Chad Smith is one proud papa today: His daughter earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood on Sunday night’s American Idol.
Under the name Ava Maybee, the 20-year-old daughter of the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer sang Stevie Wonder‘s classic “Lately,” and impressed judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Richie compared Ava’s alto voice to that of Cher, and Perry said it was a “cool sound.” Bryan said he felt that Ava was an “artist,” adding, “I’m interested to hear and see more of what you’ve got goin’ on.”
Richie then said he was going to “go against” the singer’s family, joking, “You’re not going to be a ‘maybe,’ you’re going to be a ‘for sure.'” Perry and Bryan dubbed her “Ava Yes,” and told her she was going to Hollywood. Perry also complimented Ava’s outfit, which mixed florals with leopard print.
Ava’s birth name is Ava Maybee Cardoso Smith.
American Idol‘s Hollywood Week starts tonight on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
The Chili Peppers will release their new album, Unlimited Love, on April 1.
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images; Ashley Beliveau/Getty Images
Jane’s Addiction frontman and Lollapalooza co-founder Perry Farrell has posted a touching video message on his Facebook page in which he discusses his friendship with late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died Friday at age 50.
Blabbermouth.net reports that Farrell recorded the five-minute message on Saturday, and it was played Sunday during the Lollapalooza Brasil festival, where Foo Fighters had been scheduled to play a headlining set.
“Taylor Hawkins…was my best friend — beloved in my home by my wife, my children, even my dogs,” Farrell begins his tribute. “He was one of the most passionate drummers I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. When I think of him, I sum it up with one word: velocity. He had the gift to maintain a confident striking and stroking velocity on drums.”
Perry continues, “There’s a large part of my heart that I had reserved for him. I accepted him into my heart when we became friends because he was such a pure guy, so pure of heart…I would receive texts from Taylor. There were always bits and pieces of songs he was writing or looking to write or wanted me to listen to. I got music tidbits as often as I got ‘I love you’s.”
Farrell goes on to explain that their mutual passion for music was the “common ground” that served as a basis for their friendship.
He concludes, “The only sense that I could make of the tragedy is to know that Taylor’s now in heaven; he can hear us. What I’m gonna do from this day forward is to try to make music that I think Taylor would really love.”
The video also features footage of Perry and Taylor singing Queen‘s “Bohemian Rhapsody” together accompanied by a street musician playing piano.
C Flanigan/WireImage for Kaaboo Del Mar via imageSPACE
Aerosmith just announced that it will return to the stage this year for the first time since the start of the pandemic for a new series of Las Vegas residency shows, but now comes word that founding drummer Joey Kramer won’t be joining the band.
According to a statement that Aerosmith shared with USA Today, Kramer has “regrettably made the decision to sit out the band’s concerts in 2022 so he can focus his full attention on his family during these uncertain times.”
The 71-year-old musician’s hiatus is described as “a temporary leave of absence,” and the statement notes that “he and the band look forward to his future performances with Aerosmith.” Filling in for Kramer will be the group’s drum technician, John Douglas, who previously took over for Joey at select shows in 2019 when Kramer was injured.
In early 2020, Kramer sued his band mates when they decided to not allow him to perform with the group when they played the Grammy Awards ceremony because they felt he hadn’t sufficiently recovered from then-recent injuries he’d suffered.
He was subsequently invited to rejoin Aerosmith when they began their February 2020 Las Vegas residency.
As previously reported, Aerosmith’s 2022 residency features 24 dates, broken up into three eight-show engagements taking place at the Dolby Live at Park MGM theater from June 17 to July 8, from September 14 to October 5, and from November 19 to December 11. Tickets for the residency dates go on sale to the general public this Thursday, March 31, at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.com.
The band also has a previously announced September 8 concert at Boston’s Fenway Park with Extreme scheduled.
Roxy Music will reunite this fall for its first tour in 11 years, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the influential art-rock band’s self-titled debut album.
The trek will feature 10 North American dates, kicking off September 7 in Toronto and mapped out through a September 28 show at the famed Los Angeles-area venue The Forum. The trek also will visit Washington, D.C.; New York City; Philadelphia; Boston; Chicago; Austin and Dallas, Texas; and San Francisco.
The band will feature four members of Roxy Music’s classic lineup — singer Bryan Ferry, sax player Andy Mackay, guitarist Phil Manzanera and drummer Paul Thompson.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, April 4, at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.com. Pre-sales will be available starting on Tuesday, March 29, at 10 a.m. local time, and a number of VIP packages also will be offered. Visit BryanFerry.com, LiveNation.com and VIPNation.com for more information.
Alt-rocker St. Vincent will open all of the North American shows except for the Boston concert. Roxy Music also has announced three U.K. dates in October — in Glasgow, Manchester and London.
In related Roxy Music news, the band also will celebrate its 50th anniversary by reissuing special vinyl editions of its eight studio albums. The LPs will be half-speed mastered, and will feature revised artwork. The albums will be released two at a time in installments, with the first pair — 1972’s Roxy Music and 1973’s For Your Pleasure — due out this Friday, April 1.
Roxy Music was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. They are best-known in the U.S. for the 1975 dance hit “Love Is the Drug” and the acclaimed 1982 album Avalon, which included “More Than This” and the title track.
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
Elton John was a guest on Friday’s episode of his pal Dua Lipa‘s podcast At Your Service, and among the topics they discussed were those unexpected moments that change your life completely. Elton revealed it was one of those moments which has led to his greatest happiness: becoming a father.
“I was never going to have children,” Elton told Dua. But several years ago, he and his husband David visited an orphanage in Ukraine, where he found himself carrying around an 18-month-old boy for a few hours.
“Then we had a press conference at the end,” Elton recalls. “And they said, ‘You seem very fond of this little boy. Would you think of adopting him?’ And I went, ‘Oh yeah, I’d actually love to.'”
That, of course, made headlines, but it turned out that Elton and David weren’t allowed to adopt the boy, nor his half-brother, because they were “too old” and, Elton says, “Because I was gay, they wouldn’t allow us to do it anyway.” But Elton and David were determined to get the boys out of the orphanage, and, he says, “Luckily they had a grandmother who took them.”
But then, Elton says, David asked him about having their own children.
“I always said no, but this little boy was telling me something,” Elton recalled. “He was saying, ‘Come on, you can be a dad.’ And that’s when we decided to have children, because of this little boy Lev, in Ukraine.”
While Elton and David continue to make sure Lev and his brother are safe, they’ve since welcomed their own children, Zachary and Elijah. And Elton’s desire to spend more time with them is why he tells Dua of his Farewell Tour, “I will be happy when it’s over.”
While Elton himself couldn’t make it in person, the 30th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party, held Sunday night in Los Angeles, was a huge success.
The party, hosted by Elton’s husband David Furnish, and their friends Lady Gaga, Billy Porter and Eric McCormack, raised $8.6 million for the Foundation. Elton joined via satellite from his concert in Lincoln, Nebraska to thank the attendees, and shared a performance of “Your Song” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” During that performance, guests received limited-edition Elton John Eyewear “Gold Dust” frames to wear along with Elton.
Elton’s friend, singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, performed at the party and duetted with singer/songwriter Jake Wesley Rogers on “Rocket Man.”
“I’m so grateful to my friends Lady Gaga, Billy Porter and Eric McCormack for joining David in hosting such an incredible evening, and of course Brandi Carlile for bringing down the house with an electrifying performance,” Elton said in a statement. “Most of all, I’m thankful to all who attended and participated to ensure that we can continue our lifesaving work to end AIDS. I could feel the love and support all the way from Lincoln, Nebraska!”
David Furnish added in a statement, “It was an especially unforgettable and emotional evening with our sons in attendance for the first time. They made their fathers extremely proud representing our family at the Foundation’s most important night of the year!”
Guests at the bash included Demi Lovato, Kevin Costner, Donatella Versace, Chris Pine, Zooey Deschanel, Fran Drescher, Patricia Arquette, Heidi Klum, Chrissy Metz and many more.
Genesis brought its The Last Domino? farewell tour to a close on Saturday night with a concert at London’s O2 Arena, during which singer Phil Collins announced it would be the band’s last ever.
According to Rolling Stone, Collins addressed the audience early on in the concert and said, “Tonight is a very special night…It’s the last stop of our tour. And it’s the last show for Genesis.” He added, jokingly, “After tonight we’ve all got to get real jobs.”
Collins also revealed that original Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel, who left the group in 1975, was in attendance.
“I think Peter’s here tonight,” Phil declared at one point during the show, BestClassicBands.com reports. “Peter Gabriel, ladies and gentlemen…Let’s hear it. I don’t know where he is. Maybe he’s the one shouting for [the 1972 Genesis song] ‘Supper’s Ready.'”
Rolling Stone reports that the event featured the same 23-song set that Genesis had played at nearly every show on the tour, which kicked off with a fall 2021 U.K. leg and also visited North America and mainland Europe.
The World of Genesis fan site tweeted a photo of Gabriel and Collins backstage at the show.
The concert’s final song was a rendition of the 1974 tune “The Carpet Crawlers.” You can check out fan-shot video of the performance on YouTube.
As previously reported, Genesis’ The Last Domino? tour featured the band’s classic trio lineup of Collins, keyboardist Tony Banks and guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford reuniting to perform for the first time since 2007. Collins, who was unable to play drums on the trek due to recent health issues, was replaced behind the kit by his 20-year-old son Nic. Longtime touring guitarist Daryl Stuermer also took part in the outing.
Here’s the concert’s full set list:
“Behind the Lines”/”Duke’s End”
“Turn It On Again”
“Mama”
“Land of Confusion”
“Home by the Sea”
“Second Home by the Sea”
“Fading Lights”
“The Cinema Show”
“Afterglow”
“That’s All”
“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”
“Follow You Follow Me”
“Duchess”
“No Son of Mine”
“Firth of Fifth”
“I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)”
“Domino”
“Throwing It All Away”
“Tonight, Tonight, Tonight”
“Invisible Touch”
Encore:
“I Can’t Dance”
“Dancing with the Moonlit Knight”
“The Carpet Crawlers”
Following the shocking news of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins‘ death, more details have emerged as to what transpired on Friday in Bogota, Colombia, where the band had been scheduled to perform.
A tweet from the Attorney General of Colombia on Saturday stated that 10 substances were found in Hawkins’ urine, including THC (marijuana), opioids and both tricyclic antidepressants and benzodiazepines, the latter two of which are used to treat depression.
“The National Institute of Forensic Medicine will continue the medical studies to achieve total clarification of the facts that led to the death of Taylor Hawkins,” the tweet continues. “The Office of the Attorney General of the Nation will continue with the investigation and will report the results obtained within the framework thereof in a timely manner.”
The Colombian news magazine Semana, citing “authorities,” also reported that Hawkins had an enlarged heart, which “collapsed” due to the “cocktail of narcotics” found in his system, and that the cause of death was an overdose of heroin mixed with antidepressants and benzodiazepines.
The local government of Bogota had previously tweeted that an ambulance had been dispatched to a hotel “north of the city” in response to call about a patient suffering chest pain. When it arrived, a private ambulance was already at the scene. Attempts were made to revive the patient, the tweet stated, but he was unresponsive, and declared dead.
The music world is reacting to the shocking and unexpected death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who passed away Friday at age 50 in Bogota, Colombia, where his band had been scheduled to perform that night at a festival.
Among the famous artists who have posted tributes to Hawkins on their social media pages are Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr, Jimmy Page, Stevie Nicks, Aerosmith and many more.
Here are some of the many homages, a number of which have been edited for length:
Mick Jagger: “So incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Taylor Hawkins. My thoughts are with his family and the band at this time.”
Ringo Starr: “God bless Taylor peace and love to all his family and the band peace and love.”
Jimmy Page: “After the Led Zeppelin show at the O2, I was invited to play at Wembley Stadium with the Foo Fighters on 7th June 2008. We played Rock and Roll with Taylor on turbocharged vocals and Dave on drums and then for Ramble On they swapped, with Taylor on drums and Dave Grohl on vocals. We put in some serious versions of these two songs. It was so good to play with him. I really admired him and he was a brilliant musician: his technique, his energy and spirited enthusiasm. On this sad day, I would like to send my condolences to his family, his band members in the Foos and his fans.”
Stevie Nicks: “He always came to my shows. He and his best friend Dave even let me be a Foo Fighter for a little while. We recorded a kick a** version of Gold Dust Woman (live) and at the end of the song I yelled out ‘Best Gold Dust Woman ever.’ And I meant it… Taylor was very handsome and he was very cute…He had a huge heart and a glorious smile. When he walked into the room, everyone looked up. When he left the room, everyone was sad…Don’t forget us, ‘ T.’ We’ll be right here.”
Aerosmith: “Such a devastating loss. REST IN PEACE Taylor! Our hearts to out to his friends and family.”
Ozzy Osbourne: “@taylorhawkinsoffical was truly a great person and an amazing musician. My heart, my love and my condolences go out to his wife, his children, his family, his band and his fans. See you on the other side.”
Queen‘s Brian May: “No. It cannot be. Heartbroken. Taylor, you were family to us. Our friend, our brother, our beloved child. Bless you. We will miss you so bad.”
Axl Rose: “Shocked n’ saddened to hear of the passing of Taylor Hawkins. He was a really great guy, drummer n’ family man. Was always great to see him! Was looking forward to seeing him n’ everyone in Daytona. Truly saddened. My deepest condolences to his family, the Foo Fighters n’ their fans.”
Slash: “Devastated by the loss of our friend #TaylorHawkins I’ve no words to express all the feelings I have about his passing. But my heart goes out to his family. & his band & friends. RIP Taylor.”
Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich: “Thank you for always having the biggest warmest smile on your face and for lighting up every room with your infectious energy and good vibes…At BottleRock recently, I had the best seat in the house right above you and once again stood in amazement watching as you effortlessly steered Foo Fighters through a two hour festival set with the perfect balance of swing, swagger, bounce and insane chops…Your phone call a week ago touched and inspired me and I will always be appreciative for you championing our community as in your parting words…’Drummers stick together!’ Damn right brother. Except now the community is lesser without you. Rest In Peace.”
KISS‘ Gene Simmons: “Hearts broken all over the world. Taylor Hawkins was a kind soul & a monster musician. Drummer for the Foos, Alanis Morissette & Sass Jordon (who I managed for a time). Taylor and his band were to play our Kiss Kruize in Oct…Prayers and condolences to the Hawkins family.”
KISS‘ Paul Stanley: “Speechless and Gutted. Taylor was a great guy, a dad and a husband. My heart goes out to them, Dave and the band. What awful news.”
Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong: “Shocked and devastated . To Taylor Hawkins family and the Foo Fighters family. Our hearts are with you. Always.”
Brian Wilson: “I’m heartbroken to hear about Taylor Hawkins. He was such a nice young man. Love & Mercy to Taylor’s family and friends.”
The Doors‘ John Densmore: “A great, great, drummer and friend has passed. Taylor had written on his bass drum, ‘RIP Charlie (Watts)’. Now, RIP Taylor. It is a very sad day.”
Heart‘s Ann Wilson: “Bon Voyage Taylor. Travel well!”
The Pretenders‘ Chrissie Hynde: “Rock expert and virtuoso drummer Taylor Hawkins has left the building. He made me proud to be in a band. I’ll miss you bro’. XXX”
Tom Morello: “God bless you Taylor Hawkins. I loved your spirit and your unstoppable rock power. Rest In Peace my friend.”
Liam Gallagher: “Absolutely devastated to hear the sad news about Taylor Hawkins my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends RIP brother.”
Joan Jett: “We are gutted to hear about the passing of our dear friend Taylor Hawkins. He was an incredible musician and the kindest, warmest person who always had the biggest smile in the room. We send our love to his wife, children, Dave, Pat, Chris, Rami, Nate and the entire Foos’ family. We love you guys and we will miss Taylor immensely.”
Wolfgang Van Halen: “I’ll never forget meeting Taylor on tour in San Diego in 2012. He was such a ridiculously kind man. The dude just emanated cool. Him, my pops and I talked for as long as we could until we had to leave. An incredible drummer and singer, he was a constant inspiration to me throughout my entire life. This is like a kick in the gut…My most heartfelt condolences go out to his family…You’ll be so sorely missed, Taylor…Rest In Peace.”
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins has died at age 50.
In a statement posted late Friday night, the Dave Grohl-led band wrote, “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins.”
“His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on all with of us forever,” the statement reads. “Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.”
No cause of death was announced.
Hawkins was born in 1972, and began his musical career as the drummer for the Canadian singer Sass Jordan. He then joined the band of another Canadian rocker, Alanis Morissette, and toured with her from 1995 to 1997 as she supported her Diamond-certified album Jagged Little Pill.
Shortly after Foo Fighters had finished recording their second album, 1997’s The Colour and the Shape, Grohl hired Hawkins to be the band’s new drummer, and he remained with the group ever since. Hawkins was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of the Foos in 2021.
Outside of Foo Fighters, Hawkins had many other projects, including his band The Coattail Riders and a cover group called Chevy Metal. Late last year, Hawkins launched the band NHC alongside Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney of Jane’s Addiction.
Foo Fighters are currently in Colombia, where they were scheduled to headline a festival Friday night. The band was also previously announced to perform at the Grammys next Sunday, April 3, where they’re up for for three awards.
