2005

Pink Floyd singer/guitarist David Gilmour will begin his first solo tour in decades March 10 in Dortmund, Germany, in support of his upcoming solo album, “On an Island.” Although North American dates have yet to be confirmed, Gilmour is expected to visit the region in April.

Due March 6 via Columbia, “On an Island” is Gilmour’s first solo release since 1984’s “About Face.” The set is packed with guest appearances from David Crosby and Graham Nash on the title cut, Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright, Robert Wyatt, Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera and Jools Holland.

Manzanera serves as a co-producer on the set with Gilmour and Chris Thomas. Orchestral arrangements were provided by composer Zbigniew Preisner.

In related news, Sony Music has bumped the release of Pink Floyd’s “Pulse” DVD to Jan. 31. The project, which chronicles Pink Floyd’s final tour in 1994, was originally slated to arrive last week.

Here are David Gilmour’s tour dates:

Mar. 10: Dortmund, Germany (Konzerthaus)
Mar. 11: Hamburg (Congress Centrum)
Mar. 15: Paris (Le Grand Rex)
Mar. 16: Paris (L’Olympia)
Mar. 18: Frankfurt (Alte Oper)
Mar. 19-20: Amsterdam (Heineken Music Hall)
Mar. 24-25: Milan (Teatro Arcimboldi)
Mar. 26: Rome (Auditorium Parco Della Musica)
May 29-30: London (Royal Albert Hall)

Source billboard.com.

days after his 65th birthday, groundbreaking comedian Richard Pryor died Saturday of a heart attack, his wife told CNN.

Pryor, who had been ill with multiple sclerosis, died at Encino Hospital near Los Angeles at 7:58 a.m. PT. Jennifer Lee Pryor tried to revive him at their home before paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital, she said.

“He enjoyed life right up until the end,” she said, adding that Pryor had been laughing a lot and was in good spirits in the two weeks preceding his death. “At the end, there was a smile on his face.”

Source CNN.com.

Irish rockers the Thrills have returned to their musical roots — in California. Though the guitar-led five-piece are currently in a Dublin studio working on demos for their third record, they recently trekked back to the Golden State, whose landscapes provided inspiration for their 2003 debut, So Much for the City.

“After complaining and yearning, we finally got off the road a few months ago,” says frontman Conor Deasy. “But after a couple weeks, everyone was getting restless and itchy again. Touring changes you: You’re always wondering what’s going on somewhere else.”

Grabbing guitars, ukuleles and harmonicas, three of the five Thrills members — Deasy, keyboardist Kevin Horan and bassist Padraic McMahon — decided to cruise along the West Coast highways, down the 101 and beyond. The outfit even ventured to Big Sur — despite their own lyrical warning, “Just don’t go back to Big Sur,” in the song named for the scenic, coastal locale.

To read more visit rollingstone.com.

Pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph has drawn up an eclectic guest list for the follow-up to 2003’s Unclassified, due in April. Eric Clapton is confirmed, while the list of hopefuls ranges from Lauryn Hill and Maroon 5 to the Roots and Gretchen Wilson.
“It’s like making a pot of spaghetti,” says Randolph. “A lot of different spices make up that sauce.”

Currently recording his sophomore effort in Nashville with gospel producers Tommy Sims and Pete Kipley, Randolph will eventually head to Toronto to cut tracks with Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan) before finally hitting Los Angeles for sessions with Dave Matthews Band producer Mark Batson.

Randolph, who recently contributed to Santana’s latest album, All That I Am, also has a handful of live dates scheduled for the remainder of 2005: from December 28th in Kingston, New York, through New Year’s Eve in Washington, D.C. He’s also set to play the Langerado Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Flordia, in March, on a bill that includes the Black Crowes, the Flaming Lips and Wilco.

Source rollingstone.com.

The final nominations list for the 48th Annual GRAMMY