U2 singer has more than two-percent stake in Facebook, worth $1.5 billion.

Talk about a 'Beautiful Day.' Once the smoke clears from Friday's (May 18) Facebook IPO, U2 singer Bono could be the richest musician on the planet.

According to England's NME , the already flush, tech-savvy ? Irish rock icon owns 2.3 percent of the shares of Facebook through his investment group, Elevation Partners. Well before Facebook filed papers to go public, Elevation paid $90 million for the shares in 2009 and after what is expected to be the second-biggest IPO in history, Bono's share could be worth more than $1.5 billion.

As Rolling Stone pointed out, Bono will split any Facebook riches with his partners at Elevation (whose number is not known), so his total haul is undetermined. Also, the singer has reportedly pledged to use much of the money raised from his investments to aid charity work in Africa.

With a gang of records ? already in pocket, the one-day take could give the singer bragging rights of a different sort as well. If the calculations are correct (a spokesperson for the band could not be reached by MTV News at press time for confirmation) then Bono would surpass former Beatle Paul McCartney as the world's richest rock star. McCartney's vast fortune is estimated to be around $1.05 billion.

NME also reported that U2 are said to be working the songwriters behind British boy band One Direction, including Swedish pop writer Carl Falk, who wrote the group's breakthrough hit, 'What Makes You Beautiful.'

An unnamed source told the magazine, 'The band are back in the studio getting a feel for new material after the last album 'No Line On The Horizon'. Will.i.am had a credit on that and they are looking to explore that direction further. They have been working with Danger Mouse ? and RedOne. They are excited about getting to work with Carl Falk.'

U2 have also logged studio time with EDM star David Guetta ? on songs for one of three new albums ? they've been talking about releasing.

Drummer Bill Ward will not be participating in the reunion of the original lineup of Black Sabbath.



Because of Tony Iommi's cancer diagnosis and treatment, the planned tour has been cut to three shows, but they will go on with only Ozzy Osbourne, Iommi and Geezer Butler from the original band with a drummer to be named later.
 
Ward had been keeping fans up-to-date on his website as negotiations continued with those running the reunion. Bill originally said back in February that he wouldn't be participating until a 'signable' contract' was presented to him that would reflect 'some dignity and respect toward me as an original member of the band.' Later in that month, he said that the lines of communications were still open.
Today, he posted the following on his official site:

Dear Sabbath Fans and Fellow Musicians,
 
I sincerely regret to inform you that after a final effort to participate in the upcoming Sabbath shows a failure to agree has continued. At this time I have to inform you that I won't be playing with Black Sabbath at the Birmingham gig dated May 19th, 2012, nor will I be playing at Download on June 10th, 2012. Further, I will not be playing at Lollapalooza on August 3, 2012.
 
It is with a very sad heart that I bring you this news. I am sincerely passionate in my desire to play with the band, and I'm very, very sorry that it's fallen to this. This statement is even more painstaking to write, as I was particularly excited to play alongside Tony Iommi after the recent treatments he underwent. I wanted that to become a reality.
 
To express my thoughts about you, the Sabbath fans, I'm going to speak to you all through an experience my brother James had recently. My brother Jimmy lives in the U.K. When speaking with him a couple of days ago, he told me that an acquaintance had stopped him on the street and confronted him, 'is your brother playing Birmingham? What's going on? I waited in line with my son and paid x amount for the concert tickets.'
 
The man's son is a young drummer. He's going to see Sabbath, and he wants to see Bill Ward play drums. Upon hearing this news, I felt horrible. I couldn't help feeling some resentment towards the failure to reach an agreement, the failure to remember where we came from, the failure to be as brothers, as we once were. To be clear, I'm not blaming the other guys or finding any faults with them. I would think it can't be easy for them either, but this situation is just really sad. It's sad that it's come to this. 'This' will surely leave a mark and be unwelcome to the memory. Hopefully 'this' will heal and pass in time.
 
My heart sank when Jimmy told me about this young boy. I know this boy is going to be disappointed, and I don't know how to amend it, other than to put my arms around the boy and tell him I love him. Sabbath fans have a voice and a face, to me you're human, you have families and despair. You have ferocity and emotions and graciousness, and at this moment as far as I'm concerned you are also that young boy in England. I don't know how to amend my part in these failings other than to put my arms around you and say I love you and let you know I'm very, very sorry.
 
Throughout this process, which began over a year ago, I have had to stand up for myself time and time again. I have had to stand up for myself and in doing so realize my actions indirectly, although unintentionally, are upsetting and hurting a lot of you. I know in my heart I couldn't have done these concerts by agreeing the terms suggested. I made a solemn vow after the last European and Ozzfest concerts that I would never again enter into what was, in my opinion, a totally unsatisfactory contract. I have to stand for something, and as painful as it is, I'm doing it.
 
Earlier in April 2012, I'd been asked to participate 'minimally' in the Download festival. I believe I'd been offered no more than three songs to play while another drummer presumably played the rest of the show with Black Sabbath. I was not willing to participate in that offer. I was not prepared to watch another drummer play a Sabbath set, while I was to play only three songs.
 
I found out about the Birmingham gig on Monday, April 30 through the Internet ad. I was taken aback somewhat by the date, and the fact it was Birmingham. Knowing the 'signable' contract negotiations were at best in shreds, I was upset by the idea that the band was going to play Birmingham and play it assumedly without me. I had no prior knowledge of the date and location, and I felt totally excluded. We contacted the representative for Black Sabbath to see if something could be worked out. In the meantime my drum crew and I, along with our US endorsers, finished all the necessary planning for a swift departure to the UK. There wasn't a whole lot to complete; we'd all been on standby more or less since mid-January 2012. The remaining work in the UK was confirmed done by our European and UK endorsers and we were good to go by Friday, May 4 2012. There were two stress points: firstly, getting an agreement in place, and secondly, getting to England in a timely manner. Jetlag time was taken into account as well as drum practice, a drum practice room in the heart of Birmingham, accommodation, and travel arrangements were all in place to meet with any band rehearsals that may have transpired before the Birmingham show. So far everything that had been arranged was on my dime, but we didn't move ahead without a realistic confirmation.
 
Communications between the representative and my lawyer continued through the weekend of May 5 finalizing on Wednesday, May 9. The offer we received on May 9 was, 'come to the UK, play for free and see how the first show goes.' I was tempted. Playing for free would not have been a problem for me, but 'seeing how the first show goes' left an element of risk which could have affected Download. My ideal thought was to play in full the Birmingham show, in full Download, and in full Lollapalooza.
 
I had notified the representative that May 10 was my cutoff day in order to have good lead-in time for England. On the night of May 9 I asked for a brief letter to be sent to the representative asking to find out if we were at an end. On the morning of Thursday, May 10, I received a reply in the affirmative. After consulting with my advisors and crew a decision was made to let go and stop.
 
I can't prioritize the Sabbath fans making one show more important than the other. I can't do that. All of you are important. It's all the gigs or none at all. I can't come to Birmingham and 'see what happens' knowing there is a risk of not being able to play Download or Lollapalooza. Again, for me, it's all or nothing. I had to say 'no' to Birmingham on the principle of wanting to play all the shows. Saying no to Birmingham is very difficult for me. My family grew up in Birmingham. Black Sabbath grew up in Birmingham. It's still my hometown and I resent having to arrive at such a difficult choice.
 
Although the statement was made that, 'the door is always open' for me, as explained above, walking through that door is not always as easy as it sounds. There are many complicated issues and unseen and unspoken agendas on hand. I can assure you, my criteria for a 'signable' contract is based in mindful principles, respectability, and acknowledgement of my history within the band.
 
I hold no malice or resentment towards the other band members. I love them; I'm tolerant of them; I'm frustrated with them, as they may be with me. My fight has never been with them. I'll love them forever. In my opinion, nobody wins this time; the band doesn't win; the fans for an original lineup don't win. Nobody wins, nobody. Even the ones who thought they did.
I didn't want to make this decision, but I have to be honest and transparent. This is the statement I didn't want to write; it's the last thing I wanted to do. But, I have written it, and now it can go into the universe.
 
Since Spring of 2011, I've waited patiently and hopefully for a signable contract, you know the rest. I stand for the boy in the U.K., for the coming drum student, for all the drummers, who write their parts out and get stiffed on the publishing, I stand with the Sabbath fans chanting 'Bill Ward' and asking 'why?' and I stand with Tony and Geezer and Ozzy.
 
On a final note, even though I'm at an end with the upcoming announced concerts, I will remain with an open mind and a position of willingness to negotiate 'signable' terms with Sabbath's representatives in the future.
 
Stay strong.
Stay safe.
With all my heart and strength, I love you,
Bill Ward

Donald 'Duck' Dunn, bass player and songwriter and a member of the Rock ‘n' Roll Hall of Fame band Booker T. and the MGs and the Blues Brothers band, has passed away. Dunn had been in Tokyo performing.

Fellow musician Steve Cropper made the announcement via a post on his Facebook Page. Cropper reported that Dunn had died in his sleep. 'Today I lost my best friend, the World has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live. Duck Dunn died in his sleep Sunday morning May 13 in Tokyo Japan after finishing 2 shows at the Blue Note Night Club.'

The last venue that Dunn played in Japan was the Tokyo Blue Note and a spokeswoman, Miho Harasawa confirmed he died alone early Sunday but had no further details. The Blue Note show calendar shows a 3 night run for the STAX Show featuring Steve Cropper and Dunn.

Dunn, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1941, performed on recordings with Eric Clapton, Neil Young and was the house bassist at the legendary R&B/soul label Stax in the '60s and '70s where his thick, expressive bass lines helped define some of the most distinctive and enduring sounds and songs in popular music, including the timeless 'Respect,' 'Dock Of The Bay,' 'I've Been Loving You Too Long,' 'In The Midnight Hour,' and 'Hold On I'm Coming.' Dunn's classic Stax bass also became a legitimizing part of The Blues Brothers Band and hit movie. He played himself in the 1980 hit movie, 'The Blues Brothers.'

Dunn received a lifetime achievement Grammy award in 2007 for his work with Booker T. and the MGs.
He was 70.

Massey University mechatronics professor Olaf Diegel made his dream come true when he created a series of colourful 3D-printed electric guitars with latticed bodies adorned with spiders and butterflies.

And when he posted images of the prototypes, explaining their origins before launching an online business, musicians and design buffs worldwide were dazzled by the aesthetics and a deluge of inquiries ensued.

Now, punters can hear the decorative instruments, with a demo by Massey jazz guitar tutor and freelance rock guitarist Neil Watson, of the New Zealand School of Music. Mr Watson is based at the University's Albany campus where Professor Diegel is a lecturer and researcher.

The clip is evidence that the custom-made instrument, which began as an experimental project, is not just a pretty gimmick. Not only does it sound as good as its mainstream counterparts, it symbolises a revolutionary era in manufacturing, says Professor Diegel.

Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing is the process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file using a printer that deposits layers of plastic or metal powder, with each layer fused by a precision laser beam.

The process, used for high-end customised products or medical parts such as artificial hips, hearing aids and dental fittings, as well as niche designer items, is the future for manufacturing specific types of goods, says Professor Diegel, who is based at the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology.

'The whole purpose is customisation and trying to avoid waste,' he says. 'It's the next big thing in manufacturing, because you can create to order and modify the design to suit specific individual requirements, whether it's for a new set of teeth, a door handle or a piece of jewellery.'

And in a decade or so, he predicts many households will have 3D printers for replacing or updating personal and household items, reducing the need for mass production that can lead to stockpiles, over-supply and, ultimately, waste. 'It's the next industrial revolution and it's going to completely change the way we do things,' says Professor Diegel.

'New Zealand, a country largely made up of small companies making high-value products, can benefit enormously from these technologies, as they will be able to go to market with products without the current prohibitive tooling costs that often prevent them from getting their ideas off the ground'.

So far he has printed several small guitar bodies - such as the shocking pink 'rock chick' model - in New Zealand, and two larger ones in the United States because of the size of the machine needed. His school has several desktop 3D printers, which students use for small-scale engineering prototype projects, and he hopes a larger-scale machine will be on campus later this year.

Once the guitar bodies are printed they are manually fitted with inner wooden cores, which can be made of different types of wood, such as mahogany or maple, to adjust the guitar's tone. The necks are made of maple or mahogany, with traditional tuning keys and strings added. The guitars will be sold via his ODD online site (www.odd.org.nz), and can be adapted to suit design tastes, colour and quirks of the buyer.

'If someone wants geckos, or flowers, or parts that can move, it will eventually all be possible through the online design software we are working on.'

But even if the guitars are a smash hit, he doubts even the most hard-core rocker will want to smash one as a performance antic.