Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson, one half of the Jamaican production duo Steely and Clevie, has died from heart failure at a New York hospital. Johnson helped revolutionize dancehall music in the 1980s through the use of computers, and he joined partner Cleveland “Clevie” Browne in working alongside the likes of Jimmy Cliff, Freddie McGregor, Dennis Brown, No Doubt, Lady Saw, Billy Ocean, and the Backstreet Boys. [Jamaica-Gleaner.com]

Nine Inch Nails has entered the final leg of the “Wave Goodbye” tour, which effectively marks the end of the band’s touring career. Last night’s performance at the Hollywood Palladium featured a cameo by Gary Numan, who joined the band for two songs. NIN will play three final shows this week, all of them housed in different Los Angeles venues. More guests are expected to appear. [Spinner.com]

Eddie Higgins, a celebrated pianist who led the house band at Chicago’s London House during the 1950s and ’60s, succumbed to cancer on Monday, August 31st. [ChicagoTribune.com]

Carrie Underwood’s third album, Play On, features collaborations with the likes of pop songwriters Max Martin and Kara Dioguardi. Accordingly, gauzy synths flank Underwood’s vocals in her newest single, “Play On.” A twangy, synth-free version of the song currently appears on Underwood’s YouTube channel, indicating that different mixes may have been produced for rock and country radio. [RollingStone.com]

Madonna grossed $408 million and performed for more than 3.5 million fans during her “Sticky & Sweet” tour, making the year-long trek the most successful outing by a solo performer ever. The figures are more than double that of the previous record, which Madonna set in 2006 with her $194 million grossing Confessions tour. [RollingStone.com]

Keith Richards is a busy man. The guitarist recently collaborated with omnipresent rocker Jack White, although Richards remains tight-lipped on the possibility of White producing the next Rolling Stones record. “I couldn’t fuel that rumour any more than to say Jack and I are in touch,” he says, although Richards has confirmed his plan to record a new Stones album next year. [NME.com]