A performance video by a Japanese girl nailing the drum part of Led Zeppelin's "Good Times Bad Times" has gone viral after Zeppelin's Robert Plant praised the drumming skills of 8-year-old Yoyoka Soma on the CBC Radio program Q. First uploaded to YouTube in January, the video shows the girl ferociously and flawlessly playing the drum part in "Good Time Bad Times" from the band's 1968 debut album, with the late John Bonham on drums. "How fantastic, and the thing is, it's like falling off a log for her," Plant said, also quipping that "Well, I know where she can get good job." Plant was also asked what he thought Bonham would think of the clip, to which he responded: "I think he would be so amazed. I think he would be so chuffed. It's great." Little Yoyoka had submitted the video to the 2018 Hit Like A Girl drum contest, where she wrote in her entry that Bonham was one of her favorite drummers. "As a drummer, I enjoy being groove, tones and try to support vocalists carefully. My dream is to be the best drummer in the world... As I am aiming at overseas activities, I am studying English conversation. I want to become friends with people all over the world through my musical activities!" - Billboard, 7/5/18...... 
Paul McCartney announced on July 5 that he will promote his forthcoming LP Egypt Station with his first three live dates in the UK in over three years. Sir Paul will resume touring this fall in support of his 17th solo set, which will drop on Sept. 7. The "Freshen Up" tour, which Macca has previously explained refers to "freshening up our show and playing some of our songs from the new album alongside those songs we know you like to hear," will visit Liverpool, Glasgow and London in December. In a statement, Paul said that there is "nothing like performing in front of your home crowd, especially when it's been a while" and he "can't wait to finish the year on such a high... We've freshened up the show since our last time round and we are excited to get to play some of our new songs along side some of the favourites." Meanwhile, the Beatles legend has joined the growing chorus of artists, labels and music industry bodies calling upon European regulators to pass sweeping reforms to copyright law and address the so-called value gap, the difference between what free user-upload sites and subscription services pay creators for their music. In an open letter published by IFPI, McCartney urged members of the European Parliament to back the EU's proposed copyright directive during their meeting in Strasbourg for a plenary vote July 5. "You hold in your hands the future of music here in Europe," writes McCartney, stressing the importance of music and culture as "our heart and soul." "Unfortunately, the value gap jeopardizes the music ecosystem," he warns. "We need an internet that is fair and sustainable for all. But today some user upload content platforms refuse to compensate artists and all music creators fairly for their work, while they exploit it for their own profit," he added. He joins a list of more than 1,300 recording artists and songwriters pushing for MEPs to go through with the reforms, which, if passed, will force user generated content services like YouTube to obtain music licenses and effectively ending Europe's safe harbor provisions, which protect sites like YouTube from liability if users upload content without rightsholders' permission. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 7/5/18...... The Beach Boys made their fourth appearance at the "A Capitol Fourth" Independence Day celebration in Washington on July 4, collaborating with special guest Jimmy Buffett and program host John Stamos for a medley of hits. The stars never missed a beat as they performed "I Get Around," "Kokomo, and "Fun, Fun, Fun," with Buffett, who performed his own set earlier, looking relaxed as ever while strumming an acoustic guitar on the last two tracks. Also performing earlier in the evening were The Temptations. - Billboard, 7/5/18...... U.S. Pres. Donald Trump, who in the summer of 2017 referred to Kim Jong-Un derisively as "Rocket Man," has gifted the North Korean leader with a copy of Elton John's "Rocket Man" now that the two are on better terms after a face-to-face summit in Singapore in June. Kim was reportedly unfamiliar with John's 1972 hit, and there is no word as yet about how Sir Elton feels about one of his songs being involved in such an unusual show of diplomacy. - New Musical Express, 7/6/18...... Elvis Costello announced on July 6 that he will be canceling the remaining dates of his UK and European summer tour on medical grounds. Costello, 63, underwent surgery in May and had already scrapped two UK gigs in June in Southend and Plymouth, and also canceled a July 6 show in Manchester, on advice from his doctors. On June 19, he announced that he'll kick off a 20-date North American tour this fall on Nov. 2 in Bethlehem, Penn., in support of his as yet untitled new album. - New Musical Express, 7/6/18...... 
During a live-streamed concert at Detroit's Fox Theatre on July 4, Neil Young voiced his support for immigrant children who have been separated from their parents at the U.S. southern border in one of his most politically overt concerts this summer. Adding the Buffalo Springfield track "I Am a Child," which he wrote when he was part of the band, to the set, Young pointed out that the children "are in the United States of America," adding that "a lot of people are looking at that," with some responding "So are we!" But mainly he let the music do the talking during the one-hour-and-45-minute show, one of six solo acoustic dates he's playing this summer, with politically charged songs such as "Ohio," "Angry World," "Love And War" and "Broken Arrow." The next dates on his itinerary includ the Promise of the Real fest in Quebec on July 6, then solo acoustic dates with shows on July 11-12 at the Wang Theatre in Boston. - Billboard, 7/4/18...... Charlie Daniels has raised over $100,000 for U.S. veterans by performing at the Veteran Impact Celebration in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on June 28. The sold-out fundraiser was held to benefit Middle Tennessee State University's Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center, a place that is very near and dear to Daniels' heart -- a fact confirmed with his presentation of a check for $100.000 on behalf of his non-profit Veterans' organization, The Journey Home Project. "I've been a patriot all my life. I've admired the military all my life," the 81-year-old "Uneasy Rider" singer noted. "I grew up during the second World War, and I remember the casualty reports, the campaigns, MacArthur and Eisenhower, and all these guys fighting the war. I remember D-Day... I remember it well," he says proudly of the events of June 6, 1944, and added that those serving today are just as brave. - Billboard, 7/4/18...... A cover of ABBA's "Fernando" by Cher and actor Andy Garcia from the movie Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again has debuted at No. 22 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary songs chart for the week ending July 7. "Fernando" is Cher's 28th AC chart entry and first since the No. 17-peaking "I Hope You Find It" in 2014. She made her debut on the chart on Sept. 25, 1971 with "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves," and has scored 14 Top 10s, including two No. 1's -- "After All," with Peter Cetera, and "If I Could Turn Back Time," both in 1989. She last reached the top 10 with the No. 3 smash "Believe" in 1999. The Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again soundtrack will feature "Fernando" and is due July 14 via Decca Records. The movie premieres in movie theaters July 20 and is the sequel to the 2008 film Mamma Mia! Meanwhile, Cher has teased that she might be releasing new music this fall on Twitter. After expressing her dismay over the current drama surrounding the U.S. Supreme Court on July 1, the diva switched gears and posted "Think album will be out in sept." to her followers. The new LP would be her 26th studio album and the follow-up to her 2013 LP Closer to the Truth. Her busy summer also included a run of dates at Washington, D.C.'s Theater at MGM National Harbor Aug. 4-12. - Billboard, 7/3/18...... In related news, a new The Temptations musical is currently playing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., before hitting Los Angeles in August and September and then Toronto before hitting Broadway in early 2019. The production, which tells the legendary Motown group's story through its own songs, debuted with an extended, record-breaking run at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2017. "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations" has received rave reviews and is directed by Des McAnuff (The Who's "Tommy" and "Jersey Boys") from a book by Dominique Morriseau. "When I first saw it last fall I was very impressed," sole surviving founding Tempts member Otis Williams says. "Not only because it's about my life story with the Tempts, but how it was portrayed and how it touched the audience. There were people sitting in there crying. So it touches emotions, and 95 percent of it is the truth." - Billboard, 7/2/18...... 
Styx has added the full version of "Mr. Roboto" to the setlist of their 2018 summer tour for the first time in 35 years. The band had quit playing "Mr. Roboto" live for many years due to bad memories from the acrimonious Kilroy Was Here project in 1983, a concept album spearheaded by former singer-keyboardist Dennis DeYoung that polarized fans and led to a seven-year split of the band. Even now, Styx guitarist James "J.Y." Young says he's ambivalent about the song, because of "all the bad things that went along with that record. It was just far off the mark from what I was interested in performing live -- and we have plenty of material without it." "Mr. Roboto" which peaked at No. 3 on the pop chart in 1983, got a new lease on life in a 1999 Volkswagen Golf ad, and ever since then has enjoyed a revisionist, kitschy status that's eclipsed any negative connotations it might have conveyed. Young says that fans would often request the song from Styx merchandise and crew members, and from the band when it would perform private shows, which led to a new understanding of and even appreciation for the song's importance. "While ['Mr. Roboto'] killed the momentum of the first huge wave of Styx, it actually spawned the next generation of Styx fans. A lot of people under the age of 12 bought it, and those people are now in their 30s, perhaps even older... so we just decided to try and do it," Young says. Dennis DeYoung, who parted ways with Styx acrimoniously in 1999, responded to "Mr. Roboto"'s new life with a tweet: "It's just two guys [Young and Shaw] finally admitting the obvious. People like it...Hallelujah." Styx will continue their summer co-headlining tour with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Tesla through July 15. - Billboard, 7/2/18...... Chic co-founder Nile Rodgers was unanimously elected by the Songwriters Hall of Fame's Board of Directors on July 2 to serve as the organization's chairman for the next three years, succeeding Philly soul hitmakers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. "I am truly honored and beyond humbled to be elected by such an esteemed group as this illustrious board," Rodgers said in a statement. "I will try and serve with all my heart. I hope I can make you half as proud of me as I am to even sit in the room with you who've done so much for the furtherance of composition. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve the songwriting community." Meanwhile, Rodgers is resurrecting Chic for the Sept. 14 release of its first new album in 26 years, It's About Time. - Billboard, 7/2 18...... Lawyers for Ozzy Osbourne have called a motion to dismiss his lawsuit filed by concert promoters AEG "baseless on the facts and the law alike." In the June 1 motion to dismiss the lawsuit from Osbourne that seeks injunctive action against AEG over their block booking policy between the O2 Arena in London and Los Angeles' Staples Center, AEG said that Osbourne cannot claim anti-trust injury since the policy ties the promoter to the agreement, not the artist. In a rebuttal to the motion to dismiss, Osbourne attorney Dan Wall writes that AEG is "misleading the court and are fully aware that the policy forces artists to play their venue in Los Angeles, sometimes against their will." AEG has argued that Osbourne has no claim to sue the promoter and venue operator, because he did not sign the "Staples Center Commitment," which was actually signed by the No More Tours 2 promoter, Live Nation. - Amplify.com, 7/3/18...... 
Meat Loaf announced on July 2 that he will be heading back on tour, but not doing any actual singing. Meat Loaf, 70, says he'll be handing vocal duties to Caleb Johnson, the winner of the American Idol competition in 2014. A source close to Meat Loaf told the UK paper The Sun that "Meat Loaf is concerned he isn't up to some of the bigger numbers after losing his voice a couple of years ago. He's been relying on pre-recorded vocal tracks for a while but doesn't want to face accusations of miming on a huge tour, so is passing the baton on to Caleb, who he's a big fan of. Instead his involvement will be telling stories of how he met Jim Steinman, who he's worked with since the Seventies, and other anecdotes. But the singing will be left to Caleb." Dates for the international tour will be announced in the coming days. - NME, 7/2/18...... The electronics and music retailer Best Buy announced on July 1 that it plans to pull all CDs out of its stores this summer, but will be keeping vinyl records. CDs, a once commonplace digital music format, has recently been getting hammered in the United States. CD sales were down 18.5 percent last year and some experts estimate Best Buy's CD receipts are just $40 million annually. But Best Buy says it's committed to carrying vinyl records, which have been enjoying a resurgence lately, for at least the next two years. - ABC7Chicago.com, 7/1/18...... Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson was granted a temporary restraining order by a Los Angeles court on July 3 against a man she says has been stalking her. The ordersays 23-year-old Nicholas Stevens must stay away from Jackson at least until July 24. In her complaint, Jackson said that she and a bandmate were leaving her recording studio June 13 when Stevens, who she does not know, appeared and said he'd waited for her last week for 15 hours. Jackson says Stevens refused to leave, said he was "stalking her," mentioned a shotgun and said "by midnight it will all be over." Then July 1, Stevens tweeted at Jackson that he was her "soulmate." Stevens could not be reached for comment. In other Jackson family news, family patriarch Joe Jackson was laid to rest on July 2 during a private ceremony at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, the same Suthern California cemetery as his late son Michael Jackson. Mr. Jackson died on June 27 in Las Vegas at age 89 and is survived by wife Katherine, eight children and dozens of grandchildren. - AP, 7/4/18...... Harry M. Miller, an Australian showbiz legend who twice promoted tours by the Rolling Stones in the 1960s and presented the successful stage productions of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "The Rocky Horror Show" Down Under, has died at age 84. Mr. Miller also promoted shows by the Beach Boys, Ella Fitzgerald and Tom Jones in Oz. He passed away peacefully in Sydney on June 4, the HMMG agency he founded, said in a statement. "By his side were his long term partner Simmone Logue, daughters Justine, Brook and Lauren and their mother Wendy," the statement reads. Mr. Miller also guided the careers of leading Australian media, sporting and entertainment figures including Deborah Hutton, Alan Jones, Maggie Tabberer and Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton. After 50 years in the business, Mr. Miller retired at the end of 2009 and published his memoirs two years later, Harry M Miller: Confessions of a Not-So-Secret-Agent. He was diagnosed with dementia in 2011. - Billboard, 7/5/18...... 
Alan Longmuir, founding bass player with the Scottish '70s pop phenomenon The Bay City Rollers, died on July 2 following a brief illness. He was 70. Longmuir formed the band, initially known as The Saxons, back in 1966 with his younger brother and drummer Derek Longmuir, and singer Gordon "Nobby" Clark. The lineup went through multiple changes through the years, with Longmuir leaving the band in 1976 and returning two years later, after which time he alternated between bass duties, rhythm guitar and keys. In its heyday, the band scored three top 10s in the U.S., including a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart with "Saturday Night," in 1976. In the U.K., the Rollers were even more popular and scored No. 1s with "Bye Bye Baby" and "Give a Little Love" (both from 1975) and saw ten songs hit the Top 10. The band split in 1981. Longmuir reportedly died at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Scotland, surrounded by family and friends. He was flown home three weeks ago after falling ill on holiday in Mexico. He was part of a reunion in late 2015 with his fellow bandmates Les McKeown and Stuart Wood, which was promoted as "a very special Christmas present to all the fans that have kept the faith with the band over the years." "Our sincere condolences to all his family, friends and fans," the band posted on social media. His friend and biographer Liam Rudden also described him as "one of the most gentle, generous and kind-hearted people I've ever known." - Billboard, 7/2/18...... Veteran rock journalist Roy Carr, who helmed the New Musical Express's cassette compilations throughout the 80s and also authored a number of LP-sized books as part of the An Illustrated Record rock biography series, has passed away. Carr also wrote for Melody Maker, Uncut and Vox. His books in the 1970s and 1980s offered detailed music info on the likes of the Beatles and David Bowie before similar guides existed. - New Musical Express, 7/2/18...... Craid Raymond Turner, the first son of Tina Turner, died of an apparent suicide on July 3. He was 59. Craig is the son of Tina and saxophonist Raymond Hill. Tina's first husband, Ike Turner, adopted Craig. Turner was a real estate agent in the San Fernando Valley, with his Rodeo Realty profile noting that he belonged to the National Organization of Realtors and California Association of Realtors. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/4/18.
Pop singer Gloria Estefan has revealed she will be a guest star on an upcoming episode of One Day at a Time, the Netflix reboot of the legendary '70s sitcom, this time centering on a Cuban-American family. "This is it!" sang Estefan in a video posted to her Instagram account June 25, quoting the series' new theme song. "I've been waiting three seasons for this people. Oh my Gosh, get ready! It's hilarious! I'll be playing Mirtha, Lydia's baby sister and arch-nemesis. I'm coming for you Alvarez family!," Estefan posted to her Instagram account on June 25. Estefan has long professed to be a fan of the new One Day at a Time, which is executive produced by original ODAAT exec producer Norman Lear. The show revamps the original '70s story of a divorced career woman and her two daughters as the tale of a Cuban American family living in Los Angeles today, and Estefan sings the new, "mambofied" version of the theme song. Now, fans of the show will get to see her act as well. - Billboard, 6/25/18...... 
During a two-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl on June 26 and 27, Rod Stewart revealed that his upcoming album will be called Blood Red Roses and hit stores in September. Stewart played his first concert in his adapted hometown of Los Angeles in over seven years, treating fans to a hearty dose of career touchstones ("Maggie May," "Tonight's the Night," "You're in My Heart," "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy"), as well as a liberal sprinkling of covers ("Having a Party," "Have I Told You Lately"). He also introduced two new songs from his upcoming album on each night, "Grace" and "Hole in My Heart," introducing the latter by saying it was inspired by his days as a twenty-something running around with the ladies. The 73-year-old rocker and his opener Cyndi Lauper next head to cities including Charlotte, N.C. (7/26), Nashville (8/1), New York (8/7), Indianapolis (Aug. 18), and San Francisco (Aug. 29), before wrapping on Sept. 1 in Seattle. - Billboard, 6/27/18...... The estate of Prince and Sony Music Entertainment announced on June 27 that they have signed an exclusive distribution agreement that covers 35 of Prince's previously released albums. Under the new arrangement, the Purple One's catalog included in the deal will be distributed by Legacy Recordings. Worldwide rights begin immediately for Prince's album releases from 1995-2010, with the others following in years to come. Among the titles included in the first phase are The Gold Experience (1995), Emancipation (1996), Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (1999), The Rainbow Children (2001) and 3121 (2006), as well as Musicology (2004) and Planet Earth (2007), which were originally released via Sony through Columbia. Additional album titles from the 2014-2015 era will also be distributed with worldwide rights under the deal in the future. The deal also includes rights to other previously released singles, B-sides, remixes, non-album tracks, live recordings and music videos recorded before 1995. Additional album titles from the 2014-2015 era will also be distributed with worldwide rights under the deal in the future. "Sony Music is honored to play a part in keeping Prince's music alive and making it available for generations of lifelong listeners and future fans," SME president Richard Story said in a statement. - Billboard, 6/27/18...... Blues legend Mike Vernon and his band The Mighty Combo will release his debut album, Beyond the Blue Horizon, on Sept. 7. Vernon has produced albums for some of the most famous artists in British rock and blues including John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (with Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor), David Bowie, Ten Years After, Savoy Brown, Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, Focus, Freddie King, Climax Blues Band and Level 42 Vernon is best known as the founder of the Blues record label Blue Horizon, with a roster including Peter Green, Rory Gallagher, Paul Kossoff and Christone McVie, which was a major "ground breaker" in its time and still revered to this day. "To be fronting my own R&B outfit has always been a dream but the right moment to make that transition never appeared until now," says Vernon. Vernon and the Mighty Combo will also be mounting an 18-date UK and European tour behind the new album this summer, beginning with an appearance at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival on July 22. - Noble PR, 6/26/18...... 
Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson, father and early manager of the Jackson 5, died on the morning of June 27 in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer. He was 89. According to TMZ.com, Mr. Jackson was surrounded by his wife Katherine Jackson and "some" of his grandchildren at the time of his death. Mr. Jackson had been dealing with a host of medical problems over the past few years, including a recently revealed battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in 1928, Mr. Jackson married Katherine in 1949, and the couple went on to have 11 children. As a manager, Mr. Jackson launched the career of son Michael Jackson -- along with Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Tito Jackson -- out of Gary, Ind., as the Jackson 5 in the 1960s. The group signed with Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and in 1970, their first four singles ("I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There") all went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. They also have the distinction of being the first act ever to see their first four singles top the chart. Jermaine Jackson tweeted about his father's health on June 21. "For however long he has left, my mother, siblings, and relatives want to be with him, without hindrance." Then on June 24, a more ominous update was posted on Mr. Jackson's Twitter page: "I have seen more sunsets than I have left to see. The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes." Mr. Jackson suffered a stroke while visiting Brazil in 2015 and was again hospitalized after a car he was riding in was involved in an accident in Las Vegas in 2017. Although he was known for his iron-fisted management of his children, in 2002, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honored him as the Best Entertainment Manager of All Time. Although some of his children have criticized him for his harsh parenting techniques, his daughter, pop star Janet Jackson, recently spoke warmly of her father as she received the Radio Disney Music Awards first-ever Impact Award. "My mother nourished me with the most extravagant love imaginable," she said. "My father, my incredible father drove me to be the best I can." Michael's daughter Paris Jackson, posted a touching tribute to her granfather after his death: "I have immense gratitude for you, and always will... rest in peace and transition. i'll see you in my dreams very very soon." "RIP to the king that made everything possible," his grandson Randy Jackson tweeted on June 27. "I love you." - Billboard/Jezebel.com, 6/27/18...... In other Jackson-related news, a new art exhibition in London entitled "Michael Jackson: On the Wall" opened on June 28 and depicts Michael as everything from a savior, a saint, an entertainer, an icon, a monarch, a mask and a mystery. The show at the UK's National Portrait Gallery explores the way contemporary artists have been drawn to the late King of Pop, as an artistic inspiration, a tragic figure and a fascinating enigma. A total of 48 artists are represented in the exhibit, including 1980s pop-art portraits by Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, depictions of a Christ-like Michael by David LaChapelle, and a vast portrait of the "King of Pop" as a king on horseback. "It explores how Michael could mean so many different things to so many people," said curator Nicholas Cullinan. - AP, 6/27/18...... Justo George Cameron, a founding member of the baroque '60s pop band The Left Banke, died on died on June 24, 2018 at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan after a battle with cancer. He was 70. The Left Banke gained popularity in the late 1960's for their hit singles, "Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina." His involvement with the band remained until his death, and he often hosted reunion concerts and tours, releasing additional songs and albums, and the Manhattan native often performed at many children's charity events throughout New York City. - 5/25/18...... Legendary New York and Connecticut radio air personality Dan Ingram has passed away at the age of 83. Mr. Ingram began his five decade broadcasting career at small stations such as WNRC/New Rochelle, NY, WALK/Patchogue, NY, and WNHC/New Haven, CT, and worked at WICC/Bridgeport, CT as 'Ray Taylor." He moved on to larger markets and was responsible for huge ratings jumps at both KBOX/Dallas and WIL/St. Louis before returning to New York to create and sell radio contests for Mars Broadcasting. In 1961, Ingram returned to the airwaves at WABC/New York where he stayed for the next 21 years until it went all-talk. During that period he also did "The Other Dan Ingram Show" playing jazz on WABC-FM. He combined humor, an irreverent style, and impeccable timing and established himself as the leading rock radio personality in North America. Mr. Ingram was the master of the "talk-up," speaking over the introduction and finishing his thoughts at the exact moment the lyrics started. Mr. Ingram joined the oldies station WCBS-FM/New York in 1991 where he worked until he retired in 2003. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2007. - 5/25/18...... 
A new compilation featuring some of late the Clash frontman Joe Strummer will be released on Sept. 29 in a variety of formats. Entitled Joe Strummer 001, the 32-track set will be the first compilation to span Strummer's career outside of the Clash and boast 12 previously unreleased songs, as well as favorites from his work with the 101ers, the Mescaleros, and his extensive soundtrack work. In addition to double-CD, 4-record vinyl, and digital download, limited edition deluxe box set editions on vinyl and CD will sport extras including a 64-page hard backed Note Book with writings, lyrics, photos and sketches taken from Strummers's extensive personal archive. - New Musical Express, 6/29/18...... Actress Deanna Lund, who played one of the seven castaways trying to survive in a world of large, unfriendly people on the 1960s ABC series Land of the Giants, died of pancreatic cancer on June 29 at her home in Century City, Calif. She was 81. Ms. Lund starred as Valerie Scott, a selfish party girl, on the Irwin Allen-created series, which aired for two seasons, from Sept. 1968 until March 1970. Set in the year 1983, the show revolved around the crew and passengers of the spaceship Spindrift, which on the way to London crashed on a planet whose humanoid inhabitants were hostile and unbelievably huge. The show was extremely expensive to make, costing a reported $250,000 an episode. The sexy Ms. Lund had also appeared as a redheaded lesbian stripper opposite Frank Sinatra in Tony Rome (1967) and as Anna Gram, a moll working for The Riddler (John Astin), on ABC's Batman, leading to her being cast on the show. She also appeared in the Elvis Presley films Paradise, Hawaiian Style and Spinout as a nurse. Other TV credits include Love, American Style, The Waltons, The Incredible Hulk and General Hospital, and she taught acting as well. - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/30/18...... Award-winning fantasy and science-fiction writer Harlan Ellison passed away in his sleep on June 28 at age 84. Mr. Ellison edited the influential anthology Dangerous Visions in 1967, and over the course of his storied career had won multiple Nebula, Hugo, Edward, Writers Guild of America, and Edgar Allen Poe Awards -- to name just some of his honors. His biography, A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison, an Exploration, was published in 2017. - Vulture.com, 6/28/18.
It was "Tuesday Knight Fever" for the Bee Gees' Barry Gibb on June 26 as the music legend received a knighthood from Prince Charles during investitures at Buckingham Palace. "If it was not for my brothers, I would not be here," said the new Sir Barry, adding he hopes his late brothers Robin and Maurice Gibb, who passed away in 2012 and 2003 respectively, are proud of him. "If I had spent my whole life writing songs on my own, it would have meant something else altogether. I hope and pray that they are aware of what has happened and that they are proud. I believe in that," he said. The 71-year-old singer/songwriter, who was honoured for his services to music and charity, added that the honor was "a bit surreal" and that "it is a high award that your culture can give you and that is something I am enormously proud of." During his time with the Bee Gees, Barry Gibb helped the band become one of the most successful acts in pop music history, with a slew of global hits including "Night Fever," "Stayin Alive," "How Deep Is Your Love," "Tragedy" and "Words." - AP, 6/26/18...... Cher snuck into the Oriental Theatre in Chicago over the fourth weekend in June to catch a preview of the Broadway-bound musical "The Cher Show," and the diva has shared some opinions about its progress. Cher told the Chicago Tribune that while she really enjoyed the show overall, there were parts of the show that could have been better. "It needs work," she said. "I'm not supposed to say that, but I don't care." Though the 72-year-old pop icon admitted the show was "much, much better than I thought it would be," she felt that some parts of the show dragged a little bit more than she would have liked. "Sometimes, my mind was wandering... I think those are the parts that are going to get better." Cher says she thinks the show could be improved by making it feel like more of a spectacle, saying that one specific idea for a concert-style ending to the show could really work for the best. "I am pushing them to do three dance songs in a concert-style way at the end, a bit like they do in [the hit ABBA-based musical] 'Mamma Mia,'" she said. "I think the audience would like that." But she said was nevertheless still impressed: "I am the most critical person who ever drew breath. If they can impress me, they're doing good." "The Cher Show" is set to open June 28 at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, before making it's Broadway opening at the Neil Simon Theater on Dec. 3. - Billboard, 6/26/18...... 
In an interview with the UK paper The Telegraph on June 25, the Kinks frontman Ray Davies revealed the Kinks are getting back together to record a new album, and may even play some live shows. "I think it's kind of an appropriate time to do it," Davies said, adding he had been working in the studio with his brother Dave Davies and band mate Mick Avory, which has led to the pair making amends. "The trouble is, the two remaining members -- my brother Dave and Mick -- never got along very well," Davies explained in a recent interview with Britain's Channel 4. "But I've made that work in the studio and it's fired me up to make them play harder, and with fire." The Davies siblings haven't performed together since 1996, as the band split up in the '90s due to rising tensions between band members. A new Kinks LP would be the followup to 1994's To The Bone, and feature songs Ray wrote during the split. Ray says he was inspired to get the band back together after seeing the Rolling Stones' recent successful UK tour. While he praised the Stones' "well-organized" comeback, he quipped that "the Kinks will probably be playing the local bar." - New Musical Express/Billboard, 6/26/18...... Country star Chris Stapleton has just been added to the lineup of 33rd Annual Farm Aid Concert, which in 2018 will take place for the first time at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, Conn., on Sept. 22. Stapleton -- who won Grammy Awards in February for best country album (From a Room: Volume 1), best country solo performance ("Either Way") and best country song ("Broken Halos") -- will share the bill with Stapleton -- who won Grammy Awards in February for best country album (From a Room: Volume 1), best country solo performance ("Either Way") and best country song ("Broken Halos") -- will share the bill with Farm Aid's guiding foursome of Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews, who will perform an acoustic set with Tim Reynolds. Tickets for Farm Aid 2018 will go on sale June 29 at 10 a.m. ET through Live Nation. Farm Aid, through its annual concerts, has raised more than $53 million for grants to help family farmers and to advocate on their behalf. - Billboard, 6/25/18...... The Beach Boys have scored their first ever No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums Chart with their new foray into orchestral music, 
'70s artists Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris are among the recording, television, film and theater stars set to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019, it was announced on June 26. Other recipents set to be honored in 2019 include The Lettermen, Michael Buble, Faith Hill and P!nk, and actors Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway. The Hollywood Walk of Fame receives hundreds of submissions each year for a personal star on Hollywood Boulevard, however only a few of those submissions are granted their own star as it is estimated that the construction and ceremony production costs exceed $30,000. The dates for the 2019 star ceremonies have yet to be announced. - Billboard, 6/26/18...... The Monkees have announced they are canceling the remaining four dates of their 20-city "The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show Tour" due to a health issue for Mike Nesmith, starting with a June 21 scheduled show at the Keswick Thater in Philadelphia. "Michael Nesmith had a minor health issue today in advance of his tour date in Philadelphia tonight," the band said in a statement issued on June 21. "He visited a local medical facility and, although the issue was not serious, was advised to rest for the next week, so unfortunately the remaining four dates on The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show tour have been postponed until a later date... Nesmith has been dismissed from the hospital and is traveling back to his home in Carmel Valley. He is in good spirits and thanks all the fans for their support and understanding. He looks forward to getting back on the stage again soon." The shows, which feature the duo of Nesmith and Micky Dolenz performing a mixture of well-known and "deep tracks" from the Monkees' catalog, will be rescheduled for January. - Billboard, 6/21/18...... Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson, the father of Michael Jackson and the other famous Jackson siblings, is reportedly "on his deathbed" in a Las Vegas hospital as he battles terminal cancer at the age of 89. The music manager's family claims that their father "does not have long" left to live, but he has banned them from visiting after his condition took a nosedive earlier in June. "He's very very frail, he doesn't have long. The family needs to be by his bedside -- that's our only intention in his final days," Jermaine Jackson told the UK paper The Daily Mail. Although Jackson has battled illness for a lengthy period, he reportedly gave verbal instructions in recent days to stop his family from accessing his medical records or visiting him. Despite the request, he was eventually visited at the hospital by wife Katherine Jackson, daughters Rebbie and Joh'Vonnie, and granddaughter Yashi Brown. In 2017, Jackson was hospitalized after a car he was riding in was involved in an accident on the Las Vegas Strip. He was also hospitalized in 2015 after suffering a stroke while visiting Brazil. - NME, 6/22/18...... 
In an interview with a Las Vegas TV station after his June 25 performance at Bally's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, Wayne Newton shared his thoughts about the string of burglaries that have taken place over the past few months at his Vegas home. Newton said his daughter ran into the alleged suspects of the second home invasion. "[My daughter] said 'Daddy, there's somebody in your dressing room,'" he explained. "So, I ran in to confront them." Newton's property, which is also home to his wife Kathleen and their daughter, was first broken into on June 3. Less than two weeks later, the house was robbed again when Newton and his family were coming home late at night. The intruders managed to escape the scene before the police arrived, according to the "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast" singer: "I'm as angry as one could imagine, I have no doubt they will be caught because we have pictures." Police have released images of two suspects they believe to have been involved with the second robbery, but have not confirmed whether or not anything was stolen in that incident. - Billboard, 6/26/18...... Legendary hard rock drummer Vinnie Paul, who co-founded the metal band Pantera and also played with Damageplan and Hellyeah, died on the morning of June 23. He was 54. "Vincent Paul Abbott aka Vinnie Paul has passed away," reads a statement on the Pantera Facebook page. "Paul is best known for his work as the drummer in the bands Pantera and Hellyeah. No further details are available at this time. The family requests you please respect their privacy during this time." Along with his brother, "Dimebag" Darrell Paul, Paul (born Vincent Paul Abbott) formed Pantera in 1981. The group found mainstream success with second lead singer Phil Anselmo. Throughout its career, Pantera earned four Grammy nominations and charted nine albums on the Billboard Hot 200, including its 1994 album Far Beyond Driven, which debuted at No. 1 on the chart. Following Pantera's demise, the Texas-raised Abbott brothers formed Damageplan in 2003. The band was performing on Dec. 8, 2004, when Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed onstage during a concert in Columbus, Oh. Since 2006, Paul was the drummer for Hellyeah, a heavy metal supergroup that also includes vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Tom Maxwell. Paul's passing was memorialized on Twitter by such rock stars as Paul Stanley, Alice Cooper, Zakk Wylde and Bret Michaels. - Billboard, 6/22/18.
Former Free and Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the formation of Free with a new live album and video, 
Promoting her new ABBA-inspired movie Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again! on CBS's The Late Late Show with James Corden on June 19, Cher joined host James Corden for a game of "Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts," in which guests are asked difficult questions or eat things that most people would never want on their plate. Asked if she "could say one nice thing about Pres. Donald Trump," Cher hesitated for a few seconds, then said "No, I can't think of a single nice thing to say about him." Then, Cher nibbled on a piece of a cow's tongue to fulfill her obligation. Meanwhile, the soundtrack for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again has been given a release date of July 13, a week before the film hits theaters in the US. It features a duet of "Fernando" between Cher and Andy Garcia, as well as other stars including Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and Pierce Brosnan singing such ABBA hits as "Waterloo" and "When I Kissed the Teacher." Cher will play a new character in the movie. - Billboard, 6/20/18...... In other ABBA-related news, the Swedish quartet has shared definitive proof that they are currently recording together after announcing in April that they'd recorded their first new material in 35 years. ABBA posted a pic on their #abbaofficial Twitter account showing Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad recording together with a caption "...in RMV Studio Stockholm, recording the two new songs! Release end of this year. ??" ABBA are set to reveal both songs -- "I Still Have Faith In You" and another new song - on a TV special in November, ahead of a "virtual" hologram ABBA tour in 2019. A spokesperson for the band has denied rumours of a Glastonbury set in 2019. - New Musical Express, 6/18/18...... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced it will be teaming with NBC-based Wilshire Studios to develop a new documentary series that will explore the artistic and cultural significance of some of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll legends. The current plan will be to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame open its collection of archival materials and artifacts and invite an acclaimed director to explore the impact of their favorite rock artist on their work and the cultural landscape as a whole. "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is such an amazing brand to be able to partner with," said BJ Levin, Senior VP of Development at Wilshire Studios. "Their wealth of untapped research material and resources will allow this series to stand among some of the great music doc series." While the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's annual induction ceremony has been televised on HBO, Amazon will stream this year's induction to international audiences beginning on July 1. - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/18/18...... 
After announcing a new double A-side single on Instagram on June 19, Paul McCartney issued a press release on June 20 announcing that his new album, called 
Elvis Costello announced on June 19 that he'll kick off a 20-date North American tour this fall on Nov. 2 in Bethlehem, Penn., in support of his new album with his backing band The Imposters. The tour, called "Look Now and Then... It's Elvis Costello & The Imposters," will also visit such major markets as Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Memphis, St. Louis, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, and wrap on Dec. 4 in Vancouver, B.C. While the new album's release date and official title have yet to be announced, details are "imminent," according to Concord Records. It will be Costello's first LP since 2010's National Ransom. - Billboard, 6/19/18...... Actor Peter Fonda apologized on June 20 for a late-night Twitter rant in which he suggested Pres. Donald Trump's 12-year-old son Barron Trump should be ripped from "his mother's arms and put in a cage with pedophiles" in reaction to Pres. Trump's new policy of separating migrant children from their parents on the U.S.-Mexico border. "I tweeted something highly inappropriate and vulgar about the president and his family in response to the devastating images I was seeing on television," Fonda said in the statement, released by both his manager and his publicist. "Like many Americans, I am very impassioned and distraught over the situation with children separated from their families at the border, but I went way too far. It was wrong and I should not have done it. I immediately regretted it and sincerely apologize to the family for what I said and any hurt my words have caused." In another tweet, the 
Archaeologists from Binghamton University's Public Archaeology Facility have recently conducted a five-day dig at the site of the original 1969 Woodstock music festival on Max Yasgur's old farm about 80 miles (128 kilometers) north of New York City, where The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker and Jimi Hendrix wowed the crowds 49 years ago. "The overall point of this investigation is to kind of define the stage space," said project director Josh Anderson, kneeling beside a hole that showed evidence of a fence that kept 400,000 fans from the stage area. "We can use this as a reference point," Anderson added. "People can stand on that and look up at the hill and say, 'Oh, this is where the performers were. Jimi Hendrix stood here and played his guitar at 8:30 in the morning.'" "This is a significant historic site in American culture, one of the few peaceful events that gets commemorated from the 1960s," added Wade Lawrence, director of The Museum at Bethel Woods. He said the archeologists' work will help the museum plan interpretive walking routes in time for the concert's 50th anniversary next year. The excavation revealed some non-mind blowing artifacts: parts of old aluminum can pull tabs, bits of broken bottle glass, and possibly the spot where a chain-link fence on the side of the stage area met the wooden "Peace Fence" that ran in front of the stage. Now they can match concert photos to a specific spot in the field. That could help them estimate where the corners of the stage were 49 years ago. "There's just something about this place that -- and I'm not the only one -- that draws people here," 67-year-old Woodstock veteran Charles Maloney said as he stood by the plaque. "I mean, this area here could have 200 people. And you can still hear the silence." - AP, 6/21/18...... John McElrath, a cofounder and former member of the '60s rock group The Swingin' Medallions, died on June 17, after a battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 77. McElrath was the group's keyboardist and one of the vocalists, and though he was no longer performing with the band, his two sons had joined the group over the years. The Swingin' Medallions' "Double Shot of My Baby's Love," released in 1966, climbed briefly into Top 10 on the Billboard charts, and it remains popular today. A memorable part about the record is the background "party noise" that duplicated the sound of fraternity parties the band would play on weekends while its members were still in college. The band made 2,000 copies of the song and sold them at parties. A copy found its way into the hands of a disc jockey in Birmingham, Ala., and when a national label picked it up, the band was on the brink of a natinal breakthrough. Some radio stations wouldn't play the record because of the phrase "worst hangover that I ever had" so another version was made. The announcement of McElrath's death came as the current incarnation of the group was scheduled to perform in Sandy Springs, Ga., on June 17.
Steve Miller, currently in the midst of his second co-headlining summer tour with Peter Frampton, has announced he and Frampton will release a live album of jams that they perform together during the tour. Miller says that every show is being recorded and that the two are "putting a record together now" that will showcase their performances of songs from such blues icons asd Freddie King, Elmore James, K.C. Douglas, Otis Rush, and more. "Jamming together has turned out to be a real interesting thing," Miller says. "We're just having fun. It's an added bonus to the tour, just a really, really great musical combination... [The record] is pretty much everything we've jammed from last year up through this year. ... As we go on we'll add more tunes." Meanwhile, Miller says he's been going through his vaults for unreleased material to mark the 50th anniversary of his first two albums. "We're trying to gather all the outtakes and interesting bits that weren't released and songs that were recorded that were never released, and we found some really good stuff," he says. - Billboard, 6/15/18...... Neil Diamond was honored with the Johnny Mercer Award during the 49th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner at New York City's Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 14. Diamond, who was officially inducted into the Hall in 1984, closed the with a rousing, extended rendition of "Sweet Caroline," even though the 77-year-old has announced he has retired from touring due to being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Diamond barely spoke at the event, where Kool and the Gang, John Mellencamp, Alan Jackson and Jermaine Dupri were inducted into the SHOF class of 2018. - AP, 6/15/18...... Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman has released a new LP of what he describes as "cosmic-influenced" ringtones. Cosmic Ringtones & Sonic Realms - Your Universe Is Calling is a 29-track album conceived and produced by Holzman and recorded by his son Adam Holzman, a known keyboardist and synthesizer artist. While the LP is available for download on all streaming services, the CD release contains liner notes that detail the origin story for each of the tracks. The cosmos-inspired titles include everything from the straightforward "The Big Bang" and "String Theory" to the whimsical "Primordial Cosmic Soup" and "Pluto Sheds a Tear." In the 1960s, as Holzman was discovering and signing such bands as the Doors and Bread to his fledgling record label, he released the groundbreaking album series Authentic Sound Effects in the 1960s. - Billboard, 6/15/18...... Paul McCartney will reportedly be joining late night talk show host James Corden in a new episode of Corden's popular "Carpool Karaoke" series. Sir Paul's episode will see the pair go on a Beatles tour in Liverpool. The series has previously featured a wide range of artists including Christina Aguilera, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park and Pink. While in Liverpool, McCartney also performed a secret gig for fans at Liverpool's Philharmonic pub. - New Musical Express, 6/13/18...... 
Willie Nelson issued a statement on June 14 denouncing Pres. Trump's "zero tolerance" immigration policy that has resulted in the separation of hundreds of migrant children from their parents at the southern U.S. border. "What's going on at our southern border is outrageous," the Texas native wrote. "Christians everywhere should be up in arms. What happened to 'Bring us your tired and weak and we will make them strong?' This is still the promise land." The reference to "promise land" in the statement is a reference to the David Lynn Jones written song "Living in the Promiseland," which appeared on Nelson's 1986 The Promiseland album. Nelson is among a growing chorus of artists, activists, religious figures and politicians who are decrying the zero tolerance policy. - Billboard, 6/15/18...... Barry Manilow was forced to put the debut of his "Manilow Live -- The Hits Come Home" Las Vegus run on the third weekend in June on hold on June 14 after the 74-year old star was admitted to a local hospital and prescribed antibiotics. Manilow is scheduled to be released from the hospital in the next few days and is planning to resume his Vegas series on June 21. "Our new show is ready, we're all ready, and we were all looking forward to tonight," he tweeted shortly after his diagnosis. - Billboard, 6/15/18...... Speaking of Las Vegas, lawmen there are searching for two suspected burglars at Vegas icon Wayne Newton's home several miles southeast of the Las Vegas Strip after Newton and his wife Kathleen scared away the men as the arrived home after a June 14 Newton performance at Bally's hotel-casino. The Newtons told police the intruders fled when as they arrived at their their 20-acre home and believe that home surveillance video will help police identify the suspects. The also said they've bolstered security at the estate. The Newtons moved to their current house in 2013 following the bankruptcy sale of their nearby 40-acre estate, Casa de Shenandoah. The gilded property, which features gardens, pools, stables for Newton's Arabian horses, is now a tourist attraction and museum. - AP, 6/14/18...... The Def Leppard and Journey co-headlining summer tour hit New York's Madison Square Garden on June 13. After openers Journey performed their '80s anthems "Any Way You Want It," "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" and "Faithfully" with current frontman Arnel Pineda on vocals, Def Leppard came out swinging with "Rocket," following up with hits including "Let's Get Rocked" and "Armageddon It" during their 90-minute set. The band also covered the David Essex hit "Rock On," and ended the night with "Rock of Ages" and "Photograph." - Billboard, 6/14/18...... Paul Simon has scored his first entry on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Album Sales chart with a remixed version of his acclaimed 1986 LP Graceland. Graceland: The Remixes reinterprets all 11 of the original album's tracks, including "Al," by Groove Armada, as well as cuts by Paul Oakenfold, Sharam, Thievery Corporation and Joris Voorn. The original Graceland reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 200 in Apr. 1987, won the Grammy Award for album of the year and spun off three Hot 100 hits: "You Can Call Me Al" (No. 23), the title cut (No. 81) and "The Boy in the Bubble" (No. 86). - Billboard, 6/14/18....... 
The B-52s are in the midst of an extensive North American tour which was launched in May to celebrate their 40th anniversary. The "tacky little dance band from Athens, Ga.," as the band calls themselves, are playing arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums, joined by another LGBTQ pioneer, Boy George. The band formed in 1976, with singer Cindy Wilson's older brother, guitarist/principal songwriter Ricky Wilson (who died in 1985), and his best friend, drummer-guitarist Keith Strickland (who retired from touring with the band in 2012). Rounding out the lineup are Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson. Four of the band's five original members did, in fact, identify as LGBTQ: Ricky, Schneider and Strickland as gay men, and Pierson, who was involved with a man until the early 2000s, is now married to a woman. But Schneider says they didn't set out to explicitly write queer anthems, as later acts like Erasure would. "We just did our own thing," he says now. "I guess subconsciously we were trying to say something. But it was sort of stream of consciousness, it was so out there." - Billboard, 6/14/18...... Fleetwood Mac has been added to the lineup of the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival, set for Sept. 21 and 22 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. "It is an honor to be performing at the iHeartRadio Music Festival for our very first time," Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks said in a statement. "The beauty of an event like this is that it is a true representation of the power of radio. It's an opportunity for artists across all genres to share one stage and what we all love most -- music!" The band will be marking its first time playing together as a new band since Lindsey Buckingham's exit in April, and will be joining previously announced headliners including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Imagine Dragons, Panic! at the Disco and Kelly Clarkson at the two-day event. - Billboard, 6/12/18...... David Byrne announced on June 12 that he'll launch a lengthy 2018 UK and Ireland arena tour this fall with cities to include Leeds, Glasgow, Dublin, Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Brighton and Manchester. "We'll be doing some new songs, and many others that will, I assume, be familiar," the former Talking Heads frontman said on his current production. "I'm excited. This is the most ambitious show I've done since the shows that were filmed for Stop Making Sense, so fingers crossed." - New Musical Express, 6/12/18...... Barbra Streisand announced on June 11 that she's inked a new content deal with the streaming giant Netflix, bringing 6 of her classic TV shows and a special edition of her 1976 film 
The Allman Brothers Band released a four-disc set of rarities on June 15 entitled 
D.J. Fontana, who acheived rock 'n' roll immortality as Elvis Presley's first and longtime drummer, died in his sleep in Nashville, Tenn., after suffering complications from breaking his hip in 2016. He was 87. Mr. Fontana, a member of the Rock Hall of Fame, was the last surviving member of Elvis' original core of musicians. He met Presley and the others on the Louisiana Hayride, a popular and influential radio and TV country music program based in Shreveport. Staff drummer Fontana asked to join his group for a session broadcast in October 1954. A regional act at the time, the 19-year-old Presley had been recording and touring since the summer with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, the musicians Sun Records founder Sam Phillips brought in after Elvis turned up at the Memphis, Tennessee-based label's studio. Fontana was there for Presley's first wave of success, from such hit singles as "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock" to his increasingly frenzied live shows and hip-shaking appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and other TV programs. He played on many soundtracks -- and was occasionally seen on camera -- for Presley's '50s and '60s movies. He was on the "comeback" Christmas TV special of 1968 that featured Presley and fellow musicians jamming on a tiny stage before a studio audience, with Fontana keeping time on a guitar case. Widely cited for reviving Presley's career, that show was his first live performance in years and the last time Moore and Fontana worked with Elvis, who died in 1977. In 2000, Mr. Fontana played on Paul McCartney's cover of an early Presley hit, "That's All Right." - AP, 6/14/18...... Nick Knox, the former drummer of the band The Cramps, has died at the age of 60. Knox, born Nicholas Stephanoff, had played in the Electric Eels with Cramps frontman John D. Morton before becoming a member of the influential punk outfit. - New Musical Express, 6/16/18.
Paul Simon treated fans to a performance of his 1970 Simon & Garfunkel smash 
Speaking of 50th anniversaries, Led Zeppelin have posted on their offical Twitter account that they have reunited to work on a new book about the band to mark the 50th anniversary of their formation. John Paul Jones, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page are pictured with the official announcement, with Plant holding a draft copy of a new book they've been working on together. "
As the new Beach Boys-authorized release 
Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist/vocalist Danny Kirwan died in London on June 8 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 68. Kirwan joined Fleetwood Mac in 1968 and contributed to several albums, including Then Play On, Blues Jam at Chess, Kiln House,