Odds & Ends: Beyoncé/Jay Z, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Zac Brown Band

Beyoncé and Jay Z are apparently so “Drunk in Love” that they’re launching a tour together.        

After talking to its sources, The New York Post reports the couple will kick off a 20-stadium U.S. tour in late June. The paper notes that the schedule might include a New York performance June 4.

“A source close to the production” confirmed with the Los Angeles Times that the tour will begin June 13 in Atlanta and conclude Aug. 6 in San Francisco.  Additional stops on the excursion are expected to include New York and Pasadena.  The Times’ source says the husband and wife duo plan on headed to Europe after the U.S. tour wraps.

B.B. King has issued a statement in response to the bad press he received for his April 4 show in St. Louis.

The Associated Press reported that fans booed and walked out early after the blues guitarist performed a set at the Peabody Opera House that “featured just a handful of complete songs amid meandering musical snippets, long-winded soliloquies, an 8-piece backup band that missed its cues and a 15-minute sing-along of ‘You Are My Sunshine.’”

A statement issued on behalf of the musician by the Peabody Opera House notes that before taking the stage, he and the band had driven 1,600 miles straight from Las Vegas to eastern Missouri. Also, King missed a daily dosage of diabetes medicine.

“The combination of the rigors of the very long drive and high blood sugar due to his medication error resulted in a performance that did not match Mr. King’s usual standard of excellence. Mr. King apologizes and humbly asks for the understanding of his fans.”

Turns out practicing the techniques of Korean martial arts on the road during the past 20 years has paid off for Willie Nelson.

The musician, who started studying kung fu when he was a songwriter in Nashville, will receive his 5^th degree Black Belt in the modern Korean martial arts system of Gong Kwon Yu Sul on April 28. The ceremony will take place at Master Martial Arts in Austin.

Matt Mangano is now officially the eighth member of the Zac Brown Band.

An announcement from ZBB points out that the bassist has taken the stage with the group on multiple occasions over the years, from guest performances to appearing on the band’s first live CD/DVD, 2010’s Pass the Jar.

Mangano, who previously toured as a guitarist with John Mayer and performed with singer/songwriters Darrell Scott and Dave Barnes, also put in time in the studio for ZBB’s 2012 LP, Uncaged, as well as the band’s new EP, The Grohl Sessions, Vol. 1.