Pulse Music

Hayley Williams of Paramore offered up some powerful advice to young artists in the pop-punk group, The Linda Lindas. They range in age from 11 to 17.

She told them to not always say yes. And make sure you always do "what matters to you." She also said it's important to "know the value of saying no, because No' is just as powerful as saying Yes."

Father of two members of the group, Carlos de la Garza, has been producing Paramore's new album. The conversation took place when they all recently did a photo shoot together.

TL;DR:

• During a chat with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson stated that had late-drummer Neil Peart not fallen ill, the band very well might still be touring: "We could have continued touring. If we had the strength, we could have continued touring. I think we were playing great. The last tour, I thought we played really, really well. I thought the show looked fantastic, and you could argue that that's the best way to go out. . . Unlike some artists who end up in a chair on a stage singing. I would never, ever, ever want to be like that. For what purpose? Is it money? Is it some egotistical drive? Get over it. Get over yourself. Y'know, it's just, I don't know. . . I'm just not like that." (Ultimate-Guitar.com)
  
  
• The Beatles took home yet another prize this weekend when Disney+'s The Beatles: Get Back scored a prestigious 2022 PGA Award. The award for Outstanding Producer of Non-fiction Television went to the project's producers: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon, Olivia Harrison, Peter Jackson, Clare Olssen, Jonathan Clyde, Jeff Jones, and Ken Kamins. (Variety)
  
  
• Neil Young will commemorate his mid-1980's period on April 29th with the Official Release Series Volume 4 (ORS Vol 4) box set. The collection, which will be released on vinyl and CD via Reprise Records, features his folk-based 1980 Hawks & Doves collection, 1981's Crazy Horse teamup Reactor, 1988's blues-infused This Note's For You -- and an EP of outtakes titled Eldorado, featuring the songs "Cocaine Eyes," "Don't Cry," "Heavy Love," "On Broadway," and "Eldorado." (Jambase.com)
  
  
• Linda Ronstadt will be honored by her hometown of Tucson, Arizona with The Tucson Music Hall set to be renamed in her honor. The venue will be officially renamed on May 7th with Ronstadt in attendance, during the International Mariachi Conference Espectacular Concert. Ronstadt said in a statement, "I am fortunate to be a member of a large musical family that has been associated with the City of Tucson since the 1800's. My entire career was informed and nurtured by the music we made as I was growing up here." (AZCentral.com)
  • Ronsatdt will publish her latest new memoir on October 4th, titled Feels Like Home: A Song For The Sonoran Borderlands. The book "seamlessly braids together Ronstadt's recollections of people and their passions in a region little understood in the rest of the United States. This road trip through the desert, written in collaboration with former New York Times writer Lawrence Downes and illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs by Bill Steen, features recipes for traditional Sonoran dishes and a bevy of revelations for Ronstadt's admirers." (Best Classic Bands)
    
    
• Billy Joel has just announced his 83rd monthly residency show at New York's Madison Square Garden. The "Piano Man" now has September 9th booked with tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday, March 25th (Press release)

Bastardane, featuring drummer Castor Hatfield -- the 21-year-old son of Metallica's James Hatfield -- has released its debut album, titled, Is This Rage? The 10-track collection by the Savannah, Georgia-based trio also includes vocalist/bassist Jake Dallas and guitarist Ethan Sirotzki.

Blabbermouth quoted a piece from The Hum, in which the band collectively described themselves: "We are Bastardane and we are not some average chump white male band looking to get laid. There is a time in every generation when music is the guiding light out of hard times. We just want to make emotionally empowering music that isn't trying to cater to a certain audience. Our career is about making people happy and fulfilling the emotional needs of those who can't tolerate words alone."

It seems as though the channeling anger through music has been passed down from one Hetfield to another. Metallica's James Hetfield told us a while back that he learned how to deal with his rage in a positive way while undergoing rehab for alcohol abuse: "You can handle anger and use anger in a positive sense. I felt I can take anger and be more assertive with it. It also helps me protect, like, if something's going wrong you can protect your family. I mean there's a lot of good uses for anger that I never saw before."

Bastardane is set to appear on May 27th, 28th, and 29th at Metallica's co-headlined edition of the BottleRock in Napa Valley, California.

Def Leppard has just released "Kick," the lead single from the band's upcoming album, Diamond Star Halo, which drops on May 27th. The new album -- which gets its title from T. Rex's 1971 classic "Get It On (Bang A Gong)" -- marks the band's first since their 2015 self-titled set.

Diamond Star Halo features two songs with Americana star Alison Krauss -- best known in rock circles for her recent work with Robert Plant. Also contributing is David Bowie's frequent pianist Mike Garston.

We caught up with Leppard frontman Joe Elliott and guitarist Phil Collen and they spoke about the element of surprise in announcing Diamond Star Halo: "(Joe Elliott): We watched over the last few years how some people like to put a camera in the studio and broadcast on their website their daily recording sessions. So, by the time the record's finished, everybody's that watches already knows what its sounds like. There's no impact, y'know? So we wanted to keep it nice and quiet like (David) Bowie did for the last couple of records -- it's just 'boom!' -- big announcement. 'Say 'Oh, my God -- where did that come from?' (Phil Collen): And, like, the mystique. Back in the day when (Led) Zeppelin, yeah, or Bowie, or the (Rolling) Stones, they put something out it made it an event. It made it a bit special. And we definitely think this is, obviously. A two-and-a-half year break, the tour got cancelled, obviously Covid and everything else -- it's made it special. And we made out even more special because of that."

In October 2015, Def Leppard released its 11th album, titled, Def Leppard, which peaked at Number 10 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Ed Sheeran has been constantly surprising fans with new music this year and says more is coming next week.

Appearing on The Project NZ earlier this week, he described his next mystery as "a bit more of a curveball." And said, "We've got the first thing of it dropping in 10 days… in 10 days there's gonna be something coming out."

Leaving fans with a mind puzzle, he shared that he doesn't expect it to be a hit in New Zealand. He said, "When you hear it you'll understand. You'll be like, 'Yeah.'"

The four-time Grammy winner released his latest album, =, in October.

TL;DR:

• Ed Sheeran described his next mystery as "a bit more of a curveball."
• He said, "in 10 days there's gonna be something coming out."
• He doesn't expect it to be a hit in New Zealand.

Opening today (March 18th) at Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum is the new groundbreaking exhibit, titled The Beatles: Get Back To Let It Be. The exhibit runs through March 2023 and serves as an immersive complement to Peter Jackson's Get Back docuseries.

The multimedia exhibit welcomes fans to step into the Beatles' January 1969 rehearsals, sessions, and witness the band's final rooftop performance, surrounded by large-scale projections and superior sound.

According to the press release: "The scene is thrillingly set with original instruments, clothing, handwritten lyrics, and other unique items, including several on loan directly from Beatles principals. Special events to be hosted by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the exhibit's run, including interviews, film screenings, panels, and more will be announced throughout the year.

We caught up with Greg Harris, the President and CEO at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and asked him for the lowdown in what it took to bring the Beatles' Let It Be experience to life: "This exhibit has been in the works for, at least, four years. And through it all it's been a collaboration with the folks at Apple Corps Ltd. as well as Peter Jackson -- and then all of the different parties with the Beatles; Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, the estates of John Lennon, the estates of George Harrison. And all of those folks really collaborated on this and the goal was to have an exhibit that would open after the film was out to the public and that could tell a similar story but in a museum exhibition and really engage visitors and fans from around the world."

We asked Harris -- also a die-hard Beatles fan -- how he reacted the first time he witnessed all these iconic and legendary items up close and personal: "I did get emotional and here's why: When you see that Ludwig kit of Ringo's that he's playing on the rooftop and the red raincoat he's wearing while he's playing it -- it just sends a lightning bolt to your senses from your recognition through the decades of the image and the sounds that were coming off of the vinyl and who you were with and where you were. . . And that's the sort of stuff this triggers. And that's why I get emotional, 'cause these are the singular pieces that made history at that moment and you're in the same room with them."

The Beatles: Get Back To Let It Be' exhibit features such one of a kind Let It Be-era artifacts as:

Paul McCartney's black and gray shirt that was worn in the studio and handwritten lyrics for "I've Got A Feeling."

Ringo Starr's maple Ludwig drum kit and his borrowed red raincoat from the rooftop performance.

John Lennon's iconic eyeglasses, Wrangler jacket, an Epiphone electric guitar, and handwritten lyrics for "Dig A Pony."

George Harrison's pink pinstripe suit and handwritten lyrics for "I Me Mine."

Rihanna was spotted shopping at a Target store in Los Angeles yesterday earlier this week. According to The Daily Mail, the singer sparked speculation that she is having a baby girl when she was spotted holding an orange dress. According to Target.com, the Cat & Jack dress that caught Rihanna's eye costs only $18.

RiRi also checked out a few unisex items as well.

The singer is currently in her third trimester.

Lil Nas X took three months off from social media, but came back this week with a big announcement and showed off his body.

He dropped a short sneak-peek and listen at a new track, titled "Lean On My Body." He's shirtless in the video, wearing a hat, some grey sweatpants, and showing a glimpse of his orange Nike briefs.

The lyrics you hear are full of expletives… "You know I love you, so I sing this s**t with love/ But please tell your fans they need to shut the f**k up," he raps on the new track.

He didn't reveal when the full track would be released.

TL;DR:

There's a petition going around asking Coachella to drop Kanye West after his social media antics towards ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend Pete Davidson.

The petition reads: "We have watched Kanye harass, manipulate, and hurt Kim, Pete, and others for over a year now. No one seems to want to stand up to him, and the ones that do, he puts under fire as well. Most recently, he has been threatening actual bodily harm on others. This is ridiculous that he is allowed to freely do this."

The petition continued, "Coachella (along with other brand names that are still working with him) should be ashamed of themselves and should not be giving him any more of a platform. Please sign & share!"

The petition was started on Change.org on March 16th and has been signed by over 2,000 people.

The lights went out at a Justin Bieber concert this week in Denver and delayed the show. He in the middle of his hit, "Yummy" when it happened.

According to TMZ, it was the result of an electrical fire within the venue. It caused an entire city block to go dark, but thankfully the fire department was able to quickly get it under control .

Justin sat down and lounged on the stage for about 30 minutes, until technicians were able to get a generator running to restore the power.

He later thanked the audience for their patience and performed the rest of the show without video screens, lasers, or extra stage lighting.

TL;DR:

• The lights went out at a Justin Bieber concert in Denver and delayed the show by 30 minutes.
• It was the result of an electrical fire within the venue.
• He later performed the rest of the show without video screens, lasers, or extra stage lighting.

THE STONES DONATE TO UKRAINE WAR VICTIMS

The Rolling Stones are among the UK elite to put their money where their mouth is with a sizable donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee humanitarian appeal for the Ukraine. The Sun reported Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ron Wood gave a "generous" donation to the appeal, which "supports various charities including ActionAid, (which) was set up to help Ukrainian civilians impacted by Russia."

In addition to the Stones, England's royal family -- including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince William have also made donations.

Despite co-writing such songs as "Street Fighting Man," "Salt Of The Earth," "Undercover Of The Night," "Blinded By Rainbows," and "Sweet Neo Con," Mick Jagger explained that he's never really been a political animal and tries to stay as independent as he possibly can in regards to his tastes and beliefs: "I was never very keen on joining political parties. And when I was at college, I was at a very left-wing college, and I never felt the joining of it, y'know? I like football and I support Arsenal (football club). I'm not a rabid supporter, I'm not really a kind of joiner or scarf-wearer."

KEITH RICHARDS RELEASES 30th ANNIVERSARY 'MAIN OFFENDER' COLLECTION

Out today (March 18th) is Keith Richards & The X-Pensive Winos' 30th anniversary deluxe reissue of their second album, 1992's Main Offender. The new collection -- featuring a bonus live disc, Winos Live In London '92, is released for the first time.

The set is available on CD and vinyl in limited red, black, and smoke-colored LP's. The new collection features "an 88-page leather-bound book featuring notes and exclusive photos."

The X-Pensive Winos featured drummer Steve Jordan, guitarist Waddy Wachtel, bassist Charley Drayton, keyboardist Ivan Neville, singer Sarah Dash, and backing vocalists Bernard Fowler and Babi Floyd.

Keith Richards admitted that it's hard for him to let go of new work and finally sign off on any project: "No, I think everything I've ever done I coulda done better. But if I tried, I know I would've ruined it, y'know? There's a point where you have to hit something and say, 'That's as good as I can do it. That's as good. . .' Y'know, I mean, I could try and try again, but you drive it into the ground. Sometimes you just try to hit that spot where it's just about right. . . Y'know, and say, 'Hey guys -- we got it" -- it's a call."

Now in her 5^th record deal, Charli XCX has released her 5^th album today (3-18) called Crash. And it's more pop than the others.

She says there was a time when artist like her stood out, but now thinks she is "more the norm" and thinks people now understand who she is, more than ever.

She said, "I've arrived at this place where I'm incorporating all of the different things that I've done in the past into one body of work. I also feel like we're at a time in the music industry where the music industry is beginning to catch up with me a little bit."

Charli recently performed two songs from the new album on Saturday Night Live.

TL;DR:

• Charli XCX has released her 5^th album today called Crash.
• Charli recently performed two songs from the new album on Saturday Night Live.

• Eddie Van Halen's ex-wife, Valerie Bertinelli says that she had nothing to do with David Lee Roth splitting with Van Halen back in 1985 and claims it was "Diamond" Dave who had an issue with her. During her recent appearance on the Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast, she explained, "I got along great with Al (Van Halen) and with Mike (Anthony). It was someone else. I don't know why he didn't like me, but what are you gonna do? I don't know why he didn't like me. I mean, I was always nice to him. I honestly don't know. . . One day I'd like to sit down with him and go, 'Dude, what did I do? Honestly, I've always been a fan of yours. I think you're a brilliant frontman, I think you're a brilliant songwriter, I love your lyrics. Why don't you like me? What did I do?'" (Blabbermouth)
  
  
• Dave Grohl recalled meeting his hero David Bowie. While chatting with ABC Australia, the Foo Fighters leader recalled, "The first time I saw David Bowie in person was at a festival in England that he was headlining, we were lower down on the bill. And I stood in the photo pit and looked at him and it was like seeing an alien. Y'know, it was like seeing a UFO for the first timAe, like, 'Oh, my God, it's real.' That's something I've never seen before. And then getting to meet him -- all of that feeling coming down to Earth, realizing, 'Oh, my God, what a gentleman! What a brilliant, sweet, kind, outrageously funny person!'"
  • He went on to say, "I recorded a song with him. . . and watching him step in front of a microphone and begin to sing and you realize, 'Wow, that voice -- that's real, that just comes out of his mouth, that iconic voice!' The great thing about it is that it really humanizes everything. We're like, 'Wow, that's a real person.' It's reassuring, but at the same time, you're like, 'That's a hero.' That's not just another person. That's David Bowie." (Ultimate-Guitar.com)
    
    
• Geddy Lee will guest star on Canadian TV's Murdoch Mysteries, which airs on March 21st on CBC and streams on CBC Gem. According to The Canadian Press, "The storyline follows the mystery of a murdered blues saxophonist whose death was seemingly foretold in vivid detail through the lyrics of a song. Lee is part of a subplot, playing a carriage driver who's transporting lead character William Murdoch and his pregnant wife."
  • Geddy Lee joked: "I have to use some sort of modest acting skill to fit into the already well-established Murdoch Mysteries scenario." (RMOToday.com)
    
    
• Roger Waters has just tagged three new stops onto his North American summer tour. The newly added shows are August 10th at Columbia, Ohio's Nationwide Arena; October 3rd at Glendale, Arizona's Gila River Arena; and October 6 at Austin, Texas' Moody Center. Tickets for the new show go on sale today (Friday, March 25th) at 10:00 a.m. local time.
  
  
• Stephen Stills has signed on to appear at the Recording Academy's 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year event honoring Joni Mitchell. The April 1st tribute will also feature Graham Nash, Cyndi Lauper, Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, Beck, St. Vincent, Herbie Hancock, Sara Bareilles, and Pentatonix, among others. (Best Classic Bands)

• Steely Dan's Donald Fagen issued a statement regarding Aimee Mann being bumped from opening slot on the band's upcoming tour. Mann had posted a cartoon on her social media explaining her upcoming absence from the dates, insinuating that it was due to a female act not going over well with crowds.

Donald Fagen issued a statement and an apology to Mann, which reads in part:

Well, first of all, the idea that I would make any decision based on the gender of a performer is ridiculous. That's something that would never even occur to me. There was a communication problem on our end. I was misinformed as to how firm the commitment was to any particular opening act. And, although I have the greatest respect for Aimee as a writer and performer, I thought it might not be the best matchup in terms of musical style.

But I can't pass the buck. I'll take the blame for the screwup. I apologize for any distress this has caused Aimee and her fans. In the past, Steely Dan has shared the stage with a number of female performers including Rickie Lee Jones and the late Phoebe Snow.

• Aimee Mann eventually posted a good natured response to Fagen stating: "All is forgiven if Donald just tells me what 'Brooklyn' is about." (Rolling Stone)

Despite Dolly Parton's request earlier this week to be removed from this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees, the Hall has declined to pull her nomination. In a post on social media yesterday (Thursday, March 17th), the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame wrote in part, "Dolly's nomination, along with the other 16 artists for the class of 2022, was sent out earlier this month to our 1,200 general ballot voters, the majority of whom are artists themselves, for consideration for induction at our ceremony. We are in awe of Dolly's brilliant talent and pioneering spirit and are proud to have nominated her for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

On Monday (March 14th), Dolly turned to social media writing that while she was "flattered and grateful" for the nomination, she "must respectfully bow out." She explained, "I don't feel I have earned that right. I really do not want votes split because of me . . . "

The Tennessean reports that prior to the Hall's public decision to keep her name on the ballot, Dolly appeared on Fox & Friends yesterday morning where she said, "Because my perception, and I think the perception of most of America – I just feel like that's more for the people in rock music. I've been educated since then, saying that it's more than that, but I still didn't feel right about it. It kind of would be like putting AC/DC in the Country Music Hall of Fame. That just felt a little out of place for me."

At press time, Dolly had not reacted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's decision to keep her on the ballot.

It was 53 years ago Sunday (March 20th, 1969) that John Lennon and Yoko Ono married in Gibraltar -- only eight days after Paul McCartney wed first wife Linda Eastman in London. Directly after the wedding, the couple opened up their hotel room to the world's press during their Amsterdam honeymoon, and launched their first "Bed In" for peace.

The couple had met in London in 1966 at one of Ono's avant garde art shows, and became romantically linked sometime between mid-1967 and mid-1968. By the spring of 1968, the pair, whom Lennon took to calling "Johnandyoko," began a long-standing artistic partnership with the recording of their debut album, called Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins. The album included experimental sounds recorded in Lennon's home studio, and featured an album cover showing them nude.

Yoko says that throughout the years, Lennon was always easy to work with: "When I was an avant garde artist, already I was a control freak, okay? And John understood it. John was a very good person to work with, a good husband as well, y'know, in that sense. A good partner, that he would allow me to be myself kind of thing."

George Harrison's first wife Pattie Boyd says that the days of all the Beatle wives being a close-knit group pretty much ended with Yoko entering the inner circle: "John fell in love with Yoko and that was that. She was more a man's woman than a woman's woman. She would never have girlfriends, I don't think, anyway. Y'know that was fine, so I knew I'd never get close to her. She was quite friendly toward me. I mean, she and John once stayed in our house and she was just so intent on John all the time. John was her only focus, really and truly."

John Lennon recalled that linking with Yoko as his partner ultimately meant that his days as a Beatle were fading fast: "But I presumed that I would just be able to carry on and bring Yoko into our lives, but it seemed I had to be married to them or Yoko. And I chose Yoko. y'know? And I was right."

Although Paul McCartney has never blamed Yoko for the Beatles' split, he explained that Lennon ultimately chose his work with her to be the outlet needed to fully liberate his creativity: "It was very difficult for me. Yeah, it was my whole life, I think the others in their minds. . . I think John was lucky 'cause he got this new direction now with Yoko. I think John, all his life had wanted to cut loose. He'd been an art student, he sort of buckled down for the Beatles -- 'cause it was democratic, (and) I think he wanted to cut loose, he wanted to do all these things he'd read about artists in books doing and I think Yoko gave him that opportunity. And a lot of what they did together was very fine stuff, but I think when it came to the Beatles, it meant that he kinda had to leave the group. He couldn't do it within the group."

During a 2012 chat with the late-David Frost, McCartney spoke about Yoko's influence on Lennon: "I think John, in particular, was ready to do something else. When Yoko came along, part of her attraction, I think, was this, sort of, avant garde side of things, which she was famous for -- and still is. So, she showed him another way to be that was very attractive to him -- and I could see that. Y'know, she just sort of said, 'Well, no, look -- how 'bout this? Don't you like this? Are you just a rock and roller?'"

John and Yoko shared an intense and symbiotic relationship, and after five years of non-stop time together in which they recorded, performed, and worked together on various political and creative pursuits, they separated for 14 months.

Upon reconciling in January 1975, Ono became pregnant, and on October 9th, 1975, which was Lennon's 35th birthday, she gave birth to the couple's only child, Sean Taro Ono Lennon.

After Lennon's murder on December 8th, 1980, Ono inherited complete control of the Lennon estate and has commemorated most of his posthumous birthdays with numerous projects, including previously unreleased music, a radio show, an album of interviews, and a clothing and housewares line, to a mixed response from fans.

According to numerous reports, in 2020, her son, Sean Lennon, was officially appointed a director at eight companies linked to Yoko and the Beatles -- including the group's company, Apple Corp. Sean has also joined the board of Lensolo, which administers his father's solo works.

Yoko Ono, who's now 89, has been wheelchair-bound for several years, is rumored to have suffered from a stroke, although no illness has been publicly revealed.

Muse is dropping bits of information about their next album and if you can judge a song by its title, the track list is politically charged. A couple other song titles on Will of the People are "Liberation," and "Kill or Be Killed."

The band said the recordings were influenced by the "increasing uncertainty and instability in the world."

In a statement about their new single, "Compliance," they said, "it's about submission to authoritarian rules and reassuring untruths just to be accepted to an in-group, such as gangs, governments, demagogues, and social media..."

Look for the full album to be released on August 26^th.

TL;DR:

• Muse' next album looks to be politically charged.
• The band said it was influenced by the increasing uncertainty and instability in the world.
• To be released on August 26^th.

The highly sought after opening night at the Hollywood Bowl belongs to Gwen Stefani. The first show of the season will serve as a benefit for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, with funds going to its learning and community programs.

The venue is celebrating its 100^th season. Technically it was last year, but due to the pandemic, the date is being celebrated this year.

Stefani, showing her diversity played Rodeo Houston in Texas this week.

Her show at the Bowl will take place on June 3.

TL;DR:

• Gwen Stefani will play opening night at the Hollywood Bowl.
• It's a benefit for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Her show at the Bowl will take place on June 3.

IS PAUL McCARTNEY ABOUT TO BECOME A LORD???

25 years after being knighted, Paul McCartney is now under consideration for peerage, making him a "Lord," to mark his 80th birthday this coming June 18th. Back in 2018, "Macca's" royal honor was bumped up to the prestigious Order of the Companions of Honour for his services to music -- of which he and Elton John are among the 61 living Companions.

A source told The Sun, "Paul is already in an extraordinarily exclusive set of people at the very top of the honors system. There is now quiet talk among officials about how to mark his 80th with something truly special. The idea of offering him the chance to sit as a cross-bencher in the Lords has been mooted. He has given incredible service to British culture, so it could be a very fitting tribute and mark of all that he has done for his country." (The Sun)

The McCartney family are no strangers to the British order of chivalry, with McCartney and the rest of the "Fab Four" receiving their MBE's (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 1965, McCartney being knighted in 1997, and Stella receiving the OBE (Order of the British Empire) award in 2013. In 2019, Paul McCartney's brother, entertainer/photographer/author Mike "McGear" McCartney, was honored with the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the community in Merseyside area of Liverpool.

Paul McCartney admitted he doesn't really look at Royal honors as being about class or affluence: "You hear so much about people who turn it down, and they're sort of, 'No! I don't believe in the Monarchy!' And they're taking a stance. Someone said there's a certain cache to turning it down -- so, I was aware of all of that. But, in thinking about it, I thought, 'Y'know what? It's a huge honor.' It's like at school and you get the art prize, or something. It's a huge honor."

JOHN LENNON 'MAFIA' BOOK ON THE WAY

Set for publication on May 1st is Lennon, The Mobster & The Lawyer - The Untold Story, by attorney Jay Bergen. Bergen represented John Lennon against notorious Mafia-connected owner of Roulette Records, Morris Levy, who had released an unauthorized Lennon album -- called Roots, an early, illegal version of the former-Beatle's 1975 Rock N' Roll album.

According to the book's press release:

Jay's memoir/portrait tells the story of the battle against Levy's misbegotten scheme to get his hooks into Lennon.

John's own words, from the trial transcript, are illuminating and Jay recounts strategy sessions where they worked closely to map out his testimony: How John explained his recording process in poetic, exacting terms for a judge who knew little about The Beatles; John's recording studio expertise; the finalization of the Rock N' Roll album; why he chose to do an album of '50s rock songs he didn't write; and the damage John suffered as a result of the unfinished cheesy Roots album.

The resulting testimony reveals remarkable insights into the creative process of an acknowledged genius of rock music.

For more information, log on to: https://www.lennonthemobsterandthelawyer.com/

The New York City sessions for the Rock N' Roll album, Walls And Bridges -- along with its 1973 predecessor, Mind Games, mark the only times that Lennon solely self-produced himself -- with the latter written and recorded during his 14-month separation from Yoko Ono, while romantically linked to the couple's assistant, May Pang.

Pang told us that although Lennon was generally fun loving, he always meant business in the studio: "Most people don't realize that John's very particular about his way of working when he's a producer at his sessions. He liked to call for a certain time, and he wants to get ready -- he doesn't want hours of getting ready. And he would say, 'I don't want anybody to do anything until we get through this. It's hard enough to remember the lyrics and the songs and the music. So let's just do it and when we're done, you can do whatever you want.'"

Britney Spears' Instagram page has gone dark. When you search her name on the site, the only things that shows up are accounts by other people using her name.

The account disappeared on Wednesday (March 16) and TMZ confirmed that it was not deleted by Instagram. The lack of information has left fans confused and concerned.

A quick check of her Twitter account shows that she hasn't posted there since mid-January.

TL;DR:

• Britney Spears' Instagram page has gone dark.
• TMZ confirmed that it was not deleted by Instagram.

Joe Jonas is starring in a hilarious video campaign promoting the upcoming season of Bridgerton on Netflix. It also serves as a commercial for Tanqueray Gin.

In each video, he's dressed for the part, based in 1800's England… all except for his high-top tennis shoes. Showing his comedic side, he goes through the key elements that come with being a Bridgerton and explains how to look fancy while sipping gin with your pinkies up, and how to dance with elegance.

He joked in an interview with People.com and said, "I feel pretty comfortable in the clothes, so it might have to be a part of my new wardrobe."

He and his siblings, the Jonas Brothers are scheduled for a Vegas residency in June.

TL;DR:

• Joe Jonas is starring a video campaign promoting the upcoming season of Bridgerton on Netflix.
• In each video, he's dressed for the part, based in 1800's England.
• He and his siblings, the Jonas Brothers are scheduled for a Vegas residency in June.

Kanye West has been suspended from Instagram for 24 hours for violating policies on harrassment and bullying. Ye called Trevor Noah a coon for commenting on his behavior on Instagram. According to TMZ, a Meta spokesperson said that Ye "violated Instagram's policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying," so West will not be able "to post, comment, send DM's, among other things."

In other news, D.L. Hughley responded to Kanye's recent disses towards him, saying, "Now Kanye! When you say you had to explain my jokes to people, are these real people, or the ones you keep in your head?"

He continued, "Ye is at it again huh?? Welp at least I wasn't crying on the phone about how big Pete's Peter is! If you want her back instead acting up, why don't you try doing some d**k ups!"

He added, "Kanye do you know how horrible you gotta be to make a Kardashian date a white man?" He also defended his fashion choices and said, "All those people in your head and not one of em got a Macy's card?"

Paul Stanley has named Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant "The Best Lead Singer Of All Time." The Kiss frontman Tweeted: "The Best Lead Singers Of All Time?? How about 11 off the top of my head…"

His list of the Top 11 best vocalists put Plant at Number One, Small Faces and Humble Pie's Steve Marriott coming in at Number Two, with Queen's Freddie Mercury rounding out the Top Three.

Paul Stanley, and unapologetic die-hard Zeppelin fan since the beginning, recalled his first time catching the band back in the day in Queens, New York: "I saw Led Zeppelin play for under 2,000 people -- probably in '68. The New York State Pavilion, which was at the World's Fair in New York. It's as close to a religious experience as I would count on one hand."

Kiss kicks off its next string of dates on April 19th in Santiago, Chile at Movistar Arena.

Paul Stanley's list of The Top 11 'Best Lead Singers Of All Time':

1. Robert Plant - Led Zeppelin
2. Steve Marriott - Small Faces, Humble Pie
3. Freddie Mercury - Queen
4. David Ruffin - The Temptations
5. Rod Stewart - The Faces, solo
6. Paul Rodgers - Free, Bad Company
7. Janis Joplin - Big Brother & The Holding Company, solo
8. Steve Perry - Journey
9. Brad Delp - Boston
10. Brian Johnson - AC/DC
10. Lou Gramm - Foreigner
11. Ann Wilson - Heart

An unreleased Prince album will soon be available, thanks to Jack White's Third Man Records.

The 1986 album, Camille, was described as featuring "pitched-up vocals by Prince, to channel his feminine persona." It will include the album's original eight songs. Individually, the tracks have been released, but never as the album it was meant to be.

One of the songs, "Good Love" appeared on the soundtrack to Bright Lights, Big City and "Rockhard in a Funky Place" ended up on 1994's The Black Album.

While Third Man hasn't yet shared the official release date for Camille, they did confirm that "Housequake," "Strange Relationship," and "If I Was Your Girlfriend" were included on Prince's next record, the 1987 double-LP, Sign O' The Times.

TL;DR:

• An unreleased Prince album will soon be available, thanks to Jack White's Third Man Records.
• The 1986 album, Camille is said to channel Prince's feminine persona.
• No release date yet.