Classic Hits

The Spinners are finally being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Henry Fambrough, the last surviving founding member, couldn’t be happier.

“It feels great. I really does,” Fambrough tells Billboard. “I just wish all the other guys were here to see it. It really is a great honor.” 

Fambrough will be inducted along with his late bandmates Pervis Jackson, who passed away in 2008, Billy Henderson, who died in 2007, Bobbie Smith, who passed in 2013, and Philippé Wynne, who passed away in 1984.

It took four nominations before The Spinners earned their induction and Fambrough, who recently retired from the band, admits he’s been “a little disappointed” it didn’t happen sooner. “But you have to carry on, you have to keep going,” he says. “If you’re nominated, at least you know someone is thinking about you.”

A post on the band’s official Instagram also acknowledges the induction, noting, “This acknowledgment of career achievement is monumental,” dedicating it to all the members of the band. It adds, “And thank you to everyone who has ever spun a records album or come out to our shows.@rockhall-worthy careers start with YOU.”

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If Kate Bush was surprised by the Stranger Things-fueled resurgence of her 1985 hit “Running Up that Hill,” she’s absolutely blown away that she’s going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The reclusive British artist wrote on her official website, “I have to admit I’m completely shocked at the news of being inducted into the Hall of Fame! It’s something I just never thought would happen.”

“Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. It means a great deal that you would think of me. It’s such a huge honor,” she continued. “Now, as part of the initiation ceremony, I get to find out about the secret handshake… there is one, right?”

No word on whether or not Bush will attend the November 3 induction ceremony in Brooklyn, NY.

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The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been announced, with George Michael, Willie Nelson and The Spinners among this year’s class. 

Other artists making it into the Hall of Fame this year in the Performers category include Kate Bush and Sheryl Crow, along with Missy Elliott and Rage Against The Machine. 

Chaka Khan, Elton John’s songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, and musician/producer and founding member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Al Kooper, are also getting inducted in the Musical Excellence Award category. Hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc and the late guitarist Link Wray will receive this year’s Musical Influence Award, and the late Soul Train creator Don Cornelius will posthumously receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

Michael, Nelson, Crow and Elliott are all getting in on their first nomination, while it took The Spinners three tries to make it and Rage five. Chaka, who wasn’t actually nominated this year, had previously been nominated three times as a solo artist and four times as a member of Rufus.

As for those who didn’t make the cut this year, Cyndi Lauper was passed over, as were Warren Zevon, Soundgarden, Joy Division/New Order, The White Stripes, Iron Maiden and A Tribe Called Quest. 

The 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony returns to Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center this year, with the event going down November 3.

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Steven Tyler is claiming free speech in his latest attempt to thwart the lawsuit brought by the woman accusing him of sexual assault in the ’70s. 

According to legal documents obtained by People, Tyler is arguing that the woman, Julia Misley, who was previously known as Julia Holcolmb, can’t claim his 2011 memoir, Does This Noise In My Head Bother You?, caused her “emotional distress” because she isn’t identified in the book. Plus, he contends, his writings constitute free speech.

The documents note, “Tyler’s statements in his memoirs, including his statements about his relationship with Plaintiff, thus concern a matter of public interest and qualify as protected activity.” 

The Aerosmith frontman’s also claiming that since the book was released in 2011, Misley waited too long to file her claim and the statute of limitations has already passed.

The documents, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, also argue that Tyler’s writings “do not qualify as outrageous conduct that was intended to cause emotional distress,” stating the contents of the book “relay his own experiences from his newsworthy life.”

He suggests Misley can’t prove that she actually “experienced severe emotional distress” from the book, aruging that if she had she wouldn’t have been able to talk about their relationship “for over decade.” He points out that in her professional speaker bio she refers to herself as his “former girlfriend.”

Misley filed her lawsuit back in December, accusing Tyler of sexual assault, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. 

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Steve Vai helped a group of almost 8,000 guitarists break a world record. The legendary axe man was in Wrocław, Poland, last weekend to take part in the annual Thanks Jimi Festival, where he led a group of guitarists in a performance of the Jimi Hendrix classic “Hey Joe.”

“Beautiful day in Wrocław breaking the world record for the most guitar players performing ‘Hey Joe’ at the same time. I think it was 7,968!” Vai shared on Instagram. “It sounded like someone kicked a bee hive! It was glorious to see all those folks playing guitars and enjoying the event. Really quite amazing.” 

He added, “Poland knows how to have a good time!” 

Each year the guitar festival attempts to break the world record for the most guitarists performing the Hendrix classic. According to Guitar World, the first attempt in 2003 featured 588 players, while last year’s included 7,676 guitarists.

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Bono has many talents, and he’s showing off his drawing skills on the cover of the June issue of The Atlantic.

The U2 frontman has contributed a portrait of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the cover, which features a quote from the president: “The choice is between freedom and fear.” 

This isn’t the first time Bono has shown his support for Ukraine. He and the Edge visited the city of Kyiv in May 2022 and performed with the Ukrainian band Antytila in a subway station. Then in February, Bono and the Edge joined them again, this time at their show in London. They also performed at the Stand Up For Ukraine livestream, which took place in April 2022.

Bono has been spending the past couple weeks in New York, where he’s been headlining his Stories of Surrender residency at the Beacon Theatre. He wraps the eight-show run on Wednesday, May 3.

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Darlene Love is the latest guest on Lemonada Media’s new podcast Wiser Than Me, hosted Julia Louis-Dreyfus. 

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer chats with the former Seinfeld star about a whole host of subjects, including her early career working as a backup singer for Elvis Presley, working with Phil Spector and more. 

Love describes working with Elvis as fun, noting, “He didn’t want to be Elvis, he just wanted to be like a background singer with [us] … we would stay up all night, half the night, singing all these wonderful songs.”

She doesn’t have such happy memories of working with Spector, though. “I got very angry but it never turned into hate,” she says. “I was always the one that would tell him, ‘You’re just using me. What the hell? I don’t get this. I’ve done nothing wrong. I just want to be a singer. I want my career and you can give me that.’” 

Love adds, “I think that’s what I really disliked about him – he could have given me a gigantic career … he was that foot that was always in the way, you know that annoying fly?”

Spector died in prison in 2021 while serving time for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson. Love calls him a “snake in the grass,” who people were scared of, although she never understood why: “I said, ‘That little shrimp! Why are you scared of him?’”

She shares, “We sued him and he was so shocked that I won, because nobody had ever sued Phil Spector and won.”

The Darlene Love episode of Wiser Than Me is streaming now.

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Jethro Tull is coming to America. The band, led by Ian Anderson, just announced summer and fall North American dates for The Seven Decades Tour, which will have them playing songs from their catalog, including their recently released album RökFlöte.

The tour is set to kick off August 18 in Highland Park, Illinois, hitting such cities as Indianapolis, Cincinnati, San Diego, Los Angeles, Boston and more, before wrapping November 4 in Albany, New York.

A complete list of dates and ticket information can be found at jethrotull.com.

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Paul McCartney and John Mellencamp have been added to the 2023 Tribeca Festival, which runs from June 7 to June 18 in New York City. Both artists will take part in the festival’s Storytellers Series as part of the Talks and Reunions lineup.

McCartney will sit for a conversation with Conan O’Brien for a recording of the former talk show host’s podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend. The event will take place June 15 at 6 p.m. at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. The pair will discuss McCartney’s new photo book, 1964: Eyes of the Storm, which is set to drop June 13.

Mellencamp is also scheduled for a conversation: he’ll be chatting with another famous talk show host, David Letterman. The pair’s chat is set to take place June 8 at 6 p.m. at the BMCC.

Tickets and passes for the festival are on sale now at tribecafilm.com.

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Billy Joel is among the artists paying tribute to Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, who passed away Monday at the age of 84. 

Joel posted a video to Instagram of him performing Lightfoot’s classic “If You Could Read My Mind,” sharing, “So sad to hear of the death of Gordon Lightfoot. He was a lifelong musical hero of mine. His songs were the heart of Canada. R.I. P.” 

Joel is one of many famous names to pay tribute to Lightfoot on social media. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Lightfoot “one of our greatest singer-songwriters,” noting, “Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever.”

Other tributes include:

Rush’s Geddy Lee called Lightfoot “a legendary poet, a songwriting inspiration – a gem of a man. I loved him.” He noted, “Every time I ran into him the first thing he would ask was how many gigs we’d done that year – he’d then proudly counter with the fact that he had played even more! RIP Gord – you are the man – the greatest Canadian.”

Belinda Carlisle – “In 2019, I recorded a cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting ‘If You Could Read My Mind’ for my Runaway Horses 30th Anniversary box set. It’s one of my favorite songs. RIP #gordonlightfoot.”

BTO’s Randy Bachman – “When we were younger, Burton Cummings and I went to a #GordonLightfoot concert. We sat there mesmerized the entire time at the way he sang and the stories his lyrics told. Poetry, folklore & music. Spellbound would be a good way to describe it.” He added, “I knew him a long time, he was a wonderful person.”

Ben Stiller – “What a genius #GordonLightfoot was. His music is such a big part of my life. Rest in peace. Grateful for the inspiration he gave all of us.”

Kiefer Sutherland – “The world lost one of its great storytellers yesterday. Canada lost part of itself. And I lost a hero. Gordon Lightfoot, may you rest in peace.”

Brian Wilson – “Rest in peace, Gordon Lightfoot.”

Stephen King – “He was a great songwriter and a wonderful performer. Sundown, you better take care/If I catch you creepin’ ’round my back stairs.”

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