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.
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Favorite Seventies Artists In The News
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Favorite Seventies Artists In The News
On Aug. 7 Neil Young announced details of his new album with The Chrome Hearts called Second Song. The follow-up to his 2025 set Talkin To The Trees, the new LP features seven tracks five of which are previously unreleased along with two unreleased versions of "Casting Me Away From You" and "I'll Love You Forever." Second Song will drop on Sept. 18 via Reprise Records. Young has also shared the soothing lengthy title track on YouTube. On it, he sings of the life he's experienced, with lines such as, "I dream a way of living/ A way of sharing what we find/ A way of walking slowly through the smokey leaves of time." In a press release for the new album, Young says: "In times when lives are tested, this is music that gathers the past into a hopefulness for the future. It allows those hearing the inner feelings of what gives Neil Young himself the belief needed to face our obstacles in their deepest divisions. 2026 faces us in ways society hasn't been faced before. It is not a time to look away." He had previously revealed that he was channelling anger at the Donald Trump administration into the new album. - New Musical Express, 8/7/26...... 
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 Instagram. ZZ Top is in the midst of its summer 2026 "The Big One" tour. Earlier this year, the band extended its 2026 tour with nearly two dozen new dates for the summer. - Rolling Stone, 8/5/26...... Bob Dylan has switched up his live lineup once again, bringing blues veteran Jimmie Vaughan onstage during his US tour closer at Nashville's Ascend Federal Credit Union Amphitheater on Aug. 1. Vaughan appeared five songs into the set, joining Dylan for the Rough and Rowdy Ways LP track "False Prophet" before sticking around to help cover Bo Diddley's 1961 deep cut "I Can Tell." He later returned near the end of the night to play on "Goodbye Jimmy Reed", another song from Dylan's 2020 album. Vaughan -- older brother of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan -- first worked with Dylan in the early 1990s, amid his Under The Red Sky era, playing on "Handy Dandy" and teaming up with Stevie Ray for "God Knows," "Cat's In The Well" and "10,000 Men." He also joined Dylan for several tracks at a 2024 Austin show. Vaughan's latest appearance comes amid a period of rapid guitarist turnover in Dylan's touring band. Bob Britt, who had played with Dylan since 2019, recently confirmed he left the lineup "of his own accord" after fans speculated that he'd been fired. Britt said he wouldn't disclose his reasons but insisted there was no bad blood, adding he planned to return to session work. Britt's exit followed Doug Lancio's departure earlier in the summer, with Julian Lage stepping in for several dates. At present, Joel Paterson is reportedly Dylan's only full-time guitarist -- though Vaughan's Nashville cameo suggests Dylan may continue rotating players as the tour evolves. It remains unclear who will join Dylan for the UK and European leg of the "Rough and Rowdy Ways" tour, which begins in Norway in October before reaching Bournemouth on Nov. 25. - Music-News.com, 8/5/26...... Roger Daltrey and Robert Plant are scheduled to participate in a one-off concert on Dec. 6 to celebrate the life and career of legendary British music broadcaster Bob Harris OBE. Titled Stand By Me: Bob Harris - A Celebration of Life In Music, the landmark event brings together an extraordinary lineup of rock, folk, country, and pop icons who have been championed by the famous presenter throughout his five decades on air. Royal Albert Hall will welcome a stellar gathering of musical talent for the occasion, featuring performances by Daltrey, Plant, Paul Weller, Suzi Dian and Rick Wakeman. The celebration comes as Harris continues to manage ongoing treatment for prostate cancer, having briefly stepped back from his regular BBC Radio 2 show earlier in 2026. - Music-News.com, 8/4/26...... 
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 Instagram statement, EW&F wrote, "We are unable to perform as scheduled tonight at Chase Center in San Francisco due to a medical emergency involving a member of our band." EW&F has not provided any additional information on which member of the group had fallen ill or the nature of the medical issue. As a result of the call-off, the show will be rescheduled on a date to be announced soon. The band asked ticket holders to hold on to their original tickets, which will be honored for the new date; otherwise, refunds will be available at the point of purchase. "We sincerely apologize for the unexpected change and appreciate everyone's understanding," EW&F wrote. The group is scheduled to continue its tour on Aug. 8 in Palm Desert, Calif. - Billboard, 8/7/26...... In related news, Barry Manilow called off his planned Aug. 4 show in Lexington, Ky. for a second time, citing "unforeseen circumstances." An Instagram message from the 83-year-old "Mandy" singer read "Due to unforeseen circumstances tonight's show in Lexington has been rescheduled." Manilow was originally scheduled to play Lexington's Rupp Arena on Mar. 9, but that show was postponed while he underwent treatment for stage 1 lung cancer. In the comments on Manilow's post, many fans wished the singer well, with one even jokingly apologizing for wearing him out after he played "all those fast loud song[s]" on Aug. 2 in Columbus, and another saying they would be happy if he just came out and pointed to his fans without even singing. Manilow has five more U.S. shows booked through the end of the August before his planned return to Las Vegas for the resumption of his Hits Come Home! residency, which will have him playing an average of six shows a month through December. He revealed his cancer diagnosis in Dec. 2025 and underwent surgery to remove a cancerous spot from his left lung later that month. That resulted in the singer pushing back his planned February Las Vegas residency dates, as well as his February, March and April arena shows on doctor's advice that he needed more time to recover. In March, his new single, "Once Before I Go," became a top 10 hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, making Manilow the only artist to ever score an A/C hit in six consecutive decades during a run that has stretched from the 1970s through the 2020s. His first new album in 15 years, What a Time, was released in June. In February, "Once Before I Go" reached No. 25 on Billboard's A/C chart, more than 50 years after he first topped the chart with "Mandy." - Billboard, 8/5/26...... On Aug. 6 Barbra Streisand announced she is stepping into the world of children's literature with a debut picture book, And By the Way.... Set to arrive in the spring of 2027 via Flamingo Books, And By the Way... tells the story of a loving grandparent and grandchild who spend the day together doing fun activities and adventures that lead to understanding some of life's core truths. The Grammy-winning singer said in a statement that the project is a very personal one for her. "I love being 'Gamma Barbra' to my three wonderful young grandchildren," she said. "One of our favorite activities is reading picture books together -- sometimes the same ones over and over again! So, I thought it would be fun to write my own book... for them... and hopefully, for other parents and grandparents to read to their little ones!" The title of the book also has everything to do with Streisand, as it's one of her signature phrases. "It's an expression I use quite often," she explained. "It seems like there's always one more thing to say!" She added that the overarching message centers on "discovery, self-expression, self-reliance and of course, love." Streisand has four grandchildren through her marriage to actor James Brolin, with whom she tied the knot in 1998. Her stepson Josh Brolin has four children -- who are the singer's step-grandchildren. And By the Way will officially be released on Mar. 30, 2027. - Billboard, 8/6/26...... 
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 X/Twitter by a fan. "But now, thankfully, she is in remission." Scialfa, 73, who was diagnosed in 2018, talked about her diagnosis in their 2024 documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. After thanking the team again, the Boss played an unplugged version of what he called "one of my best riding songs," before busting into a an acoustic "Born to Run." Springsteen and the E Street Band wrapped up their summer 2026 "Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour" on May 30 with a show In Philadelphia. - Billboard, 8/4/26...... Dolly Parton is set to receive the Americana Music Association's lifetime achievement award during the 2026 Americana Honors & Awards at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 16. The award honors Parton's commitment to excellence as an artist, songwriter and creator, and her work in building a music catalog that is rooted in Appalachian traditions while also threaded with honest storytelling and a tapestry of sounds including country, folk, bluegrass, Gospel and pop music. The "9 to 5" singer will accept the honor via video during the ceremony. Previous recipients include Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris and Buddy Guy. "We at the Americana Music Association have long admired Ms. Parton's work as a singer, songwriter, entertainer and one of the greatest ambassador's music has ever known," an AMA exec said in a statement ."With all of her extraordinary accomplishments -- from philanthropy to television, film and business -- our desire is to honor Dolly for what has always been at the heart of her legacy: a definitive songwriter and artist whose songs have shaped generations." With a career spanning more than six decades, East Tennessee native Parton has earned 10 Grammys, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. - Billboard, 8/6/26...... 
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 Instagram, the eight-episode series will be titled The Manager, The Mythology, The Legend, and will reportedly be an inside look into the man who guided the Jackson family's rise from Gary, Ind., to global superstardom. "Our father's life is replete with triumphs and challenges, and we firmly believe that this series will offer a distinctive and accurate portrayal of the man behind our family," Marlon Jackson, who is helping narrate and develop the program, told the gossip column Page Six. "We are thrilled to share my father's indelible legacy with fans worldwide, granting them an intimate glimpse into the remarkable individual we knew and loved." No premiere date has been announced, though streaming platform BLK Prime says more details about production and casting will be revealed in the coming months. - Billboard, 8/3/26...... Phil Collins detailed his recent battles with alcoholism in a wide-ranging interview with London's Sunday Times on Aug. 3. In it, the 75-year-old reflected on large portions of his career, discussed his personal life and spoke on mending his relationship with Paul McCartney. Collins revealed that in Apr. 2024, he was hospitalized in Switzerland following a relapse with alcohol and that his manager of 50 years summoned his five children to see him at his bedside. "Because there were some decisions to be made about 'Do we keep Phil on life support?' kind of thing. My kidneys were packing up, my organs were just seizing up," Collins said. "People were coming to say goodbye. But I don't remember them coming, I didn't have no idea this was going on. They were all worried that they wouldn't see me again. It could all have gone so terribly wrong." In Nov. 2023, Collins was rushed to hospital and discharged three days later; several weeks later, he was rushed back into intensive care and spent seven months in hospital. "I was very lucky to have come out of that. Needless to say, I haven't had a drink since." Collins last performed live in 2022 as part of Genesis' farewell tour. He is no longer able to drum due to nerve damage and numerous knee and spine surgeries. Elsewhere in the interview, the "In the Air Tonight" singer discussed healing a rift with former Beatle McCartney after he said in a previous interview that the latter treated him "condescendingly." McCartney read the interview and reached out, "saying, 'I'm a bit disappointed, blah blah'. He said don't be so 'sacrosanct' was the word he used. I'm not sure what that means, but anyway it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth and obviously left a bad taste in his." An upcoming charity auction involving Collins and the King's Trust helped mend the relationship, when McCartney agreed to donate an item after Collins wrote him a letter. "I wish I hadn't said it, although it did happen. But we've made up, he's happy about the fact that we discussed it, and I'm happy we discussed it, so it was just really lovely that it's gone full circle now," he said. Collins is set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo act in November. "I think people on the board thought I was already in," Collins said on his belated entry. Had he not ever been inducted, "I'd have just put it down to being English and just being invisible." He was inducted as part of Genesis in 2010. - Billboard, 8/3/26...... 
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 Instagram. - Consequence.net, 8/2/26.
Patti Smith has revealed she was giddy and almost at a loss for words after being granted an audience with Pope Leo XIV on July 31. "Hi," she said softly as she sat down across from Pope Leo at his desk in the Apostolic Palace. After the meeting, Smith took to Instagram to say "This is a moment that shall forever produce a smile." Wearing a crucifix necklace and hair in her trademark braids, Smith has become an increasingly visible presence at the Vatican thanks to her friendship with the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary in the Vatican's culture ministry. She has said that while she is not Catholic, she was drawn in particular to Leo's predecessor Pope Francis and his "gentle, open, and steadfast sense of humanity." She also had a thing for the revered Pope John Paul I: Her 1979 tune "Wave" is about a make-believe conversation with the pope who had just died after a 33-day papacy. It begins "Hi. Hi," uttered in the same breathy voice Smith used with Leo on July 31. The pope clearly was familiar with the tune. "That was marvelous," he said. - Billboard, 8/1/26...... 
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 The Wall into a tribute to the Palestinian people, featuring new English and Arabic lyrics and a video with footage filmed in war torn Gaza. Waters, along with Palestinian singer Mona Miari, have transformed original refrain of "I have become comfortably numb" has been adapted by Waters and Miari into: "I will never become comfortably numb." A new section written by Miari, titled "Hind's Lullaby," has also been added, inspired by the story of Hind Rajab, the six-year-old Palestinian girl killed alongside members of her family in Gaza in Jan. 2024. In an interview with Wired.com, Waters said he hopes that people hearing the song would resonate a decade from now. "I hope they'll hear that it was prophetic -- there is a right and a wrong," he said. "This is not complicated, and this song is on the right side of history." Miari added: "I hope 10 years from now, whoever listens to 'Comfortably Numb Re-Imagined' could also experience a free Palestine and look back at it as a testament about the truth and what happened, and just cherish that sense of resistance and urgency for freedom." Waters also addressed the accusations of anti-Semitism that have surrounded him in recent years. "I don't have an anti-Semitic bone in my body," he said. "I never did and I never will have. I couldn't give a shit what your religion is, frankly. I'm not interested in it." Waters has repeatedly denied accusations of anti-Semitism, arguing that his criticism is directed at the Israeli government and Zionism rather than the Jewish people. In 2023, Berlin police investigated the musician after he wore a Nazi-style uniform during a concert. He said the performance was "quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice and bigotry." That same year, the Campaign Against Antisemitism released the documentary The Dark Side Of Roger Waters, which included allegations about his past conduct. He dismissed the film as a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda. "Comfortably Numb Re-Imagined" can be viewed on YouTube. - New Musical Express, 8/2/26...... Speaking on the BBC Radio 2 program Tracks of My Years, Phil Collins recalled being "blown away" by Taylor Swift before her rise to international pop superstardom. Collins to interviewer Vernon Kay that he recalled meeting Swift at a Songwriters Hall of Fame event years ago, before she reached her current level of fame, and watching her perform her song "White Horse." "This very nice lady then got up on stage with a guitar and sang 'White Horse,' and it blew me away completely," he said. "Not only was the song great, and the sentiment of the song really got me, but she sang it beautifully. And it was just so simple, you know, her on a guitar." Collins added he has "always had a soft spot" for the track since. "I'm so pleased that she's the hugest thing in the world now because she kind of feels like she deserves it," he said. "I mean it's easy to knock someone that's got so much success, but I think she really deserves it." Elsewhere in the interview, Collins revealed that his signature solo hit "In the Air Tonight" was largely improvised. "A lot of my lyrics are kind of improvised. The classic example of that would be 'In the Air Tonight,' which was pretty much 80% improvised," he said, explaining that the song's atmospheric sound came from a Prophet-5 keyboard and that he "certainly didn't labor on it." He described the result as "the scenario of luck and good fortune" rather than craft. Collins is set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2026 -- 16 years after entering as a member of Genesis. Across his solo career he scored seven No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 during the 1980s, including "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)," "One More Night," "Sussudio" and "Groovy Kind of Love." "In the Air Tonight," the 1981 debut solo single he referenced, reached No. 19 on the Hot 100 but became one of the most enduring recordings of his career, later finding new life through film, television and a viral 2020 reaction video. - Billboard, 8/2/26...... 
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 YouTube. - Billboard, 7/29/26...... In other Black Sabbath-related news, guitarist Tony Iommi has announced his first solo album in over two decades, From the Dark. Set to arrive on Oct. 23 via BMG, the new album marks the first solo release from Iommi since he released his third solo project Fused back in 2001 alongside vocalist Glenn Hughes. It also marks his first new music since the death of his late Black Sabbath bandmate Ozzy Osbourne in July 2025. The first preview of the album is out now in the form of blistering lead single "World Alone" -- which received its premiere on July 30 at a special global streaming event in Iommi's hometown of Birmingham. The preview took place close to where the famous Black Sabbath Bridge is located, which was opened as a civic tribute to the iconic band in 2019. From The Dark will be available in several deluxe vinyl and CD formats, and the deluxe CD version will contain two bonus tracks called "Scent Of Dark" and "Defied." A limited edition 7" single of "World Alone," backed exclusively with an instrumental version, will be out on Sept. 4. - NME, 7/30/26...... 
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 YouTube. - Billboard, 7/29/26...... In other Beatles news, Paul McCartney is among a dozen artists nominated for a prestigious 2026 Mercury Prize, which is awarded annually and recognizes artistic achievement in albums across a range of genres. Sir Paul is nominated for his 20th solo studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, the first time McCartney has been nominated for the prize in his storied career. Albums released between Aug. 30 2025 and July 17, 2026 were eligible for consideration this year. The 12 shortlisted albums were chosen by an independent judging panel chaired by Jeff Smith, head of music, BBC 6 Music & Radio 2. The prize will be awarded at a ceremony at Newcastle's Utilita Arena on Oct. 22. Fans can purchase tickets for the ceremony, which will include a number of performances by the nominated artists, at the Mercury Prize awards' official website. - Billboard, 7/30/26...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, The Kinks' Dave Davies has revisited the band's old rivalry with The Fab Four, saying George Harrison was the only member he "really liked." Davies made the comments at the launch of the band's new art exhibition, "The Kinks: Brothers," at Gibson Garage London. "John Lennon didn't like The Kinks, he really didn't," Davies said, via The Mirror. Laughing, he continued: "In fact, John Lennon didn't really like anybody! George Harrison was the only one I really liked. He was the nicest guy. Paul McCartney wrote a few decent songs, yeah." Davies has previously recalled Lennon being fiercely protective of The Beatles' equipment when the two groups played together. "He wouldn't let us touch anything," he said. "'Don't you dare touch those!' He was a paranoid guy, but funny." After reports of his latest comments were published, however, Davies clarified that he remained a fan of the Liverpool band on X/Twitter. "I like the Beatles and I do appreciate all the kind words Paul McCartney has said about the Kinks," he wrote. The rivalry between the groups dates back to the early stages of The Kinks' career, when they appeared below The Beatles at Bournemouth's Gaumont Cinema on Aug. 2, 1964. The show came two days before the release of The Kinks' breakthrough single "You Really Got Me," which went on to give them their first UK Number One. Kinks frontman Ray Davies later recalled Lennon making a dismissive remark about The Kinks being there solely to warm up the audience, only for their performance of "You Really Got Me" to receive an ecstatic response. "The Kinks: Brothers" exhibition reimagines a 1968 passport photobooth picture of the siblings taken in East Finchley, North London, through a series of mixed-media works on paper and canvas. The exhibition will run at Gibson Garage London until Sept. 6. - NME, 7/27/26...... 
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 X/Twitter on July 28, the country icon addressed his post to "whom it may concern and to everyone else as well," in which he lamented that potential plans to build one of the energy- and water-hogging plants could change the nature of Abbott, Tex., where he owns a home and farm. "I grew up in Abbott, and I still have a home there with farmed land where I can still see stars at night," Nelson, 93, wrote. "And now our community, like many others, needs to fight against data centers invading our land. The last thing we need is a loud, water thieving, light polluting, data center anywhere near our town (or any others for that matter)." Nelson -- who has spent more than four decades raising money and awareness about the plight of small American farms via his co-founded annual concert Farm Aid -- wrote that the strength of rural America has never come from "big industrial footprints," but rather from "generations of people, open spaces, local businesses, and a connection to the land. All of America deserves thoughtful stewardship that doesn't steal farmland (where our essential shared-food is grown) and small family farmers' livelihoods, and not data centers that only destroy the environment around them." Like many local, state and federal authorities, Texas politicians are in a heated battle about the building of massive data centers to support the AI boom. After previously calling the Lone Star State the global "epicenter of AI development," Republican Gov. Greg Abbott recently pushed for a ban on AI centers in rural neighborhoods and stricter regulations on utility and water usage to protect the state's power grid and save his constituents from rapidly rising electricity rates. It is not clear if Nelson's letter was targeting a specific data center near Abbott, which is about an hour south of Dallas. But a May Gallup Poll reported that seven in 10 Americans oppose local construction of AI data centers, with 48 percent strongly opposed and just seven percent strongly in favor. Nelson ended his letter with a stark warning: ""Whoever controls food and water, controls the masses. Let's not allow our own demise or give up control over necessary resources in the U.S. and especially in Abbott." - Billboard, 7/29/26...... Tom Waits has released the full version of his sardonic spoken-word track "The Fly." The track serves as the B-side to "Boots On The Ground," Waits' politically charged collaboration with Massive Attack, which was released online in April and marked the singer-songwriter's first new original music since his 2011 album Bad As Me. A tease of "The Fly" was released several months ago, but now the entire track has been shared, and it sees Waits offer a begrudging tribute to the brief and unloved life of the common housefly. "You have no house, well you have mine / You have no real friends, stay away from the wine. House fly go to sleep, say goodbye / No one will weep when you die," he recites. The lyric video, illustrated by the artist's son Casey Waits, can be viewed on Instagram. - NME, 8/1/26...... Arlene Smith, one of the co-founders and lead vocalists of the pioneering 1950s girl group The Chantels, died of a heart attack at a New York City hospital on July 29. She was 84. The Chantels were formed in early 1950s by a group of school friends from St. Anthony of Padua in the Bronx and were one of the first Black girl groups to score national chart success. With a combination of flawless harmonies and emotion-packed lovesick ballads such as "The Plea" and "He's Gone," the group's mix of doo wop, soul and R&B swing helped distinguish them at a time when Black female pop acts were a rarity on the charts. Born on Oct. 5, 1941, Ms. Smith was a classically trained vocalist who got her break when as a 12-year-old she scored an audition alongside her childhood friends and future bandmates Sonia Gorin, Lois Harris, Jackie Landry and Rene Minus for record producer Richard Barrett (of the doo-wop group The Valentines) when the group's members were all in their teens, ranging from 14 to 17. They landed a recording contract in 1957 with End Records, future home to such groups as Little Anthony and the Imperials and The Miracles, and their debut single, the barbershop quartet-meets-soul lament "He's Gone" -- co-written by Smith and Barrett -- landed at No. 71 on the Billboard Top 100, the predecessor to the Hot 100 singles chart. That set the table for their breakthrough with the Barrett-penned "Maybe," the aforementioned boyfriend heartbreak ballad about trying to win back a lover who is "gone, gone, gone" that ran all the way up to No. 2 on the Most Played R&B by Jockeys chart and is considered one of the greatest girl group songs of all time. After receding from music in the 1970s, Ms. Smith got her master's degree in education and taught music at a Bronx elementary school until her retirement in the 2000s. The Chantels were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002 and made the final ballot for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and 2009, but have so far not made the final cut. - Billboard, 7/31/26...... 
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, Released, and later sang lead vocals on the last song of Foreigner's 90-minute set, "Hot Blooded." Even though all the original members of Foreigner are no longer on the road, the industry itself still accepts them as a group and certainly the thousands of fans who packed the amphitheatre from the seats right up to the lawns seemingly had no problems watching them, purists aside. The diminutive but powerful Mexican-born Luis Maldonado, who's performed with Foreigner since 2021 but moved to frontman at the end of 2025 when Kelly Hansen retired, otherwise sang lead vocals during the group's hits-heavy performance with such standouts as "Double Vision," "Cold as Ice," "Waiting For a Girl Like You," "Jukebox Hero," and "I Want To Know What Love Is," the latter accompanied by a youth choir from Guelph. Guitarist Mick Jones still serves as the official group leader for Foreigner even though he gave up touring in 2022 due to Parkinson's disease and is currently dealing with Alzheimer's. As for Lynyrd Skynyrd, who lost three band members in a 1977 plane crash, including lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, their southern rock went down smoother in some places than it did others. Led by Ronnie's brother, Johnny Van Zant -- who's been lead vocalist since the group reformed in 1987 -- the nine-member ensemble kicked their hour-and-40-minute set off strong with "Working For MCA," "What's Your Name," "That Smell," and "Saturday Night Special." "Canada! Skynyrd's in the house!" yelled Van Zant, with an American flag wrapped around his mic stand, to huge cheers. They wrapped their set with a one-two punch of "Sweet Home Alabama" (and its Neil Young-bashing verse) and encore signature song "Free Bird." - Canoe.com, 7/31/26...... Actor Vincent Pastore, who was best known for playing Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on HBO's The Sopranos, died of natural causes at his home on City Island in the Bronx on Aug. 1. He was 80. Mr. Pastore played a pivotal role during the first two seasons of The Sopranos as a close confidante of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). Once Tony learned that the FBI had managed to flip Salvatore and turn him into an informant, he was killed in the Season 2 finale. Salvatore continued to appear in later episodes either through flashbacks and archival footage. In addition to acting in films like Mickey Blue Eyes, Revolver and Shark Tale, Mr. Pastore also appeared in 1990's Goodfellas, 1993's Carlito's Way and A Bronx Tale. Elsewhere on TV, Mr. Pastore had roles in Law & Order, Blue Bloods, Bull, Hawaii Five-0 and also competed on seasons of Celebrity Apprentice and Dancing With the Stars. "He loved being an actor," his manager Robert Attermann told Fox News. "He was passionate about his craft and was always encouraging, respectful, and generous with young actors, taking the time to offer guidance and support whenever he could." He is survived by his daughter Renee. - Canoe.com, 8/2/26.
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Favorite Seventies Artists In The News
Robert Plant is set to be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 25th Annual Americana Honors & Awards on Sept. 16, at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium. The Americana Music Association is recognizing Plant for a lifetime of extraordinary contributions to Americana and American roots music. Throughout his celebrated career, the former Led Zeppelin frontman has maintained an abiding love for vintage and modern roots music, consistently exploring and advocating for the blues, folk, gospel, and country genres. Plant's groundbreaking collaborations with Alison Krauss and producer T Bone Burnett on the Grammy Award-winning album Raising Sand introduced millions of listeners to the depth of the genre, effectively prompting the Recording Academy to establish a dedicated Best Americana Album category. The artist continued this deep exploration alongside collaborators Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller for Band of Joy, and again on a second acclaimed duet album with Krauss in 2022, Raise the Roof. The Americana Awards are the highlight of Americanafest week, which celebrates groundbreaking artists and industry leaders who expand the roots music community. - Music-News.com, 7/20/26...... 
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 Instagram page, in which the 85-year-old vocalist wrote that the break was intended to allow the veteran "Good Vibrations" group to catch their breath before they go back out on the road in the fall. "Playing for you is the highlight of our summer every year -- especially as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States while saluting the 60th Anniversary of Pet Sounds," Love wrote. "We've been having a blast out there, and to keep the good vibrations going strong, we'll be taking a short break to recharge before getting back on the road in September. Thanks for your love -- we can't wait to see you back out there for a September to Remember," he added. The announcement of the time-out on six weeks of shows, representing nearly 30 gigs, came just as the group was slated to perform at Virginia's legendary Wolf Trap on July 23. Love noted that all tickets for the postponed performances -- from July 23 through a planned Sept. 3 show in Pueblo, Colo. -- will be honored following the band's return to the road in September; fans are encouraged to contact their local box office for more information. The 11 rescheduled dates stretch from a Sept. 24 show in West Springfield, Mass. to a May 8, 2027, concert in Enoch, Ala. - Billboard, 7/24/26...... 
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 X/Twitter. He continued, "Honestly, Mike [Anthony] and I love the fact that you've been out there doing it, supporting the greatest band in the world that we were both part of. And, yeah, I'm really sorry. That's f---ed up. Supporting what we did in this band to keep this music alive. You and I, Mikey, Al, Ed cannot be replaced. So, when you're ready to carry on, you go, brother. Mike and I support you." Hagar then extended a surprise olive branch, inviting Roth to make a guest appearance during his upcoming Las Vegas residency. "Come to Vegas for the residency in September," the Red Rocker said. "Come on, join us. Sing a couple songs, MC the damn show. Come out and just do what the f-- you do, which is pretty damn entertaining! Anyway, hope you're well. I really do. God bless, brother." Hagar's "Best of All Worlds Tour" Residency launches Sept. 18 at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas and runs through Sept. 26. Hagar replaced Roth as Van Halen's lead singer following Roth's 1985 departure, guiding the band through a multi-platinum run. He served as the group's vocalist from 1985 to 1996 and returned for a second stint from 2003 to 2005. Roth first rose to fame as VH's original frontman, leading the band from 1974 to 1985 and appearing on its first six studio albums before launching a successful solo career. He returned to VH in 2007 and remained with the band until its final years before Eddie Van Halen's death in 2020. - Billboard, 7/26/26...... Bruce Springsteen and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick were honored with a new ACLU award, the Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science and Sports, on July 24. Springsteen -- who closed the event with a solo rendition of "Streets of Minneapolis" -- and Kaepernick were honored as part of an awards ceremony hosted by actress Laverne Cox. "It's important for us to recognize all of the people who are contributing to the fight to protect civil rights and civil liberties," ACLU president Deborah Archer said. "Those folks -- actors, athletes -- these folks have all shown up in incredibly powerful ways." Kaepernick's honor comes a decade after he knelt during the national anthem in protest against police violence and racial inequality. Springsteen's ACLU awards performance of "Streets of Minneapolis" can be viewed on his official YouTube channel. - Billboard, 7/25/26...... R&B legends Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight performed a co-headlining show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on July 24. Now 86, Robinson hasn't lost a step, singing and moving well and still a master showman. He was also personable, speaking warmly about Gladys Knight, who he said he's known since they were teenagers ("one of the greatest voices of our time") and doing a spot-on and very funny impression of Stevie Wonder's head-turning mannerisms (by way of introducing "The Tears of a Clown," which the two music legends cowrote with Henry Cosby). Although Knight still has moments where she can summon the fire and passion that have made her such a beloved singer for so many years, many of her songs were truncated and re-arranged to better suit her current capabilities. She relied heavily on her three back-up singers, who even took lead parts on occasion. Her 18-song setlist was capped off with her 1973 No. 1 hit, "Midnight Train to Georgia." Robinson closed his show with a cover of William DeVaughn's 1974 hit "Be Thankful for What You Got" (which DeVaughn wrote). - Billboard, 7/25/26...... 
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 Foreign Tongues. On the Billboard Hot 200 album chart, Foreign Tongues debuts at No. 7, extending the Stones' own record for the most top 10s (with 39) since the chart began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March of 1956. Foreign Tongues takes a bow in the top 10 on six total U.S. Billboard album charts: Top Album Sales (No. 1), Billboard 200 (No. 7), Top Rock Albums (No. 2), Top Rock & Alternative Albums (No. 3), Vinyl Albums (No. 3) and Indie Store Album Sales (No. 3). Billboard's Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on pure album sales (physical and digital download purchases combined). The chart's history dates to May 25, 1991, the first week the magazine began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. - Billboard, 7/24/26...... The Beatles' achievement of scoring the U.K.'s bestselling album of all time with their 1967 opus Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has been broken by British alternative faves Oasis and their 1995 album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. Oasis' sophomore album appears at No. 3, making it the highest-ranking studio album on the list, with two compilations albums -- Queen's Greatest Hits and ABBA's Gold -- topping the overall list. The OCC reports that Morning Glory has sold 6.2 million chart units since its release, boosted by last summer's "Live 25" reunion tour. At the time of its release, it was the second-fastest selling album of all time behind Michael Jackson's Bad. Classic albums from Fleetwood Mac (Rumours, No. 6), Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon, No. 7), Michael Jackson (Thriller, No. 8), Bob Marley & The Wailers (Legend, No. 9) and Dire Straits (Brothers in Arms, No. 10) round out the top 10. The Official Charts Company updated the UK's bestselling albums of all time as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations; it was last updated in 2016. - Billboard, 7/22/26...... In other Beatles-related news, George Harrison's son Dhani Harrison and longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich have formed the new band called Dragonflies and shared their debut single. "Slower," which also serves as the record's opening track and combines tape loops, layered percussion and Harrison's vocals with a hazy, trip-hop-influenced sound. It arrives alongside a hand-drawn, psychedelic video directed by UK animator Ruffmercy, whose previous credits include work with Nirvana, The Chemical Brothers and Nas. After inviting Harrison to his studio in Brixton, Godrich and Dhani began constructing new songs from tape loops and working quickly without a fixed plan. "It's like one person throwing something in the air and the other person catching it," Godrich said of their creative process. Harrison added: "He's a machine. He has strong opinions about what he wants to hear, and for me it's very humbling. That's why it's such a new experience." Harrison, the only child of George and Olivia Harrison, first emerged as a member of the alternative rock band thenewno2, before forming the supergroup Fistful Of Mercy with Ben Harper and Joseph Arthur. He released his first solo album, 'In///Parallel', in 2017, followed by 'Innerstanding' six years later, and has also composed music for film and television projects including Beautiful Creatures, Good Girls Revolt and Dogs. In 2025, he executive-produced the first official music video for his father's "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)." Harrison and Godrich's eponymus debut Dragonflies will drop on Sept. 18 via Dark Horse Records/BMG, the label originally founded by George Harrison. - New Musical Express, 7/26/26...... Lucasfilm Studios has announced the rerelease of the original 1977 Star Wars movie to celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary. A newly restored version of the film will play in theaters from February 19, 2027, for a limited time. The company did not reveal what improvements have been made to the restored version. The film's original release did not have the subtitle "A New Hope," which was added later by director George Lucas. Since its release, the original theatrical version has been screened very rarely. In the years after it came out, Lucas famously made alterations to the film, with the updated version being the one most fans are familiar with. The 2027 rerelease will give fans a restored version of the film in theaters. - ComingSoon.Net, 7/24/26...... 
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 official Facebook page, which remembered him as "a father to Clay, a husband to Shirle, a friend to many, and a mentor to countless musicians young and old." The message added that despite Mr. Thorpe's declining health in recent months, "his fierce intellect and sharp sense of humour" never faltered, and said he would leave "an unfillable hole in the lives of all who knew him, or his music." Formed in 1973, The Rubettes emerged near the end of the glam-rock era with a distinctive blend of 1950s-inspired doo-wop harmonies and pop-rock. Dressed in their trademark white suits and cloth caps, the group broke through with "Sugar Baby Love," which topped the U.K. singles chart for four weeks in 1974 and reached No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, introducing the band to American audiences. The Rubettes would go on to score additional international hits with songs including "Tonight," "Juke Box Jive" and "I Can Do It." Mr. Thorpe joined the band's classic lineup in 1974 alongside Alan Williams, John Richardson, Mick Clarke, Bill Hurd and Pete Arnesen, serving as both lead guitarist and a songwriter. He also stepped in as a vocalist, singing lead on the band's single, "Baby I Know." Mr. Thorpe exited The Rubettes in 1979, though he remained active across multiple musical projects. Before and after his time with the group, he worked with artists like Cilla Black and Tommy Steele, and even taught music at Blackburn College. He published his own memoir, A Bride's Nightie, back in 2014. - Billboard, 7/22/26.
As their new joint exhibition "The Kinks: Brothers" opens in London on July 24, co-founding The Kinks members Ray and Dave Davies say they are "getting on great" and wouldn't rule out a future reunion. The exhibition, on display at the Gibson Garage, sees the brothers collaborate with British portrait painter Christian Furr, who has reimagined a 1968 passport photobooth picture of the brothers taken in East Finchley, North London, in a series of mixed-media works on paper and canvas. Dave, who has had a sometimes contentious relationship with Ray, reportedly cried when he first saw Furr's paintings, with the images prompting him to consider his fractured relationship with his brother. "It made me think, 'What the hell are we doing?' There were times where I couldn't stand him. I was storming out of the studio." Dave added that their relationship had always been "built on trust, although we hated each other." However Daves says the animosity has now subsided. "It's miraculous, really, how we've become so bonded. We enjoy each other's company. We were getting on great. We have fluctuated between getting on really well and not getting on at all over the years but there's always been telepathy, since childhood," he said. Asked whether they could perform together again, Dave replied: "I don't know, but never say never." Ray and Dave last shared a stage in 2015, when Ray joined his brother in London for a performance of "You Really Got Me," and they later worked together on new Kinks material in 2019. More recently, the brothers presented a united front in March when electronic singer/musician Moby described the lyrics to The Kinks' 1970 single "Lola" as "gross and transphobic." Dave responded that he was "highly insulted" by Moby's description of his brother's lyrics, adding: "Why is Moby being so rude about this simple song? We're not transphobic. Why does he have to have a go at us?" Dave later revealed that Ray had responded by asking: "Who the f--- is Moby?". "The Kinks: Brothers" is set to run until Sept. 6, and the official exhibition announcement can be viewed on Instagram. - New Musical Express, 7/23/26...... 
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...... Instagram. - New Musical Express, 7/23/26...... 
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 YouTube), where he said he "used to like" him and was once a Democrat himself before changing party allegiances. "I used to be a Democrat back in the old days," said Cain, who also happens to be the husband of Trump administration adviser Paula White-Cain. "But I couldn't go there anymore, you know? I'm a diehard conservative." Cain continued: "And guys like Bruce Springsteen should shut up. You know, really, honestly, shut up, Bruce, you know? Him and who's the other one? [Actor] Robert DeNiro. I mean, who cares, guys? Do your art. I try to keep politics out of my music." After adding that he doesn't "spend 10 minutes talking about his Christian/conservative background on stage," Cain attacked Springsteen over his iconic tune "Born in the USA." "You were born in the USA, weren't you, dude? So act like it. But even that song, if you look at the lyrics, I mean, it's a kind of a diss toward our country," Cain said. During the show, Cain also mentioned his new patriotic song "Winds of Freedom," which is said to be inspired by Eric Metaxas, an evangelical author and personality. Cain says he integrates his political views in the song, adding that other artists like Ted Nugent and Kid Rock had also done so. "We love our flag, and we love our nation, and we grew up that way," Cain said. - TheDailyBeast.com, 7/21/26...... On July 20 Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr surprised Beatles fans who were on the "Magical Mystery Tour" bus tour in Liverpool. Fans on the tour that day were left amazed when a car pulled up at a red traffic light beside them, and none other than Sir Paul himself leaned out the window to greet them. As if the chances of bumping into a member of The Beatles on the sightseeing tour were not slim enough, the guests were also greeted by Ringo Starr, who was on a FaceTime call with McCartney at the time. "It was surreal," said tour guide Neil Morton to the BBC. "I had pulled up at the traffic lights on Hope Street when who should I see - Sir Paul with Ringo on FaceTime!" "He waved to us and everybody took photos. The passengers could not believe it," Morton continued, also adding that while McCartney took time to wave to the fans, however "nobody really got a chance to speak with him." Macca was back in his hometown of Liverpool to present Adolescence actor Stephen Graham with an award from his performing arts school. McCartney is a co-founder of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), and was enlisted to present a companionship honor to Graham -- who grew up in the Merseyside town of Kirkby. As highlighted by BBC News, the institute has other connections to The Beatles, as it is based at the former Liverpool Institute school attended by McCartney and George Harrison, and is also a neighbor to the Liverpool Art College where John Lennon previously studied. Footage of McCartney waving to fans on the bus tour can be viewed on X/Twitter. - NME, 7/21/26...... Ozzy Osbourne's widow Sharon Osbourne and the couple's children Jack and Kelly Osbourne participated in the first ever "Ozzy Day" held in Ozzy's hometown of Birmingham, UK, on July 22. Fans showed up to pay their respects the the Prince of Darkness, and a brass band performed Black Sabbath classics. The mechanical "Ozzy The Bull" statue in New Street station was decorated with the singer's iconic glasses and more. Ahead of the inaugural event, his son Jack urged fans to share stories about Ozzy on the first anniversary of his death, saying that he wanted to "fill the entire day of July 22 with just awesome Ozzy stories." His daughter Kelly also spoke about how she was coping one year on, saying that she doesn't "just mourn the father I lost. I mourn the soul I was before [his] death." "As Ozzy would say, 'When you want to remember me, just yank up the music really loud, as loud as you can get it, and just head bang,'" Sharon said in an interview with the BBC. She also said that she remembers him most for being "authentic," "so genuine" and "funny." "I mean we could have the worst arguments in the world but we would end up laughing because he would say something so ridiculous that we would just crack up," she shared, adding that it was fitting that Ozzy Day is held in his hometown because it is "the home of metal" and "wouldn't work anywhere else." Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi also shared a touching message on Instagram, saying that he "still can't believe that he's not with us." "We always stayed in touch, almost every week or so and we'd usually talk about our ailments and then about what we'd been doing that particular week," Iommi wrote. "I still can't believe that he's not with us." - NME, 7/23/26...... 
The classic 1971 children's musical fantasy film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is getting a cinema re-release for its 55th anniversary in August. Wonka is set for a rerelease in two special anniversary screenings on Aug. 2 and Aug. 5, 2026, marking the film's 55th anniversary. The rerelease also features a special introduction by renowned film critic and historian Leonard Maltin. Directed by Mel Stuart, the film follows Charlie Bucket [Peter Ostrum], a poor young boy from a struggling family. He finds one of five coveted golden tickets in a Wonka chocolate bar, granting him a chance to tour the eccentric candy maker Willy Wonka's [Gene Wilder] chocolate factory along with four other children. Charlie and his Grandpa Joe [Jack Albertson] go inside the factory filled with chocolate rivers, giant candy creations, and the ever-mischievous Oompa Loompas. As the tour unfolds, each child faces the consequences of their own choices, while Charlie's honesty and kindness eventually set him apart. Although Wonka had a modest theatrical run upon its original release, grossing around $5.8 million at the box office, it later became a beloved classic through TV broadcasts and home media releases with format upgrades. The film currently holds an 84% Tomatometer score and an 87% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes.com. The rerelease trailer can be streamed on YouTube, and tickets are currently on sale now through the Fathom Entertainment website and participating theaters' box offices. - ComingSoon.net, 7/23/26...... 1950s rockabilly artist Vernon Taylor died on July 12 after a lengthy battle with dementia. He was 89. Born Vernon Walton Alderton on a farm in the small town of Layhill, Md., near Baltimore, on Nov. 9, 1937, Mr. Taylor developed an interest in music and at the age of 15 he and three friends formed a band called The Nighthawks, and played at fire halls and private parties in the Washington, D.C. area. They also had a stint on an hour-long local TV show. After his late 1950s' first singles "Losing Game" and "Why Must You Leave Me" weren't hits, he left his first record label Dot Records. It was after an American Bandstand appearance that legendary Sun Records founder-producer Sam Phillips signed him and Taylor released two singles, including "Today Is A Blue Day" by on of Elvis Presley's songwriters, Jack Clement. While neither were huge hits, they were beloved by rockabilly fans. He released four albums with Sun Records and his rockabilly classics included "I've Got the Blues," "Your Lovin' Man" and "Mystery Train." He recorded his last CD in 2000 and retired from the printing industry at the age of 79 due to bouts of anxiety and dementia. Mr. Taylor is survived by his wife, Brenda Alderton, three children and five grandchildren. - Canoe.com, 7/23/26...... James "Jim" Gilstrap, a singer whose credits include the Good Times theme song and Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," died on July 18 of natural causes, according to his nephew Geoffrey Gilstrap. He was 79. Gilstrap sang the song for Good Times, which ran from 1974-79, with Blinky Williams. The catchy, gospel-tinged tune ("Keepin' your head above water/Making a wave when you can") was composed by Dave Grusin with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The singer was also a featured vocalist with Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove album and contributed to many of the singer's recordings. He sang the first two lines of Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" ("You are the sunshine of my life/That's why I'll always be around"). Singer Lani Groves sang the next two lines ("You are the apple of my eye/Forever you'll stay in my heart") before Wonder's vocals kick in, with Gilstrap and Groves continuing to sing backup. The song, from Wonder's 1972 album Talking Book, won the Grammy Award for best male pop vocal performance. He also worked on Wonder's Innervisions LP. In 1975, he signed a recording contract with Chelsea Records and released a single, "Swing Your Daddy" that reached No. 4 on the U.K. Singles Chart and No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Black Singles chart. The song peaked at No. 64 in Australia. He released an album, Love Talk, in 1976. Throughout his career, Gilstrap also collaborated with the likes of Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, The Jacksons, Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, James Ingram and George Benson, among many others. "Jim was one of the most respected session vocalists of his generation, bringing his powerful and soulful voice to countless recordings that helped define the sound of popular music," his nephew said. He is survived by his wife, Gloria, and his children. - The Hollywood Reporter, 7/19/26...... 
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.