June 9, 2013 by Amy Gold
During the week of June 2, 2013, oldies music fans mourned the passing of Steve Hyams of Mott The Hoople and Joey Covington of Jefferson Airplane.
Also that week, it was announced that Paul McCartney will be featured in a special one-hour episode of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" which will air on June 12, 2013.
Soul legend Booker T. Jones will soon be releasing a new album, "Sound The Alarm." A track from that album has just been released and can be heard online. Brian Wilson is currently working on a new album with Al Jardine, David Marks, and others, and the three former Beach Boys will also be touring this summer. Also, John Fogerty's latest album, "Wrote A Song For Everyone," reached #3 on the Billboard 200. The former CCR frontman also announced that he will be starting a world tour this fall.
Also, the Eagles will be launching a tour this July in support of their recent documentary, "History of the Eagles." The Doobie Brothers will be headlining this summer's Ottawa Jazz Festival, replacing Aretha Franklin who had to cancel this event for medical reasons. Chaka Khan also had to cancel her June shows on doctor's orders to rest her vocal chords.
This year's Independence Day concert will feature Barry Manilow, John Williams, and others who will perform patriotic music on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This event and a fireworks display will be broadcast live on PBS and NPR at 8:00PM. Also, a previously-unreleased Grateful Dead concert film from 1972, "Sunshine Daydream," will open on August 1, 2013 at select theaters across the nation. (See video clip below for a preview. Warning: some parts might make you blush!)
A memoir about Bob Dylan by Jake and Victor Maymudes is nearing its final stage of completion. Also, Berry Gordy's 1994 memoir, "To Be Loved," has been reissued by RosettaBooks as an e-book.
For fans of the Fab Four who either live near London or will be visiting the area, the George Harrison Memorial Garden at the Bhaktivedanta Manor Estate, which is near Watford, England, has just been made open to the public.
Finally, a new Johnny Cash ForeverŪ stamp was released as part of a year-long celebration to commemorate the late "Man In Black."
June 2, 2013: George Harrison Memorial Garden Opens
The George Harrison Memorial Garden at the Bhaktivedanta Manor Estate is now open to the public. Harrison, who passed away in 2001, donated the site to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1973 after he became a follower of the Hare Krishna religion. The Bhaktivedanta Manor Estate is near Watford, England, which is about 40 miles northwest of London.
Source: George Harrison Memorial Garden Opened To The Public
June 3, 2013: New Johnny Cash Stamp Is Released
A new Johnny Cash ForeverŪ stamp was released on June 5, 2013 by the United States Postal Service. This stamp's design is based on a promotional photo for the 1963 album, "Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash." The release of the new Johnny Cash stamp and a free public concert both marked the end of a year-long celebration of the legacy of the late "Man In Black." The concert, which also took place on June 5, featured members of the Cash family and other country music stars that included the Oak Ridge Boys, Larry Gatlin, Randy Travis, and Marty Stuart.
Source: Family celebrates release of new Johnny Cash stamp
June 3, 2013: Steve Hyams Of Mott The Hoople Passes Away
Singer, songwriter and guitarist Steve Hyams died on May 11, 2013 at age 62 in Kingston upon Thames in southwest London after battling heart problems. Hymes is best known as the guitarist for Mott The Hoople, with which he briefly played and served as frontman during the mid 1970s after Ian Hunter, the original lead singer, left the band. Born in Camden, London, Hymes began his music career in the early 1970s playing for Dolls House and the Samuel Prody Band before launching his solo career. He released his first album, "Mistaken Identities," in 1974, and he released a second album, "Feather and a Tomahawk," in 1997. Over the years, he also played with many other bands that included British Lions, Spooky Tooth, Fleetwood Mac, and Ian Dury's Blockheads. Hyams is survived by a son, a daughter, and his partner Jennifer Wilson.
Source: Steve Hyams: Guitarist with Mott the Hoople - Obituaries - News - The Independent
June 4, 2013: Booker T. Jones Premiers Song From Upcoming Album
Soul legend Booker T. Jones is scheduled to release a new album later this month, "Sound The Alarm." A track from this album, "Watch You Sleeping," has just been released and can be heard online. This song is performed as a duet by Booker T. Jones and Bill Withers' daughter Kori. Other guest artists to be featured on Jones' upcoming album include Gary Clark Jr., Estelle, Mayer Hawthorne, and Anthony Hamilton.
Source: Booker T. Jones, 'Watch You Sleeping' feat. Kori Withers: Exclusive Song Premiere | Billboard
June 4, 2013: Barry Manilow, John Williams And Others To Give Independence Day Concert
Barry Manilow, John Williams, the National Symphony Orchestra, and various stars from Broadway and "American Idol" will be coming together to perform patriotic music at a concert which will take place this July 4th on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This event and a fireworks display will be broadcast live on PBS and NPR at 8:00PM.
Source: Barry Manilow joins star lineup for July 4th in DC
June 5, 2013: Joey Covington Of Jefferson Airplane Passes Away
Drummer Joey Covington was killed in a car accident in Palm Springs, CA on June 4, 2013. He was 67. Covington got his start in music at age 10 teaching himself to play the drums. In 1969, he and other Jefferson Airplane members formed the blues rock band, Hot Tuna, while Grace Slick was recovering from throat surgery. He also served as the drummer for Jefferson Airplane, and he can be heard on the albums, "Volunteers,"Bark," and "Long John Silver." Covington wrote and sang the 1971 Jefferson Airplane hit, "Pretty As You Feel" and co-wrote the 1976 Jefferson Starship hit, "With Your Love." In 1972, he left Jefferson Airplane to pursue a solo career. In 1973, he recorded an album, "Fat Fandango," and over the years, he played for the San Francisco Allstars, a band made up of a rotating lineup of rock musicians.
Source: Joey Covington, Jefferson Airplane Drummer, Dead at 67 | Music News | Rolling Stone
June 5, 2013: John Fogerty Album Reaches #3 On Billboard 200
John Fogerty recently released a new album entitled "Wrote A Song For Everyone." This album entered at #3 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 50,000 copies in its first week. Fogerty also announced that he will be embarking on a world tour this fall, and some tour dates have been set.
Source: "Wrote A Song For Everyone" Hits # 3 on Billboard 200 and Tour Announcement! : John Fogerty
June 6, 2013: Berry Gordy Memoir Reissued As e-Book
In 1994, Berry Gordy published a book of memoirs, "To Be Loved," which covers his rise from high school dropout to Motown record label mogul. This out-of-print book, which was recently adapted for the Tony-nominated "Motown: The Musical," is scheduled to be reissued on June 6, 2013 by RosettaBooks as an e-book.
Source: Berry Gordy memoir reissued as e-book
June 6, 2013: Chaka Khan Cancels Concerts To Rest Her Voice
Famed R&B singer Chaka Khan will be canceling four upcoming June concerts on doctor's orders to rest her vocal chords. She will also be moving up the release date of her upcoming album, "The iKhan Project Alive," from this July to the fall. Khan will be attending her induction ceremony into the Apollo Theater Hall of Fame which will take place in Harlem, New York on June 13.
Source: Chaka Khan cancels concerts over voice troubles
June 6, 2013: Brian Wilson Working On New Album
Brian Wilson is working on a new album with Jeff Beck and fellow former Beach Boys Al Jardine and David Marks, to be released on Capital Records. Wilson will also be touring this summer with Jardine and Marks.
Source: Brian Wilson Working on Solo Album With Jeff Beck, Fellow Beach Boys | Billboard
June 7, 2013: Grateful Dead Concert Film To Open In Theaters
A Grateful Dead concert film from 1972, "Sunshine Daydream," will be shown at 7:00PM on August 1, 2013 in select theaters across the nation. "Sunshine Daydream" is a previously unreleased movie filmed on August 27, 1972 at the Grateful Dead's concert in Veneta, OR at the Oregon Country Fair.
Source: Grateful Dead Concert Film 'Sunshine Daydream' to See Release | Music News | Rolling Stone
June 7, 2013: Bob Dylan Memoir In The Works
Victor Maymudes, Bob Dylan's longtime friend and road manager, began work on a memoir of the famed singer-songwriter in 2000, but died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm the following year. Maymudes' son Jake took over this project which is now nearing its final stage of completion. The memoir will cover Victor Maymudes' years with Dylan, starting from when the two first met in 1961. Some funds still have to be raised before the book is published.
Source: Memoir By Bob Dylan's Closest Confidant In The Works | Music News | Rolling Stone
June 7, 2013: Doobie Brothers To Replace Aretha Franklin At Ottawa Jazzfest
The Doobie Brothers will be headlining this year's Ottawa Jazz Festival which will take place at Confederation Park from June 20-July 1, 2013. They will be replacing Aretha Franklin who was originally scheduled to headline this festival but had to cancel due to medical reasons. The Doobie Brothers, who are currently on tour, will be performing at this festival in between shows in Spokane, WA and Atlantic City, NJ.
Source: Doobie Brothers To Replace Aretha Franklin At Ottawa Jazzfest
June 7, 2013: Eagles Expand 2013 North American Touring Schedule
The Eagles will be launching a tour this summer to support their new documentary, "History of the Eagles." This tour begins July 6, 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky at the KFC Yum! Center and ends July 25 in Bethel, NY at Bethel Woods Center. After taking off the month of August, the band will be adding another leg this fall, starting September 6, 2013 in Vancouver, BC at the Rogers Arena, and ending October 24 in St. Louis, MO at the Scottrade Center.
Source: Eagles Expand 2013 North American Tour
June 7, 2013: Paul McCartney To Be Featured On 'Colbert Report'
Paul McCartney is to be the featured guest in a special one-hour episode of the "Colbert Report." This show, in which McCartney will perform and be interviewed, will air on June 12, 2013 on Comedy Central.
Source: Paul McCartney Set For Hour-Long Colbert Report Special
