Classic Hits

Jessica Springsteen, the daughter of Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa, rocked her first-ever Olympic Games over the weekend, taking home the silver medal for the U.S. Equestrian jumping team.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the Springsteen clan reacted with pure joy and triumph after Jessica’s Olympic victory.

“I FaceTimed them really quick,” the 29-year-old Springsteen said after collecting her medal. “They were all screaming, I don’t think we understood anything.”

This latest win now pushes Jessica to a new ranking.  Prior to competing, she was listed as 27th in the world; now, she ranks 14th.

“It was also super exciting,” the Olympian added, noting she dealt with some “jitters” before making her final run in Tokyo.  “My horse jumped it beautifully. And we really gave it our all out there.”

She competed alongside fellow Team USA members Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut and two-time gold medalist McLain Ward in a neck-and-neck race for first against Sweden.

The two countries faced against each other in a jump-off, with the Swedes eking out Team USA with a slightly better time of 122.90.  Team USA completed the jump-off with an overall time of 124.20.  Both managed the course with no penalties.

Despite taking home the silver, Team USA managed to make history: Not only does this mark Jessica’s first Olympic Games and medal, but teammate Laura Kraut, 55,  is now the oldest Olympic medalist.

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Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, co-founder and saxophonist of Kool & the Gang, died “peacefully in his sleep” in New Jersey, the legendary funk band announced on Saturday.

Thomas was 70.  Further details about his death were not given.

“An original member of Kool & the Gang, Dennis was known as the quintessential cool cat in the group, loved for his hip clothes and hats, and his laid-back demeanor,” Kool & the Gang shared on its Instagram page. “A huge personality while also an extremely private person, Dennis was the alto saxophone player, flutist, percussionist as well as master of ceremonies at the band’s shows. Dennis’ prologue featured on the groups 1971 hit, ‘Who’s Gonna Take the Weight’ is legendary and an example of his showmanship.”

Thomas, the post continued, was Kool & the Gang’s “wardrobe stylist who made sure they always looked fresh.” In the act’s early days, he also “served as the ‘budget hawk,’ carrying the group’s earnings in a paper bag in the bell of his horn.”

Thomas, along with brothers Ronald Bell and Robert “Kool” Bell, Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown and Charles Smith, formed the Jazziacs in 1964.  Five years later, they changed their name to Kool & the Gang and released their self-titled debut album that same year.

Since then, the band has earned a pair of Grammy Awards and racked up numerous hits, including “Celebration,” “Jungle Boogie” and “Ladies Night.”

Thomas, who has appeared on every one of Kool & the Gang’s albums — including their upcoming 25th studio release, Perfect Union — last appeared on stage with the band during a July 4 concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Thomas’ death comes nearly a year after Ronald Bell’s passing last September at the age of 68.

 

 

 

 

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Lynyrd Skynyrd has postponed four of their concerts because longtime guitarist Rickey Medlocke has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a note to fans, the band says their shows in Canton, OH; Jackson, MI; Atlanta, GA and Cullman AL will no longer go forward.  “Rickey is home resting and responding well to treatment. We will continue to update you on his condition,” the note adds.

The Atlanta show on August 13 has been rescheduled to October 23. No word yet on the other dates.

After the Alabama show, the next date on Skynyrd’s Big Wheels Keep on Turning tour is August 20 in Canandaigua, NY.  The tour is currently scheduled to wrap up November 19 in Bossier City, LA.

 

 

 

 

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Grateful Dead spinoff group Dead & Company are set to continue their long strange trip with a new U.S. tour that kicks off later this month, and the nugs.net concert-streaming service will be offering livestreams of all 18 of the band’s shows scheduled through September.

Streams of the concerts, spanning from an August 16 performance in Raleigh, North Carolina, through a September 18 show at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, will be available in the HD and 4K formats. Visit LiveDead.co for more information.

An interesting feature of the Dead & Company livestreams will be a virtual experience hosted by Grateful Dead experts Gary Lambert and David Gans, who will take part in a live conversation via Zoom during set breaks at each show.

Dead & Company features Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, as well as singer/guitarist John Mayer, ex-Allman Brothers Band bassist Oteil Burbridge, and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.

The group’s 2021 tour is scheduled though an October 29-31 stand at Los Angles’ famed Hollywood Bowl.

Here’s a full list of shows that are available for livestream:

8/16 — Raleigh, NC, Coastal Credit Union Music Park
8/18 — Bristow, VA, Jiffy Lube Live
8/20 — New York, NY, Citi Field
8/21 — Philadelphia, PA, Citizens Bank Park
8/23 — Bethel, NY, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
8/25 — Darien, NY, Darien Lake Amphitheater
8/27 — Saratoga Springs, NY, Saratoga Performing Arts Center
8/28 — Hershey, PA, Hersheypark Stadium
9/2 — Mansfield, MA, Xfinity Center
9/3 — Mansfield, MA, Xfinity Center
9/5 — Hartford, CT, The Xfinity Theatre
9/7 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH, Blossom Music Center
9/10 — Clarkston, MI, DTE Energy Music Theatre
9/11 — Cincinnati, OH, Riverbend Music Center
9/13 — Maryland Heights, MO, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
9/15 — Noblesville, IN, Ruoff Music Center
9/17 — Chicago, IL, Wrigley Field
9/18 — Chicago, IL, Wrigley Field

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Theatrical rocker Arthur Brown of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown is releasing an incendiary new version of his band’s classic 1968 hit, “Fire,” that’s available now as part of a limited-edition, seven-inch colored-vinyl single.

Brown recorded the updated rendition of “Fire” with Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice, Stooges guitarist James Williamson, veteran U.K. jazz-rock keyboardist Brian Auger, and Jürgen Engler of the German industrial-metal band Die Krupps.

The single can be purchased on either red or yellow vinyl. The track also is available as a digital download and for streaming.

The B-side of the disc features a new tune titled “Zombie Yelp,” which Brown originally released last October digitally and via streaming services.

The track also features Vanilla Fudge keyboardist Mark Stein and former Hawkwind bassist Alan Davey. Brown co-wrote the monster-themed song with Davey.

Meanwhile, a companion music video for Brown’s new version of “Fire” is streaming now at Cleopatra Records’ official YouTube channel. The clip features scenes from the 2017 horror film The Black Room.

Both “Fire” and “Zombie Yelp” also will be part of a star-studded new Arthur Brown album that’s due out in 2022.

Arthur says of the forthcoming project, “It’s a great pleasure being involved in making this high quality, imaginative piece of terror and fun.”

“Fire” originally peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the U.K. and Canadian singles charts.

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The Doobie Brothers have unveiled plans to release a brand-new studio album called Liberté on October 1, and in advance of the record, the band has issued a self-titled digital EP featuring four of the new songs.

Liberté, which you can pre-order now on CD and digital formats, features 12 new original tunes by the group’s core members — Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons and John McFee — produced and co-written with John Shanks, who’s previously collaborated with Bon Jovi, Stevie Nicks and many others.

Liberté is The Doobie Brothers’ 15th full-length studio effort and their first album of new original tunes since 2010’s World Gone Crazy.

The EP, which features songs titled “Oh Mexico,” “Cannonball,” “Don’t Ya Mess with Me” and “Better Days,” is available now as a digital download and via streaming services.

Meanwhile, The Doobie Brothers, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year, are finally preparing to launch their 50th anniversary tour, which was postponed from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As previously reported, the trek, which sees former singer/keyboardist Michael McDonald rejoining the group, kicks off August 22 in Des Moines, Iowa. The 2021 portion of the two-leg outing is mapped out through an October 29 concert in Allentown, Pennsylvania, while a second leg runs from a June 2, 2020, show in West Palm Beach, Florida, through a June 30 performance in London, Ontario, Canada.

Fans who purchased a ticket-album bundle for shows to the tour between December 2019 and November 2020 will receive a copy of the Liberté CD starting on September 17 of this year.

Here’s Liberté‘s full track list:

“Oh Mexico”*
“Better Days”*
“Don’t Ya Mess with Me”*
“Cannonball”*
“Wherever We Go”
“The American Dream”
“Shine”
“We Are More Than Love”
“Easy”
“Just Can’t Do This Alone”
“Good Thang”
“Amen Old Friend”

* = also appears on The Doobie Brothers EP.

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The Jackson 5‘s Tito Jackson released his latest solo album today, a star-studded collection of blues tunes titled Under Your Spell.

The album includes the lead single “Love One Another,” a song with an uplifting message that features Tito joined on lead vocals by his brother Marlon and blues artists Bobby Rush and Kenny Neal, plus Stevie Wonder on harmonica.

A companion music video for the song debuted Thursday packed with celebrity cameos, including Tito’s sister Janet, Smokey Robinson and Kim Kardashian West, but Tito tells ABC Audio that the queen of the clip is none other than his 91-year-old mom, Katherine.

“She kicks it out,” Tito says of the video, which begins with Katherine delivering a message imploring people to “stop the violence, killing, racism, and…to love one another.”

Also appearing in the “Love One Another” video are Tito’s brothers and band mates Marlon, Jackie and Jermaine, his sister La Toya, his children and various grandkids, nieces and nephews, as well as celebs like Magic Johnson, Chris Tucker, Kathy Sledge, Morris Day, Deniece Williams, Brian McKnight, Kim Fields, Khloé Kardashian and Kris Jenner.

Tito notes that by having so many well-known musicians, actors and other stars featured in the clip, he feels that the song’s positive has a better chance of reaching more people.

“The message of…’Love One Another’…[is] very much needed today,” he maintains. “And that’s what I felt when that was being produced…tell the people something that’s gonna stick and they know it’s true and they can practice. So, we got to love one another.”

Under Your Spell also includes contributions from George Benson, The O’Jays‘ Eddie Levert and more. The album is available now on CD, vinyl LP, digital formats and via streaming services.

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Co-founding Guess Who members Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings were preparing to finally launch the often-postponed U.S. leg of their reunion tour in September, but unfortunately the Canadian duo has canceled the trek because of travel issues.

A message on the official Bachman Cummings Facebook page reads, “While Randy and Burton have been looking forward to reuniting for their fans throughout the United States, they extend their love and appreciation to all of the fans that were planning to come to these shows, and they cannot wait to see you all again when things are more predictable in terms of travel in and out of Canada.”

The stateside leg of the “Bachman Cummings: Together Again, Live in Concert” tour was to have featured 12 shows in the Midwest that spanned from a September 1 date in Fort Wayne, Indiana, through a September 18 performance at the Deadwood Jam 2021 in Deadwood, South Dakota.

As previously reported, the concerts would have featured Bachman and Cummings performing Guess Who songs, as well as material from Randy’s other famous band, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and from Burton’s solo career.

Here’s the full list of Bachman Cummings’ canceled U.S. shows:

9/1 — Fort Wayne, IN, Foellinger Theatre
9/2 — Akron, OH, The Goodyear Theater
9/4 — Prior Lake, MN, Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
9/5 — Milwaukee, WI, The Riverside Theater
9/7 — Cincinnati, OH, PNC Pavilion
9/8 — Huber Heights, OH, The Rose Music Center at The Heights
9/10 — Rosemont, IL, Rosemont Theatre
9/11 — Green Bay, WI, Resch Center
9/13 — Kansas City, MO, Muriel Kauffman Theatre
9/15 — Omaha, NE, Orpheum Theater
9/16 — St. Charles, MO, The Family Arena
9/18 — Deadwood, SD, Deadwood Jam 2021

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The widow of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill has penned a heartfelt message about the passing of her husband, including what happened during his final moments.  The band has shared it on their official website.

Charlene “Chuck” Hill begins the note, titled “My Sweet Dusty,” by saying, “After 19 wonderful years of marriage that ended too soon, I’ve decided to step out into Dusty’s spotlight to thank all of his fans, colleagues and friends for the overwhelming outpouring of love for The Dust.”

She continues, “He was the kindest, most gentle and caring man a woman could ever Hope to find in a lifetime. Many don’t believe in fairy tale marriages but Dusty and I truly lived one! We were inseparable.”

Charlene then notes that after Dusty was forced to leave ZZ Top’s trek because of his health issues, “[t]he plan was for another round of physical therapy, with a different approach, to help his chronic bursitis. The plan was he would return to the second leg of the tour in September.”

Describing Dusty’s passing early in the morning on July 28, Charlene notes, “He woke me up and we talked and as he was sweetly chatting with me he suddenly stopped and he was gone in an instant.”

She also points out that Hill greatly loved and appreciated all of his fans.

Charlene finishes her message by paraphrasing a quote from the TV series This Is Us, which she calls her “last love letter” to her husband: “The single most extraordinary thing I have ever done in my life is fall in love with you. The single most extraordinary gift I have ever received in my life was for you to ask me to marry you…I will be with you again. Love you to infinity and back.”

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Tito Jackson‘s new solo blues album, Under Your Spell, gets its release on Friday, and in advance of its arrival, the Jacksons member has debuted a star-studded music video for the record’s lead single, “Love One Another.”

The clip for the uplifting tune features an impressive cast of celebrities, as well as a slew of Jackson family members, including Tito’s brothers and band mates Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon, his sisters Janet and La Toya, and family matriarch Katherine Jackson.

Among the many famous music stars and other celebs appearing in the video are Smokey Robinson, Magic Johnson, Chris Tucker, Kathy Sledge, Morris Day, Deniece Williams, Brian McKnight, Deborah Cox, Kim Fields, Kim Kardashian West, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Lori Petty, Merrill Osmond, UB40, and Yvette Nicole Brown, as well as Tito’s Under Your Spell collaborators Bobby Rush, Kenny Neal, and Claudette King.

“Love One Another” begins with Tito’s mom addressing the camera, declaring, “Stop the violence, killing, racism and all the bad things that are happening today. We need to love one another.”

Tito shares lead vocals on the song with his brother Marlon, Neal and Rush.  The track also features a harmonica solo by none other than Stevie Wonder.

“[I wanted] to send a message out to all the listeners out there to remind them that it’s important for us to love one another,” Jackson explains of the song in a YouTube Q&A. “You know, with all the protesting, Black Lives Matter, the storming of the Capitol building and seeing all the violence and brutalities, I just felt it’s a message that should be out there and accepted.”

As previously reported, Under Your Spell also includes guest appearances from George Benson, The O’Jays‘ Eddie Levert, and blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa.

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