#WhatsHappening for March 30, 2016

Alright, Wednesday! You're no Friday, but you put us halfway there, so you're okay!

He'll do it, too.

Prince is playing the Fox in Atlanta next week. The show was announced yesterday. Tickets went on sale at noon today. I didn't have time to get online to get any. Out of curiosity, I checked when I got home, and tickets were still available.

And they started around $500. And went up as high as $86,000. I'm really hoping that was a typo. Otherwise, I think you should either get to duet with him for the duration of both shows- or he goes down on you. Or both.

Country legend Merle Haggard has canceled his April concert dates due to illness.

Haggard said, through a statement released by his publicist today, that he wanted "to thank my fans for their prayers and well wishes. I hope to be back on the road in May, but I'm taking it one day at a time."

Haggard had also cancelled his February and March shows as he recovers from a bout of pneumonia.

The Athens Banner Herald reports that an Atlanta man was charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication boarding Third Eye Blind's tour bus early Saturday morning and getting into a fight with the group's manager after their Athens show at the Georgia Theatre.

The Athens-Clarke County police report on the incident said the man told officers he just wanted to tell band members that he enjoyed the show, and got into a physical altercation of "slaps and punches" after he was told to leave the bus.

A Los Angeles police captain has filed suit against Elton John, claiming he was repeatedly groped by the singer while working the John's security detail.

The lawsuit filed Monday, says the groping and sexually suggestive comments occurred in early 2014. John's attorney denied the allegations.

"This baseless lawsuit is brought by a disgruntled former security officer seeking to extract an undeserved payment,. These claims are patently untrue and contradicted by numerous previous statements made by this plaintiff."

Birthdays today include: Norah Jones; Celine Dion; Tracy Chapman; MC Hammer; Jim "Dandy" Mangrum of Black Oak Arkansas; Dave Ball of Procol Harum; Eric Clapton; and Graeme Edge of Moody Blues. #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for March 28, 2016

Welcome to another work week. Excited? Me neither.

Let me kick things off by saying thank you, Governor Deal, for realizing that the "religious freedom" bill was a bad idea for so many reasons, and vetoing the damned thing.

The David Bowie tribute concert coming up this week has added more artists to the lineup for the sold out shows. 

Performers announced yesterday include J Mascis, Patti Smith, Esperanza Spalding, TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone, Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz, Kronos Quartet, Bilal, and Tariq. 

Blondie, Laurie Anderson, The Roots, The Flaming Lips, and others have already been announced. 

Radio City Music Hall has partnered with Skype to stream the April 1 show at a late date for a donation to the event’s charity partners.

Pictured: Pretension

R.E.M’s Michael Stipe will debut his solo material on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" tomorrow night. 

Stipe has been doing various gigs around New York City since the group broke up in 2011 and made a brief appearance on the final episode of 'The Colbert Report' back in 2014.

I wish I was a flag.

So if what you want, what you really, really want is a Spice Girls reunion, get ready- the group will reform and tour for their 20th anniversary. 

Rumours of a 20th anniversary tour have been around for the last year, with Mel B and Geri Halliwell saying they're on board and Victoria Beckham saying she's not.

US Weekly cites sources that confirm that a tour is a go ahead, and quote the "insider" as saying "They are trying to convince Victoria to jump in, but she doesn't want to do it. If she doesn't agree, they are moving ahead without her."

Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan has joined Andy Rourke of the Smiths to form D.A.R.K.- who will release their debut album, 'Science Agrees', on May 27. 

The group's debut single, 'Curvy', is available online now. 

Birthdays today include: Lady Gaga; Steve Turner of Mudhoney; Cheryl "Salt" James of Salt n' Pepa; James Atkins of EMF; Reba McEntire; Milan Williams of the Commodores; John Evans of Jethro Tull; and Chuck Portz of The Turtles. #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for March 26, 2016

Whooo-hoooo! Saturday!!!!!

Don't forget to join us tonight for another rockin' Saturday Night Karaoke at the Iron Horse Tavern in Historic Downtown Norcross, live and loud from 10pm-1am.

Nearly half a million people jammed Havana's Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana stadium for the Rolling Stones' free concert in the Cuban capital last night.
Mick Jagger welcomed fans in Spanish as the band kicked off their historic concert with Jumpin' Jack Flash.
Fans from Cuba and other countries gathered to witness what some described as a historic moment. Until about 15 years ago, rock music was banned in the country.
"It was forbidden. We couldn't have the Beatles or some singers from Latin America. Now we are allowed to hear what we want to hear," a fan told the BBC.
"After today I can die," Joaquin Ortiz, a 62-year-old, told the Associated Press. "This is like my last wish, seeing the Rolling Stones."
"Time changes everything. So we're very pleased to be here," said Mick Jagger. "It would have been surprising for this to happen 10 years ago."

A Tribe Called Quest co-founder Phife Dawg died earlier this week.
Rolling Stone says Malik Isaac Taylor had been struggling with Type 1 diabetes for several years. He called himself “the Funky Diabetic” in Michael Rapaport’s 2011 documentary “Beats, Rhymes & Life,” where he talked about his struggles with the disease.
Phife received a kidney transplant from his wife in 2008 and told NPR last year that he was on the list to receive another kidney.

A video posted to Guns N' Roses' website yesterday lists 21 cities where the band will be playing during their summer tour, while a snippet of "Patience" plays in the background.
Atlanta is on the list. Specific dates have yet to be announced.

Mariah Carey has cancelled her show tomorrow night in Brussels on the heels of the terrorist attacks in the city earlier this week.
In an announcement on Twitter yesterday, Carey said she would not perform at the Forest National arena on Sunday "for the safety of my fans, my band, crew and everyone involved with the tour." 

Birthdays today include: Jay Sean; Juvenile; James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins; Kenny Chesney; Paul Morley of Art of Noise; Steven Tyler of Aerosmith; Richard Tandy of ELO; Fred Sheehan of Boston; and Diana Ross. #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for March 24, 2016

Howdy kids. How's your week been so far? Are you as ready for the weekend as I am? 

Pirates of the Caribbean: We'll Beat This Dead Horse Forever Dead Men Tell No Tales is getting wrapping up, and Orlando Bloom has returned as Will Turner, along with Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush.

Javier Bardem plays the film's villain.

The movie's also tossing in another big name cameo, with Paul McCartney appearing, though his role hasn't been announced.

Seriously, though- doesn't Paul McCartney have, like, all the money? I guess that whole Beatles-Stones rivalry thing is still around.

Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard say they looked to the skies for inspiration for the new Florida Georgia Line album- so they recorded their latest album... in a tree house that Kelley built in his backyard after the duo's 2012 debut.

The tree house features a round bed, chandeliers, a musket mounted on the wall, and, of course, a recording studio.

"Can't wait for you and the world to hear the magic we captured on this new record here in this viby treehouse," they pair Tweeted to fans yesterday.

The pair told Billboard last night that they were in the "home stretch" of recording sessions for the new disc.

"It's an evolution, a little bit more into FGL. I'd say it's another side of who we are," Hubbard said. "It's a little bit more real, a little bit more personal and there's a little bit more of a nostalgic feel to this album, but there's also the party jams as well. I think just like our other albums there'll be something on here for everybody, but hopefully we've evolved as songwriters and better our craft as singers and artists and entertainers as well."

"Who ate whoooooooooo?"

Alternative Nation supposedly told Atlanta's Rock 100.5 that Guns N’ Roses' singer Axl Rose will be stepping in for Brian Johnson as vocalist for AC/DC on their tour- which Johnson had to drop out of because of the risk of "total hearing loss."

DJ Jason Bailey said he was told Rose "was meeting with the AC/DC group, because it’s all but a done deal that Axl will front AC/DC for the 10 remaining shows. All 10, including Atlanta.” He did not name a source. 

Reps for AC/DC say there is “Nothing official to announce"- neither confirming nor denying that Rose will perform with the band. 

Birthdays today include: Chad Butler of Switchfoot; Sharon Corr of The Corrs; P.A. Pasemaster Mase of De La Soul; Nena; Nick Lowe; and Lee Oskar of War. #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for March 22, 2016

Hey, hey- whaddaya say? Happy Tuesday kids. Hope Monday wasn't too much of a dick to you. And look on the bright side- tomorrow is Wednesday and that's means we'll be halfway done!

The Go-Go's will be gone gone, come August 30th, after they wrap up an 18 show tour this fall. 
The band's farewell tour kicks off August 2 in Clearwater and wraps up August 30 in the band's home town of Los Angeles.

"After a 38-year run, we are gearing up for one last blast of a summer tour," the band told Entertainment Weekly. "We feel so lucky and so grateful to have had the incredible support of our fans for so long. We can't wait to get out on the road and give the people what they want: some loud, fast music and a great party!"
Jane Wiedlin had already said on her blog back in February the the farewell tour was going to happen- though no dates were announced. She wrote it was "with mixed feelings that we embark on our last adventure together. What an incredible ride we have had. I hope you will continue to follow all of us on our future endeavors."

I am not a "Lord of the Rings" fan. The movie, nor the book.

When I was about nine or so, my sister loaned me her copy of "The Hobbit"- which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then, I tried "Lord of the Rings."

Pictured: Pretentious crap.

To me, it was so boring I couldn't even finish it. The same thing happened when I tried to watch the movie. To this day, I've never seen more than about 10 minutes at a time of any of them. 

Now that I think of it, though- the only Peter Jackson movies that I've ever thought were worth watching are "The Frighteners" and "Heavenly Creatures."

I'm pretty sure that means we have absolutely nothing in common, except this he thinks Jake Gyllenhaal is "the worst actor that I have ever seen," according to a story Gyllenhaal told Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show" last night. 

Then again, "Donnie Darko" would've sucked no matter who was in it.

Is she standing on something, or just freakishly tall?

Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance at a Nashville children's hospital last Friday to help American Idol host Ryan Seacrest open a broadcast studio for patients.
Swift met with children at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after a ribbon cutting. 
"What I saw when I went there was an opportunity for the kids to find excitement and to express their creativity and to learn about what it is to create content, whether you would like to make your own radio show or whether you want to record," said Swift. "It was so exciting to see the excitement that it brought to this one hospital."
Sure, her music isn't my speed, but she seems like a genuinely nice person- so there's that.

Birthdays today include: Aaron Wright North of Nine Inch Nails; Susanne Sulley  of the Human League; Stephanie Mills; Patrick Olive of Hot Chocolate; songwriter Andrew Lloyd Webber; George Benson; and Roger Whittaker. 

#WhatsHappening for March 20, 2016

Yeah, I realize the Iron Horse is right next to Norcross City Hall, but it's still cool to have an officer on his lunch break sing a song at Saturday Night Karaoke. Come on by next week- you never know what's going to happen!

One thing I can pretty much guarantee will happen whenever anything is in bloom is that my head will be stopped up.

Honestly, I had no idea that the official start of spring was today, but my fucking sinuses told me at least a month ago that it was on the way!

My breakfast every morning consists of an inhaled corticosteroid and an antihistamine year round, but I think I'd have to down a bottle of each one of the damned things every day to clear up this stuff!

Dear everyone who supports Georgia's "Religious Freedom" bill-

Keep your bigotry in mind when the state's economy begins to tank, thanks to tourists, the entertainment industry, sporting events, and even the NFL begin to shun the state.

So, say goodbye to all the "Hollywood money" coming into the state from film and television production companies. Say goodbye to top-tier concerts. And say goodbye to any chance of the state hosting a Super Bowl in that stadium that Atlanta's taxpayers are on the hook for (don't believe that one- well, remember the NFL yanking Phoenix' Super Bowl over the MLK Day flap, and telling Indianapolis "no way" last year when the Indiana legislature passed a similar "rights" bill?).  

Don't worry, though- there'll still be plenty of drunken jackholes in Savannah every St. Patrick's Day.

Lollapalooza will celebrate its 25th edition this year in a big way: Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and LCD Soundsystem have been announced as the headliners at the Chicago music festival this summer.

Lana del Rey and J. Cole are also expected to perform, and the full lineup will be announced Tuesday.

Speaking of Radiohead, Thom Yorke is pissed that tickets for the band's upcoming shows in "smaller, more intimate" venues sold out so quickly.

Yeah, like how dare people clamor for tickets?!?

Loretta Lynn's new album, Full Circle, debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 album chart this week- making it Lynn's highest-charting album on the chart in her legendary career. 

The album also debuted at number four on the Top Country Albums chart- where it aims to give her a dozen chart toppers.

Prince is joining the ranks of musicians-turned-authors.

Publisher Spiegel & Grau says it will release the Purple One's memoir will publish in fall 2017.

A statement released yesterday says the project, tentatively titled The Beautiful Ones, “will take readers on an unconventional and poetic journey through his life and creative work- from the family that shaped him and the people, places, and ideas that fired his creative imagination, to the stories behind the music that changed the world.”

“This is my first (book). My brother Dan is helping me with it. He’s a good critic and that’s what I need. He’s not a ‘yes’ man at all and he’s really helping me get through this,” Prince told the audience at a Friday night event. “We’re starting from the beginning from my first memory and hopefully we can go all the way up to the Super Bowl,” he said. “Prince is a towering figure in global culture and his music has been the soundtrack for untold numbers of people... for more than a generation; his creative genius has provided the musical landscape of our lives,” said Spiegel & Grau Executive Editor Chris Jackson. “Millions of words have been written about Prince- books and articles, essays and criticism- but we’re thrilled to be publishing Prince’s powerful reflections on his own life in his own incandescently vivid, witty, and poetic voice.”

Birthdays today include: Chester Bennington of Linkin Park; Slim Jim Phantom of Stray Cats; Jimmy Vaughan of Fabulous Thunderbirds; and Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for March 17, 2016

Damn you, nature!

I'm sure you've seen this already, but yeah.

Seriously, it'd be easier for me to list the shit I'm not allergic to! I got tested a few years back (before I found a doctor who realized that yes, I actually did need my tonsils removed) and I was allergic to something like 28 of the 35 things they tested me for. 

Not my cats, though. Lucky for me. Or them. I'm not sure which of us is getting the better deal. 

Singer Frank Sinatra, Jr. has died. 

The only son of Old Blue Eyes, Frank Jr. was a performer in his own right for more than 50 years- including television appearances as himself on "The Sopranos" and "Family Guy."

He was on tour and scheduled to perform at Daytona's Peabody Auditorium last night, but was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center during the afternoon after falling ill. 

His sister, Nancy, confirmed his passing on Facebook, saying "The Sinatra family mourn the untimely passing of their son, brother, father, uncle, Frank Sinatra, Jr. of cardiac arrest while on tour in Daytona, Florida.

January 10, 1944 - March 16, 2016

Sleep warm, Frankie..."

50 Cent is coming to TV. A&E (which stopped being about either of those things years ago) will offer up '50 Cent Presents' this fall, featuring a mix  of sketch comedy, stand-up, music, reality experiments, dance and celebrity guest appearances.

My reaction to Meghan Trainor

"I grew up watching variety shows and am excited to put my own spin on the format," Curtis Jackson said. "I hope everyone is ready to bring their talent forward, I want to show the world the best of the best."

Billboard headline: "Happy St. Patrick's Day! Meghan Trainor, French Montana and More Reveal Their Hangover Cures"

I'm pretty sure hearing Meghan Trainor sing would be torture if I was hung over, causing me to vomit. Which, weirdly, always makes me feel better when I'm hung over.

Madonna pissed off fans in Brisbane last night, showing up more than two hours late for her scheduled show there, causing the concert to run into the early hours of Thursday morning- long after trains from the venue had stopped running. 

A spokesperson at the venue's ticket office said hundreds of fans left the venue and demanded refunds after an announcement was made that the show wouldn't start before 10:30- after a scheduled 9 p.m. start.

During the concert, Madonna thanked the crowd for their patience, but joked they had arrived too early.

"We started late- that hardly ever happens," she said. "You were here too early. You should have taken your time doing your hair and makeup. Then I wouldn't have been late."

Pet peeve of mine, though. Seriously, I pay some insane amount of money and you can't show up on time?

I have seen some fantastic concerts over the years, but I have to say one of my favorite moments was when Rob Thomas came out before the Matchbox 20 concert we saw a few years back and apologized because they started 20 minutes late.

Let me say that again: He apologized because they were 20 minutes late. He told the crowd that the crew was having trouble with the lights and they didn't want to disappoint us with a substandard show. That is caring about your fans.

Birthdays today include: Caroline Corr of the Corrs; Melissa Auf der Maur of Hole; Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins; Mike Kindup of Level 42; Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy; Harold Brown of War; and John Sebastian. #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for March 14, 2016

I know it's a big deal for some people, but I can promise you- the absolute last place I'd want to be this week is anywhere near downtown Savannah. 

When I was a kid, St. Patrick's Day was still fun- but well on its way to becoming the overwhelming cesspool of drunken fucktardery that it is today. The last time I went anywhere near the downtown area was probably about 25 years ago, and I'm pretty damned okay with that.

Besides, as my Mom always said- my Irish was Protestant, anyway. We wear orange on St. Pat's (and don't care about your Catholic saint)!

Aretha Franklin canceled two of her Florida shows today "due to lack of band personnel."

The cancellations, in Sarasota and St. Augustine, were announced in a statement from the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota.

While reps for Franklin confirmed the cancellation, they said she would still perform at the Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival in Miami Gardens.

Franklin's rep had no comment on why the dates were cancelled. Ticket-holders will be issued refunds at the point of purchase.

After six years off, Good Charlotte announced today that they are making music again.

“The new album is like our previous albums in that it’s for people who love music and are constantly motivated and trying to live a rad life. Everyone has something to prove to themselves, waking up every day and deciding to change their life for the better and help others do the same. GC has always been about doing this together, motivating each other, finding the unity and energy that exists in taking life’s challenges and coming out on the other side. It’s about being inspired and excited to be both who you are and who you want to be.”

The band will tour the East Coast prior to this summer's album's release. The mini-tour will kick off in Philadelphia and tickets go on sale on March 18.

As pleased as I was to see Alicia Witt guest starring on "The Walking Dead," I had an equally "oh man, that's fucking awesome" moment when she got her face bitten off.

You can check our her musical skills at South By Southwest Thursday at Bethel Hall.

Radiohead has revealed some of their 2016 world tour dates ahead of the release of their ninth album.

The tour, which opens in Amsterdam on May 20 and wraps in Mexico City on October 4, will cross Europe, the US, Japan, and Mexico.

The first US date is July 26 at Madison Square Garden.

Birthdays today include: Colby O'Donis; Taylor Hanson; Kristian Bush of Sugarland; Michael Bland of Soul Asylum; Walter Parazaider of Chicago; Jim Pons of The Turtles; and Quincy Jones. #MusicalBirthdays

Yep.

#WhatsHappening for March 12, 2016

Good morning kids. Yes, I'm up very early for a Saturday. Fortunately for all (you because you won't have to deal with me), it's my weekend off- but Southpaw Entertainment will still be rocking the house at the Iron Horse Tavern tonight with Saturday Night Karaoke. Join Mark for all the fun from 10pm-1am.

Santa Monica Police have confirmed that Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Keith Emerson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and his death has been ruled a suicide.
Emerson's body was found early yesterday morning by his girlfriend at their apartment.

The band's Facebook page announced the death to the public, saying "We regret to announce that Keith Emerson died last night at his home in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, aged 71. We ask that the family’s privacy and grief be respected."
Band-mate Carl Palmer, through a statement on his website, said he was "deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and brother-in-music, Keith Emerson. Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come. He was a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz. I will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humor, compelling showmanship, and dedication to his musical craft. I am very lucky to have known him and to have made the music we did, together. Rest in peace, Keith."

Emmy and Golden Globe winner Kiefer Sutherland has taken a break from acting to hit the the recording studio, and will release his debut album- Down in a Hole- this summer.
Sutherland and Jude Cole, who co-founded Ironwork Records in 2002, collaborated on the disc and Sutherland calls the album "the closest thing I've ever had to a journal or diary." Likewise, the Rolling Stone report describes the 11-song album as “folk-tinged.”
Sutherland will also tour in support of the album.
All I can say is, if there isn't a song called "Damnit Chloe" on the album, he missed a golden opportunity.

Patrisha McLean, wife of American Pie singer/songwriter Don McLean, has filed for divorce on the heels of his arrest on domestic violence charges.
Lawyers for Patrisha McLean say the petition cites "adultery, cruel and abusive treatment, and irreconcilable differences."
Don McLean's attorney confirmed the divorce filing, but would not comment.
The couple have been married for 30 years.

An Israeli musician has become an international hero after helping stop a terrorist.
Twenty-six-year-old Yishai Montgomery was was playing his guitar on the beach in Jaffa on Tuesday when he overheard screams and saw a man running around with a knife after killing one American tourist and wounding many others.

"Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast." Or at least beat the shit out of it.

Montgomery told local news reporters that he had "sat down to play my guitar near the ocean when I heard screams from down the road. Immediately, I stood up and started to run after him with my guitar. I slammed it on his head. He was stunned and didn’t know what to do with himself.”
The attacker continued running while Montgomery chased him, yelling “terrorist!” at him until police shot and killed the attacker.


Birthdays today include: Pete Doherty of the Libertines; Ben Kenny of Incubus; Graham Coxon of Blur; Marlon Jackson of Jackson 5; Steve Harris of Iron Maiden; Billy Payne of Little Feat; James Taylor; Liza Minnelli; and Al Jarreau. #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for March 9, 2016

Hey, hi, howdy kids. We're halfway there. The weekend is just over the horizon.

I thought I'd give you some political commentary in the form of song. 

Sir George Martin, the man who signed the Fab Four to a record contract when everyone else told them "no way" has died. 
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr shared the news on Twitter, writing "Peace and love... George will be missed." A Universal Music Group spokesperson confirmed Martin's death, though details were not revealed.
Martin was the driving force behind 23 chart topping singles in the US and and 30 in the U.K.
While Martin originally told Beatles' manager Brian Epstein that the group's demo was "rather unpromising,” he scheduled the group for a recording session at EMI’s Abbey Road studios in June and signed them afterwards.

Martin suggested to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison that they replace Pete Best with studio drummer Starr and allowed them to record their own material. For the group's first U.S. single, “Please Please Me,” he convinced them to speed up the tempo and told them “Gentlemen, you have just made your first No. 1 record” from the control room as he listened to the playback.
In addition to producing all but one of the band's LPs, Martin also served as arranger- suggesting strings be added to “Yesterday,” conductor fr the string section of "Eleanor Rigby,” piano player/harpsichord composer on “In My Life," and was responsible for the orchestral part of “A Day in the Life” (probably one of my absolute favorite Beatles' tunes).
Martin described his relationship with the group in his 1979 book, All You Need Is Ears, saying "I must emphasize that it was a team effort. Without my instruments and scoring, very many of the records would not have sounded as they do. Whether they would have been any better, I cannot say. They might have been. That is not modesty on my part; it is an attempt to give a factual picture of the relationship.”

Martin was also an Academy Award nominee for best music, scoring of music, adaptation or treatment for The Beatles’ 1964 classic film A Hard Day’s Night, and arranged scores for Yellow Submarine; Live and Let Die, and other films. 
Among others Martin produced for include Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, America, Jeff Beck, Cheap Trick, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Neil Sedaka, Dire Straits, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Carly Simon, and many others.
Martin was knighted in 1996 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
He was 90.

Less than three months after postponing a number of her Unbreakable Tour dates due to surgery, Janet Jackson has canceled the rescheduled dates.
Spin magazine reports that an email from Ticketmaster to fans in the UK read "It is not possible to confirm new date at the present time so we are refunding all ticket holders."
Jackson's European tour dates have been removed from Ticketmaster's site- but the U.S. dates- slated to kick off June 24 in New Jersey- are still on. 

Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to reps for the musician. 
A statement released yesterday said Wyman "is undergoing treatment and is expected to make a full recovery as it was caught in the early stages. The Wyman family has asked for their privacy during this time."

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young have been an on again/off again group since they first got together in 1968, but just months after Neil Young bowed out of having anything to do with the group after David Crosby made disparaging remarks about his relationship with actress Darryl Hannah, Graham Nash has said he's done with the group, too.

Nash- who releases This Path Tonight, his first new studio album in 14 years, on April 15- tells Billboard that, "Right now, I don't want anything to do with Crosby at all. It's just that simple. In my world there will never, ever be a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young record and there will never be another Crosby, Stills & Nash record or show." He declined to say what Crosby had done, saying, "I was letting Crosby be who he is. I let people play their hand in front of me, and I let him do it and then I make a decision."
He told Lust for Life magazine recently that he doesn't "like David Crosby right now. He's been awful for me the last two years, just fucking awful. I've been there and saved his fucking ass for 45 years, and he treated me like shit. You can't do that to me. You can do it for a day or so, until I think you're going to come around. When it goes on longer, and I keep getting nasty emails from him, I'm done. Fuck you. David has ripped the heart out of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young."

Birthdays today include: Bow Wow; Chingy; Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five; Martin Fry of ABC; Frank Rodriguez of ? & The Mysterians; Jimmy Fadden of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; Jeffrey Osborne; Robin Trower of Procol Harum; Mark Linday of Paul Revere & Raiders; John Cale of Velvet Underground; Mickey Gilley; and Lloyd Price. #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for March 7, 2016

Hiya, kids. Happy Monday. Hope you're having a better day than I am. I'm currently saddled with a headache that just won't quit and a bit of a fever. It's probably a sinus infection (oh, the joys of being allergic to pretty much everything that blooms), but knowing that doesn't really help. Nor have the 12 ibuprofen I've taken since this morning.
And no- I probably shouldn't be staring at a computer screen, but one or two of you actually read this, so I feel like I owe it to you!

Bob Dylan is hitting the road in support of his upcoming album, Fallen Angels.
While no release date for the album was announced, the folk-rock legend says he'll hit the road with Mavis Staples this summer, and an announcement on his website reads that for "every pair of tickets purchased, you will receive a redemption code to receive a Compact Disk of Bob Dylan’s forthcoming album Fallen Angels (Not available for Indianapolis and Boston.)"
The tour will kick off June 4-5 at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Washington- and the closest it gets to Atlanta is a June 26 date at the Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater in Nashville.

Pictured: Kardashian.

Normally, I avoid references to the attention whores I find most repulsing, but I can't resist passing along this Facebook post from the Divine Miss M- Bette Midler: Kim Kardashian tweeted a nude selfie today. If Kim wants us to see a part of her we've never seen, she's gonna have to swallow the camera.
That's some funny shit right there. Thanks to Natalie for bringing that one to my attention.

The wife of Eagles' co-founder and former bassist Randy Meisner was found shot dead in the couple's Los Angeles home yesterday after a 911 call to police. 
CBS Los Angeles reports that preliminary investigations indicate the fatal shooting was accidental.
The ex-Eagles member was under mandated court supervision after allegedly threatening murder-suicide with an AK-47 and pills in January 2015.
The LAPD said that no arrests were made and a press release would be issued later this afternoon.

Soundgarden signer Chris Cornell's solo tour has announced new dates in Europe and the US. 
The European leg of the tour will kick off in Reykjavik on March 23 and include gigs in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Croatia, Italy, Spain, France and the UK before returning to North America in June.
The US leg will kick off in Clearwater, Florida. Jacksonville is the closest stop to Atlanta that's currently announced. 

Today's birthdays include: Randy Guss of Toad The Wet Sprocket; Taylor Dayne; Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers; Peter Wolf; Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum; Chris White of The Zombies. #MusicalBirthdays

#WhatsHappening for March 5, 2016

Good Saturday morning, kids. We've made it through another week. A week where it was over 70 degrees one day in my neck of the woods- and snowed a day later! Oh, and the Pollen Alert people have been sending me notices for about a month now- and the warning level for today is 9.2 (on a scale of 1-10). Good times!

Speaking of good times, don't forget to join us tonight for Saturday Night Karaoke, live and loud at The Iron Horse Tavern in historic Downtown Norcross from 10-1.

Today in musical history, it was on this day in 1963 that the airplane carrying Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Patsy Cline went down near Camden, Tennessee. 
The trio was travelling to Nashville after appearing at a benefit concert for the widow of Kansas City disc jockey 'Cactus' Jack Call, who had died in a car crash. All three of the country music stars died.

Joey + Rory's Joey Feek has succumbed to the cervical cancer she'd been battling since 2014. 

The Indiana native had brief solo success in 2005 and teamed up with Rory Feek, who would become her husband, in 2008 to perform on CMT's "Can You Duet?" in 2008, which led to a recording contract and album that same year.
The pair won top new vocal duo at the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards, and are nominated for vocal duo of the year at this year's Awards on April 3.

Pictured: Morrissey? Donald Trump?

The Animal Welfare Party of London has asked former Smiths frontman Morrissey to run for mayor in the city's upcoming election. 
A post on the singer's website says he would need 330 signatures to enter the race, and that he's "considering the contest very seriously."
"Animal welfare groups cannot persist simply in order to continue to persist. There must be a governmental voice against the hellish and archaic social injustice allotted to animals in the United Kingdom simply because those animals do not speak English, otherwise millions of very caring citizens are greatly concerned about issues that no one is able to do anything about." 

The Grammy Museum is coming to Cleveland. Cleveland, Mississippi, that is. The $20 million project opens its doors today, with a Beatles exhibition as their first show.
The western Mississippi location is owned by the Cleveland Music Foundation and curated by Los Angeles' Grammy Museum, and will house 10 permanent collections to go along with the travelling shows. 
Executive director Robert Santelli says that "Mississippi is well stocked" and doesn't need a new "house of blues." He says the role of the museum is to "contemporize the state's relationship with popular music today. There has never been a museum like this in the South."
The new museum is on the Delta State University campus, and located not far from the B.B. King Museum and the Delta Blues Museum. 

Pictured: Naughty thoughts.

Because I was evidently a horrible person in a former life (and maybe not so great this time around, I guess?), Lady Gaga says she'll be returning to American Horror Story for season six. 
I'm sorry- the "vampiress" arc was last season's weaker story. To me, the writers have yet to manage to have two equally compelling stories during the entire run of the series. 
And personally, I'd much rather see Jessica Lange or Lily Rabe return.

Birthdays today include: John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers; Craig & Charlie Reid of the Proclaimers; Alan Clark of Dire Straits; and Eddy Grant. #MusicalBirthdays