Singer/songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley, died in the early evening of Jan. 12 in a Los Angeles hospital after suffering full cardiac arrest earlier in the day. She was 54. Lisa Marie's mother, Priscilla Presley asked fans to "keep her and our family in your prayers" in a social media message on Jan. 12 before confirming she had passed away in a subsequent message: "It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us. She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known." A spokesperson for the LAPD said police were called to Presley's home in Calabasas, Calif., about 50 kilometres northwest of downtown Los Angeles, in the morning of Jan. 12 and found paramedics working on Presley who was experiencing cardiac arrest. The spokesperson confirmed that paramedics performed CPR on Presley and were able to help her regain a pulse before she was taken to a nearby hospital, where she flatlined several times and was eventually pronounced dead. Lisa Marie's health emergency came just two days after she attended the Golden Globe Awards to watch Austin Butler win the award for Best Performance in a Motion Picture (Drama) for his role in director Baz Luhrmann's ELVIS biopic, and appeared "unsteady" during interviews on the red carpet. Just days before that, she was in Memphis, Tenn., at Graceland -- the mansion where Elvis lived -- to celebrate what would have been her father's 88th birthday on Jan. 8. Presley released three rock albums in the 2000s and appeared on stage with artists like Pat Benatar and Richard Hawley during her musical career. She also formed direct musical ties with her father, joining her voice to such Elvis recordings as "Don't Cry Daddy," a mournful ballad which had reminded him of the early death of his mother -- and Lisa Marie's grandmother -- Gladys Presley. 
Born on Feb. 1, 1968, Lisa Marie was nine years old when Elvis died at the age of 42 in August 1977, and she became the sole heir of the Elvis Presley Trust. Along with Elvis Presley Enterprises, the trust managed Graceland and other assets until she sold her majority interest in 2005. She retained ownership of Graceland Mansion itself, the 13 acres around it and the Elvis memorabilia items inside the home. Her son is buried there, along with her father and other members of the Presley family. Lisa Marie and Priscilla would often make regular trips to Graceland during huge fan celebrations on the anniversaries of Elvis's death and birthday. One of the two airplanes at Graceland is also named Lisa Marie. She would later make headlines of her own through struggles with drugs and some very public marriages. Her four husbands included pop superstar Michael Jackson and actor Nicolas Cage. She also became involved in numerous humanitarian causes, from anti-poverty programs administered through the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation to relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. She would receive formal citations from New Orleans and Memphis for her work. Presley had recently penned an essay published in People magazine about "the horrific reality" of her grief following her son Benjamin Keough's death by suicide in 2020. "I've dealt with death, grief and loss since the age of 9 years old. I've had more than anyone's fair share of it in my lifetime and somehow, I've made it this far," she wrote in August. Presley is also the mother of actress Riley Keough, 33, and twin 14-year-old daughters Harper and Finley, whose father is Lisa Marie's fourth husband, Michael Lockwood. A spokesman for the Presley family said Lisa Marie will be buried at the Graceland mansion alongside her father, son, and other members of the Presley family. - AP, 1/13/22.
Jeff Beck, a former member of the Yardbirds and founder of the Jeff Beck Group who is hailed as one of the most influential guitarists of all time, died on Jan. 10 after contracting bacterial meningitis. He was 78 years old. The news of his death was confirmed in a statement released by his family the following day. "It is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck's passing," the statement reads. "After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss," the statement added. One of the most influential lead guitarists in rock, Beck helped shape several genres including blues rock, psychedelia and heavy metal, and only the likes of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix can truly be said to have surpassed him for imagination, excitement, technique and sheer power. Born in Surrey, England on June 24, 1944, Beck attended Wimbledon Art College in London and backed Lord Sutch before replacing Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds. He established himself with a two-year stint with that band, but left in late 1966. The next year he had a U.K. solo hit single with the out-of-character "Hi Ho Silver Lining" (reissued and a hit the second time around in 1972). He followed that with the even more bizarre "Love Is Blue," played deliberately out of tune because he hated the song. Later in 1967 he formed the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart on vocals, Ronnie Wood on bass, Mickey Waller on drums, and later Nicky Hopkins on piano. The Jeff Beck Group's reworkings of blues-based material laid the groundwork for Seventies heavy metal, and they enhanced their already considerable reputation with a series of rowdy, outrageous gigs -- mostly in the U.S. -- and two patchily excellent albums, Truth (1968) and Beck-Ola (1969). The teaming of Beck and Stewart was like nothing heard in rock before -- even if privately the two were frequently at each others' throats -- until Jimmy Page squared off to Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin. 
Clashing temperaments broke up the JBG in 1969, with Wood and Stewart joining the Faces. Beck made attempts to form a new band with Vanilla Fudge members Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice, but the project fell through when he was injured in a car crash which fractured his skull and kept him sidelined for 18 months. In 1971, he assembled a new Jeff Beck Group and released two albums of Memphis funk laced with heavy metal. In late 1972, Beck and Bogert and Appice -- the latter two who had been playing with Cactus -- formed Beck, Bogert and Appice, but weak vocals hampered the band, and it broke up in 1974. Beck went into another period of hibernation but reemerged in 1975 in an all-instrumental format, playing jazzy tunes, on such successful albums as Blow By Blow and Wired. During the late '70s he reportedly spent most of his time on his 70-acre estate outside London, and worked wih former Mahavishnu Orchestra keyboardist Jan Hammer on the 1980 album There and Back. In 1981, he appeared at Amnesty International's Secret Policeman's Ball, and in 1985 toured Japan, but his live performances became less and less frequent. In 1985 he released Flash, which included his sole charting single, a cover of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" (#48), with Stewart on vocals, and the Grammy-winning "Escape" written by Hammer, peaked at #39. 
Through the Eighties he turned up on recordings by such artists as Mick Jagger, Malcolm McLaren and Roger Waters. Over the course of his career, Beck won eight Grammys out of 17 total nominations and was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice -- as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992 and as a solo performer in 2009. His last and most recent of his 11 solo LPs was 18, a collaborative full-length set with actor/musician Johnny Depp in July 2022. Posting on Instagram, Rod Stewart remembered Beck as "the greatest, my man" who was "on another planet." Posting a picture of the pair together, Stewart writes that Beck "took me and Ronnie Wood to the USA in the late 60s in his band the Jeff Beck Group and we haven't looked back since. He was one of the few guitarists that when playing live would actually listen to me sing and respond. Jeff, you were the greatest, my man. Thank you for everything. RIP." Others who flocked to social media to remember the guitar great include Ronnie Wood, Gene Simmons, Jimmy Page, Dave Davies, Paul Stanley, Toni Iommi, Mick Jagger, Stevie Van Zant, David Gilmour, Donny Osmond, Joe Perry, Billy Gibbons, Brian Wilson, Sammy Hagar, Ozzy Osbourne, and Experience Hendrix. - Billboard/The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock, 1/12/23.
Grammy-winning singer Janis Ian will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Folk Music Awards in February, the Folk Alliance International announced on Jan. 9. Ian, 71, is a two-time Grammy winner -- in 1975 for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for her coming-of-age classic 
Paul McCartney's photographer/director daughter Mary McCartney has revealed her famous dad was "nearly run over" outside London's Abbey Road Studios as she was filming for her new documentary about the world-famous studio, If These Walls Could Sing. As Mary was attempting to recreate the Beatles' iconic cover for their 1969 album 
"Hello, Wisconsin!" Premiering on Netflix on Jan. 19, That '90s Show continues the laugh-filled look back at years gone by that started with eight popular seasons of 
The Eagles announced via 
Former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant has explained why he and the band said yes to using Led Zep's "Immigrant Song" in the 2003 Richard Linklater-directed film School of Rock. "Immigrant Song" was used in a section of the film where lead actor Jack Black's character, the ersatz school teacher Dewey Finn, is transporting his band of students following their successful entry into the Battle of The Bands. Black delivers an impassioned cover of the iconic song as he drives the students back to school, praising Summer (Miranda Cosgrove) for her idea of misrepresenting the students as terminally ill children in order to enter the fully booked event. "My response is: Why not? Our songs didn't come from Valhalla," Plant told the website 
'70s artists Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson and Chic leader Nile Rodgers are among those tapped to receive 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Grammys' Recording Academy. It will mark the first time a pair -- Ann, 72 and Nancy, 68 -- who weren't known as an ongoing duo, have received a Lifetime Achievement Award (four formal duos have been honored -- The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, The Louvin Brothers and Sam & Dave). Heart has received four Grammy nods, divided evenly between pop and rock performance categories, but they have yet to win. The band, which scored No. 1 hits with "These Dreams" and "Alone," was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Rodgers, 70, received three Grammys at the 2014 ceremony, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016 and received the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's award for musical excellence in 2017. Rodgers won all three Grammys for his work with Daft Punk -- Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Get Lucky" and album of the year for Random Access Memories. With Chic, Rodgers landed two No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 -- "Le Freak," the top-selling single in the history of Atlantic Records, and "Good Times," which helped spark the advent of hip-hop. "Le Freak" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015. Also set to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards on Feb. 4 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles are Nirvana, The Supremes and Slick Rick. - Billboard, 1/5/23...... Rod Stewart is about to be a grandfather for the second time after his daughter Ruby Stewart announced that she is expecting a baby boy with partner Jake Kalick in April. Taking to Instagram, Ruby shared a video from a recent gender reveal party in which her dad Rod had a key role. After opening up a piece of paper in front of the family, the 77-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer exclaimed, "It's a boy!" In addition, Ruby also posted an ultrasound of the foetus. "Out of all of the things that happened in 2022 you were by far the most beautiful... We can't wait to meet you... Baby boy Kalick coming in April," the 35-year-old wrote in the caption. "So happy for the two of you," commented Rod, while his daughter Kimberly Stewart posted, "Def has the Stewart nose." Rod has eight children from five relationships, and became a grandfather for the first time in 2011 when Kimberly welcomed a daughter named Delilah with actor Benicio del Toro. - Music-News.com, 1/4/23...... Appearing on Tamron Hall's syndicated daytime talk show on Jan. 3, Dionne Warwick revealed that she and Dolly Parton have recorded a gospel duet. "[Dolly] sent me a song that she wanted me to record, and I said, 'Okay, that sounds like a deal,'" Warwick recalled of how the collaboration came to be. "She's such a sweetheart, I know her. And then she sent me another song, the one that we're going to be doing as a duet." Warwick went on to note that the upcoming song is a gospel song titled "Peace Like a River" that Parton wrote. "I am very excited about this, I really am. I've done so many duets over the years, but this one's gonna be very special," Warwick said. Meanwhile, a new Dionne Warwick documentary, Don't Make Me Over, debuted on cable channel CNN on Jan. 1. The film unveils the story of her life and career from the days of working with Burt Bacharach and Hal David to the present. - Billboard, 1/3/23...... A rare live concert featuring brothers Brian Eno and Roger Eno is to premiere in cinemas across the UK on March 2. Live At The Acropolis was filmed at Athens' Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheatre in Aug. 2021, as part of the annual Epidaurus Festival. The concert included a backdrop of Brian Eno's images projected onto the walls of the amphitheatre, as Brian and Roger performed music from their 2020 album Mixing Colours. They were joined by Roger's daughter and Brian's niece, Cecily Eno, on vocals, ukulele and mandolin, Leo Abrahams on guitars and Peter Chilvers on keyboards. A clip announcing the concert premiere has been shared on 
Anita Pointer, one fourth of The Pointer Sisters who earned pop success and critical acclaim in the 1970s and 1980s, died on Dec. 31 of as yet undisclosed causes. She was 74. "While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace. She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long," her sister Ruth, brothers Aaron and Fritz and granddaughter Roxie McKain Pointer said in the statement. Anita, Ruth, Bonnie and June Pointer, born the daughters of a minister, grew up singing in their father's church in Oakland, Calif. The group's 1973 self-titled debut album included the breakout hit, "Yes We Can Can." Known for hit songs including "I'm So Excited," "Slow Hand," "Neutron Dance" and "Jump (For My Love)," The Pionter Sisters gained a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. Their 1983 album, Break Out, went triple platinum and garnered two American Music Awards. The group won three Grammy Awards and had 13 U.S. top 20 hit songs between 1973 and 1985. The act also was the first African American group to perform on the Grand Ole Opry program and the first contemporary act to perform at the San Francisco Opera House. Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1977, signing a solo deal with Motown Records but enjoying only modest success. "We were devastated," Anita Pointer said of the departure in 1990. "We did a show the night she left, but after that, we just stopped. We thought it wasn't going to work without Bonnie." The group, in various lineups including younger family members, continued recording through 1993. June Pointer died of cancer at the age of 52 in 2006. Anita Pointer's only daughter, Jada Pointer, died in 2003. - Billboard, 1/1/23...... Two stars of the the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet are suing Paramount Pictures for more than 500 million over a nude scene in the film shot when they were teens. Olivia Hussey, then 15 and now 71, and Leonard Whiting, then 16 now 72, filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud. Director Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, initially told the two that they would wear flesh-coloured undergarments in the bedroom scene that comes late in the movie and was shot on the final days of filming, the suit alleges. But on the morning of the shoot, Zeffirelli told Whiting and Hussey that they would wear only body makeup, while still assuring them the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity, according to the suit. Yet they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge, in violation of California and federal laws against indecency and the exploitation of children, the suit says. Zeffirelli told them they must act in the nude "or the Picture would fail" and their careers would be hurt, the suit said. The actors "believed they had no choice but to act in the nude in body makeup as demanded." Whiting's bare buttocks and Hussey's bare breasts are briefly shown during the scene. The film, and its theme song, were major hits at the time, and has been shown to generations of high school students studying the famous William Shakespeare play since. The court filing says the Hussey and Whiting have suffered emotional damage and mental anguish for decades, and that each had careers that did not reflect the success of the movie. It says given that suffering and the revenue brought in by the film since its release, the actors are entitled to damages of more than $500 million. - AP, 1/3/23...... 
Former Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Fred White has died at age 67 of as yet undisclosed causes. The percussionist's brother and bandmate Verdine White shared the sad news through social media on Jan. 1. "Our family is saddened today with the loss of an amazing and talented family member. Our beloved brother Frederick Eugene 'Freddie' White," Verdine wrote on 
Queen guitarist Brian May will become knighted by the U.K's new king Charles III in 2023, it was announced on Dec. 30. May was among music industry professionals recognized in the 2023 New Year Honours List, an annual tradition celebrating the achievements and service of exceptional individuals from across the U.K., and receives a knighthood for services to music and his charity work. May was previously made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2005. Becoming a knight or a dame is one of the highest-ranking awards in the British honours system, followed by CBE, the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). A knighthood or damehood entitles recipients to use the title of sir or dame if they wish to do so. The Honours List awardees are presented by the reigning monarch, currently King Charles III. Record producer and businessman Millar, best known for his work with Sade, is also to be made a knight for services to music and charity. May co-founded British rock band Queen in 1970 and continues to tour and record with the group. In total, 1,107 people are recognized on the 2023 New Year Honours List, spanning all walks of life. The awarding of honours is overseen by the U.K. Cabinet Office with nominations submitted by either government departments or members of the public. A selection committee then produces a list of honourees, which is submitted to the British monarch, King Charles, for approval. - Billboard, 12/30/22...... In a new interview with Cleveland.com, AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson said that he "would be up for" writing new music with the Aussie hard rock legends. Johnson, who said he has "been told not to" talk about AC/DC's future plans by his bandmates, discussed his hopes for his own future in music. "I would love to do music again, whether it'll be guesting with somebody, whether it be actually playing live with the boys," he said. "I've heard that term 'hell freezes over' a million times before with people saying 'I'm not doing that again'. But I'd be up for it. I think everybody hopes to make more music. But I feel like now the next thing I've got is, I want to jump into my race car, put the helmet on and just go racing." In a previous interview with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation show, Johnson revealed that he had been forbidden from speaking about what might happen in the future. Asked if he would perform with AC/DC again, he replied: "I'm not answering that. Why should I? First of all, there's five members in this band, and to ask one member isn't fair." - NME, 12/30/22...... Former Beatles Paul McCartney and the late John Lennon have notched their first Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 hit parade simultaneously for the first time since the 1980s. For the week ending Dec. 31, McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" re-entered the chart at No. 32 (after it hit No. 28 two years ago), while Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" (credited to John & Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir) hit a new high at No. 38, which is its first time in the Top 40. McCartney and Lennon had, until now, not placed simultaneously in the US with songs outside the band since the Feb. 25, 1984, chart, when Lennon's "Nobody Told Me" surged 12-7, became his eighth and most recent top 10, and McCartney's "So Bad" ranked at No. 37. The Beatles last ranked in the Hot 100's top 40 with "Real Love" and, before that, "Free as a Bird," in 1995-96. - Billboard, 12/29/22...... Ex-Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee has paid tribute to the late Lemmy Kilmister on the seventh anniversary of his death on Dec. 28. Posting on 
A California woman filed a sexual assault complaint against Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler on Dec. 27 under a California law that allows for long-delayed sexual abuse cases. Repeating allegations she's made publicly in the past, Julia Holcomb claims Tyler used his "power as a well-known musician and rock star" in order to "gain access to, groom, manipulate, exploit" and sexually assault her for three years starting in 1973, when she was just 16 years old. Although the lawsuit does not name Tyler, listing only an anonymous John Doe defendant, Holcomb's lawyers repeatedly quote from Tyler's memoir Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? when referring to the alleged perpetrator, who they identify as a "leading member of a world-famous rock band." "She was 16, she knew how to nasty, and there wasn't a hair on it," Tyler wrote in a provocative passage in the book and is quoted in the lawsuit. "I was so in love I almost took a teen bride." The lawsuit alleges that Tyler convinced Holcomb's parents to grant him guardianship over her -- an accusation that also came with quotes from his memoir: "I went and slept at her parents' house for a couple of nights and her parents fell in love with me, signed paper over for me to have custody, so I wouldn't get arrested if I took her out of state." The lawsuit also claims Tyler impregnated Holcomb but later "pressured and coerced" her into eventually aborting the pregnancy. Holcomb made similar accusations in a 2011 article published by the anti-abortion website LifesiteNews, and she made the same claims in 2020 during an appearance on Tucker Carlson's television show on Fox News. The new lawsuit, which included claims for sexual battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotion distress, was filed just days before the expiration of California's Child Victims Act, which temporarily suspended the statute of limitations for sexual abuse lawsuits. After a three-year window of availability, the deadline to file such long-delayed lawsuits is Dec. 31. Representatives for Tyler have yet to comment on the suit. - Billboard, 12/30/22......Pink Floyd have revealed that they've raised £500,000 for humanitarian charities aiding those affected by the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war thanks to their recent benefit single "Hey Hey Rise Up." "We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people murdered by one of the world's major powers," Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour said in a press statement. "I hope ["Hey Hey Rise Up"] will receive wide support and publicity. We want to raise funds for humanitarian charities, and raise morale. We want express our support for Ukraine and in that way, show that most of the world thinks that it is totally wrong for a superpower to invade the independent democratic country that Ukraine has become," he added. The track was released in Apr. 2022 as Pink Floyd's first new song in nearly three decades. At the time Gilmour, who has a Ukrainian family and had already spoken out against the war, said the track was recorded just weeks prior as a show of solidarity to those fighting against Russia's invading military. In a statement shared on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), the band confirmed that they'd reached the momentous half-million-pound milestone. £450,000 reportedly came from single sales and streaming revenue, while the remaining £50,000 was contributed by Gilmour and bandmate Nick Mason (the only other member of Pink Floyd involved in making "Hey Hey Rise Up"). The money, they wrote, will be distributed between five humanitarian charities: Hospitallers, The Kharkiv And Przemy[l Project, Vostok SOS, Kyiv Volunteer and Livyj Bereh. The band also encouraged fans to embark on their own philantrophy, writing alongside a link to a page of resources: "Let's see what else we can do this winter. It would be great if you feel able to contribute to any of these charities directly." Pink Floyd recently uploaded a suite of archival live albums from before their Dark Side Of The Moon era -- as well as a five-song EP of alternative tracks from 1972 -- to streaming services. - NME, 12/27/22...... In related news, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has recorded a message sharing his well-wishes with Ukrainian "heavy metal maniacs." In a clip posted on 
Emmy-winning newswoman and celebrity interviewer Barbara Walters, who blazed the way as the first woman to become a TV news superstar during a career remarkable for its duration and variety, died on the evening of Dec. 30 at her home in New York, according to her publicist. She was 93. During nearly four decades at ABC, and before that 12 years at NBC, Ms. Walters' exclusive interviews with rulers, royalty and entertainers brought her celebrity status that ranked with theirs, while placing her at the forefront of the trend that made stars of TV reporters. Late in her career, she gave infotainment a new twist with The View, a live ABC morning weekday show with an all-female panel for whom any topic was on the table and who welcomed guests ranging from world leaders to teen idols. With that side venture and unexpected hit, Ms. Walters once said she considered The View the "dessert" of her career. Ms. Walters made headlines in 1976 as the first female network news anchor, with an unprecedented $1 million salary that drew gasps. Her drive was legendary as she competed -- not just with rival networks, but with colleagues at her own network -- for each big "get" in a world jammed with more and more interviewers, including female journalists following in her trail. "I never expected this!" Ms. Walters said in 2004, taking stock of her success. "I always thought I'd be a writer for television. I never even thought I'd be in front of a camera." But she was a natural on camera, especially when plying notables with searing questions. "I'm not afraid when I'm interviewing, I have no fear!" Ms. Walters told the AP in 2008. In May 2014, she taped her final episode of The View amid much ceremony to end a five-decade career in television (although she continued to make occasional TV appearances ). During a commercial break, a throng of TV newswomen she had paved the way for -- including Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Robin Roberts and Connie Chung -- posed for a group portrait. Ms. Walters' first marriage to businessman Bob Katz was annulled after a year, and her 1963 marriage to theater owner Lee Guber, with whom she adopted a daughter, ended in divorce after 13 years. Her five-year marriage to producer Merv Adelson ended in divorce in 1990. She wrote a bestselling 2008 memoir Audition, which caught readers by surprise with her disclosure of a "long and rocky affair" in the 1970s with married U.S. Sen. Edward Brooke. Ms. Walters' self-disclosure reached another benchmark in May 2010 when she made an announcement on The View that, days later, she would undergo heart surgery. She would feature her successful surgery -- and those of other notables, including Clinton and David Letterman -- in a primetime special. She is survived by her daughter, Jacqueline Danforth. Among the numerous musicians and celebrities paying tribute to the TV legend on social media include Paul McCartney, Jennifer Hudson, Barbra Streisand and Paris Hilton. - AP, 12/30/22...... Pelé Ginga, the legendary Brazilian soccer player who won a record three World Cups and was undeniably part of the pop culture (appearing even on The Simpsons), passed away on Dec. 29 in São Paulo, according to his agent, Joe Fraga. He was 82. Known as one of the world's greatest atheletes, he had been treated for colon cancer since 2021 and was hospitalized for the past month, according to the AP. Pelé was also a singer-songwriter, and he got his music published over the years too, from the 1977 LP Pelé to his single "Acredita No Vio (Listen To The Old Man)," featuring Rodrigo and Gabriela, just two years ago. Pelé's song "Esperana," an upbeat pagode song about youth performed with a children's choir, was written by him in honor of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. - Billboard, 12/29/22...... 
Canadian country singer Ian Tyson, known for such notable singles as "Four Strong Winds" (covered by Neil Young among many others), "The Old Double Diamond," "Someday Soon" and "You Were on My Mind" (the latter of which he sang alongside Sylvia), passed away on Dec. 29 on his ranch in southern Alberta, Canada. He was 89. Mr. Tyson was an integral figure in the Canadian folk scene, making his official debut to the world of country in 1956 at the Heidelberg Cafe in Vancouver in 1956. He would go to play with a rock and roll band called The Sensational Stripes. After meeting Sylvia Fricker in 1959 the pair would perform as Ian & Sylvia, graduating from part-time performers to becoming a full fledged musical act in 1961, and marrying each other by 1964. The duo then began performing with the assistance of a band, founding and fronting the group The Great Speckled Bird in 1969. By 1989, Mr. Tyson was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, alongside Sylvia -- whom he divorced from in 1975 -- in 1992. Two years later in 1994, Mr. Tyson was granted the honor of becoming a Member of the Order of Canada in 1994; he also received Governor General's Performing Arts Award and was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2003 and 2006 respectively. - Billboard, 12/29/22...... Trailblazing English fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, known as the "Queen of Punk Design," died "peacefully and surrounded by her family," in Clapham, South London, on Dec. 29. She was 81 years old. Ms. Westwood was born in Glossop, England, on April 8, 1941, and was a schoolteacher when she married Derek Westwood in 1962. The couple divorced 1965, and shared a son named Ben. She soon met her brother's friend, Malcolm McLaren, and began dating. They welcomed a son, Joe, and opened a small clothing store together that changed its name over the years, from Let It Rock and Sex to Seditionaires and finally, Worlds End. McLaren also managed the Sex Pistols, and Ms. Westwood became the band's outfitter. After her relationship with McLaren ended, Ms. Westwood created her eponymous brand which masterfully combined elements of history with a provocative, modern twist. The designer rose to prominence in the fashion world in the 1970s, thanks to her anti-establishment punk styles and controversial, androgynous designs. The new wave style icon was also a passionate activist, and frequently channeled issues like climate change into her runway looks. - Billboard, 12/29/22.
A Paul Simon TV tribute called Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon aired on CBS on Dec. 21, and participants on the two-hour special including Elton John, Dustin Hoffman and Herbie Hancock, who spoke warmly about Simon's songs. Elton called Simon "one of the greatest songwriters of all time" and recalled early days when he and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin would sit "on the floor with our headphones listening to [Simon & Garfunkel's] Bookends just in complete awe of the songs -- the way you wrote the songs and the sounds. As a songwriter, you are the bees' knees." Hoffman, whose signature role was 1967's The Graduate which Simon scored, said, "Quite simply, The Graduate would not be The Graduate without Simon's songs." Herbie Hancock said, "Paul Simon is a truly global citizen of this musical world -- a daring and visionary artist who is open to our entire musical universe." Among those performing Simon's songs during the special were Dave Matthews, Eric Church, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks and Bonnie Raitt, with the man of the hour himself, Simon, closing out the show with performances of "The Sound of Silence, "Graceland" and "American Tune." Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon is available to stream on demand on Paramount+. - Billboard, 12/22/22...... As the 20th anniversary of the death of late The Clash frontman Joe Strummer occurred on Dec. 22, a group of his fans marked the milestone by busking in front of a mural of Strummer painted on the side of a bar in New York's East Village named Niagara. Strummer died on Dec. 22, 2002 from an undiagnosed heart defect at age 50. Meanwhile, Strummer's widow, Lucinda Tait, has revealed that the late punk legend hoped to reform The Clash for a performance in 2003, just months before his unexpected death. Shortly before Strummer died, The Clash were announced as inductees for the 2003 class of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. That was followed by a surprise reunion between Strummer and his former Clash co-frontman, Mick Jones, during a benefit concert in London -- the first time they'd performed together since May of 1983. That brief reunion may have signalled a proper comeback for The Clash, as Tait recently said in an interview with the online music mag Consequence: "Joe definitely wanted The Clash to play at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame." Tait conceded, however, that no plans had been formalized between the band themselves, with Strummer apparently making it clear to herthat the prospect "was all dependent on everybody wanting to do it," which "was not a given." Nevertheless, she continued: "I think he would have liked it. Yes, I think he would have liked The Clash to have played at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Earlier in 2022, a new box set featuring music by Strummer and his post-The Clash band The Mescaleros was released. Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years dropped on Sept. 16 via Dark Horse Records and was the first time a comprehensive anthology of the band's work had been collated. Prior to that release, The Clash shared a new special edition of their Combat Rock album in May, featuring 12 additional tracks compiled by the surviving members of the iconic band. - New Musical Express, 12/22/22...... 
The ongoing feud between members of Journey received a new wrinkle on Dec. 22 when Journey guitarist Neal Schon filed a cease and desist order to his bandmate, keyboardist Jonathan Cain, over a November 2022 performance at former president Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort. During the show, Cain performed the band's iconic hit "Don't Stop Believin'" at the Florida complex with Trump and Trump acolytes including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Kari Lake in attendance. In a letter to Cain -- whose wife Paula White-Cain is a former "spiritual advisor" to Trump -- Schon's lawyer wrote: "Although Mr. Cain is free to express his personal beliefs and associations, when he does that on behalf of Journey or for the band, such conduct is extremely deleterious to the Journey brand as it polarises the band's fans and outreach. Journey is not, and should not be, political. Mr. Cain's unauthorised affiliation of Journey with the politics of Donald Trump has the band's fans up in arms, as is demonstrated by a sample of the attached emails and Twitter comments. This has caused, and continues to cause, irreparable harm to the Journey brand, its fan base and earning potential, especially in light of the forthcoming tour.... He should not be capitalising on Journey's brand to promote his personal political or religious agenda to the detriment of the band." In response, Cain said: "Schon is just frustrated that he keeps losing in court and is now falsely claiming the song has been used at political rallies." Schon previously sued Cain in November over allegations that he was refused access to the band's credit card, with Cain responding by alleging that Schon added over $1 million (£ 830,000) in personal expenses to the card in question. - NME, 12/22/22...... In a new interview with SiriusXM's The Beatles Channel, Paul McCartney said it was difficult for him to properly grieve and put into words what John Lennon meant to him after his former Beatles bandmate was killed in late 1980, and he helped process it by writing the song "Here Today" on his 1982 solo album Tug of War. "It was difficult for everyone in the world, 'cause he was such a loved character, and such a crazy guy. He was so special. It had hit me, so much so that I couldn't really talk about it," McCartney said, explaining that he felt unable to share in the mass outpourings of tributes and collective grieving that took place following Lennon's death. "I remember getting home from the studio on the day that we'd heard the news he died, and turning the TV on, and seeing people say, 'Well, John Lennon was this,' and, 'What he was was this,' and, 'I remember meeting him then.' It was like, 'I don't know, I can't be one of those people. I can't just go on TV and say what John meant to me.' It was just too deep. It [was] just too much. I couldn't put it into words." McCartney then went on to describe how, after some time, "once the emotions had sort of settled a little bit," he was partially able to process Lennon's death through writing "Here Today," which closes out the first side of Tug Of War. The song's lyrics imagine what Lennon's answers to hypothetical questions McCartney posted would be. "I was in a building that would become my recording studio, and there were just a couple of little empty rooms upstairs," McCartney said. "So, I found a room and just sat on the wooden floor in a corner with my guitar, and just started to play the opening chords to 'Here Today'." The entire interview can be heard on 
Brian May has hit back at criticism of 25-year-old rocker Yungblud's performance of Queen's "We Are The Champions." May, 75, was recently flooded with people's opinions, many of them derogatory, after he re-shared Yungblud's rendition of the 1977 hit for Apple Music, which he hailed "very classy." He had captioned the clip: "Every now and then, while idly scrolling in the park, you come upon something that makes you go 'wow.' And you just have to press that 'follow' button. Very classy." May compared the negative comments to those the late frontman Freddie Mercury received in the early days of joining Queen. Responding to the hater, he wrote: "Well, this has been an eye-opener for me. I'm smiling quietly at all the 'no' comments. I remember so clearly the same kind of derision being poured on Freddie when we started out as Queen. As soon as I see someone who can inspire such strong reactions, positive and negative, I'm sure this person is a star performer." He added: "But just carry on kicking if you need to; perhaps it will make you feel better! I think the rest of us will keep an open mind." The high praise from May comes after another rock icon, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, honored Yungblud for carrying the torch for rock 'n' roll in the 21st century by presenting him with a guitar inspired by the late Buddy Holly's Gibson J-45. Yungblud said it was a "dream come true" to be recognized by Jagger, and that he's keen to work with the Stones now. "I'd love that," he said. "We're in contact, we've met and if the opportunity arises, absolutely." - Music-News.com, 12/21/22...... Dolly Parton has expounded on a "secret song" she wrote and placed in a time capsule to be unearthed when she reaches age 99, but now says it has "driven her crazy." The song was written and recorded for the opeining of the country legend's Dollywood DreamMore resort and was buried in a time capsule. The theme park's staff have been strictly instructed not to touch the capsule, which is not set to be dug up till the theme park's 30th anniversary in 2045. Parton will be 99 when the song is dug up, and she revealed that she was impatient for it to be unearthed because "I might be there, I might not be!" "You have no idea how that has bothered me. I wanna go dig that up so bad. It's a really good song!" the country superstar told host Kelly Clarkson during a recent appearance on her syndicated show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. "They weren't expecting me to be there at all, and I probably won't be. I might be there, who knows," Dolly told Clarkson. "I figure it'll probably disintegrate and nobody will ever hear it, that's what bothers me, to think that it's going to be a song that nobody's ever gonna hear, if it rots in there before they open it." Parton first discussed the song's existence in her 2020 book Songteller: My Life In Lyrics. At the time, she described placing the song in the capsule as "like burying one of my kids, putting it on ice or something, and I won't be around to see it brought back to life." - NME, 12/21/22...... 
Legendary "Sound of Philadelphia" producer and songwriter Thom Bell passed away on Dec. 22 in Bellingham, Wash. He was 79 years old. Throughout the late '60s and early '70s, Bell wrote and produced a number of hits, particularly with The Delfonics, The Stylistics and The Spinners. Some of his most well-known works include The Delfonics' "La-La Means I Love You," The Stylistics' "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)," "You Are Everything" and