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Noteworthy Now Archives for 2015-04

Sabbath will mount 2016 Farewell Tour

A March announcement by Sharon Osbourne made it sound as though Black Sabbath would do just one final concert at Ozzfest in Japan in November before calling it quits for good.  It appears that won't be the case, according to her husband. Ozzy says a 2016 Farewell Tour will be staged.  Talking this week at a Monsters Of Rock presser in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Osbourne said the group is sorting through the complications of having members on different continents with differing degrees of interest in continuing to perform, but he sounds confident that a final tour will happen in 2016.  Whether the tour includes Bill Ward remains to be seen.  The drummer was reportedly left off the last reunion tour because he felt the earnings Ozzy would pocket compared to his was unacceptable.  That led to a falling out and some snarkey exchanges.  Ward recently indicated it would take an apology from Ozzy to get him to join a farewell tour.
HenneMusic.com

 

MORE BLACK SABBATH INSIGHTS

Preview Orchestral Love Reign O'er Me (video)

Pete Townshend is featured on a new orchestral version of Quadrophenia's Love Reign O'er Me, but the vocal is handled by a 41 year-old UK tenor vocalist by the name of Alfie Boe instead of Roger Daltrey.  The Who guitarist is impressed with what Boe brings to the 1973 classic. saying Boe, '...gives every performance his all', and adding, 'He's a funny man too, and good looking. The girls like him. I can't wait to be on stage with him. I'm going to push him into the orchestra pit.'

TheGuardian.com

 

 

 

 

Heart sister gets married

Ann Wilson of Heart got married in a small ceremony with family and close friends in California's Topanga Canyon on Saturday (4/25). The wedding was reportedly staged in the yard belonging to Carol Peters, her manager.  The groom is Dean Wetter, a guy Nancy confess she tried to seduce while on a drunken date in the 1980's.  She claims Wetter was too much of a gentleman to take advantage of her condition that night but added, '...we got back in touch after we had both grown up, and Pow! - it worked! Did it ever!'

People.com  HenneMusic.com

 

MORE ANN WILSON INSIGHTS

Jeff Lynne lands on Hollywood Boulevard

Jeff Lynne has joined the ranks of Rockers with a star embedded in the pavement of Hlloywood Boulevard. Fellow Traveling Wilbury Tom Petty and Joe Walsh of the Eagles were there Thursday (4/23) when star number 2,548 was unveiled in front of the Capitol Records building.  The ELO veteran received a similar honor in his hoMetown of Birmingham in  the UK last year.
ExpressAndStar.com

 

 

Pete Townshend earns honor from Boss

On May 28 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City, the MusiCares MAP Fund will honor Pete Townshend with the organization's Stevie Ray Vaughn Award in rocognition of the Who guitarist's support of addiction services programs. Bruce Springsteen will present the award to Townshend. Other members of the Who have been confirmed as attending but the band's lead singer was not among those expected to perform, triggering the inevitable speculation that Springsteen might join Pete in  Roger Daltrey's role.  Foreigner's Mick Jones and recent Rocvk Hall Of Fame inductee Joan Jett is also on the roster of artists expected to take the stage.

ClassicRock.Team.Rock.com

 

MORE PETE TOWNSHEND INSIGHTS

Foo Fighters Rock RSD2015 live in Ohio (video)

Dave Grohl, already widely considered one of the most down-to-earth good guys in Rock, scored even more points on that count by showing up with his band to play live at a music shop in Niles, Ohio on Record Store Day Saturday  (4/19). The 9 song set included a trio of songs included on titles that can be heard on From The Laundry Room, the Foo Fighters limited edition release made available for RDS2015.  Grohl arrived and departed on a motorcycle, headed for the Rock Hall Of Fame induction, where he sat in with Joan Jett's band during her performance.
HenneMusic.com

 

 

Phil Rudd enters guilty pleas

Drummer Phil Rudd apparently feels he has been though enough already and did not want to endure the spectacle of being on trial.  Already drummed out of his position in AC/DC, Rudd elected to enter guilty pleas on drug posession counts and admit to threatening to kill an acquaintance and his daughter.  The charges were filed against Rudd in December of last year. He could be sentenced to almost 8 years of jail time, but was released on bail until June 26th.
Independent.co.uk

 

MORE PHIL RUDD INSIGHTS

Extremely rare Zeppelin album to auction

Hardly any of the most avid Led Zeppelin collectors can boast that they have an original pressing of Led Zeppelin Past Present And Future.  That's because the limited edition promotional album prepared by Swan Song records to send to radio stations and critics never went out.  One of the few copies of the album to be produced as a test pressing is up for bids until SUnday (4/26).  Starting bid for the vinyl pressing is $6,000.  The album features an interview with Robert Plant and John Paul Jones done in August, 1979 by KLOS air personality JJ Jackson as the band was coming off consecutive weekends of concerts at Knebworth.  More details about the album are available here.

ZeppelinCollectibles.com

 

MORE LED ZEPPELIN INSIGHTS

The night John Belushi joined the Allman Brothers Band

On April 20, 1979 fans attending the Allman Brothers Band's concert at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey witnessed one of the more unique guest appearances with that band when Saturday Night Live's John Belushi joined the band on stage for a version of Hey Bartender, the song he and Dan Ackroyd had a big run with as the Blues Brothers.

 

 

AC/DC cuts loose at Coachella (video)

Other than swapping out The Jack for High Voltage, AC/DC replicated its first set at the Coachella Festival on Friday night (4/17).  The band was in fine form, with Steve Young doing a commendable job in place of Malcolm and Chris Slade pounding away in place of the legaly compromised Phil Rudd. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Wyman prepares first solo release in 3 decades

Mick Taylor walked away from one of the best gigs a musician could have when he left the Rolling Stones at the end of 1974.  Four years after leaving, Taylor released a self-titled solo album.  He recently discovered more than 60 demo tracks in various stages of development that he'd set aside over the years.  Impressed with what he heard, Taylor decided to revive his solo career.  A 13 track album titled Back To Basics will come out June 22.  The disc features the former Stone with Guy Fletcher, Graham Bond, Terry Taylor and Robbie McInstosh.

ClassicRock.TeamRock.com

 

MORE MICK TAYLOR INSIGHTS 

Ringo's strange Rock Hall status

Lots of sources have been reporting that Ringo Starr is being inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame Saturday (4/18).  While the Beatle drummer will command a good deal of attention during the ceremony in Cleveland, his entry into the Hall is a backdoor one.  Ringo was not on the ballot and will be 'introduced' as a Lifetime Achievement winner, not as a full fledged member.  Some say the fact he's being honored at all is only due to Paul McCartney's insistance.

 

MORE RINGO STARR INSIGHTS

Kevin Cronin ambushed by son during interview (video)

Whether he knew the true story behind the song or was just bored and wanted the impromptu interview to end, Kevin Cronin's son can be credited with turning an otherwise inane clip into a viral monster.

 

 

 

Townshend & Vedder team against cancer

Pete Townshend's decades long commitment to raising money to fight cancer has resulted in a number of noteworthy concerts, most of them in London.  On May 14, US fans will have the opportunity to attend one on this side of the pond when Pete combines with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder in a concert at the Rosemont Theatre in Chicago being dubbed Celebrating The Who.  Backed by recent Who regulars Simon Townshend, Zak Starkey and Pino Palladino, Peter and Eddie will dive into an evening of Who classics to raise money for Teen Cancer America, an organization that provides support services and programs for patients through the University of Chicago Medicine. 

UltimateClassicRock.com

 

MORE PETE TOWNSHEND INSIGHTS  MORE EDDIE VEDDER INSIGHTS

Bowie back in Classic form?

Director Ivo van Hove told the BBC that David Bowie does not plan to appear in Lazarus, his upcoming musical based on The Man Who Fell To Earth.  He does call the music David is providing for the production 'classics', saying that even some of the new songs Bowie has written, '...sound as if you have heard them forever'.  The singer did appear in the 1976 screen version of the sci-fi film based on the 1963 novel.

 

 

Former GNR manager thinks she can reunite Axl & Slash

The woman that played a big part in helping Guns 'N Roses land its national recording contract in the mid 80's thinks she might be able to get Axl Rose and Slash to agree to a reunion. Vicky Hamilton is convinced she could get the two estranged musicians to get set aside their differences if she could get them both in the same room to talk things through.  She feels the mutual respect and trust each of them developed for her during the period before the band made it big gives her a chance to succeed where others have failed. Speaking with the Daily Mail, Hamilton said, 'They know I love them for who they are.  I loved them when they were nobody. I didn't have an ulterior motive other than to help them be as good as they can be and I think I was Successful in that', adding, 'I saved them from making major mistakes.'

ClassicRockMagazine.com

 

MORE GUNS N ROSES INSIGHTS

Bon Jovi gets reality slot

TWC Dimension has inked a deal with Jon Bon Jovi for a new reality series called If I Wasn't a Rock Star.  The concept is simple - get big name Rockers to return to the city or town they grew-up in to stroll it's streets, visit sites important to them as a kid and speculate about what they might be doing today if they'd hung around.  Jon tells Variety he loves the idea of the series because '...it will be a celebration of the working men and women of this country. They are the real rock stars.'  No date for the series to begin its run has been set. We presume episode one will feature the producer returning to Perth Amboy, New Jersey to speculate on what might have become of John Francis Bongiovani if he'd spent more time going to class and doing homework instead of hanging around clubs and his cousin's New York City recording studio.


MORE BON JOVI INSIGHTS

Ringo's 20 year funk

 

 

 

Ringo Starr told the Times Of London that he spent most of the 70's and 80's upset and angry over the break-up of the Beatles.  The drummer said he spent a good deal of time drunk enough to have made it difficult to remember much of anything during the period, calling some of those years '...absolutley gone' to him.  Ringo and his wife went through rehab together in 1988.  He emerged with a determination to live a healthier life.  Ringo will be introduced to the Rock Hall Of Fame this week in Cleveland by Paul McCartney.

TheTimes.co.uk

 

MORE RINGO STARR INSIGHTS

 

John Mellencamp's son will do time

 

An Indiana court sentenced one of John Mellencamp's sons to spend four days behind bars.  19 year-old Speck Mellencamp and his 20 year-old brother Hud will also serve a year on probation. The sentencing came after guilty pleas were entered on charges stemming from an altercation in 2013 involving the Mellencamp brothers and a third young man in the beating of a 19 year-old in Bloomington.  The Mellencamp boys had been facing felony battery charges. Those were reduced after it was determined that the injuries sustained by the victim did not support the more serious charge. 

ContactMusic.com

 

MORE JOHN MELLENCAMP INSIGHTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Hud Mellencamp

Dead Meet Up At the Movies set for May 4

With Chicago Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well tickets scarce and ridiculously expensive on secondary-market sites, fans of the band looking for a more affordable and practical alternative might be interested in attending  May's Grateful Dead Meet-Up at the Movies event,  The May 4th screening hosted at theaters across North America will feature the group's July 19 1989 performance at the Alpine Valley Amphitheater in  Esat Troy, Wisconsin.  Is it coming to a big screen near you? Check out the list of theaters hosting screenings that night here.

AntiMusic.com

 

MORE GRATEFUL DEAD INSIGHTS

Jagger plans to keep on Rolling

 

The upcoming North American stadium tour won't be the last hurrah for the Rolling Stones if Mick Jagger gets his way - and he usually does.  Talking with Rolling Stone about the 15 city tour, the front man let it be known that he intends for the group to take on an additional 'set of tours' that could include the first South American tour the band has done in some time. Jagger also says he has new songs he's written during the past couple of years he wants the Stones to record. 

ClassicRock.TeamRock.com

 

MORE ROLLING STONES INSIGHTS

Red Rocker no fan of VH live album

As one of the most opinionated people in Rock, we knew it was only a matter of time before Sammy Hagar offered up his take on the Van Halen Tokyo Dome live release that features David Lee Roth in the role Sammy later took over.  Talking with the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Doug Elfman, the Red Rocker let it be known that he thinks the '...pretty rough vocals' Roth delivered during the June 2013 concert in Japan were so bad that the release will damage the reputation of the band.  The best measure of how little Hagar found to like about the release is summed up by his evaluation of the decision to put the album out: 'What the f*%k are these guys thinking?'  While we agree there are songs Roth falls so short on they would be better left off the release (Panama, for example), David Lee retains enough of his range and swagger to give the album enough tunes to make it worth hearing and having, and Eddie & Alex are just incredible throughout.

MORE VAN HALEN INSIGHTS

Original Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer dies

You would think that having been in a band with as many ill-fated members as Lynyrd Skynyrd would make any surviving member hesitant about tempting fate, so it was sad to learn that founding drummer Bob Burns was apparently driving without a seatbelt fastened when the car he was in left a Georgia road and struck a mailbox and then a tree on Friday night  (4/3) killing the 64 year old. Burns played drums on the first two Skynyrd albums before leaving the group in 1974.

HenneMusic.com

 

MORE LYNYRD SKYNYRD INSIGHTS

Paul Kanter reportedly suffers heart attack

Paul Kantner was recently hospitalized after suffering an apparent heart attack. The 71 year old founding member of the Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship was said to be undergoing tests and treatment. A post on the Starship Facebook page indicated Kantner was receiving hospital care and had been stabilized.

Jon Bon Jovi earns degree

Jon Bon Jovi will take the stage in an unusual role on May 21 at Susquehanna Bank Amphitheater in Camden, NJ. The singer will deliver a commencement talk for graduates at the Camden campus of Rutgers University. He will also receive a Doctor of Letters honorary degree from the University. News.Camden.Rutgers.edu

Cynthia Lennon, John's first wife, dies of cancer

Cynthia Lennon, the first wife of John Lennon, passed away Wednesday (4/1) after a short illness with cancer. The former Cynthia Powell married John in 1962 and divorced him six years later after learning of John's affair with Yoko Ono. She had been living in Spain.

Joni Mitchell rushed to hospital

Jon Mitchell was reportedy rushed to a Los Angeles area hospital after being discovered unconscious in her home. The singer was said to be undergoing tests and in the intensive care unit. HNGN.com

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