Melissa Etheridge, Brian Wilson & more pay tribute to David Crosby

Melissa Etheridge, Brian Wilson & more pay tribute to David Crosby
Melissa Etheridge, Brian Wilson & more pay tribute to David Crosby
Steve Granitz/WireImage

The music world is mourning the loss another rock legend with the death of David Crosby Thursday at the age of 81, and many took to social media to pay tribute to the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.

Melissa Etheridge, who had two children with ex-Julie Cypher thanks to Crosby’s sperm donation, shared a picture with Crosby, writing “I am grieving the loss of my friend Beckett and Bailey’s biological father, David,” adding, “He gave me the gift of family. I will forever be grateful to him, Django, and Jan. His music and legacy will inspire many generations to come. A true treasure.”

The Beach Boys‘ Brian Wilson also remembered Crosby, noting, “I don’t know what to say other than I’m heartbroken to hear about David Crosby,” adding, “David was an unbelievable talent – such a great singer and songwriter. And a wonderful person. I just am at a loss for words.”

And Carole King also paid tribute, sharing, “My old friend David is gone, but he left us with his words, his music and his beautiful voice,” adding, “My deepest condolences to Jan, Django and everyone who loved David Crosby.” 

Other tributes include:

Roseanne Cash – “I can’t begin to say how influential Crosby, Stills and Nash were for me. I’m grateful David Crosby lived, and so very sad he’s gone.”

E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt – “RIP David Crosby. As a member of The Byrds, 1 of the historically essential Artists that created the Artform of Rock. The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Who, Beach Boys & Yardbirds, showed future generations like us what was possible. We owe him, and them, everything.”

Marianne Faithfull – “‘I don’t like greed, I don’t like ignorance. I really don’t like anger. But I love love.’ – @thedavidcrosby. Rest in peace to the brilliant David Crosby. He will be greatly missed.”

Tom Petty’s official Twitter account – “Tom counted David Crosby as a friend and a hero. He visited often at his house in the valley. He was funny, provocative and electric with talent. His contribution to music will never be forgotten. Our thoughts and love to his family, bandmates and fans.”

The Doors – “The world has lost yet another ethereal fixture of the ‘60s peace and love movement; a legend within his own right, and every group he was a part of. Coming up in the same era as The Doors, David Crosby had the voice and song writing abilities that made him completely unique…”

Sebastian Bach – “As much as I loved his music I loved his thoughts on Twitter as well. Rest In Peace David Crosby ✌️ thank you for the lifetime of inspiration.”

Jason Isbell, who performed with Crosby on Red Rocks in 2019 – “Grateful for the time we had with David Crosby. We’ll miss him a lot.”

Hanson – “We are so sad to hear of the passing of the legendary David Crosby, a man of unbelievable talent. As a small tribute, here’s our cover of CSNY’s ‘Teach Your Children’. Rest in Peace, David.”

Michael Des Barres – “David Crosby stuck to his guns. A difficult and gifted man. Whose talent and taste was immense. His harmonious voice still echoes in Laurel Canyon. A proud man who said what he said, and felt what he felt with no apology. A brilliant songwriter, and an American Icon, RIP.”

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Madonna adds second and third shows in major cities for The Celebration Tour

Madonna adds second and third shows in major cities for The Celebration Tour
Madonna adds second and third shows in major cities for The Celebration Tour
Courtesy Live Nation

The first general on-sale date for tickets to Madonna‘s The Celebration Tour isn’t until Friday, but the tour has already added a bunch of shows for the usual reason: “overwhelming demand.”

The global tour, which will feature Madonna playing four decades’ worth of hits, now boasts 13 new dates, including second shows in Seattle, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, plus a third show in New York.

Tickets for those new dates will go on sale Friday, January 20, at 10 a.m. local time, alongside the shows that have already been announced in those cities. As previously reported, tickets go on sale for the remaining cities on January 27 at 10 a.m. local time. Visit Madonna.com for all the details.

The Celebration Tour kicks off Saturday, July 15, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. It’s set to wrap up Friday, December 1, in Amsterdam.

This will be Madonna’s first tour since her Madame X trek, which saw her doing multiple dates in theaters in select cities. It ended in early March 2020, after being cut short by the pandemic. The Celebration Tour will see the Queen of Pop performing in arenas.

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Def Leppard shares a look at the making of their cameo in Netflix’s Bank of Dave

Def Leppard shares a look at the making of their cameo in Netflix’s Bank of Dave
Def Leppard shares a look at the making of their cameo in Netflix’s Bank of Dave
Kevin Kane/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

Def Leppard makes a cameo in the new Netflix film Bank of Dave, and they are giving fans a look at what went into the making of their scene. The band shared some behind-the-scenes footage of them shooting the cameo, which was filmed March 5, 2022, in Wakefield, England.

In the video, Joe Elliott calls the film a “feel good” movie, which he seemed happy to be a part of. “I get to do some acting. I’m hoping I get my Equity card, so I’m just trying to get into character,” he says. “It should be a bit of fun.”

Bank of Dave tells the real-life story of a working-class, self-made millionaire named Dave Fishwick, who is trying to set up a community bank to help his town’s local businesses survive. It stars actor Rory Kinnear, whose been in Penny Dreadful, Black Mirror and James Bond films, including Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. The cameo has the band performing at a charity fundraiser for the bank. 

“What a special day,” drummer Rick Allen shares in the behind-the-scenes video. “I’m really excited about how this turns out and I think it’s just really an honor to be involved with something like this, with such a fantastic story.”

Bank of Dave is currently streaming on Netflix in the United Kingdom. 

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Graham Nash pays tribute to bandmate David Crosby

Graham Nash pays tribute to bandmate David Crosby
Graham Nash pays tribute to bandmate David Crosby
Steve Granitz/WireImage

Graham Nash has shared a heartfelt tribute to his Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bandmate David Crosby, who passed away Thursday at the age of 81. 

“It is with a deep and profound sadness that I learned that my friend David Crosby has passed,” he writes on Instagram. “I know people tend to focus on how volatile our relationship has been at times, but what has always mattered to David and me more than anything was the pure joy of the music we created together, the sound we discovered with one another, and the deep friendship we shared over all these many long years.”

He adds, “David was fearless in life and in music. He leaves behind a tremendous void as far as sheer personality and talent in this world. He spoke his mind, his heart, and his passion through his beautiful music and leaves an incredible legacy. These are the things that matter most.”

Finally he offers, “My heart is truly with his wife, Jan, his son, Django, and all of the people he has touched in this world.”

Crosby, Stills & Nash, which also featured Stephen Stills, formed in 1968. They released their self-titled debut in 1969. Neil Young later joined them, and they released Déjà Vu, their first album as a foursome, in 1970; it went to number one. In addition, Crosby & Nash released four albums together.

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Two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby dies at age 81

Two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby dies at age 81
Two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby dies at age 81
Steve Granitz/WireImage

Two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer David Crosby passed away Thursday, according to a statement issued by his wife to Variety. He was 81.

“It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away,” read the statement. “Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us. His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music.” It continues, “Peace, love, and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.”

Born in Los Angeles in 1941, Crosby launched his career as a member of the Byrds, joining the band in 1964 and appearing on their first five albums. In 1968, along with Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield and Graham Nash of the Hollies, he formed Crosby, Stills & Nash, which released their self-titled debut in 1969. The group went on to win the Grammy for Best New Artist that year. They were later joined by Neil Young and performed their second-ever gig together at Woodstock. Their first album as a foursome, 1970’s Déjà Vu, went to number one. 

In addition, Crosby & Nash released four albums together and Crosby had a prolific solo career, releasing his first solo album, If I Could Remember My Name, in 1971. In 1996 he also formed the group CPR, aka Crosby, Pevar & Raymond, with guitarist Jeff Pevar and pianist James Raymond. Raymond was his son, whom he gave up for adoption in 1962 and reunited with as an adult.

As a songwriter, Crosby wrote or co-wrote such songs as CSN’s “Wooden Ships,” “Guinevere” and “Longtime Gone,” as well as CSNY’s “Almost Cut My Hair” and “Déjà Vu.” He also wrote the Byrds tracks “Lady Friend” and “Everybody’s Been Burned.” 

Crosby, a longtime outspoken political activist, was a 10-time Grammy nominee with one win. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 with the Byrds and in 1997 with CSN. A documentary about his life, David Crosby: Remember My Name, produced by Cameron Crowe, was released in 2019. 

The rocker had a history of drug and health problems over the years, although he was also a longtime advocate for cannabis and even launched his own cannabis brand, Mighty Croz. In 1994 he received a liver transplant following a long battle with hepatitis C, although it caused some controversy because people questioned how someone with a known history of drug and alcohol problems was able to get a new kidney. In 2022, he revealed that he suffered from tendonitis that was preventing him from playing guitar. 

Crosby was the father of four children: Raymond with Celia Crawford Ferguson; daughter Erika with Jackie Guthrie; daughter Donovan with former girlfriend Debbie Donovan; and son Django with wife Jan Dance. In addition, Melissa Etheridge revealed in 2000 that Crosby was the sperm donor for the two children she had with ex-partner Julie Cypher: son Beckett, who died of an overdose in 2020, and daughter Bailey.

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“I Will Survive” singer Gloria Gaynor approves of Miley Cyrus’ new female empowerment anthem

“I Will Survive” singer Gloria Gaynor approves of Miley Cyrus’ new female empowerment anthem
“I Will Survive” singer Gloria Gaynor approves of Miley Cyrus’ new female empowerment anthem
John Lamparski/Getty Images

Music fans have been drawing a lot of comparisons between Miley Cyrus’ latest single, “Flowers,” and the ultimate female empowerment anthem “I Will Survive.” Gloria Gaynor, who made the latter track a hit, is all for it.

“I’m in Nashville working on new music and just heard, ‘Flowers,’ for the first time,@MileyCyrus… ,” Gaynor shared on Instagram. “Your new song carries the torch of empowerment and encourages everyone to find strength in themselves to persevere and thrive. Well done Miley!”

Miley’s new song has her singing about getting over a breakup and realizing she’ll be just fine, actually better, on her own. It’s already a huge hit for Miley, debuting at #3 on the Spotify charts and eventually getting to #1, her first single to lead the platform’s Daily Top Songs Global chart.

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Rick Springfield, Michael McDonald & more set for annual Power of Love gala in Vegas

Rick Springfield, Michael McDonald & more set for annual Power of Love gala in Vegas
Rick Springfield, Michael McDonald & more set for annual Power of Love gala in Vegas
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

Rick Springfield, Michael McDonald and REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin are among the artists taking part in Keep Memory Alive’s 26th annual Power of Love gala, taking place February 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The event features a lineup that also includes Paula Abdul, Sam & Dave’s Sam Moore, Alice Cooper, John Mayer, Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger, comedian Nikki Glaser and Sammy Hagar, who will perform and serve as the night’s musical curator.  

The annual Power of Love gala raises funds for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, which provides care and resources to patients and caregivers as they fight diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

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Lionel Richie, Dionne Warwick & more set for Berry Gordy & Smokey Robinson’s MusiCares Persons of the Year tribut

Lionel Richie, Dionne Warwick & more set for Berry Gordy & Smokey Robinson’s MusiCares Persons of the Year tribut
Lionel Richie, Dionne Warwick & more set for Berry Gordy & Smokey Robinson’s MusiCares Persons of the Year tribut
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Motown founder Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson are set to be honored during Grammy week as the Recording Academy’s MusiCares Persons of the Year, and now we know some of the artists booked to help celebrate them.

The first lineup of performers announced includes Lionel Richie, Dionne Warwick, Sheryl Crow, Michael McDonaldThe TemptationsIsley Brothers and the Four Tops, along with John Legend, Brandi Carlile, Chloe x HalleRita Wilson, Mumford & Sons, Trombone Shorty, Jimmie Allen, Molly Tuttle, PJ Morton, Sabastian Yatra, Samara Joy, Lalah Hathaway and Valerie Simpson.

“I am so excited to share the always wonderful MusiCares event with my best friend Smokey Robinson and I can’t wait to hear these wonderful artists celebrate the Motown music,” says Gordy, with Smokey adding, “I’m so excited for this year’s MusiCares lineup. These artists are my friends and I not only love them, but I’m honored that they will be performing my music, along with hits from the Motown catalogue.”

The 32nd annual MusiCares Persons of the Year benefit gala is set for February 3, two days before the Grammys, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Proceeds from the gala, which also includes a silent auction, will provide essential support for MusiCares, which provides music professionals with health and human services across a spectrum of needs.

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Eagles add another ‘Hotel California’ tour date

Eagles add another ‘Hotel California’ tour date
Eagles add another ‘Hotel California’ tour date
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

The Eagles are extending their time on the road. The band just added another date to their Hotel California tour.

The latest show is set to take place April 8 in Baltimore, Maryland, with tickets going on sale January 27 at 10 a.m. ET. 

The Hotel California tour, which the Eagles launched in 2019, has the band playing their classic 1976 album in its entirety, backed by an orchestra and choir. In addition to the album, the band, which currently consists of Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, with Vince Gill, also treats fans to a set of greatest hits.

The 2023 leg is set to kick off February 17 in Lincoln, California. Eagles.com has the complete list of tour dates.

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Saying goodbye to Christine McVie: a peek inside her memorial service

Saying goodbye to Christine McVie: a peek inside her memorial service
Saying goodbye to Christine McVie: a peek inside her memorial service
Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Fans have been given a peek inside the memorial service held earlier this month in honor of the late Fleetwood Mac star Christine McVie. A photo shared on her Instagram page shows a piano covered in flowers, along with two photos of Christine and an arrangement of candles.

“One week ago today we celebrated Christine’s extraordinary life in an intimate gathering just above the ocean waves in one of her favorite places – Malibu,” reads the post. “We honored our beautiful Songbird by sharing stories and toasting her legacy that will continue to inspire … She is missed beyond words and will remain in our hearts forever.”

McVie passed away November 30 at the age of 79. Her celebration of life took place at Little Beach House in Malibu, with her Fleetwood Mac bandmates Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks, as well as former bandmate Lindsey Buckingham, in attendance. Mick recently posted the eulogy he gave at the service, sharing a poem he wrote the day after he found out she had passed away.

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