KISS’ Gene Simmons looks anything but menacing riding in little yellow cart backstage

KISS’ Gene Simmons looks anything but menacing riding in little yellow cart backstage
ABC/Donna Svennevik

KISS is currently on the European leg of their End of the Road Tour, and while you may think it’s hard for the band members to get around in their elaborate stage wear and platform boots, it looks like at least one member of the band has figured out a way to get around that.

The British band The Wild Things is currently opening for KISS on the trek and shared a hilarious video of bassist Gene Simmons, all made up in his outfit, having some fun backstage riding around in a motorized yellow cart. A second clip has Simmons in the same cart waving at those around him like he’s the queen.

The Wild Things captioned the videos, “He’s still very threatening in that tiny car,” with the voiceover adding, “Things we didn’t expect to see backstage whilst on tour with KISS.”

They then added another clip that combines the two videos, set to Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’.”

KISS’ End of the World tour hits Dresden, Germany, on June 21. A complete list of dates can be found at kissonline.com.

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The Zombies announce dates for Different Game North American tour

The Zombies announce dates for Different Game North American tour
Cooking Vinyl Records

The Zombies are returning to North America this fall for a brand new tour. The band just announced dates for their Different Game tour, named after their latest album, which dropped in March. 

The tour kicks off in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, on October 1, hitting such U.S. cities as Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Chicago, Nashville, New York and more, before wrapping October 29 in Glenside Park, Pennsylvania. 

A fan club presale kicks off Wednesday, June 21, at 10 a.m. local time, with the general on-sale happening Friday, June 23, at 10 a.m. local time. A complete list of dates can be found at thezombiesmusic.com.

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Aerosmith announces career-spanning ‘Greatest Hits’ set

Aerosmith announces career-spanning ‘Greatest Hits’ set
UMe/Capitol Records

Aerosmith is ready to start their goodbye to the road later this year, and now they are looking back at their career with a new compilation of their biggest hits.

The band just announced they’ll be releasing an “ultimate” Greatest Hits collection, which will be released in a variety of formats, including a super deluxe limited edition set to be sold exclusively through the Aerosmith store. It will feature 44 tracks, including such classics as “Dream On,” “Walk This Way,” “Sweet Emotion” and “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.” It will also include some rarely seen photos, book-style sleeves, four black-and-white lithographs and more.

The set, dropping August 18, will also be released in a standard CD and LP format, as well as three-CD, two-LP and three-LP deluxe editions. All formats are currently available for preorder at the Aerosmith store and will be available for preorder at all other retailers on Thursday, June 22. 

Aerosmith will hit the road this September on their Peace Out! tour. It kicks off September 2 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A complete list of dates can be found at aerosmith.com.

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On This Day, June 20, 1942: The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson is born

On This Day, June 20, 1942: The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson is born

On This Day, June 20, 1942 … 

Brian Wilson was born in Inglewood, California.

In 1961, he co-founded The Beach Boys and changed the face of popular music with his gift for musical harmonies and vocal arrangements. The band had a string of top 40 hits, including “I Get Around,” “Help Me Rhonda” and “Good Vibrations,” which all went to number one.

After a nervous breakdown in 1964, Wilson stopped touring with the band, but did go on to record what he considered “probably the best album I ever did”: 1966’s Pet Sounds.

Wilson is a two-time Grammy winner and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Beach Boys in 1988. In 2000 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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James Taylor postpones shows due to laryngitis

James Taylor postpones shows due to laryngitis
Norman Seeff

James Taylor has been forced to postpone a trio of shows after coming down with a case of laryngitis.

“I really hate to have to postpone these shows and it’s not something I take lightly,” Taylor shares on Instagram. “I thought I could push through but I’m at the point now if I don’t take these days off I risk doing permanent damage.”

The affected shows were due to take place in Huntsville, Alabama, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Mt. Pleasant, Michigan; they’ve been moved to August 22, 24 and 26, respectively.

“So very sorry to everyone who has tickets this week, I hope you’re able to hold onto your tickets for the new dates,” Taylor adds. “I look forward to picking the tour back up in Milwaukee on Saturday.”

Those unable to attend the rescheduled dates will be able to get refunds for their tickets. 

Taylor’s tour is set to run until September, wrapping with a three-night stand in Vienna, Virginia, September 7, 8 and 10. A complete list of dates can be found at jamestaylor.com.

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Elton John to record a new album; talks EGOT hopes

Elton John to record a new album; talks EGOT hopes
Craig Sjodin/ABC

Elton John is winding down his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which he promises will be his last tour ever. But fans shouldn’t worry, it won’t be the last we’ll be hearing from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. In fact, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Elton reveals he’s already thinking about making more music.

“I’ll be recording a new album very soon,” he shares, “and I can’t wait because I haven’t really recorded a proper record for a long time, so I’m looking forward to doing that.” 

Elton has earned a lot of accolades over the course of his career and is just an Emmy away from getting his EGOT. That could happen this year, with his Disney+ special Farewell From Dodger Stadium getting a big Emmy push. But Elton insists earning an EGOT “has never been a goal.”

“If it gets nominated for an Emmy, that’d be wonderful,” he says. “I’m so pleased about the quality of this thing. The sound and what they did is incredible, and I’m so proud of it. I couldn’t find anything wrong with it, and I’m usually so critical.” He adds, “So if it is nominated for an Emmy, we’ll just celebrate that.”

Elton’s next tour stop is Paris, France, where he’ll play June 21, 27 and 28. In the middle of that he’ll play the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, June 25. The tour is set to end July 8 in Stockholm, Sweden. A complete list of Elton dates can be found at EltonJohn.com.

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Debbie Harry on being flashed by David Bowie: “Most women would really die to be in that room”

Debbie Harry on being flashed by David Bowie: “Most women would really die to be in that room”
IAN HODGSON/AFP via Getty Images

Blondie‘s Debbie Harry infamously revealed in her 2019 autobiography, Face It, that during a 1977 tour, after she offered David Bowie and Iggy Pop some cocaine, Bowie thanked her by dropping his pants and flashing her. While some people may be offended by that, she scoffs at the idea that it was something she was upset about. 

“I think you should rethink that. Most women would really die to be in that room,” she tells The U.K. Times, agreeing that it could be true about some men, too. She notes, “You have to consider the context — I was a consenting adult, shall we say. I believe that that is really the borderline.”

In the book, Harry wrote of the experience, “David’s size was notorious, of course, and he loved to pull it out with both men and women. It was so adorable, funny and sexy.”

Harry was talking to the paper ahead of the band’s appearance at the Glastonbury Festival on June 25. The show is part of the band’s current U.K. tour, which runs through July 1. A complete list of dates can be found at blondie.net.

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Paul McCartney says new photography book filled with “little memories which make up a life”

Paul McCartney says new photography book filled with “little memories which make up a life”
Liveright / W.W. Norton

Paul McCartney’s recently released photography book, 1964: Eyes of the Storm, features pictures from the early days of Beatlemania, and putting it together was a great walk down memory lane for the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.

“Well, I mainly see it as a ‘behind the scenes’ publication. After all these years, it was lovely for me to be taken backstage again,” he reveals in a Q&A on his website. “I love just looking at old pictures of the guys.”

One such picture is of John Lennon with his glasses. McCartney writes, “… obviously it’s hugely sad, because I miss him so much. But this just reminds me of growing up with him and all the pleasant memories.”

He adds, “Whenever I see John with these sorts of glasses, it reminds me of the way he would take him off when there were girls around. For some reason people think they look better without their glasses! And now, whenever other people do that it always reminds me of John.”

He says the book “just brings back all those little memories which make up a life.”

As for whether he’s still taking pictures, McCartney shares, “I am a keen photographer, and now of course it’s all iPhone. It’s just too easy!” 

He says, “The iPhone quality is really pretty good, but having a daughter, Mary, who is a professional photographer, she tells me she always takes the precaution of taking a nice picture on a what she calls her ‘real’ camera, just because, you can do pretty much anything with that.”

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Tommy Lee’s wife says ex Heather Locklear is “the one that got away”

Tommy Lee’s wife says ex Heather Locklear is “the one that got away”
Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

While not many wives get along with their hubby’s exes, Tommy Lee‘s current wife, Brittany Furlan, doesn’t seem to have an issue with at least one of his former loves. In fact, Brittany tells People she and Heather Locklear are actually good friends.

“Heather and I are very close. She’s awesome, I love her,” Furlan says of Locklear, who was married to  the Mötley Crüe drummer from 1986 to 1993. “I think she’s the most kind, down-to-earth person. We met through Tommy, obviously, and became close. She’s just very cool, very nice, just supportive and just a cool chick all around.”’ 

Furlan says she’s grateful for the relationship she has with Locklear, and says that while “everyone glorifies his relationship with Pam,” referring to Pamela Anderson, she says Lee calls Locklear “the one that got away.”

“She was the love of his life. I see it, because she’s just a fun, sweet, caring, awesome person,” she says. “Tommy even says he messed up in that relationship. He cheated on her. To this day, that’s why they’re still really good friends.”

And Furlan can’t believe Lee actually let Locklear get away in the first place. “I yell at my husband, I’m like, ‘I can’t believe you cheated on her. She’s so cool,'” she shares. “That was a different time. He was 25 years old, 26 years old. Not to make excuses, but he’s a very different man now from all those years ago. You live and you learn.”

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Elton John adds new puppy to the family

Elton John adds new puppy to the family
Craig Sjodin/ABC

Elton John has added a new member to the family. The singer’s husband, David Furnish, revealed on social media that the family has just gotten a new puppy. 

“This Father’s Day, we are happy to announce the newest arrival to the Furnish-John family. Please meet Jacob,” he writes on Instagram next to a picture of an adorable black pup. He notes the couple’s sons, Zachary and Elijah, “are co-fathering little Jacob and have proudly declared that Elton and I are……erm…..grandparents……!” 

While Jacob is a sweetie, Elton won’t be at home helping out with his “grandson.” He’s still on the road with his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. His next stop is Paris, France, where he’ll play three nights, June 21, 27 and 28. In the middle of that he’ll play the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, June 25. A complete list of Elton dates can be found at EltonJohn.com.

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