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SHACK NEWS UPDATE

A GOODBYE TO LEVI

Arguably the most powerful voice in Motown's storied history has been silenced. Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs, Jr., died on Friday Oct. 17th at his home in Detroit after a long series illnesses -- including cancer and a stroke -- that forced him to stop performing in 2000. He was 72.

Funeral arrangements are pending for Stubbs, who is survived by Clineice, his wife of 48 years, and five children.

"He had one of the most prolific and identifiably voices in American history," the Motown Alumni Association's Billy J. Wilson tells Billboard.com. "It's a deep loss, to the entire Motown family and to the world."

Stubbs' death leaves Abdul "Duke" Fakir as the Tops' only living member from the original quartet, which formed in 1954 as the Four Aims and signed with Motown nine years later. Laurence Payton passed away in 1997, and Renaldo "Obie" Benson died in 2005.

Fakir continues to lead a version of the Tops that includes Payton's son Roquel, former Temptations member Theo Peoples and Motown veteran Ronnie McNeir.

Stubbs -- born Levi Stubbles in Detroit -- gave voice to enduring hits such as "Baby I Need Your Loving," "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)," "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Brenadette" and others. The Tops have sold more than 50 million records and racked up 45 chart hits for the Motown, ABC Dunhill, Arista and Casablanca labels, and the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

This Weekend "The 70's Shack" Remembers
Levi Stubbs.

DEE DEE WARWICK ALSO PASSES

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Dee Dee Warwick, a soul singer who won recognition for both her solo work and her performances with her older sister Dionne Warwick, has died. She was 63.

Warwick died Saturday at a nursing home in Essex County, said Kevin Sasaki, a family spokesman. She had been in failing health in recent months, he said, and her sister was with her when she died.

Warwick had several hits on the soul and R&B charts in the 1960s and 70s, including "Foolish Fool," "She Didn't Know (She Kept on Talking)" and a version of "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" that was later covered by Diana Ross and The Supremes.

Warwick also was a two-time Grammy Award nominee and sang backup for Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and others before starting her solo career.

Warwick was the niece of gospel singer Cissy Houston and a cousin of Whitney Houston.

Born in Newark, Warwick was a teenager when she began singing with her older sister in the late 1950s. The two performed as The Gospelaires and also collaborated and sang with the Drinkard Singers, a long-running gospel group that also featured some of the Warwicks' aunts and uncles and was managed by their mother.

Most recently, Warwick provided background vocals for her sister's recent one-woman autobiographical show, "My Music & Me," which played to sold-out crowds in Europe this year. She also performed on the title song from Dionne Warwick's gospel album, "Why We Sing," released January 2008.

STARR RE-EXPLAINS

Ringo Starr has released a statement explaining his decision to no longer sign fan mail. The drummer maintains that his message wasn't geared toward his "real fans," but rather a response to the "amount of items which have recently appeared for sale on eBay, and to those that repeatedly send . . . items to be signed." Also, Starr says he objected to the amount of paper being wasted, reminding fans to "be mindful of our carbon footprint."

STEWART TO PLAY FOR PRINCE

Rod Stewart will serve as the musical entertainment at a 60th birthday party for Prince Charles that's scheduled for Nov. 15 inHighgrove, England. Although Stewart reportedly usually requires more than $1.5 million for private concerts, he's agreed to sing free of charge as a present for Charles, who's a longtime friend. Speaking of special performances, Diana Ross will give one Dec. 11 in Oslo, Norway, at the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Concert.

ELTON TO WRITE MUSIC FOR BEN STILLER

Elton John plans to write a musical movie for Ben Stiller. "It's about a guy on Broadway who is gay, has HIV and AIDS, and has to go back and face his wife and his kids that he left," he explains. Other upcoming projects for the singer-keyboardist include a 2009 tour with Billy Joel and an animated musical. Elsewhere, John has added February dates to his stint at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

NEW McCARTNEY BIOGRAPHY IN THE WORKS

A new biography about Paul McCartney will be published in the fall of 2010. The as-yet-untitled book will be written by Howard Sounes, who penned the acclaimed Bob Dylan biography Down the Highway. Meanwhile, McCartney has joined People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' campaign to urge Giorgio Armani to stop using fur. The singer reserved particular emphasis for the designer's line of clothing for children.

JAMES TAYLOR TO PLAY FOR OBAMA

James Taylor will play a series of free shows in North Carolina in support of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The five performances will take place in five different cities -- Charlotte, Asheville, Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Wilmington -- and will run from Sunday to Tuesday. Meanwhile, JT's Covers album drops six spots, from No. 4 to No. 10, on the latest Billboard 200. The set sold approximately 44,000 copies during its second week of release.

SPRINGSTEEN, POLICE & BON JOVI VIE FOR HONORS

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, the Police and Bon Jovi will square off against one another for two major honors at the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards. The three acts are in the running for the Top Tour and Top Draw prizes. In addition, the joint bill of Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick is a finalist in the Top Package category. The ceremony is scheduled to take place Nov. 20 in New York.

CAT STEVENS DEFINITIVE WORKS REISSUED

The two studio recordings that are considered by many to be Cat Stevens' definitive works, 1970's Tea for the Tillerman and 1972's Teaser for the Firecat, will be reissued Nov. 4 as expanded, double-album sets. Each collection will boast an array of previously unreleased tunes, many of them taken from Stevens' live performances, plus an assortment of demos. Also included will be booklets that contain all-new liner notes and each album's original artwork.

TAMMI TERRELL TO JOIN PHILLY WALK OF FAME

Late singer Tammi Terrell, who made Motown magic with Marvin Gaye more than 40 years ago, is among the five artists who will enter the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame on Oct. 23. The inductees' names will be enshrined on bronze plaques that are cemented on the sidewalk along the city's Avenue of the Arts. Also joining the Walk are Billy Paul ("Me and Mrs. Jones") and Dee Dee Sharp ("Mashed Potato Time").

BLONDE TO RECEIVE ICON AWARD

Blondie frontwoman Deborah Harry is set to receive the prestigious Icon award at Billboard's 2008 Women in Music event, taking place Oct. 24 inNew York. The honor is meant to recognize "a woman whose art and career have blazed trails for successive generations." In other Blondie-related news, guitarist Chris Stein has just posted a message urging young people to hit the polls on Election Day. "Get out and do your thing," he writes.Billboard.com

KINKS RAY DAVIES TO TOUR IN U.S.

The Kinks' Ray Davies is preparing to return to the United States in the late fall for a solo tour. The first show is slated to take place Nov. 28 in Tampa, Fla., with the closer set for Dec. 12 in New York. In other news, the London run of Davies' stage musical, Come Dancing, has been extended through Nov. 8 "due to overwhelming public demand." Ray Davies -- Official Site

ALL MOTOWN #1’S TO BE RELEASED

Motown Records is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a 10-CD box set of chart-toppers titled Motown: The Complete No. 1's. The collection, due Dec. 9, features 191 tracks from such artists as Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, the Jackson 5, the Four Tops, the Commodores, Thelma Houston, Edwin Starr and Smokey Robinson, among many others. "We bombarded the world with hit records," writes Robinson in the anthology's liner notes.

NOMINATION CITY FOR EAGLES

The Eagles have landed four nominations for the 36th annual American Music Awards. The band is in the running to be honored as Artist of the Year; favorite adult contemporary artist; favorite pop/rock band, duo or group; and favorite pop/rock album (for Long Road Out of Eden). The soundtrack to Mamma Mia!, featuring cast covers of ABBA tunes, also is up for an AMA. ABC's live coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 23.

PR Newswire

BJORN ULVAEUS ABSOLVED OF TAX DISPUTE

ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus has been absolved of any wrongdoing in an extended dispute with the Swedish Tax Agency. The star was accused of not paying roughly $12 million in taxes and interest on royalties earned from ABBA's back catalog. "I am of course very happy to have it down in black and white that I always went about things the right way with my original tax payments," Ulvaeus said.The Local

STEVEN TYLER TO PERFORM AT DAUGHTERS SCHOOL

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will give a special performance Saturday in Braintree, Mass., at Thayer Academy during an event celebrating the opening of the school's new Center of the Arts. The gala will give Thayer students and their parents -- including Tyler -- the opportunity to explore the new facility. The singer's daughter Chelsea graduated from the school last year, and his son, Taj, is slated to attend until 2010.

Wicked Local

MEAT LOAF HOSPITALIZED & RELEASED

A publicist for Meat Loaf says the 57-year-old rocker was hospitalized in London for three days following an awards ceremony earlier this week.

Publicist Kirt Webster says Meat Loaf was admitted to a private hospital in central London on Monday, immediately after winning Q Magazine's "Classic Song" award for his rock epic "Bat Out of Hell." Webster said in an e-mail Friday that Meat Loaf stayed at The London Clinic for three days for "testing and evaluation." The reason for the hospitalization wasn't disclosed. Webster says Meat Loaf has been cleared to travel back to the U.S. He's set to perform in Clearwater, Florida, on October 17 and Pompano Beach, Florida, on October 18.

YOUNG TO RELEASE LIVE ALBUM

A new archival Neil Young concert recording titledSugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968 is slated for release on Nov. 25. The double-album collection is expected to include performances from two shows that took place in Ann Arbor, Mich. Meanwhile, the in-store date for Young's oft-delayed Archives Volume 1 box set apparently has been postponed again because of production issues. The anthology now is expected to arrive early next year.

BROWNE, ROBINSON & EW&F TO PERFORM

Jackson Browne, Smokey Robinson and Earth, Wind & Fire will perform at the Dream Believe Achieve Inspiration Gala, scheduled for Oct. 21 in Los Angeles. Proceeds from the event will benefit three nonprofit groups that offer recreational, cultural and educational activities for South Los Angeles youths and their families. In other news, Browne will be the musical guest this Friday on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

FRANKLIN & TURNER FEUD ON

The feud between legendary divas Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner over the coveted "Queen" title continues to escalate. Back in February, Franklin criticized R&B star Beyoncé for applying the royal honor to Turner at the Grammy Awards; when Turner kicked off her comeback tour last week, she resurrected the issue with a crack about Franklin's big ego. Franklin responds, "I never figured her to resort to tacky press just to sell a few tickets."

LOGGINS TALKS OF FOOTLOOSE

It's been roughly a quarter century since Kenny Loggins penned the hit title track to 1984's Footloose, and the singer says he's proud that the tune and film have both withstood the test of time. "Footloose was a break for me, a change in the direction in my career," he explains. "It's not often that something with the staying power it has comes along for an artist. The movie is still heavily rented today."

LOUIS ARMSTRONG BIOPIC PLANNED

A movie based on the life of Louis Armstrong is in the works, with Forest Whitaker set to direct and star. The biopic, which will be titled What a Wonderful World, will begin shooting next summer in Louisiana. "Armstrong left a monumental mark on our lives and our culture," says Whitaker. "He . . . shifted the way music was played and would be heard after him . . . all over the world."

ONO & EMI DROP LEGAL ACTION

John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, and EMI Records have dropped legal actions they brought against the makers of the documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed for using a 15-second clip of the song "Imagine." In June, a judge ruled against Ono regarding her copyright-infringement lawsuit seeking to prevent the snippet's use. Meanwhile, an exhibit of Lennon's visual art opens Thursday at a New York gallery to commemorate what would have been the ex-Beatle's 68th birthday.

WORKING OUT FLEETWOOD MAC

Lindsey Buckingham says that if Fleetwood Mac are to go forward with a new studio album, there needs to be a meeting with one of the group's key members beforehand. "[Stevie Nicks and I] still have some things to work out, and I think that that's the important thing at this point, otherwise, nothing's going to happen," he explains. "Let's acknowledge each other's feelings, let's be adults for a change, if that's possible."

OLIVIA’S WEBSITE RAMPS UP CANCER AWARENESS

Olivia Newton-John's Liv.com website has ramped up its efforts in the battle against breast cancer by featuring content from Imaginis.com, a website that specializes in providing information on a variety of medical issues that affect women. "Knowledge is power and Imaginis.com helps Liv.com provide women with the answers to their questions about breast cancer so they can better understand their own breast health," says Newton-John, herself a breast cancer survivor.

WILSON & JARDINE TO PLAY AT BENEFIT

Beach Boys own Brian Wilson & Al Jardine ae among the artists slated to perform at the Carl Wilson Tribute 10 Year Anniversary Benefit Concert & Fundraiser, taking place Oct. 19 inWest Hollywood, Calif. The organization funds cancer research and benefits those afflicted with the disease. Meanwhile, artwork by Wilson will be up for bids next month at a Prince's Trust auction.

Brian Wilson -- Official Site

NATALIE OUT OF HOSPITAL

Natalie Cole is out of the hospital and recuperating at her home in Los Angeles after suffering a setback last month in her ongoing battle with hepatitis C. "The hepatitis C is pretty much under control," said her rep Maureen O'Connor, who added that the 58-year-old singer will spend most of October on bed rest. O'Connor is optimistic that Cole will resume her tour in November. Her new album, Still Unforgettable, is in stores now.

TINA TURNER ROCKS

Tina Turner's long-awaited comeback tour kicked off with a bang Wednesday, as the legendary diva rocked the crowd at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. The set featured sequins, feathers, high heels and higher hemlines, plus a long list of hits like "Proud Mary" and "What's Love Got To Do With It." "Once I saw some of [designer] Bob Mackie's costumes, I started getting excited," Turner says of the tour. Check out clips from opening night here.