The Isley Brothers are preparing to battle in court over trademark rights to the band's name. In a lawsuit filed on Mar. 20 in Chicago federal court, Rudolph Isley accused his brother Ronald Isley of improperly attempting to secure a federal trademark registration on the "The Isley Brothers" -- even though the name is supposed to be jointly owned. "Counsel for defendant Ronald Isley has asserted in correspondence that defendant alone has exclusive ownership of the [trade]mark," Rudolph's lawyers wrote in their complaint. "These assertions... are false." The lawsuit claims that Ronald, "acting without the knowledge or approval of Rudolph," applied in 2021 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to register "The Isley Brothers" as a trademark under his name alone. The agency approved the application and registered the trademark in 2022. Rudolph Isley is asking a judge to declare that the trademark rights to the name are "jointly owned by Plaintiff and Defendant equally." He also wants a ruling that forces Ronald to explain how he has "exploited" the trademark and to share any revenue derived from it." In statement to Billboard responding to the lawsuit, Ronald Isley said: "This is an unfortunate family matter that will get resolved in litigation." Rudolph's attorney Brian D. Caplan responded that his client "regrets that he had to bring a lawsuit against his brother," but stressed that the case had become necessary: "He tried to resolve this matter without litigation. But the bottom line is that the name 'The Isley Brothers' belongs to both Rudolph and his brother Ronald." The Isley Brothers are known for such Top 10 hits as "It's Your Thing," "That Lady (Part 1)" and "Fight the Power (Part 1)." - Billboard, 3/21/23...... 
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band treated fans in Boston to one of their hometown anthems during a concert at TD Garden on Mar. 20 when he busted out the '60s rock band The Standells' 1965 ode to some of the city's iconic faces and places, "Dirty Water." The run through the classic garage rock tune came at the top of a 50-minute encore by the Boss and his band and it was just one of several Boston mentions the "Born to Run" rocker tossed out over the course of the show. Springsteen also dedicated his classic "Thunder Road" to the nurses, doctors and staff at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and encouraged his fans to donate to the volunteers from the Greater Boston Food Bank who were set up around the arena. "Dirty Water" was written by The Standells' producer Ed Cobb, a California native, and it makes mentions of the city's notoriously fouled Charles River and Boston Harbor (hence, "Dirty Water"), the totally unfair midnight curfew imposed upon female students at Boston University ("Frustrated women... have to be in by 12 o'clock") as well as the subject of the recent Keira Knightley film Boston Strangler ("have you heard about the strangler?"). In the years since, the song by the Los Angeles-based Standells, which peaked at No. 11 in June 1965, has become an anthem for Boston sports teams, including hockey's Boston Bruins and Boston Red Sox baseball team. - Billboard, 3/21/23...... In other Springsteen news, the New Jersey rocker was among the recipients of the prestigious National Medal of Arts during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Mar. 21. In presenting the award, Pres. Joe Biden said the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member is celebrated as "one of our greatest performers and storytellers," whose music "celebrates our triumphs, heals our wounds, and gives us hope, capturing the unyielding spirit of what it means to be American." Also honored that afternoon were Gladys Knight, who was recognized as an "exceptional talent" who "influenced musical genres -- from rhythm and blues to gospel to pop -- and inspired generations of artists, captivated by her soundtrack of a golden age in American music," and José Feliciano, who was honored for "opening hearts, building bridges and "overcoming obstacles, never losing faith, and enriching the goodness and greatness of the Nation." Other recipients of National Medals of Arts on this occasion include actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, designer Vera Wang and The Billie Holiday Theatre. The National Medals of Arts is the nation's highest award given to artists and their patrons. - Billboard, 3/21/23...... Rod Stewart has apologized to fans for cancelling his sold-out concert in Australia at the last minute over the third weekend of March. Sir Rod was due to perform alongside Cyndi Lauper and Jon Stevens at his "A Day on the Green" event in Geelong on Mar. 18, however organizers announced on social media hours before the event that it was cancelled "due to illness", which caused ticketholders to become furious. That evening, the veteran British rocker took to Instagram to apologize to his fans for the cancellation and revealed he was suffering from a viral throat infection. "I'm absolutely downhearted that I'm disappointing my fans who bought tickets to A Day On The Green," Stewart said. "Late this morning I was advised that I have a viral infection and my throat is too irritated to sing. I'm only human and sometimes get sick just like you do. My greatest joy is performing for you, so I'm doing everything I can to get on the mend and back on stage!" the 78-year-old shared. Stewart is currently scheduled to perform at the AEC Arena in Adelaide on Mar. 28, followed by five more dates in Australia. From April to September, he will also perform in New Zealand, Mexico, America, Ireland, the U.K., and Spain. - Music-News.com, 3/20/23...... The National Association of Music Merchants' (NAMM) announced on Mar. 20 that John Fogerty will be presented with its prestigious Music for Life Award at the 2023 NAMM Show during a ceremony on Apr. 13 in Anaheim, Calif. The Creedence Clearwater Revival co-founder is being recognized for his "lifelong contributions to music and his commitment to inspiring music makers worldwide." Most recently, Kenny Loggins was presented with the award in 2022, and previous honorees include Quincy Jones, Garth Brooks, Melissa Etheridge, Graham Nash, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Yoko Ono, Henry Mancini, Bob Weir and Nancy Wilson. The Music for Life Award is the entertainment technology industry's highest honor. Meanwhile, Fogerty and his band will also be hitting the road in 2023 for The Celebration Tour, where he'll be joined by his sons Shane and Tyler Fogerty, as well as their band, Hearty Har. - Billboard, 3/20/23...... 
An Instagram conversation between Elton John and his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin has revealed the inspiration for John's No. 1 1972 hit "Rocket Man," and it came as a surprise to Elton. In a clip shared by the 75-year-old Elton, he said: "'Rocket Man' was our first-ever number-one record I think. And it was on the Honky Chateau record. It was a pretty easy song to write a melody to because it's a song about space so it's quite a spacious song." Taupin, 72, then responded: "It was actually a song inspired by Ray Bradbury from his book of science-fiction short stories called The Illustrated Man. In that book, there was a story called 'The Rocket Man', which was about how astronauts in the future would become sort of an everyday job so I kinda took that idea and ran with it." A surprised Elton replied: "Do you know, I never knew that..." The revelation comes after Taupin has just revealed he's set to tell his own story about his famous partnership with the rock superstar in a new book titled Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, And Me, which is described as a "nonlinear" recollection of his time in the music industry. Bernie said of the book: "It was never my intention to write a traditional A to Z autobiography. I began a few years back composing essays and observations on my life that ultimately gained momentum and started to look like a book. From then on, it became a long, arduous task that was both exhilarating and liberating. It was also a lot of fun and immensely beneficial in blowing the dust off a lot of what I'd forgotten about." He added of the finished product: "Hopefully, there's something in it for everybody. It's contemplative, self-assessing, and attempts to stay off the beaten path in not regurgitating what's already been written. Nonlinear, it's an exploratory trip bouncing back and forth along the decades." Sir Elton previously wrote about their songwriting partnership in his hit 2019 autobiography Me, and Taupin's book is set to hit stores in September. Meanwhile, John and Country music queen Dolly Parton have collaborated on a new version of Elton's 1974 single "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me," which Dolly is a huge fan of, and they plan to release the track later in 2023. According to a source quoted in the UK paper The Sun's Bizarre column, "Elton is a massive fan of Dolly -- she is a gay icon, after all. He heard that she wanted to work with him and leapt at the chance." The track will appear on the 77-year-old Parton's upcoming rock 'n' roll album, which will feature her own originals as well as covers of classic hits. Last December, Dolly revealed she's been working on a new rock-themed album "that will be coming out some time next fall, hopefully, in time for the Christmas season next year." - Music-News.com, 3/22/23...... In a new interview with Yahoo! Music, Peter Gabriel has weighed in on the growing prominence of artificial intelligence, and says he believes that neither his nor anyone's job is safe. Speaking about his new tech company Reverberation, Gabriel discussed the need to anticipate what AI technology could be capable of. "I'm probably just as scared [of AI] as everybody else, but I like to jump in the river rather than talk about it... I do think about it quite a lot, and I think not enough people are thinking about it," the veteran prog-rocker said. Gabriel then turned to the topic of whether AI-generated music could ever have the emotional effect of songs written by human artists. "Most people argue no; I would say they just need better algorithms," he said, adding that there will probably be algorithms for human spirit one day. "So, we might as well just grab the algorithms and dance with them, rather than fight them. Unfortunately, I don't think my job or anyone's job is safe from AI," he added. "The way to look at it, though, is this amazing toolkit is just coming into our possession and we could do all sorts of extraordinary things, including perhaps -- and I do say 'perhaps' -- protecting our future." In February, the former Genesis member released a new song titled "The Court (Dark-Side Mix)," the second single taken from his upcoming album i/o which features contributions from Brian Eno as well as backing vocals from his daughter, Melanie Gabriel. - New Musical Express, 3/20/23...... Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen has spoken about an unfortunate incident on Mar. 13 in which he was allegedly assaulted by a 19-year-old who rushed him and knocked him to the ground outside a Fort Lauderdale, Fla. hotel he was staying when his band was playing the city. "Your love and prayers are truly helping. My wife Lauren [Monroe] was thankfully not with me at the time of the incident," the 59-year-old Allen posted on Twitter. "We are together now, and working on recovering in a safe space. We are focusing on healing for everyone involved. We ask you to join us in our effort to move from confusion and shock to compassion and empathy. We understand this act of violence can be triggering for so many people." Police arrested Max Edward Hartley of Ohio after the teen allegedly attacked Allen outside the Four Seasons Hotel on Mar. 13, a day after the veteran British band played a show at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel with Mötley Crüe. Hartley was arrested a short time later after police found him at another hotel allegedly breaking car windows and then charged him with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief and abusing an elderly or disabled adult; Allen tragically lost his left arm after a 1984 car accident. The Florida show came just before a break in the band's touring schedule, with the next date scheduled for May 22 in Sheffield, England. - Billboard, 3/20/23...... More than a year after Cher sued the widow of her first husband Sonny Bono over royalties from the '60s and '70s duo's hits "I Got You Babe" and other songs, a federal judge has issued an initial ruling refusing to dismiss the case. In a split decision on Mar. 14, U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt trimmed part of the case, saying any royalties from recording rights regained by Mary Bono should stop going to Cher. But when it comes to the bigger question of the underlying musical compositions, the judge said the divorce agreement might entitle Cher to keep receiving those payments. "The composition royalties appear to arise solely from the [divorce settlement]," the judge wrote. "On this record, it has not presently been established that [Cher]'s rights to the composition royalties have been terminated." Sonny and Cher started performing together in 1964 and married in 1967, rising to fame with major hits like "I Got You Babe," "The Beat Goes On" and "Baby Don't Go." But the pair split up in 1974, finalizing their divorce with a settlement agreement in 1978. Under that deal, Sonny retained ownership of their music rights, but Cher was granted a half-share of all royalties. Bono died in 1998 as the result of a skiing accident, leaving Mary in control of those copyrights. And in 2016, she invoked the termination right -- a provision of the federal Copyright Act that allows creators or their heirs to win back control of rights they signed away decades prior. Mary sent such notices to Sonny and Cher's publishers, taking back full control of those copyrights. Five years later, Cher filed her lawsuit -- seeking a ruling that the divorce agreement was still in effect and that she was still owed her 50% cut of royalties, regardless of who owns the copyrights now. Mary then fired back a few months later, arguing that the case should be dismissed. Her lawyers said that termination rights were designed to trump all preexisting agreements, including a divorce agreement. - Billboard, 3/17/23...... 
Jackson Browne has issued a statement mourning his longtime collaborator David Lindley who died on Mar. 3 at age 78. "David Lindley, the guitarist, lap steel and fiddle player who gave his personality and his inspiration to so many of my songs, passed away on March 3rd," Browne wrote. "The outpouring of love, and the widespread recognition of his mastery has been very moving. I want to join in the resounding chorus of appreciation for his gifts, but nothing I write seems quite good enough. Words have never been enough to describe what David Lindley brought to a song." Browne ended his lengthy tribute by saying: "My own world is shattered by David's passing. He was my friend and my teacher. It was with great pleasure and certainty that I revisited our special connection over the years. I guess I thought that he would always be around. I've been struggling to write something and post it for the past two weeks. It was hard to begin, and it's hard to conclude, I guess, because I don't want to let him go. David was kind to everyone, and so funny. Incapable of uttering a dishonest word, or playing a dishonest note. There will be tribute concerts, and a documentary about him, for sure. There will be ways for us to continue to celebrate his life. And we all know there will never be another David Lindley." Talented multi-instrumentalist Lindley was a go-to collaborator for the likes of such music icons as Browne, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, and many more. He had been ill for a number of months, according to the Los Angeles Times. A cause of death was not provided. - Billboard, 3/17/23...... Patti Smith was among the artists headlining a Paul McCartney tribute concert at New York's legendary Carnegie Hall on Mar. 15 as part of Michael Dorf's charity series "Music Of," which brings musicians together to celebrate the life and music of some of the world's biggest stars. Also in attendance at the "The Music of Paul McCartney" tribute were Graham Nash, Lyle Lovett, Nancy Wilson, Bruce Hornsby, Macca's former Wings bandmate Denny Laine, and more. Smith appeared unannounced to cover "She's Coming Home," and her rendition of the Beatles' classic has been shared on Instagram. - NME, 3/17/23...... The Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde has joined the list of artists who aren't interested in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame enshrinement. On the heels of a scathing op-ed from grunge-rock icon Courtney Love on Mar. 17 lambasting the Rock Hall for its lack of female representation, Hynde posted a similarly dismissive Facebook note offering up her pointed opinion on the Hall. "I don't even wanna be associated with it. It's just more establishment backslapping," Hynde wrote. "I got in a band so I didn't have to be part of all that." Hynde said she's currently living a happy life in Rio De Janeiro when she was informed that the long-running band was being inducted into the class of 2005. She attended the event and performed two songs after being inducted by Neil Young. She has since, however, thrown dirt on the idea of what she calls the Hall of Fame's "music-as-sport" posture, and in the Facebook post said that when she got the news that her band had been tapped, her "heart sank because I knew I'd have to go back for it as it would be too much of a kick in the teeth to my parents if I didn't... I'd upset them enough by then, so it was one of those things that would bail me out from years of disappointing them (like moving out of the USA and being arrested at PETA protests and my general personality)." "Other than Neil Young's participation in the induction process, the whole thing was, and is, total bollocks. It's absolutely nothing to do with rock 'n' roll and anyone who thinks it is is a fool," she added. Meanwhile, the Pretenders have announced a run of shows in the UK and Ireland this spring. They'll begin their 'Relentless Tour' with a stop at The Great Escape on May 12, where they're due to headline The Independent Stage as part of an exclusive set. The band will release their 12th album, Relentless, later in 2023 although no release date has been given. It will mark the follow-up to 2020's Hate For Sale. - Billboard/NME, 3/17/23...... Daryl Hall has been announced as Billy Joel's special guest at Joel's upcoming American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London on July 7. The 76-year-old Hall, best known as the co-founder and principal lead vocalist of Hall and Oates, will be making his solo debut at the summer concert series. Daryl's House Band, plus special guest Todd Rundgren, have also announced another London show two days later at London's Eventim Apollo on July 9. Headliners for BST also include Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Guns N' Roses, Take That, BLACKPINK and Pink with special guest Gwen Stefani. - Music-News.com, 3/21/23...... 
The back catalog of Lynyrd Skynyrd has gained in streaming and sales following the death of founding guitarist Gary Rossington on Mar. 5 at age 71. In the Mar. 3-9 tracking week, the Southern Rock legends drew 16.4 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate. That's a 16% jump over the previous period of Feb. 24-Mar. 2 (14.1 million). Pacing the group, which was originally led by Ronnie Van Zant and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, in overall volume for its songs was "Sweet Home Alabama," from 1974's Second Helping. The classic track, Lynyrd Skynyrd's lone top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 (No. 8 peak, Oct. 1974), earned 4.5 million streams Mar. 3-9, up 7% from 4.2 million. The song is followed by "Simple Man," from 1973's Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, at 3.9 million streams, a 5% boost. Next up, "Free Bird" from the same album, with a 11% jump to 3.1 million streams. The latter sports a slightly larger bump than the other songs, unsurprisingly: Rossington was the architect of the hit's signature slide guitar riff. A fourth Skynyrd song impacts the week's top 2,000 streams in the U.S.: "Gimme Three Steps," also from the 1973 LP, with 1.6 million streams, up 8%. The cause of death of Rossington, the final surviving original member of the band, has not yet been revealed. - Billboard, 3/17/23...... Mick Slattery, co-founder and original guitarist of the '70s prog-rock band Hawkwind, died "peacefully at home" on Mar. 17 following a short illness. He was 77. Slattery formed Hawkwind with his Famous Cure bandmate Dave Brock in 1969, joining forces with drummer Terry Ollis, saxophonist Nik Turner, and keyboardist Michael "Dik Mik" Davies, and they initially went by the name Group X. Slattery played on an original version of early Hawkwind song "Hurry On Sundown," which was recorded by the band as Hawkwind Zoo during some initial studio time to record demos. The track was eventually released in a 1996 reissue of Hawkwind's self-titled 1970 debut album. Slattery left Hawkwind in 1969 and was replaced by Huw Lloyd-Langton. He continued to make music with musicians who'd played in Hawkwind (with Turner in the group Space Ritual, and with Hawkwind's former bassist, Alan Davey, in his Hawkestrel project). The guitarist's passing comes four months after Turner died at the age of 82. - NME, 3/20/23..... Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins, an original member of Parliament-Funkadelic, died on Mar. 17 at age 81. A cause of death was not provided. Born in 1941 in West Virginia, Mr. Haskins was a member of The Gel-Airs before joining group originally known as The Parliaments, first formed in the 1960s as a doo-wop quintet with George Clinton, Calvin Simon, Grady Thomas and Ray Davis. The group that later became known as Parliament-Funkadelic. Mr. Haskins is credited for his contributions to P-Funk tracks like "I Got a Thing" and "I Wanna Know If It's Good to You," according to a post about Haskins on Clinton's website. Mr. Haskins remained a full-time member of P-Funk through the late 1970s. He released his first solo album, A Whole Nother Thang, in 1976 through Westbound Records. He dropped his second solo album, Radio Active, in 1978. Along with other members of Parliament-Funkadelic, he was inducted by Prince into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. - Billboard, 3/18/23...... Director Peter Werner, who won the Oscar for Best Short Film in 1977 for In the Region of Ice, (a student film from his time at the American Film Institute), died on Mar. 21 of cardiac complications after suffering a torn aorta. He was 76. He was mainly known for his credits on a variety of TV series, including Ghost Whisperer, Medium, The Wonder Years, Moonlighting, Blue Bloods, The Blacklist, Elementary, Law & Order: SVU, and plenty of others. Werner, who also directed the 1982 film Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder, is survived by his brother, Tom, whose company produced shows like The Cosby Show, Roseanne and That '70s Show, as well as his wife, Kedren, and children: Lillie, Katharine and James. - Yahoo.com, 3/21/23.
Patti LaBelle sang a nonsense karaoke version of her '70s group Labelle's biggest hit, "Lady Marmalade," on the new Jimmy Fallon-hosted talent show That's My Jam on Mar. 14. LaBelle, 79, sang the reworked version of her hit track, at one point remarking, "Oh, I hate this. Come on!" "Lady Marmalade" originally spent 18 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 hit parade, peaking at No. 1 in Mar. 1975. The track later saw a resurgence in the 2000s when Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Mya and Lil' Kim covered it for the Moulin Rouge! movie soundtrack; the updated version of the song also peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Patti LaBelle's nonsense version "Lady Marmalade" has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 3/15/23...... Rising singer Bebe Rexha has told a British tabloid that a new remix of her latest single "Heart Wants What It Wants" will feature Stevie Nicks. Rexha says the idea for the remix was decided after she released the single, and realized it had been "inspired" by Nicks' discography. "We hit up her team and said we have a song, and it's very inspired by Fleetwood Mac and Stevie," Rexha says. "She heard it and loved it. We are still working on the remix but hopefully it will come out soon!" Rexha, a native of Albania, adds she was unfamiliar with Nicks' and Fleetwood Mac's music until her producer asked her to "do a deep dive" into the music. Although no official release date for the remix has been announced, Rexha is set to head out a string of North American tour dates this summer, beginning on June 1. - New Musical Express, 3/16/23...... 
Fans of Talking Heads and David Byrne will probably recall the enormous suit donned by Byrne in the acclaimed Jonathan Demme-directed 1994 Talking Heads documentary Stop Making Sense. Now Byrne, 70, is getting the enormous suit out of storage in a new promo video from movie studio A24 via 4K technology. In the trailer, Byrne visits his neighborhood dry cleaners with a wrinkled ticket -- number A24, naturally -- to see if they still have his signature gigantic outfit from the film that many consider to be one of the most eye-catching and important concert movies of all time. After riding his bike through the New York streets to get his prize home, Byrne slips back into the enormous suit originally built by costume designer Gail Blacker and practices some bendy choreography in a mirror to the strains of "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" from the band's 1983 Speaking in Tongues album. The scene then splits to the original, in which Byrne does some of his patented herky-jerky dance moves on stage before the camera seamlessly pans back to his well-lit apartment and the screen reads, "Stop Making Sense 2023." The trailer can be viewed on YouTube. Studio A24 celebrated the success of its "multiverse" dramedy Everything Everywhere All At Once at the Mar. 12 Academy Awards, during which Byrne, Son Lox and Stephanie Hsu performed best song nominee "This Is a Life" from the film. Byrne donned the hot dog fingers displayed in one of the film's many alternate universes. - Billboard, 3/16/23...... Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters is vowing to take legal action after local officials in Frankfurt, Germany cancelled one of his gigs and branded him one of the "world's most widely spread anti-Semites." Waters' "This Is Not A Drill" tour was due to visit Frankfurt's Festhalle venue on May 28, but the city council and the Hessian state government agreed to cancel the show to "set an example against anti-Semitism." Four days later, officials in Munich introduced a motion to cancel a concert scheduled for May 21 at the city's Olympiahalle. Now Waters -- who previously has faced criticism for his words of support for Vladimir Putin amid Russia's war against Ukraine -- has hit back at the "blatant attempt to silence" him and confirmed he is consulting his lawyers about the "unjustifiable decision." In a statement titled "Roger Waters fights back," the musician's management team accuse German authorities of having "extraordinary and prejudicial intention" to cancel the concert. "These actions are unconstitutional, without justification, and based upon the false accusation that Roger Waters is antisemitic, which he is not," the statement reads. "As a result of this unilateral, politically motivated action, Mr Waters has instructed his lawyers to immediately take all necessary steps to overturn this unjustifiable decision to ensure that his fundamental human right of freedom of speech is protected and that all of those who wish to see him perform, are free to do so in Frankfurt, Munich and in any other city in any other country." Tickets for both the Frankfurt and Munich shows are still available for sale on Waters' website. - Bang Showbiz, 3/16/23...... Mammoth WVH, the rock band led by late Van Halen co-founder Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen, has signed a global record deal with BMG for its forthcoming second studio album. The band has also signed a publishing deal with BMG. The new release, coming this summer, will follow Mammoth WVH's 2021 self-titled debut on EX1 Records, which reached No. 1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Rock Albums charts, as well as No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 200. It also included two No. 1s on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart -- "Distance" and "Don't Back Down" -- while a third song, "Epiphany," reached No. 9. "The Mammoth team and I are so excited to now be a part of the BMG family," Van Halen said in a statement. "The entire team have welcomed us with open arms and have been nothing short of wonderful. I couldn't ask for better partners for the future of Mammoth." Wolfgang previewed the new album at Los Angeles' 5150 Studio in Los Angeles on Mar. 6-7. The group's name comes from the original moniker for his father's band, Van Halen. - Billboard, 3/16/23...... 
Queen guitarist Brian May was knighted by King Charles III of England during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Mar. 14 in London for his services to music and charity. The musician, 75, said he had "no words!" for the honor of receiving the title of Knight Bachelor by King Charles, and will now be known as Sir Brian May. Queen's official Twitter account shared a congratulatory note, writing, "Arise Sir Brian May. Brian's investiture as a Knight of the Realm took place at Buckingham Palace. The knighthood was presented to Brian by His Royal Highness, King Charles. Many congratulations, Sir Brian!" May was also previously given the title of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2005, and joins a long list of English music stars who've been knighted, including Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Barry Gibb and Van Morrison. - Billboard, 3/15/23...... A 19-year-old Ohio man has been arrested for attacking Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen as the band was in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. co-headlining a show with Motley Crüe at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. According to the police report, Max Edward Hartley, a high school varsity lacrosse and football player from Cleveland, was hiding behind a pillar outside the Four Seasons hotel when he rushed Allen, who lost an arm in a 1984 car accident, knocking him down and causing him to "hit his head on the ground causing injury." Authorities say when Allen, 59, was down, a woman rushed out of the hotel to help him and she too was attacked, as the defendant "continues to batter her by striking her... [She] attempts to escape by running into the hotel." Hartley was arrested after being found at a nearby hotel allegedly breaking car windows, and has been charged with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief, and abuse of an elderly or disabled adult. A photographer with a Miami TV station confronted Hartley after he made bail, and asked why he would assault a person with one arm and if he knew that Allen was in the band. The man did not respond. - Bang Showbiz, 3/16/23...... Yusuf/Cat Stevens says he "didn't have a plan" for his newly-announced studio album King of a Land, although "I've been recording it for 12 years." "I started recording it in Berlin in 2011, but I wasn't happy with the tracks I laid down there," Yusuf recently told New Musical Express. "Over the years, I've gradually been perfecting them. I live in Dubai, where I've been adding details in my studio. So it's taken a long time, but it's benefitted from that... I wasn't going to let go until it's ready and I'm very, very pleased with the results. It's probably one of my best albums," he added. Made withhis longtime producer Paul Samwell-Smith, King Of A Land is a fascinatingly diverse album, veering from the childlike wonder of "How Good It Feels" and gospel-tinged "Highness" to the politicized rock of "All Nights All Days" and the heavy "Pagan Run." The album is launched with on of Yusuf's trademark infectious acoustic songs, "Take The World Apart." King of a Land drops on June 16 via BMG Records. - NME, 3/15/23...... A little more than one month after being released from prison on Feb. 3, Gary Glitter is back behind bars in the UK after breaching the terms of his probation. Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, served half of a 16-year prison sentence for sexually abusing three young girls in the 1970s when he was freed in February, and a Probation Service spokesperson did not specify the reasons why he was recalled, but "our number one priority is protecting the public." "That's why we set tough licence conditions and when offenders breach them, we don't hesitate to return them to custody," the spokesperson added. Sex offenders like Glitter "are closely monitored by the police and Probation Service," the Ministry of Justice said in a statement at the time, noting they face being fitted with a GPS tag. "If the offender breaches these conditions at any point, they can go back behind bars," that statement continued. Glitter, now 78, was initially found guilty of one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13. His total fall from grace began in 1997, when he was arrested after indecent material was found on his computer, which resulted in a prison stint and the enduring scrutiny of Britain's tabloid press. Meanwhile, Deadline.com is reporting Glitter has been confirmed as the subject of a new Netflix documentary. Hunting Gary Glitter [working title] will cover Glitter's conviction for child sex abuse and a series of sexual offenses. With exclusive access to the journalists who pursued Glitter over several years across the world in order to bring him to justice, and alerted authorities to his whereabouts in Southeast Asia, ultimately leading to his arrest, the production has been underway for a number of months. Amazon Prime Video and ITV are reportedly also working up projects on Glitter. - Billboard/Deadline.com, 3/15/23...... 
Although hot young Canadian artist The Weeknd recently won five Juno Awards over the course of the two nights bringing his total to 22, he's still in second place on the all-time Juno leaderboard behind Anne Murray, who has picked up 25 Junos over the years. Murray's collection of Junos includes back-to-back awards for both Album of the Year and Single of the Year for 1980-81. She took the album awards with New Kind of Feeling and Anne Murray's Greatest Hits, and the single prizes with "I Just Fall in Love Again" and "Could I Have This Dance." The singer was one of the top pop/country crossover artists of the 1970s and '80s, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978 with "You Needed Me," and the Hot Country Songs chart 10 times. Murray also won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance with "You Needed Me" and for Best Female Country Vocal Performance three times, with "Love Song," "Could I Have This Dance" and "A Little Good News." Although best known for her ballads, she also had some midtempo hits, including covers of The Beatles' sassy "You Won't See Me" and The Monkees' endearing "Daydream Believer." Murray also had a wonderfully dry sense of humor in concert. When a fan would yell out a request, she would counter with a dry "Not yet. First, I want to work you up to feverish pitch." - Billboard, 3/14/23...... KISS' Gene Simmons recently told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that his band would still love to do a Vegas residency, after their planned stint at Zappos Theater in Sin City in 2021 and 2022 was canceled do to the Covid-19 pandemic. "I actually don't know because we have been so inundated by people wanting to see us wherever we go," Simmons says. "I mean, every guy whoever washed my dog or did my dry cleaning is hitting me up for tickets for his entire family, three generations back. Vegas? I don't know, it would be nice to do a Vegas residency. But I don't know any of these things." He added that "KISS the touring band will stop" once its "End of the Road" tour wraps in New York on Dec. 2, but "KISS will continue in other ways. I have no problems with four deserving 20-year-olds sticking the makeup back on and hiding their identity.... KISS will continue in ways that even I haven't thought of." - Music-News.com, 3/14/23...... CBS has given an air date of Apr. 9 for the recently taped Beach Boys tribute, A Grammy Salute to the Beach Boys. The show was taped at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on Feb. 8, three days after the live broadcast of the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Like past "Grammy Salutes" specials, the show features a broad range of artists performing the honoree's songs, with an eclectic mix of artists honoring Brian Wilson & co., including Brandi Carlile, John Legend, Norah Jones, Pentatonix, Take 6, Fall Out Boy, My Morning Jacket and Weezer. In addition, the special will feature appearances by music legends Sir Elton John and Bruce Springsteen along with actors Tom Hanks, John Stamos and Drew Carey. It was John did the honors when the BB were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and Sir Elton was the subject of his own Grammy tribute special in 2018, Elton John: I'm Still Standing - A Grammy Salute. The BB special will air on Apr. 9 from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. In a first for these Grammy Salutes specials, a one-hour version of the tribute will air on MTV at a future date to be announced. Interestingly, the Beach Boys never won a Grammy in competition, despite four nominations, although Wilson has received six more Grammy nominations and won twice -- for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" in 2004 and Best Historical Album for The Smile Sessions (Deluxe Box Set) in 2012. - Billboard, 3/14/23...... Willie Nelson announced on Mar. 14 he's bringing back his Outlaw Music Festival in 2023 for a string of dates this summer. The annual festival, which serves as a celebration of Nelson's life and legacy, will see the country rocker bringing friends and family on the road to celebrate his upcoming 90th birthday. Guests will include Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, The Avett Brothers, John Fogerty, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Whiskey Myers, Gov't Mule, Marcus King, Margo Price, Trampled By Turtles, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Kathleen Edwards, Flatland Cavalry, Kurt Vile And The Violators, Brittney Spencer and Particle Kid. The festival will kick off in Somerset, Wash. on June 23, making additional stops in Dallas, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Cleveland and more before wrapping in Cinncinati on Aug. 30. The full tour announcement and the day-by-day lineups for the festival can be viewed on Instagram. - Billboard, 3/14/23...... 
On Mar. 14 Tom Waits announced on Twitter that a 50th anniversary vinyl reissue of his debut studio album Closing Time will be released on June 2 via ANTI. The double-LP is available on clear and black 180g vinyl cut at 45rpm with half-speed mastering by Abbey Road Studios in London. It'll be packaged in a gatefold jacket with lyrics. Additionally, a remastered digital version of the album is out now on streaming platforms. The reissue can be listened to via Spotify.com. - NME, 3/14/23...... Organizers of the Bob Marley interactive exhibition "One Love Experience" announced on Mar. 14 that the exhibit as been extended for an additional four weeks in its current Los Angeles home at the Ovation Hollywood. The exhibit, which opened Jan. 27, was originally slated to run until April 23, but now will close after May 21. It spans multiple rooms across some 15,000 square feet, and includes the full Bob Marley archive of previously-unseen photos and memorabilia, and a 2,000-square foot "One Love Forest," which is an immersive trip through Marley's Jamaica, complete with cannabis garden and "a giant joint," according to a press release. The exhibit initially launched in London in Feb. 2022, spending 10 weeks at the Saatchi Gallery in the city, before moving to Toronto, where it spent 16 weeks at the Lighthouse Immersive Artspace. The exhibit is produced by the Marley family and Terrapin Station Entertainment, a division of Sony Music. - Billboard, 3/14/23...... The Who vocalist Roger Daltrey has confirmed that he recently completed a script for a new Keith Moon biopic and says he's determined to get the project to the big screen. "I'm at a draft that's ready to go to directors," Daltrey says about the film, which has been in the works since at least 2005, when Mike Myers signed up to portray the late zany drummer who died in 1978 from a drug overdose at age 32. However, it's since languished in development limbo and failed to get off the ground. "It's a tricky one, and it's taken me a long, long time," Daltrey continued. "A myriad of writers came up with failed scripts to finally make me sit down and write the kind of story I had in my head of how to tell a story that engages people, that really does expose the full Moon." The singer went on to describe Moon as an "extraordinary character," adding: "He was flawed, like we all are. But he was wonderful and he was an absolute uncontrolled genius. And people like him are greatly missed in life today, because life is so full of fucking mediocrity, it's unbelievable." Asked whether he had anyone in mind to play Moon in the film, Daltrey responded: "I've got someone in mind as a template, but he might be too old to play Keith. But I've got a template, which is the most useful thing. Mike [Myers] would have been great at that time but he's too old now, unfortunately. But I do have someone in mind who's a very very, very good actor. But again, he might be too old but he's a template." The Who will kick off a 10-date UK summer tour in Hull on July 6. - NME, 3/13/23...... John Travolta teared up at the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Mar. 12 as he introduced his late beloved Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John. "In this industry we have a rare luxury of getting to do what we love for a living and sometimes getting to do it with people that we come to love," the Saturday Night Fever star said. "It's only fitting that we celebrate those we lost." Of those departed talents, Travolta said, "They've touched our hearts, made us smile and became dear friends who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to." As he delivered that last line, a reference to Newton-John's song "Hopelessly Devoted to You," he noticeably choked up, pushing back tears. Newton-John died last August at the age of 73. The pair remained lifelong friends after starring in the 1978 smash Grease, which launched both of their careers into the stratosphere. Meanwhile, Elton John raised several more millions of dollars for the fight against AIDS at his annual Oscars viewing party that same night at West Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. Hosted by John and his husband David Furnish, with special guests Eric McCormack and Michaela Ja Rodriguez, the event reportedly raised over $9 million for the "Rocket Man" singer's charity organization. The event was well-attended by plenty of A-list artists, including stars like Smokey Robinson, Sharon Osbourne, Hillary Duff and Tyga. In a statement, Sir Elton said in part: "We can see an end to AIDS in our lifetimes, but first we must break down stigma and discrimination and provide equal access to healthcare to finally end the epidemic for everyone, everywhere." His foundation was founded in 1992 with the stated goal of bringing an end to the AIDS epidemic. - Billboard, 3/12/23...... Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band announced on Twitter on Mar. 12 that they've been forced to postpone a handful of U.S. concerts "due to illness." The affected shows include Uncasville, Conn. (3/12) and Albany, N.Y. (3/14). Springsteen previously postponed the band's Mar. 9 concert at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Further details about the illness and whether it was Springsteen or one of the band members were not provided, however in a Twitter post on Mar. 11 E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt said: "No need to be anxious or afraid. Nothing serious. Just a temporary situation. We will all be back in full force very soon." - Billboard, 3/12/23...... On Mar. 10 Eric Clapton announced a pair of Jeff Beck tribute concerts will take place at London's historic Royal Albert Hall on May 22 and 23. Clapton says the event will "honour the memory and artistry" of Beck, who died suddenly on Jan. 10 aged 78, and is set to be joined at the gigs by a host of "colleagues and friends," including Rod Stewart, Johnny Depp, Billy Gibbons, John McLaughlin, Imelda May, Gary Clark Jr. and Joss Stone. Also scheduled to appear are Rhonda Smith, Anika Nilles and Robert Stevenson from Jeff Beck's live band. The final bill of participating artists will be revealed closer to the date of the performances. In 2022, Clapton played two nights at the Royal Albert Hall as part of his UK and European headline tour. He was later forced to postpone two of the dates on the stint after contracting Covid-19. - NME, 3/10/23...... 
Versatile R&B artist Bobby Caldwell, best known for his 1978 hit "What You Won't Do For Love," died on Mar. 15 at his home after a lengthy illness, according to a tweet by his wife Mary Caldwell. He was 71. In her tweet, Mary said her husband "had been FLOXED," which generally refers to a condition that arises from the adverse effects of consuming fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin or Avelox. Born on April 15, 1951 in New York City, Caldwell got his first big break serving as the rhythm guitarist for Little Richard in the early 1970s before going solo later in the decade and scoring a hit out of the box on his TK Records debut with the No. 9 Billboard single "What You Won't Do For Love." In a 2005 interview with NPR, Caldwell said the Miami-based TK label with a largely Black, R&B roster didn't "want it to be well-known that I was white," which explains why his picture was left off the cover of his self-titled debut. Additionally, he said the record was initially completed without the smooth, jazzy ballad "What You Won't Do for Love," which Caldwell co-wrote and cut in a hurry to please TK boss Henry Stone. The song went on to cement Caldwell's reputation as a "blue-eyed soul" star and it has been covered since by everyone from Boyz II Men to Michael Bolton, Roy Ayers and Snoh Aalegra; it was also sampled by Tupac Shakur on "Do For Love." He scored again in 1980 with the gentle piano pop tune "Open Your Eyes" from that year's Cat in the Hat album, and continued to release albums throughout the 1980s, 1990s and into the mid-2010's, all the way through his final collection, 2015's Cool Uncle. Caldwell also co-wrote the hit 1986 Amy Grant/Peter Cetera duet "The Next Time I Fall," which went to No. 1 and received a Grammy nod for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Goup with Vocal. He also wrote or co-wrote songs for Ayers, Neil Diamond, Boz Scaggs, Chicago and Natalie Cole, among others. - Billboard, 3/15/23...... It has been revealed that Lisa Marie Presley's ex-husband Michael Lockwood has been granted full custody of their 14-year-old twin daughters Harper and Finley following Lisa Marie's death on Jan. 12 at age 54. The custody battle over the twins had been ongoing for years, but following Lisa Marie's death, her lawyer attended a virtual hearing on Mar. 14 and asked for the custody case to be dismissed as his client is "sadly no longer with us." According to Entertainment Tonight, custody will go to Lockwood, who was married to Lisa Marie between 2006 and 2016, unless another family member disputes the matter. The custody hearing came just days after Lockwood asked the court to appoint him as the guardian ad litem for the children so he can represent them in an upcoming probate court hearing, which is scheduled to take place on Apr. 13. Both Harper and Finley each signed their names, approving of Lockwood as their guardian. Since Lisa's death, there has been an ongoing battle over her trust between her mother Priscilla Presley and daughter Riley Keough. - Music-News.com, 3/16/23...... 
In one of the most disturbing incidents in rock lore, prolific and in demand early '70s drummer Jim Gordon was sentenced to decades in prison after being convicted of killing his mother in 1983 and repeated failures to show up for his hearings. Gordon, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, died on Mar. 13 from natural causes at the California Medical Facility prison hospital in Vacavillle, Calif., according to his rep. He was 77. Best known for his work in Eric Clapton's band Derek and the Dominoes, Gordon co-wrote that band's classic track "Layla" with Clapton, and it appeared on the group's 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. "Layla" was famously written about Clapton's forbidden love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend and Beatles member George Harrison. The song initially peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1971 but became a top 10 hit when it was re-released the following year. Clapton's MTV Unplugged version of the track went to No. 12 on the Hot 100 in 1992. In addition to being a member of Derek and the Dominos, Gordon was also a member of the session musician group "The Wrecking Crew," in which he was able to earn spots playing the drums on tracks like Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," Steely Dan's "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," and John Lennon's "Power to the People," as well as The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, Tom Waits' The Heart of Saturday Night and other tracks by Cher, Alice Cooper, Leon Russell, Carpenters, Joan Baez and more. - Billboard, 3/16/23.
In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Steely Dan producer Gary Katz revealed that Eagles principle Don Henley was once fired from contributing backing vocals to Steely Dan's 1977 hit "Peg" because Steely Dan frontman Donald Fagen decided his contributions were "no good." As Steely Dan were putting the track together, Katz says he and Fagen discussed how they "both liked Henley's singing" and decided to bring him in with Linda Ronstadt to track some vocals for the song. Since Ronstadt wasn't feeling well, Nicolette Larson came in her place to sing background with Henley. Not long after Henley and Larson added vocals for a second time, Fagen signaled for bandmate Walter Becker to "go get a sandwich" with him, and as the pair left the studio, Katz said Fagen told him to fire Henley and Larson. "It left me with my finger up my ass having to fire Henley. Which I did -- and have heard about for 35 years since, in various ways," Katz said. "It was a difficult day at the office, because, like [Fagen and Becker], I was part of that inner-circle crowd. We were all in the same little area. We lived in the same place and had the same manager. It was always Eagles and Steely Dan for a long time in L.A.," he added. - Billboard, 1/14/22...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Elvis Costello revealed that he doesn't like much modern rock music because "the beat is so square." "I don't like much rock music," the 67-year-old Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame member said. "I like rock & roll. I think if you lose the roll part, a lot of the fun goes out of it." He then went on to say that "when people ask me, 'What's your favourite record?', I usually don't name any electric-guitar records made in the last 30 years because the beat is so square. I like things that float a bit or swing a bit, whether it's rock & roll or actual jazz that swings. You listen to these records out of Nashville, they couldn't float if you filled them full of water. They just don't; they're square and they sound like bad rock records from the nineties. To my ear, they just do. But somebody likes them." Elvis added that his grandfather "was a trumpet player [who] never used to criticize other musicians... I'm trying to live by his example a little better these times and not be so critical of everybody else. But you can't like everything." Costello and his backing band The Imposters released their new album, 
The 2021 Beatles documentary The Beatles: Get Back is coming to Blu-ray and DVD on Feb. 8, and is currently available for pre-order at 
The music publishing and talent management company Primary Wave has acquired the song publishing catalog of Seventies popsters America, as well as a stake in the publishing royalties of former Free and Bad Company singer/songwriter Paul Rodgers, along with Rodgers' master recording income streams from both bands. Terms of the deals, which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal, were not announced but were described as multi-million dollar acquisitions. America, a soft-rock band with a penchant for naming their albums with words that begin with the letter "H," scored a string of top 10 hits in the 1970s including "Horse With No Name," "Sister Golden Hair," "Venture Highway" and "Tin Man." All three original America members wrote the band's songs, but Primary Wave is buying the publishing of Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley, not the songs owned by the late Dan Peek, nor his share of co-written songs. "We are pleased that our catalogue is now in the able hands of the good folks at Primary Wave, where the music we have created over the last 50 years will be given new attention and exposure," America's Bunnell said in a statement. "We are proud of the music we produced across these decades, and look forward to watching the catalogue continue to enhance listeners' lives for generations to come through the vision and actions of Primary Wave. Meanwhile, we continue to actively pursue our careers as songwriters and performers into the 21st Century," he added. Meanwhile, Paul Rodgers fronted a string of blues rock/hard rock bands but had his biggest commercial success with Bad Company and Free. The latter band's biggest hit was "All Right Now," but a share in that song's publishing was already purchased through Primary Wave's acquisition of a stake in Chris Blackwell's Blue Mountain publishing company back in 2018. The current deal brings in another share of that song's publishing and other Free songs, as well as hit Bad Company singles like "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love," "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy." Other well-known songs by the band, like "Bad Company" and "Shooting Star," were not released as singles but have garnered plenty of FM airplay. Rodgers will also head a new label imprint for Primary Wave distributed by Sun Records, which Primary Wave acquired in Jan. 2021. Besides having the ability to co-sign new artists, Rodgers will also curate compilations for Sun Records. The WSJ reported that sources placed the America deal at about $40 million, and the Rodgers deal at about $20 million. - Billboard, 1/12/22..... In related news, The Round Hill Music Royalty Fund has acquired a bundle of music rights from David Coverdale, the Whitesnake frontman and former lead singer of Deep Purple. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to the announcement, the acquisition includes his music publishing and master recording royalties and from Coverdale's three-album stint in the mid-1970s with Deep Purple -- Burn, Come Taste The Band, and Stormbringer - and from his entire Whitesnake catalog including the band s multi-platinum 1987 self-titled album. Also, as part of the deal Round Hill apparently has acquired some Whitesnake master recordings that Coverdale owned. Round Hill CEO Josh Gruss said in a statement that Coverdale "has blazed a trail since the early '70s, and his legacy and influence on the generations of artist that followed him cannot be understated. To have been entrusted with David"s work is a proud day for Round Hill." - Billboard, 1/14/22...... Doo-wop singer Fred Parris, the frontman of The Five Satins whose smash 1956 ballad "In the Still of the Night" became an enduring standard and was prominently used in movies including Dirty Dancing and The Irishman, died on Jan. 13 after a brief illness. He was 85. Born in New Haven, Conn., Parris grew up listening to big-band star Glenn Miller on the radio before discovering R&B music through family members' records. He delivered newspapers as a teenager and, in high school, joined a group called the Scarlets, for which he wrote a regional hit called "Dear One." On Feb. 19, 1956, Parris and one of his bandmates, Al Denby, were at home on military leave in New Haven when they recorded "In the Still of the Night," produced by Marty Kugell, in the St. Bernadette Catholic Church basement. "Doo-wop was what you had back then when young kids were singing on street corners... it was just honest street music," Jim Freeman, a former Parris bandmate, said in 2019 after The Irishman movie came out. The song was interpolated in Ronnie Milsap's "Lost In The Fifties Tonight (In The Still Of The Night)," a No. 1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in 1985. That genre-crossing update brought Parris and co-writers Mike Reid and Troy Seals a 1985 Grammy nomination for Best Country Song. Later, Parris sang in other groups, including Fred Parris and the Restless Hearts ("Bring It Home to Daddy") in the '60s and Black Satin in the '70s. Of "In the Still of the Night," Parris said in a 2013 interview with WJCT of Jacksonville, Fla.: "Because we did it at the church, I think the song was blessed. And so was I. It lasted a long, long time." - Billboard, 1/14/22...... Ralph Emery, a longtime country music broadcaster and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, died on Nov. 15 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 88. Born in 1933 in McEwen, Tenn., Mr. Emery a successful career in the country music industry for more than 50 years, working in radio before shifting to television. Known as the dean of country music broadcasters, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 1989. He notably interviewed a number of country music stars as the host of the Nashville Network talk show Nashville Now over the course of a decade, from 1983 to 1993. Throughout the years, he also hosted the syndicated TV series Pop Goes the Country (1974-1980) and the live show Nashville Alive on WTBS (1981-1983). From 2007 to 2015, he hosted the weekly program Ralph Emery Live on satellite and cable television channel RFD-TV. In 1961, he charted with a song that he recorded. "Hello Fool" peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. It was an answer song to Faron Young's country classic "Hello Walls" (an early hit for songwriter Willie Nelson). Loretta Lynn, T. Graham Brown, The Bellamy Brothers and The Oak Ridge Boys are among the country stars who paid tribute to Mr. Emery on social media. - Billboard, 1/15/22...... 
Legendary '60s girl group singer Ronnie Spector, the leader of The Ronettes, died on Jan. 12 after a brief battle with cancer according to a statement on her 
Spector went on to launch her own solo career, releasing four solo albums between 1980 and 2016, plus three EPs. Prior to making full-length records, she also put out seven singles, including 1964's "So Young" and 1976's "Paradise." On her 2006 solo record Last Of The Rock Stars she collaborated with the likes of Patti Smith, The Raconteurs, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Nick Zinner and more, while in 2017 she shared a track called "Love Power" under the name Ronnie Spector And The Ronettes. With The Ronettes, Spector has been inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1999 for "Be My Baby," the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame in 2004 and the People s Hall Of Rock And Roll Legends in 2010. In 1986, AOR rocker Eddie Money invited Spector to feature on a new single, "Take Me Home Tonight," which allowed Spector to recreate her epochal"Be My Baby" hook on the chorus (following Money's vocal lead-in, "Listen, honey, just like Ronnie sang... ). The song was an enormous hit, peaking at No. 4 on the Hot 100 the highest-charting single of Money's career, and Spector's highest since the original "Be My Baby" and giving her career a second wind. Spector would never have another hit single, however, she continued to record and perform, with future generations of rock and pop stars citing her as a key inspiration -- including Joey Ramone, who co-produced her 1999 EP "She Talks to Rainbows," and Amy Winehouse, whose throwback image and sound in the mid-2000s suggested nothing so much as a more streetwise and tougher-luck Ronnie Spector. "Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humour and a smile on her face," according to the statement by Spector's family. "She was filled with love and gratitude. Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her." Ronnie was married to Phil Spector from 1968 until 1974 and shared three adopted sons with him, and in 1982 she married manager Jonathan Greenfield, with whom she shared two sons, in 1982. Tributes to Spector that began to flow in after news of her death broke include those by 
Britain's Royal Mail has honored The Rolling Stones with a set of 12 special stamps. Available on the 
David Bowie fans flocked to social media on Jan. 8, what would have been the late rock icon's 75th birthday, to pay tribute to the highly influential musician who died following an 18-month battle with cancer in 2016. Bowie's widow Iman Abdulmajid paid tribute to her late husband by sharing a quote from Canadian poet and novelist Margaret Atwood: "I exist in two places, here and where you are," while Lenny Kravitz posted a photo of he and Bowie, accompanied by the caption: "Happy Birthday to The Thin White Duke." The official John Lennon Twitter account posted Bowie's performance of "Fame" with the Beatles legend on the Cher show in 1975, writing: "Happy Birthday David Bowie." Meanwhile, the Madame Tussauds exhibit in London announced they will celebrate Bowie's 75th birthday by unveiling a new figure of David -- their second to feature at the Baker Street attraction -- later in 2022. Madame Tussauds have also released new images taken during Bowie's 1983 sitting with their artists for his original figure. Also, a 
In a new interview with the UK paper The Telegraph, Elvis Costello called on radio stations to stop playing his controversial 1979 single "Oliver's Army." The track, which is taken from his third studio album 
Michael Lang, the legendary co-creater of the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair, died on Jan. 8 from a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City. He was 77. Lang worked alongside partners Joel Rosenman, Capitol Records' Artie Kornfeld and John P. Roberts for the 1969 festival held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, NY. The three-day lineup included icons such as Richie Havens, Santana, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Sly and the Family Stone and The Who, among others. After Woodstock, he started a record company in 1971 called Just Sunshine Records, which first signed Karen Dalton followed by Billy Joel. He later went into management, primarily working with Joe Cocker for about 15 years. In 1994, he helped promote Woodstock's 25th anniversary with Woodstock '94. In 2019, Lang planned to host "Woodstock 50," with a lineup including Miley Cyrus, Dead & Company, Jay-Z and others. The event was ultimately cancelled following a variety of permit and production issues, venue relocations and artists backing out. Lang is survived by his wife Tamara, their sons, Harry and Laszlo, and his daughters, LariAnn, Shala and Molly. - Billboard, 1/9/22...... Calvin Simon, a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, died on Jan. 8 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 79. Born in 1942 in West Virginia, where he sang with his church choir, Simon relocated to New Jersey with his family as a teen. He worked as a barber, and by the late 1950s, Simon joined the group originally known as the Parliaments, first formed as a doo-wop quintet with fellow barbers George Clinton and Grady Thomas and customers Ray Davis and Fuzzy Haskins. Simon, who was drafted in 1967 to serve in Vietman, went on to sing with the group that later became known as Parliament-Funkadelic. He eventually parted ways with the group due to financial disputes.A long with other members of Parliament-Funkadelic, Simon was inducted by Prince into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Simon later released several gospel projects, and in 2019, he, Clinton, and the other members of Parliament-Funkadelic received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy. - Billboard, 1/8/22...... Lyricist Marilyn Bergman, who teamed with her husband, Alan Bergman, to win three Academy Awards as one of the most revered writing tandems in the annals of movie music history, died on Jan. 8 in her Los Angeles home, according to family rep Ken Sunshine. She was 93. The cause of death was respiratory failure (non-COVID related). Her husband, 96, survives her. Bergman, whose work includes such classics as "The Windmills of Your Mind," "Nice 'n' Easy," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" and "The Way We Were," and her husband worked extensively for the movies, writing the lyrics for three of the five songs nominated for the best song Academy Award in 1983 -- "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" (from Best Friends), "If We Were in Love" (from Yes, Giorgio), and "It Might Be You" (from Tootsie). In all, the Bergmans received 16 Oscar nominations. During the period from 1969-74, they couple received one Academy Award nom each year, which they shared with their composing partners: "Windmills of Your Mind," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" "Pieces of Dreams," "All His Children," "Marmalade, Molasses and Honey" and "The Way We Were." The Bergmans were voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980. - Billboard, 1/8/22...... Burke Shelley, singer and bassist of the Welsh hard rock band Budgie, has died at the age of 71 of as yet undisclosed causes. Born in Canton, Cardiff, UK, in 1950, Shelley co-founded Budgie in 1967 with Tony Bourge (guitar/vocals) and Ray Phillips (drums). The group released 10 studio albums between 1971 and 1982. Budgie stopped touring in 1987 before reforming in the mid-1990s and 2000s. The band's 11th and final full-length record, You're All Living in Cuckooland, came out in 2006. The group influenced hard rock and metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden and Megadeth, all of whom have covered Budgie previously. Lars Ulrich and co. offered up a live take on "Breadfan" at one of Metallica's 40th anniversary shows in San Francisco in December. Shelley had battled Stickler syndrome -- a genetic disorder -- in recent years, as well as suffering two aortic aneurysms. - NME, 1/11/22...... 
Actor Dwayne Hickman, who starred as the hopelessly in love high school kid on the popular CBS comedy series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, died on Jan. 9 at his Los Angeles home of complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 87. Dobie Gillis, which ran for 147 episodes from 1959-63, starred the fresh-faced, crew-cut Mr. Hickman (25 years old when the series began) as a student always looking to date the most beautiful, unattainable girls. Future Gilligan's Island star Bob Denver played his pal, beatnik Maynard G. Krebs. Dobie's quest for love often was capsized by his grocer father (played by Frank Faylen) or something goofy that Maynard had done. The show began with a Dobie monologue such as this: "My name is Dobie Gillis and I love girls. I'm not a wolf, mind you. A wolf wants lots of girls, I just want one." Mr. Hickman also performed in films, most notably as a con man in Cat Ballou (1965) opposite best actor Oscar winner Lee Marvin and Jane Fonda and in the 1965 beach party movies How to Stuff a Wild Bikini and Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine. During the rebellious 1960s and early '70s however, with the Vietnam protests and hippie movement in full force, Mr. Hickman's clean-cut persona was out of vogue, and his acting career faltered. Born on May 18, 1934, in Los Angeles, Mr. Hickman began his acting career at age 6, appearing as a youngster in such films as Heaven Only Knows (1947), The Boy With the Green Hair (1948) and Mighty Joe Young (1948). He earned a degree from Loyola Marymount University (Denver was a fellow classmate) and during college turned down a job at a utility company to play Cummings' nephew Chuck MacDonald in 150 episodes of The Bob Cummings Show, which ran for five seasons on NBC and CBS. It all led to Mr. Hickman's gig on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, which was based on a 1951 collection of short stories written by Max Shulman. His other TV credits include The Lone Ranger, The Loretta Young Show, Wagon Train, Ironside, The Flying Nun, The Mod Squad, Combat, Ellery Queen, Murder, She Wrote and Clueless. He had a role as a lighting emporium owner in the 1998 film A Night at the Roxbury. He wrote a 1994 autobiography, Forever Dobie: The Many Lives of Dwayne Hickman, and developed another talent, painting. He had a penchant for picturesque buildings and vibrant flowers. Mr. Hickman married to actress Joan Roberts, whom he met while she was co-starring in TV's Private Benjamin, in 1983. The couple had a son, Albert. He had another son, John, from a previous marriage to actress Carol Christensen. His older brother is Darryl Hickman, a former child actor who appeared in such films as The Grapes of Wrath and later became a program executive at CBS. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/9/22.