108 - April 26, 2012: former Commodores leader Lionel Ritchie; The Rolling Stones; Taylor Swift as Joni Mitchell; Mexican rockers Man'a; Chris Cornell & Soundgarden; former Bee Gee Robin Gibb; Neil Diamond; Willie Nelson; Cheap Trick & Dave Mason; The Beach Boys; Ron Wood & Friends; Flying Burrito Brothers' Chris Ethridge; Bob Dylan on Levon Helm; Thee Midnighters - and more!

Lionel Ritchie’s first No. 1 CD in 26 years

Lionel Ritchie’s new country album, “Tuskegee,” is at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album chart. It’s his first No. 1 here in 26 years, since his quadruple-platinum album “Dancing on the Ceiling” went to the top of the pop album chart in 1986. It’s also No. 1 on the Country and the Digital album charts.

“Tuskegee” sees the smooth 62-year-old R&B and pop star re-record his hits country-style with help from the likes of Tim McGraw, Shania Twain, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, Rascal Flatts, fellow crossover guy-former Hootie and The Blowfish leader Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney and Kenny Rogers, who duets on the Ritchie-penned “Lady,” that Rogers took to No. 1 in 1980, a song Billboard lists at No. 47 on its All Time Top 100.

Surprisingly, Ritchie is not capitalizing on his hit album with a big tour. In fact, he doesn’t have a single upcoming U.S. concert scheduled for the remainder of the year. Instead, he’ll be in Britain and Europe touring, but not until September 24. That tour runs through December 6.

Film talk: The Stones & Taylor Swift as Joni Mitchell

Variety reports that Taylor Swift is actively engaged in talks to portray Joni Mitchell in the film version of Sheila Weil’s biography, “Girls Like Us,” that charts the lives and careers of Carole King, Carly Simon and Mitchell during the ‘70s.

The Rolling Stones will be the subject of a dramatic film based on Robert Greenfield’s 2008 book, “Exile on Main Street: A Season in Hell” to be produced by Richard Branson’s Virgin Produced film company, according to Deadline Hollywood.

The film and book are about the summer of 1971 when the band became tax exiles and fled Britain for a chateau in the south of France, which is where the lion’s share of their classic album, “Exile on Main Street,” was recorded. The film will shine its spotlight on the difficult relationship at the time between band leaders Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who began using heroin on a daily basis while there.

The band set up its recording studio in the chateau’s basement. Of this setup, Richards told Rolling Stone magazine, “It wasn’t a great environment for, like, breathing. It was very Hitler-esque – the last days of Berlin sort of thing.”

Urban newest Opry member

New Zealand-born and Australia raised Keith Urban is the newest country star to be inducted into Nashville’s hallowed Grand Ole Opry. Since his recording career began in 1990, the singer has lassoed six platinum and multi-platinum albums and nine gold singles. 

Of his induction, Urban said, “This is a responsibility I take deep to the heart of me. This once and for all shows the global popularity and reach of country music. I honor the history of country music, but I absolutely fully dedicate myself to the future of country music.”

Man’a breaks Staples record

Veteran Mexican rockers Man’a did something that Madonna, U2 and countless others haven’t. The four-time Grammy-winning quartet that formed in Guadalajara in 1986 just played eleven sold-out shows at the Staples Center in Downtown L.A., according to KABC-7.

Alex Gonzales, the 43-year-old drummer, who is al known as El Animal, said, “It’s a tremendous honor to say that this beautiful building is not only the home to the Lakers, but now it’s the Man’a house. We don’t have a huge marketing machine behind us. All we have is our music and our talent.”

The group’s latest album, “Drama y Luz,” that was released last April has gone double-platinum and won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. Three singles from the album hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Tracks chart.

First Soundgarden single of new music in 15 years

Seattle grunge rock pioneers Soundgarden has released its first single of new music in 15 years (the band released two remixed singles of 20-year-old outtakes when they re-grouped in 2010). All four band members receive songwriting credit. “Live to Rise” will appear on the upcoming soundtrack album for “Marvel’s The Avengers.” It’s available exclusively for download on iTunes. The group’s last single, singer Chris Cornell’s “Bleed Together,” made it to No. 13 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1997, the year it broke up.

Robin Gibb awakens from coma

Former Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, 62, awakened for a coma after nearly two weeks. He fell into the coma after contracting pneumonia in a hospital in central London, reports the U.K.’s Daily Mail.

Shortly before he awakened, his fellow Bee Gees brother Barry, sang to him at his bedside, and he cried when his wife, Dwina, played him Roy Orbison’s 1961 tear-jerker ballad, “Crying.” His three kids were also playing him his favorite music. Eventually he awakened, opened his eyes, looked his 28-year-old son Robin-John and said, “Hello, RJ.”

“Robin is fully conscious, lucid and is able to speak to his loved ones. He is breathing on his own, with an oxygen mask,” his gastroenterologist, Andrew Thillainayagam, said in a statement.

He’s been battling colorectal cancer and received aggressive chemo for it. He also underwent two surgeries.

Neil Diamond ties knot; “I do,” he says.

In a ceremony in Los Angeles, Neil Diamond, 71, married his manager, Katie McNeil, 42, according to People. It was Diamond’s third marriage and McNeil’s first.

Diamond’s upcoming American tour kicks off June 1 in Sunrise, Florida, and includes five hot August nights at the Greek Theatre in L.A. from August 11-25, with stops at the Cricket Amphitheatre in Chula Vista on August 14 and the Honda Center in Anaheim on August 21 in between. At the Greek, Diamond will celebrate the 40^th anniversary of his double-platinum live 2-LP, “Hot August Nights,” that he recorded at the venue.

Willie Nelson statue

Before a crowd that included his old friend Kris Kristofferson, Austin-area rancher and country music legend Willie Nelson helped to unveil an 8-foot statue of himself on Willie Nelson Blvd., in downtown Austin, reports the Associated Press. The bronze statue shows the singer sitting on a rock, thoughtful and smiling, resting his arm against his beloved beat-up old guitar, Trigger, that he’s used for decades.

To commemorate the event that coincidentally took place on 4/20, the unofficial but widely practiced Marijuana Appreciation Day, Nelson, who turns 79 next week, serenaded the adoring throng that included a woman on horseback with, “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.”

Mayor Lee Leffingwell said, “No one has done more to make Austin the Live Music Capitol of the World.”

New releases

Among the recent new albums, re-issues and deluxe box sets are the 2-CD, “New Blood Live in London” from Peter Gabriel; “Satchurated: Live in Montreal: from guitar wizard Joe Satriani; “Blues for the Modern Daze,” from former Canned Heat and John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers guitar great Walter Trout; “Nashville 1: Tear the Woodpile,” from Grand Ole Opry member Marty Stuart; Carole King’s “The Legendary  Demos”; and a 2-CD/1DVD set, “Live At The Moody Theater,” from The Warren Haynes Band.

There are two new Monkees releases out. A CD/DVD set, “Pool It!: The Deluxe Edition,” from The Monkees; and “The Bell Recordings 1971-72,” from Davy Jones’ immediate post-Monkees years.

New DVDs include Joe Jackson’s “Rockpalast” and a compilation, “The Story of Rock and Roll Comics.”

Earth Day in DC

Earth Day events were held around the world. In Washington DC, the Earth Day Network sponsored a free rain-dampened concert on the Mall headlined by Cheap Trick and former Traffic singer-guitarist Dave Mason. Up and coming teen popsters Kicking Daisies also performed.

Beach Boys album & singles release dates set

The as-yet-untitled album by The Beach Boys will be released June 5, according to a video announcement by the group and Capitol Records.

It’s the first album of new songs by the four main surviving members of The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston) since their self-titled album, simply called “The Beach Boys,” in 1985, and the first with original guitarist David Marks since the group’s fourth album, the platinum-selling, “Little Deuce Coupe,” came out in October 1963.

The album’s first single, “That’s Why God Made The Radio,” will also come out that day. Portions of the song, a slow dancing ‘50s doo-wop tune, can be heard on YouTube under “The Beach Boys – Single Sizzle Reel.”

The guys recorded a live in-studio performance with interviews that will air on May 26 on SiriusXM radio that saw them run through classic hits as well as songs from the new album.

The re-united band launched its first tour with Wilson in a couple decades this week in Tucson. The tour stops at the Hollywood Bowl on June 2 and the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine on June 2.

Ron Wood & Friends in Atlantic City

Faces and Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood headlined a one-off concert billed as “Ron Wood and Friends” at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

It was the guitarist’s first American solo gig, if you don’t count his 18 concerts in 1979 fronting The New Barbarians in which Keith Richards, fusion bass superstar Stanley Clarke and Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan, Stones saxman Bobby Keyes and drummer Ziggy Modeliste of The Meters; and a 1987-88 tour he co-headlined with Bo Diddley as The Gunslingers, that played, among other venues, Magic Mountain in Valencia. 

Wood and an unknown band ripped through a potpourri of songs from throughout a career that dates to 1968 when he was bassist in The Jeff Beck Group, including The Faces “Ooh La La,” “Stay With Me,” and a few Stones’ rarities, including the 1981 blues-rocker, “Black Limousine,” and “Pretty Beat Up,” from 1983’s “Undercover.” He also wailed through his biggest solo song, Bob Dylan’s “Seven Days.”

Wood was initially staying at the hotel in Atlantic City while his paintings were being shown at a NYC gallery.  The owner of the hotel is a friend of his and he said, “While you’re doing your artwork, how about playing the Golden Nugget?’ I (figured), why not? If I like it, maybe I’ll play (the Golden Nugget) in Vegas, too. I’m just putting my toe in the water.”

Wood’s newest composition, “Coming Together,” was featured on the season finale of “SCI: Miami.” Wood’s a nut for the show and wrote the song especially for the series. “Not only am I the biggest fan of ‘SCI: Miami,’ but I have made some great friends amongst the cast members. This song reflects their friendship and mine, and I hope it (was) a fitting comment for the season finale.”

Burrito Brothers’ Ethridge dies

Bassist Chris Ethridge, a founding member of the ‘60s country-rock pioneers, The Flying Burrito Brothers, with former Byrds Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman and steel pedal guitarist Sneaky Pete Kleinow, died in a hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, at 65, according to the Washington Post. No cause of death was given but he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last September.
After his Burrito Brothers gig ended in 1970, the bassist continued to collaborate on and off with Parsons until the mercurial singer-songwriter’s morphine and alcohol overdose death at 26 in 1973. Ethridge also worked with the likes of Judy Collins, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Leon Russell, Randy Newman and blues-rocker Johnny Winter.

Ethridge later spent eight years as a member of Willie Nelson’s Family Band. Of Ethridge, Nelson tweeted, “(Willie Nelson and Family) are sad to hear of the passing of Family member and friend, Chris Ethridge he was a talented musician & we were honored to call him friend.”

Dylan responds to pal Helm’s death

Bob Dylan responded to the death of his former drummer and collaborator, Levon Helm of The Band, who passed away on April 19 in New York City at age 71.

“He was my bosom buddy friend to the end, one of the last true great spirits of my or any other generation. This is just so sad to talk about,” Dylan posted on his website. “I can still remember the first day I met him and the last day I saw him. We go back pretty far and had been through some trials together. I’m going to miss him, as I’m sure a whole lot of others will too.”

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

Chicano rockers Thee Midnighters scored mid-60’s hits with their take on “Land of a Thousand Dances” and with the instrumental, “Whittier Boulevard.” The band is still performing and have three concerts in the Los Angeles area set over the next few months.

They’ll celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet on, yes, May 5, before playing a gig on May 18 with ‘70s Latin R&B hitmakers Tierra at a secret venue in Studio City. Go to www.songkick.com/concerts for details. On July 7, Thee Midnighters will be at Nick’s Taste of Texas in Covina.