Bruce Springsteen gave a rare live performance of "Streets Of Philadelphia" at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on Oct. 18. The Boss was on hand at the fifth annual event hosted by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to receive the inaugural Legacy Award, which honors artists who have "inspired generations of storytellers and deeply influenced our culture." Springsteen played an acoustic set at the event, which included a performance of his Oscar-winning track "Streets Of Philadelphia," which was written for Jonathan Demme's acclaimed AIDS drama Philadelphia. Also in his set were "Atlantic City" from 1982's Nebraska and his 2000s live favorite "Land Of Hope And Dreams." Fan-captured footage of the performance can be viewed on Instagram. - New Musical Express, 10/19/25...... 
The UK paper The Sun is reporting Fleetwood Mac is in talks to create a TV show and one-off concert after news that band members are planning to reunite to mark the 50th anniversary of their landmark album Rumours. Plans said to be under discussion for 2027 include a one-off live show, a television special, and a behind-the-scenes documentary revisiting the making of the 1977 record, The Sun reports, and an anniversary edition of Rumours featuring unreleased studio material is also being developed by Warner Records. Should the reunion come to fruition, it would be the band's first since 2019 and would pay tribute to late keyboardist and singer Christine McVie, who died in 2022. According to the article, drummer and band founder Mick Fleetwood, 78, is leading efforts to bring the surviving members -- singer Stevie Nicks, 77, guitarist/singer Lindsey Buckingham, 76, and bassist John McVie, 79 -- together for the project. "Fleetwood Mac are discussing new projects and how to mark Rumours' big 5-0. For certain there is a special edition version of the album coming, which the band and label have been secretly looking at," a source said. "But also there is a significant hope that it is time for the definitive documentary on all the chaos in the studio that created the magic on record. John and Christine were divorcing and she was dating their lighting guy. Stevie and Lindsey were over just before she and Mick enjoyed a brief fling. And drugs and booze were everywhere. The desire is for everyone to sit down and present their side of events on screen," the source continued. It added, however, that a new tour is "unlikely at this stage" but "there is a desire to pay tribute to Christine in some way and a live show around Rumours seems a very fitting way." - Music-News.com, 10/22/25...... In other 50th anniversary news, Neil Young has announced a 50th anniversary re-release for his 1975 album Tonight's The Night. The limited-edition reissue will contain the full album alongside six bonus tracks, made up of unreleased alternate versions of songs from the era and a collaboration with Joni Mitchell. The album will include a version of "Lookout Joe" that was recorded at S.I.R. Studio in Los Angeles in 1973 in place of the original and a new take on the record's title track. Also included are unreleased versions of "Walk On," "Everybody's Alone" and "Speakin' Out," an early version of "Wonderin'" and a collaborative version of Mitchell's "Raised On Robbery." The reissue will be released on CD, 2-LP and clear 2-LP versions on Nov. 28. Young's sixth album, Tonight's The Night was released in June 1975. It had been recorded two years earlier but Young's label Reprise delayed its release, reportedly due to the bleakness of the subject matter and its rough sound. Meanwhile, rumors that Young, Joan Baez and Willie Nelson would be performing at an "all-American alternative" to the Super Bowl halftime show appear to be the result of AI-generated fake updates that have been circulating online. One of the posts claims that the two of them will be performing there as it is "a heartfelt and patriotic alternative to the Super Bowl 60 halftime event" that will "honour the enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk," the conservative activist who was shot and killed in September. "With Joan's golden voice and Neil's grace-filled harmony, the All-American Halftime Show will turn the world's biggest stage into a moment of hope and homecoming," it read. While reps for both Young and Baez have not commented on the AI-post, it is pretty clear that neither have any intention of performing at the event. A rep for Nelson was quick to dismiss a performance by the country/pop legend at an alternative halftime show, telling Rolling Stone: "They obviously don't know anything about Willie, do they?". The rumors began after Puerto Rican rap star Bad Bunny was announced to headline the Feb. 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, which sparked backlash from right-wing leaders in the US, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Bad Bunny has admitted that he won't be touring the US during his forthcoming world tour due to fears over ICE agents raiding his concerts. - NME, 10/22/25...... In other Neil Young news, in a new interview with Rolling Stone Micah Nelson, the son of Willie Nelson and a longtime bandmate of Neil Young's, reveals that Young was feeling "really sick" and "drained" before he formed his latest band Chrome Hearts. Nelson said Young was going through a rough patch towards the end of 2024, and seemed to be taking a step back from music due to his tour with Crazy Horse being halted due to a number of health issues among members. Sharing how it took a toll on the frontman, Nelson shared: "I knew how bummed out Neil was. He wasn't feeling like making music. He was really sick. He was trying to get over that and just get his energy back. Then he was really bummed out about what happened and how it all went down. And that just kind of drained him a lot, and doused this flame. I was like: 'Is Neil fading away? This is unacceptable'." Nelson then said he was adamant to rekindle Young's love of music and encourage him to pursue a new project -- ultimately helping lead to the formation of the Chrome Hearts. "Whenever you want to do the thing again, just call me up and I'm ready to go'," Nelson said he told Young. "I'd call him a lot and check in on him and remind him how he's not old," he told the outlet. "I was like: 'Do whatever you got to do, man. Take your time. I get it. Recharge. The tank has got to fill back up, and that can take time, but whenever you want to do the thing again, just call me up and I'm ready to go'.... it took a few years once he started again to really, really get back in the groove." - NME, 10/20/25...... 
The Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock has told the Daily Star paper that the band "have ideas" for making new music with their new frontman Frank Carter. In 2024, bassist Matlock, guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook of the punk legends' original line-up enlisted former Gallows frontman Carter to take on lead vocals in place of John Lydon for a series of shows at London's Bush Hall. The line-up has since gone on to play tours around the UK and have announced shows in North and South America. Now, Matlock has suggested that the new version of the band is prepared to record new music together too and are currently considering their options. "We talked about it with Steve Jones," Matlock told the paper. "We have ideas and Frank is a very good lyricist. Everyone has ideas, but we're very busy at the moment and haven't had a chance to really work things out." Matlock also reflected on how any new music would impact the band's legacy. "Above all, we have to ask ourselves if the public really wants us to release new music," he said. "In the end, who knows?" The Pistols and Carter were due to kick off their North and South American dates in September, but were forced to postpone when Jones broke his wrist. They told fans that the gigs would be rescheduled when he has fully recovered. - NME, 10/22/25...... People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have reached out to former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, urging him to temporarily change his name to "Robert Plant Wool." The push comes as November, which PETA categorizes as "Plant Wool Month," raises more awareness by the organization for plant alternatives to sheep's wool. In a letter to the Plant, PETA notes that the short-term name change would make more people aware of plant-powered yarns, including those made from hemp, cotton, orange waste, and more. It also would help the push to have people turn away from animal wool and cashmere industries, which it criticises as environmentally-destructive and sometimes abusive. "Plant Wool Month celebrates animal-free and plastic-free yarns that promote sustainable fashion while lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and protecting the animals with whom we share this precious planet," said PETA Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen. "PETA is asking Robert Plant to sing the praises of plant wool with a temporary name change that reminds everyone that nothing compares to soft, natural, and eco-friendly plant wool." PETA also maintains that Plant Wool Month will generate more recognition for "hard-working crop farmers, innovative textile makers, and pioneering designers who grow, spin, and work with these beautiful yarns to create knitwear, suits, and more." Plant has not yet responded publicly to the letter from PETA. Meanwhile, Plant is currently on tour in the US behind his latest solo album Saving Grace, wrapping on Oct. 22 with a show at the United Theater on Broadway in Los Angeles. - NME, 10/21/25...... 
Singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins is slamming the unauthorized use of his hit "Danger Zone" in a new AI video shared by Pres. Donald Trump which shows the president flying a plane and dumping feces on protesters set to "Danger Zone." In a statement posted to his Instagram account on Oct. 20, the former Loggins & Messina member and '80s/'90s solo star said that the POTUS' use of his song in the clip shared Oct. 18 was completely "unauthorized" and that "nobody asked me for my permission, which I would have denied." "I request that my recording on this video is removed immediately," he continued. "I can't imagine why anybody would want their music used or associated with something created with the sole purpose of dividing us. Too many people are trying to tear us apart, and we need to find new ways to come together." "We're all Americans, and we're all patriotic," Loggins added. "There is no 'us and them' -- that's not who we are, nor is it what we should be. It's all of us. We're in this together, and it is my hope that we can embrace music as a way of celebrating and uniting each and every one of us." Trump's video with "Danger Zone" -- which was famously used in the 1986 Top Gun movie -- comes amid nationwide "No Kings" gatherings in the U.S. and around the world protesting the twice-impeached politician's policies. The video appeared to be Trump's response to the protests, as it depicts him wearing a crown while flying the plane that unleashes piles of feces onto the heads of AI-generated protestors holding up signs on the streets below. Trump's continued use of such AI videos featuring artists' music without their permission has consistently irritated musicians, and earlier in October Blue Öyster Cult distanced themselves from the president after "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was used in an AI clip that mocked Democrats. The Trump administration has appeared to double down on their bomber video, with a White House rep responding to Loggins' complaint with a Top Gun meme: a picture of stars Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards on the tarmac with the movie's superimposed catchphrase "I Feel the Need For Speed." - Billboard, 10/20/25...... Rush has announced that German drummer Anika Nilles will be backing original members Geddy Lee (bass/vocals) and Alex Lifeson (guitar) on the band's upcoming 50th anniversary tour which is set to kick off on June 7, 2026, in Los Angeles. Also, on Oct. 20 Lee and Lifeson announced that they have added 17 new shows in Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Edmonton, Seattle and Vancouver to the outing on which they will pay tribute to late drummer/lyricist Neil Peart. Following the previously announced kick off on June 7 with the first of four sold out shows at the Kia Forum, the band will hit Mexico City, Fort Worth, Texas, Chicago, New York and Toronto for multiple nights before hitting Philly on Aug. 21 for the first of the newly revealed shows. The tour will then move on to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Aug. 26, the Bell Centre in Montreal on Sept. 2 and TD Garden in Boston on Sept. 12. Fans are encouraged to sign up for a Rush artist pre-sale for the new shows at livemu.sc/rush by 11:59 p.m. ET on Oct. 23; no code is needed, with access tied to the user's account. The artist pre-sale begins on Oct. 27 at 12 p.m. local time in the U.S. and Canada. A general on-sale will begin at 12 p.m. local time at www.rush.com on Oct. 31 in the U.S. and Canada. German drummer/composer Anika Nilles has performed with Jeff Beck and released four solo albums. - Billboard, 10/20/25...... Oscar-winning filmmaker Cameron Crowe has recalled an interview he had with David Bowie in a new memoir called The Uncool. Crowe, who began his career as a journalist with Rolling Stone (with his experiences documented in 2000 film Almost Famous), spent 18 months on the road with Bowie in the 1970s, and in his new book he recounts the time he revisited the interviews with Bowie decades later. "He didn't want to go back there," Crowe told The Independent. "I would read his quotes back to him. Like, 'you said Patti Smith and Kraftwerk would be all that's remembered from this time', but he wouldn't bite. He kept batting it all back to me, and eventually just said, 'Cameron, those were the insane ramblings of a young man addicted to amphetamines'." Crowe reiterated: "He just didn't want to go back there. He was in love with his wife, having a beautiful life living in Soho." Crowe was then asked whether he was sad that Bowie couldn't recall a lot of their time together, reflecting: "You know what, I spent a lot of time thinking about it. I think he remembered it all. He just didn't want to remember it with me, but that's OK." Meanwhile, the director is set to helm a new Joni Mitchell biopic, and teased in his latest interview that it is "a movie about somebody worth making a movie about, and something that really has my voice in it." The film, which is rumoured to star Anya Taylor-Joy and Meryl Streep as the younger and older versions of the music icon, was expected to be released this Christmas, though will miss that deadline. Crowe has described the project as "Joni's life... through her prism. It's the characters who impacted her life that you know and a lot that you don't know. And the music is so cinematic." - NME, 10/20/25...... 
In related news, Debbie Harry has revealed who she'd like to play her in a potential Blondie biopic. If it were somebody like Florence Pugh, I would be in heaven... I just think she's a great actor and she could do anything," Harry told the London Times. In 2014, Harry said she supported the idea of a Blondie biopic, and that a film would help people have a "finer appreciation" of the iconic New Wave group. At the time, she said: "It's difficult. You can only really skim the surface. If it's good entertainment, honest, well-acted and directed? Maybe," she replied when asked about her thoughts on the matter. "I think many people could be informed and have a finer appreciation of the person or era." Harry released her book Face It: A Memoir in 2019, charting her rise in the downtown New York City scene of the 1970s to become a global superstar, as well as how she overcame heroin addiction, bankruptcy and Blondie breaking up. A biopic could be based on any of the Blondie members' memoirs, with Chris Stein sharing his Under A Rock in 2024, and Harry's Face It coming out in 2019. - NME, 10/20/25...... Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne has thanked fans in Ozzy's hometown of Birmingham, UK for their support while accepting a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the metal pioneer at the Birmingham Awards, and later reflected on what the city meant to him. "Last night I had the honor of accepting my father's life time achievement award on his behalf at the @birminghamawards," she later wrote in an Instagram post," Kelly posted on Instagram. "I can't thank everyone enough for their love and support. I know that my dad was shining down on us from heaven with pride because being a #Brummy meant more to him than anything," she continued. "He loved the city and he loved the people. This honor would have meant the world to him. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. #birminghamforever." The award comes in the wake of his passing in July, aged 76, just 17 days after he played one last show as the frontman of the metal band at the "Back To The Beginning" concert in Birmingham. It was Osbourne's first full gig since 2018, having undergone multiple surgeries in the following years. He also experienced other health problems, including Parkinson's disease. - NME, 10/19/25...... The upcoming Sundance film festival in Utah will feature multiple tributes to its late co-founder Robert Redford including a screening of his first independent movie, organizers announced on Oct. 22. Hollywood legend Redford, who starred in hits like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid before becoming an Oscar-winning director, died in September at the age of 89. His passing caused an outpouring of grief from the US filmmaking community -- many of whose leading lights got their start at the indie movie festival he created, including Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh. "Robert Redford's dedication to the power of storytelling shaped independent cinema," said a festival statement. "In honor of his memory, a commemorative screening of Downhill Racer (released in 1969) will be presented, his first independent film and a passion project that was his catalyst for the creation of Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival," it said. Starring Redford as an obsessive skier competing in the Winter Olympics, Downhill Racer was described by late esteemed film critic Roger Ebert as "the best movie ever made about sports -- without really being about sports at all." In his first significant venture behind the camera, Redford pitched and developed the film, though he did not receive a formal producer credit. Multiple other celebratory events for Redford will be held throughout the festival, which starts Jan. 22. It will be the final Sundance held in Utah, before the festival -- having outgrown its base in the ski resort of Park City -- moves to Boulder in neighboring Colorado. The festival's lineup of new feature film and documentary premieres will be announced in the coming weeks, with tickets on sale from Oct. 22. - AFP, 10/22/25...... 
While chances of a Fleetwood Mac reunion appear to be improving, it's just the opposite for a potential Pink Floyd reunion, with David Gilmour recently doubling down on an interview in 2024 in which he said -- referring to his former bandmate Roger Waters -- he would rather "steer clear of people who actively support genocidal and autocratic dictators like Putin and Maduro." In a new interview with The Telegraph, Gilmour was asked what it would take for him to join forces with Waters again. "Nothing," he replied. "There is no possible way that I would do that." Going into further detail in the 2024 interview, Gilmour explained: "Nothing would make me share a stage with someone who thinks such treatment of women and the LGBT community is OK. On the other hand, I'd love to be back on stage with [Pink Floyd keyboardist] Rick Wright, who was one of the gentlest and most musically gifted people I've ever known." Gilmour's wife Olly Samson has also been vocally outspoken against Waters' politics, accusing him in 2023 of being "anti-Semitic to [his] rotten core" and "a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac". Gilmour re-shared Samson's post, adding that "every word [is] demonstrably true. "Waters himself issued a statement in response, in which he described Samson's comments as "incendiary and wildly inaccurate," adding that he "refutes [them] entirely." He also said that he was "taking advice as to his position" regarding the claims. Gilmour has also said he finds it "wearisome" to have to talk about Waters. "Do you know what decade of my life I was in when Roger left our pop group? My thirties. I am now 78. Where's the relevance?" he told Britain's Mojo magazine in 2024. In a Rolling Stone interview, however, he also stated that "one day there are things I will talk about." - NME, 10/19/25.
The Bob Dylan "Rough and Rowdy Ways" tour which has been in progress for four years has released 1,500 additional tickets for the Coventry, UK show on Nov. 13 due to increased capacity at the city's Building Society Arena. The legendary singer-songwriter is due to kick off a European leg of the tour on Nov. 7 in Brighton, followed by three shows in Swansea (Nov. 9, 10, 11), Coventry (Nov. 13), Leeds (14/11), Glasgow (16, 17/11), Belfast (19, 20/11), and Killarney (23, 24/11) before wrapping in Dublin on Nov. 25. Dylan's most recent leg of the tour ran across North America in March and April and saw him dipping into his back catalogue -- including the first performance of '"The Times They Are A-Changin'" -- in 15 years. He recently announced the release of Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through The Open Window, 1956-1963, which will drop Oct. 31 via Columbia/Legacy Recordings. - New Musical Express, 10/16/25...... 
The Eagles will soar higher in 2026 by adding eight additional dates to their long-running residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas. The new dates -- Jan. 23-24, Jan. 30-31, Feb. 20-21, and Feb. 27-28 -- will make their 52-date residency the longest-running one of any band at the innovative venue so far, breaking out of a tie with Dead & Company's 48 shows. The Don Henley-led band launched its Sphere stint in Sept. 2024, and after an initial spate of dates spanning five months, have rolled out extensions a handful of concerts at a time, most recently adding eight October and November dates last April. Presale registration for the shows is available now through the Eagles.com website. Among the other acts performing at the Sphere since its Sept. 2023 debut are U2, Phish, Anyma, Kenny Chesney and Backstreet Boys, and the Zac Brown Band will debut its run in December. - Billboard, 10/13/25...... British actor James Norton, currently appearing in Netflix hit House Of Guinness, is reportedly under consideration to play The Beatles' former manager Brian Epstein in the forthcoming biopics about the band. Epstein met the band in 1961 and became their manager until his death in 1967, aged just 32. Often nicknamed "The Fifth Beatle," he was portrayed in a 2024 biopic called Midas Man by fellow British actor Jacob Fortune-Lloyd. In an apparent acknowledgement of the news, Norton shared a screenshot of the Deadline article on his Instagram account with the caption "Brian d." Earlier in 2025, it was revealed that the legendary band will be portrayed by Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn, and on Oct. 9, it was revealed Soairse Ronan will be playing Linda McCartney. Beatles -- A Four-Film Cinematic Event is scheduled to be released in Apr. 2028. - NME, 10/15/25...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, a five-string banjo once played by John Lennon has been given a new home at The Salvation Army's iconic Strawberry Field in Liverpool, as part of a celebration of the late Beatles' 85th birthday on Oct. 9. Originally owned and played by John's bandmate Rod Davis in The Quarrymen -- the band that would later evolve into The Beatles -- the instrument is now on display at the attraction, giving Beatles fans the chance to delve deeper into the band's rich heritage. The banjo, which is kindly on loan from collector Ashley Davie, will go on display alongside the world-renowned collection of artefacts on display at Strawberry Field, including the famous "Imagine" piano, on which John composed one of the greatest peace anthems of the 20th century. The banjo was played by Rod at all The Quarrymen's early gigs, including the historic Woolton Village Fete on 6 July 1957 -- the day John first met Paul McCartney. A new incarnation The Quarrymen played performed an exclusive live performance on Oct. 9 to celebrate Lennon's birthday, part of a string of activities which included a first look at a brand-new photomosaic wall, featuring 1,300 images submitted by Beatles fans, Quarrymen members and Strawberry Field supporters from across the world. "It's an incredible honour to be here and unveil this special banjo at Strawberry Field, a place held dearly by John and where he spent much time during his childhood," said Rod Davis. "Performing here on what would have been his 85th birthday was a poignant way to mark the occasion and to remember his enduring legacy." Based in Woolton, Liverpool, Strawberry Field is an award-winning visitor attraction located at the iconic site immortalised by Lennon in The Beatles' hit, "Strawberry Fields Forever." The attraction, which is owned by The Salvation Army, tells the story of John's childhood, offering visitors an immersive experience that includes the original red gates of Strawberry Field, and the magical gardens where John played, climbed trees and dreamed as a child. As part of the schedule to mark Lennon's birthday, a group of lucky Beatles fans were also taken on an exclusive tour beyond Strawberry Field itself to the pivotal places of Lennon's childhood, from The Salvation Army site that inspired his iconic song to the very streets, schools and classrooms where his story began. Visitors are being invited to mark John's birthday by leaving their own messages of peace, which will be displayed on the original Strawberry Field gates. - Music-News.com, 10/11/25...... 
Actor/musician Johnny Depp joined Patti Smith on stage on Oct. 12 during a London concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of Smith's seminal album Horses. Depp joined Smith during the first of two consecutive nights at the London Palladium, coming out during the encore. Smith introduced her entire band to the audience and then added: "And Johnny? And Johnny Depp? The original Johnny." It was a reference to the line, "the boy looked at Johnny" from her Horses track "Land/Horses." Depp played guitar on the album track "People Have the Power," with Smith's daughter Jesse on keyboards. Smith is currently celebrating her iconic 1975 record with her band, including two members of the original group, Lenny Kaye and Jay Dee Daugherty, along with keyboardist/bassist Tony Shanahan, who has been in the line-up for 30 years. She will play further "Horses"' tour dates in Brussels, Oslo, and Paris through Oct. 21, then kick off a U.S. leg in Seattle on Nov. 10. Other stops included Oakland, Calif., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia through Nov. 29. Horses was included in the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry, and inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2021. A deluxe 50th anniversary edition of Horses dropped on Oct. 10. - NME, 10/14/25...... English singer/songwriter Sam Fender has released a new track featuring Elton John called "Talk To You." The heartwarming tune, which has become a fan favourite in Fender's live shows, was recorded in the sessions for Fender's album People Watching, which recently won the prestigious Mercury Prize. In a joint statement about the song, Sam said: "Talk To You was written during the People Watching sessions at British Grove. It's a song about the end of a long relationship - about the regret, the mistakes and the lessons that come with it. It's that feeling of losing your best friend and coming to terms with that." He continued: "I was playing around with the riff and thought what I need is a really good pianist and then hmmm, I wonder who I can call? And of course, who better than Elton John." Sir Elton, 78, commented: "Sam was writing and recording in a studio in West London and called to say he'd written a song with a piano riff that he thought would sound great with me playing it. I couldn't resist, and it was so much fun playing it for him. I truly love Sam. He's been a friend for many, many years and it's incredible to see him grow into being a truly world class artist." "Talk To You" is set to feature on a deluxe expanded edition of People Watching, which will go on sale Dec. 5 with eight additional tracks. - Music-News.com, 10/17/25...... 
Carlos Santana is pushing back on viral rumors that he's opposed to his fellow Latino performer Bad Bunny being booked for the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show next February. Since Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime headliner, viral rumours -- partially made through AI -- have circulated the internet claiming that Mexican-American guitarist Santana pushed back against the idea of the Puerto Rican rapper playing the coveted slot. Meanwhile, other posts claimed that Santana had even petitioned to replace the "Perfumito Nuevo" rapper at the sporting event. Now, Santana and his manager have provided statements to Billboard debunking those claims. "AI has accelerated the spread of misinformation, making it harder for the truth to break through the noise. Don't rely on random or unverified posts -- even well-meaning outlets can get misled," Santana's manager wrote. Santana said in his own statement: "I congratulate and celebrate Bad Bunny's success and his position right now with the world and with the Super Bowl. I feel total oneness with what he's doing because we are here to utilize art to complement and bring the world closer to harmony and oneness." The Grammy-winner continued: "However, we're living in a time of fear, division, separation, superiority and inferiority. Fear is the flavour right now. Fear is what motivates ignorant people to put words in my mouth -- saying that I didn't want Bad Bunny to be represented at the Super Bowl. I never said that, nor would I ever. Just to be clear, my heart is in total harmony with Bad Bunny, and I celebrate his success, his triumph and his phenomenal achievement. Anything other than that is coming from people's ignorance. We're living in a time when hostile forces love to create conflict, separation and division, because the hostile forces don't like unity, harmony, oneness and joy. They want people to be miserable and to spend too much time in their minds. I spend a lot of time in my heart, and in my heart I celebrate Bad Bunny. I can't stop playing his song 'Monaco' -- there's something really magical about it." Bad Bunny's Super Bowl slot has received a wave of criticism from the ring-wing community, who believe that the rapper -- despite hailing from Puerto Rico, a territory of the U.S. -- should not be performing at the sporting event. The right-wing backlash to the news was almost immediate, with US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem criticizing the NFL for choosing him as their halftime performer, despite the largely Spanish-performing artist being a US citizen. Pres. Donald Trump's administration has also stirred controversy by confirming that ICE agents will be present at the Super Bowl to apprehend any illegal immigrants, and the President himself has branded Halftime Show slot "crazy" and says he's "never heard of him." - NME, 10/14/25...... The BBC Factual arm of the BBC has ordered five new history commissions, among them a program charting the abuse allegations against Michael Jackson. With a working title of Legacy: Michael Jackson, the three part documentary series will explore Jackson's rise to fame, as well as the "abuse allegations and enduring legacy of one of the most successful pop stars of all time," per an announcement from the BBC. "With access to rare intimate archive, and revelatory interviews with those closest to him, this is the most fully rounded and authoritative portrait of Jackson yet produced," it continued. "A deeply researched study of a trailblazing musical genius, whose personal life remains a complex enigma." The doc will also examine the stories behind Jackson's biggest hits, as well as his innovative videos and live performances, touching on how his estate is still able to generate billions of dollars from his work. The comprehensive look at his life and legacy will begin with his early Jackson 5 years in the racially segregated landscape of '60s America, to the controversies that dogged him in his final years. - NME, 10/13/25...... 
The family of the late Ozzy Osbourne visited a huge Halloween pumpkin mural of Ozzy Osbourne at a farm in Hampshire, UK on Oct. 11. Sharon Osbourne, along with children Jack and Kelly Osbourne visited the Ozzy "pumpkin pyramid" at Sunnyfields Farm in Totton, Hampshire, where each year a mural is built from pumpkins, the subject of which is decided by public vote. This year, the annual poll saw 70% of the public vote for an Ozzy-themed mural in the wake of his passing in July, aged 76, just 17 days after the iconic Black Sabbath frontman played one last show as the frontman of the metal band at the "Back To The Beginning" concert in Birmingham. It was Osbourne's first full gig since 2018, having undergone multiple surgeries in the following years. He also experienced other health problems, including Parkinson's disease. On display since Oct. 4, Sunnyfields' Ozzy mural took 16 people four-and-a-half hours to create and will run through Halloween on Oct. 31. A video of the mural being created, and the Osbournes' visiting, can be viewed on YouTube. More than 73,000 people are expected to view the mural throughout October. Previous mural designs include ones based on the films Beetlejuice, Paddington and The Nightmare Before Christmas, the latter of which won a Guinness World Record for the largest cucurbit mural. - NME, 10/13/25...... The family of recently deceased Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton has revealed the cause of her death on Oct. 11 at age 79 was due to pneumonia. "The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11," the family said in a statement to People magazine. Her family -- which includes 25-year-old son, Duke, and 29-year-old daughter, Dexter -- went on to list the causes that were close to the Annie Hall star's heart and asked her fans to donate to charity as a tribute to her."She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an animal shelter would be a wonderful and much appreciated tribute to her," the message concluded. People, the first outlet to report Keaton's death, spoke to a friend who said the actor's health "declined very suddenly" in recent months. She declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her," the confidante told the outlet. "It was so unexpected, especially for someone with such strength and spirit." One of Keaton's close friends told TMZ.com that Keaton had been ill for a while and that her death was "not a shock." The source added that, "In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren't fully aware of what was happening." - AP, 10/16/25...... 10cc's Graham Gouldman says American rapper Doja Cat's sampling of 10cc's 1975 chart-topping hit "I'm Not in Love" has brought the veteran pop rock band's music to "a different audience." "I'm Not In Love " was was revived on Doja Cat's 2023 track "Shutco" and Gouldman has quipped that he is "down with the kids" after the unlikely crossover with the 29-year-old performer. "Ah, you see, I'm down with the kids, man! [Laughs] I don't mind these things," Gouldman recently told New Musica Express. "It's great if it works artistically, and it also helps to bring the music of 10cc to a different audience that wouldn't have normally bothered with it." "I'm Not In Love" was recently covered by Pretenders bandleader Chrissie Hynde and The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers on her Duets album, but Graham was none the wiser in the same interview. He reacted: "Really?! Our publishers never tell us anything! That's brilliant. I liked The Pretenders' version; I just love Chrissie Hynde's voice." - Music-News.com, 10/14/25...... 
Co-founding KISS guitarist Ace Frehley died on Oct. 16 "peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall at his home," according to a statement shared by his family. He was 74. "We are completely devastated and heartbroken," the family wrote in the statement. "In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth. We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace's memory will continue to live on forever!" Earlier on Oct. 16, TMZ.com reported that Frehley was on life support after suffering a brain bleed when he fell at home weeks ago. The musician had canceled his performance at the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, Calif., after suffering what was then described as a "minor fall resulting in a trip to the hospital." "He is fine, but against his wishes, his doctor insists that he refrain from travel at this time," a statement read on his Instagram at the time. Less than two weeks later, Frehley's team announced on social media that he would be canceling all of his remaining appearances in 2025 "due to some ongoing medical issues." Born Paul Daniel Frehley in New York City in 1951, Frehley co-founded KISS in 1973 with singer/guitarist Paul Stanley, bassist/singer Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss. Among the songs Ace helped write for KISS were classics like "I Was Made For Lovin' You," "Rock And Roll All Nite," "Detroit Rock City," "Love Gun" and more. The members' identities were famously kept secret until a decade after their debut, by which Frehley had left the band to pursue a solo career, coupled with his struggles with substance abuse and rising tension within the band about their direction. In the years following his exit from KISS, Frehley formed a new band, Frehley's Comet, which released two albums but failed to achieve commercial success. He reverted to using his own name for this 1989 album Trouble Walkin',, which saw former bandmate Criss provide backing vocals. Frehley would rejoin KISS for their reunion in 1996 and stayed with them until 2002. He did not join them for their farewell world tour in 2022. Frehley and Simmons had a notably rocky relationship, with Simmons in 2019 claiming that Frehley was fired from the band for his substance abuse, while Ace argued that he was 12 years sober by then and quit "of my own free will, because you and Paul [Stanley] are control freaks, untrustworthy and were too difficult to work with." Earlier in October, Frehley cancelled his remaining solo dates for 2025 due to "some ongoing medical issues," which has since been confirmed as the fall he suffered. Frehley's former bandmates Simmons and Stanley are among a slew of fellow musicians and friends that have paid tribute to the iconic rocker, also known as "Spaceman." 
"Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on. No one can touch Ace's legacy. I know he loved the fans. He told me many times. Sadder still, Ace didn't live long enough to be honored at the Kennedy Ctr Honors event in Dec. Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!," Simmons posted to X on Oct. 16. Stanley shared his "favorite photo" with his late ex-bandmate, and fondly recounted their first encounter. "I remember 1974 being in my room at the Hyatt on Sunset in LA and I heard someone playing deep and fiery guitar in the room next door," he writes. "I thought "Boy, I wish THAT guy was in the band!" I looked over the balcony He was. It was Ace. This is my favorite photo of us," he wrote on X. Alice Cooper posted on Instagram that "Ace was an absolute Guitar hero to so many people. I did more tours with him than anybody else, as far as opening for us, for quite a long time, so we became quite good friends. And you know, he always brought it every night. He did it every night. And it's just hard to see somebody like that go. We know that right now that the KISS fans are certainly in mourning and certainly his family and certainly everybody that knew him. Ace was an ACE." Other rock and music icons paying tribute include Pearl Jam, Tom Morello, Nile Rodgers, Steve Vai and Tool. KISS will be honored at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, taping Dec. 7 and airing Dec. 23 on CBS. Frehley will be just the third person to receive the honor posthumously. - Billboard/NME, 10/17/25.
Posting on his 
Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain is denying he's planning to leave the band, despite recent claims to that effect from the band's guitarist Neal Schon. On Oct. 9, Schon posted on 
Oscar-nominated Irish actress Saoirse Ronan (Ladybird, Little Women) has reportedly been cast as Linda McCartney in the upcoming Beatles "Four Film Cinematic Event" directed by Sam Mendes. Deadline.com is reporting that -- according to multiple sources -- Ronan will portray Paul McCartney's first wife in the upcoming series of biopics. Reps for distributors Sony Pictures are yet to make an official comment. Ronan, 31, has received four Oscar nominations across an illustrious career and appeared in addiction-recovery drama The Outrun in 2024. More recently, she led the dark comedy Bad Apples, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Ronan joins a cast that includes Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon. With scripts written by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan and Jack Thorne, the films are expected to arrive in spring 2028, though official details currently remain scant. Linda Eastman and Paul met in 1967, and they were married until her death from cancer in 1998. She was a photographer, musician and animal rights activist who founded a vegetarian food company. She also performed alongside Paul as part of his post-Beatles band, Wings. - Billboard, 10/9/25...... KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was hospitalized after a car crash in Malibu, Calif., on Oct. 7. According to NBC4 Los Angeles the crash was reported to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department just before 1:00 p.m. PT when Simmons' Lincoln Navigator reportedly crashed into a parked car on Pacific Coast Highway. He told deputies on the scene that he had either fainted or passed out before the crash, according to the L.A. Sheriff. Simmons' wife, Shannon Tweed, told NBC4 that the rocker was recovering at home, while a rep for KISS told Billboard on Oct. 8 that Simmons is "already back to work." Also on Oct. 8, Simmons posted on his 
As Linda Ronstadt reissues a 50th-anniversary vinyl edition of her 1975 album 
The Moody Blues bassist/vocalist John Lodge died "suddenly and unexpectedly" on Oct. 10, according to a 
On Oct 6 Rush surviving members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson announced they'll embark on their first tour in 11 years beginning in June 2026. The legendary prog rockers announced dates for a 12-show North American swing they are calling the "Fifty Something Tour." It will mark the first time singer/bassist Lee and guitarist/vocalist Lifeson hit the road since the group wrapped their "R40" 40th anniversary tour on Aug.1, 2015 at the Forum in Los Angeles. According to a press release, the outing will be a celebration of Rush's "music, legacy and the life of late drummer and lyricist Neil Peart"; the band's time-keeper and primary lyricist died of the brain cancer glioblastoma on Jan. 7, 2020 at age 67. Fittingly, the tour will kick off on June 7 with the first of two shows at the KIA Forum in L.A., followed by shows in Mexico City, Fort Worth, Chicago, New York and Toronto, wrapping up on Sept. 17 at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The "evening with" shows will feature the band playing two sets a night, with each show featuring a distinctive set of songs pulled from a setlist of 35 hits and fan favorites. They will be joined on the dates by German drummer/composer/producer Anika Nilles, 41, who has performed with Jeff Beck and released four solo albums. "It's been over 10 years since Alex and I have performed the music of RUSH alongside our fallen bandmate and friend Neil," wrote Geddy Lee in a statement. "A lifetime's worth of songs that we had put our cumulative hearts and souls into writing, recording and playing together onstage. And so, after all that has gone down since that last show, Alex and I have done some serious soul searching and come to the decision that we f---ing miss it, and that it's time for a celebration of 50-something years of RUSH music... No small task, because as we all know Neil was irreplaceable," he added. Fans can get in on a Rush artist pre-sale by signing up at 
On Oct. 1 The Who performed their final show of their North American farewell tour at the Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, Calif. Surviving co-founding members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend and co. opened the performance with a live rendition of "I Can't Explain," before rocking other Who chestnuts including "Substitute," "Who Are You," "I Can See For Miles" and "Pinball Wizard." The penultimate track of the night was "The Song Is Over" from the band's 1971 fifth studio album, Who's Next, and the band made a final goodbye with a tender performance of "Tea & Theatre" -- a single from their 11th studio set, 2006's Endless Wire. "I suppose, you know, it's goodbye," Townshend told the audience at the end. "That's what it is. To what we know as The Who, it's goodbye. What Roger and I will get up to next, who knows? If we last any longer, I'm sure we'll get up to all kinds of mischief. We'll do stuff together, I'm sharing some stuff, all kinds [of] bits and pieces. But for this kind of thing, it's goodbye. And you were last!" Daltrey said: "Thank you so much for your support, over all the years. It means so much to us. It was every band's dream in the '60s to make it in America. And thanks to you guys, you made it happen for us. Thank you so much!" A fan-shot clip of the moment has been shared on 
It has been revealed that the surviving members of The Cars -- guitarist Elliot Easton, drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Greg Hawkes -- have been working on new music started by late Cars frontman Ric Ocasek. The trio of the legendary new wave band have been building a collection of tracks from the dozens of demos Ocasek left behind, as was teased in the new Cars biography 
Chris Dreja, a core member of the seminal British blues-rock band The Yardbirds and who helped shape the sound of some of their biggest hits, passed away on Oct. 2, according to his sister-in-law, Muriel Levy. He was 79. "It is with a deep sadness that I have to announce that my brother-in-law Chris Dreja, former member of legendary band The Yardbirds, rhythm guitarist and also bass player has passed away after years of health problems," Levy posted. "I share the pain with my sister Kate who took care of him during all those years and his daughter Jackie... May he RIP." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, into which Dreja was inducted as a member of The Yardbirds in 1992, paid homage to the band's "innovations in feedback and distortion" and credited them for informing a slew of burgeoning genres like psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and punk in their short-lived but highly influential tenure" in a post on 
The classic REO Speedwagon lineup of frontman Keven Cronin and bassist Bruce Hall reunited on Sept. 27 to perform with the University of Illinois marching band at Champaign Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. The Midwestern classic rockers announced their breakup in Sept. 2024, citing "irreconcilable differences" between Cronin and Hall and played their final live shows together in Dec. 2024. REO Speedwagon had formed in Champaign in 1966, though Cronin and Hall were not original members. The pair played the halftime show for the University Of Illinois' homecoming game against USC, and joined by two founding members, keyboardist Neal Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer. Doughty retired from touring commitments with REO in 2023, and Gratzer departed the line-up in 1988. Marking the first time that all four members had performed together since Gratzer's exit, the musicians joined hundreds of members of the Marching Illini band, treating the crowd to "Ridin' The Storm Out," "Roll With The Changes" and "157 Riverside Avenue." Interviewed by a local radio station, the quartet said they were "a little out of our comfort zone" playing with "400 people, extra, in the band" -- referring to the Marching Illini. Gratzer said that being back with his former bandmates was "special, and it makes me happy". When pressed on whether this would be their final appearance together, the band teased: "You never know." The Champaign performance can be viewed on 
Yusuf/Cat Stevens' Peace Train derailed on Sept. 29 when the iconic '70s singer/songwriter announced that his scheduled upcoming North American tour has been postponed due to visa issues in the U.S., adding future dates will be "some time away." "Sadly, my Cat on the Road to Findout Book Tour in the U.S. and Canada looks like it won't go ahead as scheduled in October," Yusuf posted to 
In a recent interview with WJFF Radio Catskill, Heart's Nancy Wilson revealed that The Beatles were the biggest inspiration on her and sister Nancy Wilson growing up. Nancy quipped that they went at it like "military brats" and "took no prisoners." "We never walked into this thinking, like, 'We wanna break a glass ceiling.' We were just driven -- because The Beatles came out when we were little kids, and The Beatles just drove us to our calling," she said. "It was just like we were aimed like a pistol from the minute We already had music in our family -- lots of singing and playing piano and harmony singing and ukuleles and aunts and uncles and grandparents -- so we had all the gifts given to us in a musical family just to go straight into music with, and the calling was loud and clear. But the fact that we were women didn't even register in our minds at the beginning. We were just little kids, so we had no sexual identity to conform to at the beginning. So we just went ahead, like the military brats that we are -- we just joined forces and took no prisoners. [Laughs]." The Wilson sisters co-founded Heart in the early 1970s, with the band officially forming in 1973 and releasing their debut album Dreamboat Annie in 1975. Blending hard rock, folk, and powerful vocals, Heart quickly rose to prominence, becoming one of the first female-led rock bands to achieve major commercial success. Over the decades, they've sold over 35 million records worldwide and earned a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. - Music-News.com, 9/30/25...... Bruce Springsteen gave a surprise performance of "Land Of Hope And Dreams" after a screening of his new Deliver Me From Nowhere biopic at the New York Film Festival's Alice Tully Hall on Sept. 28. The Boss thanked actor Jeremy Allen White for "playing a much better-looking version of me" in the film, as well as thespian Jeremy Strong, who he quipped played "a much, much better-looking version" of his manager Jon Landau. After the screening, Springsteen took to the stage for an impromptu performance of "Land Of Hope And Dreams," a song that became a regular presence in his sets in the early 2000s. He also turned his sights to the Donald Trump administration, something he has done many times in recent months. "These days we have daily events reminding us of the fact that we're living through these particularly dangerous times," he said. "I spent my life on the road, I've been moving around the world as kind of a musical ambassador for America, trying to measure the distance between American reality, where we've often fallen short of our ideals of the American dream." He continued: "But for a lot of folks out there, she continues to be a land of hope and dreams, not of fear or divisiveness or government censorship or hatred. That America's worth fighting for. So it's in that spirit I brought along my lifelong weapon of choice, my guitar." Footage of his "Land Of Hope And Dreams" performance can be viewed on 
A 10-foot statue of rock n' roll queen Tina Turner was unveiled on Sept. 27 in the rural Tennessee community where she grew up. The statue in honor of the Grammy-winning singer, electrifying stage performer, and one of the world's most recognizable and popular entertainers was revealed during a ceremony at a park in Brownsville near a museum honoring Turner and located about an hour drive east of Memphis. The unveiling was part of the 10th-annual Tina Turner Heritage Days, a celebration of her life growing up in rural Tennessee, before she moved away as a teenager. The city of about 9,000 people is near Nutbush, the community where Turner went to school as a child. As a teen, she attended high school just steps from where the statue now stands. The statue shows Turner with her signature wild hairdo and holding a microphone, as if she was singing on stage. The statue was sculpted in clay by Fred Ajanogha and cast in bronze, and it took about a year to complete. Ajanogha said he tried to capture the star's flexibility of movement on stage, how she held the microphone with her index finger extended, and her hair style, which he compared to the "mane of a lion." After teaming with first husband Ike Turner for hit records and live shows in the 1960s and '70s, Turner survived her troubled marriage to succeed in middle age with 1984's chart-topping "What's Love Got To Do With It" in one of the most amazing comebacks in show business history. She died on May 24, 2023 at age 83 after a long illness in her home in Ksnacht near Zurich, Switzerland. - Billboard, 9/27/25...... Jane Goodall, a world-renowned expert on chimpanzees whose work was captured in more than 40 documentaries, died on Oct. 1 in California during her latest tour of the U.S. She was 91 and died of natural causes. "The Jane Goodall Institute has learned this morning, Wednesday, October 1, 2025, that Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute has passed away due to natural causes. She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States," a statement issued by the institute said. Ms. Goodall had been set to speak in Los Angeles at UCLA on Oct. 3, and her work was covered in detail in the 2017 documentary Jane, assembled from 140 hours of footage that had been hidden in National Geographic's archives. It won two Primetime Emmys and several other awards. The British primatologist was also the subject of more than 40 documentaries from National Geographic, Animal Planet, Disneynature and more. Most recently, the 2023 Imax film Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope explored her habitat restoration projects. On the lighter side, he also lent her voice to animated shows including The Simpsons and "The Wild Thornberries. Born in Hampstead, London, she traveled to Kenya in 1957 and soon began working with the noted anthropologist Louis S.B Leakey. Her 1960 discovery that chimpanzees were able to make and use tools revolutionized the field of primatology. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 to support research on great apes, and also established Roots and Shoots, a youth program, and TACARE, which focused on sustainable development in African villages. Ms. Goodall went on to tour the world with numerous speaking dates each year, speaking on conservation, climate change and animal behavior. - Variety.com, 10/1/25.
The glasses worn by John Lennon during his fabled "Lost Weekend" period living in Los Angeles for 18 months between 1973 and 1975 are among the main items currently up for auction at Propstore's Music Memorabilia Live Auction in London. One of the most recognizable personal items of the legendary late Beatles founder, the glasses are estimated to fetch between £148,000-£297,000 ($198,000-$396,000). "Never known as a violent person and more famous for his involvement with the peace movement, John Lennon's glasses came to market due to a scuffle with Tom Smothers at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles," revealed Propstore's Mark Hochman. "After the incident, Smothers' wife collected the glasses, phoned her friends, and hosted a party where, apparently, guests were thrilled to wear John's trademark glasses. There's full photographic documentation that shows Lennon entering the Troubadour on 12 March 1974, and leaving without them." Lennon's notorious "Lost Weekend" period came after he separated from his second wife, Yoko Ono, whom he married in 1969. The couple reunited and remained married until his death in 1980. The Propstore Memorabilia Auction brings together some of the most significant pieces of music history, from stage-used guitars and handwritten lyrics to iconic wardrobe and personal artifacts. - Music-News.com, 9/26/25...... In other Lennon-related news, John and Yoko's son Sean Ono Lennon recently told BBC Radio 6 Music host Chris Hawkins that his dad "resented having to be a Beatle" in the end. "I think there's a bit of a myth about that," Sean, 49, said when asked about the period including the pair of "One to One" benefit concerts in 1972 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. "[But] I don't feel that he'd fallen out of love with music. I think he'd fallen out of love with a certain kind of fame. I think he'd fallen out of love with having to be a part of a machinery, of a pop machine, you know. I think that was -- even though he was always rebellious within that framework, I think that he still resented, you know, having to be a Beatle in a way. I think he really wanted to move on from that, you know," Sean added. Sean believes his father struggled when John and Yoko's as the Plastic Ono Band's 1972 double album, Some Time in New York City, flopped and was annihilated by critics. He added: "I think there were some growing pains, you know. And by growing pains, I just simply mean he made a record with my mum that people didn't necessarily like Some Time in New York City, you know. I think the songs are really great. I just think they're less manicured than what people were used to. You know, they were clearly recorded impulsively and quickly. And I think that was the rock and roll spirit. It was almost like a punk, a proto-punk kind of spirit. But I don't think people were ready for that, paired with how heavily political the messaging was. But it still -- I think when it didn't sell, I think that was hard for them." Sean is currently promoting the forthcoming new John Lennon 
In a new interview with the UK's The Sun paper, Robert Plant said he isn't interested in being "a big deal any more." The former Led Zeppelin frontman is currently making music with a group of acoustic performers called Saving Grace and says he loves the lack of "stress" in their collaboration because the 77-year-old singer is only interested in doing things that are "worth" it, regardless of the size of the project. "I can't say I have the ambition to be a big deal any more. Because I've been in so many big deal situations... I've walked away from so many situations. At this time in my life, it has to be something really worth doing -- I don't just want to be hanging on," Plant remarked, adding "These are great people. I see Saving Grace as a beautiful, no stress, no bludgeoning thing. There were no big announcements when we started." Recalling his days with Zeppelin, Plant said fronting the band was "a very precarious and sensitive place to be -- and overwhelming." "Ego played a part but it was so momentary," he said. "Mostly, it was fear of being in that position. If any of us four guys weren't on it, where would we have been? There was nowhere to hide in those days and we didn't have a support structure behind us." Plant also recalled how difficult he found it when he first went solo after the band split in the wake of Led Zep drummer John Bonham in 1980: "It was such a head warp for me to imagine myself without the other three guys." He knew regardless of the musicians who appeared on his solo records "the critique would be, 'Well, he's not a Jimmy Page, is he?'" With Saving Grace and singer Suzi Dian, Plant has been playing a reworked version of "As I Roved Out," which includes the line: "The green, green grass/Trampled underfoot/Will rise and bloom again." The lyric "gives a nod" to LZ's 1975 Physical Graffiti track "Trampled Under Foot," and Plant admitted he has done similar "a few times over the years." He added: "Every time I sing that line, I smile. And I know Suzi hasn't got a clue why I'm smiling." - Music-News.com, 9/26/25....... Van Morrison's classic 1970 track "Into the Mystic," which is featured in the season's fifth episode of the Amazon Prime TV series The Summer I Turned Pretty, has topped Billboard's Top TV Songs Chart. "Into the Mystic," featured in the season's fifth episode (Aug. 6), racked up 10.3 million official on-demand U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads in August, according to Luminate. The Summer I Turned Pretty's recent dominance on the TV songs chart began in July, with the show snagging eight of the 10 positions, paced by Chappell Roan's "Hot To Go!," on that month's chart. The series' third and final season premiered July 16. - Billboard, 9/25/25...... Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has revealed he married his longtime partner late in 2024 in a "beautiful, simple" poolside ceremony. Halford told Scissor Sisters singer Jake Shears on his Queer the Music podcast that after years of putting it off the couple finally made it official in a small, private ceremony last year. "We got married by the cactus outside on December the something or other, about a year or so ago," Halford, 74 said. "He's [Thomas] from Alabama. Extremely conservative. I stopped asking, 'Let's get married.' 'No, I don't want to get married.' 'Oh, let's just get married. We've been together forever.' 'No, I don't want to get married.'" Halford added that despite living in the U.S. for a long and seeing some progress, he still finds the country "incredibly homophobic." "America is still incredibly homophobic," said Halford. "I've lived here for a long time and I've seen a lot happen since the '80s. And really it gets me angry and upset, but when I go on stage and perform with Priest, some guys will say, 'I love Judas Priest, but I'm not gay.' You know that thing -- 'I'm a huge fan of Priest, but I'm not a gay guy' -- that still lives with me now to some extent. It might be a fraction." Halford hailed the great strides the LBGTQ community has made over the past half-century, but said there is much more work still to be done. He said we have a way to go until everyone can pick up on the message to, "Love everybody, not be judgmental, let people live their lives how they see fit for themselves. There should be no rules on how you look and how you speak and how you dress. All that should be an open book, because that's what love is." Halford's full Queer the Music interview can be streamed on 
In other Elvis-related news, the King's ex-wife Priscilla Presley has been candid about her disapproval of daughter Lisa Marie's relationship with Michael Jackson in her new memoir 
On Sept. 24 The Rolling Stones announced they're prepping a Super Deluxe box set of their 1976 LP Black and Blue. The group will mark the album's upcoming 50th anniversary with an upcoming definitive Super Deluxe box set due out on Nov. 14 through Interscope/UMe featuring six previously unreleased songs. Black and Blue Super Deluxe, remixed and expanded across multiple formats, will include a 
Acclaimed Italian actress Claudia Cardinale, who starred in some of the most celebrated European films of the 1960s and 1970s, died in France on Sept. 24, her agent Laurent Savry told The Associated Press. She was 87. Ms. Cardinale starred in more than 100 films and made-for-television productions, but she was best known for embodying youthful purity in famed Italian director Federico Fellini's 8 1/2, in which she co-starred with Marcello Mastroianni in 1963. Ms. Cardinale also won praise for her role as Angelica Sedara in Luchino Visconti's award-winning screen adaption of the historical novel The Leopard that same year and a reformed prostitute in Sergio Leone's spaghetti western Once Upon a Time in the West in 1968. Ms. Cardinale began her movie-career at the age of 17 after winning a beauty contest in Tunisia, where she was born of Sicilian parents who had emigrated to North Africa. The contest brought her to the Venice Film Festival, where she came to the attention of the Italian movie industry. Before entering the beauty contest she had expected to become a school teacher. Her success came in the wake of Sophia Loren's international stardom and she was touted as Italy's answer to Brigitte Bardot. While never achieving the level of success of the French actor, she nonetheless was considered a star and worked with the leading directors in Europe and Hollywood. The sensuous brunette with enormous eyes was often cast as a hot-blooded woman. As she had a deep voice and spoke Italian with a heavy French accent, her voice was dubbed in her early movies. Her career in Hollywood brought only partial success because she was not interested in giving up European film. Nonetheless, she achieved some fame by teaming with Rock Hudson in the 1965 comedy thriller Blindfold and another comedy Don't Make Waves with Tony Curtis two years later. Among her industry prizes was a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement that she received at the Venice film festival nearly 40 years after her initial appearance on screen. In 2000, she was named a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for the defense of women's rights. Praise for Ms. Cardinale's talent, beauty and impact on the European cinema poured in after the news of her passing, with French Pres. Emmanuel Macron saying, "We French will always carry this Italian and global star in our hearts, in the eternity of cinema." Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli offered condolences to Ms. Cardinale's family and hailed her beauty and "exceptional talent" that inspired "milestones" of Italian cinema. "One of the greatest Italian actresses of all time has passed away," he said in a statement. She is survived by two children, one with with Franco Cristaldi, who produced her 1958 comedy classic Big Deal on Madonna Street, and a second with her later companion, Italian director Pasquale Squitieri. - Associated Press, 9/24/25.