Pulse Music

Paul McCartney is seemingly having a blast while on vacation in St. Barts. The former-Beatle, who turns 80 on June 18th, was photographed by paparazzi enjoying what looks to be a well-sized joint while chilling out in the backyard of his rented villa.

Last fall, McCartney -- who had claimed to have quit smoking pot a decade ago -- revealed he was growing hemp. "Macca," who's been busted for pot no less than five times over the years spoke about the changes in how things are done today in regard to growing.

McCartney told The Daily Mail last year: "We're actually just getting into growing hemp, the funny thing with government regulations is you've got to keep it where people can't see it, because you get all the kids coming in and robbing it!'"

He went on to say, "It's organic. I went organic over 20 years ago. When I first bought the farm there were some fields where my farm guys would say, 'There's no worms in these fields. There's no life.' That's because basically all you did was put on pesticides and then put a fertilizer in. I thought, 'OK, that's a challenge, we're going to go organic.'"

Paul McCartney was last arrested for possession in January 1984 during a family vacation in Barbados, where he purchased some weed on the beach, and was swiftly arrested in his hotel room, having been obviously set up. Upon landing back in Britain, McCartney spoke about it with the press: "Can we get one thing straight -- that whatever you think and whatever you think I've done -- I'm telling you -- this substance cannabis is a whole lot less harmful than rum punch, whiskey, nicotine and glue -- all of which are perfectly legally. I'd like to see it decriminalized, 'cause I don't think in the privacy of my own room, I was doing anyone, any harm, whatsoever."

Out today (April 1st) is Red Hot Chili Peppers' latest album, Unlimited Love. The album, which is the band's 12th studio set, reunites the band with famed producer Rick Rubin.

Frontman Anthony Kiedis says that he was sympathetic with guitarist John Frusciante leaving the band back in 2009 -- and completely understood what he needed to return in time for the new album.

During a chat with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Kiedis spoke about Frusciante's exit and return: "He did make a holistic decision. He's like, 'It's not for me. It's too much. Too much attention. Too much travel. Too much chaos -- all of it.' And so, he walked away and I think he needed a solid 12 years of processing all of that, which he was, kind of, willing to do slowly. 'Y'know, really: 'What life do I wanna live?' And I think that he figured out that as difficult as that situation could be, it's like, it's just life. It's just an opportunity and it's just being in a band and maybe I can find a better way to do this."

Red Hot Chili Peppers kick off their 2022 tour dates on June 4th Seville, Spain at Estadio La Cartuja De Sevilla.

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"

Dead & Company are heading back on the road and have just rolled out a 20-date itinerary. The trek begins on June 11th at L.A.'s Dodger Stadium and wraps over two nights on July 15th and 16th in Flushing, New York. Along the way, the Dead will play back-to-back gigs in Mountain View, California and Chicago, Illinois. General on sale begins Friday, April 8th at 10 a.m. local time.

Along with Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann -- the band is rounded out with guitarist John Mayer, former-Allman Brothers Band bassist Oteil Burbridge, and longtime RatDog and Dead sideman, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.

Mickey Hart shed light on the emotions the Dead feels once on stage and in the moment: "It's magic, y'know? You can't really describe it, but it's transformational in nature. I mean, you're taking a spirit, and you're changing it into some kind of a form. In this case, it's vibration -- controlled vibration, which we call sound or music. So, that's the great alchemist's work, y'know? That's what we're doing -- we're taking nothing and turning it into something of great beauty. So, that's the alchemical work. We're sculpting in sound."

Guitarist Bob Weir told us that he still feels as passionate about performing his Grateful Dead songs today as he did when he was on the road with the late-Jerry Garcia: "I love these tunes. I mean, I love 'em as deeply as I love anything. There was a while that I couldn't even play 'em 'cause I couldn't, y'know, I couldn't -- emotionally, I wasn't ready for it. And then I got lonesome enough for 'em, and then, y'know, every time we'd bring out a new one of those old chestnuts, y'know, I'd get plenty misty -- and I still do."

Drummer Bill Kreutzmann told us a while back that ultimately the Dead's music was created in hopes of bringing people together: "I want people to really be able to look and be in each other's hearts, and not have this horrible war -- but I don't mean just the war in Iraq, I mean war in our country, people not getting along, y'know? And so, that's what I want people to get. I always want people to get happy and be with each other. That was the most fun about Grateful Dead concerts, is that you could really see people relating to each other. They really had heart for each other. It was truly an extended family."

JUST ANNOUNCED: Dead & Company tour dates (subject to change):

June 11 - Los Angeles, CA - Dodger Stadium
June 13, 14 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
June 17, 18 - Boulder, CO - Folsom Field
June 21 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 22 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
June 24, 25 - Chicago, IL - Wrigley Field
June 28 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
June 29 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
July 1 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center For the Arts
July 2 - Foxborough, MA - Gillette Stadium
July 5 - Hartford, CT - XFINITY Theatre
July 6 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
July 8 - Bristow, VA Jiffy - Lube Live
July 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Citizens Bank Park
July 12 - Burgettstown, PA - The Pavilion at Star Lake
July 15, 16 - Queens, NY - Citi Field

Graham Nash is back out on tour making a concerted effort to bring the music of his friends and partners to the masses. Backing Nash on the road are his longtime touring companions -- guitarist Shane Fontayne and keyboardist Todd Caldwell.

Nash told us that even though Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young are a thing of the past -- his setlists keep the music alive every night: "One of the things that I'm loving is that we've been trying a lot of different songs. It's very interesting -- I've been doing 'Country Girl' by Neil Young, I've been doing 'A Case Of You' of Joni Mitchell's. I've been doing '4+20' of Stephen (Stills'). I realize (David) Crosby's not going to go out (on tour) anymore, I don't believe. I think he's done. I think Stephen is not going out soon anytime -- and who the hell knows what Neil's doing -- not even Neil knows, probably. But I realize that if (the audience) wants to hear any of that music there's only one place they can see it right now: That's me."

Katy Perry is set to become a podcast host, with a new series that profiles the life of Hollywood icon, Elizabeth Taylor.

The 10-episode series, titled Elizabeth The First, will be co-produced by Perry herself and will take a deep look at the actress' success.

Perry said that Elizabeth Taylor has been an inspiration to her in more ways than one. She was attracted to her glamour and inspired by her bold activism, and her constant boss moves in business.

Taylor died in 2011 following an illustrious acting career. In addition to becoming a big star in films, she was also one of the first fierce advocates for AIDS awareness.

Elizabeth The First premieres this spring on all major podcast platforms.

TL;DR:

• Katy Perry will host a 10-episode series podcast, titled Elizabeth The First, about Elizabeth Taylor.
• Perry said that Elizabeth Taylor has been an inspiration to her in more ways than one.
• Elizabeth The First premieres this spring on all major podcast platforms.

Shawn Mendes has released his new single and video for "When You're Gone," a song he co-wrote and co-produced. The song is about looking back on a breakup and seems to be about his relationship with Camila Cabello. The couple split in January, but remain good friends.

The video, which shows actual footage of him recording and rehearsing, was shot in Toronto and Austin.

Mendes will kick off his Wonder: The World Tour on June 27^th in Portland, Oregon and will make stops in cities such as Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Portland, and Miami.

TL;DR:

• Shawn Mendes has released his new single and video for "When You're Gone."
• The video shows actual footage of him recording and rehearsing and was shot in Toronto and Austin.
• The song seems to be about his relationship with Camila Cabello.

Machine Gun Kelly says he had a fulfilling encounter with Taylor Hawkins just 2 days before the Foo Fighters drummer died.

While in Paraguay He recalled the immense kindness Hawkins shared with him and his band while hanging out at the Foo Fighters' hotel in Paraguay.

The last thing that Hawkins had said to Kelly's drummer was that he wished he could have seen their concert.

In the interview with Howard Stern, Kelly expressed that he wanted Taylor Hawkins' kids to know that he made them feel confident in themselves and also loved.

Kelly added, "Your father was a great, great man and we were all lucky to know him."

The interaction between the Foo Fighters and Kelly's crew came when Dave Grohl invited them over for drinks. That was shortly after both bands' performances were canceled due to bad weather.

TL;DR:

• Machine Gun Kelly says he had a fulfilling encounter with Taylor Hawkins just 2 days before he died.
• The interaction between the Foo Fighters and Kelly's crew came when Dave Grohl invited them over for drinks. That was shortly after both bands' performances were canceled due to bad weather.

It was 54 years ago Sunday (April 3rd, 1968) that Simon & Garfunkel released their fourth album, Bookends. The album was coming off the success of the duo's songs being featured in Mike Nichols' blockbuster 1967 hit movie, The Graduate -- the soundtrack for which topped the charts for nine non-consecutive weeks. Bookends was propelled by Simon & Garfunkel's massive Number One hit that spring, "Mrs. Robinson," which was by far the pair's biggest hit to date.

Bookends, which was issued the day before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, followed the soundtrack to The Graduate in the Number One spot on May 25th, 1968 for the first of seven non-consecutive weeks. Bookends was immediately heralded as a masterpiece of modern record making and a cultural signpost of its time.

The album, which featured such instant Paul Simon-written standards as "America" and "Old Friends/Bookends Theme," was in truth only half a new album, and was padded out by the group's recent non-LP singles -- "A Hazy Shade Of Winter" (#13) from 1966 and 1967's "At The Zoo" (#16) and "Fakin' It" (#23).

Art Garfunkel recalled to us how "Mrs. Robinson" nearly didn't become the theme to The Graduate: "I remember meeting at a soundstage Paul and I and (director) Mike Nichols and talking about what will go in that scene. And I said to Mike, 'Y'know, Paul is in the middle of writing a song called 'Mrs. Roosevelt' which he's about to give up on, he doesn't like it. But 'Mrs. Roosevelt' could be 'Mrs. Robinson.' And we all looked at each other and thought, 'Yes, it could. That should do it.'"

Garfunkel shed light on the early version of "Mrs. Robinson" that appears in The Graduate: "We recorded it that afternoon even though it hadn't been fully written, that's why you see in the film (sings) ‘do do do do do dee dee dee dee da' -- there are no words written yet."

Paul Simon recently broke down the magic behind Simon & Garfunkel's classic sound: "With Simon & Garfunkel, we would sing a take together on mic -- on one mic. And when we got the take that we wanted, then we would double it individually. I would sing my part individually on mic, and Artie would sing his individually on mic. And when you combine them together, and they would be, y'know, perfectly in sync; that's what Simon & Garfunkel sounded like. That's what the sound was."

Shortly before his 2012 death, legendary New York City DJ Pete Fornatale -- who authored the book Simon And Garfunkel's Bookends -- recalled that by the end of 1968 Simon & Garfunkel's fame had crossed generational boundaries in much the same way the Beatles' music had: "This was the point where the perfect storm had happened, and Simon & Garfunkel were taken from a very formidable level of success into the stratosphere. The soundtrack from The Graduate, (the) Bookends (album) -- all these new fans, older fans, moms and dads discovering them by going to the movies to see one of the great motion pictures of the '60s. That brought a whole new audience into the tent, and they were ready to consume anything by Simon & Garfunkel that was out there."

Fornatale went on to explain how Simon & Garfunkel were able to capture both the hearts and imaginations of an entire generation -- and then some: "The true test of art is whether it speaks as eloquently to succeeding generations as it did to the generation to which it was originally intended. And with that in mind, all you've got to do is to listen to 'Old Friends': 'How terribly strange to be 70' -- for Paul and Art, back then it was 44 years away. So, the soundtrack sold well, Bookends sold well, and it even carried on it's coattails Parsley, Sage (Rosemary & Thyme) back on the charts. Y'know, there were a couple of weeks there when Simon & Garfunkel had the top three albums (laughs) in the country! That has never been done. . . that was an accomplishment of what I call "Beatlesque" proportions"

Paul Simon, who remains estranged from Art Garfunkel, was asked if he often looks back on the Simon & Garfunkel days: "I don't spend a lot of time thinking about Simon & Garfunkel, but given the span of years of my career, it's only a. . . it's a relatively small proportion. So, y'know, nothing feels like ancient history. It's one of the cliches of getting older, is like, you remember everything as if it just happened."

Today (April 1st) is the 38th anniversary of the death of Marvin Gaye, with Saturday (April 2nd) marking what would have been the singer's 83rd birthday.

In 2019, in celebration of the Gaye's 80th, Motown/UMe released his never-issued 1972 album You're The Man in a double-album gatefold vinyl and digital editions. You're The Man features all of Gaye's solo and non-soundtrack recordings from 1972, with most of the album's tracks making their vinyl release debuts.

According to the album's press release, following the massive success of the previous year's What's Going On album, "His new single, 'You're The Man' -- a percolating, sarcastic riff on political non-action issued as the U.S. presidential campaign was kicking off -- reached Number Seven on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart. He saw Motown schedule a You're The Man album (for release) but when the lead single didn't cross over (to the pop charts), stalling at Number 50, Marvin retreated. Ambivalent about recording, stubborn about moving to Los Angeles with Berry Gordy and Motown, Marvin by his actions proclaimed no more new Marvin Gaye music. Or so it seemed. In this singular and transitional year for the late music legend, Gaye recorded more than an album's worth of music in Detroit and L.A. (that) he produced himself. None of these tracks or any other on the LP, except the single, were issued at the time."

In 2016, Marvin Gaye was finally inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at a gala induction ceremony at New York City's Marriott Marquis Hotel.

Marvin Gaye's name and work has kept a high profile in the media these days due to his family recently winning a $7.3 million copyright infringement suit. The Gaye estate successfully sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for appropriating the sound and feel of Gaye's 1977 chart-topper, "Got To Give It Up, Pt 1" for Thicke's 2013 blockbuster, "Blurred Lines." Last year, a panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed that they would uphold the original decision in the 2015 verdict in the case, which will award the estate with 50 percent of all royalties from the record forever.

Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. (the "e" in his last name was added later) was born in Washington, D.C. in 1939. The son of a minister, he began singing in church at the age of three. After a stint in the armed forces, he returned to Washington and began singing in local doo-wop groups. In 1957 he formed his own group, the Marquees, whose recordings were produced by their friend and supporter Bo Diddley. The following year singer Harvey Fuqua recruited the group to be his backing vocalists in the then-current lineup of his group Harvey & the Moonglows, and they recorded for the legendary Chess Records label.

Gaye left the Moonglows in 1960 and signed to Gwen Gordy's Anna label, a subsidiary of then fledgling Motown Records, which was owned by Gwen's brother Berry Gordy Jr. Gaye played drums for the Miracles and sang backup for the Marvelettes. The following year, he signed to Motown as a solo artist and married Berry Gordy's sister Anna.

Marvin's first recordings made little impact on the charts. His fourth release, 1962's "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" -- featuring backing vocals by Martha & the Vandellas -- was his first recording to chart. In 1963, "Pride and Joy" went to the Top 10. Although Gaye sang duets with numerous female vocalists, including Mary Wells, his best-known pairing was with Tammi Terrell. The collaboration began in 1967 and resulted in hits such as "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." That same year, 1967, Terrell collapsed in Gaye's arms during a concert in Virginia and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The duo continued to record together until Terrell's death in 1970.

In 1968, Gaye scored his biggest solo hit of the '60s, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," which stayed at Number One for seven weeks. When Terrell died in 1970, a grief-stricken Gaye withdrew from the public eye, emerging the following year to sing the National Anthem at Super Bowl V.

Gaye's writing became more socially conscious, and in 1971 he released the watershed album What's Going On, which spawned the hits "What's Going On," "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)," and "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)." In 1973 he scored the movie Trouble Man, and that same year his writing began to explore more erotic themes with the release of the classic album, Let's Get It On.

At this point, Gaye's marriage to Gordy was crumbling, and in 1977 they divorced with Gaye going on to marry Janis Hunter. Over the next few years, Gaye's personal and financial life became rocky; he filed for bankruptcy and Hunter filed for divorce. The 1979 album Here My Dear documented Gaye and Gordy's breakup.

Experiencing problems with drugs in addition to his financial troubles, Gaye moved to Europe in 1979 and lived in self-imposed exile. In 1981, he recorded In Our Lifetime, his last album of new material for Motown Records, and signed with Columbia Records. In 1982, he released Sexual Healing, and the hit title track earned him his first Grammy Award. Old friend Diana Ross was with Gaye when he recorded "Sexual Healing," and later recalled that was the last time she saw him alive: "I was in Brussels, Belgium, to do a concert. The fans and people there told me that Marvin was in Brussels, but I didn't know how to reach him or to find him. And that night, we we're filming the concert, and I heard that he was in the audience -- he came to the show -- and I called him up on the stage and I sang with him. I had him skipping across the stage with me. Then backstage. . . we sat backstage and talked, and he had basically run away from America, and we went to his studio that night, where he was recording 'Sexual Healing.' That was the night he was doing that, and I stayed there at the studio with him most of that evening. And you could tell that he was going through a lot of pain, and I remember him telling me how much he loved me, and how much we loved each other, and that we needed to spend more time together. That was the last time I saw him."

In 1983, he performed on Motown's 25th anniversary TV special and he also performed an a capella version of "The Star Spangled Banner" before the NBA All-Star Game.

Still using drugs and suffering from depression, Gaye moved into his parents' home in 1984. Gaye's relationship with his father had always been stormy, and on April 1st, 1984 his father shot him to death at point-blank range after a violent argument; Gaye would have turned 45 the following day.

In 1987, Gaye was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990.

Gaye's music has influenced countless singers and musicians. Former Commodores frontman Lionel Richie was one of Gaye's good friends when both artists were signed to Motown Records. According to Richie, Gaye was a major influence on him as a songwriter and recording artist: "Every time we met, it was always he gave me one more new suggestion on how to play the mic, and his writing, and how he wrote. I would go by his studio a lot of times and just sit there and watch him record. It's funny -- he never really used pad and pencil, pen, nothing. He just would go in the microphone and, 'Roll it back. Let me try it again,' and he sings off the top of his head in most cases. And it was just amazing how he would weave these records together, and I think back how fortunate I was as a songwriter, as a young kid, to be able to be able to stand in that room with him and watch him do that."

Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey was also a friend of Gaye. He remembers another side of the man -- the playful side: "I didn't work with him musically -- I worked with him on the basketball court (laughs), 'cause he was a big basketball fan and, at that time, we were both playing basketball. We had a celebrity basketball challenge at the Forum and he played, and he was notorious for giving elbows (laughs), God rest his soul. Very kind man -- everyone knows of his talent and of his giving spirit and stuff, but he had a pretty good jump shot, too."

Recently departed Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson told us she forever had a soft spot in her heart for Marvin Gaye: "He was just a beautiful guy. Y'know, a human being -- like an angel. (Laughs) I'm not saying anything bad, but his soul was very warm. But like a lot of us at Motown, y'know, he went through various things. He wasn't as tragic as a lot of people made him out to be."

Wilson went on to reveal that, unbeknownst to the public at large -- while at the peak of his '60s career at Motown -- Gaye was willing to leave his singing career behind to become an professional athlete: "He also wanted to play football. And so he bulked himself up, I forgot what year, it's maybe 1967, 1968 something like (that). Bulked himself up like a football player. I think he actually did try out for the Lions, I think they were. So he had this other side of him that the public didn't know about." .

A former neighbor of Gaye's in Detroit told us that the singer loved the game so much that he'd often join in if he saw the neighborhood kids throwing a football around outside. Gaye played golf with Detroit Lions football stars Lem Barney and Mel Farr, who appear as background singers on "What's Going On."

Stevie Wonder ranks the loss of Marvin Gaye as among the biggest in modern times: "No different than John Lennon, I mean, his life was too short. There was so more I feel that he had to say. But he left us an incredible statement with the ecology, the What's Going On album, and it still sounds like it was done yesterday."

It was 61 years ago Sunday (April 3rd, 1960) that Elvis Presley recorded "Are You Lonesome Tonight." The song was originally written in 1926, and was first recorded by legend Al Jolson. "Are You Lonesome Tonight," along with "The King's" 1960 Number One hit "It's Now Or Never," was tracked during a three-day set of sessions at Nashville's legendary RCA Studio B, which also produced such favorites as "Such A Night," "Fever," and "Reconsider Baby."

"Are You Lonesome Tonight" hit Number One on November 28th, 1960 and went on to top the charts for six weeks. It was the first Elvis hit to gain substantial airplay on not only Top 40 pop radio but on easy listening stations as well. In later years, when he performed the song's spoken interlude, which references Shakespeare's As You Like It, Elvis would often become tongue-tied while trying to get the words right, and he would be reduced to fits of hysterical giggling.

"It's Now Or Never" is on the based on the Italian song of the Neapolitan language, "'O Sole Mio" by Eduardo di Capua. The song, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five straight weeks starting on August 15th, 1960, remains his biggest selling single globally,

Throughout Elvis latter-day touring years, he only performed a small selection from his early-'60s catalogue -- including only "Are You Lonesome Tonight," "Little Sister," "It's Now Or Never," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Fever," "Reconsider Baby," and his trademark show-closer "Can't Help Falling In Love."

Fans often wondered why "The King" chose to perform so many cover songs in his concert tours and Las Vegas shows, instead of major '60s hits such as "Return To Sender," "(You're The) Devil In Disguise," "Good Luck Charm," "Surrender," "(Marie's The Name) Of His Latest Flame," and the most obvious choice, "Viva Las Vegas."

Elvis longtime guitarist James Burton was asked if Presley ever considered adding his classic '60s hits to his '70s concerts: "Y'know, he would do them from time to time. Sometimes he would do them in like a rehearsal or something and then we'd put the show together and it wouldn't be on the show."

It was 58 years ago Saturday (April 2nd, 1964) that the Beach Boys began recording their first Number One hit, "I Get Around." The session for the song, which was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love and produced by Wilson, proved historic for another reason -- it was at this session that the Beach Boys fired their manager, Murry Wilson, who was the father of co-founders Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson.

The day's work kicked off the sessions for the Beach Boys' sixth album All Summer Long, with the group also recording "Little Honda," which was a Top Ten hit later that year for the Hondells.

The session proved to be Murry Wilson's last as manager after a physical confrontation him and oldest son Brian. Brian had taken to rigging a fake mixing board for his overbearing father to work during the sessions, which were constantly interrupted by Murry's criticisms, tirades, and undermining of Brian's musical and production decisions.

The Wilsons' mother Audree told Rolling Stone in 1971 that Murry's firing completely devastated him after selling his business and devoting his life to managing the band, recalling that, "That was a horrible time for me. (Murry) was just destroyed by that . . . He was so overly protective (of them) . . . He was also angry at the whole world. He stayed in bed a lot."

The Beach Boys' Bruce Johnston says that despite being portrayed as a villain in the Beach Boys story, Murry actually played an integral part in keeping the group's agenda a priority for their record label in the wake of Beatlemania: "If Murry Wilson hadn't been around, Capitol (Records) would've taken their attention of the band and put it all to the Beatles. Luckily for the band, Murry just got in Capitol's face, and said, "Wait a second! Hey! Y'know, nice, we love the Beatles, but let's not be dropping your attention.'"

Author Peter Ames Carlin, who published the critically acclaimed biography Catch A Wave: The Rise, Fall, And Redemption Of The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, says that Murry ultimately undermined whatever positive influence he had on his sons: "In order to train them or help them mature, he did terrible things to their minds. Just in his way of manipulating them and tormenting them."

"I Get Around" was released on May 11th, 1964 and on July 4th, 1964 knocked Peter & Gordon's John Lennon and Paul McCartney-written "World Without Love" from Number One, going on to hold the top spot for two weeks. It was the first of four Number Ones the group eventually scored alongside "Help Me, Rhonda" (1965), "Good Vibrations" (1966), and "Kokomo" (1988).

Murry Wilson died of a heart attack on June 4th, 1973 at the age of 55. Neither Brian nor Dennis Wilson attended his funeral.

After a year and a half battle with brain cancer, Tom Parker from The Wanted has died.

He was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in October of 2020. Following 3 weeks of treatment, he was able to rejoin the band for a short and emotional reunion. He appeared on stage at a U.K. concert and performed from a gold throne.

Recently confined to a wheelchair, his wife Kelsey thanked friends and fans online for their support throughout his illness. She wrote on Instagram, "Our hearts are broken, Tom was the center of our world and we can't imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence." The couple had two children, 2-year-old Aurelia and 1-year-old Bodhi.

Parker died early Wednesday (3-30) with his family by his side. He was 33 years old.

TL;DR:

• Tom Parker from The Wanted has died from brain cancer.
• He and his wife have 2 young children.
• He was 33 years old.

Justin Bieber and Kehlani have collaborated for a new single that was released yesterday (3-30). Kehlani, who is a 13x Platinum and 2x Grammy nominated artist, will also include "Up at Night" on her next album, Blue Water Road. It comes out on April 29.

Through a press release, she commented on the song, "It's about having a healthily obsessed relationship. You're telling someone, ‘I love you so much it keeps me awake at night.' I love what Justin did, and it's such a fun one to dance to."

The longtime friends worked together two years on a song called "Get Me," that appeared on his album, Changes.

TL;DR:

• Justin Bieber and Kehlani have collaborated for a new single, "Up at Night."
• It will be on her next album, Blue Water Road.
• The longtime friends worked together two years ago for a song called "Get Me," that appeared on his album, Changes.

Making its vinyl, CD and Blu-ray debut on June 3rd is Prince & The Revolution: Live. The legendary concert, filmed at the height of Prince's mid-'80s fame during his Purple Rain tour, was captured on March 30th, 1985 at Syracuse, New York's Carrier Dome. The concert was a major video hit when issued on VHS back in 1986.

A collector's edition is available featuring three 150-gram LP's on purple, red and gold vinyl, two CD's, a Blu-ray video, a 44-page photo book, as well as new liner notes, and a poster.

Prince & The Revolution's tour behind Purple Rain ran for 98 shows across North America between November 4th, 1984 and April 7th, 1985, selling over 1.7 million tickets.

Prince once explained that music should mirror every emotion -- but ultimately, always do so with positivity: "I think it should uplift (laughs). There's enough things that bring you down -- we don't need to jack up out music that way, too. There's still a way to get anger and even hatred across sometimes in music. But, you have to resolve it. You have to show that it's useless to uphold these ideas."

The tracklisting to Prince and The Revolution: Live is:

"Let's Go Crazy"
"Delirious"
"1999"
"Little Red Corvette"
"Take Me With U"
"Do Me, Baby"
"Irresistible Bitch"
"Possessed"
"How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore"
"Let's Pretend We're Married"
"International Lover"
"God (Love Theme from Purple Rain)"
"Computer Blue"
"Darling Nikki"
"The Beautiful Ones"
"When Doves Cry"
"I Would Die 4 U"
"Baby I'm a Star"
"Purple Rain"
"Interlude (Yankee Doodle)"

Roger Daltrey revealed that he spent time with Jimi Hendrix only days before his September 18th, 1970 death at age 27. At the time, Hendrix -- a labelmate of Daltrey's -- and his girlfriend Devon Wilson were staying with the Who frontman and his fiancee Heather Taylor at their home in the English countryside. Taylor and Hendrix had previously been involved with each other, with the guitarist writing "Foxey Lady" about her.

During a chat to BBC Radio and transcribed by American Songwriter, Daltrey spoke about the visit in September 1970: "No one knows about it but myself and about three other people that are still alive. This is the weekend before he died. I was on tour in Germany, and Jimi and his friend, Devon Wilson, came to my cottage in Berkshire. At my house was my wife-to-be Heather and another girl called Katherine."

Daltrey went on to recall, "He and Devon were doing this thing, which gospel singers do, and they were doing it with a call and answer -- and they were doing it with Bob Dylan lyrics. So he quotes one line and she'd quote the other. . . but it gradually slowed down, slowed down until Devon finally fell asleep."

He recalled Heather telling him it was "obvious that Jimi was taking more and more barbiturates and his speech became slurred. Then he passed out, and then now they're starting to get worried." Daltrey remembered him, Heather, and Katherine putting Hendrix to bed and "took his boots off at around 2 a.m."

Daltrey then explained the heavily sedated rock legend popped up from a drug induced stupor: "They put the kettle on for a cup of tea and blow me if 10 minutes later he doesn't appear in the doorway with his boots back on, his hat on all skew-whiff and says, 'Right I'm ready for the interview.' I mean, you can't make it up."

By 11 a.m. the next morning, Hendrix and his guest were on their way back to London via cab: "That was that weekend and as I say, he was as right as rain in the morning like nothing had happened."

Both the Who and Jimi Hendrix were signed in Britain to Track Records -- which was owned by the Who's managers, Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. Pete Townshend's overriding memory of 1967's Monterey Pop Festival was that once again, the Who were to be pitted against the Jimi Hendrix Experience -- an act that they had performed with numerous times in England over the preceding six months: "When we went to play Monterey, y'know, (Jimi) Hendrix was doing the show at the same time. And we'd already been exposed to, what I felt, was very, very unfair competition with Hendrix in the UK, 'cause of our relationship. He was on our record label. And at that particular time, a group of London managers were trying to create a, kind of, cartel -- so every time we played he was on the bill with us. Y'know, it was just awful, y'know, trying to match to this really great, great genius."

Silk Sonic will open the show with a performance at this weekend's Grammy Awards. The announcement of the coveted slot came yesterday, (3-30) through a press release from the Recording Academy.

The retro duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak is nominated for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best R&B Song, and Best R&B Performance for "Leave The Door Open."

Hosted by Trevor Noah, the 64th Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday evening, April 3, at 8 p.m. ET. It can be viewed on CBS and Paramount+.

TL;DR:

• Silk Sonic will open with a performance at this weekend's Grammy Awards.
• They have 4 nominations.
• It can be viewed on CBS and Paramount+.

The body of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins has been flown back to the U.S. from Colombia, where he passed away earlier this week. Hawkins died last Friday (March 29th) at a the Four Seasons Casa Medina in Colombia. He was 50. According to The Daily Mail, Foo Fighters' tour manager Gus Brandt remained in Colombia after the surviving band members returned to the states a day after Hawkins was found dead.

An official cause of death for Hawkins hasn't yet been released. But on Saturday (March 26th), Colombia's attorney general's office released a preliminary toxicology report, saying that medical examiners found evidence of 10 types of substances in Hawkins's body, including opioids, benzodiazepines, marijuana and antidepressants.

GRAMMYS TO PAY TRIBUTE TO TAYLOR HAWKINS

In other news, the Grammys is set to pay tribute to Hawkins during their ceremony on Sunday (April 3rd). The band was set to perform at the ceremony but they cancelled all of their upcoming live gigs in light of Hawkins' death.

Despite reports say that Kanye West has been banned from performing at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, new reports are saying that the Recording Academy is having "conversations" with Ye about performing at the show this Sunday (April 3rd). As previously reported by Variety, Kanye was removed as a performer from the show due to his recent "concerning online behavior."

According to HITS Daily Double, the Grammys are expected to make "at least one more announcement of performers" before the show on Snday (April 3rd) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. In addition to Ye, producers are reportedly in talks with Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga.

The official Grammy performance lineup so far includes Nas, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, J Balvin, John Legend, and Silk Sonic, who is set to open the show.

Lizzo announced online that she's launching a shapewear company named Yitty. She said it's a dream she's had for 5 years and it will happen soon. According to the Yitty website, it launches April 12.

Lizzo said that it's "Shapewear you can wear Underwear, Overwear, Anywhere. For Every Damn Body. 6X to Xs.

Famous for celebrating all body shapes, sizes and colors, she recently debuted her Prime Video show, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, which follows her search for backup dancers to join her on tour.

TL;DR:

E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg will be back on the tube tomorrow night (Friday, April 1st), when he returns to the CBS crime drama Blue Bloods.

"Mighty Max" spoke to Backstreets.com and revealed, "I'll be appearing on CBS-TV's Blue Bloods series, reprising for the third time my role as gangster Mario Vangelis. In this episode, (titled) 'Hidden Motive', Vangelis has been released from his two-year country club prison bid, sporting a deep tan and more than ready to continue his nefarious activities."

Weinberg went on to say, "I had a blast again working on this production. Bridget Moynihan -- for 12 seasons, the lovely and talented star of the show as Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan -- made her directorial debut with this episode and totally nailed it. I have two scenes pivotal to the arc of the series centered around the developing relationship between Erin and Vangelis." Blue Bloods airs on CBS on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. Central.

Changing topics, Weinberg touched upon the war in Ukraine, explaining, "On a more personal note: as an American Jew of Russian (now Belarus) descent, I and my family join the rest of the world in condemning the brutal actions of the Kremlin butcher (Vladimir) Putin as he soullessly wages his horrifying, heartbreaking, and criminal assault on the people of Ukraine. The murder of babies, the wanton destruction of homes, the tears of millions of refugees -- it's just appalling."

Weinberg went on to say, "Tragic episodes in history unfortunately and unfailingly repeat themselves. For me, with memories seared into my soul by my elders (in our very large, extended family during the 1950's) of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi madman and his evil regime, this feels like a present-day version of 1939. Our hearts are broken, and -- speaking for Becky, Ali, Jay, and their spouses -- we pray this unholy action ceases now. Slava Ukrani!"

Max Weinberg, who currently performs with his Max Weinberg's Jukebox covers band, told us that despite all the musical hats he's worn — as the drummer for the E Street Band, Conan O'Brien, along with his own orchestra — if he's behind the drums, it's all the same: "I've never changed my perspective a bit in pretty much my entire musical life. With whether it was in a TV studio, or a recording studio, stadium stage, arena — what have you; as long as I play, I'm in touch with the core of myself."

Max Weinberg's Jukebox kicks off its next string of dates on May 11th in Pawling, New York at Daryl's House.

Celebrities have been posting memories of the late Taylor Hawkins since his sudden death last week. And actor, John Stamos of Full House fame, shared his last text message the Foo Fighters' drummer.

The two had been trying to spend some time together and Taylor wrote: "We've yet to fully have a hang - Got a put that s*** together before we die."

Stamos, who also lost his friend and co-star Bob Saget in January, later shared a throwback video of Hawkins pretending to be upset with him for getting a Geico commercial instead of himself, in which Stamos flipped a knitting needle like a drumstick.

In a statement shared to Instagram, the Foo Fighters' remaining members, Dave Grohl, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, and Rami Jaffee remembered Hawkins for "his musical spirit" and "infectious laughter."

For the time being, Foo Fighters have ended their tour of South America.

TL;DR:

• John Stamos of Full House fame, shared his last text message the Foo Fighters' drummer.
• "We've yet to fully have a hang - Got a put that s*** together before we die.'"
• Foo Fighters have ended their tour of South America.

It was 46 years ago today (March 31st) that Led Zeppelin released it's seventh album, Presence. The collection, which topped the Billboard 200 album charts for two weeks, included the instant radio classic, "Nobody's Fault But Mine," and featured one single released for the U.S. market, "Candy Store Rock," which failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

Presence, like all of Zeppelin's works, was produced by Jimmy Page, and featured 10 tracks -- nine of which were written by Page and Robert Plant, with the rocker "Royal Orleans," being a group effort with the addition of John Paul Jones and John Bonham.

Robert Plant, who had sustained serious injuries in August of 1975 during a car crash on the Greek island of Rhodes, was forced to record the majority of his vocals while confined to a wheelchair.

On December 10th, 2007, at their reunion concert featuring Jason Bonham at London's O2 Arena, the band chose the Presence fan favorite, "For Your Life" to make its world live premiere -- marking the only song played that evening that John Bonham had never tackled in front of an audience.

The tracklisting to Presence is: "Achilles Last Stand," "For Your Life," "Royal Orleans," "Nobody's Fault But Mine," "Candy Store Rock," "Hots On For Nowhere," and "Tea For One."

Jimmy Page shed some light as to why Presence has such a timeless and powerful sound even four decades later: "It's a really intense album, I know that much. But the process, yet again, it was a success, and the process was to have a different engineer, and to have -- well actually, Keith Harwood had worked with us on mixing during the process of Physical Graffiti, but he hadn't recorded too many of the tracks. But this was a concentrated effort, again -- like going into Headley Grange was a concentrated effort -- going into the Musicland (Studios) in Munich was a concentrated effort of basically three weeks, so it was intense. I was definitely living, sleeping, breathing, eating the music all the way through."

The performance and production of Presence is the most taught sounding collection in the Zeppelin catalogue -- a fact attributed to it being recorded and mixed in only 18 days. Page credited the band's pre-production for much of its success: "It's a guitar album, that's a guitar album of many colors. We'd routined the whole of the structure, or, what was going to be the basic backing track; the backbone of it in L.A. And I'd keep adding all these sections, ‘and I must do this, I must do that,' but all the time in my mind, I had these ideas of what I was going to do. When we got into Munich, once we recorded it, the guys went off to a club that night, and I thought -- ‘I'm just gonna go ahead, I'm gonna get. . . see if I can do it' -- and I did. And out was like I was channeling out all these overdubs and it becomes, like a guitar orchestra, and it's all done in one night."

Jimmy Page, who was mainly known for using a Fender Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul during Zeppelin's mid-'70s sessions, recorded a number of parts for Presence on the Fender Stratocaster. We asked Page if he recalled specifically any of the songs he used the Strat for: "'For Your Life.' For example, that's one that's a Strat. Between. . . It's between the Strat and the Les Paul."

Jimmy Page explained that Presence truly represents the band perfectly at that point in time: "Because of the performance. Because we went in there and the whole thing's depending on the performance and the delivery of whatever it is. The performance of the group ensemble. But as far as the performance of Robert (Plant's) vocals, or the guitar overdubs, or John Paul Jones applying this, that, or the other, that's what it is."

Designer Aubrey Powell recalled how his commercial art design company Hipgnosis came about constructing the Presence album cover: "Presence -- that's an interesting story, because Led Zeppelin, particularly Jimmy Page, would never give us an inkling about anything. He would. . . I'd say, ‘Okay Jim, what's the music?' -- Y'can't hear it.' ‘Okay, what's the title?' -- 'I haven't got one.' ‘Well, is there anything I can go on?' -- ‘No. Just come up with some interesting ideas.' (I thought) Well, what about a symbol of something. Some energizing source. Without that you can't function. Wherever you are, you have to have it."

Robert Plant said that performing the band's 1976 Presence classic "For Your Life" for the first time onstage was a definite highlight of Zeppelin's 2007 one-off reunion show for him: "Just like Jason, I was amazed I was there playing with Led Zeppelin. And I was just saying, 'Now, where does the vocal come in?' And I know I made a couple of errors -- 'just had to shut up instead of doing too much. But. . . I think that was my favorite part of the show, to be honest. Because we were. . . none of us could bring too much back from ever having ever played it before. It was a great experience and that is flying by the seat of the pants. These guys did such a great job on that. It was very exciting. Great light show, too."

On July 31st, 2015 Presence was reissued with five archival tracks:

"Two Ones Are Won" ("Achilles Last Stand" - Reference Mix)
"For Your Life" (Reference Mix)
"10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod)" (Reference Mix)
"Royal Orleans" (Reference Mix)
"Hots On For Nowhere" (Reference Mix)