Music News: Friday, January 2, 2015
Bono may never play guitar again
Bono says he may never play guitar again due to injuries suffered in a New York City cycling accident.
The U2 singer suffered multiple injuries, including fractures to his left eye socket, shoulder blade and left elbow, when he crashed his bike in Central Park in November. He required hours of surgery after what doctors called a ``high-energy bicycle accident.''
Writing on the band's website Thursday, Bono said that ``recovery has been more difficult than I thought. As I write this, it is not clear that I will ever play guitar again.''
He added that his bandmates ``have reminded me that neither they nor Western civilization are depending on this.''
Bono said he would ``have to concentrate hard'' to be ready for U2's planned tour later this year.
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PARAMORE'S HAYLEY WILLIAMS AND NEW FOUND GLORY'S CHAD GILBERT ARE ENGAGED
Singer Hayley Williams of Paramore and New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert are getting married. Williams tweeted a photo of the two of them Photoshopped on the bodies of a couple in wedding clothes with the caption, ``Hey guess what?'' and ``Getting Married.'' Gilbert put the same photo on Instagram and says, ``Popped the question on Christmas Day!''
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SHENANDOAH RENT OUT SPACE ON TOUR BUS TO FANS
Many people use the website Airbnb to rent vacation lodging. Shenandoah used it to rent out a spot on their bus. The band are offering a bunk on their tour bus, a ride between stops on their tour, videos and photos of the experience and signed T-shirts and C-D's. If the buyer is a musician, Shenandoah will even let that person play on stage with them. The going rate is $1,999.
So far, they have two takers. One fan will ride with them to Abilene, Texas, in May, and another will ride with them to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in July.
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DOLLY PARTON'S COMPANY SUED OVER DOLLYWOOD RIDE
A woman who fell off a ride at Dolly Parton's Dollywood amusement park in December 2013 is suing the park and Parton's company.
Tedi A. Brown says in her lawsuit she suffered a brain injury while riding the Waltzing Swinger, a ride in which people sit on swings that are spun around a central axis.
Brown says before getting on the ride, her husband had asked if it was safe to ride even though it was wet with sleet and rain.
An employee said it was.
When the ride stopped, Brown had lifted the safety bar before the ride had brought riders back to the ground, then immediately grabbed for the bar and lost her grip because of the slick conditions.
She fell 10 feet to the ground head first.
Brown and her husband are seeking $475,000 in damages, along with court and discretionary costs. A Dollywood spokesman says the company does not comment on pending litigation.
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SLASH'S MARRIAGE CRUMBLES
Slash is getting divorced.
He filed the paperwork in Los Angeles to end his marriage to Perla Hudson, his wife of 13 years citing irreconcilable differences.
They have two sons, 12-year-old London and 10-year-old Cash.
Slash filed for divorce in 2010 but called it off two months later.
The current documents state the couple separated June 15.
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TAYLOR SWIFT TOPS ``CELEBS GONE GOOD'' LIST
In an age when so many celebrities are known for misbehaving, Taylor Swift is being recognized for getting it right.
The charity site DoSomething.org has placed Swift at the top of its list of ``Celebs Gone Good.''
Swift was acknowledged for donating the proceeds of her single ``Welcome To New York'' to New York City Public Schools.
Laverne Cox of ``Orange Is The New Black'' is second on the list, followed by Beyonce', Miley Cyrus and Emma Watson.
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BASTILLE'S APPROACH TO THE HOLIDAYS
If your holidays were horrible, you have a kindred spirit in Bastille singer Dan Smith.
He says as a small child, his family spent the holidays in South Africa.
The family got a cot out of the attic for Smith to sleep upon, but they didn't know it had a spider's nest in it.
Smith says he cried all night and no one checked on him, and in the morning he was covered in spider bites.
Then he tried to take a ball from the family dog's mouth and the dog bit his hand.
At least he was honest, unlike Bastille bassist William Farquarson.
He once spent the holidays volunteering at a homeless shelter for the sole reason of using that as a pickup line for girls.
It worked, too: he used it on his current girlfriend -- only he told her he volunteered every year.