BTS has set a new record with their hit single "Butter."
According to Billboard, the track holds at No. 1 on the Hot Trending Song's chart for the eighth week – the longest any song has held the top spot.
The trending song's chart provides a real-time ranking of the most discussed on Twitter globally.
Happy Birthday to Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Carole King, who turns 80 today (February 9th)!!! Most fans associate King with her own hits, such as 1971's "It's Too Late," "I Feel The Earth Move," and "So Far Away," plus 1974's "Jazzman," but in the 1960's King was responsible for co-writing with her then-husband Gerry Goffin some of the biggest hits to come out of that decade.
On October 30th, 2021 Carole King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a performer. She had previously been inducted as a songwriter with Gerry Goffin back in 1990 isn the "non-performer" category. Taylor Swift did the honors for King at the 2021 ceremony.
Back in January, a new documentary on James Taylor and Carole King premiered on CNN, titled Carole King & James Taylor: Just Call Out My Name. The documentary focused on the duo's 2010 world tour, dubbed the "Troubadour Reunion Tour." The press release stated, "The title referred to their having played together at West Hollywood's famed Troubadour club when they were starting out in 1970, and a subsequent six-night stand they did there in 2007 to celebrate the nightspot's 50th anniversary, which that led to their taking it on the road to global arenas three years later."
Elvis Costello's 2018 album, Look Now, featured "Burnt Sugar Is So Bitter" -- a long-unreleased song co-written with King. Look Now snagged Costello & The Imposters the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.
2019 saw the release of Carole King - Live At Montreux 1973. The show, which had never before been released, features King performing her first-ever overseas concert at the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival, while on the road in support of her then-recent Fantasy album.
Highlights on Carole King - Live At Montreux 1973 are "I Feel the Earth Move," "Smackwater Jack," "Beautiful," "Up On The Roof," "It's Too Late" -- along with solo piano versions of "You've Got A Friend," and "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman."
On January 12th, 2019, Carole King made a surprise appearance during the fifth anniversary performance of the Broadway musical based on her life, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which ran at Manhattan's Steven Sondheim Theatre. During the second to last number of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning show, instead of actress Chilina Kennedy performing the musical's title song recreating King's 1971 Carnegie Hall concert, King herself surprised the crowd by performing it herself. She stayed on with the cast to sing the encore of "I Feel The Earth Move" and afterwards addressed the crowd, saying, "What a night! It was amazing to be a part of this. This musical has been such a magical experience. To be here and celebrate our fifth anniversary with so much joy and love is amazing."
Beautiful is based on King's life, starting with her marriage and songwriting partnership to the late-Gerry Goffin, and her ascent into superstardom with the release of her 1971 classic Tapestry.
The Broadway production of Beautiful closed on October 27th, 2019 after 60 previews and 2,418 regular performances, marking the show the 27th longest-running musical in Broadway history.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is also headed to the big screen. The movie will be written by Douglas McGrath -- who wrote the musical's book -- and Tom Hanks will serve as co-producer. No release date has been announced. Beautiful opened on the "Great White Way" in January 2014 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, and was nominated for seven Tony Awards -- including Best Musical, with actress Jessie Mueller snagging the prize for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
In July 2017, Carole King performed her 1971 multi-platinum masterpiece, Tapestry, in its entirety for the first time at London's British Summer Time in Hyde Park. A CD/DVD set of the show was released as Tapestry: Live In Hyde Park. Also in 2017, King shared a new version of her 1982 song "One Small Voice," in protest of President Trump's policies. She said in a statement: "I'm making the updated recording of ‘One Small Voice' available to everyone because it will take the strength and persistence of many small voices to overcome the lies of the loudest voice with our message of truth, dignity, and decency." The song comes courtesy of a music video featuring stills from the Women's March in Stanley, Idaho, in which King participated.
In 2010, Carole King and James Taylor released the live package Live At The Troubadour. The disc was recorded on November 28th, 29th, and 30th, 2007 at L.A.'s legendary Troubadour club in celebration of the venue's 50th anniversary.
Among the many Goffin/King-penned hits were the Number One records "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," recorded by the Shirelles in 1960; "Take Good Care Of My Baby," recorded by Bobby Vee in 1961; and "The Loco-Motion," recorded by Little Eva in 1962 and Grand Funk Railroad in 1974, when it again reached Number One. Other Goffin/King songs included "Up On The Roof" by the Drifters, "Chains," recorded by the Cookies and the Beatles, "One Fine Day" by the Chiffons, "Pleasant Valley Sunday" by the Monkees, "I'm Into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits, "Goin' Back" by the Byrds, "Don't Bring Me Down" by the Animals, "Go Away Little Girl" by Donny Osmond, and "(You Make Me Feel) Like A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin.
In 1971 James Taylor scored his only Number One hit to date with a cover of King's "You've Got A Friend." Taylor explained that he and King almost immediately recognized a kindred spirit in one another: "It turned out we spoke the same language. We sat down and we slipped back into the mother tongue, really. It was great. We played on each other's records; we just had a common mind, y'know?"
In 1997, fellow singer-songwriter Billy Joel covered the Goffin/King song "Hey Girl" for his album Greatest Hits Volume 3. Joel spoke of his life-long respect for King: "Now, Carole King -- there's got to be some carving of her on Mount Rushmore. I mean, this woman has written so much music in the pantheon of popular music . . . I don't think people know how much this woman did! How she changed the face of popular music. . . The Beatles, I believe, were trying to emulate Goffin and King. I know that Lennon and McCartney wanted to be the next Goffin and King."
Micky Dolenz, who was a recipient of several Goffin/King classics during his time in the Monkees released a 2010 tribute disc to King, titled, King For A Day. We asked Micky if after recording the album he could pick a single favorite Carole King tune: "That's a good question. I don't think so. I mean she wrote so many different types of tunes. Things like 'Cryin' In The Rain' to 'Don't Bring Me Down' to 'Up On The Roof' -- I mean the spectrum is as wide as you can possibly get. When we started going through her catalogue, her list of songs -- we were going down this list going, 'She wrote that?! (Laughs)"
In 1999, King's landmark 1971 album Tapestry received a prestigious Diamond Award from the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), signifying sales of over 10 million units. It has now reached over 13 million in the U.S. alone.
Tapestry was re-released in 2008 in an expanded 35th anniversary edition. The reissue includes a bonus disc featuring live performances of the entire album in its exact running order from 1973 and 1976 recorded in Boston, Columbia, Maryland, New York's Central Park and the San Francisco Opera House.
In December 2001, King was honored with a Heroes Award by the New York chapter of the Recording Academy. King was asked about her long-term plans: "Hopefully, continue to do the job I do, which is to write and record music and continue to inspire people with my work and my life and do the things I love to do and if I can do that, I'll be happy."
In 2007 King re-released her live album from her extended Living Room tour, which featured unplugged versions of most of her best-known songs.
In 2011 writer/director John Sayles signed on to adapt Girls Like Us: The Story Of Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell And Carole King into an upcoming major motion picture for Sony Pictures. The 2008 book wowed critics for it's in-depth study of the women's careers and placement in the singer-songwriter movement. The picture will be directed by Katie Jacobs, best known for her work on Fox's House. No shoot date has been announced.
King released her first Christmas album in 2011, called A Holiday Carole. The set, which was produced by her daughter Louise Goffin, includes such standards as "Sleigh Ride," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Do You Hear What I Hear," among others -- including King's tip of the hat to her own Jewish faith, with "Chanukah Prayer."
Jackson Browne took time out to recall his most successful collaboration -- the Eagles' 1971 signature tune "Take It Easy." While chatting with Record Collector, he looked back at his days living under Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther in a basement apartment in L.A.'s Echo Park. Browne remembered when the stars aligned on a song he had left incomplete: "Glenn finished 'Take It Easy' for me because I'd got stuck and bored with it. He'd heard it countless times through the floorboards, and he said, 'Let me add something' so he came up with the line, 'There's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford, slowing down to take a look at me.'"
He went on to say, "Glenn's culminating line was perfect. He knew how to sum things up. He grabbed that line like Roy Orbison did on '(Oh) Pretty Woman': 'But wait. What do I see? Is she walking back to me? Yeah, she's walking back to me.' He was a big Orbison fan, and he made my song universal when I'd have probably come up with something lame about an Indian standing on the corner. I wanted it to be a guy, but he went up the middle and made it about him. Now when audiences sing it, they picture themselves. The girls are in that truck and the guys can't wait to hop in. It's so teenage, it's f***ing wonderful."
Browne, who reportedly earned $1 million in royalties for "Take It Easy" by 1973, went on to co-write "Doolin' Dalton" for the Eagles' 1973 set Desperado album, and then co-wrote "James Dean" for 1974's On The Border collection.
"Take It Easy" still remains a highlight of all of Jackson Browne's shows. We asked him if after being so close to the band he ever secretly wished he'd been asked to join: "I could have wished to have been in the Eagles many a time, but I never had the skills to be in a band like that; neither as a singer or probably as a player, y'know? They worked real hard, they made a lot of music. I think they worked like the Beatles worked: four pieces, y'know four pieces playing all the parts, singing all the parts. And they all brought incredible experience -- I mean, Glenn had played with Bob Seger, Bernie (Leadon) had been, y'know, played with the (Flying) Burrito Brothers, Randy Meisner had played with a bunch of bands, I saw him play in L.A. -- also (with) Rick Nelson, and (Don) Henley had been in a group called Shilo and they came to L.A. -- and that's how they knew him, I guess -- because, they were on Jimmy Bowen's record label. They all came from their own musical backgrounds and when they came together, they coalesced in a way that was pretty hard to top."
Jackson Browne will next perform with James Taylor on April 21st in St. John's, NL at the Mile One Centre.
Joe Alwyn made it clear during a CTAM presentation about his upcoming Hulu series Conversations With Friends that Taylor Swift is the only girl for him.
Deadline reported that the actor was discussing his character Nick Conway's open relationship at the February 8th event when he added "I think people can do what they want and makes them happy. I'm obviously happy in a monogamous relationship."
The 30-year-old has been with Swift since 2016.
Although their upcoming album Unlimited Love isn't even out yet, Red Hot Chili Peppers are eyeing getting even more new music out to fans as soon as possible. While promoting the new album set to drop on April 1st, frontman Anthony Kiedis told NME, "We're gonna put out music by the handful -- literally. Don't be surprised if another wheelbarrow of songs comes your way in the near future. We have a lot of s*** to turn people onto."
Kiedis revealed that during the sessions for the Unlimited Love album the band "recorded almost 50 pieces of music" with producer Rick Rubin.
Returning guitarist John Frusciante added: "We definitely have enough material that we love. (It) has a relaxed energy that's distinct from the intensity of the record that we've made here."
Kiedis explained that he wants the new Chili Peppers music to break new boundaries: "I really didn't want to tell the same old story that we've been hearing for the last 50 years in rock music. I liked reaching out in 10,000 directions and seeing what was out there. We weren't limiting ourselves but trying to tap into something that is honest and emotional. Hopefully we've said something that hasn't been said before, or at least said it in a way that hasn't."
Anthony Kiedis told us years ago what the band enjoyed about working with producer Rick Rubin: The best way to describe Rick as a producer would be if Baron Von Munchausen were to ejaculate the Red Hot Chili Peppers onto a chess board. As the players of that board, Rick Rubin would be the perfect chess player. He's very intelligent, very emotionally in tune with hardcore soulful music. He knows how to extrapolate the best and most relaxed natural performance of a band without changing them."
Red Hot Chili Peppers kick off their North American dates on July 23rd at Denver's Empower Field at Mile High.
LoCash's next single, called "Beach Boys," actually features The Beach Boys' co-founder Mike Love and longtime band member Bruce Johnston. The song won't be officially released until next month but LoCash got to debut the song with Mike and Bruce as special guests of the Beach Boys' on Sunday (February 6th) during their sold-out show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
LoCash's Preston Brust said, "The day we wrote ‘Beach Boys,' I remember Chris (Lucas) and I dreaming of recording it with The Beach Boys. We never imagined that they'd hear it, let alone get the chance to lay down our parts with Mike and Bruce and actually feel like we were a part of a group that we've idolized for so long! It's crazy how it all became a reality and now the fun really begins!"
The Beach Boys' Mike Love said, "We had a blast collaborating with Chris and Preston of LoCash! The song is so hooky – I can't get it out of my head. I love mixing it up! Country Rock met Surf Rock and created a fun summer hit!"
"Beach Boys" was originally released as a solo version on the duo's Woods & Water EP, which was released in 2021.
Their Woods & Water Tour kicks off on March 4th at Lori's Roadhouse in West Chester, OH.
Joe Jonas has new music on the way with DNCE.
The "Cake By The Ocean" singer wrote on his Instagram Story Sunday (Feb. 6th) night, "My goal for the next few months is to get you up on your feet dancing and make you move. New music. New vibes. New flavors. New collaborations."
In a post shared Monday (Feb. 7th), the Jonas Brothers singer added that he has been working on a song called "Dancing Feet" with Kygo.
Jonas told Rolling Stone he wrote a lot of material over Zoom with collaborators like Ryan Tedder, Jason Evigan, Mike Elizondo and Mikky Ekko.
He said of the group, "I can kind of forsee it becoming this E Street Band where members come and go."
The Who are heading back on the road and have rolled out a two-leg, 29-date North American tour. The spring run kicks off on April 22nd at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida's Hard Rock Live and wraps on May 28th at Bethel, New York's Bethel Woods Center of the Arts -- which sits on the site of the band's legendary 1969 Woodstock appearance.
The fall leg launches on October 2nd at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena and winds down over two nights -- November 4th and 5th -- at Las Vegas' Dolby Live.
In addition to Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and the local orchestra backing them at every gig, the Who's 2022 lineup features longtime touring members Zak Starkey on drums and Pete Townshend's younger brother, Simon Townshend on rhythm guitar. Rounding out the band are Who and Daltrey veterans Loren Gold on keyboards and bassist Jon Button. Also returning is longtime Who associate and background vocalist Billy Nicholls, orchestra conductor Keith Levenson, lead violinist Katie Jacoby, and lead cellist Audrey Snyder. Joining the group this time out will be additional keyboardist Emily Marshall.
Pete Townshend spoke about the benefits of touring with an full symphony orchestra, admitting to Rolling Stone, "It gives me a chance to make sure what I play, what I do, where I look, how I behave on the stage, is more connected with the people around me. and with the audience, and with, to get prosaic about it, an inner sense. In other words. I don't lose myself the way I did when I used to jump around, have a big adrenaline rush, and then come off the stage and someone would say, 'Great show,' or someone would say, 'Terrible show,' and I wouldn't really know what I had done, to be honest, since I was like someone running a marathon. So the orchestra gives me space."
Among the most notable city's on the itinerary is Cincinnati, Ohio -- a show that will mark the Who's first visit to the city since the band's tragic 1979 show at Riverfront Coliseum, which left 11 fans dead in a pre-show stampede: "At last, we can close the loop on the disaster that happened back in 1979. We've done a lot of work on that. There's been a documentary (The Who: The Night That Changed Rock) about it. This has been in the air for a while."
Over 55 years after officially becoming "The Who," Pete Townshend told us he remains amazed at how massive a crowd he and Roger Daltrey can command simply by performing under the band's moniker: "It's so strange to have that brand that is bigger than either of us. That when we get together under that banner that attracts an audience that is not just old fans -- it's curious young people, people who are interested in our legacy and where we fit into the history of Western music -- and Western sociology."
Roger Daltrey, who's spent more time onstage over the past decade than he did in the 1980's or '90s combined, told us that playing live has little to do with a performer's age and everything to do with their soul: "I've always laughed at people who say, 'Oh, you're too old to rock n' roll.' I don't. . . To me, it's got nothing to do with your age or any of that. It's to do with the music and what that music itself generates."
The Who will play in each city with a local orchestra, the dynamics of which Pete Townshend believes only strengthens how the band plays -- as well as how Roger Daltrey's sings: "Roger has said that he doesn't know how much longer he can sing the way he's singing. He's singing incredibly well and has been for the last five or six years. I mean, better than ever, I think. But he has said he doesn't know how long he can go on doing that -- and maybe, doing this orchestral-style tour, because the dynamic is so much wider -- in other words, he doesn't have to battle with a noisy rock band in order to get himself heard, and to hear himself. It might open up some avenues for us, I don't know."
JUST ANNOUNCED: The Who tour dates (subject to change):
April 22 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Hard Rock
April 24 - Jacksonville, FL - VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
April 27 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena
April 20 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz Festival
May 3 - Austin, TX - Moody Center ATX
May 2 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
May 8 - The Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
May 10 - Oklahoma City, TX - Paycom Center
May 13 - Memphis, TN - FedEx Forum
May 15 - Cincinnati, OH - TQL Stadium
May 18 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
May 20 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
May 23 - Washington, D.C. - Capital One Arena
May 26 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
May 28 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center of the Arts
October 2 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
October 4 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
October 7 - Elmont, NY - UBS Arena
October 9 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
October 12 - Chicago, IL - United Center
October 14 - St. Louis, MO - Enterprise Center
October 17 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
October 20 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
October 22 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena
October 26 - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center
October 28 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
November 1 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
November 4, 5 - Las Vegas, NV - Dolby Live
Reports say that Kanye West refuses to sign documents that would grant estranged wife Kim Kardashian's request to be declared legally single amid their ongoing divorce.
According to The Jasmine Brand, a source said, "Kim is still trying to get the 'married' status dissolved to 'single' before they finalize the divorce, but Ye has yet to sign." The source continued, "Moving this divorce along isn't something he's acting quickly on, despite Kim's efforts."
Neil Young is not done criticizing Spotify and has drafted an open letter urging employees to flee from the company "before it eats up your soul." Young also had strong words for Chase, Citi, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo.
The message posted by Young on his official Neil Young Archives page reads in full:
I SAY
In our communication age, misinformation is the problem. Ditch the misinformers. Find a good clean place to support with your monthly checks. You have the real power. Use it.
To the baby boomers, I say 70 percent of the country's financial assets are in your hands compared with just about 5 percent for millennials. You and I need to lead.
In our age of Climate Chaos, I say ditch the companies contributing to the mass fossil fuel destruction of Earth.
For their continued funding of the fossil fuel damage even as the global temperature keeps climbing, I say take your money from the accounts of these American banks today:
Chase
Citi
Bank of America
Wells Fargo
Join me as I move my money away from the damage causers or you will unintentionally be one of them. You have the power to change the world. We can do it together. Your grandchildren will thank you in history.
To the musicians and creators in the world, I say this:
You must be able to find a better place than SPOTIFY to be the home of your art.
To the workers at SPOTIFY, I say Daniel Ek is your big problem - not Joe Rogan. Ek pulls the strings. Get out of that place before it eats up your soul. The only goals stated by EK are about numbers - not art, not creativity.
Notice that EK never mentions the Medical Professionals who started this conversation. Look, one last time - at the statements EK has made. Then be free and take the good path.
Neil Young says that the feels that through his songs he's completely free to voice his opinions and observations regarding the state of the world: "I find the things I'm thinking of and singing of, they're the things that matter to me. Not that in the past it wasn't like that; now, that I've gotten older, the things that matter to me are more focused. Things where I feel I can use my power and my skills as an artist, and as a crafter of records, or whatever. That I could say things and people might hear them that they normally wouldn't hear."
Rihanna was spotted in Beverly Hills this past weekend and had her belly on full blast. The singer, along with boyfriend A$AP Rocky, was spotted wearing a black lace up, cut out top, with no bra and low cut trousers. The two were leaving a restaurant.
Rihanna and Rocky announced that they were expecting their first child together last week. No wrod on when the baby is due.
Ringo Starr has added five new stops onto his 2022 All Starr Band tour. The trek now includes two stops in Rama, Ontario; and one each in Canandaigua, New York; Worcester, Massachusetts; and Richmond, Virginia. Americana band the Avett Brothers will open for the group during its two New England dates.
Replacing longtime All Starr keyboardist Gregg Rolie of Santana and Journey fame is returning All Starr, Edgar Winter. Rounding out the 2022 All Starr's are Toto's Steve Lukather, Men At Work's Colin Hay, along with percussionist Warren Ham, drummer Gregg Bissonette, and Hamish Stuart from the Average White Band -- and a longtime Paul McCartney sideman.
Ringo Starr said in a statement: "I can't wait to get back out on the road and play. This is the longest I've been off the road in years -- up until 2020 I was touring every year with the All Starrs -- and I've really missed it. Making music in the studio has been great, and it certainly saved me during the pandemic, but nothing beats playing live with great musicians in front of an audience. I love my fans and they love me and it's going to be wonderful to be peace and loving and playing for them again."
When we last caught up with Ringo we asked him if he's getting excited to spend another summer onstage criss-crossing North America: "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's exciting. Every time I put the All Starr's together, we end up in a room in some country -- we like to call it 'rehearsals' and, y'know, we've never played together and it works. We all know what we're supposed to do, we get on with it, and we have a lot of fun. That's the only rule I have; do you wanna have fun in the summer? Then let's go. I'm not here to be tortured."
One of the ultimate All Starr Band rockers over the years has been Edgar Winter's signature tune and 1973 chart-topper, "Frankenstein." Winter recalled to us how the song was born out of a pieced-together jam back in the day and named by one of his bandmates when he saw all the session tapes spread out around the room: "Back in those days, the only way to edit anything was by physically cutting the master tape and putting it back together with splicing tape. Chuck (Ruff), the drummer, said, 'Wow, man! It's like Frankenstein!' -- drawing the analogy of an arm here, and a leg here, and pasting the thing back together. And I said, 'Wow! That's it!' It has that lumbering, monster sound."
UPDATED: Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band tour dates (subject to change):
May 27, 28 - Rama, ON - Casino Rama
May 30 - Canandaigua, NY - CMAC
May 31 - Asbury Park, NJ - Paramount Theatre
June 2 - Boston, MA - Boch Center Wang Theatre (with The Avett Brothers)
June 3 - Hanover Theater - Worcester, MA
June 4 - Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion (with The Avett Brothers
June 6, 7, 8 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
June 10 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theater
June 11 - Easton, PA - State Theater
June 12 - Providence, RI - Providence PAC
June 14, 15 - Baltimore, MD - The Modell Lyric
June 17 - Lenox, MA - Tanglewood
June 18 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena
June 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Metropolitan Theater
Jun 21 - Richmond, VA - Virginia Credit Union Live
June 22 - Atlanta, GA - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
June 24 - St Augustine, FL - The St. Augustine Amphitheatre
June 25 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
June 26 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
Selena Gomez shared a cute behind-the-scenes snap of herself and Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin on Instagram Monday (Feb. 7th).
The image shows the two sticking their tounges out at the camera while filming the Escher-inspired music video for their new single, "Let Somebody Go."
The track, from Coldplay's album, Music of the Spheres, serves as the followup to their collaboration with BTS, "My Universe."
Cardi B decided to make her daughter Kulture's Instagram page private after trolls left negative comments on the page. Cardi tweeted, "I haven't been checking my daughter's account, but now I'm going to lock her page. I don't know WTF is going on, but I hope y'all moms die for giving birth to you h*e a*s weirdos."
One of the disparaging comments read, "Look at creature Cephus." Another one read, "I hope your account gets disabled."
Micky Dolenz will honor his late-Monkees bandmates on tour this spring. The shows will mark Dolenz' first proper tour dates since the Mike Nesmith's death last December at age 78. The trek, which is billed as "Micky Dolenz Celebrates The Monkees" will play eight dates throughout April, making stops in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Dolenz already has dates on the books and will play the Beach Boys cruise next month, with a string of spring shows with Felix Cavaliere's Rascals.
Dolenz, who will spotlight the contributions of Mike Nesmith -- as well as those of Davy Jones and Peter Tork -- during the upcoming shows, said in a statement, "I felt it was important to gather the fans and properly celebrate the lives of Davy, Mike, and Peter. People have been contacting me, requesting that I honor them in a way where the extraordinary impact of the Monkees can be properly acknowledged. We spent such a great deal of time together; they were like my brothers, and I want to share some of the great joy we had together."
Dolenz told us that he's always considered his career from The Monkees' TV shows to their reunion tours as "musical theatre": "If you understand the history of the Monkees, if you understand and appreciate how the original show was put together and everything, it's not like a band having a reunion. It's more like the revival of a Broadway musical, if you will. It's like Yul Brynner doing The King And I again. That's the way I've always looked at it, 'cause that's the way The Monkees was originally produced and constructed. It was a television show first, about this imaginary rock n' roll group -- this fictitious group called 'The Monkees.'"
UPDATED: Micky Dolenz Celebrates The Monkees tour dates (subject to change):
March 25, 26, 27 - Miami, FL to Nassau, Bahamas - The Beach Boys Good Vibrations Cruise
April 5 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
April 6 - Richmond, KY - EKU Center For The Arts
April 8 - Nashville, IN - Brown County Music Center
April 9 - Cincinnati, OH - The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center
April 12 - Akron, OH - Goodyear Theater
April 13 - Joliet, IL - Rialto Square Theatre
April 16 - Madison, WI - Overture Center For The Arts
April 23 - Lancaster, PA - American Music Theater (with Felix Cavaliere's Rascals)
April 24 - Glenside. PA - Keswick Theatre (with Felix Cavaliere's Rascals)
May 12 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Center (with Felix Cavaliere's Rascals)
May 14 - Patchogue, NY - Patchogue Theatre For The Performing Arts (with Felix Cavaliere's Rascals)
June 3 - New York, NY - Palladium Times Square (with Felix Cavaliere's Rascals)
June 4 - Lynn, MA - Lynn Auditorium (with Felix Cavaliere's Rascals)
Shawn Mendes has been spotted spending time with yogi Hitomi Mochizuki in Hawaii.
The "It'll Be Okay" singer was snapped in the midst of a beach ritual with the dark haired woman on Friday (Feb. 4th). Images obtained by Page Six showed him possibly snorting something from a pip before grasping hands with his companion.
According to the outlet, the duo was later seen having coffee at an outdoor café.
According to Mochizuki's Instagram bio, she is a "Forest Nymph" and "Ashtanga Yogi."
Taylor Swift was spotted enjoying a family outing in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday (Feb. 5th).
E! News reports that the singer was snapped by photographers hanging out with parents Andrea and Scott Swift. Images show the 32-year-old dressed in an oversized coat and dark jeans, carrying a large notebook and a keyboard in her arms.
The family reunion comes three months after Swift's last public sighting at a Saturday Night Live after-party.
It was 34 years ago tonight (February 8th, 1988) that the Who performed for the last time with drummer Kenney Jones as an official member of the group. The band -- Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, and Jones -- reunited for a three-song set at London's Royal Albert Hall during the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) awards, after receiving the prestigious lifetime achievement award. The group, who hadn't performed live since 1985's Live Aid concert, tore through their hits "Who Are You," "My Generation," and "Substitute," but were hardly at the top of their game. Talks had already begun about the band reuniting for some type of major project in time for their 25th anniversary in 1989.
Townshend told the band he didn't want to tour, preferring instead to record. He tossed around the idea of having outside writers such as Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen contribute material for the album, but nothing came to pass. Townshend has gone on record saying that the band couldn't raise the proper funds to record a new album, and Daltrey was adamant that he wouldn't carry on as the Who with Jones as a member.
Jones was a longtime friend of the group, and co-founded both the Small Faces and the Faces before playing on Who-related projects like the Tommy and Quadrophenia film soundtracks. He was made a full member of the band in late-1978 after drummer Keith Moon died. Jones also drummed on Townshend's first mainstream solo album, Empty Glass, and was featured on the album's standout track, "Rough Boys."
Daltrey was vehemently opposed to naming anyone Moon's replacement, preferring to change drummers on a project-to-project basis. After being out-voted by Townshend and Entwistle, he reluctantly approved Jones joining the band, yet openly criticized his drumming as being wrong for the Who.
With the prospect of a major tour looming, Daltrey gave the band an ultimatum: it was either him or Jones. Townshend, who was always Jones' biggest supporter, eventually sided with Daltrey.
Townshend told author Richard Barnes why he eventually relented: "Although I did promise Kenney that I wouldn't work without him, in the last conversation I had with him I started to get very irritated. He kept saying, 'The It's Hard album is not a great album. I've got a right to make a great album with the Who.' And I thought, 'This isn't true. You were brought in at the end. I've got a right to make a great album with the Who, or Roger, or John has, but you haven't."
Roger Daltrey says that despite never being happy with Jones as the Who's drummer, the two were actually quite close: "I actually got on very well with Kenney, I just didn't feel ever that he was the right drummer. . . And people didn't ever seem to listen to what I was saying. They'd say 'Well Kenny's a great drummer!' And I'd say 'Yes, I know Kenney's a great drummer, but he's not the right drummer!' (Laughs) He's a great drummer! Could you imagine putting Keith Moon in the Faces -- would he have been the right drummer for the Faces? Of course he wouldn't."
Pete Townshend's younger brother, touring Who guitarist Simon Townshend, grew up as a die-hard Who fan. Simon, who caught the Who with Keith Moon well over 30 times, recalled seeing his first Who show with Kenney Jones as the Who's new drummer: "I remember what Pete was wearing. Pete was wearing a Clash t-shirt. I mean, I love Kenney and I love his drumming and he's fantastic, fantastic. But in terms of the Who, my first time seeing Kenney play with the Who was in some respects -- not because of Kenney -- it was because the Who as I knew it had become something different, so I was very, sort of upset, really. Because up until that point all I'd ever saw was the Who as the fireball that they were with Moonie."
Kenney Jones told us that despite Daltrey commenting over the years that Jones was never right for the Who, Jones is quick to point out that he was Townshend and Entwistle's ultimate choice as Keith Moon's immediate replacement: "I think, to be honest, it was a confusing time for him and it was a confusing time for everybody. But, as Pete says, I had the support of Pete and John. I know I fitted, anyways -- not a problem. It's just, y'know, you can't fit in in two seconds flat, you have to find your way around it. Now, obviously I found my way around it. The hardest thing I found when joining the Who, was not actually playing in the Who, it was actually learning the songs in the Who and trying to find my way of playing them."
We asked Kenney Jones -- who stayed close with his Faces bandmates throughout the years -- whether or not he ever held a grudge against the Who for cutting him loose: "It was really something that Roger was flying into the middle, here, y'know? And I thought, 'Okay, this is enough -- 10 years with the Who,' and I thought, 'Fine, I'll just move on, that's great.' I haven't fallen out with any one of them, contrary to what anybody says. Pete and I have played together at the Albert Hall a few times, we speak on the phone quite comfortably. John I saw in different bars and stuff -- we talked, y'know, it's fine. I've seen Daltrey; it's all water underneath the bridge. It's what happened and it's what happened then -- not a problem to me."
Although the financial settlement between Jones and the Who has never been discussed, he eventually relinquished all rights in the band's partnership. In 1989, the Who, with drummer Simon Phillips and a host of additional musicians, undertook the 50-date 25th anniversary The Kids Are Alright tour, hitting North America and then Britain.
Townshend, Daltrey and Jones were all on hand for John Entwistle's funeral in 2002.
Daltrey says that he was glad that Jones chose to participate in the Who's recent retrospective, Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who, to shed light on the band's career: "It took a lot of courage for Kenney to do that, and indeed for people like (late former manager) Chris Stamp. Y'know, it's a painful part of their past. I'm sure it's still painful for him to have to revisit. The great thing is we're still all friends out of all this and we respect each other and we love each other."
Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey has been the Who's unofficial full-time drummer since 1996. Although Townshend and Daltrey have offered him a permanent spot as the Who's third official drummer, he has declined, preferring to remain a free agent.
In recent years, Jones has formed a new rock trio, the Jones Gang, with ex-Foreigner bassist Rick Wills and one-time Bad Company frontman Robert Hart -- as well as performing in a revamped version of the Faces with Ron Wood and the late-Ian McLagan.
On April 14th, 2012 Jones was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of both the Small Faces and the Faces.
In 2018 Kenney Jones published his long awaited autobiography Let The Good Times Roll: My Life In The Small Faces, The Faces And The Who. He Ron Wood and Rod Stewart are currently compiling a new Faces album to feature both new and archival material.
FAST FORWARD
Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey reunited with Kenney Jones on June 14th, 2014 in Surrey, England at Hurtwood Park Polo Club for the "Rock 'n' Horsepower" benefit in aid of Prostate Cancer UK. In January 2014, Jones was diagnosed with prostate cancer and following treatment; the disease has thankfully not spread.
Townshend and Daltrey -- backed by the event's house band -- performed with Jones on drums, marking the first time the three have shared a stage since the '88 BPI awards. The Who performed a rugged five-song set -- "I Can't Explain," "Substitute," "The Kids Are Alright," "Pinball Wizard," and "5:15." Townshend joined in later on the encore of the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock N' Roll" -- which he explained was recorded in Ron Wood's house -- which is now Townshend's main London residence.
Other performers included Mick Hucknall, Jeff Beck, John Lodge of the Moody Blues, Procol Harum, Mike + The Mechanics, John Parr -- of "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" fame -- along with Steve Marriott's's daughter, Mollie Marriott.
Foo Fighters are set to play a virtual reality concert in the metaverse on Super Bowl Sunday. According to Rolling Stone, the concert will start at 11:00 pm EST or at the conclusion of the Super Bowl. The show will feature the band performing one of their songs for the first time.
Dave Grohl released a statement, saying that the band will be collaborating with music video directot Mark Romanek, saying, "Foo Fighters love a challenge — from playing the biggest stages in the world to the tiniest clubs to making movies and miniseries… We've pretty much done it all."
She continued, "But we've never collaborated with Mark Romanek on a conceptual set of songs (including one being played live for the first time ever) for a worldwide audience. Join us when we cross that one off the FF bucket list!"
Former-Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke has announced a live weekly Hollywood residency. Blabbermouth reported Gilby Clarke & The Keef Richards will play Hollywood Boulevard's Bourbon Room every Wednesday night beginning February 23rd.
Rounding out the lineup is bassist Sean McNabb from Great White and Dokken, drummer Jimmy D'Anda from Bulletboys and Lynch Mob, along with keyboardist Teddy "Zig Zag" Andreadis. Drummer Kenny Aronoff -- best known from his years with John Mellencamp and current gig with John Fogerty -- will be behind the kit on March 9th and 16th.
Gilby Clarke told us that no matter what, he'll always be old school when it comes to his listening tastes: "Maybe I'm narrow-minded, I don't know -- but to me it just seems that that music had so much more soul and their experimentation, it just really went somewhere. I hear the slop on the records and I love it. I love the mistakes, I love hearing human beings sitting in a room and playing together, and, like, you can hear that on those records. And, on these records today it just sounds the same and there's just a way of doing it and everybody just follows it."
Last year, Gilby Clarke released his latest studio set, The Gospel Truth. Among the A-listers guesting on the album were Nikki Sixx, Kenny Aronoff, and Stephen Perkins from Jane's Addiction.
Today (February 8th) marks the one year anniversary of the death of Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson. Wilson died suddenly on February 8th, 2021 at the age of 76 at her home in Henderson, Nevada. Wilson is survived by her daughter, son, grandchildren, a sister and brother.
Wilson is the second of the original Supremes to die. February 22nd will mark the 46th anniversary of co-founder Florence Ballard's death at age of 32. The singer died of coronary thrombosis -- a blood clot in one of her coronary arteries. The surviving Supremes are legendary frontwoman Diana Ross, who's now 77, and Ballard's replacement, 82-year-old Cindy Birdsong.
Mary Wilson co-founded the Supremes in 1959, with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard. The group, then known as the Primettes, was signed to Motown in 1960 by founder Berry Gordy, Jr. and went on to become the most successful female act of the 1960's, including a string of five Number One hits in less than a year, and 12 Number Ones overall. Wilson, who held the distinction of being the only member of the Supremes to never quit or be fired, disbanded the group in 1976. She wrote two books on her life and career -- the 1986 bestseller Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme, and 1990's Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together. In 2019 Wilson appeared as a contestant on ABC's Dancing With The Stars.
86-year-old Duke Fakir, the sole surviving original member of the Four Tops, spoke to us about his dear friend and one-time finacee, Mary Wilson: "I was speakin' to her just the other day and she said she was feelin' great. She was so full of life, she was so joyful -- a strong woman, too. 'Cause she had been through a lot (and) tried many things. Even, just the other day, I know she was working on some new project on stage. She was probably one of the dearest friends I've ever had and one of the sweetest people I've ever known, honestly."
Upon Mary Wilson's death, members of the Motown family remembered her:
Diana Ross tweeted: "I just woke up to this news, my condolences to you Mary's family, I am reminded that each day is a gift, I have so many wonderful memories of our time together 'The Supremes' will live on, in our hearts."
Berry Gordy, Jr. said: "I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supremes. The Supremes were always known as the 'sweethearts of Motown.' Mary, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, came to Motown in the early-Sixties. After an unprecedented string of number one hits, television and nightclub bookings, they opened doors for themselves, the other Motown acts, and many, many others. I was always proud of Mary. She was quite a star in her own right and over the years continued to work hard to boost the legacy of the Supremes. Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva, and will be deeply missed."
Lamont Dozier spoke about Wilson: "I got the call this morning early about Mary Wilson. It shocked me, of course. Mary has always been one of those types working and thriving; she's always up and going at 'em, looking for the next hill to climb. . . She was the glue that kept the Supremes together when we had problems in the studio. We had times we used to argue about the songs or whatever parts we should sing. She would always look at the big picture and try to get everyone to settle down and do the job; thinking about our careers more than all this noise you're making. She was good at that, getting everyone together. And she had a good-sounding voice; a sound of her own. She was the sexy one of the group, you might say. I recorded her voice on a couple of songs. She was in the background, holding her own; holding up whatever background we came up with. . . Everybody loved Mary, and everybody appreciated her optimism and her drive. If you had a problem, she would talk you out of it, make you feel like you should hold your head high and stop feeling sorry for yourself. That was why it was such a shock for me that she would go so soon. I thought she would live to be 100."
Motown labelmate Martha Reeves said of Mary Wilson: "She was the beauty and the sunshine of the Supremes. She was beautiful and she was fair. Everybody's heart is broken by her death. We have worked side by side nearly all of our lives. She was always a sweet, darling, professional, beautiful woman. And she held her own. Oh yes, she did. And I was right there with her. Together, we helped keep the legacy of Motown alive. Mary will live with me forever. I hate to even say that it's a loss. She just made her transition. God is good. He gave us a beautiful gift with Mary Wilson, and we'll always cherish it."
Mary Wilson's relationship with Diana Ross -- or lack thereof -- has fascinated the public for 50 years. Wilson said that it's always been perceived as though she is constantly talking about Ross to the press, but she claims that she actually prefers to keep whatever relationship the two share between themselves: "Y'know, if there's gonna be a reunion or if we're just gonna be back embracing each other, y'know, we've gotta stop talking about it. And whenever people talk about it, it's always thought that I'm bringing it up and that I wanna talk about it. I don't talk about it, people ask me."
Over the years Wilson has tried her hand in various off-Broadway productions, and at the age of 57 fulfilled a life-long dream of earning a college education, when she graduated from New York University with a degree in liberal arts. She has also worked tirelessly to raise money for AIDS awareness and prevention, and in 2003 she was named a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. State Department.
Mary Wilson told us that she thrives on the challenges of doing good will work for the nation: "I've been made an ambassador to the United States, I'm one of nine ambassadors to the state department here, a cultural ambassador. And it's been just a tremendous experience for me. So I'm doing a lot of lectures, master classes, and that's really been wonderful."
In 2006, Wilson underwent elective open-heart surgery. She was back onstage performing within a month of the operation.
In a poll by VH1, Wilson was ranked 16th on the channel's list of "Greatest Women Of Rock And Roll."
Mary Wilson made it her mission to establishing a federal law -- banning copycat groups from using the name and likeness of established acts on the road. She appeared at the Illinois State Capitol before the House Consumer Protection Committee, urging lawmakers to side with musicians who are being robbed of their history and livelihood.
Mary Wilson told us that the thrill of performing never diminished over her long and historic career: "When I met Florence (Ballard), Diane (Ross), and Betty McGlown -- who was a fourth member -- when we were 14-years-old, I remember saying that when I met them, I felt this feeling that they completed me, that I felt that this is where I belonged in life. And I still have that feeling. I still absolutely adore it. I really do."
Mary Wilson agreed that the Supremes were such a low priority at Motown in the early days that their material was entirely decided by label chief Berry Gordy Jr. and the songwriters. Wilson recalled how anxious the Supremes were to have a hit: "Y'know, we were still very young and we wanted hit records like Martha & the Vandellas and the Marvelettes because they were the ones having the hits. And I must add that we were the Supremes -- we're the first female group there -- so by these other girl groups coming in and getting hits, y'know, we were really desperate in terms of wanting one."
Wilson admitted that the group's first impression of "Where Did Our Love Go" was that it was a stiff: "We hated the record, okay? So we didn't know very much about what made a hit. All we knew was we had had ten records out prior to that, most of them written by Smokey Robinson -- which were adorable songs -- but when Berry Gordy put us with the writing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, that's when our hits started."
Shortly before his 2018 death, Dennis Edwards, the former lead singer of the Temptations, says that during the Supremes' '60s heyday, Mary Wilson's talent as unfairly overshadowed by Diana Ross' rising star: "Mary was the backbone of the Supremes. I don't think she got the credit she deserved -- but she's getting it now because she's carrying the torch now. Mary was... I think at the time, back in the day, Mary was a bit too quiet. She was sorta like me, we sorta sat back and was hoping for change. Y'know?"
Mary Wilson told us she never tried to conceal her age because it never seemed to be an issue for her: "Oh, I don't have no problem with telling my age. I don't think in age. I've always had this baby face -- it might have something to do with it, and I was carded until I was, like, in my late-30's. That's very embarrassing, OK, and I had children and, and I guess I'm lucky that way."
Billie Eilish stopped performing at her show in Atlanta, Georgia Saturday (Feb. 5th) night to help a fan who was having trouble breathing.
Footage taken by a fan named Danna Macias and shared with E! News showed the "Bad Guy" singer stopping the show to ask her team to find an inhaler for the struggling concertgoer.
Macias told the outlet, "They helped her out of general admission and made sure she was okay. After that, Billie noticed people were struggling, so she asked everyone to take a step back and make room for everyone. Suddenly people started asking for an inhaler, another girl was struggling to breathe. Billie stopped everything!"
Eilish can also be heard throwing shade at Travis Scott in another clip posted by TMZ where she says, "I wait for people to be OK before I keep going."
The performance at the State Farm Arena was Eilish's second stop on her Happier Than Ever World Tour.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's co-parenting issues spilled out all over social media this past weekend. On Friday (February 4th), Kanye took to social media to call out Kim for allowing their daughter North West to use TikTok against his will. Kardashian released a statement, saying, "As the parent who is the main provider and caregiver for our children, I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision—because it brings her happiness."
She continued, "Kanye's constant need for attacking me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create."
She added, "I wish to handle all matters regarding our children privately and hopefully he can finally respond to the third attorney he has had in the last year to resolve any issues amicably."
Kanye continued to throw shots at Kim, claiming that she accused him of being on drugs and putting a hit out on her. He also claimed that Kardashian won't let the kids go with him to Chicago, although they have joint custody.
He said,"YESTERDAY KIM ACCUSED ME OF PUTTING A HIT OUT ON HER." He continued, "SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT I BEG TO GO TO MY DAUGHTERS PARTY AND IM ACCUSED OF BEING ON DRUGS THEN I GO PLAY WITH MY SON AND I TAKE MY AKIRA GRAPHIC NOVELS AND IM ACCUSED OF STEALING." He added, "THESE IDEAS CAN ACTUALLY GET SOMEONE LOCKED UP. nTHEY PLAY LIKE THAT WITH BLACK MENS LIVES WEATHER SIC ITS GETTING THEM FREE OR GETTING THEM LOCKED UP. IM NOT PLAYING ABOUT MY BLACK CHILDREN ANYMORE."
Red Hot Chili Peppers will issue their first new music since 2016 with the April 1st release of their 12th studio set, Unlimited Love. Pitchfork.com reported the new album was produced by Rick Rubin and marks the return of former guitarist John Frusciante after over a decade away from the band. The Chili Peppers have dropped the first song and video from the set, titled "Black Summer."
The band -- Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante -- posted a message to fans on social media, which reads:
Our only goal is to get lost in the music. We spent thousands of hours, collectively and individually, honing our craft and showing up for one another, to make the best album we could. Our antennae attuned to the divine cosmos, we were just so damn grateful for the opportunity to be in a room together, and, once again, try to get better. Days, weeks and months spent listening to each other, composing, jamming freely, and arranging the fruit of those jams with great care and purpose. The sounds, rhythms, vibrations, words and melodies had us enrapt.
We yearn to shine a light in the world, to uplift, connect, and bring people together. Each of the songs on our new album UNLIMITED LOVE, is a facet of us, reflecting our view of the universe. This is our life's mission. We work, focus, and prepare, so that when the biggest wave comes, we are ready to ride it. The ocean has gifted us a mighty wave and this record is the ride that is the sum of our lives. Thank you for listening, we hope you enjoy it.
Guitarist John Frusciante went on to post his own message, saying:
When we got together to start writing material, we began by playing old songs by people like Johnny "Guitar" Watson, The Kinks, The New York Dolls, Richard Barrett and others. Ever so gradually, we started bringing in new ideas, and turning jams into songs, and after a couple of months the new stuff was all we were playing. The feeling of effortless fun we had when we were playing songs by other people, stayed with us the whole time we were writing. For me, this record represents our love for, and faith in each other. ROCK OUT MOTHERF***ERS!
Frontman Anthony Kiedis told us a while back that every record Red Hot Chili Peppers have released is special to the band in its own way: "I feel like every record we make is a milestone. Every record we make sums up where we've been and where we're at when we make it. They all strike me as being very poignant indicators of who and what we are at that point in time."
The tracklist to Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'Unlimited Love' is:
"Black Summer"
"Here Ever After"
"Aquatic Mouth Dance"
"Not the One"
"Poster Child"
"The Great Apes"
"It's Only Natural"
"She's a Lover"
"These Are the Ways"
"Whatchu Thinkin'"
"Bastards of Light"
"White Braids & Pillow Chair"
"One Way Traffic"
"Veronica"
"Let ‘Em Cry"
"The Heavy Wing"
"Tangelo"
