Allbutforgottenoldies.net Music News Digest: Week Of January 22, 2017

January 30, 2017 by Amy Gold

During the week of January 22, 2017, fans bade a final farewell to famed drummer Butch Trucks who was a co-founder and a longtime member of The Allman Brothers Band.

Also that week, it was announced that Arthur Brown will tour the U.S. for the first time in over 45 years. He first came to fame in 1968 with his smash hit, "Fire."

Hot Tuna announced a series of headlining concerts starting in February. In addition, the band will be the opening act on Tedeschi Trucks Band's 2017 Wheels Of Soul Summer Tour which begins in July. Joe Walsh and Sam Moore are among the many featured performers at the upcoming God's Love We Deliver charity concert to take place in March at New York City's Beacon Theatre. Stevie Wonder and Tom Petty will headline this year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival which will take place over two weekends beginning in late April. Santana announced a series of show dates starting in June for the U.S. leg of its upcoming Transmogrify Tour. Also that month, Bob Dylan will headline the Firefly Music Festival to take place at Dover International Speedway in Dover, DE. Also, Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper announced a joint U.S. tour which kicks off in July.

A new box set titled "Neil Diamond 50" will be coming out in March to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Diamond's recording career. Also, Ray Davies announced a new album titled "Americana" which is due out in April.

Also that week, it was announced that the Classic Rock Awards 2016, which took place last November in Tokyo, will be broadcast February 19, 2017 on AXS TV. Also, Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper will appear on NBC's "Today Show" and Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" on January 25 and on "Access Hollywood" on January 27 to discuss their upcoming joint tour.

Finally, the Recording Academy will pay tribute in concert to The Bee Gees next month at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The show will be taped and broadcast on CBS sometime later this year.

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


After performing the first verse of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" in the lobby of the Anaheim Marriott, amateur performer Grayson Erhard was, much to his surprise and delight, joined onstage by Wonder who turned the song into a duet.


January 23, 2017: Ray Davies To Release New Album

Ray Davies of The Kinks announced a new album titled "Americana" which is due out on April 21, 2017. This autobiographical work, which was recorded with The Jayhawks at The Kinks' Konk Studios in London, includes 15 songs interspersed with spoken passages by Davies from his 2013 memoir of the same name. A second volume to "Americana" is expected sometime later this year.

Source: Kinks Frontman Ray Davies' New Solo Album, "Americana," to Be Released in April

January 23, 2017: Rod Stewart And Cyndi Lauper To Launch Joint Tour

Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper will be launching a joint tour this summer that will take the two pop/rock icons to various states in the U.S. This upcoming 18-date trek begins on July 6, 2017 in Hollywood, FL and ends on August 12 in Houston, TX, with additional stops in Florida and Texas, as well as in Alabama, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Virginia. In addition, Stewart and Lauper will appear on NBC's "Today Show" and Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" on January 25 and on "Access Hollywood" on January 27 to discuss the tour.

Source: Rod Stewart Teaming Up with Cyndi Lauper for Summer Tour

January 24, 2017: Hot Tuna Announces 2017 Tour Dates

Hot Tuna, the acclaimed folk-blues band formed in 1969 by ex-Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, announced a series of headlining concerts beginning February 13, 2017 in Solana Beach, CA and ending May 28 in Thornville, OH, with additional stops in California, as well as in Arizona, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, and Washington State. In addition, the band will be the opening act on Tedeschi Trucks Band's 2017 Wheels Of Soul Summer Tour which begins on July 1 in Gilford, NH and is currently scheduled through July 30 in Morrison, CO. This 17-date trek will also cover Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Vermont, and Virginia, with more show dates expected to be announced.

Source: Hot Tuna Tapped to Open Tedeschi Trucks Band's 2017 Wheels of Soul Summer Tour

January 24, 2017: Neil Diamond To Release 50th Anniversary Box Set

A new Neil Diamond box set will be coming out on March 31, 2017 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his recording career. Titled "Neil Diamond 50," this 3-CD collection is made up of 50 career-spanning songs that include such old favorites as "Cherry, Cherry," "Sweet Caroline," "Cracklin' Rosie," and "Song Sung Blue."

Source: Birthday Boy Neil Diamond to Release Anniversary Three-CD Set

January 25, 2017: Santana Announces U.S. Dates For 2017 Transmogrify Tour

Santana announced a series of show dates for the U.S. leg of its upcoming Transmogrify Tour. Twelve shows have been scheduled so far, beginning June 23, 2017 in Woodinville, WA and running through August 18 in Canandaigua, NY, with additional stops in Washington State, as well as in Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Santana's Transmogrify Tour will also cover Australia, New Zealand and Japan in April.

Source: Live Ways: Santana Announces US Dates for Its 2017 Transmogrify Tour

January 25, 2017: 2016 Classic Rock Awards Special To Air On AXS TV

The Classic Rock Awards 2016, which took place last November in Tokyo, will be broadcast February 19, 2017 on AXS TV. Jeff Beck, Cheap Trick, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin were among the many featured artists who either appeared and/or performed at this event. Also known as the Classic Rock Roll Of Honour, this awards program was established in 2005 by the U.K. magazine, Classic Rock.

Source: 2016 Classic Rock Awards Special, Featuring Jimmy Page, Joe Perry and More Stars, to Air Next Month on AXS TV

January 25, 2017: Butch Trucks Passes Away

Famed drummer Butch Trucks died on January 24, 2017 in West Palm Beach, FL at age 69 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band and remained with the group throughout its 45-year history. Born Claude Hudson Trucks in Jacksonville, FL, he began his long career in music playing drums in junior high. While at Florida State University, he played with various groups and co-founded The Bitter Ind. (later known as The 31st Of February) in the mid 1960s prior to joining The Allman Brothers Band. After the group disbanded in 2014, Trucks performed under his own name and gave his last show earlier this month.

As a longtime member of The Allman Brothers Band, Trucks was an essential part of the group's signature sound that made this group become widely known as one of the main architects of Southern rock. His many honors and accolades over the years included being inducted in 1995 into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with The Allman Brothers Band.

Source: Butch Trucks, Allman Brothers Band Founding Member, Dead at 69 - Rolling Stone

January 26, 2017: Arthur Brown To Launch First US Tour Since 1969

For the first time in over 45 years, Arthur Brown will tour the U.S. along with his band, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown. This upcoming 8-date trek, which takes place in February, will cover various cities in California, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Oregon, and Texas. Known as the "God Of Hellfire," Brown is an English rock star well known for his flamboyant theatrical performances who has been cited as a major influence on such artists as David Bowie, Alice Cooper, and KISS. He first came to fame in the U.S. in 1968 with his smash hit, "Fire," which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Source: The Crazy World of Arthur Brown Set to Launch First US Tour Since 1969 Next Month

January 27, 2017: Joe Walsh & More To Perform At Love Rocks NYC! Benefit Show

Joe Walsh, Michael McDonald, Sam Moore and Jackson Browne are among those who will perform at a God's Love We Deliver charity concert to take place on March 9, 2017 at New York City's Beacon Theatre. Dubbed "Love Rocks NYC! A Change Is Gonna Come: Celebrating Songs Of Peace, Love And Hope," this event will also feature Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Mavis Staples, and many others. For more info, visit GLWD.org.

Source: Joe Walsh, Michael McDonald, Sam Moore to Perform at Love Rocks NYC! Benefit Show in March

January 27, 2017: Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty Among 2017 New Orleans Jazz Fest Headliners

Stevie Wonder and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are among the headliners for this year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival which will take place over two weekends from April 28 through May 7, 2017 at the city's Fair Grounds. Among the many other featured bands and artists are Herb Alpert, George Benson, The Dixie Cups, Earth, Wind & Fire, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Patti LaBelle, Hugh Masekela, Aaron Neville, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Irma Thomas, and Tower Of Power. For more info and tickets, visit NOJazzFest.com.

Source: Stevie Wonder and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Among the 2017 New Orleans Jazz Fest Headliners

January 27, 2017: Recording Academy & CBS To Honor Bee Gees With Tribute Concert

The Recording Academy will pay tribute in concert to The Bee Gees on February 14, 2017, two days after the Grammys, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Dubbed "Stayin' Alive: A Grammy Salute To The Music Of The Bee Gees," this upcoming event, which commemorates the 40th anniversary of the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, will feature special performances by Barry Gibb and other top performing artists. The show will be taped and aired on CBS sometime later this year.

Source: Barry Gibb Among Stars Who Will Perform at Grammy Salute to The Bee Gees

January 27, 2017: Bob Dylan To Headline Firefly Festival

Bob Dylan will headline the Firefly Music Festival which will take place June 15-18, 2017 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, DE, making this his first scheduled U.S. concert to date. For more info and tickets, visit FireflyFestival.com. Prior to this event, he will tour a number of European cities beginning April 1 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Source: Bob Dylan Set to Headline Firefly Festival in Delaware This June