MUSIC NEWS: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015
KANYE WEST CLARIFIES HIS COMMENTS ABOUT BECK
Kanye West admits he misspoke when he took aim at Beck winning the album of the year Grammy instead of Beyonce'. West tells ``On Air With Ryan Seacrest'' he didn't mean any disrespect when he said Beck should be ``respecting artistry.'' He acknowledges it was ``a miswording'' on his part. West says he was upset that Beck did not mention other nominees as worthy of winning during his speech. He calls Beck one of the nicest guys and most respected musicians, but West doesn't have much respect for the Grammys. West says his jumping on stage with Beck was ``kind of a joke, like the Grammys themselves.'' He says the Grammys are ``like a broke clock. They're right only, like, twice a day.''
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PAPA JOHN'S TRIES TO MAKE GOOD WITH IGGY AZALEA
Papa John's pizza has taken disciplinary action against a delivery driver who gave out Iggy Azalea's phone number. Azalea complained on Twitter Monday that a driver gave her personal number to his family members, who kept calling her. She says the Papa John's supervisors refused to send her photos so she could identify the driver, and a supervisor told her, ``Don't worry! His mom has spoken with him!'' A Papa John's spokesperson tells The Hollywood Reporter the company has reached out to Azalea to resolve the incident.
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AC/DC RETAIN CHRIS SLADE ON DRUMS
AC/DC will bring former drummer Chris Slade out on tour with them. AC/DC have announced dates for their Rock Or Bust World Tour, kicking off August 22 outside Boston. Slade played drums with AC/DC at the Grammys Sunday. Drummer Phil Rudd is in legal trouble in New Zealand and cannot leave the country.
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MIRANDA LAMBERT IS A COUNTRY GIRL AT HEART
Miranda Lambert can rock out with the best of them but she will never be a rock singer, by her own admission.
Lambert says she's ``country through and through,'' and she could sing any kind of music but it would still come out country. Lambert says rock elements in her music give her energy, but she's also a huge fan of classic country. She describes her own music as ``somewhere in the middle.''
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JIMMY PAGE REMINISCES ABOUT LEARNING TO PLAY GUITAR
Jimmy Page envies the budding musicians of today, because they can just go on the Internet to find out how to play something. Page recalls searching record stores for 45s and slowing the records down so he could pick out every note. He says any time Ricky Nelson would put out a record, he'd buy it, knowing that his guitarist, James Burton, would never disappoint. Page says he was jealous of American guitarists, who could watch the ``Les Paul and Mary Ford Show.'' Page says it would have made it so much easier if he could have seen what Les Paul was doing.
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SMITHSONIAN HONOURS EDDIE VAN HALEN
Eddie Van Halen recalls the segregation at his school meant that the white kids were on one side and the black kids were on the other. He was a Dutch immigrant and considered second class, so he was lumped with the black kids. Van Halen recalls his family showing up in California in 1962 with about 50-dollars and a piano, but no job and not even a grasp of English. He says music is what saved them. Today, he will donate his musical instruments to the National Museum of American History in Washington. His response to the fact that the Smithsonian is recognizing him: ``Only in America.''
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RECORDING ACADEMY HOLDS ALL-STAR SALUTE TO STEVIE WONDER
The baby who was the inspiration for Stevie Wonder's song ``Isn't She Lovely'' was one of the singers leading a tribute to him. Wonder's daughter Aisha performed the song with Ne-Yo at the Grammy salute to Wonder Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
India. Arie, Janelle Monae and Jill Scott performed ``As,'' Ed Sheeran and Beyonce' sang ``Master Blaster (Jammin'),'' and Gary Clark Junior sang ``Higher Ground.'' Other performers included Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Babyface, Ariana Grande and Annie Lennox. The concert will be shown Monday on C-B-S.
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NEVILLE BROTHERS PLAN FAREWELL SHOW
The Neville Brothers are planning a big bash to mark the end of their run together. The Neville Brothers will perform a farewell concert in New Orleans on May 2. Their special guests include Widespread Panic, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Terence Blanchard and other performers to be named. The concert will be taped for future broadcast and digital distribution.