Hall & Oates bassist T-Bone Wolk dies - NEW YORK (Billboard) – Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, who played bass for nearly 30 years with Daryl Hall and John Oates and also recorded with Elvis Costello and Billy Joel, died Saturday of an apparent heart attack. Wolk was to have performed with Hall and Oates Monday as part of the one-year anniversary show for NBC's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon." Wolk's age was unknown. A Yonkers, N.Y., native, the musician played bass on Kurtis Blow's early rap classic "These Are the Breaks" and between 1986 and 1992, served as the bassist for the "Saturday Night Live" house band, where he became familiar for his omnipresent black top hat. Wolk also collaborated and recorded with Carly Simon, Rosanne Cash, Bette Midler, Cyndi Lauper, Jewel and Shawn Colvin throughout his career. But he was best known for his tenure with Hall and Oates, which began with the 1981 album "Private Eyes" and continued until the present day. In addition to his bass work for the duo, Wolk also served as a co-producer on several of their projects. "To say that I am shocked is the ultimate understatement," Hall said in a statement. "T-Bone was my musical brother and losing him is like losing my right hand. It's not if I will go on, but how. T-Bone was one of the most sensitive and good human beings that I have ever known. And, I can truly say that I loved him."

Iron Maiden announce New Album Title, Tap Dream Theater for Summer Tour - (www.antimusic.com) - Dream Theater will spend their summer supporting Iron Maiden on the band's month-long tour of major US and Canadian markets. The tour launches on June 9 and runs through July 20, and includes a stop at the storied Madison Square Garden in NYC, marking the first time in a lengthy and respected career that Dream Theater will have played the world's most famous arena. This tour will mark another milestone in Dream Theater's history, which continues to expand and evolve, twenty-five years deep. Of touring with Iron Maiden in North America, drummer Mike Portnoy said, "It is a bit of a dream come true for us. After 25 years together, at this stage in our career, there's honestly only three bands Dream Theater would consider opening for and Maiden is one of them. It is an absolute honor. Through the years, we've done many one-off shows with Maiden and they've almost all been overseas. It is very exciting to finally be doing a full tour with them and on our side of the pond, no less. These are gonna be amazing shows that the fans won't want to miss. Up the f***ing irons!" Playing MSG for the first time is also a huge accomplishment for the band and they are thrilled about the prospect. "Dream Theater has achieved so many dreams through the years, from playing the Budokan in Tokyo to Wembley Arena in London to Radio City Music Hall in NYC," Portnoy recalled. "But the one remaining dream that has eluded us through all of these years was to play at Madison Square Garden. Well, on July 12, along with Iron Maiden, that dream will finally be fulfilled." Guitarist John Petrucci was equally stoked about the MSG play, saying, "I am unbelievably excited to be finally playing Madison Square Garden, and with the almighty Maiden to boot! They have been heroes to the band since the beginning and are iconic in our eyes. There is nothing like achieving success and recognition in your own country, in your own city. It's going to be an incredible night for sure." Portnoy has proof of this career-long dream, saying, "About a month ago, my family and I were watching a video of my first band Intruder from back in 1983, and in the video before the show, I was interviewed and asked what my dream goal was. I responded 'To play the Garden.' It took almost 30 years, but it's surreal that I will now be able to check it off the list." Dream Theater's Black Clouds & Silver Linings was released in 2009 and debuted at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 Sales chart. Maiden have revealed the title of their new album, The Final Frontier, and details of their highly anticipated 2010 North American tour, announced Live Nation. With 22 dates confirmed, the Live Nation promoted tour will open in Dallas, Texas, on June 9 and finish in Washington D.C. on July 20, making it their most extensive North American tour in many years.

Winans family member accused of Ponzi scheme - DETROIT (AP) – Michigan regulators said Thursday that a member of the Winans gospel-music family led a fraudulent, multimillion-dollar investment program by promoting bogus Saudi Arabia oil bonds. The Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation issued a cease-and-desist order, although Commissioner Ken Ross said the alleged scheme probably stopped at the end of 2008. Ross said Michael Winans Jr. told investors they could double their money in 60 days. Detroit police identified and interviewed at least 180 investors, but state regulators say the actual number is higher. "Our investigation found that Michael Winans Jr. orchestrated a scheme that resulted in hundreds of Detroit residents losing millions of hard-earned dollars," Ross said in a release. "Promising sky-high, guaranteed returns, these scammers unscrupulously fleeced unsuspecting churchgoers who let their financial guard down." Winans could not immediately be reached for comment. A phone number linked to his address in the Detroit area was unanswered, and numbers listed for Winans' Detroit-based music publishing company have been disconnected. Ross said the Ponzi scheme was worth at least $2.6 million but could have been as high as $11 million. He said Winans used connections in Detroit churches to draw investors between early 2007 and late 2008. State regulators said Winans, his associates and related business entities violated the state's Uniform Securities Act, and turned over the results of its investigation to local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Those found violating the act face a maximum penalty of $25,000 per violation and 10 years in prison. A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investing technique that promises high rates of return with little risk to investors. Money provided by new investors is used to pay seemingly high returns to early stage investors, but the scheme collapses when required redemptions exceed new investments. Winans is a third-generation member of one of gospel music's first families. He's the grandson of Delores "Mom" Winans and David "Pop" Winans Sr., who died last year; and son of Michael Winans Sr., a member of The Winans, a quartet of brothers.

Redbone singer Lolly Vegas dead at 70 - (www.oldiesmusic.com) - Lolly Vegas, lead singer and guitarist with Redbone, died of lung cancer Thursday at his home in Reseda, California. He was 70. Lolly, whose real name was Lolly Vasquez, was diagnosed with lung cancer after being hospitalized with a stomach aneurysm in January. He had suffered a stroke in 1996 that forced himto leave the band. Lolly and his brother, Pat formed Redbone with brothers Anthony "T-Bone" Bellamy and Peter DePoe in Los Angeles in 1969. The name came from a cajun term for a mixed-race person. Their first, self-tiled, album came in 1970 but it was their second, that yielded the #45 single, "Maggie," early the next year. It was followed by two more chart hits-- "The Witch Queen Of New Orleans" (#21-1972) and "Come And Get Your Love" (#5-1974). The group was inducted into the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2008. T-Bone died of liver failure just last Christmas at the age of 63.

Johnny Alf, a Bossa Nova founder, dies at 80 - RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – A founder of Bossa Nova music has died in Brazil after fighting prostate cancer. He was 80. Pianist Johnny Alf was called the "true father of Bossa Nova" by Ruy Castro, who wrote a definitive history of the music. Alf widely influenced later stars. A statement from a hospital near Sao Paulo says Alf died Thursday evening of multiple organ failure. Alf was born Alfredo Jose da Silva on May 19, 1929, in Rio de Janeiro. He was an aficionado of early American jazz, which greatly influenced his work and that of Bossa Nova as a whole. He appeared on 46 albums, but only recorded nine solo records. His 1955 songs "Rapaz de bem" and "O Tempo e o vento" are considered by many the start of Bossa Nova.

Swedish rapper gets 15-to-life for LA killing - LOS ANGELES (AP) – A Swedish hip-hop artist who ran down and killed a man at a Hollywood crosswalk has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. David Moses Jassy, who also uses the name Dave Monopoly, was sentenced Thursday for second-degree murder and other crimes. Prosecutors say the 35-year-old rapper killed John Osnes in November 2008 after the pedestrian activist banged on the hood of his rented SUV when it stopped in a crosswalk. Authorities say the rapper punched the 55-year-old Osnes in the face, kicked him in the head and ran him over him as he drove away. Jassy testified that he never intended to hurt Osnes. Jassy claims to have sung with and written several songs for "High School Musical" star Ashley Tisdale.

Elton John recording album with Leon Russell - NEW YORK (Billboard) – In an unexpected pairing, Elton John and Leon Russell are recording an album together in Los Angeles with producer T Bone Burnett. Both performers have written songs for the project, which has no title or release date yet. Billboard.com has learned that Neil Young, Booker T. Jones, Marc Ribot and Jim Keltner are among the guests who have contributed to the album. According to a post on the Web site of longtime John collaborator Bernie Taupin, 15 songs have been put to tape, "from Stones-like rockers, country-tinged ballads, gospel and even a Sinatra-like weepy similar to something torn from the grooves of 'In the Wee Small Hours.'" "It's varied in scope and drenched in a rich tapestry of atmospherics," Taupin says. "Don't expect to hear the old EJ/BT sound; this is organic recording unlike anything you've heard from our duo before." John's last studio album was 2006's "The Captain and the Kid." He is winding down a spring tour with Billy Joel and has solo tour dates on tap through September. Russell, 67, has been largely out of the spotlight in recent years, releasing albums on his Leon Russell Records label. He underwent brain surgery in January, but Taupin says "his playing is masterful as ever and his contribution to the project grows more exciting with the passing of every day."

Dramatics founder Ron Banks, 58, dies - LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – Singer Ron Banks, a founding member of R&B group the Dramatics, died Thursday (March 4) at his Detroit home of a reported heart attack. He was 58. Banks, whose sweet falsetto helped give the Dramatics its signature sound, was a Detroit native who was born May 10, 1951. Originally a vocal sextet known as the Dynamics in the early '60s, the group changed its name and became a quintet comprising Banks, William Howard, Larry Demps, Willie Ford and Elbert Wilkins. The Dramatics scored its first R&B-charting single (No. 43) in 1967 on the Sport label with "All Because of You." But it wasn't until four years later that the group broke into national consciousness with the 1971 Stax/Volt hit "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get," which peaked at No. 3 on the R&B chart and No. 9 on the pop list. It claimed an R&B No. 1 the following year with "In the Rain." Between 1972 and 1980, the Dramatics also recorded for ABC and MCA, notching seven more top 10 R&B singles. Those songs include a cover of "Me and Mrs. Jones," "You're Fooling You," "Be My Girl" and "Welcome Back Home." Over the ensuing years, the Dramatics underwent several personnel changes, the most notable occurring in 1973 when L.J. Reynolds and Lenny Mayes replaced Howard and Wilkins in 1973. Banks is survived by his wife, Sandy, and six children. He's the fourth Dramatics member to pass away, following the deaths of Wilkins (1992), Howard (2000) and James Mack Brown (2008).

Producer Lillywhite seeking Cowell's "Idol" seat - DETROIT (Billboard) – Steve Lillywhite wants to "help America find the next Elvis Presley." And that's why the Grammy Award-winning producer -- whose resume includes work with U2, the Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, Morrissey, the Rolling Stones, Phish and scores of others -- wants to be "American Idol's" next Simon Cowell. The British-born, New York-based Lillywhite has mounted a full-scale campaign to be considered for the job Cowell will be vacating after this season of the hit show to helm the U.S. rollout of his British TV series "The X Factor." Lillywhite has hired an agent and publicist. He also has posted a short clip on YouTube extolling his bona-fides, and he recently filmed "a slightly more professional" video that will be out soon. "I think I have the right credentials," Lillywhite told Billboard.com. "I'm quite effervescent. I'm quite opinionated. I'm funny. I can do this job. If people say, 'Oh, you're just a rock producer,' I'm not. I'm a pop producer, because pop music is popular music. I'd like to think a lot of the things I do are popular. Rob Thomas, Jason Mraz, Chris Cornell, Amy Lee, Morrissey -- none of those are rock singers. Bono is a crooner ... Frank Sinatra with electric guitars. I would like to feel I can present the public with 24 contestants that they can really help go on this journey." Lillywhite also promised that he can "commit 100 percent" to "Idol's" six-month annual tenure. "I don't run a business or anything like that," he said, "so when I'm not in the studio I'm not doing anything. It's not like 'Idol' would be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for me and then on Friday I do a day in the office to run my business. I would be perfect for just putting everything aside for six months. I would really scour the country and find some great nuggets." Lillywhite said he's an avid "Idol" watcher and, not surprisingly, said that "of all the judges I tend to agree with Simon the most. But I think the difference between me and Simon is my view of what the star could be is slightly broader than his. I see the possibility of a star in wider strokes." Lillywhite met Cowell in the early '80s, and he used judge Randy Jackson as a bassist on Aretha Franklin's 1986 remake of the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" for the film of the same name. Lillywhite, who's producing the next Evanescence album in New York, said he hasn't heard anything from "Idol" production company 19 Entertainment or Fox Television since he started the campaign for Cowell's job.

Slash recruits vocalist A-team for solo project - NEW YORK (Billboard) – As a former member of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, Slash knows more than most musicians about what he calls "band drama." "It just goes hand in hand with rock 'n' roll," the 44-year-old guitarist says with a seen-it-all laugh. "It's a very volatile world. And I actually thrive on it -- but at the same time it makes it really hard to get anything done." Getting stuff done was the primary motivation behind Slash's self-titled solo debut, due April 6 in the United States on the artist's own Dik Hayd Records via EMI Label Services. "After the last Velvet Revolver tour, I was like, 'I just need to do something on my own,'" says the musician, who's also released a pair of discs with Slash's Snakepit. "'Something where I can make my own decisions and do whatever it is that I want to do, without having to conform to anyone else's taste.'" Not that "Slash" is free of other creative input: The 13-track set contains collaborations with an eclectic roster of guest vocalists, including Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Kid Rock, Ian Astbury and Iggy Pop. Slash says the idea behind the all-star hookups was simple: "I just wanted to get different people I admired and thought were great on my record. I'd been doing that on other people's records forever."