Nile Rodgers and Chic were among the headliners at the 2022 New York City Parks Foundation dinner and concert benefit at SummerStage in Central Park on Sept 29. The band performed Chic's Hot 100 No. 1 "Le Freak," Daft Punk,'s "Get Lucky" (co-written by Rodgers) and wrapped up with "Good Times," featuring a small interlude of the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" (which is built on Chic's "Good Times"). Rodgers, who brought a "DiscOasis" disco roller rink to Central Park this summer after a successful run in Los Angeles, said that the festivities have "been truly amazing." "I wish I could spend more time skating, but I've been touring so much this year," Rodgers said after the event. The event, which also featured a set by Sheryl Crow who performed her hit singles "If It Makes You Happy" and "All I Wanna Do," honored CBS News senior cultural correspondent Anthony Mason with the SummerStage Icon Award and the NYC Green Relief & Recovery Fund with the People & Parks Award. CPF raised $1.3 million in donations, making it their most successful benefit to date, according to a press release. - Billboard, 9/30/22...... 
Bruce Springsteen announced on YouTube on Sept. 29 that he'll be releasing an album of classic R&B/soul covers on Nov. 11 called Only the Strong Survive. Springsteen explained that shortly after recording Letter To You with the E Street Band during the Covid-19 lockdown, he went into his home studio to record music he hadn't written, but wanted to record. The result is a 15-song album of songs by the likes of Jerry Butler, Dobie Gray, The Commodores, Jimmy Ruffin, Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Four Tops, The Walker Brothers, The Temptations and more. He's joined on two tracks by Sam & Dave vocalist Sam Moore, as well as the E Street Horns and backing vocalists Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Curtis King Jr., Dennis Collins and Fonzi Thornton. The project was recorded at Springsteen's Thrill Hill Recording in New Jersey and produced by Ron Aniello, engineered by Rob Lebret and executive produced by the singer's longtime manager, Jon Landau. "This was something I hadn't done since the Seeger Sessions," he said of the format of the new project while nodding to his Grammy-winning 2006 album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, a collection of folk songs made famous by Pete Seeger that was the Boss' first-ever collection of tracks he didn't write. Springsteen has shared one of the album's tracks, a soaring cover of Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)," on YouTube, and the album cover can be viewed on his Instagram page. In other Springsteen news, the New Jersey rocker was the special guest at The Killers' second Madison Square Garden show on Oct. 1. During Brandon Flowers and co.'s second of two dates at MSG, Springsteen came on stage to perform the pair's 2021 collaboration "Dustland" as well as his hits "Badlands" and "Born To Run," joined by his saxophonist bandmate Jake Clemons. "That's a hell of a band," Springsteen told Flowers of his admiration of The Killers and their live show in 2020. "Recently when I caught you, it may have been Glastonbury, the band was so good. You guys have developed such an incredible live show. Really something to be proud of." The three-song cameo can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard/NME, 9/29/22...... The first, unreleased take of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" from their 1966 album Revolver is being featured on the new special deluxe edition of Revolver and has been shared on YouTube ahead of the deluxe edition's Oct. 28 release. "John [Lennon's] ethereal vocals (fed from his mic through a rotating Leslie speaker), and innovative tape loops -- including Paul [McCartney] saying "ah, ah, ah, ah', which when sped up produced a sound similar to a seagull's screech -- converge with Ringo [Starr's] thunderous drum pattern, George [Harrison's] tamboura drone, and a backwards guitar solo," a press release explains of the recording. Revolver is the latest Beatles album to be re-released as a remixed and expanded deluxe box set following Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' in 2017, "The White Album" (2018), Abbey Road (2019) and Let It Be (2021). - New Musical Express, 9/30/22...... Neil Young and his frequent backing band Crazy Horse have shared a new single, "Love Earth," on YouTube from their 15th joint project, World Record, which is due on Nov. 18. The 10-song LP was produced by Rick Rubin at his Shangri-La studios in Malibu, the same studio used by Young to record his 2016 set, Peace Trail. On World Record, Young provides vocals across the album's tracklist alongside instrumentation from Crazy Horse, all of which was recorded live and mixed to analogue tape by Rubin. "Love Earth" sees Young muse on earth's beauty, likening blue skies and crystal waters to a fanciful romance. "We lived by the sun and had it all", Young sings, "We were living in a dream." World Record is Young and Crazy Horse's follow-up to Barn, their 2021 14th joint album. The record featured the single "Heading West" and was the basis of a making-of documentary directed by Young's partner, actress Daryl Hannah. - New Musical Express, 9/30/22...... Queen drummer Roger Taylor released a live set, The Outsider Tour Live, on Sept. 30. The release features 22 tracks from various locations on Taylor's 2021 tour, including material from Taylor's 2021 album Outsider as well as Queen favorites and other covers, such as Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll," David Bowie's "Heroes" and Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti," with Queen's Brian May making a guest appearance on the latter, as well as Queen's "A Kind of Magic." "The whole tour was really conceived to be fun," Taylor says. "It's not a big, ambitious stadium thing or anything like that. It was a smaller, intimate tour, and I just enjoyed being there, at the front again, which I hadn't done in a long time. And I have such a great band, it was a joy. I enjoyed every show. I looked forward to every show, and hopefully that comes over on this recording," he adds. Taylor says that he "doesn't have any solo ideas at the moment." "I think Queen will tour again, and I would hope we might tour North America -- but I think not for a year. I think we deserve a little time off now. Brian and I both really enjoy what we're doing these days. We don't do anything we don't feel like doing, but thankfully we're still able to do it -- when we want." - Billboard, 9/29/22...... 
Founding Chicago trumpeter Lee Loughnane says his legendary band focuses on "just about 25 songs that really work all the time, every night" and that deep cuts, while adored by some fans, and new songs don't always connect with audiences. Interviewed on Billboard's "Behind the Setlist" podcast, Loughnane said that Chicago has "tried to [play deep cuts] because we want to go back and play that stuff because it was fun to play, fun to write, fun to record, but if it doesn't work live, you end up pulling it anyway." "You know, you have fun a few times, but if the only one having fun is the band, that's problematic. And you go back to what they want to hear: what put you on the map, you know. That's what people want to hear. In fact, I feel the same way when I go to see a band. I want to hear what put them there," Loughnane added. He was joined on the podcast by Peter Pardini, director of the new documentary about Chicago weathering the Covid-19 pandemic, The Last Band on Stage, and the 2016 documentary Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago. Loughnane says "If This is Goodbye," from Chicago's 2022 album Born For This Moment, which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, is the lone new song in the band's recent concerts. "If the next song becomes a hit, we'll put that in as well. You put too many new songs in [and] you get the old 'going to the popcorn stand or bathroom' stuff," Loughnane quipped. - Billboard, 9/30/22...... Billy Joel has been announced as the latest headliner of the UK's BST Hyde Park festival in 2023 on the BST Instagram page. The summer series of gigs will return to Hyde Park in central London in July, with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band already announced on the line-up. Joel will headline the BST series on July 7, in what will be his only European live appearance of the year. A line-up of special supporting guests for the show is set to be announced soon. Meanwhile, Joel's 1990 live film Live at Yankee Stadium will be screened in cinemas on Oct. 5 and 9 to celebrate the Piano Man's 50 years in music. "Billy Joel's legendary 1990 concert at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx stands as one of the greatest concert films of all time," a synopsis for the film reads. "Shot in 16mm colour film, the original concert has now been meticulously re-mixed and re-edited. The newly edited version includes a never-before-released performance of 'Uptown Girl', along with interviews from Billy and behind-the-scenes footage from the event's production. The set list consists of re-edited versions of songs from the original film including 'Piano Man', 'We Didn't Start The Fire', 'New York State Of Mind', 'Shout' and more, all performed from 'The House That Ruth Built'," the synopsis adds. - NME, 9/29/22...... Parlophone Records has announced David Bowie's fourth studio album, Hunky Dory, will be released as a deluxe reissue on Nov. 25 that will include unreleased home demos, live recordings and other rarities from that era. The 4-CD box set, dubbed A Divine Symmetry: An alternative journey through Hunky Dory, will feature 48 previously unreleased tracks and demos taken from the 12 months leading up to the release of Hunky Dory in 1971. The first CD of the collection contains home and hotel room demos of songs that would end up on Hunky Dory, along with unreleased songs like "King Of The City," "Right On Mother," "How Lucky You Are (Miss Peculiar)" and "Tired Of My Life." Other discs include Bowie's 1971 John Peel Live session, BBC radio recordings, live cuts, the 'BOWPROMO' EP, B-sides, alternate versions of Hunky Dory tracks and more. Coinciding with the reissue's announcement, Parlophone have shared Bowie's previously unreleased rendition of the Hunky Dory album track "Kooks," taken from BBC's Sounds of the 70s with Bob Harris radio show, on YouTube. Additionally, the deluxe reissue contains a 100-page hardcover book with exclusive photos and memorabilia, as well as a 60-page replica of Bowie's notes from that era, such as handwritten lyrics, costume drawings, and other notes. - NME, 9/29/22...... Cher was among the participants in Paris Fashion Week when the 76-year-old diva made a walk during the finale on Sept. 28. Though she's an Oscar-, Golden Globe-, Grammy- and BBMA-winning actress and singer, hitting the catwalk for the star-studded charity event was a mind-blower for Cher, who posted the latter emoji following her appearance on Twitter: "JUST HAD BEST TIME, ON STAGE& FELT GREAT!! SHOW WAS PROBABLY BEST FASHION SHOW "EVER!!,'" she tweeted. "MODELS WERE BEAUTY FROM ANOTHER UNIVERSE. CLOTHES 2 DIE 4..OLIVIER 2 DIE 4!! STAGE WAS CALLING ME cher& ..oh cher& .come Home& .I HEAR YOU." Cher trod the boards all smiles -- to screams from the crowds -- in a marbled spandex bodysuit, plunging neck, platform wedges and the house's famed peaked shoulders. Some 10,000 tickets were made available for the general public provided they made a charity donation. - AP, 9/29/22...... 
The Ronald Isley/Beyoncé/Isley Brothers collaboration "Make Me Say It Again Girl, has climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart for the week dated Oct. 1. "Girl" returns The Isleys' to the No. 1 rank on Adult R&B Airplay for the first time in more than two decades, since "Contagious" ruled for two weeks in 2001. They additionally led the list, which began in 1993, once more, with another two-week champ, "Tears," in 1997. The Isley Brothers, whose first Billboard chart appearance came in 1959 with "Shout - Part 1," are currently comprised of Ronald and Ernie Isley, though the lineup has changed many times since its first iteration. After a breakup the late 1980s, the group reformed in 1991 as "The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley." "Make Me Say It Again Girl" reworks The Isley Brothers' 1975 hit "Make Me Say It Again Girl Pts 1 & 2," which they followed with 39 more Hot 100 hits, through 2003. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the legends landed 71 career hits, with 27 of those reaching the top 10, and six achieving the No. 1 rank. - Billboard, 9/29/22...... As was expected, Phil Collins and his Genesis bandmates have sold a portion of their songs' assets to Concord Music Group, including the publishing rights and master recordings for much of Genesis' music. According to the Wall Street Journal, the deal was valued at more than $300 million and will also include master recordings of songs from throughout Collins' solo career, such as "In the Air Tonight," "You'll Be In My Heart" and "Against All Odds," and his popular covers of "A Groovy Kind Of Love" and "You Can't Hurry Love." Genesis recordings within the package will likely include hits such as "Invisible Touch," "That's All," "Land Of Confusion" and "Follow You, Follow Me," The deal also includes material that Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford released with his group, Mike & the Mechanics. Speaking to WSJ, Concord president Bob Valentine said they were aiming to bring Collins and Genesis' back catalogue to a younger generation of listeners. "In the world we live in today with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, all these things that drive consumption of older music, there are definitely ways for us as a record company to bring some of this music back to life," he said. - NME, 9/30/22...... Hot contemporary artist Ed Sheeran will enter his third set of court proceedings over his songwriting, with the musician set to face a jury trial following a suit from a stakeholder in the estate of Marvin Gaye's co-writer. On Sept. 29, Judge Louis Stanton, a senior district judge for the Southern District of New York, ruled that "a work may be copyrightable even though it is entirely a compilation of unprotectable elements." The suit came from Structured Asset Sales, a company that owns a stake in the copyrights of the estate of Ed Townsend -- a co-writer on "Let's Get It On." It was originally filed back in 2016, with a decision regarding jury involvement coming in 2019. Sheeran's lawyers argued that the elements from "Let's Get It On" perceived to be present in "Thinking Out Loud" weren't substantial enough to warrant a copyright breach. The news that Sheeran must face court again comes just months after a case revolving around his song "Shape Of You" was determined in his favor. In that suit, Sheeran and his two "Shape Of You" co-writers -- Johnny McDaid and Steve McCutcheon -- were accused of plagiarising part of "Oh Why," a song by Sami Switch. A court date is yet to be set for the new suit, but it will take place in a Manhattan federal courthouse. - NME, 9/30/22...... As Roxy Music are currently midway through a 50th Anniversary US tour and prepare to kick off a UK leg at the Glasgow OVO Hydro on Oct. 10, band co-founder Phil Manzanera says "I don't know why I'm surprised, but it's been going incredibly well." "You can see there's a resonance in people's faces, so it's a communal experience that really is terrific fun to do," Manzanera told New Musical Express. "We're incredibly lucky to be doing this." The guitarist also commented on the difficulty of condensing all eight of Roxy's studio albums into a 105-minutes setlist: "You can only play a maximum of 20 songs before people start losing the will to live. Then you have to look at the difference between the first Roxy album and [1982 album] Avalon. How Roxy went from one style to another is another conversation, but there's a great expression in Spanish that means: 'A journey without any destination.' That was Roxy's thing, and you have to balance all of that in the show." Roxy Music recently released The Best of Roxy Music on vinyl for the first time, and their UK tour will wrap at London's O2 Arena on Oct. 14. - NME, 9/28/22...... 
Showtime Networks in the US and Sky in the UK have released a trailer for SPECTOR, a four-part docuseries diving into the story behind late music producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector. First announced in August, the four-part series will predominantly focus on Spector's involvement in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, of which he was convicted in 2009. The series will feature archival footage of Spector himself -- a voiceover in the trailer sees him argue that he "had nothing to do with [Clarkson's] death" -- as well as newly recorded interviews with figures close to both him and Clarkson. "He did not like to be alone -- he had abandonment issues," one voice in the trailer said of Spector's personality, while another claimed that "Phil Spector enjoyed bringing people to his home and locking them inside." An official synopsis for SPECTOR -- directed by Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott -- claims that "through the lens of this notorious crime and the hysterical media circus that followed, this major four-part documentary series peels back the layers to tell the story both of Clarkson and the man who was convicted of her murder." The series will premiere on Nov. 4, airing on Showtime in the US and Sky in the UK. Both companies collaborated on its production. Spector died last January at age 81, having contracted Covid-19 while serving his prison sentence. - NME, 9/28/22...... A 2003 Ferrari Modena sports car originally purchased by Eric Clapton was set to be auctioned on Oct. 2. CBE and OBE-appointed and multiple Grammy winner Clapton, whose passion for Ferraris is well documented, added the new 360 Modena to his ever-growing collection in 2003. The car, one of only 352 RHD manual Modenas ever built, has lived a pampered life and is reportedly in outstanding condition, with a comprehensive Ferrari service history and a touch over 20,000 miles on its stylish clock. "Even without taking into account this Modena's original owner, the car is in exceptionally good condition and quite rare in its own right," says Car & Classic Head of Editorial Chris Pollitt. "Add the 'Slowhand' touch, and you really have the automotive equivalent of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to which Clapton was famously inducted not once, but three times," he adds. Clapton's 2003 Ferrari Modena joins a series of celebrity-owned vehicles auctioned by Car & Classic, the latest one of which was Elton John's Continental R, which sold in August. - Music-News.com, 10/1/22.
The Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Sept. 27 was stolen by rising singer Pink who performed a rousing cover of Queen's 1976 hit "Somebody To Love" with Queen's very own Brian May and Roger Taylor. With the late Hawkins' former band Foo Fighters also contributing, Pink also performed the Foos' "The Pretender" and duetted with Heart's Nancy Wilson on "Barracuda." Wilson also performed a moving new track she wrote in memory of Hawkins, "Amigo Amiga," which is named after the pet names the close friends gave each other. "Hate why we were there -- but I love that we were all together," Pink posted on Instagram after her set. Joan Jett, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Alanis Morissette and Miley Cyrus were also among the star-studded bill. Hawkins, generally viewed as among the greatest drummers of all time, tragically died on March 25 at age 50 as his band was on tour in Columbia. He previously received a European tribute on Sept. 3 at London's Wembley Stadium with Paul McCartney, Rush and Queen among those paying tribute. - Music-News.com, 9/28/22...... 
A package of publishing and recording rights to the works of Genesis and Phil Collins are reportedly in the final deal stages, but the buyer is not yet known. Previously, Billboard reported that a package of Collins' rights had been shopped for upwards of $200 million, according to sources. That package, sources say, has now morphed into a bigger deal that also includes all of the publishing for Genesis and possibly even the Genesis spin-off band Mike + the Mechanics, as well as their master recordings rights. Billboard estimates that the overall package, after deduction production and distribution costs, averaged about $12.4 million annually in master recording revenue over the last three years and about $5.5 million in annual publishing revenue. The Phil Collins music assets are said to generate more than twice the activity of the Genesis catalog, with an estimated valuation of about $235 million, based on almost $4 million in estimated publishing royalties and $8.5 million in master recording revenue from his solo catalog. Most of the publishing for all three recording acts appear to be administered by Concord. The master recording catalogs of Collins, Genesis and most of the Mike + the Mechanics are mainly at the Warner Music Group and regardless of who buys the deal, those records will probably stay there for the foreseeable future, sources say. - Billboard, 9/28/22...... Elton John was surprised by Pres. Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House on Sept. 23 with a National Humanities Medal, with Pres. Biden praising the pop/rock icon's activism, the power of his music and his all-around goodness. "Seamus Heaney once wrote, and I quote, 'Once in a lifetime, the longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up, and hope and history rhyme," Pres. Biden said. "Throughout his incredible career, Sir Elton John has been that tidal wave, a tidal wave to help people rise up and make hope and history rhyme." The night, in fact, was called "A Night When Hope and History Rhyme," a reference to the poem Biden quoted by Ireland's Heaney. John then kicked off the show with "Your Song," his breakthrough 1971 hit. At the end of the show, Biden surprised John with the National Humanities Medal, for his songbook and his long legacy of advocacy. Tearing up, Sir Elton said he was "flabbergasted and humbled." The 2,000-person guest list included teachers, nurses, frontline workers and LGBTQ+ advocates, plus former first lady Laura Bush, civil rights advocate Ruby Bridges, education activist Malala Yousafzai and Jeanne White-Ginder, an AIDS activist and mother of Ryan White, who died from AIDS-related complications in 1990. It was John's first White House gig for the 75-year-old John since he performed with Stevie Wonder at a state dinner in 1998 honoring British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The following evening, Elton played the Washington Nationals Park as part of final "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour. - AP, 9/24/22...... In other Elton-related news, his new "Hold Me Closer" collab with Britney Spears has recently jumped from No. 12 to No. 10) on Billboard's Adult Pop Airplay chart for the week of Oct. 1. It is Elton's third Adult Pop Airplay top 10, and second this year, following his "Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)," with Dua Lipa, which led for a week in March. John and Spears also dropped an official accompanying music for "Hold Me Closer" on Sept. 27. While John and Spears do not appear in the clip, the Tanu Muino-directed video features a number of dancers portraying emotional and heartfelt choreography against the vibrant, colorful backdrop of Mexico City. Upon release, the "Rocket Man" singer shared a snippet of the video to his Instagram, writing in the caption, "Check out the stunning dance video for 'Hold Me Closer', shot in Mexico City by the award-winning director @tanumuino beautifully capturing an immeasurable feeling of intimacy so missing from the world through the turmoil and chaos of recent times." The video has also been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 9/28/22...... 
Bette Midler, who has long been lauded by the LGBTQ community as a gay icon, was asked by the New York Post's Page Six column whether or not she needed the new film Hocus Pocus 2 to shore up her status as a gay icon. "No!" she told the publication. "This is worldwide, this is global, girl! Get a grip!," the 76-year-old actress said. Midler's advocacy for queer rights throughout her career, in addition to her acting and singing, has made her a heroine in the gay/lesbian community, however she faced significant backlash in July 2022 after publishing a tweet that many users deemed transphobic, in which she used language often employed by trans-exclusionary radical feminists (otherwise known as TERFs) to advocate for women's rights. "WOMEN OF THE WORLD! We are being stripped of our rights over our bodies, our lives and even of our name," she wrote at the time. "They don't call us 'women' anymore; they call us 'birthing people' or "menstruators,' and even 'people with vaginas'! Don't let them erase you! Every human on earth owes you!," she added. In a subsequent tweet, Midler defended her comments saying that there was "no intention of anything exclusionary or transphobic" in what she wrote. Also starring Midler's original 1993 Hocus Pocus co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, Hocus Pocus 2 premieres on Sept. 30 exclusively on the Disney+ streaming channel. - Billboard, 9/28/22...... Pink Floyd's Animals - 2018 Remix has re-entered Billboard's Album Sales Chart at No. 3 with 20,000 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 22, according to Luminate (up from 500 copies sold in the previous week). It's the biggest sales week for any Pink Floyd album since 2014 and the 1977 Animals album's highest rank on the 31-year-old chart. Animals also re-enters at No. 1 on the Catalog Albums chart (its first week at No. 1 and the act's fifth leader on the 31-year-old list). The five-song, 42-minute album was reissued in a new mix on CD, vinyl, Blu-ray, SACD and digital download configurations ranging in price from $12.99 to $29.98. All versions of the album, old and new, are combined for tracking and charting purposes. A deluxe box set edition of Animals is due out on Oct. 7. The Animals reissue was meant to be released a few years ago, but was delayed due to a dispute over the package's then-planned liner notes -- which were ultimately not included in the finished product. Of Animals' 20,000 copies sold in the week after its June 30 reissue, physical sales comprise 19,000 (8,500 on vinyl; 6,000 on CD; and 4,500 on other physical formats) and digital downloads comprise 1,000. The 20,000 sum marks Pink Floyd's best sales week for any album since its final studio album, The Endless River, sold 29,000 copies in its seventh week of release, in the week ending Dec. 28, 2014. - Billboard, 9/27/22...... In other Pink Floyd-related news, the Polish city of Krakow canceled gigs by Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters on Sept. 26 because of his sympathetic stance toward Russia in its war against Ukraine. Local councilman Lukasz Wantuch said the city owns the arena where two of Waters' concerts had been scheduled for April before being canceled. Wantuch said the city would not tolerate them being used for an artist "spreading ideas objectionable to most people in Poland." He added Waters was free to perform in a private venue if he wishes. "He doesn't realize the truth," Wantuch told The Associated Press. "He doesn"t understand what is going on in Ukraine." Wantuch, who has been on 27 humanitarian missions to Ukraine since the war began, spearheaded a symbolic resolution to declare Waters "persona non grata" in this city. A vote is scheduled to take place. Wantuch invited Waters in an open Facebook post on Sept. 26 to join him on a visit to Ukraine to see for himself the extent of devastation caused by Russian attacks. In his own Facebook post on Sept. 26, Waters accused Wantuch of a "draconian censoring of my work." Waters, who left Pink Floyd in 1985 and has largely maintained his distance from his former bandmates since then, has blamed both NATO and Ukraine for the widely condemned war instigated by Russia. He wrote an open letter to Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska earlier in September in which he blamed "extreme nationalists" in Ukraine for having "set your country on the path to this disastrous war." He also criticized the West for supplying Ukraine with weapons, blaming the United States in particular. Waters has also shared an open letter to Russian president Vladimir Putin, urging him to commit to a ceasefire and diplomatic settlement to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Waters is currently underway with the North American leg of his "This Is Not A Drill" tour, with back-to-back shows in LA scheduled for Sept. 27 and 28. The tour will continue until mid-October, when Waters and his band play two shows in Mexico City. - Billboard, 9/26/22...... 
Jimmy Buffett has postponed or canceled his remaining 2022 tour dates as he recovers from unspecified medical issues. "Due to health issues and a brief hospitalization, Jimmy will need to refrain from touring for the rest of the year," reads a missive posted on his Instagram page. "On doctor"s orders, he must take this time to recuperate and heal. Jimmy looks forward to getting back on stage next year." Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band's Oct. 8 show at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena has been rescheduled for March 3, while the Oct. 15 show at the same venue has moved to March 11. A new 2023 date for the Oct. 22 show at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego will be announced shortly, while the Oct. 10 date at Salt Lake City"s Vivint Arena and Oct. 12 show at Ford Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho, will not be rescheduled. Tickets will be refunded for the canceled shows. Buffett, who turned 76 on Dec. 25, 2021, returned to the road in May following a 14-month pandemic pause on his "Life on the Flipside" tour, named after his 2020 album that debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. His last show was Aug. 13 in Mansfield, Mass. - Billboard, 9/27/22...... Alternative fave Beck premiered a spot-on cover of Neil Young's 1972 track "Old Man" on Sept. 25 to promote the upcoming NFL game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 2. And, in classic Neil fashion, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Young took the opportunity to double-down on his stance about using his music to promote products. While Young did not specifically mention Beck's take on his 1972 Harvest song, an Instagram post on Sept. 26 from the rock icon's Neil Young Archives feed featured a screen-grab from the video for Neil's 1988 anti-product placement track "This Note's For You," in which he's holding up a beer bottle with a label that reads: "Sponsored by Nobody." Beck's take in an NFL commercial that aired on Sept. 25 (and shared on Twitter) to hype the Oct. 2 prime-time game was notable for the song's line "Old man, take a look at my life/ 24 and there's so much more," which, it's worth noting, was the age both Buccaneers' quarterback Tom Brady and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes were when they won their first Super Bowls. The preview of the song -- which was released in full digitally on Sept. 26 on YouTube -- featured footage of Mahomes and Brady in action. - Billboard, 9/27/22...... Bruce Springsteen and his wife and bandmate, Patti Scialfa, are set to perform at the inaugural Albie Awards at the New York Public Library on Sept. 29. Pop sensation Dua Lipa is set to present the Justice for Survivors Award, alongside Nadia Murad, to iAct, an organization that supports survivors of genocide in refugee camps. George and Amal Clooney, co-founders of The Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ), and Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, will host the Albie Awards, which are named after Justice Albie Sachs, who played a key role in ending apartheid in South Africa. Meanwhile, Springsteen is set to release new music on Sept. 29, according to a new teaser posted to Twitter on Sept. 28. The Boss shared a video of a radio tuning to different stations. At each stop, a recording of a Springsteen cover of an old soul classic plays, before the radio is tuned once again. Among the covers performed by the singer are Tyrone Davis' "If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time" and The Commodores' "Night Shift." The teaser comes after Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner let slip earlier in September that The Boss is releasing a new album before the end of 2022. Whether the teaser is related to the new album, and if the album is an entire soul covers record, will be revealed on Sept. 29 at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm BST). Springsteen has previously announced he'll launch a world tour in 2023 with his E Street Band, his first with the full band since 2017. The extensive world tour kicks off in the US between Feb. 1 and Apr. 14 before heading to Europe for a run that includes two shows at London"s Hyde Park. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 9/26/22...... Willie Nelson's Farm Aid has revealed plans for "a major farmer mobilization' in Washington, D.C., in March 2023 in advance of the latest annual Farm Aid benefit concert for family farmers in Raleigh, N.C., on Sept. 24. Farm Aid co-founder and board member John Mellencamp, participating in the Sept. 24 press conference, recalled when "[Willie Nelson] and I made the effort" to testify before a Congressional subcommittee in the 1980s on behalf of family farmers. And he left convinced that "the government ... doesn't care about you, doesn't care about anything but greed. So it's going to take good people like you," Mellencamp told the audience of farmers and activists at the pre-concert event. "I'm going to come to Washington, D.C., because politics today in the United States has gotten so far out of hand. We'll get a school bus and we'll all go down together." The mobilization plan results from discussions among "a coalition of 35 farm, food, climate [and] social justice organizations that are actively working on this," said Foley, citing Farm Aid's alliance with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. - Billboard, 9/24/22...... 
The Grateful Dead spinoff band Dead & Company have confirmed their plans to formally disband in the near future, and on Sept. 23 revealed that a farewell tour will be announced in the coming months. "As we put the finishing touches on booking venues, and understanding that word travels fast, we wanted to be the first to let you know that Dead & Company will be hitting the road next summer for what will be our final tour," band member John Mayer said in a statement shared with their "final tour" poster on Instagram. "Stay tuned for a full list of dates for what will surely be an exciting, celebratory, and heartfelt last run of shows." In his own post, Dead veteran Bob Weir wrote on Twitter: "Well it looks like that's it for this outfit; but don"t worry we will all be out there in one form or another until we drop." Though cities and dates are yet to be announced, the poster assures fans that "more information [is] coming soon," and reveals that the tour will take place over the summer of 2023. Word of Dead & Company"s disbanding first emerged earlier in 2022, when in April, Rolling Stone speculated that their North American tour for summer '22 would be their last. The article cited "sources close to Dead & Company" as their point of reference, as well as recent health issues for band member Bill Kreutzmann. Weir, however, was quick to deny the rumours, tweeting that the band's plans to break up were "news to me." In addition to Mayer, Weir and Kreutzmann, Dead & Company is also comprised of Mickey Hart, Oteil Burbridge and jeff Chimenti. - NME, 9/24/22...... Barbra Streisand has announced she'll release a newly remixed edition of her legendary 1962 Greenwich Village nightclub Set Live at the Bon Soir. Barbra Streisand -- Live at the Bon Soir is due out on Nov. 4 after being previewed on Sept. 23 with a live take on the 1953 Arthur Hamilton-penned torch song "Cry Me a River," first made famous by Julie London's version in 1955, then later released as the first single from Streisand's 1963 self-titled debut album. According to a release, the new mixes were supervised by Streisand and Grammy-winning engineer Jochem van der Saag, who culled it from tapes of her sets at the club on Nov. 4, 5, and 6, 1962. The recordings -- originally intended to comprise the singer's Columbia Records debut -- were shelved in favor of 1963's The Barbra Streisand Album, which contained studio versions of 11 of the songs from the star"s nightclub set. The live collection with 24 newly mixed tracks from the original masters, was produced by Streisand, Martin Erlichman and Jay Landers and will feature song-by-song descriptions of each song. It will be released as a 180-gram 2LP set and SACD, with the CD version packaged in a lavish hardcover book with a 32-page booklet with historical notes, photos and a message from Streisand; the vinyl set from Impex Records will come with a 12-page booklet. It will be Streisand's first release since her 2021 rarities album Release Me 2. - Billboard, 9/23/22...... 
The Doobie Brothers announced on Instagram on Sept. 22 that their longtime drummer John Hartman has died at age 72. "Today we are thinking of John Hartman, or Little John to us," read a social statement from the group. "John was a wild spirit, great drummer, and showman during his time in the Doobies. He was also a close friend for many years and an intricate part of the band personality! We send our condolences to all his loved ones at this difficult time." Hartman moved to Northern California to join what was planned as a Moby Grape reunion with that band's leader, Skip Spence, in 1969 that never materialized, according to a band bio. But after Spence introduced him to future bandmate singer/guitarist Tom Johnston, the pair started playing gigs in Bay Area bars, adding in singer/finger-picking guitarist Pat Simmons to the lineup. The band's 1971 Warner Bros. debut featured original bass player Dave Shogren, who split before the Doobies recorded their 1972 follow-up, Toulouse Street. The latter finally got them on the charts thanks to the easy-rocking hits "Listen to the Music" and "Jesus is Just Alright/Rockin' Down the Highway." By 1972, the Doobies had added new bassist Tiran Porter as well as second drummer Michael Hossack, initiating what would become their signature double-percussionist sound. Hartman left the group in 1979 before the release of the band's ninth album, 1980's One Step Closer. He returned 10 years later and played on 1989's Cycles and 1991's Brotherhood before leaving again in 1992. The beloved drummer was on hand in 2020 when the Doobies were inducting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. No additional information was made available on exactly when Hartman passed or his cause of death. - Billboard, 9/23/22...... Pharoah Sanders, a legendary tenor saxophonist who performed alongside John Coltrane in the mid-1960s, died on Sept. 24. He was 81. "We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away," his record label Luaka Bop wrote on Twitter. "He died peacefully surrounded by loving family and friends in Los Angeles earlier this morning. Always and forever the most beautiful human being, may he rest in peace." Born in Little Rock, Ark., on Oct. 13, 1940, Mr. Sanders -- whose real name was Ferrell Sanders -- moved to the Bay Area in the late 1950s before relocating to New York City, where he met fellow jazz artist Sun Ra, who encouraged him to take the name Pharoah. He eventually made a name for himself while performing alongside fellow jazz luminaries like Don Cherry and Billy Higgins. In 1965, Mr. Sanders joined Coltrane's group on tenor saxophone. During that time, Coltrane released several avant-garde masterpieces, including his 1966 album, Ascension. Mr. Sanders played with Coltrane until the jazz icon's death in 1967. After Coltrane's passing, Mr. Sanders briefly performed with his widow, Alice Coltrane, before forging his own path as a key figure in the spiritual jazz scene. Over the next two decades, Mr. Sanders continued releasing music as both a leader and sideman, working with fellow jazz acts including McCoy Tyner, Sonny Sharrock, Idris Muhammad and Leon Thomas. After a lengthy hiatus from the recording studio, Mr. Sanders returned in 2021 with the critically-acclaimed album Promises, which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. - Billboard, 9/24/22...... 
Actress Louise Fletcher, who won an Academy Award for her role in the 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, died in her sleep on Sept. 23 surrounded by family at her home in Montdurausse, France. She was 88. Andrew Bick, her son, told The Hollywood Reporter that she died of natural causes. She had survived two bouts with breast cancer. The actress won the Academy Award for Best Leading Actress in 1976 for her portrayal of ruthless nurse Mildred Ratched in Milos Forman's screen adaptation of Ken Kesey's 1962 novel of the same name. The movie also won awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Leading Actor and Best Screenplay. In her acceptance speech that night, Ms. Fletcher used American Sign Language to thank her deaf parents and thanked audiences for hating her. Her portrayal of the character in the film was so memorable, streaming platform Netflix made a series called Ratched in 2020, which tells the origin story of the nurse-turned-villain. Born Estelle Louise Fletcher on July 22, 1934, she was the second of four children. She married producer Jerry Bick in the early 1960s and had two sons, John and Andrew. Ms. Fletcher divorced Bick in 1977 and is survived by her sons, according to the AP. - Reuters, 9/24/22...... Star Wars composer John Williams are among the latest Hollywood industry members to receive an honorary knighthood from Britain's late Queen Elizabeth II. The honor grants Williams, along with former Disney CEO Bob Iger, with the title of KBE, which is more formally known as Knight Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Sept. 7 at the age of 96, Iger and Williams are just two among a larger 2022 class of approved honorary British awards. Williams was honored for his services to film music. The KBE honor is typically given to non-Britons who have made important contributions to the relations between Britain and their own country. - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/24/22.
New David Bowie subway cards have just been introduced in New York City's massive subway system. Bowie MetroCards are now available at Broadway-Lafayette station, just a few blocks from where the late rock legend used to live in SoHo for a portion of his life. The entire Broadway-Lafayette station has been transformed into something of a tribute to Bowie, too Advertisements for the "David Bowie Is" exhibition -- currently in progress at the Brooklyn Museum -- decorate the station, and outside, there's another giant Bowie mural. Costing $6.50, the new MetroCards reportedly have a two ride minimum. Meanwhile, Bowie's former collaborators are bringing Bowie's musical "Lazarus" back to life in New York City. "Lazarus" will be returning to the Big Apple for the first time since Bowie's death, in a one-night performance on May 2 at Kings Theater in Brooklyn. The new iteration is a screening of a previously filmed London performance accompanied by a live band. Dexter's Michael C. Hall will return to his leading role, with the original band performing 20 of Bowie's songs as they were arranged by the artist and band leader Henry Hey. The one night performance boasts a team of Bowie's peers behind the scenes, who joined the new project in order to preserve the artist's original vision. "I would like people to know that David Bowie really was -- far above being an incredible artist and an incredible performer -- he was, most importantly, an amazing human being," Hey said. - New Musical Express/Billboard, 4/17/18...... James Taylor and Bonnie Raiit are gearing up for a 17-date co-headlining summer tour that's set to kick off May 8 in Jacksonville, Fla. "We're a good 30 percent ahead of where we were last time," says Taylor's manager, Sam Feldman, of ticket sales for the upcoming arena road trip. The tour will cover 30-plus markets between the U.S. and Europe, where the pair will join fellow legend Paul Simon's farewell tour for two shows in Dublin and London. - Billboard, 4/13/18...... Doors from rooms where such iconic rockers as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell once stayed at the Chelsea Hotel in New York have been sold at auction, selling for thousands of dollars each. Dylan's door went for a whopping $100,000 alone, while the door to a room occupied by Cohen and Joplin during an affair that is rumoured to have inspired Cohen's track "Chelsea Hotel No. 22" went for $85,000. Jimi Hendrix and Madonna's doors went for $13,000 each. The doors were reportedly rescued by Jim Georgiou, a former tenant, who saw them being thrown away and arranged to take possession of them. - New Musical Express, 4/13/18...... Director Milos Forman, who earned Oscars for his movie masterpieces 
British pop singer Cliff Richard has begun his High Court battle against the BBC, after the corporation broadcast a police raid on his Berkshire home in 2014. Richard, 77, is seeking "very substantial" damages after the BBC acted on a tip-off from South Yorkshire Police and offered live coverage of a raid on his apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, as part of an investigation into a historical child sex abuse allegation. Sir Cliff was previously questioned over the allegation, but he has constantly maintained his innocence and has never faced charges. The BBC has confirmed that they will "defend ourselves rigorously," and argued in court that South Yorkshire Police attempted to "shoot its messenger." The public broadcaster also claims that it was in the public interest to broadcast the raid, and insists that their reporting "fully respected the presumption of innocence" of the popular singer. The BBC previously offered an apology to the singer in 2016. - NME, 4/13/18...... Character actor Tim O'Connor, best known for portraying Elliot Carson, Mia Farrow's father and Dorothy Malone's husband on more than 400 episodes of the 1960s ABC primetime soap Peyton Place, has died. He was 90. Mr. O'Connor also starred as Dr. Elias Huer on the 1979-81 NBC sci-fi series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, starring Gil Gerard, and on a memorable 1975 episode of All in the Family, he guest-starred as a former sweetheart of Edith's (Jean Stapleton) from Scranton, Pennsylvania, who's interested in rekindling their childhood romance. - The Hollywood Reporter, 4/12/18...... Actor R. Lee Emery, best known for his Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, has died after complications from pneumonia. He was 74. Ermey had several other mostly authority figure roles to his credit, including Sheriff Hoyt in 2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, a police captain in Se7en, and the voice of the plastic army men's leader Sarge in Toy Story. - Variety.com, 4/16/18...... Sitcom actor Harry Anderson, who presided over the hit NBC comedy Night Court for nine seasons, was found dead at his home in Asheville, N.C., on Apr. 16. He was 65. No foul play was suspected, according to police. After his family moved to Los Angeles, the amiable Rhode Island native began performing magic on variety TV series like The Mike Douglas Show, The Late Show With David Letterman, and Saturday Night Live; the latter led to his role as con artist Harry "The Hat" Gittes on Cheers, which in turn led to a starring role as Judge Harry Stone on Night Court. - Variety.com, 4/16/18.
Fleetwood Mac released a statement on Apr. 9 announcing that Lindsey Buckingham will be replaced on the band's upcoming tour by both Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House. A disagreement with Buckingham over the tour was apparently the reason for his firing, and the band said it "wishes Lindsey all the best." There was no comment regarding his future plans with the group. The band's Facebook page was also updated on Apr. 9 to an illustrated image, notably scrubbing Buckingham's image from its profile (although band images including Buckingham still remain on the page). The news initially broke in the first week of April after former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Billy Burnette posted -- then deleted -- a tweet declaring Buckingham out. The band added that it is "thrilled to welcome the musical talents of the caliber of Mike Campbell and Neil Finn into the Mac family... With Mike and Neil, we'll be performing all the hits that the fans love, plus we'll be surprising our audiences with some racks from our historic catalogue of songs... Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution... We look forward to honoring that spirit on this upcoming tour." Buckingham, responsible for such hits as "Tusk" and "Go Your Own Way," joined Fleetwood Mac along with his then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks in 1974 and has been with them on an intermittent basis since then, taking time away to record six solo albums. Although Fleetwood Mac are yet to release specific details of their 2018 tour, it's believed that it will kick off in the US in the fall. - Rolling Stone/Billboard, 4/9/18...... An electronic treatment of Paul Simon's classic 1986 solo album Graceland is being prepped for a June 1 release. 
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 1978 trend-setting stoner film 
BMG Music announced on Apr. 10 that it has inked an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Ringo Starr that will cover Starr's Beatles and solo catalog, spanning nearly 50 years, as well as future compositions. Among the over 150 titles included in the deal are his songwriting contributions with the Beatles' "What Goes On" from Rubber Soul, "Flying" from Magical Mystery Tour, "Don't Pass Me By" from the "White Album," "Octopus's Garden" from Abbey Road and "Dig It" and "Maggie Mae" from Let It Be, as well as other rarities. As a solo artist, Starr has released 19 studio albums, spanning from 1970's Sentimental Journey to last year's Give More Love. Starr has been awarded nine Grammy Awards and has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- first as a Beatle and again as a solo artist. In March, he was honored with a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and his charity work. "I love making music and the song writing process -- and putting new music out there to play along side the old," Ringo said in a statement. "How great to be working with BMG who are excited to have my entire catalogue." Starr will be heading out on tour later this year with a new iteration of his All Starr Band. - Billboard, 4/10/18...... In other Beatles-related news, authorities in Toronto, Canada are working to identify a woman who allegedly stole an individual stone from a Yoko exhibit at the Gardiner Museum on Apr. 6. The rock, which has an appraised insurance value of $17,500, was part of a three-part interactive instillation from Ono called The Riverbed. One of these three parts is an interactive work called "Stone Piece," which "features a pile of river stones that have been honed and shaped by water over time," according to the museum's website. "Ono has inscribed some of the stones with words, such as dream, wish, and remember. Visitors are invited to pick up a stone and hold it, concentrating on the word, and then placing the stone upon the pile of other stones in the center of the room." - Spin.com, 4/9/18...... About 300 Merle Haggard fans turned up in the late country music icon's hometown of Bakersfield, Calif., on Apr. 7 to celebrate the naming of a United States Post Office in Haggard's honor. The event fell on the two-year anniversary of Haggard's death -- and what would have been his 81st birthday -- and was also attended by his sister. Norm Hamlet, who played in the "Okie From Muskogee" singer's band for nearly a half-century, told a local paper that Haggard would've been humbled by the honor. - AP, 4/8/18...... Soul songwriter Ron Dunbar, who co-wrote countless soul classics including Freda Payne's 
Gospel/pop singer Yvonne Staples, who rose to fame as one of the voices of powerhouse trio The Staple Singers, died at her home in Chicago's South Shore on Apr. 10. She was 80. Yvonne performed on the Staple Singers hits including "Respect Yourself," 
Perturbed over several recent controversial rulings by the US Supreme Court, Bette Midler took to 
A pair of blue suede shoes worn by Elvis Presley himself has sold for over $151,000 (£120,000) during an auction conducted by Henry Aldrige & Son in Devizes, UK on June 28. The shoes were first acquired by the King of Rock & Roll after he performed the Carl Perkins hit "Blue Suede Shoes," and wore the shoes for various interviews and public appearances throughout the 1950s, most notably on The Steve Allen Show in the US, on which he performed "Hound Dog." According to auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, the shoes are what "you think of immediately when you talk about Elvis Presley" and they "transcend popular culture." Aldridge elaborated: "When Elvis joined up for the American army, he had a get-together at Graceland. Elvis called some of these people upstairs and was giving away some of the clothes he didn't think he'd need or want when he came back from the army. The gentleman concerned was Alan Fortas, Elvis's branch manager and a friend of his." Over the years, the shoes had spent time on display at various museums. Aldrige said that their authenticity had been verified by singer Jimmy Velvet, who was a close friend of Presley and himself used to run a museum of Elvis memorabilia. The shoes can be viewed on Aldrige's 
An all-star Country tribute to late rocker Tom Petty has made a chart-topping debut on Billboard's Compilation Albums chart for the week dated July 6. The 20-track 
On July 2 Heart announced they were postponing the remainder of their North American headlining "Royal Flush Tour" and their opening dates on the Journey/Def Leppard stadium tour, due to frontwoman Ann Wilson's recent health issues. "I underwent an operation to remove something that, as it turns out, was cancerous," Wilson shared in a press statement. "The operation was successful & I'm feeling great but my doctors are now advising me to undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy & I've decided to do it. And so my doctors are instructing me to take the rest of the year away from the stage in order to fully recover. To the ticket buyers, I really do wish we could do these gigs. Please know that I absolutely plan to be back on stage in 2025. My team is getting those details sorted & we'll let you know the plan as soon as we can." Wilson concluded by noting, "This is merely a pause. I've much more to sing." Fans are encouraged to hold on to their tickets for the upcoming postponed dates. In May, Heart canceled their European tour dates. Heart's "Royal Flush" tour marks the band's return to the road for the first time in five years. The North America leg kicked off April 20 in Greenville, S.C., with Cheap Trick as support on most dates, while Squeeze was set to open on a handful of those now-canceled summer European dates. - Billboard, 7/2/24...... Peter Collins, the British record producer who's worked with the likes of Rush, Bon Jovi and more, has passed away in his home in Nashville, Tenn. after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 73. Collins' producing credits include Rush's Power Windows, Bon Jovi's These Days, Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime, Alice Cooper's Hey Stoopid, Jewel's Spirit, Rick Astley's Portrait and over 50 other albums. Rush paid tribute to the producer with a post on their official 
The Eagles' co-founder Don Henley filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court on June 28 seeking the return of his handwritten notes and song lyrics from the band's 1976 album Hotel California. The civil complaint comes after prosecutors in March abruptly dropped criminal charges midway through a trial against three collectibles experts accused of scheming to sell the documents. Henley has maintained the pages were stolen and had vowed to pursue a lawsuit when the criminal case was dropped against rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz, former Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and rock memorabilia seller Edward Kosinski. "These 100 pages of personal lyric sheets belong to Mr. Henley and his family, and he has never authorized defendants or anyone else to peddle them for profit," Daniel Petrocelli, Henley's lawyer, said in statement. According to the lawsuit, the handwritten pages remain in the custody of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, which declined to comment on the litigation. Lawyers for Kosinski and Inciardi dismissed the legal action as baseless, noting the criminal case was dropped after it was determined that Henley misled prosecutors by withholding critical information. "Don Henley is desperate to rewrite history," Shawn Crowley, Kosinski's lawyer, said in an emailed statement. "We look forward to litigating this case and bringing a lawsuit against Henley to hold him accountable for his repeated lies and misuse of the justice system." Inciardi's lawyer, Stacey Richman, said in a separate statement that the lawsuit attempts to "bully" and "perpetuate a false narrative." During the trial, the men's lawyers argued that Henley gave the lyrics pages decades ago to a writer who worked on a never-published Eagles biography and later sold the handwritten sheets to Horowitz. He, in turn, sold them to Inciardi and Kosinski, who started putting some of the pages up for auction in 2012. The criminal case was abruptly dropped after prosecutors agreed that defense lawyers had essentially been blindsided by 6,000 pages of communications involving Henley and his attorneys and associates. - Billboard, 6/29/24...... The story of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Plastic Ono Band's ad hoc performance at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival in 1969 is legendary and oft told, and is the subject of a new documentary, 
A California judge is refusing -- at least for now -- to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Village People against Disney that claims the Hollywood giant blackballed the legendary disco band from performing at Walt Disney World. In a ruling issued on June 21, San Diego County Superior Judge Katherine Bacal ruled that the Village People could move forward with the case, which accuses Disney of violating state laws and committing fraud by placing a "do not book edict" on the group. Disney had argued that it has a First Amendment right to hire -- or to not hire -- any band it chooses, citing a special California law designed to protect free speech. But in her recent ruling, the judge said the company had failed to prove that the statute applied to the case. Importantly, the decision does not mean the Village People will win the lawsuit. Instead, Judge Bacal merely rejected Disney's request to dismiss the case at the earliest stage. The two sides will now proceed to discovery and an eventual trial, where the band will need to fully prove its claims. - Billboard, 6/26/24...... Neil Young & Crazy Horse have announced a "big unexpected break" from their ongoing tour due to illness in the band. On June 26, Young and the band took his Neil Young Archives website to announce the cancellation of their remaining shows, writing: "The 'Love Earth' tour has been a great experience for us so far. GREAT AUDIENCES AND MUSIC. WE HAVE HAD A BLAST! When a couple of us got sick after Detroit's Pine Knob, we had to stop. We are still not fully recovered, so sadly our great tour will have a big unplanned break." They continued in the blog post: "We will try to play some of the dates we miss as time passes when we are ready to rock again! We know many of you made travel plans and we apologise for the inconvenience. Thanks for your understanding and patience. Health is #1. We want to stay and do more shows and more albums for you and for us." Refund details have yet to be announced, nor have rescheduled dates for the rest of the tour, which was meant to resume on July 8 in Toronto and conclude on Sep. 29 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. - NME, 6/27/24...... Bette Midler posted a long string of reactions on social media as she watched the telecast of the presidential debate between Pres. Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump on June 27 in Atlanta, Ga. "All my friends are taking their blood pressure medicine now, preparing for the debate," Midler tweeted on 
On June 26 Van Morrison announced on 
The estates of '70s disco queen Donna Summer and modern rapper Kanye West have reached an agreement concerning the "illegal" use of Summer's hit "I Feel Love" on the controversial West's Vultures 1 album. West, 47, used an unauthorized interpolation of the late singer's 1977 hit "I Feel Love"' on "Good (Don't Die)," which features on his and Ty Dolla $ign's joint LP, and was released independently by Ye's YZY brand on Feb. 10, 2024. The song features the lyrics: "Oh, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive" set to the melody of the classic track from the Queen of Disco, who died in 2012 aged 63. A statement shared on the Instagram "Story of Donna"'s account earlier this year read: "Kanye West asked permission to use Donna Summer's song I Feel Love, he was denied he changed the words, had someone re sing it or used AI but it's I Feel Love copyright infringement!!!(sic)" As a result, the pair were hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit by Summer's widow, Bruce Sudano, who accused them of "shamelessly" re-recording the "instantly recognizable" part of the hit. After it was recently revealed that a settlement was reached, the case has been dismissed with prejudice. However, no information regarding the settlement has been made public. Kanye was also hit with a separate copyright claim by Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne, who accused him of sampling the Sabbath classic "War Pigs" on Vultures 1 without permission. - Music-News.com, 6/25/24...... Gibson Guitars have shared details of a new "YardBurst" 1959 Les Paul Custom, made in honor of guitar icon Jeff Beck. The new model arrives both as the guitar manufacturer celebrates 130 of music history, and on the same day as the legendary player would have celebrated his 80th birthday. It pays homage to the axe that Beck played as he was first put on the map -- the iconic 1959 Les Paul Standard that he played when making a name for himself as part of The Yardbirds. Available now (but apparently already sold out), the "YardBurst" is a faithful recreation of the historic guitar, and has been designed to capture all of its distinctive traits including the classic white bobbin humbuckers and black single-ply pickguard. Only 130 have been made -- in keeping with the Gibson 130th anniversary -- and each one was made by hand at the Murphy Lab and artfully aged to match the exact appearance of the original model during the guitarist's Yardbird days. It comes following the unexpected death of the guitar pioneer in Jan. 2023, when he was aged 78. - NME, 6/25/24...... Kinky Friedman, the Country singer-songwriter known for songs like "Sold American" and his quick wit in his writings, interviews and beyond, died at his home in Texas on June 26. He was 79. His death was announced via a statement posted to 
Martin Mull, the hip comedic actor best known for his roles on Fernwood 2 Night and Roseanne, died on June 27 after what his daughter described as "a valiant fight against a long illness." He was 80. Mr. Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera