The new Michael Jackson compilation Scream, which dropped on Sept. 29, features the the first-ever augmented-reality experience created exclusively for a Michael Jackson album. With the music discovery app Shazam, fans can point their camera at the album's poster to launch a spooky extra. Also, fans in cities across the US can also look for Scream billboards and posters that will feature the Shazam logo and trigger a second AR experience inspired by the album's cover art. A collectible glow-in-the-dark double vinyl LP of the 13-track Scream will also be available on Oct. 27. As one more Halloween treat, Jackson's estate has tapped DJ Steve Aoki to create an official "Thriller" remix -- "Thriller (Steve Aoki Midnight Hour Remix)," which is available on Sept. 29 as a standalone single or to stream. - Billboard, 9/29/17...... 
Denis Velleneuve, director of the new Blade Runner movie Blade Runner 2049, has revealed that David Bowie was originally considered to play the part of Niander Wallace in the film. "Our first thought [for the character] had been David Bowie, who had influenced Blade Runner in many ways," Villeneuve told a UK paper. "When we learned the sad news, we looked around for someone like that." After Bowie died in Jan. 2016 after battling cancer, Jared Leto was ultimately cast in the villainous role for Blade Runner 2049. The movie hits theaters on Oct. 6. Meanwhile, a story has emerged that Bowie once preferred to hide under a table to avoid the company of late James Bond actor Roger Moore to avoid his company back in the late 1970s. Author Dylan Jones writes in his new Bowie biography David Bowie: A Life that author Hanif Kureishi told him that after Bowie moved to Switzerland and the end of the Seventies to escape tax obligations and drug dealers, Moore showed up at his house in Geneva uninvited and they had a "fantastic night," however Moore returned early the next morning and invited himself in again, and Moore's stories were slightly less entertaining the second time around. "After two weeks [of Moore turning up] at 5.25pm -- literally every day -- David Bowie could be found underneath the kitchen table pretending not to be in," Jones writes in the book. In still more Bowie-related news, a world David Bowie Tribute Tour featuring Bowie collaborators from throughout his long career is set to kick off on Jan. 10 in Paris. The 24 additional dates on the tour, which features such musicians as Mike Garson, Adrian Belew, Gerry Leonard and Gaby Moreno, includes stops in Manchester UK, Dublin, Amsterdam, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Diego and Seattle, before wrapping on Mar. 3 on Portland, Ore. - Billboard/New Musical Express/Spin.com, 9/28/17...... The Soundtrack of Our Lives, a documentary about music mogul Clive Davis, premiered at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood on Sept. 26. As the movie showcases, the Davis's 50-year career has been bookended by the drug-related deaths of arguably his two most talented discoveries, Janis Joplin and Whitney Houston -- both of whom died alone in Los Angeles hotel rooms. Davis, in attendance for the premiere, said that "the tabloid version is not the full version of Whitney. You will see the full version of Whitney in this film tonight." The Soundtrack of Our Lives also ventures into the private life of Davis, who has emerged as an unlikely advocate for bisexuality as a senior citizen. After the screening ended, Davis received a standing ovation, and the film received glowing reviews in local papers. Also attending were Santana and Ralph Johnson of Earth, Wind and Fire,, among other Davis protégés. - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/28/17...... 
Kansas has just launched a second leg celebrating the 40th anniversary of its 5x platinum 1977 LP Leftoverture, with the midwest prog-rockers playing the album in its entirety. To also mark the anniversary, Kansas will release the live album Leftoverture Live & Beyond from previous tour dates. "It was something that we really wanted to have documented," says Kansas drummer Phil Ehart, who along with guitarist Rich Williams remains from Kansas' original lineup. "You really have to go all the way back to (1978's) Two For The Show for something like that. We've had other live things, but nothing quite like this so we felt it had been a long time." The Live & Beyond Tour, originally planned for only 10 special shows, has expanded to more than 80 dates due to its success, well beyond what Ehart and company expected. "Yeah, to say it surpassed our expectations is kind of an understatement," Ehart says. "I guess we had forgotten what a gigantic album that was, and how popular it was. When we had a chance to do it in its entirety the Kansas fans really came out in full force, and there were a lot of people who were just Leftoverture fans; Because of 'Wayward Son' it was the only album of ours they ever owned. So it really became a lot more than we expected." The Leftoverture Live & Beyond will also feature 11 other songs, including such Kansas favorites as carus," "Point Of Know Return," "Paradox," "Journey From Mariabronn" and "Portrait (He Knew)." Ehart says an additional live album will be released in 2018, with a live version of the band's followup, Point of Know Return, in its entirety. - Billboard, 9/28/17...... "The Cher Show," a musical based on the life of Cher, will arrival this fall as part of the "Broadway In Chicago" Season Subscription Series. "My life as a musical on Broadway," Cher said in a statement. "It seems crazy, exciting and bizarre -- but that's probably how my life seems to most people." "The Cher Show" is directed by Tony-award winning director Jason Moore ("Avenue Q"), and features choreography from Tony Award-winner Christopher Gattelli. - Billboard, 9/28/17...... The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame presented its first induction ceremony in six years on Sept. 23 at Massey Hall in Toronto, with Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, the group Beau Dommage, and Stphane Venne being honored by their native country. "I'm getting an award for writing songs. How crazy is that?," Neil Young said during the four-hour ceremony. Previous inductees of the CSHOF, which number around 50, include Robbie Roberston, Rush, Paul Anka, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings and Gordon Lightfoot. The gala was capped by an all-star jam that included Rush's Alex Lifeson for "Cinnamon Girl" and many of the honorers on the grand finale of "Rockin' In The Free World," including Randy Bachman, Whitehorse and Blackie & The Rodeo Kings. - Billboard, 9/27/17...... 
For the first of two shows at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, on Sept. 26, Paul McCartney called upon his old pal and Nassau native Billy Joel to contribute to the Beatles' classics "Get Back" and "Birthday," the latter which Macca thoughtfully dedicated to "anybody who's got a birthday -- and also anybody who's got a birthday any time this year." McCartney and Joel have jammed together several times in the past, most notably during Joel's 2008 concerts at New York's Shea Stadium before its demolishment. McCartney will take his One on One tour to Detroit for two shows at the start of October. - Spin.com, 9/27/17...... In other Beatles-related news, a new album of instrumental music from late Beatles producer George Martin is due out on Nov. 10. George Martin: the Film Scores and Original Orchestral Compositions will feature excerpts from Martin's under-recognized and unreleased film scoring work, specifically the original music he contributed (outside of the work he did for the Beatles and Paul McCartney's songs from the film) for the Beatles' animated feature Yellow Submarine and the James Bond film Live and Let Die. - Spin.com, 9/29/17...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Beatles fans can now literally live in a "Yellow Submarine" as sock distributor Happy Socks, in partnership with the band, has announced the release of a new line of Beatles-related socks. "The Happy Socks x The Beatles" collection boasts six designs based on the film's characters and scenes, including the Dreadful Flying Glove, Chief Blue Meanie and Jeremy, Pepperland, and, of course, the Yellow Submarine. And rather ingeniously, the socks are packaged in collectible gift boxes designed to resemble a record LP and EP. The Yellow Submarine sock collection will be available at Happy Socks stores and happysocks.com starting Oct. 3. - Billboard, 9/28/17...... Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley has announced a new children's book based on Elvis' 1956 ballad "Love Me Tender." Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender will be released on Nov. 13 via Dial Books for Young Readers. Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin and featuring an endnote written by Priscilla, the book is described as a "heartwarming ode to the special bond between children and the adults who love and care for them -- be they parents, grandparents, adoptive parents, aunts, uncles or guardians." "It's a feel-good story of love and accepting and a happy ending. Isn't that what children want?," Priscilla said. - Billboard, 9/27/17...... Judas Priest have been confirmed as headliners of the 2018 UK Bloodstock Festival, which takes place from Aug. 9-12. "Thrilled, honoured and primed, ready to unleash Priest-style metal fury into the headbanging heart and home of heavy metal at Bloodstock!," Judas Priest said in a statement. The heavy metal giants will be topping the Friday night of the iconic metal festival's bill, with Gojira and Nightwish also headlining across the weekend. - New Musical Express, 9/24/17...... 
Aerosmith has been forced to cancel dates of their current "farewell" tour after frontman Steven Tyler suffered what was reportedly a seizure after the band's performance in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sept. 25. "Unfortunately, due to unexpected medical issues, lead singer, Steven Tyler, is seeking immediate care," according to a statement from the band. "(He) has been advised by his doctors that he cannot travel or perform at this time. Therefore, the last four shows of the South American tour will be cancelled." The cause of the seizure is not currently known, the report states, and neither Tyler nor his band have verified the reports. Tyler also released his own statement, saying he was sorry and he "felt like I've let you down" but "Please not to worry... I am not in a life-threatening condition, but I need to deal with this right away, and get some rest and medical care immediately in order to sustain and maintain my future performances... I promise I'll be back." The cancelled shows include dates in Curitiba, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; Rosario, Argentina; and Monterrey, Mexico. - New Musical Express, 9/28/17..... A new series based on the 1974 "blaxploitation" TV movie and subsequent TV series Get Christie Love! is being planned by Lionsgate Television and Universal Television, and like the original Christie Love, will air on ABC. The new Get Christie Love (no ! in the title) will be an "an action-packed, music-driven drama that centers on Christie Love, an African American female CIA agent who leads an elite ops unit." The hour-long drama will be written by Power creator Courtney Kemp and produced by Vin Diesel, Debra Martin Chase and Shana C. Waterman. - Deadline.com, 9/26/17...... Former The Dukes of Hazzard actor Top Wopat has been hit with new charges of indecent assault and battery amid allegations he acted inappropriately with a minor. Wopat, 66, was accused of poking a 16-year-old co-star's bare stomach during rehearsals for a production of the play "42nd Street" in Waltham, Mass., this past summer, when he also reportedly complimented her on her "nice butt" and slapped her backside with his script. According to legal documents obtained by the gossip website TMZ.com, the underage actress, whose identity has not been revealed, had been trying to ignore Wopat's advances after he allegedly told her, "I'm a creepy old man, you're really talented and really cute." A complaint was made after the rehearsal incident, and now Wopat is facing two additional charges of accosting and annoying, as well as the indecent assault and battery counts. On Aug. 3, Wopat pleaded not guilty to those charges of felony indecent assault and battery, as well as another for cocaine possession, and was released on bail. Days later, Wopat's representative revealed the troubled star would be taking some time out to tackle his "ongoing struggle with substance abuse." In the statement, Wopat expressed his "deepest regrets to friends, family, and his many loyal fans" for what he referred to as "unfortunate events." He has yet to comment on the new allegations. - WENN.com, 9/26/17...... 
As Robert Plant releases his latest solo LP Carry Fire on Oct. 13, the former Led Zeppelin frontman has announed he will kick off a 2018 North American tour named after the album on Feb. 9. The 12-date trek (with additional dates expected to be announced later) will conclude (for now) on Mar. 2. On Sept. 26, Plant released the first single from the new LP, a version of the Beach Boys tune "Bluebirds Over the Mountain" featuring vocal contributions from the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde. For the upcoming tour, the 69-year-old Plant says he's determined not to let tickets get into the hands of scalpers or bots, and that he's "collaborating with Ticketmaster to sell Presale tickets through its Verified Fan program." - Billboard, 9/26/17...... Carol Peters, the longtime manager of the band Heart, dief from cancer on Sept. 18. She was 72. Peters managed Heart for 17 years, guiding them through a resurgence in their career that saw great success on the road, in addition to an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Peters was a pioneering female in the music industry, who generously shared her knowledge and experience. She started her career at Ampex Records in 1965 in Chicago. When her husband was stationed in the U.K. in the Air Force, she moved to London and joined Tetragrammaton Records, where she worked closely with Deep Purple. She then moved into an International role at Elektra Records in London in the late '60s. By 1971, she and her husband relocated to Los Angeles, where she joined United Artists Records' publicity department. Following her return to Los Angeles in 1976, she worked at a series of labels, including Capitol, Planet Records, Warner Bros. and then Pasha Records, where, as general manager, she helped break Quiet Riot. "Carol was a remarkable human being. She poured her soul into everything she was"mother, wife, friend, guiding force, businesswoman and inspiration," Heart's Ann Wilson said in a statement. "Generous, realistic and optimistic, Carol loved completely...so she was loved completely." - Billboard, 9/28/17.
Publishing and pop culture icon Hugh Hefner, who parlayed $8,000 in borrowed money in 1953 to create Playboy magazine, died in his home at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles of natural causes on Sept. 27. He was 91. Born Hugh Marston Hefner on Apr. 9, 1926, in Chicago to parents Glenn and Grace Hefner, who he once described as "puritan" and "repressive," as a boy he was non-athletic and introverted but incredibly imaginative, and he immersed himself in movies, music, radio, cartoons and a love for animals. At about age 6, he allowed his dog to sleep on his beloved "bunny blanket" -- which was replete with images of rabbits -- and when the pet died, the parents burned the blanket, an experience that some say may have influenced Mr. Hefner's choice of a bunny for the logo of his empire years later. Mr. Hefner created Playboy after borrowing $1,000 from his mom and $7,000 from more than 40 other investors for a publication he was set to call Stag Party until he discovered a men's magazine called Stag already existed. He purchased a picture of a naked Marilyn Monroe that was taken before she was famous and put it on the cover of his magazine, which he renamed Playboy. The first issue hit newsstands in December 1953. He didn't bother putting a date on it because he was doubtful there'd be future issues, but it sold 54,000 copies -- 80 percent of the total he had printed -- and his largely male audience thirsted for more. The iconic mascot, a silhouette of a bunny in a bow tie, made its debut in the second issue, chosen because Hefner thought rabbits carried "sexual meaning" and were "shy, vivacious, jumping" animals. In 2008, it was reported that Mr. Hefner had resorted to selling tickets to his famous parties at the Playboy Mansion with the proceeds going to Playboy Enterprises. Mr. Hefner's daughter, Christie Hefner, ran the company for more than 20 years but left in 2009. While most famous for Playboy, the urbane businessman dabbled in all forms of media, including hosting his own TV shows, beginning with Playboy's Penthouse in the late 1950s and early '60s. Shot in his hometown of Chicago and syndicated, the show featured Mr. Hefner in a tuxedo and smoking a pipe surrounded by "playmates" and interviewing such celebrities as Bob Newhart, Don Adams and Sammy Davis Jr. The show boosted his personal and professional reputation and promoted what eventually became known as the "Playboy Philosophy," a lifestyle that included politically liberal sensibilities, nonconformity and, of course, sophisticated parties with expensive accouterments and the ever-present possibility for recreational sex -- though Mr. Hefner maintained he was a relative late bloomer in that department, remaining a virgin until he was 21. Mr. Hefner followed that show with Playboy After Dark, which had a similar format but with more rock 'n' roll, including appearances by the Grateful Dead, Three Dog Night, Harry Nilsson and Linda Ronstadt. The syndicated Screen Gems show was taped at CBS in Los Angeles and ran for 52 episodes in 1969-70. Mr. Hefner also co-produced hundreds of Playboy-branded videos and a few feature films, such as Roman Polanski's Macbeth and Monty Python's first film, And Now for Something Completely Different, both released in 1971. 
He had been also been a sought-after guest on TV shows as far back as 1969 when he played a Control agent in an episode of Get Smart, and more recently he appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage and Sex and the City as well as in animated shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy. Mr. Hefner also made cameos in several movies, most recently 2008's The House Bunny, which told the fictional story of a Playboy "bunny," played by Anna Faris, who has been kicked out of the Playboy Mansion, the famous real-life, 22,000-square-foot house in Los Angeles where Mr. Hefner lived for more than four decades and where he hosted famously decadent parties that attracted celebrities A-list through D. The house sold for $100 million in August with the provision that Hefner be allowed to live there the rest of his life. Mr. Hefner became the unofficial spokesman for the sexual revolution that permeated the 1960s and '70s and he was both lauded and criticized by feminists of the era, with some accusing him of objectifying women while others said he liberated and empowered them. He was also a staunch supporter of abortion -- including helping to finance the landmark Rowe v. Wade decision in 1973 -- and more recently was an outspoken advocate of same-sex marriage, and his dedication to such issues (along with his distribution of pornography) made him a pariah in some religious circles. Mr. Hefner also launched the Playboy Channel in 1982, a premium cable outlet that has since been sold and rebranded Playboy TV and is more explicitly sexual than when it was under his purview. He created The Playboy Club nightclub chain that still exists as a novelty, but in its heyday in the 1960s, it featured some of the era's biggest stars -- including Rat Packers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. He was also a staunch supporter of abortion -- including helping to finance the landmark Rowe v. Wade decision in 1973 -- and more recently was an outspoken advocate of same-sex marriage, and his dedication to such issues (along with his distribution of pornography) made him a pariah in some religious circles. "By associating sex with sin, we have produced a society so guilt-ridden that it is almost impossible to view the subject objectively," he wrote in 1963 in one of his many broadsides aimed at Christian leaders. After his marriage to first wife and classmate Millie Williams ended in divorce in 1959, Mr. Hefner married Kimberly Conrad, a former Playmate of the Year, and the couple had sons Marston and Cooper. They divorced in 2010, and Mr. Hefner married Crystal Harris two years later. In 2011, Hefner told The New York Times that he had already chosen and paid for his final resting place -- a crypt next to Marilyn Monroe's in Westwood. Mr. Hefner's death was mourned by a wide variety of celebrities, including Ryan Seacrest, Mark Hamill, Kiss' Gene Simmons, former cover subject Jenny McCarthy, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rob Lowe, Kat Dennings, Heidi Montag and Juicy J, among others. - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/27/17.
In a show of support for former NFL player Colin Kaepernick's now-viral move to take a knee during the National Anthem in 2016, Stevie Wonder took to both knees on Sept. 23 during the 6th annual Global Citizen Music Fest in New York City's Central Park. "Tonight, I'm taking a knee for America," Wonder explained as he knelt down. "But not just one knee. Both knees. Both knees, in prayer for our planet, our future, our leaders of the world and our globe. Amen." Wonder's rousing hour and a half performance included several of his greatest hits including "Isn't She Lovely" and "We Are the World." Wonder also referenced US Pres. Donald Trump, who recently stated that NFL players who protest should be "fired," and Pres. Trump's current feud with North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un. "We must take care of each other, and this planet. If we don't, we could lose the ultimate video game of life," the 67-year-old singer and activist said. "Weapons are real and rhetoric is dangerous." - Billboard, 9/23/17...... Cher is among the many celebrities who are paying tribute to Sen. John McCain for the Arizona Republican's decision to break from his party vote "no" on the Graham-Cassidy health-care proposal, which put the brakes on the Republican agenda to repeal the Affordable Care Act put forth under former president Barack Obama. "Bless you @SenetorJohnMcCain," Cher tweeted on Sept. 22. "This is 3rd Time I've Watched You Take The High Road,& Pick The American----Ppl over Politics----#StillaHero2Me," the diva added. Director and former All In the Family actor Rob Reiner also echoed Cher's opinion. "John McCain-a hero once again. Hopefully this will encourage other senators to have courage and kill this abomination once and for all," he posted the same day. - Billboard, 9/22/17...... Bob Seger released the first single from his upcoming album I Knew You When on Sept. 22, a cover of the late Lou Reed's "Busload of Faith." Recorded with the Silver Bullet Band during May 2017 in Nashville, the song was premiered by Seger and his band during a concert on Sept. 21 at a concert in Cincinnati. Seger also performed "Busload of Faith," which originally appeared on Lou Reed's critically lauded 1989 album New York, when he and the Silver Bullet Band played the final show ever at the Palace of Auburn Hills, in suburban Detroit, on Sept. 23. Seger tweaked some of Reed's original lyrics as well for his version -- for instance, substituting "You can't depend on the president" into the verse Reed wrote as "You can't depend on the churches." - Billboard, 9/22/17...... 
Dates for a hologram tour featuring the late Frank Zappa are expected to be announced in late 2018, hologram entertainment company Eyelussion announced on Sept. 21. The company is partnering with the Zappa Family Trust to to produce the "Frank Zappa - Back on the Road" concerts which, according to Zappa's son Ahmet Zappa, will be playing his late dad's "most well-known music as well as some rare and unheard material." The Zappa shows will also incorporate several former Zappa collaborators, including Steve Vai, Ian Underwood, Adrian Belew and Arthur Barrow. Production for the show will begin later in 2017, with a tour date announcement planned for late 2018. - Billboard, 9/22/17...... Elton John is calling on Australians to vote "yes" in the country's current same-sex marriage referendum. A postal vote is taking place Down Under to decide whether or not to legalise gay marriage. John -- who is currently touring in Australia -- posted an emotional Instagram post, revealing the "guilt and regret" he felt being previously married to a woman, saying he had "denied who I really was." "Many years ago, I chose Australia for my wedding to a wonderful woman for whom I have so much love and admiration," Elton wrote. "I wanted more than anything to be a good husband, but I denied who I really was, which caused my wife sadness, and caused me huge guilt and regret. To be worthy of someone's love, you have to be brave enough and clear eyed enough to be honest with yourself and your partner," he added. Voting on the bill began on Sept. 12, and the result will be announced on Nov. 15. - New Musical Express, 9/21/17...... According to The Hollywood Reporter, David Lee Roth has just signed with the ICM Partners talent agency in all areas. Roth, the original lead singer of Van Halen who went solo in 1985 but rejoined the band in 2007, continues to be represented by business manager Gerri Leonard of Leonard and Associates. - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/21/17...... A memorial for recently deceased country singer Don Williams has been set for Sept. 27 at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn. Williams, who died Sept. 8 at 78 years old, was inducted into the CMHOF in 2010. The memorial service at CMA Theater, beginning at 4:30 p.m., will be open to Williams' family, friends and music industry personnel. Meanwhile, Williams' 20 Greatest Hits album has reentered the Billboard Hot 200 album chart at No. 85, his highest-charting album on the pop survey since 1980. - Billboard, 9/21/17...... 
Two founding members of Kiss -- bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and guitarist/vocalist Ace Frehley -- performed on stage together for the first time in 16 years on Sept. 20 at a Hurricane Harvey benefit show in St. Paul, Minn. Simmons and Frehley, who hadn't played with each other since the last show of Kiss' Farewell Tour in Australia in April 2001, have had an ongoing beef that was still simmering as recently as 2014, when Kiss were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Frehley didn't perform with the rest of the band. Frehley told the Minneapolis StarTribune that his decision to perform with his old bandmate was the result of a spur-of-the-moment phone call: "I just did four shows on the East Coast, and I looked at my calendar and I noticed I was off today. I had to head back to San Diego eventually where I live, so I figured I could make a pit stop here. I called Gene, and he was really excited about me being involved, and it's that simple." He also noted that Simmons had been to his house recently to co-write two songs for an upcoming solo album. The two rockers performed four tracks together: "Parasite," "Cold Gin," "Shock Me," and "Rock And Roll All Nite," the latter with select audience members onstage. - Stereogum.com, 9/21/17...... A new version of Paul McCartney's venerable yuletide hit "Wonderful Christmastime" by McCartney, Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, and his house band The Roots, will be part of a 16-track Christmas album entitled 
Appearing on the Today show on Sept. 20, Olivia Newton-John told hostess Natalie Morales that she is still "a thriver" some 25 years after her first cancer diagnosis. Newton-John has recently had a resurgence of breast cancer that metastasized to her lower back, and according to her the pain had been so debilitating she was forced to cancel her tour that was scheduled for May and, at times, made it difficult for her to walk. "In my mind, it was over, I'd finished with it," said Olivia, whose first bout of cancer occurred in 1992, which motivated her to become an advocate for cancer research and eventually build the namesake Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in 2008. On top of chemotherapy and a holistic treatment plan, Newton-John attributed the remission of her first cancer to medicinal marijuana, which her husband (a president of a natural remedy company) grows himself. "This plant is a healing plant. I think we need to change the vision of what it is because it helped me greatly and it helps with pain and inflammation," she said. - Billboard, 9/21/17...... Bob Dylan and Columbia Records announced on Sept. 20 that the latest installment of his ongoing Bootled Series box set will explore the singer's gospel period and its accompanying late '70s/early '80s albums: Slow Train Coming, Saved and Shot of Love. 
Also celebrating its 40th anniversary is the Queen double A-side single "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions," which has just been named by Billboard as the "Biggest Jock Jam Single of All Time." Still played on an almost-daily basis on radio and at just about every major sporting event on the planet, "We Will Rock You" has transcended time, fashion, and Queen's own seeming obstacles to current popularity. Queen's Roger Taylor recalled how the band recorded the song: "Cut to we're in the studio in Wessex and I'm nervous about telling the guys: 'So, there's no drums or bass, just foot stomps, claps and vocals for most of it.' So we stamped on these boards in this old church where we recorded and it made a good noise and I thought, 'stamp here and clap and we'll build it up a million times so it sounds like a huge audience.'... I was really pushing the boundaries of what I knew had been done in terms of creating live sound in the studio. I didn't want it to be a normal song where you pause for guitar solo, so we say everything and then the guitar solo kicks in. That was odd." - Billboard, 9/22/17...... It has been revealed that iconic comedian Jerry Lewis, who died on Aug. 20 at his home in Las Vegas at age 91, has intentionally excluded his six sons from his first marriage -- including '60s pop singer Gary Lewis --- from his last will and testament. In the document, which was executed in 2012, Lewis makes no secret of the fact he has decided to leave his children from his first marriage to Patti Palmer out of the will. The reasons for Lewis' estrangement from his sons is believed to have been connected to his son Joseph's death in 2009, with his eldest son Gary blaming his father for his son's passing. Labelling him a "mean and evil person," Gary added that he believes Joseph's suicide could have been prevented if he and his father had a better relationship. "I believe he partly died of a broken heart," Gary Lewis told the Daily Mail. According to reports, Lewis left his entire estate to widow SanDee Pitnick, with their adopted daughter Danielle second in line to inherit the fortune. - WENN.com, 9/22/17...... Producer/engineer Johnny Sandlin, best known for his work with Gregg Allman, The Allman Brothers Band, Widespread Panic, Col. Bruce Hampton and Chuck Leavell, has died at the age of 72. Born in Decatur, Ala., on Apr. 16, 1945, Sandlin was a longtime producer for the Capricorn Records label, as well as a session musician who played guitar, bass and drums in a series of bands in the early 1960s. Sandlin worked on the production side of such landmark Allman releases as 
Heart member Nancy Wilson's new band Roadcase Royale released its debut 
John Fogerty has signed an exclusive record deal with BMG for a new solo album and to reissue his solo catalog, the label announced on Sept. 18. The deal kicks off on Nov. 17 with a 20th anniversary release of the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman's Grammy-winning 1997 solo album Blue Moon Swamp in various configurations and with a new cover, with re-releases of his solo LPs Centerfield, Eye of the Zombie and Deju Vu (All Over Again), as well as his live album Premonition and a new greatest hits collection curated from his solo catalog. "We couldn't be more proud to sign a cultural and musical icon like John Fogerty, and become part of his legacy as he continues to create extraordinary and timeless music," BMG exec John Loeffler said. Meanwhile, Fogerty is also at work on a new solo LP due in 2018, the followup to his 2013 album Wrote a Song for Everyone, a collaboration with such artists as Foo Fighters, Bob Seger and Miranda Lambert, among others. Fogerty will begin a residency at Las Vegas' Wynn's Encore Theater this fall, with upcoming runs set for Sept. 20-Oct. 7 and Jan. 10/20, 2018. - Billboard, 9/18/17...... Paul McCartney treated fans at New York's Madison Square Garden to an assortment of solo and Beatles hits, humor and humility as his "One on One" tour hit the Big Apple on Sept. 15 for the first of two shows at the legendary venue. "You must be bored by now," McCartney said to a fan holding up a sign that read this was their 113th McCartney show. "Tonight we're going to have some fun," the 75-year-old music legend said as he opened with the Fab Four's 1964 hit "A Hard Day's Night" that segued into "Save Us" from his 2013 solo album New. "This is going to be a night full of memories for me," Paul said in a social media post earlier in the day. After bringing out Bruce Springsteen for an encore jam of "I Saw Her Standing There" (not once but twice, at the Boss's suggestion), Macca closed the three-hour set in a fitting manner with the Abbey Road medley of "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End." - Billboard, 9/18/17...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr told the BBC's Newsnight on Sept. 13 that he made the decision to vote in favour of the Brexit referendum in 2016 because the EU was a "shambles." "The people voted and, you know, they have to get on with it," Starr said, then urged the British government to move ahead with the Brexit negotiations. "Suddenly, it's like, 'Oh, well, we don't like that vote.' What do you mean you don't like that vote? You had the vote, this is what won, let's get on with it." Ringo added that "being in control of your country is a good move... but don't tell [Brexit opponent] Bob Geldof" about his opinion. Starr's Brexit opinion also differs from his former bandmate Paul McCartney, who previously told the Washington Post that "I think I would have come down on the remain side because people like the Governor of the Bank of England, a lot of financial experts, were saying that." - New Musical Express, 9/13/17...... Country star Dolly Parton reunited with her 9 to 5 pals Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda to present the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 17. "I have been waiting to a 9 to 5 reunion since we did the movie," Parton said. Tomlin and Fonda then took a few shots at Pres. Donald Trump, comparing him to Dabney Coleman's portrayal of the caddish Franklin Hart Jr. from the 1980 film. "In 1980, we refused to be controlled by a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot boss," Fonda said, with Tomlin adding "...and in 2017 we still refuse to be controlled by a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot boss." The trio then announced the winner, Alexander Skarsgard, for his work in Big Little Lies. - Billboard, 9/17/17...... 
Alan Parsons has collaborated on a remix of his 1982 hit "Eye in the Sky" by the Disco Demolition troupe to celebrate the 35th anniversary reissue of his album of the same name. The track -- which the Chicago Bulls used for player introductions during their 90s championship run, with other sports teams subsequently adopting it -- will not be included on the upcoming deluxe anniversary edition of the album, but Parsons says he still finds the prospect of remixing one of his iconic pieces intriguing. "We communicated first by phone and then went online and were able to actually work together in real time, listening to how the mix developed," says Parsons. "I think it ended up great. The first (remix) was steering a little too far away from the original. I think we've captured the spirit of the original in this one," he added. The 
Disco hitmakers Village People are set to close the 2017 Internet streaming "Streamy" Awards on Sept. 26, which will be airing live on Twitter at 9:30 p.m. ET to 6:30 p.m. Original Village People "Cop" member Victor Willis will be returning to perform with the group for the first time in over 30 years, however he's completely replacing the group's lineup, including two Village People who have been a part of it since its inception in 1977. Those two members, "Native American" Felipe Rose and "GI" Alex Briley, are reportedly furious that Willis is ousting all of them to form a practically new group. Willis, who left the group in 1979, is the recognizable voice behind the group's most iconic hits, including 
Speaking of Rolling Stone magazine, founder/publisher Jann S. Wenner told the New York Times on Sept. 17 that he's putting his stake in the publication up for sale. "I love my job, I enjoy it, I've enjoyed it for a long time," the 71-year-old Wenner said, adding that his move was a business decision and "just the smart thing to do." Wenner and his son Gus, 27, recently sold Wenner Media's other two magazines, Us Weekly and Men's Journal, to American Media. As reported by the Times, they also sold a 49 percent stake in Rolling Stone in 2016 to a Singapore-based music tech company called BandLab Technologies. Both Wenner and his son said they would like to continue working for the magazine, but acknowledged that decision would be up to the new owner. Founded in 1967, Rolling Stone became famous for covering rock and pop music and counter-culture as well as politics and gonzo-style journalism, with the likes of such esteemed writers as Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe and Lester Bangs. It is not known whether the company is already in talks with potential buyers. - Billboard, 9/17/17...... Steely Dan's Donald Fagen announced on Sept. 13 that he's been forced to cancel four solo dates due to an undisclosed illness. The news comes just 10 days after the death of Fagen's longtime Steely Dan partner Walter Becker at age 67. The shows in question were set to take place in Portland on Sept. 12, Seattle on Sept. 13, Saratoga, Calif. on Sept. 15 and San Francisco on Sept. 16. It is unclear if Fagen's health will effect the recently announced run of Steely Dan dates scheduled to take place across October. - Spin.com, 9/13/17...... Gene Simmons of Kiss has announced he'll release a box set of previously unreleased solo material this year known as The Vault on 10 CDs in a big vault-like box. The catch is The Vault will only be available to those who spend an exorbitant amount of money for one of three different "experiences": for $2,000 you can meet up with Simmons at one of 21 events around the world where you can pick up your box set and chat with Simmons for 5 minutes; for $25,000 you can meet up with Simmons at one of 11 studios around the world where you can pick up The Vault and spend an hour with him listening to its tracks; and for $50,000 Simmons will hand-deliver The Vault to your very home, where you and up to 25 friends can spend two hours with him. However, it is stipulated he will not be in full makeup and costume, nor will he supply food and drink. - Stereogum.com, 9/13/17...... 
Harry Dean Stanton, the quintessential American actor with a gaunt, bedraggled look who labored in virtual obscurity for decades until a series of roles increased his visibility, died of natural causes on Sept. 15 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 91. Rarely a leading man, Mr. Stanton delivered memorable performances in such films as Cool Hand Luke (1967), 
Bob Dylan announced on Sept. 11 that he'll hit the road with opening act Mavis Staples for a 21-date fall tour set to kick off on Oct. 13 at Harrah's Resort SoCal in Valley Center, Calif. The tour will visit many cities than Dylan missed during his recent Outlaw Music Festival Tour with Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow and more, including Omaha, Neb.; Ames, Iowa; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Akron, Oh.; Uniondale, NY.; and Richmond, Va. The tour wraps on Nov. 16 in Boston. - Billboard, 9/11/17...... As Hurricanes Harvey and Irma ravaged the southern US and several Carribean islands in recent weeks, Barbra Streisand has penned an 
As a new Eric Clapton documentary called Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 11, the legendary guitarist says he isn't bothered that guitar sales are down. "My kids listen to classic rock, but that may only be because of me, because that's what I've played to them," Clapton said during a press conference earlier in the day. "I mean, from the time of their conception, they've been listening to music through the womb. I played them playlists, just brainwashed my kids, and at the back of it was always the guitar or some kind of solo instrument or a singer. My belief in music is it's all good. It's all good. Even stuff that doesn't appear to be so, it's all good." According to a recent story in the Washington Post, sales of guitars were down to 1 million a year from 1.5 million, and major manufacturers (Gibson and Fender) are having financial difficulties, as is the retail outlet Guitar Center. "I don't know. Maybe the guitar is over," Clapton said, laughing. "Good question though." - Billboard, 9/11/17...... A new music festival in Memphis, Tenn. set for Oct. 6-7 at Shelby Farms will showcase Stax Records veterans Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper on the closing day. The ten-piece act Booker T Presents: A Stax Revue & Journey Through Soul, Blues, and R&B will perform the main stage, with an All-Star performance from Steve Cropper & Friends to follow. Other performers headlining the 
Country singer Hank Williams Jr., who parted ways with ESPN's Monday Night Football amid controversy in 2010 after comparing former president Barack Obama to Adolph Hitler, has returned to the broadcast with a revamped performance of "All My Rowdy Freinds Are Here on Monday Night" alongside Jason Derulo and Florida Georgia Line. "Monday Night Football has the most famous music video in sports television. It's time to bring it back," Stephanie Druley, the network's senior vice president for events and studio production, told The Washington Post after Williams' return was announced. The song had served as MNF's intro song to ESPN's sports broadcast for more than 20 years before Williams' six-year hiatus. The newly-recorded song was played before the MNF game between the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings. - Billboard, 9/12/17...... Former Doobie Brothers member and '80s solo star Michael McDonald will release 
Melissa Manchester released her 21st studio album, 
Prog-rockers Yes announced on Sept. 12 that they're scrapping the remaining dates on their Yestival Tour with openers Todd Rundgren and Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy following the unexpected death of Yes guitarist Steve Howe's son, Virgil. Virgil, who played drums for the British power-rock outfit Little Barrie, played behind the kit, sang and performed keys on his father's 1993 album The Grand Scheme of Things. Details surrounding Virgil's death have not been disclosed. Yes, whose current lineup also features Alan White, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison and Billy Sherwood, issued a statement thanking "all their fans for their support and understanding at this time" and asked that the Howe family's privacy "be respected during this difficult time." On the Yestival Tour, the band mined its first nine albums, from 1969's Yes through 1978's Tormato, with at least one song from each. - Billboard, 9/12/17...... Former Thin Lizzy member Brian Downey has added a second London date to his "Alive and Dangerous" concert in London. Downey will perform at Nells Jazz & Blues in London on Nov. 24 with his new band Brian Downey's Alive and Dangerous to mark the 40th anniversary of one of Thin Lizzy's classic concert LP, Live and Dangerous. The album was recorded live in 1977 at London's Hammersmith Apollo and Toronto's Seneca College, though it wasn't officially released until a year later in 1978. Downey's band features Brian Grace (best known as the guitarist for the Commitments' Andrew Strong), and former Low Rider members Matt Wilson (lead vocals, bass) and Phil Edgar (lead guitar). - Noble PR, 9/12/17...... Don Ohlmeyer, a legendary TV sports producer and executive who helped lead NBC's "Must-See TV" revival in the 1990s, died on Sept. 10 at his home in Palm Desert, Calif. He was 72. Ohlmeyer's death was announced by his longtime friend Al Michaels during the Sunday Night Football telecast on NBC. "He was truly special and one of a kind," said Michaels. Ohlmeyer had a long run as a sports producer at ABC and NBC in the 1970s and 80s before he moved to NBC as West Coast president in 1993. - Variety, 9/11/17.
Barbra Streisand will be among the headliners of a Hurricane Harvey benefit telethon set for Sept.12 at 8:00 p.m. ET on the four major broadcast networks and cable channel CMT. The Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief, organized by Houston rapper Bun B and SB Projects head Scooter Braun, will be based in Los Angeles at the Universal Studios lot, with stages also at New York's Times Square, Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, and San Antonio's Majestic Theater. Other musicians set to appear inlcude Beyoncé, The Black Eyed Peas, Justin Bieber, Drake, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett and George Strait, among others. Non-music celebrities include George Clooney, Robert De Niro, Jamie Foxx, Adam Sandler, Ryan Seacrest, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Julia Roberts and Matthew McConaughey, among others. Organizers have also announced that the telethon will be expanded to help those affected by the impending Hurricane Irma in Florida. - Billboard, 9/6/17...... Rising actress Lucy Boynton, most recently seen in the music-themed and critically acclaimed film Sing Street, has signed on to portray Freddie Mercury's lifelong companion Mary Austin in the upcoming Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. While Austin and Mercury lived together in London for several years, he later had relationships with male lovers, and told Austin of his homosexuality. The pair remained friends however, and Mercury wrote several songs about Austin, including "Love of My Life." Shooting is scheduled to begin on Bohemian Rhapsody this month, and the film, with Rami Malek portraying Mercury and Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello and Gwilym Lee playing band members Roger Taylor, John Deacon and Brian May, respectively, is slated for U.S. release on Dec. 25, 2018. In other Queen news, Brian May met with UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for the first time on Sept. 4 at the Lush Summit 2017 in London, and described the politician as "very impressive" and afterward tweeted that Corbyn "speaks like a human being rather than a politician." May, an animal rights activist, has been a local Labour supporter in the past and recently criticised Prime Minister Theresa May's stance on fox hunting. May also praised Corbyn for "talking good sense on attacking wildlife crime." - The Hollywood Reporter/New Musical Express, 9/7/17...... 
David Crosby has shared the title track from his forthcoming solo album 
Cher says she was livid when Pres. Donald Trump announced he was going through with his plan to end the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program put in place by Pres. Obama in 2012 to protect "DREAMers" (named for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act), who came into the country as children from being deported. The pop singer has labeled Trump a "complete coward" for his action, is vowing to take in some of those affected, and is encouraging her fans to do the same. "Those who can must take a DREAMER in2 their home & protect them!!" she tweeted on Sept. 5. "I'm ready 2 do this." - Billboard, 9/6/17...... A posthumous release from Gregg Allman, 
The CBS television network announced on Sept. 7 that it will celebrate the 50th anniversary of 
Country music legend Don Williams, who scored 17 No. 1 singles and 45 Top 10 singles on the country charts including "Tulsa Time," "Good Ole Boys Like Me" and "I Wouldn't Want To Live If You Didn't Love Me," passed away on Sept. 8 after what his reps describe as a "short illness." He was 78. Born on May 27, 1939 in Floydada, Tex., Williams began his solo career in 1971, and wrote for the publishing company of legendary Nashville producer Jack Clement. A crooner as much as a country singer, Williams topped the country chart in 1979 with "It Must Be Love" and "Love Me Over Again," and recorded the 1981 crossover hit "I Believe in You," which hit No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in addition to hitting the top of the Hot Country Songs chart. "Tulsa Time," perhaps Williams' most rockin' performance, was released in 1978 and covered by many artists, most notably Eric Clapton, who released the song as the B-side to "Cocaine" in 1979. Williams' star shined throughout the '80s decade with hits such as "Stay Young," "Desperately," and "Old Coyote Town," keeping his records in the top 10 through label changes to Capitol (1986) and RCA (1989), where he notched his final top 10 hit, 1991's "True Love." All in all, Williams' Hot Country Songs chart numbers include 45 top 10 hits and 17 No. 1s, with his final chart-topper being 1986's "Heartbeat in the Darkness." The laid-back artist, known as "The Gentle Giant" for his broad six-foot-plus frame and big, smooth baritone voice, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010, and retired from music in 2016. - Billboard, 9/9/17...... Holger Czukay, co-founder of legendary German '70s experimental act Can, passed away on Sept. 5 at the age of 79. Though his cause of death is unknown, Czukay was found dead in Can's studio in Weilerswist, near Cologne, according to a German newspaper. Czukay, born in Poland in 1938, formed Can with bandmate Irmin Schmidt in 1968. Can pioneered the "Krautrock" movement, mixing rock, electronic and world music, and released numerous albums, including 1973's notable Future Days. "I Want More," Can's biggest hit, peaked at No. 26 on the U.K. singles chart in 1976, but the group's sound proved influential to many artists. Czukay also released several solo albums, with his latest being 2015's Eleven Years Innerspace. - Billboard, 9/5/17...... Famed tour manager and rock photographer Harry Sandler passed away on Sept. 2 after a brief fight against cancer. He was 73. Sandler spent much of his career as a tour manager working with Irving Azoff, assisting with the careers and tours of artists like John Mellencamp, Eagles, Katy Perry, Billy Joel, Jewel, Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Nicks. "Harry Sandler worked for me for 32 years," said John Mellencamp. "We fought many a round together against unscrupulous promoters, record companies, managers, merchandisers, and tried to keep ticket prices fair from dishonest ticket scalpers. Harry even produced a movie for me. He gave many people their start in this business. Harry was part of my family. All my kids grew up knowing him, and we traveled the world together. I don't recall having any serious arguments with Harry. He was generally correct about most things. But mostly I remember just laughing with him." Sandler had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on June 29 and died 66 days later. - Billboard, 9/3/17.