Allbutforgottenoldies.net Music News Digest: Week Of January 27, 2019

February 4, 2019 by Amy Gold

During the week of January 27, 2019, the Recording Academy announced that Diana Ross will take the stage for a commemorative "75th Diamond Diana" birthday performance at the upcoming 61st annual Grammy Awards, to be broadcast February 10, 2019 on CBS live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The legendary diva and former leader of The Supremes turns 75 on March 26.

ZZ Top is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with three concerts in the band's home state of Texas and will be joined by Cheap Trick and Bad Company. The shows will take place in Dallas on May 17, the Houston suburb of The Woodlands on May 18, and Austin on May 19. Also, Daryl Hall & John Oates will launch their first-ever tour of South America. The famed pop rock duo will perform in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil on June 6, 8 and 11, respectively.

Ringo Starr announced an updated schedule with new shows added to his upcoming All Starr Band's 30th anniversary North American tour. This 19-date trek kicks off on August 1, 2019 in Windsor, ON, Canada and wraps up on September 1 in Los Angeles, CA, also covering Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia, as well as other cities in California. In addition, the band will give a concert on March 21 in Valley Center, CA before heading off to Japan this spring.

February 1, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the day that "Crimson And Clover" by Tommy James & The Shondells topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This psychedelic pop classic spent two weeks at #1 in February of 1969 and was the band's second and final chart-topper after "Hanky Panky" (1966). Tommy James continues to tour with a new incarnation of The Shondells, with concerts mapped out through most of 2019 beginning February 9 in Scottsdale, AZ and ending October 18 in Las Vegas, NV, also covering many states across the country. (For more info, visit TommyJames.com.)

A new album titled "Buddy Holly With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: True Love Ways" will be coming out March 8, 2019 on vinyl and CD. This collection, which is currently available digitally, features new symphonic arrangements of the late rock and roll pioneer's hits accompanied by the U.K.'s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Also coming out on March 8 is The Eagles' 1994 reunion album, "Hell Freezes Over," which will be re-issued on vinyl and CD in celebration of this recording's 25th anniversary.

A new Barry White box set, "Love Unlimited Orchestra: The 20th Century Records Albums (1973-1979)," will be coming out on March 29, 2019. This massive 7-CD collection includes all 7 albums that White's backing group recorded in the 1970s for 20th Century Records. In addition, two albums by the White-produced female vocal trio, Love Unlimited, and three Love Unlimited Orchestra albums will be released individually on vinyl.

A new David Bowie vinyl singles box set, "Spying Through A Keyhole (Demos And Unreleased Songs)," will be coming out on April 5, 2019. This collection of rare recordings that Bowie made during the late 1960s includes two early versions of his classic song, "Space Oddity."

"Live At The Rainbow '78," a video that captures a 1978 Foreigner concert that took place at London's Rainbow Theatre to a sold-out audience, will be coming out March 15, 2019 on DVD and Blu-ray and as a digital video. The band's 12-song set featured performances of all 10 tracks from its self-titled 1977 debut album, including "Cold As Ice," "Feels Like The First Time," and other classic hits.

Also that week, Netflix announced the next episode of its documentary series, "ReMastered," which takes an in-depth look at the music and activism of Sam Cooke and the events surrounding his fatal shooting in 1964 by a Los Angeles motel manager. Titled "ReMastered: The Two Killings Of Sam Cooke," this episode will premiere February 8, 2019.

Finally, "Can't Give It Away On Seventh Avenue: The Rolling Stones And New York City" by Christopher McKittrick will be coming out on June 25, 2019. This new book chronicles the British rock legends' connection to and history with the Big Apple from their first arrival at JFK Airport in 1964 to the present.

(For more information about the above news items, please see below for a list of sources with links.)