Kevin Mazur/WireImageRock and Roll history was made on April 18 in Los Angeles when Heart, late disco queen Donna Summer, Randy Newman, Canadian prog-rock legends Rush, rap-rock pioneers Public Enemy, late bluesman Albert King and producers Quincy Jones and Lou Adler were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You can check out all of the highlights from the star-studded event by tuning in to HBO on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET/PT to catch the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony special.
The bash featured too many memorable moments to mention but here are a number of highlights we've selected to whet your appetite in advance of the show:
-- Heart performing their classic "Barracuda" with Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready.-- Jennifer Hudson honoring Donna Summer with renditions of her hits "Bad Girls" and "The Last Dance."-- Randy Newman performing a rendition of "I Love L.A." with help from John Fogerty, Tom Petty and Jackson Browne.-- Newman playing his song and "I'm Dead but I Don't Know It" with the Eagles' Don Henley, who helped induct his fellow singer/songwriter.-- John Mayer, Gary Clark Jr. and Booker T & the MGs keyboardist Booker T. Jones saluting Albert King with a rendition of "Born Under a Bad Sign."-- Carole King toasting Lou Adler with a performance of "So Far Away."-- Oprah Winfrey making a surprise appearance to induct Quincy Jones.-- Usher paying tribute to Jones with a performance of the late Michael Jackson's "Rock with You."-- Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson accepting his induction by delivering a speech consisting of the word "blah" repeated over and over again.
The 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air numerous additional times on HBO stations following its debut screening. It also will be available for a limited time via the HBO On Demand service. Visit HBO.com for more details.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
Vanguard RecordsMost people watching the American Idol finale Thursday night would say that the duet that new Idol winner Candice Glover sang with Jennifer Hudson on the song "Inseparable" was one of the highlights of the evening. Someone who wouldn't say that is the woman who originally recorded the song: Natalie Cole.
Cole was evidently miffed that she wasn't invited to sing her song with Glover on the finale. In a message on her Twitter account, Natalie wrote, "Make no mistake. 'Inseparable' was NOT originally recorded by [Jennifer Hudson] but by ME." Cole further wrote on Facebook, "American Idol ought to be ashamed of themselves....I am seriously offended!"
Some fans responded that they, too, are upset that Cole wasn't tapped to appear on the finale -- after all, for years, veteran artists have made special appearances to duet with the finalists. Others, meanwhile, have advised Natalie to chill out, saying that at least Hudson and Glover did the song justice and gave her song some exposure.
So far, neither Candice nor Jennifer have responded to Natalie's comments.
Photo: James O'MaraThe stars are coming out for Carole King this coming week. On Tuesday, she'll be saluted in Washington, D.C., by the likes of Billy Joel, James Taylor, Gloria Estefan...and President Obama.
King is the first woman ever to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which is given annually to a composer for his or her contributions to popular music. According to USA Today, during a ceremony at the Library of Congress, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will get to hang out with the president and first lady, and she'll be treated to performances by Patti Austin, Michael Feinstein and Colbie Caillat, among others.
Then, during another ceremony at the White House, King's good friend James Taylor, as well as Joel, Estefan, rising British pop star Emeli Sandé, country star Trisha Yearwood and actor/singer Jesse McCartney, will all pay tribute to her.
The event will be streamed live on WhiteHouse.gov/live starting at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday. PBS will air the show May 28 at 8 p.m. ET.
Photo: Danny ClinchNBC's popular comedy series The Office came to an end Thursday night after nine seasons with a one-hour special that centered around the wedding of characters Dwight and Angela. During the reception, the party-goers were shown dancing to a variety of popular songs including Bruce Springsteen's "Rosalita." Well, apparently the Boss was paying attention because he posted a note on his Twitter account that read, "Rosalita! Good choice for Dwight & Angela's wedding reception."
Angela Kinsey, the actress who plays Angela, was excited that Springteen had taken notice, tweeting in response, "Holy crap! Thx for watching!"
Other songs played during the wedding reception scenes included Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Here Comes My Girl," The Cars' "You Might Think," Motley Crue's "Angela" and Hall & Oates' "Sara Smile." If you missed The Office's finale, you can still watch it online at NBC.com.
GeorgeMichael.comGeorge Michael and cars just don't mix. The BBC reports that the singer was airlifted to the hospital Thursday after suffering a head injury in a car crash in the U.K.
A statement posted on George's Facebook page says that he is "fine" and only has "superficial cuts" as a result of the accident, which took place in Hertfordshire. The singer wasn't driving the car; he was a passenger, and the statement adds that "no third party was involved."
A police spokesperson, meanwhile, told the BBC, "The exact circumstances of what happened are unclear at this time and until further investigations have been carried out it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."
This isn't the first time that George has been in a car crash. In 2010, he was fined, sentenced to eight weeks in prison and banned from driving for five years after he crashed his car into a store while under the influence of marijuana.
In recent years, George has had some serious health issues. He was hospitalized with pneumonia in 2011, and for a time was in a coma. He later claimed he almost died.
Duff-Loaded.comDuff McKagan reports that Missionary Position vocalist Jeff Angell, the frontman for his new side project Walking Papers, had a chance to be lead singer for Velvet Revolver. The former Guns N’ Roses bassist tells Rolling Stone that Angell got a shot to try out for the supergroup before they chose former member Scott Weiland as their singer.
"I hoped at some point I would do something with Jeff; we're good bros and we share a similar path in certain aspects," he explains to the magazine. "Early on, when we were looking for singers for Velvet Revolver, I brought Jeff Angell down, about 2003. I've had a relationship with him and wanted to work with him for that long."
Walking Papers' self-titled debut album is due in stores on August 6. McKagan is previewing the release by streaming online one of the cuts, "I'll Stick Around," which features a guest appearance from Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready. You can listen to the tune now at RollingStone.com.
You'll get your chance to hear Walking Papers in action when the group hits the road as part of the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival, which kicks off on August 9 at the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Other bands set to perform at the fest include Alice in Chains, Jane’s Addiction and Coheed and Cambria. Check out RockstarUproar.com to view the full itinerary.
Facebook.com/StingBack in 1989, Sting starred in a Broadway musical: a revival of The Threepenny Opera. Now, he's trying to raise some cash to bring his own production to the Great White Way.
The New York Post reports that the former Police frontman and his producing partner are trying to raise $15 million to bring their musical, The Last Ship, to Broadway next spring. Based on his autobiographical album The Soul Cages, the musical tells the story of a family of shipbuilders whose future looks bleak when the shipyard where they've worked for years is shut down.
A staged reading of the piece was conducted last week for potential investors, reports the Post. While Sting isn't going to star in the show, he did write the music and lyrics, and the tone is said to be "moody," "reflective" and "haunting." A source told the paper that the show is reminiscent of Billy Elliot in that it's about "working-class people who maintain their dignity in the face of adversity."
According to the Post, one potential investor said he thought the show was too "arty" for Broadway, but another pointed out that the musical Once was considered to be "arty" as well, and it won the Tony.
The Post also claims that Sting's been suffering from writer's block for several years, and working on this show is what cured him.
OMusicAwards.comMTV's O Music Awards returns this year, and a number of veteran artists have scored nominations. Neil Young, David Bowie and Yoko Ono each will compete for one honor at the third annual ceremony, which will stream live at OMusicAwards.com on June 19 at 7 p.m. ET. MTV's O Music Awards honor various achievements in the arena of digital music.
Young is among the nominees for the Analog Genius Award. The folk-rock great received his nod because of his work on the high-quality digital-music service Pono. Bowie, meanwhile, is in the running for the Too Much Ass for TV prize, thanks to the risqué and edgy clip that was filmed to accompany his new tune "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)."
As for Ono, she's been nominated for the Digital Genius Award. John Lennon's widow, who turned 80 in February, was cited for releasing a chart-topping dance hit, "Hold Me"; creating artistically minded apps; and sharing her innovative photography via Instagram.
Fans can vote for their favorites through June 19 via Facebook, Twitter, or at OMusicAwards.com.
Photo: Alan SilfenIn the days leading up to the May 28 release of his new collaborative album, Wrote a Song for Everyone, John Fogerty will be all over the TV dial. In the next week alone, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has several appearances scheduled on various talk shows and specials.
On Sunday, the ex-Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman will be among the many musicians featured in the CBS concert special ACM Presents: Tim McGraw's Superstar Summer Night, which will air at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The event, whose lineup featured mainly country stars like McGraw, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Faith Hill, was taped in early April at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Fogerty plays his Creedence classic "Born on the Bayou" on the special.
Next up for Fogerty will be an appearance on CBS This Morning that will air Monday at 7 a.m. ET/PT. John will be interviewed on the morning show.
Then, Fogerty is scheduled to perform not once but twice on CBS' Late Show with David Letterman -- on Tuesday and Wednesday. For his Tuesday appearance, Fogerty is listed as the sole musical guest, while the following evening, he slated to be joined by Los Angeles-based Americana group Dawes. Fogerty and Dawes collaborated on a new version of the CCR tune "Someday Never Comes" on Wrote a Song for Everyone. Late Show airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT.
Lastly, the singer/guitarist will give a performance on next Thursday's edition of ABC's The View, which airs at 11 a.m. ET.
Keep checking JohnFogerty.com to find out if additional TV appearances have been added to Fogerty's schedule.
Meanwhile, over the last few months, Fogerty has been posting preview videos for Wrote a Song for Everyone on his official YouTube channel. Among the recent clips is a lyrics video for the song "Mystic Highway," one of two brand-new tunes featured on the upcoming album. Also on the site is a video in which Fogerty tells the story behind how he came to write the enduring Creedence song "Fortunate Son," along with a segment of the new rendition of the tune he recorded with Foo Fighters. In addition, there's a behind-the-scenes clip featuring Fogerty and Bob Seger working on their version of CCR's "Who'll Stop the Rain."
Peter Kramer/NBCWade Robson says Michael Jackson was a talented artist, but he alleges that the late performer was also "pedophile and a child sexual abuser." In an interview with the Today show's Matt Lauer, Robson stands by his lawsuit, claiming that when he was a child, Jackson sexually abused him.
Australian-born Wade was just a kid when he began performing alongside Michael, appearing in the King of Pop's music videos for "Black or White," "Jam" and "Heal the World." Though Robson had previously defended MJ against sexual-abuse allegations, the 30-year-old choreographer now claims that he was 7 when Michael began molesting him. He adds that the alleged abuse continued until he was about 14.
Meanwhile, Tom Mesereau, a lawyer who represented Jackson in a 2005 molestation case, responded to Wade's Today show interview, telling TMZ, "This is a pathetic and an obvious grab for publicity and an attempt to put pressure on the [Michael Jackson] estate to pay him money."
But Robson said in the interview that his claims have nothing to do with money. For 22 years, Wade says, he remained silent, but he tells Today that he is speaking up. "I feel like this is the right thing to do because this is my truth," he maintains.
Contrary to earlier reports, Wade says, "This is not a case of repressed memory. I have never forgotten one moment of what Michael did to me, but I was psychologically and emotionally completely unable and unwilling to understand that it was sexual abuse."
Mesereau, however, points to the fact that Robson filed a creditor's claim against Michael's estate -- "Why call yourself a creditor if it's not about money?" he says, adding that Robson has volunteered statements supporting Jackson, both in and out of court. Mesereau tells TMZ that he can't believe the truth of Robson's relationship with Michael didn't surface then.
Amid all this, Taj Jackson, the son of Michael's brother Tito, tweeted support for the King of Pop on Thursday, writing, "I was sexually abuse [sic]. By an uncle on my mom's side of the family when I was a kid. My uncle was a support system for me and my mom. He wrote a letter to her that many have seen already, u just didn't know what it was about. That is how I KNOW Wade is lying. Because I AM a survivor."
Columbia RecordsThe American Academy of Arts and Letters held its annual induction ceremony on Wednesday at its New York City headquarters, and Bob Dylan became the first rock-era musician to be accepted into the respected institution. According to RollingStone.com, the folk-rock legend did not attend the ceremony.
Dylan did send a statement that read, "I feel extremely honored and very lucky to be included in this pantheon of great individual artists who comprise the Academy of Arts and Letters. I look forward to meeting all of you some time soon."
The singer/songwriter also was a no-show at a special dinner that the Academy held in April, although, to be fair, Dylan was in the midst of a busy U.S. tour at the time.
The Academy, which recognizes those who have achieved excellence in a variety of artistic areas, decided to induct Dylan as an honorary member because of his multifaceted career as both a musician and a writer. Other luminaries who also have been welcomed as honorary members include Meryl Streep, Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese.
RollingStone.com reports that the Academy's citation honoring Dylan reads as follows: "For more than 50 years, defying categorization in a culture beguiled by categories, Bob Dylan has probed and prodded our psyches, recording and then changing our world and our lives through poetry made manifest in song -- creating relationships that we never imagined could exist between words, emotions and ideas."
Surfdog RecordsCongratulations appear to be in order for Eric Clapton, who's expected to become a grandfather for the first time in the coming days. The Daily Mail reports that the guitar legend's oldest daughter, 28-year-old Ruth Clapton, is preparing to give birth to her first child later this month.
A friend of the Clapton family tells the newspaper, "The baby is due any day and Eric is ecstatic."
The 68-year-old rocker is said to have a close relationship with Ruth, whom he walked down the aisle in September 2011 when she got married to her husband, architect Dean Bartlett. Eric also hosted the reception at his home in Surrey, England, and performed with his band during the festivities. In addition, Clapton's three young daughters from his current marriage to Melia McEnery reportedly served as flower girls at the ceremony.
Ruth Clapton's mother is Yve Kelly, who was working for famed Beatles producer George Martin on the island of Montserrat when she met Eric. Eric was still married to his first wife, Pattie Boyd, when Ruth was born.
Facebook.com/GraceSlickOfficialFormer Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship singer Grace Slick may no longer be making music but she continues to follow her artistic muse as a prolific painter. Slick will pay a visit to four galleries in four separate California cities this week in celebration of a new display of her art titled "Once upon a Time."
Slick's appearances will take place tonight at the San Francisco Art Exchange in San Francisco, Friday at the Gordon Huether Gallery in Napa, Saturday at the Norcal Modern Gallery in Healdsburg and Sunday at the Peabody Gallery in Menlo Park. All of the events start at 6 p.m. PT and will run for three hours.
In a note on her official Facebook page, Grace says that because the focus of all of the events is on her artwork, she's asking fans to please not bring albums or music-related memorabilia for her to autograph. Among the new pieces featured in the exhibition is a painting called "Airplane" that depicts her old band's five members standing on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
RCA/Legacy RecordingsA massive box set featuring all of the studio albums Harry Nilsson recorded for RCA Records will hit stores on July 30. The RCA Albums Collection features 17 CDs, including expanded versions of 14 of the late singer/songwriter's RCA releases, plus three newly compiled discs of outtakes, demos and rarities.
Nilsson, who died of heart failure in 1994 at age 52, is perhaps best known for his smash cover versions of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" and Badfinger's "Without You." In addition, he found modest success with his own compositions -- "Coconut" and "Jump into the Fire" -- while also writing big hits for other artists, such as Three Dog Night who recorded "One" and The Monkees who cut "Cuddly Toy."
The RCA Albums Collection spans from 1967's Pandemonium Shadow Show through 1977's Knnillssonn. Included in the package are the singer's gold-certified Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson albums, as is 1974's Pussy Cats, which was produced by his good friend John Lennon. The set also boasts a total of 55 previously unreleased tracks.
Coinciding with the arrival of The RCA Albums Collection, a new biography titled Nilsson: The Life of a Singer-Songwriter will be published on July 18. Written by Alyn Shipton, the book will feature interviews with Harry's friends, family members and musical associates. It also will include material that Nilsson had compiled for an unfinished memoir.
Here is the complete list of CDs featured in The RCA Albums Collection:
Pandemonium Shadow Show (1967)Aerial Ballet (1968)Harry (1969)Nilsson Sings Newman (1970)The Point! (1971)Aerial Pandemonium Ballet (1971)Nilsson Schmilsson (1971)Son of Schmilsson (1972)A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (1973)Pussy Cats (1974)Duit on Mon Dei (1975)Sandman (1976)...That's The Way It Is (1976)Knnillssonn (1977)Nilsson Sessions 1967–1968Nilsson Sessions 1968–1971Nilsson Sessions 1971–1974
RootsRockRevival.comAllman Brothers Band fans may want to head to the scenic Catskills Mountains in early June, when the group's founding drummer Butch Trucks will help host a five-day music camp called the Roots Rock Revival. The event, which will take place June 3 to June 7 at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York, also will feature Allmans bassist Oteil Burbridge and The North Mississippi Allstars' Luther and Cody Dickinson.
The Roots Rock Revival will offer attendees such activities as music classes, seminars and workshops, presentations, Q&A events, jam sessions and other performances. Speaking recently with ABC News Radio, Trucks says he's also expecting some special guests to show up at the resort.
"[Allmans percussionist] Mark Quinones is coming for at least one night, maybe more," he reveals. "I'm pounding on him to come play more, but he'll be there at least one night…And, even Bert Holman, our manager, has agreed to come and give a talk about the business. You know, how to watch out for your rear end while everybody's out trying to mess with your rear end, you know?"
Another event Trucks says he's looking forward to is a multiple-hour talk he's planning to give about his friendship and experiences with late Allman Brothers guitarist Duane Allman.
"I get yakking, man, and I don't shut up too easy, and especially talking about my favorite subject -- and that's Duane Allman," explains Butch. He adds that he plans to discuss the impromptu fishing excursions he and Duane used to go on together.
"We'd show up someplace if we'd have an afternoon off [and] we'd go to the local fishing store and buy a little cheap Zebco 404 [rod and reel] and go bass fishin'," he notes. During these trips, says Trucks, the two musicians invariably would talk about literature and philosophy. (AUDIO IS EXCLUSIVE)
In addition, Butch reports that he and Cody Dickinson will join forces to demonstrate the dynamic that's involved in The Allman Brothers Band's famed two-drum lineup.
Besides the great musical events on tap at the Roots Rock Revival, the extravaganza also will offer recreational activities like swimming and summer sports, varying levels of lodging and gourmet meals.
Plenty more details about the music camp can be found by visiting RootsRockRevival.com.
Capitol RecordsAfter years of doing covers records, Rod Stewart rediscovered his love of songwriting for his new album Time...and it's paid off.
Time has debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 chart and, as the publication notes, it's Stewart's highest-charting album of original material since, believe it or not, 1979, when Blondes Have More Fun was #1 for three weeks.
Rod has had top 10 albums since 1979, of course, but everything that charted higher was either a Great American Songbook album, a Christmas disc, a live album or some other collection of oldies. Even 1991's Vagabond Heart, which had a string of hits including "Rhythm of My Heart" and "The Motown Song," only reached #10.
Photo: Jon HillSammy Hagar has revealed details about a new album he's been working on with Journey's Neal Schon, as well as two of the Red Rocker's Chickenfoot band mates -- bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Chad Smith. In a new video posted on Hagar's official YouTube channel, Sammy reports that the project is basically a reincarnated version of his old supergroup HSAS, which featured Schon, journeyman bassist Kenny Aaronson and former Santana drummer Michael Shrieve.
The clip shows Hagar, Schon, Anthony and Smith jamming in the studio and also features them sitting on a couch together and discussing the collaboration.
Hagar points out that the group has just laid down three tracks, including a rendition of the unreleased Chickenfoot tune "Going Down," which he describes as the "#1 jam song" at his Cabo Wabo Cantina.
"We recorded it live as hell," adds Sammy. "Neal burned. It's never burned like that. It's like 'whew!'"
The original HSAS released only one album, Through the Fire, which came out in 1984. No word yet when the new record will hit stores.
ABKCO RecordsThree classic Rolling Stones albums will be issued on high-quality, 180-gram clear vinyl later this month to commemorate the band's half-century anniversary and current 50 and Counting Tour. The discs, 1968's Beggar's Banquet, 1969's Let It Bleed and the two-LP 1971 compilation Hot Rocks 1964-1971, will hit stores on May 28.
The albums are part of a planned series of archival Stones releases "The Rolling Stones Clearly Classic." Beggar's Banquet was the band's final record to feature the full participation of The Stones' late founding rhythm guitarist, Brian Jones. It includes memorable tunes like "Sympathy for the Devil," "No Expectations" and "Street Fighting Man." Let It Bleed, meanwhile, saw The Stones welcome guitar whiz Mick Taylor into the band's lineup. It's track list features such enduring songs as the title cut, "Gimme Shelter," "Midnight Rambler" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
As for Hot Rocks, the collection is the most successful Stones album of all time, selling more than 12 million copies in the U.S. alone. It gathers together the band's biggest hits from the first seven years of its recording career, including such chart-toppers as "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Get Off My Cloud," "Paint It, Black," "Ruby Tuesday," "Honky Tonk Women" and "Brown Sugar."
According to ABKCO Records, the new discs have been "meticulously mastered from high resolution audio files sourced from the original master tapes." The three vinyl albums can be pre-ordered now at Amazon.com.
Apple Corps Ltd.Help!, the 1965 film that marked The Beatles' second foray into the movies, will be released on Blu-ray for the first time on June 25. Help! will be available as a single disc that offers a digitally restored version of the flick and 5.1 audio, as well as an hour's worth of bonus features.
Among the extras are a 30-minute making-of documentary, interviews with cast and crew members, a short about the movie's restoration, a deleted scene, plus trailers and radio ads. The Help! Blu-ray also will be packaged with a booklet boasting an introduction by director Richard Lester, as well as an essay about the movie penned by Martin Scorsese.
The follow-up to 1964's A Hard Day's Night, Help! features The Beatles once again portraying themselves as the Fab Four get drawn into a madcap caper involving a cursed ring that has come into Ringo Starr's possession. The movie sees the band members travel from London to the Swiss Alps to the Bahamas while being pursued by fanatical cult members, a crazy scientist, and the British authorities. Among the classic Beatles tunes featured in the flick are the title track, plus "I Need You," "The Night Before," "Ticket to Ride," "You're Going to Lose That Girl" and "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away."
429 RecordsSome revised details have been revealed about Stephen Stills' upcoming blues project The Rides. The supergroup, which also features guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and founding Electric Flag keyboardist Barry Goldberg, is now set to release its debut album, Can't Get Enough, on August 27, several weeks later than initially reported.
The 10-track collection includes four brand-new songs co-written by Stills, Goldberg and Shepherd. Can't Get Enough also features covers of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World," Iggy and the Stooges' "Search and Destroy," Muddy Waters' "Honey Bee" and Elmore James' "Talk to Me Baby." The album concludes with "Word Game," a previously unrecorded song Stills wrote during the late 1960s when he still was a member of The Buffalo Springfield.
"It was an old acoustic song that I had fun adapting to an electric band," explains Stephen.
Speaking about the recording of the album, Stills notes, "In the spirit of that simple, raw authentic '40s and '50s blues music the three of us love, we got in there and boom! A few takes and we were done."
He adds, "The songs have muscle, they don't sound dated or contrived, they're very natural and organic. I can't wait to tour with these guys and start recording again!"
The Rides do indeed have plans to hit the road together. While no dates have been confirmed, the band's trek is expected to begin sometime in September.