STAR 103.3 CLASSIC ROCK NEWS
JOURNEY: Their Own Mp3 Player

Journey is the latest act to have its own signature M-P-3 player. Yesterday, Z-VUE started selling a player pre-loaded with all 22 tracks from the band's new double-C-D, Revelation, exclusively at Wal-Mart -- which is also the exclusive retailer of Revelation. The player sells for 40 bucks and comes in a gift box complete with headphones. Journey is on tour with Cheap Trick and Heart.

CSNY: Deja Vu Drops

The soundtrack to the Crosby Stills Nash and Young documentary Deja Vu drops into stores today. The film chronicles C-S-N-Y's 2006 Freedom of Speech Tour in support of Neil Young's Living With War album. The tour focused on their stand against the war in Iraq and the impact that conflict has had on public opinion. The performances are presented as they happened, with no overdubs. The only change is a 100-voice choir, which they recorded before the tour and piped into concert venues. David Crosby says that as the tour went on they "got to the point where we sort of mastered the new songs. They had a very strong effect on us, something on the order of making us sort of believe in ourselves." Some of the classic C-S-N and C-S-N-Y songs on the album are "Deja Vu," "Wooden Ships" and "Teach Your Children," plus "For What It's Worth" from Stephen Stills and Young's time in the Buffalo Springfield. The film C-S-N-Y: Deja Vu will be heading to theaters and offered as video on demand this Friday.

Beatle & Billy Shut Down Shea

Billy Joel brought the musical history of New York's Shea Stadium full circle as he welcomed Paul McCartney onstage during the second encore of his set Friday, July 18. 43 years after The Beatles played the first concert at Shea Stadium, Paul sang I Saw Her Standing There and then wrapped things up, playing Let It Be on Joel's piano while Joel sat on top of piano and sang backup. McCartney told Joel and the stadium crowd that, "[We] came here a long time ago. We had a blast that night and we're having another one tonight."

McCartney was the last in a series of stars who joined Joel on stage for the last concert ever at Shea, which will be demolished after the Mets season is over. Tony Bennett repeated his guest shot from the first concert last Wednesday by singing New York State of Mind with Joel Aerosmith's Steven Tyler performed Walk This Way, Oklahoma resident Garth Brooks joined Joel on a duet of Shameless (a Joel song which Brooks took to number-one on the country charts in 1991) and Roger Daltrey of The Who did My Generation. At the end of My Generation, Joel smashed a guitar against the stage, breaking it in two. Fans who didn't get to attend the shows can see highlights in a documentary called Last Play at Shea that's due out next year.

Rock Hall: Dusting Them Off

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland has gone through its archive to create a new display. Treasures From the Vault features the eight-string bass played by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones; Greg Lake's acoustic guitar; Bob Marley's handwritten lyrics to "Turn Your Lights Down Low;" Slash's top hat and leather jacket; James Taylor's first guitar; the suit worn by Elton John when he was inducted into the Hall; and handwritten lyrics from A-C/D-C, Metallica, Jethro Tull, The Band, Donovan and Billy Joel. Also included are artifacts from Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Bee Gees, Aretha Franklin, Sting, Alice Cooper and The Clash. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has more than 25-thousand artifacts, but only about four-thousand are on display at any given time.

The Stones' Ron Wood Returns to Rehab

The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood checked back into rehab Wednesday, July 17, for alcohol abuse. The guitarist has already served numerous stints in rehab in an attempt to lay off booze, the latest coming in spring 2006 during the Stones' last world tour. Wood's spokesperson did not disclose where Wood is undergoing treatment, but did issue a statement saying, "Following Ronnie's continued battle with alcohol, he has entered a period of rehab. His close family and friends say he is seeking help and look forward to his recovery."

Meanwhile, The mother of the 19-year-old cocktail waitress who ran off with Ron Wood says she believes her daughter had a sexual affair with the 61-year-old Rolling Stone. Irina Ivanova tells London's Daily Mail that her daughter denied bedding Wood, but mother believes differently -- saying, "I know her voice. I know the intonation that she was lying to me."

She said Katia believed she was going to get rich modeling for Wood's paintings -- he allegedly promised her 300 pounds a day [600 dollars] -- but after two weeks holed up with him in Ireland, Katia only brought home 900-pounds [18-hundred dollars]. Ivanova said she also believes her daughter is in love with Wood. "She felt everyone would be really proud because he is a legend of the music world. I'm not a fan of the Rolling Stones at all. I prefer the Beatles much more. But that doesn't mean I would like to see her run off with Paul McCartney. I would prefer she wasn't with any old rock stars at all."

The Police: Reunion CD/DVD

The Police are set to release a C-D and D-V-D from their reunion tour in time for Christmas. They recorded and filmed two shows last year -- December 1st and 2nd in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The D-V-D also contains a documentary called Better Than Therapy that was directed by drummer Stewart Copeland's son Justin.

The Police and New York Public Television are auctioning off V-I-P packages for the band's final show, August 7th at Madison Square Garden in New York. The packages include meet-and-greet and photo opportunities with the band and autographed memorabilia. There are two auctions on E-Bay -- now through July 24th and August 4th to the 14th. Go to EBay-dot-com-slash-Public Television Rocks for more information or to place a bid.

Asthma Helped Start Don McLean's Career

People know Don McLean for his classic story song "American Pie." Others recognize him for being the inspiration for Roberta Flack's classic "Killing Me Softly with His Song." One thing most fans aren't aware of is that the singer-songwriter has suffered from asthma since childhood. He tells Sun Media of Canada that he stills suffers occasional outbreaks, especially when he visits our northern neighbor. "Some places in Canada where there are tall grasses where I'll immediately have an asthmatic reaction. So I have to be careful." While no one would call asthma beneficial, McLean said he discovered music when illness confined him to home as a child. He discovered his father's record collection and began to learn the guitar. These days, Don makes sure to always pack inhalers and antihistamines whenever he hits the road.

Faces: More Reunion Talk

Last month it was reported that Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones were getting together on July 3rd to discuss the possibility of a Faces reunion. Apparently the meeting went well. Keyboard player Ian McLagan tells the B-B-C, "We're hoping to get together later this year to play and then we may have some news, but I want it to happen, badly. Rod hasn't wanted to do it for a long time. He didn't see the need in it, but I think he really wants to now... It would be great to record new tracks. I have a couple of songs that Rod might like. We'd have to see -- I think that would be the way to go, though, not just to go out on tour. It'd be great to have an album." The Faces came together following the demise of the Small Faces, who broke up in 1969. The Faces disbanded in 1974, and bassist Ronnie Lane passed away in 1997 from multiple sclerosis.

Led Zeppelin: Very Limited Edition

Last year's re-issue of Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains the Same will be released on vinyl on July 22nd. Now comes the announcement that Led Zeppelin have arranged for the manufacture of a very special limited-edition white vinyl version of the album. There are only 100 of these being made available for sale, with only 200 in existence. The only way you stand a chance of getting hold of this rare version is to pre-order it through LedZeppelin-dot-com. It will be sold to customers who are picked at random.

Originally released in 1976, the four-album set documents Led Zeppelin's three-night stand at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1973. It has been re-mastered and contains six additional songs not featured on the original -- "Black Dog," "Over the Hills and Far Away," "Misty Mountain Hop," "Since I've Been Loving You," "The Ocean" and "Heartbreaker." It also includes a 12-page oversized full-color booklet with liner notes by Cameron Crowe and dozens of previously unpublished stills from the film.

CSNY: New Soundtrack Details

The soundtrack to the Crosby Stills Nash and Young documentary, Deja Vu, will hit stores July 22nd. The film chronicles C-S-N-Y's 2006 Freedom of Speech Tour that focused on their stand against the war in Iraq and the impact that conflict has had on public opinion. The performances have been presented as they happened, with no overdubs. The only tinkering is a 100-voice choir, which was recorded prior to the tour and piped into concert venues. The album contains eight of the 10 songs from Neil Young's Living With War album, which the tour promoted. Among the classic C-S-N and C-S-N-Y songs are "Deja Vu," "Wooden Ships" and "Teach Your Children," plus "For What It's Worth" from Stephen Stills and Young's time in the Buffalo Springfield. The film C-S-N-Y: Deja Vu is in theatres and offered as video on demand on July 25th.

ZZ Top's Big DVD Debut

ZZ Top's Live From Texas D-V-D debuted at number-one in Billboard's Top Music DVD chart and the Canadian Music DVD chart. Initial orders in both countries more than qualify the release for gold certification. It also debuted at number-one in France and Sweden, while the band has embarked on its first European tour in six years. ZZ Top will play the Ford Center in Oklahoma City on August 17th.

Billy Joel's Stranger Turns 30

The Stranger, the album that turned Billy Joel into a star and Phil Ramone into one of the most in-demand producers, is now out in an expanded 30th anniversary box set. Along with the eight songs from the original L-P, two bonus discs round out the set. There's a never-before-released June 1977 concert at New York's Carnegie Hall, where Billy performed such future classics as "Just the Way You Are," "She's Got a Way" and "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" before they were laid down in a recording studio. The other is a D-V-D with promotional videos Billy shot for "The Stranger" and "Just the Way You Are," a 1978 performance taped for the British T-V show The Old Grey Whistle Test, and a new 30-minute documentary on the making of The Stranger, with new comments from Billy and Phil.

Queen is Prepping CD & Tour

Queen are not only putting the finishing touches on their first studio album with Paul Rodgers, due for release in the fall, they're also getting ready to tour. Brian May writes on his website, "We have some idea [of what we're going to play] and thoughts in development... We might throw in a couple of surprises here and there to make sure we all stay on our toes..." But he is dispelling the rumor that they will do two completely different shows when they start the tour in Moscow in September. "Putting one together is quite enough... Whoever is saying that we are going to do two completely different shows is talking out of some orifice, which is not their mouth." Queen's European tour will run through early November in London with North American dates expected next year.

Bad Company: Together Again

Bad Company will be reuniting again. Singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs and drummer Simon Kirke will perform one show only... at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on August 8th. Since bass player Boz Burrell passed away in 2006, his spot will be filled by Lynn Sorenson from Rodgers'solo band. This will be the first time since 1999 that all the living original members will share the stage. But the group has more in mind than just some reminiscing. Rodgers tells Billboard, "By doing this one-night stand with Bad Company, we will be cementing our right to the trademark Bad Company for touring, and anyone who attempts to challenge us and tour misusing our trademark and mislead the fans will be liable to legal action." Rodgers is referring to Ralphs' attempts to tour as Bad Company 2008 with former Bad Company replacements Robert Hart on vocals, Dave "Bucket" Colwell on guitar and Jaz Lochrie on bass. The show in August will be recorded for a D-V-D that will be part of a Bad Company compilation that may be released later this year.

Aerosmith Goes Gaming

Aerosmith was at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City Friday, June 27th, to unveil Guitar Hero: Aerosmith to the media and fans. Steven Tyler said doing the game, which hit stores Sunday, June 29th, was the "best experience of our lives. It let's people play along with all the Aerosmith songs and dance between the notes." Aerosmith were very involved with the game's creation, wearing motion-capture suits so developers could transfer the band members' likenesses into the game. They also sat for interviews, taking the creators through their history. Bassist Tom Hamilton says it's important for the band to be on the cutting edge of finding new ways to get their music heard. In addition to Aerosmith , this latest version of Guitar Hero contains songs by Cheap Trick, The Kinks, Ted Nugent , and Joan Jett.

Foreigner Lines Up Fall Tour Dates

Foreigner has added a fall leg to their tour, which starts July 15th in Augusta, Maine -- one of eight shows they're doing with Bryan Adams. Guitarist Mick Jones tells us, "We're raring to go." The tour is in support of No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner, in stores July 15th. After the tour, Jones says they will head into the studio to record a new album.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: On Tribute Single

Bruce Springsteen appears on the first of a new series of tribute singles to New York experimental synth duo Suicide. The singles, which feature a veteran act and a new artist covering a Suicide song as well as a rarity from the band, mark the upcoming 70th birthday of singer Alan Vega. Springsteen's contribution is a live version of "Dream Baby Dream," a song that closed many of the shows on his 2005 solo Devils and Dust tour. The single with Springsteen's track is due out in late July.


AEROSMITH: Strum This Way

Aerosmith will be at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square on Friday afternoon to unveil Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. This marks the first time Guitar Hero has built a game around a single band. The Hard Rock will be transformed into a Best Buy home theater / video game lounge where consumers will be among the first to play the game on PlayStation 3 before it hits store shelves on Sunday.


PINK FLOYD: Time in Pictures

Pink Floyd is the subject of a new photo book. Rex Features, London's top picture library for the performing arts, and Reynolds & Hearn have published Pink Floyd - Rex Collections, a 160-page book packed with rarely seen photographs. The first run, which is limited to a thousand copies, has sold exceptionally well and a soft-back edition, which is not limited in numbers, will be published in October. The photos span the years 1967 to 2007 and includes the band's 2005 reunion at Live 8.


KINKS: Ray Goes It Alone

Kinks frontman Ray Davies will perform a handful of acoustic shows in support of his recent album, Working Man's Cafe, next month in Canada and on the West Coast. He tells us performing acoustically is "really energizing -- scary too because you got no one else to blame...you're it." The tour starts July 11th in Ottawa, Canada and ends July 22nd in Anaheim, California.


Stairway Worth Half a Billion

Led Zeppelin has earned millions of dollars, and according to Portfolio magazine, a large chunk of it comes from just one song -- "Stairway to Heaven." Music executives, along with those in advertising and entertainment industries, were asked to "come up with some numbers, real and potential, for the value of 'Stairway'." The estimated total the song has brought in from publishing and sales of the master recording is in excess of 560-million dollars. It has the potential to earn more than 10-million more if licensed for use in commercials, T-V shows and movies. "Stairway to Heaven" was never released as a single and was first available on 1971's Led Zeppelin Four.

Ringo Wants Peace & Love for Birthday

At Ringo Starr's press conference in Canada to kick off his 2008 All Starr tour, Ringo made a wish for his 68th birthday on July 7th. He asked that on that day at noon, no matter where you are, just say "peace and love" and flash the peace sign. Ringo’s exact words were, "On July the 7th at noon, no matter where you are, in the shops, in the garage looking for your money, on a bus, it doesn't matter where you are, just at noon on July the 7th, just peace and love. Just go peace and love. It's gonna be great."

Faces Talk

Three members of the Faces -- Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones -- will get together next month to talk about the possibility of reuniting. Stewart says, "Myself and Ronnie Wood and Kenny Jones, who is the drummer, we're all getting together on July the 3rd to have a drink together and to see whether it's possible, whether we can move forward and have a reunion. I spoke to Ronnie two days ago and he said, 'Yeah, let's do it.' And so we'll see how it goes. We're definitely going to have a rehearsal together and see if we can still cut it, which I'm sure we can. We're making the first step. Maybe we'll just do a charity gig and see how it goes."

Steve Miller Concert DVD a Hit

Steve Miller's first-ever concert D-V-D, Live in Chicago, is a hit. The two-D-V-D, one-C-D set shipped platinum and debuted at number-one on the Billboard Top Music Video chart. The concert portion of the D-V-D, which also includes a documentary, was filmed last summer outside Chicago, and is also airing on P-B-S stations this summer. Miller is on tour this summer with special guest Joe Cocker. They're taking a break and will resume on June 26th in Michigan.

Beatles DVD Pushed Back

The D-V-D release of All Together Now, the documentary about the creation of Cirque du Soleil's Beatles production Love, has been pushed back to the fall. The film has been accepted at several prestigious film festivals in Toronto, Washington D-C and Las Vegas and as a result will not be out on June 24th. All Together Now explores how George Harrison and Cirque founder Guy Laliberte got the production rolling and shows producers George and Giles Martin remixing Beatles songs for Love as well as rehearsals leading up to its debut in Las Vegas.

Steven Tyler Talks About Rehab

Steven Tyler has issued a statement regarding his return to rehab. The Aerosmith singer said that his need for rehab was related to a series of surgeries to correct injuries to his foot. In the statement, Tyler says, "The doctors told me the pain in my feet could be corrected, but it would require a few surgeries over time. The 'foot repair' pain was intense, greater than I'd anticipated. I really needed a safe environment to recuperate where I could shut off my phone and get back on my feet. Make no mistake -- Aerosmith has no plans to stop rocking. There's a new album to record, then another tour."

When it was first learned that Tyler had checked himself into the Pasadena Recovery Center outside of Los Angeles, a report in the Boston Herald said that he became addicted to the painkillers he was taking following the foot procedures, a throat operation and his recovery from hepatitis. Tyler had reportedly been clean since kicking his drug habit in the mid-'80s.

Kinks Box Set is in the Works

Ray Davies is working on a Kinks box set that he hopes to have out later this year. He says he's currently reviewing the six-C-D set, which will contain unreleased material, including demos. He adds that the demos make him "cringe," but he's leaving them alone because they show the progression of the band.

As for the rumors that the original Kinks line-up would reunite for a tour in support of the box set, Davies says, ""I'm never against something that works. When we get together in a room there's a real chemistry there -- you can't put your finger on it. You got the, I guess me, the quiet strong one. And you got Dave [Davies], the sort of mad, sort of frenetic one, and you got [Pete] Quaife, who's really good at P-R, and you got [Mick] Avory, who's like the one that holds you back when you're getting too far. But musically there's a good spark there. So I never want to throw that possibility away." The Kinks' last tour was in 1996.

Doors Do Their Own Documentary

The Doors are working on a career-spanning documentary that will contain rare footage. In an interview with Billboard, keyboardist Ray Manzarek calls it the "anti-Oliver Stone [referring to Stone's 1991 film, The Doors]. This will be the true story of the Doors." He says it will be out in six months.

Manzarek and Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and their group, Riders on the Storm, will tour Europe in July. Former Doors drummer John Densmore is doing dates in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania during June.

Rock Honors for The Who

The Who will be the Classic Rock act in the spotlight at this year's V-H-1 Rock Honors. The event will take place July 12th at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles and air on V-H-1 July 17th. Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters have been recently added to the line-up. The Who will close out the night by performing their own set. Pearl Jam's involvement at the show is not surprising -- Eddie Vedder has repeatedly cited Pete Townshend as a big influence and has performed with Townshend at various events, and the entire band has played numerous Who covers throughout their career.

Pink Floyd Wins Polar Prize

Pink Floyd, along with soprano Renee Fleming, are winners of this year's Polar Music Prize. The Swedish award recognizes artists for their contributions to their musical genres. Floyd -- who, according to the award committee, "captured the mood and spirit of a whole generation in their reflections and attitudes" -- will receive a cash prize of 168-thousand dollars at the August 26th ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. Previous winners include Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.

Eric Clapton Heads Classic Rock Cricket Team

Three days after finishing his brief North American tour, Eric Clapton will lead a classic rock cricket team in a charity match in Cranleigh, England on June 8th. Joining Slowhand will be Roger Waters from Pink Floyd, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford. The match will benefit a number of charities, including Clapton's Crossroads Center in Antigua. Clapton last played in a celebrity cricket match in 2001, which was England's hottest day on record.

CSNY Documentary Arrives in July

In July, the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young documentary C-S-N-Y Deja Vu will be screened in 15 cities and released on video-on-demand and online streaming video. The D-V-D will hit stores in the fall. The documentary, shot during the band's 2006 Freedom of Speech tour, showed the audience reaction to Neil Young's anti-Iraq War and anti-Bush songs, as well as interviews with soldiers and others affected by the war, interspersed with performance footage.

Help for Randy Bachman's Brother

Randy Bachman's younger brother Tim Bachman, who was also a guitarist in Bachman-Turner Overdrive, suffered a heart attack a few weeks ago and underwent quadruple bypass surgery. As a result, he is unable to work and has mounting medical bills. A post on Randy's website says, "If you would like to join Tim's friends and family in supporting him during this difficult time, please contact Tim's son Paxton Bachman at PaxtonBachman@Hotmail.com." Since leaving B-T-O, Tim went on to work as a concert promoter and, most recently, a real estate agent.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Tour to Begin in OKC

Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kid Rock shared a stage Thursday, May 15th, at New York's Madison Square Garden and they'll share the stage again as they take their Rock and Rebels Tour across the country in August. The nine-show jaunt will begin August 8th in Oklahoma City at the Zoo Ampitheater.

In other Skynyrd news, the band has signed up to again set sail on a Simple Man Cruise. The third annual voyage will embark from Miami on January 8th, 2009, and also includes the Marshall Tucker Band, Molly Hatchet and others.

Eagles Will Tour Every Other Month

Instead of announcing a full tour, the Eagles are announcing scattered dates for their outing in support of Long Road Out of Eden. Don Henley says, "This summer we're gonna tour every other month and we'll do that on and off for two years probably because that's how long it will take us to do the globe at that rate. We've been doing it that way for a while now, 12, 13 shows and then take a couple of weeks off. And we have families you know. We all have young children that are very important to us, especially when school is going on."

Boston Hires Singer from Home Depot

Boston is on tour this summer, a little more than a year after the suicide of lead singer Brad Delp. Filling that role will be Michael Sweet, from Stryper, and Tommy DeCarlo, from the Home Depot in Charlotte, North Carolina. DeCarlo is a Delp sound-a-like who sent M-P-3 recordings of him doing Boston songs to the band's leader, Tom Scholz. Scholz tells U-S-A Today, "During rehearsals, it can get downright eerie. I forget it's not Brad. It makes me feel like someone was at work up there." So the 43-year old DeCarlo is now in a band for the first time in his life and will be on stage when Boston start their tour on June 6th in Canada. DeCarlo is also slated to sing on Boston's next album, which will be out next year.

Lennon Lyrics Could Bring Big Bucks

A handwritten copy of John Lennon'slyrics to "Give Peace a Chance" will be auctioned July 10th in London. The paper, given to Gail Renard -- a Montreal teenager who snuck past security at the city's Queen Elizabeth Hotel during John and Yoko's Bed-in for Peace in 1969 -- is part of a collection that also includes photos taken with her and the couple. None of the pictures taken by Renard, who remained friendly with John and Yoko after the historic occasion, have previously been displayed. Helen Hall of Christie's auction house in England tells the Associated Press, "It's important not just as one of Lennon's most famous peace anthems, it's also the fact that it was written at such a historical event." She adds that "Give Peace a Chance" ranks with "Imagine" one of John's most popular compositions. Some estimates say that the paper could sell for as much as 600-thousand dollars.

Townshend Changes His Mind

Pete Townshend has changed his mind about a new project for The Who this year. In the band's fan club newsletter, he says, "I've E-mailed everyone (in the band) to tell them I've changed my mind. I'm not mad. I'm not selfish. I really have to be strong enough to admit that today. I really do not have a clue what to do next." He had agreed to head into the studio in September, and one of the thoughts bantered about was an album of R-and-B covers with producer T-Bone Burnett. There was also talk of doing a few shows.

Phil Collins Says He's Done

Phil Collins has told The Times of London he's done with touring and has no plans to record a new album. However, he says he will continue to write songs because he doesn't know how to stop. Collins lives in Switzerland, where he attends to his Battle of the Alamo memorabilia and raises his two sons with ex-wife Orianne Cevey. He got together with his Genesis bandmates on May 20th in London for the premiere of their new D-V-D, When in Rome 2007.

Paul McCartney: Back in the USSR

Paul McCartney is returning to the old U-S-S-R when he plays a free show on June 14th in Independence Square in Kiev, the Ukraine. Dubbed the Independence Concert, it is being put together by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation with the hopes of strengthening the confidence and understanding in Ukrainian society. (Victor Pinchuk is a Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist.) McCartney says, "I'm very excited...me and the band are going to be there and we're going to have to a great evening. Pull together, groove, rock and roll all together." The show will be broadcast live across cities in the Ukraine for those who can't make it to Kiev.

Paul was joined Wednesday night, April 23rd, in London by his family and friends, including Ringo Starr and his wife, Barbara Bach, George Harrison's widow Olivia, George Martin, David Gilmour, George Michael and others at a party celebrating the opening of an exhibit of photos by his late wife Linda. The exhibit includes portraits of John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Simon and Garfunkel. The exhibit runs through July 19th at the James Hyman Gallery.

The Sunday Times Rich List has McCartney's wealth at a billion dollars, which is 200-million more than was claimed he was worth at the hearing in his divorce from Heather Mills. The paper says the court did not include the proceeds of Linda's will, and it underestimated the value of his recording catalog and image rights. He is the richest rock star on the list with an overall ranking of 158. Last year he was at 102. Meanwhile the Daily Mail claims he is worth one-point-six-billion, which is what Heather claimed he was worth.

Bob Seger's Already Ready for a New CD

Bob Seger is heading back to the studio in May to start recording the follow-up to his 2006 C-D Face the Promise, which was his first album of all new material in 11 years. No word on when he plans to release the new disc.

Seger has also licensed "Her Strut" for use in the video game Grand Theft Auto Four. It's the first time he's licensed a song for use in a video game.

Bryan Adams Does a Good Deed

While in Uruguay on tour, Bryan Adams donated 20-thousand dollars to help build a rehabilitation center for children with neurological troubles. The donation was made on behalf of the Bryan Adams Foundation, which helps to improve the quality of people's lives around the world.

Adams started an acoustic tour of the U-S on May 3rd in support of his new album, 11, available exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores.

ZZ Top's 1st Concert DVD Set for Release

ZZ Top will release their first concert D-V-D on June 24th. Live From Texas contains the bulk of their hits -- "Got Me Under Pressure," "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide," "Cheap Sunglasses," "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man," "Legs," "La Grange" and "Tush" -- as well as bonus features with Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard discussing the evolution of the band over a game of poker. There is also a bonus track, their cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady."

ZZ Top have also made changes to their summer tour schedule, which will now include 10 dates with the country duo Brooks and Dunn and dates in Europe in July.

Charlie Daniels Has Tulsa Ties

Charlie Daniels brought his Volunteer Jam Tour to Oklahoma, with 38 Special and Shooter Jennings at the 1st anniversary party for Bartlesville's Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino on Thursday, April 24th.

Star 103.3 Morning Host Mel Myers obtained an exclusive interview with Charlie Daniels, and learned about Charlie's time in Tulsa. His wife is from Tulsa, and his son was born at Hillcrest Hospital. They also discussed the fact that the first public appearance of Lynyrd Skynyrd after the plane crash was at a Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam.

To hear the interview, click this link: Charlie Daniels interview

Danny Federici Passes Away

Danny Federici, the keyboard player and an original member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, died Thursday, April 17, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He was 58. Springsteen reportedly was at the hospital Wednesday to say goodbye to Federici.

In a statement released late Thursday night, Springsteen said, "Danny and I worked together for 40 years. He was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure, natural musician. I loved him very much. We grew up together."

Raised in Flemington, New Jersey, Federici started to play the accordion when he was seven, having learned it from watching The Lawrence Welk Show. Federici and original E Street Band drummer Vini Lopez formed the band Child in New Jersey in the late '60s and hired Springsteen to be their singer.

A permanent website is being established for the Danny Federici Melanoma Fund. The Federici family and E Street family request that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made at the website.

Led Zeppelin OK's Makeover

Led Zeppelin have given the British remix duo Pendulum permission to remix the "Immigrant Song." A spokesman for Pendulum says, "We just know they wanted someone cool to do a remix for some stuff they've got coming up." There are rumors that the remix will be used to announce a series of Zeppelin shows, or to promote the release of the D-V-D of their reunion show last December in London. A spokesman for Zeppelin was unavailable for comment.

Rod Is Ready to Tell All

Rod Stewart has reportedly cut a deal to write his autobiography. According to the London tabloid The Sunday Express, the rocker-turned-crooner will get a seven-figure guarantee from the British branch of Harper Collins to share his life story. It's expected to be a tell-all book, detailing his rise to fame from a gravedigger to rock and roll stardom with The Jeff Beck Group and The Faces, his solo career and romances with a series of starlets.

Rod's former Faces bandmate and current Stones guitarist Ron Wood published his autobiography last year.

The Police Give to Charity

The Police are auctioning off prime tickets to their summer tour for charity. Proceeds go to Unitus, an organization looking for new ways to combat global poverty. The auctions -- for 21 North American shows and eight European shows -- also include concert tour programs signed by Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, as well as sound check passes. Head to CharityFolks.com to see what shows are up for bids. The Police started their final North American tour May 1st in Ottawa, Canada.

Steve Miller Receives Golden Note

Steve Miller was honored with ASCAP's Golden Note Award Wednesday, April 9, at the Kodak Theater in L-A, as part of the performance rights organization's annual Pop Music Awards. ASCAP chairman Marilyn Bergman presented Miller with the trophy, which was inscribed "to Steve Miller, songwriter and performer of innovative, inspired and iconic rock and roll earning him an extraordinary place in American popular music."

Miller was introduced by his mentor, 92-year-old guitar legend Les Paul, via pre-recorded video. Paul, a good friend of Miller's father, told the story of how Steve had, as a child, walked through his bedroom on Paul's wedding night to Mary Ford -- on his way to use the bathroom.

Miller called his success as a musician "something I never thought would really happen." He said he's just been in the studio working on three new albums. Miller then joined his band for a sparkling five-song set of "The Joker," "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Rock 'n Me," "Abracadabra" and "Fly Like an Eagle."

Paul Remembers Linda

Paul McCartney wrote an article about his late wife Linda in the Sunday Times of London magazine, and, if you read between the lines, he made a dig at his soon-to-be-ex-wife Heather Mills.

He wrote, "Linda was very down to earth. She taught me to relax. Her priorities were private rather than public. She didn't go on television to ingratiate herself. She was just very funny, very smart and very talented."

He wrote the article to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Linda's death (April 17th, 1998) and an exhibit of her photos showing in London.

Tulsa Boy Joins Another Tulsa Boy on the Road

"It's actually the coolest thing I've ever done. To be on the big red bus, to travel with a legend, to travel with the guy that made me want to play rock & roll and blues piano...to actually play with that guy!" That's Tulsa native Brian Lee talking about his new on-the-road gig in Leon Russell's band.

Brian is well-known to Tulsa area music fans for his long run in the fantastic funk band Freakshow and his many nights with Tom Basler in the dueling pianos show at the Full Moon on Cherry Street. Several years ago, Brian was introduced to his idol Leon Russell while on a trip to Nashville with Star 103.3 Morning Host Mel Myers.

Mel says, "I was going over to catch up with my friend and former Sand Springs resident Matt Harris, who was Leon Russell's son-in-law. I found out Brian had no shows booked at the time, so I invited him to make the trip with me. While we were in Nashville, Matt took us over to see Leon at the studio in his home. Leon immediately became enamored with Brian's talent and sense of humor. By the time that long night was over, Leon and Brian had written three songs together!"

The two stayed in contact, with Brian making another songwriting trip to Leon's in Nashville, and whenever Leon was near Tulsa, Brian made sure to drop by the tour bus and say hello.

In September, 2007, Brian had traveled from Tulsa to Tacoma, Washington, for a weekend of performances at a piano bar. It just so happened that Leon Russell was in Tacoma early for a concert the next night in the venue right next door and decided to check out Brian's show. Afterwards, Leon invited Brian to sit and talk for awhile on his tour bus.

Brian says, "Leon plans his words. He doesn't talk to hear the sound of his voice. There's a lot of quiet with Leon. He's like the wizard; he's very thoughtful. He starts talking to me, 'Well, I lost my female singer. There's just two guys doing harmonies, and we really need three.' And I was like, 'Well, you know, I can sing a harmony part!'

"And he was talking about adding some B3 [organ] to his stuff. A little more serious this time, I said, 'Well, you know, I could play the B3 if you wanted me to do something.' And he's like, 'Really?'...which required another 2 or 3 minutes of quiet, then he says, 'I didn't even think you'd be interested in doing something like that.' And my words were, 'Are you blanking kidding me?'

"He asked Jackie Wessell, bass player [who's been in Leon's band longer than anyone], 'What do you think if Brian started coming along with us?' and Jackie's response was something like, 'Hell yes!'

"The first thing I did was I called my wife, keep in mind recently married, too, within 3 weeks. I said, 'There's a chance that I'm going to be playing with Leon,' and she says, 'Yeah, whatever!' "

The next day, Brian met Leon on the tour bus once again, and Leon popped the question, "When can you go on the road?"

Brian says he was surprised, but realized, "He's really serious! And then he told his sound guy, 'Make a recording of the show tonight so he can learn it.' I called my wife, and I said, 'Lisa, love of my life, he hired me!', and she was like, 'No!' I was freakin' out!"

Brian's first performance in Leon's band was October 11, 2007, in Denton, Texas, at Dan's Silverleaf. Brian says, "I've never felt anything like it before in my life. I've played millions of gigs, and there was nothing like the way that felt. I was playing with Leon Russell!"

See Brian with Leon Russell this Friday, April 4th, at the Leon Russell Birthday Bash at Tulsa's Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino. The show will start promptly at 7pm.

The Scoop on Journey's Singers

Steve Augeri's departure from Journey might not have had anything to do with medical problems. In June 2006, Journey cut ties with the singer, saying he needed treatment for throat problems. His departure came after stories circulated that he was lip-syncing in concert, which apparently were true. The band's former manager, Herbie Herbert, who remains close to guitarist Neal Schon, tells Melodic Rock-dot-com, "To generalize a little here -- many big acts use samples and even shadow musicians behind the scenes to enhance the sound they are delivering... Augeri needed the help. He had trouble. It was rough. I never understood why they went with him."

As for their new singer, Arnel Pineda, Herbert says, "He can sing that material right now in the original keys in a very credible way, and there's no way Steve Perry could touch that... I thought he did a very good job."

And what about Steve Perry? Herbert is not a fan, saying, "If I never saw him again it would be too soon... [The rest of Journey] should want to beat the living crap out of this guy. He cost them so much, and cost himself so much. I've always said it's almost like he wants revenge, and you know the old saying, 'If you want revenge dig two graves.'"

Stones Shine a Light

The Rolling Stones were at New York's Ziegfeld Theater Sunday, March 30th, for the U-S premiere of their new concert movie, Shine a Light, as well as a press conference at The Palace hotel in midtown Manhattan. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the movie was filmed over two nights in October 2006 at the Beacon Theater in New York during the band's Bigger Bang tour.

Seeing the movie for the first time was eye-opening for Keith Richards. He says, "I see things that you're not aware of on stage when you're doing it because you interact another way and you're not seeing it from that kind of angle, you know what I mean? You're looking out and everything else is looking in."

When asked about his favorite parts of the movie, director Martin Scorsese said, "For me it was literally the moments that you can see the band actually working together -- each song like a narrative, its own narrative, a dramatic story. And the whole sound of the band is like a character, you know, one character in each song. The key was to find the moments between the members of the band as they play together and work together and how they work it like a machine."

Shine a Light is showing at Tulsa's IMAX theater.

Wolfie Says Dad is Fine

Eddie Van Halen is doing just fine, according to his son and bandmate, Wolfgang Van Halen. Wolfie tells People magazine, "Don't listen to the rumors -- he's doing great, seriously." The group was forced to postpone their tour after Eddie underwent a "battery of comprehensive medical tests."

Meanwhile, David Lee Roth tells Fashion News Live, "We have an unexpected break in the action here, but that's kind of what you pay Van Halen for. It's like NASCAR -- are you here to see the winner or the crash? Don't answer, we have both, and we'll be starting up our engines again in a couple of weeks."

The Van Halen tour is set to resume April 17th in Reno, Nevada.

Billy is Boxing the Stranger

The planned reissue of Billy Joel's 1977 classic, The Stranger, has turned into a full-fledged box set. Slated to hit stores on July 8th, it will contain a re-mastered version of the ten-million-selling original with a pair of live C-Ds -- one from New York City's Carnegie Hall a month before The Stranger was recorded and one from the tour that followed its release. The package will also include a D-V-D featuring promotional videos and a rare B-B-C special that aired just once in 1978

The Who's Rock Honor

The Who will be the guests of honor this year at V-H-1's Rock Honors. For the past two years, the show has honored several acts -- such as Z-Z Top, KISS, Queen, Genesis, Judas Priest and Def Leppard -- but this year The Who are the sole honorees.

The two-hour broadcast will be taped on July 12th in Los Angeles for broadcast on July 17th. The Who will perform and a number of to-be-named acts will pay tribute to them.

Joe Perry's New Knee

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is still in the hospital recovering from total knee replacement surgery last week. He spent a few days in intensive care, where doctors were able to stabilize the pain. He has since been moved to a private room where he will spend a few more days before heading home to continue his recovery through the end of the year. He thanks his fans for their well wishes and support.

Did Sheryl Crow Too Soon?

Sheryl Crow may have spoken too soon when, during an interview(see story below), she said she would be joining Fleetwood Mac. Now she's telling Canada's Sun Media, "We don't even know -- all that stuff is rumors. We are just in the middle of figuring out if we want to collaborate, and what we're going to be doing, and what that's going to look like... It would be so much fun. And I'm a huge fan of Fleetwood Mac -- the band and the people, obviously the music. And also I just love Stevie [Nicks]. I grew up really idolizing her." Sheryl co-produced five songs on Stevie's 2001 album, Trouble in Shangri-La.

Alice Cooper to Be Honored

Alice Cooper will be honored at the fourth annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert May 9th in Hollywood. He'll receive the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his dedication to and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund and his devotion to helping other addicts with the recovery process. Cooper, who has been sober for 27 years, presented the award last year to former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell. Referring to the night that he himself finally decided to get sober, Alice Cooper says, "My wife grabbed me by the ear, pulled me into the hospital and said, 'Throwing up blood is not a good thing. [laughs] On stage it's a good thing. In the bathroom it's not a good thing.' So I was in the hospital that night."

McCartney-Mills Divorce Settlement is Reached

Paul McCartney is officially single again as his divorce from Heather Mills was finalized Monday, March 18, in London's High Court. Justice Bennett ruled that Paul must pay Heather 49-million dollars -- 28-million dollars for herself plus the assets she currently holds worth 15-point-six-million, five-million to buy a house in London, and 70-thousand dollars a year to their daughter Beatrice. Mills sought as much as 250-million, while McCartney offered 30-million, but she says she is pleased with the decision.

The McCartney-Mills divorce was expected to be the most expensive celebrity divorce ever, but fell short of several others. Neil Diamond shelled out 150-million; Steven Spielberg 100-million; Harrison Ford 85-million, and Kevin Costner 80-million.

Van Halen Reschedules Shows

Van Halen have rescheduled all of the previously postponed dates on their North American tour. They will start up again on April 19th at Tiger Woods' charity event, Tiger Jam, in Las Vegas, and will be out through June 2nd in Grand Rapids Michigan. Tickets for the previously scheduled dates will be honored. Refunds are also available at the point of purchase. Their postponed Dallas concert will be made good at the American Airlines Center on April 24th.

Van Halen postponed the 17 shows so Eddie Van Halen could "continue medical tests to define a course of treatment." The band hasn't said exactly what he is being treated for.

Sheryl Crow Plans to Collaborate with Fleetwood Mac

Sheryl Crow may be joining Fleetwood Mac. She tells Spinner-dot-com, "I don't want to make any official announcements, but I will say that we definitely have plans for collaborating in the future, and we'll see what happens." Crow is friends with Stevie Nicks, who says Fleetwood Mac is too male-dominated without Christine McVie and won't work with them unless the balance is restored. Last year she said their last album and first without Christine, Say You Will, was "a nightmare... It was really Lindsey [Buckingham]'s vision and it wasn't very much about the other three of us... Without [Christine] it's a boys' club." Nicks, Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie were unavailable for comment.

Don Felder Dishes on the Eagles

Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder will finally publish his autobiography, Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001), in the U-S on April 25th. He will do book signings and question-and-answer sessions at Barnes and Noble in Santa Monica, California on May 6th and at the Book Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center on May 31st.

Felder's book was supposed to be published in the U-S last October, but was shelved after his former bandmates threatened litigation over some of its seamier content. It was published in the U-K in November.

Valerie Says Eddie is Sober

Valerie Bertinelli says her ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen, is not in rehab. Speaking Wednesday, March 13, at a New York City luncheon hosted by the Hallmark Channel, she said, "The reports about him being in rehab are wrong. Eddie is sober." She then gave her standard line for the past two weeks -- "He's being proactive about his illness." When pushed for an explanation, she said, "I don't think it's my place [to comment.]" Van Halen's publicist, who also happens to be Eddie's girlfriend, was unavailable for comment.

John Mellencamp Enters the R&R Hall

John Mellencamp headed up the Class of 2008 at the 23rd annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York Monday, March 10th. Looking back on his career, Mellencamp says, "You know [when] you have a long career you have ups and you have downs. Don't forget at one point in the '80s I was Britney Spears. It was that crazy for me in the mid '80s. She was much cuter than me but other than that it was the same. So, you know, after having that happen and to keep it going and trying to keep your legitimacy and trying to keep some integrity and trying to figure out how to write better songs -- it's always been about trying to figure out how to make a better record, and not so much for the public but just for me, you know, and the guys in the band"

Mellencamp was inducted by 1999 inductee Billy Joel. Although he is more closely associated with artists such as Willie Nelson or Neil Young because of their work with Farm Aid, it was Joel who first reached out to Mellencamp when he had his first hit in the early '80s.

Mellencamp tells the Indianapolis Star, "He called me up and said, 'Man, this song "Hurts So Good" is rocking.' The drum sound is fantastic. I had to pull my car over when I heard it on the radio.' That was the very first call I ever got from somebody really famous to say congratulations on your success."

Ann & Nancy Wilson to Perform on American Idol

Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart have joined the list of performers on the American Idol fundraiser special "Idol Gives Back" on April 9th on FOX. Among those participating are Bono, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Chris Daughtry and Annie Lennox.

Steve Winwood Gets Free Guitar

Steve Winwood has been presented with a guitar from Gibson to replace the one that was stolen from him in the early '70s. While in New York during a tour, his road crew parked the equipment truck on the street in the East Village section of Manhattan, and the next day the entire truck full of equipment was gone. After receiving the new guitar, a replica of his original one-of-a-kind Gibson Firebird, Winwood said he planned to play it on his upcoming tour with Tom Petty.