March 31, 2013 by Amy Gold
During the week of March 24, 2013, Elvis Presley's first hit, "That's All Right," sold for $88,000 at Whyte's auctioneers in Dublin, Ireland.
Also, the world bade a sad farewell to famed trumpeter Derek Watkins, Motown hit songwriter Deke Richards, Gordon Stoker of the Jordanaires, Sabian cymbal manufacturer Robert Zildjian, rock critic and Crawdaddy! magazine founder Paul Williams, and renowned producer and audio engineer Phil Ramone.
The Rolling Stones will be headlining Britain's Glastonbury Festival this June, John Fogerty and many other big name oldies bands and artists will be performing at this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies this April (to be televised on HBO in May), and Lou Reed announced that several of his shows scheduled for this April will be cancelled.
Todd Rundgren announced a new album to be released this April, and limited-edition vinyl recordings by Aerosmith and Jimi Hendrix will become available on Record Store Day (April 20). Smokey Robinson also has a new duets album in the works.
Eric Burdon also announced that he is currently working on a book of memoirs which is expected later this year.
March 24, 2013: 7th Annual Classic R&B Weekend To Feature The Stylistics And Other Top Acts
We just received word from DJ Maurice "The Voice" Watts about this upcoming event which will be taking place November 8-10, 2013 at the Fernwood Hotel and Resort in East Stroudsburg, PA. Featured bands and artists will include Russell Thompkins Jr. and the Stylistics, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Blue Magic, Peaches and Herb, the Floaters, Soul Generation, and Force MD's. Click on the link below for more info and to register.
Source: 7th Annual Poconos Classic R&B Weekend & Empowerment Conference | Our Event | powered by RegOnline
March 25, 2013: Famed Trumpeter Derek Watkins Passes Away
Famed trumpeter Derek Watkins died at age 68 at his home in Surrey, England on March 22, 2013 after battling cancer. Watkins's distinctive trumpet playing, in which he became famous for his high-note "screamers," can be heard on every James Bond soundtrack from "Dr. No" (1962) through "Skyfall" (2012). Born in Reading, England, he learned to play the cornet as a child and began playing professionally at 17. Over the years, Watkins performed with many big name bands and artists and played everything from jazz and pop/rock to classical music. Besides the James Bond soundtracks, he can also be heard in such movies as "Chicago," "Superman," "Superman II," "Bridget Jones's Diary," and "Basic Instinct," and he composed the music for the British TV detective series, "Midsomer Murders." He was also a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music. Watkins survivors include his wife Wendy, their children, and their grandchildren.
Source: James Bond Trumpeter Derek Watkins Dies at 68 | Billboard
March 25, 2013: Elvis Presley's First Hit Sells At Auction For $88,000
The acetate record of Elvis Presley's first-ever radio hit, "That's All Right" (1954), sold for a whopping $88,000 on March 24, 2013 at Whyte's auctioneers in Dublin, Ireland. This historic recording was auctioned off along with other rock and roll memorabilia from Buddy Holly, Van Morrison and U2.
Source: Elvis Presley | Elvis Presley's First Hit Goes Under The Hammer For $88,000 | Contactmusic.com
March 25, 2013: Exclusive Albums By Aerosmith And Jimi Hendrix To Be Offered On Record Store Day
Limited-edition vinyl recordings by Aerosmith and Jimi Hendrix will be available for purchase on Record Store Day which will take place on April 20, 2013. Aerosmith's first three albums, "Aerosmith," "Get Your Wings," and "Toys In The Attic," will all be released as 12" 180-gram audiophile vinyl LPs remastered from the original tapes. Hendrix's "Hey Joe" and the B-side, "Stone Free," both from the original 1966 mono mixes, will come out as a 7" 45 RPM vinyl single.
Source: Aerosmith And Jimi Hendrix Announce Record Store Day Exclusives
March 26, 2013: Motown Hit Songwriter Deke Richards Passes Away
Motown songwriter, arranger and producer Deke Richards died on March 24, 2013 at age 68 in Bellingham, WA after battling esophageal cancer. Richards is famous as the founder of the team that wrote and produced most of the Jackson 5's biggest hits, known as the Corporation. They penned such Jackson 5 classics as "I Want You Back," "ABC," and "The Love You Save." Richards was also a member of a group of Motown songwriters known as the Clan that wrote the Supremes' chart-topping and then-controversial 1968 hit, "Love Child." He also wrote and produced for Bobby Darin, Martha and the Vandellas, Bonnie Bramlett, and other bands and artists.
Source: Deke Richards, Motown Songsmith, Dead at 68 | Music News | Rolling Stone
March 26, 2013: Lou Reed Cancels April Shows
Lou Reed has cancelled five shows which were scheduled for this April: two at Coachella in Indio, CA for April 12 and 19; one at the Warfield in San Francisco on April 14; one at the Golden State Theatre in Monterrey on April 16; and one at the Orpheum in Los Angeles on April 17. No reasons were given for the cancellations, and no info on refunds and/or possible reschedulings of these shows has yet been given.
Source: Lou Reed Cancels His Coachella Appearance (The Scenestar)
March 26, 2013: John Fogerty And Others To Perform At Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction
John Fogerty, Carole King, Harry Belafonte, Jackson Browne, and Cheech & Chong are among those to be performing at this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. This event will take place on April 18 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles and will be broadcast May 18 on HBO at 9 PM.
Source: Usher, John Fogerty to perform at Rock Hall induction
March 26, 2013: Eric Burdon Working On Memoirs
Eric Burdon is working on his memoirs that will chronicle the 71-year-old singer's 5-decade long career in music. Burdon's book, entitled "Breathless," will be published by Alfred Music and is slated to be released later this year. His most recent album, "'Til Your River Runs Dry," was released last January.
Source: Animals rock veteran Eric Burdon writing memoir | Reuters
March 27, 2013: Todd Rundgren To Release New Album This April
Todd Rundgren announced that he will be releasing a new album, "State," on April 9, 2013. The 64-year-old singer will also be starting an 11-date tour on May 5 in Woodstock, NY.
Source: Todd Rundgren To Release 24th Album 'State' On April 9
March 27, 2013: Gordon Stoker Of The Jordanaires Passes Away
Singer Gordon Stoker died at his home in Brentwood, TN on March 27, 2013 at age 88. He was a longtime member of the Jordanaires, a highly acclaimed and long-running vocal group that famously provided backup for Elvis Presley in the late 1950s and has continued to perform to the present day. Stoker first joined the Jordanaires in 1951 and stayed with this Country Music Hall of Fame group through early 2013, serving as a first tenor and as a manager. Funeral services were held on March 30, 2013 at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN.
Source: Gordon Stoker First Tenor and Manager for The Legendary Jordanaires
March 28, 2013: Rolling Stones To Headline Britain's Glastonbury Festival
The Rolling Stones will be headlining Britain's Glastonbury Festival along with Mumford and Sons and the Arctic Monkeys. Around 190 other bands and artists will be performing at this event, including Kenny Rogers and 1970s disco group Chic. The Glastonbury Festival will take place during the last week of June and some 135,000 attendees are expected.
Source: BBC News - Rolling Stones to headline Glastonbury Festival
March 28, 2013: Sabian Cymbal Manufacturer Robert Zildjian Passes Away
Sabian cymbal manufacturer Robert Zildjian died at his home in Brunswick, ME on March 28, 2013 at age 89 after battling cancer. Zildjian founded Sabian Cymbals in 1981, the second largest manufacturer of cymbals in the world. Born in Boston, MA, Zildjian came from a long line of famous cymbals manufacturers dating back to the 1600s when Avedis Zildjian, an Armenian alchemist from Turkey, created an alloy of tin, copper, and silver that could be formed into a sheet and could make musical sounds without shattering. The manufacturing procedures were kept secret and passed down from one generation to the next, typically to the first son. Zildjians' cymbals eventually made their way to the US when Avedis Zildjian III and his brothers formed Avedis Zildjian Co. in 1929 in Quincy, MA. Robert Zildjian, who was one of Avedis Zildjian III's sons, is survived by his wife Willi, two sons, a daughter, and eight grandchildren.
Source: BOSTON: Robert Zildjian, Sabian cymbal manufacturer, dies - People Wires - MiamiHerald.com
March 28, 2013: Smokey Robinson To Release Duets Album
Smokey Robinson announced that he will be releasing an album of duets this fall. All the tracks on this upcoming album will be hit songs that he wrote, including such R&B classics as "My Girl" and "The Tears of a Clown."
Source: Smokey Robinson to release album of duets this fall - latimes.com
March 28, 2013: Rock Critic And Crawdaddy! Founder Paul Williams Passes Away
Rock critic and music journalist Paul Williams died on March 27, 2013 at age 64 in Encinitas, CA from complications from a brain injury in 1995 after a bicycle accident which brought on early Alzheimer's. In 1966, he founded the first magazine in the US for rock music criticism, Crawdaddy!, while he was a student at Swarthmore College. He left the magazine in 1968 and become a writer for Rolling Stone. He also wrote over 25 books, including "Outlaw Blues: A Book of Rock Music," "Das Energi," and a three-part series, "Bob Dylan: Performing Artist," considered to be the definitive reference for this musician. In 1993, Williams returned to Crawdaddy! and ran a revival of the magazine to 2003. Williams' survivors include his wife, Cindy Lee Berryhill, and his eldest son, Kenta.
Source: Paul Williams, Rock Criticism Pioneer, Dead at 64 | Music News | Rolling Stone
March 30, 2013: Renowned Producer Phil Ramone Passes Away
Renowned producer and sound engineer Phil Ramone died at age 79 on March 30, 2013 at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He was hospitalized last February with an aortic aneurysm. Ramone was one of the top producers in the music industry and won 14 Grammys. Three of his Grammys were for Album of the Year: Ray Charles' "Genius Loves Company," Billy Joel's "52nd Street," and Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years." Ramone also won an Emmy for the soundtrack to "Duke Ellington... We Love You Madly," a tribute to Ellington which was broadcast on CBS. Born in South Africa, he learned to play the violin at age 3 and grew up in Brooklyn. A music prodigy, he performed for Queen Elizabeth II at age 10 and trained as a classical violinist at Juilliard. In 1959, he co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., an independent recording studio in New York where he made many of his most famous recordings and worked with many big names in jazz and pop over the years. Ramone is survived by his wife Karen and three sons.
Source: Legendary Producer Phil Ramone Dies at Age 79 | Billboard
