Link-O-Rama …
Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson wed in secret ceremony - The New York Observer
IFPI and Czech police shut down server at Czech Academy of Science for its wicked, wicked, music piracy ways - Ars Technica
Could this save the recording industry? Sony BMG signs three singing priests in a $2 mil deal. It's probably safe to assume the priests' fans aren't prone to stealing music - Deeside Piper and Herald
Murray State University to use sirens mounted on 50-foot poles so that students using iPods and earbuds can hear emergency message warnings - Wave3.com / Associated Press
Honda robot ASIMO to conduct Detroit Symphony Orchestra - Motor Trend
What are you doing on May 14? Utica, NY, is celebrating B.B. King Day - WKTV
Dates, Dates & More Dates …
Irish rockers Bell X1 hit the clubs in May and June. Stops include May 16 in Boston at the Paradise Rock Club, May 22 in Atlanta at Vinyl At Center Stage, May 28 in Chicago at Empty Bottle and June 4 in New York at Fillmore New York At Irving Plaza.
Contrary to what you might have heard, there's no one named Eli Young in the Eli Young Band. Instead, the moniker comes from combining the names of the band's founders, Mark Eli and James Young. So don't go to one of the band's gigs hoping that Neil will stop to see his kid's band. Ain't gonna happen. But you can check out the band at gigs like May 23 in Antlers, OK; June 26 in Corpus Christi, TX; and September 27 in Lewisville, TX.
Junior Brown, he of the low voice and unique guitar, updates today with new listings for June and July. New on the schedule is June 9 (Solana Beach, CA), June 11 (Phoenix, AZ), June 20 (Berwyn, IL), July 11 (Oklahoma City, OK) and July 27 - 29 (Green Bay, WI).
And Grand Funk Railroad keeps on rollin' along. New dates include July 5 in Marksville, LA; July 25 in Royalton, MN; July 31 in Paso Robles, CA; and August 2 in Atlantic City, NJ.
Now the recap. During the past couple of hours we also updated the schedules for Iris DeMent, Jack Ingram, John Waite, Jose Gonzalez, G.B. Leighton, Charlie Parr, Boyz II Men, Bret Michaels, Greg Brown, Less Than Jake, Marty Stuart, Nanci Griffith, Reckless Kelly, Smash Mouth, The Boxing Lesson, The Trews and The Whigs.
And that's where we stand at the halfway mark. More concert stuff coming up in Your Latest Update, scheduled for around 3 pm (PDT), from Pollstar.com!
This Day In Music History … (from Associated Press)
In 1936, pioneer rock singer Roy Orbison was born in Vernon, Texas. His writing and performing in the '50s helped create a mass market for rock music, including his own recording of "Ooby Dooby," which was a moderate hit in 1956. In 1958, Orbison wrote "Claudette," named for his wife, which became a million-seller for The Everly Brothers. His sound mellowed somewhat in the following decade, and he began his string of million-sellers in 1960 with "Only the Lonely." His other hits included "Running Scared," "Crying" and "Oh, Pretty Woman," a number-one record in 1964.
Orbison suffered two personal tragedies in the '60s. His wife was killed in a 1966 motorcycle accident, and two of his three children died in a 1969 fire at his home near Nashville. Orbison's career took an upswing in 1988 when his collaboration with Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Tom Petty under the name the Traveling Wilburys was a big hit. Just as the album and the single from it, "Handle With Care," were climbing the charts, Orbison died of a heart attack on December 6th at the age of 52. His album, Mystery Girl, was released two months after his death, and produced the hit single "You Got It."
In 1956, Elvis Presley made his Las Vegas debut, opening for comedian Shecky Greene. Presley's two-week engagement was canceled after a week because of poor audience response. Elvis would not return to Vegas for 13 years.