Year In Review - January & February 2021

Audio By Carbonatix

• Gerry and the Pacemakers frontman Gerry Marsden passed away at the age of 78 after a “short illness, which was an infection in his heart.”
• Documents showed the Internal Revenue Service believed executors of Prince’s estate undervalued the singer’s estate by about 50%, which translated to $80 million.
• Alto Reed, Bob Seger and his Silver Bullet Band’s longtime saxophonist, passed away due to complications from colon cancer. He was 72.
• Berlin frontwoman Terri Nunn apologized after receiving backlash for performing at the New Year’s Eve party at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, where it appeared that few COVID-19 protocols were being enforced.
• Iman declared in an interview with “Harper’s Bazaar UK” that she’ll “never” marry again after David Bowie, calling the late music legend her “true love.”
• Lindsey Buckingham sold 100-percent of his publishing rights to Hipgnosis, along with 50-percent of his unreleased material.
• The Recording Academy announced that the 63^rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, were being postponed due to the coronavirus, with the show moving to March.
• Neil Young sold the rights to half his songbook to Hipgnosis Songs Fund.
• British performer Jamiroquai was trending on social media after folks couldn’t get over lead singer Jay Kay’s resemblance to the Capitol rioter who was dressed as a Viking, wearing horns and a fur, with his face painted in the red, white and blue.
• David Bowie was honored by his friends, collaborators and colleagues with a special livestream. Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan, Duran Duran and more performed the virtual concert held on what would have been the late music legend’s 74th birthday.
• Michael Fonfara, longtime keyboardist for Lou Reed, passed away after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 74.
• Joan Baez was announced as a 2021 Kennedy Center honoree.
• Vanilla Fudge bassist, vocalist and co-founding member Tim Bogert passed away from cancer at the age of 76.
• Mick Fleetwood sold the rights to over 300 recordings to BMG, becoming the third member of Fleetwood Mac to sell his catalog after Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
• Legendary music producer Phil Spector died at the age of 81. Spector, known for his legendary Wall of Sound, was serving time in prison for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson at the time of his death.
• After making a splash on Twitter Dionne Warwick joined TikTok.
• Donald Trump unveiled a list of 250 famous names to be honored with statues at his planned “Garden of American Heroes,” including Johnny Cash, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holliday, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, and Woody Guthrie.
• The annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival announced it was moving from its usual spring schedule to the fall. The 2021 edition was originally scheduled for April 22^nd to May 2^nd, but was pushed to October 8^th to 17^th before being canceled altogether.
• Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Foo Fighters were among the artists who performed on “Celebrating America,” a prime time TV special celebrating President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ inauguration.
• More than 100 British musicians including Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Ed Sheeran, Sting and Bob Geldof, signed a letter complaining about how hard it is going to be to tour the European Union thanks to Brexit.
• Claudia Levy, the widow of songwriter and theatre director Jacques Levy, who co-wrote seven songs on Bob Dylan’s 1976 album “Desire,” filed a lawsuit against Dylan and UMG, claiming they failed to pay her for Levy’s rightful portion of the proceeds following Dylan’s sale of his catalog to Universal Music Group. A judge eventually ruled against her.
• Jimmie Rodgers, known for having hit singles in the 50s and 60s, died from kidney disease at the age of 87. 

FEBRUARY

• Coachella Music Festival had its April dates canceled by an order by the Riverside County Public Health Office due to COVID health concerns. The fest was moved to 2022.
• Founding guitarist of The Animals Hilton Valentine passed away at the age of 77.
• John Mellencamp split from celebrity skin expert Nurse Jamie, whose clients included Jessica Alba and the Kardashian sisters.
• Tony Bennett revealed in “AARP” that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Songwriter Jim Weatherly, who wrote such classic songs as Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia,” and “(You’re The) Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me,” passed away at the age of 77.
• Danny Ray, best known for being James Brown’s legendary “Cape Man” and emcee, passed away at his Georgia home. He was 85.
• Bruce Springsteen appeared in his first Super Bowl commercial for Jeep. The ad, “The Middle,” was shot over five days in Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska, and had Bruce waxing poetic about Americans coming together again and finding common ground.
• Billy Idol and Joan Jett joined Miley Cyrus at a special TikTok Tailgate party ahead of Super Bowl LV, which was watched by not only a virtual audience but in person by 7,500 "health care heroes" who had already been vaccinated for COVID-19.
• Legendary Motown singer Mary Wilson died suddenly at her home in Las Vegas. She was 76-years-old.
• It was revealed that Bruce Springsteen was busted for DWI In New Jersey back in November. After hearing the news Jeep immediately pulled his Super Bowl ad. The rocker pled guilty to consuming alcohol in a national park, and DWI and reckless driving charges were thrown out. He received no jail time.
• Stevie Wonder was honored with Israel’s Wolf Prize, handed out by the state-owned Wolf Foundation. The awards help promote excellence in science and the arts and
• Pioneering jazz keyboardist Chick Corea passed away at the age of 79. Corea died from of a rare form of cancer that was only recently diagnosed.
• Bruce Springsteen teamed former President Barack Obama for a new podcast “Renegades: Born in the USA.”
• Singer James Burke, singer of the 70s group The Five Stairsteps, best known for the song “O-o-h Child,” passed away at the age of 70. According to his brother and bandmate, Dennis Burke, James died after battling pneumonia.
• Clive Davis postponed his GRAMMY parties after he was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, which causes sudden weakness in facial muscles.