Posted by Administrator on September 28th, 2024
Billy Joel announced on Instagram on Sept. 27 that he'll play five one-night-only U.S. stadium gigs in 2025 with support from recent tour mates Sting and Stevie Nicks. The Piano Man will kick off the run on Feb. 8 in Indianapolis, then hit Syracuse, NY (4/11), Charlotte, NC (5/10), and Salt Lake City (5/23) with Sting opening all those dates; on Mar. 29 Nicks will be on hand for a concert at Ford Field in Detroit. Joel's current tour takes him to St. Louis (9/27) with Sting, followed by shows in Inglewood, CA (10/12), San Antonio, Tex. (10/25). Later 2024 concerts include stops in Las Vegas and Hollywood, FL. Earlier this summer, Joel wrapped up his historic 10-year MSG residency, which ran for 104 shows and earned $266.7 million on sales of 1.9 million tickets. Meanwhile, Sting has announced a series of UK festival and outdoor headline shows for summer 2025. The former Police frontman is due to perform headlining sets at Isle Of Wight Festival on June 20th and Latitude (June 24 to 27), along with a string of other appearances continuing into July. The performances will form part of his "STING 3.0" world tour, which he kicked off in Europe earlier in 2024, followed by the North American leg. - Billboard/NME, 9/27/24...... 
Speaking of Stevie Nicks, the rock icon dropped a powerful new song called "The Lighthouse" inspired by the overturning of Roe v. Wade on Sept. 27. The track opens with a melodic pinging beat and anthemic sound effects as Nicks sings softly, "I have my scars, you have yours/ Don't let them, take your power." As the song intensifies and eventually morphs into an explosive rock n' roll head-banger, the former Fleetwood Mac frontwoman encourages women to "stand up and take it back" in reference to women's rights, specifically abortion access. "They'll take your soul they'll take your power/ Unless you save it," she belts. "And that's that/ Unless you stand up and take it back." Nicks also dropped a music video for "The Lighthouse" on YouTube, which finds her singing passionately inside the lantern room of an actual lighthouse looking out onto stormy seas. It also splices in photos taken from women's rights marches. Speaking of the song, Nicks revealed that she "wrote this song a few months after Roe v. Wade was overturned" in June 2022. "It seemed like overnight, people were saying, 'What can we, as a collective force, do about this,'" she continued in her note. "For me, it was to write a song." "I have often said to myself, 'This may be the most important thing I ever do,'" Nicks added. "To stand up for the women of the United States and their daughters and granddaughters -- and the men that love them. This is an anthem." - Billboard, 9/27/24...... Ringo Starr has been forced to cancel the two final shows of the summer 2024 tour with his All-Starr Band after coming down with a cold. The group was scheduled to perform at Philadelphia's TD Pavilion at The Mann on Sept. 24 and at NYC's Radio City Music Hall on Sept. 25, however, "after consulting a doctor [Starr] was advised to cancel these two remaining shows and get rest," according to a press release. "As always, Ringo and the All Starrs send peace and love to their fans and hope to see them soon," the statement concludes, after encouraging them to contact their ticket distributor for refunds. Ringo released has latest recording, a four-track EP titled Rewind Forward, in Oct. 2023. - Billboard, 9/24/24...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, a book version of John Lennon's 1973 album Mind Games sits atop Amazon.com's bestseller list for celebrity photography after dropping on Sept. 24. The new book is giving fans an exclusive look into the making of Mind Games through never-before-seen photography, letters and lyrics written by the late artist and wife Yoko Ono. It features an in-depth look at the creation, recording and release of the album in addition to news clippings of Lennon during that period of his life, along with commentary from fellow musicians, friends, engineers and other key figures. Coinciding with the launch of the book, a deluxe 6-CD/2-Blu-ray remixed and reissued version of Mind Games is being released. - Billboard, 9/26/24...... Also releasing a new book about his farewell tour that promises to be an "epic visual journey" is Elton John. The Rocket Man is taking his final trip down the yellow brick road in Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour, which gives fans exclusive access to his record-breaking Farewell tour with never-before-seen photos and postcards from his life on the road. Each page spotlights key moments and memories from the almost five-year spanning tour, written by John himself, with a forward by Sir Elton's husband and manager, David Furnish. Meanwhile, Elton has heaped praise on the Irish band Fontaines D.C. in a new interview on his Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music. "For me, you're the best band out there at the moment," John told Fontaines D.C.'s frontman Grian Chatten. "Having watched you at Glastonbury, having heard the new album, you've just grown every album... You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way it's a brilliant record," he added. - Billboard, 9/24/24...... After actress Shailene Woodley revealed she's set to star in and produce a Janis Joplin on Sept. 10, her collaborator and songwriter Linda Perry told Entertainment Weekly that the documentary will be a "raw and honest" look at the last days of Joplin, who died from a heroin overdose at age 27. "I've been waiting decades for this movie to be made," Perry told the publication. "There are no words to convey how honoured I am to be included in what I believe to be a raw and honest look into Janis Joplin's last days." She continued: "Shailene Woodley's emotional commitment and dedication to Janis is inspiring. I believe her! Shailene lives for the art and I can't think of a better person to portray such a powerful, emotional, and complex artist." In a statement, Woodley said she "discovered she could sing" during preparation for the project. "California meant so much to Janis Joplin -- from the stoops of San Francisco to the wooden walls of Sunset Sound, the state became the stage upon which she explored not just the world of music, but the world of her vibrant humanity," Woodley said. - NME, 9/26/24...... 
Herb Alpert has released his 50th studio album -- appropriately titled 50 -- and says he "can't believe I've recorded 50 albums out there." "I've been married (to singer Lani Hall) 50 years this year. A lot of things have happened in my life that are so startling. I never dreamed of having a career like I've had. I'm certainly grateful for it." But the 89-year-old insists he's "not on a victory tour." "It's not about that. It's that I love doing it. I love to play the horn. I love to play the horn. I love playing with great musicians. I love doing it. I'm a right-brain guy; I play, I'm painting for over 50 years, sculpting for over 40. It just gives me reason to be," he says. Born in Los Angeles into a musical family, Alpert began writing songs during the late '50s and putting out records of his own, first billed as Dore (his given name) Alpert, in 1960. Since then, he's sold more than 74 million records worldwide with his Tijuana Brass band and on his own; placing 39 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (including two No. 1s); winning eight Grammy Awards; receiving a Trustees Award from the Recording Academy; winning a Tony; getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006; and receiving the National Medal of the Arts in 2013. Alpert was also the "A" in the famed A&M Records label, which he started in 1962 with Jerry Moss. Moss passed away 13 months ago, and another of A&M's stalwarts, Brazilian keyboardist and Brasil '66 bandleader Sergio Mendes, died on Sept. 5 -- another death that hit close to home for Alpert, who signed the group to A&M and produced its 1966 debut album. It was Mendes who introduced Alpert to Hall, too, when she was part of Brasil '66. "He was an extraordinarily gifted musician. We just hit it off," Alpert says of Mendes. "He was into life. He was a very unusual guy. He's missed by everyone who came into contact with him." 50, currently the No. 1 new Jazz release on Amazon.com, features Alpert's usual mix of original compositions and covers. "I don't have a master plan for recording an album," he says. "I don't have a concept. I just take songs that I like, and when I feel it's worthy of putting out there for other people to listen to, I put out an album. But really I'm just trying to entertain myself more than anything." - Billboard, 9/26/24...... Sony Music Vision and Columbia Records announced on Sept. 26 that a new Barbra Streisand documentary will dive even deeper into the Grammy-winning diva's life than her bestselling 2023 memoir My Name Is Barbra. "For years I've been thinking about the best way to share the vast amount of content I've been safely storing in my vault. These films, photos and music masters -- many never seen or heard by the public -- hold some of my most cherished memories," said Streisand in a statement about granting the production unprecedented access to her personal archives, including hundreds of hours of never-before-seen video, photos and audio recordings, as well as personal items from throughout her career. According to the press release announcing the project, the series will "offer an intimate and comprehensive exploration of every facet of the iconic multi-hyphenate, who, in a career-spanning six decades, has excelled in every area of entertainment." It added that the access to Streisand's personal archives alongside contemporary verit will provide an "in-depth look at Streisand's star-studded past and her current artistic endeavors." A title and release date for the doc have not yet been announced. - Billboard, 9/26/24...... Neil Young suprised fans during a show at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY on Sept. 24 by performing his elusive 1977 song "Hey Babe" live for the first time ever. In 1977, Young wrote and released "Hey Babe" along with backing from Crazy Horse, Linda Ronstadt and Nicolette Larson as part of his eighth studio album American Stars 'N Bars. For the 47 years since its release, the song was just one of two tracks off the record that had never been performed live, alongside "Will To Love." Following the cancellation of a summer tour with Crazy Horse due to an undisclosed illness, the 'Rockin' In The Free World' singer returned to the stage to perform at the 2024 edition of Farm Aid at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY on Sept. 21. In June, the band released a new archival album, Early Daze. Footage of his rare performance of "Hey Babe" can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 9/26/24...... Daryl Hall is prepping for a short fall tour with '80s hitmaker Howard Jones. The eight-date tour launches in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 7, heads north to Evans, Ga., on Nov. 16, Nashville and Knoxville in Tennessee, and culminates in Atlantic City, N.J., on Nov. 23. "Howard and I get along really well, and I think he's great," says Hall. Before the tour kicks off, Hall will perform a free, private concert on Oct. 31 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Daryl's House Club venue and restaurant in Pawling, N.Y. - Billboard, 9/25/24...... Black Sabbath co-founders Tony Iommi and Bill Ward have shared a new photo together. The Birmingham natives were in their home city on Sept. 24 to attend the Lord Mayor's reception for International Birmingham Day. Iommi shared the photo on X, alongside the caption: "You just never know who you'll bump into in Birmingham!" The impromtu meeting comes in the midst of rumours about the possibility of a one-off reunion show from the band. Ward himself shared his thoughts on a potential gig in July, writing on X, "I'm in for playing some of everyone's old favourites. Loved playing them then, I'd love to play them one last time." Ward parted ways with the metal legends in 2012, citing an "unreasonable contract." He would go on to miss the band's Reunion Tour and the swansong The End Tour, which culminated in 2017. Ward's post followed Ozzy Osbourne, Iommi and Geezer Butler all expressing interest in the idea recently. - NME, 9/25/24...... The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has unveiled an eclectic list of performers and presenters for its Class of 2024 induction ceremony, set for Oct. 19 at Cleveland, Ohio's Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (not far from the RRHOF's Cleveland headquarters. Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, James Taylor, Jelly Roll, Julia Roberts, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Lucky Daye, Mac McAnally, Method Man, Roger Daltrey, Sammy Hagar, Slash and The Roots will all be on hand at the ceremony, however it's not yet known which performers and presenters are attached to which 2024 Rock Hall inductees. The Class of 2024 includes Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest in the performers category. In the musical influence category, Alexis Korner, John Mayall and "Big Mama" Thornton will be inducted; all three pioneers are deceased, with Mayall dying at the age of 90 this July, just three months after his induction was announced. Additionally, Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whitfield enter the Rock Hall in the musical excellence category. Suzanne de Passe will be given the Ahmet Ertegun Award. The event will livestream on Disney+ on Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. ET. ABC will air a primetime special featuring the evening's biggest moments on Jan. 1, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET, which will be available on Disney+ and Hulu on Jan. 2. - Billboard, 9/25/24...... 
Traffic co-founder and '70s solo star Dave Mason canceled his forthcoming US tour on Sept. 25 after being diagnosed with a "serious heart condition." Mason, 78, had been scheduled to embark on a run of solo concerts this autumn, with it recently being announced that the singer-songwriter, guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee would be forced to "miss the first couple [of] shows in Phoenix and Las Vegas" following "the advice of doctors." However, his team has since shared a statement to announce that the full tour has been axed due to health reasons. "Dave Mason has announced the cancellation of his Fall 'Traffic Jam 2024' west coast tour after doctors detected a serious heart condition during a routine appointment that requires immediate medical attention," reads a post on Instagram. "His team of doctors expect a full and successful recovery, and Mason plans to resume his touring plans in 2025." In a statement, Mason said: "I'm heartbroken to have to cancel these dates, but it's doctor's orders. I'll be back, and better than ever, in 2025." A total of 13 shows have been shelved, including concerts in Phoenix, Santa Barbara and San Diego, as well as a book sigining in Carson City. Mason co-founded the psychedelic rock band Traffic in 1967, alongside guitarist Steve Winwood, drummer Jim Capaldi and multi-instrumentalist Chris Wood. He is perhaps best known for the group's 1968 song "Feelin' Alright?," which was covered by Joe Cocker. Additionally, Mason joined Fleetwood Mac for a brief stint in the early-to-mid-'90s, and contributed to their 1995 album Time. He has also worked with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney. His 15th and latest solo studio record, Alone Together, Again, was released in 2020. Mason recently published a memoir, titled Only You Know & I Know -- which explores "his colourful, unique, and ultimately triumphant journey through a life in music." - NME, 9/25/24...... In a new interview with The Sun newspaper, Van Morrison says he will "never sing a lyric the same way twice." "I am basically a jazz singer. No matter what genre I'm working in, I'm always improvising," he said. "Jazz is always forward moving and forward looking. I learned from the Louis Armstrong school. Louis said, 'I never sing a song the same way twice.'" Morrison added he likes to sing songs that are as "relevant" today as they were when they were written. He noted: "When I do songs live, I often change lyrics here and there, bringing them up to the present." Also he admits he no longer relates to his 1967 classic "Brown Eyed Girl" and cringes when he sings it live. He confessed: "How can a 79-year-old guy sing about something he wrote when he was 20? It's basically a teenage song. I can't relate to it much now, you know." Morrison will play the Bottom Lounge in Chicago on Sept. 28, and has two shows set for the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Oct. 20 and 21. His new album, New Arrangements and Duets, features two collaborations with Willie Nelson. - Music-News.com, 9/26/24...... Just in time for the sprint to the Nov. 5 presidential election, Bruce Springsteen released the 15-track live collection The Live Series: Songs of Conscience. The collection of live performances recorded between 1981-2023 features songs that ask hard questions about where we are, where we've been and where we're going, including "This Land Is Your Land," "The Promised Land," "Born in the U.S.A.," "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)," "Souls of the Departed," "Long Walk Home," "The Rising," "Sun City" and "Last Man Standing," among others. The album can be streamed on Spotify.com. Also, the entire show of his Sept. 15 headlining slot at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park, NJ is available on CD and as a stream via nugs.net. The Sea.Hear set included the tour premieres of the songs "Blinded By the Light," "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?," "Thundercrack," "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" and "Meeting Across the River," as well as the returns of "Local Hero," "Jungleland" and "Jersey Girl." - Billboard, 9/23/24...... Journey lead guitarist Neal Schon has come to the defense of bandmate and vocalist Arnel Pineda, days after the singer told fans he will quit the band "for good" if they want him to leave following their Rock in Rio 2024 set. Earlier in September, the band performed at the Brazilian festival, where Pineda's performance was slammed by fans. This was further amplified by a Facebook video that went viral after showcasing the Filipino singer struggling to hit the right notes for "Don't Stop Believin'." On Sept. 23, Schon shared a clip from the Rock In Rio stage in hopes of clearing the situation with fans. He states that the band only found out "much later" that their PA setup was "extremely limited by Avenged Sevenfold," who were set to perform at the stage at midnight, hours after Journey's 7:00 pm slot. "That means that hardly hardly any sound can get out of the PA to the audience," he writes. "It's a bullshit move. Check out the audience. They loved it the rest of its fabricated crap." - NME, 9/25/24...... Queen guitarist Brian May shared a post on Instagram on Sept. 27 expressing his "painful decision" to resign as The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) vice president after being left with "no other option." May resigned over what he described as "appallingly bad standards of animal welfare in member farms of the RSPCA Assured scheme." "In line with the organisation's core principles," May continued, "and in the clear knowledge that supervision of the Assured scheme had failed and was continuing to fail, I feel the only acceptable policy would have been complete dismantling of the scheme. Instead, the RSPCA have tried to defend their position, and in doing so, in my view, have sacrificed their integrity." He added that "I hope that the RSPCA and Save-Me Trust can continue to fight on the same side in the future, against the agencies of abuse against animals." Meanwhile, May's wife Anita Dobson has told The Sun that her husband is "doing great -- he's on the road to recovery, he's doing really, really well" after a "minor stroke that came on all of a sudden, out of the blue" earlier in September left him without any control over one of his arms. "He's been told to rest. It's hard to keep him resting, but he needs to, otherwise he won't get well," she added. - New Musical Express, 9/27/24...... 
Uriah Heep announced a farewell UK tour for 2025 in an Instagram post on Sept. 24. The London-based rock band, who formed in 1969, will hit the road for the UK leg of "The Magician's Farewell" world tour next February. They are due to play headline gigs in Birmingham, Bristol, Gateshead, Glasgow, Manchester, London and Bexhill. "Under the very apt title of 'The Magician's Farewell' we will start our final journey on the road," says Uriah Heep guitarist Mick Box. "This isn't going to be one of those long, dragged out goodbyes but we do intend over the next 2-3 years to play as many places possible and see you all for one last time. I want to reiterate that the band will continue to play shows as long as we can after we are done touring but these will be limited to one off festival type events and the like." Box added: "On behalf of the band and myself I want to thank you all for the continued support you have always given us and it means so much to us. Look forward to seeing you all again very soon 'Appy Days!" Uriah Heep released their debut album Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble back in 1970. Their 25th and most recent full-length record, Chaos & Colour, came out in early 2023. The band's current line-up consists of Box alongside Phil Lanzon, Bernie Shaw, Russell Gilbrook and Dave Rimmer. - NME, 9/24/24...... Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry is starring in a new campaign for Gucci. Harry, 79, is promoting the "Blondie Bag Collection." The campaign photos show her sitting with the Large Top Handle Bag, worth $6980 (£5205), in the back of a black cab, alongside a Yorkie dog. "What I like the most about Debbie Harry is her irreverence. She is a free spirit in her choices, and she is still an icon," said Creative Director of Gucci, Sabato De Sarno. "I have always been a fan of Blondie; they marked specific moments of my life and inspired generations. She is American but she has a strong connection with London." The bag isn't named after the band though; it gets its name from a Gucci design from the 70s. The campaign comes after Harry announced she was cancelling several Blondie concert dates during August and September. Blondie are working on a new album, which is believed to be set for release in 2025. - Music-News.com, 9/26/24...... ABBA singer Björn Ulvaeus has married his partner Christina Sas in a ceremony officiated by the comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig. Ulvaeus, who has been married twice before, met Sas in Nuremberg, Germany, in 2021 in connection with the release of his band's last album Voyage. The wedding took place in Copenhagen on Sept. 21 in the presence of close friends and family. Ulvaeus posted a number of photos from the day on Instagram, one of which showed the host of BBC show QI, Toksvig, dressed in red robes standing next to Ulvaeus and his wife Sas. ABBA originally comprised two couples -- Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog, and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Fältskog and Ulvaeus, who married in 1971, divorced in 1980, while Andersson and Lyngstad divorced in 1981 -- a year before the band split. Ulvaeus was also previously married to Lena Kallersj. Earlier this year, ABBA marked the 50th anniversary of their Eurovision win with "Waterloo" by releasing a 50th-anniversary reissue of their iconic album in celebration of the milestone. - NME, 9/23/24...... Freddie Salem, former guitarist of the Florida southern rock group The Outlaws, died on Sept. 23 from complications due to cancer. He was 70. "Freddie passed from complications due to cancer and will be remembered for his outgoing personality and passion for music," reads a statement from the band posted on social media. "He first appeared with the Outlaws on the [1978] album 'Playin' To Win' and then remained in the band for the following four albums [1979's 'In The Eye Of The Storm', 1980's 'Ghost Riders', 1982's 'Los Hombres Malo' and 1986's 'Soldiers Of Fortune']." The Outlaws went on to describe Salem as "an electric performer and beloved musician and he will be missed." The late guitarist and vocalist left The Outlaws in 1983 after the group were dropped by Arista Records. He had initially stepped in to replace original member Henry Paul, who departed the line-up in 1977. However, Paul remains a current member of The Outlaws following numerous stints in the band. He is joined by Dave Robbins, Randy Threet, Jeff Aulich, Jimmy Dormire and Mike Bailey. Additionally, Salem appears on The Outlaws' 1978 live album Bring It Back Alive. Salem -- who was born in Akron, OH on May 15, 1954 -- wrote numerous other Outlaws tracks such as "Don't Stop," "White Horses," "Long Gone" and "Devil's Road." He recorded a solo album too, Cat Dance, under the moniker Freddie Salem And The Wild Cats. Elsewhere, he enjoyed a lengthy career as a session guitarist and producer. The Outlaws -- who were formed in Tampa, FL in 1967 -- have previously supported the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Who. - NME, 9/24/24...... 
British actress Maggie Smith, star of stage, film and Downton Abbey died on the morning of Sept. 27 in a London hospital, surrounded by loved ones. She was 89. The masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 also gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films. Ms. Smith's sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement that their mother "leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother." Ms. Smith was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench, with a clutch of Academy Award nominations and a shelf full of acting trophies. She remained in demand even in her later years, despite her lament that "when you get into the granny era, you're lucky to get anything." Jean Brodie, in which she played a dangerously charismatic Edinburgh schoolteacher, brought her the Academy Award for best actress, and the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) as well in 1969. She added a supporting actress Oscar for California Suite in 1978, Golden Globes for California Suite and Room with a View, and BAFTAs for lead actress in A Private Function in 1984, A Room with a View in 1986, and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne in 1988. She also received Academy Award nominations as a supporting actress in Othello, Travels with My Aunt, Room with a View and Gosford Park, and a BAFTA award for supporting actress in Tea with Mussolini. On stage, she won a Tony in 1990 for "Lettice and Lovage." Her work in 2012 netted three Golden Globe nominations for the globally successful Downton Abbey TV series and the films The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Quartet. Margaret Natalie Smith was born in Ilford, on the eastern edge of London, on Dec. 28, 1934. She summed up her life briefly: "One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, one's still acting." Her father was assigned in 1939 to wartime duty in Oxford, where her theatre studies at the Oxford Playhouse School led to a busy apprenticeship. "I did so many things, you know, round the universities there. If you were kind of clever enough and I suppose quick enough, you could almost do weekly rep because all the colleges were doing different productions at different times," she said in a BBC interview. Ms. Smith was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire, the equivalent of a knight, in 1990. She married fellow actor Robert Stephens in 1967. They had two sons, Christopher and Toby, and divorced in 1975. The same year she married the writer Beverley Cross, who died in 1998. - AP, 9/27/24.
The Who's Pete Townshend has revealed that he admires Taylor Swift in an interview with the What It Takes podcast. "I'm a song dreamer in a sense," he said. "So I love the great songwriters of my father's era, Gershwin and so on. And also the great songwriters of today, past The Beatles and all the rest of them to Taylor Swift." Townshend went on to praise Swift, saying: "I love what she does, too. Not that she's necessarily absolutely always to my taste, but I just love the fact that she seems to love it, that she seems to be having so much fun. That's what I identify with." Meanwhile, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's son Sean Ono Lennon has weighed in on the international pop phenom on X: "I have never been a fan of her music, although I can't think of a single song so I don't really know if I like it or not," he wrote. "But I know she is a uniquely successful American. A young woman who has done things in a way that no one has done before her." Sean also responded to former US president Donald Trump saying that he "hates" the "Shake It Off" singer after she announced her support for Trump's opponent, Vice Pres. Kamala Harris. "Hating on Taylor Swift is not a good look," Ono Lennon tweeted on Sept. 15. He continued: "A more 'presidential' or gracious criticism might have been something like 'She is a brilliant young woman. I have a lot of respect for what she has accomplished. I don't believe she knows the reality of the party she is endorsing. - NME, 9/22/24...... 
In other Beatles-related news, George Harrison's 1973 No. 1 solo album Living in the Material World is receiving a massive 50th anniversary boxset reissue featuring 12 previously unreleased early recordings from the album. Three versions of the re-issue have been announced: the standard edition, deluxe edition and the super deluxe edition. Approved and overseen by Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison and their son Dhani Harrison, the standard edition of the album will be available in CD and LP formats featuring a brand-new mix by Grammy-winning producer Paul Hicks. The standard edition will also be available on digital and streaming platforms. The deluxe edition will come in 2CD and 2LP formats, with 12 previously unheard and unreleased early recordings from the album's production cycle. The super deluxe edition -- which is limited to just 5,000 units worldwide -- will come with 2CDs, 2LPs, Blu-ray of Dolby Atmos, a 60-page booklet with extensive sleeve notes, photography, and artwork from the Harrison archive, as well as a 7" single of the previously unheard recording of, "Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)" featuring The Band members Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Rick Danko, alongside Harrison's former bandmate Ringo Starr. To accompany the reissue's announcement, the previously unreleased and remixed "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (Take 18)" has been released. "I hope you revisit 'Living in the Material World' or discover it for the first time, and as you listen, share George's wish for himself and mankind Give me Love. Give me Peace on Earth," Olivia Harrison said in a statement, with Dhani Harrison adding: "....For those of you who are just discovering this album; This record was released in service and with deep love for all our Brothers and Sisters around the world who populate this dualistic system we live in called Earth. Peace be upon all sentient beings." The anniversary reissues are due on Nov. 15 via Dark Horse/BMG. - NME, 9/20/24...... The latest installment of Willie Nelson's Farm Aid Festival drew some 21,000 fans to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. on Sept. 21 for a day of celebration, activism and song. Nelson was joined by his fellow Farm Aid board members -- Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price -- on a bill with Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Lukas Nelson with the Travelin' McCourys, Charley Crockett, Cassandra Lewis and others. New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul gave welcoming remarks before two indigenous acts -- the ensemble known as Kontiwennenh:W, from the Akwesasne community of northern New York, and the Wisdom Indian Dancers, who have performed at every Farm Aid since 1990 -- began the joyous hours of music. The first Farm Aid concert was staged on Sept. 22, 1985 in Champaign, Illinois. Since then, Farm Aid has raised nearly $80 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture, while also building connections in the battles against climate change and social injustice. - Billboard, 9/22/24...... A week after scoring his third solo No. 1 album in his native UK with Luck and Strange, David Gilmour has landed his first U.S. No. 1 on Billboard's 33-year-old Top Album Sales chart. Luck and Strange debuted atop the tally dated Sept. 21. The set, which also marks his third top 10-charting effort on the list, sold 30,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 12, according to Luminate. Of Luck and Strange's first-week sales of 30,000, physical sales comprise 25,000 copies and digital download sales comprise 5,000. The album's first-week vinyl sales were bolstered by its availability across four variants, helping it debut at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart. The set was also a sturdy seller at independent record stores, with nearly 4,500 sold through that retail sector. It debuts at No. 2 on the Indie Store Album Sales chart. On the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, Luck and Strange arrives at No. 10, marking Gilmour's third top 10 set on the ranking. Meanwhile, Gilmour has told the UK's Mojo magazine that there are three classic songs by his former band Pink Floyd that he "no longer feels comfortable singing." "There are songs from the past that I no longer feel comfortable singing," he said. "I love 'Run Like Hell'. I loved the music I created for it, but all that 'You'd better run, run, run' I now find that all rather, I don't know a bit terrifying and violent." He continued: "'Another Brick In The Wall' is another one I shan't be doing. I don't think I've done that with my own band, but I certainly did it in the post-Roger Pink Floyd, against my better judgment. The same with 'Money'. I won't be doing that." Gilmour's upcoming European tour, which kicks off on Sept. 27 in Rome, includes five shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London. At the end of October, he'll travel to Los Angeles for three nights at the Hollywood Bowl, then play four nights at New York's Madison Square Garden beginning on Nov. 4. - Billboard/NME, 9/19/24...... 
Current Journey frontman Arnel Pineda has offered to quit the arena rock band into which he was recruited in 2007 after some fans slammed his performance during a Journey show at the Rock in Rio festival earlier in September. After a Facebook video from the show showing Pineda struggling to hit the right notes for "Don't Stop Believin'" went viral, Pineda took to Facebook on Sept. 22 to share that he's been thankful for his time with the band. He linked back to the previously mentioned video and wrote: "no one more than me in this world feels so devastated about this its really amazing how 1 thousand right things you have done will be forgotten just cause of THIS and of all the place, its in Rock In Rio." Pineda continued: "mentally and emotionally, ive suffered already, and im still suffering but i'll be ok" before offering fans the chance to vote for him to stay or leave the band: "I am offering you a chance now (especially those who's hated me and never liked me from the very beginning) to simply text GO or STAY right here and if GO reaches 1million i'm stepping out for good." However since the post went live, support for the singer has been overwhelming, with an abundance of comments calling for him to "stay." In 2020, Pineda shared new details on his upcoming biopic, which will be directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, Wicked). At the time, the film's script was being finalized, but little on its production has transpired since. The film was first announced in 2018. Journey recently quietly cancelled their UK and Ireland 50th anniversary arena tour that was meant to launch on Nov. 2 and run through Nov. 17 amid continued feuding between keyboardist Jonathan Cain and guitarist Neal Schon. - New Musical Express, 9/23/24...... The Roots drummer Questlove announced on Instagram on Sept. 21 that he will direct an upcoming documentary about Earth, Wind & Fire. Questlove says the project is slated for a 2025 release and will be the "definitive story" of the iconic R&B band. "The story of how a band led by a genius from Chicago changed our way of thinking, our minds and our hearts," Questlove wrote alongside a teaser clip. "Having been baptized in the afrocentric joy river of this powerhouse unit, I've learned about them, I've learned about us & more importantly I've learned about and rediscovered myself in the process." The rock doc will also include exclusive access to the group's archives of visual, audio and written material, along with the approval of the estate of Maurice White and the band. EWF's Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson said in a joint statement, "We look forward to this in-depth journey of our band, and are so excited to have Questlove directing the documentary." Questlove took home an Oscar for best documentary feature in 2022 for Summer of Soul, which he directed and executive produced. He is also currently working on a Sly Stone documentary. - Billboard, 9/21/24...... The long-running late-night live sketch comedy variety show Saturday Night Live (SNL), which premiered on NBC in 1975, announced the host and performer line-up for the first five episodes of season 50 in a recent Instagram post. The season premiere on Sept. 28 will be hosted by Jean Smart, with a live performance from Jelly Roll. October 5's episode will see Coldplay perform, hosted by Nate Gargatze. The following week, Fleetwood Mac legend Stevie Nicks will perform while being hosted by Ariana Grande. Nicks' Oct. 12 performance is notable as the singer last performed on the show back in 1983. - NME, 9/19/24...... David Bowie's performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2004 was revealed as the winner of a UK fan-voted poll on Sept. 20. The announcement was made at the launch of "Experience 25," an exhibition celebrating the festival's entire history, held at London's O2. Fans were able to vote from a long list of previous Isle of Wight Festival performances on the festival's official socials. Bowie topped a number of other iconic moments, including Joni Mitchell silencing a 500,000 strong crowd and Amy Winehouse joining The Rolling Stones onstage in 2007. Also making the list was Jimi Hendrix's last ever UK performance at the venue in 1970, and one of Fleetwood Mac's first shows as a full band since the late 1990s, in 2015. - Music-News.com, 9/20/24...... 
The Eagles opened their residency at the Las Vegas Sphere on Sept. 20, where state-of-the-art 2024 technology finally caught up to the band's enduring artistry and created a technicolor display worthy of their classic, illustrative songs from the 1970s and beyond. The band -- made up of Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill and the late Glenn Frey's son Deacon Frey, as well as a team of longtime touring musicians -- was never overpowered by the Sphere's floor-to-ceiling visuals because the 20-song set made up exclusively of hits always held its own against the immersive spectacle. The band took a moment on opening night to perform a twofold tribute for fallen friends, starting out with Henley's solo hit "The Boys of Summer" for the late king of summer Jimmy Buffett, who died in Sept. 2023 at age 76, and then moving on to "Heartache Tonight" to remember the song's co-writer JD Souther, who died on Sept. 18 at age 78. "I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge a couple of people, one of whom we lost a year ago this month, Mr. Jimmy Buffett," Henley began the tribute. "We're dedicating this next song to him. And then the song we're going to do after this next song, I want to acknowledge the co-writer of that song, who we lost three days ago, Mr. JD Souther. JD, as some of you may know, played a pivotal role in the Eagles. He wasn't in the band, but he certainly co-wrote some of our biggest hits, including 'Best of My Love,' 'New Kid in Town' and the one we're going to play after this next song called 'Heartache Tonight.' So these songs go out to those boys, Mr. Buffett and Mr. Souther. Sing it so they can hear you." The band's encores included "Take It Easy," the Joe Walsh hit "Rocky Mountain Way," "Desperado" and "Heartache Tonight." After Sept. 27 and 28 dates, the band will perform four shows at the venue in October, four in November, four in December, and four in January 2025, wrapping on Jan. 25. - Billboard, 9/21/24...... Michael Jackson's estate has filed a legal action against an unnamed man who it claims has threatened to resurface ugly abuse allegations ahead of the upcoming release of a biopic about the King of Pop. Jackson's estate has filed a private arbitration case against the accuser, claiming his alleged threats violate an earlier, never-before-reported settlement over the abuse accusations. The name of Jackson's accuser and the details of his supposed allegations were not disclosed in media reports. It's unclear when the arbitration case was filed, or what exactly it alleges. The Jackson estate would not confirm the accuracy of the reports and declined to comment on the matter. The threats to go public come as the Jackson estate prepares for the premiere of Michael, a movie about the singer's life starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson in the titular role. The biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is set for release in Apr. 2025. Jackson, who died suddenly in 2009, was never convicted or held legally liable on any accusation of child molestation, but is still dogged by such allegations. Two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, continue to claim Jackson sexually abused them as children, spending the last decade pursuing civil lawsuits. And their allegations were amplified in 2019 by HBO docuseries Leaving Neverland, which laid out their claims in disturbing detail. The Jackson estate has always vehemently denied all such claims, pointing out that the singer was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial and arguing that his accusers are simply seeking monetary gain from an artist who cannot defend himself because defamation law does not extend to dead individuals. Meanwhile, Jackson's iconic "Thriller" music video from 1983 has just surpassed a billion views on YouTube. The milestone marks the King of Pop's fourth visual to join the Billion Views Club after "Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "They Don't Care About Us." Directed by John Landis and boasting a voiceover from Vincent Price, the 13-minute clip premiered on MTV in Dec. 1983. The video follows Jackson watching a scary movie with his date, which ultimately leads to a ghoulish full moon transformation and some now-instantly recognizable choreography by Michael Peters that Jackson performs alongside his fellow monsters and zombies. "Thriller" is also the is the most-downloaded Halloween-themed hit of all-time, according to data from Nielsen SoundScan. - Billboard, 9/20/24...... In other Jackson-related news, the manager of Michael's iconic family band The Jacksons says that the group was "far advanced" in the process of recording and releasing their first album since 1989's 2300 Jackson Street at the time of Tito Jackson's recent death on Sept. 15 at age 70. Jacksons manager Garry Wilson says that "of course,Tito will still strongly feature" in the new album," and that "the brothers would now want the album to be a tribute to both Tito and Michael." The Jacksons have also participated "for some time" in filming a documentary series by a top production company, Wilson adds, including Tito Jackson's final show Sept. 10 in Munich. Wilson said the Jacksons' team is negotiating with "several major TV networks" on when and how the series might be released. - Billboard, 9/20/24...... 
To underscore the message in his new single "Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart," Stevie Wonder has announced he'll be laying 10 select dates during October in advance of the critical 2024 US presidential election in November. Produced by Wonder Productions and promoted by AEG Presents in partnership with Free Lunch, the "Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart" junket launches Oct. 8 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Calling for "joy over anger, kindness over recrimination, peace over war," Wonder has also slotted October performances in New York City (10/10); Philadelphia (10/12); Baltimore (10/15); Greensboro, N.C. (10/17); Atlanta (10/19); Detroit (10/22); Milwaukee, Wis. (10/24); and Minneapolis, Minn. (10/27). He'll wrap with the 10th performance in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Oct. 30. "I've always felt that singing and expressing love throughout our world can make a major difference -- it always has and always will," Wonder said in a statement. "Truthfully, I miss you; I miss performing. So I will be singing my songs, your songs; we will be celebrating songs and music as together we fix our nation's broken heart." - Billboard, 9/20/24...... Oprah Winfrey will host a new Elvis Presley special, The Presleys - Elvis, Lisa Marie And Riley, on CBS this fall. Oprah will tour the historic Presley estate in Memphis, Tenn., and interview Presley's actress granddaughter, Riley Keough. The interview comes more than a year after Keough's mother and Elvis' only child, Lisa Marie Presley, died on Jan. 12, 2023 at age 54 from natural causes due to the effects of a small bowel obstruction from bariatric surgery. Before she died, Lisa Marie recorded stories of life for a memoir. Keough worked to compile the recordings into a posthumous memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, which is set to be released on Oct. 8 via Random House Books, the same day Winfey's special is scheduled to air. The upcoming interview with Keough will include memories of Lisa Marie, as well as never-before-seen family photos, videos and more. The Presleys - Elvis, Lisa Marie And Riley airs Oct. 8, at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. - Billboard, 9/17/24...... Kathryn Crosby, an actress and the widow of Bing Crosby, died of natural causes on Sept. 20 at her home in the Northern California city of Hillsborough. She was 90. Appearing under her stage name of Kathryn Grant, Ms. Crosby appeared opposite Tony Curtis in Mister Cory in 1957 and Victor Mature in The Big Circus in 1959. She made five movies with film noir director Phil Karlson, including Tight Spot and The Phoenix City Story, both in 1955. Other film credits include The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Anatomy of a Murder, and Operation Mad Ball before marrying famed singer and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby. She met Bing Crosby while doing interviews for a column she wrote about Hollywood for her hometown newspaper. They were married in 1957, when she was 23 and he was 54. She curtailed her acting career after the wedding, although she appeared often with Crosby and their three children on his Christmas television specials and in Minute Maid orange juice commercials. She became a registered nurse in 1963. After Crosby's death at age 74 in 1977, from a heart attack after golfing in Spain, she appeared in stage productions of "Same Time, Next Year" and "Charley's Aunt." She co-starred with John Davidson and Andrea McArdle in the 1996 Broadway revival of "State Fair." She is survived by children Harry, Mary, an actor best known for the TV show Dallas, and Nathaniel, a successful amateur golfer. She was married to Maurice Sullivan for 10 years before he was killed in a 2010 car accident that seriously injured Crosby. - Billboard, 9/21/24...... 
John David "JD" Souther, known for his work as an artist, songwriter and actor, and his collaborations with artists including The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor, died peacefully on Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico. He was 78. Born in Detroit on Nov. 2, 1945 and raised in Amarillo, Tex., Souther became one of the foremost musical architects in the 1970s country-rock scene. He began recording with a local group in Texas known as The Cinders; the group would release a single on Warner Bros. as John David and the Cinders. Souther released his self-titled debut LP in 1972, then teamed with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay to release the album The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. Souther followed with the 1976 solo album Black Rose, which included a collaboration with Ronstadt, "If You Have Crying Eyes." During the '70s he also forged a friendship with the Eagles' Glenn Frey and would collaborate as a writer on many of the Eagles' biggest hits, including "New Kid in Town," "James Dean," "Doolin-Dalton" and "Best of My Love." Souther also co-wrote the Eagles' 1979 hit "Heartache Tonight" alongside Frey, Bob Seger and Don Henley, and co-wrote Henley's 1989 hit song "The Heart of the Matter." Souther also wrote songs including Bonnie Raitt's "Run Like a Thief," and Ronstadt's "Faithless Love" and "White Rhythm and Blues." Souther and Ronstadt also collaborated together on songs including "Prisoner in Disguise" and "Hearts Against the Wind," which was featured in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta. Souther's most well-known solo hit came in 1979 with "You're Only Lonely," which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1981, Souther nearly notched another top 10 on that chart, as his collaboration with James Taylor, "Her Town Too," reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2015, he released his final album, Tenderness. As an actor, Souther appeared in movies including My Girl 2, Deadline and Postcards From the Edge, and in television series including Thirtysomething, Purgatory and a recurring role on Nashville. Souther was honored with one of songwriting's highest honors, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in 2013. The Eagles paid tribute to Souther on Sept. 18 in a heartfelt message posted on their official website: "We have lost a brother, a friend and a brilliant collaborator, and the world has lost a great songwriter, a pioneer of the Southern California sound that emerged in the 1970s," the veteran country rock band wrote. "J.D. Souther was smart, talented, well-read, and in possession of a wicked sense of humor. He loved a good meal, a good movie, and a good Martini and he loved dogs, adopting many, over the course of his lifetime. We mourn his loss and we send our condolences to his family, his friends, and his many fans around the world. He was an extraordinary man and will be greatly missed by many. Adios, old friend. Travel well." Souther had been set to launch a new tour with Karla Bonoff on Sept. 24 in Phoenix. He is survived by two sisters, his former wife and her daughter, as well as his dogs Layla and Bob, as well as many colleagues within the music community. - Billboard, 9/18/24.
Despite initially claiming that her son Elijah Blue Allman's life would "be at risk" if left to his own devices, Cher has given up her attempt to take over control of his personal affairs, including his finances. Cher applied for conservatorship of Elijah, whose father is the late Gregg Allman, in 2023 when she claimed he could not properly take care of himself or "manage his own financial resources" because of his alleged struggles with drug abuse. In court documents, Cher claimed "any funds distributed to Elijah will immediately be spent on drugs... leaving [him] with no assets... and putting [his] life at risk." In response, Elijah acknowledged he had "struggled with addiction and spent money in ways that have not always been the most responsible" in the past, he was now "clean and sober." Now in a recent court hearing, Cher's lawyer Gabrielle Vidal said the singer and her son had "privately resolved this matter" via mediation. He later told People magazine that "Mr. Allman's team successfully defended the bid, resulting in Cher voluntarily dismissing her petition. "This outcome allows the parties to focus on healing and rebuilding their family bond, a process that began during mediation and continues today," he added. In other Cher-related news, the diva has confirmed she'll be headlining the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Oct. 15 in Brooklyn, New York. Cher will be headlining the brand's first big runway showcase in six years -- and she'll be leading a lineup of all-women artists for the first time ever. The iconic fashion house shared the news on 
It appears it's "R.I.P. R.E.O." Members of REO Speedwagon took to 
In a conversation with Billboard's "Behind the Setlist" podcast, KISS frontman Paul Stanley teases that the band's digital future is "beyond anything" anyone else has contemplated. After the culmination of The End of the Road Tour in December, KISS began the year with the sale of its name and likeness and plans to live eternally in the digital world. Details are scarce, but the band has said the virtual performance should launch in Las Vegas in 2027. Although Stanley didn't say exactly how KISS will carry its legacy into the future, he and fellow KISS co-founder Gene Simmons have typically ambitious goals. In April, KISS sold its name and likeness rights to Pophouse, the Swedish company that helped build ABBA Voyage around virtual versions of ABBA's four members made to look decades younger. Although those early generations of avatars wowed audiences, KISS isn't content to replicate the previous models, says Stanley. "We're creating something that's not a concert," he explains. "The idea of a hologram -- and it's not a hologram, but that term seems to get thrown around a lot -- but the idea a simulated concert is not what we want to do. Frankly, I would find that boring." Stanley's full interview can be streamed on 
Ted Nugent has responded to Pearl Jam's recent anti-gun cover of Nugent's song "Stranglehold" after the grunge rockers briefly covered the song during a show on Sept. 12 in Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena. Frontman Eddie Vedder ad-libbed the "Stranglehold" lyrics: "I don't own a gun/ I don't ever want to own a gun/ I don't own a gun, never want to own a gun," after guitarist Mike McCready played it's iconic opening riff. Vedder didn't comment beyond that, instead opting to launch straight into "Even Flow." However, longtime gun rights advocate Nugent caught wind of it and made his own statement on social media, taking to 
Tito Jackson, one of the founding members of the legendary Jackson 5, passed away on Sept. 15 after reportedly suffering a heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma. He was 70. Born Toriano Adaryll Jackson on Oct. 15, 1953, in Gary, Indiana, Tito was an integral part of the Jackson family's musical dynasty. He, along with his brothers Michael, Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie Jackson, formed The Jackson 5 in the 1960s. They were later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Tito's rhythm guitar work and the harmonies of his brothers helped the group achieve meteoric success, culminating in their signing to Motown Records in 1968. Their debut single, "I Want You Back," became an instant sensation, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as did their subsequent hits 
Although Eric Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on three different occasions, he had some choice words to say about the Cleveland-based hall and museum in a new interview with the UK's The Real Music Observer. Speaking of his own inductions, he said "I came to that thing, whatever it is... I think of it as a frat boys club that happened to lure [me] in. I think the fact that they had [former Atlantic Records president and Hall Of Fame chairman] Ahmet Ertegun was the ticket for me. He was doing it for people like Ruth Brown and The Drifters, all those early Atlantic artists that were being forgotten. And then, it just kind of started to snowball." Although he had his reservations due to the involvement of Rolling Stone magazine, he said his friend and The Band member Robbie Robertson was involved with it too, and persuaded him to do it. However, he made it clear that he wasn't happy with many of the Hall Of Fame's decisions, saying, "The fact that someone like J.J. [Cale] has never even been suggested is proof of what that thing is or proof of what it isn't. It's not like he'll ever come up. It's not their thing. I don't know what their thing is. But he's too anonymous for those guys." When it was mentioned that Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers hasn't been inducted -- he's turned it down in the past -- Clapton said, "He's a rebel. It's not a place for rebels. It's establishment stuff." Clapton's full interview can be streamed on 
Days after Taylor Swift finally threw her support for Democratic presidential nominee Vice-Pres. Kamala Harris, Linda Ronstadt posted a missive to her 
'70s/'80s hitmakers Toto have announced they'll headline a UK and European tour in 2025. The L.A.-based Toto, whose hit singles include "Africa" and "Hold The Line," will hit the road on Feb. 1 at Glasgow's OVO Hydro, with performances also at arenas in Birmingham (Feb. 2), Manchester (Feb. 4) and London (Feb. 5). From there, Toto will head to Europe for gigs in Brussels, Paris, Zurich, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and other locations throughout the month and into early March. Joining founding members Steve Lukather (guitar/vocals) and Joseph Williams (vocals) on the tour will be Greg Phillinganes (keyboards/vocals), Shannon Forrest (drums), John Pierce (bass), Warren Ham (horns/percussion) and Dennis Atlas (keyboards/vocals). Christopher Cross is set to support the group at the concerts. Toto released their 14th and final studio album, Old Is New, in 2018. The are also scheduled to return to Brazil for the first time in 17 years, at Soa Paulo on Nov. 24 and Rio De Janeiro on Nov. 26. - NME, 9/11/24...... The elusive Janis Joplin biopic became closer to reality on Sept. 10, as actress Shailene Woodley announced she has received a commitment for a $2.49 million tax credit from the California Film Commission for the film. "I have a feeling Janis would be smiling ear to ear, zipping down the PCH in her psychedelic Porsche knowing her story is bringing opportunities and funding to the city and people that held so much significance to her," Woodley, who will star in and produce the film, said in a statement. "Thank you to the California Film Commission's Film & Television Tax Credit Program -- myself and the other producers on this project believe California is the only place to film a slice of Janis's life with authenticity and truth -- and we are so grateful to have received the green light to do so!," she added. The Joplin biopic from Temple Hill qualified for just under $10 million in production expenditures for a 30-day shoot in California, according to the state's film commission. Joplin died in 1970 at age 27 and a biopic of the legendary singer has yet to be produced, but not for a lack of trying. Amy Adams, Zooey Deschanel, P!nk and Melissa Etheridge, among others, were earlier on board to play Joplin in movies that never got to production. - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/10/24...... Heart has rescheduled their first tour in five years after sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson were postponed due to Ann's recent cancer scare. Sharing an animated video set to the group's 1975 hit "Crazy on You," Heart broke the news of the band's return to the road via 
A&M Records and UMe announced on Sept. 9 that a new collection of holiday classics by the Carpenters will be released on Nov. 1. Titled 
Bruce Springsteen's wife and E Street Band member Patti Scialfa opens up about her recent battle with blood cancer in the new documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 8. Scialfa reveals she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, in 2018, which resulted in her dialing back her public appearances and performances with husband Springsteen's E Street Band over the past few years. "This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go," she says in the film that looks at the relationship between the 74-year-old rock icon and his longtime bandmates. "Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that's been a treat. That's the new normal for me right now, and I'm OK with that." Scialfa, 71, who has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 as a backing vocalist and guitarist -- and married Springsteen in 1991 -- was not on hand for the premiere, although her famous rocker husband was, and also participated in a post-screening Q&A. In addition to being a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, Scialfa has also released three solo albums. Fans have noted her absence on stage during the E Street Band's current stadium tour, which is the group's first major outing since 2016. Road Diary, an intimate look at the rock band's current world tour and the unique backstage dynamic between the players, will stream on Hulu and Disney+ beginning Oct. 25. The trailer can be viewed on 
James Earl Jones, the prolific film, TV and theater actor whose resonant, unmistakable baritone was most widely known as the voice of 
The first ever authorized feature-length documentary about the life of Jimi Hendrix is being planned by director Bao Nguyen, who helmed the Netflix documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, about the making of the 1985 smash hit charity single "We Are the World," earlier in 2024. To be titled Jimi, the film will, according to a press release, tell the story of a "transformational period in music history when Jimi Hendrix set the world -- and his guitar -- on fire." "Through this film, I hope to capture the vibrant atmosphere of the 1960s music scene, and his meteoric rise to superstardom, culminating in the legendary show at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival -- a triumphant homecoming where his incendiary performance didn't just set his guitar alight -- it ignited a cultural shift that changed the course of music history," Nguyen says. The late guitar god's sister, Janie Hendrix, has endorsed the project, saying: "Just as Bao Nguyen has achieved in his films highlighting the lives of other iconic figures who influenced pop culture, this presentation of Jimi's London experience will be inspiring and informative -- a story told the way it should be." Meanwhile, another Hendrix-related doc, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, is due out Oct. 4. It's an exploration of the iconic studio in New York. Hendrix died in 1970 at the age of 27 and his estate has never given permission for a full-length documentary, until now. - New Musical Express, 9/7/24...... As his new solo album 
A new David Bowie documentary is claiming that the lyrics to one of Bowie's signature songs, "Heroes," was inspired by a day in 1977 he spent with his erstwhile girlfriend Clare Shenstone, instead of about an embrace the rock icon witnessed between his producer Tony Visconti and Visconti's girlfriend, German singer Antonia Maass, at the Berlin Wall. Bowie himself had given that as the key inspiration for the song's lyrics, but now a new BBC documentary, Bowie in Berlin, has cast doubt on the song's backstory. The doc claims that "Heroes," the title track to Bowie's 
The Guess Who has settled a legal battle over trademark rights to the legendary Canadian band's name. In a statement, former GW principals Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings said they had reached a deal to resolve their lawsuit against fellow original members Jim Kale and Garry Peterson -- ending a legal battle among the four original members of the band best known for hits like "American Woman" and "These Eyes." Under the deal, Bachman and Cummings said they will acquire full control over the trademark to the band's name. Monetary terms and other aspects of the agreement were not disclosed in the announcement, and no legal papers announcing the settlement have yet been filed in court. "We are pleased to have reached a resolution that honors our shared history and allows us to move forward with a new sense of purpose and camaraderie," Bachman said, with Cummings adding that they were "committed to preserving and celebrating the legacy for our fans." Attorneys for Kale and Peter didn't immediately return a request for comment. As recently as April, their attorneys called the lawsuit "a complete farce" and threatened to "hold Bachman and Cummings accountable for their wrongful and extortionate conduct." The battle between the members of The Guess Who was just the latest clash between bandmates over the legal rights to classic group names. Journey, Stone Temple Pilots and Jefferson Starship have all fought protracted litigation over their trademarks, as have members of The Rascals, The Ebonys, The Commodores and The Platters. - Billboard, 9/4/24...... Queen guitarist Brian May has revealed that he recently suffered a minor stroke that resulted in damage to his left arm. May, 77, described a "health hiccup" last week that made him temporarily unable to control the hand he uses to pick out chords on his guitar, even as he assured his fans that he's on the mend. "I think good news is that I can play guitar after the events of the last few days and I say this because it was in some doubt because that little Health hiccup that I mentioned happened about a week ago and what they called it was a minor stroke and all of a sudden -- out of the blue - I didn't have any control over this arm so was a little scary," May said in a video posted on his website in which he wiggled his left hand as proof that he's getting better. "I have to say I had the most fantastic care and attention from Frimley Hospital where I went blue lights flashing the lot. Very exciting!!," he added. May said he initially didn't want to say anything because, "I really don't want sympathy. PLEASE DON'T DO THAT cuz it'll clutter up my inbox and I hate that." The good news, he said, is that he's okay now and that he's listening to his doctors, who have "grounded" him, which means no driving, no flying and no raising his heart rate too high. The health update came as May is busy promoting his recently aired new documentary, Brian May: The Badgers, the Farmers and Me, which chronicles his decades long campaign to end the UK's annual culling of badgers. His video can also be viewed on 
An expanded, deluxe edition of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers' Long After Dark is set to be released in October. The new version of the hard rocking 1982 album will arrive in stores on Oct. 22, more than 40 years after it was first released. Set to arrive via Geffen/UMe on Oct. 18, the new variant will come as a double disc and contains seven recordings that remained unreleased up until now. These include Petty's "Never Be You," which became a chart-topping hit for Rosanne Cash in 1984, as well as "Don't Make Me Walk the Line" and "Ways To Be Wicked." The latter was released as a single by Lone Justice in 1985. The other bonus tracks include four songs that were filmed for a French TV Special at the Record Plant in Hollywood -- the same site where much of 'Long After Dark' was recorded. "Despite it being a golden era of The Heartbreakers playing at the height of their powers, it is widely known as the band's most misunderstood and underrated success," reads a press release. Ahead of the album re-release, the fan favorite "Straight Into Darkness" has been shared with a new video. The new version of the 1982 album will arrive as a 
Bossa nova producer, composer, pianist and song interpreter Sergio Mendes died at home in Los Angeles on Sept. 5 after struggling with complications from Covid. He was 83. The legendary Brazilian superstar, whose career spanned more than three dozen albums released across six decades, helped craft the modern sound of crossover Brazilian pop thanks to such indelible hits as "Mas Que Nada" and "Magalenha." Beginning in his teens, Mr. Mendes -- who was born on Feb. 11, 1941 in Rio de Janeiro -- focused on dreams of becoming a classical pianist before being inspired by the then bubbling bossa nova explosion in the late 1950s that put a jazzy spin on the popular samba style. After moving to the U.S. in 1964, Mr. Mendes formed the first in a series of eponymous bands, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '65 and released The Swinger From Rio album, with contributions from his mentors, Antnio Carlos Jobim and American jazz trumpeter Art Farmer, followed by a live album recorded with his Brasil '65 crew, In Person at El Matador. Bouncing between recordings for Atlantic Records and Capitol, Mr. Mendes released albums at a furious pace throughout the late 1960s, quickly cementing his status as one of the premier ambassadors for the swinging bossa nova sound. But it was when he signed to jazz great Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss' A&M Records that Mr. Mendes' album sales and chart success began to take off thanks to the renamed Brasil '66's debut single, the Jorge Ben-penned "Mas que Nada." His output continued apace in the 1970s, when he released more than a dozen albums, including 1970's Stillness, which featured new lead vocalist (and later wife) Gracinha Leporace and Love Music, his third album with the reconfigured band -- now known as Brasil '77. The familiar formula continued apace, mixing songs by Jobim with covers of well-known tunes by Stevie Wonder and Leon Russell. He continued to release music throughout the 2000s, including his final studio album, 2020's In the Key of Joy. In addition to his Grammy award (for 1992's Brasileiro) and two Latin Grammys, Mr. Mendes was nominated for an Oscar in 2012 for his theme song to the animated film Rio, Real in Rio. Mendes was also profiled in the 2020 documentary Sergio Mendes: In the Key of Joy. His final performances took place in Nov. 2023 during a series of well-received shows in Paris, London and Barcelona. In an 
Legendary British bass guitarist Herbie Flowers, who contributed to recordings by the likes of David Bowie, Lou Reed, Elton John, Cat Stevens, Bryan Ferry, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr to name a few, died of as yet undisclosed causes on Sept. 5, according to a close family member. He was 86. His start as a musician came in 1956 when, aged 18, he was conscripted into the Royal Air Force. There, he played the tuba as a bandsman, before eventually taking up double bass shortly followed by electric bass. Once his military service was complete, he spent a brief period as a bandsman on the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth. Eventually, he began working as a session musician, lending his talents to producers such as Shel Talmy, Mickie Most, Steve Rowland, Richard Perry, Gus Dudgeon and Tony Visconti. In 1969, Mr. Flowers became a founding member of the group Blue Mink. Their biggest hit was "Melting Pot," which reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart that year. Alongside Blue Mink, he was also a member of T. Rex, Rumplestiltskin and Sky. By the end of the 1970s alone, it was estimated that Mr. Flowers had played bass on 500 hit recordings. Perhaps his most famous contribution was the bassline he wrote for Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" -- taken from his seminal 1972 album