On April 8, expect your favorite artists’ socials to be flooded with messages calling for support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion and the associated humanitarian crisis.
Among the artists participating in the Stand Up for Ukraine social media movement are Billy Joel, Elton John, Stevie Nicks, Madonna, U2, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morissette, Chris Isaak, Celine Dion and many more.
Organized by Global Citizen, Stand Up for Ukraine is designed to mobilize people across the globe to call on world leaders to commit billions of dollars to help refugees. It takes place ahead of a global humanitarian pledging summit on April 9.
More than 12 million people need assistance due to the war in Ukraine, and more than 6.5 million have been displaced internally; in addition, more than 3.5 million have left the country for neighboring countries. Nearly two million are women and children. Since the conflict began, one child from Ukraine becomes a refugee every second.
Visit GlobalCitizen.org to learn how to participate yourself.
Mariah Carey has teamed up with Atlanta rapper Latto and DJ Khaled on a remix of Latto’s hit single “Big Energy.”
The hot new track, which opens with Mariah hitting her legendary high note, was released on Monday — just three days after the arrival of Latto’s second studio album, 777.
“Ima be ya fantasy, you ain’t gone believe this/ hol’ up, got Mimi on the remix,” Latto raps on the track.
The rapper also took to Twitter to respond to fans’ questions about the collaboration.
“I originally thought Mariah for the remix back in like November when it first started going up but didn’t think I could get her realistically… fast fwd I said f*** it and reached out. She was down,” Latto said.
Once Mariah was locked in for the feature, Latto admitted that she was “sooooo nervous” to work alongside her.
“I was like what do I say y’all lol but the conversation just floweddd she was so genuine and I definitely was overthinking,” she explained.
Latto also sent out a tweet to Mariah on Sunday wishing Carey a Happy Birthday and thanking her for her “LEGENDARY VOCALS & ALL THE ADVICE YOU GAVE ME.”
Mariah responded by tweeting, “So excited for this moment dahhhhllling!!!!! So happy and proud of you and all you’re accomplishing!!! But I don’t have BIRTHDAYS! ‘It’s my anniversary!!!’ Congratulations Beautiful.”
Latto also wrote that the best part of working with the “Fantasy” singer was “HEARING HER HIT THAT HIGH NOTE IN PERSON!!!!”
C Flanigan/WireImage for Kaaboo Del Mar via imageSPACE
Aerosmith just announced that it will return to the stage this year for the first time since the start of the pandemic for a new series of Las Vegas residency shows, but now comes word that founding drummer Joey Kramer won’t be joining the band.
According to a statement that Aerosmith shared with USA Today, Kramer has “regrettably made the decision to sit out the band’s concerts in 2022 so he can focus his full attention on his family during these uncertain times.”
The 71-year-old musician’s hiatus is described as “a temporary leave of absence,” and the statement notes that “he and the band look forward to his future performances with Aerosmith.” Filling in for Kramer will be the group’s drum technician, John Douglas, who previously took over for Joey at select shows in 2019 when Kramer was injured.
In early 2020, Kramer sued his band mates when they decided to not allow him to perform with the group when they played the Grammy Awards ceremony because they felt he hadn’t sufficiently recovered from then-recent injuries he’d suffered.
He was subsequently invited to rejoin Aerosmith when they began their February 2020 Las Vegas residency.
As previously reported, Aerosmith’s 2022 residency features 24 dates, broken up into three eight-show engagements taking place at the Dolby Live at Park MGM theater from June 17 to July 8, from September 14 to October 5, and from November 19 to December 11. Tickets for the residency dates go on sale to the general public this Thursday, March 31, at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.com.
The band also has a previously announced September 8 concert at Boston’s Fenway Park with Extreme scheduled.
Roxy Music will reunite this fall for its first tour in 11 years, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the influential art-rock band’s self-titled debut album.
The trek will feature 10 North American dates, kicking off September 7 in Toronto and mapped out through a September 28 show at the famed Los Angeles-area venue The Forum. The trek also will visit Washington, D.C.; New York City; Philadelphia; Boston; Chicago; Austin and Dallas, Texas; and San Francisco.
The band will feature four members of Roxy Music’s classic lineup — singer Bryan Ferry, sax player Andy Mackay, guitarist Phil Manzanera and drummer Paul Thompson.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, April 4, at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.com. Pre-sales will be available starting on Tuesday, March 29, at 10 a.m. local time, and a number of VIP packages also will be offered. Visit BryanFerry.com, LiveNation.com and VIPNation.com for more information.
Alt-rocker St. Vincent will open all of the North American shows except for the Boston concert. Roxy Music also has announced three U.K. dates in October — in Glasgow, Manchester and London.
In related Roxy Music news, the band also will celebrate its 50th anniversary by reissuing special vinyl editions of its eight studio albums. The LPs will be half-speed mastered, and will feature revised artwork. The albums will be released two at a time in installments, with the first pair — 1972’s Roxy Music and 1973’s For Your Pleasure — due out this Friday, April 1.
Roxy Music was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. They are best-known in the U.S. for the 1975 dance hit “Love Is the Drug” and the acclaimed 1982 album Avalon, which included “More Than This” and the title track.
While Elton himself couldn’t make it in person, the 30th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party, held Sunday night in Los Angeles, was a huge success.
The party, hosted by Elton’s husband David Furnish, and their friends Lady Gaga, Billy Porter and Eric McCormack, raised $8.6 million for the Foundation. Elton joined via satellite from his concert in Lincoln, Nebraska to thank the attendees, and shared a performance of “Your Song” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” During that performance, guests received limited-edition Elton John Eyewear “Gold Dust” frames to wear along with Elton.
Elton’s friend, singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, performed at the party and duetted with singer/songwriter Jake Wesley Rogers on “Rocket Man.”
“I’m so grateful to my friends Lady Gaga, Billy Porter and Eric McCormack for joining David in hosting such an incredible evening, and of course Brandi Carlile for bringing down the house with an electrifying performance,” Elton said in a statement. “Most of all, I’m thankful to all who attended and participated to ensure that we can continue our lifesaving work to end AIDS. I could feel the love and support all the way from Lincoln, Nebraska!”
David Furnish added in a statement, “It was an especially unforgettable and emotional evening with our sons in attendance for the first time. They made their fathers extremely proud representing our family at the Foundation’s most important night of the year!”
Guests at the bash included Demi Lovato, Kevin Costner, Donatella Versace, Chris Pine, Zooey Deschanel, Fran Drescher, Patricia Arquette, Heidi Klum, Chrissy Metz and many more.
Genesis brought its The Last Domino? farewell tour to a close on Saturday night with a concert at London’s O2 Arena, during which singer Phil Collins announced it would be the band’s last ever.
According to Rolling Stone, Collins addressed the audience early on in the concert and said, “Tonight is a very special night…It’s the last stop of our tour. And it’s the last show for Genesis.” He added, jokingly, “After tonight we’ve all got to get real jobs.”
Collins also revealed that original Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel, who left the group in 1975, was in attendance.
“I think Peter’s here tonight,” Phil declared at one point during the show, BestClassicBands.com reports. “Peter Gabriel, ladies and gentlemen…Let’s hear it. I don’t know where he is. Maybe he’s the one shouting for [the 1972 Genesis song] ‘Supper’s Ready.'”
Rolling Stone reports that the event featured the same 23-song set that Genesis had played at nearly every show on the tour, which kicked off with a fall 2021 U.K. leg and also visited North America and mainland Europe.
The World of Genesis fan site tweeted a photo of Gabriel and Collins backstage at the show.
The concert’s final song was a rendition of the 1974 tune “The Carpet Crawlers.” You can check out fan-shot video of the performance on YouTube.
As previously reported, Genesis’ The Last Domino? tour featured the band’s classic trio lineup of Collins, keyboardist Tony Banks and guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford reuniting to perform for the first time since 2007. Collins, who was unable to play drums on the trek due to recent health issues, was replaced behind the kit by his 20-year-old son Nic. Longtime touring guitarist Daryl Stuermer also took part in the outing.
Here’s the concert’s full set list:
“Behind the Lines”/”Duke’s End”
“Turn It On Again”
“Mama”
“Land of Confusion”
“Home by the Sea”
“Second Home by the Sea”
“Fading Lights”
“The Cinema Show”
“Afterglow”
“That’s All”
“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”
“Follow You Follow Me”
“Duchess”
“No Son of Mine”
“Firth of Fifth”
“I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)”
“Domino”
“Throwing It All Away”
“Tonight, Tonight, Tonight”
“Invisible Touch”
Encore:
“I Can’t Dance”
“Dancing with the Moonlit Knight”
“The Carpet Crawlers”
Taylor Hawkins and Stevie Nicks in 2013; Gary Miller/FilmMagic
The music world is reacting to the shocking and unexpected death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who passed away Friday at age 50 in Bogota, Colombia, where his band had been scheduled to perform that night at a festival.
Among the famous artists who have posted tributes to Hawkins on their social media pages are Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr, Aerosmith and many more.
Here are some of the many homages, a number of which have been edited for length:
Stevie Nicks: “He always came to my shows. He and his best friend Dave even let me be a Foo Fighter for a little while. We recorded a kick a** version of Gold Dust Woman (live) and at the end of the song I yelled out ‘Best Gold Dust Woman ever.’ And I meant it… Taylor was very handsome and he was very cute…He had a huge heart and a glorious smile. When he walked into the room, everyone looked up. When he left the room, everyone was sad…Don’t forget us, ‘ T.’ We’ll be right here.”
Mick Jagger: “So incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Taylor Hawkins. My thoughts are with his family and the band at this time.”
Ringo Starr: “God bless Taylor peace and love to all his family and the band peace and love.”
Aerosmith: “Such a devastating loss. REST IN PEACE Taylor! Our hearts to out to his friends and family.”
Queen‘s Brian May: “No. It cannot be. Heartbroken. Taylor, you were family to us. Our friend, our brother, our beloved child. Bless you. We will miss you so bad.”
Jimmy Page: “After the Led Zeppelin show at the O2, I was invited to play at Wembley Stadium with the Foo Fighters on 7th June 2008. We played Rock and Roll with Taylor on turbocharged vocals and Dave on drums and then for Ramble On they swapped, with Taylor on drums and Dave Grohl on vocals. We put in some serious versions of these two songs. It was so good to play with him. I really admired him and he was a brilliant musician: his technique, his energy and spirited enthusiasm. On this sad day, I would like to send my condolences to his family, his band members in the Foos and his fans.”
Brian Wilson: “I’m heartbroken to hear about Taylor Hawkins. He was such a nice young man. Love & Mercy to Taylor’s family and friends.”
The Doors‘ John Densmore: “A great, great, drummer and friend has passed. Taylor had written on his bass drum, ‘RIP Charlie (Watts)’. Now, RIP Taylor. It is a very sad day.”
Heart‘s Ann Wilson: “Bon Voyage Taylor. Travel well!”
Axl Rose: “Shocked n’ saddened to hear of the passing of Taylor Hawkins. He was a really great guy, drummer n’ family man. Was always great to see him! Was looking forward to seeing him n’ everyone in Daytona. Truly saddened. My deepest condolences to his family, the Foo Fighters n’ their fans.”
Slash: “Devastated by the loss of our friend #TaylorHawkins I’ve no words to express all the feelings I have about his passing. But my heart goes out to his family. & his band & friends. RIP Taylor.”
KISS‘ Gene Simmons: “Hearts broken all over the world. Taylor Hawkins was a kind soul & a monster musician. Drummer for the Foos, Alanis Morissette & Sass Jordon (who I managed for a time). Taylor and his band were to play our Kiss Kruize in Oct…Prayers and condolences to the Hawkins family.”
KISS‘ Paul Stanley: “Speechless and Gutted. Taylor was a great guy, a dad and a husband. My heart goes out to them, Dave and the band. What awful news.”
Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong: “Shocked and devastated . To Taylor Hawkins family and the Foo Fighters family. Our hearts are with you. Always.”
The Pretenders‘ Chrissie Hynde: “Rock expert and virtuoso drummer Taylor Hawkins has left the building. He made me proud to be in a band. I’ll miss you bro’. XXX”
Joan Jett: “We are gutted to hear about the passing of our dear friend Taylor Hawkins. He was an incredible musician and the kindest, warmest person who always had the biggest smile in the room. We send our love to his wife, children, Dave, Pat, Chris, Rami, Nate and the entire Foos’ family. We love you guys and we will miss Taylor immensely.”
Ozzy Osbourne: “@taylorhawkinsoffical was truly a great person and an amazing musician. My heart, my love and my condolences go out to his wife, his children, his family, his band and his fans. See you on the other side.”
Wolfgang Van Halen: “I’ll never forget meeting Taylor on tour in San Diego in 2012. He was such a ridiculously kind man. The dude just emanated cool. Him, my pops and I talked for as long as we could until we had to leave. An incredible drummer and singer, he was a constant inspiration to me throughout my entire life. This is like a kick in the gut…My most heartfelt condolences go out to his family…You’ll be so sorely missed, Taylor…Rest In Peace.”
ZZ Top has released their updated version of their 1971 song “Brown Sugar” as the first single from their upcoming album, Raw, which is due out on July 22.
As previously reported, Raw was recorded in conjunction with the blues-rock trio’s 2019 documentary That Little Ol’ Band from Texas, and is being released as a tribute to longtime bassist Dusty Hill, who died in July 2021 at age 72.
For the movie, ZZ Top’s classic lineup of singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons, Hill and drummer Frank Beard played an intimate set of songs from their back catalog that was filmed and recorded at historic Gruene Hall, known as “the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas.” The new album features the audio of that “raw” performance.
In addition to “Brown Sugar,” a Gibbons-penned tune that originally appeared on ZZ Top’s 1971 debut album, the 12-track collection boasts versions of such classics as “Legs,” “Tush,” “La Grange” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” and other gems like “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide” and “Tube Snake Boogie.”
“‘Brown Sugar’ has been sweetening our concert sets for many decades now, so it seemed like the right song to kick off RAW,” Gibbons notes. “The Gruene Hall session was a satisfying return to our roots and a very special circumstance that we’re delighted to share with the friends and fans who have stuck with us all this time.”
You can check out a video of ZZ Top performing “Brown Sugar” at Gruene Hall on YouTube now.
Raw can be pre-ordered now, and will be available as a 180-gram vinyl LP, on CD and via digital formats.
Prior to the album’s release, ZZ Top will kick off a lengthy U.S. trek dubbed the Raw Whisky Tour on May 27 in San Diego.
Friday is Elton John‘s 75th birthday, so Billboard asked some fellow stars to pick their favorite songs by the Rocket Man. Here are just a few:
Billy Joel, who toured with Elton on and off for years, picked “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” He tells Billboard, “We used to play it together during the shows while we were on the ‘Face to Face Tours’…I always liked playing that unorthodox chord progression and singing the soaring melody in that song.”
He adds, “I still do it from time to time on my own — but it’s not the same without Elton there, too. Rock on, old friend!”
Lionel Richie picked “Your Song,” telling Billboard, “I fell in love with Elton’s music when I heard this song, and from that point on I was hooked.”
Sting chose “Come Down In Time,” from the album Tumbleweed Connection, which he later recorded his own version of. “I used to play a version of it on guitar when I played folk clubs in the early ’70s…,” he says, calling it a “beautiful song with lovely and mysterious lyrics.”
Jimmy Buffett also chose a song from Tumbleweed Connction, “Country Comfort.” Buffett says he first heard the song and album while working as a reporter for Billboard, and recalls that he was surprised by the record’s country-influenced sound.
“I like the pedal steel guitar on it,” Jimmy notes. “My thought at the time was, ‘Why isn’t anybody here doing this song?’ or ‘Why isn’t in on country radio?'”
Annie Lennox and Neil Diamond both chose “Rocket Man,” with Annie noting, “It’s a full-blown spiritual experience packed into a ‘song!'”
Foreigner launches a new eight-show Las Vegas residency tonight at The Venetian Theatre, and the veteran rockers have just announced that, in conjunction with the concerts, they will be partnering with the American Red Cross to help the organization’s Ukrainian relief efforts.
The band will donate $5,000 from each of its residency performances to the cause, and also will encourage fans attending the shows to donate money to American Red Cross reps who will be at the venue.
“The plight of everyone impacted by this conflict is an international tragedy,” says founding Foreigner guitarist and songwriter Mick Jones. “While we face our own ongoing struggles here at home, I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with the American Red Cross in doing our part in the relief efforts.”
He adds, “Our goal is to offer some solace or small comfort to traumatized people in the region. I could think of nothing more American than a gesture of such brotherly love to those who are feeling so displaced and alone in this world right now.”
The Red Cross is providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians in need both in their own country and to those who have fled to neighboring countries during Russian’s military invasion. International crisis responders have been deployed by the Red Cross to Poland, Moldova, Hungary and Romania to provide relief. Visit RedCross.org for more info.
Foreigner’s Las Vegas residency show features a full performance of the band’s chart-topping 1981 album, 4, in honor of its 40th anniversary. The rockers also will play many of their other hits during the concert.
Tickets are available for now at Ticketmaster.com, VenetianLasVegas.com, at Venetian Resort box offices or by calling 702-414-9000 or 866-641-7469. The engagement runs through April 9.
