Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on May 7th, 2018

Aerosmith headlined Day 6 of the 2018 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at the city's Fair Grounds Race Course on May 5 with a hit-packed set that kicked off with "Same Old Song and Dance," "Love In an Elevator" and "Cryin'." "I love this daytime s---!" singer Steven Tyler mused to the crowd watching the show during a light rain. "You can see me scratch my ass. I'm no better than you." The hits kept coming with "Livin On the Edge," "Rag Doll" and "Janie's Got A Gun," and a power-ballad break for "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing," the band's only Billboard No. 1 so far, gave the crowd a chance to sing along. After "Dream On," the band took an encore break and returned with the crowd-pleaser "Walk This Way." During the two-hour set, guitarist Joe Perry provided a bluesy, calming partner to the 70-year-old Tyler's manic energy, proving the band is still a force to be reckoned with live. - Billboard, 5/6/18...... Meanwhile another 70-year-old rocker, Alice Cooper, told New York's Q103 radio station on May 4 that he'll only consider retiring "If we do a tour and nobody shows up, then I'm retired... That's never happened." Cooper continued: "In fact, we're doing better business now than we've ever done. More people are coming to the show now, and I've never felt better, so I don't see any reason to retire at all. I know a lot of guys are quitting, but a lot of guys still smoke and drink. They're probably tired. I'm not tired. People always say, 'Well, you could just play golf every day,' and I say, 'I play golf every day anyway!'" Cooper is currently involved in a range of projects, including the "supergroup" Hollywood Vampires, and there are rumours he may also open for KISS on their 2019 tour. He released his most recent album, Paranormal, in July 2017. - New Musical Express, 5/5/18...... AC/DC's classic 1980 album Back in Black has re-entered the Billboard Hot 200 album chart at No. 152, thanks in part to sales generated from a limited-edition cassette reissue of the album for Record Store Day. Its cassette has been out of print since 2006. Of the album's 6,000 units, 3,000 were in traditional album sales, with cassettes accounting for 45% of the set's total sales for the week ending May 5. Meanwhile, Sting has added another No. 1 to his impressive array of genre chart leaders as his new collaboration with reggae superstar Shaggy, 44-876, has yielded the first No. 1 for the former Police frontman on the Reggae Albums Chart. In addition to the pop chart, Sting has previously topped such lists as the Traditional Classical Albums, Classical Crossover Albums and Holiday Albums Charts. - Billboard, 5/4/18...... NBC announced on May 4 that an ambitious, star-studded two-hour special dedicated to Sweden's ABBA, Thank You for the Music, An All-Star Tribute, will air in December. The network says the special will be broadcast around the world, with the BBC handling international distribution, and feature a variety of "specially invited artists" performing ABBA hits like "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," "The Winner Takes It All" and "Take a Chance On Me." It will also feature band members Agnetha Faltskog, Bjrn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad performing their brand-new song "I Still Have Faith In You" with a twist. It will be "sung" by a virtual ABBA: digital representation of the band in 1979 but voiced and recorded by the band members today. Meanwhile, in a new interview with the UK's Daily Star paper, Andersson and Ulvaeus said that the band have actually been on a break until recently, after spending time apart to focus on other projects. "We never made the decision to say, 'We'll never do it again'," said Andersson. "Bjrn and I wanted to write 'Chess' together with Tim Rice. We said to ourselves and to the girls: 'We'll probably need two years, so let's take a break'. During this time they both made solo albums. But we needed four years for 'Chess'. Then we were like: 'It was four years, why should we get together again?'" Asked about the sound of their new material, Andersson replied: "One of the songs is like we would've written it [for] today. The other, we could've written in 1972." - Billboard/Deadline.com/NME, 5/4/18...... The Charlie Daniels Band will co-headline an upcoming tornado relief concert for the Jacksonville, Fla., area with country icons Alabama, Jamey Johnson and Riley Green at Jacksonville State University on Sept. 26, 2018. An EF-3 level tornado tore through Jacksonville and the JSU campus in March, and Alabama's Randy Owen says the storm did a "tremendous amount of damage" to his alma mater and the band wants to do its part to help. - AP, 5/2/18...... Paul McCartney was made a Companion of Honor by the Royal Family on May 4 during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. King George V founded the Order of the Companions Honour in 1917, which is given as a reward for outstanding achievements to citizens of the Commonwealth realms. Sir Paul receives the honor 20 years after he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. "Congratulations Sir @PaulMcCartney who has been made a #CompanionofHonour at Buckingham Palace today for his lasting contribution to music in the UK and Worldwide," read the caption of the Royal Family's official Twitter account. McCartney was accompanied by his wife, Nancy Shevell, during the ceremony. - Billboard, 5/4/18...... In other Beatles-related news, Julien's Auctions announced on May 3 that Geroge Harrison's first first electric guitar will be auctioned at New York's Hard Rock Cafe on May 19. Harrison played the Hoffner Club 40 electric model when the Beatles played around Liverpool, England, as The Quarrymen. He traded his acoustic guitar for the electric model with Ray Ennis, who was a member of The Swinging Blue Jeans. Julien's estimates the guitar will sell for between $200,000 and $300,000. A 1965 Fender Telecaster owned by The Band's Robbie Robertson played by Harrison, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan is also on the block and estimated to sell between $400,000 and $600,000. - AP, 5/3/18...... Neil Young and Crazy Horse reunited for a concert at Fresno, California's Warnors Theatre on May 1, their first show since 2014. Their completely unrehearsed gig was the first of a three-night stint that Young said "will be the beginning of another beautiful chapter" in the band's nearly 50-year history. The 15-song setlist included covers of such Young solo material as "Winterlong," "World on a String," "Too Far Gone," "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," "Walk On," "Like a Hurricane" and the encore, "Roll Another Number (For the Road)." When recently asked about the future of Crazy Horse, Young said: "Well, we have an incredible album that's in the can that's a recent album. Alchemy. Then we have a 2001 album, Toast. We have a 1969/70 album, early days, which is a lot of stuff nobody's heard." - New Musical Express, 5/2/18............

The Cars singer/guitarist/songwriter Ric Ocasek and his model/actress wife Paulina Porizkova have decided to separate after 28 years of marriage, Porizkova announced on her Instagram page on May 2. "Our family always has been -- and still is -- a well-built car" the 53-year-old Porizkova wrote. "When the four of us are together, we can go wherever the road takes us. But as a bicycle, my husband and I no longer pedal in unison. So, we're ditching the bicycle," she added. Ocasek and Porizkova first met while filming the music video for the Cars song "Drive" in 1984 and were together last month when 74-year-old Ocasek was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The couple has two sons. - AP, 5/3/18...... Drummer Jabo Starks, whose steady groove became the backbone for many of James Brown's classic hits, died on May 1 at his home in Mobile, Ala., after a battle with leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. He was 79. Mr. Starks, whose first name was John and whose nickname was sometimes spelled "Jab'o," was one of two drummers closely identified with Brown during his heyday in the 1960s and '70s. The other was Clyde Stubblefield, who died in 2017 and is remembered for his indelible drum solo on Brown's "Funky Drummer," perhaps the most sampled drumbeat of all time. Mr. Starks, who acquired his nickname as a baby, was born in Jackson, Ala., on Oct. 26, 1938, and grew up listening to gospel and blues. He became enamored with drums while watching a marching band in a Mardi Gras parade in Alabama. After graduation from high school, the self-taught drummer started playing with blues artists like John Lee Hooker, Smiley Lewis, Howlin' Wolf and Big Mama Thornton at the Harlem Duke Social Club in Prichard, Ala., a famous venue on the so-called chitlin' circuit. He joined Brown's band in 1965 and stayed with him until the mid-1970s, when he began touring and recording with B. B. King. He drummed on such Brown singles as "Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine," "Super Bad" and "The Payback," and all those songs, like most of Brown's work, have had long afterlives. They have been sampled in songs by hip-hop artists like L. L. Cool J, Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Quest, the Roots, the Black Eyed Peas and Kool Moe Dee. Mr. Starks and Clyde Stubblefield played together again years after they parted ways with Brown. They formed a duo called Funkmasters, which released music and recorded instructional videos, and also worked together on the soundtrack for the 2007 movie comedy Superbad. His manager said that Mr. Starks last performed in March, at the Red Bar in Grayton Beach, Fla., where he had played since the mid-1990s. - Billboard, 5/2/18.

Appearing on CBS' The Talk program on Apr. 27, Barry Manilow revealed that he will be returning to the Westgate Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for 20 dates beginning in late May. "Manilow Las Vegas: The Hits Come Home" will be presented eight years after the Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award winner performed his residency at Westgate's International Theater from 2005 to 2010. The show opens for previews May 24-26, with grand opening weekend falling from June 14-16 just before Manilow's 75th birthday on June 17. Other show dates are June 21-23, July 19-21, July 26-28, Sept. 27-29, Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13. - Billboard, 4/27/18...... Brian Wilson announced on Twitter on May 1 that he has been forced to cancel his May Pet Sounds performances due to a back problem requiring a medical procedure. Wilson, who underwent back surgery at least once before in 2012, said his condition "runs in the family... [brother] Carl had back problems as well," and apologized to his fans. The nine dates affected include shows in Washington, D.C., Nashville, Tenn., Richmond, Va., Augusta, Ga., Clearwater, Fla., Viera, Fla. and Pampano Beach, Fla. The canceled shows are expected to be rescheduled. Meanwhile, Wilson's former Beach Boys bandmate Mike Love posted a photo of the two performing together on his Facebook page, and wished Brian well: "I hope one day we'll be able to do this again," he said, adding that he was "looking forward to perhaps one day throwing some hoops." - Billboard, 5/1/18...... Paul McCartney and Metallica will be among the headliners at the 2018 Austin City Music Festival, set for the city's Zilker Park over the weekends of Oct. 5-7 and Oct. 12-14. The event will serve as McCartney and Metallica's sole North American festival dates for 2018, and other headlining acts include David Byrne, Shawn Mendes, Childish Gambino, Arctic Monkeys and Travis Scott. - Billboard, 5/1/18...... Speaking of David Byrne, the former Talking Heads frontman made his first appearance ever at the 2018 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Apr. 29. Actor and part-time New Orleanian John Goodman cheered Byrne on from side stage during his minimalist set, with no amplifier or monitor visible. Goodman's an old pal of Byrne's going back to the 1986 cult favorite True Stories, starring Goodman, which Byrne directed, co-wrote and narrated. Byrne's setlist was largely focused on his new American Utopia LP, however he also performed crowd-pleasing Heads classics including "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)," "Once In A Lifetime" and "Burning Down the House." - Billboard, 4/30/18...... The committee responsible for the Tony Awards announced on May 1 that Bruce Springsteen will receive a special award for his blockbuster solo show "Springsteen on Broadway," which has become the top-grossing new production of the 2017-18 season. The honor, which had been widely anticipated in the theater community, was announced along with nominations in the competitive categories of the 72nd Annual Tony Awards. "Springsteen on Broadway" opened officially on Oct. 12 to rave reviews from both theater and music press, and was initially was scheduled to run through Nov. 26, but has been extended multiple times. The show, with average ticket prices around $500 (higher than "Hamilton"), is now scheduled to run through Dec. 15, 2018. The 72nd Annual Tony Awards are scheduled for June 10, and Springsteen will likely perform live on the CBS telecast before receiving his honor. - Billboard, 5/1/18...... In other Springsteen-related news, a red vinyl edition of the Boss' Greatest Hits LP helped the 11th annual Record Store Day on Apr. 21 become the biggest one yet. 580,000 vinyl albums were sold at independent retailers -- the single largest week for the format at the retail sector in Nielsen Music history. Holding the No. 2 position was David Bowie's live set Welcome to the Blackout (Live London '78), followed by Neil Young's Tonight's the Night Live at the Roxy. Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead's Dylan & The Dead came in at No. 5, followed by a mono version of Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Total album sales were up by 23 percent at independent record stores, as compared to Record Store Day week last year (799,000 vs. 649,000). - Billboard, 4/30/18...... The Who's Roger Daltrey was honored at the We Are Family Foundation gala at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom during a nostalgia-filled concert that also featured Chic's Nile Rodgers and LL Cool J. Named after Sister Sledge's 1979 classic "We Are Family" -- which was written and produced by Rodgers -- the non-profit We Are Family Foundation was launched following the 9/11 tragedy that struck New York in 2001 and creates programs for youth that encourages cultural diversity. Daltrey was awarded the Mattie J.T Stepanek Peacemaker Award for his organization, Teen Cancer America, and other charitable efforts. - Billboard, 4/28/18...... Bob Dylan has announced that he's starting his own whiskey company, dubbed "Heaven's Door" after his famous 1973 track. Including a straight rye, a Tennessee bourbon, and a double barrel whiskey, the collection represents a partnership with Marc Bushala -- co-founder of Angel's Envy bourbon. "I've been traveling for decades and I've been able to try some of the best spirits that the world of whiskey has to offer. This is great whiskey," Dylan said in an interview with the New York Times. - Spin.com, 4/28/18...... On Apr. 30 a spokesman for ABBA squashed rumours that the quartet could headline the 2019 Glastonbury Festival in the UK, and also dismissed chances of a renunion tour. "No, - definitely not. We should remember them how they were in the 1970s, and listen to how they sing today," ABBA spokeswoman and manager Gorel Hanser told the UK paper The Mirror. In late April, ABBA announced that they'd be releasing their first new material in 35 years, having recorded two new songs together. The band is currently plotting a "virtual" tour for 2019 using hologram technology, and UK bookies began offering 33/1 odds that the pop icons could headline Glasto in 2019. - New Musical Express, 4/30/18...... Alternative rock faves Foo Fighters were joined by Grease star John Travolta on stage for a cover of the 1978 movie's tune "You're The One That I Want" during a show in Jacksonville, Fla., on Apr. 29. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl cryptically teased that "it gets better" during the start of the performance , before the Hollywood icon made his appearance on stage. It's believed that Travolta was in the area while he continues to film Moose, a new thriller directed by Limp Bizkit's Fred Furst. Another highlight of the show was Billy Idol joining the band for a cover of John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth." - NME, 4/30/18...... A spokesman for Bonnie Raitt announced on Raitt's Facebook page on Apr. 30 that the singer/guitarist will miss the first leg of her upcoming coheadlining tour with James Taylor due to an unspecified health issue. "Following her annual physical, it was determined she needs to schedule some surgery soon. The prognosis is good and a full recovery is expected," read the statement. Raitt included a personal statement to fans, writing, "I'm deeply sorry to have to disappoint my fans, James and colleagues with these cancellations... I fully expect to return for the second leg of the US tour in June followed by our European tour in July." Raitt, 68, also asked for her fans to respect "my wish for privacy and giving me space to heal," promising to see them on the road again soon. - Billboard, 4/30/18...... On Apr. 30 a California court denied parole for former Derek and the Dominos drummer Jim Gordon, who is serving a life sentence for killing his mother in 1983. The California Board of Parole determined that the 72-year-old Gordon could be a risk of violence if released from the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, where Gordon is jailed. Gordon, who played on such iconic 1960's and 1970's tracks as Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'," Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" and, most famously, "Layla," as a member of Eric Clapton's band Derek and the Dominos, was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the height of his career. Beginning in 1978, he sought medical treatment at least 15 times, court records show, but he could not escape his mother's voice, which he claimed had tormented him for years. To confront the voices, Gordon drove to his mother's house, where he struck her head with a hammer and also stabbed her. In 1984 he was sentenced to 16 years to life, and "remains an unreasonable risk of threat to public safety," according to the parole board's decision. Today he reportedly refuses contact with lawyers and declines to attend parole hearings. He is said to rarely leave his cell, and often resists medication. A 2005 document shows he was collecting $4,000 a month in royalties at that time, and was disciplined for giving some of that money to fellow inmates. Gordon has served 34 years of his life term, has been denied parole 10 times now and will next be eligible for parole in 2021. - Billboard, 4/30/18...... A Massachusetts church building that was immortalized in Arlo Guthrie's classic 1967 track "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" is reopening after some recently completed upgrades. The building in Great Barrington, which was known as the Old Trinity Church and dates to 1829, is home of the nonprofit Guthrie Center and has been closed for about two months during the work. Upgrades include the restoration of the circular stained-glass window at the front entrance, a new ceiling in the great room and insulation. The building will with a memorial for a local journalist who recently died. Its regular schedule of community lunches, musical events and non-denominational services will start in early May. Guthrie's rambling 18-minute song about the 1960s counterculture appeared on his 1967 debut album and inspired a 1969 film of the same name. - AP, 4/30/18...... Funk icon George Clinton has announced he will retire from touring in May 2019. "This has been coming a long time," Clinton says in a statement announcing his retirement. "Anyone who has been to the shows over the past couple of years has noticed that I've been out front less and less." The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Parliament/Funkadelic frontman/producer, who turns 77 in July, recently underwent pacemaker surgery, but says that the procedure wasn't a factor in his decision. "Truth be told, it's never really been about me," Clinton says. "It's always been about the music and the band. That's the real P-Funk legacy. They'll still be funkin' long after I stop." Clinton and P-Funk have 50 dates scheduled through the end of 2018, including performances in Europe and Japan. He released a new single, "I'm Gon Make You Sick O'Me," in January featuring Scarface. - Billboard, 4/27/18...... Actress and painter Kris Nelson, the ex-wife of Ricky Nelson and mother of actress Tracy Nelson, musicians Matthew and Gunnar Nelson ,and Sam Nelson, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Apr. 26. She was 72. She was the daughter of football star Tom Harmon and the sister of actor Mark Harmon and actress-model Kelly Harmon. Kris had a recurring role on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1963-66) and Adam-12 (1975), and with Ricky headlined the film Love and Kisses (1965). "My mother, Kristin Harmon Nelson, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last night," Tracy Nelson posted on her Facebook page on Apr. 27. "Love and light are welcome." - 4/28/18.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on April 27th, 2018

A trailer for the upcoming Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody was screened at the CinemaCon event in Los Angeles on Apr. 26. Introduced by Rami Malek, who plays late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, the trailer opens with the band's classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" playing in the background, as a young Mercury asks to be the lead singer of a band. Retorts one of his future bandmates: "Not with those teeth, mate." The rest of the trailer is comprised of vignettes of Mercury and Queen discovering their sound -- "If I go any higher, only dogs will hear it," Mercury says. Malek also spoke about the pressures of playing Mercury in the film, which took 10 years to get to the screen, saying one of the challenges was capturing how Mercury filled his music "with pain and beauty." Bohemian Rhapsody is scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on Nov. 2. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/27/18...... Legendary Swedish pop quartet ABBA announced on Apr. 27 that they have reunited to write and record two new songs -- their first new tracks in 35 years. "The decision to go ahead with the exciting Abba avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence," said the band in a press release. "We all felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio. So we did. And it was like time had stood still and we had only been away on a short holiday. An extremely joyful experience!" The group -- which includes Bjrn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad -- hinted at the sound of the new music, saying, "We may have come of age, but the song is new. And it feels good." ABBA also revealed the name of one of the songs, "I Still Have Faith in You," which will be featured in an NBC/BBC special that is slated to air in December. The two-hour TV special will feature the group's avatars performing their greatest hits; the avatars are slated to launch a world tour in 2019. ABBA, which formed in Stockholm in 1972 and racked up a string of global smashes throughout the next decade before going their separate ways in 1983, made a brief reunion in 2016 when they performed together at a private event in Stockholm. - Billboard, 4/27/18...... In other ABBA-related news, Cher received a standing ovation at CinemaCon on Apr. 25 after performing ABBA's "Fernando" to promote her upcoming film, Mamma Mia: Here we Go Again! Dressed in a full glitter pantsuit and matching platform heels, Cher finished the song as balloons dropped form the ceiling. A small armada of dancers performed a choreographed routine, while Cher appeared on a raise platform from behind fake palm fronds. The sequel to the hit 2008 film Mamma Mia! opens in theaters on July 20, and many of the stars of the first film -- including Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Christine Baranski and Colin Firth -- return returning for the follow-up, which will include ABBA songs not featured in the first film, along with some reprised favorites. New additions include Cher and Lily James. - Billboard, 4/25/18...... In a new post on his Neil Young Archives page, Neil Young has confirmed that he will return to the stage with his fitfully active backing group Crazy Horse on May 1 and 2 at Warriors Theatre in Fresno, Calif. "First time in a long time, live on stage. No rehearsal," Young posted. The news follows Young claiming in a recent Rolling Stone interview that he and Crazy Horse have "an incredible album in the can that's a recent album. Alchemy," though it is not known if songs from that album will be debuted at the upcoming shows. Longtime Crazy Horse guest guitarist Nils Lofgren mused on Twitter: "The great news is I am jumping back in with #CrazyHorse @Neilyoung I will be there. Beyond honored. Nothing like playing with old friends. A friend just reminded me, at this age you can't coast." - Billboard, 4/24/18...... In other Neil Young news, the rocker reunited with his Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young bandmate Stephen Stills on Apr. 25 for the 3rd Light Up the Blues Concert to benefit Autism Speaks at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. During his mini-set, Young announced after performing a powerful rendition of "Birds" that he wanted to bring his "brother" onto the stage. Stills then walked on to jam with Young on "Long May You Run," along with the Buffalo Springfield anthems "For What It's Worth" and "Mr. Soul." Stills, who organized the benefit concert alongside his wife Kristen in support of their autistic son Henry, addressed the Los Angeles crowd at one point saying, "With the help of steadfast friends and concerned professionals that shared our determination, Kristin and Iwere able to find a path that lead our boy to a far better way of life, and now he's in college." An even grander surprise took place with the late Tom Petty's band the Heartbreakers, who haven't performed since Petty's sudden death this past October, took the stage to perform the rocking "I Won't Back Down" alongside Stills. Patti Smith was also on hand for a performance of "Because The Night." - Billboard, 4/23/18...... Legendary '70s singer/songwriter Eric Andersen has released The Essential Eric Andersen, a 33-track, 2-disc career-spanning set that's being released in conjunction with his 75th birthday. Though best-known as a songwriter whose tunes were recorded by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt and many others, Anderson released his own debut album, Today Is the Highway, in 1965, and has released albums steadily since then. The Essential touches on all eras of his career, and it features guest collaborations with Joan Baez, Dan Fogelberg, Leon Russell, Lou Reed, Richard Thompson, Rick Danko, Phil Ochs and others. Andersen, who currently resides in the Netherlands, will play three shows in California in late April -- Sacramento (4/27), Soquel (4/29) and a Q&A on May 3 at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Andersen will also be the subject of an upcoming PBS documentary titled Songpoet. - Billboard, 4/27/18...... Willie Nelson's latest LP Last Man Standing was released in stores and online for streaming on Apr. 27. Announced in February, the album's title appears to be a reference to the songwriter's 85th birthday, which happens on Apr. 29. It is the follow-up to the country/pop icon's 2017 release God's Problem Child and includes the single "Me and You," as well as the album's title track. - Spin.com, 4/27/18...... Deep Purple and Judas Priest announced on Apr. 23 that they'll hit the road for a 25-city co-headlining North American late summer tour that's set to kick off on Aug. 21 in Cincinnati, Oh. The outing is scheduled to run through a Sept. 30 date at the Toyota Amphitheatre in Wheatland, Calif. Deep Purple are touring behind their 2017 album inFinite, while Judas Priest will be showcasing songs from their March 2018 release, Firepower. - Billboard, 4/23/18...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Fleetwood Mac have revealed that Lindsey Buckingham was indeed fired from the band due to scheduling conflicts. "Words like 'fired' are ugly references as far as I'm concerned," said drummer Mick Fleetwood. "Not to hedge around, but we arrived at the impasse of hitting a brick wall. This was not a happy situation for us in terms of the logistics of a functioning band. To that purpose, we made a decision that we could not go on with him. Majority rules in term of what we need to do as a band and go forward." As for their falling out due to scheduling issues, Stevie Nicks revealed: "We were supposed to go into rehearsal in June and he wanted to put it off until November [2019]. That's a long time. I just did 70 shows [on a solo tour]. As soon as I finish one thing, I dive back into another. Why would we stop? We don't want to stop playing music. We don't have anything else to do. This is what we do." Meanwhile, on Apr. 25 the band announced dates for a 50-plus city fall tour that's set to kick off on Oct. 3 in Tulsa, Okla. With a rebooted lineup featuring former Tom Petty guitarist Mike Campbell and Crowded House's Neil Finn, Fleetwood Mac will hit several major markets including Indianapolis (10/16), Kansas City (10/18), St. Louis (10/20), St. Paul (10/22), Cleveland (10/26), Milwaukee (10/28), Detroit (10/30) and Pittsburgh (11/1) before playing their final 2018 show on Dec. 13 in Inglewood, Calif. In 2019, they'll resume the U.S. leg with a show in Houston on Feb. 5, wrapping on Apr. 5 in Philadelphia. The group will also launch "The Fleetwood Mac Channel" on SiriusXM on May 1 at 5 p.m. ET, running throughout the month on channel 30, with music, interviews and hosted shows from current and former band members. - New Musical Express, 4/25/18...... Herb Alpert has covered Louis Armstrong's iconic hit "What a Wonderful World" as an instrumental version for what he says is "in response to our times." "I'm not a politician, but there's a lot of things going on I'd like to respond to," Alpert said in an interview with Billboard. "I wouldn't in my wildest dreams think of covering such an iconic record, but I've always been taken by what Louis said, and there's a lot of things going on I'd like to respond to. It's a simple statement. It's a true statement. It's apolitical, and I'm sure a lot of people believe it. So I'm just trying to put some feelings out there I think deserve to be out there," he added. Proceeds from Alpert's "What A Wonderful World" will be going to the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. Alpert's treatment of the song, meanwhile, takes a more upbeat, world music approach, blending Alpert's trumpet with a variety of international instruments from countries including China, Turkey, Japan, Armenia and Trindidad. Alpert says the song is also a chance to salute Louis Armstrong, a friend and personal musical hero. "He was a spectacular guy, really something special. He was genuine, he was passionate, and that came right through his instrument. I've met a lot of great musicians in my day. Some played the shit out of their instrument and were a drag when you met them, but this guy was a beautiful human being. It was always heartwarming to see him. I really loved him." - Billboard, 4/26/18...... Nile Rodgers of Chic is recovering after taking a major spill in the studio on Apr. 25 and breaking his nose. In a video shared to Rodgers' social media pages, the 65-year-old disco icon can be seen on the floor of his studio holding tissues and an icepack to his nose, a pool of blood scattered across the hardwood floors beneath him. "I guess that's what you call a slip and fall," he continues as he scoffs at his misfortune, "I think we better go to the hospital bro." In the video's caption Rodgers writes, "Who's life is more #crazy than mine? I broke my nose tripping on the top stair of my studio." Rodgers, who was hospitalized in 2017 after falling ill in Toronto while on tour with Earth, Wind & Fire, is currently crafting a new Chic album that is set to feature Bruno Mars, Haim and Debbie Harry. - Billboard, 4/25/18...... The brassy troupe Tower of Power is celebrating its golden anniversary in 2018, and on June 1 will release a new album, Soul Side of Town. Co-founding member Emilio Castillo says the new album has been in the works since 2012, and was recorded over four sessions during the past six years. "The whole idea was to make the best record of our career," Castillo says. "One of our old managers said, 'You guys really need to ring the bell this time. You're at 50 years. You've got to make the best record of your career.' When all was said and done we had finished 28 songs and were ready to pick out the best of those." Tower of Power will also play a pair of 50th anniversary concerts on June 1-2 at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, Calif., which will be filmed for a documentary. - Billboard, 4/25/18...... In 2015, Patti Smith recorded a new live version of her 1975 debut album Horses to mark its 40th anniversary at New York's Electric Lady Studios before an in-studio audience, then hit the road to perform the album in full for packed theaters around the world. Now a new concert documentary of the tour, Horses: Patti Smith and Her Band, has premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on Apr. 23. Smith, guitarist Lenny Kaye, her son, Jackson and the rest of her musical outfit were the guests of honor as well as the headliners. Also jamming with Smith on a rendition of "Because the Night" and the finale, "People Have The Power," were Bruce Springsteen and Michael Stipe of R.E.M.. - Billboard, 4/24/18...... The Rolling Stones have announced that Florence + the Machine, Liam Gallagher and Michael Bay will be their supporting acts for their upcoming U.K. tour, which launches on May 22 at London Stadium. Gallagher will join the Stones for the first night of the tour; Florence + the Machine will follow with another London Stadium date on May 25, with Bay closing the run with them back in London at Twickenham Stadium on June 19. Meanwhile, the Stones have also announced that a huge 15-album vinyl box set, The Studio Albums Vinyl Collection 1971-2016, will hit stores on June 15. The release will offer fans of the legendary band the opportunity to obtain a remastered version of every studio album released by the Stones since 1971's Sticky Fingers on brand new heavyweight, 180-gram black vinyl. Sourced from the original master tapes, each album has been remastered and cut at half-speed by engineers at Abbey Road Studios. Each album also contains a numbered certificate of authentication, with detailed artwork reproductions for each LP. In other Stones news, Mick Jagger has revealed that he is writing new material, ahead of band's upcoming UK tour. "I am writing at the moment," he told Independent IE in a recent interview. Questioned on whether his ideas would be part of a solo release or Stones record, Jagger replied: "I'm just writing. It is mostly for the Stones at the moment..."I don't really think about what I have written, much. I just keep ploughing forward, really." - Billboard/New Musical Express, 4/23/18...... The family of Prince have announced that they are to sue the Illinois hospital that treated the late music icon for an opioid overdose only a week before his death. The family, represented by trustee Michael A. Zimmer, claim that he received improper care after his private plane made an emergency landing in the early hours of Apr. 15, 2016, following a show in Atlanta. The lawsuit alleges that Prince's death was a "direct and proximate cause" of the Trinity Medical Centre's alleged failure to diagnose and treat the overdose, alongside an apparent failure to investigate the cause of it. The family is also suing the pharmacy chain Walgreens, accusing its employees of "dispensing narcotic prescription medications" to the singer for an invalid medical purpose. - NME, 4/24/18...... A rare vintage poster for a 1955 Elvis Presley concert in North Carolina has sold at auction for more than double the expected price. The poster, made by the iconic Nashville, Tenn.-based poster maker Hatch Show Prints, advertises a May 19, 1955 concert in Raleigh where Presley was on the lineup below Hank Snow, Faron Young and other acts. Giles Moon of Texas-based Heritage Auctions says he had expected the poster to sell for about $20,000, however it went for $42,500. Moon says both the buyer, who is from California, and the seller prefer to remain anonymous. - AP, 4/22/18...... Actor/comedian Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting a woman on Apr. 26 in Norristown, Pa., in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era. A jury convicted the Cosby Show star of three counts of aggravated indecent assault, and the guilty verdict came less than a year after another jury deadlocked on the charges. Cosby, 80, was charged with violating Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. His lawyer called Ms. Constand a "con artist" who leveled false accusations against Cosby so she could sue him. Cosby could get up to 10 years in prison on each of the counts. Dozens of women have come forward in recent years to say he drugged and assaulted them. Five of the other accusers testified against him at the retrial. - AP, 4/26/18...... The premier of Britpop Classical will be the opening act on Sept. 1 at Cool Britannia Festival in Knebworth Park, Hertfordshire, UK. Britpop Classical features a full rock back of some of the country's best session musicians together with an amazing horns section and orchestra, all backing a spectacular array of vocalists including The Farm's Peter Hooton performing "All Together Now," Saffron from Republica with "Ready To Go," Heaven 17's Glenn Gregory covering Pulp's "Common People" and just added -- the unique Phil Daniels (Quadrophenia, EastEnders) will close the set with Blur's "Parklife." Tickets for the festival are on sale now via the official festival website, CoolBritanniaFest.com. - Noble PR, 4/24/18...... Saxophonist Charles Neville, who once toured with B.B. King and later gained fame with the Neville Brothers group, died on Apr. 26 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 79. The New Orleans-born Neville began his career in the 1950s when he performed with King and other musical greats, but was best know for three decades of performances with his siblings Aaron, Art and Cyril as the Grammy-winning Neville Brothers. "I know you have a spot in the heavenly band next to James Booker, James Black, Herbert Hardesty, Fats Domino, Johnny Adams all the jazz bebop players who you turned me on to," Aaron Neville posted on his Facebook page. "Dizzy, Charlie Parker, Miles and the list goes on," he added. Charles Neville, who lived in Massachusetts in recent years, had announced in January that he had pancreatic cancer. His death came a day before the opening of his home town's signature musical and cultural event, the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. - AP, 4/26/18...... Bob Donough, the jazzman who created the clever and enduring Schoolhouse Rock childrens series of the 1970s that taught grammar, math, science and citizenship to a generation of TV-watching kids, died on Apr. 23 at his home in Mount Bethel, Penn. He was 94. His family did not give a cause. - AP, 4/24/18.

Seventies hitmaker Roberta Flack was rushed to a New York City hospital after cutting short her appearance at Harlem's Apollo Theater on Apr. 20 because she was not feeling well. Flack, 81, was taken to Harlem Hospital via ambulance, saying she felt dizzy. The singer, who was about to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Jazz Foundation of America during her appearance, was released from the hospital after several hours. A spokesperson for the Jazz Foundation said the "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" singer was "feeling fine," but Flack went to another Manhattan hospital after being released from Harlem Hospital for observation by her personal doctors. - AP, 4/21/18...... Led Zeppelin has shared a teaser trailer for their special 7" single release for this year's Record Store Day, featuring unreleased versions of both "Rock And Roll" and "Friends." The vinyl single hit stores on Record Day, Apr. 21, and offers fans the chance to hear the Sunset Sound Mix of "Rock And Roll" and the the Olympic Studios Mix of "Friends" for the first time ever. Led Zepp has also released a newly remastered version of their classic live album How The West Was Won in multiple formats. - NME, 4/20/18...... Paul McCartney remembered his late first wife Linda McCartney on Apr. 17, the 20th anniversary of her death in 1998, with a loving Instagram post. "Remembering Linda with love today. Beautiful memories," Sir Paul posted, below a picture of Linda. Linda, who tragically died at age 56 on April 17, 1998, after a three-year battle with breast cancer, were married (and inseparable) from their 1969 marriage until her death, and became a rock power couple as founding members of the chart-topping band Wings. - Billboard, 4/19/18...... In other Beatles-related news, Cheech & Chong member Tommy Chong says he and his partner Cheech Marin have "a ton of outtakes" from their 1973 hit "Basketball Jones," which featured the late George Harrison on lead guitar during the session. "We've got all of that in the can that we're going to spring on people eventually, one day. That'd be great," Chong said, though he did not state any specific plans for releasing the Harrison material. "George and I were buddies," Chong says. "George and I used to smoke quite a bit when we'd meet once in a while at different places. He was in the studio at A&M at the same time we were doing 'Basketball Jones,' so [producer] Lou [Adler] asked him to come in and do a little guitar riff for us. And George is George; He literally made that song." 2018 marks the 45th anniversary of "Basketball Jones" and the duo's Los Cochinos album, but currently Cheech & Chong have been focused primarily on celebrating the 40th anniversary of their 1978 film comedy Up In Smoke. Also participating on the "Basketball Jones" session were Beatles lieutenants Klaus Voorman and Billy Preston, along with Carole King, Tom Scott and Nicky Hopkins. - Billboard, 4/20/18...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr released a new video for the title track to his upcoming Give More Love album on Apr. 19. The clip, directed by Brent Carpenter, includes fan photos contributed especially for the video that were submitted in a contest sponsored by Ringo. "They (Ringo and the record company) told people to submit stills and video that to them meant 'Give More Love,'" says Carpenter, who added Ringo helped choose the images to be used. Meanwhile, on the same day Ringo announced plans for his 10th annual "Peace and Love" birthday event to take place July 7 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nice, France, during his Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band's upcoming European tour. Fans around the world can join in by saying or thinking "Peace and Love" at noon on July 7. Besides the live event, Hard Rock outlets around the globe will stream a special "Peace and Love" birthday video just before noon from Sir Ringo. After a date in Atlantic City, N.J., on June 2, Ringo and his band will head to Europe for 20 shows starting in Paris on June 6. They'll kick off a U.S. run on Sept. 1 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Tulsa, Okla. The ambitious 41-city summer trek will wrap on Sept. 29 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. - Billboard, 4/19/18...... In more Beatles news, a sketch drawn by John Lennon depicting himself as Adolf Hitler sold at auction for $54,000 on Apr. 22. The controversial drawing, an ink doodle which situates Lennon behind a podium with his arm raised in a Nazi salute, is part of a larger sketch book that makes liberal use of Nazi iconography mixed with the likeness of the Beatles members. "(John) drew these when he was a college student, and the fact that he even thought of depicting himself as Hitler is weird," says memorabilia dealer Gary Zimet, who added "original Lennon drawings are very desirable and they are ultra rare." - New Musical Express, 4/22/18...... Sir Tom Jones and Sir Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting, were among the famous singers performing at an Apr. 21 concert in London marking the 92nd birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Also serenading the monarch, who was in attendance, were Kylie Minogue, Shaggy, Craig David and Jamie Cullum. Highlights included Sting and Shaggy performing their reggae-infused single "Don't Make Me Wait," which appears on their collaborative album 44/8762. Queen Elizabeth, the world's longest-reigning living monarch, was accompanied by other members of the royal family, including her grandson, Prince Harry. Her actual birthday on Apr. 21, which she usually marks privately with her family, and her "official birthday" occurs in the summer and will be recognized with a military parade in central London. - AP, 4/21/18...... The original pair of tassled loafers worn by Michael Jackson during a rehearsal for his first-ever "moonwalk" during his iconic 1983 performance of "Billie Jean" during the 25th Anniversary of Motown special are conservatively expected to bring as much as $10,000 when they're put on the auction block on May 26 at the Hilton in Universal City, Calif. It has been verified that Jackson wore the black Florsheim loafers during the rehearsal, and probably during the actual performance as well. - NME, 4/21/18...... Paramount Pictures announced on Apr. 20 that it has picked up distribution rights for the upcoming Elton John biopic Rocketman. Paramount will also finance the picture, which will star Kingsman actor Taron Egerton as the legendary pop singer, from his days at the Royal Academy of Music to his rise to international stardom in the early 1970s. John and his husband, David Furnish will produce the picture under their Rocket Pictures banner, with Dexter Fletcher, who previously worked with Egerton on Eddie the Eagle, directing. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/20/18...... Bette Midler announced on Apr. 20 that she will be returning to her lead role in the Tony Award-winning revival of "Hello, Dolly!" on July 17 for a six-week run that will close the production on Aug. 25. The iconic role of Dolly Levi marked The Divine Miss M's return to the Broadway musical stage in about 50 years and she shattered box office records at the Shubert Theatre. Midler won the Tony for best actress in a musical, and her co-star David Hyde Pierce earned a Tony nomination for his role in the production. Midler stepped into the role last spring and ended her run in mid-January. She was replaced by Bernadette Peters, who will now leave after the July 15 show. The first national tour of "Hello, Dolly!" kicks off in October at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, starring Tony Award-winner Betty Buckley. - AP, 4/20/18...... The new Tina Turner jukebox musical "Tina" has opened at the Aldwych Theatre in London, showcasing the famed rock singer's tumultuous life story, from her humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tenn., through her remarkable comeback in the 1980's with her Private Dancer album. The adult Turner is played by Tony-nominated actress Adrienne Warren, and her domineering bandleader and ex-husband Ike Turner is portrayed by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. Directing the project is Phyllida Lloyd, who is best known for helming the ABBA musical "Mamma Mia!," which became a global smash on stage and screen. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/19/18...... Authorities in Minnesota released what they describe as the "vast majority" of evidence from their investigation into the Apr. 21, 2016, death of Prince on Apr. 20. The Carver County, Minn., sheriff's office released 15GB of data to the public under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, which includes images of Prince's body from the death scene, CCTV footage of the star visiting a doctor's office the day before he died, and interviews with individuals close to the singer who say they had been concerned about his health in the days leading to his death. Also included are photos from inside Prince's Paisley Park vault and a Sinead O'Connor police interview from May 2016 where she alleged that Prince had a history of drug use and violence towards women. "I've seen him in very frightening conditions after using drugs," O'Connor told police, adding: "He had been extremely violent to a number of women in his life, including myself, and several women were put in the hospital while Prince was under the effects of these medications." Carver County attorney Mark Metz said the musician, age 57, had suffered the overdose due to taking counterfeit pills, which contained the powerful painkiller fentanyl, and that no one will be charged in the case, although none of the medications found in Prince's home after his death had been prescribed to him, with some having been prescribed to his former drummer Kirk Johnson, and others found in vitamin bottles and envelopes. Meanwhile, a previously unreleased original version of Prince's iconic hit "Nothing Compares 2 U" was issued for the first time on Apr. 19 by the Prince estate in collaboration with Warner Bros. Records. "Nothing Compares 2 U" became a breakout No. 1 hit for Sinead O'Connor in 1990 was recorded at the Flying Cloud Drive "Warehouse" in Eden Prairie, Minn., by Prince's longtime engineer Susan Rogers and was originally composed, arranged and performed entirely by Prince. In addition to the saxophone breaks, the Prince version presents a more sensual take on the song. It has also been announced that Prince's unfinished memoir, The Beautiful One, will finally be released in the latter part of 2018. Prince had submitted only 50 pages of the handwritten memoir before his 2016 death, and the book may also feature "reproductions of Prince's longhand pages." - NME/Billboard, 4/20/18...... Comedy legend Carol Burnett will make her return to series television and her Netflix debut on May 4 with A Little Help With Carol Burnett. The show, which spotlights every day people receiving advice to their real-life problems from little kids, will also feature celebrity guests including DJ Khaled, Taraji P. Henson, Derek Hough, Taraji P. Henson, Derek Hough, Julie Bowen, Lisa Kudrow, Brittany Snow, Mark Cuban and Wanda Sykes, among others. - 4/16/18...... Verne Troyer, an actor best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers series, died on Apr. 21 of an as yet undisclosed cause. He was 49. "It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today," a statement on his official Facebook page reads. "Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday." The statement makes sweeping statements about depression and suicide. "Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles. Over the years he's struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much," it says. Troyer, who grew up in an Amish community in Michigan, rose to fame after his Austin Powers debut in 1999's The Spy Who Shagged Me, and reprised the role in 2002's Austin Powers in Goldmember. He also played Griphook in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Coach Punch Cherkov in The Love Guru, and had guest spots on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Scrubs, Two and a Half Men and Boston Public. Troyer also memorably appeared as Mini Me in the music video for Ludacris' "Number One Spot" from the 2004 album The Red Light District. Troyer vocally battled alcohol addiction, having nearly died in 2002 from alcohol poisoning following a breakup, and footage of drunken antics from the reality show The Surreal Life went viral. "That was a bad period in my life," he said in 2016. "I've learned from it, and I move on," however in 2017, he announced that he was receiving treatment for alcohol addiction on his Facebook page. Among those offering their condolences to Troyer are Austin Powers star Mike Myers, actress Marley Matlin, and musician Slash. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/21/18.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on April 17th, 2018

Bruce Springsteen treated his 92-year-old mother Adele Springsteen on Apr. 15 at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, N.J., to an early birthday celebration before Mother Nature spoiled the party. The 68-year-old Boss and his mom, who will turn 93 on May 4, danced to two songs before severe storms caused the club to lose power. They were there to see the Eddie Testa Band, reportedly one of Adele's favorite bands. Patrons say the Springsteens -- along with the rocker's 24-year-old son Sam -- were in the club for about 90 minutes. Springsteen recently extended his run on Broadway until December as the rock legend's unusually intimate "Springsteen on Broadway" show keeps selling out tickets. It marks the third extension by Springsteen, who started the performances in October in the 960-seat Walter Kerr Theatre. - AP, 4/16/18......

Seventies artists The Moody Blues, The Cars and Dire Straits were among the six music acts inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Cleveland, Oh., on Apr. 14. "The Moody Blues are and always have been a kick-ass rock 'n' roll band," Ann Wilson of Heart said as she inducted group. "It was so long that we were eligible and didn't make it that I got a real sour grapes [feeling] for everything about it," said the Moodys' Graeme Edge. "When it actually became something for us all to appreciate and have, I did realize that it means the world to me," he added. Edge was acknowledging the English prog rock band's long period of eligibility before finally being nominated, thanks in part to aggressive campaigning on behalf of the band's fans. Edge's fellow band co-founders Justin Hayward and John Lodge both thanked American radio disc jockeys who championed the band, and following the speech, the Moodys picked up their instruments for a set that included "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)," a galvanizing "Nights in White Satin" and "Ride My See Saw." The Cars, inducted after two previous times on the ballot and ushered in by Brandon Flowers of The Killers, spent much of their time paying homage to late bassist/singer Benjamin Orr, a native of Cleveland, much to the delight of the hometown Public Auditorium crowd. "When the band first started, Ben was supposed to be the lead singer and I was supposed to be the good-looking guy in the band -- but after a couple of gigs, I kinda got demoted to the songwriter," said Ric Ocasek. "But obviously it's hard not to notice that Benjamin Orr is not here. He would've been elated to be here on this stage. It still feels strange to be up here without him," he added. The group's set included "My Best Friend's Girl," "You Might Think," "Moving in Stereo" and "Just What I Needed." Without a designated presenter for Dire Straits (frontman Mark Knopfler and his brother David Knopfler had previously announced they wouldn't be attending the ceremony), band bassist and co-founder John Illsley took it upon himself to do the honors and subsequently make an acceptance speech. Illsley said the Knopfler brothers' absence was "for personal reasons, let's just leave it at that," and that Dire Straits "is really more about a group of people more than one person. It's a collective, a brotherhood, and that's something that needs acknowledging tonight... the many musicians who have worked with Dire Straits over the years and made the band's success possible and led us all the way to Cleveland tonight." Also inducted during the 33rd annual ceremony were New Jersey rocker Bon Jovi Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The late Tom Petty and Soundgarden's Chris Cornell were both honored in memorial segments by The Killers and Ann Wilson, respectively. Notably, the Rock Hall also inducted songs for the first time, with the first inductees including "Rocket 88" by Jackie Breston and his Delta Cats (1951), Link Wray and his Ray Men's "Rumble" (1958), "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen (1963), Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (1967) and Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" (1968). The ceremony, which was filmed by HBO for a May 5 premiere, differed from other years in that Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner, who was accused by a journalist in November of offering a writing deal in exchange for sex, did not address the gathering, and there was no finale that brought inductees and presenters together. - Billboard, 4/14/18...... As the hit 1978 movie Grease and its soundtrack turn 40 this year, Grease star Olivia Newton-John says she thinks that the Grease songs "are timeless." "They're fun and have great energy," Olivia says. "The '50s-feel music has always been popular, and it's nostalgic for my generation, and then the young kids are rediscovering it every 10 years or so, it seems. People buying the album was a way for them to remember those feelings of watching the movie and feelings of that time period. I feel very grateful to be a part of this movie that's still loved so much," she added. Newton-John, who was a "reluctant Sandy," says she insisted on doing a screen test after the failure of her 1970 musical film Toomorrow and asked that her frequent collaborator John Farrar be brought in to produce and write two of the four new songs added to the original Broadway score by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. "It's always great fun recording with John because he's been my friend since I was 15," says Newton-John of her fellow Melbourne, Australia native, who she had worked with on hits like 1973's "Let Me Be There," 1974's "I Honestly Love You" and 1975's "Have You Never Been Mellow." "I think John Farrar is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He's a brilliant musician." "You're the One That I Want," which went all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, was another immediate hit with Newton-John. "John stayed up all night writing it and finishing it, came to my trailer early in the morning, played it for me, and I knew it was a smash," she recalled. Frankie Valli, who racked up the last No. 1 single of his career with "Grease," says he has continued to spread "the word" ever since by performing the song regularly in his concerts. "Oh yes -- It's a definite part of my show. It's been a very important song in my career," says Valli, who praises other Grease soundtrack cuts too: "I liked all of the songs that were sung by Olivia, and I was always a big [John] Travolta fan. It was really put together very well musically." - Billboard, 4/14/18...... Speaking of John Travolta, a former security officer for the Church of Scientology has revealed the bitter blood between the actor/singer and another high flyer in the controversial religion, actor Tom Cruse. "Cruise is the only celeb with a direct line to [Scientology leader] David Miscavige. Travolta and Kirstie [Alley] don't have that," former member Brendan Tighe told the UK paper The Daily Mail. "Travolta doesn't get anything free, no one is giving him absurd gifts like an airplane hangar, custom-made bikes, or over the top favours," Tighe added. According to Tighe, when the 55-year-old Mission: Impossible star was recently given Scientology's Freedom Medal of Valor for his devotion, Travolta was furious. Until that point, Travolta was considered Miscavige's protege. - Canoe.com, 4/16/18...... The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati has honored singer and activist Mavis Staples with one of the museum's highest honors. The center presented Staples with the Everyday Freedom Hero Award at a reception on Apr.. Staples received the reward prior to her concert performance, "An Evening with Mavis Staples." The Freedom Center says it created the Everyday Freedom Hero Award to recognize individuals and organizations that strive to live up to the ideals of the Underground Railroad movement while using their resources for the well-being and betterment of their communities. - AP, 4/14/18...... New David Bowie subway cards have just been introduced in New York City's massive subway system. Bowie MetroCards are now available at Broadway-Lafayette station, just a few blocks from where the late rock legend used to live in SoHo for a portion of his life. The entire Broadway-Lafayette station has been transformed into something of a tribute to Bowie, too Advertisements for the "David Bowie Is" exhibition -- currently in progress at the Brooklyn Museum -- decorate the station, and outside, there's another giant Bowie mural. Costing $6.50, the new MetroCards reportedly have a two ride minimum. Meanwhile, Bowie's former collaborators are bringing Bowie's musical "Lazarus" back to life in New York City. "Lazarus" will be returning to the Big Apple for the first time since Bowie's death, in a one-night performance on May 2 at Kings Theater in Brooklyn. The new iteration is a screening of a previously filmed London performance accompanied by a live band. Dexter's Michael C. Hall will return to his leading role, with the original band performing 20 of Bowie's songs as they were arranged by the artist and band leader Henry Hey. The one night performance boasts a team of Bowie's peers behind the scenes, who joined the new project in order to preserve the artist's original vision. "I would like people to know that David Bowie really was -- far above being an incredible artist and an incredible performer -- he was, most importantly, an amazing human being," Hey said. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 4/17/18...... James Taylor and Bonnie Raiit are gearing up for a 17-date co-headlining summer tour that's set to kick off May 8 in Jacksonville, Fla. "We're a good 30 percent ahead of where we were last time," says Taylor's manager, Sam Feldman, of ticket sales for the upcoming arena road trip. The tour will cover 30-plus markets between the U.S. and Europe, where the pair will join fellow legend Paul Simon's farewell tour for two shows in Dublin and London. - Billboard, 4/13/18...... Doors from rooms where such iconic rockers as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell once stayed at the Chelsea Hotel in New York have been sold at auction, selling for thousands of dollars each. Dylan's door went for a whopping $100,000 alone, while the door to a room occupied by Cohen and Joplin during an affair that is rumoured to have inspired Cohen's track "Chelsea Hotel No. 22" went for $85,000. Jimi Hendrix and Madonna's doors went for $13,000 each. The doors were reportedly rescued by Jim Georgiou, a former tenant, who saw them being thrown away and arranged to take possession of them. - New Musical Express, 4/13/18...... Director Milos Forman, who earned Oscars for his movie masterpieces One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, died on Apr. 13 in Danbury Hospital near his home in Warren, Conn., after a short illness. He was 86. Mr. Forman left his native Czechoslovakia for creative freedom in the U.S., and his films generally appealed to sophisticated audiences, though he could reach the mainstream with his savvy flourishes. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), adapted from Ken Kesey's 1962 novel, dealt with life inside an Oregon mental institution. Starring Jack Nicholson as an insurgent patient, it was a sensation at the Oscars, winning five major categories (picture, director, actor, actress and adapted screenplay). Amadeus (1984), starring Tom Hulce as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, raked in 11 Oscar noms and eight wins, including those for best picture and director. He also played a minor role in Heartburn (1986), which reunited him with Nicholson. Mr. Forman served as a professor of film and co-chair of the film division of Columbia University's School of the Arts, and he wrote an autobiography, Turnaround, which was published in 1994. He is survived by his third wife Martina Zborilova and their twin sons, Andrew and James. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/14/18...... British pop singer Cliff Richard has begun his High Court battle against the BBC, after the corporation broadcast a police raid on his Berkshire home in 2014. Richard, 77, is seeking "very substantial" damages after the BBC acted on a tip-off from South Yorkshire Police and offered live coverage of a raid on his apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, as part of an investigation into a historical child sex abuse allegation. Sir Cliff was previously questioned over the allegation, but he has constantly maintained his innocence and has never faced charges. The BBC has confirmed that they will "defend ourselves rigorously," and argued in court that South Yorkshire Police attempted to "shoot its messenger." The public broadcaster also claims that it was in the public interest to broadcast the raid, and insists that their reporting "fully respected the presumption of innocence" of the popular singer. The BBC previously offered an apology to the singer in 2016. - NME, 4/13/18...... Character actor Tim O'Connor, best known for portraying Elliot Carson, Mia Farrow's father and Dorothy Malone's husband on more than 400 episodes of the 1960s ABC primetime soap Peyton Place, has died. He was 90. Mr. O'Connor also starred as Dr. Elias Huer on the 1979-81 NBC sci-fi series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, starring Gil Gerard, and on a memorable 1975 episode of All in the Family, he guest-starred as a former sweetheart of Edith's (Jean Stapleton) from Scranton, Pennsylvania, who's interested in rekindling their childhood romance. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/12/18...... Actor R. Lee Emery, best known for his Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, has died after complications from pneumonia. He was 74. Ermey had several other mostly authority figure roles to his credit, including Sheriff Hoyt in 2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, a police captain in Se7en, and the voice of the plastic army men's leader Sarge in Toy Story. - Variety.com, 4/16/18...... Sitcom actor Harry Anderson, who presided over the hit NBC comedy Night Court for nine seasons, was found dead at his home in Asheville, N.C., on Apr. 16. He was 65. No foul play was suspected, according to police. After his family moved to Los Angeles, the amiable Rhode Island native began performing magic on variety TV series like The Mike Douglas Show, The Late Show With David Letterman, and Saturday Night Live; the latter led to his role as con artist Harry "The Hat" Gittes on Cheers, which in turn led to a starring role as Judge Harry Stone on Night Court. - Variety.com, 4/16/18.

Rhino Records has released a 50th anniversary boxed set of the classic Love album Forever Changes featuring alternate mixes, demos, studio banter and other oddities. Bruce Botnick, who co-produced the LP, says Love frontman Arthur Lee was "always into his head...getting loaded, being on the street, taking advantage of the scene, of the politics, love and his relationships." "He was an incredibly prolific and romantic figure with an amazing sense of humor," Botnick added. - Billboard, 4/12/18...... In a new interview for the Elvis Presley documentary The Searcher, Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley claims that Elvis was well aware of the risks associated with taking drugs before he died in 1977. "People go, well why didn't anyone do anything? Well, that's not true," Priscilla says. "People there in the inner group did, but you did not tell Elvis Presley what to do. You did not. I mean, you'd be out of there faster than a scratched cat. They would try and no way." The Searcher is set to premiere on cable TV's HBO on Apr. 14. - New Musical Express, 4/9/18...... Fleetwood Mac released a statement on Apr. 9 announcing that Lindsey Buckingham will be replaced on the band's upcoming tour by both Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House. A disagreement with Buckingham over the tour was apparently the reason for his firing, and the band said it "wishes Lindsey all the best." There was no comment regarding his future plans with the group. The band's Facebook page was also updated on Apr. 9 to an illustrated image, notably scrubbing Buckingham's image from its profile (although band images including Buckingham still remain on the page). The news initially broke in the first week of April after former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Billy Burnette posted -- then deleted -- a tweet declaring Buckingham out. The band added that it is "thrilled to welcome the musical talents of the caliber of Mike Campbell and Neil Finn into the Mac family... With Mike and Neil, we'll be performing all the hits that the fans love, plus we'll be surprising our audiences with some racks from our historic catalogue of songs... Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution... We look forward to honoring that spirit on this upcoming tour." Buckingham, responsible for such hits as "Tusk" and "Go Your Own Way," joined Fleetwood Mac along with his then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks in 1974 and has been with them on an intermittent basis since then, taking time away to record six solo albums. Although Fleetwood Mac are yet to release specific details of their 2018 tour, it's believed that it will kick off in the US in the fall. - Rolling Stone/Billboard, 4/9/18...... An electronic treatment of Paul Simon's classic 1986 solo album Graceland is being prepped for a June 1 release. Graceland - The Remixes features some of the biggest names in the electronic arena, including Paul Oakenfold, Groove Armada, Thievery Corporation, and others. Simon, who recently announced that he is retiring from touring, will bring his farewell "Homeward Bound" tour to the UK and Europe this summer. - New Musical Express, 4/7/18...... A new project called Songwriters Fonts has created downloadable typefaces built from the handwriting of dead rock legends including David Bowie, John Lennon, Leonard Cohen and Kurt Cobain. Each font was created using the songwriter's "original handwritten letters and notes" and comes with the disclaimer, "This font is for a personal use only." "The Songwriters fonts have been created to give musicians inspiration," according to the Songwriters Fonts website. "Writing lyrics with the handwriting of influential songwriters helps imagination to develop. Being in the mood of Bowie, Cobain, Cohen, Gainsbourg, Lennon, might be purely imaginative but that's precisely the point." - Stereogum.com, 4/9/18...... To celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 1978 trend-setting stoner film Up In Smoke, Cheech & Chong have recorded "Up In Smoke 2018," a track with revised lyrics that will accompany the film's re-release on Blu-ray and a new deluxe vinyl edition of the soundtrack. "It was so easy," Tommy Chong told Billboard about getting back into his original Up In Smoke character. "I think I wrote my part in about a half-hour and Cheech [Marin] wrote his part in about a half-hour, then we recorded it in another half-hour. It was real simple. We've been on the road doing Cheech & Chong ever since, so it wasn't a real big stretch to get back in the studio and do it." "Yeah, we had chops and shit," Marin adds. The track "Up In Smoke" initially came out as a single during August of 1978 to coincide with the movie's release. The soundtrack features dialogue as well as other songs, including a cover of War's "Low Rider," while the 40th anniversary edition also includes a previously unreleased version of "Up In Smoke" with an additional Spanish verse by Marin. The re-release also brings the soundtrack back to vinyl for the first time since its original release. The 40th anniversary edition DVD of the film, meanwhile, features new commentary by Marin and Cisco Adler, the documentaries How Pedro Met The Man: Up In Smoke at 40 and Lighting It Up: A Look Back At Up In Smoke, the theatrical trailer and vintage radio spots. The definitive doper duo add that they're happy with the state of marijuana law reform in the U.S. now. "There's 29 states that have some sort of legalized form of marijuana," Marin says. "I think we're moving in the right direction." Chong, who credits marijuana use with helping him battle cancer, adds that, "The Trump people would like to think different but, no, we're definitely moving in the right direction. People know." - Billboard, 4/12/18...... Dire Straits is set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Apr. 14 in Cleveland, Oh., but frontman Mark Knopfler and his brother and fellow guitarist David Knopfler won't be in attendance. "He just didn't feel like coming, it's as simple as that," says band co-founder John Illsley, who co-owns the Dire Straits band name with Knopfler. "It just didn't appeal to him, and I appealed to him on several occasions. I said, 'Look, I'd love you to get your head around this.' He said, 'Look, I just can't do it, John. I'm really sorry. It's a great honor for us and all the rest of it, and I just can't get my head around it,' so I've just got to respect it. He's got his reasons, which he really doesn't want to share with me which is unusual because we've shared most things over the years." Illsley added that he's "very proud of being inducted... I think it's fantastic for the band. I think it's fantastic for all the musicians who have worked with us over the years, who have been part of the journey... and all the producers and engineers we worked with over the years." - Billboard, 4/12/18...... BMG Music announced on Apr. 10 that it has inked an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Ringo Starr that will cover Starr's Beatles and solo catalog, spanning nearly 50 years, as well as future compositions. Among the over 150 titles included in the deal are his songwriting contributions with the Beatles' "What Goes On" from Rubber Soul, "Flying" from Magical Mystery Tour, "Don't Pass Me By" from the "White Album," "Octopus's Garden" from Abbey Road and "Dig It" and "Maggie Mae" from Let It Be, as well as other rarities. As a solo artist, Starr has released 19 studio albums, spanning from 1970's Sentimental Journey to last year's Give More Love. Starr has been awarded nine Grammy Awards and has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- first as a Beatle and again as a solo artist. In March, he was honored with a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and his charity work. "I love making music and the song writing process -- and putting new music out there to play along side the old," Ringo said in a statement. "How great to be working with BMG who are excited to have my entire catalogue." Starr will be heading out on tour later this year with a new iteration of his All Starr Band. - Billboard, 4/10/18...... In other Beatles-related news, authorities in Toronto, Canada are working to identify a woman who allegedly stole an individual stone from a Yoko exhibit at the Gardiner Museum on Apr. 6. The rock, which has an appraised insurance value of $17,500, was part of a three-part interactive instillation from Ono called The Riverbed. One of these three parts is an interactive work called "Stone Piece," which "features a pile of river stones that have been honed and shaped by water over time," according to the museum's website. "Ono has inscribed some of the stones with words, such as dream, wish, and remember. Visitors are invited to pick up a stone and hold it, concentrating on the word, and then placing the stone upon the pile of other stones in the center of the room." - Spin.com, 4/9/18...... About 300 Merle Haggard fans turned up in the late country music icon's hometown of Bakersfield, Calif., on Apr. 7 to celebrate the naming of a United States Post Office in Haggard's honor. The event fell on the two-year anniversary of Haggard's death -- and what would have been his 81st birthday -- and was also attended by his sister. Norm Hamlet, who played in the "Okie From Muskogee" singer's band for nearly a half-century, told a local paper that Haggard would've been humbled by the honor. - AP, 4/8/18...... Soul songwriter Ron Dunbar, who co-wrote countless soul classics including Freda Payne's "Band of Gold," Chairmen of the Board's "Give Me Just a Little More Time" and Clarence Carter's "Patches," has died at age 77. Dunbar was a songwriter and producer supreme, best known for his work with the post-Motown Holland-Dozier-Holland label Invictus and with the Parliament-Funkadelic world of George Clinton. By the 1990s Dunbar became an independent producer again and also worked with the Holland brothers. - 4/5/18...... Gospel/pop singer Yvonne Staples, who rose to fame as one of the voices of powerhouse trio The Staple Singers, died at her home in Chicago's South Shore on Apr. 10. She was 80. Yvonne performed on the Staple Singers hits including "Respect Yourself," "I'll Take You There" and "Heavy Makes You Happy" with her sisters Mavis and Cleotha and their father, guitarist Pops Staples. Yvonne was born in Chicago to Pops and Oceola Staples, both with Mississippi roots. She started singing with Mavis and their brother Pervis in the 1940s at their uncle's church, and in 1970 replaced her brother in the group. The Staple Singers made more than 30 albums, with their greatest chart successes on Stax Records in the early 1970s. Their performance was a highlight of the film Wattstax, a documentary of a 1972 Los Angeles concert dubbed the "Black Woodstock." The Staple Singers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. Pops Staples died in 2000 and Cleotha died in 2013. - Billboard, 4/10/18...... Country music singer/songwriter Kenny O'Dell, who penned the smash Charlie Rich hits "Behind Closed Doors" and "I Take It On Home" as well as "Mama He's Crazy" for The Judds, has died at age 73. Early in his career, O'Dell worked with guitarist Duane Eddy, and his own band, Guys and Dolls. O'Dell also had his own country hits with "Beautiful People" and "Let's Shake Hands and Come Out Lovin'." When O'Dell first moved to Nashville, he ran Bobby Goldsboro's publishing company. He has had other hit covers including "Trouble in Paradise" by Loretta Lynn in 1974. - 3/30/18...... Rock vocalist Mike Harrison of Spooky Tooth passed away on Mar. 25 at the age of 72. From 1966 to 1970 and in 1972-1973, Harrison sang on Spooky Tooth songs mostly written by keyboard player Gary Wright, along with covers such as Bob Dylan's "The Weight." - 3/28/18...... Mitzi Shore, the owner of L.A.'s legendary The Comedy Store where such comedy legends as Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Jay Leno, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock and Roseanne Barr cut their teeth, died on Apr. 11. She was 87. "It is with great sadness and very heavy hearts that we report the passing of Mitzi Shore, the legendary Godmother of the world famous Comedy Store," according to a statement from The Comedy Store. "Mitzi was an extraordinary businesswoman and decades ahead of her time who cultivated and celebrated the artistry of stand-up comedy. She was also a loving mother, not only to her own four children, but to the myriad of comedians who adored her. She leaves behind an indelible mark and legacy and has helped change the face of comedy." No cause of death was provided for Ms. Shore, who was the mother of comedian Pauly Shore. Survivors also include sons Peter and Scott and a daughter, Sandi. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/11/18.