Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on Jan. 19th, 2016

The rock music world suffered its second major shock in a week when the Eagles confirmed on their official website on Jan. 18 that founding member Glenn Frey, who had been battling intestinal issues in the past year, had died in New York from a combination of illnesses including rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia. He was 67. "Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and Pneumonia," read the statement. "Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community & millions of fans worldwide," it continued. Born on Nov. 6, 1948, in Detroit, Frey was raised in nearby Royal Oak, Mich., and was exposed to both the Motown sounds and harder-edged rock of his hometown, including Bob Seger and his band. After playing in a succession of local bands in Detroit, Frey first connected with Seger when Frey's band, the Mushrooms, convinced Seger to write a song for them. Seger also invited Frey to sing backing vocals on Seger's first hit, 1968's "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man," which was also Frey's first recorded appearance. After relocatiing to Los Angeles with his then-girlfriend Joan Silwin, Frey was introduced to songwriter John David Souther by Silwin's sister, Alexandra. Before long, Frey, Souther and another aspiring songwriter, Jackson Browne were living as roommates in East L.A. and quickly became deeply involved in the burgeoning L.A. country-rock scene centered around the Troubadour nightclub. Frey and Souther, calling themselves Longbranch Pennywhistle, secured a recording contract with the short-lived indie label Amos Records in 1969, but soon split up. However 1971 would prove to be a fateful year when future country-rock superstar Linda Ronstadt hired Frey and his friend, drummer Don Henley to play in her backing band, on the advice of her boyfriend, Souther. Frey and Henley decided to form their own band on the night of their first show backing Ronstadt, and later recruited ex-Poco bassist Randy Meisner and former Flying Burrito Brothers guitarist Bernie Leadon to join them. Calling themselves the Eagles, they became one of the first artists signed to David Geffen's new label, Asylum Records. The Eagles became an instant success after releasing their eponymous debut album in 1972, with its lead track, "Take It Easy" (written mostly by Jackson Browne with some lyrics added by Frey), climbing to No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June of that year. The Eagles then became the standard-bearers of the California soft-rock scene with a string of Top 40 mid-'70s hits including "Peaceful Easy Feeling," "Desperado," "Tequila Sunrise," "Best of My Love" (No. 1 March 1975) "Witchy Woman" the funkier "One of These Nights" (No. 1 August 1975) and the harder-edged "Already Gone." The Eagles added an additional guitarist, Don Felder, in 1974, and after Bernie Leadon left in 1975, recruited Joe Walsh, a successful solo artist himself, to beef up the band's sound and help them reach even greater heights in 1976 with the mega-selling Hotel California. Two singles from that LP, the title track and Frey's "New Kid in Town" (possibly his defining song), reached No. 1 on the Hot 200, and along with Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album Rumours, defined the late '70s California rock scene. With drugs, egos and success taking their toll, it would be three years before the Eagles released their next album, The Long Run, and while that album was a commercial success, the band succumbed to infighting and split in 1980. Frey embarked on a successful solo career, releasing his debut solo album No Fun Aloud in 1982, and enjoying a series of '80s hits, the biggest of which were tied to movie and TV soundtracks like Beverly Hills Cop ("The Heat Is On") and Miami Vice ("You Belong to the City"). Frey also began a side career in acting, and portrayed a drug-smuggling musician on Miami Vice named Jimmy Cole. In 1991, after solo hits by Frey and Don Henley began to dry up, the Eagles' manager Irving Azoff mastermined a reunion tour with a title, "Hell Freezes Over," that mocked the acrimony which caused the band to spllit up. The Eagles continued to tour periodically -- and lucratively -- over the past two decades, releasing just scattered new material (including a successful studio album called Long Road Out of Eden in 2012) and focusing on solo works. In 2007, Frey released his first solo album since the 1990s, a collection of pop standards called After Hours. Although the Eagles were reviled by some as much as they were revered during their heyday, the enduring quality of their hits or the freshness of their sound cannot be denied, and for many years the group's 1976 collection Their Greatest Hits 1971-75 regularly swapped places with Michael Jackson's Thriller as the top the top-selling album of all time, being certified a whopping 29 times platinum by the RIAA. Similarly, Hotel California is certified 16 times platinum. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Frey had been battling intestinal issues that caused the band to postpone its Kennedy Center Honors in 2015. A statement from the band said then the recurring problem would require "major surgery and a lengthy recovery period." Don Henley issued a statement calling Frey "like a brother to me" and while there was some dysfunction, "the bond we forged 45 years ago was never broken, even during the 14 years that the Eagles were dissolved... I'm not sure I believe in fate, but I know that crossing paths with Glenn Lewis Frey in 1970 changed my life forever, and it eventually had an impact on the lives of millions of other people all over the planet. It will be very strange going forward in a world without him in it. But, I will be grateful, every day, that he was in my life. Rest in peace, my brother. You did what you set out to do, and then some." - Billboard, 1/18/16.

A concert by Holy Holy, a band formed by David Bowie's longtime producer Tony Visconti and Bowie's one-time drummer Woody Woodmansey that had been booked at Toronto's Opera House since December, took new meaning on Jan. 12 after the passing of the 69-year-old rock legend on Jan. 10. Holy Holy, named after an obscure 1971 Bowie single and originally brought together to perform Bowie's 1970 album The Man Who Sold the World in its entirety on tour, performed not only that album but also classics from Bowie's Ziggy Stardust era. "We have David's total approval on this tour," Visconti told the audience. "He saw the videos; he heard the music; and he's so happy you're doing this and I want you to know too, so we're going to celebrate the life of David Bowie." Visconti, who appeared tearful at times, added: "The reason why we're doing this is about 46 years ago Woody and I were the original musicians who played this album, so technically we're not a tribute band; we are the real deal." The band closed out the two-hour concert with "Time" and "Suffragette City," with the crowd throwing red roses onstage. Meanwhile, Bowie's family posted a new message on Bowie's official Facebook page on Jan. 14 thanking fans for their recent "love and support" following the music icon's passing, describing themselves as "overwhelmed and grateful," and announcing plans for a private funeral service. "Thank you. The family of David Bowie is currently making arrangements for a private ceremony celebrating the memory of their beloved husband, father and friend...We are overwhelmed by and grateful for the love and support shown throughout the world," the message read, and also requested that fans "respect their privacy at this most sensitive of times" and noted that while the concerts and tributes planned in honor of Bowie in the coming weeks are welcome, "none are official memorials organised or endorsed by the family." Two Bowie tributes -- in Berlin and New Orleans -- already occurred on Jan. 17, with a memorial service held at Berlin's Hansa Studios, where Bowie recorded most of his "Berlin trilogy" albums (Low, Lodgers, "Heroes"), and a parade in New Orleans led by the band Arcade Fire that brought traffic in the city to a standstill. Additionally, two rock music superstars -- Elton John and Bruce Springsteen -- have honored the Thin White Duke during concerts in the past week. John performed a special "piano requiem" as a tribute to Bowie during his concert at L.A.'s Wiltern Theater on on Jan. 13, weaving his own hit "Rocket Man" and Bowie's "Space Oddity," and Springsteen, performing in Pittsburgh on the opening night of his The River Tour, treated the crowd to a rousing rendition of Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" from Diamond Dogs. According to a report in the U.K. paper The Guardian, the singer has been privately cremated in New York without any friends and family present, as per his wishes. He wanted "to go without any fuss", a source told the paper. The executors of Bowie's will have revealed that his family stands to inherit his fortune, thanks to his "Bowie bonds" scheme devised by California-based banker David Pullman, which gave investors the rights to royalties for his first 25 albums for 10 years, before ownership returned to him and llowed him to buy back the rights to some of his most popular work from a former manager. "He was astute financially and he had the foresight to have things set up then that would look after his family," Pullman said on Jan. 13. As predicted, Bowie's 26th album Blackstar, which was released on Jan. 8, his 69th birthday, has debuted on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, giving the music legend his first No. 1 album. Blackstar earned 181,000 equivalent album units in the U.S., during the week ending Jan. 14, according to Nielsen Music, of which 174,000 were in pure (complete) album sales. Bowie also has had nine albums from his catalog either re-enter or debut on the Billboard Hot 200 chart, with The Best of Bowie entering at No. 4 and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars at No. 21. Bowie's history on the chart dates back nearly 44 years, when Hunky Dory bowed on the chart dated April 15, 1972. Blackstar is additionally the first posthumous No. 1 Billboard album since Michael Jackson's This Is It soundtrack arrived atop the list dated Nov. 14, 2009. In the U.K., Bowie scored an astonishing 19 Top 100 albums on the Official Charts roundup, with 150,000 copies of Blackstar sold in the first week. Bowie's singles have also reentered the U.K. chart, with "Heroes" at No. 11, "Life On Mars" at No. 16, and eleven other Bowie singles charting on the U.K. Top 100. Bowie producer Tony Visconti has revealed that the artist was planning a follow-up to Blackstar, and reached out to him in the weeks prior to his death to discuss entering the studio. " I was thrilled," Visconti said, "and I thought, and he thought, that he'd have a few months, at least. Obviously, if he's excited about doing his next album, he must've thought he had a few more months. So the end must've been very rapid. I'm not privy to it. I don't know exactly, but he must've taken ill very quickly after that phone call." Visconti added he was first made aware of Bowie's illness a year ago when the performer showed up for a Blackstar session in New York with tell-tale signs of chemo treatment -- he had no eyebrows or hair on his head. In other developments, the SiriusXM satellite radio service brought back the David Bowie Channel on Jan. 12 in honor of the musician. "Since his death, many of our channels have been playing music from his legendary career. Now we'd like to present an entire channel devoted to his artistic genius and extraordinary musical longevity," SiriusXM president Scott Greenstein said in a statement. The station will run until Jan. 18 on SiriusXM's The Loft station, channel 30. Meanwhile, a lightning-bolt shaped constellation has been named after Bowie by Belgian astronomers. The constellation is constructed by seven stars fittingly in the direction of Mars, and shaped like the lightning bolt that cover's Bowie's face on his iconic 1973 Aladdin Sane album cover. Finally, one man in the U.K. has launched a petition to rename the planet Mars after Bowie. So far he has gained nearly 5,000 supporters, and in another petition that's gaining greater traction, more than 25,000 people have signed on to support a campaign to put Bowie on the upcoming £20 British banknote, replacing Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith, who has been on the bill since 2010. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 1/17/16...... Cher has donated thousands of bottles of water to residents of Flint, Mich., as the city struggles with a drinking water crisis linked to lead contamination. Cher has reportedly paid for more than 180,000 bottles of water to be shipped to Flint beginning on Jan. 17, calling the situation "a tragedy of staggering proportion and shocking that it's happening in the middle of our country." Flint's 100,000 residents haven't had safe water to drink and bathe in since 2014, when officials began drawing water from the Flint River as a cost-saving measure. However, the city did not treat corrosive water properly, which led to metal leaching from old pipes. - AP, 1/16/16...... Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer has announced he'll be opening up a new coffee shop in Nort Attleboro, Mass., just 40 miles outside of Boston, in April. Kramer says the 1,500 square-foot facility will serve up organic coffee and have a rock 'n' roll theme, with Kramer's drum kit and other Aerosmith memorabilia on display. Kramer has already put his name on a line of organic coffee, according to his business parter Frank Cimler, and they hope the business will be the first in string of coffeehouses with a "rock star edge." - AP, 1/16/16...... Actor Tim Curry, who played Dr. Frank N Furter in the original 1975 The Rocky Horror Picture Show cult classic, has signed on to appear in Fox's upcoming live, two-hour TV remake of the movie. This time around, Curry will portray the criminologist narrator in a cast that also includes Laverne Cox, Adam Lambert, Victoria Justice and Ryan McCartan. The Fox version is set to air in fall 2016. - Billboard, 1/15/16...... A soundtrack to accompany the new HBO series Vinyl, which premieres on the channel on Feb. 14, will be released by Atlantic and Warner Bros. Records on Feb. 12. Vinyl: Music From the HBO Original Series - Volume 1 will feature music in and inspired by the first episode, and two days prior to the finale of the series, a second physical and digital soundtrack will come out. Set in New York in the early '70s, Vinyl is executive-produced by Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger and pivots around label head Richie Finestra (Bobby Cannavale), as he tries to save his record company. It also stars Olivia Wilde, Juno Temple, Ray Romano, Andrew Dice Clay and Jagger's son, James, who plays the lead singer of fictional band Nasty Bits. - Billboard, 1/15/16...... A one-night-only Neil Young film event, "An Evening with Neil Young," will take place in theaters across the U.S. on Feb. 29 featuring two Young films and feature a Q&A with Young hosted by director Cameron Crowe. The Young-starred, co-directed and co-written 1982 film Human Highway will be followed by Young's 1979 concert film, Rust Never Sleeps, and capped off with a live Q&A. - Billboard, 1/14/16...... Veteran soul singer Patti LaBelle, 71, has reportedly struck up a romance with the drummer in her band, Eric Seats, who is 30 years her junior. "She tried to keep it quiet," a source told the website Dailymail.com. "But everyone around her has figured things out now. She's completely smitten with him and they spend so much time together." The source claims LaBelle and the 41-year-old Seats first met years ago, when he was hired to be her drummer, and he helped "heal her broken heart" after the end of a previous relationship. Seats, an accomplished musician, has also toured with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliot. - WENN.com, 1/13/16...... Pete Huttlinger, best known for being the lead guitarist in John Denver's band, died on Jan. 15 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville after suffering a stroke. He was 54. Huttlinger, the youngest son of a former White House correspondent named Joseph Bernard Huttlinger, graduated with honors from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and moved to Nashville to begin his musical career. Ten years later he connected with Denver after a producer heard him playing on a recording session. Huttlinger toured with Denver over the next four years and played on his various recordings. He would go on to tour with such artists as LeAnn Rimes and John Oates. As a solo artist, Huttlinger recorded more than 15 albums. - Billboard, 1/16/16...... Giorgio Gomelsky, best known as the first manager of the Rolling Stones, died on Jan. 13 after a battle with cancer. He was 82. The Soviet-born and Swiss-raised Mr. Gomelsky originally moved to England to be a filmmaker, but became in London's London's burgeoning blues scene led by Alexis Korner and the as yet little known Rolling Stones. He opened the Crawdaddy Club where the Stones were essentially the house band and began managing their career, but by May of 1963 he had been disloged by Andrew Loog Oldham as their manager. Mr. Gomelsky then shifted his attention to managing The Yardbirds and began booking them at the Crawdaddy, along with other British acts like Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll and Gong. Mr. Gomelsky moved to New York in 1978 and settled into a building on 24th St. in Chelsea that later was converted into an underground club know as the Green Door. - Billboard, 1/14/16...... Acclaimed British actor Alan Rickman, one of the best-loved and most warmly admired British actors of the past 30 years, died in London on Jan. 14 after a battle with cancer. He was 69. Rickman, who rose to fame in Hollywood as the sharp-tongued baddie Hans Gruber in the first Die Hard film, was much-loved on both sides of the Atlantic, later adding to his list of on-screen antagonists when he played the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Price of Thieves, for which he won a BAFTA, and finding a new generation of fans as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter series. Other memorable roles included playing Metatron -- the voice of God -- in Dogma, as a deceased over in Truly Madly Deeply, and as Col. Brandon in Sense and Sensibility. Although Rickman would never win an Oscar, he would add to his BAFTA win for Robin Hood with a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, both for his lead role in HBO's 1996 TV film Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny. Rickman is survived by his wife Rima Horton, who he met as a teenager and married in New York in 2012. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/14/16...... Actor Dan Haggerty, best known as the lead character in the 1974 TV movie The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams and the subsequent series of the same name that ran in 1977-78, died at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Calif., on Jan. 15 after a bout with spinal cancer. He was 73. Born Nov. 19, 1942, in Los Angeles, Haggerty was the son of an entertainment industry veteran who as a young man got a job with a ranch in the San Fernando Valley that trained animals for movies. He became an animal handler, wrangling rabbits and frogs for various film productions, and was a stuntman on the side. The combination of skills led to his discovery as an actor, and a colleague on the set later tapped the bearded Haggerty for the role of the burly, amiable woodsman in the 1974 back-to-nature TV movie The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams and later the series of the same name. The family-programming hit premiered in 1977 and ran for 37 episodes and made Haggerty and his bushy beard famous. In 1985, a jury found Haggerty guilty of one count of selling cocaine to undercover officers who were part of an "entertainment industry task force" run by the LAPD at the time. Jurors threw out a second count, apparently because Haggerty had grown so genuinely fond of the two officers. A few months later, he suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident on Benedict Canyon Road. While still recovering, he was sentenced by a federal court for failure to pay taxes. He then marketed a Cajun barbecue sauce, tried his hand as a restaurateur and kept acting. He reprised his Grizzly Adams character in several TV movies and appeared on dozens of other shows, including Charlie's Angels, CHiPs and The Love Boat. Later productions romanticized motorbikes, nature and family -- and at least one starred a chimpanzee. Haggerty, who was preceded in death by his wife Samantha, is survived by daughters Megan and Tracy Haggerty, sons Dylan, Cody and Don, all of Los Angeles, and one grandson. - The Los Angeles Times, 1/15/16...... Jim Simpson, a Hall of Fame sportscaster who was best known for his work on AFL games for NBC when he was hired by fledgling ESPN in 1979, died on Jan. 13 after a short illness. He was 88. Mr. Simpson was ESPN's first play-by-play announcer, and called college football, college basketball, college baseball, the USFL, and the NBA. He also called the World Series, Olympics and Wimbledon for NBC, and did play by play for Super Bowl I for NBC Radio. - ESPN.com, 1/13/16.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on September 28th, 2016

Bruce Springsteen held a book signing meet-and-greet at the Barnes & Noble in Freehold, N.J., on Sept. 27 for his new book Born to Run. Thousands of fans flocked to the location for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet the Boss and have their newly purchased book signed, which also guaranteed a spot in line for a selfie with the rock legend. Two-thousand tickets were sold through Eventbrite.com, but hundreds more showed up in the parking lot hoping for a picture and a glimpse of the hometown hero. "Hey, everybody! Let's get this started!," said Springsteen, who showed up around 10:20 a.m. dressed all in black with a leather jacket and motorcycle boots. The crowd then broke into an impromptu rendition of "Happy Birthday," as Springsteen, who turned 67 on Sept. 23, settled in for a marathon 5-hour book signing session -- one hour longer than his record four-hour concert. Springsteen's book tour continues at the Union Square Barnes & Noble on Sept. 28 in New York and at the Apple Store in SoHo. Meanwhile, in a new Rolling Stone interview, Springsteen branded Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as a "moron" who has the United States of America "under siege." Asked what he thinks about Trump's meteoric rise in the world of American politics, Springsteen said: "Well, you know, the republic is under siege by a moron, basically. The whole thing is tragic. Without overstating it, it's a tragedy for our democracy... The ideas he's moving to the mainstream are all very dangerous ideas -- white nationalism and the alt-right movement." The musician went on to endorse Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, saying: "I like Hillary. I think she would be a very, very good president." - Billboard/New Musical Express, 9/27/16...... Speaking to The Mirror paper on Sept. 26, Don Henley said the Eagles could fly again following Glenn Frey's untimely death in March -- if Frey's son, 22-year-old Deacon Frey -- joins the group. "At some point in the future, we might work our way round to [reuniting]," the Eagles co-founder said. "You know, Glenn has a son who can sing and play quite well. And one of the only things that would make sense to me is if it were his son," Henley added. Deacon Frey often joined his dad onstage before Glenn's death. Henley still performs songs during his solo concerts that were written with Frey, such as "Desperado," but out of respect for Glenn, Don says he doesn't do songs that Frey sang lead vocals on. "I don't think that would be quite right, even if I co-wrote them. I'm just not doing it," he said. If the Eagles should reunite with Deacon Frey, Henley also raised the possibility of longtime band friend Jackson Browne, who jammed with the band during the Glenn Frey tribute at the Grammys in February, also performing with them. "With Jackson, of course, we could do 'Take It Easy' and a couple other things," said Henley, "but the only way I would consider any kind of reunion, I think, would be with Glenn's son, Deacon," he said. Meanwhile, a life-size bronse statue of Frey has been installed in the "Standing on the Corner" Park in Winslow, Ariz., alongside a previously installed statue that many feel looks like Jackson Browne. Two morning radio personalities from Phoenix classic rock station KSLX -- Mark Devine and Paul "NeanderPaul" Marshall -- helped fund the $22,000 Frey statue, along with the Standing on the Corner Foundation and the City of Winslow. The unveiling took place during Winslow's annual "Standing on the Corner" music festival on the fourth weekend of September. "We thought a statue would be a great way to pay tribute to his everlasting impact on Arizona's history," said Marshall. Browne and Frey co-wrote the Eagles' song "Take It Easy" in 1972 that included the lyric "standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona." Shops around the Winslow park display Eagles tour posters and sell T-shirts, magnets and mugs depicting the hit song and its lyrics. - Billboard/AP, 9/27/16...... Speaking of the Eagles, Joe Walsh has just written and recorded a new song called "No Man's Land" about issues facing American military veterans of the current conflicts in the Middle East. "This is really a forgotten war over there," Walsh says. "There's not political candidate that has touched what we're doing over there. Nobody. It's not even talked about and it's not even in the media. Nowhere can you get a report on what's been going on or progress or even deaths or injuries or anything, and that's just not OK with me. And these guys are coming home either missing arms or legs or just completely shattered, mentally. And I see homeless vets and I go, 'That's not OK'." "No Man's Land" was recorded for a new documetary entitled Citizen Soldier, tells the story of the Oklahoma National Guard 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team -- aka The Thunderbirds -- who were deployed to Afghanistan during the latest surge. Walsh was introduced to the film by one of its co-directors, Christian Tureud, and immediately volunteered to write "No Man's Land" after viewing some of the footage. "So that's what I wrote the song about -- 'We're out here in nowhere land, and the only way home is my brothers and my god and me," Walsh notes. "And the people that we're fighting have a God, and our Gods don't agree.' I just wanted to tell their story the way I saw it in the film." - Billboard, 9/26/16...... Fleetwood Mac vocalist/keyboardist Christine McVie has confirmed that Fleetwood Mac are working on a new album, and the band has already recorded seven tracks for it. "We cut seven songs in the studio already for the start of a brand-new studio album, which we did probably nearer two years ago," McVie told Rolling Stone. "We shelved that temporarily and then went on the road and did the tour. And now, actually, I think we're going back in, in October to try to finish it off. Stevie (Nicks) hasn't participated yet, but hope springs eternal. She's going on a solo tour at the moment." McVie added that she and Lindsey Buckingham have plenty of songs and there are "tons more in the bag that we have yet to record." "And they're fantastic," McVie adds. "So we're going to carry on and try to finish the record. And then maybe if Stevie doesn't want to be part of that then we can go out and just do some smaller concerts." Nicks has left the future of her participation in Fleetwood Mac uncertain, saying "It's like, do you want to take a chance of going in and setting up in a room for like a year [to record an album] and having a bunch of arguing people? And then not wanting to go on tour because you just spent a year arguing?" Fleetwood Mac's last studio album was 2003's Say You Will. Meanwhile, the band has just reissued its 1982 album, Mirage. which includes a three-CD and DVD set with a disc of B-sides, as well as a live collection culled from two nights at the LA Forum in Oct. 1982. - New Musical Express/Rolling Stone, 9/26/16...... Stevie Wonder is the latest celebrity to featured in PBS's animated Blank on Blank interview series. An animated Wonder discusess his childhood, his experience with racism, and his faith on the program installment that premiered on Sept. 27, just one day prior to the 40th anniversary release of his epic 18th studio album, Songs in the Keys of Life. Wonder says that after he grew up in a Pentecostal church, his decision to sing "worldy" music saw much criticism from his church members, but it wasn't enough to stop him from pursing his dreams. "If God didn't want me to sing it, he wouldn't have given me the talent to do it," he said. - Billboard, 9/27/16...... The Rolling Stones have announced they'll release Havana Moon, a concert of their 2016 show in Cuba, on CD, DVD and Blu-Ray on Nov. 11. A three LP vinyl set is also being released as is a special deluxe edition. Havana Moon was recently screened in cinemas for one night only, and is the band's official document of their historic outdoor Cuba show, which saw them perform to over 1.2 million fans in the Cuban capital, a place where rock concerts by foreign bands have long been prohibited. Havana Moon was directed by Paul Dugdale, who has previously made concert films for Adele and Coldplay. "The Cuba show was simply amazing," frontman Mick Jagger said as he announced the film earlier in the year. "It was an incredible moment; a huge sea of people for as far as the eye could see. You could feel the buzz of the enthusiasm from the crowd and that was for me the stand-out moment," he added. - NME, 9/27/16...... Kenny Rogers has told Billboard that he plans on retiring from music in 2017, and has no further plans to record or perform after the conclusion of his current tour. "I've done everything I set out to do," explained the 78-year-old Rogers, who began his music career back in 1958. "Every goal I've set, I've done that, and there's a point where you have to say, 'I've had my turn. Let someone else have it,' and that's kind of where I am. It's not that I dislike music; it's just that I can't keep doing this and do what I want to do, which is spend time with my family." Rogers also said he'd like to spend more time with his 12-year-old twins he has with his fifth wife, Wanda Miller. "My boys are playing football this year, and we went to watch a game and they were so excited about us being there, and that's the kind of thing that as a parent you want to be part of as much as you can," he said. Roger's now-farewell tour will conclude on Apr. 8, 2017 in Danville, Kentucky. He'll visit the UK and Ireland for the last time in November, including two dates at the London Palladium. - New Musical Express, 9/27/16...... Jann Wenner, the founder of Rolling Stone magazine, has announced he's selling a 49% stake in the magazine to BandLab, a digital music company owned by the son of Asian billionaire Kuok Khoon Hong. BandLab will run a new, Singapore-based international subsidiary that will focus on developing live events as well as looks for merchandising and hospitality opportunities in Asia. It will have no say in editorial content. Wenner's son and Rolling Stone digital manager, Gus Wenner, says they are hoping to take the Rolling Stone brand into "new and different areas and markets." "Long-term, my dad and myself recognize that in order to truly grow and truly transform the business," he said. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. - The Hollywood Reporter/Bloomberg News, 9/25/16...... Paul Simon was among the headliners for the "Global Citizen: The World On Stage" charity event at Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 22 in New York City. Simon also presented the inaugural George Harrison Global Citizen award to Olivia and Dhani Harrison (George's widow and son, respectively). Also performing were such artists as Kesha, Tom Morello, Warren Haynes and Regina Spektor, among others. Several speakers also addressed various causes in dire need of help and support -- such as the refugee crisis, education, poverty, hunger, and gender equality. - Billboard, 9/23/16...... Newly interviewed on the Australian version of the TV newsmagazine 60 Minutes, Olivia Newton-John said she's convinced her ex-lover Patrick McDermott is dead after he went missing during a fishing trip, despite reported sightings of him in Mexico. "It was very hard, he was lost at sea and nobody really knows what happened," said Newton-John ."It's human to wonder but, you know, those are the things in life you have to accept and let go. Because whenever you go through difficult times, there's always those concerns. I live on and of course questions come up, always, it's human," she added. Two detectives who attempted to track McDermott down believe he faked his own death to avoid a series of debts. The U.S. Coast Guard declared McDermott had "most likely drowned" when his boat disappeared off the coast of San Pedro, Calif., and Olivia says she chooses to agree with that. Newton-John, 68, dated cameraman McDermott on and off for nine years, following her divorce from Matt Lattanzi in 1995. She finally found love with John Easterling and the couple wed in 2008, three years after McDermott's disappearance. - WENN.com, 9/27/16...... The Beach Boys have announced they'll play two shows in the UK in 2017, at London's Royal Albert Hall on May 18 and 19. The concerts, which will not feature Brian Wilson, are so far the only Beach Boys concerts in the UK scheduled for 2017. The current BB line-up features Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, alongside "supporting musicians" John Cowsill, Tim Bonhomme, Randell Kirsch, Scott Totten and Love's son Christian Love. Al Jardine, a fellow member of the original line-up, left the band in 2012, the same time as Wilson. - NME, 9/27/16...... Kraftwerk have announced they'll kick off an 11-date tour of the UK in the summer of 2017 at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall on June 9. It will mark Kraftwerk's first full tour of Britain since 2004, and feature the band's 3D concerts, which they first played in 2013 at New York's Museum Of Modern Art and have since performed at art galleries around the world. The tour will wrap at London's Royal Albert Hall with two nights on June 21 and 22. - NME, 9/26/16...... Guitarist Joe Bonamassa has added three dates to this April 2017 UK concert tour -- in Edinburgh (4/18), Blackpool (4/22/) and Sheffield (4/24). The shows are in addition to Bonomassa's previously announced concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall on Apr. 20 and 21. Bonamassa's 2017 tour follows hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed "Salute To The British Blues Explosion" tour of 2016 that saw the American guitarist paying homage to the music of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. - Noble PR, 9/26/16...... The Tubes have announced they'll embark on a 12-date UK tour this fall at London's Under the Bridge venue on Oct. 7. The San Francisco-based band's "Mondo Pulp Tour" will also hit such cities as Manchester (10/8), Bristol (10/11), Brighton (10/15), Southhampton (10/16) and Holmfirth (10/21) before wrapping in Glasgow on Oct. 22. "We’re thrilled to be coming back to the country that started it all for us," says the Tubes frontman Fee Waybill. In 1977 The Tubes toured the UK, but many of their shows were banned due to British censorship. - Noble PR, 9/28/16...... Buckwheat Zydeco, an acclaimed accordion player who performed with the likes of Eric Clapton and U2 during an illustrious career in music, died on Sept. 24 from a battle with lung cancer. He was 68. Born Stanley Dural, Jr., the Lousiana-born Zydeco made his name performing with his band, Buckwheat Zydeco and Ils Sont Partis Band (though they later reverted to performing under Zydeco's name). Zydeco was invited by Clapton to open for him on his 1988 North American tour after earning rave reviews for his band's live shows. The year before, they'd signed to Island Records to release their first album on a major label, On A Night Like This. Zydeco released 25 albums across his career, while also collaborating with the likes of U2, Keith Richards and Paul Simon, often in the live arena. "I am grieving for my best friend and colleague of more than 30 years," his manager, Ted Fox, posted on Facebook. "Buck made everything and everyone he touched better and happier. RIP my dear friend, my brother." - NME, 9/26/16...... Arnold Palmer, the telegenic golfer known as the king of the sport and whose immense popularity drew a legion of fans known as "Arnie's Army" and helped propel the game just as television was coming of age, died in Pittsburgh on the morning of Sept. 25. He was 87. Along his way to becoming one of the sport's best players, Mr. Palmer also became a successful businessman, philanthropist, trailblazing advertising spokesman, talented golf course designer and experienced aviator. "We are deeply saddened by the death of Arnold Palmer, golf's greatest ambassador, at age 87," the U.S. Golf Association said in a statement. "Arnold Palmer will always be a champion, in every sense of the word. He inspired generations to love golf by sharing his competitive spirit, displaying sportsmanship, caring for golfers and golf fans, and serving as a lifelong ambassador for the sport. Our stories of him not only fill the pages of golf's history books and the walls of the museum, but also our own personal golf memories. The game is indeed better because of him, and in so many ways, will never be the same." Mr. Palmer also left his stamp on developing some 225 courses throughout the world, and was the first golfer to surpass $1 million in earnings. Mr. Palmer's appeal was so wide that he even gave origin to the "Arnold Palmer," a mixture of iced tea and lemonade that was one of his favorite drinks and is now available in grocery stores. Mr. Palmer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004, and in 2012 he was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal. "The game has given so much to Arnold Palmer, but he has given back so much more," his close friend and fellow golfing legend Jack Nicklaus said. - USA Today, 9/26/16...... Grand Ole Opry star Jean Shepherd, one of country music's most colorful characters and beloved performers, died on Sept. 25 after an extended illness. She was 82. A fixture on the Opry stage for six decades, the Oklahoma-born and California-raised Ms. Shepard was also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, where she was inducted as a member in 2011. She started her musical career playing in an all-female group called The Melody Ranch Girls, who caught the eyes and ears of Capitol Records superstar Hank Thompson, who helped her sign with the label. Her first single, "Crying Steel Guitar Waltz," failed to chart, but she would soon pair with Ferlin Husky for the million-selling "A Dear John Letter." The record was a hit, topping the charts. Her other hits include "Second Fiddle (To An Old Guitar)," "If Teardrops Were Silver," and "A Tear Dropped By." She made a classic of Bill Anderson's "Slippin' Away" in 1973, and hit the Country Top 40 for the last time with her cover of Anderson's "The Tip of My Fingers" in 1975, peaking at No. 16. Her autobiography, Down Through The Years, was released in 2014, and she marked an amazing six decades as an Opry member in November 2015. - Billboard, 9/25/16.

In an essay on The Huffington Post on Sept. 22, Barbra Streisand pulled no punches about her distaste, and distrust, of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. "When a politician ends almost every sentence with 'believe me'... don't! He's probably lying," Streisand wrote in the essay entitled "Facts Matter." Streisand also quoted PolitiFact.com's 71 percent rating of Trump's comments as "false," "mostly false" or "pants on fire" as proof, she believes, that "the majority of the time that Trump speaks, he is not telling the truth." In her 1,200-word essay, Streisand also asked if facts matter to Trump and if they don't. "This should be profoundly unacceptable to the American people. Our country and its stability is on the line. Facts do matter!" The longtime liberal advocate has also taken to mocking "The Donald" frequently onstage recently, singing a parody of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" earlier in September at an LGBT fundraiser for Clinton, twisting the lyrics to take swipes at the billionaire real estate mogul. "Is he that rich? Maybe he's poor/ Till he reveals his returns, who can be sure?" she sang to the crowd of 1,000 supporters. - Billboard, 9/22/16...... In related news, Gene Simmons' son Nick Simmons has often demonstrated he's no fan of his father's tendency for making offensive statements, and in a recent interview with TMZ.com the younger Simmons described his dad as the "Donald Trump of rock." "He's the f---ing Donald Trump of rock. I can't take it anymore," Nick said. His statement came after Gene's statement on Sept. 19 that it's "time for America to embrace police profiling as a means to prevent terrorist attacks. - Billboard, 9/20/16...... Bruce Springsteen celebrated his 67th birthday on Sept. 23 with the release of Chapter and Verse, the "audio companion" to Springsteen's upcoming memoir, Born to Run. Before forming the E Street Band, Springsteen ruled Jersey bars with his early bands, the Castiles, Still Mill and the Bruce Springsteen Band. The highlight of Chapter and Verse: the Castiles' "Baby I," a jangly garage-rock kiss-off howled by a 16-year-old Springsteen, who was already showing he had wit to spare ("I got someone new/ Someone better than you," he shouts). The set, compiled by Springsteen, also includes 13 other songs, from a 1972 demo of "Growin' Up" to 2012's "Wrecking Ball." Chapter and Verse is available as a single CD and a double LP, with bonus lyrics and rare photos. Born to Run hits stores on Sept. 27. The musician participated in an illuminating interview on CBS Sunday Morning on Sept. 18 to help promote the new releases, in which he opened up about his drive, his father, and his bouts with depression. "I'm conditioned to do it from many, many years of experience," he said of his recent marathon performances in East Rutherford, N.J., and Philadelphia. "Don't try it at home, kids." - Rolling Stone/Billboard, 9/22/16...... A previously-unreleased David Bowie album called The Gouster is included in the just released Bowie box set Who Can I Be Now? 1974-76, and The Gouster can currently be streamed in its entirety on Spotify.com. The 7-track The Gouster was recorded by Bowie in 1974, and served as the basis for material that would make up his 1975 studio album, Young Americans. Meanwhile, a digitally restored 40th anniversary version of the 1976 Bowie cult sci-fi film The Man Who Fell to Earth is currently being screened in UK cinemas now. Directed by Nicolas Roeg, the film stars Bowie as Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien who crash lands on Earth. Tony Richmond, the original cinematographer behind the film, says it's "wonderful to see it again.. They did a fabulous job." Studiocanal are releasing the film on DVD and Blu-ray on Oct. 10 with a special collector's edition to follow. The soundtrack will be re-released on Sept. 23. - New Musical Express, 9/23/16...... In other Bowie-related news, a memorial plaque dedicated to the late music icon in Berlin, Germany has been stolen just three weeks after its unveiling. The plaque -- which quoted the late musician's lyrics from his hit 'Heroes': "We can be heroes, just for one day" -- was unveiled by the city's mayor in August at his former home from 1976 to 1978. German media reports that the theft, along with vandalism, took place on Sept. 17 and that police are now investigating the crime. Fortunately, it is also reported that the company that produced the plaque had multiple prints made in the event of damage or theft. - NME, 9/20/16...... The Kinks will release a 10-disc mono vinyl box set, The Mono Collection, on Nov. 18. Containing tracks recorded from 1964 to 1969, the set brings together the British Invasion act's first 8 albums in mono, along with the bonus double Kinks compilation album The Kinks (a.k.a. 'The Black Album'). A hardcover 48-page book including never-before-seen photos and new interviews with Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Mick Avory is also included. The 2016 Kinks-based musical "Sunny Afternoon" which tells the story of the band and includes the title song, "Waterloo Sunset" and "You Really Got Me," among others, has garnered a new generation of fans for the band. - NME, 9/20/16...... A new Elvis Presley limited TV series based on rock critic Dave Marsh's 1982 book Elvis is in the works at Weinstein Television. TWC struck a deal with Presley's estate that grants it the rights to Presley's extensive musical catalog and will also allow the production to be the first ever to shoot in Presley's Graceland mansion. The production also will have access to Elvis' cars, clothes and other items. Presley's ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, will executive produce the eight-to-10 part series with Jerry Schilling, Harvey Weinstein and David Glasser. "I'm a big fan of Harvey Weinstein's independent films," Priscilla Presley said on Sept. 21 in a statement. "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work with him on this show and tell the story of how Elvis changed the culture of music and initiated a revolution that changed the world." - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/22/16...... The Beatles have earned their 32nd Top 10 LP on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart with their latest release, Live at the Hollywood Bowl. Nielsen Music reports the album moved 36,000 equivalent album units for the week ending Sept. 15. Of that sum, 35,000 were in traditional album sales. Like its 1977 predecessor, The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, the release features songs from the Fab Four's three Hollywood Bowl performances in 1964 and 1965. The 1977 album peaked at No. 2 and eventually fell out of print. Only three other acts -- the Rolling Stones (a record 36), Barbra Streisand (34) and Frank Sinatra (32) -- have scored at least 30 Top 10 albums. Meanwhile, the Beatles' Apple Corps. has just announced DVD release details of the new Ron Howard-directed Beatles touring documentary, Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years. The film will be available on Nov. 18 on DVD and Blu-ray on a single disc, as well as in a two-disc set with extra features and a 64-page booklet. Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years premiered in theaters and on Hulu on Sept. 16. - Billboard, 9/19/16...... In other Beatles-related news, Ringo Starr released a video and a new song called "Now the Time Has Come" on Sept. 2 in celebration of the U.N.'s International Day of Peace. "I worked on this record with peace and love," Starr said. "It was a joy to be part of this project." The song is part of the social media #HugForPeace campaign to promote a day of non-violence through the peaceful act of hugging, and was co-written by Starr and producer Bruce Sugar, with vocals including Starr's All-Starr Band member Richard Page. - Billboard, 9/22/16...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, a custom-made suit of John Lennon's made by the band's tailor, Douglas Millings, is expected to bring as much as $65,000 (£50,000) when it's put up for auction by rrauction.com on Sept. 26 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge. The suit, one of many made by Millings for the band between 1962 and 1966, was later donated by Lennon to Madame Tussauds, with the permission for the waxwork museum to use it on a future exhibit. Also auctioned on the same day will be a signed Beatles postcard -- which includes the rare signature of fill-in Beatles drummer Jimmie Nicol -- and signed receipts by George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Pete Best from the Star Club days. - NME, 9/22/16...... Hours after formally announcing his retirement on Sept. 20, AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams took his final bow as the band wrapped its Rock or Bust World Tour in Philadelphia. Williams capped off a nearly 40-year tenure with the famous Aussie rockers, with founding guitarist Angus Young and stand-in singer Axl Rose giving Williams props during their closing number, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)." "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Cliff Williams," Rose told the audience at the song's end. Then Young walked his longtime bandmate forward to the front of the stage to take one last bow. Earlier in the day, Williams, 66, announced he would be retiring in a video. "It's time for me to step out, that's all... It's just my time, I'm happy I just need family time, just chill out and not do this," he said. Williams joined AC/DC in 1977 as a replacement to original bassist Mark Evans. - Billboard, 9/21/16...... In a new interview with the British paper The Telegraph, Jimmy Page stated that Led Zeppelin "isn't done yet," and hinted that some new Zeppelin reissues could be on the way. "Led Zeppelin isn't done yet, quite clearly, because every year since 1968 there's been new fans," Page said. "The re-releases have more than doubled the amount of Led Zeppelin work out there. I wanted it done authoritatively, 'cause I was the one writing the stuff, I was the producer and mixer. I don't think it's any more weird than writing your autobiography," he added. Page also commented on why he thinks Led Zeppelin's music still stands today. "It was done with so much freedom and conviction by master musicians, that's why it has traveled over time," he said. "It was an extraordinary connection, the synergy within the band. There was an area of ESP between Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham and myself." Page's interview comes on the heels of the newly-expanded Zeppelin album The Complete BBC Sessions, which was released on Sept. 16. - New Musical Express, 9/20/16...... Neil Young has released a new video for his song "Indian Givers," which includes footage from the protests surrounding the construction of the controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline. Young is also seen singing in his car during the video, with lyrics stating: "There's a battle raging on the sacred land/Our brothers and sisters have to take a stand/Against us now for what we all been doing/On the sacred land there's a battle brewing." In 2014, Young advocated against the Keystone XL pipeline with the song "Who's Gonna Stand Up?" on his Storytone album. He also hooked up with Willie Nelson that year for a concert in Nebraska against the expansion. - NME, 9/20/16...... A Prince tribute concert set for Oct. 13 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., has sold out immediately after tickets went on sale on Sept. 19. With tickets ranging from $19.99 to $152.50, the gig will be headlined by Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Chaka Khan, John Mayer and Tori Kelly, among others. - AP, 9/19/16...... Magnolia Pictures will release Danny Says, a documentary that chronicles the life of rock and roll music industry exec Danny Fields who was responsible for managing such acts as Iggy and the Stooges, MC5 and the Ramones, on Sept. 30. Fields, an incredibly influential force in the music industry, also collaborated with the likes of Alice Cooper, The Doors and Lou Reed, among others, and in the film Alice Cooper says "Danny was in the middle of it all... guys like Danny are always sort of in the wings, but they're always the most effective people." Named after the Ramones song, Danny Says will arrive in theaters, On Demand, iTunes and Amazon Video on Sept. 30. - Billboard, 9/22/16...... Singer/songwriter John Prine releases a new album, For Better or Worse, on Sept. 30, a sequel of sorts to his 1999 Grammy-nominated duets disc In Spite Of Ourselves. The first single, "Fifteen Years Ago," is a cover of a No. 1 country hit in 1970 for Conway Twitty. "It's a really good story song, which I've always been a sucker for," Prine says. Prine's collaborator on the track is country singer Lee Ann Womack, and Prine says "getting her to do it made it all the better, because her voice is just pure country." Meanwhile, Prine, Tom Waits and Tom Waits' wife Kathleen Brennan will be honored for their songwriting at The Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Awards on Sept. 26 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The award has been bestowed biennially since 2012 by the New England chapter of the writer's group PEN. Organizers say the award is typically given to artists who have contributed definitive works to the American music canon. Elvis Costello will be the master of ceremonies at this year's event. - Billboard/AP, 9/19/16...... Rights for the Rolling Stones concert documentary Ole! Ole! Ole!: A Trip Across Latin America have been obtained by the subscription VOD platform CraveTV. As part of the deal, CraveTV also acquired the Stones' companion concert film, The Rolling Stones Havana Moon, a film based on the mega group's Havana show. CraveTV will stream Ole! Ole! Ole! from Oct. 14, with Havana Moon to follow with a Jan. 2017 launch. Meanwhile, Keith Richards has confirmed to Rolling Stone that the Stones are deep into making their first album since 2005's A Bigger Bang. "It was fun -- always is!" he says, describing a recent London session where they cut several songs in only two days. Richards has said the album will have "a lot of Chicago blues," including material by Little Walter and Howlin' Wolf. Eric Clapton even played on a couple of songs, which Richards said felt "like old times down in Richmond [London]," where both acts played the Crawdaddy Club in the Sixties. - Billboard/Rolling Stone, 9/18/16...... Bob Weir hasn't released a true solo album since 1978, but jamming with the National (who recently released an extensive Grateful Dead tribute album) at Weir's TRI Studios made him want to give his solo career another shot. Members of the National back him on Blue Mountain, out Sept. 30, which revisits his obsession with cowboys (evident in classics like "Mexicali Blues"). Highlights on the album, co-written with Josh Ritter, include "Ki-Yi Bossie," a campfire singalong with Ramblin' Jack Elliott. - Rolling Stone, 9/22/16...... At 71, Van Morrison says he makes records to please one person: himself. "If it's not interesting, then I don't do it," he says. Keep Me Singing, his first LP of new songs in four years, includes a swing intrumental, a tribute to hero Bobby "Blue" Bland, who died in 2013, and "Too Late," a doo-wop tune about making the most of one's limited time ("It's too late to start over again/ Can't complain," Morrison howls). It's the perfect mission statement of a rock star in twilight, though the song was written years ago. "I came across it in a notebook and thought, 'What happened to this one?'" he says. Keep Me Singing drops on Sept. 30. - Rolling Stone, 9/22/16...... A representative for Monty Python star Terry Jones confirmed on Sept. 22 that the actor has been diagnosed with dementia, and is no longer able to give interviews. The 74-year-old British funnyman who, alongside Michael Palin, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Graham Chapman formed the iconic surreal comedy group, has been told by doctors he has primary progressive aphasia - a type of dementia affecting the brain's frontal lobe. It was recently announced that Jones would be honored with a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. Organizers are still hoping Jones will attend the event but it is thought he will be accompanied by a family representative and won't give a speech. - WENN.com, 9/23/16...... Actor Bill Murray of Saturday Night Live and Caddyshack fame has announced a new line of golf clothes. Murray's love of the Chicago Cubs baseball team reportedly served as the major inspiration behind the design of the new line -- despite the fact that the clothes have been designed to be worn on the golf course, rather than at the ballpark. The full line will go on sale on Murray's golf website, William Murray Golf, on Oct. 20. Murray is an avid golfer, often participating in celebrity golf tournaments. - NME, 9/22/16...... Jerry Corbetta, a legendary rock keyboardist best known for fronting the rock quartet Sugarloaf, has died at age 68. Formed in Denver, Sugarloaf charted two Billboard Top 10 hits in the '70s, including the No. 3 "Green-Eyed Lady" in 1970 and the No. 9 "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" in 1975. Before founding Sugarloaf, Corbetta was connected to the Four Seasons for many years...... Actor James Westmoreland, known for appearing in such films as The Young Philadelphians, No Time for Sergeants and The Last Sunset, died on Sept. 14 in a hospital near his home in La Quinta, Calif. He was 80. Mr. Westmoreland also starred on the short-lived ABC Western series The Monroes In 1970, Mr. Westmoreland was married for 47 days to True Grit actress Kim Darby; they had known each other for about three weeks before they exchanged vows. - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/22/16...... Director Curtis Hanson, known for helming such films as Eminem's 2002 hip-hop drama 8 Mile as well as Losin' It, The River Wild, Wonder Boys and In Her Shoes, died on Sept. 20 of an apparent heart attack at his Hollywood Hills home. He was 71. Mr. Hanson also had screenwriting credits for such '70s films as The Dunwich Horror (1970), Sweet Kill (1972), The Silent Partner 1978, and The Little Dragons (1979). - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/20/16.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on October 29th, 2017

Late Steely Dan guitarist Walter Becker was saluted by the duo's remaining member, Donald Fagen at Pier Six Pavilion on the Baltimore harbor on Oct. 24. The concert was the eighth and final show on Steely Dan's tour as Fagen carries on the mantle of the band after Becker's passing on Sept. 3 at age 67. Fagen referred a couple times to "my partner Walter Becker," without explicitly acknowledging why he wasn't right there across the stage as usual. And midway through the show, he sang "Book of Liars," a song from Becker's 1994 solo album 11 Tracks of Whack that had long been a Steely Dan live staple, while dozens of photos of Becker played on a screen behind the band. After wrapping up the song, Fagen remembered a tourdate in Japan where the band's set lists had been printed with the song's title mistranslated to "Box of Leers." Jon Herington, a regular of Steely Dan's albums and tours since the band reformed in the '90s, is now the only guitarist in a band that has historically employed two or three guitars onstage. Steely Dan stuck to the most reliable favorites from its early albums, aside from "Book of Liars" and Fagen's 1982 solo track "New Frontier." "I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band," Fagen said in a statement after Becker's death. - Billboard, 10/25/17...... In related news, the Eagles performed in Glenn Frey's hometown of Detroit on Oct. 27 for the first time since their late band co-founder died on Jan. 18, 2016, at age 67. With Frey's widow Cindy, daughter Taylor and a corps of relatives cheering the group on, the Eagles celebrated Frey with a number of tributes including a moving rendition of "Peaceful Easy Feeling" by Frey's son and new Eagles member Deacon Frey. "What a treat for me to be back here in my dad's hometown. It's kinda awesome," Deacon said before acknowledging his relatives. After the song, Deacon looked upward and mouthed "That's for you, dad," as a sepia-toned image of his father appeared on the video screen behind the stage. Country star Vince Gill, who has also been touring with the Eagles, offered the Frey number "New Kid in Town" and told the crowd in Little Caesars Arena that it's an "honor to be in the hometown of my dear friend Glenn Frey and singing his songs for you." The Eagles, who launched their current tour in July, played the remaining date on their short tour at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry on Oct. 29, a private show that will be recorded and broadcast during Thanksgiving weekend on the group's limited-run SiriusXM Eagles Channel. - Billboard, 10/28/17...... Sammy Hagar was honored with a Humanitarian Award at the 2017 Loudwire Music Awards on Oct. 24 in Los Angeles. The "Red Rocker" accepted the award on behalf of his extensive philanthropic work with the Hagar Family Foundation, which supports a variety of programs benefiting disadvantaged children and families, including local food banks and hospitals, as well as other charitable efforts. After the presentation, Hagar said the award was "out of sight" and has particular significance since aerly in his career he may have dreamed of Grammys and musical fame but never a humanitarian honor like this. "To me, making money is fun. And it's not about how rich you are, it's about what you do with your money and how you live your life," he said. "I grew up poor as a motha, had nothing, and I'll take being wealthy over that anyway (but) it's really what you do with your money, it's not about how much money you have. It's about how you live your life and what you do with it." Also in attendance at the Loudwire awards were Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, and Eddie Money. - Billboard, 10/26/17...... Smokey Robinson is set to release his first solo holiday via Amazon Originals on Nov. 10. Entitled Chrismas Everyday, the set features 10 soulful songs, including seven seasonal favorites and three Robinson originals. "I was quite pleased when I was approached about doing a holiday album," Robinson said in a statement. "I love the feeling of Christmas, and these are some of my absolute favorite songs. Folks are going to be surprised by some of the arrangements," he added. The album, which features contributions from Take 6, The Dap-Kings, Mindi Abair and Trombone Shorty, is Robinson's first solo holiday offering, however he previously released two holiday albums with his former group, The Miracles, including the now Christmas classic, 1963's Christmas with The Miracles. In fact, the new album takes its name from a song originally included on that set. - Billboard, 10/27/17...... Paul McCartney paid tribute to Fats Domino with a post on his official website on Oct. 25, calling the late rock and roll icon a "huge influence" on the Beatles. "We were excited to meet Fats once in his home town of New Orleans," Sir Paul wrote. "He was wearing a huge star spangled diamond encrusted watch which was our first encounter with bling!" Macca continued: "As one of my favourite rock 'n' roll singers, I will remember him fondly and always think of him with that twinkle in his eye. I read that he had eight children. He himself was named Antoine. His kids were named Antoine III, Anatole, Andre, Antonio, Antoinette, Andrea, Anola and Adonica. Now that is pure Fats!" The inaugural class Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, who passed away of natural causes on Oct. 24 at the age of 89, sold over 65 million records over the course of his career, more than any other '50s-era artist other than Elvis Presley. - New Musical Express, 10/26/17...... Several friends and collaborators Kenny Rogers were on hand to honor the Country crossover superstar at his final concert appearance in Nashville, Tenn., at the Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 25. However the beloved 78-year-old entertainer was mostly a spectator as a mixture of current superstars, including Lady Antebellum, Justin Moore, Billy Currington and Alison Krauss, along with veteran entertainers Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Lionel Richie, The Judds and the Oak Ridge Boys, showcased some of their favorite musical moments of the Houston, TX native's career. The Oak Ridge Boys urged the sold-out crowd to sing along to Rogers and Dottie West's 1978 duet "Love or Something Like It," while The Judds deliverd a soaring version of "You Turn The Light On," a track from 1979's million-selling Kenny LP. After a brief intermission, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry proclaimed it was "Kenny Rogers Day" in Music City, Alison Krauss serenaded Rogers and the crowd with a gorgeous take on "Love The World Away," while Kris Kristofferson paid tribute to Kenny's cover of his song "Me and Bobby McGee." Rogers and Dolly Parton then came out to reminisce about their deep friendship, with Parton doing her best to try to embarrass her duet partner, getting laughs from Rogers and the audience. The two then performed their 2013 single "You Can't Make Old Friends," and Parton then surprised Rogers with a version of her "I Will Always Love You." The two wound up their performance career together with a nod back to 1983's million-selling "Islands In The Stream" before walking off the stage together. Though the date was Rogers' final Nashville appearance, the singer still has dates on the calendar for his "The Gambler's Last Deal" tour through December. Rogers says that saying goodbye has brought out the emotions. "It's sad on one hand, but on the other hand, you have to do it sooner or later. Either that, or die out there. That wasn't my choice," he said. The concert was filmed and recorded for broadcast and distribution at a later date. - Billboard, 10/26/17...... A 1963 Martin D-28 acoustic guitar played by Bob Dylan at many of his notable concerts in the 1970s is expected to fetch more than $300,000 when it goes on the auction block on Nov. 11 in Dallas. Heritige Auctions says it was the same guitar was used by Dylan at George Harrison's iconic "Concert of Bangladesh" in New York City, as well as on his Rolling Thunder Review tour from Oct. 1975 to May 1976. Larry Cragg, who was Dylan's guitar repairman at the time, bought the instrument from Dylan in 1977, and the original receipt, which is included in the offering, notes that it was purchased for $500. Though a musician himself, Cragg said he's never played the guitar and it's been kept in in a humidity- and temperature-controlled environment. "It's kind of past being a guitar now. It's the kind of thing that you'd think that people would put in a glass case or in a museum somewhere," says Cragg, who owns a San Francisco-based guitar rental shop and has also worked with the likes of Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Carlos Santana, Jefferson Airplane and Neil Young. A Fender Stratocaster played by Dylan at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when he famously "went electric" sold for almost $1 million in 2013 at Christie's in New York City. That guitar was sold by a New Jersey family who had kept it for nearly 50 years after Dylan left it on a private plane. - AP, 10/25/17...... Composer Jim Steinman's "Bat Out of Hell: The Musical," based on Meat Loaf's 1977 album, officially opened on Oct. 25 at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre where it will remain in production until Dec. 24. The musical, directed by Jay Scheib, opened in Manchester, England, in February of this year and ran until the end of April, then moved to London's West End from June until late August. Steinman originally wrote Bat Out of Hell for the stage in 1975. It was performed once, under the name "Neverland," in 1977. Forty years and many script revisions later, "Bat Out of Hell: The Musical" is now about some rebellious teens in post-apocalyptic Obsidian, ruled by the tyrannical Falco. A character named Strat (Andrew Polec) falls in love with the leader's daughter, Raven (Christina Bennington), and sets out to rescue her. "People have such a love for the music, as we do," Bennington says. "It's so great that people feel liberated enough that they can come and sing along." Meat Loaf hasn't seen the production yet, however he met Polec and Bennington for the first time in Toronto in May where they were in town to promote the upcoming show. A CD of the musical was released on Oct. 20. - The Hollywood Reporter, 10/26/17...... Singer Dick Noel, known as the "King of the Jingles" for his work on commercials, died on Oct. 27 in Escondido, Calif., after a long illness. He was 90. Mr. Noel was also known for his work with the Ray Anthony Orchestra and his appearances on TV shows in the 1960s hosted by Arthur Godfrey and Tennessee Ernie Ford. A Time for Love, his highly regarded 1978 album made in collaboration with pianist Larry Novak, featured world-weary renditions of such ballads as "Send in the Clowns" and "Here's That Rainy Day," and he was praised in the liner notes by famed jazz vocalist Mel Torme. The Brooklyn native also hosted several radio programs, sang regularly on The Ruth Lyons Show in Cincinnati and then joined Don McNeill's popular Breakfast Club, for which he was the lead singer on that Chicago-based radio show for years. After leaving Ford's variety program in 1965 Mr. Noel returned to Chicago, where he sang on a multitude of national TV and radio commercials. "The King of the Jingles" was said to have recorded 15,000 spots, including those for United Airlines and MacDonald's, during his career. He retired to the San Diego area in the late 1980s, and is survived by Nancy, his wife of 40 years, and daughters Patricia and Catherine and stepchildren Ken, Cliff and Laura. - The Hollywood Reporter, 10/26/17.

Fats Domino, a rock pioneer and boogie-woogie piano legend who became one of rock 'n' roll's most iconic architects, passed away of natural causes in his home in New Orleans on Oct. 24. He was 89. Born Antoine Domino on Feb. 26, 1928 in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, Mr. Domino was raised in the same environment that produced Little Richard, Professor Longhair and Dr. John. His first professional appearance was at age 10, and he pounded away on the piano at local bars until 1949 when he was given a regular engagement by bandleader and and trumpeter Dave Bartholomew, which began a professional partnership that survived and flourished through the years, with Bartholomew becoming Mr. Domino's musical arranger and co-writer. That same year, Mr. Domino signed a record deal with Imperial Records, and his debut single, "The Fat Man," became his first million-seller. By 1955 he'd made a name for himself, produced some of his finest material and stockpiled a number of gold and multi-platinum singles. His pounding, up-tempo piano style made him a natural rock 'n' roller and he never had to adapt at all ("I wouldn't say I invented rock & roll but I don't remember anyone before me playing that stuff," he once said). Mr. Domino established himself with this new audience, both in terms of his concert appearances, and with a collection of rock classics that were uniquely his own, including "Ain't That a Shame," "I'm Walkin'," "Blueberry Hill" and "Margie." He also appeared in two early rock 'n' roll movies -- The Girl Can't Help It and Shake, Rattle and Roll. Though he was hugely popular and appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand in 1957, he and his band were still denied lodging and forced to use segregated facilities while touring in the 1950s. Mr. Domino earned his last gold disc -- his twentieth -- in 1960 with "Walkin' to New Orleans," and the rest of the decade proved to be a dormant period. In 1967, Beatles manager Brian Epstein persuaded him to play his first British concert, at the Saville Theatre. Mr. Domino subsequently made further U.K. visits, and also found his career re-activated by the '50s rock 'n' roll revival boom, aided by a small part in the 1973 rockumentary Let the Good Times Roll. Mr. Domino then went into semi-retirement, living in luxury in New Orleans with his wife and eight children, but still playing regular dates in Las Vegas and toured the world. After leaving Imperial, Mr. Domino recorded albums for labels including Mercury, Warner Bros., Atlantic and Broadmoor, releasing his final major-label album, Christmas is a Special Day, in 1993. A health scare eventually took him off the road in 1991, and his stately New Orleans home was destroyed in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina when flood waters swamped the Lower 9th Ward, wiping out most of his possession and forcing a helicopter evacuation by the Coast Guard. Mr. Domino was one of the initial inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 alongside such fellow icons as Elvis, James Brown, Little Richard and Chuck Berry, and he received the National Medal of Arts from former Pres. Bill Clinton in 1998 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. On Oct. 25, his family released a statement saying that he "passed away peacefully at home surrounded by those he loved and those who loved him." "His music reached across all boundaries and carried him to all corners of the world," it continues, before quoting lyrics from his 1960 song "Rising Sun." Funeral arrangements are pending. - The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock/Billboard, 10/25/17.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on Feb. 16th, 2016

Bruce Springsteen has announced he will release his long awaited autobiography this fall. Titled Born to Run, the book will feature the Boss' memories told in "disarming candor," according to a press release. Springsteen said he began the book after watching the 2009 Super Bowl. "Writing about yourself is a funny business," Springsteen was quoted as saying. "But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I've tried to do this." Springsteen was reportedly paid a $10 million advance for the memoir from publisher Simon & Schuster. The work will be published in hardcover, ebook, and audio editions by Simon & Schuster on Sept. 27 in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and India, and rights have already been sold to publishers in nine countries. - Billboard, 2/11/16...... Sting performed to a sold-out audience at Toronto's Air Canada Center on Feb. 14 during the NBA All-Star Game half-time show. The 64-year-old former Police frontman's 10-minute set included the his 1999 solo hit "Desert Rose," the reggae-rock classic "Message in a Bottle," the hard-rocking "Next to You," and finally the smash hit ballad "Every Breath You Take." Meanwhile, Sting says he's "thrilled and surprised" that "Stolen Car," his duet with French singer Mylene Farmer, has just hit No. 1 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. "I'm absolutely thrilled and surprised," Sting said. "It's so great to be No. 1, especially on the Dance Club Songs chart. Wow!" An earlier version of the song, featuring Twista, topped the Billboard singles chart in 2004. - Billboard, 2/15/16...... Barry Manilow was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital on Feb. 11 due to "complications from emergency oral surgery that Manilow had on Monday (Feb. 8)," according to a statement on his Facebook page on Feb. 11. The crooner, 72, is in the midst of his One Last Time - One Last Tour trek and had completed a sold-out show in Memphis when he was flown back to Los Angeles. Manilow was forced to reschedule shows in Kentucky and Tennessee due to the emergency, however the singer made a surprise return to the stage for Clive Davis' pre-Grammys party in L.A. on Feb. 14, just days after being hospitalized. Manilow reportedly showed no ill effects when he appeared at Davis' glittering annual party, and opened his performance with a rendition of his 1976 hit "Mandy." "I'm really glad to be here. What a week!," Manilow said after the performance. "This is the 40th anniversary of the release of "Mandy" -- and the beginning of this beautiful party." His latest album was nominated at the Grammy Awards for what would have been second Grammy Award. - Billboard, 2/15/16...... In other Grammy news, Lady Gaga performed an extended tribute to David Bowie during the 58th annual show at the Staples Center in L.A. on Feb. 15. Gaga channeled the late rock icon's Ziggy Stardust persona as she ran through several of his hits, including "Space Oddity," ''Let's Dance," ''Changes" and "Heroes." Days before the Grammys, it was reported Gaga got a large tattoo of Bowie's face on the side of her body. "I don't know who I'd be if I didn't have (Bowie as) a figure in my life. I don't know what my identity would be," Gaga said before the show. Also at the ceremony, the legacy of late Earth, Wind & Fire mastermind Maurice White was saluted as the surviving members of the group, which is the recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, presented the Record of the Year statuette at the show. Late Eagles member Glenn Frey was also honored with surviving current and former members Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, Joe Walsh and Timothy Schmit uniting with Jackson Browne to perform the Eagles' 1972 hit "Take It Easy." Two nights earlier, another Frey tribute was held at the Troubadour club in L.A., with Bonnie Raitt, Lee Ann Womack, Jack Ingram and others participating. And a Grammys tribute to former Commodores member and '80s solo star Lionel Richie took place, with Richie, Demi Lovato John Legend performing a medley of some of Richie's biggest hits, including "Easy Like Sunday Morning," "Hello," "Penny Lover," "Brick House" and "All Night Long." - AP/Billboard/New Musical Express, 2/16/16...... The suburban Detroit neighborhood of Royal Oak has approved named a stretch of street after late Eagles star Glenn Frey, who was born in Detroit and grew up in Royal Oak. Glenn Frey Drive will run adjacent to Royal Oak Middle School - the former Dondero High where Frey was a student. On Feb. 11, the Royal Oak School Board voted 12-0 to rename part of Willis Avenue after Frey. New signs are expected to go up by Feb. 18, one month to the date after Frey died of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia in New York at age 67. - AP, 2/11/16...... Phil Collins released the first two titles in his "Take a Look at Me Now" reissue series, 1981's Face Value and 1993's Both Sides, on Jan. 29. The second batch, 1982's Hello, I Must Be Going! and 1996's Dance Into the Light come out Feb. 26. Fans of the original albums my be surprised by the new album cover photos for the series -- which are nearly identical replicas of the original covers save for Collins' current face in place of the initial images. "I wanted to bring something new to (the packages), so we came up with the idea of the second CD and then I had the idea to re-shoot all the album covers," Collins says. "It kind of brought it into this period now that we're living in, and these songs were personal to me then and they're still personal to me now. I had a great team. I had a great photographer and a great computer guy. We had three people there that were just working on the lighting and the look, and we managed to replicate all the covers beautifully." The former Genesis drummer added that the upcoming reissue of his 2010 album Going Back, which was mostly an album of R&B and Motown covers, will come out with fewer songs and a revised sequence. "I loved the original songs and I loved what we've done with my replicas of those songs," he says of the LP. "So we put everything on, but I think maybe it was too much. I think for a number of reasons that album was missed." - Billboard, 2/14/16...... Surviving Doors members Robby Krieger and John Densmore participated in an all-star charity tribute to late Doors member Ray Manzarek at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 12. The two musicians were joined by an eclectic array of guest vocalists filling in for Jim Morrison, including Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters and Andrew Wyatt. But the real thrill for the artists and capacity crowd was seeing Krieger and Densmore play together again on the Doors number "When the Music's Over," featuring Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes on vocals and guitar. Before the song, Krieger shared a story about "When the Music's Over" that began with Morrison and his wife Pam calling him at 3 a.m., having taken too much acid. According to Krieger, they summoned him to their home, freaking out, where he suggested they go into nearby L.A.'s Griffith Park to get with nature and come down off their trip. As a result Morrison missed the session for "When the Music's Over," so they recorded the track without him, only to have him show up later and want to add his part. So the singer overdubbed his vocals. "He got it in one take," Krieger said, drawing applause and laughter from the crowd. The concert benefited the Stand Up To Cancer fund, which was founded by Manzarek. - Billboard, 2/13/16...... Bob Dylan is reportedly working on another album of cover standards to follow up his 36th studio album, 2015's Shadows In the Night, at Hollywood's Capitol Studios. "It's going along great," Schmitt said. "[Dylan] sounds great," says engineer Al Schmitt, who also worked on Shadows. "His mood in the studio is fabulous. We're having a good time. We're like two old shoes together now, we're so comfortable with one another now," he added. Schmitt did not confirm whether the songs would be covers of Frank Sinatra songs like Shadows In the Night. That album, recorded live by Dylan and a five-piece band, debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. - Billboard, 2/14/16...... Black Sabbath performed at the Forum in Los Angeles on Feb. 11, one of the heavy metal gods' first North American dates on their "The End" tour. Sabbath opened with the eponymous first song from their also self-titled debut album, with frontman Ozzy Osbourne struggling to find his voice. Sabbath also treated the crowd to such classics as "War Pigs," "Children of the Grave" and "After Forever." - Billboard, 2/13/16...... Elton John will be among the headliners at an upcoming Hillary Clinton fundraiser concert on March 2 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Clinton, a 2016 presidential hopeful, announced the concert on Twitter, and both former President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton will be present at the event. Tickets (at $125 each) will benefit the Hillary Victory Fund. Also headlining the concert will be Katy Perry and Andra Day. - Billboard, 2/12/16...... In other Elton news, the Rocket Man recently told a U.S. radio station that he feels the Rolling Stones are no longer relevant. "I think Mick [Jagger] wants to still be relevant on the radio -- well they are not," Sir Elton said. "What I think the Rolling Stones should do is a great blues record, and go back to what they used to do -- and do things like 'Come On' - the Chuck Berry song like they did in their early career. That is what they should do," he added. John released his latest studio album, Wonderful Crazy Night, on Feb. 5 via Island Records. - New Musical Express, 2/14/16...... Speaking of the Rolling Stones, the members of the band are under a 24-hour armed guard on their South American tour following the shooting of a worker at one of their gigs. The band have taken extra precautions after a man was shot dead in botched attempt to steal drinks takings from their La Plata stadium show. A 55-year-old contractor was killed when three cars attempted to hijack a van transporting cash from alcohol sales after the concert. In the wake of the incident, the Stones have stepped up their security arrangements and will travel separately, escorted by armed bodyguards. Meanwhile, frontman Mick Jagger has revealed in a new Esquire interview that he originally wanted the new HBO series Vinyl, which he co-produced and stars his son James Jagger, to be a movie. "It was a movie idea. I went to Marty (co-producer Martin Scorsese) and said that I'd like to do something that covers the actual inside of the record business, using (his film) Casino as shorthand." Instead, the end result was instead a 10-part TV series, telling the story of 1970s New York-based music executive Richie Finestra (Bobby Cannavale), with themes of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll featuring heavily. - NME/Esquire, 2/14/16...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has blasted Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on a new post on his website. "Trump supporters [are] so seemingly unaware of his lies and bullshit," Byrne said in the lengthy essay, which he titled "The Echo Chamber." Byrne added that Trump's rise coincides with a socio-economic shift in American society. "My guess is that the middle class senses the end of the American dream and that white middle class Americans are experiencing a lack of mobility and opportunity in the economic spheres where they were previously the privileged and entitled majority. This probably drives a lot of Sanders supporters, too," he continues, "though my bias leads me to assume that Sanders isn't propagating outright lies and misconceptions -- he's actually addressing issues and not simply massaging his ego and building his brand." - NME, 2/12/16...... Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour has been confirmed to headline the upcoming Teenage Cancer Trust series of gigs, which are being curated by The Who's Roger Daltrey. The gigs will run at the famed 5,000 capacity Royal Albert Hall in London from April 19-24. Gilmour will headline the closing concert on Apr. 24, while other performers include Simply Red (4/21) and New Order (4/23). "I'm very happy to be announcing such a varied line up," Daltrey said in a press release. "The money raised is invaluable to this charity, which receives no government funding in England, to help young people with cancer in the NHS." - NME, 2/15/16...... Carole King gets the American Masters treatment on Feb. 19 when PBS premieres the new documentary Carole King: American Woman. When you see the compelling stories behind her career -- from her years as a behind-the-scenes hit writer for other singers during pop music's Brill Building era to her James Taylor collaborations to Tapestry to winning the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song -- it's clear that King is a natural legend. - Entertainment Weekly, 2/19/16.

What is being touted as the "largest lock of John Lennon's hair" ever sold has been put up for action online by the Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. According to the sales description, the lock of hair was trimmed from the late Beatles legend in Sept. 1966 during the filming of the Richard Lester-directed movie How I Won the War, which featured Lennon. Bidding has reached as high as $12,000 for the lock, and previous locks of Lennon's hair have fetched $48,000 in 2007 and $25,600 in 2015. - Rolling Stone, 2/9/16...... In other Beatles-related news, a new report conducted by the Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Liverpool, and commissioned by Liverpool City Council, has found that the tourist income generated by the Fab Four to their home city adds almost £82 million to the city's economy, and supports as many as 2,335 jobs. The report found that the "Beatles economy" in Liverpool grows 15 per cent each year with "further significant growth potential" in the future. A University of Liverpool professor stressed the importance of "maintaining standards in efforts to promote this legacy," while another prof added that "we need to convey the core point that Liverpool was not just the birthplace of The Beatles, it was their cradle; what they learned as Liverpudlians they took into the world... The self-confidence and openness to cultural influences remains a vibrant and distinctive aspect of the life of the city. The still fresh music of The Beatles reminds us who we are and who we could become." The Beatles formed in Liverpool in 1960 and became instrumental in the local Mersey Beat scene during their early career. In Dec. 2015, the city unveiled a new Beatles statue to mark the band's final performance in the city, on Dec. 5, 1965. - New Musical Express, 2/8/16...... A Grammy tribute to late Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey will feature past and present surviving members of the band -- Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, Joe Walsh and Timothy Schmit as well as "Take It Easy" co-writer Jackson Browne -- during the 2016 Grammys, which is set for Feb. 15 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It seems a sure bet the Eagles and Browne's setlist will include "Take It Easy," which was written primarily by Browne with contributions from Frey. Frey died at age 67 of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia after several months of illness. His last performance with the Eagles took place in Louisiana on July 29, 2015. The Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on CBS on Feb. 15. - Billboard, 2/10/16...... Elton John has told a British music website that he's planning on collaborating with the contemporary band The Killers and their frontman Brandon Flowers for the next Flowers LP. "I'm hoping to go to Vegas and write with Brandon for the new Killers record| So that'll be interesting," said John, who also expressed his love of working with other artists in the studio. "It's just great to be able to see how other people sing, what they write, how they do it, and it gives you an idea of, 'Oh they do it that way'," Sir Elton remarked. - New Musical Express, 2/9/16...... Late Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister will be honored with a life-size, bronze statue to be erected outside his favorite bar in Los Angeles, the Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip. Fans commissioned the statue, which was made by L.A. artist Travis Moore, through a crowdfunding campaign, with over $15,000 raised for the project so far. Kilmister was a regular at the bar before he passed away on Dec. 28 at age 70, and the bar recently hosted a memorial in his honor. - New Musical Express, 2/8/16...... Iggy Pop, who will be releasing a new studio album, Post Pop Depression, on Mar. 18, has revealed that it could be his last. "I feel like I'm closing up after this. That's what I feel. It's my gut instinct," Pop said in an interview on Feb. 6. Pop added that he still might perform occasionally -- such as "singing 'Happy Birthday' at your mother's (or) something like that" -- but "to really make a real album you really have to put everything into it and the energy's more limited now." Pop, 68, recently announced that he will headline London's Royal Albert Hall with his new band in May, and then play selected dates around the globe. Pop released the first track from Post Pop Depression, "Gardenia," in late January. - NME, 2/6/16...... The Grateful Dead-spawned superground Dead & Company has announced it keep on truckin' with a summer tour of 17 American dates beginning on June 10 in Charlotte, N.C. Other stops on the tour, with original GD members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti, include Cincinnati; Noblesville, In.; Camden, N.J.; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Bristow, Va.; Flushing, N.Y.; Hartford, Conn.; Boulder, Col.; Detroit; East Troy, Mich.; and Pittsburgh before the tour wraps with a two-night stand in Boston on July 15 and 16. The band is also set to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Feb. 18. - Billboard, 2/8/16...... It appears former Chicago principle Peter Cetera won't be participating in Chicago's upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April. Cetera, the group's original singer and bassist who left the group in 1985, posted a copy of a note he sent to Rock Hall Foundation chief Joel Peresman and induction ceremony producer Alex Coletti on his website on Feb. 8 that reverses previous statements that he was willing to play with the band during the April 8 ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. "Unfortunately this scenario doesn't work for me," Cetera wrote. "I know we all did our best to make it happen, but I guess it's just not meant to be. Personally I'm frustrated and tired of dealing with this and it's time to move on. I have a life with two beautiful daughters and a solo career and its time to get back and give them the full attention they deserve. Thanks for all your help and consideration! Have a great show and please send any individual award I receive to the contact you have for me," he added. In December, Chicago singer/keyboardist Robert Lamm announced that Cetera, along with founding Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine, would be attending and performing at the ceremony, only to be corrected by Cetera. Lamm subsequently apologized for making the announcement without Cetera's confirmation, and in January, Cetera posted a letter on his website saying he was willing to perform "25 or 6 to 4" that night, also suggesting that all of Chicago's living members, past and present, be invited to play the song. Earlier in February, Lamm told Billboard that "I don't even know if our band is going to play... I don't know if it's going be a house band or Paul Shaffer playing. I have no idea. It'll all be worked out, I'm sure, but as to what I know now, it's very little." Lamm said Cetera's refusal to take part in the ceremony could have been due to his "wanting to to play [the song] in a different key if he was going to play with us, which is definitely not going to happen, and then he wanted to play with his band but not with us and sing his songs or sing whatever songs the Hall wants him to sing... It's all very strange." As of now, Lamm and remaining co-founders Lee Loughnane, James Pankow and Walter Parazaider are confirmed to participate in the induction. - Billboard, 2/8/16...... Don McLean has pleaded not guilty to a domestic violence charge after the "American Pie" singer was arrested on Jan. 18 when his wife filed a handwritten request for protection. McLean's attorney announced on Feb. 8 that the singer entered the plea in writing and will not appear in court in Maine when his case is heard on Feb. 22. The attorney says nothing substantial will come of the misdemeanor count on that date because of the handwritten plea. McLean and his wife later announced through the attorney that they had "agreed to move forward," and the protection order was dismissed. McLean and his wife life in Camden, Maine. - AP, 2/8/16...... A home in Mayfair, London where Jimi Hendrix once lived that has been converted to a museum was opened to the public for the first time on Feb. 10. Hendrix lived at the flat at 23 Brook Street, which was owned by Hendrix's then girlfriend Kathy Etchingham, for a year between 1968-69. Among the items on display at the museum are a copy of Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited that is stained with Hendrix's blood. Fans will also be able to view the top floor of the home with organisers having spent two years renovating it to its original form. - New Musical Express, 2/9/16...... Carlos Santana has taken to Facebook to criticize his hometown of San Francisco for not featuring "local" Bay Area bands to be featured in the Super Bowl 50 halftime show on Feb. 7. "I do feel compelled to point out to you that the Halftime Show should have included some of the local iconic bands that the World would have loved to see perform," reads a Feb. 9 post by Santana, who was featured in a Super Bowl highlight reel playing guitar. "Bands like Metallica, Steve Miller, Journey and yours truly. We would have rocked the Half Time Show and done the SF Bay Area proud," he added. After reading Santana's post, Journey updated their own Facebook page with the message, "Thank You Carlos, and yes we would have all Rocked it!" - Billboard, 2/9/16...... David Bowie's widow Inman has broken her silence for the first time since her late husband's passing on Jan. 10 with a simple message on Twitter. "'Love & Gratitude' - Iman," she posted on Feb. 6. Inman had posted a number of Twitter messages in the days leading up to Bowie's death, including: "The struggle is real, but so is god" and "Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory." Meanwhile, Bowie's Duncan Jones has revealed on Twitter that he's going to become a dad. "1 month since dad died today. Made this card for him at Christmas. Due in June. Circle of life. Love you, granddad," Jones posted on Feb. 10, alongside a cartoon drawing of an unborn foetus. Jones then went on to ask for parental advice in a series of tweets, saying: "So how knackering is it having a baby? Moon shoot knackering or morning after a house party knackering?" - NME, 2/10/16...... In related news, Mick Jagger's son James Jagger has told Britain's The Independent paper that he actually prefers The Kinks to his dad's famous rock band. "When people ask me if I prefer the Rolling Stones or the Beatles, then I will always say the Rolling Stones. But if someone asks if I prefer the Rolling Stones or The Kinks, I'd choose The Kinks," said James. The 30-year-old son of Mick and model Jerry Hall, who has begun a career in acting, is due to star in the new HBO drama series Vinyl, which premieres on the channel on Feb. 14. - NME, 2/8/16...... Paris Jackson, the 17-year-old daughter of Michael Jackson, has suggested she has troubles with alcohol and is attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings during a series of furious rants on Instagram. "This is f---ing ridiculous. I am expected to literally sit on my ass all day replying to comments people leave me (positive and negative)?" Paris posted. "I have AA meetings to go to. Family obligations. Personal obligations. Its so f---ing selfish that I am literally attacked on every f---ing thing I post just because people that I don't even know aren't getting what they want," she added. Paris' rant comes more than two years after she was hospitalized following an apparent suicide attempt in June, 2013. - WENN.com 2/5/16...... San Francisco-based musician Dan Hicks, who began his music career in the 1960s and was the founder of Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, died on Feb. 6 after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 74. Hicks, a veteran Bay Area singer/songwriter/band leader, formed the Hot Licks after leaving the band The Charlatans, a pioneer of the '60s psychedelic "San Francisco sound" along with the likes of the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. The Hot Licks produced several successful albums but broke up in 1973, at the height of its popularity. Perhaps best known for the songs "I Scare Myself" and "Canned Music," Hicks' songs were frequently infused with humor, as evidenced by the title of one of his tunes, "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away?" Hicks' latest album, Live at Davies, was released in 2013. Hicks was diagnosed with throat and liver cancer in 2014, and in March 2015 he announced on his website that he had been stricken with liver cancer and, while "confident" in his recovery, would be postponing all live performances. "My darling darling husband left this earth early this morning. He was true blue, one of a kind, and did it all his own way always," his wife CT Hicks posted on Dan's Facebook page on Feb. 6. - AP/Billboard, 2/6/16...... Singer Joe Dowell, who was briefly popular in the early 1960s with a No. 1 hit titled "Wooden Heart," died on Feb. 4 at a hospital in his longtime hometown of Bloomington, Ill. He was 76. "Wooden Heart" already had been a hit for Elvis Presley in Europe when Dowell's version was released in the US. With its bouncy tempo and echoed vocal track, the song topped the Billboard chart in early Sept. 1961. Dowell's other songs included "The Bridge of Love" and "Little Red Rented Rowboat." In subsequent years he recorded commercial voiceovers and gospel songs.