Tom Jones was forced to pull out of his Olympics performance in London's Hyde Park on Saturday due to doctor's orders.Jones had contracted bronchitis and his doctor's advised him to cancel shows on Saturday and Sunday.
The singer tweeted his apologies to his fans. He later added "Thanks for all the lovely messages, I don't know if everyone's understanding and support is making me feel better or worse! You're the best!"
Singer Will Young filled in for him on the bill.
Monday, July 30, 2012
So THAT'S why no women's underwear was thrown in London!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
RIP Larry Hoppen of Orleans
Larry Hoppen, a founding member of the band Orleans, has passed away at the age of 61. Hoppen died on Tuesday in Florida. The cause of death is still under investigation.
The following was posted on Hoppen's official site:
The family released the following on his Facebook page:The 'Voice'of Orleansand their hits"Dance with Me" and"Still the One"
To Larry's many fans around the globe, we are sad to inform you that he passed away on July 24, 2012. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family.Larry possessed immense talents, a deep sense of family and community and maintained a commitment to many charitable endeavors.
His life is proof that we can -- and will -- make a difference in the world.
RIP, Brother Larry.
Larry Hoppen, one of the founding members of the band Orleans, passed away on July 24th, 2012. Born on Long Island, New York, Hoppen was 61 years old.Hoppen's brother Lance released a short statement, saying "Words cannot express the depths of my sorrow."Between 1969 and 1971, his Ithaca, NY- based band, Boffalongo, made two LPs for United Artists. The second included the original recording of "Dancin' in the Moonlight", later a hit by friends King Harvest. Soon after Boffalongo disbanded in late 1971, Larry got a call from (former US Congressman, D-NY, 19) John Hall, inviting him to come to Woodstock, NY to join with the late Wells Kelly and John to form Orleanswhich he did in early 1972. Larry's younger brother, Lance, joined the band the following fall. Tens of millions know Larry's uplifting tenor from the Orleans hits "Still the One", "Dance With Me" and "Love Takes Time".
Larry also performed and/or recorded with Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Livingston Taylor, Lulu, Graham Parker, Blues Traveler, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, Michael Franks, Levon Helm, the late great Michael Brecker, the late great Chet Atkins, the late great Artie Traum, John Sebastian, Bela Fleck, Felix Cavaliere, Edgar Winter, Robbie Dupree, Spencer Davis, Rick Derringer, Mark Farner, John Ford Coley, Jimi Jamison, John Cafferty and many more notable artists.
Larry released 2 solo albums: "HandMade" and "Looking for the Light", the latter being a flagship fundraising vehicle for his 501(c)3 nonprofit Sunshine for HIV Kids.
Larry was still touring with Orleans, including brother Lance and youngest brother Lane, and was scheduled to appear on Fox TV's nationwide "Fox & Friends' All-American Concert Series" show this coming Friday, July 27th.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia Smith Hoppen and his daughters, Claire and Maeve, as well as his bothers, Lance and Lane and his sister, Lynda.
The Family asks that since Larry passion was feeding hungry people, his friends and fans can honor his memory by making a contribution to their local food bank in his name.
Patricia Smith Hoppen and her daughters ask the media to please respect their privacy at this difficult time.
His wife, Patricia, also issued a statement along with attorney George Gilbert and brother Lance:
The Family asks that since Larry passion was feeding hungry people, his friends and fans can honor his memory by making a contribution to their local food bank in his name.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
At the Top of the Marquee
The Rolling Stones took the opportunity to return to the Marquee, the club in London where they played their first show fifty years ago. The band posed for photographer Rankin to take a portrait in front of the club.
Their first live outing, on July 12, 1962, was at the legendary Oxford Street venue. At the time they were billed as The Rollin’ Stones.
Of course, the only remaining members from that gig are Keith and Mick. The band who played the first show likely consisted of Brian Jones on guitar, Dick Taylor on bass (who continues to play in The Pretty Things), Ian Stewart on keys (who was no longer a part of the band after 1963 but became their road manager) and Tony Chapman on drums (who went on to play for The Preachers and with Peter Frampton).
The photo is part of the their 50th anniversary celebrations, which have already resulted in forthcoming a hardback book, a new logo and is rumoured to include a world tour (back in May tickets appeared on The Guardian for September UK shows) .
At the Top of the Marquee
The Rolling Stones took the opportunity to return to the Marquee, the club in London where they played their first show fifty years ago. The band posed for photographer Rankin to take a portrait in front of the club.
Their first live outing, on July 12, 1962, was at the legendary Oxford Street venue. At the time they were billed as The Rollin’ Stones.
Of course, the only remaining members from that gig are Keith and Mick. The band who played the first show likely consisted of Brian Jones on guitar, Dick Taylor on bass (who continues to play in The Pretty Things), Ian Stewart on keys (who was no longer a part of the band after 1963 but became their road manager) and Tony Chapman on drums (who went on to play for The Preachers and with Peter Frampton).
The photo is part of the their 50th anniversary celebrations, which have already resulted in forthcoming a hardback book, a new logo and is rumoured to include a world tour (back in May tickets appeared on The Guardian for September UK shows) .
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
The Hollywood Walk of Fame Finds a "Pearl"
The list of people and groups that will be receiving stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013 was announced on Friday by Marg Helgenberger at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The 24 inductees will have separate ceremonies throughout the year.From the world of music, three veteran artists made the cut. Both Janis Joplin and Luther Vandross are being given stars posthumously, an honor that previously went to the likes of Buddy Holly and George Harrison. Also receiving a star are the New Kids on the Block who are being joined by their more modern counterparts the Backstreet Boys. Other musicians receiving stars are Jennifer Hudson, Jane's Addiction, Usher and Thalia.
Also receiving stars are master makeup man Rick Baker, movie actors Javier Bardem, Viola Davis, James Franco, Olympia Dukakis and Helen Mirren, director/actor Ron Howard, television actors Simon Baker, Bryan Cranston, Ellen DeGeneres, Jane Lynch, Katey Sagal and Mathew Perry, magicians Penn & Teller and radio personalities Steve Harvey and "Shotgun Tom" Kelly.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Stones say they're not dead yet!
As we expected, the Rolling Stones have said that the U.K. Mirror's story that they will make their final performance at next year's Glastonbury Festival is not true.
In a Twitter post they state, “Every year the @RollingStones are asked to play this UK festival..but playing Glastonbury is not in our plans”.
The UK paper quoted “an insider” as saying that the band will break-up in their 50th year with a final performance slated for the Glastonbury festival next year. Noise11.com and VVN Music called foul on the story as soon as it surfaced.
While plans for the 50th are yet to be unveiled, speculation of a break-up at this point are just purely Murdoch newspaper rumour mongering.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Is it indeed "The Last Time"?
British tabloids aren't best known for their accuracy, but the never-ending saga of if, or when, we get any sort of live Rolling Stones gigs as a farewell has just taken a turn.........
This Could Be The Last Time: Rolling Stones Calling It Quits After 'A Number' Of …
This Could Be The Last Time: Rolling Stones Calling It Quits After 'A Number' Of …
Sunday, June 17, 2012
He's Still Got It
At the age of 71, Neil Diamond is back and as entertaining as ever. The iconic singer and songwriter has made music since the 1960s, penning and recording more than one hundred songs. Scan a list of Neil Diamond songs and you may be surprised to find that you've been a fan of his for years without knowing it - he's written for artists as diverse as Barbra Streisand, The Monkees, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, UB40, Smash Mouth and Lulu. A music legend who has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Diamond continues to receive recognition for his life-long work, most recently in a tribute as part of the “Kennedy Center Honors” series.Close on the heels of his third marriage to co-manager Katie McNeil this April, Neil Diamond Concert Tickets went on sale and people began clamoring to get in on his comeback tour. Diamond will hit 29 cities in the United States and Canada, finishing up on September 1 in Las Vegas. The tour will include an August stop at the legendary Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in celebration and recognition of the 40thanniversary of his album, Hot Summer Night. His Tampa concert has already drawn rave reviews, invigorating a crowd of 12,000 fans.
Although he has four children and seven grandchildren, Diamond seems almost ageless. Both the young and old have memories in which songs of his play a part. From the angst of the Solitary Man to the patriotism of America or the sing-along fun of Sweet Caroline, Diamond's songs help us laugh and cry to this day. Even now, who can forget the stunned applause when the Grammy Awards show came back from a commercial to an unannounced performance by Diamond and Barbara Streisand singing You Don’t Bring Me Flowers in duet?
What can fans with Neil Diamond tickets for the summer tour expect? Hit after hit, of course, from Diamond and his well-polished band. They pack over forty years of memories into one emotion-driven show. With a stage that extends right out into the audience, Diamond reaches out and pulls the crowd in. It is sure to be a crowd-pleasing night.
With over 115 million records sold worldwide and eight number one singles, Diamond still has fans of all ages and from every background. It is hard to believe that a man who once studied medicine on a fencing scholarship at New York University would eventually become one of the most successful contemporary artists in Billboard chart history.
How has the music of Neil Diamond touched your life? Share a comment below or pass this article on to your friends and ask them which Neil Diamond song they would like to hear live in concert.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Let The Games Begin!
There have been a ton of rumors over the last six months about who would be playing at the Olympic's opening and closing ceremonies and, normally, the organizers are pretty closed lipped about the lineup, but Paul McCartney has let his little secret out of the bag.Paul said on Monday to BBC Radio 5, "I've been booked."
Who else will be there is not known, but there will be 15,000 participating in the opening. The show is being directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and is titled Isle of Wonder.
Monday, June 4, 2012
CD Releases Fit For A Queen (of Soul)
Aretha Franklin's fledgling Aretha's Records has signed a deal with the Universal Music Group to distribute their releases which will include classic Franklin recordings along with new artists that the singer has discovered.
Roger Friedman's Showbiz411 elusively announced the deal on Friday, also breaking the news that the first first releases will be Franklin's last five albums for Atlantic Records (not counting the Sparkle soundtrack) which had never been officially released on CD. Four of the five will also include bonus tracks.
The five albums and the bonus tracks:
With Everything I Feel in Me (1974/#57 Pop/#6 R&B)
- Til' It's Over
- Springtime in New York
You (1975/#83 Pop/#9 R&B)
- Rock Me
- White Dove
- Can You
- You Can’t Make It
- I Want To Make Love To You
- TNT Dynamite
Sweet Passion (1977/#49 Pop/#6 R&B)
- Before The Magic C Is Just A Memory
- Musta Up Some Gusta
- You Light Up My Life
Almighty Fire (Woman of the Future) (1978/#63 Pop/#12 R&B)La Diva (1979/#146 Pop/#25 R&B)
- I Need Your Love
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Finally......Some Good News!
With all the bad news that has been occurring this year, it is great to hear that Bobby Womack has been declared free of cancer.
The R&B great and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member had announced he was suffering from cancer back in March. At the time, Womack had been in the hospital suffering from pneumonia when the colon cancer was discovered and diagnosed as 1st stage, indicating that it was very localized.
Today, the following announcement was made on Womack's Facebook page:
We're delighted to announce that Bobby Womack has successfully undergone surgery for suspected colon cancer. A tumour was removed last night which turned out to be cancer free. We wish him all the best in his recovery from the operation. Thank you for all your kind messages and support.Womack's new album, The Bravest Man in the Universe, will be released on June 12. Read more...
Elton John is Free of Sin (City)
Elton John is canceling three Las Vegas performances on doctors' orders after being hospitalized with a respiratory infection.
Officials with Caesars Entertainment say the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday performances of "The Million Dollar Piano" are being cancelled.
Show officials say Elton John came down with the infection last weekend and was admitted Wednesday to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was later released.
Elton John vs. Madonna, and More Famous Music Feuds
Doctors recommended he not perform for a week and take antibiotics.
The singer says in a statement that he's sorry he can't be with his fans at The Colosseum.
Ticket holders are eligible for refunds or exchanges at the site where they bought tickets.
"The Million Dollar Piano" launched in September for a three-year run and features the singer's classic songs.
© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Robert Nix of the Atlanta Rhythm Section Dies at 67
Robert Nix, who played with such greats as Roy Orbison and was the founding drummer of the Atlanta Rhythm Section, passed away in Memphis, TN on Sunday at the age of 67. While no offical cause of death has been announced, his brother told The Florida Times-Union that he had suffered from diabetes and had been hospitalized for a month after an operation.The original announcement of his passing came with a simple statement on the ARS Facebook page:
From Rodney Justo and ARS, Our thoughts today are with Robert Nix, our founding drummer, who passed away this morning.Nix had played with Roy Orbison's backing band, the Candymen, along with singer Rodney Justo and keyboard player Dean Daughtry. A fourth member of the group, Buddy Buie, who was also a member of the Classics IV, brought the musicians back together to do studio work at Doraville, Georgia's Studio One. Two additional musicians, guitarist Barry Bailey and bassist Paul Goddard were added to the group and the Atlanta Rhythm Section was born.The group continued to play on other artists records three-to-four day a week and work on their own material in their spare time, eventually completing enough tracks for a demo that got them signed to MCA/Decca for two albums.
Their first, self titled album, came and went and Justo decided to leave the group, to be replaced by Ronnie Hammond and setting the lineup that would record their next six albums. Their third album (and first for Polydor), 1974's Third Annual Pipe Dream, finally started to break the band into the national spotlight as the single Doraville cracked the U.S. top forty.
It would be three more albums, though, until they really made it big with their 1976 album, A Rock and Roll Alternative and it's hit single So Into You (1977/#7 Pop/#11 Adult Contemporary). They followed with 1978's Champagne Jam and their second top ten hit, Imaginary Lover (1978/#7 Pop/#20 Adult Contemporary).
It was shortly after their greatest success that Nix and Buie had a falling out and Robert left the band to be replaced by Roy Yeager. Nix went on to do session work for the rest of his professional career.
In addition to his work in the early-70's with ARS, Nix was a close friend with Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zandt and sat in on drums on the group's classic track Tuesday's Gone from their debut album. When Van Zandt was killed in 1977, Nix purchased his Florida home.
Nix is in both the Florida and Georgia Music Halls of Fame. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. Read more...
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Robin Gibb 1949-2012
Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees once said that "an artist is an artist because he is not happy with the world, so he creates his own existence." And the singer and composer, who died Sunday at the age of 62 after a series of health issues, certainly created a memorable existence for himself.
"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," his spokesperson confirmed in a statement. "The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."
"I Started a Joke"
"Stayin' Alive"
"How Deep Is Your Love"
As one-third of the Bee Gees, Gibb was part of the sixth top-selling pop group of all time, selling more than 200 million records worldwide, notching 60 No. 1 hits around the globe and winning nine Grammy Awards, including Lifetime Achievement and Legend citations. Along with his Bee Gees siblings Barry and the late Maurice, his twin who died in 2003, Gibb has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Gibb was also the most prolific member of the band as a solo artist with six albums including this year's "Titanic Requiem," a classical piece co-written with his youngest son Robin-John. The latter, he wrote during January in the British newspaper The Mail, "saved my life" while he was in the throes of the health crisis that ultimately killed him.
"Getting involved in the routine of composing and singing again really saved me," Gibb wrote. "The 'Titanic Requiem' has been a huge investment for me -- physically, emotionally and financially -- and has come at a difficult time." Yet Gibb was upbeat, noting that "I'm happy to say I'm nearly better...It's taken its toll, naturally, but the strange thing is that I've never felt seriously ill. I've mostly felt great...I am not and have never been at death's door."
But just days after "Titanic Requiem's" release, Gibb -- who was first hospitalized with abdominal pains in August of 2010 and was subsequently diagnosed with colon cancer that spread to his liver -- underwent intestinal surgery. On April 14 he fell into a pneumonia-induced coma, where his family -- including brother Barry, second wife Dwina and his three children -- kept a vigil until his death.
Gibb once noted that music also "saved me from a life of crime," and he wasn't joking.
Gibb, who was 35 minutes older than Maurice, was one of five children born to Hugh and Barbara Gibb on the Isle of Man in England. The family later moved to Manchester, where Robin and Barry have acknowledged indulging in petty theft. Maurice once remembered Robin setting fire to several billboards as well. But the three oldest Gibb brothers were also drawn to music. "The real world was just too real and we didn't want to be a part of normal life," Robin once said. "We wanted to create a magic world for the three of us. The three of us were like one person, and we were doing what we needed to do: make music. It became an obsession."
He, Barry and Maurice had started performing in Manchester, but their career really flourished after the family moved to Australia, in 1958 -- even performing aboard the ship that took them there. Their father helped push the trio, known as the Rattlesnakes and then Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecasts, to radio and talent shows, and it was a DJ named Bill Gates who came up with the Bee Gees moniker. The brothers, who had all left school during their early teens, started releasing singles in 1963, while its first album, "The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs," came out in 1965.
The trio scored its first big hit with "Spicks and Specks" in 1966, which preceded their return to England that year. They were signed by manager Robert Stigwood, who was working for Beatles manager Brian Epstein's NEMS organization, and in 1967 the Bee Gees signed with Polydor Records in the U.K. and Atco in the U.S., scoring a quick series of hits that included "New York Mining Disaster 1941,," "To Love Somebody," "Holiday," "Massachusetts" and "Words." But there were rivalries and creative differences in the group; a frustrated Robin left the Bee Gees after 1969's "Odessa" album, releasing one album ("Robin's Reign") and scoring a No. 2 U.K. hit with "Saved By the Bell."
Robin returned to the group in 1970, and the Bee Gees gained momentum with "Lonely Days," "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (their first No. 1 hit in the U.S.), "My World" and "Run to Me." Hooking up with producer Arif Mardin for 1974's "Mr. Natural," the trio began to move in an R&B direction. "Main Course" made the Bee Gees disco club favorites in 1975 with hits such as "Jive Talkin' " and "Nights on Broadway," and its contributions to the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack in 1977 made them a pop phenomenon, holding the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 100 for 25 weeks from December 1977-August 1978 with their own songs and hits they composed for youngest brother Andy Gibb and Yvonne Elliman. "Saturday NIght Fever" became the fourth top-selling album worldwide, and despite co-starring in the ill conceived film adaptation of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in 1978, the group was back on top the following year with "Spirits Having Flown."
The Bee Gees' greatest success came during a rough patch in Gibb's personal life, however. He and his first wife -- NEMS secretary Molly Hullis, the mother of children Spencer and Melissa -- separated during the mid-70s and divorced in 1980. Gibb also spent a couple of hours in jail three years later for violating the couple's agreement about not speaking publicly about the marriage. But in 1980 Gibb also met Dwina Murphy; the two married and had Robin-John in 1983 but made headlines a few years later when it was revealed Dwina was bisexual as well as an ordained disciple of the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids." The two had what Gibb called an "open relationship" that included extramarital affairs. "He's free to go wherever he wants and see whoever he wants," Dwina told one interviewer. "But, even if we're away from each other for periods of time, there's a bond and nothing's going to break it."
Gibb, who released three more solo albums during the mid-80s, said that he and Dwina "have achieved a wonderful combination of freedom and closeness. I don't worry about Dwina finding someone else and I don't have the urge to settle down with someone else, either. Jealousy is energy-draining. Many marriages fail because of it."
Laid low by the deaths of brothers Andy in 1988 -- who died at age 30 at Robin's home in Oxfordshire, England -- and Maurice in 2003, Robin and Barry put the Bee Gees on an indefinite hiatus while they pursued their own creative endeavors. Robin's 2002 solo album "Magnet" hit the charts in the U.K. and Germany, and he released "My Favourite Christmas Carols" in 2006. He also performed occasional solo shows, and in 2011 he hit the charts again by joining The Soldiers, a trio of active British military personnel, for a cover of the Bee Gees' "I've Gotta Get a Message to You." The two surviving Gibb brothers, meanwhile, oversaw an extensive Bee Gees reissue campaign and performed together for special events such as a benefit for the University of Miami's Diabetes Research Institute and the Prince's Trust 30th Birthday Concert in London, both in 2006. The two also appeared together on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" and the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing," and they inducted ABBA into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
The Gibb brothers were also working with director/producer Steven Spielberg on a film version of the Bee Gees' story.
Funeral details have not been announced.
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Thursday, May 17, 2012
Donna Summer 1948-2012
Donna Summer, the "Queen of Disco" and one of the most successful recording artists of the 1970s and 1980s, died Thursday (May 17) at the age of 63, a representative confirmed to CNN . The singer had cancer and was in Florida at the time of her death.
Remembering a Disco Queen
• SLIDESHOW: Beautiful Summer
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the singer's family said they are "at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy." No other details have been released, and there are conflicting reports on what kind of cancer she had.
Since the news was first reported by TMZ on Thursday morning, Summer's fellow Disco royalty have been reacting to the news on Twitter and Facebook.
"For the last half hour or so I've been lying in my bed crying and stunned," Chic hitmaker Nile Rodgers wrote. "Donna Summer RIP." KC and the Sunshine Band wrote on Facebook, "You will Be Missed… Our prayers and condolences go out to her family... Lala."
Gloria Gaynor of "I Will Survive" fame released the following statement: "I am deeply saddened personally for the loss of my dear friend Donna Summer. She and I have been friends for a very long time, we were both known as the 'Queen of Disco,' but Donna always referred to me as the 'First Lady of Disco.' A fine lady and human being she was. She will be missed dearly by her colleagues, friends and family. She not only made her mark in my heart as well as others, but she forever changed the way of how America danced and enjoyed themselves. She may have had her 'Last Dance' here on earth, but 'Heaven Knows' it is "dancing with joy for her arrival."
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
"Love to Love You Baby"
"Last Dance"
"I Feel Love"
"She Works Hard for the Money"
Born LaDonna Gaines in Boston in 1948, the singer released her first single, "Sally Go 'Round the Roses," in 1971 under the name Donna Gaines. She switched to Summer by the time her first chart hit, the breathy, sexualized "Love to Love You Baby" hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 in 1975.
"That was a song I wasn't planning on singing myself," she told Billboard in a 2008 interview. "It was kind of a work in progress, and I thought that if I could get the right singer, it could be a hit. I had given Giorgio [Moroder, producer] the idea of 'Love to Love You Baby,' and he went into the studio and put a track to the idea and I went in and sang some words over it. I didn't need a lot of words, so I oohed and aahed my way through it. I was imagining if Marilyn Monroe sang the song, that's what she would do."
Summer earned 32 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in her career, with 14 of those reaching the top 10. Her biggest singles include her four No. 1s "MacArthur Park," "Hot Stuff," "Bad Girls" and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" with Barbra Streisand. While she earned a string of smashes in the 1970s, she continued to chart hits on into '80s, '90s, '00s and '10s.
In 1983 she returned to the Hot 100's top 10 with the No. 3 anthem "She Works Hard For the Money" and then again in 1989 with "This Time I Know It's For Real" (No. 7). Her final Hot 100 hit in her lifetime came in 1999 with "I Will Go With You (Con Te Partiro)," which reached No. 79.
Summer remained a force on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs chart all through her career, fitting, for the Queen of Disco. She notched 14 No. 1s on the chart - all the way up through her most recent hit, 2010's "To Paris With Love." Her last studio album, 2008's "Crayons," spun off three No. 1 Dance/Club hits with "I'm a Fire," "Stamp Your Feet" and "Fame (The Game)."
On the Billboard 200 albums chart, she claimed three back-to-back No. 1 albums between 1978 and 1980 with "Live and More," "Bad Girls" and "One the Radio - Greatest Hits Volumes I & II." She collected further top 20 albums with 1980's "The Wanderer" (No. 13), 1982's self-titled set (No. 20), 1983's "She Works Hard for the Money" (No. 9) and "Crayons" (No. 17).
Summer won five Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards and was the first African American woman to be nominated for an MTV Video Music Award, for "She Works Hard for the Money."
"I don't know if I could say I'd forseen how long this music would last," she told Billboard. "I think all performers would love to see there's no generation gap in music. People still listen to my songs on the radio. DJs still spin them in the club. You just hope that the music you make will still be around and have a second life, a third life, a fourth life. I mean, look at the Beatles. Come on!"
She is survived by her husband, three daughters, and four grandchildren.
Additional reporting by Keith Caulfield and Gary Graff.
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012
One Monkee Covers For Another
Micky Dolenz will fill in for his former Monkees bandmate, the late-Davy Jones, at the Disneyworld's Flower Power Concert Series in Orlando on May 20.
Dolenz told the Orlando Sentinel that he had to think hard before accepting the booking. He was afraid that the press was going to portray it as capitalizing on Jones' death "but then the fans started writing in and demanding it, how much they would love it to happen. There will be a section in the middle of the set where, of course, I will talk about him and have a couple of special songs and certainly a special moment."
Dolenz will be on the road this summer as part of the annual Happy Together tour. For its 26th year, the tour will feature The Turtles Featuring Flo & Eddie, the Buckinghams, the Grassroots, Dolenz and Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (a new addition this year).
The dates for this year's tour:
- 06/08 - Columbus, GA - River Center
- 06/09 - Dothan, AL - Civic Center Arena
- 06/10 - Chattanooga, TN - Riverbend Festival Grounds
- 06/12 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza
- 06/13 - Hollywood, FL - The Hard Rock
- 06/14 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
- 06/15 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
- 06/16 - Hiawasee, GA - Anderson Music Hall
- 06/17 - Montgomery, AL - Renaissance PAC
- 06/19 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
- 06/20 - New Brunswick, NJ - State Theatre
- 06/21 - Tarrytown, NY - Music Hall
- 06/22 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theater
- 06/23 - Westbury, NY - NYCB Theatre
- 06/24 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
- 07/11 - San Diego, CA - Humphrey's By The Bay
- 07/12 - Santa Ynez, CA - Chumash Casino
- 07/13 - Sacramento, CA - California State Fair
- 07/14 - Costa Mesa, CA - Orange County Fair / Pacific Amphitheatre
- 07/15 - Fountain Hills, AZ - Fort McDowell Casino
- 07/16 - Santa Fe, NM - Thunder Casino
- 07/17 - Sandy, UT - Sandy City Amphitheatre
- 07/27 - Bangor, MA - Waterfront Park
- 07/28 - Asbury Park, NJ - The Paramount
- 07/29 - Vienna, VA - Filene Center at Wolftrap
- 07/30 - Bethlehem, PA - Musikfest Cafe Artsquest Center
- 08/01 - Cleveland Heights, OH - Cain Park
- 08/02 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion
- 08/03 - Windsor, ON - Caesars Windsor
- 08/04 - Waukegan, IL - Genesee Theatre
- 08/05 - West Allis, WI - Wisconsin State Fair
- 08/07 - Bemidji, MN - Sanford Center
- 08/09 - Effingham, IL - Performance Center
- 08/10 - Des Moines, IA - Iowa State Fair
- 08/11 - Manistee, MI - Little River Casino Resort
- 08/23 - Louisville, KN - Cardinal Stadium
- 08/24 - Aurora, IL - Paramount Theatre
- 08/25 - Baraboo, WI - Ho - Chunk Casino
- 08/26 - Mitchell, SD - Corn Palace Festival
- 08/27 - St. Paul, MN - Minnesota State Fair
- 08/29 - Homestead, PA - Carnegie Library Music Hall
- 08/30 - Syracuse, NY - New York State Fair
Monday, May 14, 2012
The truth is revealed......
Twitter is a social phenomenon. In short, 140-word snippets, people make announcements, express opinions, answer questions and talk about their everyday existence for the world to see.Then, every once in awhile, a series of Tweets takes on a life of it's own, allowing the writer to talk about a very personal experience and carry on a conversation with their friends or (in this case) fans, revealing a new dimension to what may or may not be an already known story. While it provides those friends and fans with the inside view on someone they admire, it also appears to be a cathartic experience for the writer.
That seems to be the case in a long series of Tweets on Monday afternoon by Nancy Sinatra on the 14th anniversary of her father, Frank Sinatra's, passing. At that time, Frank had been married to the former Barbara Marx for 21 years and it was well known that she had a contentious relationship with his three children, Nancy, Tina and Frank, Jr.
Nancy had also previously talked about how she and her siblings had not been able to say goodbye to their father through the actions of Barbara when he was on his deathbed. Earlier today, she Tweeted that "14 years ago today my father died and I was not given the chance to say goodbye. I will never forgive her for that. NEVER."
These are the Tweets that followed, an exchange with fans that almost seems like an interview. They are all in the original Twitter format (answer followed by the question that prompted it) and we have removed the ID of the person doing the questioning. It is an inside look into the heartbreak that Nancy felt and still feels today about those final hours.
Exactly. Karma is too good for her. @xxxxxxxx "yep some things are just too unforgivableRead more...Not possible. @xxxxxxxx "Forgive is not the right word it's forget.
Did then and continues to hurt us today. A horrible human being. @xxxxxxxx "Do you think that she meant to hurt you in this way?
He asked "where are my children?" and his children didn't know @xxxxxxxx "Frank would know you were there for him. He would understand
She is evil personified. @xxxxxxxx "Jealousy and greed is an evil thing.
Road manager was there. @xxxxxxxx "How did you find out tht he asked for all of you
Believe me he would understand this. @xxxxxxxx "do you think your father would want you to still be mad?
Because then obits couldn't say "he died with his wife by his side." @xxxxxxxx @xxxxxxxx "why weren't you able/allowed to say goodbye
I am a stepmother. 1st person I called when my husband was dying was his son. @xxxxxxxx "Step parents are devils
Sorry, friends, I didn't mean to take up so much of your Twitter time with this.
She tells AMOST the whole story. Well worth the read if u r a Frank fan. @xxxxxxxx "I read your sister's book a few years back
Yes, it's true. @xxxxxxxx "karma has never gotten her. I wish it would but She gets what she wants and probably always will.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Memphis Legend "Duck" Dunn Dies at 70
Bass player and songwriter Donald "Duck" Dunn, a member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame band Booker T. and the MGs and the Blues Brothers band, has died in Tokyo. He was 70.
"Green Onions"
"Time Is Tight"
Dunn was in Tokyo for a series of shows. News of his death was posted on the Facebook page of his friend and fellow musician Steve Cropper, who was on the same tour. Cropper said Dunn died in his sleep.
"Today I lost my best friend, the World has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live," Cropper wrote.
Miho Harasawa, a spokeswoman for Tokyo Blue Note, the last venue Dunn played, confirmed he died alone early Sunday. She had no further details.
Dunn, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1941, performed on recordings with Eric Clapton, Neil Young and many others, and specialized in blues, gospel and soul. He played himself in the 1980 hit movie "The Blues Brothers."
He received a lifetime achievement Grammy award in 2007 for his work in the MGs, whose instrumental hits include "Green Onions," "Soul Limbo" and "Time Is Tight." The band's biggest contribution to popular music, however, was their role as the house band for Stax Records, performing on hundreds of recordings by the label's artists, including Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas and Johnnie Taylor.
Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Thursday, May 10, 2012
"Sweet Seasons"........on the shuffleboard court?
The voice behind dozens of standards like "It's Too Late," ''You've Got a Friend" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" says her music-making days are likely over.
Carole King, now a best-selling author, doubts she will ever write another song and suggested that her 2010 "Troubadours Reunion" concert tour with James Taylor would be her last: "It was a good way to go out."
King composed dozens of 1960s hits with then-husband Gerry Goffin before emerging as a recording artist in her own right. Her 25 million-selling "Tapestry" launched the singer-songwriter era in 1971 and became the first real blockbuster album. She spoke recently as two new projects offer fresh reminders of her legacy - the memoir "A Natural Woman" and a new disc that gathers "demo" recordings of some of her best-known songs that were made to sell the compositions to other artists.
It's intriguing to hear King's first take on the songs that became known through others, like "Pleasant Valley Sunday" (the Monkees), "Crying in the Rain" (Everly Brothers), "Take Good Care of My Baby" (Bobby Vee) and "You've Got a Friend" (James Taylor). The wiser artists didn't fiddle much with her arrangements.
That's only a sampling, because King's pre-"Tapestry" hits also included "Up on the Roof" (Drifters), "Loco-Motion" (Little Eva), "Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Shirelles), "One Fine Day" (Chiffons) and "Chains" (Cookies, later covered by the Beatles).
She hasn't released an album of new compositions since 2001, and on her website's exhaustive list of songs she has written, the most recent are two from 2004.
"At this point I can look back at my life and career as a songwriter and say I've done everything I really wanted to do," King said.
She's not naive. She knows popular culture has long since moved elsewhere. As a teenage music prodigy she knew what young people were thinking about and wanted to hear in music, and she's not there anymore.
"I suppose if I had a reason to, if someone said I want you to write a song for this movie, I could sit down and do that," she said. "But to just write songs and to throw them out into the marketplace, I don't think this is my time to do that."
The decision to shut it down or keep creating is one that many members of an older musical generation face. Billy Joel announced in the early 1990s that he was through writing pop songs, and has stuck to that. But Bob Dylan has kept writing and releasing new music. Both surviving members of the Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, keep turning out new projects. The Beach Boys have an unlikely reunion with a new album as well.
Neil Sedaka, who grew up in the same New York City song publishing houses as King, was wistful when told her old friend was no longer writing.
"When you've written so many great ones like Carole King it's difficult to top yourself," the veteran singer said. "You have to keep reinventing, and she's certainly one of the great pop writers of the last 50 years. It becomes a great challenge. People really want to hear her in concert doing those wonderful songs that they know."
Those chances may be limited, too. King did a fair amount of touring during the past decade, but it took its toll. "I'm 70," she said. "It would be lovely to retire."
"The Legendary Demos," a title that embarrasses her, was a project of her daughter and manager, Sherry Kondor.
"I supported it. But I had very little hand in it. I didn't pick the songs. I saw the cover and said, 'Yeah, that's a nice picture," King said.
But it doesn't engage her nearly as much as the memoir. Learning it had made The New York Times best-sellers list excited King as much as learning that one of her songs was climbing the Billboard charts back in the day.
With her writing frequently interrupted by concert tours and activism (including work for environmental causes and Democratic politicians), the book took King 12 years to write. She was determined to do it herself without a ghost- or co-writer.
The strongest part of the book is also the most shocking. She talks of being physically and verbally abused by her third husband in the 1970s, the man who led her to the Idaho backcountry that she adores and still lives in. Even King found it hard to believe that despite fame, success and plenty of friends, she wouldn't end the relationship the first time she was hit - and even several times thereafter. She finally did leave, and he died of a drug overdose shortly after that, according to her book.
"It was very difficult, too complicated to talk about in a small sound bite," she said. "My editor said to just write about it, you don't have to include it. But I decided to include it because I want other women in abusive relationships to know that it's not their fault and that it can happen to anyone."
With her first book is fresh on the market, she's already thinking about the possibility of another one.
"Now that I'm 70, I have bits of wisdom I can offer to a younger generation," she said. "It's not 'This is the way it has to be,' but 'This is my experience, I hope this helps you.'"
Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Wednesday, May 9, 2012
A Robin Gibb Health Update
What is Robin Gibb's long term prognosis from his current battle with colon cancer?
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The Beach Boys Stay Up Late With Jimmy Fallon!
Just a few weeks ahead of their 50th anniversary tour, The Beach Boys stopped by "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" on American television last night. Brian Wilson and Mike Love sat on the couch with Jimmy to discuss their lives and career.....together and separately. Then the band got together for a few songs, including their brand new single "That's Why God Made The Radio"! The interview segments, followed by the music performances, can be found below.........
Monday, April 30, 2012
Bobby Vee Has A Sad Announcement........
Music legend Bobby Vee makes a bittersweet announcement about his health and immediate future on his official website. Our thoughts and prayers are with both Bobby and his family and our hopes are that he is surrounded every day by those he loves and who love him.......
CLICK HERE to see his announcement
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Life's a "Beach"
Let's hope this will prove to be worth the wait..........
CLICK HERE to get The Beach Boys' first new single in over 20 years!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Some days are indeed "Diamond"s
If at first you don't succeed at marriage.......keep trying! That seems to be the mantra of Neil Diamond. From the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year to walking the aisle last year.
CLICK HERE to get the details of Neil's weekend wedding.........
Sunday, April 22, 2012
A little good news
After a week of sad news for Oldies lovers, it was nice to get some good news over the weekend! Just when it seemed like Robin Gibb might have been entering his final days........
CLICK HERE to see what happened!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Two Days, Two Legends Lost
The music world has suffered two huge losses in two days. Yesterday, it was Dick Clark. Today, it is the drummer and singer of one of the great bands of all-time, a friend and colleague of Bob Dylan, and a part-time actor whose most notable role came in a movie about music, as Loretta Lynn's father in Coal Miner's Daughter.
Golden Hits Radio salutes Levon Helm of The Band, who passed on to rock and roll heaven today at the age of 71.......
CLICK HERE for Rolling Stone's obituary and career overview
More Love for Dick Clark (1920-2012)
Golden Hits Radio brings you more of Dick Clark's greatest moments.......
Dick Clark on a 1960's episode of Batman
A 1964 interview with The Beach Boys on American Bandstand
A conversation with Jefferson Airplane, 1967.......
And finally, 1966 and Neil Diamond.........
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Dick Clark 1929-2012
Golden Hits Radio celebrates the life of one of the folks who is responsible for the fact that we exist......Dick Clark, who passed away following a heart attack yesterday at a hospital in Santa Monica, California. Whether it was on camera or behind the scenes, Dick Clark has been responsible for thousands of hours of our collective TV viewing since American Bandstand was first broadcast coast-to-coast in 1957.
While we can't possibly bring you every piece of news coverage and video from around the Web, we can bring you an overview across several media organizations, and hopefully you learn something about the man that you never knew!
CNN coverage of Dick Clark's life (includes sidebar video)
ABC News coverage (with video)
Monday, April 16, 2012
A studio session legend passes on.......
Thanks to a current bestelling book, session musicians from the 60's and 70's era are now becoming more than just nameless and faceless pioneers. L.A. had The Wrecking Crew in that era, Nashville had "The A Team", and Motown had The Funk Brothers. Another of the great studio players from Memphis in those days has passed on. CLICK HERE to find out who it is.........
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Friday, April 6, 2012
Who's on the list?
This might be a first.......an "all time" list involving certain Oldies artists that The Beatles made, but Elvis Presley didn't!
CLICK HERE to find out who's fashionable.........
Thursday, April 5, 2012
The Fab Faux
Shane Wilson: For the record, I think this would be an absolute disaster. It's one thing to follow in your father's footsteps. We know several sons of music legends who have had varying degrees of success.......Jakob Dylan (of The Wallflowers), Matthew and Gunnar Nelson (sons of Rick Nelson), and Ziggy Marley all come to mind. But while they may have covered one or two of their father's songs or paid tribute to him in some other way, they weren't trying to directly rip off his act or use the name of the band.
Undaunted by that, CLICK HERE to see what Paul McCartney's son is proposing..........
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
A "Centerfield"er puts together an all-star team
Carlos Santana, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jeff Beck, and Tony Bennett are among the artists who have teamed up with musicians at least one generation removed from them for album projects. So who's the latest to jump into that ring? CLICK HERE to find out!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Could Ray Charles' children soon be "Busted"?
In this corner.......the Ray Charles Foundation. In this corner........his children.
CLICK HERE to find out what the problem is.......
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
And the singer of the UK's entry in this year's Eurovision Song Contest is........
the oldest male singer ever to take the stage for the legendary contest! CLICK HERE to find out more, and see the music video for the song below...........
Reunited......and it still feels so good
To celebrate a milestone birthday, The Queen of Soul is back together with the man who helped her ascend to the throne.......CLICK HERE to find out more
From ballroom dancer to the President's mom?
No matter how far Gladys Knight goes this season on Dancing With The Stars, it appears she may already have her next gig lined up, and this one doesn't involve singing! CLICK HERE to find out what Gladys is tackling next.........
Monday, March 26, 2012
A King becomes an icon
One of the Brill Building's finest songwriters receives a well-deserved honor from BMI......CLICK HERE to find out who it is
Familar "Faces" at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
The logistics of getting a long-defunct band back together for even something as prestigious as induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony can sometimes be a risky proposition, but the surviving members of The Faces say they're all game, including Rod Stewart!
CLICK HERE to see what Faces drummer Kenney Jones has to say about reuniting........
Barry Manilow: Hip (Replacement) Cat
Call it whatever you want.......but don't call it a tour, says Barry Manilow following his first few road ventures following hip surgery.
Multiple Megs of "Ram"
1972 saw several landmark albums, and now, in a never ending effort to milk a cash cow dry, another album gets a full reissue treatment.
CLICK HERE to find out which album and the bonus material included........
Bowie Howdy!
The moment when androgyny went mainstream is celebrated will be celebrated this summer when the 40th anniversary reissue of a landmark album hits stores and iTunes......
CLICK HERE for track listing and other info
Will The Eagles soar on the road this year?
We already know The Rolling Stones won't be hitting the road for a 50th anniversary tour......at least not this year. Earlier this year, Joe Walsh indicated The Eagles would be hitting the road for a 40th anniversary tour, but Glenn Frey says, "not so fast"...........
Sunday, March 25, 2012
A "Dizzy"ing schedule for a music legend......
What is Tommy Roe up to these days? A lot more than you might think!
CLICK HERE to see him discuss his long career and current endeavors, including a concert tour!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The Killer keeps it "all in the family"........AGAIN!
While the source must be considered in this case, although they've been right more than they've been wrong recently (John Edwards, etc.), just when you think Jerry Lee Lewis couldn't possibly top himself after marrying his cousin 50-plus years ago (which is still just as creepy of a notion today, by the way) comes this...........
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Will Blu-ray make it even "Yellow"er?
Although it isn't considered one of their many artistic triumphs, musically or otherwise, a film from the Fab Four's catalog is getting the HD re-release treatment. CLICK HERE to find out more.........
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
"This one time, at rock and roll camp............"
Why not make everything old new again for your summer vacation? Go back to summer camp! We can't promise it will be mosquito free, but this one sure looks and sounds like fun. Wanna relive your favorite musical memories with great artists spanning three decades? CLICK HERE to feel 20 years younger again!
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