Peruvian government officials have named Rolling Stones star Sir Mick Jagger as an honorary ambassador for the Amazon rainforest.
The 68-year-old rocker, who is currently travelling through South America, will now be responsible for helping to raise awareness of the Amazon rainforest and its need for protection.
Madness singer Suggs, aka Graham McPherson, has announced he is working on a memoir of his life and his 35-year career in music.
The as-yet-untitled autobiography is due to be published by Quercus in autumn 2012.
“I hope it will amuse, entertain and be a bestseller in 2012,” said Suggs, who plans to reveal all about his 30 years of Madness.
Meanwhile, a new Madness box set, titled A Guided Tour Of Madness, is now available from Union Square Music. It features 70 classic singles, tracks from all of the band’s albums, and a DVD of their legendary reunion at Madstock ’92.
Rockabilly fans are being offered a ready-made library of classic Rockabilly recordings with the launch of a new compilation, Rebel Rock – The Essential Rockabilly Album, from Union Square Music.
The collection captures all of the raw excitement and good-time sounds of early rockabilly.
Rebel Rock – The Essential Rockabilly Album contains 50 tracks on two CDs and features legends like Carl Perkins, Johnny Burnette, Bill Haley, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Charlie Feathers.
Star Trek legend William Shatner is boldly going into space again at the age of 80 … but it’s not space as we know it, Jim. This time Captain Kirk is venturing into ‘space rock’ with a new album titled Seeking Major Tom.
Shatner has recorded a space odyssey-themed album of heavy metal classics featuring a rock ‘Who’s Who’ line-up that includes Peter Frampton, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Winter, Steve Miller, Sheryl Crow, Asia’s John Wetton, The Kinks’ Dave Davies, Steve Howe of Yes, Deep Purple’s Ian Paice, any many more.
Rod Stewart has confirmed he is working on his autobiography and promises to hold nothing back.
“Forget skeletons in the closet; this one’s going to be socks and knickers under the bed,” says Stewart.
The book will tell 66-year-old Stewart’s life story, taking in his early days in The Jeff Beck Group and The Faces, to the present day. He will also talk about his three marriages, his playboy lifestyle, and his romantic conquests.
Suzi Quatro has released a new rock-orientated studio album, titled In The Spotlight.
The 11-track album sees her teaming up again with Mike Chapman who, along with Nicky Chinn, wrote and produced all of her rock-driven pop hits in the 1970s, including ‘Can The Can’, ’48 Crash’ and ‘Devil Gate Drive’.
In The Spotlight is Suzi’s thirteenth studio album. It includes new songs written by Suzi and Mike Chapman and cover versions of contemporary songs such as Rhianna’s ‘Breakin’ Dishes’ and Goldfrapp’s ‘Strict Machine’.
A new 2CD compilation, titled I Walk the Line, takes a definitive look at Johnny Cash’s legendary three-year spell with Sam Phillips’ Sun Records between 1955 and 1958.
The 40-track collection showcases the raw beginnings of the stark and simple sound that would become Cash’s trademark in later years. Although he is primarily remembered as a country artist, the two hours of music on these CDs provide a reminder that Cash’s earliest songs also spanned genres such as rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll and gospel.
John Mayall, hailed by many as the ‘Godfather of British blues’, is set to return to the UK this autumn for a 25-date tour.
The opening show will be on 25 October 2011 at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, and the tour will end at the Coliseum in Watford on 18 November 2011.
Having disbanded the legendary Bluesbreakers in November 2008, Mayall will be touring with the American musicians who worked with him on his 57th official album, Tough, in 2009.
Foreigner have released a new 11-track studio album, titled Acoustique, which features ‘unplugged’ versions of the band’s classic songs.
The decision to record Acoustique followed the tremendous response the band received from fans during their recent series of live acoustic shows. They are now working on plans for a ‘Foreigner Unplugged’ tour.
At the age of 85, Tony Bennett has entered the record books as the oldest living artist in history to top the US charts. His latest album, Tony Bennett: Duets II, has reached the summit of the US Billboard chart 54 years after his album Tony reached No. 14 in 1957.
The record for ‘oldest chart-topper’ was previously held by Bob Dylan who reached No. 1 at the age of 67 in 2009 with his album Together Through Life.
The all-star line-up of artists joining Bennett live in the studio on Tony Bennett: Duets II includes Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, the late Amy Winehouse, and many more.
Peruvian government officials have named Rolling Stones star Sir Mick Jagger as an honorary ambassador for the Amazon rainforest.
Sh-Boom! Magazine 