Bob Dylan's Muse Dead at 67

Even Chief Justice Roberts has cited his lyrics

(NEWSER) - When judges want to give their opinions a lyrical flourish, many turn first to Bob Dylan. He’s the most-cited musician in court opinions and briefs, experts tell the Los Angeles Times . That’s because his early songs give voice to political and legal concerns—and they emerged when today’s judges were “coming of age,” an expert says. “The chance to throw in a line from your favorite artist is tempting, a chance to let your freak flag fly.” More»

Legend expected to sell out 8,000-seat venue

(NEWSER) - Decades after making his name with Vietnam-era antiwar songs, Bob Dylan is set to perform in Vietnam for the first time, the AP reports. He’ll play in an 8,000-seat university stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, and planners expect the show to sell out. “Bob Dylan is a very important legend of music and we think it's important that Vietnamese people, particularly the younger generation, are exposed to his legacy,” says a promoter. (Dylan also recently snagged his first China gigs .) More»

Keyboardist played on decades of Springsteen hits

(NEWSER) - Longtime Bruce Springsteen keyboardist Danny Federici died yesterday at the age of 58 in New York after a three-year battle with melanoma. As a member of the Boss’ E Street Band, he performed on hit records for decades and helped bring Springsteen into the spotlight after jamming in New Jersey in the 1960s. “We grew up together,” Springsteen said in an online statement. More»

DC's funk pioneer is gone

(NEWSER) - Chuck Brown, who created the "go-go" genre of funk in DC in the 1970s and remained a mainstay of black Washington's culture ever since, has died at age 75, reports the Washington Post . A snippet from the paper's obituary, by Chris Richards:

• "Like a DJ blending records, Mr. Brown used nonstop percussion to stitch songs together and keep the crowd on the dance floor, resulting in marathon performances that went deep into the night. Mr. Brown said the style got its name because 'the music just goes and goes.'" Full piece here .

He sang and played drums for the group

(AP) - With songs like "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "The Weight" and "Up on Cripple Creek," The Band fused rock, blues, folk, and gospel to create a sound that seemed as authentically American as a Mathew Brady photograph or a Mark Twain short story. In truth, the group had only one American—Levon Helm. Helm, the drummer and singer who brought an urgent beat and a genuine Arkansas twang to some of The Band's best-known songs and helped turn a bunch of musicians known mostly as Bob Dylan's backup group into one of rock's legendary acts, has died at 71. More»