#103 Mar. 20, 2012: Fleetwood Mac; The Rolling Stones; Crosby, Stills &Nash; Don McLean; Paul Simon; The Temptations; former Yardbirds & Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page; Alan Jackson, Jewel & Rascal Flatts; Ringo Starr on George & Paul; The Eagles' Glenn Frey & Twisted Sister's Dee Snider; Bob Dylan; Kiss & Motley Crue; former teen idols Bobby Rydell & PJ Proby; Alice Cooper; Hot Tuna; Robert Cray - and more!

Is Fleetwood Mac done?

Mick Fleetwood, the 64-year-old drummer who founded Fleetwood Mac in London in 1967 with bassist John McVee and guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer, tells Playboy, “I don’t believe Fleetwood Mac will ever tour again, but I really hope we do.”

Fleetwood says Mac was ready to tour in 2010, but didn’t.  Then the band’s delayed touring in 2011 and once more in 2012 because of member’s solo projects. First, singer guitarist Lindsay Buckingham released a solo album, “Seeds We Sow,” and toured behind it. That was followed by singer Stevie Nicks’ solo album, “In Your Dreams,” and tour.

Tours of this magnitude take months to prepare. While Nicks is currently off the road, she’s made plans for three solo shows in New England from June 29-July 10 before hitting the road with Rod Stewart from July 20 through August 9, as she did last summer.  There goes the lucrative summer concert season.

So, in the meantime, Buckingham decided to play several southern California solo shows. He’ll be at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, north of San Diego, on May 3; at the Wiltern in Los Angeles on May 4; back down the 5 to the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on May 5; and up to the Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center on May 6.

“I’ve always been supportive of my band doing solo albums, so long as we kept our band together,” says Fleetwood. One concert promoter tells Playboy that an eight-month tour would net each band member $10 million.

Fleetwood expressed his frustration at having to pass on the big money. “It is certainly a blow to all of us financially,” He’s putting the band’s future all on Nicks. “It all comes down to her, and for the first time, I think even Lindsey has lost his patience.”

Fleetwood understands Nick’s thinking, to a point. “Stevie is really proud of her new album and I get that, but she will not let it go…she’s insistent upon working it until it’s incapable of growing further…she has become enthralled and obsessed with her album in a very nice but very inconvenient way. She’s working 20 times harder than she would ever have to do with Fleetwood Mac and not making anything close to as much money as she would with us. But this is what she wants to do, and I respect that.”

Rolling Stones talk tour

The Rolling Stones have postponed their 50^th anniversary tour this year. However, they will release an extensive documentary covering the band’s entire career that includes a treasure trove of  never-before-seen photos and film clips. The doc even includes current news about the band, including details of the recent two-year rift between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

The big new news is that Jagger and Richards are pals again after that massive rift, reports the New York Daily News. It was caused in 2010 by revelations and opinions about the singer from the guitarist in Richard’s No. 1 best selling memoir, “Life.” In the autobiography, Richards detailed his view that Jagger had become too controlling and at the same time distant, as well as his dig to Jagger’s pride that the legendary womanizer was rather, uh, small.

This healing between the two opens the door to a 51^st anniversary tour next year and both Stones appear genuinely excited about all of it. Rather than months of one-night stands in dozens of cities around the globe, the tentative plan is for a series of lengthy multi-concert runs in a few major cities.

The healing process between Jagger and Richards began in December when Richards booked time at a London studio for the band to jam. This was the first time since the end of their gigantically successful “Bigger Bang” tour in 2007 that they’d played together. Richards also invited original bassist Bill Wyman, who attended after having little or no contact with the others over the past two decades since he retired from the group in 1992.

Richards set the sessions up hoping to entice a hurt and angry Jagger, feeling that playing together would bring back the love. On the third day, Jagger did indeed show up and the band got on well and played a lot of blues and “Some Girls” outtakes, according to Jagger.

The real patching up, however, came in the last couple weeks in New York while the pair promoted the new film. Richards suggested that the two had a long heart-to-heart talk, during which they opened up about everything that had gone wrong between them over the years. Richards explains, “He & I have had conversations…of a kind we have not had for an extremely long time and that has been incredibly important to me.”

Richards also says, “I know that some parts of it (“Life”)…really offended Mick and I regret that.” Jagger sums it up in the film, saying, “Looking back at any career you are bound to recall both the highs and the lows. In the ‘80s, for instance, Keith and I were not communicating very well. I got very involved with the business side of The Stones, mainly because I felt no one else was interested. But it’s plain for the book that Keith felt excluded, which is a pity. Time, I recon, to move on.” 

Both men also revealed that they they’ve been practicing together again and, in fact, might even begin recording together again soon.

Richards is quoted in Britain’s Mirror as saying, “We’ll just get the boys back together again then and maybe cut a side. We’re planning to get things going…again.”

In other Stones news, as producer Michael Dorf had done in the past at Carnegie Hall with The Who, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, R.E.M. and Bob Dylan, “The Music of The Rolling Stones” that e put on, was a star-studded tribute, reports Billboard. Guest performers dug into songs exclusively from the band’s “Hot Rocks 1961-71” greatest hits double album.

Jagger’s former girlfriend Marianne Faithful sang her hit versions of “As Tears Go BY” and “Sister Morphine”; Roseanne Cash and former Lovin’ Spoonful leader John Sebastian surprised with “Gimme Shelter”; Ronnie Spector performed “Time is On My Side”; Steve Earle rocked on “Mother’s Little Helper,” while former Mott the Hoople leader Ian Hunter and his Rant Band ripped into “19^th Nervous Breakdown.”

Ricky Lee Jones delivered some “Sympathy For the Devil”; bluesman Taj Mahal performed a raw “Honky Tonk Women”; Marc Cohn and Jackson Browne teamed up on “Let’s Spend the Night Together” and were joined by Cash on “Wild Horses.” Former Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson played “Play With Fire” and unannounced surprise guest, Art Garfunkel, sweetly sang “Ruby Tuesday.” The entire cast ended the evening with a sing-along to “Tumbling Dice.”

Crosby, Stills & Nash’s big tour

Crosby, Stills and Nash announced a giant 52-date U.S. tour that will run all summer. The trio is donating $1 from each ticket to as-yet unnamed charities. The tour begins June 7 in Philadelphia and wraps September 19 at San Diego’s Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, and also includes stops on September 7 at L. A.’s Greek Theatre and on September 28 at the Santa Barbara County Bowl.

Don McLean considers retirement

Dom McLean, the 66-year-old troubadour whose 1971 single, “American Pie,” took the world by storm, hitting No. 1 here and in Canada, Australia and New Zealand (it reached No.2 in Britain), tells the Nashville Tennessean that’s thinking quitting life on the road as a touring pop and folk artist. However, that won’t be for another four years.

He says, “I’m 66 years old, and I think I’m going to retire when I’m 70, and do something else, and not do this anymore.” He says he wants to do something that tells his life story through his music. 

McLean, whose upcoming world tour begins April 13 in Lewiston, Maine, near where he lives, and consists of more than three dozen concerts, plays his only California show on May 5 at the Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, near San Diego.

Paul Simon to perform entire “Graceland”

Paul Simon will perform his classic 1986 “Graceland” album in its entirety when he headlines the final night of the giant Hard Rock Calling 2012 festival in Hyde Park in London, July 13-15. The landmark album that was voted No. 81 on Rolling Stone magazines 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, won the 1986 Grammy for Album of the Year, while the title song won the Record of the Year Grammy the next year.

The all-male South African singing group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who sang behind Simon on the album, will join him at this gig, marking their first U.K. reunion since 1987.

Before performing “Graceland” at the show, Simon will be joined onstage by reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and the two will duet on Cliff’s biggies, “The Harder They Come” and “Many Rivers to Cross,” both from the 1972 soundtrack to Cliff’s film, “The Harder They Come.”

“Graceland,” which was recorded in South Africa and sold more than five million copies in both the U.S. and Britain, will be released as a 25^th anniversary package along with a documentary, ”Under African Skies,” about Simon’s recent re-visit to South Africa a quarter-century later.

Other performers at Hard Rock Calling include Saturday headliners Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, as well as former Kinks leader Ray Davies, John Fogerty, Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, Adam Ant, and Mike & The Mechanics.

Temps join lawsuit conga line

The Temptations have joined an ever-increasing group of recording artists to sue past or current record labels over alleged owed royalties from digital songs and albums sold on iTunes, Amazon, etc. The group is suing UMG (Universal Music Group). At press time, UMG has had no comment.

The Temptations are currently touring the U.K. with The Four Tops. Another group, The Temptations Review Featuring Dennis Edwards, will appear at Buffalo Bill’s Casino in Primm, Nevada, at the California border, on May 27. In July 1968, Edwards replaced The Temps lead singer David Ruffin, and sang lead on the groups hits “Cloud Nine,” “Psychedelic Shack,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” “I Can’t Get Next to You,” “Ball of Confusion,” “Masterpiece” and others. He also provided backup vocals on the No. 1 smash, “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me),” in 1971. Now 69, Edwards left the group in 1977, and rejoined them from 1980 until 1984.

Jimmy Page finally releases album

In the early ‘70s, experimental American filmmaker Kenneth Anger commissioned Led Zeppelin’s songwriter-producer-guitarist Jimmy Page to produce a score for a film he’d been working on since 1966, “Lucifer Rising.” Page did this but his soundtrack was never used in the film that was finally released in 1972.

Forty years later, Page is releasing his re-mixed music from the film exclusively on his website, www.jimmypage.com.  Limited autographed copies of “Lucifer Rising and Other Sound Tracks” are available. In a post on his website, Page says, “This is a musical diary of avant-garde compositions and experiments, one of which was to appear on the film, ‘Lucifer Rising.” The title cut makes up all of side one of the vinyl album.

Jackson, Jewel & Rascal Flatts help out

Country stars have always been a charitable bunch. The town of Mineral, Virginia, collected the greatest number of online votes in a contest for an Alan Jackson concert. Its 31,000 votes beat out second place finisher, Kansas City. Because Mineral suffered considerable damage from a 5.8 earthquake last August, Jackson is waiving his usual fee and proceeds from the concert will go to the town’s repair projects.

Jewel has contributed her song, “Here’s Hope,” to ConAgra Foods’ Child Hunger Ends Here campaign to the campaign’s website. ConAgra’s goal is to donate five million meals during this school year.

Rascal Flatts were awarded the 2012 CRS Artist’s Humanitarian Award at the annual Country Radio Seminar for their efforts aiding, among others, the American Red Cross, the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, according to the Boot.

SxSW Fest happenings

The gigantic, sprawling SxSW music and film fest, conference and trade show held annually in Austin, Texas, is always a rock, pop and country music lover’s dream. Among the highlights from the 2,000 acts that performed from March 9-18, was the set from the fest’s keynote speaker Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band that featured an extensive showcase of tunes form his new CD, “Wrecking Ball,” according to the Associated Press

The set included the Boss et al, joined by Rage Against the Machine guitar wizard Tom Morello on three songs. The E Streeters were also joined by Jimmy Cliff on the same two songs that he’ll perform with Paul Simon in London in July, “The Harder They Come” and “Many Rivers to Cross.” Former Animals singer Eric Burdon sang his old British Invasion band’s 1965 hit, “We Gotta Get out of This Place” with Springsteen. The concert ended with Woody Guthrie’s iconic 1944 folk song, “This Land Is Your Land,” that saw Springsteen and the band joined onstage by Joe Ely, alt roots rocker Alejandro Escovedo and Canadian rockers Arcade Fire.

Earlier in the week, Springsteen joined Escovedo and his band onstage at his concert. The Boss was onstage for four songs, including what was described as an incredible 10-minute take on The Rolling Stones’ “Beast of Burdon,” that saw Escovedo and Springsteen joined by Ely, Rosie Flores and Garland Jeffreys.

Lionel Richie, who pre-sold 20,000 copies of his upcoming country CD, “Tuskegee,” in one hour during his Home Shopping Network’s live concert series special, was joined onstage by his old pal Kenny Rogers. The two sang, “Lady,” a song Richie wrote in 1980 and Rogers took to No. 1 on three Billboard charts, the Hot 100, Country Singles and Adult Contemporary.  As Rogers left the stage, Ritchie played the opening notes to Roger’s “The Gambler.” Rogers smiled and laughed and then flash a good-natured obscenity in Richie’s direction.

To mark the two-year anniversary of the passing of former Box Tops and Big Star leader Alex Chilton, only two days before Big Star was to stage a reunion concert at the 2010 SxSW, its surviving band members joined Oregon-based country-folkies Blitzen Trapper as well as Ken Stringfellow from veteran alt rock outfit, The Posies, and former R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills and guitarist Peter Buck at the Trapper’s show to perform Big Star’s “Easy.” Blitzen Trapper then ended their set by covering Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times.”

Among the documentaries to premiere at SxSW included “Big Easy Express,” about Chilton and Big Star; “Beware of Mr. Baker,” about Cream and Blind Faith drummer Ginger Baker that features interviews with other drummers, including Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones, Stewart Copeland of The Police and Neal Peart of Rush; and the afore-mentioned Paul Simon doc, “Under African Skies.”

Last but certainly not least, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons was there to introduce his new BBQ sauce, BFG, pouring it into tons of complimentary Bloody Mary’s at Lambert’s restaurant and passing them out to thrilled fans. Gibbons mentioned that he and his Lil Ol’ Band from Texas continue to work with producer Rick Rubin on their new album, but that Rubin, “likes to do things at his own pace,” meaning that it could be awhile longer before it’s ready. Gibbons also noted that he’ll be back for at least two more seasons of the Fox series, “Bones,” as Angela’s dad.

Ringo on George & Paul

Ringo Starr talked about George Harrison and Paul McCartney in an interview in Rolling Stone.

It was noted that Harrison offered to visit Starr’s daughter, who was in the hospital being treated for a brain tumor despite fighting his own brain and lung tumors at the time. After noting that his daughter is currently doing great, Starr said, “George was so generous. At that point he weighed nothing, he had the energy of a dead fly, and he said, ‘Do you want me to come to Boston with you?’ I well up every time I think of it.”

Of Paul McCartney and his bride Nancy, he said, “We love him and we love Nancy. It’s fun when the four of us hang out. They are caring and loving people.”

Glenn Frey & Dee Snider do the standards

Rockers have been releasing albums offering their own often-unique interpretations of  the classic standards they grew up with at least since Ringo Starr put out his “Sentimental Journey” LP in 1970, the first ever solo album by a Beatle, and a record that included the likes of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust,” Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” and Les Brown’s title cut, that he took to No. 7 in the U.K., No. 15 in Australia and No. 22 here.

Over the years, Rod Stewart hit gold not once, not twice, but eight times over the past decade with albums of classic standards and Motown hits. Ringo’s fellow Beatle, Paul McCartney’s brand new CD of standards, “Kisses on the Bottom,” recently hit No.3 in Britain and No. 5 in America.  

On May 8, these folks will be joined by The Eagles’ Glenn Frey and Twisted Sister glam rocker Dee Snider.

Frey’s “After Hours,” his first solo album in 20 years, covers songs that were hits from the ‘40s through the ‘60s, including “For Sentimental Reasons,” that was a hit over the years for Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Shore; Bobby Troup’s “Route 66”; Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “The Look of Love”; and Brian Wilson and Tony Asher’s Beach Boys hit, “Caroline, No.” 

Snider’s CD, “Dee Does Broadway,” will be available as a download. It features such Great White Way classics as “Mack the Knife,” “Cabaret,” and “I Get A Kick Out Of You.” Snider is joined by an array of guests, including Broadway legend Patti LuPone on “Tonight/Somewhere,” from “West Side Story”; “American Idol” runner-up Clay Aiken on “Luck Be a Lady,” from “Guys and Dolls”; “Whatever Lola Wants,” from “Damn Yankees,” with it’s Broadway revival star, Bebe Neuworth; and “Big Spender” from “Sweet Charity” with Cyndi Lauper.

Dylan marks milestone; recording new CD

It was 50 years ago this week that Bob Dylan released his first album. It was simply called “Bob Dylan” and it contained only two original songs, but it put him on his road to immortality and shaping history.

A year later, his follow-up LP, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,” lionized him as it contained his self-written protest classics, “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Masters of War,” “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”

Sometimes it’s easy to forget the titanic influence the 70-year-old balladeer from Hibbing, Minnesota, had on the volatile ‘60s, one of the most historically, socially and politically significant, exhilarating, and dramatic in American history. His stature then was nothing short of mythic; his impact and his contributions added to and changed America’s course.

Rolling Stone pointed out that at the time of the release of that first album, the U.S. Hot 100 was dominated by songs about a certain dance craze, the Twist. Eleven “Twist” songs were in that Hot 100 that week, including, “Hey, Let’s Twist,’ by Joey Dee & The Starlighters,” “Alvin Twist” by The Chipmunks, and The Marvelette’s follow-up to their No. 1 debut single, “Please, Mr. Postman,” called, believe it or not, “Twistin’ Postman.”

The Beach Boys had also released their debut record a bit earlier. Their premiere single, “Surfin’,” that came out in November the year before, was at No. 77 on the Hot 100.

By the way, Dylan’s not done yet. Los Lobos singer-guitarist Dave Hidalgo said he’s been recording a new Dylan album with him at Jackson Browne’s L.A. studio. Hidalgo told the Aspen Times that the new CD doesn’t sound like anything Dylan had ever done. “It’s amazing thing, how he keeps creativity. I don’t see how he does it.”

New Releases

Among the recent new releases, re-releases and deluxe sets out are “Greatest Hits” from Joan Baez; an import single from Erasure, “Fill Us With Fire”; two limited edition re-releases from former LaBelle singer, Nona Hendryx, 1982’s “The Art of Defense” and 1984’s “”Nona”; a 2-CD import, “The Very Best of Go West”; two “Expanded” re-issues from LaToya Jackson, 1984’s “Heart Don’t Lie” and 1986’s “Imagination”; “Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2011” from B.B. King (also on DVD); an 11-Cd import box set, “Complete Studio Albums 1983-2008,” from Madonna; “The Lost Sirens,” from English rockers New Order; a 2-CD import, “The Very Best of Stiff Little Fingers,” from the veteran Irish punkers;  and an import from UFO, “Chrysalis Years 2 1980-1986.”

Among the recent DVDs out are “With The Wild Crowd! Live in Athens. GA,” from The B-52’s; “Same Old Blues: Live In London 1975” from Lynyrd Skynyrd; and “Rockpalast” from Herman Brood & His Wild Romance, whose big hit here was “Saturday Night” in 1979.

Kiss & Motley joint tour

Kiss and Motley Crue will spend this summer sharing the stage. Crue singer Vince Neil tells Robin Leach of the Las Vegas Sun, “It’s really going to be cool because Kiss is bringing their full stage show, and Motley will be bringing our full stage show, so you are going t see two huge headliners at the same time.”

Neil noted that this isn’t the first time the two bands toured together, “It’s the first time since we were together on the Creatures of the Night Tour in 1982 – 30 years ago!”

The hard rock juggernaut will be at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista on August 12 and the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on August 14.  

Surgery for teen idol Rydell    

Illness has forced former teen idol Bobby Rydell to cancel his Australian tour, according to a post on his Facebook page. However, upcoming shows beginning April 20 in Trevese, Pennsylvania, six days before his 70^th birthday, remain on the docket.

Rydell initially posted, “Had to cancel my upcoming Australia tour due to some health issues. Can’t leave the country until I have major surgery. Doc says I will make a full recovery so think good thought for me everyone.” No further information has been forthcoming.

Rydell, who has been touring as part of the Golden Boys of Rock and Roll with Frankie Avalon and either Fabian or Edd “Kookie” Byrnes” for many years, has five Golden Boys dates set into August. The singer, who also drums and does impressions, and hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 in 1960 with “Wild One,” registered six Top 10 singles between 1959-1964, and 18 Top 40 hits during that time.

Teen idol Proby cleared

American expatriate former teen idol P.J. Proby, 73, who found far greater fame in Britain than he ever did in his native United States, has been cleared in an English court of nine charges that he cheated England’s Department for Works and Pensions out of approximately $70,000 between 2002-2008, reports BBC News. At the time the charges were made, Proby had less than $10 in his bank account.

Outside the court, Proby’s attorney read a statement from the singer saying, “for the past four years I have lived in fear of becoming homeless because my housing benefit was cut off, and of being wrongly sent to prison for a crime I never committed.” Of his recent concerts, he said, “I only performed to give pleasure and not to make money.”

In 1964, Yank Proby traveled to London where he met another American, Jackie DeShannon, who was living with Jimmy Page at the time. She helped him there. He appeared on the “Around The Beatles” ITV television special in April that year. From 1964-1968, he hit the British Top 40 eleven times, and the Canadian Top 40 four times.  His only U.S. hit, “Niki Hoeky,” made it to No. 23 in 1967. His 1965 cover of Donnie Brooks 1960 ht, “Mission Bell,” hit No.3 in Australia.

Things are looking up for Proby. This September through November, he’ll be part of the 29-date Sixties Gold Tour of the United Kingdom that also stars Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Animals and Chip Hawkes, former singer for The Tremoloes, whose biggies were their version of Cat Steven’s “Here Comes My Baby” and “Silence is Golden.”

Alice gets a … bobblehead

The National Hockey League’s Phoenix Coyotes recently held its first Alice Cooper Bobblehead Night. Ten thousand dolls were handed out to fans at the Coyotes-Dallas Stars game at Jobing.com Arena in Phoenix.

Coop, 64, is a well-known golf nut. It turns out that he’s also a hockey fanatic. He’s attended dozens of Coyotes games and is well-versed on the team, its players and coaches. This obsession with the game dates to his childhood in Detroit where he grew up following Gordie Howe and Terry Sawchuck and the Red Wings.  

Regarding hockey, Coop enthused, “It’s by far the most fun sport to watch,” according to Pollstar. The bobblehead night was called “Coop’s Troops” and the rocker hosted an arena full of members of the military. As host, Cooper participated in the ceremonial game-starting puck drop.

On the charts

Bruce Springsteen’s new “Wrecking Ball” is his tenth No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart. This ties him with Elvis for third on the all-time list. Jay Z is in second place. The Beatles sit alone at No.1.

George Straight now has 74 Top 5 Country Singles. His latest, “Love’s Gonna Make It,” moved from No.6 to No. 4. At age 79, Yoko One is on a Dance Chart winning streak. Her new single, “She Gets Down On Her Knees,” is Top 10 Dance hit number 12.  Whitney Houston still has five albums in the Top 40.

The British Top 40 album chart sees Springsteen at No. 5; Lionel Richie’s “Tuskegee” that comes out here on March 26, at No. 10; “The Very best of Michael Bolton” at No. 11’ “The Very best of Gilbert O’Sullivan” at No. 16; Whitney Houston’s “Essential” at No. 20’ and “The Ultimate Collection” from Doris Day sits at No. 40.

Among the artists not seen on the charts recently but which are on the British Top 100 Album chart includes “The Very Best of Bread” at No. 54; The Eurythmics’ “Ultimate Collection” at No. 88; “The Very best of Nina Simone” at No. 89; Doris Day’s “Greatest Hits and More” at No. 90, and “The Singles” from The Clash is at No. 100.

Now Playing

Classic acts from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s continue to perform. Here’s what some of them are doing.

In 1969, The Jefferson Airplane’s influential guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady formed the blues band, Hot Tuna, while their main gig was on a break. Forty two years later, at 71 and 67 years of age, respectively, Kaukonen and Casady are still on the job. Sometimes they perform as an acoustic outfit and other times as The Electric Hot Tuna. Sometime they perform as a duo and other times as a quartet, while Kaukonan embarks on solo tours as well.

The Electric Hot Tuna is playing Wanee Music Festival in Live Oak, Florida, on April 19. From May 20-May 27, Kaukonan will play five solo shows; one in Nelsonville, Ohio, and four in Italy. The electric contingent tours New England in June, while the acoustic version of the band is on the road for 23 shows from June 29-August 3, including an evening at Anthology in San Diego on July 27.

Oh yeah, they’ll be at the Breezes Grand Negril Resort in Negril, Jamaica, with Little Feat a year from now, March 6-10, 2013.

American blues singer-guitarist Robert Cray, 58, got his start in the last ‘70s with a bit of help from fan Eric Clapton, who selected him as his opening act. This came around the time Cray served as bassist for Otis Day and The Knights in “National Lampoon’s Animal House.” In 1986, his single, “Smoking Gun” made it to No. 2 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart (it hit No.22 on the Hot 100). Between 1995-2009, eight of nine albums hit the Top 3 Blues album chart and the one that didn’t hit No. 7.

Cray, who has a new album set for release in September, is a new inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame. He and his band are appearing at the Fox PAC theatre in Riverside on April 12, opening night of his upcoming tour. He’ll also play the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach on May 6.