The annual Forbes Magazine projections of the top earners in the music world includes AC/DC (7th), the Rolling Stones (8th) and Bruce Springsteen (11th) on a list that saw the top 6 slots go to Pop or Country artists. Taylor Swift blew all the others away with a year that generated about $170 million in earnings. One Direction was a distant second ($110 million), followed by Adele ($80.5 million), Madonna ($76.5 million), Rihanna ($75 million), Garth Brooks ($70 million). Ac/DC's take was $67.5 million. The Rolling Stones gathered $66.5 million and Bruce collected $60.5 million.
Whie the medical issues that he has been experienceing will likely prevent future full scale tours, Eric Clapton has committed to returning to at least two US stages in 2017. Pairs of concerts have been confirmed for New York City on March 19 & 20 and the Los Angeles Forum on March 25th & 26th. The LA concerts will include Gary Clark Jr. and Jimmie Vaughan. EC has been dealing with a painful and debilitating nerve condidtion known as peripheral neuopathy that has impaired his ability to play comfortably.
Here's a story that will horrify collectors and museum curators, but might delight some Punk Rock fans. The son and widow of the Sex Pistols late manager hauled a load of punk memorabilia to the River Thames in London Saturday 
TMZ is reporting that an Alabama physician has been arrested and will be charged with illegal distribution of prescription drugs. The indictment appraently resulted after authorities found evidence that the doctor had prescribed five medications in the names of other people that were all actually provided to former 3 Doors Down member Matt Roberts. Roberts was found dead of an apparently accidental drug overdoes in a Milwaukkee hotel last August.
Bruce Springsteen joined a group of top-shelf figures from the entertainment, sports, science and business worlds in a ceremony at the White House Tuesday
The man behind the drums for Bad Company is front and center on his solo album Simon Kirke handles vocals and plays guitar, keyboards, and drums and even throws a ukulele into the mix on the album titled All Because Of You. The uke gets use on a cover of Feel Like Making Love. Kirke gets an assist from Gov't Mule and Allman Brothers veteran Warren Haynes on a track titled Trouble Road. All because of you has a release date of February 10.
Janie's Fund was established last by Steven Tyler year in conjunction with the Youth Villages organization to provide support and counceling to young women that have been abused or victims of neglect. The Aerosmith front man's philanthrpic support of the effort has earned him recognition of the United Nations, which will honor him with the 2016 Humanitarian Award on December 3 during its Ambassador's Ball in New York City. Thanks in part to Tyler's efforts, the organization has received close to $2 million in donations during its first full year of operation. Tyler says, "As a father to three daughters, a son, and, now a grandfather, it broke my heart to learn that each year in America alone 700,000 children are victims of serious abuse or neglect and 68,000 will be sexually abused. All abus is wrong - verbal, physical, sexual, emotional. We have to have better was as parents to help our children and support them. Way too many kids are experiencing abuse, and e want to change that. Enough is enough."
The appeal during the curtain call a cast member of Hamilton made to audience member Vice President elect Mike Pence for the incoming administration to uphold the rights of all Americans and respect diversity had the unlikely effect of prompting similar reactions from Donald Trump and Steven Van Zandt, guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Trump took to Twitter to demand an apology. On his account, Van Zandt agreed, writing, "He was their guest. You protect your guests. Don't embarrass them." He went on to accuse actor Manuel Miranda of the same kind of bullying Trump gets calledd out for, and closed by adding, "Nobody on this planet disagrees more with everything Mike Pence stands for. But I don't tolertate bullying in any form. Even the respectful kind." A few days later, Bruce Springsteen posted a photo taken outside the Broadway theater where the musical is being staged with the hash tag #freedomofspeech.
Warren Haynes and Michael McDonald have set up a tour to pay tribute to The Band and the other musicians that came together in San Francisco for the legendary Last Waltz concert at Winterland in November of 1976. The short tour developed after a one-off peformance of the material by the participating musicians during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest. McDonald called that performance unforgettable and said doing it made him realize they were "...celebrating something truly special' that he was honored to have a role in." Haynes describes the music performed that night in San Francisco, "...as soulful, relevant and powerful today as it was 40 years ago", and adds, "We can't wait to carry on the legacy of these songs for fans." Joining Haynes & McDonald are Jamey Johnson, John Medeski, Terrance Higgins and Don Was..JPG)
The widow of Ronnie James Dio has been busy compiling and preparing to release material recorded by her late husband. By her reckoning, Wendy Dio has enough archived songs featuring Dio to result in up to four albums. She is seeking the rights to include some songs Ronnie did with Rainbow, as well as videos done while he was with the Deep Purple spin-off. The first releases are expected in 2017.
The White House has announced that Bruce Springsteen will receive the Medal of Freedom. The Boss will join actors Tom Hanks, Robert DeNiro, Cicely Tyson, Robert Redford, comedian/talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, basketball legends Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul Jabba and legendary baseball announcer Vin Scully, Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, Bill & Melinda Gates and others in the worlds of science and academics in receiveing the nation's highest civilian award. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday 
Despite there being no conflict evident on his public schedule, Bob Dylan has reportedly claimed that a prior commitment wil prevent him from being able to attend the ceremony honoring Nobel Prize recipients in Stockholm in December. The enigmatic singer-songwriter has often avoided award ceremonies. Dylan was named the Nobel Lauriate in Literature on December 13th 
The Paris concert venue that was attacked by terrorists on November 13, 2015 reopened with a concert by Sting on Friday 
A group of American Legion motorcyclists cruising near Allaire State Park in New Jersey on Friday 
Art experts knew the collection of paintings David Bowie amassed was quite valuable, but estimates get tricky when factoring in what additional value a piece accrues by having been owned by a celebrity. That became clear when the first batch of works from the late singer's collection was auctioned by Sotheby's in London on Thursday (
The life, music and art of John Mellencamp will be celebrated at the Rock Hall Of Fame in Cleveland. The special exhibit honoring the Indiana musician opens Thursday.jpg)
Gregg Allman has cancelled his remaining 2016 concerts due to a damaged vocal cord. Allman has undergone a number of invasive procedures to clear his lungs in the aftermath of a persistent pneumonia that involves moving his vocal cords. While it's not clear that caused or contributed to the problem, the singer did express some concern about the possibility of it doing damage. He plans to take as long as necessary to mend with the hope of being able to do a major market tour with the Allman Brothers Band in 2017.
Two artists with long histories of supporting environmental causes will do a benefit concert draw attention to and raise money for efforts to prevent the Dakota Access oil pipeline from running through the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. According to a statement from Raitt, the November 27th concert at the Prarie Knights Pavilion in Fort Yates, North Dakota is being done because she is '...proud to be standing with the courageous and dedicated Water Protecters' opposing the project. Browne adds, 'Just as we give thanks for our good fortune and the bounty of our lives as Americans, let us thank the Native people who are gathered here at Standing Rock to protect the natural world and defend our place in it.'
The many futile attempts to get Ray and Davies to not let their contentious relationship prevent the two brothers from playing together have left Kinks fans thinking a reunion would never come about. Their disappointment could end in the spring of 2017. The battling brothers have apparently decided to call a truce with the intention of playing together. Ray's statement to a paper was as unequivocal a statement he's made since the two imposed an embargo against performing together when he reportedly said, 'Dave and I will definitely work together again. And we want to play live.' He then added, 'Maybe the Kinks could play Glastonbury' as part of a tour.
Plenty of fellow musicians are eager to be in the lineup of musicians paying tribute to Tom Petty when he is honored as MusiCares Person of the Year. The February 10th event in Los Angeles will include performances of Tom's songs by Foo Fighters, Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Kings Of leon, Randy Newman, Lucinda Williams, Jeff Lynne, Gary Clark Jr., George Strait, Chris Hillman and others. T Bone Burnett is slated to be the musical director for the event.
Gregg Allman has said prospects for a reunion with his Allman Brothers band mates is a door he won't close. Speaking recently with the Wall Street Journal, the keyboard player indicated that talks are underway about a large market tour by the band. The group formally dissolved itself following its annual run of concerts at New York's Beacon Theater in late 2014. 
Journey fans that feel it wouldn't be right for the band to perform at their Hall of Fame induction without Steve Perry as the singer have at least one ally in the band. Jonathan Cain hsa gone on record as saying that 'Has to happen' if the band makes the inductee list in December and gets to perform at the ceremony in April. Speaking with Pulse Of Radio, Cain also said he thinks the Hall was wrong not to include current singer Arnel Pineda in the list of Journey members to be honored if the goup gets voted in.
