 June 11 - 20, 2007These are the scripts Joe Benson used on the air at 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles. They all received final editing by Jan Benson, without whom the task would have been far too daunting. Remember to give credit where credit is due, and enjoy! June 11, 2007
Drummer Frank Beard (the only member of ZZ Top without a beard) is 58. 
On this day in 1966, The Rolling Stones' song "Paint It Black" hit #1. On this day in 1969, David Bowie re-released his single "Space Oddity" to cash in on the Apollo 11 lunar landing. On this day in 1977, "Telephone Line" by E.L.O. entered the charts. On this day in 1983, Bryan Adams released the song "Cuts Like A Knife." 
Macca's Not-So-Secret ShowAs predicted, Paul McCartney played a surprise concert last Thursday evening at a London club for a select group of about 1,000. The gig was to celebrate the release of his excellent "Memory Almost Full" album, but his 20-song set also included older solo material and Beatles classics. Among the notables attending the show, but not getting on stage, were guitar gods Jeff Beck and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. A Mellencamp 4thLast year it was Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith. This year, John Mellencamp will join The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra for the July 4th Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular that will be broadcast live on CBS-TV. The special will find John performing a couple of hits with the Orchestra. The concert will also feature its traditional Boston Pops rendition of the "1812 Overture" and a massive fireworks show. Although its unknown if Mellencamp's band will be with him, approximately 500,000 people are expected to attend the event. Farm Aid ReturnsNew York City mayor Michael Bloomberg joined Farm Aid co-founders Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp today to announce that Farm Aid 2007: A Homegrown Festival will be held in New York on September 9th. The annual all-star, day-long benefit concert will take place on Randall's Island, and feature Willie, John and Dave Matthews, plus the famous "other top artists to be announced." Leon Loses Another RoundJimi Hendrix's half brother, Leon, lost another legal battle in his fight for a portion of the late guitar god's estate, and his stepsister and cousin will lose some control of the estate. In the continuing legal battle over Jimi's estate, a King County Superior Court judge declared on Friday that Leon Hendrix didn't prove that his stepsister Janie Hendrix unlawfully coerced their late father Al into denying Leon and his children a place in the estate. Indeed, Leon gave plenty of reasons — drug use, money demands, litigation threats — for his father to carve him out of the inheritance. And Al Hendrix, while not healthy, appeared to know exactly what he was doing when he signed the 1998 will and estate plan at the center of the legal dispute. In the separate legal claim filed by beneficiaries of the estate, the judge agreed that Janie and her cousin Robert were unfit to run some of the trust funds — but he left them in control of the Hendrix companies, including Experience Hendrix, which are the sources of the trust money. And all the attorneys just keep billing those hours. Guess Who Two ReleaseFounding Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman and singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings will issue "Jukebox," their first studio album as a duo, in Canada tomorrow. The 17-track collection includes songs by The Beatles and Bob Dylan, as well as a new version of the Guess Who's "American Woman." Burton says that he and Randy decided to stay away from original material after seeing new albums by some of their contemporaries struggle commercially. As he wryly observed, "Let's face it, we're not going to compete with Britney and Beyoncé." You can expect a Stateside release of the album in conjunction with the boy's yet-to-be-announced tour later this Summer. 
Quote Of The DayIt was Diane Sawyer who said: "I have a photographic memory. But I don't have same-day service." Six Random Thoughts* Remember, half the people you know are below average. * A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. * Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. * If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments. * What happens if you get scared half to death twice? * Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened. June 12, 2007
Singer Brad Delp of Boston would have been 56.
On this day in 1963, The Beach Boys recorded "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Surfer Girl." On this day in 1965, The Beatles were awarded the M.B.E., "Most Excellent Order of the British Empire." On this day in 1965, The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" entered the American charts exactly one month after they recorded it in a 30-minute session at RCA Studios in Hollywood. It went on to become the biggest song of the Sixties. On this day in 1982, over 750,000 saw Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt play at the first No Nukes concert in New York's Central Park. On this day in 1982, The Clash's "Combat Rock" album entered the U.S. charts. On this day in 1998, John Fogerty canceled the first date of his U.S. tour (in Chicago) because it conflicted with Game 5 of the NBA Finals (Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz) and he knew everyone wanted to see the game. On this day in 2002, Sir Paul McCartney and former model Heather Mills married in Ireland.
Impact Of The DeadBet you've been wondering what impact The Grateful Dead had on American Culture! Lucky you — that's just what the University of Massachusetts-Amherst will be examining when classes resume in the Fall. The University will host a series of events to study the impact of the group and San Francisco's psychedelic scene of the late Sixties and Seventies. The events will include a three-day symposium ranging from musicology to folklore, as well as musical performances and gallery presentations. The coolest part of this exercise is that long-time Grateful Dead publicist/historian Dennis McNalley, who earned a PhD from UMASS in 1979, will oversee the symposium. Walsh/ChesneyOccasional Eagle Joe Walsh joined country superstar Kenny Chesney at his sold-out stadium concert in Pittsburgh last Saturday. Kenny welcomed Joe on stage to play "Rocky Mountain Way," and then Walsh joined the show-ending jam of his song "All Night Long." Walsh made another surprise appearance when Chesney kicked off his Flip Flop Summer tour in Omaha earlier this month. Guess Joe really enjoys playing music without an army of lawyers breathing down his neck! Fogerty's LatestJohn Fogerty has decided to call his forthcoming studio album "Revival," in reference to his former band, Creedence Clearwater Revival. He'll follow a short European tour later this month with a Canadian concert swing between July 17th and August 2nd. You can expect a real U.S. tour after the album is released this Fall. Traveling Wilburys AgainBoth Traveling Wilburys albums are available for the first time in a decade. The CDs have been reissued and packaged with a DVD in a new self-titled multi-disc set. The new "The Traveling Wilburys" package features everything from the albums "Volume 1" and "Volume 3" — each with bonus tracks — while the DVD features a documentary along with a selection of videos. The supergroup featured George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne. Harrison's widow, Olivia, is behind the reissue project. She says her husband liked being in a group and collaborating with others, but as a Beatle he had few opportunities to contribute and as a solo artist he was on his own. The Wilburys were really just a bunch of friends jamming on tunes, enjoying the process and camaraderie without any pretense of stardom. Skynyrd Add A Flutie BenefitAdd another date onto their tour schedule! A week after they play the Southland, Lynyrd Skynyrd will headline a July 31st benefit concert in Aspen for the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, a charity set up by former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie.
Quote Of The DayIt was "Dennis The Menace" cartoonist Hank Ketcham who said: "Flattery is like chewing gum. Enjoy it, but don't swallow it." June 13, 2007
Original Heart guitarist Howard Leese is 55.
On this day in 1958, Frank Zappa graduated from Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, California. On this day in 1969, former John Mayall guitarist Mick Taylor officially replaced Brian Jones in The Rolling Stones. On this day in 1970, The Beatles hit #1 for the last time with Paul McCartney's "The Long And Winding Road" on the singles charts and "Let It Be" on the album charts On this day in 1981, "The Waiting" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers peaked at #19 on the charts. On this day in 1983, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble released the album "Texas Flood." On this day in 1987, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 entered the charts on its way to #1.
On Stage TonightRoger Waters will performing "The Dark Side Of The Moon" tonight at the Hollywood Bowl, and Paul Rodgers will be headlining The Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation benefit at the Avalon in Hollywood (with KLOS' Cynthia Fox hosting!). Another Not-So-Secret Macca ShowAfter hitting a London club last week, Paul McCartney will be playing an intimate club show in New York today. A limited number of tickets for the concert were given away via the former Beatles' website. The "surprise gig" will be in support of Macca's excellent newly released album, "Memory Almost Full," which has debuted in the Top 5 in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom. No word if he will do not-so-secret shows in Denmark, Sweden or Norway, but we can dream! Rodgers/Slade/Fox (Maybe) Will PlayBad Company/The Firm/Queen singer Paul Rodgers will headline a benefit concert for The Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation at the Avalon in Hollywood tonight. But wait — there's more! Manfred Mann's Earth Band/The Firm/AC/DC drummer Chris Slade will join his old bandmate Paul for a one-time performance. KLOS' Cynthia Fox will host the event, and — if sufficiently encouraged — may even perform her wild conga routine. Photos will be welcome! Another Journey Singer Bites The DustSince Steve Perry's departure 11 years ago, Journey certainly has encountered a lot of problems keeping singers in the band. Before anyone even learned who he is, their most recent singer — Jeff Scott Soto — has left the group after a year behind the mic. Jeff had been filling in for the original Steve Perry-replacement, Steve Augeri, who left the band due to illness. Logically, guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Ross Valory, keyboardist Jonathan Cain and drummer/singer Deen Castronovo are taking the rest of this year off to spend time with their families, write new songs and map out plans for 2008. "And the wheel in the sky keeps on turning..." New/Old StillsIn April 1968, Stephen Stills was at a recording session in New York with then-girlfriend Judy Collins. When she finished, Stills wandered down the hall with an acoustic guitar and gave an engineer a couple $100 bills, saying "Just roll tape." What came out of that session were the first-ever versions of classics he would later record solo and with CSN, CSNY and Manassas. That original tape was lost for decades, but was recently found and will be out on CD on July 10th. The 13-track album, "Just Roll Tape: April 26th, 1968," will include the first-ever recordings of "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Wooden Ships" and more. Meanwhile, Stills is planning to release a series of archival compilations starting with an anthology of his early-Seventies Manassas project. New Tull For FallJethro Tull's Ian Anderson says his band will have a new album ready for release in September. With his typical sense of humor, Ian says the new album's mixture of acoustic and electric music "will be fairly eclectic and unfocused, rather than a rekindling of prog-rock moments from 1972." The singer/flutist has also finished a DVD documenting last year's Tull set at Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival. Ian and the band will visit the fringes of the Southland in early October, perhaps promoting their new album.
Quote Of The DayIt was Yogi Berra who said: "If people don't want to come out to the ballpark, nobody's gonna stop them." Shorter & ShorterAccording to "USA Today," American worker's two-week vacation's are going the way of the record album and Edsel. More and more workers are choosing to take extended weekends and shorter breaks from the office rather than the traditional two-week vacation. The shift blamed in part on rising gas prices and mounting work pressures. In addition, more two-income households are finding it hard to coordinate vacation schedules because of work demands. Just 14% of those surveyed plan to take a two-week vacation in 2007, down from 16% in 2006. The study done for Expedia.com also says that one-third of workers don't always use all of their vacation days. The survey says that while 65% of Americans plan to take a summer vacation, half of all travelers will take several shorter weekend getaways instead of one big trip. June 14, 2007
Keyboardist Rod Argent of The Zombies and Argent is 62.
On this day in 1965 in London, Paul McCartney recorded "Yesterday." On this day in 1969, The Beatles topped the British charts with their first stereo single, "The Ballad of John and Yoko." Ironically, only Paul McCartney and John Lennon played on the song. On this day in 1981, Bruce Springsteen headlined the No Nukes concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Like its Central Park counterpart two days earlier, there were several guest stars, including Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills and Bonnie Raitt. On this day in 2005, a life-sized chocolate statue of Elton John was unveiled in London. It had been commissioned by the Cadbury company as part of the chocolatier's 100th anniversary celebration. Please supply your own punchline here.  This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Steve Miller, Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen as well as Joe's conversation with famed drummer Gary Mallaber.
Sambora's Out To PlayThat was one fast recovery! One week after Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora entered a treatment program at the UCLA Medical Center, the guitarist has "completed the program" and has left the facility. A Bon Jovi rep says Richie "is doing well and continues to receive outside support." We sure hope so because the band's new album, "Lost Highway," comes out next Tuesday and a promotional road tour begins on June 24th in London. Macca Sells Well/Plays A ClubPaul McCartney's latest release, "Memory Almost Full," hit the charts at #3 — his highest charting debut in 10 years! Meanwhile, Sir Paulie and his band squeezed into New York's 700-capacity Highline Ballroom last night to celebrate. Macca and his boys ripped through a 20-song set of new songs, Beatles classics and solo hits. The show opened with "Drive My Car," then quickly moved into two new tunes, "Only Mama Know" and "Dance Tonight." McCartney was refreshingly off-the-cuff throughout the evening, which followed an identical performance in London last week in support of "Memory Almost Full." Paul has yet to confirm whether he will embark on a full-scale tour in 2008, but you know he will! New Def Lep Almost DoneDef Leppard frontman Joe Elliott says that the band is about 90% done with its 11th studio album, tentatively called "Songs From the Sparkle Lounge." The title refers to a small recording room the group set up to work on musical ideas while on tour last year. Joe says, "We've never, ever written on the road before, so this definitely came from a different head space." The group finished 11 songs during month-long stints in January and April in Dublin, and they expect to work-up at least two more before settling on a final track list and release date. Rock on!
Quote Of The DayIt was G. K. Chesterton who said: "The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected." Same as it ever was! June 15, 2007
Singer Harry Nilsson would have been 66.
On this day in 1956, John Lennon first met Paul McCartney at a church dinner in Liverpool, England. He soon invited Macca to join his group The Quarrymen. On this day in 1966, Capitol Records released The Beatles "Yesterday & Today" album, featuring the band wearing butcher's aprons on the front cover surrounded by decapitated baby dolls. Paul McCartney later said it was the Fab Four's comment on the American record label's mishandling of the music. But when Capitol quickly withdrew the sleeve, it became one of the most valued Beatles collectibles. On this day in 1970, Jimi Hendrix held his first session at his long overdo, way over budget Electric Ladyland Studio in New York. On this day in 1987, the photo shoot for the cover of Pink Floyd's "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" took place in Saunton Sands, England. The project included 800 rented beds, which 30 hired hands moved onto the beach for the image.
On Stage TonightRoger Waters will be performing "The Dark Side Of The Moon" tonight at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Roddy's Big DayWas your invitation lost in the mail? Word is that 62-year-old Rod Stewart will wed for a third time this weekend. The lucky girl is model Penny Lancaster, the mother of Roddy's one-and-a-half-year-old son Alastair Wallace. Sounds like the ceremony will take place at the Italian Riviera resort of Portofino sometime this Saturday. Stewart was previously wed to actress Alana Stewart, with whom he has two children, and supermodel Rachel Hunter, who he also has two kids with. Stewart also has a daughter with former love Kelly Emberg. Suave and fertile, and once again off the market! Forbes' PowerForbes magazine's annual Celebrity 100 list — which ranks star power based on income, general interest and media coverage over the past 12 months — places The Rolling Stones among the most powerful celebrities in the world. The Stones came in at #4 on the list — two places lower than last year. Sir Elton John came in at #7. Oprah Winfrey is this year's top alpha dog, followed by Tiger Woods. Madonna and Brad Pitt round out the Top 5. "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp holds down sixth place, while Tom Cruise — last year's list-topper — fell to eighth. It's just like Daddy used to say: easy come, easy go. Black Crowes Gearing UpWith the Black Crowes playing a special gig Saturday night at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, brace yourself for a CD and a separate CD/DVD set capturing brothers Chris and Rich Robinson during their April 2006 acoustic-duo tour. The 14-track "Brothers Of A Feather" CD will be released on July 10th, while the similarly named CD/DVD package will come out on September 4th. That package will contain the audio disc plus a DVD featuring 20 performances from the same series of gigs. All of this material is a precursor to the band's first new studio album in six years. That still-to-be-named album will arrive early next year, coinciding with a yet-to-be-announced world tour. Steven & LivThe relationship between Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and his actress daughter Liv will be the focus of a new episode of E!'s True Hollywood Story which will premiere Saturday evening. Sorry, no naked pictures of either Tyler made the final cut.
Quote Of The DayIt was Leonardo da Vinci who said: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Father's DayFather's Day is a relatively new institution, which became an official holiday only 34 years ago. While it isn't as widely celebrated as Mother's Day, Father's Day is the fifth-largest card-sending occasion in America, with over 85 million greeting cards exchanged. The first Father's Day was observed on June 19th, 1910. Many famous people supported Father's Day and attempted to secure official recognition for the holiday, but it wasn't until 1966 that President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day. And in 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. Happy Father's Day! Dad's Time
In an annual Father's Day survey by CareerBuilder.com, 44% of working dads say they would take a pay cut to spend more time with their kids. Among the other findings: June 16, 2007
Drummer extraordinaire Doane Perry of Jethro Tull is 53.
On this day in 1965, Bob Dylan recorded "Like a Rolling Stone" for his classic "Highway 61 Revisited" album. Bob and his band — featuring Al Kooper playing an electric organ for the first time in his life and some of blues guitar legend Mike Bloomfield's most understated playing ever — nailed the song on the fourth of 14 takes, the only time they made it all the way through the number. On this day in 1967, at the height of "The Summer of Love," The Monterey Pop Festival kicked off in Monterey, California. The media coverage given to Janis Joplin, The Who and Jimi Hendrix during the three-day festival helped turn them into international stars. On this day in 1979, Bad Company's "Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy" peaked at #13 on the charts. On this day in 1982, guitarist James Honeyman-Scott of The Pretenders died from a cocaine overdose at age 25. June 17, 2007
Barry Manilow may not be Rock & Roll, but he is 61.
On this day in 1966, Beatle Paul McCartney bought himself a remote farm in Kintyre, Scotland. He later wrote "Mull of Kintyre" about it. On this day in 1966, guitarist Peter Green joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. In less than a year, Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie left Mayall's band to form Fleetwood Mac. On this day in 1972, David Bowie's landmark "Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars" album entered the American charts. Although it only peaked at #75, it spent 72 weeks on the charts and influenced the sound of rock albums and songwriting for years to come. On this day in 1978, Bruce Springsteen's "Darkness on the Edge of Town" album, the highly anticipated follow-up to 1975's "Born to Run," entered the charts. On this day in 1980, Led Zeppelin began their final tour in Dortmund, Germany. June 18, 2007
Sir Paul McCartney is 65.
On this day in 1967, Big Brother & The Holding Company, featuring Janis Joplin, performed a second set at the Monterey Pop Festival so that D.A. Pennebaker could film them for his documentary. Then, after The Who won a backstage argument with Jimi Hendrix over who would close the festival, Hendrix played an incendiary set that saw him light his guitar on fire. History was made, and The Who's Pete Townshend was even more pissed! On this day in 1977, Fleetwood Mac's song "Dreams" hit #1. On this day in 1980, goofy behavior spread all across the good old U.S. of A. when the "The Blues Brothers" movie premiered, starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi.
Bonnaroo For YouIf you ever doubted the Bonnaroo festival in rural Tennessee is one of the greatest annual music events in the world, check this out. Most of Friday's 80,000 festival goers who were still conscious caught a once-in-a-lifetime jam session between Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, guitarist Ben Harper and drummer ?uestlove. Around midnight, the trio's amped-up, frequently jaw-dropping jams on Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks," "Good Times, Bad Times" and a 25-minute version of "Dazed and Confused," drove the audience into hysterics. The impromptu trio also covered Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" and Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." We can only hope a recording of the proceedings emerges soon! A Modern Day Beatles GatheringWhen you're going to celebrate the one-year anniversary of a hugely successful Las Vegas show like LOVE, which also coincides with the 40th anniversary of the "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album, then you need to get some Beatles involved. To that end, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon, Olivia Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté will all take part in a special dedication ceremony in honor of John Lennon and George Harrison in Las Vegas on June 26th. Cirque du Soleil designers created two plaques that will be permanently displayed in the LOVE Theatre lobby at The Mirage. Following the ceremony, Larry King will lob a few softball questions at the five V.I.P.s in a hour-long broadcast from The Beatles REVOLUTION Lounge, then they'll all attend the show. How much do you think tickets for that show will be going for! Delp Tribute Is OnLooks like the long-rumored show honoring the late Brad Delp will take place after all. Word is that Tom Scholz and the surviving members of Boston will pay tribute to the band's late singer at the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston on August 19th. It'd be the first time in over 20 years that Scholz has shared the stage with original group members Barry Goudreau, Fran Sheehan and John "Sib" Hashian. Others expected to pay tribute to Delp, who committed suicide in March, include Godsmack, Cheap Trick singer Robin Zander, Extreme/Van Halen singer Gary Cherone and The Beatles tribute band Beatlejuice. So Macca Took His JacketEver wonder about the pecking order among rock gods? Remember when Paul McCartney joined U2 to perform "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" at 2005 Live 8? Imagine Bono's surprise to see the former Beatle wearing Bono's clothes when they hit the stage! As the Irish singer recently told the story, "(McCartney) asked our wardrobe person whose it was, and she says, 'Bono's... he's wearing it today.' And (McCartney) says, 'No he's not. I'm wearing (the jacket).' Now, I'm used to being the big guy, but not in front of a Beatle. I went out in a denim jacket instead." Even after years of dealing with world leaders and the biggest names in show biz, isn't it interesting to know that Mr. Bono gets star struck... and that Macca could fit into that wee jacket! MOJO Honours TonightBob Dylan, The Who and The Stooges are among the nominees for the MOJO Honours List, presented by the excellent British music magazine "MOJO." Dylan's latest effort, "Modern Times," is in the running for the MOJO Best Album, while The Who and The Stooges are both contenders for the MOJO Best Live Act. The MOJO Honours List nominations are based on the votes of the publication's readers and website users. The event also pays tribute to performers' career achievements and recordings that have stood the test of time. The 2007 MOJO Honours List winners will be revealed in a ceremony in London tonight. Green Day For DafurA new Green Day signature t-shirt has just been released to raise money for Amnesty International's Save Darfur campaign. The green t-shirt features the title of their latest single, "Working Class Hero," a cover of the John Lennon classic. Green Day's version of the song can be found on the new John Lennon tribute CD, "Instant Karma." The shirt can be purchased at HardRock.com.
Quote Of The DayIt was Erma Bombeck who said: "Never have more children than you have car windows." Aerobic Cleaning By The Numbers
* Vacuuming – burns 180 calories an hour June 19, 2007
Singer Ann Wilson of Heart is 57.
On this day in 1965, both The Kinks and Moody Blues played their first American gigs at New York's Academy of Music. Bad news for both bands: they were in trouble with the New York City Musicians Union and revoked work visas were right around the corner. On this day in 1976, Blue Oyster Cult's outstanding "Agents of Fortune" album entered the charts as "Don't Fear the Reaper" was about to become their biggest hit. On this day in 1982, Fleetwood Mac's song "Hold Me" entered the charts on its way to #4. On this day in 1997, Bobby Helms, best known for "Jingle Bell Rock," died from emphysema and asthma at the age of 63.
MOJO Honours RevealedThe 2007 MOJO Honours List was unveiled — amid much partying — in a raucous ceremony in London last night. The Doors were saluted as an "artist's artist" with the MOJO Hall of Fame Award, while Alice Cooper captured the MOJO Hero Award and Ozzy Osbourne was tapped for the MOJO Icon Award. Other classic rock winners included former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green, who earned the MOJO Les Paul Award, and The Stooges, who received the MOJO Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, The Who and The Stooges were both contenders for the MOJO Best Live Act, but the title went to the much younger Canadian band Arcade Fire. The annual awards ceremony allows the excellent U.K. music publication MOJO to pay tribute to current artists and music, rock veterans who've paved the way, and recordings that have stood the test of time — as well as sell lots of sponsorship advertising. Roddy Got HitchedIn case you missed it, Rod Stewart has married for the third time. The lucky girl is Roddy's longtime girlfriend, model Penny Lancaster. The couple "exchanged vows in the presence of 100 family and friends" in an abbey near Portofino, Italy on Saturday. Another "more intimate ceremony" was held earlier that day at a villa in the area. Stewart and his bride, who have a 1-year-old son together, are set to travel throughout the Mediterranean for their honeymoon. There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that they are registered at Target. Perry/Jones/DianaAerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has joined the Concert For Diana line-up. The July 1st London concert will celebrate the life of Princess Diana. Mr. Perry will play with Welsh pop star Tom Jones, who is also an outstanding blues singer. Let's hope a recording of that performance is forthcoming! Early Syd Poem For SaleA hand written poem composed by the late Syd Barrett before he formed Pink Floyd will go on sale on June 27th at Cambridge U.K.'s Cheffins auction rooms. The 1965 poem also features an original drawing by Barrett, which can be seen at http://www.cheffins.co.uk/news/press.asp. One of the most famous acid casualties of the Sixties, Syd left Pink Floyd in 1968 due to mental problems exacerbated by heavy use of LSD. He died at the age of 60 on July 7th, 2006 from complications arising from diabetes. Very few of his writings have ever been offered for sale. Country JoviBon Jovi is releasing their new album, "Lost Highway," today. It's the band's first attempt at a completely country project, and Jon Bon Jovi says it's something they have wanted to do for a long time (which is exactly what Garth Brooks said about his "Chris Gaines" rock album – remember that?). You can see the Jovi boys performing songs from their new album this Saturday on Bon Jovi: Unplugged on VH1. Wilburys Top ChartThe Traveling Wilburys have topped the U.K. album chart. George Harrison's widow, Olivia, was behind the reissue of the two albums from the late-Eighties supergroup, which were repackaged together in a self-titled CD/DVD set. The Traveling Wilburys featured Harrison along with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and the Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne. R.I.P. Richard BellKeyboardist Richard Bell, a journeyman session musician who played with Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band, died Friday in Toronto at the age of 62 after a battle with cancer. Bell also recorded with Joe Walsh, Bonnie Raitt and many other famous artists, and was a member of the Nineties incarnation of The Band.
Not Just Another Damned AnniversaryAs you history buffs may recall, it was on June 19, 1846, at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey that the New York Club baseball team beat the Knickerbockers, 23-1. On that date, another baseball tradition began: The New York Club pitcher, James Whyte Davis, was fined 6 cents for swearing at the umpire. That bastard! Doggie SpaJapan is getting its first nursing home for dogs that includes 24 hour monitoring by doctors and a team of puppies to help the older canines feel younger. The pet owners pay about $800 per month to keep their dogs at the Soladi Care Home for pets. All residents at the home are fed specially fortified food and get plenty of exercise playing with the puppies. Owners have also turned to aromatherapy and even acupuncture to help the dogs get through their old age. Currently, the home is capable of holding about 20 dogs at one time. June 20, 2007
Guitar god Chet Atkins would have been 83.
On this day in 1969, the 3-day Newport '69 Festival began in Northridge. An estimated 150,000 made it in to hear Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Joe Cocker, Steppenwolf and others. Hendrix received $125,000 for his appearance — the highest fee ever paid to a single rock act for one appearance at that time. Do you know anyone born in the Southland in March 1970? Their folks were probably at the festival! On this day in 1970, Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" entered the charts. This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of The Police as well as more of Joe's conversations with drummer Stewart Copeland, guitarist Andy Summers and bassist/singer Sting.
On Stage TonightFinally! Tonight The Police will be rocking the Staples Center. Stay tuned to KLOS for your chance at front row seats for Thursday's Honda Center show! The Crue SuesShades of the Eagles. Motley Crue filed a $20 million lawsuit yesterday against one of their managers, claiming "greed," "extortionist tactics" and terrible career advice caused the band to lose millions of dollars in profits and tarnished the band's stellar reputation. The four founding members of the band (Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee) claim manager Carl Stubner and the Sanctuary Management Group gave them bad business advice and attempted to "divert revenue from [the band] and redirect it to themselves." Furthermore, the suit claims Stubner forced Tommy Lee to "to become engaged in 'reality' projects that were bad career moves for Lee, harming the Motley Crue brand and Lee's own image." The suit calls the low-rated NBC show Tommy Lee Goes to College a "critical disappointment and a ratings disaster," painting Lee as "incoherent, lazy and incompetent" and made him "look like a laughing stock who could not carry a drum beat." The suit also claims Tommy's participation on "Rock Star: Supernova" "diminished the public's interest in Lee and their overall perception of his musical talents." The band claims that they lost $8 million in ticket and merchandise revenue because of Lee's scheduling conflicts. For the record, nowhere in the legal papers is the word "ego" mentioned. Metallica/Live EarthNo one was supposed to know this yet, but Metallica confirmed yesterday that they'll be playing the London leg of next month's Live Earth concerts. The band will join Genesis, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and many more at Wembley Stadium on July 7th. The show is completely sold out, but Metallica will offer their performance for download shortly after they leave the stage, with the proceeds going to benefit climate charities. The Return Of Heaven And HellHeaven And Hell have announced the initial dates for the second leg of their U.S. tour. The Ronnie James Dio/Black Sabbath band have booked shows from September 5th through October 2nd, with more gigs (including the Southland) to be added soon. Alice Cooper and Queensr˙che will be the support acts. Clark Sells BigA group led by Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has bought Dick Clark Productions. Thousands of hours of programming and entertainment once controlled by "America's Oldest Teenager" has been sold for $175 million. The deal includes the Fox-TV hit So You Think You Can Dance, the Golden Globe Awards, the American Music Awards, the annual New Year's Rockin' Eve and more than 800 episodes of American Bandstand, the music show that made the 77-year-old Clark a star in the Fifties. Clark founded the company in 1957, but hasn't run it for several years. Janet Reno/Mellencamp/Black CrowesJanet Reno has finished compiling her "Song Of America" collection. The compilation is designed to tell the history of the country through songs, from 1492 to modern times. The former U.S. Attorney General began the project two years ago, choosing artists to reinterpret beloved songs. John Mellencamp, Blind Boys of Alabama and The Black Crowes are among the genre spanning artists who appear on the 50-song, three-CD set which will be released on September 18th.
Quote Of The DayIt was Katherine Whitehorn who said: "Outside every thin woman is a fat man trying to get in." |
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