It came as a bit of a surprise when I received notice of a Paul Simon tour kicking off next month ... I thought he wasn't going to do that anymore!
(Truth be told, he sounded a little bit rough at the SNL Anniversary Special last weekend, singing with Sabrina Carpenter ... but still a whole lot better than Paul McCartney did, who sounded like he was actually hurting himself as he strained to eek out each and every note.)
He's calling the tour "A Quiet Celebration" ...
And here are the dates we know so far ... many of which include multiple appearances in numerous cities ...
March 31st, April 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th at Saenger Theatre in New Orleans
April 8th, 10th and 11th at Bass Concert Hall in Austin, Texas
April 14th, 16th and 17th at The Paramount Theatre in Denver
April 20th, 22nd and 23rd at The Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis
April 26th at The Midland Theatre in Kansas City
April 28th and 29th at Stifle Theatre in St. Louis
May 7th and 8th at The AT&T Winspear Opera House in Dallas
May 11th, 13th and 14th at The Ryman in Nashville
May 17th and 18th at The Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee
May 21st, 23rd and 24th at Symphony Center Orchestra Hall right here in Chicago
May 27th, 29th and 30th at Massey Hall in Toronto
June 6th and 7th at Wolf Trap in Vienna
June 10th, 12th and 13th at Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston
June 1th, 18th, 20th, 21st and 23rd at The Beacon Theatre in New York
June 26th, 28th and 29th at The Academy Of Music in Philadelphia
July 7th at Terrace Theatre - Long Beach Performing Arts Centre in Los Angeles
July 9th, 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th at Disney Hall in Los Angeles
July 19th, 21st and 22nd at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco
July 25th, 26th and 28th at The Orpheum in Vancouver
and July 31st, August 2nd and August 3rd at Benaroya Hall in Seattle
He even made a short video to publicize the tour ...
Don Henley’s going back to court (Man, this boy SURE loves to litigate!)
I don’t think he’ll be too happy about this appearance, however, as this time around HE’S the one being sued.
After that whole long court case about his “stolen lyrics” (hand-written lyrics from the “Hotel California" era), Henley’s original suit against Glenn Horowitz, a rare-book dealer, was thrown out of court when it was discovered that his legal team held back several pertinent documents. Now Horowitz wants money for (essentially) pain and suffering … the embarrassment and humiliation of a court case that had no merit, tarnishing his reputation … and money to pay those court costs plus compensation for his own personal anguish.
"Glenn is looking forward to his day in court," his attorney Caitlin Robin said. "He already cleared his name when the charges against him were dismissed, but it's time to hold those responsible who were involved in his malicious prosecution."
In the original trial, Henley said that he had been trying to buy back a collection of about 100 pages of handwritten lyrics from the “Hotel California” era. He said that other pages (then in the possession of Horowitz) were offered for auction. He eventually went to the authorities and filed charges, describing himself as a “victim of extortion.”
Those charges were then brought against Horowitz, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia auctioneer Edward Kosinski, all accused of conspiring to possess stolen property. (The other side of the story says that Henley GAVE this material to journalist Ed Sanders, who had been hired to write an authorized biography of The Eagles. When Sanders disappeared with the material and it wound up in the hands of Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinski, Henley charged that they knew these pages had been taken from his home by Sanders, meaning they were now in possession of stolen property. (That biography of The Eagles never got written or published, by the way.)
However, in the original trial, the proceedings were halted after new evidence cast doubt on the charges. In what can only be described as an out-of-the-blue, jaw-dropping move, the judge ruled that due to newly disclosed emails between Henley, his manager Irving Azoff and their attorneys proved they were aware that Sanders had legally obtained the lyric sheets. Henley and his legal team, however, according to the decision handed down by the judge, "purposefully withheld any disclosure thereof because they knew it would exculpate plaintiff Glenn Horowitz and essentially destroy the fraudulent allegations they made about him." He chastised Henley’s team for “attempting to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging to their position that the lyric sheets were stolen." He threw the case out of court as having no legal binding.
Now, Horowitz is suing Henley, seeking millions in damages. His lawsuit claims that he was “deprived of his liberty and suffered humiliation, defamation, media harassment, diminished reputation, loss of business and/or loss of wages amounting in more than ten million dollars ($10,000,000.00), in addition to mental anguish, indignity, frustration and financial loss." His wife is also listed as a co-plaintiff, claiming that she, too, has suffered “humiliation, defamation, media harassment, diminished reputation, and mental and emotional anguish."
The documents (Henley’s lyric sheets) have been held by the district attorney ever since the suit was first filed … so right now it’s a case of Nobody Wins. (In fact, along the way, everybody LOSES … millions of dollars!)
Stay tuned. (If this gets moved to The People’s Court, we’ll be watching!) kk
One of the best musical autobiographies I’ve ever read came from Connie Francis.
I told Frank B that if he had a chance to call in when Connie was on Cousin Brucie’s Saturday Night Show and ask here when “Part 2” was coming out, I would love to know … it has been YEARS now since it was first promised.
Still, Frank had these tidbits to post …
When She Was Just 4 Years Old, She Was On The Radio …
And At 10 Years Old She Was On TV.
Connie Francis Got Her Stage Name From Arthur Godfrey, Who Told Her Her Real Name Was Too Long.
Bobby Darin Was The Love Of Her Life ... She Still Thinks About Him Every Day.
She's Close To A Deal To Turn Her Book Into A Movie.
Touching Story = This Little Girl Had Problems & Couldn't Speak,
The First Words She Spoke Were From The Movie "WHERE THE BOYS ARE."
That Little Girl Is Now A Grown Up Doctor. She Contacted Connie & Told Her This Story.
The Second Song In Cousin Brucie’s Connie Francis Medley Was "FRANKIE."
***of course THAT tidbit would matter to YOU!!! Lol - kk
DICK CLARK STORY ---
After Being Raped, She Hadn't Appeared In Public For Seven Years.
Dick Begged Her To Be On His Show. She Kept Saying No.
He Told Her She Could Sing One Line At A Time & They Would Put It Together.
She Could Lip-Sync Song. He Didn't Care If It Took 100 Takes --- It Took 200.
Connie Said It Wasn't Great --- But It Was Okay.
FRANK B.
Kent,
I agree. The Questlove / Sly and the Family Stone Documentary was very well done. I knew Sly got started with a Doo Wop Group, The Viscaynes, but I didn’t realize he had the early success as a disc jockey in San Francisco. He was a true genius.
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There are a couple of excellent Sly Stewart books on the market that delve quite a bit deeper than this documentary did (and let you know just how off the rails he really got along the way.)
I can recommend two right off the top of my head, both available from Amazon ...
This first one's by Joel Selvin, whose work I really admire:
https://www.amazon.com/Sly-Family-Stone-Oral-History/dp/1637585020/
While the second is by Sly Stone himself ...
https://www.amazon.com/Thank-You-Falettinme-Mice-Agin/dp/0374606978/
Best Classic Bands picks 16 of its favorite double-sided singles …
https://bestclassicbands.com/double-sided-hit-singles-10-12-1999/
It’s a total random “favorites” list, to be sure …
But if you want to see a list not only of the Biggest Two-Sided Hits of All-Time … as well as a list of Your All-Time Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides … then you need look no further than here:
https://forgottenhits.com/the_top_200_two-sided_hits_of_all-time
https://forgottenhits.com/your_top_200_favorite_forgotten_b-sides
Radio stations all over the country have been counting down and playing selections from these lists for decades now …
Perfect fodder for a weekend special. Give it a look! (And if you DO decide to do something with us, let us know so we can provide a Listen Live link or Podcast link so our other readers can enjoy it, too!) We DO love our B-Sides here in Forgotten Hits … so much so that we’re B-Sides ourselves!!! (kk)
Thanks for the great Burt Cummings review, Kent.
We are seeing him in Indiana in March ...
Kent,
Talking about pennies reminded me of the 1961 Shelby Flint song ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER (with a penny in her pocket). CB said not to take any Wooden Nickels. That reminded me of the 1972 Wolfman Jack song I AIN'T NEVER SEEN A WHITE MAN on the label Wooden Nickel. Big record here in the OKC area.
Larry
Wow … I sure don’t know that one!!! (lol) Incredibly, it bubbled under at #102 for ELEVEN WEEKS in Record World … I’m not sure how it even got played!!! (The title alone would probably get it banned in today’s overtly politically correct world!)
As for the Shelby Flint song, that one peaked at #22 on the national charts … and was a #8 hit here in Chicago. (kk)
UPDATE: Long-time FH Contributor Tom Diehl sent me a copy of the Wolfman Jack track … not quite what I thought it was … and definitely NOT a hit! Lol (kk)
The Wolfman (who gained whole new world-wide popularity after his appearance in the film “American Graffiti”) actually charted a few more times over the years … next in 1973 with “My Girl” (#118), again in 1975 with Todd Rundgren on a track CALLED “Wolfman Jack” (#94 in Cash Box … it never broke into The Top 100 in the other two trades) and most famously, of course, as part of The Guess Who’s Top Ten Hit, “Clap For The Wolfman,” in 1974. (My guess is that he made “guest appearances” on other records but just wasn’t credited. Records by Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids and The Stampeders, come to mind.) Having listened to a couple of these, I drop back to the old adage “Don’t quit your day job.” (Wolfman Jack also was the announcer (and sometime host) of TV’s “The Midnight Special” for years. He died in 1995. (kk)
DIDJAKNOW?: In 1973, The Wolfman was hired by WNBC in New York. Their big ad campaign was built around the slogan “Cousin Brucie's Days Are Numbered / Wolfman Jack Is on the Prowl." (Bruce Morrow was on competing station WABC at the time.) As it turned out, things went the other way around … the following year WNBC signed Cousin Brucie … and Wolfman Jack was back in California.
David Lewis tells us about the new Trini Lopez Museum, now open in Palm Springs …
https://modernismweek.com/2025/experiences/trini-lopez-museum/
Kent,
Thanks for the nice words.
Kind of a mixed bag today …
Happy 75th to Peter Gabriel 🎈🎂!!!! Seen here at a "Get Out The Vote" event at the Hollywood Palace.
After seeing "Chief" Perry White, I recalled Jack "Jimmy Olsen" Larson, seen here with actress/dancer Leslie Caron.
Count Gary Lewis in, backstage at Universal at a show. Went to Jr. High with his brother Ronnie.
Happy Birthday 🎈 🎂! to The Kinks drummer Mick Avory, February 15th.
Photo taken at Broxbourne Civic Hall, Hertfordshire, England.
Jim Roup
Gary Lewis has been a long-time friend of Forgotten Hits … LOVE his music. (Being the son of a famous comedian may have helped to launch his career … although Lewis and the Playboys were actually discovered performing at Disneyland!!! … but this guy made some GREAT records … eight straight Top Ten Hits right out of the box … and then six more that made The Top 40 after that! (kk)
And one photo from Timmy, which he dubbed “Cher-doo of the Day” …
This year’s big I Want My ‘80’s Tour features Rick Springfield, John Waite, Wang Chung and (in selected cities) Paul Young and John Cafferty.
Springfield, who’s been spearheading this thing for years, said “The I Want My ‘80s tour is back with a bang. On stage with me will be my good friends John Waite and Paul Young. Wang Chung, who aren’t my good friends yet, but I’m hoping they will be by the end of tour, will be joining us as well. It’s going to be f**king awesome. Can I say f**king awesome? Maybe not. It’s going to be gosh, darn awesome.”
And they’re playing just about EVERYWHERE!!! (Check out this itinerary list … gotta be one of the longest I’ve ever seen!!!)
May 28: St. Petersburg, FL Duke Energy Center
May 29: St. Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amphitheater
May 31: Brandon, MS Brandon Ampitheatre
June 1: Gautier, MS The Sound Amphiteatre
June 3: Charlotte, NC Skyla Credit Union
June 4: Raleigh, NC Red Hat Ampitheatre
June 6: Portsmouth, VA Alt. Union Bank Amphitheatre
June 7: Richmond, VA Allianz Amphitheatre
June 8: Roanoke, VA Elmwood Park Amphitheatre
June 13: Hammond, IN Horseshoe Casino
June 14: Tama, IA Meskwaki Bingo Casino
June 17: Fishers, IN Fishers Event Center
June 19: Welch, MN Treasure Island Amphitheatre
June 21: Eau Claire, WI Summer Jam (Springfield only)
June 23: Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center
June 24: Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion at Riverbend
June 25: Interlochen, MI Center for the Arts
June 27: New Lenox, IL Concert Series
June 28: Youngstown, OH Foundation Amphiteatre
June 29: Toledo, OH Toledo Zoo Amphiteatre
July 5: Lewiston, NY Artpark Outdoor Amphiteatre
July 6: Vienna, VA Filine Center at Wolftrap
July 8: Bridgeport, CT Hartford Health Amphitheatre
July 9: Westbury, NY Westbury Music Fair
July 11: Atlantic City, NJ Hard Rock Casino
July 12: Newark, NJ NJPAC
July 13: Bethlehem, PA Wind Creek Casino
July 18: Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
July 19: Norman, OK Riverwind Casino
July 20: Dallas, TX Music Hall at Fair Park
July 24: Quapaw, OK Downstream Casino
July 25: Dodge City, KS United Wireless Arena
July 27: Los Angeles, CA TBA
August 1: Lincoln, CA Thunder Valley Casino
August 2: Saratoga, CA Mountain Winery
August 3: Oceanside, CA Frontwave Arena
August 7: Englewood, CO Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
August 9: Scottsdale, AZ Talking Stick Casino
August 10: Henderson, NV Lee’s Family Forum
Shows kick off in May and currently run thru August. This sounds like a great night of ‘80’s music … we just may have to check it out when it hits New Lenox, IL in June! (kk)
Also hitting the road are Pat Benatar and her husband Neil Giraldo …
They’ve just announced a short spring North American Tour.
Here’s the list of stops so far:
4/11 - Agua Caliente Casino - Palm Springs, CA
4/19 - Smart Financial Centre - Sugar Land, TX
4/22 - Paramount Theatre - Austin, TX
4/23 - Majestic Theatre - San Antonio, TX
4/25 - Beau Rivage Resort & Casino - Biloxi, MS
4/26 - Graceland Soundstage - Memphis, TN
4/29 - Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium - Spartanburg, SC
5/01 - The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre - St. Augustine, FL
5/02 - Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Center - Fort Myers, FL
5/04 - Ovens Auditorium - Charlotte, NC
5/06 - Altria Theater - Richmond, VA
5/07 - Virginia Beach Dome - Virginia Beach, VA
5/09 - Clay Center for Arts & Sciences - Charleston, WV
5/10 - Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort - Mt. Pleasant, MI
5/12 - Warner Theatre - Erie, PA
5/14 - The Lyric Baltimore - Baltimore, MD
5/16 - Turning Stone Resort & Casino - Event Center - Verona, NY
5/17 - Fallsview Casino Resort - Grand Ballroom - Niagara Falls, ON
5/20 - Kirby Center for the Performing Arts - Wilkes Barre, PA
5/21 - Palace Theatre - Albany, NY
5/23 - Mershon Auditorium - Columbus, OH
5/24 - Centennial Terrace - Sylvania, OH
5/27 - Peoples Bank Theatre - Marietta, OH
5/29 - Caesars Windsor - The Colosseum - Windsor, ON
5/30 - Blue Gate Theatre - Shipshewana, IN
6/01 - Freeman Arts Pavillion - Selbyville, DE
A SOUL LEGEND HAS DIED …
R I P Tommy Hunt -- Member Of The Flamingos
I Bought His Solo 45 / "HUMAN" - 1962
He Was 91.
He Requested That "I'VE GOTTA BE ME" By Sammy Davis, Jr. Be Played At His Funeral.
FB
Sick Bay for former Eagle Don Felder and Brian Setzer of Stray Cats fame …
Felder had to be helped off stage in the middle of a performance last week …
They’re chalking it up to dehydration
Setzer says he’s been unable to play the guitar!
In his own words:
Hi everybody,
I just wanted to check in with you all. Towards the end of the last Stray Cats tour I noticed that my hands were cramping up. I’ve since discovered that I have an auto-immune disease. I cannot play guitar. There is no pain, but it feels like I am wearing a pair of gloves when I try to play. I have seen some progress in that I can hold a pen and tie my shoes. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I was at a point where I couldn’t even do that. Luckily, I have the best hospital in the world down the block from me. It’s called the Mayo Clinic. I know I will beat this, it will just take some time.
I love you all,
Brian
And a timely word from Chuck Buell …
The Invasion of the Girl Scout Cookie Sellers has arrived!
The Snoop Dog and I Agree!
CB ( which stands for "Cookie Boy!" )
