Happy Birthday Willie Nelson

“Happy Birthday Willie and thank you and the entire Willie Nelson Family
for doing what you do ...bring joy to so many.
Your compassion for people (and horses, etc.) is inspiring ...as is your amazing guitar playing.
Your performances always lift me up and I look forward to many more.”

 

CDMartini

Strictly Hardly Vinyl 

Celebrate Willie's 80th : Neil Young

Farm Aid, Willie's Roadhouse, etc. have been gathering up birthday wishes for Willie Nelson from America’s family farmers, artists and from all of us who eat. Willie is 80 years old today (April 30, 2013).

Neil Young sings Happy Birthday to Willie (above).

MORE Birthday greetings HERE & HERE

An encore broadcast of his homecoming birthday concert and joint benefit for the Abbott & West, Texas Volunteer Fire Department tonight (Tuesday April 30, 2013) at 8 pm EDT on SiriusXMs Willie's Roadhouse channel 56.

Muddy Waters April 4, 1913 – April 30, 1983

Guitar Greats At NOLA Jazzfest 2013

The first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2013 is a wrap.

Now in it’s 44th year, the festival presents a smorgasbord of hundreds of bands on twelve different stages, performing virtually every style of music,to the delight of music aficionados.

George Benson (above right) graced the Congo Square stage. He got his show underway with “This Masquerade”  and “Give Me The Night.”

On the final day of the first weekend, legendary blues guitarist B.B.King (above left) closed out the show in the Blues Tent on a rainy evening. B.B.King and (his guitar) Lucille showcased sparks of nostalgic brilliance as he thrilled the crowd with material from his extensive catalog of hits including
"When The Saints Go Marching In". MORE HERE

Happy Birthday Wayne Kramer

George Jones Filled The Airwaves

As the news of George Jones’ passing (Friday April 26, 2013) hit the nation’s airwaves, personalities and programmers interrupted scheduled programming in short and long forms, ranging from continuous tribute coverage at country music’s mother station WSM-AM Nashville, to brief but powerful montage tributes at current-driven mainstream stations such as KMPS Seattle.

WSM-AM Program Director said, “We broke the news around 9:15 AM, then went full George Jones mode. We started with a handful of songs per hour, but the outpouring of listeners and artists calling and emailing prompted us to throw out the playlist and go wall-to-wall George Jones songs—his hits, live performances, rare recordings, anything and everything we have..." MORE HERE

Strictly Hardly Vinyl devoted an entire show to George Jones on 4/26/2013.

Happy Birthday Johnny Farina

Celebrate Willie's 80th : Keith Richards

Farm Aid, Willie's Roadhouse, etc. have been gathering up birthday wishes for Willie Nelson from America’s family farmers, artists and from all of us who eat. Willie is 80 years old today (April 30, 2013).

Keith Richards wishes a Happy Birthday to Willie (above).

MORE Birthday greetings HERE & HERE

An encore broadcast of his homecoming birthday concert and joint benefit for the Abbott & West, Texas Volunteer Fire Department tonight (Tuesday April 30, 2013) at 8 pm EDT on SiriusXMs Willie's Roadhouse channel 56.

Peter La Farge April 30, 1931 - October 27, 1965

R.I.P.: Lillian Leach

Lillian Leach (Boyd), whose wistful lead vocals with a 1950s Bronx group called the Mellows helped pave the way for women in soul and R&B, died Friday April 26, 2013. She was 76.

The Mellows formed in 1953 after 16-year-old Lillian Leach met Harold Johnson, John Wilson and Norman “Polecat” Brown at a Forest Avenue house party.

Leach recalled in 1987 that even though their voices blended well, she was shocked when they asked her to join their group.

“Girls didn’t sing in the groups then,” she said. “It was for the boys.” MORE HERE

Johnny Horton April 30, 1925 – November 5, 1960

Celebrate Willie's 80th : Band of Horses

Farm Aid, Willie's Roadhouse, etc. have been gathering up birthday wishes for Willie Nelson from America’s family farmers, artists and from all of us who eat. Willie is 80 years old today (April 30, 2013).

The Band of Horses had an entire crowd sing Happy Birthday to Willie (above).

MORE Birthday greetings HERE & HERE

An encore broadcast of his homecoming birthday concert and joint benefit for the Abbott & West, Texas Volunteer Fire Department tonight (Tuesday April 30, 2013) at 8 pm EDT on SiriusXMs Willie's Roadhouse channel 56.

Happy Birthday Otis Rush

Pussy Riot Parole Denied

Pussy Riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was denied parole by a Russian court on Friday April 26, 2013.

Tolokonnikova had been eligible for early release but her request was turned down by the penal colony she is being held in because she has failed to "repent" for her actions.

The 23-year-old is currently being detained in a distant prison colony in Mordovia, a Russian region infamous for its high number of prison camps. She has been held there since October (2012), serving a two-year sentence.

An appeals court suspended the sentence of one of the three convicted women, Yekaterina Samutsevich, in October (2012), but upheld the jail terms for Ms Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina. MORE HERE & HERE

Freepussyriot.org

Amnesty International

Mick Ronson 26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993

Artwork By Ronnie Wood

Along with preparing for a Rolling Stones world tour, guitarist Ronnie Wood has opened an exhibition of his artwork at Castle Fine Art in London.

The show will run until  July 30, 2013, and it's free to get in...

Some artwork images HERE

Happy Birthday Tommy James

Beastie Boys Intergalactic Multidimensional Bio

A year out from losing one their three founders, the Beastie Boys are ready to tell their story. The surviving Beastie Boys are penning a book -- but it won't be your formulaic memoir.

Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz -- who together with the late Adam "MCA" Yauch, comprise the hip-hop outfit -- have reportedly signed a book deal.

An as-yet-untitled tome is planned for a fall 2015 release.

But the storytelling will play to a slightly different beat. The Beastie Boys are apparently "interested in challenging the form and making the book a multidimensional experience." MORE HERE

Happy Birthday Klaus Voorman

Natural History Museum Presents DEVO

The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles is officially 100 years old! There are day-to-night celebrations featuring new Nature Gardens and Nature Lab. Kick off summer with kid friendly activities, workshops in the gardens, behind-the-scenes collection tours with scientists and musical entertainment from The Ranger Band and Rhythm Child.





Nature after dark is even more fun - food trucks, garden tours, DJs in the Mammal Halls, and outdoor shows with DEVO and GZA/The Genius IN CONCERT Sunday June 9, 2013.

Tickets available HERE

official website

Duke Ellington April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974

Happy Birthday Ann-Margret

Rolling Stones Surpise L.A. Rehearsal Gig

Rolling Stones fans from the Los Angeles area got some satisfaction Saturday night (April 27, 2013) when the legendary rockers played a surprise show at a small venue.

Tickets for the sold out show at the Echoplex in Echo Park were $20 apiece, a fraction of what tickets to their "50 and Counting" tour will cost when it launches May 3, 2013 at Staples Center where the lowest-priced tickets were going for $250 each.

Hundreds of fans lined up outside the El Rey Theatre earlier Saturday for a chance at the tickets, which were dispensed through a lottery system. Buyers were limited to one ticket, and were required to show a government-issued ID, pay with cash, wear a wristband with their name on it and be photographed. Their names were verified at the Echoplex, which has a capacity of about 700. MORE HERE & HERE

Video HERE

Charley Patton April 28, 1891 – April 28, 1934

For The Benefits of Mr. Willie Nelson

America loves its outlaws, and few are as admired and lionized as Willie Nelson.

As the enduring American icon's 80th birthday has approached, he's been honored with lifetime achievement awards, serenaded at special performances and saluted by musicians from every genre of music. And Nelson has taken it all in with a bemused smile. Interview HERE

Willie recently released his 67th studio album, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, in a recording career that spans 51 years in accordance with his utterly prolific artistic nature. At an age when most singers, songwriters and musicians have eons ago stopped recording new music, and some have altogether retired, Willie keeps going. This is his fourth album since 2010.

Nobody had to ask Willie to turn tonight’s concert (Sunday April 28, 2013) at the New Backyard in Bee Cave, Texas, into a benefit for the West Volunteer Fire Department. Willie declared it so last week after the fertilizer plant explosion that crippled the town near Waco. Whenever his home state is in peril, Willie is there to do what he does best — play music for a good cause. West is personal to him. It is roughly six miles from his hometown of Abbott.

Willie has a huge heart. He’s raised money and awareness for farmers via his Farm Aid charity concerts, for animal rights, for the LGBT movement, for victims of the 9/11 attacks, for the environment and a myriad of other organizations. That he would extend his graciousness to West is a given. MORE HERE

The performance will be broadcast LIVE on Willie's Roadhouse - SiriusXM channel 56 TONIGHT 9 pm EDT

official website

Happy Birthday Kim Gordon

Iggy & The Stooges Live From New York Tonight!

Join NPR Music and WNYC's Soundcheck for a First Listen Live concert from proto-punk band Iggy & The Stooges, broadcast live from New York City on Sunday, April 28, 2013 beginning at 5 p.m. EDT.

Watch the group rip through songs from its new album Ready to Die, as well as classic favorites in a live video stream at NPR.org/music, Soundcheck.org and from other public radio stations (check local listings).

official website

Blondie's One Big Heart of Glass

April 28, 1979 : Blondie's Heart Of Glass hits #1.

CSNY's 'Doom Tour' Recordings To Be Released

After years of work, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young are finally gearing up to release a live album from their 1974 reunion tour. "It's going to come out August 27, 2013," says Graham Nash. "It's going to fuckin' stun people."

They have yet to settle on a title. "I want to call it What Could Possibly Go Wrong?" says David Crosby.

Crosby's proposed title refers to the precarious state the band was in when it reunited for a highly lucrative stadium tour in the summer of 1974. The group split up in 1970 and relations between members were, at best, precarious. Many of them were also dealing with serious drug problems. It's since been labelled "The Doom Tour." MORE HERE

Happy Birthday Fantastic Johnny C

George Jones Keith Richards Connection

George Jones was set to play his final show in Nashville November 22, 2013. The concert was to be the culmination of the 81-year-old’s farewell tour The Grand Tour, named after one of his most popular songs. The list of artists set to participate was dozens deep and included Garth Brooks, Kid Rock, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Charlie Daniels Band, Dierks Bentley, and Cyndi Lauper .

The concert sold out of its 15,000 tickets quickly and was shaping up to be one of Nashville’s biggest events of the year.



After the king of country music’s passing on Friday morning April 26, 2013, the fate of that concert is undecided.

Well, it looks as if Jones had even bigger plans for the evening than the public realized. A hand-written letter from The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards was provided to The Tennessean in which the famed guitarist said he would be at the show “by hook or by crook.”

George Jones & Keith Richards 'Burn Your Playhouse Down'

source

B. W. Stevenson October 5, 1949 – April 28, 1988

The Chapin Sisters Channel The Everly Brothers

The Chapin Sisters are a critically acclaimed duo, with tinges of folk, country and pop in their songs. For their latest project, Lily and Abigail Chapin looked to another famous set of singing siblings: Don and Phil, The Everly Brothers.

Lily Chapin says the genesis of their new tribute album, A Date with The Everly Brothers, was a creative workaround of sorts. The duo was once a trio featuring another Chapin sister, Jessica; the three siblings grew up singing three-part harmonies together. Several years ago, Jessica left the group to start a family. NPRs Weekend Edition piece HERE

Lots of video of The Chapin Sisters as The Everly Brothers HERE

Blossom Dearie April 28, 1924–February 7, 2009

Happy Birthday Cuba Gooding Sr.

CNNs Human Factor : Roky Erickson

In the Human Factor, CNN profiles survivors who have overcome the odds. Confronting a life obstacle -- injury, illness or other hardship -- they tapped their inner strength and found resilience they didn't know they possessed. This week we meet one of the pioneers of psychedelic rock: Roky Erickson.

He was born Roger Kynard Erickson in 1947 in Dallas, but his fans know him as Roky (pronounced Rocky).

For a career that spans nearly half a century, Erickson has spent little time actually performing, but he still has a loyal following and is on tour again.

 In 1969, he was arrested for possession of a joint. He pleaded insanity, hoping that being in a mental institution would be better than going to prison, although it only cut his confinement from four years to three. While he was institutionalized, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and underwent various treatments including shock therapy. 

After his release, his career was never the same. What followed was many difficult years of battling mental illness, often untreated. The problems that kept Erickson from success in music also took a toll on his family life. MORE HERE

Happy Birthday Kate Pierson

Interactive Wings Over America

The Wings Over America Deluxe Edition is soon to be released. In anticipation The "Wings Over America" microsite at Sir Paul's Website is now up and running ...It includes an interactive tour diary where you can relive the sights and sounds from the tour and add your own personal memories. Check it out HERE.

Happy Birthday Ace Frehley

New Orleans Jazzfest 2013 Opens

The young Texas blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. closed his set at New Orleans Jazz Fest Friday (April 26, 2013) evening with "Bright Lights," from the EP of the same name.

Clark's diverse late-2012 album "Blak and Blu" hit the top 10 on the Billboard 200, and wound up on several best-of-the year lists -- also, not for nothing, he moved from last year's Blues Tent slot to the penultimate set on the Gentilly Stage, the area around which was packed for his performance. MORE HERE

Headliners on New Orleans Jazz Fest's two marquee stages - Acura and Gentilly - are, as a rule, marquee names with plenty of experience in the big time under their belts. A nice counterpoint to that polish is often the one or two younger rock 'n' roll acts booked to close out Gentilly each year, who infuse the stage with a different, maybe fresher kind of energy. On Friday (April 26, 2013), that act was Band of Horses (video above). MORE HERE

Al Hirt November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999

Eban Schletter's Tribute To George Jones

In Tribute To George Jones (September 12, 1931 -- April 26, 2013)

"If You Hear Me Playin' George Jones" by Eban Schletter
from the album "Three Payments" (1996)

From Eban: "George Jones was one of my all time favorite singers. I saw him live at the Cow Palace about 25 years ago and it was a transformative experience for me. His music got me through some dark times. Always potent, cathartic, inspirational and just plain great."

"Back in 1996 I wrote this song in tribute to him. I posted it today in his memory."

official website

Z.Z. Hill September 30, 1935 – April 27, 1984

Bonnie Tyler In The Eurovision Song Contest 2013

Bonnie Tyler, the 61-year-old Welsh singer who had a great chart hit in 1977 It's A Heartache and a number one hit in 1983 with Total Eclipse of the Heart, will represent the United Kingdom at this year's Eurovision competition.

Her new album Rocks & Honey will be released in the U.S. on May 14, 2013 and she is currently on tour as a guest on the Rock Meets Classic 2013 Tour in Germany.

Thirty-nine countries will participate in the 58th Eurovision Song Contest and as one of the “Big Five” countries (along with Spain, Germany, France and Italy), the United Kingdom gain automatic access to the grand finale on Saturday May 18, 2013.

The last time the UK won the contest was with Katrina and the Waves in 1997. MORE HERE

Happy Birthday Maxine Brown

Happy Birthday Duane Eddy

R.I.P.: George Jones

We’re sad to report that country music legend George Jones passed away this morning (friday April 26, 2013) at the age of 81.

Jones had a distinctive voice that helped score him 12 number one country hits including She Still Thinks I Care, The Door and Still Doin’ Time. From 1969 to 1975 we was married to fellow country legend Tammy Wynette. The duo paired up for three number one country hits. George Jones’s songs were relatable to the common man as he sung about drinking and his relationship with women. He was considered by many the greatest living country star.

Jones was a member of the Country Music Hall Of Fame, The Grand Ole Opry and a Kennedy Center Honoree. MORE HERE

Count Basie August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984

David Bowie's 42 Word Work Flow Diagram

It's been almost four months since David Bowie announced he was returning from semi-retirement and six weeks since The Next Day arrived on shelves, but Bowie has yet to utter a word in public, let alone make any sort of appearance, in support of the album. He is starting to crack just the tiniest bit, though.

The Rumpus writer Rick Moody recently asked him to supply a "work flow diagram" for his new album and Bowie responded with forty-two words. It's all HERE

Happy Birthday Maurice Williams

Steve (Martin) & Edie (Brickell)

Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme were household names and stars on television and in popular music. Now there’s a new Steve and Edie – Steve Martin and Edie Brickell — teaming up to make music.

Their collaboration, Love Has Come For You, was released April 23, 2013 by Rounder Records. It isn’t bluegrass, but it has something of an old time feel.




Anyone interested in Steve’s work with the Steep Canyon Rangers, banjo picking or the collaborative work of songwriters will find a lot to like here. Anyone who remembers Edie as a new wave pop rocker will be in for a surprise. She passes for a country girl quite nicely, thank you. MORE HERE

Phoebe Snow July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011

Jenni Rivera Honored At Billboard Latin Music Awards

Typically a celebratory occasion, the Billboard Latin Music Awards took on a somber tone last night, honoring the life and tragic death of Jenni Rivera. The singer died in a December 2012 plane crash.

Posthumously, however, Rivera took home six trophies at the ceremony, including Regional Mexican Album of the Year (for "La Gran Señora") and Artist of the Year. MORE HERE

Happy Birthday Claudine Clark

When Quinn The Guitar Prodigy Got There

Last week's Crossroads Guitar Festival featured blistering sets from road veterans like B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy, but some of the biggest cheers of the festival went to a kid who is still in middle school: 14-year-old Quinn Sullivan.

The young player traded fiery licks with Guy on highlights like "Damn Right I Got the Blues" and joined Clapton, Jimmie Vaughan, Robbie Robertson and more during the finale jam.

"It was so surreal," Sullivan said. "I'll never forget it: Madison Square Garden, the standing ovations. It was crazy."

The festival was a milestone for Sullivan, who became interested in the blues after seeing the 2004 Crossroads Guitar Festival on DVD. He started playing at age three, when his parents gave him a First Act acoustic guitar; by six, his skills landed him an appearance on Ellen. The next year, when Sullivan's hero Buddy Guy played a gig in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a family friend brought Sullivan backstage to get his guitar signed. "I just did a few licks and Buddy told me, 'You be ready when I call you,'" says Sullivan. "I was like, 'What?" MORE HERE  & HERE

official website

Johnny Shines April 26, 1915 – April 20, 1992

R.I.P.: Bob Brozman

American guitarist and ethnomusicologist Bob Brozman was found dead at his home in Ben Lomond (Santa Cruz County, California) in the evening of April 23, 2013. Details about the cause are unknown. He was 59 years old.

Bob Brozman was born in New York in 1954. He was involved in music since early childhood. A guitarist since age 6, Mr. Brozman discovered National resophonic guitars at age 13. In their unique sound, the young Bob found his musical calling. He studied music and ethnomusicology at Washington University with a focus on the earliest roots of Delta blues. He became a respected authority on historical Hawaiian music, publishing articles and put together a large collection of 78rpm records. He produced five re-issue albums from this collection on the Rounder and Folklyric labels, documenting the best of Hawaiian music from 1915 to 1935. MORE HERE

Happy Birthday Billy Rankin

Sir Paul Joins The Global Zero Movement

Paul McCartney has given his backing to the Global Zero movement who are calling for an end to nuclear weapons. There are currently around 17,000 nuclear weapons on earth; Global Zero's aim is to bring that total down to zero.

source

Ella Fitzgerald April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996

New Amy Winehouse Documentary Marketing

Universal Music and acclaimed documentary filmmaker Asif Kapadia are teaming to bring the story of Amy Winehouse's life and career to the big screen.

The still-untitled project will be shopped around at next month's Cannes Film Market. MORE HERE & HERE

Albert King April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992

Jello Biafria : Think On These Things

The former Dead Kennedy talks to The Guardian about the state of modern punk – and modern American politics...

Excerpt: Jello: "I think that anyone who declared that Occupy was a failure was very much mistaken. I knew it would have a ripple effect, like throwing a big piece of concrete into a lake and just watching the waves ripple. In a way, Obama owes Occupy big time for saving his ass in the 2012 election. Occupy brought the issue of inequality and Grand Theft Austerity, as I call it, right to the forefront."

Interview is HERE

Carolyn Franklin May 13, 1944 – April 25, 1988

Neil Diamond's Sweet Boston Donation

Neil Diamond will donate royalties from his song "Sweet Caroline," which has been played at every Boston Red Sox home game for more than a decade, to the One Fund Boston, the singer said on Wednesday April 24, 2013.

The song was downloaded more than 19,000 times this week, with sales up 597%, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Diamond was at Fenway Park on Saturday April 20, 2013 to lead the crowd in what has become a stadium tradition of singing the tune during the break in the eighth inning before the Sox come to bat.

O.B. McClinton April 25, 1940 – September 23, 1987

Pete Seeger : The Storm King

Pete Seeger has written countless songs, among his most popular are “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” “Turn, Turn, Turn!” and “If I Had a Hammer” (“The Hammer Song”), that have all been recorded and performed by other artists. Seeger founded The Weavers and The Almanac Singers and never shying away from stating his true opinion, became blacklisted in the United States during the Joseph McCarthy era and garnered flack for singing songs in protest against the Vietnam War. 



The CD (Pete Seeger: The Storm King) offers spoken word—stories and poems—set to music created by over 50 musicians. The music ranges from African Music, Blues, Bluegrass, Classical Guitar, Folk, Jazz, Native American Music, and Tuvan Throat Singing, performed by such legendary and contemporary artists such as Ralph Stanley, Will Ackerman, Dar Williams, and more. MORE HERE

Available HERE

Bobby 'Boris' Pickett February 11, 1938 – April 25, 2007

Happy Birthday Barbra Streisand

Willie's Early Birthday Party Will Be Televised

Willie Nelson was joined by Sheryl Crow, Jamey Johnson, Norah Jones, Ashley Monroe, Leon Russell and Neil Young on Thursday (April 18, 2013) to celebrate his upcoming 80th birthday during a taping of CMT Crossroads: Willie Nelson & Friends From Third Man Records.

Jack White hosted the special from his Nashville-based studio, Third Man Records.

Nelson turns 80 on Monday (April 29, 2013), although most reference books cite April 30 as his birthdate.

Willie released a new album, Let's Face the Music and Dance, on April 16, 2013. The CMT Crossroads special is set to air in late June 2013. MORE HERE

Bonnie Owens October 1, 1929 – April 24, 2006

Jack White Covers Loretta Lynn Classic In A Booth

Anyone who knows Jack White knows his love for classic country music. Besides his recent collaboration with Wanda Jackson, Jack White produced the critically lauded Loretta Lynn comeback album Van Lear Rose back in 2004.

So it’s only fitting that, in celebration of Record Store Day White took it upon himself to construct a recording booth in his Nashville-based Third Man Records studio and record a cover of one of Lynn’s most famous song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Per White’s predilection for all things old-fashioned, the track is sufficiently crackly, simulating the sound of well-worn vinyl.



White also extended an offer to any nearby musicians to stop by and record their song to vinyl.

By the looks of the official Third Man Records Instagram, none other than Neil Young stopped by to take up White’s offer. MORE HERE

CSNY 4 Way Street 1971

April 24, 1971 : Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's LP 4 Way Street hits #1.

Lionel Richie Nominated For Top Country Album

Billboard has announced the 2013 Billboard Music Awards finalists, following the year-long tracking period of March 12, 2012 to March 10, 2013.

Nominations, for Top Country Album include the usual suspects...And, perhaps not so surprising, Lionel Richie’s duets album “Tuskegee,” featuring his collaborations with Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Shania Twain and more, also is nominated for top country album.

source

Otis Spann March 21, 1930 – April 24, 1970

Van Halen Rocks Down Under

It was the first time that Van Halen had played Australia with David Lee Roth and, for now, the only time. The band played at the Stone Music Festival at Homebush in Sydney Saturday night April 20, 2012. MORE HERE

official website

Freddie Scott April 24, 1933 – June 4, 2007

Happy Birthday Narada Michael Walden

Sam Cooke's Towering Honor

A Change Is Going to Come, one of the most important songs of the civil rights movement, was written by Sam Cooke in 1963 and recorded by him in 1964. Since that time, nearly 500 versions of the song have been recorded by artists from Aretha Franklin to Jon Bon Jovi.

The anthem will receive the Songwriter's Hall of Fame's Towering Song Award at their 2013 ceremony in June (2013). The award is given to "the creator(s) of an individual song that has influenced our culture in a unique way over many years." source

Roy Orbison April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988

The Fastest Guitar Alive now available on dvd

Robert Plant On Tour And With Patty Griffin

Over the last month Robert Plant and his latest band, The Sensational Space Shifters, have been appearing on a handful of music festival bills. So it just seemed like a matter of time before the former Led Zeppelin and Band of Joy front man would drop a full slate of North American dates to keep him busy between fest slots.

News surfaced yesterday (April 22, 2013) that Plant & Co. have lined up a 16-date headlining run that kicks off at the Palladium in Dallas, Texas on June 20, 2013 and wraps roughly a month later with a gig at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Bandshell on July 27, 2013.

AND...

Plant and Patty Griffin, the rumored couple/spouses who started working together when Griffin was part of Plant's Band of Joy, are together again in song on Ohio, a track from Griffin's upcoming album American Kid (May 7, 2013). Video HERE

Robert Plant official website

Patty Griffin official website

Johnny Thunders July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991

Glen Campbell Stops Touring : Album Coming

Though Glen Campbell's Alzheimer's disease has progressed too far for him to remain on tour, the veteran singer is planning a followup to his 2011 album Ghost on the Canvas, which he had intended to be his last recorded work. 

Campbell will release See You There on August 6, 2013 on Surfdog Records. The new album features re-imagined versions of hits like "Wichita Lineman," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Gentle on My Mind," and was recorded during the same sessions that yielded songs for Ghost on the Canvas. MORE HERE

Happy Birthday April Stevens

Iggy Pop's On NPR

Iggy Pop and James Williamson last played on an album together almost 40 years ago, and it didn't end pretty; in 1974, drugs drove Iggy into rehab.

Williamson, who was responsible for the seminal guitar sound on 1973's Raw Power, would eventually give up the guitar altogether and work as an electrical engineer before becoming Vice President of Technology Standards at Sony.




 Now, Williamson, 63, and Iggy Pop, 66, have done the improbable and made a new record. Ready to Die, out April 30, 2013 and you can listen to the entire thing right HERE

official website

Dale Houston April 23, 1940 – September 27, 2007

R.I.P.: Richie Havens

Richie Havens, who marshaled a craggy voice, a percussive guitar and a soulful sensibility to play his way into musical immortality at Woodstock in 1969, improvising the song “Freedom” on the fly, died on Monday April 22, 2013 at his home in Jersey City. He was 72.

Mr. Havens embodied the spirit of the ’60s — espousing peace and love, hanging out in Greenwich Village and playing gigs from the Isle of Wight to the Fillmore (both East and West) to Carnegie Hall. He surfaced only in the mid-1960s, but before the end of the decade many rock musicians were citing him as an influence. His rendition of “Handsome Johnny” became an anti-Vietnam War anthem. MORE HERE

Ooo Eee! The Witch Doctor Is Number One In '58

April 23, 1958 : No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: David Seville's Witch Doctor

Happy Birthday Glen Campbell

Juno Awards 2013

Rush, Leonard Cohen, Carly Rae Jepsen, Metric and The Weeknd were among the winners at the 2013 Juno Awards ceremony, Saturday & Sunday nights (April 20 & 21, 2013).

Veteran singer Cohen was given the honors for songwriter of the year Sunday, with the award citing three songs from his latest album Old Ideas — Amen, Going Home and Show Me the Place. Cohen was absent, but his son Adam Cohen accepted the award on his behalf.

But the highlight of the evening was k.d. lang's moving thank you to Canada after her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. MORE HERE & HERE

k.d. lang video HERE

Happy Birthday Peter Frampton

John Lennon Educational Tour Bus 2.0

2013 marks the unveiling of a new non-profit John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, which was made possible by the generosity and support of Yoko Ono Lennon.

The bus is dedicated to providing the young people of Europe with free hands-on opportunities to produce original music, video, photo, game app and broadcast projects within the bus's mobile recording studios.

Yoko, along with special guests, will be in Liverpool for the European launch of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus on Wednesday May 8, 2013 at the Museum of Liverpool. The event will be streamed live for a global audience.

source

official website

Hazel Dickens June 1, 1935 – April 22, 2011

R.I.P.: Vincent Montana Jr.

Vince Montana, Jr., who was an essential part of the Philly Sound that dominated popular music in the 70s and early 80s, died April 13, 2013 at age 85.

Montana performed in TSOP, the famed Philadelphia Records house band, and was a founder of the spinoff Salsoul Orchestra that backed many of the popular singers on Salsoul Records.

Montana was an immense talent: As a musician he often was featured on vibraphones or on percussion instruments of all kinds. But he was also talented at scoring music, and his work on many of the most important dance songs of the late 70s made him a go-to contributor during the disco and post-disco periods. MORE HERE & HERE

Felice Bryant August 7, 1925 – April 22, 2003

R.I.P.: Chrissy Amphlett

Chrissy Amphlett, the singer and former frontwoman for the Australian band The Divinyls, died on Sunday afternoon (April 21, 2013) after suffering from cancer and multiple sclerosis. She was 53.

Amphlett was the lead singer with The Divinyls, which she co-founded in 1980, and released six albums with the group until they informally split in 1997.

The band is best known for their 1991 single, I Touch Myself, which reached number 10 in the UK Top 40 and number four in the American charts, despite the song struggling to get airplay in the US due to its controversial subject. Amphlett later said that she hoped the song would remind women to perform breast examinations. MORE HERE

Jack Nitzsche 22 April 1937 – 25 August 2000

Does Lingerie Help Free Pussy Riot?

Berlin-based lingerie brand Blush uploaded a controversial video to their Youtube channel marking the anniversary of the explosive Pussy Riot concert in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The video (above) depicts a scantily-clad woman (wearing garments by the brand) walking through Moscow and eventually reveals an iconic Pussy Riot balaclava and "Free Pussy Riot" sign. Here's their press note:

"On the first anniversary of the Pussy Riot concert in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Berlin based Lingerie label blush supports the free pussy riot movement with a sexy protest march through icy Moscow (-15° C). Support Freepussyriot.org!"

The public's response has been a bit iffy...Some call it supportive ...others exploitative. MORE HERE

Joe Cuba April 22, 1931 – February 15, 2009

Earth Day 2013

Happy Birthday Iggy Pop

Integrity And Iggy Pop

 It looks like Iggy isn't too happy with independent record companies, at least according to this promo for the upcoming Stooges album Ready to Die (above). The album is out April 30, 2013 on Fat Possum Records.

Available HERE 4/30/13

official website

Happy Birthday Robert Smith

Black Sabbath Down Under

The highly anticipated live return of Black Sabbath this year (2013) has finally happened, and unlike last year’s handful of shows, there’s new material being worked into performances.

The group is currently on a tour “down under,” hitting venues in New Zealand and Australia and they kicked things off with a blistering performance Saturday (April 20, 2013) at Auckland’s Vector Arena.

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Video HERE

Nina Simone February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003

Chicago Went To Nashville

As is becoming more-and-more commonplace, artists are re-recording their old material, not for small "oldies" labels as happened in the past, but to retain or reacquire rights to their own music.

That's how Chicago came to record The Nashville Sessions, a re-recording of fifteen of their biggest tracks.

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Available HERE

Nothing Compared To Sinead O'Connor In 1990

April 21, 1990 : Sinead O’Connor's Nothing Compares 2 U hits U.S. #1 for the first of 4 weeks.

Twitter #Music

Twitter's long rumored music discovery service is finally here.

Dubbed Twitter #Music (of course), the service suggests new music to its users in a uniquely social way.

The Twitter Music app is smartly designed, and it's extremely easy to navigate the lists of suggested artists. Simply tap a photo tile to play a clip through iTunes, or connect your Spotify or Rdio account to play full tracks. You can opt to play just one song or artist, or run through an entire playlist of everything on a given page.

Tiny controls are housed in the lower left corner of the app, and you can tap to enlarge them and tweet out what you're listening to.


Music discovery works in four different tabs: Popular, Emerging, Suggested, and Now Playing. MORE HERE

Check it out HERE

Earl Hooker January 15, 1929 – April 21, 1970

Neil Diamond Helps Heal Boston

Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” has long been a staple at Boston’s Fenway Park, and the man himself showed up Saturday April 20, 2013 to treat Red Sox fans to a surprise rendition of the hit.

As soon as the singer heard the Red Sox game was going to happen, he felt a need to be there. He took a red-eye flight with his wife from Los Angeles to Boston and made his way to Fenway directly from the airport in time for the game's opening ceremony. MORE HERE

Carl Belew April 21, 1931 – October 31, 1990

Foos Rush In

It’s official, Rush is now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

The ceremony, which also saw Heart, Public Enemy, and several other artists added to the Hall, was held on Thursday, April 19, 2013 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, with Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters doing the induction honors for Rush.

Well, not only did the Foo boys give the speech about the Canadian trio, but they also teamed up with producer Nick Raskulinecz to perform the “Overture” from Rush’s 2112 live on stage while sporting the Rush 2112-era look, complete with white satin robes and wigs!

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Clara Ward April 21, 1924 – January 16, 1973

Happy Birthday Stephen Marley

Record Store Day 2013

Several big names in the music industry are releasing limited edition vinyls to mark national Record Store Day.

The annual event aims to deliver a much-needed boost to music shops, which are struggling to keep up with online sales and free downloads.

The sixth annual Record Store Day sees special vinyl and CD releases from artists including Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, Marc Bolan, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix. source

Do your part...visit your local record store today and make a purchase or two...or more. Official website and store locator HERE

Steve Marriott 30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991

420 2013

Luther Vandross April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005

Did you know Luther Vandross collaborated with David Bowie? See HERE

28th Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Despite the obvious wishes of the impressively vocal and fervent Rush fans who packed the 28th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre Thursday night April 18, 2013, the show was not entirely about the long-delayed induction of Toronto trio – and for all of Public Enemy sidekick Flavor Flav's constant, oft-amusing attempts at attention-hogging, it definitely wasn't all about him either.

But even by the once-in-a-lifetime standards of these annual ceremonies, it was an endlessly entertaining, surreality star-packed night of many wonders and curiosities. MORE HERE

Video HERE & HERE

Hopefully more video from the event will become available.

Benny 'Papa Zita' Benjamin July 25, 1925 – April 20, 1969

Rescue Worker Willie For West, Texas

Willie Nelson has repurposed his upcoming show (April 28, 2013) at the Backyard, in Austin, Texas to be a fundraiser for the town of West, Texas, which was recently devastated by a fertilizer plant explosion.

Willie Nelson was born and raised in Abbott, Texas, a town roughly five miles north of West. MORE HERE

Happy Birthday Johnny Tillotson

Brian Eno : Music For Hospitals

He is a multi-media innovator, an app-creating visual sculptor and the intellectual guru to rock legends seeking inspiration.


Now Brian Eno is to help improve the Great Britain’s health after designing an ambient “healing environment” which will be incorporated into new hospitals so that patients can recuperate to a backdrop of soothing light and sound.

Eno, the former Roxy Music member who produced landmark albums for David Bowie, Talking Heads and U2, has unveiled two individual light and sound installations at the newly-opened Montefiore Hospital in Hove, east Sussex. MORE HERE & HERE

Tito Puente April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000

Black Sabbath's God Is Dead?

Black Sabbath have revealed their new single 'God Is Dead?' (above)

The 8:51 minute long song is taken from Black Sabbath's much-anticipated new album '13' due for release on June 11, 2013.

The album will have eight tracks in total.





Last week it was reported that the band will premiere the song 'End Of The Beginning' on the season finale of TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The track will be played on the May 15, 2013 episode of the series.

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official website

Lionel Hampton April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002

Happy Birthday Mark Volman

George Jones In Nashville Hospital

Country star George Jones has been hospitalized.

Jones postponed weekend concerts in Atlanta and Salem, Virginia, after doctors admitted him to a Nashville hospital on Thursday April 18, 2013. Jones had a fever and irregular blood pressure during a routine checkup.

The 82-year-old singer, considered one of the genre's greatest singers, is in the midst of a year-long goodbye tour that wraps up in November (2013) in Nashville. He has occasionally canceled or postponed shows in the last year because of health issues. MORE HERE

official website

Levon Helm May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012

R.I.P.: Storm Thorgerson

Storm Thorgerson, the British graphic designer responsible for some of the greatest album covers of all time, has died aged 69.

The artist, who over an illustrious 40 year career was responsible for artwork for bands and musicians including Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel and Muse, died peacefully after a battle with cancer.

Tributes were paid to the artist, whose feature for Pink Floyd’s 1973 The Dark Side of the Moon, is widely viewed as one the greatest album covers of all time. This year it celebrates its 40th anniversary. MORE HERE & HERE

Happy Birthday Dar Williams

Colbert Calls Out Paisley With Parody

Wednesday night (April 17, 2013) on the Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert didn't just nail the serious problems with Brad Paisley and LL Cool J's collaboration "Accidental Racist," he took it a step further, by trying to bridge another divide with an equally terrible song. Joined by Alan Cumming, Colbert sang "Oopsie Daisy Homophobe," a similar ballad of reconciliation.

Enjoy.

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Steve Douglas September 24, 1938 – April 19, 1993

Stevie Nixes Witherspoon; Puts A Cease On Reese

Stevie Nicks appears to have shot down any chance Reese Witherspoon had of playing her in a movie biopic, branding the Oscar winner "too old" to play her. Witherspoon was mentioned as a possible casting choice for a planned movie about Nicks and Fleetwood Mac.

Witherspoon might be of the same opinion. Though the Hollywood actress is just 37, a movie about the Fleetwood Mac singer is likely to focus on her younger years and rise to stardom. MORE HERE

Happy Birthday Genya Ravan