It was announced on Mar. 6 that Paul McCartney's 1970 solo album McCartney will be getting a special 50th anniversary release in time for Record Store Day on Apr. 18. Sir Paul released the LP back in 1970, one month before the Beatles' swansong effort Let It Be. McCartney wrote every song and played every instrument on the album, with backing vocals provided by his then-wife Linda McCartney, whom he was married to until her death in 1998. The 50th anniversary Record Store Day limited edition of McCartney was pressed from a master cut by Miles Showell at half speed using the original 1970 master tapes at Abbey Road Studios. It was made as a vinyl specific transfer in high resolution and without digital peak limiting for the best possible reproduction. Meanwhile, an exclusive David Bowie release is also set for Record Store Day. CHANGESNOWBOWIE, which has never been available on record, will be released in limited quantities on LP and CD on Apr. 18. - Music-News.com, 3/6/20...... 
The Burnt Orange Heresy, a new film featuring Mick Jagger as a devilish art collector who cunningly convinces an art journalist (Bang) to use a rare interview with a reclusive artist (Donald Sutherland) as an opportunity to steal one of his paintings, hit U.S. theaters on Mar. 6. The film Jagger's first since 2001's The Man From Elysian Fields, and, he says, it might be his last. "I wish I had done a lot more acting. I've just done bits and pieces here and there whenever I've been able to," Jagger said in an interview with AP. Then he chuckles, "You know, I have another job. I have several other jobs, really." Jagger added that his role as an art dealer "was in my grasp to do this character." "I thought it would be fun to do," the 76-year-old Rolling Stones frontman said. "He basically charms and threatens him to do what he wants. It's not a lot of screen time but he's the one who sets off the action." One of Jagger's first films remains one of his most celebrated: Nicolas Roeg's hallucinatory 1970 film Performance, in which he played a drug-addled, gender-bending rock star. Critically slammed upon release, it's steadily grown a cult following with Jagger's performance often ranking among the best by a musician in a film. Jagger acknowledges The Burnt Orange Heresy could be his big-screen swan song. "If I don't get offered another decent role, it might be," he says, then adding "It's not planned. If someone offered me something to do in the autumn, I'm sure I'd do it if it was a good part." - AP, 3/5/20...... Officials in Austin, Tex., announced during a press conference on Mar. 6 that the hugely popular South by Southwest Conference and Festival will be canceled this year due to concerns over the coronavirus threat. It is the first time the entire annual festival, which had been scheduled for Mar. 13-22, has been canceled in its 34-year history. "I am proud that we are making decisions that are data driven," Austin Mayor Steve Adler said, adding, "It is really unfortunate to be cancelling SXSW. It is really important to our city." Last November, it was revealed that Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters would be the keynote speaker for the 2020 SXSW festival, with Nile Rodgers of Chic and comedic actor Cheech Marin also among the featured speakers. Before the announcement, Ozzy Osbourne, Nine Inch Nails and Beastie Boys had already announced they were cancelling their appearance at this year's SXSW due to coronavirus fears. City officials have estimated that the 2019 SXSW had a $356 million economic impact on the city of Austin. The news came after another day of SXSW cancellations that included longtime presenter BMI, which said it was pulling out of the event this year "out of an abundance of caution." In addition to SXSW, several major live music events have been canceled in the wake of the spreading virus including Tomorrowland Winter in France, Ultra Abu Dhabi and the 21st edition of Ultra's flagship dance music festival in Miami. More than 98,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus worldwide, and nearly 3,400 people have died from contracting the virus, which has spread to 88 countries since the outbreak began at the end of 2019. - Billboard, 3/5/20...... Speaking of Ozzy Osbourne, the rocker has topped Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart and Hard Rock Albums chart for the first time in nearly a decade as his new album Ordinary Man moved 77,000 equivalent album units for the week ending Mar. 7. Osbourne last ruled both tallies on his own with Scream, which led Hard Rock Albums for two weeks and Top Rock Albums for one in July 2010. In between, he visited the top spot on both charts as the lead singer on Black Sabbath's 13, which led in June-July 2013. Osbourne, who was slated to promote his self-produced documentary Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne at the 2020 South By Southwest festival, told the Good Morning Britain TV show on Mar. 3 that he "hopes to return to the stage soon." The 71-year-old musician recently cancelled his North American tour to undergo treatments for Parkinson's disease and injuries he sustained during in 2019. "My desire is to get back on stage," he said. "I'm not ready to hang up my mic yet-- that's what I live for. I exercise as much as I can: I have a trainer, I do pilates. But the best medication I can get is being in front of an audience, which is breaking my heart." - New Musical Express, 3/6/20...... 
Some 4,000 AC/DC fans broke a Guinness World Record for air guitar playing on Mar. 1 during the Perth Festival in Australia. The festival, which this year included several tributes to AC/DC on the 40th anniversary of founding band member Bon Scott's death, opened with a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest air guitar ensemble. The impressive turn out saw the Guinness record broken as 3,722 fans smashed the record for the biggest air guitar gathering. Revellers strummed their hearts out to "Highway To Hell," led by air guitar champion Alex "Jinja Assassin" Roberts. The air guitar tribute can be streamed on YouTube. A stretch of Australian motorway in Western Australia, dubbed the "real life Highway To Hell" due to a series of fatal crashes along the stretch, hosted a rolling tribute gig in memory of Scott during the festival. Scott would travel down the Canning Highway, which was closed between Canning Bridge and Fremantle to play host to the world's longest festival stage, regularly in his youth. - New Musical Express, 3/6/20...... Dead & Company have landed the highest-grossing concert engagement so far in 2020 with their four-day "Playing in the Sand" annual event in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. The Jan. 16-19 event grossed a massive $18.7 million from 6,127 tickets sold, an 8% improvement over their 2019 Playing in the Sand event. The Eagles came in at second on Billboard's Hot Tours recap ending Mar. 7, earning $8,871,615 during their early February run at State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Ga., with Aerosmith in third place earning $7,953,838 during its Jan. 29-Feb. 15 residency at the Park Theater in Las Vegas. - Billboard, 3/6/20...... Tom Jones is reportedly in talks to join the team working on a stage musical based on one of his most famous songs. The musical, titled "What's New Pussycat?, is based on Henry Fielding's 18th-century novel about a foundling, named Tom Jones, who leaves the West Country and ends up philandering and allowing himself to be seduced by an older woman as he makes his way through London society. Producer Chris Harper says the musical will add a modern twist to the classic tale. "In this version, Tom Jones becomes a famous popstar and is seduced by an older woman -- who in the Fielding tale would have been the Lady Bellaston character," he explained. Co-producer Flody Suarez says Jones has attended workshops for the show, and was pleased with the direction it was taking. "He came to one of the workshops with his son and daughter-in-law, and he told us that what he's happiest about is that it didn't try to take his life story. It's about the book and the songs," Suarez said, adding that the 79-year-old continues to be involved with the project. The musical, which will incorporate 16 of Jones' songs, will begin performances at Leeds Playhouse in England on Sept. 23. If successful, the show is expected to transfer to London in 2021. - Music-News.com, 3/6/20...... Paul Stanley of Kiss paid tribute to late L.A. Lakers great Kobe Bryant during Kiss' show at the Staples Center on Mar. 4 by donning a glittery No. 24 jersey, which was one of the team numbers made famous by Bryant. "None of us would be here if this place wasn't really like a memorial to somebody who was so much more than a basketball player, somebody who's been a role model," Stanley said to cheers from the hometown crowd. "And tonight, I think we dedicate this show not only to Kobe and his daughter Gigi, but to all the people who perished on that helicopter." Footage of Stanley performing in the jersey has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 3/5/20...... 
Genesis announced on Mar. 4 that they will reunite in 2020 for a UK tour, 13 years after they played their last gig. Genesis last performed together in 2007 to mark their 40th anniversary and since then have been in two minds about reuniting due to drummer/vocalist Phil Collins's medical issues. Prior to their reunion, Collins said during an interview that his medical conditions would mean that he wouldn't be able to play the drums for the band if they were to reunite and his son Nicholas, 18, would have to play in his place. He said: "I'm saying this to you... I haven't really said it to Tony [Banks] and Mike [Rutherford] did mention to Tony very quietly if we did anything again it would be with Nic on drums. He kind of didn't say no. But I'm not sure if he heard me or not." It's not believed original Genesis singer Peter Gabriel, 70, will join the trio for this set of shows when they hit the road in November and December to perform in arenas across the UK. The 16-date tour kicks off in Dublin on Nov. 16, also visiting Belfast, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds and Birmingham before wrapping in Glasgow on Dec. 12. - Music-News.com, 3/4/20...... Journey guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain have fired their bandmates, drummer Steven Smith and bassist Ross Valory, alleging the two attempted a "coup" in order to gain control of the "Journey" trademark. According to the complaint, which was filed in California Superior Court on Mar. 3, Schon and Cain are seeking damages in excess of $10 million. The suit, which was filed by law firm Miller Barondess, lays out what the plaintiffs allege was an underhanded effort by Smith and Vallory to steal away the "Journey" name, to which Schon and Cain claim they own the exclusive rights per a 1998 agreement signed with former frontman Steve Perry when he left the group. That agreement followed a previous one entered into by Schon, Cain and Perry in 1985 via the corporate entity Nightmare Productions providing the trio with an "exclusive, irrevocable license" over the Journey trademark. Schon and Cain allege the two men held "improper" shareholder and board of directors meetings of Nightmare Productions on Feb. 13, 2020, under the "incorrect" assumption that the company held the rights to the Journey name. They accuse Smith, Valory and unnamed "allies" of voting in those meetings to give Smith and Valory control of the board, with Smith usurping Cain as board president and Valory replacing Schon as secretary. Though both Smith and Valory have been members of Journey on and off since the band formed in 1973, the complaint diminishes their contributions to the group, stating that the two "have very few song credits on Journey's albums." Schon is the only founding member of Journey that remains in the band. Cain joined in 1980, departed in 1987 and returned in 1995 and has played with them ever since. The only other remaining member of Journey is current frontman Arnel Pineda, who joined the group in 2007. - Billboard, 3/4/20...... 
Kansas has announed it will release its latest prog rock offering, The Absence of Presence, on June 26 and launch a European tour behind the new album in the fall with co-headliners Foreigner and Europe. Founding Kansas member Phil Ehart says the new LP, which was produced by Kansas guitarist Zak Rizvi, sounds like vintage Kansas. "Zak wrote the majority of 'The Prelude Implicit' and this album, and now having [new member] Tom Brislin add a couple of his songs and his keyboard prowess really pushes the band even more toward that original sound, which is not easy to do by any means," Ehart noted. The lyrics to the title track, meanwhile, were written by Brislin from a title and concept suggested by Ehart. "It can mean a couple of different things," the drummer notes, "but what sticks out is when we're at an airport, there's a lot of people there but everybody is staring at their phone or looking at their computer or their iPad or reading a paper or whatever. Someone's sitting across from you looking up, and you can tell they're not engaged at all. People are there, but they're not really there. They're present, but there's an absence of presence." The first single from the new LP is due in early April, and Kansas has just started a U.S. run of "Point of Know Return and Kansas Classics" shows that stretch into May. The European tour will begin Oct. 18 at The Palladium in London and run through Nov. 10 in Amsterdam. - Billboard, 3/2/20...... Queen has teamed with a Swedish sock manufacturer called Happy Socks for a limited-edition collection of Queen socks that are just as vibrant as Queen's music. Released on Mar. 3, the Happy Socks x Queen collaboration features six pairs of cotton crew socks ($16 each) and four pairs of kid's crew socks ($8 each). There's also a 4-pack gift set ($64) and a Collector's Edition 6-pack ($96) that features the band in a concert setting. Happy Socks is known for its artist collaborations, including the Beatles, Pharrell Williams, Andy Warhol's iconic banana print and -- most recently -- Linda Ramone. The Queen socks collection is now available to purchase at select retailers and the brand's official website. - Billboard, 3/3/20...... Iggy Pop has shared a minimal new video for his track "We Are The People" on YouTube. The song, which originally appeared on Iggy's 2019 album Free, makes use of words from a poem written in 1970 by the late Lou Reed, and the video was shared on Mar. 2, what would have been Reed's 78th birthday. "How beautifully contemporary this poem from 1970 is," Pop wrote on Twitter. "How true are the words. We ARE the people," he added. - New Musical Express, 3/2/20...... Barbra Streisand launched a scathing attack on U.S. Pres. Donald Trump in an op-ed in Variety magazine on Mar. 4. Streisand, a vocal critic of Trump's, declared that America "was great before" Trump was elected in 2016. "Every morning I wake up, holding my breath while I turn on my phone to see the latest news," she wrote. "I think to myself, 'It can't be worse than yesterday.' But when the news loads, I think, 'Ohhhhh, yes, it is worse.'" Streisand went on to slam Trump for firing acting Director of National Security Joseph Maguire in mid-February, claiming the move was, "an effort to suppress the truth about Russia interfering in our elections again." "He's purging the government of anyone with any expertise who doesn't bow down before him," Streisand alleged. She then urged fans to vote Trump out of office in the 2020 presidential election. "Since 2016, we've been dragged down into the mud of Trump's swamp. He has demolished our standing in the world with his laughable boasts and breathtaking ignorance.... Every day, he takes another swipe at the pillars of our democracy, but we cannot allow him to irrevocably change this country." - Music-News.com, 3/4/20...... 
'70s "Welcome Back" hit-maker and '60s pop band Lovin' Spoonful leader John Sebastian participated in a Lovin' Spoonful reunion concert at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, Calif., on Feb. 29. More than 30 Lovin' Spoonful songs were performed over three hours at the annual "Wild Honey" tribute concert, which in previous years has recreated classic songs and albums by the likes of the Beatles, Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield and the Band. The concerts, organized by founder Paul Rock, raise funds and awareness for the Autism Think Tank. Sebastian, 75, left the New York-based Lovin' Spoonful in 1968 and last reconvened with its original members at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. "I think the band is a little underappreciated in the big picture of '60s music," said Lovin' Spoonful bassist Steve Boone, 76. "John should be even more credited with being a fantastically versatile songwriter." Joining the surviving Spoonful trio was the Wild Honey Orchestra, led by musical director Rob Laufer, and a cast of gifted singers and soloists, including Dave Alvin, Micky Dolenz, Marshall Crenshaw and Carnie Wilson. At night's end, the entire cast of players crowded onto the stage to perform "Do You Believe In Magic," the Spoonful's first single and a hopeful tune that Sebastian said epitomizes the sound and personality of his former band. "It was something that happened to me. I didn't really write that song," he said. "It happened. And I was so delighted." - Billboard, 3/2/20...... '70s glam-rock stars The Sweet have announced a pre-Christmas tour of the UK that will launch on Nov. 30 in Bury St Edmunds with special guests Limehouse Lizzy, a Thin Lizzy tribute band. The Sweet's 17-date tour will also visit cities including Norwich, Frome, Salisbury, Brighton, London, Cardiff, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh before wrapping in Ulverston on Dec. 19. The Sweet's 2020 line-up features founding member, Andy Scott (lead guitar, vocals), Steve Mann (guitar, keyboards), Bruce Bisland (drums, vocals) Lee Small (bass, vocals) and Paul Manzi (lead vocals). Founded in 1968, the band still tours the world extensively with one of the most dynamic and slick live shows on the circuit. - Noble PR, 3/2/20...... Barbara Martin, an original member of the popular 1960s Motown girl group The Supremes, died on Mar. 5. She was 76. The Detroit-born singer replaced Betty McGlown in 1960 when the founding quartet -- consisting of Wilson, McGlown, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard -- were called The Primettes. The reconstructed girl group went on to sign a record deal with Motown's Berry Gordy as The Supremes in 1961. Martin shared vocals with Ross on the group's early single "(He's) Seventeen." She left the pop girl group in 1962, and the remaining women took off as a trio until 1967, when the group renamed itself again as Diana Ross & The Supremes and Cindy Birdsong replaced Ballard. The Supremes went through numerous trio combinations until dissolving in 1977. "Our hearts go out to Barbara's family and friends. Once a Supreme, always a Supreme," the group posted on its Facebook page. - Billboard, 3/6/20...... James Lipton, the US actor-turned-academic who for decades interviewed Hollywood's biggest A-listers as host of Inside the Actors Studio, died on Mar. 2 after a battle with bladder cancer. He was 93. Mr. Lipton hosted the influential show for nearly 25 years, conducting hour-long interviews with silver-screen legends from Paul Newman to Dennis Hopper to Scarlett Johansson. Inside the Actors Studio was conceived as part of a program for drama students at the New School in Manhattan, but the Bravo cable channel picked up the television rights. Mr. Lipton focused on the craft of filmmaking and avoided straying into celebrity gossip. Nominated for 21 Emmys, the show was praised for its stellar lineup and in-depth discussions, but drew criticism for an approach labeled sycophantic by some viewers. Born in Detroit in 1926, Mr. Lipton embarked on an acting career in the 1940s, and later moved into writing and producing. - Yahoo News, 3/2/20.
Brian Wilson announced on Mar. 2 that he'll take his "Good Vibrations" greatest hits tour to the UK this summer for 11 dates, kicking off on May 31 at The Dome in Brighton. The Beach Boys legend, with former bandmates Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin supporting, will also visit major cities including London (6/1), Glasgow (6/4), Birmingham (6/8), Manchester (6/10), and Leeds (6/14) before wrapping in Cambridge on June 17. Wilson's career-spanning set will feature songs from his career with the Beach Boys and solo hits. - New Musical Express, 3/2/20...... 
A tribute concert to founding former Fleetwood Mac member Peter Green organized by Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood was held on Feb. 27 with appearances by Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie as well as David Gilmour, Pete Townsend, Steven Tyler, Billy Gibbons, Neil Finn, Kirk Hammett and Noel Gallagher. Footage of Gilmour performing "Oh Well (Part 2)" from the event, which benefited the Teenage Cancer Trust, has been shared on YouTube. Gibbons and Tyler also joined forces on "Oh Well," and Finn performed the Fleetwood Mac song "Man of the World." Mick Fleetwood told the audience how Green influenced other bands, including the Beatles: "This is where we do our 'Albatross' thing, like Fleetwood Mac," one of the Fab Four reportedly said during a radio interview, according to Fleetwood. "And that woke the hell out of me [and the rest of the band]... So, our minds were truly blown... To know that this floating, lovely song had inspired just a little bit of something so precious as the band who was talking on the radio," Fleetwood added. Fleetwood then dedicated a performance of "Albatross" to not only Green but to late Beatle George Harrison, whose birthday it happened to be. Peter Green founded the original incarnation of Fleetwood Mac in 1967 and he performed in the band until 1970, when he left the band after struggling with addiction and mental illness issues. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 1998. - New Musical Express, 2/28/20...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne appeared on NBC's Saturday Night Live on Feb. 29 for the first time in more than 30 years. Byrne and his 11-member backing band -- all barefoot and dressed in gray suits -- treated the audience to the TH classic "Once in a Lifetime," then later in the show performed his 2008 collaboration "Toe Jam" with the Brighton Port Authority. Byrne, who last appeared on SNL in 1989 to promote his first solo album Rei Momo, also appeared in a music-filled sketch titled "Airport Sushi," which also featured a cameo by actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Footage of Byrne on the show can be streamed on YouTube. It was recently announced that Byrne's acclaimed "American Utopia" show will be returning to Broadway at New York's Hudson Theatre in September for 17 weeks, with beginning performances starting on Sept. 18 and scheduled through Jan. 17, 2021. An official reopening date will be announced soon. - Billboard, 3/1/20...... Neil Young has posted on his Neil Young Archives website that he plans on reissuing his classic 1970 LP After the Gold Rush as a deluxe 50th anniversary release later in 2020 to celebrate the milestone set. No official release date has been set, however the package will likely include a live concert film (dubbed "Young Shakespeare") from Young's Jan. 22, 1971, performance at Shakespeare Theater in Stratford, Conn. -- which occurred three days after his legendary Massey Hall set in Toronto, Canada. "In fact, today as we listen and compare, [producer] John Hanlon and I both feel 'Shakespeare' is superior to our beloved 'Massey Hall,'" wrote Young on his site. "A more calm performance, without the celebratory atmosphere of Massey Hall, captured live on 16mm film. 'Young Shakespeare' is a very special event. To my fans, I say this is the best ever." Young added that the "Young Shakespeare" show was both "personal and emotional" for him and that it "defines that time." Vintage footage of Young performing After the Gold Rush's title track can be viewed on Spotify.com. - New Musical Express, 3/1/20...... 
After announcing in late January an ambitious 32-date 2020 North American tour set to kick off in May, Hall & Oates played a sold-out show at New York's Madison Square Garden previewing the upcoming tour on Feb. 28. After sets from tour openers KT Tunstall and Squeeze, Hall & Oates opened the show with lively rendition of their H2O album hit "Maneater." Longtime H&O saxophonist Charles DeChant reminded the 20,000 fans in attendance how crucial the sax is to the duo's music on songs like "Say It Isn't So," during the set, which in addition to H&O hits included a few covers of songs by such acts as Paul Young, The Righteous Brothers and The Dramatics. Just before leaving the stage before the encore, the pair delivered a smooth version of The Dramatics' "What You See Is What You Get" (featured on 2004's Our Kind of Soul), the most R&B-heavy cover of the night. Meanwhile, John Oates has announced he's donating two of his cars, including 1984 Tiga SC84 Sports 2000 race car and a custome Porsche, for auction to benefit the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance Foundation. Hall & Oates also recently announced they're planning a new album, the first studio set by the duo since their 2006 Home For Christmas album. - Billboard, 2/29/20...... With his contribution to the new Ozzy Osbourne hit "Ordinary Man," Elton John has set a new record on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart for the longest gap between mainstream rock song entries. Osbourne's ballad, featuring John, has bowed at No. 34 on the airplay tally dated Feb. 29, marking the first time that John has appeared on the survey in over 27 years. The last time Elton made the tally was in Sept. 1992, when his "Runaway Train," featuring Eric Clapton, rolled to No. 10. John now has the record for the longest break between Mainstream Rock Songs appearances in the chart's 39-year history, passing Queen guitarist Brian May, who waited just under 26 years between his solo track "Driven by You" (No. 9, 1993) and his featured appearance on Five Finger Death Punch's "Blue on Black," (No. 1 for five weeks beginning in June 2019). Sir Elton has tallied five top 20 hits on Mainstream Rock Songs from the chart's 1981 inception through 1992, with "Runaway Train" marking his lone top No. 10. "Ordinary Man" is the title track from Ozzy Osbourne's 12th solo studio album, which was released Feb. 21 and is expected to bow in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart dated Mar. 7. Meanwhile, Ozzy says he's relieved that he and Elton never partied together during their drink and drug-fuelled heydays because he's convinced it would have led to an early grave. "I don't think we would have both f--ing made the '90s if we had," the 71-year-old told New Musical Express. "I remember (manager wife) Sharon (Osbourne) taking me to a gig of his (Elton's) years ago, and his f---ing dressing room was like a f---ing bar with every known f---ing spirit (liquor). Then he'd do seven gigs on the bounce. I've said to him, 'How the f--- did you keep singing?' If I even thought about cocaine, my singing would go out the f---ing window." Ozzy is also the focus of a new 8-bit video game called Legend Of Ozzy. The aim of the game is to catch as much blood as you can, keeping your Ozzy-bat alive, while killing monsters and avoiding wolves, devils and other creepy foes will earn you health points. It can be played at LegendOfOzzy.com. - Billboard, 2/27/20...... 
Deep Purple have announced they'll release their 21st LP, Whoosh!, on June 12 with veteran producer Bob Ezrin once again helming their album project. On working with Ezrin -- who also produced Deep Purple's albums InFinite (2017) and Now What?! (2013) -- for a third time, Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse said: "We've included everything that made the whole band smile, including Bob Ezrin. We've always enjoyed making music and having the incredible luxury of a loyal audience." Announcing the new LP in a press release, the band made it clear they intend to address the current state of the world and "all generations" on their new collection of songs. The band will tour the U.S. behind the new album beginning on Apr. 15 in Alexandria, Va., also visiting such markets as Los Angeles (4/23), Milwaukee (4/25), St. Louis (4/27), Dallas (5/2) and Nashville (5/7) before wrapping in Cincinnati on May 9. Then they'll launch an extensive European tour that's set to kick off at Moscow's Megasport Ice Palace in Russia on May 31, and wrap at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome in The Netherlands on Oct. 28. The UK leg sees the group stop off at London's O2 Arena on October 3, with dates also set for Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, and Glasgow. - Music-News.com, 2/27/20...... Rock 'n' roll pioneer Chuck Berry is being remembered with a new special called Chuck Berry: Brown Eyed Handsome Man which premiered on PBS stations across the US in late February as Black History Month 2020 closes out. Narrated by actor Danny Glover, Brown Eyed Handsome Man is packed with illuminating, full-length performances from Berry and other artists culled from rare and classic footage dating back to 1964. That's when the Beatles performed "Roll Over Beethoven" at the band's first U.S. show in Washington, D.C., while the Rolling Stones, fronted by a gyrating Mick Jagger, played "Around and Around" during a U.K. concert. Among the 90-minute film's other standout moments: Jeff Lynne and Electric Light Orchestra delivering a powerful live mash-up of Berry's "Beethoven" and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony; Linda Ronstadt having fun with "Back in the USA"; and an undeniably reverent Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band working out alongside the man himself on "Johnny B.Goode." - Billboard, 2/27/20...... A guitar once co-owned by Beatles legends George Harrison and John Lennon has been valued at £400,000 on the British version of Antiques Roadshow. On the Mar. 2 episode, the guitar's current owner, a former session musician, said he was given the guitar because he could play it better than Harrison. Bartell's of California manufactured the prototype fretless instrument for the band in the 1960s, and it was brought to Battle Abbey in Sussex for this week's show. Valuing the guitar at between £300,000 and £400,000, expert Jon Baddeley said of the guitar: "I think in 25 years it's by far the most expensive thing I've ever seen. You know, to a guitar collector it's initially a very rare guitar. Then to somebody who's a Beatles fan, to own a guitar that was once owned by both John Lennon and George Harrison, can you get a better history? Two of the most important rock stars of the 20th century." Blown away by the value of the guitar, the owner admitted that he still plays it regularly. "I never really thought about value, as George being a mate and all that," he said. "I don't know what to say actually, I'm really taken aback by it.... I didn't realise it was worth that much money. It's lucky I don't keep it in the house," he added. The owner also showed the audience a photograph with George and the guitar, adding proof that it had once been a part of his Harrison's impressive collection. - New Musical Express, 3/2/20...... 
In an interview on CBS's Sunday Morning show on Mar. 1, former supermodel Paulina Porizkova branded her omission from her late husband Ric Ocasek's will an act of "betrayal." Ocasek and Porizkova were in the midst of divorce proceedings at the time of The Cars frontman's death in Sept. 2019, but the stars had still been living together at their marital home in New York City, where Porizkova found him dead following a surgical procedure -- a discovery she claims was the "worst moment" of her life. "It made the grieving process really, really tricky," Porizkova said. "I would love to be able to be sad and miss him and not also feel this incredible hurt and betrayal." The couple had separated more than a year before the Ocasek's demise, but Porizkova -- who was 19 when she met Ocasek, then 40, back in 1984 -- revealed she wasn't the one who wanted a divorce, so she continued to live with the singer, the father of her two sons, in the hopes of maintaining a close bond. "He was still the man that I loved and that I had grown up with. And I couldn't really imagine life without him," Porizkova said. She insists she has no idea why Ocasek chose to cut her out of his will completely, and it's a question she will forever wrestle with: "I'm never gonna get an answer. And that sucks," she added. Porizkova officially filed court papers seeking a share of Ocasek's estate, worth at least US $5.1 million, in December. She wasn't the only family member snubbed in the 75-year-old's will -- Ocasek also appeared to have cut out two of his six sons from a previous relationship. They have yet to formally reveal if they will challenge the decision. - WENN/Canoe.com, 3/1/20...... In a new interview on SiriusXM radio, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister said the next AC/DC album will feature a number of surprises involving the late AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young. Snider said he previously had dinner with AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson and the pair discussed the group's plans for 2020. "He told me a lot of stuff, and a lot of stuff that I don't wanna say," Snider said. "But we know from the photos, and Brian confirmed it, they've been in the studio, they've been recording. The original -- I don't say the 'original' guys, because a lot of 'em are gone, but I say the 'classic' line-up is back together and there are some surprises, which I can't talk about, regarding Malcolm Young that just had my jaw on the floor. I will say he will be present. So this is AC/DC as we know and love them," he added. Young, the group's founding guitarist and brother of Angus Young, passed away in 2017 after battling dementia. - NME, 2/29/20...... Malcolm Jones, cofounder and bassist of the '70s pop band Blues Image, reportedly died on Feb. 22. Blues Image, best known for its 1970 hit "Ride Captain Ride, was formed in Tampa, Fla. in 1966 by singer-guitarist Mike Pinera, singer-drummer Manuel "Manny" Bertematti, singer-percussionist Joe Lala, keyboardist Emilio Garcia, and bassist Jones. The band moved to Los Angeles and signed with Atco Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in Feb. 1969. Their second album, Open (Apr. 1970), included the popular hit "Ride Captain Ride." Featuring Kent Henry on guitar solo and fills, and Pinera playing solo at the end, the song was co-composed by Pinera and Konte. This disc sold over one million copies, and earned a gold record from the R.I.A.A. in August 1970. It was Blues Image's only charting hit, making the group a one-hit wonder. Pinera left the band to join Iron Butterfly in the fall of 1969, during the recording of Open, and was replaced by singer Denny Correll and guitarist Henry. The band later broke up after the release of their third album, Red White & Blues Image, in May 1970. - 2/24/20...... Actor Ben Cooper, who starred in the 1954 western drama Johnny Guitar and also had roles in such TV series as Gunsmoke and Bonanza, died on Feb. 24 in Memphis, Tenn., after a long illness. He was 86. Mr. Cooper starred opposite Joan Crawford in the 1954 western Johnny Guitar, which saw him play the bandit Turkey Ralston. Throughout his career, Mr. Cooper also appeared in a variety of western films and TV shows, including Gunsmoke, Bonanza and Gunfight at Comanche Creek. - DailyMail.co.uk, - 2/25/20.
"They were equals for songwriting, recordings and accomplishments," Ulrich said. During his acceptance speech, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen called out Rob Thomas amidst the sea of gray and dyed hair on stage that night -- "Rob, you look too healthy to be around here." The grand finale featured all inductees jamming on a cover of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame," rendered in the arrangement from Cheap Trick's classic 1977 live album Cheap Trick at Budokan. Also inducted in the Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement category was late songwriter/producer Bert Berns ("Hang On Sloopy," "Under the Boardwalk," "Here Comes the Night"). - Billboard, 4/9/16...... In related news, Kiss bassist/vocalist has responded to N.W.A. member MC Ren's statement at the ceremony, in which he called out Simmons for predicting that the "death of rap" is coming in the next 10 years and "that is all good and healthy." "I want to say to Mr. Gene Simmons that hip-hop is here forever. We're supposed to be here," MC Ren said. Now, Simmons has responded by tweeting: "Respectfully -- let me know when @JimiHendrix gets into the Hip Hop Hall Of Fame. Then you'll have a point." - New Musical Express, 4/10/16...... Speaking of Kiss, the band has just announced a massive 35-date summer "Freedom to Rock" Tour of the U.S. that will kick off on July 7 at Boise, Idaho's Taco Bell Arena. Other dates include Rockford, Ill. (8/20), Toledo, Oh. (8/24), Allentown, Pa. (9/1) and Bridgeport, Conn. (9/7) before wrapping in Huntington, W.V. on Sept. 10. Kiss will also be among the headliners at this year's Nancy Davis' annual Race to Erase MS gala on Apr. 15, which benefits research in Multiple Sclerosis. - Billboard, 4/8/16...... Former Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos will release a solo album of rock covers, Greetings From Bunezuela!, on June 24 via eOne Music. The 13-song set includes covers of songs by such artists as the Bee Gees ("Idea"), the Rolling Stones ("Tell Me") and the Who ("Armenia in the Sky"). - Billboard, 4/8/16...... The late Merle Haggard was laid to rest in a private funeral service on his Palo Cedro, Calif., ranch. Singer Marty Stuart officiated at the funeral, which began with a recording of Lefty Frizzell's "I Love You a Thousand Ways" and featured a performance of "Precious Memories" by Stuart's wife, Connie Smith. Also paying his respects to the country music legend was Kris Kristofferson, who performed a three-song set. Haggard died April 6 at age 79 after a battle with pneumonia. - Billboard, 4/11/16...... Bob Dylan has shared the track listing for his upcoming Great American Songbook covers album, Fallen Angels. Standards by the likes of Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen and Sammy Cahn, including "Young at Heart," "All or Nothing at All," "It Had to Be You," "That Old Black Magic" and "Come Rain or Come Shine" will be included in Dylan's 12-track followup to his 2015 Frank Sinatra covers album, Shadows in the Night. Dylan recorded the new tracks with his backing band in Capitol Studios in Hollywood in 2015. Anyone who buys a ticket to his upcoming tour, which begins in June, will receive a CD copy of the album. - Billboard, 4/7/16...... 
Paul Simon announced he'll release his 13th solo studio album, Stranger to Stranger, on June 3 via Concord Records. The new LP finds the iconic singer/songwriter in an experimental mode, with contributions from a group of Flamenco musicians and the Italian electronic dance music artist Clap! Clap!. "It's about making music that sounds old and new at the same time; music with a sense of mystery," Simon said in a statement. Simon will tour behind the new album this spring and summer with a trek of around 40 shows in North America. The first single, "Wristband," is already available for streaming. - Billboard, 4/7/16...... Lionel Richie will be honored with the Johnny Mercer Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame's 47th annual induction ceremony in New York in June. The Mercer award is the Hall's highest honor and is reserved exclusively for past inductees -- Richie has been a member since 1994. "Lionel is more than well deserving of this honor as one the greatest and most prolific songwriters and identifiable music voices in our century," noted SHOF co-Chairmen Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. Previous recipients of the Mercer Award have included Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Phil Collins, Paul Anka, Kris Kristofferson, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, Billy Joel and Paul Simon, among others. - Billboard, 4/11/16...... In other Motown-related news, Smokey Robinson will be honored at the 8th Annual Little Kids Rock Benefit and Auction, set for Oct. 4 in Manhattan. "We are so excited about the prospect of honoring such an iconic songwriter and musician," says David Wish, CEO and Founder of Little Kids Rock. "It is our mission to help kids unlock their inner music makers and there are few, if any, in the music industry who can inspire this more than Smokey Robinson." All the proceeds help Little Kids Rock bring instruments and free lessons to more than 250,000 disadvantaged public school kids in 30 cities. - Billboard, 4/8/16...... Sheet music for David Bowie's 1984 hit "Blue Jean" signed by the late artist will be auctioned off as part of the 2016 Rumble in the Jumble, the London-based charity jumble sale. The item is being auctioned as part of The Music Circle's annual celebrity jumble sale Rumble in the Jumble, which takes place on May 14 at east London's Oval Space. - NME, 4/11/16...... In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler stated that the band could be calling it quits for good as early as 2017. "I'm doing 30 [solo] shows from May until August. And then in 2017 we go out with Aerosmith," Tyler told the mag. "We're probably doing a farewell tour. Look, there's two bands that still have the original members, us and the Stones. I'm grateful for that," he added. Tyler is currently working on his country music side project, whilst Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has been working with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp on the new band Hollywood Vampires. Meanwhile, Tyler has made a second TV spot for Skittles fruit candy, after the first one premiered during Super Bowl 50 in February. - NME, 4/11/16...... 
Bruce Springsteen announced on Apr. 8 that he and his E Street Band would be canceling a planned show in Greensboro, N.C., on Apr. 10 due to the state's controversial "bathroom" law. "[This law] dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use," Springsteen wrote on his site. "Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it's an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress." The Boss also offered his "deepest apologies to our dedicates fans in Greensboro," but added "some things are more important than a rock show." Organizers have announced all previously purchased tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. North Carolina's HB2 law, which passed this March, specifically overturns city ordinances designed to protect the right of transgender people to use the restroom of their choosing. In response to Springsteen's action, a U.S. congressman representing portions of Greensboro accused Springsteen of being a "bully." "It's disappointing he's not following through on his commitments," said Rep. Mark Walker, a Republican freshman congressman. "Bruce is known to be on the radical left," Walker continued, "and he's got every right to be so, but I consider this a bully tactic. It's like when a kid gets upset and says he's going to take his ball and go home." Canadian rocker Bryan Adams also canceled an upcoming show in Mississippi on Apr. 10 in protest of that state passing a similar law to North Carolina's. - Billboard, 4/8/16...... Carlos Santana will release 
Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks says fans can probably expect even more unreleased music from the band's vaults in the future, which will follow the band's recently released 
Rock troubadour Tom Waits has joined the cast of a pilot for a new dramatic series from Hulu, Citizen. Waits will play Cesar, a priest, who is a walking anachronism of virtue and vice, joining a cast that includes Forrest Goodluck, Augusto Aguilera and Alex Gonzalez. Citizen is part of Hulu's ongoing bid to compete with awards-friendly original fare on Netflix and Amazon such as House of Cards and Transparent, respectively. Waits' previous acting credits include The Book of Eli, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Mystery Men and The Outsiders, among others. - Billboard, 4/7/16...... R&B singer-songwriter Leon Haywood, whose 1974 hit single "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You" was memorably repurposed by rapper Dr. Dre's "Nuthin but a 'G' Thang," died on Apr. 6 in Los Angeles. He was 74. Born in Houston, Haywood moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s and found work as a keyboardist, working with Sam Cooke's touring band. He notched a pair of minor R&B chart hits at the end of the decade, then reemerged in the mid-1970s as a reliable crafter of mid-tempo, string-drenched funk anthems on 20th Century Fox Records. "Stroking (Pt. II)," "Come and Get Yourself Some" and the Sly Stone-indebted "Keep It in the Family" were all hits on the R&B chart, while "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You" reached No. 15 on the pop singles chart in 1975. In 1981, Haywood wrote a Grammy-nominated Top 40 hit for labelmate Carl Carlton, "She's a Bad Mama Jama," before seguing into a career as a producer. - 4/7/16...... Bill Henderson, a well-respected jazz vocalist and actor, died on Apr. 10 of natural causes in Los Angeles, according to Lynne Robin Green, president of LWBH Music Publishers. He was 90. A native of Chicago, Mr. Henderson sang with the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, the Charlie Haden Quintet and many others. His 1963 album, Bill Henderson With the Oscar Peterson Trio, is considered a classic in the jazz vernacular. Mr. Henderson was a fixture on the Playboy circuit in the 1970s and appeared often at many festivals, including Playboy Jazz at the Hollywood Bowl, Monterey Jazz and the Litchfield Jazz Festival in Connecticut. Later, he performed at The Kennedy Center and in New York at the Hotel Algonquin's Oak Room and at Lincoln Center. He also appeared in several films and TV series, including ER, Hill Street Blues, Happy Days, Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons and Good Times - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/7/16.
Heart's Ann Wilson will be featured in an upcoming episode of Connecticut Public Television's new series The Kate on TheKate.tv on Apr. 9 singing a raw, stunning cover of John Lennon's "Isolation." Wilson takes the stage as the leader of her Heart side project The Ann Wilson Thing that finds her reinterpreting various rock, soul and blues classics, including the Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth." Named after Katherine Hepburn, The Kate is filmed in front of a live audience at the historic 250-seat Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, Conn. - Billboard, 4/6/16...... Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood said on Apr. 4 that the band is planning to release a new album, possibly in 2016, which will be the followup to 2005's A Bigger Bang. "We went in to cut some new songs, which we did," the 68-year-old Wood said. "But we got on a blues streak. We cut 11 blues in two days. They are extremely great cover versions of Howlin' Wolf and Little Walter, among other blues people. But they really sound authentic." The Stones recently wrapped a tour of Latin America, with a free show in Cuba on Mar. 25. Wood's statement comes after his bandmate Keith Richards also recently said the band plans on releasing new music. "There's one coming. I can't say no more. My lips are sealed," he said. After their Bigger Bang tour ended in 2007, the Stones resumed touring in 2012 to mark their 50th anniversary, but have only released a couple of new songs since then. - AP, 4/4/16...... In other Rolling Stones news, a huge exhibit showcasing five decades of the band's history entitled "Exhibitionism" has opened at London's Saatchi Gallery. The vast exhibition, which covers 20,000 square feet, features more than 500 artifacts borrowed from the band's archive and private collectors, include musical instruments, lyrics, sketches, film clips, outfits, posters, album artwork and stage designs. A whole room is devoted to designer John Pasche's famous lips-and-tongue Stones logo, inspired by a picture frontman Mick Jagger had seen of the Hindu goddess Kali, and another room is a life-size recreation of an apartment the band members shared in 1962-63 in the Chelsea neighborhood of London. "Exhibitionism" runs to Sept. 4, with an international tour planned to follow the London run. - AP, 4/5/16...... Meanwhile, Mick Jagger has weighed in Britain's upcoming referendum to remain in the European Union. In an interview with Britain's Sky News, Jagger says he can see leaving the European Union to be "beneficial" to the UK in the long term. "I wonder if David Cameron, if he was asked today, whether he would actually want to put this out for a referendum now," Jagger said. "To me personally, I don't think [the result] is going to make a huge difference. I think to the country in the short term [leaving the EU] will be detrimental. In the longer term, in a twenty-year term, it might turn out to be beneficial," he added. In May 2015, the Conservatives' political adviser Jim Messina claimed that Jagger correctly predicted the results of the UK general election. "One of the savviest political observers I've come across is Mick Jagger," Messina said. "I was invited to a dinner that included the legendary rocker in London before the British election (I took about 9,000 selfies), when I discovered that Mick has been a bit of a political junkie his whole life." - New Musical Express, 4/6/16...... 
Guitar legend Jeff Beck will release a new studio album on July 15, the followup to his 2010 Grammy Award-winning LP Emotion and Commotion. The title of the album is yet to be announced, or whether two new songs Beck included on his 2015 live album, Jeff Beck Live+, "Tribal" and "My Tiled White Floor," will be included. Beck has also announced he will be releasing a memoir, BECK01, three days before the new album on July 12. The book will explore his "passions for hot rodding and rock & roll," with the limited-edition title signed and individually numbered by Beck and hand-bound in leather and aluminum. Beck will mount a summer US tour behind his new album and book, co-headlining with blues legend Buddy Guy. - New Musical Express, 4/4/16...... Remastered versions of the Beatles' three Anthology volumes from 1995 and 1996 debuted on all streaming services at midnight on Apr. 4. Anthology, Volumes 1-3 originally released in two-disc sets in 1995 and 1996, included rare and previously unreleased recordings, plus studio outtakes, alternate versions and singles "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love. Upon their original release, the collections went multi-platinum in several countries and "Free as a Bird" (completed by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr from 1977 demos recorded by John Lennon) became the band's 34th top 10 hit in the U.S. The tracks can be heard on major international services including Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play, Microsoft Groove, Prime Music, Rhapsody, Slacker Radio, Spotify and Tidal, as well as dozens of local streaming partners around the world. The Anthology tracks come less than four months after the Beatles released their catalog of hit music to streaming services for the first time. - Billboard, 4/4/16...... In other Fab Four news, a live "musical documentary" stage show which closely recreates the sound of the bnd's famous Abbey Road recordings is now on tour in the UK. "The Sessions - A Live Restaging of The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios" includes performances of songs from their albums Please, Please Me and Abbey Road as they were originally recorded, with four actors potraying John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, while screens around them display recording details and live musicians recreate the vocals, music and arrangements that were originally used. Another actor will narrate the show in role of the "fifth Beatle," producer George Martin, who died in March aged 90, and to whom the show is dedicated. The show is inspired by the memoir of former Abbey Road Studios sound engineer Geoff Emerick. "The Sessions" debuted at London's Royal Albert Hall on Apr. 1 and will tour other UK cities and some European countries. - NME, 4/2/16...... Elton John is set to appear as himself in an upcoming episode of ABC's country music drama Nashville, producers announced on Apr. 4. The "Rocket Man" singer will perform alongside up-and-coming singer and songwriter Gunnar (Sam Palladio) in the May 18 episode of the series, which serves as the penultimate episode of season four. Nashville follows several fictional country music stars, and has prevously welcomed other real hit makers, including Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line and Sara Evans. The role will be a rare scripted series appearance for Sir Elton, who most recently appeared on his good friend Lady Gaga's 2013 Christmas special. John will appear in the May 18 episode of the 10:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday night series. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/4/16...... 
Toni Tennille, the better half of the '70s hitmaking duo The Captain and Tennille, released her autobiography, 
Bonnie Raitt played the first of two sold-out shows at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre on Apr. 1 behind her new LP, 
Influential country music singer/songwriter Merle Haggard died in Palo Cedro, Calif., on the morning of Apr. 6, his 79th birthday, after a battle with pneumonia. Born Apr. 6, 1937, in Oildale, Calif., outside Bakersfield, Haggard often ran into trouble with the law and he spent time in juvenile detention centres and served jail sentences during the 1950s. It was as an inmate at San Quentin prison that Haggard first saw Johnny Cash perform, an event he later characterized as life-changing. Following his release from prison in 1960, Haggard went on to record a number of hit country singles. His first top 20 hit, "Sing Me a Sad Song," came out in 1963, and he scored his first No. 1 single with 1965's "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive." By 1967, Haggard was one of country music's biggest stars with 37 songs charting in the Top 10 of the Billboard Country singles chart that year. He went on to have 38 No. 1 country singles over his career, third only to George Strait (44) and Conway Twitty (40), and logged eight No. 1 singles in 1966-69 alone. Haggard's most famous songs include "Mama Tried," "The Bottle Let Me Down," The Fightin' Side of Me," and 
The Moody Blues are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their seminal symphonic-rock LP 
The late David Cassidy has bowed on Billboard's Social 50 Chart after the former The Partridge Family teen idol died of liver failure on Nov. 21 at age 67. Cassidy entered the chart after his 
TV journalist Geraldo Rivera has apologized to Bette Midler over an incident that took place in the 1970s where Midler says he groped her at her own house. After Rivera defended the beleaguered Today show host Matt Lauer on social media and then took back the remarks, on Nov. 30 Midler shared a video from a 1991 interview with Barbara Walters where she recalled her disturbing encounter with Rivera. "Geraldo may have apologized for his tweets supporting Matt Lauer, but he has yet to apologize for this," Midler posted with the clip. In the video, she detailed an incident where Rivera and his producer pushed her into her bathroom, broke two of the recreational drug poppers and pushed them under her nose and, she said, "proceeded to grope me." In two tweets Rivera also said that he regrets the "distasteful" and "disrespectful" tone of his 1991 memoir, Exposing Myself, wherein he describes the encounter: "We were in the bathroom, preparing for the interview, and at some point, I put my hands on her breasts." Rivera tweeted that "I'm embarrassed & profoundly sorry to those mentioned -- I have & again apologize to anyone offended." - Billboard, 12/1/17...... The long-awaited biopic of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury has been put on hold after its director, Brian Singer, failed to return to the set after the Thanksgiving holiday. Although a rep for Singer said the director's absence was due to "a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family," it has been reported that Singer has previously clased with the cast and crew and has failed to turn up to the set once before. Singer, who is best known for directing the X Men franchise, chose actor Rami Malek to portray Mercury after Sacha Baron Cohen pulled out of the project in the summer of 2013, reportedly because he and Queen, who have script and director approval, were unable to agree on the type of movie they wanted to make. - New Musical Express, 12/2/17...... Two new documentaries of interest to '70s music fans will premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah: a Joan Jett biopic called Bad Reputation from director Kevin Kerslake, and Studio 54, a doc on the famed New York nightlife mecca. The Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan. 18 through Jan. 28. - Billboard, 11/30/17...... Bruce Springsteen has been spotted at the Freds Madison Avenue restaurant atop Barneys New York sipping wine now that he's spending a lot of time on Broadway for his new hit "Springsteen on Broadway" production. "He's friendly to fans," a source told the New York Post's Page Six. "He's nice to everyone." Springsteen has been seen sitting alone at the bar and enjoying a glass of wine with his lunch around 3 p.m. most days. Although he doesn't visit the restaurant every day, he reportedly "goes often." - PageSix.com, 11/29/17...... A fundraising campaign to build a music school honoring record producer Quincy Jones and to be located in a country of Jones' choosing has been started by the In a Perfect World (IAPW) organization. "We can reach children alone, but we can do so much more together. Just $30 sends a kid to school in Los Angeles with a backpack full of school supplies. And $22 sends a kid to school in a developing country for one year. How easy is that?," says IAPW founder Manuela Testolini. Jones was honored by IAPW at a gala at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles on Nov. 12. To donate, visit iapw.org/donate or facebook.com/inaperfectworldfdn or text "Give" to (310) 620-1515. - Billboard, 11/28/17...... 
Beach Boys member Al Jardine will launch a "Postcard From California - From the Very First Song" tour on Jan. 23-24 at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, Minn. The name comes from Jardine's debut solo album, 2010's A Postcard From California. Featuring his son Matt Jardine, the tour will feature Al telling stories about the Beach Boys' music and singing, as well as Matt singing and playing alongside his dad. The tour will also hit the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 23 and 24, and then visit he Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 29 and 30. "Al's voice is still so incredibly strong, so this show will highlight that," says the show's producer, Keith Putney. "With Matt Jardine on board, the harmonies will shine as well." - Billboard, 11/28/17...... Britain's Channel 4 has commissioned a film documenting the most important moments of the final year of rock icon Prince, from his secret performance at the White House during the Barack Obama era, to his final tour, Piano & a Microphone. The new project will feature interviews with Prince's friends, including political commentator Van Jones, singer Eryn Allen Kane, and his former girlfriend Andy. Also, it will include such musicians as Cee Lo Green and George Clinton. It will be directed by Adrian Sibley, who worked on The Kate Bush Story: Running Up That Hill. In related news, Prince's estate has just release dfirst official merchandise since his death. The "Hit N Run" merchandise line -- named after his surprise album releases -- includes t-shirts themed after iconic Prince albums such as Purple Rain, 1999, Parade and Controversy, as well as a hoodie and purple hat. - New Musical Express, 12/1/17...... For the 29th annual World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, Elton John is continuing his commitment to raising awareness and funds for the global HIV/AIDS epidemic with the help of mobile messaging app Kwippit and 25 famous friends. Each day during December, a custom-made digital heart -- similar to an emoji -- will be released to subscribers of Kwippit's Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) channel to share on social media and text messages. One hundred percent of the proceeds from downloads ($.99 annual membership) directly benefits the non-profit's grant-making programs that focus on raising awareness, sharing preventative information, and offering medical care and treatment to all people living with HIV. "I am so grateful to all of the EJAF friends participating in this Kwippit project for sharing their creativity with us, supporting our work, remaining steadfast to the cause, and believing in our ideals," Sir Elton said in a statement. - Billboard, 12/1/17...... 
Beloved comedic actor Jim Nabors, best known for starring on The Andy Griffith Show and later in his own spin-off series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., died at his home in Hawaii on Nov. 30. He was 87. A native of Alabama, Mr. Nabors also recorded more than two dozen albums with a rich, operatic baritone voice that surprised those who were used to hearing him exclaim "Gawwwleee!" with a Southern twang on television. For many years, Mr. Nabors also sang "Back Home Again in Indiana" during the opening ceremonies for the Indianapolis 500. Born James Thurston Nabors on June 12, 1930, in Sylacauga, Ala., Mr. Nabors sang in high school and acted in fraternity productions at the University of Alabama. After graduating with a degree in business administration, he moved to New York and worked as a typist and answered phones at the United Nations. In the early 1960s, Mr. Nabors was a regular performer at The Horn, a cabaret theater on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica that showcased new talent, when he was spotted by Andy Griffith, who thought Nabors would be perfect to play a new character on his CBS sitcom. That would be Gomer, a dim-witted, affable mechanic at Wally's filling station in Mayberry and a cousin of Goober (George Lindsey). Mr. Nabors was signed for just one episode, which aired midway through The Andy Griffith Show's third season in December 1962, but Gomer proved popular, and Mr. Nabors went on to appear in 23 installments of the series. Mr. Nabors' run on The Andy Griffith Show culminated with the fourth-season finale in which Gomer joins the U.S. Marines. With Pvt. Pyle being hounded by tough but caring drill sergeant Vince Carter (Frank Sutton), Gomer Pyle, USMC aired for five years (1964-69) on CBS and was a great success in the ratings -- always in the top 10 and No. 2 in its final season -- before the actor decided to pursue other activities, which included hosting his own variety show, The Jim Nabors Hour. It lasted two seasons and featured some of his Gomer Pyle co-stars. Mr. Nabors also had roles in such movies as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Stroker Ace (1983) and Cannonball Run II (1984). Mr. Nabors, who underwent a liver transplant in 1994, starred regularly at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Dome in The Jim Nabors Polynesian Extravaganza, which in the 1980s was one of the state's top showbiz attractions. He lived in Hawaii for more than 30 years and had homes in Honolulu and Maui, where he had a macadamia nut farm. In Jan. 2013, Mr. Nabors exchanged wedding vows with Stan Cadwallader, his partner of almost four decades, before a judge in a Seattle hotel room. Mr. Nabors met Cadwallader, a former firefighter in Honolulu, in 1975. "In Mayberry, there was no illness. There was no war. There was no violence. There was no graffiti. We all had a good time, and we laughed a lot," he said in a 2000 interview. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/30/17.
The Bruce Springsteen Broadway show "Springsteen on Broadway" has had its run extended through June 30. The show, which opened at The Walter Kerr Theater on Oct. 12, was extended from the originally announced end date of November to Feb. 28 before it had even begun. The New York Post reported shortly after the shows started that viewers were reduced to tears watching Springsteen perform. In other Springsteen-related news, The Boss' childhood home at 39 Institute St. in Freehold, N.J., has been put up for auction, with a starting bid of $269,900. The duplex, where the rock icon lived between the ages of 6 and 19, is featured on the front cover of his 2016 autobiography 
Eric Clapton announced on Nov. 27 that he'll be returning to the UK's Hyde Park for a huge British Summer Time Festival gig in the summer of 2018. Slowhand will take the Great Oak stage on July 8, his first concert at the venue since 2008. "I have happy memories of performing in Hyde Park in the past," Clapton said in a statement. "I'm really looking forward to playing there again -- the whole atmosphere is very special." Opening for the 72-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will be his former Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood along with Carlos Santana and Gary Clark, Jr.. Clapton becomes the fourth confirmed headliner at British Summertime, which launched in 2013, joining an already announced line up of Roger Waters, Michael Buble and Bruno Mars. - New Musical Express, 11/27/17...... Three recently discovered microbe species that live in guts of termites have been named after the Canadian power trio Rush after scientists at the University Of British Columbia discovered the three new species. The microbes will be forever known as "P. leei," "P. lifesoni," and "P. pearti" after Rush's Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart ."A Spanish postdoc, Javier del Campo, asked me to recommend some good Canadian music, and I suggested he listen to Rush," University Of British Columbia microbiologist Patrick Keeling explained in a statement. Earlier in 2017, Rush also had a set of capybara triplets (a S. American mammal that resembles a giant guinea pig) named after them. - Stereogum.com, 11/28/17...... Some fans who attended a recent Robert Plant concert at Civic Hall in Wolverhampton, UK are complaining of overcrowding that caused a "small number" of them to faint due to the heat inside the venue. "In the first 20 minutes I saw six or seven people being carried out of the hall after collapsing," audience member Scott Campbell said. "I go to a lot of concerts but I had never seen anything like it." Plant, who was born in nearby West Bromwich, played at the venue, which has a capacity of 3000, on Nov. 20. Campbell said that he tried and failed to get inside the venue's main hall, and ended up leaving the gig to go home. A spokesman for the City of Wolverhampton Council issued a statement saying, "While the Civic Hall meets the required health and safety standards, it is an 80-year-old building and improvements to the ventilation and heating system are part of the planned refurbishment scheme." - NME, 11/23/17...... 
Arlo Guthrie played his annual Thanksgiving concert at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York on Nov. 25. Guthrie has played a total of 54 performances at Carnegie -- often with fellow good friend Pete Seeger -- and says he was "literally shaking" the first few times he played the historic venue. "I knew the history of that stage and it scared me. It took a few years to be able to breathe and sing at the same time. Now it feels like going home. We've done it so often and so many times that it's very enjoyable and something I look forward to doing every year," he said. Guthrie is currently in the midst of his Re:Generation Tour, which includes his son Abe Guthrie and daughter Sarah Lee Guthrie. "I've seen my kids mature as performers, which I love," Guthrie says. "Abe and Sara Lee in particular have become really good up there, which I love. And when we all get together it's family. It's fun. We don't have any divas in this family, so it makes it easy," he added. Guthrie says he's working on "nothing in particular" in regards to new music. "We've got so much in the catalog at this point, there's not enough time to do them," he notes. And while the current turbulent times may seem to call for new Guthrie songs, he says he feels the old ones will actually suffice. "We've already got some good songs about this stuff. This is obviously not the sunny day that we had imagined might be here at this point. It looks awful cold and cloudy... Despite everything I think the world is evolving, and the destiny I see is a lot brighter than what other people see sometimes. I don't know if I'll still be around when we finally get there, but I'm confident we will get there." - Billboard, 11/24/17...... 
Diaries written by John Lennon are among 100 items belonging to the late Beatle that were stolen from his widow Yoko Ono in 2006 and recently recovered by police in Berlin, Germany. Lennon's diaries are currently on display at Berlin police headquarters -- along with two pairs of his iconic round specs, a tape recording of a Beatles concert, sheet music and a cigarette case. The collection of items were stolen from Ono in 2006, and German media have reported that Ono has identified the goods from photos she was shown at the German consulate in New York. German police have arrested a 58-year-old man, while a second suspect -- who used to work for Ono -- is currently "unattainable," according to Martin Steltner, a spokesman for the Berlin prosecutor's office. - New Musical Express, 11/22/17...... Former Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert is claiming director Oliver Stone once sexually harassed her during an audition for Stone's 1991 The Doors biopic of the same name. On Nov. 20, Gilbert told Andy Cohen harassed her as "revenge" for embarrassing him in a social situation. "He wrote this special scene that he wanted me to do for him physically in the casting room, and it was humiliating and horrid," Gilbert said. "He got me back and it hurt." Stone responded to the accusation the following day, saying all actors who auditioned were told the experience would be extreme. "It was made clear from the outset that our film was going to be a raunchy, no-holds-barred rock 'n' roll movie," Stone said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "Anyone auditioning was told the scenes would be rehearsed and performed from a script, with my casting director, Risa Bramon Garcia, present throughout the process to ensure a safe environment for all actors who auditioned," he added. - Billboard, 11/21/17...... Even superfans of Pink Floyd will learn something new with author Jean-Michel Guesdon's new book 
It's tough for Rock and Roll Hall of Famers like Cheap Trick to do wrong, and they deck their first ever Christmas LP,