THE STONES ZONE: Formal auditions are under...

THE STONES ZONE: Formal auditions are under way for the Rolling Stones’ bass slot, vacated earlier this year by group co-founder Bill Wyman. Among those said to have gotten tryouts at recent hush-hush sessions in New York were former E Street Band member Gary Tallent, Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein, NRBQ’s Joey Spampinato, the B-52’s’ Sara Lee and Nashville veteran Michael Rhodes.

Spampinato is known to be a favorite of Keith Richards, and NRBQ has already rewritten a Stones song to note the possible news: Something along the lines of “They can’t get no . . . Spampinato. . . .” But no one has officially been given front-runner status yet, and more auditions are soon to be held in London.