Tuesday Rock Roundup

Richard Wright, one of the founding members and keyboard player of Pink Floyd, died today in England at the age of 65 from cancer. He was born on July 28th, 1943 in England, and met Floyd members Roger Waters and Nick Mason in College, where they all studied Architecture. His keyboard work was a central part of the Floyd sound, and he sang lead on such early Floyd recordings as "Astronomy Domine" and "Matilda Mother." Two of his songs from Dark Side Of The Moon -- namely "The Great Gig in the Sky" and "Us and Them" -- are among Floyd's definitive classics. But recording the album The Wall in the late '70s, he had a falling out with Roger Waters and quit the band, only to be hired back as a paid employee. He was reinstated as a full-time member when David Gilmour and Mason resurrected the band in 1994 for The Division Bell album and tour.

The non-traditional Friday release of Metallica's Death Magnetic hasn't hurt sales. U-S music industry sources project that the album will come close to selling 500-thousand copies in its first three days in stores, which handily beats the 418-thousand St. Anger moved when it was released on a Thursday.

Bryan Adams will head into Georgia Friday for a free concert that is being billed as "Peace, Freedom and Democracy for Georgia." No, not the US Georgia...the other one. The concert will be staged in Tbilisi, and organizers chose Friday because it marks 40 days after the deadly conflict in the Eastern European nation. The Christian Orthodox faith believes that after 40 days, the souls of the departed go to heaven.

John Mellencamp will be featured on a Bio Channel special titled Back Where We Started. The documentary-style show will examine Mellencamp's Southern Indiana roots. For the show, Mellencamp will perform September 23rd at the Crump Theater in Columbus, Indiana for the first time in 32 years. Some tickets being sold will benefit local flood relief. No word on when the special will air.

Original Beatles drummer Pete Best releases a new album today. He tells us the songs on Hayman's Green are "biographical, about my life story." His life story includes that famous firing, for which he has never been given a clear explanation -- though he suspects producer George Martin was most responsible. While the mystery remains, Best exudes little anger. He seems at peace with performing in small clubs and occasional Beatle fan fests.

Meanwhile, The Beatles have been honored with five statues in Hamburg, Germany. Why not four? The Beatles had five members when they made their mark there in the early '60s, so the statues portray John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe and a hybrid for original drummer Pete Best and Ringo Starr. (Ringo was not in the band at that time.) The statues, which cost 776-thousand dollars, were unveiled last Thursday. Mayor Ole von Beust said during the inauguration, "It is about time that Hamburg commemorated this great band."

Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 From Chicago P-B-S special won an Emmy Award over the weekend for Outstanding Special Class Music Program.

NEW RELEASES:

Gift Of Screws by Lindsey Buckingham (Audio CD - 2008) (his fifth album, his second studio album in three years)
Torchwood - The Complete Second Season ~ (DVD - 2008)
Will & Grace: Season Eight ~ (DVD - 2008)
Criminal Minds: The Complete Third Season ~ (DVD - 2008)
And new to DVD with 1st Seasons out today are Pushing Daisies, Chuck, Private Practice, and Dirty Sexy Money
Speed Racer (Widescreen Edition) ~ worth a rental only because of Christina Ricci (DVD - 2008)
88 Minutes ~ with Al Pacino (DVD - 2008)
The Love Guru ~ Mike Myers (DVD - 2008)
Made of Honor ~ (DVD - 2008)
Beetlejuice (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) ~ (DVD - 2008)
And Special Editions of The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles ~ (DVD - 2008)