Posted by Administrator on June 30th, 2015
The Who's Pete Townshend told Britain's Mojo magazine on June 25 that 2015 will likely be the end of The Who, but that he and singer Roger Daltrey will "collaborate under a different name." Townshend made the remarks as The Who is in the midst of a world tour and speculation of a falling out between himself and Daltrey. "Roger and I were both so upset when the English newspapers decided that we were feuding -- big headlines: 'Roger And Townshend Feuding'. Because it's just not the case," he said. Townshend added that "I think I will stop after this year... When this tour is over, we'll probably both go our separate ways. So it's to demonstrate that even this particular gang can grow old -- not necessarily gracefully, but can grow old ungracefully, or whatever it is that we're doing." Townshend insisted that the pair's relationship is stronger than ever, and that "the acceptance of each other's eccentricities and differences has brought us to a really genuine and compassionate relationship, which can only be described as love." "And that's something to demonstrate, because this is two old guys in rocking chairs. As Roger says, we're lucky that we're not in some old peoples' home and that we can do this now," he added. Later that evening, The Who paid tribute to late bandmates John Entwistle and Keith Moon at British Summer Time at London's Hyde Park as he introduced the band's replacement musicians, bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Zak Starkey. On June 28, The Who headlined the Glastonbury Festival and they're also set to play a one-off Quadrophenia-themed gig at the Royal Albert Hall on July 5 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, before commencing their North American Tour. - New Musical Express, 6/25/15...... 
During a Q&A on his website on Jan. 4, former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman revealed he has had a change of heart and will be appearing with Yes for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Apr. 7 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. "I am very pleased to announce that as the Hall of Fame have now agreed to present Chris Squire's wife with a posthumous award acknowledging his massive contribution to YES, I have agreed to attend the Induction ceremony in New York to both stand proudly with my fellow band mates Jon (Anderson) and Trevor (Rabin) and also to watch Chris' wife Scottie collect this well deserved award on his behalf," Wakeman wrote. "Ialso hope that this move to acknowledge members of bands who sadly did not live to receive their own honour, means they can get them posthumously in the future." It should be noted that Squire was always included in Yes' induction, and deceased members of other bands have also been honored by the Rock Hall during past ceremonies. Wakeman, who has been in and out of Yes five times, has been touring since fall 2016 with Anderson and Rabin as AWR, and the trio are scheduled to begin a European tour on Mar. 12 in Wales and have plans for a new album. Wakeman has previously said he thought Yes should have disbanded after Squire's death in 2015, because "Chris was the only founding member, the only original member that stayed the entire time with that band, and I do think... it was time to go 'Let's give it a decent burial.'" The current incarnation of Yes includes longtime guitarist Steve Howe and drummer Alan White -- who will be inducted, along with Squire, Anderson, Wakeman, Rabin, Bill Bruford and Tony Kaye -- as well as keyboardist Geoff Downes, singer Jon Davison and bassist Billy Sherwood. Yes continues to record and tour, most recently playing entire albums during its shows. - Billboard, 1/5/17...... During a press conference at Dodger Stadium in L.A. on Jan. 5, Billy Joel annonced he will take over the ball field on May 13 for his first performance in Los Angeles since May 2014 when he played three nights at the Hollywood Bowl. The show will also be the only Southern California gig in 2017 for Joel, who already has four shows announced at New York's Madison Square Garden, continuing his monthly residency into its fourth year. The Piano Man will also play the first concert at the newly renovated Nassau Coliseum in his hometown of Long Island, with other dates in Orlando, New Orleans and Lincoln, Nebraska. In 2016, the 67-year-old musician performed 28 concerts at stadiums and arenas. - Billboard, 1/5/17...... 
A new David Bowie documentary entitled The Last Five Years that will air on BBC 2 on Jan. 7 alleges that Bowie didn't know he was dying while recording his final album Blackstar. Johan Renck, who directed Bowie's video Lazarus, claims that Bowie only discovered his cancer had become terminal when he was in the middle of filming the clip in November 2015. "David said: 'I just want to make it a simple performance video'," Renck recalls in the documentary. "I immediately said 'the song is called Lazarus, you should be in the bed'. To me it had to do with the biblical aspect of it it had nothing to do with him being ill." Renck added that he found out later as they were shooting the video that doctors were ending Bowie's treatments and that "his illness had won." Blackstar, recorded in early 2015, is widely regarded as Bowie's "parting gift" to fans, but these new claims contradict this intent. Meanwhile, tributes to Bowie on the first anniversary of his death and what would have been his 70th birthday on Jan. 8 include a concert at Brixton Academy featuring friend and actor Gary Oldman along with over 30 musicians that collaborated with Bowie throughout his career. Also on Jan. 8, a new David Bowie Musical Walking Tour of notable landmarks in his hometown of London will also launch that will take place on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The tour will include performances of some of his most iconic tracks, including "Starman," 'Heroes', "Life On Mars" and "Ashes To Ashes." "I hope people will come along and enjoy the experience together by singing some of his wonderful songs or just by soaking up the rich culture of Brixton, whether they are massive fans or just want to learn more about the great man and his home town," says tour founder Nick Stephenson. Stops along the tour include Bowie's childhood home in Brixton at 40 Stansfield Road, Stockwell Primary School and James Cochran's mural to the star -- which has become a place of pilgrimage for fans around the world. A new limited edition picture disc of Bowie's Low track "Sound and Vision" will drop on Feb. 10. - New Musical Express, 1/6/17...... Cher has been an outspoken advocate for the citizens of Flint, Mich., since that city suffered a crisis in its water supply in 2015, even donating thousands of bottles of water, and now the singer/actress is set to star in a new Lifetime movie about the incident. Cher will portray a Flint resident whose family is impacted by the water crisis, and the poor management that led to water poisoning as well as the human elements of the residents who suffered but were ignored by government officials. The movie was inspired by a Feb. 2016 cover story in Time magazine called "The Toxic Tap," by Josh Sanburn. In 1996, Cher starred in her first TV movie, HBO's If These Walls Could Talk, for which she scored a Golden Globe nomination. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/5/17...... 
On Jan. 5 Elvis Presley's hometown of Memphis began celebrating what would have been the king of rock & roll's 82nd birthday on Jan. 8 with a cake-cutting ceremony on the front lawn of Elvis' Graceland mansion. Also a total of 164 pieces of Elvis memorabilia have been consigned for an auction to be held on Jan. 7 at The Guest House at Graceland, where birthday celebration events are being held for the first time. Included in the auction are a gold and diamond lion head ring given to musician and guitarist Charlie Hodge, boxing gloves worn by Presley in the 1962 film Kid Galahad, and personal clothing. The Guest House at Graceland, a 450-room hotel that opened in October, is part of a $137 million expansion that is also to include an entertainment complex across the street from Graceland. Presley died in August 1977 at age 42. - AP, 1/5/17...... Bruce Springsteen will participate in a Q&A session in front of a live audience on Jan. 10 at the Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J. Grammy Museum executive director Robert Santelli, a New Jersey native, will moderate the event. Santelli, a former reporter, also edited Springsteen's 2001 book Songs and published Greetings from E Street: The Story of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Meanwhile, in a new interview with Marc Maron WTF.com podcast on Jan. 3, Springsteen said he feels a special "kind of fear" over Donald Trump's "competence as president." "I've felt disgust before, but never the kind of fear that you feel now," he said. "It's as simple as the fear of is someone simply competent enough to do this particular job? Forget about where they are ideologically. Do they simply have the pure competence to be put in the position of such responsibility?" Springsteen was also critical of Trump's choices for his incoming Cabinet, adding "that doesn't speak very well for what's coming up," and said he was concerned that the "worst aspects that (Trump) appealed to (could) come to fruition." - Billboard, 1/3/17...... Paul McCartney made a suprise New Year's Eve appearance with the Las Vegas band The Killers as they were performing in St. Barts for Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich McCartney played one of his old band's songs, "Helter Skelter," with The Killers, and on New Year's Day he posted a holiday message on his website, writing "Happy New Year's Day. May this year be a happy and peaceful one for you and your family and everyone around the world. Love Paul." On Dec. 31, Sir Paul has confirmed his first live dates in 2017 will be in Japan in April. - NME, 1/2/17...... In an interview with the UK paper The Creative Independent, former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne dismissed the idea of a Talking Heads reunion as something that would "probably be quite a number of steps backwards." "[A] Talking Heads reunion might be incredibly successful for a specific generation, or maybe for many generations. It would make me a lot of money and get a lot of attention," Bryne said. "It would also probably be quite a number of steps backwards as far as being perceived as someone who does a lot of different things. "For that reason, I feel like I have to sacrifice something, whether it's money or name recognition or whatever, in order to be able to do a little bit more of what I'd want to do. In other words, you can't have it all," he added. One of the iconic new wave bands, Talking Heads formed in New York City in 1975, and called it quits in Dec. 1991. The band briefly reunited for a short set to mark their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, but have not played together since. Meanwhile, Byrne is expected to debut a new musical based on the life of Joan of Arc in New York in the spring. - NME, 1/5/17...... As The Doors' classic eponymous 1967 debut marks its 50th anniversary in 2017, the band has announced it will reissue a deluxe special edition of the album with a 3-CD/LP package on Mar. 31. 
Charles Manson, the notorious cult leader who was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the murders of seven people including the Hollywood actress Sharon Tate in 1971, is reportedly "seriously ill" and has reportedly been transferred from California's Corcoran State Prison where he has been an inmate for 46 years to the hospital. A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the 82-year-old Manson is alive, but told the newspaper: "We do not disclose inmate movements for safety and security reasons." During his time as a cult leader, Manson espoused a theory called "Helter Skelter" which he took from the Beatles song of the same name. He believed "Helter Skelter" was an impending apocalyptic race war and the murders he and his followers carried out would help to trigger it. - NME, 1/4/17...... '70s artists Iggy Pop and Patti Smith are among the musicians slated to cameo in director Terrence Malick's upcoming film Song to Song, which is set it the fertile music scene of Austin, Tex. Due Mar. 17, Song to Song is described as a "modern love story about two entagled couples set against the Austin music scene who chase success through a rock 'n' roll landscape of seduction and betrayal." Its stars include Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling and Michael Fassbender. - Billboard, 1/5/17...... Several famous friends of late actresses Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds attended a memorial service held at the homes on Fisher and Reynolds in Los Angeles on Jan. 5. Meryl Streep, Penny Marshall, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ed Begley, Jr. were among those paying respects to Fisher and Reynolds. Reynolds died Dec. 28 at the age of 84, a day after Fisher died at the age of 60. Streep starred in the film, Postcards From the Edge, based on Fisher's 1987 semi-autobiographical novel of the same title. - AP, 1/6/17.
The Kinks' frontman Ray Davies was made a knight by England's Queen Elizabeth II on the last day of 2016, making the Queen's 2017 New Years Honours list with actor Mark Rylance, comedian Ken Dodd, and Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Davies, 72, told that BBC that he initially "felt a mixture of surprise, humility, joy and a bit embarrassed but after thinking about it, I accept this for my family and fans as well as everyone who has inspired me to write." Davies, who formed his legendary and influential British rock band with his brother Dave Davies in the early 1960s, joins the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Sir Mick Jagger and Sir Tom Jones who have received a knighthood. The Kinks disbanded in 1996, six years after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In Dec. 2015, Ray and Dave Davies performed together for the first time in 20 years, sparking rumors that the band might reunite. - Billboard, 12/31/16...... Elton John paid tribute to his good friend and 1985 Live Aid duet partner George Michael on Dec. 28 during his first of four scheduled New Year's concerts at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Appearing before a large photo of Michael projected above the stage, Sir Elton opened the show with "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me," which he originally recorded in 1974. Michael and John performed the ballad together at the Live Aid concert in 1985, and at Michael's Wembley Arena concert in 1991. The duet was recorded and released at the end of 1991, and became a No. 1 hit for the pair in 1992. Elton was among the many musicians and celebrities paying tribute to Michael on Twitter and other social media after the singer passed away at his home in Oxfordshire on Christmas day due to heart failure. "I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend - the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist. My heart goes out to his family, friends and all of his fans. @GeorgeMichael #RIP," John posted on Instagram the following day. Elton will also reportedly be performing at Michael's funeral, before the late pop star is buried next his mother Lesley in Highgate Cemetery. - Billboard, 12/29/16...... Neil Diamond has scored his 38th Top 10 hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary radio airplay chart with his yuletide song "The Christmas Medley (Acoustic Christmas)." The track is from Diamond's recently-released album 
Hollywood is mourning the deaths of two iconic actresses, Carrie Fisher on Dec. 27 and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, one day later. Fisher, 60, died after suffering a heart attack during a flight from London to Los Angeles on Dec. 23. Paramedics removed her from the flight and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where the 
Actor William Christopher, who played the unassuming U.S. Army chaplain, Father Mulcahy, struggling to bring spiritual comfort to an anarchic surgical unit during the Korean War on the long-running hit TV series 
After writing an anti-streaming Facebook post on July 15, Neil Young announced on July 29 he is pulling the majority of his music from streaming services. "AM radio kicked streaming's ass. Analog Cassettes and 8 tracks also kicked streaming's ass, and absolutely rocked compared to streaming," wrote Young, who has long complained about streaming's subpar sound quality. "Streaming sucks. Streaming is the worst audio in history. Streaming has ended for me. I hope this is ok for my fans," he added, then went on to say "it's not because of the money." Now, only five of Young's albums from the '80s and early '90s remain on various streaming services. The singer did, however, say that he would allow his albums back on streaming services if the audio quality was improved. - Billboard, 7/29/15...... Meanwhile, Neil Young and other artists including the Doors, Journey and Bonnie Raitt have settled a copyright dispute with the BBC after withdrawing their music from the venerable broadcaster earlier in July. By withdrawing from the UK's Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS), the four artists also left the BBC's collective agreement with the organization. As a result, BBC DJs were asked not to play songs by the artists, or tracks which sampled them, in order to avoid breach of copyright. Now it appears a settlement has been reached on the use of the band's content on radio, and on July 27 the BBC released a statement confirming the return of the artists to the airwaves: "The BBC has been able to find a licensing solution by working together with the music publisher Wixen Music UK and with the MCPS... however the rights are not available for television or other audio visual use via the BBC's collective licensing arrangements with MCPS." Effectively, that means that the BBC will now be free to play those artists' songs on the radio, but can't lay the tracks over their latest inspirational documentary. - NME, 7/27/15...... In a recent interview with Britain's Q magazine, the Who guitarist Pete Townshend revealed that '90s alternative rock icon Morrisey once asked him to produce two of his solo albums, and he rejected the offer. "Morrissey asked me to produce albums for him after the Smiths, twice," Townshend said. However, he added that despite the fact that he "really loves [Morrisey's former band] The Smiths," he rejected the offer because he would have preferred to work with Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. Townshend also revealed that he kept the letters that Morrissey originally sent him requesting that he produce his albums. - New Musical Express, 7/28/15...... 
Rocker Ted Nugent has added his two cents to the current controversy over the death of "Cecil the lion" in Zimbabwe, which was recently slain by an American dentist on a big game hunt. The dentist and part time trophy hunter, Walter Palmer of Minnesota, and his guides reportedly led Cecil out of a national park, shot him with a bow and arrow, tracked him for 40 hours, killed him with a rifle and beheaded him. "The whole story is a lie," Ted Nugent posted on his website in response. "It was a wild lion from a 'park' where hunting is legal & ESSENTIAL beyond the park borders." While only 30,000 of the black-maned lions are estimated to be left in the wild, and 600 of them (2%) are said to be harvested every year through both legal hunting safaris and poaching, Nugent maintains that "all animals reproduce every year & would run out of room/food to live w/o hunting. I will write a full piece on this joke asap. God are people stupid." Walter Palmer issued a statement saying that "I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion," although he has been cited for illegal poaching of exotic animals in the past. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/29/15...... Former Pink Floyd principal Roger Waters headlined the 2015 Newport Folk Festival in Fort Adams State Park, R.I., on July 24. Appearing for his first live performance since the end of his Wall tour in 2013, Waters was joined by a host of guest artists and played an entirely acoustic set that featured material from his time with Pink Floyd as well as new and old solo material. Surprises in the set included a new song, "Crystal Clear," as well as covers of material by Bob Dylan, Levon Helm and Buddy Guy. My Morning Jacket, a last minute addition to the festival line-up, joined Waters on stage after having played their own set earlier in the day. Waters and the band performed Pink Floyd classic "Wish You Were Here" together. This year's Newport festival is also notable for the return of the same guitar that Bob Dylan played there in 1965 after "going electric." The Fender Stratocaster, which was bought in 2013 by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay for a staggering $965,000, was brought to the festival by the curator of Irsay's rare guitar collection. "Dylan's guitar is home," said festival producer Jay Sweet on July 24. - NME, 7/27/15...... Paul Simonon of the Clash and Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music will team up with Afrobeat legend Tony Allen for a performance at a festival in Italy during August. Simonon, Manzanera and Allen will perform alongside Italian musician Ligabue, Columbian singer Andrea Echeverri and London-based violinist Anna Phoebe at a concert at the La Notte della Taranta in Salento in south Italy on Aug. 22. Manzanera will also serve as the festival's Maestro Concertatore this year. - NME, 7/28/15...... 
Singer/songwriter Janis Ian of 
Pop songstress Dionne Warwick has reacted to the recent passing of her second cousin, Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of late superstar singer Whitney Houston and R&B singer Bobby Brown. "Our family has had its share of sorrow these past few years," Warwick told People magazine on July 27, the day Bobbi Kristina died. "Bobbi is now sitting in the lap of our Heavenly Father and is now reunited with her beloved mother. She will be missed and I send many thanks for all of the prayers that were being said for her." Warwick appeared on the Bravo channel's Watch What Happens Live on July 26 just hours after news of Bobbi Kristina's death was made public. She said then, "She was a sweetheart, she will be missed -- she was a good girl. It's not easy. It's [manageable] because of our faith that Bobbi is with a much bigger and more powerful person, or thing, that she's in much better hands now." Bobbi Kristina, 22, had been in a medically induced coma since she was found unconscious in a bathtub at her Roswell, Ga., home on Jan. 31 and rushed to a nearby hospital. A preliminary autopsy released on July 27 stated that there was "no obvious underlying cause of death and no significant injuries were noted... No previously unknown medical conditions that could have contributed to death were identified." - Billboard, 7/27/15...... New research by the Musixmatch organization has shown that the Beatles rate low on the "verbose scale," in other words, Beatles music does not have a wide vocabular. Musixmatch compiled the 100 most linguistically dense songs of the top 93-selling artists ever, then compared the word count of these songs by their unique word use, the total number of words used and how often they used a new word to find the artist with the widest vocabulary. Not entirely surprisingly, hip-hop artists come out on top, with Eminem taking a considerable lead with a phenomenal word count of 8,818. The other top four artists are Jay-Z (6,899 words), Tupac Shakur (6,569 words), Kanye West (5,069) and Bob Dylan, who has a lexicon of 4,883 words, making him the top folk artist in the chart, as well as the musician who uses a new word in his songs most frequently, an average of one every nine words. Michael Jackson, Katy Perry and Neil Diamond have smaller vocabularies than the average, while Paul McCartney has a higher word count as a solo artist (1,903) than with the Beatles (1,872). The average word count, Musixmatch says, is 2,667 words. - AP, 7/27/15...... 
In other Fab Four-related news, Yoko Ono has announced she is teaming up with several artists including Death Cab for Cutie, Sparks, Mike Snow, Jack Douglas and her son Sean Lennon for a new album which will be a follow-up, of sorts, to her 2007 LP Yes, I'm a Witch. Yes, I'm a Witch Too, which boasts 16 tracks including "Mrs. Lennon" with guests Peter, Bjorn and John, is due on Jan. 22, 2016. - New Musical Express, 7/29/15...... The producers of a planned blues documentary on Chicago's music scene, including contributions from Jack White and Bob Dylan, are seeking financial support in order to secure rights to the music they are celebrating. Born In Chicago is being directed by John Anderson, who also directed the 2005 Brian Wilson documentary SMiLE, and documents the progression of the blues genre as it evolved in the city during the '50s and '60s. The team behind the film have launched a 
Ahmed Best, the actor who provided the voice for the Jar Jar Binks character in the Star Wars series movie Episode I: The Phantom Menace, has revealed in a new interview with Vice magazine that Michael Jackson once lobbied for the role of Jar Jar Binks in the film. As a connoisseur of children's films and fantasy in general, the late King of Pop was interested in joining the cast of the Star Wars prequels during the '90s, and Best recounted a post-concert meeting at Wembley arena between himself, Jackson, Phantom Menace actress Natalie Portman, and the movie's director, George Lucas. "We were taken backstage and we met Michael. There was Michael and Lisa Marie [Presley]. George introduced me as 'Jar Jar' and I was like, That's kind of weird. Michael was like, 'Oh. OK.'" Later at a party Best said he questioned Lucas why he introduced him as Jar Jar, and Lucas said: "Well, Michael wanted to do the part but he wanted to do it in prosthetics and makeup like "Thriller."' George wanted to do it in CGI. My guess is ultimately Michael Jackson would have been bigger than the movie, and I don't think he wanted that." - Billboard, 7/24/15...... In other Michael Jackson news, the rights to a song co-written by the pop star for the long-running animated series The Simpsons have been sold to an anonymous buyer for $38,500. "Do The Bartman" was originally released in 1990, featuring on the album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It was reportedly co-written by Michael Jackson, also featuring backing vocals from the late singer. The sale allegedly includes "both BMI and Sony Publishing royalties" from the song, as well as royalties for collection of other songs by Bryan Loren, who co-wrote and produced the song with Jackson. In 1998, Simpsons creator Matt Groening said in an interview that "It has always been amazing to me that no-one ever found out that Michael Jackson wrote that song." However, Loren is claiming the sole songwriting credit for "Do the Bartman," despite Groening's statement. "While it's true, along with me, Michael Jackson does sing backing vocals.... And so, obviously, he was involved. Perhaps this tidbit of info is not as sensational as saying MJ co-wrote the song, but I assure you, he did not," he said. - New Musical Express, 7/22/15...... Musicians Flo & Eddie of the '60s pop group The Turtles have lost a bid to halt SiriusXM's $210 million settlement with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) over music recorded prior to 1972. Flo & Eddie had earlier filed a class action lawsuit questioning if SiriusXM could play pre-1972 music (when federal copyright laws were changed to cover sound recordings) without authorization or royalties, and filed again earlier in July calling for the settlement to be halted to wait on their case. The pair received a landmark summary judgment ruling in their favor in Sept. 2014, and months later, in May 2015, they had another huge win when they received certification of their proposed class of musicians who recorded songs prior to 1972. SiriusXM appealed the certification, and the court stayed the case pending the ruling. The Ninth Circuit hasn't yet ruled in the case. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/23/15...... Neil Young is once again taking aim at the Monsanto corporation in a new Facebook post and short video, which warns citizens about a "dark act up for a vote in the House of Representatives [that] takes away the rights of people to vote for or against things like GMO (genetically-modified seed) labeling in their states." Accompanying his political warning is a 10-minute documentary from his film company, Shakey Pictures, called Seeding Fear. The mini-doc details the experience of famer Michael White, one of the few farmers who successfully stood up to Monsanto in court and is legally permitted to speak about it. - Billboard, 7/23/15...... 
A director for the forthcoming documentary about the late innovative rocker Frank Zappa, which is due in 2017, has been named. Alex Winter, who famously starred with Keanu Reeves in 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, has directing credits that include Freaked and Forever as well as documentaries like Downloaded, which profiled Napster's Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning. The production will have exclusive access to the Zappa Vault, a collection of unseen visual and audio recordings, in addition to previously released video clips, interviews and concert recordings. Winter says that "our tale will be told primarily in Frank's own words; he will be our guide through this journey." In a statement, Zappa's widow, Gail Zappa, praised Winter and said "We couldn't be happier to be working with Alex, an extraordinary filmmaker in his own right." - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/23/15...... In other rock biopic news, actor Don Cheadle's new Miles Davis movie, Miles Ahead, will make its world premiere as the closing night film at the New York Film Festival, which runs from Sept. 25 through Oct. 11. Miles Ahead has been a long-time passion project for Cheadle, who stars as the jazz musician and directs for the first time. The film concentrates on Davis' reemergence in 1980 after his so-called "silent period" in the late 1970s. The film does not yet have distribution in North America. - AP, 7/22/15...... Bette Midler wrapped her Divine Intervention Tour with two London shows on July 18 and 19 with a total of $32 million grossed. The final performances of the pop diva's latest trek -- her first touring production since 2004 -- drew 22,991 fans and grossed $3.2 million, the second-highest gross on the tour. Midler's concerts were good for a fourth place in Billboard Box Office top tours list for July 14-20, behind the Grateful Dead, Taylor Swift and Kenney Chesney. - Billboard, 7/23/15...... Led Zeppelin has shared a stream for a previously unreleased version of their track "When The Levee Breaks," alternatively titled "If It Keeps On Raining." The alternate recording appears on the reissue of 1982 album Coda, released after drummer John Bonham's death, and set to be reissued in a 
Drummer Alan White of the prog-rock band Yes says his band plans to soldier on after the recent death of bassist and sole constant Yes member Chris Squire. "It's certainly going to be hard without him, but he called me and asked me to keep everything going regardless of what happens," says White, who's been part of Yes since 1972 "So absolutely we're moving ahead. I'm gonna do it for him." And White says he's confident that after talking to the other members of Yes and from fan reaction following Squire's June 27 death from acute erythroid leukemia at the age of 67, few will have a problem with that decision to continue. "Everything has been pretty positive in that regard," White notes. "[The fans] are behind the band and want the band to keep moving forward here. It doesn't seem like anybody's kind of given up on the band, which is really encouraging and it'll help us move things forward. Things can't just stop, you know? We've got to maintain the Yes name and... meet the high standards of musicianship Chris created." Yes will embark on its Cruise To The Edge Tour in November in Miami, and also has a UK tour planned in the spring of 2016. The group released a new album, "Heaven & Earth," last year, but White thinks it will be awhile before Yes entertains recording again. "I think it's too early days yet to really venture into thinking like that," the drummer says. "We just want to get the band on an even keel first, I think, before we even think about writing new stuff." - Billboard, 7/21/15...... Could New Jersey governor and 2016 presidential hopeful Chris Christie be accused of a flip-flop? Interviewed by the conservative website LifeZette, Christie and his wife Mary Pat both immediately responded with "Bon Jovi" when asked "Bruce Springsteen or Jon Bon Jovi?" in a lightning round. Christie had previously declared his love for all things Springsteen in an interview with The Atlantic, where he claimed to have attended over 130 show in a 40-year period. In a statement, Jon Bon Jovi -- who admits his allegiance lies with democratic presidential candidateHillary Clinton -- confirmed he had given Christie approval to use his songs. "My friendships are apolitical," the rocker said, "and yes, I absolutely gave him permission to use my songs." Springsteen famously took a shot at Christie in 2014 in an appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon with a song parody of "Born To Run" entitled "Governor Chris Christie's Fort Lee, New Jersey Traffic Jam." Gov. Christie had previously asked Springsteen to perform at his 2010 inauguration party, but the longtime Democrat declined. - Billboard, 7/22/15...... AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was released on bail on July 20 after he was arrested just 10 days into his home detention sentence for drugs possession and threats to kill. A New Zealand newspaper reported that Rudd, 61, was hosting prostitutes at his home on North Island on July 18 when he was arrested again for carousing with the prositutes. He was ordered to appear in court on Aug. 3 to enter a plea to the charges, and will be required to undergo drug and alcohol testing upon police request. - New Musical Express, 7/20/15...... 
Singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins, who wrote and recorded the famous tune "House at Pooh Corner" and released an album based on the song, Return to Pooh Corner, in 1994, says he's planning a return to children's music. "It's the direction I want to take the rest of my career," Loggins says. "It's very comfortable for me; I feel very confident in that arena and I know what's needed. Right from the beginning I saw that most children's music is just unlistenable, and my goal was to make a record the parents would love as much as the children." Loggins says his new projects will include a new uptempo kids album, All Join In and a collection of lullabies that includes a new treatment of "Danny's Song," his hit with Jim Messina that also became a top 10 charting cover for Anne Murray. Loggins says he's currently shopping for labels. "My hope is to place the uptempo record and the lullaby record and maybe get a third-record deal." Loggins performs five songs on a new episode of the Disney XD animated series Penn Zero Part-Time Hero, which premiered on July 24. He'll also have a song in an episode of Disney's Phineas and Ferb that airs in September. - Billboard, 7/21/15...... Actor Alex Rocco, the veteran tough-guy actor with the gravelly voice best known for playing mobster and Las Vegas casino owner Moe Greene in the acclaimed 1972 film The Godfather, died on July 18 of as yet unnanounced causes. He was 79. Rocco, who studied acting with the late Leonard Nimoy, a fellow Boston-area transplant, also was the voice of Roger Meyers Jr., the cigar-smoking chairman of the studio behind "Itchy and Scratchy" on The Simpsons, and he played Arthur Evans, the father of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character, on the stylish Starz series Magic City. Rocco also won an Best Supporting Actor Emmy in 1990 for his role in the short-lived CBS series The Famous Teddy Z, and also had regular roles on The Facts of Life, The George Carlin Show, Three for the Road, Sibs and The Division. - Yahoo News, 7/19/15...... Actor Theodore Bikel, a prolific stage and screen performer and political activist who created the role of Captain Georg Von Trapp in the original Broadway production of "The Sound of Music," died of natural causes on July 21 at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 91. Conversant in a number of languages, Bikel's background and versatility led to a wide, multinational range of roles. Often playing authority figures, the native of Vienna starred as a Dutch doctor in The Little Kidnappers (1953); a Germany submarine officer in The Enemy Below (1957); a French general in The Pride and the Passion (1957); Russian military men in Fraulein (1958) and The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (1965); and a Hungarian phonetics expert in My Fair Lady (1964). Other memorable feature credits include The African Queen (1951), I Want to Live! (1958), See You in the Morning (1989), Crisis in the Kremlin (1992) and Shadow Conspiracy (1996). On television, Bikel made hundreds of appearances, co-starring as Henry Kissinger in the 1989 ABC miniseries The Final Days and guesting on shows as diverse as The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, All in the Family, Law & Order, JAG, Columbo and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also had recurring roles on the primetime soaps Dynasty and Falcon Crest. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/21/15.
James Taylor shared a special performance of "America the Beautiful" on Election Day (Nov. 3) on 
Hall & Oates principal Daryl Hall has shared his thoughts on the 1980 H&O hit "You Make My Dreams" recemt;u passing the landmark of one billion total streams. "The song is certainly an antidote to the uncertainty of the world we live in now," Hall told the UK paper The Sun. "It still feels very current to me because I've been playing the song for all these years. Time really doesn't play a big factor in the way I look at anything really, but especially music," says Hall, who adds the song "wrote itself." "I remember writing the song, sitting in my apartment in New York City. I had a Yamaha CP 30 piano, which is a very distinctive sounding electric piano. And I started playing that riff, it just spoke to me... I wondered if it was too happy? Could I think of something a little more complicated? And I tried but it is what it is. It really just wrote itself." - Music-News.com, 11/6/20...... In an episode of Oprah Winfrey's new Apple TV+ series The Oprah Conversation, Stevie Wonder said he thinks America is "so close" to not being "the land of the free." Winfrey asked the Motown legend if he thought America was in a "fragile decade" right now. "Without question," Wonder replied. "Most importantly, we are so close to not being the nation that people talk about. We can talk about being the land of the free and the home of the brave, 'give me your tired' and all of that. And then there are people who hate." He continued: "I don't care what ethnicity you are, what color you are. The great thing about being blind, for me, is that I don't see color but I do see the spirit. If your spirit's not right, I can just feel it." - NME, 11/6/20...... Jimmy Page confirmed on his 
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Elton John's songwriting partner Bernie Taupin says he "continually encourages" Sir Elton to work on a new album. Taupin says John was planning on working on some of the songs he had sent him during his downtime in Australia when he was due to be touring there. "I did send him probably close to 16 or 18 things when he was in Australia. The original plan was that he was going to write when he was in Australia because he had so much free time down there because he was going to stay there for the duration of the Australian and New Zealand tour." However, Taupin added that: "(Elton) felt that he wanted to write... (but) that didn't happen." Taupin says that when Elton finally does "put digits to piano" he believes the tunes he sent him will turn out to be "very special": "I think we might come up with something very special. Being that he's not going to hit the road potentially until the end of next year, that gives him plenty of time. I would love to see him start to do some work. As I say, I continually encourage him to do so. How we would do it, I'm not sure. I've got some ideas in my head that he might be interested in. But I really, really would love to get back on track and back in the game." John's last studio LP was 2016's Wonderful Crazy Night. - Music-News.com, 11/5/20...... The new David Byrne film American Utopia, which is based on Byrne's smash Broadway hit of the same name and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September before screening at the London Film Festival in October, has been given a UK release date. Universal announced it will be releasing the Spike Lee-directed American Utopia on VOD services and on DVD from Dec.14, in light of the coronavirus restrictions facing UK cinemas at the moment. The Broadway show played at New York City's Hudson Theatre from Oct. 2019 to Feb. 2020, and also toured the UK between Oct. and Nov. 2018. Byrne is joined by 11 musicians from around the world onstage, while Lee films the production with 11 camera operators. The show performs a number of songs from Byrne's album of the same name, but also features a number of hits by Byrne's former band Talking Heads including "Burning Down The House" and "This Must Be The Place." - NME, 11/5/20...... A new 2021 charity calendar being marketed to fans of The Clash will help raise funds for The Joe Strummer Foundation, an organization set up in the singer's memory to develop new music talent in the U.K. and overseas. The calendar allows Clash fans to delve into iconic imagery from Strummer's solo career, and features around 123 record sleeves from Strummer's solo career. Fans looking to spread a bit of holiday cheer can also purchase a set of Joe Strummer Christmas cards too, with a new design created for 2021. Both items can be purchased on the 
In an emotional post on 
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ken Hensley, a former member of the '70s hard rock band Uriah Heep, died on Nov. 5. He was 75. "I received devastating news this morning from Ken's manager Steve Weltman that Ken Hensley has passed away," Hensley's former bandmate Mick Box posted to 
The Eagles have soared to their best Billboard chart sales week in over a decade with their new concert LP, 
A live cover of the T. Rex classic "Cosmic Dancer" by David Bowie and alternative rocker Morrissey is set to be released as a digital download and streaming on Nov. 13. A vinyl version of the single will then be released on Feb.19, 2021. On the other side of the single will be a cover of The Jam's "That's Entertainment," though as Morrissey's official website points out, it is not the same version of the track as the 1993 version available on the internet. Bowie and Morrissey paired up for the cover during a Morrissey concert at The Forum in Los Angeles in 1991, and it has been widely circulated online in the two decades since. A clip of the "Cosmic Dancer" collaboration has been shared on 
Neil Young has shared details of the upcoming 50th anniversary reissue of his classic 1970 set After the Goldrush, which was originally released on Sept. 19, 1970. Due on Dec. 11 via Reprise Records, 
A U.K. release date for the upcoming Bee Gees documentary How Can You Mend A Broken Heart has been announced. The first feature-length documentary about the band is set to screen in UK cinemas for one night only on Dec. 3. Directed by Frank Marshall (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), the rockdoc promises an intimate look at the lives and careers of Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb. "Like so many people around the world, I've loved the Bee Gees' music all my life," Marshall said in a statement. "But it wasn't until I did my first interview with Barry, almost 3 years ago, that I began to discover their uncanny creative instincts, their musical gifts, their humor, and the brotherhood and family that made them so unique." He added: "It's been such an honor to be involved in this movie and celebrate the massive impact The Bee Gee's have had on popular music." Meanwhile, it was recently announced a narrative biopic based on the life and career of the Bee Gees is also in the works, courtesy of Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King and screenwriter Anthony McCarten. - NME, 10/29/20...... Appearing on her chat show The Talk, Ozzy Osbourne wife Sharon Osbourne revealed that her and Ozzy's credit cards were recently "maxed out" by a fraudster. Sharon said she was first made aware of the crime when attempting to buy a birthday present for daughter Kelly Osbourne. "I give my credit card and they come back and say, 'Do you have another credit card? It didn't go through.' I say, 'Just try it again'... still didn't go through.... I hand them Ozzy's." She added: "Then, they come back and go, 'Do you have another one? It didn't go through.' Someone rang up charges and maxed out Ozzy's card and my card. I called through to the credit card company and they go, 'No, no, no, you're maxed out, so is Ozzy.' I'm like, 'I don't go to that store, or to that store.'" When asked if it was fraud, Sharon confirmed the crime, before adding that all of the fraudulent transactions on her card are currently being processed. - NME, 10/29/20...... Phil Collins will take back control of his beachfront Miami mansion from ex-wife Orianne Cevey in January, 2021, according to his attorney. The former Genesis frontman has been fighting for the property which Cevey is allegedly occupying with her new husband, according to a Miami newspaper. According to attorney Collins' attorney Jeffrey D. Fisher, Cevey and her new husband have now agreed to leave by mid-January 2021, claiming in a statement to the New York Post's gossip column "Page Six" that: "Mr. and Mrs. Bates' plan to hold Phil Collins' house as hostage to leverage a settlement during a protracted court case was upended by the new judge's bold decision to complete the injunction hearing next week." Fisher also said Collins' memorabilia, such as Collins' extensive The Alamo artefacts and music collection, will be removed from the residence, and she will maintain a 50% interest in the mansion, according to the Post. The warring ex-couple, who have two teenage sons, were married for nine years before splitting in 2008, a divorce that cost the rocker more than $46 million (£35 million). However, they reconciled in 2016 before separating again earlier this year, after which Cevey married businessman Bates in August. - Music-News.com, 11/1/20...... 
The official trailer for the forthcoming Frank Zappa documentary Zappa has been shared on