Posted by Administrator on September 18th, 2024
A source close to Elton John has told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column that the superstar has finished work on his 32nd studio album which he's quietly been working on all year, but plans to release it are now up in the air because the 77-year-old singer is battling a serious eye infection that has left him with limited vision. "The initial plan was for a Christmas release and to end the year on a high with the new album and his new documentary," the source said, referring to the new rock doc Elton John: Never Too Late. "But his health has meant things are up in the air," the source added. "A few people are surprised that Elton has managed to complete it by the end of the summer, but now it has officially been handed in." - Music-News.com, 9/15/24...... A report in Variety says that Pink Floyd is reportedly in "advanced" talks to sell their music catalog at a price that's apparently between $400 million and $500 million. Variety claims that the deal has been complicated in recent years due to former Floyd bassist Roger Waters' political statements, most recently against Israel and Ukraine. In response, guitarist David Gilmour had attacked Waters with claims of anti-Semitism. In a new recent interview with Rolling Stone, Gilmour spoke about selling the band's catalog. "To be rid of the decision making and the arguments that are involved with keeping it going is my dream," he said, adding that it's mainly to do with "getting out of the mud bath" -- one that's likely referring to Waters' controversial and outspoken views. Meanwhile, Gilmour is celebrating his third solo No. 1 album in his native UK with Luck and Strange. The musician's fifth studio collection now joins On An Island (2006) and Rattle That Lock (2015) in a trio of solo chart-toppers. Luck And Strange also tops the Official Vinyl Albums Chart. - NME, 9/14/24...... 
Despite initially claiming that her son Elijah Blue Allman's life would "be at risk" if left to his own devices, Cher has given up her attempt to take over control of his personal affairs, including his finances. Cher applied for conservatorship of Elijah, whose father is the late Gregg Allman, in 2023 when she claimed he could not properly take care of himself or "manage his own financial resources" because of his alleged struggles with drug abuse. In court documents, Cher claimed "any funds distributed to Elijah will immediately be spent on drugs... leaving [him] with no assets... and putting [his] life at risk." In response, Elijah acknowledged he had "struggled with addiction and spent money in ways that have not always been the most responsible" in the past, he was now "clean and sober." Now in a recent court hearing, Cher's lawyer Gabrielle Vidal said the singer and her son had "privately resolved this matter" via mediation. He later told People magazine that "Mr. Allman's team successfully defended the bid, resulting in Cher voluntarily dismissing her petition. "This outcome allows the parties to focus on healing and rebuilding their family bond, a process that began during mediation and continues today," he added. In other Cher-related news, the diva has confirmed she'll be headlining the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Oct. 15 in Brooklyn, New York. Cher will be headlining the brand's first big runway showcase in six years -- and she'll be leading a lineup of all-women artists for the first time ever. The iconic fashion house shared the news on Instagram with a video of the 78-year-old superstar singing her 1998 No. 1 hit "Believe," giving fans a taste of what she'll bring to the VS runway this fall. "It's a woman's world, so it's understood that you can't have a fashion show without the mother of fashion herself @Cher!" the caption reads. Victoria's Secret canceled the program -- which featured the world's most recognizable models walking the runway in lingerie and avant-garde angel wings -- after the 2018 show amid growing backlash to the brand's lack of inclusivity and perpetuation of unrealistic beauty standards. In 2019, parent company L Brands stated its desire to "evolve the marketing of Victoria's Secret" in the show's absence. This year, supermodel Gigi Hadid will once again walk for VS alongside another seasoned Angel, Tyra Banks. And the wings will also be making a grand return. "We've read the comments and heard you," the company wrote on Instagram in May. - Music-News.com/Billboard, 9/14/24...... The assets of the legendary Los Angeles recording studio The Record Plant, where Michael Jackson, Prince, Lady Gaga and dozens of other music superstars made classic albums for decades, has been purchased by veteran producer Rafa Sardina in a bankruptcy hearing. Sardina, a Grammy-winning producer who has worked with Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow, among others, purchased the studio's assets for $500,000, taking over ownership of dozens of speakers, sound boards, microphones, cassette decks, CD recorders and other valuable sound equipment that was the heart of the studio for decades. Founded in 1968, the Record Plant has been the standard for music production due to its high-end equipment and an emphasis on service and luxury that made rock megastars feel like they were in their own homes. Thanks to perks like a hot tub room, stars such as John Lennon and Fleetwood Mac literally took over studio rooms in the studio's early days; after it moved to its current location on North Sycamore Avenue in Los Angeles, Beyoncé rented every room to make her album Lemonade and Kanye West and Pharrell rode motorized scooters through the hallways. Sardina interviewed successfully at Record Plant early in his career before deciding to work at a different studio. A lower bid, according to court documents, came from Italian producer Patrizio Moi, who has occupied a Record Plant studio room known as Digi-Plant since 2014. He offered $50,000. Moi has said he hopes to take over the studio and run it as if it never closed, however that will be harder to do so now that the studio's high-tech equipment is likely to be removed. - Billboard, 9/16/24...... 
It appears it's "R.I.P. R.E.O." Members of REO Speedwagon took to Instagram on Sept. 16 to announce that their upcoming U.S. dates will be their last due to intractable conflicts between the two longest-tenured members -- vocalist/keyboardist Kevin Cronin and bassist Bruce Hall. "Bruce has intended to be Back On the Road Again by now," the statement reads. "If it were up to just him, he'd be back on tour & but it's not up to just him." Hall has been off the road recuperating from back surgery while REO was touring with Train this summer. The message also noted that Cronin also "never had any intention" of leaving the band, but that things came to a head over unexplained stressors, leading to the difficult decision to call it a road day. "Due to this complex situation, irreconcilable differences arose between Bruce and Kevin. So, it is with great sadness that we announce REO Speedwagon will cease touring effective January 1, 2025," they announced. "[Keyboardist] Neal [Doughty], Kevin, and Bruce thank their fans for all their years of loyal support and for giving back to the band such wonderful memories that will remain with each of them forever." Train and REO launched their 44-date co-headlining Summer Road trip on July 8 and wrapped it up on Sept. 11; only Train peformed at the latter show in Phoenix due to Cronin's illness. The band recently had to cancel shows in Chula Vista, Calif. and Phoenix, Ariz. after Cronin was felled by an undisclosed illness. The group has a final round of headlining dates slated to kick off on Sept. 27 at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, Calif. before playing what will now be their swan song on Nov. 23 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. REO Speedwagon formed in Champaign, Ill. in 1967 with an initial lineup featuring lead singer Terry Luttrell and a rotating roster of guitarists, releasing three albums with as many lead vocalists before Cronin joined in time for 1972's R.E.O./T.W.O. LP; Cronin split before 1973's Ridin' the Storm Out album. After sitting out three additional studio albums, Cronin returned for the 1976 incarnation of R.E.O., which set the stage for their breakthrough with 1978's punny You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish. But it was 1980's High Infidelity that cemented their reputation as AOR radio soft rock gods thanks to Hot 100 charting hits "Keep On Loving You" (No. 1), "Take It on the Run" (No. 5), "In Your Letter" (No. 20) and "Don't Let Him Go" (No. 24). The band released six more albums, including their final original studio effort, 2007's Find Your Way Home. A holiday album, Not So Silent Night & Christmas with REO Speedwagon, was released in 2009. - Billboard, 9/17/24...... Heartbreakers Beach Party, a long-lost Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers documentary that was also notably the directing debut of Oscar-winning director Cameron Crowe, is set to finally be screened in cinemas this fall with a new restoration. Crowe filmed and completed the project, which depicts the band recording and promoting their fifth album Long After Dark, in 1983. In a press statement Crowe reveals the film never made it to cinemas in the 1980s. "The fact that it was yanked from MTV after only one airing at 2:00 A.M. just shows that it was indeed an outlandish feast for fans in all the best ways," he says. The film will be released in cinemas worldwide on two days only: Oct. 17 and 20. Crowe says he was reunited with 16mm reels of the film, which were long thought to be lost for decades, earlier in 2024. "Heartbreakers Beach Party occupies a special place in my heart," says Crowe. "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leaned into the making of the film with a kind of hilarious music-filled honesty that still feels fresh forty years later. It was also my first experience as a director. Thanks to Adria Petty and the Petty Estate, along with our co-filmmakers Danny Bramson, Phil Savenick, Doug Dowdle and Greg Mariotti, I'm so happy we're bringing it back in all its reckless glory," he adds. Meanwhile, the Long After Dark album will be reissued in October as a double disc and contains seven recordings that remained unreleased up until now. These include Petty's "Never Be You," which became a chart-topping hit for Rosanne Cash in 1984, as well as "Don't Make Me Walk the Line" and "Ways To Be Wicked." The latter was released as a single by Lone Justice in 1985. - NME, 9/14/24...... 
In a conversation with Billboard's "Behind the Setlist" podcast, KISS frontman Paul Stanley teases that the band's digital future is "beyond anything" anyone else has contemplated. After the culmination of The End of the Road Tour in December, KISS began the year with the sale of its name and likeness and plans to live eternally in the digital world. Details are scarce, but the band has said the virtual performance should launch in Las Vegas in 2027. Although Stanley didn't say exactly how KISS will carry its legacy into the future, he and fellow KISS co-founder Gene Simmons have typically ambitious goals. In April, KISS sold its name and likeness rights to Pophouse, the Swedish company that helped build ABBA Voyage around virtual versions of ABBA's four members made to look decades younger. Although those early generations of avatars wowed audiences, KISS isn't content to replicate the previous models, says Stanley. "We're creating something that's not a concert," he explains. "The idea of a hologram -- and it's not a hologram, but that term seems to get thrown around a lot -- but the idea a simulated concert is not what we want to do. Frankly, I would find that boring." Stanley's full interview can be streamed on Spotify.com. In other KISS news, Gene Simmons has said Oasis fans are "entitled to f--- off" if they're unhappy with Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing plan. Tickets went on sale for a highly anticipated reunion between brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher at the end of August and officially sold out within a few hours. However, the entire process was far from smooth, with millions flocking to try to grab tickets and many being left disappointed after several issues cropped up. Another sore point came as dynamic pricing was used; a process which sees prices hiked up due to high demand. Now, following the whole debacle, various other figures from the music industry have weighed in on the situation, and shared whether or not they support the idea of 'dynamic pricing' being used for live music events. Interviewed by Forbes magazine, Simmons said those upset witht he prices are "entitled to f---- off." "You have the ultimate power, supply and demand," he began, referring to disappointed fans. "Whatever the pricing is, is all academic. Somebody sits in a room and tries to figure out how far the rubber band can stretch. And if you're not selling tickets, guess what happens? The price goes down. Capitalism!" Earlier in the interview, the KISS bassist was asked about his thoughts on the Britpop legends, having previously been "a bit wishy-washy on them" in the past. Simmons revealed he was now a "big fan" of the band...."it's brilliant marketing, whether by hook or by crook, whether it's by accident or plan... All the great pairings: [John] Lennon and [Paul] McCartney, [Mick] Jagger and [Keith] Richards, they all turn on each other after a while, then they get back together again! It always works [out] good for them because, again, people want to hear those songs! hey've got lots of fans and they'll do great. Good luck! More power to them." KISS, the band performed the final show of their farewell tour in New York last December, and told fans that they were looking at designing an ABBA Voyage-style live show that would see them take to the stage as avatars. - Billboard/New Musical Express, 9/16/24...... Judas Priest kicked off their latest North American tour in Montreal on Sept. 13. The heavy metalers are continuing their support for their 2024 album Invincible Shield, two months after a sojourn in Europe that concluded in July at Istanbul, Turkey. The setlist for the night saw a mix of Invincible Shield and fan favourites across nine classic albums, including "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," "Breakin' the Law," "Love Bites" and "Devil's Child," encoring with "The Hellion"/"Electric Eye," "Hell Bent for Leather" and "Living After Midnight." On the same day, the band issued the 50th anniversary edition of Rocka Rolla, which features a brand new mix by longtime collaborator and producer Tom Allom. The effort sprang from the band learning in 2022 that the owner of label Gull Records -- which released the band's first two albums Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings of Destiny -- was keen to sell them the master and publishing rights for the albums. The remixes are now available to stream on digital platforms, with vinyl and CD copies arriving on Nov. 22 - NME, 9/14/24...... 
Ted Nugent has responded to Pearl Jam's recent anti-gun cover of Nugent's song "Stranglehold" after the grunge rockers briefly covered the song during a show on Sept. 12 in Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena. Frontman Eddie Vedder ad-libbed the "Stranglehold" lyrics: "I don't own a gun/ I don't ever want to own a gun/ I don't own a gun, never want to own a gun," after guitarist Mike McCready played it's iconic opening riff. Vedder didn't comment beyond that, instead opting to launch straight into "Even Flow." However, longtime gun rights advocate Nugent caught wind of it and made his own statement on social media, taking to X to write: "hey Eddie join me on my RAV [Real America's Voice show] spirit campfire to discuss how your insane liberal policies have created an explosion in engineered violent recidivism while you fight to disarm helpless innocent citizens." In 2021 -- despite homicides in the US rising by 30 per cent in 2020 over the previous year -- the outspoken conservative musician claimed America didn't have a gun problem and blamed a "failed court system" that too easily allows for criminals to be released. Pearl Jam, on the other hand, have been vocal about resisting increasing gun violence. in 2018, they debuted the new single "Can't Deny Me," and dedicated it to the Parkland students who had been campaigning for gun control since the fatal Florida shooting on Feb. 14 that year. Nugent would go on to say the Parkland shooting survivors were "pathetic" and had "no soul." - NME, 9/14/24...... Bob Dylan has treated fans to a live performance of "All Along the Watchtower" for the first time in six years, opening his show at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio with the 1967 classic. "Watchtower," which appears on Dylan's eighth studio album, John Wesley Harding -- has been covered by various artists throughout the years but is mainly associated with guitar god Jimi Hendrix and his electrifying rendition which was recorded with the Jimi Hendrix Experience for their third studio album, 1968's Electric Ladyland. Released only six months after Dylan's original, Hendrix's cover became a Top 20 hit the same year it was released and received a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2001. Dylan first performed "All Along The Watchtower" live at the launch of his reunion tour with The Band on Jan. 3, 1974. Since then, it has become his most played track, racking up a total of 2,285 times performed live. His performance of the song has been referred to as "a cover of a cover" due to his influence of Hendrix's version. His Cuyahoga Falls rendition of "Watchtower" can be viewed on YouTube. Meanwhile a new Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, is set for release in the US on Christmas Day, while it receives a UK release sometime in January. - NME, 9/13/24...... Country singer Tommy Cash, who was the younger brother of Johnny Cash, died on Sept. 14 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 84. Tommy's passing came just one day after the 21st anniversary of Johnny's 2003 death from compliations of diabetes. Born in Dyess, Ark., on April 5, 1940, Tommy followed the artistic path of his older brother, enlisting in the U.S. Army and workingas a radio DJ for the Armed Forces, and later performing as a musician with Hank Williams Jr.'s band. His solo music career began to take off after scoring his first record deal in 1965. Three years later, he released his debut album, Here's Tommy Cash, and scored his first top 10 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs in 1970 with "Six White Horses," a tribute to John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. The track, which reached No. 4, was later covered by country great Waylon Jennings. Tommy scored two more top 10 hits on Hot Country Songs in 1970 with "Rise and Shine" and "One Song Away." He went on to perform as a musician over the decades, teaming up with his big brother Johnny on "Guess Things Happen That Way" in 1990. Tommy scored two more top 10 hits on Hot Country Songs in 1970 with "Rise and Shine" and "One Song Away." He went on to perform as a musician over the decades, teaming up with his big brother Johnny on "Guess Things Happen That Way" in 1990. - Billboard, 9/14/24...... 
Tito Jackson, one of the founding members of the legendary Jackson 5, passed away on Sept. 15 after reportedly suffering a heart attack while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma. He was 70. Born Toriano Adaryll Jackson on Oct. 15, 1953, in Gary, Indiana, Tito was an integral part of the Jackson family's musical dynasty. He, along with his brothers Michael, Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie Jackson, formed The Jackson 5 in the 1960s. They were later inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Tito's rhythm guitar work and the harmonies of his brothers helped the group achieve meteoric success, culminating in their signing to Motown Records in 1968. Their debut single, "I Want You Back," became an instant sensation, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as did their subsequent hits "ABC" and "I'll Be There." While his younger brother Michael often dominated the spotlight, Tito's steady presence as a musician and performer was crucial to the band's success. The Jackson 5's 1969 debut album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, marked the beginning of their chart-topping career, with numerous tracks from that era becoming cultural staples. In the 1970s, the group rebranded as The Jacksons after leaving Motown. Tito continued to perform and tour with his brothers through the 1980s, contributing to albums like Destiny and Triumph, both of which saw significant success on the Billboard Hot 200 and R&B charts. Beyond his work with The Jackson 5, Tito pursued a solo career, releasing his debut album Tito Time in 2016. His single "Get It Baby" reached No. 19 on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart. Tito is survived by his three sons, Taj, Taryll, and TJ, who formed their own musical group, 3T, and by his numerous grandchildren. His ex-wife Delores "Dee Dee" Martes passed away in 1994. - Billboard, 9/16/24.
Queen have announced a newly mixed, mastered, expanded reissue of their 1973 self-titled debut album will arrive on Oct. 25. Titled Queen I, the boxset comes with six CDs and 1 LP, and contains 63 tracks with 43 brand new mixes. The song "Mad The Swine" -- originally absent from the 1973 release -- has also been reinstated to its original place in the running order. It was absent from the original LP following a difference of opinion between the band and one of its producers, however, it is now reinstated as the album's fourth song. A 108-page book containing handwritten lyrics and memorabilia also accompanies the release. Arriving Oct. 25, the reissue has been remixed and restored by Justin Shirley-Smith, Joshua Macrae and Kris Fredriksson to fit in with the sound that the band always wanted it to have. - NME, 9/11/24...... 
Although Eric Clapton has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on three different occasions, he had some choice words to say about the Cleveland-based hall and museum in a new interview with the UK's The Real Music Observer. Speaking of his own inductions, he said "I came to that thing, whatever it is... I think of it as a frat boys club that happened to lure [me] in. I think the fact that they had [former Atlantic Records president and Hall Of Fame chairman] Ahmet Ertegun was the ticket for me. He was doing it for people like Ruth Brown and The Drifters, all those early Atlantic artists that were being forgotten. And then, it just kind of started to snowball." Although he had his reservations due to the involvement of Rolling Stone magazine, he said his friend and The Band member Robbie Robertson was involved with it too, and persuaded him to do it. However, he made it clear that he wasn't happy with many of the Hall Of Fame's decisions, saying, "The fact that someone like J.J. [Cale] has never even been suggested is proof of what that thing is or proof of what it isn't. It's not like he'll ever come up. It's not their thing. I don't know what their thing is. But he's too anonymous for those guys." When it was mentioned that Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers hasn't been inducted -- he's turned it down in the past -- Clapton said, "He's a rebel. It's not a place for rebels. It's establishment stuff." Clapton's full interview can be streamed on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 9/12/24...... Apple Corps Ltd., Capitol Records and UMe have announed that a new Beatles vinyl box set comprised of their 1964 American albums will be released on Nov. 22 to celebrate 60 years of global Beatlemania. Seven albums by the iconic band originally compiled for U.S. release between Jan. 1964 and Mar. 1965 by Capitol Records and United Artists have been analogue cut for 180-gram audiophile vinyl from their original mono master tapes. Titled The Beatles: 1964 US Albums In Mono, the set's reissues feature faithfully replicated artwork and new four-panel inserts containing essays written by American Beatles historian and author Bruce Spizer. The albums' new vinyl lacquers were cut by Kevin Reeves at Nashville's East Iris Studios, and the box set collects the seven albums. All of them -- except the narrated 2-LP The Beatles' Story -- will also be available individually. A trailer for the new release has been shared on YouTube. - NME, 9/12/24...... In other Beatles-related news, Oasis are reportedly in talks with Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey for the drummer's role in their upcoming reunion tour, which Oasis members Liam and Noel Gallagher announced recently. Zak played with Oasis previously from 2004 until 2008, taking over from Alan White. Chris Sharrock played with the band for the final year before they split in 2009. Starkey left the band after a falling out with Noel, reportedly over his ongoing commitments with The Who. Meanwhile, Zak's famous drummer band is currently touring the US with his All-Starr Band, with dates in La Vista, Neb., on Sept. 13; Medford, Mass. on Sept. 19; Uncasville, Conn. on Sept. 21; and Philadelphia on Sept. 25. - Music-News.com, 9/8/24...... 
Days after Taylor Swift finally threw her support for Democratic presidential nominee Vice-Pres. Kamala Harris, Linda Ronstadt posted a missive to her Instagram account on Sept. 11 also giving the Harris/Tim Walz ticket her endorsement, but not before writing a scathing screed directed at former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who had announced plans to hold a rally on Sept. 12 in a Tucson, Ariz. hall named after Ronstadt. "It saddens me to see the former President bring his hate show to Tucson, a town with deep Mexican-American roots and a joyful, tolerant spirit," Ronstadt, who included a photo of her holding a kitten, writes. She continued: "I don't just deplore his toxic politics, his hatred of women, immigrants and people of color, his criminality, dishonesty and ignorance -- although there's that. For me it comes down to this: In Nogales and across the southern border, the Trump Administration systematically ripped apart migrant families seeking asylum. Family separation made orphans of thousands of little children and babies, and brutalized their desperate mothers and fathers. It remains a humanitarian catastrophe that Physicians for Human Rights said met the criteria for torture." Ronstadt, whose father was of Mexican descent, goes on to further castigate Trump, closing with "Trump first ran for President warning about rapists coming in from Mexico. I'm worried about keeping the rapist out of the White House." The "You're No Good" singer then went after Trump's running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance: "I raised two adopted children in Tucson as a single mom. They are both grown and living in their own houses. I live with a cat. Am I half a childless cat lady because I'm unmarried and didn't give birth to my kids? Call me what you want, but this cat lady will be voting proudly in November for @kamalaharris and @timwalz." Also giving her support to Vice-Pres. Harris shortly after the Swift endorsement was Stevie Nicks. "As my friend @taylorswift so eloquently stated, now is the time to research and choose the candidate that speaks to you and your beliefs," Nicks wrote on Instagram, sharing a photo of herself with her tiny canine. "Only 54 days left until the election," she continued. "Make sure you are registered to vote! Your vote in this election may be one of the most important things you ever do." Similar to Swift, who signed her own endorsement "Childless Cat Lady" -- a dig at Democrats previously made by Donald Trump's running mate J.D. Vance -- Nicks stamped her post with "Childless Dog Lady." The "Edge of Seventeen" singer's message comes amid a whirlwind 24 hours for the Harris-Walz campaign, which saw Harris debate Trump for the first time on Sept. 10. Shortly afterward, Swift gave her highly anticipated seal of approval on Instagram, writing that she was supporting the former prosecutor because "she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them." - Billboard, 9/11/24...... The final figures for Billy Joel's historic 10 1/2-year residency at New York's Madison Square Garden (MSG) are in. "Billy Joel at The Garden" earned $266.7 million and sold 1.9 million tickets over 104 shows since launching 2014, according to Billboard Boxscore. He played one show at MSG every month except for June 2017 and Dec. 2022, with a year-and-a-half hiatus due to COVID-19, from Mar. 2020 through Oct. 2021, plus Jan. 2022 in the height of the first Omicron wave. Joel's 2014 shows averaged $2 million per show, steadily creeping up to $2.5 million by 2019. Joel's final MSG show topped the entire run, bringing in more than $5 million from 18,576 tickets on July 25. That's more than double the sub-$2 million revenue from the opening show on Jan. 27, 2014. Ultimately, "Billy Joel at The Garden" is the third-highest grossing concert residency in Billboard Boxscore history, passing U2's brief-but-powerful opening run at Las Vegas' Sphere. - Billboard, 9/11/24...... Talking Heads' iconic film Stop Making Sense is set to return to cinemas in the UK and Ireland in an IMAX format. The Jonathan Demme film will be screened across 300 IMAX locations across the two countries on Oct. 2 as part of the ongoing celebrations of its 40th anniversary. Stop Making Sense previously came back into cinemas earlier in 2024. Last year, A24 Studios released a remastered 4K version of the 1984 movie on the big screen to mark its 40th anniversary. Talking Heads members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison also reunited at a special screening as part of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. - NME, 9/11/24...... 
'70s/'80s hitmakers Toto have announced they'll headline a UK and European tour in 2025. The L.A.-based Toto, whose hit singles include "Africa" and "Hold The Line," will hit the road on Feb. 1 at Glasgow's OVO Hydro, with performances also at arenas in Birmingham (Feb. 2), Manchester (Feb. 4) and London (Feb. 5). From there, Toto will head to Europe for gigs in Brussels, Paris, Zurich, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and other locations throughout the month and into early March. Joining founding members Steve Lukather (guitar/vocals) and Joseph Williams (vocals) on the tour will be Greg Phillinganes (keyboards/vocals), Shannon Forrest (drums), John Pierce (bass), Warren Ham (horns/percussion) and Dennis Atlas (keyboards/vocals). Christopher Cross is set to support the group at the concerts. Toto released their 14th and final studio album, Old Is New, in 2018. The are also scheduled to return to Brazil for the first time in 17 years, at Soa Paulo on Nov. 24 and Rio De Janeiro on Nov. 26. - NME, 9/11/24...... The elusive Janis Joplin biopic became closer to reality on Sept. 10, as actress Shailene Woodley announced she has received a commitment for a $2.49 million tax credit from the California Film Commission for the film. "I have a feeling Janis would be smiling ear to ear, zipping down the PCH in her psychedelic Porsche knowing her story is bringing opportunities and funding to the city and people that held so much significance to her," Woodley, who will star in and produce the film, said in a statement. "Thank you to the California Film Commission's Film & Television Tax Credit Program -- myself and the other producers on this project believe California is the only place to film a slice of Janis's life with authenticity and truth -- and we are so grateful to have received the green light to do so!," she added. The Joplin biopic from Temple Hill qualified for just under $10 million in production expenditures for a 30-day shoot in California, according to the state's film commission. Joplin died in 1970 at age 27 and a biopic of the legendary singer has yet to be produced, but not for a lack of trying. Amy Adams, Zooey Deschanel, P!nk and Melissa Etheridge, among others, were earlier on board to play Joplin in movies that never got to production. - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/10/24...... Heart has rescheduled their first tour in five years after sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson were postponed due to Ann's recent cancer scare. Sharing an animated video set to the group's 1975 hit "Crazy on You," Heart broke the news of the band's return to the road via Instagram on Sept. 9. "We can't wait to resume the Royal Flush Tour in 2025!" the group wrote, directing fans to buy tickets on Heart's website. "We hope to see all of you good people there!" The new string of shows kicks off Feb. 28, 2025, in Las Vegas, followed by over a month of arena shows across Los Angeles, Phoenix, Boise, Montreal, Ottawa and more. As of now, the run ends Apr. 5 in Quebec. - Billboard, 9/9/24...... Sting has released his first new music since his 2021 album The Bridge. The former Police star has shared "I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart)," which boasts a blues beat inspired by Bo Diddley's 1955 single "Bo Diddley Beat," and sees him sing, play bass and guitar. Sting's new trio, dubbed STING 3.0, features Dominic Miller on guitar, Chris Maas on drums and Martin Kierszenbaum on organ. The band headlined BBC's Radio 2 In The Park concert in Preston, England, on Sept. 7, and will kick off a North American tour on Sept. 17 and 18 at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit, Mich. - Music-News.com, 9/5/24...... 
A&M Records and UMe announced on Sept. 9 that a new collection of holiday classics by the Carpenters will be released on Nov. 1. Titled Christmas Once More, the newly remixed and remastered 16-track collection is personally curated by Richard Carpenter and includes fan favorites such as "Merry Christmas Darling," featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, "Sleigh Ride" and "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays." The album title is a play on the title of the duo's 1973 pop smash "Yesterday Once More," which was later used as the title of a 1985 hits collection by the duo. The Carpenters have been associated with Christmas since 1970, the year they burst to stardom with "Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun." That holiday season, they released "Merry Christmas Darling," a nostalgic Richard Carpenter-Frank Pooler ballad that reached No. 1 on Billboard's annual Christmas Singles lists in 1970, 1971 and 1973. The song, which can be streamed on YouTube, remains a classic, and ranked No. 41 on Billboard's 2023 list of the 100 Best Christmas Songs of All Time. - Billboard, 9/10/24...... Primary Wave Music and Prince Legacy, two companies with ties to Prince's assets, released a statement on Sept. 9 in response to reports of an unreleased documentary accusing the late musician of physical and emotional abuse. "Those with the responsibility of carrying out Prince's wishes shall honor his creativity and genius," the statement reads. "We are working to resolve matters concerning the documentary so that his story may be told in a way that is factually correct and does not mischaracterize or sensationalize his life. We look forward to continuing to share Prince's gifts and celebrate his profound and lasting impact on the world." On Sept. 8, a lengthy report from the New York Times Magazine revealed that an unreleased nine-hour documentary from O.J.: Made in America filmmaker Ezra Edelman featured interviews with dozens of Prince's former business partners, lovers, friends and associates which included multiple allegations of physical and emotional abuse. The article chronicled a dense back-and-forth between the film's production team and Prince's estate in a battle over the documentary's release. Per NYT, the project has been in development with Netflix for nearly five years. - The Hollywood Reporter, 9/10/24...... David Gilmour is on track to claim the No. 1 spot on this week's U.K. Official Albums Chart midweek update with his latest release, Luck and Strange. If the album maintains its lead, this would be the ex-Pink Floyd singer/guitarist's third solo chart-topper, following Rattle That Lock in 2015 and On an Island in 2006. Meanwhile, Gilmour has shared his thoughts on the upcoming Oasis reunion shows, and said that bands should "stick to" a set price for tickets. Tickets for the Oasis reunion went on sale at the end of August and officially sold out within a few hours. However, the entire process was far from smooth, with millions flocking to try to grab tickets and many being left disappointed after several issues arose, including Ticketmaster's "dynamic pricing policy," which sees prices hiked up due to high demand. Speaking with ITV News, Gilmour said: "I think Oasis should do exactly what they want to do. I'm not sure about this strange ticketing thing that's going on. They should put a price on tickets and stick to it." Gilmour performed his first live gig in four years at an East Sussex pub's open mic night on Sept. 9, performing alongside his daughter Romany Gilmour at The Neptune Live Music Bar in Hove, East Sussex. Footage of the performance can be checked out on X. - Billboard, 9/10/24...... 
Bruce Springsteen's wife and E Street Band member Patti Scialfa opens up about her recent battle with blood cancer in the new documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 8. Scialfa reveals she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, in 2018, which resulted in her dialing back her public appearances and performances with husband Springsteen's E Street Band over the past few years. "This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go," she says in the film that looks at the relationship between the 74-year-old rock icon and his longtime bandmates. "Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that's been a treat. That's the new normal for me right now, and I'm OK with that." Scialfa, 71, who has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 as a backing vocalist and guitarist -- and married Springsteen in 1991 -- was not on hand for the premiere, although her famous rocker husband was, and also participated in a post-screening Q&A. In addition to being a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, Scialfa has also released three solo albums. Fans have noted her absence on stage during the E Street Band's current stadium tour, which is the group's first major outing since 2016. Road Diary, an intimate look at the rock band's current world tour and the unique backstage dynamic between the players, will stream on Hulu and Disney+ beginning Oct. 25. The trailer can be viewed on YouTube. - Billboard, 9/9/24...... Also in Toronto promoting a new film was Elton John for his new Disney+ documentary Elton John: Never Too Late. During the film festival, the Rocket Man revealed to reporters that a "severe" eye infection has left him with "limited vision" in one eye. "What's happened with my eye has been very distressing," he said. "Because I'm used to getting out in the morning, looking at all the newspapers, looking at the charts, looking at everything, how the world is doing creatively. And I've lost that for the time being." However, the 77-year-old John remains "optimistic" about his recovery. "It's been seven weeks since I've been able to see out of this (eye). But the prospect is good. I had a hell of a time with this right eye. It's a hell of a bug that got into it," he explained. "And sometimes I feel forlorn. But most of the time I feel grateful that I've still got it. And I just have to be patient. And I've had so much support. So I'm always optimistic." Elton also revealed to his movie audience what he wants his tombstone to say: "I don't want it to say he sold a million records. I want it to say he was a great dad and great husband." Elton John: Never Too Late highlights John's rise to global rock stardom, beginning with his iconic 1975 Dodger Stadium concerts and concluding with his 2022 Farewell Yellow Brick Road show at the same venue. Directed by RJ Cutler and David Furnish, Elton's husband, it will be available to watch on Disney+ beginning Dec. 13. - Variety/Music-News.com, 9/10/24...... Mark Moffatt a legendary Australian guitarist and producer, died on Sept. 6 following a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 74. Moffatt was responsible for more tracks than another other single producer in the APRA Top 30 Australian songs, a list published in 2001 to celebrate the PRO's 75th anniversary. And he produced a remarkable 15 ARIA Hall of Fame inductees. In 1976, Moffatt produced The Saints' "(I'm) Stranded," a song that lit the powder keg that was the punk scene. Production stints with EMI and TCS Studios in Melbourne paved a way to Sydney in 1980, where Moffatt joined Festival Records as in-house producer, working on some of the biggest names in Australian music for more than a decade. Moving to Nashville in 1996, Moffatt was APRA/AMCOS' inaugural Nashville member relations representative from his appointment in 2014, until he retired from the role in June 2024. During his time there, he was awarded the CMA Global Achievement Award. - Billboard, 9/9/24...... Frankie Beverly, the honey-coated baritone frontman for the soul and funk group Maze, died on Sept. 10 of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 77. Also doubling as Maze's writer and producer, Beverly was the lead force behind a string of memorable R&B hits and fan faves that through the years became cultural and generational backdrops for many family barbecues, reunions and parties. Beginning in the late '70s with "While I'm Alone" and running through the mid-'90s, the group's musical legacy includes "Feel That You're Feelin'," "Southern Girl," "Running Away," the No. 1 singles "Back in Stride" and "Can't Get Over You" and, of course, "Before I Let Go." That 1981 hit took center stage again in 2019 when Beyoncé lovingly covered the song and included it as a bonus track on her Homecoming: The Live Album. Born in Philadelphia on Dec. 6, 1946, Beverly founded two groups before moving to California with the second group, rebranded as Raw Soul. That's when Beverly experienced an early career high point: Raw Soul tapped as the opening act for soul icon and mentor Marvin Gaye. It was also Gaye who christened the group with a new moniker, Maze. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly notched its first R&B top 10 in 1978 with "Workin' Together." The group became just as famous, however, for its must-see stage shows. Beverly, wearing his signature all-white casual slacks and T-shirt topped off by a baseball cap, presided over what seemed more like a church revival than concert. From start to finish, he and Maze would keep fans on their feet, dancing in their seats and aisles while singing along word-for-word at the top of their voices. That's why the group spent 15 years, beginning in 1995, as the Essence Festival's closing staple. The festival paid tribute to Beverly's legacy on July 3 with a special tribute. Beverly was also honored in April when a street in his childhood East Germantown neighborhood was renamed Frankie Beverly Way. In addition, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly received a BET Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards in July 2012. - Billboard, 9/11/24...... 
James Earl Jones, the prolific film, TV and theater actor whose resonant, unmistakable baritone was most widely known as the voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, died on Sept. 9 at his home in Dutchess County, N.Y. He was 93. After overcoming a profound stutter as a child, Mr. Jones established himself as one of the pioneering Black actors of his generation, amassing a bountiful and versatile career spanning over 60 years, from his debut on Broadway in 1958 at the Cort Theatre -- renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022 -- to his most recent performance in 2021's Coming 2 America. For that film, Jones reprised his role as King Jaffe Joffer from the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy Coming to America -- one of several roles, along with Darth Vader, that Jones revisited, including the voice of King Mustafa in Disney's animated feature The Lion King in 1994. Among his more than 80 film credits, Mr. Jones' other notable movies include as a B-52 bombardier in Stanley Kubrick's 1964 Cold War satire Dr. Strangelove (his feature film debut), as the first Black president of the United States in 1972's The Man, as the fearsome villain in 1982's Conan the Barbarian, as a reclusive author in 1989's Field of Dreams, as a blind former baseball star in 1993's The Sandlot, and as a minister living in apartheid South Africa in 1995's Cry, the Beloved Country. Jones was nominated for four Tony Awards, and won two, in 1969 for playing boxer Jack Johnson in "The Great White Hope" (which he reprised on film in 1970, receiving his only Oscar nomination), and in 1987 for originating the role of Troy Maxson in August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama "Fences." He was nominated for eight primetime Emmy awards, winning twice in 1991, for supporting actor in the miniseries Heat Wave, about the 1965 Watts riots, and for lead actor in the drama series "Gabriel's Fire," about a wrongfully imprisoned ex-cop who becomes a private detective. It wasthe first time an actor won two Emmys in the same year. Mr. Jones earned a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement award in 2009, an honorary Oscar in 2011 and a lifetime achievement Tony Award in 2017. His Grammy award in 1977 for spoken word album makes Mr. Jones only one a handful of actors to be a member of the elite "EGOT" club. His television credits, which number over 70, including many movies and miniseries such as Roots and The Atlanta Child Murders, recurring roles on L.A. Law, Homicide: Life on the Street and Everwood, and guest roles on shows like The Simpsons, Picket Fences, Law & Order, Frasier and House. Born in 1931 on a farm in in Arkabutla, Miss., Mr. Jones initially set out to study medicine as an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, but wound up more interested in drama. His first stage role was a small part in the 1957 Off Broadway production "Wedding in Japan." He took side jobs to supplement occasional theater work in Broadway's "Sunrise at Campobello," "The Cool World" and "The Pretender." He also appeared in summer stock. Mr. Jones was first married to actress-singer Julienne Marie. His second wife of 34 years, actress Cecilia Hart, died in 2016. He is survived his son, Flynn Earl Jones. - Variety, 9/10/24.
Paul McCartney announced on July 5 that he will promote his forthcoming LP 
During a live-streamed concert at Detroit's Fox Theatre on July 4, Neil Young voiced his support for immigrant children who have been separated from their parents at the U.S. southern border in one of his most politically overt concerts this summer. Adding the Buffalo Springfield track "I Am a Child," which he wrote when he was part of the band, to the set, Young pointed out that the children "are in the United States of America," adding that "a lot of people are looking at that," with some responding "So are we!" But mainly he let the music do the talking during the one-hour-and-45-minute show, one of six solo acoustic dates he's playing this summer, with politically charged songs such as "Ohio," "Angry World," "Love And War" and "Broken Arrow." The next dates on his itinerary includ the Promise of the Real fest in Quebec on July 6, then solo acoustic dates with shows on July 11-12 at the Wang Theatre in Boston. - Billboard, 7/4/18...... Charlie Daniels has raised over $100,000 for U.S. veterans by performing at the Veteran Impact Celebration in Murfreesboro, Tenn., on June 28. The sold-out fundraiser was held to benefit Middle Tennessee State University's Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center, a place that is very near and dear to Daniels' heart -- a fact confirmed with his presentation of a check for $100.000 on behalf of his non-profit Veterans' organization, The Journey Home Project. "I've been a patriot all my life. I've admired the military all my life," the 81-year-old "Uneasy Rider" singer noted. "I grew up during the second World War, and I remember the casualty reports, the campaigns, MacArthur and Eisenhower, and all these guys fighting the war. I remember D-Day... I remember it well," he says proudly of the events of June 6, 1944, and added that those serving today are just as brave. - Billboard, 7/4/18...... A cover of ABBA's "Fernando" by Cher and actor Andy Garcia from the movie Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again has debuted at No. 22 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary songs chart for the week ending July 7. "Fernando" is Cher's 28th AC chart entry and first since the No. 17-peaking "I Hope You Find It" in 2014. She made her debut on the chart on Sept. 25, 1971 with "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves," and has scored 14 Top 10s, including two No. 1's -- "After All," with Peter Cetera, and "If I Could Turn Back Time," both in 1989. She last reached the top 10 with the No. 3 smash "Believe" in 1999. The 
Styx has added the full version of "Mr. Roboto" to the setlist of their 2018 summer tour for the first time in 35 years. The band had quit playing "Mr. Roboto" live for many years due to bad memories from the acrimonious Kilroy Was Here project in 1983, a concept album spearheaded by former singer-keyboardist Dennis DeYoung that polarized fans and led to a seven-year split of the band. Even now, Styx guitarist James "J.Y." Young says he's ambivalent about the song, because of "all the bad things that went along with that record. It was just far off the mark from what I was interested in performing live -- and we have plenty of material without it." "Mr. Roboto" which peaked at No. 3 on the pop chart in 1983, got a new lease on life in a 1999 Volkswagen Golf ad, and ever since then has enjoyed a revisionist, kitschy status that's eclipsed any negative connotations it might have conveyed. Young says that fans would often request the song from Styx merchandise and crew members, and from the band when it would perform private shows, which led to a new understanding of and even appreciation for the song's importance. "While ['Mr. Roboto'] killed the momentum of the first huge wave of Styx, it actually spawned the next generation of Styx fans. A lot of people under the age of 12 bought it, and those people are now in their 30s, perhaps even older... so we just decided to try and do it," Young says. Dennis DeYoung, who parted ways with Styx acrimoniously in 1999, responded to "Mr. Roboto"'s new life with a tweet: "It's just two guys [Young and Shaw] finally admitting the obvious. People like it...Hallelujah." Styx will continue their summer co-headlining tour with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Tesla through July 15. - Billboard, 7/2/18...... Chic co-founder Nile Rodgers was unanimously elected by the Songwriters Hall of Fame's Board of Directors on July 2 to serve as the organization's chairman for the next three years, succeeding Philly soul hitmakers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. "I am truly honored and beyond humbled to be elected by such an esteemed group as this illustrious board," Rodgers said in a statement. "I will try and serve with all my heart. I hope I can make you half as proud of me as I am to even sit in the room with you who've done so much for the furtherance of composition. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve the songwriting community." Meanwhile, Rodgers is resurrecting Chic for the Sept. 14 release of its first new album in 26 years, It's About Time. - Billboard, 7/2 18...... Lawyers for Ozzy Osbourne have called a motion to dismiss his lawsuit filed by concert promoters AEG "baseless on the facts and the law alike." In the June 1 motion to dismiss the lawsuit from Osbourne that seeks injunctive action against AEG over their block booking policy between the O2 Arena in London and Los Angeles' Staples Center, AEG said that Osbourne cannot claim anti-trust injury since the policy ties the promoter to the agreement, not the artist. In a rebuttal to the motion to dismiss, Osbourne attorney Dan Wall writes that AEG is "misleading the court and are fully aware that the policy forces artists to play their venue in Los Angeles, sometimes against their will." AEG has argued that Osbourne has no claim to sue the promoter and venue operator, because he did not sign the "Staples Center Commitment," which was actually signed by the No More Tours 2 promoter, Live Nation. - Amplify.com, 7/3/18...... 
Meat Loaf announced on July 2 that he will be heading back on tour, but not doing any actual singing. Meat Loaf, 70, says he'll be handing vocal duties to Caleb Johnson, the winner of the American Idol competition in 2014. A source close to Meat Loaf told the UK paper The Sun that "Meat Loaf is concerned he isn't up to some of the bigger numbers after losing his voice a couple of years ago. He's been relying on pre-recorded vocal tracks for a while but doesn't want to face accusations of miming on a huge tour, so is passing the baton on to Caleb, who he's a big fan of. Instead his involvement will be telling stories of how he met Jim Steinman, who he's worked with since the Seventies, and other anecdotes. But the singing will be left to Caleb." Dates for the international tour will be announced in the coming days. - NME, 7/2/18...... The electronics and music retailer Best Buy announced on July 1 that it plans to pull all CDs out of its stores this summer, but will be keeping vinyl records. CDs, a once commonplace digital music format, has recently been getting hammered in the United States. CD sales were down 18.5 percent last year and some experts estimate Best Buy's CD receipts are just $40 million annually. But Best Buy says it's committed to carrying vinyl records, which have been enjoying a resurgence lately, for at least the next two years. - ABC7Chicago.com, 7/1/18...... Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson was granted a temporary restraining order by a Los Angeles court on July 3 against a man she says has been stalking her. The ordersays 23-year-old Nicholas Stevens must stay away from Jackson at least until July 24. In her complaint, Jackson said that she and a bandmate were leaving her recording studio June 13 when Stevens, who she does not know, appeared and said he'd waited for her last week for 15 hours. Jackson says Stevens refused to leave, said he was "stalking her," mentioned a shotgun and said "by midnight it will all be over." Then July 1, Stevens tweeted at Jackson that he was her "soulmate." Stevens could not be reached for comment. In other Jackson family news, family patriarch Joe Jackson was laid to rest on July 2 during a private ceremony at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, the same Suthern California cemetery as his late son Michael Jackson. Mr. Jackson died on June 27 in Las Vegas at age 89 and is survived by wife Katherine, eight children and dozens of grandchildren. - AP, 7/4/18...... Harry M. Miller, an Australian showbiz legend who twice promoted tours by the Rolling Stones in the 1960s and presented the successful stage productions of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "The Rocky Horror Show" Down Under, has died at age 84. Mr. Miller also promoted shows by the Beach Boys, Ella Fitzgerald and Tom Jones in Oz. He passed away peacefully in Sydney on June 4, the HMMG agency he founded, said in a statement. "By his side were his long term partner Simmone Logue, daughters Justine, Brook and Lauren and their mother Wendy," the statement reads. Mr. Miller also guided the careers of leading Australian media, sporting and entertainment figures including Deborah Hutton, Alan Jones, Maggie Tabberer and Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton. After 50 years in the business, Mr. Miller retired at the end of 2009 and published his memoirs two years later, Harry M Miller: Confessions of a Not-So-Secret-Agent. He was diagnosed with dementia in 2011. - Billboard, 7/5/18...... 
Alan Longmuir, founding bass player with the Scottish '70s pop phenomenon The Bay City Rollers, died on July 2 following a brief illness. He was 70. Longmuir formed the band, initially known as The Saxons, back in 1966 with his younger brother and drummer Derek Longmuir, and singer Gordon "Nobby" Clark. The lineup went through multiple changes through the years, with Longmuir leaving the band in 1976 and returning two years later, after which time he alternated between bass duties, rhythm guitar and keys. In its heyday, the band scored three top 10s in the U.S., including a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart with 
During a two-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl on June 26 and 27, Rod Stewart revealed that his upcoming album will be called Blood Red Roses and hit stores in September. Stewart played his first concert in his adapted hometown of Los Angeles in over seven years, treating fans to a hearty dose of career touchstones ("Maggie May," "Tonight's the Night," "You're in My Heart," "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy"), as well as a liberal sprinkling of covers ("Having a Party," "Have I Told You Lately"). He also introduced two new songs from his upcoming album on each night, "Grace" and "Hole in My Heart," introducing the latter by saying it was inspired by his days as a twenty-something running around with the ladies. The 73-year-old rocker and his opener Cyndi Lauper next head to cities including Charlotte, N.C. (7/26), Nashville (8/1), New York (8/7), Indianapolis (Aug. 18), and San Francisco (Aug. 29), before wrapping on Sept. 1 in Seattle. - Billboard, 6/27/18...... The estate of Prince and Sony Music Entertainment announced on June 27 that they have signed an exclusive distribution agreement that covers 35 of Prince's previously released albums. Under the new arrangement, the Purple One's catalog included in the deal will be distributed by Legacy Recordings. Worldwide rights begin immediately for Prince's album releases from 1995-2010, with the others following in years to come. Among the titles included in the first phase are The Gold Experience (1995), Emancipation (1996), Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (1999), The Rainbow Children (2001) and 3121 (2006), as well as Musicology (2004) and Planet Earth (2007), which were originally released via Sony through Columbia. Additional album titles from the 2014-2015 era will also be distributed with worldwide rights under the deal in the future. The deal also includes rights to other previously released singles, B-sides, remixes, non-album tracks, live recordings and music videos recorded before 1995. Additional album titles from the 2014-2015 era will also be distributed with worldwide rights under the deal in the future. "Sony Music is honored to play a part in keeping Prince's music alive and making it available for generations of lifelong listeners and future fans," SME president Richard Story said in a statement. - Billboard, 6/27/18...... Blues legend Mike Vernon and his band The Mighty Combo will release his debut album, Beyond the Blue Horizon, on Sept. 7. Vernon has produced albums for some of the most famous artists in British rock and blues including John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (with Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor), David Bowie, Ten Years After, Savoy Brown, Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, Focus, Freddie King, Climax Blues Band and Level 42 Vernon is best known as the founder of the Blues record label Blue Horizon, with a roster including Peter Green, Rory Gallagher, Paul Kossoff and Christone McVie, which was a major "ground breaker" in its time and still revered to this day. "To be fronting my own R&B outfit has always been a dream but the right moment to make that transition never appeared until now," says Vernon. Vernon and the Mighty Combo will also be mounting an 18-date UK and European tour behind the new album this summer, beginning with an appearance at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival on July 22. - Noble PR, 6/26/18...... 
Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson, father and early manager of the Jackson 5, died on the morning of June 27 in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer. He was 89. According to TMZ.com, Mr. Jackson was surrounded by his wife Katherine Jackson and "some" of his grandchildren at the time of his death. Mr. Jackson had been dealing with a host of medical problems over the past few years, including a recently revealed battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in 1928, Mr. Jackson married Katherine in 1949, and the couple went on to have 11 children. As a manager, Mr. Jackson launched the career of son Michael Jackson -- along with Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Tito Jackson -- out of Gary, Ind., as the Jackson 5 in the 1960s. The group signed with Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and in 1970, their first four singles ("I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There") all went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. They also have the distinction of being the first act ever to see their first four singles top the chart. Jermaine Jackson tweeted about his father's health on June 21. "For however long he has left, my mother, siblings, and relatives want to be with him, without hindrance." Then on June 24, a more ominous update was posted on Mr. Jackson's Twitter page: "I have seen more sunsets than I have left to see. The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes." Mr. Jackson suffered a stroke while visiting Brazil in 2015 and was again hospitalized after a car he was riding in was involved in an accident in Las Vegas in 2017. Although he was known for his iron-fisted management of his children, in 2002, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honored him as the Best Entertainment Manager of All Time. Although some of his children have criticized him for his harsh parenting techniques, his daughter, pop star Janet Jackson, recently spoke warmly of her father as she received the Radio Disney Music Awards first-ever Impact Award. "My mother nourished me with the most extravagant love imaginable," she said. "My father, my incredible father drove me to be the best I can." Michael's daughter Paris Jackson, posted a touching tribute to her granfather after his death: "I have immense gratitude for you, and always will... rest in peace and transition. i'll see you in my dreams very very soon." "RIP to the king that made everything possible," his grandson Randy Jackson tweeted on June 27. "I love you." - Billboard/Jezebel.com, 6/27/18...... In other Jackson-related news, a new art exhibition in London entitled "Michael Jackson: On the Wall" opened on June 28 and depicts Michael as everything from a savior, a saint, an entertainer, an icon, a monarch, a mask and a mystery. The show at the UK's National Portrait Gallery explores the way contemporary artists have been drawn to the late King of Pop, as an artistic inspiration, a tragic figure and a fascinating enigma. A total of 48 artists are represented in the exhibit, including 1980s pop-art portraits by Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, depictions of a Christ-like Michael by David LaChapelle, and a vast portrait of the "King of Pop" as a king on horseback. "It explores how Michael could mean so many different things to so many people," said curator Nicholas Cullinan. - AP, 6/27/18...... Justo George Cameron, a founding member of the baroque '60s pop band The Left Banke, died on died on June 24, 2018 at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan after a battle with cancer. He was 70. The Left Banke gained popularity in the late 1960's for their hit singles, "Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina." His involvement with the band remained until his death, and he often hosted reunion concerts and tours, releasing additional songs and albums, and the Manhattan native often performed at many children's charity events throughout New York City. - 5/25/18...... Legendary New York and Connecticut radio air personality Dan Ingram has passed away at the age of 83. Mr. Ingram began his five decade broadcasting career at small stations such as WNRC/New Rochelle, NY, WALK/Patchogue, NY, and WNHC/New Haven, CT, and worked at WICC/Bridgeport, CT as 'Ray Taylor." He moved on to larger markets and was responsible for huge ratings jumps at both KBOX/Dallas and WIL/St. Louis before returning to New York to create and sell radio contests for Mars Broadcasting. In 1961, Ingram returned to the airwaves at WABC/New York where he stayed for the next 21 years until it went all-talk. During that period he also did "The Other Dan Ingram Show" playing jazz on WABC-FM. He combined humor, an irreverent style, and impeccable timing and established himself as the leading rock radio personality in North America. Mr. Ingram was the master of the "talk-up," speaking over the introduction and finishing his thoughts at the exact moment the lyrics started. Mr. Ingram joined the oldies station WCBS-FM/New York in 1991 where he worked until he retired in 2003. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2007. - 5/25/18...... 
A new compilation featuring some of late the Clash frontman Joe Strummer will be released on Sept. 29 in a variety of formats. Entitled 
Former president Donald Trump's decisive win over Vice Pres. Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election has drawn stunned reaction from many in Hollywood and the music industry, including one of his longtime detractors, Bette Midler. Taking to social media, Midler quoted journalist and essayist H.L. Mencken in one of the night's most scathing responses. "When a candidate for public office faces the voters he does not face men of sense; he faces a mob of men whose chief distinguishing mark is the fact that they are quite incapable of weighing ideas, or even of comprehending any save the most elemental. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people." The quote continues, "On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." Trump would be the first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election. He also stands to be the first person convicted of a felony to be elected president and, at 78, he will be the oldest person at the outset of a presidential term. - Billboard, 11/6/24...... Former Genesis frontman and '80s solo star Peter Gabriel announced on Nov. 5 that his WOMAD festival will be taking a break next year, before returning to a "new home" for 2026. WOMAD, which stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance, was founded by Gabriel in 1980 with the aim of spotlighting an eclectic mixture of genres. Since then, the festival has travelled to 27 countries across the world, while the main UK event has taken place in Charlton Park in Wiltshire since 2007. This year was its 42nd edition and will be its last in Charlton Park. In a statement, Gabriel has shared that, after 17 years in Wiltshire, WOMAD is "moving to a new home" that is "not far" from the current site. "To ensure that the festival can continue to thrive for years to come in our new location, we have decided to take a year off in 2025 before returning fully charged in 2026," he added. In 2023 Gabriel appeared in a video by Artist for Action to Prevent Gun Violence, an organization that asks Americans to vote to eradicate gun violence in the country. "As much as I love the United States, I am always appalled at the ease with which anyone can get a weapon," Gabriel says in the video. He also weighed in on the AI debate, saying, "I'm probably just as scared [of AI] as everybody else, but I like to jump in the river rather than talk about itI do think about it quite a lot, and I think not enough people are thinking about it." - NME, 11/5/24...... 
Bruce Springsteen stopped by the set of the upcoming biopic about him, Deliver Me From Nowhere, on Nov. 4 to visit its titular star, Jeremy Allen White during filming. Springsteen and The Bear actor were photographed together alongside director Scott Cooper while shooting a scene in a car dealership in Bayonne, New Jersey. White and Springsteen were seen hugging and sharing a smile, as well as taking a look at some classic cars. The cars included a Chevrolet Z28 Camaro, which the Boss has said was the first car he ever bought, and could indicate the content of the scene being filmed. In the movie, White will play '80s-era Springsteen, with the film chronicling the recording of his acclaimed 1982 album Nebraska. The biopic is being produced by Disney's 20th Century Studios, and the shoot is happening mostly on location in Springsteen's native New Jersey and New York. The biopic was first announced in April. Springsteen recently shared his thoughts on White's casting, saying: "I only had to see him on The Bear, and I knew he was the right guy, because he had that interior life, but he also had a little swagger." Deliver Me From Nowhere does not yet have a confirmed release date, but should arrive on screen sometime in 2025. - NME, 11/6/24...... In a new interview with the UK paper The Sun, Art Garfunkel revealed that a recent reunion with Paul Simon left him in tears, feeling he had "hurt" his former musical partner. Simon & Garfunkel were one of the best-selling acts of the 1960s, selling over 100 million records and recording timeless hits such as 
It has been announced that Eddie Murphy will portray funk-rock legend George Clinton in an upcoming biopic directed by Bill Condon and produced by Murphy. The script, written by Virgil Williams, is based on Clinton's memoir Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard On You?, which traces his roots in 1940s North Carolina to becoming a pioneer of funk and founding the musical collective Parliament-Funkadelic. Murphy and Condon previously joined forces on 2006's Dreamgirls, another musical drama, inspired by Motown Records and The Supremes starring Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson. Murphy received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film. Parliament-Funkadelic released their last album Medicaid Fraud Dog in 2018, marking their first new music in 38 years. Shortly after, Clinton announced his retirement from the road in 2019 and played his final shows in 2022 after they were delayed by the pandemic. In 2024, he appeared on Kamasi Washington's new album Fearless Movement, on the track "Get Lit." Clinton has previously been portrayed by Wiz Khalifa in the 2023 film Spinning Gold. Clinton will also executive produce the new biopic. - NME, 11/2/24...... On Nov. 4, Iggy Pop took to 
Could '70s singer-songwriter and pop-rock hitmaker Andrew Gold be the new "King of Halloween"? For most of his career, Gold (who died 2011) was primarily associated with two singles: The heartrending story song "Lonely Boy" (a No. 7 hit in 1977) and the heartwarming "Thank You for Being a Friend" (a No. 28 hit in 1978 -- though better associated with a Cynthia Fee cover version, used as the theme to the '80s sitcom The Golden Girls). But thanks to some TikTok trending that first started at the end of the 2010s, Gold is now best known to younger fans as the guy behind 1996's "Spooky, Scary Skeletons," a cartoon-y Halloween number that has been remixed and memed to death over the past half-decade. "Skeletons" (available for streaming on 
Musical titan Quincy Jones, the composer and producer who added his tasteful polish to recordings by everyone from Ray Charles to Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, died on the evening of Nov. 3 at his home in Bel Air, Calif., surrounded by his children, siblings and other family members. He was 91. "Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones' passing," the Jones family said in the statement. "And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him. He is truly one of a kind and we will miss him dearly; we take comfort and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy, that were the essence of his being, was shared with the world through all that he created. Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones' heart will beat for eternity." A renowned jazz and pop musician, Mr. Jones was also a prolific cross-genre arranger, conductor, record label executive and civil rights advocate. His talent and drive led to an almost unparalleled career in entertainment, with a long and varied list of credits including composing the score for the Oscar-winning film, In the Heat of the Night," producing Michael Jackson's blockbuster 
In 1982 Mr. Jones had one of his most famous collaboration when he produced Michael Jackson's best-selling album Thriller. Thriller sold more than 20 million copies in 1983 alone, helped Jackson become the first major Black artist to have a video played on MTV and influenced countless performers. Three years later he called on Jackson and a host of other stars for the charity single "We Are the World." That same year he found success on the big screen with producing the Steven Spielberg-directed film The Color Purple. Jones also had a hit on the small screen with and the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which starred Will Smith. Mr. Jones was married to his high school sweetheart Jeri Caldwell from 1957 to 1966, and the couple had had one daughter, Jolie. In 1967 he married Swedish model Ulla Andersson, and they had two children, Martina and Quincy Jones III, before divorcing in 1974. That same year Mr. Jones married actress Peggy Lipton, a union which lasted until 1990, and produced two daughters, actresses Rashida Jones and Kidada Jones. He also had a daughter, Rachel, with dancer Carol Reynolds, and a daughter -- fashion model Kenya Kinski-Jones -- with actress Nastassja Kinski. Mr. Jones didn't slow down personally or professionally in his later years; in 2014 he produced the documentary Keep on Keepin' On about his mentor, jazz trumpeter Clark Terry. In 2023, Mr. Jones celebrated his 90th birthday with a star-studded two-night tribute at the Hollywood Bowl, which featured performances from Stevie Wonder among others. In the wake of his passing, Elton John was one of the many famous musicians who paid their respects with a photo of the two men together at one of the Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar viewing parties on Instagram. "Nobody had a career as incredible as Quincy Jones. He played with the best and he produced the best. What a guy. Loved him," John wrote on