HEART: Ann Wilson opened up about their future
It's looking more and more like Heart's hiatus could be permanent.
Back in 2016, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson had a falling out after Ann's husband, Dean Wetter, assaulted Nancy's twin sons backstage at a Seattle-area Heart show. Last April, Wetter was sentenced to two years' unsupervised probation as part of a plea deal that included a number of other stipulations. The sisters stopped working together, with Ann doing her own tour and recording a new album that's on the way, and Nancy forming a new band, Roadcase Royale.
Asked backstage Saturday at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony (by Stash of WZBA in Baltimore) if she and Nancy will put Heart back together, Ann completely glossed over the real reason things went south.
She said, "I don't know. I just don't know. I do know for a fact that it will never go back to being a meat and potatoes just play the hits and nothing more, writing it down old band. That's why I stopped it because I felt it was just beginning to disintegrate into commercialism. It was chasing the buck. You know, maybe that's idealistic, but that's what I had to do."
MORE BIG 95 MUSIC NEWS: Wednesday, April 18th
STEPPENWOLF: "Born To Be Wild" honored at Rock Hall ceremony last weekend
Steppenwolf's John Kay had no advance warning that the band's signature song "Born to Be Wild" would be honored at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions.
He appreciates that the Hall decided that iconic singles deserve recognition -- even if the artists who recorded them might never be inducted:
"I was kind of blindsided by it. But even though it's somewhat self-serving to say the following, I thought that they actually are on a good... track with a respect to certain songs or recordings that were kinda milestones. I mean, some of the other ones that were mentioned were 'Rocket 88,' one of the first rock and roll records, I guess you could say, 'Rumble' by Link Wray and so on."
Kay says that being included in the group of six singles reflects the song's impact not just on pop radio, but around the world:
"In my travels to distant corners of the world, Steppenwolf may not be known in Botswana and Myanmar and so on... But, oddly enough, the song 'Born to Be Wild' is. Maybe that's because the song has woken the space shuttle crew twice and one of the Mars landings, just went the little rovers came down the ramp, they played, 'Get your motor running.' You know, Steppenwolf. It was Steppenwolf in space. Who would have thought?"
Celebrating their 50th anniversary, Steppenwolf have released a three-CD box set. They've also announced that 2018 will their final year on tour.
CHER: Former Jersey Boys joins Broadway cast
The cast of The Cher Show is firming up.
The Broadway-bound bio-musical previously announced that stage veteran Stephanie J. Block will be one of three actresses sharing the title role.
Now we can add another familiar Broadway name: Jarrod Spector will play Sonny Bono. The Philadelphia native has a knack for playing rock and roll icons. He originated the role of Barry Mann in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Spector was also Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys -- appearing in more New York performances than any other actor during the show's 11-year run.
The others playing Cher at different points in her life are Teal Wicks from Finding Neverland and Broadway newcomer Micaela Diamond.
The Cher Show's pre-Broadway run begins June 12th at Chicago’s Oriental Theater. The first preview will be November 1st New York's Neil Simon Theater, with the official Broadway debut on December 3rd. (Billboard)
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A tweet from Madonna suggests she’s recording new music. She says she’s “having fun in the studio between takes.” She also name-checks her frequent collaborator #Mirwais.
The Moody Blues will release a 12-inch blue-and-white vinyl single of “Say It With Love” backed with “The Story in Your Eyes” and “Steppin’ in a Slide Zone” on Saturday, Record Store Day. All three were recorded last year in Toronto.
Roger Waters has been remixing Pink Floyd’s Animals in surround-sound for future release.
The Allman Brothers Band’s Eat a Peach will be released as a limited-edition orange-yellow swirl two-disc vinyl set on Thursday. Only 500 are available at Sound of Vinyl.
Prince's music will get a symphonic interpretation later this year. Tonight Show bandleader Questlove’s 4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince will be presented at the Filene Center in Vienna, Virginia on September 8th and at Atlanta's Verizon Amphitheater on September 15th.
Van Morrison and Robert Plant have been added to the BluesFest show October 26th at the O2 Arena in London.
New Jersey governor Phil Murphy, who had dinner with the band in Cleveland Friday, declared Saturday Bon Jovi Day. His proclamation reads, “Five musicians from New Jersey communities believed in their dream and used their talents to form Bon Jovi, one of the most famous, enduring rock bands of all time.”
Bruce Springsteen has been named an ambassador of the Hear the World Foundation, which helps people with hearing loss. Bryan Adams took Bruce’s official ambassador portrait.