December 21, 2014 by Amy Gold
During the week of December 14, 2014, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2015 inductees were announced. Ringo Starr, the "5" Royales, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Lou Reed, and Bill Withers are among the honorees.
Also that week, it was announced that the Bee Gees and George Harrison will be honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2015. Other oldies bands and artists to be receiving Grammy honors are ABBA, Fontella Bass, Harry Belafonte, Chic, Alice Cooper, the Dominoes, Bob Dylan, the Four Seasons, Bobby Fuller Four, Kraftwerk, Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, Otis Redding, Lou Reed, Stevie Wonder, and Neil Young. The Grammys will be broadcast next February on CBS.
On New Year's Eve, Daryl Hall will be giving a concert in NYC's Times Square which will be streamed live from his website. SiriusXM will be broadcasting live shows by Willie Nelson and Elton John on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, respectively. The 11th annual Wanee Music Festival will be held next April in Live Oak, FL, and featured performers will include the Allman Brothers, Cheap Trick, Hot Tuna, and Earth, Wind & Fire. The Who were forced to cancel two shows at London's O2 Arena which have been rescheduled for next March. Also, the band will be launching the first North American leg of its "Who Hits 50!" tour next April. New show dates have been added, and Joan Jett will be the opening act.
Also that week, the Yardbirds announced their final breakup. Formed in 1963, this seminal band has continued performing and recording on and off through the years, with many personnel changes along the way.
Finally, oldies music fans bade a final farewell to Millie Kirkham, a backup singer for Elvis Presley whose distinctive soprano can be heard in the King's holiday classic, "Blue Christmas," and in many other hits.
(For more information about the above-listed news items, please see below for a list of sources with links and article summaries.)
Shown below is Darlene Love giving her final performance of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the Late Show With David Letterman (December 19, 2014), thus ending an almost 30-year holiday tradition. Dave Letterman, who recently announced his retirement from the Late Show, will be giving his final broadcast on May 20, 2015.
December 15, 2014: Daryl Hall To Host Live Stream On New Year's Eve
On New Year's Eve starting at 9:25 PM ET, Daryl Hall will be giving a concert in NYC's Times Square. This event will be streamed live from his website, DarylsHouseClub.com. Some of the proceeds from the ticket sales will go to charity.
Source: Daryl Hall Hosting "Daryl's Rock 'N Soul New Year's Eve" Live Stream
December 15, 2014: Stevie Wonder To Receive All-Star Grammys Tribute
This February, Stevie Wonder will be honored with an all-star Grammy salute in which various artists, along with Wonder himself, will cover songs from his 1976 album, "Songs In The Key Of Life." This event, to be held at Los Angeles' Nokia Theater, will be taped on February 10, 2015, and will air on CBS February 16. To date, the legendary singer has received 25 Grammys in various categories.
Source: Stevie Wonder to Receive All-Star Tribute from Grammys, to Air on CBS | Billboard
December 16, 2014: Rock Hall Announces 2015 Inductees
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just announced the 2015 inductees: Ringo Starr, the "5" Royales, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Green Day, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, and Bill Withers. Also, the "5" Royales will be honored with the early influences award. The awards ceremonies will take place on April 18, 2015 at the Cleveland Public Auditorium.
December 17, 2014: Yardbirds Announce Final Breakup
The Yardbirds were formed in 1963 in London, and this seminal band has continued performing and recording on and off through the years, with many personnel changes along the way. The current lineup includes two original members, Jim McCarty and Anthony "Top" Topham, and McCarty announced that the Yardbirds will be permanently parting ways sometime near the end of this year. The band has one show remaining in its itinerary: a February 7, 2015 concert in Frome, U.K.
Source: The Yardbirds' Jim McCarty Announces Current Lineup Is "Parting Ways"
December 17, 2014: Randy Bachman To Release New Album
On April 15, 2015, Randy Bachman is set to release a new solo album titled "Heavy Blues." This upcoming album is a collection of original songs by Bachman, and it also features guest performances by various artists including Neil Young and Peter Frampton. Bachman, who co-founded both the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, is planning to launch a tour in 2015 in support of this album.
Source: Randy Bachman's Upcoming Studio Album Arriving in April; Features Neil Young, Peter Frampton
December 17, 2014: 2015 Wanee Music Festival Lineup To Include Allman Brothers Band, Cheap Trick, Earth, Wind & Fire
The 11th annual Wanee Music Festival will be held on April 15-17, 2015 in Live Oak, FL. The Allman Brothers, who founded this music festival, will continue their tradition of acting as its headliner. Other featured performers will include Cheap Trick, Hot Tuna, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Source: 2015 Wanee Festival Lineup Features Allman Brothers Members, Cheap Trick, Earth, Wind & Fire
December 17, 2014: Elvis Presley's 'Blue Christmas' Backup Singer Passes Away
Millie Kirkham died on December 14, 2014 at age 91 in Nashville following a stroke. From the mid-1950s through the 1980s, she was a backup singer for Elvis Presley and other big name artists that included Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and George Jones. She is best remembered as having provided the famous "woo-we-woo" accompaniment to the King's holiday classic, "Blue Christmas." Her distinctive soprano voice can also be heard in many other Presley songs and movie soundtracks.
Source: Elvis Presley's 'Blue Christmas' Backup Singer Millie Kirkham Dies at 91 | Billboard
December 17, 2014: The Who Cancels December Shows Due To Roger Daltrey Illness
The Who was forced on doctor's orders to cancel two shows at London's O2 Arena, which were to take place on December 17 and 18, 2014, due to Roger Daltrey's throat infection. These shows have been rescheduled for March 22 and 23, 2015, three weeks before the band begins the North American leg of its "Who Hits 50!" tour, giving time for Daltrey to recover.
Source: Roger Daltrey Illness Postpones London Who Shows
December 18, 2014: Recordings By Many Oldies Bands And Artists To Enter Grammy Hall Of Fame
27 classic songs and albums have been named as the latest additions to the Grammy Hall of Fame for 2015, most of them by long-familiar oldies acts. Among those bands and artists in this list of recordings are
- ABBA, "Dancing Queen" (song)
- Fontella Bass, "Rescue Me" (song)
- Harry Belafonte, "Calypso" (album)
- Chic, "Le Freak" (song)
- Alice Cooper, "School's Out" (song)
- The Dominoes, "Sixty Minute Man" (song)
- Bob Dylan, "Blood On The Tracks" (album)
- The Four Seasons, "Big Girls Don't Cry" (song)
- Bobby Fuller Four, "I Fought The Law" (song)
- Kraftwerk, "Autobahn" (album)
- Willie Nelson, "Stardust" (album)
- Aaron Neville, "Tell It Like It Is" (song)
- Otis Redding, "Try A Little Tenderness" (song)
- Lou Reed, "Walk On The Wild Side" (song)
- Neil Young, "Harvest" (album)
The Grammy Awards ceremonies will be shown live on CBS, February 8, 2015.
Source: Hank Williams, Neil Young Songs Set for Grammy Hall
December 18, 2014: The Who Announces More Tour Dates For 2015
The Who will be launching the first North American leg of its extensive "Who Hits 50!" tour on April 15, 2015 in Tampa, FL, and the band has also announced more show dates. In addition, Joan Jett will be opening for the band for most of its upcoming North American shows.
Source: The Who Add Joan Jett, More Dates to 2015 Tour
December 18, 2014: Bee Gees, George Harrison To Receive Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
The Bee Gees, the late and great George Harrison, and blues guitarist Buddy Guy are among those to be honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The Recording Academy will also honor songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil with its prestigious Trustees Award. A private awards ceremony will take place on February 7, 2015, and the awards recipients will also be honored during the Grammy Awards to be broadcast live on CBS February 8.
Source: George Harrison to Receive Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
December 18, 2014: KC & Sunshine Band To Release New '60s Covers Album
On March 10, 2015, KC & Sunshine Band will be releasing an album of covers of various 1960s classics. Titled "Feeling You! The 60s," this 17-track collection includes such songs as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "You Really Got A Hold On Me," Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind," and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now."
Source: KC and the Sunshine Band to Release Album of Classic '60s Cover Tunes in March
December 19, 2014: Willie Nelson, Elton John To Air On SiriusXM
SiriusXM announced a series of live concerts to be broadcast on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Among the coming attractions are a New Year's Eve concert by Willie Nelson to be held at Austin's Moody Theater which will be broadcast on Nelson's Channel 59 ("Willie's Roadhouse"). A performance by Elton John at Brooklyn's Barclay's Center will be broadcast on New Year's Day on Channel 32 ("The Bridge").
Source: Willie Nelson, Skrillex New Year's Gigs to Air on SiriusXM
