MUSIC NEWS
Facebook.com/CherCher's new album, Closer to the Truth, is her first collection of new material in more than 10 years. The legendary diva says artistically, she pushed the envelope on the album in ways she never has before.
Cher tells Billboard, "I did a couple things on this album, ventured into places that I haven't gone and I really enjoyed that. I took some chances on this album and when it turned out to be good, I was pleased."
The famed entertainer says the jumping-off
...Read more
Glass Onyon PRTwisted Tales, the final studio album recorded by late Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek, was released on Tuesday. The 10-song collection is a collaboration with veteran blues guitarist Roy Rogers, who also worked with Manzarek on two other albums, 2008's Ballads Before the Rain and 2011's Translucent Blues.
Twisted Tales features tunes that showcase Manzarek's classic driving keyboards and Rogers' slithery slide guitar, with lyrics contributed
...Read more
Steve Johnston; Rounder RecordsDavid Coverdale says he'd like to end his 20-year-old feud with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant. What feud, you may be wondering?
Apparently, it began after the Whitesnake singer released a well-received one-off album with Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, Coverdale Page, in 1993. According to ClassicRockMagazine.com, the quarrel began after Plant took some digs at Coverdale, whom he referred to as "David Cover-version."
...Read more
Cher.comCher made her first live TV performance in more than a decade Tuesday night on The Voice finale, and now she's lining up more appearances to get fans hyped for her upcoming album...especially her gay fans.
On June 30, the Oscar-winning diva will perform at Dance on the Pier, a major New York City Gay Pride event. Cher will be performing her new single, "Woman's World," as well as her other hits.
In a tweet, Cher says she's "honored" to be able to perform at the event.
Dance on the Pier, now
...Read more
JerryGarcia.comWarren Haynes has long had a strong connection to The Grateful Dead, having performed with the band's surviving members when they reunited as The Dead and toured and recorded with founding Dead bassist Phil Lesh's side project Phil Lesh & Friends. Now, the Allman Brothers Band guitarist has hit the road as part of a unique tribute to late Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia. The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration Tour, which kicked off Tuesday in Pittsburgh, features Haynes performing specially arranged
...Read more
Timur Emek/ Getty ImagesU2 frontman Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, reportedly had a VIP lunch with first lady Michelle Obama and her daughters on Tuesday at a pub outside Dublin, Ireland.
Bono and Ali were spotted shortly after 1 p.m. local time entering Finnegan's of Dalkey, supposedly one of the couple's favorite restaurant spots in their hometown just south of Dublin.
Moments later, the first family -- minus the president -- arrived to enjoy a final meal of traditional Irish fare before departing for Germany later on in the day.
Mrs. Obama and daughters Malia
...Read more
Photo: Jane RicheyJourney is among the many artists who will hit the stage at the 2013 Music Midtown Festival, which will take place September 20-21 in Piedmont Park in Atlanta. Other bands set to perform at this year's edition of the annual event include such popular rock acts as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, Queens of the Stone Age, Weezer, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, CAKE and Arctic Monkeys.
Tickets for the Music Midtown Festival start at $90 and will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. ET. Citi cardmembers will have
...Read more
Photo: F. Scott ShaferBlondie has announced plans for a new tour that will see the veteran new wave band traveling throughout the U.S. during September and early October. The trek, dubbed the No Principals Tour, kicks off September 5 in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, and is mapped out through an October 4 concert in New York City.
Serving as Blondie's opening act during the outing will be Los Angeles punk legends X. Everyone buying a ticket to the tour will receive five brand-new Blondie songs: "Make a Way," "Drag You Around," "Can't Stop Wanting," "A Rose by Any Name" and "I Screwed Up." These tunes also
...Read more
SpringsteenAndI.comNew details have been announced regarding the premiere screenings of the new Bruce Springsteen documentary Springsteen & I, which focuses on the passionate relationship the Boss shares with his fans. The film now is scheduled to be shown for two nights only, July 22 and July 30, in hundreds of theaters across the U.S. You can buy tickets for the flick and find out all the specific locations where the movie will be screened by visiting
...Read more
Warner Bros. RecordsThe finale of The Voice airs tonight, and in addition to finding out who the winner will be, we'll also get the first live TV performance in a decade from Cher, who'll be performing her new single "Women's World." Not only that, but she'll chat with fans online this evening.
At 9:15 p.m. PT, Cher will participate in a 30-minute online event while backstage at The Voice, and you can watch it at Livestream.com. The legedary entertainer will be answering questions that fans have been submitting via Twitter, so if you want
...Read more
Al Soluri/KISS Catalog Ltd.This Thursday, KISS will be rocking Zurich, Switzerland, as part of the European leg of the band's Monster tour, but fans all over the world will be able to enjoy the show. AXS TV will air the concert live at 3 p.m. ET, and also will host an encore screening at 11 p.m. ET.
The program also will mark the first time KISS' new stage, lighting and pyrotechnics display will be seen on television. In addition, fans who visit AXS TV's official Facebook
...Read more
MJ Kim/MPL Communications Ltd.Sending out Happy Birthday wishes to Paul McCartney, who turns 71 today. The founding Beatles legend may be among the wealthiest, most successful and most revered musicians on the planet, but he's by no means resting on his laurels. McCartney just wrapped up a series of critically acclaimed U.S. concerts with an appearance Friday at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee, and he'll begin a three-show European trek this Sunday in Warsaw, Poland, before heading back to America for more shows in July and August.
At his recent gigs, McCartney has been digging deep
...Read more
Photo: Danny ClinchSteely Dan has added a special series of concerts at New York City's Beacon Theatre to the tail-end the band's recently-announced North American tour. The seven-date residency, which will run from September 30 through October 8, will feature the jazz-rock veterans performing various themed sets each night, just as they did when they visited the Beacon and other select venues during their 2009 and 2011 treks.
Depending on which show you attend, you'll get to see the group perform one of three of its classic albums in its entirety -- Aja,
...Read more
Facebook.com/JoanJettJoan Jett's Blackheart Records Group label is suing teen retailer Hot Topic for trademark infringement and false advertising over the chain's Blackheart Clothing Co. brand.
The complaint, which was filed last week, notes that Jett and her longtime musical collaborator Kenny Laguna formed the band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and subsequently started their own recording company and called it "Blackheart Records." They applied to register the label's name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 1984, and the office granted the registration the next year. In 2005, Jett and Laguna
...Read more
EltonJohn.comThinking about new digs? Well, if you have enough cash, the French château where Elton John recorded his classic 1972 album Honky Château can now be yours.
According to the European news service AFP, the 18th century Château d'Hérouville, located about 20 miles outside of Paris, has been put up for sale for the bargain price of $1.73 million. That'll get you 30 rooms, a 42,000-acre park, a pool and a tennis court.
French composer Michel
...Read more
Photo: James O'MaraJoni Mitchell was at Toronto's Luminato Festival on Sunday to particpate in a rare and in-depth Q&A session, one of several scheduled events focusing on the influential folk/pop/jazz artist at the creative-arts fest. The acclaimed singer/songwriter spoke with New York Times music critic Jon Pareles about a variety of topics, including her childhood struggle with polio and other illnesses, her musical and artistic influences and inspirations, her unique approach to
...Read more
Photo: Mick RockDaryl Hall & John Oates are among the artists who will perform at the fourth annual Life Is Good Festival, scheduled for September 21 and 22 at Prowse Farm in Canton, Massachusetts. The pop-soul duo will hit the stage during the first day of the event, which expects to raise more than $1 million for the Life Is Good Kids Foundation, a nonprofit charity that aids in-need youth and supports a training program for childcare professionals.
Other artists on the lineup for the festival's
...Read more
Interscope RecordsAs part of his One campaign's agit8 anti-poverty initiative, U2 frontman Bono posted a clip of the band delivering an acoustic performance of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" on YouTube. In an accompanying video interview, Bono also tells the story of how as a child songs by John Lennon, Bob Marley and Bob Dylan taught him the importance of how music could inspire social change.
Also adding a video
...Read more
Columbia RecordsBob Dylan will perform 33 dates in Europe beginning October 10 in Oslo, Norway and running though November 28 in London. Multiple night stands include concerts in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Rome, Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, and Glasgow. The full itinerary can be reviewed on his official website.
Dylan will also be on the road this summer headlining the Americanarama Festival of Music tour which kicks off June 26 in West Palm Beach, Florida and ends August 4 in Mountain View, California.
As previously reported, Dylan has been chosen to accept
...Read more
Facebook.com/MickJaggerOfficialHere's your chance to own a piece of Mick Jagger. A piece of his famous hairdo, anyway.
The British auction house Bonhams is putting a lock of the Rolling Stones frontman's hair -- dating back to the 1960s -- on the block.
...Read more
ClarenceClemons.comJanuary 11 is now officially Clarence Clemons Day in New Jersey. Governor Chris Christie signed off on the resolution to annually celebrate the day, which is "Big Man's" birthday.
According to the DailyRecord.com, the resolution states, in part: “WHEREAS, During the E Street Band’s legendary live concerts Clarence Clemons’ saxophone solos were highly anticipated and he was always introduced last in the band introductions,
...Read more
Brantley GutierrezAs Paul McCartney performed Friday night at the Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, fans not able to attend the show were getting a taste of his new music online. The song "Out of Sight" he recorded with Italian dance artist The Bloody Beetroots debuted on Rollingstone.com. Bloody Beetroots is the stage name for the masked electronica artist Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo. As previously
...Read more
Photo: Carl DunnBad Company is ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary by heading out on a North American tour that kicks off Saturday night in Rancho Mirage, California. The British blues-rock hit makers have 30 dates on their schedule, almost half of which they'll co-headline with their old friends Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers says he's excited about hitting the road with his group, which features fellow founding band mates Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke, as well as ex-Heart
...Read more
AeroForceOne.comAerosmith has been announced as the headliner for the first-ever LivingSocial Backyard Festival on Randall's Island in New York City next month. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts also will perform at the event sponsored by the social network, which takes place July 13.
According to the official website, the outdoor event will also feature a "Hangout Zone with hammocks and bean bags, Cool Down Zone with misting machines and giant fans, on-site
...Read more
Facebook.com/BillyJoelWho knew Billy Joel was available for birthdays? The New York Post reports that the Piano Man raked in the cash earlier this week by agreeing to entertain guests at the 60th birthday bash of New York hedge fund manager Thomas Kempner Jr.
According to the Post, Billy was paid "up to $2 million" to perform for a crowd of billionaires at the party, which took place at the American Museum of Natural History. A guest told the paper, "It was a lovely party...Billy Joel played
...Read more
Jon Anderson/Image credit: Tami FreedFounding Yes singer Jon Anderson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer/Asia drummer Carl Palmer will be among the honorees at the fourth annual Vegas Rocks! Magazine Music Awards, scheduled to take place August 25 at Las Vegas' The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel. VegasSun.com reports that Anderson will receive the Voice of Progressive Music award, while Palmer will be presented with the Drum Legend Icon honor.
Also slated to be honored at
...Read more
Derrick Santini; Facebook.com/ TheRealBuddyGuyAerosmith's Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford are among a variety of guest artists who lend their musical talents to Buddy Guy's new album, Rhythm & Blues, which is due out on July 30, the legendary bluesman's 77th birthday. The 21-track release is split into two themed CDs, respectively titled Rhythm and Blues.
The Boston rockers are featured on a tune titled "Evil Twin," which appears on the Blues disc. Among the other stars contributing to the album are Kid Rock,
...Read more
Photo: Alan KazlowskiJackson Browne is among several artists who have signed on to perform at a benefit concert to help those affected by the deadly tornadoes that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, last month. Dubbed Rock for Oklahoma, the event will take place on July 23 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.
Other artists slated to take the stage at the event include Kings of Leon, Flaming Lips and Built to Spill. A number of special surprise guests also are expected to perform.
Tickets
...Read more
SongwritersHallofFame.orgMost legendary musicians will tell you that everything starts with a song, and that's what was celebrated Thursday night in New York City at the annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala. Among this year's inductees were Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and Tyler revealed to reporters the secret to knowing that you've written a great tune.
"At night when you're going to the bathroom, you can't get it out of your mind," explained Tyler. "All night, when you're going to get up to go to the bathroom, and you're singing the chorus, you go, 'OK, we got a winner
...Read more
FarmAid.orgFarm Aid is coming to upstate New York this year.
The organizationannounced late Thursday that the 2013 edition of the benefit concert will be held in Saratoga Springs on September 21. As usual, the charity's co-founders -- Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson -- will perform, as will longtime board member Dave Matthews. Additional artists have not yet been announced.
A pre-sale for tickets will be held next Tuesday. Tickets will be made available to the public beginning
...Read more
