CARLOS SANTANA: Back in the Hospital
Carlos Santana postponed his show last night (Tuesday) at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas and was taken to the hospital for observation. His manager, Michael Vrionis, says, "Mr. Santana was at the venue preparing for tonight's show when he experienced an event that was determined to be dehydration. Out of an abundance of caution and the health of Mr. Santana, the decision to postpone the show was the most prudent course of action.
"He is doing well and is looking forward to coming back to San Antonio soon as well as continuing his U.S. tour. Thank you all very much for your understanding. The show will be rescheduled soon."
Tuesday night's show was to be the fourth one on his Oneness tour, which is scheduled to resume this Wednesday in Sugar Land, Texas. This is the second medical setback for Carlos this year. In January he had to postpone his eight-show residency at the House of Blues in Las Vegas -- January 22nd through February 2nd -- after falling at home in Hawaii, resulting in him breaking the little finger on his left hand. He had to have pins inserted and wasn't able to play guitar for approximately six weeks.
SAMMY HAGAR: Tribute to Eddie Van Halen
Sammy Hagar will release a new single Friday called “Encore, Thank You, Goodnight."
Backed by his Best of All Worlds band -- Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Kenny Aronoff -- Hagar says it was inspired by a dream he had about Eddie Van Halen. He says "I can't wait for the world to hear this very special song Joe [Satriani] and I wrote as a long overdue thank you to Eddie Van Halen for the music, the good times, and the dream that inspired this track." "Joe and I finished [writing] this song. It's a great story of how this song came to be, and it's really a thank you to Eddie [Van Halen]." Hagar first announced the song last November, even posting a video showing him and Anthony working on it. At that time he was thinking of calling it "Thank You" or "Over in the Corner." Eddie Van Halen died from cancer on October 6th, 2020. He was 65.
OZZY: Getting There
Ozzy Osbourne, appearing on his Ozzy Speaks show, says he's in "heavy training" for his final show on July 5th in his hometown of Birmingham, England. "It really is like starting from scratch. The first thing to go when you're laid up is your stamina, so believe it or not, I'm doing two sets of three-minute walks a day and weight training. I've gotta get going, you know." The show, dubbed Back to the Beginning, will be Ozzy's first full show in seven years. The last one was New Year's Eve in 2018 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Since then he has been dealing with multiple medical ailments, including Parkinson's disease and spinal surgery in 2023.
MICK JONES: A Foreigner on His Own
Foreigner founder and guitarist Mick Jones has released a new song, "Shelter From the Storm," in recognition of April being Parkinson's Awareness Month. He says, "About 12 years ago I was diagnosed with Parkinson's, which came as a real shock to me. Despite this, I continued to tour with Foreigner up until a few years ago. Sadly, I've had to stop since the Parkinson's has affected my ability to play my guitar the way I would like. It's a daily struggle, but I feel very fortunate to have had my life in music. "So many people are afflicted with this debilitating disease, and it is vital to find a cure. My hope is that my new song can bring awareness among my listeners and direct them toward The Michael J. Fox Foundation where they can join my team -- MJ's Shelter From the Storm -- and make a donation to help research to find a cure.
"I am honored that my friend Michael J. Fox has chosen to unveil 'Shelter From the Storm' at the Unity Walk this [Saturday]. Michael has done so much to raise awareness of the terrible debilitating disease that we share. His efforts to bring focus to the need for funds to research and a cure are legendary, and I hope to support him in any way that I can."
Jones plans to be at Saturday's event, and you can find a video for "Shelter From the Storm" on YouTube. It features footage from throughout his career with the final show being of a photo of him in his younger years with the caption, "Thank you to all the Foreigner fans over the years." Jones is 80.
Rod Stewart pays Celtic-themed tribute to Pope Francis
Sir Rod Stewart paid tribute to the late Pope, joining other celebrities and world figures in mourning his passing. Stewart, a passionate Celtic fan, posted a tribute on Instagram with flags representing the Pope and his beloved football team. The Royal Family also sent condolences to the Vatican, signed by King Charles. Pope Francis' last public appearance was on Easter Sunday, where he delivered a message to a crowd of 20,000 people.
Elvis Costello Announces Second Leg Of North American Tour
Nearly two-dozen dates are being announced for the second leg of the "Radio Soul: The Early Songs of Elvis Costello" tour. Costello had previously announced the first leg of dates from June 12th in Seattle to July 12th in Miami. The second leg kicks off on September 18th in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the 22-show tour includes stops in Toronto, Atlanta and Indianapolis.The tour wraps up in Omaha, Nebraska on October 22nd. Presale begins today and general tickets sales start on Friday.
QUEEN, CARS: Producer Roy Thomas Baker Has Died
Roy Thomas Baker, the producer whose technique of multi-tracking vocals and guitar parts helped launch the careers of Queen and The Cars, has died. He was 78. His family announced that he passed on April 12th at his home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. No cause of death has been revealed. He's survived by his wife, Tere Livrano Baker, and brother Alan Baker. Baker started his career as an engineer for star producers Gus Dudgeon and Tony Visconti and worked on projects from Elton John, David Bowie, T. Rex, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Moody Blues and others.
He moved into production with Nazareth in 1972 with their album Exercises. He then teamed up with Queen to co-produce their 1973 self-titled album. That collaboration would last through their first four albums and include one of the biggest songs of all time, "Bohemian Rhapsody." After working with Queen, Baker signed a production deal with CBS Records and ended up producing Journey's Infinity and Evolution albums, along with albums by Ian Hunter and Ronnie Wood.
His deal allowed him to work with outside artists, and Baker decided to produce The Cars after seeing them play in a Boston school gym. He produced their first four albums, which included hits like "Just What You Needed," "Good Times Roll," "Shake It Up" and "Since You're Gone."
After his CBS deal ended, Baker went to work for Elektra, producing Motley Crue and overseeing the signing of Metallica, Simply Red and 10,000 Maniacs. He also produced albums by Foreigner, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Devo, Ozzy Osbourne and Smashing Pumpkins.
Band Featuring Elton John, GNR Members, Father-Son Drummers "Leak" Charity T-Rex Cover
An all-star band featuring Elton John, Guns N' Roses members, and a famous pair of father-son drummers are asking "greedy bean counting majors" to greenlight a charity album that includes their T-Rex cover."Children of the Revolution" was recorded by Zac Starkey, his dad Ringo Starr, Elton John, Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan. Starkey had posted a video for the song on social media earlier this year and announced proceeds would go to Teenage Cancer Trust, for whom Roger Daltrey is an Honorary Patron. The video, which is about a young cancer patient, is getting extra attention online after Starkey was recently fired and re-hired by The Who. Starkey's post said the yet-to-be-released album also includes "more than one Beatle, a Smith, a Pretender, an Ashcroft, an Iggy and many more."
IN OTHER NEWS
Steely Dan's vinyl reissue campaign will conclude on June 6th when 1976's The Royal Scam is released. The album’s most popular song is “Kid Charlemagne.”
Billy Joel has paid tribute to Pope Francis, saying, "He was a Pope of the people, and may God rest his soul."
Original KISS drummer Peter Criss has paid tribute to Pope Francis, saying, "My thoughts and prayers are with the Catholic Church and the millions of Christians all over the world who loved Pope Francis. May his soul rest in eternal peace and may his legacy of compassion, humanity and service inspire generations to come."
Billy Idol shared another track from his new album, Dream Into It, before it's released on Friday. Check out "77," with guest vocals by Avril Lavigne, on YouTube.
Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew will take their Talking Heads' Remain in Light show back on the road this summer starting July 23rd in Virginia Beach, Virginia through July 31st in New York City. Tickets go on sale Friday.
Kansas added seven dates scattered from August 3rd in Ridgefield, Washington through December 6th in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The other five are in September.
Former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman is the latest artist to add his name to those who’ve erroneously announced a farewell tour. After wrapping up last week what was billed as his final U.S. tour as a solo artist, he’s just announced a run of summer dates. However, what makes the Strictly Wakeman tour different is that it won’t be just him – he’ll have a female vocalist, Hayley Sanderson, from the U.K. TV show Strictly Come Dancing. The tour runs from July 18th in Richmond, Virginia through July 31st in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, with stops in Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, New Hampshire and New York State in between.