Stairway to Heaven, released in 1971, is widely seen as one of the greatest rock compositions of all time. The copyright infringement action has been brought by Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the late Spirit guitarist Randy Wolfe, who played on the same bill as Led Zeppelin in the 1960s, and claims he should be given a writing credit on the track. Led Zeppelin guitarist Page and lead singer Plant are reputed to have written the track in a remote cottage in Wales.
By Royal Appointment - Kylie Minogue will perform for the Queen to celebrate her 90th birthday, it has been announced. She will be joined by singers Katherine Jenkins, Beverley Knight, James Blunt, Andrea Bocelli, Alfie Boe and Jess Glynne as the nation celebrates the monarch's milestone. The televised concert will take place on the private grounds of Windsor Castle on 15 May. Other stars making an appearance will be Dame Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Elizabeth II in the film The Queen, Damian Lewis, John Boyega, Martin Clunes, Jennifer Saunders, Imelda Staunton and Alan Titchmarsh.
Family Planning - Singer Janet Jackson is delaying her Unbreakable tour, saying she and her husband are planning a family. Jackson, who turns 50 next month, posted a short clip for her 3.3m Twitter followers, saying, "We're in the second leg of the tour, and there actually has been a sudden change. I thought it was important that you be the first to know. My husband and I are planning our family, so I'm going to have to delay the tour. Please, if you can, try to understand that it's important that I do this now. I have to rest up; doctor's orders. But I have not forgotten about you."
Oh Yes It Is - The London Palladium will host pantomime for the first time in nearly three decades this Christmas. The 2,296-seat London venue will stage Cinderella later this year, produced by Qdos Entertainment. The production will be directed by Michael Harrison and Andrew Wright and will run from 9 December to 15 January 2017. Qdos Entertainment chairman Nick Thomas said the company was "greatly honoured" to be working at the Palladium, "where galaxies of top entertainers have appeared".
On The Coast - Eastbourne's Congress Theatre is to close for 18 months while the venue and the site surrounding it undergo a £44m overhaul. The theatre - a large-scale receiving house with 1,689 seats - will close from January 2017 to June 2018, while the interior undergoes an extensive refit to "reinstate and enhance" the building's original 1963 auditorium. Despite the Congress Theatre's closure, the Devonshire Park Theatre on the same site will remain open throughout the surrounding renovations - hosting theatre, concerts, comedy and the annual pantomime.
Farewell - The world of pro audio has been stunned to learn of the untimely death of Zenon Schoepe, industry journalist and founder of Resolution magazine. Zen will be much missed, within and without the industry. We send our condolences to his wife Susan and their two children. Goodbye, old friend.
(Jim Evans)
