Elton John is cancelling three Las Vegas performances on doctors’ orders after being hospitalized with a respiratory infection.

Officials with Caesars Entertainment say the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday performances of “The Million Dollar Piano” are being cancelled.

Show officials say Elton John came down with the infection last weekend and was admitted Wednesday to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Doctors have recommended he not perform for a week and take antibiotics.

The singer says in a statement that he’s sorry he can’t be with his fans at The Colosseum.

Ticket holders are eligible for refunds or exchanges at the site where they bought tickets.

“The Million Dollar Piano” launched in September for a three-year run and features the singer’s classic songs.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bluesy guitar man Phillip Phillips is the new “American Idol,” defeating teenage songbird Jessica Sanchez.

Phillips, a 21-year-old pawn shop worker from Leesburg, Ga., received more viewer votes than 16-year-old Sanchez of Chula Vista, Calif.

Phillips’ victory Wednesday extended the “American Idol” winning streak for males to five consecutive seasons. The last female to win was 17-year-old Jordin Sparks in 2007.

During the three-song showdown Tuesday between Phillips and Sanchez, the show’s judges praised his performance across the board. Sanchez was faulted for a lackluster rendition of her final song, “Change Nothing.”

Phillips, who was a top vote-getter throughout the season, gets a recording contract along with bragging rights.

Donna Summer

Family and some of her closest friends helped celebrate the life of Donna Summer at the singer’s funeral.

A private memorial service was held Wednesday for Summer at Christ Presbyterian in Nashville, Tenn., where she had been a resident since 1995.

Summer, deemed the “Queen of Disco” for hits like “I Feel Love,” ”Love to Love You Baby” and “Last Dance,” died May 17 of lung cancer at 63 in Naples, Fla.

Producer and close friend David Foster performed “The Prayer” with Natalie Grant. Summer’s sisters, Linda Gaines Lotman, Mary Ellen Bernard, Dara Bernard and Jenette Yancey, sang “We’ve Come This Far By Faith.”

Other guests included producer Giorgio Moroder and Tony Orlando.

Summer is survived by husband Bruce Sudano; three daughters, Brooklyn, Mimi and Amanda; and four grandchildren.

Islamic hard-liners have threatened violence, saying her sexy clothes and provocative dance moves could corrupt youth. Police initially denied a permit for the “Born This Way Ball” but are now hinting the concert could ahead if the pop diva toned down the show.

She tweeted Tuesday:

“The Jakarta situation is 2-fold: Indonesian authorities demand I censor the show & religious extremist separately, are threatening violence. If the show does go on as scheduled, I will perform the BTWBall alone.”

What she meant wasn’t clear, and her promoters have not commented.

Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim nation of 240 million people, was supposed to be the biggest show on Lady Gaga’s Asian tour.

Bob Moog’s synthesizer helped change the sound of modern music. On what would have been his 78th birthday, Google is paying tribute to the man with a virtual version of his famous Moog on their homepage — and it’s completely playable.

The Moog doodle, a replica of the Minimoog Model D, may not be a highly complex synthesizer but it explores a lot of the realms of synthesis — the sculpting of sound mastered by a synthesizer.

“To be able to put all those capabilities in the hands of hundreds of millions of people is just astounding,” said Moog’s daughter Michelle Moog-Koussa, who serves as executive director of the Bob Moog Foundation. “I think he would be humbled and awed.”

In 45 years, the Moog synthesizer has gone from a behemoth instrument that took several techs to work and several people to carry, to one you can download on your iPhone.

Moog’s first modular synthesizers in the mid- to late-’60s could easily weigh between 70 and 100 pounds. Keith Emerson’s monster Moog, for example, is more than 200 pounds. Moog’s early synths were high-maintenance and finicky. Sometimes they wouldn’t work in the heat, other times the oscillators would drift.

They were built on a workbench, using transistors, resistors, capacitors, lots of wires and a soldering iron.

“It was definitely a hardware venture,” said Moog-Koussa.

Moog’s first modular synths were built for experimental composers looking for new sounds to explore. Eventually, they found their way into the mainstream.

The Doors and Monkees were early adopters, but it was Wendy Carlos’ 1968 record, “Switched-on Bach” that showcased the true sonic possibilities of the monolithic instruments.

Moog responded to the increased demand by releasing the Minimoog, which could be put in a case and carried. Though they were more portable and accessible, they still remained out of reach for many musicians given their high price tag. A Minimoog today, for example, costs more than $3,000.

The advent of computers and mobile devices has given way to a number of cheaper alternatives from Moog and other companies — virtual synthesizers that are built not on workbenches, but on computers by programmers using code.

Animoog, the Moog company’s most recent iPhone app, costs $0.99 And, if that’s still too much for you, there’s always the free Google doodle.

Grammy Award-winning polka great Eddie Blazonczyk, who began playing the lively music in the 1950s and went on to earn the nickname “Polka King” after starting his own band and label, has died. He was 70.

His record label, Bel-Aire Recordings, and his son, Eddie Blazonczyk Jr., said Tuesday that Blazonczyk died of natural causes Monday at a hospital in the Chicago suburb of Palos Heights.

Blazonczyk retired in 2001 after suffering a stroke, and his son took over his band, Eddie Blazonczyk and the Versatones. The band formed in 1962, after Blazonczyk’s brief venture into pop music that landed him on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand,” and toured the U.S., Canada and parts of Europe.

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“He attracted so many people to the polka audience, whereas previously they were scared away by the word polka,” Eddie Blazonczyk Jr. said. “After hearing his style of the music they weren’t afraid of polka anymore. They knew it wasn’t ‘She’s Too Fat For Me’ or ‘Roll Out the Barrel.’ They knew it was an evolution of the music.”

The Versatones, which picked up a Grammy in 1987, played their last show on Dec. 31, 2011.

The younger Blazonczyk described his father as a kind of music mogul, a founding member of the International Polka Association, a disc jockey and polka music promoter who ran a publishing company and music school.

“He was very good at what he did,” said Dave Ulczycki, president of the International Polka Association. “That’s why he was called the ‘Polka King.’ He was the top guy.”

The association said on its website that Eddie Blazonczyk and the Versatones was “unchallenged in its height as America’s No. 1 Polka Band.” Blazonczyk was a member of the association’s Polka Music Hall of Fame.

Blazonczyk was born to Polish immigrant parents on July 12, 1941, in Chicago. His parents operated music clubs in the city and he started playing in the 1950s with “Happy Eddie and his Polka Jesters,” performing at Polish festivities.

For a time, Blazonczyk performed pop music with Mercury Records as “Eddie Bell and the Bel-Aires,” when he appeared on “American Bandstand.” But he returned to polka in 1962, forming the Versatones and going on tour.

Blazonczyk played many instruments but preferred the bass, and he sang lyrics in both English and Polish. Some of his biggest hits include “Angeline Be Mine Polka” and “Poor Boy Polka.”

Blazonczyk earned many accolades throughout his career. He was named a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow in 1998. His son said many friends have been sending him condolence messages since learning of his father’s death.

“For them this is truly the day that the music died,” Blazonczyk said.

The three-hour show moves to Thursday this year after a run of Wednesday nights. It will be broadcast live on ABC from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

More than 16 million viewers tuned in to the CMAs last year to watch Taylor Swift win her second entertainer of the year award.

The eligibility period for the CMA Awards closes June 30 and nominees will be announced late summer.

The association also announced “CMA Country Christmas” will return for a third year with taping scheduled for Nov. 3. The show, which draws many of country’s top stars, also will run on ABC during the holiday season.

A teenage songbird or a bluesy guitar man will claim the 11th “American Idol” crown Wednesday.

Jessica Sanchez, 16, of Chula Vista, Calif., and Phillip Phillips, 21, of Leesburg, Ga., made their final stand Tuesday, each performing three songs for the TV viewers choosing between them. Host Ryan Seacrest was to announce the winner Wednesday.

Rihanna was set to perform on the finale, with Fox promising other “surprise guests” and a reunion of the season’s top 12 finalists.

On Tuesday, Phillips earned consistently high marks from the show’s judges, while Sanchez faltered on “Change Nothing,” the song that could serve as her first release.

The teenager agreed with panelists Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, saying she should have gone more “urban” with her song choice.

Phillips had better luck with his potential future single selection, a slow tempo acoustic tune titled “Home,” which the judges said recalled artists like Fleet Foxes, Paul Simon and Mumford and Sons. At one point during Phillips’ final performance, the pawn shop worker was accompanied by a marching band.

It was a hit with the panel. Jackson beamed, “I love the song. I love you. I love the production. I love the marching band. Everything about that was perfect.”

High school student Sanchez and competitor Phillips dazzled the judges in Tuesday’s initial rounds. The panel declared that she won the first matchup featuring song selections by “Idol” creator Simon Fuller, soaring with Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” while Phillips delivered a solid rendition of Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me.”

“It’s like a battle of the opposites,” said Lopez. “How do you compare?”

The second round recalled the finalists’ favorite previous “Idol” performances. Sanchez reprised “The Prayer” by Andrea Boccelli and Celine Dion from the Las Vegas solo round, and Phillips crooned “Movin’ Out” from Billy Joel week. Lopez gave the bout to Phillip, while Tyler said Sanchez took it and Jackson declared it a “dead heat.”

The judges flatly rejected “Change Nothing,” the lukewarm potential future single that failed to fully showcase Sanchez’s vocal prowess. Jackson told her that it “lacked pop flavor,” while Tyler declared that it wasn’t “the proper song for you.”

Sanchez concurred, saying, “Definitely, when I make my record, if I ever do, it’s going to be a lot more me.”

It’s a family affair at the upcoming BET Awards: Kanye West has the most nominations with seven, while his mentor, Jay-Z, earned five, and Jay-Z’s wife, Beyoncé, received six.

Jay-Z and West collaborated last year on the album “Watch the Throne.” Their songs — “In Paris” and “Otis” — are up for video of the year. Beyoncé has two nominations in that category with “Love on Top” and “Countdown.” The fifth nominee is Usher’s “Climax.”

The nominations were announced Tuesday in New York.

Samuel L. Jackson will host the July 1 award show, which will be held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj will perform.

Other multiple nominees include Brown, Lil Wayne, Drake and J. Cole. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly will receive a lifetime achievement award.

iTunes’ Official Music Charts for the week ending May 21, 2012

Top Songs:

1. “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen

2. “Payphone (feat. Wiz Khalifa),” Maroon 5

3. “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Gotye

4. “Starships,” Nicki Minaj

5. “Wild Ones (feat. Sia),” Flo Rida

6. “We Are Young,” Fun.

7. “Boyfriend,” Justin Bieber

8. “What Makes You Beautiful,” One Direction

9. “Dance Again (feat. Pitbull),” Jennifer Lopez

10. “Drive By,” Train

Top Albums:

1. “Trespassing,” Adam Lambert

2. “Rize of the Fenix,” Tenacious D

3. “Born and Raised,” John Mayer

4. “Bloom,” Beach House

5. “Not Your Kind of People,” Garbage

6. “Blown Away,” Carrie Underwood

7. “21,” ADELE

8. “Glee: The Music – The Graduation Album,” Glee Cast

9. “Up All Night,” One Direction

10. “The Music of SMASH (Soundtrack),” SMASH Cast

Pearl Jam, Skrillex and D’Angelo are among the performers scheduled to take the stage at the music festival Jay-Z is curating in Philadelphia in September.

Jay-Z will also perform, as will Janelle Monae, Passion Pit, Odd Future, Santigold, Afrojack, Calvin Harris and Rick Ross and his Maybach Music group.

The festival will feature 28 acts over Labor Day weekend. Tickets for the two-day festival are to go on sale Wednesday.

Jay-Z announced plans for the event last week atop the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Proceeds will benefit the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.

More performers will be announced later.

Her debut album Listen Up! hits stores today— you can order it now here— and is a solid step into solo stardom with its mix of infectious, summer-ready tunes, soulful melodies, and artistic riffs.

Is Jennifer Lopez Leaving American Idol?

“It’s sultry and stretches between several different genres,” Reinhart, 21, told Parade.com.

“It’s R&B, funk, and rock. It’s real-life experiences and I wanted to take people on a journey.”

Top 10 Most Successful American Idol Contestants

Read on for more on what to expect from her freshman effort.

On being hands-on.
“I wanted to create an album that I was a part of and could define me as the artist I’ve always wanted to be. I want people to be able to relate to it. I want it to have me written all over it. I was really lucky enough and adamant about the writing process. I recorded a song on the tour and the rest of the songs I jumped into the writing process and co-wrote the rest of them. I am attached to all of the songs and there is one I even have my dad playing guitar on. It’s called ‘Keep Coming Back.’

How her Idol experience helped.
“It prepped me for just about everything. We were really, really lucky. On our season, we got to record with big-time Interscope producers. Week to week, doing these professional tracks, that was the best experience ever.”

Her career inspiration.
“I look up to Paul McCartney and I am a big Beatles fan. I grew up with their music in my head since day one. I always look to them as great role models.”

Surprising sounds.
“There is one power ballad on the album called ‘Undone.’ I even surprised myself. I don’t do those things that much so it was different for me. I think people will be shocked, in a good way, by a song called ‘Oh My.’ That one has B.o.B. on it.”

Her advice to current Idol contestants.
“I hope they utilize the show and take it for everything it is worth. For me, it helped me discover what direction I wanted to go in. It helped me define it even more. Take all that experience and keep everything in mind because it will help for the rest of your life.”

Watch her music video for ‘Free’

Sammy Hagar says he’s not surprised the Van Halen tour with David Lee Roth seems to be crumbling.

He’s only surprised it took this long. The band postponed dozens of concerts that had been scheduled for this summer, without giving a reason.

But Hagar, who had replaced Roth in the band and fronted Van Halen for more than a decade, thinks he knows why.

He says brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen are hard to get along with. If they weren’t, Hagar says, he’d still be in the band.

Hagar made the comments in response to a question from The Associated Press on Thursday in Atlantic City, where he donated $10,000 to a church food pantry before a concert with his current band, Chickenfoot.

And that band just got two new lead singers! Couples skate!

The passing this week of Donna Summer and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees not only chips away at the collective childhood memories of those of us born in the 1970s – I know now how my parents felt when David Ruffin of The Temptations died – but means the silencing of two of the most unique voices in popular music. Whether you like disco or believe it to be the soundtrack of the seventh circle of Hell, Summer and Gibb were undoubtedly easy to recognize on the radio – and they’re still heard. Probably right now.

Summer’s rich kiss of a vocal instrument remains an elegant landmark in a genre considered tacky by some - her strong mezzo-soprano graced everything from rock to opera to classical. And while many singers since have done “Last Dance” or “Heaven Knows” or “Bad Girls,” no one else sounded like Donna Summer. She had a sensual yearning intertwined with a rare confidence that informed her breathy declarations of carnal need (“I Feel Love”), her provocative character studies (“Bad Girls,” “She Works Hard For The Money”) or her girl power anthems (“No More Tears,” in which I have always maintained that she outsang Barbra Streisand. I’m open to argument but you’ll never convince me otherwise.) She was at once vulnerable and empowered, full of stark, knowing lust and the most romantic, heart-filling love. Before there was a Mariah Carey or a Whitney Houston, Donna Summer established herself as the queen of the deceptively easy power belt. That is to say, future singerlings, that just because you can approximate all of the runs doesn’t mean you’re getting it right. It’s harder than it looks. Donna was a genius. Don’t feel bad that you can’t do what she did. Few could.

Robin Gibb was the impossibly high top of the Bee Gees’ three-part harmony, accomplishing something incredible: He had an impeccably controlled falsetto. Falsetto is hard – ask any real singer – because it is above one’s natural or chest voice, and it’s difficult sometimes to maintain it, in tune, without sounding strained or like the audible results of a popped balloon. I know a lot of people  couldn’t stand Gibb’s voice, or those of his brothers, because of how high it was. Some people thought it wasn’t masculine – I disagreed, because I think it takes a lot of confidence, no matter what your sexuality, to sing that high. Again, there’s a vulnerability to it, even as you’re commanding people that they should be dancing, or declaring that you’re staying alive. Robin, particularly, has been in my heart since the death of his brother Maurice, because they were twins, and as a twin, I can’t imagine the loss of my sister without imagining my vocal cords being removed. I could live without them, but something would be missing in my very essence. Robin Gibb kept singing, but I can’t imagine he didn’t yearn for that voice that was supposed to be melding with his. My heart goes out to remaining Bee Gee Barry. Brothers and sisters are magic.

Also magic: What’s been known as “disco” music, although some of its purveyors prefer to call it dance music. And I understand – I can’t think of any genre that’s been so vilified, except maybe rap – I HATE those commercials for radio stations that proclaim “No Rap” as a pride point, as if no other genre has ever been objectionable.  But disco, of course, was attacked to the point that people were bulldozing records, and I do believe that while some people just didn’t like the sometimes monotonous beat or what seemed like silly, inane lyrics or toothless subject matter as compared to the socially-conscious protest songs of the 1960s or the loud, crunchy expression of a hard rock guitar.

But I’ve always thought disco had a lot of worth, and not just because there’s nothing more basic or natural than moving your body to music. It’s because there WAS a social context to the music, in its black and Latin and gay roots. It’s an urban music, a music born of a melding of cultures and a flavor of sensuality, of a hot summer day when there was nothing left to do to relieve the burden of the steaming sidewalks and the overcrowded pressing-in of your reality and express yourself with your arms, your legs, your rhythmically bobbing head. It was sex and strength and fun and love and pride, a music that encouraged you to take the thing that most defined you and exaggerate it, whether it was your chest hair or your billowing Afro or your sexuality.

Or your otherworldly voice. Disco, or dance, or whatever you wanna call it, had a lot of artifice. But it didn’t hide. And the voices of Robin Gibb and Donna Summer were impossible to hide, too. I’ll miss them both.

Robin Gibb

The catchy songs, with their falsetto vocals and relentless beat, are familiar pop culture mainstays. There are more than 6,000 cover versions of the Bee Gees hits, and they are still heard on dance floors and at wedding receptions, birthday parties, and other festive occasions.

Robin Gibb, 62, died Sunday “following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery,” his family announced in a statement released by Gibb’s representative Doug Wright. “The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time,” it said.

The Bee Gees, born in England but raised in Australia, began their career in the musically rich 1960s but it was their soundtrack for the 1977 movie “Saturday Night Fever” that sealed their success. The album’s signature sound — some called it “blue-eyed soul” — remains instantly recognizable more than 40 years after its release.

The album remains a turning point in popular music history, ending the hard rock era and ushering in a time when dance music ruled supreme. It became one of the fastest-selling albums of all time with its innovative fusion of harmony and pulsing beats. The movie launched the career of a young John Travolta whose snake-hipped moves to the sounds of “You Should Be Dancing” established his reputation as a dancer and forever linked his image to that of the Bee Gees.

Click here to post a tribute to Mr. Gibb

Despite financial success, Robin Gibb and his brothers endured repeated tragedies. Maurice died suddenly of intestinal and cardiac problems in 2003. Their younger brother Andy Gibb, who also enjoyed considerable chart success as a solo artist, had died in 1988 just after turning 30. He suffered from an inflamed heart muscle attributed to a severe viral infection.

Robin Gibb himself took care of his health and, at the time of his death, was a vegan who did not drink alcohol.

Gibb was for decades a familiar figure on the pop stage, starting out in the 1960s when the Bee Gees were seen as talented
Beatles copycats. They sounded so much like the Beatles at first that there were strong rumors that the Bee Gees’ singles were really the Beatles performing under another name.

Many late-’60s bands were quickly forgotten, but the Bee Gees transformed themselves into an enduring A-List powerhouse with the almost unbelievable, and certainly unexpected, success of the song “Stayin’ Alive” and others from the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack that accompanied the movie.

With this second wind, the Bee Gees sold more than 200 million records and had a long string of successful singles, making their way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“Saturday Night Fever” — actually a compilation album featuring the Bee Gees but including songs by other performers — represented the pinnacle of Gibb’s career, but he enjoyed more than 40 years of prominence as a Bee Gee, as a solo artist, and as a songwriter and producer for other artists.

The Bee Gees consisted of Barry Gibb, the eldest, and twins Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb. Their three-part harmonies became their musical signature, particularly in the disco phase, when Barry’s matchless falsetto often dominated, and they were renowned for their wide-ranging songwriting and producing skills.

The Gibbs were born in England on the Isle of Man, an island in the Irish Sea, but moved to Australia with their parents in 1958 when they were still quite young and began their musical career there. They had been born into a musical family, with a father who was a drummer and bandleader and a mother who liked to sing.

After several hits in Australia, their career started to really take off when they returned to England in 1967 and linked up with promoter Robert Stigwood.

After several hits and successful albums, Robin Gibb left the group in 1969 after a series of disagreements, some focusing on whether he or Barry should be lead vocalist. He released some successful solo material — most notably “Saved by the Bell” — before rejoining his brothers in 1970 and scoring a major hit with “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.”

The Gibbs then suffered some slack years — searching for a style that could sustain them in the post-Beatles era — and Barry Gibb started experimenting with falsetto vocals, first on backup, and then in the lead position.

The brothers were at a low point when they went into a French studio to try to come up with some songs for the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack at the urging of Stigwood.

The success of those tunes — closely linked to the popularity of the movie, and the power of the disco movement — changed their lives forever, giving them a string of number one hits.

After several years of chart success, the Gibbs spent much of the 1980s writing songs and producing records for other artists, working closely with top talents such as Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and Dolly Parton. They also continued touring and releasing their own records.

Gibb also released more solo albums, including “Secret Agent,” during this period.

The band continued in the 1990s, gaining recognition for their body of work with induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Then came Maurice’s sudden death in 2003. The surviving brothers announced that the name Bee Gees would be retired with Maurice Gibb’s death, although Robin and Barry did collaborate on projects and Robin Gibb continued his solo career and extensive touring despite mounting health problems.

He had to cancel several engagements in 2011, including one with British Prime Minister David Cameron, and he showed an alarming weight loss on his rare public appearances. He was hospitalized briefly in 2011 with what doctors said was an inflamed colon and had surgery for intestinal problems in March, 2012.

One of his final projects was “The Titanic Requiem,” a classical work he co-wrote with his son Robin-John, that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra premiered in April to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
Robin Gibb remained emotionally attached to the Isle of Man, keeping a house there as well as homes in rural Oxfordshire, England, and Miami.

He also became involved with numerous charities and worked to establish a permanent memorial to the veterans of Britain’s World War II Bomber Command and recorded songs honoring British veterans.

Gibb is survived by his second wife, Dwina, and four children, as well as his older brother, fellow Bee Gee Barry Gibb, and his sister Lesley Evans, who lives in Australia.

May 21: Singer Ron Isley of the Isley Brothers is 71. Guitarist Hilton Valentine of The Animals is 69. Actor Richard Hatch (“Battlestar Galactica”) is 67. Keyboardist Bill Champlin (Chicago) is 65. Actress Carol Potter (“Beverly Hills 90210,” ”Sunset Beach”) is 64. Singer Leo Sayer is 64. Comedian-turned-politician Al Franken is 61. Actor Mr. T is 60. Drummer Stan Lynch (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) is 57. Actor Judge Reinhold is 55. Actor Brent Briscoe (“Mulholland Drive,” ”A Simple Plan”) is 51. Actress Lisa Edelstein (“House”) is 46. Actress Fairuza Balk (“The Waterboy”) is 38. Singer-guitarist Mikel Jollet of Airborne Toxic Event is 38. Rapper Havoc of Mobb Deep is 38. Actress Ashlie Brillault (“Lizzie McGuire”) is 25. Actress Sarah Ramos (“American Dreams”) is 21.

May 22: Actor Michael Constantine (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” ”Room 222″) is 85. Actor-director Richard Benjamin is 74. Actor Frank Converse is 74. Actress Barbara Parkins (“Peyton Place,” ”Valley of the Dolls”) is 70. Songwriter Bernie Taupin is 62. Singer Morrissey is 53. Actress Ann Cusack (“Jeff Foxworthy Show,” ”A League of Their Own”) is 51. Bassist Dana Williams of Diamond Rio is 51. Guitarist Jesse Valenzuela of Gin Blossoms is 50. Actor Mark Christopher Lawrence (“Chuck”) is 48. Singer Johnny Gill is 46. Bassist Dan Roberts of Crash Test Dummies is 45. Model Naomi Campbell is 42. Actress Anna Belknap (“CSI: NY”) is 40. Singer Donell Jones is 39. Actor Sean Gunn (“Gilmore Girls”) is 38. Actress Ginnifer Goodwin (“Once Upon a Time”) is 34.

May 23: Actress Barbara Barrie is 81. Actress Joan Collins is 79. Actor Charles Kimbrough (“Murphy Brown”) is 76. Actress Lauren Chapin (“Father Knows Best”) is 67. Country singer Judy Rodman is 61. Comedian Drew Carey is 54. Country singer Shelly West is 54. Actor Linden Ashby (“Melrose Place”) is 52. Actress-model Karen Duffy is 51. Drummer Phil Selway of Radiohead is 45. Drummer Matt Flynn of Maroon 5 is 42. Singer Lorenzo is 40. Country singer Brian McComas is 40. Singer Maxwell is 39. Singer Jewel is 38.

May 24: Actor-comedian Tommy Chong is 74. Musician Bob Dylan is 71. Actor Gary Burghoff (“M.A.S.H.”) is 69. Singer Patti LaBelle is 68. Actress Priscilla Presley is 67. Country singer-songwriter Mike Reid is 65. Actor Jim Broadbent is 63. Actor Alfred Molina is 59. Singer Rosanne Cash is 57. Actress Kristin Scott Thomas is 52. Bassist Jimmy Ashhurst of Buckcherry is 49. Keyboardist Vivian Trimble (Luscious Jackson) is 49. Actor John C. Reilly is 47. Actor Eric Close (“Without a Trace”) is 45. Guitarist Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes) is 43. Actor Billy L. Sullivan (“Something So Right”) is 32. Actor-rapper Big Tyme is 31. Drummer Cody Hanson of Hinder is 30. Country singer Billy Gilman is 24.

May 25: Country singer Tom T. Hall is 76. Actor Ian McKellen is 73. Country singer Jessi Colter is 69. Actress-singer Leslie Uggams is 69. Director-Muppetteer Frank Oz is 68. Actress Karen Valentine is 65. Singer Klaus Meine of Scorpions is 64. Actress Patti D’Arbanville (“New York Undercover”) is 61. Actress Connie Sellecca is 57. Singer-guitarist Paul Weller of The Jam is 54. Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 49. Actress Anne Heche is 43. Actresses Sidney and Lindsay Greenbush (“Little House on the Prairie”) are 42. Actor Jamie Kennedy (“Scream”) is 42. Actress Octavia Spencer (“The Help”) is 42. Actor Justin Henry (“Kramer Vs. Kramer”) is 41. Singer Lauryn Hill is 37. Actor Ethan Suplee (“My Name Is Earl”) is 36.

May 26: Steel guitar player Gates Nichols of Confederate Railroad is 68. Drummer Garry Peterson of The Guess Who is 67. Singer Stevie Nicks is 64. Actor Philip Michael Thomas (“Miami Vice”) is 63. Actress Pam Grier is 63. Country singer Hank Williams Jr. is 63. Actress Margaret Colin is 55. Singer Dave Robbins (BlackHawk) is 53. Actress Genie Francis is 50. Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait is 50. Singer Lenny Kravitz is 48. Actress Helena Bonham Carter is 46. Drummer Phillip Rhodes of The Gin Blossoms is 44. Actor Joseph Fiennes (“Shakespeare in Love”) is 42. Singer Joey Kibble of Take 6 is 41. “South Park” co-creator Matt Stone is 41. Bassist Nathan Cochran of MercyMe is 34.

Dave Navarro and Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction perform at the Fillmore. (Andrew Nathanson / gatorproduction.com)

L.A. Sunset Strip. Jane’s Addiction brought the pomp and circumstance, shred and tear, and wail and scream to blow out the Fillmore Miami Beach. Led by Lollapalooza engineer Perry Farrell, with riffmeister Dave Navarro, the duo and band blasted through a set driving fans to shout and sing throughout. After show superlatives spouted by audience members ranged from “Amazing,” “The BEST,” and “Wow!” They were all absolutely appropriate.

Permeating the zeitgeist sound of Jane’s Addiction, seeming to always be ahead of their time relative to current music trends at all dates, Farrell and company designed a show with as much edge as their music. Before the show started, a bevy of attractive women were led, what appeared to be happily the way they projected to the audience, across the stage shackled together by a vaudeville-attired barker. It was a pre-show statement the audience was in for a show – the timid need not apply.

With the volume of energy projected, enough to drive a serious mosh pit up front in the general admission show, the fans’ hands were in air, fists pumping throughout. Up front people reached out to try to touch the consummate front man Farrell – or at least absorb some of his energy.

Photos: Jane’s Addiction at the Fillmore | Visit Andrew Nathanson’s website

Breaking out with “Underground,” Farrell states, “We’re all hustlers” concurrently with Navarro immediately ripping the notes from his guitar. Intentional or not, it ends up a symbolic tip of the hat to Larry Flynt’s magazine and foreshadowing for the night. Reminiscent of the anarchy of the City of Angels Sunset Strip heyday, there were scenes of unclad women and plants associated with Jamaica projected on video walls. Perfectly timed for the Exxxotica affair taking place at the adjacent convention center, the ladies that started off suspended in mid air in white dresses flowing 20 feet to the floor ended up dressed and performing as if they took a space on the show floor next door.

Getting past the titillation factor, the band was out to blast the audience and when Chris Chaney dropped the bass-bomb-fat opening line of “Mountain Song” the audience erupted. The crowd became a molten lava flow in synch with the music, popping and bouncing and swaying to and fro. Then “Been Caught Stealing” led the rowdy crowd to raucous uproar at a feverish pitch.

The creative genius which is Farrell and company decorated this stage as if it were his living room with a large stuffed bear and comfortable seating when the acoustics came out, which was an elegant way to lay out what “Jane Says.” Covering their spectrum, they let out “Ted” from Nothing’s Shocking. At the back of the stage were two giant statues appearing to be derived from said album cover. They also hit “Classic Girl” from Ritual de lo Habitual and “Chip Away” with a tribal drum line featuring the band’s three instrumentalists.

One significant theme woven between songs, the importance of live music, Mr. Farrell kept bringing the subject up. He spoke of crossing paths with a friend the day prior with whom he went and saw the mighty Led Zeppelin live, drawing cheers from the audience. The need for bands to make real music he couldn’t overstate enough, and repeated to the audience throughout the show.

With Farrell being a premier DJ himself who’s performed solo or with musicians in South Florida numerous times, this amplifies the statement’s impact. For his birthday he jumped on the bar at the Mondrian Hotel, as track artist, and later spun a set as disc jockey at nightlife impresario Alan Roth’s soiree. Roth said, “The show took me back through time. Amazing!”

At the former Florida Room below the Delano Hotel, Farrell did a memorable set with a top-tier guitarist while programming the tracks underneath, with Ms. Farrell accompanying the gig. He also did a set as track artist during Art Basel at a Miami club where he sustained a minor cut and still rocked on unhindered by the pain. Perry Farrell is a true rock star and complete artist.

Next to and surrounding Farrell, Jane’s Addiction features ace guitarist Navarro who lights up his guitar as if he intentionally wills a volcanic explosion in the house. His focus and craftsmanship creates a fluidity and tonality, with a driving rhythm, that makes people move. Equally bombastic and elegant, Navarro shifts smoothly between swinging sledgehammer, metallic alt-rock, and sweet acoustic elements. Not a stranger to SoFla either, he brought DJ Skribble to a now closed club for a set. They couldn’t get the power right, sound clipping out repeatedly. Unfazed he made multiple attempts to perform, a rock star move, until there was no sound; forced to retire to the appropriate VIP area.

Driving the band on drums Stephen Perkins laid down rhythmic propulsion on steroids. Tying in with current bassist Chaney, Perkins’ dynamic performance blasted the big toms, slashed the cymbals, and delicately maneuvered when appropriate. Together they created a heavy melodic line that crushed with the strength and weight of the big waves from the band’s origin state.

Appropriate enough with two of the three closing songs “Beach” and “Ocean,” with the last “3 Days.” With the aroma of Jamaica wafting in front of him, after again speaking about live music, Mr. Farrell noted, “It’s alright, we’re all friends.” After the short break the band, which as a unit is greater than the sum of its creative monster parts, hit up “Irresistible.” Following that Farrell told the audience he would never stop coming to South Florida, launching into “Stop.” Once completed the refrains of Pink Floyd played over the bright white house lights, ending as they started. “Welcome to the Machine” that is Jane’s Addiction.

The Associated Press has discovered documents that show country music legend Loretta Lynn is three years older than she has led people to believe.

The documents show Lynn is 80, not 77.

The new age found in birth and marriage records call into question the story she told in “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

In that autobiography and the 1980 film, Lynn said she was married at 13. The new documents show she married just shy of her 16th birthday.

Lynn isn’t commenting. Her representative, Nancy Russell, says Lynn has said to her that it isn’t anyone’s business how old she is.

Donna Summer’s funeral will be a private one for family and close friends.

Publicist Brian Edwards said in a statement Friday that Summer’s family is overwhelmed and appreciates the outreach from fans and friends, but that her funeral services will remain private.

He didn’t provide details on when and where services would be held.

Summer died Thursday morning of lung cancer at age 63 in Naples, Fla. Edwards also said that the singer did not smoke.

Summer earned the title of Queen of Disco after releasing a string of dance hits in the 1970s, including “I Feel Love,” ”Love to Love You Baby” and “Last Dance.”

The historic Harlem theater confirmed Friday that the “I Feel for You” singer will perform in her friend’s memory.

Lionel Richie and the late Etta James will be inducted into the theater’s hall of fame during the June 4 gala. Soul Train creator Don Cornelius and songwriter Nick Ashford will also be honored posthumously.

Richie’s first Apollo appearance was in the early 1970s. The “Hello” singer says he’s thrilled to be chosen for the hall of fame.

James was known for ballads like “At Last.” She performed at the Apollo in 1957 and again in the 1960s.

Past inductees include Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin.

Scores of Christian youths in the Philippines chanted “Stop the Lady Gaga concerts” at a rally Friday calling for the pop diva’s shows here to be canceled despite assurances from authorities that they won’t allow nudity and lewd acts.

Sold-out crowds and angry protests followed Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” Asian tour. Fans younger than 18 were banned from the Seoul concerts over complaints her lyrics and costumes were too sexually provocative, and she was denied a concert permit in Indonesia by police under pressure from Islamic hard-liners.

About 70 members of a group called Biblemode Youth Philippines rallied in front of the Pasay City Hall in metropolitan Manila. They said they were offended by Lady Gaga’s music and videos, in particular her song “Judas,” which they say mocks Jesus Christ.

Lady Gaga has secured papers for two concerts Monday and Tuesday, but Pasay City Mayor Antonino Calixto said he told organizers to ensure that “they follow the rules and regulations stipulated in the concert permit earlier provided by the city government.”

“Although we respect artistic and musical expressions, I won’t allow anyone or any group to provide acts which may be questionable in a way at any venue under my jurisdiction,” he said in a statement. “We reminded the producers of Lady Gaga’s concert that the show and the event as a whole shall not exhibit any nudity or lewd conduct which may be offensive to morals and good customs.”

Protest leader and former Philippine Congressman Benny Abante says his group plans to file a case against Lady Gaga and concert organizers if she sings “Judas” at her Manila gigs.

Organizers from Ovation Productions did not immediately provide details about the upcoming concerts, including whether Lady Gaga will perform “Judas.”

Former Manila Mayor Jose Atienza said the singer and organizers can be punished for offending race or religion. Under the penal code in the conservative, majority Roman Catholic country, the penalty can range from six months to six years in prison, although no one has been convicted recently.

Atienza and a prominent lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, met earlier Friday with Calixto to press their concern about the concerts, which will be held at the newly constructed seaside Mall of Asia arena with a seating capacity of 20,000.

The Rev. Reyzel Cayanan from Biblemode Youth Philippines said he will lead another protest march and a candlelight vigil Saturday near the concert venue.

A source familiar with the tour who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed that some of the band’s long-scheduled performances this summer will be postponed. The group’s website lists tour dates through June 26.

Dozens of additional shows had been planned and there was no immediate reason given for the cancellations. Representatives of the band and AEG, which is promoting the concerts in some regions, did not respond to messages from The Associated Press on Thursday.

LOS ANGELES — Reaction to the death Thursday of singer Donna Summer, who was 63:

“So shocking to hear about the passing of Donna Summer. In the 70s, she reigned over the disco era and kept the disco jumping. Who will forget “Last Dance.” A fine performer and a very nice person.” — Aretha Franklin.

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“I was shocked to hear about Donna. She was so vital the last time I saw her a few months ago. I loved doing the duet with her. She had an amazing voice and was so talented. It’s so sad.” — Barbra Streisand.

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“Rest in Peace dear Donna Summer. Your voice was the heartbeat and soundtrack of a decade.” — Quincy Jones, via Twitter.

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“We will miss Donna Summer! She changed the world of music with her beautiful voice and incredible talent.” — Janet Jackson.

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“I’m so sad about the news that Donna Summer died this morning. I was a big fan. I even used one of her songs in my show that airs today.” — Ellen DeGeneres, via Twitter.

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“When you lose a friend you feel like they are gone forever.that is not true with my dear friend Donna. She was a queen, THE Queen of Disco, and we will be dancing to her music forever.” — Liza Minnelli.

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“Wow, another legend gone. Rest in peace to the beautiful disco queen Donna Summer.” — Nicki Minaj, via Twitter.

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“Donna and I had a friendship for over 30 years. She is one of the few black women I could speak German with and she is one of the few friends I had in this business.” — Chaka Khan.

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“I remember sitting in the front seat of my mom’s Toyota while she sang Donna Summer’s ‘she works hard for the money’ … songs were just classic.” — Ryan Seacrest, via Twitter.

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“She not only made her mark in my heart as well as others, but she forever changed the way of how America danced and enjoyed themselves. She may have had her ‘Last Dance’ here on earth, but ‘Heaven Knows’ it is dancing with joy for her arrival.”— Gloria Gaynor.

“So sad to hear about Donna Summer. I adored her voice. May she rest in peace.” — Joan Collins, via Twitter.

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“My deepest condolences got out to the family of Donna Summer regarding the passing of a true legend.” — Bret Michaels, via Twitter.

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“Few singers have impacted music & the world like Donna Summer! It’s the end of an era. Peace & prayers 2 all who loved her.” — Gloria Estefan, who posted a photo of herself with Summer on Twitter.

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“She defined dance music in the 70′s and had a wonderful voice and personality.” — “So You Think You Can Dance” creator and “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe, via Twitter.

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“Donna Summer had a dynamic voice and unique musical style that helped define the dance music genre in the ’70s. She also was an artist who crossed many musical genres…” — Recording Academy President Neil Portnow.

NEW YORK — Like the King of Pop or the Queen of Soul, Donna Summer was bestowed a title fitting of musical royalty — the Queen of Disco.

Yet unlike Michael Jackson or Aretha Franklin, it was a designation she wasn’t comfortable embracing.

“I grew up on rock ‘n’ roll,” Summer once said when explaining her reluctance to claim the title.

Indeed, as disco boomed then crashed in a single decade in the 1970s, Summer, the beautiful voice and face of the genre with pulsating hits like “I Feel Love,” ”Love to Love You Baby” and “Last Dance,” would continue to make hits incorporating the rock roots she so loved. One of her biggest hits, “She Works Hard for the Money,” came in the early 1980s and relied on a smoldering guitar solo as well as Summer’s booming voice.

Yet it was with her disco anthems that she would have the most impact in music, and it’s how she was remembered Thursday as news spread of her death at age 63.

Her family released a statement saying she died Thursday morning and they “are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.”

The family did not disclose the cause of death. She had been living in Florida with her husband, Bruce Sudano.

It had been decades since that brief, flashy moment when Summer was every inch the Disco Queen.

Her glittery gowns and long eyelashes. Her luxurious hair and glossy, open lips. Her sultry vocals, her bedroom moans and sighs. She was as much a part of the culture as disco balls, polyester, platform shoes and the music’s pulsing, pounding rhythms.

Summer’s music gave voice to not only a musical revolution, but a cultural one — a time when sex, race, fashion and drugs were being explored and exploited with freedom like never before in the United States.

Her rise was inseparable from disco’s itself, even though she remained popular for years after the genre she helped invent had died. She won a Grammy for best rock vocal performance for “Hot Stuff,” a fiery guitar-based song that represented her shift from disco to more rock-based sounds, and created another kind of anthem with “She Works Hard for the Money,” this time for women’s rights.

Elton John said in a statement that Summer was more than the Queen of Disco.

“Her records sound as good today as they ever did. That she has never been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame is a total disgrace especially when I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted,” he said. “She is a great friend to me and to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and I will miss her greatly.”

Summer may not have liked the title and later became a born-again Christian, but many remembered her best for her early years, starting with the sinful “Love to Love You Baby.”

Released in 1975, a breakthrough hit for Summer and for disco, it was a legend of studio ecstasy and the genre’s ultimate sexual anthem. Summer came up with the idea of the song and first recorded it as a demo in 1975, on the condition that another singer perform it commercially. But Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart liked the track so much that he suggested to producer Giorgio Morodor they re-record it, and make it longer — what would come to be known as a “disco disc.”

Summer had reservations about the lyrics — “Do it to me again and again” — but imagined herself as a movie star playing a part as if she were Marilyn Monroe. So she agreed to sing, lying down on the studio floor, in darkness, and letting her imagination take over. Solo and multitracked, she whispered, she groaned, she crooned. Drums, bass, strings and keyboards answered her cries. She simulated climax so many times that the BBC kept count: 23, in 17 minutes.

What started as a scandal became a classic. The song was later sampled by LL Cool J, Timbaland and Beyonce, who interpolated the hit for her jam “Naughty Girl.” It was also Summer’s U.S. chart debut and the first of 19 No. 1 dance hits between 1975 and 2008 — second only to Madonna.

Summer, real name LaDonna Adrian Gaines, was born in 1948 in Boston. She was raised on gospel music and became the soloist in her church choir by age 10.

“There was no question I would be a singer, I just always knew. I had credit in my neighborhood, people would lend me money and tell me to pay it back when I got famous,” Summer said in a 1989 interview with The Associated Press.

Before disco, she had already reinvented herself several times. She sang Motown songs with local groups in Boston as a teenager, then dropped out of school in the late 1960s and switched to pyschedelic rock after hearing Janis Joplin. An attempt to get a part in the musical “Hair” led her to get the principal role in Munich. She stayed in Germany for five years, worked in other productions and modeled.

Meanwhile, she was performing in operas, singing backup for Three Dog Night and other groups and releasing songs of her own. A marriage to Helmuth Sommer didn’t last, but the singer did hold on to her ex-husband’s last name, changing it to “Summer.” By 1974, she had met producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte and released her first album, “Lady of the Night,” to success in Europe.

Then came “Love to Love You Baby,” her memorable U.S. debut. Through the rest of the disco era she burned up the charts: She was the only artist to have three consecutive double-LPs hit No. 1, “Live and More,” ”Bad Girls” and “On the Radio.” She was also the first female artist with four No. 1 singles in a 13-month period, according to the Rock Hall of Fame, where she was a nominee this year but was passed over.

Musically, she began to change in 1979 with “Hot Stuff,” which had a tough, rock ‘n’ roll beat. Her diverse sound helped her earn Grammy Awards in the dance, rock, R&B and inspirational categories.

Summer said grew up on rock ‘n’ roll and later covered the Bruce Springsteen song “Protection.”

“I like the Moody Blues, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as well as Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, the Supremes and Temptations,” she said. “I didn’t know many white kids who didn’t know the Supremes; I don’t know many black kids who don’t know the Moody Blues.”

Warwick said in a statement that she was sad to lose a great performer and “dear friend.”

“My heart goes out to her husband and her children,” Warwick said. “Prayers will be said to keep them strong.”

Summer later became a born-again Christian and was accused of making anti-gay comments in relation to the AIDS epidemic — a particular problem for a woman who was and remains a gay icon. Summer denied making the comments, but became the target of a boycott.

Religion played an important role in her later life, said Michael Levine, who briefly worked as her publicist.

“Her passion in her life, besides music, was God, spirituality and religion. She held a bible study class at her home every week,” he said.

Summer released her last album, “Crayons,” in 2008. It was her first full studio album in 17 years. She also performed on “American Idol” that year with its top female contestants.

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AP National Writer Hillel Italie in New York and AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen in Los Angeles contributed to this report.