Arch MUSIC NEWS for 8/14/12

After getting a taste of the Kennedy lifestyle this summer, Taylor Swift apparently feels she could get used to it. The 22-year-old singer, who is dating Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s son Conor — just 18 — has bought a house in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, across the street from Conor’s grandmother Ethel.

Roger Daltrey hasn’t forgotten the words to “Baba O’Riley.” A post on The Who‘s website says the song’s altered phrasing during the group’s performance at Sunday’s Olympics Closing Ceremony was intentional. At the event Daltrey uttered the phrase “there’s more than teenage wasteland” instead of the original line “it’s only teenage wasteland.” The band’s statement calls the change “a perfect way to sum up the spirit of the games,” and the ideally group’s legacy as well. They add that the revised lyrics are “proving what The Who have always believed, ‘The Kids Are Alright!’”  The Who doesn’t address the omission of the phrase “hope I die before I get old” from “My Generation.” But that was just one of many lines cut from the group’s truncated performance of the 1965 hit…Unfortunately, Who fans in the USA didn’t see any of that since NBC pre-empted the band’s performance so it could air one of its new comedies.

 Slash admits there’s one place on his wish list of gigs that to date has never materialized. He says he’d love to be a guest on the long-running PBS children’s series “Sesame Street.” He says he’s never even been approached by the show to discuss the possibility of him spending a day with Oscar, Elmo, and Big Bird, and adds that there’s “no way” he’d turn it down. Slash suspects his image might be the problem, explaining that parents probably don’t consider him “the best public influence on little kids.”  Numerous celebrities have appeared on “Sesame Street” over the years, including a variety of music stars. The Goo Goo Dolls, Elvis Costello, and Stevie Wonder have visited the show. Ice-T, Ziggy Marley, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Tim McGraw, and Randy Travis are also on the show’s lengthy list of famous guests.

The Queen of Soul will be taking her place among the gospel greats. Aretha Franklin is part of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012. The legendary singer has strong ties to the genre. She gave her first public performance as a soloist at her father’s New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit.  Her induction is

ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Marianne Faithfull are among the artists taking part in a musical salute to Fleetwood Mac. “Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac” features a cover of “Oh Well” credited to Billy Gibbons and Company, while Faithfull contributes “Angel.”

Creed frontman Scott Stapp has gone through very public battles with sex, drugs, alcohol and depression, but the rocker is set to share even more in his upcoming “uncensored” memoir. Titled “Sinner’s Creed,” Stapp said in a statement that the book will reveal “never before released details” about his life and the challenges he’s faced as he’s worked toward “finding sobriety.” Stapp adds that he’ll cover everything from his childhood to his recent re-teaming with Creed. He and the band are currently on the road, and are scheduled to stop in Amarillo, Texas tonight. As for “Sinner’s Creed,” the book is due out October 2nd.