• Madonna, who was "inspired" during a recent visit to Detroit, is donating money toward the construction of a new youth boxing gym and the purchase of iPods, iPads and other supplies for students at a charter school in her hometown, according to a news release issued by the singer's publicist Monday. The statement said Madonna's donations to three Detroit organizations represent "the first phase of a long-term commitment to" the city. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will provide funding for a new facility for the Downtown Youth Boxing Gym, which provides free after-school boxing and educational mentoring to dozens of children; buy new equipment, art and music supplies for the Detroit Achievement Academy; and help out The Empowerment Plan, a nonprofit that employs homeless women who sew garments that are distributed to the homeless. "I was deeply inspired by the efforts of so many people who I met who have dedicated themselves to helping the kids and adults in Detroit elevate themselves from the cycle of poverty. ... It was obvious to me that I had to get involved and be part of the solution to help Detroit recover," Madonna, 55, said in the written statement, referring to the city's efforts to emerge from the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. The statement does not say how much Madonna is contributing.
• Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are taking The Who on the road for a series of shows in the U.K. celebrating the band's 50th anniversary. Daltrey referred to the tour as the start of The Who's "long goodbye" during a news conference Monday at Ronnie Scott's jazz bar in London. "Well, it just has to be, really," the 70-year-old Daltrey said. "We can't go on touring forever, but we don't know how long we will go on touring. It's an open-ended kind of thing. But it will have a finality to it. We'll stop touring, I'm sure, before we stop playing as a band. It's just like Eric Clapton just said: It's the grind of the road, it's incredibly tough on the body this age. The singing is free; you pay us for the bloody traveling." The Who Hits 50 tour will be a retrospective of the band's career, including best-known hits such as "Who Are You," "Pinball Wizard" and "Baba O'Riley." It is to begin Nov. 30 in Glasgow, Scotland, and wind up in London on Dec. 17. Tickets go on sale Friday in the U.K. Monday's news doesn't necessarily mean Townshend and Daltrey are backing away from the band. Townshend, 69, said he's written three new songs and hopes to record them with Daltrey.
A Section on 07/02/2014