Posted by Administrator on Nov. 28th, 2015
Early copies of the Beatles' "White Album" that were stamped with their own serial numbers on the cover have become highly sought after collectors items, and in 2008 copy with No. 0000005 stamped on it sold at an auction for a little less than $30,000. Now Ringo Starr has announced the first ever copy of the album will be sold in a Julien's auction on Dec. 3-5 that will benefit the Lotus Foundation, which was founded by Starr and his wife, Barbara Bach. The four Beatles were presented with the first four copies, and No. 0000001 was rumoured to have been given to John Lennon who, according to Paul McCartney, "shouted the loudest" for it when the band decided to have the copies numbered. Julien's Auctions, which is based in Beverly Hills, estimates the LP will sell for up to $60,000. - New Musical Express, 11/24/15...... 
The Recording Academy announced on Nov. 19 that it will be inducting 26 recordings into its Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016, including Fleetwood Mac's self-titled 1975 album, Bob Dylan and The Band's The Basement Tapes, the Grateful Dead's 1970 classic American Beauty, and Roberta Flack's First Take. Singles making the cut include Blondie's "Heart of Glass," Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Love Rock N' Roll," The Zombies' "She's Not There," Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful," and Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville." "These works have influenced and inspired music fans for generations and we are proud to induct them into our catalogue of distinguished recordings," said NARAS president Neil Portnow in a statement. In order to be eligible for induction, recordings must be at least 25 years old and are chosen for their "historical and cultural significance." - New Musical Express, 11/19/15...... 
The Beach Boys' founder and principal creative force Brian Wilson, whose spectacularly imaginitive songwriting evoked the joys of hot-rodding, sunshine, and the bronzed, bikinied lifestyle of Southern California, died on June 11, his family announced on social media. He was 82 and no cause of death was given. "We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away," wrote his children on 
The album and Mr. Wilson had a profound impact on musicians of the era and beyond, with the Beatles acknowledging its complexity helped inspire their similarly ambitious 1967 masterpiece, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Yet as such albums as Shut Down, Volume 2, All Summer Long, The Beach Boys Today! and Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) -- all released between March 1964 and July 1965 -- represented an exponential leap for Mr. Wilson as composer, arranger and producer, Brian led what was often an unhappy and unsettled life, and suffered a breakdown in the late 1960s that drastically curtailed his life and later work. For most of the following decade, Mr. Wilson was a near-complete recluse. He contributed one or two songs to Beach Boys recordings, which still came out on occasion but sold miserably (as did Pet Sounds, which sold relatively poorly when it came out). The group was often dismissed as hopelessly old-fashioned during the "psychedelic" late 1960s and early 1970s -- despite releasing such acclaimed albums as 
An album, 
In 2010, Brian made a recording of his favorite George Gershwin songs and, in 2021, he released At My Piano, a selection of his songs played simply, lovingly and somewhat anxiously by their composer. Mr. Wilson's final ever live performance took place on July 26, 2022, at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Mich., the final date of his 2022 US summer co-headline tour with Chicago. The 20-track set took in many of his most classic songs, from "I Get Around"' and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" to "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations." He was joined on stage by fellow Beach Boy Al Jardine, as well as Blondie Chaplin, his sometime songwriting partner who was also in the band from 1972-73. Footage from the final gig can be viewed on 
Sly Stone, the groundbreaking funk and psych-rock pioneer who led the iconic Sly and the Family Stone group in the 1960s into the early 1980s, died on June 9 from "a prolonged battle with COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] and other underlying health issues," according to his family. He was 82. Beginning with "Dance To The Music" in 1968, which peaked at No. 8 on the chart, Sly and the Family Stone racked up 17 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including five top 10s and three number ones: "Everyday People," which reigned for four weeks in 1968-1969; 
Among Sly and the Family Stone's greatest triumphs was their 1969 appearance at Woodstock, where they performed in the midst of a 3:30 a.m. downpour, roused a mud-caked crowd of 500,000, and brought the house down with a captivating performance that has since become a highlight of Michael Wadleigh's 
Keith Richards has covered the Lou Reed classic "I'm Waiting For the Man" ahead of the release of a new tribute album in honor of Reed. The track is one of Reed's earliest works which appeared on The Velvet Underground's 1967 debut, The Velvet Underground & Nico. "To me, Lou stood out. The real deal! [He was] important to American music and to ALL MUSIC! I miss him and his dog," Richards said in a statement. The cover is the first song to be released from the forthcoming Reed tribute album The Power of the Heart, which also features contributions from Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Rosanne Cash, The Afghan Whigs, and Lucinda Williams and more. Produced in partnership with Reed's widow, Laurie Anderson, and the Lou Reed Archive, The Power of the Heart is set for release on Apr. 20 via Light in the Attic Records. Richards' cover of "I'm Waiting For the Man" has been shared on 
The trailer for the forthcoming Paul Simon special on the premium streamer MGM+, In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, has been shared on 
Auction house Christie's announced on Feb. 26 that it will host an online auction of items from the personal collection of British model and photographer Pattie Boyd, who once served as a muse for both George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Hailing Boyd as "one of the greatest muses in rock history" in a press release, Christie's noted that she inspired a plethora of songs between the two musicians, including Harrison's Beatles song "Something" and Clapton's classic "Layla." Boyd was married to Harrison during the peak of Beatlemania, the band's foray into psychedelia and post-breakup (1966-1977). Clapton, a close friend of Harrison's, pursued Boyd for years via a series of love letters, some of which are available at the auction. "I am writing this note to you, with the main purpose of ascertaining your feelings toward a subject well known to both of us," he opens one letter. "What I wish to ask you is if you still love your husband, or if you have another lover? All these questions are very impertinent I know, but if there is still a feeling in your heart for me... you must let me know!" By 1974, upon discovering his multitude of extramarital affairs, Boyd left Harrison. Five years later, she and Clapton married, eventually splitting in 1987 due to substance abuse issues and infidelity. For her part, Boyd believes auctioning off these items (which include photos of herself, Harrison and Clapton, as well as postcards, telegrams and letters) is a part of her healing journey. "I thought, 'Do I need them? Do I need to keep going into Pandora's Box?' I've enjoyed them for many, many years, and now it's time for other people to see and enjoy them. It's only right I should pass them on," she mused to Christie's, where items will be on display at Christie's in London from Mar. 15-22. The online auction occurs between Mar. 8-21. - Billboard, 2/27/24...... As shooting begins on the new Michael Jackson biopic Michael, Lionsgate and Universal Pictures have reported that two sets of four actors have been cast to play the King of Pop's brothers in the Jackson 5 -- Jermaine, Marlon, Tito and Jackie -- to represent the group as they age in the film. "The truly epic nature of this film required a total of 10 actors with the talent to portray the Jackson 5 through the years," says Michael producer Graham King in a press release. "I'm thrilled to bring this extraordinary group of actors and performers to worldwide audiences in this film," he adds. Jaafar Jackson will portray his late uncle Michael in the film alongside Nia Long, set to play Katherine Jackson, and Oscar nominee Colman Domingo, who is set to play the controversial Jackson family patriarch, Joe Jackson. Nine-year-old actor Juliano Krue Valdi will portray Michael during his formative years in the Jackson 5. Michael is currently scheduled for release on Apr. 18, 2025. - Billboard, 2/27/24...... Journey announced on their 
Appearing in Manhattan Criminal Court on Feb. 26, Don Henley denied that he ever gave away handwritten pages of draft lyrics to "Hotel California" and other Eagles hits, calling them "very personal" in testimony that also delved into an ugly but unrelated episode: his 1980 arrest. Henley, the 76-year-old Grammy-winning co-founder of one of the most successful bands in rock history, is prosecutors' star witness in an unusual criminal trial surrounding the lyrics sheets. Henley says they were stolen decades ago from his barn in Malibu, Calif., and that he was appalled when the material began turning up at auctions in 2012. "It just wasn't something that was for public viewing. It was our process. It was something very personal, very private," he said in a raspy drawl. "I still wouldn't show that to anybody." The defendants are three collectibles experts who bought the pages years later through a writer who had worked with the Eagles on a never-published band biography. The defense maintains that Henley willingly gave them to the scribe. Under cross-examination, Henley acknowledged that he didn't remember "the entirety" of his conversations with the writer, Ed Sanders, who isn't charged in the case. Nor, Henley said, could he recall whether he gave Sanders permission to take the documents off the property. But Henley insisted he gave Sanders only access to the documents, not permanent possession of them, in the hopes that a firsthand view of "the time and effort that went into" the lyrics would improve the book. He said he told Sanders he could look at the pages, ideally at a breakfast table in an apartment upstairs from the barn. "I never gave him permission to keep those items," Henley said. At issue are about 100 sheets of legal-pad paper inscribed with lyrics-in-the-making for multiple songs on the Hotel California album, including "Life in the Fast Lane," "New Kid in Town" and the title track that turned into one of the most durable hits in rock. Famed for its lengthy guitar solo and puzzlingly poetic lyrics, the song still gets streamed hundreds of millions of times a year. The defendants -- rare-book dealer Glenn Horowitz and rock memorabilia specialists Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski -- have pleaded not guilty to charges including criminally possessing stolen property. Their lawyers say there was nothing illegal in what happened to the lyrics sheets. The defense has signaled that it plans to question Henley about how clearly he remembers his conversations with Sanders during an era in which the rocker was living in his own fast lane. In an apparent attempt to defuse some of those questions, a prosecutor brought up Henley's 1980 arrest. Henley pleaded no contest in 1981 to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, after authorities found cocaine, quaaludes, marijuana and a naked 16-year-old girl suffering from an overdose at his Los Angeles home the prior November. He was sentenced to probation and a $2,500 fine, and he requested a drug education program to get some possession charges dismissed. Henley testified that he'd been depressed about the Eagles 1980 breakup and had sought "an escape" by calling for a sex worker that night. "I made a poor decision which I regret to this day," he said. As for his memory, he said, "I can't tell you what I had for breakfast last Friday morning, but I can tell you where we stayed when we played Wembley in 1975 and we opened for Elton John and the Beach Boys," referring to London's Wembley Stadium. - AP, 2/26/24...... Rod Stewart and his latest collaborator Jools Holland are on track for a No. 1 UK album with their latest covers collection gathering songs from the big band era, 
The Bizarre column in the UK paper The Sun is reporting that Mercury Songs Limited, which owns late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury's solo works, has filed to trademark his moniker for 3D and virtual reality, giving rise to speculation that a new Freddie Mercury hologram show could be in the works. According to the filing, it covers "immersive 3D virtual, augmented, and mixed reality experiences" for "virtual environments." Queen have already performed with an illusion of Freddie at their concerts. Guitarist Sir Brian May, 76, wept after performing a duet of "Love Of My Life" with an optical illusion of Mercury during Queen + Adam Lambert's "Rhapsody Tour" in 2022, however May has said he would prefer that a Queen hologram show similar to ABBA's successful Voyage show in London happen after he and his bandmates have gone on to join Mercury in the next world. "When we're all gone, yeah sure, make an ABBA thing about us, but while we're here I want to play live," May said during an appearance on The Graham Norton Radio Show podcast in 2023. Mercury died at the age of 45 in 1991 from bronchial pneumonia, a complication of AIDS. - Music-News.com, 2/27/24...... The death of beloved comedian/actor Richard Lewis on Feb. 27 after suffering a heart attack has prompted online messages of condolences from the likes of Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton and Bette Midler. "Comedian/Actor Richard Lewis passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles last night after suffering a heart attack," his rep, Jeff Abraham, shared the news via a statement. "His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time." Lewis quickly became a fan favorite over 40 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, including the 2000 pilot episode. In 2021, he announced that he would not return to the series in order to recover from three surgeries, though he ended up making a one-scene appearance in season 11. He ended up returning for the now-airing final season of the HBO program. "God bless, Richard Lewis peace and love to Joyce peace and love," 
Foreigner founder and guitarist/keyboardist Mick Jones released a statement on Feb. 21 revealing that he's been battling Parkinson's Disease for several years. Jones' ongoing absence from the band's live concerts since 2022 has been widely noticed and commented on by fans, and Jones, 79, says it's Parkinson's that has sidelined him from being on stage with the group, which is in the midst of a farewell tour. "Fans will have become very aware that for some time now, I have not been performing onstage with the band," Jones said in the statement. "Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. I want everyone to know that I am doing alright. However, I've always liked to be at my best when performing onstage, and sadly, at present, I find that a bit difficult. I am still very much involved in the background with Foreigner and remain a presence. Parkinson's is a daily struggle; the important thing is to persevere and remind myself of the wonderful career I've had in music. I thank all the fans who have supported Foreigner throughout the years and continue to attend our concerts -- I want you to know I appreciate your support; it always means so very much to me, but especially so at this point in my life." In a previous interview, Jones -- who had heart surgery during 2012 and was playing only a few songs each night with the band during the late 2010s -- was asked about the prospect of the continuing without him on board. "That's a tough one," he said, adding that, "I look at it as a team. If you think about any kind of sports teams, they change players all the time. The thought of my music carrying on in that way has some appeal to me." Foreigner's farewell tour is slated to finish in North America this summer; dates have been announced through Aug. 28, including a summer run with Styx and John Waite. The English-born Jones formed Foreigner during 1976 in New York, shortly after playing in the Leslie West Band. He put together a band of British and American musicians, including Ian McDonald of King Crimson fame and Lou Gramm from the band Black Sheep, and hit it out of the box with a 
Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley says he's added two more KISS songs to his set after the band says it's retired from performing -- but he doesn't truly believe they have. "I'm the only game in town because KISS is supposedly retired -- which I don't believe is gonna happen," Frehley says. "But be that as it may. I actually added two more KISS songs to my set. We added 'Shout It Out Loud' and 'Rock and Roll All Nite' because talking to people, they go 'you gotta do those songs live' -- and I did and it went over fantastic. We ended the night with three KISS songs: 'Shout It Out Loud,' 'Deuce' and 'Rock and Roll All Nite,' and everybody was singing along and it was great. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't even matter who wrote the song. I played the guitar solos on those records, and that's good enough for me." Frehley also said he "wouldn't be surprised if KISS reformed." "There were times when I had enough and I had to leave and do my own thing," says Frehley, who was part of the band from its formation in 1973 through 1982, then rejoined from 1996 through 2002. Although Frehley maintains he quit the band, leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have indicated that he was dismissed, and the pair did not include Frehley (or original drummer Peter Criss) on any of the dates of their farewell "End of the Road World Tour." "We're still friends," he says. "I know a lot of people think we hate each other, but that's not true." On Feb. 23, Frehley released his latest solo album, 
On Feb. 21 a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler of sexually assaulting a teenage girl decades ago, ruling that she had waited too long to bring her case. In Nov. 2023, a former teen model named Jeanne Bellino sued the rocker, claiming he had forcibly kissed, groped and "humped" her twice over a single day in Manhattan in the summer of 1975, when she was 17 and he was 27. The case was filed under a recently-amended New York City law that allows abuse victims to sue over decades-old claims. However U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that Bellino's case did not qualify under the new statute. He ruled that the special "lookback" window only applies to cases where the abuser's actions presented a "serious risk of physical injury" -- and that Tyler's alleged actions did not do so. "The complaint in this case does not alleged conduct presenting a serious risk of physical injury and therefore fails to state a legally sufficient claim under the [NYC statute]," the judge wrote. But in dismissing the lawsuit, the judge said Bellino could potentially seek to file an updated version of her case, and gave he gave her until the end of March to request the right to do so. Tyler has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, but in court filings, his attorneys have said he "vehemently denies" the allegations. In their motion to dismiss the case, his lawyers argued Bellino could not use the New York City newly-enacted statute to sue over "purported sexual misconduct that occurred nearly half a century ago." In 2022, Tyler was sued by another woman, Julia Holcomb, who claims he repeatedly assaulted her for three years starting in 1973, when she was just 16 years old. Holcomb claims to be the girl Tyler referred to in his memoir, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?, when he wrote he "almost took a teen bride" and convinced her parents to grant him guardianship over her. Holcomb's case, filed in Los Angeles under a different look-back statute, remains pending. Tyler has denied those allegations, too, and his lawyers are seeking to have the case dismissed. - Billboard, 2/22/24...... Feel the need to "move like Jagger"? Mick Jagger has curated a new playlist featuring the songs he listens to while exercising. Titled "Mick Jagger: Music That Moves Me," the collection was put together for Apple Music's Fitness series and is accessible on 
Rod Stewart recently admitted that he and the other two surviving members of his '70s band The Faces -- guitarist Ronnie Wood and drummer Kenney Jones -- are "struggling" with a comeback Faces album that was first announced in summer 2021. Speaking to Vulture.com, Sir Rod revealed he's been writing songs for the project though he is unsure what will happen to the tracks. "I've sent a lot of them to Ronnie Wood. I told him, 'This is stuff we've recorded with my band, maybe the Faces would like to do it instead?' We're still struggling to make this album. We'll see. Some of them might see the light of day." Stewart, 79, added that he has "a lot of songs" that fans have never heard but he enjoys seeing how people react to his tunes when they are released. He said: "There are a lot of songs I've written that I haven't put out and nobody knows about them. My songs are like my children. I gave birth to them and then I put them out there in the world and see how they do." Jones previously explained the band's comeback record would be a "mixture of old and new." He told Uncut magazine: "What we've decided to do is work on some of the original stuff that we didn't use, so the album is going to be a mixture of old and new," he told the UK's Uncut magazine. "It's very difficult to go into specifics because many of them didn't even have titles. I think the fans may have heard certain things before and might recognise them. Ronnie and I, in particular, have been working on lots of the old stuff together and we've re-recorded a couple of those songs with more of a modern feel." - Music-News.com, 2/24/24...... Country music entertainer Roni Stoneman, a talented banjo player and cast member on the long-running TV show 
Alice Cooper took to 
Cher once sang she wanted to "turn back time," and now the superstar diva has filmed a hilarious new commercial for Uber Eats in Australia in which a mysterious time machine is delivered to the singer's doorstep just as she's listening to her own 1989 smash "If I Could Turn Back Time." Cher immediately knows where she wants to go -- "Take me back to the '80s," she tells the device -- but instead of the 20th century, she ends up in the 1680s. When she arrives in the middle of a colonial settlement, it's hard to say who's more confused -- Cher or the locals, who take note of her futuristic appearance and accuse her of being a witch. "I'm not a witch -- I'm an icon!" she says in futile protest, with the villagers proceeding to burn her at the stake. In a statement about the project, Cher said, "I get approached to do commercials all the time -- but the creativity and hilarity that Uber Eats presented appealed to me right away. I am really proud of the final product. I sincerely hope Uber will get me back my boots." Cher's time travel commercial can be viewed on 
The Sex Pistols have announced a US tour with singer Frank Carter. The iconoclastic "God Save the Queen'" rockers haven't performed in America at all since 2008 and last toured there in 2003 but guitarist Steve Jones has confirmed he, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook are excited to be heading out on the road with their new singer, though he refused to share any specific details. Jones says "...no one knows where we're going to be playing... I don't wanna put my foot in it! I'm excited. I know the dates, so I know it's gonna be good." The Sex Pistols reformed in 2024 for a UK tour with Gallows frontman Carter as vocalist in place of John Lydon and Jones revealed Carter was the only singer they tried working with. "Frank was the first singer we [tried], because me, Cookie and Glen wanted to play. It just worked straight away," Jones said. The group have also recently announced an Australian tour, and will perform at London's Royal Albert Hall in late March as part of the charity concert series in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. The shows, taking place from Mar. 24-29, will also feature performances by The Who on Mar. 27 and Mar. 30. The Sex Pistols featuring Carter will perform on Mar. 24. - Music-News.com, 1/28/25...... Two of David Bowie's closest former collaborators have announced they are reuniting for a 16-city "Berlin Trilogy" tour of the UK and Europe in 2025. The D.A.M. Trilogy, made up of drummer Dennis Davis, guitarist Carlos Alomar and bassist George Murray, worked regularly with Bowie during his Berlin period in the late 1970s. Now, they'll reunite in a 16-date tour which will honour both Bowie's legacy and Davis', who died in 2016. The band, which will include additional new members, will play hits from across the late singer's Berlin album trilogy: Low, "Heroes" and Lodger. Coined the "Back To Berlin" tour, the string of shows will kick off in the city on Nov. 7, before they head to Oslo, Malmo, Paris, London and more. They'll wrap up on Dec. 1 with a final performance in Dublin. Alomar, who recorded with Bowie across 11 albums, including Young Americans, the Berlin Trilogy and, most recently, 2003's Reality, says: "Where other bands have toured Bowie's songs extensively since his passing, these songs haven't been performed the way they were meant to be. Until now. The Spiders from Mars are well known, but the D.A.M. Trio remains rock and roll's best-kept secret. It's time to honour our legacy, including Dennis's." Elsewhere, Bowie lieutenants Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey have announced a 2025 UK tour dubbed "A Celebration Of David Bowie." - NME, 1/27/25...... Queen guitarist Brian May's actress wife Anita Dobson has revealed that her husband is a huge 
A scene from the 1970s 
Marianne Faithfull, the beloved British singer, songwriter, actress and iconic figure of the 1960s, died on Jan. 30 of as yet undisclosed causes. She was 78 years old. "It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull," a statement shared to BBC reads. "Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed." Born in the Hampstead area of North London on Dec. 29, 1946, Faithfull was the daughter of an Austrian aristocrat and a British intelligence officer. Starting a career as a folk singer in the early '60s, she made the acquaintance of Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham, who introduced her to the band's circle, and offered her "As Tears Go By," a composition co-penned by the band's Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The sparse, acoustic ballad hit the top 10 in the U.K. in 1964, and also crossed over in the US to the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, peaking at No. 22. She followed up "As Tears Go By" with several other hits in the UK and US, including "Come and Stay With Me," "This Little Bird" and "Summer Nights," and soon became a British tabloid fixture, particularly after she began an affair with Jagger in 1966, ultimately leaving her first husband John Dunbar to live wth him. Early the next year, she made headlines for being at the scene of a drug bust at Richards' house, dressed only in a fur rug at the time of the arrest. Although her hits would dry up by the late 1960s, she continued to be a pop/rock presence, singing backing vocals on The Beatles' No. 2 hit "Yellow Submarine" and co-writing the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers classic drug ballad "Sister Morphine." However, her drug addiction ended up consuming much of what should have been her prime years, particularly after she split with Jagger in 1970 and lost custody of her son Nicholas (with first husband Dunbar). After 1967's Love in a Mist album -- her last on Decca Records -- she would not release another album until 1976. She made her first and most resounding comeback in 1979, with the new wave and disco-influenced Broken English album. By then her voice had transformed into something lower and more weathered with her drug usage, and the set drew rave reviews for its modern sounds and brittle energy. Substance abuse sapped the momentum the Grammy-nominated set earned Faithfull's career, until a 1987 reinvention as a jazz and blues singer on her Strange Weather set. In the 1990s she was a high-profile guest on Roger Waters' live tour in 1990, and as a featured vocalist on Metallica's 1997 single "The Memory Remains." 
She experienced another critical resurgence in the early 21st century with 2002's Kissin Time LP -- including songs written by popular alt-rock figures Beck, Blur and Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins -- and released further albums of originals and covers for the next two decades, most recently with 2018's Negative Capability, her highest-charting set on the U.K. albums chart since 1965, and 2021's She Walks in Beauty alongside Australian composer Warren Ellis. Outside of her recording career, Faithfull also had a successful run as an actress, appearing in theatrical roles on the stage, in television and in film. She holds the distinction of being the first person to ever say the "f word" in a mainstream movie, doing so in the 1967 Michael Winner film I'll Never Forget What's'isname, and had small 21st century rules in the hit British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (as God), and in the Sofia Coppola-directed biopic Marie Antoinette (as Empress Maria Theresa). For her starring role in 2007's Irina Palm, as a 60-year-old widow who becomes a sex worker out of necessity, she was nominated for a European Film Award for best actress. The star also endures as one of the defining popular figures of '60s Swinging London, iconic for her voice and her fashion, and for being a muse to many of the musicians in her orbit, primarily of course the Rolling Stones. She was ranked 25th in VH1's 1999 list of the Greatest Women of Rock and Roll, and in 2009, she was named icon of the year at the U.K.-based Q Awards. " I'm glad you can hear the experience in my voice," she told Time Out New York in 2016. "I should think so, after 50 years." Faithfull's passing prompted several tributes on social media, including Jagger ("...She was so much part of my life for so long. She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress. She will always be remembered"), Richards ("My heartfelt condolences to Marianne's family! I'm so sad and will miss her!! Love, Keith"), and Ronnie Wood ("Marianne will be dearly missed. Bless her xx"). - Billboard, 1/30/25.
After the British government expressed support for a policy that would allow tech companies to use creators' works to train AI models unless creators specifically opt out, Paul McCartney says the proposed AI copyright law could "rip off" artists. In an interview with the BBC set to air on Jan. 26, Sir Paul warned that the proposal could "rip off" artists and lead to a "loss of creativity." "You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don't own it, and they don't have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it off," McCartney, 82, said. "The truth is, the money's going somewhere Somebody's getting paid, so why shouldn't it be the guy who sat down and wrote 'Yesterday'?" In late 2024 the UK government, currently controlled by the Labour Party, launched a consultation to explore how copyright law can "enable creators and right holders to exercise control over, and seek remuneration for, the use of their works for AI training" while also ensuring "AI developers have easy access to a broad range of high-quality creative content." But McCartney maintains that it's the government's job to protect the people. "So you know, if you're putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you're not going to have them," he said in the interview. The Beatles' final song, "Now and Then," released in 2023, utilized a form of AI called "stem separation" to help surviving members McCartney and Ringo Starr clean up a 60-year-old, low-fidelity demo recorded by John Lennon, making it suitable for a finished master recording. In early 2024, around 200 musicians signed an open letter directed at tech companies, digital service providers and AI developers. The letter criticized irresponsible AI practices, calling it an "assault on human creativity" that "must be stopped." - Billboard, 1/25/25...... In other Beatles-related news, a new documentary focusing on a pivotal 18-month period in the lives of John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono will be released exclusively in IMAX on April 11. One to One: John & Yoko, directed by Kevin Macdonald, will then make it's streaming debut later in 2025 on the Max platform. The core of the film will focus on John and Yoko's "One to One Concerts," a two-show charity event for children with special needs that took place at Madison Square Garden in Aug. 1972. The concert featured the only full-length performances by Lennon following the Beatles' split two years earlier. The benefit shows also featured performances by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sha Na Na and Roberta Flack, among others. One to One made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2024 and will be featured this month at the Sundance Film Festival. A high-energy one-minute trailer for the doc, available for streaming on 
An anxiously awaited Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Michael's nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role, has been delayed due to a recently-revealed, decades-old legal agreement barring any portrayal of the family of one of his abuse accuser. Lionsgate Films announced in Nov. 2024 that the film is being pushed back from an April 2025 release to October 2025 with no further explanation at the time, however now it has been revealed by Puck.com that the filmmakers were forced to scrap key portions of the movie because they would potentially violate a legal contract reached with the family of Jordan Chandler, a then-13-year-old boy who accused the superstar singer of molestation in the 1990s. In the agreement, Jackson's team reportedly promised not to dramatize the Chandlers in any capacity, however the script reportedly portrays Jackson as a "naive victim of the money-grubbing Chandlers" and features a scene of the boy's father "threatening to leverage his son's accusations to 'destroy' his ex-wife and Jackson's career." Jackson's estate is reportedly funding the necessary re-shoots to the movie, and the filmmakers will seek Lionsgate's approval for a revised script and shooting strategy as soon as possible. Lionsgate is reportedly "hopeful" about the October release date and producer Graham King says he is "confident that his team can fix the movie." The Jackson estate has always vehemently denied all claims of child molestation by Michael, pointing out that the singer was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial and arguing that his accusers are simply seeking monetary gain from an artist who cannot defend himself because defamation law does not extend to dead individuals. - Billboard, 1/24/25...... Meanwhile, the superstar singer credited with helping to discover Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 has announced details of a "Symphonic Celebration" UK tour. Diana Ross announced on Jan. 24 that she'll embark on a seven-date arena tour of the UK on June 22 at Birmingham's BP Pulse Live arena. The tour continues the following night with a stop at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, before heading to the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on June 25. The "Touch Me In the Morning" singer will then visit Manchester (26/6), Leeds (28/6), and Liverpool (30/6) before wrapping at The O2 in London on July 2. The Hall Orchestra will be accompanying the singer on the Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool shows, while the Royal Scottish National Orchestra will perform in Glasgow and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will take to the stage with Ross in London. - New Musical Express, 1/24/25...... The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame wants a federal judge to toss out a copyright lawsuit over an image of Eddie Van Halen, arguing that it made legal fair use of the image by using it as part of a museum exhibit designed to "educate the public about the history of rock and roll music." The lawsuit, filed in 2024, claims the Rock Hall never paid to license photographer Neil Zlozower's image -- a black-and-white photo of late-'70s Van Halen in the recording studio -- before blowing it up into an eight-foot-tall display in the Cleveland museum. But in a motion to dismiss the case filed on Jan. 21, the Rock Hall says it didn't need to. Attorneys for the museum say the offending exhibit was protected by "fair use," a rule that allows copyrighted works to be reused legally in many contexts, including education and commentary. Zlozower filed his case in October, claiming the Hall made an "exact copy of a critical portion of plaintiff's original image" for the exhibit, which he claimed "did not include any photo credit or mentions as to the source of the image." - Billboard, 1/22/25...... 
The first trailer for the eagerly anticipated new Sly Stone documentary, Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius), dropped on Jan. 22 on 
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler's sixth annual "Jam for Janie" Grammy Awards viewing party has been set for Feb. 2 at the Hollywood Paladium. Hosted by Grammy-winning comedian Tiffany Haddish, the evening features a powerhouse lineup of performers, including Tyler's fellow Aerosmith members Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton along with Billy Idol, Joan Jett and Linda Perry, among others. A special highlight will be a reunion performance by members of Aerosmith, who played their final show in Sept. 2023 before announcing they were disbanding. The event supports Janie's Fund, the rocker's nonprofit aiding young women and girls who have survived abuse, and expands its philanthropic reach this year to benefit the L.A. Fire Department Foundation and the Widows, Orphans, and Disabled Firefighter's Fund. The event will welcome more than 100 firefighters who have been at the forefront of combating the California wildfires, to celebrate the major night in music. The event is named after Aerosmith's 1989 hit "Janie's Got a Gun," which peaked at No. 4 on the hit parade and won the band their first Grammy for Best Rock Performance. Tickets and sponsorship details are available at JaniesFund.org. - Billboard, 1/23/25...... '70s artists Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Rod Stewart, Sting, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, John Fogerty, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks are among the performance line-up for the upcoming FireAid benefit concert. The event was first announced earlier this month in support of the victims of the devastating early January Los Angeles wildfires and will take place on Jan. 30 concurrently at the Intuit Dome and the KIA Forum. Other major artists confirmed for the event include Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rod Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day. The full lineup can be viewed on 
A previously unreleased Tina Turner song, "Hot For You Baby," will appear on the the upcoming 
Garth Hudson, The Band's virtuoso keyboardist and all-around musician who drew from a unique palette of sounds and styles to add a conversational touch to such rock standards as "Up on Cripple Creek," "The Weight" and "Rag Mama Rag," has died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Jan. 21 at a nursing home in Woodstock, N.Y. He was 87. A rustic figure with an expansive forehead and sprawling beard, Mr. Hudson was a classically trained performer and self-educated Greek chorus who spoke through piano, synthesizers, horns and his favoured Lowrey organ. No matter the song, Mr. Hudson summoned just the right feeling or shading, whether the tipsy clavinet and wah-wah pedal on "Up on Cripple Creek," the galloping piano on "Rag Mama Rag" or the melancholy saxophone on "It Makes No Difference." The only non-singer among the five The Band musicians celebrated for their camaraderie, texture and versatility, Mr. Hudson mostly loomed in the background, but he did have one showcase: "Chest Fever," a Robbie Robertson composition for which he devised an introductory organ solo ("The Genetic Method"), an eclectic sampling of moods and melodies that segued into the song's hard rock riff. Formed in the early 1960s as a backing group for rocker Ronnie Hawkins, The Band was originally called The Hawks and featured the Arkansas-born Levon Helm and four Canadians recruited by Helm and Hawkins: Mr. Hudson, Robertson, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel. The Band mastered their craft through years of performing as unknowns -- first behind Hawkins, then as Levon and the Hawks, then as the unsuspecting targets of outrage after hooking up with Bob Dylan in the mid-1960s. All joined Dylan on his historic tours of 1965-66 (Helm departed midway), when he broke with his folk past and teamed with The Band for some of the most stirring and stormiest music of the time, enraging some old Dylan admirers but attracting many new ones. The group would rename itself The Band in part because so many people around Dylan simply referred to his backing musicians as "the band." Mr. Hudson played briefly with the English band The Call; appeared with various latter incarnations of The Band, usually featuring Mr. Hudson, Danko, and Helm; assisted on solo albums by Robertson and Danko; and joined Danko and Helm for a performance of Pink Floyd's The Wall at the Berlin Wall. Other session work included records by Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen and Emmylou Harris. The son of musicians, Mr. Hudson was born in Windsor, Ont., in 1937 and received formal training at an early age. He was performing on stage and writing before he was even a teenager, although by his early 20s he had soured on classical music and was playing in a rock band, The Capers. Mr. Hudson also organized his own projects, although his first solo effort, The Sea to the North, came out on the day of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 2005, he formed a 12-piece band called The Best!, with his wife on vocals. "Garth Hudson Presents: A Canadian Celebration of The Band" was a 2010 tribute featuring Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn and other Canadian musicians. Mr. Hudson was the eldest and last surviving member of The Band: Robertson, the band's guitarist and lead songwriter, died in 2023 after a long illness. Keyboardist-drummer Manuel killed himself in 1986, bassist Danko died in his sleep in 1999, and drummer Helm died of cancer in 2012. The Band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. - AP, 1/22/25.