Arch MUSIC NEWS for 1/25/13

Arch MUSIC NEWS is compiled by Jay Philpott -
The Eagles’ Timothy B. Schmit is extending his belated but “sincere gratitude for the outpouring of get well wishes” he’s received during his short and seemingly successful bout with cancer. He says in a website letter that he greatly appreciates the e-cards and real cards as well as the well-wishes, positive thoughts, and prayers over his health.  Last month his assistant Julie told a Timothy B. Schmit fan site — with his permission — that he had been diagnosed with throat and neck cancer in October. She explained that he underwent surgery in New York after performing in Las Vegas on November 17th. She added that his pathology report indicated he was cancer free, so he wouldn’t need to undergo any post-operative radiation or chemotherapy treatments.

Elton John is returning to the Grammy stage. He’s among the latest additions to the event’s lineup, and is slated to perform with singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. Elton’s no stranger to Grammy collaborations. At the 2010 event he teamed up with Lady Gaga on a mash-up of “Your Song” and “Speechless.” And in 2001 Elton joined rapper Eminem for a performance of Em’s hit “Stan.” The 55th annual Grammy Awards will air on CBS on February 10th.

Dionne Warwick and George Thorogood and the Destroyers are among the stars on board to pay tribute to musical innovators. They’re slated to perform at the 15th annual Grammy Foundation Music Preservation Project concert. This year’s show, “Play It Forward: A Celebration of Music’s Evolution And Influencers,” pays tribute to music legends, highlighting their legacy, influence, and impact on American culture. Other artists on board for the event include country stars LeAnn Rimes, Rodney Crowell, and Emmylou Harris, Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger, rapper Lupe Fiasco, and gospel great Yolanda Adams. The “Play It Forward” concert will take place in Beverly Hills on February 7th as part of the Grammy Week festivities in conjunction with the 55th annual Grammy Awards.

Fleetwood Mac is extending their upcoming tour. The group has tacked on another 13 dates to the trek, which now continues into July, but so far has no date in St. Louis. The tour celebrates the band’s 35th anniversary edition of “Rumours”,which is due in stores on January 29th. The three-disc collection features the original album along with unreleased material from the “Rumours” sessions and live tracks from Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 tour.

Madonna‘s “MDNA” tour is taking its place as one of the best-selling tours of all time. The final numbers from her worldwide tour last year are in and Billboard Boxscore has ranked it the tenth most successful show on record. “MDNA” clocked in a gross profit of over 305 million dollars. More than two million, 200 thousand people attended Madonna’s show since it started last May in Israel and finished just before the holidays in Argentina. Though it was named the highest-grossing tour of 2012, Madonna couldn’t quite out-do herself this time around. Her 2008-2009 “Sticky & Sweet” tour brought in 408 million dollars and ranks at number three for all-time best-selling tours. It was the highest ever for a solo artist.

Green Day will be hitting the big screen at the X Games this weekend in Aspen, Colorado. The punk rockers’ new documentary, “Cuatro!,” is scheduled to debut at the Wheeler Opera House Saturday as part of the sporting event’s FILM Showcase. The doc takes viewers behind the scenes during the writing and recording of Green Day’s recent album trilogy — “Uno!,” “Dos!” and “Tre!” — and the band will reportedly pull back the curtain even more with a Q-and-A session right after the screening. The post on the band’s website doesn’t specifically say whether frontman Billie Joe Armstrong will be taking part in the event, but if he does, it will be his first major public appearance since checking into a rehab facility last fall. Green Day has been on hiatus since then, but they’ve announced plans to resume their postponed tour behind the new albums in March.

Adam Levine will be taking on a new “Saturday Night Live” role this weekend. After making four appearances on the NBC sketch comedy show with Maroon 5 — including one earlier this season – he’ll be the host. Levine recently released a series of promos for the gig with “SNL” cast member Bobby Moynihan, and many of them poke fun at his other job on “The Voice” and the singing competition’s infamous spinning red chairs.

Justin Timberlake‘s upcoming album “The 20/20 Experience” now has a release date. On Thursday, the singer released a lyric video for his new single “Suit & Tie,” flashing March 19th briefly at the end of the clip. The video is an extension of the “comeback” video Timberlake put out earlier this month announcing the new song. It follows J-T as he gets ready for the day – giving himself a shave and of course, getting himself all dressed up in a black-and-white suit and tie. He’s shown at work in the studio, then kicking back with a cigar and later at a casino. The star even flashes his new wedding band several times in the clip.

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