A special vigil for Aretha Franklin was held before dawn on Aug. 15 at New Bethel Baptist Church in her home town of Detroit, the church where her father was once a pastor. Franklin, 76, was widely reported to be in critical condition and near death on Aug. 12, and her family is asking for prayers for the legendary "Queen of Soul" who has battled several health problems over the past years, struggling with weight issues and also being a previous chain smoker. The prayers come one day after her good friends Stevie Wonder and the Rev. Jesse Jackson visited the ailing singer at her home, along with her ex-husband, actor Glynn Turman. Franklin announced earlier in 2018 she was canceling planned concerts after she was ordered by her doctor to stay off the road and rest. Fans, friends and musicians influenced by Franklin offered support to the iconic singer when news broke that she was gravely ill, including Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan and Tyler Perry. At her concert in Detroit on Aug. 13 with Jay-Z, Beyoncé dedicated her show to Franklin and thanked her for "her beautiful music." It was revealed on Aug. 14 that a tribute concert to Franklin's six-decade career is planned for November at Madison Square Garden in New York. The concert is being spearheaded by one of Franklin's longest supporters, Sony Music Chief Creative Officer Clive Davis. - AP/Billboard, 8/15/18...... 
The Kinks announced on Aug. 15 they will release a a 50th-anniversary edition of their iconic 1968 album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society on Oct. 26. While not a commercial success when it was initially released, the album is now considered one of the most influential albums from the seminal British rock band's catalog and included the singles Starstruck" and "The Village Green Preservation Society," both which failed to chart in the US. The album features timeless songs written by frontman Ray Davies about growing up in the UK and the decline of national culture and its traditional ways through wit, sadness and regret. The 50th-anniversary edition will include previously unreleased tracks like "Time Song," which was only heard by the public once at a live performance in 1973. A deluxe box set of VGPS will include extra sleeve notes, interviews, photographs and stories of the album's production, release and cultural impact. - Billboard, 8/15/18...... John Lennon's assassin Mark David Chapman is scheduled to go before New York's parole board during the fourth week of August, in what will be his 10th attempt to win his freedom. Chapman, 63, is serving a 20 years to life sentence in the Wende Correctional Facility in western New York after being convicted of shooting and killing Lennon outside his Manhattan Dakota apartment on Dec. 8, 1980. Chapman was last denied parole in 2016, with the board noting he has since described the murder as "selfish and evil." The board determined that Chapman should remain behind bars, in part because of the premeditated and "celebrity-seeking" nature of the crime. A decision on his latest hearing is expected within two weeks. - AP, 8/15/18...... In other Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney released the third single from his upcoming album Egypt Station, "Fuh You," on Aug. 15. "Fuh You" sees the singer taking more of a pop direction than the first two singles, "I Don't Know" and "Come On To Me," and features an irresistibly catchy chorus, funky bass riffs, and violins. The buoyant song tells a raunchy love story, focusing on a man's strong desire for a woman who he wants to, you know, "fuh." "With this one I was in the studio with Ryan Tedder whereas the rest of the album has been made with Greg Kurstin. We were just thinking of ideas and little pieces of melody and chords and the song just came together bit by bit," McCartney said in a press release. Macca also released the full tracklisting from the 16-track LP, which features such titles as "Opening Station," "Happy With You, "Who Cares," "People Want Peace," "Back in Brazil" and "Caesar Rock." Sir Paul has taken a hands-on approach to promoting Egypt Station, with secret shows in London and at Liverpool's famous Cavern Club where the Beatles first made their name. Earlier in August, the CBS television announced it will air a one-hour special, Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool, on Aug. 20. - Billboard, 8/15/18...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, a restored version of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1972 film Imagine and the accompanying documentary is returning to UK cinemas on Sept. 18. The movie, which includes the music video of the titular title track, will feature 15 minutes of unreleased footage in the new version. It's expected that the new footage will include clips of Lennon performing with his former Beatles bandmate George Harrison, as well as frequent bassist Klaus Voormann. The soundtrack for the film, which features every song on the 1971 Imagine album, has also been remixed. - New Musical Express, 8/15/18...... Meanwhile, Ringo Starr celebrated the 56th anniversary of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison asking him to join the Beatles on Aug. 15 by taking to Twitter with a sentimental post. "56 years ago Wednesday, 15 August John Paul and George invited me to become part of the Beatles it was a great day for me peace and love," Ringo tweeted. It has also been announced that cars formerly owned Paul McCartney and John Lennon will be auctioned in the US in September. McCartney's 1965 Mini Cooper S DeVille was one of four ordered for each Beatles member by their manager, Brian Epstein, in 1965. Lennon's 1979 Mercedes E 300, his last car, will also be put up for sale at the Worldwide Auctioneers Auburn Auction on Sept. 1. Meanwhile, John's son Sean Ono Lennon and Paul's son James McCartney have shared a selfie of themselves together on Instagram. Sean, the late singer's 42-year-old son, captioned the photo simply with "Peekaboo.." It can be viewed at Sean's Instagram account, sean_ono_lennon. - NME, 8/15/18...... 
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Phil Collins revealed that he's open to a reunion with his iconic prog-rock band Genesis -- if his 17-year-old son Nic Collins is sitting in for him on drums. "I wouldn't say there isn't not a possibility. Me, Mike [Rutherford] and Tony [Banks] are pretty close still. I can't imagine what it would be like if I didn't play the drums, but anything is possible," Collins said. Collins says that he spoke to Rutherford and Banks when they saw his show in London last summer. "They both were raving about Nic," says Collins. "Mike made the appropriate comment of, 'He just gets it. He just gets what is needed and what is required and why you're doing this for that song.' I thought that was a wonderful thing to say. He was 16 at that point. I think that, yeah, if we did anything, I think it would have to be with Nic on drums, because I don't think I'm capable of it. I think their opinion of Nic is high enough for them to take him on board as part of the band.... I did mention to Tony very quietly if we did anything again it would be with Nic on drums. He kind of didn't say no. But I'm not sure if he heard me or not." - Rolling Stone/Billboard, 8/15/18...... It was a head-banging extravaganza down under when more than 450 guitarists gathered at the Sydney Guitar Festival in Australia to perform the AC/DC classic "Highway to Hell" in an attempt to break the Guinness world record for most people playing the same song on the electric guitar at once. Participants used small battery-powered amps while Australian band the Choirboys performed the song onstage. "They were tiny amps but they got the sound happening," festival spokeswoman Tatiana Marchant said. "It was such a great atmosphere." The previous record was 368 guitarists set in India in 2013. It could take Guinness upward of six weeks to verify the Sydney record. - Billboard, 8/15/18...... Records from the classic rock and pop era have dominated the midyear marketplace report compiled by online music retailer Discogs.com. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Michael Jackson's Thriller came in at Nos. 1 and 2 respectively atop the online vinyl/CD/cassette seller's top 30 most popular albums list. All told, Pink Floyd landed five titles in the top 30 -- and four in the top 11 (Wish You Were Here, No. 4; The Wall, No. 7; The Piper At the Gates of Dawn, No. 11) -- tying the Beatles for the most albums in that region. Dark Side of the Moon also landed atop Discogs' lists for most wanted albums, most collected albums and top catalog sales. Other artists among the top 10 of the most popular titles include Fleetwood Mac (Rumours, No. 3), the Beatles (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, No. 5; Abbey Road, No. 8), Dire Straits (Brothers In Arms, No. 6) and Led Zeppelin (IV, No. 9; Led Zeppelin II, No. 10). - Billboard, 8/15/18...... The BBC announced on Aug. 15 that it will not appeal a recent court ruling in favor of singer Cliff Richard who had sued over the U.K. public broadcaster's coverage of a police raid at his home in 2014. The BBC had reported that Richard was being investigated for claims of child sex assault in the past. Richard, who was never charged or arrested, sued for invasion of privacy for naming him and airing helicopter footage of his apartment, which was searched by police as part of the probe. In July a judge awarded the music star an initial £210,000 ($274,000 at the time) in damages, saying that possible further damages for the financial impact on Richard, such as canceled book deals or concerts, would still have to be assessed. The BBC said back then that it would look at an appeal and criticized the court decision as a threat to the freedom of press. - The Hollywood Reporter, 8/15/18...... Aerosmith announced on Aug. 15 it will launch a Las Vegas residency on Apr. 6, 2019 at the Park Theater, the same venue where Lady Gaga will launch her own residency in December. Aerosmith announced 18 shows for April, June and July. Tickets, priced from $75 to $750, go on sale Aug. 24. Promoter Live Nation says the residency will be the "world's first THX Certified live performance presented in L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound." - AP/Billboard, 8/15/18...... 
After hinting on his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube accounts on Aug. 14 that he was planning a comeback of sorts, long-absent former Journey singer Steve Perry released a video on Aug. 15 for "No Erasin'," his first new song on 20 years. The mid-tempo song begins, appropriately enough, with the line, "I know it's been a long time coming," before going into a tale of "love that won't go." The video features Perry performing the song in a studio with a band. Perry also took to his website to explain his absence and announce his new album, Traces, will drop on Oct. 5 via Fantasy/Concord Records. "Years ago, I disappeared. There were many reasons, but mainly my love for music had suddenly left me," Perry writes. "I knew that simply stopping was what I had to do. If music was ever to return to my heart, then and only then I would figure out what to do," he begins. "If not so be it, for I had already lived the dream of dreams. Many years passed. One day, I began sketching some musical ideas with the creative freedom that I was the only one who would ever hear them. One song led to many. My love for music had returned. Then, another beautiful thing happened. I found love. My precious Kellie gave me a life I never knew I had. I lost her December of 2012. I now deeply understand the meaning of: 'It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.'" Perry is referring to psychologist Kellie Nash, who died of breast cancer after the couple were together only a year and a half. Perry's last album with Journey was 1996's Trial by Fire. In 1998, he recorded "I Stand Alone," a solo song from the soundtrack to the animated film Quest for Camelot. The elusive singer attended Journey's 2017 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but did not perform with the band. It has also been announced Perry will appear on CBS This Morning on Oct. 7. - Billboard, 8/15/18...... Lindsey Buckingham announced on Aug. 14 he will release a 3-disc set of his solo career, Solo Anthology - The Best of Lindsey Buckingham, on Oct. 5 on Rhino Records. The release will highlight Buckingham's career as a 3-time Grammy winning musician, and also be available the following month as a 6-LP vinyl release. Live versions of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" and "Go Your Own Way" round out the album, and it will also feature two brand new songs, "Hunger" and "Ride This Road." Buckingham also announced he will embark on a solo 34-city North American tour behind the new release this fall, kicking off in Portland, Ore. on Oct. 7 and wrapping on Dec. 9 in Bethlehem, Pa. Buckingham's solo album and tour follow the announcement that he would not be joining Fleetwood Mac during their own North American run. - Billboard, 8/14/18...... 
The Guess Who have just finished recording their first new studio album in 23 years, The Future Is What It Used To Be. One of its tracks, "In America," reflects some of the ambivalence have toward their neighbors in the south. "The chorus says, 'In America, you can get anything you want, you can get anything that you need,'" says drummer Garry Peterson, the sole remaining founding member in the current lineup. "It's in the spirit that America's a land of opportunity; If you really want to work hard you can become a rock musician, you can become a brain surgeon, you can become a doctor -- you can become president, if that's really what you want to be. It kind of celebrates that," Peterson adds. Peterson also says the band's No. 1 US single "American Woman" was misrepresented at the time of its release and ever since. "From our perspective we really didn't write it as a protest or a knock on America -- where we've made all our money, in effect, in the Guess Who," the drummer explains. "America made our success. However, coming from a small place like Winnipeg and going on tour, there were all these things that are not prevalent in our world, in Canada at the time. We talk about the ghetto and the war machine; We saw all of this happening before us, and we didn't know what to make of it, and that came out in our song. It's America personified as a woman that we didn't quite know what to make of." The Future Is What It Used To Be's 10 tracks were recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville and will drop Sept. 14. In addition to the band, the set also features guest appearances by Tommy Shaw of Styx, Whitesnake bassist Michael Devin and Guess Who founding bassist Jim Kale, who retired from the band before the album was recorded. - Billboard, 8/14/18...... Tower of Power celebrated its 50 years in music on Aug. 13 by stopping by NPR's offices for the latest in its "Tiny Desk Concert" series. The 10 members of the classic funk band performed their latest hit "Soul Side of Town," the title track from their new album, along with other selections. The R&B/jazz group formed in Oakland, Calif., 50 years ago, but they're playing with the same vitality heard in the early days. Vocalist Marcus Scott fronts the group today, but the band's original songwriter and saxophonist Stephen "Funky Doctor" Kupa and bandleader/tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo continue to write and perform, along with original drummer David Garibaldi. - Billboard, 8/13/18...... Donley Auctions announced on Aug. 9 that it will be auctioning off dozens of items owned by rock icons like Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Janis Joplin, Mick Fleetwood and more. There will be a preview event for the collection, which includes Garcia's death certificate and a guitar signed by Weir and is titled "Grateful Dead & Rock & Roll," on Sept. 7 at Donley's headquarters in Union, Ill. The full collection of items being auctioned can be viewed at https://www.proxibid.com/asp/Catalog.asp?aid=147147. - Billboard, 8/10/18...... 
Randy Newman performed a 28-song set a L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 12. The audience seemed to be just happy to see the legendary singer/songwriter after he canceled a string of dates in Europe earlier this year to undergo urgently needed knee surgery. Newman performed such classic hits as "Leave Your Hat On," Short People," "You've Got a Friend in Me," and "I Love L.A.," along with other favorites. He even name-checked Tom Jones and Joe Cocker as "other geriatric artists" who had done "Leave Your Hat On," while pointing out their cover versions were each "real excited about sex" while his writerly intent was to portray the song's narrator as more "on the fence." - Billboard, 8/13/18...... Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley accused her ex-husband of stealing "millions" from her in Los Angeles Superior Court on Aug. 14. During her testimony, Presley said she believed her estranged husband Michael Lockwood reviewed the postnuptial agreement before he signed it on November 2007. When asked by Lockwood's attorney whether she thought it was fair that Lockwood did not receive any spousal support if their marriage ended, Presley answered, "Correct." "You thought it was fair because you would not have wanted a man who wanted money from you, had you known if he was that way, right?" the attorney asked Presley. "Not true," she answered. At the heart of the legal drama between the feuding exes is whether or not the postnuptial agreement signed by Presley and Lockwood is valid. Presley filed for divorce from Lockwood on June 2016 after 10 years of marriage. They have two twin 9-year old daughters, Harper and Finley. - RadarOnline.com, 8/14/18...... Actress Patricia Benoit, who played Nancy Remington, the sweetheart and eventual wife of Wally Cox's character on the 1950s NBC sitcom Mister Peepers, died at her home in Port Chester, N.Y., on Aug. 12. She was 91. NBC's Mister Peepers, broadcast live from a New York theater for three seasons from July 1952 to June 1955, starred Cox (later the voice of the superhero Underdog and a Hollywood Squares regular) as the mild-mannered Robinson Peepers, a science teacher at Jefferson City Junior High. Benoit's Nancy was a nurse and the object of Peepers' awkward affection. Ms. Benoit also starred as a divorcee on the short-lived 1958 NBC soap opera Today Is Ours and later worked on CBS' As the World Turns as well. - The Hollywood Reporter, 8/12/18...... Morgana King, an acclaimed jazz singer who released dozens of albums but is perhaps best known for portraying the wife of Marlon Brando's Don Vito Corleone in the first two Godfather films, died March 22 of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Palm Springs, Calif. She was 87. Ms. King's death had gone unreported until a friend, John Hoglund, wrote about her recently week on Facebook. Ms. King had a music breakthrough in 1964 with her operatic version of "A Taste of Honey," originally composed by Bobby Scott and also recorded by the likes of Herb Alpert and Billy Dee Williams. At the 1965 Grammys, she lost to the Beatles (who also performed "A Taste of Honey" early in their career) in the category of best new artist. Ms. King, who also had a hit with "Corcovado" ("Quiet Nights"), made a comeback with 1973's New Beginnings and recorded her final nine albums for Muse Records. In Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972), Ms. King as Mama Carmela Corleone dances with Brando and sings "Luna mezz' 'o mare" during the opening wedding sequence. When she didn't want to be photographed in a coffin in the 1974 sequel, Coppola's mother, Italia, doubled for her. She also appeared in Brooklyn State of Mind (1998) with Danny Aiello and on the ABC soap opera All My Children. - Billboard, 8/15/18.
Bette Midler took to Twitter on Aug. 9, which also happened to be the 44th anniversary of the resignation of Pres. Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal, to urge her current nemesis Pres. Donald Trump to follow Nixon's lead and resign. "Nixon resigned 44 years ago today," Midler wrote. "Go ahead, Donald! Today's as good a day as any, and he wasn't half the criminal you are!" Midler has been a frequent critic of Pres. Trump, often tweeting her disapproval of his actions. Five years before he became president, Trump tweeted his own jab at Midler, calling her "an extremely unattractive woman" (but) "I refuse to say that because I always insist on being politically correct." - Billboard, 8/9/18...... A Sept. 21 release date has been given to ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons' upcoming solo album, The Big Bad Blues. An 11-track collection of Gibbons originals and covers of blues classics by the likes of Muddy Waters and Bob Diddley, the set takes a different stylistic tact than Gibbons' previous solo effort Perfectamundo, which had an African-Cuban flavor. Gibbons says that the unusual release was a "surprising success," and Concord Records chief John Burk suggested Gibbons "return to some of your blusier roots" on the next LP, which Gibbons says he immediately agreed with. Three weeks after the release of The Big Bad Blues, Gibbons will hit the road for a 24-city US tour behind the new album starting in Riverside, Iowa, on Oct. 13 with a nice little outfit" that includes drummer Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, The Cult, Velvet Revolver). The tour wraps on Nov. 18 at the Troubadour in Hollywood. Meanwhile, Gibbons and ZZ Top will continue on the road through August, and he says the band is planning a 50th anniversary celebration in 2019. - Billboard, 8/9/18...... 
There are rumors that AC/DC are working on new music with their former frontman, Brian Johnson, and their ex-drummer, Phil Rudd, after the pair were recently spotted together in Vancouver. Johnson voluntarily left the band in 2016 after suffering hearing loss, before being replaced by Axl Rose. Rudd, meanwhile, departed in 2015 after a string of publicized legal problems, and was replaced by Chris Slade for the band's Rock or Bust World Tour. AC/DC have recorded all their albums in Vancouver over the last two decades, and Johnson and Rudd were spotted outside the city's Warehouse Studios, where it's thought the other members of AC/DC are working on a new LP. - New Musical Express, 8/8/18...... Hall & Oates are among the artists who are releasing a classic album from their catalog on pink vinyl to benefit the cancer charity Gilda's Club NYC. The limited edition pink vinyl LPs will be available at retailers across the country from Sept. 25 to Oct. 26, and can be ordered at bullmoose.com. Gilda's Club NYC is named after famed Saturday Night Live comedian Gilda Radner, who passed away in 1989, and has raised over $200,000 for cancer patients and their caretakers to date. - Billboard, 8/9/18...... Cher has just announced her upcoming album of ABBA covers, Dancing Queen, will drop on Sept. 28. Cher, who appears in the Mamma Mia! sequel currently in theaters, says she decided to record the LP after being reminded again "of what great and timeless songs" ABBA wrote. "The songs were harder to sing than I imagined but I'm so happy with how the music came out. I'm really excited for people to hear it. It's a perfect time," Cher says. Fans who pre-order the 10-track album at wbr.ec/dancing queen will instantly receive Cher's version of "Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)." - Billboard, 8/9/18...... A cover of classic rockers Toto's 1982 single "Africa" by the alternative rock band Weezer has reached No. 1 on Billboard Alternative Songs chart, 35 years after Toto's original climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart. Weezer was inspired to record the song by an online campaign to get the band to cover it after a teen Weezer fan heard Toto's original on Netflix's Stranger Things. To return the favor, Toto has recorded a cover of Weezer's "Hash Pipe" and has just made the song available for streaming. The success of Weezer's "Africa" has also sparked other "Africa" covers, including a bizarre one by the jokey black metal band Woods of Trees, and a Burger King in North London has announced it will play the song all day at the restaurant after a campaign to do that received 1000 retweets. During an Aug. 8 Weezer concert in Los Angeles, pop music parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic even made a surprise to join Weezer for an accordian-spiked version of the song. - Billboard, 8/8/18...... 
During a recent interview on SiriusXM's Beatles Channel, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry seemingly confirmed his iconic hard rock band will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019 with a residency in Las Vegas. "We're going to be doing a residency in Vegas starting next spring," Perry said. "What we want to do is something that I haven't seen before just downsizing our live show, just playing in a smaller place. We want to do something different. We're in the middle of the production now. What we're talking about is having an experience that you wouldn't be able to see on a regular Aerosmith tour," he added. Aerosmith is expected to announce the full details of the residency, which Perry says he's quite excited about, on Aug. 15 with the band performs on NBC's Today show. Meanwhile, a van used by Aerosmith has just been discovered in a Massachusetts forest during the filming of the popular antiques reality show American Pickers. Hosts Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe stumbled upon the 1964 American Harvester Metro van while filming a new episode, and its authenticity has been confirmed by former Aerosmith member, Ray Tabano, who was with the band early on when it traveled New England playing to smaller crowds. The owner of the property in Chesterfield, Mass., about 100 miles west of Boston said the van was there when he bought the land from someone with a connection to Aerosmith. The pickers paid $25,000 for the dilapidated vehicle, with Wolfe noting it is "a piece of American rock and roll history." - New Musical Express/AP, 8/10/18...... After Paul McCartney filmed a segment for CBS late night host James Corden's "Carpool Karaoke" series in June showing the Beatles icon and Corden riding around in McCartney's icon's hometown of Liverpool and the 23-minute clip became so popular, CBS has announced it will air a one-hour special, Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool, later in August. Featuring never-before-seen footage, the special will air in prime time on the network on Aug. 20 at 8 p.m. EST/PST. Meanwhile, McCartney took to Twitter on Aug. 6 to share a photo of himself recording his upcoming album Egypt Station at London's Abbey Road Studios. The photo depicts Paul putting the finishing touches on the LP at the edge of a sound board and empty pages of sheet music waiting to be filled. Egypt Station is due on Sept. 7. - Billboard, 8/7/18...... The estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music have announced a celebration for what would have been Jackson's 60th birthday on Aug. 29 will be held on that evening at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas. The "Michael Jackson Diamond Birthday Celebration in Las Vegas" will kick off with an early evening performance of "Michael Jackson One" by Cirque du Soleil, followed by an exclusive after-party at Daylight Beach Club. Jackson fans from around the world are expected to flock to the celebration, which is expected to be attended by Jackson's children Paris and Prince Jackson as well as his brothers, Jackie, Marlon and Tito Jackson. There is no word yet on whether Sony plans to release or reissue any Jackson material around the birthday. - Billboard, 8/6/18...... 
Stevie Nicks will be returning to the FX series American Horror Story this fall as it premieres its eight season, dubbed American Horror Story: Apocalypse. Ryan Murphy, the creator of the horror anthology series which will be in its eight season, tweeted on Aug. 8 that Nicks and previous cast members including Taissa Farmiga and Gabourey Sidibe will be together again and he's "so thrilled." The new season will be a crossover between American Horror Story: Murder House and American Horror Story: Coven, which Nicks guest-starred on back in 2014. The cast also includes Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Cody Fern and Emma Roberts. American Horror Story: Apocalypse premieres Sept. 12 at 10 p.m. ET on FX. In other Fleetwood Mac-related news, Mick Fleetwood made an appearance at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles on Aug. 4 to showcase a selection of his favorite music photographs, which included candid snapshots of the likes of Keith Richards, John Lee Hooker and Nicks. In 2016, the drummer and avid photography hobbyist teamed up with the Morrison Hotel Gallery to open a gallery space inside his Maui-based restaurant, Fleetwood's General Store, which features a rotating array of fine art music photography. Fleetwood was in L.A. rehearsing for the upcoming Fleetwood Mac tour, which will feature Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House. "(They're) both really credible gentleman and really talented," Fleetwood told Billboard. "We are a week into rehearsals and it's going really well and we're looking forward, in true Fleetwood Mac style." - Billboard, 8/7/18...... Dionne Warwick is denying a claim in the new Whitney Houston biopic Whitney that Warwick's sister Dee Dee abused and molested Houston, who was also Warwick's niece. Whitney contains allegations that both Houston and her half-brother Gary were molested by her cousin, Dee Dee Warwick, the sister of soul singer Dionne. "I have tried to refrain from responding to that," Warwick told Larry King in a new interview. "First of all, it's totally hogwash. My sister would never, ever have done anything to do any harm to any child, especially within our family. And for those lies to be perpetuated in this so-called documentary film [Whitney], I think it's evil." Whitney's mother Cissy Houston has also questioned the allegations made by the documentary. Whitney Houston died on Feb. 11, 2012, after drowning in a hotel bathtub. - NME, 8/6/18...... The death of Superman actress Margot Kidder has been ruled a suicide by authorities in Montana, where the 69-year-old's lifeless body was discovered in her home on May 13. At the time, Kidder's manager, Camilla Fluxman Pines, said Kidder died peacefully in her sleep, however on Aug. 8 a statement released by Park County coroner Richard Wood said that the actress "died as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose" and that no further details would be released. Kidder struggled with mental illness much of her life, and it was made worse by a 1990 car accident that left her in debt and led to her using a wheelchair for almost two years. Kidder and the late Christopher Reeve starred in four Superman movies between 1978 and 1987. She also appeared in The Great Waldo Pepper with Robert Redford in 1975, Brian De Palma's Sisters in 1973 and The Amityville Horror in 1979. "It's a big relief that the truth is out there," Kidder's daughter Maggie McGuane said. "It's important to be open and honest so there's not a cloud of shame in dealing with this." Kidder's death is one of several high-profile suicides in 2018 that include celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and fashion designer Kate Spade. - AP, 8/8/18...... 
Former NSYNC pop boy band member Lance Bass is set to meet with bosses of cable TV's HGTV after the U.S. lifestyle channel outbid him for the iconic home shown in the opening and closing scenes of the '70s sitcom The Brady Bunch. Bass, 39, says he isn't holding any grudges after losing out on purchasing the property in Studio City, Los Angeles, which the HGTV producers say they intend to restore to its 1970s form inside and out this month. Bass has reportedly offered to host a show from the house, and HGTV producers say they are keen to involve him in a new HGTV series centered around the restored house. Bass had initially expressed outrage he lost out on the house, claiming he had already agreed on a deal with the seller, but was then outbid. However, he softened his views when he found out the identity of the buyer, tweeting "HGTV??! Aw man. I d be pretty upset if it were anyone else, but how can you be mad at HGTV? My television is stuck on that channel." HGTV bosses, who purchased the home for $3.5 million -- almost twice the asking price of $1,885,000 -- say they plan to send in renovation experts to restore the house to its original glory and then use it to host shows. The previous homeowner, who inherited the home from her grandparents, will be an executive producer on the new show. The Brady Bunch, a sitcom centered around Mike Brady, a widowed architect, his new wife Carol and their large blended family of three sons and three daughters, ran from 1969 to 1974 but has retained its popularity due to syndicated repeats and spin-off shows and movies. - WENN.com, 8/9/18...... Sitcom actress Charlotte Rae, best known as the wise housemother on the popular 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life, died on Aug. 5 in Los Angeles. She was 92. In the early 1960s, the Milwaukee native appeared as Sylvia Schnauzer on the TV series Car 54 Where Are You?, and also worked extensively on Broadway, in Shakespeare in the Park and in summer stock. Her other television work included a year on Sesame Street, and a recurring role on Hot L Baltimore, then a season on Diff'rent Strokes, where her character Mrs. Garrett was born before spinning off on The Facts of Life," for which she earned an Emmy nomination. She was married to composer John Strauss, with whom she had two sons. - Variety.com, 8/6/18...... David Stein, a longtime associate of promoter and producer Sid Bernstein, died in a Long Island hospital on Aug. 5 following complications from surgeries among other existing health challenges. He was 70. In the late 1960s and early '70s, Stein worked alongside Bernstein, who is best known for bringing bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Kinks to the United States. Stein was involved in several projects while working with Bernstein, such as making the deal for the famous DJ Bruce, the top 40 disc jockey also known as Cousin Brucie, to move from the station WABC to WNBC. His final project with Bernstein involved planning the promoter's trip to Edinburgh, where he plotted to obtain the U.S. management rights for the Bay City Rollers with plans to launch the band stateside by premiering its new single "Saturday Night" on the debut episode of a new Howard Cosell-hosted show called Saturday Night Live on ABC. He also founded a vinyl (and later CD) buying and selling business called Record Gems and briefly ran his own record label, All The Best. - Billboard, 8/6/18.
Queen guitarist Brian May posted a video to 
In an interview with the Associated Press, the Who's Roger Daltrey said he worries that the coronavirus pandemic will have a devastating effect on a special group of people in need -- teens with cancer. "(The pandemic is) devastating for them because every treatment that they have for cancer compromises their immune system," said Daltrey, who along with bandmate Pete Townshend started the Teen Cancer America foundation in 2012 to deal with the specific needs of teenage cancer patients. TCA has funded specialized hospital wings and services for teens and their families, but with venues closed and touring postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the organization faces a potential shortfall in donations heading into June, which is National Cancer Survivors Month. "We pay for that space in the hospital. We equip it. We maintain it. And we provide specialist nursing. That's what we do," Daltrey says of TCA. "And you have to remember that a lot of these youngsters who get cancer don't live near a big city. They might be miles out in the sticks. So we are starting outreach programs where we send specialized nursing, setting up web links so that they can link patients up," he added. Asked about streaming possibly making up the loss of revenue from live performances, Daltrey says "there's no money" in streaming. "Ask any musician, man. The only ones making money are the streaming companies. You can have a billion streams and you'll get paid $5,000. Oh, man. It's cruel. It's crucifying. I don't know whether it would work for us, though. I mean, that music's very different," he said. The 76-year-old musician added that he has been "singing for myself just to keep my voice up" during the Who's downtime. "I don't want to go back and be half as good as I was last year. I want to be as good as I was last year because the Who was better than ever last year... But I'm going to continue. I don't know what else I would do, man," he said. - AP, 5/22/20...... Paul McCartney posted a series of Twitter posts on May 21 paying tribute to Beatles photographer Astrid Kirchherr, who died earlier in May at age 81 of as yet undisclosed causes. "Very sad news this week about Astrid Kirchherr," McCartney began. "Astrid was a dear friend from my Hamburg days with The Beatles. Another friend, Klaus Voormann, told me she had passed away and this brought back memories of our days in the clubs in Hamburg. She had a great sense of humour and later went on to marry Stuart (Sutcliffe) our bass player. I have so many fond memories of our time together in the club or her home or a trip to the nearby seaside resort, Lubeck. So sad for all of us who were her friends to lose such a lovely lady from our lives. I will miss her but will always remember her and her cheeky grin with great fondness. God bless you Astrid, see ya love!," McCartney added in his posts. Kirchherr, who was known for taking the first ever photo of the then-quintet in her native Hamburg, Germany in the early 1960s and helping to shape their trend-setting style before they shot to international superstardom, passed away on May 13, days before turning 82. - Music-News.com, 5/22/20...... Foreigner premiered a new performance of their 1984 power ballad "I Want To Know What Love Is" on 
Cher celebrated her 74th birthday on May 20 with a socially distanced surprise party outside. Cher revealed details of her big day as she responded to a fan who tweeted her a picture of the chocolate cake she had made for the star's birthday. In her usual capital letters, Cher replied on Twitter that she'd been thrown a surprise party by her nearest and dearest, explaining: "We were outside, masks, gloves and social distancing. Hardest part, social distancing, not easy! Being outside helped." Cher added that there were 10 people present for the celebration, and concluded: "There was cake. Hope we did it right. It's not easy. A million things you're used to doing that you can't do." Cher also tweeted her gratitude to her legion of Twitter followers who inundated her with birthday messages. Calling her followers "the best", Cher added: "I can't believe I'm 'so' old and 'still crazy after all these years'. I can't find words to thank you for all you've (done) for me." - Music-News.com, 5/21/20...... A UK postman and rabid KISS fan on the Isle Of Sheppey who has been dressing up as KISS frontman Gene Simmons on his delivery rounds to boost morale during the coronavirus lockdown has drawn attention from Simmons himself. "Gary Underdown is keeping spirits up in the UK by delivering the mail as The Demon Gene Simmons during quarantine, KISS posted on their 
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood says beating lung cancer was like being given a "get out of jail free card" in his new documentary, Somebody Up There Likes Me. Wood previously revealed he was diagnosed with the illness in 2017 after smoking "25 to 30 cigarettes a day at least for 50-odd years" and had prepared to say goodbye to his loved ones before he underwent five hours of surgery to remove cancer from one of his lungs. He announced that he was cancer-free in 2018 ."I got away with having it cut out of one lung, the cancer," he revealed in a preview for his first feature-length documentary, which can be viewed on 
In April, organizers of a "Hungry Heart Club Night" in the UK raised over £32,000 for charity after spinning a virtual 24-hour DJ set of Bruce Springsteen songs. Now Hannah Summers and Jon Beck have announced details of their latest Springsteen DJ event which will raise money for Mental Health Awareness Week, after The Boss himself previously opened up on his own battles with depression -- with fans encouraged to submit their requests in advance. "To help support conversations about mental health, this Saturday we will be bringing you a Hungry Heart requests special. As @springsteen is someone who has spoken openly about his own mental health (and given how his music has helped us manage ours!), we wanted to do our bit in raising awareness," the duo wrote on Instagram. Fans who wish to take part in the latest Hungry Heart Club Night can log on to the 
Seventies popsters America have announced they'll be celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2019 by releasing a deluxe 8-disc career retrospective called 
Former Pink Floyd principal Roger Waters shared his thoughts about the coronavirus situation on his 
In an interview with BBC Radio 2 on May 17, Rod Stewart has discussed the prospect of a movie about his life and career, following the success of recent Freddie Mercury and Elton John biopics Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. The 74-year-old musician said he would be "flattered" if a similar film was to be made about his own career, and said he thought actor Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill, Harry Potter) would be a good choice to play him. "Rhys would be a very good idea. [But] he has got to do something with his barnet (Cockney rhyming slang for hair), Stewart said. Ifans, who previously dated Stewart's daughter Kimberley, also has musical experience of his own as a founding member of Welsh band Super Furry Animals. Stewart also said he'd like his fourteen year old son Alastair to play his younger self, as he believes they have a "remarkable similarity" in their looks. "If it does not happen it does not matter but I would be flattered if it did," Rod mused. "But I tell you what, the Freddie Mercury one was so good. It was rock and roll. It would be hard to get something better than that but I would give it a shot," he added. - NME, 5/17/20...... Guitarist Jorge Santana, the younger brother of Carlos Santana and whose guitar riffs on the band Malo's 1972 hit "Suavecito" transformed the song into a Chicano anthem, died on May 14 of natural causes. He was 68. "We take time to celebrate the magnificent spirit of our beloved brother, Jorge," Carlos Santana wrote on his 
Ken Osmond, best known as the sneaky troublemaker on the 1957-63 TV sitcom Leave It To Beaver, died on May 17, his manager has confirmed. He was 76. Osmond's Haskell character was a troublemaking friend of Wally Cleaver (Tony Dow), Beaver's (Jerry Mathers) older brother. His impact on pop culture can be measured by the fact that, for those of us of a certain age, if someone is described as an "Eddie Haskell"-type, we know exactly what is meant. Osmond revisited his most famous role frequently over the years in the many subsequent iterations of the show, most notably Still the Beaver, which ran from 1983-1989. He also guested on such series as Happy Days, Lassie, Petticoat Junction and The Munsters. After his acting career ended, he went on to become an LAPD Cop and reportedly took five bullets in the line of duty, reportedly growing a mustache to be less-recognizable on the job. "He was an incredibly kind and wonderful father," his son, Eric, said in a statement. "He had his family gathered around him when he passed. He was loved and will be very missed." - Deadline.com, 5/18/20...... Annie Glenn, wife of astronaut and former U.S. Sen. John Glenn, died at a nursing home of COVID-19 complications near family in St. Paul, Minn., on May 19. She was 100 years old. Annie, as everyone knew her, lived in the shadow of her husband's fame, but emerged in midlife to become an inspiration for people with disabilities around the world by overcoming the chronic stuttering that afflicted and limited her during the years her husband was becoming a household name. In 1983, Annie Glenn received the first national award of the American Speech and Hearing Association for her meritorious service to those with communicative disorders. In 1987, the National Association for Hearing and Speech Action awarded the first annual Annie Glenn Award for achieving distinction despite a communication disorder. In 2009, the Ohio State University awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Public Service to recognize her work on behalf of children and others. John Glenn died in 2016 at age 95 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. At the time of his death, the two had been married 73 years, after being high school sweethearts. - USAToday.com, 5/19/20.
Former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar has labeled VH drummer Alex Van Halen's oversight of the "Van Hagar" era in his recent memoir Brothers as "blasphemy." Hagar, who fronted VH from 1985 to 1996, and again from 2003 to 2005, criticized Alex for effectively stopping the VH story after the departure of vocalist David Lee Roth, and overlooking not only Hagar's time as vocalist, but the temporary lineup featuring Gary Cherone, and their ultimate reunion with Roth. Sharing a photo of himself and guitarist Eddie Van Halen from 1991 on Instagram, Hagar began responding to comments on the post, including one who opined that "most purists believe VH ended with DLR." "It could have [ended], my friend, but instead we went on to sell over 50 million records for [a] No. 1 album [then] sold out every building and stadium in the world for a whole decade," Hagar responded. "That never happened again." VH experienced some of their biggest successes with their album 1984, which featured the No. 1 single "Jump," and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and become their highest charting release of the Roth era. The follow-up, 1986's 5150, was their first released with Hagar on vocals, and was the first of four consecutive No. 1 albums released with Hagar at the helm. Continuing his response, Hagar contended that Alex was doing both the band and his late brother a disservice by leaving the era out of the memoir. "Alex is not doing his brother's musical legacy justice by not acknowledging all the No. 1 albums and some great music Eddie and I wrote together -- not Alex -- but Eddie and I wrote together," Hagar continued. "To not acknowledge [those] 10 years of music is blasphemy to his brother's musicianship, songwriting and legacy." However, Hagar recently told Rolling Stone that he still hopes that he and his former bandmate are able to make peace at some point. "I understand he probably couldn't have done the whole era in one book. It would've been the Bible, the dictionary, so maybe he's got plans for a Volume 2. Who knows?" said Hagar. "I want to be friends, though. I don't want to play in a band with Al. I'm not asking for that. I can see that he's not capable of doing that. If he was, I'd be happy to play with him, but it's not what I'm looking for. I just want to friends again." - Billboard, 12/31/24...... Elvis Presley's The Classic Christmas Album has topped Billboard Top Rock Albums for the first time, rising two places to No. 1 on the Jan. 4, 2025-dated survey. In the week ending Dec. 26, the set earned 40,000 equivalent album units, a jump of 59%, according to Luminate. The Classic Christmas Album was released in 2012 and features 17 holiday-themed hits from Presley's catalog, including "Blue Christmas" and "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)." "Blue Christmas" was the album's top performer in streaming last week. It ranks at No. 2 on Rock Steaming Songs with 27.1 million official U.S. streams (up 61%). "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" also appears on the tally, at No. 11 (8.1 million, up 43%). The collection, which previously reached a No. 2 best on Top Rock Albums over the 2020 holiday season, is Presley's second No. 1 on the chart, which began in 2006, after Elvis Presley Forever led for a week in 2015. That album accompanied a "forever" postage stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service that year. "Blue Christmas" was the set's top radio track, with 9 million in audience (up 33%). Meanwhile, Elton John has scored his 60th Billboard Top 40 hit with his 2021 collaboration with Ed Sheeran, "Merry Christmas." The holiday song rose four places to No. 38, marking its first week in the chart's top 40 -- and John's milestone 60th top 40 hit and Sheeran's likewise landmark 25th. The collab, which Sheeran and John co-wrote, was released in 2021 and first peaked at No. 42 a year later. Presley is currently at No. 4 on the list of artists with the most Top 100 hits, behind Drake, Taylor Swift and Lil Wayne, while John is tied with Beyoncé in ninth place with 60 each. - Billboard, 12/31/24...... 
The Doobie Brothers shared details of a new album in 2025 in a 
In related news, the producer of A Complete Unkown has revealed he's attached for a new biopic on Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett and is in talks with "Mama Cass" Elliot's estate for a new film about the late The Mamas and the Papas singer. Peter Jaysen owns the company, Veritas Entertainment, that was involved in securing the rights to Dylan's musical archive and life story for A Complete Unknown. In an appearance on the podcast The Town With Matthew Belloni, he revealed that more big-name projects were in motion. "Due to our involvement with Bob [Dylan] doing A Complete Unknown, we've been fortunate enough that right now we're working on, with Wash Westmoreland, the great writer-director, a Syd Barrett movie, one of the founders of Pink Floyd," he confirmed. "We have had multiple Zooms with the estate of Mama Cass Elliot and met with her daughter, Owen, and are close to acquiring the rights to her book, My Mama Cass." Jaysen didn't mention release dates for either biopic nor give any timelines for their production. Barrett founded Pink Floyd in 1965 as their frontman and principal songwriter before leaving in 1968 over issues with his drug use and mental health. He spent the rest of his life out of the spotlight in Cambridge until he passed away in 2006. Meanwhile, Elliot, better known as Mama Cass, rose to fame as a member of The Mamas and the Papas in the 1960s. She died in 1974 at the age of 32. - NME, 12/27/24...... In a newly released fan capture of former Deep Purple members Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale participating in a Q&A event in Sydney, Australia on Oct. 3, Hughes revealed that his experience attending the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony of his former band Deep Purple was "f--king uncomfortable." "There was no, 'How are you tonight?' None of that," he said of his cold treatment by the other DP inductees -- Ian Gillan, Roger Glover and Ian Paice. "There was no family vibe, there was no hugging, there was no handshaking, there was no, 'How're you doing, pal?' None of that. And it was f--king uncomfortable. Let me tell you, it was uncomfortable." Hughes continued, saying that at the end of the event, he wanted to congratulate Gillan with a hug, but Gillan had put his arm out "'cause he did not want me to get near him." Hughes added that the incident "really upset me to the point of tears." "So I grabbed him and said to him, 'Oh shit.' I can't tell you what I said, but I thought it was very f--king stupid to do it on live TV where you have to show resentment or whatever you wanna call it. I was really upset. It didn't make me angry. It really hurt my feelings. Why did he do that? I don't know." Hughes added: "I've had my fair share of crappy, weird things happen. I wasn't the nicest guy when I was drunk. But to do that to a family member whilst I was thanking and congratulating him on his award He didn't wanna know it, didn't wanna fucking know. That was really rude." In 2024, Deep Purple embarked on their "=1 More Time" tour in support of their latest album =1, which included a performance at Montreux Jazz Festival. - NME, 12/30/24...... Neil Young has dug into his archives again for the latest addition to his "Fireside Sessions," pulling out "Pardon My Heart" for its first performance in over 50 years. The live rendition was shared to his 
The former Morrison Hotel, immortalized by The Doors and their 
Actress Linda Lavin, star of the long-running CBS sitcom 
Jimmy Carter, the Georgia peanut farmer who won the presidency in 1976 in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100. The longest-lived American president, Pres. Carter died more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Ga., where he and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who preceded him in death in Nov. 2023 at age 96, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. "Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia," the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world, Pres. Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation's highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. "My faith demands -- this is not optional -- my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference," he once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon's disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. Pres. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women's rights and America's global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Pres. Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet his electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in Apr. 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn't long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 -- losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox -- and then immediately focused on the next campaign. In 1970, he ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman he mocked as "Cufflinks Carl." Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Mr. Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Mr. Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. A self-declared "born-again Christian," Pres. Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he "had looked on many women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times." The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced -- including NBC's new Saturday Night Live show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. He campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he'd "kick his ass," but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with "make America great again" appeals and asking voters whether they were "better off than you were four years ago." The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his "malaise" speech, although he didn't use that word. He declared the nation was suffering "a crisis of confidence." By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. At 56, Pres. Carter returned to Georgia with "no idea what I would do with the rest of my life," and eventually founded The Carter Center. Among the center's many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee's 2002 Peace Prize cited his "untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. "I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything," hetold the AP in 2021. "But it's turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years." Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. "I'm perfectly at ease with whatever comes," he said in 2015. "I've had a wonderful life. I've had thousands of friends, I've had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence." "When I look at Jimmy Carter, I see a man not only for our times, but for all times," Pres. Joe Biden said in a tribute on X. "A man who embodied the most fundamental human values we can never let slip away. And while we may never see his likes again, we would all do well to try to be a little more like Jimmy Carter." Pres. Biden has declared Jan. 9 a national day of mourning for the late president, who will be honored with a state funeral in Washington, D.C. before being buried in his native Plains, Ga. - AP/Billboard, 12/29/24.
Gene Simmons of KISS announced on 
On Dec. 20 former Fleetwood Mac member Lindsey Buckingham was granted a permanent restraining order by a judge in Los Angeles against an alleged female stalker who showed up at his house. During the hearing Buckingham, 75, testified as part of his plea for protection against a 53-year-old woman named Michelle. The court previously granted the rockstar a temporary restraining order but now Buckingham was awarded a full five-years of protection. Buckingham showed the judge the picture that Michelle left at his house when she showed up, and he also played an "unmarked audio clip" as evidence. The judge determined Buckingham had presented enough evidence to warrant a permanent order and ordered Michelle, who did not appear for the hearing despite being served with notice, to stay 100 yards away from Lindsey, his wife Kristen Buckingham and his son William Buckingham. The woman was also ordered to not contact, harass or threaten Buckingham in any manner. The restraining order will expire in Dec. 2029. In his petition for the restraining order, Buckingham accused accused Michelle of harassing his family since 2021 and claimed she accused him of being his father, which he said was not true. He said it all started when Michelle found his wife's business cell phone number. He said Michelle started calling Kristen, "sometimes, leaving long drawn-out messages that included the claim that she was my child and threats to kill me and my family." He said, "She also blamed me for facial deformities she apparently suffered as a child and demanded money." "I do not know [Michelle] and I am not her father," he told the court. The "Trouble" singer said police instructed Michelle to stop contacting Lindsey and his family in 2022. He said he believed it all stopped so he decided not to take any legal action, but then Michelle reappeared in 2024 when she showed up to his house to leave a collage of photos of her face with his face. He said two weeks later after Michelle made false reports to the police about his son being in danger in the house, police showed up at his home and conducted a search for 20 minutes, "leaving me outside in the cold handcuffed... and shaken" until they realized it was a false report. The court granted the petition in full at the hearing. - InTouchWeekly.com, 12/23/24...... On Dec. 25 Neil Young shared an 
Legendary Philly soul group The Stylistics have announced their first new album in nearly two decades, with the likes of Shania Twain, KISS's Gene Simmons, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood, The Darkness' Justin Hawkins and the Tower of Power Rhythm Section all set to feature. Now, 56 years after their original formation and a full 17 years since their last full-length album That Same Way, the vocal group have announced a brand new album, 
Richard Perry, one of the great record producers of the 1970s and '80s whose greatest hits include the likes of No. 1 singles