The Broadway take of the 2000 rock-themed movie Almost Famous premiered on Nov. 3 at The Jacobs Theatre in New York City, and among those attending were 70's icon Joni Mitchell, who called the musical "better than the movie." Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous tells Crowe's semi-autobiographical story of a teenage journalist writing for a music magazine in the 1970s, his efforts to get his first cover story published alongside hi-jinks from touring with the fictitious rock band Stillwater. It featured a shot of Mitchell's Blue album, and the singer can also be heard performing "River." Crowe was quoted in Variety that watching the Broadway version of "Almost Famous" alongside Mitchell was "an elixir that is really hard to contain that comes straight from the heart." The production will run through Apr. 9, and the cast recently performed a rendition of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" which is famously featured in the movie and now on the stage on The Tonight Show, a clip of which has been shared on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 11/6/22...... 
The induction ceremony of the 2022 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was held on Nov. 5 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, with Dolly Parton, Carly Simon, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics and Eminem honored during a marathon (five-and-a-half-hour) event that also included superstar jams to the recounting of beautiful memories from some of rock's greatest talents. Rocking a black latex jumpsuit with large colored jewels and a matching guitar, Dolly Parton exclaimed "If I'm gonna be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I'm gonna have to earn it!" before performing a set that included a song off her forthcoming rock album. Her set included P!nk and Brandi Carlile duetting on "Coat of Many Colors," Sheryl Crow and Zac Brown Band singing "9 to 5" and a grand finale featuring every inductee (minus Eminem) for a whopping rendition of "Jolene" (which has been shared on YouTube). Rising singer Sara Bareilles pulled double duty, both inducting and performing on behalf of Carly Simon, who was unable to attend the ceremony. Bareilles beautifully belted the Grammy-nominated "Nobody Does It Better" before welcoming Olivia Rodrigo for a performance of Simon's classic No. 1 smash "You're So Vain," which was described as "the biggest hit that has kept everyone guessing for 50 years" and has been praised by no less than Taylor Swift as "the best way anyone has addressed a breakup." Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis also joined the Rock Hall with the "award for musical excellence." Other attendees included Dave Grohl, Ed Sheeran, Mary J. Blige, Gwen Stefani and Bruce Springsteen, who inducted producer Jimmy Iovine for an Ahmet Ertegun Award, joking that Iovine "came with the furniture" during their first few encounters in the studio. The ceremony -- unique for being the first time in the RRHOF's 37-year history that six female acts were inducted in one class -- was also radio simulcast on SiriusXM's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame radio channel, and it will also air on Nov. 19 on HBO and stream on HBO Max. - Billboard, 11/6/22...... Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks announced on Nov. 2 that they'll be hitting the road in 2023 for a very special concert series for what was originally planned to be a single night only event but "turned out will be a little more than a single evening." Tickets for what so far is a three-show tour will go on sale on Nov. 11, the Piano Man shared on Instagram, along with a poster for the first "Two Icons -- One Night Only" show on Apr. 8 to be held in Arlington, Tex. On the next day, Joel rolled out two more dates on his Instagram, revealing that Los Angeles and Nashville will also be getting concert dates on March 10 and May 19, respectively. Posting on her Instagram page on Nov. 2, Stevie Nicks beamed she was "Excited to hit the road with the amazing @billyjoel in 2023," and also teased at the possibility of additional shows, adding "More soon!" Fans in Joel's Instagram thread expressed their excitement at his and Nicks' joint venture, and begged for their cities to be added to the list, with one commenting, "ok now do this but in new york." Requests from Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Mexico also rounded out the list. - Billboard, 11/3/22...... 
In 1972, the Rolling Stones embarked on a legendary North American tour to coincide with their acclaimed double-LP Exile on Main St. Now the The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live in Los Angeles is paying tribute to that tour with "The Rolling Stones 1972: Photographs by Jim Marshall," which opened on Nov. 5, and is scheduled to run through June 2023. The exhibit showcases backstage scenes and performance stills from the California leg of the British bad boys' tour as well as the band's visits to Sunset Sound recording studios in Los Angeles. Kelsey Goelz, associate curator at the Grammy Museum, praised photog Marshall's "masterful eye (whose) unlimited access captured the Stones in the iconic rockstar way we now visualize the band." There is an irony here: Grammy voters were resistant to the Stones -- and to rock in general -- in the 1960s and well into the '70s. Incredibly, the band didn't receive a single Grammy nomination until 1978, when Some Girls received an Album of the Year nod. But the Academy has long sought to make amends in the form of a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986, and their albums Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. into the Grammy Hall of Fame, along with their classic singles "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Paint It Black" and "Honky Tonk Women" inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. They have also been awarded competitive Grammys for Voodoo Lounge in 1994 and Blue & Lonesome in 2017. Jim Marshall, too, has also been honored by the Academy, becoming the first (and so far only) photographer to be presented with the Trustees Award (an honorary award presented to individuals for nonperformance contributions to the music industry) in 2014. - Billboard, 11/3/22...... In a new interview with SiriusXM radio host Eddie Trunk, Sammy Hagar said he would be interested in taking part in a tribute concert to late Van Halen founder Eddie Van Halen, but Eddie's brother and VH drummer Alex Van Halen will not return his messages. In April, former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted leaked news of the planned tribute concert to the public, saying he had been approached to take part, along with acclaimed guitarist Joe Satriani. Then in July, Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen -- who played bass in the final formation of Van Halen -- confirmed that early plans for the tribute had fallen through. According to him, intentions were in place, but were in "such an early stage that it never even got off the ground." During the interview with Trunk, Hagar was asked if there had been any new development about a potential tribute concert or tour for Eddie. Hagar responded in the negative, saying: "As far as I know, [there has been] nothing... There was that talk everybody heard about Jason being the bass player and Joe Satriani playing guitar and Alex [Van Halen] and all that. Then I got the call from the management, I got the call from Irving Azoff, [who] said, 'Hey, you wanna do you and Mike [Anthony] and Al with a superstar guitar player?'" Hagar said that he responded he would be willing to play music with Anthony and Alex, but not under the banner of Van Halen. "There is no Van Halen. I don't care what anyone says." He did, however, say he would be open to performing with Anthony and Alex under the right circumstances, such as a one-off event like the concerts Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl organized to honor the late Taylor Hawkins earlier in 2022. As it stands, though, Hagar said his relationship with Alex Van Halen is essentially non-existent, revealing that the pair "don't talk": "I reached out to Alex. I'm gonna tell you right now -- I reached out to Alex again recently. Mikey had a sad thing happen in his family, and I reached out to Al, and he wouldn't return my call or my e-mail. And so I said, 'You know what? F--- it.' It's not on the top of my list, my agenda. I think Eddie deserves, definitely, a tribute... And the whole world would show up and the whole world would do it. But Alex has got a stick up his ass about something with me still, and he's gonna take it to his grave, I guess." - NME, 11/4/22...... 
Stevie Wonder announced on Nov. 3 that his annual House Full of Toys charity event will take place on Dec. 17 at L.A.'s Microsoft Theater. Now in its 24th year, the HFOT event's slate of performers, in addition to the legendary musician/activist/philantrophist Wonder, will be announced in the coming weeks. "Today, more than ever throughout the world, we are challenged with many issues: social, political, economic and spiritual," Wonder said in a statement. "But that must not stop our opportunity to give and share in the spirit and reason for the season. I am as always overjoyed to again present the celebration of House Full of Toys." Last year's HFOT marked its return after a three-year break owing to Wonder's successful kidney transplant in 2019 followed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021 lineup included Ledisi, Johnny Gill and the icon himself. Over the years, Wonder has recruited a diverse array of stars to perform at the holiday concert including John Legend, Lionel Richie, Sheryl Crow, Justin Bieber, Drake, Anderson .Paak, Leon Bridges, PJ Morton, Ella Mai and Ari Lennox. Tickets for this year's event go on sale to the general public on Nov. 4 via AXS.COM. Concertgoers are also asked to bring an unwrapped toy or unwrapped gift of joy as a donation for the event that benefits children, people with disabilities and families in need. - Billboard, 11/3/22...... In a new interview with Blabbermouth.net, KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley revealed his co-founding bandmate Gene Simmons used to drive him "crazy." Stanley opened up about his 50-year friendship with Simmons, revealing some things the group's frontman used to do would "bother" him, but Stanley accepted they were his own issues he needed to overcome. "I remember there were things about him that used to drive me crazy. Then I realised that that's not his issue; that's my issue," Stanley said. "When people do things and it bothers you, you need to figure out why it bothers you, not expect them to change. It's not about them. And things that used to bother me about Gene, I just had to kind of figure out, 'Wait a minute. That's my issue that bothers me. And why does it bother me?'," he added. Stanley, 70, admitted he ended up "putting a lot of that stuff aside" because he knew he was never going to make his 73-year-old fellow KISS co-founder change. Asked what he's learned during his working relationship with Gene, he said: "[That's an] interesting question. Yeah, we're very different, but we certainly share a pride in what we do, a work ethic. Maybe because our parents came from Europe where I think that that's important stuff, is that pride in the work you do and to work hard for your money. Other than that, I think one of the things that took me a long time to learn - and I think Gene, by the way... I mean, he's family to me; he's a brother." - Music-News.com, 11/3/22...... A Neil Young documentary called Harvest Time about the making of the Canadian folk-rocker's classic 1972 LP Harvest is set to be screened in cinemas on Dec. 1, with select encores on Dec. 4. The film will be preceded by a personal introduction from Young about the film and his iconic album. "Created between January and September 1971, this docu-film takes viewers on an intimate journey to Young's Broken Arrow Ranch in Northern California for the 'Harvest Barn' sessions, to London for an iconic performance with the London Symphony Orchestra, and to Nashville where the then 20-something Neil Young worked on various tracks of this signature album," a synopsis for Harvest Time reads. "Performance and rehearsal content is intertwined into creative storytelling, and includes most of the tracks from 'Harvest'," the synopsis adds. Speaking about the film, Young said in a statement: "This is a big album for me. 50 years ago, I was 24, maybe 23, and this album made a big difference in my life. I played with some great friends and it's really cool that this album has lasted so long. I had a great time and now, when I listen to it, I think I was really just lucky to be there. I hope you enjoy this story, which is 'Harvest Time', and which talks about everything that happened. And now people all around the world can see it at the movies." Tickets to screenings will go on sale on Nov. 10 at neilyoungharvesttime.com, and an official Harvest Time film clip can be viewed on YouTube. Harvest Time is also included in the new Harvest - 50th Anniversary Edition release, which hits stores on Dec. 2. - NME, 11/3/22...... 
Elton John announced on Instagram on Nov. 3 that he's entering his own virtual universe by presenting the new Roblox game Elton John Presents: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road. Once inside, gamers can have the full virtual experience of Elton's music and career, with a digital stroll through the legendary pop star's fashion, photographs and more. Also, fans can jump into interactive challenges set to his hits, daily scavenger hunts and trivia quizzes. The game was co-created by John along with his management firm, Rocket Entertainment, designed with more than 20 Roblox creators, and with support from Universal Music Group (UMG). The virtual space is live Nov. 3, and, for fans who want their avatars to look sharp, a virtual shop will stock complete Elton outfits or mix-and-match items. Currently, Roblox boasts more than 52 million active daily users. "Beyond the Yellow Brick Road" will host a "special performance" experience beginning on Nov. 17, with updating performances each hour through Nov. 20. More info can be found at www.roblox.com/eltonjohn. John's virtual chapter opens as the touring side of his career comes to an end. After more than 350 performances, his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour" which he began in 2018 is set to wrap in the summer of 2023. - Billboard, 11/3/22...... Appearing on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio show for the very first time on Oct. 31, Bruce Springsteen revealed what he thinks of pop princess Taylor Swift's new album Midnights. "My daughter, a Taylor Swift fan to the max, the other day ago I pick her up at the airport," said the 73-year-old rock legend. "She says, 'Dad, Taylor Swift has got a banging new record!' I was like, 'So we got a banging new record? Alright.' And (she) plays it for me, top volume, all the way from Newark to Colts Neck, dancing in her seat. I said, "That's what I like to see.' It felt good." Asked by Stern what he thought of Swift's new record, The Boss said: "It was good. She's super talented. [I know her] just a little bit. She's a tremendous writer and I know her producer Jack Antonoff very well & they make great records. There's a lot of great work going on, people still making great records, and people are finding a lot of joy in those records & that's gonna go on." Springsteen's full interview can be viewed on YouTube. His new album Only the Strong Survive dropped on Nov. 5. - Billboard, 11/2/22...... 
A new movie musical written by the L.A.-based '70s duo Sparks is currently in development. The launch of Ron and Russell Mael's latest project, titled X Crucior, was announced on Nov. 4 via Deadline.com. Comcast-owned production company Focus Features will develop the film, with the Mael brothers serving as screenwriters and executive producers. X Crucior has been billed as an original musical epic, although further details about the film's plot are being kept under wraps. A director and premiere date for the project has yet to be announced. Upon its release, X Crucior will mark Sparks' second film venture with Focus Features, having served as the subjects of the studio's Edgar Wright-directed acclaimed documentary The Sparks Brothers in 2021. The documentary would go on to win Best Music Film at this year's BandLab NME Awards, beating out film projects from the likes of Billie Eilish and Halsey. - NME, 11/4/22...... Former Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison and guitarist Adrian Belew -- who was briefly a member of Talking Heads in the early 1980s -- have announced a North American tour in 2023 in celebration of the 1980 Talking Heads album Remain In Light. "Remain in Light is a high point in my career," Harrison said in a statement alongside the tour's announcement. "Adrian and I had often discussed the magic of the 1980 tour and the sheer joy it brought to audiences." In his own statement, Belew described the upcoming performances as a "joyful show of Talking Heads songs you know and love performed by a hot, eleven-piece ensemble including Jerry and me... You can't help but dance and go home with a happy smile on your face." The 19-date tour kicks off on Feb. 16 in Denver and will also hit Oklahoma, Chicago, New York, Toronto, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston and more, wrapping on Mar. 11 in New Haven, Conn. Remain In Light, Talking Heads' fourth studio album, arrived in 1980 and spawned singles such as "Once in a Lifetime" and "Crosseyed And Painless." The third and final of the band's albums to be produced by Brian Eno, a number of additional musicians were brought in to contribute to the album, including Belew, who played guitar. - NME, 11/2/22.
In a new interview with the U.K.'s The Sun paper, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood says the band's next album will feature drumming by their beloved late sticksman Charlie Watts. Wood says the new LP will have some of Watts' drumming work included alongside that of touring drummer Steve Jordan's. "We are recording the new album now and we are going to LA in a few weeks to carry it on and finish it off. Charlie is on some of the tracks and drummer Steve Jordan," Wood told the paper. The new Stones album, due in the summer of 2023, will be the band's first album of new material since their 2005 effort A Bigger Bang. - NME, 10/31/22...... 
Yusuf/Cat Stevens has just signed with the talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment in all areas. Yusuf, who has announced a global tour in 2023, is also working on several other creative endeavors including a new album that will mark his first set of new music since 2017's Grammy-nominated The Laughing Apple. In recent years, the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has focused on revisiting his catalog as deluxe reissue projects as the albums reach their 50th anniversary, and in 2020 he released a re-recorded version of 1970's Tea for the Tillerman as Tea for The Tillerman 2. A newly remastered 50th-anniversary edition of his 1972 album, Catch Bull at Four, will drop on Dec. 2. In 2021, Yusuf, who is managed by his son, Yoriyos Adamos, landed on the New York Times' Best Seller list with his children's book Yusuf's Peace Train; he is also finishing work on his autobiography. - Billboard, 11/1/22...... The Who welcomed Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder onstage on Oct. 29 in Los Angeles for an acoustic performance of the legendary UK band's 1970 song "The Seeker." The Who was performing at a private charity cancer benefit for Teen Cancer American, the US arm of the Teen Cancer Trust founded in England by The Who's Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. "This song involves a very loud scream on the record which I am not gonna do tonight," Who singer Roger Daltrey said when introducing the song, explaining he'd done it the night before and would have to again the following evening. Footage of the Who/Vedder jam can be viewed on YouTube. The Who first released "The Seeker" as a single in 1970, before it appeared on the band's 1971 UK hits compilation Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy. Vedder has covered the song himself on numerous occasions, both solo and when performing with his Pearl Jam bandmates. In October, The Who surprised fans in Long Island when they played "Young Man's Blues" during their encore. The band have only played the song a handful of times in the last four decades. - New Musical Express, 11/1/22...... In other The Who-related news, late co-founding Who drummer Keith Moon once threw a cat at his girlfriend according to former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman. Wyman told ClassicRock.com that Moon, after suffering an accidental overdose of the prescription drug Heminevrin which is prescribed to combat alcoholism, got into a physical altercation with his lovely Swedish girlfriend Annette Walter-Lax. "Once I was making a cup of tea in the morning and (Walter-Lax) came down -- I'd heard them fighting upstairs -- and she had scratches down each side of her face, with blood. I said: 'Annette, what happened?' And she went: 'Oh, nothing. Keith just threw the cat at me.'" Wyman described Moon as "a wonderful guy" but, "God he did overindulge." "The doctor would come round and give him so much bloody stuff, then three days later Keith would've taken it all. There'd be Valium 10s, sleeping pills, wake-up pills and speeding pills, and he would just down them all the time. And there'd be champagne in the mornings, with brandy. I used to watch him in disbelief." - Music-News.com, 10/30/22...... 
In a new interview with Howard Stern's Sirius XM radio show, Bruce Springsteen opened up about the final moments of late longtime E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who passed away on June 11, 2011 at the age of 69 after suffering a stroke and undergoing two brain surgeries. Springsteen said on the day of Clemons' death, he had brought his guitar with him into Clemons' room. "I had a feeling he could hear me, because he could squeeze your hand," Springsteen said to Stern. "I took the hunch and brought the guitar, and strummed 'Land of Hope and Dreams'." Following his passing, Clemons was survived in the E Street Band by his nephew Jake Clemons. Springsteen is promoting his 21st studio album Only the Strong Survive and has shared his new cover of Ben E. King's 1962 single "Don't Play That Song" on YouTube. "I wanted to make an album where I just sang," The Boss previously said about his new LP of classic soul/R&B covers. "And what better music to work with than the great American songbook of the Sixties and Seventies?" Springsteen has announced he'll head out on tour in 2023 with his E Street Band. - New Musical Express, 11/1/22...... Taking part in a KISS Q+A session during the latest "Kiss Kruise," KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley praised Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page as someone who "paints with sound." "The guy who I respect the most and had the most impact on me is Jimmy Page ... Jimmy's Beethoven. Jimmy is so far beyond ... When people say, 'Oh, all respect to a lot of other hotshot guitar players,' they're guitar players. Jimmy Page is a brilliant cinematographer; he's a brilliant arranger. He paints with sound." Stanley continued: "There's lots of guys ... They say, 'Well, who's better: [Eric] Clapton or...?' Jimmy Page is in a class totally by himself... Those songs are paintings. You think you're hearing one big guitar. You're not. You're hearing a little guitar with another guitar behind it, and it's all layered. And that's the brilliance... [Jimmy is] brilliant. What he's done is just crazy." - Music-News.com, 10/31/22...... The Beatles are challenging pop queen Taylor Swift's latest juggernaut Midnights for top of the pops in the UK as a special deluxe rerelease of the Fab Four's 1966 album has blasted to No. 2 on the midweek chart, behind Midnights. In late October Swift last week landed her ninth U.K. chart crown -- and snapped several records --- as Midnights surged to No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart with more than 200,000 chart sales, easily a career-best week for the American pop superstar. Whether the Beatles can surpass Swift will be revealed on Nov. 4 when the U.K. singles and albums charts are published. The Beatles lead in the all-time most No. 1 U.K. albums category, with 15. Meanwhile, a new official video for the Beatles' Revolver track "I'm Only Sleeping" has been shared on YouTube. The video was directed by Em Cooper and made using 1,300 oil paintings. Cooper says she wanted to explore the space between dreaming and wakefulness, working on an animation rostrum on sheets of celluloid. She painted every frame individually in oil-paint, over many months. - Billboard, 10/31/22...... 
The Musicians Hall of Fame announced on Oct. 31 that Seventies stars Don McLean and Ray Stevens will be inducted into their hall and museum during a concert and induction gala on Nov. 22 at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. Phil Vassar will host the event, which will feature live performances by Rodney Crowell, Steve Miller, Wendy Moten and Mike Farris, with more performers to be announced. Also inducted this year will be country star Marty Stuart, with Jim Guercio honored with the producer award. This is the Musicians Hall of Fame's seventh induction ceremony, but its first since 2019. There was an induction ceremony every year from 2007-09, but they have been irregular since then, in 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2022. The Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum honors all musicians "regardless of genre or instrument," according to a statement. Inductees are nominated by current members of the American Federation of Musicians and by other music industry professionals. Meanwhile, Don McLean has called out beleaguered rapper Kanye West over his recent antisemitic rants. McLean released a statement on Oct. 2 condemning West, who now goes by the moniker Ye, for a weeks-long series of interviews in which he has repeatedly made comments disparaging of the Jewish people, actions that have resulted in Ye losing nearly every aspect of his once-formidable music and fashion empire. "Lately a flood of antisemitic invective has been triggered by the ranting of a stupid attention-seeking fool we all know," McLean wrote in the statement that did not mention Ye by name. "I want to say I stand with my Jewish friends and I stand with the state of Israel. When this kind of thing happens we should realize why the state of Israel must be respected and protected." McLean went on to say that he lived in Israel on-and-off from 1978-1982 and he "grew to love the country and the people. Living there changed my life forever." The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks antisemitic behavior in the U.S. recently reported that there were 2,717 antisemitic incidents in 2021, a 34 percent rise from the year before for an average of more than seven such attacks per day. - Billboard, 10/28/22...... Recently deceased country superstar Loretta Lynn was honored with a special tribute concert in her memor on Oct. 30 at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. "Coal Miner's Daughter: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Loretta Lynn" saw such major country artists as Wynonna, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Brandi Carlile and Margo Price honor Lynn, who died on Oct. 4 at the age of 90. The musicians covered such Lynn classics as "You're Lookin' At Country," "Blue Kentucky Girl," "Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)," "The Pill" and "Coal Miner's Daughter." The White Stripes' Jack White, who was also close to Lynn and produced some of her later projects, played a spirited version of Lynn's Grammy-winning album's title track, "Whispering Sea," a video of which has been shared on Instagram. - Billboard, 10/30/22...... 
Tributes to Jerry Lee Lewis have been flowing in after the pioneering rock n' roll artist and country music star's passing on Oct. 28 at age 87. The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood, posting on Twitter "R.I.P. JLL the KILLER-What a man," along with a pic of himself and Lewis in the back seat of a convertible. The Oak Ridge Boys tweeted "Jerry Lee Lewis has passed & REST EASY KILLER you were one of a kind," while actor Dennis Quaid, who portrayed the musician in the 1989 film Great Balls of Fire! issued a statement praising the rock n' roll founding father: "Jerry Lee was a Christian, an American icon and the greatest piano player in the world People will be listening to 'Great Balls of Fire' and 'Whole Lot of Shakin" 500 years from now. I will miss him. God bless you Jerry Lee." On Oct. 28, Bob Dylan paid tribute to Lewis during his gig in Nottingham, U.K., by covering Lewis's song "I Can't Seem To Say Goodbye." During his gig at the Motorpoint Arena that same night, Dylan played a version of "I Can't Seem To Say Goodbye," the song written by Don Robertson and famously covered by Lewis on his 1970 album A Taste Of Country. Introducing the rendition, Dylan said: "I don't know how many of you know, but Jerry Lee's gone. We're gonna play this song, one of his. Jerry Lee will live forever -- we all know that." The performance has been shared on YouTube. Lewis is the last survivor of the 1986 inaugural class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and became the sole survivor upon Don Everly's death on Aug. 21, 2021. Lewis has been laid to rest in the town of his Mississippi home Nesbit, south of Memphis, Tenn. - Billboard/NME, 10/28/22...... Iggy Pop has shared a raw new song titled "Frenzy" on YouTube. "Being stalked by a socio is a great way to fire up the blood," Iggy said of "Frenzy," which was produced by Andrew Watt. The song features an all-star band including Watt, Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan and Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith. "I'm the guy with no shirt who rocks; Andrew and Gold Tooth get that, and we made a record together the old-fashioned way," Iggy said in a recent statement announcing a new partnership with Gold Tooth and Atlantic Records. Meanwhile, Pop is set to release a 10th anniversary edition of his 2012 album Aprs as part of Record Store Day's Black Friday on Nov. 25. The release will feature new cover art, a poster and a never-before-released bonus track. - NME, 10/28/22...... Lionel Richie has announced he's returning to the U.K. in 2023 for his first show there since 2019. The "Hello" hitmaker will play the Nocturne Live concert series at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, which takes place between June 14 to 18, 2023. "I'm really looking forward to heading to Blenheim Palace next summer," he said in a statement. "The UK crowds are some of the best in the world and I can't wait to get back over there to see you all!" Earlier this year, Richie was forced to cancel all of his summer 2022 UK and European gigs, including his headline slot at the Isle of Wight Festival on June 17, due to the "impact" of Covid-19. - Music-News.com, 10/31/22...... 
The Beach Boys have shared an unreleased track called "Carry Me Home" on YouTube ahead of the release of their upcoming Sail On Sailor - 1972 box set, which drops on Dec. 2 and features a whopping 80 unreleased tracks. "Carry Me Home" was written during 1972's Holland sessions by late Beach Boy Dennis Wilson and is about a soldier dying in the Vietnam War. The track features vocals from Blondie Chaplin, who recently reflected on its creation in an interview with Rolling Stone: "It's eerie listening back to this song after all these years. It's how Dennis felt at the time. I see him struggling with his own worries. The voice is really sensitive, and you can feel the emotional pain. War on the battlefield and inside, it's always very combustible inside. He was the real surfer, rowdy and sweet." Sail On Sailor - 1972 is the latest chapter in the BB's archival releases, and revolves around the creation of 1972's Carl and the Passions - So Tough and 1973's Holland. The BB are celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2022, and earlier in the year Capitol Records and UMe released a newly remastered and expanded edition of band's career-spanning greatest hits collection, Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys. They're also participating in a new feature length documentary that is currently in the works. Other events include "a tribute special, prestigious exhibitions and events, unique brand partnerships," according to a press release. - NME, 10/28/22...... Patrick Haggerty, a pioneering gay country music singer who broke new ground as the lead singer and guitarist of Lavender Country, has died at the age of 78. News of Haggerty's passing was shared via Lavender Country's Instagram page on Nov. 1. "This morning, we lost a great soul. RIP Patrick Haggerty", the post read. "After suffering a stroke several weeks ago, he was able to spend his final days at home surrounded by his kids and lifelong husband, JB." Haggerty established Lavender Country in Seattle, Wash. in 1972, and the band's groundbreaking self-titled debut was released the following year. It was released in partnership with the Gay Community Social Services of Seattle - an organization which Haggerty was involved with -- and was performed by the band at Seattle's first-ever Pride event in 1974. Fearless in its chronicling of queer experiences, Lavender Country is widely considered the world's first openly gay-themed country album, and reflected Haggerty's equally groundbreaking efforts in activism. Lavender Country continued to receive renewed attention in the decades since their disbandment in 1976. The group reissued their eponymous album in 1999 and 2014, and performed a handful of live shows within that period. In the '80s, Haggerty ran for political office in Seattle, and elsewhere led activism around gay rights and AIDS awareness. - NME, 11/1/22.
Jerry Lee Lewis, the outrageous rock 'n' roll pioneer whose outrageous talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal, died on the morning of Oct. 28. He was 87. The last survivor of a generation of groundbreaking performers that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, Mr. Lewis died at his Mississippi home, south of Memphis, Tenn., according to his rep. The news came two days after the publication of an erroneous and subsequently retracted report of his death by celebrity gossip site TMZ.com. Born in Ferriday, La., on Sept. 29, 1935, Mr. Lewis was the cousin of TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart and country star Mickey Gilley. He first learned to play guitar, but found the instrument too confining and longed for an instrument that only the rich people in his town could afford -- a piano. His life changed when his father pulled up in his truck one day and presented him a dark-wood, upright piano. He took to the instrument immediately, and began sneaking off to Black juke joints and absorbing everything from gospel to boogie-woogie. Conflicted early on between secular and scared music, he quit school at 16, with plans of becoming a piano-playing preacher. Mr. Lewis briefly attended Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Tex., a fundamentalist Bible college, but was expelled, reportedly, for playing the "wrong" kind of music. A roadhouse veteran by his early 20s, Mr. Lewis took off for Memphis in 1956 and showed up at the studios of Sun Records, the musical home of Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Told by company founder Sam Phillips to go learn some rock 'n roll, Mr. Lewis returned and soon hurried off "Whole Lotta Shakin"' in a single take. "I knew it was a hit when I cut it," he later said. "Sam Phillips thought it was gonna be too risque, it couldn't make it. If that's risque, well, I'm sorry." That song, along with "Great Balls of Fire" -- a sexualized take on Biblical imagery that Mr. Lewis initially refused to record -- were his most enduring early songs and performance pieces. 
He had only a handful of other pop hits, including "High School Confidential" and "Breathless," but they were enough to ensure his place as a rock 'n' roll architect. For a brief time, in 1958, he was a contender to replace Presley as rock's prime hit maker after Elvis was drafted into the Army. But while Mr. Lewis toured in England, the press learned three damaging things: He was married to 13-year-old (possibly even 12-year-old) Myra Gale Brown, she was his cousin, and he was still married to his previous wife. His tour was canceled, he was blacklisted from the radio and his earnings dropped overnight to virtually nothing. "I never did hide anything from people," Mr. Lewis said in a 2014 interview. "I just went on with my life as usual." Over the following decades, Mr. Lewis struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, legal disputes and physical illness. Two of his many marriages ended in his wife's early death. Myra Brown herself divorced him in the early 1970s and would later allege physical and mental cruelty that nearly drove her to suicide. Mr. Lewis reinvented himself as a country performer in the 1960s, and the music industry eventually forgave him, long after he stopped having hits. He won three Grammys, and recorded with some of the industry's greatest stars. Mr. Lewis had a run of top 10 country hits between 1967-70, and hardly mellowed at all. He performed drinking songs such as "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)", the roving eye confessions of "She Still Comes Around" and a dry-eyed cover of a classic ballad of abandonment, "She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye." He had remained popular in Europe and a 1964 album, Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, is widely regarded as one of the greatest concert records. A 1973 performance proved more troublesome: Mr. Lewis sang for the Grand Ole Opry and broke two longstanding rules -- no swearing and no non-country songs. In 2006, he released Last Man Standing, featuring Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, B.B. King and George Jones. In 2010, he brought in Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw and others for the album Mean Old Man. In 1986, along with Elvis, Chuck Berry and others, he made the inaugural class of inductees for the 
Within a year, he had married Kerrie McCarver, then 21. She filed for divorce in 1986, accusing him of physical abuse and infidelity. He countersued, but both petitions eventually were dropped. They finally divorced in 2005 after several years of separation. The couple had one child, Jerry Lee III. Another son by a previous marriage, Steve Allen Lewis, 3, drowned in a swimming pool in 1962, and son Jerry Lee Jr. died in a traffic collision at 19 in 1973. He also had two daughters, Phoebe and Lori Leigh, and is survived by his wife Judith. His finances were also chaotic. Mr. Lewis made millions, but he liked his money in cash and ended up owing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Internal Revenue Service. When he began welcoming tourists in 1994 to his longtime residence near Nesbit, Miss. -- complete with a piano-shaped swimming pool -- he set up a 900 phone number fans could call for a recorded message at $2.75 a minute. "The Killer" not only outlasted his contemporaries but saw his life and music periodically reintroduced to younger fans, including the 1989 biopic Great Balls of Fire, starring Dennis Quaid, and Ethan Coen's 2022 documentary Trouble in Mind. A 2010 Broadway music, "Million Dollar Quartet," was inspired by a recording session that featured Mr. Lewis, Elvis, Perkins and Cash. Mr. Lewis was unable to attend his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville earlier this month due to the flu. "It is with heartfelt sadness and disappointment that I write to you today from my sick bed, rather than be able to share my thoughts in person," he said in an acceptance statement. "The Killer is Gone," Rolling Stone rock critic David Wild tweeted shortly after Mr. Lewis' death. "Say what you will about the man, it took Great Balls of Fire to Rock & Roll this world like #JerryLeeLewis did." - AP, 10/28/22.
In a new interview with Classic Rock Online, former Rolling Stones member Bill Wyman revealed he and his former bandmates exchange Christmas gifts ever year and that he, Stones guitarist Keith Richards and Stones frontman Mick Jagger are "like distant relatives. Wyman, 86, says Stones guitarist Keith Richards sends him scented candles every holiday season and "we all send each other birthday and Christmas presents. "It's still a family thing, social not business, and it works really well. It's like distant relatives -- you've got an Auntie Elsie and an Uncle Fred who are really charming but you don't want to see them all the time," Wyman says. However Bill -- who played with the iconic band between 1962 and 1993 -- admitted it did take time for him to get back on friendly terms with Mick, 79, and Keith, 78, because they were desperate for him to keep playing with the band. "When I first left the Stones it took a few months to rebuild that relationship with them. It was quite stressful and they didn't want me to leave. So they became bitchy. Instead of being nice and saying, 'Great 30 years. Cheers mate.' Mick would say the most absurd, stupid things, with that spoilt attitude he had. He'd say things like, 'Oh well, if anybody has to play bass I'll do it. It can't be that hard.'" Wyman concluded: "Then when it came time for them to do the '94/'95 tour they had to make a final decision. Mick and Charlie [Watts] came over and spent the evening with me, trying to talk me into staying. Have I had any regrets about not going back? None whatsoever." - Music-News.com, 10/27/22...... 
As Dolly Parton preps for her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 5, the 76-year-old country legend says she doubts she'll ever tour again, "but... do special shows here and there, now and then." "Maybe do a long weekend of shows, or just a few shows at a festival. But I have no intention of going on a full-blown tour anymore," Parton told the concert industry publication Pollstar. Dolly's most recent tour was her 2016 "Pure & Simple Tour," which included 60 shows in the US and Canada. "I've done that my whole life, and it takes so much time and energy," says Dolly, who's released a steady stream of albums, books, movies and TV projects in recent years. "I like to stay a little closer to home with my husband [Carl Dean]. We're getting older now, and I don't want to be gone for four or five weeks at a time. Something could happen. I would not feel right about that, if I were gone and somebody needed me. Or I would feel bad if I had to leave a tour if somebody got sick at home and needed me and then I had to walk out on the fans." After hinting she'd like to record a rock album in 2021, Parton also revealed in the interview that she's currently working on that album and plans to re-record "Stairway to Heaven," the Led Zeppelin classic she recorded in a bluegrass-inspired arrangement as part of her 2002 album Halos & Horns, part of her bluegrass trilogy of albums. "But I'm going to redo that really on the money," she told Pollstar. "I did it kind of bluegrass-style when I did it; but when I do the rock album, I'm going to actually re-record it - and do it more true to the regular record. I'm trying to see if Robert Plant might sing on it. Maybe Jimmy Page might do the pick-up part on it. I'm looking forward to dragging in some of the great classic people, girls and boys, to sing on some of the songs. I'm not far enough along to discuss who and what, but I am going to do an album." - Billboard, 10/27/22...... AC/DC's Brian Johnson has responded to the rumour that original AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott wrote lyrics for the band's Back In Black LP before his death in 1980. Discussing the theories in a new Rolling Stone interview, and why he felt forced into discussing them, Johnson said: "There was one particular journalist -- a writer in Australia -- who just wouldn't let go of this thing. And of course, Malcolm and Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarists] were, like, 'What a f------ load of bull---.' It wasn't something that stuck in me craw a lot, but every now and again, a fan would come up and say, 'This guy's saying this.' And factually, it wasn't true. There wasn't an Internet then; it didn't really get further than Australia. But I thought it was awful I had to explain myself and that's why in the book, I went, once and for all, I want to put this baby to bed." Johnson took over vocal duties for Scott in 1980 until 2016, and again from 2018 to the present day. His new 373-page memoir, 
John Lennon's eldest son Julian Lennon premiered the video for his new single, "Lucky Ones," on 
Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley has announced a five-evening series of intimate conversations, "An Evening with Priscilla Presley," in the UK in the spring of 2023. "I'm not going to hold anything back. People are going to understand Elvis even better," the 77-year-old actor and former wife of the late King of Rock & Roll says. "It's taken me a while to get to this point in my life where I'm comfortable to fully share with the audience," Presley told New Musical Express. "I'm so protective of Elvis and Graceland and our life. This will be more about Elvis the man, not the entertainer. We all know he was a great entertainer, but this is what was going on behind the scenes, and what his fears and loves were." Presley, who was married to the late singer from 1967 to 1973, first met Elvis in Germany where he was stationed with the US Army, when she was 14-years-old and he was 24. The couple wed seven years later, and welcomed daughter Lisa Marie nine months after in 1968. Presley, who never saw Elvis live until his legendary 1968 "Comeback Special," wanted to offer fans a deeper insight into who Elvis was behind closed doors. "I think it might shock people to know how much he loved America," she said. "He went to see [Pres. Richard] Nixon in the White House and he had a narcotic [police] badge which meant he could stop and arrest people who were doing drugs. I'll be telling stories for people who didn't really know who Elvis was inside that will make you realise this bigger-than-life man's concerns were deeper than people would ever think." Unseen home-footage of the couple will also be presented during the sessions, which include Glasgow (4/1), Manchester (4/2), London (4/3), Birmingham (4/5) and Newcastle (5/6). - NME, 10/24/22.
In a new interview with the UK's Uncut magazine, Peter Frampton revealed he's working on a new album of self-penned tracks. "I'm recording brand-new material right now," said the 72-year-old rock star, who released his first record 50 years ago. "No co-writers, all my own songs and I'm throwing out a lot already because every track has got to be a winner. I'm going nowhere Framptom has gone before!" Frampton, who released his 18th studio album Frampton Forgets the Words only last year, also added that becoming a teen idol in the late 1960s as a member of The Herd was a "big surprise" to him and joked that his "good looks" got him into "trouble." "Yeah, becoming a teen idol was as big a surprise to me as the other guys," Frampton said. "My guitar playing did good for me, but my looks got me into trouble -- both I thank my parents for, ha! But through all the ups and downs you have to pick yourself up and move on," he added. The British-born Frampton, who now resides in Nashville, Tenn., explained that his mantra was the reason behind his determination to return to the UK and Europe for a final tour, but teased that the "farewell" nature of the show -- which is due to conclude at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 8 November -- may become "indefinite" if things go well. "I don't ever give up on things," he said. "That's why I didn't give up on the farewell tour coming to the UK and Europe. It was a must for me. And if it goes well, I might be able to go to other places, too. So it's an indefinite farewell, really." Tickets for his UK tour kickoff Nov. 6 in Glasgow are already on sale. - Music-News.com, 10/23/22...... As antisemetic outbursts from Kanye West continue to make headlines, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has joined the fray, saying the controversial rapper should surround himself with "nicer people" and urging him to "take the medication." Speaking to British journalist Piers Morgan on his show Piers Morgan Uncensored on Oct. 20, Simmons was asked if he thinks Jewish people should accept an apology from West for his recent antisemitic outbursts, which resulted in both his Twitter and Instagram accounts being suspended after drawing widespread criticism. Simmons, who is Jewish, told Morgan that he'd never met West, but "from everything I've heard... he sounds really wounded, he sounds hurt, so he's lashing out." "I'm not a doctor. I'm not a physician. I don't know much about Ye (West's recently adapted moniker) or Kanye," he continued. "If there's medication, I respectfully urge for the gentleman to take the medication. If he's surrounded by the wrong people, get some nicer people." On the topic of Jewish people, Simmons added: "Let's be clear about this: African-Americans have been tortured physically, mentally, culturally for decades, centuries, but you're talking to a people who've heard this story and have been tortured mentally, physically for thousands of years." Jews have done well, let's be clear, because they worked for it. But don't kid yourself -- racism, anti-Semitism exists right next to each other, and we're all victims in some way or the other by the ruling establishment." The episode also featured an interview with West himself, with the rapper initially refusing to say sorry for his comments. He later offered something of an apology over a particular tweet that referenced "going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE." West's antisemitic outbursts have been numerous in recent weeks, blaming "Jewish media" and "Jewish Zionists" for alleged wrongdoings, and telling NewsNation TV host Chris Cuomo that he "doesn't believe" in the term antisemitism. West's record label, Universal, has shared a statement denouncing West's stand on antisemitism and his bank, JPMorgan Chase, has cut ties with him. - New Musical Express, 10/23/22...... Promoting his new heart-wrenching and hilarious memoir 
Grammy-winning pop legend Carly Simon is grieving after losing two sisters one day apart. In a wild coincidence, two of Simon's older sisters -- Lucy and Joanna Simon -- died of cancer within 24 hours of each other. Lucy Simon, a composer who received a Tony nomination in 1991 for her work on the long-running Broadway musical "The Secret Garden," died of breast cancer at her home in Piedmont, N.Y. on Oct. 20 at age 82. She was born in New York on May 5, 1940, to publishing giant Richard Simon of Simon & Schuster fame, and his wife, civil rights activist and singer Andrea. She was the second oldest of four children Joanna, Lucy, Carly and Peter. Carly and Lucy once performed as The Simon Sisters, opening for other acts in Greenwich Village folk clubs, and their recording of "Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod" hit No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. As her younger sis Carly found huge success in the early 1970s with such hits as "Anticipation," "Haven't Got Time for the Pain" and "You're So Vain," Lucy elected to enter nursing school. However after marrying and having children, Lucy recorded two solo albums, Lucy Simon (1975) and Stolen Time (1977), for RCA. Lucy and her husband, David Levine, produced two Grammy-winning children's albums, In Harmony (1981) and In Harmony 2 (1983). Her return to Broadway with "Doctor Zhivago" in 2015 was less successful, with the production lasting less than two months after blistering reviews. Lucy is survived by her husband; her children, Julie Simon and James Levine; and four grandchildren Sophie, Ben, Charlie and Evie. In 1962, Lucy's older sister Joanna Simon, 82, made her debut at the New York City Opera as Mozart's Cherubino, and went on to perform on stage with the New York Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She went on to work as the arts correspondent for PBS's MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour until 1992, and later worked in real estate. Joanna Simon, who died of thyroid cancer on Oct. 19, was married to novelist and journalist Gerald Walker from 1976 until his death in 2004. She was also the companion of Walter Cronkite from 2005 until his death in 2009. On stage, she made her professional debut in 1962 as Cherubino in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" at New York City Opera. That year, she won the Marian Anderson Award for promising young singers. Lucy and Joanna were predeceased by their brother, photographer Peter Simon, who died of cardiac arrest at age 71 in 2018 after being treated for cancer. "I have no words to explain the feeling of suddenly being the only remaining direct offspring of Richard and Andrea Simon," Carly Simon said in a statement. "They touched everyone they knew and those of us they've left behind will be lucky and honored to carry their memories forward." - Bang Showbiz/Billboard, 10/22/22...... Fleetwood Mac's bouncy 1988 hit "Everywhere" has bounced back into the Billboard charts thanks to its use in a new commercial for Chevrolet's electric vehicle line. Originally released on the band's 1987 album Tango in the Night, has risen to No. 25 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally (where older songs are eligible to appear if in the top 25 and with a meaningful reason for their return) for the week of Oct. 22. "Everywhere" has attracted 2.3 million official U.S. streams, up 16%, and 5,000 downloads sold, up 12%, in the U.S. Oct. 7-13, according to Luminate. "Everywhere," true to its title, concurrently rules the Rock Digital Song Sales chart for a third week, all consecutively, and vaults from 7 to 3 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales list. The ditty stands as Fleetwood Mac's most recent Top 20 hit, among 16 total, on the Billboard Hot 100, having reached No. 14 in Feb. 1988. It also became the band's second of three Adult Contemporary No. 1's. Tango in the Night marked Fleetwood Mac's last studio LP fully featuring its famed lineup of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. - Billboard, 10/18/22...... An acoustic demo of John Lennon singing "Yellow Submarine" from The Beatles' Revolver has been shared on 
Motown Records icons Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson have been named the 2023 MusiCares persons of the year, the Recording Academy's philanthropic partner announced on Oct. 20. The longtime friends will receive the honor at the annual gala on Feb. 3, 2023. The event, which takes place two nights before the 65th annual Grammy Awards, will mark the first time the gala will honor two individuals together, as it's typically reserved for a single person or a musical group. With Berry Gordy as the creator of the Motown Sound and Smokey Robinson as his first writer and artist, the duo transformed popular music and fostered a legendary friendship -- one that has spanned more than six decades and produced countless classic songs. "I am grateful to be included in MusiCares' remarkable history of music icons. The work they do is so critical to the well-being of our music community, and I look forward to a most exciting evening," Berry said in a statement, while Robinson shared, "I am honored that they have chosen me and my best friend and Motown founder Berry Gordy to share this beautiful honor and celebrate with you all together." Gordy and Robinson join a prestigious list of recent MusiCares honorees, including 2022 person of the year Joni Mitchell, preceded by Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton, Aerosmith and many more. - Billboard, 10/20/22...... On Oct. 20 Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe announced a set of joint UK and Ireland tour dates for summer 2023. "After finally getting back on the road and having a monumental summer tour in the US and Canada this year, we're beyond thrilled to be bringing this massive stadium tour to major cities all over the world, and kicking off Europe in Sheffield where it all started for us 45 years ago," Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott said in a statement. The two bands toured together in North America over the summer, with the last gig of "The Stadium Tour" taking place on Sept. 9 in Las Vegas. "We had an incredible time playing 'The Stadium Tour' in North America this summer and we truly can't wait to take the show around the globe with The WORLD Tour in 2023," Mötley Crüe said in a statement. "Creheads in Latin America and Europe: Get ready! We're coming for you next and can't wait to finally see all of you out there again next year!" The UK and Ireland dates include Sheffield (5/22), London (7/1), Lytham (7/2), Dublin (7/4) and Glasgow (7/6). - NME, 10/20/22...... A memorial service for the late Loretta Lynn will air live on cable channel CMT on Oct. 30 with George Strait, Keith Urban, Wynonna and more paying tribute to the late Country music icon, who died on Oct. 4 at age 90. Hosted by NBC's Today show co-host and family friend Jenna Bush Hager, the evening will also include performances and appearances from Barbara Mandrell, Lynn's sister Crystal Gayle, Darius Rucker, Emmy Russell & Lukas Nelson, Faith Hill, Margo Price, Martina McBride and Sheryl Crow, among others. Two additional commercial-free encores of the Oct. 30 celebration will air on CMT on Nov. 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET and Nov. 6 at 11:00 a.m. ET. The special will also be made available on Paramount+ in early 2023. - Billboard, 10/20/22...... During an appearance on The Daily Show on Oct. 19, Brandi Carlile announced that she and folk icon Joni Mitchell are planning a sequel to their special "Joni Jam" performance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival at Fort Adams State Park on July 24. Carlile revealed the two will reunite for a special concert weekend at Washington state's picturesque venue the Gorge Amphitheatre in June 2023 for a pair of shows they're calling "Echoes Through the Canyon." "Joni Mitchell is going to play. No one's been able to buy a ticket to see Joni Mitchell play in 20 years," Carlile noted of the artist who hadn't performed a full live set since 2000 before Newport and hadn't appeared in public much since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015. "So this is enormous... and she is going to crush it!" Carlile played a show also called "Echoes Through the Canyon" at the Gorge in Aug. 2021 with Sheryl Crow and Amythyst Kiah. Carlile's interview on The Daily Show has been shared on 
On Oct. 19 it was announced punk icon Iggy Pop has signed with Atlantic Records, in partnership with producer Andrew Watt's Gold Tooth Records, for the release of his next album. "I'm the guy with no shirt who rocks," said Pop in statement. "Andrew and Gold Tooth get that, and we made a record together the old-fashioned way. The players are guys I've known since they were kids and the music will beat the s out of you. Have a great day." The first release from Pop's forthcoming album, debut single "Frenzy," is slated to drop Oct. 28 on Gold Tooth Records / Atlantic Records. The album will be Pop's first since 2019's Free, released by Caroline International/Loma Vista. Pop rose to fame as the lead singer of Detroit-bred band The Stooges, which released three seminal proto-punk albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s: The Stooges, 
Rockabilly revival icon Robert Gordon, who released more than 20 albums and helped usher in a rockabilly resurgence in the 1970s and '80s, died on Oct. 18 at Don Greene Hospice in New York City following a diagnosis of leukemia, according to a 
After watching a devastating report on TV about the plight of Ukranian families under attack from invading Russian forces, Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster have revealed they're footing the bill for a house rental in Berkshire UK for a refugee Ukranian family. Speaking to the Daily Mirror paper, Stewart said he believes it's his duty to help others after being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II six years ago. "I usually keep all my charitable efforts nice and quiet and just do it. But I thought, 'I am a knight, I have been given this knighthood because of the things I've achieved in my life and the charity work I've done over the years'," said Sir Rod, who was knighted in 2016 for his services to music and charity. Rod added that he and Penny "couldn't describe what we were watching" when they viewed a report about the war on TV news one night. "The bombing of innocent children, the bombing of hospitals and... playgrounds. Like everyone else, we were completely beside ourselves. I don't wish that one anyone. This is evil, pure evil," Stewart said. "I was born just after the [Second World] War, so my family have lots of memories of it. That's how devastating it was to me. I didn't think we would see the likes of land war with tanks again," he added. Stewart said he and his nephew Warren Cady then came up with a plan to fill trucks up with supplies and take them to the Ukrainian border. Although he wished to travel in a truck himself, he was ultimately advised against it. The trucks brought 16 refugees to Berlin. Afterwards, he got in contact with Ukranian Rostyslav and his family, who were not part of the 16 brought back by his vehicle, which led to him renting the home for the family of seven. The Mirror added that he and Lancaster will pay both the rent and bills for the family for at least a year as the Ukrainian family continue to settle into their new home, and he's also provided two other refugees with jobs on his Essex estate. Rostyslav and his wife Olena issued a statement thanking Stewart and his nephew "for their openness and genuine and big hearts." "Thanks to their sponsorship and Warren's hard work, our children are now safe and able to learn normally in school... We pray daily for God's blessings on Sir Rod, Warren, their family and all the British people," the statement added. - New Musical Express, 10/18/22...... On Oct. 13 Ringo Starr revealed that he has tested positive for Covid-19 once again and he's canceling the remainder of his 2022 All Starr Band tour. "I'm sure you'll be as surprised as I was I tested positive again for Covid the rest of the tour is off I send you peace and love Ringo," the 82-year-old former Beatles member wrote in an 
On Oct. 15 Neil Young announced a 50th anniversary reissue of his iconic 1972 album 
The new Bruce Springsteen exhibit "Bruce Springsteen Live!" officially opened at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Oct. 15. The exhibit gives fans a backstage pass to five decades of Springsteen and the E Street Band's live shows, including rare memorabilia and clothing, instruments, photographs and interactive displays. The exhibit was co-curated by the Grammy Museum and Eileen Chapman, director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives & the Center for American Music at Monmouth University. Highlights include "I Got This Guitar and I Learned How to Make It Talk" which features a number of The Boss's guitars including the gloriously roadworn and famous 1950s Fender Esquire; "I Got Debts No Honest Man Can Pay," an undated letter from what is likely the early '70s from Springsteen to his landlord apologizing for not paying his rent on time; "I Want Pounding Drums," a video tutorial from E Street drummer Max Weinberg giving wannabe drummers a tutorial and then the chance to play along with a video of Springsteen performing before tens of thousands of people at a stadium gig; "Is There Anybody Alive Out There?," an interactive exhibit allowing fans to build their own five-song encore to a live show and see how close they come to what Springsteen played that actual night; and "A Prayer for the Souls of the Departed," tributes to late E Street members Danny "The Phantom" Federici and Clarence "The Big Man" Clemons. In other Springsteen-related news, the New Jersey rocker has shared a video for "Nightshift," a cover of the original hit by The Commodores which features on his forthcoming album 
The Mattel toy company released its latest Barbie doll in honor of a music icon, the Tina Turner Barbie doll, on Oct. 13 as the latest edition to its Barbie Signature Music Series. The doll, which retails for $55, was released in honor of the music legend's 1984 smash hit, "What's Love Got to Do With It," which is nearing its 40th anniversary. Recreating her iconic outfit from the music video, the 
Actor Danny Masterson, former star of the long-running sitcom