MUSIC NEWS: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2015
LEMMY - OBIT
Motorhead frontman Lemmy was not just one of the most bombastic musicians in rock and roll, he was one of the most quotable. When asked in a 2006 Associated Press interview what kept him going for so long, his response was, ``Dumb luck.'' He told the A-P in 1996 Motorhead was the last great rock band. He said, ``If your parents don't hate it, there's something wrong with it.
It's not rock and roll, right? Your parents have to be unsettled by it.'' As for his own mother, Lemmy said, ``I think she's just relieved I have a steady job.'' Lemmy said people were amazed he never lost his hearing, but his response was, ``People think it's extraordinary because all these bloody people who are doing tests somewhere on lab rats tell them it's extraordinary.'' When asked how he defines the word ``old,'' Lemmy responded, ``When going out with a girl half your age is no longer illegal.'' Lemmy died of an aggressive form of cancer Monday at the age of 70.
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OBIT-LEMMY-MUSIC WORLD MOURNS
Ozzy Osbourne calls Motorhead frontman Lemmy ``a warrior and a legend,'' and one of his best friends. Metallica tweets, ``Lemmy, you are one of the primary reasons this band exists. We're forever grateful for all of your inspiration.'' Foo Fighters tweet they have lost a ``friend and legend'' and say Lemmy was ``born to lose, lived to win.'' Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers says Lemmy was his hero and an ``amazingly unique incredible bass player.'' Paul Stanley of Kiss says Lemmy was one of a kind and there was ``much more to him than many knew.'' Lemmy's influence transcended rock and roll. Ice T, Belinda Carlisle and John Rich of Big and Rich have also tweeted messages of mourning for Lemmy.
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OBIT-JOHN ``BRAD'' BRADBURY
Drummer John ``Brad'' Bradbury of The Specials has died. His family says Bradbury died Monday in England at the age of 62, but they did not give the cause of death. The band says in a statement Bradbury's drumming was ``the powerhouse behind The Specials and it was seen as a key part to the Two Tone sound.''
Bradbury joined The Specials in 1979 and returned when the band reformed in 2008. The Specials were one of the biggest bands of the British ska revival movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
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NAT ``KING'' COLE-TOP 40
It took more than 50 years for Nat ``King'' Cole to have a top-40 hit with ``The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You).'' Cole recorded four versions of the songs from 1946 to 1961, and it hit number 65 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1962. It never hit the top 40 until this week, when it checks in at number 38. The highest it ever got before this year was number 45 two years ago.
Brenda Lee's ``Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree'' is also a top-40 hit this year, for the first time since 1961.
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(The Associated Press)
GREGG ALLMAN-FILM DIRECTOR-EARLY RELEASE
The father of a film worker killed by a train on the set of a movie about Gregg Allman is asking a Georgia judge to keep the film's director in jail. Richard Jones, the father of camera assistant Sarah Jones, is asking the judge to deny a request from ``Midnight Rider'' director Randall Miller for early release from his two-year jail sentence. Miller entered a plea deal last March for involuntary manslaughter. Sarah Jones was killed in February 2014 while the crew was filming without permission on a railroad bridge and a freight train came through. Miller's lawyers are asking for early release because they say Miller's weight gain, shortness of breath and elevated blood pressure may be signs of congestive heart failure. They say he's also been a model prisoner.
Richard Jones says if Miller gets early release, it sends the message that ``Hollywood gets a break.''
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JOHN FOGERTY-YOLANDA ADAMS-ORANGE BOWL
John Fogerty will perform the halftime show for the Orange Bowl tomorrow afternoon. Yolanda Adams will sing the national anthem before the game as Oklahoma takes on Clemson. The game will be shown live on E-S-P-N.
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