Music Biz Headlines, July 4, 2018
Oscar Peterson (pictured) inspires a novel, Michael Jackson stars at a London art exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, and Canadian stars reminisce about Massey Hall. Others in the headlines include Nick Lowe, Masters of the Telecaster, ticket scalping, Amy Winehouse, the UK summer of love, Dauphin Countryfest, Styx, Beethoven, Imagine Dragons, and Jon Hassell.
By Kerry Doole
London exhibition explores Michael Jackson as inspiration
A new art exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery depicts Jackson as a savior, a saint, an entertainer, an icon, a monarch, a mask and a mystery – Jill Lawless, AP
‘It was electric’ — Musicians share their top Massey Hall memories before it closes
It’s not a farewell, just a happy/sad “see ya soon.” But it’s still going to feel pretty weird when it finally sinks in, after Canada Day, that the beloved Toronto live venue Massey Hall will really, truly not be opening its doors again for at least two years – Ben Rayner, Toronto Star
Nick Lowe is back, swinging harder than ever
With a new EP, Nick Lowe is swinging hard again, and that’s good news for a couple of generations of fans who value the “roll” in rock ’n’ roll – Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune
Guitar royalty bring their Masters of the Telecaster concert to D.C. at last
The show featured guitar greats Jim Weider, G.E. Smith and Tom Principato, all playing the famed Telecaster at the City Winery –Geoffrey Himes, Washington Post
Novel is an homage to Canadian jazz legend Oscar Peterson
Montreal writer Mauricio Segura’s magic realist novel Oscar is an intriguing investigation into the life of one of Canada’s most iconic musicians, Oscar Peterson – Robert Collison, Toronto Star
New Ontario government puts brakes on anti-scalping law
No end in sight for sky-high markups, analysis of summer concerts shows – CBC
Another side of Amy Winehouse: intimate photographs by her friend Blake Wood
Photographer Blake Wood met the singer in 2008 at the height of her success. They became close friends, and his previously unseen portraits reveal a more carefree side to the troubled star – Tim Lewis, The Observer
Thirty years since the second summer of love
Three decades after acid house exploded on the UK club scene, Sharon Walker and her fellow ravers remember the blissed-out spirit of 1988 and the second summer of love –The Guardian
Wild weather, wicked music
Florida Georgia Line was among the acts who didn't give in to downpour at Dauphin's Countryfest – Erin Lebar, Winnipeg Free Press
‘Domo arigato’: Mr. Roboto’s redemption is at hand as Styx revives their Eighties hit
Dennis DeYoung describes it as an “experiment” that turned out “more cataclysmic than it needed to be.” Styx hasn’t performed the full song on stage in decades, until now – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
‘Ode to Joy’ has an odious history. Let’s give Beethoven’s most overplayed symphony a rest
One classical work, in particular, has an uncanny, seductive power to become exactly what its fans want it to be – John Terauds, Toronto Star
His new mission is trying to get the Mormon faith to be more inclusive for the LGBTQ community. The focal point of his efforts, the LoveLoud music festival, is the subject of “Believer,” a documentary on HBO – Rick Bentley, Tribune News Service
Jon Hassell at 81: Visionary composer-trumpeter reflects on a half-century of music on his own terms
