Sights and Sounds: Maurice White, Jeff Lynne's ELO, Ramones' 40th Anniversary, Rusty Anderson

Another fast-moving day in the music-related universe...

First, on a sad note (haven't there been too many of those sad notes lately?), Earth, Wind & Fire founding member Maurice White has died after losing a long-time battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 74.

The Recording Academy^® Statement regarding Maurice White
Feb. 4, 2016
"We are very saddened to learn of the passing of seven-time GRAMMY^® Award winner Maurice White. A founding member and leader of Earth, Wind & Fire, who are receiving our Lifetime Achievement Award this year, Maurice was the guiding force behind the group’s success and helped create hit songs such as "Shining Star," "September," "After The Love Has Gone," and so many memorable others. His unerring instincts as a musician and showman helped propel the band to international stardom, influencing countless fellow musicians in the process. While he will be greatly missed, Maurice’s contributions to music will live on. We offer our condolences to his family, friends and creative collaborators."  
Neil Portnow
President/CEO
The Recording Academy

I have seen Earth, Wind & Fire a number of times (sadly, White had retreated from public performances before I started attending the group's concerts a decade or so ago), and you can click here to read my Orange County Register review of the troupe's February 2011 concert at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Click here to read an article posted today on the legendary White and the lasting influence of Earth, Wind & Fire.

On a much more positive note, Jeff Lynne's ELO has announced a trio of dates at the Hollywood Bowl (Sept. 9, 10 and 11, 2016). Read the article posted today in the Los Angeles Times for all the details.

The Ramones. Photo: Danny Fields

The GRAMMY Museum and Queens Museum are set to celebrate the Ramones' 40th Anniversary with a new two-part exhibition. "Hey! Ho! Let's Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk" is set to debut April 10, 2016 at Queens Museum in New York, and then come to the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles on Sept. 16, 2016.

The two-part exhibition, co-curated by the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE and the Queens Museum, in collaboration with Ramones Productions Inc., will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the release of the Ramones' 1976 self-titled debut album and will explore the lasting influence the punk rockers had on their hometown. The GRAMMY Museum is located at 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015.

For more information, visit the official Queens Museum Web site here or the GRAMMY Museum Web site here.

Rusty Anderson, best known as the long-time lead guitarist for Paul McCartney, is coming to the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Wednesday, March 16, 2016. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Coach House Web site here. You can check out Anderson's artful single "Effortless" via a great video available on YouTube. It is embedded below: