During the “Stairway to Heaven” trial, Jimmy Page was relatively quiet. Now, he’s broken his silence on the legal win, which found Led Zeppelin did not steal the iconic opening riff from Spirit‘s song “Taurus.” In case you missed it, he opened up on Facebook. “Throughout the lengthy journey to that verdict, and even more recently, I have received and been aware of the overwhelming wave of support, encouragement and congratulations that [have] been deeply moving,” Page writes on Facebook. “I’d like to take this opportunity to personally thank all those who contributed such a positive energy to me.”
- He might still need some of that positive energy. Rolling Stone is reporting attorneys for Michael Skidmore, who represents the estate of late Spirit guitarist Randy California, has filed the paperwork for an appeal. We’ll keep you posted.
Sting’s solo career is getting the box set treatment. “The Studio Collection,” a box set featuring all eight of Sting’s solo albums on vinyl, will drop on September 30th, with two albums, “1999’s “Brand New” and 2003’s “Sacred Love,” being available on vinyl for the first time ever.
The set will feature:
- 1985’s “The Dream Of The Blue Turtles”
- 1987’s double LP “…Nothing Like The Sun”
- 1991’s “The Soul Cages”
- 1993’s “Ten Summoner’s Tales”
- 1996’s :Mercury Falling”
- 1999’s double LP “Brand New Day”
- 2003’s double LP “Sacred Love”
- 2013’s “The Last Ship”
All of the LPs will feature exact replicas of the original artwork, with brand new vinyl masters cut at Abbey Road studios in England.
The lineup for the fifth annual Global Citizen Festival was just announced, and there’s no doubt Central Park’s Great Lawn will be the place to be on September 24th. This year’s headliners include Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Selena Gomez, Major Lazer, and Metallica. And if that’s not star power enough, the show will also feature guest performances by Usher, Chris Martin, Eddie Vedder, Ellie Goulding, Yandel, and Yusuf/Cat Stevens, with Chelsea Handler, Deborra-lee and Hugh Jackman, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Salma Hayek Pinault, and Seth Meyers on board as hosts. As always, tickets to the Global Citizen Festival are free, although those interested will have to earn points through a series of social actions in order to qualify for a drawing for the tickets. In addition, a limited number of VIP tickets to on sale tomorrow.
- And if you can’t make it to Central Park it is still possible to experience the show. MSNBC will simulcast the concert live on TV and online, while iHeartRadio will stream the concert globally.
The GRAMMY Foundation will be paying tribute to the late B.B. King in September, with some great guitarists already signed on to honor the legend, who died in May of 2015. Slash, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi and Jimmy Vaughan are all confirmed for “Icon: The Life and Legacy of B.B. King,” a live tribute set for September 1st at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. Also on board for the evening, which will boast live performances and stories from those influenced by King, include Keb’ Mo’, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Bonamassa and Joe Louis Walker, with “Conan” band leader Jimmy Vivino as music director and his Basic Cable Band serving as house band. Tickets for the B.B. King tribute are on sale now.
Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Sheryl Crow are set to headline the first-ever Outlaw Music Festival, set for September 18th at the Montage Mountain Pavilion in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Young will be backed by Promise of the Real, featuring Willie’s son Lukas Nelson, with The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Lee Ann Womack and Brothers Osborne also on the bill. Tickets for the festival go on sale Friday.
