Appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show on Mar. 30, former The Commodores member and '80s solo superstar Lionel Richie confirmed the long-running story that he wrote the second verse of Kenny Rogers' No. 1 1980 song "Lady" in the men's room. In 2014, Rogers (who died in 2020) told the Today Show that when the two stars were in the studio working on the song he asked where the lyrics for the second verse were and someone said, "Lionel's in the toilet writing them right now." And now, Richie has confirmed the story. He explained that after Rogers asked him to write a song for him he began work on a "Lady" as well as a second track called "Goin' Back to Alabama" (which later appeared on Rogers' 1981 Share Your Love album). Halfway through the sessions for "Alabama," Richie told host Drew Barrymore that Rogers changed his mind and said, "'I don't want to sing that song. I think I want to do 'Lady' first.'" What Rogers didn't know, though, was that Richie had only gotten the first verse of "Lady" written at that point. So Richie asked to be excused, went to the bathroom and said "I'm sitting in the stall writing the second verse to 'Lady.'" Barrymore was shocked that Lionel could so quickly produce such a massive hit under such pressure and Richie said you'd be surprised when, and where, inspiration can strike. "You will do some amazing things when you're scared to death," he said. "The idea of telling Mr. Rogers that I don't have the second verse was not going to happen in my lifetime." - Billboard, 3/31/23...... 
In a new interview with CBS Sunday Morning scheduled to air on Apr. 2, Neil Diamond said he was in denial for the first year after his Parkinson's Disease diagnosis in 2018. "I'm still doing it. And I don't like it," the 82-year-old singer said about his initial refusal to accept that he has the incurable, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain and physical movement. "But... this is me; this is what I have to accept. And I'm willing to do it. And, okay, so this is the hand that God's given me, and I have to make the best of it, and so I am. I am." Diamond said it is literally just in the "last few weeks" that he's finally come to terms with his diagnosis, which has brought some tranquility. "Somehow, a calm has moved [into] the hurricane of my life, and things have gotten very quiet, as quiet as this recording studio," he told interviewer Anthony Mason. "And I like it. I find that I like myself better. I'm easier on people. I'm easier on myself. And the beat goes on, and it will go on long after I'm gone." Diamond -- who retired from touring after his diagnosis -- also discusses what it feels like to watch his life's story play out on Broadway in the "A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical." He told Mason that it was, "all pretty hard. I was a little embarrassed. I was flattered, and I was scared... Being found out is the scariest thing you can hope, because we all have a faade. And the truth be known to all of 'em. I'm not some big star. I'm just me." Though he has mostly stayed out of the public eye since the diagnosis, Diamond made a rare appearance on Dec. 4 when he surprised the audience on opening night of the musical when he popped up unexpectedly in the balcony of New York's Broadhurst Theater during curtain call to help lead the crowd in a singalong of his beloved 1969 hit "Sweet Caroline." His Sunday Morning interview will air on Apr.2) at 9 a.m. ET/8 central on CBS and then stream on Paramount+. - Billboard, 3/31/23...... The Rolling Stones' famed "tongue and lips" logo is at the center of a new federal lawsuit filed on Mar. 29 by small clothing chain Simply Southern that claimed it had received a cease-and-desist letter from Bravado, a unit of UMG that sells licensed merchandise for the Stones and dozens of other major artists. The letter allegedly took aim at T-shirts that featured a "disembodied mouth," claiming they were confusingly similar to the iconic logo. Lawyers for Simply Southern say its apparel designs were "clearly and demonstrably different," and they want a federal judge to rule that the company has not infringed Bravado's asserted intellectual property rights. A representative for Bravado declined to comment, and the Rolling Stones themselves are not named in the lawsuit and are not accused of any wrongdoing. Described as "the most famous logo in rock 'n roll" by the New York Times, the "tongue and lips" image was created in 1970 by John Pasche, a London art student who had been commissioned by the band to create a poster for its upcoming European tour. The design was then tweaked slightly by designer Craig Braun before it appeared in its final version on the back cover of the band's 1971 album Sticky Fingers. Since then, the logo has appeared countless times on music releases, T-shirts, stickers, posters and even as the stage for the band's halftime performance during Super Bowl XL. Meanwhile, legal and music experts are saying another lawsuit filed against the legendary rock band in February claiming they'd illegally borrowed key parts of a song written by Sergio Garcia Fernandez, who performs under the name Angelslang, is unlikely to succeed. "Living in a Ghost Town," a blues-rock tune with some reggae vibes released by the Stones in 2020, does sound similar to Angelsang's "So Sorry" and "Seed of God." Fernandez claims that's because the new song borrowed key features from his songs, including the "vocal melodies, the chord progressions, the drum beat patterns, the harmonica parts [and] the electric bass line parts." But according to Joe Bennett, a forensic musicologist and a professor at Berklee College of Music, "Ghost Town" flatly does not include those elements from Fernandez's songs. "It simply doesn't," Bennett says. "These elements are not the same when compared all the notes and chords are very obviously different. It's significant that the complaint doesn t contain any music notation, because a simple side by side transcription would demonstrate the dissimilarity." Such lawsuits, while plentiful, often face long odds. In just the past month, similar song-theft cases against Donald Glover (over his Childish Gambino chart-topper "This Is America") and Nickelback (over the band s 2005 hit "Rock Star") have both been dismissed at the earliest stage of litigation. In Glover's case, a federal judge ruled in late March that the lyrics of the two songs were "entirely different." In Nickelback's dispute, another federal judge ruled the week prior that the case at times "borders on the absurd." - Billboard, 3/31/23...... Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Iron Maiden and Tool will be the headliners at a new California music festival called Power Trip. Across three days at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. -- the venue for Coachella -- the six metal heavyweights will come together for a massive show on Oct. 6, 7 and 8. The first day of Power Trip (Oct. 6) will be headlined by Guns N' Roses and Iron Maiden, with AC/DC and Osbourne headlining the second night. Things then wrap up on Oct. 8 with sets from Metallica and Tool. Full details can be found on the Power Trip Instagram page. Osbourne's participation in Power Trip comes after he recently said he would resume live dates again just weeks after announcing his retirement from being on the road and cancelling all upcoming European and UK show dates. Ozzy previously said that the news of his retirement was "probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to share with my loyal fans." He added: "My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak." - New Musical Express, 3/30/23...... 
A tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd by the likes of Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Wynonna Judd, Chuck Leavell, Cody Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Warren Haynes and LeAnn Rimes will be presented during the CMT Music Awards on the evening of Apr. 2. The tribute comes half a century after the 1973 launch of Skynyrd's self-titled debut album, and almost one month after the death of the band's final original founding member, guitarist Gary Rossington, who passed away on Mar. 5 at age 71. Johnson and Rodgers will lead vocals with Gibbons, with Slash and Haynes on electric guitar for a one-time-only performance of a pair of timeless Skynyrd hits. Rimes and Judd will fill the role of The Honkettes, the band's backing singers. Rossington's wife and band member Dale Krantz Rossington is set to attend the event, along with fellow Skynyrd members Johnny Van Zant and Rickey Medlock. The 2023 CMT Awards will take place at the Moody Center in Austin, Tex. on Apr. 2. - Billboard, 3/30/23...... In other Lynyrd Skynyrd news, music publishing and talent management company Primary Wave has acquired drummer former Skynyrd drummer Bob Burns' stake in the Southern rock band's first two albums. While exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, the company said it was a multi-million deal. Burns died in a car accident on Apr. 3, 2015 in Cartersville, Ga. at the age of 64. In the last six months, Primary Wave has acquired entirely or an interest in the publishing and/or recording artist royalty income streams in the catalogs of The Doors members Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek, Joey Ramone, Stevie Van Zandt and Huey Lewis and The News. - Billboard, 3/28/23...... Longtime Donald Trump foils Bette Midler and actor/director Rob Reiner of All in the Family fame are among the entertainment figures reacting to the historic indictment of the former president by a Manhattan grand jury on Mar. 30 on charges stemming from 2016 payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal to silence claims of extramarital sexual encounters. "INDICTED!" Bette Midler simply tweeted on Mar. 30, while Reiner tweeted "Trump Indicted! First Among Many!" Also reacting to news of the indictment were Jason Isbell, Questlove, George Takei and Garbage. The former president is also facing investigations into his alleged involvement in 2020 election interference made by his supporters, the attack on the US Capitol in Jan. 2021 and his handling of classified documents following his time in office. - Billboard, 3/30/23...... New photos of The Beatles by Paul McCartney taken at the height of Beatlemania in 1963 and 1964 have been unveiled at London's National Portrait Gallery. From June 28-Oct. 1 of 2023, the reopening of the gallery will see 250 photographs taken by the musical legend of his bandmates and surroundings on tour from 1963-64. In conjuction with the exhibit, a photobook titled Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes Of The Storm will be released on June 13 via Penguin Press. Speaking in the book's foreword, McCartney said of the period: "It felt like millions of eyes were suddenly upon us, creating a picture I will never forget for the rest of my life." Of his love of photography, Macca added: "The truth is that I've always been interested in photography, from the time I was very young, when our family owned a little box camera in the 1950s. I used to love the whole process of loading a roll of Kodak film into our Brownie camera." In February, a new documentary about Paul's life was announced by filmmaker Morgan Neville and will draw on "unprecedented access to a never-before-seen archive of Paul and [former wife] Linda's home videos and photos, as well as new interviews," to chronicle the time between The Beatles' breakup and the rise of Wings in the '70s. - NME, 3/30/23...... Meanwhile, Sir Paul has joked he was "surprised" that crooner Michael Bublé didn't kick him out of the studio when he gave him some notes on their collaboration. Bublé's new album, Higher, features three original songs and a bunch of cover tracks, including a reworking of McCartney's 2012 ballad "My Valentine," which the former Beatle agreed to produce. McCartney jokingly shared in an interview with Variety that he was surprised Bublé didn't boot him out of the studio when he suggested tweaks to his vocals. "Michael invited me along to the session in New York suggesting I could help with producing it," he recalled. "So I went along and basically watched him work with a large orchestra and do the vocals. I was able to help him in small ways, suggesting that he sing certain phrases in certain ways, and to my surprise he didn't boot me off the session!" However, the Canadian crooner never contemplated doing such a thing, as he found their collaboration to be "magic." "He is who you wish he would be," Bublé says. "He saunters into the studio alone. No group. No security. And he looked like he came in on a skateboard because he kind of floats when he walks. He wanted to be just a humble servant to the music," he added. - Music-News.com, 3/31/23...... During a recent appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, acclaimed actress Juliette Lewis regaled the host with a story about the time she met Bob Dylan. "I'm in New York City, I'm working," Lewis said. "I walk into an elevator that's the size of a shoebox, only three people can fit in there. And I look up: It's Bob Dylan. And your heart goes [makes exploding noise], and all these things happen," the Yellowjackets star continued. "And then he says, 'You know Bob, huh?' Bob De Niro. 'You were in that movie,' he says to me," referencing Lewis' teenage role alongside Robert De Niro in the 1991 Martin Scorsese thriller Cape Fear. "And I'm like, 'And you're Bob Dylan.' And then my little brain was like, 'Say hi, how are you?' 'cause I was gonna faint." Lewis then revealed she kept one of Dylan's songs, 1965's "She Belongs to Me," on repeat "for months on end" during a particularly challenging time in her life and characterized the icon's lyrics as "biblical." Lewis' heartwarming story about meeting Dylan can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 3/29/23...... Elton John has paid tribute to Paul O'Grady after news of his death was announced on Mar. 29. O'Grady, the British TV presenter, actor and comedian known for his scouse drag queen persona Lily Savage and hosting shows including Blankety Blank, died on Mar. 28 at the age of 67. John is among a host of celebrities who has remembered the star. In particular, Elton praised O'Grady for his support of LGBTQ+ rights and his AIDS and HIV activism. "Saddening news to hear of Paul O'Grady's passing this morning," John began his message on Instagram alongside a photo of the pair. "A brilliant entertainer, wit, and supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and the fight against AIDS and HIV who I was fortunate enough to spend time with including when he hosted @davidfurnish's and my Stag Party before our Civil Partnership in 2005. Thank you for all the joy you brought into the world, Paul. You went places nobody had gone before and we will miss you very much." In other Elton news, the Radio Academy annuonced on Mar. 31 that John will be among the nominees that will be recognised at the 2023 ARIAS at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the heart of London's West End on May 2. Elton will be up for a Best Specialist Music Show award for his Rocket Hour with Elton John Apple Music Radio podcast. In late March, John kicked off the final leg of his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour, which has been plagued by severe delays since it began in 2018. The current U.K. and Europe leg was postponed from 2021 to 2023 so Elton could undergo surgery on his hip. - NME/Music-News.com, 3/29/23...... 
Iconic English pop/rockers The Hollies have announced a huge UK fall tour that's set to launch at Blackburn's King George's Hall on Sept. 16. The Hollies -- who celebrated their 60th anniversary with a live run in 2022 -- are entering their seventh decade as a band, and they're marking the occasion with a 26-show run that will culminate on Nov. 9 at the London Palladium. The tour will feature original members, drummer Bobby Elliott and lead guitarist Tony Hicks, joined by lead singer Peter Howarth, bass player Ray Stiles, keyboardist Ian Parker and rhythm guitarist Steve Lauri. Performing continuously since being formed in 1962, The Hollies have spent a total of 263 weeks in the top 40 in the UK, and were awarded an Ivor Novello for their outstanding contribution to British music in 1995. More info can be found on TheHolliesOfficial.com. - Music-News.com, 3/27/23...... Spinning Gold, a new film that explores the fantastical tale of Neil Bogart, the freewheeling, charismatic entrepreneur who brought '70s records from KISS, Donna Summer, Gladys Knight, the Isley Brothers, the Village People and Parliament to the world, through Buddah and then Casablanca Records, opened theatrically on Mar. 31. Though he ultimately created one of the most successful independent labels ever, Casablanca's future seemed perilous at every turn -- as Bogart borrowed money from mobsters to keep the wins coming, became a drug and gambling addict and basically made one bad business decision after another. But his reliable musical instincts in spotting talent and persistence led to a glorious run of hits before he sold the label to Polygram in 1980. The movie's story is told by Bogart, who died in 1982 at age 39, and is played in the movie by Tony-nominated actor Jeremy Jordan, as he looks back on his professional and personal life with the losses as highlighted as the wins as he seemingly rises from the ashes again and again. Written and directed by Bogart's oldest son, Timothy Scott Bogart, Spinning Gold has been a two-decades labor of love with many fits and starts, but now that it is here, Bogart says he hopes it gives fans of the music a chance to get to know the person behind the hits. "I've always believed that my father has been lost to music history. When we think of the greatest showmen, we think of Jimmy Iovine, Clive Davis -- but my dad was absolutely as significant and transformative," Bogart says. "To finally get the film to be seen -- for me, as a storyteller who has fought so hard for so long -- is remarkably rewarding." - Billboard, 3/29/23...... Peter Gabriel added further dates to his upcoming "i/o" tour of North America behind his upcoming album of the same name. Gabriel previously announced that he would be heading to Europe and the UK in spring this year in support of his 10th studio album. His ninth and most recent studio album, New Blood, came out in 2011. Gabriel has extended his planned dates in North America, to include shows in Washington, D.C., Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Saint Paul, Palm Springs, Denver, Austin, Dallas, and Houston. The European leg is set to kick off in Krakow, Poland on May 18 ahead of further dates in Verona, Milan, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Amsterdam and other cities throughout that month and into June. The former Genesis singer will then touch down in the UK where he'll take to the stage at Birmingham's Utilita Arena (June 17), The O2 in London (June 19), the OVO Hydro in Glasgow (June 22), the AO Arena in Manchester (June 23) and the 3Arena in Dublin (June 25). Announcing the tour at the time, Gabriel said: "It's been a while and I am now surrounded by a whole lot of new songs and am excited to be taking them out on the road for a spin. Look forward to seeing you out there." In January, he shared his first single in seven years, "Panopticom," teaming up with Brian Eno, bassist Tony Levin, drummer Manu Katch, and guitarist David Rhodes for the track. - NME, 3/25/23...... 
Former Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth has described frontman David Byrne as "insecure" in a series of essays in the London Sunday Times. Alongside drummer and husband Chris Frantz, who released a memoir titled Remain In Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina in 2020, she opened up about their complicated relationship with Byrne. "I recently described David Byrne as Trumpian, which didn't go down well with everybody," Weymouth wrote. "What I meant was that, from my experience, everything with David is transactional -- he will use you until he has no more use for you." She continued: "He always seemed very insecure about himself and would often try to blame other people if things went wrong. Chris and I loved him dearly and we did our best to overlook these disastrous character flaws, but it seemed obvious that Talking Heads wasn't going to last. In interviews David always says he's happy and I'd like to believe that. But if he's happy, why does he refuse to refer to Chris and I or Jerry by name? He calls us 'people he used to play with.' Isn't that odd? I've been around the block a few times and I've realized that people act like animals. Some are doves: beautiful and peaceful, like Chris. Unfortunately some are sly foxes." Talking Heads last reunited at the ceremony of their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2002. - NME, 3/25/23...... Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason says he's heard his former bandmate Roger Waters' re-recording of the band's iconic 1973 LP The Dark Side of the Moon and, "annoyingly, it's absolutely brilliant!" Earlier in 2023, Waters revealed that he was creating his own new version of Dark Side to mark its 50th anniversary in March. Speaking at a playback of the original The Dark Side of the Moon in Dolby Atmos Immersive Audio at the Odeon Luxe in London, Mason said: "I heard the rumour that Roger was working on his own version of it. There was this suggestion that this was going to be a spoiler and Roger was going to go head-to-head with the original version and so on. He actually sent me a copy of what he was working on and I write to him and said, 'Annoyingly, it's absolutely brilliant!' It was and is. It's not anything that would be a spoiler for the original at all, it's an interesting add-on to the thing.... I just like this idea of developing music rather than trying to retain it exactly as it was." - Music-News.com, 3/27/23...... Roger Daltrey headlined the final night of the Teenage Cancer Trust benefit at the Royal Albert Hall on Mar. 26. Daltrey, an Honorary Patron of TCT, performed with his 8-piece solo band, playing classics and celebrating some of his favourite songs from both his work with The Who and his solo career. They opened on a Pete Townshend solo track, "Let My Love Open the Door." Then "Squeeze Box" took on a cajun flavour, while solo hits "After The Fire" and "Giving It All Away" found Daltrey in fine voice, while Kelly Jones joined him for a brilliant "Substitute." "Baba O'Riley" rounded off a fantastic night with virtuoso violin recreating the famous Who track with tremendous style. Since 2000, over £32 million has been raised by Teenage Cancer Trust concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, and that money has helped fund specialist nurses, hospital units and support services right across the UK that help get young people through some unimaginably hard times. "In this, our 21st year, after two years of artists having no shows at all, at a time where the only certain paydays are from live performances, artists are willing to give up their earnings from a London show," Daltrey said after the show. "It shows us that miracles are everywhere, but if you cough or sneeze you'd miss them!" The Who will kick off a 10-date European tour in Hull on July 6. - Music-News.com, 3/27/23...... Songwriter Keith Reid -- the lyricist for Procol Harum who co-wrote the band's highest-charting hit, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" -- has died at age 76, his family and the band announced on Mar. 29. He was 76. "We are sad to hear of the death of Keith Reid," a statement on Procol Harum's Facebook page read. "An unparalleled lyricist Keith wrote the words to virtually all Procol Harum songs, as well as co-writing the John Farnham hit 'You're the Voice.' His lyrics were one of a kind and helped to shape the music created by the band. His imaginative, surreal and multi-layered words were a joy to Procol fans and their complexity by design was a powerful addition [to] the Procol Harum catalogue. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends." Reid co-founded Procol Harum with his friend Gary Booker, Procol Harum's lead singer, pianist and composer who died in 2022, also at age 76. Procol Harum is likely best known for their 1967 debut single "A Whiter Shade of Pale," which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Singles category in 2018. The track sold 10 million copies worldwide, spent six weeks atop the U.K. singles chart, and reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band had two other top 40 Hot 100 hits, both co-written by Reid: "Homburg" (No. 34 in 1967) and "Conquistador" (No. 16 in 1972). - Billboard, 3/29/23...... 
Guitarist Tom Leadon, co-founder of Tom Petty's early band Mudcrutch and the brother of former Eagles guitarist Bernie Leadon, died on Mar. 22 at age 70. "It is with great sadness, but profound love and gratitude for his life, that the family of Tom Leadon (Thomas Joseph Leadon) of Nashville, Tenn., and Gainesville, Fla., announce his passing on March 22, 2023 peacefully of natural causes. He was 70," a statement by Petty's official fan club read. Mike Campbell, former Mudcrutch and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers member, also shared his thoughts regarding Leadon s loss. "Tom Leadon was my deepest guitar soul brother, we spent countless hours playing acoustic guitars and teaching each other things," he wrote. "A kinder soul never walked the earth. I will always miss his spirit and generosity. Sleep peacefully my old friend." Leadon's music career dates back to high school, during which he was a member of The Epics and met Petty (who played bass in the group, while Leadon was on lead guitar). The duo then formed Mudcrutch, which Campbell joined to play guitar, and members Randall Marsh and Jim Lenahan joined for drums and vocals, respectively. Leadon would ultimately leave the band in 1972 following a fight with Petty, but later played bass in Linda Rondstadt's band, and in 1976 joined Silver, which earned a Top 20 hit with its track "Wham-Bam." Tom Leadon also co-wrote the Eagles' "Hollywood Waltz" in 1975; the band released it on its One of These Nights LP. Leadon is credited on the song alongside his brother Bernie, Glenn Frey and Don Henley. "He was a dear friend of Tom and the fellas in the band and our entire family. He was part of the brotherhood," Petty's daughter, Adria, also shared in a statement on the late rocker s official Instagram account. "He was an excellent and accomplished musician and was the reason Tom reformed Mudcrutch, so that the band could enjoy more time and more music together. Tom loved him deeply." - Billboard, 3/28/23.
Neil Young has joined the battle of such artists as alternative rocker Robert Smith of The Cure against concert ticket distributor Ticketmaster for what both men say are its exorbitant added fees. "It's over. The old days are gone," Young posted on his Neil Young Archives site below an all-caps opening line that claimed that TM fees are "at 30%." Young says that he's gotten letters from fans blaming him for $3,000 tickets for a benefit he's doing. "That money does not go to me or the benefit. Artists have to worry about ripped off fans blaming them for Ticketmaster add-ons and scalpers.... Concert tours are no longer fun," he said. Young, who save for a few benefit appearances has mostly stayed off the road since before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, also recapped the public battle Robert Smith has been waging over the past few weeks surrounding his outrage over the additional fees tacked onto the price of tickets for his band's upcoming North American tour, which, in some cases, exceeded the face value of the ticket. Young also linked to news reports about Smith's battle with TM, which came after the company's disastrous roll-out of tickets for the 2023 Taylor Swift tour when TM's servers were overwhelmed by demand (and an army of bots). The Justice Department has also held hearings looking into TM and sister company Live Nation Entertainment as part of an antitrust investigation. - Billboard, 3/24/23...... 
For Joni Mitchell, one of the greatest singer-songwriters of her generation, winning the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song earlier in March was a brilliant homecoming. "So many people that I care about are here tonight," she said during a star-studded gala held in her honor in Washington, D.C. on Mar. 1. Many of her fellow music icons came to perform, feting the 79-year-old whose voice once danced among five octaves. Several songs were plucked from 1971's renowned Blue LP: Graham Nash covered "A Case of You," and James Taylor punctuated "California" by calling Joni "a national treasure." The event was taped, and PBS will premiere the hour-long Joni Mitchell: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song special on Mar. 31 at 9:00 p.m/8 central (check local listings at pbs.org). Meanwhile, Academy Award-winning director Cameron Crowe is reportedly developing a movie about Mitchell, with the cooperation of the singer-songwriter. Crowe has had a longstanding relationship with Mitchell, and sources close to him claim the film will not be a standard biopic or a documentary, but instead be more akin to an autobiography. The Mitchell project -- which has yet to receive a title, release date or cast -- will be Crowe's first project since the 2016 comedy series Roadies. Mitchell, 79, has made few public appearances or performances since suffering a brain aneurysm rupture in Mar. 2015, but she's set to return to the stage later this summer, playing her first headline show in 23 years. She has also announced plans to release her comeback Newport Folk Festival performance in 2022 as a live album. - TV Guide/New Musical Express, 3/27/23...... In other documentary news, a full-length feature about New Wave icons Devo has been announced. Titled Devo, it will be helmed by director Chris Smith (American Movie (1999) and Fyre (2019), and be the first fully-authorized film about the group. It will chart the Ohio-based band's career, from their formation in the aftermath of the 1970 Kent State massacre to their breakout with "Whip It." "Devo was a huge influence on me," Smith said in a statement. "Their approach to music, film, video, and art was something I had never seen before and was one of the truly formative artistic influences that showed me there were entirely new ways to look at things." Devo will feature a mixture of interviews and never-before-seen archival footage. The movie is currently in production, but no release date has been announced. Meanwhile, a new biopic chronicling the early years of KISS is coming to Netflix in 2024, it was revealed on Mar. 23 by the band's longtime manager Doc McGhee McGhee discussed the project recently on The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn show. "It's a biopic about the first four years of KISS," McGhee says. "We're just starting it now. We've already sold it, it's already done, we have a director, McG. That's moving along and that'll come in '24." It appeared that McGhee was referring to Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle director and veteran music video helmer McG, who most recently worked with Jennifer Garner on the Netflix comedy Family Leave. McGhee's interview with Brunn has been shared on YouTube. - NME/Billboard, 3/23/23...... Dolly Parton announced on Mar. 22 she's releasing a new book on Oct. 17 titled Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, an in-depth look at the country icon's lifelong passion for style. Parton says she collaborated on the book with author/journalist Holly George-Warren, with curation by Rebecca Seaver, Parton's director of archive services. George-Warren has authored more than a dozen books, including the Janis Joplin biography, Janis: Her Life and Music. "I am happy, proud and excited to present my book Behind the Seams to the public," Dolly said in a statement. "It is my hope that you will enjoy a look at my life in costume and hair and get to know some of the great people who have helped shape my life and my look." The book offers a look at the Country music legend's private costume archive, with photographs highlighting many of her most iconic looks, beginning with the 1960s (Parton released her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, in 1967) and chronicling her style through present-day. The book spotlights her famous wigs, towering heels and sparkly stage clothes -- including the bunny suit she wore on the cover of Playboy, attire worn at the storied Studio 54, and costumes from many of her film and television roles. In 2022, Parton teamed with best-selling author James Patterson on the fiction book Run Rose Run. - Billboard, 3/22/23...... 
In related news, '70s funk rock legend Sly Stone will release a new memoir also on Oct. 17. Titled after one of his band Sly & The Family Stone's biggest hits, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin): A Memoir will dive into a firsthand account of the San Francisco-based musician's personal life, and share anecdotes from his 50-year-long tenure in the music industry. "For as long as I can remember folks have been asking me to tell my story, I wasn't ready," Sly said in a press release. "I had to be in a new frame of mind to become Sylvester Stewart again to tell the true story of Sly Stone. It's been a wild ride and hopefully, my fans enjoy it too." The memoir, published by White Rabbit Books, was co-written with the help of rock journalist Ben Greenman -- who has written memoirs with the likes of Parliament-Funkadelic's George Clinton, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and more. As well as sharing the narrative behind some of his most famous tracks, Thank You will also shine a spotlight on the reasons why the musician dropped out of the public eye. These include his gradual reliance on hard drugs, and his struggle to re-establish himself in the 1980s. Thank You's foreward was written by legendary American musician, Questlove. - NME, 3/22/23...... The Who guitarist/vocalist Pete Townshend has released "Can't Outrun the Truth," his first solo single in nearly 30 years, to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust. Townshend, who co-founded the organization with his Who bandmate Roger Daltrey, says he wanted to help after the Covid-19 Lockdown saw many charities struggle. "The pandemic years were terrible for charities; the Teenage Cancer Trust was created in order to take the money from a series of concerts at the Albert Hall every year and various other things and that had all dropped out," the 77-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said. "So, the idea of doing this, which is something that has sprung out of Lockdown about mental illness, but also for this particular charity. If you've got a scenario in which somebody in your family or a teenager has got cancer, they're being treated, Lockdown hits, and you're not allowed to go and visit them. There's a poignancy to the whole thing about the song." Money raised from the vinyl sales of the single and a portion of the digital downloads will go to the TCT. Townshend's last new singles were in 2015 when he shared "Guantanamo" and "How Can I Help You" on the compilation Truancy: The Very Best Of Pete Townshend. His last solo LP was 1993's rock opera concept Psychoderelict. - Music-News.com, 3/25/23...... Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang Van Halen has slammed some detractors on Twitter who accused him of "taking advantage" of his name. Wolfgang has faced criticism for using the Van Halen name, and supposedly failing to honor his late father by not playing VH songs live. "If a person wants to make a name for themselves they wouldn't take advantage of their famous father's last name & band name," one of Wolfie's critics posted on Mar. 21. "His father & uncle didn't have that. Everyone in the band didn't have that. Matter of fact, majority of current & former bands & singers didn't have that." Wolfgang responded with his own Twitter post, saying "Van Halen is literally my f---ing name you grape," later posting, "You guys understand Van Halen is literally a name. Like way before it was a band. Right? That good ol' American rock and roll you love so much was written by a Dutch immigrant named Edward Lodewik Van Halen, not some dude changing his name to sound cool and 'rock n roll' and shit?" Wolfgang then decided to make light of the situation by sharing a poll to Twitter asking his followers to help him choose a new name -- either "Wolfgang Led Zeppelin," "Wolfgang AC/DC," "Wolfgang The Who" or "Wolfgang Paul McCartney." "I really wanted to write 'Wolfgang Paul McCartney & Wings' but there was a character limit," he added. On Mar. 22, Wolfgang announced a second album under his Mammoth WVH moniker, Mammoth II, will drop on Aug. 4. He also shared its lead single, "Another Celebration At The End Of The World." - NME, 3/22/23...... 
Singer-songwriter John Sebastian's songwriter interest in the '60s pop band The Lovin' Spoonful he once led has been acquired by AMR Songs, a music asset investment firm and music company that's been quietly scooping up rights since 2021. AMR also purchased all rights from Sebastian's solo catalog, which includes such hits as "Welcome Back," as well as the master recording catalog of reggae band SOJA, among other investments. "AMR's involvement in my catalog... will ensure that my songs will keep singing for a good long time," Sebastian said in a statement. Terms of the deals were not disclosed. - Billboard, 3/22/23...... A petition that aims to reverse the recent decision by authorities in Frankfurt, Germany to ban a planned concert there by former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters has been launched on Change.org, with some famous signees that include Eric Clapton and Waters' former bandmate, drummer Nick Mason. Waters had been set to perform in Frankfurt on May 28 as part of his "This Is Not A Drill" tour -- however the show was pulled by the officials at Frankfurt City Council following accusations of anti-Semitism. Also showing their solidarity with Waters by signing the petition, which has at least 10,000 signatures, are Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Soft Machine founder Robert Wyatt and actresses Susan Sarandon and Julie Christie. "Waters' criticism of Israel's treatment of Palestinians is part of his long-term advocacy on behalf of human rights across the globe," reads the description alongside the petition. "The officials vilifying Waters are engaging in a dangerous campaign that purposely conflates criticism of Israel's illegal and unjust policies with antisemitism." A second petition has also been launched on Change.org, opposing the first. Currently, the decision to cancel Waters' Frankfurt show remains in place. All other dates as part of the "This Is Not A Drill tour" are scheduled to continue. - NME, 3/21/23...... After former president Donald Trump claimed that he would be arrested on Mar. 21 on charges related to an investigation into a $130,000 (£106,000) payment to porn star Stormy Daniel with whom he allegedly had an affair, avid Trump supporter and conservative musician Ted Nugent urged Trump supporters to remain peaceful" if the former president is arrested. Speaking during the recent edition of his news commentary series The Nightly Nuge, the controversial American rocker told his viewers to "stand strong" and "remain peaceful" no matter the outcome. "Put on your truck light. Put on your porch light. Carry a lantern. We need to stand strong," Nugent said. "And if they wanna arrest President Trump, we need to not protest; we need to not put on rallies... because Antifa, Black Lives Matter and these imported Chinese nationals and Somali nationals who are coming across our open border, as orchestrated by Biden Satan gang, they are ready to do battle." Nugent went on to tell Trump's supporters to instead participate in non-violent forms of protest. "Do not go into battle -- yet," he continued, adding that people should "remain peaceful and shine a positive, loving, patriotic light on the darkness." On Mar. 18, Trump -- who is running for president in 2024 -- took to his Truth Social platform to tell his followers to "protest" and "take our nation back" should he be arrested. He used similar language when he called on his supporters to take part in a "big protest" in Washington D.C. in the wake of Biden's 2021 election victory. Trump was later impeached for the second time in his presidency for inciting the US Capitol riot, in which five people died. Nugent, however, reiterated that protest should be "peaceful" this time. "Remain strong. Remain spiritual," he said. "Pray like you've never prayed before, and in a loving, supportive, civil manner, convince anybody in your life." In Dec. 2022, Nugent was the recipient of a "Great American Defender Of Freedom Award" from Trump at the American Freedom Tour's Winter Gala at Mar-A-Lago in Florida.- NME, 3/21/23...... 
In other Pink Floyd-related news, the 50th anniversary of the legendary prog-rock band's seminal album The Dark Side of The Moon is currently being celebrated across the globe. A remastered deluxe box set of the 1973 record was released on Mar. 23, plus fans can get their hands on the CD and first-ever vinyl issue of The Dark Side Of The Moon - Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974, and the book Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary. To further mark the occasion, New York City's iconic Empire State Building was illuminated with the band's 50th Anniversary prism on Mar. 24, and could seen throughout the city or viewed live from the Empire State Building Live Cam. Meanwhile, in Italy, a light show at Milan's Duomo square on Mar. 23 saw the prism cover 500 square meters, plus the rainbow ray of lights and the white beam. Fans are also able to have an immersive experience listening to The Dark Side Of The Moon that promises to "take you way beyond the realms of 2D experience" at planetariums across the globe. Dates and ticket information can be found at pinkfloyd.com. - Music-News.com, 3/25/23...... Iconic TV, movie and stage actor Dick Van Dyke was injured in a single-car collision near his Malibu, Calif. home on Mar. 22. Authorities said Van Dyke, now 97, was driving in a severe downpour and collided with a gate. Police cleared him of driving under the influence but submitted paperwork requiring him retake his driving test. - TMZ.com, 3/22/23...... Nicholas Lloyd Webber, the Grammy-nominated composer, record producer and eldest son of Andrew Lloyd Webber, died on Mar. 25 in England after a protracted battle with gastric cancer and pneumonia. He was 43. "His whole family is gathered together and we are all totally bereft," the 75-year-old Webber said in a statement emailed by a representative. "Thank you for all your thoughts during this difficult time." Andrew Lloyd Webber, the famed composer of such blockbuster musicals such as "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Cats," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Evita," missed the Mar. 23 Broadway opening of his latest musical "Bad Cinderella" to be at his son's side with other loved ones. Nicholas Webber is best known for his work on the BBC One's Love, Lies and Records, which was based on the book The Little Prince. He also worked on his father's 2021 "Cinderella," earning a Grammy nod for best musical theater album. Nicholas is Andrew Lloyd's son with his first wife, Sarah Hugill, also the mother of his older sister, Imogen. The senior Webber has four other children. - Billboard, 3/25/23.
On the one year anniversary of Cream bassist Jack Bruce's death from liver failure at age 71, a number of musicians including his former bandmate Ginger Baker paid tribute to him with a charity gig at London's Roadhouse venue on Oct. 24. Also participating in the "Sunshine of Your Love" gig were Roxy Music lead guitarist Phil Manzanera, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, Living Colour's Vernon Reid and Bruce's daughter Aruba Red. "Jack Bruce was one of my biggest heroes when I was growing up -- a consummate musician, composer and all round rock genius with a killer voice and one of the most creative and versatile musical minds of his generation," Bruce said before the event, which also raised funds for East Anglia's Children's Hospices. The concert culminated with renditions of two Cream songs, "Sunshine of Your Love" and "We're Going Wrong." - New Musical Express, 10/25/15...... Ann Wilson of Heart says her current North American tour behind her new solo EP, 
A 
A long held chart record by the Beatles has just been broken by the British boy band One Direction. The group's new LP, Perfect, has just charted its fifth Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, besting a record set by the Fab Four. The Beatles launched three of their four Top 10 entries during their latter-period heyday, including "Hey Jude" (No. 10, Sept. 14, 1968), "Get Back," with Billy Preston (No. 10, May 10, 1969), "Let It Be" (No. 6, March 21, 1970), and in 1995, they returned to the Top 10 with "Free as a Bird," which started at No. 10 on Dec. 30 of that year. - Billboard, 10/27/15...... Former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters has chimed in on the 2016 U.S. presidential race, saying he fears former Sec. of State and Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton might "drop a f---ing nuclear bomb." "Hillary worries me," Waters said in a new interview with Rolling Stone. "I have an awful worry that she might become the first woman president to drop a f---ing nuclear bomb on somebody. There is something scarily hawkish about her, and she has that politician look down of, 'You are never going to get a word of truth out of me.'" Waters had even less kind words for Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in September: "It's American exceptionalism gone crazy and delivered under the umbrella of absolute ignorance... He is pig-ignorant and he always was and he always will be." Waters says he's putting his support behind Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, a socialist who caucuses with the Democrats. "He's the only person in the race that I see with any credibility," he said. - Billboard, 10/27/15...... In related news, Cher tweeted on Oct. 23 that Donald Trump is "a giant among GOP front runners," and also sized up the Republican candidates, calling Ted Cruz "the devil," saying Marco Rubio has a "rage against women," and asking "just tell my why?!" to Ben Carson's candidacy. - Billboard, 10/23/15...... The photographer who snapped the photo used on the cover of Bob Dylan's 1966 album Blonde on Blonde has attempted to solve some of the mysteries surrounding the cover, which shows a blurred image of the singer-songwriter against a brick wall background. Jerry Schatzberg, in an interview with rock critic Bob Egan, says the blurriness of the image wasn't intentional but was instead due to him shivering from the cold weather. "It was pretty cold out. I know all the critics, everybody said 'Oh, they were trying to do a drug shot'. It's not true. It was February, [Dylan] was wearing just that jacket, and I was wearing something similar, and the two of us were really cold," Schatzberg said, adding that "To his credit, [Dylan]'s the one that chose that photograph." The location of the photo has been questioned over the years too, with Schatzberg now saying that he "thinks" he shot it in the "meat-packing distract of downtown [New York]". However, he added that the original setting would now be "totally disguised" due to recent gentrification of the area. - NME, 10/27/15...... 
On Oct. 26 David Bowie's publicist confirmed reports in the British press that Bowie will release a new album called Blackstar next year. The London Times reported that Bowie will release his 25th studio LP on Jan. 8, which will be the rocker's 69th birthday, and that the album's title track will be released as a single on Nov. 20. But the spokesman denied other aspects of the recent reports, citing the "inaccurate reporting on the sound and content of the album." The Times had described the album as possibly Bowie's "oddest yet" and "completely bonkers." German electro pioneers Kraftwerk were referenced as a point of comparison, along with jazz influences. Bowie is unlikely to mount a tour behind the the LP, as it was reported earlier in October that he has allegedly "retired from touring." - NME, 10/26/15...... Dr. Arnold Klein, the dermatologist who was famously connected to Michael Jackson and other Hollywood celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor, Dolly Parton and Carrie Fisher, died on Oct. 22 at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage near Palm Springs, Calif. He was 70. Klein, who called Jackson "my best friend," treated him for more than 25 years before the pop star's drug-related death in 2009. Debbie Rowe, a nurse who worked for Klein, married Jackson and had two of the singer's three children, Prince and Paris, before the couple divorced. Dr. Klein dismissed media reports alleging that he fathered the children through a sperm donation. When Jackson died, federal drug agents investigating the singer's prescriptions cleared Klein, and his attorney denied that Jackson was addicted to Demerol used for pain relief during medical procedures. The judge ruled that Klein's testimony would not be relevant to the case. - AP, 10/23/15...... Maureen O'Hara, the Irish-born Hollywood actress known as the "Queen of Technicolor" who starred in such iconic films as Miracle on 34th Street and How Green Was My Valley, died at her home in Boise, Idaho, on Oct. 24. She was 95. Ms. O'Hara "was called the Queen of Technicolor," because when that film process came into use, nothing seemed to show off its splendor better than her rich red hair, bright green eyes, and flawless peaches and cream complexion." Yet she was not only famous for her eauty, but for her tendency to portray lively, tenacious women, like Mary Kate Danaher in the 1952 movie The Quiet Man alongside John Wayne. She also appeared opposite Wayne in four other films, including The Wings of Eagles, Big Jake and McKlintock. Ms. O'Hara also starred as John Candy's overbearing mother in Only the Lonely, and her final credit was as the star of the 2000 CBS telefilm The Last Dance. - Jezebel.com, 10/25/15.
Surviving Bee Gees member Barry Gibb has signed a new recording deal with Columbia Records and will release his second solo album on the label this fall. "This is a dream come true for me," Gibb said in a statement. "It's a new chapter in my life. I always hoped one day that the Bee Gees would be with Columbia or indeed Sony so, it's a great joy for me to start again this way with such great people." Gibb, who returned to live performing in 2013-14 with his Mythology Tour behind a Bee Gees anthology release, has sold tens of millions of albums with his two late brothers Robin and Maurice Gibb as the Bee Gees, most of which were released through Polydor and Atco. "I will never forget my brothers, they will always be a part of everything I do," Gibb said also said in his statement. "Our dream came true." Barry Gibb also helped the UK band Coldplay close the Glastonbury 2016 festival on June 26 with a rendition of "Stayin' Alive." - Billboard, 6/29/16...... The London recording studio owned by Pink Floyd where the band laid down tracks for all of their 1977 album 
In other Beatles-related news, a shirt soaked with the blood of John Lennon has sold at auction for $40,819. The white button down shirt was worn by concierge Jay Hastings as part of his uniform while he was on duty at The Dakota building in New York on Dec. 8, 1980, the fateful day the rock icon was assassinated by deranged fan Mark Chapman as he and wife Yoko Ono entered the porch of The Dakota to go up to their flat. According to Hastings, Lennon stumbled into the entranceway of his station after being shot twice in the back and twice in the shoulder, where Hastings covered Lennon with his suit jacket. In his attempt to aid the ailing star, some of Lennon's blood seeped into the shirt on its chest and sleeves. Hastings says he recently decided to sell the macabre item at auction, where it was expected to reach in the region of $9,216 in the June 25 Heritage Auctions sale. It eventually sold for a staggering $40,819, according to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper. Garry Shrum of Heritage says that Hastings "kept this shirt all these years and never really spoke about it... It has just been sitting in a drawer for years and now he is getting older he felt it was time to sell it." Shrum also insists that Hastings isn't exploiting John Lennon's death: "He is telling the story of how he tried to help John Lennon in the last few minutes of his life." The auction sale also included a copy of the album Double Fantasy - which includes a handwritten message that reads: "To Jay, Love John Lennon Yoko Ono," as well as a 1978 Thanksgiving card from John and a 1980 typed letter from Yoko thanking the staff of the building for their help two weeks after the singer's death. The buyer of Hastings' collection has apparently chose to remain anonymous. Also sold in a Heritage auction in Beverly Hills is a small lock of David Bowie's hair that was clipped by Wendy Farrier in 1983 so it could be used for his waxwork at Madame Tussauds in London. Farrier had kept the lock of hair, which sold for around $18,500, in a frame for 33 years. - WENN.com/The Hollywood Reporter, 6/27/16...... The online auction site eBay is sponsoring a three-day auction event beginning on June 29 that includes 1,700 lots full of pop-culture memorabilia, including the ruffled silk shirt worn by the late Prince in his movie Purple Rain (starting bid: $3,000), and the motorcycle jacket he wore in the same movie (starting bid: $6,000). Bidding on the auction, which also includes items of clothing worn by such stars as Marilyn Monroe, Britney Spears and Daniel Craig, will take place through 11:00 a.m. PT July 1 on eBay. - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/28/16...... Speaking of Prince, newly-revealed secret recordings made by Michael Jackson in an interview with a UK paper indicate that Jackson wasn't quite as chummy with Prince as he would have everyone believe as the two music mega-stars battled for chart supremacy in the 1980s. In the recently unveiled recording, made in 1988 with The Daily Mirror paper during the writing of Jackson's autobiography Moonwalker, the Gloved One makes clear his dislike for the Purple One. "I have proven myself since I was real little. It's not fair. He feels like I'm his opponent," Jackson told the interviewer. "I hope he changes because boy, he's gonna get hurt. He's the type that might commit suicide or something." Jackson also bristles at comparisons to Prince and himself in the secretly recorded conversation, shared for the first time by the Daily Mirror. "I don't like to be compared to Prince," he says, bluntly. The King of Pop then goes on to describe Prince as "one of the rudest people I have ever met," and says that he had been "mean and nasty to my family." The rivalry has also been confirmed by producer LA Reid, who revealed in his memoirs earlier in 2016 that one of Michael Jackson's hobbies "was laughing at videos of Prince making mistakes." - NME, 6/26/16...... 
Glenn Symmonds, a former drummer in Eddie Money's band, has added claims of sexual harassment to an age and disability wrongful termination lawsuit he first filed against Money in October 2015. Money says his First Amendment right to artistic expression trumps a claim from Symmonds that he was axed because of his age and disability, according to an anti-SLAPP motion to strike a portion of the complaint filed on June 29 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. For now, Money's attorneys are only addressing the initial complaint that Symmonds was illegally fired because of his age and complications of bladder cancer and a back injury. "Even though Symmonds' claim is frivolous, it raises serious First Amendment concerns," states the motion. "The performance of music is a fundamental First Amendment right. Eddie's choice of the members of his band furthers and is directly connected to this right." Money says the events resulting in the lawsuit were sparked by his decision to tour with his children for the summer of 2015, which he argues is protected artistic expression. The rocker intended to rehire the band after his family tour. Symmonds and his fiancee Tami Landrum responded with a "malicious and unwarranted attack" consisting of disparaging internet posts and threatening voicemails left for concert promoters, Money claims, and that's why the drummer wasn't rehired. Money has also turned to Facebook to tell his fans how he feels about the lawsuit. "Glenn Symmonds and his girlfriend are trying to damage my reputation not only as a professional entertainer, but as a husband and a father," the "Two Tickets to Paradise" singer writes. "Having something like that happen to you is like the Twilight Zone, so preposterous and downright evil." - The Hollywood Reporter, 6/29/16...... Cher has apologized for using a "bomb Emoji" in a tweet about the recent tragedy at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport in Instanbul, Turkey, on June 28. "In support of the victims of the attack that killed 41 people and wounded 239," Cher tweeted, then adding "WE ALL PRAY FOR INNOCENT PPL IN TURKEY AIPORT" along with a bomb emoji. Now, after receiving much backlash from her folowers for the emoji choice, Cher once again took to the service to apologize: "Been thinking about my Poorly Placed,Insensitively Timed 'bomb Emoji.' No ExcuseI'm Used 2 Using Emoji 2Help Say More Than 140 Letters.Sorry," she tweeted. The singer is known for using multiple emojis in her tweets and actively uses the social media site to share her thoughts to her more than 3 million followers on the current political climate around the world. - Billboard, 6/29/16...... Rod Stewart's current "Hits Tour" of Europe, which is nearing the end of his eight-week trek through 11 European countries, is doing big business on the continent, with sales from four events in Sweden, Poland and England totaling $6.7 million, earning the tour a slot among the 10 top-grossing tours of the week. Stewart's tour ranks second to only Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's summer European jaunt, who slotted higher due to ticket sales totaling $14.9 million from two stadium dates on his current "The River Tour." Stewart kicked off his tour on May 14 at Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome, and it will continue through July 9, wrapping with an appearance at the Cap Roig Festival staged at an outdoor site on the Mediterranean Sea near Calella, Spain. - Billboard, 6/29/16...... Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley has filed for divorce from her fourth husband, guitarist Michael Lockwood, after the two were wed for more than 10 years. According to court documents filed on June 24 in Los Angeles Superior Court, Presley has been separated from Lockwood since June 10 and cites irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. Presley and Lockwood were wed in Jan. 2006, and have 7-year-old twin daughters together. Presley was previously married to Danny Keogh, Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage. - AP, 6/28/16...... In a recent interview with a country radio station, Charlie Daniels said the US "has enough gun control laws" and that "the laws we have now are not being enforced." "These guns laws are cosmetic... It's like taking cars away to stop car wrecks. It's the drunk drivers that are the problem. You'll clean it up by taking the bad drivers off of the road," added Daniels, who released his last album Live at Billy Bob's Texas, in Oct. of 2015. - Billboard, 6/28/16...... 
In other Southern Rock news, Lynyrd Skynyrd will be the subject of a new biopic written by the band's drummer Artimus Pyle. Named "Free Bird" after the band's biggest hit, the film will center around the 1977 plane crash that claimed the lives of their lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant, and their new guitarist Steve Gaines. Pyle co-wrote the script with the film's director, Jared Cohn, and filming is set to begin later in 2016. Pyle, who played with Skynyrd from 1974 until 1999, told Deadline.com: "The film's story, which is my story, is not just about the plane crash, but also about my personal relatonship with the genius that was Ronnie Van Zant. I loved him like a brother and still miss him to this day." Lynyrd Skynyrd still tours and are currently on a US run with Peter Frampton until September. - New Musical Express, 6/27/16...... Ozzy Osbourne, who will play his final series of concerts with Black Sabbath in the UK from Jan. 22 until Feb. 4, says he's disappointed Sabbath's final tour will be coming to an end and says he wanted to continue playing with the iconic heavy metal band. "It's not me that wants to retire, it's Black Sabbath," Osbourne says. "I'll be continuing my own musical thing. My wife is good at telling me partial information, but I know I'm not hanging my boots up for a while." Osbourne added that he couldn't persuade guitarist Tony Iommi to continue the tour beyond its contracted 80 shows. "Tony wants to do 80 shows and we're doing 80 shows. It's good enough, but I wouldn't mind extending the tour for another few gigs. There's a lot of people who won't get to see us, but I don't think it's going to happen," he said. Sabbath wraps up its current European tour on July 12 and returns for a final run through North America on Aug. 17, with late-year dates in South America before next year's end run in the UK. - NME, 6/28/16...... Keith Richards has signed on to host his own weekend of shows on the UK's BBC Four television channel. Richards' Lost Weekend of shows will air in the fall, and the BBC says it's likely to include "documentaries, films and live performances." Richards will introduce both night's shows in excerpts directed by Julien Temple. Temple has also directed a new documentary about Richards, Keith Richards -- The Origin Of The Species. The hour-long show, which BBC2 will screen in July, sees Richards talk about his childhood in post-war Kent. - NME, 6/29/16...... A new Jimmy Buffett musical, "Escape to Margaritaville," will have its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse in the San Diego area, producers announced on June 27. The limited engagement will begin previews on May 16, 2017, ahead of its opening night on May 28, and will play through June 25. "Escape to Margaritaville" will feature both original songs and Buffett classics. It tells the story of a tropical island resort and its charming bartender-singer who falls for a beautiful, career-minded tourist. - Billboard, 6/27/16...... Fans attending a Billy Joel tribute band show in Huntington, N.Y., on June 24 were treated to a real surprise -- an appearance by the Piano Man himself. Joel was in the audience with this wife, Alexis Roderick, when he decided to join the band Big Shot for a three-song set, including covers of the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends," done Joe Cocker-style, the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women, and one of Joel's own biggest hits, "You May Be Right," which was blended with Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll." Joel told the crowd that he lives "down the road" from Huntington's Paramount Theater and decided to catch the show. - AP, 6/25/16...... After being a big hit at this year's Glastonbury Festival, Jeff Lynne's ELO have announced a show at London's Wembley Stadium on June 24, 2017, which is also the Saturday of next year's Glastonbury festival. Officially billed in full as "Jeff Lynne's ELO" due to copyright issues over the name between Lynne and his former bandmates, the band's tour ended with a homecoming show in Birmingham on June 24 before their slot on June 26 in the traditional "legends" slot of Glatsonbury. In 2015, Lynne and his new band released Alone in the Universe, his first album under an ELO name since the group split in 1986. - NME, 6/27/16...... Rob Wasserman, a versatile, Grammy-winning bassist, composer and producer who worked with such major rock artists as Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Rickie Lee Jones and Bob Weir, died on June 29 after a battle with undisclosed health complaints. He was 64. A classical trained violinist, Wasserman took up the upright bass at age 20, and began performing with the likes of Van Morrison and Oingo Boingo and before forming a band with David Grisman. "My great friend Rob Wasserman is facing a serious health struggle today," Bob Weir tweeted on June 29. "Please share the strength of our family with him and his family," he added. Wasserman's last album, the six-CD set Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound, with Jerry Garcia Band and Weir, dropped in Dec. 2013. - Billboard, 6/30/16...... 
Scotty Moore, the rockabilly guitarist who was teamed up with Elvis Presley by Sun Records producer Sam Phillips in 1954 to record "That's All Right (Mama)," died at his home in Nashville, Tenn., on June 28. He was 84. Alongside bassist Bill Black and drummer DJ Fontana, their backing band The Blue Moon Boys, Mr. Moore played on a string of Presley classics including "Jailhouse Rock," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Mystery Train" and "Hound Dog." Born near Gadsden, Tenn., in 1931, Mr. Moore learned guitar at an early age. He was a fan of jazz and country and was strongly influenced by Chet Atkins and Les Paul. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he settled in Memphis, working at a dry cleaning plant during the day and playing music after his shift was over. Phillips, who had not been impressed with Presley at first, had called in Moore and Black to work with the young singer. After appearing in four of Presley's films including Jailhouse Rock and GI Blues, Mr. Moore was fired by Phillips in 1964 for breaking his contract by releasing a solo album, The Guitar That Changed The World. He was reunited with Presley in 1968 for Elvis' famous "comeback special" on NBC, which saw Moore and Presley play Mr. Moore's trademark Gibson Super 400 guitar. Throughout his long career, Mr. Moore also played with the likes of Carl Perkins, Jeff Beck, Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood. Keith Richards credits Mr. Moore as the musician who made him want to take up the guitar. "When I heard 'Heartbreak Hotel', I knew what I wanted to do in life. It was as plain as day," Richards once said. "All I wanted to do in life was to be able to play and sound like that. Everyone else wanted to be Elvis, but I wanted to be Scotty." Mr. Moore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. - NME, 6/29/16...... Mack Rice, the composer of '60s hit "Mustang Sally" and co-writer of the Staple Singers' song "Respect Yourself," died in his Detroit home on June 27 of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 82. "Sir" Mack Rice was best known for writing "Mustang Sally," which he initially recorded but singer Wilson Pickett popularized. They had been in a group together called The Falcons, which recorded in Detroit. Mr. Rice was a songwriter for Memphis, Tennessee-based Stax Records and split his time between there and Detroit, where he moved from Mississippi as a teen. He wrote "Respect Yourself" with late R&B singer-songwriter Luther Ingram for the Staple Singers, which became Stax's biggest hit. According to his wife Laura, Mack wrote the song in about 15 minutes after talking with other musicians in the studio about the need for people to respect themselves in order to be respected by others. A tribute service has been scheduled for July 6 at Detroit's New Bethel Baptist Church. A funeral service is set for July 7. - AP, 6/28/16.
After 46 years together as one of America's premier hard rock bands, Aerosmith have announced they're going on a "permanent vacation." Appearing on Howard Stern's radio show on June 24, frontman Steven Tyler confirmed that the band, which was founded in Boston in 1970, will embark on a farewell tour in 2017. "We're doing a farewell tour, but only because it's time," Tyler told Stern. "I love this band, I really do, and I want to squash every thought that anybody might have about this. Look, there's two bands that still have the original members, us and the Stones. I'm grateful for that," he added. Taken aback by the revelation, Stern made Tyler confirm that the band were indeed doing a farewell tour next year. "I think so, next year," the singer said. Asked whether guitarist Joe Perry is aware of Aerosmith's farewell plans, Tyler responded with a simple "Mmhmm." Tyler, meanwhile, is prepping for the release of his new Country music inspired album, 
Reports have surfaced that Michael Jackson owned a disturbing photographic collection of child pornography and animal abuse that was allegedly discovered during a raid by authorities at his Neverland Ranch in California in 2003 as part of their investigation into his child molestation allegations. It has been speculated that Jackson used the materials, which included pictures of children's faces superimposed on adult bodies, to desensitize children for abuse. Other images, according to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, reportedly featured S&M and animal torture and gore. "We identified five different boys, who all made allegations of sexual abuse," said ormer Santa Barbara Senior Assistant District Attorney Ron Zonen. "There's not much question in my mind that Michael was guilty of child molestation," he added. On June 21, the Jackson estate issued a statement claiming the "content that appears to be obtained off the Internet or through unknown sources" is false, and that it was "no doubt timed to the [seventh] anniversary of Michael's passing." "Those who continue to shamelessly exploit Michael via sleazy internet 'click bait' ignore that he was acquitted by a jury in 2005 on every one of the 14 salacious charges brought against him in a failed witch hunt... Michael remains just as innocent of these smears in death as he was in life even though he isn't here to defend himself. Enough is enough," the statement went on. Jackson was acquitted of allegedly molesting then 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo in 2005. He died of cardiac arrest in 2009. - VanityFair.com, 6/23/16...... In other Jackson family news, the wife of Jermaine Jackson filed divorce papers on June 21, citing irreconcilable differences, and listed Nov. 28 as the date of separation. The couple's separation fell on the same day Jackson's wife, Halima Rashid, was arrested and booked on suspicion of corporal felony injury on a spouse after an incident at the couple's California home. In the divorce papers, Rashid is seeking spousal support. She and Jermaine have no children together. - WENN.com, 6/23/16...... In related news, Don McLean and his wife Patrisha finalized their divorce on June 20 and agreed to a $10 million settlement. A spokesman for McLean said that the "American Pie" singer "chose to ignore a premarital agreement" and provide the settlement. Patrisha McLean, an author and photographer, filed for divorce citing "adultery, cruel and abusive treatment, and irreconcilable differences" in legal papers. The couple, who have been married for about 30 years, have two adult children. In January, Don McLean was arrested in January in his hometown of Camden, Maine, on charges including domestic violence assault. He has pleaded not guilty. - AP, 6/21/16...... Frank Zappa's 8,000 square foot home in Los Angeles' Laurel Canyon neighborhood where the musician lived with his family from 1968 until his death in 1993 has been put on the market for $5.4 million. The 7-bedroom property at 7885 Woodrow Wilson Drive includes the fabled "Utility Muffin Research Kitchen" where Zappa recorded his jazz-rock albums and composed his symphonies, as well as "The Vault," a chamber beneath the house where Zappa stored thousands of hours of unreleased recordings, video and family artifacts. The sale of the property has been caught up in a dispute among Zappa's four children, who have been battling each other since their mother Gail Zappa died in 2015. - Billboard, 6/24/16...... 
'70s artists The Eagles, James Taylor and Mavis Staples will be among the 2016 Kennedy Center Honorees in Washington, D.C., this winter, the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced on June 23. The recognition will be a bittersweet one for the Eagles, who were originally tapped for the honor in 2015, but were forced to postpone their appearance because of founding member Glenn Frey's failing health. Frey died in January, about a month after the honors gala. The Eagles issued a statement on June 24, saying "We accept this honor in memory of our comrade and fellow traveler, Eagles founder Glenn Frey... we always felt very fortunate that our music was embraced by people from all walks of life, all over the world." James Taylor, who attended the ceremony for his good friend Carole King in 2015, said that "the prospect of attending the Kennedy Center Honors again, this time as an honoree, is astonishing... I am deeply moved to be included in such august company." The honorees, which this year also include actor Al Pacino and Argentine pianist Martha Argerich, will be celebrated at a gala on Dec. 4, featuring performances and tributes from top entertainers. The show will be broadcast on Dec. 27 on CBS. - AP, 6/23/16...... In other Eagles-related news, Joe Walsh dedicated his entire concert to Glenn Frey as Walsh's "One Hell of a Night" summer tour hit Frey's hometown of Detroit on June 22. The show at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Independence Township, Mich., was the first visit by an Eagles member to Frey's hometown since Frey's death on Jan. 18. As he's done ever other night on the tour, Walsh played the Eagles' "Take It To The Limit," but instead of just dedicating the song to Frey, Walsh announced he was "dedicating the entire show...to my brother and my fellow bandmate." The song was accompanied by video screen footage of an eagle soaring in the sky and finished with a photo of the Eagles. Walsh also recognized Frey at the end of the show, adding a portion of "Heartache Tonight" to the encore and saying, "That's for you, Glenn." - Billboard, 6/23/16...... Paul Simon, who is in the midst of a two-month solo tour to support his new album 
Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has penned an impassioned pro-gun control essay on his official website, in reaction to the recent massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. "No matter what some of my friends seem to imply, I firmly believe we can have gun control and reduce gun violence in this country. Allow me to be optimistic. At this point, any cause for hope is worth considering," wrote Byrne, who made it clear that he's for gun control in the follow-up to a recent post urging Americans to vote. "I believe the situation in the U.S. is unacceptable; more controls are necessary, and there is proof that they can work. Just look at the data. There is a staggering split in U.S. gun deaths and gun deaths in a host of other countries," he added. "The public feeling is already there: Everyone should not have the right to risk everyone else's life and take away the freedom of others. We have countered these arguments before, from slavery to seat belts to smoking, and we can do it again. We're better than this," he said in closing. - Billboard, 6/22/16...... Bill Ham, the longtime manager for ZZ Top, died in his sleep on June 20. He was 79. Ham is heralded as an innovator in the music business and praised for his modest demeanor that preferred attention be focused on his artists rather than himself. Ham formed his Lone Wolf Management company in 1968 to manage the Texas-based psych rock group The Moving Sidewalks featuring future ZZ Top member Billy Gibbons. When that group disbanded, Ham continued his relationship with Gibbons' next project, ZZ Top. Throughout ZZ Top's career, Ham acted often as the group's producer and occasionally as a songwriting partner. Their long and fruitful business relationship ended in 2006. "We were saddened to hear of Bill Ham's passing. His early vision and continuing encouragement were invaluable; his efforts and energy will always remain deeply appreciated," the members of ZZ Top said in a statement after hearing of Ham's death. - Billboard, 6/22/16...... Bernie Worrell, a legendary Funk keyboardist with Parliament-Funkadelic, died on June 24 following a battle with lung cancer. He was 72. As part of Parliament-Funkadelic, Worrell's indelible keyboard skills -- including his pioneering use of Minimoog on songs like Parliament's "Flash Light" -- were a major influence on R&B in the '80s, hip-hop, new wave and early electronic music. He was also a regular contributor to the New Wave band Talking Heads in the 1980s, appearing on several of their albums and featuring in the classic documentary Stop Making Sense. In 1997, the Long Branch, N.J.-born Worrell was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by the late Prince alongside George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and 13 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. - Billboard, 6/24/16...... Ralph Stanley, a bluegrass legend known for such songs as "The Lonesome River," "White Dove" and "Man of Constant Sorrow," died on June 23 at age 89. Mr. Stanley and his brother Carter Stanley formed the Stanley Brothers and their Clinch Mountain Boys in 1946. Mr. Stanley won a Grammy for best male country vocal performance in 2002, and despite health problems, he continued to record and tour into his 80s, often performing with his son Ralph Stanley II on guitar and his grandson Nathan on mandolin. - AP, 6/23/16...... Wayne Jackson, a trumpet player with the Memphis Horns, who performed on recordings by the likes of such artists as Otis Redding, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond and U2, died on June 21. He was 74. Jackson formed the Memphis Horns with the late Andrew Love, a tenor saxophonist who died in 2012, and the duo played together on 52 No. 1 records and 83 gold and platinum records, according to Memphis-based Stax Records. His wife, Amy Jackson, said her husband received his first gold record in 1961 and his last in 2005. Their horn tracks can be heard on such classic songs as Redding's "Dock of the Bay," Franklin's "Respect," Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," Presley's "Suspicious Minds," Sam & Dave's "Soul Man," Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," Steve Winwood's "Roll With It," Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," and U2's "Angel of Harlem." "He led an incredible life and he left an amazing music legacy," Amy Jackson said. - AP, 6/22/16...... Country artist Freddy Powers, who worked with Merle Haggard for several decades, died on June 21 at the age of 84, ending a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Freddy Powers and Haggard penned such chart-topping Country hits as "I Always Get Lucky With You," "A Friends in California," "Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room Tonight" and others. Powers also produced Willie Nelson's Grammy-winning, No. 1 Country album Somewhere Over the Rainbow from 1981. - Billboard, 6/22/16.