Posted by Administrator on July 19th, 2025
Blondie guitarist Chris Stein has revealed that the band's next album will be released around the "last quarter" of 2025. The follow-up to 2017's Pollinator had been scheduled for a 2025 release before the death of Blondie drummer Clem Burke in April at age 70, however the exact release date is not yet known. Posting on Twitter/X on July 18, Stein responded to a fan's question about the album that Burke "played the whole thing," though he added he didn't know if the band would be touring. The news comes after Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry said earlier this year that she "can't see a future of live performances as Blondie" without Burke behind the drums. - New Musical Express, 7/19/25...... 
Styx released its 18th studio album and third in seven years, Circling From Above, on July 18. Styx singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw -- whose avid interest in birds helped put a European starling on the album cover -- says the Pink Floyd-esque title track, "Build and Destroy," was inspired by a continuing interest in outer space. "There's an app I discovered a while back where you can look up and see all the space junk," he told Billboard. "It blew my mind that all this stuff is floating around up there. Every piece of equipment that's up there, that's basically junk, is owned by a country and that country knows where it is and is responsible for it. It's organized chaos, but it's a junkyard up there. As we discussed it in the studio we were getting ready to write songs, and that influenced some of the lyrics and ideas kept popping off and we had those two songs that go together." California-born Will Evankovich, who produced 2017's The Mission, 2021's Crash of the Crown and the new Circling From Above, became a full-fledged member of the band in 2021 and adds that all of the Styx albums he's been involved with "basically happen organically." "There's stuff Tommy and I were writing at first, and then involving Lawrence (Gowan, singer/keyboardist), they just took off on its own. It wasn't premeditated. Tommy's always writing; he's a very creative guy, and I think finding a new writing partner galvanized his interest. But we do it because we want to do it, not because of how many records we're gonna sell." Styx is currently on tour (with the Kevin Cronin Band and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder) playing 1977's triple-platinum The Grand Illusion in its entirety, however the group has only been able to work "Build and Destroy" from the new LP into its live set to date. But Shaw says they're looking forward to adding more of the Circling From Above songs into dates later this year, including the "Rockin' in Paradise Cruise" during October. "We'll definitely get to that as soon as August is over," Evankovich says. "People come to see the great catalog of music the band has, but I think by September we'll probably work a few new ones in there, probably two or three once we've cycled the Grand Illusion album." Fans can check out "Build & Destroy" on YouTube. - Billboard, 7/18/25...... Late Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty's 2.6 acre Malibu hideaway is back on the market a little less than a year after it was initially listed. Petty, known as the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and a solo artist, used the property as his primary residence from 1998 until his death in 2017. Listing agent Myra Nourmand said the Malibu property, which features a four-bedroom main house and two detached guest houses, one of which served as Petty's studio, feels "like you're buying your own private park." "Every area has either a fountain, a bubbling brook, magnificent and mature trees," she told Homes.com. "It's an emotional sanctuary. And it takes many decades to create that." First hitting the market in 2024 with a $19 million price tag, the property never sold, and has been relisted for a reduced $15.5 million. Also up for sale is the Gainesville, Fla. native's former beach retreat in St. Augustine, Fla., which has been on the market since February. Petty's beach house at 5372 Atlantic View in St. Augustine is asking $2.95 million. He built the house in 1988 after buying the lot for $97,500, according to county property appraiser records. This would be right around when the rocker was recording his first solo album, Full Moon Fever. Sitting on less than a quarter of an acre, the 3,293-square-foot, three-story house includes five bedrooms and four bathrooms, plus a back deck with an in-ground pool and a private boardwalk leading to the shore. - Homes.com, 7/16/25...... 
The "Rumours" gang are at it again. Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham have sparked rumours of an imminent reunion after the two recently shared a pair of cryptic posts on Instagram. Nicks and Buckingham dated between 1972 and 1976 and had remained bandmates in Fleetwood Mac until Buckingham was fired from the band in 2018 after over 40 years in somewhat acrimonious circumstances relating to a disagreement over a tour, to be replaced by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' Mike Campbell and Crowded House's Neil Finn. The two had appeared to be at loggerheads since then, but in an Instagram post on July 17 that no one saw coming, Nicks posted hand-written lyrics to the 1973 Buckingham Nicks tune "Frozen Love": "And if you go forward...." Buckingham then completed the lyric in his own hand-written Instagram post: "I'll meet you there." Founding band member and drummer Mick Fleetwood also joined in on the fun, sharing a video of himself listening to the duo's "Frozen Love," which was re-shared on the official Fleetwood Mac Instagram page. "If Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks are back together this would be the biggest news in the history of news," was just one of the many responses to the correspondence by riled up Fleetwood Mac fans. The trio of posts follow comments from earlier this year when Fleetwood and Buckingham were pictured working on new music together in the studio. - NME, 7/18/25...... Mercury Studios posted on Instagram on July 17 that the Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath final concert "Back to the Beginning" will be released in theaters in early 2026 in an edited 100-minute version. "Presented as a love letter to Ozzy and the pioneering sound of Black Sabbath, the theatrical release will be a distilled version of the epic all-day event held at Villa Park," read the announcement about the feature that will feature footage from the all-star, all-day heavy metal gathering in Sabbath's hometown of Birmingham, UK on July 5 at Villa Park. "Featuring thunderous performances of 'War Pigs,' 'Iron Man,' 'Children of the Grave' and a show-stopping 'Paranoid,' the film promises a deeply personal and electrifying farewell from the godfather of heavy metal with exclusive behind-the-scenes access and interviews from this iconic live performance." And while the sold-out show welcomed 42,000 fans to witness the final bow in person, with more than five million more streaming the epic event via VOD, the film will give those who were not able to watch the original gig a chance to see the magic. According to Variety, after the theatrical release of the Back to the Beginning movie in early 2026, there will also be a physical version available later in the year, with additional details on the rollout and release dates to be announced later. Before that film arrives, the Paramount+ streaming channel will premiere a No Escape From Now documentary delving into Osbourne's health struggles and prep for the final Sabbath show later in 2025. Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the "Back to the Beginning" concert raised more than $190 million for three charities, the highest-grossing charity concert in today's dollars since George Harrison and Ravi Shankar's 1971 Concert for Bangladesh popularized the very idea of an all-star benefit show. The funds will be distributed equally to Birmingham Children's Hospital, Acorn Children's Hospice and Cure Parkinson's. - Billboard, 7/18/25...... Bruce Springsteen has been tapped to receive the inaugural Legacy Award at the fifth annual Academy Museum Gala this fall, presented by The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. The Boss is also slated to perform at the fundraising event, which will be held on Oct. 18 in Los Angeles. The Legacy Award "honors an artist whose body of work has inspired generations of storytellers and deeply influenced our culture," according to a press release. Springsteen, 75, won an Oscar for best original song in 1994 for "Streets of Philadelphia" from director Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia. He was nominated again in the category two years later for "Dead Man Walkin'" from Tim Robbins' Dead Man Walking. The event will help raise funds to support museum exhibitions, education initiatives and public programming, including screenings, K-12 programs and access initiatives in service of the public and the local community of Los Angeles. Last year's gala raised more than $11 million. Meanwhile, it has been announced that Springsteen's 2023-25 tour, which wrapped earlier in July, was his biggest moneymaker ever. With ticket sales of over $700 million, the tour earned more than twice the gross sales of his previous best-selling tour. - Billboard, 7/17/25...... 
David Byrne has shared "She Explains Things To Me," the second single from his forthcoming new album, Who Is The Sky?, on YouTube. "Many times I have marvelled at how a friend (usually a female friend) seems to clock what is going on in a film between characters way before I do. Sometimes I understand poetry, but sometimes I need help," the former Talking Heads frontman explained about "She Explains Things To Me." "Though inspired by the [Rebecca] Solnit book Men Explain Things To Me there is a huge difference -- mansplaining is usually unasked for, in this case I am the one asking." Produced by Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus), the album is also set to feature St. Vincent, Paramore's Hayley Williams, and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner. Who Is The Sky?' is said to "build upon the optimistic themes" presented in Byrne's successful American Utopia album in 2018, its tour, its successive Grammy-winning Broadway show and its Spike Lee-directed movie. The album will reportedly continue Byrne's "lifelong exploration of human connection and the potential for societal unity against the chaotic backdrop of the world," and will feature "more story songs than usual." - NME, 7/16/25...... The first part of the new Billy Joel documentary And So It Goes premiered on HBO Max on July 18, while the second part airs on July 25. With hit songs, like "Piano Man," "Uptown Girl," "We Didn't Start the Fire," and others, the special celebrates the life and over 60-year career in music of the Grammy Award-winning recording artist and had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival 2025 in New York on June 4. The film, an HBO original, is described as "an expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting." The official trailer has been shared on YouTube. Meanwhile, one of the documentary's directors has given a health update on the Piano Man, two months after the 76-year-old musician revealed that he'd been diagnosed with the brain disorder normal pressure hydrocephalus. Appearing on Good Morning America on July 16, Susan Lacy said Billy has been "doing physical therapy, he's healing, he's working on getting better." In May, Joel canceled all his planned summer shows due to the condition, which can affect vision, hearing and balance. At the time of the cancelations, Joel said that the decision came after the condition was "exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance." In May he canceled all his shows for 2025, which had included stops at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field in New York and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as well as shows in Cincinnati, New Orleans, Santa Clara, Calif., Hollywood, Fla. and Washington D.C. - Billboard, 7/17/25...... In other tour news, Steve Miller Band frontman Steve Miller has cancelled all dates on his 31-date summer/fall tour, which which was set to kick off Aug. 13 at Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, Mich. and run through Nov. 8 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Miller was also scheduled to perform at this year's Minnesota State Fair. "You make music with your instincts," Miller wrote in a note on his stevemillerband.com website announcing the cancellation. "You live by your instincts," he added, "Always trust your instincts." For Miller, those instincts told him to cancel his lengthy tour due to "the combination of extreme heat, unpredictable flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes and massive forest fires [which] make these risks for you our audience, the band and the crew unacceptable." "You can blame it on the weather - the tour is cancelled," Miller wrote. "Don't know where, don't know when. We hope to see you all again," he concluded, before signing off and encouraging his followers to "please take care of each other." As of now, no information regarding refunds has been released to the public. - Billboard, 7/16/25...... 
On July 16 Robert Plant announced he'll release a new album of covers, Saving Grace, via Nonesuch Records on Sept. 26. Saving Grace is named after Plant's new band, featuring vocalist Suzi Dian, drummer Oli Jefferson, guitarist Tony Kelsey, banjo and string player Matt Worley and cellist Barney Morse-Brown. In conjunction with the announcement, Plant and the band have shared the album's lead single, "Everybody's Song," on YouTube. The single is the group's take on the 2005 original by the Minnesota indie rock band Low. "We laugh a lot, really. I think that suits me. I like laughing," Plant says of the band. "You know, I can't find any reason to be too serious about anything. I'm not jaded. The sweetness of the whole thing These are sweet people, and they are playing out all the stuff that they could never get out before. They have become unique stylists and together they seem to have landed in a most interesting place." Plant and Saving Grace will go on a 21-date tour behind the album in Europe and the U.S. this summer and fall. The schedule can be viewed on robertplant.com. - Billboard, 7/16/25...... A 1959 sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar stolen from The Rolling Stones more than 50 years ago has resurfaced in a collection recently acquired by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. At the time of the burglary, the instrument had been owned by former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, who had previously purchased it from his bandmate Keith Richards in 1967. At the time of its theft, the instrument had already been part of musical history, having been played by Richards during the Stones' debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in Oct. 1964, and later by Taylor during their infamous Altamont Free Concert in Dec. 1969. Famed rock guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page were also said to have played the instrument as well. However, the location of the guitar has remained a mystery since Sept. 1971, having been reportedly stolen during the band's recording sessions for 1972's Exile on Main St. at Villa Nellcôte on France's Côte d'Azur. The story goes that the robbery occurred in broad daylight while occupants of Villa Nellcôte watched TV, having reportedly been conducted by Marseille drug dealers that Richards was said to have owed money to. The theft ultimately resulted in the loss of nine guitars, a saxophone belonging to Bobby Keys, and Bill Wyman's bass guitar. The trail was left cold until May of this year, when the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art announced it had received a "landmark gift" of more than 500 guitars from the "golden age of American guitar making," consisting of instruments made between 1920 and 1970. Taylor's business manager and partner, Marlies Damming, has claimed that the "flaming" pattern on the body of the guitar confirms it as Taylor's elusive instrument. "There are numerous photos of Mick Taylor playing this Les Paul, as it was his main guitar until it disappeared," Damming explained. "The interesting thing about these vintage Les Pauls (from the late 1950s), is that they are renowned for their flaming, which is unique, like a fingerprint." Additionally, an unnamed source stated that Taylor is "mystified as to how his property found its way into the Met's collection," and noted the musician had "never received compensation for the theft." - Billboard, 7/15/25...... 
Stevie Wonder has used an appearance at a recent concert to address the longstanding conspiracy theory that he isn't actually blind. Wonder -- who has been performing since the age of 11 and scored his first Billboard No. 1 with "Fingertips" at the tender age of13 -- has long been noted for his status as a blind man, having lost his vision weeks after his birth. However, his prolific output and tireless work in the music industry over the past 64 years has resulted in a half-serious theory that Wonder can in fact see. Though often shared as a tongue-in-cheek rumor, the Motown legend's ability to navigate the world around him has resulted in many of these theories coming to light. In 2019, former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal shared a tale of Wonder recognizing him in an elevator, while comedian and actor Anthony Anderson once recalled how he challenged Wonder to a basketball game. "What y'all don't know is, Stevie can see," he told Stephen Colbert in 2016. "It's just an act." Now, at a recent tour stop in Cardiff, Wales for his "Love, Light & Song" U.K. tour, Wonder used an opportunity to speak to the crowd to dispel the enduring speculation. "I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking, 'When did I want to let the world know this?' But I wanted to say it right now," Wonder began in his monologue, which can be viewed on Instagram. "You know there have been rumors about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth. Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind. Now, that was a blessing because it's allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?" Wonder has not released a new studio album since 2005's A Time to Love, though since 2008, he has spoken about a new project titled Through the Eyes of Wonder, which has been described as a performance piece that will reflect his experience as a blind man. "What I want to do with our live performances is to create visuals that [give] my take on how I see the world and how most various things affected me," he explained at the time. While in Cardiff, Stevie was also awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD) during his concert at Cardiff's Blackweir Fields. The prestigious honor was presented on stage by RWCMD Principal Helena Gaunt and Director of Music Tim Rhys-Evans, marking a significant recognition of Wonder's monumental impact on the world of music. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 7/15/25...... David Kaff, a British musician and actor best known for playing keyboardist Viv Savage in the classic 1984 musical mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, has died at 79. The news was announced by Kaff's bandmates in the metal group Mutual of Alameda's Wild Kingdom on July 13, who wrote on Facebook, "Our brother David Kaffinetti passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday. We are devastated by this event. David always had a kind word and a quick wit that would slay you where you stand. Then he'd make you smile doing it! RIP dear brother." Kaff was born David Kaffinetti on Apr. 17, 1946 in the coastal town of Folkenstone in Kent, England and studied classical piano as a child before pivoting to rock in his teens and co-founding the prog rock group Rare Bird. The band was signed to former journalist Tony Stratton Smith's Charisma Records -- home to Genesis, Peter Gabriel, prog legends Hawkwind and the comedy troupe Monty Python -- and released five albums on the label between 1969 and 1974, scoring one U.K. singles chart hit with 1970's moody "Sympathy." Though he started out as a serious musician, Kaff made his biggest mark in director Rob Reiner's beloved send-up of rock pomposity. Appearing in the satirical film alongside stars and co-writers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, Kaff played dopey keyboardist Viv Savage, whose most memorable line comes in the movie's credits when director Marty DiBergi (Reiner) asks for his philosophy of life. "Have a good time all the time," Savage says with a crooked smile of his party-all-the-time credo. Despite his limited screen time, Kaff got off a number of pithy one-liners in the film that gave fans such iconic bits as an amp that "goes to 11" and the announcement that Tap's drummer died in a "bizarre gardening accident." Among them is a scene when the band is billed beneath a puppet act at an amusement park and guitarist David St. Hubins (McKean) asks if Viv can play bandmate Nigel Tufnel's (Guest) bass line from the group's legendary triple-bass hit "Big Bottom," the keyboardist deadpans, "yeah, I got two hands, yeah, I can do it." Kaff is not expected to appear in the upcoming sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which arrives in theaters on Sept. 12, although he continued his Tap association over the years by appearing with the group on Saturday Night Live in 1984 and filming a comedic 1990 PSA for the hearing loss group H.E.A.R. (Hearing Education Awareness for Rockers). "Viv Savage of the band Spinal Tap speaks out on hearing loss," a voiceover says, as Kaff's Savage cluelessly asks, "what?". - Billboard, 7/15/25...... 
Legendary lyricist Alan Bergman, known for penning the words to such iconic works as "The Way We Were" and the Maude theme, died at his home in Los Angeles on July 17. He was 99. Mr. Bergman and his wife, Marilyn Bergman (who died in 2022 at age 93), are probably best known for writing exquisite ballads such as "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," "Pieces of Dreams" and "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," but they refused to be typecast. They also wrote the witty theme songs for such TV series as Maude, Good Times and Alice. The Bergmans won three Academy Awards, including best original song for "The Windmills of Your Mind" from The Thomas Crown Affair and "The Way We Were" from the movie of the same name, and three Grammy Awards, including song of the year for "The Way We Were." The Bergmans had a long and close relationship with Barbra Streisand, who saluted them on her Grammy-nominated 2011 album What Matters Most - Barbra Streisand Sings the Lyrics of Alan & Marilyn Bergman. The Bergmans received 15 Oscar nominations for best original song, and in 1983, they became the first (and still only) songwriters to be nominated for three Oscars for best original song in one year for "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" from Best Friends, "It Might Be You" from Tootsie and "If We Were in Love" from Yes, Giorgio. The Bergmans were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980 and received that organization's highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award, in 1997. They received a trustees award from the Recording Academy in 2013. Mr. Bergman died just eight days after the announcement of a celebration in his honor on what would have been his 100th birthday on Sept. 11. Many of his friends and admirers were set to perform at a concert in his honor that night at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Calif. The event is expected to go on as planned, but pivot to a tribute rather than a birthday celebration. The event will serve as a benefit for the Jazz Bakery, of which Mr. Bergman was a founding member of the board. Barbra Streisand paid tribute to Mr. Bergman, who suffered from respiratory issues in recent months, but continued to write songs till the end, on Instagram with a warm message that accompanied a cozy shot of the two of them together. "Alan Bergman was not only a prolific lyricist, and incredible husband, father and grandfather, he was family to me-- a father figure. We met over 60 years ago, and we never stopped loving each other and collaborating together. My last conversation with him was about a wonderful song he was working on. At 99 his creative gifts still flowed. I like to think he's again in Marilyn's warm embrace and I'm sure they have started collaborating again on another song! I will miss them both.--Barbra" - Billboard, 7/18/25...... 
Beloved pop singer/actress Connie Francis, who in 1960 became the first woman to score a No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her signature hit "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," died on July 17. She was 87. The news was confirmed by her publicist, Ron Roberts, in a Facebook post in which he wrote, "it is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that i inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night. I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news." Roberts did not reveal where Ms. Francis died or the cause of her death, which came two weeks after the singer told fans that she'd been rushed to the intensive care unit at a hospital in Florida suffering from what she described as "extreme pain." In March of this year Ms. Francis told fans that she was in a wheelchair due to a "troublesome, painful" hip and was undergoing stem cell therapy to deal with the issue. Born Concetta Franconero on Dec. 12, 1937, in Newark, N.J., Ms. Francis sold more than 40 million records and was one of the most popular female singers in the U.S., scoring 35 top 40 hits, including 16 top 10s and three No. 1s. After getting her start in pageants and a series of variety shows such as Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts in the mid-1950s -- where she often played the accordion -- Ms. Francis embarked on a bid to break into the music business that was initially met with indifference after signing with MGM Records in 1955 and releasing a string of 10 flop singles. She was saved from obscurity when, on the verge of giving up on her showbiz dreams and preparing to attend college, her father convinced her to record a cover of the 1923 ballad "Who's Sorry Now," a song she initially rejected as sounding too fusty for her. Though it seemed to be yet another chart fail at first, six months after Dick Clark spun the track on his American Bandstand show in Jan. 1958, the song sold one million copies and Ms. Francis was launched into a career that included hit singles in a number of languages -- including Yiddish, Italian and Irish -- as well as a sideline acting career. Initially providing the off-screen singing voice only for stars including Tuesday Weld in 1956's Rock, Rock, Rock! and Freda Holloway in 1957's Jamboree, Ms. Francis became a star in her own right by 1960 with her role in the comedy Where the Boys Are and a series of other lighthearted sequel comedies and musicals including Follow the Boys, Looking for Love and 1965's When the Boys Meet the Girls. With a versatile, easy listening voice and confident style, Francis' hot streak also included a number of top five hits, including 1958's "My Happiness" and "Lipstick on Your Collar" and 1961's "Where the Boys Are." Her chart dominance began to wane, however, by the mid-1960s as popular taste shifted to more uptempo rock from the likes of The Beatles and other British invasion acts. After fading from the charts, Ms. Francis' life was touched a series of tragic incidents, including a cosmetic procedure to narrow her nose that same year that impaired her ability to sing, and a 1974 incident in which she was beaten and raped at knifepoint at a motel after performing at a music festival in Westbury, N.Y. She later sued the Howard Johnson's motel chain for failing to provide adequate security and was awarded a $2.5 million judgement. According to The New York Times the brutal assault threw Francis into an "emotional tailspin" that included a descent into a "nightmare of paranoia, suicidal depression and drug abuse." The struggles continued, including the singer being committed to a mental hospital by her father in the early 1980s, where she was diagnosed with manic depression. Francis later said she'd been misdiagnosed and that she had actually been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after the "horrendous string of events" in her life, in reference to the sexual assault, the cosmetic surgery effects on her voice and her younger brother George's murder in 1981. She retired from the music industry in 2018. "Connie Francis led a truly extraordinary life," UMe president/CEO Bruce Resnikoff said in a statement. "She gave the world countless, timeless songs and inspired generations with her voice, resilience, and trailblazing spirit. We are deeply saddened by her passing, but take comfort in knowing how joyful and fulfilled she felt in these last few months, as a new generation discovered her music and celebrated her legacy." - Billboard, 7/17/25
Speaking to the UK paper The Daily Express, The Beach Boys' Mike Love revealed that he and the late Brian Wilson sang together in the weeks before Wilson's death on June 11 at age 82. "I was able to visit Brian three weeks before he passed. What Brian wanted me to do was to sing for him," Love said. Brian asked me to sing 'Fun, Fun, Fun', so I sang that. Then he said: 'Sing 'Surfin' USA!'', so I sang 'Surfin' USA' to him. I sang 'I Get Around' for Brian, too. We even harmonised on a song called 'Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring'. That was a song by The Four Freshmen, a group which was a huge influence on The Beach Boys' harmonies." Soon after Wilson's passing, Love posted on Instagram that "Our journey together was filled with moments of brilliance, heartbreak, laughter, complexity and most of all, LOVE. Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano or his spontaneity in the studio." - New Musical Express, 7/12/25...... 
After King Crimson guitarist Jakko Jakszyk told Goldmine magazine earlier in July that the English prog-rock icons were working on a new studio album, King Crimson manager David Singleton has taken to social media to urge fans not to get too excited about the prospect. "It was an amazing thing to have done, and in a way, part of it's still happening," said Jakszyk, who joined the veteran band in 2013. Jakszyk went on to say the band has "been doing it piecemeal," and with "a view to it coming out in some format at some point. But who knows when?" Now Singleton says "there is indeed the seed of a new recording [but] whether it is an album, whether it sees the light of day, whether it is something else is unknown. As is the outcome of any creative process." King Crimson was initially formed in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake, Michael Giles, and Peter Sinfiel, with the band releasing their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, the following year. Initially disbanding in 1974 after seven albums, further reunions would take place throughout the '80s and '90s, with the group's most recent record, The Power to Believe, arriving in 2003. Co-founder McDonald passed away in Feb. 2022, and the group's songwriter, lyricist and synth player Peter Sinfield died in Dec. 2024. The group was hit with another death when ex-percussionist Jamie Muir passed in February. It was assumed King Crimson was over after their last tour in 2021, and 79-year-old Fripp -- the only continuous member from the original lineup -- told Rolling Stone in 2022 that future tours from the band would only take place "if I knew for certainty that King Crimson touring was the only way to prevent World War III." Jakszyk also teased the release of his and Fripp's album, The Scarcity Of Miracles. "Plus, there's also an album I made with Robert before I joined Crimson called The Scarcity Of Miracles. There's a version of it that's about to come out with loads and loads of extra stuff." - Billboard/Music-News.com, 7/14/25...... Neil Young took to the stage at the BST Hyde Park festival in London on July 11 and wowed the audience with a setlist of his timeless classics. Accompanied by the raw energy of his new band the Chrome Hearts, Young effortlessly worked through 18 songs, treating the sold-out crowd to hits spanning his lengthy career. Fan favorites like "Cowgirl in the Sand," "Be the Rain," "Southern Man," and "The Needle and the Damage Done" resonated through the venue, offering a taste of every era of Young's beloved discography. "Thank you, folks, I really appreciate you being here," Young shared with the adoring audience, with a "Love Earth" symbol emblazoned behind him -- a nod to his 2022 collaboration with Crazy Horse. Classics such as "Cinnamon Girl," "After The Gold Rush," and "Name of Love" showcased Young's subtle sentiment and powerful rock prowess. The magical "Harvest Moon" perfectly coincided with the setting sun, creating a truly cinematic moment. Young concluded his set with a two-song encore featuring the anthemic "Throw Your Hatred Down" and "Rocking in the Free World," leaving the crowd chanting along. After Stevie Wonder performed a headlining set on July 12, the festival ended abruptly on a dour note on July 13 after the event's final live show was canceled when headliner Jeff Lynne of Jeff Lynne's ELO was forced to withdraw due to medical reasons. The previous day, organizers announced that "Jeff Lynne is heartbroken to report that he will not be able to perform at tomorrow's BST Hyde Park show." Posting on their website bst-hydepark.com, they added that "Jeff has been battling a systemic infection and is currently in the care of a team of doctors who have advised him that performing is simply not possible at this time nor will he be able to reschedule. The legacy of the band and his longtime fans are foremost in Jeff's mind today -- and while he is so sorry that he cannot perform, he knows that he must focus on his health and rehabilitation at this time." The whole July 13 concert, which was also to include performances by Steve Winwood and the Doobie Brothers as well as Lynne, was cancelled. The decision came days after Lynne, 77, axed a concert in Manchester UK shortly before he was scheduled to come out on stage. Lynne had appeared on stage in Birmingham in a hometown send-off a week ago, but was unable to play his guitar owing to a broken wrist, suffered during a taxi crash in London. - Music-News.com, 7/12/25...... 
On July 10 Paul McCartney announced he's heading back out on the road for his first North American swing since 2022. Titled "Got Back 2025," the 19-date trek is slated to launch at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, CA on Sept. 29, then visit Las Vegas (10/4), Albuquerque (10/7), (10/11), Des Moines (10/14), Minneapolis (10/17), Tulsa (10/22), New Orleans (10/29), Atlanta (11/2, 3), Nashville (11/6), Columbus (11/8), Pittsburgh (11/11), Buffalo (11/14), Montreal (11/17) and Hamilton, Ontario (11/21) before winding down with a two-night stand at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 24-25. The tour is the indefatigable former Beatle's follow-up to his run of three surprise shows at the intimate Bowery Ballroom in New York in early February, and close-out performance of an Abbey Road medley at the SNL50: The Anniversary Special just days later. While a number of the stops are in cities the singer has played before, a few will be first-time visits, including Albuquerque and the Palm Springs kick-off. Tickets are set to go on sale on July 18. Sir Paul first launched his Got Back run of shows in 2022 with 16 sold-out U.S. gigs, followed by an international edition the next year and 20 more concerts in South America, Mexico, the U.K. and Europe in 2024. Meanwhile, Macca has discussed his creative approach to music in a new interview with BBC Radio 3's Sound Sources host Elizabeth Alker. "You can do something apparently very strange with a piece of music and then you listen to it, and you go 'Oh I really like that'. It's like abstract art I mean, not everything we see is clear and figurative," he said. "Sometimes when you're asleep or you rub your eye, you see an abstract. So, your mind knows about it. We know about this stuff. So, it was the same with music." The full program can be streamed at the BBC.co.uk site. - Billboard/Music-News.com, 7/10/25...... In more touring news, Bob Dylan has announced a string of UK and Ireland dates for his ongoing "Rough And Rowdy Ways" tour for November. The latest batch of dates will see Dylan playing Brighton (11/7), Swansea (11/9, 10, 11, 13), Coventry (11/14), Leeds (11/14), Glasgow (11/16, 17), Belfast (11/19, 20), and Killarney (11/23, 24) before wrapping at Dublin's 3Arena on Nov. 25. The "Rough And Rowdy Ways" tour sprung from the folk-rock icon's 2020 studio album of the same name and has been running since Nov. 2021. The 10th leg of the tour ran across North America in March and April this year and saw him dipping into his back catalog, including the first performance of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" in 15 years. - NME, 7/10/25...... Jackson Browne, Patti Austin and Seth MacFarlane will be among the musicians and celebrities feting legendary lyricist Alan Bergman on his 100th birthday on Sept. 11 at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Calif. Bergman and his late wife Marilyn, who died in 20022 at age 93, are probably best-known for writing exquisite ballads such as "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," "Pieces of Dreams" and "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," but they couldn't be typecast. They also wrote witty and zesty theme songs for such TV series as Maude, Good Times and Alice. The Bergmans won three Academy Awards, including best original song for "The Windmills of Your Mind" from The Thomas Crown Affair and "The Way We Were" from the movie of the same name, and three Grammy Awards, including song of the year for "The Way We Were." Barbra Streisand, who took "The Way We Were" to the top of the US pop chart in 1974, will be making a video appearance during the event. Streisand previously paid tribute to the Bergmans on her Grammy-nominated 2011 album What Matters Most - Barbra Streisand Sings the Lyrics of Alan & Marilyn Bergman. The event will serve as a benefit for the Jazz Bakery, of which Bergman is a founding board member. The nonprofit listening room is one of the most respected jazz spaces in Los Angeles. - Billboard, 7/10/25...... 
Two months after announcing the upcoming publication of a long-awaited memoir, Yusuf/Cat Stevens has announced the release of a "definitive" greatest hits collection. On The Road To Findout: Greatest Hits, due Sep. 5 on Cat-O-Log Records in partnership with Universal Music Recordings, will be the music icon's first-ever career-spanning collection of his emotive and moving songs from his nearly 60-year recording career, spanning from 1967's Matthew & Son through his 2023 King Of A Land LP. The new release will also include a 24-page booklet containing all the lyrics and never-before-seen reflections on the music by Yusuf himself. "I'm pleased that, at last, a collection of recordings includes some important songs I wrote after my evolvement, 'Take The World Apart' and 'Heaven / Where True Love Goes' for instance, reflecting the peace and happiness which has since changed my life," he said in a press release. "It's really humbling to think about how many souls have been traversing this journey with me." The singer recently performed at the BST Hyde Park festival in London on July 11, as a special guest to Neil Young. Meanwhile, his memoir that was first announced in May, Cat On The Road To Findout, is set for release in the UK on Sep. 18 and in the US on Oct. 7. Yusuf will embark on a rare UK concert and book tour to promote the new album and memoir, his first UK tour in nine years. The seven-show tour begins on Sep. 6 at Cambridge's Corn Exchange and concludes on Sep. 22 at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall. - Music-News.com, 7/10/25...... Days after performing the final show of Black Sabbath in Birmingham, UK on July 5, Ozzy Osbourne has announced his new memoir, Last Rites, described by publisher Grand Centra/Hachette as the "shocking, bitterly hilarious, never-before-told story of Osbourne's descent into hell." The follow-up to Ozzy's 2009 memoir I Am Ozzy, Last Rites will cover the various health crises the 76-year-old metal god has endured over the past few years, including the Parkinson's diagnosis that contributed to him announcing his retirement from touring. "At the age of sixty-nine, Ozzy Osbourne was on a triumphant farewell tour, playing to sold-out arenas and rave reviews all around the world. Then disaster," reads the presser announcing the book. "In a matter of just a few weeks, he went from being hospitalized with a finger infection to having to abandon his tour -- and all public life -- as he faced near-total paralysis from the neck down." But in his own signature no-nonsense style, Osbourne was defiant about his desire to keep rocking, despite his challenges. "Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can't complain," Ozzy notes in the release. "I've been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I've done good and I've done bad. But right now, I'm not ready to go anywhere." In addition to the book, Osbourne has announced that he's auctioning off a handful of abstract paintings he created with chimpanzees to benefit the Save the Chimps sanctuary in Florida that helps rescue chimpanzees from animal testing labs and zoos. "I've never sold my paintings. But these abstract collaborations I did with ape artists from @SaveTheChimps are now available at Omega Auctions to raise funds for the sanctuary," he wrote in an Instagram post in which he posed -- holding a banana, naturally -- with some of the colorful canvases. "Each signed painting is named for one of my songs, and there are only five, so bid now for your favorite! Auction closes July 17." Fans can bid on the canvases at bid.omegaauctions.co.uk, and check out his Last Rites book tralier on YouTube. - Billboard, 7/11/25...... Speaking of Ozzy and Black Sabbath's final gig, it has been reported that the "Back To The Beginning" farewell show has "raised a ton of money" for charity. Musician Tom Morello, the show's music director, wrote on Instagram on July 8 that "more than $190 million will be donated to houses and hospitals for children... We raised a ton of money for a great cause and so many great musicians & bands & fans all over the world paid tribute to the ALL TIME greats." However, a spokesperson from concert promoter LiveNation has said: "Reported charity figures around Back To The Beginning are not a true reflection and are indeed false. Ozzy and [event co-organizer] Sharon [Osbourne] in due course will announce correct figures." - NME, 7/9/25...... The final years of David Bowie's career are set to be showcased in a huge new box set, I Can't Give Everything Away (2002-2016). The release, set for Sept. 12, will include faithfully reproduced versions of the original albums where possible, with the CDs gold-plated as opposed to the usual silver. A vinyl box set contains the same content as the CD set, and will be pressed on audiophile 180g vinyl. Created alongside Bowie's co-producer Tony Visconti, the set is named after the closing track of Blackstar, Bowie's final studio album. Released only days before he died in 2016, the record had hinted at the star's ill health prior to his passing, and has long since been a subject of fascination for fans convinced it served as his official farewell, with many claiming that its lyrics can be interpreted as the singer tackling his own mortality. The new box set is the sixth in a reissue series which has so far included: Five Years (1969-1973), Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976), A New Career in a New Town (1977-1982), Loving The Alien (1983-1988) and Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001). The latest instalment consists of 12 CDs, 18 vinyl records and a digital download and streaming format. There's also an accompanying book for the physical box sets, featuring previously unpublished notes, drawings and handwritten lyrics by Bowie. The announcement of the new box set can be viewed on X. - NME, 7/9/25...... 
'70s novelty hitmaker Ray Stevens is reportedly recovering after undergoing a miniminally invasive heart surgery operation on July 7. On July 4, the "Everything Is Beautiful" singer complained of chest pains and was admitted to a Nashville-area hospital, where it was determined that he had suffered a mild heart attack. While in recovery, his performances at his West Nashville CabaRay Showroom have been canceled through July. Stevens, 86, and a two-time Grammy winner, is known for both comedic songs such as "The Streak" and the "The Mississippi Squirrel Revival," but also touching songs such as the pop-country classic "Everything Is Beautiful," which won a Grammy for male pop vocal performance in 1971. "The Streak" was nominated for Country Music Association Awards for single of the year and song of the year in 1974. Stevens was inducted as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019. During his more than six decades in the spotlight, the talented musician has held roles as singer, songwriter, producer, music publisher, session musician, television star and real estate developer. He previously ran an entertainment venue in Branson, Mo. from 1981 to 1993, and in 2018, he launched the CabaRay entertainment venue in Nashville. Additionally, his shows at CabaRay have been aired on public television stations. He is also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Musicians Hall of Fame, the Music City Walk of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In March, he released his latest album Say Whut?, which included songs such as "Everybody's On The Telephone" and "The More You Cry." - Billboard, 7/8/25.
After the UK Government proscribed the political group Palestinian Action as a terrorist group under the government's Terrorism Act 2000 on July 5, Roger Waters has voiced his support for the group and declared his independence from the government. The proscription now means membership or public support for the group is classed as a criminal offense, and could result in up to 14 years of jail. In a three-minute video posted on 
The long-awaited Black Sabbath farewell concert took place at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK on July 5. Billed as "Back to the Beginning," the epic production ran for 11 hours after getting underway at 1:00 p.m. Birmingham time and was hosted by actor Jason Mamoa. Before five solo songs by Ozzy and his touring band ("I Don't Know," "Mr. Crowley," "Suicide Solution," "Mama, I'm Coming Home" and "Crazy Train) and four songs by Ozzy and his fellow Black Sabbath bandmates -- Tony Iommi (guitar), Bill Ward (drums) and Geezer Butler (bass) -- ("War Pigs," "N.I.B," "Iron Man" and "Paranoid"), a number of artists performed covers of Sabbath material. British rocker Yungblud performed Sabbath's "Changes" with an all-star band; Anthrax performed "Electric Funeral" from Sabbath's 1970 album Paranoid, and Guns N' Roses took on "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" in their set. Footage of Sabbath's final performance has been shared on 
The acclaimed English band Gang of Four concluded their farewell tour in Amsterdam on July 5. The hugely influential post-punk band, fronted by Jon King, played their classic 1979 LP 
Interviewed by Vanity Fair, Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry said she can't see herself "being on stage as Blondie" after the April 2025 death of Blondie drummer Clem Burke at age 70 after a battle with cancer. When asked what she was "most proud of," Harry responded: "I think the things I get most teary-eyed about are the relationships, good fortune, and the luck I've had working with some wonderful, exotic, talented people. Great minds." She went on to liken "keeping a rock band together for 50 years" to "a marriage," before touching on the changes to Blondie's touring line-up. Blondie co-founder Chris Stein no longer performs live with the group due to ongoing health issues. "It's sad that with Clem's passing and without having Chris on stage, I can't see myself being on stage as Blondie, even though I am the face of Blondie. But I'm proud of the music, and I would still like to do music... I want to feel that little spark of creativity, surprise -- those things. There's a little tingle of that, and I hope that will be there for me." Before Burke's death, Blondie were already scheduled to release a new album at some point in 2025. However, an exact release date is not yet known. The album would be the follow-up to 2017's Pollinator, helmed by Grammy-winning producer John Congleto. In the same interview Harry, who turned 80 on July 1, opened up about undergoing cosmetic surgery when asked whether she had ever felt any "pressure" to look good. "It's always been a tool for me. It's not like I started having cosmetic surgery as a kid in school -- I think nowadays a lot of girls are getting cosmetic surgery when they're 10, 11 years old," she responded. "God bless if it improves their lives and they feel happy. But as far as me having cosmetic surgery, it made me feel better about myself. Maybe it made me feel happy, or more confident. It was just something that I felt necessary at the time... women being attractive, and being a selling point, is clearly showbiz... if you're going to be in the business, be in it." - NME, 7/3/25...... Days before he takes the stage for what is being billed as his final show with Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne has announced an upcoming collaboration with alt makeup brand Jolie Beauty. Osbourne, known for rocking copious amounts of eyeliner, has linked up with the Birmingham, UK-based brand for a collection of cosmetic and makeup products under the banner Ozzy Osbourne x Jolie Beauty. "We're not slowing down, this collab's a one-way ticket on the Crazy Train. No brakes. No rules. Just pure, unfiltered rock 'n' glam mayhem," the company wrote in an 
Could Aerosmith make one last live return after announcing in 2024 that they would be retiring from touring in the wake of Steven Tyler's serious vocal injury -- fracturing his larynx as well as having damaged vocal cords? Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry hinted as much during a recent appearance on SiriusXM radio's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk podcast. When asked if fans could ever see the band on stage again, Perry said: "Well, yeah, I'm always hoping, but going on the road, it's a big deal pulling that together," with the 74-year-old axman adding: "There's so much planning, and what it takes out of you physically, it's a lot more than people realize. It's one thing when you're doing it when you're 25 or 30, but it's another when you're starting to get up there like us. It's a really physical thing, going out on stage." Perry says he's also sure that Tyler, 77, would be able to sing a full concert again if he could get the strength back in his voice. Asked if Tyler could perform a full show, Perry said: "You know, I think he would. I think it's just a matter of getting there, you know? I mean, it's like, you know, I mean, we're up there, man. I've got enough left in me. I still wanna do [a final Aerosmith show]... So, we'll see what happens." Meanwhile, Perry will be touring across the US this summer with his group The Joe Perry Project. - Music-News.com, 7/1/25...... Ringo Starr has reportedly told the director of the upcoming four-part Beatles biopic that he should rewrite parts of the script. According to the New York Times, Starr worked with director Sam Mendes for two days to go over the scripts for the drummer's individual film. Ringo, according to the report, "offered extensive notes" to Mendes to ensure it was an accurate reflection of his life -- particularly of his childhood growing up in Liverpool and of his first marriage to Maureen Starkey Tigrett. "He had a writer -- very good writer, great reputation, and he wrote it great, but it had nothing to do with Maureen and I. That's not how we were. I'd say, 'We would never do that,'" Ringo is reported as saying. However after the edits, Starr said he was satisfied. "But he'll do what he's doing," he said of Mendes, "and I'll send him peace and love." The films are expected to be released in early 2028. In the same interview, Ringo said he still thinks he's 24 when he looks in the mirror. Starr, who turns 85 on July 7, said: "It blows me away. I look in the mirror and I'm 24. I never got older than 24," he told the Times, adding to himself, "But guess what? You did." Since 1989, Ringo has toured the world with his Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, and credited performing regularly with how he maintains his energy. "I love what I'm doing. When I first started... my mother would come to the gigs. She would always say, 'You know, son, I always feel you're at your happiest when you're playing your drums,'" the Liverpool native recalled. "So she noticed. And I do." - NME/Music-News.com, 7/3/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, the Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd. has announced that Tom Greene has been appointed as its new CEO, effective in September. Greene joins the company having previously fulfilled an operating role for the Harry Potter franchise, including stints running Pottermore Publishing and Wizarding World Digital, a joint venture between Warner Bros and Pottermore. His most recent role was as COO of Blast, an entertainment company working with the video game developers and publishers on production, commercialization and audience growth of their Esports programs. "It is a huge honour to lead Apple Corps into this new phase of its history," Greene said in a statement. "Like so many people around the world, I grew up in a household obsessed with The Beatles and their music. At a time when the world might need more of the Beatles' spirit, there are so many new and innovative ways to bring their unique magic to all generations of fans. I cannot wait to get started," he added. Greene will be replacing Jeff Jones after 17 years as Apple Corps' CEO, during which he oversaw the band's foray into video games (The Beatles: Rock Band), a number of films and documentaries directed by the likes of Ron Howard and Peter Jackson, and the band's "final song," "Now and Then." - Billboard, 7/1/25...... Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan's co-headlining Outlaw Music Festival Tour has been temporarily delayed after a powerful storm damaged gear during a recent stop in Missouri, forcing the cancellation of their July 1 show in Oklahoma. The June 29 concert at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Mo., was abruptly cut short when heavy rains and high winds swept through the venue. According to a statement from organizers, festivalgoers were evacuated for safety, but not before the storm reportedly waterlogged artist instruments and damaged key production equipment. As a result, the July 1 show at Lucky Star Amphitheater in El Reno, Okla., has been canceled. The tour is expected to resume July 4 in Austin, Tex., where Nelson traditionally hosts his annual 4th of July Picnic. That show, taking place at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater, is set to feature Dylan, The Avett Brothers, The Mavericks, Tami Neilson, and Asleep at the Wheel. - Billboard, 6/30/25...... 
Rod Stewart reunited with his Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood during the celebrated mid-afternoon legend's slot at the Glastonbury 2025 festival on June 29. Backed by an extended string section and strains of bagpipes, Stewart went into the smooth rock of opener "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)," before greeting the audience with: "Enjoy yourselves ladies and gentlemen, please. Music brings us together - we need music!" Joined by Wood, the pair played the 1971 Faces classic 
Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has announced he's bringing his "This Is Not A Drill" tour to cinemas worldwide with This Is Not A Drill - Live from Prague - The Movie. Set for global release by Sony Music Vision and Trafalgar Releasing, the film will have limited screenings on July 23 and 27. Recorded and filmed during Waters' impactful performance at Prague's O2 Arena on May 25, 2023, the movie has been meticulously edited by long-time collaborator Sean Evans. Billed by Waters as his "first ever Farewell Tour," the show is Waters' statement against what he describes as a "corporate dystopia," dedicated to those fighting for "the soul of humanity." The film features 20 classic Pink Floyd and Roger Waters tracks, including "Us & Them," "Comfortably Numb," "Wish You Were Here," and "Is This The Life We Really Want?," alongside Waters' recently celebrated new song, "The Bar." Tickets for worldwide cinema screenings are on sale now at www.rogerwaters.film. Beyond the big screen, the live audio and visual recording will be released on Aug. 1 via Legacy Recordings in 
Saxophonist Bobby Keys, best known for his contributions to such classic Rolling Stones tracks as "Brown Sugar" and "Tumbling Dice" as well as touring and recording with such major rock acts as Eric Clapton, John Lennon and others, died on Dec. 2 at his home in Franklin, Tenn., after a battling cirrhosis of the liver. He was 70. Keys began his career in his teen years on tours with Buddy Holly, Bobby Vee and Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars, and in 1961 established himself with his sax solo on Dion's "The Wanderer." This led to more studio work, when he befriended the Stones' Keith Richards and he contributed to his first album by the band in 1969. In 1970, Keys toured with the legendary Mad Dogs & Englishmen entouraged fronted by Joe Cocker, and around that time was also a member of Lennon's Plastic Ono Band. Keys, having become a go-to tenor saxophonist for British rock royalty, played on all of the Stones albums from 1969's Let It Bleed to 1974's 
Former Small Faces and later Faces keyboardist/songwriter Ian McLagan, who had stints backing Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones and others, died in hospital in his hometown of Austin, Tex., on Dec. 3 after suffering what was described as a "massive stroke" a day earlier. He was 69. Born in 1945 in Middlesex, U.K., McLagan joined the Small Faces in 1965 and continued to play with the band after they changed their name to the Faces in 1969, when Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood joined. McLagan co-wrote such popular Faces' tracks as "Cindy Incidentally" and "You're So Rude," but his defining moment came on their 1971 hard-charging track 
Cher is calling out New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for what she says is the governor's "torture" of pigs by recently vetoing legislation outlawing pig gestation crates in his state. "IowaFarmers,WHY MUST U TORTURE PREG.PIGS? U PUT THEM IN CRATES & LOCK EM DOWN SO THEY CANT MOVE! C. CHRISTIE,UR DESPICABLE BULLY 4GET POTUS," Cher tweeted on Dec. 2. Although New Jersey has few hogs, some argue that Christie, who has been weighing a run for the Republican nomination for president in 2016, has been influenced by the early voting status of Iowa, a state that raises more than 20 million hogs annually. After Cher's postings on Dec. 2, Iowa Gov. Terry Brandstad responded by tweeting, "They know a lot about pig production out there in Hollywood." - AP, 12/3/14...... Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin of Coldplay filled in for U2 frontman Bono during a World AIDS Day concert in New York City's Times Square on Dec. 1. Bono, who is still recovering from a nasty bike accident he suffered in Central Park in November, and the other U2 members personally invited the two rock superstars to, as the band posted on their Facebook page, "save the World AIDS Day event from cancellation." Also donating their talents for the benefit were rapper Kayne West and country star Carrie Underwood. - Billboard, 12/1/14...... Premium cable channel HBO has reportedly picked up a rock 'n' roll drama which is being exec-produced by the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese. Set in the 1970s, the drama -- which remains untitled -- explores the drug- and sex-fueled music business as punk and disco were breaking out, all through the eyes of a record executive trying to resurrect his label and find the next new sound. Scorsese directed the pilot and executive produces alongside Jagger, Terrence Winter, Rick Yorn, Victoria Pearman, Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Breaking Bad's George Mastras. The series will star Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire, Nurse Jackie) as a record company president, and Olivia Wilde as his wife. A premiere date has not yet been determined. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/2/14...... According to a new survey by Wealth-X.com, Paul McCartney is the world's second-wealthiest recording artist with a net worth of $660 million, topped only by Madonna and her $800 million. However if the list is opened up to musicians as a whole, composers and theater moguls such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, a man worth around $1.2 billion, would have to be included. Elton John came in at No. 9 in the top 10 wealthiest recording stars, with a worth of $450 million, behind such artists as Dr. Dre, Diddy, Celine Dion, Bono, Mariah Carey and Jay Z. - Billboard, 12/2/14...... 
After wrapping a critically lauded 17-show tour of Canada on Nov. 29 in Victoria, B.C., John Fogerty says he's now looking forward to bringing the show to the U.S. in 2015. The Canadian tour was designed to commemorate the 45th anniversary of his triumphant 1969 with Creedence Clearwater Revival, a year which saw CCR score four Top 5 singles and even out-sell the Beatles during that 12-month span. The shows included the bit hits, of course -- including "Proud Mary, "Bad Moon Rising, "Green River" and "Down on the Corner"-- and also included some of his more recent solo material. Also on tap for 2015 is the publication of an autobiography that Fogerty started working on in 2013. "It's finished, but it's not done," Fogerty says. "I'm going through it and figuring out what should have more emphasis and what should have less. So right know I'm knee-deep in that process." Fogerty will also be exploring his past with a career-spanning box set that's due out in 2015 and is currently being assembled. And he says some new music is in his crosshairs, too: "Not quite specifically songs yet, but the textures of the sound of the music, and that sort of thing takes shape for me. I do practice a lot or have a guitar in my hands every day, so ideas develop from that." - Billboard,12/2/14...... Also held in New York the previous week was the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Kiss, who appeared in the parade, apparently didn't have a good time amongst the floats and holiday cheer. "Bluntly, We were screwed over & misled by the exec in charge of #MacysThanksgivingDayParade . We ALL deserved better. pic.twitter.com/hUVUN9gTqE," posted Kiss's Paul Stanley on Nov. 28. Stanley didn't elaborate on what he's upset about, but it could be the fact that NBC didn't put Kiss on camera until right before he first chorus of "Rock and Roll All Nite" -- or that the spotlight focused on bassist Gene Simmons during Tommy Thayer's guitar solo. - Billboard, 12/1/14...... The lyrics of two early unrecorded Bob Dylan songs are scheduled to be auctioned in New York in early December. The original 1962 "Talkin Folklore Center" manuscript could fetch $40,000 to $60,000. The "Go Away You Bomb" lyrics from 1963 could bring $30,000 to $50,000. Dylan gave the lyrics to the founder of the legendary Folklore Center in Greenwich Village. Izzy Young produced Dylan's first important concert in New York at the Carnegie Chapter Hall on Nov. 4, 1961, and Dylan wrote "Talkin" after Young asked him to write a song about the Folklore Center store. "Go Away You Bomb" was written for an unpublished book Young was compiling of anti-nuclear songs. Sale proceeds will support Young's current venture, the Folklore Centrum in Stockholm, Sweden. - AP, 12/1/14...... Neil Diamond announced on Dec. 1 that he'll mount a seven-date tour of Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2015. The tour of arenas and wineries kicks off at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, then visits Dunedin, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, the Hunter Valley and wraps-up Nov. 9 at Sydney's Allphones Arena. On the trek, he'll play works from his latest studio album 
Former Commodores member and '80s superstar Lionel Richie is the first confirmed headliner at the UK's 2015 Glastonbury Festival. Richie will make his debut U.K. festival appearance in the Sunday teatime slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, according to the event's website. This year's festival takes place from June 24-28 and is already sold out. The full lineup will be announced in the spring. "He's got so many amazing songs, to see him perform here on the farm is just going to be wonderful," said Glastonbury organizer Emily Eavis in a statement. Meanwhile, AC/DC's Angus Young said his band would be open to performing at the 2015 Glastonbury fest "if they ask" during a radio interview with BBC 6 on Dec. 1. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 12/2/14...... The Who's Roger Daltrey reportedly gatecrashed a wedding held at a hotel that he was staying at in Scotland on Nov. 30 and performed a rendition of the Who's "I Can't Explain." "Roger came up and he took the mic and he congratulated the bride and groom," said a member of the wedding band, The Milestone. "Because the groom had served in the parachute regiment he also mentioned them as well. Then he turned to the band and he said, 'I was through next door and I heard the band and they're brilliant, so I had to come through'." Bride Susan Smith wrote on Facebook following the event: "Absolutely overwhelming! The story we will be telling for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much x." Her new husband, Carl added: "Can't believe it happened. Feels so surreal. Thank you so much, you made our perfect day even better, a gent and a legend." In other Who news, Pete Townshend has announced details of a "classical" version of the Who's classic 
Robin Trower will release his latest studio album, Something's About to Change, on Mar. 9, 2015 via Manhaton/V12 Records -- the same day as his 70th birthday. The LP marks his first album since 2013's critically acclaimed Roots And Branches, and dovetails his 17-date UK tour with special guest Joanne Shaw Taylor that kicks off on Mar. 26, 2015. - Noble PR, 12/1/14...... Actor Burt Reynolds is denying reports in the media that he's broke after he announced he was selling off several articles of memorabilia from his career. The Boogie Nights star said an auction in Las Vegas later in December was "a chance to clear out some old memorabilia," including his 1998 Golden Globe and his red jacket from his smash 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit. "I want everyone to know that contrary to what all the news outlets are saying, I am not broke," the actor said in a statement to ET Online. "I have been dealing with a business dispute for many years as well as a divorce settlement. I am simply selling some of my memorabilia that I have enjoyed for so many years but do not have use nor room for them anymore," he said. "Quite frankly, I am sick of so many pictures of myself in my own home," he added. - New York Daily News, 12/3/14...... George Berry, a music wholesaling pioneer, died due to heart failure on Nov. 27 in his home in Lafayette, La. He was 89. Berry -- who is credited with co-founding NARM, the National Assn. of Recording Merchandisers now known as the Music Business Assn. -- helped form the Modern Record Service, an early rack-jobber, where he served as a VP. In 1974, he opened Raccoon Records, an independent record store in Lafayette, which closed in 2003. - Billboard, 12/2/14.