Posted by Administrator on April 16th, 2025
During an appearance on Kate and Oliver Hudson's Sibling Revelry podcast, actress Liv Tyler recalled how she experienced a "wave of shock" when she found out Steven Tyler and not Todd Rundgren was her biological father. Recalling how her mother, Playboy model Bebe Buell, revealed to her who her real father was during one of the Aerosmith frontman's concerts, she said, "We sat on a bench at this outdoor amphitheatre and she told me the whole story in the most sincere, beautiful way. I just was there with it and then we went backstage after the show." She continued, "The first wave was shock. After that concert, we went home and my mom had a chaise lounge in front of a window. I remember sitting there for what felt like three days, but it was probably three hours, and coming to this conclusion of 'Whoa, I have two dads and all this love.'" Steven later took a paternity test to determine that he was her father when Liv was "11 or 12." The Lord of the Rings actress told the Hudsons that she believes her mom's on and off boyfriend during the '70s, Todd Rundgren, took the news "so hard" back then and still to this day. "I think it's probably still very hard and painful and I don't speak to him enough. I love him. I have brothers from him and I had a whole family with them," Liv said of the musician, who added that he "took care of me as (if) he was dad" before the paternity news came out. Following a brief romance with Steven, Buell became pregnant, but Rundgren signed Liv's birth certificate and she was originally named Liv Rundgren. Live, 47, admitted she needed "therapy" over the situation when she was older, adding, "Your life starts to formulate and then you're like, 'Wait, I need to deal with this s**t.'" - Music-News.com, 4/16/25...... 
The Who have apparently parted ways with their current touring drummer, Zak Starkey, after nearly three decades, following the band's recent run of London shows. A spokesman for the legendary English group said: "The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future." Tensions reportedly came to a head in mid-March when Daltrey complained onstage about Starkey's performance during The Who's Teenage Cancer Trust charity gigs. A report of the first performance suggested that Daltrey stopped several songs mid-performance, citing difficulty hearing the band over the drums. It also said that Daltrey paused their final song, "The Song Is Over," and told the audience: "To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can't. All I've got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can't sing to that. I'm sorry guys." On Apr. 13, Starkey, the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, posted an all-caps message to his Instagram pate that "Toger Daktrey [sic]... [was] unhappy with Zak the drummer's performance at the Albert Hall a few weeks ago is bringing formal charges of overplaying and is literally going to Zak the drummer." Starkey joined the band during their 1996 "Quadrophenia" world tour. He was introduced to drumming by The Who's original drummer, Keith Moon, a close family friend of the Starrs', who gave him a drum kit for his eighth birthday. He went on to play major shows with the group, including the 2010 Super Bowl and the 2012 London Olympics. Zak Starkey has also played with the likes of Oasis, Johnny Marr, Paul Weller and Graham Coxon. He currently performs in the recently-formed supergroup Mantra of the Cosmos, also featuring former members of the Happy Mondays, Black Grape, Oasis and Ride. - Billboard, 4/16/25...... Canadian-born music legend Neil Young is wading into his native country's upcoming federal election, throwing his support behind Liberal Leader Mark Carney. In a message posted to his Neil Young Archives, Young, who resides in the United States, said he wanted to tell the newly-minted prime minister, "How much I appreciate and support what you are trying to do for our great country, Canada." Watching U.S. Pres. Donald Trump's continuing rhetoric about wanting Canada to become part of the U.S. has apparently left Young worried about the future of his home country. "Canada is facing threats to its very existence, incredibly from people we thought were our friends," he wrote. "They want our resources, they want our land, they want our fisheries, they want our water, they want our Arctic, maybe they want our souls. I know the U.S. president could use a soul." Young added that it will take "more than bravado to fight this kind of threat," saying that the country's next leader will have to have "brains, deep economic knowledge of how the world works (and) strong, intelligent strategies." "Mr. Carney, I believe you are the person to do it," he wrote. "I believe you are the person our country needs to lead us through this crazy situation and bring us out the other side as a stronger, smarter, more resilient Canada, our core values of caring and fairness and generosity intact, along with our souls." Young's support for Carney comes after the Liberals tapped comedian Mike Myers -- who also doesn't live in Canada -- for a series of political ads last month. The spot, which generated over 13.5 million views on X, ends with Myers asking Carney a question that's been on the minds of a lot of Canadians lately: "Let me ask you, Mr. Prime Minister, will there always be a Canada?" "There will always be a Canada," Carney says confidently. - Canoe.com, 4/16/25...... In other Neil Young news, the rocker, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers shared the stage at U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy rally at Los Angeles' Grand Park. The event, which centered on anti-corporate messaging and grassroots political reform, also featured solo sets from all three artists. Young, who closed out the rally, began his brief performance with "Rainbow of Colors," a song from his 2019 album Colorado, before launching into "Rockin' in the Free World." Midway through the song, Baez and Rogers walked onstage to join him, taking turns on vocals and leading chants of "Power to the people" and "Take America back" between verses. Young, a longtime supporter of progressive causes, first released "Rockin' in the Free World" in 1989 on his album Freedom, and has performed it across decades of political moments. In 2020, the rocker filed a copyright infringement lawsuit over Donald Trump's unauthorized use of "Rockin' in the Free World" at campaign events. Fan-shot footage of the rally performances has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 4/14/25...... On Apr. 15 British hard rock legends Judas Priest and seminal shock rocker Alice Cooper announced they're teaming up for a 22-city co-headlining North American tour this fall. The outing is slated to kick on Sept. 16 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss., then wind its way through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, wrapping on Oct. 16 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston. The run of shows will be the follow-up to Priest's 2024 tour in support of their 19th studio album, Invincible Shield, which debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Priest has also announced a run of South American and European Shield dates this spring and summer beginning with a gig at the Arena of Rock festival in Brasilia, Brazil on Apr. 16. Indefatigable snake charmer Cooper will also be on the road before the fall tour, with his next scheduled show slated for May 2 at the VBC Mark C. Smith Concert Hall in Huntsville, Ala. Meanwhile, former Judas Priest drummer Les Binks, who manned the kit in the metal band's lineup for a few crucial years in the late 1970s, has died at 73. The band announced Binks' death on Apr. 15 with an Instagram post that read, "We are deeply saddened about the passing of Les and send our love to his family, friends and fans. The acclaimed drumming he provided was first class - demonstrating his unique techniques, flair, style and precision - Thank you Les - your acclaim will live on.." Binks made his first appearance with group in time for 1977's Sin After Sin, the band's major label debut, and made his biggest mark on 1978's Stained Class, where his massive, double kick drum sound and blitzkrieg style set the stage for the speed and thrash metal of the 1980s. His final record with the band would be the band's 1979 Unleashed in the East live album recorded in Tokyo earlier that year, after which he split following a reported dispute with band manager Mike Dolan over compensation for the live LP. - Billboard, 4/15/25...... 
Barry Manilow has announced he will take a break from his ongoing Las Vegas residency for a series of 16 North American arena dates in what is being called his "final North American concert tour" over the coming months. Dubbed "The Last Concerts," Manilow's upcoming run of arena shows will launch on May 23 in Pittsburgh, also hitting such markets as Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit and Cleveland through June 5. After a brief return to his ongoing Vegas residency, he'll play cities inlcuding Spokane, Seattle, Portland and Oakland, Cal., before wrapping in Sacramento on July 19. Those dates will again be followed by a return to Las Vegas, and a handful of holiday shows in December. "I couldn't be more thrilled to visit these great cities of which I have so many fond memories," Manilow said in a statement. "Each one is special to my touring history." News of the "Copacabana" singer's upcoming North American dates comes just a few months after he announced a lifetime residency at his longtime home, the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Manilow launched his "The Hits Come Home" residency at the Westgate Hotel in 2021, playing his first residency at the hotel (when it was known as the Las Vegas Hilton) from Feb. 2005 to Dec. 2009. He followed with his "Manilow Paris Las Vegas" at the Paris Hotel & Casino at Las Vegas from Mar. 2010 to Dec. 2012. His current run of residency dates see him booked until Dec. 13, though he will perform five shows for "Manilow's A Gift of Love VII" concerts at Palm Desert's McCallum Theatre only days later. - Billboard, 4/15/25...... Elton John and Brandi Carlile's first collaborative album, Who Believes In Angels?, has debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart dated Apr. 19, marking the 22nd top 10 for John and fourth for Carlile. Who Believes in Angels? earned 40,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its opening week (April 4-10), according to Luminate. The album's sales (36,500) were bolstered by its availability across seven vinyl and five CD variants, including signed versions. John earned his first Billboard Hot 200 top 10 more than 54 years ago, with his self-titled album on the Jan. 30, 1971-dated chart. The new album also takes a bow atop both the music industry publication's Top Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts, while also opening in the top 10 on Top Album Sales (No. 2), Indie Store Album Sales (No. 2) and Vinyl Albums (No. 3). The album has also hit No. 1 in the UK's Official Albums Chart for the week of Apr. 11, giving John his 10th chart-topper in his native England. It now joins Elton's classics Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) and Caribou (1973) as chart-toppers in his home country. His greatest hits collection Diamonds (2017) and The Lockdown Sessions (2021) have also achieved the feat in recent years. - Billboard, 4/14/25...... Rising singer Benson Boone was quite excited to be joined by Queen legend Brian May for a performance of Queen's classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" during Boone's slot at the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on Apr. 11 in Indio, Calif., however the crowd apparently didn't share his enthusiasm when May was introduced. After the event, the 22-year-old star took to TikTok to share a playful video making fun of the characteristically lackluster crowd at the festival. "Me trying to get the crowd at Coachella to understand what an absolute legend Brian May is and the cultural impact he has on music and THE WORLD," Boone wrote over a clip of himself lip syncing to "Bohemian Rhapsody" into a banana microphone, and then looking visibly confused and frustrated when pretending to not hear a reaction from the crowd. Meanwhile, over on Instagram, May expressed how excited he was to join Boone onstage. "I'm still reeling from last night at Coachella," the Queen guitarist wrote alongside a photo of the "Beautiful Things" singer jumping over him onstage. "Thanks to all of you folks who made it feel so special -- you know who you are !!!! And this particular way of concluding Bohemian Rhapsody will be hard to beat in the years to come !!! Thanks. And for Benson and his entire team, I have no words. I'm awestruck." - Billboard, 4/14/25...... 
AC/DC kicked off their first North American tour in nine years with a 21-song set at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Apr. 10. The show featured five songs from the band's 1980 classic Back in Black, and they opened the show with the Highway to Hell cut "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)." Songs like "Riff Raff" and "Let There Be Rock" were performed with extended guitar solos courtesy of Angus Young, while "T.N.T" and "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)" rounded up the show as encore picks. The 13 dates under the 'PWR UP' tour will see Aussie headbangers cross the continent over a six-week period, and will conclude in Cleveland's Huntington Bank Field on May 28. This tour also marks the band's first run of shows with their new line-up, comprising singer Brian Johnson, guitarists Angus and Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug, and new bassist Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction, Alanis Morissette). After their North American trek, the rock veterans will hit the road for 12 dates across 10 European countries this summer kicking off in Prague on June 26. It'll run through to Aug.21 in Edinburgh, which will mark their first show in Scotland in a decade. The "Power Up"' tour takes its name from AC/DC's 2020 album of the same name, their 17th studio record. - NME, 4/11/25...... Pink Floyd has shared a YouTube video of their "One Of These Days" performance from their upcoming Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXXII concert film, which is set to be released worldwide on Apr. 24. The new 4K restoration of the band's classic 1972 concert film -- which uses the original 35mm footage with audio newly mixed by Steven Wilson -- is set debut in cinemas worldwide. The original film was directed by Adrian Maben and it sees the legendary band performing in the amphitheatre in Oct. 1971, with no audience in attendance beyond the basic film crew. It features the band playing a range of music from their career up to that point, including "Echoes" and "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun." It will also include rare behind-the-scenes footage of the band beginning work on The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios. The cinema release will be released on Blu-ray on May 2, and will be accompanied by a live album, released the same day by Legacy Recordings. - New Musical Express, 4/11/25...... Producers of the new John Lennon documentary Borrowed Time have announced the film will receive its world premiere at London's Cine International Film Festival in May. The four-day event is taking place at the Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel in the capital from May 7 to 10 and will include the first screening of the biopic on May 9. The film's director Alan G. Parker will also be on hand for an exclusive talk after the screening. Borrowed Time is an ambitious new documentary that uses archive footage, never-before-seen interviews and eyewitness accounts to explore the final decade of the Beatle legend's life. The film's trailer was shared in February and can be viewed on YouTube. "Follow the legend as he evolves beyond The Beatles, creating revolutionary music and standing at the forefront of anti-war protests that would make him one of the most influential pop culture icons of all time," reads the film's official synopsis. "For the first time ever, the full story of how John and Yoko met is revealed and watch as the curtain is lifted on the 1981 comeback tour that never came to be," reads the documentary's logline. Meanwhile, another Lennon-related film project, One To One: John & Yoko, opened in UK cinemas on Apr. 11. The Kevin Macdonald-directed film explores the couple's time in New York City from 1971 to 1973. - NME, 4/11/25...... Shaun Cassidy has paid tribute to his late brother and fellow '70s teen idol David Cassidy on what would have been David's 75th birthday. Posting on Instagram on Apr. 12, Shaun recalled childhood memories with his big brother: "When David came to visit us on the weekends, my mother always made it a priority to celebrate him," he captioned a throwback photo with his brother. "She knew how difficult it was for a kid to be shuttled back and forth between two households, and she never wanted David to feel like he was a guest or a 'half-brother' in our home." David was born to actor Jack Cassidy and his first wife, Evelyn Ward, in 1950. Shaun was born to Jack and his second wife, Shirley Jones, in 1958. "There were no better nights than when David came to sleep over, and no better mornings than those spent walking around Westwood, dining at Ships coffee shop, and then riding the ponies at Beverly Park," the singer continued. "Before my younger brothers were born, these were the happiest days of my childhood because I got to share them with my big brother, Dave. God, I miss him. Happy birthday, pal." David Cassidy, best known for his role as Keith Partridge alongside his real-life stepmother Shirley Jones on The Partridge Family, died in 2017 from organ failure at the age of 67. - Music-News.com, 4/15/25...... 
On Apr. 14 Stevie Nicks announced on Instagram she "can't wait" to get back on the road with a run of solo dates beginning Aug. 12 with a show in Boston, which she'll follow with stops in Toronto, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Nevada and Oklahoma. Sharing a poster with the dates listed on it, the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman wrote, "More solo shows are on the way in 2025 -- I can't wait to share these nights with you." Four days prior to her kickoff performance in Massachusetts, Nicks will play MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., with Billy Joel. The duo has been co-headlining gigs together for the past couple of years, and after the remainder of Nicks' solo August shows, they'll team up again for stadium performances in Santa Clara, Calif., on Oct. 4, New Orleans on Oct. 18 and Detroit on Nov. 15. The tour dates come about seven months after Nicks dropped "The Lighthouse," a women's empowerment anthem inspired by the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade that marked her first proper release since 2020's "Show Them the Way." She's since performed the track on Saturday Night Live in October as well as Jimmy Kimmel Live the following month. "I have often said to myself, 'This may be the most important thing I ever do,'" Nicks wrote of the song in a statement at the time of its release. "To stand up for the women of the United States and their daughters and granddaughters - and the men that love them. This is an anthem." - Billboard, 4/14/25...... British actress Jean Marsh, who co-created and starred in the beloved television series Upstairs, Downstairs, died at her home in Britain on Apr. 13 of complications of dementia. She was 90. Ms. Marsh and her fellow actress Eileen Atkins developed the Upstairs, Downstairs concept over several years. The characters who eventually became Rose and Sarah, the maids, were intended to be played by the two of them. It was intended to be comedy but then the Bellamy family was added and it became drama. By the time it went into production, Atkins was performing on stage and wasn't available; Sarah was recast. The series was set in a "small" house at 165 Eaton Place, in fashionable Belgravia. The family had a long-term land lease; noble families tend to own the most valuable land in London. It was never clear to me if they owned or leased the house itself. Rose was the experienced upstairs made (plus other duties that required a uniform change during the work day) who later became the nanny as the upstairs household changed. The show lasted for 68 episodes over five seasons 1971-1975 and was produced by London Weekend Television. The show was aired in the U.S. three years after it first aired in the U.K., part of the popular WGBH Masterpiece Theatre, hosed by Alistair Cooke. - 4/13/25...... 
Wink Martindale, a rock 'n' roll disc jockey and good friend of Elvis Presley who gained fame as the host of such TV game shows as Tic-Tac-Dough, Gambit and High Rollers, died on Apr. 15 in Rancho Mirage, Cal., according to his publicist. He was 91. The friendly Martindale, who had a 74-year career, was known for his resonant voice, vivid sport coats and, especially, his curious first name. "When I was a kid in Jackson, Tennessee, one of my playmates, Jimmy McCord, couldn't say 'Winston,' which is my given name. He had a speech impediment, and it came out sounding like 'Winky,'" Mr. Martindale explained to ABC News in 2014. "So Winston turned into Winky, and then I got into the business and Wink it was! It served me well." Mr. Martindale recorded for Dot Records -- Pat Boone was another artist on that label -- and his "Deck of Cards," a narrative release from 1959, sold more than 1 million copies. He also sang "All Love Broke Loose" during the 1958 film Let's Rock. His second wife, Sandy, whom he married in 1975, dated Presley on and off until shortly before the singer wed Priscilla Wagner in 1967, and she appeared as a dancer in Viva Las Vegas (1964) and other Elvis movies. "Elvis is responsible for me marrying Wink," she said in a 2015 interview. "When [Mr. Martindale] said he was from Tennessee, I said, 'He must be a nice guy,' because I loved the state, I loved all the guys, I loved everything in the state of Tennessee because Elvis was such a wonderful part of my life." Winston Conrad Martindale was born on Dec. 4, 1933, in Jackson. His former Sunday school teacher managed WPLI, a 250-watt radio station, and gave him his first job in radio at $25 a week in 1951. He was 17 and a senior in high school. A few years later, he made the big move to WHBQ in Memphis, about 90 miles away from home, where he hosted a radio show in the morning and a popular kids TV show, Wink Martindale of Mars Patrol, in the afternoon. "All of a sudden I became a radio personality that everyone knew and respected to a television 'star,' and the kids loved me!" he said in a 2010 interview. Mr. Martindale happened to be back at WHBQ on one evening in July 1954 when he helped arrange to get Presley to the station for his first-ever radio interview, shortly after the debut of his song "That's All Right." Mr. Martindale hosted the American Bandstand-like show Top Ten Dance Party in Memphis -- Elvis was a big get for him on that show -- then asked for and was granted a transfer to Los Angeles' KHJ (radio and television) in 1959. He hosted another local Dance Party program, this one from Pacific Ocean Park in Santa Monica, and later had a 12-year run as the midday personality on the Gene Autry-owned station KMPC beginning in 1971. Mr. Martindale said he became interested in hosting a TV game show in 1965 when he learned that Password's Allen Ludden would "go in two days a week and tape five shows one day and five shows the next and the other five days play golf. I went to my agent and said, 'How about sending me on a game-show hosting interview?'" He eventually landed at NBC's What's That Song? (billed as Win Martindale) and worked for a year on that, the first of the 20 game shows that he hosted (only Bill Cullen did more). He was on Tic-Tac-Dough for a decade, did two shows for producer Chuck Barris (How's Your Mother-in-Law? and Dream Girl of '67) and produced game shows as well. Mr. Martindale co-hosted and helped produce a cerebral palsy telethon in his hometown for more than a decade and published an autobiography, Winking at Life, in 2000. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame six years later and on Oct. 13, 2007, he was one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. In addition to his wife, survivors include his daughters, Lisa, Lyn and Laura; his sister, Geraldine; and his "honorary son," Eric. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/15/25.
Mick Jagger's current girlfriend Melanie Hamrick has finally confirmed the couple have been engaged "for two or three years." In an interview for the French magazine Paris Match, the 37-year-old former ballerina addressed rumours suggesting that the Rolling Stones frontman had proposed to her around two years ago. "We've been engaged two or three years," she revealed. However Hamrick added she and Jagger, 81, aren't in a rush to tie the knot. "Maybe one day we'll marry, maybe not. We are so happy in our current life that I would be too afraid to change anything," she continued, before reflecting on the secret to their relationship. "We try to support each other, be there for each other, and make sure everyone is happy. That's all that matters to me and all I strive for." In June 2023, Hamrick sparked engagement rumours when she wore a large diamond ring on her ring finger while promoting her debut novel, First Position, but later told People magazine it was merely a "promise ring." Hamrick and Jagger first met in 2014 and welcomed a son, Deveraux, two years later. Jagger's only legal marriage was to Bianca Jagger from 1971 until their split was finalized in 1978. He is father to seven other children from previous relationships. - Music-News.com, 4/11/25...... 
Rod Stewart has shared details of a new best-of album which will drop just before his milestone performance the UK's Glastonbury festival this summer. Dubbed Ultimate Hits, the forthcoming LP comes as part of his 80th birthday celebrations and is set for release on June 27 via Warner. It's being touted as the first-ever solo-career-spanning hits collection from the legendary songwriter, and will include his signature breakthrough songs "Handbags and Gladrags" and "Maggie May," and move through to follow-up hits like "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?," "Hot Legs" and "Baby Jane." Various versions include 1-CD and 2-CD deluxe editions, collector-edition vinyl pressings in various colours, store-exclusive alternative-cover variants, and limited-edition cassette and Blu-ray audio versions. Stewart will take Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset for the coveted Sunday afternoon "Legends slot" on June 29, and has announced he'll be accompanied by his friend and former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood. 2025 will also see Stewart return to his Las Vegas residencies at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace, then perform in Europe, South America and North America as part of his highly anticipated "One Last Time" tour, which launches another European leg later in April. - New Musical Express, 4/10/25...... Former Eurythmics member Dave Stewart will release Dave Does Dylan, a 14-track LP of Bob Dylan covers, on Record Store Day (Apr. 12). The album features recordings of Dylan tracks such as "Simple Twist of Fate," "Forever Young," "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," "Visions of Johanna" and more. They're songs Stewart says he recorded on his iPhone over time -- during breaks in the studio, in his hotel rooms on tour or backstage at gigs. "Whenever I was waiting in-between something, I just started to put an iPhone on a little stick and sing a Bob Dylan song. I was just doing it for fun, and then I would put one up on Instagram every now and then and people would say, 'Oh, we love this! Why don't you make an album of this?'." He continued: "I didn't take any of it seriously. Then my management company said, 'We'd love to put this out on vinyl on Record Store Day.' I had 24 songs, so then it was, 'OK, we have to cut it down to fit on an album unless it's a double album,' which we didn't want to do. So we picked these (14), and I think you can hear that I have a deep connection to the songs and you can hear every word, even though we couldn't really mix them because the guitar and the voice are going down the same mics." Dylan himself has voiced his support of the project in a statement announcing the album: "Captain Dave is a dreamer and a fearless innovator, a visionary of high order, very delicately tractable on the surface but beneath that, he's a slamming, thumping, battering ram, very mystical but rational and sensitive when it comes to the hot irons of art forms," he wrote. "An explosive musician, deft guitar player, innately recognizes the genius in other people and puts it into play without being manipulative. With him, there's mercifully no reality to yesterday. He is incredibly gracious and soulful, can command the ship and steer the course, dragger, trawler or man of war, Captain Dave." Dave Stewart fans can catch the singer in an episode of Recorded Live at Analog that will premiere during July on PBS. - Billboard, 4/10/25...... Bootsy Collins will release his new album, Album of the Year #1 Funkateer, on Apr. 11. In addition to straightforward funk ("The InFluencers," with guest star Snoop Dogg), Collins travels into guitar-shredding metal ("Barbie T & Me"), electronic dance music (the murmuring "I.Am.AI," with competing robot voices) and hip-hop ("Bootdullivan is Soopafly"). Collins' solo albums in recent years have been long and varied, unlike the Bootsy's Rubber Band days, when he hit the studio, jammed with his bandmates and occasionally turned on the recording machines. "Those jams were just so long. You could only put so much on an album back in the day without it not sounding good," he says. "I never thought we were going to be doing as many songs as I'm doing now, but that's where technology has taken us." - Billboard, 4/9/25...... The Eagles have added more dates to their ongoing residency at Las Vegas Sphere, including new dates in October and November 2025. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers kicked off their current Sphere residency on Sept. 20, 2024, taking over from Dead & Company, who brought their never-ending road trip to the venue on May 16, 2024, with a new run of new dates that kicked off on Apr. 10. The Eagles' remaining 2025 dates can be viewed on Instagram. - Billboard, 4/8/25...... The Tribeca Festival has announced it will kick off its 2025 edition with the world premiere of a new Billy Joel documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes. The two-part doc features unreleased performances, home movies, personal photographs and in-depth, one-on-one interviews. The film, an HBO original, is described as "an expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting," according to an official announcement from Tribeca. Billy Joel: And So It Goes will have its premiere at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on June 4, 2025, the first night of this year's Tribeca Festival. Running from June 4-15 in NYC, the fest's full lineup -- featuring film, music, TV, audio storytelling, talks, games and immersive programming -- is expected to be revealed soon. Ahead of the Tribeca announcement, the film and plans for its HBO release were first confirmed in late March. Following its festival premiere, the doc will debut on HBO and be available to stream on MAX some time this summer. A release date has yet to be announced. Joel will also return to the stage this summer. In March he postponed his tour in order to recover and undergo physical therapy following an undisclosed surgery, announcing that he will resume performing in July. - Billboard, 4/6/25...... The BBC Two and iPlayer are set to honor Bruce Springsteen in May with a special night of programming marking the 50th anniversary of Springsteen's first-ever UK concert. The centrepiece of the celebration is When Bruce Springsteen Came to Britain, a new one-hour documentary from Wise Owl Films, featuring a world-exclusive interview with the American music icon. The film dives into Springsteen's unique and enduring bond with the UK, beginning with his now-legendary 1975 debut at London's Hammersmith Odeon. At just 26, Springsteen was already creating buzz with Born to Run -- but despite a sold-out crowd, he left the stage disillusioned with his performance. "I had PTSD from the first Hammersmith show," he reveals in the candid new interview. Featuring unseen archive footage and contributions from E Street Band's Stevie Van Zandt, fellow artists Sting and Peter Gabriel, the documentary explores Springsteen's evolving relationship with British fans and musicians. Promoter Harvey Goldsmith, manager Jon Landau, and Sir Michael Palin also offer reflections, with Palin recalling the night in his famous diary. Springsteen's UK journey continued with his triumphant The River Tour in 1981, visits to cities like Newcastle and Brighton, and his massive Born in the USA tour in 1985. The story is brought full circle with his acclaimed 2024 UK shows and his recent induction as the first overseas songwriter to become a Fellow of The Ivors Academy. Also airing as part of the Springsteen celebration is Hammersmith Odeon, '75 -- a full broadcast of the landmark 1975 show -- and a new Bruce Springsteen at the BBC compilation, featuring performances from Top of the Pops, Old Grey Whistle Test, and more. - Music-News.com, 4/10/25...... 
The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) has released a statement saying Russia's just announced ban on its services will "undoubtedly endanger lives." In a statement released Apr. 3, the prosecutor general's office of the Russian federation banned both the British and U.S-registered foundations of the EJAF from offering its services in Russia, designating the non-profit as an "undesirable organization" -- a classification that would allow the state to prosecute and potentially jail individuals affiliated with the charity if they continue working in Russia. EJAF responded with a statement saying it is "devastated to learn of its new label under Russian law." "This decision by the Russian Federation will undoubtedly endanger lives and disrupt critical HIV prevention efforts for ordinary Russian citizens," the statement reads. "At a time when we have the tools and knowledge to defeat HIV, it is heartbreaking to be unable to support them." The organization pointed out that, according to the Russian governments own reporting, over 1.2 million Russians were living with HIV in 2024, and nearly half a million of those people had not received medical treatment. "Despite this setback, we will continue our work across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where the Foundation is the largest philanthropic HIV/AIDS funder," the organization said. Russia's move comes as a double whammy to the EJAF -- in February, the administration of Pres. Donald Trump announced it was eliminating more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID's) foreign aid contracts, which the EJAF said "could have devastating effects on the HIV response." - Billboard, 4/10/25...... In other Elton John news, the Rocket Man and his current collaborator Brandi Carlile have dropped a raw, emotional making-of short for their first joint album together, Who Believes In Angels?. In a first for John, the superstar rocker allowed cameras to film the entire recording process, resulting in the 32-minute YouTube short Who Believes in Angels?: Stories From the Edge of Creation, which dropped over the second weekend of April. In addition to the short, fans can also read a song-by-song breakdown of the new album by the two singers, watch their recent performance on SNL, check out the one-hour concert An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile on Paramount+ and hear the duo's song "Never Too Late" from the Disney+ doc Elton John: Never Too Late. Meanwhile, '80s/'90s pop queen Madonna has reported that she and Elton have officially "buried the hatchet" in a long-running feud between the two pop stars that dates back to Nov. 2002. In a photo posted to her Instagram page on Apr. 7, the Material Girl singer is giving the Rocket Man star a side-hug, and says that she and John are on the same page at long last. "We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!! Madonna wrote in her caption. "I went to see @eltonjohn perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW."I n the caption, Madonna revealed that seeing one of John's shows when she was in high school "changed the course of my life, helping her realize that she wanted to become a pop sensation." So, when John publicly expressed his disdain for her, she says she felt wounded. "I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him on stage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different -- to stand out -- to take the road, less traveled by, she wrote. "Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn't understand it." In the comments, Elton thanked her for coming to see him at SNL -- and for "forgiving me and my big mouth." The pair's feud officially started in 2002, when John said that Madge's "Die Another Day" was "the worst Bond tune ever" and that the track "hasn't got a tune." He continued to throw digs at the pop singer at the 2004 Q Awards, where he lambasted her winning the best live act award at the ceremony. "Madonna, best live act? F--- off. Since when has lip-synching been live?" he asked. "I think everyone who lip-synchs on stage in public when you pay, like, 75 quid to see them should be shot." Madonna even revealed that the pair's reconciliation could potentially bear fruit. "....He told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle," she wrote. "And you can tell everybody, This is Your Song." - Billboard, 4/8/25...... In still more Elton news, the singer's epic 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road double-album is among 25 additions to the 2025 National Recording Registry, which is administered by the Library of Congress. The list includes three songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman (1972), which gave the women's liberation movement a theme song; Freddy Fender's country/pop smash "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" (1975), and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On, the Oscar- and Grammy-winning smash from Titanic (1997). Two double-disk jazz albums -- Miles Davis' classic jazz fusion LP Bitches Brew (1970) and Keith Jarrett's The Köln Concert (1975) -- were also honored, along with Chicago's 1969 debut album, Chicago Transit Authority. The Steve Miller Band were honored for their 1976 album Fly Like an Eagle, which spawned three top 20 hits on the Hot 100 album chart, including the No. 1 smash "Rock'n Me." A left-field selection was Microsoft's Windows reboot chime (1995), composed by Brian Eno. When Microsoft wanted a brief start-up sound that would play when Windows 95 booted up, they approached Eno, who came up with a sound that Microsoft designers felt conveyed the sense of "welcome, hopefulness and progress that they desired." Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian of Congress, with advice from the National Recording Preservation Board, selects 25 titles each year that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Recordings become eligible for the Registry 10 years after release, compared to 25 years for the Grammy Hall of Fame. "These are the sounds of America our wide-ranging history and culture, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. "The Library of Congress is proud and honored to select these audio treasures worthy of preservation." - Billboard, 4/9/25...... 
Pete Best, the original drummer for The Beatles, has announced his retirement. The 83-year-old Best announced his retirement on X, with his brother Roag Best confirming that the drummer will no longer be performing as part of the eponymous Pete Best Band going forward. "Well what an absolutely wonderful ride we've had. However, everything comes to pass," Roag noted. "My brother Pete Best has announced today he is retiring from personal appearances and performing with the group. His daughter has informed me its due to personal circumstances." Pete himself acknowledged his retirement, reposting the original announcement and adding, "I had a blast. Thank you." Best's association with The Beatles began in the late 50s when The Quarrymen -- which was comprised of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ken Brown -- approached his mother Mona to perform at her Liverpool venue, the Casbah Coffee Club. The Quarrymen evolved into The Beatles in 1960, and following brief stints with Tommy Moore and Norman Chapman, the group recruited Best as their drummer ahead of launching a residency in Hamburg, Germany in August of that year. After two years with The Beatles, Best was ousted by manager Brian Epstein in favor of Ringo Starr. Various stories have circulated as to the reason for Best's dismissal, though his alleged lack of ability, his chemistry within the band, and his purported attractiveness have since been raised as possible explanations behind his firing. Following his time with the band, Best performed with other bands including Lee Curtis and the All-Stars and The Pete Best Combo, which notably attempted to capitalize on Best's prior work by releasing an album coyly titled Best of the Beatles. Best later enjoyed a successful career in civil service, raised a family, qualified for early retirement, and made millions from the Beatles' Anthology One album, which featured 12 tracks on which he drummed. The Pete Best Band is currently scheduled to perform at the Liverpool Beatles Museum on Aug. 23, though it's currently unknown if Best's retirement from the band will impact the planned appearance. More info can be found at liverpoolbeatlesmuseum.com. - Billboard, 4/7/25...... In other Beatles-related news, John Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird has said that an actor from Liverpool should play him in the forthcoming Beatles biopics, directed by Sam Mendes. Speaking to The Telegraph, Baird weighed in on her late brother's casting, in which it was recently announced that London-born actor Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) will play Lennon. "Yes, of course" she replied when asked if it should be a Scouser (a person from Liverpool) playing him. "No one else can get that Liverpool intonation. Nobody," she said. On the subject of being consulted about the movie, Baird replied: "[Mendes is] never going to ask me! I'm the last person he would want to talk to because then he can't make it up." Later in the interview, she described John Lennon as: "a brilliant older brother, very bossy -- a family trait." She does, however, regret his fame, given it led to his murder at the hands of fanatic Mark David Chapman in 1980. "To be John's sister is a privilege that I couldn't begin to describe to you. But given the choice I wish he'd never seen a guitar." When asked why, she replied: "Well, then he might have been an art teacher and he'd still be here." All four films -- one dedicated to each Beatle -- will premiere in Apr. 2028, in what Mendes describes as the first "bingeable moment in cinema." - NME, 4/7/25...... Patti Smith has announced she'll release a new memoir, Bread of Angels, in the fall. Described as Smith's "most intimate" memoir, the book follows on from the likes of her previous successful books including 2010's Just Kids, 2015's M Train, and 2019's Year of the Monkey, and is scheduled to release on Nov. 4 via Random House. "It took a decade to write this book, grappling with the beauty and sorrow of a lifetime. I'm hoping that people will find something they need," Smith said in a statement. According to a synopsis, the book focuses on Smith's teenage years, her foray into the world of poetry, and the recording of seminal works such as her Horses and Easter albums. In February, Smith announced a run of European, U.K., and U.S. tour dates in support of the 50th anniversary of Horses. The singer will be joined by longtime side men guitarist Lenny Kaye and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, who both played on the seminal 1975 LP. - Billboard, 4/10/25...... The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville has announced it will open a Dolly Parton exhibit in May. "Being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame was one of the greatest moments of my life, and being able to have a personal exhibit for the fans that put me there is a very big deal to me, Parton said in a statement. "This seeker is very proud and honored, and I hope you enjoy my journey. I will always love you." The exhibit will highlight key points in Parton's career, such as the handwritten lyrics to her No. 1 hit "Jolene," and the Sony portable cassette tape player recorder the 10-time Grammy winner used when she wrote her now-iconic songs including "I Will Always Love You," "Jolene" and the exhibit's namesake song, "The Seeker." Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker will open on May 20 and run until Sep. 2026. - Billboard, 4/9/25...... 
Paul Simon kicked off his 2025 North American tour in New Orleans on Apr. 4, following a return from retirement and struggles with his hearing. The opening night of his "A Quiet Celebration" tour also came as a huge milestone, as it was his first headline performance in two years, following rumours that he may never play live again due to severe hearing loss. Taking to the stage at the Saenger Performing Arts Theater, the 83-year-old kicked off the set with a handful of songs from his most recent studio album, Seven Psalms and was joined by his wife Edie Brickell for renditions of "Wait" and "The Sacred Harp." As the set developed, Simon moved into some of his most popular tracks including "Homeward Bound," "Slip Slidin' Away" and "Graceland," before wrapping up the 19-song setlist with performances of two huge Simon & Garfunkel songs: "The Boxer" and "The Sound Of Silence." Simon worked alongside the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss to help overcome the obstacles around playing live. This included repositioning the monitors on stage and opting for smaller venues with better acoustics -- allowing him to hear himself better during the performances. Other stops on the tour include Austin, Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis, Dallas, Boston, Chicago and more throughout the summer, including five shows at the Disney Hall in Los Angeles and five shows at New York's Beacon Theatre. Footage from the NO show can be viewed on YouTube. - NME, 4/7/25...... Neil Young will be among the headliners for the 59th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival, set to take place on the picturesque shores of Lake Geneva between July 4-19. The opening night will feature a celebration of the late music icon Quincy Jones by soul legend Chaka Khan ("To Quincy With Love"), as well as a set marking Kahn's half-century of music-making, with the Casino stage hosting a James Blake solo piano set that same night. In addition to Young and his band the Chrome Hearts and Kahn, other acts slated to perform include Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Santana, The Black Keys, Brandi Carlile and Alanis Morissette, among others. The full lineup can be viewed on MJF's Instagram page. - Billboard, 4/10/25...... Former child actor Jay North, who starred as the titular troublemaker on the 1959-1963 CBS sitcom Dennis the Menace died peacefully at his home on Apr. 6, according to an announcement shared by his friend and Dennis the Menace co-star Jeannie Russell. He was 73. North's and Russell's mutual friend Laurie Jacobson posted on Facebook that Russell told her that "Our dear friend JAY NORTH has been fighting cancer for a number of years and this morning at noon EST, Jay passed peacefully at home." Born Aug. 3, 1951 in Hollywood, North was discovered after appearing on the Los Angeles children's show Cartoon Express, which led to appearances on several NBC variety shows, as well as episodes of Wanted: Dead or Alive, 77 Sunset Strip and Colt .45. At 6, North won a nationwide casting search for his breakout role in the CBS sitcom adaptation of Hank Ketcham's comic strip. During his time on Dennis the Menace, the child actor was abused by his aunt and uncle, which was revealed during a 1993 big screen adaptation of the series. Over the years, North appeared on such shows as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Lucy Show, My Three Sons, The Flinstones Comedy Hour, Lassie, General Hospital and The Simpsons, as well as movies like Zebra in the Kitchen (1965), Maya (1966), The Teacher (1974) and Dickie Robert: Former Child Star (2003). "He had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after but he did not let it define his life," Jacobson wrote. "He had a heart as big as a mountain, loved his friends deeply. He called us frequently and ended every conversation with 'I love you with all my heart.' And we loved him with all of ours. A life-long friend of Jon's, a brother to Jeanne and a dear friend to me, we will miss him terribly. He is out of pain now. His suffering is over. At last he is at peace." - Deadline.com, 4/6/25...... 
Clem Burke, the founding drummer of Blondie, died on Apr. 6 following a battle with cancer. He was 70. The group announced Burke's passing the following day on BlueSky, writing, "it is with profound sadness that we relay the news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Clem Burke following a private battle with cancer. Clem was not just a drummer; he was the heartbeat of Blondie. His talent, energy, and passion for music was unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable. Beyond his musicianship, Clem was a source of inspiration both on and off the stage. His vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm and rock solid work ethic touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him." Burke (born Clement Anthony Bozewski in Bayonne, N.J. on Nov. 24, 1954) joined punk/new wave pioneers Blondie in 1975, not long after the group was formed by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. He performed on all of Blondie's albums, from their 1976 self-titled debut, to their breakthrough 1978 LP Parallel Lines (which featured their No. 1 hit "Heart of Glass," 1979's Eat to the Beat and 1980's Autoamerican. He was behind the kit during a pivotal time in mid-1970s New York when Blondie, along with such acts as The Ramones, Patti Smith, Talking Heads and Television, were regularly playing in such legendary bars as CBGB and Max's Kansas City, setting the stage for the punk revolution in America, and across the world. Following their string of hit albums, Blondie announced their split in late 1982 before getting the original members back together for a brief 1997 tour and then a world jaunt the next year and a new album, No Exit, in 1999. The group's eighth studio album, The Curse of Blondie, dropped in 2003, followed by more touring and 2014's Ghosts of Download album and their final known recorded set with Burke, 2017's Pollinator LP. With an exuberant, high-energy style influenced by the Who's Keith Moon and Beatles' Ringo Starr -- he played left-handed on a right-handed kit just like Ringo -- Burke told Tidal in 2022 that he never thought of his day job as work. "Especially when I do things with my friends and my little side projects that I have with various bands, he said. "With drumming, you kind of have to keep doing it. You dont really wanna lose your chops. You wanna be prepared to play when you have to play. So it works both ways. I help people out by playing with them, and they help me to keep my abilities together." After Blondie's split in 1982, Burke stayed very busy performing and recording with a wide variety of bands, including the Romantics, Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop, Plimsouls, Bob Dylan, the Eurythmics, Joan Jett, Wanda Jackson, Dramarama, Nancy Sinatra and Johnny Thunders. He even briefly filled in for a couple of gigs in 1987 for his pals in the Ramones under the stage name Elvis Ramone. During his eight-year (1980-1988) run with the Eurythmics, Burke performed on three albums with the group, including on their 1986 Grammy winning single "Missionary Man." - Billboard, 4/7/25...... Dave Allen, who played bass guitar during influential British post-punk band Gang of Four's early years -- and who went on to found the group Shriekback -- died on Apr. 6. He was 69. "It is with broken yet full hearts that we share the news that Dave Allen, our old music partner, friend, and brilliant musician, died on Saturday morning. He was at home with his family," his former Gang of Four bandmate Hugo Burnham posted on Instagram, where the band featured several photos in a tribute to Allen. "Dave had endured the early-onset of mixed dementia for some years which has been a heartbreaking time for his wife Paddy, his children, and close friends. Our love and thoughts are with them," he stated. After joining Gang of Four with Burnham, Jon King and Andy Gill in Leeds in 1976, Allen made his mark as bassist on the band's debut album, 1979's Entertainment!, and their follow-up set, 1981's Solid Gold. While neither were chart successes in the U.S., Gang of Four's early work influenced the likes of Michael Stipe, Flea an dKurt Cobain, who included Entertainment! on his top 50 albums list (as published in the posthumous Journals). In 1981, Allen formed Shriekback with Barry Andrews (XTC, The League of Gentlemen), and went on to record a number of albums with the group. Allen rejoined Gang of Four for a reunion with the core lineup in the mid-'00s. He also performed with bands including The Elastic Purejoy and Low Pop Suicide. Gang of Four bandmate Gill, the group's founding guitarist, died in 2020. - Billboard, 4/6/25.
When KISS took the stage at the final night of their farewell tour in Dec. 2023 at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden, they ended by revealing digitized avatars of themselves. Now the band announced on Apr. 4 that they've sold the band's publishing, recording royalties and trademarks -- including both the band's logo and its iconic makeup design -- to the Swedish company Pophouse that also backed ABBA's successful avatar-featuring Voyage show in London. The deal will result in a Pophouse-produced KISS virtual show, using some of the same technology as Voyage. "We have a lot of plans for KISS," Pophouse CEO Per Sundin says. Although Sundin says the company bought out the rights owned by frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, the two musicians will work with the company to develop the show, which is expected to open in 2027 in a U.S. city that will be announced at a later date. But don't expect it to look anything like ABBA Voyage, Sundin says. "We want to keep to the legacy. We want to extend it and amplify it for new generations," he says, adding that fans can also expect a KISS biopic and a documentary. Pophouse would not comment on the terms of the deal, which are presumably more complicated than a straightforward purchase of publishing rights, but it is estimated to be worth over $300 million. "We went to see the ABBA show and it blew our socks off," Gene Simmons said as he reacted to the Pophouse deal. "And the technology since then has improved by leaps and bounds. We've seen sketches of what it will look like and we looked like the X-Men," he added. Since KISS concerts were always heavy on spectacle, Simmons adds that a virtual show seems ideal for the band. "Everything is theater. We wanted bombast theater," he added. At this point, KISS may be better known for its concerts than its songs. But the deal includes those, plus recording royalties. Pophouse also has a good relationship with UMG, which owns the band's recordings, since Sundin was previously managing director of Universal Music Sweden and president of Universal Music Nordics. The band's trademarks belonged to Simmons and Stanley, including the makeup designs for their characters: The Demon (Simmons), the Starchild (Stanley), the Spaceman (originally Ace Frehley, more recently Tommy Thayer) and the Catman (originally Peter Criss, more recently Eric Singer). - Billboard/AP, 4/4/24...... The brother of late The Ramones co-founder Joey Ramone is fighting back against a lawsuit filed by late Ramones member Johnny Ramone's widow over a planned Netflix movie about the pioneering punk band, calling the case "baseless and flimsy" and filing his own countersuit against her. Johnny's wife, Linda Cummings-Ramone, sued Joey's brother Mitchel Hyman (better known as Mickey Leigh) in January over allegations that he had "covertly" developed an "unauthorized" biopic, believed to be Netflix's announced movie starring Pete Davidson as Joey. In the lawsuit, Cummings-Ramone said that any "authoritative story of the Ramones" would require her sign-off. But in a sharply worded response filed in March, Leigh's attorneys argued that Cummings-Ramone had, in fact, already greenlit such a movie many years ago -- and that her "baseless" lawsuit was simply one more step in a yearslong plan to "install herself as the Queen of the Ramones." "Ms. Cummings-Ramone's main purpose is to embarrass, harass, and destroy the integrity of Mr. Hyman, create an utterly false narrative about him, rewrite her role in the history of the Ramones, and win a popularity contest in which, in her mind, she takes over & the legacy of a band of which she never was a member and had nothing to do with creatively," Leigh's lawyers wrote in the Mar. 15 filing. Joey (real name: Jeffrey Ross Hyman) and Johnny (real name: John William Cummings) were not actually brothers, and they had a notoriously chilly relationship during their decades as bandmates. In the years since the two died, that feud has seemingly continued between Leigh and Cummings-Ramone. As the executors of Joey's and Johnny's respective estates, Leigh and Cummings-Ramone each own half of Ramones Productions, the holding company that controls the band's music and other assets. But that partnership has not gone smoothly, featuring multiple lawsuits and arbitrations over the past decade. The latest legal scuffle was triggered in part by the plans for a movie version of I Slept With Joey Ramone, Leigh's 2009 memoir, which Netflix announced in Apr. 2021. - Billboard, 4/3/24...... The two most prominent of Michael Jackson's alleged child molestation victims have requested access to nude photos of Jackson that were taken by the police back in 1993, around the same time Jackson was accused by a 13-year-old boy of sexual abuse. In March, Wade Robson, now 41, and James Safechuck, now 46, issued a subpoena requesting access to "photographs of Michael Jackson's genitalia and naked body taken by police" in an attempt to unseal the records. But lawyers for Jackson's estate are fighting back, arguing that the "highly sensitive" and "private" documents had been "sealed by a court-entered protective order from the Santa Barbara Superior Court." The team went on to call the plaintiffs' request "an egregious violation" and "simply beyond the pale." "The photographs Plaintiffs seek were not taken willingly by Mr. Jackson; they were the result of a court-ordered search based on a false statement in what became a discredited criminal investigation," the attorneys wrote. "To allow Plaintiffs to exploit that series of circumstances to their benefit by obtaining those photographs now adds a second defilement to the first," In 2013 and 2014 respectively, Robson and Safechuck accused the King of Pop of sexually abusing them as children. Both men are now suing the deceased singer's companies, arguing they are liable for allowing the alleged abuse to take place. - Music-News.com, 4/4/24...... 
Cher was honored with the iHeartRadio Icon Award during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at the Dolby Theatre on Apr. 1, 2024 in Los Angeles. When the Grammy-winning singer and Oscar-winning actor took the stage, she had some words for the haters. "There are people who say, 'Doesn't that b-tch have more than one pair of pants?'," she said, laughing, while sporting a pair of Chrome Hearts pants. "I've had these pants for 40 years. I thought we should come here and accept this award together." Speaking to her longevity, Cher said she felt "lucky to have people that have stayed with me all these years," while acknowledging that "most of you weren't born" when her career began as part of Sonny & Cher in the 1960s. "I don't usually talk about it, but I have been down and out so many times you could not believe it," Cher admitted. "Dropped by record companies, couldn't get a job they said, 'Oh, she's so over.' But I never gave up my dream." Cher also had some advice for everyone in attendance and watching at home, too. "Have a dream and don't give it up no matter what happens. If you have a dream and stick with it, you will have a wonderful life and it will probably come true." Prior to accepting the Icon Award, Cher hit the stage to perform her No. 1 hit "Believe," joined by vocal powerhouse (and fellow Oscar and Grammy winner) Jennifer Hudson. Cher's Icon Award was introduced by another living legend: Meryl Streep, who has been friends with Cher since they starred in the 1983 drama Silkwood together. Streep noted that Cher is the only woman who has notched a No. 1 Billboard song in every one of the last seven decades. She also shared a story about listening to "I Got You Babe" back when she was just a teen in the mid '60s. "[Cher was] 17. I thought she was old -- she could have been a senior! Now we're both seniors," she added drily. - Billboard, 4/1/24...... Prince's Grammy-winning 28th studio album Musicology received rave reviews from fans and critics alike when it was released 20 years ago, and with its revolutionary direct-to-fan marketing strategy, effectively changed music promotion forever. On Apr. 5, to commemorate the anniversary, NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, released "United States Of Division," a rare 2004 Prince recording that was initially offered as a virtual B-side download for "Cinnamon Girl" exclusively from Prince's NPG Music Club and eventually as a non-LP bonus track for the UK CD single of "Cinnamon Girl," but has not been distributed via streaming services until now. "United States Of Division" is a powerful protest song that sees Prince boldly confronting the social and political issues that continue to plague the nation to this day. Over a percussive backbeat and slinking bassline colored by synths and horn stabs, Prince laments the state of a fractured nation: "How far from heaven must we go? / Before the winds of change will blow and show / This world how it's supposed to be / Land of peace and harmony." Released on Apr. 20, 2004, in the midst of the US war in Iraq, "United States Of Division" serves as a potent reminder of Prince's often underappreciated passion for social commentary. Musicology was praised by Rolling Stone for "its sinuous grooves and effortless swing" and earned Prince two Grammy awards in addition to being certified double platinum by the RIAA in 2005. The album came at the peak of Prince's early 2000s resurgence, practically coinciding with his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame where he performed his now iconic guitar solo on an all-star rendition of The Beatles classic, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." His Musicology tour that year was also his highest-grossing US tour of his career and one of the most successful US tours of the year, with the artist performing for over 1.4 million fans. - Music-News.com, 4/5/24...... ABBA has reportedly struck a "multi-million-dollar" deal to take their acclaimed 'Voyage' hologram show to Las Vegas. Band members Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Bjorn Ulvaeus have reportedly been in talks with Resorts World to bring the ABBA-tars to Vegas following its huge success in London over the last couple of years. "ABBA has been secretly in talks for a while about getting a deal in Vegas," a source told the Daily Star paper. "The music of Abba is well liked in the US and the unique selling point of avatars makes it more than an ABBA show as the spectacular is something that could well wow audiences." In 2023, it was reported that a Voyage world tour was in the works for the virtual concert experience, but no plans have been confirmed in regard to the timeframe or locations where it could happen. - NME, 4/2/24...... Bruce Springsteeen paused his Mar. 31 concert with the E Street Band at San Francisco's Chase Center to sign a young student's absentee note to cut class to attend his show. Springsteen's attention was brought to a young fan in the front row, who was carrying a handwritten sign that read "Skipping school, sign my note?". The note would allow the kid to skip school on Apr. 1 after attending the concert. Springsteen obliged the young fan and signed the now, however it is currently unclear if the absentee note signed by The Boss was accepted by their school. Elsewhere during the show, the New Jersey rocker kicked off the concert with "Light Of Day," marking its first time being performed on his ongoing tour, as well as the first time he had performed the song with the E Street Band since 2016. - NME, 4/2/24...... 
Former King Crimson principal Robert Fripp went nude on Apr. 1 to announce that he had joined the adult content site OnlyFans -- but it turned out to be an April Fool's Day joke. On that day Fripp took to 
John Sinclair, the counterculture poet and political activist who was also the former manager of the Detroit rock band MC5 and helped launch the career of Iggy Pop, died on Apr. 2 at Detroit Receiving Hospital following congestive heart failure. He was 82. Mr. Sinclair was an influential activist who was best known for his fight toward legalizing marijuana in the US and for his role in MC5. Born on Oct. 2, 1941 in the Flint, Mich. suburb of Davison, Mr. Sinclair was also a champion of civil rights and co-founder of the radical anti-racist group the White Panther Party. He also helped launch the seminal punk rock band Iggy Pop and the Stooges, and managed the MC5 through 1969, helping the group score its contract with Elektra Records. Mr. Sinclair was famously arrested for allegedly giving two cannabis joints to police officers in the late 1960s and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He served 29 months but was released a few days after John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger and others performed in front of 15,000 attendees at the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena. Lennon also wrote a song named after Mr. Sinclair that appeared on his 1972 solo album, Sometime In New York City. Mr. Sinclair also faced charges of conspiracy to destroy government property in 1972, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and resulted in a landmark decision that prohibited the government's use of electronic surveillance without a warrant. After those cases, Mr. Sinclair spent time living in Amsterdam -- where he established the John Sinclair Foundation to promote arts and media -- and New Orleans, where he continued writing and performing. He formed bands, including several iterations of his Blues Scholars, and recorded a litany of albums, including the highly regarded Guitar Army in 2007. He also hosted performances at the Detroit Jazz Center in the city's downtown and launched the Radio Free Amsterdam channel online. Over the years, Mr. Sinclair also promoted concerts and festivals and helped to establish the Detroit Artists Workshop and Detroit Jazz Center. He taught blues history at Wayne State University and wrote liner notes for albums by such artists as The Isley Brothers and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. His death comes just two months after MC5 guitarist and co-founder Wayne Kramer died at the age of 75 after battling pancreatic cancer. "He was a truly interesting man, one of a kind. Thanks and praises," Iggy Pop posted on 
In a new interview with Billboard, former Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm says he'd "given up" on his famous classic rock band being inducted into the 
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld paid tribute to his fellow Long Islander pal Billy Joel during Joel's 100th show at Madison Square Garden. "I am from Long Island, like Billy is from Long Island," Seinfeld told the crows. "He captured how we all feel living in this particular part of the world. Long Island. New York. He's like the companion that we've gone through our whole lives with. His music is our best friend for our whole life." Seinfeld continued: "100 sellouts in a row. Congratulations, Billy," Seinfeld said while presenting a banner to commemorate the milestone. "Most lifetime performances by any artist. You can die now," he joked. "And I want to thank you for buying my house," Joel told Seinfeld as he left the stage. "That was a nice thing to do." Seinfeld currently lives in his former house, having purchased Joel's house almost 25 years ago. Joel has been performing at the venue for a residency once a month for the last decade, with each of his 100 shows being a sell-out. His first MSG concert took place on Dec. 14, 1978, and every Billy Joel concert there has been a sell-out since. Fan-shot footage of Seinfeld's Piano Man tribute has been shared on 
A cache of never-before-heard Marvin Gaye music that has potentially lain hidden in Belgium for over 40 years has been found, according to a report by the BBC. Gaye moved to the coastal city of Ostend in 1981 after taking the business card of a Belgian concert promoter in a nightclub while he was living in London. At the time, he was a heavy cocaine user, but his move to Belgium helped him to beat his addiction. It was also during this time that he recorded one of his biggest hits, "Sexual Healing." For a time, Gaye lived at the home of a Belgian musician, Charles Dumolin, and it is Dumolin's family who are claiming ownership of the material. "They belong to [the family] because they were left in Belgium 42 years ago," said Belgian lawyer Alex Trappeniers. "Marvin gave it to them and said, 'Do whatever you want with it' and he never came back. That's important." Trappeniers continued: "Each time a new instrumental started when Marvin started singing, I gave it a number. At the end when I had listened to all the 30 tapes I had 66 demos of new songs. A few of them are complete and a few of them are as good as 'Sexual Healing', because it was made in the same time." Meanwhile, Gaye's heirs in the US might theoretically have the rights to the music but would be unable to access it without owning the tapes. Trappeniers said he thought a compromise was due. "I think we both benefit, the family of Marvin and the collection in the hands of [Dumolin's heirs]. If we put our hands together and find the right people in the world, the Mark Ronsons or the Bruno Mars. I'm not here to make suggestions but to say 'OK, let's listen to this and let's make the next album'," he said. "Morally," he says, "I'd like to work with the family but this is the nightmare for them that someone comes from a country where there's a lot of money and we make an agreement and this collection leaves this country." The family of Dumolin, who died in 2019, undoubtedly own the collection, particularly in light of a Belgian law that stipulates that any property becomes yours after 30 years, regardless of how it is acquired. This, however, doesn't apply to intellectual property, meaning Trappeniers and his partners could end up as the owners of the physical tapes on which the music was recorded, without the right to publish the songs. Also among the rediscovered Gaye items is a valuable collection of his stage costumes and notebooks. - NME, 3/31/24...... If you've ever wanted to see Mick Jagger himself dancing to Maroon 5's 2011 hit "Moves Like Jagger," now's your big chance. On Mar. 27, the Rolling Stones frontman took to 
In other Springsteen-related news, actor Jeremy Allen White is reportedly in talks to portray Springsteen in an upcoming biopic. White, best known for his roles in The Iron Claw, Shameless and more, took the 2024 award season by storm with his intense but vulnerable role as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto in the FX comedy-drama series The Bear. The Brooklyn-born White, 33, won a number of best actor awards for his role on The Bear, including two Critics' Choice Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two SAG Awards, an Emmy Award and more. The upcoming film is set to focus on the making of The Boss' 1982 stripped-down album Nebraska, and will be based on the 2023 Warren Zanes deep-dive novel of the same name. Springsteen has previously said that Nebraska, his sixth studio album, is his most definitive work. "If I had to pick out one album and say, 'This is going to represent you 50 years from now' I'd pick Nebraska," he told CBS Sunday Morning in 2023. Nebraska peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated Oct. 30, 1982. So far no further details on a timeline or production details about the Springsteen biopic have been announced. - Billboard/The Hollywood Reporter, 3/28/24...... Speaking to the UK's The Times newspaper, Roger Daltrey reflected on recently turning 80, saying that "he has to be realistic" and that he is "on the way out." "I have to be realistic," he wrote in a "backstage diary" feature for the paper. "I'm on my way out. The average life expectancy is 83 and with a bit of luck I'll make that, but we need someone else to drive things." Daltrey was referring to recently wrapping up his last year the active curator of the Teenage Cancer Trust series of charity shows. "I'm not leaving TCT -- I've been a patron since I first met the charity's founders, Dr. Adrian and Myrna Whiteson, more than 30 years ago -- and that will continue, but I'll be working in the back room, talking to the government, rattling cages." The Who frontman also opened up about feeling nerves ahead of his recent shows: "We haven't done anything for seven months and this winter's been brutal. I've been in hibernation. For the whole of January, I lost my voice completely." His remarks come after the singer recently announced a new "semi-acoustic" 9-date solo tour of North America, launching in Vienna, Va. on June 12. Meanwhile, Who guitarist Pete Townshend has teased the prospect of a worldwide The Who "final tour" before they "crawl off and die." In an interview with The New York Times, the 78-year-old musician said he was open to making new music, five years after The Who's last album of new music and 31 years after his last solo album. "I do and I think I will," Townshend said when asked if he wants to make new music. "It feels to me like there's one thing the Who can do, and that's a final tour where we play every territory in the world and then crawl off to die," he noted. Townshend admitted he has mainly been "touring for the money" in recent years, and while he's been writing a lot in his spare time, he hasn't felt a desire to release any of the material. He added: "I don't get much of a buzz from performing with the Who. If I'm really honest, I've been touring for the money. My idea of an ordinary lifestyle is pretty elevated. I've been immensely creative and productive throughout that period, but I haven't felt the need to put it out. And if I can make it personal, I don't care whether you like it or not. When White City came out [in 1985] and the sales were so slow, I thought, 'Screw this'. Nobody wanted me as I was -- they wanted the old Pete." - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 3/31/24...... A new documentary examining the life and career of "King Tut" comedian Steve Martin is currently streaming on the Apple TV+ platform. STEVE dives into the extraordinary story o Martin, told from two distinct points of view that trace his rise in standup and examines the golden years of his career. - Canoe.com, 3/24/24...... 
ABBA will be releasing a 50th-anniversary deluxe reissue of their iconic 1974 album Waterloo on Apr. 5 to mark 50 years after the now-legendary Swedish band had their international breakthrough in the Eurovision Song Contest on Apr. 6, 1974 at The Dome in Brighton, UK. The reissue comes on the Polar Music International label and arrives as a half-speed mastered 45 RPM 2-LP vinyl, along with a limited edition box set of the three vinyl singles originally released in 1974. The three singles are also available as separate picture disks. There is also a unique 10-inch vinyl disc featuring "Waterloo" in four different languages, as well as a new line of retro-'70s apparel. As well as the now-iconic title track, the tracklist of their second album also includes songs such as "Honey, Honey," "Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)," and "Hasta Maana" -- a ballad that very nearly became ABBA's Eurovision entry choice instead of the title track. As well as the vinyl reissue, fans are also being given the chance to dance along to ABBA's hits on the roof of London's O2 to celebrate the milestone. Taking place for one night only on Apr. 4, fans can climb the landmark venue, then swap their climbing shoes for dancing shoes as an ABBA silent disco will be held against the backdrop of London's skyline. For more information and tickets you can visit the