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RELEASE DATES:  Street Dates               BIRTHDAYS/THIS DAY IN MUSIC: Show Prep   

U2 PLAY MOSCOW, BONO MEETS WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
(8/25/10) U2 plays Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium for the first time tonight (8/25) as the U2 360 Degree World Tour rolls into Russia. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Bono has been busy playing the role of world diplomat. Yesterday he met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev over tea on the terrace of his holiday villa near the Black Sea resort town of Sochi. Besides chatting about favorite Led Zeppelin songs and kidding Medvedev over his love of the early metal band Deep Purple, the two tackled weighty topics such as the prevention of polio, which has resurged recently in Central Asian region south of Russia, and treatments to end the spread of HIV from mothers to their babies. The meeting lasted just over an hour, according to a Kremlin spokesman. The U2 360 Degree Tour continues Aug. 30 in Vienna, Austria. 

LITTLE FEAT DRUMMER RICHIE HAYWARD DIES
(8/16/10) Richie Hayward, original drummer for the band Little Feat has died after a battle with liver disease. Hayward passed away on Thursday (8/12) from pneumonia. The native of Comox, British Columbia was 64. Little Feat, founded by the late singer-songwriter Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969, remain one of America's most enduring rock bands and are popular on the festival circuit. Among the group's best-known FM standards is "Dixie Chicken," which features Hayward. In addition to recording and touring with Little Feat, Hayward appeared on records by Robert Plant, Eric Clapton, Tom Waits, Warren Zevon, Warren Haynes, Leftover Salmon, and Buddy Guy, among others. LittleFeat.net features a Richie Hayward Tribute Page.

NEIL YOUNG SIDEMAN BEN KEITH DIES
(7/27/10) Longtime Neil Young sideman Ben Keith has died. The guitarist and multi-instrumentalist passed away earlier this month at the age of 73 of unknown causes. Keith's close association with Young reaches back 40 years, through numerous sessions, albums and tours, including Young's classic Harvest album where Keith played steel guitar on "Heart of Gold" and "Old Man". He also contributed to songs like "Tonight's the Night" and "Rockin' In The Free World." Keith produced Jewel's debut album Pieces of You and was recently a member of the Pegi Young Band. He last performed with Neil at the Bridge School Benefit last October. Young acknowledged Keith's passing at a recent concert (7/26) in Winnipeg where he dedicated an emotional "Old Man" to Keith, telling the audience, "This is for Ben Keith. His spirit will live on. The earth has taken him."
 
U2 RETURNS TO THE STAGE AUGUST 6 IN TURIN, ITALY
Rescheduled North American 360 Degree Tour:  May 21-July 23, 2011
(7/23/10) U2 is gearing up to get back in live action, touring Europe this summer starting August 6 in Turin, Italy. The band was originally set to tour North America this summer but the tour was postponed a year due to Bono's back surgery. U2 will now begin their rescheduled North American 2011 Spring/Summer 360 Degree Tour starting May 21, 2011 in Denver and winding up July 23, 2011 in Minneapolis. On U2.com, Adam, Larry, Edge and Bono reach out to their fans in a new video, saying "We're coming back" and "Thank you for standing by us."

"Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark" musical featuring music by Bono and the Edge back on
After months of financial issues and casting changes, rehearsals for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, the Broadway musical featuring songs by Bono and the Edge, will finally begin on August 18, a spokesperson for the $50 million dollar musical production told the New York Times. In Rolling Stone, the Edge said that Turn Off the Dark "touches on opera, it touches on rock & roll. There are some real character-driven songs as well, very unusual song types for us. It is much more like opera than a straight musical. We're actually not calling it a musical for that reason because we don't want to put people off."

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD ANNOUNCE "SOUND OF SUNSHINE" FALL TOUR, ALBUM RELEASES SEPT. 21
(7/21/10) Michael Franti & Spearhead are set to release The Sound of Sunshine (Boo Boo Wax/Capitol) September 21. The album is Michael Franti & Spearhead's seventh studio album and is the follow-up to 2008's All Rebel Rockers and features the title track, "The Sound of Sunshine." The group will embark on The Sound of Sunshine North American Tour starting Sept. 19 in Laytonville (Mendocino County), CA and will make stops at major cities, including NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto.

Michael Franti & Spearhead Fall Tour Dates
September 19  Laytonville, CA, Earth Dance Festival
September 22  Los Angeles, Club Nokia
September 23  San Diego, House of Blues
September 24  Tucson, Rialto Theatre
September 25  Tempe, AZ, The Marquee
September 26  Flagstaff, AZ, Orpheum Theater
September 28  Oklahoma City, Bricktown Events Center
September 29  Austin, Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre
September 30  Dallas, House of Blues
October 1       Little Rock, Stone Hill Ranch
October 2       Houston, House of Blues
October 5       St. Louis, The Pageant
October 6       Lincoln, NE, Rococo
October 7       Minneapolis, State Theatre
October 8       Chicago, Riviera Theatre
October 9       Madison, Overture Center for the Arts
October 13      Nashville, Ryman Auditorium
October 14      Birmingham, AL, WorkPlay Theatre
October 15      New Orleans, House of Blues
October 16      Pensacola Beach, FL, De Luna Fest
October 19      Columbus, Newport Music Hall
October 20      Bloomington, IN, Bluebird Nightclub
October 22      Covington, KY (Cincinnati), Madison Theatre
October 23      Pittsburgh, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
October 24      Buffalo, The Town Ballroom
October 25      Albany, NY, Northern Lights
October 28      New York, Terminal 5
October 29      Montclair, NJ, Wellmont Theatre
October 30      Philadelphia, Electric Factory
November 1     Northampton, MA, Calvin Theatre
November 2     Northampton, MA, Calvin Theatre
November 3     Ithaca, NY, State Theatre
November 5     Providence, RI, Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
November 6     Portland, ME, State Theatre
November 7     Concord, NH, Capitol Center
November 9     New Haven, CT, Toad’s Place
November 10   Montreal, QC, Metropolis
November 12   Toronto, ON, Kool Haus
November 13   Cleveland, House of Blues
November 14   Detroit, Royal Oak

LILITH FAIR REUNITES AS TOUR KICKS OFF IN CALGARY
(6/27/10) Sarah McLachlan's all-female concert series Lilith Fair re-launched on Sunday (6/27) in Calgary, Alberta after a ten year absence. But there appears to be some doubt as to whether all of the dates at the end of the North American Lillith Fair tour will continue as scheduled. On Thursday (6/24), dates in Nashville and Phoenix were cancelled, possibly due to low attendance. Now the Toronto press is reporting that Norah Jones is off the tour after several of her U.S. dates in August were cancelled. For the latest, visit LilithFair.com.

Lilith Fair 2010 North American Tour

GULF COAST CONCERT BY JIMMY BUFFET AND FRIENDS: SONNY LANDRETH, ZAC BROWN BAND, JESSE WINCHESTER, ALLEN TOUSSAINT JULY 1 IN ALABAMA
(6/23/10) Jimmy Buffett and Friends are set to perform at a free concert Thursday evening, July 1st at Gulf Shores in Alabama. Buffet and his Coral Reefer Band friends include fellow Gulf residents' hotshot slide guitarist Sonny Landreth, the young Zac Brown Band, veteran singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester, legendary New Orleans songwriter Allen Toussaint and Country star Kenny Chesny. The concert is intended to show support for the people, culture, and businesses of the Gulf Coast following the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Although it is free, limited tickets are available. CMT will broadcast the show live 8-9:30pm (ET/PT).

SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND RELEASE CONCERT DOCUMENTARY "LONDON CALLING: LIVE IN HYDE PARK"
(6/21/10) Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band release London Calling: Live In Hyde Park (Columbia) on one Blu-Ray disc and as a two DVD set on June 22. Live in London at the Hard Rock Calling Festival on June 28, 2009 in HD, the 172-minute film documents 27 tracks of live Springsteen that begin in daylight and progress through a beautiful sunset into night.
The set list spans from the Born To Run era to "Working On a Dream" and includes rare covers such as The Clash's "London Calling," Jimmy Cliff's "Trapped," The Young Rascals' "Good Lovin'," and Eddie Floyd's "Raise Your Hand." Springsteen also performs "Hard Times (Come Again No More)," written by Stephen Foster in 1854. Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem joins the band as a guest vocalist on Springsteen's "No Surrender." Grammy and Emmy Award-winning producer and editor Thom Zimny and director Chris Hilson, both members of Springsteen's video team dating back over a decade, oversaw the film. Audio was mixed by Bob Clearmountain.
Bonus material includes footage of "The River" from Glastonbury, June 27; and the full music video for "Wrecking Ball," filmed at New Jersey's Giants Stadium.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band London Calling: Live In Hyde Park - Track List:
1. London Calling
2. Badlands
3. Night
4. She's The One
5. Outlaw Pete
6. Out In The Street
7. Working On A Dream
8. Seeds
9. Johnny 99
10. Youngstown
11. Good Lovin'
12. Bobby Jean
13. Trapped
14. No Surrender
15. Waiting On A Sunny Day
16. Promised Land
17. Racing In The Street
18. Radio Nowhere
19. Lonesome Day
20. The Rising
21. Born To Run
22. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
23. Hard Times (Come Again No More)
24. Jungleland
25. American Land
26. Glory Days
27. Dancing In The Dark
28. Music under end credit sequence: Raise Your Hand

"GURRUMUL" DEBUT ALBUM AVAILABLE JUNE 15

Indigenous Australian sensation counts Sting among his admirers
(6/11/10) Gurrumul (pronounced guh-ROOM-ull) is an indigenous Australian musician who sings in his native Yolngu language. The life story of Geoffrey "Gurrumul" Yunupingu is nothing short of amazing. Born blind, never learned braille, he doesn't use a guide dog or cane and is said to be extremely shy, but somehow this artist has wound up being nominated for four of Australia's ARIA Awards (the Aussie Grammy equivalent), including Male Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Independent Release. He also jumped to number 1 in the Australian iTunes charts and has been heavy exposure in Europe and now, North America. Gurrumul's critically acclaimed self-titled debut album Gurrumul (Skinnyfish/Dramatico), featuring "Wiyathul," (pronounced WEE-uh-tull) releases June 15 in the U.S.

Recently on French TV, Gurrumul performed a duet with Sting on "Every Breath You Take." Gurrumul sang every word in his native tongue and, according to MTV News, "Easily stole the show." Sting said after the duet, "When I listened to his album I heard something that I recognized very clearly. And that's the sound of a higher-being singing."

Gurrumul Tour Postponed
Gurrumul's tour has been postponed due to illness. The artist had also been booked for numerous upcoming radio and TV performances, including World Café, Mountain Stage, Woodsongs Radio Hour, and PRI's The World. "Wiyathul" has been chosen as the Starbucks "Pick of the Week" for the week of July 27. Early believers include KEXP Seattle, KMTT Seattle, KFOG San Francisco, KPFA Berkeley-San Francisco, KINK Portland, KXCI Tucson, KOZT Mendocino County CA, WMVY Cape Cod, and Dean Carlson's Fusion syndicated modern world music radio show.

Gurrumul U.S. Tour Dates - POSTPONED
June 15 New York, NY, Joe's Pub
June 20 Philadelphia, World Café Live
June 22 Washington DC, Millenium Stage at Kennedy Center
June 30 Chicago, Old Town School of Folk Music
July 06 Seattle, Triple Door
July 08 Los Angeles, Troubadour
July 14 Boston, Summer Series at Museum of Fine Art

THE ARCADE FIRE TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM "THE SUBURBS" AUGUST 3
(5/27/10) The Arcade Fire is set to release its third full-length studio album The Suburbs (Merge) on August 3. Written, arranged, performed and produced by the Arcade Fire and co-produced by Markus Dravs, The Suburbs was recorded around Montreal and New York over the past two years. A double A side, limited edition 12" is now available featuring the "The Suburbs" and "Month of May." Both songs will be available for immediate download at their site. The Arcade Fire debuted in 2004 with Funeral and followed up in 2007 with Neon Bible. A number of live shows by the band have already been confirmed leading up to and beyond the album's release, including headline appearances at the Reading and Leeds Festivals at the end of August. Additional dates will be announced. Formed in Montreal, the Arcade Fire is Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, William Butler, Tim Kingsbury, Sarah Neufeld and Jeremy Gara.

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS TO RELEASE "MOJO" JUNE 15, TOUR KICKS OFF JUNE 1 IN DENVER
(5/17/10) Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers will release their first studio album in eight years when Mojo (Reprise/WEA) drops June 15. The Heartbreakers - featuring Petty, guitarist Mike Campbell, guitarist Scott Thurston, bass guitarist Ron Blair, keyboardist Benmont Tench and drummer Steve Ferrone - is set to hit the road for an extensive North American tour starting June 1 in Denver at Red Rocks Ampthitheatre and wrapping up October 2 in Irvine, CA at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Opening acts and artists sharing the bill on the tour will include Joe Cocker, My Morning Jacket, CSN, Buddy Guy, ZZ Top and Drive-By Truckers. The Heartbreakers recently (5/15) played SNL's Season Finale show where they debuted "Jefferson Jericho Blues" and "I Should Have Known It" from the upcoming Mojo release. Petty turns 60 on October 20th. 

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers North American Tour 

NEW ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO ALBUM "STREET SONGS OF LOVE" DUE JUNE 29, GUESTS INCLUDE SPRINGSTEEN
(5/4/10) Alejandro Escovedo has a new album due June 29 titled Street Songs of Love (Fantasy/CMG). Produced by Tony Visconti, the record features guests that include Bruce Springsteen and Ian Hunter. Escovedo again collaborates with producer Tony Visconti (T. Rex, David Bowie, U2, Morrissey) and chief songwriting partner Chuck Prophet. Street Songs of Love is performed by Alejandro Escovedo and The Sensitive Boys: David Pulkingham on guitars, keyboards, vocals; Bobby Daniel on bass and vocals; and Hector Munoz, drums and vocals. Karla Manzu and Nakia Reynoso contribute background vocals. Escovedo, currently on an acoustic tour, will tour extensively with The Sensitive Boys this summer and fall.

Alejandro Escovedo 2010 Tour Dates:
05/13/10 Wimberley TX, Susanna's Kitchen
05/15/10 Ybor City FL, Annual Tropical Heatwave
05/22/10 New Braunfels TX, Phoenix Saloon
06/03/10 Richmond VA, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

NEW ALBUM BY THE HOLD STEADY "HEAVEN IS WHENEVER" RELEASES MAY 4
The Hold Steady, the Brooklyn and Minneapolis band that took their name from a line in Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," is set to release Heaven Is Whenever (Vagrant) on May 4. The new album, produced by Dean Baltulonis and recorded and mixed at New York's Dreamland Studios and Wild Arctic Studios - the first since the departure of keyboardist Franz Nicolay - features a bigger guitar sound courtesy of Tad Kubler. Singer Craig Finn says Heaven Is Whenever is about "embracing suffering and finding reward in our everyday lives." Heaven Is Whenever is the group's fifth studio album. In 2004, they released their debut album Almost Killed Me (FrenchKiss) to critical acclaim. Recorded in smaller sessions over time, the songs on the new album were "road-tested" in recent gigs. 

The Hold Steady "Heaven Is Whenever" Spring/Summer Tour Dates
The band kicks off a worldwide tour on Friday, April 30 with a free noon performance at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia for WXPN and World Cafe listeners. On the same night, look for them to appear on The Late Show With David Letterman. The tour wraps up August 18 in Seattle. The band is set to play a homecoming show October 7 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, where the group has received strong airplay on WXRP, WFUV and WXPK (The Peak).
 
CONCORD MUSIC GROUP AQUIRES ROUNDER RECORDS (4/14/10)
Support and administrative staffs to merge
The Concord Music Group has announced the acquisition of independent label Rounder Records, which is celebrating its 40th year in the musical genres of bluegrass, Americana, singer-songwriter, Cajun & Zydeco and children's music. Rounder's creative and marketing functions will continue to be based in Boston and its owners and founders Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton Levy will remain active with the company in a creative and advisory capacity. The company's senior management will also remain in place: John Virant will continue as the President of Rounder; Sheri Sands will stay on as General Manager. CMG will combine the sales, administrative and support functions of the two companies.

Glen Barros, President and CEO of the Concord Music Group, said, "The combination of Concord and Rounder makes so much sense on a creative, strategic and cultural level. With the addition of Rounder, Concord is gaining a magnificent catalog of recordings, the opportunity to work with more of the world's most amazing artists and a company filled with some great people. Plus, Rounder's uncompromising commitment to authenticity and intense independent spirit is perfectly in line with everything that Concord is about." Norman Lear, Concord Music Group Chairman and co-owner added, "We couldn't be more honored to join together with Rounder in our collective mission to deliver great, timeless music."

NATALIE MERCHANT RELEASES "LEAVE YOUR SLEEP" (4/7/10)
Double disc is first studio album in 7 years from former 10,000 Maniacs leader
Natalie Merchant releases Leave Your Sleep (Nonesuch) on April 13, her first studio album since 2003's The House Carpenter's Daughter. The record is the culmination of seven years' research and collaboration and is, in Merchant's words, "the most elaborate project I have ever completed or even imagined." A two-disc set, Leave Your Sleep is a collection of songs adapted from poems selected by Merchant including pieces by both well-known and obscure writers. Featured are works by British Victorians, early and mid-20th century Americans and contemporary writers as well as anonymous nursery rhymes and lullabies. Among the authors included are Ogden Nash, e.e. cummings, Robert Louis Stevenson, Christina Rossetti, Edward Lear, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Robert Graves. Merchant collaborates on the new album with a broad spectrum of artists—some old friends, some she has admired from afar—including the Wynton Marsalis Quartet, Medeski Martin & Wood, members of the New York Philharmonic, The Klezmatics, Lúnasa and Hazmat Modine. "The sessions were recorded in live ensemble settings to capture a fresh and spontaneous energy," notes Merchant. "They were some of the most magical experiences I've ever had making music."

Natalie Merchant kicks off a limited 10-city tour April 12 in New York. Visit the Nonesuch Records site for Tour Dates.

ROBERT PLANT AND THE BAND OF JOY ANNOUNCE JULY TOUR (3/29/10)
Shows to feature material from upcoming new album with Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller
Robert Plant has confirmed a 12 city North American tour. Beginning in July, this first leg of shows which will be followed by further dates in the fall will preview material from a new album. The Band of Joy features Patty Griffin on vocals, Darrell Scott on multi instruments and vocals, Byron House on bass and vocals, Marco Giovino on drums and percussion, and co-producer Buddy Miller on guitar and vocals. The album is set for release on Rounder in late summer/early fall. 
 
Robert Plant and the Band Of Joy Tour
July
13  Memphis, The Orpheum Theater                       
15  Little Rock, Robinson Center Music Hall                    
16  Tulsa, Brady Theater                                    
18  Albuquerque, Sandia Casino Amphitheater                
20  Phoenix, Dodge Theater                                          
21  Tucson, Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater            
23  Dallas, Meyerson Symphony Hall                     
24  Houston, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion                       
26  Austin, Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater         
28  Mobile, The Saenger Theatre                             
30  Clearwater, FL, Ruth Eckerd Hall                                  
31  Miami, Bayfront Park Amphitheater

POP ICON ALEX CHILTON DIES (3/18/10)
Singer-songwriter/guitarist Alex Chilton of the influential '60s and '70s Memphis bands the Box Tops and Big Star has died. Chilton died Wednesday (3/17) of an apparent heart attack in a New Orleans hospital. He was 59. Chilton was still a teenager when he became singer for the psychedelic soul/pop group the Box Tops, best known for their hits "The Letter," "Neon Rainbow" and "Cry Like a Baby." After the Boxtops broke up in 1970, Chilton formed Big Star that lasted until 1974. But Chilton's acclaimed cult status continued to grow thanks to groups like the Replacements, who released a track called "Alex Chilton" in 1987. Later on in the '90s, Big Star reunited. Chilton and the band were set to play at South by Southwest this weekend.

ROCK HALL OF FAME NOMINEES INDUCTED: KISS, GENESIS, THE STOOGES, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, DARLENE LOVE, LAURA NYRO, THE CHANTELS, JIMMY CLIFF, LL COOL J, THE HOLLIES, DONNA SUMMER, ABBA (3/16/10)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees for 2010 were inducted into the Hall of fame at its 25th annual ceremony last night (3/15) at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. The artists nominated include Kiss, Genesis, The Stooges, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, The Chantels, Jimmy Cliff, LL Cool J, The Hollies, Donna Summer, and Abba. Of the 12 nominees. Artists become eligible for nominations 25 years after the release of their first record. 

BINGHAM, BURNETT WIN  BEST ORIGINAL SONG OSCAR FOR "THE WEARY KIND" (3/8/10)
The 82nd Annual Academy Awards winners last night included Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett who won Original Song of the Year for "The Weary Kind," theme song of the film Crazy Heart. The movie also won actor Jeff Bridges an Oscar for Best Actor.

MARK LINKOUS OF SPARKLEHORSE TAKES HIS LIFE (3/7/10)
North Carolina-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous has committed suicide. He shot himself at a friend's house in Knoxville. Linkous was 47. Best known for his work with the band Sparklehorse who released a total of four albums, Linkous also produced Daniel Johnston's 2003 album Fear Yourself and collaborated with Danger Mouse on the 2009 multimedia project Dark Night of the Soul, which is yet to be released.

HALL & OATES BASS PLAYER TOM 'T-BONE' WOLK DIES (3/2/10)
Longtime bass player for Hall & Oates Tom 'T-Bone' Wolk died of a heart attack Sunday (2/28) morning in Pawling, NY where he was busy recording a new Daryl Hall solo album. Wolk was 58. He was to appear with Hall & Oates Monday on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (ABC). In a statement Hall said, "T-Bone was my musical brother and losing him is like losing my right hand."

NEIL YOUNG PLAYS CLOSING CEREMONY AT 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS (3/1/10)
It was only appropriate that Canadian native son Neil Young performed last night (2/28) in Vancouver at the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Accompanied by his trademark harmonica and guitar, Neil performed the 1976 Stills-Young Band classic "Long May You Run" before the Olympic flame went out.
Neil Young began performing in his native Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1960 before moving to California 6 years later where he joined the Buffalo Springfield, then Crosby, Stills & Nash. He still retains Canadian citizenship.

10 NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD TRACKS ON ROLLING STONES' "EXILE" RE-RELEASE, OUT MAY 18 (2/25/10)
The Rolling Stones' classic 1972 double album Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones/Atlantic) will be re-released May 18th with an additional 10 never-before-heard tracks. Regarded as one of the most influential albums in rock history, the reissue features recently discovered tracks originally from the era, including "Plundered My Soul," "Dancing in the Light," "Following the River" and "Pass The Wine." Alternate versions of "Soul Survivor" and "Loving Cup" are also a part of the Exile bonus materials.

As a complement to the release of Exile on Main Street, a documentary, "Stones in Exile," will be seen on US network TV and via BBC Worldwide internationally.

U2 ANNOUNCE SUMMER TOUR: KRAVITZ, THE FRAY, INTERPOL TO OPEN (2/23/10)
U2 have announced their "360 Degree Tour" for the summer of 2010, starting in Salt Lake City's Rice Eccles Stadium June 3 and wrapping up July 19 in New York at the New Meadowlands Stadium. U2 has picked the opening acts for the various venues: Lenny Kravitz, The Fray and Interpol. Visit U2's site for more info and the full Tour Schedule.

SHERYL CROW JOINS TV'S "COUGARTOWN" (2/19/10)
Sheryl Crow will take on a recurring role in the TV comedy CougarTown playing the girlfriend of one of the show's characters. Crow's first of three episodes will air Wednesday nights in March on ABC. The show stars one of her good friends Courtney Cox. Crow most recently appeared on 30 Rock as herself and acted in the Cole Porter story De-Lovely and opposite Owen Wilson in 1999's The Minus Man. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is set to play 7 concert dates in Japan beginning March 2 in Tokyo.

THE KNACK'S DOUG FIEGER DIES AFTER BATTLE WITH CANCER (2/15/10)
Doug Fieger, lead singer of The Knack who co-wrote the band's 1979 international hit "My Sharona" has died. He was 57. Fieger died Sunday (2/14) at his Woodland Hills, Calif. home after a battle with cancer. The "New Wave"-era "My Sharona" from Get the Knack was inspired by Fieger's then-girlfriend, Sharona Alperin. The album sold over 3 million copies in the U.S. alone. The Knack continued to release albums through 2003. A native of Detroit, Fieger had been battling cancer since 2005. The next year, he had two tumors removed from his brain. Former Knack member Bruce Gary died of cancer in 2006, after leaving the band as a successful session artist. Band members Berton Averre and Prescott Niles continue to perform as The Knack.

BINGHAM AND BURNETT'S "CRAZY HEART" THEME, RANDY NEWMAN SONGS NOMINATED FOR OSCARS (2/2/10)
The 82nd Annual Academy Awards have announced nominations for Best Original Song and Best Original Score. Ryan Bingham and Oscar winning producer T Bone Burnett have been nominated for their song "The Weary Kind" (Theme from Crazy Heart) from the original New West soundtrack to the hit film which stars Jeff Bridges as a country singer. The tune also recently won Best Original Song at the Golden Globes last month. Veteran songwriter/arranger and Oscar winner Randy Newman has been nominated for an Oscar for "Almost There and "Down in New Orleans," two songs he wrote for the Disney film The Princess and the Frog. Other Best Original Song nominees were "Loin de Paname" by Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas from Paris 36 and "Take it All" by Maury Yeston from Nine.

Best Original Score nominees are James Horner for Avatar, Alexandre Desplat for Fantastic Mr. Fox, Hans Zimmer for Sherlock Holmes, Michael Giacchino for Up, and Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders for The Hurt Locker. The Oscars are set for March 7, broadcast live on ABC-TV.

KINGS OF LEON WIN BIG AT 52ND GRAMMY AWARDS (2/1/10)
Levon Helm wins first ever Grammy for "Best Americana Album"
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards were broadcast live on CBS-TV Sunday night (1/31) at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Performance highlights included Dave Matthews with a full band and orchestra. Beyonce picked up a record six Grammys while Taylor Swift took home four and Kings Of Leon won three awards, including Record of the Year honors for "Use Somebody" from last year's Only By The Night album.
Green Day won Best Rock Album for 21st Century Breakdown while Phoenix won Best Alternative Album for Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Levon Helm's Electric Dirt won the first ever Grammy for Best Americana Album. Additional Grammy winners included The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat, Bela Fleck, Bruce Springsteen, Booker T. Jones, Phoenix, Jeff Beck, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, The Derek Trucks Band, Loudon Wainwright III, Steve Earle, Steve Martin, Bill Miller, Buckwheat Zydeco, Stephen Marley and Mamadou Diabate, among others. The complete list of nominees and winners can be found at Grammy.com.

COACHELLA ANNOUNCES 2010 LINEUP: THOM YORKE, PHOENIX, GORILLAZ, JAY-Z, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, THEM CROOKED VULTURES, HOT CHIP, THE DEAD WEATHER, VAMPIRE WEEKEND, SPOON AND MORE (2/20/10)
The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival returns to the Southern California desert this year with younger acts garnering the buzz on the three-day concert set for April 16-18 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA. Although there are older acts on the bill, the focus of this year's Coachella is on mostly younger, indie artists. Jay-Z will close out the opening night of the fest on Friday after performances by LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Them Crooked Vultures, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Specials, Public Image Ltd and more. Saturday night's lineup features Muse, Faith No More, MGMT, Corinne Bailey Rae, Band Of Skulls, Hot Chip and The Dead Weather, among others. Sunday bands include Gorillaz, Thom Yorke, Spoon, Charlotte Gainsbourg, One Eskimo, Julian Casablancas, Phoenix, Orbital and Yo La Tengo. The fest has built a reputation for bands on the comeback, bringing in artists like Pavement, the Pixies and Iggy and the Stooges over the years. For the complete artist lineup, visit Coachella.

KATE McGARRIGLE DIES (1/19/10)
Mother of Rufus and Martha Wainwright
Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle, best known for performing as a duo with her sister, Anna, has died of cancer at home in Montreal. She was 63. The cancer had started in her small intestine and spread to the liver. Kate was surrounded by family, including sisters Anna and Jane, and her children, Rufus and Martha Wainwright. She was formerly married to their father, Loudon Wainwright III. Kate and Anna, as "The McGarrigle Sisters," played Montreal coffeehouses in the '60s with a group called The Mountain City Four. One of their songs, "Heart Like a Wheel," was covered by Linda Ronstadt as the title track to her 1974 album. Kate McGarrigle received the Order of Canada in 1994, one of the country's highest honor.

WYCLEF JEAN TO HOST "HOPE FOR HAITI" TELETHON JAN. 22 WITH BONO, SPRINGSTEEN, STING (1/18/10)
George Clooney told reporters that on Friday, January 22, he and Wyclef Jean and CNN's Anderson Cooper will host a telethon to benefit victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Bono, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys will perform. Clooney will be hosting the telethon from Los Angeles, with Wyclef hosting from New York and Cooper hosting from Haiti. It will air on more than a dozen networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1 and CMT. The show is set to run commercial-free starting at 8pm (EST).

JAY REATARD DIES (1/14/10)
Memphis garage-rocker Jay Reatard was found dead at home early Wednesday morning (1/13) in Memphis where he reportedly died in his sleep. He was 29. Best known for last year's Watch Me Fall (Matador) album, Reatard was co-owner of Shattered Records and considered one of the Memphis punk scene's most celebrated artists. He released a demo at age 15 that landed him with Goner Records. A string of records followed with the Reatards, the Lost Sounds, Final Solutions and then solo. In 2008, Beck asked Reatard to record a cover of Modern Guilt's "Gamma Ray".

VAMPIRE WEEKEND RELEASE "CONTRA" ALBUM; PLAY LA, NY (1/11/10)
New York indie sensation Vampire Weekend release their second album Contra (XL Recordings) Jan. 12, the long awaited followup to the self-titled debut released two years ago. Like the first album, Contra was produced by keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij. All the tracks on the new album are available for free in full for their fans at VampireWeekend.com.

The group appears on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien Monday, Jan. 11 - complete with string section - and celebrates the next day in Los Angeles with a "special intimate album release show" at The Henry Ford Theatre. Vampire Weekend is also set to play two gigs in New York, Jan. 17 at the United Palace and Jan. 19 at the Bowery Ballroom. After two months of European dates, the band returns to the US beginning March 16 at the Wilma Theater in Missoula, MT. Visit the Vampire Weekend site for the complete list of Tour Dates.

SINGER-SONGWRITER VIC CHESTNUTT DIES (12/30/09)
Singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt passed away the day after Christmas (12/26) at home in Athens, Georgia, after several days in a coma due to an overdose of muscle relaxers. He was 45. Chesnutt, who was paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair after a car accident at age 18, was discovered in the late 1980s by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, who was attracted to his songs that dealt with dark humor and mortality. Stipe produced Chestnutt's first two albums, Little and West of Rome. In a statement on the Constellation Records site, Stipe posted, "We have lost one of our great ones. His songs and his story remain." Chesnutt was creatively active in 2009, releasing two albums, At the Cut and Skitter on Take-Off. He was perhaps best known for the 1996 release Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, which featured R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins, the Indigo Girls, Garbage and other bands covering Chestnutt songs to raise money for the Sweet Relief charity, which helps musicians with health care. Chestnutt recently collaborated with Lambchop and Widespread Panic, among other projects.

THE CARDINALS GUITARIST CHRIS FEINSTEIN FOUND DEAD IN NEW YORK (12/16/09)
Chris Feinstein, bass guitarist for Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, has been found dead in his New York apartment. Cause of death has yet to be determined. The veteran musician joined Ryan Adams' band in 2006, replacing Catherine Popper on bass guitar. As a member of The Cardinals, he played on Easy Tiger (Lost Highway), Follow the Lights (Lost Highway) and Cardinology (Lost Highway). Prior to The Cardinals, Feinstein recorded with Jack Ingram and Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., among others. He also produced on the I am Sam film soundtrack. Feinstein was 42.

RIVERS CUOMO INJURED IN WEEZER BUS CRASH IN UPSTATE NEW YORK, TOUR CANCELED (12/7/09)
Weezer's tour bus was involved in a crash Sunday morning (12/6) near Amsterdam, New York. Lead singer Rivers Cuomo and another un-identified passenger were injured and taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam. Cuomo is reportedly suffering from injuries to his ribs. The Weezer "Raditude" tour has been canceled. The band was driving from Toronto through ice and snow on its way to play Boston's Agganis Arena tonight.

NORAH JONES RELEASES "THE FALL" (11/17/09)
Norah Jones is set to release The Fall (Blue Note) November 17, her fourth studio album. The record features the advance single "Chasing Pirates," "Light As A Feather" co-written with Ryan Adams, and "Stuck," which was co-written with Okkervil River's Will Sheff. Her bandmate and longtime co-writer Jesse Harris also contibutes to The Fall. Besides a mostly new set of collaborators, Jones is experimenting with some different sounds as well on The Fall, utilizing producer/engineer Jacquire King who has worked with Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, and Modest Mouse among others. King helped Jones put together a new group of musicians to perform on the album, including drummers Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) and James Gadson (Bill Withers), keyboardist James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Al Green), and guitarists Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) and Smokey Hormel (Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer). Look for Norah Jones to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman on Nov. 11, Good Morning America on Nov. 16, The Colbert Report on Nov. 18, and The View on Nov. 23.

The Fall Track Listing:
"Chasing Pirates"
"Even Though"
"Light As A Feather"
"Young Blood"
"I Wouldn't Need You"
"Waiting"
"It's Gonna Be"
"You've Ruined Me"
"Back To Manhattan"
"Stuck"
"December"
"Tell Yer Mama"
"Man Of The Hour"

STEVE MILLER HARP PLAYER NORTON BUFFALO DIES (10/31/09)
Singer-songwriter/guitarist Norton Buffalo, longtime harmonica player for the Steve Miller Band, passed away at Feather River Hospital near his home in Paradise, California after a brief battle with lung cancer. After being diagnosed in September, he succumbed to Pneumonia and the Stage 4 Lung Cancer which had spread to his brain on Friday (10/30). Buffalo was 57. In addition to playing with Steve Miller since 1975, the Oakland, CA-born blues musician was a regular on the Bay Area music scene where he recorded albums with his band the Stampede and guitarist Roy Rogers. He released his solo debut Lovin' in the Valley of the Moon (Capitol) in 1977. Buffalo appeared in several films, including 1979's The Rose with Bette Midler - he played a harp player in her band - and 1980's Heaven's Gate. In addition to touring relentlessly with the Steve Miller Band, Norton Buffalo also performed and recorded with Bonnie Raitt, the Doobie Brothers, Elvin Bishop, Johnny Cash, and Mickey Hart, among others. In a message last week on his Web site as his condition worsened, Norton posted "I'm so blessed to have my truly amazing angel, Lisa, by my side to help keep me on my path and to care for me...and I have an army of friends, musical brothers and sisters as well as thousands of fans from around the world who are keeping me in their thoughts and prayers as I move into these perilous waters."

SPRINGSTEEN'S "WRECKING BALL" SONG AVAILABLE ONLINE (10/30/09)
Springsteen and The E Street Band suddenly canceled a concert in Kansas City on Monday (10/26) due to the death of crew member Lenny Sullivan, Bruce's cousin. KMBC-TV Kansas City quoted police officials as saying earlier that a 34-year-old member of Springsteen's road crew died at his hotel, but that the death was not suspicious.

Bruce Springteen and The E Street Band played the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert last night. The group recently completed a four-night stand at the philadephia Spectrum (10/20) and earlier in the month, closed out five nights at Giants Stadium in New Jersey (10/9) where the band debuted the song, "Wrecking Ball," now for sale at iTunes. Springsteen's site has announced the song is bundled with live video shot during those New Jersey shows. The Springsteen tour rolled through Madison Square Garden on Oct. 29 for the first of the two-night 25th anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts that feature Springsteen and the E Street Band, U2, Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Crosby, Stills, Nash "and friends" and Simon and Garfunkel, among others. Eric Clapton will not perform due to a minor medical condition. He is recovering at home in the U.K. after having gallstones removed. The Hall has replaced Clapton with Jeff Beck.

Springsteen and The E Street Band 2009 Tour:
Oct 29 New York, NY Madison Square Garden, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert  
Nov 2 Washington, D.C. Verizon Center  
Nov 3 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena 
Nov 7 New York, NY Madison Square Garden 
Nov 8 New York, NY Madison Square Garden  
Nov 10 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena  
Nov 13 Auburn Hills, MI Palace At Auburn Hills 
Nov 15 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center  
Nov 18 Nashville, TN Sommett Center  
Nov 20 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
Nov 22 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena

In other Springsteen news, E Street Band Sax player "Big Man" Clarence Clemons is also an author with Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales (Grand Central Publishing) available as of Oct. 20.

U2 VISIT HOUSTON SPACE CENTER DURING TOUR, "SONGS OF ASCENT" DUE NEXT YEAR (10/15/09)
While U2 was in Houston (10/14) playing Reliant Stadium during their extended 360-Degree Tour 2009, Bono and Edge took time out to visit NASA's Johnson Space Center where the pair spoke to staff and were given a special tour around the center by working astronauts. Bono said "We feel right at home here in this the home of space stations." The band is set to play the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles Oct. 25 when YouTube will stream the show live. The tour wraps up Oct. 28 in Vancouver, BC. Meanwhile, U2's next studio album Songs of Ascent - a play on the biblical "Song of Ascents" - is due out early next year.

BUDDY MILLER WINS BIG AT AMERICANA CONFERENCE AWARDS SHOW IN NASHVILLE (9/18/09)
Buddy and Julie Miller nearly sweep awards show, Justin Townes Earl wins Emerging Artist of the Year
Buddy Miller was the big winner at the Americana Music Association Honors & Awards show Thursday (9/17) night in Nashville at the historic Ryman Auditorium. The awards show took place during the 10th Annual Americana Music Festival & Conference. Miller swept nearly every category he was nominated in, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year with his wife Julie. Justin Townes Earl won for New & Emerging Artist of the Year. Hosted by Jim Lauderdale, the show featured performances by Rodney Crowell, Raul Malo, The Flatlanders, Reckless Kelly, Jerry Douglas, Band of Heathens, Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, Justin Townes Earl, among others. John Fogerty, Ray Benson, Sam Bush, and Asleep At The Wheel also performed after receiving Lifetime Achievement awards.

AMA HONORS & AWARDS SHOW WINNERS:

Artist of the Year: Buddy Miller

Album of the Year: Written in Chalk by Buddy and Julie Miller

Duo/Group of the Year: Buddy and Julie Miller

New & Emerging Artist of the Year: Justin Townes Earle

Instrumentalist of the Year: Gurf Morlix

Song of the Year: "Chalk" written by Julie Miller, performed by Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin

Lifetime Achievement for Songwriter: John Fogerty

Lifetime Achievement for Performance: Asleep At The Wheel 

Lifetime Achievement for Instrumentalist: Sam Bush 

President's Award: Lowell George

Lifetime Achievement for Executive: Ken Levitan

Producer/Engineer: Jim Rooney

Visit AmericanaMusic.org

MARY TRAVERS OF PETER, PAUL AND MARY DIES (9/16/09)
Mary Travers, a member of the popular, Grammy Award-winnning 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, died in Danbury, Connecticut on Wednesday. She was 72. Travers had been fighting leukemia for several years. It all began when she joined up with Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey in the early 60s. Their early hits included "If I Had a Hammer," "Lemon Tree," and "Puff (The Magic Dragon.)" Peter, Paul and Mary formed the group in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. They debuted at the Bitter End in 1961. The trio brought early massive exposure to Bob Dylan covering his "Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright" and "Blowin' in the Wind. The group was immersed in the cultural upheavel of the era. Peter, Paul and Mary marched with Martin Luther King in Selma, Alabama, and were solidly opposed to the Vietnam War. Acoustic guitars ultimately turned electric but Peter, Paul and Mary continued to enjoy hits in the late 60s with "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" and John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane". They broke up in 1971 to launch their own careers. Travers released five solo albums. The Louisville, KY native had undergone a successful bone marrow transplant to treat her leukemia and was able to return to performing for awhile until her condition worsened.

PUNK MUSICIAN, POET JIM CARROLL DIES (9/14/09)
New York-born singer-songwriter and poet Jim Carroll has died in Manhattan at 60 following a sudden heart attack while he was working. Carroll was a best-selling author of six books, including the autobiographical 1978 cult classic The Basketball Diaries, which was turned into the 1995 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Patti Smith told the New York Times that Carroll was "the best poet of his generation." Smith, along with Keith Richards, inspired him to put a band together and release a debut album in 1980, Catholic Boy, which featured the acclaimed "People Who Died," a song heard in the opening of the film ET. Having moved out to San Francisco, The Jim Carroll Band released two subsequent albums and he then returned to writing in the late 80s. Carroll released his last record album Pools of Mercury (Mercury) in 1998 followed by an EP, Runaway (Kill Rock Stars), in 2000.

BRITISH HIP HOP ARTIST SPEECH DEBELLE WINS MERCURY PRIZE (9/9/09)
British hip hop artist Speech Debelle walked away with top honors at the U.K.'s Mercury Prize Tuesday night, picking up the prestigious award for her debut album Speech Therapy. The South London singer-rapper said, "It feels better than I imagined. My family's here. My friends are here …I don't get emotional — I'm emotional." The 26-year-old's album was inspired by a period when she was homeless; she reportedly had sold less than 3,000 copies of Speech Therapy before Tuesday evening, when she picked up the £20,000 prize. By the next morning, Amazon reported that album sales had increased 400 percent. Elbow's The Seldom Seen Kid won last year's Mercury Prize.

Here is the shortlist of 2009 Mercury Prize nominees: Florence and The Machine Lungs, Bat For Lashes Two Suns, The Horrors Primary Colours, La Roux La Roux, Friendly Fires Friendly Fires, Speech Debelle Speech Therapy, Kasabian West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, Glasvegas Glasvegas, The Invisible The Invisible, Sweet Billy Pilgrim Twice Born Men, Lisa Hannigan Sea-Sew and Led Bib Sensible Shoes.

CHARLIE WATTS "NOT QUITTING" THE ROLLING STONES (9/4/09)
The Rolling Stones' veteran drummer Charlie Watts is not resigning the band, according to a official spokesperson for the group. The announcement comes after false press reports this week from Australia that claimed Charlie was calling it quits.

ROSANNE CASH KEYNOTE INTERVIEW AT AMERICANA FEST/CONFERENCE SEPT. 17; "THE LIST" RELEASES OCT. 6 WITH GUESTS SPRINGSTEEN, COSTELLO, TWEEDY (8/26/09)
Rosanne Cash is the subject of the 10th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference 2009 Keynote Interview Thursday, September 17, 10:45-noon at the Nashville Convention Center. The interview will be conducted by Michael Streissguth, author of Always Been There: Rosanne Cash, The List and the Spirit of Southern Music (DaCapo Press). The Grammy-winning veteran artist is set to release The List (Manhattan/Capitol) October 6, a new album of cover songs culled from an actual "list" of roots artists that she was encouraged to explore when she was young by her legendary dad, Johnny Cash. Produced by her Gramming-winning husband John Leventhal, The List is Rosanne Cash's 12th studio album. Special guests joining her on the new record include Bruce Springsteen ("Sea of Heartbreak"), Elvis Costello ("Heartaches by the Number"), Jeff Tweedy ("Long Black Veil") and Rufus Wainwright ("Silver Wings").

Rosanne Cash said, "'The List' was assembled from my father's intuitive understanding of each critical juncture in the evolution of country music. There were old Appalachian folk ballads, and the songs of Jimmie Rodgers and Woody Guthrie. The influence of gospel and Southern blues were crucial. Then he segued into rockabilly and the birth of modern country music by way of Hank Williams, and up to the present, which was then 1973. He also included a couple of his own songs. I endeavored to learn them all and it was an education. I looked to that list as a standard of excellence, and to remind myself of the tradition from which I come. This album enables me to validate the connection to my heritage rather than run away from it, and to tie all the threads together: past and future, legacy and youth, tradition the timelessness."

MEMPHIS PRODUCER/MUSICIAN JIM DICKINSON DIES (8/17/09)
Jim Dickinson, a musician and producer who helped shape the Memphis sound, died Saturday (8/15). He was 67. Dickinson died in a Memphis hospital after three months of heart and intestinal bleeding problems. Perhaps best known as the father of Luther and Cody Dickinson, two-thirds of the Grammy-nominated North Mississippi Allstars, he enjoyed a career that spanned four decades. Dickinson recorded with and produced music legends like Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Big Star, the Rolling Stones, The Replacements and Sam & Dave. His '60s and '70s music is still influential as young artists rediscover the classic sound of Memphis from that era, a melting pot of rock, pop, blues, country, and rhythm and blues. Dickinson and his sons released an album together as Jungle Jim and the Voodoo Tiger in 2006. His career touched on some of the most important music made in the '60s and '70s. He recorded the Rolling Stones' ''Wild Horses'' in Muscle Shoals, formed the Atlantic Records house band The Dixie Flyers to record with Franklin and other R&B legends in Miami, and inspired numerous indie rock bands through his work with the acclaimed Big Star. Dickinson also collaborated with Ry Cooder on a number of movie scores, including ''Paris, Texas,'' and played with Bob Dylan on his Grammy-winning Time Out of Mind.

GUITAR INNOVATOR LES PAUL DIES AT 94 (8/13/09)
Les Paul, inventor and guitar virtuoso whose innovations with the electric guitar and studio technology made him one of the most important figures in recorded music has died at 94. Paul died in White Plains, New York, from complications of severe pneumonia. Paul was a guitar and electronics wizard whose creations such as multitrack recording, tape delay and the solid-body guitar that bears his name, the Gibson Les Paul, helped give rise to modern popular music, including rock 'n' roll. Despite arthritis, Paul played clubs into his 90s. Lester William Polfuss was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on June 9, 1915. He was nicknamed the "Wizard of Waukesha." In the 1930s and '40s, he played with the bandleader Fred Waring and several big band singers, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and the Andrews Sisters, as well as with his own Les Paul Trio. In the early 1950s, he had a handful of huge hits with his then-wife, Mary Ford, such as "How High the Moon" and "Vaya Con Dios." His unique guitar style was heavily influenced by jazzman Django Reinhardt. In 1948, after being involved in a severe car accident, he asked the doctor to set his arm permanently in a guitar-playing position. Paul never stopped tinkering with electronics, and after Crosby gave him an early audiotape recorder, Paul went to work changing it. It eventually led to multitrack recording; on Paul and Ford's hits, he plays many of the guitar parts, and Ford harmonizes with herself. Multitrack recording is now the industry standard. Paul, however will be best remembered for the Gibson Les Paul, a variation on the solid-body guitar he built in the early 1940s, "The Log." Gibson, spurred by rival Fender, finally took Paul up on his offer and introduced the model in 1952. It has since become the guitar of choice for major artists. Paul is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Inventors Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

PUNK PIONEER WILLY DEVILLE DIES (8/10/09)
Willy DeVille, aka William Borsey, founder of influential New York City punk group Mink DeVille passed away from pancreatic cancer at New York's Cabrini Hospital on Thursday (8/6). He was 58. DeVille was was known for his unique blend of edgy R&B, Latin, Dixieland, blues and traditional French Cajun ballads. Mink DeVille was the house band at the legendary CBGB club in Greenwich Village in the late 70s. Although better known in Europe where he lived in France, Mink Deville's "Venus of Avenue D" and "Spanish Stroll" became U.S. FM radio standards in the late 70s. DeVille went solo starting in 1980. His "Storybook Love," featured in the 1987 movie The Princess Bride, was nominated for an Academy Award.

STEVEN TYLER INJURED IN SOUTH DAKOTA STAGE FALL (8/6/09) (Updated 8/9)
Aerosmith star tumbles at outdoor concert in Sturgis, SD
Steven Tyler of Aerosmith suffered a broken shoulder and injuries to his head and neck after falling from the stage at an outdoor concert in Sturgis, South Dakota on Wednesday night (8/5). Tyler was airlifted to a nearby Rapid City hospital where he was reportedly joking with doctors. The 61 year-old veteran rocker fell while performing the song "Love In an Elevator" at the concert during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE CO-FOUNDER JOHN DAWSON DIES (7/22/09)
Original founding member of the late '60s to mid-'70s psychedelic country-rock band New Riders Of The Purple Sage singer-songwriter/guitarist John "Marmaduke" Dawson has died. He was 64. Dawson passed away from stomach cancer at his home July 21 in Mexico where he had retired in recent years. He co-founded the Grateful Dead offshoot band with fellow NRPS members David Nelson, Dave Torbert, Buddy Cage, Spencer Dryden and guest member Jerry Garica. Dawson wrote the early Grateful Dead favorite "Friend of the Devil". NRPS archivist and Webmaster Rob Bleetstein said, "In terms of American music, the New Riders were the quintessential psychedelic country band. In 1969, there wasn't anyone doing what they were doing. With Garcia's sounds on pedal steel and Dawson's great songs and imagery, they really had something special."
Radio on-air tributes to Dawson across the country (7/22) included WFUV New York afternoon host Dennis Elsas playing a tribute set of New Riders Of The Purple Sage songs that included Dawson tunes "Louisiana Lady" and "Glendale Train". 

JIM JAMES, M. WARD, CONOR OBERST, MIKE MOGIS FORM "MONSTERS OF FOLK" (7/15/09) (Updated 7/23/09)
Monsters Of Folk are a new indie "supergroup" featuring Jim James, M. Ward, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis. On a lark, the quartet originally toured together in 2004 under the moniker "An Evening With: Bright Eyes, Jim James and M. Ward." The sarcastic "Monsters of Folk" tag wound up sticking as a band name and the group have announced the release of their self-titled album Monsters Of Folk (Shangri-La Music) due out September 22. The advance single "Say Please" impacts AAA radio starting June 27-28. The members of My Morning Jacket, Bright Eyes and She & Him spent two years recording the album which is produced by Mogis.

MONSTERS OF FOLK FALL NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
10/13: Vancouver, BC Orpheum
10/14: Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
10/15: Seattle Paramount Theatre
10/17: Oakland, CA Fox Theater
10/18: Los Angeles The Greek Theatre
10/20: San Diego Spreckels Theatre
10/21: Phoenix, AZ Orpheum Theater
10/22: Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl
10/28: Omaha Holland Center
10/29: Minneapolis Orpheum Theatre
10/30: Chicago Auditorium Theatre
10/31: Louisville Louisville Palace Theatre
11/02: Toronto Massey Hall
11/03: Boston The Orpheum
11/06: New York United Palace
11/08: New York Beacon Theater
11/09: Philadelphia Academy of Music

MATTHEW RYAN, THE WALLFLOWERS' MEMBERS DEBUT NEW PROJECT: THE DEAD SATELLITES (7/9/09)
Veteran singer-songwriter/guitarist Matthew Ryan has teamed up with The Wallflowers' bass player Greg Richling and keyboardist Rami Jaffee of The Wallflowers and Foo Fighters for a new side project called The Dead Satellites. Check out the one song available so far "Shook Down". The track was recently featured as NPR's Song of the Day (July 8).
 
MICHAEL JACKSON DEAD AT 50 (6/25/09)
His epic 1982 Thriller was world's best-selling album of all time
Michael Jackson has died of cardiac arrest from a drug overdose after falling into a coma in route to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 50. As the first true international pop star, Jackson lived an extraordinary gifted musical and controversial show biz career that spanned four decades. Born Michael Joseph Jackson in Gary, Indiana, he first appeared on stage as an 11 year-old lead singer of the Jackson 5, the pop/soul group he formed with his four older brothers. They broke with their first hit, "I Want You Back" on Motown in October of 1969. Subsequent hits included "ABC" and "I’ll Be There." His 1982 album Thriller — which featured guitarist Eddie Van Halen and included the hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide. Jackson's total of 13 #1 hits leaves him shadowed only by the Beatles, Elvis Presley and Mariah Carey. With his string of groundbreaking moonwalking, crotch-grabbing '80s videos, he is widely credited with helping MTV usher in a new era of global electronic media. Jackson was a one-of-a-kind massive pop sensation complete with the freakish trappings, a career dogged by tabloid scandals, child abuse charges, and endless financial problems. 

At the time of his death, the 'King of Pop' was planning a comeback via a series of shows in London's O2 Arena where his upcoming 50 shows there were sold out. As word of his death quickly spread around the world, impromptu memorial gatherings sprang up in major cities such as London, New York and Los Angeles while radio stations from coast to coast played nonstop Jackson and MTV played his library of '80s hit videos. Perhaps not since the deaths of John Lennon and Elvis has the world seen such reaction to the passing of a iconic pop/rock figure. 

"QUEEN OF THE BLUES" KOKO TAYLOR DIES (6/3/09)
Grammy Award-winning blues legend Koko Taylor has died (6/3) in her hometown of Chicago as a result of complications following recent gastrointestinal surgery. She was 80. Taylor's most recent CD, 2007's Old School (Alligator), was nominated for a Grammy as were eight of her total of nine Alligator albums. She won a Grammy in 1984 for her guest appearance on the compilation album Blues Explosion on Atlantic. Born Cora Walton on a sharecropper's farm just outside Memphis on September 28, 1928, Koko - nicknamed for her love of chocolate - fell in love with music at an early age, inspired by gospel music and WDIA blues disc jockeys B.B. King and Rufus Thomas. An impressed Willie Dixon landed Koko a Chess Records recording contract in 1962, where he produced her several singles, two albums and penned her million-selling 1965 hit "Wang Dang Doodle." After Chess folded, Taylor joined Alligator Records. Koko appeared in the films Wild At Heart, Mercury Rising and Blues Brothers 2000. In 1997, she was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame and in 1999 received the Blues Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award. Taylor took her music from the tiny clubs of Chicago's South Side to concert halls and major festivals all over the world to share stages with every major blues star, including Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy as well as rockers Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Taylor's final performance was last month on May 7 in Memphis at the Blues Music Awards, where she sang "Wang Dang Doodle" after receiving her award for Traditional Blues Female Artist Of The Year.

JAY BENNETT DEAD AT 45 (5/26/09)
Founding member of Wilco dies in his sleep
Jay Bennett has died. The former Wilco singer-songwriter and guitarist/keyboardist died in his sleep early Sunday morning (5/25) in Urbana, Illinois where he was running a recording studio. Bennett was 45. Cause of death is not yet known. He joined the celebrated Chicago band just before the release of their 1996 second album Being There. Bennett shared songwriting credits on nearly all the tracks on the band's 1999 Summerteeth album and played on both of Wilco's Mermaid Avenue albums with Billy Bragg. He left Wilco in 2001 after heated tensions during the recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Bennett would go on to record five solo albums. Earlier this month, Bennett sued Jeff Tweedy and his former Wilco bandmates, claiming he was owed royalties from his seven years in the group and also from the band's acclaimed 2002 documentary film I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. Rolling Stone reports that Bennett's motivation for suing Wilco might be related to his need to undergo hip surgery, as he did not have health insurance. Wilco, currently on tour in Spain, released a statement, "We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will miss Jay as we remember him — as a truly unique and gifted human being and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band’s songs and evolution. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this very difficult time."

BONNAROO JUNE 11-14 IN MANCHESTER TN: SPRINGSTEEN, PHISH, WILCO, NEKO CASE, BYRNE, THE LOW ANTHEM AND MORE (5/20/09)
Recession be damned, over 75,000 attendees are expected at this year's 8th Annual Bonnaroo Music And Arts Festival in Manchester, TN June 11-14 featuring Bruce Springsteen, Phish, Wilco, David Byrne, The Low Anthem, TV on the Radio, Elvis Costello, Neko Case, Al Green, Booker T and Lucinda Williams among the over 120 artists/bands and 20 comedians to perform on 13 stages.

BONNAROO 2009 LINEUP:
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Phish
David Byrne
Beastie Boys
Nine Inch Nails
Wilco
Al Green
Snoop Dogg
Elvis Costello (solo)
Erykah Badu
Paul Oakenfold
Ben Harper and Relentless7   
The Mars Volta
TV on the Radio
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Gov’t Mule
Andrew Bird
Merle Haggard
MGMT
moe.
The Decemberists
Girl Talk
Bon Iver
Béla Fleck & Toumani Diabate
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Galactic
The Del McCoury Band
of Montreal
Allen Toussaint
Coheed and Cambria
Booker T & the DBTs
David Grisman Quintet
Lucinda Williams
Animal Collective
Gomez
Neko Case
Down
Jenny Lewis
Santogold
Robert Earl Keen
Citizen Cope
Femi Kuti and the Positive Force
The Ting Tings
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Kaki King
Grizzly Bear
King Sunny Adé
Okkervil River
St. Vincent
Zac Brown Band
Raphael Saadiq
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Crystal Castles
Tift Merritt
Brett Dennen
Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue
Toubab Krewe
People Under the Stairs
Alejandro Escovedo
Vieux Farka Touré
Elvis Perkins In Dearland
Cherryholmes
Yeasayer
Todd Snider
Chairlift
Portugal. The Man.
The SteelDrivers
Midnite
The Knux
The Low Anthem
Delta Spirit
A.A. Bondy
The Lovell Sisters
Alberta Cross

Updated artist list, festival information and tickets found at Bonnaroo.com.

BUDDY GUY WINS BIG AT 30TH ANNUAL BLUES MUSIC AWARDS IN MEMPHIS (5/8/09)
The 30th Annual Blues Music Awards were held Thursday, May 7th at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. Buddy Guy won Album of the Year and Contemporary Blues Album of the Year for Skin Deep, and Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year. Janiva Magness won B.B. King Entertainer of the Year and Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year while Eden Brent won Acoustic Album of the Year For Mississippi Number One and Acoustic Artist of the Year. Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials won Band of the Year. Mannish Boys had lead the list of nominees with the most Award nominations. For the complete list of winners and nominees, visit Blues.org. (5/8/09)

BEN HARPER AND RELENTLESS7 RELEASE "WHITE LIES FOR DARK TIMES," TOUR KICKS OFF AT JAZZ FEST (5/6/09)
Ben Harper And Relentless7 released White Lies For Dark Times (Virgin/Capitol) this week (5/5), featuring "Fly One Time," impacting Triple A Radio beginning this Monday, May 11. Harper has put his band The Innocent Criminals on hiatus for the new album which features LA-via-Austin guitarist Jason Mozersky, bassist Jesse Ingalls and drummer Jordan Richardson. Ben Harper And Relentless7 are set to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman (tonight) 5/6 and Thursday 5/7 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Also on Thursday 5/7, Ben will appear on the ABC special Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, with Ben and Michael in conversation and a Relentless7 performance of "Fly One Time". For a preview of the show, go here. The band launched a tour in support of White Lies For Dark Times April 30 in New Orleans at Jazz Fest.

BEN HARPER & RELENTLESS 7 SPRING/SUMMER TOUR:
April 30 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
May 1 Memphis, Beale Street Music Festival
May 2 Atlanta, Variety Playhouse
May 4 Washington DC, 9:30 Club
May 5 New York, Webster Hall 
May 8  Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
May 9  Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
May 10 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
May 12 Montreal, Metropolis
May 13 Toronto, Phoenix Concert Theatre
May 15 Detroit, St. Andrews Hall
May 16 Chicago, Vic Theatre
May 25 George, WA Sasquatch Festival
May 27 San Francisco, The Fillmore
May 28 Los Angeles,  Wiltern
June 13 Manchester, TN, Bonnaroo Music Festival
July 11 Masontown, WV, All Good Festival
July 18 Denver, Mile High Festival

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND LAUNCHES TOUR, NEW ALBUM "BIG WHISKEY..." DUE JUNE 2 (4/16/09)
Dave Matthews Band kicked off a new tour Tuesday night (4/14) at Madison Square Garden in support of their upcoming studio album, Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King (RCA), set to be released June 2. The group debuted the album's advance track "Funny The Way It Is" during the sold out three-hour show in New York, which paid tribute to the late DMB sax player LeRoi Moore who passed away in August. The new track is already receiving heavy airplay on Triple A radio stations throughout North America and is available as a free download for fans on the band's site.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND SPRING '09 TOUR
4-14 Madison Square Garden, New York
4-15 IZOD Center, East Rutherford, NJ   
04-17 John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA   
04-18 John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA   
04-20 Verizon Wireless Music Center, Pelham, AL   
04-22 Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek, Raleigh, NC   
4-24 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte  
4-25 Vanderbilt Stadium - Vanderbilt University, Nashville   
4-26 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Fair Grounds Race Course, New Orleans
4-28 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, Alpharetta, GA   
4-29 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, Alpharetta, GA   
5-01 The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Woodlands, TX   
5-02 Superpages.com Center, Dallas   
5-05 Journal Pavilion, Albuquerque  
5-06 Cricket Wireless Pavilion, Phoenix  
5-08 Grand Garden Arena - MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas  
5-09 Grand Garden Arena - MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas

NEW DYLAN STUDIO ALBUM "TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE" RELEASES APRIL 28 (4/13/09)
Bob Dylan is set to release his 46th album April 28 with Together Through Life (Columbia), the first new studio album in over three years by the legendary troubadour. The record, recorded late last year, was produced by Jack Frost and features the advance track "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'". Songs on Together Through Life were inspired by a song Dylan initially wrote for a forthcoming film by French director Oliver Dahan (La Vie En Rose) titled "Life Is Hard". Together Though Life is the follow up to Dylan's 2006 Grammy winning studio album, Modern Times, a Top 5 seller in 22 countries. Tell Tale Signs was released last year, the last of several volumes in his Bootleg Series. Dylan was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by the lyrical composition of extraordinary poetic power."

SPRINGSTEEN AND FRIENDS PLAY PETE SEEGER 90TH BIRTHDAY BENEFIT MAY 3 (3/18/09)
Dozens of musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder, John Mellencamp, Ben Harper, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Tom Morello, Joan Baez and Michael Franti will celebrate the legendary Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday Concert at Madison Square Garden on May 3. The Clearwater Concert: Creating the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders will raise funds and awareness for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an organization founded by Seeger to preserve and protect the Hudson River. General public tickets go on sale March 30. The Madison Square Garden Seeger tribute concert is part of a series of 90th birthday events benefiting the Clearwater, including a solo acoustic show by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy March 28 in Beacon, NY and the 2009 Great Hudson River Revival June 20-21 at Croton Point Park in Croton-on Hudson, NY, which will feature Susan Tedeschi, Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie and Old Crow Medicine Show, among other artists.

'09 ROCK HALL NOMINEES INDUCTED SATURDAY: THE STOOGES, RUN-DMC, JEFF BECK, WAR, WANDA JACKSON, BOBBY WOMACK, CHIC, METALLICA, LITTLE ANTHONY (Updated 4/5/09)
The 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees were inducted in a ceremony April 4 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. Nominees for the class of '09 are: The Stooges, Run-DMC, Jeff Beck, Chic, Wanda Jackson, War, Metallica, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and Bobby Womack. In the "Sidemen" category, the inductees are Bill Black, DJ Fontana and Spooner Oldham. The induction ceremony returned to Cleveland for the first time since '97, and was broadcast live on Fuse TV. The ceremony will be supported by a weeklong series of events, including From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen opening on Wednesday, April 1 as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum unveils the world's first major artifact-driven exhibit about Springsteen's legendary career. Saturday, April 4 is a "Free Admission Day" at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. For the first time in its 24-year history, tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was accessible to the public.

U2 PLAY FORDHAM UNIVERSITY "GOOD MORNING AMERICA" GIG (3/6/09) (Updated 3/9/09)
Bono dedicates "I'll Go Crazy..." to Fordham students
"I joined a rock & roll band so I could get out of going to college," Bono announced to the students at New York's Fordham University in the Bronx on Fri. morning (3/6) during a six-song set by U2 on the school's quad that aired live on ABC's Good Morning America. Classes were canceled for the concert, which was held literally on the steps of the university's Keating Hall. All it took was a Fordham U ID for admission. U2 ripped through three tracks off of the new No Line on the Horizon, "Get On Your Boots," "Magnificent," and "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight," and received a rousing response after dedicating "I'll Go Crazy..." to the Fordham audience who sang along with the lyrics, "Every generation gets a chance to change the world." Many of the students had lined up early in the wee hours to land a choice spot close to the band for the 8am start time. The crowd was already chanting "Bono! Bono!" as the sun came up. U2 capped off a week-long promotion for the new record, having appeared each night on CBS's Late Night With David Letterman in an unprecedented five-night stand. Fordham University is the home of WFUV and WFUV's The Alternate Side. International dates for the "U2360 Tour" have been announced at U2.com.

BLUES HALL OF FAME 2009 INDUCTEES: IRMA THOMAS, REV. GARY DAVIS, SON SEALS, TAJ MAHAL (2/25/09)
Induction ceremony set for May 6th in Memphis
The Blues Hall of Fame has announced this year's inductees: Taj Mahal (a.k.a. Henry St. Clair Fredericks), Irma Thomas, Son Seals, and the Reverend Gary Davis. The heritage artists will be inducted in a ceremony May 6th in Memphis at the Memphis Marriott Downtown. On the following day, May 7th, the Blues Foundation's 30th Annual Blues Music Awards returns to the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

BUDDY MILLER RECOVERING FROM HEART ATTACK (2/24/09)
Veteran Nashville singer-songwriter, producer, guitarist - and recent Plant/Krauss touring guitarist - Buddy Miller suffered a heart attack in Baltimore on Friday (2/20). Miller, 56, was transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore where he underwent triple bypass surgery, according to The Tennessean. The surgery was successful but look for Miller to be off the road recovering for weeks. On tour with Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and Shawn Colvin (dubbed "3 Girls And Their Buddy"), Buddy and Julie Miller had performed the night before at the Mammojam Music Festival. Buddy and his wife, Julie Miller, release Written In Chalk (New West) March 3. The new album features guests Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin.

PLANT/KRAUSE, COLDPLAY, ADELE WIN AT 51ST ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS (2/8/09)
Performances feature U2, McCartney/Grohl, Radiohead, Plant/Krauss
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Coldplay, Radiohead, and Adele were all big winners at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards (2/8) broadcast on CBS-TV from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Plant/Krauss picked up five awards, including the night's top prize, Album of the Year for the T Bone Burnett-produced Raising Sand (Rounder). The one-time Led Zeppelin leader and Nashville bluegrass queen also won Record of the Year for the post-Zeppelin Plant/Page song "Please Read the Letter" and Best Pop Collaboration for "Rich Woman". Krauss has won a total of 21 Grammy's in her career, more than any female in Grammy history. Coldplay won three awards on the night, including Best Rock Album and Song of the Year for "Viva La Vida." Radiohead won Best Alternative Music Album for In rainbows. Columbia's 20-year-old Adele won Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal for her "Chasing Pavements" from 19. Duffy's Rockferry won for Best Pop Vocal Album. The 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award went to Motown's The Four Tops.
All-star performances of the night featured U2 (opening the show), Al Green, Coldplay (with a cameo by Jay-Z), Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl on drums ("I Saw Her Standing There"), Radiohead (with the USC Marching Band), Stevie Wonder (with the Jonas Brothers), Plant/Krauss, John Mayer with B.B. King and Buddy Guy, Neil Diamond, and Katy Perry, among others. Grammy Awards were presented in a total of 110 musical categories: Complete list of Grammy winners.
For additional Grammy coverage and commentary, visit Mike Lyon's The Forest (media column).

SPRINGSTEEN RELEASES "WORKING ON A DREAM"; TOUR BEGINS APRIL 1 (Updated: 2/6/09)
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have released the new album Working On A Dream (Columbia) January 27. It features twelve new Springsteen songs plus two bonus tracks, including the Golden Globe Award-winning movie theme song "The Wrestler." The album is the fourth collaboration between Springsteen and Brendan O'Brien, who produced and mixed the record. Springsteen said, "Towards the end of recording Magic, excited by the return to pop production sounds, I continued writing. When my friend producer Brendan heard the new songs, he said, 'Let's keep going.' Over the course of the next year, that's just what we did, recording with the E Street Band during the breaks on last year's tour." Working on a Dream is Springsteen's twenty-fourth album, recorded and mixed at Southern Tracks in Atlanta with additional recording in New York City, New Jersey, and Los Angeles. The Boss and band played President Obama's inaugural celebration concert in January and during halftime at Super Bowl XLIII Feb. 1 in Tampa. The 2009 Spring tour begins April 1 in San Jose.

SPRINGSTEEN/E STREET BAND SPRING TOUR - NORTH AMERICAN LEG
April 1: San Jose, CA (HP Pavilion at San Jose)
April 3: Glendale, CA (Jobing.com Center)
April 5: Austin (Frank Erwin Center)
April 7: Tulsa (BOK Center)
April 8: Houston (Toyota Center)
April 10: Denver (Pepsi Arena)
April 15: Los Angeles (LA Memorial Sports Arena)
April 21-22: Boston (TD Banknorth Garden)
April 24: Hartford (XL Center)
April 26: Atlanta (Philips Arena)
April 28-29: Philadelphia (Wachovia Spectrum)
May 2: Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum)
May 4: Hempstead, NY (Nassau Veterans Mem. Col.)
May 5: Charlottesville, VA (John Paul Jones Arena)
May 7: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
May 8: University Park, PA (Bryce Jordan Center)
May 11: St. Paul, MN (Xcel Energy Center)
May 12: Chicago (United Center)
May 14: Albany, NY (Times Union Center)
May 15: Hershey, PA (Hersheypark Stadium)
May 18: Washington, DC (Verizon Center)
May 19: Pittsburgh (Mellon Arena)
May 21-23: E. Rutherford, NJ (Izod Center)

STOOGES GUITARIST RON ASHETON DIES (1/7/09)
Ron Asheton, the influential scorching guitarist for "the granddaddy of punk bands," the Stooges has died. He was 60. Asheton was found at his Ann Arbor home early Tuesday (1/6) by police. The death was reportedly of natural causes. Asheton was a founding member of the long-running iconic punk band, formed in Ann Arbor in 1967, along with his brother, Scott. In a statement, lead singer Iggy Pop called Asheton "my best friend." In 2003, Rolling Stone named Asheton the 29th greatest guitarist of all time, describing him as "the Detroit punk who made the Stooges' music reek like a puddle of week-old biker sweat." After recording three albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Stooges broke up while Iggy Pop went solo. Asheton played guitar for bands including the New Order, New Race, Destroy All Monsters and Dark Carnival. In 2003, Asheton reunited with the rest of the Stooges and released the fourth Stooges album, The Weirdness, in 2007.

ROCK/SOUL VETERAN DELANEY BRAMLETT DIES (12/29/08)
Collaborated with Eric Clapton, George Harrison
Singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Delaney Bramlett, half of the late '60s/early '70s duo Delaney & Bonnie, died (12/27/08) at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles. He had been suffering from ill health and had recently undergone gallbladder surgery. Bramlett was 69. He led a core of artists who bonded the original British Invasion with Southern roots rock. Bramlett emerged from his native Mississippi in the late '60s to form "Delaney & Bonnie & Friends" with his first wife, Bonnie Lynn. Among their "friends" were Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, John Lennon, Leon Russell, Dave Mason, and Gram Parsons, among others. Bramlett produced Clapton's 1970 self-titled solo album debut and co-wrote many songs on it, including "Let It Rain." He also produced Etta James, Elvin Bishop, John Hammond, and The Staple Singers. Bramlett helped to teach George Harrison to play slide guitar, heard on "My Sweet Lord" on Harrison's 1969 album All Things Must Pass. Delaney & Bonnie were best known for their songs "Never Ending Song of Love" and "Soul Shake." Bramlett released his last album, A New Kind Of Blues (Magnolia Gold) in late 2007. He teamed up with Jerry Lee Lewis to sing and play "Lost Highway" on Lewis' 2006 album, Last Man Standing. In addition to his wife, Susan Lanier-Bramlett, he is survived by four children, including Bekka Bramlett, a Nashville-based singer-songwriter (Fleetwood Mac, Faith Hill).

U2 TO RELEASE NEW "NO LINE ON THE HORIZON" ALBUM MARCH 3 (12/21/08)
The new U2 album, their twelfth studio recording, No Line on the Horizon (Interscope), is set to release March 3. The album is produced by Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite and was recorded in Morocco, Dublin, London and New York. No Line on the Horizon was originally anticipated for release by the end this year but U2 went back into the studio repeatedly to tweak the tracks. Among the songs expected to appear on the album are the title track along with "Moment of Surrender" and "Unknown Caller." No Line on the Horizon is the follow-up to 2004's Grammy-winning How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The have announced that they will tour again in 2009 in support of the new album. The band recently signing a major touring agreement with Live Nation.