studio albums since her debut on tiny Jubilee Records in 1970, received Billboard's Century Award in 1999, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008, and received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2018. She has aalso massed 13 Grammy Awards, including album of the year for her featured role on the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, and won three CMA Awards, again including album of the year for that Billboard Hot 200-topping soundtrack.- Billboard, 9/30/24...... Following news the death of Kris Kristofferson at the age of 88 on Sept. 28, tributes have poured in from some of the biggest names in the music industry, honoring the legendary songwriter and actor whose influence spanned decades. Barbra Streisand, who co-starred with Kristofferson in the 1976 version of A Star Is Born, spoke of the qualities that made Kristofferson not just a talented performer, but also a deeply respected figure in both music and film. "The first time I saw Kris performing at the Troubadour club in L.A., I knew he was something special," Streisand wrote on Instagram. "Barefoot and strumming his guitar, he seemed like the perfect choice for a script I was developing, which eventually became A Star Is Born." In the film, the duo performed "Evergreen," the love theme that Streisand herself had composed for the movie. The song (with lyrics by Paul Williams) went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song, becoming a hallmark of their collaboration. Streisand fondly recalled the magic of their musical partnership: "In the movie, Kris and I sang the song I'd written for the film's main love theme, 'Evergreen.'" Meanwhile Dolly Parton, who also shared a close friendship with Kristofferson, posted "What a great writer. What a great actor. What a great friend. I will always love you." in an Instagram post. Kristofferson and Parton performed duets such as "From Here to the Moon and Back" and "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" over the years. Other country artists posting tributes to Kristofferson include Reba McEntire, Travis Tritt, Eric Church, Roseanne Cash and rock & roller Sammy Hagar, who shared a photo on Facebook of the two fishing together. "heynow old friend. I hope the fishin's good where you're going," Hagar wrote. "we're all gonna miss you. RIP" - Billboard, 9/30/24...... On Sept. 30 Neil Young shared details of a limited edition of his classic 1974 album On the Beach to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Set to arrive on Nov. 8 via Reprise, the new version will come exclusively on a limited edition clear vinyl. It'll be available via the Neil Young Archives, as well as standard music retailers. On The Beach came as the follow-up to Young's chart-topping Harvest album, which was shared two years earlier, and it marked the second entry in his "Ditch Trilogy." It featured collaborations from The Band's Rick Danko and Levon Helm, Crazy Horse's Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina and his longtime CSNY collaborators Graham Nash and David Crosby. "This was Young at his most adventurous, and pointed to several new musical directions for him, yet to be defined," reads a press release, recalling how 'On The Beach' saw the singer-songwriter hit a new milestone in his career. - NME, 9/30/24...... On Sept. 30 Billy Joel announced new UK live shows for next year which will mark his only European tour dates for 2025. The first will be take place at Edinburgh's Scottish Gas Murrayfield on June 7, marking his first time playing in the city for 46 years. The second is scheduled for June 21, when Joel will head to Liverpool's Anfield Stadium to perform his first gig in the city for 45 years. The two exclusive UK shows come just days after the Piano Man took to social media to announce a string of new tour dates across America. Kicking off at the start of the New Year, the run of shows begins with an opening gig in Florida on Jan. 17, and is followed by shows in Indiana, Michigan, New York, North Carolina and many more across the first half of 2025. - NME, 9/30/24...... 
Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Johnny Van Zant revealed on Sept. 26 that his daughter has been diagnosed with "brain mass" and that four forthcoming Skynyrd shows would not be going ahead as Johnny, 63, would be leaving the tour to be with his daughter following an "emergency illness." Van Zant says his youngest daughter Taylor has been diagnosed with brain mass, an abnormality often associated with a tumour. Johnny said that doctors do not believe the mass is cancerous, but tests are ongoing, he added: "We are not out of the woods yet, but we are in a lot better position than we thought we were in in the beginning." The musician also revealed that his longtime tour bus driver, Brad Gibson, is currently in intensive care following a freak accident on a scooter. Johnny took over frontman and songwriting duties from his late brother, Lynyrd Skynyrd founder, Ronnie Van Zant, when the band was revived in 1987. The elder Van Zant was killed along with two other group members Steve Gaines, and his sister Cassie Gaines, in a plane crash in 1977. - Music-News.com, 9/30/24...... The English post-punk band Gang Of Four have announced their 2025 US farewell tour set to kick off next early next spring. They will be performing their classic 1979 debut album Entertainment! in its entirety as well as a handful of fan favourites and deep cuts from their discography. The tour will commence on Apr. 20 2025 at the Crystal Ballroom in Somerville, Massachusetts. From there, the group will make stops in cities such as Montreal, Toronto, New York, Chicago, Witchita, Seattle, San Francisco and more before wrapping on May 29 2025 at the Music Box in San Diego, Calif. All the farewell tour dates can be viewed in their Instagram post. Elsewhere, Gang Of Four will be releasing a remastered edition of their third album, 1982's Songs of the Free on vinyl. The pressing is set for release on October 25 via Matador Records. - NME, 10/2/24...... Prince's "Purple Rain" house has been listed on the popular rental site Airbnb.com. The singer's former bandmates will allow paying guests to stay at the Minnesota property for the first time, with only 25 one-night stays available. Newly restored, the property features extravagant interiors boasting velvet wallpaper, mirrored ceilings and even a golden toilet, with Prince's former Revolution bandmates Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman explaining they wanted to pay tribute to his 1984 movie, Purple Rain. "Purple Rain is the greatest movie of all time. This is not opinion, this is fact," the women wrote in the property's Airbnb listing. "Now, 40 years after the movie's release, we're bringing it back to life. Not only did we lock down The Kid's unforgettable childhood home, but we also restored the interior to a new level of glory. The whole place is a tribute-nay, a shrine-to both the movie itself and the moment in time that launched Prince into the stratosphere." One night at the Purple Rain house will cost guests just $7 (£5.24). Visitors will also have the opportunity to discover a "secret door" to a hidden "room filled with treasures" in the house, as well as see some of Prince's most famous stage costumes. Prince died in 2016 from a self-administered Fentanyl overdose, with his death ruled an accident by the medical examiner. - Music-News.com, 9/27/24...... Baseball great Pete Rose died of natural causes which stemmed from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease on Sept. 30 at his home in Las Vegas. He was 83. Diabetes also was cited as a contributing factor, according to the findings of the Clark County coroner. Mr. Rose was one of the most controversial figures in baseball for decades. The 17-time all-star holds the major league record for hits with 4,256. He also earned two Gold Gloves and won three World Series championships during his 24-year career, spent mostly with the Cincinnati Reds. However, he was banned from the sport in 1989 for betting on baseball, which made him ineligible for enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame. While he spent years denying the allegations, Rose ultimately owned up to his mistake in 2004, but insisted that he had never bet against his own team. Major League Baseball released a tribute to Rose following his death, but did not mention his ban. "Major League Baseball extends its deepest condolences to Pete Rose's family, his friends across the game, and the fans of his hometown of Cincinnati, Philadelphia and beyond who admired his greatness, grit and determination on the field of play. May he rest in peace," the league said in the statement. Mr. Rose was reportedly in good spirits the day before his death, spending Sunday with fellow members of the Reds' World Series teams from 1975 and 1976. A photo from the Facebook page of the Music City Sports Collectables and Autograph Show showed Rose in a wheelchair along with former teammates Dave Concepcion, George Foster, Tony Perez and Ken Griffey Sr. - Canoe.com, 10/2/24...... 
It was revealed on Oct. 1 that John Amos, the Emmy-nominated actor who starred as the stoic father on the Norman Lear-developed '70s sitcom Good Times, died Aug. 21 in Los Angeles of natural causes, his son, K.C. Amos, announced. He was 84. "He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father," K.C. said in a statement. "He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor." Mr. Amos played football at Colorado State University and had training camp tryouts with the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League, before seeing his showbiz career take off after he landed a gig to play WJN-TV weatherman Gordy Howard on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The New Jersey native received his Emmy nom for portraying Toby, the older version of Kunta Kinte, on the acclaimed 1977 ABC miniseries Roots, and he had a recurring role as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on NBC's The West Wing. After showing up a dozen times as the good-natured Gordy on the first four seasons of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the barrel-chested Amos was invited to read for the part of James Evans Sr., the husband of Esther Rolle's Florida Evans and father of their three kids, on a new CBS series, Good Times. The 1974-79 show, created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by Norman Lear, was set in an inner-city Chicago apartment located in the projects. It was the first sitcom to center on an African-American family. Amos starred on the show for three seasons, but he soon disapproved of the silly, stereotypical storylines that surrounded their oldest son on the series, J.J. -- played by the comic Jimmie Walker -- and he went public with his criticism, which led to his firing from the landmark sitcom for objecting to stereotypes and admittedly letting his temper get the best of him. "I wasn't the most diplomatic guy in those days, and [the show's producers] got tired of having their lives threatened over jokes," he said in an interview. "So they said, 'Tell you what, why don't we kill him off? We can get on with our lives!' That taught me a lesson -- I wasn't as important as I thought I was to the show or to Norman Lear's plans." Mr. Amos also had a career on the big screen, beginning with Melvin Van Peebles' blaxploitation classic Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971), and he played the manager of a McDonald's-like restaurant who hires an African prince (Eddie Murphy) and his right-hand man (Arsenio Hall) in Coming to America (1988). John Alan Amos Jr. was born on Dec. 27, 1939, in Newark, N.J. His father drove a tractor-trailer and worked as a mechanic, and his mother, Annabelle, was a housekeeper who eventually went back to school and became a nutritionist. At East Orange High School, Mr. Amos drew cartoons and wrote columns for the school newspaper, played a convict in a production of "The Man Who Came to Dinner" and was a star running back. - The Hollywood Reporter, 10/1/24.
Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson, who wrote such country-rock standards as "Me and Bobby McGee," "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" and "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and later became an A-list Hollywood actor, died at his home in Maui, Hawaii on Sept. 28. He was 88. With his long hair, bell-bottomed slacks and counterculture songs influenced by Bob Dylan, he represented a new breed of country songwriters, along with such peers as Willie Nelson, John Prine and Tom T. Hall. "Kris brought it kind of from the dark ages up to the present-day time, made it acceptable and brought great lyrics -- I mean, the best possible lyrics," Nelson told 60 Minutes in a 1999 segment about Mr. Kristofferson. "Simple but profound." Born in Brownsville, Tex., on June 22, 1936, Mr. Kristofferson received a Ph.D. from Pomona College where he played football and became a Golden Gloves boxer. He received a master's degree in English from Merton College at the University of Oxford in England, and after becoming a U.S. Army pilot, turned down an appointment to teach English at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to pursue songwriting in Nashville after a meeting with Johnny Cash. Hoping to break into the industry, he moved to Nashville in 1965 worked as a part-time night janitor at Columbia Records' Music Row studio in 1966, at the same time Bob Dylan was recording tracks for his seminal Blonde on Blonde album. His break came in 1969, when Cash gave "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" to Roger Miller who made it a country hit. Mr. Kristofferson appeared on Cash's TV show, and Cash also had a hit with "Sunday Mornin'." Mr. Kristofferson was a singer himself, releasing his debut album Kristofferson in 1970 on the Columbia-distributed label Monument, but many of his songs were best known as performed by others. In March 1971, Janis Joplin recorded a version of "Bobby McGee," which went to No. 1 on the pop charts. Joplin, who had a close relationship with Mr. Kristofferson, changed the lyrics to make "Bobby McGee" a man and cut her version just days before she died in 1970 from a drug overdose. The recording became a posthumous No. 1 hit for Joplin. Around the same time Sammi Smith took his "Help Me Make It Through the Night" to No. 8 on the pop chart and No. 1 on the country chart. 
His 1971 album The Silver-Tongued Devil and I was a critical success and went gold, however his recording career declined the next year after 1972's Border Lord was panned. Meanwhile, an acting career took off with 1972's Cisco Pike, and two years later he appeared in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, which also co-starred singer Rita Coolidge whom he married in 1973. His other film credits include Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (1976), Semi-Tough (1977), Convoy (1978), and a remake of A Star Is Born in 1976 with Barbra Streisand. Mr. Kristofferson kicked a 20-year drinking problem in the late Seventies, and continued to tour and record, though with much less commercial success. He did some co-headlining shows with Coolidge until their divorce in 1980, and appeared in over a dozen films since then including Heaven's Gate (1980), SongWriter (1984) (in which he co-starred with fellow "outlaw" Willie Nelson), Trouble in Mind (1985) and Sodbusters (1994). He also starred in numerous made-for-TV movies and mini-series. Later in his career all of his major country hits were collaborative efforts with Nelson, Cash, and Waylon Jennings, including 1985's "Highwayman" (No. 1, C&W), "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train" (No. 15, C&W) and 1990's "Silver Stallion" (No. 25, C&W). His other earlier solo hits include "Why Me," "Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do)," "Watch Closely Now," "A Song I'd Like to Sing" and "Jesus Was a Capricorn." Mr. Kristofferson retired from performing and recording in 2021, making only occasional guest appearances on stage. - The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll/CBS News, 9/30/24.
Speaking of Stevie Nicks, the rock icon dropped a powerful new song called "The Lighthouse" inspired by the overturning of Roe v. Wade on Sept. 27. The track opens with a melodic pinging beat and anthemic sound effects as Nicks sings softly, "I have my scars, you have yours/ Don't let them, take your power." As the song intensifies and eventually morphs into an explosive rock n' roll head-banger, the former Fleetwood Mac frontwoman encourages women to "stand up and take it back" in reference to women's rights, specifically abortion access. "They'll take your soul they'll take your power/ Unless you save it," she belts. "And that's that/ Unless you stand up and take it back." Nicks also dropped a music video for "The Lighthouse" on 
Herb Alpert has released his 50th studio album -- appropriately titled 
Traffic co-founder and '70s solo star Dave Mason canceled his forthcoming US tour on Sept. 25 after being diagnosed with a "serious heart condition." Mason, 78, had been scheduled to embark on a run of solo concerts this autumn, with it recently being announced that the singer-songwriter, guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee would be forced to "miss the first couple [of] shows in Phoenix and Las Vegas" following "the advice of doctors." However, his team has since shared a statement to announce that the full tour has been axed due to health reasons. "Dave Mason has announced the cancellation of his Fall 'Traffic Jam 2024' west coast tour after doctors detected a serious heart condition during a routine appointment that requires immediate medical attention," reads a post on 
Uriah Heep announced a farewell UK tour for 2025 in an 
British actress Maggie Smith, star of stage, film and Downton Abbey died on the morning of Sept. 27 in a London hospital, surrounded by loved ones. She was 89. The masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 also gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films. Ms. Smith's sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement that their mother "leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother." Ms. Smith was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench, with a clutch of Academy Award nominations and a shelf full of acting trophies. She remained in demand even in her later years, despite her lament that "when you get into the granny era, you're lucky to get anything." Jean Brodie, in which she played a dangerously charismatic Edinburgh schoolteacher, brought her the Academy Award for best actress, and the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) as well in 1969. She added a supporting actress Oscar for California Suite in 1978, Golden Globes for California Suite and Room with a View, and BAFTAs for lead actress in A Private Function in 1984, A Room with a View in 1986, and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne in 1988. She also received Academy Award nominations as a supporting actress in Othello, Travels with My Aunt, Room with a View and Gosford Park, and a BAFTA award for supporting actress in Tea with Mussolini. On stage, she won a Tony in 1990 for "Lettice and Lovage." Her work in 2012 netted three Golden Globe nominations for the globally successful Downton Abbey TV series and the films The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Quartet. Margaret Natalie Smith was born in Ilford, on the eastern edge of London, on Dec. 28, 1934. She summed up her life briefly: "One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, one's still acting." Her father was assigned in 1939 to wartime duty in Oxford, where her theatre studies at the Oxford Playhouse School led to a busy apprenticeship. "I did so many things, you know, round the universities there. If you were kind of clever enough and I suppose quick enough, you could almost do weekly rep because all the colleges were doing different productions at different times," she said in a BBC interview. Ms. Smith was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire, the equivalent of a knight, in 1990. She married fellow actor Robert Stephens in 1967. They had two sons, Christopher and Toby, and divorced in 1975. The same year she married the writer Beverley Cross, who died in 1998. - AP, 9/27/24.
In other Beatles-related news, George Harrison's 1973 No. 1 solo album 
Current Journey frontman Arnel Pineda has offered to quit the arena rock band into which he was recruited in 2007 after some fans slammed his performance during a Journey show at the Rock in Rio festival earlier in September. After a 
The Eagles opened their residency at the Las Vegas Sphere on Sept. 20, where state-of-the-art 2024 technology finally caught up to the band's enduring artistry and created a technicolor display worthy of their classic, illustrative songs from the 1970s and beyond. The band -- made up of Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill and the late Glenn Frey's son Deacon Frey, as well as a team of longtime touring musicians -- was never overpowered by the Sphere's floor-to-ceiling visuals because the 20-song set made up exclusively of hits always held its own against the immersive spectacle. The band took a moment on opening night to perform a twofold tribute for fallen friends, starting out with Henley's solo hit "The Boys of Summer" for the late king of summer Jimmy Buffett, who died in Sept. 2023 at age 76, and then moving on to "Heartache Tonight" to remember the song's co-writer JD Souther, who died on Sept. 18 at age 78. "I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge a couple of people, one of whom we lost a year ago this month, Mr. Jimmy Buffett," Henley began the tribute. "We're dedicating this next song to him. And then the song we're going to do after this next song, I want to acknowledge the co-writer of that song, who we lost three days ago, Mr. JD Souther. JD, as some of you may know, played a pivotal role in the Eagles. He wasn't in the band, but he certainly co-wrote some of our biggest hits, including 'Best of My Love,' 'New Kid in Town' and the one we're going to play after this next song called 'Heartache Tonight.' So these songs go out to those boys, Mr. Buffett and Mr. Souther. Sing it so they can hear you." The band's encores included "Take It Easy," the Joe Walsh hit "Rocky Mountain Way," "Desperado" and "Heartache Tonight." After Sept. 27 and 28 dates, the band will perform four shows at the venue in October, four in November, four in December, and four in January 2025, wrapping on Jan. 25. - Billboard, 9/21/24...... Michael Jackson's estate has filed a legal action against an unnamed man who it claims has threatened to resurface ugly abuse allegations ahead of the upcoming release of a biopic about the King of Pop. Jackson's estate has filed a private arbitration case against the accuser, claiming his alleged threats violate an earlier, never-before-reported settlement over the abuse accusations. The name of Jackson's accuser and the details of his supposed allegations were not disclosed in media reports. It's unclear when the arbitration case was filed, or what exactly it alleges. The Jackson estate would not confirm the accuracy of the reports and declined to comment on the matter. The threats to go public come as the Jackson estate prepares for the premiere of Michael, a movie about the singer's life starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson in the titular role. The biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is set for release in Apr. 2025. Jackson, who died suddenly in 2009, was never convicted or held legally liable on any accusation of child molestation, but is still dogged by such allegations. Two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, continue to claim Jackson sexually abused them as children, spending the last decade pursuing civil lawsuits. And their allegations were amplified in 2019 by HBO docuseries Leaving Neverland, which laid out their claims in disturbing detail. The Jackson estate has always vehemently denied all such claims, pointing out that the singer was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial and arguing that his accusers are simply seeking monetary gain from an artist who cannot defend himself because defamation law does not extend to dead individuals. Meanwhile, Jackson's iconic "Thriller" music video from 1983 has just surpassed a billion views on 
To underscore the message in his new single "Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart," Stevie Wonder has announced he'll be laying 10 select dates during October in advance of the critical 2024 US presidential election in November. Produced by Wonder Productions and promoted by AEG Presents in partnership with Free Lunch, the "Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart" junket launches Oct. 8 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Calling for "joy over anger, kindness over recrimination, peace over war," Wonder has also slotted October performances in New York City (10/10); Philadelphia (10/12); Baltimore (10/15); Greensboro, N.C. (10/17); Atlanta (10/19); Detroit (10/22); Milwaukee, Wis. (10/24); and Minneapolis, Minn. (10/27). He'll wrap with the 10th performance in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Oct. 30. "I've always felt that singing and expressing love throughout our world can make a major difference -- it always has and always will," Wonder said in a statement. "Truthfully, I miss you; I miss performing. So I will be singing my songs, your songs; we will be celebrating songs and music as together we fix our nation's broken heart." - Billboard, 9/20/24...... Oprah Winfrey will host a new Elvis Presley special, The Presleys - Elvis, Lisa Marie And Riley, on CBS this fall. Oprah will tour the historic Presley estate in Memphis, Tenn., and interview Presley's actress granddaughter, Riley Keough. The interview comes more than a year after Keough's mother and Elvis' only child, Lisa Marie Presley, died on Jan. 12, 2023 at age 54 from natural causes due to the effects of a small bowel obstruction from bariatric surgery. Before she died, Lisa Marie recorded stories of life for a memoir. Keough worked to compile the recordings into a posthumous memoir, 
John David "JD" Souther, known for his work as an artist, songwriter and actor, and his collaborations with artists including The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor, died peacefully on Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico. He was 78. Born in Detroit on Nov. 2, 1945 and raised in Amarillo, Tex., Souther became one of the foremost musical architects in the 1970s country-rock scene. He began recording with a local group in Texas known as The Cinders; the group would release a single on Warner Bros. as John David and the Cinders. Souther released his self-titled debut LP in 1972, then teamed with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay to release the album The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. Souther followed with the 1976 solo album Black Rose, which included a collaboration with Ronstadt, "If You Have Crying Eyes." During the '70s he also forged a friendship with the Eagles' Glenn Frey and would collaborate as a writer on many of the Eagles' biggest hits, including 
Despite initially claiming that her son Elijah Blue Allman's life would "be at risk" if left to his own devices, Cher has given up her attempt to take over control of his personal affairs, including his finances. Cher applied for conservatorship of Elijah, whose father is the late Gregg Allman, in 2023 when she claimed he could not properly take care of himself or "manage his own financial resources" because of his alleged struggles with drug abuse. In court documents, Cher claimed "any funds distributed to Elijah will immediately be spent on drugs... leaving [him] with no assets... and putting [his] life at risk." In response, Elijah acknowledged he had "struggled with addiction and spent money in ways that have not always been the most responsible" in the past, he was now "clean and sober." Now in a recent court hearing, Cher's lawyer Gabrielle Vidal said the singer and her son had "privately resolved this matter" via mediation. He later told People magazine that "Mr. Allman's team successfully defended the bid, resulting in Cher voluntarily dismissing her petition. "This outcome allows the parties to focus on healing and rebuilding their family bond, a process that began during mediation and continues today," he added. In other Cher-related news, the diva has confirmed she'll be headlining the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Oct. 15 in Brooklyn, New York. Cher will be headlining the brand's first big runway showcase in six years -- and she'll be leading a lineup of all-women artists for the first time ever. The iconic fashion house shared the news on 
It appears it's "R.I.P. R.E.O." Members of REO Speedwagon took to 
In a conversation with Billboard's "Behind the Setlist" podcast, KISS frontman Paul Stanley teases that the band's digital future is "beyond anything" anyone else has contemplated. After the culmination of The End of the Road Tour in December, KISS began the year with the sale of its name and likeness and plans to live eternally in the digital world. Details are scarce, but the band has said the virtual performance should launch in Las Vegas in 2027. Although Stanley didn't say exactly how KISS will carry its legacy into the future, he and fellow KISS co-founder Gene Simmons have typically ambitious goals. In April, KISS sold its name and likeness rights to Pophouse, the Swedish company that helped build ABBA Voyage around virtual versions of ABBA's four members made to look decades younger. Although those early generations of avatars wowed audiences, KISS isn't content to replicate the previous models, says Stanley. "We're creating something that's not a concert," he explains. "The idea of a hologram -- and it's not a hologram, but that term seems to get thrown around a lot -- but the idea a simulated concert is not what we want to do. Frankly, I would find that boring." Stanley's full interview can be streamed on 
Ted Nugent has responded to Pearl Jam's recent anti-gun cover of Nugent's song "Stranglehold" after the grunge rockers briefly covered the song during a show on Sept. 12 in Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena. Frontman Eddie Vedder ad-libbed the "Stranglehold" lyrics: "I don't own a gun/ I don't ever want to own a gun/ I don't own a gun, never want to own a gun," after guitarist Mike McCready played it's iconic opening riff. Vedder didn't comment beyond that, instead opting to launch straight into "Even Flow." However, longtime gun rights advocate Nugent caught wind of it and made his own statement on social media, taking to 
Tito Jackson, one of the founding members of the legendary Jackson 5, passed away on Sept. 15 after reportedly suffering a heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma. He was 70. Born Toriano Adaryll Jackson on Oct. 15, 1953, in Gary, Indiana, Tito was an integral part of the Jackson family's musical dynasty. He, along with his brothers Michael, Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie Jackson, formed The Jackson 5 in the 1960s. They were later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Tito's rhythm guitar work and the harmonies of his brothers helped the group achieve meteoric success, culminating in their signing to Motown Records in 1968. Their debut single, "I Want You Back," became an instant sensation, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as did their subsequent hits 
Although Eric Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on three different occasions, he had some choice words to say about the Cleveland-based hall and museum in a new interview with the UK's The Real Music Observer. Speaking of his own inductions, he said "I came to that thing, whatever it is... I think of it as a frat boys club that happened to lure [me] in. I think the fact that they had [former Atlantic Records president and Hall Of Fame chairman] Ahmet Ertegun was the ticket for me. He was doing it for people like Ruth Brown and The Drifters, all those early Atlantic artists that were being forgotten. And then, it just kind of started to snowball." Although he had his reservations due to the involvement of Rolling Stone magazine, he said his friend and The Band member Robbie Robertson was involved with it too, and persuaded him to do it. However, he made it clear that he wasn't happy with many of the Hall Of Fame's decisions, saying, "The fact that someone like J.J. [Cale] has never even been suggested is proof of what that thing is or proof of what it isn't. It's not like he'll ever come up. It's not their thing. I don't know what their thing is. But he's too anonymous for those guys." When it was mentioned that Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers hasn't been inducted -- he's turned it down in the past -- Clapton said, "He's a rebel. It's not a place for rebels. It's establishment stuff." Clapton's full interview can be streamed on 
Days after Taylor Swift finally threw her support for Democratic presidential nominee Vice-Pres. Kamala Harris, Linda Ronstadt posted a missive to her 
'70s/'80s hitmakers Toto have announced they'll headline a UK and European tour in 2025. The L.A.-based Toto, whose hit singles include "Africa" and "Hold The Line," will hit the road on Feb. 1 at Glasgow's OVO Hydro, with performances also at arenas in Birmingham (Feb. 2), Manchester (Feb. 4) and London (Feb. 5). From there, Toto will head to Europe for gigs in Brussels, Paris, Zurich, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and other locations throughout the month and into early March. Joining founding members Steve Lukather (guitar/vocals) and Joseph Williams (vocals) on the tour will be Greg Phillinganes (keyboards/vocals), Shannon Forrest (drums), John Pierce (bass), Warren Ham (horns/percussion) and Dennis Atlas (keyboards/vocals). Christopher Cross is set to support the group at the concerts. Toto released their 14th and final studio album, Old Is New, in 2018. The are also scheduled to return to Brazil for the first time in 17 years, at Soa Paulo on Nov. 24 and Rio De Janeiro on Nov. 26. - NME, 9/11/24...... The elusive Janis Joplin biopic became closer to reality on Sept. 10, as actress Shailene Woodley announced she has received a commitment for a $2.49 million tax credit from the California Film Commission for the film. "I have a feeling Janis would be smiling ear to ear, zipping down the PCH in her psychedelic Porsche knowing her story is bringing opportunities and funding to the city and people that held so much significance to her," Woodley, who will star in and produce the film, said in a statement. "Thank you to the California Film Commission's Film & Television Tax Credit Program -- myself and the other producers on this project believe California is the only place to film a slice of Janis's life with authenticity and truth -- and we are so grateful to have received the green light to do so!," she added. The Joplin biopic from Temple Hill qualified for just under $10 million in production expenditures for a 30-day shoot in California, according to the state's film commission. Joplin died in 1970 at age 27 and a biopic of the legendary singer has yet to be produced, but not for a lack of trying. Amy Adams, Zooey Deschanel, P!nk and Melissa Etheridge, among others, were earlier on board to play Joplin in movies that never got to production. - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/10/24...... Heart has rescheduled their first tour in five years after sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson were postponed due to Ann's recent cancer scare. Sharing an animated video set to the group's 1975 hit "Crazy on You," Heart broke the news of the band's return to the road via 
A&M Records and UMe announced on Sept. 9 that a new collection of holiday classics by the Carpenters will be released on Nov. 1. Titled 
Bruce Springsteen's wife and E Street Band member Patti Scialfa opens up about her recent battle with blood cancer in the new documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 8. Scialfa reveals she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, in 2018, which resulted in her dialing back her public appearances and performances with husband Springsteen's E Street Band over the past few years. "This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go," she says in the film that looks at the relationship between the 74-year-old rock icon and his longtime bandmates. "Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that's been a treat. That's the new normal for me right now, and I'm OK with that." Scialfa, 71, who has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 as a backing vocalist and guitarist -- and married Springsteen in 1991 -- was not on hand for the premiere, although her famous rocker husband was, and also participated in a post-screening Q&A. In addition to being a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, Scialfa has also released three solo albums. Fans have noted her absence on stage during the E Street Band's current stadium tour, which is the group's first major outing since 2016. Road Diary, an intimate look at the rock band's current world tour and the unique backstage dynamic between the players, will stream on Hulu and Disney+ beginning Oct. 25. The trailer can be viewed on 
James Earl Jones, the prolific film, TV and theater actor whose resonant, unmistakable baritone was most widely known as the voice of