Classic Hits

Just 16 months after Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts passed away, his wife, Shirley Watts, has died at the age of 84.

“It is with great sadness that Seraphina, Charlotte and Barry announce the death of their much-loved mother, grandmother and mother-in law Shirley Watts,” reads a statement from her family, according to Variety. “Shirley died peacefully on Friday December 16 in Devon after a short illness surrounded by her family.” It added, “Reunited now forever with her beloved Charlie.”

Charlie and Shirley wed in 1964, before the Rolling Stones took off, and were together until his death on August 24, 2021. She met the future Rock & Roll Hall of Famer when they were both students at the Royal College of Art, where Charlie was studying graphic design. He was only a part-time jazz musician at the time.

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Van Halen and Melissa Etheridge are among the artists to be featured in a new MTV music docuseries that will give fans a different look at their favorite artists.

MTV’s Family Legacy, debuting in 2023, will give some new insight into a host of famous musicians using exclusive footage and new interviews from their children, giving a fresh perspective on the artists.

In addition to Van Halen and Etheridge, other artists set for season 1 include Linkin Park, Backstreet Boys, *NYSNC, Boyz II Men, TLC, Biggie Smalls, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Brandy.

And while the series doesn’t premiere until next year, fans are getting a preview of what to expect starting Monday with an MTV’s Family Legacy special airing as part of their “We Speak Music” programming.

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Although he was born Paul Hewson, most people know him as U2’s Bono thanks to the nickname Bonovox, given to him by a friend when he was very young — although that wasn’t the first nickname he was given. Bono confirms to Virgin Radio UK that his good friend once gave him a much longer name, but apparently it didn’t stick.

“I’ve been called a lot of things over the years,” he shares. “I was 3 years old, [my friend] was 4, and we had a sort of street gang into our teens and I had many nicknames. I’m very pleased that I qualified to Bono, though even that is tricky in some quarters.”

As for why he and The Edge decided to stick with their nicknames when they became famous, Bono explains, “The really significant thing is, I suppose, that we decided to be called by those names when we went out into the public because it implies a kind of intimacy with your audience, which is nice.” 

He adds, “Some people will occasionally come up to me and say, ‘Hey, Paul, how are you doing, Paul?’ as if that’s getting close. The last person to call me Paul was my dad, and he’s dead. So don’t call me Paul.”

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Rick Anderson, bassist and co-founding member of the band The Tubes, passed away Friday, according to a post on the band’s social media pages. He was 75.

“We lost our brother on 12/16/22,” reads the post. “Rick brought a steady and kind presence to the band for 50 years. His love came through his bass.”

The Tubes formed in San Francisco in 1972. They released their eponymous debut album in 1975, which featured the song “White Punks on Dope,” which was later covered by Mötley Crüe. They are probably best known for their hit track “She’s A Beauty” from their album Outside Inside. The song peaked at 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1983.

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Pink Floyd gave their fans an early Christmas present this weekend. Rolling Stone reports that without much fanfare, the band released 18 concert recordings from their Dark Side of the Moon era to streaming services, along with some alternative tracks from the album.

The newly released concerts took place between January and December 1972. The recordings include a four-night stand at London’s Rainbow Theater, which took place February 17 to 20, 1972. There are also three U.S. shows, in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

This isn’t the first time Pink Floyd has quietly released a set of live concerts to streaming services. Last year they uploaded 12 unreleased concerts, all recorded between 1970 and 1972, without any previous warning. In both that instance and this latest one, it appears the release is the band’s way of extending their copyright to the recordings.

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Debbie Gibson was still in her teens when she hit it big in the ’80s, and while some young stars ran into problems because of their early fame, that didn’t happen for Gibson — and she credits her parents for that. 

“I’m very lucky because I had my mom and my dad,” she tells the New York Post’s Page Six, noting that her mom was her manager at the beginning of her career and “literally threw her body in front of anybody that was out to cause me any kind of harm.” 

“It didn’t always get her brownie points but got her a lot of respect, and it protected me,” Gibson shares. “So, I’m really lucky that I had protective parents that didn’t want anything from me but for me to turn out sane and happy and healthy.” 

Of course, supportive parents weren’t necessarily something Britney Spears had, and Gibson says she can understand why Brit seems to be acting out now that she’s finally free of her conservatorship and her father’s control. 

Referring to Brit’s naked Instagram photos, Gibson says, “It’s very easy to kind of mock her social media posts. But I see somebody who is joyful and just dying to get out of that bubble.” She adds, “She’s a natural performer, so if she has to perform in her living room, on social media, that’s what she’s going to do. … But I hope she finds her stage again.”

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Looks like Billy Joel may have picked up a bug on his recent trip to Australia: He’s had to postpone his final concert of the year.

On Instagram, Billy, who’s 73, wrote, “I’m disappointed to share that I’m under doctor’s orders for vocal rest due to a viral infection so unfortunately, I must postpone my Monday, December 19th concert at Madison Square Garden to June.”

He added, “I’m so sorry to let you know so close to show day, but I was hoping to be closer to a full recovery by now. Sadly, that hasn’t happened. I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.”

The show has been rescheduled for June 2, 2023 and all tickets for Monday’s show will be honored that night.

Billy’s next scheduled show is January 13 at Madison Square Garden, as part of his ongoing once-a-month residency there.

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The Rolling Stones are giving fans their first taste of their upcoming live album and DVD, GRRR Live! The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just released their live performance of the classic “It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It)” to streaming services. 

GRRR Live!, recorded December 15, 2012, at Newark’s Prudential Center during the band’s 50 & Counting tour, features guest appearances by such big names as Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Gary Clark Jr., Mick Taylor and The Black Keys.

The album will be released February 10 on a variety of formats, including a two-CD set, a three-LP set (classic black, limited red and a white indie exclusive), digital, a DVD and two-CD combo set, and a Blu-Ray and two-CD combo set. All formats are available for preorder here.

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As previously reported, The Police guitarist Andy Summers has collaborated with Italian guitar quartet 40 Fingers on an instrumental take on The Police classic “Bring on the Night,” and now the song is here.

The new arrangement was recorded at Summers’ Harmonics of the Night photo exhibition in Hamburg, Germany, back in October, with the video showing him and the guys in 40 Guitars performing the track.

“Bring on the Night,” which was written by Police frontman Sting, was featured on the band’s sophomore album, 1979’s Reggatta de Blanc. It was also the title track to Sting’s 1986 live album, as well as the 1985 Michael Apted-directed documentary on Sting’s solo career.

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As previously reported, Dino Danelli, drummer for the ’60s group The Rascals, died Thursday at the age of 78. Upon hearing the news, plenty of artists took to social media to pay tribute to the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.

E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt, who produced and directed the concert/theatrical event about the band, The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream, tweeted, “RIP Dino Danelli. One of the greatest drummers of all time. Rascals 1965-1971. Disciples Of Soul 1982-1984. On Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theater in Once Upon A Dream 2013.”

Van Zandt’s wife, Maureen, who also produced and directed the show, called Danelli “a brilliant drummer and artist,” adding, “I’ll never forget all the happy moments we spent on Broadway during the run of our Rascals show. An original Disciple. An original, period.” 

Billy Joel also paid tribute, tweeting, “He was one of the greatest drummers in popular music. My deepest sympathy to his family,” while KISS’ Paul Stanley noted, “Dino was a drummer in a class of very few and a great guy. … What style. So great to watch and listen to.”

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