Temptations Singer Otis 'Damon' Harris Dead at 62

Richard Street, Melvin Franklin, Otis Williams, Dennis Edwards and Damon Harris of the Temptations.

Otis "Damon" Harris, a singer with the Temptations who joined the group in the 1970s, died on Monday at the age of 62, the Baltimore Sun reports. A family spokesman told the paper that Harris had been fighting prostate cancer for 14 years.

Harris grew up in Baltimore and was a fan of the Temptations as a teenager. Along with three high school friends, he formed a Temptations cover band called the Young Tempts, which changed its name to the Young Vandals after releasing their first singles on the Isley Brothers' T-Neck label. In 1971, he auditioned to join his idols when one of the original lead singers, Eddie Kendricks, left the band. Since the group already had one Otis in founding member Otis Williams, Harris changed his first name to Damon.

100 Greatest Artists: The Temptations

Harris sang lead vocals on several Temptations hits, including "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," "Take a Look Around" and "Masterpiece." The group won three Grammy awards with Harris on board as first tenor. In 1975, Harris left the Temptations and rejoined his high school friends, now renamed Impact. The group recoorded two disco and funk albums, Impact and The Pac is Back and scored a hit with their 1976 track "Give a Broken Heart a Break." In 1978, Harris released a solo album titled Silk, before retiring from music to finish college.

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Backup Singer Documentary 'Twenty Feet From Stardom' Set for Summer Release

Director of 'Twenty Feet From Stardom,' Morgan Neville.

Several years ago, former A&M Records head Gil Friesen was stoned at a Leonard Cohen concert when he became fixated on Cohen's backup singers. ??The result of Friesen's musings is Twenty Feet From Stardom, a documentary that explores the culture of such supporting singers. Friesen once quipped to its director, Morgan Neville, that the movie was "the most expensive joint I ever smoked," and the final product premiered last week at the Sundance Film Festival.

"This is a story about people whose fingerprints are all over the music we know but we have no idea who they are," Neville, a self-described "hardcore music geek," tells Rolling Stone. His other credits include Troubadours, Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story and Johnny Cash's America. He is currently at work on a film about the rivalry between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley. 

Gil Friesen, Influential Music Mogul, Dead at 75

Friesen, who passed away from cancer in December, saw the final film before his death and knew it would premiere at Sundance. It was purchased last week by the Weinstein Company's label Radius-TWC and, according to Neville, is set for a summer release. 

"You could have talked about Nashville, you could have talked about girl groups. . . To me, the interesting story was the rise of these black voices from the church into the studios and onto vinyl," says the director. "What was Lou Reed singing about [in "A Walk on the Wild Side"]? This is what he was singing about."

The film includes interviews with artists who are notable for their use of backup singers, including Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Sting. Many well-known supporting vocalists are also interviewed, including Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Tata Vega, Judith Hill, Claudia Lennear, Gloria Jones and Dr. Mable John.

These performers – who Neville says "can often sing circles around lead singers" – have produced a soulful, harmonic blend for decades, one derived from the Motown, rock and R&B of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. ??"There was really kind of a heyday in the late 1960s and 1970s," Neville explains. "The Brits were coming and they were pale white guys and they thought, 'Hey, if I am really into R&B and soul, why don't I just invite black singers to come onstage with me?'"

In Twenty Feet, Neville also explores the psychology of standing in the shadows of super-stardom and the lack of individual identity – which, depending on the singer, can feel like bliss or purgatory. He also looks at how relatively recent changes in the recording business – including lead singers recording their own backing tracks – caused the backup singer scene to dry up. 

"I asked them, 'When do you think it changed?' And one singer said, 'In 1993,'" Neville says. "Hip-hop, grunge in the 1990s – all those things were going on as well as changes in taste, business and technology." What hasn't changed is the talent of these artists – and soon, their story will be told.

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Backup Singer Documentary 'Twenty Feet From Stardom' Set for Summer Release

Director of 'Twenty Feet From Stardom,' Morgan Neville.

Several years ago, former A&M Records head Gil Friesen was stoned at a Leonard Cohen concert when he became fixated on Cohen's backup singers. ??The result of Friesen's musings is Twenty Feet From Stardom, a documentary that explores the culture of such supporting singers. Friesen once quipped to its director, Morgan Neville, that the movie was "the most expensive joint I ever smoked," and the final product premiered last week at the Sundance Film Festival.

"This is a story about people whose fingerprints are all over the music we know but we have no idea who they are," Neville, a self-described "hardcore music geek," tells Rolling Stone. His other credits include Troubadours, Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story and Johnny Cash's America. He is currently at work on a film about the rivalry between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley. 

Gil Friesen, Influential Music Mogul, Dead at 75

Friesen, who passed away from cancer in December, saw the final film before his death and knew it would premiere at Sundance. It was purchased last week by the Weinstein Company's label Radius-TWC and, according to Neville, is set for a summer release. 

"You could have talked about Nashville, you could have talked about girl groups. . . To me, the interesting story was the rise of these black voices from the church into the studios and onto vinyl," says the director. "What was Lou Reed singing about [in "A Walk on the Wild Side"]? This is what he was singing about."

The film includes interviews with artists who are notable for their use of backup singers, including Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Sting. Many well-known supporting vocalists are also interviewed, including Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Tata Vega, Judith Hill, Claudia Lennear, Gloria Jones and Dr. Mable John.

These performers – who Neville says "can often sing circles around lead singers" – have produced a soulful, harmonic blend for decades, one derived from the Motown, rock and R&B of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. ??"There was really kind of a heyday in the late 1960s and 1970s," Neville explains. "The Brits were coming and they were pale white guys and they thought, 'Hey, if I am really into R&B and soul, why don't I just invite black singers to come onstage with me?'"

In Twenty Feet, Neville also explores the psychology of standing in the shadows of super-stardom and the lack of individual identity – which, depending on the singer, can feel like bliss or purgatory. He also looks at how relatively recent changes in the recording business – including lead singers recording their own backing tracks – caused the backup singer scene to dry up. 

"I asked them, 'When do you think it changed?' And one singer said, 'In 1993,'" Neville says. "Hip-hop, grunge in the 1990s – all those things were going on as well as changes in taste, business and technology." What hasn't changed is the talent of these artists – and soon, their story will be told.

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Britney Spears Trial Begins: Ex-Manager Accuses Singer of Drug Use

Michael Kovac/Getty Images for City of Hope

A civil trial against Britney Spears and her family opened yesterday in Los Angeles as the singer's former confidant, Sam Lufti, accused Spears of drug use and demanded millions from her and her family, the Associated Press reports. Lufti's attorney, Joseph Schleimer, argued that his client had tried to help Spears through difficult times but lost control of the situation, leading to the singer's hospitalization and placement under a court-ordered conservator.

Lufti wants a share of Spears' profits, claiming they had a managerial agreement that entitled Lufti to take a 15 percent cut of her earnings. "My client was made a scapegoat for drug abuse and erratic behavior of Britney Spears," said Schleimer, claiming that amphetamines were Spears' drug of choice. "He was terrified of being her manager when she overdosed."

Lufti also says Spears' mother inaccurately wrote in her 2008 book Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World that Lufti had isolated and drugged the singer, and claims he deserves a portion of Spears' profits from her 2007 album Blackout. He has filed a libel suit based on three chapters of Through the Storm.

Lufti originally sued in February 2009, around a year after Spears was hospitalized and placed under a conservatorship. Spears and her family had a restraining order against Lufti, which has since expired. Conservatorship attorneys want $93,000 in repayment in legal fees, but Lufti has filed an appeal against the judgment.

Spears herself is unlikely to make a court appearance; she is still under a conservatorship, and her supervising judge has ordered her not to appear for trial or a deposition.

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Avril Lavigne Engaged to Nickelback Singer Chad Kroeger

Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger of Nickelback.Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic; Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Avril Lavigne is engaged to Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger after a six-month courtship they kept largely out of view, US Weekly reports.

Their relationship started innocuously when Lavigne, 27, got together with Kroeger, 37, earlier this year to write songs for her upcoming fifth album. At the time, she tweeted a photo of Kroeger playfully hugging her, captioned, "Bro'ing out with Chad Kroeger in the studio." What began as a working collaboration grew into romance, and Kroeger popped the question August 8th.

The marriage will be Kroeger's first and Lavigne's second. She filed for divorce from Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley in October 2009, and had dated The Hills star Brody Jenner for two years before they split in January. 

Lavgine's most recent album, Goodbye Lullaby, came out in 2011. Nickelback released their seventh album, Here and Now, the same year.

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Avril Lavigne Engaged to Nickelback Singer Chad Kroeger

Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger of Nickelback.Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic; Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Avril Lavigne is engaged to Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger after a six-month courtship they kept largely out of view, US Weekly reports.

Their relationship started innocuously when Lavigne, 27, got together with Kroeger, 37, earlier this year to write songs for her upcoming fifth album. At the time, she tweeted a photo of Kroeger playfully hugging her, captioned, "Bro'ing out with Chad Kroeger in the studio." What began as a working collaboration grew into romance, and Kroeger popped the question August 8th.

The marriage will be Kroeger's first and Lavigne's second. She filed for divorce from Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley in October 2009, and had dated The Hills star Brody Jenner for two years before they split in January. 

Lavgine's most recent album, Goodbye Lullaby, came out in 2011. Nickelback released their seventh album, Here and Now, the same year.

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Kitty Wells, Pioneering Country Singer, Dead at 92

Frank Driggs Collection/Getty Images

Pioneering female country singer Kitty Wells died today at her home in Madison, Tennessee, due to complications from a stroke, her grandson John Sturdivant Jr. told the New York Times. She was 92.

An undeniable influence in the world of country, success came somewhat late for Wells, who in 1952 recorded what would become her signature track, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." At the time, the then-33-year-old wife and mother was preparing to call it a day in the music industry to become a homemaker.

The song ended up topping the country charts for six weeks and even crossed over into the Top 40, making her the biggest female country star after World War II. Her success paved the way for future female singers whom Nashville had previously considered not worth the investment.

"I wasn't expecting it to make a hit," she told the Nashville Scene in 1999 about the cut she recorded to collect a $125 union-scale wage. "I just thought it was another song."

A counter to Hank Thompson's Number One hit "Wild Side of Life" – a track in which the singer blamed the woman he picked up at a bar for ruining his life – the J.D. Miller-penned words for "It Wasn't God..." became an anthem for women in a post-war America marked by rising divorce rates and changing sexual norms. The NBC radio network deemed the track "suggestive" and banned it; the Grand Ole Opry initially wouldn't let Wells perform the track but ultimately changed their minds.

Born Muriel Ellen Deason in Nashville on August 30th, 1919, Wells grew up listening to a mix of Grand Ole Opry and gospel music. Wells' long career included stints playing with her husband Johnnie Wright and making appearances on hit radio shows like "Louisiana Hayride" and the Opry; in 1968, she had her own syndicated television show and in 1974, she made a record with members of the Allman Brothers and the Marshall Tucker Band. In her 27-year career, 84 of Wells' singles appeared on the country charts, with 38 of them making it to the Top Ten. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976 and in 1991, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award – an honor only two other country performers, Hank Williams and Roy Acuff, have ever received.

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Kitty Wells, Pioneering Country Singer, Dead at 92

Frank Driggs Collection/Getty Images

Pioneering female country singer Kitty Wells died today at her home in Madison, Tennessee, due to complications from a stroke, her grandson John Sturdivant Jr. told the New York Times. She was 92.

An undeniable influence in the world of country, success came somewhat late for Wells, who in 1952 recorded what would become her signature track, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." At the time, the then-33-year-old wife and mother was preparing to call it a day in the music industry to become a homemaker.

The song ended up topping the country charts for six weeks and even crossed over into the Top 40, making her the biggest female country star after World War II. Her success paved the way for future female singers whom Nashville had previously considered not worth the investment.

"I wasn't expecting it to make a hit," she told the Nashville Scene in 1999 about the cut she recorded to collect a $125 union-scale wage. "I just thought it was another song."

A counter to Hank Thompson's Number One hit "Wild Side of Life" – a track in which the singer blamed the woman he picked up at a bar for ruining his life – the J.D. Miller-penned words for "It Wasn't God..." became an anthem for women in a post-war America marked by rising divorce rates and changing sexual norms. The NBC radio network deemed the track "suggestive" and banned it; the Grand Ole Opry initially wouldn't let Wells perform the track but ultimately changed their minds.

Born Muriel Ellen Deason in Nashville on August 30th, 1919, Wells grew up listening to a mix of Grand Ole Opry and gospel music. Wells' long career included stints playing with her husband Johnnie Wright and making appearances on hit radio shows like "Louisiana Hayride" and the Opry; in 1968, she had her own syndicated television show and in 1974, she made a record with members of the Allman Brothers and the Marshall Tucker Band. In her 27-year career, 84 of Wells' singles appeared on the country charts, with 38 of them making it to the Top Ten. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976 and in 1991, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award – an honor only two other country performers, Hank Williams and Roy Acuff, have ever received.

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Sugarland Singer Ordered to Testify in Stage Collapse Lawsuit

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland performs in Los Angeles.

Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles will have to testify next month in lawsuits filed over the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair last August, the Associated Press reports.

Marion, Indiana, Superior Court Judge Theodore Sosin ordered Nettles to give a deposition in April focusing on whether the band had declined to delay their concert in the face of dangerous weather warnings. The country duo was about to perform when winds reaching 60 to 70 miles per hour ripped through the area and caused the stage's collapse, killing seven people and injuring 58.

An executive with the Indiana State Fair Commission had testified in a January deposition that fair officials discussed delaying the start of the concert with Sugarland's representatives, but said the band resisted because of scheduling concerns.

Mid-America Sound Corp., the company that built the stage's roof and rigging, is facing lawsuits over the collapse. Lawyers for the company had requested that the band provide depositions starting next week, but on Friday Sosin approved a request by Sugarland's attorneys to delay the testimony. They are now required to submit by Tuesday dates between April 1st and April 15th that Nettles will be available to testify. Nettles' bandmate, Kristian Bush, will not be required to testify.

"Certainly there's a lot of fault to go around in this case," said Kenneth J. Allen, the attorney representing the victims of the stage collapse. "However, having said that, Ms. Nettles and Mr. Bush are at the top of the decision tree. They had the opportunity to postpone this and chose not to. We need to know why and whether there was a legitimate reason."

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Sugarland Singer Ordered to Testify in Stage Collapse Lawsuit

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland performs in Los Angeles.

Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles will have to testify next month in lawsuits filed over the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair last August, the Associated Press reports.

Marion, Indiana, Superior Court Judge Theodore Sosin ordered Nettles to give a deposition in April focusing on whether the band had declined to delay their concert in the face of dangerous weather warnings. The country duo was about to perform when winds reaching 60 to 70 miles per hour ripped through the area and caused the stage's collapse, killing seven people and injuring 58.

An executive with the Indiana State Fair Commission had testified in a January deposition that fair officials discussed delaying the start of the concert with Sugarland's representatives, but said the band resisted because of scheduling concerns.

Mid-America Sound Corp., the company that built the stage's roof and rigging, is facing lawsuits over the collapse. Lawyers for the company had requested that the band provide depositions starting next week, but on Friday Sosin approved a request by Sugarland's attorneys to delay the testimony. They are now required to submit by Tuesday dates between April 1st and April 15th that Nettles will be available to testify. Nettles' bandmate, Kristian Bush, will not be required to testify.

"Certainly there's a lot of fault to go around in this case," said Kenneth J. Allen, the attorney representing the victims of the stage collapse. "However, having said that, Ms. Nettles and Mr. Bush are at the top of the decision tree. They had the opportunity to postpone this and chose not to. We need to know why and whether there was a legitimate reason."

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Hold Steady Singer to Launch Microbrew

Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn is about to launch his own microbrew with the East London company Signature Brew. The beer, called Clear Heart, is a custom craft beer that will be available online and at some retail locations, and will feature artwork from Finn's recent solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes.

"When I set out to make this beer, I was going for something with a clear taste and a full flavor," Finn said in a statement, referring to the extensive taste-testing process in finding the right brew. "Instead I got a pretty decent buzz. We had a great time creating this beer, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."

You can watch a video of Finn chatting about the making of his beer below.

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Hold Steady Singer to Launch Microbrew

Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn is about to launch his own microbrew with the East London company Signature Brew. The beer, called Clear Heart, is a custom craft beer that will be available online and at some retail locations, and will feature artwork from Finn's recent solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes.

"When I set out to make this beer, I was going for something with a clear taste and a full flavor," Finn said in a statement, referring to the extensive taste-testing process in finding the right brew. "Instead I got a pretty decent buzz. We had a great time creating this beer, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."

You can watch a video of Finn chatting about the making of his beer below.

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Justin Bieber Gives Singer Carly Rae Jepsen a Boost

Carly Rae Jepsen visits MuchMusic Headquarters in Toronto, Canada.

When Justin Bieber was in his native Stratford, Ontario for the holidays last December, one song on the radio caught his ear: Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," a sugary dance-pop tune (think Taylor Swift meets Robyn) about hoping for a call back from a crush. After hearing the song multiple times, Bieber tweeted, "Call me maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen is possibly the catchiest song I've ever heard lol." A Twitter endorsement by any notable music star can go a long way, but in the in the case of the world's most swooned-over 18-year-old, it piqued the interest of 18 million-plus followers – and Bieber's own manager, Scooter Braun.

"He's never jumped out and promoted an artist like this before," Braun says. "He sends me different YouTube videos of unsigned artists that he'd like to work with, but never someone who already had a song out and is on the radio." 

Braun combed through YouTube clips and discovered that the 26-year-old British Columbian had finished third on Canadian Idol. She was also releasing an EP in February through 604 Records, but hadn't been signed by a U.S. label. So Braun decided to bring what he describes as her brand of "sexy hippie pop" to a U.S. audience by signing her to his label, Schoolboy Records.

"I think we overlook Canada way too much," says Braun. "I have no idea why no one signed her; I have no idea why people overlooked Justin. I can't concern myself with other people's passes because someone else's 'no' has been my 'yes' many times." Jepsen is now at work on her full-length album made up of songs left off the EP and some new material, while "Call Me Maybe" has reached Number One in Canada and cracked the Top 40 in the States.

Much like Usher-mentored Bieber, the teen idol plans to help guide Jespen's next career moves and keep promoting her – he's even appeared in a no-frills alternate video for "Call Me Maybe" with his girlfriend, Selena Gomez. "He's a proud Canadian," says Braun. "But regardless of where artists are from, if he finds something fantastic he'll promote the crap out of it."

As if the Bieber hype weren't enough, Braun says Jepsen has received praise from Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine. "He compared her to when he first met Gwen Stefani; he said, 'The thing I like about her is she's got a lot of edge, but she's not afraid to be a good girl. That's what I saw in Gwen.'"

For Jepsen, breaking through in the States hadn't seemed realistic before. "The U.S. was sort of like the big ocean that felt so impossibly large to me," she says. "Canada was enough of a tough shell to crack. I'm still scared to be too excited because it all does seem too good to be true, but the more I get to know Justin and the more I talk to Scooter, I see how real they are and how serious they are."

Since finalizing her new label deal, Jepsen has flown out to Los Angeles to meet Braun and hit the studio to record tracks with Bieber. Neither the singer nor Braun would reveal where the songs will end up, but she says that she's happy with the results.

"The day I met Justin he played me a couple of his songs, and by the fourth song he asked me to sing with him," Jepsen explains. "It was the most surreal weekend of my life. The only way I can describe it was that it was like Entourage, but swankier."

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Justin Bieber Gives Singer Carly Rae Jepsen a Boost

Carly Rae Jepsen visits MuchMusic Headquarters in Toronto, Canada.

When Justin Bieber was in his native Stratford, Ontario for the holidays last December, one song on the radio caught his ear: Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," a sugary dance-pop tune (think Taylor Swift meets Robyn) about hoping for a call back from a crush. After hearing the song multiple times, Bieber tweeted, "Call me maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen is possibly the catchiest song I've ever heard lol." A Twitter endorsement by any notable music star can go a long way, but in the in the case of the world's most swooned-over 18-year-old, it piqued the interest of 18 million-plus followers – and Bieber's own manager, Scooter Braun.

"He's never jumped out and promoted an artist like this before," Braun says. "He sends me different YouTube videos of unsigned artists that he'd like to work with, but never someone who already had a song out and is on the radio." 

Braun combed through YouTube clips and discovered that the 26-year-old British Columbian had finished third on Canadian Idol. She was also releasing an EP in February through 604 Records, but hadn't been signed by a U.S. label. So Braun decided to bring what he describes as her brand of "sexy hippie pop" to a U.S. audience by signing her to his label, Schoolboy Records.

"I think we overlook Canada way too much," says Braun. "I have no idea why no one signed her; I have no idea why people overlooked Justin. I can't concern myself with other people's passes because someone else's 'no' has been my 'yes' many times." Jepsen is now at work on her full-length album made up of songs left off the EP and some new material, while "Call Me Maybe" has reached Number One in Canada and cracked the Top 40 in the States.

Much like Usher-mentored Bieber, the teen idol plans to help guide Jespen's next career moves and keep promoting her – he's even appeared in a no-frills alternate video for "Call Me Maybe" with his girlfriend, Selena Gomez. "He's a proud Canadian," says Braun. "But regardless of where artists are from, if he finds something fantastic he'll promote the crap out of it."

As if the Bieber hype weren't enough, Braun says Jepsen has received praise from Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine. "He compared her to when he first met Gwen Stefani; he said, 'The thing I like about her is she's got a lot of edge, but she's not afraid to be a good girl. That's what I saw in Gwen.'"

For Jepsen, breaking through in the States hadn't seemed realistic before. "The U.S. was sort of like the big ocean that felt so impossibly large to me," she says. "Canada was enough of a tough shell to crack. I'm still scared to be too excited because it all does seem too good to be true, but the more I get to know Justin and the more I talk to Scooter, I see how real they are and how serious they are."

Since finalizing her new label deal, Jepsen has flown out to Los Angeles to meet Braun and hit the studio to record tracks with Bieber. Neither the singer nor Braun would reveal where the songs will end up, but she says that she's happy with the results.

"The day I met Justin he played me a couple of his songs, and by the fourth song he asked me to sing with him," Jepsen explains. "It was the most surreal weekend of my life. The only way I can describe it was that it was like Entourage, but swankier."

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Trammps Singer Jimmy Ellis Dead at 74

Earl Young (sitting), Harold Wade, Jimmy Ellis, Stanley Wade and Robert Upchurch of the Trammps.

Jimmy Ellis, frontman of the Trammps, has died at the age of 74. He passed away yesterday in Rock Hill, South Carolina from complications of Alzheimer's disease.

Ellis was best known as the singer of the band's 1976 song "Disco Inferno," which became a smash hit in the United States in 1978 after it was included on the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever. The Trammps also scored hits on the R&B charts with their cover of Judy Garland's signature tune "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," "Hold Back the Night" and "The Night the Lights Went Out," which was inspired by the New York City blackout of 1977.

Photos: Random Notes
The Trammps reformed in 2005 after a 25-year hiatus to perform "Disco Inferno" when the song was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. Ellis continue to play with the band until 2010.

You can watch the music video for the Trammps' "Disco Inferno" below.

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Trammps Singer Jimmy Ellis Dead at 74

Earl Young (sitting), Harold Wade, Jimmy Ellis, Stanley Wade and Robert Upchurch of the Trammps.

Jimmy Ellis, frontman of the Trammps, has died at the age of 74. He passed away yesterday in Rock Hill, South Carolina from complications of Alzheimer's disease.

Ellis was best known as the singer of the band's 1976 song "Disco Inferno," which became a smash hit in the United States in 1978 after it was included on the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever. The Trammps also scored hits on the R&B charts with their cover of Judy Garland's signature tune "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," "Hold Back the Night" and "The Night the Lights Went Out," which was inspired by the New York City blackout of 1977.

Photos: Random Notes
The Trammps reformed in 2005 after a 25-year hiatus to perform "Disco Inferno" when the song was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. Ellis continue to play with the band until 2010.

You can watch the music video for the Trammps' "Disco Inferno" below.

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Monkees Singer Davy Jones Dead at 66

Davy Jones on the set of the television show 'The Monkees.'Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Davy Jones of the Monkees has died of an apparent heart attack at age 66. The singer, who had been on a solo tour this month, complained of chest pains last evening and was admitted to a hospital this morning in Stuart, Florida.

Jones was born in Manchester, England and started acting as a child. In 1964 he had the misfortune of appearing in the cast of Oliver! on the same episode of The Ed Sullivan Show where the Beatles made their debut. The next year he was cast in The Monkees, a comedy show/band inspired by the success of the Beatles. They were an instant hit in the ratings and the record shops, scoring massive singles with "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer," "Stepping Stone" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday." Jones – who played tambourine in the band – was the lead vocalist on the classics "Daydream Believer" and "I Wanna Be Free." At the peak of their popularity in 1967 the group sold more albums than the Beatles.

Photos: Davy Jones Through the Years

The Monkees' music was written by some of the best songwriters of the day, including Carole King and Neil Diamond. As the group grew more popular, they insisted on writing their own music and playing their own instruments. Although their later work has attracted a huge cult audience over the years, their mainstream success quickly dwindled and the group split in 1971. Jones went onto a solo career, and he memorably performed his song "Girl" on an episode of The Brady Bunch.

Jones returned to acting in the late 1970s when his solo career failed to take off, but he found it difficult to escape the shadow of the Monkees. By the mid-1980s Monkees mania was reborn when MTV and other stations began regularly airing old episodes of the TV show. The band (minus Mike Nesmith) reunited for a highly successful reunion tour in 1986. They toured off and on through 2001, when infighting led to another split. Last summer they patched things up for a 45th anniversary tour, though it was called short because of what guitarist Peter Tork called a "glitch."

Nesmith posted a tribute to Jones on his Facebook page. "I will miss him, but I won’t abandon him to mortality," he wrote. "I will think of him as existing within the animating life that insures existence. I will think of him and his family with that gentle regard in spite of all the contrary appearances on the mortal plane. David’s spirit and soul live well in my heart, among all the lovely people, who remember with me the good times, and the healing times, that were created for so many, including us. I have fond memories. I wish him safe travels."

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Monkees Singer Davy Jones Dead at 66

Davy Jones on the set of the television show 'The Monkees.'Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Davy Jones of the Monkees has died of an apparent heart attack at age 66. The singer, who had been on a solo tour this month, complained of chest pains last evening and was admitted to a hospital this morning in Stuart, Florida.

Jones was born in Manchester, England and started acting as a child. In 1964 he had the misfortune of appearing in the cast of Oliver! on the same episode of The Ed Sullivan Show where the Beatles made their debut. The next year he was cast in The Monkees, a comedy show/band inspired by the success of the Beatles. They were an instant hit in the ratings and the record shops, scoring massive singles with "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer," "Stepping Stone" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday." Jones – who played tambourine in the band – was the lead vocalist on the classics "Daydream Believer" and "I Wanna Be Free." At the peak of their popularity in 1967 the group sold more albums than the Beatles.

Photos: Davy Jones Through the Years

The Monkees' music was written by some of the best songwriters of the day, including Carole King and Neil Diamond. As the group grew more popular, they insisted on writing their own music and playing their own instruments. Although their later work has attracted a huge cult audience over the years, their mainstream success quickly dwindled and the group split in 1971. Jones went onto a solo career, and he memorably performed his song "Girl" on an episode of The Brady Bunch.

Jones returned to acting in the late 1970s when his solo career failed to take off, but he found it difficult to escape the shadow of the Monkees. By the mid-1980s Monkees mania was reborn when MTV and other stations began regularly airing old episodes of the TV show. The band (minus Mike Nesmith) reunited for a highly successful reunion tour in 1986. They toured off and on through 2001, when infighting led to another split. Last summer they patched things up for a 45th anniversary tour, though it was called short because of what guitarist Peter Tork called a "glitch."

Nesmith posted a tribute to Jones on his Facebook page. "I will miss him, but I won’t abandon him to mortality," he wrote. "I will think of him as existing within the animating life that insures existence. I will think of him and his family with that gentle regard in spite of all the contrary appearances on the mortal plane. David’s spirit and soul live well in my heart, among all the lovely people, who remember with me the good times, and the healing times, that were created for so many, including us. I have fond memories. I wish him safe travels."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Kellogg's Creates 'Totes Amazeballs' Cereal for Charlatans Singer

Sourced from @KelloggsUK/Twitter.com

The British arm of Kellogg's has produced a limited-edition box of cereal called Totes Amazeballs based on a Twitter suggestion by Tim Burgess, frontman of the long-running Britpop band the Charlatans. "I heard someone use the expression 'totes amazeballs,' and it sounded like something from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," he told Adweek. "I sent a cheeky tweet saying I'd invented a new cereal and that Kellogg's were interested. But within an hour they'd got in touch."

"We really try to make the most of Twitter here at Kellogg's, and when we saw the tweet, we knew we had to make something special for him," says a representative for Kellogg's.

Rock, Crackle, Pop: If Music Stars Had Cereals

Kellogg's only produced one box of Totes Amazeballs for Burgess, complete with an illustration of the singer on the front exclaiming "They're schhhhweet!" The contents of the box – a mixture of Rocky Road cake, Coco Pops Coco Rocks, marshmallows, shortbread pieces and raisins – is indeed very, very sweet.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

Amazon MP3 Download Center

Read more »

Kellogg's Creates 'Totes Amazeballs' Cereal for Charlatans Singer

Sourced from @KelloggsUK/Twitter.com

The British arm of Kellogg's has produced a limited-edition box of cereal called Totes Amazeballs based on a Twitter suggestion by Tim Burgess, frontman of the long-running Britpop band the Charlatans. "I heard someone use the expression 'totes amazeballs,' and it sounded like something from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," he told Adweek. "I sent a cheeky tweet saying I'd invented a new cereal and that Kellogg's were interested. But within an hour they'd got in touch."

"We really try to make the most of Twitter here at Kellogg's, and when we saw the tweet, we knew we had to make something special for him," says a representative for Kellogg's.

Rock, Crackle, Pop: If Music Stars Had Cereals

Kellogg's only produced one box of Totes Amazeballs for Burgess, complete with an illustration of the singer on the front exclaiming "They're schhhhweet!" The contents of the box – a mixture of Rocky Road cake, Coco Pops Coco Rocks, marshmallows, shortbread pieces and raisins – is indeed very, very sweet.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

Amazon Music and MP3 Center

Read more »