Dusty Hill, ZZ Top's bassist for more than 50 years, died on July 28 according to a statement on from the band on Instagram. He was 72. In the statement, Hill's bandmates Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard said that "We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, TX. We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the 'Top'. 
We will forever be connected to that 'Blues Shuffle in C'. You will be missed greatly, amigo." Earlier in July, Gibbons and Beard played their first performances without Hill in more than 50 years, stating that the bassist had been forced to seek medical attention "to address a hip issue," according to a statement on Facebook, although his ailment was apparently more serious than they let on. "Per Dusty's request the show must go on!," the statement continued, and the band's longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, filled in. Hill's cause of death has not yet been determined, and it is unclear if it is related to the hip injury. Born in Joseph Hill in Dallas in 1949, Dusty played cello in high school, which made for an easy transition to electric bass. He, his guitarist brother Rocky and future fellow ZZ Top bandmate Beard, a drummer, played in local bands such as the Warlocks, the Cellar Dwellers and American Blues, working the same Texas touring circuits as ace guitarist Billy Gibbons' band, the Moving Sidewalks. The brothers parted company in 1968 over musical differences, and Hill and Beard moved to Houston, where they eventually united with Gibbons in ZZ Top. Gibbons had formed the band in 1969 and recorded a one-off independent single produced by manager Bill Ham, who would remain with them for decades. The act's original bassist introduced the guitarist to Beard; Hill would join Gibbons and Beard for a gig in Beaumont, Tex., on Feb. 10, 1970. The lineup remained the same for more than five decades: They celebrated their 50th anniversary at a San Antonio concert in February 2020. Launched on London Records in 1971, the Houston-bred threesome secured its first major hit with the No. 8 LP Tres Hombres in 1973; the set included the raunchy single "La Grange," a homage to the notorious bordello The Chicken Ranch in the like-named Texas city. Another top 10 album, Fandango!, followed in 1975, powered by the FM-staple single "Tush." Half of that album was recorded live in New Orleans, and captured the band's powerful blues-rock groove. By the end of the '70s, the band's potent brand of gutsy, no-frills blues 'n' boogie had made it one of America's top concert attractions, and its elaborate 1976 Worldwide Texas Tour featured actual livestock on stage. 
ZZ Top moved from London Records to Warner Bros. in 1979 for Deguello, which sold 1 million copies. ZZ Top then moved to another level of popularity with 1983's Eliminator, which achieved "diamond" status (10 million records sold) and found Gibbons and his band mates experimenting with new technologies -- guitar loops, manipulated vocals and synthesized bass and drums -- that refreshed their sound. In the wake of the follow-up, Recycler, the band was cast as themselves in director Bob Zemeckis' 1990 movie Back to the Future III. In 1994, ZZ Top exited Warner Bros. for a highly publicized $35 million pact with RCA Records, and released a platinum-selling album Antenna, which was followed by XXX (1999), Mescolero (2003) and La Futura (2012). ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and the group charted a total of seven albums in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Those paying tributes to Hill on social media include John Fogerty, who noted "the show we did together just last week would be his last... So heartbreaking," Ozzy Osbourne ("My thoughts go out to @BillyfGibbons and Frank Beard and all the #ZZTop fans around the world"), Paul Stanley ("What an icon. @ZZTop's bassist forever. So unique." and Bootsy Collins ("Danggit! We lost another loving Giant legend of the Rock & Roll Empire, Mr. Dusty Hill."). The contemporary rock band Foo Fighters also included a ZZ Top medley in their July 28 concert at Madison Square Garden in tribute to Hill. Billy Gibbons has reportedly said that ZZ Top will go on in a July 29 interview with SiriusXM radio host Eddie Trunk. "As Dusty said upon his departure, 'Let the show go on!' And... with respect, we'll do well to get beyond this and honor his wishes," he was quoted as saying. The band's U.S. tour is currently scheduled to run through the end of the year, with the final show set for Dec. 12 in Midland, Tex. - Variety.com/Billboard, 7/28/21.
Queen's Brian May has shared a new reworked version of his 1992 single "Too Much Love Will Kill You" on YouTube. The track originally appeared on May's debut solo album Back To The Light, which is being reissued on Aug. 6, and May calls it "in a way, the most important song I ever wrote." "'Too Much Love Will Kill You' is a big, long story and the version that you hear on Back to the Light is the original," May explained in a statement. "It has the original keyboard that I played when we were writing the song. Me and Frank Musker, and his lady friend at the time, were in a room and it was like a therapy session for me. I was just pouring out all these words because I felt like I was trapped. I was in a place that I could never, ever get out of. All I could do is write about it. This is the only song I wrote in that probably nine months or a year period." A number of bonus tracks will also be released on a second disc of the reissue titled Out of the Light. - New Musical Express, 7/30/21...... 
Bruce Springsteen has "respectfully declined" to allow his name to be used for a New Jersey rest stop in his honor. The state has announced plans to honor a number of its famous native sons, including Jon Bon Jovi, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Toni Morrison, James Gandofini and Toni Morrison, along the Garden State Parkway as part of Gov. Phil Murphy's plan to expand the New Jersey Hall Of Fame. Springsteen, however, is reported to have declined the proposal according to a statement by NJHOF spokeswoman Natasha Alagarasan. "Bruce Springsteen respectfully declined to have a service area named after him," she said in a statement. The rest stops will also feature a display curated by the New Jersey Hall Of Fame, including exhibits, artefacts and a video monitor that screens vignettes on the inductees as well as posters designed by New Jersey architect Michael Grave. - NME, 7/29/21...... In other Springsteen-related news, a mega-concert in Central Park co-headlined by Springsteen, Paul Simon, Journey, Jennifer Hudson, The Killers and LL Cool J will go ahead as planned on Aug. 21 despite new concern over the Covid-19 Delta variant. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio joined music industry legend Clive Davis, who is co-producing the concert, for a press conference on July 27, unveiling details of what de Blasio promised will be a "historic," "blockbuster" event. Officially titled "We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert," the event is set for Aug. 21 at 5 p.m., and the concert will be broadcast live globally on CNN with 80% of tickets free. While de Blasio initially proposed having vaccinated and unvaccinated sections, he said that attendees will be required to present proof of vaccination. "New York City is back. You can see it, you can feel it, and it's time to celebrate on the Great Lawn," de Blasio said. His office has been rolling out media campaigns to encourage vaccination among residents who are reluctant to get the shot, and the mayor continued to urge New Yorkers to get vaccinated at the press conference, calling the vaccine "the number-one savior." "If you want to go to this concert," he said, "get vaccinated." - Billboard, 7/27/21..... Elton John has debunked recent claims concerning HIV and AIDS made by rapper DaBaby after DaBaby launched into a headline-making homophobic tirade about the disease during his set at Rolling Loud Miami. During his set, DaBaby shouted to his fans, "If you didn t show up today with HIV, AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases, that ll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cellphone lighter up! Ladies, if your p---y smell like water, put your cellphone lighter up! Fellas, if you ain t sucking d--- in the parking lot, put your cellphone lighter up!" In the caption of his July 28 Instagram post, Elton laid out a series of important facts, including that HIV has affected more than 70 million people globally, and that gay Black men in America have a 50% chance of contracting the virus in their lifetime due largely to "stigma and shame around HIV and homosexuality." Perhaps in the most poignant critique of DaBaby's comments, John also stressed the importance of understanding how HIV treatment has evolved to the point of being able to effectively bring a person's viral load to undetectable levels, meaning the virus can no longer be transmitted to others. "You can live a long and healthy life with HIV," John wrote. "Treatment is so advanced that with one pill a day, HIV can become undetectable in your body so you can t pass it onto other people. DaBaby walked back his comments about HIV and AIDS on July 27, though firmly held his ground on the remainder of his comments. "Anybody who done ever been effected by AIDS/HIV, y'all got the right to be upset, what I said was insensitive even though I have no intentions on offending anybody. So my apologies. But the LGBT community... I ain't trippin on y'all, do you. Y'all business is y'all business," he wrote. - Billboard, 7/28/21...... 
Stevie Nicks has reflected on the 40th anniversary of her hit 1981 solo debut Bella Donna in a lengthy message on Twitter, noting the album "did not break up Fleetwood Mac." In the July 27 post, Nicks revealed the album's title track "was written about my boyfriend's mother who was involved with a man in Chile during the coup that happened there in 1973." "The man she loved was banished to France. Banished -- or imprisoned, that was the choice. The love story never really ended, but she never saw him again. I was so touched by this story of lost love that I wrote 'Bella Donna'," she added. Nicks revealed that the moment she finished the song was the moment she knew she had the basis for her first solo record, which she believed in "from the bottom of my heart." The story of her boyfriend's mother changed the way she looked at love, a concept she would explore later throughout her first album. "It defined how I would feel about love forever," she said of "Bella Donna." "It broke my heart and gave me the strength to fight for it." She added that "Bella Donna" "opened the doors" for her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist, as well as other female artists, "the thing I am most proud of." Nicks was inducted into the Rock Hall as a solo artist in Mar. 2019, and 1998 with Fleetwood Mac. - Billboard, 7/28/21...... In other Fleetwood Mac-related news, former band member Lindsey Buckingham said he thinks his firing from Fleetwood Mac in 2018 "has harmed the band's legacy" during a new interview on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast which became available on July 29. Buckingham, who was replaced by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' Mike Campbell and Crowded House's Neil Finn, told host Marc Maron that he'd asked the band for "an extra three months" to put out a solo album and take it on tour in the US before resuming his duties with FM. "There was certainly one person who did not want to bestow that on me," Buckingham said, before confirming that the individual in question was Stevie Nicks. "To be fair, everyone was anxious to get on the road but we've all made time for each other's [side-projects]. I've been in the band for 43 years for God's sake... Jesus! That sort of led to other things that kind of built up around that. And then it just got to the point where someone [Nicks] just didn't want to work with me anymore. And other people [in the group] were perhaps not feeling empowered enough to stand up for me when possibly they should have or could have." Buckingham continued: "I'm not saying that I can't be hard to get along with sometimes, but if you put it in a larger context of all the things that Fleetwood Mac has been through and what we've risen above in order to keep our eye on the larger picture and in order to fulfil our destiny over and over again... What was most disappointing about it to me was not, 'Oh, I'm not gonna get to do this tour'. What it was [is] again, we spent 43 years building this legacy which was about rising above things -- it stood for more than the music. And by allowing this to happen through some levels of weakness -- my own weakness included -- I think we did some harm to that legacy. And that's a shame." Buckingham went on to say that he has not been in contact with Nicks since his departure, apart from when she sent him a letter following his heart attack in 2019. - NME, 7/29/21...... The Grateful Dead has teamed up with iconic clothing manufacture Levi's to unveil a new capsule collection of t-shirts, denim jackets, sweatshirts and more -- all complete with hints of tie dye, iconic Grateful Dead graphics and tour dates. "Tune in, turn on, rock out. Our collab with the Grateful Dead features iconic graphics, special denim pieces, customizations -- and an immortal concert tee," the company posted on Twitter. "We wanted to do something that felt authentically rooted in the Grateful Dead's incredibly rich and unique history, so we dug deep into some of their more nuanced graphics and storytelling," Levi's exec Karyn Hillman said in a statement. "It's a deep dive into Grateful Dead's storied narrative and devoted fan base, only remixed through a contemporary lens," she added. The Levi's GD line is the latest in a string of officially licensed GD items recently made available online, including an officially licensed "Terrapin Station bobblehead" currently available on Amazon.com. - Billboard, 7/27/21...... 
The CNN-produced Linda Ronstadt documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice has been nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary category. Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the documentary looks at the singer's career peaks in the '70s and '80s, and the grace that she has shown in dealing with the degenerative condition (progressive supranuclear palsy) that has stilled her remarkable singing voice. The film also brought Ronstadt her 11th competitive Grammy win in Mar. 2021 (she also received a lifetime achievement award in 2016). The other nominees in the Emmy category include the Miles Davis PBS documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, along with docs on Harry Belafonte and Walter Mercado broadcast on Peacock and Netflix, respectively. The Emmy awards will be presented in two ceremonies in late September. - Billboard, 7/27/21...... Joni Mitchell is set to release the recordings of two sets at a Canadian coffee shop that were recorded by none other than Jimi Hendrix. Mitchell's performances at Ottawa's Le Hibou Coffee House were captured by Hendrix in March 1968 during a two week residency by Mitchell ahead of the release of her debut album, Song To A Seagull. Hendrix had performed at the nearby Capitol Theatre earlier that evening, and even noted plans to record her performance in his diary. "Talked with Joni Mitchell on the phone. I think I'll record her tonight with my excellent tape recorder (knock on wood)... hmmm... can't find any wood... everything's plastic," he wrote. The recording, which will feature on Mitchell's upcoming collection Joni Mitchell Archives - Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971), was captured while Hendrix sat on the floor at the front of the stage. Recalling the performance in the new collection's sleeve notes, Mitchell said: "They came and told me, 'Jimi Hendrix is here, and he's at the front door.' I went to meet him. He had a large box. He said to me, 'My name is Jimi Hendrix. I'm on the same label as you. Reprise Records.' We were both signed about the same time. He said, 'I'd like to record your show. Do you mind?' I said, 'no, not at all.' There was a large reel-to-reel tape recorder in the box. The stage was only about a foot off the ground. He knelt at edge of the stage, with a microphone, at my feet. All during the show, he kept twisting knobs. He was engineering it, I don't know what he was controlling, volume? He was watching the needles or something, messing with knobs. He beautifully recorded this tape. Of course I played part of the show to him. He was right below me." Hendrix's tape was stolen a few days later and presumed to be lost, but it recently resurfaced in a private collection donated to the Library and Archives Canada (LAC), and returned to Mitchell. Mitchell's performance of one of the songs from the set, "The Dawntreader," has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 7/29/21...... 
The life and career of country/pop legend Willie Nelson will be the focus of the multi-part docuseries Willie Nelson and Family from Blackbird Presents and Sight Unseen, it was announced on July 27. Nelson, 88, will participate in the docuseries, as will many of his family and friends. With the aim of making the "definitive docuseries" of the entertainer's career, the project's filmmakers will also benefit from access to Nelson's archives from his seven decades in music. Filmmakers Thom Zimny (Springsteen on Broadway, Elvis Presley: The Searcher, The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash) and Oren Moverman (The Messenger) will co-direct the docuseries, with production already underway in Austin, Los Angeles, Maui, Nashville, and New York. Sight Unseen, Moverman's production company, serves as producing and financing partner. - Billboard, 7/27/21...... Blondie have announced a new NFT collaboration with Hackatao to celebrate the 93rd birthday of legendary pop artist Andy Warhol. The "crypto art series," dubbed "Hack The Borders," will be be released through digital art online auction platform Nifty Gateway in August. The artwork is based upon Warhol's first ever digital portrait of Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry, shot in 1985 and currently available for viewing on Twitter. The one-of-a-kind artwork, which Blondie have called "a present day manifestation of the punk rock movement," will land on Aug. 6 via Nifty Gateway, to celebrate what would've been Warhol's 93rd birthday. - NME, 7/28/21...... Whitesnake and Foreigner have announced a co-headlining UK and Ireland tour with special guests Europe next year to kick off on May 10, 2022 in Dublin. "I pray every day we can all make this happen and once again, share unforgettable evenings together and celebrate the amazing journey we have been on for almost 50 years!" said Whitesnake's David Coverdale in a statement. Mick Jones of Foreigner added: "We can't wait to kick off the summer in the UK and Ireland with a massive tour alongside our friends Whitesnake and Europe. We're looking forward to playing all our biggest hits for our fans, and rocking across the country." The tour will also visit Glasgow (5/12/22), Newcastle Upon Tyne (5/14/22), London (5/16/22), Manchester (5/18/22), Nottingham (5/20/22), Birmingham (5/22/22) and Cardiff (5/25/22). - NME, 7/27/21...... Bob Marley's widow Rita Marley has announced a new scholarship to be awarded to three Jamaican women each year, aiming to empower "women from the lower socio-economic stratum of Jamaica's society." In a statement given to Billboard, Sharon Marley, Rita's daughter and ex-member of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, said, "Providing scholarships for young women needing assistance to complete their educational goals -- thus maintaining and bringing high standards to their communities -- is a big part of Dr. Rita Marley's vision." In addition to the scholarship announcement, Rita Marley celebrated her 75th birthday on July 24 with a livestream tribute concert on her official YouTube channel. - NME, 7/26/21...... John Hutchinson, an early collaborator of David Bowie's who played guitar on an early demo of Bowie's iconic track "Space Oddity," passed away in a UK hospital on July 24 following a long period of illness. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of John Hutchinson who passed in hospital yesterday after a long illness," a post on the official David Bowie Twitter page reads. Hutchinson was described as "a semi-retiered and little-known jazz guitarist and a veteran of three important David Bowie bands for seven years between 1966 and 1973." Perhaps Hutchinson's most notable contribution to Bowie's legacy is his involvement in the creation of "Space Oddity," playing guitar on multiple early versions. In February of 1969, Bowie and Hutchinson recorded the earliest version of "Space Oddity," with Hutchinson playing guitar and Bowie playing the Stylophone. The official studio version of "Space Oddity," which appears on Bowie's self-titled 1969 album, does not include Hutchinson. However, the demo later featured on both a 2009 reissue of the album, along with a 73 single collection titled the Clareville Grove Demos in 2019. It can also be heard on YouTube. In 1973, Bowie asked Hutchinson to join the Spiders from Mars as a touring member, performing 12-string guitar on Bowie's Aladdin Sane tours in the US, UK and Japan. - NME, 7/27/21...... 
Tom Jones has announced a new set of UK tour dates in 2021 in support of his recent UK chart-topping album Surrounded By Time. Sir Tom is now set to tour in the UK in December, launching on Dec. 5 in Glasgow, then hitting Manchester (12/6), Birmingham (12/8) and London (12/9). "We're delighted to have Tom Jones, one of the UK's most seminal artists, join the roster of our "Welcome Back Show" series, and we can't wait for what promises to be a special evening," Marc Saunders, Programming Manager at London's The O2, said in a statement. - NME, 7/26/21...... In an Instagram post on July 25, Lynyrd Skynyrd said its co-founding guitarist Gary Rossington is expected to make a full recovery following an emergency heart surgery earlier in July. Rossington, who is 69 and the band's sole surviving original member, is currently at "home resting and recovering with his family" and wants fans to know that he "expects a full recovery," the group wrote on July 23 on Facebook. Earlier in the week, Skynyrd singer Johnny Van Zant told the crowd at Minnesota's Twin Cities Summer Jam that Rossington had to undergo an "emergency stent put in his heart." He also noted that guitarist Damon Johnson would fill in for Rossington while he recovers from surgery. "After this past year, the country being shut down and everything we have all been thru, The Rossington's encouraged the band to go perform in his absence," Skynyrd continued on Facebook. "Music is a powerful healer! We all felt playing the shows and bringing the music to y'all was a better option than cancelling the performances." Lynyrd Skynyrd currently has tour dates scheduled through late November. This isn't the first time Rossington -- who formed Lynyrd Skynyrd with Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Larry Junstrom and Bob Burns in 1964 -- has experienced heart problems. The guitarist suffered a heart attack in Oct. 2015 and had to undergo emergency heart surgery the following year. The band was also forced to postpone shows in 2019 while he had a heart valve repaired. - Billboard, 7/25/21...... Clarence "Mac" McDonald, a keyboardist, producer, songwriter and arranger who collaborated with the likes of Ray Charles, Bill Withers, James Taylor and Cheech & Chong, died on July 21 in Las Vegas after a long battle with cancer. He was 76. In the 1960s, The L.A.-born McDonald served as the musical director and pianist for The Vocals -- an opening act for Ray Charles that was a forerunner of The 5th Dimension -- and later played keyboards on "Moving on Up", the theme song to the 1975-85 CBS sitcom The Jeffersons that was performed by actress Ja'Net DuBois and a gospel choir. He made songwriting contributions to Deniece Williams' 1976 debut album This Is Niecy, and played on songs including James Taylor's 1975 classic "How Sweet It Is" and Ray Charles and Gladys Knight's "Heaven Help Us All," from Charles' final album, 2004's Genius Loves Company. He was also the only musician heard on Cheech & Chong's seminal 1972 comedy album Big Bambu. McDonald went on to work with such other acclaimed artists as The Temptations, Carole King, The Jackson 5, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Hall & Oates, Nancy Wilson and Tina Turner during his 50-plus-year career. Survivors include his wife, Susan. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/27/21...... 
Ron Popeil, an inventor and the face of infomercials for "as-seen-on-TV" products like Showtime Rotisserie and Pocket Fisherman, died on July 27 surrounded by family after undergoing a medical emergency at Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was 86. Mr. Popeil was best known for the "Set it and forget it" catchphrase used to sell Showtime Rotisserie in late-night infomercials. Long before air fryers became the kitchen appliance du jour, the countertop rotisserie appliance took the home cooking world by storm, having sold over $1 billion worth, according to TMZ.com. The mogul is also credited with coining the oft-used infomercial phrase, "But wait, there's more!" Following in the footsteps of his father, Ronco president Samuel "S.J." Popeil who invented the Chop-o-Matic and Veg-o-Matic, Mr. Popeil went on to create products himself including the Mr. Microphone (the first Karaoke machine), the Popeil Pocket Fisherman, the Buttoneer, the Smokeless Ashtray, Popeil's Electric Food Dehydrator, the Inside-the-Egg Scrambler, GLH-9 (Great Looking Hair Formula #9) Hair in a Can Spray, the Rhinestone Stud Setter (Later called the Bedazzler), the Cap Snaffler, the Popeil Automatic Pasta Maker and the Ronco Electric Food Dehydrator. His products can be seen in the Smithsonian Museum today. Perhaps due to the catchiness of his infomercials, Popeil was a hot figure himself, having been portrayed by Dan Aykroyd on a 1976 episode of Saturday Night Live. The SNL skit, which can be viewed on YouTube, saw Aykroyd poking fun of the infomercial style with a fictional "Bat-O-Matic" product. A celebrity in his own right, Mr. Popeil also made appearances on the likes of The X-Files, King of the Hill, The Simpsons, Old School and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. - The New York Post, 7/28/21.
ZZ Top issued a statement via the 
Speaking to the UK paper The Telegraph, former Faces drummer Kenney Jones revealed that he and his surviving former bandmates Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood have recorded "about 11 tracks" at RAK Studios in London for what would be their first album in over 50 years. Jones also confirmed that musician and TV personality Jools Holland also contributed to one track. "Not all of them are going to be right [for the album], but most of them are good." Jones continued: "I can't see it coming out this year. But I can see it coming out next year. Everyone's doing different things. We do little snippets [of recording] here and there. Then all of a sudden, The Stones are out [on tour] again, Rod's out again..." First formed in 1969 as the result of a merger between members of Small Faces and the Jeff Beck Group, Faces were around for six years before guitarist Wood left to join the Rolling Stones, and Stewart continued his ongoing successful solo career. The group would release four albums throughout their career, with 1971's 
Sammy Hagar says his guitar playing on his upcoming single "Encore. Thank You. Goodnight" was inspired by a guitar lick that his late Van Halen bandmate Eddie Van Halen showed him in a dream. "About two months ago, I had this dream and Eddie came," Hagar told Ultimate Classic Rock about the inspiration for the song. "We were in a room like this, [with] a bunch of people around. It was just like he'd been gone. It was not like he was passed, but he had just been out of my life and we hadn't seen each other for a while. He's going, 'Man, let's write some music!' I said, 'Yeah, f--k it, man. Here, let's go!'" In the dream, Hagar said Van Halen showed him "this harmonic thing he slid up to a chord, like a slide guitar... We wrote a song with that lick." The next morning, the veteran rock singer and guitarist said he got up and wrote the new song, which he titled, in part, "Thank You" because he'd used "the f---in' lick that he showed me in the song." While the track came together too late to be included on Hagar's 2022 Crazy Times album with his band the Circle, on Instagram earlier this week Hagar said he "can't wait" for the world to finally hear his tribute to his late bandmate. The post describes the song that also features Joe Satriani, drummer Kenny Aronoff and former VH bassist Michael Anthony as "inspired by a dream and brought to reality through introspective lyrics, powerful chords and rhythmic guitar and drums." - Billboard, 4/24/25...... Carlos Santana postponed a planned show in San Antonio, Tex. on Apr. 22 after being rushed to a local hospital. Santana, 77, was booked to play San Antonio's Majestic Theatre, but reportedly fell ill during soundcheck as a result of dehydration. According to a statement from the venue, manager Michael Vrionis said the guitarist was taken to a San Antonio hospital for observation. "It is with profound disappointment that I have to inform you all that tonight's show in San Antonio has been postponed," Vrionis said in a statement on 
After years of health issues, Ozzy Osbourne is making sure that he's in top shape when he suits up for what is being billed as Black Sabbath's final-ever performance on July 5 in Villa Park in the band's hometown of Birmingham, England. In a new interview with Billy Morrison on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard channel, Osbourne, 76, said he's been in "heavy training" for the show that will see rock's Prince of Darkness reunite with his bandmates for one last time on a bill that will also include the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Alice in Chains and many others. "I haven't done anything for, this will be seven years, and so I've been through all this surgery. It really is like starting from scratch," said Osbourne, who has been dealing with a Parkinson's disease diagnosis as well as a 2019 fall that aggravated a previous spinal injury and required multiple surgeries. Osbourne said his workouts include endurance training due to his long lay-off from performance. "The first thing to go when you're laid up is your stamina, so believe it or so, I'm doing two sets of three-minute walks and weight training. I'm going and going you know," he said. " I'm waking up in my body, you know. I mean, three minutes to you, for instance, is nothing, but I've been laying on my back recovering from umpteen surgeries." Osbourne talking about his training regimen on Ozzy Speaks can be streamed on 
David Thomas, the howling lead singer of long-running Cleveland-bred post-punk rockers Pere Ubu, died on Apr. 23 in his home town of Brighton & Hove [in the U.K.]. He was 71. Thomas' passing was announced on Pere Ubu's 
Veteran producer Roy Thomas Baker, whose credits feature some of rock's biggest hits including Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and other tracks by the likes of Journey, Yes, The Cars, Cheap Trick, Guns N' Roses and Smashing Pumpkins, died at his home in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., on Apr. 12, his family announced on Apr. 22. He was 78 and a cause of death has yet to be revealed. The producer's credits feature a who's who of rock stars over the past half-century, with Baker also producing Foreigner, Devo and Mötley Crüe, in addition to the above named acts. Baker worked with Queen on five of the band's 1970s albums, including on their bombastic 
Smith's booking evoked a mixed response from Christian groups, with Catholic organisation Portosalvo describing the decision as "blasphemous," following the singer's 1975 song "Gloria," which famously featured the lines: "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Francis, who was recently hospitalized for weeks with double pneumonia, was largely considered the most progressive pope to date, and had fans in several high-profile artists, with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Bono, Leonardo DiCaprio and Angelina Jolie attending papal audiences with him over the years. The death of the pontiff, who became pope in 2013 after his predecessor Benedict XVI resigned, was detailed in a statement by Cardinal Kevin Farrell on 
Billboard is reporting that Alice Cooper has reunited with his original band for their first album in 51 years on his next album, 
Bruce Springsteen dropped 
Songwriter Toby Gad, who has worked with the likes of Beyoncé, Fergie, Madonna and many more throughout the years, is set to share a posthumous song by '70s disco queen Donna Summer later in 2025. Gad, who recently dropped an new album that reimagines some of his biggest hits in his career, recently told BANG Showbiz that he has another release on the way -- a previously unreleased song from Summer, which the two worked on shortly before her death in 2012. "Moving forward, I'm releasing new singles of new songs with the same sonic signature," he told the outlet. "And one song I wrote was with Donna Summer before she passed, which I'm going to release. That's an unreleased song I'm working on and in a couple of months that will come out, and I'm very proud of it." Gad and Summer had worked together for the 'I Feel Love' singer's final album, 2008's Crayons. Recalling their time in the studio and during the writing process, Gad said: "Donna and I, we spent some beautiful times at her beach house. I worked with her on her last album. I had three songs on her last album. She was such an icon, so I'm really proud of that one coming out soon." More details about the track, including the title and release date, are expected to be shared soon. In other Donna Summer news, it was reported earlier this year that Kanye West and the late singer's estate had finally reached a settlement over the alleged "illegal" use of 'I Feel Love' on the controversial rapper's Vultures 1 album. A copyright infringement lawsuit was filed against both West and Ty Dolla $ign by Summer's husband Bruce Sudano, claiming that the two rappers did not have permission to sample the 1977 disco hit on their collaborative album. - NME, 4/17/25...... Greek art designer Ioannis Vasilopoulos, who has designed album cover artwork for such famous hard rock and heavy metal bands as Deep Purple, Bon Jovi, King Crimson and Extreme, has died at age 66 of as yet undisclosed causes. Vasilopoulos had been selling prints of his work on his official website prior to his passing. His family shared a stateent on Facebook on Apr. 8, writing: "The outpouring of love for Ioannis and his work is a great comfort. Ioannis wanted to do so many new things, and as a family, we have been tasked with continuing his work. His energy will live on through his incredible art. His bright smile and child-like excitement live on in his works. Ioannis will undoubtedly be remembered as one of rock's all-time great artists." Some of the more notable album artworks designed by Vasilopoulos include Deep Purple's Rapture Of The Deep, Sepultura's Chaos A.D., Extreme's Extreme II: Pornograffitti (A Funked Up Fairytale), and King Crimson's The ConstruKction Of Light. - NME, 4/11/25.
Hundreds of Rush fans attended a new art park named after Rush singer/bassist Geddy Lee and Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson on Sept. 16 in Toronto, Canada. The fans withstood a driving rainstorm for the official opening of the Lee-Lifeson Art Park, which has a giant likeness of Lee and Lifeson in mosaic tile, and includes a small outdoor stage and amphitheatre for acoustic performances and permanent interactive sculpture installations. The park is located in the Toronto neighborhood of North York where Lee and Lifeson both grew up and formed Rush in 1971. "We're obviously thrilled and amazed that someone would want to do something like this and put our names on it, and we're really happy for the community that there's some investment arts and leisure for this neighborhood," said Lee. "This park will still be here weeks after we're gone," added Lifeson. The idea for the 7000 sq. metre art park originated with Councillor John Fillon in 2012, who also came onstage to say a few words. Toronto mayor John Tory also gave the pair the Key to the City. - Billboard, 9/17/16...... Ozzy Osbourne's family has purchased an auction lot of early Black Sabbath memorabilia that was scheduled to be sold by the Sheffield Auction Gallery to prevent the items from reaching private hands. The gallery had been due to sell the memorabilia from the earliest days of the band, 1968-73, on Sept. 30 with the items expected to fetch as much as £3,000, but a spokesman for the gallery confirmed on Sept. 16 that Ozzy's family pre-empted the auction by buying all the items. Discovered in the 1980s by a Black Sabbath fan living in the Docklands area of East London when his flat was being renovated, the items included postcards sent from on tour to Osbourne's mother Lillian at her home in Birmingham, early publicity photos, tour flyers and posters plus handwritten lyrics for songs including "Changing Phases," which eventually became the song "Solitude" from Black Sabbath's 1971 album Masters Of Reality. The spokesman added that there had been a "huge amount of pre-auction interest" in the items, and did not disclose how much Osbourne's family paid for the items. Black Sabbath continue on their farewell tour, with their final show scheduled in their hometown of Birmingham, UK on Feb. 4. Meanwhile, Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon Osbourne revealed on Sept. 13 during her talk show The View that she had a "complete and utter breakdown" which forced her to take an emergency leave from the show in May 2015. "I woke up in Cedars-Sinai Hospital and for probably three days I knew nothing. "I couldn't think, I couldn't talk, I could do nothing. My brain just shut down on me," admitted Osbourne, 63. At the time, Sharon's doctors reported that she suffered from "extreme exhaustion" and believed she returned to work too soon after being treated earlier in the year for pneumonia. Sharon credited group therapy for helping her mental state because "there were several people suffering with what I was suffering." - New Musical Express/People.com, 9/16/16...... The Who's Pete Townshend has launched a line of guitar replicas modelled on the one which he famously smashed on stage in 1976 during a Who gig at the Boston Garden. Townshend smashed his original Les Paul Gold Top Deluxe before 15,000 fans at the show, with its shattered remnants now on display at London's Victoria & Albert Museum. Guitar manufacturer Gibson is selling just 150 copies of the "Pete Townshend Gold Top '76," inspired by a guitar Townshend regularly played in the 1970s and manufactured using the same vintage techniques. The new model includes a reference to the incident, with a "Break Here" sticker placed on the back of the guitar next to its eighth fret, where Townshend smashed the original. - NME, 9/15/16...... 
A release date has been confirmed by BMG Music for a new Lou Reed box set of albums recorded by Reed between 1972 and 1982. 
Sting has made his first appearance in 12 years on Billboard's Adult Alternative Songs radio airplay chart with "I Can't Stop Thinking About You," the lead single from his Nov. 11 album 
A two-night tribute to Tom Petty dubbed Petty Fest was held at Hollywood's Fonda Theatre on Sept. 13 and 14. Described as a "40th anniversary celebration of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, performers included Norah Jones and comedian/actress Kristen Wiig, who dueted on Petty's pot-smoking-introvert anthem "You Don't Know How It Feels" and the more contemplative "Time to Move On." Jakob Dylan and Dhani Harrison reprised their fathers' roles in the Traveling Wilburys on "End of the Line," and the 30-song set was capped off with all the musicians covering Petty's "Free Fallin'." - Billboard, 9/14/16...... It has been revealed that guitarist Rick Parfitt of the British hard rock band Status Quo was declared clinically dead for several minutes when he suffered a heart attack after a gig in Turkey in June. Parfitt suffered a heart attack following the band's show at Expo 2016 in Antalya, Turkey, leading to him pulling out of the band's concerts for the rest of the year. Status Quo's manager Simon Porter says Parfitt is expected to make a full recovery, but might not be able to tour again as he wants to make his eight-year-old twin children Tommy and Lily his priority. "Rick may well have performed his last show with Quo, but no final decision will be made until next year. Regardless, it is his wish that the band continue to tour as planned and he will always be a part of Quo's numerous other off stage activities," Porter said. The collapse in June was Parfitt's fourth heart attack, after he had undergone a quadruple bypass following his first heart attack in 1997. Status Quo are continuing to tour with guest guitarists, and begin an 11-city UK tour on Dec. 8 in Nottingham. - NME, 9/15/16...... Brian Eno has launched a new interactive website to accompany his 2016 album The Ship. Eno describes the site as an "generative film" which explores the themes and music of the album, released in April on Warp Records. The project attempts to answer the question: "Does the machine intelligence produce a point of view independent of its makers or its viewers? Or are we -- human and machine -- ultimately co-creating new and unexpected meanings?" - NME, 9/15/16...... Actor James Stacy, best known for starring in the TV Western Laramie, died on Sept. 15 in Ventura, Calif. He was 79. Stacy's turbulent life included being married to actresses Connie Stevens and Kim Darby, becoming a double amputee after a motorcycle accident, and serving prison time for child molestation. Stacy's other TV credits included The Donna Reed Show, The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Bonanza, Gunsmoke and Wiseguy. He also appeared as a wounded Vietnam vet in the film Just a Little Inconvenience opposite Barbara Hershey, hoping to encourage other amputees and persons with disabilities to fulfill their goals of living a full life. He was also nominated for an Emmy for a guest appearance on Cagney & Lacey. - Variety.com, 9/16/16.
Former Michael Jackson choreographer Wade Robson has added new negligence claims against two companies formerly controlled by Jackson that he says fostered nearly a decade of sexual abuse. In the graphic new complaint filed on Sept. 12, Robson claims Jackson first sexually assaulted him when he was seven years old when his family was invited to stay at Neverland Ranch, where he slept in Jackson's bed while his family stayed in separate guest quarters. He describes sexual encounters ranging from French kissing to penetrative sex, and claims the abuse continued until he was 14, but became less frequent when he "began showing signs of puberty" and Jackson was "no longer as interested in him sexually." In July, Robson hired attorney Vince Finaldi to represent him in his trial against the Jackson estate, which is scheduled to get underway in March 2017. Finaldi seeks to add several negligence claims to the suit, arguing the MJJ companies "breached their duty to take reasonable protective measures to protect minor children in their charge." - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/13/16...... Stevie Nicks announced on Sept. 13 that she's planning to add a tribute to Prince to her upcoming 24K Gold Tour by performing their collaboration "Stand Back." Nicks says her 1983 hit single was inspired by her hearing Prince's "Little Red Corvette" on the radio during her honeymoon with Kim Anderson. Nicks said when she entered the studio to record the demo for "Stand Back," she called Prince and told him the story of how she wrote the song. Prince then came down to the studio and played synthesisers on the track, although he was initially uncredited. The two never performed the song together on-stage and Nicks previously said she was "heartbroken" that she missed the opportunity to do so when Prince died in April. Nicks also admitted the two disagreed on drug use, saying Prince "hated that I did drugs and that's probably why we didn't hang out more." Nicks will kick off her tour behind her 2014 album 24 Karat Gold: Songs From the Vault on Oct. 25 with opening act the Pretenders. - New Musical Express/AP, 9/13/16...... Jeff Lynne's ELO peformed three shows with an orchestra at the legendary Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles over the second weekend in September. The three Hollywood Bowl shows constitute three-fifths of ELO's entire American tour, with the final two dates to follow at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sept. 16 and 18. The 18-song setlist is essentially the same as what Lynne has been doing overseas without symphonic accompaniment, focusing mainly on the run of hits that began in America with "Can't Get It Out of My Head" in 1974. - Billboard, 9/11/16...... 
Appearing on the Fox News program Fox & Friends on Sept. 12, Wayne Newton said he agrees with those who are not pleased with the current protest by NFL players who are not standing for the playing of the national athem, and said they can "get the hell out" of the country if they are that unhappy. "I think every American has the right to do or say whatever freedom offers us. However, during a national anthem is not a time or a place to show that kind of thing," the iconic Las Vegas performer and 
ZZ Top released a new live album, 
A musical based on the life and music of '70s disco queen Donna Summer is in the works. The project is being brought to Broadway by some of the talent behind hit shows like "Jersey Boys" and "Hamilton." A workshop of early parts of the show was staged in New York recently, with the part of Summer played by Ariana DeBose, who has previously appeared in both "Hamilton" and Broadway musical "Motown." Two more actors will portray Summer at different stages of her life: through childhood, superstardom during disco's heyday and in her later years. Summer, who was born in Boston in 1948, died in Naples, Florida in 2012 of lung cancer at age 63. - NME, 9/8/16...... In related news, Summer's producer Giorgio Moroder brought back the days of disco at an "I Feel Love" immersive event in Brooklyn on Sept. 8 and 9. "I grew up on their music and Donna Summer in South Africa," said original Village People cowboy Randy Jones. "It made me gay." Moroder took over the DJ booth at 11:30 p.m. and immediately went into Summer's orgiastic "Love to Love You Baby," followed by her dramatic "MacArthur Park," plus "Take My Breath Away," the 1986 Berlin song Moroder won an Oscar for co-writing. "Disco music is perfect," said Moroder between spins. "It's beautiful. I love it!" - Billboard, 9/10/16...... As a Ron Howard-directed movie about Beatlemania, Eight Days a Week: The Beatles Touring Years, premieres in theaters nationwide on Sept. 16, Howard, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartneyrecently participated in a press conference about the new film. Starr said he first met Howard in the '70s, "when he was a lad and I was a lad." Howard said Starr and Who drummer Keith Moon "wandered onto the Happy Days set... I'm not kidding. Everything stopped and the assistant director tried to keep rehearsal going, but [co-star] Henry Winkler and I said [to the AD], "Get the f-- out of here! We'll catch up later!" Eight Days a Week arrives in 80 theaters for one-night-only sneak peek on Sept. 15, followed by a full-week engagement in 50 theaters starting Sept. 16. A companion album, 
Rhino Records will reissue a