It's Friday, and that means it's time for our weekly dose of plagiarism speculation, Friday Night Ripoffs (?), though I must say that the question mark barely belongs this week.

Tom Petty has a respectable row of great songs well past his career's 15 year mark, and Mary Jane's Last Dance (1993) heads the list. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, on the other hand, have had a barrage of mostly tossed off, derivative and sterile Grammy-winning drivel since 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magick, and "Dani California" heads that list. If you think the similarity of the first verses of these songs is merely coincidental, please inquire about the bridge in Brooklyn I am trying to sell.

Anyway, good artists borrow and great artists steal, and without a healthy dose of both, we would've missed out on a lot of great songs over the years. I can hardly fault the Peppers for wanting to build on Petty's gem. Leave some suggestions for next week's finger-pointing in the comments.

Stetson tips to commenter Eldritch for recommending Raiatea Helm, this young Grammy nominated Hawaiian artist brimming with elegance and lung capacity.

There's much more at www.raiateahelm.com.

Every Monday, C&L's Late Nite Music Club will feature an up-and-coming act from every state, alphabetically by state, as part of LNMC's 50 State Strategy. Know a band or artist that you think is the best in their state? Email suggestions to latenitemusicclub [at] gmail.com.

Former Oklahoma Sooner and Indiana Pacer Wayman Tisdale, one of the very small number of professional athletes to boast musical careers that stand up in their own right, passed away this morning at 44. He had been battling bone cancer since 2007.

Tisdale played bass in bands throughout his college and NBA career before retiring in 1997 to focus exclusively on his music. He spent the past dozen years playing alongside other smooth jazz/funk notables as Dave Koz and George Duke, and in 2008 recorded a version of Barry White's "Never Gonna Give You Up" with Toby Keith guesting on vocals. His albums charted consistently on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Top 10.

Former Pacer Reggie Miller, one of many to pay tribute today, said of his former teammate, "He was the nicest man in the world with the biggest heart and an even bigger smile. I thank him for befriending me and showing me there is more to life than just basketball...my condolences go out to Regina and the Tisdale family."

Enjoy this clip from 2006's Way Up.

Question for anyone with fact-checking chops: has anyone other than Tisdale won both an an Olympic Gold Medal and a Grammy?