Allbutforgottenoldies.net Music News Digest: Week Of June 16, 2019

June 24, 2019 by Amy Gold

During the week of June 16, 2019, fans bade a final farewell to Jim Pike (d. June 9, 2019, age 82), the lead singer and co-founder of The Lettermen. The Grammy-nominated vocal trio's long string of hits included "The Way You Look Tonight" (1961), "When I Fall In Love" (1961), and "Goin' Out of My Head" b/w "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (1967).

Also that week, Santana's latest studio album, "Africa Speaks," debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, making it his highest-charting album since 2005's "All That I Am," which peaked at #2. "Africa Speaks" also made its debut at #1 on Billboard's Top Latin Album chart. Other new albums by veteran artists to climb the charts include Peter Frampton's recently released collection of covers, "All Blues," which debuted at #1 on Billboard's Blues Albums chart.

A lost Freddie Mercury song titled "Time Waits For No One" was recently released. Produced by Dave Clark, who was a friend of the late Queen frontman, the song is a new version of a track, "Time," from the 1986 hit West End musical of the same name.

A new Teddy Pendergrass documentary titled "If You Don't Know Me" will be coming out August 23, 2019 on Blu-ray, DVD, and on demand. This movie features archival footage and new interviews with family members, friends, and colleagues of the late R&B legend. A five-time Grammy nominee, Pendergrass rose to fame in the 1970s as lead singer of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes before going solo.

An archival live album of The Allman Brothers Band performing at San Francisco's Fillmore West will be coming out on September 6, 2019 as a four-CD set. "Fillmore West '71" features previously unreleased shows from a three-night stand the band played at the famous venue on January 29, 30 and 31, 1971.

Paul Simon announced a pair of benefit concerts to take place August 13 and 14, 2019 on the Hawaiian island of Maui at Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Also, The Who will return to New York City on September 1 for a performance at Madison Square Garden which will kick off the second leg of the band's "Moving On!" tour. This 20-date trek, which ends on October 24 in Los Angeles, will also cover many states across the country as well as Ontario and British Columbia, Canada.

Also that week, Ringo Starr announced the upcoming celebration of his 79th birthday on July 7, 2019, which will take place at a special gathering where he will call on those attending to shout "peace and love" at noon local time. This year's celebration will be held at the Capitol Records Tower in Los Angeles, where he will be joined by wife Barbara Bach, director David Lynch, Nils Lofgren, Edgar Winter, and others.

Finally, Elton John was presented with the prestigious Legion d'Honneur by French president Emmauel Macron. The awards ceremonies took place June 21, 2019 at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

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