News Roundup: Paul McCartney, Simone Felice, Ray LaMontagne

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Paul McCartney was honored last night at the White House, where he received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. “You start with a black hole and if you’re lucky, a couple hours later there’ll be a song waiting there,” said McCartney. “That mystery, that magic is still the same for me.”

During the ceremonial concert, McCartney busted out “Michelle” for the first lady, Michelle Obama, as well as “Eleanor Rigby” and “Let It Be.” A host of artists were on hand to toast the former Beatle, including Elvis Costello, who performed “Penny Lane,” and Jack White, who sang “Mother Nature’s Son.”

Read the New York Times’ review here.

Simone Felice of the Felice Brothers and Duke & The King is undergoing emergency open heart surgery in Albany, New York today. Yesterday, a note on the Duke & The King’s Facebook page read:

We must tell you all, with a heaviness we cannot convey of the news that our dearest brother Simone Felice has been scheduled for emergency open-heart surgery as a result of Aortic Stenosis. The operation will take place tomorrow at Albany Medical Center. We are devastated, yet hopeful that he will pull through. He loves you all more than you could ever know, so please send all of your thoughts & prayers Simone’s way.”

We wish Felice a speedy recovery.

Ray LaMontagne will release his fourth album, the self-produced God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise, on August 17th via RCA  records. Joining LaMontagne on the album are the Pariah Dogs, a loose band of session musicians who’ve played with everyone from Tom Waits to Lucinda Williams. God Willin’ is the followup to 2008’s Gossip In the Grain, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts.

Track listing:

1. Repo Man

2. New York City’s Killing Me

3. God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise

4. Beg Steal Or Borrow

5. Are We Really Through

6. This Love Is Over

7. Old Before Your Time

8. For The Summer

9. Like Rock & Roll and Radio

10. The Devil’s In The Jukebox

Confirmed Tour Dates for Ray LaMontagne with David Gray are as follows:

August 15 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion

August 17 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion

August 18 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion

August 19 Wantagh, NY Nikon @ Jones Beach

August 20 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

August 25 Chicago, IL Millennium Park

August 26 Rochester, MI Meadow Brook Theatre

August 27 Toronto, ON Molson Amphitheatre

August 29 Council Bluffs, IA Stir Cover @ Harrah’s Council Bluffs

August 30 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre

August 31 Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe Opera House

September 1 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre

September 3 Los Vegas, NV The Pearl @ The Palms

September 4 Valley Center, CA Harrahs Rincon

September 5 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl

September 8 Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre

September 10 San Francisco, CA The Greek Theatre