Pulse Music

Harry Styles says the thought of a One Direction reunion is "really nice."

In a recent appearance on the Spout podcast, the "Watermelon Sugar" singer was asked if he thinks the guys will all share a stage together some day. He said, "I don't know, I mean I think the thought of it is really nice, I'd love for there to be a time where it felt like something we all wanted to do."

Styles added, "I think we all went through something really special together and there's a lot of love there. If there's a moment for us to do it the right way, I think it'd be great."

• Metallica's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett are offering up video courses to teach you how to play just like the band. The first instructional "Riff Lite" is available now, with two more -- titled "Rock In Rhythm" and "Take The Lead," rolling out later this month and in July.
• Loudwire reported, "The lessons promise to take you through 10 of the band's most well-known songs, including 'Enter Sandman,' 'Nothing Else Matters,' 'One,' 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium),' and as Hetfield promises, the REAL way to play 'Master Of Puppets.'" To sign up, log on to: https://yousician.com/ (Loudwire)
  
  
• With Aerosmith on hiatus while Steven Tyler completes his latest round of rehab, Joe Perry has reignited his Joe Perry Project for a small string of shows. Joining Perry on the East Coast gigs will be Extreme frontman Gary Cherone, drummer Joe Pet, Aerosmith, Hollywood Vampires, and Doobie Brothers keyboardist Buck Johnson, and Chris Wise from the Vampires, the Cult, and Ozzy Osbourne on bass. (Blabbermouth)
  • JUST ANNOUNCED: The Joe Perry Project tour dates (subject to change):
    July 21 - Hampton, NH - Hampton Beach Casino
    July 22 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank Pavilion (with ZZ Top)
    July 23 - Atlantic City, NJ - Atlantic City Hard Rock Casino
    
• Def Leppard are the latest rockers to get into the booze biz with their new "Def Leppard Rocket Premium Distilled Gin 700ml." According to the press release: "Inspired by lavender labyrinths in Sheffield (Manor Lodge) this is a premium distilled gin with high intensity of flavors. The grain-based distillate is bold with juniper and herbaceous tones. For a more developed experience of botanical character, additional flavor of lavender and lemon are macerated and blended with the distillate. There are no added sweeteners, ensuring the purest quality of the liquid. The design is created with inspiration from the hit single 'Rocket' from the album Hysteria." (Press release)

Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne took to social media to update fans on her husband's condition following his major surgery on Monday (June 13th).

She wrote, "Our family would like to express so much gratitude for the overwhelming amount of love and support leading upto Ozzy's surgery!"

She added, "Ozzy is doing well and on the road to recovery! Your love means the world to him."

Ozzy underwent surgery to remove and realign pins in his neck and back.

Simple Minds are back and have just dropped "Vision Thing" -- the lead single from their upcoming 18th studio album, titled Direction Of The Heart, set for release on October 21st. Simple Minds are still led by singer Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill, with the new album released on the BMG imprint.

Jim Kerr said in the album's official announcement: "How to make a feel-good 'Electro-rock' record, during the very worst of times? Direction Of The Heart is the result of that challenge. Who would have thought we'd have so much fun creating it?"

Guesting on Direction Of The Heart is Sparks frontman Russell Mael, who appears on the track, "Human Traffic."

Jim Kerr told us Simple Minds makes a concerted effort to ensure new material can stand tall against the band's classic works: "Let's be honest, because I do it myself when you talk about vintage bands, or something -- even the ones that you're fond of. When they bring out a new work, invariably you're gonna want it with some trepidation because rarely is it as good as it was back in the day. Rarely does it match up, and we not only struggled with that, but we wanted to do everything within our powers and against the odds to come up with an album where you could feel the band engaged as much as we were back in the day."

Simple Minds will next perform on June 18th at Oxfordshire, England at Blenheim Palace

It was 57 years ago today (June 15th, 1965) that Bob Dylan recorded "Like A Rolling Stone." The song not only revolutionized the way lyrics were written and sung, but ultimately pushed the boundaries of how long a hit single could actually be. "Like A Rolling Stone," which clocked in at 6:06, would end up being printed as 5:59 on the 45's label in an effort to fool Top 40 disc jockeys into playing the single.

The session for the song began at 1:20 p.m. at Columbia Records studios in New York City, with Dylan performing the song on the piano as a waltz. By dawn the song had taken shape as one of the all time greatest rock n' roll singles. Producer and friend Paul Rothchild remembered visiting the session in the early hours of June 16th in Bob Spitz' Bob Dylan: A Biography recalling that, "They told me they had played it 25 times before I got there. Dylan just sat in a chair with a smile plastered on his face and his leg going a mile-a-minute. He was grooving on the knowledge that he'd made a great record."

Dylan recalled writing the song in the liner notes to his 1985 box set Biograph revealing that, "My wife and I lived in a little cabin in Woodstock, New York, which we rented. I wrote the song there. . . It just came, you know it started with that 'La Bamba' riff."

The song's title was inspired by Hank Williams' song "Lost Highway," which contains the line, "I'm a rolling stone, I'm alone and lost."

The song has long been rumored to be about the late model and former debutante Edie Sedgwick who was mainstay of Andy Warhol's legendary Factory.

In August 1965 "Like A Rolling Stone" peaked at Number Two in the charts -- his highest ranking single to date.

In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine voted "Like A Rolling Stone" Number One in its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs."

Throughout the years, the song has been covered by the Rolling Stones, John Mellencamp, the Rascals, the Turtles, David Bowie, and Judy Collins, among others.

Dylan himself has performed the song at most of his shows since 1965, often saving it for one of his encores.

Although Bob Dylan performs songs from every era of his career on a nightly basis, going back and listening to his work is a trip he's avoided for some time: "I very rarely listen to the records that I make. I mean, I'm fortunate that I have an audience. Y'know, I don't know if I'd do it if I didn't have an audience, though."

Millie Bobby Brown is down to play Halsey if they ever gets their own biopic.

On Monday's (June 13th) episode of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon suggested that the Stranger Things star should take the role given their similar looks.

Halsey said, "Millie would be so great. It's kind of uncanny how much we look alike. It's like, ‘Oh no, we actually look like sisters.'"

Brown shared the clip to her Instagram stories and added the caption, "soooo down."

Adele shared her support for the victims of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire on the tragedy's five year anniversary.

On Tuesday (June 14th), the singer shared a post by Grenfell United, a page of "survivors and bereaved families of Grenfell" who are seeking justice for the 72 lives lost.

Adele retweeted their statement, writing, "I stand with the Grenfell families. Follow @GrenfellUnited and join their campaign for truth, justice and change."

Today (June 15th) marks what would have been Harry Nilsson's 81st birthday. Nilsson is best remembered for being an inventive and groundbreaking songwriter, despite the fact that his two biggest hits "Everybody's Talkin'" and "Without You" were actually not written by him. Although he recorded it first, it was Three Dog Night that hit the Top Ten in 1969 with their cover of Nilsson's song "One." Nilsson died of a massive heart attack in 1994 after struggling for years with diabetes.

Released in November 2019 was Losst And Founnd -- an album featuring some of Harry Nilsson's unfinished final songs. The album, which was produced by Mark Hudson, features contributions from Jimmy Webb, Van Dyke Parks, Jim Keltner, and Harry's son, Kiefo Nilsson.

Nilsson was back in the news in 2016 due to the Top 15 success of the Monkees' album, Good Times! The album's lead track, "Good Time," features Micky Dolenz duetting virtually with Nilsson on a demo he had cut for the band in 1967.

Harry Nilsson first caught the ears of the Beatles in 1968 with his three-octave tenor range, became personal and professional friends with all of them, and went on to work extensively with both Ringo Starr and John Lennon. Although Nilsson's Beatles connections often overshadowed his own work, Nilsson actually belonged to a tight-knit group of transplanted L.A.-based songwriters including Jimmy Webb, Van Dyke Parks, and Randy Newman.

In 1994 Randy Newman talked about their relationship, explaining that, "We thought about music. . . The records we made were like the Rolling Stones didn't exist. We thought rock and roll would go in a completely different direction, like a branch of Homo Sapiens that didn't become Homo Sapiens."

Nilsson's wit and musical prowess made it easy for him to move with ease into different genres, composing music for the TV series The Courtship Of Eddie's Father, and providing music to films such as Skidoo, Popeye, The Fisher King, and his own animated feature, The Point.

He continually changed direction throughout his career and at important junctures took risks; such as recording an entire album of Newman's songs or covering 1930's and '40s standards rather than producing the type of infectious pop/rock that was expected of him. It was these left turns that lost Nilsson a broader fan base, yet earned him a solidly loyal and intense cult following.

One of Harry Nilsson's biggest breaks came in 1967 when then Monkees picked "Cuddly Toy" out of his group of demos for the group and decided to cut it for the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, Jones Ltd. album. Micky Dolenz remembered the day Nilsson's career took an undeniable turn for the better: "I remember very clearly the day he came into the studio -- and it's one of my only very clear memories. And (he) obviously impressed everybody and Davy said, 'Yeah, I'll do that song -- 'Cuddly Toy.'"

Dolenz went on to become one of Nilsson's most notorious partners in crime. He recalled there was much more to Nilsson than just music: "He was certainly a very, very powerful character. He had an incredibly powerful personality. I guess because I knew him so well, he was just my friend. The main thing about him is that he was incredibly intelligent. I mean he's probably -- and I don't throw the term around lightly -- he probably was one of the only men or women that I met that I can honestly say was a genius."

Out now on DVD is the critically acclaimed documentary Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talking' About Him)???

Director John Scheinfeld told us that the link between the Nilsson and Lennon families remained extremely strong following Lennon's 1980 murder: "When we asked Yoko if she'd like to participate, there was no hesitation at all. It was, like, 'Absolutely.' Certainly in the years after John was killed there was quite a lot of contact; there were Christmases where families would get together. So there was a lot of good feeling there -- particularly when she talks about how much Harry loved his kids, and the reason she was able to do that was -- she was there."

Legendary singer/songwriter Jimmy Webb was one of Harry Nilsson's biggest fans and closest confidantes. We asked him what comes to mind when he thinks of Nilsson as an artist: "I think of Nilsson Schmilsson right off the bat. I was around for the record in London with Harry and Richard Perry, and it's not only one of Harry's best records, but I think one of the best records ever made. He was such an elaborately perfect singer. He really is our generation's singer; if we had a Frank Sinatra, it would've been Harry. And you can hear that on an album like, A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night, and you go, 'This guy. . . who sings like this guy?' Nobody."

Out now is the first major biography on Harry Nilsson called, Nilsson: The Life Of A Singer-Songwriter by author Alyn Shipton. Nilsson's estate has granted Shipton unprecedented access to the songwriter's files, friends, family, and even Nilsson's own unfinished autobiography.

2013 saw Nilsson's entire catalogue reissued with revamped and expanded editions of his legendary albums.

TMZ reports that Britney Spears and Sam Asghari have an ironclad prenup in place.

Sources close to the newlyweds told the outlet that Asghari won't get a dollar of Spears' fortune if they split up.

She is currently worth a reported $60 million.

It was also revealed Monday (June 13th) that Spears' ex-husband Jason Alexander must stay away from her for the next three years.

Page Six reports that during Alexander's arraignment for breaking into the pop star's home on her wedding day, a judge extended her no contact order against him.

Alexander pleaded not guilty to trespassing, vandalism and battery, but the District Attorney has added a felony stalking charge. He remains incarcerated and now has a bail set at $100,000.

The Rolling Stones were forced to pull out of their Amsterdam stadium show last night (June 13th) only hours before hitting the stage after Mick Jagger tested positive for Covid. There's been no word whether the band's next show set for Thursday, June 17th in Bern, Switzerland has also been scrapped.

Mick Jagger posted a message on Instagram to fans, which read:

I'm so sorry that we've had to postpone the Amsterdam show with such short notice tonight. I have unfortunately just tested positive for Covid. We aim to reschedule the date ASAP and get back as soon as we can. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

Mick

Although Mick Jagger will turn 79 next month, that doesn't mean that he pulls any punches or holds anything back once he hits the stage: "Listen, when you do it at 19, you do things you can't (laughs) do at my age. But I still try to make the show as (laughs) energetic as I can make it."

Jack Halrow announced Monday (June 13th) that he is adding New York and Cincinnati shows to his Come Home The Kids Miss You tour.

Harlow will kick off the tour with a new stop at The Andrew J Brady Music Center in Cincinnati, OH on September 5th and hit Brooklyn's Barclays Center on October 7th.

The headlining, nationwide trek will run through the Fall with stops in Nashville, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego and more.

Kanye West returned to Instagram yesterday (June 13th) to call out Adidas. He posted an image of the brand's new Adilette 22 slides, accusing the company of copying his Yeezy slides.

He wrote, "To Kasper I'm not standing for this blatant copying no more. To all sneaker culture...This is for everyone who wants to express themselves but feel they can't cause they'll lose their contract or be called crazy...These shoes represent the disrespect that people in power have to the talent."

He went on to say that he's not talking to "DC" about this and instead wants to talk to Rørsted directly. A source told Complex that the "DC" referred to in the post is Daniel Cherry III, who joined Adidas as senior vice president and general manager in January 2022.

Post Malone is a new dad.

The "Rockstar" rapper shared the big news – along with the revelation that he is engaged – while on The Howard Stern Show Monday (June 13th).

Malone told Stern that he and his fiancée have welcomed a baby girl. When asked why he kept the news private, he told the host, "I want to let her make her own decisions.

Roger Daltrey has enlisted Pete Townshend's nephew Ben Townshend as his drummer when he kicks off his "Who Was I" solo tour on June 20th in Bournemouth, England.

In addition to Pete Townshend 's bother, longtime Who sideman, and Ben's dad -- Simon Townshend, the new touring ensemble will be rounded out by legendary Who associate Billy Nichols on backing vocals, British keyboard veteran Geriant Watkins, percussionist Jody Linscott, John Hogg on bass, Doug Boyle on guitar, Steve Weston on harmonica -- and Who orchestral tour veteran, violinist Katie Jacoby.

Roger Daltrey told us that his connection with Simon Townshend goes far deeper than just being bandmates: "I've always had a close relationship with Simon since he was a little boy. He was Pete's brother, and he used to be 'round my house all the time. He was a real Who fan. And he's been in my band since -- well, every time I've had a solo band, he's been in it. And I actually call him my brother (laughs). It's totally unconditional, I mean, he's great vibes. I mean, he knows the music so well."

Simon Townshend admits that he's been close to Daltrey ever since he was a boy: "I always loved Roger. Roger was the one I could run up to and cuddle. I couldn't run up and cuddle Moonie, I couldn't run up and cuddle Pete, I couldn't run up and cuddle John (Entwistle), but I could run up and cuddle Roger. He's a dear friend, really, Rog."

Demi Lovato is proud to have recorded their forthcoming album "clean and sober."

On Friday (June 10th), the singer told Jimmy Fallon that the only way to make "the best album possible" was to do it clean and sober."

They added "I can't say that about my last album, but this one, I'm really, really proud of that."

Before their most recent rehab stint earlier this year, Lovato told fans they were "California Sober," which meant that they were imbibing alcohol and smoking marijuana.

Holy Fvck drops August 19th.

Lizzo was dragged on social media this past weekend after being accused of using an ableist term "spazz" in her new song "Grrls." The word "spazz" is a word that people with disabilities in the UK deem as offensive.

People reacted to Lizzo using the term, with one person tweeting, "I'm disappointed in

@lizzo for using the word 'sp@z' in her new song "Grrrls". There's no excuse for using an ableist insult in a song in 2022. As someone who champions women, plus size people and others whom society treats poorly, Lizzo preaches inclusivity and should do better."

Another person wrote, "People are misquoting the lizzo song as 'I'm a spazz' it's 'imma spazz' as 'I am going to spazz' and not 'I am a spazz.'"

LIZZO APOLOGIZES AND CHANGES LYRICS TO 'GRRRLS'

Lizzo apologized for the lyric, saying, "It has been brought to my attention that there is a harmful word in my new song 'GRRRLS.' Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language. As a fat black woman in America, I've had many hurtful words used against me so I overstand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally.)"

She continued, "I'm proud to say there's a new version of GRRRLS with a lyric change. This is the result of me listening and taking action. As an influential artist I'm dedicated to being part of the change I've been waiting to see in the world. xoxo Lizzo"

The lyrics have been updated from "Do you see this s**t/I'mma spaz to "Do you see this sh*t/Hold me back."

On June 11th, Wolfgang Van Halen posted a message to fans on social media thanking them and reflecting on the one year anniversary of MammothWVH's self-titled debut album.

Wolfgang Van Halen's Instagram post reads in full:

Today marks the 1 year anniversary for the first MammothWVH album.

Releasing this music was such a huge thing for me in so many different ways. It was exciting, emotional, bittersweet, a relief. It was the culmination of years of work, trial and error, loss, self-doubt, and anxiety. It was a long road that led me to figuring out who I was as my own person and artist. I discovered who I was through the process and arrived at something I could truly be proud of.

It began a new chapter in my life that I'm not sure I was even ready for, but I jumped in anyway. I knew it was the right thing to do because it was what Pop wanted. I just wish I could've shared the whole experience with him. I know he'd be proud and SO f***ing stoked with how everything has gone thus far.

I'm blown away with what Mammoth has accomplished this past year and I'm incredibly grateful. None of this would've happened without the amazing support from all of you. So with all of my heart, I've just gotta say…
Thank you.
(P.S: I'll be heading into the studio in a few months to start working on the second album, and I couldn't be more excited. I promise to not take as long as I did with the first one.)

When we last caught up to Wolfgang, we asked him if he's been doing any recording since wrapping the band's last string of dates: "Nah, we can't organize. . . Uh, that's in the process of being planned with my, uh, producer. He's got a very busy schedule. I think we've hammered out some time, but that won't be 'til later this year. I'm kind of writing all the time. I find it hard to be like -- to pick time, to be, like, 'I'm going to write now!' It just kind of happens. So, my phone is always filling up in the voice memos app (laughs). Random little ideas." SOUNDCDUE

MammothWVH kicks off its 25-date European tour on November 1st in Hamburg, Germany at Sporthalle Hamburg.

It was 55 years ago today (June 14th, 1967) that the Monkees began recording their third and final Number One hit, "Daydream Believer." The song, which was tracked during the group's sessions for Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., was held off the album and released separately as a single. "Daydream Believer" was written by the late John Stewart, who had written several songs for the Kingston Trio, and at that time was performing with future superstar John Denver. Shortly after the song's release in November 1967, Stewart became the official musician of the Democratic National Committee, which involved traveling with Senator Robert Kennedy during his brief 1968 Presidential campaign.

The late-Davy Jones, who sang lead on the track, later admitted to originally hating the song, and suggested that it was better suited to his bandmate Micky Dolenz. Shortly before his death in 2012, Jones said that throughout the group's career, bandmate Peter Tork always encouraged him musically: "I'm a great fan of Peter's, y'know? He told me and instilled in me that I was a musician. I am a musician. I keep a good beat. I've got perfect pitch."

Micky Dolenz told us he's amazed at how different the history of the Monkees is from all their late-'60s peers: "There was in a way, two Monkee bands; One was the cast of the television show that the producers had cast, and that were singing and paying on a lot of the early stuff -- but we had no control over what was going to be recorded. And then, after we fought for the right to do the music and did Headquarters -- that was the other Monkees group. That was like, the Monkees group that was just us singing and writing and playing the songs that we wanted. It's an unusual story, y'know, it's a very strange story."

Rock historian and author Jon Stebbins says that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has done a horrible disservice by refusing to acknowledge the Monkees for their groundbreaking and beloved '60s work, having ignored them every year since they became eligible to enter the Hall way back in 1991: "The Monkees should've gone in that next class after the Beach Boys and the Beatles. And when it got into '66, '67, they should've gone in right then. Because, yeah, they were here and gone really fast, but their impact was massive. Massive. I mean, they dominated the biggest year in rock n' roll. They dominated it not because their stuff was, like, rammed down our throats and it left a bad taste; it's like their stuff was rammed down our throats and it left an awesome taste (laughs) because it was so good!"

"Daydream Believer" hit Number One on December 2nd, 1967, and went on to top the charts for four straight weeks, until it was bumped from Number One by the Beatles' "Hello Goodbye."

Davy Jones died of a heart attack on February 29th, 2012 at age 66.

Peter Tork died on February 21st, 2019 at age 77 following a decade-long battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma -- a rare cancer of the salivary glands.

The surviving Monkees -- Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith -- closed out their Monkees farewell tour on November 14th, 2021 at L.A.'s Greek Theatre. Nesmith passed away less than a month later, that December 10th at 78 of heart-related issues.

Micky Dolenz will play a free concert on June 16th in Sherman, Texas at Hot Summer Nights.

It was 57 years ago today (June 14th, 1965) that the Beatles recorded "Yesterday" -- the Paul McCartney-written classic, which stands as the most covered song of all time. "Yesterday" was taped at London's Abbey Road Studios on a day that perhaps showed the truest account of McCartney's songwriting and performing abilities. In addition to "Yesterday," the Beatles tackled not only the future folk-rock classic "I've Just Seen A Face," but the spleen-splitting hard rock "Help!" B-side, "I'm Down." "Yesterday" was first released on the UK Help! album on August 6th, 1965.

On September 13th, 1965, the night of the single's release, the "Fab Four's" fourth live performance on The Ed Sullivan Show spotlighted the song, featuring McCartney performing for the first time on American TV alone on acoustic guitar accompanied by a string ensemble -- but without John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

Paul McCartney says that even now he's still amazed that he wrote the song, which has gone on to become one of the most beloved tunes in popular music history: "I think, y'know, the most successful has been 'Yesterday,' and it's the strangest one ever, 'cause I dreamed it. I haven't had any other song that's happened that way. I just woke up one morning and just (sings melody), and I went around to people for about two weeks saying, 'Listen, what's this?' They would say, 'Oh, it's good. I don't know' -- I think they thought I was trying to sell it. After about two weeks of everyone saying, 'Well, I don't know what it is,' y'know, I said, 'Well, I must have written it then.'"

McCartney admits that he's still astounded at the continuing popularity of song so long after it was first released: "My most successful song was 'Yesterday' that got covered by just everyone. 3,000 people including Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Elvis (Presley), Frank Sinatra -- I mean, I should be so lucky. It's just unbelievable. But that one song; I woke up one morning and I had dreamed it. See, I don't know where it came from. I just woke up (sings melody) -- I had that song. So, I believe in magic."

McCartney credits not only Beatles producer George Martin's score for the song in helping its popularity -- but Martin's choice of string players for the recording: "It was basically studio musicians that George Martin would book. ‘Cause George was the one who knew the classical field -- we didn't have a clue at all. George was always very good; he always got the best people."

Bill King, publisher of Beatlefan magazine, says that the inclusion of the few Beatles songs -- especially "Yesterday" -- in Paul McCartney's 1976 Wings Over America comeback tour pushed emotional buttons that up till that point weren't felt at your average rock concert: "It was nostalgia, it was a chance to finally see a Beatle doing a Beatles song live in concert -- which many of us had not had. Already, even at that age -- and most of us who were original fans were still in our 20's when he toured in '76. But already, even at that relatively young age, we had nostalgia. And it was an emotional moment for a lot of people to see him doing that song. It was a song they had never expected to see him do live."

Paul McCartney explained that even though some of the songs in his setlist date back over 50 years, as a father and grandfather he's able to find new emotions in the tunes that he couldn't possibly have imagined back in his Beatles days: "A song like 'Yesterday' I wrote when I was 20, or 21, or something. And so, it was a quite a young man writing about yesterday -- I didn't have many yesterdays, it was only about few years of them. It's much more emotional now for me, because, y'know, my yesterdays involve bringing up children now, and when they were little babies. As you go on, the songs seem to have more depth. Y'know, words that I just wrote because I liked the sound of them -- now I like the meaning of them."

"Yesterday," which was not released in England as a single until 1976 -- long after the Beatles' split -- hit Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 9th, 1965 -- John Lennon's 25th birthday, overtaking the McCoys' "Hang On Sloopy."

The single's B-Side, the Ringo Starr-vehicle, "Act Naturally" -- which was also performed on the Sullivan Show telecast -- peaked at Number 47 on the Billboard charts, with Cash Box charting it as high as Number 28.

The instant evergreen held down the top spot for a solid month, until toppled by the Rolling Stones' follow-up to "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," with the two-week Number One "Get Off My Cloud."

In recent years, Paul McCartney has raised the issue of reversing the official credits to "Yesterday," from Lennon/McCartney to McCartney/Lennon, seeing as how -- admittedly -- John Lennon had nothing to do with the song's composition and/or arrangement. To McCartney's chagrin, Yoko Ono has refused to allow the signature songwriting credit to be changed.

Save for the past couple of years, "Yesterday" has been a McCartney live staple since 1975. When now performed in concert, he uses the same Epiphone Texan acoustic guitar used on the original Beatles recording session.

Halsey says that their former nanny's claims of wrongful termination are "baseless."

In documents filed in Los Angeles court Thursday (June 9th), Ashley Funches alleges that in 2021 she began working as a live-in nanny for the singer's newborn, Ender. Funches claims she was "misclassified" as an employee "exempt from overtime" and was terminated after she requested a leave of absence for a medical procedure.

In a statement to E! News, Halsey's rep called the allegations in the lawsuit "baseless" and added that Funches was terminated for leaving Ender unsupervised and in an unsafe location. The singer's attorney also claims the nanny was "intoxicated while the child was in her care."

Ringo Starr has announced that two members of his All Starr Band -- Edgar Winter and Steve Lukather -- have tested positive for Covid, forcing the band to postpone the last 12 gigs of their summer tour. These shows were initially planned for 2020, and ultimately pushed due to the pandemic.

According to the announcemnt, the band was halfway through the 22-show run when Ringo let audiences know on June 7th, during the second of three sold-out shows at New York's Beacon theater, that Edgar Winter had Covid, but the All Starrs would play on. However, Steve Lukather has also tested positive for Covid, forcing the group to reschedule the remaining 12 shows, and adding them to the September tour, with the rescheduled dates still forthcoming.

Ringo addressed the postponed gigs in a statement:

We are so sorry to let the fans down. It's been wonderful to be back out on the road and we have been having such a great time playing for you all. But as we all know, Covid is still here and despite being careful these things happen. I want to thank the fans for their patience, I send you all peace and love, and we can't wait to be back in the Fall.

All Starr Band bassist Hamish Stuart was part of Paul McCartney's backing band from 1987 to 1993, prior to first hitting the road with Ringo in 2006. When we last caught up to him, Stuart said he felt completely at ease performing alongside Ringo: "It's great. It's a treat, y'know? (Laughs) He plays his thing, he is Ringo, and he's really -- now that we've done a few shows, well everybody is starting to play a little more and things are starting to open up. It's really exciting. It's very good."

POSTPONED: Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band tour dates:

June 11 - Easton, PA - State Theater
June 12 - Providence, RI - PPAC
June 14, 15 - Baltimore, MD - Modell Lyric
June 17 - Lenox, MA - Tanglewood
June 18 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Arena
June 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Metropolitan Theater
June 21 - Richmond, VA - Virginia Credit Union Live
June 22 - Atlanta, GA - Cobb Center
June 24 - St. Augustine, FL - The AMP
June 25 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock
June 26 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall

Lynne Spears may not have been invited to her daughter's wedding, but she is still happy for her.

According to TMZ, Britney Spears's mom left a comment on the singer's Instagram post Friday (June 10th), congratulating her on her "dream" wedding.

The elder Spears wrote, "You look radiant and so happy! Your wedding is the ‘Dream' wedding! And having it at your home makes it so sentimental and special! I am soooo happy for you! I love you!'

Britney revealed additional details about her wedding on Instagram over the weekend, writing that she "had a panic attack and then got it together" before the ceremony. She also added that she was wearing her "first diamond thong" underneath her jacket.

The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have reportedly scored a major payday for the use of their music and likeness in the upcoming series based on the group's early days. The Daily Mail reported the series -- produced in conjunction with the Stones -- will earn "The Glimmer Twins" a combined $61.5 million.

The limited-series, which has been ordered by FX for two seasons, is the first time the band has allowed their music to be used for such a production. The series will spotlight the Stones' first dozen years, spanning 1962 to 1974. No casting has been announced with production set to start in 2024.

According to an inside source: "The Stones see this series as being their legacy. When they can't tour any more, this will remain alongside the music. It's a bit like ABBA and their (digital performance) Abbatars.

Keith Richards explained that the mission for the Stones forming 60-years-ago was in an attempt to turn as many people as possible on to the blues: "That was the whole point, I think, and the Rolling Stones, when they started, were, like, fanatically idealistic that other people should know about the blues. And if we can just make a small contribution into letting people know that there is this music out there. It is fascinating and it's black and it comes basically from (laughs) Africa -- y'know, originally -- and how it integrated in society and America."

The Rolling Stones perform tonight (June 13th) in Amsterdam, Netherlands at Johan Cruijff Arena.

Christine McVie says that despite Fleetwood Mac's legendary reputation for drug and booze consumption -- she still remembers it all. McVie's upcoming solo set, Songbird (A Solo Collection), drops on June 24th, features guest appearances by Eric Clapton, Lindsey Buckingham, and Steve Winwood.

While chatting with The Guardian, McVie was asked if she had any blanks in her memory due to the rough and ready lifestyle the Mac lived, she said, "No. I have to say I'm not guilt-free in that department but Stevie (Nicks) and I were very careful. The boys used to get provided with cocaine in Heineken bottle tops onstage, but Stevie and I only did the tiny little spoons. I suppose sometimes we got a bit out-there, but we were quite restrained, really."

McVie explained, "I always took fairly good care of myself. My drug of choice was cocaine and champagne. I didn't use any other drugs at all. It's easy for me to say, but I think it made me perform better. Maybe somebody could tell me different (laughs)."

It was during sessions for Rumours that Stevie Nicks and her Fleetwood Mac bandmates began a dangerous cycle of booze and drugs that tangled the group up in cross addiction, that was running full throttle throughout the Tusk sessions: "For us it was basically, y'know, brandy, cigarettes, pot, and coke -- and that was just the wicked little circle -- 'rat's wheel,' I call it -- that everybody was on. Y'know, you do some coke and you were nervous and then you'd smoke some pot to calm down, and you were too stoned and then you'd, y'know, do some more coke to wake up and then you'd have a drink, ‘cause you were too nervous. . . and it was just a nightmare."