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Today’s Music News: Paul McCartney gives up pot to set example for his grandkids

by Staff

May 31, 2015

Paul McCartney told the Daily Mirror that to set an example for his grandchildren, he's switched from marijuana to margaritas. "The last time I smoked was a long time ago," says the former Beatle who used to be such a heavy user that he spent ten days in jail for trying to bring a sizable stash of pot into Japan in 1980. (Billboard)

The remains of B.B. King were laid to rest on Saturday at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Mississippi. The museum plans to create a memorial garden at the gravesite. (Billboard)

On Thursday night in Los Angeles, a reunited L7 played their first show in 18 years. (Pitchfork)

The Rolling Stones covered the McCoys' "Hang on Sloopy" a dozen times in 1966, then dropped it from their setlist for almost 50 years before bringing it back on Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio. Why Columbus? Because "Hang On Sloopy" is the official rock song of Ohio, where the McCoys got their start. (Rolling Stone) Minnesota doesn't have an official rock song, but maybe someone will point out to Mick and Keith that "Hail! Minnesota," our official state song, is a popular rouser at the University of Minnesota—home of TCF Bank Stadium, where the Stones will play on Wednesday night.

Billboard is reporting that the reason for Joni Mitchell's current hospitalization was a brain aneurysm, and that she's moving to a rehab facility but remains in "very serious" condition. As Pitchfork notes, reliable information on Mitchell's changing health status has been hard to come by.

Garth Brooks has canceled three scheduled shows this weekend at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Why? The Tampa Bay Lightning will be needing the arena for their Stanley Cup Finals games against the Chicago Blackhawks. (Washington Post)

This year's Bonnaroo Superjam lineup has been announced: the massive jam session will feature members of Run-DMCMetallicafun., the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and many more. (Billboard)

Iggy Azalea has canceled an arena tour that was scheduled to stop at Target Center on Oct. 1. (Rolling Stone) The tour was previously postponed due to "production delays," and Billboard talked with an insider who said that ticket sales were far below expectations.

Scott Stapp's breakdown last year was painfully public, so maybe it's appropriate that the rebuilding of his relationship with his wife will also be public: the former Creed frontman and his wife will appear on the next season of VH1's reality show Couples Therapy. (Billboard)

Neil Young and Promise of the Real take on Starbucks in a new video for their single "A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop." The song was formerly titled "Rock Starbucks" before, as Rolling Stone puts it, the title "was changed to something more playful and less infringing."

Jay Z recently defended the subscription fee of his Tidal streaming service by saying that music isn't free, unlike water. Steve Snyder, an employee at Denver's municipal water company, replied with a pointed statement noting that in fact, water is far from free. "You will continue your quest to help people understand the value of music," wrote Snyder, "while people in my industry will do the same with water." (Billboard)

Kanye West and his wife Kim Kardashian are expecting their second child. Their first child, North West, will turn two years old later this month. (CBS News)

Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment
This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.