April 21, 2013 by Amy Gold
During the week of April 14, 2013, Rush, Donna Summer, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones, Albert King, and Heart were among this year's inductees into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The induction ceremonies will be broadcast May 18, 2013 on HBO.
Also this week, fans mourned the passing of famed songwriter George Jackson and Pink Floyd album cover designer Storm Thorgerson.
The Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young will be releasing new albums this May and August, respectively. Black Sabbath just released a single from their upcoming album, and a new documentary about the Rolling Stones will soon be released on DVD and Blu-ray. Also, Joe Walsh announced that he is currently working on a new album.
Also, the Rascals are reuniting on Broadway, Steely Dan announced an upcoming North American tour to begin this July, Paul McCartney will be performing at the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco this August, and Rod Stewart will be giving a show at the Troubadour this month along with a question-and-answer forum for fans which will be broadcast on YouTube and VEVO. For fans of Meatloaf who either reside in or will soon be visiting England, a concert in Nottingham originally scheduled for April 14, 2013 has been moved to May 20. Also, Willie Nelson will be giving a concert on April 25, 2013 to aid the victims of the West, TX explosion that took place last Wednesday.
In the wake of last Monday's tragic Boston Marathon bombings, Neil Diamond made a surprise visit to Boston's Fenway Park to give a live performance of "Sweet Caroline," an oldies classic which has long been used by the Boston Red Sox as a theme song. The crowd responded enthusiastically with chants of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" Other sports teams throughout North America also played this song during their games in tribute to the bombing victims and urged fans to sing along.
Finally, congratulations go to Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith who will be honored this month by ASCAP for their songwriting.
April 14, 2013: Famed Songwriter George Jackson Passes Away
George Jackson died on April 14, 2013 at age 68 at his home in Ridgeland, MS after battling cancer. Jackson was a prolific songwriter whose many songs included "Old Time Rock and Roll" which became a hit for Bob Seger in 1979 and was famously featured in the 1983 movie, "Risky Business." He also wrote the Osmonds' "One Bad Apple" which topped the charts in 1971. As well as writing countless other songs for various bands and artists on Malaco Records and other record labels, Jackson also recorded a number of singles over the years, many under different names. During the 1960s, he was a member of the Ovations, a vocal group that had hits on both the R&B and Pop/Rock charts with "It's Wonderful To Be In Love" (1965) and "Having A Party" (1973). In the early 1970s, he had two R&B hits with "That's How Much You Mean To Me" (1970) and "Aretha, Sing One For Me" (1972).
Source: JACKSON, Miss.: Rock and soul songwriter George Jackson dies at 68 - People Wires - MiamiHerald.com
April 14, 2013: Meat Loaf Cancels Concerts Due To Illness Of Band Members
A Meatloaf concert at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England, originally scheduled for April 14, 2013, had to be canceled at the last minute due to some of the band members falling ill. This concert has been rescheduled for May 20.
Source: Meat Loaf cancels gig after band members fall ill | General News | Hollywood.com
April 15, 2013: Beach Boys To Release 50th Anniversary Tour Album
On May 21, 2013, the Beach Boys will be releasing a 2-CD set of their 50th anniversary tour of 2012. This album's 41 tracks will include many classic Beach Boys hits, a cover of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," and some tracks from the band's latest album, "That's Why God Made The Radio."
Source: Beach Boys Releasing 50th Anniversary Tour Compilation | Music News | Rolling Stone
April 15, 2013: Joe Walsh Working On New Album
Joe Walsh is currently working on a new album that is a follow-up to his last album, "Analog Man," released in 2012. This album will include mostly blues and R&B songs, about half of which were written by Walsh, and the other half by such acclaimed blues musicians as John Lee Hooker and Howlin' Wolf.
Source: Joe Walsh Working On Blues Album
April 16, 2013: Steely Dan To Tour North America
Steely Dan announced an upcoming tour in North America beginning this July in New Jersey. Major cities to be covered in this 48-date tour include San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Toronto, Houston, Los Angeles, and Boston.
Source: Steely Dan Announces North American Tour
April 16, 2013: Aerosmith Members To Receive Songwriting Honors
Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith will be honored for their songwriting by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Ceremonies will take place on April 17, 2013, although Tyler and Perry will not be able to attend since the band is currently on tour. They are also slated to be among this year's inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this June.
Source: Aerosmith's Tyler and Perry honored for songwriting | Reuters
April 16, 2013: Paul McCartney To Perform At The Outside Lands Festival
Paul McCartney and several other bands and artists will be performing at this year's Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival. This event will take place August 9-11, 2013 at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
Source: Outside Lands 2013: Paul McCartney, Phoenix and Nine Inch Nails Top Lineup | Billboard
April 16, 2013: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young To Release 1974 Reunion Tour Album
On August 27, 2013, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young will be releasing a compilation live album consisting of highlights from their 1974 reunion tour. Since the group split in 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young have each pursued successful solo careers, reuniting several times over the years as CSNY. All four members of this famed band have been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
April 17, 2013: Record Store Day Favorites Include Recordings By David Bowie And The Grateful Dead
This year's Record Store Day takes place on April 20, 2013. Among the featured recordings are David Bowie's "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)"/"Where Are We Now?" on a double-sided 7" vinyl recording and the Grateful Dead's "Rare Cuts & Oddities 1966," also on vinyl.
Source: Record Store Day's 12 Must-Have Releases | Music News | Rolling Stone
April 17, 2013: The Rascals Reunite On Broadway
"Once Upon a Dream" is a Broadway show that tells the story of the Rascals through live performances by all four original band members along with film footage of the band from its beginnings through the 1960s. This show, which opened this week and will continue through May 5, 2013, is the first time the Rascals have performed together since 1970.
Source: The Rascals Reunite on Broadway | Music News | Rolling Stone
April 18, 2013: Paul McCartney Records Message For 'Voices Against Violence'
"Voices Against Violence" is a text-to-call campaign which connects callers to their respective congressional representatives so that they can make their voice heard on gun control. Among the many celebrities participating in this campaign is Paul McCartney who recorded the greeting message.
Source: Paul McCartney Records Message for 'Voices Against Violence' | Music News | Rolling Stone
April 18, 2013: Famed Graphics Designer Storm Thorgerson Passes Away
Storm Thorgerson died on April 18, 2013 at age 69 after battling cancer for several years. The British-born Thorgerson is famous for designing most of the covers for Pink Floyd's albums, most notably "The Dark Side of the Moon." He had a long relationship with Pink Floyd that dated back to his childhood years when he attended the same schools as band founders Syd Barrett and Roger Waters and guitarist David Gilmour. Over the years, Thorgerson also designed many other eye-catching album covers for numerous other rock bands and artists including Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, 10cc, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Muse, and Phish.
Source: Storm Thorgerson, Pink Floyd Album Art Designer, Dead at 69 | Music News | Rolling Stone
April 18, 2013: Rod Stewart To Perform At The Troubadour
Rod Stewart will be performing at the famous Troubadour club in Los Angeles on April 25, 2013, and he will also be holding a question-and-answer forum for fans. These events will be broadcast on YouTube and VEVO starting April 27.
Source: Rod Stewart To Perform Rare Club Show at L.A.'s Troubadour | Billboard
April 18, 2013: Willie Nelson To Hold Concert For Victims Of Texas Explosion
Willie Nelson will be holding a benefit concert to aid victims of the fertilizer plant explosion in West, TX that took place on April 17, 2013. Nelson has a concert scheduled for April 25 at the Backyard at Bee Cave near Austin. He plans to use this show, which was originally supposed to be part of his 80th birthday celebration, to raise money to help the Fire Department in West, TX. Nelson was born and raised in Abbott, TX, about six miles from the explosion.
Source: CMT : News : Willie Nelson Plans Fundraiser Following Explosion in Texas
April 19, 2013: Black Sabbath Releases Single From Upcoming Album
Black Sabbath's upcoming album, "13," is scheduled to be released on June 11, 2013. The band has just released a single from this album (entitled "God Is Dead?"), which is now available for download from iTunes with a pre-order of the album.
Source: Black Sabbath Offer Taste of New Album With 'God Is Dead?' | Music News | Rolling Stone
April 19, 2013: Rolling Stones Announce Release Date For Upcoming Documentary
A new Rolling Stones documentary, "Crossfire Hurricane," will be released on May 21, 2013 and will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and digital video. "Crossfire Hurricane" will include previously unreleased footage of Rolling Stones concerts from 1964-65 and interviews.
Source: Rolling Stones Announce Release Date For Crossfire Hurricane
April 19, 2013: Rush, Donna Summer, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones, Albert King, Heart, And Others Inducted Into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
Rush, Donna Summer, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones, Albert King, and Heart are among this year's inductees into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This year's ceremonies were held on April 18, 2013 at L.A.'s Nokia Theatre and will be broadcast May 18 on HBO.
Source: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 induction: Rush's night - latimes.com
April 19, 2013: 'Sweet Caroline' Offers Comfort During Aftermath Of Boston Marathon Bombings
Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" has long been used as a theme song by the Boston Red Sox. As a tribute to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, which took place on April 15, 2013, the New York Yankees, the Dodgers, the Toronto Raptors, and other sports teams have been playing this song during their games and exhorting fans to sing along. Diamond's inspiration for this soothing oldies classic, which he wrote in 1969, was slain President John F. Kennedy's daughter, Caroline, who was eleven years old at the time.
Source: Neil Diamond on 'Sweet Caroline' and Boston Marathon bombings - latimes.com
April 20, 2013: Neil Diamond Makes A Surprise Visit To Boston's Fenway Park To Perform "Sweet Caroline"
The playing of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" during the eight inning has long been a tradition for the Boston Red Sox. In the wake of the tragic Boston Marathon bombings, Neil Diamond made a surprise visit to Boston's Fenway Park on April 20 to perform this song live while wearing a baseball cap. The crowd responded with enthusiastic chants of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" as he left the field.
Source: Neil Diamond Sings ‘Sweet Caroline’ Live During Red Sox Game « CBS Boston
