May 9, 2021 by Amy Gold
Music News: The Four Tops, Gladys Knight among stars set to perform at 2021 National Memorial Day Concert https://t.co/5sviOZxTeK #musicnews #abcnews
— SuperHits103.7COSYFM (@cosyfm) May 5, 2021
During the week of May 2, 2021, PBS announced that The Four Tops and Gladys Knight are among the featured performers at this year's National Memorial Day Concert to air May 30 at 8 PM ET. This special will also stream on Facebook, YouTube, and PBS.org. Instead of airing live from Washington, D.C. as in previous years, this year's show will be pre-recorded due to the pandemic.
Also that week, the two surviving members of The Monkees, Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith, announced the band's upcoming farewell tour to take place beginning September 11, 2021. This 34-date trek, which wraps up on November 14, will cover California, Texas, Washington, and many other states along the East and West Coasts and in the Midwest and Southern U.S.
Bruce Springsteen will be honored with the 2021 Woody Guthrie Prize given to those whose work reflects that of the celebrated late folk singer, songwriter, and social activist. The awards ceremony will take place May 13 as a virtual event and streamed from WoodyGuthrieCenter.org.
Also that week, "The Pedal Movie," a new documentary about the history of guitar-effects pedals, was released and is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu. Produced by the online music-gear site, Reverb.com, this movie features interviews with Dennis Coffey, Peter Frampton, Jimi Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer, and other guitarists and music professionals.
Finally, R&B legend Aaron Neville, who turned 80 in January, announced his retirement from multi-date touring, but indicated that he will continue to record as well as play at special events on occasion. The "Tell It Like It Is" hitmaker's last live performance took place in March 2020 during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Memoriam:
Lloyd Price (March 9, 1933 - May 3, 2021): Celebrated singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and pioneering figure in R&B and early rock & roll (a.k.a. "Mr. Personality") whose many hits included "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" (1952), "Stagger Lee" (1958), and "Personality" (1959)
Tours & Shows:
(Band/Artist - Event(s) - Location - Dates)
Styx, Tower Of Power, ZZ Top, & more - 2021 Summerfest - Milwaukee, WI - September 2-4, 9-11, and 16-18, 2021
The Monkees - Farewell Tour - U.S. - September 11-November 14, 2021
Deep Purple, Don McLean, Styx, & more - Rock Legends Cruise - Port Canaveral, FL - February 14-18, 2022
Canceled & Postponed Events:
(Band/Artist - Event(s) - Location - Original Dates - Rescheduled Dates)
Santana, Earth, Wind & Fire - Tour (Miraculous Supernatural) - North America - June, 2021 - June 17-August 27, 2021
New & Upcoming Recordings:
(Band/Artist - Title - Format - Release Date)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja Vu (demo version single from "Deja Vu: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition") - digital download, streaming - May 3, 2021
John Lodge of The Moody Blues - The Sun Will Shine (single from "On Reflection") - digital download, streaming - May 5, 2021
Tony Joe White - Smoke From The Chimney (archival album) - CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming - May 7, 2021
Styx - Crash Of The Crown (single from "Crash Of The Crown") - digital download, streaming - May 7, 2021
Nancy Wilson of Heart - You And Me - CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming - May 7, 2021
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja Vu: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition - CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming - May 14, 2021
Todd Rundgren, Rod Argent, & more - Still Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd tribute album) - CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming - May 28, 2021
Styx - Crash Of The Crown - CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming - June 18, 2021
John Lodge of The Moody Blues - On Reflection (3-song EP) - digital download, streaming - ca. September, 2021
(For more information about the above news items, please see below for a list of sources with links.)
Nancy Wilson's upcoming You And Me features Sammy Hagar, Duff McKagan and Taylor Hawkins - and covers of Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Simon & Garfunkel and The Cranberries. https://t.co/7XOUhehn7P
— Classic Rock Magazine (@ClassicRockMag) March 3, 2021
Santana and Earth, Wind & Fire push tour to 2022, including American Family Insurance Amphitheater show in Milwaukee https://t.co/cn4767vqU6
— Journal Sentinel (@journalsentinel) April 24, 2021
Pink Floyd's album, 'Wish You Were Here', is the subject of a new tribute album from an all-star lineup of rock & metal stars. 'Still Wish You Were Here' will be released May 28. Listen to 'Welcome To The Machine', by Todd Rundgren. #Music https://t.co/RYtEjZCYFv pic.twitter.com/dtqLkHwRW8
— Music Beat (@MusicBeat5) May 1, 2021
Music News: Check out previously unreleased demo of the title track to CSNY's debut album, 'Deja Vu' https://t.co/vUPvHJIjtn More @ https://t.co/u9twSRpzVO pic.twitter.com/jE7MqB5g9L
— X101 - wxhc 101.5 fm (@X101_wxhc) May 3, 2021
'The Pedal Movie' is also set to feature Graham Coxon, Billy Corgan and more https://t.co/zNFvDBBMBJ
— NME (@NME) May 3, 2021
Music News: The Four Tops, Gladys Knight among stars set to perform at 2021 National Memorial Day Concert https://t.co/5sviOZxTeK #musicnews #abcnews
— SuperHits103.7COSYFM (@cosyfm) May 5, 2021
#BreakingNews @JohnLodgeMusic of @MoodyBluesToday releases the new single 'The Sun Will Shine'!https://t.co/rJFjnfY5RD
— JustListenToThis (@jlttmusic) May 5, 2021
Bruce Springsteen has won the 2021 Woody Guthrie Prize, which is given to an artist seen as carrying on the spirit of the folk singer whose music focused on the plight of the poor & disenfranchised https://t.co/YYhMhE8l2L
— billboard (@billboard) May 6, 2021
Music News: REO Speedwagon, Styx, Joan Jett to perform at Milwaukee's 2021 Summerfest https://t.co/MXj5owSBVM More @ https://t.co/u9twSRpzVO pic.twitter.com/oXKt9reoqy
— X101 - wxhc 101.5 fm (@X101_wxhc) May 6, 2021
Music News: Next Rock Legends Cruise rescheduled for February 2022, lineup includes Deep Purple, Styx & more stars https://t.co/lvhmJs60wd More @ https://t.co/u9twSRpzVO pic.twitter.com/ts5v1zJtgi
— X101 - wxhc 101.5 fm (@X101_wxhc) May 6, 2021
Legendary vocalist Aaron Neville has announced he's retiring from touring. The 80-year-old said he may occasionally play special events, but embarking on multi-date tours is tiring and no longer appealing. https://t.co/1ShZ6bI2dr
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 6, 2021
Styx have released a new single called "Crash of the Crown," the title track off their upcoming album: https://t.co/wJ809GAuMc
— UltimateClassicRock (@UltClassicRock) May 7, 2021
Learn more about how @danauerbach curated "Smoke From The Chimney," a new album featuring previously unreleased @tonyjoewhite demos, on the @Tennessean https://t.co/4ic90wsC28
— IVPR (@IVPRnashville) May 7, 2021
Surviving members Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith will headline the band's final tour. https://t.co/1JNOwmfyNE
— Micky Dolenz (@TheMickyDolenz1) May 7, 2021
Lloyd Price, R&B star who helped lay the foundation of rock-and-roll, dies at 88 https://t.co/eAitllddfg
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 9, 2021
