Is Bill Wyman rejoining The Rolling Stones?

The rumor mill is rampant with reports that The Rolling Stones’ founding bassist Bill Wyman will rejoin the band from which he retired in December 1992 for the group’s 50th anniversary events next year.

ContactMusic.com quotes Keith Richards, 68, as saying he believes the 75-year-old Wyman is up for a reunion with his mates.

However, drummer Charlie Watts, 70, has told the rest of the band that he will no longer be joining them on any worldwide tours, but he’s comfortable with recording sessions and a few shows.

Richards and fellow guitarist Ron Wood, 64, have both confirmed that the band is in an undisclosed recording studio to try out new song ideas.

However, no 50th anniversary plans have yet been divulged.

Bobby Vee has Alzheimer’s

Early `60s pop superstar Bobby Vee, 69, who released 38 Hot 100 singles, including 10 that made the Top 20, posted on his website that he was diagnosed with early stages Alzheimer’s a year ago. Karen Veline, Vee’s wife of 48 years, is also ill and is on the waiting list for a lung transplant, according to Billboard.

Vee writes, “Needless to say, it was a moment that stunned my family and myself to the core. Sine this time I have chosen to remain private and to focus on what is most important to me: my family and my music. Together with our family we treasure each moment. And we hope and pray for the best outcome.”

Vee says he’s working on a new album and he posted one of the songs from that album, “If I Needed You,” by Townes Van Zandt. You can check it out at www.bobbyvee.net.

Vee is best known for “Take Good Care of My Baby,” that hit the top of the charts and the No. 2 smash, “Run to Him,” both in 1961, and the 1967 Top 3 hit, “Come Back When You Grow up.”

Universal Jazz Day

Universal Jazz Day was celebrated in the United Nation’s General Assembly Hall in New York City with performances by Tony Bennett and Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Robert Cray, and Angelique Kidjo.

Jones said: “Jazz that’s America’s only true indigenous art form. It’s our classical music, you’ve got to remember that. It’s the heart and soul of American music and we can’t afford to let it slip into obscurity.”

Pink Floyd’s Waters is king of South America

Former Pink Floyd singer-bassist mastermind Roger Waters’ 30th anniversary tour for Floyd’s epic 2-LP, “The Wall,” was seen by more than 750,000 fans in 15 concerts in South America, breaking the all-time attendance record for a tour on that continent, according to Live Nation.

In addition, the 68-year-old Waters has relentlessly toured the United States, performing 150 concerts here that have grossed more than $200 million. He’s got dozens more on tap, including “Wall” dates on May 13 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego and a biggie on May 19 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Dylan a Presidential Medal of Freedom winner

President Obama will present 70-year-old Bob Dylan with the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony at the White House later this spring.

Among the other 12 honorees are former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, retired Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens, Israeli President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres, Pulitzer-Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison, Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, and civil rights and women’s advocate Dolores Huerta.

In a statement announcing the names of the honorees, Obama said, “They’ve challenged us, they’ve inspired us, and they’ve made the world a better place.”

Another amazing Robin Gibb update

Not only has Robin Gibb emerged from a 12-day coma brought on by a bout of pneumonia, but the 62-year-old former Bee Gees’ singer is about to be discharged from the central London hospital to which he’s been confined for nearly a month, according to London’s Sunday Mirror.

“He can’t wait to go out into the garden with our dogs Ollie and Missie, but it’s going to be a long time before he’s strong enough to do that,” his wife, Dwina, told Hello! Magazine. Because his muscles have atrophied, he is re-learning to walk.

Gibb is reported to be sitting up on the edge of his bed and talking. It was only a week ago that his family were preparing for the probable end of his lengthy battle with colon and liver cancer.

Upon awakening, he complained of back pain from lying in the same position for nearly two weeks, and asked for a bowl of ice cream.

George Jones still recovering

Eighty-year-old country music legend George Jones is still recovering from an upper respiratory ailment. So, he cancelled all his upcoming shows at least through May 2, according to a statement from his publicist.

The singer posted a video on his website thanking fans for their prayers and support and said that he was on his way back, “for sure.”

In the video, he also apologized to the fans for the recent allegations by his daughter and new son-in-law, for, “putting so many bad things about me on the Internet and on Facebook.” He added, “None of them are true. It’s all about money.” His daughter Georgette responded on Twitter, disputing Jones’ allegations.

Will Journey reunite with Steve Perry?

Guitarist Neal Schon, 58, tells Huffington Post that he’s open to another reunion with now-63-year-old Steve Perry, the group’s singer during its multi-platinum era, 1978-96. Perry has been mostly retired since leaving the band.

However, Schon does have a stipulation. He is not about to abandon his current singer, Filipino Arnel Pineda. Schon says that if Perry wants to return to the fold he’ll have to share the stage with Pineda, who was lead singer on Journey’s 2008 Top 5 platinum-selling comeback CD, “Revelation,” and “Eclipse,” that was released last May and hit No. 13 on Billboard’s Hot 100 album chart.

“Who can say never?” explained Schon. “If the situation ever came up, I thin it would be both of them. And I think it would be at the point where it’s a farewell tour … and we’re done. That’s the appropriate way to go about it.”

Recent CDs

Among the recently released new CDs, re-issues or deluxe box sets are “Little Broken Hearts” by Ravi Shankar’s daughter, Norah Jones; “Blown Away” from Carrie Underwood; “Born Villain” from shock rocker Marilyn Manson; “Time As We Know It: Songs of Jeffrey Jeff Walker” from alt-country folkie Todd Snider; “Black Eye Galaxy” from country singer-songwriter Anders Osborne; “The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees”; a 2-CD import from Abba, “The Visitor”; 2-CD deluxe reissue of 1974′s “Nightlife” from Thin Lizzy; “Twenty Dozen” by The Dirty Dozen Brass Band; “Consequences,” from Peter Hammill, the founder of English prog-rockers Van Der Graaf Generator;

“Baby’s Got Her Blue Jens On His Original Capitol Hits” by `80s country hitmaker Mel McDaniel; “The Big Heat,” from Wall of Voodoo’s original singer Stan Ridgeway; the introspective, autobiographical, “Older Than My Old Man Now,” from folk humorist Loudon Wainwright III; and an enhanced CD/DVD reissue of 1998′s “Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions” from Wilco and Billy Bragg that put music to Woody Guthrie’s unrecorded lyrics.

A 40-track, 2-CD import, “All The Best,” from Jethro Tull; “Green Blimp,” by Dwight Twilly (with guest Susan Cowsill); a 6-CD import box set, “Completely Cilla 1963-1973,” from The Beatles Liverpool friend Cilla Black (most tracks produced by George Martin); “Hits Collection” from Sheena Easton; a 2-CD import, “Dancer in the Fire: a Paul Brady Anthology” from the Irish folk singer-songwriter;

“13 Original No. 1 Hits” from country singer Eddie Rabbit; “All the Best,” from the late Irish guitar gunslinger Gary Moore; a slew of reissues from former teen idol Shaun Cassidy; a 2-CD import of a 2011 concert, “Live From the Bowery,” from The New York Dolls; reissues “Robbery” and “Starchild,” from the late soul singer Teena Marie; an import of 1969′s “Swiss Movement,” from jazz pianist Les McCann and the late jazz tenor saxman Eddie Harris; and a deluxe collection from 1967-68, “Jersey Sloo,” from SF psychedelic cult band, Mad River.

Bargain-priced British Invasion act retrospective “The Very Best of” from Herman’s Hermits and The Animals; 1986′s “Power Play” from jazz and fusion drummer Billy Cobham; an import, “Woman in Love – the Greatest Hits” from Barbra Streisand; a 5-CD box set, “The Harvest Years, 1969-1974,” from psychedelic popster and Soft Machine founder Kevin Ayers; “Legendary Demos,” from Carole King;

Pat Boone’s new one, “Sings a Tribute to The Ink Spots Featuring Take 6″; a 2-CD import, “All the Best,” from Aussie rockers Crowded House; “The Complete Blue Cat Recordings,” from New Jersey doo-wop vocal group The Ad-Libs; an import, “Life Between the Exit Signs,” the latest from progressive piano improve wizard Keith Jarrett; and an import, “Jazz With a Twist,” from trombonist Slide Hampton;

An import, “Little Dreamer Live 1999″ from David Lee Roth; 1958′s “Travelin’ Light,” from jazz clarinetist & sax player Jimmie Guiffre; a 1999 2-CD live import from Deep Purple, “Total Abandon”; a 2-CD import best of, “Walk, Don’t Run,” from instrumental surf kings, The Ventures; a 2-CD import, “All the Best” from Dr. Hook; a 2-CD import collection, “My Kind of Music – Very Best of The Platters”; 1969′s “Throb,” jazz vibraphonist Gary Burton;

An import reissue of “Mingus at Carnegie Hall,” from jazz bassist Charles Mingus; and two soundtracks by George Harrison, “Early Takes Volume 1: Music From The Martin Scorsese Picture Living In The Material World” and a CD/2-DVD/Blu-Ray/96-page book, “Living In The Material World.”

Kenny Rogers added to Bonnaroo

Country and pop legend Kenny Rogers, 75, has been added to the lineup at the huge Bonnaroo Festival, June 7-10 in Manchester, Tennessee. Rogers, whose most recent CD, “The Love of God,” came out last year and reached No. 7 on the Country chart and No. 27 on the Hot 100 album chart, joins a diverse group of performers, including The Beach Boys, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Alice Cooper, Men At Work leader Colin Hay, Spectrum Road with former Cream singer-bassist Jack Bruce and former Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Mogwai, Bad Brains and many other artists.

Gregg Allman delays tour

Allman Brothers singer-organist Gregg Allman, 64, who underwent a successful liver transplant in 2010, is postponing his book tour promoting his just-released memoir, “My Cross to Bear,” in order to have heart tests, reports CBS News. The promo tour will resume May 8. The tests forced him to postpone TV appearances with Stephen Colbert and Piers Morgan.

His band will be spending a good portion of the summer on the road co-headlining a tour for the fist time with Santana. The jaunt will mostly swing up and down the east coast from the south through New England.

Plaque honors The Zombies

A blue plaque was unveiled on the wall of The Blacksmith’s Arms pub, commemorating the location where British Invasion legends The Zombies held their first rehearsal, 51 years ago, in April 1961. Founding and current bandleaders, singer Colin Blunstone and keyboard wizard, Rod Argent, both 66, attended the event along with former founding members bassist Chris White and guitarist Paul Atkinson.

Current bassist Jim Rodford, who was an original member of Argent’s post-zombies `70s group Argent as well as a 20-year member of The Kinks from the late `70s through that band’s end in 1996 and who is Argent’s cousin, also attended, as did The Zombies current drummer, Rodford’s son, Steve.

“We all feel honoured – not to say tickled pink,” Argent wrote on his Facebook page.

On his Facebook page, Blunstone thanked those responsible for the plaque and unveiling, “for this brilliant experience.” He then added, that after you see the plaque, you can “toast The Zombies with one of The Blacksmith Arm’s excellent pints.”

Levon Helm & The Band on the charts

The recent passing of Levon Helm, former singer-drummer-mandolin player for The Band, has shot three of his albums onto the Billboard Hot 200. The Band’s just-released “Greatest Hits” debuts at No. 83. The group’s soundtrack to the “The Last Waltz” is at No. 132, while Helm’s solo album from last year, “Ramble at the Ryman,” is at No. 145.

Helm was laid to rest in his longtime hometown, Woodstock, New York, in a grave next to his fellow band member, bassist-singer Rick Danko, who died in 1999.

Yanni’s back

“Live at El Morro, Puerto Rico,” the new CD from New Age and contemporary classic keyboardist and composer Yanni, 57, debuted at No. 109 on the Top 100 Album chart. His last live album, “Live: The Concert Event,” peaked at No. 84 in 2006.

Jones, Tom Jones

Tom Jones says he was considered for the role of 007 himself, secret agent James Bond, in “Thunderball,” in 1965. Sir Tom, the 71-year-old Welsh icon whose next album, “Spirit in the Room,” comes out May 21, tells the BBC’s Radio Times, “My name was up for James Bond at one time, but (producer) Cubby Broccoli apparently said I was too well known for people to believe it.”

The singer had to settle for singing the movie’s theme song that hit No. 35 in Britain, No. 25 on the Top 40, No. 5 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart and No. 1 on Canada’s Adult Contemporary chart. The first single from Jones’ new album, “Hit or Miss,” is available for download on iTunes.

He’s a judge on Britain’s version of the hit TV singing contest, “The Voice.” He tells Wales Online that this new role for him is often difficult. He said he finds it tough going to dash the dreams of contestants that he votes to send home. He also worries about the public’s reaction when he has to do this.

“The most difficult thing for me is to have to tell people that they have to leave, which I’ve never had to do in my life before … we try to tell the contestants, `don’t take it personally, it’s not the end of your career, it’s just that you can’t win this one, that’s all.”‘

Jones has five concerts set in June and July in England, France and Turkey, beginning on June 22 at Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester.

Will Brian McKnight do X-Rated Awards?

Soul singer Brian McKnight has been invited to croon his new X-rated single, “If You’re Ready to Learn,” at the AVN Awards in Las Vegas next January, reposts TMZ.

The awards are considered the Academy Awards of the adult film industry.

McKnight responded, “I don’t know what specifically I will do with this track in the future … and I don’t see myself ever performing it live, but I am flattered that people have embraced it and are having as much fun with it as I am.”

No mas por Liza

Liza Minnelli has taken four trips down the aisle in her 66 years. It appears that the Oscar-, Emmy- and Tony-winning performer may have had enough of marriage.

She joked to Access Hollywood: “If you ever hear that I’m getting married, hit me over the head and take me outta there. Honey, (marriage) does not work. You try and accommodate because you love someone.

“For instance, if he leaves his socks in the middle of the room, you’re his woman and you say, `isn’t that cute.’ Six months, seven months, maybe a year later, you say, `pick up the (blanking) socks!”‘

Minnelli headlines the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (formerly the Las Vegas Hilton) in concert on May 12 as well as the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 11.

Shelby Lynne’s instruments stolen

Country, pop and rock songstress Shelby Lynne is offering a reward for the return of a 1968 Martin ukulele and three guitars, including a 1967 Gibson guitar upon which the 43-year-old composed all er songs. The offer for a reward was posted on her website. The instruments were stolen after a concert in Norfolk, Virginia. Lynne plays McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica on May 19.

The Beach Boys kick off reunion tour

The Beach Boys kicked off their much-anticipated reunion tour with a marathon 42-song set in Tucson that was filled with the group’s trademark surf hit and impeccable harmonies.

Opening with the appropriate 1968 single, “Do It Again,” the group also showcased a new song for their upcoming as-yet-untitled album, a doo-wop song, “That’s Why God Made the Radio.” The tour stops at the Hollywood Bowl on June 2 and at the Verizon Amphitheatre in Irvine on June 3.

Now Playing

Classic acts from the `50s, `60s and `70s continue to perform. Here’s what some of them are doing.

For Louisiana-born pop and R&B singer Brenton Wood, 1967 was his year.

Using his lively falsetto, Wood scored his two biggest hits that year, the upbeat “Oogum Boogum Song” and the equally peppy, “Gimme Little Sign.” Both hit the Top 40.

The 70-year-old has one upcoming concert date on his calendar, on June 9 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on a bill with The Stylistics, The Friends of Distinction, The Chi-Lites, The Manhattans, and Barbara Mason.

Another soul singer, Jerry Butler, is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as lead singer of The Impressions. He co-wrote with Otis Redding the Redding hit, “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and hit the Top 10 numerous times as a solo artist, including in 1968 with his composition, “Only the Strong Survive.”

Among his upcoming shows, Butler, 72, is setting sail out of NYC with Barbara Mason on May 12 on The Half Moon: Rocks Off Concert Cruise Series.”

He’ll be in North Carolina, in Greenville and Winston-Salem on Sept. 14 and 15 with Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes.