David Cassidy, the former teen idol whose role as Keith Partridge in the '70s sitcom The Partridge Family rocketed him to international stardom, died on Nov. 21 in a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., hospital after suffering from multiple organ failure. He was 67. Cassidy, who announced earlier in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with dementia, died surrounded by his family, according to a statement released by the family. "David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long," the statement said. "Thank you for the abundance and support you have shown him these many years." Born in New York City in 1950, David was the son of actors Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Ward and half-brother of entertainer Shaun Cassidy. His parents split up when he was 5 and he would long express regret about his father, who soon married his future The Partridge Family co-star Shirley Jones, being mostly absent from his life. Cassidy stayed with his mother and by the early 1960s had moved to Los Angeles. After being expelled from high school for truancy, Cassidy dreamed of becoming an actor and had made appearances on such popular 1960s series as Bonanza and Ironside before producers at ABC television asked him to audition for The Partridge Family, unaware that he could sing and intending at first to have him mime songs to someone else's voice. David, who only learned during tryouts that his real life mother in law Jones would play his mother, later said he worried that Keith Partridge would be a "real comedown" from his previous roles. "I mean, how much could an actor do with a line like, 'Hi, Mom, I'm home from school,' or 'Please pass the milk?"' he wrote in his memoir. "I didn't see how it could do much for me. After all, I wasn't the star of it. Shirley had top billing; I was just one of the kids." Airing on ABC from 1970-1974, The Partridge Family was a fictional variation of the '60s family pop group The Cowsills, intended at first as a vehicle for Shirley Jones, the Oscar winning actress and Cassidy's stepmother. Jones played matriarch Shirley Partridge, a widow with five children with whom she forms a popular act that travels on a psychedelic bus. 
The cast also featured Cassidy as eldest son and family heartthrob Keith Partridge; Susan Dey, later of L.A. Law fame, as sibling Laurie Partridge, and Danny Bonaduce as sibling Danny Partridge. The Partridges' best known song, "I Think I Love You," spent three weeks on top of the Billboard chart, and the group also reached the top 10 with "I'll Meet You Halfway" and "Doesn't Somebody Want to be Wanted"; Cassidy had a solo hit with "Cherish." The singer went on to release 10 Partridge Family albums and five solo efforts while touring to sold-out crowds through the mid-1970s. His records sold an estimated 30 million worldwide, and at one point his fan club had more members than those of Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Feeling besieged by the attention of his female admirers, Cassidy quit The Partridge Family -- which ended its run in 1974 after 96 episodes -- and focused on recording a string of well-received albums for RCA Records, including 1975's The Higher They Climb and 1976's Home is Where the Heart Is, landing a hit in 1975 with "I Write the Songs," a track that would go on to become Barry Manilow's signature track. In December 1972, Cassidy consented to a cover story interview with Rolling Stone magazine in which he admitted to experimenting with marijuana and alcohol, and his appeal faded after the series went off the air, however he continued to tour, record and act over the next 40 years. Success overseas included "The Last Kiss," featuring backing vocals from Cassidy admirer George Michael. He made occasional stage and television appearances, including an Emmy-nominated performance on Police Story, in the 1980s, and toured with a variety of musical productions. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he joined the Las Vegas shows "EFX" and "At the Copa." Cassidy, by now thrice-married, continued touring until announcing his retirement in Feb. 2017, at which time he revealed he was suffering from non-Alzheimer's dementia. Meanwhile, The Partridge Family remained popular in re-runs and Cassidy, who kept his dark bangs and boyish appearance well into middle age, frequently turned up for reunions and spoke often about his early success. "So many people come up to me and talk to me about the impact it (the show) had," he told Arsenio Hall in 1990. 
Through ups and downs, including well-documented struggles with alcohol and a series of DUI arrests in the 2000s, Cassidy maintained the kind of sunny demeanor that had endeared him to a generation of fans. "I'm an optimist. I mean, you have to be with my career," he said in his official bio. "I've never gone out and changed my style to suit the times. I have always stayed true to myself by using the work ethic my father instilled in me, to strive for the best musically, theatrically, as well as in producing and writing. He taught me to be fearless about revealing the frailties and strengths of the human experience. Bringing that human element to my work is the most important thing I can do as an entertainer." Earlier in 2017, Cassidy shared that at age 66, his health was starting to fail, and told People magazine in February that he had been diagnosed with dementia. "I was in denial, but part of me always knew this was coming," the performer told the magazine. His grandfather and his mother both had dementia, he told the magazine. Signs of the illness had already begun to show in Cassidy's performances. During a concert in Agoura Hills, Calif., earlier this year, the former teen idol was witnessed forgetting lyrics to songs he had been performing for years. Because of his diagnosis, Cassidy stopped touring earlier in 2017, saying he wanted to focus on his health. The flood of tributes to Cassidy on Twitter include posts from the likes of Brian Wilson, Marie Osmond, Gloria Gaynor, Rick Springfield, Richard Marx, Tom Arnold and Larry King. - Associated Press/Billboard, 11/22/17.
The widow of a lawyer who represented the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Sonny and Cher, and other classic rock musicians is auctioning off several rare items of memorabilia through a Reno, Nev., art gallery and auction house from Nov. 22 through Dec. 9. Hal and Jesse Kant's memorabilia collection includes signed artwork by Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia, and backstage passes from concerts spanning 30 years. Some of the more than 100 items, which also include a colorful set of banners used as the backdrops for 88 GD concerts around the world and a poster from a Lake Tahoe show in 1968, could go for as much as $100,000 in the online auction conducted by Stremmel Auctions. - AP, 11/19/17...... The Eagles announced on Nov. 21 that they'll kick off a 12-city 2018 tour on Mar. 14 in Chicago, with a rotating group of high-profile opening acts including Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor and Chris Stapleton joining the tour for stadium dates later. In addition to the "Evening with the Eagles" arena concerts in Chicago, Nashville (3/23), Vancouver (5/10), Toronto (7/15) and Boston (7/20) with no opener on the bill, the Eagles will be supported by Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band in Orlando, Fla. (4/14), Miami (4/21), Denver (6/28) and Minneapolis (6/30). James Taylor and his All-Star Band will open for the band in Washington, D.C., on July 26, and in Philadelphia on July 28. Chris Stapleton will be the opener at the Eagles' show in Arlington, Tex. on June 23. The Eagles' 2014 "History of the Eagles Tour," which was deemed their final-ever outing, sold out Madison Square Garden five times and broke several U.S. box office records. - Billboard, 11/21/17...... 
Surviving Steely Dan member Donald Fagen has filed a lawsuit against the estate of his recently deceased bandmate Walter Becker in an effort to keep the band's name and music alive. At the center of the lawsuit is a 1972 Buy/Sell Agreement signed by the original bandmembers when Steely Dan was incorporated. According to the complaint, which was filed on Nov. 21 in L.A. County Superior Court, the contract provides that whenever a member of the group quits or dies Steely Dan purchases all of that members shares in the group. "By the 2010s, Fagen and Becker were the only remaining shareholders and signatories to the Buy/Sell Agreement," the lawsuit states. Four days after Becker's death, on Sept. 7, 2017, the Becker Defendants sent Fagen a letter stating that 'We wanted to put you on notice that the Buy/Sell Agreement dated as of Oct. 31, 1972 is of no force or effect.'" The letter also sought to appoint Becker's widow as an officer of Steely Dan and demanded 50% ownership, according to the complaint. Fagen also says the Becker defendants currently operate the band's website and refuse to relinquish or share control of it. Fagen is also suing the group's business management firm, Nigro, Karlin, Segal, Feldstein & Bolno in an effort to obtain an accounting, claiming the firm has been withholding records. Fagen is seeking upwards of $1 million in damages and is asking the court for a declaratory judgment that the "Buy/Sell" provision is valid and enforceable, and that he is the sole owner of the Steely Dan name and all rights associated with it. Fagen's lawyer, Skip Miller, says the lawsuit is "about a contract, the enforcement of that contract and the continuity of Steely Dan... We think the contract is very clear on its face and we hope this lawsuit is resolved expeditiously." - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/21/17...... Stevie Wonder has announced the lineup for his 2017 House Full of Toys Benefit Concert at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Dec. 10. Joining Wonder in this year's 21st edition of the charity benefit is "Rise Up" singer Andra Day along with Pharrell Williams, Dave Matthews, Savion Glover and Tony Bennett. Even though House Full of Toys will be celebrating 21 years, the joy of giving in the spirit of song will make this night such pleasured fun for the old and young," Wonder says in a statement. The event encourages concertgoers to bring unwrapped toys and gifts of joy for families in need, children and individuals with disabilities. - Billboard, 11/20/17...... 
In other Motown-related news, Diana Ross accepted a Lifetime Achievemet Award at the 2017 American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 19. After a montage of Ross' accomplishments, including her performance at Super Bowl XXX and performing "Endless Love" with Lionel Richie at the 1982 Academy Awards, Ross strutted onstage in a puffy purple dress and performed "I'm Coming Out," "Take Me Higher," "Ease on Down the Road," "Best Years of My Life" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." Once her set concluded, a "humbled" Diana watched her family walk onto the stage to present her with the lifetime achievement award that capped the show. "With integrity, grace and generosity you've blazed a way," said Rhonda Ross-Kendrick, the singer's daughter, before allowing her mother to thank her all avid supporters. - Billboard, 11/19/17...... Sons of late iconic rock 'n' roll singer/songwriter Roy Orbison have filed a complaint in New York state court against Hologram USA, claiming the company failed to keep up its end of a deal for a Roy Orbison hologram show and is now interfering with their efforts to create one with a new partner. According to the complaint, Hologram USA approached Orbison's sons in 2014 about creating a 90-minute performance by an Orbison hologram. Under their deal, a prototype was to be delivered for review within 9 months. By Oct. 2016, Roy's Boys still hadn't seen one and sent Hologram USA a notice of termination. Then this spring, Orbison's sons formed a new partnership with another company called BASE Holograms, and in the fall it announced tours in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Hologram USA wasn't thrilled, and disputed the termination. Orbison's sons are asking the court for a declaration that its agreement with Hologram USA was properly terminated and for an injunction barring the company from using any Roy Orbison trademarks or intellectual property. - Billboard, 11/21/17...... Neil Young has announced a one-off intimate homecoming show called "Somewhere in Canada," in a yet-to-be-determined venue with a capacity of about 200. Young, 72, was born in Toronto, but spent some teen years in Winnipeg where he started his first band. He returned to Toronto in the mid-60s for a spell before relocating to the U.S. in the late 60s. The show, which will take place on Dec. 1, is being directed by Young's actress girlfriend, Daryl Hannah, in partnership with his Shakey Pictures. It will be live streamed in Canada on CTV.ca and iHeartRadio's Secret Sessions, and worldwide on Facebook. - Billboard, 11/21/17...... Former AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson issued a statement on Nov. 20 that paid emotional tribute to late AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young, who died on Nov. 18 after a three-year battle with dementia. "I am saddened by the passing of my friend Malcolm Young, I can't believe he's gone. We had such great times on the road. He has left a legacy that I don't think many can match," Johnson posted on his official website. "He never liked the celebrity side of fame, he was too humble for that. He was the man who created AC/DC because he said 'there was no Rock'n'Roll out there.' I am proud to have known him and call him a friend, and I'm going to miss him so much," Johnson added. Johnson joined AC/DC in 1980 following the death of Bon Scott and retired from performing live in 2016. - New Musical Express, 11/20/17....... 
In author David Yaffe's new Joni Mitchell biography Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell, the singer cooperates with a biographer for the first time. Yaffe, a Syracuse Univ. professor and author of books on jazz and Bob Dylan, had unprecedented access to Mitchell, and he sympathetically traces the outline of her life while offering detailed takes on her albums, and even on her chord changes. But it's Mitchell's candor, in which she recalls such incidents as a late-life miscarriage, her cocaine addiction, and turbulent romantic relationships, that propels the book. - Rolling Stone, 11/16/17...... Rock photographer Neal Preston's new book Exhilarated and Exhausted contains images of his time with such '70s superstars as Led Zeppelin and Elton John, along with stories about the realities of his job, such as nervously approaching Bruce Springsteen to pose for his camera during a concert performance (he did), and Bob Dylan calling him a "leech" at a 1970s industry party. - Rolling Stone, 11/16/17...... Art Garfunkel's new biography What Is It All But Luminous: Notes From an Underground Man is a book unlike any ever released by a rock star. Short segments about Simon and Garfunkel float alongside lists of favorite books and quotes from Shakespeare and Marvin Gaye. Among the poems is one about gettiing a colonic. - Rolling Stone, 11/16/17...... Rolling Stone contributor Anthony DeCurtis's new Lou Reed biography, Lou Reed: A Life, is an exhaustively reported book about a brilliant artist who helped define hipness and the outer limits of rock for generations, fulfilling his goal of fusing the "high literary world with gritty rock & roll." - Rolling Stone, 11/16/17...... Actress Ann Wedgworth, the sexy actress with the whispery voice known for her underrated work in films including Scarecrow and Sweet Dreams as well as a short stint on the ABC sitcom Three's Company, died on Nov. 16 after a long illness in a nursing home not far from her home in New York City. She was 83. In 1978, the Texas native won the Tony Award for best featured actress in a play for her portrayal of the witty best friend of a soap opera actress who hesitates to date again in Neil Simon's "Chapter Two," directed by Herbert Ross. Ms. Wedgeworth became best known for her role as divorcee Lana Shields in Three’s Company, after performing in numerous soap operas like The Edge of Night and Another World. Her character was written out of Three’s Company after only nine episodes with little explanation. She went on to star in CBS’s Evening Shade starting in 1989, which was her longest role. She played Merleen Eldridge, the wife of small town doctor Harlan Eldrige. Ms. Wedgeworth was married to actor and voice artist Rip Torn from 1955 to 1961, with whom she has one daughter. In 1970, she married acting coach Ernest Martin, with whom she had another daughter and stepson. She is survived by Martin, her two daughters, and her stepson. - Variety, 11/18/17...... 
Country music star Mel Tillis, who wrote more than 1,000 songs throughout his career, including "Detroit City" for Bobby Bare, as well as his own hits "Good Woman Blues," "Heart Healer" and "Coca Cola Cowboy," died at the Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Fla., on Nov. 19. He was 85. Mr. Tillis had been battling intestinal issues since 2016, according to his spokesman, and the suspected cause of death was respiratory failure. Born Lonnie Melvin Tillis in Tampa, Fla., Mr. Tillis suffered a spell of malaria as a boy that left him with a chronic stutter. His stutter became a trademark that Tillis mined for laughs, although it disappeared when he sang. In an interview with People magazine in 1976, Mr. Tillis said performing helped him overcome his stutter. "The more I go onstage," he said, "and feel my independence and that power over audiences, the less I stutter." His commercial peak came in the 1970s when he had a string of top 10 C&W hits. In 1998, he became spokesman and honorary chairman of the Stuttering Foundation of America, according to his website. Mr. Tillis also had something of an acting career, with small roles in a number of films such as The Cannonball Run and Smokey and the Bandit II. He also made a TV appearance in an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard in the late '70s. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, and in Feb. 2012 Pres. Barack Obama awarded him the National Medal of Arts -- the highest honor given to artists by the US government. - CNN, 11/19/17...... Della Reese, the jazz, gospel and pop singing legend who later moved into TV and film, died on Nov. 20 at age 86. Ms. Reese turned to television and film starting in the late 1960s, hosting her own talk show Della, and later starring opposite Redd Foxx in Harlem Nights (1989), Martin Lawrence in A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) and Elliott Gould in Expecting Mary (2010). She also starred as Tess on Touched By an Angel, and her most recent television appearance was earlier this year on Bates Motel. - Deadline.com, 11/20/17...... Warren "Pete" Moore, an original member of the legendary Motown singing group The Miracles, died on Nov. 19 of as yet undisclosed causes, He was 78. Moore served as co-writer on many of the Miracles' singles, including their classic "The Tracks of My Tears," "Ooo Baby Baby," "My Girl Has Gone" and "Love Machine," as well as hits by Motown artists like Marvin Gaye ("Ain't That Peculiar," "I'll Be Doggone") and the Temptations' ("Since I Lost My Baby") Moore also produced the Miracles' "Here I Go Again" and "Baby Baby Don't Cry." After frontman Smokey Robinson left the Miracles in 1971, Moore remained with the group until their dissolution in 1978. In 2012, Moore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside The Miracles. - 11/20/17...... George Avakian, a record producer and talent scout who played a key role in the early careers of Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Keith Jarrett and Bob Newhart, among many others, died on Nov. 22 at his home in on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was 98. Mr. Avakian brought The Everly Brothers to Warner Bros.' newly formed record label in 1959, and signed a young humorist named Bob Newhart, who had been working as an accountant in Chicago and moonlighting as a radio performer but had never performed for a live audience. Newhart's first album, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, became one of the best-selling comedy records of all time. - 11/22/17...... 
Infamous cult leader Charles Manson, who shocked the world in 1969 after his "Manson Family" committed the murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and eight other victims on his orders, died of natural causes on Nov. 19 in a Bakersfield, Calif., hospital, according to the California Department of Corrections. He was 83. On Aug. 9, 1969, actress Tate was found stabbed to death in her Hollywood home, while other victims included celebrity hair stylist Jay Sebring and coffee empire heiress Abigail Folger. When police investigated the deaths, they discovered that Manson had sent his followers to commit the murders as part of a sickening belief that it would start a race war which had been prophesied in the 1968 song "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles. After being sentenced to death in 1971, Manson's conviction was eventually commuted into a life sentence, with him remaining imprisoned in California until his death. Before the murders, the Ohio-born Manson also spent time as a singer-songwriter on the L.A. music scene, and several recordings of his music have been released over the years to capitalize on his notoriety -- most recently, it was revealed that some of Manson's prison recordings were set for another release. An album of Manson's music originally released in 1970 called Lie: The Love and Terror Cult failed miserably in a commercial sense, but remains a popular cult collectible among those who are interested in the Manson murders. The album cover virtually recreates the Dec. 19, 1969 cover of Life magazine, which featured Manson; only the "F" in "LIFE" and the line "The dark edge of hippie life" were removed. Manson also lived with Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson at one point, and co-wrote a Beach Boys song. However Manson didn't appreciate Wilson's producers tampering with his music and eventually pulled a knife during the sessions, souring the relationship. - NME/Billboard, 11/20/17.
Kiss member Gene Simmons has reportedly been banned from the Fox News Channel for life after exposing his belly and attacking staff with a copy of his new book, 
Fleetwood Mac announced on Nov. 15 that they will reissue their 
Jeff Lynne has announced his latest incarnation of Electric Light Orchestra will embark on its first U.S. tour in over 35 years on Aug. 2, 2018 at Oakland, California's Oracle Arena. The tour will then zig-zag across North America, playing Los Angeles (8/4), Denver (8/8), Houston (8/10), Dallas (8/13), Rosemont, Ill. (8/15), Detroit (8/16), Toronto (8/18) and New York's Madison Square Garden (8/21) before wrapping at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center on Aug. 24. The tour comes days before the arrival of ELO's new 
Queen guitarist Brian May took to Instagram on Nov. 13 to voice his displeasure at a photographer named Barbara Kremer who reported one of his photos for copyright violation. May posted a screenshot of the notification he received, after a user reported one of his photos when he forgot to credit them -- which resulted in his account being suspended. And he wasn't afraid to name and shame. "Well this is what I woke up to," he wrote. "How RUDE! I'm usually very careful to credit anyone whose photos I post -- but in this case, at the end of the day, I must have forgotten. (Barbara Kremer) reported me to Instagram and they not only took the picture down but disabled my whole account until I'd dealt with the issue -- which took about 45 minutes of my time that I could not afford because the link refused to work on my phone." May then made it very clear that Barbara was not welcome at any future gigs: "If I ever discover that you are at one of our concerts in future, look out, because, logically, I will be tempted to have you thrown out." Several Queen fans flocked to support May, with one user commenting: "Please don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch, as Michael Jackson used to sing." However, another user jumped in to suggest that naming her was unfair: "Yes, poor judgement from her side. But I think you should know better than to hang and shame a regular woman, way below you in society, possibly exposing her for harassment or even death threats." - NME, 11/13/17...... Former The Carol Burnett Show cast member Vicki Lawrence will star in a new sitcom pilot for Fox with a "retirement home" theme called Cool Kids. Lawrence will join David Alan Grier (The Carmichael Show), Leslie Jordan (Will & Grace) and Roseanne alum Martin Mull in the sitcom, from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia masterminds Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton. - Deadline.com, 11/16/17...... Veteran gossip columnist Liz Smith, known as the "Dame of Dish," died in New York on Nov. 12 of natural causes. She was 94. Ms. Smith chronicled the gossip among New York City's rich and scandalous for 60 years and played a key role in the high-profile divorce between Donald and Ivana Trump. For more than a quarter-century, her Daily News column -- titled "Liz Smith" -- was one of the most widely read in the world. Its success was due in part to Smith's own celebrity status, giving her insider access. However unlike some of her rivals, including Walter Winchell, Ms. Smith succeeded with kindness and an aversion to cheap shots. Whether reporting on entertainers, politicians or power brokers, the "Dame of Dish" never bothered with unfounded rumors, sexual preferences or who's-sleeping-with-whom. Ms. Smith later worked in television at WNBC-TV for three nights a week commentary, then jumped to Fox, and she later did work for the cable channel E! Entertainment Television. During that time, she migrated from the Daily News to the rival New York Post and finally to Newsday, ultimately earning salaries well into six figures. Her column was syndicated nationwide, drawing millions of readers. - CBS News, 11/12/17...... 
Malcolm Young, guitarist and co-founder of legendary Australian rock band AC/DC, died on Nov. 18 after a three-year battle with dementia. He was 64. Young founded AC/DC alongside his brother, Angus Young, in 1973, ten years after the brothers relocated to Sydney, Australia from Glasgow, Scotland. He and Angus had been credited as co-writers on every AC/DC song beginning with debut High Voltage in 1975 through 2014's Rock or Bust. Malcolm last performed with AC/DC in 2010 following the band's tour in support of 2008's Black Ice album, officially retiring from the group in 2014. Malcolm is said to have died peacefully alongside his family, and is survived by his wife, O'Linda, and two children. AC/DC confirmed the news on its website, posting that "it is with deep heartfelt sadness that AC/DC has to announce the passing of Malcolm Young... With enormous dedication and commitment he was the driving force behind the band. As a guitarist, songwriter and visionary he was a perfectionist and a unique man. He always stuck to his guns and did and said exactly what he wanted. He took great pride in all that he endeavored. His loyalty to the fans was unsurpassed." Angus Young added, "As his brother it is hard to express in words what he has meant to me during my life, the bond we had was unique and very special. He leaves behind an enormous legacy that will live on forever. Malcolm, job well done." Other musicians reacting to Malcom's death include Eddie Van Halen, who posted that "it is a sad day in rock and roll. Malcolm Young was my friend and the heart and soul of AC/DC. I had some of the best times of my life with him on our 1984 European tour. He will be missed and my deepest condolences to his family, bandmates and friends." Paul Stanley, Slash, Ozzy Osbourne and Joe Satriani also tweeted their condolences. Malcom's death came just 27 days after his older brother, musician/producer George Young, died at age 70. - Billboard, 11/18/17...... It has been publicly revealed that actor Don Pedro Colley, perhaps best known for playing the straight-shooting Sheriff "Big Ed" Little of Chickasaw County on the 1979-85 CBS action comedy The Dukes of Hazzard, died on Oct. 11 in his hometown of Klamath Falls, Ore., following a long battle with cancer. He was 79. Colley also recurred as Gideon, a friend of Fess Parker's lead character, on NBC's Daniel Boone and appeared on other shows including Daktari, The Wild Wild West, Adam-12, Night Gallery, Ironside, The Streets of San Francisco, Little House on the Prairie, Starsky and Hutch and The A-Team. His big screen credits include Beneath the Planet of the Apes and the first film directed by Star Wars director George Lucas. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/17/17.
John Cale, a founding member of the late '60s/early '70s band The Velvet Underground, has announced he'll perform two shows at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Nov. 16 and 17 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of VU's iconic 1967 LP The Velvet Underground & Nico. Cale, joined by such special guests as Animal Collective, MGMT, Sky Ferreira and Kurt Vile, will perform the album in its entirety. Cale has also announced he'll be throwing his own birthday party, "John Cale's 75th Birthday Celebration: A Live Audio-Spectrum from Dissonance to Destruction," focusing on his solo work. - Billboard, 11/10/17...... What turned out to be late rock legend Tom Petty's final tour, his 2017 40th anniversary trek with his band the Heartbreakers which began on Apr. 20 in Oklahoma City, Okla., drew a total of 637,671 fans to 44 headlining performances at arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums in the U.S. and Canada. Petty's final stand of three concerts at the Los Angeles amphitheater in September capped a five-month trek through 36 North American cities that grossed more than $61 million during its run. The Hollywood Bowl stint was ultimately the highest-grossing date on the jaunt, with a $5.3 million take from 49,217 sold seats on Sept. 21, 22 and 25. The only other three-show run was in Berkeley, California, in late August at the Hearst Greek Theatre. Petty also made a handful of festival appearances during the summer, among them a headlining slot on the final night of British Summer Time, a six-night festival at London's Hyde Park. It was his only European event this year, and marked only his second performance in the U.K. in two decades. The tour's success makes it on track to potentially rank among 2017's top 25 tours for the first time since 2010 when it ended the year at No. 14 based on $45 million in sales. - Billboard, 11/10/17...... Elton John celebrated the 25th anniversary of his Elton John AIDS Foundation on Nov. 7 at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City by delivering a teary and emotional speech about his efforts to raise awareness and fight against AIDS. After the mother of Ryan White, an Indiana teenager who became the poster child for HIV awareness during the 1980s AIDS crisis, spoke passionately about how the iconic rocker visited her son while he was sick and helped her family financially, John said the White family "lit a little candle in my soul." "Six months after Ryan passed away, I got help and I became sober," Elton said. The Elton John AIDS Foundation launched in 1992 in the United States and in the United Kingdom a year later. The two organizations have raised more than $385 million since then, and John said 98 percent of what is raised is used to help others. John told the audience that he's convinced his struggle to end the AIDS epidemic will be successful by 2030. Also attending "An Enduring Vision: A Benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation" were host Neil Patrick Harris along with Billy Joel, Sting, Sheryl Crow and actresses Glenn Close and Susan Lucci. The event raised more than $700,000 in a live auction. - AP, 11/8/17...... 
I In related news, former Pink Floyd principal Roger Waters wrapped the opening leg of his Us + Them World Tour in Vancouver on Oct. 28 and 29, the last stop on a 45-city trek through North America that launched in late May. The tour's latest jaunt, from Oct. 2-29, has grossed over $18 million and ranks among the top 10 top-grossing tours for the week ending Nov. 10. So far the tour has racked up a total of $89 million in ticket sales from 63 concerts scheduled during a five-month stretch. More than 734,000 fans of the Pink Floyd alum caught the tour in North American markets during the run. - Billboard, 11/10/17...... The Eagles have shared audio of their first live performance of 
In related news, the live theater division of Universal Pictures announced on Nov. 8 that the Bee Gees will be getting their own stage musical. Universal president Jimmy Horowitz says he's reached an agreement with surviving Bee Gee Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb's widow Yvonne Gibb and the estate of Robin Gibb to develop a stage musical based on the life story of the legendary trio. Barry Gibb will serve as an executive producer on the project, which will feature the group's iconic music. "This is a wonderful opportunity for our family," said Barry Gibb in a statement. "I'm personally very excited to be a part of the creative process along with Yvonne and Dwina. It's another adventure for us and a chance to throw the spotlight on all my brothers and finally the real story of us will be told. It's an honor to be working alongside the people I most respect. I can't wait to get started!" - Billboard, 11/8/17...... Legendary 1960s British pop singer Petula Clark has announced her first U.S. tour in five decades behind her new album Living for Today, which hits stores on Nov. 10. The 84-year-old Clark -- best known for her 1964 hit "Downtown" and for starring turns on stage in Sunset Boulevard and Blood Brothers -- recorded the album mostly in London, and along with original songs includes choice covers of Steve Winwood's "While You See A Chance," Peggy Lee's "Fever" and the Beatles' "Blackbird." An original song called "The Rainbow" reunites Clark with her "Downtown" collaborator Tony Hatch for their first teaming in decades. Clark, who now resides in Geneva, kicks off her U.S. tour on Nov. 12 in Modesto, CA, with dates booked through Dec. 26 at B.B. King's in New York City. - Billboard, 11/9/17...... Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley says she intends to file a lawsuit against her former financial managers, claiming they squandered more than $100 million over a 10 year period. Presley claims her financial guru Barry Spiegel sold 85% of her interest in Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE) and then gave the money to Robert F.X. Sillerman as a way of ingratiating himself with the famous investor. Presley also charges that Spiegel spent $9 million of her money without her knowledge to buy an English estate and couldn't make the balloon payment on the property, and stopped paying her taxes in 2012 which left her with a tax bill of $7 million. Siegel counters that Lisa Marie overspent herself into destitution, and as early as 2003 as $20 million in debt and he was the one who righted the ship. Siegel says he tried hard to get her to stop her excessive spending over the next 10 years but it fell on deaf ears. - TMZ.com, 11/9/17...... In an interview with the UK paper The Sun, Mick Jagger revealed that the Rolling Stones will be "getting plans into place" for some huge shows in the UK in 2018. "We were disappointed not to perform in the UK on our recent jaunt and we're looking forward to getting plans in place to do so next year," Jagger said. This summer the Stones said they were forced to pass on UK shows in 2017 "due to lack of available venues because of sporting fixtures." The news comes after reports emerged that band would be headlining a "multi-day extravaganza" at Knebworth in the summer of 2018. - New Musical Express, 11/8/17...... 
In what has become a sort of annual tradition, a new private detective has alleged that Patrick McDermott, the ex-boyfriend of Olivia Newton-John, faked his death in 2005 and is now living in Mexico. The detective, Charlie Parker, told New Idea magazine that a photo discovered "last month on a noticeboard at [a] run-down El Palmar del Camaron beach campsite" shows a man who is almost certainly McDermott. Parker says the man in the photograph and McDermott are a "90% match." In an interview with the Australian version of 60 Minutes in 2016, Newton-John said she has no idea what happened to McDermott, and that it's just one of those things you have to "accept and let go...I live on." - Jezebel.com, 11/7/17...... The CBS television network has annouinced that will air a Grammys Greatest Stories: A 60th Anniversary Special on Nov. 24 that will feature rare archival footage, exclusive interviews and special appearances by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and U2. The special will also take viewers behind the scenes of "Music's Biggest Night," revealing secrets about the remarkable performances and unique Grammy moments only seen on the the Grammy Awards. CBS has also announced a 50th anniversary Carol Burnett special for Dec. 3 that celebrates Burnett's classic award-winning comedy series The Carol Burnett Show. In the special, filmed on the show's original soundstage (Stage 33 at CBS Television City in Los Angeles), Burnett reminisces about her favorite sketches, Q&As with the studio audience, guest stars, her memorable wardrobe and bloopers, as well as the tremendous effect the show continues to have on television today. Guest stars include original cast members Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner, costume designer Bob Mackie, and comedians and friends including Jim Carrey, Stephen Colbert, Bernadette Peters, Jay Leno and Martin Short...... Pentti "Whitey" Glan, a session drummer who played on Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare and Lou Reed's Rock 'n' Roll Animal, has died of lung cancer at age 71. Glan was once of member of the band Bush, which opened for Steppenwolf and Three Dog Night in the early '70s. ne of Bush's songs, "I Can Hear You Calling," which Glan co-wrote, was the b-side to Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World." Steppenwolf frontman John Kay then used his talents on a pair of solo albums, 1972's Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes and 1973's My Sportin' Life. Glan also played the drummer in The Rose, the 1979 Bette Midler movie that was loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin. - 11/8/17...... Actor John Hillerman, best known for his portrayal of Tom Selleck fastidious estate caretaker Jonathan Quayle Higgins III on Magnum, P.I., died on Nov. 9 at his home in Houston, Tex., of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 84. Mr. Hillerman received four Emmy nominations in consecutive years for portraying Higgins and won in 1987. He also played the Hardin twins in the 1973 film Paper Moon, one a moonshiner ripped off by Ryan O'Neal, the other a sheriff's policeman who chases him into St. Louis and has him beaten up. Other bigscreen appearances include What's Up, Doc?, The History of the World, Part 1, and Blazing Saddles. Mr. Hillerman retired from acting in 1999, after a career spanning more than 70 film and TV roles (and dozens more on the stage). His final role was in A Very Brady Sequel, in 1996. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/9/17.
A new Eric Clapton documentary titled Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars will premiere in limited release in theaters across the US on Nov. 24, before premiering on the Showtime channel on Feb. 10, 2018. Directed by Lili Fini Zanuck, the rock doc is described as an "unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life of the legendary musician" that covers the breadth of the legendary musician's career, including his tenures in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos. It also features archival materials like classic performance clips, on- and offstage footage, iconic photos, concert posters, handwritten letters, drawings and personal diary entries, as well as extensive interviews with Clapton himself and his family, friends, musical collaborators, contemporaries and heroes, including late music icons B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison. Life in 12 Bars, which has been submitted for Oscar consideration, is produced by Abramorama, which has previously released music-driven films about the Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Clive Davis and Sean Combs. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/3/17...... A breach of contract lawsuit was filed against Universal Music Group/Vivendi on Nov. 6 in Los Angeles by Overrated Productions, which alleges that UMG has been "willfully underpaying" royalties on Player's 1977 No. hit 
Ozzy Osbourne announced on Nov. 5 that he'll be hitting the road one last time in 2018 for a farewell solo tour that, this time, he swears will be his last although it is slated to last well into the year 2020. "This will be my final world tour, but I can't say I won't do some shows here and there," the Black Sabbath frontman said in a statement. "But after 2,500 shows don't expect the 68 year-old heavy metal icon to do something quite this big ever again. Osbourne will be backed up by his longtime collaborators Zakk Wylde (guitar), Blasko (bass), Tommy Clufetos (drums) and Adam Wakeman (keyboards). - Billboard, 11/6/17...... A diverse collection of musicians including Patti Smith, Joan Baez, Michael Stipe, Cat Power and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers participated in a climate change awareness benefit at Carnegie Hall on Nov. 5, 2017 in New York City. Co-organized by Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of Patti Smith, the "NYC Pathway to Paris Concert" also featured impassioned speakers who urged audience members to write to legislators to demand they divest from fossil fuels, and rallied the crowd behind the "1000 Cities" campaign, which seeks to have the world's cities go beyond even what the Paris climate agreement sought and pledge to use 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. - Billboard, 11/6/17...... In related news, Paul McCartney slammed US Pres. Donald Trump in an interview with the BBC on Nov. 5 for the president's decision earlier this year to pull out of the Paris climate agreement to cut global emissions. "It's not the total solution, but it's part of the solution," the former Beatle said. "A lot of people have been saying this for a long time but there's resistance. Particularly when you've got someone like Trump who says that it (climate change) is just a hoax. A lot of people like myself think that's just madness so it's maybe a good time now to try and focus people's attention and say 'look, forget about him we can do something'," he added. Macca is promoting a new short film called One Day a Week which encourages people to go just one day a week without eating animal products to help the environment. Sir Paul has also revealed he's written a new song about Pres. Trump which will be featured on his next album, which is due before the end of 2017. - New Musical Express, 11/6/17...... In other Beatles-related news, British artist Chris Barker has once again re-imagined the Fab Four's iconic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band LP cover to update the musicians, actors and other celebrities who have passed away in 2017. Barker's 2017 Sgt. Pepper's montage, which can be viewed at 
Elton John will be honored at Harvard University on Nov. 11 for his philanthropic efforts to fight HIV and AIDS. John, 70, will be awarded the Harvard Foundation's Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award in a ceremony. Elton, who runs his own AIDS foundation, said in a statement that the award was "both gratifying and tremendously humbling." "I will continue to sustain and grow the progress we've made to eradicate stigma and end the spread of HIV/AIDS, once and for all," he added. Previous winners of the award include former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu. - AP, 11/6/17...... A recently unearthed interview from 2014 reveals that Bob Dylan once teamed up with Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm writer/director Larry Charles to pitch a slapstick comedy show to cable TV's HBO during the 1990s. Although HBO approved the project, Dylan lost interest in it before it could ever emerge, however Larry Charles went on to rework the idea into the 2003 big screen drama Masked and Anonymous, which starred Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Jessica Lange and Bob Dylan himself. - New Musical Express, 11/6/17...... Kenny Rogers, who has announced he's heading into retirement after a six-decade-long music career, was honored with a Legacy Award at the SESAC Nashville Music Awards on Nov. 5 in Nashville, Tenn. After several artists including Kim Carnes reprised some of Rogers' most familiar material, including "Lady," "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" and "The Gambler," Rogers accepted the award and thanked the writers for allowing him to be the vessel for their songs. Rogers, whose career included a stop in jazz before doing folk music with the New Christy Minstrels and dabbing in psychedelia with the First Edition, said that "genre is a not a word I understand," which elicited cheers. - Billboard, 11/6/17...... 
Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen has announced he'll make a special Veteran's Day appearance at the Wentworth Gallery in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 11 to launch his "Rock Allen: Drums For Peace" art tour to benefit military veterans. Allen, who lost his left arm in a New Year's Eve 1984 car crash, says he feels a special connection to those returning from duty with debilitating injuries, and he and his wife Lauren Monroe have established their own charity, the Raven Drum Foundation, to provide assistance to the troops. Allen's artwork is a mixed media collection that includes his paintings on drum heads, toy buses, clothing and other objects. Allen also has exhibitions booked for New York and Washington, D.C. for 2018, with more to be scheduled to coincide with Def Leppard performances. The group, meanwhile, is "in recovery mode" after touring to celebrate the Hysteria album's 30th anniversary this year. - Billboard, 11/6/17...... Australian rock musician/songwriter/producer George Young, a former member of the Aussie '60s band The Easybeats who co-wrote The Easybeats' classic hit 
Neil Young has announced he'll release The Visitor, his follow-up to 2016's Earth, on Dec. 1 via Reprise Records. The Visitor wil be Young's first album with his backing band Promise of the Real and will feature Willie Nelson's son Lukas Nelson, who has previously fronted the Promise of the Real. On Nov. 3, Young shared The Visitor's first single, "Already Great." Meanwhile, on Nov. 2 Young announced he'll be auctioning off a large portion of his possessions that he's come to accumulate over the years, including his "personal collection of model trains, classic cars, guitars, recording gear, clothing, memorabilia, and more." "Collecting all of these items have been my great joy," Young said in a statement. "They have provided a source of inspiration, fun and creativity throughout my life. Now it is time to share them with others in the world whom I hope will enjoy and love them as much as I have," he added. Young, a longtime model train enthusiast, is credited with inventing the CAB-1, the first truly user-friendly remote control in the toy train industry, and backed the creation of the Trainmaster Command Control, which allows owners to run multiple trains at once. All of the items will be visible for public viewing at Julien's Auctions Gallery in Los Angeles from Dec. 4-9, with the auction taking place both at the gallery and online on the 9th. Fans can register online to participate in the auction. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Bridge School in California. - Stereogum.com/Billboard, 11/3/17...... A new song by Bruce Springsteen called "Freedom Credence" is featured in the new Miles Teller-starring movie Thank You For Your Service. Over a spare beat, Springsteen sings, "Some say is freedom is free/ But I tend to disagree/ I say freedom is won/ With the blood of someone's son." Thank You For Your Service tells the story of returning Iraq War veterans dealing with PTSD. - Stereogum.com, 10/31/17...... Michael Jackson has once again topped the Forbes top-earning dead celebrities list for the fifth year in a row. Jackson, who died eight years ago, earned an estimated $75 million in 2016 from earnings boosted by a new greatest hits album, a Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show and a stake in the EMI music publishing catalog. Two other '70s artists also made the top five, Elvis Presley in fourth place with $35 million and Bob Marley in fifth place with $23 million. In other Jackson-related news, Michael's son Prince Michael Jackson was hospitalized on Nov. 2 after being involved in a motorcycle accident. Prince Michael is Jackson's oldest son, and details of the crash weren't known other than that the 20-year-old was taken to an emergency room at a nearby Los Angeles hospital. He was released from the hospital shortly after he arrived with no major injuries sustained, and apparently made it to his class at Loyola Marymount University on time, posting "Well shit..." via Instagram during his ride in the ambulance. - AP/Billboard, 11/2/17...... 
On Nov. 2 the Beatles announced plans to release a limited-edition box set of their Christmas holiday messages, originally given only to fan club members on flexi-discs from 1963 to 1969, on Dec. 15. The set will include seven 7-inch colored vinyl singles, one for each of the legendary band's seven Christmas messages during the time they were a unit. The Christmas records have never been given general release as a set before, though one was made available as part of The Beatles Rock Band video game. The seven holiday messages were originally titled "The Beatles Christmas Record" (1963), "Another Beatles Christmas Record" (1964), "The Beatles Third Christmas Record" (1965), "Pantomime -- Everywhere It's Christmas" (1966), "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" (1967), "The Beatles Sixth Christmas Record" (1968) (which includes a guest appearance by Tiny Tim singing the Beatles song "Nowhere Man"), and "The Beatles Seventh Christmas Record" (1969). Each single will include a sleeve with the original artwork from the fan club discs, and the box will also have an added 16-page booklet with recording notes and reproductions of the fan club newsletters that was sent to fans with the original discs. Also on Dec. 15, the Beatles will continue their celebration of the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with three more releases -- 
Trouble No More, a new Bob Dylan concert documentary that explores the rock icon's conversion to Christianity that was marked by his starkly confessional 1979 album Slow Train Coming, premiered at theaters in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago and San Francisco on on Nov. 2. The following day, Columbia/Legacy released the film as part of the 
The UK paper The Sun is reporting that Mick Jagger, 74, has recently spent several nights in Paris with his 22-year-old girlfriend, Noor Alfallah, when the Rolling Stones played Paris in October. Jagger and Alfallah reportedly first hooked up at a private flat in the suburbs on a Sunday in early October, then the next day a chauffeur drove her back to her hotel. They repeated the routine on Tuesday and Wednesday. The US-born socialite and film producer watched the Stones perform at the city's U Arena the next night and they enjoyed three more dates in late October. A source said: "Mick still has his legendary charm but even the band were surprised someone as young and beautiful as Noor came to Paris to see him. They are both single and seemed to have a lot of fun together, so everyone just let them get on with it. Mick is showing absolutely no sign of slowing down. He certainly had a smile on his face and famous twinkle in his eye." - TheSun.com, 10/29/17...... Steely Dan played their first UK show since the death of founder member Walter Becker on Oct. 29 at The O2 in London as part of Bluesfest. Becker's musical partner Donald Fagen paid tribute to him during the gig, commenting: "We're a little different than we were a few a months ago but I gotta live with that." Fagen and his 12 piece band played a groove-ridden set that drew upon the band's classic albums from the 1970s, including "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," "Bodhisattva," "My Old School" and "Peg" as well as "Hey Nineteen" and "Babylon Sisters" from 1980's Gaucho. Backing vocals came from the three "Danettes." Opening for Steely Dan were the Doobie Brothers. - NME, 10/30/17...... Keith Wilder, a vocalist with the '70s disco era group Heatwave, has died at 67. Wilder's late brother, Johnny Wilder, formed the band in 1975. Heatwave is best known for their hit singles "Boogie Nights" (1976) and "Always and Forever" and "The Groove Line" (1977).