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April 16

Bobby Vinton (1935)
American pop music singer.

Dusty Springfield, OBE (born Mary O'Brien 16 April 1939, died 2 March 1999) was a popular British singer whose career spanned four decades. She achieved her most notable success during the 1960s, with a successful comeback in the late 80's.

Gerry Rafferty ( 1947)
Scottish singer and songwriter.


Peter Garrett, MP, AM (1953)
Australian musician and politician.
lead singer of the Australian
rock band Midnight Oil

Ian MacKaye (1962)
American musician,
best known as the singer
for the bands Minor Threat,
Embrace and Fugazi,

JimmyOsmond (1963)
singer, actor, and businessman.

David Pirner
lead vocalist for
the band Soul Asylum.

Selena,(1971-1995 )
Mexican American singer
who has been called
"the queen of Tejano music"

April 17

Jan Hammer (1948,)
a composer and musician.
Miami Vice Theme

Maynard James Keenan (1964)
American rock singer
member of the band Tool

April 18
Greg Eklund (1970 )
was the drummer for
the American rock band
Everclear until 2003

April 19

Tim Curry (1946)
English actor, singer
composer
mad scientist
Dr. Frank N. Furter
in The Rocky Horror
Picture Show

Mark Volman ( 1947 )
American rock and roll singer,
a founding member of
The Turtles.

Bob Rock (1954 )
musician, sound engineer,
and record producer.

Marion "Suge" Knight(1965)
controversial entrepreneur
in the hip hop music industry
and co-founder of Death Row Records.



April 20

Tito Puente (1923 – 2000)
influential Latin jazz
and mambo musician.

April 21

Iggy Pop (1947)
bJames Newell Osterberg, Jr.
lead singer of The Stooges

Robert Smith ( 1959)
guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, and
the lead singer of
The Cure since its founding in 1976.
"pop culture’s unkempt poster child of doom and gloom",
songs
"somber introspection over lush, brooding guitars"
Smith is a multi-instrumentalist and can play 6 and
12-string guitars;
4 and 6 string bass guitars;
double bass; keyboards; and violins.

Until next week GETOUTOFMYHEAD !

Year Zero, Imagine, April Fools Day

What do all of these things have in common? They all took place in music this week,

NIN/Trent Reznor have a new release called 'Year Zero' which tells of an Orwellian America in the not to distant future and will be debuting on April 17th. They are using a form of guerrilla marketing where clues contained in the bands t-shirts spell out web site addresses that lead to an internet scavenger hunt fans can access the sites by adding the .COM suffix. A t-shirt with "anotherversionofthetruth.com" leads one to a website that tells more about the content of the upcoming disc. USB drives with copies of the songs have been found in the bathrooms at venue's where the band has performed. In Lisbon, Portugal a fan found a drive with the song "My Violent Heart" another fan in Barcelona, Spain found a drive with "Me I'm not' and in Manchester, England a drive containing "In this Twilight." Fans have swapped the songs and posted them on blogs and despite warnings from the RIAA the entire album has yet to be leaked online.
NIN/Reznor have always been a group that tries new ideas with their material whether it is the first Cd 'Pretty Hate Machine' which made Ministry and Nitzer Eb less interesting and made them sound like noise. The 1999 NIN release 'The Fragile' although not commercially successful was a creative comment on the music scene in a time of the "boy bands, pop divas" and general lack of talented bands that were popular at the time.




A group that has enjoyed popularity regardless of what they have do from using an accordion as a principal instrument and releasing two children's disc in the past two years are readying a new rock album They Might Be Giants are to release a disc titled 'The Else' and will contain 13 tracks some of the songs will be produced by the Dust Brothers who they have worked with on a 1993 remix of "Snail Shell."

John Flansburgh said that they came up with a couple of ways to work on the new songs, "we got loops from early on in the process, a huge collection of delightful drum loops. That's how we started a bunch of tracks." The Dust Brothers then came to New York and helped them re-assess the things we demoed and written on our own. New songs that received the producers treatment were "Take out the Trash" however, "I'm Impressed" is just John Flansburgh and John Linnell but it reflects working with the Dust Brothers.
TMBG will spend two weeks in May previewing the new material beginning May 3 in New Market NH and wrapping up May 19th in San Diego, CA at the Belly Up Tavern.





The upright piano that John Lennon wrote the song "Imagine" is on tour and this time it will be photographed on the hotel balcony where Martin Luther King Jr was shot and killed on April 4,1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. It was recently photographed on the grassy knoll near Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas where President John F. Kennedy was shot on November 22, 1963. The piano will also visit the World Trade Center site in New York City, Federal Building site in Oklahoma, and the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Tx. The theme of the photographs are about peace and how the song Imagine was a message from Lennon to humankind about why peace is important. The piano is owned by George Michael and he is planning on making a documentary of the tour and the photographs of the sites. Putting them in a book with the proceeds going to charities for peace.




Keith Richards caused a stir this week when he stated that in 2002 after his father died he took his cremated remains mixed them with a bit of cocaine and snorted the concoction. The Disney company was upset when they heard about this not because Keith is doing drugs but because he will be the father of Jack Sparrow in the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean 3 due in theaters this summer.
Later this week Richards said that he was joking being that it was April Fools Day whether he did this or not may explain why he fell out of tree a few years ago while on vacation in Fiji


The annual Lollapalooza Festival will take place in Chicago's Grant Park August 3-5, 2007.Pearl Jam are slated to headline the final night of the festival which will be the band's only scheduled appearance for this year. Tickets are expected to go quickly and a three day pass to the festival will cost $165. Tickets can be purchased at Lollapalooza.com

Below a list of acts that are to perform.


Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Disco Biscuits
Kanye West
She Wants Revenge
Manu Chao
The Dresden Dolls
Wilco
Reverend Horton Heat
Death Cab For Cutie
The Smoking Popes
The Raconteurs
Andrew Bird
Gnarls Barkley
Stars
The Flaming Lips
Cursive
Ween
Blackalilcious
My Morning Jacket
Editors
Queens of the Stone Age
Lyrics Born
The Shins
Lady Soverign
Common
Calexico
Matisyahu
Feist
Ryan Adams
Aqualung
Umphrey's McGee
The Hold Steady
Sonic Youth
The Go! Team
Ben Kweller
Mates of State
Violent Femmes
Pepper
Thievery Corporation
Particle
Sleater-Kinney
The Red Walls
Nickel Creek
Mule Math
Blues Traveler
Wolfmother
Broken Social Scene
Sparta
The New Pornographers
The Subways
Iron & Wine
Of Montreal
Poi Dog Pondering
Blue October
Coheed and Cambria
The Secret Machines
Built To Spill


upcoming birthdays for April 9-April, 15 2007

April 9
Carl Lee Perkins ( 1932 – 1998)
American pioneer of rockabilly music,
a mix of rhythm and blues and country
music that evolved at Sun Records in Memphis in the early 1950

Gerard Way (1977)
frontman, lead vocalist
and co-founder of the
band My Chemical Romance

Albert Hammond, Jr. (1980)
musician and member of
the indie rock band The Strokes.


April 10

Shelby F. "Sheb" Wooley (April 10, 1921 – September 16, 2003) was a character actor and singer, best known for his 1958 novelty hit "Purple People Eater".

Eddie Hazel (April 10, 1950 – December 23, 1992) was a pioneering and influential guitarist in early funk music in the United States, most famous for his lead guitar work with George Clinton and Funkadelic.

Steve Gustafson (b 1957)
the bassist for the band 10,000 Maniacs

Kenneth Brian "Babyface" Edmonds ( 1958)
American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, record producer, film producer, and entrepreneur.

Brian Setzer ( 1959)
American guitarist, singer and songwriter.
Stray Cats Brian Setzer Orchestra

Katrina Leskanich ( 1960)
Katrina and the Waves

Warren Justin DeMartini ( 1963)
nicknamed Torch, is
the lead guitarist for Ratt

Tim Alexander (1965)
best known as the drummer
for the rock band Primus

Kenny Lattimore (1970)
American R&B singer.
Among his most popular hits were
"Never Too Busy" and "For You".

Mike Mushok ( 1970)
guitarist and songwriter
of the hard rock/post-grunge
band Staind

Chris Carrabba ( 1975)
the lead singer and guitarist
of the acoustic-alternative
band Dashboard Confessional

Shemekia Copeland ( 1979)
American blues singer.
The daughter of blues guitarist
and singer Johnny Copeland

Bryce Soderberg (1980)
bassist for Los Angeles
rock band Lifehouse.


Liz McClarnon ( 1981 )
English singer
and member of Atomic Kitten

Mandy Moore(1984)
American pop singer and actress

April 11

Stuart Adamson ( 1958 – 2001)
was an English-born Scottish
rock guitarist, singer and songwriter
Big Country,

Lisa Stansfield (1966)
English
R&B/soul/house singer

Cerys Matthews (1969)
singer and songwriter,
Catatonia, from 1992 to 2001.

Ollie Riedel (1971)
German musician
the bass-guitarist for the band Rammstein.

Joss Stone(1987)
English soul, R&B,
blues singer, songwriter,
and occasional actress
sold over nine million albums worldwide.

April 12

Billy Vaughn (1919 - 1991)
a singer, multi-instrumentalist,
and orchestra leader.

Tiny Tim( 1932 – 1996)
b .Herbert Butros Khaury
American singer, ukulele player,
and musical archivist

Herbie Hancock ( 1940)
Academy Award and multiple
Grammy Award-winning
jazz pianist and composer


Lois Reeves (1948 )
American soul and R&B singer
most notable for being the
younger sister of
Martha Reeves
Martha and the Vandellas



David Bruce Cassidy (1950)
american actor and musician,
best known for starring in the tv
series The Partridge Family
from 1970 to 1974.


Vince Gill (1957)
American country music
musician, songwriter, and singer.

Will Sergeant (1958)
English guitarist,
best known for being
a member of Echo & the Bunnymen

Art Alexakis (1962)
singer/guitarist and songwriter
of the rock band Everclear

Amy Ray ( 1964 )
singer-songwriter
and member of the Indigo Girls

Nic Hexum ( 1970 )
vocalist and rhythm guitarist
for alternative rock band 311.

Guy Berryman (1978)
a member of the group Coldplay

April 13

Jack Casady (1944 )
the bass player for
Jefferson Airplane

April 14

Loretta Lynn (1934)
American country singer
and was one of the leading
country female vocalists
during the 1960s and 1970s


April 15

Linda Perry 1965
best known as the lead singer
and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes


Samantha Fox (1966 )
English former glamour model
and dance-pop singer.

Ed O'Brien (1968)
member of Radiohead.

Until next week GETOUTOFMYHEAD !

YOU TUBE AWARDS

You Tube video awards

The You Tube video awards were handed out Monday by the video sharing site. This was the first awards given by the online site. The nominees of the best videos were listed in ten categories. Viewers had all week to vote for their favorite and in the music category the band Ok Go and Terra Naomi won a music awards . Ok Go won an award for the video to their song " Here It Goes Again.'"

The video is of the band using three sets of treadmills to make it look as if they are dancing to the song and is funny and clever. This is probably the most use a treadmill will receive by the members of the band. Terra Naomi won for her song " Say It's Possible" the video is of her with an acoustic guitar singing. She has used her appearance to get a deal with Island Records and will release her debut album in the summer.


Elton turns the big 60 !

Elton John celebrated his sixtieth birthday with his sixtieth concert at Madison Square Garden in New York on March 25. Elton sang thirty three of his hits in a three hour set and was joined by the Brooklyn Boys Choir. An audience of celebrities watched and Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams briefly joined him onstage. Williams said the John wore a tuxedo that made "Liberace look amish," other celebrities in the audience were Michael Caine, Rosie O'Donnnell, k.d. Lang, and Sharon Osborne.
Former president Bill Clinton also paid tribute to John's work in raising awareness and helping people with the AIDS virus. Bernie Taupin a longtime lyricist led the audience in singing happy birthday to John. John said " without Bernie none of us would be here tonight because the words have always come first."

In other Elton news the church leaders of the island country of Tobago have demanded that Elton John not play a concert scheduled to play the Plymouth Jazz Festival on April 29 th because he is gay and "have a negative social impact on the people " and " some may not be sure of their sexuality."
The political leaders of the country dismiss this idea and back John's performance at the festival. One of the organizers of the event insisted that " His band has performed in every country in the world. He is not coming here to preach about what lifestyle people should have."


Musical Notes


U2 guitarist The Edge donated his 1975 Les Gibson guitar that he has been using for ages to be auctioned off for Music Rising a program to replace musical instruments lost in New Orleans during hurricane Katrina and the flood that followed. Edge said " I wanted to give something really significant and that would really mean alot for me to give."

Lead singer of KISS Gene Simmons has made it clear that he isn't interested in a reunion of the original band lineup. He is quoted as saying "I personally don't want to, I love Ace and Peter, always have ,and because of my tough love I've never been shy about saying that they have always been drug addicts and alcoholics and they've destroyed themselves." At least you can say that he is honest.


Damon Albarn former lead singer of the band Blur/ Gorillaz has written an opera that will premiere at the Manchester International Festival. The opera is said to be based on the Chinese tale of the monkey and will be a "circus opera" which tells of the monkey's journey to the west and will feature a 45 piece troupe from China, Shaolin Monks, and martial arts experts. The show will include music composed by Albarn and visual concepts designed by Jamie Hewlett.
The festival will run from June 28-July 15 in Manchester and feature performances by Lou Reed, Smokey Robinson, PJ Harvey, Kanye West, and Happy Mondays at various venues around the city.

The White Stripes have released the track listing for their new album "Icky Thump" which will debut sometime in June. There are reports that parts of it will have a "hot tango rhythm" and bagpipes evoking a scottish them. I am not certain if these reports are rumors or truth but the White Stripes have always had some interesting songs. Here is a list of the tracks on "Icky Thump."
1. "Icky Thump”
2. “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told)”
3. “300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues”
4. “Conquest”
5. “Bone Broke”
6. “Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn”
7. “St. Andrew (This Battle Is in the Air)”
8. “Little Cream Soda”
9. “Rag and Bone”
10. “I’m Slowly Turning Into You”
11. “A Martyr For My Love For You”
12. “Catch Hell Blues”
13. “Effect and Cause

Jack White of the White Stripes will play Elvis in an upcoming movie called 'Walk Hard' a parody of the Johnny Cash biopic
'Walk the Line.' The feature is to focus on a fictional rockabilly musician similar to Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash played by John C. Reily. White will appear as Elvis who encounters the musician in the film.

The Beastie Boys are going to be busy this summer they are planning on releasing a new album, performing summer shows and some instrumental gigs. The instrumental performance will take place at The Sasquatch Festival on May 26th in George, Washington. They will perform at 18 european festivals from June 10th to September 9th the first will be at the Alive Festival in Lisbon, Portugal and wrap up the tour at U.K.'s Bestival.

David Bowie has been selected as curator for the H& M High Line Festival. It will begin at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on May 9th. The festival will continue at various venues around New York and Bowie is quoted as saying ' I thought it a very cool deal to be asked to curate the High Line Festival. The request for me to choose the artists and acts that I myself would go out of the way too see. Although, this will be the inaugural year will be modest in scale we've been pretty lucky in that many whom I asked have accepted." The current lineup for the festival is as follows.

May 2007
09 Arcade Fire - Radio City Music Hall
10 Air - Theatre at Madison Square Garden
11 The Polyphonic Spree - Hammerstein Ballroom
15 Deerhoof - Irving Plaza
16 Daniel Johnston - High Line Ballroom
16 17 Ken Nordine - The Kitchen
17 18 Laurie Anderson - High Line Ballroom
18 Secret Machines - High Line Ballroom
19 Ricky Gervais - Theatre at Madison Square Garden




The O.C. and Gray's Anatomy have influenced musical tastes by what they play during the episodes will have a label called Chop Shop Records with Warner Brothers . The label will be managed by Alexandra Patsavas the music supervisor responsible for the music on these shows.

The group Nickelback's album "All the Right Reasons" has remained on the charts for 18 months and the band continues to sell out their concerts while other bands struggle to have even some of the same success? Music critics and those who appreciate quality music loathe this band and are puzzled as to why they are so successful. Chad Kroeger the bands lead singer has said that the bands music is all over the map and appeals to a large audience and he doesn't listen to what the critics think. His song-writing technique is also very detailed, "He'll write a lyric or chorus and go back and say this chorus or that word isn't right and he can spend weeks writing the perfect song and melodies," said Kara DioGuardi who recently worked with him on another project.
Nickelback's influence has also reached beyond their hits. A charitable campaign for "If Everyone Cared" has raised over $200,000 according to Kroeger, " We wanted to inspire the people who saw the video and show that you don't need a team of personnel, you don't need alot of money to make a change in the world."


Another band that enjoyed popularity during the early to mid nineties and to the chagrin of critics are The Black Crowes. They are said to be in the studio and working with producer Paul Stacey in New York and Los Angeles. The album will be their first in six years

The band Tapes and Tapes have been working on their second album and will record it this summer. The next disc is to be different from their first one. Lead singer Josh Grier said " It's pretty much the same group of guys" but I'm sure there's going to be at least for us a song-writing growth."


Marilyn Manson musician, author, and one who strives to tick off the religious right is now showing his other artistic side. His watercolor artworks that he has painted over the years are to be displayed in Ft. Myers, Florida. Manson will be touring with the metal band Slayer. They will play 25 cities across the U.S. between July and September. Manson's album "Eat Me, Drink Me" will debut in June.

Amy Winehouse a british soul singer who's breakthrough album Back To Black has seen some chart success in the U.S. cancelled two shows in the U.S. and two more in the U.K. which were to be held at Shepards Bush Empire in London last week Apparently, the star who is known for her debauchery onstage and off fell during a drunken episode and smashed out her front teeth which required dental surgery. The canceled Empire shows will be made up on May 28th and 29th. It isn't known if there are any make up dates for the U.S. shows.


The Happy Mondays will release their first album in 15 years and are set to make their first full comeback since 1992's disc 'Yes Please'. Shaun Ryder the lead singer of the band says that they are working with Howie B and Sonny Levine to produce the album. He says that their sound is fresher than their first album ' Pills, Thrills, and Bellyaches,' "I'm no the world's greatest salesman, me I'm not a salesman at all (but) I think it's a really great album" said Ryder.





Legal Dept.

Celebrities were busy in court this week the first Velvet Revolver's lead singer Scott Weiland's wife and an alleged altercation at a Burbank Hotel and the destruction of clothing taking place outside their home. The couple have been married seven years and Scott went into rehab three years ago and has been sober since.
Mary Weiland released a statement to the supposed altercation with her husband and vandalism of two hotel rooms at the Graceila Hotel in Burbank, California. Late she set some of his clothes on fire outside their home and police responded to a call that a woman was burning something in a trash can, she was booked for investigation of felony arson and vandalism. Scott Weiland told police that $10,000 of his wardrobe went up in smoke.
She says the incidents were brought on by a "reaction to an imbalance in medication she takes to treat a bipolar disorder." "Reports that we were fighting outside the hotel are not true," Scott was merely trying to help me calm down , I want to make it very clear that he didn't hurt me in any way, I am grateful to my have a loving husband who is able to take care of me during this challenging time." The couple have apologized and paid for the damage to hotel as for the vandalism, arson charges against her the district attorney's office hasn't file them against her.

Wynonna Judd has filed for divorce from her estranged husband Dan R. Roach after his arrest last week on a charges of sex involving a minor. Roach was arrested in Abeline and charged with three counts of sexual battery against a child under the age of thirteen then extradited to Nashville where the charges originated. The Nashville police department had been investigating him for sex crimes and has been since February. Roach had been receiving treatment for drug and alcohol addiction at a clinic in Buffalo Gap, Texas. Wynonna cited irreconcilable differences as a reason for the divorce and they had been separated since Feb 18 of this year. They were married in November of 2003 and have no children together.



Britney Spears fresh from rehab finalized the divorce with Kevin Federline this week. According, to their lawyers they have reached a " global divorce agreement regarding the issues of their marriage," which includes the custody of their two children.
Britney had dental surgery earlier this week and after her visit to the dentist she met with her ex husband's lawyers for five hours. They both signed the agreement but the terms and the settlement weren't disclosed. It is rumored that Federline will walk away with $ 1 million and joint physical custody of the children however that wasn't confirmed.


Eminem and his ex wife Kim Mathers agreed in court to stop criticizing each other in public for the sake of their daughter have apparently decided not to honor that agreement other than inside the courtroom. On tuesday Kim was being interviewed on New York's Hot 97 and spoke about their relationship. She spoke of his recent legal action to stop her and said " how many songs does he have about me?" she has been the subject of his songs " Cleaning out my closet," and " Mockingbird." She went on to say that he does interviews about the freedom of speech and that she has only done a couple about their relationship. Eminem cries like a "little girl." Kim accused him of being disconnected from reality and revealed that she really has no contact with him despite living a mile away from him.


Former lead singer Anthony Lovato of the band MEST was arrested last Sunday for suspicion of stabbing and killing a 25 year old man during an argument in an apartment building parking lot in Los Angeles.
Police arrived at the scene and found a man lying on the ground with knife wounds he later died at the hospital. A lieutenant with the department said that Lovato called 911 and remained at the scene to surrender himself to the police. They had been called on Saturday evening to the same apartment complex where the two men were fighting at a woman's apartment that they both had been previously dating but no one was arrested.
Lovato has avoided a murder charge because LA County District Attorney won't file charges against him because "there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the killing was not a justifiable use of reasonable force in self defense." Lovato has maintained that he stabbed the man in self defense, this along with his cooperation with police helped his case. MEST formed in Blue Island, IL in 1995 and had a hit in 1998 with the single ' Mo Money, Mo 40 oz' and went on to release four albums on the Maverick label which is owned by Madonna the band broke up in January 2006.

Busta Rhymes (b. Trevor Smith) is set to face misdemeanor assault charges in two separate incidents. He is accused of kicking and punching a former employee during an argument outside his office in Manhattan the day after Christmas, and he 's also accused of assaulting a fan who allegedly spit on his car after a performance at the Amsterjam Music Festival .
Manhattan Criminal Court judge Tanya Kennedy retracted a plea deal that was made earlier this year and set a court date for May 8th. Busta Rhymes who recently refused a deal that would have allowed him to plead guilty but enroll in anger management class and do community service in order to avoid jail time. If he is convicted he could be sentenced to more that a year in jail and fined $500.


WTF Dept.
( I am not making this up)
Michael Jackson is to have a 50 foot robotic replica of himself that will shoot laser beams from the eyes and is to roam the desert near Las Vegas Nv. It is to be the centerpiece of an elaborate show in the city which he is rumored to be currently residing in. If built the robot would be visible from the incoming airplanes coming into the gambling capitol of the world. Luckmann Van Pier has drawn up blueprints for the robot and according to Andre Van Pier Michael has seen them and likes them alot. It doesn't surprise this author is surprised that he likes them because his ego is at least twice the same size of the robot here is a perfect example of someone who has either too much money or not enough sense.
In 1995 Jackson had a giant statue of himself that was towed down the Thames river in London to commemorate his HIStory album release.

Well with all that being said I am going to list the upcoming birthdays for April 1-April, 9 2007

April 1
Ronald Lane (1946 - 1997)
English singer, songwriter and bass player (nicknamed "Plonk") best known for his membership in two prominent English rock bands, Small Faces (1965-69) and Faces (1970-75).

Jimmy Cliff(1948)
Jamaican reggae musician


Jesse Tobias (1972)
Guitarist who gained notoriety during a brief tenure
with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1993 and
was replaced by Dave Navarro within the year.


April 2

Serge Gainsbourg ( 1928 – 1991)
French poet, singer-songwriter,
actor and director.

Marvin Gaye (1939 – 1984)
American soul and R&B singer-songwriter,
instrumentalist, record producer and performer
who gained international fame as an artist on the Motown label in the 1960s and 1970s.

Dr. Demento (1941)
born Barret Eugene Hansen
a radio disc jockey specializing in
novelty songs and pop music parodies.

Emmylou Harris (1947)
country music singer-songwriter
and musician.

Leon Russell Wilkeson (1952 - 2001)
bass guitarist of Southern rock band
Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 until his death in 2001.

Greg Camp (1967)
Guitarist and lead songwriter
for the band Smash Mouth.


April 3
Wayne Newton (1942)
Singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas.

Billy Joe Royal (1942)
American country music singer.

Tony Orlando (1944)
b. Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis
American singer best known for his time
with the group Dawn in the early 1970s.


Richard John Thompson (1949)
British musician, best known for
his guitar playing and songwriting.

Sebastian Bach (1968)
b. Sebastian Philip Bierk
Canadian heavy metal singer
best known as ex-frontman of Skid Row.

Drew) Shirley ( 1976)
Guitarist and the newest member
of the rock band Switchfoot.

April 4

Muddy Waters (1913 – 1983)
American blues musician
and is generally considered "the father of Chicago blues".

Dave Hill (1946)
Lead guitarist and backing vocalist
in the English glam rock group, Slade

Gary Moore (1952)
Guitarist played with Thin Lizzy,

Johnny Borrell (1980)
Guitarist, and songwriter of
English band Razorlight.


April 5

Stan Ridgway (1954)
Original lead singer for the band
Wall of Voodoo.


Mike McCready (1966)
Founding member of
Pearl Jam

Paula Cole (1968)
Singer/Songwriter
known for her singles
"Where Have All the Cowboys Gone" and "I Don't Want to Wait"

Pharrell L. Williams (1973)
Producer, singer, rapper, and songwriter.

April 6
Merle Haggard, (1937)
American country music
singer, guitarist and songwriter.

Zamfir (1941)
Virtuoso of the pan flute.

Frank Black (1965)
Singer, songwriter and guitarist
of the band The Pixies.

April 7
Ravi Shankar ( 1920)
Indian composer best known
for his virtuosity on the sitar and
played with the Beatles on several
of their later albums.


Bobby Bare (b1935
American country
music singer and songwriter.

John Oates (1948)
Musician and producer
known as half of successful duo Hall & Oates


April 8

Steve Howe (1947)
Guitarist best known for his work
with the rock group YES.

Izzy Stradlin(1962)
Former guitarist
with the band
Guns & Roses.


Julian Lennon, (1963)
English singer, songwriter, musician,
and first son of Beatle John Lennon.

Biz Markie ( 1964)
born Marcel Hall
East Coast hip hop rapper and DJ, best known
for humorous singles such as "Just a Friend".

Paul Grey( 1972)
Bassist for the nu metal band Slipknot.

Until next week GETOUTOFMYHEAD !

Endings and Beginnings.

This week in music was a week of endings and beginnings whether it is a festival, trial, tour, reunion, a work in progress or a rehab completion this week had all of these.

END

The ending of the South by Southwest festival known as SXSW wrapped up this past week.The SXSW is held each year in Austin, Tx and features numerous bands that play in a various venues all over the city. A variety of musical styles are showcased at the festival everything from rock, hip-hop, pop, punk, country, to the avant garde/ experimental. Some of bands and singers you may be familiar with are
The Presidents of the USA, Bowling for Soup, Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde) Kenny Wayne Shepard to some lesser known bands such as Garland Jeffreys , The Whigs, The Saints. The festival lasts all week through the middle of March and is considered an indicator of what bands may be the "next big thing."and members of the music industry gather to discuss and showcases the newest technology and ideas in music.

BEGIN

The beginning of the Phil Spector murder trial started in Los Angeles. Spector is a producer famous for the "wall of sound" technique that was made popular by groups and singers such as The Ronnettes, The Beatles, The Rightous Brothers, The Ramones, and Tina Turner, John Lennon.
Spector has been know for his eccentricity whether it is in the studio where he reportedly pulled a gun because an artist couldn't hit a certain chord to being a recluse in his suburban faux castle mansion in the hills of Los Angeles.
On Feb 3, 2003 Spector and actress Lana Clarkson were in attendance at L.A.'s House of Blues. Clarkson was a forty year old actress who had starred in movies and television shows such as Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Night Court, Hill Street Blues. However, recently she had fallen on hard times working as a hostess at the House of Blues. Later that evening they went to his home and sometime during that same evening Clarkson was found slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector's home dead from an apparent self inflicted shotgun blast.
A chauffeur of Spector's reported to police that Spector was quoted as saying too him on the night in question " I think I killed somebody" and he had a shotgun with blood on his hands.
A coroners report called the death a homicide and "death by the hand of another," she had gunshot residue on her hands indicating that she had apparently shot herself. Spector maintained it was a "accidental suicide" but was arrested under suspicion of murder and later freed on a $1 million dollar bond.
On Oct 26 , 2005 a judge ruled that damaging statements made by Spector to the police can be used against him at the trial. His lawyer's have fought to suppress a statement made by him to police where he stated " I didn't mean to shoot her" the lawyer argues that Spector is bi-polar and was going through prescription drug withdrawal when police questioned him about the incident. If convicted of murder he could serve life in prision.

Would you like a pastry with that ?

Starbucks Corp. and the Concord Music Group they will launch a label called Hear Music. The first signing was announced Wednesday at the company's annual meeting. The artist will be Sir Paul McCartney. This announcement is a big step for the Starbucks Corp which has produced and sold some albums in their stores. Ray Charles "Genius loves company" was a title that you could get with your verti cappuchino in 2004 and was a big seller for the company.

Someone who will possibly be drinking more of Starbucks product will be Brittney Spears who officially completed her 30 day rehabilitation on Tuesday. She entered the facility on Feb 22 after bizarre behavior which included her shaving her head, getting new tattoos on her wrist and hip, and beating a car with an umbrella. The facility Promises is a Mediterranean style villa located in the Santa Monica Mountains and costs $48,000 for a 30 month stay. Some other famous alumni of the facility are Charlie Sheen, Ben Affleck, and Matthew Perry.
It hasn't been disclosed exactly what Spears entered the rehab facility for but if her hanging out with Paris Hilton before the odd behavior and the rehab is any indication it was most likely alcohol.

Lawsuits a rock n roll staple

The estate of the late Rick James has filed a lawsuit on March 15 seeking unspecified damages against the Brooklyn Music Publishing group. The suit accuses the company of collecting money from licensing James' songs without permission in European markets. About a dozen of Rick James' songs are involved in the lawsuit and they have been used for commercials. Brooklyn Music Group had a long term contract to oversee the publishing rights to some of James' songs but not his hit "Superfreak." When Rick James died in 2004 his trust decided not to renew the agreement and instead awarded the rights to another company in January 2007. Brooklyn Music Group refused to stop administering the songs hence the reason for the lawsuit.

Reassembled Pumpkins, Non Instinct Dinosaur

Billy Corgan who tried to be a solo artist with his first and hopefully last release 2005's 'The Future Embrace' and was panned by fans and critics, so what does a six foot two guy with a big ego and a whiney voice do ?
He decides that having a band wasn't so bad after all and reforms it. Nearly a year and a half after Billy Corgan placed a full page ad in the Chicago Tribune stating that he wanted his old band back. The Smashing Pumpkins will debut with a new album it will be titled 'Zeitgeist' and according to the bands website will be released at 7:07 a.m. on saturday July 7,2007.

It isn't known if any of the former members of the band such as James Iha, D'Arcy Wretzky , or Melissa Auf Der Maur will rejoin the group however, original members Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin will . To build up the publicity of the disc and the reunion of the band they will play a series of festivals in Europe starting with the Pinkpop Festival in the Netherlands on May 28 and make stops in Germany, Portugal, and Italy before wrapping up at Intelaken, Switzerland.
The only North American date that has been confirmed will be the second night of Toronto's first Virgin Music Festival sponsored by billionaire Richard Virgin. The other acts participating in the festival are Bjork, Interpol, The Killers, Paolo Nutrinin and Amy Winehouse.


Another group that was popular during the late 80's and early 90's has reunited for an album and tour. Dinosaur Jr. will debut their album 'Beyond' and it will be out on May 11 on Fat Possum Records. They have had been touring several dates before completely reforming and this will be their first album recorded together since 1989. They will be playing several dates in ten major cities such as LA, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, Ann Arbor, and New York.

J.Masics has had some success as a solo artist but not the same level that the group enjoyed during the early nineties which could be the same reason the Pumpkins are getting back together. Bass player Lou Barlow will rejoin the band but is currently on tour with the reunited Sebadoh which he formed after leaving Dinosaur Jr. The tour dates are as follows

May
11 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
12 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
13 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
15 San Francisco, CA - Slim's
16 San Francisco, CA - Slim's
17 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
18 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
19 Olympia, WA - Capitol Theatre
20 Bellingham, WA - The Nightlight
22 Victoria, BC - Sugar Nightclub
23 Vancouver, BC - The Commodore Ballroom
25 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Ballroom
26 Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room
27 Saskatoon, SK - The Odeon Events Centre
29 Winnipeg, MB - Garrick Centre at The Marlborough
29 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock
30 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock
31 Chicago, IL - The Abbey

June
1 Chicago, IL - The Abbey
2 Chicago, IL - The Abbey
3 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig
4 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig
6 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
7 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
8 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
9 Montreal, QUE - Club Soda

The White Stripes have announced that they will go on tour in support of their sixth album titled 'Icky Thump.' It has a tentative June release and will be the first under their new agreement with Warner Brothers Records.They will play 34 dates in the U.S. starting July 29th in San DIego and then go to the midwest before ending the tour in their hometown of Detroit. The Shins will also join them for the tour at a single date in September at Coney Island NY.
White Stripes tour dates:
July

29 San Diego, CA - Street Scene

August

6 George, WA - The Gorge
7 Vancouver, British Columbia - Orpheum
8 Vancouver, British Columbia - Orpheum
10 Portland, OR - Keller Auditorium
12 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
15 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
16 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
17 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
18 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
19 Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre
22 Denver, CO - Red Rocks
23 Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
24 St. Louis, MO - Fabulous Fox Theater
26 Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theater
27 Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theater
29 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater
30 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater
31 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theater

September

8 Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
9 Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
10 Columbus, OH - Ohio Theatre
12 Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati Music Hall
13 Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre
14 Cleveland, OH - Playhouse Square Center-State Theatre
16 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Amphitheatre
17 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
19 Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts Center
20 Boston, MA - Opera House
21 Boston, MA - Opera House
24 Coney Island, NY - Keyspan Park *
27 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavillion
28 Atlantic City, NJ - House of Blues

October

2 Detroit, MI - Masonic Temple Theatre
*with the Shins and Brendan Benson

New Material coming soon !

R.E.M. are back in the studio after being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame last week. The remaining members Michael Stipe, Bill Buck, Mike Mills are heading back to the studio to work on their 14th album. The bands 2004 release "Around the Sun" failed to chart very well and wasn't received very well by fans and critics. It was a low point for album sales in the bands twenty seven year career.
R.E.M. are looking for new musical direction and are to be working with Irish producer Garrett "Jacknife" Lee who won two Grammy awards for his work on U2's " How to dismantle an Atomic Bomb." Lee has also worked with english bands Snow Patrol, Kasabian, and Bloc Party.

Bjork is working on new material in Sony's studio in New York City. She was there to lay down two tracks on called 'Pneumonia' which features her unique voice with seven french horns, the other track that she was working on is called 'Trance.' The album titled 'Volta B' will be different than her previous two disc album Medulla and Vespertine. Bjork says that she " Is ready to be an extrovert again and have fun making music." "Ninety percent of this album was born from me sitting in front of the computer editing brass horns and tribal beats." She will also be collaborating with Anthony of Anthony and the Johnsons and producer Timbadland.

Bryan Ferry has recorded a whole disc of Bob Dylan covers. "If not for you," and "Positively fourth street," get the smooth and suave sound that Ferry is known for. He is also recording a new disc with his old band Roxy Music their first since 1982's Avalon.



Morrisey will tour the western half of North America this year . A forty date tour at mid sized venues with the exception being the Hollywood Bowl which seats 17,000. He will not tour Canada because of the annual seal hunt that takes place and is supported by the Canadian government. Listed below are the dates and locations for his tour.

Morrissey Tour Dates

April
27 Stockton, CA - Bob Hope Theater
28 Sparks, NV - John Ascuaga's Celebrity Showroom
29 Sparks, NV - John Ascuaga's Celebrity Showroom

May
1 Oakland, CA - Paramount Theater
2 Santa Rosa, CA - Wells Fargo Center
5 Spokane, WA - INB Performing Arts Center
6 Seattle, WA - Paramount
8 Salt Lake City, UT - E Center Ford Theater
9 Denver, CO - Fillmore
11 Omaha, NE - Orpheum
12 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside
14 Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater
15 Chicago, IL - Auditorium
17 Cleveland, OH - Playhouse Square Center
18 Columbus, OH - Palace Theater
21 Indianapolis, IN - Murat Center
22 St Louis, MO - The Pageant I'm surprised he is coming here ! (author)
23 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
25 Dallas, TX - Palladium
26 Austin, TX - Backyard
28 Houston, TX - Verizon
30 El Paso, TX - County Coliseum
31 Tucson, AZ - Music Hall

June
2 Phoenix, AZ - Maricopa County Events Center
3 San Diego, CA - Bayside Concerts
5 Ventura, CA - Majestic Ventura Theater
6 Riverside, CA - Riverside Municipal Audit
8 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
9 Las Vegas, NV - Pearl



Elvis Costello will begin a ten date tour of the U.S. this spring starting April 13th where he will perform with Rosanne Cash at New York City's Rubin Museum of Art. According to Costello "It will be an all acoustic musical talk show, drawing on the theme of magic numbers," while we all ponder what that means it will be interesting to see if Costello's sound has changed any since he married jazz musician Diana Krall. The ten date tour will be as follows.
May
2 Los Angeles, CA - House Of Blues
3 San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
6 Denver, CO - The Fillmore
8 Minneapolis, MN - Myth
9 Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
11 Detroit, MI - State Theatre
15 Boston, MA - Avalon
16 New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
18 Washington D.C. - 9: 30 Club
19 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory

Guess he didn't find the perfect drug

Trent Reznor has spoken out about drugs and he doesn't have too many good things to say about them. He has said that drugs impaired his ability write and create music and is quoted as saying " I had made writing out to be a terrifying prospect filled with pain and failure and some things, I dreaded doing because I always lacked self confidence and every other thing." "By the end of my run with drugs I realized that my brain wasn't functioning right and I'd lost the power to concentrate." "It really made my art suffer, which made me feel worse, which made me want to get high and you know that cycle starts up." Since sobering up he has stated that he finally learned how to write on the road that makes him even more productive than ever before.


Another group of former drug addicts and never aging rockers The Rolling Stones have announced that they will tour Europe and begin a 27 date tour on June 5 in Werchter, Belgium. They will headline the Isle of Wight Festival June 10 it will be their first at the festival in more than 30 years. The tour will wrap up Aug 21 with a show at London's Millenium Dome which has been re-branded the O2 Arena. They were forced to cancel several european dates for last year's "A Bigger Bang" tour because Keith Richards fell out of a tree and injured his head while on vacation in Fiji and Mick Jagger contracted laryngitis in August. Despite these set backs their 2006 tour grossed $138.5 million.

Contemporaries of the Rolling Stones, The Who are back on tour after they had to cancel a concert in Tampa FL last saturday because of Roger Daltrey's bout with bronchitis . The Who played a sold out concert in the Alltel arena in Little Rock, AR. Daltrey told the crowd that "it feels good to be out of bed," he then proceeded to go perform an over ninety minute set of the bands classic hits and new ones from their recent album ' Endless WIre'. They ended the evening by playing 20 minutes of encores and a few hits from the rock opera 'Tommy.'
In other Who related news Pete Townshend has set off a debate on what is classic rock. In an interview with WAXQ-FM Townshend spoke out against those who would classify The Police as classic rock. Townshend said
" The Police are punk, they are a punk band," 'They aren't classic rock, you know you've got the Stones and the Who. He also stated that "classic rock is finished it's all over after that. This is just music it's not classic anything."


The suicide of Brad Delp lead singer of the band Boston continues to have repercussions on current and former members. Tom Scholz a founding member and chief songwriter wasn't informed of Delp's death and not invited to his funeral.
Tensions between Scholz and the early band members stem from delays in recording Boston's new albums after the releases of 'Boston' in 1976 and 'Don't look back' in 1978. Scholz sued for the rights to the band name an music but lost the case. Those who opposed Scholz attended the funeral and Delp's former wife Micki was quoted on a New York radio station as saying that the professional conflicts in Delp's life caused him to become despondent and after a long time friend Fran Cosmo was cut from Boston's summer concert . Many fans took these for the reason Delp took his own life.
Scholz called Delp his closest friend and collaborator in music for over 35 years and was dissappointed that his exclusion from the funeral . He feels that he is being blamed unfairly for the suicide. His lawyer contacted Micki and asked that she retract her previous statement but no comment was made by her. Delp's fiance said that no one was intentionally excluded from the funeral. She stated that she wanted Delp's children to get through this ordeal quickly and without drama.



Elton John will turn 60 years old on March 25 he will celebrate by putting on a decadent show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It will be interesting how many costume changes he does if any.

Here are the birthdays for the week of March 26- March 31, 2007
Mar 26
Steven Tyler (1948)
born Steven Tallarico
lead singer of the band
Aerosmith.

Teddy Pendergrass, (1950)
American soul singer

Charly McClain ( 1956)
American country music singer.

Kenny Chesney (1968)
Country music singe known for his songs
"No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems"
"When the Sun Goes Down".

James Iha (1968 )
former guitarist for
The Smashing Pumpkins .

Mar 27
Pee Wee Russell, (1906 - 1969)
jazz musician.

Benjamin Webster (1909-1973)
Influential American jazz tenor saxophonist.

Sarah Vaughan( 1924 – 1990)
American jazz singer
one of the greatest
singers of the 20th century

Tony Banks (1950) i
English songwriter, pianist/keyboard player, and guitarist.
One of the founding members of progressive rock/pop group Genesis has belonged to Genesis throughout its entire history.

Andrew Farriss (1959 )
The keyboardist and key composer
for the Australian band INXS.

Brendan Hill (1970)
The drummer for American jam
band Blues Traveler.


Mariah Carey (1970)
R&B singer, songwriter
known for her 8 octave
range voice.


Fergie (1975)
born Stacy Ann Ferguson
Member of the Black Eyed Peas
singer, songwriter, and actress.



Mar 28


John Evan(1948)
played keyboards for Jethro Tull
from April to December 1970
and then from January 1971 to June 1980.

Milan B. Williams (1948 –2006)
Keyboardist and a founding member
of the Commodores band.

Reba McEntire (1955)
Grammy Award-winning American singer
and one of the best-selling
country music performers of all time.


Jon Lee (March 28, 1968 – January 7, 2002)
Original drummer for the successful British rock band Feeder.

David Keuing (1976)
Guitarist for the American synth rock band The Killers.

J-Kwon (1986)
born Jarrell Jones
rapper from St. Louis

Mar 29

Pearl Bailey (1918 –1990)
American jazz and blues
artist popular throughout her
career which started in
the 30's up until her
death in 1990.

Ray Davis (1940- 2005)
Original bass singer
one of the founding members of The Parliaments, Parliament and Funkadelic.


Bobby Kimball (1947)
Singer best known for being
a member of the rock band Toto.

Patty Donahue (1956— 1996)
lead singer of
The Waitresses


Perry Farrell (1959)
Former lead singer of the
band Jane's Addiction and
Porno for Pyro's.

John Popper (1967) i
Musician and songwriter
for the band Blues Traveler


Mar 30

Frankie Laine,(1913 – 2007)
Successful American singer
of the twentieth century.

Graeme Edge (1941)
Drummer and
a songwriter for
the Moody Blues.

Eric Clapton CBE (1945)
nicknamed "Slowhand"
Grammy Award winning
English guitarist, singer and composer,

MC Hammer ( 1962)
born Stanley Burrell
American rapper
popular during the late 1980s
early 1990s, known for
his dramatic rise to and fall from fame and fortune,

Tracy Chapman (1964)
Singer-songwriter,
best known for her singles "Fast Car,"
"Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution,"
"Baby Can I Hold You,"
"Give Me One Reason."

Céline Dion (1968)
Canadian
Grammy and Juno
award winning pop singer
occasional songwriter.

Norah Jones (1979)
born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar
Grammy Award-winning
American singer-songwriter


Mar 31

Richard Kiley ( 1922-1999)
American stage and film actor
narrated various documentaries.

Shirley Jones (1934)
Academy Award
winning singer and
actress. Known for
her role as the mom
on The Partridge Family

Lefty Frizzell (1928-1975)
born WIlliam Frizzell
American country music
singer and songwriter
popular for his Honky Tonk
style during the 1950's.

John D. Loudermilk ( 1934 )
American singer and
songwriter

Herb Alpert ( 1935)
Known for his work
with the Tijuana Brass,

Angus Young ( 1955)
Guitarist and songwriter
for the band AC/DC

Until then GETOUTOFMYHEAD !

Van Halen, R.E.M. Patti Smith, Oh My....

Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductions held

This week started off with induction ceremonies for the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. New members Van Halen, R.E.M., Patti Smith, The Ronnettes and rap's first artist Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
Van Halen were the first to be inducted although, no current members of the band were on hand for the ceremony. Former members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony accepted the invitation. Van Halen had planned to use the ceremony to kick of their reunion tour. However, lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen entered rehab last week and the tour has been put on hiatus. The band Velvet Revolver were the "house band" for the ceremony and had planned to perform the hit "Jump" and "Panama" with Van Halen's former lead singer David Lee Roth. Roth didn't appear because he objected to using Velvet Revolver to perform Van Halen''s songs. The disparity between Van Halen and Roth doesn't promise a happy reunion tour if a tour at all this summer.

R.E.M. were the second group to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry the bands former drummer joined them for the induction. Berry suffered an an aneurysm on stage in 1995 and nearly died. After nearly 17 years in the band he left in 1997 to take it easy and become a farmer. R.E.M. formed in Athens, Ga in the early 80's and are the innovators of the indie rock scene and had a hit in 1985 with "Radio Free Europe" they hit the mainstream later with "Losing my Religion" on the album' Out of Time ' in 1991 and continued to have hits throughout the 90's and into the 2000's.

Patti Smith a solo artist was inducted into the Hall of Fame. She is famous for her 1978 album "Horses" which linked the hippie and the punk rock sound of the day. Her album was an influence sighted by Michael Stipe as the reason why he wanted to become a singer and rock star. Smith didn't attend the ceremony instead she publicly panned it in a New York Times article saying that after having talked to the regular people around her Greenwich neighborhood it made the induction less important too her.

The Ronnettes were also inducted into the hall. They are famous for the song 'Be my Baby" which showcased the "wall of sound" pioneered by Phil Spector who was married to the lead singer Ronnie Spector. Keith Richards hosted the induction and Ronnie was there to accept the invitation

Hip hop and rap's first group was inducted into the Hall of Fame Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Their hit in the early 80's "The Message" was a chronicle of the urban life during the Reagan era. The induction ceremony was lead by rapper/ producer Jay-Z and leader Mellie Mel was on hand to accept the invitation. The rappers of today Jay-Z, Eminem,and Tupac will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 25 years.



Music Notes

Nine Inch Nails will release a new c.d. titled Year Zero on April 17 their first since 2005's With Teeth. Trent Reznor the bands lead singer and songwriter said that it was written while they were on tour for With Teeth . " I sometimes have trouble writing new material, while on tour but this was written in tour buses, backstage, and during breaks in the tour," said Reznor. The new material tells the story of an Orwellian picture of the USA in the year 2022 . A trailer for the album and the first single is called Survivalism are currently available on the NIN website.


The Flaming Lips are working on a Broadway version of their 2002 c.d. Yoshimi battles the Pink Robots. They are hoping to work with Des McAnuff who brought The Who's Tommy to the Broadway Stage. Wayne Coyne said "As much as I love the intense experience of being at a rock show, this could be great!"

A Guns N Roses fan site was shut down not by the band but by the fan who runs it. The GNRonline web-master is unhappy about the continued delay of the current lineups c.d. 'Chinese Democracy 'which is close to ten years in the making. The most recent release of the c.d. was to be March 6 when that didn't happen the web master stated

"The never-ending saga of 'Chinese Democracy', the lack of respect, clearness and mutual loyalty are just some of the reasons that has brought us down to this painful conclusion. Until now our detractors have always accused us of being 'Axl fanatics' (and to a certain degree, it is probably true) but today we aren't able to sustain Axl's project anymore, neither financially nor economically. We just can't afford to waste our heads on a project that has never even taken us into consideration. We still want to believe in Axl Rose and his record and we greatly wish that 'Chinese Democracy' would see the light of day before February 2008. If that will be the case we will make our best effort to re-open the site otherwise our domains will be lost and that will be the end of it."

A member of Coldplay is going to be a guest star on the new Swizz Beatz album titled 'One Man Band'. The album is written and produced by the rapper and it isn't known which member appears on the appear on a track titled "Part of the Plan." Chris Martin the lead singer of Coldplay appeared on "Beach Chair" from Jay-Z's 2006 comeback album 'Kingdom Come'. Martin has also recorded a song entitled 'Homecoming' which will be the first single from a new Kanye West album.

Debbie Harry has picked Kirsten Dunst to play her in an upcoming movie about her and the band Blondie. Alot of people aren't too happy about Harry picking Dunst for the role. Some feel that Dunst won't portray Harry acurately. Some of the other names tossed around were Scarlett Johannson or Gina Gershon.

Brittney Spears has fallen for a rock musician who she is in rehab with. She has started dating Jason Filyaw who is a 33 yr. old musician and is the lead singer for the band RIva. The couple met while attending an AA meeting and plan to move in together once they finish rehab.

The late John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" has become Colorado's official second state song along with the lesser known state song "Where the Columbines Grow." State senator Bob Hagedom pushed for the adoption of the song and said that it had been the unofficial song for many years. It has also introduced many people around the world to Colorado said Hagedom.
State senator Dave Schultheis said that he doesn't think the state should have two songs. "If the legislature didn't like Where the Columbines Grow, they should remove it and replace it." He admitted that he didn't know the words to the current state song. John Denver's brother Ron Deutschendorf said that John would have been honored to have his song designated as a state song. John Denver died in a plane crash near Monterey Ca, ten years ago.

The Who cancelled a concert in Tampa Fl, moments into the first song. Apparently, lead singer Roger Daltrey was ailing and having vocal problems. The concert started at 8:40 p.m. and they started to play their hit "I Can't Explain" but Daltrey exited without even singing a lyric. Lead guitarist Pete Townsend and the rest of the band left the stage, he returned later to apologize to the 9,000 fans attending the concert.
Telling them that Roger was barely able to speak and he is really sick and unable to go on. A make up date of Mar. 25 has been set and refunds for the tickets can be obtained at the place of purchase. The Who are in the middle of their first reunion tour in 20 years and their first since John Entwhistle the band's bassist died in 2002.

Saturday the 21st annual Soul Train Music Awards were held in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena Ca. Jamie Foxx, Mary J Blige. Gnarls Barkley and others were presented awards.
Jamie Foxx won best male for his album "Unpredictable" and Blige won for best female album for "The Breakthrough", Gnarls Barkley for best single from a group with "Crazy." John Legend won best male singer for "Save Room" and Beyonce won best female single for her song "Irreplaceable." Jay-Z won the Michael Jackson award for best soul or rap video for "Show me what you got" Jennifer Hudson won the Sammy Davis Jr. award for her performance in the movie "Dreamgirls" and Baby Face was presented the Stevie Wonder award for Outstanding achievement in song writing. The show was hosted by La Toya Jackson and Omarion the awards were voted on by radio station professionals, talent managers, and performers.

It was also learned this week that Brad Delp the lead singer of Boston who was found dead in his home last Friday committed suicide
A note attached to the stairs below the bathroom stated " I take complete and sole responsibility for my present situation. I have lost my desire to live," he wrote. The note also included instructions on how to contact his fiancee: "Unfortunately she is totally unaware of what I have done.". He committed suicide by placing two charcoal grills in the bathroom of his home and sealing off the door. Later police found four sealed letters in his office addressed to his fiance and his children, their mother.
Pamela Sullivan stated that he had been depressed for sometime and feeling bad about himself. Brad Delp and Sullivan were to be married this summer during a break from the bands tour.





Rock N Roll legal briefs


Paul McCartney and Heather Mills have come to an agreement in their bitter divorce battle. The couple were married in 2002 and have a child Beatrice together. It was reported that Mills was seeking $6.6 million a year or $20.000 a day but Mills dropped those demands and will received $48 million in cash and a Georgian Mansion worth $8 million.
No prenuptial agreement was signed before the two married and Mills could have walked away with a quarter of McCartney's $1.6 billion fortune. The British press have labeled Mills as a "gold digger" and to this she has replied " I fell in love unconditionally and if I was a gold digger then I'd have alot of money in my bank account and be worth millions."

An irish judge wants Eminem to appear in court following the cancellation of a 2005 performance at Slane Castle. The rapper is the subject of a $3 million compensation lawsuit filed by promoters MCD and are seeking to recoup funds from three insurance companies .
They claim they haven't been refunded their money after 80,000 tickets were voided by the cancellation of the concert by Eminem who cited "exhaustion" for the cancellation during his Anger Management Tour. Eminem has requested that he present his appeal in private but justice Peter Kelly has refused insisting the rappers contribution to the trial is "possibly crucial."


Levon Helm the former drummer of The Band is suing a Manhattan advertising firm for their use of the song "The Weight" in a television commercial.
The commercial was produced by Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn (BBDO) and featured in a Cingular advertisement. The lawsuit was filed in New York State's supreme court in December and Helm asks for the information on how much the commercial made and for compensation. His attorney states that law prohibits a company from using a celebrity's voice or likeness without written permission.
According to a royalty statement from EMI records who own Capitol records BBDO paid for the rights to use the song and Helm took one-fifth of the licensing fee that was paid BDO had no comment on the suit.
Helm was quoted as saying" It was just a complete sellout of The Band—its reputation, its music, just as much disrespect as you could pour on Richard and Rick's tombstones," said Helms. Richard Manual piano player for The Band died in 1986 and bass player Rick Danko died in 1999. The Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Busta Rhymes wasn't present for the filming of the movie Order of the Redemption a crime thriller starring Tom Berenger and Rhymes . It wasn't his choice not too be present. The New York Police Department barred the rapper from the production citing "safety concerns" there are rumors that Rhymes was barred from the set because of his continued failure to cooperate with the NYPD in a murder probe of his bodyguard Israel Ramirez . He was killed by an unknown assailant in February of 2006 while Rhymes was filming a music video in Brooklyn. This incident along with recent ones involving Rhymes where he allegedly assaulted a fan for spitting on his SUV and a former driver says he was roughed up over money owed to Rhymes. Busta Rhymes has entered a plea of not guilty in both cases and his next court date is March 26. If convicted on the first count he will be charged with a misdemeanor and 30 days in jail, the second count will possibly net a fine.
The movie's producer Rob Capelli in an interview with The New York Daily News said that the decision to bar Rhymes from the set was financial because having the star on the set would require additional police detail. The movie director Jeff Celentano stated that they had permits to shoot the production in Manhattan for 14 days in early April. He also said that barring him from the set was unfair to Rhymes and that he had been nothing but professional during the project.

Courtney Love is being sued by The Beau Monde Center a southern california rehab center that treats drug and alcohol addiction. The center claims she paid $10,000 up front but hasn't paid the remaining $180,000 for the treatment she received in 2005.
The center offers massages, gourmet food and whale watching for its wealthy celebrity clientele. Love spent four months in the center and was ordered too by a Los Angeles judge because she spent months in and out of courts on drug charges and one charge of assaulting a female who is a friend of Love's ex-boyfriend.
Love's lawyer stated that there is a difference between the them over how much money is actually owed and the matter is in the process of being resolved.

That is all of the music news for the week here are the birthdays for the week of March 19-25 2007. Until next week
GET OUT OF MY HEAD !

Mar 19

Ornette Coleman (1930)
American saxophonist and composer.
He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s.

Clarence "Frogman" Henry (1937)
Blues artist

Ricky Helton Wilson ( 1953 – 1985)
the original guitarist in the rock band The B-52's,
which he helped to form in 1976. One of the
first musicians to die of HIV.

James "Big Jim" Wright ( 1966)
record producer, musician, and songwriter, producer.
Worked with Mariah Carey on her 2005 album,
The Emancipation of Mimi.

Mar 20
Dame Vera Lynn, DBE ( 1917)
British singer whose career flourished during World War II
nicknamed "The Forces' Sweetheart" and is best known for
the popular songs "We'll Meet Again"

Jerry Reed (1937)
American country music singer, country guitarist, songwriter, and actor.

Marcia Ball (1949)
American blues singer and pianist

Carl Palmer (1950)
English drummer and percussionist.
Palmer is a veteran of a number of British bands, including
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Atomic Rooster, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Asia.

Jimmie Vaughan (1951)
American blues guitarist and singe and
is the older brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Slim Jim Phantom (1960)
rock drummer, best-known for his
work with the band, The Stray Cats

Chester Charles Bennington (1976)
American musician,
front man lead vocalist in the
band Linkin Park.

Nickolas Don Wheeler (1982) i
lead guitarist, sings back-up vocals, keyboardist, programmer
for The All-American Rejects

Mar 21

Eddie James House, Jr. (1902 –1988)
better known as Son House
an influential blues singer and guitarist


Roger Hodgson (1950)
British vocalist and musician
one of the founding members of
the progressive rock group Supertramp.

Jonas Berggren aka Joker (1967)
born Jonas Petter Breggren
one of the members of the
swedish group Ace of Base.

Keith "Keeti" Palmer (1967)
Member of the english band
The Prodigy.

Deryck Jayson Whibley ( 1980)
a.k.a Bizzy D
musician and producer
known for his work as the lead
vocalist and songwriter of Canadian pop
punk band Sum 41

Mar 22
Keith Relf (1943 -1976)
Lead singer and harmonica
player of The Yardbirds.

Mar 23

Ric Ocasek (1949)
former vocalist and frontman for
The Cars and a producer for several other
groups including Weezer, Bad Brains, and Suicide.

Chaka Khan (1953)
R&B singer popular during
the 70's


Damon Albarn, (1968 )
English singer-songwriter and
the lead singer of rock band Blur

Mar 24

Nena (1960)
A German singer who became famous
with the song "99 Luftballons" ("99 Red Balloons")

Dougie Thomson (1951)
Member of the band
Supertramp.


Sharon Helga Corr, MBE ( 1970)
Member of the irish rock band
The Corrs.


Mar 25

Hoyt Axton (1938 –1999)
American country music singer-songwriter,
film and television actor.

Aretha Louise Franklin (1942)
American soul, R&B, and gospel singer, songwriter

Nick Lowe (1949)
singer-songwriter
bass guitarist and producer

Sir Elton John, CBE (1947)
a multiple Grammy- and Academy Award-winning
English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist

Jeff Healey (1966)
Canadian blues-rock guitarist.

Cathy Dennis ( 1969)
dance-oriented pop singer-songwriter,
record producer and actress.

$3,400 to talk to who ?

News this week

On thursday in Tokyo fans paid ¥400,000 or $ 3,400 to talk to and meet with Michael Jackson . Many came dressed as the King of Nonesuch and there was a fan art contest judged by Jackson. Over a 100 orphans and handicapped kids were able to visit with him for free.
Although, Jackson still has a huge fan base in Japan he has kept a low profile around the rest of the world since being acquitted of child molestation charges in June of 2005 and spending most of his time in Bahrain and Ireland.
It is rumored that he is currently working on a solo album with Will I. Am of the Black Eyed Peas. The reformation of the Jackson 5 may happen. Michael will reunite with his brothers and play 250 dates in Las Vegas then tour the United States. The shows and tour are expected to make $500 million.

Britney Spears who hasn't been on the top of the charts for quite sometime may get some help from producer Timbadland who has worked with Justin Timberlake, and Nelly Furtatdo on such hits as "SexyBack" and "Maneater".
Timbadland is quoted as saying " she's got to be serious about a comeback." He has also said that he would like to have Justin Timberlake help with the production of new material. Calls from Timbandland's agent to Spears agent and label were not immediately returned.

The Dixie Chicks weren't nominated for any catagories in the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards.
Apparently, it is because of their stand on George W. Bush. Having stated publicly that they were embarrassed about being from the same state as the president. They received five awards at the Grammy's earlier this month.

According to Van Halen's website guitarist Eddie Van Halen has entered himself into rehab because he doesn't feel himself. He also said that he will be able to give 110% in the future. Van Halen were slated to begin a reunion tour with former lead singer David Lee Roth.


Coldplay are boasting that they have written the song everybody should hear "before we die." The band has decided to return to the studio and craft a different sound than the previous album "X&Y" which has sold more than 2 million copies since being released in 2005. Chris Martin the lead singer said that for a long time people have believed that they are "black and white" but they now feel like they have an incredible job and can try new things.

LL Cool J is in talks with Chapstick to endorse the lip balm. The company believes that he can appeal more to men and increase sales.

The Beastie Boys are finishing a new album which will hopefully be out this summer. It will be their first since the 2004 release "To the 5 Burroughs."

Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey turned some heads in Nashville while filming scenes for the upcoming movie "Tennessee."

The R&B diva is playing an aspiring country signer who flees her controlling husband in New Mexico by moving to Nashville with two brothers.

Last week, she sang at the downtown honky-tonk Second Fiddle. She co-wrote "Right To Dream" with Willie Nelson and performed it with Nelson's harmonica player, Mickey Raphael.

"People were weeping on the crew when she sang it," director Aaron Woodley told The Tennessean. "It's very moving, especially in the context of the film and her character."

Earlier, they shot on location in Dunlap, about 20 miles north of Chattanooga, and at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville. Later they filmed some train scenes on trips between Nashville and Lebanon.

"There I am, sitting on the edge of a boxcar with Mariah Carey, breezing through town," Woodley said. "We slowed down to go over a bridge, and there were people sitting in cars. I think they did a double-take: 'I swear I just saw Mariah Carey on a boxcar.'(AP wire)



In celebrity legal news

Sean Combs now known as just "Diddy" is being sued. A man claims that Combs was talking to his girlfriend outside a Hollywood nightclub last week and as he approached them Combs punched and yelled obscenities at him. Police are investigating but couldn't confirm that the incident actually took place so Combs wasn't charged. Sean Combs lawyer says it is another case of someone trying to take advantage of a celebrity. The lawsuit filed by the man seeks unspecified pain suffering and punitive damages.
A side note to Sean Combs and one of his former associates. This past week wass the 11th anniversary of the death of the Notorius B.I.G. who was born Christopher Wallace.He was artist with Bad Boy Records fronted by Combs. Wallace was gunned down on March 6, 1996 in Los Angeles after attending the Source Awards. His murder remains unsolved to this day. However, he released a greatest hits album this past week which contained no new material.



Bobby Brown who spent three days in a Norfolk county Mass. jail for not paying child support. He was eventually bailed out by a Washington D.C. radio station because he was to be an employee of the station for a week. It was learned this week he will not be appearing on the station after all. The reason wasn't given as to why Brown won't show his gratitude.

John Popper of Blues Traveler was arrested tuesday afternoon for going 111 mph on Interstate 90 near Spokane, Wa. Police found various weapons inside hidden compartments of the vehicle. They also found a stun gun, night vision goggles and a small amount of marijuana in the black Mercedes SUV that had flashing emergency lights, siren and a p.a. system. Popper said that he had these items installed because "in the event of a natural disaster, he didn't want to be left behind." Police impounded the vehicle and the items. Popper and the driver were taken to jail but were released on their own recognizance. Authorities are going to charge them with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia
John Popper had a hit a few years ago with "Runaround" when he was with the band Blues Traveler. Recently, he formed the band The John Popper Project with DJ Logic they released an album in 2006.

Fabian the 50's and 60's teen hearthrob singer had a couple of close calls last weekend. He was in a car crash with his daughter and manager near Palm Springs, Ca on friday. A vehicle sideswiped the vehicle they were riding in it rolled a few times but no one was hurt. Later at the Spotlight Casino while performing with Frankie Avalon he fell of the stage and scraped his chin.


The premiere of "Three days in the Life" a documentary about John Lennon was cancelled by lawyers of Yoko Ono. The footage of the documentary was shot inside Lennon's apartment in 1970 . It details the two months before the Beatles broke up . It was to be screened at Berwich Academy a private school in southern Maine. Apparently, the executive producer of the documentary Ray Thomas didn't receive a release for the copyright of the film and planned to show it for free at the academy. However, Ono's lawyers said that was even forbidden so the screening was cancelled completely

Money Death,Money, Death
Courtney Love who recently sold her share of Nirvana's songs is profiting from the band's song "Breed" which will be featured on the new MLB 2k7. Kurt Cobain continues to make money 13 years after his death.


James Brown who died on December 25th, 2006 has finally been laid to rest. His body was kept at an undisclosed location while his former wife and his family fought over his estate.
Seems that the current widow of the singer was apparently still legally married to someone else when she married Brown. The family cites this as a reason why she shouldn't get a piece of his estate. Brown's body was finally placed in a crypt on saturday.
The crypt is locaton on the Brown familys Beech Island home in South Carolina. The family also plan to build a larger mausoleum similar to "Graceland" in the future.


The "Big Bopper" J.P. Richardson's body was exhumed recently. In 1959 near Mason, Iowa he died with Buddy Holly and Richie Valens in a plane crash. It has been rumored for years that a gun found near Buddy Holly was fired on that flight and may have caused the crash . It was also rumored that RIchardson may have lived for awhile after the crash and died trying to find help.
However, a forensic expert at the University of Tennessee found massive fractures on Richardson's body from head to toe which proved that he died on impact. This also proved that pilot error was responsible for the crash. Richardson's body was reburied in the same cemetery but in a different plot and there is a plan to place a statue at the grave-site.

Brad Delph of the band Boston died suddenly on friday March 9 at age 55 in his Atkinson, NH home. Details of his death are not know but foul play wasn't suspected. He was with the band from 1976-2007 and sang on such hits as "More than a feeling." and "Longtime." The band Boston recently released an album and had taken a break from their recent tour. The band's website was taken down and replaced with Delph's picture and the words "we just lost the nicest guy in rock n roll."




I will try to end this on a happy note by listing the birthdays this week of
March 11-18, 2007

Mar 12
Al Jarreau (1940),
b. Alwyn Jarreau
Jazz Singer
famous for singing the
theme song to the
t.v. show "Moonlighting"

Liza May Minnelli (1946)
Judy Garland's little girl
and famous for her
performance in "Cabaeret"

James Taylor (1948)
Famous for many hits
during the 70's such as
"Fire and Rain"
married to Carly SImon for
a short time.


Stephen Harris (1956)
Known as just "Arry" to
his fans. Bassist, songwriter
of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden.

Marlon David Jackson (1957)
Member of The Jackson 5

Graham Coxon (1969)
Former guitarist
for the Britpop band
"Blur"

March 13

Jan Howard (1930 )
born Lula Grace Johnson
was one of the trail-blazing
country music female vocalists of the 1960s.



Liz Anderson (1930)
born Elizabeth Jane Haaby
Country music singer songwriter
wrote the Merle Haggard song
"The Fugitive" and "Strangers"
she is also the mother of
Lynn Anderson who had
the hit "I never promised you
a rose garden."


Erma Franklin ( 1938 – 2002)
soul, rhythm and blues, pop singer
recorded the original version of
"Piece of My Heart" later covered
by Janis Joplin

Neil Sedaka (1939)
Singer, songwriter
who had the hits
"Breaking up is hard to do"
"Calendar Girl."


Michael Martin Murphey (1945)
Country music singer
had hits in the 70's such
as "Wildfire"


Adam Charles Clayton (1960)
Bassist for the Irish rock band
U2.

Common (1972)
born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr
Chicago based rapper, songwriter.

David Draiman (1973 )
The lead singer for the
band Disturbed,

Ed Sloan, (1973)
the lead vocalist and guitarist
of the metal group Crossfade

Spanky G (1979)
Born Michael Joseph Guthier
former drummer of the band
The Bloodhound Gang.

Mar 14

Les Brown, Sr. ( 1912 – 2001)
Known for Les Brown
the Band of Renown

Lee Hays ( 1914 - 1981)
American folk-singer and songwriter,
known for singing bass with
the Weavers.

Phil Phillips (1931)
born John Phillip Baptiste
singer and songwriter best known for
his 1959 hit "Sea of Love."

Quincy Jones (1933)
music impresario, conductor
record producer, musical arranger,
film composer and trumpeter

Rick Dees (1950)
Born Rigdon Ogden Dees
radio disc jockey who is
best known for his syndicated radio show
Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 and
the novelty song "Disco Duck."

Taylor Hanson (1983 )
one of the singers
in the band Hanson

March 15
Harry James ( 1916 – 1983)
Band leader during the Big Band Era.

Phillip Lesh (1940 )
musician and founding member
of the rock band
Grateful Dead

Mike Love (1941)
singer and songwriter
of The Beach Boys.

Ryland "Ry" Peter Cooder (1947)
American musician collaborates with various
musicians from other countries.

Dee Snider (1955)
born David Daniel Snider
Lead singer of "Twisted Sister"

Bret Michaels (1963)
Born Bret Michael Sychak
lead vocalist of
the glam metal band Poison.



Mark McGrath (1968)
the lead singer of rock band Sugar Ray
and currently hosts the television tabloid Extra.

Mark Hoppus (1972)
one of the three founding members of
the pop punk band blink-182

Wil. I Am( 1975)
Born William James Adams
hip-hop musician and founding member of The Black Eyed Peas

Sid Wilson ( 1978 )
DJ for the
group Slipknot.

March 16
Fred Neil ( 1936 – 2001)
American blues and folk singer
songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s.
He is best remembered for writing the
top 40 hits "Candy Man" by Roy Orbison
"Everybody's Talkin'" by Nilsson

Jerry Jeff Walker (1942)
Born Ronald Clyde Crosby
a country music singer.

Nancy Wilson ( 1954)
singer and guitarist who formed
the band "Heart" with her sister
Ann. She is also married to
Cameron Crowe.

Flavor Flav (1959)
Born William Dayton
Rap artist and television star
founding member of the influential
politically conscious hip hop group Public Enemy



March 17


Billy Corgan (1967)
lead guitarist, and songwriter
for the rock band
Smashing Pumpkins

Melissa Auf der Maur (1972)
Canadian rock musician
and former bass player
of the band "Hole" and
Smashing Pumpkins.

Caroline Corr, MBE ( 1973)
drummer for the folk-rock band
The Corrs

Justin Hawkins ( 1975)
former lead guitarist and
singer of The Darkness.

Mar 18

Wilson Pickett (1941 – 2006)

Irene Cara (1959)
Known for the hit song
"What a feeling' from the movie
"Flashdance."


James McMurtry (1962)
folk music singer-songwriter
and the son of novelist Larry McMurtry.

Vanessa Williams ( 1963)
R&B/Pop/theatrical singer and actress

Jerry Cantrell ( 1966)
guitarist, singer, songwriter
with the band
Alice in Chains

Miki Berenyi (1967)
former lead singer
of the English band
Lush.

Queen Latifah (1970)
Born Dana Owens
One of the first female rappers.
Actor and spokesperson for
Maybelline.







Well that is all the news in music this week Until next week

GET OUT OF MY HEAD !

Spring and Summer concerts coming soon.

Hello
music lovers can it be the first week of March already? Time is certainly moving by quickly it won't be long until the spring and summer concerts and shows begin. An outdoor concert that will be here soon is Bonnaroo in Manchester Tennesee. The web site lists it as 101 days to go until it starts.
While there will be several artist performing the most interesting one is The Police who have reunited for 2007 in celebration of them forming 30 yrs ago. I can't see how this really a celebration considering they somewhat broke up in 1984 but I guess that it is one way to say that they have put aside their differences for now. The friction between Sting and Stewart Copeland is what made for some great music when they were together. I hope they sound better than they did at the Grammy Awards it showed that they hadn't played together in quite a few years. Alot of different groups will be playing Bonnaroo here is a partial list of some of them.
Tool ,• Widespread Panic • The White Stripes • Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals • Wilco • The Flaming Lips • MANU CHAO Radio Bemba Sound System • The String Cheese Incident • Franz Ferdinand • Bob Weir & Ratdog • Damien Rice • Ween • Gov't Mule • Ziggy Marley • The Decemberists • The Roots • Kings of Leon • Michael Franti and Spearhead • Wolfmother • Regina Spektor • The Black Keys • Galactic • DJ Shadow • Gillian Welch • Spoon • Keller Williams (WMD'S) • Sasha & John Digweed • STS9 • Old Crow Medicine Show • The Hold Steady • Lily Allen • North Mississippi Allstars • Fountains Of Wayne • Hot Tuna • Feist • Hot Chip • John Butler Trio • Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys • Aesop Rock • The Richard Thompson Band • Dierks Bentley • James Blood Ulmer • Xavier Rudd • Gogol Bordello • Junior Brown • Tortoise • T-Bone Burnett • Mavis Staples • Clutch • Cold War Kids • Dr. Dog • Paolo Nutini.

Wilco will be wrapping up a tour of Australia and Europe prior to playing at Bonnaroo. They will also be releasing a new album on May 15, 2007. It is called "Sky, Blue,Sky" and will include songs such as "Either Way,You Are My Face,Impossible Germany, and Sky Blue Sky." I haven't heard anything in advance from this album but will report on what I do when it is available. It will be interesting to see which direction the band will take musically. Jeff Tweed and Jim O'Rourke worked hard on the last two albums to be more experimental in order to leave the "alternative country" label that Uncle Tupelo and Wilco had built up previously. Wilco has recently been compared to Radiohead in their muscial direction. No matter which direction they take muscially I 'm certain it will be a success.

Another former Uncle Tupelo member has reformed his band. Jay Farrar who after going solo has decided that the band Son Volt was a better . A new album called " The Search" will debut on March 6, 2007 a partial listing of tracks are " Slow Hearse , The Picture , Action , Underground Dream , Circadian Rhythm" it will be interesting to hear how Farrar with some members of the new and old Son Volt.They begin a tour March 26 , 2007 and will play the Pageant in St. Louis on April 21, 2007.

Avril Lavinge has released her single "Girlfriend" and it is alot different than her previous albums "Lets Go" and "Under my Skin". The lyrics and music are alot lighter and comparable to what Jewel tried a few years ago. She left the angsty guitar girl image behind for a poppier sound on her album "03/04" the fans didn't react well to this and when sales dipped Jewel said it was a comment on the music industry and how it is more concerned about style than substance. If the reviews on iTunes are any indication of what Avril's fans think she apparently didn't pay attention to Jewel's mistake.

British pop singer Kellis ( the song 'Milkshake") the wife of rapper Nas was arrested in Miami on Friday for interferring with a police undercover operation. Apparently, Kelis charged two undercover female officers who were posing as prostitutes shouting racial slurs toward them. Her friends restrained her and she seemed to calm down for a moment but then she started again and the officers arrested her for interference. She posted a $1,500 bond and was released a few hours later.
Another pop singer in trouble is Bobby Brown who hasn't been paying child support for the past few months. When he atttended his daughters cheerleading competition in Canton, Ma the norfolk county police arrested him and took him to jail for three days. Hot 99.5 a Washington DC radio station paid over $19,000 that Brown owed in child support because he was to be an employee of the station for a week. Bobby Brown and his wife Whitney Houston divorced last year after 14 years of marriage.

The New Music Express Awards were held in Hammersmith Palais on March 1, 2007 in London England. The ceremony celebrated the best and worst of the year. The show was wrapped up by the Kaiser Chiefs who gave a great performance.
Winners of the awards were as follows

Best Catagory

Best Britsh Band Muse
Best International Band My Chemical Romance
Best Solo Artist Jamie T.
Best Album Whatever people say I am/ Artic Monkeys
Best Track Wasted little Dj's/ The View
Best Video Bones/ The Killers
Best Movie Pirates of the Carribbean Dead Man's Chest
Best Dvd Scummy Man/ Artic Monkeys
Hero Of the Year Gerard Way/ My Chemical Romance
Godlike Status Primal Scream
Sexiest
Man Matt Bellamy/ Muse
Woman Kate Moss

And the worst
Worst Band Panic! at the Disco
Worst Album "Rudebox"/ Robbie Williams
Villian of the Year George W. Bush


Those who had a birthday this past week were
Feb 26
"Fats" Domino (1928)
Antoine Dominique

Lazar Naumovich Berman (1930-2005)
Russian classical pianist

Johnny Cash (1932– Sept 12,2003)
Influenced generations of rock & country
musicians.
Known as
The man in Black.

Mitch Ryder (1945)
William S. Levise Jr.
Lead singer for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels
Famous for the hit "Devil with the Blue Dress on"

Bob "The Bear" Hite (1945-1981)
Lead singer and harmoinca player
for the band Canned Heat (1965-1981)

Sandie Shaw(1947)
b Sandra Ann Goodrich
"barefoot singer "
from Canada.

Emma Kirkby (1949)
British soprano singer

Michael Bolton(1953)
b Michael Bolotin
no relation to the guy
from "Office Space"

Erykah Badu (1971 )
b Erica Abi Wright
Neo-Soul R&B singer

Corinne Bailey Rae (1979)
English singer/songwriter

Feb 27
Mildred Bailey ( 1907 – 1951)
popular American singer
during the 1930's.

Dexter (Keith) Gordon (1923 - 1990)
American jazz tenor saxophonist
and considered one of the first
bebop tenor players

Guy Mitchell (1927-1999)
b Albert George Cernik
An American pop singer
famous for the song
"Heartaches by the number"

Steve Harley ( 1951)
b Steven Nice
Lead singer of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebels
progressive rock group in Britain during the 1970's

Adrian Frederik "H" Smith (1957 )
songwriter and guitarists
for the band Iron Maiden.

Nancy Laura Spungen (1958 – 1978)
the girlfriend of Sex Pistols'
bassist Sid Vicious.

Brad Vander Ark (1969)
bass player for the band
The Verve Pipe 1992-2001.

"Chilli" (1971)
b Rozonda Ocelean Thomas
from the R&B group TLC

Ali Tabatabaee (1973)
one of the vocalists in
the band "Zebrahead"

Bobby Valentino(1980)
b. Robert Wilson
American R&B singer

Josh Groban (1981)
American singer/songwriter
with a baritone voice.

Feb 28
Joe South (1940)
b. Joe Souther
Guitarist
played on Aretha Franklin
song "Chain of Fools"

Brian Jones (1942-1969)
b. Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones
original member The Rolling Stones.

Bernadette Peters (1948)
American Tony Award-winning
actress and singer.

Pat Monahan (1969)
lead singer of the band
Train

Jason Aldean (1977)
country music artist.

Fefe Dobson (1985)
b. Felicia Lynn Dobson
Canadian singer and songwriter

March 1
Alton Glenn Miller (1904 -1944)
American jazz musician
bandleader in the swing era
Disappeared over France during
WW II.

Harry Belafonte (1927)
b.Harold George Belafonte Jr.
Calypso singer of the
"Banana Boat song"

Mike d'Abo (1944)
English singer/songwriter
former lead vocalist
for Manfred Mann

Roger Daltrey (1944)
founder,vocalist, songwriter
for The Who

Burning Spear (1948)
b Winston Rodney
Reggae singer

Ryan Peake (1973)
lead guitarist
for the band
Nickelback


March 2

Desi Arnaz (1917-1986)
b. Desidero Alberto Arnaz III
Cuban actor, musician, band leader
married to Lucille Ball
1940-1960

Lawrence Albert Payton (1936-1997)
singer with the 60's R&B group
The Four Tops.

"Lou" Reed (1942)
Lewis Allen Reed
Lead singer of the band
Velvet Underground.

Rory Gallagher (1948 – 1995)
Irish blues/rock guitarist

Karen Carpenter (1950-1983)
drummer/ singer with
her brother Richard in
The Carpenters.

Jay Osmond (1955)
Member of the
Osmonds.

Mark Evans (1956)
bass player for
AC/DC

John Cowsill (1956)
keyboardist for
The Cowsills

Jon Bon Jovi (1962)
b.John F. Bongiovi
singer in the band
Bon Jovi

Chris Martin (1977)
lead singer, songwriter, guitarist
for the band
Coldplay.

March 3
Doc Watson (1923)
Arthel Lane Watson
bluegrass singer
songwriter and guitarist

Jennifer Warnes (1947)
American singer/ songwriter
songs
"Right time of the night"
"Up where we belong"
w/ Joe Cocker

Snowy White (1948)
b. Terence Charles White
guitarist for Thin Lizzy
Pink Floyd

Robyn Hitchcock (1953)
singer/ songwriter/ guitarist
of Psych Folk.
Known for his work with
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians.

Tone Loc (1966)
b. Anthony T. Smith
Hip hop artist/ actor
known for the hit
"Wild Thing"
"Funky Cold Medina"

March 4
Bobby Womack (1944)
guitarist / songwriter
played guitar for several groups
during the 60's 70's

Chris Squire (1948)
English bassist backing vocalist for the progressive rock group
" Yes " and the only member of the group to appear on every album.

Shakin' Stevens (1948)
b. Michael Barrett
English singer/ songwriter

Jason Newsted (1963)
former bass player with
Metallica (1986-2001)

Evan Dando (1967)
Lead singer of
the "Lemonheads"

* Birthdays for March 5-11, 2007

March 5
Paul Evans (1938)
rock and roll singer and songwriter in the 1950s and 1960s.
hits with the songs "Seven Little Girls (Sitting in the Back Seat)"
"Midnight Special" and "Happy-Go-Lucky Me

Clodagh Rodgers (1947)
singer from Northern Ireland,
known for her hit "Jack in the Box"
was the United Kingdom's entry in
the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest.

Alan Clark (1952)
one of the keyboardists for the
rock band Dire Straits.

John Anthony Frusciante (1970)
the guitarist of the band Red Hot Chili Peppers

Evil" Jared Hasselhoff ( 1971)
b. Jared Hennegan
the bassist for the band The Bloodhound Gang

March 6
James Robert (Bob) Wills (1905 – 1975)
Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
American country musician, songwriter, and big band leader

John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (1925 -1968)
American jazz guitarist.

Mary Wilson ( 1944 )
American singer
The Supremes.

David Jon Gilmour CBE (1946 )
English guitarist, singer,songwriter
member of the band Pink Floyd.

Kiki Dee (1947)
b. Pauline Matthews
successful singer/songwriter
most famous song was a duet with Elton John
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart""(1976)
#1 that same year


Madonna Wayne Gacy i (1964)
b. Stephen Gregory Bier Jr.
the keyboard player for Marilyn Manson.

March 7
Lee Young ( 1917)
jazz drummer and singer.
played with such jazz and swing musicians
as Mutt Carey, Fats Waller, Les Hite, Benny Goodman, and Lionel Hampton.
In the 1950s he played with Nat "King" Cole's trio.

Chris White ( 1943)
the bass guitarist with the 1960s English band
The Zombies.


Townes Van Zandt ( 1944 – 1997)
folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet.

Arthur Lee ( 1945 – 2006)
enigmatic and volatile frontman, songwriter and
multi-instrumentalist of the Los Angeles psychedelic band Love

Peter Wolf ( 1946)
b. Peter Blankfield
the lead vocalist for the
J. Geils Band from 1967 to 1982.

Taylor Dayne (1962)
b. Leslie Wunderman
American pop vocalist, dance
artist and actress.
Had the hit single
"Tell it to my heart" (1988)

Thomas Erak (1985)
guitar player and lead singer from
the band The Fall of Troy.

March 8

Mickey Dolenz. ( 1945)
b.George Michael Dolenz, Jr
actor, musician, and television and
Theatre director best known for being one of The Monkees.

Randy Meisner, (1946)
bass guitarist and vocalist best known for his contribution as
a founding member of the country-rock group The Eagles.

Michael Rand Allsup, ( 1947 )
guitarist best known for his contribution as a member of
the rock and roll group Three Dog Night.

Gary Numan ( 1958)
b.Gary Anthony James Webb
English singer, composer, musician and
electropop pioneer

Angie Hart ( 1972)
Australian pop singer
lead vocalist in the band Frente!.

Gaz Coombes ( 1976)
b.Gareth Michael Coombesis
vocalist and guitarist for the band Supergrass.
His "trademark" sideburns are a bit younger though.

Thomas Oliver Chaplin
lead singer of the English rock band
Keane.

March 9
Keely Smith ( 1932)
b.Dorothy Jaqueline Keely
American jazz and popular music singer
collaborated with Louis Prima and Frank Sinatra
in the 50's and 60's

Lloyd Price (1933 )
early New Orleans
style rock and roll musician
known for the song
"Lawdy Miss Clawdy"

Ornette Coleman (1930)
American saxophonist and composer.
major innovator of the free jazz in the 1960s.

Mickey Gilley ( 1936 i)
American Country Music Singer and Musician
and the cousin of Jerry Lee Lewis.

John Cale (1942)
musician, songwriter and record producer
a founding member of the Velvet Underground

Mark Lindsay(1944)
the singer for the group Paul Revere and the Raiders.

Robin Leonard Trower (1945 )
rock guitarist with Procol Harum

Jim Cregan ( 1946 )
rock guitarist and bassist played with
Family, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, and Rod Stewart.

Jeffrey Osborne (1948 )
musician, and former lead singer of the band L.T.D

Martin Fry (1958)
lead singer of the band ABC.

Johnny Kelly (1968)
drummer for the gothic-doom band Type O Negative

Bow Wow (1987)
formerly known as Lil' Bow Wow
b. Shad Gregory Moss
rapper and actor.

Mar 10
Dean Torrence (1940)
"Dean" of the 60's rock group
Jan & Dean

Donald Thomas Scholz (1947)
guitarist founder of the
rock band Boston.

Jeff Ament (1963)
bassist
founding member
of Pearl Jam.

Neneh Cherry (1964)
Swedish-born singer and rapper
half-sister of Eagle Eye Cherry.

Edie Brickell (1966)
singer-songwriter
married to Paul Simon (the musician)

Timbaland (1971)
b Timothy Z. Mosley,
record producer and rapper
member of hip-hop group Timbaland & Magoo.

Matthew Rubano ( 1977)
bassist of the American rock band
Taking Back Sunday.

Carrie Marie Underwood (1983)
American Idol winner
and country music singer

Mar 11
Lawrence Welk (1903 – 1992)
musician, accordion player, bandleader, and
television impresario
"champagne music.

Robert "Bobby" McFerrin Jr.(1950)
Had a hit in 1988 with
"Don't worry be Happy"


Vinnie Paul (1964)
b.Vincent Paul Abbot
heavy metal drummer
works with Pantera and Damageplan.

Lisa Anne Loeb (1968)
singer songwriter known for the
hit "Stay" (1997) wears her
trademark catseye glasses.


Benji Madden & Joel Madden (1979)
twin brothers and guitarist for
the band Good Charlotte.

Russell Lissack (1981)
lead guitarist of the
rock band Bloc Party



Until next week
GET OUT OF MY HEAD !

*Authors Note
I have decided to list the next weeks upcoming birthdays in music instead of the previous week. It will help prepare anyone who wants to do something special for that artist, musician, or actor.