Blog

Jul 27, 2023

Steve Smith: B.B. King hospitalized, David Bowie to pen songs for musical

B.B. King was rushed to a Las Vegas hospital over the weekend due to dehydration

B.B. King was rushed to a Las Vegas hospital over the weekend due to dehydration caused by his Type II diabetes, his daughter told media. She added that he is feeling much better and was expected to be released April 7..

The 89-year-old blues legend's canceled all of his concerts last year due to medical issues.

King, a 15-time Grammy winner who also received the Grammy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, released his first album in 1956. He's a member of the Blues and the Rock and Roll Halls of Fame and was a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 1995.

David Bowie's producer friend Tony Visconti (1969's "Space Oddity," 1975's "Young Americans," 2103's "The Next Day") says the Thin White Duke may stay retired from touring, but that doesn't include writing songs.

This winter, the 68-year-old will team up with playwright Edna Walsh to create a new musical, "Lazarus," according to the New York Theatre Workshop that will produce the show. "Lazarus" will be based on Walter Tevis’ 1963 sci-fi novel, "The Man Who Fell to Earth." Bowie starred in the 1976 motion picture adaption that remains a cult favorite.

In the past couple years other pop stars have gone into the Broadway musical biz. U2's The Edger and Bono's "Spider-Man" Turn Off the Dark," the most expensive production in Broadway history, closed on Jan. 4, 2014, losing an estimated $60 million; and Sting's "The Last Ship" opened Oct. 24 and closed Jan. 24, after only a three-month run.

However, Cyndi Lauper owns a Best Musical Tony Award for "Kinky Boots" and every musical Elton John has been involved in, "Aida," "Billy Elliott" and "The Lion King," have proven wildly successful.

The recording industry has not been silent on Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, signed into law last week by the state's Republican Governor and possible 2016 presidential candidate, Mike Pence.

Indiana native and lifelong resident John Mellencamp chimed in via a letter he posted on his website. He wrote that Indiana is "the American Melting Pot we all learned about in school. We are more than just tolerant, most of the time. We are welcoming."

Of the state's new law, he said it's "ill-conceived. It is discriminatory, hurtful, and a stain on Indiana's national reputation."

The 63-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer says he thought seriously about canceling upcoming shows in his home state, "but then I realized that I would be letting our government divide us again, keeping me apart from my most important audience: My Indiana fans."

In a rare interview, 74-year-old Nancy Sinatra called the rumor that her dad, Frank, fathered 27-yer-old Ronan Farrow with his ex-wife Mia Farrow, "nonsense." Frank and Mia were married in 1966 when she was 21 and he was 50. The marriage lasted two years. However, Mia says that Frank was "the great love of her life," according to Britain's Express.

"We never really split up," she said, noting that the two remained intimate through the decades, even while she was married to musical conductor Andre Previn and during her 12-year relationship with Woody Allen, who is credited with fathering Ronan.

Nancy's sister, Tina, 66, tells Showbiz 411 that her father had a vasectomy before the time Ronan was conceived.

Regardless, Ronan bears a distinct resemblance to The Chairman, much more than Allen. Ronan has thus far not undergone a DNA test, voluntary or otherwise.

Joni Mitchell, who was found unconscious in her Bel Air home last week remains hospitalized. An update on her website says the 71-year-old Canadian folk-jazz and pop singer-songwriter best known for "Woodstock," "Big Yellow Taxi," "Both Sides Now" and "Chelsea Morning," is "resting comfortably."

"She continues to improve and get stronger each day," the post continues.

There has still been no word on what caused her to lose consciousness.

Hippie singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum, known for the early ‘70s rock smash "Spirit in the Sky," remains in critical condition in Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital following a March car accident that killed a motorcyclist, reports the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

The 72-year-old Greenbaum, a longtime Santa Rosa resident was a passenger in a car that collided with the motorcyclist and his passenger. The passenger remains hospitalized in serious condition while Greenbaum's driver was unhurt.

His family released a statement through the hospital that states his doctors and nurses are "doing everything possible, and we continue to hope for a strong recovery. Please keep Norman in your thoughts and prayers."

No information about his injuries or condition has been released.

There hasn't been an update on the condition of 74-year-old Jefferson Starship leader Paul Kantner, who suffered a suspected heart attack last week.

Don McLean's 16-page handwritten manuscript for his iconic 1971 classic, "American Pie," was auctioned for $1.2 million by Christies in New York City, CNN reports. The selling price was the third highest in history for an American literary manuscript. A Christie's spokesman called the sale price, "A fitting tribute."

The song dominated the singles chart at No. 1 for four weeks in 1972 and is about the Feb. 3, 1959 plane crash outside Mason City, Iowa, that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "the Big Bopper" Richardson," also known as "the day the music died," among other things. It has become one of the most discussed and dissected songs ever in pop music.

In a chat with Rolling Stone, Eddie Van Halen said his band decided to put out its first live album, "Tokyo Dome Live in Concert," because, "we didn't have time to put a studio record together."

What is he talking about? In the three years since the end of Van Halen's last tour and the release of its last studio album, "A Different Kind of Truth" that was made from old demos of songs from more than 30 years ago, they’ve played a teensy handful of shows and that's it.

Van Halen also discussed singer David Lee Roth, who rejoined the band in 2007 after an absence of 23 years.

"He's always off doing his own thing," he said.

And of the fighting between the two, he shrugs.

"The relationship has always been the same, really," he revealed. "The press, I think, made a bigger to-do out of our relationship being sour than we did."

He added that things are currently going so well that after its major summer U.S. tour the group "will probably hunker down and do a studio record."

Van Halen's summer tour includes Southland stops on July 11 at the San Manuel Amphitheatre in San Bernardino, July 14 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, Sept. 30 at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre in Chula Vista and a tour ending gig on Oct. 2 at the Hollywood Bowl.

That "other" Van Halen singer, Sammy Hagar, ripped the live album in an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal.

"They’ve got some pretty rough vocals. I’m trying to tread lightly on the whole thing (but) every time they do something, I’m like ‘Oh, my God, can these guys do anything worse to their reputation?"

On the British album chart, the live album opened at No. 74. This is the lowest chart position for any Van Halen album ever in the U.K., studio, live or compilation. The band's previous low was No. 45 for 1996's "Best of: Volume 1."

Drummer Bob Burns, who co-founded Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1964, was killed while driving home after a gig in a single-car accident in Georgia, reports People magazine. The 64-year-old was not wearing his seat belt when he hit a mailbox and a tree.

Burns played on such group classics as "Free Bird," "Gimme Three Steps" and "Sweet Home Alabama" before he tired of touring and left Skynyrd in 1974. He rejoined the group for a pair of performances: In 1996, to promote the band's bio-pic and concert film, "Free Bird" The Movie," and when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

Among the recently released albums, digital issues, MP3 downloads and box sets are a 66-song import, "The Best of Herman's Hermits: 50th Anniversary Anthology," includes 170-page booklet and nearly three hours of hits, including all the biggies like "I’m Into Something Good," "A Kind of Hush," "Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter" and Graham Gouldman's "No Milk Today" and "Listen People" as well as minor hits such as Gouldman's "East West."

Bad Company has two-disc deluxe remastered reissues of its first two albums loaded with demos and alt takes, 1974's 5x platinum selling "Bad Company" and 1975's 3x platinum "Straight Shooter"; and the 19-track "Rock & Roll All Stars: Live Broadcasts 1985-1986" from former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty sees him run through his CCR classics, including "Born on the Bayou" & "Fortunate Son" and covers like Eddie Floyd's "Knock on Wood" backed by Albert Lee and MG's Booker T and Duck Dunn and drummer Prairie Prince.

"Chattanooga Choo Choo: The Classic Tennessee Broadcast" from March 1975 from Southern legends Lynyrd Skynyrd sees original singer Ronnie Van Zandt, guitarist Steve Gaines et al showcase JJ Cale's "Call Me the Breeze," their trademark anthem "Free Bird" and two versions of their other trademark classic, "Sweet Home Alabama"; and "Global" is the 25th solo album since 1970 from Ringo's All-Starr Band singer-guitarist Todd Rundgren.

The 14-song "Sausalito ‘73: Legendary Live Broadcast" from California rock leader Linda Ronstadt sees her performing fellow Cali-Sound guy Jackson Browne's "Rock Me On The Water," "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" (first recorded by the queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson, in 1956) and an early version of her 1975 No. 1 single, "You’re No Good" backed by steel guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, and Cali-Sound guitar playing pal Andrew Gold.

"Georgia on My Mind: Live in Atlanta 1981" sees James Taylor run through "Fire and Rain," "You’ve Got a Friend" and nine others, backed by notables including guitarist Waddy Wachtel, bassist Lee Sklar and drummer Rick Marotta; and the 16-song "No Pier Pressure" is the 11th solo studio album from former Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson with contemporary guest Kacey Musgraves, She & Him's Zooey Deschenal and fun.'s Nate Reuss as well as former Beach Boy buddies Al Jardine, David Marks and Blondie Chaplin.

Steve Smith writes a new classic rock, pop and country music news column every week. Contact him by email at [email protected].

Get the latest news delivered daily!