Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on January 19th, 2015

An investigation by the UK Department of Transport's Air Accidents agency has found that the pilot of a helicopter carrying Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy Shevell missed two urgent warnings that their aircraft was seconds from crashing as the couple were being transported to their home in East Sussex in May 2012 after attending a book launch by Paul's eldest daughter, Mary McCartney, in London. The chartered Sikorsky S-76C avoided hitting treetops near the couple's home by just 2 feet, according to the investigation, and the pilot, who had become "spatially disorientated," dramatically swung the helicopter to safety with seconds to spare. In treacherous weather, the pilot was attempting a night landing on a helipad encircled by woodland, and the AAIB found that neither the pilot or the co-pilot heard two audio warnings. The report also revealed the terror in the cockpit before the second of two aborted landings, and that the co-pilot was convinced they'd crash and "momentarily" lost ability to speak. - The Daily Mail UK, 1/17/15...... Bruce Springsteen made a "surprise" appearance at the 15th anniversary of the Light of Day 2015 Winterfest at the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park, N.J., on Jan. 17. The party was The Boss's 11th appearance at the Light of Day show, a birthday benefit supporting artist manager and LOD Foundation organizer Bob Benjamin. Benjamin, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1996, was honored with the Humanitarian Award at the 2014 Billboard Touring Conference and Awards in November. "(Having all of) these musicians in a room like this is a wonderful thing," the 65-year-old Springsteen told the sold-out crowd of 1,600 music fans as he stood alongside Benjamin. "Bobby, it's a gift you give us every year." His appearance was an open secret, as the New Jersey rock star showed up for an early sound check with Pittsburgh rocker Joe Grushecky about two-and-a-half-hours before the show began at 7 p.m. Highlights included a fierce version of "Adam Raised a Cain" (from Darkness on the Edge of Town) "From Small Things (Big Things Come One Day," a potent "Darkness on the Edge of Town," "Frankie Fell in Love," and a dramatic and gut-wrenching "Because the Night." Springsteen closed the evening with an introspective version of "Thunder Road," but in what looked like an onstage audible, decided to go out on an energetic note, leading the ensemble with "The Promised Land." - Billboard, 1/18/15...... Former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler unveiled his latest song, "Beryl," via his official Twitter account on Jan. 17. Knopfler says the track was inspired by British novelist Beryl Bainbridge, and the song will be featured on the musician's forthcoming eighth studio album, Tracker, which is due on Mar. 16. "The album title 'Tracker' arrived out of me trying to find my way over the decades," said Knopfler in a statement. "Out of me tracking time -- looking at people, places and things from my past, and out of the process of tracking as in recording tracks in the studio." Tracker will arrive on CD, double vinyl, and deluxe CD editions, as well as a lush box that features the record on both CD and vinyl with a bonus disc of six extra tracks, and a DVD featuring an exclusive short film directed by Henrik Hansen. - New Musical Express, 1/18/15...... Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters are among the bands confirmed for the 11th annual Mountain Jam festival in Hunter Mountain, N.Y., which is set for June 4-7. Also on the bill are the Black Keys, Gov't Mule, Alabama Shakes, The Wailers, Grace Potter and Nocturnals and moe. - Billboard, 1/14/15...... In other Led Zeppelin-related news, guitarist Jimmy Page has reportedly tried to block his West London neighbor, singer Robbie Williams, from renovating his home. According to The Daily Telegraph, Page has written to borough planning chiefs voicing concerns that Williams' plans could damage his own house, and that Williams' property will overlook his when proposed work is complete. "I am extremely concerned that this work will cause vibrations and possible structural damage with my house," Page wrote. "It appears the proposed new window is at a height that will overlook the side of my house as well as the garden at the rear of my property, thus having a significant impact on the amenity of the house and its garden." Page has resided in his mansion since 1972, and Williams bought his own £17 million mansion, previously owned by late director Michael Winner, in 2013. - NME, 1/15/15...... U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry brought along a fellow Bay Stater, James Taylor, to help him pay respect on Jan. 16 to the victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris in a show of American solidarity with the French people. At a ceremony at the Hotel de Ville, the city hall of Paris, Kerry called the attacks a "living nightmare" but one that would unite rather than divide the people of France and the world. "I represent a nation grateful each day that France is our oldest ally," he said before introducing his friend James Taylor, who performed his hit "You've Got a Friend," starting with several bars of the French national anthem. The event was called an "Homage de John Kerry a Paris." Kerry's visit came amid lingering criticism in the United States of the Obama administration's failure to send a Cabinet-level official to Paris for the Jan. 11 unity march that attracted some 40 world leaders and more than a million demonstrators. - AP, 1/16/15...... An album of Latin music versions of Michael Jackson biggest hits called Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson is set for release on Universal Music Classics in April. Unity's tracks include hits from throughout the King of Pop's career, with "Billie Jean," "I Want You Back" and "Man in the Mirror" among them. Well-known tropical artists including Tito Nieves, Obie Bermudez, India and Michael Stuart perform on the LP, supported by an old-school Latin big band. "Smooth Criminal," the first single from the project, is now out with vocals by Puerto Rican singer Jean Rodriguez. The Unity project started in 2011 as a (successful) $10,000 Kickstarter campaign by Tony Succar, a young Peruvian-American percussionist (and major Jackson fan) from Miami. - Billboard, 1/15/15...... In a new interview with GQ magazine, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd says he is annoyed that Apple got away "scot free" following the controversial release of U2's latest album, Songs of Innocence, on iTunes. The album was automatically downloaded onto all Apple subscribers' iTunes accounts when it was released last September, and Mason says that it has "made everyone think again about how they want their music delivered, given or sold." "It highlights a vital aspect to the whole idea of music in the 21st century," Mason said. 'What's also interesting is that Apple seem to have got off scot-free. No-one's blaming them. Apple has done great things, but it has also contributed to the devaluation process." Mason also has reservations about Spotify and streaming services in general. "iTunes is already beginning to look rather pass, and instead it's Spotify that looks like the future. What we need is another two or three billion people using it, then it would make more sense for musicians. At the moment, the pay-out, particularly for unknowns and only slightly-knowns is pathetic," he added. - NME, 1/15/15...... Billboard is reporting that the four living original members of the Grateful Dead will perform three farewell 50th anniversary shows on July 3-5, 2015, at Soldier Field in Chicago, with Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio accompanying them. The Grateful Dead's last performance with Jerry Garcia, who died in Aug. 1995, was at the same 55,000-seat capacity venue on July 9, 1995. The show will likely be the finale for the "core four," as the surviving members are now known: Bob Weir, 67; Phil Lesh, 74; Mickey Hart, 71; and Bill Kreutzmann, 68. "These will be the last shows with the four of us together," Weir says. The four, along with Anastasio, are set to take the stage, along with keyboardist Bruce Hornsby, a frequent player with the Dead during the '80s and into the '90s, and Jeff Chimenti, who plays keys with Weir's side project, RatDog. Tickets for the shows -- named "Fare Thee Well" for a lyric in the Garcia/Robert Hunter song "Brokedown Palace" -- will be available to fan club members on a first-come, first-served basis from Feb. 9 to 11. A local public presale will occur Feb. 12-13; a general public on-sale starts Feb. 14. In 2014, it was announced that the Dead are planning a Martin Scorsese-produced documentary film this year to mark their 50th anniversary. - Billboard, 1/16/15...... Australian pop singer Rick Springfield, who released his debut album in 1974 before rising to fame in the early 1980s, has been cleared in an injury lawsuit brought by a 45-year-old New York woman who claims she suffered serious injuries when Springfield fell into her during a 2004 concert in suburban Syracuse. Vicki Calcagno of Liverpool, N.Y., says Springfield's buttocks hit her head, causing lasting injuries. The "Jessie's Girl" singer testified he didn't fall on Calcagno, and his lawyer said in closing arguments before the New York State Supreme Court that there were no witnesses, photos or video to support Calcagno's claim. Calcagno sued in 2007 and there was an earlier mistrial in 2013. Springfield said he is relieved by the verdict. - AP, 1/16/15...... NBC Entertainment announced on Jan. 16 that the network just closed a deal to develop a series of TV movies based on Dolly Parton's songs, stories and life. Parton will produce. NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt noted that Parton could have an on-screen role and the movies will likely stand on their own and not be a series of films. "We're going to try and create uplifting movies the entire family can enjoy together," Greenblatt told reporters at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour. "We want to create projects for NBC that are both fun and inspirational with a family audience in mind," Dolly Parton said in a statement. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/16/15.

Record producer/manager/impresario Kim Fowley, best known for his work with the '70s all-female teen band the Runaways, died on Jan. 15 after a long battle with bladder cancer. He was 75. Throughout his career, Fowley stepped in and out of popular music's limelight, yet remains best known for his work with the Runaways, whose Fowley-engineered aggressive sexuality and sound were unprecedented in the mid-'70s, and which spawned the careers of Joan Jett, Lita Ford and Cherie Currie. The group's history has been documented in biographies and the 2010 biopic The Runaways, directed by Floria Sigismondi and starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning as Jett and Currie. Michael Shannon, later of Boardwalk Empire fame, portrayed Fowley in the film. Tall, gaunt and wraithlike, with piercing blue eyes, Fowley was a widely recognized figure on the Los Angeles rock scene for decades. He began his music business career in the late 1950s, working in various capacities with Motown founder Berry Gordy and legendary, ultimately disgraced DJ Alan Freed, and crossed paths with luminaries-to-be like Phil Spector and Beach Boys producer Nik Venet. Fowley made a name for himself in the early 1960s as a co-producer/co-publisher on a string of successful records, such as the chart-topping novelty song "Alley Oop" and Paul Revere & the Raiders' instrumental "Like, Long Hair." He went on to work in various capacities with acts including The Murmaids, Gene Vincent, KISS, Alice Cooper, Leon Russell and Kris Kristofferson, and released a series of solo albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s that met with limited success. In 1975, Fowley helped form the Runaways, with whom he worked until 1977 when the group severed ties, due in large part to his rough work methods, mistreatment and verbal assaults. The group garnered scads of press, influenced countless female rockers, however were underrated as band. He later tried a similar template with an all-girl group called the Orchids, to lesser success. Fowley released solo albums into the 1980s, but gradually faded from the limelight. "I am so blessed that I got to get to know you again Kim.. really get to know you on a personal level and that we became friends. Mostly that you spent time here at my home. It's a time I will never forget," Cherie Currie posted on her Facebook page after learning of Fowley's death. - Billboard, 1/15/15.

An attorney for filmmaker Hillary Schwartz, who is among those charged with crimes in a fatal train collision during shooting of the Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider, filed court documents on Jan. 12 asking a judge to dismiss the charges against her. Schwartz's lawyers say prosecutors got her to talk by assuring her she was a witness, not a suspect. Less than two months after she gave authorities an interview, Schwartz was indicted. Schwartz was working as an assistant director on the ill-fated Midnight Rider movie on Feb. 20, 2014, when a freight train plowed into the crew on a railroad bridge spanning the Altamaha River in rural Wayne County. The crash killed Sarah Elizabeth Jones, a 27-year-old camera assistant from Atlanta, and injured six other crewmembers. A March 9 trial has been scheduled for Schwartz; the movie's director, Randall Miller; his wife and business partner, Jody Savin; and executive producer Jay Sedrish. CSX Transportation, which owns the railroad trestle, has said in previous court filings that it twice denied the filmmakers permission to shoot on its tracks, each time in writing. Sheriff's investigators have said the crew had permission to be on property surrounding the tracks that is owned by forest products company Rayonier. Production on the movie was halted after the accident. - AP, 1/14/15...... Jimmy Page is reportedly dating an actress who is 46 years his junior. According to a story in the British tabloid The Sun, the 71-year-old Led Zeppelin mastermind has been spotted out for dinner with Scarlett Sabet, 25, twice in January, and the couple were pictured holding hands. A source close to Page, who divorced his second wife in 2008, says the guitarist is "leading a very conventional life by the looks of things, not very rock 'n' roll... His new girlfriend seems a very normal kind of girl." - WENN.com, 1/12/15...... John Lennon's inspirational 1971 song "Imagine" was sang at a Unity rally in Paris at the Place de la Nation (Nation square) on Jan. 11 in tribute to the victims of a three-day killing spree by Islamist extremists. The rallies of national unity were organized to honor the 17 victims of two terrorist attacks, one on the weekly satire magazine Charlie Hebdo. The Paris rally saw up to two million people taking to the streets, as well as more than 40 world leaders. In total, 3.7 million people joined public demonstrations across France. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/13/15...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney's latest single, "Hope for the Future," was released on vinyl on Jan. 13. The song, which originally appeared in the first-person shooter video game Destiny, has been pressed as a 12-inch on 180-gram vinyl and features four new remixes, including a "Jaded Mix" and "Thrash Mix," which has been reworked by Madonna producer Mirwais. A download card is also included. The Activision game was released in Sept. 2014 and features a mostly orchestral soundtrack composed by Michael Salvatori, C Paul Johnson and others, with contributions from McCartney. - New Musical Express, 1/10/15...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, McCartney is reportedly very keen to get the Beatles' catalog on the new Pono music store, which is sponsored by Neil Young and was launched earlier in January with a library of 2 million-plus songs from the three major labels. Pono used the high-quality FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format as its standard, and musician/producer will.i.am says that the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album "will blow your mind" after hearing the 1967 album in that format. - Billboard, 1/12/15...... Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson has lent vocals to a new track by the L.A. band Mini Mansions. Bassist Zach Dawes of the band says that "as they got into harmonies Brian's name came up kind of as a pie-in-the-sky idea. I followed up with him and sent him a rough cut of the song. Then that rare moment occurred where the idealised version of something becomes a reality." The song will be featured on the band's forthcoming album, The Great Pretender, which is due Mar. 23 through T Bone Burnett's Electromagnetic Recordings label. Meanwhile, the Beach Boys are set to launch a UK tour in May and June, playing dates in Manchester (5/27), London (5/31), Brighton (6/3) and Cardiff (6/4). The band last toured the UK in 2012, during which Mike Love issued a statement effectively sacking founding members Brian Wilson and Al Jardine. - New Musical Express, 1/13/15...... Billy Joel will be among the headliners at the 2015 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., this June, organizers announced on Jan. 12. Other big names set to appear at the 13th annual Bonnaroo fest include Robert Plant and his band Sensational Space Shifters, My Morning Jacket, Mumford & Suns, Deadmau5, Kendrick Lamar, Florence and the Machine, Alabama Shakes, Slayer, Spoon, Ben Folds and Earth, Wind & Fire. A total lineup of 98 acts are scheduled to perform at the event, which in 2014 hosted such artists as Elton John, Kanye West, Skrillex and Jack White. - Billboard, 1/13/15...... Attorneys representing both parties in a lawsuit involving Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen's ex-wife Kelly Van Halen have settled the case in which Kelly Van Halen was accused of diluting the band's name. On Jan. 5, the attorneys informed a judge that a lawsuit filed in Oct. 2013 should be dismissed, after three years of fighting at the U.S. Trademark Office and another 15 months in a California federal courtroom. After divorcing from Alex, Kelly Van Halen named her construction and interior design company after herself and attempted to register a trademark on her own name for products like chairs, children's blankets, bathing suits, building construction, interior design services and more. The band claimed that Kelly's trademarks were confusingly similar to their own and that she was diluting Van Halen, passing off Van Halen and committing unfair competition for Van Halen. But now the case won't get to jury after being "amicably resolved," and Kelly will be allowed to use her full name for her businesses, but has agreed to stay away from any music-related services that might tread upon the band's ground. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/9/15...... Former U.F.O. and Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker will release a new studio album entitled Spirit On A Mission in the UK on Mar. 23, and a day later in the US. The 12-track album of all-new materal features Schenker's Temple of Rock band including ex-Scorpions Herman Rarebell (drums) and Francis Buchholz (bass), ex-Rainbow's Doogie White (vocals) and Wayne Findlay (guitar, keyboards). The album will be released on CD, Deluxe Edition (CD+DVD), Deluxe 180 gram vinyl (special DMM-Cut), and digital download. The first single from the album, "Vigilante Man," will be available on Jan. 19. - Noble PR, 1/12/15...... Disgraced '70s glam-rocker Gary Glitter appeared in a London court on Jan. 12 to face 10 charges relating to historic sex abuse crimes committed in the '70s and early '80s. However the case against the 70-year-old Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was adjourned. Glitter is accused of four counts of indecent assault involving one complainant between Jan. 31 and May 31, 1977. The complainant was aged 12 or 13 at the time. The former pop star is also accused of "administering a drug or other thing in order to facilitate sexual intercourse" and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 between the same dates. Glitter was convicted in 1999 of possession of child pornography and served four months in prison. After his release he relocated to Vietnam, where he was subsequently convicted of a string of child sexual abuse offenses. Glitter rose to prominence in the '70s with a string of UK No. 1 hits including "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)," "I Love You Love Me Love," and "Always Yours." In the US, he charted two Top 40 hits, "Rock and Roll Part 2" (No. 7), and "I Didn't Know I Love You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)" (No. 35). - NME, 1/13/15...... Former Neil Young and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bassist Tim Drummond died of unspecified causes on Jan. 10 in St. Louis County, Mo. He was 74. Known for an understated, restrained style of playing, Drummond performed and recorded with country and R&B stars, including Conway Twitty and James Brown, in the 1960s in South Carolina, Illinois and, later in the decade, Cincinnati, Ohio. Drummond contributed to Neil Young's classic 1972 set Harvest, and recorded and toured with Young and concerts that did not involve his primary backing band Crazy Horse. He also toured with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as well as record and tour with CSN and the duo of Crosby and Nash. Moving to California led to Drummond becoming one of the most in-demand session bassists, often paired with drummer Jim Keltner. Together they were the rhythm section on CSNY's 1974 tour, during which time Drummond met Bob Dylan. Drummond later joined Dylan's band during the singer's "Christian gospel" phase, and co-wrote "Saved" with Dylan. He also appears on multiple albums by J.J. Cale, Ry Cooder and Graham Nash, and played on hit records by Don Henley, Bette Midler, Paula Abdul and Jewel. - Billboard, 1/12/15...... Longtime Kool & the Gang trombonist Clifford Adams died on Jan. 12 in Trenton, N.J., after a battle with liver cancer. He was 62. Adams reportedly had no heath insurance to cover medical expenses during his year-long cancer struggle, and his fellow musicians, family and friends attempted to raise money through fundraisers in Trenton for a liver transplant prior to his death. "Clifford was powered by family values and he was one of the baddest trombone players in all the planet," said his longtime friend and fellow Kool & the Gang musician Michael Ray. - Billboard, 1/12/15...... Actress Anita Ekberg, a striking blonde Swedish beauty best known for playing opposite Marcello Mastroianni in Federico Fellini's 1960 film La Dolce Vita" (The Sweet Life), died on Jan. 11 in a Rome clinic after a two-year illness. She was 83. Ms. Ekberg's career began after she was crowned Miss Sweden in the early 1950s, and she shot to global fame after playing the capricious actress Sylvia in La Dolce Vita. Her scene wading into a foutain ina strapless black dress, calling to Mastroianni in English, "Marcello! Come here. Hurry up," is one of the most famous in the history of cinema, and made her a sex symbol for a generation. A funeral has been planned in Rome the following week, her body will be cremated, and her ashes sent to Sweden, according to her lawyer.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on January 29th, 2015

A source close to Paul McCartney says rumours that the former Beatle will be co-producing Kayne West's new album are "not true" after a second collaboration between Sir Paul and West, "FourFiveSeconds," was unveiled over the fourth weekend of January. Numerous reports that McCartney will work on West's Yeezus follow-up emerged on social media, citing comments made by West's longtime friend and barber Ibn Jasper on Instagram. McCartney also contributed backing vocals to a previously released collaboration with West, "Only One." In other McCartney news, Paul's ex-wife Heather Mills tells Britain's Event magazine in a new interview that her divorce from the rock legend was "a more traumatic experience than losing her leg in a motorcycle accident." The British model-turning-professional skier was married to McCartney for four years before their acrimonious split in 2006 and they subsequently faced off against each other in a bitter and highly-publicized divorce trial. Mills was awarded a $38.9 million settlement in 2008, and now seven years later, says she is still struggling to bounce back from the divorce drama. "It's very hard to be married to a Beatle. (McCartney's first wife) Linda had it tough, Yoko (Ono) had it tough and what happened to me after the divorce... losing my leg was easier to cope with... I felt I lost everything. I spent my whole life raising money for charities and I was asked to leave every charity because I became poison... Everything I had been was taken away." Mills, who has an 11-year-old daughter named Beatrice with Paul, says the experience has turned her against marriage in the future. "Never, never, never... I'm single, I want to have fun but I don't want to be married. It's one thing I'm absolutely sure about." She lost her left leg below the knee in a motorcycle crash in 1993. - NME/WENN.com, 1/26/15...... Tom Petty has been given a songwriting credit for Sam Smith's hit song "Stay With Me" after Petty's camp noticed a likeness between the song and Petty's 1989 hit "I Won't Back Down," on which he collaborated with the song's producer, Jeff Lynne of ELO. Smith's representatives reportedly settled the matter "amicably" after agreeing with Petty's team that there were similarities between the two tunes, although the writes of "Stay With Me" maintain they were "not previously familiar" with "I Won't Back Down." Now both Petty and Lynne will receive royalties. "Although the likeness was a complete coincidence, all involved came to an immediate and amicable agreement in which Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne are now credited as co-writers of 'Stay With Me' along with Sam Smith, James Napier and William Phillips," a representative for Smith says. Smith is currently in the running for six Grammy Awards, including song of the year for "Stay With Me." That particular category recognizes the songwriters of a track. Petty and Lynne are not expected to be included in the Grammy consideration, however, since they "didn't do any new writing for this work," according to the Recording Academy. The awards will be given out in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, where Sam Smith is scheduled to perform during the show's CBS broadcast. - The Hollywood Reporter/Billboard, 1/26/15...... A U.S. judge has ruled that Jack Utsick, a former promoter who produced shows for acts such as the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Aerosmith, will be denied bail in a $300 million criminal fraud case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres said on Jan. 28 that there was ample evidence 72-year-old Utsick might attempt to flee prosecution. Authorities say Utsick took off for Brazil in 2007 amid investigations by the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission into his Worldwide Entertainment Inc. promotion company. Authorities say his concert business was actually a Ponzi scheme, with older investors being paid with money from newer ones. An estimated 3,300 investors were defrauded out of nearly $300 million. An attorney for Utsick, who was extradited to the US in 2014, say he will plead not guilty to mail fraud charges. - AP, 1/28/15...... What is described as Bruce Springsteen's "greatest offical bootleg ever" is now available on Springsteen's official site, Brucespringsteen.net. The Agora, Cleveland 1978 is from Aug. 18, 1978, a highlight performance from Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town tour. Springsteen burns through classics like "Rosalita" (with a snippet of the Village People's "Macho Man"), castoff gems like "Fire" and covers from "Summertime Blues" to "Twist and Shout." He peaks with a 10-minute "Prove It All Night," featuring a long, moody guitar-piano intro. - Rolling Stone, 1/29/15...... '70s funk legend Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone was awarded $5 million by a Los Angeles Superior Court jury on Jan. 27 in a breach-of-contract lawsuit that claimed his business partners and his own company cheated him out of royalties. The jury ruled in favor of the 71-year-old Stone, who has fallen on hard times since his '70s heyday and at one point was even homeless, in his action against his ex-manager Gerald Goldstein, attorney Glenn Stone and Even St. Productions Ltd. Stone, whose real name is Sylvester Stewart, led Sly and the Family Stone to a string of hits in the 1960s and early '70s including "Everyday People," "Dance To The Music," "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" and "Family Affair." But heavy drug use began to take a toll. His attorneys say his career had been long eclipsed and that he was destitute when Goldstein and Glenn Stone convinced him to become an employee of and co-owner of Even St. Productions with them in 1989. Stone assigned royalty rights to the company and was supposed to receive some of the money it collected for him but Goldstein and Glenn Stone arranged to get it through shady accounting, his attorney Nicholas Hornberger argued. "It's a good day for Sly, it's a good day for entertainers in general," said Hornberger. "This was an important verdict for people that are artists, entertainers, music composers, etc." Jurors assessed $2.5 million in damages against Even St. Productions, $2.45 million against Goldstein and $50,000 against Glenn Stone. An attorney for Goldstein and Stone said the award will be challenged. - AP, 1/28/15...... ZZ Top performed three songs on the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Jan. 26 as the show temporarily switched to Houston, Tex., from its normal location in Los Angeles. Band members Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Dusty Hill first performed a newer song from their 2012 LP La Futura, "I Gotsta Get Paid," then ran through the hard rock riffs of their 1975 classic "Tush" and then their 1973 hit "La Grange," extending the latter to over double its original time with a lengthy jam. - Billboard, 1/27/15...... The Doobie Brothers will be honored with one of the top awards in the music industry, the Chairman Award from the Music Biz Association, during the annual MBA convention on May 12-14 in Nashville. The award recognizes artists who have achieve significant and sustained success in their career, and MBA chairman Fred Beteille said in a statement that the Doobies "have achieved incredible success over the years, selling an astonishing number of records and maintaining a regular presence on the Billboard charts" and that the band, who on their latest LP Southbound re-recorded their hits with a host of current country artists, "has revealed new dimensions to songs that millions of people know by heart." - Billboard, 1/26/15...... Almost 500 items that put the famous Caribou Ranch recording studio on the rock and roll map, including an antique mahogany Steinway & Sons grand piano used by Elton John and a Gibson bass guitar said to have been played by Terry Kath of Chicago, were sold at auction on Jan. 24 at the studio located near Nederland, Colorado. Chicago's former producer, James Guercio, turned the ranch into a major recording studio in the 1970s, and a fire damaged the control room in 1985. The 1,600-acre ranch, which includes a converted barn studio and cabins named for Native American chiefs, was sold last year, setting the stage for the auction. - AP, 1/25/15...... In related news, one of the nine Mosrites guitars once owned by Johnny Ramone was sold at auction on Jan. 22 for $71,875, Boston-based auction RR Auction announced. The auction notes that the guitar features several modifications made by Ramone, including the replacement of the tremolo system with a stop bar tailpiece and installation of a DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup, as well as a tortoiseshell pick guard. It states this was Ramone's favorite guitar for TV appearances. A number of Ramones items have been auctioned off over the past years, including Joey Ramone's record collection and clothes in 2013. - Billboard, 1/23/15...... Veteran actor James Caan filed for divorce from his wife Linda on Jan. 26, for the third time in their 19-year marriage. The Godfather star wed Linda Stokes in 1996, but their relationship hit a rough patch in 2005, when Caan initially moved to end the union. They reconciled, only for the actor to again file for divorce in 2009. Now Caan has filed court papers once more, and he is seeking joint custody of the couple's youngest son, 16-year-old Jacob. Caan, 74, also has three other children from previous unions, including Hawaii Five-0 actor Scott Caan, from his second marriage to Sheila Marie Ryan. Caan and his current wife also have a 19-year-old son, James. - WENN.com, 1/26/15...... David Bowie has announced he'll release a French-language version of his 1977 hit "Heroes" on limited edition blue vinyl and his 2008 compilation album i Select on red vinyl. The 7-inch French edition of "Heroes" will be backed with a live version of the song recorded during Bowie's Serious Moonlight Tour in 1983. The vinyl is limited to 2000 copies and only available in France, but US and UK fans have the chance to win copies via Bowie's website. The pair of vinyl releases coincide with the opening of the "David Bowie Is" retrospective exhibition at the Philharmonie de Paris. The exhibition features more than 300 objects from the rocker's 50-year-career, including handwritten lyrics, original costumes, film, set designs and Bowie's own instruments. Originally presented in London, it has also travelled to Toronto, Chicago, Sao Paulo and Berlin. After Paris, it will head to the Netherlands and Australia. Bowie is also set to release an English language 7" vinyl picture disc of "Young Americans" on Feb 24 for its 40th anniversary, after having released similar 7-inchers of Knock on Wood - Live and Diamond Dogs. - New Musical Express, 1/27/15...... Edgar Froese, a pioneering German electronic musician and founding member of Tangerine Dream, died on Jan. 20. He was 70. Froese founded Tangerine Dream in 1967 Berlin and was the group's most consistent member through a number of lineup changes over the decades. Tangerine Dream's electronic music was less about mimicking the rhythms of urban landscapes and more about evoking cosmic, spacey landscapes, and their 1974 Phaedra and 1975 Rubycon albums are considered essential works from the electronic "Krautrock" music genre. The band's unique sonic soundscape also captured the attention of The Exorcist director William Friedkin, who tapped them to score his 1977 film Sorcerer. During the 1980's, the band would go on to craft iconic musical scores for Thief and Risky Business, adapting those scores from parts of their 1979 album Force Majeure. In recent years, Tangerine Dream contributed music to the Grand Theft Auto series. - Billboard, 1/23/15...... Greek singer Demis Roussos, whose often high-pitched pop serenades won him household recognition in the 1970s and 1980s across Europe and beyond and who sold more than 60 million records, died in Athens on Jan. 26 following a lengthy hospitalization for undisclosed causes. He was 68. Roussos was once dubbed the Kaftan King -- and rotund, bearded appearance, he enjoyed the respect of his colleagues and a steady global following. In 1985, Roussos was among 153 people taken hostage when two Shiite Muslim militiamen hijacked a TWA Boeing 727 on a flight from Athens to Rome, and he spent his 39th birthday on the plane. He was released unharmed five days later, and at a press conference thanked his captors for giving him a birthday cake. "He had a superb voice, he traveled in the world... he loved what he was doing," singer Nana Mouskouri told French radio RTL in a tribute. "He was an artist, a friend. I hope he is in a better world." - AP, 1/26/15.

Two of the '70s most famous singer/songwriters, James Taylor and Paul Simon, paid tribute to late jazz great Michael Brecker on Jan. 20 in New York City with performances and kind words at a cancer benefit for their friend who died in 2007. Taylor, who Brecker's widow said had the flu, performed "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" -- the first song he played with the jazz saxophonist -- while Simon performed "Still Crazy After All These Years" and "The Boxer," songs he said he "closely associates" with Brecker. "I miss him all the time," Taylor said after the performance. "Michael saved my life and probably a lot of other people. He led me to freedom, really from addiction, and showed a number of us the way." Taylor joined forces with Simon, Dianne Reeves and Bobby McFerrin to close the 90-minute show with "Shower the People." Brecker, who died of a form of bone marrow cancer at age 57, won more than a dozen Grammy Awards and played with a number of iconic artists, including Simon, Taylor, Elton John and Joni Mitchell. - AP, 1/21/15...... Jazz greats Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, who last toured together 37 years ago when Pres. Jimmy Carter was in the White House, have announced a 19-city world tour of duo piano concerts that will launch in Seattle on Mar. 14. Corea and Hancock, who both were members of Miles Davis' bands of the 1960s and contributed to his groundbreaking jazz-fusion albums In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, will also hit such cities as Vancouver, Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago before wrapping the North American leg in Carmel, Indiana, on Apr. 18. After a break, the duo will perform in Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. - AP, 1/23/15...... Bob Dylan is making headlines for being featured on the cover of the Feb./Mar. issue of AARP magazine, and in the interview the 73-year-old rock legend revealed that "if I had to do it all over again, I'd be a schoolteacher," and adding that he "probably" would have taught Roman history or theology. On Feb. 3, the musician will release Shadows in the Night, an all-Frank Sinatra covers album of songs from the 1920s to the 1960s, including standards like "Autumn Leaves," "That Lucky Old Sun" and "Stay With Me." The new album was hinted at as early as last May, when Dylan released album artwork and a cover of another Sinatra favorite, "Full Moon And Empty Arms." Dylan is giving 50,000 AARP magazine readers a free copy of his album, and his "Stay With Me" cover is currently streaming for free via NPR.com. In February, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter will present Dylan with the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year honor next month in Los Angeles. - AP/Billboard, 1/22/15...... Lawyers representing Michael Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson argued before a panel of appellate justices on Jan. 22 that a new trial against concert promoter AEG Live LLC should be allowed, but the justices instead focused on the relationship between Jackson, AEG and Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving the singer a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol. Katherine Jackson's lawyers contend that the trial court judge incorrectly dismissed negligence and employment claims before the original 2013 trial, and jurors were given an improper verdict form and instructions. The panel noted that Dr. Murray treated Jackson before the concerts were planned and questioned whether the doctor's fee would be reimbursed by Jackson after the shows, and two of the justices questioned how AEG could have known that Murray was giving Jackson treatments of propofol. The justices did not state when they would issue a ruling for a possible new trial, and two of them must agree on the decision. - AP, 1/22/2015...... Upcoming Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joan Jett was among the friends and family of Kim Fowley paying their respects to the late music impressario at his funeral at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on Jan. 22. Jett, whose early band The Runaways Fowley is credited with discovering in the late 1970s, delivered a heartfelt speech, while Fowley's longtime friend, musician Michael Des Barres, delivered the eulogy and later tweeted that the ceremony was "transcendent." Fowley, a colorful and sometimes controversial character, died Jan. 15 of bladder cancer at age 75. It was reported that he had expressed a dying wish to be featured on the cover of Girls and Corpses magazine, but publication's publisher reportedly passed on the request. A photo of Fowley's grave, however, was posted on Twitter soon after the funeral wrapped. - Billboard, 1/22/15...... Another famous music impressario, former Arista Records president Clive Davis, has been tapped to receive the famous Harvard Hasty Pudding Award at a gala in New York City on Apr. 13. The Order of the Golden Sphinx, which recognized extraordinary contributions to the performing arts, is the highest honor awarded by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770. A five-time Grammy winner and a 2000 inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the Non-Performer category, Davis has worked with a wide range of artists, from Janis Joplin and Billy Joel to Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys. - AP, 1/22/15...... The BBC is now streaming for free a new The Clash documentary featuring previously unseen footage. The Clash: New Year's Day '77 is both an excellently raw portrait of a band on the brink of fame and a wide-lens look at the political and cultural chaos that birthed them. - Entertainment Weekly, 1/23/15...... Rush announced a 34-city 40th Anniversary tour on Jan. 23 that will probably be the last of its kind for some time. "This will most likely be their last major tour of this magnitude," Rush's press release noted about the tour, which will kick off May 8 in Tulsa, Okla., and wrap on Aug. 1 in Los Angeles. The Toronto-based rockers will visit a mix of large and medium-sized markets, including Lincoln, Neb.; St. Paul, Minn., St. Louis, Mo.; Dallas, Tex.; New Orleans, La.; and Bristow, Va. Rush formed in 1968, so the 40th anniversary technically commemorates drummer Neil Peart joining the band (which actually happened in 1974). For the upcoming tour, the band is expected to play much more of their '70s material, which was mostly avoided when they toured behind 2012's Clockwork Angels. - Billboard, 1/23/15...... Elton John's New Year's Eve performance at Brooklyn's Barclays Center before 16,470 fans sold over $3 million worth of tickets, earning the Rocket Man the top slot in Billboard's weekly Hot Tours chart for the week of Jan. 14-20. John's show, his first ever in New York City on New Year's Eve, closed out a year of touring in North America and Europe in support of the 40th-anniversary reissue of his 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album. Following its launch last March, the tour hit 21 markets in the U.S. and Canada in two legs and also played 42 cities in 16 European countries during treks in the summer and fall. Meanwhile, Fleetwood Mac's show at Houston's Toyota Center on Dec. 15, with ticket sales of $1,837,886, was good for the No. 2 spot. Ranking at No. 9 and 10 were shows by Gregg Allman and Foreigner. - Billboard, 1/22/15...... Speaking of Fleetwood Mac, the band was forced to cut a Nebraska concert about an hour short on Jan. 17 after drummer Mick Fleetwood became ill. Stevie Nicks told the crowd of roughly 14,000 at Lincoln's Pinnacle Bank Arena that Fleetwood was throwing up backstage before the end of the 90-minute show. The band continued its itinerary on Jan. 20 in Grand Rapids, Mich. - AP, 1/18/15...... Late '70s comedian Richard Prior's widow Jennifer Lee Pryor has filed a lawsuit against T-shirt designer FretShirt.com over a design that depicts an image of Pryor superimposed with the word "swag." Jennifer Pryor's suit alleges FretShirt has infringed her rights to the likeness of her late husband, who "created a general acceptance and good will for his name and likeness among the public," and that the shirt violates a California civil code statute that requires consent from the rightsholder of a deceased person's likeness for the commercial use of the likeness. She is seeking $5 million that she claims represents FretShirt's profits from the shirt in addition to $1 million in compensatory damages, as well as an injunction against the sale of the shirt. Jennifer Pryor previously executive produced a documentary on his life, Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic, and is executive producing a Weinstein Co. biopic in the works. - The Hollywood Reporter, 1/21/15...... Barbra Streisand has set another music industry record after her latest album Partners was certified platinum, giving the diva the most platinum album certifications for a woman in RIAA history. Partners is Streisand's 31st album to ship more than 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. Her closest competition, Reba McEntire, has 19 platinum-certified albums. Partners debuted at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 200 in Sept. 2014. It was her 10th album to top that chart, making her the only act to notch a No. 1 album in each of the last six decades. - Billboard, 1/20/15...... Mick Jagger is honoring his late girlfriend, fashion designer L'Wren Scott, by establishing a scholarship for fashion students in her name. The Rolling Stones frontman's grant will be given to one masters student annually (through the 2017 school term) at the prestigious Central Saint Martins design college in London; it will cover that pupil's entire tuition, plus some living expenses. Scott, a self-taught designer, did not attend the school but had a close friendship with the university's longtime M.A. course director, Louise Wilson. Scott (born Laura Bambrough in Salt Lake City, Utah) was a celebrated clothing designer whose sophisticated, red carpet-ready dresses outfitted many A-list stars, including Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker. After her death, Jagger released a statement saying that he was "still struggling to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way" and that "I will never forget her." - Billboard, 1/18/15...... After controversial rocker Ted Nugent uploaded a photograph of Kid Rock to his Facebook page which shows Rock posing with a dead couger, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is criticizing Rock for apparently taking part in a hunting expedition. "Hail my MotorCity boy Kid Rock for saving all those muledeer elk and livestock by whacking this magnificent mountain lion," Nugent said in an accompanying caption. "I can hear the braindead squawkers already with their obscene denial that killing lions is wrong. It's legal, it's necessary, it's good, it's beneficial, it's a damn riot!" PETA's U.S. Senior International Media Director, Ben Williamson, said that "only the very smallest percentage of people find it acceptable in any way to support blood sports like trophy hunting." - WENN.com, 1/20/15...... Former Crosby, Stills & Nash drummer Dallas Taylor died on Jan. 18 of as yet undisclosed causes, according to his wife Patti McGovern-Taylor. He was 66. A native of Denver, Col., Taylor cut his teeth as a session musician in the early 1960s, soon joining the psychedelic rock band Clear Light. After the group achieved modest fame with the single "Black Roses" in 1967, he was recruited into Crosby, Stills and Nash. He performed on CSN's breakthrough self-titled debut album, released in 1969, and their following album, Déjà Vu (with another new member, Neil Young, in 1970). Taylor performed with CSN&Y at Woodstock in 1969 and with Van Morrison at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival. After leaving music, he worked as a drug and alcohol interventionist in Los Angeles. "(Dallas) came into my life almost 18 years ago and saved me as much as I may have saved him. To me he was just a good man, a good friend, a good father, a good grandfather or Pop Pop, a great drummer and much beloved by many," his wife posted on her Facebook page. - Billboard, 1/18/15...... Stan Irwin, a Las Vegas producer and manager who persuaded the Beatles and several other top artists to play Vegas in the 1960s, died on Jan. 21 of natural causes in Los Angeles. He was 94. Mr. Irwin guided the careers of such celebs as Johnny Carson, Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett and Pearl Bailey, and served as executive producer of The Tonight Show in 1962, which was the first year of Carson's tenure. He also voiced the Lou Costello character in Hanna-Barbera's The Abbott and Costello Cartoon Show in the 1960s. - AP, 1/23/15.

Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 20th, 2015

The 2015 Newport Folk Festival, which is set for July 24-26 in Fort Adams State Park, R.I., will mark the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan famously "going electric" with a closing-night Dylan tribute to be performed by a still-secret lineup of artists. On July 25, 1965, the famous 24-year-old folkie strode onstage in a black leather jacket and launched into a searing, distortion-filled, three-song electric set that brought boos from folk purists but thrilled others. After his controversial set, Dylan returned to play the Newport Folk Festival only once, in 2002. Festival organizers say there is a standing invitation for him to play whenever he wants, but he will not be performing this year. The Fender Stratocaster guitar he played that night was auctioned for nearly $1 million, the highest price ever paid for a guitar at auction. On July 14, a new book exploring the concert in detail by Elijah Wald, Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night that Split the Sixties, was published by Dey Street Books. - AP, 7/19/15...... With his remastering sessions for Led Zeppelin's final three albums, Presence, In Through the Out Door and Coda in the can and set for release on July 31, Jimmy Page says he's set to pursue a "new project" that will be a "live return." "The one thing I haven't been seen to be doing recently is playing guitar. So now I've got the opportunity to put all my drive into playing the guitar and working out what way to present myself next," Page recently told New Musical Express. "I think it's safe to assume that will be a new project. I don't know who with yet because I haven't had a chance to work on it, but I've got material that's written I want to revisit and well, it's an exciting time," he added. In Sept. 2014, Page revealed that he planned to start a new group that would perform career-spanning tracks from his back catalogue, along with "some new material." Page also said the remastered Led Zeppelin catalog represents "closure" to "the recording world, the studio world of Led Zeppelin." - New Musical Express, 7/17/15...... Just days after being sentenced to home detention for threatening to kill a man who used to work for him, former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has been arrested again in by authorities in New Zealand, who have not disclosed the reasons for the latest arrest. Rudd's latest arrest came on July 19 and he is currently behind bars, though his lawyer, Craig Tuck, says he is due to appear in court on July 20 for a bail application. Rudd was sentenced to eight months of home confinement on July 9 after pleading guilty to threatening to kill a former employee and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. AC/DC is currently using Welsh drummer Chris Slade for its Rock or Bust album tour, but hasn't said whether it plans on replacing Rudd with Slade permanently. - AP, 7/19/15...... After revealing in March that he was releasing a new solo album, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour has released the tracklisting for the new LP, called Rattle That Lock and set for worldwide release on Sept. 18. In addition to the title track, Rattle That Lock's 10 songs include "5 A.M," "Faces Of Stone," "A Boat Lies Waiting," "Dancing Right In Front Of Me," "In Any Tongue," "Beauty," "The Girl In The Yellow Dress," "Today" and "And Then." His longtime writing partner Polly Samson contributes lyrics to the new album, which is co-produced by Gilmour and Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera. Gilmour also announced he'll play four U.S. dates in 2016 behind the new album, opening at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl on Mar. 24, Toronto's ACC on Mar. 31, Chicago's United Center on Apr. 8 and Madison Square Garden in New York on Apr. 11. Before then, he'll tour the U.K. and Europe in September. - Billboard, 7/16/15...... Local Asbury Park, N.J., bar band Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers' set on July 18 at the Wonder Bar had a surprise guest, Bruce Springsteen, 15 minutes into the show. The Boss, who produced the band's 1995 album American Babylon, jammed with Grushecky on 15 songs, including "Racing in the Street," "Adam Raised a Cain," "Darkness on the Edge of Town," "Save My Love," "Atlantic City" and "Pink Cadillac." Thanks to rabid texting among those in the 300-capacity venue, it didn't take long before a crowd gathered on the sidewalk, trying to listen in to the show. Springsteen took notice, dedicating "Light of Day" -- and leading the through the chorus of classic "Land of 1,000 Dances" -- to the "people out in the street." Also performed that evening was "Code of Silence," a song co-written by Springsteen and Grushecky that won the pair a Grammy Award in 2004. - Billboard, 7/19/15...... One More For the Fans!, a new Lynyrd Skynyrd CD/DVD tribute set out July 24, features performances by surviving members of the seminal Southern Rock band along with 19 other artists, including Peter Frampton, Gregg Allman, Gov't Mule, John Hiatt, Trace Adkins, Alabama, Aaron Lewis and more. Coordinated by musical director Don Was, the concert took place on Nov. 12, 2014 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, the same venue where Skynyrd's 1977 live double-LP set One More From the Road was recorded. Lynyrd Skynyrd is currently on tour in North America, with dates booked into early October. - Billboard, 7/17/15...... Queen has announced it will release a deluxe 18-LP vinyl collection of all 15 of its studio albums on Sept. 25. Reported to be five years in the making, the remastered Queen Studio Collection box set will also come with a 108-page hardback book which features introductions to each album, quotes from Queen themselves, hand-written lyrics, rare photographs, memorabilia, and information on singles and videos. Also, a limited-edition Queen-themed record player manufactured by Rega will be available to coincide with the box set. "Queen always had a special fondness for vinyl, the medium in which they first began to create, around 1970," the band said in a press release. "As a matter of principle, every Queen studio album was offered at the time of original release on vinyl, even well into the era when CDs had taken over as the medium of choice for most of the public," it added. - NME, 7/16/15...... In related news, '70s rockers the Faces will release a career-spanning vinyl box set of all four of its studio albums, as well as a fifth disc of non-LP singles. 1970-1975: You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything is named after the band's final single and will also feature a variety of extras, such as outtakes and rehearsal recordings. Due out on Aug. 28, the set will feature the Faces' four studio efforts, 1970's First Step, 1971's Long Player and An Nod Is as Good as a Wink...to a Blind Horse, and 1973's Ooh La La. The set will also be available on compact disc. - NME, 7/19/15...... A new Sly & the Family Stone MP3 box set, Live At The Fillmore East October 4th & 5th, 1968, documents four concerts by the famous '70s funksters just 10 months prior to their legendary 1969 Woodstock performance. Dropping on July 17, the set features four shows at the legendary New York venue that capture the group at the height of its powers. The band's label, Epic, had planned to release a live album from the Fillmore shows in 1969, but tabled those plans in favor of a new studio album with the band's next single, "Everyday People," was a smash. The recordings subsequently became widely circulated bootlegs but appear in pristine form on Sony Legacy's new four-disc set, whose booklet includes comments by surviving members of the group. - Billboard, 7/16/15...... Gene Simmons of Kiss, who happens to be a friend of 2016 Republican presidential contender Donald Trump, appeared on CNN Tonight with moderator Don Lemon on July 15 to discuss Trump's controversial campaign so far. While he joked that asking him about presidential politics was like "people asking Jeb Bush about what he thinks of Led Zeppelin," Simmons did say that Trump has been "ungentlemanly" and is "better and smarter" than his recent comments suggest. "Fear creates all times of havoc. Sometimes it creates hate," Simmons said about Trump's comments regarding Mexican immigrants. Regardless, Simmons called Trump a great father, a friend and a "straight shooter." The shock-rocker also had a few kind words for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton -- "She has a lot to say and a lot to offer." - Billboard, 7/16/15...... Neil Young has been fined $10,000 after his 23-song set went past a city noise curfew in the Detroit-area DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Mich., on July 14. Young's encore of two songs, "Don't Be Denied" and "Roll Another Number," lasted 10 minutes past the mandatory 11 p.m. curfew and triggered a $1,000-per-minute fine. The venue is in close proximity to residential areas and the curfew has been in place since the early 2000's. Meanwhile, Young has announced he is withdrawing his music from all streaming services, saying "I don't need my music to be devalued by the worst quality in the history of broadcasting." In a post on his Facebook page, the folk-rocker said: "Streaming has ended for me. I hope this is ok for my fans. It's not because of the money, although my share (like all the other artists) was dramatically reduced by bad deals made without my consent. It's about sound quality. I don't need my music to be devalued by the worst quality in the history of broadcasting or any other form of distribution. I don't feel right allowing this to be sold to my fans. It's bad for my music. For me, It's about making and distributing music people can really hear and feel. I stand for that. When the quality is back, I'll give it another look. Never say never." Young has spent the better part of the past two years pushing adoption of high-fidelity audio, and as of July 15 his music was still available to stream on Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music. - Billboard, 7/15/15...... The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., announced on July 15 that Carole King and the Eagles will be among the six honorees of the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors. Also recognized with the honor this year will be actresses Rita Moreno and Cicely Tyson, Star Wars creator George Lucas, and acclaimed music director Seiji Ozawa. The Kennedy Center Honors culminates in a gala performance Dec. 6 in Washington, featuring top entertainers. The show will be broadcast Dec. 29 on CBS. - AP, 7/15/15...... Prolific rock songwriter and producer Buddy Buie, known for his collaborations with the '60s band Classics IV and '70s Southern Rock hitmakers The Atlanta Rhythm Section, died on July 18 in Dothan, Ala., after suffering a heart attack. He was 74. After an initial success producing and writing hits for the Jacksonville, Fla., quintet Classics IV, which charted four Top 40 hits in 1968 and 1969 including "Spooky," "Stormy," "Traces" and "Everyday With You Girl," Buie hooked up with the Atlanta Rhythm Section in 1974, becoming its manager and co-writing several of their hits. Buie was a profilic songwriter, penning 340 songs in the BMI catalog, nearly all of them crafted in Eufaula, Ala., on Thomas Mill Creek, where he had a small fishing trailer. An Alabama native who spent most of his songwriting career in Atlanta, Buie was inducted into both the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. His songs were covered by such diverse artists as Wynonna Judd, Garth Brooks, Gloria Estefan, Travis Tritt, David Sanborn, Carlos Santana and John Legend, and his music also appeared in several films and TV shows, including Lost in Translation, Just Like Heaven and The Fighter. "Just last week Buddy shared his enthusiasm, and support, for the band, saying he wanted to come hear the new songs we added to the show. We will miss Buddy's contributions, musically, professionally, and most of all personally," The Atlanta Rhythm Section posted on its official Facebook page on July 18. - RNN/AP, 7/19/15.

Paul McCartney issued a statement on July 10 speaking out against Britain's new Tory government, which has proposed the 2004 Hunting Act be amended to allow the return of fox hunting. "The people of Britain are behind this Tory government on many things but the vast majority of us will be against them if hunting is reintroduced," Sir Paul said. "It is cruel and unnecessary and will lose them support from ordinary people and animal lovers like myself," he continued. A day earlier, the Conservatives proposed an amendment which would allow foxes to be hunted if it was done in order to protect other animals, and the pack could be allowed to flush a fox out of hiding but not kill it. The proposals will be voted upon in Parliament on July 15. Also on July 9, Queen's Brian May slammed the pro-hunting group Countryside Alliance in a debate with its representative Jim Barrington on BBC Newsnight, and later labeled them as "a bunch of lying bastards." "There is no justification for the hunting of foxes on the grounds of control of foxes," the Queen guitarist and animal activist said. "They breed them to hunt, it's all about people out there trying to catch foxes for fun, they like causing pain and this is what [Prime Minister David] Cameron is endorsing." - New Musical Express, 7/10/15...... Meanwhile, Rod Stewart is livid that a photo of him wearing a seal skin coat is being used in an ad for the controversial industry. Stewart posted on his Facebook page on July 14 that as he was in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, to play a concert he stopped in a store to pick up capes for some of his crew, and that he obliged the store's manager to pose for a photo wearing a seal skin jacket. Stewart says he regrets that he didn't check what the jacket was made of and is upset the photo is being used as an advertisement for an industry he does not support. But the Always in Vogue store's manager, Darren Halloran, claims Stewart and his entourage were indeed informed and it's possible he wasn't aware of the politics surrounding the seal industry. Stewart headlined an outdoor summer festival in St. John's on July 11. On July 14, Stewart appeared on CBS's Late Late Show with James Corden and candidly recalled tales of his rowdy tour days in the 1970s with the Faces. "We were outrageous with the Faces. In what way? Drinking and a shagging. And a drinking and a shagging. That's what we did. And smashing up hotel rooms," the 70-year-old said. With Corden accompanying, Stewart also performed his Cat Stevens-penned hit "The First Cut Is the Deepest," his 1979 smash "Do You Think I'm Sexy," and "Ooh La La," a Faces classic from 1973. - The Canadian Press/Billboard, 7/15/15...... A double-breasted black woolen jacket worn by Ringo Starr in the 1965 Beatles movie Help! is being auctioned by Boston-based RR Auctions from July 16 through July 23. Starr's dapper jacket is among nearly 500 items for sale in a "Marvels of Modern Music" online auction, including a 1971 letter written by Doors frontman Jim Morrison from Paris to a couple in Beverly Hills, Calif., and a 1980 custom-designed Hamer electric guitar used by Johnny Ramone. - AP, 7/9/15...... In an essay published Rolling Stone magazine, Tom Petty says he regrets using the Confederate flag in the 1980s during his Southern Comfort Tour and calls it "downright stupid." While Petty said he grew up in Gainesville, Fla., where the flag was the "wallpaper of the South," he asks his fellow Southernors to take a step back and ask themselves what that symbol looks like to African-Americans. "The way we're losing black men and citizens in general is horrific," he writes. "What's going on in society is unforgivable. As a country, we should be more concerned with why the police are getting away with targeting black men and killing them for no reason. That's a bigger issue than the flag." - Billboard, 7/14/15...... Former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters has unveiled a trailer for his upcoming concert film, Roger Waters The Wall. First screened at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, the film will be released in theateres worldwide for one day only on Sept. 29. It follows Waters' "The Wall Live Tour," which ran between 2010 and 2013 and was seen by nearly four million people. It was the largest worldwide tour ever undertaken by a solo artist and was the first time any Pink Floyd member had played their 1979 concept album The Wall in two decades. Meanwhile, Waters is scheduled to headline the 2015 Newport Folk Festival, which runs from July 24-26 in Fort Adams State Park, R.I. It will be his first peformance ever at the legendary festival, and his first live show since Sept. 2013. - New Musical Express, 7/13/15...... Las Vegas' Clark County Coroner issued a statement on July 13 saying an autopsy sought by two of B.B. King's 11 adult children shows the cause of death was Alzheimer's disease with other physical conditions. Daughters Karen Williams and Patty King had alleged that King's business manager, LaVerne Toney, and his personal assistant, Myron Johnson, hastened their father's death through poisoning. Brent Bryson -- a lawyer for King's estate, Toney and Johnson -- called the claims defamatory and libelous. The ruling by the coroner closes the official investigation of the death of King, who died on May 14 while in hospice care at his Las Vegas home at age 89. - AP, 7/13/15...... NBC has cast newcomer Alvia Lind, age 7, to portray Dolly Parton in its upcoming Coat of Many Colors movie about the country music icon. Based on Parton's humble upbringing, Coat of Many Colors is a family-oriented faith-based story about the incidents in Parton's and her family's life around the time she was 9 years old. The movie is set in the Tennessee Great Smokey Mountains in 1955. Lind, whose acting credits include the Lifetime Will Ferrell movie A Deadly Adaption as well as Masters of Sex and Transparent, says she was surprised when Parton herself called to inform her she had gotten the part after a call-back audition. - The Hollywood Repoerter, 7/13/15...... In other country music news, country artists Kris Kristofferson, Charley Pride and Jim Lauderdale were honored on July 11 for their life-long musical contributions at the 32nd Annual American Eagle Awards during a Nashville trade show gathering of the National Association of Music Merchants. Rosanne Cash and the Oak Ridge Boys performed in celebration of this year's honorees. - AP, 7/12/15...... The BBC announced on July 10 that it will no longer play or use music from Neil Young, The Doors, Journey or Bonnie Raitt after those artists withdrew from the UK's Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS), no longer wishing to be accept the society's licensing agreements. The BBC's legal department says the organization had no means of paying those artists when their songs were broadcasted and due to fear of copyright infringement, will not be able to do so until an agreement is reached with their publishers. As well as the music by the artists, the BBC have also blacklisted any covers of their songs by other artists or tracks that sample their music. Wixen Music, the rights representative of these artists, eleased a statement in response to the news saying: "The BBC can use Neil Young and The Doors any time they negotiate a license with us to do so in a given programme. All we are saying is that we wont pre-approve uses or fees if the clients have not had an opportunity to review and approve the uses and fees. In the USA, where these artists are based, TV uses are approved and fees negotiated by the artists and songwriters, or their representatives, and our clients are not used to blanket pre-agreed uses and fees." - NME, 7/10/15...... Joan Jett has issued a statement denying she had any knowledge of a recent claim by her former Runaways bandmate Jackie Fox that she was once raped by the Runaways' manager Kim Fowley after a roadie insisted she take a Quaalude pill and did so while Jett and others watched. "Anyone who truly knows me understands that if I was aware of a friend or bandmate being violated, I would not stand by while it happened," said Jett in a statement. "For a group of young teenagers thrust into 70s rock stardom there were relationships that were bizarre, but I was not aware of this incident. Obviously Jackie's story is extremely upsetting and although we haven't spoken in decades, I wish her peace and healing," added Jett, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April. Kim Fowley died of bladder cancer in Jan. 2015. - Billboard, 7/10/15..... Guitarist Billy Zoom of the legendary late 70's L.A. punk band X revealed on July 9 that he is battling bladder cancer and is set to begin chemotherapy later in July. Zoom, 67, is known for his "punkabilly" riffs, wide stance, famous coif, and constant onstage grin. The announcement stunned X fans who have come to enjoy an ongoing succession of X reunion tours that have lasted far longer than the group's original tenure did. In the first day of a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Zoom's treatment, over 700 donors pledged more than $40,000 toward the stated goal of "$50,000 to Help Billy Zoom Kick Cancer's Ass." Although X has undertaken at least eight national U.S. tours since 1998, they haven't recorded any new material as a unit during that 17-years-and-running resumption. - Billboard, 7/10/15...... Kinks guitarist and co-founder Dave Davies has announced he'll perform a rare concert at London's Islington Assembly Hall on Dec. 18, 2015. Davies will be performing solo songs from his several critically acclaimed albums, hits and Kinks classics which showcase his unique writing style along with the revolutionary guitar sound he created and such classics as "You Really Got Me." Davies' band will feature guitarist Jonathan Lee, bassist Tom Currier, and drummer Dennis Diken of the Smithereens. Tickets went on sale on July 13. - Noble PR, 7/10/15...... Music City Mayhem "Female Rock Vocalist of the Year" and bassist extraordinaire Jasmine Cain has been nominated for Best Alternative Rock Band for the 9th Annual Nashville Independent Music Awards (NIMA). NIMA9 will take place at 3rd & Lindsley (818 3rd Ave S.) on Aug. 29. The NIMA nomination highlights a breakout year for Cain, who is set to self-release her 5th studio album, White Noise, on July 24. Cain will embark on a 31-date US tour on July 17 in Indianapolis, opening for Night Ranger. The tour continues through Nov. 21. - 1888 Media, 7/13/15...... Songwriter/producer/composer Michael Masser, who worked with such artists as Whitney Houston, Diana Ross and Gladys Knight, died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., on July 9. He was 74. Masser's compositions included Houston's "The Greatest Love of All," Ross' "The Last Time I Saw Him" and "Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You" by Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson. In 2007, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His first big hit came with Ross' chart-topping recording of "Touch Me In the Morning," which he co-wrote and co-produced. That was followed with Ross' "Theme from 'Mahogany' (Do You Know Where You're Going To?)," which he co-wrote with Gerald Goffin and also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. After learning of his passing, Diana Ross posted a remembrance on Twitter the following day: "Michael Masser. so many memories He will live on. through his beautiful songs Touch me in the morning, It's my turn Theme from Mahogany." - Billboard, 7/10/15...... John Vickers, a Canadian-born opera singer nicknamed "God's tenor" for his inimitable voice and strong Christian beliefs, died on July 10 in the Canadian province of Ontario after a struggle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 88. Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, in 1926, Mr. Vickers sang as a child in church choirs and aspired to study medicine before winning a scholarship to the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He made his Royal Opera debut in 1957, and the following year he performed at Germany's Bayreuth festival, going on to become one of the world's leading performers of Richard Wagner. From 1960, he was a regular at New York's Metropolitan Opera, where his signature roles included Benjamin Britten's "Peter Grimes." - AP, 7/13/15...... Omar Sharif, the dashing Egyptian-born actor known for his roles in such epic films as Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, died on July 10 in Cairo after suffering a heart attack. He was 83. With his dark eyes, debonair demeanor and exotic accent, Mr. Sharif was considered one of the most handsome men on the planet, his looks getting as much attention as his acting ability. He earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Lawrence of Arabia and won a Golden Globe Award for it and Dr. Zhivago. His other film credits include the parody film Top Secret! created by the Airplane! team, and he appeared as the Sorcerer in a production of Gulliver's Travels. In the 1990s, he had both a perfume and a brand of cigarettes named after him. "My great friend Omar Sharif has passed away. I will always miss him. He was one of the best," tweeted his friend Antonio Bandaras, who starred with Mr. Sharif in 1999's The 13th Warrior. - CNN, 7/10/15...... Longtime Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler, nicknamed "The Snake" for his ability to elude defensive players, died on July 9 in Gulfport, Miss., after a battle with colon cancer. He was 69. A native of Foley, Ala., Stabler played collegiately under legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Alabama. He led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated season in 1966 and was an All-American in 1967. Stabler was also a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1974, when he led the league in touchdown passes with 26. Prior to the 1980 season, Stabler was traded to the Houston Oilers, where he played for two seasons before finishing his NFL career for three seasons with the New Orleans Saints from 1982-84. In his professional career, Stabler threw for 27,938 yards, 194 touchdowns and 222 interceptions. After Stabler retired from the NFL, he worked as a color commentator for CBS NFL telecasts and also called Alabama games on the radio until 2009. "When you think about the Raiders you think about Ken Stabler. Kenny loved life. It is a sad day for all Raiders," former Oakland Raiders head coach John Madden said in a statement. - Yahoo News, 7/10/15.