Classic Hits

The Beach Boys‘ Brian Wilson is mourning the loss of his wife, Melinda, who passed away Tuesday, January 30, at the age of 77.

“My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning,” he wrote on social media. “Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost.”

“Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career,” he continued. “She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her.” 

Wilson also shared his wife’s obituary in the post, in which she was described as “a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by.” It added, “[S]he was a woman empowered by her spirit with a mission to better everyone she touched.”

Wilson married Melinda Kae Ledbetter, a Cadillac salesperson, in February 1995, although they had previously dated from 1986 to 1989. She went on to become his manager, and the couple adopted five children together. She was credited with helping separate Wilson from his former psychologist, Eugene Landy, and was portrayed by Elizabeth Banks in the 2014 film Love and Mercy.

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U2 frontman Bono has been nominated for an Audie Award.

The rocker is nominated in the Audio Book of the Year category for his memoir, Surrender, which he released in November 2022 and narrated himself.  

Other big names nominated for Audies include Michelle Williams, Michelle Obama, Dolly Parton, Ethan Hawke, Lake Bell, Patrick Stewart, Alfrie Woodard and Meryl Streep.

Surrender followed Bono, born Paul Hewson, from his childhood in Dublin to the formation of U2 and its journey to superstardom. The printed copies featured 40 original drawings by the rocker.

Audie Award winners will be announced March 4 during a ceremony in Los Angeles.

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Bon Jovi is opening up their archives to fans.

As part of the ongoing celebration of their 40th anniversary, the New Jersey rockers just launched what they’re calling Backstage with Bon Jovi, an online archive of the band’s history.

“This is a labor of love, meticulously curated to bring you the very best of Bon Jovi’s history,” reads a post on the band’s Instagram. “More than just a collection of memories. It’s a place for us to connect and celebrate together.” 

Jon Bon Jovi says in a video that the band has been working on the online archive for the past two years. “We have archived every notebook, every cassette, every video, guitars, clothes, press clippings, things we didn’t know we had and it’s all there for you,” he shares. “Enjoy it”

Jon is set to be honored this weekend as the Recording Academy’s 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year. The band will perform at the gala, which takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday, February 2, two nights before the Grammy Awards. Artists set to celebrate Jon are Bruce Springsteen, Melissa Etheridge, Goo Goo Dolls and more.

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Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and The Black Crowes are among the acts booked for the inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club Festival, held July 19-20 at Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul.

The festival also features headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morissette, along with Soul Asylum, The Offspring, The Head and the Heart, Gary Clark Jr. and more. 

If you’re wondering where the “Yacht Club” part comes in, attendees over 21 can sign up for the Riverboat VIP experience, which includes a 60-minute cruise on the Mississippi River. 

Tickets will go on presale beginning Friday, February 2, at 10 a.m. CT. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit MinnesotaYachtClubFestival.com.

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Joni Mitchell has announced yet another live performance.

The 80-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will headline a special Joni Jam at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on October 19, marking her first live show in California since 2000.

Brandi Carlile will once again be joining Joni onstage. Previous Joni Jams at the Newport Folk Festival and in Gorge, Washington, featured special guest appearances by such artists as Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan, Marcus Mumford and more. 

A Joni presale begins Wednesday, January 31, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday, February 2. 

News of the Hollywood Bowl show comes days after Joni was confirmed as a performer on the 66th Grammy Awards, taking place Sunday, February 4. It will mark her first-ever Grammy performance. She is also nominated this year in the Best Folk Album category for Joni Mitchell at Newport (Live).

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Lionel Richie’s daughter Sofia Richie Grainge and her husband, Elliot Grainge, recently announced they were expecting their first child, and Lionel is excited to be a grandfather again. 

People talked to Lionel at the premiere of the Netflix “We Are The World” documentary, The Greatest Night in Pop, and he said he was “pumped up” about the upcoming addition to the family. 

“I am now going to spoil yet another child in the world,” he said. “And I am not quite sure what the child will do to me, but I’m hoping that the child gives the parents a bit of a run, because every parent wants to get even as to what you did to me.”

He adds, “I’m in a position right now where I’m going to love this child to death, spoil him to death. And on very special occasions give the child back so the parents can actually raise this child.”

Lionel, who already has two grandkids thanks to daughter Nicole Richie and hubby Joel Madden, is confident Sophia’s going to be a “fantastic” mom. When it comes to guidance, he doesn’t really think any advice he’d offer would really matter. 

“These are two loving parents, and I don’t think they really know what’s coming because every kid is different,” Lionel says. “So no matter what advice I give them, there’s no manual for this. They’ll figure it out.”

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James Taylor continues to add shows to his 2024 schedule.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just added three dates at the Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, September 12, 14 and 15. 

An artist presale kicks off Tuesday, February 13, at 10 a.m. at jamestaylor.com; tickets go on sale to the general public starting February 16 at 10 a.m.

This is the second year in a row Taylor has played the Wolf Trap. He headlined a trio of shows at the venue last September as well, and previously played there in 2008. 

The Vienna dates are just a handful of U.S. shows Taylor has on his 2024 schedule. He’s also playing Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii, in May, and then will return to Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, for two shows on July 3 and 4. A complete list of dates can be found at jamestaylor.com.

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The music of prog rockers Emerson, Lake & Powell is being celebrated with a new CD set. 

Emerson, Lake & Powell: The Complete Collection, dropping April 12, is a three-CD set featuring a remastered edition of the trio’s self-titled album, which was their only studio release, along with three bonus tracks. There’s also a live album and a previously released bootleg of rehearsal recordings called The Sprocket Sessions.

After the success of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the prog super group took a break in 1979, and Keith Emerson and Greg Lake explored solo careers before deciding to work together again. They teamed with drummer Cozy Powell in 1984 to take the place of Carl Palmer, who was busy with the band Asia. 

Emerson, Lake & Powell: The Complete Collection is available for preorder now.

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On This Day, January 30, 1969 …

The Beatles gave their final public performance on Apple Records’ rooftop in London. The band, who was joined by guest keyboardist Billy Preston, did nine takes of five songs— “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” “I’ve Got A Feeling,” “One After 909” and “Dig A Pony” — with the police pulling the plug after 42 minutes.

The concert happened while The Beatles were recording what would become their album Let It Be. It was released May 8, 1970, almost a month after the band’s breakup.

Footage from the concert was used in the 1970 documentary Let It Be. In 2021, the entire performance was featured in the eight-hour Disney+ docuseries The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson. The full rooftop concert was then released to streaming services as a standalone album, Get Back- The Rooftop Performance, in January 2022.

The Beatles: Get Back went on to win five Emmys, including Best Limited Documentary Series.

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Elton John just became an EGOT, and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin was just inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Now, they’re both getting another prestigious award.

On March 20, the duo will receive the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in Washington, D.C.,  as part of an all-star concert, which will premiere April 8 on PBS. The Gershwin Prize, established in 2007, recognizes artists “whose career reflects the influence, impact and achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding.”

Elton and Bernie will be the third duo to receive the award, following Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Past recipients include Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Lionel Richie and Carole King.

“I’ve been writing songs with Bernie for 56 years, and we never thought that that one day this might be bestowed upon us,” Elton said in a statement. “It’s an incredible honor for two British guys to be recognized like this. I’m so honored.”

Bernie added, “To be in a house along with the great American songwriters, to even be in the same avenue, is humbling, and I am absolutely thrilled to accept.”

In a statement, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said, “Elton John and Bernie Taupin have written some of the most memorable songs of our lives. Their careers stand out for the quality and broad appeal of their music and their influence on their fellow artists.”

Elton John is Billboard’s top solo male artist of all time: He’s placed 59 songs in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.

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