Remembering John Entwistle. Van Halen is in it for the long hall. 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year. Loverboy's "Rock N' Roll Revival". Meeting in person better than online dating.  Girls more into internet than boys. Men actually like doing housework. Being unpopular leads to lifelong health problems. 10 tips for meeting the siblings of someone you're dating.

THE WHO

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Who bassist John Entwistle's death this week (June 27th, 2002), Pete Townshend posted a long remembrance to his longtime musical ally on TheWho.com. Entwistle died at age 57 on June 27th, 2002 in Las Vegas from a drug-induced heart attack on the eve of the Who's North American tour. After several days of soul searching -- and taking into account the large crew that would be left jobless by the cancellation of the tour, Townshend and Roger Daltrey opted to go ahead with the tour and recruited bassist Pino Palladino to fill in for Entwistle. Palladino remains the band's bassist to this day.

Here are excerpts from Townshend's post where he talked about what Entwistle meant to him both professionally and personally:

John Entwistle. It's ten years since his shocking death in Las Vegas. I have to say that this is not a particularly special time for me because I remember John every day. There is always something to trigger a fond memory. What does make the time just after John's death in 2002 worth remembering and processing were the massive changes that happened because -- suddenly -- he was gone, and we had a tour to do, or perhaps not to do. Musically I knew everything would be different on stage. Not better, just different.

Let me speak first then about John the musician.

John's sound was harmonically rich and filled an enormous part of the audio spectrum. There really is no one who can do what he did. Other bass players can copy his sound, and try to emulate his fingering, but at the heart of John's playing was a contradiction. His laid back character disguised a powerful musical ego, supported by immense musical talent. His playing was complex and fast, but there are few players alive who could combine such speed and eloquence on the bass with such good taste musically speaking. Like Keith Moon, he really is irreplaceable. His sound can be emulated, and I sometimes hear players who can approach John's musicianship, but John really was unique, a complete one-off, an innovator who never stopped experimenting.

As a person, as an old friend from my school days, I think my side of the street is reasonably clean. I always felt a strong sense of loving friendship from John, and I think I will cling on to that memory even though Queenie, his late mother, once got angry with me for being angry with John about the way he died and told me that John had never loved me at all. In fact a couple of times John had actually told me he loved me. We were usually alone, and he might have been a bit drunk, but sometimes when we're drunk we tell the truth. I accept that sometimes we stretch it, so I reserve the right to stretch it and believe that John was not stretching it.

When we speak about loving someone, there is always something unsaid. We love people we do not like. We like people we can never love. We might even marry or go into business with someone we neither like nor love and have a wonderful life or career with them. This is especially true for bands. It isn't always easy to know what is the truth, and of course -- if Queenie is to be believed -- feelings between two friends can be intense but not necessarily equal. For me, with John, the situation is clear cut. There are no difficulties, no blurred images. I loved John, I liked him, I respected him, and I miss him. I don't think he ever put a foot wrong in our relationship. He never said or did anything that I can look back on and fan embers of even the smallest resentment towards him.

Townshend closed by saying: "Some people are utterly without peer. When they are gone they leave an immense vacuum. So it is with John: When he died he left a void that can only be filled with good memories, affectionate recollections, and some healthy and critical review of his occasionally crazy behavior and extraordinary sense of humor. We met at school, but although we were only twelve years old, John was almost a man by then, while I would remain a little boy for many years to come; we've all known such friendships in our school days. I sometimes say that when we met I was eleven years old because that's how it felt; John was like a fifteen or sixteen year old to me. What is extraordinary is that John took me under his wing so kindly when we first met, and was always a supporter of mine even when I goofed. He was never patronizing. I never felt he had to work at it, his support came naturally, and didn't seem to be a part of any agenda. By the way, Queenie was always kind to me too when I was a teenager.

I could go on for pages and pages. But I'm not the only one to be in a position to speak for John. He was the one of us who stayed closest to our most obsessively loyal fans, propping up the bar before and after shows, and enjoying their affection and interest. I'm sure there a hundred stories out there. It would be good to hear some of them. 

Pete Townshend's entire remembrance of John Entwistle 

VAN HALEN

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen has said in a new interview with Guitar World that the current version of the band, featuring original singer David Lee Roth, did not just sign up for one album and a couple of years of touring. Eddie insisted that they're in it for the long haul, explaining, "It feels more like a band and a family than it ever has, and not just because three-quarters of it is family. Working with Dave has been very productive. We're all very opinionated about things, but it's all for the benefit of the music."

Eddie added that the group's past dramas and lineup changes are all behind them, saying, "It wasn't really us, it was people around us. When you're doing drugs, drinking and partying, you start believing the s*** people tell you. Those days are gone. We've gotten rid of people who don't belong here."

The guitarist also said that he's personally feeling the best he has in a long time, adding, "I have a wonderful wife, wonderful friends and a son who doesn't smoke, drink or do drugs . . . What more could I ask for?"

Although the group postponed 31 shows -- basically the entire second leg -- of its North American tour, which now ended earlier this week, the group will play Japan in November and possibly do more U.S. shows in early 2013. A Super Bowl halftime appearance is also rumored.

After that, Eddie wants to get to work sooner rather than later on a follow-up to this year's A Different Kind Of Truth album. He said, "That's what I hope to do. I'm pretty sure that's what our intention is."  

A Different Kind Of Truth is Van Halen's first album in 14 years and first with Roth since 1984.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Bruce Springsteen has been announced as the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year. The 23rd annual MusiCares gala will be held on February 8th, 2013, two days before The 55th Annual Grammy Awards. MusiCares provides essential support for the music community to turn to in times of financial, medical, and personal need.

Neil Portnow, the President and CEO of the MusiCares Foundation and the Recording Academy, said in a statement, "Bruce Springsteen is a truly gifted and Renaissance artist of our time, a national treasure, and an exemplary humanitarian. His career is a testament to the power of creative excellence, and his contributions as a philanthropist speak to the tenacity of the human spirit."

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will air on CBS on Sunday, February 10th, 2013 at 8 p.m. live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

After 1975's Born To Run, Springsteen refocused the romantic scenes in his work onto the real lives and responsibilities of people who were grappling just to survive day to day: "What happened was, I got to a point where the answers that I found in my favorite rock n' roll records, they didn't work for me anymore. Y'know, I couldn't find what I wanted in a Phil Spector record anymore. The whole thing wasn't workin' out. It wasn't workin' (laughs) -- the way the old story goes -- the way you thought it was gonna work out."

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band will next perform on Wednesday July 4th in Paris, France.

LOVERBOY

Coming on August 14th is Loverboy's latest album, called Rock N' Roll Revival. The collection features nine newly re-recorded versions of their '80s classics, along with three new tracks. Loverboy founder - guitarist and producer of the album, Paul Dean, commented on the Rock N' Roll Revival material, saying, "The new songs on this album are in the same spirit as our classic material. Working with our old friend, Bob Rock, on 'Heartbreaker' and 'No Tomorrow' was very easy and natural. And, the (title) track brought (frontman) Mike Reno and me back to our collaborative spirit of the 80's. As far as the classic hits on the album, these songs are reflective of the evolution of our past 30 years of playing them LIVE."

Rock N' Roll Revival features original band members Mike Reno, Paul Dean, drummer Matt Frenette, keyboardist Doug Johnson, along with bassist Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve, who replaced the late Scott Smith.

The tracklisting to Loverboy's Rock N' Roll Revival is: "Rock n' Roll Revival," "No Tomorrow," "Heartbreaker," "Turn Me Loose," "Working For The Weekend," "Lovin' Every Minute Of It," "The Kid Is Hot Tonight," "Lucky Ones," "Always On My Mind," "Queen Of The Broken Hearts," "When It's Over," and "Hot Girls In Love."  

Rock N' Roll Revival is released via the independent imprint, Frontiers Records. Mike Reno told us that times are tough these days for veteran acts trying to land record deals with a major label: "Y'know, you get a product line like Coke, or Pepsi, or Nike, and you figure, 'OK, I worked my whole life making this product famous and popular,' and you'd figure record companies would be behind you. But that's not always the case. They seem to be interested in releasing 'greatest hits,' and 'lives,' and 'best-ofs'. So we figure we could break through by getting a soundtrack hit, and that would open the door for them to say, 'Do you have any more songs?'"

MEETING IN PERSON BETTER THAN ONLINE DATING

 Despite the popularity of online dating -- researchers say that meeting person is a better way to start a relationship. "Online dating is a terrific addition for singles to meet. That said, there are two problems," report author Eli Finkel, an associate professor of psychology at Northwestern University, said. He said that online dating doesn't not reveal much about the person and second, it "overloads people and they end up shutting down." He compared it to shopping at "supermarkets of love" and said psychological research shows people presented with too many choices tend to make lazy and often poor decisions. (Reuters)

GIRLS MORE INTO THE INTERNET THAN BOYS

Girls are apparently more addicted to the internet than boys. According to a new report from Common Sense Media of 13-17 year-olds, nearly 90 percent have used some form of social media and 75 percent currently have a personal social networking website. The study also found that girls are more plugged in than their male counterparts: 77 percent of them text daily, 33 percent have used Twitter, and 75 percent love posting photographs online, while just 60 percent of boys text that often, 22 percent have ever used Twitter, and 42 percent say they enjoy putting up pictures. What's noteworthy is that the gender difference comes at an emotional price: About half the girls polled admitted that content posted online often makes them worry about their appearance or social status. Just a quarter of the boys said the same. (Slate.com)

MEN ACTUALLY LIKE DOING HOUSEWORK

According to a study published by Cambridge University, men actually like to do the housework. Domestic arguments decline and the general happiness of the home gets better when men do more of the job of looking after the house, it says. Husbands and boyfriends apparently feel guilty when they don't do their share of the work around the home. "It may be because more men support gender equality, so they feel uncomfortable if the woman does most of the housework, and because women are becoming more and more assertive and making their dissatisfaction with lazy partners plain," the study said. (Daily Mail)

BEING UNPOPULAR LEADS TO LIFELONG HEALTH PROBLEMS

 Being unpopular with your classmates might have consequences long after you finish school. Research has shown the those who are socially isolated in their teens are more likely to suffer health problems from obesity to high blood pressure when they hit their 40s. The health effects weren't limited to those who were bullied at school, suggesting that even being slightly socially isolated can be harmful to health. The effect was particularly noticeable among the girls, with the most unpopular and introverted at 16 more than three times as likely to be in bad shape at 43.

10 TIPS FOR MEETING THE SIBLINGS OF SOMEONE YOU'RE DATING (HowAboutWe.com)

1. Siblings are Great PR: Use Them to Your Advantage Remember, the siblings are connected to everyone else in the family -- the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. Get them to like you, and they'll put in a good word with the rest of the family. (Also, remember: they've met all the other significant others!)

2. Do Your Research: Before meeting a brother or sister, ask your significant other for some basic info: are they in school? Do they work? What are their hobbies, etc? Then you can easily start a conversation by saying, "Sally tells me you breed carrier pigeons?" (or whatever). It's nice to show that you actually remembered/care about something your SO said about them: flattery is a powerful thing.

3.Do as Your Significant Other Does... "Suss out how they relate to each other (do they tease, are they supportive, distant, etc) and mimic it to a lesser degree"

4. ...But Stay Neutral! "Even if your bf doesn't get along w/ their siblings it still prob matters whether they like you."

5. Be Friendly, and Ask a Lot of Questions This always works, no matter who you're meeting. People love to talk about themselves! Get them talking.

6. Don't Overdo It "Don't be nervous or try too hard to impress them," says Anna Breslaw, of Glamour.com. "If you act outright like you need to win their approval, it'll be super off-putting and totally awkward. Just talk to them like you'd talk to a friend, all idiosyncrasies and interesting things intact. You don't just want to be 'the girlfriend.' Because you're not."

7. Don't Cling to Your Significant Other If you can, try to find time to hang out or chat with the sibling without your significant other right there. It's nice to show you can hang on your own, and are interested in actually making a connection with them!

8. Give Them Space There's nothing quite like the relationship between brothers and sisters. Respect that. Hang back when necessary: let them do their thing.

9. Go Easy on the PDA "I think, while you obviously don't want to be PDAing... you do want to show the siblings/family how much you care about and love him/her. Because in the end all I really want for my brother is for someone to be crazy about him."

10. Remember, This Could Be Awesome Is there anything better than getting along like gangbusters with your significant other's siblings? It's going to make a world of difference for your relationship, and everything from holidays to vacations to hanging out on random weekends is going to be so much better if you get along. So make a good impression and genuinely try to get to know them!

Thanks for listening to The Eagle while you work. Keep it fabulous, Houston!

xoxo,

Jennifer Tyler

Fabulous Mid-Day Diva