Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 19th, 2014

Actor James Garner, best known for his starring role on the popular TV series Maverick and The Rockford Files, passed away of natural causes in his home in Los Angeles on July 19. He was 86. A smooth-talking "man's man" who never took himself too seriously, Mr. Garner's genial charm, sly humor and handsome looks made him a Hollywood fixture for more than 50 years. Born James Baumgarner on Apr. 7, 1928, in Norman, Okla., Mr. Garner joined the merchant marines at 16 after dropping out of high school. Later in the Army, he was wounded in the Korean War and awarded the Purple Heart. After being discharged, he briefly attended the University of Oklahoma and worked a variety of odd jobs, including gas station attendant, traveling salesman, carpet layer, and model of swim trunks. Mr. Garner chanced upon acting when boyhood friend Paul Gregory, who became a producer, offered him a nonspeaking role in the 1954 Broadway production of "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial." Thanks to his tall, rugged frame, extreme good looks, and genial personality, Mr. Garner soon began landing small parts on TV and films, which led to his big break in 1957, a starring role in the popular TV series Maverick. In 1958, he scored a screen test and a $200/week contract with Warner Bros. after impressing studio execs with his bit parts on the TV series Cheyenne. Mr. Garner went on to act alongside Marlon Brando in Sayonara, which led him to a supporting role in Darby's Rangers. Other roles followed, including Up Periscope (1959), Cash McCall (1960), Boys' Night Out (1962), The Great Escape, The Thrill of It All, The Wheeler Dealers, Move Over Darling (all 1963) and The Americanization of Emily (1964), and by the mid-Sixties he was one of Hollywood's top-salaried leading men. Other notable films include Grand Prix (1966), How Sweet It Is (1968), Marlowe and Support Your Local Sheriff (1969). Mr. Garner started his own production company, Maverick, and parlayed his earnings into profitable investments in oil and real estate. Although his film roles declined in the early '70s, he maintained his popularity with the TV series Nichols and the 1974-80 detective series The Rockford Files, for which he won an Emmy in 1977. Mr. Garner continued to work consistently throughout the years, acting in the likes of Space Cowboys with Clint Eastwood in 2000, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood with Sandra Bullock in 2002, and in The Notebook in 2004, in which he played the older version Ryan Gosling. A three-time Golden Globe winner, he also was honored with the Screen Actor's Guild Life Achievement Award in 2005, and in 2001 published his memoir, The Garner Files. News of Mr. Garner's death prompted online tributes from several of his former co-stars and friends, including Willam Shatner, Donny Osmond, John Stamos and Reese Witherspoon, who posted she was "Very privileged to work with this incredibly talented actor early in my career. He will be loved and missed forever." - E! Online/The Film Encyclopedia, 7/20/14.

Johnny Winter, an icon of Texas blues and rock who rose to fame in the late 1960s and '70s for his energetic performances and Grammy-winning musical collaborations with childhood hero Muddy Waters, died in a hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland, on July 16 while on tour in Europe. He was 70. One of the most popular live acts of the early 1970s, Winter's signature fast blues guitar solos attracted a wide following and his career received a big boost early on when Rolling Stone magazine singled him out in December 1968 as one of the best blues guitarists on the Texas scene. This helped secure the 23-year-old a substantial recording contract from Columbia Records and gave him a wide following among college students and young blues fans. Instantly recognizable for his long white hair, Winter worked with some of the greatest bluesmen, producing several albums for Waters and recording with John Lee Hooker. He paid homage to Waters on "Tribute to Muddy," a song from his 1969 release The Progressive Blues Experiment. His first release for Columbia in June of the following year, Johnny Winter, rose to Number 24 and featured his younger brother Edgar Winter on keyboards. He quickly released a follow-up in October, Second Winter. Both records featured a mix of originals and covers of songs by Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Sonny Boy Williamson and more. Between those two albums' release, Winter played an hour-long noon set on the last day of Woodstock, and he also teamed up with his brother Edgar for their 1976 live album Together. In 1973, after a two-year break to recover from a heroin habit, he released Still Alive and Well, a Rick Derringer-produced album that featured bassist Randy Jo Hobbs and drummer Richard Hughes which rose to Number 22. In his lifetime, the bluesman issued nearly 20 studio LPs. His most recent album, Roots, came out in 2011 and featured guests ranging from Warren Haynes to Edgar on songs by the likes of Elmore James and Jimmy Reed. A four-disc retrospective box set, True to the Blues: The Johnny Winter Story, was released in Feb. 2014. Winter's final album, Step Back, which features appearances by Eric Clapton, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Aerosmith's Joe Perry, among others, is scheduled to come out on Sept. 2. Winter, along with his younger brother Edgar, turned heads both for their musicianship and stark-white hair, a result of the musicians' albinism. He had been on an extensive tour in 2014 that brought him to Europe, and his last performance came on July 12 at the Lovely Days Festival in Wiesen, Austria. "His wife, family and bandmates are all saddened by the loss of one of the world's finest guitarists," a representative for Winter said in a statement. "An official statement with more details shall be issued at the appropriate time." - AP/Rolling Stone, 7/17/14.

A photo of a Nebraska teenager snapped by his friend of him standing in front of Paul McCartney and billionaire businessman Warren Buffet as the two men sat casually on a bench in the background became a viral hit on July 14. Reports surfaced the previous evening that the ex-Beatle was in town, having dinner, dessert and walking around Omaha's Dundee neighborhood with Buffet, who is based in the city. Plenty of awe-struck citizens took photos of the unexpected duo, but a shot of Omaha resident Tom White giving a thumbs up while McCartney and Buffet sit relaxing on a bench became a viral celeb hit on Twitter. "Chillin with my homies" said White's tweet, which linked to a copy of the image on Instagram. Jacob Murray, who snapped the pic, White and another boy took a series of photos with the two men, and the image was later re-tweeted by McCartney's Twitter handle on July 14. "Just hanging out with friends," @PaulMcCartney wrote. McCartney was in Nebraska for is "Out There" world tour, and played Lincoln on July 14. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Macca said he will step out of the limelight eventually but "not today" and added he likes to mix up old and new material to keep everyone happy. "So we mix it up occasionally, but mainly we hope we're pleasing the various facets in the audience," he commented. McCartney recently re-released five of his classic Wings and solo albums as apps. New versions of McCartney, Ram, Band On the Run, Wings Over America, and McCartney II have been released via the Apple store as apps for the iPad. The apps, released through the Concord Music Group, include the original albums and a host of special features and extra material, including remastered audio tracks, interviews, photos, artwork and rehearsal footage and documentary videos. The apps cost $7.99, less than the price of the albums on iTunes, which go for $9.99 or $12.99 for the deluxe editions. In other Beatles-related news, Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard has signed on to direct and produce an authorized, as-yet-untitled documentary about the touring years of the Fab Four's career (approx. 1960-1966), a period in which the Beatles crossed the globe, sparked Beatlemania and released several classic albums. For it, he will interview surviving members McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as talk with John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and George Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison. "We are going to be able to take the Super 8 footage that we found, that was all shot silent. We'll not only be able to digitally repair a lot of that, but we've also been finding the original recordings," explains Howard. "We can now sync it up and create a concert experience so immersive and so engaging, I believe you're going to actually feel like you're somewhere in the Sixties, seeing what it was like to be there, feeling it and hearing it. And as a film director, that's a fantastic challenge." The documentary is scheduled for a tentative late-2015 release. - Billboard/Rolling Stone, 7/15/14.

After decades of litigation, some early Jimi Hendrix master recordings will go to Legacy Recordings, the catalog wing of Sony Music Entertainment. The deal was struck between Sony and Experience Hendrix LLC, the Hendrix family music company which owns and administers the Jimi Hendrix music rights. The recordings date from 1965-1967 and cover the two-year period when Hendrix was moonlighting as a session guitarist with New York-based R&B act Curtis Knight & The Squires. Having been introduced to Hendrix by Curtis Knight, in 1965 record producer and entrepreneur Ed Chalpin signed Jimi (then Jimmy") Hendrix and Curtis Knight & The Squires to a notorious three-year recording contract for the princely sum of $1.00 and a 1% royalty rate. Just before Hendrix went to England and became a global solo star, his manager, Chas Chandler, bought out every contract that his client had previously signed, with the exception of Hendrix's 1965 agreement with Chalpin's PPX International. It would prove a costly oversight and became the source of a long-running legal dispute which has now been settled, however terms were not disclosed. Hendrix's long-time sound engineer Eddie Kramer will oversee the reissues, which will be released by Legacy Recordings over the next three years. Meanwhile, a musician described by many as "the British Hendrix" is returning to the UK with a brand new studio album and a nationwide UK Tour in March 2015. Robin Trower, will play launch a 17-city tour beginning Mar. 26 in Lincoln, also visiting venues in Birmingham (3/28), Glasgow (4/4), York (4/8), Sheffield (4/9), London (4/11) and Exeter (4/15) before wrapping in Milton on Apr. 17. Trower will be touring behind his last album, 2013's critically acclaimed Roots and Branches, and tickets went on sale July 16 at ents24.com. - Billboard/Noble PR, 7/17/14.

David Bowie penned a statement in which he promised "more music soon" which was read on July 12 to guests at the 12 Bar in central London, for a low-key event to celebrate 50 years of Bowie's music and to raise funds for the Terrance Higgins Trust. "This city is even better than the one you were in last year, so remember to dance, dance, dance," the statement reads. "And then sit down for a minute, knit something, then get up and run all over the place. Do it. Love on ya. More music soon. David." It has been roughly 16 months since his 2013 album The Next Day rose toward the top of sales charts around the globe, an LP that was unexpectedly announced on his 66th birthday when he dropped a new single "Where Are We Now" and announced news of his first album since Reality ten years earlier. Recorded in secrecy, with long-time collaborator Tony Visconti assuming production duties, The Next Day arrived at No. 1 in 15 countries including the U.K. In the U.S., it opened at No. 2, his highest chart debut there. 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of "Liza Jane" -- Bowie's first single released as Davie Jones with the King Bees (he adopted the name Bowie to avoid confusion with The Monkees' British frontman Davy Jones). - Billboard, 7/17/14.

Cher, who ended the first leg of her Dressed to Kill Tour on July 11, is on track to have the most successful trek of 2014. Cher's tour has grossed a reported $54.9 million through the end of its first leg on July 11. A total of 610,812 attendees went to the 49 shows -- all of which were sell-outs. The show is on a break until Sept. 11, when the diva launches the second leg in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center. The show will get some extra glitter from Emmy Award-winning fashion designer Bob Mackie, who will provide new costumes for Cher. Cher and Mackie have collaborated for decades, however he couldn't design outfits for the first leg of the new tour due to time constraints. The Dressed to Kill Tour is Cher's first tour since her lengthy Living Proof Farewell Tour, which played 325 shows around the globe from 2002 through 2005. Among the highlights in the current show are a campy vampiric take on her new album's song "Dressed to Kill," where she slinks around the stage before sinking her teeth into a dancer. Also crowd-pleasing is her medley of her three No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits from the 1970s: "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves," "Dark Lady" and "Half-Breed." The show ends with Cher literally flying above the crowd, singing her top 20 Adult Contemporary chart hit, "I Hope You Find It." - Billboard, 7/15/14.

In a wide-ranging new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Eric Clapton admits he has trouble writing songs now; claims he is truly serious about retiring from the road; and confesses he doesn't listen to much new music. When asked "what has happened to your songwriting" (his recent album have been mostly covers), Clapton replied: "I'm just lazy. When I get to 'What am I going to do for that bit?' I stop and turn on the TV. I'm easily distracted. What I've done a lot is written songs, then forgotten them. I put them down as a voice memo, on my phone, then I lose the memo." Queried if he listens to rock much anymore, he said he didn't know what rock is now. "I'm not sure who's playing rock. Blake Mills [who has played with Conor Oberst and the Avett Brothers] is the last guitarist I heard that I thought was phenomenal. At Crossroads last year, I was playing with [jazz guitarist] Kurt Rosenwinkel, trying to keep up with him and wondering what I could steal." Asked if he'll do another Crossroad Festival benefit because "after each one, you swear that's it," the musician said: "No, I think this could be it. I don't want to work that hard, that much, anymore. The Breeze [his JJ Cale tribute LP] was a joy to do. I was planning to write and record another album for myself when JJ passed away. So that's the next thing I would do. Next year, I might do a couple of shows and say, 'Folks, that's it, I'm off.' Then I'll see what I make of that, whether I'm content to just go into the studio now and then and play at home for the family." And how often does he play at home? "Quite a lot. Maybe once a day or every two days, for a fair bit of time. I pick up an acoustic and try to work something out." "Do have new, original songs you haven't forgotten or lost?" "Yeah [laughs]. They're on my iPhone." - Rolling Stone, 7/17/14.

Rosalind Nyman, the mother of Billy Joel who inspired him to write "Rosalinda's Eyes," died in Long Island, N.Y., on July 13, a spokeswoman for the singer and songwriter announced on July 15. She was 92. "Rosalinda's Eyes," from Joel's 1978 album 52nd Street was a tribute to his mother, who raised him alone after divorcing his father, Howard Joel, in 1957. The lyrics include the words: "I've got music in my hands; The work is hard to find; But that don't get me down; Rosalinda understands." Rosalind Joel, born in Brooklyn to English immigrants, worked in a clerical capacity for various businesses near her home in Hicksville and supported a number of charities. She met her husband in 1942 at a City College musical production and married him three years later. Billy Joel was born in 1949. The couple later adopted Judy, the daughter of Rosalind's late sister Muriel. Billy Joel endowed the Rosalind Joel Scholarship for the Performing Arts at City College in 1986. - ABC News, 7/15/14.

Actor Don Cheadle's fascination with Miles Davis began as a child, when the jazz icon's 1959 album Porgy and Bess was a staple in his family's music collection. Now the House of Lies star will make his feature-film directorial debut with a partially crowdfunded biopic focusing on the Bitches Brew mastermind's brief hiatus from music and his rocky relationship with his first wife Francis Taylor. "I'm not interested in all the things that a traditional biopic does," says Cheadle, who learned how to play trumpet for the film. "I want to tell a hot story that's full of his music, that feels impressionistic in that it finds a way to incorporate all his musical styles, influences and ideas." - Entertainment Weekly, 7/18/14.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on November 18th, 2019

Bruce Springsteen played a two-hour benefit show in his hometown of Asbury Park, N.J. on the evening of Nov. 16 for a fundraiser for Boston College, where his son Evan once attended. The 500-capacity Stone Pony club saw the rock icon, backed by his E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg and former Asbury Jukes guitarist Bobby Bandiera and his band, perform a 22-song set that mixed in classics such as "Born to Run," "Dancing in the Dark" and "Spirit in the Night" with covers including "Twist and Shout." An encore set featured a medley of Detroit songs and a final acoustic take on "Thunder Road." Springsteen previously played a benefit for the private Jesuit University in Chestnut Hill, Mass., at the Stone Pony in 2011. Footage from the event of Springsteen playing "10th Avenue Freezout" with the full band was shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 11/18/19...... In a new interview with Billboard, Paul McCartney revealed he and his wife Nancy Shevell snook into a cinema near their home in the Hamptons over the summer for a screening of the recent Beatles-themed movie Yesterday. Sir Paul said he politely declined an offer to see the film at an official screening, but decided to see the movie after he heard Danny Boyle would direct it. "I thought, 'They must think they can pull it off.' And I thought nothing more of it until they asked if I wanted to see a screening," Paul said. "I asked Nancy, and we said, 'Let's go, you and me, on a date to the cinema'. We were in the Hamptons in the summer and there it was, so we got two tickets and walked in when the cinema went dark. Only a couple of people saw us. We were in the back row, giggling away, especially at all the mentions of Paul McCartney. A couple of people in front of us spotted us, but everyone else was watching the film. We loved it.'" Yesterday stars Himesh Patel as singer/songwriter Jack Malik, who lives in a world where nobody knows that the iconic Liverpool band ever existed. McCartney also gave an update on his forthcoming musical adaptation of the movie It's a Wonderful Life, which is due out in 2020. "The reason I never wanted to do a musical is I couldn't think of a strong enough story," he said. "But a guy I've known since school in Liverpool became a theatrical impresario in London [Bill Kenwright], and he rang me up and said, 'I've got the musical rights to It's a Wonderful Life. That's a strong story. So I met with the writer, Lee Hall, and I asked him to write the first 20 minutes of how he sees this as a play. So I was on holiday in the Hamptons, and I had lots of free time. So I read it and thought, 'That's a good opening, I like this', and I sat at the piano and threw this melody at these dummy lyrics he had written. This was August. I sent it to them, and they said, 'You've nailed it'. So it's going well." Macca was interviewed by Billboard after the magazine named the Beatles as topping their list of the "Top 125 Artists of All Time" on the occasion of its 125th anniversary. The Rolling Stones claimed the No. 2 spot on the list, with Elton John named the No. 3 act and top solo artist.- Billboard, 11/14/19...... In other McCartney news, Glastonbury UK festival organizer Emily Eavis has announced that the Beatles icon will headline the legendary festival in 2020 just hours after Paul shared an image of American composer Philip Glass, actress Emma Stone and rock legend Chuck Berry. When the surnames of all three are combined, the not-so-subtle clue of "Glass-Stone-Bury" is provided. Eavis wrote on Twitter: "IT'S REAL!! So excited.. Having Paul McCartney coming back to headline the Pyramid next year is an absolute dream come true. There really was no one that we wanted more for the 50th anniversary." McCartney also confirmed the news, posting: "Hey Glasto - excited to be part of your Anniversary celebrations. See ya next summer!" The announcement ends months of speculation surrounding a headline slot for Macca at Glastonbury's fiftieth anniversary in 2020. Paul last headlined the festival in 2004, alongside Muse and Oasis. Meanwhile McCartney, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and Jeff Lynne are among some of the names who have signed a guitar to help raise money for former Fairport Convention guitarist Jerry Donahue, who suffered a severe stroke in 2016 and has been disabled since. The guitar -- a signature Jerry Donahue Fender Telecaster -- is expected to sell for in the region of between £10,000 and £20,000. Other big names who have signed the guitar include The Who's Pete Townshend, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, Dire Straits's Mark Knopfler and The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. - New Musical Express, 11/18/19...... German artist TrippieSteff has reimagined the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album with 21st century celebrities as part of a remake of several classic album covers, including Blondie's Parallel Lines and Nirvana's Nevermind, by a team of graphic designers and artists. TrippieSteff's new Sgt. Pepper's artwork features Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Drake and Lil Nas X in place of the original Fab Four at the center, and the artwork also depicts a range of other contemporary figures including Elon Musk, Kylie Jenner, Bernie Sanders and BoJack Horseman. "The original cover was a blend of high and low cultural figures that depicted the zeitgeist mindset of the late 60s," TrippieSteff explained. "It was also a group of influential figures that were 'heroes' to the Beatles. With a desire to keep the same theme, I chose to feature the most iconic and influential figures of the past decade. These are people that have been controversial figures in music, politics, television, human rights and more. By putting them together in the same image, I wanted to show that they are all equally important." - NME, 11/15/19...... Randy Newman has been nominated in both the Best Original Song and Best Score categories at the upcoming Oscars for his contribution to the Toy Story 4 soundtrack. Newman, 75, has two eligible titles in the song category: "The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy" and "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away." Newman, a 20-time Oscar nominee and two-time winner, is the only songwriter in Academy Awards history to receive a nomination for Best Original Song for three films from the same franchise. His tunes have been nominated for each of the first three Toy Story films -- "You've Got a Friend in Me" (1995), "When She Loved Me" (1999) and 2010 winner "We Belong Together," and he could extend his streak come Jan. 13, 2020, with the two new titles. While Newman is the only songwriter to receive a nod for best original song for three films in the same franchise, legendary composer John Williams has equaled or surpassed this feat in the Best Original Score category with two franchises: He was nominated for best original score for five Star Wars films (he won for scoring the 1977 original) and three Indiana Jones movies. He may land his sixth Star Wars nom for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, out Dec. 20. - Billboard, 11/15/19...... Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the two men who accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing them as children, could bring their lawsuits to trial thanks to an update in California's child sexual abuse law. The pair, whose accusations were featured in the documentary Leaving Neverland as well as in a 2013 lawsuit that was dismissed four years later, could find themselves back in court as the new law comes into force. Both men had appealed the 2017 decision to discharge their cases, which was due to a statute of limitations, but these appeals have since been on hold in the appellate court. But the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases has since been extended in Californian law, and the California Court of Appeal has issued a tentative ruling that could overturn the 2017 dismissals. Should a trial be granted, Robson and Safechuck would be able to sue the Jackson estate for millions of dollars like they attempted to do so six years ago. The estate, his family, and Jackson himself before he died in 2009 have denied all accusations of sexual misconduct levelled against him. In other MJ news, the famous episode of The Simpsons featuring Michael Jackson has been excluded from the show's catalog available on the newly launched Disney+ streaming service. In the wake of the increased controversy surrounding the allegations made in Leaving Neverland, it was announced earlier in 2019 that the 1991 episode would be pulled from broadcast rotation, with Simpson showrunner Al Jean recently going as far to say that the late singer used his cameo "to groom young boys." The episode, titled "Stark Raving Dad," featured Jackson as the voice of Leon Kompowsky, a psychiatric hospital patient who ends up sharing a room with Homer Simpson. The white, overweight Kompowsky tries to convince Homer that he is the late King of Pop, and is even seen singing "Billie Jean" and showing off his legendary moonwalk dance moves. The episode ends with Kompowsky helping Bart compose a song as a birthday present to Lisa, before admitting that he knows he isn't really Michael Jackson. - New Musical Express, 11/18/19...... In a new interview with People, Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne revealed the Osbourne family are the "closest" they've ever been to reviving their hit MTV reality series, The Osbournes. "I'm not joking, every single year about every three months or so someone else gives us another offer and we keep saying no," Kelly said. "It keeps coming 'round. Right now there's another offer on the table and I think this is the closest we've ever come to accepting one. But whether that will happen or not, I don't know." The 35-year-old singer/actress/fashion designer added that it would be more difficult to shoot a new series of the show now that the Osbourne clan has expanded. "We've got other people to think about. My brother [Jack Osbourne] has three kids. Do we want that life for them without them being old enough to choose if they want to do it or not like my brother and I were?" Meanwhile, father Ozzy has just announced that he's going on a joint tour with Marilyn Manson after Ozzy previously postponed world tour dates after a long spate of illness. Osbourne's "No More Tours 2" trek will begin with Manson on May 27 in Atlanta and conclude July 31 in Las Vegas. October and November will then see the Black Sabbath legend embark of rescheduled UK and European dates with Judas Priest. Ozzy also recently announced his first solo album in 10 years, Ordinary Man, with the launch single "Under The Graveyeard." It is expected to drop in January. - NME, 11/15/19...... KISS added some dates to their 2020 schedule, which kicks off with a Feb. 1 show at the SNHU Arena in Manchester, N.H., and sees the shock rockers on the road for 44 dates through an Oct. 2 show at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Tex. The band says their "End Of the Road Tour" will end on July 21, 2021, at an as-yet-unannounced venue in their home turf of New York after a half century of giving their best to the KISS Army. The news of the new dates came just hours after the band canceled a planned Australia/New Zealand tour after singer Paul Stanley fell ill with the flu and was advised by a doctor to rest. The opening date was recently pushed back due to Stanley's illness, and now the singer says he's suffered an additional infection in his throat. "Words cannot begin to convey our massive disappointment in having to cancel our 'End Of The Road' tour of your incredible country," Stanley said in a message to the band's Australia/NZ fans. "Our connection to you is unparalleled and decades deep." - Billboard, 11/14/19...... To mark the 40th anniversary of its seminal 1979 album London Calling, The Clash has opened a new exhibition at the Museum of London which should prove to be a near-essential pilgrimage for fans of the punk icons across the globe. Upon entering, fans will immediately notice Paul Simonon's broken bass guitar, after he famously smashed the instrument on stage at The Palladium in New York City. The moment went on to become immortalized on the cover of London Calling. Other items on display include Joe Strummer's note book with early lyrics to London Calling and Topper Headon's drum sticks -- the only item of Headon's that remains from this time. The exhibition will run through Apr. 19, 2020. - NME, 11/15/19...... A previously unseen interview with the late drummer Buddy Miles, a member of Jimi Hendrix's band Band of Gypsys, has just been shared online and sees Miles discussing how he worked with Hendrix to create the now legendary song "Machine Gun." In the new clip posted to YouTube and filmed prior to Miles' death in 2008, he discusses how the three became the Band of Gypsys. "The Band of Gypsys was a strong statement from three brothers, because we all had intimacy and love," Miles explains in the clip. "We also had a feel for what we thought was right and what we enjoyed playing." As for 'Machine Gun' itself, he describes how the classic track was inspired by Hendrix's love of Delta Blues. "It was taken from a style called Delta Blues. He had a deep fascination with Muddy Waters too, but that track was most definitely from the Deep South." On Nov. 22, a new Band of Gypsys box set entitled Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts will drop. It captures all four historic concerts by Hendrix and the band at New York's Fillmore East. - NME, 11/15/19...... The Monkees members Michael Nesmith and Mickey Dolenz announced on Nov. 13 they'll be hitting the road in 2020 for an "Evening With the Monkees" tour. Nesmith and Dolenz, the only surviving members of the beloved 1960s quartet, will also release their first live album as a duo, The Monkees - The Mike and Mickey Show Live, on Apr. 3. Their tour is set to launch on the new album's release day with a performance at Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. The 14-date trek will run through Seattle, Sacramento, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and more. Dates will close out on Apr. 26 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville. The duo, who previously toured in 2018, will perform material from throughout their more than 50 years in the Monkees and beyond with hits from the band's 1966 self-titled debut to 2016's Good Times. That album was recorded with the three surviving members at the time: Nesmith, Dolenz and Peter Tork. Tork passed away in February this year, while original member and singer Davy Jones passed away in 2012. - Billboard, 11/13/19...... The blue velvet gown worn by the late Princess Diana when she famously enjoyed a dance with Saturday Night Fever icon John Travolta at a White House dinner in 1985 is expected to fetch $452,000 when in goes under the hammer soon at auction. The late British royal donned the stunning Victor Edelstein dress during a state dinner hosted by then-U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in Washington, D.C., and hit the dancefloor with fellow guest Travolta. The off-the-shoulder designer outfit had initially been offloaded at a charity auction in New York in June, 1997, just two months before Diana's death in Paris, France, and it was sold to the highest bidder again in 2013 as part of a collection of the princess' gowns. "This is arguably her most iconic gown, the photos of her being twirled around the dance floor by a handsome John Travolta at the White House caused a sensation at the time, and are still memorable today," said a rep for Kerry Taylor's Auctions. The auction is set to take place in December. - WENN/Canoe.com, 11/18/19...... Terry O'Neill, an iconic British photographer known for capturing the 1960s culture through his work with such famous music and film celebrities as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elton John and Frank Sinatra, died at his home on Nov. 16 after battling prostate cancer. He was 81. Recognized as one of the world's most collected photographers, Mr. O'Neill began his career at the birth of the 1960s, as he chronicled the emerging faces of film, fashion and music that would go on to define the Swinging Sixties era. He famously captured images of figures such as Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Elvis Presley and Audrey Hepburn and was also one of the first photographers to work with then new 007 franchise starring Sean Connery as James Bond. He also photographed the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, as well as photographed backstage reportage with David Bowie, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Chuck Berry. Elton John paid tribute to Mr. O'Neill on Twitter, where he praised the late photographer. "Terry O'Neill took the most iconic photographs of me throughout the years, completely capturing my moods," Elton wrote. "He was brilliant, funny and I absolutely loved his company. A real character who has now passed on. RIP you wonderful man. Love, Elton," the singer posted alongside a photo Mr. O'Neill took of him. Mr. O'Neill was awarded the Royal Photographic Society Centenary Medal in 2011 in recognition of his significant contribution to the art of photography and an Honorary Fellowship of the Society. Earlier this year, he was also awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Photography in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours list. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/17/19.

Elton John announced the final 2020 North American dates for his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour on Nov. 13. John will kick off North American dates of the second year of his three-year tour worldwide tour with a two-night stand at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on Mar. 28 and 29. Other dates include Montreal (4/2, 3), Miami (5/30), St. Paul (6/15, 16), Chicago (6/19, 20), New Orleans (6/24) and Houston (6/30, 7/1) before wrapping at Kansas City's Sprint Center on July 8. The 24 new dates join previously announced dates that include double headers at Madison Square Garden in New York, Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and American Airlines Center in Dallas. Elton launched his goodbye tour in September of 2018 and has sold out every show so far. The three-year trek is expected to close out in 2021. - Billboard, 11/13/19...... The new Jeff Lynne's ELO album From Out of Nowhere has become the first U.K. chart-topping studio set from the recording act masterminded by Lynne (formerly billed as the Electric Light Orchestra and then ELO) since Time in 1981. ELO previously hit No. 1 with Discovery in 1979 and subsequently with the All Over The World - The Very Best Of compilation, as new audiences were being drawn to their music in 2016. - Billboard, 11/8/19...... Edgar Winter has announced he's prepping a star-studded tribute album to his late rocker older brother Johnny Winter that he hopes to release sometime in 2020. "It's really turned out to be a wonderful blessing in my life, doing this," says Edgar, who received early encouragement and support from Johnny including having Edgar as part of his band when it played the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival. "Johnny's my all-time musical hero. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be where I am now. I just feel like I need to acknowledge that and put out a record he would love." Edgar says the 16-song set will include a mix of Johnny Winter originals as well as some of his signature covers, such as Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode," the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash," Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" and Rick Derringer's "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo," which Johnny Winter recorded first, in 1970. Contributors to the project include Joe Walsh, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, Robben Ford and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, with more guests to be announced soon. Meanwhile, Edgar is among the contributors of Ringo Starr's new album What's My Name, and describes the former Beatles drummer as "such a unique, just joyful gentleman." "And beyond that he's such a heartfelt advocate and spokesman for peace and love, and being an old hippie and having played Woodstock, I just love that idea of spreading that light and that message," Winter notes. "I think the Beatles did that, and Ringo carries it on in admirable fashion." - Billboard, 11/13/19...... The Bellamy Brothers have shared a clip of the title track of their latest album Over the Moon on YouTube, with brothers David and Howard Bellamy singing the sweet ballad of new love set to the backdrop of a star-filled sky. The "Let Your Love Flow" hitmakers will be once again joining country star Blake Shelton on his 2020 "Friends and Heroes" tour, which kicks off Feb. 13 in Portland. - Billboard, 11/13/19...... During a visit to Fargo, N.D. on Nov. 9 for a performance at the Fargo Theatre, Kris Kristofferson surprised customers when he performed with an acoustic guitar at a local downtown bar and asked to sing with the band 32 Below. According to radio station KFGO-AM, members of the band had taped a note to Kristofferson's tour bus door. The note said the band was "huge fans" and "would be absolutely stoked" if the famous country star came to the bar and allowed them to buy him "a beer or five." Kristofferson decided to show up at Dempsey's Public House bar and perform a rendition of his classic "Me and Bobby McGee" with the band. 32 Below later said on Facebook: "We played a legendary song with the legend who wrote it!" - AP, 11/13/19...... Some British fans of the Clash have taken to Twitter to air their dismay over UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's recent declaration that the Clash and the Rolling Stones are his two favourite bands. "(My favourite band is) either the Clash or the Rolling Stones, and mainly I listen to the Rolling Stones nowadays, so you can make of that what you will," he said. Johnson made the remarks in new general election campaign video in which he's seen walking around the Conservative Party headquarters answering questions. "Don't pretend to like the Clash, you lying Tory," one Clash fan posted to Twitter on Nov. 13, while another wrote, "I can assure you there is no chance that you are the Clash's favourite PM. You represent EVERYTHING the Clash stand against." The surviving members of the Clash are yet comment on Johnson's remarks. - New Musical Express, 11/13/19...... In celebration of Motown Records' 60th anniversary, the Ryan Gordy Foundation honored Motown founder Berry Gordy and Motown legend Smokey Robinson during a gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Nov. 11. Berry Gordy was presented a Power of Love Award statuette by Michael Jackson's two eldest children, Paris and Prince. "We honor you and your lifetime of incredible achievements across music and entertainment," noted Prince, with Paris adding, "This is a man that we love so dearly and appreciate with all of our hearts." Smokey Robinson next took the stage to pay tribute to Gordy. He said, "You've been my mentor, my motivator, my encourager, my confidant, my go-to and -- back in the days when we lived in the hood -- we were each other's 'N'-word, a high and prestigious position. But the sum total of all these and other my's is that you are my best friend. I love you." "I accept this award in appreciation for the precious years I spent with my dear grandson Ryan Gordy. He inspired me with thoughts beyond his years and his love for life. He was a fighter who never gave up. For all those sharing in the power of love tonight, I thank you," said Gordy, who turns 90 on Nov. 28. Hosted by comedian Chris Tucker and helmed by chairperson Frances Robinson, the dinner and awards event raised $250,000 toward the building of a center for the RGF. Launched in 2017, RGF is named after Gordy's grandson Ryan, who died of leukemia at the age of 29 in 2016. Smokey Robinson accepted his own award, RGF's Legendary R&B Pioneer and Humanitarian Award, from Lionel Richie, who called Robinson "my hero." "What you feel about Berry, Smokey, I feel about you. I love you man, and thank you for being exactly who you are in my life," Richie added. - Billboard, 11/12/19...... Marie Osmond told the audience on her television talk show The Talk on Nov. 11 that she's ready to perform the final week of an 11-year run with her brother Donny Osmond at the Flamingo Las Vegas, even though she was forced to cancel a Nov. 9 show after chipping her knee the previous week. Osmond, 60, was forced to back out of that show but is promising audiences she will be back for the final week of shows in the third week of November. Front-row seats for the last concert by the popular '70s performers on Nov. 16 are reportedly going for $4,000 or more, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. - AP, 11/12/19...... In a new interview with the toy railroad hobby magazine Railway Modeller, Rod Stewart revealed that he has spent almost 26-years building a huge, 124-ft-long intricate model of a city influenced by both New York and Chicago. Later, after the interview was shared, Stewart rang BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Show to refute accusations that he hadn't made the model railway himself. "I would say 90% of it I built myself," Sir Rod declared. "The only thing I wasn't very good at and still am not is the electricals, so I had someone else do that. A lot of people laugh at it being a silly hobby, but it's a wonderful hobby," he added. Stewart also told the magazine that he often worked on the model while on tour, sometimes requesting an extra room for his constructions in hotels. "We would tell them in advance and they were really accommodating, taking out the beds and providing fans to improve air circulation and ventilation," the musician said. "When I take on something creative like this, I have to give it 110%," he added. "For me it's addictive. I started, so I just had to finish. I'm lucky I had the room. If I'd have realised at the start it would have taken so long, I'd have probably said, 'No! No! Nah!'" Stewart also revealed that he works on the railway in the attic of his Los Angeles home. - New Musical Express, 11/13/19...... Documentaries about such diverse music figures as Linda Ronstadt, Miles Davis, Luciano Pavarotti, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash are among the 159 feature films that have been submitted in the Best Documentary Feature category for the 92nd Academy Awards, set for Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. At least seven of the 159 films were also entered for best music film in the upcoming 62nd annual Grammy Awards process. Those films that are vying for both Oscar and Grammy noms are: Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes; David Crosby: Remember My Name; Echo in the Canyon; Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles; Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool; Pavarotti and Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese. Other music docs that are entered in the Oscar process include The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash; Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice; Western Stars (starring Bruce Springsteen) and Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation. A shortlist of the 15 films that are advancing in the category will be revealed on Dec. 16. Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Jan. 13, 2020. - Billboard, 11/12/19...... On Nov. 12 Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters was announced as a keynote speaker for the 2020 South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Tex. "Roger Waters is a true creative visionary, and we're pleased to have him participate for 2020," said Hugh Forrest, the event's chief programming officer. "SXSW continues to be a unique destination for innovation and discovery, and we're excited about the addition of the many groundbreaking pioneers, influential voices and business leaders that we've added to this year's lineup." Other keynotes include artist and former Sonic Youth basist Kim Gordon and director/producer/writer Erin Lee Carr. Previously announced featured speakers include Chic legend Nile Rodgers and comedic actor Cheech Marin. The 2020 edition of SXSW runs from Mar. 13-22 in Austin, Tex. - Billboard, 11/12/19...... Punk poetess Patti Smith will be among the headliners at the 2020 Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tenn., set for next spring. Smith will play with her band and participate in the literary program. The three-day fest (March 26-29), which focuses on "the avant garde, unexpected and surprising," will pay tribute to the 100th anniversary of the invention of the Theremin, with Rob Schwimmer, a master of the eerie instrument leading a trio featuring pianist Uri Caine and violinist Mark Feldman in a 20th anniversary celebration of their album Theremin Noir. - Billboard, 11/12/19...... Singer/songwriter legend Joni Mitchell and jazz great Wayne Shorter were honored by the likes of Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan, Ray Parker, Jr. and Rita Wilson during a fundraiser for the Jazz Foundation on Nov. 10, 2019 in Los Angeles. Heralding Mitchell and Shorter's "transcendent art and boundless imagination" in his opening remarks, JFA executive director Joseph Petrucelli introduced Quincy Jones, who noted that "jazz means freedom." A top-notch crew of session musicians then backed the aforementioned performers in paying homage to Shorter and Mitchell. The Joni Mitchell tribute concluded with a special performance by Chaka Khan of Mitchell's "Man from Mars" and "Hissing of Summer Lawns." Noted Khan as she came onstage, "Wherever Joni goes, there I am." - Billboard, 11/11/19...... In a new interview with the UK's Yorkshire Post, the Who's Pete Townshend said that his "increasingly affectionate relationship" with singer Roger Daltrey is a major reason for the Who's impressive longevity. "I still perform partly because of my ongoing, developing and increasingly affectionate relationship with Roger," said Townshend, who formed the Who with Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon in 1964. "When you look back at where we started, I wouldn't say we despised each other but we had very little in common. Now, we have very little in common but we really care about each other deeply." Townshend continued: "We are really comfortable with each other. He says, 'You've got your guitar and your pen, I've got my voice'. We meet in the middle and it just happens to be performing." - NME, 11/13/19...... Billy Joel will participate in a special SiriusXM event at the Faena Theater in Miami Beach, Fla. on Dec. 5. "Billy Joel: An Evening of Questions and Answers" will feature the legendary musician sitting in front of a piano taking questions from SiriusXM subscribers in the audience. SiriusXM subscribers will be able to call in to the live event at (844)-365-BILLY (2455) and ask Billy Joel a question. Joel will also be sharing stories behind his music as well as performing portions of songs in between conversation. The exclusive event will broadcast live on Joel's SiriusXM channel, The Billy Joel Channel, at 8pm ET on Dec. 5. The limited-run channel that features the works of the iconic superstar including music spanning his 5 decades-long career along with exclusive stories from Joel will run through Dec. 6 at 3am ET. - Billboard, 11/11/19...... On Nov. 11, Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood announced an all-star tribute to the early years of Fleetwood Mac and the band's original co-founder, Peter Green, that will take place on Feb. 25 at the London Palladium. "The concert is a celebration of those early blues days where we all began, and it's important to recognize the profound impact Peter and the early Fleetwood Mac had on the world of music," Mick Fleetwood said in a statement. Among the killer lineup of musicians pitching in will be Mick's Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie, along with ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Jonny Lang, John Mayall, Andy Fairweather Low, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler and former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman. The show will be filmed for later broadcast, and some of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust. Green, 73, and Fleetwood co-founded Fleetwood Mac in 1967 with John McVie, Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer. - Billboard, 11/11/19...... KISS announced on Nov. 11 that they have pushed back the kick off of the Australian leg of their "End of the Road" tour due to singer/guitarist Paul Stanley becoming ill. "Due to a bad case of Influenza, doctors have advised Paul Stanley to rest for the next few days and not to undertake the long trip from Los Angeles to Perth," read the note from the group, which had been slated to leave the U.S. on Nov. 12 for the Perth launch of the outing on Nov. 16. "With the expectation of Australian audiences high, KISS don't want to not give 100% and so have made changes to the Australian and New Zealand dates," the note added. As a result, the gig at Perth's RAC Arena has been moved from Nov. 16 to the end of the Australian tour on Dec. 3. - Billboard, 11/11/19...... In related news, Ozzy Osbourne has rescheduled the postponed UK and European dates on his "No More Tours 2" tour after being forced to push them back following a series of illnesses and a fall at home earlier in 2019 that re-aggravated an old injury. According to a roster of dates, the tour is now slated to kick off on Oct. 23 at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle. The dates are currently scheduled to last through a Dec. 2 show at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. Fellow British metal icons Judas Priest will open the dates. The six-week tour was originally scheduled for January. The outing includes a return to Ozzy's hometown of Birmingham for a Halloween show, as well as gigs in Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and Italy. Osbourne's upcoming solo album, Ordinary Man, is due out in January and his first solo single in nearly a decade, "Under the Graveyard," dropped earlier in November, and its video has been shared on YouTube. His upcoming box set, See You on the Other Side, hits stores on Nov. 29. - Billboard, 11/11/19...... Neil Young has penned a letter and posted it on his Neil Youg Archives website about his frustrating experience attempting to obtain citizenship in the United States ahead of the 2020 presidential election due to his marijuana use. "I want to be a dual citizen and vote," Young, who's a Canadian citizen, explained in a Nov. 8 post titled "I Have Been Very Successful in My Life." "When I recently applied for American citizenship, I passed the test. It was a conversation where I was asked many questions. I answered them truthfully and passed." "Recently however, I have been told that I must do another test, due to my use of marijuana and how some people who smoke it have exhibited a problem," he wrote in reference to a policy update issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services earlier in 2019. Young continued: "The problem is defined in an April 19, 2019 addition under Attorney General Sessions. USCIS issued a Policy Alert which includes: 'An applicant who is involved in certain marijuana related activities may lack GMC (Good Moral Character) if found to have violated federal law, even if such activity is not unlawful under applicable state of foreign laws.' I sincerely hope I have exhibited good moral character and will be able to vote my conscience on Donald J. Trump and his fellow American candidates, (as yet un-named)," he added. In October, Young told the Los Angeles Times that "If everything goes as planned, I'll be taking the oath of citizenship" soon after his Nov. 12 birthday. "I'm still a Canadian; there's nothing that can take that away from me," he noted. "But I live down here; I pay taxes down here; my beautiful family is all down here -- they're all Americans, so I want to register my opinion." - Billboard, 11/10/19...... Paul McCartney has paid tribute to revered Beatles photographer Robert Freeman, who has passed away at age 82. McCartney paid tribute to Mr. Freeman via a post on his blog on on paulmccartney.com, describing him as a "wonderful man" and "one of our favourite photographers who came up with some of our most iconic album covers... I will miss this wonderful man but will always cherish the fond memories I have of him." Mr. Freeman's work included the photos featured on the covers of classic Beatles LPs like the band's second album With The Beatles, Beatles For Sale, Help! and Rubber Soul. He also worked on the ending sequences of the first two Beatles films, A Hard Day's Night and Help!. Mr. Freeman suffered a severe stroke in 2014, and his family sold a copy of one of his John Lennon portraits to pay for his care and to help preserve his archive of photos. In addition to his work with the Beatles, Mr. Freeman took photos for a number of other artists including John Coltrane, as well as photographing political figures such as Nikita Kruschev for London's Sunday Times. - New Musical Express, 11/8/19...... In other Beatles-related news, the Fab Four's 1968 track "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" has been declared the most perfect pop song ever written by researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. The scientists analysed 80,000 different chord progressions from 700 songs recorded between 1958 and 1991, using machine learning to give a score to each chord based on how "surprising" it was compared to the chord preceding it. Chord sequences from 30 of the songs were then played to 39 volunteers, stripped of lyrics and melody to make the source track unrecognisable. The volunteers were asked to rate how enjoyable they felt each chord to be. The research found that when the volunteers were relatively sure what chord was coming next, they enjoyed being surprised instead. The research also found that being unsure of how the song would progress would cause activity in a region of the brain connected with musical pleasure. "Songs that we find pleasant strike a good balance between us knowing what is going to happen next and surprising us with something we did not expect," said the institute's Vincent Cheung, a PhD student. "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" was the closest song the researchers could find to "perfection," followed by Genesis' "Invisible Touch," and BJ Thomas' "Hooked on a Feeling." Despite what science has to say, John Lennon once famously disparaged the Paul McCartney-written song, declaring it "granny music shit." - NME, 11/8/19...... Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has announced plans for an immersive new theatre production entitled "Theater of the Mind." The production is inspired by historical and recent lab research, according to Byrne. "It will be in a warehouse, where it's divided into a bunch of different rooms," Byrne told Rolling Stone. "A group of 16 audience members will go from room to room and experience these perceptual things. When they leave one room, another group goes in there. That way, you can get 400 people in from 6 pm to 10. You get the same number as if it were a theatre show, but you get more in small groups." The production is set to open in Denver in August 2020. Byrne recently took his "American Utopia" tour to Broadway. The residency will run until Jan. 20, 2020. - NME, 11/8/19...... Robert "Bob" Norris, who played the iconic "Marlboro Man" in cigarette ads for more than a decade beginning in the 1960s, has died at his Colorado ranch at 90. According to multiple sources, Mr. Norris was never a smoker. Mr. Norris landed the high-profile ad campaign for the Philip Morris cigarette brand by happenstance, after advertising executives sought him out after spotting him in a newspaper photo alongside a famous actor friend, John Wayne. Mr. Norris's son Bobby Noris said his father stepped away from playing the company mascot conceived in the '60s, just as consumers were learning how cigarettes affected their health. "He always told us kids, 'I don't ever want to see you smoking," the younger Norris said, "so one of us finally asked, 'If you don't want us smoking, why are you doing cigarette commercials? He called up Phillip Morris and quit that day." The company stopped using the Marlboro Man in its advertisements only after other men who starred in its campaign died of lung cancer, NPR reported in October 2002. Marlboro aside, Mr. Norris, whose ranch in Colorado eventually covered more than 100,000 acres, was vital to his community. Not only was he held roles in local rodeo organizations, but he was an ardent philanthropist, and a local venue is named after him. His family remembered him in a public service held on Nov. 8. - MSN.com, 11/9/19.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 28th, 2014

Jimmy Buffett's new online streaming channel Margaritaville TV has netted about 10,000 viewers for each of its seven broadcasts since it began earlier in 2014. The feedback from that has been unbelievable," says Buffett, whose channel offers select Buffett concerts live. "There was one element of my inner circle that thought we'd be cannibalizing ourselves by going on television. But I played my instincts, and I haven't had one person say they'll watch it instead of going to the show...they do both," he says. "They watch the (online) shows and get charged up to go see it in person. And there are other people that can't get to a show that absolutely love the fact we're doing it. My friends in Bora Bora now can punch (the shows) up on the screen and watch it while they're having dinner. It makes it a Parrothead world now, not just a nation," Buffett adds. The singer/songwriter also predicts that other programming, including special events and archived shows that weren't presented live, will be part of Margaritaville's offerings, and it may also serve as a vehicle for releasing new music. Buffett's last album, Songs From St. Elsewhere, came out in August 2013, and he says that since then he's been "playing around with some new songs," including one called "We Need to Care a Little Less," which he says is "about over-thinking, over-reacting to everything." Writing, he adds, is "a natural process. I'm not stopping writing," but he isn't sure if a conventional album will be the result. "For me, an album has just been adding something; if you like this music you can add it to the collection," he explains. "I'm not out there trying to win hits or chase Grammys or shit like that. I'm just trying to stay in the game at our level, so we're looking to find the best system for the next batch of new music." In addition to his online TV venture, Buffett is also keeping busy with his new line of wine, Auter deRose, whose purpose, he cracks, is "to get women in our bigger bars to stop drinking white zinfandel and drink a better wine." - Billboard, 7/25/14.

Stevie Nicks has confirmed she will be releasing her new CD, 24 Karat Gold: Songs From the Vault, on Oct. 7 via Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Dave Stewart, Waddy Wachtel and Nicks, the new album was recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles, and is the follow-up to Nicks' 2011 LP In Your Dreams. Most of these songs were written between 1969 and 1987," Nicks says. "One was written in 1994 and one in 1995. I included them because they seemed to belong to this special group. Each song is a lifetime. Each song has a soul. Each song has a purpose. Each song is a love story. They represent my life behind the scenes, the secrets, the broken hearts, the broken-hearted and the survivors. These songs are the memories... the 24-karat gold rings in the blue box. These songs are for you." A deluxe photobook CD album will be available for fans, which includes two bonus tracks plus 48 pages of exclusive photos from Nicks' personal collection. Fans can pre-order the new album beginning Aug. 5, and on that date Nicks will begin previewing snippets of 24 Karat Gold on her new official Instagram account, "stevienicksofficial." The multi-Grammy winning singer is scheduled to embark on a new tour with Fleetwood Mac, the On With the Show Tour, beginning Sept. 30 in Minneapolis with recently returned bandmate Christine McVie. "It's so exciting to have Christine back after so many years. We can't wait to get on the road together," stated Nicks. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/24/14.

Neil Young has launched a new Kickstarter.com campaign that is devoted to saving the rainforest, teaming up with the environmental group Rainforest Connection to help them raise much-needed funds. "[This] is a technology that's a connection between the rainforest and you," says Young. "This technology enables the forest to talk to the world. When the forest is threatened, the forest can speak and you can hear it." Young sent out a letter to supporters of his Pono Music campaign, which he also fully funded through Kickstarter, asking them to contribute, and he appears in a video on behalf of Rainforest Connection. "Neil's involvement makes perfect sense," says Topher White, the physicist and engineer beyond Rainforest Connection. "Throughout his life, he has always been a passionate crusader for indigenous rights, and in recent years, has worked tirelessly in combating climate change. These are both issues that we directly address with the Rainforest Connection technology." If Rainforest Connection reaches their fundraising goals, they will be able to help the Temb indigenous people of Brazil fight black market illegal logging operations. They also hope to place their system in trees all across Indonesia. The central idea behind Rainforest Connection is as simple as it is brilliant: Old cellphones are retrofitted with a solar-powered energy source and placed in trees around the rainforest. When they pick up the sound of chainsaws, animals in distress or gunshots, they alert authorities in real time. "Current detection systems rely on satellites which show rainforest destruction days or weeks too late," says a note on the group's Kickstarter page. "Our system provides the world's first real-time logging/poaching detection system. We can pinpoint deforestation activity the moment it begins, while simultaneously streaming the data openly and immediately to anyone around the world." In other Neil Young news, the singer-songwriter has announced the 2014 edition of the Farm Aid benefit concert will take place Sept. 13 in the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh, N.C. It features performances by Young, Farm Aid president and co-founder Willie Nelson, and fellow board members John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews. Local artists will also perform. Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised more than $45 million through the festival to help family farmers keep their land and publicize locally grown food. Tickets for the concert go on sale in August and prices range from $49 to $175. - Rolling Stone/AP, 7/28/14.

The new musical from former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and his recent collaborator Fatboy Slim is set to begin a U.K. run at London's Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre on Sept. 30. "Here Lies Love" is based on the pair's double album of the same name, which was released in 2010 and documents the life of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines. The show recently opened its new commercial run at New York's Public Theater, after initially opening in April 2013. The 22-track double Here Lies Love featured a host of guest vocalists, including Florence And The Machine's Florence Welch, Santigold and Tori Amos. "The story I am interested in is about asking what drives a powerful person, what makes them tick? How do they make and then remake themselves?" Byrne explained in an introduction to the 100-page book which came along with the record. Byrne is also a member of the newly formed Content Creators Coalition, a group of musicians, authors and other creators seeking better terms for online use of their works -- for some thoughts on the state of artists' rights. "I think that artists in general can be given more agency regarding what happens to their work," Byrne recently told Billboard. "I don't own my own old recordings, a similar situation to many artists, so I have no say whether they are licensed to YouTube, Spotify, Beats, Apple, you name it, and for what percentage and for how long. If that's where music consumption is going, much of it is completely out of my control. I do at least control the publishing (which not every artist does) so that gives me a foot in the door: other kinds of licensing -- films, TV, etc. -- are up to me." - Billboard, 7/25/14.

The children of famous pop crooner Bing Crosby made a rare public appearance together on July 23 to discuss the upcoming PBS American Masters episode, Bing Crosby Rediscovered, and reminisced about the time their dad made a surprise duet with David Bowie on Crosby's 1977 Christmas television special. Harry, Mary and Nathaniel Crosby, now all in their 50's, were on set when Bowie arrived to tape his appearance. The mash-up between the cardigan-clad singer known for "White Christmas" and the glam-rocker who was in his Ziggy Stardust phase required some last-minute reworking of "The Little Drummer Boy." The result was a new melody and lyrics called "Peace on Earth." The duet remains a holiday staple and a curiosity. Bowie was 30 and Crosby was 73 at the time. Crosby died of a heart attack a month after the taping in September 1977. The Crosbys said the experience left an indelible impression on them. "The doors opened and David walked in with his wife," Mary Crosby said. "They were both wearing full-length mink coats, they have matching full makeup and their hair was bright red. We were thinking, 'Oh my god.'" Nathaniel Crosby added, "It almost didn't happen. I think the producers told him to take the lipstick off and take the earring out. It was just incredible to see the contrast." "They sat at the piano and David was a little nervous," Mary Crosby recalled. "Dad realized David was this amazing musician, and David realized Dad was an amazing musician. You could see them both collectively relax and then magic was made." Bing Crosby Rediscovered will air Dec. 2 on PBS stations across the US. In other Bowie news, actress Susan Sarandon has revealed she used to date the famous rocker and calls her former lover "extraordinary." "He's worth idolising. He's extraordinary," Sarandon told The Daily Beast website. "That was a really interesting period. I wasn't supposed to have kids, and I'm the oldest of nine and had mothered all of them, so I wasn't ever in a mode to where I was looking to settle down and raise a family, so that definitely changes the gene pool you're dipping into. But Bowie's just a really interesting person, and so bright. He's a talent, and a painter, and he's great." Bowie recently confirmed that he is working on new music, saying it will be released "soon." - AP/New Musical Express, 7/23/14.

The final Cadillac purchased by Elvis Presley is among 72 items being auctioned in August at Presley's Graceland mansion in Memphis during the annual celebration known as "Elvis Week." Among the items being auctioned, all from third-party collectors, are a 1976 Cadillac Seville that Graceland says is the last one Presley purchased for his personal use; Presley's signature on a library card; Presley's copy of the original script for his first movie, Love Me Tender; a 1969 Las Vegas show agreement; a 1975 Martin D-28 guitar; and a gemstone, diamond and gold lion mask pendant and chain worn by Presley when he met President Richard Nixon at the White House. More information about the auction is available at Graceland.com/auction. - AP...... Ozzy Osbourne will release a compilation of his greatest hits as a solo artist dubbed Memoirs of a Madman on Oct. 6 via Epic/Legacy Recordings. The album will feature 17 of the Osbourne's solo singles and be available in single CD format, a two-LP set and a two-LP picture disc set. There will also be an accompanying DVD with the release, featuring classic music videos, unreleased live performances and interviews. Osbourne is currently touring the world with Black Sabbath, with the band playing in London's Hyde Park in July as part of the British Summertime Festival. - New Musical Express...... Ted Nugent is firing back at those who called for his planned Aug. 4 concert at Idaho's Coueur D'Alene Casino to be canceled over his "racist views," saying his vehement support of the Second Amendment is behind the cancellation, not his alleged racism. "They literally have an army assigned to destroy Ted Nugent," Nugent told Radio.com. "To call me a racist is a clear act of desperation. Because everybody knows I'm not a racist! My [former] bass player Johnny Gunnel happens to be a black guy. My [former] bass player Marco Mendoza was born in Mexico! Are you kiddin' me? I pay tribute to Martin Luther King in my songs, I've always said my music is a direct result of Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, and all the black musical heroes of my life." While the casino didn't cite any specific racist views, Nugent referred to President Obama as a "subhuman mongrel" earlier this year, later apologizing for the comments. - Billboard...... The Who vocalist Roger Daltrey and several of his UK pals are backing plans to launch an international model railway museum in Ashford, Kent. "We're trying to start a model railway museum down in Ashford, me and a few pals down in Kent," he told Radio 2's Chris Evans. "Britain forgets that we invented the railway and it conquered the world. The railway was the first thing to open up the world in a big way for trade. We invented it, and we should be proud of that. The model making side of it, it's enormous." Daltrey said he was a big miniature train hobbyist and that "I hate watching the TV because there's nothing on and I like listening to the radio... The great thing about model railways is you can be doing a bit of woodwork, a bit of painting, a bit of this, a bit of that, and having fun with your mates and you can listen to the radio." The Who recently announced details of their 50th anniversary tour and confirmed that they are starting to think about retirement. "This is the beginning of the long goodbye," Daltrey said. - New Musical Express...... Singer, songwriter and film composer Randy Newman has signed an administration agreement for North America with Downtown Music Publishing. Downtown's agreement covers Newman's catalog from 1977's Little Criminals forward, including such hit singles as "Short People" (Little Criminals), "The Blues" and "I Love L.A." (both from Trouble in Paradise), and "It's Money that Matters" (Land of Dreams). "The Randy Newman songbook transcends generations and inspired countless songwriters, artists and composers," said Downtown Music president Justin Kalifowitz. "We are truly honored to represent this timeless catalog and welcome such a beloved songwriter to the Downtown roster." Newman is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the winner of two Academy Awards, three Emmys, six Grammys, an Ivor Novello, and most recently, a PEN New England Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Award. - The Hollywood Reporter

Paul McCartney's continuing Archive reissue series will add two albums from his Wings days this fall. The group's 1975 LP Venus and Mars, and the following year's Wings at the Speed of Sound, will will be available on Sept. 23 as remastered deluxe 2-disc editions with a wealth of bonus material. One CD will contain the original album and a second with demos and unreleased tracks. A three-disc edition will also include a hardback book alongside unpublished photographs, new interviews with McCartney, track-by-track info and a bonus DVD containing footage from the time of each release. The albums will also be available as gatefold vinyl releases and as deluxe digital releases, in Mastered for iTunes and high-res formats. McCartney personally supervised the production of both reissues, the remastering for which was done at Abbey Road Studios by the same team that remastered the Beatles' discography. McCartney began his Archive collection in 2010 and has so far won two Grammy Awards for the releases, taking home Best Historical Album for Band on the Run in 2012 and Best Boxed for Special Edition Package for Wings Over America earlier in 2014. In other Beatles-related news, John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono is among several musicians who have signed up as "virtual teachers" at an online girls school which is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter. The School Of Doodle calls itself a "peer-to-peer, self-directed learning lab dedicated to activating girls imaginations through entertainment, education and community." Ono and such artists as Pussy Riot, Courtney Love and Kim Gordon have all contributed "doodles" to the project, which will be part of Kickstarter pledgders' reward packages. - Rolling Stone/New Musical Express, 7/28/14.

A Washington state musician who conned several investors out of $600,000 after claiming such classic rock icons as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and REM were involved in his project has been sentenced to jail. Singer-songwriter Kasey Anderson ran several schemes to fraud backers out of their money, including claiming that he was working on a compilation album that would raise money for the legal funds of the so-called "West Memphis Three," a trio of teenagers convicted of murder in 1994 but later released from prison. Anderson told potential investors the likes of Springsteen, Petty, REM and more were all involved with the record. He also conned people into funding his own album, falsifying paperwork that said it had already sold thousands of copies and earnt $1.4 million in royalties. The musician has now been sentenced to four years in prison by a court in Tacoma and ordered to pay back the money he stole. Anderson claims he suffers from mental illness and wrote a letter to the court explaining his actions. "I lied to myself and others, and believing those lies, I told myself consistently that whatever was going on with me I could fix it on my own. I convinced myself that it was normal," he allegedly wrote. - New Musical Express, 7/27/14.

The U.S. Library of Congress announced on July 22 that Billy Joel will be the 2014 recipient of its annual Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Calling the New York Piano Man "a storyteller of the highest order," Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said on the bureau's website that the 65-year old performer will be awarded the prize in November in Washington, D.C., during a week that will also include a series of events, complete with an honoree's luncheon and musical performances. Joel, a six-time Grammy winner and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriter's Hall of Fame, issued a statement saying that George Gershwin, the award's namesake, "has been a personal inspiration to me throughout my career...And the Library's decision to include me among those songwriters who have been past recipients is a milestone for me." According to the Library of Congress' website, the Gershwin Prize "honors a living musical artists lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of cultural understanding; entertaining and informing audiences; and inspiring new generations." Joel's upcoming concerts include shows in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, then one concert each month in New York's Madison Square Garden from August to December. - Billboard, 7/22/14.

The legendary George Harrison is most often associated with the Beatles, but now an infestation of beetles has killed the George Harison Memorial Tree, which was planed in Los Angeles' Griffith Park in 2004 in tribute to the music icon. The pine tree was originally put in the park three years after Harrison's death in 2001 because the musician had spent his final days in L.A. and was an avid gardener. A small plaque at the base of the tree read, "In memory of a great humanitarian who touched the world as an artist, a musician and a gardener." The plaque also quotes Harrison himself: "For the forests to be green, each tree must be green." The tree reportedly had grown to more than 10 feet tall before the beetle infestation took over. Tom LaBonge, a member of the L.A. City Council, says the tree will be replanted soon. - Billboard, 7/21/14.

Multi-instrumentalist Edgar Winter, the brother of recently deceased Johnny Winter, announced on July 23 that he will pay tribute to his sibling on his upcoming 17-date tour, which gets underway on July 31 in Clarkston, Mich., and wraps on Aug. 24 in Snoqualmie, Wash. In a statement, the "Frankenstein" rocker expressed admiration for Johnny, who he describes as "my greatest musical hero," and remorse for his passing. "My wife, Monique, and I are shocked at the suddenness of Johnny's passing, especially since I was so looking forward with such joy and anticipation to seeing him again and playing together," Edgar posted on Facebook. "I know his body is departing this physical realm, but his presence, his music, and his spirit are undiminished, and alive as ever in my heart." Edgar says he is reprogramming his upcoming Rock 'n' Blues Fest tour to serve as a tribute to Johnny. On each date of the tour, the Edgar Winter Band, Vanilla Fudge, Rare Earth member Peter Rivera and Savoy Brown's Kim Simmonds intend to play songs that fans associate with Johnny. Rick Derringer, whose "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" Winter recorded with Derringer on his Johnny Winter And album in 1970, will appear as a special guest on the tour's final two nights. The final album by Johnny, who died at age 70 on July 16, will feature the Texas blues guitarist playing with the likes of Eric Clapton, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Aerosmith's Joe Perry, among others. - Vintage Vinyl News/Rolling Stone, 7/23/14.

Tom Petty says his new album Hypnotic Eye will include songs what he perceives as "the unchecked greed of the one percent" and the Catholic Church sex scandals. "Very few people know how to handle power and once they just become completely immoral, they're dangerous people," Petty told Billboard. "That attitude is what, to me, wipes out the middle class." Petty also spoke about "Playing Dumb," a song he wrote a song about the victims of the Catholic clergy that will be included as a bonus track on the album's vinyl release. "If I was in a club, and I found out that there had been generations of people abusing children, and then that club was covering that up, I would quit the club. And I wouldn't give them any more money," he maintained. Hypnotic Eye, which is due for release on July 29, will be a return the sound of Petty's early work, according to longtime Petty guitarist and collaborator Mike Campbell, who also co-produced the new LP. "I knew I wanted to do a rock & roll record," Petty told Rolling Stone earlier in 2014. "We hadn't made a straight hard-rockin' record, from beginning to end, in a long time." Petty and his Heartbreakers will be hitting the road later this year for a North American tour. Every ticket purchased includes a copy of Hypnotic Eye. - Billboard, 7/21/14.

Appearing on NBC's Today show on July 18, Mick Jagger opened up about the March 2014 suicide of his longtime girlfriend L'Wren Scott. "I'm doing OK. It's difficult. Very hard year, but I got back into it by working on touring with the Stones in Europe and doing other things, including doing this great movie," said the Rolling Stones frontman, adding that he "appreciates the support I've received from friends and family." Jagger is promoting Universal's upcoming James Brown biopic Get on Up, which he is co-producing with Brian Grazer. Jagger was joined in the interview with Grazer, director Tate Taylor and the movie's stars, including Chadwick Boseman, Octavia Spencer and Dan Aykroyd. Jagger noted that Brown was a big influence on him, and explained that he particularly loved how "Soul Brother No. 1" interacted with the audience: "the way he charmed them, the way he told them what to do, the way he gave them his emotions and encouraged them to give back." Dan Aykroyd also praised Brown's skill as a businessman. "He understood all aspects, the full range of what it took to be a superstar and how to exploit it for his friends and himself and his family," he said. Brian Grazer revealed that Chadwick Boseman, who had a breakthrough role as Jackie Robinson in last year's 42, landed the role as Brown once they saw he could dance. "Our minds were blown," the veteran producer said. Get On Up gets its world premiere in Brown's hometown of Augusta, Ga., on July 24. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/19/14.

A Native American tribe called the Coeur d'Alene announced on July 21 that an Aug. 4 concert by Ted Nugent at its casino in the northwest Idaho city of Worley has been cancelled because of the rocker's "racist and hate-filled remarks." The tribe says it booked Nugent without realizing he espoused "racist attitudes and views," but didn't detail which of Nugent's specific views it opposes. Nugent, an outspoken advocate of conservative causes, in the past has referred to President Barack Obama as a "subhuman mongrel." He later apologized "for using the street fight terminology of subhuman mongrel," but maintained that Pres. Obama was a "liar" violating the Constitution. - AP, 7/21/14....... A hotel inspired by the life of Bob Dylan opened for business in June in the upstate New York village of Woodstock. The Hotel Dylan, located just a few miles from where the singer used to record on Route 28, is at the center of a new complex designed by owner Paul Covello and architects Cortney and Robert Novogratz. The hotel is described as having "bohemian sophistication," also featuring rooms named in tribute to musicians other than Dylan who are associated with the area and the Woodstock festival, including 'The Jimi,' 'The Roadies,' 'The Van' and 'The Hippie Chick'. Every room in the hotel has its own turntable and records. Plans for a gastropub are also in the pipeline, where Covello says there will be a music venue for "intimate, unplugged concerts." - No Depression/New Musical Express, 7/21/14.

Crooner Paul Anka has become the latest performer to cancel a concert in Israel due to the current hostilities in the Middle East. "Due to the current situation in the Middle East, Paul Anka and the local promoters will be postponing his upcoming concerts scheduled for July 24 and 26, 2014," a rep for Anka said in a statement, adding that Anka's camp is trying to find a solution to reschedule the dates. "We ask all current ticket holders to keep their tickets and await that announcement. Mr. Anka assures you that once the local situation is resolved, he will be there with the latest version of his fantastic performance." The concerts would have been Anka's third time to the holy land since his November 2009 inaugural visit. His popularity in Israel had local promoters announce last month a second concert to be added, both scheduled for July 24 and 26. While Neil Young & Crazy Horse and The Brian Jonestown Massacre canceled their shows in Israel, both originally supposed to take place in mid-July, Anka's announcement clarified his shows are postponed and will be rescheduled in the near future. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/18/14.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on May 30th, 2025

ABBA celebrated the third anniversary of their acclaimed Voyage show at London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on May 27 alongside the likes of Elvis Costello, U2's Adam Clayton, Guy Garvey, Richard Osmon and Myleene Klass. With ABBA members Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in attendance at the purpose-built ABBA Arena, the event saw a revamped setlist with the introduction of the ABBA tunes "Super Trouper," "The Name Of The Game" and "Money, Money, Money" into the Voyage set, while "When All Is Said And Done" was removed. The new songs were rapturously received by the hardcore fans in attendance, and also came with stunning new choreographed visuals. "When we first opened we never imagined that we'd still be in London three years on," said the band in a statement. "We're very grateful that so many of you have joined us. Of course, the reason for us being able to sustain our concert for so long is because of our incredible audience. As we say in Sweden... Vilken resa!" ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus has promised that Voyage will eventually travel around the world -- with the venue and setup taking two years to build from scratch: "We hope to stay in this venue for as long as we can. We hope they'll have us for many years, and we might build other replicas of this in other places: Asia, Australia, North America. There are lots and promoters and cities that we're talking to at the moment about that." - New Musical Express, 5/28/25...... '70s pop idol Shaun Cassidy will kick off a 50-city "The Road to US" tour in Nashville on Sept. 13. "The truth is, in my whole career I never really toured -- because as a kid, I was working on The Hardy Boys, [TV show] so I'd go out on weekends, and then I got a week here or two weeks there in the summer," Cassidy says. "But this tour that I'm starting will be the biggest commitment of 50 shows and more to come I've ever had in my life." Following in the footsteps of his late older half-brother David Cassidy, Shaun burst onto the pop scene in 1976 with the Eric Carmen-penned hit "That's Rock 'n Roll." The breakthrough hit reached No. 3 on the pop chart and was followed by his chart-topping cover of The Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron," and "Hey Deanie," which reached No. 7. Cassidy, the son of Oscar-winning The Partridge Family actress Shirley Jones and Tony-winning actor Jack Cassidy, released five studio albums between 1977 and 1980 on Curb/Warner Bros. including the Todd Rundgren-produced Wasp. Simultaneously, he also was acting on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, which ran from 1977-1979. Cassidy then focused on the stage, appearing in plays on Broadway and London's West End during the '80s and early '90, before segueing into behind-the-scenes TV work in the mid-'90s. Since then, he has had an extremely successful second career creating, writing and and/or producing such acclaimed television series as American Gothic, Cold Case, Cover Me, The Agency and, most recently, New Amsterdam. In 2020, he began to tour sporadically as a one-man show that expanded to a full band, ending with five sold-out nights at 54 Below in New York City in 2023. But now he says he felt called to do another tour in order to "gather people, connect them and have a shared experience... so important at this at this stage in our world, I think." Between geographic segments of the tour, Cassidy says he'll come back home to his wife and four children in Santa Barbara, Calif., and tend to the wine they produce, My First Crush, which donates a portion of its proceeds to the food charity No Kid Hungry. Hitting many smaller markets, the tour is scheduled to wind down on Jan. 18, 2026 in El Cajon, Calif. "My early shows were just scream-a-thons, I couldn't talk to anybody," he says. "Now I actually can engage with people and look them in the eye and see that they've had a life, and I've had a life, and I'm just so grateful to share it." - Billboard, 5/28/25...... Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor were formally awarded the 2025 Polar Music Prize on May 28. The musicians accepted the award from Sweden's King Carl Gustaf in recognition for the entirety of their career. Speaking on stage, May shared, "In this special moment, I contemplate how that younger Brian May in 1974 would have felt if he knew that we would be living this kind of dream 50 years in the future." Taylor added, "When we started our band, we had ambitions, but never dreamed of the journey that was to follow. We were fortunate in the fact that our four wildly different personalities came together to achieve a wonderful chemistry." Known as the "Nobel Prize of Music," the Polar Music Prize is a Swedish international award for "significant achievements in music and/or musical activity" and was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, best known as the manager of the Sweden's ABBA. It is annually given to one popular musician and one classical musician. Previous winners include Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Dizzy Gillespie and Björk. - Music-News.com, 5/28/25...... Several musicians have paid tribute to Rick Derringer following news of the legendary rock guitarist's death on May 27. "God bless Rick Derringer. It was great playing with him in the All Starrs. I send peace and love to his family," wrote Ringo Starr. "Weird Al" Yankovic, whose first album was produced by Derringer, wrote on Instagram: "I'm very sad to say that my friend, rock guitar legend Rick Derringer, has passed. Rick produced my first 6 albums and played guitar on my earliest recordings, including the solo on 'Eat It.' He had an enormous impact on my life, and will be missed greatly. RIP." The band Foghat posted: "We just sadly heard that Rick Derringer has passed. We did many many shows with Rick back in the 70's. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, family & friends. RIP Rick," while Derringer's former bandmate Edgar Winter posted a tribute to the late rocker on Facebook. - NME, 5/28/25...... Appearing on his SiriusXM radio show Ozzy Speaks with co-host Billy Morrison, Ozzy Osbourne says he's going to make it to the stage for the final Black Sabbath show "by hook or crook." "I haven't done any physical work for the last seven, six and a half, seven years," Ozzy said, promising that "by hook or by crook, I'm gonna make it [to the stage at Villa Park]," where Black Sabbath's final gig on July 5 in their hometown of Birmingam, UK, will find them joined by an all-star roster that will also include Metallica, Anthrax, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Slayer, Smashing Pumpkins, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine and many more. "I've got this trainer guy who helps people get back to normal," he said of the intense training he's undergoing following a rough several years that included spinal surgery and a Parkinson's disease diagnosis. "It's hard going, but he's convinced that he can pull it off for me. I'm giving it everything I've got." Ozzy, 76, said he's definitely waking up and stressing about the show at times, but he knows that getting worked up is not what will get him through his first show with Sabbath bandmates guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward in more than 20 years. "Sometimes [I stress], but what I do, if I start obsessing all the time, I'll be insane by Friday, you know?" he said. "So, I'm just taking it one day at a time and when I do it one day at a time. You know, when we were talking about this [obsessive-compulsive disorder], whatever. I have that badly. All I can say is I'm giving 120%. If my God wants me to do the show, I'll do it." Ozzy's full interview can be streamed on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/29/25...... On May 28 Smokey Robinson filed a countersuit against four longtime housekeepers who accused him of rape earlier in the month, claiming the allegations were part of an "extortionate scheme" by the women and their attorneys. The new cross-complaint, filed in Los Angeles court, came three weeks after the unnamed housekeepers filed a $50 million civil lawsuit over allegations that the legendary Motown singer repeatedly raped them over nearly two decades in his employ. In the countersuit, defense attorneys for Robinson went on offense -- accusing the four women and their attorneys (John W. Harris and Herbert Hayden) of defamation, invasion of privacy, civil conspiracy and even elder abuse over the "fabricated" allegations. "The depths of plaintiffs' avarice and greed knows no bounds," Robinson's attorney Christopher Frost writes. "During the very time that the Robinsons were being extraordinarily generous with plaintiffs, plaintiffs were concocting an extortionate plan to take everything from the Robinsons... and wrongfully destroy the Robinsons' well-built reputations." Robinson was sued on May 6, accused of forcing the housekeepers to have oral and vaginal sex in his Los Angeles-area bedroom dozens of times between 2007 and 2024. The singer's wife, Frances Robinson, was also named as a defendant over claims that she didn't do enough to stop the abuse, despite knowing that he had a history of sexual misconduct. According to the new filing, the housekeepers and their lawyers made "pre-litigation demands for $100 million or more" before filing their case. When that failed to work, the new filing says the accusers went public with the allegations as loudly as they could. In addition to the sexual abuse allegations, the lawsuit also claimed that the Robinsons paid their employees below minimum wage, and that Frances Robinson created a hostile work environment replete with screaming and "racially-charged epithets." The accusers also filed a police report, leading the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to open a criminal investigation. In addition to defamation and other wrongdoing, the Robinsons say the accusers tried to "hide, conceal, and destroy evidence exposing their illegal scheme," including by taking Frances Robinson's phone and deleting text conversations. The filing hinted that the Robinsons would seek additional penalties for such "spoliation" of evidence. - Billboard, 5/28/25...... The continuing saga of Zak Starkey's departure from The Who received another installment on May 28 when the band's former drummer called reports that he "retired" from his position in iconic group as "f-kin total bollox" while insisting that he was, indeed, "fired" from the group. Starkey's position as the band's drummer has been uncertain since a show at London's Royal Albert Hall in March. Reports suggested that Daltrey was unhappy with Starkey's playing on the night, and a number of songs were cut short. Starkey -- Ringo Starr's son and a prolific session drummer -- has been a part of the live lineup since 1996. In a statement, the band said, "The band made a collective decision to part ways with Zak after this round of shows at the Royal Albert Hall. They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future." Starkey was reinstated to band briefly after "communication issues" were resolved, but following the announcement of The Who's farewell tour dates in North America, guitarist Pete Townshend confirmed that time had "come for a change" in relation to their drummer, and that Scott Devours would be taking on the role. On May 26 the drummer shared an Instagram post stating that Roger Daltrey had said that Starkey had not been "fired," but "retired" on his own to work on his project with supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos. Two days later, on Wednesday (May 28), Starkey shared a new Instagram update calling the report "f-kin total bollox," insisted that "I was fired" and that Daltrey's "new word for it is 'retired' to complete my other musical projects." He continued, "I have no plan's whatsoever for the fall as I thought I was touring with The Who and my mantra band mates are v busy in oasis and happy Mondays until the new year. So this is simply a load of bollox & Am I fired, retired, deffo not tired as I'm 20 years younger than these guys as they keep saying." The Who will kick off the U.S. leg of their farewell tour on August 16 at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. - Billboard, 5/29/25...... To celebrate his forthcoming album Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years, John Fogerty has released three newly recorded versions of Creedence Clearwater Revival classics: "Up Around the Bend," "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," and "Porterville," the latter originally released in 1967 under the band's earlier name, The Golliwogs. The new recordings are labeled "John's Version," a nod to Taylor Swift's "Taylor's Version" project, though Fogerty now owns his masters. He won control over his publishing rights in early 2023, ending a legal battle that spanned five decades. "For most of my life I did not own the songs I had written," Fogerty said in a statement. "Getting them back changes everything. Legacy is my way of celebrating that -- of playing these songs on my terms, with the people I love." The album features Fogerty's sons Shane and Tyler on guitars, and Shane co-produced the album with his father. Julie Fogerty, John's wife, served as executive producer. "I knew firsthand how much it meant for John to get his publishing back," said Julie. "It has been so joyful and beautiful since this happened for him. This is a celebration of his life's work. It is the biggest party for the good guy/artist winning." Legacy, due out Aug. 22 via Concord Records, features 20 tracks, including CCR staples like "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising," "Fortunate Son," and "Down on the Corner." The project arrives as Fogerty celebrates his 80th birthday on May 28 with a pair of shows at New York's Beacon Theatre, ahead of a European summer tour and a performance at Glastonbury Festival. Fogerty has shared "Up Around The Bend" (John's version) from the new LP on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/29/25...... Rod Stewart has confirmed that Ronnie Wood will join him for a Faces reunion during his "Legends" set at the UK's Glastonbury 2025. In a new interview on That Peter Crouch Podcast, Stewart explained that he was still in regular contact with the Rolling Stones guitarist. The pair were previously bandmates in the late '60s/early '70s blues rock band, alongside surviving Faces drummer Kenney Jones. Faces hinted at a comeback in April, with Jones revealing in an interview with The Telegraph that the band had recorded "about 11 tracks" at RAK Studios in London for a new album -- which would be their first full-length effort in over 50 years. "I can't see it coming out this year. But I can see it coming out next year," Jones said. "Everyone's doing different things. We do little snippets [of recording] here and there. Then all of a sudden, The Stones are out [on tour] again, Rod's out again..." First formed in 1969 through a merger between members of Small Faces and the Jeff Beck Group, Faces existed for six years before guitarist Wood left to join the Stones, and Stewart continued his burgeoning solo career. The group have released four albums, with 1971's A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse hitting No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. Glastonbury will take place at Worthy Farm, Somerset on June 25-29) with headliners The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo. Stewart last performed at the festival in 2002, topping the bill alongside Coldplay and Stereophonics that year. Meanwhile, Sir Rod capped the 2025 American Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 26 by accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award and treating the audience to a rendition of his 1988 hit "Forever Young." Stewart, 80, was introduced by five of his eight children -- Kim, Ruby, Renee, Liam and Sean -- who honored their dad's 60-year career. "I'm absolutely flabbergasted -- I had no idea they were here," a gobsmacked Stewart said after hugging it out with his brood, cheekily joking that he's got "eight all together... I didn't have a television." Rod the Mod's acceptance of the award can be viewed on YouTube.- Billboard, 5/28/25...... Billy Joel's daughter Alexa Ray Joel took to Instagram on May 25 to thank fans for their support and share an uplifting message after her father revealed he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a type of brain disorder. "SOUND UP =J We love you and we got you, Pop!," Alexa wrote alongside a black-and-white illustration of a father holding his young daughter's hand. "I just wanted to thank you all for the beautiful outpouring of love and support amid the recent news of My Father's health diagnosis. My Dad is the strongest and most resilient man I've ever known... and he's entirely committed to making a full recovery with ongoing physical-therapy treatments as he continues to regain his strength." Christie Brinkley, Alexa's mother, also shared a message of support for her ex-husband on May 24, wishing Billy "lots of love and good wishes for a full and speedy recovery.... you're OUR piano man." Earlier in May Joel announced the cancellation of all upcoming performances due to complications related to NPH. "This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance," he said in a statement. "Under his doctor's instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health." The cancellations include several scheduled appearances throughout summer and fall 2025, as well as early 2026, including joint shows with Sting, Rod Stewart, and Stevie Nicks. - Billboard, 5/26/25...... Neil Young performed his 1983 deep cut "My Boy" for the first time in 42 years on the grounds of Ontario's Lakefield College School during a special benefit concert on May 23. The solo acoustic show marked Young's first full performance of 2025 and supported restoration efforts for a historic 116-year-old cottage nearby. Despite the cold and rainy conditions, attendees paid up to $1,500 for tickets to witness Young's intimate 18-song performance. While the set featured classics like "Heart of Gold," "Comes a Time" and "Sugar Mountain," it was the mid-show performance of "My Boy" that drew audible emotion from the crowd. Originally released on 1985's Old Ways LP, the banjo-led ballad is a tribute to Young's eldest son, Zeke Young. The song had not been performed live since the 1983 solo Trans tour. Hours earlier, Young had posted a vintage photo on social media of himself with Zeke and his late father, renowned Canadian journalist Scott Young. "Practicing for Lakefield, I was playing 'My Boy,' thinking about my own dad. I knew he must have heard this song," Young wrote. "My dad was a great guy and Zeke is a wonderful son. I think 'My Boy' is my favorite recording of all the ones I have done." The show comes ahead of Young's "Love Earth Tour," which launches June 18 in Sweden. The U.S. leg kicks off Aug. 8 in Charlotte, N.C. The setlist is expected to spotlight tracks from Young's upcoming album Talkin' to the Trees, which drops June 13 via Reprise. Young's May 23 "My Boy" performance has been shared on YouTube. - Billboard, 5/26/25...... Live Odyssey, a new attraction in Camden, UK which combines a show, an exhibition museum and live experience together, debuted on May 25. Attendees are taken through six decades of music via a two-and-a-half-hour adventure that captures the evolution of British music, from the early anthems of the '60s and '70s to the Britpop explosion of the '90s and today's cutting-edge hits. During its debut week John Lennon's sister Julia Baird unveiled a multi-sensory immersive exhibit dedicated to the late Lennon which "details the early years that shaped Lennon through to a life of stratospheric fame with The Beatles" through artifacts, paintings, drawings, writings, moving photographs, provided by James Wilkinson. This includes a recreation of Lennon's childhood bedroom, which Baird described as "very moving." "If you're a Beatles fan you've either been to Mendips or seen a picture of John's childhood home, where he had what is known as 'the box room'," Baird says. "You couldn't fit much in there. You had six inches to move everywhere. It's very true to life: the bed, the red quilt, the lot. It's a good imitation of what his room was like. He was in there writing all the time and doing his cartoons." The recreated bedroom can be viewed on Instagram. - NME, 5/25/25...... Paul W. Downs, the co-creator, co-writer and co-director of the hit HBO Max comedy series Hacks, has revealed that Cher turned down the opportunity to guest star on the series three times. "Well, one person in particular we asked to be on the show Seasons 1, 2 and 4 - and that person is Cher," Downs said on a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Downs, who plays Deborah's manager Jimmy, then explained that the creators went to major lengths to convince Cher after the singer's team advised them to mention her ice cream brand Cherlato. "So we wrote a commercial for Cherlato. Deborah (Jean Smart) was gonna go to the Cherlato factory, she was gonna taste all the Cherlato, she was gonna love the Cherlato, and then when it came down to shoot, we got a pass," he continued. "Now, people usually say, 'I love the show, but respectfully, I don't have time.' Once, Javier Bardem said, 'I cannot say yes right now,' which is Spanish for 'no.' And so we said, 'Is there any feedback? Can we change the script?' And her manager said, 'Well, this is the quote from Cher: I don't want to do it.'" - Music-News.com, 5/27/25...... The L.A.-based pop duo Sparks is on track to score their first-ever UK No. 1 album with MAD!, the 28th studio album by the brothers Ron and Russell Mael. Currently, Sparks' best UK Official Albums Chart position is a No. 4 peak for their 1974 LP Kimono My House. - Music-News.com, 5/28/25...... "Chicago Mike" Sumler, Kool & the Gang's beloved "hype man" during their live shows, died in a car crash in Georgia's Cobb County just after midnight on May 24 after colliding with another vehicle on Veterans Memorial Highway near Buckner Road. He was 71. Sumler spent more than three decades with Kool & The Gang and was known for being the group's energetic hype man during live shows. "He always wanted to see other people succeed in the business that he'd been around most of all of his life," Adrian Meeks of Song Source Music Group said. "He was the bridge, you know, for inspiring artists and songwriters and producers and musicians to the legends." "'Chicago Mike' contributed so much to the music and entertainment communities," said Mableton, Ga. mayer Michael Owens. "His style and energy added flare and excitement to Kool and the Gang for decades. The city of Mableton, council members and I join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss." Sumler is just the latest member of the group to pass away; Kool & The Gang's drummer George Brown most recently passed in 2023 after a battle with cancer. - Billboard, 5/28/25.

Legendary rock guitarist-singer-songwriter Rick Derringer, who penned such classics as "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" and "Real American," died on May 26 in Ormond Beach, Fla. He was 77. Derringer's caretaker, Tony Wilson, shared news of the passing on his Facebook page on May 27. No cause of death was announced although Derringer had reportedly been in ill health in recent months. "Derringer's legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent," the announcement reads. "His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones." His wife, Jenda Derringer, was reportedly at his side, as was Wilson. A virtuoso rock guitarist, Derringer's career as a performer, songwriter and producer spanned six decades. In addition to finding fame as part of The McCoys with hits such as 1965's "Hang On Sloopy," the Ohio native and Florida resident also worked on music for a wide variety of artists, from Cyndi Lauper to Steely Dan, Barbra Streisand, Alice Cooper, KISS and "Weird Al" Yankovic. A fiery and remarkably versatile guitarist, a strong singer and a high-profile presence on New York's rock scene of the '70s and '80s, the musician charted four albums on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart -- starting with All American Boy, which reached No. 25 in 1974, followed by Spring Fever in 1975, Derringer in 1976, and Sweet Evil and Derringer Live in 1977. His efforts with the Edgar Winter Group, Shock Treatment and The Edgar Winter Group With Rick Derringer, would chart in 1974 and 1975, respectively. He also had one LP make it onto the Jazz Albums chart: 2002's Free Ride. Born Richard Dean Zehringer in Ohio in 1947, the young Derringer received a guitar for his ninth birthday and began playing local gigs with his uncle, a country musician, before he was in high school. As a teen he formed a band called The McCoys with his brother Randy. In the summer of 1965 the songwriting-production team The Strangeloves -- comprised of Richard Gottehrer, Jerry Goldstein and Bob Feldman, who had scored a major hit with "I Want Candy" -- hired the group as a backing band and soon after enlisted them to record a cover of the song "My Girl Sloopy," originally released by The Vibrations the previous year. With the title altered to "Hang on Sloopy," the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 that summer -- replacing Barry McGuire's grim "Eve of Destruction" -- around the time Derringer (still working under his born name) turned 18. "Hang on Sloopy" has become a kind of theme song for Derringer's home state and, in a foretelling of his later years making music for professional sports, has been a staple of Ohio State football game for decades. The McCoys, who opened for the Rolling Stones on their first major North American tour, had minor follow-up hits but did not repeat that success, and the group began working with blues guitarist Johnny Winter in the late 1960s. After a few years, Derringer joined forces with Johnny's brother, touring with and playing on and producing albums by the Edgar Winter Group. The partnership with Edgar produced a massive single with 1972's "Frankenstein," an instrumental the band had been playing around with for years; the title came from the look of the master tape, which had so many segments spliced together that the musicians said it resembled the horror-movie character's stitches. The song, produced by Derringer, topped the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1973; he went on to replace Ronnie Montrose in the band shortly after and remained the Edgar Winter Group's guitarist and producer for the next three years. Also in 1973, Derringer enjoyed his first solo hit with "Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo" -- originally recorded by Johnny Winter; the song has had such a long life that it was used in the fourth season of Stranger Things. After leaving Edgar Winter's band, Derringer launched his eponymous group in 1976, which toured extensively throughout the decade and released several albums; their concerts were heavy on guitar dueling and showmanship, and climaxed with Derringer and his second guitarist dramatically throwing their guitars to each other from opposite sides of the stage. Throughout the 1970s and '80s Derringer also worked extensively as a session musician, playing on albums by Steely Dan (including Countdown to Ecstasy, Katy Lied and Gaucho), Todd Rundgren, Alice Cooper, KISS and even Barbra Streisand. In the early 1980s he soloed on two massive singles written by Meat Loaf mastermind Jim Steinman: Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing at All." He also produced "Weird" Al's first album; and even gave Patti Smith her first major credit, on the song "Jump" from his All-American Boy LP. Two of the most important pieces of Derringer's legacy, however, will always be the songs "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" and "Real American." The former reached No. 23 on the Hot 100 in 1974 -- marking Derringer's highest career peak on the chart -- while the latter is known for its use as pro wrestler Hulk Hogan's theme song. The tune was also used as campaign music for both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, as well as sitting president Donald Trump. In 2017, Derringer was working on a new version of the song that would "transcend politics and bring the nation together," according to his manager Kenn Moutenot, who was also the drummer in The Rick Derringer Band. Derringer was still releasing music up until 2022. That year, he dropped a track called "Let It Be the Blues," which followed a 2018 cover of Aimee Zimmerman's "Always Be Your Mom" with Jenda. In his later years he toured with Ringo Starr's All Starr Band as well as Peter Frampton, Carmine Appice and others, aligned with conservative causes and released several Christian-themed albums with Jenda. - Billboard/Variety, 5/27/25.