MUSIC NEWS: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
ROLLING STONES-CUBA
The Rolling Stones are playing Cuba and they're doing it for free. They will play in Havana on March 25, three days after President Barack Obama visits and in the same week the Tampa Bay Rays play an exhibition game there. The Cuban government used to go after people for listening to rock music, but in recent years it has eased restrictions on foreign music and large gatherings not organized by the state. The biggest musical performance in Cuba up to this point was in 2009, when Colombian singer Juanes played for more than a million people.
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GINGER BAKER
In the words of former Cream drummer Ginger Baker, ``No more gigs for this old drummer.'' Baker writes on his website he's calling off all shows at the advice of his doctor. He says, ``Of all things I never thought it would be my heart.'' Baker is 76.
The American leg of his tour was supposed to begin in May.
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RORY FEEK
Rory Feek of Joey and Rory says his wife, Rory, has just days to live. Rory Feek writes on his ``This Life I Live'' blog his wife exerted sheer will power to stay alive through the second birthday of their daughter, Indiana, last month. Joey Feek has terminal cancer and has been in hospice care since November.
Rory Feek says Joey told him she is ready to stop fighting. He says Joey said goodbye to her parents and sisters, then she told Indiana to ``be a big girl for your papa'' and ``mama will be watching over you.'' Rory Feek posted a photo of the last kiss between mother and daughter. He says Joey has been asleep for days and her body is shutting down quickly. Joey and Rory's last album, ``Hymns,'' was a number-one country album last month and hit number four on the Billboard 200 album chart.
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L7 POSTPONE TOUR
L7's reunion tour has hit a snag. The band say they are calling off their American and Australian tour dates because of ``a family health emergency of a private, non-trivial nature.'' They say they realize they just announced some of those tour dates, but ``life happens and when it does you have to step up and take care of business for the ones you love.'' L7 say it's just a postponement and they still plan to play shows in a few months.
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AMY WINEHOUSE
Amy Winehouse's father has mixed feelings about the film about her life winning an Oscar. Mitch Winehouse says the movie ``Amy'' winning the best documentary Oscar shows that people still love his daughter and what she represented. However, he says the film is full of fabrications. He says his comment in the movie that his daughter didn't need to go to rehab was edited to omit a then-versus-now element. Mitch Winehouse says director Asif Kapadia keeps winning awards for the film but no one has exploited Amy more than Kapadia. Mitch Winehouse is working on his own film about his daughter, called ``Letter to Amy.''
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PANTONE SAYS ``JAY Z BLUE'' IS A REAL THING
Jay Z is such a big deal, he has his own secret colour. Vice president Laurie Pressman of The Pantone Color Institute says Jay Z created his own ``Jay Z'' pearly blue in 2007.
Pressman says it's a ``mesmerizing blue'' that's a combination of sky and cobalt, with a ``pearlescent quality.'' Pantone gives a code to every colour, but Jay Z's blue is confidential and doesn't appear on the Pantone colour wheel. Why bother creating your own colour?
It's so that a signature shade will be the same across different platforms. Coming up with a custom colour can cost tens of thousands of dollars, but Jay Z really likes blue. He named three albums ``The Blueprint,'' he's fond of blue jewels and blue jackets, and he named his daughter Blue Ivy.
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DON WILLIAMS
Don Williams says it's time to hang up his hat and spend some quiet time at home. Williams, who is 76, has announced his retirement after six decades in the music business.
Williams had unexpected surgery for a hip replacement last month.
His hits include ``If Hollywood Don't Need You,'' ''That's The Thing About Love,`` ''Heartbeat in the Darkness`` and ''I'm Just A Country Boy.``
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QUESTLOVE PUBLISHES FOOD BOOK
Questlove's interest in food and creativity has spawned a book. In ``Something to Food About: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs,'' Questlove talks to ten chefs to find out about their creative process. The cover is pretty creative, too.
It's a portrait of Questlove made up of food, with a fork stuck in his broccoli hair. ``Something to Food About'' comes out April 12.
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BRIAN ``HEAD'' WELCH PLANS ANOTHER BOOK
Korn guitarist Brian ``Head'' Welch is releasing another book, this time to tell the story of his life where the last book left off. Welch will put out ``With My Eyes Wide Open: Miracles and Mistakes on My Way Back To Korn'' on May 17. It covers the eight years since he left Korn, which included being a single parent to a troubled teen and getting into financial trouble.
It also covers his struggles when he rejoined the band in 2013.
Welch's first book, ``Save Me From Myself,'' dealt with his decision to quit Korn to follow a spiritual path and kick drugs.
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DERULO, BRYAN AMONG THOSE SET FOR ``CMT CROSSROADS''
Jason Derulo and Luke Bryan will team up to get inside each other's music for an edition of ``CMT Crossroads.''
Their episode will air this summer. Cheap Trick will collaborate with Jennifer Nettles for the March 24 edition of the show. Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 and Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum will play together for an episode later this spring. Nick Jonas and Thomas Rhett will pair up for an episode that runs sometime this summer.
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``THE VOICE''
Christina Aguilera kissed a girl -- and she liked it. During last night's blind auditions on ``The Voice,'' country singer Kata Hay said Aguilera was her first ``girl crush.''
Aguilera added they should just ``make out'' and get it over with.
They kissed and Aguilera joked there would be more to come if Hay joined Team Xtina. Adam Levine and Pharrell Williams also wanted her but Hay goes with Team Xtina. Hay says their kiss might get her into trouble with her girlfriend. The blind auditions will continue next week on The Voice.
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(The Associated Press)