Posted by Administrator on September 28th, 2024
Billy Joel announced on Instagram on Sept. 27 that he'll play five one-night-only U.S. stadium gigs in 2025 with support from recent tour mates Sting and Stevie Nicks. The Piano Man will kick off the run on Feb. 8 in Indianapolis, then hit Syracuse, NY (4/11), Charlotte, NC (5/10), and Salt Lake City (5/23) with Sting opening all those dates; on Mar. 29 Nicks will be on hand for a concert at Ford Field in Detroit. Joel's current tour takes him to St. Louis (9/27) with Sting, followed by shows in Inglewood, CA (10/12), San Antonio, Tex. (10/25). Later 2024 concerts include stops in Las Vegas and Hollywood, FL. Earlier this summer, Joel wrapped up his historic 10-year MSG residency, which ran for 104 shows and earned $266.7 million on sales of 1.9 million tickets. Meanwhile, Sting has announced a series of UK festival and outdoor headline shows for summer 2025. The former Police frontman is due to perform headlining sets at Isle Of Wight Festival on June 20th and Latitude (June 24 to 27), along with a string of other appearances continuing into July. The performances will form part of his "STING 3.0" world tour, which he kicked off in Europe earlier in 2024, followed by the North American leg. - Billboard/NME, 9/27/24...... 
Speaking of Stevie Nicks, the rock icon dropped a powerful new song called "The Lighthouse" inspired by the overturning of Roe v. Wade on Sept. 27. The track opens with a melodic pinging beat and anthemic sound effects as Nicks sings softly, "I have my scars, you have yours/ Don't let them, take your power." As the song intensifies and eventually morphs into an explosive rock n' roll head-banger, the former Fleetwood Mac frontwoman encourages women to "stand up and take it back" in reference to women's rights, specifically abortion access. "They'll take your soul they'll take your power/ Unless you save it," she belts. "And that's that/ Unless you stand up and take it back." Nicks also dropped a music video for "The Lighthouse" on YouTube, which finds her singing passionately inside the lantern room of an actual lighthouse looking out onto stormy seas. It also splices in photos taken from women's rights marches. Speaking of the song, Nicks revealed that she "wrote this song a few months after Roe v. Wade was overturned" in June 2022. "It seemed like overnight, people were saying, 'What can we, as a collective force, do about this,'" she continued in her note. "For me, it was to write a song." "I have often said to myself, 'This may be the most important thing I ever do,'" Nicks added. "To stand up for the women of the United States and their daughters and granddaughters -- and the men that love them. This is an anthem." - Billboard, 9/27/24...... Ringo Starr has been forced to cancel the two final shows of the summer 2024 tour with his All-Starr Band after coming down with a cold. The group was scheduled to perform at Philadelphia's TD Pavilion at The Mann on Sept. 24 and at NYC's Radio City Music Hall on Sept. 25, however, "after consulting a doctor [Starr] was advised to cancel these two remaining shows and get rest," according to a press release. "As always, Ringo and the All Starrs send peace and love to their fans and hope to see them soon," the statement concludes, after encouraging them to contact their ticket distributor for refunds. Ringo released has latest recording, a four-track EP titled Rewind Forward, in Oct. 2023. - Billboard, 9/24/24...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, a book version of John Lennon's 1973 album Mind Games sits atop Amazon.com's bestseller list for celebrity photography after dropping on Sept. 24. The new book is giving fans an exclusive look into the making of Mind Games through never-before-seen photography, letters and lyrics written by the late artist and wife Yoko Ono. It features an in-depth look at the creation, recording and release of the album in addition to news clippings of Lennon during that period of his life, along with commentary from fellow musicians, friends, engineers and other key figures. Coinciding with the launch of the book, a deluxe 6-CD/2-Blu-ray remixed and reissued version of Mind Games is being released. - Billboard, 9/26/24...... Also releasing a new book about his farewell tour that promises to be an "epic visual journey" is Elton John. The Rocket Man is taking his final trip down the yellow brick road in Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour, which gives fans exclusive access to his record-breaking Farewell tour with never-before-seen photos and postcards from his life on the road. Each page spotlights key moments and memories from the almost five-year spanning tour, written by John himself, with a forward by Sir Elton's husband and manager, David Furnish. Meanwhile, Elton has heaped praise on the Irish band Fontaines D.C. in a new interview on his Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music. "For me, you're the best band out there at the moment," John told Fontaines D.C.'s frontman Grian Chatten. "Having watched you at Glastonbury, having heard the new album, you've just grown every album... You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way it's a brilliant record," he added. - Billboard, 9/24/24...... After actress Shailene Woodley revealed she's set to star in and produce a Janis Joplin on Sept. 10, her collaborator and songwriter Linda Perry told Entertainment Weekly that the documentary will be a "raw and honest" look at the last days of Joplin, who died from a heroin overdose at age 27. "I've been waiting decades for this movie to be made," Perry told the publication. "There are no words to convey how honoured I am to be included in what I believe to be a raw and honest look into Janis Joplin's last days." She continued: "Shailene Woodley's emotional commitment and dedication to Janis is inspiring. I believe her! Shailene lives for the art and I can't think of a better person to portray such a powerful, emotional, and complex artist." In a statement, Woodley said she "discovered she could sing" during preparation for the project. "California meant so much to Janis Joplin -- from the stoops of San Francisco to the wooden walls of Sunset Sound, the state became the stage upon which she explored not just the world of music, but the world of her vibrant humanity," Woodley said. - NME, 9/26/24...... 
Herb Alpert has released his 50th studio album -- appropriately titled 50 -- and says he "can't believe I've recorded 50 albums out there." "I've been married (to singer Lani Hall) 50 years this year. A lot of things have happened in my life that are so startling. I never dreamed of having a career like I've had. I'm certainly grateful for it." But the 89-year-old insists he's "not on a victory tour." "It's not about that. It's that I love doing it. I love to play the horn. I love to play the horn. I love playing with great musicians. I love doing it. I'm a right-brain guy; I play, I'm painting for over 50 years, sculpting for over 40. It just gives me reason to be," he says. Born in Los Angeles into a musical family, Alpert began writing songs during the late '50s and putting out records of his own, first billed as Dore (his given name) Alpert, in 1960. Since then, he's sold more than 74 million records worldwide with his Tijuana Brass band and on his own; placing 39 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (including two No. 1s); winning eight Grammy Awards; receiving a Trustees Award from the Recording Academy; winning a Tony; getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006; and receiving the National Medal of the Arts in 2013. Alpert was also the "A" in the famed A&M Records label, which he started in 1962 with Jerry Moss. Moss passed away 13 months ago, and another of A&M's stalwarts, Brazilian keyboardist and Brasil '66 bandleader Sergio Mendes, died on Sept. 5 -- another death that hit close to home for Alpert, who signed the group to A&M and produced its 1966 debut album. It was Mendes who introduced Alpert to Hall, too, when she was part of Brasil '66. "He was an extraordinarily gifted musician. We just hit it off," Alpert says of Mendes. "He was into life. He was a very unusual guy. He's missed by everyone who came into contact with him." 50, currently the No. 1 new Jazz release on Amazon.com, features Alpert's usual mix of original compositions and covers. "I don't have a master plan for recording an album," he says. "I don't have a concept. I just take songs that I like, and when I feel it's worthy of putting out there for other people to listen to, I put out an album. But really I'm just trying to entertain myself more than anything." - Billboard, 9/26/24...... Sony Music Vision and Columbia Records announced on Sept. 26 that a new Barbra Streisand documentary will dive even deeper into the Grammy-winning diva's life than her bestselling 2023 memoir My Name Is Barbra. "For years I've been thinking about the best way to share the vast amount of content I've been safely storing in my vault. These films, photos and music masters -- many never seen or heard by the public -- hold some of my most cherished memories," said Streisand in a statement about granting the production unprecedented access to her personal archives, including hundreds of hours of never-before-seen video, photos and audio recordings, as well as personal items from throughout her career. According to the press release announcing the project, the series will "offer an intimate and comprehensive exploration of every facet of the iconic multi-hyphenate, who, in a career-spanning six decades, has excelled in every area of entertainment." It added that the access to Streisand's personal archives alongside contemporary verit will provide an "in-depth look at Streisand's star-studded past and her current artistic endeavors." A title and release date for the doc have not yet been announced. - Billboard, 9/26/24...... Neil Young suprised fans during a show at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY on Sept. 24 by performing his elusive 1977 song "Hey Babe" live for the first time ever. In 1977, Young wrote and released "Hey Babe" along with backing from Crazy Horse, Linda Ronstadt and Nicolette Larson as part of his eighth studio album American Stars 'N Bars. For the 47 years since its release, the song was just one of two tracks off the record that had never been performed live, alongside "Will To Love." Following the cancellation of a summer tour with Crazy Horse due to an undisclosed illness, the 'Rockin' In The Free World' singer returned to the stage to perform at the 2024 edition of Farm Aid at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY on Sept. 21. In June, the band released a new archival album, Early Daze. Footage of his rare performance of "Hey Babe" can be streamed on YouTube. - NME, 9/26/24...... Daryl Hall is prepping for a short fall tour with '80s hitmaker Howard Jones. The eight-date tour launches in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 7, heads north to Evans, Ga., on Nov. 16, Nashville and Knoxville in Tennessee, and culminates in Atlantic City, N.J., on Nov. 23. "Howard and I get along really well, and I think he's great," says Hall. Before the tour kicks off, Hall will perform a free, private concert on Oct. 31 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Daryl's House Club venue and restaurant in Pawling, N.Y. - Billboard, 9/25/24...... Black Sabbath co-founders Tony Iommi and Bill Ward have shared a new photo together. The Birmingham natives were in their home city on Sept. 24 to attend the Lord Mayor's reception for International Birmingham Day. Iommi shared the photo on X, alongside the caption: "You just never know who you'll bump into in Birmingham!" The impromtu meeting comes in the midst of rumours about the possibility of a one-off reunion show from the band. Ward himself shared his thoughts on a potential gig in July, writing on X, "I'm in for playing some of everyone's old favourites. Loved playing them then, I'd love to play them one last time." Ward parted ways with the metal legends in 2012, citing an "unreasonable contract." He would go on to miss the band's Reunion Tour and the swansong The End Tour, which culminated in 2017. Ward's post followed Ozzy Osbourne, Iommi and Geezer Butler all expressing interest in the idea recently. - NME, 9/25/24...... The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has unveiled an eclectic list of performers and presenters for its Class of 2024 induction ceremony, set for Oct. 19 at Cleveland, Ohio's Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (not far from the RRHOF's Cleveland headquarters. Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, James Taylor, Jelly Roll, Julia Roberts, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Lucky Daye, Mac McAnally, Method Man, Roger Daltrey, Sammy Hagar, Slash and The Roots will all be on hand at the ceremony, however it's not yet known which performers and presenters are attached to which 2024 Rock Hall inductees. The Class of 2024 includes Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest in the performers category. In the musical influence category, Alexis Korner, John Mayall and "Big Mama" Thornton will be inducted; all three pioneers are deceased, with Mayall dying at the age of 90 this July, just three months after his induction was announced. Additionally, Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whitfield enter the Rock Hall in the musical excellence category. Suzanne de Passe will be given the Ahmet Ertegun Award. The event will livestream on Disney+ on Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. ET. ABC will air a primetime special featuring the evening's biggest moments on Jan. 1, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET, which will be available on Disney+ and Hulu on Jan. 2. - Billboard, 9/25/24...... 
Traffic co-founder and '70s solo star Dave Mason canceled his forthcoming US tour on Sept. 25 after being diagnosed with a "serious heart condition." Mason, 78, had been scheduled to embark on a run of solo concerts this autumn, with it recently being announced that the singer-songwriter, guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee would be forced to "miss the first couple [of] shows in Phoenix and Las Vegas" following "the advice of doctors." However, his team has since shared a statement to announce that the full tour has been axed due to health reasons. "Dave Mason has announced the cancellation of his Fall 'Traffic Jam 2024' west coast tour after doctors detected a serious heart condition during a routine appointment that requires immediate medical attention," reads a post on Instagram. "His team of doctors expect a full and successful recovery, and Mason plans to resume his touring plans in 2025." In a statement, Mason said: "I'm heartbroken to have to cancel these dates, but it's doctor's orders. I'll be back, and better than ever, in 2025." A total of 13 shows have been shelved, including concerts in Phoenix, Santa Barbara and San Diego, as well as a book sigining in Carson City. Mason co-founded the psychedelic rock band Traffic in 1967, alongside guitarist Steve Winwood, drummer Jim Capaldi and multi-instrumentalist Chris Wood. He is perhaps best known for the group's 1968 song "Feelin' Alright?," which was covered by Joe Cocker. Additionally, Mason joined Fleetwood Mac for a brief stint in the early-to-mid-'90s, and contributed to their 1995 album Time. He has also worked with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney. His 15th and latest solo studio record, Alone Together, Again, was released in 2020. Mason recently published a memoir, titled Only You Know & I Know -- which explores "his colourful, unique, and ultimately triumphant journey through a life in music." - NME, 9/25/24...... In a new interview with The Sun newspaper, Van Morrison says he will "never sing a lyric the same way twice." "I am basically a jazz singer. No matter what genre I'm working in, I'm always improvising," he said. "Jazz is always forward moving and forward looking. I learned from the Louis Armstrong school. Louis said, 'I never sing a song the same way twice.'" Morrison added he likes to sing songs that are as "relevant" today as they were when they were written. He noted: "When I do songs live, I often change lyrics here and there, bringing them up to the present." Also he admits he no longer relates to his 1967 classic "Brown Eyed Girl" and cringes when he sings it live. He confessed: "How can a 79-year-old guy sing about something he wrote when he was 20? It's basically a teenage song. I can't relate to it much now, you know." Morrison will play the Bottom Lounge in Chicago on Sept. 28, and has two shows set for the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Oct. 20 and 21. His new album, New Arrangements and Duets, features two collaborations with Willie Nelson. - Music-News.com, 9/26/24...... Just in time for the sprint to the Nov. 5 presidential election, Bruce Springsteen released the 15-track live collection The Live Series: Songs of Conscience. The collection of live performances recorded between 1981-2023 features songs that ask hard questions about where we are, where we've been and where we're going, including "This Land Is Your Land," "The Promised Land," "Born in the U.S.A.," "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)," "Souls of the Departed," "Long Walk Home," "The Rising," "Sun City" and "Last Man Standing," among others. The album can be streamed on Spotify.com. Also, the entire show of his Sept. 15 headlining slot at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park, NJ is available on CD and as a stream via nugs.net. The Sea.Hear set included the tour premieres of the songs "Blinded By the Light," "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?," "Thundercrack," "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" and "Meeting Across the River," as well as the returns of "Local Hero," "Jungleland" and "Jersey Girl." - Billboard, 9/23/24...... Journey lead guitarist Neal Schon has come to the defense of bandmate and vocalist Arnel Pineda, days after the singer told fans he will quit the band "for good" if they want him to leave following their Rock in Rio 2024 set. Earlier in September, the band performed at the Brazilian festival, where Pineda's performance was slammed by fans. This was further amplified by a Facebook video that went viral after showcasing the Filipino singer struggling to hit the right notes for "Don't Stop Believin'." On Sept. 23, Schon shared a clip from the Rock In Rio stage in hopes of clearing the situation with fans. He states that the band only found out "much later" that their PA setup was "extremely limited by Avenged Sevenfold," who were set to perform at the stage at midnight, hours after Journey's 7:00 pm slot. "That means that hardly hardly any sound can get out of the PA to the audience," he writes. "It's a bullshit move. Check out the audience. They loved it the rest of its fabricated crap." - NME, 9/25/24...... Queen guitarist Brian May shared a post on Instagram on Sept. 27 expressing his "painful decision" to resign as The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) vice president after being left with "no other option." May resigned over what he described as "appallingly bad standards of animal welfare in member farms of the RSPCA Assured scheme." "In line with the organisation's core principles," May continued, "and in the clear knowledge that supervision of the Assured scheme had failed and was continuing to fail, I feel the only acceptable policy would have been complete dismantling of the scheme. Instead, the RSPCA have tried to defend their position, and in doing so, in my view, have sacrificed their integrity." He added that "I hope that the RSPCA and Save-Me Trust can continue to fight on the same side in the future, against the agencies of abuse against animals." Meanwhile, May's wife Anita Dobson has told The Sun that her husband is "doing great -- he's on the road to recovery, he's doing really, really well" after a "minor stroke that came on all of a sudden, out of the blue" earlier in September left him without any control over one of his arms. "He's been told to rest. It's hard to keep him resting, but he needs to, otherwise he won't get well," she added. - New Musical Express, 9/27/24...... 
Uriah Heep announced a farewell UK tour for 2025 in an Instagram post on Sept. 24. The London-based rock band, who formed in 1969, will hit the road for the UK leg of "The Magician's Farewell" world tour next February. They are due to play headline gigs in Birmingham, Bristol, Gateshead, Glasgow, Manchester, London and Bexhill. "Under the very apt title of 'The Magician's Farewell' we will start our final journey on the road," says Uriah Heep guitarist Mick Box. "This isn't going to be one of those long, dragged out goodbyes but we do intend over the next 2-3 years to play as many places possible and see you all for one last time. I want to reiterate that the band will continue to play shows as long as we can after we are done touring but these will be limited to one off festival type events and the like." Box added: "On behalf of the band and myself I want to thank you all for the continued support you have always given us and it means so much to us. Look forward to seeing you all again very soon 'Appy Days!" Uriah Heep released their debut album Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble back in 1970. Their 25th and most recent full-length record, Chaos & Colour, came out in early 2023. The band's current line-up consists of Box alongside Phil Lanzon, Bernie Shaw, Russell Gilbrook and Dave Rimmer. - NME, 9/24/24...... Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry is starring in a new campaign for Gucci. Harry, 79, is promoting the "Blondie Bag Collection." The campaign photos show her sitting with the Large Top Handle Bag, worth $6980 (£5205), in the back of a black cab, alongside a Yorkie dog. "What I like the most about Debbie Harry is her irreverence. She is a free spirit in her choices, and she is still an icon," said Creative Director of Gucci, Sabato De Sarno. "I have always been a fan of Blondie; they marked specific moments of my life and inspired generations. She is American but she has a strong connection with London." The bag isn't named after the band though; it gets its name from a Gucci design from the 70s. The campaign comes after Harry announced she was cancelling several Blondie concert dates during August and September. Blondie are working on a new album, which is believed to be set for release in 2025. - Music-News.com, 9/26/24...... ABBA singer Björn Ulvaeus has married his partner Christina Sas in a ceremony officiated by the comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig. Ulvaeus, who has been married twice before, met Sas in Nuremberg, Germany, in 2021 in connection with the release of his band's last album Voyage. The wedding took place in Copenhagen on Sept. 21 in the presence of close friends and family. Ulvaeus posted a number of photos from the day on Instagram, one of which showed the host of BBC show QI, Toksvig, dressed in red robes standing next to Ulvaeus and his wife Sas. ABBA originally comprised two couples -- Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog, and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Fältskog and Ulvaeus, who married in 1971, divorced in 1980, while Andersson and Lyngstad divorced in 1981 -- a year before the band split. Ulvaeus was also previously married to Lena Kallersj. Earlier this year, ABBA marked the 50th anniversary of their Eurovision win with "Waterloo" by releasing a 50th-anniversary reissue of their iconic album in celebration of the milestone. - NME, 9/23/24...... Freddie Salem, former guitarist of the Florida southern rock group The Outlaws, died on Sept. 23 from complications due to cancer. He was 70. "Freddie passed from complications due to cancer and will be remembered for his outgoing personality and passion for music," reads a statement from the band posted on social media. "He first appeared with the Outlaws on the [1978] album 'Playin' To Win' and then remained in the band for the following four albums [1979's 'In The Eye Of The Storm', 1980's 'Ghost Riders', 1982's 'Los Hombres Malo' and 1986's 'Soldiers Of Fortune']." The Outlaws went on to describe Salem as "an electric performer and beloved musician and he will be missed." The late guitarist and vocalist left The Outlaws in 1983 after the group were dropped by Arista Records. He had initially stepped in to replace original member Henry Paul, who departed the line-up in 1977. However, Paul remains a current member of The Outlaws following numerous stints in the band. He is joined by Dave Robbins, Randy Threet, Jeff Aulich, Jimmy Dormire and Mike Bailey. Additionally, Salem appears on The Outlaws' 1978 live album Bring It Back Alive. Salem -- who was born in Akron, OH on May 15, 1954 -- wrote numerous other Outlaws tracks such as "Don't Stop," "White Horses," "Long Gone" and "Devil's Road." He recorded a solo album too, Cat Dance, under the moniker Freddie Salem And The Wild Cats. Elsewhere, he enjoyed a lengthy career as a session guitarist and producer. The Outlaws -- who were formed in Tampa, FL in 1967 -- have previously supported the likes of The Rolling Stones and The Who. - NME, 9/24/24...... 
British actress Maggie Smith, star of stage, film and Downton Abbey died on the morning of Sept. 27 in a London hospital, surrounded by loved ones. She was 89. The masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 also gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films. Ms. Smith's sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, said in a statement that their mother "leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother." Ms. Smith was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench, with a clutch of Academy Award nominations and a shelf full of acting trophies. She remained in demand even in her later years, despite her lament that "when you get into the granny era, you're lucky to get anything." Jean Brodie, in which she played a dangerously charismatic Edinburgh schoolteacher, brought her the Academy Award for best actress, and the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) as well in 1969. She added a supporting actress Oscar for California Suite in 1978, Golden Globes for California Suite and Room with a View, and BAFTAs for lead actress in A Private Function in 1984, A Room with a View in 1986, and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne in 1988. She also received Academy Award nominations as a supporting actress in Othello, Travels with My Aunt, Room with a View and Gosford Park, and a BAFTA award for supporting actress in Tea with Mussolini. On stage, she won a Tony in 1990 for "Lettice and Lovage." Her work in 2012 netted three Golden Globe nominations for the globally successful Downton Abbey TV series and the films The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Quartet. Margaret Natalie Smith was born in Ilford, on the eastern edge of London, on Dec. 28, 1934. She summed up her life briefly: "One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, one's still acting." Her father was assigned in 1939 to wartime duty in Oxford, where her theatre studies at the Oxford Playhouse School led to a busy apprenticeship. "I did so many things, you know, round the universities there. If you were kind of clever enough and I suppose quick enough, you could almost do weekly rep because all the colleges were doing different productions at different times," she said in a BBC interview. Ms. Smith was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire, the equivalent of a knight, in 1990. She married fellow actor Robert Stephens in 1967. They had two sons, Christopher and Toby, and divorced in 1975. The same year she married the writer Beverley Cross, who died in 1998. - AP, 9/27/24.
The Who's Pete Townshend has revealed that he admires Taylor Swift in an interview with the What It Takes podcast. "I'm a song dreamer in a sense," he said. "So I love the great songwriters of my father's era, Gershwin and so on. And also the great songwriters of today, past The Beatles and all the rest of them to Taylor Swift." Townshend went on to praise Swift, saying: "I love what she does, too. Not that she's necessarily absolutely always to my taste, but I just love the fact that she seems to love it, that she seems to be having so much fun. That's what I identify with." Meanwhile, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's son Sean Ono Lennon has weighed in on the international pop phenom on X: "I have never been a fan of her music, although I can't think of a single song so I don't really know if I like it or not," he wrote. "But I know she is a uniquely successful American. A young woman who has done things in a way that no one has done before her." Sean also responded to former US president Donald Trump saying that he "hates" the "Shake It Off" singer after she announced her support for Trump's opponent, Vice Pres. Kamala Harris. "Hating on Taylor Swift is not a good look," Ono Lennon tweeted on Sept. 15. He continued: "A more 'presidential' or gracious criticism might have been something like 'She is a brilliant young woman. I have a lot of respect for what she has accomplished. I don't believe she knows the reality of the party she is endorsing. - NME, 9/22/24...... 
In other Beatles-related news, George Harrison's 1973 No. 1 solo album Living in the Material World is receiving a massive 50th anniversary boxset reissue featuring 12 previously unreleased early recordings from the album. Three versions of the re-issue have been announced: the standard edition, deluxe edition and the super deluxe edition. Approved and overseen by Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison and their son Dhani Harrison, the standard edition of the album will be available in CD and LP formats featuring a brand-new mix by Grammy-winning producer Paul Hicks. The standard edition will also be available on digital and streaming platforms. The deluxe edition will come in 2CD and 2LP formats, with 12 previously unheard and unreleased early recordings from the album's production cycle. The super deluxe edition -- which is limited to just 5,000 units worldwide -- will come with 2CDs, 2LPs, Blu-ray of Dolby Atmos, a 60-page booklet with extensive sleeve notes, photography, and artwork from the Harrison archive, as well as a 7" single of the previously unheard recording of, "Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)" featuring The Band members Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Rick Danko, alongside Harrison's former bandmate Ringo Starr. To accompany the reissue's announcement, the previously unreleased and remixed "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (Take 18)" has been released. "I hope you revisit 'Living in the Material World' or discover it for the first time, and as you listen, share George's wish for himself and mankind Give me Love. Give me Peace on Earth," Olivia Harrison said in a statement, with Dhani Harrison adding: "....For those of you who are just discovering this album; This record was released in service and with deep love for all our Brothers and Sisters around the world who populate this dualistic system we live in called Earth. Peace be upon all sentient beings." The anniversary reissues are due on Nov. 15 via Dark Horse/BMG. - NME, 9/20/24...... The latest installment of Willie Nelson's Farm Aid Festival drew some 21,000 fans to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. on Sept. 21 for a day of celebration, activism and song. Nelson was joined by his fellow Farm Aid board members -- Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price -- on a bill with Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Lukas Nelson with the Travelin' McCourys, Charley Crockett, Cassandra Lewis and others. New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul gave welcoming remarks before two indigenous acts -- the ensemble known as Kontiwennenh:W, from the Akwesasne community of northern New York, and the Wisdom Indian Dancers, who have performed at every Farm Aid since 1990 -- began the joyous hours of music. The first Farm Aid concert was staged on Sept. 22, 1985 in Champaign, Illinois. Since then, Farm Aid has raised nearly $80 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture, while also building connections in the battles against climate change and social injustice. - Billboard, 9/22/24...... A week after scoring his third solo No. 1 album in his native UK with Luck and Strange, David Gilmour has landed his first U.S. No. 1 on Billboard's 33-year-old Top Album Sales chart. Luck and Strange debuted atop the tally dated Sept. 21. The set, which also marks his third top 10-charting effort on the list, sold 30,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 12, according to Luminate. Of Luck and Strange's first-week sales of 30,000, physical sales comprise 25,000 copies and digital download sales comprise 5,000. The album's first-week vinyl sales were bolstered by its availability across four variants, helping it debut at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart. The set was also a sturdy seller at independent record stores, with nearly 4,500 sold through that retail sector. It debuts at No. 2 on the Indie Store Album Sales chart. On the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, Luck and Strange arrives at No. 10, marking Gilmour's third top 10 set on the ranking. Meanwhile, Gilmour has told the UK's Mojo magazine that there are three classic songs by his former band Pink Floyd that he "no longer feels comfortable singing." "There are songs from the past that I no longer feel comfortable singing," he said. "I love 'Run Like Hell'. I loved the music I created for it, but all that 'You'd better run, run, run' I now find that all rather, I don't know a bit terrifying and violent." He continued: "'Another Brick In The Wall' is another one I shan't be doing. I don't think I've done that with my own band, but I certainly did it in the post-Roger Pink Floyd, against my better judgment. The same with 'Money'. I won't be doing that." Gilmour's upcoming European tour, which kicks off on Sept. 27 in Rome, includes five shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London. At the end of October, he'll travel to Los Angeles for three nights at the Hollywood Bowl, then play four nights at New York's Madison Square Garden beginning on Nov. 4. - Billboard/NME, 9/19/24...... 
Current Journey frontman Arnel Pineda has offered to quit the arena rock band into which he was recruited in 2007 after some fans slammed his performance during a Journey show at the Rock in Rio festival earlier in September. After a Facebook video from the show showing Pineda struggling to hit the right notes for "Don't Stop Believin'" went viral, Pineda took to Facebook on Sept. 22 to share that he's been thankful for his time with the band. He linked back to the previously mentioned video and wrote: "no one more than me in this world feels so devastated about this its really amazing how 1 thousand right things you have done will be forgotten just cause of THIS and of all the place, its in Rock In Rio." Pineda continued: "mentally and emotionally, ive suffered already, and im still suffering but i'll be ok" before offering fans the chance to vote for him to stay or leave the band: "I am offering you a chance now (especially those who's hated me and never liked me from the very beginning) to simply text GO or STAY right here and if GO reaches 1million i'm stepping out for good." However since the post went live, support for the singer has been overwhelming, with an abundance of comments calling for him to "stay." In 2020, Pineda shared new details on his upcoming biopic, which will be directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, Wicked). At the time, the film's script was being finalized, but little on its production has transpired since. The film was first announced in 2018. Journey recently quietly cancelled their UK and Ireland 50th anniversary arena tour that was meant to launch on Nov. 2 and run through Nov. 17 amid continued feuding between keyboardist Jonathan Cain and guitarist Neal Schon. - New Musical Express, 9/23/24...... The Roots drummer Questlove announced on Instagram on Sept. 21 that he will direct an upcoming documentary about Earth, Wind & Fire. Questlove says the project is slated for a 2025 release and will be the "definitive story" of the iconic R&B band. "The story of how a band led by a genius from Chicago changed our way of thinking, our minds and our hearts," Questlove wrote alongside a teaser clip. "Having been baptized in the afrocentric joy river of this powerhouse unit, I've learned about them, I've learned about us & more importantly I've learned about and rediscovered myself in the process." The rock doc will also include exclusive access to the group's archives of visual, audio and written material, along with the approval of the estate of Maurice White and the band. EWF's Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson said in a joint statement, "We look forward to this in-depth journey of our band, and are so excited to have Questlove directing the documentary." Questlove took home an Oscar for best documentary feature in 2022 for Summer of Soul, which he directed and executive produced. He is also currently working on a Sly Stone documentary. - Billboard, 9/21/24...... The long-running late-night live sketch comedy variety show Saturday Night Live (SNL), which premiered on NBC in 1975, announced the host and performer line-up for the first five episodes of season 50 in a recent Instagram post. The season premiere on Sept. 28 will be hosted by Jean Smart, with a live performance from Jelly Roll. October 5's episode will see Coldplay perform, hosted by Nate Gargatze. The following week, Fleetwood Mac legend Stevie Nicks will perform while being hosted by Ariana Grande. Nicks' Oct. 12 performance is notable as the singer last performed on the show back in 1983. - NME, 9/19/24...... David Bowie's performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2004 was revealed as the winner of a UK fan-voted poll on Sept. 20. The announcement was made at the launch of "Experience 25," an exhibition celebrating the festival's entire history, held at London's O2. Fans were able to vote from a long list of previous Isle of Wight Festival performances on the festival's official socials. Bowie topped a number of other iconic moments, including Joni Mitchell silencing a 500,000 strong crowd and Amy Winehouse joining The Rolling Stones onstage in 2007. Also making the list was Jimi Hendrix's last ever UK performance at the venue in 1970, and one of Fleetwood Mac's first shows as a full band since the late 1990s, in 2015. - Music-News.com, 9/20/24...... 
The Eagles opened their residency at the Las Vegas Sphere on Sept. 20, where state-of-the-art 2024 technology finally caught up to the band's enduring artistry and created a technicolor display worthy of their classic, illustrative songs from the 1970s and beyond. The band -- made up of Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill and the late Glenn Frey's son Deacon Frey, as well as a team of longtime touring musicians -- was never overpowered by the Sphere's floor-to-ceiling visuals because the 20-song set made up exclusively of hits always held its own against the immersive spectacle. The band took a moment on opening night to perform a twofold tribute for fallen friends, starting out with Henley's solo hit "The Boys of Summer" for the late king of summer Jimmy Buffett, who died in Sept. 2023 at age 76, and then moving on to "Heartache Tonight" to remember the song's co-writer JD Souther, who died on Sept. 18 at age 78. "I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge a couple of people, one of whom we lost a year ago this month, Mr. Jimmy Buffett," Henley began the tribute. "We're dedicating this next song to him. And then the song we're going to do after this next song, I want to acknowledge the co-writer of that song, who we lost three days ago, Mr. JD Souther. JD, as some of you may know, played a pivotal role in the Eagles. He wasn't in the band, but he certainly co-wrote some of our biggest hits, including 'Best of My Love,' 'New Kid in Town' and the one we're going to play after this next song called 'Heartache Tonight.' So these songs go out to those boys, Mr. Buffett and Mr. Souther. Sing it so they can hear you." The band's encores included "Take It Easy," the Joe Walsh hit "Rocky Mountain Way," "Desperado" and "Heartache Tonight." After Sept. 27 and 28 dates, the band will perform four shows at the venue in October, four in November, four in December, and four in January 2025, wrapping on Jan. 25. - Billboard, 9/21/24...... Michael Jackson's estate has filed a legal action against an unnamed man who it claims has threatened to resurface ugly abuse allegations ahead of the upcoming release of a biopic about the King of Pop. Jackson's estate has filed a private arbitration case against the accuser, claiming his alleged threats violate an earlier, never-before-reported settlement over the abuse accusations. The name of Jackson's accuser and the details of his supposed allegations were not disclosed in media reports. It's unclear when the arbitration case was filed, or what exactly it alleges. The Jackson estate would not confirm the accuracy of the reports and declined to comment on the matter. The threats to go public come as the Jackson estate prepares for the premiere of Michael, a movie about the singer's life starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson in the titular role. The biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is set for release in Apr. 2025. Jackson, who died suddenly in 2009, was never convicted or held legally liable on any accusation of child molestation, but is still dogged by such allegations. Two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, continue to claim Jackson sexually abused them as children, spending the last decade pursuing civil lawsuits. And their allegations were amplified in 2019 by HBO docuseries Leaving Neverland, which laid out their claims in disturbing detail. The Jackson estate has always vehemently denied all such claims, pointing out that the singer was acquitted in a 2005 criminal trial and arguing that his accusers are simply seeking monetary gain from an artist who cannot defend himself because defamation law does not extend to dead individuals. Meanwhile, Jackson's iconic "Thriller" music video from 1983 has just surpassed a billion views on YouTube. The milestone marks the King of Pop's fourth visual to join the Billion Views Club after "Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "They Don't Care About Us." Directed by John Landis and boasting a voiceover from Vincent Price, the 13-minute clip premiered on MTV in Dec. 1983. The video follows Jackson watching a scary movie with his date, which ultimately leads to a ghoulish full moon transformation and some now-instantly recognizable choreography by Michael Peters that Jackson performs alongside his fellow monsters and zombies. "Thriller" is also the is the most-downloaded Halloween-themed hit of all-time, according to data from Nielsen SoundScan. - Billboard, 9/20/24...... In other Jackson-related news, the manager of Michael's iconic family band The Jacksons says that the group was "far advanced" in the process of recording and releasing their first album since 1989's 2300 Jackson Street at the time of Tito Jackson's recent death on Sept. 15 at age 70. Jacksons manager Garry Wilson says that "of course,Tito will still strongly feature" in the new album," and that "the brothers would now want the album to be a tribute to both Tito and Michael." The Jacksons have also participated "for some time" in filming a documentary series by a top production company, Wilson adds, including Tito Jackson's final show Sept. 10 in Munich. Wilson said the Jacksons' team is negotiating with "several major TV networks" on when and how the series might be released. - Billboard, 9/20/24...... 
To underscore the message in his new single "Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart," Stevie Wonder has announced he'll be laying 10 select dates during October in advance of the critical 2024 US presidential election in November. Produced by Wonder Productions and promoted by AEG Presents in partnership with Free Lunch, the "Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart" junket launches Oct. 8 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Calling for "joy over anger, kindness over recrimination, peace over war," Wonder has also slotted October performances in New York City (10/10); Philadelphia (10/12); Baltimore (10/15); Greensboro, N.C. (10/17); Atlanta (10/19); Detroit (10/22); Milwaukee, Wis. (10/24); and Minneapolis, Minn. (10/27). He'll wrap with the 10th performance in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Oct. 30. "I've always felt that singing and expressing love throughout our world can make a major difference -- it always has and always will," Wonder said in a statement. "Truthfully, I miss you; I miss performing. So I will be singing my songs, your songs; we will be celebrating songs and music as together we fix our nation's broken heart." - Billboard, 9/20/24...... Oprah Winfrey will host a new Elvis Presley special, The Presleys - Elvis, Lisa Marie And Riley, on CBS this fall. Oprah will tour the historic Presley estate in Memphis, Tenn., and interview Presley's actress granddaughter, Riley Keough. The interview comes more than a year after Keough's mother and Elvis' only child, Lisa Marie Presley, died on Jan. 12, 2023 at age 54 from natural causes due to the effects of a small bowel obstruction from bariatric surgery. Before she died, Lisa Marie recorded stories of life for a memoir. Keough worked to compile the recordings into a posthumous memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, which is set to be released on Oct. 8 via Random House Books, the same day Winfey's special is scheduled to air. The upcoming interview with Keough will include memories of Lisa Marie, as well as never-before-seen family photos, videos and more. The Presleys - Elvis, Lisa Marie And Riley airs Oct. 8, at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. - Billboard, 9/17/24...... Kathryn Crosby, an actress and the widow of Bing Crosby, died of natural causes on Sept. 20 at her home in the Northern California city of Hillsborough. She was 90. Appearing under her stage name of Kathryn Grant, Ms. Crosby appeared opposite Tony Curtis in Mister Cory in 1957 and Victor Mature in The Big Circus in 1959. She made five movies with film noir director Phil Karlson, including Tight Spot and The Phoenix City Story, both in 1955. Other film credits include The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Anatomy of a Murder, and Operation Mad Ball before marrying famed singer and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby. She met Bing Crosby while doing interviews for a column she wrote about Hollywood for her hometown newspaper. They were married in 1957, when she was 23 and he was 54. She curtailed her acting career after the wedding, although she appeared often with Crosby and their three children on his Christmas television specials and in Minute Maid orange juice commercials. She became a registered nurse in 1963. After Crosby's death at age 74 in 1977, from a heart attack after golfing in Spain, she appeared in stage productions of "Same Time, Next Year" and "Charley's Aunt." She co-starred with John Davidson and Andrea McArdle in the 1996 Broadway revival of "State Fair." She is survived by children Harry, Mary, an actor best known for the TV show Dallas, and Nathaniel, a successful amateur golfer. She was married to Maurice Sullivan for 10 years before he was killed in a 2010 car accident that seriously injured Crosby. - Billboard, 9/21/24...... 
John David "JD" Souther, known for his work as an artist, songwriter and actor, and his collaborations with artists including The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor, died peacefully on Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico. He was 78. Born in Detroit on Nov. 2, 1945 and raised in Amarillo, Tex., Souther became one of the foremost musical architects in the 1970s country-rock scene. He began recording with a local group in Texas known as The Cinders; the group would release a single on Warner Bros. as John David and the Cinders. Souther released his self-titled debut LP in 1972, then teamed with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay to release the album The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. Souther followed with the 1976 solo album Black Rose, which included a collaboration with Ronstadt, "If You Have Crying Eyes." During the '70s he also forged a friendship with the Eagles' Glenn Frey and would collaborate as a writer on many of the Eagles' biggest hits, including "New Kid in Town," "James Dean," "Doolin-Dalton" and "Best of My Love." Souther also co-wrote the Eagles' 1979 hit "Heartache Tonight" alongside Frey, Bob Seger and Don Henley, and co-wrote Henley's 1989 hit song "The Heart of the Matter." Souther also wrote songs including Bonnie Raitt's "Run Like a Thief," and Ronstadt's "Faithless Love" and "White Rhythm and Blues." Souther and Ronstadt also collaborated together on songs including "Prisoner in Disguise" and "Hearts Against the Wind," which was featured in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta. Souther's most well-known solo hit came in 1979 with "You're Only Lonely," which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1981, Souther nearly notched another top 10 on that chart, as his collaboration with James Taylor, "Her Town Too," reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2015, he released his final album, Tenderness. As an actor, Souther appeared in movies including My Girl 2, Deadline and Postcards From the Edge, and in television series including Thirtysomething, Purgatory and a recurring role on Nashville. Souther was honored with one of songwriting's highest honors, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in 2013. The Eagles paid tribute to Souther on Sept. 18 in a heartfelt message posted on their official website: "We have lost a brother, a friend and a brilliant collaborator, and the world has lost a great songwriter, a pioneer of the Southern California sound that emerged in the 1970s," the veteran country rock band wrote. "J.D. Souther was smart, talented, well-read, and in possession of a wicked sense of humor. He loved a good meal, a good movie, and a good Martini and he loved dogs, adopting many, over the course of his lifetime. We mourn his loss and we send our condolences to his family, his friends, and his many fans around the world. He was an extraordinary man and will be greatly missed by many. Adios, old friend. Travel well." Souther had been set to launch a new tour with Karla Bonoff on Sept. 24 in Phoenix. He is survived by two sisters, his former wife and her daughter, as well as his dogs Layla and Bob, as well as many colleagues within the music community. - Billboard, 9/18/24.
In other Bruce Springsteen news, The Boss' 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible is up for grabs on eBay. The car -- famed for being the inspiration for as well as the very place where he wrote his signature songs "Born to Run," "Thunder Road" and "Backstreets" -- is up for auction courtesy of BlindedByTheLight.com, which was founded by fan and Springsteen historian Michael Crane. The current bid for the automobile is set at $350,000 -- which is $348,000 more than the Freehold, N.J. native originally paid. "In '70s New Jersey, the car was still a powerful image," Springsteen wrote of the vehicle. "That summer I bought my first set of wheels for $2,000. It was a '57 Chevy with dual, four-barrel carbs, a Hurst on the floor and orange flames spread across the hood." From Oct. 2008 to Jan. 2010, the Chevy was featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex in New York City. It was then moved to the main Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Oh., where it became part of the largest Bruce Springsteen exhibit ever. The electrical and mechanical systems have been overhauled and body and frame are untouched. BlindedByTheLight.com is also tossing in the original vehicle registration, temporary insurance card and Allstate insurance card issued in Springsteen's name and address. - Billboard, 12/13/16...... Diana Ross will be among the headliners of the 23rd annual 2017 Essence Festival, which is set for the Superdome in New Orleans on June 30-July 2, 2017. Also performing will be John Legend, Chaka Khan, Teyana Taylor and current Grammy nominees Lalah Hathaway, Solange and Ro James. Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks. - Billboard, 12/15/16...... AC/DC will release what is being billed as the "first official photo book of the band" from their recent "Rock or Bust" world tour in the summer of 2017. The book will feature photos from Ralph Larmann, who shot the group throughout their 17-month trek, and include facts, figures and tour memorabilia. It will be available in several different editions, including a "Leather And Metal" collectors version with a slipcase boasting a glowing AC/DC logo. - New Musical Express, 12/13/16...... The Doors have announced they will release a limited edition (18,000 copies) London Fog 1966 album featuring seven songs recorded during the group's residency at L.A.'s Sunset Strip club, before they moved shop to the Whiskey a Go Go. The songs include blues covers and early versions of "Strange Days" and "You Make Me Real." But it was at the London Fog venue where the group cut its teeth, and guitarist Robby Krieger says "this is the earliest stuff I've ever heard of the Doors... it's pretty cool." The Doors will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2017, and the band is gearing up to commemorate the golden anniversary of the group's classic first album, though the plans are still being finalized. "We've got some ideas; I can't give them way yet, but there will definitely be some cool stuff happening with the Doors," says Krieger, who's also planning to release a new solo album in the new year. - Billboard, 12/14/16...... 
Tina Turner will be the subject of a new musical bio being developed for the London stage to be directed by Phyllida Lloyd, who had earlier success with the ABBA jukebox musical "Mamma Mia!," a global blockbuster. Turner joined the creative and producing teams in London on Dec. 16 for a workshop presentation of the piece, for which no timeline has been announced. Adrienne Warren, a Tony nominee this year for "Shuffle Along," is playing Turner in the workshop. Turner, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and eight-time Grammy winner, was previously portrayed on the screen in the 1993 biopic What's Love Got to Do With It, starring Angela Bassett, which traced her difficult emergence from an abusive marriage to Ike Turner to her amazing comeback as a solo artist in the 1980s. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/16/16...... Elton John announced on Dec. 12 that he's launching a competition to give young contemporary filmmakers a chance to create music videos for his 1970s hits that were released before music videos were popular. John and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin say they're launching the competition with YouTube in celebration of their 50th anniversary of collaboration together, and hope to give aspiring video creators the opportunity to make music videos for such John/Taupin standards as "Rocket Man," "Tiny Dancer" and "Bennie and the Jets." Entries for "Elton John: The Cut" open Jan. 9, 2017. The competition closes on Jan. 23 and creators must be at least 16. John, Taupin, a panel of YouTube creators and industry players will pick three winners, and music videos will premiere next summer. Winners will also receive $10,000 from YouTube. - Billboard, 12/13/16...... David Bowie has beaten the likes of Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen in a new poll to name the UK's favorite male musician. Conducted by CamRate, the poll asked 2,000 Brits to name their favourite male and female musicians as well as asking them to rank their favourite actors. Adele was named as the UK's top female musician in the same poll. In other David Bowie news, a special screening of the late rock icon's final Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon will be staged at Hammersmith's Eventim Apollo for the first time since the concert took place over 40 years ago on July 3, 1973. The gig was Bowie's final Ziggy & the Spiders show. Further screenings of the film will take place across the UK from March 2, 2017. In January, a series of concerts marking Bowie's 70th birthday will be held in London, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney and Tokyo.- New Musical Express, 12/16/16..... Tom Petty has announced he and his Heartbreakers will play at London's Hyde Park next summer as part of British Summer Time, the band's only European tour date of 2017. The concert will take place on July 9 with Stevie Nicks and the Lumineers also on the bill. Petty and the Heartbreakers are celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2017, and the London gig will mark only the second time the band has visited the UK in 18 years. Petty announced a huge batch of 40th anniversary shows across the US on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in November. Petty posted a video saying he and the band were "pretty excited" about the London show, and "it will be a special gig for us." - NME, 12/13/16...... 
Paul McCartney revealed on Dec. 15 that his 1989 album Flowers in the Dirt will be reissued in the US on Mar. 24, 2017. The release will be the first under his new deal with Capitol Records, which was announced in August, and Capitol says the reissue was personally supervised by McCartney. It will include a wealth of previously unheard demos and be available in a 2-CD special edition, on vinyl over 2 LPs and a deluxe edition with 3 CDs and a DVD plus books. Digital downloads will be made available of all tracks. The deluxe edition will include the 13-track album remastered at Abbey Road Studios and two added discs with 18 bonus tracks of previously unreleased demos, both the original and 1988 demo versions done by McCartney and his co-writer of several songs on the album, Elvis Costello. "I hadn't listened to [the demos] in ages but when I did I knew we had to put them out," McCartney said in a statement. "We made a little tape of them and sent them to Elvis, who loved them too. We said we should put out an EP or something and now the moment's finally arrived," he added. - Billboard, 12/15/16...... Dolly Parton raised an estimated $9 million for victims of the recent wildfires in her East Tennessee homeland of Sevier County during a TV telethon dubbed "Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund" on Dec. 13. "I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the people who have donated from all over the country and to my friends who donated their time, their talent, and money for My People," said Parton. "The response has been so overwhelming that we haven't been able to count all of the donations yet; right now, in total, we have raised about 9 million dollars for the folks who lost everything in Sevier County." The wildfires, which are determined to have been set by two juveniles who are now in custody, spread under extremely dry conditions and took the lives of 14 people and displaced over 1,300 families since they began in late November. - Billboard, 12/15/16..... Barbra Streisand wrapped her "The Music The Mem'ries The Magic!" tour on Dec. 5, and with $10.7 million in ticket sales earned at concerts in four U.S. markets during November and December, it gives the diva the No. 1 slot on Billboard's latest Hot Tours recap. The sold out shows at arenas in Houston, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami were the only fall dates on the tour that hit nine North American cities during the summer in August. Rod Stewart came in second on the list, with $5,537,784 in ticket sales earned at four UK shows from Nov. 29 through Dec. 8. - Billboard, 12/14/16...... KISS rocked the finale of NBC's The Voice on Dec. 13, performing a rocking medley of songs including "Detroit Rock City" and "Rock and Roll All Nite" with newly-crowned Voice winner Sundance Head. American Idol Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert performed "Beth" and "Detroit Rock City" with the band, while Season 13 winner Caleb Johnson teamed with KISS for "Love Gun" and "Shout It Out Loud." Johnson also opened for KISS on tour this summer. - Billboard, 12/14/16...... Alice Cooper has announced he'll kick off a string of UK arena concerts at Leeds on Nov. 11, 2017. Returning to the UK for his first headline tour in five years, Cooper will also play Glasgow (11/12), Birmingham (11/14), and Manchester (11/15) before wrapping at London's SSE Arena, Wembley on Nov. 16. Opening acts include The Mission and The Tubes. - New Musical Express, 12/13/16...... 
A Linda Ronstadt tribute featuring her longtime friends and collaborators Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Aaron Neville and J.D. Souther was held on Dec. 11 at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Henley was a suprise guest for the night, and he closed the main set down with "Desperado," introducing it as "the first song I ever wrote with an extraordinary guy named Glenn Frey." Henley recalled the song "didn't get much love or attention when it was released on [the Eagles'] second album back in April of 1973. In fact, the executives at the record label freaked out: 'Oh God, they've made a fucking cowboy record.' And then Linda Ronstadt recorded the song and put it on her album Don't Cry Now that came out in September of 1973 and everything was different." "[Linda] not only knew what was a great song, she knew why it was a great song," said J.D. Souther while introducing his song "Faithless Love," which Ronstadt first recorded and made famous. He added she was "instrumental [in] incentivizing the careers of Lowell George and Warren Zevon and myself." Jackson Browne lauded Ronstadt's "incredible, uncanny ability to find songs and breathe new life into them." As proof, he sang Lowell George's "Willin'," which Ronstadt recorded in 1974, describing it as "one of the greatest songs anybody ever wrote." Proceeds from the event benefited the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. - Billboard, 12/12/16...... A 90th birthday celebration for crooner Tony Bennett that was held on Sept. 15 at New York City's Radio City Music Hall and featuring Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga will air on Dec. 20 at 9:00 p.m. EST on NBC. Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best Is Yet to Come also features video testimonials to the "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" singer from the likes of Clint Eastwood, Bonnie Raitt, Celine Dion, Keith Richards, Bette Midler, James Taylor, Carole King, Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson, among others. - Billboard, 12/13/16...... After 4,642 shows at Broadway's August Wilson Theatre, the Four Seasons musical "Jersey Boys" will hold its final performance on Jan. 15, 2017. "I'm not sad," Four Seasons leader Frankie Valli says. "I never dreamed it would last 11 years. The beauty about this whole situation is it's not over. It is now beginning to happen in other parts of the world." The Tony Award-winning musical based on the quartet's career and harmonies opened in 2005 and ranks as the 12th-longest running show in Broadway history. - AP, 12/13/16...... Neil Young's high-resolution listening device and a digital music store Pono has struggled to make a profit since its Jan. 2015 launch, and was taken offline in July after its provider, Omnifone, went into administration and was purchased by an unidentified buyer. But Young isn't ready to give up on Pono, and announced on a recent podcast that "we're setting up right now partnerships for a Pono hi-res streaming service, and when we get our streaming service up we're gonna re-emerge as a streaming service and a hi-res download offer." "We're pushing towards getting our presence in phones and being able to be part of large partnerships that will enable us to be able to share the sound of hi-res and have people experience the sound of hi-res in music, like they have in television," Young added. "That's what we do, that's our service: we provide the best that's available, full-resolution music, great-sounding music." - Billboard, 12/13/16...... 
A newly discovered rare plant found in Baja California, Mexico, has been named after guitar god Jimi Hendrix. Researchers have christened the plant Dudleya hendrixii, or "Hendrix's liveforever." Liveforevers are a kind of succulent with enormous life spans, and a former graduate student of San Diego State University reportedly discovered the plant while listening to Hendrix's song "Voodoo Child." While the plant is a liveforever with flowers that die in the summer and re-sprout in the fall, this plant is in peril, with its two-acre habitat threatened by farming, off-road vehicles and development. - AP, 12/15/16...... Mackenzie Phillips of One Day at a Time fame will be returning to a reboot of the '70s sitcom by streaming giant Netflix. But this time Phillips, who played rebellious eldest daughter Julie in the CBS original, will not be reprising her role. Instead, she will guest-star as Pam, a psychologist and leader of a female veterans' therapy group that Penelope (Justina Machado) reluctantly attends in a later episode. Phillips' casting marks a key reunion with Norman Lear, who also produced the original series and was forced to fire Phillips during the show's original run over Phillips' chronic substance abuse. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/14/16...... Willie Joe Ligon of the gospel quartet Mighty Clouds of Joy passed away on Dec. 11 in Los Angeles. He was 74. The Mighty Clouds of Joy became one of the nation's top gospel quartets in the 1960s, winning three Grammy Awards, and in 1975 they innovated with "Mighty High," a disco-influenced song that crossed over onto the pop charts. While the church community looked askance at this bold new sound, youngsters were tearing up the club floors to the sound of "Mighty High." - 12/12/16...... Veteran record executive Bob Krasnow, former chairman of Elektra Records, founder of Blue Thumb Records, veteran executive and co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, died on Dec. 11. He was born in 1935, though his exact age couldn't be confirmed. Mr. Krasnow is often hailed for bringing Elektra Records back to prominence after taking over as chairman in 1983, signing such acts as Metallica, Anita Baker, Motley Crue, 10,000 Maniacs, The Cure, The Pixies, The Sugarcubes and others. Mr. Krasnow served as president of Blue Thumb Records until 1974, when he became vice president/talent acquisition for Warner Bros. Records, a role he held until 1983 when he was elevated to chairman and CEO of Elektra/Asylum/Nonesuch Records (later known as Elektra Entertainment). - 12/13/16...... Actor Bernard Fox, best known for playing Dr. Bombay on the '60s sitcom Bewitched, died of heart failure at a Van Nuys, Calif., hospital on Dec. 13. He was 89. The Welsh-born actor had 30 film credits from 1956 to 2004, including two films around the sinking of RMS Titanic. Mr. Fox was in both the 1997 film Titanic as Colonel Archibald Gracie IV, and the earlier 1958 version A Night to Remember in an uncredited role as Frederick Fleet. His other dozens of TV credits include recurring/guest roles roles in Hogan's Heroes, Columbo, The Andy Griffith Show, Knight Rider, The Phantom Major, F Troop, M*A*S*H, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Perry Mason. - Deadline.com, 12/14/16...... Canadian actor Alan Thicke, best known for his role on the sitcom Growing Pains, died on Dec. 13 after suffering a heart attack while playing hockey with his son. He was 69. On Growing Pains, Thicke played Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist who works from home. Beginning in Sept. 1983, Thicke hosted a late night talk show called Thicke of the Night, produced by famed network programmer Fred Silverman. However, it proved to be no match for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and lasted just nine months. He most recently appeared on Netflix's Fuller House. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/13/16.
Procul Harum leader Gary Brooker will be among the headliners at the upcoming Winter Solstice holiday concert series with the Paul Winter Consort that will pay tribute to late Beatles producer Sir George Martin. The Paul Winter Consort's 37th Annual Winter Solstice will take place on Dec. 15, 16 and 17 at Manhattan's Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Brooker and Winter have known each other since Procol Harum and the Consort played a bill together at Fillmore East in 1971. "I was a big fan of Procol Harum in the '60s," Winter said in a statement. "It was the only rock band I liked besides the Beatles. I've long loved Gary's bluesy voice since first hearing him sing 'Whiter Shade of Pale.'" Sir George Martin produced albums both by Brooker and Winter -- Brooker's first solo album No More Fear of Flying and the Consort's 1972 album Icarus which Sir George later called "the finest record I ever made." Brooker has also announced plans for a 50th anniversary tour in 2017 for Procul Harum, which released its self-titled debut in 1967 containing the classic "Whiter Shade of Pale." The song was a No. 1 hit in the U.K. and hit No. 5 on the Billboard singles chart in the U.S. "We thought we'll make a special effort to do something special," Brooker says of the 50th anniversary tour. "We're all still alive and kicking. And after all that time there's a lot of loyal people as well and there's a lot of younger people that we'd like to reach that like what we've done. They'll certainly like what we're going to do." - Billboard, 12/10/16...... The 2016 Nobel Prize ceremony took place in Stockholm, Sweden on Dec. 10, and while Bob Dylan was unable to attend the event to accept his Nobel Prize in literature win in person, he did write 
Forty years after Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their eponymous debut album in November 1976 and embarking on their first tour a month later, the band announced on Dec. 9 that it will celebrate the milestone in the spring of 2017 with a 35-date North American tour set to get underway on Apr. 20 at Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Energy Center. Petty and the band will visit several major American and Canadian cities, playing two-night stands at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Morrison, Col. on May 29 and May 30, and two nights at Milwaukee's Summerfest on July 5 and 6, before wrapping with two shows at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, N.Y. on July 26 and 27. Additional dates are expected to be announced later. Eagles member Joe Walsh will open for the band on many dates, and country star Chris Stapleton will be the opener at the Summerfest dates. - Billboard, 12/9/16...... Several former band members of David Bowie's have announced they'll perform in a Bowie memorial show on the ne-year anniversary of his death with a show at New York's Terminal 5 on Jan. 10. Mike Garson, Earl Slick, Adrian Belew, Mark Plati and Gail Ann Dorsey are among the musicians on tap for the event, titled "A Very Special David Bowie Concert With Bowie People Playing Bowie Music Bowie Style." The musicians have also announced additional Bowie tribute shows for London (Jan. 8, O2 Academy Brixton), Los Angeles (Jan. 25, The Wiltern), Sydney, Australia (Jan. 29, Sydney Opera House) and Tokyo (Feb. 2, Tokyo Dome City Hall). "To honour David Bowie's 70th birthday, Bowie band members, friends, and a massive ensemble of top recording & touring musicians from around the world are getting together for a one-time only series of global goodwill concerts, in aid of local charities, called Celebrating David Bowie," a statement reads. "The concerts, announced sporadically, all take place in cities that have a strong connection with David Bowie and his work. All feature a core two dozen musicians traveling plus many local, regional, and national musicians to create a sound like no other," it continued. - Billboard, 12/7/16...... As what has been described as the "tax trial of the century" -- a billion-dollar tax battle over the estate of Michael Jackson -- is set to begin in Feb. 2017, the co-executor of Jackson's estate, John Braca, and his former business manager, Michael Kane, have both been ordered to testify by U.S. Tax Court Judge Mark Holmes. The case is of special interest throughout the entertainment industry because it will be valuating Jackson's posthumous right to his likeness. The IRS has insisted it's worth more than $434 million due to a Cirque du Soleil tribute show, and post-death albums, video games and other lucrative memorials, while the estate's own valuation is just $2,105, arguing that what's important is the value when he died, when Jackson's commercial prospects were suffering from charges of child molestation and drug abuse, before executors worked their magic, and the King of Pop experienced a resurgence in popularity. - The Hollywood Reporter, 12/8/16...... A new short film interpreting Queen's classic 1975 hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" produced by Corridor Digital has surfaced online. Titled "Literal Bohemian Rhapsody," the clip chronicles the hit scene by scene with lyrics from the song. It sees a man confessing to his mother that he "just killed a man" before he has a showdown with a group of cops. Yes, his guns are called "thunderbolt" and "lightning" and the cops are named "Galileo" and "Figaro" and, sadly, the officers will not let him go. - NME, 12/9/16...... Original Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock is asking fans for help in locating three guitars that were recently stolen from his London home. Recently completing a solo tour of the UK, Matlock took to Facebook to seek help in finding three stolen guitars, which include a 1961 Ivory Fender Precision Bass, a Modern Mexican Black Precision Bass and a Blonde Guild D37 Acoustic. "Please keep an eye out for them," Matlock writes. "A substantial reward will be paid for information leading to their recovery." Matlock played bass in the legendary punk band from 1975 to 1977, when he left and was replaced by Sid Vicious. He was part of the group's first reunion in 1996 and the brief reunions that followed in 2002/2003 and 2007/2008. - NME, 12/12/16...... 
Yoko Ono marked the anniversary of death of her husband John Lennon on Dec. 8 by posting a powerful plea for gun control on her website. "Dear Friends," she wrote. "Every day, 91 Americans are killed with guns. We are turning this beautiful country into a War Zone. Together, let's bring back America, the green land of Peace. The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience. After 36 years, our son Sean and I still miss him." Yoko also posted a photo of John's blood-stained glasses to drive the point home. The couple's son, Sean Lennon, also posted a tribute in memory of his dad, as did the surviving Beatles and other figures from the music and arts world. - New Musical Express, 12/8/16...... In other Beatles-related news, a Twitter user named Chris Barker has refashioned the Fab Four's iconic Sgt. Pepper's album cover to honor the many music icons that have passed in 2016. Among the faces on 
Former astronaut and U.S. senator John Glenn, a genuine American hero who was the last survivor of the original Mercury 7 program astronauts, died on Dec. 8 at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Oh. He was 95. Sen. Glenn, who had heart valve replacement surgery in 2014, was hospitalized "more than a week ago," according to Ohio State University spokesman Hank Wilson. Sen. Glenn piloted the Mercury space capsule, dubbed Friendship 7, and circled the planet three times in just under five hours on Feb. 20, 1962. Prior to his career as an astronaut, Sen. Glenn flew 149 missions during World War II and the Korean War and received multiple medals and decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross on six occasions. He resigned from the astronaut program in 1964 and pursued a career in politics, serving as a U.S. senator as a Democrat from Ohio between 1974 and 1999. He even ran unsuccessfully for president in 1984, and in 1988 at age 77, he became the oldest person to ever travel in space, as a payload specialist aboard the space shuttle Discovery for a nine-day mission in 1998. In 2011, he received a Congressional Gold Medal alongside Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. In 2012, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama. Earler in 2016, he attended a celebration that saw the renaming of Port Columbus Airport to John Glenn Columbus International Airport. Sen. Glenn joked that the only astronaut he was envious of was his fellow Ohioan: Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. "I've been very fortunate to have a lot of great experiences in my life and I'm thankful for them," he said in 2012. - AP, 12/8/16..... CNN will debut a Chicago documentary, Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago on Jan. 1 at 8:00 p.m. EST.
Posting on his 
Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain is denying he's planning to leave the band, despite recent claims to that effect from the band's guitarist Neal Schon. On Oct. 9, Schon posted on 
Oscar-nominated Irish actress Saoirse Ronan (Ladybird, Little Women) has reportedly been cast as Linda McCartney in the upcoming Beatles "Four Film Cinematic Event" directed by Sam Mendes. Deadline.com is reporting that -- according to multiple sources -- Ronan will portray Paul McCartney's first wife in the upcoming series of biopics. Reps for distributors Sony Pictures are yet to make an official comment. Ronan, 31, has received four Oscar nominations across an illustrious career and appeared in addiction-recovery drama The Outrun in 2024. More recently, she led the dark comedy Bad Apples, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Ronan joins a cast that includes Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon. With scripts written by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan and Jack Thorne, the films are expected to arrive in spring 2028, though official details currently remain scant. Linda Eastman and Paul met in 1967, and they were married until her death from cancer in 1998. She was a photographer, musician and animal rights activist who founded a vegetarian food company. She also performed alongside Paul as part of his post-Beatles band, Wings. - Billboard, 10/9/25...... KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was hospitalized after a car crash in Malibu, Calif., on Oct. 7. According to NBC4 Los Angeles the crash was reported to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department just before 1:00 p.m. PT when Simmons' Lincoln Navigator reportedly crashed into a parked car on Pacific Coast Highway. He told deputies on the scene that he had either fainted or passed out before the crash, according to the L.A. Sheriff. Simmons' wife, Shannon Tweed, told NBC4 that the rocker was recovering at home, while a rep for KISS told Billboard on Oct. 8 that Simmons is "already back to work." Also on Oct. 8, Simmons posted on his 
As Linda Ronstadt reissues a 50th-anniversary vinyl edition of her 1975 album 
The Moody Blues bassist/vocalist John Lodge died "suddenly and unexpectedly" on Oct. 10, according to a 
On Oct 6 Rush surviving members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson announced they'll embark on their first tour in 11 years beginning in June 2026. The legendary prog rockers announced dates for a 12-show North American swing they are calling the "Fifty Something Tour." It will mark the first time singer/bassist Lee and guitarist/vocalist Lifeson hit the road since the group wrapped their "R40" 40th anniversary tour on Aug.1, 2015 at the Forum in Los Angeles. According to a press release, the outing will be a celebration of Rush's "music, legacy and the life of late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart"; the band's time-keeper and primary lyricist died of the brain cancer glioblastoma on Jan. 7, 2020 at age 67. Fittingly, the tour will kick off on June 7 with the first of two shows at the KIA Forum in L.A., followed by shows in Mexico City, Fort Worth, Chicago, New York and Toronto, wrapping up on Sept. 17 at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The "evening with" shows will feature the band playing two sets a night, with each show featuring a distinctive set of songs pulled from a setlist of 35 hits and fan favorites. They will be joined on the dates by German drummer/composer/producer Anika Nilles, 41, who has performed with Jeff Beck and released four solo albums. "It's been over 10 years since Alex and I have performed the music of RUSH alongside our fallen bandmate and friend Neil," wrote Geddy Lee in a statement. "A lifetime's worth of songs that we had put our cumulative hearts and souls into writing, recording and playing together onstage. And so, after all that has gone down since that last show, Alex and I have done some serious soul searching and come to the decision that we f---ing miss it, and that it's time for a celebration of 50-something years of RUSH music... No small task, because as we all know Neil was irreplaceable," he added. Fans can get in on a Rush artist pre-sale by signing up at 
On Oct. 1 The Who performed their final show of their North American farewell tour at the Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, Calif. Surviving co-founding members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend and co. opened the performance with a live rendition of "I Can't Explain," before rocking other Who chestnuts including "Substitute," "Who Are You," "I Can See For Miles" and "Pinball Wizard." The penultimate track of the night was "The Song Is Over" from the band's 1971 fifth studio album, Who's Next, and the band made a final goodbye with a tender performance of "Tea & Theatre" -- a single from their 11th studio set, 2006's Endless Wire. "I suppose, you know, it's goodbye," Townshend told the audience at the end. "That's what it is. To what we know as The Who, it's goodbye. What Roger and I will get up to next, who knows? If we last any longer, I'm sure we'll get up to all kinds of mischief. We'll do stuff together, I'm sharing some stuff, all kinds [of] bits and pieces. But for this kind of thing, it's goodbye. And you were last!" Daltrey said: "Thank you so much for your support, over all the years. It means so much to us. It was every band's dream in the '60s to make it in America. And thanks to you guys, you made it happen for us. Thank you so much!" A fan-shot clip of the moment has been shared on 
It has been revealed that the surviving members of The Cars -- guitarist Elliot Easton, drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Greg Hawkes -- have been working on new music started by late Cars frontman Ric Ocasek. The trio of the legendary new wave band have been building a collection of tracks from the dozens of demos Ocasek left behind, as was teased in the new Cars biography 
Chris Dreja, a core member of the seminal British blues-rock band The Yardbirds and who helped shape the sound of some of their biggest hits, passed away on Oct. 2, according to his sister-in-law, Muriel Levy. He was 79. "It is with a deep sadness that I have to announce that my brother-in-law Chris Dreja, former member of legendary band The Yardbirds, rhythm guitarist and also bass player has passed away after years of health problems," Levy posted. "I share the pain with my sister Kate who took care of him during all those years and his daughter Jackie... May he RIP." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, into which Dreja was inducted as a member of The Yardbirds in 1992, paid homage to the band's "innovations in feedback and distortion" and credited them for informing a slew of burgeoning genres like psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and punk in their short-lived but highly influential tenure" in a post on