Pulse Music

John Lennon's former girlfriend May Pang is receiving raves for her new documentary The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, which premiered on June 10th in New York at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The film, which is peppered with Pang's legendary photos of Lennon during their affair between 1973 and 1975, spotlights the pairs relationship during Lennon and wife Yoko Ono's 16-month separation Among those appearing in the doc are photographer Bob Gruen, Apple Records manager Tony King, solo-Beatles drummer of choice Jim Keltner, along with John Lennon's older son, Julian Lennon.

May Pang spoke to The New York Post about she and Lennon leaving New York in the fall of 1973 as a couple, recalling, "We went to L.A. together. You start knowing someone superficially. Then I fell in love with him. (Yoko) kept calling, though she said in '74 she wanted a divorce -- it was her third marriage -- and he'd said 'I'll be a free man in six months.'"

Pang went on to shed light on the differences between her and Lennon 's relationship as opposed to his and Yoko's: "Yoko, chain smoker, seven-and-a-half years older than he, understood his needs. But he and I, together 18 (sic) months, our life was different. All musicians. George Harrison said, 'I'm glad she's with you.' Keith Richards said, 'This is the John I used to see.' I made him accessible to friends. We'd go swimming, do Disneyland, take walks together without his entourage."

She went on to say, "Last I saw him was '78. He had a will done in '79 and was gone in 1980. I can't forget -- but you have to let it go. You can only try to live in the moment. I've attempted to reach out to Yoko but it didn't work."

May Pang recalled the first time that the former-Beatle and chief Beach Boy Brian Wilson crossed paths in 1973 at a party in L.A. for Dean Martin's son's 21st birthday party. She remembers Wilson introducing himself to Lennon by asking him for downers: "And I see this guy coming towards -- this mountain man. And I (laughs) put my head down and I just whispered, the man that's going to approach you John, is Brian Wilson. Dennis Wilson; Beach Boys -- this is his brother Brian. And this is what I used to do a lot, y'know, 'cause I would recognize people. And he goes 'Are you kidding?' I said, 'No.' And he goes, 'Hey Man.' (John) goes, 'Hi Brian.' He goes, 'You got any reds?' And John was taken aback by it, 'cause he didn't -- he said, 'What?' He goes, 'I don't have that stuff.'"

Taylor Swift gave a surprise acoustic performance of "All Too Well" Saturday (Julyl 11th) to accompany the corresponding film's Tribeca Film Festival debut. Additionally, the singer dropped an updated version of the song on streaming platforms. The new 11-minute-and-26-second version of "All Too Well" has updated instrumentals and a new outro.

Could kids be in the future for Adele and Rich Paul? The "Hello" singer's current beau told E! News Friday (June 10th), "As a young dad, growing a business, it was pretty tough. But now looking as an older dad, if I was to have more kids, I'm looking forward to being a different dad." The father of three and Adele have been together since last summer.

Justin Bieber is asking fans for prayers as his symptoms from Ramsay Hunt syndrome worsen. The singer revealed Friday (June 10th) that he has had to cancel concerts because half of his face is paralyzed. He said in a video, "It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis. As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can't smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move." He added in a subsequent a separate Story that it's becoming more difficult to eat and that he's been doing facial exercises to get his face "back to normal."

It was 52 years ago today (June 13th, 1970) that the Beatles' "The Long And Winding Road" became the group's 20th and final Number One hit. It was also on this date that the single's parent album, Let It Be, also hit Number One and began the first of its four-week run on top of the Billboard 200 chart. The song was written by Paul McCartney in late-1968, and was recorded in January 1969 during the sessions for the group's album and film Let It Be.

"The Long And Winding Road" was inspired by the long drive to his Scottish farm. McCartney talked about the song in his 1997 authorized biography Many Years From Now, saying, "It's a rather sad song. I like writing sad songs because you can actually acknowledge some deeper feelings of your own and put them in." "The Long And Winding Road" was recorded by engineer/producer Glyn Johns on January 31st, 1969, the day after the group's legendary final performance on the roof of their Apple headquarters, and featured McCartney on piano and vocals, John Lennon on bass, George Harrison on guitar, Ringo Starr on drums, and guest musician Billy Preston on organ.

"The Long And Winding Road" became the Beatles' last official U.S. single, topping the charts for two weeks just two months after McCartney announced the group's split on April 10th, 1970.

"The Long And Winding Road" closes the Beatles' 2000 hits compilation The Beatles 1. McCartney recalled that he was pleased when 1 was released, because it made him realize the group's place in history: "I think, all in all, it's a cool record. Y'know, it proves, y'know, we, we had a lot of Number Ones, if nothing else. You spend your life making all those records -- I don't count until a project like this comes along -- and you look at it and you say, 'Whoa! We did that many? That's fantastic!'"

McCartney was reportedly horrified when legendary "Wall Of Sound" producer Phil Spector was brought in by Lennon and Harrison to polish up the Let It Be tapes, and added a 30-piece orchestra and female choir to the original sparse-sounding track. The group's original stripped-down recording can be found on the Beatles' later archival releases Anthology 3 and Let It Be. . . Naked.

The Beatles' late-producer George Martin often said that he felt betrayed by Lennon and Harrison when they enlisted Spector to rework the Let It Be tapes prior to their eventual release: "When the record came to be issued, EMI rang me up and said, 'They don't want your name on the record. It'll be 'Produced by Phil Spector.' I said, 'But I produced all the original stuff that they worked on.' I said, 'I'm not having that. Why don't you put on it, 'Produced by George Martin, over-produced by Phil Spector?' But they didn't seem to go for that."

While promoting his recent memoir, called Sound Man -- which talks about his work with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, the Faces, the Eagles, and many more -- Glyn Johns pulled no punches when discussing Phil Spector's work on Let It Be, telling The New York Times, "I was disappointed that Lennon got away with giving it to Spector, and even more disappointed with what Spector did to it. It has nothing to do with the Beatles at all. Let It Be is a bunch of garbage. As I say in the book, he puked all over it. I've never listened to the whole thing, I've only listened to the first few bars of some things and said, ‘Oh, forget it.' It was ridiculously, disgustingly syrupy."

To add insult to injury, all three of the singles from the Let It Be project went on to top the charts, yet George Martin only received production credit for "Get Back" and "Let It Be," with Phil Spector getting the nod for the band's final Number One hit, "The Long And Winding Road." We asked Glyn Johns if he ever came to terms with that fact: "Life's full of disappointments and I got over that really quickly and left it behind in the dust; although it was really disappointing 'cause I got on great with everybody, we had, y'know, a really good working relationship, I thought. Things don't always work out and you just move on and that's what I did. And it was a little bit frustrating at the time, but it's the way things went. And I did actually point out when the brought out a compilation album some years later where George Martin had been given credit for what I did, and I did call and sort of point out the fact that I didn't mind not being given credit at all, but I did object to someone else getting credit for what I did (laughs). And I was more or less told to bugger off, really (laughs)."

"The Long And Winding Road" has been a mainstay of McCartney's live shows since 1975.

Billie Eilish had to pause her concert Saturday (June 11th) evening due to soaring temperatures in London's O2 arena.

The BBC reports that the "Bad Guy" singer was concerned about the fans at the front of the stage who were fainting from the heat.

According to the outlet, she told the crowd, "Take a step back, give everybody some space. If someone looks a little woozy, just tell someone. Don't try to save feelings."

She was reportedly able to resume her concert after a few minutes.

Former-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted revealed he hasn't listened to the band's new music since quitting back in 2001. During a chat with Metal Hammer magazine, Newsted was asked when he last checked out one of the band's albums after departing and admitted, "Never. I heard the one where they made the video in prison (St. Anger). I heard one song with my dad while we were riding in the car in Michigan, because the radio is still pretty wed to Metallica, and it went on for f***ing ever. It was eight minutes on the radio, and I went, 'What the f*** are they doing?' No disrespect, but I didn't get it."

Newsted touched upon his relationship -- or lack thereof -- with his former-bandmembers today, explaining, "I still talk to Lars (Ulrich) a fair bit, and I send him my stuff and he's always super-supportive. I really appreciate it, and I respect his opinion. If he called me and asked if I wanted to throw down, I'd say yes, but I'm not sure if I'd say yes to anyone else."

Back in the day, Metallica guitarist James Hetfield told us there were no ill feeling towards Jason Newsted and his decision to leave the group: "Everything was extremely amicable. But when I call his number, it like goes, (imitates phone noise of incomplete call) 'Boo doo doop,' so I don't know. What does that mean? (laughs)"

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari exchanged nuptials in a small ceremony in front of about 60 guests on Thursday (6-9) evening. Some of her famous friends in attendance included Madonna, Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, Maria Menounos, and Paris Hilton. Britney wore a Donatella Versace dress.

TMZ posted aerial images of the pink wedding tent with a doorway trimmed in pink roses.

Britney's brother, Bryan, was there... but her mom, dad, sister, and two sons did not attend. A statement from her sons read "The boys are happy for Britney and wish her and Sam all the best going forward."

The couple has been together since 2016 and engaged since last September.

And there was drama… Her first ex-husband, Jason Alexander was arrested after breaking into her home, which was also the wedding venue.

The 40-year-old livestreamed himself on Instagram as he roamed around the property, revealing their wedding decorations, which were still being arranged by party planners. He was yelling her name and claiming to security that he was invited. He said, "I'm here to crash the wedding."

Britney's assistant was alerted to what was going by fans watching his livestream. She later thanked them online for their diligence.

TL;DR:

• Britney Spears and Sam Asghari exchanged nuptials in a small ceremony in front of about 100 guests.
• Britney's brother, Bryan, was there ... but her mom, dad, sister, and two sons did not attend.
• Her first ex-husband, Jason Alexander was arrested after breaking into the wedding venue.
• He livestreamed himself on Instagram as he roamed around the property.

At the first show of the Jonas Brothers Vegas residency, Joe Jonas changed a key lyric in a song believed to be about Taylor Swift. Fans immediately noticed and theorize that it was a shout-out to his ex-girlfriend that he has moved on.

He sang the 2009 song, "Much Better" with the words… "Now I'm cool with superstars," Originally, the song lyric was I'm "Done" with superstars.

The two had dated prior to the release of the song. Their end was well publicized because he broke up with Swift through a text message and she talked about it on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

It was also widely speculated that her fiery song "Better Than Revenge" was about him as well.

TL;DR:

• Joe Jonas changed a key lyric in a song believed to be about Taylor Swift.
• Fans immediately noticed and theorize that it was a shout-out to his ex-girlfriend.
• He sang the 2009 song, "Much Better" with the words… "Now I'm cool with superstars," Originally, the song lyric was I'm "Done" with superstars.

Out today (June 10th) is the latest Rolling Stones vault release, Licked Live In NYC. The set is available as a DVD/two-CD, SD Blu-ray/two-CD, as well as a standalone two-CD and triple-LP.

Originally released in 2003 as an HBO special and as part of the Four Flicks package, the band's January 18th, 2003 Madison Square Garden concert has been fully restored and remastered with four previously unreleased songs: "Start Me Up," "Tumbling Dice," "Gimme Shelter," and "Sympathy For The Devil." Special guest Sheryl Crow is featured on "Honky Tonk Women."

According to the package's press release:

The addition of three bonus performances from Amsterdam and rehearsal footage gives an insider's view of the Rolling Stones gearing up for this tour. The SD Blu-ray package includes the additional 51-minute documentary Tip Of The Tongue, which captures the conception and preparation of the "Live Licks" tour's innovative three show / three venue approach.

Inspired to switch up venues on a nightly basis between arenas, ballrooms, or theaters, and setlists along with it, the band are captured preparing for this tour from the recording studio in Paris to the rehearsals in Toronto.

The Rolling Stones' 2002 /2003 "Licks" tour was unique in the fact that in many cities the band played more than one type of venue -- from the sprawling 80,000 local enormo-domes to club dates the very next night.

We caught up with guitarist Ron Wood during the first part of the "Licks" tour -- and he was clearly grooving on the band's decision to play multiple types of venues: "Well, everything is still exciting and out on a limb and different to what it has been before. The setlists have been changing up to 10 songs a night, y'know, within the sort of Fruit-Of-The-Loom structure -- small, medium, and large (laughs). An arena being the medium and clubs, obviously, the small, and the stadiums, the large. We have some quite interesting changes."

The Stones next perform on June 13th in Amsterdam, Netherlands at Johan Cruijff Arena.

The tracklisting to The Rolling Stones' 'Licked Live In NYC' is:

"Street Fighting Man"
"Start Me Up"
"If You Can't Rock Me"
"Don't Stop"
"Monkey Man"
"Angie"
"Let It Bleed"
"Midnight Rambler"
"Tumbling Dice"
"Thru And Thru"
"Happy"
"Gimme Shelter"
"You Got Me Rocking"
"Can't You Hear Me Knocking"
"Honky Tonk Women" (with Sheryl Crow)
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
"It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)"
"When The Whip Comes Down"
"Brown Sugar"
"Sympathy For The Devil"
"Jumpin' Jack Flash"

Live In Amsterdam

"Star Star"
"I Just Want To Make Love To You"
"Street Fighting Man"

Rehearsals
"Well Well"
"Extreme Western Grip"

Ozzy Osbourne is undergoing what's been described as life changing surgery on Monday (June 13th), according to wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne.

During her appearance on Wednesday's (June 8th) episode of her UK chat show, The Talk, Sharon Osbourne revealed she was flying back to California to be by Ozzy's side: "(Host): So Sharon, the news is you're heading back to L.A. and I'm sorry to hear that Ozzy's got a big operation coming up, as well. (Sharon Osbourne): He does, he has a very major operation on Monday and I have to be there. It's really going to determine the rest of, y'know, his life. So, the next thing is my son is going to have a daughter in about three weeks. . . (Host): Fabulous. . . (Host): . . . and also it's our 40th wedding anniversary. . . (Host): Congratulations . . . (Sharon): . . . The first of July (applause). (Host): So, are you planning a nice party or something for that? (Sharon): I don't know yet. 'Depends on everything with Ozzy."

Last month, the 73-year-old Ozzy Osbourne revealed to Classic Rock magazine he would soon be undergoing yet another neck surgery for a quad bike injury he suffered in 2003. Osbourne explained, "I'm just waiting on some more surgery on my neck. I can't walk properly these days. I have physical therapy every morning. I am somewhat better, but nowhere near as much as I want to be to go back on the road."

There's no definitive word as to whether the neck surgery is the specific reason he'll be going under the knife next week.

Released today (June 10th) is the 50th anniversary edition of Elton John's fourth studio album, 1971's Madman Across The Water. The Super Deluxe box set features three-CD's and one-Blu-ray disc, along with a 1971 reproduction poster and 104-page book including photos and an essay with interviews with those who helped make the album -- as well as memorabilia and artwork taken from the Rocket Archive.

There are 18 previously unreleased tracks across the Super Deluxe triple-CD/Blu-ray box set, which also contains rare, restored material from the era, piano demos of the album, and the audio of the BBC Sounds For Saturday concert, broadcast in 1972. The Blu-ray contains a 5.1 mix by Greg Penny, plus the Sounds For Saturday and his 1971 The Old Grey Whistle Test performance. The set is available as a four-LP set double-CD collection, and a single-LP limited edition remaster in blue and white-colored 180g vinyl.

Madman Across The Water was originally released on November 5th, 1971 and was the first to feature all three members of the classic, original Elton John Band -- bassist Dee Murray, drummer Nigel Olsson, and for the first time, guitarist Davey Johnstone.

Highlights on the Madman Across The Water album include the iconic title track, "Tiny Dancer," "Levon," "Indian Sunset," and "Holiday Inn."

The album peaked at Number Eight and spent a solid month in the Billboard Top 10.

Elton's longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin told us that although his and Elton's songs have become pop standards over the years, that shouldn't take away from the quality of the work: "First and foremost, we are good songwriters. And there's nothing wrong with writing a great song -- providing it retains elements of passion, and whatever. As long as it's not just a surface thing. And I think these songs are very commercial and there's nothing wrong with being commercial, yet they are at the same time very passionate."

Guitarist Davey Johnstone, who joined Elton John's band in 1971 and currently serves as his musical director, has been lucky enough to witness the Elton John - Bernie Taupin songwriting partnership up close for 50 years and has literally seen some of rock's most beloved songs being written in front of him: "Elton'd have a stack of lyrics and he'd just look through them. He wouldn't do any pre-work (on the songs) in those days, y'know, he wouldn't ever sneak ‘em at home with them, he'd wait till he get to the studio, and then literally sit down after breakfast and write a song. I mean, I've seen him write songs in the time that it's taken me to make a chicken sandwich, or something."

Elton John performs on Saturday (June 11th) in Paris at La Defense Arena.

Katy Perry is the face on all the new Menulog commercials that rolled out this week. The ad shows her in various locations ordering takeout to be delivered by the Australian delivery service.

Throughout the ad she sings lyrics that she co-wrote: "A little sushi while I watch a movie/ Papaya salad while I sing a ballad/ Need some ice cream, make it a swirl/ Gotta treat this California girl."

Perry is the latest U.S. music star to front the company's campaign, Snoop Dogg was once an endorser.

It's not the first time Perry and food have come together in Australia. Her 2008 hit "Hot N Cold" is the theme song for Australia's Masterchef series, now in its 14th season.

TL;DR:

Set for release on July 15th is Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp's first joint album, titled, 18. The pair, who are currently on the road in Europe, have mixed new originals with covers by the likes of John Lennon, the Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, the Velvet Underground, Killing Joke, the Everly Brothers, and more.

According to the album's press release:

For the last 12 years Depp has recorded and toured with the Hollywood Vampires, a band he started with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. The supergroup has released two studio albums that include guest appearances by some of rock's biggest names (including) Beck, who played guitar on 'Welcome To Bushwackers,' a song on Rise, the Vampires' second album, which came out in 2019.

Soon after, Depp asked Beck to play lead on a tune he'd written, the album's first single 'This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr,' an homage to the actress/inventor. Beck says it was the catalyst for the collaboration and is one of his favorite songs on the new album. 'I was blown away by it. That song is one of the reasons I asked him to make an album with me. . . I haven't had another creative partner like him for ages. He was a major force on this record. I just hope people will take him seriously as a musician because it's a hard thing for some people to accept that Johnny Depp can sing rock and roll."

Of Beck, Depp adds, "It's an extraordinary honor to play and write music with Jeff, one of the true greats and someone I am now privileged enough to call my brother."

A while back, Johnny Depp revealed to us that he's always fought hard to ensure his creative freedom: "Early on, there were a number of battles that I had to fight. When at the time, y'know, a lot of agents and people like that were saying, 'What are you fighting against? Why are you going against this?' And I was going against the grain because I knew if I continued on in the way that they wanted me to continue on it was death, it was just going to be over with. So, I instinctively felt that's what I had to do."

Jeff Beck has worked with numerous music legends throughout his career, but unlike the other Yardbirds guitarists -- Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page -- he never found the right combination of bandmates to spur him into wider popularity. He says that he doesn't mind being thought of as a music snob for having very specific tastes: "People will tend to think that really, really, trashy, awful music is music if they're not exposed to anything else and that's bad. I come from a whole different era long before all this stuff was about so I have to tread very carefully not to look as if we're a push button brigade, which we're not at all. My band are very highly skilled players and we wouldn't trade that for the world."

The tracklisting to Jeff Beck & Johnny Depp's '18' is:

"Midnight Walker" (Davy Spillane cover)
"Death And Resurrection Show" (Killing Joke cover)
"Time" (Dennis Wilson cover)
"Sad Motherf***in' Parade" (Johnny Depp original)
"Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)" (Beach Boys cover)
"This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr" (Johnny Depp original)
"Caroline, No" (Beach Boys cover)
"Ooo Baby Baby" (The Miracles cover)
"What's Going On" (Marvin Gaye cover)
"Venus In Furs" (The Velvet Underground cover)
"Let It Be Me" (The Everly Brothers cover)
"Stars" (Janis Ian cover)
"Isolation" (John Lennon cover) -- digital and CD version only

Jeff Beck & Johnny Depp next perform on June 19th in Helsinki, Finland.

Today (6-10) Machine Gun Kelly drops his new single and video for "More Than Life."

He posted a couple of photos online... In one of them, he's standing beside Glaive, who is featured on the song. And the other, is a shot of him sitting in a road as houses behind him are consumed by orange flames.

In a press release, the song was described as exhibiting "MGK's gift for relaying passionate pain as he weighs his fears of vulnerability with the acceptance of newfound love."

"More Than Life" is the bonus track on the vinyl edition of 'Mainstream Sellout.' The LP comes out June 24.

TL;DR:

• "More Than Life" is one of the new tracks on the vinyl edition of Mainstream Sellout.
• Single out today, vinyl will be out June 24.

Halsey's Maryland concert this week was canceled due to severe flash flooding. Water was so deep at the front of the stage that fans were in it up to their ankles and were tweeting to be let out of the pit. There were lots of complaints about how the venue handled it. At one point, a crew member kicked a squirrel off the stage into the rushing water, it was later rescued. Halsey apologized for things that were out of her control and posted that she would be rescheduling soon, but at another venue.

This week, Phoebe Bridgers' show in Toronto was paused five times while the paramedics tended to people in the audience. Fans that had spent the night in line to get into the venue had fainted throughout the show. They were treated for dehydration and exhaustion. Billboard reached out to Bridgers' publicist for comment but did not receive a response.

Justin Timberlake has been named as a headliner for Pharrell Williams' upcoming festival called Something in the Water. Other top billing acts include SZA, N.O.R.E. and Clipse. The event, which is taking place in Washington, DC over Juneteenth weekend (June 17-19), will also include sets from Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals. The festival will live stream on Amazon Music.

Sunday (June 12th, 1963) marks the 59th anniversary of the Beach Boys recording two of their most memorable early hits, "Surfer Girl" and "Little Deuce Coupe," at Hollywood's Western Recorders. "Surfer Girl" was written and sung by Brian Wilson, who also produced the track. Wilson has stated over the years that it was the first song he ever composed. Wilson, who usually was never far from a piano, actually wrote the song while driving and created the song's entire melody without the aid of an instrument. Wilson has gone on record saying that he wrote the tune after being inspired by "When You Wish Upon A Star," from the Disney film Pinocchio.

"Little Deuce Coupe," which featured lyrics by Wilson's collaborator Roger Christian, included the original band lineup of Mike Love on lead vocals, Brian Wilson on bass, Carl Wilson and David Marks on guitars, and Dennis Wilson on drums.

The song was a double A-sided hit, with "Surfer Girl" peaking at Number Seven and "Little Deuce Coupe" getting as high as Number 15. Both songs were featured on the group's Surfer Girl album, which peaked later that year at Number Seven. Over the years, both songs have become a permanent fixture in the Beach Boys' live concerts.

In the days before the British Invasion, the Beach Boys were undoubtedly the top band in the U.S. Guitarist David Marks, who grew up with the Wilson brothers, remembers thinking that as the Beach Boys were forming that they were incredibly unhip: "Well, yeah, I didn't think the band was cool at all. 'You're in a band and your name is Carl?' (laughs) or something. . . It was like, no. You can't be named Carl. Or Brian -- y'know, what kind of rock star's name is Brian??? But that was in the late '50s, early '60s when your name should've been Fabian, or Elvis, or Little Richard -- Chuck."

Decades after first laying down their voices on tape, Brian Wilson says he still values the Beach Boys for their contribution to his music throughout the years: "I think the magic is Mike Love's vocal performances on our songs, and Carl (Wilson) and Dennis (Wilson), and Bruce (Johnston) and Al (Jardine) and I should be congratulated for some really good background singing."

Today (June 10th) marks the 18th anniversary of the death of the great Ray Charles. Charles died of liver disease in his Beverly Hills home at the age of 73. His health had been in decline since the previous summer.

Charles, whose real name was Ray Charles Robinson, was born in Albany, Georgia, on September 23rd, 1930, and lost his sight to glaucoma at age seven. He is best remembered for bridging the gap between R&B and gospel, with jazz, country and pop. Some of Charles' biggest hits included "Hit The Road, Jack," "Here We Go Again," "I Can't Stop Loving You," "What I'd Say," "I Got A Woman," "America The Beautiful," and "Georgia On My Mind." Among his many other honors, Charles was one the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Just prior his death, Ray Charles said that he planned on making music until he died: "I'm a Duke Ellington, man. I'm a Count Basie. Y'see, because when music is your breathing or in your bloodstream, you don't retire from it. You go to your grave with it. I mean, that's just the way it is."

Stevie Wonder, whose second album, 1962's Tribute To Uncle Ray, featured covers of Charles's hits, says that he feels confident that Ray Charles's legacy will live on: "I do pain for knowing that, physically, Ray Charles has died. I joy in knowing that he has left such an incredibly great legacy behind that he will never, ever die. His music will never die, and I know that his legacy will outlive generations to come."

Billy Joel, who gave his daughter Alexa the middle name of Ray, in tribute to his idol, went on to duet with him on his 1986 classic "Baby Grand" from The Bridge. He said that "Brother Ray" was always a key vocal inspiration for him: "Sometimes I'm trying to sound like Ray Charles . . . the funny thing is, I found out Robert Plant sings the way he did because he was trying to sing like Ray Charles and that's as close as he could get."

Shortly before Charles' death, Quincy Jones reflected on his longtime friend and collaborator: "We used to sit and dream about the future: 'We want to work with a symphony, we want to do this, we want to do films, we wanted to do this.' And we did it all, together, and that is very rare, y'know? 'Cause we used to sit and dream about it, and then we got off our butts and went out and did it. Y'know, 'In The Heat Of The Night,' 'Let The Good Times Roll,' 'One Mint Julep,' 'Bags,' 'We Are The World'. . . I forget, it just never stops, man! We did it all. It's really, really a blessing, to start that far back and still be. . . We still get together and crack each other up, man." :

Shortly after Ray Charles' death, the posthumous album Genius Loves Company, featuring duets with Elton John, Michael McDonald and Willie Nelson, among others, went on to win eight Grammy Awards, including Best Album, and Best Record for his duet on that album's "Here We Go Again" with Norah Jones.

Michael McDonald remembers that even though Charles was ailing he gave their version of "Hey Girl" his fullest effort: "We sang together live in the studio, which was a thrill. He wasn't feeling very well when we did it. He was unfortunately getting kind of sick then. But he was, y'know, always a pro, and he was always great, y'know?"

E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren told us that Ray Charles' work and influence can never be overstated -- and admitted he was surprised that his death wasn't treated with a period of official National recognition: "To me, he's one of my heroes, and I listen to him probably more consistently than any other artist. I'm just, like, 'Jeez, how come we're not, like, having that kind of moment for Ray that we do for some of our presidents?', and stuff like that. I honor him, I love him, I'm grateful, and I wouldn't be who I am without Ray Charles, nor would any of my peers. And they all know that, and I know it."

In 2004 a film version of Charles' life story, titled Ray, became a box office success, earning actor Jamie Foxx a Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Charles.

In 2009 the 21-song anthology Genius: The Ultimate Ray Charles Collection was released. The collection includes such classic tracks as "I Got A Woman," "Busted," "Georgia On My Mind," "Hit The Road Jack," "I Can't Stop Loving You," and "America The Beautiful."

2010 saw the release of Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters -- the latest posthumous collection from Charles. The set features previously unreleased tracks from "Brother Ray" recorded in the 1970's, '80s, and '90s -- including long-forgotten and unheard duet with the great Johnny Cash.

Among the highlights on the disc is the 1981 recording of Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me, Lord?" which was only recently unearthed in the Sony Music vaults and originally intended for an unreleased project for CBS Records.

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are reportedly planning to tie the knot on Thursday (June 9th). 

Sources close to the singer told TMZ that the couple plans to wed in front of a very exclusive guest list of about 100 people that will include Britney’s brother, Bryan, but not her mom, dad, or sister Jamie Lynn.  

The couple has been engaged since September 2021. 

Charlie Puth has confirmed the rumors that he and BTS are collaborating on a project. In a radio interview he revealed that yes, it's true, but he didn't give much detail.

He talked as if they had already recorded something, but admitted that he doesn't know when it will be released.

He seemed to be caught off guard when asked more questions about it and said… "We will leave that at that, sort of top-secret."

This wouldn't be their first time working together, BTS appeared onstage with Puth at the MGA Awards in Korea in 2018 and performed "See You Again," "We Don't Talk Anymore" and "Fake Love."

Puth is currently working on his 3^rd album and BTS will release their new album, Proof, tomorrow (6-10).

TL;DR:

• Charlie Puth has confirmed the rumors that he and BTS are collaborating on a project.
• He talked as if they had already recorded something, but admitted that he doesn't know when it will be released.
• Puth is currently working on his 3^rd album and BTS will release their new album, Proof, tomorrow (6-10).

Foo Fighters have announced two tribute concerts for the late-drummer Taylor Hawkins for September, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. The shows will take place on September 3rd at London's Wembley Arena and September 27th at L.A.'s Kia Forum. The other performers participating have yet to be announced.

Taylor Hawkins died on March 25th at age 50 after suffering an alleged drug overdose in Columbia.

The band announced the shows in a press release, which reads:

Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee will come together with the Hawkins family to celebrate the life, music and love of their husband, father, brother and bandmate with the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts.

Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 25, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolized. The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will unite several of those artists, the Hawkins family and of course his Foo Fighters brothers in celebration of Taylor's memory and his legacy as a global rock icon -- his bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.

Taylor Hawkins' widow Aliosn tweeted a message to fans on the drummer's official account, which read:

My deepest thanks and admiration go out to the global Foo Fighters community and Taylor's fans far and wide for the outpouring of love each and every one of you have shown our beloved Taylor. Your kindness has been an invaluable comfort my family and me during this time of unimaginable grief.

As Taylor's wife, and on behalf of our children, I want to share how much you meant to him and how dedicated he was to 'knocking your socks off' during every performance. Taylor was honored to be a part of the Foo Fighters and valued his dream role in the band every minute of his 25 years with them. We considered every band member and the extended Foo Fighters team our family.

Taylor's endearing spirit and deep love of music will live on forever through the collaborations he so enjoyed having with other musicians and the catalog of songs he contributed to and created.

In celebration of his life, it is now up to all of us who loved him most to honor Taylor's legacy and the music he gave us.

Thank you all again for your love and sympathy. Taylor loved all of you & we love you too.

With gratitude,
Alison Hawkins

Foo Fighters have always been known for regularly playing three-hour concerts. A while back Taylor Hawkins admitted that although they can be a challenge -- it's always life affirming: "It's a lot. I don't know how long we can keep that up. We'll see. I don't know how long Dave's gonna be able to sing for three hours every night when we get onstage. It's awesome and it's fun and it's the macho trip a little bit, and people get their money's worth, that's for damn sure."

It was 50 years ago today (June 9th, 1972) that Bruce Springsteen was signed to Columbia Records by record producer John Hammond.

Over the course of his career, both as a talent scout and producer, Hammond played an integral role in discovering and shepherding the careers of such icons as Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, Pete Seeger, George Benson, Mike Bloomfield, Leonard Cohen, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, among many others.

Springsteen had only recently scaled his act down to being a solo acoustic performer, having made his bones in and around New Jersey's shore circuit leading such bands as Child, Steel Mill, the Bruce Springsteen Band, and Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom.

In 1998 Springsteen recalled to BBC TV how original manager Mike Appel secured an audition on May 2nd, 1972, purely through the gift of gab: "He just talked his way into an audition with John Hammond. I remember I came up on the bus with my acoustic guitar with no case. I was embarrassed carrying it around New (laughs) York City, like, y'know, at my side. . . And we had the audition, and I played a couple of songs and he said, 'You gotta be on Columbia Records.'"

In March 1999, during his acceptance speech at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, "The Boss" took time out to thank the past and current staff at Columbia Records for their faith and support over the decades: "They created a conduit for a lifetime of thoughts and ideas. A place where I was a. . . I felt safe and supported and encouraged to do my best and my truest work. I've heard enough record company horror stories, right from this stage, to realize -- to appreciate the fact that I don't have one."

Bruce Springsteen, who has only ever recorded for Columbia Records, released his debut album, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., on January 5th, 1973.

FAST FORWARD

In December 2021, Bruce Springsteen sold his publishing and recorded works to Sony for a reported $550 million. Rolling Stone reported, "A rep for Sony declined to comment on the deal. Springsteen has remained with Sony's Columbia Records since he launched his career, and was given ownership of his earlier albums. According the RIAA, his album catalog has sold 65.5 million in the U.S., which includes his 15-times platinum Born In The U.S.A. and five-times platinum The River.

In Sony's official announcement regarding the deal, Springsteen was quoted as saying: "I am one artist who can truly say that when I signed with Columbia Records in 1972, I came to the right place. During the last 50 years, the men and women of Sony Music have treated me with the greatest respect as an artist and as a person. I'm thrilled that my legacy will continue to be cared for by the company and people I know and trust."

Justin Bieber has postponed 3 tour dates this week due to illness.

He posted online that his sickness was getting worse and he needed to take some time off.

He wrote on Instagram: "Can't believe I'm saying this. I've done everything to get better but my sickness is getting worse. My heart breaks that I will have to postpone these next few shows (doctor's orders)."

The schedule change included 2 shows in Toronto, as well as tonight's (6-9) show in Washington D.C.

According to People.com, Bieber's health issues are non-covid related.

TL;DR:

• Justin Bieber has postponed 3 tour dates this week due to illness.
• The schedule change included 2 shows in Toronto, as well as tonight's (6-9) show in Washington D.C.
• According to People.com, Bieber's health issues are non-covid related.

It looks as though Kiss' long-rumored use of backing tracks in concert has finally been fully revealed. During the band's June 6th concert in Antwerp, Belgium, a missed cue from drummer Eric Singer seemingly threw off the synced track for "Detroit Rock City," exposing Paul Stanley for not hitting a vocal line -- despite his voice blaring from the PA.

Blabbermouth posted: "At the end of the track, Singer, who has played with Kiss on and off since 1991, apparently 'forgets to rest for a measure,' according to YouTube commenter Austin Ogonoski, 'instead continuing to play the standard beat for two additional measures. . . Eric realizes he messes up (and) begins the drumroll/breakdown a measure late (which) means Paul's vocal track is out of sync with what the band is actually playing. . . Paul's track plays 'Everybody's gonna leave their SEAT,' completely out of sync with the song and when nobody is at a mic."

There's a certain bitter irony in the fact that Kiss has been caught cheating -- especially in light of the fact that Gene Simmons has made a concerted effort to trash acts that use pre-recorded music or augment their sound digitally.

Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx took to Twitter to seemingly take umbrage with Kiss' obvious double standard: "Certain band out on the road right now putting other bands DOWN and saying that they are a REAL rock band, no background singers, and other old people cranky comments except his lead vocals are on tape. People in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks. #GetOffMyLawn #WizardOfOz"

Not too long ago Gene Simmons told us that he would be far happier if the live acts that take their show on the road were upfront about what it is they're exactly selling: "Ladies and gentlemen, the ticket price you're paying $100 for, you're going to be seeing live people onstage with video screens -- but only about 30 percent of the music is live. 70 percent -- or fill in your own percentage -- is a tape. In other words, everything you see and hear is not real. But they don't tell you that. I hate that. I publicly denounce it and call it for what it is. And that doesn't mean that Rhianna, Madonna and all the rest of the girls that end their names with "a" aren't talented, and can't sing and aren't sexy -- they're all great. I despise the dishonesty."

Kiss performs on Friday (June 10th) in Donington, England at the
Download Festival.

Their next U.S. show is set for September 21st at West Palm Beach's IThink Financial Amphitheatre.

Backstreet Boys surprised their fans this week by bringing their kids onstage with them. Nick Carter walked out with two of his three children - son Odin, 6, and 2-year-old daughter Saorise.

The other band members also brought out their "Backstreet Babies."

AJ McLean was joined by daughters - Ava, 9, and Lyric, 5. Howie Dorough's sons - James, 13, and Holden age 9. Kevin Richardson's two sons were also there - Mason, 14 and Maxwell, 8.

The big night happened on Tuesday evening (6-7) during their DNA World Tour at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Ed Sheeran surprised a 13-year-old boy by joining his Facebook art project. Noah, who has epilepsy and cerebral palsy, is a painter and raises money for a hospital in England. He had sent Sheeran painting supplies and asked if he could help.

So, Sheeran popped online and posted a video directly to Noah and committed to start painting as soon as he could.

Noah's dad said he was excited to see the post, that he left work early, to go home and share the news. He said, "It's not every day you get a video message from a global superstar. We are big fans of Ed, and we know he's a really busy guy, so it is great to know he's even heard about our project, let along willing to participate."

Artists across the world have helped finish the art pieces, which are auctioned to help the hospital that cares for young Noah. Sheeran is one of 250 artists whose work will be auctioned later this year.

TL;DR:

• Ed Sheeran surprised a 13-year-old boy by joining his Facebook art project and committing to raise money for a hospital in England.

• Sheeran is one of 250 artists whose work will be auctioned later this year.