Posted by Administrator on November 28th, 2023
More details about the mysterious restraining order by Daryl Hall against his longtime former musical partner John Oates have been revealed. Many of the details of the dispute were kept under seal when first reported on Nov. 17, however more info obtained by the AP reveals that Hall & Oates have a joint venture and Oates intended to sell his share to a company called Primary Wave. Hall contended that the sale of Oates' share would violate the business terms the duo had agreed upon. In response, a judge temporarily blocked the sale and granted the temporary restraining order on Nov. 16. Legal proceedings and a previously initiated arbitration are still continuing, and the case will be taken up at a court hearing in Nashville Chancery Court on Nov. 30. Primary Wave has previously owned "significant interest" in Hall & Oates' catalogue for more than 15 years. Hall apparently alluded to his own disappointment in a 2021 interview: "Oh, in the early days, it got sold off for me and I didn't get the money," he said. In the same interview, he also told artists to retain their publishing rights: "all you have is that." On Nov. 23, Hall performed a string of Hall & Oates hits during a concert in Japan at Tokyo's Garden Theater despite his ongoing legal battle with Oates. In 2022, Hall described being in a duo as "annoying" to the Los Angeles Times, and told podcaster Bill Maher that "You think John Oates is my partner? He's my business partner. He's not my creative partner." - New Musical Express, 11/26/23...... 
Dolly Parton's new star-studded rock-themed album Rockstar has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart, giving the Country music queen her biggest sales week in the modern era. Rockstar bowed with 118,500 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 23, according to Luminate. Of Rockstar's first-week sales of 118,500, physical sales comprise a little more than 96,000 (78,000 on CD, 18,000 on vinyl and a negligible sum on cassette) and download album sales comprise a little over 22,000. The album has also blasted in atop Billboard's Top Country Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts, dated Dec. 2. The legend adds her ninth No. 1 on the former and her first on the latter. The LP was promoted as Parton's first rock album, and its recording was sparked by her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. The artist has primarily released country music in her nearly 60-year career, through has taken detours (with albums and/or songs) into such genres as Americana/folk, bluegrass, children's music, Christian, dance/electronic and pop. The album's first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across a variety of editions and formats, in addition to some non-traditional music retailers including Cracker Barrel, Dollar General and HSN. The album's CD edition was available in four editions -- a standard version and three variants, each with alternative cover art: for HSN, with three bonus tracks; a Dallas Cowboys version, and a Tennessee Volunteers edition with a bonus track. The latter two were tied to a pair of high-profile live TV performances from Parton: during the Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers football game on Nov. 19, and during halftime of the Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys football game on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23). Dolly dazzled the crowd during the latter event by appearing in a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader uniform. "Hello, Texas! Dolly does Dallas. How do you like my outfit?" Parton announced to the roaring crowd at Arlington's AT&T Stadium. "Hey, Cowboys and Commanders, stop fightin' long enough to sing along!" Her Thanksgiving halftime show can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 11/27/23...... In a new interview with the UK edition of Rolling Stone magazine, Ozzy Osbourne revealed that he may never perform live again after a long string of medical procedures and surgeries. Osbourne said that though he hopes to return to the stage again one day, he might have to "accept the fact" that he might never get the chance to do so. "I'm taking it one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will," he said. "But it's been like saying farewell to the best relationship of my life. At the start of my illness, when I stopped touring, I was really pissed off with myself, the doctors, and the world. But as time has gone on, I've just gone, 'Well, maybe I've just got to accept that fact.'" He continued: "I'm not going to get up there and do a half-hearted Ozzy looking for sympathy. What's the f---ing point in that? I'm not going up there in a f---ing wheelchair. I've seen Phil Collins perform recently, and he's got virtually the same problems as me. He gets up there in a wheelchair! But I couldn't do that." Ozzy concluded: "If I can't continue doing shows on a regular basis, I just want to be well enough to do one show where I can say, 'Hi guys, thanks so much for my life.' That's what I'm working towards, and if I drop down dead at the end of it, I'll die a happy man." In Sept. 2023, the former Black Sabbath frontman underwent what he said would be his "final surgery" after he had suffered a fall in 2019, which dislodged metal rods that were put into his body after a quad bike crash in 2003. Meanwhile, Osbourne recently told the UK paper The Sun that he has gone back to smoking weed as he fears he has only 10 years to live. The 74-year-old musician, who is afflicted with Parkinson's and pain from a string of surgeries, revealed his wife Sharon Osbourne recently told him off for puffing in a joint but he told her he does not think he has long left so it didn't matter. "I don't fear dying, but I don't want to have a long, painful and miserable existence. I like the idea that if you have a terminal illness, you can go to Switzerland and get it done quickly," he said. "I saw my father die of cancer. I said to Sharon that I'd smoked a joint recently and she said, 'What are you doing that for? It'll kill you!' I said, 'How long do you want me to live for? At best, I've got 10 years left and, when you're older, time picks up speed.'" - NME/Music-News.com, 11/27/23...... 
Wowing the crowd during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on Nov. 23 was Cher, who turned the parade route into a dance club, performing on a silver stage flanked by dancers dressed like discofied toy soldiers. A troupe of silver-clad dancers also surrounded the stage and carried giant red hearts out for the grande finale. Cher performed "DJ Play a Christmas Song" from her brand new Christmas album, a yuletide club-banger that recalls one of the diva's biggest hits, 1998's "Believe," with its vocoder-assisted vocals and insistent beat. The holiday tune debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart in October -- Cher's highest-peaking song on the chart -- while its parent album, Christmas, debuted atop Billboard's Top Holiday Albums earlier in November. Fan shot footage of the performance can be viewed on X/Twitter. Meanwhile, Cher opened up about her long-anticipated memoir during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Cher said she is now working on it again after "totally chickening out" on the endeavour in the past, and she found the process more challenging than anticipated. "I just totally chickened out," the singer told host Jimmy Fallon. "I didn't put in some things that needed to be put in. And they're not comfortable, but they need to be put in so I have to go back and man up." She continued: "I've lived too long and done too much and so it's like it should be the encyclopaedia." She then joked with the audience: "Not that you guys know what that is." Cher's interview can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard/NME, 11/23/23...... David Bowie's handwritten lyric sheets for his The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars tracks "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" and "Suffragette City" are estimated to potentially fetch up to £100,000 at auction when they go under the hammer during an Omega Auctions sale on Nov. 28. According to the letter of provenance, the page is from the final recording sessions of the album. Bowie allegedly gave the original owner the lyric sheets at Trident Studio, alongside some other pages of original lyrics, some of which have not survived. The letter of provenance also said the sheet was purchased by the current owner in the early 1980s, and loaned to the V&A in 2013 for an exhibition. - NME, 11/26/23...... One of Paul McCartney's iconic Hofner bass guitars from the 1960's that the former Beatle gifted to a music executive in the 1990's is up for auction at GottaHaveRockandRoll.com. A photograph accompanying this guitar shows McCartney playing the bass with a clear photo-match to the signature on the body of the guitar. The music legend has signed the body of the guitar, "Paul McCartney waz here." The gem can be viewed at GottaHaveRockandRoll.com. - Music-News.com, 11/27/23...... Meanwhile, it has been revealed that McCartney and Elton John are set to appear in the upcoming sequel to the classic 1984 "mockumentary" comedy This Is Spinal Tap. Rob Reiner, who directed the original film starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, confirmed various guest stars in the sequel during an appearance on the UK-based Leicester Square Theatre Podcast with host Richard Herring. Speaking on the podcast about the sequel, which was announced in May 2022, Reiner said: "We're going to start shooting in the end of February. Everybody's back. Paul McCartney is joining us, and Elton John. And a few other surprises, Garth Brooks." Along with directing the sequel, Reiner is set to reprise his role as filmmaker Marty DiBergi. McKean, Guest and Shearer will all return as the fictional metal band, comprised of David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls respectively. Regarding the plot, the sequel looks set to see DiBergi shoot a second film for the band in a bid for redemption. The Spinal Tap sequel was originally slated to be released in March 2024 to coincide with the original film's 40th anniversary. With filming set to begin in February, however, it's unclear when the sequel will be released. - NME, 11/27/23...... In other Beatles-related news, the Fab Four's "Red" and "Blue" compilation albums have re-entered Billboard's Top Album Sales chart (dated Nov. 25) at Nos. 6 and 5, respectively, following their expanded reissue on Nov. 10. The titles sold 22,000 and 24,000 in the week ending Nov. 16 in the U.S., according to Luminate. Each told sold less than 500 copies in the previous week. For both titles, it is their largest sales week since the week ending Dec. 24, 1994, when they sold 37,000 and 40,000, respectively. Upon their original release in 1973, the 1962-1966 album contained 26 songs, while 1967-1970 held 28 tunes. For the 2023 reissue, 21 songs were added to the two albums -- 12 songs on 1962-1966 and nine on 1967-1970. The latter's additional cuts include the recently released new single "Now and Then," which debuted in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 - marking the Fab Four's 35th top 10-charting hit. - Billboard, 11/22/23...... 
Billy Joel recently told People magazine that he scored "cool dad points" after taking his daughters to a Taylor Swift concert in Tampa, Fla., back on March 15. "Oh, she's great. She's really very good," Joel told the magazine during his exhibit preview at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, which opened on Nov. 24 at the Stony Brook Village Center and features a Billy Joel exhibit, titled "My Life -- A Piano Man's Journey," in his honor. "We're going to probably go see her again." After Swift's concert, Joel took to Instagram to share a gallery of photos that included his wife, Alexis Roderick, and their two daughters, Della Rose, 8, and Remy Anne, 6. The Joel exhibit's designers said that approximately half of the exhibit's memorabilia came from Joel and the rest from fans when they learned it was planned. "It's a little overwhelming," Joel told the crowd. "Have you ever found yourself surrounded by you? It's kind of a nightmare," before concluding, "I guess I've lived." Joel added that he still plans on performing live after his the last show of his residency at Madison Square Garden ends in July 2024. "I'm not leaving [touring]. We'll still do the work -- we're just not going to keep working in the same place. We're going to different places." - Billboard, 11/25/23...... On Nov. 24 Neil Young shared a video of himself performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on an electric guitar, urging viewers to "Stand For Peace." The track was shared for Thanksgiving 2023 and sees the Canadian-American songwriter share a Jimi Hendrix-style version of the US national anthem while standing next to an American flag. The video, which has been shared on YouTube, was directed by Young's wife Daryl Hannah and concludes with "Be Brave" and "Stand For Peace" written on the screen. Despite being titled "Stand For Peace," it does not refer to any ongoing conflict in particular, however it does arrive just days after Young posted a separate statement to social media speaking against the conflict in Israel and Palestine. "For our many Palestinian friends and our many Jewish friends, we do need to start over in the present and release our terrible connections to the past," Young posted. "As bad as they are, they need to be forgotten so we can be free to move on in life together, all humanity, focused on saving our planet for future generations of all people." - NME, 11/24/23...... A court in Chile has ruled that Roger Waters' upcoming concerts in the country can go ahead, despite attempts to block them over accusations of antisemitism. The Representative Committee of Jewish Entities in Chile had sought to stop Waters' shows at the stadio Monumental in Santiago on Nov. 25 and 26 from taking place, citing what they describe as Waters' "history of incitement to antisemitic hatred." However, as reported by Cooperativa, the bid has been dismissed by Santiago's Court of Appeals, who ruled that "no facts have been mentioned that could constitute a violation of the constitutional guarantees." In response to the attempt to block the concerts, a group of over 60 Chilean artists wrote a letter to the country's Court of Appeals, imploring them to allow the shows to go ahead. Waters, who has repeatedly insisted he is not an antisemite, was recently the subject of a documentary, The Dark Side Of Roger Waters, which was produced by the Campaign Against Antisemitism and collates various incidents of alleged antisemitism perpetrated by the musician. The documentary makers put their findings to Waters but he reportedly did not respond. He has repeatedly denied all accusations of antisemitism and explained that his disdain is towards Israel, not Judaism. He also accused Israel of "abusing the term antisemitism to intimidate people like me into silence." - NME, 11/24/23...... Sir Tom Jones and rising UK singer Becky Hill have been confirmed for the UK's Forest Live 2024 festival in the summer of 2024. The Welsh music legend, 83, will headline High Lodge, Thetford Forest with support from Gabrielle on June 28, while UK chart-topper Hill heads to Delamere Forest on June 13. Rock legend Sting, 72, will top the bill on June 14, and Nile Rodgers and CHIC on June 15 at Delamere. The former is also playing Thetford on June 22. The concerts help raise funds for Forestry England to maintain beautiful natural areas. - Music-News.com, 11/26/23...... 
TV producer Marty Krofft, known for imaginative children's shows such as H.R. Pufnstuf and primetime hits including Donny and Marie in the 1970s, died of kidney failure on Nov. 25 in Los Angeles. He was 86. Mr. Krofft and his brother Sid Krofft were puppeteers who broke into television and ended up getting stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Along the way, they brought a trippy sensibility to children's TV and brought singing siblings Donny and Marie Osmond and Barbara Mandrell and her sisters to primetime. The Osmonds' clean-cut variety show, featuring television's youngest-ever hosts at the time, became a lasting piece of '70s cultural memorabilia, rebooted as a daytime talk show in the 1990s and a Broadway Christmas show in 2010. The Kroffts followed up with Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters, centered on the country music star; it ran from 1980-82. Like Donny and Marie, H.R. Pufnstuf proved to have pop culture staying power. Despite totaling just 17 episodes, the surreal show, featuring an island, a witch, a talking flute, a shipwrecked boy and a redheaded, cowboy boot-wearing dragon, came in 27th in a 2007 TV Guide poll ranking of all-time cult favorites. More than 45 years after the show's 1969 debut, the title character graced an episode of another Krofft brothers success, Mutt & Stuff, which ran for multiple seasons on Nickelodeon. The Canadian-born Krofft brothers first made their mark in television with H.R. Pufnstuf, which spawned the 1970 feature film Pufnstuf. Many more shows for various audiences followed, including Land of the Lost; Electra Woman and Dyna Girl; Pryor's Place, and D.C. Follies, in which puppets gave a satirical take on politics and the news. The pair were honored with a Daytime Emmy for lifetime achievement in 2018. They got their Walk of Fame star two years later. Sid Krofft said on Instagram that he was heartbroken by his younger brother's death, telling fans, "All of you meant the world to him." "I am so saddened by the passing of my dear friend, Marty Krofft," Donny Osmond posted in tribute to Mr. Krofft on Nov. 26. "His fingerprint is on generations of entertainment and the impact he's had in connecting people around the world is an astonishing legacy he leaves behind. Our best wishes and love go out to his family and loved ones. As Marie and I sang at the end of every show, 'May God keep you in His tender care, 'till He brings us together again.'" - AP, 11/26/23...... 
'70s R&B star Jean Knight, best known for her funk hits "Mr. Big Stuff" and "Think It Over," died of natural causes on Nov. 22 in New Orleans. She was 80. Born Jean Caliste in New Orleans on Jan. 26, 1943, Ms. Knight began singing around town after graduating from high school and recorded her first single, a cover of Jackie Wilson's "Stop Doggin' Me Around" in 1965, which got her a recording contract with the Jet Star/Tribe record label. Her climb to fame began when she met producer Wardell Quezerque; he took her to Jackson, Miss., where she recorded "Mr. Big Stuff," which became her first single and the title track from her debut studio album on Stax Records. The song earned a Grammy nomination for best female R&B vocal performance, and in July 1971, it reached the top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it remained for five weeks; the song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following month. The album itself reached a high of No. 60 on the Billboard 200 in Sept. 1971. "Mr. Big Stuff" was used across films and covered many times, including in the 2005 movie Kinky Boots performed by soul singer Lyn Collins, and the 1994 Disney sports comedy-drama D2: The Mighty Ducks sung by Martha Wash. "She was the first person we appointed on the board when we took it over and we had a long relationship with her and she was just fabulous," said her friend and former Louisiana Music Commission director Bernie Cyrus. "She was always willing to get involved with good causes and help out." He continued: "'Mr. Big Stuff' -- it was just so universal. People remember it. And look, so many people covered it. But nobody did it like Jean." - Music-News.com, 11/27/23.
On Nov. 21, the Rolling Stones announced the dates for an ambitious 16-date 2024 North American tour in support of their Grammy-nominated new album, Hackney Diamonds. The core trio of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood will be sponsored by the AARP and kick off on Apr. 28 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Tex. Other cities on the itinerary include New Orleans (5/2), Las Vegas (5/11), Seattle (5/15), Atlanta (6/7), Philadelphia (6/11), Denver (6/20), Chicago (6/27) and Los Angeles (7/10) before wrapping at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on July 17. Tickets will go on sale Dec. 1. - Billboard, 11/21/23...... 
Axios.com reporter Nate Rau tweeted on Nov. 17 that Daryl Hall has been granted a restraining order against his former music partner John Oates in the midst of a confidential legal battle. "Members of the beloved pop rock duo Hall & Oates are locked in mysterious litigation," Rau posted. "Daryl Hall filed a lawsuit yesterday against John Oates in Nashville Chancery Court. At least for now, all of the filings in the litigation are under seal. Based on captions for the filings in the chancery clerk's system, a business trust is at the center of the dispute." Although very little information about the lawsuit is publicly available due to it being sealed, UltimateClassicRock.com is reporting that Hall "sued in his official capacity as trustee of the Daryl Hall Revocable Trust, naming Oates and fellow co-trustees Aimee Oates and Richard Flynn from the John W. Oates TISA Trust as defendants. Summons were issued on November 20, after the proceedings were placed under seal on November 16." Per Variety, the Nashville Chancery Court confirmed the lawsuit but did not comment further due to the lawsuit being sealed. Neither Hall or Oates have spoken about the lawsuit or shared any statement in regards to it. The platinum-selling duo have always had a weird relationship. In 1985, Rolling Stone described their relationship as "strange" with journalist Lynn Hirschberg writing that the pair "are a cross between business partners and brothers... Hall doesn't seem to really like Oates, and Oates seems removed, even distant, from the entire Hall and Oates organization." - NME, 11/22/23...... Rod Stewart, who is preparing to release a new album about his "latest passion" -- swing music -- says if his new swing collaboration with Jools Holland proves popular enough, he is looking to head back to Las Vegas for a special run of shows. "If I go back to Vegas -- and I'd like to -- if the album's a big success, maybe I could do a swing show, big band stuff," the 78-year-old Sir Rod told the Daily Star's Wired column. Stewart added he finds live performing "highly addictive," although he's not the biggest fan of "sitting in hotel rooms" waiting for the next gig. "That two hours on stage is the most potent drug you can imagine. It's highly addictive. It's all the bloody in between time I don't like, sitting in hotel rooms. Although when I am sat around like that, I build my model railroad so that I'm not idle." Indeed, there was a time where his model railway hobby almost took over his future as a legendary musician. He recalled: "My dad was the first person who bought me a model railroad but also the first to buy me a guitar instead of a part for my train set. When I was young I said, 'Dad, I don't want a guitar -- I want that signal." After a date at The Colusseum at Caesars Palace in Vegas on Nov. 23, Stewart will return to the venue in 2024 for three dates in July and four dates in August. In February, he has gigs set for Thackerville, Okla., Gary, Ind., Hollywood, Fla., Tampa, Fla. and Jacksonville, Fla. - Music-News.com, 11/21/23...... Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson joined the alternative band Tool on stage in Toronto on Nov. 20 for a surprise performance. As Tool wrapped up their North American headline tou two shows in Toronto earlier in the week, the band invited Lifeson, who grew up in the city, to the stage for a rendition of their song "Jambi." The performance also included Rush's "A Passage To Bangkok"' intro and guitar solo from their 1976 album 2112. Footage of the surprise performance has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 11/22/23...... 
Among the music gems being released on Record Store Day on Black Friday (Nov. 24) is WAR's The World Is a Ghetto: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition. The original album, which was the top-selling album of 1973, has been remastered and repackaged as a deluxe, five-LP boxed set curated by founding WAR member/lead singer Lonnie Jordan, the band's longtime producer Jerry Goldstein, and Jeremy Levine. Limited to only 4000 copies, the set is comprised of the original 1972 album, featuring the gold-certified hits "The World Is a Ghetto" and "The Cisco Kid," six previously unreleased session bonus tracks and unreleased "the making of" recordings that reveal the origins of the album's six tracks. The original album (which topped the Billboard Hot 200 and R&B album charts) and bonus tracks are pressed on two gold-vinyl LPs; the making of tracks on three black-vinyl LPs. "War Is Coming," one of the bonus tracks, will also be available digitally on Black Friday. The entire project is being released through Rhino and Avenue Records/Far Out Productions. "[WAR] practically invented their own genre while addressing race, class issues and more," music reporter Adam Weisller said during a recent symposium with Jordan and Goldstein at the Grammy Museum. "They had people on their feet every night." Describing the Long Beach, Calif.-based WAR as a "universal street band," Jordan noted that the group "refused to be political... we just wanted to let people know what was going on outside of their box. We were their internet then. We were waging war against war, but we didn't shoot bullets. We shot rhythms and harmonies." Currently, three of WAR's surviving original core members -- Howard E. Scott, Lee Oskar and Harold Brown -- perform as the Lowrider Band. Lonnie Jordan continues to perform under the WAR moniker. - Billboard, 11/21/23...... Pink Floyd's David Gilmour has collaborated with the English electronic music group The Orb on a new project that lets fans reimagine their own versions of Metallic Spheres in Colour, a newly released remix album from The Orb and Gilmour, based on their 2010 ambient album Metallic Spheres. The new remixing tool is by generative AI company Vermillio, which allows fans to type out how the music makes them feel and create a unique album cover based on their feelings. Plus, it can also generate a personalized version of one of the album tracks based on a few parameters: the unique album cover, mood, and tempo. "Fans in today's world are shifting from just consumption to creation. They want to co-create," says Dan Neely, co-founder and CEO of Vermillio, which can be achieved through creating remixes, covers, TikTok videos, or using generative AI. "The good news is ambient music has been a place where co-creation has existed for a while -- DJs have always looked to music like this. It's a good collaboration to start with." For now, these custom tracks based are limited to 30-second snippets that can be shared on Vermillio's website with other fans, but the team is considering giving fans the option to purchase a download of the full track in the future. - Billboard, 11/21/23...... 
Neil Young says he's swearing off X/Twitter as he takes a firm stand against the popular social media platform's current owner, Elon Musk, after Musk recently urged Palestinian and Jewish people to band together in light of the war between Israel and Hamas. "We are stopping all use of X that we can control," Young wrote in a statement posted to his NeilYoungArchives.com website on Nov. 20. "For reasons that should be obvious to the richest man on Earth, we are taking action against his company." The post featured an image of Musk with the text "Tesla should fly flags of love, not hate" written over the billionaire's face. The statement continued: "For our many Palestinian friends and our many Jewish friends, we do need to start over in the present and release our terrible connections to the past. As bad as they are, they need to be forgotten so we can be free to move on in life together, all humanity, focused on saving our planet for future generations of all people." The statement comes after the tech mogul approved of a Nov. 17 tweet that accused Jewish people facing antisemitism due to the Israel-Hammas war of furthering the "exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them" and supporting "hordes of minorities" to become immigrants. Musk replied, "You have said the actual truth." Also joining Young in a boycott of X/Twitter is Gene Simmons of KISS. Simmons announced his departure on Nov. 18 by simply sharing on X: "Friends, I've decided to end my X/Twitter posting. From now on find me on: instagram.com/genesimmons, tiktok/@genesimmons and threads.net/genesimmons." - Billboard/NME, 11/20/23...... Speaking of KISS, co-founding vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley posted a message of himself in a hospital bed with an IV to Instagram on Nov. 22 with a caption saying: "Toronto And Ottawa, I've done everything possible to get onstage and be a part of the incredible 2 1/2 hour celebration we planned but this flu has made it impossible. Along with Gene, Tommy and Eric couldn't be more disappointed and send our deepest apologies." The New York shock-rockers were forced to cancel their final ever Toronto show after tanley continued to deal with the flu. That cancellation came after KISS also axed a show scheduled for the previous evening in Ottawa due to Stanley's illness. Refunds for both the Toronto and Ottawa shows will be available and there will be no rescheduling either concerts as KISS plans to end their farewell tour at New York's Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2. - Canoe.com, 11/22/23...... A video clip of legendary British pop singer Cliff Richard has gone viral after the musician recalled passing on an opportunity to meet Elvis Presley due to the King of Rock & Roll's weight gain in the late '70s. Interviewed on the UK daytime TV show This Morning with Alison Hammond, Richard was asked if he'd ever met Elvis, to which he responded by telling the story of his "one chance" to meet the music legend. He recalled a journalist with connections to Presley who wondered if he would like to meet him. However, he chose to put off meeting the rock'n'roll legend because he'd "put on a lot of weight," adding: "I thought, if I'm having a photograph taken with him and it's gonna be hanging on my refrigerator, he's gotta look good." He added: "And I put it off, and of course then he died." Richard then said that anyone should take the chance to meet someone they're a fan of, "even if they've put on weight." One fan posted on social media that the interview, which can be viewed on X/Twitter, was "one of the most awkward, jaw-dropping things I've ever seen on TV." Richards is promoting a new memoir, A Head Full of Music, and new album, Cliff with Strings - My Kinda Life. - NME, 11/21/23...... There is speculation that AC/DC will tour Europe in 2024 after Munich, Germany mayor Dieter Reiter accidentally let slip to a reporter that the Aussie rockers will be performing at the city's Olympic Stadium on June 12, 2024. "I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret," Reiter said after inadvertently leaking the date of the AC/DC concert during a city council meeting. If the show is confirmed by AC/DC and goes ahead next summer, it will mark their first performance in Europe since their slot at Dusseldorf Espirit Arena in June 2016 -- back when Axl Rose was acting as frontman for the band. It will also mark their first show since they made their comeback at the huge Power Trip festival in Indio, California back on October 7. The slot saw the band close out the second of three nights at the rock festival, and featured a massive 24-song set with Brian Johnson and Cliff Williams returning to the line-up. - NME, 11/21/23...... 
Tom Waits is set to join Iggy Pop for a rare UK radio interview, which will span two hours on BBC 6 Music. The discussion will mark one of the first new interviews the iconic American singer-songwriter has taken part in during recent years, and will see him co-host a special show with punk veteran Pop. Taking place on Dec. 3, the show will air on BBC Radio 6 Music between 4pm and 6pm. It will also see the two converse about their time in the music industry, share anecdotes from their personal lives and spin some of the famous tracks that have influenced them over the years. Waits has rarely stepped into the public eye to discuss his music career since he released his last studio album, Bad As Me, back in 2011. Since then he has also celebrated the 50th anniversary of his 1973 debut LP Closing Timebuy sharing a new vinyl reissue. He played one of his last live shows back in 2008, taking place in a tent venue in Dublin named the Rat Cellar. However, in the time since then, he turned his focus towards an acting career, appearing in such films as The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs (2018), the star-studded action film The Book Of Eli (2010) and the 2021 film Licorice Pizza. As for Iggy Pop, the punk icon released his latest studio album Every Loser in early 2023. His 19th full-length studio release, it featured contributions from Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses, and Blink 182's Travis Barker, among others. More recently, he joined forces with Trevor Horn to share a gritty cover of the Depeche Mode classic track, "Personal Jesus." - NME, 11/21/23...... Dolly Parton has revealed that she sent a "love note" to Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr asking them to contribute to a cover of the Beatles classic "Let It Be" for her new album RockStar. "I just sent them a love note through their managers, and I just said what I was doing. And I said, 'I didn't want to put you on the spot, but I'd love to have you sing with me on my rock album. And if you're interested, call me at this number'," Parton said in an interview with National Public Radio. "And [they] said, yes, we'd love to, and I was very honored and very proud and very humbled by that." A video for Dolly's version of "Let It Be" can be streamed on YouTube. Meanwhile, the Beatles have launched an official Christmas sweater ahead of the festive season through their Apple Corps Ltd. company. It pays homage to the band's iconic Abbey Road album cover, with the Fab Four wearing red Santa hats as they stride across the crossing near Abbey Road Studios in London. As described in a press release, the top is also "set in a winter wonderland surrounded by a snowscape scene and traditional Fair Isle Christmas motifs with The Beatles logo above" and the "subtle and stylish grey knit is finished with red sleeves and hems for a festive touch." UK Christmas sweater dealer Notjust clothing and Earth Merch have teamed up with Apple Corps to launch the new ethically-made jumper to celebrate the release of the Beatles' latest No. 1 hit "Now And Then." Priced at £44.99, the jumper is available now at the Notjust clothing site. In still more Fab Four news, Ringo Starr has dispelled the "terrible rumours" of John Lennon not singing on "Now and Then." Speaking with the AARP, the famous drummer also took a moment to dispel some rumors about the track's creation. "There were terrible rumors that it's not John, it's A.I., whatever bullshit people said," she said. "Paul and I would not have done that. It's a beautiful song and a nice way to finally close that door." "Now and Then" has become the group's first Billboard Top 10 since 1996. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 11/22/23...... One of Eric Clapton's legendary guitars has fetched one of the highest prices for a guitar at auction ever. Slowhand's 1964 Gibson SG Les Paul Standard guitar -- named "The Fool" -- was sold for $1.27 million (£1.03 million) at a sale conducted by Julien's Auctions. The six-string instrument was sold as part of the three-day music auction event "Played, Worn and Torn: Rock N' Roll Iconic Guitars and Memorabilia" at the Hard Rock Café in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 16. Per Guitar World, the custom-painted psychedelic guitar is the same '64 SG that Clapton played when he and his Cream bandmates were creating their second LP, Disraeli Gears. The instrument was painted by the Dutch art collective from whom the SG got its name, and became an influential emblem of the psychedelic era as well as a symbol of the "Summer of Love" in 1967. According to Planet Rock, Clapton gifted the guitar to George Harrison following the disbandment of Cream. Harrison then passed it down to his Apple Records label mate Jackie Lomax. It was also owned by Todd Rundgren in the 70s and 80s who gave it the nickname "Sunny" after Cream's track "Sunshine of Your Love," until he sold it at auction in 2000. The axe was purchased by renowned memorabilia collector Jim Irsay, and a portion of the proceeds of "The Fool" will go towards Kicking The Stigma, The Indianapolis Colts and Irsay Family's mental health awareness initiative. - NME, 11/20/23...... In related news, Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has announced he's selling off 120 of his guitars, also for good causes. Knopfler's guitars, with estimates ranging from 300 to 500,000, will be sold at Christie's in London on Jan. 31, and the non-profits that will benefit from the sales include the British Red Cross, Tusk and Brave Hearts Of The North East. Knopfler, 74, said: "I'll be sad to see them go, but we've had wonderful times together and I can't play them all." He added: "It's exciting having those guitars that figured so big on that record be in the sale. Each one brings back loads of memories. If you would have asked me 20 years ago I'd have thought, No way! But I'm happy now that they're going to different homes." The axe expected to fetch the most, a whopping 300,000-500,000, is the 1959 vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard which the "Money For Nothing" hitmaker used on tours in 2001 and 2008. - Music-News.com, 11/22/23...... 
R&B legend Gladys Knight has announced she's extending her UK Farewell Tour, due to overwhelming public demand. A second date has been added Southend at the Cliffs Pavilion on July 4 and shows at Eastbourne Congress on July 6, and the Bristol Beacon on July 8. Knight's UK farewell tour already includes dates in Glasgow, Birmingham, London, Swansea, Bournemouth, Nottingham and Southend. The 79-year-old "Empress of Sou" is expected to play all her classics during her tour including standout gem "Midnight Train to Georgia," which was voted one of Rolling Stone's greatest songs of all time. She's also set to play new material from her latest album Where My Heart Belongs. The icon will be joined by guest Mica Miller, 33, one of the UK's most critically acclaimed modern soul stars. Tickets for the recently added shows go on sale on Nov. 24. On Dec. 9, Knight launches an 11-city US tour in Phoenix, wrapping in Lincoln, Neb. on June 8. - Music-News.com, 11/21/23...... Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a true life partner to Pres. Jimmy Carter who helped propel him from rural Georgia to the White House in a single decade and became the most politically active first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt, died on Nov. 19 in Plains, Ga. She was 96. The Carter Center in Atlanta announced the politically active former First Lady's death. It had disclosed on May 30 that Mrs. Carter had dementia. "She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones," a statement by the center said at the time. On Nov. 17, the center said she had entered hospice care at home. Jimmy Carter, 99, the longest-living president in American history, has also been in hospice care at their home, but so far he has defied expectations. The Carter Center had announced in February that he was stopping full-scale medical care "after a series of short hospital stays," and his family was preparing for the end. But he has hung on -- and celebrated his most recent birthday on Oct. 1. Although Bess Truman may have lived a bit longer than Rosalynn Carter, Mrs. Carter lived more years after her husband left office, and had a much higher profile. She is scheduled to be buried in Plains on Nov. 29. - The New York Times, 11/19/23.
Blondie guitarist/songwriter Chris Stein announced details of a new memoir, 
On Nov. 17, the estate of John Denver released The Last Recordings, a collection of new masters of some of the biggest hits recorded by soft-spoken singer before his death in a late 1997 plane crash at age 53. Late in his career, Denver had become alienated from his longtime label RCA Records, calling them "an organization of pure opportunists" in his autobiography Take Me Home and declaring the label "not only lacked interest in promoting my albums, they were no longer interested in releasing them." With backing band regulars such as bassist Alan Deremo and the late guitarist Pete Huttlinger, Denver created new masters for the old songs, to be owned exclusively by his indie label, Windstar Records. Windstar put the songs out as a limited-edition European album, but they never came out officially in the US until the release of The Last Recordings. "It's always a good time to release what we have," says Amy Abrams, who co-manages Denver's estate. "John would have been 80 this year. We recently passed 25 years since he passed away. We want to make sure fans have access to those recordings." Abrams says Denver's estate, which includes his children Zak Deutschendorf, Anna Kate Hutter and Jesse Belle Denver, has a "fine working relationship" these days with RCA and its parent company, Sony, which has put out box sets such as 2011's 25-disc John Denver: The RCA Albums Collection. The most striking thing about The Last Recordings is Denver's voice -- deeper and a touch more gravelly than the one on his '70s hits. "He lost a lot of the boyish quality that his voice had early on," bassist Deremo says. "It ripened into a really full, beautiful-sounding instrument." Denver released his final RCA studio album All Aboard!, a collection of train-song covers that came out shortly before his death, in 1997. The album won a Grammy for best musical album for children in Feb. 1998, his only Grammy win. - Billboard, 11/16/23...... In a new interview with TheMessenger.com, Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack Osbourne said his dad will never tour again. "I don't think he'll tour again," Jack said, adding: "But he's gunning to do one-off shows -- like festivals, gigs, things like that. He's not done yet." Ozzy's last full concert was in 2018, and the following year he suffered a fall, which dislodged metal rods that were put into his body after a quad bike crash in 2003. He was also diagnosed with Parkinson's in early 2020. Ozzy had announced his retirement from touring in Feb. 2023, calling off his scheduled European and UK tour dates in the process. Later that month, however, he said that he hoped to return to the stage at some point in the future. - NME, 11/16/23...... Late Motörhead frontman and bassist Lemmy Kilmister may be honored with a statue in his birthplace of Burslem, Stoke-On-Trent, UK, if his statue plans are approved by the Stoke-on-Trent City Council. Kilmister was born on Dec. 24, 1945 in Burslem, one of the towns that is part of the city of Stoke-On-Trent in Staffordshire, prior to him and his family moving to Newcastle-under-Lyme. The majority of his childhood was spent in Wales before founding Motörhead in 1975. Lemmy's statue would be created by North Staffordshire sculptor Andy Edwards -- the same artist who created the world-famous Beatles statue on Liverpool's waterfront -- and be placed in Burslem's Market Place. Lemmy began his career in the late 60s and worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix before joining the space rock band Hawkwind in 1971. He sang lead vocals for their hit "Silver Machine," and was sacked from the band in 1975 after an arrest over alleged drug possession. That same year, he went on to create Motörhead. The metal band reached its peak in the 1980s with their hit UK single "Ace of Spades" and their chart-topping live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith. Kilmister passed away in 2015 at the age of 70 just two days after he revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. - NME, 11/16/23...... 
In a new interview with New Musical Express, former Kinks frontman Ray Davies recalled being shot almost 20 years ago, and explained that he now has some sympathy for the gunman. In 2004, Davies was involved in a shooting in New Orleans when he and a female friend were walking home from dinner. A mugger attacked them both, threatening the woman with a gun before taking her handbag and piling into a getaway car. Davies chased after the assailant, who turned, aimed the gun and shot him in the leg at point-blank range, leading him to be hospitalized for a short time. NME asked Davies how it felt to relive the incident in his 2013 memoir Americana: the Kinks, the Road and the Perfect Riff. In response, he said it was a "cathartic" experience because he "didn't feel like the good guy" when he replayed the scene on the page. "Just before he shot me, he looked afraid -- and he had a gun. You know, I was thinking of the world he came from, the challenges in his life... It's utter desperation." Davies also spoke about a potential of a full reunion of The Kinks, and revealed that they have enough material to create "about 20" new songs. As for the prospect of a full-blown comeback, Davies told NME that the idea remains "in the lap of the gods," and would only come to fruition if they could lock in "a show that gives us the credit we deserve." - NME, 11/15/23...... Gene Simmons has said KISS' farewell tour is the "end of the road for the band, not the brand" and hinted at what's to come. During a new interview with 519 Magazine, the musician explained that the group's imminent retirement doesn't necessarily mean the end, and teased some other potential KISS-related projects. "This tour is the end of the road for the band, not the brand," he told the outlet. "KISS is a universe of its own -- movies, merchandise, maybe even Broadway. The band will end, but the KISS experience it's immortal." He continued: "It's the end of touring. You're very smart in seeing that. We are the hardest-working band on stage. I've got 40 pounds of armor and all the rest of it and seven-inch platform heels. Each of the dragon boots weighs as much as a bowling ball. Physically, it's tough to do that." He went on to acknowledge the possibility of KISS continuing the music side of their career in a different style, given the band's elaborate and demanding stage persona. I could do it into my [old age], like The [Rolling] Stones if I was like Keith [Richards], not [Mick] Jagger, because Jagger keeps pushing the limit," Simmons said. "But you could put on a comfortable pair of sneakers and a t-shirt and strum your guitar; you wouldn't have to break your back." He added: "If any of these -- The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, or whoever -- had to put on my outfit, spit fire, and do that on seven-inch platform heels for two hours, they'd break their back." - NME, 11/16/23...... AC/DC fans have launched a campaign to try and get the band to a Number One UK single for Christmas 2023. A push to get the Aussie headbangers to the Number One spot on the charts in time for Christmas was first launched in 2013 when fans created a campaign to get their track "Highway To Hell" to the top position to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Created on the AC/DC We Salute You page on Facebook, the push led to the 1979 classic reaching Number Four, becoming the band's first-ever Top 10 single in the UK. Now, 10 years on, the people behind the page have announced a new campaign to mark half a century since the iconic metal band formed, hoping this time that they can get one of their tracks to top the 2023 charts. "In 2013 we all came together to celebrate 40 years of AC/DC by giving them their highest ever UK Singles Chart placing 'Highway To Hell' at No.4," an update from the page reads. "Well, we're going to choose another track and see if we can get 3 places higher for their 50th anniversary. Are you in? If so join this group and invite everyone," it added, "Big Balls to Ladbaby!" It's not yet clear which song from AC/DC's discography will be the one chosen to push for the peak position on the charts, although "Back in Black," "Touch Too Much," "Thunderstruck," "Mistress For Christmas" and "Hells Bells" are among the top fan suggestions. After taking a hiatus from playing for seven years, AC/DC made their live comeback at the huge Power Trip festival in California in October. It remains unclear whether the band have any plans to continue performing live in 2024. - NME, 11/15/23...... 
Richard Carpenter has announced he's set to thrill UK fans of the legendary pop duo Carpenters by telling the stories behind the group's hits on stage for the first time. Carpenter, 77, says he'll hit the road in the UK from September 2024, and be both performing and sharing tales of how the group's biggest songs were created. Richard -- who was left devastated by the death of his bandmate sister Karen Carpenter aged 32 in 1983 after her nightmarish battle with anorexia -- said about his upcoming An Evening With Richard Carpenter shows: "After too long an absence, I'm very much looking forward to performing for the UK audiences once again." A press release announcing the tour said: "Richard will share anecdotes and reflections on how he and his late sister, Karen Carpenter, took the world by storm, becoming one of the most successful duos in music history -- as well as performing these iconic and timeless songs." First performing together as a duo in 1966, during their 14-year career the Carpenters won three Grammys and were nominated for 15 of the awards. A total of 10 of the Carpenters' singles were million-sellers, and by 2020 combined worldwide sales of the duo's albums and singles well exceeded 150 million copies. Tickets for An Evening with Richard Carpenter - UK Tour 2024 are available from www.tdpromo.com or venue box offices. - Music-News.com, 11/14/23...... A selection of the Beatles' catalog has been added to YouTube Shorts for the first time. In total, 75 songs from the legendary band's recently reissued greatest hits compilations "The Red Album" and "The Blue Album" are now available on the platform, with the aim of introducing "a new generation of fans to the incredible history of one of the most important bands in modern music, opening up a whole new way for fans to creatively engage with their catalog." Also available on YouTube shorts is the recent single "Now And Then," the last track to feature all four Beatles members. The single, which was released Nov. 2, has topped the UK Charts 60 years after their first Number One. It is the band's 18th Number One single, with the last being 1969's "The Ballad Of John And Yoko." This feat means that the band now boast the longest period between an artist's first and last Number One single -- with their first being "From Me to You"' in May 1963 (60 years and six months ago). Previously, Elvis Presley held the record with 47 years and six months between his 1957 hit "All Shook Up" and a reissue of "It's Now or Never" that was released in 2005. - NME, 11/13/23...... As she continues to promote her new holiday album 
George Brown, the Kool & the Gang drummer who gave the iconic funk-rock band its propulsive, infection beats, died on Nov. 17 after a battle with cancer, a Universal Music Enterprises spokesperson announced. He was 74. Brown -- whose nickname was "Funky" -- was one of seven school friends from Jersey City, N.J., who came together in 1964 as an instrumental-only jazz and soul group calling itself the Jazziacs. Other members included Robert "Kool" Bell on bass, brother Ronald Bell on keyboards and Charles Smith on guitar. Eventually renaming themselves Kool & the Gant, they signed to De-Lite records and released their first LP, the all-instrumental Kool and the Gang, in 1970. By 1973, they incorporated emerging disco trends in its sound, cracking the U.S. Top 10 with "Jungle Boogie" in 1973 and "Hollywood Swinging" in 1974. After a period of decline, they roared back in 1979 with top-10 hits "Ladies Night" and "Too Hot" and the following year reached No. 1 -- their only song to top the chart -- with "Celebration." Other hits include "Get Down on It," "Fresh," "Cherish" and "Joanna." Brown has co-written many of the band's iconic songs, including "Ladies Night," "Too Hot," "Jungle Boogie," "Celebration" and "Cherish." When asked to describe his music, Brown always replied, "The sound of happiness." Nile Rodgers of Chic posted on 
In a new interview with The Washington Post, Rush bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee says he'd be open to a Rush reunion with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson. Fans assumed Rush had broken up for good after the death of Rush drummer Neil Peart in 2020 before quietly battling brain cancer for three years. During tribute for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in Los Angeles and London, Lee and Lifeson played Rush songs alongside a host of musical friends including the Foo's own Dave Grohl and other musicians from Tool and Red Hot Chili Peppers, about which Lee explained: "It was nice to know that if we decide to go out, Alex and I, whether we went out as part of a new thing, or whether we just wanted to go out and play Rush as Rush, we could do that now." Lee added that "It had been a taboo subject. And playing those songs again with a third person was the elephant in the room, and that kind of disappeared." Following Peart's death, Lee seemed to suggest that Rush's touring days were definitely behind them, and Lifeson reiterated that as recently as July. - New Musical Express, 11/13/23...... American broadcast, podcast and radio streaming platform iHeartRadio announced on Nov. 10 that a bevy of rock icons including Cher and Elton John will take over its Adult Contemporary and Classic Hits stations nationwide and its iHeartRadio app on Nov. 22 as it begins its annual flip to holiday music on more than 85 stations across the US. Hosted by Mario Lopez, the two-hour special event will also feature interviews with Train, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Meghan Trainor, Rob Thomas and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic discussing their favorite holiday songs and traditions. "Listeners look forward to that special day when we convert so many of our stations to Christmas music because it means that the holiday season has really started," said Tom Poleman, chief programming officer for iHeartMedia, in a press statement. Cher has recently released her first ever holiday album, 
The mystery behind the identity of the man on the iconic album cover of Led Zeppelin's 1971 LP 
In her new memoir 
In April 1972, the United States received its first giant pandas, named "Hsing-Hsing" and "Ling-Ling," from China after Pres. Richard Nixon told then-Chinese premier Zhou Enlai that he loved animals. Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling received national acclaim and attention during their 20-year stay, to be succeeded by "Mei Xiang" and "Tian Tian," and their 3-year-old cub "Xiao Qi Ji," at Washington, D.C.'s Smithsonian National zoo. The presence of pandas in the US came to be understood as a symbol of goodwill between China and the US, or what some call "panda diplomacy." The pandas remained in the US under a loan agreement with their Chinese counterparts, until the agreement expired this year and zookeepers reluctantly began preparing the animals for their return to China. On Nov. 8, the pandas were transported on a 19-hour flight to a panda reserve in Chengdu, which is in China's Sichuan province, traveling on a Boeing 777F plane called the "FedEx panda express." Panda experts told the New York Times the animals had reached the age when they should return to China. "They are at the age when they should be in China," said Melissa Songer, a conservation biologist at the National zoo. "I don't want to have a panda pass away outside of China." The departure of Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji means that the Atlanta zoo will be the only zoo in the US with the popular giant pandas, and they are set to return to China in 2024. The National zoo says it plans to ask Chinese officials for a new pair of pandas, though there is some speculation that rising tensions between the US and China may prevent another agreement from going into effect. - The Guardian, 11/8/23.
Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance at the annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit event, held at the David Geffen Hall in New York, on Nov. 6. During the charity event, the Boss performed the live debut of his new song "Addicted To Romance," fan-shot footage of which has been shared on 
Joe Walsh has lived life in the fast lane for nearly six decades as a member of various rock groups -- including, most famously, the Eagles -- but his favorite lineup yet is the one he's put together for his 2023 VetsAid benefit concert for veterans. Taking place Nov. 12 in San Diego, the show will feature performances from bands like the War on Drugs and the Flaming Lips, as well as Walsh, who launched VetsAid in 2017. "It's the same love and energy as an Eagles show," says the singer, 75, who was 20 months old when his dad died in a plane crash while serving as a flight instructor for the Air Force. Giving back has been a light at the end of a long tunnel for Walsh, who went through struggles with alcoholism and cocaine addiction in the '70s and '80s. Sober since 1994, Walsh credits wife Marjorie Bach (whom he married in 2008) with helping him stay grounded. And his Eagles bandmates -- he's currently on the Long Goodbye tour with them -- keep things fun. "I'm so blessed," he says. "We play our asses off, and everybody goes home happier." The band has also announced dates for a 22-date European stadium run beginning in May 2024. - People, 11/13/23...... Roger Waters, in a new interview with journalist Glenn Greenwald that has gone viral, says he still isn't ready to condemn Hamas following the terrorist group's brutal attack and murder of more than 1,400 Israeli citizens on Oct. 7, and accuses Israel of "making up stories." "Didn't the Israeli army hear the bangs when (Hamas) blew up whatever they have to blow up to get across the border?," the 80-year-old former Pink Floyd bassist/vocalist asked. Asked if what Hamas did on that day "can be justified," he defiantly replied: "We don't know what they did do. Was it justified for them to resist the occupation? Yeah They are legally and morally bound to resist the occupation since 1967. It's an obligation." During the nearly 10-minute-long chat, which can be viewed on 
Former Dire Straits bassist John Illsley has revealed to the U.K. paper The Telegraph that Dire Straits have urned down "huge amounts of money" to reform the band in recent years. Speaking about recent meetings he has had with the band's former manager Paul Crockford, Illsley said: "Every time we have lunch, [he] says to me, 'I wish people would stop offering me huge amounts of money to put [Dire Straits] back together.'" Dire Straits split briefly in 1988 for two years before permanently calling it a day in 1995, releasing a total of six studio albums. Illsley says he was "pretty happy" when the band's run came to an end, recalling feeling "mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted" by the time they finally disbanded. "Most of our marriages were falling apart, we weren't seeing our children very much -- it was all wrong. It's the usual things that can happen to people in bands," he continued. Dire Straits won four Grammys and three Brit Awards, and their 1985 album Brothers in Arms is the eighth best-selling album of all time in the UK. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide and in 2018, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2008, Illsley revealed that he had approached Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler about the possibility of reforming the band, but was rebuffed. "I think we've definitely got one more tour left in us, and probably another record too," Illsley said at the time. "But he's [Knopfler] doing different kinds of music now. He's doing incredibly well as a solo artist, so hats off to him. He's having a perfectly good time doing what he's doing." Knopfler continues to record solo material and is known for his work on film scores, including Local Hero (1983), The Princess Bride (1987) and Wag the Dog (1998). - NME, 11/5/23...... A life-size sculpture of Ozzy Osbourne has been unveiled in the rock legend's hometown of Birmingham -- made entirely of cake. The extravagant homage depicts the former Black Sabbath frontman sitting upon his throne, eyes wide in a satanic grin, his finger outstretched at passers-by. The sculpture is part of this year's Cake International show at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre, with Jane Lashbrook the cake artist that has brought the Prince of Darkness to life in sweet form. Other famous figures that have been modelled at the exhibition include King Charles and the cast of Netflix show Stranger Things. An announcement of the sweet concoctions can by viewed on the National Exhibition Centre's 
Disgraced 
A New York woman has filed a complaint in that state against Steven Tyler, claiming the Aerosmith frontman sexually assaulted her when she was a minor some 48 years ago. Former teen model Jeanne Bellino says she has suffered "severe and permanent emotional distress" over the incidents, which allegedly occurred over a single day in the summer of 1975 when she was 17 and Tyler was 27. "By 1975, Tyler had acquired wealth, stature, and power as a result of his career and status as a rock star," Bellino's lawyers write. "Tyler used his power, influence, and authority, as a well-known musician to sexually assault Plaintiff." In her lawsuit, Bellino claims that she and a friend had arranged to meet Aerosmith in Manhattan, and while they were allegedly walking down Sixth Avenue with his entourage, she says Tyler pushed her into a phone booth. "While holding her captive, Tyler stuck his tongue down her throat, and put his hands upon her body, her breasts, her buttocks, and her genitals, moving and removing clothing and pinning her against the wall of the phone booth," her lawyers write. "As Tyler was mauling and groping Plaintiff, he was humping her pretending to have sex with Plaintiff." Bellino also claims she could feel that "Tyler's penis was erect" and because she was "relying upon her friend for transportation, a dazed, confused, and shocked" Bellino continued with the group to the Warwick Hotel, where the band was allegedly staying. She then alleges Tyler pinned her against the wall in a bar entrance, and began to "simulate sex" with her once again. Tyler then left, according to the woman, and told her she would call her up later. The woman then says sympathetic employees of the hotel took her home to Queens. "As a result of the sexual assault, Plaintiff was hospitalized and medicated," her lawyers write. "Plaintiff has continued to require medication to cope with the sexual assault and has suffered long term physical injury associated with the trauma." A rep for Tyler did not immediately return a request for comment. The new case comes just under a year after Tyler was sued by Julia Holcomb, who claims that the rocker repeatedly assaulted her for three years starting in 1973, when she was just 16 years old. Tyler has denied the accusations and moved to dismiss the case in April. However, his arguments raised eyebrows at the time, as one of his defenses was that he was immunized against the allegations because he had been granted legal custody over Holcomb. - Billboard, 11/2/23...... Dolly Parton has weighed in on a series of anti-trans measures recently passed in her home state of Tennessee. While Parton, a vocal advocate and ally to the LGBTQ+ community, said that she wasn't interested in talking about "the politics of everything," she has told The Hollywood Reporter that, at the end of the day, "I just want everybody to be treated good." "I try to get into the human element of it." Pointing out that she has people in her life who identify as queer and trans, the 77-year-old star said it was important to hear what they're saying. "I know and love them all, and I do not judge," says Parton, 77. "And I just see how broken-hearted they get over certain things and I know how real they are. I know how important this is to them. That's who they are. They cannot help that any more than I can help being Dolly Parton, you know, the way people know me. If there's something to be judged, that is God's business. But we are all God's children and how we are is who we are." In March, Tennessee passed a state-wide ban on gender-affirming care for minors, preventing gender-diverse youth from being able to access evidence-based, best practice treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Families of transgender children subsequently challenged the new law in court, attempting to block it from taking affect. After the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the law, families have petitioned the Supreme Court to block the ban and hear their case. Elsewhere in the interview, Dolly revealed that she's turned down playing the coveted Super Bowl halftime gig several times, and for very good reasons. "I couldn't do it because of other things, or I just didn't think I was big enough to do it -- to do that big of a production," she said. "When you think about those shows, those are big, big productions. I've never done anything with that big of a production. I don't know if I could have. I think at the time that's what I was thinking." But she added she might consider staging a blow-out Super Bowl performance these days: "That might change. I might be able to do a production show." Parton is set to release her long-awaited rock album, 
The Guess Who principals Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman have filed a lawsuit against their former bandmates, bassist Jim Kale and drummer Garry Peterson, for playing small venues across the U.S. under the Guess Who moniker. Cummings and Bachman filed a lawsuit on Oct. 30 in Los Angeles deeming that Kale and Peterson, who recruited twentysomething musicians to complete their band, are little more than a "cover band" and alleging they are misleading fans. The original Guess Who, which formed in Winnipeg in 1962 and disbanded in 1975, have the distinction of selling more records than the Beatles in 1970 with hits like 
Heart have announced they will celebrate New Year's Eve by reuniting for their first show since 2016. The band, led by Ann and Nancy Wilson, will play a headline gig at the Climate Pledge Arena in their hometown of Seattle, Wash. on Sunday, Dec. 31. Heart will be joined on the bill by their special guests, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening -- the group formed by original Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's son. The gig will be followed by the traditional firework show at the Space Needle. Ann and Nancy had a falling out in 2016 after Ann's husband was arrested after being accused of assaulting Nancy's 16-year-old twin sons. The following year, Rolling Stone magazine reported that the sisters continued the band's tour but did not speak directly to each other during the remaining dates. However the siblings reconciled in 2019, reuniting on stage for the first time at the Love Rocks NYC concert that March. The upcoming New Year's Eve concert will be their first performance together since then. Earlier in 2023, it was reported that the sisters are also working on new Heart music as well, which would be the follow-up to 2016's Beautiful Broken. Heart was a major force on the AOR charts in the '70s and '80s, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. - NME, 10/31/23...... The Grateful Dead's massive merch machine has teamed up with the English football club the Forest Green Rovers, "a team that really follows Grateful Dead values," according to the band's legacy manager. For custodians of Grateful Dead -- which officially disbanded in 1995 following the death of guitarist and songwriter Jerry Garcia but has continued to tour in various incarnations, most recently as Dead & Company, featuring original members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart -- the tie-up with Forest Green is the latest in a vast and ever-growing line of merch and licensing deals helping keep the Grateful Dead brand alive. "For us, it's a perfect match," says the legendary jam band's archivist and legacy manager, David Lemieux. "Forest Green Rovers is a team that really follows Grateful Dead values, which is to say that we're both conscious of the world around us and we want to make sure that we leave it a better place than when we arrived." At present, the band has deals with more than 100 merch partners and more than 750 products on sale in over 50 territories, spanning everything from water bottles to cosmic mushroom foraging tools to camping equipment to Grateful Dead-branded skis and snowboards, as well as an extensive range of t-shirts and clothing. - Billboard, 10/31/23...... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have just added 22 European stadium shows to their 2024 trek across the pond. The new dates will kick off on May 5 in Cardiff, UK, and keep the band on the road through a July 25 date at Wembley Stadium in London, with stops along the way in Belfast, Dublin, Prague, Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Helsinki and Stockholm. Tickets for the trek will go on sale starting with the Odense, Denmark show (July 9) on Nov. 2. - Billboard, 10/31/23...... Bob Dylan delighted his fans during his Montreal concert on Oct. 29 with a surprise cover of Leonard Cohen's classic "Dance Me to the End of Love." The cover was performed live for the first time by Dylan, who had previously released the cover on his website and YouTube channel as part of his ongoing series of "Murder Most Foul" playlists. The cover received a standing ovation from the audience, where Dylan performed as part of his "Rough and Rowdy Ways" Tour. The tour is Dylan's first in Canada since 2017, and features songs from his latest album Rough and Rowdy Ways, as well as some of his classics and covers. The tour began in Milwaukee on Oct. 2, and will wrap in Boston on Nov. 19. Fan-filmed footage of the Montreal performance of "Dance Me" has been shared on 
One of the late Jimmy Buffett's last messages to his family and friends before his Sept. 1 death from skin cancer was "keep the party going," and his longtime backing musicians in the Coral Reefer Band now say they plan to do just that. "The Coral Reefer Band is second family to all of us. We are a family. And Jimmy wants us to continue and we want to continue," Mac McAnally, longtime Coral Reefer Band singer/guitarist, has told Billboard in a new interview. How that will look is still being determined, but McAnally says, "there's ongoing discussions about the best way to do that, the most practical way to do that and how to do it in a way that is worthy of the legacy that we're part of." The Coral Reefer Band, which has had a rotating cast of musicians -- some of whom had played with Buffett for nearly 50 years -- began backing the singer-songwriter in concert and in the studio in the '70s. The Coral Reefer Band played its last full concert with Buffett on May 6 at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium. Buffett's last time on stage was McAnally's July 2 show in Portsmouth, R.I., when Buffett joined him for eight songs, including signature tunes "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" and "Margaritaville." Though Buffett was undergoing treatment, he still craved being on stage. "He had been calling through the summertime when the treatments were going," McAnally says. "I didn't know how far up or down he was. I hadn't seen him [in person], though he never called without Facetiming me and I could tell he was losing weight. He couldn't do a full show, but he kept calling saying, 'Where are you playing? I'm gonna come sit in.'" McAnally said Buffett called him two days later asking if he had other shows that weren't on his website yet so he could join him again. "He was ready to tour as a guest singer on these little singer-songwriter shows," McAnally says, "but unfortunately, his time ran out." - Billboard, 10/30/23.