A previously unheard David Bowie demo titled "Today" has been shared on YouTube, taken from the upcoming David Bowie: The Shel Talmy Recordings album. The release comes as a series of early Bowie songs from 1965 are to be released on a new album featuring a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page. Set to arrive on Sept. 18 via Parlophone, the songs were recorded before the singer -- real name Davie Jones -- went on to adopt the David Bowie moniker. They were all made alongside legendary producer Shel Talmy, who was responsible for hits from The Who and The Kinks. The album will also include 10 previously unheard tracks, as well as musical contributions from The Yardbirds and Nicky Hopkins (The Rolling Stones, The Beatles). - NME, 8/14/26...... 
Roxy Music has announced on Instagram that an expanded reissue of their 1973 sophomore effort For Your Pleasure is set for release on Nov. 6. With unheard studio recordings, songwriting sketches, rehearsals, outtakes, live sessions and rare unseen performances, the 2026 edition of For Your Pleasure takes listeners back to its creation, and the central question of how to tackle the daunting second album. "It was a good pressure. Realising, now there's an audience to write for. An intelligent audience," Roxy frontman Bryan Ferry reflected. "I felt a responsibility for the work that I hadn't for the first album, certainly with regard to the lyrics. "There was a hunger in the whole band to do more: a very strong urge to get back into a recording studio and make a better record than the first one. Nick de Ville had a cottage in Derbyshire, and offered to let me have it for a few days. So I went up there with the sole purpose of writing songs." "Grey Lagoons (1971 demo)," a track on the new reissue, has been shared on Spotify.com. That demo that formed part of the homemade tape that first brought Roxy Music to the attention of the music press. The 2026 edition of For Your Pleasure will be available in a variety of formats including 2LP Black vinyl, and in Blue Pearl Vinyl as a D2C Exclusive, 2CD, Digital, Blu-Ray, Dolby ATMOS, and as a 3CD+1DVD Super Deluxe Edition. The 2CD Deluxe Edition includes the original album, plus AIR Studios outtakes, singles and BBC sessions, presented in a hardcover digibook with a new essay and unseen images, while the 2LP Vinyl edition features the original album, plus AIR Studios outtakes in a gatefold sleeve. - NME, 8/13/26...... On Aug. 14, Carly Simon released her new studio LP Comes in Waves, her first album of original material since 2008's This Kind of Love. In July, Simon announced she had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and treated for skin cancer. "It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly," she said in a statement. "Parkinson's is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I'm so tired I can't get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself." But she says recording new music has been a salve. "Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape. It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room. It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life." Simon wrote five of the songs by herself, penning the remaining with numbers of collaborators, including her son Ben Taylor, who also helped produce the set. - Billboard, 8/17/26...... The Four Seasons legend Frankie Valli has responded to his brother's recent claims that 92-year-old Frankie will be retiring soon. Earlier in August Bobby Valli took to Facebook to announce his brother "will soon retire." Alongside a photograph of them together that was taken in 2025, he posted in part: "My brother Frankie whom I am so proud of and love him dearly [has] had a magnificent career in music... He has millions of fans you love him dearly." After listing his brother's achievements over the years, Bobby added: "He will now retire." But Frankie has now denied his brother's claims, writing on his own Instagram page: "In spite of what you might have heard, I am not retired." Bobby then put out another statement on Facebook saying: "I apologize, I was misinformed. I was under the impression my brother Frankie was retiring. Hoping for him to have a speedy recovery to continue his illustrious career!" Frankie was set to continue his farewell, "The Last Encores Tour," which began in 2023, until November of this year. But in a statement earlier this year, he said: "I'm so sorry to disappoint the folks who have purchased tickets to my shows, but I have decided to take the rest of the year off from touring to focus on my health. I'm looking forward to getting healthy and seeing you all again soon," he added. "Thank you for all your good wishes." Vallie's break from performing comes two years after he issued a statement addressing concerns over his health and well-being, sparked by footage that appeared to show him lip-syncing while displaying difficulty keeping up with the music. - NME, 8/17/26...... 
Founding Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore joined his old bandmates recently at a concert in Wantagh, N.Y. for a rendition of the group's 1972 classic song, "Smoke On The Water," and says the reunion could be the "last time" the bandmates ever see each other. Interviewed about the gig by Guitar Player magazine, Blackmore said: "It was very moving because I went on very quickly and had to play immediately. I couldn't warm up, but I wasn't there to be playing correct notes." "I was there to see old friends I hadn't seen in 40 years and we're all getting older. I think we realised it could be the last time we see each other, maybe," he added. Earlier in the conversation, Blackmore explained: "I woke up one morning thinking, the day before their show [thinking], 'You know it would be good for the fans if I just got up for one song, probably 'Smoke' and just show that were not at each other's throats and don't hate each other'." He then spoke further about the "very emotional" reunion with his fellow classic members Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover, admitting that it was "tricky." "I didn't play anything too technical, as I felt I should stick to the rudiments of being simple," Blackmore continued. "I still lost my place at one point, but it's not why I was there. I was there to heal any wounds - but there weren't any wounds. Everyone was like, we were in the army, all along the Western front and we were all getting together again. Very emotional moment." The concert also saw the first performance Blackmore shared with Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey in 44 years, following the latter's exit from Rainbow in 1982. Blackmore discussed his past clashes with Gillan that led to his departure from Deep Purple in 1993, too. "We're two alpha guys," he explained. "I'm used to running a band, and I think he's used to running a band. So we clashed in the old days. But all that changed." Deep Purple are currently out on a North American tour in support of their latest album, Splat!, which was released in July. They'll play a huge show at London's Royal Albert Hall in November as part of their upcoming UK and European leg. In 2025, Ian Gillan revealed he was losing his eyesight and said that retirement was "not far off." "It's one of those things. I've only got 30 per cent vision," he explained. - New Musical Express, 8/18/26...... Dolly Parton has apologized for missing the opening of a new attraction at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., on Aug. 14 due to her ongoing struggle with unspecified health issues. Dollywood president Eugene Naughton shared a personal video from the 80-year-old country legend welcoming the first riders of the park's newest roller coaster in which she apologized for not being there with them. "Well, hey Eugene. I'm right here Well, kind of. Sorta," Parton said in the whimsical clip in which she sprouted colorful butterfly wings and seemed to be interacting with Naughton in real time. "I'm still in Nashville, and I'm sorry about that. I was supposed to be there in person like I planned." Dolly noted that she's already shared with fans that she's had some recent "health issues" and that sometimes she gets "a little dizzy" and dehydrated, which might explain why her doctors advised her against making the 200-mile trek to the park for the opening of the new attraction. "My Nashville doctor has kinda clipped my wings, saying, 'You ain't traveling this week.' So I guess, if your doctor tells you, 'you ain't traveling this week,' you ain't traveling this week," she laughed. She energetically encouraged Naughton to tell the assembled fans all about the new ride, told them to have fun and promised that she would see them "down the road." Parton has largely been out of the public eye since announcing the postponement of her Las Vegas residency in September due to a "few" undisclosed medical procedures. She made a rare in-person appearance in March to deliver the keynote address marking the 41st anniversary of Dollywood on this year's opening day. - Billboard, 8/18/26...... Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan and Harris Dickinson -- the four actors lined up to portray The Beatles in the upcoming four-part Beatles biopic series, The Beatles -- A Four-Film Cinematic Event -- recently recreated the Fab Four's iconic Abbey Road cover shoot. In footage posted by fans on Instagram of what appears to be the film's recreation of the iconic cover, you can see John Lennon (Dickinson), Paul McCartney (Mescal), George Harrison (Quinn) and Ringo Starr (Keoghan), taking that stroll and then headed back across the street for another take. The four-part project, with each film focusing on a particular member, is slated to release in Apr. 2028. So far, director Sam Mendes has not revealed any of the plot points for the ambitious project that will be the first-ever movie to be granted the rights to the Beatles' discography. The real Beatles originally walked across the road outside the EMI Studios in London on the street that helped name their eleventh studio album -- and the last one they recorded together, though Let It Be was released afterward -- on Aug. 8, 1969. - Billboard, 8/17/26...... 
Legendary pop songwriter Jimmy Webb is celebrating turing 80 on Aug. 15 by announcing a new album, Yours For the Taking: The Found Songs of Jimmy Webb, due out Oct. 23 on Sun Records. As the title indicates, "it's pretty much overlooked or unrecorded, neglected in a way, music that my wife [album executive producer Laura Savini Webb] and some of the younger people around me really inspired me to go back and finish," Webb -- who penned the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits "MacArthur Park," "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston" and "Up, Up and Away," among many other classics -- told Billboard via Zoom from Long Island. "And my children say, 'Y'know, dad, you wrote this. This is great. This could've been a hit.' So the basis of this album is rebirth, recycling that youthful energy and not letting (the songs) just molder away in the attic but to go back and flip those pancakes again and see what we can come up with. It's very invigorating. Very inspiring. Just 'cause I'm 80 doesn't mean I've lost that fire, y'know? I may be 80 on the outside, but I'm always 18 on the inside." The three-time Grammy winner says "Winter Clothes" -- which is presented on the album via the demo as well as a "polished up" new recording with Graham Nash guesting -- dates back to the early '70s, and was written with Frank Sinatra in mind. "Mr. Sinatra thought he might record it, but he thought I needed to work on it," says Webb, who still refers to Ol' Blue Eyes formally "because he might be listening." "When Mr. Sinatra says, 'Y'know, kid, this is pretty good, but I think it needs some work,' you listen to him. He was telling me some really important stuff. I never really took that song back to him, but I never gave up on the idea. I thought it was a pretty good song, so when we decided to do this (album), it felt like it was time to bring it back out." Webb will take the new songs and the rest of his body of work back on the road in November, with tour dates in New York City (Nov. 1), Boston (Nov. 7) and Roslyn, N.Y. (Nov. 21). His official 80th birthday celebration, meanwhile, takes place Feb. 4 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center in California. - Billboard, 8/14/26...... Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris has been placed in a medically induced coma following what his family has described as a critical medical emergency earlier this month. Paris, 58, was hospitalized on Aug. 6, shortly before the group was due to perform with Lionel Richie at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The show was postponed minutes before it was scheduled to begin, with the band citing "a medical emergency involving a member of our band." The SFFD confirmed that crews responded to a report of a cardiac incident at the venue and transported one person to a hospital in critical condition, though the family has not publicly confirmed the nature of Paris' condition. A GoFundMe campaign established to support Paris and his family has raised nearly $70,000 toward a $75,000 goal, with several of his bandmates among the donors. EW&F resumed their tour two days after the postponed show, with former member Sonny Emory filling in on drums. The San Francisco concert has been rescheduled for Sept. 26. Paris joined the band in 2001, playing on studio albums including 2003's The Promise and 2005's Illumination, and has also worked with artists including Patti LaBelle and Sheila E. The band is currently the subject of a Questlove-directed documentary that premiered in June. - Billboard, 8/16/26...... 
'70s pop singer/songwriter Stephen Bishop has unveiled a new song he recorded for his 1976 debut album, Careless. The album included the now Yacht Rock classic, the swaying "On & On," which peaked at No. 11 on the hit parade, as well as its breezy predecessor "Save It for a Rainy Day," which reached No. 22. Bishop is releasing a 50th anniversary edition of Careless which can be ordered on StephenBishopMerch.com. The 50th-anniversary limited vinyl edition of Careless with two additional previously unreleased songs and a 20-page booklet was released on Aug. 14. Of Careless, which featured Eric Clapton, Art Garfunkel, Andrew Gold and Chaka Khan, and its ongoing popularity (Keith Urban just covered it on his new Yacht Rock album), Bishop says, "It's hard to believe 50 years have gone by. Music was different then -- you brought an album home, put it on the turntable, and listened from beginning to end. I'm thankful Careless has been part of so many people's lives, and it's been wonderful seeing new generations discover it. People of all ages still come up to me and tell me how these songs have stayed with them through different chapters of their lives. Even many of my friends and fellow musicians have shared what the album has meant to them over the years. That's incredibly humbling, and it's an honor I'll never take for granted." The album served as fans' musical introduction to Bishop, who went on to continue his successful solo career, including recording the 1982 top 30 hit "It Might Be You," the theme from Tootsie, which received an Oscar nomination for best original song for songwriters Dave Grusin, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman. Bishop himself was then nominated for a best original song Oscar three years later for writing "Separate Lives," performed by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin from the movie White Nights. Bishop will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Careless at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Oct. 9. - Billboard, 8/13/26...... The venerable music marketer Columbia House has announced on its website that the company would stop receiving orders after Sept. 15. Columbia House was launched by Columbia Records back in 1955. The service was designed to help music lovers in rural or suburban areas who did not have convenient access to a local music store. Customers could order records by mail and have them delivered straight to the proverbial front door. Membership often came with promo discounts -- if the subscriber promised to purchase a minimum number of regular-priced records within the first year, not including the cost of shipping and handling. Getting out from under the weight of membership was no small task, either. Still, the company was a major player on the music scene for decades. By the mid-90s, Columbia had more than 16 million members, accounting for more than 15% of CD sales in the United States. In the end however, the digital age began a slow and steady decline for the company with the rise of file sharing services like Napster and LimeWire. After a series of ownership changes, Columbia House filed for bankruptcy in 2015. After they stopped selling music to Americans in 2015 and Canadians in 2010, the company focused primarily on DVD and Blu-ray sales, but that section of the marketplace soon dried up with the advent of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV. xisting memberships and outstanding purchases will be honored as the business winds down. On the main page, the company is currently selling DVDs and books. - Toronto Sun, 8/18/26...... 
Dave Marsh, one of the most influential music writers of his generation and a passionate activist for health care, social justice and freedom of expression, died on Aug. 14. He was 72. The cause of his death has not been reported but he had been in declining health in recent years. Born in Pontiac, Mich., in 1950, Marsh grew up immersed in the sounds of Detroit -- Motown, R&B, and rock 'n' roll -- inspiring a lifelong belief in the power of music. He was among the first editors of Creem magazine when it launched in 1969. He also wrote extensively for Rolling Stone and other publications and authored more than two dozen books on artists including Elvis Presley, The Who and Bruce Springsteen. His 1979 biography, Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, became a New York Times bestseller. In 1993, Marsh shared a Grammy for best album notes for Aretha Franklin's Queen of Soul. He also co-founded the newsletter Rap & Rock Confidential and, in 2004, joined SiriusXM, hosting Kick Out the for 19 years, along with Live from E Street Nation and Live from the Land of Hope and Dreams. He was married to Barbara Carr, longtime co-manager of Springsteen. Following the death of their daughter, Kristen Ann Carr, in 1993 at age 21 of sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, Marsh co-founded and served as a trustee of the The Kristen Ann Carr Fund to advance sarcoma research and support families affected by cancer. "Here on E Street, the irreplaceable loss of Dave Marsh has us heartbroken," Springsteen wrote in a statement shared on Instagram on Aug. 15. "My great friend Dave, with his straight out of Detroit attitude, was a true Rock 'n' Roll lifer. He was soulful, intelligent, heartfelt, opinionated, bruising and often fantastically argumentative. Watching Jon Landau and Dave drive each other crazy over some arcane piece of music would make my day. He wrote the first book about me, Born To Run, and Dave always had my back. He deeply believed in what I was trying to accomplish and his lifetime of support meant the world to me." In 2021, a host of authors, activists and artists -- including Springsteen, Tom Morello, Pete Townshend, Nona Hendryx, Dion DiMucci, Jackson Browne and Steven Van Zandt -- took part in online sessions billed as "Land of Hope and Dreams: A Celebration of Dave Marsh's Work and Vision." He was predeceased by his daughters Kristen Ann Carr and Sasha Carr, and is survived by his wife, Barbara Carr. - Billboard, 8/15/26.
Fleetwood Mac's 1988 greatest hits album has reached even greater heights after a new expanded reissue reached the top 10 on Billboard's 35-year-old Top Album Sales chart for the first time. Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits re-entered the Aug. 15-dated chart at No. 10, besting its previous high of No. 13 (set in 2016), after the album was bolstered with seven additional hits and issued digitally and on multiple physical formats. The standard version of Greatest Hits remains a 16-song edition, and the new deluxe edition adds seven further hits. The deluxe set was released via digital download services and streamers on June 10, and physical formats followed on July 31. The deluxe package bowed across six double-vinyl variants and a two-CD offering. In the tracking week ending Aug. 6, Greatest Hits sold nearly 6,000 copies in the United States, according to Luminate -- a gain of 286% as compared to its sales in the previous week. - Billboard, 8/11/26...... 
On Aug. 12 Rod Stewart cancelled the remaining dates on his North American farewell tour after undergoing a routine coronary stent procedure. Stewart, 81, had been scheduled to perform at Ohio's Riverbend Music Center on Aug. 9, but cancelled the show at the last minute, stating in a press release that it was due to an "unforeseen but minor medical procedure." The 1994 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee than went on to cancel his remaining tour dates after the procedure. He was set to perform at Morton Amphitheater in Kansas City, Mo. on Aug. 15), Las Vegas on Aug. 18 for a performance at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, followed by gigs in Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, plus a run of shows in Mexico (Sept. 9-13). In a statement issued to Rolling Stone, Stewart's reps said he was "doing well" and that "on the advice of his doctors, he will take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage. Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates." In his own message posted to Instagram on Aug. 11, Stewart assured fans that he was "already feeling better and very much on the mend." He said that while he was "deeply disappointed to miss these shows," he looked forward to returning to playing live in the future. After touring with the Jeff Beck Group, Faces and as a solo artist for over 60 years. Stewart has most recently been on the road with his "One Last Time" trek since 2024. - Billboard, 8/12/26...... A lawsuit brought by four siblings who claimed they were abused by Michael Jackson has been tossed out of court, with the judge ruling that under the clear terms of a 2019 settlement between the family and the Jackson estate, all related disputes must be handled in confidential arbitration. "Although the allegations are horrific, the court is without discretion to do aught but enforce the language of the arbitration clause," wrote federal judge Herrn D. Vera on Aug. 12. Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo Cascio grew up with Jackson and once referred to themselves as his "second family." While previously staunch defenders of the King of Pop against pedophilia claims, the family members alleged in a February lawsuit that Jackson raped and molested them as children over the course of more than a decade. The Jackson estate strongly denies these claims, which the Cascios first raised in 2019 after the release of the explosive HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. The four siblings, along with their fifth brother Frank, claimed privately at the time that this documentary "deprogrammed" them. The estate paid them a $3.5 million settlement without admitting any wrongdoing. The Cascios now say that settlement is void and unenforceable because they were coerced into signing it. Judge Vera ruled that those arguments, "while serious," clearly do not belong in a public courtroom under the terms of the settlement. "While plaintiffs are fully within their rights to raise questions about unconscionability, those challenges must be presented later before an arbitrator," wrote the judge. Jackson, who died in 2009, was never convicted or held legally liable for any accusation of child sex abuse during his lifetime; he settled a civil claim in 1994 without admitting any wrongdoing, and he was acquitted at a criminal trial in 2005. Two other former young acquaintances of Jackson's, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, continue to litigate civil abuse claims against the estate. - Billboard, 8/12/26...... 
Rock's most famous combination lead guitarist and astrophysicist has shared his advice on how best to view the solar eclipse in northern Europe on Aug. 12. Brian May, who is qualified astrophysicist after achieving a PHD degree in 2007, gave regular updates about the celestial phenomenon on his Instagram page and shared advice on how best to view it. In one particular post, he showed a partial eclipse, and also warned against "looking straight at the Sun" and not going "anywhere near a telescope or binoculars pointed at the Sun." He also suggested "making a small pin hole in a sheet of cardboard," and "practice projecting an image of the Sun through this hole on to a piece of white card." In another post he shows himself in Spain preparing for the eclipse, saying he is hopeful of seeing a total eclipse but fears "there may be clouds in the way." Speaking to BBC Newsnight about the event May said: "It's kind of a life changing experience, to see at total eclipse of the Sun every time." "This is only 1 minute 40 seconds or so," he went on before adding: "I just wanna use my eyes and ears, every sense to absorb what I'm really taking part in. "It's a unique experience because you feel that you know where you are in space. It's the only time that happens, You're looking in towards the centre of our solar system, the Sun and you can never do this any other time, you can see the little family of planets around you and see the odd star around you... Suddenly you realise you're on this ball of rock and it kind of feels like you could fall off, it's an amazing feeling." Elsewhere, May has insisted "we actually don't need AI" after using the tech to recreate an iconic Queen album cover. May took to Instagram to share a version of the artwork for the classic 1980 Queen record 'The Game', which he used Meta AI to create. The original cover sees all four members of Queen standing side-by-side in matching leather jackets, and is rendered unrecognizable in the AI version May shared. May captioned the picture of the shoddy cover: "I just had to share this with you guys. I asked Meta AI to show me what the cover of THE GAME album looked like. This is what it gave me ! Good job, eh? So this is the kind of intelligence that will soon be ruling the world ??! Well, great. Maybe this is the time to realise WE ACTUALLY DON'T NEED AI !!" May then said that he was "now very serious," adding: "I believe the price we are about to pay for this 'inevitable' development is way too high. We must not allow these hideous Data Centres to be built in the UK. They will destroy our beautiful country, like they are already destroying beautiful America." Addressing UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, May signed off his post by writing: "Dear Andy -- you must stop it now. Before it's too late." - New Musical Express, 8/12/26...... After recently abruptly cancelling an Aug. 5 gig at the Hollywood Bowl due to "unforeseen personal matters," ZZ Top says it will continue with its "The Big One" summer U.S. tour with a replacement drummer after longtime drummer Frank Beard has temporarily left the road for undisclosed reasons. A spokesman for the band says that the outing will continue with founding vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons and late co-founder bassist Dusty Hill's longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, who was tapped to join the group following Hill's death at 72 in 2021. Beard, 77, has been behind the kit for the group for more than 55 years and experienced a series of health issues over the past few years. In Mar. 2025, the group announced that he had "temporarily stepped away from the current tour to attend a health issue requiring his focus in the near term." At the time, longtime drum tech John Douglas stepped up, just as he had in Oct. 2022 when Beard was forced to miss a Paris show due to an emergency appendectomy. Beard has played on all of the group's records from 1971's First Album through their most recent LP, 2012's La Futura. "The Big One" tour is slated to continue to 13 states in the western US and New England, with the final U.S. date taking place in Port Wentworth, Ga. on Oct. 9 before the band moves on to gigs in Mexico and South America in November. - Billboard, 8/11/26...... Rush guitarist Geddy Lee has shared a surreal moment from the start of Rush's "Fifty Something" tour, describing an encounter that left him questioning whether the band's late drummer Neil Peart was somehow in the ether nearby. When asked whether he has felt Peart's presence during the run, Lee laughed at the "spooky question" before revealing a story from the tour's opening night in Los Angeles. He explained to Toronto's Q107 radio station that he was texting bandmate Alex Lifeson from his hotel room when he noticed something unusual on the floor outside his door. The tour's promotional poster features two birds on a wire, with one flying away -- and the creature in front of him looked uncannily similar. "My door to my room was open a crack, and I don't know if you've seen the posters [for Rush's Fifty Something tour] that have two birds on a wire and the one bird is flying away. I looked in front of me, on the floor, and there was a bird on the floor that looked just like that bird in the poster. I was kind of shocked. And, you know, I love birds, so I approached it, and it flew by me and flew into my bedroom and sat on the edge of my bed. And when I approached it, it was like it was looking at me, and then it flew out the door. So, I quickly ran to the computer and was texting Al this crazy story that had just happened." Lee stressed that he's not someone who believes in "mumbo jumbo," but admitted the timing and symbolism made the moment feel "remarkable." - Music-News.com, 8/11/26...... 
Iconic U.K. New Wave rocker Elvis Costello has announced he will play a solo acoustic show at Canada's Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Nov. 21 as a fundraiser for the Owen Hart Foundation. This will be the second time the foundation has hosted Costello, an iconic and influential performer who released his first album, My Aim is True, in 1977 and quickly emerged as one of the most literate and eclectic songwriters of the punk/New Wave movement. The concert will mark The Owen Hart Foundation's 27th anniversary and will also feature a celebrity online auction to raise additional funds. Named after late Calgary wrestler Owen Hart, who died at the age of 34 in 1999, the foundation was founded by his wife Martha Hart. Funds are raised for education, affordable housing and international aid for vulnerable people. Past concerts have featured Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Bob Newhart, Sarah McLachlan and Martin Short. In October, Costello will release an ironically named 49th anniversary My Aim Is True box set, featuring a remastered version of the album and 52 never-before-heard demos. - Canoe.com, 8/12/26...... After years of turning down interviews for other people's books, The Brady Bunch actress Eve Plumb is releasing her own memoir, Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond, on Apr. 28. Plumb says the book's title started as a promise stamped on a product. Back when she and her husband were building their company, a branding conversation led her to a single line of copy. "Put a smile on your face," she recalled telling him, and that little tagline eventually grew into "happiness included." The phrase stuck. "I've just always loved that phrase," she shared, and "it just seemed very fitting for the book." It also happened to sum up her life so far. Plumb is passionate about her home goods line, PlumbGoods, and its companion coffee brand, aptly called Happiness Included Coffee. She co-owns both with her husband Ken Pace. "All the coffees are named after different types of terriers," she explained, with each blend built around a little mascot and a personality of its own. She was inspired by her fondness for Scottie and terrier imagery from the 1930's and 1940's when designing the terrier design for the logo and packaging. Another cool thing about their coffee brand is that they give a whopping 50 percent of all their net profits to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Eve and Ken also have a one-eyed terrier mix that they rescued from A New Leash on Life. People had been asking the actress for her Brady memories for years, hoping to include them in their books. But she says she realized that if she was going to share those stories, they belonged in a book of her own, and now turned out to be the perfect time for her to share them. "I think you know when things are right," she reflected, describing how a project can sit in the back of your mind for years before it finally feels ready. Plumb, a recovering breast cancer victim, says she only decided to include her experiences with breast cancer in the book after a dinner with friends that included Christopher Knight, her former co-star who played Peter Brady on The Brady Bunch. Sitting around a table at the Smoke House in the San Fernando Valley, Plumb floated the idea of leaviing the diagnosis out, and the people who love her wouldn't hear of it. "You have to," they told her. She's glad she listened. "It's been so long and I'm so removed from it that it's easier to talk about." "You don't push yourself forward. You don't brag about yourself," she said of the old-fashioned values she grew up with, which made writing a memoir a genuine step outside her comfort zone. - Y! Entertainment, 8/8/26...... 
Ben Jones, the actor-turned-politician best known for playing Cooter Davenport on the 1979-1985 CBS series The Dukes of Hazzard, died on Aug. 9 from a heart attack, according to his wife Alma Viator. He was 84. Viator announced her husband's death in a Facebook post that afternoon with a photo of Mr. Jones holding his dog. "I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack," she wrote. "He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the raves to come on and whoop the Yankees. Ben had the most amazing, rich, full life. He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so much." In The Dukes of Hazzard, Mr. Jones played Cooter Davenport, the Hazzard County mechanic and an honorary member of the Duke clan. Appearing in 142 episodes, he starred alongside Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, Sorrell Brooke and Waylon Jennings. Dukes star Wopat paid tribute to Mr. Jones on social media. He wrote in an Instagram post, "'The Dukes of Hazzard' lost another integral part of their cast today. Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business. He will be sorely missed... Denver Pyle frequently said to Ben, 'I'm not your Uncle Jesse!' But I feel like we lost a Duke cousin today." In 1988, Mr. Jones ran for Congress in Georgia's Fourth Congressional District and won by 20 points. He was reelected in 1990. Four years later, redistricting took his seat, and he lost his next race against Newt Gingrich. - Variety, 8/10/26.
Lindsey Buckingham says he and Stevie Nicks are "talking all the time now" after a rift between himself and Nicks resulted in his firing from the band in 2019. Interviewed by E! News at Variety's Power of Young Hollywood event in Los Angeles on Aug. 6, Buckingham explained that he and other members of Fleetwood Mac have found that their collaboration on an upcoming FM documentary has been "a very circular healing process for all of us." "Because we had left things in 2019, maybe as far as I was concerned, not in a very good place for all the wrong reasons," he said. "No one was happy about it, and all of that has been healed and worked out." Buckingham's relationship with Nicks especially has been famously fraught over the decades, but according to him, "Stevie and I are talking all the time now." His interview comes nearly two years after Apple announced production on a definitive FM documentary directed by Frank Marshall, featuring rare insights from the surviving band members themselves. A release date has not yet been announced, but the project is expected to arrive in 2027. In 2025, Buckingham and Nicks teamed up to re-release their 1973 album, Buckingham Nicks, which reached No. 3 on the Top Album Sales chart in September. Buckingham also teased to E! that future projects with his old bandmates could be in the cards. "Next year should be a pretty interesting year. I think quite a few things will reveal themselves," he said. Elsewhere, and alleged stalker of Buckingham has been ruled unfit to stand trial. Michelle Dick, 55, is accused of attacking and stalking the musician and violating a restraining order taken out against her in 2024. In court filings, Buckingham claimed that Dick told police that he was her father and accused him of "suffocating her as a child." The woman allegedly confronted the musician last March, throwing an unknown substance in his face. At the time, police said they believed she had been waiting for his arrival. Buckingham was uninjured. She was then arrested in Indiana in April and additionally charged with stalking another victim named in the documents as "Stephanie N," along with vandalising Buckingham's vehicle and making a criminal threat against the musician in March. Dick has pleaded not guilty on all seven charges. Now, Judge Robert S. Harrison has told Dick that she is not "trial-competent" or "able to handle your case," He additionally ruled that it was "medically appropriate to treat the defendant's psychiatric condition with medication," following a report from a court-appointed doctor. Further rulings will be made in a hearing scheduled for Aug. 27. If she qualifies for and successfully completes a mental health diversion program, her charges could be dismissed. - Billboard/NME, 8/7/26...... ZZ Top was forced to cancel their performance at the Hollywood Bowl scheduled for Aug. 5 due to "insurmountable obstacles," according to frontman Billy Gibbons. "Friends, fans and followers of ZZ Top are the best in the business and the band is counting on everyone to bear with us for this brief interruption," he posted on 
A new documentary about the late Rush drummer Neil Peart will debut on Canada's CBC network on Sept. 23. Neil Peart: No One's Disciple will tell Peart's life story, and feature interviews with Rush co-founders Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, as well with a crew of legendary drummers talking about his influence. Also for the documentary, Lee and Lifeson filmed rehearsal hall performances of classic Rush songs with some well-known guest drummers, including the Police's Stewart Copeland, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith, and Tool's Danny Carey. Peart, who is widely considered one of the greatest rock drummers of all time, died of cancer in 2020. - Rolling Stone, 8/5/26...... Earth, Wind & Fire called off a co-headlining show with Lionel Richie at San Francisco's Chase Center on Aug. 6 at the last minute due to an illness affecting a member of the band. According to a local TV station, thousands of fans already inside the arena and those still in line were forced to exit the building. In an 
Gary Glitter has appeared in a London court over a historical sex offence charge dating back to 1978. In July 2025 Glitter (real name Paul Gadd) was accused of one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13, and three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14. Appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Aug. 5, Glitter denied the charges. He appeared via video link from HMP Channings Wood in Devon, where he is currently being held. He was remanded in custody and instructed to appear at the Old Bailey in London on Sept. 2, either in person or via video. He then confirmed his name and date of birth. Throughout the hearing, the court heard how Gadd denied the allegations against him, adding that he did not know the complainant. The prosecutor said the offences took place between 1978 and 1981 when the accuser was eight to 11-years-old. Glitter reportedly lived nearby the girl, where he allegedly groomed her by giving her chocolate and inviting her inside his house. Gadd was one of the UK's biggest musicians throughout the 1970s, but was arrested in 2012 while police were conducting an investigation into Jimmy Savile's abuse claims. He was later arrested over eight sex offence charges involving girls aged between 12 and 14 in 2014. Though he denied the allegations, he was found guilty on several counts and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Though he was freed from jail after serving half his sentence in 2023, he landed back behind bars one month later after allegedly viewing downloaded images of children. - NME, 8/6/26...... Bruce Springsteen has praised health care workers who have helped his wife and E Street Band bandmate Patti Scialfa's battle with cancer in a pre-recorded message played at the 47th annual Pan-Mass Challenge fundraiser on Aug. 4. The Boss had generous, loving words for the many doctors and nurses who have helped Scialfa while sharing that the singer is in remission from multiple myeloma during the gala for the Pan-Mass Challenge bike race supporting cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "We're a little late, but here we are and it's a pleasure to be with you," Springsteen said in an 8-minute prerecorded video, joking about how PMC founder and chairman Billy Starr first invited him to ride in the annual event way back in 1984. As he strummed an acoustic guitar from inside his home studio in New Jersey, Springsteen added, "Since 1980, you have inspired a community that has done something remarkable. You've never stopped believing that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference. And because of that countless lives have been saved." He then made it personal, revealing to the room that Scialfa -- who he's been married to since 1991 and has three grown children with -- has been getting treatment at Dana-Farber for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer in which abnormal plasma cells group out of control. "As you know, Patti's been living with her multiple myeloma for over eight years," Springsteen said in the pre-tape uploaded to 
On Aug. 4 Van Morrison announced 10 more dates on his upcoming fall UK tour. The Celtic crooner had previously shared details of a five-night London residency in May, scheduled to take place at the new British Airways ARC arena in September. It'll follow the release of his latest album, Somebody Tried To Sell Me A Bridge, in January. Now it's confirmed that Morrison will make an additional appearance in the capital when he headlines the New Wimbledon Theatre on Sept. 26. Following the extended 6-date London stint, Morrison is set to perform at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on Oct. 8 and 9. He'll then make stops at Swansea Arena, Bristol Beacon, Plymouth Arena and Torquay's Princess Theatre, before closing out the month with a pair of gigs at Brighton Dome. In early November, he'll head to Scotland for shows at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and Edinburgh's Usher Hall on Nov. 2 and 3 respectively. This spring, Morrison was given the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Jazz FM Awards. He recently performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and in summer 2025 opened for Neil Young at BST Hyde Park in London. - NME, 8/4/26..... The family of Michael Jackson has announced that Marlon Jackson is developing a new docuseries exploring the life of Jacksons patriarch Joe Jackson. Per a post made by The Jacksons on 
Iconic Star Trek actor William Shatner has announced he's releasing a heavy metal album in the near future and revealed he is one of the Coachella festival's first bookings. When CNN anchor Elex Michaelson recently asked what he was most excited about these days, the 95-year-old Shatner didn't hesitate: "My heavy metal!" he replied, steering the conversation toward his latest creative venture, his upcoming heavy metal album his newly formed band, The *uckers. While running through the band's upcoming schedule, including their live debut at Riot Fest in Chicago on September 20th, he added that they would also be playing "the one in the desert." Michaelson quickly interjected, "Coachella?" and both Shatner and Gretsch answered in unison, "Coachella," letting slip a festival booking organizers have yet to announce. The group is set to perform material spanning Shatner's musical catalog while previewing songs from its forthcoming debut album, What the F Is Heavy Metal. As unlikely as a William Shatner metal project may sound, the actor has spent decades boldly carving out a parallel music career alongside his acting resume. Beginning with his 1968 spoken-word debut The Transformed Man, Shatner has since released a dozen studio albums, collaborating with artists including Ben Folds, Henry Rollins, Joe Jackson, Brad Paisley, Peter Frampton and Iggy Pop. Along with the heavy metal album, Shatner also recently confirmed the release of a new spoken-word project due out in August. Coachella has not officially announced its 2027 lineup. If Shatner's appearance is indeed locked in, he'll head to Indio in April fresh off his Riot Fest debut. Shatner and Michaelson's delightful conversation can be viewed on 
Roger Waters has shared a "reimagined" version of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" in hopes it will be seen as "prophetic." The new nine-minute "Comfortably Numb" version transforms the song from 1979's 
Rod Stewart helped raise $1.7M for Stevie Van Zandt's TeachRock Education nonprofit during a fundraiser in Southampton, N.Y., on July 30. The intimate private concert for 200 guests at the home of philanthropists Bob and Lauren Day Roberts raised $1.7 million in support of TeachRock's mission to bring arts education to classrooms across the country. According to a release, one of the highlights of the night was when E Street Band member and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Van Zandt joined Stewart on stage for performances of Sam Cooke's "Having a Party" and The Faces' "Stay With Me." "Playing alongside the legend that is Stevie Van Zandt for TeachRock -- what a night," Stewart said in a statement about the event. "Music changed my life, and TeachRock is making sure it can change theirs too." "Rod didn't just give us an unforgettable performance this evening, he gave our mission a tremendous boost," Van Zandt said later. "Every dollar raised helps us put free arts education into more classrooms, and that's something worth celebrating." TeachRock's mission includes supplying educators with free, stardards-aligned curriculum that uses the history of popular music to engage students across subjects including history, social studies, language arts and science. The organization currently reaches more than one million students nationwide. - Billboard, 7/31/26...... Elton John marked 36 years of sobriety on July 31 by raising a glass of his sparkling non-alcoholic Elton John Zero Blanc de Blancs champagne. "36 years sober today," a smiling Sir Elton, wearing a patterned shirt and oversized square-framed glasses, captioned a celebratory photo on Instagram. "Raising a 0% glass to life. Grateful for every single day." He later shared the same image via Instagram Stories with his 1983 hit single and ode to perseverance, "I'm Still Standing," playing in the background. John opened up about his struggles with addiction in his 2019 memoir, Me, detailing his dependencies on cocaine and alcohol at the height of his fame. "You block it out until the problem of the thing you're facing becomes such a monumental thing that you explode with rage, and that's the way I handled confrontation," he told NPR in an interview that October. "I hated my addiction. I hated the way I behaved. I hated how I treated people. I hated what I'd become." John and his husband, David Furnish, announced their venture into the lucrative non-alcoholic drinks market in January this year. "What drew us to this product is the fact that it's the first one of its kind and that it's made differently," Furnish shared of the cuvée at the time. "All the non-alcoholic drinks we've all tried and haven't really enjoyed very much are made with alcohol and then de-alcoholised, whereas with this product, the grapes are fermented with good cultures and that creates all of the properties of a beautiful blanc de blancs." Elton's longtime collaborator, Bernie Taupin, recently told Rolling Stone that he thinks John may release a new album in 2026, though nothing is concrete yet. "Well, he's got a record coming out, I think, at the beginning of next year that I contributed to," Taupin said. "But I literally don't know when that is. He did it with [producer]Andrew Watt again. And he wrote it in a completely different way simply because of his eyesight problem." Elton's eye issues began in the summer of 2024, when an infection left him blind in his right eye. The new record will follow his 2025 joint LP with Brandi Carlile, Who Believes in Angels?. - Music-News.com, 7/31/26...... A year after his passing, the life and crazy times of late heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne will be the subject of the new Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness haunted house at Universal Studios theme parks during this year's annual "Halloween Horror Nights" event. "Ozzy Osbourne's shocking image was as haunting as his heavy metal hits. Now you'll enter the Prince of Darkness's kingdom where music and mayhem collide -- and everything's gone off the rails," according to a press release announcing the attraction. "Veer through a decaying world ripped straight from Ozzy's lyrics in this haunted house inspired by one of rock 'n' roll's greatest legends. Let the madness begin!" The new attraction will join the raft of other haunted houses at this year's Halloween Horror Nights, including ones dedicated to other Universal produced projects including Evil Dead Burn, Hellraiser and season five of Stranger Things and Sinners. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Osbourne's widow and longtime manager, Sharon Osbourne, said the experience that's part of HHN's 35th anniversary edition will tell the rocker's story from his working class childhood in Birmingham, England to his run as the frontman of Black Sabbath. "His music throughout every room is at the heart of it all," Sharon told the outlet. "Fans will also see scenes inspired by Ozzy's journey, from his early days as a little boy growing up in Birmingham, England, riding the train to and from London, to the iconic imagery and characters from across his career." The promo preview video for Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness haunted house can be viewed on 
The Beatles' official website announced on July 29 that a Super Deluxe edition of the band's seminal 1965 album Rubber Soul will be released by UMG and Apple Corps Ltd later in 2026 with a bevy of new mixes, never-before-heard home demos and an 88-page book with an introduction by Paul McCartney. Newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell, the definitive version of the album will be released on Oct. 2 via Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe and be packaged in a 4CD/5LP edition featuring new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes alongside the original mono mix and the original Capitol U.S. album version. The new stereo mix was sourced directly from the original four-track master tapes and the audio enhanced with the help of cutting-edge "de-mixing" technology developed by the team at director Peter Jackson's WingNut Films Productions Ltd. for Jackson's Get Back documentary. The Super Deluxe editions will feature 24 early session recordings, including 20 previously unreleased takes and three previously unheard John Lennon demos, including early versions of "Day Tripper," "We Can Work It Out" and "Little Girl," a previously unheard John Lennon song outline that has never been released before. There will also be 2CD and 2LP versions with a curated selection of session highlights, demos and the album version of the double A-side lead single, "We Can Work It Out"/"Day Tripper." Originally released on Dec. 3, 1965, the Fab Four's sixth studio album was fronted by the double A-side single and was recorded over four weeks beginning in October of that year. The LP expanded the group's pop sound with the addition of the sitar and harmonium, helping to pave the way for the psychedelic rock revolution of the late 1960s, while expanding the parameters of what was possible on a cohesive pop album. It contains such classics as the frenetic "Drive My Car," the meditative "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," as well as "Nowhere Man," "Michelle," "Girl" and the introspective "In My Life." The long-awaited Rubber Soul revamp comes after similar treatments for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (2017), The Beatles (White Album) (2018), Abbey Road (2019), Let It Be (2021), Revolver (2022) and Anthology (2025). A taste of the new release, "Michelle (Take 1)," has been shared on 
Willie Nelson has weighed in on the current controversy of the profusion of AI data centers being proposed across America. Posting an open letter on 
Original Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm joined his old band for a song during a co-headlining concert by Foreigner and Lynyrd Skynyrd at Toronto's RBC Amphitheatre on July 30. Gramm, now 76 years old with his performing retirement coming this year, showed up to introduce the group, plug his first solo album in 17 years, 
On July 27 Carly Simon revealed that she's been battling a pair of heath issues lately -- Parkinson's disease and a type of skin cancer. However Simon, 81, is vowing in a written statement to Billboard that she is "still very much here" despite her recent diagnoses. The "You're So Vain" singer cknowledged that she's gotten a number of letters lately asking about her "relative silence" and what she's been up to. "The truth is, I've been learning how to live with Parkinson's disease," she wrote. "It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly. Parkinson's is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I'm so tired I can't get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself." Simon said her issues began with arthritis in both knees and one hip, but after getting all three joints replaced, she figured her continued difficulty walking was part of the recovery process. As her mobility continued to deteriorate and she had trouble standing up from chairs and walking without assistance, she was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the Mayo Clinic. Parkinson's, a progressive brain disorder with symptoms including tremors, slowness in movement, limb stiffness and balance issues, affects an estimated 1.1 million people in the U.S. with nearly 90,000 people diagnosed with the disorder every year. Simon said she began treatment, including taking medication, to help with joint stiffness and other unspecified symptoms. "There is no tidy or predictable schedule to the illness. It does not consult my calendar before deciding what kind of day I am going to have," Simon wrote. She added that during the same unspecified period in which she was diagnosed with Parkinson's, which has no cure, she was also treated for basal cell carcinoma on her face. According to Mayo Clinic, the condition is a type of skin cancer that originates in the basal cells and most often occurs on areas of the body that have had a lot of sun exposure. And though the cancer was removed, the surgery affected Simon's appearance and made her more self-conscious about being seen in public. "I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine (check out the irony of having written 'You're So Vain.')," she wrote. " And this gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material." Simon also revealed some good news for her fans -- she's begun recording a new album titled Comes in Waves. The 12-track album, which was primarily written and recorded at the singer's Martha's Vineyard home, is due out on Aug. 14. In addition to late rapper and friend John Fort, the album features appearances from the singer's son, Ben Taylor, and daughter, Sally Taylor, who painted the album's cover and contributed vocals to the project. A second single from the LP, "Peaches," is due out on July 31. Her most recent album of all-new material was 2008's This Kind of Love. - Billboard, 7/27/26...... The Beach Boys have rescheduled the remaining dates on their 2026 North American tour to allow singer Mike Love, who is the last remaining classic-era member of the iconic American band, to "recharge." The announcement came in a post on Love's 
Former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar has extended an unexpected invitation to his fellow former VH singer -- David Lee Roth -- following the recent cancellation of many of Roth's upcoming tour dates. On July 23, it was revealed original VH vocalist Roth had canceled the majority of his scheduled live appearances, with the exception of a performance at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota on Aug. 7. Roth, who announced the tour in January, had been slated to perform a series of amphitheater and theater dates across the United States. Shows in Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky and Illinois were removed from his official website davidleeroth.com, while four August and September performances remained available for purchase through Ticketmaster. He has yet to publicly comment on the cancellations. After learning of the canceled dates, Hagar -- VH's other longtime frontman and Roth's sometimes rival -- posted a heartfelt video on social media expressing his support. "Hey, Dave. Sammy here. I just got a call from Michael Anthony about your tour getting canceled. And I wanna say from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry. I hope you're well. I hope there's not a physical problem," he posted on 
Bernie Taupin has announced the release of his first solo album in almost 40 years, The Sea Has No Mercy. The longtime Elton John songwriting partner will release the followup to his three previous solo efforts -- 1971's Taupin, 1980's He Who Rides the Tiger and his most recent solo effort, 1987's Tribe. "With age comes wisdom, which is a natural progression," Taupin told Rolling Stone while announcing the album on July 28. "I don't regret any of the records I've made in the past. They all had a point at the time they were made. But this is the most satisfying record I've ever made." Taupin continued: "I'm talking about in my own canon, not with the Elton thing, because that's a completely different ballpark... I wanted to be able to express my own feelings on my own level in my own writing. That's what makes it more important than anything else I've ever done." Taupin, 76, explained that he thought he was done making his own music for many years, but working on his 2023 memoir, Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, and Me, and a new track for his upcoming documentary film made him realize he "had all of these songs in my head". "I found myself just coming up with all of these ideas," he noted. "In the long run, the album became a manifesto of somebody who's 76 years old looking back, reflecting, and just a little bit pissed off at the world." Taupin also indicated that he's already "written five or six songs that I've been playing around with and going back and forth with" for the follow-up to The Sea Has No Mercy. - Music-News.com, 7/28/26...... Mirroring their success on the U.K.'s Official Albums Chart, The Rolling Stones have debuted at No. 1 on Billboard Top Album Sales chart dated July 25 with their latest studio LP 
Tony Thorpe, the guitarist and vocalist who assisted in the propulsion of the English glam-rock group The Rubettes to international success in the 1970s, has died at the age of 80. Mr. Thorpe's death was announced in a statement shared to his 
A federal judge has refused Cher's request that Sonny Bono's widow Mary Bono repay more than $1 million in legal bills the music legend racked up during their court battle over royalties to "I Got You Babe" and other Sonny & Cher hits. Cher wanted to be reimbursed for the legal fees she spent defeating Mary Bono's effort to stop paying royalties under Cher's divorce settlement with Sonny -- an argument rejected by a judge in 2024. Cher claimed Mary had "dragged" the case out for years by taking "unreasonable positions." On July 20, Judge John A. Kronstadt said the rules that would have allowed such forced repayment didn't apply to Cher and Mary's specific dispute, since it centered more on contracts than federal copyright law: "The motion is denied," he wrote. The ruling leaves Cher the winner of the overall case, but stuck paying an eye-watering legal tab she says ended up at $1,023,605 -- a bill that's not atypical for top-flight law firms handling years of complex litigation. Mary is currently challenging Cher's earlier victory in the case at a federal appeals court, which has yet to rule on it. Sonny and Cher's 1978 divorce settlement gave her a permanent 50% cut of the publishing revenue from songs written before they split up, including "The Beat Goes On" and "Baby Don't Go." Bono later married Mary, then passed away suddenly in a 1998 skiing accident. Sonny's music publishing grants became eligible for termination beginning in 2018, prompting Mary to notify publishers of her intent to reclaim certain interests. Cher, 79, rose to fame alongside Sonny in the 1960s before establishing a decades-long solo career that brought her Grammy, Oscar, and Emmy wins. In February, the music legend made a special appearance at the 2026 Grammy Awards to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award. - Billboard, 7/21/26...... Deceased '80s pop sensation George Michael's former manager Andros Georgiou has says he hopes that a previously-unfinished duet between Michael and his good friend Elton John can be released, over three decades after it was recorded. Michael worked with Sir Elton on a chart-topping remake of John's 1975 hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" in the 1990s, following them singing it together at Live Aid in 1985. He died on Christmas Day in 2016 due to issues related to heart and liver disease. Now, his former manager Andros Georgiou has revealed that the former WHAM! singer once started work on a duet with Sir Elton -- providing vocals for a song called "This Kind Of Love." The track has remained unfinished and unreleased for over three decades now, however Georgiou has expressed hopes to add the final touches and release it posthumously. Georgiou discussed "This Kind Of Love" with the UK tabloid The Sun as he is promoting his new film Trojan Souls, which centers on Michael's unreleased 1993 album of the same name and was set to see him collaborate with big names including Stevie Wonder, Sade, Seal and Aretha Franklin. It ultimately got shelved due to disputes with the label. "Elton came in to do a song called 'This Kind Of Love'," Georgiou told the paper, adding that he has also got an "incredible interview with Elton that no one has seen" yet, which he is "saving for when the film gets snapped up by a streamer like Apple." In that interview, the manager said, John shares his admiration for the "Careless Whisper" singer and adds that he would "literally do anything for George." - NME, 7/22/26...... 
Pres. Donald Trump's longtime critic Bruce Springsteen has been attacked by a fellow musician -- Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain -- for making his opposition to the president a fixture of his shows. Cain, 76, took aim at Springsteen, also 76, during an appearance on the podcast The Complete Disaster Network (available on 
The classic 1971 children's musical fantasy film 
1950s and 1960s rock & roll hitmaker Freddy Cannon who brought energy and vigor to pop radio playlists in the early rock era, died on July 17 in a California hospice facility. He was 89. Mr. Cannon's longtime friend, iHeart Radio's Tom Cuddy, confirmed that Mr. Cannon died following a brief bout with cancer, and his children Conny and Billy were with him in the days before his death. Mr. Cannon landed three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Tallahassee Lassie" (No. 6 in 1959), "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" (No. 3 in 1960) and "Palisades Park" (No. 3 in 1962). His nickname "Boom Boom" was inspired by the big bass drum sound on his records. Mr. Cannon reportedly holds the record for the most appearances on Dick Clark's American Bandstand (110 appearances), and also made the top 15 on the Hot 100 in 1965 with the rollicking hit "Action" from Clark's daily ABC-TV series Where the Action Is. The artist, who notched 23 Hot 100 hits between 1959 and 1981, was born Frederick Anthony Picariello Jr. on Dec. 4, 1936 in Revere, Mass. He lived in the state until he was in his late teens when he and his wife Jeanette moved to Philadelphia on the advice of legendary TV host Dick Clark, the city were Clark produced his daily American Bandstand broadcast for ABC-TV. He worked with some of the top musical performers of that era, including Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Chubby Checker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, Connie Francis and Brenda Lee, and performed on many of the popular music TV shows of the era, including Shindig, The Midnight Special, Hullabaloo, Where the Action Is and Sha Na Na. Mr. Cannon was reportedly working on music at his home in Oxnard, Calif., right up to his death. He is survived by his children, Conny and Billy; his sister, Mary Lou; his son-in-law, Jim, and daughter-in-law, Beth; five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. His wife (and high school sweetheart) Jeanette, preceded him in death on Sept. 25, 2024, and his son, John, died on Apr. 13, 2026. - Billboard, 7/19/26.