Sly Stone has been broke and living in a camper van since 2009. This isn’t exactly breaking news, since it’s been sort of circulating for a while that the former Sly and the Family Stone frontman has been homeless, but people are talking about it today because of an article in the New York Post.
It’s no secret that Stone, 68, has struggled with substance abuse and has had some money management problems -- the Post story recounts how he once went out to buy Christmas gifts for his young son and spent the entire $2,500 on drugs instead. It’s been previously reported that he has been living in the street and it was also reported last year that he was suing his manager Jerry Goldstein for $50 million, alleging fraud and 20 years of stolen royalty payments.
In the 1960s and 70s, Stone lived in a 5,432-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills. And four years ago he was living in a house in Napa Valley, but his financial trouble forced him to give it up and move into his van, which he parks on a residential street in LA.
A retired couple living nearby makes sure he eats and gives him a place to shower.
According to the report, Sly is paranoid and thinks the FBI is after him. Unfortunately, heavy drug use will often do that.
“I like my small camper,” Stone told the NY Post. “I just do not want to return to a fixed home. I cannot stand being in one place. I must keep moving.”
He continues to record music on a laptop computer, inside the van.
He says, “Please tell everybody, please, to give me a job, play my music. I’m tired of all this s--t, man.”
He adds that he’d like to return to the stage, saying, “I see all the guys playing those old songs. Let these guys know, like Lady Gaga, let me come in, just let me come in and pay me if you like it.”
A Fox news report details that former Def Jam artist (and one-time nemesis of Jay-Z) Jayo Felony has been accused of occupying a posh Hollywood Hills home without permission. Apparently, the home has been foreclosed on.
You know the old saying: What happens in Vegas… gets videotaped and uploaded to YouTube and viewed tens of thousands of times by people around the globe within a matter of hours.
Judy Blume, eat your heart out. Gordon Korman, watch your back. On Nov. 1, 50 Cent will blaze into the young-adult fiction book world.
Playground: The Mostly True Story of a Former Bully (Razorbill, 272 pages) is actually Curtis Jackson’s third book but first geared toward teens. The autobiographical From Pieces to Weight and the business tome The 50th Law are both bestsellers.
So often these things pop up on blogs before the artist wants them to. But as was the case with his sophomore album’s lead single, “Headlines,” Toronto rapper Drake himself is the one giving his fans another free tease from the upcoming Take Care, the most anticipated rap album since... well, since Drake’s Young Money boss/friend Lil Wayne dropped the chart-topping Tha Carter IV a few weeks ago.
In effort to maintain the momentum from 2010’s Loud, a record which has already spawned seven singles, or perhaps to keep pace with Katy Perry’s string of hits, Rihanna has managed to avoid any breathing room between LPs.
Kelly Clarkson, hard at work promoting her upcoming album Stronger, which comes out October 21 (or 24, depending on who you ask), dropped the the Ellen DeGeneres show this week.
Below is her performance of the song "Mr. Know it All" - who, of course, is actually a Mr. Know Nothing. So the song is IRONIC. That's followed by a teaser for the video.
Since the legendary Big Man, saxophonist Clarence Clemons, died from stroke complications in June, fans of Bruce Springsteen’s backing band have speculated about where E Street will veer next.
Lil’ Stevie Van Zandt—he of both E Street Band and Sopranos fame—told Pollstar that the band the Boss plan to meet over the next two weeks to discuss how to proceed in the absence of Clemons.
The Black Eyed Pea was on hand to inspect the likeness, and seemed to be enjoying herself. (In other news, does it feel like a LOT of people are getting wax figures these days? I mean, shouldn't you have to be famous for at least five years before you get one? Bieber, Rihanna and Susan Boyle have them. Three years ago, we didn't even know who Susan Boyle was. I'm just saying.)
These things are always kind of weird as they always, at best, look kind of but not really like the person they're supposed to be -- Not to take away from what these wax sculptors are doing. I bet it's hard to make wax likenesses (still, this gallery of really bad wax figures is amusing) -- and at worst like someone changed the wig on the Rudoph Valentino figure and called it Julia Roberts.
Something about Stacy Ferguson's figure is off here, and the thing is that it looks like someone who isn't her and I can't figure out who. And it's driving me bananas. Help? Who does it look like?
It was recently announced that Queen drummer Roger Taylor was starting his own Queen tribute band, called Queen Extravaganza. It’s one way to do things.
Taylor has launched a North American talent search for five musicians and three singers.
The website, QueenExtravaganza.com says, “Imagine performing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody' in front of members of Queen or belting out 'We Are The Champions' in front of a packed-out venue… it could just happen.
“This is the real life, not just fantasy.”
The site says says it’s looking for “s**t hot vocalists and musicians” to tour in 2012.
Apparently this Marc Martel guys is generating internet buzz as a potential frontman. Not that there is ever any replacement for the late great Freddie Mercury, but Marc is really quite good.
He’s the frontman for Canadian Orthodox Christian rock band Downhere. I’ve never heard of them before but they’re from Saskatchewan and a statement says what they’re really interested in is, “going back to the beginning, and using our gifts to reaffirm and shore up the foundations of the faith. We want to be a part of building up the church and preserving the culture.”
What do you think of his take on Somebody to Love? Think he’s the man for the job? (Video below)
August 2011
