Short Takes: Merle Haggard, America, Glen Campbell, Peter Hook, Academy of Country Music, Miles Davis
Merle Haggard is once again out of the hospital and has traveled from Macon, GA to his home in Redding, CA to recuperate. Haggard had been hospitalized twice in the last week in Macon for treatment of pneumonia and a number of other ailments.
Merle will recuperate for a number of weeks before going back on the road in late-February.
America will receive the 2,459th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 6. Gary Beckley and Dewey Bunnell will be honored in front of the Musician's Institute surrounded by the likes of Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Rush, Al Jolson and Hal David.
The great Glen Campbell will perform on this year's Grammy broadcast with Blake Shelton and the Band Perry. Glen is a Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient and is currently out on the road with his Goodbye Tour. He recently revealed that he is in the early stages of Alzheimers.
Sergio Mendes, who is up for an Academy Award for best song for Real in Rio from the animated film Rio, says that there will most likely be a sequel to the film. He said on Tuesday "I think the plan is for the movie to come three or four months before the World Cup. Fox has been talking about (it) and it looks like it's going to happen. We're going to have a meeting I think next week and Carlos [Saldanha, the director] is coming to town to tell us the story, and it looks like it's a go."
Peter Hook, formerly of Joy Division, doesn't seem too upset with the whole Disney/Unknown Pleasures T-Shirt controversy. He told Billboard, "It's a funny one. I suppose you would have to say it's a compliment coming from an organization like Disney. When you consider that Joy Division were only together for three years, it's certainly a fantastic compliment 34 years later to still be able to make a splash like this is. The fact that it's sold out is an even greater compliment. I tried to get one but it seems that they're all gone."
CBS, the Academy of Country Music and Dick Clark Productions have announced that they have agreed to a ten year deal that will keep the awards on CBS through 2021. CBS has carried the annual affair since 1998.
Finally, here is the official designs for the Edith Piaf and Miles Davis commemorative stamps we reported earlier this week.
