A group of about 30 middle-aged Pink Floyd fans in New Jersey defied local police on Apr. 4 by holding an impromptu "corona street party" and playing hits by the famous prog-rock band on a front lawn in Rumson. Two guitarists on a lawn reportedly started up the show, which assembled about 30 aging fans of the classic British rock band in the middle of the street. "Some even brought lawn chairs," the police department said in a good natured account of the incident on Facebook, even though they were treated with obscenities from the fans. "As the old saying goes, in the midst of all this chaos, the band still played on, that is until they were advised in the middle of the 1975 classic 'Wish you were here', that they must stop the show," the department posted. The department even included the iconic cover of the band's Dark Side of the Moon album in its initial social media report. In a subsequent Facebook post, the department said it is "following up with an investigation and charges are pending." - DailyMail.co.uk, 4/5/20...... 
James Taylor will serve as the "mega mentor" on Season 18 of the reality talent series The Voice, it was revealed on Apr. 6. Taylor will join coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Nick Jonas and Blake Shelton to mentor the artists remaining from the "Battle Rounds," and prepare each team for the Knockout Rounds, which will begin on Apr. 13 at 8 p.m. EST/PST. Taylor, who recently scored a Top 10 chart position with his latest album American Standard, will also help coach and rehearse with the four artists that were saved by their individual coaches during the Battle Rounds for the first-ever "Four-Way Knockout." - Billboard, 4/6/20...... Stevie Wonder is urging his fellow musicians to keep the legacy of late singer/songwriter Bill Withers alive by "recording one of his song on their projects." "Obviously, it's another heartbreak," Wonder told Billboard as he reflected on the death of Withers, who passed away on Mar. 30 of heart complications. "It seems like we're having them one after the other," referring to the recent deaths of such popular entertainers as Wallace Roney, Ellis Marsalis Jr., Alan Merrill, Adam Schlesinger and Joe Diffie, owing to the coronavirus. Wonder, who helped induct Withers into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, added that "we've got to show a lot of love to his wife and children and keep the legacy of what he left behind going ever strong... I think every artist at some point should record one of his songs on their projects. That's how you keep it going. He deserves that." - Billboard, 4/4/20...... Actress Rita Wilson will host a TV benefit special in honor of late country music star Kenny Rogers. CMT Giants Kenny Rogers: A Benefit For MusiCares will feature several of Rogers' friends and collaborators, including Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Rascal Flattsand Lady Antebellum. The special will premiere on U.S. cable network CMT on Apr. 8, with "Hip Hop Hooray (Remix)" available on Apr. 10. Rogers died on Mar. 20 at the age of 81, and Wilson says it's "an honor to be hosting CMT GIANTS Kenny Rogers and to share in an evening of Kenny's songs with so many iconic artists...[his] impact has been indelible." Wilson, 63, appears to be on the road to recovery after she and husband Tom Hanks tested positive for coronavirus after traveling to Australia in March. On Mar. 4, Wilson sang the National Anthem during NASCAR's iRacing Pro Invitational Series Race in a pre-recorded video. - Music-News.com, 4/6/20...... Elton John announced on Apr. 5 that he's launching a new $1 million emergency fund to protect those who have HIV during the COVID-19 epidemic. The fund has been made available by Elton's nonprofit Elton John Aids Foundation, and is currently open to applications. "Today, I m proud to announce that my Foundation @EJAF is launching a $1million COVID-19 Emergency Fund to make sure that our frontline partners can respond to the effects of COVID-19 on HIV care for the most marginalised communities around the world," John posted to Twitter on Apr. 4. "For almost 30 years my foundation has prioritised the most vulnerable people to HIV, to end the AIDS epidemic and we re committed to this during the COVID-19 crisis too," he added. Meanwhile, Elton is also among a number of high-profile music stars taking part in a video posted on Twitter in which celebrities thanked Britain's National Health Service (NHS) frontline workers for their efforts battling the coronavirus. Superstar celebrities including John, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Kate Winslet and Jude Law joined the leaders of NHS England to thank the people fighting to keep Covid-19 victims alive in hospitals and care facilities. Elton kicked off the lovefest by stating, "You are our heroes and we salute each and every one of you. Thank you." There were also videotaped messages from the likes of Daniel Craig, David Beckham, Kylie Minogue, Bill Nighy, Chris Martin, Ray Winstone, Kit Harington, Robbie Williams, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Benedict Cumberbatch, Boy George, Ricky Gervais, Michael Caine and Eddie Redmayne, who all shot their personal salutes from self-isolation as the pandemic continues. - New Musical Express/Music-News.com, 4/5/20...... 
Singer/actress Marianne Faithfull, who famously dated Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger from 1966 to 1970 after scoring her first breakout hit with the Keith Richards and Andrew Loog Oldham composition "As Tears Go By" in 1964, is currently hospitalized with the COVID-19 disease. "Marianne is being treated for COVID-19 in hospital in London. She is stable and responding to treatment, we all wish her well and a full and speedy recovery," her manager, Francois Ravard, told Billboard on Apr. 5. Faithfull's friend, Penny Arcade, says Marianne is "not on a ventilator," but in an earlier post, revealed she had been in contact with Faithfull's ex-husband, John DunbarL, who told the singer "can barely speak." "She has withstood and survived so much in her life - including being Marianne Faithful (sic), that to be taken down by a virus would be such a tragedy," Arcade wrote. "I spoke to her last week and she was hiding out from the virus but she has caregivers..." Faithfull, who was also close with the Beatles and sang backing vocals on their 1966 classic "Yellow Submarine," later suffered from anorexia and drug addictions, and was homeless for a time. She released her 22nd studio album, Negative Capagility, in 2018. - WENN/Canoe.com, 4/5/20...... Meanwhile, the wife of legendary singer/songwriter John Prine, who has been in intensive care for several days after contracting COVID-19, posted a new update on his condition on Apr. 3. "This is John's 8th day in ICU. He is receiving excellent medical care and being treated with kindness and compassion by the entire team looking after him day and night. I cannot be with him which makes this nightmare all the more distressing," Prine's wife Fiona posted. Prine, 73, is currently on a ventilator, has pneumonia in both lungs, and "still needs quite a bit of help with his breathing. He has also developed "peripheral issues that are being treated with meds, including antibiotics," according to Fiona. - New Musical Express, 4/4/20...... In a new intervew with Britain's ITV News that has been shared on YouTube, Queen guitarist Brian May said he believes humanity will learn some great lessons from the coronavirus pandemic. "It's a very hard time for everyone," he said. "This is a tragedy. But there are things to be grateful for. There's a lot of people who are in terrible times, and we're gonna lose a lot of people. It might be me, since I'm an elderly and vulnerable person. But, you know, it's not all bad -- there are good things to look forward to, and this is only for now." May added that "there are joys to be found in isolation... people are getting very creative" and that "When we come out of this, I think there will be some great lessons we have learned. I hope we remember the lessons that we've learned -- that we can work from home, the cars can stop, the planes can stop, the air can get clear. I mean, suddenly we can all breathe again. That's gonna save countless lives. There's no animals being knocked down on the roads anymore, and our wildlife rescue is experiencing a tremendous difference." - New Musical Express, 4/4/20...... In an interview with Entertainment Tonight Live, Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne revealed that she and the Osbourne clan almost made a return to television in 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic it was put on hold. "This year actually, this is the closest we've ever come, but due to this pandemic, everything is on hold," she told ET Live. "Asked why now would be a good time for the rock 'n' roll family to return, Kelly said: "Jack's got kids, we're grown up. There's another generation of us and I think it's just a retrospective showing where we are now, versus where we [were]. I think people really want to see it." The original series, which starred Ozzy and wife Sharon Osbourne, and children Jack and Kelly, aired from 2002-2005 and paved the way for personality-driven reality TV shows. In related news, Sharon Osbourne recently revealed on her show The Talk that her 36-year-old eldest daughter, Aimee, went under the knife on Mar. 29 to remove her appendix and, although the surgery was a success and she's now recuperating, Sharon was devastated she couldn't be with her because the current coronavirus pandemic prevented her from being able to visit her in hospital. "We've been fine. I mean, you know compared to a lot of people, we're doing just fine. But yesterday, Aimee was taken into hospital. She had an emergency operation to remove her appendix. So, just the worst time to be in a hospital. She's fine, she's fine now, thank God. She's out of pain, and she's recuperating." - NME, 4/3/20...... On Apr. 1, David Bowie's son Duncan Jones used an April Fool's Day to trick fans into thinking an animated series about his late father was in the works. The filmmaker took to Twitter to seemingly confirm that Aardman Animations, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, had developed a new Bowie TV programme. "Incredibly excited today to be able to announce the release of the FIRST EPISODE of the @aardman animation& BOWIE TV SERIES!," Jones wrote on Twitter before linking to a YouTube video. Upon clicking the URL, his followers were met with the classic "RickRoll'd clip." Jones also attached a mock-up of the would-be plasticine Starman, which reimagines Aardman's Wallace as Bowie's Ziggy Stardust moniker. "This is a very bad and mean joke because THIS WOULD BE PERFECT," said one follower. Another added: "You are literally the only person who could get away with this. You git!" - New Musical Express, 4/1/20...... 
Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry tells ES magazine that she kicked her old drug habit that included heroin addiction without going to rehab to get clean because she simply got tired with the effort it took to source the narcotics. "Drugs are a funny thing. The thing that drove me away from taking them was having to acquire them and what a drag that was," Harry says. "It was kind of a full-time occupation and a waste of time. It became unpleasant. Luckily for me I was able to handle the withdrawal," she added. These days Harry, 74, says she's much more health-conscious, working out twice a week and eating a diet of "mainly raw foods" but she thinks getting older is "horrible." Asked if she's happier now than she was in her 20s, she said: "There's [still] some dissatisfaction and hopelessness. It varies by the day." Debbie has never married but she is still "very much" active on the dating scene, though she's struggling to find the "really chemical" attraction she's looking for. Asked if she dates, she said: "Very much so. There are less men around for people my age, though. They're all married with children. What's wrong with them? I think what's going on, there's more extra-marital relationships and maybe that is the right way. I'm looking for something really chemical." - Music-News.com, 4/2/20...... Veteran Canadian actress/activist Shirley Douglas, the mother of actor Kiefer Sutherland and daughter of Canadian medicare founder Tommy Douglas, died from complications surrounding pneumonia. She was 86. Kiefer Sutherland announced his mother's death on Twitter on Apr. 5, saying she succumbed to complications surrounding pneumonia -- but not related to COVID-19 -- on Sunday morning. "My mother was an extraordinary woman who led an extraordinary life," said Sutherland. "Sadly she had been battling for her health for quite some time and we, as a family, knew this day was coming." A native of Weyburn, Sask., Ms. Douglas worked with famed directors including Stanley Kubrick (Lolita) and David Cronenberg (Dead Ringers), and won a Gemini Award for her performance in the 1999 TV film Shadow Lake. Her other screen credits included the film Nellie McClung, in which she played the title role of the famed Canadian activist. Other TV series in which she appeared included Street Legal, Road to Avonlea, Corner Gas, Degrassi: The Next Generation and Robson Arms. She also tirelessly supported a variety of causes throughout her life, including the civil rights movement, the Black Panthers and the fight to save public health care, pioneered by her politician father. In the '60s and '70s, while living in California, Ms. Douglas campaigned against the Vietnam War and protested for various politicial and social causes, and helped to establish a fundraising group called Friends of the Black Panthers. In 1965, Ms. Douglas married Canadian actor Donald Sutherland, with whom she had two children before they divorced -- twins Rachel, a production manager, and Kiefer, who became a film and TV star in his own right. Ms. Douglas also had another son, Thomas, from a previous marriage. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among the dignitaries offering condolences on the news of her passing. "Shirley Douglas was a tremendous talent, a tireless advocate, and a fearless activist who never stopped fighting for what she believed in," he wrote on Twitter. "Her passing is a true loss for our country." - Canadian Press/Canoe.com, 4/5/20.
Bill Withers, a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter who recorded a string of understated folk/soul hits in the '70s and '80, died on Mar. 30 in Los Angeles from heart complications. He was 81. Mr. Withers, somewhat of a late bloomer in the music scene, scored his first hit, "Ain't No Sunshine," at age 33, followed by other memorable classics including "Grandma's Hands," "Lean on Me," "Use Me," "Lovely Day" and "Just the Two of Us" with Grover Washington Jr. Born on the Fourth of July, 1938, in Slab Fork, W.V., Mr. Withers worked as a mechanic before moving to Los Angeles and taking a job in an aerospace factory. He wrote several demos which got no response and was considering giving up music until he met Memphis musician Booker T. Jones in 1970, who produced and played on Mr. Withers' debut LP on Sussex Records, Just As I Am, the following year using several members of Jones' Booker T. & the MGs as well as Stephen Stills. That album contained the Top 5 single "Ain't No Sunshine," which went gold in 1971 and was awarded a Grammy for Best R&B Song. Mr. Withers then made his performing debut in L.A. and released a followup single, "Grandma's Hands," which went to No. 42 pop/No. 18 R&B and has since been recorded by a number of singers. His 1972 album, Still Bill, was recorded with members of the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band and even more successful, containing the pop and R&B chart-topping "Lean on Me," "Use Me" (No. 2 pop & R&B), and "Kissing My Love" (No. 12 R&B). Mr. Withers released two more R&B chart hits, "Let Us Love" and "Friend of Mine," and recorded two more albums for Sussex before signing with Columbia Records in 1975, where he recorded six more albums with mixed success, although 1977's Menagerie became his second gold album and contained the No. 30 pop hit, "Lovely Day." 
Mr. Withers sang on The Crusaders' Rhapsody in Blue album, then on Grover Washington Jr.'s 1980 LP Winelight, which featured the No. 2 pop/No. 3 R&B "Just the Two of Us," one of that year's most popular singles. That song won a Best R&B Song Grammy in 1982, and he took home his third Grammy in the same category in 1988 for Club Nouveau's cover of "Lean on Me." After recording another single, "U.S.A.," he basically retired form recording until releasing 1985's Watching You Watching Me, although he continued to tour occasionally. Mr. Withers was a staunch proponent of creative freedom, and at one point destroyed the masters for an album in a standoff with Sussex Records. His legacy only flourished since his '70s and '80s heyday, with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Mick Jagger, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Tupac Shakur and John Legend either covering or sampling his songs. In 1985, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Roots drummer Questlove, who noted Mr. Withers was "the closest thing black people have to a Bruce Springsteen." His other honors include a Songwriters Hall of Fame induction in 2005, ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award in 2006. In 2009, he was the focal point for the critically acclaimed documentary Still Bill. A 9-album box set, The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums, was released in 2012 and won a Grammy for Best Historical Recording. Mr. Withers was married twice, the first time to film and TV actress Denise Nicholas and his second wife, Marcia, who manages his publishing companies, and their two children, Todd and Kori. "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father," his family said in a statement to AP. "A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other." - Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock/Billboard, 4/2/20.
Ringo Starr was inducted into the 
"[We] were on the front line singing, and now behind us we had this guy we'd never played with before, and I remember the moment when he started to play -- I think it was Ray Charles, 'What'd I Say', and most of the drummers couldn't nail the drum part. It was a little difficult to do, but Ringo nailed it." John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, also on hand to honor Ringo, spoke breifly backstage: "It's just sad John and George [Harrison] aren't here." Bill Withers, who was introduced by John Legend with a performance of Withers' "Use Me" backed by Stevie Wonder, called being inducted by Wonder "A lion holding the door for a kitty cat." The trio then jammed on a rendition of Withers' smash "Lean on Me." 
Joan Jett, who was inducted by Miley Cyrus, joined her band the Blackhearts and Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl for a mini-set of her rockers including "Bad Reputation," the Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" and "Crimson and Clover," the Tommy James & the Shondelles cover that Jett took to No. 1. Lou Reed was paid a moving tribute by his friend Patti Smith and Reed's widow, musician Laurie Anderson, who shared the three rules for life that they came up with: "One: don't be afraid of anyone; Two: get a really good bullshit detector and learn how to use it; Three: be really, really tender." The ceremony closed with a rousing version of the Lennon-McCartney-penned "I Want to Be Your Man," with all the inductees and presenters participating. - Billboard, 4/19/15.
Wisconsin-based outdoor apparel retailer Duluth Trading Co. has settled a lawsuit from founding Eagles member Don Henley alleging trademark infringement. Henley filed suit in federal court in October after the company used the pun "Don a Henley and Take it easy" in an ad selling a shirt style known as a "henley" -- a play on Henley's name and a title of a popular song by the classic rock band. The Belleville, Wisc.-based company agreed to never again use or imply Henley's name when selling the style of shirt. Duluth Trading Co. also issued an apology to Henley on its website, saying it was inappropriate to use his name and the song title. It also made an undisclosed contribution to a nonprofit Henley founded. - AP, 4/17/15...... Paul Simon has scored his first U.K. number one album in 25 years with his new U.K. greatest hits compilation, 
Former Rolling Stones bassist has announced he'll release his first solo album in 33 years on June 23. Titled 
The Grateful Dead's three-night "farewell" concert run set for Chicago's Soldier Field on July 3, 4 and 5 will be simulcast live in select theaters across the U.S. Nightly five-hour screenings of Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead will start at 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT/6 p.m. MDT/5 p.m. PDT. The Grateful Dead performances, featuring surviving founding members Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann, are taking place nearly 20 years to the day of the last Dead concert with late frontman Jerry Garcia. Trey Anastasio, Bruce Horrnsby and Weir associate Jeff Chimenti will be joining the band for the three shows. - Billboard, 4/16/15...... "And now for something completely different" -- Professor Stephen Hawking has covered Monty Python's "Galaxy Song" for Record Store Day on Apr. 18. The track, a facts-and-figures journey through the cosmos, was originally written by Eric Idle and John Du Prez and performed by Idle in the1983 comedy Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life. For the special elease "Stephen Hawking Sings Monty Python... Galaxy Song," the Cambridge University professor narrates the Python classic in his familiar synthesized tones (he lost his ability to speak in 1985 due to degenerative motor neuron disease). The track has been released as a limited edition 7" single for Record Store Day, and must surely rank as one of the unusual exclusives in the eight-year history of the event. - Billboard, 4/16/15...... Actor Ben Powers, known for his role in the 1970s CBS television sitcom 
After a 22-year absence on the Billboard charts, the Nile Rodgers-led Chic has returned with its new single, "I'll Be There." The song debuted at No. 40 on the Dance Club Songs chart for the week ending Apr. 25. It marks Chic's first visit to any of Billboard's US charts since Oct. 3, 1992, when "Your Love" last charted on the Dance Club Songs chart. Credited to "Chic featuring Nile Rodgers," "I'll Be There" is the first single from Chic's forthcoming studio LP, It's About Time, which is due in June via Warner Bros. - Billboard, 4/13/15...... A benefit concert in Chicago on May 14 will feature Pete Townshend of The Who performing with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder on vocals. The musicians, which also include The Who's touring musicians Simon Townshend, Zak Starkey, Pino Palladino and John Corey, will run through The Who's back catalogue at the Rosemont Theatre on behalf of Teen Cancer America -- the US equivalent of the Teenage Cancer Trust which was founded in 2012 Townshend and The Who frontman Roger Daltrey. The Who is currently in the midst of their "The Who Hits 50" anniversary jaunt, which stretches throughout 2015, and in March played Teenage Cancer Trust benefit gigs at London's Royal Albert Hall. - New Musical Express, 4/14/15...... Cher, who has often been outspoken when it comes to national politics, is endorsing a candidate closer to home -- a contender for the West Hollywood City Council named Heidi Shink. "West Hollywood has a very special place in my heart. I began my career here, playing at places like the Whisky a Go Go and the Troubadour, and I have many friends and fans who call West Hollywood home... It is so crucial to me who is on the West Hollywood City Council and that's why this June election is so vital. I urge everyone to vote for Heidi," the singer-actress said in a recent interview. Cher also will be hosting a fundraiser for Shink on the evening of Apr. 18, and her son, Chaz, also has voiced his support for Shink. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/14/15...... 
A representative for Billy Joel said on Apr. 14 that the 65-year-old singer-songwriter and his 33-year-old girlfriend Alexis Roderick are expecting their first child. Joel, also the father of budding musician Alexa Ray Joel from his first marriage to Christie Brinkley, has been dating Roderick since 2009. The statement from Joel's representative said the couple "opted to keep any further details of her pregnancy under wraps until their new addition makes an official debut." Joel is currently completing a month-to-month residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with his next show scheduled for May 28. - AP, 4/14/15...... Iconic musician-composer Quincy Jones participated in Loyola Marymount University's Hollywood Masters lecture series on Apr. 8, and told students that he "freaked out" when he learned of Michael Jackson's death in June 2009. Jones said he was in London and had just learned that two other stars had died -- Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon -- when he was told about Jackson. "I freaked out," he said. "You know, I couldn't believe it. No, it was heavy. Really heavy. Because, boy, the relationship with a producer and an artist is really special. And there's no room for BS at all. It's got to be pure." Jones, 79, also said he listened to 800 songs before choosing the ones for Jackson's 1982 pop masterpiece 
Speaking in Brighton, UK on Apr. 13, Queen guitarist Brian May urged his fellow citizens to vote "colourblind" at the General Election on May 7. "It's politics without colour. It's colour-blind politics. What we are saying is do not assume that your vote will be wasted, get up off your ass and vote," said May, who runs the Common Decency project and campaign. "I think this is a very crucial election. I think it's different to anyone that's been before because for the first time the internet is all-powerful. It's much harder for politicians to get away with the deceits that they used to get away with," he added. May is a staunch animal rights campaigner, having protested against the badger cull, as well as the Tories' attempts to bring back fox hunting. - NME, 4/14/15...... Meanwhile another animal rights advocate, Paul McCartney, has marked the opening of Canada's seal hunting season by urging officials to make this the last year of the annual cull. Sir Paul has written an open letter opposing Canada's bloodiest bloodsport. "Canada's brutal commercial seal hunt has begun, and once again thousands of baby seals will be shot and bludgeoned to make fur products that nobody wants or needs," wrote Paul, who joined activists at Humane Society International (HSI) on the ice in 2006 to protest the slaughter, and is doing it again this year. The European Union's trade ban on commercial seal hunt products has already helped save more than one million baby seals from a horrible fate, but we need to ensure the EU keeps this strong ban intact. That's why my friends at Humane Society International are once again setting out for the ice flows for the grim task of catching this horror on film," he added. He went on to say that "videos of the bloody seal slaughter provide the only vital evidence to demonstrate year after year that these seals are dying a horrible death for their fur" and said that he wishes them well and "hopes that this will be the last year that Canada's ice turns red." - WENN.com, 4/13/15...... Organizers of the Rewind 80's Festivals in the UK have announced that three festivals are scheduled for 2015: Rewind Scotland will return for its fifth year at Scone Palace, Perth on July 24-26 and feature headline performances from Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey and performances from Bananarama, Howard Jones, Kim Wilde, Sister Sledge, Nik Kershaw and Belinda Carlisle. Rewind North returns to the North of England at Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire from Aug. 7-9. Headline performances include Human League, plus appearances from The Boomtown Rats, Heather Small, The Sugarhill Gang and ABC. Rewind South at Temple Island Meadows, Henley-on-Thames returns for its seventh year on Aug. 21-23 with headliners OMD and Human League, plus 80s stars Billy Ocean, T'Pau, Midge Ure, Kim Wilde, Hot Chocolate, Belinda Carlisle, Dave Edmunds and Slim Jim Phantom from The Stray Cats. Tickets for all three festivals are on sale now via the official website rewindfestival.com. - Noble PR, 4/14/15...... Dave Ball, a former member of Procul Harum, died on Apr. 1 in Australia after a battle with bowel cancer. He was 65. Ball joined Procul Harum, best known for the song "A Whiter Shade of Pale," in 1971, and played on one of its most successful tracks -- "Conquistador." He left the band in 1972 to join the army and left the world of rock and roll behind him. He later took on jobs in banking and computer software before, in 2000, he decided to return to his passion of making music and writing. After living around the world, he returned to the UK in 2010 and continued to write and sing. He continued to play music live but it was in 2012 when he noticed that he might be ill. Procul Harum frontman Gary Brooker said he was sad to hear that Ball had "moved on": "As a Procolite he made a great contribution during the early 70s and the band today, with the Geoffs, Matt, Josh and Chris, have spent happy days with him whenever and wherever he came to see us, which was often."...... 
Soul singer Percy Sledge, whose signature song 
Appearing on the Comedy Network series The Colbert Report on Oct. 14, Neil Young said that Pres. Barack Obama should "be impeached" because of his apparent support for "fracking," the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas. "I think we should impeach him for fracking," said Young when asked by host Stephen Colbert if he thought Obama should be impeached over Iraq. "It's not in the interest of the American people... I am part of the free world, and he is the leader of the free world!" Young is making the media rounds to promote his new solo album 
The Doobie Brothers will release 
Country-pop icon Glen Campbell, who has been fighting the debilitating, destructive Alzheimer's brain disease, has released a powerful video for his final song, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You." Directed by James Keach, the clip is a portrait of Campbell's great career and his life away from music. But it's tempered by images of the treatment he's undergone for Alzheimer's. There's an emotional impact to the words and vision of "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" that recalls one of Johnny Cash's final recordings, "Hurt." "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," which Campbell recorded in Jan. 2013 for the soundtrack of the documentary Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, opens with the lyric, "I'm still here but yet I'm gone. I don't play guitar or sing my song. It never defined who I am, the man who loves you till the end." Such famous musicians as Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift appeared in the documentary to pay tribute to the "Rhinestone Cowboy singer. Campbell, 78, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2011 and he was moved into a long-term care facility earlier this year. he was named both CMA Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year in 1968, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. The veteran performer has sold more than 45 million albums over the course of his career. - Billboard, 10/13/14....... Billy Joel has reportedly sold one of his beachfront mansions on Long Island. The 5,500-square-foot, four bedroom home that sits on 145 feet of beach front was sold earlier in October, and the buyer and price have not been disclosed. Sagaponack, a village in the Town of Southampton in Suffolk County, was been listed as the most expensive small village in the U.S in 2009. Joel has other homes on Long Island. - AP, 10/16/14...... Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon have announced plans for an inaugural "Ozzfiesta" at a Hard Rock hotel in Mexico for May 27-31, 2015. The five-day event is described as "an all-inclusive getaway with live music, meet and greets and more." The couple have put up a website devoted to the event, and Ozzy confirms he'll be playing a headlining set, and a dinner party will be hosted by Sharon. The first 500 rooms sold will also include a meet and greet with the singer. Osbourne has previously held a series of annual Ozzfest events in America; however, this is the first time the singer has taken the festival to Mexico. Meanwhile, Ozzy took to Twitter on Oct. 13 for a Q&A session with fans after beginning an #askOzzy hashtag on the site. The 65-year-old rocker revealed that he has "no vices" but "loves beans on toast." In still more Ozzy news, the musician is set to be receive the Global Icon award at the 2014 MTV EMAs, which are set for the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on Nov. 9. Osbourne will receive the MTV Global Icon award in recognition of his work as both a member of Black Sabbath and a solo artist. - New Musical Express, 10/16/14...... In more award show news, '70s artists Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Cat Stevens, Steve Miller, Steve Winwood, Harry Wayne "K.C." Casey and Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart are among the 12 nominees for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015. The selected songwriters will be inducted next June at a New York gala. Meanwhile, Nile Rodgers of Chic picked up a Song of the Year award at the 2014 BMI London awards at the citiy's Dorchester Hotel on Oct. 13. Rodgers accepted the award for "Get Lucky," which he co-wrote with Daft Punk and Pharrel Williams. Legendary lyricist Tim Rice, whose credits include Jesus Christ Superstar and The Lion King, was also honored with a BMI Icon award for his body of work. In BMI's always-interesting Million-Air Awards category, which honor's a song's combined radio plays in the U.S., awards went to Sting's "Every Breath You Take" (12 million), Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" (11 million), Eric Clapton's "Layla" (9 million), Free's "All Right Now" (5 million), and Eagle-Eye Cherry's "Save Tonight" (4 million). Attendees included Rice, Rodgers, Morrison, Cherry, Ray Davies, Don Black and BMI president Mike O'Neill. - AP/Billboard, 10/16/14...... 
A massive remastered collection of Joni Mitchell's greatest hits, 
Bob Seger was the musical guest on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live on Oct. 14 and treated viewers to a cover of the John Hiatt-penned song "Detroit Made," which appears on the Detroit rocker's latest album, 
The 
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has signed a new management deal with Larry Rudolph's ReignDeer Entertainment, the same firm that represents such acts as Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus. "At this exciting new time in my career, there was need for a big change," Tyler told Billbaord. "After meeting and getting to know Larry and (his partner) Rebecca Lambrecht and seeing that we all share the same vision, I knew it was the perfect time for me to work with people who truly have my best interest and well-being in mind. I look forward to making incredible history together and having FUN while we take over the world, work and travel on the most adventurous journey you could ever imagine." Tyler, who just wrapped Aerosmith's "Let Rock Rule" tour with the band, is currently working on a solo album. Meanwhile, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry says that their will be "stuff that (Tyler) is going to take exception to" in his just-released memoir, 
On Oct. 10 The Who announced itineraries for two North American "The Who Hits 50!" tour legs in 2015, with a 20-date spring trek kicking off Apr. 15 in Tampa, Fla., and running through May 30 in Forest Hills, N.Y. The tour then resumes in the fall on Sept. 14 in San Diego for 24 more shows and runs through Nov. 4 in Philadelphia. The tour will feature exclusive VIP packages, including reserved tickets for premium seats, access to a VIP pre-show soundcheck, pre-show VIP parties and autographed limited edition memorabilia. Tour details can be found on the band's 
Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry will be among the headliners of a John Lennon charity tribute concert set for New York City's Symphony Space on Dec. 5. The nonprofit Theatre Within made the announcement on Oct. 8, a day before what would have been Lennon's 74th birthday. Other performers set to perform include Kate Pierson of the B-52s, Joan Osborne, Marshall Crenshaw and Ben E. King. Commenting on the event, Lennon's widow Yoko Ono said in a statement: "I share Theatre Within's belief that music and the performing arts have a special power to bring people together and inspire us to make a positive difference. It's beautiful that the Tribute continues to have such a powerful impact in John's memory." Proceeds will benefit Lennon and Ono's Spirit Foundation. Meanwhile, the full back catalog of John's solo work was made available on the popular streaming service Spotify on Oct. 7. From 1970's John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band to 1984's posthumous Milk and Honey, Spotify now offers listeners Lennon's eight proper solo albums and three official compilations. Not included are Lennon's trio of avant garde albums with Yoko (1968's Two Virgins and 1969's Life With the Lions and Wedding Album). Lennon now joins bandmates Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr to Spotify as solo artists. The Beatles, who have an exclusive arrangement with iTunes, are currently not available through Spotify. - AP/Billboard, 10/8/14...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney has offered his support to save St Luke's Church, an arts venue in his hometown of Liverpool. Posting on his official site, Sir Paul wrote: "The people of Liverpool should do everything possible to keep this venue open for the use of the people and run by the people. It is a place that is regularly staffed by students from LIPA and every-day people of all ages, religions and backgrounds. It would be a terrible shame if we lost this cultural icon." Representatives from the church, better known as "The Bombed-Out Church," have raised over £20,000 to help running costs of the iconic Leece Street building. The church was built in 1832 and has served as a concert hall before and since the 1941 Liverpool Blitz, which left the venue as a roofless shell. St Luke's curator Ambrose Reynolds said it "means the world for us to have the support of this international legend." McCartney joins the likes of Yoko Ono in lending his support to the cause. - New Musical Express, 10/8/14...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, George Harrison's childhood home will be auctioned off later in October in his hometown of Liverpool, England. Harrison was six years old when he and his family moved in to the house in 1950, and they remained there until 1962. The late musician, who died in 2001, was living there when he met Paul McCartney, and he, McCartney, John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe formed the Beatles in 1960. The Harrisons were offered the home as government-owned public housing, and the house today has been completely renovated. The property features three bedrooms, a sitting room and a garden, and the auction will begin bidding at roughly $160,600. John Lennon's former home sold for $772,000 in Oct. 2013. "Taking into consideration the location, the property itself and the background, we expect a lot of interest locally and internationally," said Stephen Giddins of Realtor Entwistle Green. - UPI, 10/8/14...... With her remake of Adele's 2011 No. 1 smash "Rolling in the Deep" debuting on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart at No. 47, Aretha Franklin has become the first female, and just the fourth artist overall, to place 100 career titles on that chart. Franklin's interpretation the song incorporates a choral arrangement of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," made famous in 1967 by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. "Rolling" is the first cut from 
Patti Smith has announced she will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of her acclaimed 1975 album 
Geoffrey Holder, a Tony Award-winning director, actor, painter, dancer and choreographer who during an eclectic show business career led the groundbreaking show "The Wiz" to Broadway, famously 
Speaking of Bruce Springsteen, the Boss got to know some local Irish as he and his E Street Band hit the Emerald Isle for three sold-out shows at Dublin's RDS Arena on May 5, 7 and 9. Springsteen visited The Burrow pub in Rathangan, Co. Kildare, on May 4 and had a pint with with some townspeople, even treating them to an a cappella first verse of his 1985 Born in the U.S.A. single "My Hometown." He then looked at the fans gathered in his family's ancestral home and led them in the chorus of, "this is your hometown," telling them afterwards, "you guys, I'm firing the E Street Band and I'm hiring you." Fan shot footage has been shared on 
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame revealed the inductees for its Class of 2023. Art rock cult fave Kate Bush, rootsy yet polished hitmaker Sheryl Crow, hip-hop mastermind Missy Elliott, blue-eyed pop/soul king George Michael, outlaw country legend Willie Nelson, rap-rock firebrands Rage Against the Machine, and long-running '70s vocal group The Spinners were all inducted into the performer category. The "Musical Influence Award" was given to Bronx-based DJ DJ Kool Herc and distortion guitar rock rebel Link Wray, while the "Musical Excellence Award" was given to frequent RRHOF nominee and funk queen Chaka Khan, veteran rock player/producer Al Kooper, and Elton John's longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin. Finally, Don Cornelius -- who hosted the R&B and Black culture bedrock Soul Train on TV from 1970-1993 -- is inducted with the Ahmet Ertegun Award. Crow, Elliott, Michael and Nelson gained entrance on their first nomination. Among those nominated but passed over for 2023 are Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes and Warren Zevon. To be eligible for the Rock Hall, an artist's first commercial release must have come out at least 25 years prior to the nomination year. The RRHOF induction ceremony will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Nov. 3. - Billboard, 5/3/23...... Reacting to his RRHOF induction, Bernie Taupin says a magnanimous gesture from his songwriting partner Elton John could have been the reason why he wasn't inducted into the Cleveland-based hall and museum until now. "That's the big thorn in the paw because in a lot of people's minds, that's the reason I was not inducted before now, because certain elements of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame didn't like the fact Elton brought me up on stage... and gave me his award," says Taupin of John's RRHOF induction way back in 1994. Taupin adds he had the trophy "for years" before returning it to John. "So they just assumed that I already had the award so I didn't need to be inducted myself, which is pretty puerile, if you think about it, and pretty childish and churlish at the same time. But, hey, that's all in the past. What's gone is gone and it's all forgotten now and God's in his heaven and all is good." Taupin's induction will come after the September publication of his memoir Scattershot. He spent two years working on it -- including editing it from an 800-page draft to "just under" 400 pages -- and he's recently received the initial galleys for it. "I think people will be surprised by it," he says. "It's not a conventional rock slog biography It's not an A-to-Z life story. It's non-linear. It's more vignettes of my life... I'm not comparing it to Dylan's Chronicles, but it has the same sort of free-form feel to it. I couldn't be tethered to any restrictive autobiographical code. I just had to write it as I felt it. It's pretty exciting, I have to say. I never pat myself on the back about things. I'm my own worst critic. But I'm absolutely thrilled with it. It's probably the best thing I've ever done in my life. It's incredibly satisfying, and... I'm looking forward to having it out." - Billboard, 5/4/23...... On May 4 KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley walked back his recent comments about gender-affirming care for minors. In his original statement on Twitter on May 1, Stanley forwarded misinformation about gender-affirming care for youths, saying that "irreversible" procedures shouldn't be performed on children (despite the facts saying that the vast majority of this kind of care is reversible and often medically necessary for trans kids). "There is a BIG difference between teaching acceptance and normalizing and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle that confuses young children into questioning their sexual identification," he wrote. But in his 
Beatles legend Paul McCartney famously once said that the Beach Boys' 1966 track "God Only Knows" was his favorite song of all time. Now a new AI-generated mashup of the Beatles covering the iconic Pet Sounds album track has appeared online, and shared on 
As Paul McCartney and Wings' classic 1973 set 
British singer Linda Lewis, who enjoyed hits in the 1970s with "It's In His Kiss" and others, and was the envy of fellow singers due to her five-octave range, died on May 3. She was 72. "It is with the greatest sadness and regret we share the news that our beloved beautiful sister Linda Lewis passed away today peacefully at her home," her sister, Dee Lewis Clay, posted on social media. "The family asks that you respect our privacy and allow us to grieve at this heartbreaking time." Born Linda Ann Fredericks in West Ham, London, Lewis attended stage school, and landed film roles, including a part as a screaming fan in the Beatles film, A Hard Day's Night. Later, fans would scream for Lewis, as she reeled off U.K. hits through the 1970s with "Rock-A-Doodle-Doo," "It's In His Kiss," "Baby I'm Yours" and "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You." Written and composed by Rudy Clark, "It's In His Kiss" would give Lewis a U.K. top 10 appearance, peaking at No. 6 in 1975, and a spot on the Billboard Hot 100, at No. 96. Her extraordinary vocal range, and her gifts across folk, soul, pop and reggae, would catch the attention of rock music's superstars, including David Bowie and Rod Stewart, both of whom recruited her for backing vocals. She would also work with the likes Joan Armatrading, Basement Jaxx, Turin Brakes and Jamiroquai. Across her career, Lewis cut ten studio albums, including Say No More, her 1971 debut, which was inspired by living with fellow artists in a commune in Hampstead, north London, a place where Cat Stevens, Marc Bolan and Elton John would drop by. In 2002, Warner Music released a collection of her '70s music, Reach for the Truth. The following year, BMG issued a career retrospective The Best of Linda Lewis, and later, the 3-CD boxed set Legends, including hits and rarities. In 2017, to celebrate her 50th anniversary in the music business, Lewis released Funky Bubbles, a 5-CD box set including rarities and live versions. She was mourned on social media by Armatrading, Ultravox frontman Midge Ure, Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, and The Waterboys frontman Mike Scott. - Billboard, 5/4/23.
Legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, the composer and performer of such enduring songs as "If You Could Read My Mind," 
The success of his 1970 hit "If You Could Read My Mind" from the 
He was back in the news in 1986 when he noticed that Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All" was melodically very similar to "If You Could Read My Mind." He initiated a plagiarism lawsuit against Houston's producer, but dropped it three weeks later after he saw how it was negatively affecting Houston. In 2002, Mr. Lightfoot suffered an abdominal aortic aneurysm and spent six weeks in a coma. He eventually recovered after four surgeries. "I was ashamed at the amount of blood they went through," he told Rolling Stone. "It would have been better off if I had died. I think it was 28 units." Doctors performed a tracheotomy on him during his hospital stay, causing vocal cord damage that greatly weakened his singing voice, but he was back onstage by 2004. "I wanted to recover, I wanted to sing again," he later told the Springfield, Ill. State Journal-Register. "I wasn't sure -- they had to take a lot of muscles out of my stomach and I wasn't sure if I would have the kind of breathing control that I would need. But gradually it worked back and I started practicing." In 2019, Mr. Lightfoot was the subject of the documentary Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind. Around that time, he celebrated his 80th birthday with an extensive tour that wrapped up in Oct. 2022 at the Club Regent Casino in Winnipeg. He was due to return to the road in April, but canceled at the last minute due to unspecified health problems. "We thank you for respecting his privacy," his team wrote in a statement. "He continues to focus on his recovery." - Rolling Stone, 5/1/23.