Posted by Administrator on October 13th, 2024
Barbra Streisand is among the top contenders for a Grammy for best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording category for the audiobook of her long-awaited memoir, My Name Is Barbra. That was also the title of her first TV special in 1965, for which she won a Primetime Emmy (outstanding individual achievements in entertainment -- actors and performers), and a companion album for which she won a Grammy (best vocal performance, female). My Name Is Barbra isn't the only case where a music star repurposed one of their old titles. Former The Doobie Brothers member Michael McDonald is entered with his audiobook What a Fool Believes, which he titled after Doobies' classic, which won Grammys for record and song of the year in 1979. Dolly Parton's audiobook Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones could also receive a Grammy nod. The country queen was nominated in at least one category in 36 of the Grammys' first 66 years, a remarkable show of sustained voter appeal. She has been nominated in each of the last five years. But she has yet to be nominated in this category. The Recording Academy will announce its list of nominations for the 2025 Grammy Awards on Nov. 8, and the 2025 Grammys take place on Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. - Billboard, 10/10/24...... 
Just a week after Bruce Springsteen released a video supporting the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket of Vice-Pres. Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, two more major Seventies pop/rock stars have added their names to the growing list of musicians supporting the Harris/Walz ticket. Writing on his Neil Young Archives site on Oct. 11, Neil Young officially came out in support of Harris for the next president, describing her as "an honest, forthright truth teller." "She is an honest forthright truth teller who is experienced in the White House, free from ambiguity or evasiveness, who goes straight to the point," Young wrote. "Clear headed, young enough to hold the office for a couple of bright future terms, Kamala Harris is a good person who is unafraid to take on criminals and uphold the law of the USA. She's my candidate for the future of this great country." Young added he believes Harris "will take on the billionaire class and make them pay their share of taxes. She will not owe them any favors. She is a kind, considerate American." In August, Young granted Harris' running-mate Walz permission to use his song "Rockin' In The Free World" on the campaign trail, after having sued former president and Republican contender Donald Trump for his use of it. Meanwhile, Stevie Wonder has "re-endorsed" the Harris campaign in a new political ad with Oscar-winning director Spike Lee. The video, which was shared by Harris on X/Twitter on Oct. 11, sees the Motown legend, 25-time Grammy winner and 1989 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee discussing his friendship with her in a conversation with Lee. "I was excited about Kamala years before people knew who she was," Wonder says. "I'm very happy for the future. I'm very happy because I know and believe that she will be the next president of these United States. Not to make you guys feel bad, but it takes a woman. But not just any woman, a wonderful woman. And she has done the work consistently." Wonder previously endorsed Harris at the Democratic National Convention back in August. Upon taking to the stage on the DNC's third night, he told the crowd: "We must keep on keeping on until we are truly a united people of these United States and then we will reach a higher ground," before performing his 1973 hit "Higher Ground." - New Musical Express, 10/12/24...... Accepting a Legacy Award at the 2024 Attitude Awards in London on Oct. 9, Elton John mocked multi-billionaire Elon Musk. Taking to the stage to accept his trophy from awards sponsored by the British gay lifestyle mag Attitude, Sir Elton said he was "honored" by the award, and also used his acceptance speech to recall how he "loves being gay." "It's been a long journey for me, with lots of ups and downs, and finally, peace of mind," he began. "Music saved me - when I was happy, and when I was miserable." Recalling how he went on to create his non-profit organization, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, he said that he was inspired after watching "everyone else march and do so much for people who were being ignored in the USA and around the world." John added that "I'm so happy to be a gay man." "I love my husband, my children -- I have benefits as a gay man I never thought I'd be able to have. It's been the most incredible success," he added. "We're very lucky to live in a country that gives us the rights we have. But there are still people who don't have those rights, and I intend to fight for those rights until the day I die." After being presented the trophy -- which comes in the shape of the letter 'A' -- Sir Elton concluded: "Is this the award? What does 'A' stand for? 'Arsehole' comes to mind but let's not talk about Elon Musk tonight - let's have a good time!" While he didn't elaborate more on why he feels that way about Musk, the comments do come after the Rocket Man announced that he was quitting Twitter in 2022, shortly after Musk's takeover of the platform. In his announcement, he cited changes in the social media platform's policy allowing "misinformation to flourish unchecked," as his reason for the departure. After Musk bought the company, a spike in hate speech on the site was reported. - NME, 10/10/24...... 
The estate of '70s R&B icon Barry White has filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court claiming that a prominent sample at the heart of Future and Metro Boomin's chart-topping hit "Like That" infringes the copyright to a 1973 song by White -- but they aren't accusing the stars of any wrongdoing. White's estate is claiming that a 1986 hip-hop song called "Everlasting Bass" by the duo Rodney-O (Rodney Oliver) & Joe Cooley stole key elements from White's 1973 song "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby." Attorneys for the White estate say they waited nearly four decades to sue over the song because it was "released prior to the internet and was not widely distributed," leaving the estate "unaware of the song when it was first released." However they certainly became aware when the song was heavily sampled in "Like That," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year -- so prominently that Future and Metro Boomin credited Rodney-O & Joe Cooley as co-writers. By using an infringing sample, the lawsuit claims that "Like That" also infringes White's copyrights: "'Like That' copies substantial elements of 'I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Babe' and including but not limited to the iconic, immediately recognizable bass line," the estate wrote in its complaint. But crucially, the White estate isn't accusing Future, Metro Boomin or co-creator Kendrick Lamar of any legal wrongdoing. The lawsuit pins the blame solely on Rodney-O & Joe Cooley, saying they agreed to defend the stars against such accusations when they cleared the sample. White's "Gonna Love You" is one of the legendary singer's top commercial hits, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1973 and ultimately spending 18 weeks on the chart. - Billboard, 10/9/24...... Retired KISS principal Gene Simmons is being slammed on social media for what some dub his "creepy" remarks during his judging stint on the Oct. 8 "Hair Metal Night" installment of ABC's Dancing With The Stars. Some viewers said Simmons treated the female dancers as if they were in a beauty pageant, pointing to Simmons saying he couldn't decide which of the contestants Amendola and pro dancer Witney Carson was more "hot hot hot," and 24-year-old actress Chandler Kinney (Pretty Little Liars) that she "fogged up my glasses" and that she "moved me -- not just with your gyrations, but with your beautiful face." "ABC needs to issue an apology after having Gene Simmons on there and subjecting their cast to that... Why didn't a producer tell him to knock it off," wrote one X user, while another joked, "Gene Simmons comments about the ladies are giving the energy of the gross uncle who corners you at the reunion." Well known for speaking his mind on all manner of subjects, Simmons has been called out before for his thoughts on the opposite sex, including over a passage in his 2017 book, On Power, in which he wrote that "leveraging sexuality is still the fastest route to the top for women." - Billboard, 10/9/24...... After dropping on Oct. 8, Lisa Marie Presley's posthumous memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown is the No. 1 bestseller in Amazon.com's "love and loss" category, and even became an Oprah's Book Club pick. Readers have rated the memoir 4.8 stars, describing it as a "heartbreaking" read that was a "labor of love." Before Lisa Marie's death in 2023, she had one last request for her daughter Riley Keough: to finish her memoir. According to the official description, Keough used tapes recorded by her mother to complete the memoir. As the only daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, the late 54-year-old Lisa Marie lived a riveting life, which is retold by not only her, but the Daisy Jones & The Six actress Keough as well. Keough wrote a letter that opens the book and provides a touch of her own perspective, including her thoughts and process on "faithfully" completing her mother's memoir. Among the sensational revelations in the book is that Lisa Marie was so overcome with grief following the death of her son Benjamin Keough that she kept his body packed in dry ice in her home for two months. "My mom had my brother in the house with us instead of keeping him at the morgue," Keough wrote in the book. "They told us that if we could tend to the body, we could have him at home, so she kept him in our house for a while on dry ice." Keough said that it was important for her mother to have proper time to say goodbye to her son, who died by suicide in 2020. "The same way she'd done with her dad. And I would go and sit there with him," she said, noting that California doesn't have any laws that mandate exactly when a body needs to be buried or disposed of. Both Lisa Marie and her son are buried at Graceland, where Elvis is also interred. - Billboard, 10/9/24...... Bruce Springsteen's new touring documentary, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, will become the latest rock doc to be showcased in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Screening Series when the movie will be shown at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan on Oct. 15, followed by a screening at the David Geffen Theater at the Motion Picture Academy in Los Angeles on Oct. 21. Both showings -- which are private, and invite-only -- will be followed by a conversation with Springsteen, his longtime manager/producer Jon Landau and the movie's director, Thom Zimny in a chat moderated by RRHOF chairman John Sykes. The screening series that launched in 2023 to showcase the best in music films and documentaries will preview the Springsteen film before it debuts on Hulu and Disney+ on Oct. 25. "Bruce Springsteen is one of the great artists and storytellers of our time," said Sykes in a statement. "With this film, we hear firsthand from Bruce about how music has shaped his life and learn the story behind how his legendary E Street Band continues to redefine the live music experience for over five decades." Road Diary had its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where the director talked about the film chronicling the band's preparation for their 2023-2024 world trek. Meanwhile, the E Street Band's global trek will keep rolling on Oct. 31 when it hits the Bell Centre in Montreal. - Billboard, 10/8/24...... 
To mark the 60th year of the formation of The Doors back in 1965, the band is planning releases of some key archival material, a new book, and more. On Nov. 22, a limited edition (3,000 copies) audiophile vinyl box set The Doors 1967-1971 that houses the band's six studio albums the band released during late frontman Jim Morrison's lifetime. A week later, for Record Store Black Friday, Rhino High Fidelity will release a four-disc remastered vinyl edition of Live in Detroit, taken from a May 8, 1970, concert at the city's famed Cobo Arena. The 25-song set is the longest concert the Doors ever performed, according to current band manager Jeff Jampol of JAM Inc. Following those recordings, in early 2025, will be Night Divides the Day, a 344-page book from Britain's Genesis Publications that includes new interviews with drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger, archival material from Morrison and the late keyboardist Ray Manzarek, commentary from other colleagues, friends and admirers, a treasure trove of photos, and a foreword by Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic. The 2,000 numbered box sets will be signed by Krieger and Densmore and come with rare demo recordings of "Hello, I Love You" and "Moonlight Drive" on a 7-inch vinyl disc. Jeff Jampol says these are only the beginning of the Doors' 60th festivities. "Here we are 60 years later talking about them, and they're just as relevant and the music is more relevant than ever, and the message," Jampol, who also represents the Morrison estate, says. "I want to preserve it because I think it's relevant for new generations. We're trying to do two things here. We want to do interesting things and fun things for Doors fans, who are great 'cause they've always been here with us and they'll support whatever it is we're doing, and they're excellent passers-on of the baton. Then we also want to expose the Doors to people who are not as familiar and this group of potential new fans, which is thousands of times larger. So we're trying to serve those two distinct fan bases." Other 60th anniversary plans for 2025 are still being finalized, including museum exhibitions and art installations and possibly additional archival releases. Densmore -- who played with Krieger during February of 2016 in Los Angeles for a "Stand Up to Cancer" benefit on what would have been Manzarek's 77th birthday -- says he'd also like to see some sort of performance be part of the celebration. "The Doors 60th at the Hollywood Bowl would be quite wonderful," Densmore says of the venue where the group recorded and filmed a concert during July 1968 (and returned in 1972, after Morrison's death in 1971). "Willie Nelson did his 90th birthday at the Bowl, so it'd be wonderful to have something like that -- me and Robby would play a little bit here and there, and there'd hopefully be lots of wonderful artists that would show up for that. I'd love to see something like that happen." - Billboard, 10/8/24...... Johnny Neel, a songwriter and former member of the Allman Brothers Band and the Dickey Betts Band, has died at age 70 of as yet undisclosed causes. One of his former bandmates, Warren Haynes, confirmed the news of Neel's death in a heartfelt post on Facebook. "Aside from being an amazing musician and singer, Johnny was one of the funniest people on the planet -- a true character... There was always music in his head. It was his savior. Whenever we were writing together, he was an endless fountain of ideas, and the same on stage or in the studio.... we had a lot of fun times and created a lot of beautiful memories. Hence the stories. Johnny's music and his legend will live on forever. Miss you Neely." Born on June 11, 1954 in Wilmington, Delaware, Neel joined the ABB on keyboards and harmonica in 1989 and worked with the group on the 1990 album, Seven Turns, on which he co-write four songs including the hit single "Good Clean Fun." He also co-wrote "Maydell" from the group's final album, 2003's Hittin' the Note. - Billboard, 10/8/24...... 
Cissy Houston, a Gospel music legend and the mother of Whitney Houston, died on Oct. 7 while under hospice care for Alzheimer's disease. She was 91. Cissy Houston -- born Emily Drinkard -- began her musical career in 1938 as part of the vocal group the Drinkard Four alongside her sister Anne and brothers Larry and Nicky. She then formed a group called The Sweet Inspirations in 1963 with her niece Dee Dee Warwick. The Sweet Inspirations later provided backing vocals for the likes of Dionne Warwick (also Cissy's niece), Otis Redding, recorded on tracks like Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl," Jimi Hendrix's "Burning of the Midnight Lamp," Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way," and in 1969 backed Elvis Presley during his Las Vegas residencies. Rebranding herself Cissy Houston and venturing into a solo career in 1970, Ms. Houston quickly grew to be a prominent name in gospel music, but would also lend her voice to R&B, soul and disco projects. She won two Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album; once in 1997 and again in 1999. She also recording backing vocals for the likes of Chaka Khan, Paul Simon, Beyoncé and more. She would also provide live backing vocals for her superstar singing daughter Whitney for a short period of time, and had appeared in several of Whitney's music videos and films. Following Whitney's death in 2012, Cissy released a memoir in which she revealed new information about her late daughter's substance abuse issues and that she was "angry she died alone." "Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives," her daughter Pat Houston said in a statement. "A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts." - NME, 10/8/24.
Dolly Parton announced on Oct. 4 that she's donating a total of $2 million to aid relief efforts for the recent Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of her native east Tennessee along with Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The Country Music Hall of Famer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee apeared at a press conference at a Walmart parking lot in Newport, Tenn. to reveal she's donating $1 million of her own money, and add another $1 million for relief efforts through her various business enterprises, such as Dollywood and Dolly Parton's Stampede. "I'm sure a lot of you wondering where I've been," Parton, 78, said during the event. "Everybody's saying, 'Where's Dolly?' Well, I've been like everybody else trying to absorb everything going on, trying to figure out all the best ways to do this." She added, "I look around and I think, 'These are my mountains, these are my valleys, these are my riversthese are my people, and this is my homeI just want you to know, I am totally with you, I am part of you, I love you." Also appearing at the event was Walmart president/CEO John Furner, who pledged his corporation's charity foundation would add upwards of $10 million toward relief efforts. Parton has previously donated millions to help relieve flooding in Middle Tennessee in 2021, COVID vaccine research at Vanderbilt University on 2020, and wildfire relief in east Tennessee in 2016. - Billboard, 10/4/24...... 
Paul Simon took to Instagram on Oct. 7 to update fans about his near-total hearing loss condition in his left ear, which he first revealed in 2023. The veteran singer-songwriter said he hadn't "accepted" his hearing loss but was in the process of finding a new solution which would help him return to the stage, but that he's now "optimistic" about a live return. In another interview with The Guardian, he explained that he is "hoping to eventually be able to do a full-length concert" and is "optimistic" after performing seven songs with two guitarists at a fundraiser for the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss, his longest performance in five years. However, he did say that "six months ago I was pessimistic" and that it was a "scary, frustrating" feeling to lose his hearing. In 2023, the "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover" singer revealed that he had suddenly lost the majority of his hearing in his left ear while recording his 15th studio LP Seven Psalms. In 2018, Simon embarked on his "Farewell" tour and played what was billed as his final concert at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, N.Y. Reflecting on the show in the same interview, the musician shared that it was "an act of courage to let go" and went on to describe the "natural end" of performing as "a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating and something of a relief." - New Musical Express, 10/7/24...... During a recent reader interview in The Guardian, David Gilmour swore that he'll never work with his former Pink Floyd bandmate Roger Waters again, saying he avoids people who "support genocidal and autocratic dictators." Asked by a fan if he'd ever perform again on stage with Waters, Gilmour said "absolutely not." Then, in a pointed attack seemingly aimed at some of Waters' more controversial comments in recent years about the war in Ukraine and his seeming support of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and authoritarian Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, Gilmour took aim at the bassist/singer. Waters has frequently stirred controversy with his political views about Israel and the war in Ukraine. His comments about the government of Israel led to his record company, BMG, dropping the Floyd co-founder and solo performer earlier in 2023 after Berlin police opened an "incitement to public hatred" investigation into the musician, who had scheduled a concert in the German capital, over Holocaust victim Anne Frank imagery, also wearing a costume resembling the Nazi SS soldier uniform. Water denied the claims, writing on X, writing "The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms. Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated." Gilmour and Waters have been at odds since the bassist split with the group in 1984, trading barbs in the press as Waters continues to tour and perform Floyd music alongside his solo material, while the Gilmour-led Floyd ceased touring in 1994. - Billboard, 10/4/24...... In related news, former Roxy Music member and veteran producer Brian Eno shared an open letter on Instagram on Oct. 7 imploring the International Criminal Court to "exercise the mandate it has been given to prosecute war crimes" against Israel in its ongoing war against Hamas terrorists, who attacked the country one year ago. Eno and former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis wrote that the ongoing military campaign from Israel "amounts to a well-planned, fully-fledged genocide." According to Reuters, Palestinian health authorities have said Israel's ground and air campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,500 people. The attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 killed over 1,200 people. "Israel retaliated with overwhelming military force," Eno continued. "A year on the carnage continues, resulting in at least 50 thousand Palestinian deaths so far, and no sign of an end... If this is allowed to happen without any serious reaction from the rest of the world we will have sacrificed any right to the moral high ground and given the nod to any other state that wants to behave in a similar fashion. So, in the following letter we are appealing to the International Criminal Court to exercise the mandate it has been given to prosecute war crimes." Eno has been a vocal force amid the ongoing atrocities, and joined forces with Nadine Shah, Maxine Peake and more in performing at a special benefit event in support of Palestine at London's Union Chapel in April, with all proceeds going to Amos Trust's emergency appeal for Gaza. - NME, 10/7/24...... 
It's not exactly a shocker, but Bruce Springsteen endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Vice Pres. Kamala Harris in an Instagram post on Oct. 3. "We are shortly coming up on one of the most consequential elections in our nation's history," he explains in the video, in which the liberal "Born in the U.S.A." star is seen at the bar of what appears to be a diner. "Perhaps not since the Civil War has this great country felt as politically, emotionally and spiritually divided as it does at this moment. It doesn't have to be this way. The common values, the shared stories that make this a great and united nation are waiting to be rediscovered and retold once again. That will take time, hard work, intelligence, faith and women and men with the national good guiding their hearts." He continued that what makes America "great" are values that Harris believes in -- "freedom, social justice, equal opportunity, the right to be in love with who you want," he shared, before adding that Donald Trump "is the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime." He concluded by noting that his right to vote is "one of the most precious possessions I have," and that he respects everyone's "choices" as a fellow American citizen. The Boss's endorsement was praised by Harris' VP running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. "Wow. As a lifelong fan of The Boss, I couldn't be more honored to have his support," Walz wrote on X the following day along with a repost of Springsteen's plainspoken video. Springsteen is among a long list of A-list stars who've lined up to support the Harris/Walz campaign, joining Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, Lil Nas X, Barbra Streisand, Ariana Grande, Stevie Nicks, Cardi B, Katy Perry and many more. - Billboard, 10/3/24...... During the 2024 Harvest Moon benefit gig in Lake Hughes, Calif. on Oct. 5, Neil Young and Stephen Stills joined forces to perform their song "Hung Upside Down" for the first time in 57 years. To start the collaboration, the two former Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Buffalo Springfield bandmates broke out a rendition of the title track from their collaborative 1976 album Long May You Run, before continuing with "Human Highway." The latter was originally meant to be released as part of CSNY's Deja Vu album, but instead was released on Young's 1978 solo LP Comes A Time. From there, the two turned heads by playing the Buffalo Springfield song "Hung Upside Down" for the first time in 57 years. Originally released in 1967, the song hadn't been played live since Buffalo Springfield's heyday. "The worst four words you can hear in a live performance are 'here's a new song'. But this is actually a new version of an old song that took two centuries to write. It's called 'Hung Upside Down'," Stills said before the rendition. Other tracks the two performed together included "Helplessly Hoping," "Helpless," "Field Of Opportunity," "Love The One You're With" and more. The event helped to raise funds for the Bridge School and the Painted Turtle Camp. The former is a non-profit organisation for children with severe speech and physical impairments, while the latter was formed by Paul Newman, and looks to give opportunities to children who are faced with life-threatening and chronic illnesses. The appearance with Stills came as the two reunited in 2023 to pay tribute to late bandmate David Crosby. It marked their first on-stage appearance together in four years. - NME, 10/7/24...... As the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame prepares for its class of 2024 induction ceremony on Oct. 19, the Cleveland-based hall and museum revealed on Instagram on Oct. 4 that Ozzy Osbourne's solo career induction will feature the likes of Jelly Roll, Jack Black, Billy Idol, Wolfgang Van Halen and Zakk Wylde. "I don't know what to think. I'm still in shock that I'm getting inducted for a second time," Ozzy, who was previously enshrined with Black Sabbath in 2006, told Rolling Stone. Ozzy said having the country singer Jelly Roll on board makes perfect sense. "Who doesn't love Jelly Roll?," Ozzy said. "His voice is soulful, pure, and dirty. I'm so honored that someone would do this for me who I've never had the pleasure of meeting." it is unknown if Osborne -- who retired from touring in 2023 following a series of serious health issues over the past few years -- will perform at the event that will also feature the inductions of Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Peter Frampton and Kool & the Gang. The 2024 RRHOF induction ceremony will livestream on Disney+ on Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. ET. ABC will air a primetime special featuring the evening's biggest moments on Jan. 1, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET, which will be available on Disney+ and Hulu on Jan. 2. Meanwhile, Osbourne admitted that he is "not completely sober" and has been "tempted" to use "stronger drugs" due to his ongoing health issues" in a recent appearance on the Madhouse Chronicles Podcast. His full interview can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 10/4/24...... 
Elvis Costello has announced a new boxset reissue of his 1986 album King Of America. The record, and this expanded deluxe version, is a celebration of Costello's love of American music, and was originally recorded with producer and Americana legend T Bone Burnett. It will feature a total of 97 tracks and a 35-page essay written by Costello, illustrated with never-before-seen photographs from Costello's tours from the era. The 57-page booklet will also be housed in a 12" x 11.5" package, complete with cover art by Terence Donovan. In conjunction with the boxset, Costello has shared a cover of the new release's track "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line," a 1968 track originally recorded by Waylon Jennings, on YouTube. The recording was captured live at the Royal Albert Hall in London when Costello played a six-date residency at the venue in early 1987. Recorded with backing band The Confederates, it has never been made available before. The full 1987 Royal Albert Hall concert is included in the boxset, as is a disc of demos and three discs of albums from throughout Costello's career that are also inspired by traditional American music. - NME, 10/5/24...... Streams of Kris Kristofferson songs have skyrocketed nearly 2,300% following the death of the beloved country legend on Sept. 28 at age 88. Kristofferson's official on-demand U.S. streams reached nearly 1.9 million in total for his catalog on Sept. 30, a jump of 2,292% from the 79,000 total his discography had amassed the prior Monday (Sept. 23), according to Luminate. A big chunk of that number of course went to "Why Me," Kristofferson's lone No. 1 hit on Billboard's Country Airplay chart and his biggest crossover hit (No. 16) on the Billboard Hot 100, with the song rising 1,442% over the same timespan. Meanwhile, The Highwaymen -- the outlaw country supergroup which counted Kristofferson among its members -- also saw a serious spike in listening, gaining 229% to 725,000 streams. And though they were performed by other artists, a couple of the most famous hits he wrote also saw more modest gains: Janis Joplin's Hot 100-topping "Me and Bobby McGee" was up 19% to 110,000 streams, and Sammi Smith's "Help Me Make It Through the Night" was up 56% to 11,000 streams. - Billboard, 10/3/24...... Paul McCartney debuted a live performance of what has been billed as the "final" Beatles song during the kickoff of his marathon South American leg of his Got Back tour in in Montevideo, Uruguay on Oct. 1. Sitting at a piano as the AI-assisted Peter Jackson-directed video for the song unspooled behind him, McCartney, 82, crooned the melancholy ballad whose wistful chorus found him singing, "Now and then/ I miss you/ Oh, now and then/ I want you to be there for me/ Always to return to me." According to Setlist.fm, McCartney's sprawling 37-song, nearly three-hour setlist at Estadio Centenario included a mix of Beatles classics ("A Hard Day's Night," "Getting Better," "Blackbird," "Something," "Helter Skelter") and Wings hits ("Junior's Farm," "Let Me Roll It," "Let 'Em In," "Jet"). "Now and Then" debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in Nov. 2023, marking the group's historic 35th top 10 entry. The song was billed as the last-ever song by the group that split in 1970. It was first recorded as a demo in 1977 by the late John Lennon and was originally slated to appear on one of the editions of the band's Anthology series before being shelved due to the poor quality of the original recording. Fan shot footage of the performance can be viewed on YouTube. In other Beatles-related news, a 60th anniversary vinyl reissue of the Fab Four's 1964 A Hard Day's Night LP has been announced for Oct. 19 in celebration of National Album Day. It will come in the form of a limited edition 180g white pressing. Released as the Beatles' third studio album, A Hard Day's Night also served as a partial soundtrack to the band's first film of the same name and includes its titular track and "Can't Buy Me Love" which both became transatlantic No. 1 singles for the group. In still more Beatles news, a new documentary titled 1964 is coming to Apple TV+ this year to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the group conquering the United States. The film will reportedly document the band's rapid rise in American culture, including new interviews and archival footage of the band's shows. The news comes after the announcement in September that a new boxset comprised of the US versions of the band's albums in 1964 and 1965 would also be coming out on Nov. 22 via Apple Corps Ltd., Capitol and UMe. The 180-gram audiophile vinyl have been made from the original mono master tapes. - Billboard/NME, 10/3/24...... On Oct. 2 The Eagles announced more dates for their 2024 and 2025 residency at the Las Vegas Sphere. The gigs, which kicked off on Sept. 20, feature ticket prices beginning at $175. Since kicking off its run of concerts on Sept. 29, 2023 with the first of 40 shows by U2, the 18,000-seat immersive venue has drawn rave reviews for its 160,000-square-foot wraparound 16K LED screen and seat-shaking array of more than 1,500 speakers. The full list of Eagles dates can be viewed on Instagram. - Billboard, 10/2/24...... 
Former Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert is slamming what she calls "apalling" Little House reunion events, claiming organizers misled attendees into believing she was participating when she was not. The cast of the beloved period drama recently announced that they would no longer support or appear at fan events produced by Jack Bishop and Gravel Road Markets, and now Gilbert, who played writer Laura Ingalls Wilder on the series, is tearing into the allegedly mismanaged events. "From what I understand, it became a waking nightmare," Gilbert said of an event in Pennsylvania in a new interview with People magazine. "They ran [out of] food. He oversold tickets. He didn't pay the vendors." Gilbert said that the events were "a shocking affront to the fans of Little House on the Prairie," adding, "If I were the owner of the IP, I would be infuriated because I think it really sheds a terrible light on the brand." Gilbert and more than a dozen of her Little House costars, including Karen Grassle (Caroline Ingalls), Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson) and Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle), announced on Sept. 6 that they had cut ties with Bishop's company, citing "disappointing events in Connecticut and Pennsylvania." The cast said they asked Bishop to remove their names and likeness from any promotional assets for future events, which were scheduled to take place in Tennessee, South Dakota, Missouri, and Texas. "This decision was not made lightly but with compassion, concern, and great respect for the well-being of our multigenerational fans," they wrote in their statement. Then, on Oct. 1, the cast released another joint statement accusing Bishop of failing to comply with their wishes and "refusing to announce the cancellation" of future Little House events, claiming that Bishop is listing the castless events as "sold out" rather than canceled. "Mr. Bishop appears to be taking advantage of Little House fans by failing to inform them and his ticket vendor, Eventbrite, that the Little House cast has permanently ended our relationship with him," they wrote. "This misrepresentation of event status has likely confused ticket buyers and complicated the process of requesting refunds." With a cast led by former Bonanza actor Michael Landon, Little House on the Prairie debuted on NBC on Sept. 11, 1974, running for nine seasons before wrapping on Mar. 21, 1983. - Entertainment Weekly, 10/5/24.
To celebrate one of the UK's most innovative and influential bands of the rock and roll era, Britain's Royal Mail revealed on Oct. 3 that a set of 60th anniversary The Who stamps are available for pre-order at www.royalmail.com/thewho and by telephone on 03457-641-641. The eight stamps feature images of some of the band's most popular and iconic album covers: My Generation (1965); Tommy (1969); Who's Next (1971); Quadrophenia (1973); Who Are You (1978); Face Dances (1981); Endless Wire (2006); and WHO (2019). Completing the set is a miniature-sheet featuring two publicity group shots and two images of the band's dynamic live performances at the Marquee Club, London, in 1967 and the Kings Hall, Belle Vue, Manchester, in 1973. Commenting on the honor, frontman Roger Daltrey said: "The artwork on the album sleeves was almost as important to the success of the record as the music. It's great to be reminded of them," while guitarist Pete Townshend said: "Stamp! Stamp! Stamp! It's what I've done on stage all my life, sometimes in the air. At last, my stamping, and that of my buddy Roger, has been honoured properly, and will help letters, parcels and birthday cards travel through time and space, just as we have." The Who become the seventh music group to feature in a dedicated Royal Mail stamp issue -- following on from: The Beatles (2007); Pink Floyd (2016); Queen (2020); The Rolling Stones (2022); Iron Maiden (2023); and The Spice Girls (2024). - Music-News.com, 10/3/24...... A producer who worked on Fleetwood Mac's legendary 1977 album 
Frankie Valli has "cleared the air" after viral videos of him at recent shows sparked concern from fans. Footage of the Four Seasons legend, who turned 90 this year, performing during his recent concerts appeared to show him lip-syncing while displaying difficulty keeping up with the music. A series of videos circulated on social media over the weekend, with many expressing concern over his wellbeing. "I love Frankie Valli but this isn't right," one person shared on 
Emmylou Harris will receive the ASPCA Henry Bergh Award at the 2024 Humane Awards for her passionate commitment to animal welfare. In 2004, Harris established Bonaparte's Retreat with the goal of rescuing shelter dogs. Bonaparte's Retreat continues to save dogs most in need at Metro Nashville Animal Care and Control and at municipal shelters in surrounding counties. She is also a board member of Crossroads Campus, a nonprofit that transforms lives by creating opportunities for individuals facing poverty and homelessness to care for homeless dogs and cats. Harris has recorded 32 studio albums since her debut on tiny Jubilee Records in 1970, received Billboard's Century Award in 1999, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008, and received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2018. She has aalso massed 13 Grammy Awards, including album of the year for her featured role on the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, and won three CMA Awards, again including album of the year for that Billboard Hot 200-topping soundtrack.- Billboard, 9/30/24...... Following news the death of Kris Kristofferson at the age of 88 on Sept. 28, tributes have poured in from some of the biggest names in the music industry, honoring the legendary songwriter and actor whose influence spanned decades. Barbra Streisand, who co-starred with Kristofferson in the 1976 version of A Star Is Born, spoke of the qualities that made Kristofferson not just a talented performer, but also a deeply respected figure in both music and film. "The first time I saw Kris performing at the Troubadour club in L.A., I knew he was something special," Streisand wrote on 
Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Johnny Van Zant revealed on Sept. 26 that his daughter has been diagnosed with "brain mass" and that four forthcoming Skynyrd shows would not be going ahead as Johnny, 63, would be leaving the tour to be with his daughter following an "emergency illness." Van Zant says his youngest daughter Taylor has been diagnosed with brain mass, an abnormality often associated with a tumour. Johnny said that doctors do not believe the mass is cancerous, but tests are ongoing, he added: "We are not out of the woods yet, but we are in a lot better position than we thought we were in in the beginning." The musician also revealed that his longtime tour bus driver, Brad Gibson, is currently in intensive care following a freak accident on a scooter. Johnny took over frontman and songwriting duties from his late brother, Lynyrd Skynyrd founder, Ronnie Van Zant, when the band was revived in 1987. The elder Van Zant was killed along with two other group members Steve Gaines, and his sister Cassie Gaines, in a plane crash in 1977. - Music-News.com, 9/30/24...... The English post-punk band Gang Of Four have announced their 2025 US farewell tour set to kick off next early next spring. They will be performing their classic 1979 debut album 
It was revealed on Oct. 1 that John Amos, the Emmy-nominated actor who starred as the stoic father on the Norman Lear-developed '70s sitcom 
Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson, who wrote such country-rock standards as "Me and Bobby McGee," "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" and "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and later became an A-list Hollywood actor, died at his home in Maui, Hawaii on Sept. 28. He was 88. With his long hair, bell-bottomed slacks and counterculture songs influenced by Bob Dylan, he represented a new breed of country songwriters, along with such peers as Willie Nelson, John Prine and Tom T. Hall. "Kris brought it kind of from the dark ages up to the present-day time, made it acceptable and brought great lyrics -- I mean, the best possible lyrics," Nelson told 60 Minutes in a 1999 segment about Mr. Kristofferson. "Simple but profound." Born in Brownsville, Tex., on June 22, 1936, Mr. Kristofferson received a Ph.D. from Pomona College where he played football and became a Golden Gloves boxer. He received a master's degree in English from Merton College at the University of Oxford in England, and after becoming a U.S. Army pilot, turned down an appointment to teach English at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to pursue songwriting in Nashville after a meeting with Johnny Cash. Hoping to break into the industry, he moved to Nashville in 1965 worked as a part-time night janitor at Columbia Records' Music Row studio in 1966, at the same time Bob Dylan was recording tracks for his seminal Blonde on Blonde album. His break came in 1969, when Cash gave "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" to Roger Miller who made it a country hit. Mr. Kristofferson appeared on Cash's TV show, and Cash also had a hit with "Sunday Mornin'." Mr. Kristofferson was a singer himself, releasing his debut album 
His 1971 album The Silver-Tongued Devil and I was a critical success and went gold, however his recording career declined the next year after 1972's Border Lord was panned. Meanwhile, an acting career took off with 1972's 
Speaking of Stevie Nicks, the rock icon dropped a powerful new song called "The Lighthouse" inspired by the overturning of Roe v. Wade on Sept. 27. The track opens with a melodic pinging beat and anthemic sound effects as Nicks sings softly, "I have my scars, you have yours/ Don't let them, take your power." As the song intensifies and eventually morphs into an explosive rock n' roll head-banger, the former Fleetwood Mac frontwoman encourages women to "stand up and take it back" in reference to women's rights, specifically abortion access. "They'll take your soul they'll take your power/ Unless you save it," she belts. "And that's that/ Unless you stand up and take it back." Nicks also dropped a music video for "The Lighthouse" on 
Herb Alpert has released his 50th studio album -- appropriately titled 
Traffic co-founder and '70s solo star Dave Mason canceled his forthcoming US tour on Sept. 25 after being diagnosed with a "serious heart condition." Mason, 78, had been scheduled to embark on a run of solo concerts this autumn, with it recently being announced that the singer-songwriter, guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee would be forced to "miss the first couple [of] shows in Phoenix and Las Vegas" following "the advice of doctors." However, his team has since shared a statement to announce that the full tour has been axed due to health reasons. "Dave Mason has announced the cancellation of his Fall 'Traffic Jam 2024' west coast tour after doctors detected a serious heart condition during a routine appointment that requires immediate medical attention," reads a post on 
Uriah Heep announced a farewell UK tour for 2025 in an 
British actress Maggie Smith, star of stage, film and Downton Abbey died on the morning of Sept. 27 in a London hospital, surrounded by loved ones. She was 89. The masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 also gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films. Ms. Smith's sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement that their mother "leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother." Ms. Smith was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench, with a clutch of Academy Award nominations and a shelf full of acting trophies. She remained in demand even in her later years, despite her lament that "when you get into the granny era, you're lucky to get anything." Jean Brodie, in which she played a dangerously charismatic Edinburgh schoolteacher, brought her the Academy Award for best actress, and the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) as well in 1969. She added a supporting actress Oscar for California Suite in 1978, Golden Globes for California Suite and Room with a View, and BAFTAs for lead actress in A Private Function in 1984, A Room with a View in 1986, and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne in 1988. She also received Academy Award nominations as a supporting actress in Othello, Travels with My Aunt, Room with a View and Gosford Park, and a BAFTA award for supporting actress in Tea with Mussolini. On stage, she won a Tony in 1990 for "Lettice and Lovage." Her work in 2012 netted three Golden Globe nominations for the globally successful Downton Abbey TV series and the films The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Quartet. Margaret Natalie Smith was born in Ilford, on the eastern edge of London, on Dec. 28, 1934. She summed up her life briefly: "One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, one's still acting." Her father was assigned in 1939 to wartime duty in Oxford, where her theatre studies at the Oxford Playhouse School led to a busy apprenticeship. "I did so many things, you know, round the universities there. If you were kind of clever enough and I suppose quick enough, you could almost do weekly rep because all the colleges were doing different productions at different times," she said in a BBC interview. Ms. Smith was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire, the equivalent of a knight, in 1990. She married fellow actor Robert Stephens in 1967. They had two sons, Christopher and Toby, and divorced in 1975. The same year she married the writer Beverley Cross, who died in 1998. - AP, 9/27/24.
In other Beatles-related news, George Harrison's 1973 No. 1 solo album 
Current Journey frontman Arnel Pineda has offered to quit the arena rock band into which he was recruited in 2007 after some fans slammed his performance during a Journey show at the Rock in Rio festival earlier in September. After a 
The Eagles opened their residency at the Las Vegas Sphere on Sept. 20, where state-of-the-art 2024 technology finally caught up to the band's enduring artistry and created a technicolor display worthy of their classic, illustrative songs from the 1970s and beyond. The band -- made up of Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill and the late Glenn Frey's son Deacon Frey, as well as a team of longtime touring musicians -- was never overpowered by the Sphere's floor-to-ceiling visuals because the 20-song set made up exclusively of hits always held its own against the immersive spectacle. The band took a moment on opening night to perform a twofold tribute for fallen friends, starting out with Henley's solo hit "The Boys of Summer" for the late king of summer Jimmy Buffett, who died in Sept. 2023 at age 76, and then moving on to "Heartache Tonight" to remember the song's co-writer JD Souther, who died on Sept. 18 at age 78. "I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge a couple of people, one of whom we lost a year ago this month, Mr. Jimmy Buffett," Henley began the tribute. "We're dedicating this next song to him. And then the song we're going to do after this next song, I want to acknowledge the co-writer of that song, who we lost three days ago, Mr. JD Souther. JD, as some of you may know, played a pivotal role in the Eagles. He wasn't in the band, but he certainly co-wrote some of our biggest hits, including 'Best of My Love,' 'New Kid in Town' and the one we're going to play after this next song called 'Heartache Tonight.' So these songs go out to those boys, Mr. Buffett and Mr. Souther. Sing it so they can hear you." The band's encores included "Take It Easy," the Joe Walsh hit "Rocky Mountain Way," "Desperado" and "Heartache Tonight." After Sept. 27 and 28 dates, the band will perform four shows at the venue in October, four in November, four in December, and four in January 2025, wrapping on Jan. 25. - Billboard, 9/21/24...... Michael Jackson's estate has filed a legal action against an unnamed man who it claims has threatened to resurface ugly abuse allegations ahead of the upcoming release of a biopic about the King of Pop. Jackson's estate has filed a private arbitration case against the accuser, claiming his alleged threats violate an earlier, never-before-reported settlement over the abuse accusations. The name of Jackson's accuser and the details of his supposed allegations were not disclosed in media reports. It's unclear when the arbitration case was filed, or what exactly it alleges. The Jackson estate would not confirm the accuracy of the reports and declined to comment on the matter. The threats to go public come as the Jackson estate prepares for the premiere of Michael, a movie about the singer's life starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson in the titular role. The biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is set for release in Apr. 2025. Jackson, who died suddenly in 2009, was never convicted or held legally liable on any accusation of child molestation, but is still dogged by such allegations. Two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, continue to claim Jackson sexually abused them as children, spending the last decade pursuing civil lawsuits. And their allegations were amplified in 2019 by HBO docuseries Leaving Neverland, which laid out their claims in disturbing detail. The Jackson estate has always vehemently denied all such claims, pointing out that the singer was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial and arguing that his accusers are simply seeking monetary gain from an artist who cannot defend himself because defamation law does not extend to dead individuals. Meanwhile, Jackson's iconic "Thriller" music video from 1983 has just surpassed a billion views on 
To underscore the message in his new single "Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart," Stevie Wonder has announced he'll be laying 10 select dates during October in advance of the critical 2024 US presidential election in November. Produced by Wonder Productions and promoted by AEG Presents in partnership with Free Lunch, the "Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart" junket launches Oct. 8 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Calling for "joy over anger, kindness over recrimination, peace over war," Wonder has also slotted October performances in New York City (10/10); Philadelphia (10/12); Baltimore (10/15); Greensboro, N.C. (10/17); Atlanta (10/19); Detroit (10/22); Milwaukee, Wis. (10/24); and Minneapolis, Minn. (10/27). He'll wrap with the 10th performance in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Oct. 30. "I've always felt that singing and expressing love throughout our world can make a major difference -- it always has and always will," Wonder said in a statement. "Truthfully, I miss you; I miss performing. So I will be singing my songs, your songs; we will be celebrating songs and music as together we fix our nation's broken heart." - Billboard, 9/20/24...... Oprah Winfrey will host a new Elvis Presley special, The Presleys - Elvis, Lisa Marie And Riley, on CBS this fall. Oprah will tour the historic Presley estate in Memphis, Tenn., and interview Presley's actress granddaughter, Riley Keough. The interview comes more than a year after Keough's mother and Elvis' only child, Lisa Marie Presley, died on Jan. 12, 2023 at age 54 from natural causes due to the effects of a small bowel obstruction from bariatric surgery. Before she died, Lisa Marie recorded stories of life for a memoir. Keough worked to compile the recordings into a posthumous memoir, 
John David "JD" Souther, known for his work as an artist, songwriter and actor, and his collaborations with artists including The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor, died peacefully on Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico. He was 78. Born in Detroit on Nov. 2, 1945 and raised in Amarillo, Tex., Souther became one of the foremost musical architects in the 1970s country-rock scene. He began recording with a local group in Texas known as The Cinders; the group would release a single on Warner Bros. as John David and the Cinders. Souther released his self-titled debut LP in 1972, then teamed with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay to release the album The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. Souther followed with the 1976 solo album Black Rose, which included a collaboration with Ronstadt, "If You Have Crying Eyes." During the '70s he also forged a friendship with the Eagles' Glenn Frey and would collaborate as a writer on many of the Eagles' biggest hits, including